Helps to read this after 'Terror'. That's what inspired this.
Lara
Meet Lara Bartram, fanfic machine. My own guess is
that she and Vilja (the new artist) are competing to
see who's the most prolific. Anyhow, here's the latest
Kyoofu tidbit. Lemme know what you think!
-CW
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Created by Christopher Willmore. / \ \ /
<4cw6@qlink.queensu.ca> / / \/
Based on a story by Rumiko Takahashi and /
Developed by C. Michael Schumacher / /
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R2096 pages: http://qlink.queensu.ca/~4cw6/ \/(Logo:Armakuni)
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The Spider's Silken Touch
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By Lara Bartram
<lara@emunix.emich.edu>
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*ALPHA DRAFT*ALPHA DRAFT*ALPHA DRAFT*ALPHA DRAFT*ALPHA DRAFT*ALPHA DRAFT*ALP
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"Welcome to my parlour," said the spider to the fly.
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Fushigi. My wife. The idea is almost physically ill to me.
Not that I am unappreciative of women. Far from it. But Fushigi...
She is a Kurenai. I do not like the Kurenais. In fact, I loathe
them. I loathe my wife.
She is fair of face, slender of form, and pretty enough,
but... She is a Kurenai. She is my wife only because endearing
myself to them allows me to watch them. And I watch them. I watch
all that they do to see when that day will come.
When it does, I will be prepared. There will be no surprises.
She is my wife, yet she is my very own spy as well.
The idea of a child with her is... uncomfortable. Yet, I
could not watch the Kurenais effectively without making the illusion
complete. I laid with her in bed, yet there was nothing to come of
the effort other than wasted physical exertion and a sweaty mess in
the fine silk sheets.
We tried many times, only to keep up the illusion on my part,
and it seemed she knew as well there was a limitless distance between
us that she would never cross. Why she stayed, I shall never know.
Possibly the Kurenais were as distrustful of I as I of them.
What a wonderful little situation that would have been. But why would
they be? They knew nothing of me the way I knew of their activities.
They did not know the future the way I knew the future.
It seemed... forever. We had married shortly after the death
of that fool that everyone believed to be the "Global Saviour". How
many times I was compelled to perform such a deed with her, I did not
know, but finally, a child was conceived.
I was underwhelmed.
Fushigi held nothing for me, and she knew of this.
And so it was also shortly after the death of the "Global
Saviour" that I discovered one... perk of having more money than I
realistically knew what to do with. Of course, if I had ever been
able to break the Kuno trust, that would have been a windfall.
I would have never had to even pretend to be a businessman. I
could have run my entire operation on those funds alone. The
advancement in cloning would have allowed an illegitimate heir to
appear, under my control, if the fool had been courteous enough not to
completely obliterate himself.
But the perk... The ways of the rich and powerful are not
questioned. They are expected even. So whilst several knowledgeable
professors of history were recruited to teach the proper version of
history, I found myself... an outside source of distraction.
I saw her on my way to a meeting with the head of the history
department at the University of Tokyo. There had been ugly rumors of
a course solely focused on...
The thought makes me laugh. Though maybe I am bitter over all
he had and did not deserve. I only swept it out from under him by
necessity. Without 2993's intervention, I would have been... Who can
say? But I would be in no condition to be a true global saviour.
But to simply let the University teach to students, to not
carefully control the sharing of information about certain
circumstances... That could not be tolerated.
So I was on my way to speak with the head of the history
department, to have a trusted man put in position to teach a course
with a more acceptable content, when I saw her.
My first thought was just how foolish those foreigners were to
take everything so seriously. To take Kuno Tatewaki seriously, for
anything, was to be ridiculed by those who knew the truth. I knew the
truth. The fools.
The entire world was a great sphere full of fools. Except for
me. I knew. And I knew what I needed.
* * * * *
I arched an eyebrow at her companion, a thin, yet wiry young
man. He glared back at me. I think he was trying to intimidate me.
"It's fine, Manabu. You go on. I'll catch up later."
She knew better than to let a silly child determine her course
of action.
"You watch it with him. I really don't think..."
She shoved him, playfully, and smiled.
He walked away, giving me scathing looks. College students
were so humorous. I wonder if 2993 had found the same humor in the
Global Saviour.
"I know of a glorious restaurant just on the outskirts of the
city. Would you care to accompany me?" I asked. I could see,
immediately, she would not refuse.
"Well, I..." She looked around nervously. I knew I should
have dismissed my men before approaching her. "I have a class..."
"Nonsense. Class is a minor thing." I dared touch her cheek,
not even realing how young she was. It was no matter. "One meal with
me won't hurt, will it?"
She was divided. Poor girl.
"Come. It is equally important that a student have adequate
nourishment. You shall have your fill."
"But I don't even know your name," she said suddenly.
Had I forgotten? How foolish of me. "Forgive me then.
Gosunkugi Kyoofu, at your service." I lifted her hand gently to my
lips and felt the soft, warm skin as I kissed it.
She looked at me, amazed. Chivalry was not dead when it could
get me something I wanted. The blush that rose in her cheeks was
quite enticing.
"Well, I suppose..." she answered, trying to not meet my gaze.
"Let us be off then." I took hold of her arm gently and led
her away. My two men followed at a respectable distance, ever present
like twin shadows. "My car is waiting. It shouldn't take too long to
get there."
We walked rather slowly for my taste. She was still hesitant,
and I was more than patient. "There's my car now," I said drolly as
we approached the large classical limousine.
I preferred the more elegant style, the more intimate seating
over the large square beasts I endured for my former employer's sake.
They looked more distinguished and made whoever sat inside seem that
much more important.
Some person of whose name I wasn't even aware opened the door
for us and we both entered the vehicle. I could still see that she
was unsure, that the evidence of money and power did nothing to
assuage her fears.
"To Amakawa," I commanded, my eyes looking over my new friend
quite carefully. Probably more than she would be comfortable with,
but she was currently too busy investigating her potential escape
routes from the vehicle. Smart girl.
The car set in motion and there was no longer any escape.
Silence dominated the trip. She had nothing to say, nor did
I. When we arrived at the restaurant, things changed.
"Good day, Chief Executor."
A cursory nod to the person holding open my door. I slid out
and helped my companion exit the vehicle as well.
"Miss," the person said, and I saw him give her a bow of his
head. Smart man. Surprising considering the class of people around
here. The fact that they even understand the concept of respect...
It no doubt allows them to live longer.
I held her arm gently as we walked to the front doors and they
were opened for us.
"Chief Executor," the person said, bowing slightly. "Miss."
She looked at them all, amazement clear on her face.
I chuckled and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Pay them no
mind. They fear for their jobs, and rightly so."
That look turned in my direction this time.
"Chief Executor, right this way."
The best table with the best view. That is where I sit. That
is where I always sit. The view was nicer with the addition of my
companion, yet she was intimidated, and that was something I did not
want.
"Don't be nervous, There's nothing to be concerned about
here. Not with me." My smile put her at ease, though the next
intrusion set my teeth on edge.
"Gosunkugi! How's your little setup over at the KF?"
I turned my head ever so slowly. I couldn't really call him
an intellectual rival, for he was hardly any sort of intellectual,
and he was no rival. Mostly Oikawa Urizane was an annoyance and seemed
to follow me everywhere.
"Do you mind? I am attempting to have a private lunch. You
are intruding." I saw her look at me, and I knew she must have made
the connection. It would be slightly intimidating if I were in her
position.
"Oh, excuse me, Chief Executor. After all, the Kuno Foundation
doesn't really need you to run it, does it?" He stood there, looking,
leering, laughing, and he knew.
I don't know how, but he knew. I snapped my fingers and the
manager was there instantly. "Yes, Chief Executor? Is there a
problem?"
"This... person is interrupting a private meal. Would you
have him removed?" I cared not who he was, who he worked for, what
kind of people he had working for him. Mine were better.
"No need. I'm leaving. Enjoy," he said, still smiling.
"Enjoy it while you still have it."
I turned my head and did not watch him leave. The oaf. If he
dared cross my path, he would find himself at the bottom of
ex-employer's infamous pit, rotting along with the bones of my
unfortunate father.
"Chief Executor?"
Ah yes. That's where I was. "A title. Nothing more. My job
is much more... pedestrian than it might seem to people outside the
Foundation." Though in truth, my title was much more pedestrian than
my person. No one would ever know the true work I put into the
blasted Foundation.
No one would even know why. By then, they wouldn't care.
Maybe I would even be dead. But my work would live on, and it would
keep the world safe.
"Of the Kuno Founda..."
I waved my hand. "Yes, yes. It's really not something I'd
like to make an issue of. I find myself dealing with business matters
far too much and would like this to be a simple luncheon. Is that
acceptable?"
She nodded and lifted her glass of water shakily to her lips.
Seeing her distress, I waved one of my men over. He leaned
down and I whispered quietly to him. It wouldn't do for my companion
to hear this information. I did not need her any more frightened than
she was.
It had taken an amazingly short amount of time. The workers
were paid handsomely enough, I shouldn't have been surprised. This
time, the penthouse was decorated to my tastes and was much more
elegant than a barren, self-imposed prison.
Under the right circumstances, I would have even called it
romantic.
Darkness, the city lights, an elegant dinner for two, music.
It was an incredible cliche, but it was what I knew. And she enjoyed
it. I had never known the life of a typical college student. I had
never known that such a small thing as how I decorated, or I had
someone decorate would be so enticing.
"Wow. It's amazing." She was looking out the windows at the
city. It wasn't actually a very good view, but good enough. I would
have moved into something a little larger, more modern, but it just
couldn't be done with the entire world watching me.
She turned to me, excited and nervous, that much I could tell,
though anything else of what she was feeling was carefully guarded.
"I just wanted..."
"Nonsense..." I stopped myself from simply calling her girl;
that would not be looked upon kindly. "It is my pleasure to
accommodate you in this manner. I don't use the penthouse often.
It's so large, and I am but one man."
The blush rose high in her cheeks. She knew very well what I
meant, though she didn't seem at all opposed to it. "Shall we partake
in dinner?" First, of course. It was unspoken and understood. The
night would not end with dinner, or even dessert.
"I think," I said as I filled her delicate crystal glass with
the most expensive white wine, "that I would very much like to see you
in various stages of undress." I poured my own glass and set the
bottle on the table, then I met her astonished gaze.
She stared for a moment, then looked quickly down at her food.
She made no other indication that my statement had affected her. I
almost wasn't sure she had even heard me.
"Take no offense." I took a small bite of my food, not even
really tasting it. "That doesn't bother you, does it?" Truly, I
could not tell. She was enigmatic and amazingly secretive. She had
things she would not tell me under nearly any circumstance.
"I..." She shook her head, still staring at her plate of
food.
"Excellent." How my mood had improved.
I was polite and considerate. Too much time with Fushigi had
turned me into an almost absentee lover. My body was there, but
neither my heart nor my mind were. It was hard to change that
pattern, but in the end, it had been most satisfying.
She had not been unbroken, but no doubt she was used to the
pathetic fumblings of drunken college boys, and I had been the first
to show her what it was supposed to be like.
Those words never passed between us though. There was no lie.
There was no love. There was momentary physical comfort and a simple
feeling of trust between us, but nothing more.
* * * * *
I didn't believe Ishigawa's report. I was still human, and to
accept that she had betrayed me in such a manner... No, I did not
believe. She could hide things, but she could never hide things like
that.
And in the end, I deleted that message. I put Ishigawa's
report in a drawer of my desk and forgot about it.
Until I got that mail much later that pinned it all on
Ishigawa. I was more than willing to remove him from my employ. I
didn't need him...
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END
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Christopher Willmore http://qlink.queensu.ca/~4cw6/2096a.htm
"The world isn't just a spherical cow." - Prof. Gooding
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Bistro/2653/index.htm