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HH
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Anime Jason 
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Subj: Vincent Price again?
Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 01:55:01 pm EDT
Reply Subj: Adventures in Parodyverse - The Negotiators Part 6
Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 11:40:57 am EDT (Viewed 383 times)


>
> Unmoderated Part 1
> Unmoderated Part 2
> Unmoderated Part 3
>
> The Negotiators Part 1
> The Negotiators Part 2The Negotiators Part 3
> The Negotiators Part 4The Negotiators Part 5
>
> Adventures in Parodyverse - The Negotiators Part 6
>
>
>     Liu Xi Xian knocked on Hatman’s door and waited patiently.  She swallowed hard as she heard him moving around inside the room.  As she told her friends the night before, she had something to tell him.
>
>     But when he finally opened the door, a funny thing happened.  She saw him greet her with a smile, and a scenario ran through her head.  She would tell him about the Carnifex and Zdenka, and that smile would be gone...not just for a few hours, but for a long, long time.  Liu Xi didn’t want to do that to him.
>
>     So instead, she smiled in return and greeted him with “Good morning.”  Then she silently cursed herself for being too weak to tell him the truth.  “You want to share breakfast?”
>
>     Jay looked both ways down the hall, and sighed.  “I guess.”  he finally said.  “Was supposed to eat breakfast with Dream but I guess he and April are busy.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Oh, they’re busy.”  Liu Xi replied with a smirk, emphasizing that last part.  She heard evidence to that on the way to Jay’s quarters.  In fact, she had to remember to direct him in the opposite direction.  She leaned against his shoulder and hugged him with one arm, and he mirrored the gesture with her.  “Let’s go.”
>
>     He had breakfast with Liu Xi before.  She made the food, and it was always delicious.  He always felt a little guilty about it, and even vocalized it to her.  But she insisted, saying that it was boring eating breakfast by herself and wanted to share it with a friend.  That, he couldn’t turn down.
>
>     She led him to the Lair Mansion kitchen.  It was fun eating breakfast there, because few people hung around at that time, but a few would pass through mid-conversation.  Some would be curious about what Liu Xi made and occasionally ask for a taste.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Did you sleep well?”  Liu Xi asked him as she began preparing to make the food, raiding the fridge and cabinet for various items.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah.”  he replied, as he opened the newspaper.
>
>     Once again, Liu Xi swallowed as she thought about telling him, and once again she passed up the chance.  It broke her heart just to think about telling him.  She finally gave up at that point, as she switched on the stove, and decided just to make the food and explain later to Lara and Chiaki why she failed.
>
>     Liu Xi moved to the table with freshly fried and seasoned eggs, with a sort of bread that was toasted in the pan alongside the eggs.  She served one plate to Jay, and sat across from him.  “Any interesting dreams?”
>
>     Jay glanced at her blankly, and then smiled as he looked back at the newspaper.  “You always ask me that,”  he said, before tasting the food and nodding.
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>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“And you haven’t answered me once.”  Liu Xi challenged him.  She stopped to take a bite too.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well--”  Jay folded the newspaper and looked up.  “I guess...I either don’t remember them, or it’s not the kind of dream I want to talk about.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Okay.”  Liu Xi shrugged and looked at her food.  She smirked and added, “I have to speak to Chiaki later so I won’t be hanging around your office.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s ok.”  Jay replied, only half paying attention as he went back to reading the newspaper.  “I have some work to do anyway.”  He looked up when he thought that sounded a little harsh, so he said, “I’ll miss your company though.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Thank you.”  Liu Xi replied with a nod.  She worked up the courage then to ask a cleverly disguised question.  “What do you usually do if someone is seeing an old girlfriend of yours?  Do you get angry?”
>
>     Jay shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Depends, I guess.  On how recent it was, whether I feel like I was dumped because of it.  Why?”
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>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“No reason.”  Liu Xi lied, trying to cover the nervousness she felt at asking such a question.  “I just wondered if you were a jealous type.”
>
>     She was relieved when Jay shook his head and went back to his news, shrugging off the question.  At least it wouldn’t be hugely uncomfortable.
>
>     By then, they were both finishing up breakfast, so Liu Xi quickly cleaned up.  She stopped Jay as he slid out of his chair.  “Did you enjoy this?”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah, it was kind of nice.”  he replied.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Same time tomorrow, then?”  Liu Xi asked.
>
>     He shrugged.  “Maybe.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Maybe is close enough.”  Liu Xi smiled finished cleaning.  She looked up when Visionary entered the kitchen and began going through the fridge.  He then headed for the coffee maker.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Jay, Liu Xi.”  Visionary greeted them smiling.  It looked like he had a decent night’s sleep.  “Oh...if you two are together,”  he spoke to Jay, “I guess Liu Xi told you about the Carnifex wanting to date Zdenka.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“What?”  Jay suddenly exclaimed, knocking the bottle of sugar on the table over with his newspaper.
>
>     Liu Xi slapped her own forehead and slumped onto the counter.
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>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Um...”  Visionary poked the small hill of spilled sugar, as he held a hot cup of coffee.  “I kind of needed that.”
>
>
> ---
>
>
>     Jay held Liu Xi’s hand gently but firmly as he led her into his office and shut the door.  He wasn’t angry though, it was more like being annoyed at Visionary’s words, and her reaction to it.  And he wanted to get to the bottom of it.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“So?”  Jay asked, folding his arms as he stood in front of her.  “What were you supposed to tell me?”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“I didn’t mean to make you angry.”  Liu Xi tried to explain.  She frowned and whispered, “Jay, I know you still love Zdenka.  I didn’t want this getting under your skin.  That’s why I wasn’t sure how I could tell you.”
>
>     He didn’t reply, and he looked like he was still waiting.
>
>     Liu Xi sighed and decided to get to the point.  “Visionary was kind of right,”  she explained.  “Lara had a meeting with the Carnifex, and he asked if you wouldn’t mind him courting her.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“What did Lara say?”  Jay asked.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“That it was up to Zdenka.”  Liu Xi replied in a small voice.
>
>     There was a short pause, before Jay nodded silently.  “I guess I can agree with that.”  he reluctantly said.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You’re not upset?”  she asked.
>
>     Jay shook his head and paced a circle around Liu Xi.  “A little sad maybe.”  He admitted.  He looked at anything in his office except Liu Xi, giving a clear signal that he didn’t want to face the topic.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Hey.”  Liu Xi tried to get his attention.  She tugged at his him so he was closer, and put her arm across his back.  “Now you know.  And I guess it wasn’t as hard as I thought to tell you.”
>
>     He still didn’t say anything, but he looked at Liu Xi and tried to fake a smile.  She could still read the heartbreak on his face.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You know what Dream would say to you at a time like this?”  Liu Xi asked him.  “That you should have lots of sex to forget about her...though I think he would use the f-word instead...and of course it’s easier for him to do than for anyone else to even talk about.”
>
>     That finally got Jay to smile genuinely a little.  Even though he was trying to resist laughing, he obviously wanted to.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“I have a much simpler suggestion, though,”  she suggested in a whisper.  “Do you want to go to Hawaii?”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Hawaii?”  Jay asked.  He was confused at first, until he remembered that Liu Xi can go there without bothering with the hassles of travel.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Just for a few hours.”  she added.  “We can go for a swim, build a castle, listen to the ocean and the birds.”  She then poked him gently in the ribs.  “You will see me in a bathing suit.  I’m not as hot as most of the girls you know here but it’s better for you than staring at Dream in his dental floss bathing suit.  Or possibly nude.”
>
>     Jay cringed at the thought, but he was also trying too hard not to laugh.  His face was slightly reddening from holding his breath.  Finally he gave up and let out the breath in a half-chuckle.  “Are you serious about this...Hawaii thing?”  he finally asked.
>
>     Liu Xi nodded enthusiastically.  “I’m a little tired of winter myself.  It will cheer me up too...and we can catch up on things you don’t know about me.”  She crossed her arms and waited for an answer, smiling.
>
>     He thought about that.  At least if he went with her for a little while, he wouldn’t have to deal with the story of Zdenka leaking out and everyone giving him an ‘I’m sorry’ and asking him how he feels.  “Okay, just for a couple of hours.  But I’m not in the mood to get wet, so I’ll skip the swim.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Okay.”  She smiled and said, “Meet me at your quarters in ten minutes.”
>
>
> ---
>
>
>     When Liu Xi arrived at Jay’s quarters, she was wearing a very long tee-shirt that hid all but her head, arms, and lower legs, and she was carrying a towel.  The tee-shirt was black and had the logo of a familiar book store on it.  The name of it intrigued Jay, but he decided to ask about it later.  “Where’s the bathing suit?”  he asked.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Under the shirt.”  she replied.  “It’s too cold in the mansion to walk around in that.”  She raced into his bathroom and grabbed a towel.  “You’ll need this.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Who are you, Ford from Hitchhiker’s Guide?”
>
>     Liu Xi giggled, and then stepped back to look Jay over.  He wore a bathing suit with a shirt.  She shrugged and said, “Not bad.”  She then took his hand and told him to close his eyes.
>
>     He opened them when he felt a warm breeze, and brilliant sunlight hit his eyelids.  He felt out of place for a moment, and had to remain still until he made sure it was real.  “You know, no matter how many times I experience that it still amazes me.”
>
>     The chinese elementalist pulled off the tee-shirt to reveal a multicolored bikini, and she kicked off the sandals she wore.  It was fairly conservative for a bikini, but still attractive.  She looked at Jay and smiled.  “I hope you enjoy.”
>
>     He smiled momentarily, and secretly admired Liu Xi in a bathing suit, but made a conscious effort not to be rude and stare.  Then somehow remembered his question.  “Where did you get that tee-shirt?”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Vincent gave it to me.”  she replied as she spread out the towel and lay spread out, leaning on one elbow so she could talk to Jay.  Her black hair was long enough to hang down and touch the towel.
>
>     Jay spread out his own towel and knelt next to her to ask another question.  “Are you...um...intimate with him?”  he asked sheepishly.
>
>     She looked at him for a moment, and giggled.  “No, not yet.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Oh.”  he replied.  “I was going to say...I think it’s too soon for you...you know, after--”
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>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s not why I’m not.”  Liu Xi replied.  “It’s because he’s still a little afraid of me.  Why do you think it’s too soon?”
>
>     He took a deep breath and sat back, his hands planted in the sand behind him.  He was kind of enjoying the sun and the sounds.  “I keep getting myself into trouble by being intimate too early.”  he said.  “I mean really, really big trouble.  I guess I hate to see anyone make the same mistakes...especially a friend.”
>
>     Liu Xi seemed amused by that.  “You worry about me!”  she said enthusiastically.  “That’s very sweet.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah, I do.”  he admitted sheepishly.  “You get your heart broken a lot.  I mean...is it worth it, getting intimate so quickly?”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  Liu Xi replied.  “I don’t want to put you off by saying this but...since I learned how intimacy is supposed to be, I really like it, a lot.  I like the feeling of it, and the warmth of being close to someone I care about.”  She looked at Jay and asked, “I heard you do too.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“From Chiaki, right?”  A nod from Liu Xi confirmed that, so he shrugged.  “I guess I do...but I’m also tired of getting punished for it, too.”  He looked down and seemed nervous as he added, “I mean, I look at you now, and...well, you know, beautiful girl in a bikini.”  That last part he said with a shrug.  “And in my mind, right now, those kinds of thoughts come with alarm bells...warning me of trouble.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s messed up, Jay.”  Liu Xi told him with a smile.  But then she reassured him a bit.  “I am trouble, though, so you’re right there.”
>
>     Jay laughed slightly.  At least he didn’t seem nervous anymore.  “You’re not that bad, Liu Xi.  Maybe you can be a little more mature sometimes--”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“And have a bigger chest.”  she teased.
>
>     He laughed again and shook his head.  “No, for a small girl like you, yours are perfect.”
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Really?  Perfect?”  Liu Xi was a little taken aback at that compliment.  She glanced at her own chest for an instant.  “Hmm...I don’t know.  But you’re very sweet for saying so.”
>
>     Finally, Jay decided to lay flat on the towel and watch the cottony puffy white clouds in the sky.
>
>     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You know, you and Chiaki were pretty good together.”  Liu Xi suddenly changed the subject.  “Maybe you should try again?  You have both learned a lot since then.”
>
>     Jay didn’t reply.  He placed his hands behind is head, his mind swimming with thoughts.  He only agreed to go with Liu Xi for the solitude...as much as she talked, she was quieter than most, and she usually seemed to know when to stop, when he wanted quiet.  Well, that, and the warm sun and surf was hard to pass up.
>
>
> TO BE CONTINUED?
>
>
> -- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2008 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
> --    reprinted without permission.  
> -- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
> --  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
> --  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin
>