Madhouse One An MST Fic by Peregrine Vision "Calling all Pere's Blond Boys!" The PA system's summons echoed through the hallways. "Mary Sue Fic Viewing at the Fic Lounge, third floor of the Wing of Second Chances. Fifteen minutes." Eagle sighed and laid down the book he'd been reading. Beside him Lantis groaned a curse and rolled over, throwing an arm around Eagle's waist. "Do you *have* to go?" muttered the knight. He kept his voice low; Hikaru slept on his other side, hand curled under her cheek. "You know I do," Eagle replied. "The price of having me, remember?" Lantis mumbled something that was buried in the pillows as Eagle disentangled himself and rose from the bed. Dressed in Cephirean-style sleeping gear (loose shirt and pants, of a material as soft as old cotton), Eagle made his way barefoot down the carpeted corridor to the Lounge. At least it was just down the hall from his suite. Kaworu smiled at him as he entered. "There you are," said the Angel. "Come on. Dr. Muraki's made tea and Yukito brought enough food to feed an army." They made their way through the crowd of gold and silver heads to their accustomed armchairs. Stripe, a white tiger morph and original character, was sprawled on the floor near the La-Z-Boys. He growled up at them. "It's not fair. How come you get the best seats?" "Because we're the favored Children, of course," Kaworu said serenely, leaning back into his chair. "Still," murmured Iason from where he sat in another chair nearby, with a flute of peach Bellini cradled in his elegant fingers. "I'm not accustomed to anything less than the best." "Here, Eagle-san." A smiling face came into Eagle's line of vision. Yukito handed him a steaming mug of cocoa and a bowl of Maltesers and M&M Crispy. "I know you prefer chocolate to tea." Eagle accepted it gratefully and put it into the cup holder to cool a bit. "Why quibble? It's *not*," a golden-haired boy with a long right forelock was telling Iason, as Yukito distributed more snacks to the company, "as if we're getting quality entertainment anyway." Iason was forced to agree. Gingetsu stood up. His cyberpunk goggles looked rather incongruous with the Dockers and long-sleeved shirt he was wearing. "It's almost time to start; I want to make sure we're all here. Please acknowledge as I call your name and series. "Dark Schneider, Bastard!" "Yeah," said Darshe, lazily raising a clawed hand. He was lounging on the sofa, wearing a very loose robe tied at the waist. "That's not very nice," observed Yukito. "No, Yukito-san, his series is really called that," Eagle told him. Yuki blinked. "Your series is called Bastard?" said the boy with the forelock. He was sitting on the other side of the couch, next to Iason's chair. "Cool." Darshe smirked. "Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter!" "Here," drawled a sulky-looking boy. He sank into muttering as Gingetsu moved on. "Of course they're the *Harry Potter* books, famous *Harry Potter*, can't go anywhere without bloody *Harry Potter* shoved down your throat like a gag of old socks..." "Eagle Vision, Magic Knight Rayearth!" "Here." Eagle stood up, saluting his fellow officer gracefully, although he was still carrying his bowl of candy. Gingetsu gave him a rare smile; the two of them had hit it off as soon as they found out they both had military backgrounds. "Gingetsu, Clover," muttered the tall man, checking off his own name. "Glorfindel, Lord of the Rings!" Another tall man dressed in white, with an ageless porcelain beauty to him, looked up from the conversation he'd been having in the far corner. He had pointed ears. "I am here," he said quietly, "though I am not sure why." "Do not fear, cousin," his companion told him. This one looked a lot like the first, although his features seemed younger and more delicate, and he was dressed in green. He also had pointed ears. "I will answer your questions and keep you company." "Iason, Ai no Kusabi!" Iason waved the champagne flute languidly before he refilled it. "Kakei, and Kazahaya Kudou, Lawful Drug!" "Here," chorused the boy with the forelock, and an older person next to him with glasses who also had a forelock. Kakei looked like Kazahaya's older sister. Darshe had tried to hit on him before remembering that everyone in the room was male. "Kakyou, X/1999!" Silence. "KAKYOU, X/1999!!!" "Hmmmm?" said someone from a big, deep La-Z-Boy in another corner. "Sorry, did someone call me?" Nobody could see Gingetsu's eyes--they weren't sure he had eyes at all--but if he had, they had no doubt he was rolling them. Rolling his eyes, that is. If he had eyes. Erm. Moving on. "Kaworu Nagisa, Neon Genesis Evangelion!" "Here," said Kaworu, leaning back in his armchair. "Kazutaka Muraki, Yami no Matsuei!" "Present," said the doctor. He'd been talking to Kakei, who was listening avidly to everything he said, smiling and nodding. This did not reassure Kazahaya, who'd caught a couple of snatches of what Muraki had said. "Legolas Greenleaf, Lord of the Rings!" The younger blond creature with the pointy ears lifted his hand. "Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer!" "Wotcha," said Spike. He was sitting in a pile of cushions next to Stripe and sucking a lolly from a bag of Blood Lollipops he'd bullied off Draco. "Stripe, The Love Cats!" "Here." Stripe had to mumble around his own lolly. He shifted to 1/4 tiger and grinned, showing white pointed teeth with slight stains. "Do you have to do that in front of us?" said Iason with distaste. Spike changed his own face; the vampire mask grinned too. "Yeah. 'Cos it's fun." "Yukito Tsukishiro, Card Captor Sakura!" "Here," said a mound of chips, crackers, sandwiches and candy. A pale hand stuck up in the middle of it. Yukito had his own chair too: it had a specially engineered tray with extra attachments for drinks, dips, cutlery, napkins and trash. No one begrudged him for it, as he was generous with his snacks. Gingetsu cleared his throat over the snickering that followed Yukito's reply. "Right. Dim the lights!" The room darkened. The fic began. //Disclaimer: I do not own any of the magicknights or any of the characters. But I do own Avril, Merrena, and Meko.// Spike: And you can bloody well keep them. Eagle: What kind of names are those, anyway? They're not Japanese or Cephirean! Gingetsu (deadpan): Yeah, like Chikyuu or Lexus would be a *really normal* name. (Eagle bounces an M&M off his head. Instead of materializing his sword and cutting off essential bits, Gingetsu only shakes his head and chuckles. People try not to stare.) //Night Angel, Morning Demon// Kazahaya:You know it's a cheesy romance thing when they work "angel" into the title. Kaworu: As an Angel myself, I can say they have no idea what they're talking about. //Chapter one The fiery red headed girl Hikaru stared out the window towards her fifteen year old daughter Avril. // Muraki: Speaking as a medical practitioner, wouldn't the mother of a 15-year-old be long past "girl"? Eagle: It's Cephiro. You can be as young as you like. Kazahaya: Can I just ask something? What is it about redheads? Why are they always fiery? Can't you ever have one who's just kind of cute and miffling along, likes to mind her own business? Or what about a fiery brunette, or blonde? Kakei: It might be a medical condition. Chronic redhead. //She slowly watched her from her bedrooms window in the castle. // Kakei: Where's the apostrophe? Kakyou (awoken by bad grammar): Of all the things wrong with that sentence, you decide to pick on the apostrophe? Gingetsu: There isn't any. There will not be a single apostrophe in this whole fic. Just get used to it. //Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu both decided to live in Cephiro and both had married several years ago. Fuu married Ferio, Umi married Ascot, and Hikaru married Lantis. They all had their own daughters that now stood at the age fifteen.// Kakyou (yawning): But if they felt like hitting the clubs, they could walk over and stand at the age twenty-one. //Hikaru studied her daughter and sighed sadly as her daughter huddle alone under a tree.// Kaworu: [Avril] No, no. Mustn't let them have it, my precious. //She always seemed to be by herself unless Meko Umi's daughter or Merrena Fuu's daughter came up to her. She never talked to the people or even the boys. // Kazahaya: Boys being a completely different species from people, of course. //She seemed so different, so fragile.// Muraki: So crying out to be dashed against a block of cement head first, to break apart like a porcelain doll. (Everyone stares) Muraki: Ah--sorry. Force of habit. Stripe: Good idea, though. //***// Darshe: Did someone hit me on the head? Yuki: (singing) Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle.... //Avril flipped the crisp silver pages of her black leather book and continued to read deeper on in the story.// Spike: Okay, hang on...the pages of her book are silver? Draco: It's a grimoire! Black leather, silver pages--it's magic! Iason: Don't they clang together when she flips them, then? Kaworu: Terry Pratchett ripoff. Yuki: Mmm, crisp pages! (crunches a chip) Kazahaya: And what story is she talking about? Darshe: You don't actually expect this girl to *explain* things, do you? //A sigh escaped those full pouty lips of hers that shimmered with lip gloss that her mother gave her from some strange place called Earth.// Legolas: 15-year-old lip gloss. I was aware that some humans had unpleasant habits, but I must confess myself disgusted. Spike: Wouldn't shimmer much then, would it? Eagle: You know, if Hikaru'd had a child, I think she'd have told her all about Earth. And it wasn't like they couldn't visit, there being an OPEN GATEWAY and all. //The girl stayed alone all the time, never wanting to talk to those around her in fear that she would get teased again. She had always been different in looks and something deeper, something that no one could explain. // Gingetsu: Which the author promptly proceeds to explain. //Ever since a little girl she could make objects move or do things that she wanted to. But it usually only happened when a strong emotion washed over her.// Kakei: Like Tide with Bleach. Available now at selected drugstores. Especially mine. Kazahaya (muttering): I'd like to wash this whole fic in bleach. //She had long onyx black hair that cascaded down her back to her knees and shimmered in the light with silver highlights that played in her hair like stars shinning in the night. // Stripe: As the moon calfings across the sky. Spike: [highlights] Tig! Draco: [highlights] No fair! You cheated! Eagle: I must remember to ask Lantis if he has silver-highlighted relatives... Kakei: Did anyone even notice how awkward that sentence was? Darshe: We don't usually do grammar. It's too easy. Gingetsu: Besides, if we did all the grammar we'd be here for days. Did I mention that there isn't a single apostrophe in this whole story? //Bangs played down her face framing its perfection, // Muraki: [author] So perfect, in fact, that I didn't have to bother describing its actual features. Kazahaya: [bangs] Hey, highlights! Can we play with you? Draco: [highlights] No! Go play down the face where all the babies are. //and revealed her full pouty lips, and soft eyes that always held innocence and kindness in them. They were like her mothers, a deep crimson red that sparkled with joy. // Kakyou (blinking): Crimson red? Ah, I see this girl works for the Department of Redundancy Department. //Also like her mother she was a small girl, only standing at the height of 5'4.// (Everybody starts to laugh) Glorfindel: Have I missed something? Eagle: Pere's only 5'2". Spike (grinning): If she's lucky. PA system overhead: I HEARD THAT. ANOTHER SMART COMMENT LIKE THAT AND I'M TAKING AWAY YOUR VIEWING PRIVILEGES. Iason: Call this a privilege? We'd thank you. PA: YOU MISUNDERSTAND ME. YOUR PRIVILEGE IS IN WATCHING THESE THINGS IN NICE ROOMS WITH MUNCHIES AND COMFY CHAIRS. CROSS ME AND IT'S SOLO VIEWING FOR EACH OF YOU, AND NO SNACKS EITHER. Everybody (meekly): Yes, mistress. //She also had creamy skin, but it was paler then her mothers. It was a rich creamy snow white that made most think she was ill, but it held a perfection to it like fresh winter snow.// Yukito: Which is sincerely creepy, because nothing *alive* should be like fresh winter snow. Muraki: I resemble that remark. (various people begin to reply "but you ARE creepy"--then wisely keep their mouths shut) Kazahaya: What's so perfect about looking ill? //Most would say she looked normal, or that was till they saw the symbol on her forehead and the strange tattoo on her back that she had since birth. // Stripe: She had a tattoo since birth? Clever. Kaworu: You've got stripes. Stripe: I turn into a TIGER. What's her excuse? //The symbol in the middle of her forehead was two slightly thick onyx black lines that crossed over each other forming a cross and two silver wavy lines that came out from the corners of the cross. In the middle of the cross was a small dark black jewel that most would think was an onyx, but when hit by the light it reflected a metallic crimson red. // Draco: Again with the redundant. Onyx black. Crimson red--twice in a row, which is probably a whole new innovation in redundancy. Kazahaya: Don't forget the lines that crossed over each other forming a cross. Spike: Well spotted. And dark black? As opposed to, oh I don't know, pale chalky black? Yuki: She really likes the word "onyx", doesn't she. //It was a rare jewel that was one of a kind, it was a jewel that held mysterious powers that no one knew about. It was called Night Blood.// Kazahaya: So who told her the jewel was called Night Blood? Draco: The same person who told her it had mysterious powers despite no one knowing about them. Iason: Ah yes. Use of the ultra-omnipotent point of view in conjunction with use of foreshadowing with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Kazahaya: And how about the "rare jewel that was one of a kind"? Stripe: Look, can we just take for granted that this writer is the Queen of Redundancy and move the fuck ON? I'm bored. //The tattoo that rested on her back was a large black eye that her mother said almost looked like the Egyptian eye of death, whatever that was.// Eagle: Hikaru never mentioned an Egyptian eye of death. Kaworu: I wouldn't think that was common knowledge in Japan, either. Muraki (annoyed): For God's sake. There IS no Egyptian eye of death. That thing she's referring to is the Eye of HORUS. Kakei: Which is actually a symbol of *healing*, and evolved through the ages until it became the Rx symbol on most medical prescriptions. So it's the exact OPPOSITE of the "Eye of Death". Ye gods, this girl is so ignorant. Muraki: My thoughts exactly. (they notice everybody staring at them) Darshe: Uh...riiiiiiiight. Like we're supposed to automatically know this. Muraki: Well, you may be ignorant, but you don't write idiotic fanfiction loudly proclaiming your ignorance, do you? Darshe (smugly): Well, yeah. (There is a pause. Then Darshe sits bolt upright and glares at a smirking Muraki while everyone tries not to laugh.) //The only difference was the pupil and iris of the eye, they looked so real. // Kakyou (awake again): They followed you around the room. Eagle: That is just creepy. Draco: This whole fic is creepy. And I speak as a Dark wizard in training. Glorfindel: What! (jumps to feet) Legolas (hastily): Be still, cousin! Those words do not mean here what they mean in Middle Earth. All is well. (pauses as he thinks over what he's just said, then amends) I mean, there is no immediate danger. //The iris was a deep crimson like her own eyes and the pupil was black like any other but it reflected two types of wings, one black demon wing that was torn and one silver angel wing. The wings where together so they formed one pare of wings. // Spike: Congratulations. Two fucked-up spellings of single-syllable words in one short sentence. Gingetsu: Didn't we say we weren't going to do grammar? Spike: Yes, but hers is just so *bad*. //The other part of the tattoo was that the eye was crying, but not regular tears, instead they where tears of blood.// Everybody: Eeeeew. Kazahaya: [Avril] Gee, why doesn't anybody like me? I know the back of my neck watches them and cries tears of blood, but why can't they just love me for me? //The girl looked like a goddess, so beautiful and innocent. She always held a smile on her that was even more innocent and sweet then her mothers. // Everybody: (rolls eyes) Eagle: Wow, this girl inherited nothing from Lantis. Kaworu: Nothing from Hikaru, either. She's cute, but the last thing she resembles is a goddess. //But she could turn on you in a heart beat and let her anger take over. Every one was scared of her that didn't know her, she always seemed to hurt someone when she was mad, even though she didn't mean too. So instead of taking the abuse that was given to her by the people she huddled under a tree and read about white knights in armor and princesses. She read about women that fought for them selves and taught the world that they could stand on their own to feet.// Kaworu: Oh, excellent. She can't decide whether to be a bad caricature of Hikaru or a bad caricature of Lantis. Eagle (puzzled): Taught which world? Cephiro? It's a pretty small world. And most of its people can't even read. And they don't HAVE princesses in Cephiro. There was just one. Stripe: A very weepy one. (Eagle glares at him) Draco: Hang on. So she reads about knights and princesses, but she also reads about independent women? Mixed messages much? Glorfindel: Far be it for such as us to fathom the mind of a Mary Sue. (Everyone looks at him) Legolas (pleased): You learn quickly, cousin. Glorfindel (modestly): I thank you. //She continued to read on. Slowly taking in deep breaths of air and the sweet smell of the flowers close by. She always loved to sit outside and read her books. It always brought peace of mind to her. She was free from the troubles of the world when she was reading her books outside. But she still wanted to be with someone. // Everyone: (sigh) Here it comes. Gingetsu: It's a *Mary Sue* fic. What did you expect? Draco: So much for standing on her own to feet. Kakei: Her own *two* feet. Draco: I know what I meant. //She knew who that someone was, but she knew it was silly and that she would never be with him. He was just way to old and he father would never have it. After all it was her Fathers best friend, Eagle!// Eagle: O.O Everybody: (rolls eyes) Spike (in disbelief): Oh, come ON. Don't tell me you didn't expect this. Eagle (betrayed): But Pere *likes* me! I'm her favorite! Legolas: As I have been these past few months. Yet she presses upon me countless works such as this, where my name and not yours is profaned upon the lips of Mary Sue. Kaworu: Besides, didn't she once write a Mary Sue fic about you? About me too, if it comes to that. A long time ago. Her first year of college, if I remember. Everybody: ............. (Eagle covers his ears in anticipation) PA system: YOU WILL ALL FORGET EVERYTHING KAWORU JUST SAID. NOW. Everybody (suppressing sniggers): Yes, mistress. //She loved those beautiful golden eyes of his, and his soft blonde hair. She loved his warm smile and kind words that he would always give to her. He treated her so differently then anyone else. He didn't treat her like she couldn't protect herself, or like she was a monster. He treated her like a human, like a normal person. Someone that needed protection and comfort when they asked and someone that didn't have strange markings on their bodies or strange powers.// Iason: Someone, in other words, who wasn't her. Kazahaya: That's it! He thinks she's her mother! Stripe: (evil grin) More like her father. Eagle (turning red): Shut up. Spike: So she has strange powers, yeah? As opposed to common ordinary powers like controlling fire and calling a bloody great horse out of nowhere? //She sighed as she stared out into the cerulean blue sky. // Darshe: Ooo, look, she said ce-ROO-lean. Draco: Yeah, she's so smart, she knows a big word like ce-ROO-lean. Kazahaya: [author] Wow, ce-ROO-lean's such a nice-sounding word. And so long, too. I shall put it in my fic to show how many big words I know. It means "kind of blue", right? Stripe: Okay, wait a minute. So she can spell ce-ROO-lean, but she can't spell "were"? Glorfindel: I fear me she used means unjust when the word was wrought. Everybody: What? Eagle: He says she may have had help spelling-- Everybody (chorusing): --Ce-ROO-lean. //She closed the book and hugged it tightly to her chest, her arms wrapping around it like she was trying to hug herself. Oh how she craved for Eagles strong arms to be around her and hold her.// Eagle: What does she need me for? She cuddles herself enough. Stripe: (snicker) Besides, last time I checked, those arms weren't very strong. Darshe: Yeah, you're kind of skinny under all that drapery, aren't you? Muraki (murmuring): I don't know. I find his vulnerable-teenage-boy-under-mask-of-technowizard aura rather fetching. Doesn't he remind you of someone, Gingetsu? (Eagle blushes again) (Gingetsu ignores Muraki) //She wished she could do something, but knew that she could not. She was falling deeper into a silly crush ... no love that would never happen.// Eagle: You bet your life it'll never happen. //"Avril... "// Spike: (grinds fangs) I am really starting to hate that name. //Avril blinked and brought her attention from the sweet day dream to the sweet voice that called out her name. // Gingetsu: Huh. Half-assed attempt at parallelism. Kaworu: And you were expecting something more from the Apostrophe-less Queen of Redundancy? //She turned her head to the left and stared at the smiling Eagle. His soft blonde hair blowing in the breeze and his beautiful golden eyes sparkling with joy. He was dressed in white dress pants and a white button up dress shirt. With a rich emerald green cloak over it that had golden armor on the side and a golden chain in the front that trailed from the right side to the left side of the cloak.// Eagle: Um...what am I still doing there? In the manga I was supposed to go home as soon as I healed. In the anime I'm DEAD. What happened to continuity? Kazahaya: [author] Conty-what? Uh, I'm sorry, that's like, kinda way into the dictionary, y'know? I'm only like, at ce-ROO-lean. And it was, like, totally hard for me to work it in there. //Avril smiled brightly, her smile reaching to to her eyes. // Yuki: You mean there are smiles that DON'T reach to the eyes? Kazahaya: The Prince of Guilelessness speaks. Draco: She can't have been THAT sweet and innocent if she could pick and choose her smiles. //The smile was a smile like no other smile, // Kaworu: Oh, look, you can sing along! Come on everyone, all together now. Everybody (bobbing in rhythm): The smile was a smile like no other smile, we've none of us seen it in quite a good while... Eagle: I assure you that I would run many a mile-- Everybody: --to get well AWAY from Avril's STUPID SMILE! //one that could make the angels jealous. It was warm, sweet, and innocent. But to him it held something more, something that was more then what Hikaru's smile use to do for him, to him it held an innocent seduction to it that made something inside him tighten.// Eagle: Yuk. Legolas: Human bodily functions again! Why these things are forced upon me I know not. Muraki: Is that so? I imagine you know more than you let on about human bodily functions. Legolas (pink about the earpoints): Hold your tongue. //" Hello Sir Eagle, what brings you out here?"// Darshe: Suddenly they're in the Middle Ages. Kazahaya: [author] Cephiro, England, who cares? They all have armor and swords and stuff, right? //Her voice was full of joy and innocence. So cheerful and kind, like some sweet angel whispering lullabies to him. // Kakyou: Hmm, lullabies...(zzzzzzz) Draco: Okay, how come HE can sleep through this stupid fic? (Everyone looks at the sleeping Kakyou. His outer robe has slipped off and is crumpled under him. His white underrobe is falling open at the neck. Long pale hair trails over his collarbone. His lips part and his lashes shiver a bit as he breathes out.) Everyone, even the straight males: (various impure thoughts) Draco: Never mind. //He held his hand out to her still smiling brightly as he said "I was going to go for a walk and I thought I ask you. Since you love to walk through the Forest of Silence so much."// Darshe: Yeah, because the route's so pretty and peaceful, what with the dark and the cobwebs and the creepy aura that hangs over the place. Kazahaya: And the hordes of attacking monsters are just an added bonus! //Avril took his hand and let his strong fingers wrap around her small hand and pull her up to him. " I would love that." They both headed towards the forest, Avril's book held close to her chest. Eagle walked right beside her and brought his arm around draping his cloak over her so his arm wrapped around her. It was somewhat like what Lantis did to Hikaru, but he made it a friendly gesture, even though he really only did it to be close to her. // Stripe: Oh yeah. They're snuggling under his cloak, but it's totally platonic. Eagle: She couldn't even write an original affectionate gesture, so she stole Lantis's. //He felt bad about being attracted to his best friends and the women that he use to be in love with daughter, // Kakei: Oh, good Lord. Can we PLEASE say something about THIS sentence? Iason: I wouldn't know where to start. //but he could not help it. She was like some drug that he could not get enough of. Each time she spoke, each giggle, laugh, sigh or whisper drove him more insane. // Everybody: It's driving us ALL insane. //Each sway of hip, brush of hair or any movement of body made him crave for her more. It was not just her looks or voice. It was her. She was so kind and innocent. She was ten times more innocent then Hikaru. But she also held an aura around her that said fuck with her and pay.// Gingetsu: I don't even feel like making fun of this paragraph. Kaworu: Tolkien wrote something appropriate, I remember: "Disbelief had not so much to be suspended as hanged, drawn and quartered." //***// //They walked quietly along the trail of the forest, looking at all the trees and flowers. // Spike: Yes, because you NEVER get those in most forests. //Avril took in a deep breath of air and let it out, taking in the sweet smell of Eagles skin.// (Everyone leans toward Eagle and takes in a LONG sniff) Stripe: (sneezes, shakes his head) Whoo, that's sweet all right. Yuki: Yay, sugar rush! (takes another sniff) Kaworu: Must be all that candy you eat. (Eagle is now constantly blushing) //He was so perfect: Handsome, kind, strong, brave, loving, and understanding. She was so much in love with him, and falling more in love with him by the minute. She looked up at Eagle, who was staring straight a head and smiled before interrupting the silence that lingered around them. " So Eagle, what have you been up too? Any thing interesting going on?" Eagle turned his head to Avril and smiled brightly hugging her tightly to his side with one arm. " Well actually me and your father are going to be doing something that I think you would be interested in." " Really? What?"// (Sniggering runs rampant.) Stripe (purring in most insinuating way possible): Wouldn't YOU like to know. Iason (in The Voice): I know I would. Muraki (fingering his own wineglass in a very suggestive way): And I second that motion. Kazahaya: [Avril] You and DADDY? Ewwww! ...Can I watch? (Eagle hides his face in his mug of cocoa) //He looked out into the sky for a minute and then turned his attention back to her. " Well I know how much you are interested in political things and stuff. // Gingetsu: Amazing. "Political things and stuff". And you the son of the President of an entire planet. //And well me and you father will be going to my home for a little while to talk about an alliance that will be made with Cephiro." " Oh how interesting!! I want to come!!"// Iason (dirty Voice again): I'll bet you do. Eagle: (wail) Stop it! //Avril move out of Eagles cloak and stood in front of him giving him large puppy eyes that held tears in them.// Kazahaya: [Eagle] Argh! Dog eyeballs! Still crying! What kind of sicko stalker gift is this? Muraki (thoughtful): Interesting idea. I must remember it for Tsuzuki-san's birthday. (Everybody avoids looking at Muraki) //She made her chin quiver as she held her hands together entwining her fingers so they where locked together and held her hand below her chin so it looked like she was begging. Eagle looked at her and crumbled. He just couldn't stand looking at her like that, she was so cute and innocent. // Spike: Oh yeah. She *made* her chin quiver; she is SO innocent. Legolas: Innocent as a Moria goblin. Kaworu: Anime expressions never translate well to prose, even by good writers. Draco: Good writers don't even try. They know better. //He racked a hand through his fine golden blonde hair and looked at her sighing. " All right all right! I will talk to your father, I am sure you can come. Now stop with the puppy eyes before you make me weak at the knees."// Darshe: More like sick to the stomach. Eagle: I was thinking the same thing. //Avril squealed joyfully and clasped her hands giggling. Eagle stared at her in a trance as he watched the angelic creature celebrate her victory over him. She was so happy, just to go to some boring meeting to talk about politics and alliances. He did not get it but he did not care. // Gingetsu: Oh, sure. The Autozamian president's son, commander of the entire planet's military fleet, is bored by "political things and stuff". Meanwhile, some airhead who turns into a weepy ball of mush when a couple of kids tease her and makes stupid faces that wouldn't charm a retarded dog, gets all happy over the same thing. Eagle: I didn't think anyone "ten times more innocent than Hikaru" would enjoy politics for long. //As long as she was happy, that's all that mattered to him. She jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly wrapping her arms around his waist. He slid his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. She rested her head on his chest and let the emerald cloak in close her in his warm strong arms. She shut her eyes and let the sweet smell of his skin take her over as she let him hold her. // (Everyone leans in to sniff Eagle again) Eagle: Will you all just quit that? I'm embarrassed enough as it is. //Even though he was hugging her as a friend she loved it. To be so close to him was a miracle, and to get the chance to go to his homeland was even better. She could maybe even tell him how she felt. Maybe he felt the same way! She could only hope!// Darshe: As we all unanimously hope NOT. All others (chorusing): Concur! //He stared down at her and watched her slowly. She was so beautiful and sweet. To hold her in his arms was like a gift from the creator. // Eagle: Mokona? I knew it! Why do you seem to hate me so much, anyway? //It was like his deepest preyer was answer. Her stroked the her hair and hugged her tightly one more time, wishing her could never let go. // Kakei: You can tell when she's getting excited. She's not even hitting keys coherently anymore. Eagle: Definitely feel ill now. //But he slowly unwrapped his arms from her waist and stepped back smiling at her. " We should head back so I can talk to your father." Avril nodded and stood beside him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders once more bringing the cloak over her again and pulling her close to him. They slowly walked back home side by side. " You know Avril, if you keep giving me puppy eyes I'm going to spoil you. God, I might have to marry you if you keep being this cute."// Everybody: Uh-oh. Eagle (very faintly at first, then rising to Shinji-at-Apocalypse-pitch): eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH~~~!!! Kaworu: Quick, hold him down! (Gingetsu grabs Eagle, who is twisting hysterically in his chair mewling "make it stop make it stop STOP make it STOP". He wraps Eagle in a blanket, tucks him in, and moves his chair to the back of the room to reduce exposure. Then he sits on the floor at Eagle's feet.) //His eyes widened as he wished he didn't say the last part. He could not let her know how he felt!! She would never let him be close to her again! Oh how he wished he could turn back time and take what he said back.// Eagle (twitchy): She never wrote a truer word. //But to his suprize // Stripe: Oh, for fuck's sake. Someone get this girl a dictionary. Glorfindel: Alas, the sin goes much deeper than the mere words, I fear. Kakei: I agree. What this girl needs is a lobotomy. Muraki: Too late. Note the symptoms. Kakei: Ah, so she's had one, then. In that case I recommend straitjackets and a padded cell. Eagle: (bares teeth) Leave off the pads. Pads are too good for her. //she just giggled and replied, " Well if you are going to spoil me then maybe getting married to you is not such a bad idea."// Eagle: no no no no *no no no no no* NO NO NO NO NONONONONONONOOOOOO--!!! (Gingetsu tries to talk to him, but Eagle babbles on, ignoring him. Yuki leaves his own chair to sit by Eagle, hugging him. Gingetsu starts to rub Eagle's feet. Slowly Eagle calms down.) //She smiled at him and wished that she could marry him. She blinked but held a smile as she noted that his eyes where slightly larger then normal. But maybe it was her imagination.// Eagle (pleadingly): Can we stop *now*? Kazahaya: I wish. //***// //Eagle sat at a large wooden table with Lantis across from him. Lantis had short black hair and dark purple eyes that held a hint of black to them.// Eagle: (sulky) This girl isn't even as big a fan of mine as she thinks. In the last manga I CLEARLY state that Lantis's eyes are BLUE. "As blue as the clear skies of Cephiro", is what I said. Darshe: Yeah, ce-ROO-lean blue, even. Draco (chortling): "As blue as the clear skies of Cephiro"? You actually said that? (Gingetsu Looks at him, and he shuts up.) //Eagle sighed and placed crossed his hands across his strong muscular chest. " Lantis, she wants to go and she has her heart set on this! Why can't she? She won't cause problems."// Spike: [Lantis] She's a MARY SUE. What problems WON'T she cause? Yuki: She's already caused quite enough. (cuddles unhappy Eagle) //" She could too cause problems. // Kazahaya: [Eagle] Could not. Draco: [Lantis] Could too. Kazahaya: [Eagle] Could not. Draco: [Lantis] Could too. Kazahaya: [Eagle] Could not. Darshe: All RIGHT, we get it! //She could get in the way of both of us or one of us. I know how you crumble when she gives you those puppy eyes. Eagle I know how you feel about Avril, and don't try to deny it! You are attracted to her and want to give her everything in the world! And I won't have it!"// Stripe: [Lantis] You love my daughter even though she's a freak and will be selflessly giving to her for the rest of your life? Forget it! //" That is crazy! I do not have feelings for Avril beyond being a friend!" " That is bull shit and you know it! You are attracted to her and want to fuck her so bad you can't stand it. // Everybody: O_O Kakei: I'm sorry. Is this still Lantis talking? Gingetsu: What's Cephirean for "bull shit" and "fuck"? Eagle (shocked): They don't HAVE words for that. You can't lie in Cephiro because of the Will system, and there's just no vulgar word for...for...(clutches at Yuki) Ugh. //Its driving you crazy!" Eagle stared at his dear friend with wide eyes. How did he know that he was in love with Avril, that he wanted to hold her and make love to her so bad it was tearing him apart? // Eagle (calmer): It's not making love that I want to do so badly to her, I can say right now. //Lantis sighed. " Look I am trying to stop you from seeing her for her benefit and yours. You cannot love her she is way to young."// Kaworu: Oh, and Hikaru wasn't. Or Eagle either. Kazahaya: Yeah, he just has to wait two years and Lantis will practically throw Avril at him. Iason: He doesn't even have to wait. All Avril has to do is wish to be older and Eagle's hers. Kakyou (woken by Eagle's hysterics): Or she could go and stand at the age eighteen. //" Lantis I do not have feelings for Avril I swear. She is just a dear friend to me like you or Hikaru! I just want to see her happy." Lantis studied his dear friend closely and let another sigh out. " All right, all right. If you swear that you have no feelings for Avril and since she is interested in this sort of thing ... I guess she can come. But I am warning you Eagle, Lay a hand on her that is beyond friendship and I will cut you up so fast you wont even be able to blink. Is that clear?"// Draco: Huh. So much for the "dear friend" bit. Kazahaya: [Lantis] Look, Eagle, we've been best friends since we met more than 15 years ago, but I'm willing to throw all that away over my daughter with the creepy eye tattoo and the split personality and all the innate charm of the Children of the Corn. //Eagle frowned at his friends remark but nodded and stood up slowly to go tell his dear Avril the good news. He slowly pardoned himself and headed out the door wondering how Lantis could find out how he felt about his daughter. What was he going to do? Now he could never be with Avril, but like it mattered she only saw him as a friend anyways. Once again he was madly in love with something he could not have, but this time it was going to kill him.// Gingetsu (mutter): That's true enough, at least. //*** Avril leaned along the railing of the balcony in her bedroom. She shut her eyes and leaned so far out that her grip on the bar was so tight her knuckles where white. // Everybody (chanting): SLIP! SLIP! SLIP! Lose your GRIP! GRIP! GRIP! Fall! Fall! Fall! Spare us all! All! All! //But she didn't care thoughts of Eagle played in her mind as the breeze blew her onyx hair. She shut her eyes letting the onyx eyelashes rest on her creamy snow white cheeks softly. // Yuki: She has hair made of onyx? Isn't it heavy? Kazahaya: I guess it's too much to hope her onyx eyelashes stab into her eyes. //She took in the sweet smell of the air as she took in a deep breath. She could only imagine Eagle walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist and slowly kissing along the curve of her knee and collar bone. His soft lips tasting her milky skin. But at last it was only a fantasy, and nothing more then that.// Everybody: Thank god. //A soft knock destroyed the sweet silence that floated around her and pulled her back from her dream. She slowly turned to the door and walked to it, the soft white cloth of her dress clinging to her long legs. She was dressed in a silk white dress that went to her ankles and tied around the neck, with silk bell sleeves covering her hands and hugging tightly to her arms below her shoulders. // (Much rolling of eyes.) Kazahaya: Hey, if this author quits her day job, she could always go work for Judith Krantz. //The dress fit tightly around her chest with lace dancing along it so it framed her breast. The silk white ribbon that started in the middle where a small diamond was placed, wrapped around her neck and came to the diamond once again. // Muraki: Ah, how convenient! You all hold her down. I just need to get a hold of that ribbon at her neck, and we never have to hear from Avril again. Eagle (wistful): If only we could. //Below the chest the dress was loose and free, and clung to her legs lightly when she walked. White silk slippers adored her feet and matched the dress perfectly.// Spike: Even her shoes love her? This is some Mary Sue. //She opened the door slowly and smiled at Eagle stepping out of the way and welcoming him in. Eagle smiled at her brightly and thought 'God she's beautiful.' He slowly shook that thought out of his mind // Eagle: (shakes head violently) Out, damned thought! Out, I say! //and grinned at Avril saying "Great news, he said you could come." " Oh my God!! Thank you!!" She flung herself on him and hugged him tightly as she could hardly wait to go. She could tell him then how she felt! It would be the most perfect trip ever! Oh how she was finally going to be able to let all the feelings inside her go!// Everybody: NO!!!!! Kakei: For God's sake, keep them in there! //To be Continued!// (Collective groans.) //** Hope you liked it!! Please read and review and I promise to get the second chapter in as soon as possible!! // Darshe: Take your time--PLEASE, take your time. //Thanks for reading!! Come again!! ^.^;; -=swings her large q tip and places it on her shoulder like she just won a battle=- ^.^;;** // Gingetsu: This girl is just asking for it. Kaworu: Shall we go and review? Draco: I'll bring the poisons. Legolas: (hefts bow) Glorfindel: (draws sword) Spike (grimly): Let's go. Most of the blondies trooped out, leaving Yuki, Gingetsu, Eagle and Kakyou, who had gone back to sleep. Yuki helped Eagle get up. "Are you all right now?" Eagle drew a shaky breath. "Yes. But I'm lodging a formal complaint in the morning." Gingetsu stood over him. "Do you need someone to walk you back?" he asked, surprisingly gentle for the usually unbending man. It seemed to Eagle that he seemed very much like Lantis. A blond Lantis with a visor, true, but the solicitous air, right then, was much the same. He smiled. "No, thank you. We're just down the hall." Gingetsu seemed to relax. "All right. Go ahead, then. You've earned your rest. We'll just clean up here, then wake Kakyou and see him off. Then I'll go and join the others for the... 'reviewing'". His lips thinned in a grim smile. "I appreciate that. Good night," said Eagle. Yuki smiled and gave him a cheerful wave--nothing fazed that boy. Eagle trudged down the corridor to his rooms. When he got there, Hikaru was awake, waiting at the foot of the bed. Lantis was already asleep. She tiptoed up and kissed Eagle, hugging him tightly about the neck. "I know you hate doing those fic things. Are you okay?" "I will be," answered Eagle with a heavy sigh. "More so if the others actually manage to kill her." He forestalled Hikaru, whose eyes had widened, by kissing her back. They didn't speak again till they were back in bed, this time with Hikaru in the middle. Then Eagle said, softly so as not to wake Lantis, "Can I just ask a favor?" "Of course!" "Don't get pregnant till we're at least thirty. And even then, bear *my* child before you bear Lantis's." "Eh?" "Please!" Hikaru giggled into the pillows. "We'll have to ask Lantis. But okay." Eagle snuggled against her. "Thanks. I love you." "I love you too. Why are you asking me that, anyway?" But Eagle was already asleep. -end- ------------