This fanfic is intended as a  romantic Tenchi Muyo story involving
Kiyone primarily. I wrote it after seeing the episode 
"no need for resident officers", if anyone who ever lived 
really needed a lover it's Kiyone. The character of 
Austin StJames is mine.




Tenchi Muyo: A Medicine For Melancholy


	Austin StJames adjusted the briefcase and blueprints he was
carrying and opened the door to the office.  Halfway through he
lost it, twelve rolled up blue-prints got caught on the door and
spilled everywhere.
	"Damnit."  Austin set down his briefcase and collected his
prints.  As he stood up he looked out across the lot to the trucks
loaded with foundation material being directed by two young.  The
first was a tan blonde who would have looked more at home on a
Californian beach.  The other...Austin's breath caught in his throat,
the other was the loveliest woman he had ever seen.
	She had a slim figure, long dark hair, and an air of
confidence about her.  Austin stood entranced, he had to meet this
woman.  Right at that moment, she turned and for just a moment
his brown eyes and her blue met.  Austin's arms went limp.
	"What?, oh no, not again."  Austin gathered up his blue-
prints and stumbled into the office <I have got to find out who she
is.>
	He stumbled into the building, oblivious to the loud thud
from the construction site.

	"That idiot."  Kiyone watched as a tow truck tried to pull
the dump truck out of the hole into which Mihoshi had so
gracefully guided it.  Kiyone wanted to cry.
	"Uhm, Kiyone?" Mihoshi approached her partner with
caution.
	"What!?" Kiyone was livid, her eyes burned with rage.
Mihoshi beat a hasty retreat.

	"I'm not sure, Kiyone something. I think. Why do you want
to know?"
	Austin poured a cup of coffee. "Oh, no reason really, she
just caught my eye is all."
	Ted Powers, Austin's best friend and business partner shook
his head. "Man, I'm telling you this is not a good idea."
	"What? My intentions are honorable. I assure you."
	"It's not a good idea to come to a foreign country and mess
with the women. These people are already annoyed that the
company brought us here instead of hiring a local architect. Don't
compound things."
	Austin sipped his coffee and looked out the window. He had
a good view of the work area. The crew was on lunch. The two
girls where perched on a stack of metal pipes with their backs to the
site. Kiyone, assuming Ted was right about her name, had untied
her hair. It cascaded down her back past her hips. with the sun
shining on it her hair almost looked green. So did the rest of her
actually, her shoulders where slumped in a way that made Austin
think she was sad.

	Three days passed. Austin worked, and thought about
Kiyone. No one on the site knew anything about her. He had been
unable to work up the nerve to talk to her. Especially with his lousy
Japanese. He saw her every morning when he came to work.
Kiyone and her friend, Mihoshi was her name, where part time.
They both left after lunch. Austin might have asked her out after
work but he kept missing her.

	The apartment Austin and Ted had rented had a problem
with the plumbing and no hot water was available, so the pair
decided to try the public baths. As they where walking into the
building they ran into Kiyone and Mihoshi just leaving. The two
where in the  midst of an argument and didn't look where they
where going, Austin collided with Kiyone.
	<Oh, great.> Austin reached down to help Kiyone get to her
feet. "I'm sorry I should have paid more attention." <Idiot! She
probably doesn't have a clue what you just said.>
	"That's okay, I should be more careful." Kiyone picked up
her stuff.
	Austin couldn't have been more surprised if she had grown a
third head. Kiyone's English was light-years beyond his Japanese.
She didn't have any trace of an accent.
	"Hey, I didn't know you spoke english."
	Kiyone stood up. "Have we met before?"
	"Uh, not really. We work for the same people, I'm an
architect at the construction site. I see you every day."
	"Oh, well mabye I'll see you there." Kiyone felt awkward,
unsure how to proceed.
	"Kiyone, come on, were wasting time!" Mihoshi grabbed
Kiyone's arm.
	"Oh, all right." Kiyone turned back to Austin. "Bye." She
smiled at him as Mihoshi dragged her off.
	Austin leaned against the bathhouse wall. "I'm in love."
	Ted slapped him up the side of his head. "Will you please
get a clue, were only going to  be here for a few months."
	"I'll emigrate."
	"You are hopeless."


	Another week passed, no Kiyone. The foreman said the two 
girls had quit for a better job. Austin got depressed and his work 
slipped up. He and Ted hired another local architect to help pick up 
the slack. After a recomendation from their contractor they hired
a local named Noboyuki Misaki.

To be continued....


Doug Whiddon
11-16-97
Victoria TX