Genom Research Presents A Suika Roberts Fanfic Tip Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0. Day Four: Permanence - `Mnnble?' I ask, mostly asleep. `Me,' Akane says, slipping under the covers. I shift, dropping an arm over her waist as she settles in against Utchan as well, then let myself fall back asleep. ; `Morning, beautiful,' a cheerful voice greets me. I make a grumpy face in its general direction, and am rewarded with a kiss. `Hey, don't I get one?' a slightly grumpy voice asks from beside me. `I don't know,' Utchan drawls, then squeaks sharply, her voice rising into a troubled giggle, `OK, you get one too.' The sight that greets me when I finally pry my eyes open should provoke jealousy, but instead a warm feeling of contentment settles firmly in my belly. I wouldn't mind waking up to this. My snort and shake of head draw the others' attention, `What is it, Ranchan?' `Just thinking that I would not be disaggreeable to waking up like this in the future.' `Oh,' Utchan smiles, then glances down, then up at the wall, `I wouldn't mind it either.' `You,' a flash of anger, `I wouldn't mind either. Guess we're all a bunch of two-timing perverts.' I glance at my fingers and try to count. `You know what I mean!' she scolds mildly, softening her words with a soft kiss that slowly begins to turn more passionate. Utchan interupts, `Um, Akane,' she pauses, her eyes closed, `um, where were you last night?' `Kodachi got into a little bit more trouble than she could handle, but I bailed her out, and well, one thing led to another, and, well,' she breaks off flustered. `Was she good?' I ask, almost afraid of the reaction I'll get. `Is rain wet?' her face softens even further, something I hadn't thought possible, `she's so responsive, so passionate,' she sits back a little, pulling her feet underneath herself as she shifts to face us again, `she was a little scared to let me touch her, but she was really brave, and had a very good time, by all indications, at least.' `Wait,' Utchan sits up as well, her voice and posture angry, `You had sex with Kodachi? Kuno Kodachi? Then you came back here and climbed into _my_ bed?! What is this?!' `I,' Akane wilts visibly under Utchan's accusing glare, suddenly looking very like she wants to cry. Fear has a firm grip on my heart, but I start talking anyway, my knees pulled up near my chin and the blanket tucked protectivly around, `Yeah, well, a couple days ago, three or so, actually, Akane challenged me. I think she thought I'd back down, and I was tempted, I was really tempted, but I'm me, and I don't back down from nothing. Or anything, or whatever, but, anyway, I was trying to say,' `Get on with it,' the low growl takes the knots in my guts and knots them again. `It was to prove which of us was more feminine or somethin', and I thought it was a total crock, but I couldn't back down or nothin', so I accepted, y'know?' an angry growl gets me mostly back on topic, `and anyway, the challenge was to be decided by how many people we could get to have sex with us, as a girl, y'know?' Utchan falls over. I uncurl and have her cuddled against me before I can think about it. `What?' she breathes softly against my shoulder. `I thought it was a kinda odd thing fer Akane to come up with, too, but, then she said that, to make sure that I knew what was goin' on an' all, the first bit should be with her. I'd thought sure that this was 'sposed to be with guys 'er somthin', an' I didn't know if I wanted to win a challenge like that, but this, well, if Akane was the kind of pervert that could come up with a challenge like that,' `What do you mean?' Akane interupts from where she is pressed comfortingly against Utchan's back. `What do you think?' I shift my grip, wrapping my arms firmly about Akane, pressing Utchan closer between us, `What kind of girl comes up with a challenge like that? I mean, really? Even if you can't cook, can't swim, have the domestic skills of a hippopotamus, and I look better than you in girly clothes,' Akane growls, but has no leverage, subsiding slowly as Utchan laughs softly between us, `this just takes the cake, you know? Most guys would throw a fit if they heard the girl they're 'sposed to marry was involved in somthin' like that, y'know?' `Um,' Akane suddenly goes totally limp, so I look up, from where I have Utchan's head tucked under my chin, and she has a look of total shock on her face, `I didn't think of that.' I blink, then shift to press my chin back against Utchan's hair. `Well, if it'd been guys I'da probably just tried to mess her up'n keep her from having sex with any of 'em, but she asked me. She's just so pretty, y'know?' Utchan nods softly against my chest, so I continue, `So I agreed, and we did, and it was very nice. Then I fell asleep in her bed, and she didn't beat me to a pulp, didn't hardly wiggle, even, and she normally sleeps like she is in a fight, so that was nice too. Then I go and see if Kasumi'd mind, and she didn't, and she was, mmmn,' I can't help but groan soflty at the pleasant memory. `You, and,' Utchan pauses, `Kasumi?' `Oh, Akane was there too; Kasumi was afraid Akane'd hurt her if she wasn't.' Akane makes a disgruntled noise, but doesn't deny the charge either. `You, and Akane, and Kasumi? Where, in the hall?' `No, the bathroom, then Kasumi's room.' Utchan starts laughing. `What?' `Are you sure Nabiki wasn't taking pictures?' `Pretty sure, 'cause she was all vehement about not wanting to have sex with me, or Akane, or me and Akane, or especially me, Akane, and Kasumi all at once. The way she'd caught her underwear in the zipper of her shorts kinda weakened her argument in my mind, through.' [Might be an urban legend, but my mom has a story of this guy she knows, who was somewhat involved with his girlfriend when the girlfriend's parents came home. He went out the window and over the fence very fast, and somewhere along the way noticed that he'd managed to zip mister happy in his zipper. Details are sketchy at this point, but it was quite painful, and I don't want to theorize how he got his tender parts back out again. --S] `Really,' Utchan's voice is odd, like she's trying to decide whether to be angry or jealous, or perhaps demand that we let her into this game. Or maybe it's just me being overly optimistic. `Yeah. Well, after that I went to visit my mother, and she showed me some interesting things,' `Wait,' Utchan says softly, `You seduced your mother.' `It's not like I actually remember her from when I was young, and we were both girls, and I initiated it, so, I think, or maybe it's I hope, it's OK. 'Sides, Akane seduced her too, so, if you want, you probably could too, she seems kinda desperate and all.' `You're right, you are a pervert,' longish pause, `was she good?' I can feel Utchan's lips twitch into the smirk I hear in her voice. `Very,' I leave one hand on Akane and stroke Utchan's side with the other, `Then you had your wicked,' I cup her buttock with my hand, `skillfully wicked, way with me, then Akane had me again, then Yuka and Sayuri dragged me off to the equipment room this morning, but I didn't like that as much, so I left as soon as they started paying attention to each other instead of me, and, well, Kasumi was quite forward after school, so that was a lot of fun, and then I came over here.' `And this is in three days?' `Something like that.' `I should have known it was something like this.' Utchan's voice is soft, hurt, and she's trying to wiggle out from between Akane and I. `No.' Akane says forcefully, wrapping her arms around Utchan even more firmly. `We,' I look up at Akane, and she nods, `Don't want this to end when the challenge is over.' Out of the corner of my eye I see Akane nod again. `We want this, us, to be permanent.' `You, me, Akane, and how many others?' `The three of us, definately, and as many others as all three of us think appropriate,' Akane answers softly, then places a soft kiss at the base of Utchan's neck. After a moment Utchan relaxes, wrapping her arms around me again, `OK, I'm in.' `Thank you,' I say, and press my lips against the top of her head. - `We,' I gasp, trying weakly to push away the other two girls, `can't do this right now, we,' I break off, basking in the warm touch of Ranma's lips against my breast, and Ukyou's against a more tender part, `have,' moan, `to get to schoooool,' I shudder throughout the last word, skilled fingers doing very distracting things, but I try to fight it off. `Aww,' Ranma says, letting go of me. `Let me get some ointment on those scratches,' Ukyou says a little later, tracing one with her fingers. - `Tendou Akane,' the PE teacher says, `You will have to stay after school. I need to discuss something with you.' `But, teacher, I had,' she starts to try and wiggle out of it. `No excuses.' `Yes, teacher.' ; `Hey!' I call out as I enter the shop. `Yes, Muko-dono?' The old woman is not the person I came by hoping to see, but `Yeah, I was hoping to talk to Shanpuu, actually.' `That is an odd thing. What did you want to talk to her about?' `Um,' `Oh. You want her to join the harem you and the Tendou girl are building.' She takes a contemplative puff on her pipe. `Well, I'm not sure, but I was gonna ask her, yeah, um,' I manage. A moment passes, then, before I can blink, she's struck me in a dozen places. The sudden wash of lastitude and contentment that washes over me is shocking. I blink happily up at the pretty old woman from my comfortable spot on the floor. `What was that?' I ask, a warmth in my heart that hadn't been there before. `Shiatsu satiation technique. Most enticing, isn't it?' she asks, her gnarled hand soft against my face. `Very,' escapes through the remarkable desire to kiss her. `I'll teach it to you when you've recovered. I'll let you talk to Shanpuu in a couple days. How does that sound?' `Lovely. When can we start?' `When you can stand again without leaning on the table.' - `Honda-sensei?' I look up at the much taller PE teacher. She was born and raised in the US, which accounts for both her odd teaching style and her great height, almost a hundred and ninty centimeters. `I know you like both Kuonji and Saotome-kun very much, but you need to be more discreet.' `How do you mean?' my gaze keeps flashing back to her broad-fingered hands, and I force the contemplation of just how they would feel against my back from my mind. `I am referring to the scratches on your back,' her eyes flash as they catch my own, a lovely dark color, almost black. `I know Kodachi got a little out of hand last night,' I break off at the sight of my teacher faulting dramaticly. I'd rate it at a 9.5, especially since she wasn't raised in Japan, and I've noticed foreigners just don't fault properly. `I thought you and,' I cut her off, `Yeah, we are, but she was just so,' I try to come up with a way to say it, then shake my head, `attractive. Sorta like you,' I fight the urge to fault the moment I realize what I said, managing to curb it to a slight swaying. `I,' she manages, looking even more stunned, `I'm flattered,' she stands there blinking for a few more moments. *Baka!* suddenly flashes through my mind. *She's a _teacher_, if anyone found out,* I shudder at the thought of getting another teacher like Matsudaira-sensei, the wizened old letch who'd taught PE at my Junior High since before the Pacific War. `You should be,' I tell her, `and thanks for the warning. I'll try to be more careful about getting marked up.' I firmly push all my thoughts about her long, hard, muscular body from my mind, step forward, and steal a kiss on her cheek, `I'll see you in school tomorrow, right?' `Right,' she says softly, her hand cupped against her cheek. - `Ranma-kun?' a soft voice calls from above me. `Yes?' I turn to look for the speaker, slightly startled to see Kunou Kodachi's shapely frame dressed in something other than her school uniform or a leotard. `Nice outfit,' I manage after a little bit. The dark pants and bright green silk shirt bring out highlights I hadn't noticed, both in her eyes and her hair, the overall effect quite stunning. `Thank you,' she replies, then drops down in front of me, her hands coming to rest almost possessively on my hips, `Akane seems convinced that you and my Ranma-sama are the same person,' `And?' I shiver, keeping as still as I can with the lovely feeling of her fingers carressing my waist. `I thought that if that is the case I might interest you in some ice cream,' she breathes into my ear, leaning close, the warmth of her words stroking my neck with featherlight touches. `Treats,' I start, then pause as I realize just how ragged my breathing has gotten, `are a wonderful start for any relationship,' and I let my hand come to rest on the thick black cotton covering her thigh. `Good,' and her teeth lightly capture my neck, pulling firmly as she slowly shakes her head very slightly from side to side. - `Hey, Ukyou?' `Yeah?' `You know where Ranma got off to?' `Nope. Perhaps where you got off to last night?' `I hope not.' `Why?' `'Cause I want her here,' there is almost a whine to my voice, which I regret instantly. To cover it I quickly offer, `Would you like any help cooking?' Ukyou shudders, but quickly tries to cover for it, `No, but if you could bus the tables that'd help quite a bit. Ranma did it yesterday.' I nod, and start gathering plates, still fuming over that shudder. My cooking isn't that bad! Ranma only turns green anymore . . . Ranma also likes being bitten so hard that she bruises. Hmm. After six times through the bus/wash cycle I come forth with the question, `Hey, how did you learn to cook?' - I let the touch of her hand on mine distract me slightly from my ice cream, leaving just enough of my attention on it that it can't escape by melting, and no one will be able to steal it. `So, you are the same person as my Ranma-sama?' `I only told you that a couple times before,' I smile to lessen the sting of my words. `How is it possible?' I glance around the room to make sure no one is after my ice cream, `Well, almost a year ago now, we, me and kusooyaji, went to China to train. One of our last stops was a famous training ground called Juusenkyou. That was about all kusooyaji knew about the place, which is also known as the "cursed springs" and "pools of sorrow." Whatever falls into one of the pools takes the form of whatever drowned there first, at least until they are hit with hot water, at which they revert. They return to their cursed form with cold water. Damn pain in the neck.' `I should think. One moment you are a cute young man, and the next you're a gorgeous young woman, with no warning at all.' `Pretty much. I've gotten to the point that I can tell when cold water's gonna get me, most of the time. Can't do nothin' about it, but I can feel it coming.' `That must be difficult.' `Got that right,' I trace her fingers with my right hand, then pick up my spoon to give my ice cream the attention it needs before it melts. After a short while I finally divine the reason she said she did not need her own, and offer her a spoonful. Her eyes soften, glittering slightly, as she leans forward. A tiny driblet tries to escape down her chin as I pull the spoon out from between her lips. I lean forward, engulf it with my mouth, and carefully lick it, making sure her face is clean when I pull back. I'm shocked to note the glitter has spread, sliding slowly down her cheek. I set the spoon down, catch the slow moving tear with my fingertip, `Why?' `No one,' she gulps, looking down, `has,' she shakes her head, silent. Baffled, I lick the tear off my finger before offering her another bite of the ice cream. She takes it, and several more, before her tears abate. I take a bite myself, then prompt, `No one has?' `Before yesterday, nobody's ever been so nice to me.' `That can't,' I try to say, but she cuts me off, `Akane and you,' she pauses to take the proffered ice cream, `seem to actually care for _me_, the person, not the gymnist, not the rich girl, not the cold hearted bitch that my classmates admire so much, just me,' and she starts crying again. Distraught, I slide over in the booth, slipping around the corner to where she is sitting, and pull her firmly against me, tucking my arm around her waist and drawing her head down to rest on my shoulder. `Shhh,' *What, how, what do I do?* `I'll be here as long as we both can stand each other, how's that sound?' She sniffles, `Good,' pressing her face more firmly against my neck. I stroke her hair softly, watching the last dozen bites of the ice cream slowly melt, and wishing that I had more hands, because I know that the treat would at least help calm me otherwise, and I don't want to cry in public, even in a back-corner booth in a small ice cream parlor far from the normal haunts of my fellow students. I blink back the stinging in my eyes, the tightness in my solar plexus gnawing at me with dogged persistance. `Let's get some more ice cream into you, it'll make you feel better, OK?' `If you think so,' she says in a small voice, not moving. `I know so,' I loosen my grip, but don't let go entirely, `Up.' She pulls herself back, and I pull the ice cream closer with my left hand before unwrapping my right from around her waist. `Ahh,' I tell her, and she obediently opens her mouth. I feed her a bite, then myself, pleased by the familiar calming effect of the ice cream. After a very short while the ice cream is gone, and I carefully scrape the melted dregs from the dish as Kodachi leans firmly on my right side, her left arm around my waist and her head, somehow, tucked under my arm. Her position doesn't look at all comfortable, but she seems happy with it, so . . . - `Ukyou?' `Yeah?' `Why'd you do it?' `It?' `Why'd you decide to be nice to Ranma?' - The sun is sending long slanting rays towards our booth when Kodachi wakes up. I stroke her face gently with my the knuckles of my free hand. `Where?' she asks, snuggling agaist me. `Ice cream shop, still.' `How long?' `Hours.' `Why didn't you wake me?' her face looks so soft, so open . . . `You seemed to need the nap, so I left you to it. I like watching you, anyway.' `Thanks,' she blushes and glances down, and I wonder where this young woman in my arms came from, since she is certainly not the one who regularly chases me about. `You're welcome. We should probably be on our way.' `Probably,' she smiles as she says the word, then stretches up, kissing me on the lips, her own slipping open against mine. I respond before I think about it much, her warm body pressing hard against me. A loud thump from the table as we bump it startles me, and we break the kiss. I look at her in shock, desire burning in my veins. `Elsewhere?' she asks, her hand on my arm. `Elsewhere,' I agree, a little shakily. She leads me out, after dropping a few bills on the table. It looks to me like a hundred percent tip, but that's probably good, considering how long we sat there. - `We're closing up in a little bit, right?' I ask, bringing yet another set of plates back to wash. `Yeah, another twenty minutes or so.' `Good,' I say, then shut the plates in the washer and run it. A few moments later they're done, and I slide them out to dry. Reentering the main room I slip behind the counter to give Ukyou a hug, then gather the next round of plates. - I lean firmly against the taller young woman, watching the sunset on the river, her hands wrapped about my shoulders, tucking me close. The touch of her against me is maddening, desire pulsing through me in waves that shake me on my feet. I hold her, wondering about the mess I've gotten myself into recently. She seems so different like this. - `That's the last of them, right?' `Right.' `Good.' I step forward and pull her down to me, capturing her lips for a blissful eternity as her tongue dances with my own. I want this girl so. She breaks the kiss, `After we finish cleaning up. I'll get the Noren, you wipe the tables, and I'll get the grill while you finish the last batch of plates, OK?' `Right,' I start gathering the final batch of dishes. - `So, what shall we do next, kawaiikochan?' I blink at the discription, then smile up at her, `I don't know. We could go to Ukyou's, she'd feed us.' `Won't she be upset to see us together like this?' `If you are like this I don't think she'd mind. It's when you get all,' I chase the word around in my head for a while before I catch it, `agressively violent that you scare me, at least.' Kodachi makes a contemplative noise, looking a little down. `She'll probably feed you, so, you coming?' `Sure,' she seems happier, so I let it drop. - `What ever shall we do with you,' Ukyou murmurs, watching the mess I've made. Looking around, I think I can see part of why no one ever wants me to cook anything. `The toast at least is OK.' I manage, indicating the plate with the remaining six slices. `Yes, but how did you do this?' `I don't have a clue. One moment I was being very careful to do nothing more than stick bread in the toaster, wait for it to pop up, and then stick it on the plate, and then I just had to do more, so I started to try and make, I think, cinnamon toast, and then,' I indicate the mess, sugar, or at least I think it was sugar, several different types of brown powder, and three different types of oil splashed liberally about the small kitchen. `I really don't remember how this happened.' `Don't remember? How could you not remember?' `I don't know. It's like it just went black, and then I'm staring at the mess as you come into the room. One of my great-grandfather's friends would go into what he called black rages when he drank, and wouldn't be able to remember anything about what happened while he was like that. Maybe I just shouldn't cook.' `Or perhaps you should have someone watch over you while you do.' A warm, caring voice says from the doorway. `Kodachi?' I gasp, spinning to look. `'N me,' Ranma catches both of us when I almost knock Kodachi off her feet. `Hey, why don't I get a greeting like that outa you?' Ukyou grumbles from the center of her small kitchen. `'Cause you weren't gone all day,' I tell her, twisting a little bit to look at her, but not letting go of Kodachi. `Oh, is that it?' she says in a dry tone, then wraps her arms around all three of us. I grunt slightly when she squeezes the air from my lungs. Kodachi makes a small distressed noise, and Ukyou loosens her grip. After a little she lets us go, `I think we should clean up this mess, hmm?' `Ya think?' Ranma muses, looking at the horrible mess. - As diligent scrubbing finally begins to make a dent in the horrible mess Akane's attempt to make cinnamon toast left, I notice Kodachi getting less and less comfortable. After a little while I finally decide to ask her what's wrong, so I swipe one last time at the lump of carmelized sugar I've been working on, soak it again with the rag, and wonder just how Akane manage to stick it to the wall. `Um, What's bothering you?' She just shakes her head at me. `I can tell something is troubling you, so, could you tell me what it is?' She looks down, but says nothing. `Is it the way we're acting?' I glance towards Utchan and Akane, who are taking advantage a small break to endulge in a little bit of making out. `No, I don't know what it is, but something is bothering me, and I can't figure out what it is, so I can't tell you.' `Ah, one of those. I could take you home if you want me to,' `No, please,' She looks a little scared. `Tendouke?' `That would be acceptable.' `Then so it shall be.' - `Drat,' I mutter into Utchan's neck, `I was hoping for a chance with both of you.' `Perv,' she murmurs into my hair, then presses a soft kiss against it. - `Akane's room'd probably be best, since Oyaji's a real pain. I'd like to check in with Kasumi, if that's OK?' `Go ahead,' I lead her up the stairs and let her into Akane's room, then walk over to Kasumi's door. I lift my hand to knock when I hear a faint sound, so I stop and lean a little closer to the door. After a moment I figure out what the noise is, and step back, my face warming. I duck into Akane's room quickly, closing the door behind me. `Did she say something to embarass you?' `She didn't, no. It's just that she's a little involved right now, and I think I recognize the other woman's voice,' although I don't know why knowing that person is my mother is so shocking. `Oh, and who might that be?' Kodachi has a small smile to accompany the question. `It isn't my place to tell you that. You could ask Kasumi, if you really want to know.' `Oh, involved like that.' `Yes, like that, what were you thinking?' `I just have a hard time picturing Kasumi as that kind of person.' `What kind of person is that?' I step closer to her, `This kind?' I stretch up to kiss her on the lips. She melts, sliding around me, pressing me softly back into Akane's bed. I reach up, wrapping my arms around her surprizingly solid form, pulling her against me. She wiggles slightly, pressing me back against the soft mattress, and I shift to wrap my legs around her hips, feeling the softness of her through several layers of fabric. She moans softly, her hips rocking slowly against mine, and I bite my lip at the feeling. `How about we get you undressed?' we say in unison. I break, `First time I've had that happen,' I manage to laugh. `I'll take that as a "fine with me",' Kodachi pulls back a little bit, supporting both of us with one hand, while the other wiggles between us to undo the frogs on my shirt. I let my arms relax, falling back against the bed with a faint thump. Less encumbered Kodachi pulls back a little further, a soft smile gracing her face as she opens my shirt one frog at a time, pausing between each one to run soft fingers over the skin she's exposed. I press up against her hands, a faint contented moan trying to escape every time she touches me again. I let part of it out, but not all, quite sure that I don't want the other denizens of this house to find me like this. When she finally gets my shirt open she pulls it gently from my pants, stroking it back to lay at my side. I smile at the look of open lust on her face, perversely comforted by it. She leans forward, her shirt soft and cool against my skin as she trails kisses down my face, nibbling lightly at my neck, then faint, almost imperceivable nibbles across my collarbone and breast. Her teeth slide frictionless against my nipple, and I clamp my wrist in my teeth to keep quieter as she shifts against me, pressing a softly rounded thigh against my clothed vulva. A short eternity later I manage to get things back together far enough to speak again, `May I?' I ask, reaching up to catch the bottom frog on her shirt. `Please,' she breathes softly. I don't take the time or care that she put into the task, quickly stripping her shirt off, then wiggle free of my own. Pulling her lovely weight back down on top of me I ask, softly, `May I touch you?' `What do you think you're do . . . Oh, yes, please, touch me,' confusion turns to lust mid sentance. `Thank you,' I untie her belt, letting go of her with my legs so I can shift down a little further against her. Her skin is so soft to the touch, and I trace small entranced circles on her thigh, trying to keep from getting too distracted by the soft sway of her breasts, shifting with the force of her breath. Finally I declare it a lost cause and catch one of them against my face, first glorying in the soft touch of it on my skin, then catching her nipple between my lips. Her soft moan brightens momentarily into a sharp gasp when my questing fingers find her underwear, which, I note with a touch of pleasure, are boxers. I slip my fingers under the waist band, pressing soft curls against softer skin, then she murmurs a delightful, `yes,' as they come into contact with her labia. I guide them through the wonderful slick warmth of her lubricant, then lightly stroke her clitoris with gentle fingers. She groans, rocking her hips against me, pressing my fingers between our bodies. Almost instantly she orgasms, her full weight settling down on top of me, and I wrap my free arm across her back to hold her close to me. *-* --- log: 1999 June middle: re-read Gratuity, started 1999 July 5: added log 1999 July 24-27: wrote about 1600 lines . . . 1999 July 28-Oct 9: wrote about six hundred lines . . . 1999 Oct 10: Finished day three ^^; I don't know if I'll be able to finish this by the middle of next month at this rate. 1999 Oct 10: four hundred lines 1999 Oct 13: Two hundred lines so far; maybe I'll finish day four soon 1999 Nov 5: a few paragraphs of dialog, after not working on it for almost a month. If I really hussle, maybe I can still finish this in six months. 1999 Nov 8: a little more 1999 Nov 13: Finally got the Duo running; and added a good bit. 1999 Nov 16: Worked for an hour, added over a hundred lines, then had the Duo decide that her battery was too flat and crash. great fun. 1999 Nov 17: got some more done. 1999 Nov 18: Yay! nother section! 1999 Nov 27: Actually got a decent bit done. Yay! 1999 Dec 1: got most of day five done. 1999 Dec 2: updated log for Dec 1, added a tiny bit of day six 1999 Dec 3: Finished day five, tiny bit more of day six 2000 Feb 12: worked on it off and on over the last few couple months. The Duo got to be too obnoxious, both because she's a bit slow, but mainly because I don't have a power-addapter for her. Got the 520 back, because she didn't sell for a price I'd like, and so I'm back to work again. 2000 March 9: more playing with boxen. Got a Compaq Contura Aero 4/25 in trade, got linux up and running on it, got back to work, maybe. Did a little bit of work on the 520, but not much. 2000 March 19: Got some more done, finally. I hope to finish day six soon. 2000 March 25: Finished the first draft! Finally! YAY! 2000 March 28: First full edit. 2000 December 3: reread and editted. 2001 May 20: re-wrapped at 78 columns 2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.