Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Azumi's Tears ❯ Auftauchen ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Tora-uma 
Anime/Manga: Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.21.2004 | Updated On: 03.21.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.6K | Visits: 495 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.21.2004 | Updated On: 03.21.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.6K | Visits: 495 | Status: Work In Progress
Weiß Kreuz : Azumi's Tears
Chapter two : Auftauchen
By Tora-uma
Opening Notes :
"..." - speaking
^...^ - thoughts
//...// - telepathy
All translations and explanations appear at the bottom of the chapter. Thanks to my reviewers so far: wannabeinanime and dunken.
"So, Kudou . . . "
"You can call me Yohji," he grinned at the girl next to him and she giggled.
"Alright, Yohji, what do you do for a living?"
"I work in a flower shop.
"Oh! I love flowers! Especially christmas roses!"
Yohji smiled at the still giggling girl sitting beside him. He glanced around the bar, taking in any sign of possible danger. ^Baka! You're not on a mission, just relax and enjoy the company!^ he scolded himself. He realized he'd just been asked a question by his companion. "Gomen, Kiko, what did you ask?"
"I wanted to know if you wanted to come back with me to my apartment," Kiko blushed a little and glanced down at her drink.
"I'd love to. Ready?"
"Aah!" she nodded quickly and led Yohji away from the bar and into the dark street. ^Well, maybe I'll be able to forget about the mission better if I'm with somebody tonight,^ Yohji led Kiko to his car and held the door open for her.
"Just remember to tell me where to turn," he reminded her as he started up the vehicle.
~ * ~
Schuldig finally heard the opening and closing of the front door that signaled Crawford's return.
//Where did you run off to, Brad?//
Crawford felt his eyebrow twitch. It always irritated him when Schuldig called him by his first name which was probably why he kept doing it. //I researched some things concerning Weiß's target, Masoto. Nothing for you to be concerned with. Why did you let Weiß see you? You could have gotten the information we needed without ever letting them know you were there.// Crawford walked by Schuldig's door and briefly considered continuing the conversation verbally rather than telepathically. He continued past, however, when he decided he'd rather not have too much contact with Schuldig tonight.
//It's just so much fun to play with them.//
//Be careful. If you give them any crucial information, I'll take your playthings away.//
//Awww . . . //
Crawford climbed the stairs to his bedroom. //Just be ready for tomorrow.//
//What's happening tomorrow?//
//We get a job.//
~ * ~
Cigarette smoke swirled around Yohji's head as he watched the sky lighten. ^I need to get back to the shop. It was a nice break but . . . ^ Yohji turned and watched Kiko sleeping. He finally pulled himself out of his reverie and got dressed. Quietly he left the room and headed to his car. Lighting another cigarette, Yohji started the sports car and pulled out onto the streets, heading back to the Koneko. ^How long can I keep this up? It's really not the healthiest line of work . . . ^ Yohji watched the just rising sun glint off the tops of the buildings. ^Asuka . . . you used to love watching the sun rise . . . ^ Yohji sighed and finished his cigarette. There wasn't much traffic at this time of day and Yohji got back to the Koneko in record time. He pulled around the back of the building and parked. Yohji could see Aya and Ken's windows from the back of the shop. When he realized Ken's light was on he started. ^Ken's never up this early . . . he must've fallen asleep with the light on,^ Yohji reasoned. He climbed out of the car and opened the back door of the shop, slipped inside and locked the door behind him.
The back room housed a small kitchen area, the stairs leading both down to the basement and up to the bedrooms, a tiny laundry area consisting of the washer and dryer and had a door adjacent to the actual shop. Yohji filled up the coffee pot with water and poured it into the back of the percolator. Pulling the small coffee can from a cupboard and measuring out the right amount to put into the filter, Yohji realized he'd been doing this same routine for Omi for nearly three years. "Che . . . three years of making coffee and killing off the bad guys . . . " Yohji finished setting up the coffee maker and left it to percolate. He climbed the stairs and headed for his room just as Omi came from out of the bathroom at the end of the hallway, hair dripping wet and towel around his waist.
"Ohayou, Yohji-kun," he yawned.
"Oyasumi, Chibi, your coffee should be ready in a few minutes."
Omi grinned, "Arigatoh!"
Yohji smiled, nodded and closed his door to get some sleep. He stripped his clothes off again and flopped onto his bed. He turned his head toward the window and watched the sky get brighter as the sun finished rising. He wasn't sure when, but eventually Yohji fell asleep thinking about coffee.
~ * ~
Omi finished getting dressed, grabbed his laptop, and headed quietly downstairs. Pulling a clean mug from a cabinet he filled it with freshly made coffee. Yohji had done this for him since they'd first become Weiß when they 'd realized that he woke up for school around the same time Yohji went to bed. Yohji had always made the coffee stronger than Omi was used to, but he'd been too polite to say anything and eventually he'd grown to like it. Omi smiled and quickly polished off his second cup, leaving the rest for Ken and Aya, and hurried out the back door. Slipping the laptop into his backpack, Omi climbed onto his small motorcycle, fastened his helmet on and headed to school.
~ * ~
Aya slowly awoke to the sound of his alarm. He shut it off and gracefully picked himself up off the bed. Opening his door he noticed Yohji was back, his door was only closed when he was sleeping. Aya headed left to the end of the hallway and closed himself in the bathroom. He stripped and got into the shower, warming the water. ^I'll never understand why Omi takes such cold showers.^ Aya tilted his face up into the hot streams of water and closed his eyes. He felt the warmth run through his hair and down his body. But as good as the water felt, Aya had work to do. He washed and rinsed off, turned the shower off and started toweling himself dry. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked back to his room, trying to push his hair out of his eyes. It always plastered itself to his face when it was wet.
After dressing himself in dark jeans and a black button-down shirt, Aya slipped downstairs and poured himself a cup of coffee. He slowly sipped his coffee as he entered the Koneko and started straightening things they'd missed when they closed the night before. He wandered the shop, doing the small, menial tasks that no one else would do. He checked the clock on the wall. ^Ken should be getting up soon, we open in half an hour.^
~ * ~
Ken stared at his alarm while it blared at him. All night and no sleep. He sighed and stood up, grabbed his towel off its designated floor spot and stumbled to the shower. Shedding his clothes on the tiled floor he turned the shower on as soon as he got in. Bracing himself against the wall, Ken groaned and soaked his head in the steaming water. ^I can't believe I stayed up all night worrying about this damn mission! Work is going to be hell.^ He shook his head to clear it a bit, finished washing off and shut off the shower. He toweled off his hair as he walked back to his room, not particularly worried about any of his teammates seeing him stark naked. After all, Yohji was asleep, Omi was at school and Aya was opening the shop. And none of them had ever caught him before.
Ken tossed his towel back in its spot and dressed in the one clean pair of jeans he had left and an old, dark green T-shirt. ^I need to do laundry,^ he thought as he ran a hand through his still sopping hair. He slipped his tennis shoes on and went downstairs. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Ken entered the shop to see Aya getting ready to unlock the front.
"Ohayou, Aya," he set his mug down and helped the redhead roll up the metal grate that covered the side opening of the shop at night. Aya gave him a nod in return and the two started watering plants and waiting for their first customers of the day.
~ * ~
"Masoto-sama, your eleven o'clock appointment is here," a light, female voice broke in over the desk intercom.
"Send them in, Take-san," Masoto answered, turning his chair to see his office door clearly. Three men dressed in white business suits walked in. Masoto narrowed his eyes. "Aren't there supposed to be four of you?"
"I apologize, Mister Masoto, our other member had other business to attend to. But I can assure you, he will be present when his services are required."
Masoto nodded, satisfied with this answer. "You are . . . ?"
"I am Brad Crawford, Mister Masoto, currently the leader of Schwarz."
"Please sit down, Crawford-san," Masoto motioned to four chairs set up in front of his desk. Crawford sat in the middle, the redhead and the one with the eyepatch sat on either side of him. "Now then, I have heard from certain circles that Schwarz is the best at what they do. You did protect Takatori Reiji approximately one year ago, correct?" Masoto directed his question at Crawford, carefully avoiding the stare of the scarred, white haired Irishman.
"That is correct, Mister Masoto."
"Can you explain, then, why he was killed under your watch?"
"At the time of his death, Mister Takatori was no longer under our protection. Our contract with him had expired once he was named Prime Minister of Japan."
"I see. And your connections with the group Esset?"
"Purely a thing of the past. Esset no longer exists."
"So you will have no conflicts if I hire Schwarz?"
The three Schwarz members smiled faintly at the exact same time. "None at all, Mister Masoto."
//Are you sure he's going to hire us? He seems hesitant.// Schuldig asked Crawford.
//I know he will, I've seen it.//
"Very well, Crawford-san, I would like to draw up a contract with Schwarz for your protection of me and my . . . enterprises."
"Excellent, Mister Masoto. Schuldig, Farfarello, please step outside while we finalize this." Schuldig and Farfarello both stood up and headed for the door.
//Schuldig, contact Nagi, tell him it's time.//
//Time to play? Finally . . . // Schuldig smiled as he left the office.
~ * ~
Ken finished wrapping the bouquet he was working on and handed it to the customer. "Arigatoh gozaimashita!" he smiled and quickly glanced at the clock. There were only two customers in the shop, he could take a break. "Aya," he called, "I'm going to lunch."
Aya looked up from the section of flowers he was watering. "Alright." Ken cleaned the flower stems off of the table and headed to the back room. As he closed the door he called upstairs. "Yohji! Time for your afternoon wake-up call!"
"Taku, I'm up . . . " Yohji came down the steps, yawning and pushing hair out of his face.
"Wow, you're early!" Ken was shocked.
"I am?" Yohji paused the pouring of his daily Cheerios in a bowl.
"Aah, normally you're twenty minutes late for your scheduled time, today you're only ten!"
"Ha ha," Yohji poured milk over his cereal as Ken hung up his apron on the row of pegs next to the shop door and tossed Yohji his. Yohji thanked him as he put on the apron, grabbed his cereal and followed Ken into the shop. "Going to lunch?" he asked the brunette.
"Aah. Looks like you'll have an easy morning . . . er . . . afternoon . . . " he corrected himself as he looked at the wall clock currently reading 12:15. Aya was the only one in the shop, working on some flower arrangements at the large wooden table in the middle of the shop. Yohji leaned against the table and started on his cereal. "Have fun, Ken."
"Sure, see you guys in an hour," Ken heard the chime that signaled a person entering the shop and turned to greet them. "Irrasshaimase! How can . . . " he trailed off when he realized who was standing in the door.
"Hello."
Yohji stared. "Nagi?!"
"What do you want?" Aya had somehow made it around to the front of the table without making a sound. Ken could tell he was tense, ready for any sign of an attack.
"I'm here to give you a message," Nagi's soft eyes focused directly on Aya. "Masoto Nobunata has hired Schwarz for protection. Crawford wanted you to know that he looks forward to seeing Weiß again."
"Why would you tell us this?" Aya asked.
"I suppose you should ask Crawford when you see him. Goodbye," Nagi turned and walked out of the Koneko. Ken and Yohji exchanged looks while Aya watched Nagi continue down the street and turn a corner.
"What do you think that was?" Yohji asked.
"Exactly what he said, a message," Aya replied.
". . . Maybe I should just eat lunch here." Ken went to the back room to put his apron back on and to find something to eat.
~ * ~
Nagi walked along the streets silently, not yet ready to return to Schwarz's hideout. He looked around, enjoying the time alone. Since he first joined Schwarz he didn't have much time to himself, especially with Schuldig around.
//Nagi, are you finished?//
Nagi sighed, "Speak of the Devil."
//Hai,// he replied.
//Good, meet us back at the house.// As abruptly as he'd broken in to the young telekinetic's mind, he left. Nagi briefly wondered if the Weiß members were allowed time to themselves.
^I'll go back,^ he thought, ^just not immediately.^ Nagi continued wandering for awhile. He remembered when Schwarz had first approached him. He'd been living at an Esset center for a better part of four years, working on improving and controlling his powers. It hadn't been terrible, they'd refused to let him have any emotional attachment to anyone but Nagi had decided that it was probably for the best in any case. Ever since his powers had first manifested themselves . . .
Nagi paused and leaned heavily against a wall. He'd closed his eyes and focused on his breathing until he'd regained control of himself. With his mind closed in the comforting darkness he could see their faces. The three leaders of Esset. He wondered if they'd ever actually been young or if they'd started life ancient and decrepit. They had praised him that day, on everything he had accomplished and on all the work he had done. The perfect addition to Schwarz, they had said. When he met the others he almost refused the position. The knowing smirk on Crawford's face, the sadistic grin on Schuldig's and the barely constrained madness behind Farfarello's eyes had nearly made him back down. But he wanted out, away from the Esset center. He wanted freedom and control over his life. So he accepted. He almost wished he was precognitive like Crawford, maybe he would have seen that he was trading one form of prison for another.
He was so tired of what his life had become. He didn't gain any pleasure from anything he did. He didn't care about twisting people to his benefit like Schuldig or about hurting God the way Farfarello did. And Crawford . . . well, Nagi wasn't sure what made Crawford happy but he doubted that his wants were the same as the Schwarz leader's. Nagi looked up and realized he was back at the Schwarz hideout. He didn't even remember starting to walk again. ^This is what my life is now, a grey haze with a few points of clarity.^ He pushed aside every feeling trying to well up inside of him and went inside.
"Where have you been?" Schuldig draped an arm over the telekinetic's shoulder.
"Walking."
"Well, let's go, Brad wants to see you." Schuldig steered Nagi through the front area of the house towards Crawford's office in the back.
"Farfarello . . . ?" Nagi asked.
"Is currently being punished out back." Schuldig opened the door to Crawford's office and nudged Nagi inside. Crawford looked up from the papers he was pouring over and spoke to Schuldig. "Go let Farfarello down and take off the straightjacket. His punishment is over." Schuldig nodded and closed the door behind him. Nagi stood where he was, looking at the floor and waiting for Crawford to initiate any conversation.
"Schwarz has been hired to act as bodyguards for Masoto Nobunata." Nagi still stood silently. "This position will allow us to encounter Weiß, that much I have seen," Crawford continued. Nagi remained silent. "Nagi, do you intend on remaining loyal to Schwarz?" Nagi looked up, surprised at the question.
"Have you seen anything that suggests I won't?"
"Iya," Crawford admitted, "but understand that , if you turn on us, you will be killed."
"Wakatta." Nagi turned and left the office, closing the door softly behind him.
//What's up with Nagi? You really think he'll turn?// Schuldig broke into Crawford's mind.
//I don't know. Whenever he's concerned I can see nothing. There's a black cloud surrounding him and his actions. Something that will affect all of us will hinge on his actions.//
//That's not necessarily good.//
//Iya,// Crawford agreed, //it's not.//
//When do we get to see Weiß?// Schuldig asked eagerly.
//Soon.//
~ * ~
Translation notes :
Auftauchen - 'Unexpected appearance' or, literally 'To surface or come up'
Baka! - 'Fool!' or 'Idiot!' or 'Stupid!' or any number of insults to a person's intelligence.
Gomen - Sorry
Aah - 'Yeah'
Koneko - Kitten
Che - A basic sound of exasperation.
Ohayou - Good morning
Oyasumi - Good night
Chibi - A pretty general term for things that are small and cute.
Arigatoh / Arigatoh gozaimashita - Thank you / Thank you very much
Taku - 'Jeez'
Irrasshaimase - Welcome. It's a traditional greeting in Japanese shops.
Hai - 'Yes'
Iya - No. I've gotten remarks about this one. It can also be spelled 'Iie' in Roman letters, just remember that it's not an English word so there's more than one accepted spelling.
Wakatta - 'Understood' or 'I understand'
Flower meanings :
Christmas Roses - Relieve my anxiety
Chapter two : Auftauchen
By Tora-uma
Opening Notes :
"..." - speaking
^...^ - thoughts
//...// - telepathy
All translations and explanations appear at the bottom of the chapter. Thanks to my reviewers so far: wannabeinanime and dunken.
"So, Kudou . . . "
"You can call me Yohji," he grinned at the girl next to him and she giggled.
"Alright, Yohji, what do you do for a living?"
"I work in a flower shop.
"Oh! I love flowers! Especially christmas roses!"
Yohji smiled at the still giggling girl sitting beside him. He glanced around the bar, taking in any sign of possible danger. ^Baka! You're not on a mission, just relax and enjoy the company!^ he scolded himself. He realized he'd just been asked a question by his companion. "Gomen, Kiko, what did you ask?"
"I wanted to know if you wanted to come back with me to my apartment," Kiko blushed a little and glanced down at her drink.
"I'd love to. Ready?"
"Aah!" she nodded quickly and led Yohji away from the bar and into the dark street. ^Well, maybe I'll be able to forget about the mission better if I'm with somebody tonight,^ Yohji led Kiko to his car and held the door open for her.
"Just remember to tell me where to turn," he reminded her as he started up the vehicle.
~ * ~
Schuldig finally heard the opening and closing of the front door that signaled Crawford's return.
//Where did you run off to, Brad?//
Crawford felt his eyebrow twitch. It always irritated him when Schuldig called him by his first name which was probably why he kept doing it. //I researched some things concerning Weiß's target, Masoto. Nothing for you to be concerned with. Why did you let Weiß see you? You could have gotten the information we needed without ever letting them know you were there.// Crawford walked by Schuldig's door and briefly considered continuing the conversation verbally rather than telepathically. He continued past, however, when he decided he'd rather not have too much contact with Schuldig tonight.
//It's just so much fun to play with them.//
//Be careful. If you give them any crucial information, I'll take your playthings away.//
//Awww . . . //
Crawford climbed the stairs to his bedroom. //Just be ready for tomorrow.//
//What's happening tomorrow?//
//We get a job.//
~ * ~
Cigarette smoke swirled around Yohji's head as he watched the sky lighten. ^I need to get back to the shop. It was a nice break but . . . ^ Yohji turned and watched Kiko sleeping. He finally pulled himself out of his reverie and got dressed. Quietly he left the room and headed to his car. Lighting another cigarette, Yohji started the sports car and pulled out onto the streets, heading back to the Koneko. ^How long can I keep this up? It's really not the healthiest line of work . . . ^ Yohji watched the just rising sun glint off the tops of the buildings. ^Asuka . . . you used to love watching the sun rise . . . ^ Yohji sighed and finished his cigarette. There wasn't much traffic at this time of day and Yohji got back to the Koneko in record time. He pulled around the back of the building and parked. Yohji could see Aya and Ken's windows from the back of the shop. When he realized Ken's light was on he started. ^Ken's never up this early . . . he must've fallen asleep with the light on,^ Yohji reasoned. He climbed out of the car and opened the back door of the shop, slipped inside and locked the door behind him.
The back room housed a small kitchen area, the stairs leading both down to the basement and up to the bedrooms, a tiny laundry area consisting of the washer and dryer and had a door adjacent to the actual shop. Yohji filled up the coffee pot with water and poured it into the back of the percolator. Pulling the small coffee can from a cupboard and measuring out the right amount to put into the filter, Yohji realized he'd been doing this same routine for Omi for nearly three years. "Che . . . three years of making coffee and killing off the bad guys . . . " Yohji finished setting up the coffee maker and left it to percolate. He climbed the stairs and headed for his room just as Omi came from out of the bathroom at the end of the hallway, hair dripping wet and towel around his waist.
"Ohayou, Yohji-kun," he yawned.
"Oyasumi, Chibi, your coffee should be ready in a few minutes."
Omi grinned, "Arigatoh!"
Yohji smiled, nodded and closed his door to get some sleep. He stripped his clothes off again and flopped onto his bed. He turned his head toward the window and watched the sky get brighter as the sun finished rising. He wasn't sure when, but eventually Yohji fell asleep thinking about coffee.
~ * ~
Omi finished getting dressed, grabbed his laptop, and headed quietly downstairs. Pulling a clean mug from a cabinet he filled it with freshly made coffee. Yohji had done this for him since they'd first become Weiß when they 'd realized that he woke up for school around the same time Yohji went to bed. Yohji had always made the coffee stronger than Omi was used to, but he'd been too polite to say anything and eventually he'd grown to like it. Omi smiled and quickly polished off his second cup, leaving the rest for Ken and Aya, and hurried out the back door. Slipping the laptop into his backpack, Omi climbed onto his small motorcycle, fastened his helmet on and headed to school.
~ * ~
Aya slowly awoke to the sound of his alarm. He shut it off and gracefully picked himself up off the bed. Opening his door he noticed Yohji was back, his door was only closed when he was sleeping. Aya headed left to the end of the hallway and closed himself in the bathroom. He stripped and got into the shower, warming the water. ^I'll never understand why Omi takes such cold showers.^ Aya tilted his face up into the hot streams of water and closed his eyes. He felt the warmth run through his hair and down his body. But as good as the water felt, Aya had work to do. He washed and rinsed off, turned the shower off and started toweling himself dry. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked back to his room, trying to push his hair out of his eyes. It always plastered itself to his face when it was wet.
After dressing himself in dark jeans and a black button-down shirt, Aya slipped downstairs and poured himself a cup of coffee. He slowly sipped his coffee as he entered the Koneko and started straightening things they'd missed when they closed the night before. He wandered the shop, doing the small, menial tasks that no one else would do. He checked the clock on the wall. ^Ken should be getting up soon, we open in half an hour.^
~ * ~
Ken stared at his alarm while it blared at him. All night and no sleep. He sighed and stood up, grabbed his towel off its designated floor spot and stumbled to the shower. Shedding his clothes on the tiled floor he turned the shower on as soon as he got in. Bracing himself against the wall, Ken groaned and soaked his head in the steaming water. ^I can't believe I stayed up all night worrying about this damn mission! Work is going to be hell.^ He shook his head to clear it a bit, finished washing off and shut off the shower. He toweled off his hair as he walked back to his room, not particularly worried about any of his teammates seeing him stark naked. After all, Yohji was asleep, Omi was at school and Aya was opening the shop. And none of them had ever caught him before.
Ken tossed his towel back in its spot and dressed in the one clean pair of jeans he had left and an old, dark green T-shirt. ^I need to do laundry,^ he thought as he ran a hand through his still sopping hair. He slipped his tennis shoes on and went downstairs. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Ken entered the shop to see Aya getting ready to unlock the front.
"Ohayou, Aya," he set his mug down and helped the redhead roll up the metal grate that covered the side opening of the shop at night. Aya gave him a nod in return and the two started watering plants and waiting for their first customers of the day.
~ * ~
"Masoto-sama, your eleven o'clock appointment is here," a light, female voice broke in over the desk intercom.
"Send them in, Take-san," Masoto answered, turning his chair to see his office door clearly. Three men dressed in white business suits walked in. Masoto narrowed his eyes. "Aren't there supposed to be four of you?"
"I apologize, Mister Masoto, our other member had other business to attend to. But I can assure you, he will be present when his services are required."
Masoto nodded, satisfied with this answer. "You are . . . ?"
"I am Brad Crawford, Mister Masoto, currently the leader of Schwarz."
"Please sit down, Crawford-san," Masoto motioned to four chairs set up in front of his desk. Crawford sat in the middle, the redhead and the one with the eyepatch sat on either side of him. "Now then, I have heard from certain circles that Schwarz is the best at what they do. You did protect Takatori Reiji approximately one year ago, correct?" Masoto directed his question at Crawford, carefully avoiding the stare of the scarred, white haired Irishman.
"That is correct, Mister Masoto."
"Can you explain, then, why he was killed under your watch?"
"At the time of his death, Mister Takatori was no longer under our protection. Our contract with him had expired once he was named Prime Minister of Japan."
"I see. And your connections with the group Esset?"
"Purely a thing of the past. Esset no longer exists."
"So you will have no conflicts if I hire Schwarz?"
The three Schwarz members smiled faintly at the exact same time. "None at all, Mister Masoto."
//Are you sure he's going to hire us? He seems hesitant.// Schuldig asked Crawford.
//I know he will, I've seen it.//
"Very well, Crawford-san, I would like to draw up a contract with Schwarz for your protection of me and my . . . enterprises."
"Excellent, Mister Masoto. Schuldig, Farfarello, please step outside while we finalize this." Schuldig and Farfarello both stood up and headed for the door.
//Schuldig, contact Nagi, tell him it's time.//
//Time to play? Finally . . . // Schuldig smiled as he left the office.
~ * ~
Ken finished wrapping the bouquet he was working on and handed it to the customer. "Arigatoh gozaimashita!" he smiled and quickly glanced at the clock. There were only two customers in the shop, he could take a break. "Aya," he called, "I'm going to lunch."
Aya looked up from the section of flowers he was watering. "Alright." Ken cleaned the flower stems off of the table and headed to the back room. As he closed the door he called upstairs. "Yohji! Time for your afternoon wake-up call!"
"Taku, I'm up . . . " Yohji came down the steps, yawning and pushing hair out of his face.
"Wow, you're early!" Ken was shocked.
"I am?" Yohji paused the pouring of his daily Cheerios in a bowl.
"Aah, normally you're twenty minutes late for your scheduled time, today you're only ten!"
"Ha ha," Yohji poured milk over his cereal as Ken hung up his apron on the row of pegs next to the shop door and tossed Yohji his. Yohji thanked him as he put on the apron, grabbed his cereal and followed Ken into the shop. "Going to lunch?" he asked the brunette.
"Aah. Looks like you'll have an easy morning . . . er . . . afternoon . . . " he corrected himself as he looked at the wall clock currently reading 12:15. Aya was the only one in the shop, working on some flower arrangements at the large wooden table in the middle of the shop. Yohji leaned against the table and started on his cereal. "Have fun, Ken."
"Sure, see you guys in an hour," Ken heard the chime that signaled a person entering the shop and turned to greet them. "Irrasshaimase! How can . . . " he trailed off when he realized who was standing in the door.
"Hello."
Yohji stared. "Nagi?!"
"What do you want?" Aya had somehow made it around to the front of the table without making a sound. Ken could tell he was tense, ready for any sign of an attack.
"I'm here to give you a message," Nagi's soft eyes focused directly on Aya. "Masoto Nobunata has hired Schwarz for protection. Crawford wanted you to know that he looks forward to seeing Weiß again."
"Why would you tell us this?" Aya asked.
"I suppose you should ask Crawford when you see him. Goodbye," Nagi turned and walked out of the Koneko. Ken and Yohji exchanged looks while Aya watched Nagi continue down the street and turn a corner.
"What do you think that was?" Yohji asked.
"Exactly what he said, a message," Aya replied.
". . . Maybe I should just eat lunch here." Ken went to the back room to put his apron back on and to find something to eat.
~ * ~
Nagi walked along the streets silently, not yet ready to return to Schwarz's hideout. He looked around, enjoying the time alone. Since he first joined Schwarz he didn't have much time to himself, especially with Schuldig around.
//Nagi, are you finished?//
Nagi sighed, "Speak of the Devil."
//Hai,// he replied.
//Good, meet us back at the house.// As abruptly as he'd broken in to the young telekinetic's mind, he left. Nagi briefly wondered if the Weiß members were allowed time to themselves.
^I'll go back,^ he thought, ^just not immediately.^ Nagi continued wandering for awhile. He remembered when Schwarz had first approached him. He'd been living at an Esset center for a better part of four years, working on improving and controlling his powers. It hadn't been terrible, they'd refused to let him have any emotional attachment to anyone but Nagi had decided that it was probably for the best in any case. Ever since his powers had first manifested themselves . . .
Nagi paused and leaned heavily against a wall. He'd closed his eyes and focused on his breathing until he'd regained control of himself. With his mind closed in the comforting darkness he could see their faces. The three leaders of Esset. He wondered if they'd ever actually been young or if they'd started life ancient and decrepit. They had praised him that day, on everything he had accomplished and on all the work he had done. The perfect addition to Schwarz, they had said. When he met the others he almost refused the position. The knowing smirk on Crawford's face, the sadistic grin on Schuldig's and the barely constrained madness behind Farfarello's eyes had nearly made him back down. But he wanted out, away from the Esset center. He wanted freedom and control over his life. So he accepted. He almost wished he was precognitive like Crawford, maybe he would have seen that he was trading one form of prison for another.
He was so tired of what his life had become. He didn't gain any pleasure from anything he did. He didn't care about twisting people to his benefit like Schuldig or about hurting God the way Farfarello did. And Crawford . . . well, Nagi wasn't sure what made Crawford happy but he doubted that his wants were the same as the Schwarz leader's. Nagi looked up and realized he was back at the Schwarz hideout. He didn't even remember starting to walk again. ^This is what my life is now, a grey haze with a few points of clarity.^ He pushed aside every feeling trying to well up inside of him and went inside.
"Where have you been?" Schuldig draped an arm over the telekinetic's shoulder.
"Walking."
"Well, let's go, Brad wants to see you." Schuldig steered Nagi through the front area of the house towards Crawford's office in the back.
"Farfarello . . . ?" Nagi asked.
"Is currently being punished out back." Schuldig opened the door to Crawford's office and nudged Nagi inside. Crawford looked up from the papers he was pouring over and spoke to Schuldig. "Go let Farfarello down and take off the straightjacket. His punishment is over." Schuldig nodded and closed the door behind him. Nagi stood where he was, looking at the floor and waiting for Crawford to initiate any conversation.
"Schwarz has been hired to act as bodyguards for Masoto Nobunata." Nagi still stood silently. "This position will allow us to encounter Weiß, that much I have seen," Crawford continued. Nagi remained silent. "Nagi, do you intend on remaining loyal to Schwarz?" Nagi looked up, surprised at the question.
"Have you seen anything that suggests I won't?"
"Iya," Crawford admitted, "but understand that , if you turn on us, you will be killed."
"Wakatta." Nagi turned and left the office, closing the door softly behind him.
//What's up with Nagi? You really think he'll turn?// Schuldig broke into Crawford's mind.
//I don't know. Whenever he's concerned I can see nothing. There's a black cloud surrounding him and his actions. Something that will affect all of us will hinge on his actions.//
//That's not necessarily good.//
//Iya,// Crawford agreed, //it's not.//
//When do we get to see Weiß?// Schuldig asked eagerly.
//Soon.//
~ * ~
Translation notes :
Auftauchen - 'Unexpected appearance' or, literally 'To surface or come up'
Baka! - 'Fool!' or 'Idiot!' or 'Stupid!' or any number of insults to a person's intelligence.
Gomen - Sorry
Aah - 'Yeah'
Koneko - Kitten
Che - A basic sound of exasperation.
Ohayou - Good morning
Oyasumi - Good night
Chibi - A pretty general term for things that are small and cute.
Arigatoh / Arigatoh gozaimashita - Thank you / Thank you very much
Taku - 'Jeez'
Irrasshaimase - Welcome. It's a traditional greeting in Japanese shops.
Hai - 'Yes'
Iya - No. I've gotten remarks about this one. It can also be spelled 'Iie' in Roman letters, just remember that it's not an English word so there's more than one accepted spelling.
Wakatta - 'Understood' or 'I understand'
Flower meanings :
Christmas Roses - Relieve my anxiety