The Colour Purple Chapter 22: Zoo, a king of fighters fanfic

The Colour Purple... The King of Fighters '95

pointblankassassin . com

This (chapter) fanfiction was originally written circa: [XX.96] (Thank you)

"Which Character are you?"

One thing holds you back, up until you can overcome it, then you can go on with your life without a care just as society dictates – this is an integral part of suffering... Find a soul mate, live, procreate – worry about trivial matters; Is this how you want to live your life?

Pass the suffering forward… We procreate to pass on the suffering we couldn't defeat in our very own lifetime.

-05.16.06

Chapter 22: Zoo

I turn on the radio and hear some amateur sounding garage band youths playing acoustic guitars, and singing lyrics that don't even rhyme...

"I took Joy to the zoo. We spent our day there, and I tried to make her happy. To pass the time, we were having fun. We saw the animals, went to the roller coaster rides. I even bought her ice cream. Then she told me that her boyfriend left her because he didn't like...

...her hair."

-unknown

What a stupid song I said that time and turned the radio off. It took me a while to see those words ring some truth. I was still incompetent then.

...

Just waiting outside La Bijoux was Robert's Dad's Red Ferrari,., ready to go. Robert held the door open as King was still trying to get the hang of those platform slippers, but what was tough was getting into the car with her ankle length skirt.

"So, where are we going?" King asked.

".." Robert replied. "...To the zoo!"

"The what!?"

"The zoo... you know; with the animals."

"That's not what I meant." King said flatly.

"Would you rather go to some fashion boutique?" Robert said sarcastically.

"TO THE ZOO!" King declared, pointing the way.

...

"Why are Bengal Tigers white?" King asked while she leaned on the rails overlooking the deep tiger pit.

"I don't really know... Probably the same reason they're not yellow." Robert replied. "If you had hair dye, maybe we'd be able to put blue and pink stripes on them." Robert suggested.

"Ba.. ka... (idiot)"

...

Just add a little music, and the scene would have been a great video. Robert was trying to remember the lyrics to that stupid song he had once heard on the radio. King should spend less time sleeping, Robert thought, she seemed so calm and relaxed, and her look of enjoyment seemed more than an illusion, for Robert had never seen king laugh and smile away from her bar. It was like a girl opening her Christmas present to find the doll she always wanted. Robert had trouble keeping up with King, who was now leading him by the hand - showing him around. Robert was always used to the sluggish, half asleep King. She seemed to enjoy the dolphins; King remarked how dumb looking, innocent yet charming they were. It took some time for Robert to divert the subject from the theory of talking dolphins. King was so alive, so full of questions, acting as if...

...as if there was no tomorrow.

"Do you feel like lunch?" Robert asked, handing King a strawberry ice cream cone.

"What's that..." King joked.

"Oh, right, you never wake up for it." Robert laughed out loud.

King stood happily just next to the rails of the monkey pit. She laughed when the, orangutans were they (?), waved back at her. Robert waved as well, but all the monkeys did was stick their tongues out at him. King giggled.

"You know... I've never seen you smile before." Robert said.

King, suddenly feeling conscious, put her soft linen hat on, and crossed her arms, in a pout.

"Don't I smile at work?" King remarked.

"You know what I mean." Robert said. "Since you don't want to eat lunch, let's go..."

"Go where...?"

"To waterworld, in Neo Tokyo." Robert replied.

"But... But I don't have a bathing suit."

"No problem, I'll take care of it." Came Robert's predictable answer. Robert pressed King's memory back to that brown bag King asked about that was in Robert's car.

...

"Well..." King mumbled when she looked down to her shuffling feet.

Robert put his hands into his smiley face swim shorts and grinned at King. Robert had given her a black, shoulder-less bathing suit that had a nice see through mesh that exposed King's belly and midsection, making the outfit look like a mock bikini. She put her hands behind her back and her cheeks blushed a bit.

"Why? Never worn a bikini in a water park before?" Robert teased.

"No, not really..."

"That's good, I thought you were staring at my trunks."

There was a near endless barrage of joked "BAKA(s)" (idiot), and Robert just held King's hand and lead her to the three storey water slide.

King had second thoughts when she was sitting on the orange slide, the tube going all the way down. The screaming enthusiasts didn't help either. Tired of waiting , Robert sat behind King and forced her down with himself behind. The thundering echo of the slide was soon muffled by King's panicked screams of terror.

Maybe Robert shouldn't have sat behind and slid down with King. With arms not willing to let go for a moment. Maybe he shouldn't've forced her to slide at all. I won't let go - Robert soon found himself being dragged from one slide to the other.

Robert was so tired in no time from King's slides, that the lazy river was his only refuge. King and Robert sat in large inner tubes that floated in a turtle's pace down a long, river like pool.

As the name suggested, the slow stream isolated everyone from the chaos around them as they went their way down – just passing the time. It was hard not to notice King's curious eyes wander to the side at the few couples that held hands as they sat in their large inflated inner tubes next to each other.

Robert splashed some water King's way to catch her attention.

"It's called a boyfriend, King, ever heard of that, since you never go out?" Robert asked out of the blue.

"I'm not so sure." King came back. Rather surprised Robert was when his prodding jeer fished out a thoughtful, rather serious response from her.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Well, you know that my dad wanted to raise me as a boy, I guess." King said and Robert nodded lightly. "Well, there was this boy, blonde, and my dad was very fond of him."

Him.

King told Robert the story. Her father treated this boy like his son, her father trusted him with King, probably wanted him to rub off his traits onto King, but first and foremost, he wanted this boy to protect his daughter because he doubted that she could take care of herself. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be – in the real world.

Robert looked up, skyward – as if nothing was the matter.

King made a subtle downcast look.

"I feel kind of sorry for him." King said, almost to a whisper. "He was quite popular with the other girls at school, and I probably ruined his image. Who'd want to be seen around with a tomboy like me anyway..."

King fell silent after that, either because she had run out of things to say, or she was reflecting on what she had just told Robert.

Nobody ever told her she looked beautiful.

{Nobody ever told her she looked pretty} Robert mused.

It was just a complex after all, why King hardly smiled unless she had to at work, why she didn't want to wear feminine clothes and always kept to herself. She was afraid. It was that simple, and her insecurity closed her up.

I rather not – did not care for anyone else, but to me - She was the most beautiful girl in the WORLD. Today is a perfect – because she was the most beautiful day in my life.

He held his hand out to greet hers, "Let's go, I have to take you somewhere." Robert said to King as they neared the end of the lazy river. It was getting late, and Robert had to make one last stop before he ended the evening.

...

It was 6:00 PM already, and King wondered if Yuri could hold the fort while they were absent. King nagged Robert that they had to get back soon, but Robert assured that this stop was most important. It was getting too congested in downtown Neo Tokyo, so the pair decided to park the car and continue on foot.

It was getting dark and the neon signs lit up one by one. Before King knew it, Robert and she were deep into downtown, and the sight of love hotels were getting more frequent. King stayed close to Robert, not at all at ease with her surroundings, but at the same time, she didn't want to give him the wrong impression. King continued to nag Robert, but he assured her that they were almost there. Robert finally stopped outside a row of love hotels.

'This is it!" Robert said. King stared blankly and could not bring herself to believe that they were actually standing outside a REAL love hotel.

"Uhm..." King staggered. "I really have to get back to La Bijoux." She said as she slowly turned around.

"Wait... KING!..." Robert called as he held King's wrist.

King swung around looking quite upset. "Look! Let's just call it a day, it's getting dark!" She said coldly.

"But..." Robert stammered.

"If you don't want to take me home, I can WALK!" King said more forcefully now.

"Wait... Just stand out there for a minute okay."

"Forget it, I'm leaving." With that, King spun around angrily and marched away.

Robert didn't give chase, but instead, turned around, and sped off to a small shop next to the hotel. King couldn't help but look over her shoulder. Robert caught up to King who had just stopped and looked back. Robert put down the box he was carrying and dug deep into his pockets, and pulled out a crumpled red paper bag, and handed it to King with a downcast face.

"Here, this is for you." Robert said, looking down as well at the box he ordered from the store.

King fumbled with the red bag and pulled out a ring, a two tone, yellow and white gold ring that had a black leather strap running through it.

"Happy Birthday, King-chan." Robert said.

...

EPILOGUE:

Robert put his hands in his pockets and slouched sadly as he walked alone back to the car. King looked down at the box down at her feet, it had the words 'POSTRIO BAKERY' written in gold on it. King almost cried, her eyes became watery. She put her hand up to cover her mouth but she couldn't hide the teary expression in her eyes. It was a small chocolate cake that said 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY kawaii (cute) King-chan.' on it and a single candle was sticking out of it.

"Robert! Robert wait!" King called as loud as she could.

"Have some cake with me." King continued. "I've never blown candles before." Her voice now a soft sweet whisper. King couldn't stop the tears from streaking her face.

It was a simple request.

...