By Lady Yami (aka Toki)

AN: Hi hi. X3 My first CC fic. I'm fairly excited. It's been a while since I've worked on a full-length romance-adventure-pie type. xD I normally just right script-type insanity. Cept a few KH stories, those are story-form insanity. nodnod I've been busy lately to, my family is in the process of moving, and it's getting increasingly difficult to like mantain regularity. Cleaning and packing = not fun. Writers block has plagued me as well. sob But, eventually my muse decided to help me out! X3

Chrno (True Form): stumbles by in background wrapped in bandages, looks traumatized oo She ran me a bath, but it was holy water. Hot holy water...walks offstage crying

As soon as those bandages are off, he'll rip out my guts with those claws. nodnod Mua ha ha ha. foreshadow foreshadow whistles Anyway, I am without Microsoft Word's sexyness, so yea. pif Well, please tell me what you think so far? I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors. But I am a fool without spellcheck, because its summer and my brain is asleep. Lack of school is fun but it means that I forget the stupidly basic things! 0o;;

Jea, have fun. luff 3

-:-:-:-:Prologue:-:-:-:-

Rosette Christopher liked to consider herself a confident person, though she wasn't exactly sure why. The blonde just...was. She didnt particularly excel in anything, but she got by. Her grades were average, (to below average, but like she actually cared), she was in pretty good shape because of her after-school job, (which you weren't supposed to have at her particular school, but, she uh....yeah, you get it by now), and she could cook and clean well enough to keep her house respectable. A few dirty socks never hurt anyone, ne?

It was actually a dirty sock she woke up to. It had strewn itself quite precariously over her face in the middle of the night somehow, and seem to enjoy making Rosette gag. She did so severel times, before screaming "FREAKIN SOCK!", and chucking it merrily across the room into the overflowing hamper. Hamper...clothes...uniform...school?! She gagged one last time, before picking up the clock and squinting blearily at it.

6:57.

"Aw, crap"!

Throwing the covers off and shivering slightly, she galloped around her apartment, gathering her uniform from various odd places. Shirt under bed, skirt on ceiling fan, leggings by bathtub. Pif, so much to do, so little time. No time to blowdry her hair. It was still damp and cold from the shower she took before going to bed the night before, and she sneezed to emphasize it. Fall was here, which meant winter was on its way. Damn damn damn damn...

Once her outfit was on, she brushed her teeth while attempting to slap on some makeup. (Note: Lipstick Toothpaste = not a good idea) Finishing up at last, she slipped into her knee-high boots, and grabbed her satchel and peacoat. What else was she forgetting....

Ah, yes. She searched through the little table by the coatrack. Old receipt, old receipt, old mint...ah hah. Bills. The money from the government and her unorthodox job at Ninja Burger just wasn't doing it. The heating bill was going to expire today. Crap...she furrowed her brow in worry. She could deal with the cold, but some particular people couldn't, like...

She was snapped out of her little reverie when a hand clapped down hard on her shoulder. "EIYAHHHHHHHHHH"! She screamed, her eyes all scribbly, with fangs and all.

"Ne, oneechan...," came a soft voice.

She let out a sigh of releif. "Joshua, please dont do that again," she sighed, a sweatdrop sliding down the back of her head. Sleepy blue eyes blinked slowly, before they crinkled into a soft smile.

"Oneechan is back to school today, right"?

"Yep. Are you sure youre gonna be okay by yourself"?

He sighed a bit. "Of course. I'm feeling pretty good today."

The blonde girl grinned. "Thats awsome! Want me to bring home a book tonight"?

He nodded. "Ah, by the way...," he began, and then turned to slip down the hall, into his room, and back, holding an armful of books. "These need to be returned, if you please".

She opened her satchel, so he dumped them in. "I'd like another SciFi book, m'lady," he said, mocking a sophisticated sounding accent. She laughed.

"Sure, if you haven't already read every single one...," she broke off, when her eyes caught the clock. 7:30. "AW, SHIT. JOSH, IMA BE LATE- GOTTA HAUL ASS, LOVEYABYE"! She said in one breath, giving her brother a quick peck on the cheek before flying out the door, closing it behind her with a loud bang that shook plaster from the aged walls. He waved, sweatdropping at the gust of cold air in the space where that had once been a spazzing blonde. Ah, neesan worked too hard...

A paper on the table caught his eye, and sweatdropped even more.

Her economics paper....she may have wanted that...

He sighed, and walked to the stove where Rosette had left some hot water as per usual. Pouring himself a cup of water, he dropped the teabag in and left it to stint while he took a shower. A few minutes later he walked back out, shivering slightly in a towel. He sneezed three times, flushing a bit. Hmm...still wasn't over that flu. Sipping his tea he settled into the couch, pulling a blanket over himself. The couch seemed so familiar now, he seemed to have made a mold of himself in the cushions. The morning news was on, and he watched with mild interest.

"...As a special treat, juniors in St. Magda's School economic's classes will experiance firsthand buisness, thanks to a generous donation from the city's wealthiest benefactor, Charles Raier, of the most cutting-edge buisness simulation software today," the female reporter said calmly, a pretty woman with red hair and blue eyes. Stella, was her name. The screen switched to show a press conference, cameras flashing obnoxiously. Joshua blinked, ugh, he could feel a migraine coming. The man standing behind the podium was quite tall, handsome if a bit strange. Dark hair, so black it looked almsot purple, in a sort of loose bob, and warm looking brown-red eyes. He looked a bit flush, he was even embrassed or quite sick of the cameras and rude barrage of questions. Joshua sipped his tea. Rosette would get to play with that boring software. He pitied her. Immediatly, the mental image of his sister picking up the computer over her head, and carrying it all the way to the Raier building, up the stairs, in the elevator (with other people, the monitor still held overhead), then stomping into the CEO's office, (where he would be working innocently), and breaking it over his shiny purple head popped into his head in full detail, and he snorted tea merrily, laughing. If only she knew...He paused, and blanched. If she knew, he'd have a lump on his head.

"...In addition, he will be making speeches during the classes today in person. This is Stella Havenheight, reporting live from Central Park."

Joshua laughed a bit more to himself, before standing up to get more tea. Unfortunately, the towel didn't come with him. The windows were open. Opps...

A chilly breeze, crisp and fresh, carried the humid summer air with a strange sort of ferocity. Stella adjusted her smart suit top, pulling the hazel-colored chanel scarf closer around her beck. Ugh, winter did simply atrocious things to her fair skin...

Central Park was in a buzz, but it was fading fast, as the reporters left and the man finished the last of his questions.

"That was wonderful as usual, Mizz Heavenheight," said her cameraman Jack, packing his equipment carefully.

"Thank you, Jack," she said softly, not really focused on the man. Charles was kneeling beside a few small children on the now empty stage. Standing beside were a few beaming mothers. The kids asked him a bunch of adorably simple questions and he humored them wonderfully, taking the time to think about and answer them carefully.

"He's a good guy, 'specially with the li'l ones," Jack said from behind her. Stella continue to stare with a bit of contempt at the man in the smart-looking suit.

'Good guy? Good with children? My ass...,' she frowned still more, biting her lip. He laughed loudly, genuinley amused at one particularly precocious little girl's marriage prospect, and ruffled her hair. Stella's frown deepened, and her teeth clenched. The urge to rip his hand off her head and then rip his head off was overwhelming. How dare he, he of all people, they were so trusting, so innocent. Her vision was clouding with rage, and she barely heard Jack's distant voice telling her the van was ready. Charles Raier...why? Why did she so want to harm him...What was her heart desperately screaming to her?

Their eyes met, and hers widened in shock, her body freezing. Stella's blood ran cold. His eyes narrowed, and the German woman saw hints of otherwordly power streak gold across them. Power, lots of it. They narrowed further, and she tried her best to glare back. It seemed as if they were the only ones left in the world, she felt so...dragged away from reality.

Demon. Demon, that filthy....his eyes released her and she felt reality coming rushing back. Another cold breeze. There was cold sweat on her face, and she felt herself trembling. Goosebumps all down her arms and legs. Chrno laughing and letting the children roughouse with him, and Gio, the driver, yelling at her to get her ass in the van. Like it never happened. She sucked in a deep breath. Whoever he was, he was of high rank...No way a lower-ranked demon would carry such tremendous power.

The sky darkened over, almost as if on cue. Stella wrapped her arms around herself, and walked back to the van, glancing once at the sky before keeping her head down in silence. It was ready to rain.

And oh, would it pour, how it would poor...

AN: PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER! cue cheesy music It's the mysterious and handsome Chrno Raier, showing off the latest software! But whats this?! The bumbling Rosette has broken it?! Oh my dear, you may need find some way to pay him back for that...

NEXT TIME ON STORMWATCH - BREAK STUFF!

Rosette's voice in background: I am NOT a clutz!

Chrno's voice: Maa, maa...

end cheesy music

Ta da! :D XX -- bullet wound in head. Tell me what you think. ; 3