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Coincidence	By : Kiba Category: +. to F > Ai no Kusabi Views: 9481 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Ai no Kusabi, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 22
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All spelling and grammatical errors are the responsibility of the Beta.

Author�s Note: Please note that the text in italics with apostrophises indicates mental speech or communication.

To cocoke5:

Thank you very much, my first official 'fan'. Your reviewing is appreciated.

***

chapter 23: wasteland II / wasted years

Raoul wandered over to the take away. Katze would arrive anytime soon. The vendor's wondering about having the Blondie as a customer stopped months ago. The man smiled handing Raoul the already prepared paper cup. “Good evening, Lord Am. The weather is fine today. Please enjoy the coffee.”
“Yes, the weather is fine. Thank you, Marin.”

The fragrance of sheela filled the air. Raoul ordered, “Another one please.” before he turned around. Marin filled a second paper cup and passed it to Katze. “Thanks.” They took leave of the vendor and started of in the direction of the park, strolling around silent by consent and relishing the coffee. Katze completely hooked Raoul to this habit of his.

“The cherry trees bloom late this year.”

“I think so.” And that was something of a habit too. Somewhere along the line the one or the other made a statement about the trees, the flowers or the weather. Nothing of great importance but it always started the business-talk.

They spent some time discussing market-issues before taking comfort in walking silently again. They rarely talked about Raven. The Blondie sometimes wondered if the memories were going to fade but doubted it. Almost three years had passed but Raoul still woke feeling uncomfortable in the empty bed. In the mornings a second cup of coffee was placed on the breakfast-table. Then he would spend hours on the wide gallery looking out as if he could see him in the distance if he only tried hard enough. Yes, the ghost of Raven still haunted him.

It sometimes occurred odd to Katze, that he and Raoul, whom he had never been fond of, became friends. Not the sort of mutual sympathy but real friendship. Hell, they both had on some levels been competing for Raven’s affection. And in the end neither became the victor for the boy’s heart. They both had been left.

They sat down under a cherry-tree.

“You look tired, Raoul.”

To be honest – Katze felt nearly as tired as Raoul looked. The Blondie never returned to Eos, except for business-matters and he refused to talk directly with Kyle since that day. The dealer had to serve as an interpreter. He didn't complain.

Today curiosity stirred the Blondie to be unusually bold, “How did you end up with Kyle?”

“I hadn't much say in the matter.”

“Have you now?”

Katze's cigarette wandered from one corner of his mouth to the other, “No, but leave it as it is.”

Raoul gulped the last bit of his coffee down before he answered, “You only have to ask.”

“Thank you. ... How about Dorian?”

“A constant pain in the ass.”

Though he handled the younger Blondie with great profession, he craved for the day ; Jupiter finally claimed the chosen one. It grew harder year after passing year to accept her presence in his mind. He realized the bitterness made him grow old.

“Come on Katze, I will give you a ride.“

~~~

Raven took the direct way down to the system. The second generation would gain consciousness by tomorrow evening and he wouldn't be able to dream with the first for a while. The time the infants considered him a challenge was long past but even though he wanted to see them off before there irretrievable turning into adults. He wanted to say good bye.

He searched for a particular one - his favourite- and found him. Liam, not yet awake, stirred at the mental touch of the dreamer. His brilliant gray eyes flashed open and the chord gave a tug. He appeared as a youth about his seventeenth year with short hair and features betraying his qualities : cheerful, roguish and smart, analytic, ambitious and commanding.

He gave Raven to understand, 'I will take care of them. See to the latter ones!'

Without the need for further words, the mongrel let the direct link slip from his nerves. It left him groggy but even though he used it from time to time. Thus he remained hidden from other dreamers, except Ajax .

He stretched and yawned. A screwdriver slid from his lap, pricking him in the knee and making him swear at himself.

“The basin is probably safer. “ Kris head popped up next to a bunch of cables. The Feron waved a cup before Raven's nose, teasing him with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The mongrel eagerly took it gulping down a big sip.

“Thank you, love.“

“How is he?“

“Fine.”

Glancing at the immense number of cables, devices and whatnots, the Feron proceeded, “And she? “

“She will wake tomorrow. Together with the second generation. “

“Did you finally name her? “

The mongrel smiled, caressing a bundle in front of his eyes. He named the AI weeks ago.

“Her name is Sister. “

“How do you plan to move all of this to Eos? It is enormous.”

“Only the core and the plug-system need to be transferred. They are compatible with the Lambda-components.”

Engineering – nothing the Feron cared for.

“Why constructing it, if it's not necessary?”

Raven's eyes adopted an earnest expression, “Because it is necessary. If we just link the core to the Jupiter-system, it will probably overrule her.”

He became aware of mental Ajax listening to the conversation. He silently greeted him, letting it slip this time.

“I want her to develop a sense of her own. Under controlled circumstances.”

“Sounds risky. What if she decides to become a god, like Jupiter?”

Raven pulled him into a forceful kiss, “Have a little faith, love. I'm not going to let that happen.”

'How, love?'

'Ajax !' Would the Elite ever tire of this game?

'Why do I think you did something out of the ordinary?'

'Because I did.'

Ajax reaction was clearly one of delight. He transformed into bodily appearance and dragged Raven back into the system, plastering himself to the mongrel's back.

Whenever I think I understand the trail of your thoughts, you come up with a new stunt. We could do so much together. Give in, black beauty, complete me!'

Over the span of years Raven learned to hone his anger as a tool to channel to control his environment… others to a certain extent. Never let your emotions control your actions if possible became the new mantra. He freed himself from Ajax mental touch with more force than actually necessary ; thus, blocked the Elite from his thoughts.

Distress visible in his features, Kris asked, “Ajax ?”

From the ground floor someone pounded at the railing, providing an immense distraction for the ever hungry Feron.

“About time! Who is first at the table? “

Raven gave him an edge, emptied the mug and scrambled out of the whole of cable bunches, “See you later, Sister. “

He didn't plan on eating. He left Kris a note in their quarter and left, equipped with a bottle of stout, to pay someone a visit.

~~~

“You scared the shit outta me, boy. How the hell did you get in?” Raven lifted the bottle in Guy's line of vision, “I'm in the mood for a chat.”

“Already Christmas Eve?” Despite the irony, he offered a seat and hosted something looking suspiciously like stew from the day before. Raven hungrily pitched into it, causing Guy to raise a brow, “You aren't picky.”

The boy just smiled around the spoon before he pointed to the cheap liquor, “You neither.”

“Speaking of it, “Guy snatched the bottle and opened it with practiced ease. He took a long intense look at Raven. Kinda grown up.

Without wanting to, he opened a can of worms, asking, “How is Katze?”

Raven gave him a startled look, “You are out of touch?”

“For quite a while.”

“Well.” He averted his gaze in an expression that left no questions to the circumstances.

“So the two of you broke up.”

“There has never been much to begin with.” Feeling it to be strangely natural to talk to Guy, he faked a smile, “That obvious? ... I suppose it was.”

Guy handed the bottle over, “You made a good couple. What happened?”

How to put this? “I don't know. In the end it had nothing to do with Katze.”

“And in the beginning?” Raven hunched his shoulders. He'd actually no idea. After all those years Raoul taking him on a whim still seemed out of character, “Maybe I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Would you like to tell me whole story?”

Taking a deep breath Raven answered “Why not, the day is still young.” He reached into his pocket and produced an object in a cloth out of it. “Do you know what this is?” Guy unfolded it with a sense of foreboding. There it lay in his lap, looking innocently. Guy touched it with shaking fingers, “A pet ring.”

“I know it's hard to believe but once I wore it.” There was no need to elaborate on these words. The meaning was clear enough. Raven's gaze trailed off, he smiled vaguely, not being aware to Guy's tensing. The elder mongrel felt his chest burn with shock.

“Thus I spent nearly three years. I had freedoms and time of my own, like when you got to know me, but in the end I couldn't take it any longer.”

Guy let out a heavy sigh, and set to light himself a cigarette, “Three years...”

“I didn't expect to find love.”

Are we still talking about Katze?

“Unfortunately removing the ring doesn't mean it's all over with.”

The chains around Guy's heart tightened little by little while the small room became smoky and dim, “What do you want me to do, boy?”

Raven riveted back on him with an intense expression that left no room for arguments, “Send the ring to Katze.”

Guy remained silent taking in the gaze of not a boy but that of a man coming into his own. Maybe calling him boy outdated, but then again there was no need to let him know through what new eyes he was now being regarded.

Three long years of hell. Kris the one anchor that kept him sane to the world. Unlike his father, Raven knew how to use the system. Unlike his father, he knew how to bide his time to act. Riki had had street smarts but had lacked the discipline to curtail his temper. Owing to his past at Iason's side the flow of his actions had finally stopped. Raven was a quick study the one thing that had made his survival a reality. Intelligence aside served for nothing if one lacked the foresight to learn from mistakes. Wisdom came through baptism by fire and lots of bumps on the road.

...
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Coincidence