Loa Blood

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

Faith crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"That just shows you've got rocks for brains as well as body, Mr. Know it all." She fumed at him. "Hope was in love with you soul, not your body. If you had been paralyzed from some stray bullet or something do you think she would have stopped loving you? NO! And this isn't any different. After you left she just threw herself in to her work and became...someone else. As it is the government have taken her away and locked her up in one of their research camps and no ones heard from her in ages.

"If you had BEEN there that might not have happened!" She stooped and gathered up her things. "I still want to do your story but I am in no mood right now. Meet me here tomorrow, since you said you were free for a few days. Make it noonish, I have a date tonight and might be out late."

She strode off.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

Hope.... in a camp!!!!!!

I didn't see Faith leave, everything was lost in a red rage inside of me.

I had let those bastards take my only true love!


I never noticed that the ground started shaking. Never heard the car alarms, nor the tree limbs breaking off. As far as earthquakes go it was a small one, maybe a 3.2; but this was a completely stable area, and nobody ever thought that one mans rage could move the earth, not even that man.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

Faith stumbled and almost fell before realizeing the the whole world seemed to be shuddering. Confused she looked around and saw the same look on everyone elses faces. Dogs barked, children cried, car alarms wailed.

Then it stopped.

Wipeing her nose on her sleeve she took a deep breath and continued back to the youth hostel.

 

[SwampThing]

As the ground stops shaking, Monolith realizes that his Coda radio is talking to him, in a woman's voice.

"Monolith? Come in, Monolith? This is Paige, Coda communications. Draconian Intelligence agents have been attacked and slain, both at the Prince's hospital, and at the King's hotel. No attempt was made to harm the King, but the Prince is missing. Eyewitnesses say it was green Ninjas, just like the police reports from the harbourmaster's murder.

"That only leaves the High Admiral on our list of suspects. Thorne wants you to head out to the Admiral's mansion to keep an eye on things.

"Monolith? Come in, Monolith . . . "
____________________________

"If it's not escaped pyromaniacs or murdering Ninja, it's ashen earthquakes!" Price grumbles as he drives around a busted water main. "At least I've got the night off, and a beautiful woman to enjoy it with."

Price shows up at the youth hostel a few hours before the concert. "I thought we'd have dinner first, and this time you can do the talking, if you want. Hey, Faith, what's the matter?"

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

I finally came back to my senses and noticed that Coda was trying to contact me.
"I am here. I will leave for the admirals home now. Please send me directions. I am at the intersection of Main and Dracon."
My mind was still a mass of confusion. I needed something to focus on, and this would do. When I got the directions I set off at a run, eager to get the job done.

 

[SwampThing]

Monolith strides along the streets until he's out of the city, and then leaps through the desert, one long bound after another. The navy base is set among cliffs on the southern coast. A high perimeter fence surrounds a wide, floodlit training yard, airstrip, and a few drab, squat buildings. Just off the cliffs, a loaded aircraft carrier and a few smaller military ships wait at the ready.

The High Admiral's mansion resets in the barren, rocky hills overlooking the base. Another high perimeter fence and floodlights. Soldiers standing guard outside.

The sun hangs low over the ocean, the cold, dark desert night beginning.

 

[amon_darknight]

Ghost

He sat in the park and just waited for Aya to return and thought of her never returning kept entering his mind. He let out a primal roar and screamed Aya’s name.

“AYA WHERE ARE YOU!!”

He than felt the ground start to shake and Ghost had enough balance to keep his footing, he heard all the car alarms go off and he drew his gun and started to slowly look around to see if anyone needed any help. He walked around and saw a very LARGE man and another person trying to get away from this LARGE man, Ghost went prone and watched what was going on and when the ground finally stopped shaking he cocked the gun and waited for the time to strike if he was the one that was causing the earthquake, but soon the voices told him to leave and leave this weirdo alone and for the first time Ghost agreed with the voices. He walked back to where he was sitting and he sat down again and a piece of paper flew into his lap and he read it and it said something about a concert tonight called the big Twelve concert and he thought maybe Aya would be there. But than the voices told him that he would be a target there for assassins there and that he should get some more ammo and guns and Ghost thought that they were right again, and he knew where a gun shop was, he walked all the way there to the underground black market weapon shop, it took him almost 7 hours to find the place, it was a good thing he overheard one of Pol's guys talking about it, otherwise he would have never found it, but he got there and walked in and walked around and looked around for another handgun and a shoulder holster and ammo. He saw a silver handgun and a rather large handgun that caught his eye. The sales attendant walked up to him.

Sales thug: “Will you hurry up, I have to take a piss really bad and I dont feel like waiting for you, but I guess i have to now asshole, oh you like that 50. Cal huh? It is my custom-built 12-clip heavy hammer gun, it is the best handgun. I will sell it to you for 5000. So what do you say, and make it quick, I told you that I have to piss really bad."

Ghost looked at him through his sunglasses and he smiled.

Ghost: “I need a double shoulder holster and another lots of ammo for this weapon and that large magnificent handgun that I am very interested in.”
Sales thug: “Sure, and this is a cash only business, we are not preppy cridet accepting dumbasses, now if you dont hurry up I will just kick you the fuck out and you wont get a single bullet bitch, now hurry up!.”

The sales Thug got everything that he wanted and he set on the table and Ghost’s smile went to smile to blank face. He took the two M9’s and loaded them and he put them in the holsters and he strapped the shoulder holster on and he grabbed another clip belt and strapped it on to his waist and took all the clips off the counter and put them in there place, the sales thug came out and saw what Ghost was doing and he stayed behind the counter and took a sawed off shotgun and cocked it and looked at Ghost with a hostile intention in his eyes.

Sales Thug: “What the fuck do you think you are doing? Are you trying to jack me, well motherfucker today is your lucky day cause you are going to meet Bubba Ray and Ray, get him and kill him boys.”
Ghost: “I dont want to fight or hurt anyone, I have no money and I need these weapons baddly, so if you can call your dogs off, I will leave you alone and no one has to get hurtl."
Sales Thug: "Shut the fuck up, get him and kill him."

Ghost felt the presence of two other men enter and rush him from behind, he quickly threw his coat at the sales thug and he whipped his sword still in the sheathe around and it made a solid connection to one of the thugs nose, everyone in the room heard the sickning sound of bone crushing and that thug fell to the ground and laid unconscious in a pool of his own blood. The other thug had some fighting experience, cause he grabbed Ghost by the arm and disarmed him and he thought he held the upper hand by taking his sword from him, but that is where the thug erred, he was than forced to drop the sword cause he had a barrel of a M9 in his face.

Ghost: "Now kindly take 2 steps away from my sword and stand still. Now Mr. Sales Thug, if you dont want to see your friend die, than i suggest you throw the shotgun down to the ground across the table and throw a box of shells with it as well, if you dont, you will be cleaning brains from the ground."
Sales Thug: "OK, OK, dont shoot him."

The sales thug, threw hsi shot gun over the counter and tossed Ghost's jacket down over the counter as well, he than grabbed a box of shells and threw those on his jacket.


The thug did what he said and he put his hands up.

Sales Thug: "There I did what you asked now leave and leave my friend alone. I promise you this, if you dont kill me, I am going to hunt you down and kill you. I promise you that."
Ghost: "Now that was not a nice thing to say, throw a few boxes of 9mm ammo as well and a box of .50 Cal ammo as well, actually put it in a bag for me...."

The thug that was being held at gun point grew some balls and rushed Ghost, but he was ready for that. He never had any intention of killing these men, but the voices almost commanded him to kill, Ghost had trouble this time shutting the voices out, but he barely managed to do so as he took a hard hit to the face and than he was flipped down to teh ground and his gun slipped out of his hand and across the room it went. Ghost looked up at the man and saw he wanted a fist fight, Ghost did a kick up to his feet and his metallic arm seemed shined in the light of the room and the Thug came in with his attack, a left jab and another left jab than a right uppercut, Ghost saw every attack comming and he dodged the first two attacks and he caught the arm of the uppercut and he used the momentum of his move to move behind him and he broke the mans right arm. Ghost only laughed at him, but the thug was persistant, he had a lot of heart, he came again after the screaming stopped and started to swing with hsi left arm, but Ghost parred all the attacks away with his metal arm and upon contact the thug stopped attacking as his knuckles were bleeding. Ghost knew it was time to finish this he took a breathe and he took two short steps and he moved at only a quarter of his LOA speed and he jumped into the air and did a jump kick into the chest of the thug knocking him through the closed door completly shattering and blowing up the door. Ghost than turned around and saw the thug salesman loading another gun and Ghost was on him in a heart beat.

Ghost: "Dont do that, I have your custom built handgun to your back and it will leave a big hole if I fire, right?"

Ghost heard him gasp and the only thing he said before Ghost struck him over the head with the butt of the gun was.

Sales Thug: "What are you? You are not human.... uggg"

He hit the ground and than Ghost ran and picked up his jacket and his M9 and ran and got his sword and loaded the bag with the little ammo he found for the three guns he had now, but before he knew it, he heard yelling comming from outside, Ghost knew he didnt have time for another fight, so he again took a deep breathe and seemed to vanish, the door particles flew from teh ground, the glass window shattered a person walking down the stairs was knocked down and baddly injured from his fall, Ghost was running and running fast he was. Before he knew it, he was on the back ally streets and far from where he entered the underground city, he was very tired and was breathing hard as sweat poured down his face as his legs and feet were like lead weights, he dragged himself into a furninture store and he walked in and got the the back of the store and he flopped down onto the bed and rested. The sales attendant saw the whole thing and yelled out.

Sales attendant: "YOU THERE, THIS IS NOT A HOTEL, WE DO NOT ALLOW WEAPONS IN THE STORE! I AM CALLING THE COPS!"

Ghost eyebrow twitched as he heard that and he drew the shot gun from the bag and held it up very weakly, but he had enough strength to hold it up to him and take aim.

Ghost: "Look, if you dont want to die, put the phone down and let me rest for a few minutes, please. I dont want to harm you, but if I am forced to than I will.

The sales man, saw the shotgun and he dropped the phone.

Sales Man: "Please dont hurt me, I have a wife and kids, you can rest as long as you want, I will even go and lock the door so no one can come in."
Ghost: "Look, I am not going to hurt you, I only need to rest and make sure you are not going to try and hurt me when I am sleeping, so this is what I want you to do, rip that phone cord out of the wall and smash the phone. After that, walk to the door and lock it and put the closed sign up, than walk over to me and give me your cell phone and your wallet and keys to the store and your car and house. Do this and I swear to you, that I will not hurt you."

The sales man did as he was told, he ripped the phone out of the socket and smashed the phone with his foot till it was complety destroyed and he than walked over to the door and locked it and put the closed sign up, than he walked over to Ghost and the sweat was pouring from his face and it sounded like he was going to cry. He put his cell phone and wallet and keys on the bed beside Ghost and he stood there.

Ghost: "Good, now if there is another phone in the store go and rip it out and bring it here."
Sales Man: "The only other phone in the store is in the managers office and that is it. I dont want to die, I swear to you that is the truth."
Ghost: "Sigh, look as long as you listen to me, I will not hurt you, I never wanted to hurt you, I only wanted to rest and that made our destinies cross, now I am going to go and rest in the managers office, I want you to stay in the store and dont try anything, I have your licence and I will take what is most precious to you away, dont try to get help, I am a nice guy and I dont want to be a asshole. So lets just do what we got to do and it will be over before you know it."

Ghost put the shotgun back in the bag and took the mans wallet and keys and phone and put them in the bag as well, he got up slowly and weakly and to his surprise the Sales man helped him, he led him into the managers office and Ghost could only smile.

Ghost: "Thanks, I told you I was not going to do anything, and I know you are not going to do anything. Now I am going to rest, knock on this door 4 times if something happens, and I will see to what needs to be done. Now go and rest or do something out there, just remember dont try anything, for your familys life is on the line. Dont think of me as a bad guy, I hate doing things like this, its just not me, but I am forced to now, please understand that and I know if you were me, you would do the same thing. Now go and get out."

The sales man walks out and closes the door and Ghost walks over and puts all the locks on and he lays down on the ground and closes his eyes and than he thinks of something, he reaches into the bag and pulls the sales assaintants wallet out and looks through it.

Ghost: "Henry Wallace, I am sorry."

He looked through the wallet and saw his wife and kids and he smiled, he than put the wallet away and went to sleep. He knew Henry would not try anything, he would rest and tonight he would find his soulmate, Aya at that concert and he would reunite himself with her.

 

[SwampThing]

Guns are illegal for citizens in Argo, and so commercial gun shops are non-existant. But Ghost remembered some of the kids in Pol's chill pad talking about an underground gun shop operating out of an auto mechanic's.

It takes him several hours to track the place down, trying to avoid being seen as his sword, claw, and white hair make him easy to identify. By now, every cop in the city would be looking for him.

The owner of the shop is treats the stranger with suspicion from the beginning. He asks Ghost where he heard about the shop, but when Ghost mentions Pol, the man brings out the guns Ghost asked for. A couple of thugs come into the room to watch over the transaction.

When the two thugs see Ghost putting on the weapons without paying, they rush him. They are no match for Ghost, however, and soon he is running off with his new hardware.

He collapses on the bed at a furniture store. The sales attendent sees this strange-looking, heavily armed man, and calls to him from behind the sales desk, across the room.

"Sir, we don't allow weapons in the store! I'm calling the police!"

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Kell

Kell, a worried look on his face, continued to search. His slight limp had completely vanished as he finally doubled back to his room, not even realizing the motes of power that drifted behind him as the radiance engulfed his body.

When he saw Mary peeking out of his door, he stopped, and the aura faded as well. He visibly relaxed, smiling.

"Mary! I... I thought maybe you had left. I was worried."

He walked up and clasped one of Mary's hands, smiling widely for the first time since... ever.

"Thank you so much for staying here and waiting for me. I... recovering rather quickly. It seems like the radiance from my hand has been working overtime and flowing over me... I feel tired, but since my burns are gone, I'm refreshed at the same time... and..." He shook his head slowly, still smiling. "...and I'm glad you're okay. I was worrying about you."

Who was that nurse? She was so familiar... and I don't think she looked anything like Mary, so why was I reminded of Mary? Though, actually... what did she look like? I know that voice from somewhere... but it couldn't be... she just seemed like the same person, that's all. She couldn't have been...

<<--->>

Amy

She parked her car outside her parents' house and walked in. Her job finished fairly early, as it was only volunteering, and she was looking forward to finally eating. There hadn't been any time for eating before, not since the disaster.

So many Gifted all of a sudden... so many disasters... and now Kell... Kell is...

She shook her head quietly. What she needed was some entertainment. The concert wasn't really her style, and they probably wouldn't appreciate someone who actually knew how to dance there, but she was capable of letting loose. Sure she was. No problem.

She was overworking herself, though. Taking up all her time, always. Dancing, singing, working hard in school, and now volunteering over the summer...

Sure. I have fun. I meet up with my friends. It's not like I'll ever have a boyfriend, but... I don't know if I want one. I wouldn't want to make public displays of affection or anything... and I don't think guys really go for girls like me. They never have before, anyway.

Kell told me I was beautiful, once...

Kell... oh, Kell, how are you?

I mean... you could never be my boyfriend. You know that. And I know the way you feel about me isn't... what it would normally be. But... it wouldn't be so bad... I guess...

...I'm sure we could help each other...

...oh, I'm thinking too much. I really just need to go to that concert, no matter if I don't enjoy the music. At least it should blast the thoughts out of my skull...

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki arrived back at the Killer Bee's hide out feeling worn out. Despite her new resolve her heart still ached for Damien. She had to stop herself more then once from reaching out to him. Why had he left her? He had seemed to feel the same as she. Growling under her breath she forced those thoughts away. She refused to be weak. She searched out Chapel finding him in the bar relaxing. "Chapel, when exactly is this twelve concert? I'm ready to kick out the old and start the new as soon as possible!"

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

It took less than ten mintues to toss the few things she'd unpacked at the hostel back into her bag and hail a cab to Price's house. He'd told her where the spare key was (under a dead flower's pot, of all the silly things for a COP to do!) and she let herself in.

The room still screamed "Single professional male obessed with work" but it was comforting to know that it was a persons home, and not a faceless room through which a hundred faceless people had passed.

She emptied all his stinky ashtrays into the bin and set the bag outside the back door before taking over his bathroom and settleing down for a good soak-and-cry.

By the time Price walked in the door she was vaccuming with her headphones on singing to a Twelve song:

"You came and took
Without a look
Everything that I built
And broke it
And broke it

All the tears and fears
Bottled up for years
You smashed to the ground
And broke it
And broke it

Thank YOU!
For the neccessary pain
Thank YOU!
For the hurt and the gain
Thank YOU!"

Seeing him framed in the doorway, leaning up against the lintel and smirking slightly she slipped the headphones off her ears and grinned at him. "Don't you ever dust?"

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

He shook his head slowly, still smiling. "...and I'm glad you're okay. I was worrying about you."

She grinned back and drew him into the room, relocking the door. "You were worried about me? Doofus! I was worried about you! I didn't have a building fall on my head."

She gave him a warm hug, but released him quickly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I'm just so happy to see you OK."

Mary crossed to sit on his bed and started picking at the meal they had left for him but had gone untouched. "Talk about tired! I was in the waiting room all night and everytime I'd drift off some baby would start crying or something." She looked him over with a critcal eye.

"You look at lot better than I thought you would, though. Can we go home now? This place werids me out."

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

He sighed happily as she hugged him, and then smiled again, though slightly more sadly, when she apologized.

Heeey, Kell, she's bringing you in the room and locking the door. This would be a good time to--

--a good time to shut up and stop being a teenager. Damn. Sometimes I can't believe myself.

"Don't worry about it. It's nice to have someone looking after me again. I, uh... feel like I can trust you."

Shaking his head slightly, suddenly a bit embarassed, Kell looked away. "Yeah. I'm okay now. Let's get out of here before that, ah, talkative nurse gets back..."

He unlocked the door, looked out to see the coast was clear, and beckoned for Mary to come out. She followed him out of the hospital, and they managed to get through unnoticed. Kell didn't want to bother with the complications of telling people he was leaving -- and anyway, since they know he's Gifted, people might be looking for him.

Besides... I have to report to that Coda place at some point, don't I? I ought to tell them I'm okay. I think I have their card...

"Mary, is there a pay phone around here?" he asked, gathering his black jacket around him and turning to face her, brushing his rakish hair back. "I want to tell my... new employer that I'm alright. And that I helped out in the fire. Heh! He might be glad to know I'm making myself useful."

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

"It's a hospital, I'm sure there are tons of phones. But..." She glanced back the way they came. "I have a feeling the place is going to be crawling with cops any mintue so we might want to put a little distance between here and us before that happens. Besides, I'm hungry, aren't you?" Taking his hand she pulls him out the glass doors and onto the street as the wails of approaching police waft through the air...still some distance away.

And a small crowd encircles what appears to be a body laying broken on top of ambulance amid a lot of glass.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Kell

"Actually, now that you mention it--"

His stomach burbled.

"--I am a little hungry," Kell said, sounding a bit embarassed.

He glanced sidelong down at her hand holding his, but didn't say anything, and glanced away quickly before she noticed him looking. He didn't try to pull away, either.

Oh, man. What am I thinking? I never act like this. Well, every once and a while around Amy, but this seems different from that, even...

...Amy... was it really her? It couldn't have been... she would have said something...

"I got advanced a little on my job, just so I could take care of myself for a while," he said. "Take me somewhere, and I'll pay. Right now I can't really think of what I want to eat, so you decide."

I wonder where that Monolith guy is, anyway...?

<<--->>

Amy

She lay on the couch, eyes closed. She was hungry, but couldn't even bring herself to make herself something.

I want to be served. I'll go out to eat. Nobody's home, anyway... and I feel like being around people today... the television just isn't doing it for me...

Gracefully turning off the couch, she slipped her shoes on and gathered her purse, stepping out the door and into the sun again.

My book's in my purse, so... I'll be around people, and I'll be reading. I won't have to worry about Kell... anyway, I'm sure he's taking care of himself... but considering how quickly he healed, I'm sure he's slipped out of the hospital by now.

I should've said something... but... no. I don't regret not telling him who I was. For some reason, it seemed right being anonymous that time. If I see him again, though... well, I'll see if he recognizes me...

Smiling slightly, but with a hint of sadness, she got back in her car.

 

[poohlive]

Kriegan wrote it all down, as if he were required to memorize each piece of information. A paper trail would devastate him at this crucial moment, but he had to take a few risks in order to make sure he gathered everything. Faith would have a busy night, and he didn't want to miss a single moment.
He had followed her from the hostel, where it looked as if she was moving out. This pleased him greatly. A hostel had people running in and out everywhere, it was almost a public place. If he wanted to talk to her, really talk to her, than he would have to get her somewhere far more private.
She hailed a cab, he followed on a throwaway bike.
The house surprised him, but not much. He watched as she grabbed for a key under a flower pot, making a note on his paper where it had been. If he got back here, he would want to search the house for anything. The less signs of breaking and entering would be helpful.
He wasn't all about smashing and killing, there was a softer side to his work.
Somewhere.
He stayed outside throughout most of the afternoon, making little notes. Someone else lived here, a roomate or something. A man, by the looks of things. She had taken out the trash, and a quick look through it showed him that it was a guy living there.
Faith seemed to keep herself busy inside, cleaning. She took an hour off to bathe, and then moved onto other parts of the house.
Kriegan moved away from the house, not wanting to grab any more attention from neighbors or even her. She was only human, but even she could steal a glimpse the wrong way, and it would all be over.
He stayed out far enough away so he couldn't be noticable, but close enough to see everything.
Someone came home. A man, alone, young looking. He stepped right up to the house, giving Kriegan a pretty good idea that it was his.
Kriegan dropped something into his hand, a small device, only one button on it. He walked to the car that the man had stopped in, and dropped to his knees. The device stuck to the underside very well, and without a second glance, he walked back to where he had parked the throwaway bike.
He only drove a few blocks away, stopping to make sure the thing worked. A small red dot appeared on a display screen he had fumbled out of a pocket. He gave a great smile, wondering just where they were going to go on such a fine evening as this.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

Within walking distance was a Donny's, open 24 hours and a world wide chain that copied itself over and over again right down to the placement of the bathrooms and the art on the walls.

In a way Donny's resturants were the only perment home she had, more familer to her than any one place.

"I'll have coffee with creamer, OJ, a Razzle a hungry man breakfast, over medium, white toast, and a Locrir waffle with strawberries and whipped cream." She ordered promptly. When the waitress began to walk away she called after her. "Hey, he didn't order yet!"

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Kell stared at Mary for a few moments, jaw slack, before turning to the waitress.

"I, uh, had forgotten last time. You do eat well, don't you?" He glanced up at the waitress, smiling gently. "Get me, uh, the Locrir waffle with strawberries, and, bacon and hash browns. And an extra side of bacon."

He eyed Mary. "I bet you're just buying all this because I'm paying, huh." He grinned.

As the waitress walked off, shaking her head, Kell glanced at the poster on the inside of the building. It seemed to be advertising some sort of concert.

"Twelve? I haven't heard of that band... but the poster looks good-quality. They must be making money -- or the fans care enough to put up advertisements that aren't just cheap photocopies." He glanced back at Mary, raising an eyebrow. "Are you doing anything tonight? Maybe we could hang out there. I haven't listened to live music in... quite a while."

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

"Sure." Mary shrugged, looking up at the poster. "They've gotten a lot better since they frist started out. I remember when they had Tobi Innges as the gitarist..sounded like the cat was still alive when he was playing the guts."

The waitress arrived with their drinks and Mary looked pensive as she sugar and creamed her coffee. "I think, um...That you have been really up front with me...and we have a level of trust that's not...exactly equal....and so I think I should tell you....."

(OCC: Cue AMY)

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

"So I think I should tell you..."

Kell leaned forward, one eyebrow raised--

"Kell?"

--and then jerked back, turning around immediately.

"A... Amy?"

An attractive young girl with tan-dark skin and dark hair stood at the entrance to the restaurant, her eyes wide. She didn't say anything, but simply stared at Kell. She then glanced at Mary, blinked, and glanced back at Kell.

"Amy..." Kell said softly. "It was you, wasn't it? At the hospital? Or... am I crazy?"

"It was me," she said quietly, stepping forward. "I'm... glad you're alright. I was worrying."

"Amy... you shouldn't worry about me..."

They looked at each other with unreadable expressions for a second, and then Amy glanced at Mary again, this time with a slightly embarassed expression. "Um, Kell, this is...?"

"Oh!" Kell turned back to look at Mary, as if just remembering she was there, and then looked back at Amy. He seemed to be blushing slightly, surprisingly. "This is, um, my friend from a ways back, Mary. I've been staying with her."

"Oh," said Amy, her hands still clasped at her front. "I... I see. It's nice to meet you, Mary. I'm Amelia Jeckett. But everybody calls me Amy."

Kell looked back at Mary. He tried to give her an apologetic expression, and hoped she caught it.

Oh, man, I feel like a total idiot. What are they thinking now? And Mary... I just cut her off, didn't I? Damn it...

"Would you like to join us, Amy?" He glanced back at Mary again. "Is it alright, Mary? I haven't seen her in a while."

As if she can say no right in front of Amy's face. Damn it, damn it, Kell. You can't help somebody without hurting somebody, huh?

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

"Actually, I was going to ask the same thing!" Mary laughed easily and scooted over to make room for Amy. Saved by the bell...or lass as the case may be.

"Kell and I just bumped into each other eariler this week, actually, and he didn't have a place to stay so I'm letting him crash on my couch, such as it is." She held out her hand to Amy. "I'm a freelance artist and so my couch isn't exactly as comfy as one could wish for. Think 'Starving artist garret'."

As if to prove the point the waitress returned with their food and set heaps of it in front of the Mary, who with her clouds of white-blonde hair and doll-like bule eyes hardly looked as if she'd be able to eat it all.

 

[SwampThing]

As Kriegan places the tracking device on Price's car, he notices the police scanner and dome light on the dashboard. The guy is a cop.
______________________________

"Faith?" Price asks, looking around an apartment he barely recognizes when it's clean. "Are you okay? You seem sort of . . . manic. Even for you."
______________________________

Chapel nods to Nikki. "Just a few more hours now. You should go with Mark, get set up before the media arrive on the scene."

Mark leads Nikki to a large unmarked van. They share the back with two corpses, both on ice, one dressed identically to Nikki, the other to Mark. He's dressed in a black paramilitary outfit with a full face mask. He wears a prominently displayed Aralian bounty-hunter's ritual dagger. "Crazy, isn't it, how a nation so advanced can still cling to so many old traditions? Here, put this belt on. You and I are going to fight on the roof of the concert hall. I'll be using real grenades, so they'll attract a lot of attention, and create a lot of confusion. The belt will prevent a grenade from activating when you're actually nearby. They'll just release a flash and some smoke instead."

The van arrives at the concert hall. Nikki can see that the lot behind it has been sealed off by high wooden walls. "So we fight, and then we fall into that lot. We make our escape through the sewers, covered by another explosion, and they only find these two bodies. Pretty good plan of yours. Let's get into place on the roof.

"So, keeping one step ahead of the bounty hunters must make it hard to maintain a relationship, huh? You got a fella, Nikki?"

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

"Faith?" Price asks, looking around an apartment he barely recognizes when it's clean. "Are you okay? You seem sort of . . . manic. Even for you."

Faith levels a look at him. "I can take that several ways but I am desideing to ignore it as I don't want to ruin our date tonight. Now, do old foggies like you need naps before late nights out, or what?"

 

[SwampThing]

"Very funny. Just a shower though. Then I thought we'd grab some dinner before the show. We didn't get to talk much the other night, and I'd like to hear about your life, your homeland, your family.

"The place looks amazing, Faith. Thank you, you really didn't have to . . . but you knew that. You did it because you wanted to. Are you sure you're all right?"

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Kell

That... was easy.

Stupid, Kell. What were you thinking? That Mary would be offended or embarassed? Mary's mature, and doesn't think about you like that. You could do with some maturing yourself.

Damn, damn. Now I feel like even more a fool. Nothing happened, so I should just keep my cool. And I'm not interested in either of them like that. I was just worried they thought so. I'm sure Amy didn't care either. I'm just too self-conscious.

...Mary's an artist? Well, no wonder it was so rough.

Kell smiled as the two girls sat next to eat other. "Are you working at the hospital then, Amy?"

<<-->>

Amy

"I'm a freelance artist and so my couch isn't exactly as comfy as one could wish for. Think 'Starving artist garret'."

Amy giggled slightly. "Well, I'm glad that Kell has a friend he can depend on. We go... well, went... to the same high school, so I was hoping he was alright. It's lucky I was able to talk to him at the hospital..."

"Are you working at the hospital then, Amy?"

"Yes," she said, smiling at Kell, her hands folded neatly in her lap. "I'm volunteering in the emergency room."

"Damn," said Kell, shaking his head quietly. "Dance captain, vocal ensemble, and volunteering over the summer? Industrious, industrious."

Kell... you flatter me too much... Mary's going to think something...

Amy blushed slightly. "Oh, no, I wouldn't say that. I just keep myself busy."

Kell smiled softly. "I should do the same. But I think I've scored myself a job, so I'll be doing something that I'll hopefully enjoy." He shook his head gently. "Maybe I should join a dojo or something. Martial arts are good for the focus... I need to stop thinking so much."

"You're not going to stop thinking, Kell," said Amy, sounding a bit like a mother. "Unless you mean thinking intellectually, like analyzing things. You do too much of that..."

"Right. Analyzing. It's my hobby." He smirked slightly. "But I'll never understand how you keep yourself so busy all the time. I don't know if I'd be able to take it."

I'm a little nervous. I want to ask if something's going on between them, but I don't want to imply anything... but that's impossible. Yet, Mary seems so carefree... she doesn't even seem to notice. Unless it's a farce... oh, I wasn't up for something like this today...

"Well, I treat myself sometimes," she said, trying to shake off Kell's praise. "I'm going to the Twelve concert tonight. They're very popular, you know. It's not really my style, but I need to do something. And anyway, you seem to ride yourself even harder than I do, even though you do fewer activities. And you have a lot more to worry about."

This time, Kell seemed flustered. "Oh, ah, well..."

Amy turned back to Mary and smiled. "If Kell ever becomes a bother, he can stay at my place for a little while. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind. They've always liked him."

"A... a bother?" stammered Kell. "What... I..."

Amy simply grinned at Kell, and he blinked a few times before bursting into chuckles.

"Heheh. Oh, well..." He blinked again and looked up at Amy. "You said the Twelve concert? We were thinking about going too, just for something to do... I'll treat you too, if you like... I got some advance payment from my job..."

"Oh, no, I already bought my ticket, thanks. But maybe we can go together?" Amy smiled at him, and the waitress finally arrived.

"Um, I'll have toast, and a side of scrambled eggs. And water, please."