Greetings! Welcome to Angst Theatre's premiere showing of "Turning Point", the first ever Llama fic for Earthian!
A very important thing about this fic is that it's a special birthday gift for my dear friend Yanagi-sen! In fact, her birthday was actually Saturday the 11th, but since my life revolves around hyperactive chibi-girls who both had social activities today, I hope receiving the first of what ought to be three posting runs will be sufficient to make up for the slight lateness. I hope everyone who reads this who is also a friend of Yanagi's will take a moment and let her know how glad we all are that her mom and dad brought her into the world and then were generous enough to share her talented self with us!
{notes it is now technically Mother's Day and that's the reason for the weird twist in that sentence. then he grabs a navy blue trench coat with white crosses on the sleeves that he borrowed from a certain blond bishounen, slips it on, hits the lights on the marquee to the theater and gives you the playbill summaries with a smile}
Tonight, our program opens with a bang, literally. There's a confrontation occurring in Shinjuku and the conflict tears a dysfunctional ménage à trois apart entirely as Chihaya flees when Kagetsuya and Messiah's constant war of words about who the black-winged angel truly loves gets out of hand. The action then moves to a small shrine where Chihaya meets a mysterious monk and a tiny furry friend. It's a good thing he took a break, though, because soon thereafter he will encounter a nightmarish scene no one could have predicted or prevented.
{smiles hopefully at the audience, knows many of his angst-loving friends are going to enjoy tonight's show and then he mentions something important to his dear friends at fanfiction.net}
First, let me say that I am positively *delighted* that you are reading this story! The world of Earthian is such a rich tapestry of angst, romance, and violence, it deserves much more attention than it gets. While I am best known for torturing Gundam Pilots and the assassins of Weiss Kreuz, I would very much like to plan to spend time making life for Chihaya and his friends more interesting in the future as well. To do so, however, will require that my muses receive plenty of the incomparable ambrosia that are kind words and encouraging comments which are so easy to give and receive thanks to the marvelous review option at the end of each chapter here. I implore you to consider taking a minute or two after reading to drop me a line that way if you enjoyed what you read and it will make it easier to convince my muses to write more Earthian stories instead of other things.
{frowns slightly, recalls a problem encountered the last time the llama tried to get started in a new fandom and thoughts of being flamed for his Cowboy Bebop fic by people who didn't read the warnings rise like restless spirits and stalk the Casa de Llama disconcertingly, so he adds a cautionary note}
While I realize that not everyone enjoys yaoi or threesomes or a few other potentially worrisome aspects of this story, however, I quite definitely *don't* want to see negative comments about *those* issues in the reviews, please. There's a lengthy, detailed list of warnings offered at the top of each and every new chapter, so I feel that it should be a foregone conclusion that if a reader sees something there they don’t like they should go elsewhere. After all, why would you want to spend precious time reading what you don't enjoy when you’re already at the single greatest fanfic archive in existence?
{peers at the many, many topics and potential reading options and thinks this makes a world of sense. then, since this is his first fic in this fandom and someone might like to know what other power they have over this particular writer, he winks at you and adds}
By the way, in the past, people who have taken the time to comment on each and every part of a story of mine have also received giftfics similar to this one. Some are longer, like "Zero Hour" for Danielle while others are shorter like the soon to be written angst-free, three-way lemon "Ken's Dream" for Priscilla. Sadly I can't promise this to everyone or I'd never get back to my "Redirecting Destiny" continuity, but since I have an arc in mind for Earthian, some strong support here might tip the balance in favor of my beginning it sooner versus later. *And* I can't think of a nicer group of folks to help inspire that effort than ones like you who actually read this far!
{smirks brightly then sends you on to the fic itself, hopeful that you will read all the warnings and if they are acceptable, you will dive straight into the story eager for action!}
Enjoy the Angst!
~~~Enigma~~~
(who hasn't found much fanart for this wonderful series and is surprised by that, but since he's new to the fandom, maybe he just isn't looking in the right places, um, suggestions anyone?)
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Title: Turning Point [part 1/7]
Author: Enigma
Series: Earthian
Written: May, 2002
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: (Kagetsuya x Chihaya) (Messiah x Chihaya) (Kagetsuya x Chihaya x Messiah)
Category: Yaoi Angst Romance Action Violence Language Threesome Lemon. AU-OOC. Giftfic.
Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"] ; also at Yanagi-sen's page: http://willownymph.1accesshost.com/www.1accesshost.com/home%20page.htm
Warnings: yaoi, angst, romance, action, graphic violence, excessive bloodshed, rough language, Chihaya-torture, science fiction touches, three-way lemon, friend insertion, AU-OOC. Giftfic for Yanagi-sen.
Spoilers: Contains spoilers for the entire 4 episode OVA series. Note the timeline diverges from that of the anime after Chihaya and Kagetsuya encounter Messiah in the bar in "Final Battle" and is set four months after that point. Also, please note that the author is completely ignorant of the manga series and if he has made errors based on that lack of knowledge, he is deeply apologetic and hopes the reader can still enjoy the story in spite of them.
Disclaimer: "Earthian" is the property of Yun Kouga. All original characters featured herein (including: Willow, Rhino, Hyena, and Gorilla) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized and unpaid work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.
Notes: Can a violent turning point in the lives of Kagetsuya, Chihaya, and Messiah help them find a way to blend two couples into a trio while they still have the chance?
*****
In the elegantly furnished penthouse apartment in Shinjuku where three utterly unique young men lived, the scene before breakfast one sunny morning was sadly all too familiar. [1]
"I'm telling you for the last time, Messiah, he prefers *me* not *you*!" Kagetsuya snarled angrily even as he practically slammed the gold-trimmed china plates that held their meals onto the dining table.
Unimpressed and certainly not afraid of the blonde's anger, the biohumanoid-angel composite regarded him with an almost emotionless amber gaze and answered simply, "You are mistaken. When he screamed my name in bed this morning he was a significant number of decibels louder than when he screamed yours." Carefully placing the highly polished silverware and elegant ebony chopsticks onto the table the way Chihaya had taught him to, he added, "Did you not say that is a way to measure such things, Kagetsuya?" [2]
Barely restrained fury sparkled in sea-green eyes as the muscular angel growled, "No, *idiot*, I said that it was a way to tell if he was enjoying what you were doing to him *not* who he preferred to be with!" Shaking his head angrily, Kagetsuya remarked bitterly, "Why I ever let Chihaya talk me into teaching you how to make love to him is beyond me! If I had known you would end up making our life a living hell, I would've refused!"
A thin dark green eyebrow raised and cool amber eyes gazed at him in return before Messiah replied, "As I recall, Kagetsuya, you had the choice to either teach me or let me learn on my own. *He* chose *me* the very same day he found me in the laboratory as you well know. As far as you continuing to live here with my soulmate and I, that is your choice. You are a free being, leave if it is not pleasant."
Fists clenched as his fury rose, Kagetsuya snarled, "He is *not* your 'soulmate', asshole! Chihaya and I were partners *and* lovers long before we ever met you!"
Tilting his forest-green-haired head to one side and giving him an almost avian gaze, Messiah answered, "Perhaps that is the problem. You see him merely as a vessel in which to expend your sexual energy whereas I see him as someone who completes me."
"And you think I don't *love* him just because I'm not as emotionally *void* as you are?!" Kagetsuya very nearly screamed and gave in to the temptation to grab the slightly shorter being by the shirt, drawing the fabric up into a ball and lifting him to the balls of his feet. With one fist raised and ready to perpetrate violence on Messiah if he didn't back down, he shouted in his face, "I've had all the shit I'm going to take from you, you bastard! Ever since you came into our lives, things have gone from bad to worse! If you--"
The angry tirade was interrupted by a scream of despair as a petite dark-haired being flung himself into the middle of the conflict yelling, "Stop it! Just *stop* it, both of you!!"
Face flushed and sad violet eyes red-rimmed from crying, Chihaya clamped both hands onto his first lover's drawn back fist as he begged piteously, "Please! Why can't you two get along?!" With a loud sob as the tears poured down his face he moaned in misery, "Why do you two have to fight constantly?! Why can't we all be happy together?"
The first glimmers of true emotion he'd expressed throughout the confrontation passed over Messiah's face and he smiled sadly at the shorter of the two angels and he answered, "I am sorry that he has upset you, Chihaya. But as long as Kagetsuya irrationally insists that you care more about him than me, I am obligated to disagree. My programming insists on truth."
"Bullshit! Fuck you, Messiah!" The tall blond snarled and released the dark-haired man's shirt disdainfully as he growled, "Chihaya, please! Can't you just *tell* this idiot that you let him into our lives because you felt sorry for him?! We were *happy* before he came here and we'll be happy *again* as soon as he leaves!"
"NO!!" Chihaya exclaimed loudly, shaking his head and sending crystalline tears flying. As salty dampness hit both of his combative lovers' faces he moaned hopelessly, "I love you *both* Can't you see that, Kagetsuya?! I don't *want* him to leave!"
Green eyes darkened to the color of the sea before a storm and the taller angel snarled coldly, "Then maybe *I* should be the one to leave, Chihaya! I'm sick and tired of being cuckolded in my own bed!" [3]
Despair turned to horror in the smaller angel's heart and as the color drained from his face, Chihaya begged, "NO!! Oh, please, Kagetsuya, you can't be serious!!" Frightened amethyst eyes peered up at the being he had loved for as long as he could remember as he pleaded, "Don't even *suggest* such a thing! I *need* you! I'd *die* if you left me!"
After gazing pointedly at his longtime partner and lover for a moment, the blond angel cast a frosty look at the taller of the two dark-haired men and said, "See, Messiah? He chooses *me* not you! So get out!"
Before the synthetic angel could respond, Chihaya interrupted again in tones that were sheer agony, "NO!!! Didn't you hear me, Kagetsuya?! I said that I love *both* of you! I need and love *Messiah*, too!"
The expression on Messiah's face had shifted slightly as the emotionally charged argument continued. The sad smile was replaced by a quizzical one and it was clear that he was struggling with new thoughts about both of the angels in front of him, thoughts that required a reevaluation of some of his previous conclusions.
Deep rasping sobs tore at the distraught violet-eyed youth's throat and he sobbed in utter desperation, "I'd die if *either* of you left me, can't you see that?! But what you’re doing to me now I can't take either! I-I-I can't stay here, not like this!" He tore away from the others and ran towards the open balcony door neglecting the meal Kagetsuya had prepared for them to share as well as all other concerns.
"Chihaya! Come back here!" The tall blond commanded, suddenly afraid of what might happen to the smaller angel if he left in such an agitated state. Even as he lifted a hand as if to capture the frightened angel and bring him back he added, "What the *hell* do you think you're doing?! You can't go out that way!"
Grabbing his shirt by the hem and yanking it off undamaged as he unfurled his black wings, Chihaya kept running then launched himself into the early morning sunshine without a second thought, multitudes of ebony feathers catching an updraft easily. [4] His black hair gained purple highlights and lengthened to his waist, flowing unencumbered behind his pale torso as he blindly flew as far away from the conflict as he could get heedless of his destination.
"CHIHAYA!!!" Kagetsuya screamed and began to go after the smaller angel only to find his exit blocked by the dark-haired biohumanoid-angel construct.
"No, Kagetsuya!" Messiah commanded, a hint of fear in his tone as he placed a powerful hand on one of the blonde's arms and restrained him so that he couldn't fly after the disturbed youth. Speaking with his usual infuriating logic, he explained, "We must let him go! It is *our* fault that he is unhappy. *We* must find a way to change that."
"You fucking bastard!!" Kagetsuya hissed angrily and futilely clawed at the iron grip that held him in place. "What the hell could a cold, heartless, synthetic, *knock-off* of an angel *possibly* know about what Chihaya does or doesn't need right now?!"
Amber eyes filled with a sorrow that he'd never felt before as Messiah thoughtfully regarded the man whose bed he shared even though it could not be said truthfully that they slept together in the figurative sense.
Chihaya always slept in the middle of the king-sized bed that took up most of the master bedroom with Kagetsuya and Messiah on either side of him, each of the taller beings careful never to touch the other in what might be seen as a caring manner. They had unintentionally cultivated a destructive ménage à trois which behaved as two separate and distinct couples instead of the threesome the smallest of the group had desperately hoped they could become when he pleaded with his lover to allow Messiah to join them.
Not able to deny his beloved partner anything he truly wished for, Kagetsuya had reluctantly agreed to give Messiah at least a rudimentary sex education four months previously when Chihaya had insisted they give the synthetic being a home with them. At first, the muscular blond had assumed that the amber-eyed, typically logic-oriented creature would decide that intimacy served no purpose and would tire of it rapidly. Alternatively, the green-eyed angel had at one point considered the newcomer as a possible sexual partner as long as Messiah agreed to take the submissive role.
Neither happened.
Totally convinced that he truly was the violet-eyed angel's soulmate, Messiah had taken it upon himself to become the best dominant partner he could by paying close attention to Kagetsuya's teachings and his small lover's reactions. What started out simply enough rapidly devolved into a competition of sorts and it wasn't a rarity for the only submissive member of the threesome to find himself too tired and sore to get out of bed at all. Both of the dominant members enjoyed proving his prowess on a daily as well as nightly basis and it was a wonder they hadn't driven Chihaya into physical collapse by that point.
That very morning, Chihaya had been late to breakfast due to a desperate need to soak in a hot bath or else, as he put it, he'd be forced to carry a pillow with him throughout the day if he wished to sit in a chair. [5] His absence as their morning meal was being prepared by the accomplished chef in their midst had allowed the ongoing argument to brew to full fury which they now needed to step back from mentally and reassess how to proceed.
Like two powerful stags competing for the affection of a single mate, Messiah and Kagetsuya often butted heads figuratively speaking, but this time they had indeed gone too far.
With a deep sigh, the amber-eyed being dropped his hand finally and answered, "I know what he needs only because it was his DNA which was used to create me, Kagetsuya. [6] Regrettably, I failed to realize sooner that there might be a way for me to enable my mind to comprehend his feelings better by tapping into the racial memory I 'inherited' from him, something I did which I believe has shown me a grievous error on our parts."
"What the *fuck* are you babbling about, Messiah?" The green-eyed angel glared at him for a moment then looked away to gaze out the open balcony door sorrowfully realizing that Chihaya was long gone by now. With an angry yet resigned sigh, he asked, "Care to put that in layman's terms for me?"
Nodding and trying to sort through a vast wealth of newly discovered information he'd held within himself the entire time, the amber-eyed being responded, "When Dr. Ashino created me, he blended Chihaya's DNA with the modified human DNA which he had used to create Taki and the other biohumanoids. The humans of Earth and the angels of Eden have conflicting racial memories, however, and because of that I typically suppress both." With a small but noticeably more human than usual shrug, he continued, "However, when the two of you were arguing so heatedly I realized that you shared thought patterns which were allowing you to understand him on a level that I could not. Therefore, I deliberately chose to open my mind to the seeds of memory from your planet which linger in the DNA the three of us share to a certain extent. At that point I became aware that you and I had inadvertently pushed him past his ability to cope with the situation and he needed time away from both of us to think."
Throughout the synthetic being's lengthy comments, Kagetsuya's expression shifted from anger and disgust to one of curiosity and finally understanding. With a nod of his head, he admitted, "I never thought of it that way, Messiah. I agree he needs time to think this through, but why did you stop me from going after him? As upset as he is, Chihaya isn't thinking straight and could be in trouble. If he ends up hurt because of us, I'll never forgive myself." He didn't bother to mention the fact that flying in broad daylight was exceptionally dangerous and he had forbidden it, so that act in and of itself proved Chihaya was beyond the point of rational thought when he had fled from them.
Compassion filled frequently emotionless amber eyes and Messiah answered with a resigned tone, "I agree, however, he is not the only one who needs to think about our current situation and consider changes." Noting an apparent willingness in the blond angel to listen for a change, he said, "You and I, Kagetsuya have much to consider. Together. Neither of us has the right to exploit his feelings for us both the way that we have. Something must change or this scene will repeat itself, I am certain of it."
With a wry smile on his lips, the green-eyed angel asked sardonically, "Oh? You mean you're willing to admit that he might just love me more than you after all, Messiah?" A tightness entered his eyes and he added almost threateningly, "Or are you asking me to stand down and let you have him for yourself? Perhaps you think I ought to become your occasional submissive partner in exchange for a chance to kiss him once in awhile?! I dare say *that* isn't going to happen!" His renewed anger was as much an expression of his frustration with not knowing where Chihaya had gone as anything else, yet it carried with it deeply held fears and a hint of what Kagetsuya truly believed could happen despite his wishing otherwise.
With a deep sigh that came from finally understanding the entire dominant male orientation both of them seemed to be hung up on, Messiah shook his head, sending forest-green hair to trail across his broad shoulders as he replied, "No, Kagetsuya, not at all. You place too much emphasis on purely sexual issues and too little on what matters most which must be Chihaya's feelings." With a soft, derisive snort, he amended, "Granted, I, too, am guilty of thinking that way until now, unfortunately. No, you and I must find the solution to our conflict so that *he* can be happy once more. Otherwise we shall *both* lose him eventually, a loss which I know that I would not wish to survive."
Messiah's insightful words finally pierced the hard shell which had grown around Kagetsuya's heart during the previous four months. The tiny opening created a space that let in not only hope that they might find and comfort their missing third but also the first glimmers that perhaps it wasn't too late for those who remained behind to become more than rivals.
Sea-foam green eyes peered at golden ones and after a moment of reflection, the blond answered solemnly, "All right, we'll try it your way, Messiah." After receiving a nod of agreement, he raised an index finger in warning and added, "However, if Chihaya's not back here by twelve, I don't care where we are in the process of talking this out, I'm going after him. Tokyo can be a damned dangerous place when you're not paying attention and I meant what I said about not wanting him to get hurt."
Inclining his head in the slightest of bows, Messiah agreed without hesitation, "Agreed but with one modification. If he has not returned to us by noon, then we *both* are going to go out looking for him. Chihaya's safety may have been compromised by our selfish behavior, therefore it is our shared responsibility to see to it that he comes home unharmed. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Kagetsuya stated flatly then glanced at the clock near the dining room table. With a small shake of his head he remarked with only a modicum of annoyance, "Well, it's already eight *and* breakfast is cold now. Let me get us some coffee and we'll talk on the balcony, Messiah. I don't want to waste time cleaning this mess up right now." He frowned at the table covered with food that was going to have to be discarded later not angry about the wastefulness of it but disturbed by the realization that the black-winged angel had flown off without eating since the night before.
As he went into the kitchen, Kagetsuya silently hoped that wherever his absent lover might be, Chihaya would have the good sense to get some food soon since aerial travel tended to burn calories at an alarming rate and if he failed to eat, it would weaken him badly.
Decidedly different thoughts were going through the amber-eyed being's mind as he stepped out into the sunshine on the 10th floor of the apartment building, however. The balcony overlooked an astounding view of the bustling district of Shinjuku that Messiah simply did not see as he contemplated the nearly impossible task that might be facing them if they did indeed have to go searching for the petite angel.
Without supernatural assistance, finding Chihaya somewhere in a city of over ten million souls would be far more challenging than finding a needle in a proverbial haystack. After all, one could use a magnet to search for metal, what could one use to find a lost and heartsick angel?
*****
To be continued.
Author's Notes:
[1] Two things to note here. First, I alternate references to the main characters here between those that imply a higher level of humanness through their angelic natures all the way down to the catch-all term "beings" since two are angels posing as humans most of the time and one is an artificial entity. I hope that this isn't too confusing, but it's more correct than always calling them "men" or "angels". Second, in the anime, it is clearly indicated that Kagetsuya and Chihaya live in or near Shinjuku which is a fairly upscale district of Tokyo. For the purposes of this story, it's assumed they remained there after Messiah joined them but they got a larger apartment and a bigger bed.
[2] Regarding the scripting of dialogue and interpersonal behavior in this fic: Before anyone asks, yes, Messiah sounds like Mr. Spock or Data from Star Trek here and there's a reason for this. He's the product of a classic Mad Scientist and was surrounded during his incredibly brief life before Chihaya "awakened his heart", as it says in the anime, by sterile walls and unfriendly people. Therefore, I think it's a logical extrapolation that he wouldn't use contractions or colloquialisms to any great extent. As for Kagetsuya, I think he's rough around the edges verbally in the OVAs at times and despite having a deep and abiding love for Chihaya, he's still prone to outbursts of a less than elegant nature. The OVAs also clearly establish that he doesn't hesitate for a moment to let his fists and feet do the talking for him when he feels Chihaya is in danger, so I think his aggression throughout the story is warranted. As for sweet Chihaya, he's gentle and childlike with an inherent tendency to cry easily when upset or hurt. I hope that those more familiar with Yun Kouga's original scripting than I am can forgive any discrepancies and that those unfamiliar with it will find these characters intriguing enough to want to discover it for themselves.
[3] I always wanted to be able to use this word in a fic! Ah, the bittersweet joy of having a vocabulary that puts a thesaurus to shame.
[4] Just a quick reminder to those of you who have seen the OVAs and find this disconcerting, since the storyline here diverges *before* the final confrontation between Ashino and the angels, Chihaya is indeed healthy and whole at this point with both wings intact.
[5] Please note that I have assumed that the angels of Eden are anatomically and physiologically identical to humans with regards to most things and as far as sexual matters go, they're presumed to be the same as the other bishounen in my many lemony tales. By extension this means I assume they enjoy the same pleasures and suffer the same pains as humans do under these circumstances and if Chihaya was being expected to have sex with both of them so frequently, he probably already has a large pillow collection, ne?
[6] This theory is generally accepted in the fanfiction I've read so far and is based on the fact that Ashino had Chihaya restrained and was torturing him in "The Beginning of the End", so it's logical he took some samples at the time. Also, because Messiah's coloration matches Chihaya's as opposed to the genetic standards for those from Eden, I assume it's reasonable to extrapolate this is what happened.
Please be advised: Parts 1 & 2 will be posted together.