.this is the end. - .an x/1999 roleplay.

FIC ;; let nothing you dismay ;; LONDON

corporeal — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 00:38:57 GMT

Okay so this is a thing I've spent less time on than I should've, but took too long to finish. Some of it sucks, some of it I'm happy with, but you've been warned.

Characters; Mieke, Casper, Anke, Griet, Johannes, Oliver, Skuld, Erich, Tinka, Jack, Kiara, Phantasia, Marcella, Rayton, Acacia, Sebastian, mention of others.
What; Advent, 1999.

Tuesday, November 30th, 1999 ;; Mieke and Erich
It's rarely open, yet between her winning personality and a considerable sum of money, Mieke de Carvalho Heineken becomes Mieke Köhler in the 12th century chapel a few miles from the white cliff of Dover, knowing the name change will drive her mother crazy, and that when she does take over the main office, she will have to change back, or at least use it regularly, but for now she enjoys seeing him slightly uncomfortable in the suit he actually wore for her, even if, despite all her teasing and finger waggling, she knows won't last long.

He seems appreciative as well, although she's not always sure, but she does enjoy the pale fabric flowing from her waist, a makeshift dress, so to speak, the chiffon not made for a wedding, her veil abandoned for a ring of flowers in her hair, but at least Casper can't laugh at her dressed in white, and she realizes with light amusement that Charlene will make them have a party in London and she hasn't even warned Erich.

But that's hours off, and with a thank you, they leave, and for once, she's not the one linking their hands together.

Wednesday, December 1st, 1999 ;; Tinka and Jack
She couldn't stop blushing for a full hour after finding Mieke's note, and then there was that... pack of... condoms, and it took another hour of doubting and fretting and flailing before she could decide what she wanted to do, and yet another hour for her to work up the courage to actually ask him to come over, so when the doorbell rings, Tinka flings it open and without hesitating, she closes her eyes and kisses Jack, because thinking about it any more will surely make her explode something.

And sure enough, ninty minutes later and there are feathers scattered all around Erich's bedroom, but Tinka can't think about it, because even if she's sore, there's a stupid grin on her face and it doesn't register to either of them just what Erich will say once he comes home until much later.

Thursday, December 2nd, 1999 ;; Phantasia
It seems like it's colder this year than it's been before, but in the confines of her family's shop, Phantasia sits comfortably on embroidered pillows between incense and heavy draperies, her cards spread out before her as she tells a teenaged girl she'll meet someone over Christmas, but watch out for tall men whose names start with L even if they might shine a little brighter than others.

After the girl leaves, giggling with her friends, Phantasia makes sure she'll be lucky this holiday season, before her mind drifts to another Christmas in another place and knows that if she'd stayed there life wouldn't be life at all because someone didn't follow the advice she was never given. But when Phan leaves that night, the world sparkles as the street lamps cast yellow light on crystalized ice falling from the sky, and she smiles, sticking her tongue out to catch more than one beautiful and unique snowflake.

Friday, December 3rd, 1999 ;; Acacia
She used to drink because it was fun. Even without company, she enjoyed the whoozy feeling as she tried to get up and promptly fell on her arse, her laughter echoing through her apartment.

Now, the pearly sound echoes through her parents' empty house before it chokes on a sob and she wants to kick herself for not being strong enough, angrily wiping away tears that she tells herself she's not shedding, and when she puts on the mask of cheerful ignorance, it seems just as convincing as it always did, but she feels hollower each time she walks out the door to a London that still stands and despite herself, she resents those who saved it, even if they're her friends.

Saturday, December 4th, 1999 ;; Casper
He stares at her post on the community for a good ten minutes before shaking his head furiously. He has two illegitimate children he's already recieving bitching over, and asking out the clumsy, albeit hot, girl that he vaguely recalls has at least two brothers would be a horrendously bad idea and he's sure Griet wouldn't be happy with him either.

Why he's lately been trying to actual have friendly contact with her after what she did, he doesn't know, but it seems to make his mother happy, and when she's happy, he doesn't need to avoid her. Much. That's reason enough, isn't it?

Casper lights up in an attempt to clear his head, and as usual, it works.

Sunday, December 5th, 1999 ;; Anke
She can see her mother is annoyed, if not angry, by the way Charlene's eyebrow keeps twitching as they sit down at the table, how her lips are pursed as she listens to Casper bullshit his way through saying grace, and most of all, her father's glancing at his wife every other minute.

Anke doesn't blame her, but where before she would be annoyed at Mieke for not being present right along with her mother, she feels almost a little triumphant instead and it puzzles her until she's distracted by Johannes asking Griet when she's bringing Miles around and the inquistive looks their father gives his youngest daughter while Griet tries to hide behind her napkin, blushing and glaring at her brother.

Casper is laughing and Anke has to smile.

Monday, December 6th, 1999 ;; Sebastian
Besides Will, her grave is the closest link he has to New York now, and he stands with his grandson on his arm, staring at the letters blazing the name of Catherine Brown up at him. Sebastian never really knew her past what Ris told him, -- he was too old to socialize with any of them, really, but Emma is gone and Ris is dead and there are no flights to JFK anymore, and he feels the least he can do is make sure her tombstone isn't grey and dreary, for Cath was always everything but.

He leaves candles flickering around her grave, it's too cold for flowers and wreaths are too sad, but he likes to think the warmth the seven individual flames gives off will be enough to sustain her until the next day and until spring, and although he doesn't know it at the time, Will will continue his daily ritual even after he's buried on the other side of town.

Tuesday, December 7th, 1999 ;; Johannes
It didn't really bother him at first, but a few more days passed, even Johannes had to admit his sister's disappearance was at an odd time, and although he'll not contemplate the fact that he's contemplating where she went off to, he can't help but ask the rest of his siblings even if all of his suggestions are ridiculous.

They joke, because that's what they do, and nobody wants to think about what's going to happen if she really has disappeared, but if that thought isn't the most ridiculous, Johannes doesn't know what is, so he suggests she's been killed by drapery and wonders idly if he won't get to bring a pierced dyke to dinner now.

Wednesday, December 8th, 1999 ;; Oliver, Kiara and Marcella
He doesn't really know what to say to either of them, now. They're meeting to have a beer, but for the last thirty minutes, it's only been drinking together in silence. Maybe there's nothing to say at all, and if there is, he doesn't know what, and if there isn't, it doesn't matter and they can just be Scottish and drink.

It's nice, he muses, that he doesn't have to have something to talk about with his siblings, even when they haven't known eachother for that long, that the silence isn't awkward, almost preferred.

It takes another ten minutes before Marcella turns to him, glancing at Kiara for a second before posing the question that makes Oliver realize they never got that far before the world almost ended.

«So. When's the wedding?»

Thursday, December 9th, 1999 ;; Skuld and Oliver
He had to spend another day on the contemplating and the why and when and whyfors, for reasons he doesn't really understand himself as he's never planned that far ahead for the last twenty years, but when he comes home after work and finds her frowning over a medical volume in their living room, Helene and James curled up together in a crib next to her, he knows he's an idiot for not running home at once after meeting his siblings.

She looks up and smiles, closing the book before standing up and with a light «I saved you dinner,» makes her way into the kitchen. But before she can get that far, and because the time of having to think about everything is over, he grabs her wrist and pulls her against him in a kiss, parting with an even lighter «New Years Eve. Wear white.» and she looks confused at first and even now he finds her adorable, but then realization shows in her eyes and Skuld looks down for a quick moment before he feels her arms around him and with the snow outside, it actually feels like advent for once.

Friday, December 10th, 1999 ;; Rayton
Nothing changes anymore. It's winter and so it snows. It's London and life goes on. But water won't turn to wine no more than his saliva will turn to acid, and Rayton sits in his apartment without a little girl to corrupt or a mission to fulfill, and the alcohol doesn't taste less of ashes than it did before.

He watches Acacia talk without any real interest when she drops by, he never sees Marcella though it's not like that surprises him. The other girl, he can hardly remember her name, but he hasn't heard anything about her either, and so he just doesn't let her enter his thoughts.

Maybe it's just him that's not changing.

Saturday, December 11th, 1999 ;; Jack
It hasn't even been a month since it happened, and even though he's happy to walk through Hyde Park, hand in hand with his girlfriend – lover? – no, girlfriend, he can't help but feel bad about doing just that because even though he never knew them for the majority of his life, his sister and mother are both dead, and despite not knowing what to miss, he does miss them.

When his father shows up later that night with gingerbread and Will, some of the guilt leaves, because he can at least see part of Ris in the baby, even if there's an unsettling, although familiar, green glint in his eyes that reminds Jack all too much of Lucian.

If anybody notices, they don't comment, and the evening is spent playing cardgames and getting fat.

Sunday, December 12th, 1999 ;; Griet
She thought it'd be something like this, and is grateful for the distraction from torturing Miles, instead her family is torturing Mieke while Erich looks like he wants the earth to open up and swallow him whole, but Griet can't blame him, her mother can be right down scary.

When she's finally cooled down, it's already time for everyone to leave, and she says goodbye at the door to «her boy» as he gets dubbed by her siblings, but later that night there's a rock thrown at her window and eagerly, the youngest Heineken girl opens the latch to have her own rebellion climb up the trellis on the outer wall.

If everyone only knew, but at least he cares about her in a way she's sure Casper has never cared about the girls he visits in the middle of the night.

Monday, December 13th, 1999 ;; Erich
Saint Lucia is a good a day as ever to call, he supposes, although he's uncertain whether or not it will give his mother some false hope that she matters more than she actually does because he picked a day that actually has a name. But it's the last minute to do it because he's sure that if he doesn't now, Mieke might actually get upset.

But still he has to stare at the phone for at least a good hour before he actually picks it up, and even then it takes another few minutes before he dials.

It rings and rings and rings and rings and then it hits an answering machine and baffled and unsure of what to say, Erich leaves a short message about Dover and getting married and hangs up before he realizes what just happened, but at least it was easier than he thought it would be even with half the vodka bottle he consumed before he started contemplating it.

Tuesday, December 14th, 1999 ;; Tinka
She cries by herself for a good thirty minutes over tinsel she made with her sister, missing her family and hating herself for it, missing Michael and thinking she won't be able to breathe when the hyperventilating starts. Erich's at work and so is Mieke and now that they're married, the doubt is creeping into her mind on whether or not she should stay because it is different now, although nothing much has changed but a piece of paper.

She goes to the bathroom and washes her face, and a little later than she originally planned, Tinka grabs her bag and heads out to do Christmas shopping in between all the green and red decorations, wondering if Phantasia would like earrings over perfume, a smile on her face as always, because that's how she feels, when it comes down to it. Despite it all, she's happy. For once.

Wednesday, December 15th, 1999 ;; Casper and Mieke
They play cards in silence at first. He's itching to say something, she can tell, but carefully ignoring it as she gets 19 to his 22 in blackjack, at least until he opens his mouth, they keep their silence and to Mieke's surprise, even after a joint, he still doesn't speak.

It's not until they're both getting the idea that flowers in the shape of angels would be wonderful Christmas decorations that either speaks, but by then, it's back to how everything was always supposed to be and nobody can remember what the other wanted to say in the first place.

Thursday, December 16th, 1999 ;; Marcella
It's for the best, she knows. It's what she wanted, after all, the world saved. Why she was ever an Angel, Marcella has yet to grasp, but it nags at her before sleep and annoys her as she lays awake in bed in the morning, staring at the ceiling. If it's something she needs to figure out, she won't let herself.

It's not her time anymore, and she has to let those it belongs to prosper. She'll help, if she can. So maybe that was her end.

Friday, December 17th, 1999 ;; Phantasia
She stares at the invitation, and a grin spreads on her face. She doesn't see them as much as before, it's true, but it's to be expected, really, they saved the world, there's a time to relax and a time to reminisce and the latter is not now, but she misses them, of course, it's only natural.

There's a hidden message in those carefully written words that she recognizes as Skuld's penmanship, they discussed it before, but maybe it's courtesy or a need to be dragged her friend is showing. It takes Phan a few moments to locate her phone, and fewer to dial the number, but ten minutes later and she's heading out the door while grabbing her purse, intent on shopping for something white.

If she can find something old, new, borrowed and blue at the same time, it'll be even better.

Saturday, December 18th, 1999 ;; Casper and Griet
They're on odd ends all month, and neither really know why, but Casper is the one who's surprised when his youngest sister shows up at his door and has Determined!Face, calling him an idiot and condemning herself at the same time, because it's ridiculous, isn't it, they're siblings and they were children and doesn't he know that?

Then Griet makes him brownies and for once, they're the variant that won't leave them in giggles unless from the sugar rush.

Sunday, December 19th, 1999 ;; Anke and Johannes
There's something very wrong with the picture in front of them both, but they know they're the only ones who can see it right now, because Mieke has her hand entwined with Erich's above the table, Charlene isn't frowning and Griet is laughing at something Casper said in humour, and he's laughing with her.

Johannes looks at Anke and she stares back, but a split second later and they both shrug. Then their father brings in the flaming sorbet they're having for dessert and all thoughts to comment on this sudden change of atmosphere are all but forgotten as it sings off Michel's eyebrows.

Monday, December 20th, 1999 ;; Skuld
She's determined to do it all right, as she would any Christmas. So she buys the pork and the potatoes, the sausage, the bread, the candles, tablecloths and napkins. She's shopped all the presents she needs, and Helene and James are in the care of two very darling although slightly nervous teenagers, so she has time to go visit Phantasia because they didn't have much luck last time. This time though, it's better.

It's not until she comes home and Oliver mentions something about traditions that Skuld realizes it's not quite going to be a Norwegian celebration this year and she has to plead to open presents on Christmas Eve in exchange for cooking Christmas Day.

Tuesday, December 21st, 1999 ;; Oliver and Erich
Truth be told, neither of them have ever been sent out for this kind of mission before. A year ago, they'd spend this time alone, both of them, but now there's a wife and a fiancee, two adoptees, a sister and a friend as well as a nephew and a grandfather all arriving, and Oliver and Erich stand in front of the first garden center they came to, staring at the different trees. There's regular, and tall and short, and mini, different types of trees and ones that have been spray painted with fake snow to glitter in white underneath the overhanging lanterns.

They weigh and consider, but after two hours, Tinka and Jack have to come after them, pick one in the course of a few minutes and drag them out of there. There's a slight accusatory hint to Tinka's tone that perhaps they were trying to escape the girls chatting in the kitchen and really, they just had to ask.

Wednesday, December 22nd, 1999 ;; Acacia and Rayton
She drags him out of his nest and brings him out shopping because it's the best she can think of to do, dragging tinsel through his hair, and when he doesn't object, Acacia puts a red nose on Rayton and calls him Rudolph. It merits a look, but no smile, so she persists, taking him out to eat, laugh, to a movie, to skate.

It's not until they see a small girl with auburn hair cut around the nape of her neck that he shows a small hint of a smile, and Acacia thinks she's never seen anyone more lonely.

She'll change it though. It'll help herself as well.

Thursday, December 23rd, 1999 ;; Sebastian
He's spent Christmases mostly in New York with Emma, so it feels a little foreign to do last minute shopping in London this year. But everywhere he goes, everybody compliments Will and ask him what a gorgeous son he has. They're all surprised to find he's his grandson and surely, he's not that old, is he? But Sebastian smiles and moves on and when he's done for the day, he has presents for them all although he only really knows Jack and Tinka.

Friday, December 24th and Saturday, December 25th, 1999 ;; ----
If you took a random peek into a window on Christmas Eve in London, chances are you'd find children jittery in their beds, eager to rise and open presents, eat breakfast the next day, but patiently waiting for daybreak, at least, that's what their parents said. Look in one particular window and you would see twelve people eating dinner together, and if you observed long enough, they would move to open presents in an entirely unEnglish fashion. On Christmas Eve, after all, what a travesty.

And then after, when only half of them are opened, the other forgotten, there would be sleeping bags rolled out and pillows pulled out of closets, the men looking slightly uncomfortable, but subdued, surely, by the women of the party, laughing and dragging them down onto the floor to play games.

As dawn rises, the other half of the presents meet their end. Everyone has something they might want to bring up, but for another day surely, and some settle down together at the edge of sofas or in a sleeping bag, giggling, while a woman of twenty plays and a man of roughly forty sit down on the floor with three young children, entertaining them for quite a while.

A year ago, and nobody could promise this would happen.

A year from now, and it will surely happen again.

#44

londonbrainiac — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 04:56:50 GMT

I'd be more enthralled with the Christmas decorations if they hadn't been up since the last week of November.

o19 ; finally ungrounded again!

played — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 22:10:01 GMT

holy crap it's been a month in this community without me. HOW DO YOU SURVIVE.

Anyway! Finally allowed to use the computer again, got most of my holiday shopping done with and I -- ... wow, I have literally nothing to do now that everything's all calm around here again.

...

... I need a boyfriend. >[

019

mistakenumber5 — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 08:36:56 GMT

So!

A LITTLE BELATED. Let's play What Happened To Mieke??

Here are some of my ideas:

kidnapped by leprechauns

kidnapped by religious fanatics

kidnapped by leprechauns who are religious fanatics

abducted by space aliens

exploded. BLAM.

kidnapped by dark wizards

exploded!!!

kidnapped by space pirates

killed by drapery

I like the last one. Your turn!

throughthehaze_ — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 02:44:36 GMT

Oh man, now that Sydney's saved...

I have to go back to school D:

probably have to repeat my grade... ~~oh god i hope i don't get Harris D:~~

and I should find my parents. Yeah. That would probably be good too. Um.

I should go finish FF8 now. Or something.

LETTER; So this is how it all goes down; MICHELE to JENN

angelicbypass — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:40:42 GMT

The night following the Seal House incident, a letter arrived being carried by one of the doctors from the hospital.

Another doctor had showed up at the door to Jennifer Reid’s house the evening after the Seal House incident. He looked quite puzzled as he slid the envelope into her hand, explaining that he was told to bring this to her if Michele hadn’t shown up at work that day, and wondered what it might mean to her. Without getting quite the satisfying answer that he was looking for, the young doctor rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous laugh and made his way home.

The letter itself was in a manila envelope, making it look like it was some sort of medical file. Sadly, when it was exposed it was quite different. A note slid from the package, alongside a few other things which weren’t immediately important. No, it was the letter that was most important.

My dear Jennifer,

If you are reading this letter, it means that I died last night. I told you that I wouldn’t be the one to go, but at the same time we both knew that was a lie didn’t we? Let me explain to you what happened in hopes that you can understand.

Dwayne wants us to attack the Seal’s house, to blow it up. Anyone who doesn’t do their job will be killed by him, so I don’t have too much of a choice. Remember when the Army base was raided a month ago, and all the weapons and ammunition came up missing? I admit, that was my doing.

Don’t worry, I will keep Jess safe, just as I promised you, even if it costs my life.

I’m sorry to be doing this to you. Ironically, this is the same thing Vera did to me when Rome fell, and I cursed her for it. I did nothing but blame her for making the hurt last longer than it needed to. I suppose that we’re still sentimental people in the end, aren’t we?

Included in this envelope are plane tickets for you and Jess to go anywhere in the world that you wish to go. Just take them to the airport and tell them where you want to go, and it will be charged to my credit card. Please, go far from here, far from the destruction and the death and killing, somewhere that you can be happy.

In the end, that was my final wish. Please, just be happy, because if you’re not, then everything in the past few months was in vain.

I love you,
Michele Ermanno

Pictures. It was pictures that had fallen out of the envelope, taken at one of those camera booths when they were wandering down the beach acting like little kids. In the airline envelope was his credit card alongside the airline tickets. Everything he truly had to be remembered by was in this 9x12 envelope.

Everything but her memories.

vindicatedead — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 08:12:42 GMT

[Jeroen]

Hey.

I know you're still there.

Time to wake up, because we've got work to do.

chanceyouseize — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 08:07:18 GMT

...kinda weird to think that's it.

[filter: Jen]

I. um.

I need to talk to you.

[filter: Monty]

You going to go see your family now that this is settled down?

[filter: Jason]

It feels kinda weird to filter to you, since I didn't get here until after you were...yeah. But it feels kinda right at the same time, so...I don't know.

I don't know if I was ever as good of a Seal as you were, but I tried. And we won. I hope that's enough.

Don't possess anyone to smite Monty or I'll disown you. I'm sure if you're watching, you know exactly what I'm talking about. :[

I miss you.

LOG; i'm going to kiss you now; MONTY/JESS

chanceyouseize — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 07:54:27 GMT

Shortly after Dwayne and Monty's Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, took a couple days to get done because we're busy people lol.

Jess
Monty

Monty was on a mission, he would fill Dwayne's last request if it was the last thing he did. Sydney was safe but the other Seals could still be in danger if Michele was able to follow through with the explosives. After leaving the backyard Monty rushed into the house and made his way to the basement.

ohmygod, I just killed him.

Jess dropped to her knees next to the body and checked for a pulse, even though she was sure it was pretty pointless now - but what the hell else was she supposed to do? He'd showed up, and they'd fought, and she'd killed him, and - and my sister liked him, what the hell am I supposed to say to her?

She took a deep breath. Us or them. Us or everyone. Had to do it.

Monty practically knocked the door off it's hinges in his dash but got to the stairs and heard silence. Was Michele already gone and the explosives set? He didn't know how to diffuse a bomb. Something about it always being the red wire or the blue wire but Monty didn't want to press his luck. From the middle of the stairs he could see a body but who could identify them, he silently hoped it wasn't a Seal.

Somewhat belatedly, Jess realized that in about two seconds she wasn't going to be alone anymore, and she had no idea who was coming down there. And if one got in --

She fumbled around for something, anything that she could use - oh, look, Michele had a gun. That'd do nicely - bet he didn't shoot me because he's friends with Jen shit what am I going to tell her --

She brought the gun up and aimed at the stairs. If they'd just get a little closer so she could see who it was...

It would probably be easier to see him if he were visible, yes? He took a few more steps and stopped at the base of the stairs before seeing Jess. Relieved, he immedately went visible, ignoring the fact that what he'd just done would possibly scare the living daylights out of her.

"Thank god you're o--"

One second there was nobody, the next section there was somebody, and before she'd really taken the time to figure out exactly who was standing there, she'd already pulled the trigger.

As soon as she did so, however, her brain finally caught up, and she realized that the voice was - "Monty?"

...

...

...

Did she just shoot at him?

"Did you just shoot at me?"

She lowered the gun slowly. "I - sorry, I - I guess I panicked?"

Great job, Jess. A++.

"You didn't even hit me. Was I that bad a trainer?"

Really, that gunshot should have left him a little more shaken but after what had just happened with Dwayne, it seemed like nothing could phase him. He looked to the floor and looked at the body for a long while.

"You...?"

She glanced at the body, then her gaze dropped to the floor. "Yeah."

"Huh."

So much for taking care of Dwayne's request. Monty's voice softened a little as he moved to sit next to her, "Thank you."

"...I didn't really want to." She set the gun down on the floor, her shoulders slumping. "But...them or us, right?"

He sighed, thinking back to the limp body in the backyard, "Them or us."

"Dwayne asked me to take care of Michele for him, I told him I would." He looked at Jess, "You did what you had to do. That's all. You did the right thing." He wasn't sure if he wasn't saying that for her sake or his own.

"...yeah, I guess so." Her head dropped onto his shoulder for a moment, and she closed her eyes - goddammit she was tired, why did this crap have to happen in the middle of a perfectly good REM cycle?

And then what he'd just said sunk in on her, and she lifted her head again and looked at him. "Wait...Dwayne...does that mean you just...?"

He nodded and spoke quietly, "It's done."

That should have been a relief, right? They were safe, the city would be okay. Why did he still feel so damn guilty?

"...oh."

So...that was it.

It didn't feel like it was all over.

He was quiet for a long time. What else was there to say? Congratulations, you just saved the world? Sydney would be none the wiser to what happened tonight, they were all invisible heroes.

After a few minutes, Monty broke the silence. "-- I'm sorry. Should I have stretched things out? I didn't know what to do."

"No, I - I don't know. Just...didn't really think it was going to end like this, of all the ways it could've gone, you know? I thought - " She shook her head. Then again, half a year ago I didn't think my brother could possibly die anytime soon. I didn't think I could blow up household appliances.

I didn't think I could kill somebody.

He nodded and tried to lighten the mood, he was still trying to figure out how that sense of humor was supposed to work. "I was hoping for it to go out with a bang. Top of the Opera House, boomerangs flying everywhere and somehow we're all jumping forty feet in the air and running across power cables. This seemed a little anti-climactic."

She half-smiled. "I figured that's how it would have gone. Guess I read too many comic books. Set the bar kinda high." She leaned her head on his shoulder again, half-thinking that maybe she shouldn't, I mean what if he minded, and half-thinking that goddammit, she was tired and she'd killed somebody and she didn't care if he minded or not.

Monty instinctively wrapped an arm around her, he was thankful to have sat with his good arm on her side. "We can only blame the media. Not everything has to end with explosions and the hero getting the girl. Things like that don't happen in the real world."

"But I like those endings," she murmured, not really even noticing that she'd just scooted two inches closer. "Nobody feels cheated, you know?"

Pause pause pause.

"-- Hey, Jess?"

"...yeah?"

This would possibly be the most awkward thing Monty would ever say in his life. Jason, if you're up there. Please, don't kill me.

"-- I'm going to kiss you now."

Dot dot dot.

"-- okay."

Man, it was three in the morning. Fuck eloquence.

The arm that had been wrapped around her pulled her close as Monty leaned in, he hesitated for a moment (possibly waiting for Jason to smite him directly from heaven) before letting his lips meet hers.

He was trying hard to ignore the fact that she was six years younger than him. But damn it, he'd just saved Sydney from impending doom, he fucking deserved this.

It wasn't like Jess had never been kissed before or anything, but being caught by surprise by Adam Thompson on the playground in third grade couldn't exactly compare to this.

Also, she was fairly sure she wasn't going to be kicking Monty in the shins when they finally came up for air.

Whenever that was. She didn't mind waiting to find out.

It had been a while since he'd done anything like this. If by 'while' he meant seven years.

He pulled back enough to look at her, "You aren't planning on maiming me or running away screaming, are you?"

She blushed. "No, why the hell would I do that?"

"I was simply checking." He leaned in and kissed her again, his hand moving up to tangle itself in her hair.

Monty would be going to a very special hell.

She leaned in closer, her arms slipping around his neck. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was quite sure her parents would have a fit if they knew.

Good thing they didn't know, then!

A very special hell, one reserved for child molesters and people who talk at the theatre. And he really hated people who talked at the theatre.

"I'm glad you're alive," he mumbled against her lips.

"I'm glad you're alive." And not just because if he was dead, the city was fucked.

...in fact, not even mostly because if he was dead, the city was fucked, it occured to her.

onmyoudou — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 07:54:01 GMT

I wonder if it ends if not everything is destroyed by the end of the year.

wishgranted — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 07:48:47 GMT

[Filter: Tokyo Angels]

We've waited too long. We will put this city out of it's suffering soon.

Don't give any of the Seals the idea that we have any organization right now, that we have any plans. This may be our best chance to catch them entirely off-guard.

showyourcolors — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 22:37:42 GMT

[filter: private]

oh god sydney you're still standing

but why not with all of us still here? i've only been reminded with how much i hate death.

[filter: sydney seals]

does anyone want to ... ... what are we supposed to do now?

LOG; the world at stake; CORY + SETH

operatic_ — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:43:19 GMT

Who: Cory and Seth
When: Last night, because Aisu is smrt
What: A fight, someone loses, pop stars are discussed

Cory
Seth

Cory thanked whatever deity was watching as he slipped through the corridors, guitar strapped to his back and his knife secured safely in his pocket. So this is it. Even if we win, I still die. Shame, I kinda liked living.

Seth had occasional bouts of insomia, and perhaps due to Fate and perhaps just due to luck, tonight was one of the nights. He was wandering the corridors of the house aimlessly when he spotted Cory, blinking a few times. "Hello?" he called out, fairly quietly so as to not wake the others.

Shit! Cory froze, cursing his sensitive hearing. He tried to sneak away from the direction the voice was coming from. Maybe a little music would lull him back to sleep.

When the figure didn't respond, Seth began to get a tiny bit suspicious. He advanced down the corridor, inwardly wishing he was carrying a gun or something other than himself right now.

Cory kept moving, but the footsteps were getting to him.

Time to bust out the old ax... He stopped and removed the guitar from his back, pulled out his guitar pick, and went through his mental playlist for a good song. Damn you, Come Sail Away. Well, you almost put me to sleep so you should work. He began to play.

Seth blinked a few more times. He vaguely recognized the song, but... Why was it being played?

It was probably safest to avoid listening to it, and he disliked the track anyways. He began to sing loudly in a clear, high-pitched voice. "Ooops, I did it again..."

Cory nearly dropped his guitar in digust. "Oh, sick, Brittany Spears?!" he muttered, a bit loudly. He tried to get back to playing, but now that damn song was stuck in his head.

"Hey, I like that song," Seth replied, having caught the mutter. "Now, who exactly are you?" He was nearly at the lightswitch for the hall, but was shaking very slightly with fear.

"Fuck," Cory muttered. He tried to concentrate on playing another song, Stairway to Heaven, but his hands were shaking.

Seth reached out and switched on the hall light, blinking a few times as he was nearly blinded by the sudden change.

Cory hit a sour note as he was blinded. Fuck, fuck, damn it to hell.

Seth advanced on the man a little more quickly and reached for the guitar he was holding. Act now, think later.

Cory cursed inwardly as the guitar was knocked from his hands. "Thought you'd be asleep," he muttered.

"Well, I wasn't." Seth stood with his hands on his hips, although he wasn't particularly impressive, since he was wearing pink pajamas. "Now, why exactly are you here?"

"Nice PJs," Cory snickered. "Here to take care of some important business. Namely killing you."

"And you were planning to do what? Play bad music at me until I died?" Seth tilted his head slightly, looking annoyed. "And I like these PJs."

I was hoping to put your lights out with that song, but you just had to be an asshole and get that crap stuck in my head," Cory grumbled.

"Britney is a perfectly good artist!" Seth protested. "People just don't like her because she's popular!"

"Look, asshole, I didn't come here to debate pop stars with you," Cory snapped, going for his knife.

"Right, right." Seth sighed and attempted to punch Cory as hard as he could, although he wasn't the strongest.

Cory winced, rubbing his shoulder. "Consider this on." He retaliated with a punch of his own.

Seth managed to duck aside just in time and began to sing a low, resonant note, trying to make the knife's handle start vibrating crazily in Cory's hand.

Cory fought it as best he could, gripping the knife. He lunged forward, managing to make a sizeable cut in Seth's arm.

Seth winced and stepped back, singing as loudly as he could. He couldn't fight against someone armed.

"Heh. Not so tough now, are you?" Cory gloated. If he could just stab the guy a few more times...

Seth glared at Cory and kicked at his chest, still singing. If he could get the knife out of his hand, then things would be equal.

Cory winced, but still didn't drop the knife. He stumbled backwards for a second before advancing again.

Seth sang even more loudly than before now, the knife starting to vibrate heavily against Cory's hand. He then punched once again at his shoulder, trying to distract him enough that he let go.

This time Cory did drop the knife. "God dammit!" He went to pick it up, but luck wasn't on his side this time.

Seth dived for the knife and grabbed it, landing on his side but cutting at Cory's leg. He stopped singing to focus his energy on the cut.

Cory winced. Son of a bitch. Use my own knife against me, will you? He made a grab for the knife, punching Seth in the shoulder in the proccess.

Seth rolled away and climbed to his feet, beginning to hum a higher note that made the blade vibrate slightly. He wasn't sure it would help, but it was better than nothing, right? He stabbed again at Cory, glaring at the shorter man.

"Idiot. Couldn't get your own weapon so you had to steal mine, didn't you?" Cory sneered, trying to resist the effect Seth's singing was having on him.

Seth broke the note for a second to speak. "Well, you dropped it, which made it fair game." The note was resumed and he slashed at Cory's arm.

"You're still an idiot," Cory hissed, trying not to watch the blood dripping from his arm and leg.

"How so? I seem to be doing better than you." Seth was advancing as he fought, trying to press Cory back as he continued to slash and stab.

Cory managed to land a punch to Seth's arm. "Cause you fight dirty."

Seth nearly dropped the knife but managed to recover, although his guard was down. "It's the end of the world at stake, and it's not like I have another choice if I want to live."

"I don't wanna die either, but this is what fate had in store for me," Cory growled, trying to yank the knife out of Seth's hand.

Seth barely managed to step back in time and ended up off-balance, falling to the ground. He began to sing once again, desperately this time, a literally ear-splitting note designed to make eardrums bleed. It hurt him too, but if it distracted Cory...

This time, Cory couldn't fight back against the sound. He clutched his head in agony. "Oh, Jebus, my fucking eardrums!"

Seth managed to stand despite the pain in his head and the warm trickle of blood he could feel from his ears and stopped the note, lunging at Cory and stabbing one more time.
A lucky hit drove the knife straight into Cory's chest. He spat out a curse and fell to his knees, choking and coughing. "You..."

Seth shook his head, looking honestly depressed. "I'm sorry. This is the second time I've killed someone, and it isn't easy. But this is the world at stake..." He closed his eyes, trying not to cry. Wasn't this right? "I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault." His voice was thick as blood sprayed out of his mouth. "Would've died anyway," he choked. His own voice seemed so far away, everything was growing dim. "S...ssorry...r...rreally ffucked up...this..." He collapsed on his side, and he could have sworn he saw Jansen mocking him from the great beyond in that last moment. Jansen, you son of a bitch...

Seth looked down at Cory for a moment, then sighed and wiped away the tears that were threatening to form. He should go tell the other Seals they had an invader.

Several feet away from Cory lay his guitar, spattered with blood.

angelicbypass — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:15:22 GMT

Who? Michele and Jen
What? The truth comes out
When? Two days before the Seal House
Where? The Hospital, Sydney

When she'd left home, there'd been a spring in her step and a general optimistic disposition to her mood, because London had been saved and that did tend to not make things so much doom and gloom. Plus, Jennifer Reid had never been particularly pessimistic by nature, some would argue they couldn't see a difference at all, but of course there was always some difference.

The year was nearing an end though, and even if she had promised herself not to go see him too often (which had resulted in never), she couldn't help herself. Because come the new millennium, it would be one or the other and either way, she wouldn't have this opportunity again.

So with her blonde on, she knocked on one particular doctor's office door, waiting.

Somehow, in some way, Michele Ermanno had ended up getting an office in the hospital. It was strange that he had been hired in on his merits, though he believed the fact that he was where he was ended up more due to his parents’ reputations than anything else. The knock on the door was not stranger than anything he got during a normal day, so not looking up from his wonderful game of solitaire, he simply spoke.

"Come’ on in."

He wasn't expecting any patients for hours, and even then that was if they decided to show. Or if he decided to still be there, anyhow.

She stepped inside the room almost quietly, and seeing him not giving her attention, slid into one of the chairs in front of his desk, crossing her legs as she leaned back. Even when she had something to talk to him about (or did she really?), she just couldn't come out and say it. Play first, business later. Or something like that.

"You look busy."

"Lots of paperwork. It's the life of a--"

He'd glanced over at her from the corner of his eye, and with that instant the words stopped flowing from his mouth. Suddenly solitaire wasn't so interesting anymore. Turning his chair a little to face her, he leaned onto his elbows.

"How can I be of assistance to you today, Jenn? Are you feeling under the weather?"

The change in attitude almost changed the atmosphere of the room, but Jen just raised an eyebrow. She was always less inclined to letting emotion show when she shifted to blonde, she had no idea why. The brunette would've cracked jokes and smiled, she was sure.

"You can sit there and look pretty." Okay, maybe just the smiling part, then. "I'm fine."

A smile played over his lips for a moment. This was quite the unexpected surprise, and he was shocked that she'd come see him at all, let alone at his workplace. Something must have been bothering her for this to happen... or something was about to go down. Either way, he sat back in his chair, studying her as his fingers steepled before him.

"For what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Really, do I need an excuse to come see you?"

She would've gone to his home, but really, she wouldn't know what to do there. There were other people there and... this was just easier. Pausing, Jennifer looked down at her hands for a minute. "New Year's coming up."

For a moment his brows furrowed. New Years Eve was coming up, and that meant everything was going to come to an end. People were going to die and the city was going to crumble... so long as their side won, that is.

"Mmhmm, it is, isn't it?" His tone was rather nonchalant, trying to play off the edge of nervousness about the whole scenario.

Being flib about this wouldn't help, or being a wuss, really. She looked back up and stared at him before asking what she'd come to ask. "I was wondering what you were going to do."

"Sit on the beach and watch the fireworks, like I've done the last few years I've been stuck here." His expression changed to that of a smile again, seeming to have completely changed his mood from a minute ago to something completely different. How was he supposed to respond, anyhow? 'We plan to blow some things up and make Sydney go boom?'

"You're lying." But then she knew he would have. Part of her wanted to get up and walk out, but the other part one out, and she remained in her seat, hands in her lap. "Just don't die."

A long moment passed in silence, and then his chair creaked as he stood and took the seat beside her own. His hands moved to take hers, issuing a reassuring squeeze. "You don't need to worry. I do not plan to be going anywhere."

"Well if you succeed, we're all going to die anyway, right?" There really was no optimism there. "And if not..." She let it hang in the air, pulling her hands away, shifting uncomfortably.

"I wouldn't let you die," he said to quickly fill in the emptiness that seemed to hang heavily between them. "I won’t let Jess die either if I can manage it. I promised you that didn't I?" Michele was good with his promises... well, for the most part. Okay, he was good with some promises, anyway.

"I'm not just going to sit here and plan out the attack of whatever we're going to do without putting you into consideration."

"You really shouldn't do that." Maybe he was good with promises and maybe she liked getting them promised, but he had other promises that had to come before anything he swore her. And this was really why she never went to see him.

"Why, because Dwayne may find out and kill me? Dwayne may get annoyed and try to anyhow. I think the only reason that he hasn't gone that far yet is because I'm brighter than he is, and lead our group better."

He shifted uncomfortably, returning his hands to his lap. "Look, it's the least I can do. Even if you don't agree with me doing it, if I give you a ticket I need you to take it and get out of here. Things are going to get a lot worse before it gets better."

"No, you shouldn't do that because you can't promise me when you've promised Livia."

A blink was the response she got from him. "Promised Livia... what? She's stuck in this too, you know. It's not like I can just get her out of Sydney and pretend this never happened. You can leave though, and you should if things get bad."

It seems he didn't quite understand what she was getting at.

She stared at him for a bit before shaking her head. "That's not what I meant."

He sighed. A moment later he moved back to his chair behind the desk and rubbed his temples. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood."

"But you're not getting it yet, are you." It wasn't that much of a question as more of a statement and Jennifer got up from her own chair, shifting back into her real self. "You can't promise women those kinds of things when you're married."

"If I may be blunt, Jenn... what does it matter if the world is going to end? Forgive me, but there's a chance that I wont live through this, even though I'm going to do all I can to make it out. So cut me a little slack when I try and do something nice for you, so that you may be able to get out if none of us can."

His hands fell back down, now onto his desk where he picked up a pen, twirling it between his fingers. "I promised you that I'd do what I could to save you. I don't believe that breaks any of my marital vows."

She laughed then, shaking her head. "You're right. It doesn't. But it just doesn't feel right, if you get what I mean." She didn't even get what she meant.

Making for the door, she grabbed the handle before turning back to look at him. "You know. I don't even know if I want to get out of it if it means everyone else dies, because then I'd have lost both my siblings to this crap, Talis, you, probably Selwyn, although most likely he doesn't give a shit. So don't promise me anything.

"Right."

What else could he say? The pen fell from his fingers and tumbled across the desk before falling with a click to the floor. Perhaps after this little meeting it was time to go home early. Or, maybe not home, but certainly time to go for a walk, because now he wasn't quite in the mood to see patients anymore.

She was hesitating, she knew, staring at the pen on the floor. There was really no good reason for her to stay her anymore, and she wasn't sure there had been any in the first place, but still Jennifer didn't move. It might've been five minutes before she looked at him again, she wasn't sure, but she couldn't lie to herself either.

"Michele." He could slap her for this if he wanted to, and he'd be entitled to. "You know why it doesn't feel right, right?"

When he responded, he was pulling on his windbreaker so that he could leave. The white jacket was tossed across the chair she had previously been sitting in, along with his stethoscope ('cuz, you know, all doctors carry one).

"Because I'm married. We've gone over this, haven't we?"

He glanced over at her, picking up his keys out of the bowl on his desk. What other reason could there be?

Sometimes, she really wondered if males had natural perception at all. Shaking her head, she went from the door and grabbed the hand with his keys, looking up at him. "That's not it. See, if I didn't care, I wouldn't think twice about promises, and I wouldn't think about doing this either."

Grabbing the back of his neck, she pulled him down towards her and kissed him full on the lips before letting him go. "That's why."

One moment he was getting ready to leave, and the next he was being forced into a lip lock by Jenn, not that he was really complaining. When she let him go, he lingered for a moment before leaning in and pressing his lips back against her own for another moment, then pulled back fully. His cheeks were burning bright red.

Embarrassed was something that Michele Ermanno very rarely was. He was outgoing, he did stupid things, he made mistakes that people laughed at, but rarely was he embarrassed. Today he was feeling more embarrassed than he had been since having his clothes stolen while he was skinny dipping.

"Er... ah... heh."

She hadn't expected him to kiss her again, so when she hadn't been blushing after her kiss, it had crept up her cheeks by the time he let her go again. "Yeah." She looked sheepish, she knew, fidgeting slightly. But it had been to make a point, and she thought it had been made. "See?"

"That even furthers my point, you know. Now I can't help but worry even more that you make it out of here." Even now, knowing the truth -- or what he was perceiving as the truth -- he still wasn't letting go with what he had said earlier. His car keys were forgotten as he caressed her arm.

"... Sorry."

It was all he could really say now.

His fingers left goose pimples on her arm, but she didn't pull away this time, only shrugging with a smile. After she'd crossed that line, there really was no going back for her. "It takes two, you know? Doesn't make me feel less crappy about the fact."

It was wrong for him to be in this position, he knew. He'd actually been a really awful husband, directly after marriage he had his fling with Vera, now this. Livia was always busy, having her own life with her own things to do, which he didn't attempt to intrude on. He wasn't using that as an excuse though, he understood that what had happened was his fault.

Regardless of which, slowly Michele moved to hug her. "You're right, it does take two. You didn't do anything wrong though, so don't give yourself hell over it."

Jennifer smiled slightly before allowing her own arms to slip around his back. An elementary school teacher, what would people say? But then again, what had she done before this? She wasn't a model citizen, her other appearance had made that possible and she didn't regret any of the things she'd done before.

"It feels better just to have said it~" It sounded more cheerful than she felt, but that was okay. It was easier having it be that way.

It was a bit surprising that this all happened at once. When she came in he figured she was going to give him hell for something -- a specialty of hers, it seemed, when it came to them being together -- but this was quite the unexpected outcome.

"I'm... glad you said something. I think it's quite obvious how I've felt for some time, but I had no plans to bring you into all of this. Forgive me?"

For once, Michele Ermanno seemed quite serious. He sounded genuinely sorry, and he actually looked a little worried.

She pulled away to stare at him. Had it been obvious? Really? Was she just oblivious when it came to these things with men who liked her or was it those she liked in return?

"I... hadn't noticed." She admitted, a little embarrassed. "So there's really nothing to forgive, I- er. I mean, I figured maybe there was something, you flirt enough, but then you flirt with everyone so I didn't want to read anything into it. So maybe I'm the one who should apologize."

Oh, the smile tugged at the corner of his lips. She was blushing! A moment passed when he wanted to go 'Awww,' but he never actually did, instead he reached up and trailed a finger down her cheek.

"No, you don't need to. It's alright, really it is." At that moment, he thought back to High School, and how awkward he'd always been around girls. Perhaps that all changed when he went to college and grew up, but right now he felt like a child again.

Oh, the misguided thoughts of youth!

She smiled a little, but the finger only really served to make her more embarrassed and Jennifer looked away.

"Uhm... thanks, then. ... I guess."

His hand was gone.

He was picking up the car keys that had fallen minutes prior, and just now placed them into his jacket pocket. Work was definitely over now.

"Are you hungry? We could go get lunch.."

The grin spread on her lips faster than she would have liked, but hey, they were at least okay, in some very odd sense of the word.

"Are you buying?"

Apparently they were a little more than just okay it seemed. Truthfully, it didn't matter in the end, did it? He read her grin as a good sign.

"For you? Of course.

Laughing, Jenn reached up to poke his nose, scrunching up her own. It wasn't really characteristic for her, but she couldn't help herself, feeling just a little bit more free than she had when she walked into the same building an hour earlier.

"I'm getting the most expensive thing on the menu then."

He laughed as well. Poor Mr. Riley would be getting a rather large medical bill for some "unscheduled tests" later this month...

"You get whatever you want, and I'll pay. I think that sounds like a fair deal, eh?"

"How you can call that fair, I'm not sure, but it is to me~"

Grabbing the handle of the door again, Jennifer stopped for a second, looking back at him and smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Why she was thanking him was beyond him, though he had a vague idea. Typical of men, it had just gone right over his head, straight into outer space, where it was doomed to drift aimlessly away.

Not that any of that mattered right now. He instead smiled and nodded, winking slightly. Who would have thought it would have turned out like this?

lookinguptoyou — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 22:53:07 GMT

[ Filter: Private ]

OhGodOhGodOhGod.

Erich is gonna kill us.

[ Filter: Dad ]

... Uhm, sorry for leaving really randomly like that yesterday, but... there's... something I should probably tell you.

[ Filter: Tinka ]

............... we should go wash the sheets or something before they get home.

insecondplace — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 10:01:16 GMT

I knew he'd fuck it up. Stupid fucking faggot can't do anything right.

Whatever. I'm free, I'm free, and all that, right?

Rin Stevens vs. Bridge (or bridge's remains, or whatever the fuck it is now). Final round. Faito.

It's on, bitch.

fierytouch — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 04:10:35 GMT

[ Filter: Private ]

...oh my god. Mieke left... A... Oh my goooooood.

[ Filter: Jack ]

Uhm.

You should... You should come over.

Tonight.

emo_twin_star — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 03:21:01 GMT

Who: Monty and Dwayne
When: Tonight
What: Sydney Conclusion

If anyone else actually logged for it, the time to post it is tonight. :')

Monty
Dwayne

The rest of his team were off to their targets. He knew that in a few minutes all of the Seals would be dead, and there would be no one to stop the rest of them from finishing the war that night. While the rest of them were off to their odd entrances, he made his way to the backdoor.

Pointing a flashlight at the various places around the door, he felt around for anything that would-- "A key? My lucky night." It only took him a few seconds to get it in the lock right, and suddenly he was standing in a house full of his mortal enemies. Her stood in the doorway carefully holding his boomerang so as not to cut himself.

"Anyone home?"

Monty had just made his way down to the kitchen for a small snack when he'd heard the door click unlocked, he was positive everyone was home so this was definitely out of the ordinary. He immediately fell silent and let his power do all the stealth work, his hand groped for the nearest weapon-worthy item in the kitchen, a rolling pin would have to do for now.

He immediately recognized Dwayne's voice and started going through every possible reason he would be showing up at this hour. Unfortunately none of those reasons were sounding harmless. He stayed quiet, waiting for Dwayne to make a move.

"No one, eh?" He took a step inside, and looked around. Suddenly, he realised he had no idea which room would be which when he started looking. He knew that if he wasn't careful, he could end up walking in on another Angel, and get himself caught up in a fight.

Of course, the he realised that he should see if they had an alcohol in the fridge. He wanted to know if there was anything to celebrate the end of the world with after they were done. He started walking over to the fridge.

Monty raised the rolling pin and waited for Dwayne to get a little closer before swinging and hitting him in the back, "What the fuck are you doing here?!" He silently thanked Jess for baking so much as Dwayne reeled back, he moved quickly across the kitchen to put some space between them. Whatever Dwayne was armed with would probably be more powerful than a rolling pin.

-- Where the fuck did he leave his boomerang?

Dwayne would have been able to get his feet stopped quickly if he hadn't tripped over his foot after being hit in the back. He found himself clinging to a countertop a moment a later, not knowing exactly what hit him. After thinking it over for a second, he decided to go with his gut. "Just came over for a beer, mate. And the end of the fuckin world, but it can wait."

He stood up, and tried to see who was with him. The room was too dark to see well though. He was determined to not get hit again though.

Monty smirked, not that you could see it. "I live with four girls, a kid and a gay man. You really think that fridge is going to be stocked with anything other than chocolate and soda?"

He took note of Dwayne looking around the room, "Hard to fight something you can't see, isn't it?"

"Kinda" He tried to pinpoint exactly where the sound of the voice was coming from, but having blasted his ears with hard rock for years at volumes that weren't safe, his hearing wasn't finely tuned enough to do it.

Any rational being would stop and think about the situation before saying or doing anything rash. Dwayne had never been called rational before. "You getting some of that chocolate to eat off that gay man?" A little more talking and he'd be able to chuck that boomerang at his rival.

"If I'm going to be eating chocolate off anyone, it'll be Reid's little sister."

No one ever said Monty was all that rational either.

He had the feeling Dwayne was trying to play Marco Polo with him, keep him talking and figure out where he was. He took a few steps to the side and hoped to god Dwayne wouldn't hear.

There, he thought he had a good grasp of where he was. "You two'll make a nice couple in heaven. See ya there!" With that, he whipped the boomerang towards where the voice had been coming from, hoping to hear the sound of a skull cracking open. Instead he heard the sound of a small appliance--toaster he thought--cracking open, and pieces flying everywhere.

"Well, fuck." H dove back towards the counter, looking for the knife drawer.

The Sealhouse really did go through toasters on a regular basis, this incident was only further proof of that. Monty ducked to get away from the toaster schrapnel, not realizing he'd slipped back into being visible. "Nice aim. You been practicing long with that thing?"

-- Practice. He'd been practicing with his. Meaning the damn thing was probably somewhere in the backyard. Fuck. There should really be a Kamui Instructional Guide. "First Rule: Don't leave your holy weapon in the backyard, idiot."

"Naw, that was the about the fourth time I ever threw it." he said rifling through a drawer. He heard the clanging of metal, and wrapped his fingers around a large bunch of silverware. He only realised after pulling them back for a good throw that they were sppons and wouldn't do any good. Still, he didn't believe in half-measures. He threw the spoons in Monty's general direction, and went back in looking for much sharper items.

They may not have broken any skin but the silverware still fucking hurt. "You just spooned me? What the fuck is that, Manly? I knew you were gay."

Monty was nowhere near the knives or anything else sharp, in fact the closest he would come to weaponry was a cookie sheet. It might not make for a good weapon but it would be a suitable shield, he grabbed for it and tried to keep his distance from Dwayne.

"Not gay!" His drive to find something sharp increasing, he found a group of knives. Unfortunately, he started to grab them by the wrong end, and nearly got a few cuts on his hand. Fuck, he thought as he picked up by the handles. The butterknives wouldn't be sharp, but they would hurt more than spoons.

Now he knew where the guy was within inches. He took a more precise aim, even though he couldn't see where Monty was exactly, and tossed the whole set. He started to make a mad dash across the kitchen for his boomerang after throwing them.

"Son of a bitch!" Monty threw the cookie sheet up in defense but his reaction time wasn't as great as it could have been. He narrowly avoided the barrage of butterknives but it left his hands with a couple of good scrapes and a decent nick on his cheek. Monty wouldn't have enough time to stop Dwayne from getting his boomerang now so he threw the cookie sheet towards him and hoped for the best.

He needed to get outside, but how? Without a real weapon to fight Dwayne he was going to die quicker than he'd planned.

It only took him four seconds to make it to the other side of the kitchen, and an extra second to get a grip of the boomerang ... which was stuck fast in the wall. He tried pulling it out twice before moving his foot to get a better grip.

The effort would have been much more effective if a spoon hadn't landed where he put his foot down. The boomerang finally budged, but the spoon slipped, and two seconds later he found himself on the floor, and somewhat dazed.

Forgetting that Dwayne was now armed with something that could easily cut through him like a hot knife through warm butter, Monty took this chance to dive on to Dwayne and try to beat the living crap out of him. If he could get Dwayne beaten enough it would give him time to get his ass outside.

Of course it would have been ten times easier to just run outside while Dwayne was on the floor but sometimes the easiest method goes unnoticed. Somewhere in heaven, the former Seals were probably going :') in his general direction.

It took him a minute to realise he was infact getting the everliving tar beaten out of him as it had come on fast. It was quite a testiment to his memory of abuses, as he knew the moment he realised he was getting beaten up that his sister used to hit him harder than he was getting hit. He hoped that somewhere in hell she was going >:[ towards his current situation. He attempted to vocalising his rival's shortcomings instead of doing the smart thing and hitting back. "My sister--ah--hits harder than--uh--you, fucker!"

He tried to jump up in an attempt to push Monty away.

Pause pause pause. "Wasn't she nine?"

That moment of hesitation had given Dwayne his chance to push Monty away and free himself up. "-- Fuck!" He rolled off from on top of Dwayne and scrambled to get out of his reach.

He got to his feet pretty qucikly, but the question made him think for a couple of seconds. "Fourteen!" he finally yelled as he looked around for the guy. He finally realised a new use for the boomerang. He decided to use it as a club.

"And she put me in the hospital when she was nine." He moved quickly to attack Monty at close range, but then started to regret ever tossing those spoons, as his first step sent him barreling over the guy, and towards the counter he had first been knocked into. It wasn't every day he realised exactly how much the world hated him.

Monty lunged at Dwayne and grabbed him by the shoulders, "Well let's see if I can't do the same!" He pushed him against the counter and threw a punch, "I may not hit as hard but at least my name isn't Rammer."

"Only I get to fuckin insult my sister!" he said as he lifted himself back up after the punch. Now he was mad. He reached down, and grabbed Monty by the legs, and tried to fling him over his shoulder into the wall. Unfortunately, from the sound of shattering glass, Dwayne realised there was no wall there. He look back up over his shoulder to see a freshly broken window.

Before Monty even knew what had just happened he was on the ground and covered in glass with the wind knocked out of him. He definitely hadn't been expecting that. But it had put him outside which meant he was that much closer to his boomerang. He got up quickly and started sprinting to where he'd left it. Hopefully he'd have enough time to find it in the dark before Dwayne made it outside.

He checked to make sure he had the boomerang, and then set out for the door ... which had somehow shut after he came in. He tried to turn the knob, but it stuck. He had locked himself inside the house. He walked back to the broken window, and started to prepare himself to jump through without cutting himself.

... The idiot had locked himself inside the house. Monty wasn't going to stop and ask questions, he just kept running, stopping only when he got near the tree he'd been using for target practice. He dropped to the ground and starting fishing around hoping he didn't lose a finger or two in his haphazard search.

He looked back towards the house and saw Dwayne crawling out the window, he had to look faster -- and by the cut on his hand he'd just received it would appear he'd found his boomerang. He carefully grabbed it and got back to his feet. "Best to be careful there, precious," he called across the yard. "Wouldn't want to fall on your own holy weapon and end the fight for me!"

He tossed the boomerang at the ground away from where he would soon -- "Fuck!" -- did land, and then picked it back up again. "Best be careful yourself. I don't even think you have yours anywhere, which means I'll have no trouble turnin you into a second Jansen." He didn't feel any cuts from the window, but he couldn't be too sure; he was aching from the beatings he'd been given.

He'd let Dwayne keep on thinking like that, the grip on his boomerang tightening. Monty's practice hadn't exactly made him an expert at throwing the thing, but he'd managed to figure out how to get it to come back and that was better than nothing. "If you're planning on slicing me in two, you better be ready for me to take you down with me."

"Yeah, but you're way the fuck over there, and I'm way the fuck over here." He pulled the boomerang back behind his head ready for a grand throw. "Last words Mister ... how the fuck do you say your last name?"

He sighed, "It's Damphousse, idiot." Monty eyed Dwayne and started a quick run across the yard, going invisible quickly. He hoped it would throw Dwayne off enough to lose track of where he was.

He did not want those to be his last words.

Dwayne attempted to track Monty's path across the yard, but unfortunately lost him as the name started going through his head. "Dam what!? You had the balls to insult my sisters name with a name like that?"

Suddenly realising he had nowhere to toss his boomerang, Dwayne kicked himself for not eating his carrots when he was younger. "Where the fuck are you?" Now he really wished he had been able to find some beer.

At least his power made escaping a little easier. "It's germanic, jackass."

Monty raised his boomerang and took aim, throwing it towards Dwayne. It wasn't a straight shot but it was the best he could do from his position. "This give you an idea of where I am?!"

"Fuck!" He ducked out of the way as best he could in the short time he had, but the boomerang wasn't aimed right in the first place.

While Dwayne hated math, in his head a short equation played out. Invisible Monty + holy boomerang = his guts flopping out in a minute.

He started moving around, not wanting to stay in the same place. While it made him look like an idiot, he thought it was better to be stupid than dead.

Sure, Monty had practiced getting the boomerang to return, catching it was a horse of another color. He ducked as it whipped back around and let it hit the ground behind him to stop (he was not going to try and catch something that could cut through most everything) before chasing it down.

And with Dwayne moving around like an idiot, it was making it even harder to get a good shot. "Stop moving so I can hit you, fucker!"

"As if!" He, infact, started moving more. A lot more. He wouldn't make this fight easy for the guy. The guy had managed to find a way to get the boomerang to actually return, something Dwayne hadn't even tried. Dwayne wasn't going to give the guy any advantages.

He just didn't know where to toss the boomerang.

For being what would probably be a fight to the death, it was pretty anti-climactic. Neither of them had a good shot and it didn't seem like either of them was that good with a boomerang. And Monty hadn't been carrying a gun with him. If Dwayne had been going for the element of surprise he'd done a damn fine job of accomplishing it.

Something in Monty's head clicked and he called out to Dwayne, "Where are the other Angels?"

It took Dwayne a second to remember that he had infact brought all of the rest of Angels. "Since the house isn't a burning wreck yet, Michele's probably dead. The rest of 'em have probably killed the rest of your crew, or been killed already. If the house explodes, we'll probably be the only Angels and Seals in Sydney."

"We're ending this shit tonight, for real this time."

Monty stop everything he was doing. Dead. The word played over and over in his head. Dead, dead, dead.

He'd left the house open to attack, left the Seals open to attack. It was his job to keep them safe and he'd failed at that. He was flashing between countless emotions faster than he could realize what he was feeling.

"I'm going to fucking KILL you!" He went visible as he charged Dwayne from across the yard, holding the boomerang he about ready to throw.

He heard footsteps racing across the yard, and his rival yelling at him. It reminded him of his old job. "Bring it!" He braced his boomerang in hand, and charged slashing at the air towards the incoming steps. He had no idea what was going to happen, but he wanted it over with.

Tck. Tck. Tck. Fss fss fss fss fss fss.

...

The sprinklers were on. In the middle of the fucking night. He was covered in water, completely negating his power. Monty stopped a couple feet short of Dwayne and stared at him for a moment, "I'm going to blame this on your shitty excuse for a power." Then he punched him. Again.

Okay, that was harder than one of my sister's punches, he thought as he recoiled. He hadn't been expecting an attack from right there.

He then had two choices. He could end the war by bringing his right hand down really fast, or he could get some semblence of satisfaction by taking a hard punch at the guy.

His left fist swung out with a fury that Dwayne had never known he had.

Monty recoiled, stumbling back a few steps and dropping his weapon before lunging again taking Dwayne to the ground with him in an attempt to do what he'd done earlier but his emotions may have been getting in the way of him actually landing any decent punches. "You will not. Kill. My friends."

Monty bashing into him had sent his boomerang away, but he didn't really care at that point. His fists were doing to talking, as this time he wasn't laying there helplessly. While he was taking them, he was giving them back in equal and greater measure. "Fuck--shitow--You."

"You --unf-- would. Gay." He just kept hitting him, he didn't care if he was getting beaten just as badly, Monty couldn't let him take away everything he'd been given over the last few months. He refused to let them all die.

"Not--ahhhgod--fuck--gay." He really did not want to think about his situation at all. His swings were becoming less powerful though. He chalked it up to being bombarded by water, punches, and covered in mud. He just kept punching.

"Tell it --ugh-- to your boyfri-- FUCK." Monty took a hook to the chin and rolled, grabbing Dwayne's shirt and pulling him with him. If he could just reach his fucking boomerang this fight would be over in a second.

"I--owhave no boy--fuck--" Suddenly, he found himself above Monty. He was starting to ache all over from this fight, but he was going to rip the guy apart with his bare hands. He was determined to finish it like a man.

That's when he spotted a chance. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a glimmer. His boomerang. He thought he could just as easily beat the shit out of the guy while he was bleeding to death from a stab wound. He lept out for the far off boomerang.

Monty rolled the other direction and grabbed his boomerang, it was considerably closer than Dwayne's, and stumbled to his feet.

He could barely stand and his vision was shaky at best but he had to end this, one way or the other. He took a few unbalanced steps forward and threw his boomerang with all his remaining strength before collapsing to the ground again.

He ran to the boomerang, and without hesitating grabbed it, and spun around with it towards Monty. He let go, putting a bit of spin on it before it lept from his hand.

He felt a bit of a stabbing pain for a second. He knew it was some sort of Kamui/Gemini thing that signalled the end. For a brief moment, he pictured the destruction of Sydney clearly.

Monty felt a white hot pain in his shoulder as he hit the ground, those fucking boomerangs hurt like a bitch. He looked over to Dwayne and immediately felt sick to his stomach, "I'm sorry, mate."

"Sorry? I win!" He couldn't exactly see straight to see where his boomerang had hit, but he knew he'd struck a lethal blow. The pain was getting stronger. His Kamui wasn't long for the world at the rate his new sense was increasing.

Monty crawled over to Dwayne, "Yeah. You won, mate." He wanted to throw up, he didn't think it would feel like this. It was supposed to be a victory, wasn't it? He was supposed to be happy and relieved, why did he feel so damn guilty?

The pain was getting so strong it was getting hard to speak. "To bad you didn't have anything to drink. I need to toast the..." The pain was getting any lighter. He reached down to his gut. "... the saving of Sydney."

Monty sighed, patting Dwayne on the head. "I'm sorry, man. It--" The lump in his throat was growing larger by the moment, he swallowed hard trying to push it back down. "It had to be one of us."

"My luck's lookin up." he said, laying himself down on the wet ground as carefully as possible. "I've always been too unlucky to die."

"You'll kill Michele if he isn't dead for me right?"

Monty let a couple tears slip, though with the sprinklers it made it hard to tell, "I will."

"He's in your basement." It was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open. "Blowing your house up." It was getting to the point where he didn't want to. "Or at least trying." Infact, the pain made him want to close them hard, but he knew he wouldn't be able to open them again. "Probably dead already."

Then it was going dark, but his eyes were wide open.

Then he didn't know if he was alive or dead.

Then he didn't care.

Monty reached over and closed Dwayne's eyes out of respect, he sat in the yard for a while and tried to find the gumption to stand but it was hard to find the will to do anything. "I'm sorry, Dwayne."

He sighed and pushed himself up, a little shaky at first but he was managing okay. He had to find Michelle. He had a job to do.

LOG; there's no planning in this; ERICH + MIEKE

whyitried — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:53:59 GMT

Yuzu and I are awesome procrastinators. Enjoy the mental images of Erich wearing shit he would never wear.

Erich
Mieke

Mieke hasn't thought ahead longer than a week at the time for the last two years. If there were plans to be made, they were always of the day before quality, or the hour before, or minute, or second, and it doesn't bother her. Going over to Erich's apartment is always one of those kind of things, but it's become more of a natural part of the week than a decision she has to make these days, and watching TV isn't something they really think about, it just happens.

She stares at the screen for a second or two, before pausing, raising herself up on her arms to look at him, considering before she asks.

Erich, for his part, hasn't really thought that far ahead since he was a teenager. By the time he left Berlin, he stopped caring, and he was doing just fine figuring it out a day at a time, so really, why bother? About the extent of his planning ahead these days comes down to being sure he has enough booze to make it through the weekend. But it works for him, and Mieke doesn't seem to mind it, so that's good enough for him.

He's about to light up when realizes she's looking at him, and pauses. "Something up?"

"Erich." She waits again, just a little, for impact, and pulls herself up into a sitting position, staring at him as a smile forms on her face. There's no planning in this, and she's quite sure Charlene will be horribly mad once she finds out, and maybe Casper will be sad at missing the opportunity to laugh at her dressed in white, but she doesn't really think about it.

"Want to elope?"

Is she even sure he'll agree? Oh well.

That takes him by surprise, and he doesn't move for a moment while it sinks in. Several seconds later, he finally raises the lighter, gives it a flick, sets it down and takes a drag from his cigarette.

It's sudden to be sure, but that's how those sorts of things are supposed to work, right?

"Sure, why not."

She'll never admit to being a little nervous, and doesn't give it a chance to settle at all, taking the cigarette out of his hand and taking a drag herself before giving it back to him. It's not exactly the same as the Circle, but it'll do for calming her down.

"Dover?" comes the next question, and why she's still sitting is a bit of a wonder to her, really.

There might be a little voice in the back of his head asking him if he realizes just what the hell he's doing, because eloping means marriage, right, and hell knows he didn't see much in his own family history to give him a good impression of that particular institution, but it's Mieke, really, so how bad can it possibly be?

"Works for me?"

Mieke's smile grows even wider as she slips her legs out of the couch and gets to her feet, heading for his bedroom to pack for them both (he'll regret it later, she'll make sure of that).

"You get the white dress~"

"Hey. You try to put me in one of those and I'll have to leave you at the altar, you know." He gets up - a bit more slowly than her, but he's right on her tail as she heads for the bedroom, because after a joke like that, who knows what she'll pull if he leaves her alone with his clothes?

"So I'll actually get you to the altar first wearing it?" She grins, stuffing what she can find into a dufflebag, and yes, that is a hawaiian print shirt and the other is tiedye, why do you ask?

"That entirely depends how drunk you get me first." Then again, with the tolerance he's built up, if she gets him drunk enough to wear that she might have to skip the wedding and check him into the hospital before his liver gives out.

Wait, since when did he own hawaiian print?

"It would be something stylish." She tries to defend, zipping the bag shut and turning to him again. "Minimal lace and ribbons, perhaps some poofy arms and a very slinky skirt."

He'll make it through the whole trip wearing the clothes he's already got on every day if he has to. "Isn't half the point of eloping that nobody has to wear that crap?"

"I thought it was to be impulsive." Wedding night, and she's stealing the ones he's already got on. Although she's likely to buy him something completely new, she feels it her obligation to bring home a picture of tiedyed Erich for everyone else, since they'll miss the ceremony. "But you don't want to see me in white?"

He can just refuse to leave the hotel room. That works, too. "You, sure. Me, cold day in hell."

"Will you wear a suit, then?" She pauses, taking his hand as she drags him back out the door, taking the time to write a quick note to Tinka before they actually leave the apartment, as well as stuffing a special treat for Jack under the teenager's pillow. "... because I'm not sure I've actually seen you in one."

"If I agree to wear a suit, am I excused from wearing anything else you might try to stuff me into?" Because that much he might be able to handle.

"And no, you haven't seen me in one." He would remember if she had, of course.

She considers it for a moment, before deciding that, yes, indeed, it would be worth seeing him willingly in a suit. "Deal."

Fuck you, tiedye! "I'm holding you to that one."

emo_twin_star — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 06:37:49 GMT

[Sydney Angels]

I found the address of the Seal house.

On Friday night, we're going to kill them all while they're asleep. We all sneak into the house, and take on our targets. Michele will be in the basement settin up the explosives. I trust him to be able to set them off at the right time. You guys'll get ten minutes, and after that, the whole place is going up if you're in it or not. Keep the Seals from leaving the house as if you're lives depended on it, cause I'll kill anyone who screws that order up.

After they're all dead, we're going to hit every single barrier in Sydney before any new Seals rise.

Sydney ends that night, so do whatever the hell you gotta do before we have to go.

vindicatedead — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 04:19:23 GMT

Well, Cairo is saved!

Hooray!

Let's throw a BIG party, with LOTS of explosions to celebrate! A party big enough for the whole city to enjoy! Oh, and we can't forget about decorations! I heard that crimson is the "in" thing this year!

A party just in time for the new year~!

one zero nine;;

debrised — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 14:45:10 GMT

[Filter: Private]

Not even answering me, are you. Made up your mind, have you? Change it. You'll die, meimei, we all will.

[Filter: Beijing Angels]

There's only one barrier left. I plan to take it out soon, preferably along with my sister.

But there are multiple Seals. I think you know what to do.

[Filter: Mu Shen // Mandarin]

There is one in particular I want you to take care of.

insecondplace — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 04:45:31 GMT

NYC what a shame terrible whatever, Sydney'll be the same before long.

And I don't get why the first thing anyone ever says to me is "what the hell are you wearing?" What's wrong with buckles and straps, mate? What's your problem with them? Is it trauma? Did they touch you in a bad place in your childhood? I mean, fuck, I'm not the one with the sweatervest here.

Also what the fuck are they playing these days. Is the world going to hell? Don't answer that.

19

cutmyties — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 02:50:08 GMT

[Private]

Any day now could be my last. I...

...maybe I should at least write them a letter. In spite of everything, I did love them, they were my parents after all.

I can't die with regrets.

[Public]

New York and Rome.

Kind of puts a song in my head for some reason.

10?

thatwasmyeye — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 10:09:50 GMT

Well, that sucks.

I liked nyc.

but other than that, and only my family will probably care about this, i'm going to ucl.

who wants to celebrate?