[Bastion is snoozing away on his mattress on the floor as a figure
looms over him. Bastion's eyes flutter open as the sound of heavy
breathing awakes him. He sees his original character, Tracer, looking
worse for wear.]
Bastion: Wha?
Tracer: WHY DID YOU TRANSPORT ME INTO A CROSSOVER IN
SAILOR MOON!!!!
Bastion: <rubs eyes> Huh?
Tracer: DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO YOU FOR EVERY
SNIDE COMMENT YOU MAKE ABOUT THEIR OUTFITS!!???
Bastion: <standing up> Not really.
Tracer: LET'S SAY IT AIN'T VERY PLEASANT!!
Bastion: <grimaces> Quit shouting or I'll do another one.
Tracer: <breathing deeply> Alright. Fine. Are we C&Cing that
Okay-eria thing again?
Bastion: <face sours> Of course, a promise is a promise.
Tracer: You are *so* moral sometimes.
<Bastion blinks>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The man at the end of the hall understood, though. He strode
to the open door and saw the jumbled mass of sweating violence.
-----------------------
Bastion: Sweating violence?
Tracer: Yeah it's the newest product, Violence In a Can (c)! From
Blammo! <forced smile>
Bastion: Ya know, I regret getting that sponor now.
Tracer: Oh, *now* you're regretting.
------------------------
He decided to even things up a bit. What he had come for could
wait a little longer.
"Hey! Leave the kid alone!" He cried from the doorway.
Everybody stopped momentarily. Nobody even breathed except the
man as he moved like a blur into the confused fray.
-------------------------
Bastion: They have someone from the MLA as a floor-leader?
Tracer: The Flash?
Bastion: Argh! My eyes! <falls to the floor dramatically> ARGH!
Tracer: <resting head on hands> I'm pretending you don't exist.
--------------------------
He had the element of surprise, which let him successfully
attack the topmost boy. He punched the boy repeatedly in the face
until he screamed for mercy. When the man stopped pumping his
fist, his victim scrambled from the room, not even bothering to
take his coat with him.
He tried to repeat this same basic maneuver with another boy,
but it was too difficult to pull off; the two remaining attackers
knew of the new player, and would not be surprised again.
However, a series of punches landed directly on the face of the
tall pretty boy stopped the fight where it was. Bruised and
slightly bloodied, marked with impressions of teeth and lumps from
boots, the other boy left quickly and silently.
-----------------------------
Bastion: <holding out tongue> Tha' ha' too blee tee driesptt spceen Ah'
hav' red.
Tracer: Your gags will be the end of you.
Bastion: Sigh, alright. That scene needs some action verbs, and less
words.
------------------------------
The boy on the floor didn't move much; he was conscious,
though. As he wobbled to his feet, the newcomer turned his
attention back to the once-pretty boy.
------------------------------
Tracer: Once-Pretty boy!
Bastion: Uh, yeah. How's: attention back to the hansomer of the bludgeoned pair.
Tracer: I still like once-pretty, heheheheh, Once-Pretty boy! Hheheheeh.
------------------------------
"Apologize."
"What?"
"Apologize."
The boy hesitated, and the newcomer balled his fist. The boy
bowed his head and whispered, "I'm sorry."
The victim coughed. "Thanks."
"You are welcome. Let's go." The newcomer led his new
friend from the room.
-------------------------------
[An old, sickly man enters the room.]
Mr.Rodgers: Won't you be my neighbor.
Bastion & Tracer: ........alright.
-------------------------------
"Where's your room?"
"Down the hall."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Satoru."
"Satoru Nobata?"
"The one and only." Satoru coughed. "Who do I have the
pleasure of speaking with?"
The boy paused. He was strikingly tall, and his features
gave his foreign origin away.
"My name's Ryan Stewart."
------------------------
Bastion: <singing> You fill my heart with sadness-
Tracer: Whussy 80's, once-pretty boy!
------------------------
The boy paused again, then nodded.
"I'm pleased... to meet you."
"Likewise." Satoru coughed again.
-------------------------
Tracer: Where's the blood! I want some Lord be damned blood!
Bastion: Calm down my sadistic little friend, I believe this a romantic
story.
Tracer: Ah, who wants that.
Bastion: Well if you don't calm down, you ain't gettin' the girl at the end
that SM crossover.
Tracer: Eh, who wants that skank.
Mr.Rodgers: Can you say 'skank'. . . . I knew you could.
----------------------------
"I'm looking for Kaori."
"Really? Are you from America?"
Again, the boy paused. He searched Satoru's room for
something familiar.
-------------------------------
Bastion: Wait, I'm confused. When did they get into Satoru's room?
Tracer: The dialog insinuated it earlier, didn't you notice.
Bastion <scrolls back several lines> Oh yeah, I didn't see any
narrating direction in the prose.
Tracer: Simpleton.
Mr.Rodgers: Can you say 'simpleton'. . . . I knew you could.
Tracer: <to Bastion> Why is he still here?
--------------------------------
His eyes slowed around the suitcase, and
stopped at the CD case. He frowned, and continued.
"I came by plane today to pick Kaori up. Where is she?"
"She should be back in a minute. She's with a friend of
mine. She's okay."
"I suppose I had better explain why she's here," Ryan
chuckled nervously.
"Please do."
Ryan took a deep breath, and began his story:
"You see, her roommate Ami is my ex-girlfriend. When she
found out that Kaori and I were starting to see each other, she
tried to stop it. When we started dating seriously, she became
strange, calling me at night, questioning my intentions at every
turn, all sorts of jealous ex-girlfriend stuff. She even called a
bar Kaori and I were at to see if we were really there. We were,
of course. I wouldn't do anything to hurt Kaori, especially when
Ami's watching over my shoulder like a warden.
------------------------
Bastion: Of course, when she fries your pet rabbit, then you worry.
Tracer: Damn straight.
Mr.Rodgers: Can you say 'damn straight'. . . . I knew you could.
[Tracer nonchantly jumps up and tackles Mr. Rodgers out of sight.
Sounds of punches and pain ensues. Tracer returns into view, looking
refreshed.]
Tracer: Can you say 'thorough ass kicking'. . . . I knew you could.
------------------------
"At the beginning of last week, Ami began calling my phone
with death threats. She said that if I kept dating Kaori, she'd
make sure I'd never see her again. I figured she was going to try
and kill Kaori, but it was a lot weirder.
-------------------------
Tracer: How can you get weirder than that? <turns head slowly
toward Bastion who is grinning from ear to ear> Don't answer that.
-------------------------
A few days ago, she
bought a plane ticket and packed Kaori's suitcase. When Kaori
came home from school, Ami drugged her and put her on the plane
here.
-------------------------
Bastion: And that's what we like to call a 'subtle signal' in our country.
------------------------
"Ami knew that when Kaori got to Tokyo, she'd call either you
or her parents. She wanted to keep her away so she could have me
to herself. It sounds crazy, but it's true. She figured that if
you saw Kaori, that you'd be against me if I ever found out where
you were. But you're smarter than that. You see that I couldn't
do anything to hurt Kaori. I think she's very special, just like
you do. When Kaori and I go back, we'll sort everything out."
Satoru furrowed his brow.
"It sounds crazy, I know. But you know that truth is
stranger than fiction.
------------------------
Bastion: Or fiction is stranger than life, which is stranger than fiction, which
is stranger than reality,
Tracer: Whoa Bastion.
Bastion: ....but this is fiction so it's not so strange that some British
pop singer is going out with a japanese girl who is being stalked by a that chick
from Fatal Attraction,
Tracer: Bastion, stop. It's hurting.
Bastion: ....who in turn is talking to some aspiring Cartman monk who magically
entered his room in three sentences. *POW!*
Tracer: <cracking knuckles> You'll thank me later, Matt.
------------------------
You can ask Kaori herself when she comes
back. When will she be back?"
"In a couple of minutes," Satoru replied. His eyes were
puffing up; his whole body ached. Slowly, he shook his head.
"I'm sorry for being so short with you."
"It's quite all right." Ryan smiled. "I probably sound
crazy, but it's all true."
"No, that's okay. Anything can happen." Satoru sighed.
------------------
Bastion: Especially in orig. fiction.
Tracer: Like having your newest part of your story ending up on a
mailing list about fancy cuisine, reposted 9 times?
Bastion: Rrrrriiiiggght. <forced smile>
------------------
"Thank you for helping me back there."
"It was my pleasure." Ryan cracked his knuckled proudly.
"Anything for a friend."
Satoru tried for a moment, but couldn't hold back the
question for very long. "How long have you two been going out?"
"Oh gosh, it seems like forever, really. We met right as
school started in September, and we've pretty much been going out
ever since."
"So you two are pretty close?"
Ryan grinned. "Confidentially, we're about as close as it
gets."
Satoru suddenly wished he hadn't spent so much effort on
Masao. "You mean you two have--"
Ryan caught on, and shook his head emphatically. "Nonono!
We're just really close.
-----------------------
Tracer: To gettin' it on!
Bastion: No Tracer, I think he means that they are-
Tracer: Gettin' it on!
Bastion: <gritting teeth> No. He is saying that he and Kaori-
Tracer: Doin' the nasty!
Bastion: Ya know, I need to write you in lemon sometime soon
or you'll be intolerable.
Tracer: Yes!
------------------------
It's almost like we're married."
"M-married?"
"Yeah. I didn't say that wrong, did I? You know, like
husband and wife."
"I understand." Satoru massaged his sore neck. "Don't rub
it in," he mumbled. He chuckled to himself darkly.
"What?" Ryan had heard the chuckle.
"It's funny," Satoru began. "She didn't really mention you
much."
"Hmmm." Ryan thought very deeply for a time. "You know, she
didn't talk much about you, either." He smiled. Satoru saw a
black tint in his blue eyes. "Maybe she just doesn't talk much."
He laughed heartily. Satoru joined in weakly.
----------------------
Bastion <imitating Ryan> & Tracer <imitating Satoru>: Heh, heh, heh-
Yeah right.
----------------------
"Look, let me give Kaori's friend a call, and I'll see if
she's--"
"I think she's here already." Ryan motioned to the doorknob.
It was turning.
<Hi, Kaori!> Ryan stood and smiled affectionately. Kaori
dropped her bags and blinked.
<Ryan?>
----------------------
Bastion: <About time we saw these.>
Tracer: What?
Bastion: Who?
Tracer: <First base.>
----------------------
<Tee-shirt and jeans? C'mon, Kaori, you can do better than
that. What happened to all the dresses I bought you? You look a
*lot* better in them than some ratty old jeans.>
Kaori sighed. <I guess I didn't bring any.>
Ryan chuckled nervously. <You mean, Ami didn't pack you
any?>
Kaori shrugged and flopped on the bed. When she saw Satoru,
she gasped.
"What happened to you?"
"I got into a fight."
"With who?"
"Masao." Satoru grinned. "I kicked his ass."
Yumiko, standing in the doorway, smiled.
"Good for you." Kaori smiled.
------------------------------
Bastion <imitating Kaori>: Now there's this guy down the hall I know...
------------------------------
"Ryan's here to take you home."
Koala looked quickly at Ryan, who smiled warmly.
---------------------------
Tracer: Great, now he's incorporating animals into his stories, when
is he going to stop?
Bastion: Probably not, he's got his machine pretty oiled up.
----------------------------
"Home?"
"Back to the University," Ryan confirmed.
The silence breathed like an animal half-asleep. Yumiko
disappeared, leaving the three to their own.
----------------------------
Bastion: You have to have Yu saying something like, 'Uh, I think I hear
my mom calling.' or something more subtle.
----------------------------
At length, Ryan
stood and stretched. Placing his hand on Kaori's head, he
scruffed her hair playfully.
"I think we've done all the damage we can do here," he
noted cheerily; Kaori reached for her suitcase. "I have a cab
waiting outside," he continued, "and two tickets to Eugene. Thank
you, Satoru, for taking care of her." He stuck out his hand.
Satoru shook it absently.
"No problem." The words fought their way past the thoughts
at the fore of his mind. Kaori stood, stepped up to Satoru, and
smiled.
Weakly, she spoke:
"Thank you."
"But--"
"Shh," she smiled, and put her finger on his lips. "Not a
word, okay. I'll be fine. This won't mean a thing."
"Kaori," Ryan coaxed. "Let's go." The last two words cooled
on Ryan's lips, and traveled frozen to Satoru's ears.
"I don't believe you," Satoru stated.
"Then come after me," Kaori's voice drew black. "That's what
you do best, isn't it? Sometimes I don't need to be chased after,
you know? That probably never occured to you, did it?"
"But I--"
"Not a word, Satoru!" She grinned maliciously. "Go ahead
and give me a call when you figure it out, okay?"
---------------------
Bastion: The new Kaori model, goes from innocent to bitch in 3.0 seconds and
turns moods on a dime.
---------------------
Ryan placed his hand on her shoulder, and she turned away.
"Good-bye, Mr. Nobata," Ryan stated plainly.
Satoru tried to stand, but his injuries bit at him
relentlessly. He coughed, and spat a small bit of bright red on
the carpet.
"Kaori..." Satoru doubled over, and softly cried.
* * * *
"I'm going after her."
"But what about what she said?" Ichiro interjected.
"She didn't mean what she said," Satoru murmured. He looked
Ichiro in the eyes. Ichiro was sitting on the floor; Satoru
shifted on the bed and winced. Yumiko frowned.
"I can't believe they could do all that," she began.
"There were three of them." Satoru replied.
"So, why are we here, other than to be your ever-present and
willing moral support?"
-----------------------
Bastion: <imitating Satoru> I need those roses you guys have stashed away
around here.
Tracer: Vague reference number 3.
Bastion <smiling dumbly> My record is 19.
-----------------------
"I have a little money stashed away, but I need..." Satoru
took a deep breath. "I need eighty thousand."
Ichiro blinked. Yumiko nodded.
Satoru hung his head. "Look," he apologized. "I hate to do
this, but I can't ask my parents right now. You're my only
option."
A long pause hung on the air. Then, Ichiro spoke.
"I'll be right back."
"Thank you," Satoru began.
"Don't thank me yet, buddy. I haven't given you anything."
"That doesn't matter." Satoru smiled.
"I'm staying with Satoru," Yumiko called to the departing
Ichiro. "Go ahead and--"
"--I know." Ichiro closed the door.
Satoru uncrossed his legs and tried stretching. He inhaled
sharply; Yumiko winced with him.
"Lay down. Ichiro will be back in a minute or two."
Satoru didn't argue. Yumiko helped him lay on the bed
slowly. Her face looked a little different; her actions felt
subdued, but deliberate. She sat beside his bed on the floor.
"I talked with her." Yumiko spoke softly.
"Really?"
"She loves you very much."
"Did she say that?"
"No, but I can tell. She and I are a lot alike, really."
-----------------------
Bastion: Satoru turned his head slightly and closely studied
Yumiko. He pondered a few minutes before answering, "Nah."
------------------------
Satoru nodded. "Did she tell you why she came back?"
"I didn't ask, but I don't think you'd need many guesses to
figure it out." Yumiko looked at the door. Her shoulders fell
forward, and she sighed.
"Thanks for doing this for me," Satoru offered.
"Don't thank me. It's not my money."
"But Ichiro's always broke. Where's he going to get eighty
thousand?"
"Ichiro's never been broke. He just likes seeing what he can
get away with. He did the same thing to me when we first met."
"You two are really close, aren't you?"
"We've known each other since junior-high." Yumiko sounded a
little proud.
"Are you two...?" Satoru hesitated, unsure of the proper
words to try.
"We went out for a while in high school, but it didn't work
out like we had planned."
"But you're still together."
"True. Did you and Kaori ever date in high school?"
"No, but--"
"It makes a world of difference." Yumiko smiled. "Best
friends should never date."
Satoru didn't speak; Yumiko took a deep breath.
"You and Kaori are best friends, right? You've known each
other forever. But even as best friends, you've always had other
flames, right? Like maybe she found a guy she thought was really
cute, and you helped her, because you were friends. But it
probably hurt a lot, didn't it?"
Satoru continued to lay in silence, looking at the
photographs stuck on the wall behind Yumiko. The girl licked her
lips surreptitiously;
-------------------
<Bastion's head spins and begins to drool>
Bastion: Oooo, big word.
Tracer: Idiot.
--------------------
she wondered if he was thinking about what
she was saying, or about what had happened earlier. Regardless,
she knew he was thinking about Kaori.
Yumiko continued.
"When Ichiro and I started going out seriously, I found out
all about his posters and magazines. I didn't know how to resolve
it, because I was dating him at the time, and wasn't thinking
clearly.
--------------------
Bastion & Tracer raise an eyebrow.
Bastion & Tracer: Really?
Tracer: You better dig up those earlier parts now!
Bastion: Yus, bahhss.
---------------------
"You and Kaori have known each other since you were babies,
so there probably isn't much you don't know about each other. I
do know that what Kaori's doing with Ryan isn't real. He's done
something to her. And I think I know what."
"What?"
"I'm not going to say. I don't want to cloud your head any
more than it is."
"But you're saying I should go after her."
"Yes. I'm behind you all the way on that. Because I don't
want to take the chance that I'm wrong. And I'm never wrong. Not
about this."
"Did he--"
"--I told you I wasn't going to say. Now, not another word.
Ichiro should be back any second. We'll give you a ride to the
airport, and you can take it from there."
"What about when I get there? How the heck am I going to get
around in America?!" Satoru's voice strangled in his throat.
Yumiko could see the anxiety begin to play on his face.
"Okay, stay calm. Just stay calm. I have a cousin that goes
to U of O. He speaks Japanese and English pretty well, so he can
act as your interpreter."
-------------------
Bastion: His name wouldn't happen to be Matt, would it?
Tracer: You can be a real cynic sometimes.
Bastion: Thank you.
-------------------
"Will he do that for me?"
"He'll do it for me. He owes me a big favor, so he won't
back out. Let me give him a call, and I'll set everything up."
Satoru motioned to the phone. "Be my guest." Yumiko stood,
and poked Satoru's nose.
------------------
Bastion <imitating Satoru>: Ow!
Tracer: Whussy!
Bastion: No, not me. I was imitating Satoru.
Tracer: Once-Pretty boy!
-------------------
"Don't worry, kiddo. Everything will be all right."
Satoru froze. He had never seen Yumiko like this before. He
flipped through his memories to find something that would explain
why she was so open all of a sudden. He couldn't think of
anything. The question gnawed at his mind so deeply, he could
only barely make out the edges of Yumiko's voice as she spoke to
her cousin.
The receiver clicked as Yumiko placed it back on the phone.
"Alex will pick you up at the airport when you arrive. I'll just
give him a call when you leave and tell him to be there when you
arrive. Now his Japanese isn't great, but he should be able to
understand most of what you tell him.
"Why are you doing all this for me?"
Yumiko smirked. "Oh, I just hate to see a good love story go
down the tubes because of a foreign influence."
--------------------
Bastion: Yeah, then we'd have a story about nothing.
Tracer: And I don't see DDFA's name anywhere near this story.
Bastion: Amen.
--------------------
She hoped she
sounded convincing.
"What did she mean?" Yumiko changed the subject.
"What?"
"You told Ichiro you knew what she meant when she yelled at
you. What did she mean?"
Satoru opened his mouth, but no words came. He closed it,
waited a moment, and tried again. "When we were in high school
together, I always told her that chasing after her is what I did
best. You see, if I got her mad, she'd run away. Literally. She
was a great runner, and she knew I couldn't keep up, so to punish
me she'd run and of course I'd chase after her. I think she did
it just to see me huff and puff after her." Satoru grinned;
Yumiko returned the grin.
"So when she told you to do what you did best she meant to go
after her."
"That's what I think she meant. The whole tirade was a
little too weird to be honest."
---------------------
Tracer: <incredulous> You're tellin' me.
---------------------
"Not that it matters, right?" Yumiko chuckled.
"True." Satoru chuckled.
The door opened. "Well, I had to donate all 12 pints of
blood I had saved up for a rainy day, but, hey, what's a few
gallons between friends?" Ichiro handed Satoru a rolled bundle of
money. "A hundred thousand. I figured you'd want to travel first
class, of course."
"Thank you so much." Satoru felt tears welling up.
"Just bring Kaori back in one piece, okay?"
----------------------
Tracer: <cracking knuckles> Oh, she'll be in one piece, heheheheh.
Bastion: I'm glad I've got you a love interest or all of humanity
would suffer.
Tracer: That's your job.
Bastion: Ah, too right.
----------------------
"We'll leave you alone now. You get some sleep, and call us
when you want to head out, okay?" Yumiko stood and turned towards
the door.
"Okay."
* * * *
Satoru dreamed.
Punches. Kicks. Bites. Screams choked with strong hands.
Big hands. Hands that wanted to kill.
"You wanted to kill him," Kaori said.
"I would have. But they stopped me."
"Would killing him make you happy?"
"Yes."
-------------------
Tracer: YES! YES! YES!
Bastion: Alright, you need to read a Strike Fiss story, STAT!
-------------------
"Then kill me." Kaori took off her clothes and became Masao.
"No."
"Why not?" Masao smiled.
"Because you're--"
"Kaori?" Ryan chuckled. "It's me, Ryan!"
--------------------
Tracer: <sarcastic> No I thought you were Ed McMann.
Bastion: HiiiHO!
--------------------
Satoru looked down. He was wearing a dress. More than that,
his arms were slim, his legs sunbrowned and feminine. He felt his
face. Smooth, like Kaori's. He was Kaori. He started shaking
softly.
Ryan stepped close. He was so tall, so strong, all lean and
meaningful muscle.
--------------------
Bastion: Meaningful muscle? Uh, no. Active verbs again, use words that
make him seem intimidating. That kinda thing.
--------------------
His big hands, tight, warm, hugged Satoru.
"Shh," he murmured. "Not a word."
Ryan's hands began to shift, slowly. Moving down. Satoru
shook harder, but couldn't speak, or scream.
"Shh," Ryan continued. "Not a word."
---------------------
Bastion: And he did it all without cold water.
Tracer: Ranma eat your heart out.
---------------------
Satoru blinked and realized he was standing outside his dorm
building. The first snow of winter floated lazily to the ground.
Scarcely an inch had fallen, but more than a few students were
playing about in it like children ten years younger. He smiled;
the peacefuly scene would surely cheer up Kaori.
He looked to his rught. Kaori stood next to him, shivering.
He could hear her teeth chattering.
----------------------
Bastion: Rught?
Tracer: Ah, he seems to have forgotten the brackets. I'll translate.
It's Bovinian for 'male-order bride.'
----------------------
"Here," he smiled. "This'll warm you up." He took off his
coat, and placed it on her shoulders. Kaori snuggled inside it,
nearly disappearing in its size.
"Thank you," she whispered. But still she shivered. And
still, her teeth chattered. It seemed almost worse than before.
Satoru started unbuttoning his flannel overshirt.
"Here." He replaced the coat with the flannel, and replaced
the coat over it. Kneeling in front of her, he buttoned both the
shirt and coat up. He looked up, and saw Kaori smile. Her lips
were blue. She continued to shivver, violently trying to wram her
freezing body.
--------------------
Bastion: Shivver?
Tracer: Geeko-Latina for 'menstrate uncontrollably.'
Bastion: Sickos.
Tracer: Yeah, and you didn't have to meet them.
Bastion: What about Wram?
Tracer: Oooo, I'm not going there.
--------------------
Kaori closed her eyes. Satoru saw her last breath
cloud above her nose.
Satoru looked down. Kaori was naked from the waist down,
buried to her hips in pristine snow.
------------------
Bastion: And I'm wallowing in waist deep symbolism.
Tracer: Got a shovel?
Bastion: Nope.
Tracer: Damn.
-------------------
7:02 AM.
Satoru awoke again, gasping for a few moments until he
regained composure. It was already sunrise. He called Ichiro's
room, and, after nearly fainting after hearing Yumiko sleepily
answer the phone, found that both Ichiro and Yumiko were already
awake, waiting to take him to the airport.
--------------------
[Bastion & Tracer are on the floor laughing there heads off.]
Bastion: HHAHAHAH- I wonder, HAHAAH-h-how th-ah-at ha-HA-
ppened!?
--------------------
After packing a
backpack of clothes and essentials, he turned off his lights,
locked his door, and steeled himself for a long flight far from
home.
---------------------
Bastion: <grinning> Man O'- *WHACK!*
Tracer: No bad puns for you, next!
---------------------
He managed to find a flight in the very early afternoon, and
spent the remainder of time wandering the airport trying to keep
his mind off of Kaori. Yumiko and Ichiro usually followed him,
making jokes and generally helping Satoru in his task of
preoccupation.
When it came time board the plane, though, all three fell
silent for a moment before Ichiro spoke.
"Give him a couple of good right hooks for me, okay? I wish
I could go with you and help with the battle, but I think you
might do better by yourself. Just remember who you're fighting
for, got it?"
---------------------
Tracer: I'll be there. No rules right?
Bastion: I'm sorry Trace, but this one I'm not even going to
think about crossing over with. It's too. . . . nice.
Tracer: Bastard.
---------------------
He patted Satoru on the shoulder and disappeared
down a main corridor.
Yumiko's hands were shaking a little when she handed the
plain white envelope to Satoru. "Give this to Alex when you see
him, would you? Thanks." She turned to go, but Satoru put his
hand on her shoulder.
"Yumiko..."
Yumiko's head fell forwards, and Satoru felt her shoulder
tense up. Before he could react, she spun around and hugged him
tightly. They stayed like that for a moment before Yumiko stepped
away. She was crying, but smiling.
"You love Kaori very much, Satoru." She wiped a tear from
her left eye. "Now she'll know that." Her smiled widened. "Do
your best, Satoru Nobata."
"I will." Satoru grinned and flashed a thumbs-up.
-------------------
Bastion: ARGH! *WHAM!*
Tracer: Twice is enough from you.
-------------------
With a
deep held breath and shaking steps, Satoru boarded his flight to
America.
-------------------
Bastion: ...Wondering where this guy looking like Eddie Murphy dressed
in tribal clothing was doing aboard the plane.
Tracer: Vague reference number 8.
Bastion: Darn, and I thought I could break it too.
-------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I contemplated adding a [DARK] tag to this chapter, but I didn't
want to bog it down with all the little stereotypes that go with
the tag. I also considered a [LIME] tag but figured I could get
away with just keeping it plain. Besides, that set some good
boundaries for me to skirt but not cross.
---------------------
Bastion: Yeah, then you'd be a voyuer.
Tracer: Oooookay.
---------------------
On to the issues:
"Disillusion": This is the second movement of the Yes song
"Starship Trooper," off of "The Yes Album" (1970). The song as a
whole is beautiful, and has inspired my writing more than once.
"The three cardinal trapezoidal formations...": This monologue
was lovingly lifted from the 1985 Savage Steve Holland movie
"Better Off Dead" (starring John Cusack). No harm was intended.
I've had classes with lessons like that monologue, and I doubt I
could do it better than Savage Steve anyway.
Next Episode: "Kaori's Friends: What Can We Do?"
------------------------------
Bastion: Same Kaori time, same Kaori place!
Tracer: You know you're not going to beat your record.
Bastion: <shrugging> I know, but what's wrong with getting
a last one in before the end?
Tracer: Plenty, now let's get this over with, can we?
Bastion: Alright. I liked how part played out, great dialog,
and even though I jumped in the middle, I wasn't too confused.
I really felt for Satoru and I can tell I was starting to shift my
mood about Mr. Stewart.
Tracer: <grinning evilly> Yeah, I'll have him singing some top
10 singles if I had my way. Soprano, of course.
Bastion: Uh-huh. Anyway, you were weak on the fight scene,
it could have been more sleaker and more active.
Tracer: Who are you callin' weak?
Bastion: <shakes head> Not you Tracer, I created you. How could you
be overzealous, if you were weak?
Tracer: Damn straight.
Bastion: Overall, I liked it. Very soothing.
Now if you will excuse me, I must get to work on my projects
before Tracer forces me to do another gratutious crossover. <Pulls out
remote> Bye Tracer, say hello to Sailor Pluto for me.
Tracer: You bas-*pop*
Fin.
Adios mi amigo! And good luck!
Bastion
Champion and lover of all that's ORG.