Angel Sanctuary Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Slayers Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction / Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction / Hellsing Fan Fiction ❯ Blau ❯ Moving On ( Chapter 2 )

I've gotten ~way~ too used to having typing space up here. Okay, so, some explanations! "Blah" is the main language - in this case, Japanese. **Blah** is telepathic speech for members of Schwarz. */Blah/* is telepathic speech for members of Weiß. //Blah// is telepathic speech for anyone who isn't used to it. And, should weget to it, ^Blah^ is German. Of course, /blah/ is thought and ~blah~ is emphasis. And 'blah' is something that's being quoted.

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Blau

Moving On

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"No, I haven't been dying my hair in secret! It's like this naturally!"

"Yeah, right. You just do it to get attention from the girls."

"Why would I want to do that?"

Yohji couldn't use the next line he'd been preparing, so he just gaped at Schuldich, who seemed genuinely confused After working his mouth for a moment: "You mean you're-"

"Nothing of the sort. It's just that the girls who come here drool enough without me helping them along. We'll have to start sponging if off the floor if it gets any worse."

"But don't you ~want~ them to drool over you?"

"Not particularly." Schuldich picked up a potted marigold and carried it over to the window display he was rearranging. **One: most of them are too young for me. Two: I don't really enjoy seeing idolized or perverted versions of myself at the center of their fantasies. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.**

"Shou-samaaaaa… You don't like it that we like you?" a schoolgirl whined at him.

"I don't mind that you like me," he said, smiling down at her in that particularly charming way that not even Yohji could quite reproduce, "but if you drool, then I'll have to clean it up, and the flowers will wilt."

The girl (and the three behind her) sighed adoringly and promised not to drool.

He rewarded her with a touch to her cheek and stepped around her to go get another pot for the display. **Stop glowering, Yohji; you'll frighten our customers.**

*/They're not ~customers~, `Shou'. With all the girls coming back to see your pretty face, it's a wonder anyone willing to ~buy~ anything manages to make it in the door./*

**Calm down, liebste. Flirt a bit, make a few sales, and I'll do Ran's thing in a bit.**

Yohji sent a `thbbbt' in Schuldich's - aka Shou's - general mental direction, but did as he was told. He looked up, much surprised, to find out that almost an hour had passed when Schuldich raised his voice and said, "Everyone, if you're not going to buy something, please make room for those who will."

"Awww…"

"Come on," he said, still smiling. "If you're not planning to purchase something, out." And he ushered a few of them out for emphasis.

They left, followed shortly by the real customers as they made their purchases, and the shop had a lull.

"Ran's thing?" Yohji asked, a brow raised.

"Yes, but I was more polite, you'll notice."

"I got that. ~Ran's~ thing?"

"I knew his sister first."

Yohji opened his mouth to protest that he didn't understand when the door slammed open and Nagi and Omi raced in. They both went for Schuldich, but Nagi got there first. "Ha! I win!"

"So you do." Schuldich smiled again, and although he felt he should have been used to it, Yohji still felt odd seeing that. "I take it the day was boring again?"

"More stuff we already know," Omi said, and Nagi nodded in agreement. "Makes me want to turn delinquent at times, just to get away."

"But then you won't get into college," Schuldich pointed out, as he removed his apron and handed it over. "See you in a bit, guys. I'm taking a shower."

"And dying your hair."

"I told you, I don't! It's natural!"

"Feh! Green hair-"

"What's wrong with green hair?"

The door jangled belatedly as a rather small young woman - almost a girl - with ~purple~ hair and baggy clothing walked in.

Startled, Yohji tried to explain. "Well, it's not-"

"Natural? Of course it is. I can see that." She nodded at Schuldich, who was halfway though the back door.

"How can you see it?" Omi asked.

She shrugged. "Same way I can see he's a telepath."

~What?~

More nervously, Omi repeated, "How can you see it?"

"I was an avatar for a while; nothing big. Do you have any nasturtiums?"

"Ah… Yes, we do." Nagi finished tying on the apron and moved over to where they were shelved. "Do you have a preference?"

She glanced around the store first before deciding. "That bunch of all orange ones, there. Third from the right."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Please don't call me ma'am. It makes me feel old."

"You certainly don't ~look~ old, Miss…"

"D'arcy Collins. Are you going to give your friend your apron, or is he going to just stand there doing nothing?"

Okay, so she wasn't interested in flirting. "Sorry, Omi. Here."

"Thank you. Was I that obvious, Miss Collins?"

"Only to me. Ah, that'll do nicely."

"Anything else?" Nagi asked.

This time she made a show of looking around. "I see you have some lovely orange marigolds."

"Indeed we do." Nagi moved to where they were.

"If I could have… about five stems, please? And- oh! I didn't see this before!"

Nagi turned to see her holding a small, yellow-orange rhododendron. "It's rare," he said.

"I know." She smiled. "It's perfect!"

"Will you be getting that as well?"

"Oh yes."

Nagi couldn't help but smile; her grin was infectious. "Let me set everything on the counter, then, so I won't drop anything. Are you going for a theme here?"

"Yes. The orange is to be a sort of backdrop, to go with the magenta of that clematis." She pointed.

"So I see." After setting everything down, he went and retrieved the mentioned plant and put it with the others. "Is there anything else you'd like?"

"I'd ~like~ a lot of things." She grinned again. "But for this project, I'll only want some leafs of fern, a block of foam, and a small pot. Do you have a color other than white?"

"I'm sure we do. Omi, could you…?"

"Sure." Omi disappeared into the back room and returned shortly with the fern, the foam, and a small watering can. "We have white, navy, green-and-white striped, and a pebbly sort of grey."

"Darn, I wanted black. Could I have the grey?"

"Sure." Omi smiled and handed what he had already retrieved to Nagi and disappeared again.

"Will you be wanting this arranged?" Nagi asked.

"No, thank you. I prefer to do that myself."

"You can do that here, if you like. We have some stools and a counter, and since there's no one else here…"

She smiled again. "Thank you."

"It's just this way." Nagi looked at everything to carry over, looked at the girl, and decided that since she could tell what Schuldich was, she probably knew about him too, and moved everything telekinetically, including the pot that was just coming though the door.

She was not surprised.

"Shove over, Yohji, you're in the way," Omi scolded. "What are you still doing here? You usually scamper as soon as possible."

"Just thinking." He moved out of the way nonetheless, and sat down at another of the stools to watch the arrangement take form.

D'arcy ignored him with the finesse of someone who has dealt with onlookers her entire life. For longer than her life, in fact. It was rather disturbing.

"You're very good," he said at last.

"It's a talent of mine."

"Do you mind my asking how old you are?"

"I have no idea."

"What?"

"Do you want my physical age or my real age?"

Yohji blinked. He must have picked it up from Ken. "There's a difference?"

"Like I said, I was an avatar for a while, and gods don't age. I've been nineteen for a while."

"Are you sure you can pay for this? Some of what you've ordered are expensive, and-"

D'arcy put down the flower she had just picked up, withdrew a hundred dollar bill, and waved it at him.

He stared at it.

"I've got money," she said, smiling again, and put the piece of paper away in order to finish her project.

Nagi snorted. "Looks like we'll have to clean out the register earlier than usual."

"Indeed. How's this?"

"Have you done this before?" Omi asked.

"Not with these colors. It's been a while since I worked with a viney thing, too."

"You definitely have a talent for this."

"So I'm told." She stood up and carried the pot over to the register. "How much?"

After paying, she started to leave, then stopped and half-turned in the doorway. "Be seeing you," she said. "Even if you don't recognize me when the time comes."

"What do you mean?" Nagi asked.

"You'll know when it's time for you to know," she returned mysteriously. "Thank you for your help, Nagi. It was much appreciated." And she walked out the door.

"We didn't call you by name the entire time you were here, did we?" Yohji said.

"No, we didn't." Omi agreed. "Wonder how she knew?"

"Probably the same way she knew about me," Schuldich said from the shadows he had been lounging in. "And for the same reason why I can't feel her mind at all."

"She's shielded that well?"

"No. As far as my senses could tell, she just wasn't there. Like an illusion that takes up space."

"Is that bad?"

"I have no idea."

~~~-~~~

Nagi poked his head around the door. "Ran? Everyone's hungry, and it's your turn to make dinner."

"Hn."

"Thinking about Aya?"

Ran shook his head and looked up. The smile sat awkwardly on his lips, which made sense because lips don't really stick out enough to make good seating material. He managed anyway. "I know she's okay."

"You're still used to doing everything for her sake. I'm worried about her too."

"She's her own person. And she did leave me a note."

"Which you wouldn't let anyone else see."

"Hn."

"Come on down and make dinner soon, okay? Or Schu says he won't let you cut your hair for a ~long~ time."

Ran looked singularly unimpressed. "So?"

**You've never had long hair, have you?** Schuldich said.

"You've never had to deal with long hair," Nagi said at the same time. "Farf cut Schu's hair once. He wouldn't let any of us cut ours until his grew back. And my hair grows fast." He made a moue.

"How long?"

Nagi made a motion to about halfway between midback and his waist. "When you shower, the loose hairs go down your back and stick between your thighs. It's nasty."

**And you have ten minutes to get started before you suffer a like fate.**

*/Shut up. I'm coming./*

"You haven't gotten up yet," Nagi pointed out.

Ran stood and made his way downstairs.

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Alright, anyone got an idea where D'arcy's from?