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maderrHope the story has met expectations ^_^ I had fun writing it, and am proud I actually finished it with two days to spare. My heartfealt thanks to all for keepign me going - I would never have done it without you.
NanoNovel final word count: 58556*
*this is minus the original Dragonmatch, since it didn't seem fair to include it in the wordcount. Including it, the total is 65,005
Epilogue
One Half term later
planet 1311819 (Mars), Settlement 2
"So you're really not going back?" Sean asked.
Cyan shook his head, "It's just too difficult; I've lost all taste for Rehab. Well…not all taste. But I can't do my job knowing Gory is there, and that someday my brother might be as well." He smiled softly, "I'll miss it, but I've got plenty else to occupy me. But how's it going with you?" He motioned toward Alice, who was slowly approaching the table where they sat, followed by a tolerant Mendel holding a tray of drinks and snacks.
"Well enough. It's hard - she has good days and bad days. We all know she won't last more than another Term or so…but mostly we deal with it. She's happy enough that I'm here and not holed up on a Kreska moon." Sean grinned, "And she loves hearing the story of how you reached me."
"Oh, shut up. The next time she needs someone to go find you, she can get someone else. This sucker is done."
"Yeah, and Einn might have something to say about it anyway."
"That reminds me - what time is it?"
"He should be arriving shortly."
"Mmm…" Cyan murmured. "He'd better be. I've got enough to do without him running late."
"You could just take a shuttle."
"Forget it. I've got too much stuff going with me to trust it to public transportation - even if I can afford to shell out the money for secure transport."
Sean laughed for a moment before turning serious again. "Are you going to be okay? We'll miss having you here."
"I will miss Mars and having you home again," Cyan agreed. "But I need to figure out what to do with my family's estate and all kinds of other stuff I've been putting off - and Pyotr keeps asking for my help. I've got to figure out how to tell him that Jade will be caught when and if he wants to be caught."
"Still trying to find him? Six months into the search, they may as well give it up for a lost cause."
Cyan shrugged, "I think Pyotr's made it his personal mission to find Jade, though I couldn't tell you why. I think he just hates being stuck at a desk all the time. But he also wants me to help Einn and the others. He seems to think I'd have a knack for the business - and I would get to see Einn more. But we'll see; I'm in no hurry to decide anything. Though I would like to see everything finally settled, so you and Mendel wouldn't have to stay under house arrest your whole life."
"It's better than having Mendel put in Rehab," Sean said as the Draconis and his mother finally reached him.
"At the rate things are going, he'll probably just walk away with a slap on the wrist. You two and your mother," Cyan looked at Mendel, "Are making headway in your fight. Another Term and maybe the IG will be ready to vote seriously on it. Though the Conis are a completely different story."
Mendel looked more relaxed than he had in a long time, as he sat down next to Sean at the small bench on the right side of the table, "One battle at a time." He smiled ruefully, "There are many that don't want to listen to what a murder has to say - but there are just as many who, if they don't care much for me, highly respect my mother and are at least willing to give me a chance."
"Can't ask for more than that."
"Hey!"
Cyan looked up and smiled as Einn came striding toward them across the lawn. "Am I late?"
"Almost," Cyan leaned up to kiss him as Einn dropped down beside him. "Where are the other two?"
"Kel and Lark? I left them bickering over the best way to load your stuff. I'm sure Vicky will sort it out after they beat each other senseless."
Sean laughed, "I don't think it's physically possible for Karmikel to stop picking fights. I would swear he needs them like a Temp needs magic."
Throwing back his head, Einn laughed loudly in delight. "I need to use that one. I bet it would actually shut him up for an hour or two. Until Lark riled him up again." He stole Cyan's glass and downed the contents, then stood. "Come on - space is limited at port and we've only got clearance for an hour."
"It'll take longer than that to loud my stuff," Cyan said even as he accepted Einn's hand."
"Not once Vicky lays into them and gets everything sorted out. I guarantee they'll be done by the time we get there." He smiled apologetically at the other three, "Sorry to just grab him and run."
"Just make sure Pyotr lets him come and visit occasionally." Sean said with a laugh.
Alice rose slowly to her feet to embrace Cyan and kiss his cheek, "Take care, Cy." She hugged Einn next, "Stay out of trouble."
"I'll try, Alice - but no promises."
"Men," she shook her head. "You're not happy unless you're in trouble."
"Keeps life interesting - and these days troubles pays the bills." Einn winked, waved and dragged Cyan away. He was silent until the house was out of sight, "Was that a quick enough goodbye for you?"
"Thanks. I really wasn't looking forward to dragging it out."
Einn frowned, "You could just stay, you know. It's not like it's hard to come see you." He grinned and winked, "Especially as most of it goes on the expense report."
"Yeah, Pyotr bitched to me about that." Cyan looked up at him, "So you're not as clever as you think."
"Whatever. He's just mad because I'm having all the fun and he gets to listen to that old grouch bitch at him all the time." He paused as they reached the ship, "See? All loaded." They climbed up the ramp, which slid up behind them as the door slid shut. "Thanks, Vicky! Guys!"
"No problem," Vicky said pleasantly. "Hello, Cyan. Are you well?"
"I'm well. Keeping the miscreants in line?"
"More or less," Victoria said with warm amusement.
Einn looked up, "Where are Trial and Tribulation?"
Cyan choked. "Do they know you call them that?"
"Are you insane? I like breathing."
Victoria was laughing softly as she replied, "They're on the bridge."
"Arguing no doubt." Einn sighed and led the way to the bridge."
"Something like that," Victoria murmured softly.
Einn pushed the button to open the door just as Karmikel came barreling out, red faced and obviously upset about something. "Where's the fire, battery?"
"Shut up," Karmikel snarled before shoving his way past Einn to head for his room, nodding in passing to Cyan.
"What the hell did you do to him this time, Lark?" Einn asked with quirked brow as he stared at Faller.
"Nothing," Faller said resentfully. "It was his damn fault."
"Right. Vicky, are we ready to go?"
"Receiving clearance now. Do you want to light jump?"
"Nah, let's take the long way. There's no need to hurry back to Zero."
Faller was all but growling as he stalked out of the room, "So says you. I want off this damn ship."
"Did I miss something, Vicky?"
"Something."
"You're not going to tell me are you?"
"I'm not one to kiss and tell - so to speak."
"Kiss and…." Einn blinked, and then started laughing. "That's going to make things interesting."
Cyan just shook his head, and moved to the window to watch as they left Mars.
NanoNovel final word count: 58556*
*this is minus the original Dragonmatch, since it didn't seem fair to include it in the wordcount. Including it, the total is 65,005
Epilogue
One Half term later
planet 1311819 (Mars), Settlement 2
"So you're really not going back?" Sean asked.
Cyan shook his head, "It's just too difficult; I've lost all taste for Rehab. Well…not all taste. But I can't do my job knowing Gory is there, and that someday my brother might be as well." He smiled softly, "I'll miss it, but I've got plenty else to occupy me. But how's it going with you?" He motioned toward Alice, who was slowly approaching the table where they sat, followed by a tolerant Mendel holding a tray of drinks and snacks.
"Well enough. It's hard - she has good days and bad days. We all know she won't last more than another Term or so…but mostly we deal with it. She's happy enough that I'm here and not holed up on a Kreska moon." Sean grinned, "And she loves hearing the story of how you reached me."
"Oh, shut up. The next time she needs someone to go find you, she can get someone else. This sucker is done."
"Yeah, and Einn might have something to say about it anyway."
"That reminds me - what time is it?"
"He should be arriving shortly."
"Mmm…" Cyan murmured. "He'd better be. I've got enough to do without him running late."
"You could just take a shuttle."
"Forget it. I've got too much stuff going with me to trust it to public transportation - even if I can afford to shell out the money for secure transport."
Sean laughed for a moment before turning serious again. "Are you going to be okay? We'll miss having you here."
"I will miss Mars and having you home again," Cyan agreed. "But I need to figure out what to do with my family's estate and all kinds of other stuff I've been putting off - and Pyotr keeps asking for my help. I've got to figure out how to tell him that Jade will be caught when and if he wants to be caught."
"Still trying to find him? Six months into the search, they may as well give it up for a lost cause."
Cyan shrugged, "I think Pyotr's made it his personal mission to find Jade, though I couldn't tell you why. I think he just hates being stuck at a desk all the time. But he also wants me to help Einn and the others. He seems to think I'd have a knack for the business - and I would get to see Einn more. But we'll see; I'm in no hurry to decide anything. Though I would like to see everything finally settled, so you and Mendel wouldn't have to stay under house arrest your whole life."
"It's better than having Mendel put in Rehab," Sean said as the Draconis and his mother finally reached him.
"At the rate things are going, he'll probably just walk away with a slap on the wrist. You two and your mother," Cyan looked at Mendel, "Are making headway in your fight. Another Term and maybe the IG will be ready to vote seriously on it. Though the Conis are a completely different story."
Mendel looked more relaxed than he had in a long time, as he sat down next to Sean at the small bench on the right side of the table, "One battle at a time." He smiled ruefully, "There are many that don't want to listen to what a murder has to say - but there are just as many who, if they don't care much for me, highly respect my mother and are at least willing to give me a chance."
"Can't ask for more than that."
"Hey!"
Cyan looked up and smiled as Einn came striding toward them across the lawn. "Am I late?"
"Almost," Cyan leaned up to kiss him as Einn dropped down beside him. "Where are the other two?"
"Kel and Lark? I left them bickering over the best way to load your stuff. I'm sure Vicky will sort it out after they beat each other senseless."
Sean laughed, "I don't think it's physically possible for Karmikel to stop picking fights. I would swear he needs them like a Temp needs magic."
Throwing back his head, Einn laughed loudly in delight. "I need to use that one. I bet it would actually shut him up for an hour or two. Until Lark riled him up again." He stole Cyan's glass and downed the contents, then stood. "Come on - space is limited at port and we've only got clearance for an hour."
"It'll take longer than that to loud my stuff," Cyan said even as he accepted Einn's hand."
"Not once Vicky lays into them and gets everything sorted out. I guarantee they'll be done by the time we get there." He smiled apologetically at the other three, "Sorry to just grab him and run."
"Just make sure Pyotr lets him come and visit occasionally." Sean said with a laugh.
Alice rose slowly to her feet to embrace Cyan and kiss his cheek, "Take care, Cy." She hugged Einn next, "Stay out of trouble."
"I'll try, Alice - but no promises."
"Men," she shook her head. "You're not happy unless you're in trouble."
"Keeps life interesting - and these days troubles pays the bills." Einn winked, waved and dragged Cyan away. He was silent until the house was out of sight, "Was that a quick enough goodbye for you?"
"Thanks. I really wasn't looking forward to dragging it out."
Einn frowned, "You could just stay, you know. It's not like it's hard to come see you." He grinned and winked, "Especially as most of it goes on the expense report."
"Yeah, Pyotr bitched to me about that." Cyan looked up at him, "So you're not as clever as you think."
"Whatever. He's just mad because I'm having all the fun and he gets to listen to that old grouch bitch at him all the time." He paused as they reached the ship, "See? All loaded." They climbed up the ramp, which slid up behind them as the door slid shut. "Thanks, Vicky! Guys!"
"No problem," Vicky said pleasantly. "Hello, Cyan. Are you well?"
"I'm well. Keeping the miscreants in line?"
"More or less," Victoria said with warm amusement.
Einn looked up, "Where are Trial and Tribulation?"
Cyan choked. "Do they know you call them that?"
"Are you insane? I like breathing."
Victoria was laughing softly as she replied, "They're on the bridge."
"Arguing no doubt." Einn sighed and led the way to the bridge."
"Something like that," Victoria murmured softly.
Einn pushed the button to open the door just as Karmikel came barreling out, red faced and obviously upset about something. "Where's the fire, battery?"
"Shut up," Karmikel snarled before shoving his way past Einn to head for his room, nodding in passing to Cyan.
"What the hell did you do to him this time, Lark?" Einn asked with quirked brow as he stared at Faller.
"Nothing," Faller said resentfully. "It was his damn fault."
"Right. Vicky, are we ready to go?"
"Receiving clearance now. Do you want to light jump?"
"Nah, let's take the long way. There's no need to hurry back to Zero."
Faller was all but growling as he stalked out of the room, "So says you. I want off this damn ship."
"Did I miss something, Vicky?"
"Something."
"You're not going to tell me are you?"
"I'm not one to kiss and tell - so to speak."
"Kiss and…." Einn blinked, and then started laughing. "That's going to make things interesting."
Cyan just shook his head, and moved to the window to watch as they left Mars.
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Date: 2004-11-29 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-29 05:18 am (UTC)"Murderer" at one point, instead of "murder", and "load" instead of "loud". I'll be more thorough and more exact when I get home, but I truly have to run.
*hugs*
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Date: 2004-11-29 05:23 am (UTC)Heh. One day I will get it right in one go and you will be stupified. That is my goal. And I really need to tell my fingers to keep 'load' and 'loud' straight b/c that's just sad. Thankee.
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Date: 2004-11-29 05:42 am (UTC)But anyway. *takes deep breath* EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!!!! My life is now complete <3333333333
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Date: 2004-11-29 06:15 am (UTC)And yaaaaay! Random kiss! And perhaps one of those snacks is peanut butter on crackers?
This was a great story. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. And I think that you have left yourself a really nice opening for a sequel. (Hint, hint, oh hint)
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Date: 2004-11-29 10:46 am (UTC)And um, sorry, but I think I have to take a rain check on the editing again. >_o;;; I'm too fuzzy to concentrate now. I'm just... tired. Three hours of lecture gets a bit tiring.
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Date: 2004-11-29 01:12 pm (UTC)Three hours of lecture should be grounds to commit murder.
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Date: 2004-11-29 01:24 pm (UTC)And perhaps one of those snacks is peanut butter on crackers?
Mais oui. I shall make that clear in editing. One day, if I'm every famous, my readers are going to wonder why ALL my stories mention peanut butter.
And I think that you have left yourself a really nice opening for a sequel. (Hint, hint, oh hint)
Shush, woman!
And thankee muchly ^_^ You have no idea how much your comments encouraged me.
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Date: 2004-11-29 01:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-29 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-29 04:38 pm (UTC)In any case, I liked it muchly and it gave the closure I felt was missing from Chapter 25, so thanks for sealing all that up. Rather neatly and cleanly, too, as it happens.
In the end of all things--awesome story, awesome characters, awesome everything. It was a fun read.
[hearts]
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Date: 2004-11-29 05:39 pm (UTC)That is why I bought a red thermal vesty thing, so I can be just like you... (Actually, my parents got it for me, but I thought it was a weird coincidnce. XD)
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Date: 2004-11-29 11:26 pm (UTC)...Faller and Karmikel, sitting on the bridge, k-i-s-s-i-n-g... XD
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Date: 2004-11-30 12:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-30 01:39 am (UTC)*flying tackle glomps*
Date: 2004-11-30 02:47 am (UTC)But that aside, I love, love how this went. Jade escaping was just *perfect*. I was kinda thinking that he'd gotten caught entirely too easily seeing as how he was such a mastermind at intrigue, and it was nice to see that he still was his incredibly devious self with another card tucked up his sleeve.
And I loved too that Cyan didn't entirely blow the whistle on him. Despite there differences, I love that Cyan can at least understand where his brother's coming from, even if he can't sympathize with the choices he's made.
And the Cyan/Einn love? *squeals happily* They were so, so damned cute. I loved there whole relationship and how that, at times, their relationship wasn't just about them, but about everyone they became involved with. It was almost a group effort to get them together and it made it all that more satisfying when they do admit their feelings.
And I love the way that Cyan's not *totally* committed to working for the gov right up until the end. Leaves me wanting more, and that's always a good sign.
And Kel and Faller? Dude, they are so precious and I want to pinch their cheeks. God, the were so damned adorable in that snarly disgruntled kind of way. I so want to see more of them. ^-^
You're amazing, and congrats on a job well done. I always leave your stories so thankful that I've gotten the opportunity to read them. Kudos and mad props to you. :3
Re: *flying tackle glomps*
Date: 2004-12-01 01:16 pm (UTC)Wouldn't be able to do it without you to always cheer me on ^_^ Thankes, Sky.
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Date: 2004-12-01 01:17 pm (UTC)So glad you liked it ^_^ Thankee muchly!!
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Date: 2004-12-01 01:18 pm (UTC)I had wondered where you'd gotten to, after your post to chapter 25.
Wouldn't have done it without all the enthusiasm driving me on. Thank you
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Date: 2004-12-01 01:20 pm (UTC)Ooooh, red.
And dude - you've long been an object of my admiration. I was always boggled by how much you wanted to do and did, for the most part, manage to do. Though I think you're happier not doing them for the time being. And I still want to help, when/if you ever resume them.
Thankee, Alison.
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Date: 2004-12-01 01:21 pm (UTC)S'ank you!
Lol! I have a short story for these two percolating, so you'll be seeing them again ^_~
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Date: 2004-12-01 01:23 pm (UTC)jade and pytor anyone?
See, here's the funny thing. I always meant to hint that, if things had been different, they might have been friends.
Then my sneaky brain figured out that maybe "friends" was too light a term. The only thing preventing it, is that it seems like I'm overloading the story with slash - Sean/Mendel, Cyan/Einn, Lark/Faller, I worried that too many couples and it all starts to seem unrealistic.
And any story concerning them probably wouldn't have a terribly happy ending.
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Date: 2006-06-01 07:01 pm (UTC)wow. Just... wow. Can I get down on my knees and beg for a dead-tree format? *.* Pleeeeeeeaaaassssseee? *_____________*
And that dialogue at the end there was just beyond hillarious. *.*
And.. and... Love for Pyotr!
"I am ever hopeful that I will someday meet the man or woman capable of distracting you from your infernal heroics."
"You, I've decided, need to be locked up. It's the only way I'll get any peace."
*_____* Does anyone ever tame him? Ne? Ne? *more begging*
Gyaahhh.... brain.. overload... story... goodness.... *_______________*
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Date: 2006-06-01 09:53 pm (UTC)Really? I've never been brave enough to read the whole thing through, afraid it would fall apart on me. I've got the beginnings of a sequel in my head, but Kidnapped needs spruced up first. Maybe I'll give it to cookie to brush up, and then that'll be one ready for lulu or Irish Print.
Pyotr...I always had an unrequited thing b/t him and Jade. Like, if they weren't who they were, or if things had gone a different way, they would have been together. But neither can/will change, so they just sort of try to pretend the feelings aren't there.
You just totally made my year. I'm ubermadedelighted that someone likes my feeble attempt at sci-fi that much. *loves you*
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Date: 2006-06-01 10:09 pm (UTC)There are rough spots, and several areas that could definitely stand to be expanded upon, but those are mainly middleish spots where it's pretty obvious you were tired. ^^; Heh. The ending itself actually is one of your stronger endings in my humble opinion, and the whole thing as a whole is rather impressively coherent given that it was done for NaNo. o.@;;
And.. aaaand.... does that mean Pyotr's gonna be alone for the rest of his life? ;_; Sadness... Poor guy needs a snugglie. Or just a Friends with Benefits...