By: Tenshi no Nozomi
Contact at: [email protected]
Date finished (chapter): 3/2/04
Updated as of: 3/21/04 (disclaimer added)
Disclaimer:
What would I do without one of these little babies? Has anyone ever been sued while writing an SM/WK fic for not giving proper credit? When did this tradition begin? Hm. . . Well, I don't know the answers. However, despite the doldrum and the headache this compliance with conformity gives me, I'd like to only say this once for this fic. After all, I will never be nor have I ever been affiliated with the creation of Sailor Moon or Weiss Kreuz. It's owned by some rich people, whom I have never had the fortune to meet. And I might add that I make no profit from writing this. Maybe I'll get feedback that will help me; that's good enough for me, I think.
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Author's notes:
Hah hah! It's been so long since I wrote the other two beginning pieces of this fic that I was beginning to give up hope of finding a proper conclusion to it. But I think I've kind of come full circle, and I'm ready to try again.
This fic is the sequel to "Like a Lullaby" and "Sepia and Gray." It will run several chapters long, at least. There will be Schu x Usa waff. If you don't like it, you're welcome to leave. However, I want you all to know that even though there will be muchy times- lots of them, I'm sure- there's going to be some serious/intense moments, too. I'm going to try to be as true to Schu's character as I know how, and even though I love him... let's face it, Schu's a bastard. ^^;; Anyhow. Please enjoy this, and hopefully I won't have to change the rating from PG-13 to R.
One quick note to Piper, out there. . . I pissed you off by not knowing the difference between crows and ravens? There's really not much of a difference, you know- ravens are just larger with a ruffed throat, fanned tail-feathers, and heavier bills. If you want to get technical, they're really not that different. I guess what I don't understand is why my mistake ticked you off so badly- did you think it was an insult to Rei's character or something?
Usagi was fully aware that life was not a fairy tale, and that there really was no shining knight in armor waiting to sweep her off her feet. Actually. . . well, it wasn't quite true. As Princess Serenity, she'd had it all. However, that had been more than a lifetime- and one thousand years- ago.
Usagi sighed and rested her head against the window pane. Sure, she knew in her head that nothing special was going to happen, and that she'd gotten her hopes up... but it was impossible to convince her heart.
"Don't you want to go outside, honey," Ikuko asked her daughter from the kitchen. She sounded concerned, and she had some reason to be. Usagi had been acting depressed for several days now-- in fact, her moodiness had started shortly after their arrival at the beach house. "The weather's nice out, if you want to go swimming. With the sun hiding behind all those clouds, you won't have to worry about getting a sunburn."
"Mmm," Usagi responded carelessly, slouching in her seat. She knew she should at least put up some kind of effort to at least pretend that she was happy. . . But this was her vacation, too, and she was tired of playing the role. "I think I'll go take a nap," she responded.
"If you're certain," Ikuko replied. She was hesitant; she wished that Usagi would act a little bit more like herself. But lately it had seemed as though some part of her had gone off kilter or had been disturbed. She wished that Usagi would confide in her, but she wouldn't pressure her. "Just remember that we're going out to dinner tonight," she called out after her daughter's retreating back.
Ikuko sighed to herself; maybe coming out to the beach house wasn't as good an idea as they'd originally thought. But Usagi hadn't protested at the time; rather, she'd been excited. In fact, she had been the first one out of the car, barely able to contain her enthusiasm. Something had happened afterwards, though, and the result seemed. . . anticlimactic. Somehow, in the short time that it took to get out of the car and between the barbeque last night after they'd arrived Usagi had settled into a melancholy mood.
Ikuko knew to leave Usagi alone about it, though. Normally, if something had bothered Usagi enough to pierce her thick skin, she could let them know. The fact that she hadn't told her mother anything said that whatever the problem was, she wanted to sort it out on her own.
In the meantime, though, Ikuko would just have to try to enjoy herself. It was hard, knowing that her daughter wasn't having fun, but watching Kenji play with Shingo and Chibi Usa outside was encouraging. At least they weren't down in the dumps.
Upstairs, Usagi couldn't sleep. Even though it was cloudy out, it was still too bright for her to sleep. Aside from that, she simply didn't feel tired. She hated sitting up there, cooped up in the house when she could be going swimming, but she didn't really want to do that, either. She wasn't happy, and she knew why, but she couldn't possibly explain it to her mother.
She could just imagine herself trying to tell them that she was upset that a boy she'd dreamed up in childhood had not shown up at their rented cottage to take her away. And then they would lock her up in the nice, quiet, padded place, and throw away the key.
Usagi groaned with frustration, holding her small hands up to her face. Looking around at her surroundings, she felt twice as confused as before. They were like her dream... but they weren't. The couch which had been pristine wasn't any longer; instead, it was in shabby condition. The wooden floor was actually carpeted, but it was threadbare. The curtains were a dark brown and heavy, instead of that gossamer white material. And there was no red headed demon anywhere in the vicinity.
Usagi sat down on her cot and looked out the large window. She could hear the sea gulls shrieking to one another over the beach and water, fighting each other over mates and food, and whatever else bothered the avians' minds. The sea roared in the background, and the salty air hit her face with a splash of wind.
She ought to have been happy. All of her friends were stuck at home during the Summer break, doing whatever mundane things they could find to do around the house. Here she was, at the sea with nothing to do but get a tan and go swimming and be lazy. . . and she couldn't enjoy it?
It was all because of those stupid dreams, she decided. She blinked back sudden, angry tears that threatened to overwhelm her out of nowhere. If they hadn't haunted her- hadn't continued to haunt her- then she would not feel like she did. Just last night a new one had come to haunt her, and left her feeling incomplete and lonely in the morning.
Usagi grabbed her discman and ear phones and shoved them over her ears haphazardly. How was she supposed to feel, when every night she was haunted by emerald eyes that watched her like a hungry animal and wake the next morning to see that nothing had happened, nothing had changed, and have to try to convince herself that nothing ever would?
Usagi tried to relax and let her mind drift like she did in school. It wasn't too hard; she was good at drifting off to never-never land. She was interrupted, however, by a tell-tale beep and then silence. Usagi opened her eyes and cursed to herself; the small screen on the cd player read "low-batt." That meant that she needed to get new batteries. . .
After a short rummage through her bag, Usagi discovered that she had forgotten to pack any spare batteries. She could have hit herself for making such a stupid mistake. It was to be expected, though, without Luna there by her side to remind her of everything and make sure she'd packed every last single stinking thing that she could possibly need. Luna had decided to skip out on the trip, apparently having little to no fondness of the sea.
So she had no rescue from her duress at all. She was stuck, and reality was a really stupid place to be. Usagi got up and paced a bit, before heading back downstairs. Looking out the screen door, she could see her family there, making sand castles and burying each other in sand. It looked like fun, and she yearned to join them.
But. . . if she joined them, and crossed the threshold, it would mean more than just enjoying herself. It would mean giving up on her dreams, and going back to that mundane life. She had thought that was what she wanted until recently- that realization had come with the thought that perhaps her dreams were premonitions.
Her life, whether or not her family realized it, had been preordained for her. She was to marry the prince, and have a daughter, and live happily ever after. But lately dark thoughts had begun to brood. Perhaps there really wasn't a happily ever after to be found– if there was one, she wouldn't find it with Mamoru.
She had loved him once, but the passion had faded to deep affection, not unlike the feelings she had for her father or brother. The idea of marrying Mamoru had become almost as awkward to her as the idea of marrying her brother might be. She still had to work up the nerve to tell him, though. What would she say, anyhow?
Usagi sighed. Anyway she went about it, she couldn't win. There was something truly miserable about knowing that you were not stuck between just a rock and a hard place, but five hard places.
Dinner had been nice in a quaint way. They had gone out to a small restaurant on one the strand, (1) and had eaten lobster and crab. Afterwards, both Shingo and ChibiUsa begged to be taken out to the beach to swim one last time, even as the sun set. Ikuko and Kenji had given in, taking comfort in the fact that the kids would sleep well at least.
So Usagi had gone off in search of her double A batteries, browsing the shops. They were interesting, and varied in merchandise from store to store. Most of them were fairly tame and sported sports gear for swimming, but a few of them had invested in some more merchandise. Usagi had stared at some of the tackier things, not believing what she was seeing, before blushing and running out of the store. (2)
By the time Usagi had found a store that carried batteries and nothing that she couldn't look out without feeling like her eyes would drop out of their sockets, she'd traveled down a fair distance from her parents and the sun had set in the plum and continually darkening sky. She felt a chill rise up her back eerily; it wasn't like she was afraid or felt like something bad might happen, but. . .
Something was about to happen.
Usagi tried to brush the feeling away; superstition wouldn't do anything good for her. Usagi winced, looking at the price for the batteries- it was highway robbery. But she was desperate, and if the only refuge from her frustration could be found in the music she listened to, then she'd just have to suck it up.
Heading to the back of the store, Usagi saw a cooler with sodas in it. She hadn't realized she was thirsty until she saw them, but instantly it was as though her throat had become parched. Usagi reached in and grabbed a soda just as the ruckus began.
Several noisy customers entered, and it wasn't the door that told Usagi they had entered. Instead, their rauscious laughter filled the once comfortable silent. Usagi didn't know what it was they were talking about, but she didn't care- she just wanted out. Suddenly, the idea of being there with people she didn't know in this remote place that she was not familiar with made her uneasy.
What should I do, she wondered to herself. I can't make a run for it, and I still have to pay for my items. It was too late to escape, though- one of the women had gone to straight to the back. Usagi had to try desperately to cling to her good manners; the woman stunk! She reeked of the salt air, smoke and sweat, but worse was the smell of liquor on her that overpowered Usagi's nose. Usagi didn't normally mind the smell of alcohol, but she'd never been to a club yet were the smell of alcohol was stronger even than the smell of sweat, being underage and uninterested. And underlying the smell of alcohol was the darker side of it, the smell of someone- or many someones- who had gotten sick during their alcohol binges.
Usagi clung to good manners fastidiously. She couldn't run, or walk away quickly. It was obvious that these people- whoever they were- were drunk- and Usagi didn't want to invite unneeded trouble upon herself. Not when it seemed to seek her out like it had a personal vendetta against her.
Just wander around a bit, she tried to reassure the part of her that was panicking. It will be alright. Usagi took a deep breath and began to perform her plan when a woman appeared on Usagi's other side. Instantly warning bells rang in her head. How was she going to get away now?
Usagi realized before it happened that she was going to sneeze. It wasn't something that she could hold back, and it was building up strong. Usagi wrinkled her nose as a discomfort built up inside her nostrils. It was disgusting, and she was humiliated, and panicked, but it was too late. She inhaled helplessly before she sneezed, and it hardly sounded like it could have come from a girl quite as small as she.
For a moment, the women- now there were three of them- were completely silent. And then they burst into laughter. Usagi's cheeks burned red with humiliation. She ought to have been glad that they didn't take it as an insult, but somehow being laughed at by people that were so messed up that they'd be puking their intestines out in the morning was just too much.
Some man joined in their laughter behind her, and Usagi seemed to shrink further in on herself. "Which one of you ladies was responsible for that," he asked, voice full of incredulity and amusement.
"It wasn't us," the blonde on her left defended indignantly as she reached for a pack of beers. "That would be that little thing, there," she said, pointing at Usagi. She felt a surge of anger at being called a 'thing.'
"My my! You have quite a set of lungs there, fraulein," the man half-kidded with her. Usagi felt the tears of hurt and fury slip past her defenses. Normally something like this wouldn't have bothered her so much, but she'd been on edge lately, with the dreams and the sense of being let down. Maybe it was even a sign of her period and the moodiness that sometimes accompanied it.
Usagi stiffened. She felt cornered, and ashamed. Why was it that trouble always sought her out? Why couldn't else have fate to bother them once and a while?
Usagi couldn't even bear to look at them. Instead, with her head tucked low, she dropped her items and ran. The women cried out in surprise, which would turn to amused laughter shortly thereafter. Turning around, she hadn't known quite where the man would be, and bumped into him. She staggered back a few steps, her fist angrily wiping away her tears of fury.
Whether it was due to surprise to her reaction or the force of the blow, Usagi didn't know which, but the man moved out of her way. She ran again, and this time her skinny legs carried her out the store and half way back to her parents before she finally stumbled and slowed down. She bent over, breathing heavily, before moving on, and made her way back to her family.
**
Schuldich had not been aware of who she was until she hit him. He had drunken a fair amount at the bar, and the buzz had begun to settle in by then. He had thought it was so funny that the young girl, standing huddled in front of the glass display for drinks, had made such a. . . boisterous sound. He should have known from the start.
He would have, if he hadn't been too busy trying to get laid and drunk. He had spent the last two months adrift, with no purpose in life. After Schwartz's last mission, everything had settled into an awful rut. Even his drinking, smoking, and wild partying had settled into a routine that was getting on his nerves.
So he was ready to try anything with anyone, and these young ladies had made an offer that he could not exist. In the end, though, it would all end the same way it had begun, and it would only begin again the next night.
They'd gone to get a few more beers to take back with them to the ladies' hotel room, and that was all. They were too loud, and from the look that the cashier had given them- one that was decidedly dirty and hateful- smoking was not allowed, and laughter was not looked upon kindly.
Schuldich had been tempted to give the cashier something to really scowl about when the noise had erupted in the back. The girls had promptly erupted into fits of laughter, and he had gone to join them.
It was only when the little slip of a thing tried to run past him that he'd had a wake up call. She'd been shielding her face from them, trying to hide. She ran right into him, and although it had fazed him, she stumbled back in a disoriented kind of way.
He'd gotten a glimpse of her face. Her wild, blue eyes were panicked and filled with tears. Her mouth was twisted into a determined grimace, her eyebrows furrowed, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. It had been like a splash of cold water in his face. He should have known. . . what with her hairstyle. . .
He caught the smell of her perfume for one moment as she ran by. It wasn't much, but he wouldn't forget the scent. He could have reached out to touch her, grab her, hold her, kidnap her. . . do things to her that would get him arrested. . .
She ran away, never looking back and never looking at his face. But he could still feel the presence of mind lingering, tingling at the back of his. He reached for it, longingly. He sighed; she had escaped. He could find her- would find her- but for now, he'd have to let it go. Not for long, though, an excited part of him murmured. She was his. . .
He bent down and picked up the items that she had grabbed. A pack of batteries and a soft drink. The soft drink wasn't fit for its purpose now- it would be in half an hour or so, but he'd rather get her a can that wasn't dented. He replaced the drink and grabbed another one from inside the chilled container. Calmly, he walked up to the counter and placed the items near the register.
The cashier gave him a funny look, but Schuldich just feigned it off with innocence. He could pretend to be an oblivious foreigner... maybe an American. They were rumored for being notoriously rude. (3) Schuldich gave the man a curt thank you after he was handed his receipt and change. He carried the plastic bag out in one hand and walked out into the summer night air.
The women followed, drinks forgotten. "Where are you going," the honey haired woman called after him. She was confused; he was going the wrong way to get to the hotel. Had he canceled their plans without even bothering to tell them?
"Sorry, ladies," he said, but not in a way that sounded truly apologetic. "I have something that I have to do." The blonde just sighed in return; and she'd been planning on having him pick up the bill for the drinks, too!
Usagi's sleep was troubled and restless. Several points in the night passed by in which she nearly woke up, but never quite surfaced to full consciousness. Something was holding her captive, keeping her from moving, from waking up, from running away.
Usagi had heard of nightmares where people felt like they were pinned down by some invisible force. She had never thought much of it, but it was terribly frightening. And there was a presence that remained there during that time and never left that made her doubly frightened.
How could no one else feel it? Was everyone else trapped by the unseen force, made to sleep and lie still? It was so utterly frightening.
But there was an element of familiarity to the incident that kept her from utterly panicking. She could have called on the Ginzuisho if she'd wanted; whoever or whatever had held her down had let her thought process remain. They were simply making sure she didn't go anywhere.
She knew them, whoever it was. She knew that presence by heart. The closest thing she could think to describe it by might have been the phantom that haunted her dreams and heart. That couldn't have been possible, but it was what her intuition screamed to her logical mind to be true.
Maybe it was just a dream, but Usagi was certain that during at least one part of the night she was physically accompanied by someone else. She could have sworn that someone was threading their fingers through her hair, occasionally massaging her scalp. But they never said a word, and no one would have been there anyhow- no one could have, not with her father.
Could they?
Usagi was prisoner to the ebb and flow of her sleep pattern. For the first time she was aware of just how many times she awoke in the night, even if it was only just to shift her position and fall back asleep.
She was helpless but to be prey to her nightmares, which hunted after her persistently. They always vanished quickly enough- as though pushed away by an outside force- but every time she started awake, her fear would simply increase.
Some of the dreams might have been pleasant if the circumstances were not quite what they happened to be. They were dark and quiet but soothing, imprisoning. . . but not unpleasant.
It wasn't until the very last dream that she got a glimpse of Schu. She had a feeling that her mind was projecting his image. That was, after all, who she'd connected the previous images and connections with.
It looked like they were inside a busy club, one of the ones that they let minors in. He was lounging in a booth, all alone, swathed in black. Only the bandana that held his hair up was a different color- a soft, faded fellow. He was watching her, and Usagi felt timid towards this Schu.
Somehow, he was different from how he'd ever been before. He seemed older, as though he'd been around the proverbial block not once but many times. Maybe a little jaded. His eyes were hungry- they watched her like a starved man eying a piece of steak. It made her feel strange, not unlike when she was contemplating going on a roller coaster. She felt both excited and frightened at the same time, uncertain as to how she should feel.
More than that, though, he simply felt. . . real. As though he simply wasn't an image but more. Brighter, more alive, more. . . powerful, almost, than the other times she had seen him. It was like she had only captured a glimmer of light with the other visitations, and this time she had the actual fire.
Just like most dreams, it decided to play with her in an incongruous manner. One moment she was standing maybe twenty feet away, and the next she was sitting right beside him. In the instant, the crowds had thinned considerably. Usagi hesitated, and then tried to move away from him.
"Where are you going," he teased her. His eyes glittered in the darkened room- it hadn't seemed so dark before, what was going on?- and the smile on his face made her heart race. She didn't know, though- she didn't know where she was going to go, she just wanted to put some space between the two of them. She felt vulnerable, exposed, and she wasn't certain if she liked it.
He leaned over, over taking her, shadowing her. In fact, it was almost as though he was planning to sit down on her lap. "What if I like you this way," he asked.
No, this Schu wasn't like the other times. This Schu happened to be more demanding than her childhood friend. More dangerous, too. "Please don't," she choked out, unsure of herself and what was happening. Her heart was simply beating too fast. . .
"What? Wasn't this what you wanted," he asked, sounding dually irritated and puzzled. Still, he sat back down, looking at her in a way that told her plainly that he didn't understand her, just couldn't.
Usagi looked back, feeling equally confused. Was he a real person? Was this all her imagination? Should she be seeking counseling? This was too much. But with his eyes on hers, she couldn't look away. Struggle as she might, she was frozen.
He smiled. It was a bitter gesture, though. "Do you think I'm fake? Is that why you keep trying to run away?"
Run away. . . how could she run away? Her body felt like it had been paralyzed, she couldn't even break eye contact with the man. That was what he was, she realized- he was a man. He was much older than she- it was in his eyes, in his posture, in his size and strength. But does that really matter, a part of her dared to ask. If he's here, and he's offering what no one else can give you. . . would you really care?
The question disturbed her. . . mostly because she didn't have an answer. Schu blew a puff of blue gray smoke out from his mouth, turning his head so that it blew off to the side, in a vaporish cloud. . . but his eyes remained locked on hers.
She could understand a few things there. He was calculating, but in a reckless way. He was clever, and he was sure of himself, but he was rash. This was the kind of guy that her father had warned her about. . . tried to get her to carry mace to guard against. . .
He laughed suddenly– it was a brash, amused sound. She realized almost instantly that he had heard her thoughts. The idea should have been ridiculous. . . except that in dreams, anything goes. She had almost expected it, though, she realized. Why had she expected it?
There's something I'm not remembering, she realized. Something important. She shivered, just a little. She didn't like it when she couldn't remember things. And under his penetrating gaze. . . she could feel that he knew everything that was running through her head.
His eyes glazed over momentarily, as though he was thinking of something very far away. Almost instantly, she found mobility again. However, this time, she didn't know what she should do. Running away had seemed like a good idea, but now she was fairly certain that he'd just hunt her down again. She wondered if it was the thrill of the chase that lured her to escape?
About to get up, he moved with the agility and accuracy of a rattlesnake. She yelped- in the space of less than a second he'd grabbed her wrist and pinned her underneath his weight. She squirmed desperately, avoiding his eyes, but even then she knew he was looking at her reprovingly.
"Really, though. . . I look away for only one minute, and no sooner do you try to run off? So predictable!" he scolded. Usagi flushed and turned her head away. He laughed, and she jumped– his mouth was too close to her ear for comfort. "Even if you get away for now. . . I'll still find you again."
She flushed, and struggled, but it was the useless struggles of a moth caught in a spider's web. She was stuck, and he wanted her there, so she wasn't going to get free any time soon.
His free hand went under her chin and moved her face so that she was looking right at him. Her blush deepened; their faces were so close their noses were touching. "I have to go, now. . . But I'll be seeing you soon. In the meantime, you can have this to remember me by. . ."
His lips crushed themselves against hers, and she found his kiss to be surprisingly passionate and demanding. She squeaked in surprise, but the noise was muffled by his own mouth that was busy. . . distracting her. His kiss ended, and she dragged in a ragged breathe, but he wasn't finished yet.
Slowly, he trailed his kisses down her throat, lovingly kissing the tender flesh there. The appendage rose and fell unevenly as she breathed, trying to make up for lost air and to calm down. He came to rest at her collar bone, and moved over to her shoulder, where he proceeded to leave a small mark. She was his, and now even a fool would know it.
His brain buzzed with the heady glow of triumph, stealing another desperate, frenzied kiss from her. It wasn't enough, hadn't been long enough. He'd wanted to soak her presence in right to his chilled soul–it had been far too long, and he didn't want. . .
She whimpered, and seemed to become translucent. He'd left her room only moments before, exhausted from holding the whole family beneath his will for hours at a time. It would not have done him any good for them to find him in her room, kneeling over her, and looking like a rapist or thief.
Normally, he wouldn't care- no matter what it took, Schuldich always got what he wanted. However, he needed to be able to get close to her without her family getting in the way. He knew from peeking around in her head that if he could avoid that kind of trouble, then he ought to do his best. That would require a great deal of care, but. . . to get her, it might be worth it.
He released her mind, and she woke up almost instantly. Usagi rose in her bed, pressing her hand to her chest. She could still feel her heart beating helplessly against her chest. . . just as quickly as it had during her dream.
"Usagi," a small voice whispered to her in the darkness. Usagi turned and made out by the shape of the form in the darkness that it was ChibiUsa. She could really only tell by the size of the darker shadow and by her voice- otherwise it could have been anyone. But it made sense; she was sharing a room with the younger girl, after all.
"Yeah," she whispered back, wondering what the little spore wanted at this hour of the night. Her heart beat had settled back down, and was only slightly erratic. . . compared to its previous frantic thumping.
"I've gotta go to the bathroom." Usagi sighed inwardly; wasn't she old enough to take herself to the bathroom? Why had she allowed her future daughter to grow up to be such a spoiled brat? These were questions to which she did not know the answer but had resolved to change the outcome.
Usagi rose, got out of bed, and instantly tripped on an object on the floor. Grumbling on her breath, she turned on the small lamp that they'd placed in between the two girls' beds. Usagi stared at the objects on the floor, astounded.
A can of soda that fizzed and hizzed gently within its confines. A small package of double a batteries. They'd been scattered from within a small plastic bag. So then. . . that must have meant. . .
Gooseflesh traveled up Usagi's arms, and the hair on the back of her neck and head prickled. Despite the heat, she shivered just a bit, before bending down and picking up the overturned objects.
"Usagi," the small girl whined at her incessantly. Usagi gave her a grunt in return before taking the small, pink-haired girl's hand into her own. She couldn't hold back the feel of excitement that was bubbling up within her like carbonation. This... this was what she'd been waiting for, she realized, smiling broadly as she led ChibiUsa down the stairs and towards the bathroom.
With her free hand, she touched the tips of her fingers to her smiling lips. She blushed again, but this time. . . there was a feeling of satisfaction behind it. She wouldn't have trouble going to sleep anymore, and she would find the boy whom she had dubiously named 'Schu' during her childhood. He was somewhere nearby, and from the way things looked. . . he wanted her to find him.
It was an invitation.
(1) - It would be much, much easier to write this if I was familiar with Japanese culture or it were set in the US. ^^;; Anyhow, in Galveston there's this place called the 'strand' right near the beach- there's all sorts of shops and restaurants down the street(s) that you can go to (most of which are oriented for swimming/vacationing style stuff) which is what I'm basing the strand in the story off of.
(2) - Anyone who's been down to New Orleans and has seen those t-shirts know what I'm talking about. And that's all I'm going to say.
(3) - Please don't bother flaming me about calling Americans rude. If I say something in ANY of my stories regarding people and prejudices or something like that, be aware that not everything I write is a personal bias. I've heard that foreigners do find us rude- whether we as Americans are or aren't, I don't know. Aside from that, if I think a person would or should say it, then I'll have them say it/think it. When I wrote Sepia and Gray, I managed to upset several different people by referring to Germany as a cold, gray place. I don't want to repeat the experience, because it was something that I'd never intended to do.
Well, that's chapter one for you. If you feel like it, leave a review or an email.