> This is what life's about, he thought.
> "This is what life's about," Kailan mumbled contentedly.
> "Hmm? What, Kailan?" she asked, rolling a little closer to
>him.
> "Uhh..." he frowned. Come to think of it, he didn't know
>where the thought had come from. Oh well. I'll improvise. "Being in
>love, of course. Being in love with you, Vhyara."
> She frowned suddenly, and looked at him, eyes narrowing in
>suspicion and confusion. "My name's not Vhyara," she said, crossing
>her arms over her chest in the way that meant bad things were
>happening soon.
> Unless I think fast... "Of course not." Kailan laughed. She
>didn't. "I was just joking with you... Sireem?"
> He'd guessed wrong. "My name's not Sireem." She glared at
>him, and suddenly the room seemed to get a little chillier.
> "Uhh... my apologies, dearest. I've been so overwhelmed with
>your charms that I can't think straight. Forget my own head next,
>you know. Hold on..." He put a finger to his lips in a pantomime of
>deep thought. "What's my name again?"
> She pulled away from him, shaking her head reproachfully.
>"How could you, Kailan?"
> "Kailan? Who's Kailan?"
> She smiled, despite herself, and shoved him lightly. "Gods
>consume you in the Eternal Chasm of Fire, Kanchestar. May your flesh
>be seared off by the flaming blades of The Divinity."
> "The Divinity, eh? Like you, my celestial one?" He leaned a
>little closer to her, grasping her hand and raising it to his lips.
>She pulled it away, but not without a little hesitation, he noted.
> She's coming around, he thought with a trace of smudginess. A
>textbook setup. A little humor, a little flattery, and they'll
>forget just about anything. Lucky for me, huh? If it weren't for
>this, I'd probably spend a good many of my nights alone.
> However... He grinned.
> He slipped an arm around her shoulders, moving to kiss her.
>She pushed him away vaguely, lacking almost all of the conviction
>she'd had not thirty seconds ago.
> "Kailan... please, Kailan... stop... I... Kailan, stop... God
>damn it, Kailan, stop!"
> Her voice crescendoed to a scream, and she accentuated her
>final word by slapping him full across the face. There was a long
>pause as the echoes of the shriek died down. She looked almost as
>surprised to have slapped him as he did to have been slapped. She
>hugged herself tightly after a time, rocking quietly, her face
>tinged with regret.
> "I feel bad for having done that, Kailan, but that doesn't
>mean I'm sorry. You know... I really should hate you now. How many
>girls do you have now? Three? Eight? Twenty? Hells, man, how many
>houses do you visit each night?"
> Kailan opened his mouth, but found himself unable to speak.
>For the first time in his life, he was tongue-tied in the presence
>of a female.
> "I trusted you, Kailan. I don't know if I loved you, but I
>certainly could've eventually. But I guess 'eventually' won't be
>coming around, now will it? Not for us. Hmm?"
> Kailan could only shake his head. There was a strange pain in
>his chest.
> She turned away suddenly, eyes downcast. "I guess I loose,
>then. When you leave tonight, you'll just look up some backup
>girlfriend and be as happy as you would've with me. And I'll be
>here, sad and lonely and bitter. Does it make you happy, Kailan?"
>She wheeled on him, eyes blazing with pain and anger. "Do you think
>it's fun to take and use women like... desserts? Eating one until
>you loose interest, then casting the half-devoured remains aside and
>picking a new one?" She wiped her eyes fiercely. "Damn you- now
>you've got me lecturing and making crappy analogies!"
> What is this pain? Kailan thought.
> She took a deep breath, composing herself. "It's pointless
>for me to lecture you, isn't it? You're probably not hearing
>anything I'm saying. You're probably just looking at me and
>thinking, 'Mmm.... breasts....' Right?"
> Kailan winced, touching his chest gingerly. He didn't know
>anything could hurt this much. What is it?
> "That's the price you pay, Kailan. That's the price you've
>paid for hitting on anything that wears a skirt. You'll never fall
>in love, because you'll never see women as anything more than- than-
>a pastime! A hobby! And you can't love someone you can't talk to;
>that you can't listen to. It's about friendship. It's about respect.
>It's about..." She cut off abruptly, slamming her fist into a
>pillow. "Fuck this! I'm not going to explain this to you because you
>obviously don't care! If you cared, you wouldn't have forgotten my
>name! Now get the hell out!"
> Is it... guilt?
> He just stared at her for a long time. He saw anger in her
>eyes, and sadness, and hurt. But there was no love. No lust. Not a
>hint of coyness or playfulness about her.
> Then he picked up his clothes and left.
>
> "... so I left. I mean, what else could I do?" Kailan was
>slouched over a mug of... something... he couldn't even remember. He
>fingered a two-days-stubble absently, grimacing slightly as he
>remembered the events of that night, three days ago. The guy he was
>talking to clapped him on the back, showing camaraderie and sympathy.
> "That's rough, friend. Reeeeal rough. Well, women, huh? Hah
>hah!"
> "Yeah. Women." Kailan took a sip, wincing. He had absolutely
>no idea why he'd ordered it. Oh, that's right. It's alcoholic.
> "Thing is, though... I mean, it's strange. I've been chewed
>out by girls before. I've been slapped by girls before. Hell, I even
>had girls threaten me with divine persecution before. So that night
>shouldn't've been anything new. But... damn, it hurt. Everything she
>said just, like, tore into my skin. I can't explain."
> Kailan's companion tried to think of some appropriate
>response. "Uhh... well, women, huh? Hah-hah...?"
> Kailan ignored him completely. "You know, I think I did love
>her. Something in my head said 'this is what life's about' as I lay
>there with her. I think that was my subconscious telling me I was in
>love, and warning me not to screw it up. Huh. Wish it'd told me her
>name instead."
> "Ya still haven't remembered her name?"
> "No, and it's eating me up. God... what was her name? If I
>knew, I might be able to find her again someday. Apologize, or
>something. Make it up to her. Even if we didn't hook up again, at
>least I'd know I'd made amends, somewhat. That'd make me feel a hell
>of a lot better."
> The other man clapped Kailan on the back again, shaking his
>head in sympathy. "It's a shame, friend. A reeeeal shame."
> "Yeah, sure is."
> "Yep."
> "How about giving my wallet back?"
> The other man started violently. He began to stand-
> "Blade open."
> Suddenly there was an awfully nasty-looking axe thing about
>half a centimeter from piercing the man's protruding belly. He began
>to sweat a good deal, especially after looking into Kailan's calm
>eyes. Kailan spoke, voice ominously quiet.
> "I've got nothing against thieves. Everybody's entitled to
>enjoy themselves, and there are an awful lot of people in the galaxy
>who need a little loss of personal property now and then to keep
>their egos in check. I, however, am not one of them. So give me my
>wallet and one good reason why I shouldn't beat your flabby ass to
>the ground."
> The man's perspiration output almost doubled. Kailan noticed
>with considerable distaste that the sweat now beading on the bar's
>grimy counter smelled remarkably like the liquid in his mug. "Hey...
>now, look, fella... I-I..." inspiration came in a flash. "I used to
>work with Freeza! Yes, yessir, I did, and when I was with him, I
>heard about these mighty powerful balls... umm... dragonballs, they
>was! On planet Earth! Grant you any one wish! Any wish at all,
>friend! Think of that!"
> Kailan blinked. Any wish?
> What is her name?
> He grinned. "Blade retract," he said absently. The man
>wheezed with relief as the halberd head disappeared into the rod
>Kailan carried. Kailan stood to leave, stopped, turned to the
>pickpocket.
> "That was a damn fine reason, friend. So good, in fact, that
>I'm gonna give you a little reward."
> The man cringed- but Kailan just tossed him a wallet and left.
> The man could hardly believe his luck. I'll be damned, he
>thought. I've gotta be the most damn lucky man in this whole damn
>city! Wonder how much that little punk had on him...
> He pawed through the bills, then stopped bemused. He felt in
>his own pocket. Then he checked the galaxial ID card in one of the
>side pouches.
> It was his wallet.
> On the streets of the city, Kailan laughed for the first time
>in three days.
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