Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.
Alright, so the second round. Of the impossible Dino Pairing contest. Zoh-Mah-God. I can not believe I actually survived this. For over TWENTY HOURS, I stared at my computer screen just PLANNING out the plotline. TWENTY HOURS. I went through over SIX different storylines before I finally picked this one, and even THEN, I deleted over ONE THOUSAND words of plot and character development in the middle because I wasn't satisfied with the quality of the writing. For FOUR DAYS, I procrastinated shamelessly and each time, I came back and deleted what I had previously written because I was unhappy with the way it came out. And finally, FINALLY, I can present to you guys "Enigmatic Conundrum".
I have have HAVE to thank one of my best friends. Without her aptitude at mindfuckery and villainy, you guys would be stuck with this half-assed storyline of fluff-with-a-lot-of-random-angst-in-the-middle. She managed to create this AWESOME plot out of my random ramblings and scraps. Seriously. She threatened me a hundred times over not to credit her in any way, but...THANK YOU. YOU DESERVE THE PRAISE. AND SINCE I KNOW YOU'LL KILL ME, I WON'T WRITE YOUR NAME OR ANYTHING. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. :D I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR AWESOME HELP!
Running away now.
Oh, and just so you guys know, this is going to be only viewable via LiveJournal. I'm going to take this off FF.net and replace it with the new version. Originally, I was just going to delete this version altogether, buttt...the plot ended up changing a LOT from this one to the new rewrite, so I felt that the FEW redeeming features of this one should still be viewable.
That doesn't stop it from sucking A LOT. Read at your own risk.
Pairing: 69D, MukuroxDino
Prompt: Liar's Game
Genre: Angst/Suspense/Romance
Rating: T
Enigmatic Conundrum
A MukuroxDino fic.
The otherwise pitch-black cell was brightened by the flickering, dull light. The dreary concrete walls were stained with age and unidentified substances. Only the stained table standing in the middle of the cube had any color whatsoever, and even that was a washed-out taupe. Two wooden stools were placed on either side of the table, creaking with age.
On one side of the table sat the perfect poker-face- a playful smirk that never moves from its place, mismatched eyes holding mischief and malice, brows never moving from their condescending invitation, all adorned on a pale, flawless canvas.
The other side, a man who seems so out of place from everything else- warmness oozed out of his every pore. A floppy mope of golden hair frame a face that hasn't matured since he was in his teens. Molten gold eyes so often showing confusion balance lips that are quick to smile and slow to frown. It was a face that doesn't quite fit the intimidating tattoos littering his arm.
He had been just coming out of the room, having successfully bailed one of his allies out, when he heard a eerie chuckle. He had spun towards the sound, whip already half-way out. There, sitting in his dark cell, was none other than Mukuro Rokudo. Of course, he thought, this was the Vendice prison after all.
"Kufufu...if it isn't Cavallone's own Bucking Horse. What brings you all the way over here?"
He accompanied his innocent inquiry with a smirk that was anything but innocent. The blonde paused, thinking before casually disclosing the events that had just occurred. After all, it was a relatively innocent occurrence, wasn't it? It wasn't as if he had committed a murder or anything...he was simply bailing a friend out of jail.
"Ahh....I see," the other man chuckled a bit to himself before continuing "...In that case, if you have some time to spare, would you like to play a small game with me? I sure you can imagine how terribly boring it gets here..." He paused then, letting the nonchalant invitation sink into the other man's head.
Their eyes locked, one searching for clues while the other carefully masked. Hours seemed to pass before the older man broke their staring contest off.
"...What kind of game?" And even though those words were laced with suspicion and apprehension, the prisoner couldn't help but laugh. After all, how long has it been since he was able to fully immerse himself with such a wonderful game?
"Kufufufu, so glad you're interested," He chuckled again, laughing at some inside joke "It's a wagering game, you see? We'll make a wager on a certain something! And since I'm stuck here, I'll be wagering nice little tidbits of information that you'll find...delectable."
Needless to say, Dino balked. Sure, he was naive, but he wasn't this stupid. After all, a wagering game? What would they wager on? And information? There wasn't a single piece of information that the Mist guardian, in his little enclosed cell, could give to the Cavallone boss. Seeing the disbelief on the face of the blonde, the other man chuckled and raised his arms in surrender.
"Kufufu, I see you have your misgivings about my little game. You'd be surprised at the information I can get just from my little corner here. For instance, just to prove that I'm not trying to trick you or anything....I wager that those two men standing there," he pointed his pale index finger at the two men standing at the end of the hallway, waiting for their boss, "Yes, those two. They're your bodyguards, are they not? Well...I wager that they'll be dead in three days."
Walking out of the prison with the aforementioned two men, he made a note to call his little brother. It was clear that the Vongola's Mist guardian wasn't supposed to be in prison- he was supposed to be locked up in a mental hospital. After all, death predictions? He knew that Mukuro was a powerful man, but he doubted that he was able to get such information from where he was. After all, he was imprisoned in the Vendice prison. There was no way whatever he said would be right.
Three days later, he was sleeping on his desk when he was shaken awake by Romario. At first, he was confused as to what was so urgent. Were they under attack? Did somebody ambush the Vongola? But soon, his question was replaced with so many more.
"I-it's Franz and Luciano. They were just escorting you to the prison the other day, remember? Well...they're dead. Completely shot down."
His coffee spilled and forgotten, the room was completely abandoned in mere seconds. Romario, sitting in the driver's seat as always, was surprised at his boss's order. Drive to the prison again? Whatever for? But his boss had on his serious face, and so he wordlessly drove back to Vendice.
"Mukuro! I know you're awake! I need to talk with you. Now."
The said prisoner was slow, painfully slow, at waking up. He needed to stretch his limbs and yawn before slowly raising his face to meet his visitor. After all, there was no rush, was there? It wasn't as if he was going anywhere.
"Kufufu, if it isn't Cavallone. Whatever brings you back here? Ah...could it be....you've decided to play my game?"
And once again, their eyes lock, the gold searching relentlessly for some clue as to what's going on. And once again, he was given nothing more than the innocent facade. Of course. This was the only way he could have his questions answered, it seemed.
"...Yea. I'll play your game."
It took a few whispers and a large bag of money to get to where they were. Instead of the room being completely empty as it was before, the table and chairs were placed inside. The opposites stare at each other, one filled with mirth while the other apprehension.
"Kufufu, alright then. For our game, the wager will be...whether or not you will manage to...exterminate the killer within the next month. And the stakes...let's make it worth your life."
"...And where exactly do you stand in all of this?"
"Oh, don't mind me! I'm just the overseer...the spectator, if you will. I find this very entertaining, after all. Think of me as just a bystander! I'm not going to interfere at. All."
That smile...Dino could learn to hate that seemingly innocent smile.
"So...what will it be, Cavallone?"
"....Deal."
"Kufufu, smart choice. Oh, and try not to overexert yourself, Cavallone...after all, I'd hate to see your whole family suffer because of your own weaknesses...."
Rossi Family. A relatively new family, one that had only recently come to power. They had been too stupid, in their most recent killing, a shooting three weeks after the first killing. Leaving a brooch with their insignia on the corpse of the dead Cavallone? They were too stupid.
After giving out orders to hunt down any Rossi member they could find, he went back to the prison to speak with his...acquaintance yet again.
"Kufufufufu, if it isn't the Bucking Hose again. It seems you have something interesting to tell me...?"
His breath was ragged from running in, but his eyes shone with triumph, the same shine a predator has when it catches its prey.
"The Rossi family. They've just come to power around a year ago. The left a pin with their insignia on it for us at the most recent killing."
"Ah, I see," the prisoner chuckled at some sort of inside joke again before continuing, "Kufufu, so what are you going to do with them?"
The blonde sighed with weariness at the question. "Kill them, of course. That was part of the deal, wasn't it? Even if I didn't make that wager, I'd still have to kill the head. He did murder three of our men already. I've sent a good number of my men to hunt them down, and I'll go kill the head myself today."
There was a pause before the prisoner started laughing. First, it was just a mere chuckle, but laughter soon escalated into a loud chortle. The blonde stood there, confused and wary at the strange, mildly psychotic reaction.
"....What's so funny, Mukuro?"
"Kufufufu, nothing much. It's just, you're such a simple character, it's really amusing to watch your antics."
The older man couldn't help but twitch at those words. Simple? What was so simple about his plans? Unless....
"...Is there something going on that I should be aware of, Mukuro?"
"Kufufu, I'll just say this: First of all, try not to worry so much. You, at least, are going to get out of this alive. Second...remember, if you're going to attack them on their turf, you'll be leaving your home soil completely open..."
An ambush. It was an ambush. They had been waiting, watching, memorizing his daily routine in order to execute the arguably most perfect plan there could have been. While he had left his home with some of his strongest men to kill the head of the Rossi family, his own house had been ambushed. He himself had managed to barely escape with a gunshot wound on his side, but everybody else...
Stopping at the front of what was once his mansion, he stared at the building in shock and grief. How stupid could he have been? The other man had been dropping hints that this would've happened for the last month, and yet...
...And yet he was too slow, too stupid to realize. And now they were all dead.
He stumbled into the wreaked hallway, resisting the urge to throw up at the sight of his comrades and friends, all dead and thrown to the side. Splatters of blood, some still fresh, stained the once pristine walls and floor. The wreckage of furniture and broken vases were proof that his men had fought with their all before going down. Despite the overall devastation, he felt a surge of pride at the fact that his men went down fighting.
As he walked through the mansion, all he saw was red, red, and more red. Infinite shades, ranging from the freshly spilled poppy to the almost dry maroon, cover almost everything. He didn't know when, but as he continued examining the damage, the pain started ebbing away, leaving him with nothing but a cold numbness.
Surprisingly, no tears fell down his face. Mukuro was right, after all- he was the boss of one of the strongest families in Italy. He wasn't allowed to show such a weak face to the world, and when he did...things like this would happen.
He ended up in his own office, predictably. The pictures that once covered his wall were mostly torn down, the glass covers shattered on the floor. The few frames left on the wall were not left unscathed- the majority of them were covered in red, the same red. Looking around to find whose blood was splattered, his heart ached as he saw the body of Romario lying in the corner, still holding a gun. His body was littered with bullets and shards of glass. Lying next to him were two members of the Rossi family, shot down by Romario undoubtedly. The old man was still able to bring down two men with him...
Stepping over the glass, he moved his foot when he realized that he was stepping on a photo frame. He leaned down to grab the frame, only to see the floor yaw away from him. In the end, he had to sit down against the wall to clear his head from the blood loss. The wound on his side had reopened, staining his shirt. The glass on the floor had cut into his arms, drawing blood in numerous nips. Sighing, he tucked his face into his arm, breathing heavily from the pain.
"So, Mukuro...is this how it all ends? Am I going to die now, as per our bet?"
Kufufu...Why would you think that? After all, you did manage to kill the head of the Rossi family. You won the wager fair and square.
"....You lied...to me...You told me that it was going to end well! You told me that they weren't going to die, dammit!"
Now, now, don't jump to conclusions, it's unbecoming. I told you that you weren't going to die, and you aren't. And I did give you a sufficient warning that this was going to happen. You just didn't believe me. You always were a stubborn one, though...that's what I liked about you.
Of course. He had planned it from the start, hadn't he? The wager, the murder, the massacre...he planned it all from the beginning. He wouldn't have been surprised if the other man had hired the Rossi family to kill Franz and Luciano in the beginning.
Kufufu, of course I didn't. They had been planning to attack the Cavallone family for a long time now. I simply knew that these events were going to happen and...guided you and your family into the mess. Aren't you glad? Because of my interference, you're the only one alive...
Mist swarmed and covered the room, bringing an eerie chill to the scene. Slowly, a black boot starting materializing from the mist, standing right in Dino's view. The newly materialized Mukuro stood there, towering over the other man. Bending down to meet the blonde's eyes, he brushed a strand of blonde hair away from the pale face. The other man shivered from the icy touch, and couldn't help shuddering from the words the other whispered in his ear.
"Didn't you know? What I love, I destroy...and so, let me break you gently, Dino Cavallone."
Owari.
What? This was a horrible fic? This is completely below my typical standards? I AGREE. -headdesk- I'll say this right now, the original plot for this story would've spanned 4k+ words, but I didn't want to write it. -shot- IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS THRILLER MYSTERY SUSPENSE THING. It was actually a GOOD plot too, but...I'm not a suspense writer. Maybe, one day, when I can actually WRITE suspense, I'll rewrite this story to the old plot. But as it is, this is the "abridged" version. :D In the other, longer version, the "killer" in the end was Dino himself, and there was a LOT, and I mean A LOT, of mindfuckery going on. Which I totally love, don't get me wrong--I wanted to write a lot of mindfuckery for this fic, because that's one of the things I love love love. But I'm not good at writing it, so sad. -cries-
Ehrm, was there not enough romance in this? -sweatdrop- I was trying to keep it as canon as possible, but 69D isn't canon, so maybe I killed it a bit....err....haha...-dies-
Oh, and for those of you who were curious at all...
Enigmatic [adj]: perplexing; mysterious
Conundrum [n]: anything that puzzles, or a a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words
REVIEW ANYWAY. BECAUSE I'M A REVIEW WH-RE, AND I'LL KILL ENZIO IF YOU DON'T. :D
I have have HAVE to thank one of my best friends. Without her aptitude at mindfuckery and villainy, you guys would be stuck with this half-assed storyline of fluff-with-a-lot-of-random-angst-in-the-middle. She managed to create this AWESOME plot out of my random ramblings and scraps. Seriously. She threatened me a hundred times over not to credit her in any way, but...THANK YOU. YOU DESERVE THE PRAISE. AND SINCE I KNOW YOU'LL KILL ME, I WON'T WRITE YOUR NAME OR ANYTHING. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. :D I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR AWESOME HELP!
Running away now.
Oh, and just so you guys know, this is going to be only viewable via LiveJournal. I'm going to take this off FF.net and replace it with the new version. Originally, I was just going to delete this version altogether, buttt...the plot ended up changing a LOT from this one to the new rewrite, so I felt that the FEW redeeming features of this one should still be viewable.
That doesn't stop it from sucking A LOT. Read at your own risk.
Pairing: 69D, MukuroxDino
Prompt: Liar's Game
Genre: Angst/Suspense/Romance
Rating: T
Enigmatic Conundrum
A MukuroxDino fic.
The otherwise pitch-black cell was brightened by the flickering, dull light. The dreary concrete walls were stained with age and unidentified substances. Only the stained table standing in the middle of the cube had any color whatsoever, and even that was a washed-out taupe. Two wooden stools were placed on either side of the table, creaking with age.
On one side of the table sat the perfect poker-face- a playful smirk that never moves from its place, mismatched eyes holding mischief and malice, brows never moving from their condescending invitation, all adorned on a pale, flawless canvas.
The other side, a man who seems so out of place from everything else- warmness oozed out of his every pore. A floppy mope of golden hair frame a face that hasn't matured since he was in his teens. Molten gold eyes so often showing confusion balance lips that are quick to smile and slow to frown. It was a face that doesn't quite fit the intimidating tattoos littering his arm.
He had been just coming out of the room, having successfully bailed one of his allies out, when he heard a eerie chuckle. He had spun towards the sound, whip already half-way out. There, sitting in his dark cell, was none other than Mukuro Rokudo. Of course, he thought, this was the Vendice prison after all.
"Kufufu...if it isn't Cavallone's own Bucking Horse. What brings you all the way over here?"
He accompanied his innocent inquiry with a smirk that was anything but innocent. The blonde paused, thinking before casually disclosing the events that had just occurred. After all, it was a relatively innocent occurrence, wasn't it? It wasn't as if he had committed a murder or anything...he was simply bailing a friend out of jail.
"Ahh....I see," the other man chuckled a bit to himself before continuing "...In that case, if you have some time to spare, would you like to play a small game with me? I sure you can imagine how terribly boring it gets here..." He paused then, letting the nonchalant invitation sink into the other man's head.
Their eyes locked, one searching for clues while the other carefully masked. Hours seemed to pass before the older man broke their staring contest off.
"...What kind of game?" And even though those words were laced with suspicion and apprehension, the prisoner couldn't help but laugh. After all, how long has it been since he was able to fully immerse himself with such a wonderful game?
"Kufufufu, so glad you're interested," He chuckled again, laughing at some inside joke "It's a wagering game, you see? We'll make a wager on a certain something! And since I'm stuck here, I'll be wagering nice little tidbits of information that you'll find...delectable."
Needless to say, Dino balked. Sure, he was naive, but he wasn't this stupid. After all, a wagering game? What would they wager on? And information? There wasn't a single piece of information that the Mist guardian, in his little enclosed cell, could give to the Cavallone boss. Seeing the disbelief on the face of the blonde, the other man chuckled and raised his arms in surrender.
"Kufufu, I see you have your misgivings about my little game. You'd be surprised at the information I can get just from my little corner here. For instance, just to prove that I'm not trying to trick you or anything....I wager that those two men standing there," he pointed his pale index finger at the two men standing at the end of the hallway, waiting for their boss, "Yes, those two. They're your bodyguards, are they not? Well...I wager that they'll be dead in three days."
Walking out of the prison with the aforementioned two men, he made a note to call his little brother. It was clear that the Vongola's Mist guardian wasn't supposed to be in prison- he was supposed to be locked up in a mental hospital. After all, death predictions? He knew that Mukuro was a powerful man, but he doubted that he was able to get such information from where he was. After all, he was imprisoned in the Vendice prison. There was no way whatever he said would be right.
Three days later, he was sleeping on his desk when he was shaken awake by Romario. At first, he was confused as to what was so urgent. Were they under attack? Did somebody ambush the Vongola? But soon, his question was replaced with so many more.
"I-it's Franz and Luciano. They were just escorting you to the prison the other day, remember? Well...they're dead. Completely shot down."
His coffee spilled and forgotten, the room was completely abandoned in mere seconds. Romario, sitting in the driver's seat as always, was surprised at his boss's order. Drive to the prison again? Whatever for? But his boss had on his serious face, and so he wordlessly drove back to Vendice.
"Mukuro! I know you're awake! I need to talk with you. Now."
The said prisoner was slow, painfully slow, at waking up. He needed to stretch his limbs and yawn before slowly raising his face to meet his visitor. After all, there was no rush, was there? It wasn't as if he was going anywhere.
"Kufufu, if it isn't Cavallone. Whatever brings you back here? Ah...could it be....you've decided to play my game?"
And once again, their eyes lock, the gold searching relentlessly for some clue as to what's going on. And once again, he was given nothing more than the innocent facade. Of course. This was the only way he could have his questions answered, it seemed.
"...Yea. I'll play your game."
It took a few whispers and a large bag of money to get to where they were. Instead of the room being completely empty as it was before, the table and chairs were placed inside. The opposites stare at each other, one filled with mirth while the other apprehension.
"Kufufu, alright then. For our game, the wager will be...whether or not you will manage to...exterminate the killer within the next month. And the stakes...let's make it worth your life."
"...And where exactly do you stand in all of this?"
"Oh, don't mind me! I'm just the overseer...the spectator, if you will. I find this very entertaining, after all. Think of me as just a bystander! I'm not going to interfere at. All."
That smile...Dino could learn to hate that seemingly innocent smile.
"So...what will it be, Cavallone?"
"....Deal."
"Kufufu, smart choice. Oh, and try not to overexert yourself, Cavallone...after all, I'd hate to see your whole family suffer because of your own weaknesses...."
Rossi Family. A relatively new family, one that had only recently come to power. They had been too stupid, in their most recent killing, a shooting three weeks after the first killing. Leaving a brooch with their insignia on the corpse of the dead Cavallone? They were too stupid.
After giving out orders to hunt down any Rossi member they could find, he went back to the prison to speak with his...acquaintance yet again.
"Kufufufufu, if it isn't the Bucking Hose again. It seems you have something interesting to tell me...?"
His breath was ragged from running in, but his eyes shone with triumph, the same shine a predator has when it catches its prey.
"The Rossi family. They've just come to power around a year ago. The left a pin with their insignia on it for us at the most recent killing."
"Ah, I see," the prisoner chuckled at some sort of inside joke again before continuing, "Kufufu, so what are you going to do with them?"
The blonde sighed with weariness at the question. "Kill them, of course. That was part of the deal, wasn't it? Even if I didn't make that wager, I'd still have to kill the head. He did murder three of our men already. I've sent a good number of my men to hunt them down, and I'll go kill the head myself today."
There was a pause before the prisoner started laughing. First, it was just a mere chuckle, but laughter soon escalated into a loud chortle. The blonde stood there, confused and wary at the strange, mildly psychotic reaction.
"....What's so funny, Mukuro?"
"Kufufufu, nothing much. It's just, you're such a simple character, it's really amusing to watch your antics."
The older man couldn't help but twitch at those words. Simple? What was so simple about his plans? Unless....
"...Is there something going on that I should be aware of, Mukuro?"
"Kufufu, I'll just say this: First of all, try not to worry so much. You, at least, are going to get out of this alive. Second...remember, if you're going to attack them on their turf, you'll be leaving your home soil completely open..."
An ambush. It was an ambush. They had been waiting, watching, memorizing his daily routine in order to execute the arguably most perfect plan there could have been. While he had left his home with some of his strongest men to kill the head of the Rossi family, his own house had been ambushed. He himself had managed to barely escape with a gunshot wound on his side, but everybody else...
Stopping at the front of what was once his mansion, he stared at the building in shock and grief. How stupid could he have been? The other man had been dropping hints that this would've happened for the last month, and yet...
...And yet he was too slow, too stupid to realize. And now they were all dead.
He stumbled into the wreaked hallway, resisting the urge to throw up at the sight of his comrades and friends, all dead and thrown to the side. Splatters of blood, some still fresh, stained the once pristine walls and floor. The wreckage of furniture and broken vases were proof that his men had fought with their all before going down. Despite the overall devastation, he felt a surge of pride at the fact that his men went down fighting.
As he walked through the mansion, all he saw was red, red, and more red. Infinite shades, ranging from the freshly spilled poppy to the almost dry maroon, cover almost everything. He didn't know when, but as he continued examining the damage, the pain started ebbing away, leaving him with nothing but a cold numbness.
Surprisingly, no tears fell down his face. Mukuro was right, after all- he was the boss of one of the strongest families in Italy. He wasn't allowed to show such a weak face to the world, and when he did...things like this would happen.
He ended up in his own office, predictably. The pictures that once covered his wall were mostly torn down, the glass covers shattered on the floor. The few frames left on the wall were not left unscathed- the majority of them were covered in red, the same red. Looking around to find whose blood was splattered, his heart ached as he saw the body of Romario lying in the corner, still holding a gun. His body was littered with bullets and shards of glass. Lying next to him were two members of the Rossi family, shot down by Romario undoubtedly. The old man was still able to bring down two men with him...
Stepping over the glass, he moved his foot when he realized that he was stepping on a photo frame. He leaned down to grab the frame, only to see the floor yaw away from him. In the end, he had to sit down against the wall to clear his head from the blood loss. The wound on his side had reopened, staining his shirt. The glass on the floor had cut into his arms, drawing blood in numerous nips. Sighing, he tucked his face into his arm, breathing heavily from the pain.
"So, Mukuro...is this how it all ends? Am I going to die now, as per our bet?"
Kufufu...Why would you think that? After all, you did manage to kill the head of the Rossi family. You won the wager fair and square.
"....You lied...to me...You told me that it was going to end well! You told me that they weren't going to die, dammit!"
Now, now, don't jump to conclusions, it's unbecoming. I told you that you weren't going to die, and you aren't. And I did give you a sufficient warning that this was going to happen. You just didn't believe me. You always were a stubborn one, though...that's what I liked about you.
Of course. He had planned it from the start, hadn't he? The wager, the murder, the massacre...he planned it all from the beginning. He wouldn't have been surprised if the other man had hired the Rossi family to kill Franz and Luciano in the beginning.
Kufufu, of course I didn't. They had been planning to attack the Cavallone family for a long time now. I simply knew that these events were going to happen and...guided you and your family into the mess. Aren't you glad? Because of my interference, you're the only one alive...
Mist swarmed and covered the room, bringing an eerie chill to the scene. Slowly, a black boot starting materializing from the mist, standing right in Dino's view. The newly materialized Mukuro stood there, towering over the other man. Bending down to meet the blonde's eyes, he brushed a strand of blonde hair away from the pale face. The other man shivered from the icy touch, and couldn't help shuddering from the words the other whispered in his ear.
"Didn't you know? What I love, I destroy...and so, let me break you gently, Dino Cavallone."
Owari.
What? This was a horrible fic? This is completely below my typical standards? I AGREE. -headdesk- I'll say this right now, the original plot for this story would've spanned 4k+ words, but I didn't want to write it. -shot- IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS THRILLER MYSTERY SUSPENSE THING. It was actually a GOOD plot too, but...I'm not a suspense writer. Maybe, one day, when I can actually WRITE suspense, I'll rewrite this story to the old plot. But as it is, this is the "abridged" version. :D In the other, longer version, the "killer" in the end was Dino himself, and there was a LOT, and I mean A LOT, of mindfuckery going on. Which I totally love, don't get me wrong--I wanted to write a lot of mindfuckery for this fic, because that's one of the things I love love love. But I'm not good at writing it, so sad. -cries-
Ehrm, was there not enough romance in this? -sweatdrop- I was trying to keep it as canon as possible, but 69D isn't canon, so maybe I killed it a bit....err....haha...-dies-
Oh, and for those of you who were curious at all...
Enigmatic [adj]: perplexing; mysterious
Conundrum [n]: anything that puzzles, or a a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words
REVIEW ANYWAY. BECAUSE I'M A REVIEW WH-RE, AND I'LL KILL ENZIO IF YOU DON'T. :D