► VALENTINE'S DAY CONTEST 2010

[{ HANNIE }]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,440,true][bg=dddddd][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2vds329.jpg] VALENTINE’S CONTEST

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=width,440,true][bg=dddddd][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2vds329.jpg] Thanks to someone in the c-box (trust me, I’d credit if I remembered exactly who it was…but I want to say it might have been you, SirCake) we now have this year’s Valentine’s Day Contest! It might be a little crazy, maybe a lot ambitious, but heck, we’re willing to try anything at least once! Some of you might have figured it out, but this month’s event involved pairing…but did any of you guess it would be something like this? THE THEME: Your characters have all been paired up on blind dates. Now, some of these matches might seem insane, but that’s all right! Use that to your advantage, of course! We tried our best to stay true to age limits and preferred sexualities (and even some plotting), but some cases might be a bit…off. For those we apologize, and ask you to please roll with it. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR: A collaboration between players on a short story. This isn’t a posting contest, folks! Though, if the players decide their characters are good matches (even for friendships) they are of course encouraged to continue! Also, since these are blind dates, you don’t necessarily need to force your characters to like each other. Tension and arguments are also great! The theme of your piece doesn’t even have to be super romantic, if you don’t want it to be, but Valentine’s Day must be incorporated some how. Also, as for division of work/who does what, the two players must decide that themselves. Don't be shy; there really is no way to "do this wrong," so no worries! THE MATCHES: Salvio x Katsumi Frenzy x Drust Faust x Delphine Veradux x Klien Axe x Xaylia Dimitri x Tabbi Guy x Xavier Dietrich x Mildred Austin x Amelia Gabriel x Zephyr Keion x Rosie Jacques x Antigone Lazaro x Beth Theodore x Evelina Frederick x Aeron Eugene x Fay Gregory x Chiharu Tybalt x Marion Alec x Stella WORD COUNT: There is no word count, but please keep your entry reasonable! DUE DATE: NOTICE! THE CONTEST HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 20! The contest will end at midnight EST on February 13. SUBMISSION: All entries must be posted in this thread. When posting, please state the two character's names before the actual submission starts. Good luck everybody! Also, if for whatever reason you'd like to be removed from the contest, PM Pasc or Hanrar to get something organized!

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[{ PASCALINE }]

Just an update guys! Valentine's Day does not exist in the world of THE BLUE! So please don't mention it in your post!

[{ HANNIE }]

Just an update, everybody! The contest has been extended to FEBRUARY 20!

[{ PASCALINE }]

Another update! From now on, for those who had their partner drop out of the contest, or their partner goes missing, you may disregard your partner and write a short story about your character going on a blind date or some other romantic theme!

[{ PASCALINE }]

OK, one more update: the due date will now be Feb. 26th!

[AXE RAVAGE]

[Xaylia Kanao & Axe Ravage]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,420px,true][atrb=style, vertical-align: top; background-color: e1e1e1;] Fairy tales have a tradition of fulfilling the promise of true love, or exalting the power of love through redemption of evil or bestial characters. Beauty and the Beast, a famed tale, is considered an ancient myth in today’s world, a story that academics argue and debate over deep, underlying themes. What we are led to here, is not a love story of acceptance and redemption. Axe Ravage, a human whose monstrosity exceeded the Beast’s, was not a ladies’ man. He had never attempted to romance a woman and did not bother finding out or learning how he should treat them. Do not expect gentlemanly behaviour or anything remotely close to courtesy if you wish to enjoy your time with him. In fact, banish all expectations and prepare to be insulted, leered at, and possibly humiliated. If you are lucky, you might leave with all limbs attached. If not… well, let us pretend not to have those gory images running through our minds, shall we? Xaylia Kanao, A tall woman bursting with confidence. She got out a lot but was not at all concerned about her love life, or its lack thereof. There was no promise that Xaylia wouldn’t get feisty in the presence of men, especially arrogant ones. There is the possibility of being lucky enough to leave with a few bruises and scars, but for now, let us see how this story between this two unfold… “Eh. Yer good at makin’ babies or somethin’?” A horrified stare prompted the skulking giant to bend at an awkward angle just to sneer at the frozen woman. “Wha? N’er seen a man before?” He cackled at her flabbergasted reaction, then starting cursing up a storm when she fled from his sight with the help of some diddly busybody of a friend. “Fuck.” That, amongst other similar encounters, finally convinced him that it might be a good idea to change his way of snagging a new Wife for the Ravages’ leader. However, there was just a tiny detail that was overlooked when Axe volunteered to ‘persuade’ a random beauty to be his Father’s wife. With a scowl, Axe adjusted the borrowed dress shirt – he had threatened to start slitting throats if the tailor refused to give him what he wanted – and pulled ungraciously at the pants, scratching his crotch in boredom. He had the brilliant idea of changing the way he dressed to make a better first impression on women, but forgot that his attitude had yet to be re-adjusted. Leaning unceremoniously outside a random building in Hogwash, he glowered at those who dared to glance at him. He didn’t want useless bar-goers who weren’t women, damn it! A second round of surveying the passersby, however, yielded an unexpected result. A pale woman with white hair, looking as if she was hurrying to go somewhere. That somewheree had to wait. Securing the falling mahogany brown pants with a makeshift belt made from intertwining wires, Axe moved towards the unsuspecting woman, trying his best to stop smiling. The tailor had mentioned that his smile could lower his chances of approaching women. Ah, damn it. Giving a huge smile that looked more creepy than friendly, Axe reached her side. “Wanna go somewhere fun? Yer look like yer could be good at pleasin’ a man.” Unknown to Axe, the woman was a clerk who had witnessed his lewdly inappropriate comments to women for the past few hours. Ignoring his lecherous gaze, Xaylia could not help thinking: Did he get bored of being rejected? This should be fun. “And where are we going exactly...?” Her mind supplied her with a nickname for the uncouth fellow – ‘troll face’. Obviously, the ‘troll face’ would choose the worst place to go for a date. A hardly pleasant, extremely trashy bar which looked like it had never been cleaned since its opening day. It was half empty with spiders and cobwebs hanging off the ceiling, while the waiters and bartenders were asleep in their assigned areas. But who wouldn’t expect that in a town like this? Xaylia sat down next to Axe as he said something crudely unsuitable. "Yer should be honoured ta be seen wit’ me! Who do ya think ya are, eh? Be glad ta somebody wants ya scrawny li’l ass!” "Ahahhahhahaa, excuse me? Are you talking about yourself? Ahahahhaha!" The thought couldn’t leave her mind and she continued to giggle, thinking that Axe probably meant it as a joke. It was too funny for her, though the same cannot be said for the one-eyed man. “Ta hell yer laughin’ fer!” He growled, fingers wrapping around her arms and lifting her effortlessly. Nobody insulted him and got away with it. Not being a push-over to be bullied so easily, Xaylia struggled, kicking him in the shin and earning an angry twitch of lips from the Ravage. "Get off! You, you big fat troll! I didn’t expect my date to be so much like a frog! You don't deserve to be breathing the same air as me!" She never stopped kicking, almost ready to bite his arms when Axe’s grip loosened, letting her feet came in contact with the ground. Furious at how she had been treated like a useless rag-doll, Xaylia’s infuriation rocketed when Axe showed no signs of releasing her. Retaliating by punching and kicking at his scrawny little bones, it was clear that Xaylia was not going to let herself be dragged along by the giant oaf. “Yer a wildcat… so ya like pain? I’ll give ya pain!” Axe yelled confidently, convinced that it was impossible for him to lose. Setting his one hand around her neck, he started to squeeze. The few patrons in the bar scrambled away, eager to escape the supposed lovers' squabble. Even the staff shirked away cautiously, not wanting to be embroiled in unnecessary trouble. Meanwhile, Xaylia’s legs swung harder, hindering Axe from inflicting more pain. With a guttural snarl, he unwrapped his fingers around her, letting her fall unceremoniously onto the ground. He arched over her threateningly, only to receive a hard kick in the gut. Wiping her hands together, Xaylia proclaimed the end of her ‘date’ with a single taunt. “That’s all you have?" Axe snarled and spat, “Father’d be better off without a loose cannon like ya!” Xaylia simply took off, escaping from the weird pervert-wannabe. "Pathetic," she scoffed. Hearing her insult, Axe flipped a finger at her retreating back. “I’ll be back, I tell ya! Fuckin’ tame yer temper or kill ya if yer try somethin’ funny again!” “You? Kill me? I’d love to see you try! You’d probably fall over your slobbery fat tongue, you big fat toad!” The two parted ways, with Axe tearing off the dress shirt in frustration over his failure and Xaylia returning to the store with a smug expression as she thought about the jolt of pain on her almost-kidnapper’s face. It had been strangely refreshing to force a man almost twice her height to back away, and she gave little thought to Axe’s seemingly empty threats. And this, my dear readers, is where the story ends…for now. Is it too abrupt? Where is the emotionally moving scene of the Beast pining over Beauty’s absence? Where is the heart-warming reunion of the two who are fated to be lovers? I hear your indignant cries, every single one of them. Still, I did warn you, did I not? Look at the beginning if you have forgotten, you idi-… I mean, most esteemed reader. Remember, this encounter is only the beginning. How their fates eventually play out and intertwine shall be a mystery that you, and I, shall have to wait and see. this has been a proud collaboration between caz & kai thank you for reading this!

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[pudding437]

"There's a bad man cruising around in a big black limousine
Don't let it be wrong, don't let it be right..."

The bar was almost completely empty, other than the barman of course, and one person who looked like a regular, slumped face first onto the counter of the bar. It was decorated with pink hearts and flowers and cutesy stuff, which really took a blow from the fact it was in the dirty scum hole that was the Rats Nest…well, it was compared to the look of this place. Tonight was apparently a couple’s night, even though chances are, the only people who frequented here, were drunks who were no longer in a position to be part of a couple, other than a couple of drunks. A waitress busied herself around the tables, wiping the surfaces two or three times every five minutes, replacing candles that burnt down, and trying to stop creases in her pressed black and white dress.

Fredrick walked through the entrance into the bar. He looked very much like he was trying to make an effort, with a clean white shirt, and trousers that only had one stain on them. Over his arm he carried his coat, and in the hand he held a few flowers. Around his neck, a black tie loosely hung down, sat on his gut. His eye lens had been replaced with a coloured one, which caused half of his vision to be green, which made him slightly wobbly.

He took a step into the bar, smiling at the waitress as she looked at his with a glare of disapproval. She wandered up to him looking stern. “Table for one is it, sir?” she spat distastefully. She eyed him up and down, clearly unimpressed. He half expected her to be chewing something.

“No no,” Fredrick said calmly raising his free hand. “A table for two please.” The waitress raised an eyebrow at Fredrick, thinking he was mad, or taking the piss. “My guest will join me soon, I hope,” he continued, so that the waitress didn’t think he just wanted a lot of space. The waitress sighed, and beckoned him to follow, picking up two menus as she went past the shelf.

The table he was offered was in the corner of the bar, as far away from the bar as you can get. Fredrick thought it was an inconvenience, but it may deter him from getting drunk quickly. He took his seat, and the waitress said for them to call her over when his date arrived. Fredrick picked up the menu, and put down again after a brief scan. Was all very expensive stuff, but luckily he had got some venny from the captain to help pay for it. It must have been something with them being a similar age, and neither being all too lucky in love.

An average height woman entered the bar, with a large brimmed hat, and a fur lined coat draped over her arm in a similar fashion to what he had done earlier. Her dark brown curls ended just below her shoulders, and her lips were bright red almost cartoonish, which was slightly off putting, but still Fredrick waved to her, and beckoned her over. When she stood before him, Fredrick stood up and pulled out her chair smiling. She smiled back, giving what Fredrick only a glimpse of what he thought were two holes at the front of her teeth where he thought that two were missing. He shook his head and dismissed the thought and sat at the other side of the table, and smiled again, to which he saw the full force of her face.

At a distance, she looked as if she had smooth skin, and sparkling blue eyes, but up close, her face was lined with more creases than the clothes lying round his cabin on the ship, and her eyes were deader than the Tasmanian devil. Her nose looked shapely, but now it had seemed to have sprouted several great warts. Her smile was the most terrifying things he had ever seen. Her two front teeth were missing, and the gap was flanked by two white teeth, but the rest were either yellowing, or black. Fredrick kept on a smiling face, but his mind was thinking all sorts of profanity at what in the hell of it he had let himself in for.

He offered his hand over the table to shake hers, which no doubt would have skin similar to her face. “I am Fredrick Heym,” he said politely. “May I ask what yours is, as my friend didn’t say.”

He was wishing he hadn’t now when the most annoying voice left her lips. “I am Estelle. Estelle Goldhiem.” She tittered for some unknown reason, which was incredibly annoying, but sort of a relief from her voice. Fredrick looked down at the menus and suggested they should order, so that he may leave as quickly as possible.

The waitress brought a plate of a half rack of ribs and a pint of their strongest bitter for Fredrick and a whole pork roast for Estelle, with the bars most expensive wine. He excused himself from the meal to head to the restroom so that he could empty his system before he filled it with more stuff.

The men’s room was no were near as decorated as the main area. Fredrick headed straight for one of the sinks and placed both hands at side of it and banged his head against the wall, where the outline of a mirror should have been. Why the hell had he agreed to do this. He was perfectly capable of meeting young woman in bars and taverns, so why had he rested his night on one of his crewmate’s friends. He screamed at the sink, not loudly enough for anyone outside to hear. He was going to kill him when he next saw him. But there wasn’t much he could do now, other than be a gentleman, and be nice to the lady for the night. At least the beer would take some of the sting off. He pushed away from the sink and left, leaving the door swinging behind him.

The rest of the night was a blur. He wasn’t sure what happened, other than that he sat down opposite the pig woman again and took a swig of his bitter before eating. He had a strange sensation all over his body that he had felt before but he currently couldn’t think what it was. His head throbbed, and his limbs ached. Suddenly, it came to him.

He jerked and sat straight up in bed. He sighed, realising it must have been a dream and he had just gone out to get drunk again. But then he heard a snort from next him, and realised he wasn’t in his cabin on the Top. There were dolls instead of guns, and lace instead of oil stains, and flowers instead of gears. Something must have happened last night, and what he was thinking now he sure as heck didn’t like. He turned his head slowly, and opened is eyes. He saw the pig woman again. This time, she was sprawled out, half naked on what must have been her bed. It finally hit him. He finally knew what he had done last night.

Fredrick vaulted out of the bed, picked up his clothes, pulling them on as he rushed out of them room, and out of what was a small apartment in the Rats Nest. He sprinted down streets pulling on his shirt and belt, trying to find the dock in the maze of houses, hoping she wasn’t chasing him, and that no one knew what he had done to shame himself.

Later on that day, one of the weapons vendors had a fairly large bullet wound in his left shin.

"Get in his way, you're dead in his sights"

Notes: Entry for the Valentines Short Story Contest 2011. Hope it isn't too late.
Lyrics: Big Gun - ACϟDC
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[DIMITRI DARTER]

--Dim and Tabbi--
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So just say how to make it right
And I swear I'll do my best to comply
Tell me am I right to think that there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride and slowly growing old together

She was light beneath him, small and fragile. Beauty yet to truly be recognized, yet to be flaunted, yet to even be appreciated. Her hair was a maroon tone, an embodiment of her fiery disposition, her strong will. Every breath labored heavily from them both, their previous escapade leaving them sweat drenched and exhausted. He wasn’t sure what to do next, now that he had overtaken her. Cheeks flush, the scholar had trouble taking his eyes from hers. Something about those crystal blue spheres had him transfixed. Such a position they were in, left in solitude along an alleyway out of sight, far from prying eyes, would surely get him into trouble. Legs clenched tight upon her, hands gripped firmly upon her wrists, he finally noticed his face was close to hers. He could feel her breath hot on his face, almost as if it was pulling him closer.

Their clothes were disheveled and torn, skin exposed and flesh a sinful delight to the eye. Skin that was slick to the touch, warm and would otherwise be provocative and exhilarating to a man of lesser resolve. Looking deeply into the girls eye’s, his orange tinted orbs glinting with purpose, he finally had enough breath in him to tell her what he had wanted to say since they had begun their tussle on the cold ground. The clouds above rolled lazily above, caught in the eternal dance amidst the sky.

“Please…” He said, his voice tight, the strain of having to move his mouth after the amount of exertion he had produced. But his cause was true, his intentions pure. Dimitri Darter continued, pressing through the fatigue.

“Please remove your knee from my crotch, miss…”

“Tch. Like Hell! I’ll let go of your family jewels when you let go of these!” Her hand yanked backwards, trying to escape from his iron grip, with something caught tight in her own grasp. She didn’t feel like playing around anymore, no, she still had prior engagements to attend to. God, I have way too many men to please today.

---Four Years, Two-hundred-and-twenty-three days, and eight hours later---

Dim’s eyes opened slowly, mucked with both sleep and dirt. He had fallen asleep while working once again, several empty bottles of his distilled moonshine not far offhand. Cranking his head back while stifling a yawn, his workshop was dark and a single candle burned from a makeshift lantern. Its wax was dripping to the floor, a solid clump already have formed beneath the lantern. Burt and Ernie were sleeping soundly, well deserved after a day of tinkering and cabbage thwarting. Schematics, books, scribbles, and various other supplies scattered about his metal desk. One quill was adamant, sticking to his face stubbornly even as he tried to brush it off. The madman was always weighed down by a hundred thoughts at once but he couldn’t tell if his dream was a memory or a figment of his imagination, a creation of his own fancy.

Fumbling hands reached for another bottle, a groggy smirk inching along the corner of his mouth. As he did so, his head slammed into the desk, causing the mad scholar to rear back. Alas, this was not the end for the locket around his neck had caught something and slammed his head back down a second time. Drooping eyes opened, the pain merely an afterthought as he looked at the locket in the dim lighting. Thumb smoothing the surface, he looked hurt as he felt the carving along the exterior. If someone was watching they would say that the insane gleam always present in his eyes had calmed only to be replaced by eyes that held too much for one man to bear alone. Taking a long swig from a half drunk bottle, Dimitri let sleep overtake him. Thoughts, reflection, stories to be told, stories to be forgotten. Such was his memories, such was his mind. His eyes closed, the fickle flame of the candle finally winked out…

---Rewind, Two-Step, Let the ol’ pendulum swing!---

Dimitri was pulled away from his dreams with a heavy grunt, weight applied abruptly to his gut. Eyes now popped open, he looked at the little one who had plopped herself down onto his stomach. The thick comforter had done little to shield the cannonball the girl had performed, the scholar grabbing her throwing her down and tickling her. Shrill giggles escaped her and he couldn’t help but smile. Suddenly he noticed the woman he normally shared his bed with was gone, a frown overtaking his features. Ruffling the luxurious curly blonde hair of his daughter, the orange-eyed man sat back and smiled at her.

“Emilia, where’s your mother?” He asked, trying to tickle her again only to get it smacked away as she sat up as well, sniffing at the air. Dimitri’s smile only widened, used to his daughter’s haughty mannerisms. A result of her grandmother’s schooling, no doubt but she was bright enough not to be caught up in the ways of noble aristocracy. Intelligence far beyond that of your average eight-year-old, Emilia still showed her age now and then. He was saddened that she was getting closer and closer to no longer being his little girl.

“Mama went out with Uncle Carter and Aunt Nicole when she said you forgot your anniversary…” Of course he should’ve handled the situation better than letting out a startled yelp and falling off the bed. Frantically dashing to his feet and behind a dressing screen and quickly changed into his normal garb. A pair of white pants, a white coat that was worn only by high-paid professors of the university and a gold chain that looped from within the coat to front-right pocket. Grant it, he was not supposed to be wearing such an outfit yet, but it was the only thing in his wardrobe that wasn’t dirty and smelled awkward…

“Emilia, honey, do you…know what your mother may want…” He asked sweetly as he tried to put on his shoes as quick as humanly possible. Figuring out how to create a more effective irrigation system for his garden or attempting to break down the key elements of hydrochloric-acid was one thing, tying his shoe and trying to come up with a legitimate gift for his wife was a whole other story. Emilia gave him a smug look, holding her mother’s pillow and attempting to hide a sly smile as she shrugged her shoulders.

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“A locket?” Said Tabbi, miffed. Today was her father and mother’s anniversary, to which her father always seemed too busy to be bothered with. Though, she knew he cared, and felt dreadful for always being away on H.A.W.K business, however, he was determined to do all that could for Tabbi’s mother while away today.

“Yes! It’s a special golden one, with this gorgeous pattern on the front. Here. Look!” Pulling a photo from his back pocket, Edward Stankevich happily showed his daughter the priceless bobble. “It’s at the jewelry shop on the corner…and, well…I was hoooping…” His voice trailed off as he brought a hand up to cup the back of his neck, seemingly embarrassed.

Smiling, Tabbi spoke happily, already knowing what he needed. “Dad. Of course I’ll get it for you. Will you come back by the house before going to dinner with mom?” Smiling, Tabitha turned to grab a pair of black flats, and straightened out her maroon colored dress.

“Yes, I’ll be back by this evening! Thank you so much dear! You’re a life saver!” Earnestly bringing Tabbi into a hug, he gave her a tight squeeze before letting go and dashing off to work. Shaking her head, she went on to put her shoes on and head out as well. She really was daddy’s little girl. Of course she’d get the necklace for him. Tabitha would do anything for him.

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Groaning, Dimitri dedicated his attention to tying his shoes and thinking hard on what Emilia may want. Not many things an ex-H.A.W.K. captain could want…a gun? No, he didn’t have the money for that nor would he want it in his house. A ship? Dimitri scolded himself. He didn’t have the money for a lot of things, including the nursemaid and ridiculously expensive violin lessons Emilia had. Speaking of Rowen…

“ROOOWEEEN! Could you make sure Emilia gets ready for school, please!” The scholar’s brow raised when Emilia started giggling. Finally slamming his foot down to get his left shoe on, he regretted it as he felt he had crushed his feet. Looking down, he grumbled as he realized he had put on one of his wife’s high-heel shoes. Rowen came into the room, looking at Emilia who was roaring with laughter and then down to Dimitri’s elegantly dressed feet.

“Dim…Emilia does not have school today. Only violin and archery lessons, but that is later in the evening.” Rowen had been an athletic woman when he first met her, being his wife’s sworn lieutenant, but now she was getting plump from docile services. It didn’t take away any of the attractiveness the woman held, her aura of confidence enough to snag any man she wanted. Plus it was always pleasant to have someone who could double as a bodyguard and didn’t cost hundreds of venny like the bodyguards his mother suggested. Her jet black hair was straight and sleek, her uniform a simple thing of her own making that consisted of dark green and white tracing. “I would suggest you hurry and get something for the captain before she gets back. I’m sure she has already…informed your mother of your usual forgetfulness. Perhaps something simple, like a locket? Just consider it…”

Cringing at the thought, Dim nodded halfheartedly as he put on his own boots. His head perked up as the two were leaving the room, the scholar bending down to kiss his little girl on the cheek. “Wait, archery lessons? Rowen…wait, I…Rooowweeeen, come on! Gah!”

Praying that Aureole would see him through the day, he squashed the thought of working on his thesis a little before leaving. It would take some digging but he found the idea again somewhere up in his constantly active thoughts. His house was quaint, though his front yard was a thing of pride for both him and his wife. She would most definitely not appreciate it if she saw him trampling one of the freshly planted shrubberies in a panicked run. If he made a mad run for the markets fast enough, perhaps he could get out of his predicament and also not be seen by any of the senior scholars of the university. Counting his blessings, he doubted any other woman would give her husband a second chance to make up for forgetting an anniversary…unless she had something quite sinister planned for him in retaliation should he not make it back before she did.

At that thought, Dim ran all that much faster…

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Shit. Shiiiiiit. Shitshitshitshitshitshit. That man, just bought the one thing Tabitha needed. Great! Just…fucking great! Thought Tabitha bitterly as her eyes scanned him walk out of the shop and back out onto the sidewalk. Her heartbeat was racing and her mind screaming at her. She knew what she had to do. Basically, she had two options in this moment. She could use her inhuman speed and reflexes, steal the bag from the man and get it back to her dad, but also run the risk of possibly getting caught and she didn’t even want to think what her father would say. Or, she could just walk away, and tell her father the truth. “No…I have to get it.” Mumbled Tabbi as the devil inside her began telling her easy it would be. There couldn’t possibly be anyway this man could catch up with her, let alone see her.

Standing, her mind made up, Tabbi was dead set on getting that necklace. Slowly and casually walking behind the strange blonde, her pace leisure, the lady kept her breathing and heart speed in check. She couldn’t freak out now. After another moment of walking, and scanning the area to make sure there was no one, or at least no more than one or two passerby, she made her move. Sprinting forward at inhuman speed, her hands snapping out in front of her to slyly grab the bag from his hand, and speed away around the corner. The corner had taken her down an alley. Bad decision. It was a dead end.

“HEY! GET BACK HERE YOU! HEY!” Skidding to a halt, her head snapping around the surroundings at a frantic pace, Tabbi tried to come up with an escape plan. Her heartbeat was erratic as she tried to swallow the panic slowly worming its way into her gut. She had been caught. By now, she heard the man’s footsteps enter the entrance to the alley, and swiveling around, sure enough he was standing there blocking the exit. No way out. “Shit…” Biting her lip, she started to think irrationally. Her instincts were what drove her forward, thinking she push through the man, but her sprint forward was sloppy, and he dodged to her right catching her in the shoulder. The pair flew back into the darkness of the alleyway, landing with an audible thud and a pair of strained moans and groans.

Looking up, Tabitha found her position had only gotten worse. The man was straddling her, hovering over her body with her wrists pinned. She was pretty sure her elbow was bleeding, either way, it hurt like bloody hell, and it took her a minute to get her eyes to focus on the strangers face. Though, once back to normal, she took him in. Well, at least I get to see someone attractive before I die… Tabitha scoffed in her mind as she wondered what the mysterious male would do to her now.

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So there they lay, tangled both physically and in a dire predicament. Trying to reposition himself was futile and Dimitri felt the girl’s knee drive further into his groin as if adding emphasis to her earlier statement. Left eye twitching, the scholar churned ideas through his head. Finally deciding, Dimitri released his grip and scrambled back and onto his feet. The girl was just as quick and looked as if she would attempt another mad dash of escape.

“Wait! Wait, wait. I will let you have the locket, just…just not yet. It’s me and my wife’s anniversary today…I have an idea, if you’ll allow it…” Dimitri wanted to bite his lip, nervous that the thief would take off again. At the mention of his anniversary, she had winced but still clenched her jaw tight in defiance. His lower extremities still ached but he ignored it. Thoughts brewed fervently, time calculated and added with what he had in mind.

“Listen, I’ll pay you for it, but I have to deliver this to my father…” The girl said, her voice reminded him of his wife when she was younger. A warm smile spread along the scholar’s lips. Everything would work out in the end. Guiding her to the nearest metal-smith, they had created a mold in short order and the smith was quick to melt hot metal to the perfect form. Dimitri had made a special engraving in the mold, the initials A.E.D. carved elegantly and flowed into a wonderfully delicate, legible design. Abigail, Emilia, and Dimitri. Him and his family, all that mattered to him. All that he loved.

Seating the girl down while the smith worked, Dimitri pried into her need for the locket as he bandaged her elbows. He felt horrible for having done the damage and would hear none of her protests when he tended her wounds. A smile broke out once again, genuine and fatherly. “It’s nice to see a daughter’s dedication to her father. I can only hope my own daughter feels the same for me, Tabitha.”

“I am finished, scholar.” The smith said, gruff and rumbling as his voice was. Which was in stark contrast to his wiry frame but Dimitri paid no mind as he took the locket into his hands, cupping it gently as he would a child. The smith coughed abruptly, a way to remind the scholar of the payment needed. Turning to the girl with a goofy grin, he nodded his head to the smith. The red-head was quiet through the whole procession, though she seemed reluctant to pay the smith. Grant it, the newly made locket was iron instead of gold, much cheaper than the gold locket had been. When she offered to give Dimitri the rest to apologize for the incident, the scholar folded her hand back over the money.

“Wha…why?” She asked, curiosity reaching new heights with the orange-eyed scholar’s every action. He shook his head as he threaded the fine thin chain through the loop and dangled the iron locket in front of his eyes. The sun was reaching its zenith, the afternoon settling in. People had begun to fill the market, various colors of clothing, different faces, different experiences of their own. Looking back at the girl, he sighed before he spoke. “Consider it gratitude for allowing me to make my own, Tabitha. I hope my wife will like it, though it is simple. I’d hang the sun itself on a string of stars and give it to my Abigail if I could. Let’s say the money is my way for apologizing for injuring you and perhaps you will buy yourself something nice. Parents like to see their children happy, I would not deny yours of that.”

She seemed taken aback, but contemplated everything in an instant behind those crystal blue eyes. Suddenly she threw her arms around Dimitri and embraced him tightly. Patting her back and ignoring the smith’s exasperated groan, Dim smirked once again as Tabitha turned and took off down the crowded streets. Giving the smith a slight bow of appreciation, Dimitri turned to leave and head back home. He was more than likely late, imagining the scolding his wife would give him.

--------------------------

Tabitha’s father was ecstatic, hugging his daughter close as he looked at the locket with a wide grin. The night was well remembered in the girl’s mind, the laughter of her parents, the loving look they shared between one another. A white summer dress with gold trimmings adorned the red-head’s figure, purchased with the money the scholar had given her. It had brought tears to her mother’s eyes and a smile so big on her father that it seemed to stretch from ear to ear. Such a rare treat to see their beautiful daughter willingly put on a dress. Yet that memory wasn’t the only one to be eternalized between them all for across the city another family was sharing a similar event.

Dimitri had received only a brief scowl before he produced the necklace. Within the locket he had slipped a picture of his family and a single flower pedal, one that held a bright orange and yellow hue. He brushed his hand across his wife’s smooth skin, placing a flower in her blonde hair after he had attached the locket around her neck. The flower was similar to that of the pedal within the locket and the scholar did not forget his little girl when he placed another within her hair. It had been more of a party than a simple celebration between lovers as their home was occupied by many. They had played music, they had danced with family and friends, sharing the anniversary with all. Though he may have wished more alone time with his wife, being surrounded by his loved ones was what made him smile all the wider.

Love cannot be defined simply. It is more than throes of passion or paternal instincts. Love is grafted into memories, it is the elation of the soul being lifted. It is to be shared and cherished, to be given willingly and accepted just as openly. There is nothing in the world that can hold a candle to it, not all the venny in the world, all the power, possession, nothing. It is a feeling that overthrows it all and once lost it leaves a gaping hole in the heart that cannot be healed easily. So it is best to hold those memories of happier times close, to never forget, to keep the image of those you love fresh in your mind at all times. You’ll never know what events will transpire the next day, whether or not you’ll see them again.

So take up your girl, your man, your son or daughter and tell them you love them, tell them you will never let them go. Tell them you will love them till the end of your days. It’s almost always a guarantee that the smile they give you will warm your heart every time you think of them. For there truly is nothing better.

[/size][/blockquote]

[XAVIER]

Once upon a time in land not so far away, there were two friends who were fatefully brought together in a most peculiar and undoubtedly pink way... Yes, that’s right. PINK.

-----

Xavier never imagined that he would be invited to the Scarlet Montague’s palace! Wasn’t that a place for dangerous, powerful people? Xavi didn’t consider himself powerful at all, and he certainly wasn’t any more dangerous than a simple house cat! Although... he really did wish that people could distinguish between a cat and a Xavi. There was a HUGE difference, you know! First of all, Xavi could not think of a single cat that was pink. But more importantly, cats have no fashion sense at all. Walking around in the buff was just silly. But, strutting with a pink boa? Stylin’! Sure, they both liked fish, had the same kind of ears, and-- WHOA! A SHINY THING! Xavi ran off in quick pursuit.

MEANWHILE.

Guy Pajari was already in the Big Red, waiting for his “date”. That one word made him want to shoot someone, particularly those idiots he lost this stupid bet to. Well, technically he didn’t lose. Technically it was a tie. But it sure as hell didn’t feel like a tie. All his opponent had to do was pay up 300 Venny. Guy, on the other hand, had to suffer through a two hour blind date with whoever his opponent chose, which would probably be some hideously clingy whore who just wanted to slobber all over him with kisses. And worse. Oh that thought made him shudder all right. But if he bailed out before his two hours of torture were up, he’d need to give back the money. It was rather tempting, but he decided to at least see who -- or more accurately: what -- they were going to set him up with. Then a horrible thought came over him: “If those bastards even think about locking me in, I’m gonna’ shot them...” Guy muttered into his glass as he took a swing and slammed it on the table for two. It's a shame it wasn't alcohol. His clothes weren’t as nice as he’d like, and they were far from being considered “fancy”. A gas mask covered most of his face, only leaving one dark eye, his unscarred eye, revealed. Although it was sleeker than his usual aardvark-looking model, it still gave off the impression that he wasn't all right in the head. Well, all of the idiotic humans he had ever encountered had always told him that he was insane, so this impression probably wasn't far off the mark. Either way, Guy had no intention of taking it off. He wouldn’t reveal his face to the last person on the planet, unless said person had a certain red FiveseveN against his head.

Guy's attention was drawn to the massive double doors as they began to open, draping the elegantly decorated room in light. It was a huge circular chamber, adorned with red roses just for this event. There were no windows low enough for Guy to escape through, but there were a few higher up which let in the red tinted glow from the setting sun. It was the perfect scene for the perfect date -- no detail had been unattended. Didn’t the other Scarlet Guns have anything better to do than watch him suffer? Just when Guy seriously considered leaving, the massive double doors opened. There was a silhouette, one small black figure against a sky of brilliant, shining white. She walked into the room with uncertainty, steadily coming into focus.

Guy watched with fearful anticipation. Which then turned to shock, confusion, and then rage. The words “I am going to shoot those rat-assed bastards,” came to mind.

A pink haired... thing... walked into the room, wearing an absurdly fluffy and sparkly pink boa over a partly buttoned suit. It was just revealing enough that Guy could see the naval piercings on his obnoxiously skinny body. He had pointed ears and a slender tail. All pink. Where the hell did they find this dude? The more pressing issue, however, was: they wanted him to DATE A DUDE!? Guy wasn’t an expert on “normal”, anyone could see that, but this was pushing it. He looked around the room a second time for any way to escape. No windows or doors, except for the one the cat thing had entered though. He prepared to make a mad dash to the exit, but when the doors shut the sharp click of a lock echoed thoughout the chamber. This... would suck, to say the absolute least. Xavi waved enthusiastically and grinned as he shouted “Hello!” The echo it created fascinated him so much that he repeated his greeting time to replicate the effect.

“Ehhh... h- hi?” meekly greeted Guy, who was still standing -- rather uncomfortably, I might add -- at a table in the center of the room.
“GAHH!” exclaimed Xavi as he spun around, “When did you get there!?”
”I... I’ve... been here the whole time... You even waved to me just a second ago!”
”Lies!” shouted Xavier, pointing an accusing finger at the funny-looking man, ”Don’t you think I would have remembered that? You must be a ninja in disguise! Ha! Well, don’t worry! you’re secret is safe with me Mr. Ninja!”

Guy had no intelligent response. He just gawked from behind his mask at this poor, confused freak of nature.

Oh! exclaimed the Chimera, realizing that he wasn't going to get a response, ”Do you want a cupcake? I brought some for a date I’m supposed to be going to! But I don’t think he came, so you can have them instead!” Before he even gave Guy a chance to respond, Xavier rushed over to the table and set down a large box he had been carrying filled with all sorts of sweets decorated in fantastically pink sprinkles and frosting. Guy stared silently for a moment, a thousand questions rushing through his head. Realizing that if he didn't say something soon, the cat-man would probably just say some other completely illogical statement.

”I... Where did you... Err... I think they’re serving other stuff first?” Guy tried to draw attention away from the fact that he absolutely refused to accept anything from this guy. Taking candy from a suspicious stranger was not high on Guy’s list of intelligent responses.
”They serve stuff here? I didn’t know that! Do they have fish!?” excitedly asked the cat.
”Uhh... oh, why don’t you check the menu?” Guy picked up one of the tattered papers off the table and tossed it to the strange chimera. He had no idea if there was actually a cat chimera in the room with him, or he had just forgotten his medication...again.

”Menu? Where? OH!” Xavi gracelessly lunged for the paper floating to the ground, just barely catching it and very nearly running headlong into Guy’s chest. Not noticing the sudden tenseness of Guy due to the uncomfortably close proximity of the two, Xavi looked through the sloppily written options on the menu: almost-fresh steak, halo bird pasta, white rice, brown rice, yellow rice, green rice, and something called a double chickenburger (whatever that meant). But no fish! Xavi could not possibly comprehend how could any self-respecting restaurant not serve any fish. So far, this was the worst un-date that Xavi had ever been on!

Guy was still speechless and still silently debating if he was seeing things. Where the hell did they find this guy? Weren’t all the asylums supposed to be shut down? Well, it wasn’t fair to judge him yet. Chimeras weren’t exactly people, and said chimera hadn’t exhibited the usual bad traits humans did. Except a strange obsession with fish. Although it seemed somewhat predictable, or even cliche, it was still a bit odd. How did some random Chimera the Scarlet Guns pulled off the street even know what fish tasted like? And where the hell did he get all those pink frosted pastries? Xavi waved his hand in front of Guy’s face, breaking his train of thought. ”Hey, Mr. Ninja? What are you getting?”
”What? Oh, umm, I don’t care... I’m not really that hungry...”
”Good! Then let’s go somewhere fun!”
”... Fun?” Guy replied cautiously, ”What are you talking about?”
”It’s boring here! I want to go outside!”

It took Guy a moment to realize that the chimera meant ‘fun’ in the most innocent sense of the word. That was a relief. However, before he could reply, the report of a gun sounded from somewhere outside. Another, two more, then a barrage of shots sounded. People yelling. shattering glass and crackling fires. None of those sounds meant good news.
”See!?” exclaimed the pink haired cat, his ears perking up, ”It's much more interesting out there!”
”Interesting... Sure...” grumbled Guy, ”But there’s no way out of here.”
Xavi tilted his head in confusion, ”Why? Is the door stuck?”
”... Yeah, let’s go with that...”

Without a moment’s delay, Xavi leaped towards the wall, jumped off of it at an odd angle, and grabed the bottom of one of the windows with one hand. Guy, yet again, was stunned speechless. Pulling himself up to the window, Xavi unlatched it and pulled himself through. As the last of the pink tail disappeared through the open window, Guy could only wonder how he had been outdone by a pink cat. What was the world coming to? He sat down at the table, trying to suppress the urge to blast the locked door open with some high explosives.

”So are you coming or what?”

Guy jumped from his chair in surprise, and instinctively readied his gun at the source of the voice. The cat had come back, his golden eyes and messy pink mat of hair peeking through the window. ”Well?”
”I... wait, what? Why do you think I would ever come with you?”
”Because I fascinate you!” Xavi said cheerily, seemingly not realizing the full meaning of what he had just said.
Huffing in denial, Guy angrily replied ”What? No! What the hell would make you think that? I just can’t climb like you is all!”
Xavi obviously didn’t notice the hostility in Guy’s voice, and he (just as cheerily as before), said, ”You’re a funny one! Come on, let’s go!” Then, he unraveled his boa and leaned out the window. It was oddly reminiscent of the story of Rapunzel. Just... instead of hair, there was a sparkly, feathery boa.

Again, Guy wondered what the hell the world was coming to.

And so, with his curiosity and desire to... “suppress” some rioters overwhelming his sense of dignity, he climbed up the boa, and accepted the hand of this curious creature. ”My name’s Xavi by the way! It’s nice to meet you Mr. Ninja!”
”Call me Jack or Guy. Pleasure.”
”Wait, Jack OR Guy? how do you have two names? ”
”Jack is a nickname. ”
Whoa, so you’re Guy, Jack, and Nick all at the same time?!?
”Nick-NAME, not... Never mind... just... stop talking. Please.”

AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF CLIMBING.

Outside the building, the two were running towards the commotion at inhuman speeds. ”I still don’t get it Mr. Ninja. Doesn’t it get confusing with three names?”

”I only have two, you pink-haired fuzzball!” Guy had been arguing and reinstating this fact for the past few minutes, but he couldn’t get it through Xavi’s thick skull. Finally, to Guy's utter relief, they reached the source of the disturbance. A large group of people in the street, yelling and throwing rocks, firing guns and screaming insults. The only thing missing from the scene was pitchforks and torches. ”See? I told you there was a party!” the pink Chimera squealed as he made a move for the crowd, only to be stopped by a gloved hand wrapped around the back of his shirt collar.

"Not a chance."

Xavi flailed about comically, attempting to escape Guy’s grip, but to no avail. His ears lied flat on his head as he crossed his arms in a harrumph. Guy remained unmoved by this little display. ”Trust me, it won’t be very fun once the other ‘guns get here.”

”But look how fun it is now!” a firebomb streaked across the cityscape into the palace. ”They even get to play with fire!” Xavi sat down on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum, "I never get to play with fire."

"Mhmm, well that's a surprise," Guy said sarcastically. Giving that cat anything even remotely flammable might just end the world. Again. Even though the pouting would have convinced almost anyone to appease the poor thing, Guy remained unmoved.

"Umm, Guy or Jack? There's--" began Xavi before being interrupted.
"Just call me one or the other."
"Well then, Oneortheother, there's--"
"I meant..." Guy growled, his patience being worn thin, "call me Jack, or call me Guy. Don't call me 'Jack or Guy'. Damn you are one of the most ignorant Chimeras I've ever met!"
"Well I'm not THAT ignorant! Even I can realize that there's a grenade next to your foot!"

Guy rolled his eyes, and was about to tell Xavi to stop being an idiot, but as he stepped backwards his foot hit something hard and metal. He looked down with disbelief at the green oval, just sitting there. Without the firing pin. "WHAT THE F--" Before he could finish his sentence, a pink blur zoomed past as speeds even faster than Guy could run, and a massive fiery explosion erupted on the side of a building. Debris scattered across the gathered mob ans smoke billowed through the air, creating distinct rays of sunlight. Xavier, who was now standing on the other side of Guy, watched the rising cloud and grinned, purring as he exclaimed, "Ooooh! Pretty!"

"What... How did you... Why... You were... But..." Guy was dumbfounded and at an utter loss for words. The cat had actually, by some miracle, threw the grenade at the perfect moment and saved his life! "How the hell did you do that!?"

"Hmm?" Xavier purred, mesmerized by the dancing smoke, "Do what?"

-----

And that, my lovely readers, is how one highly unconventional meeting formed an equally unconventional friendship. THE END. What, were you expecting romance? From Guy and Xavi? Hahaha! What the hell were you thinking?

[liqu]

Eugene Wilde – a man with quite the reputation to his name. Rumours of this noble fellow always seemed to have a certain hint of infamousy to them, the young lord often becoming the target of the crowd’s unrelenting slander. Nevertheless he remained popular among his peers, easily wooing the hearts of many young women with charming phrases and chivalrous gestures.

To say that he had been prepared for what came next would have been an understatement. Eugene was baffled. He had been stood up. The invitation had been anonymous in an attempt to lure out his prey with curiousity, but for whatever reason his date had been a no-show. That she wouldn’t appear before him, as if summoned, had simply never occurred to him.

Eugene soon decided to take on a different approach.

---

The study of the Noelle household had that particular moldy smell you’d recognize from old books – which the room had plenty of. The odor was faint but left a clear impression of just how many books were stacked on the shelved walls. Eugene stole a curious glance at the vast collection, well aware that he most likely would be unable to fathom its worth.

The sound of footsteps approaching signaled the return of his host. Eugene’s emerald gaze returned to the doorway as his main reason for being there entered the room. Fay Noelle was known only for her accomplishments as a doctor, but she was by far the spitting image of that perfect lady every little girl would dream of becoming. A white gown, trademark dress code for people of her profession, loosely draped her shoulders and hung open to the front – surprisingly obscuring a lot more of the view than one would have thought.

“Lord Wilde?” The woman’s voice broke through the previous silence and Eugene snapped out of his temporary fantasy. Fay watched him with obvious concern, two small pills held in her outstretched hand while the other firmly gripped a glass of water. “Ah…” The young lord got the hint and grabbed both glass and pills, downing the two in a few hurried gulps. “You didn’t have to get changed just for me.” Not only had he appeared at her doorstep unannounced, he had also convinced the lovely lady to let him inside by spouting nonsense of death and misery – all, of course, no more than an act. It wasn’t perfect and certainly not pretty but it had worked, hadn’t it?

“I prefer to keep my private life separate from my work.” Her reply was immediate and while the tone of her voice remained the same, the underlying message was unmistakably one of dismay over his presence in her home. Eugene decided not to comment. “These should keep the headache at bay for today,” she said, gesturing towards the glass while referring to the pills he had just taken. “Please avoid further activity for today and get plenty of rest.” Eugene nodded. The description of his symptoms had been vague, if even plausible, full of holes and more or less composed on the spot. Pathetic.He wasn’t sick and anyone less qualified than the woman before him would have seen through his scheme from the very beginning. Nonetheless Fay had accepted his explanation and offered her help.

As the examination seemed to come to an end Eugene began to fret. Shifting nervously in his seat he put his creativity to the test once again. “Wha… What if the headaches return?” A simple, and surprisingly valid, question. However…

---

Was that a sigh? Eugene tilted his head as the lady averted her gaze, troubled and a tad confused. But before he could even have a word of question added to the conversation, her ruby stare confronted him once again, calm and collected. “I will prescribe you a small dose of the medicine you just took. It should last you a week – at most. Should the headaches persist, you may have acquired a mild migraine – in which case I will need you to arrange another examination at any given time.” The all too clear instructions combined with Fay’s straightforwardness caught the young lord in a moment of weakness, spending a moment too long nodding in agreement before he could prevent her from leaving.

And gone she was.

The soft clicking of heels to the stone floor reminded him of something; in a single swift movement he tugged an embellished pocket watch into the secure grip of his hand, flicking the cover open with the push of a finger. Noon. Plenty of time to check up on his doll once he decided to leave. With things seemingly going his way that day, chances were that it had yet to wreck his home. He’d be damned if he had to replace another coffee table.

The watch slid back into the perfect fit of his pocket. Time for some action! Wooing this woman had become quite the hassle but Eugene was determined and refused to leave empty-handed.

Lurking was only one of many skills the man possessed; if done properly he could sneak up on just about anyone. A self-absorbed grin creased his lips as he got up and with light steps trailed along the path of his prey. Eugene was a man in pursuit of affection.

Fortunately his hunt didn’t last long, his destination no further than crossing the hallway and entering the room across from the study. Containers of various sizes, some filled with a slightly disturbing assortment of oddly coloured liquids, took up most space of the relatively small room. Unexpectedly Fay was nowhere to be seen. Eugene frowned. People don’t just up and disappear. His eyes drifted about the interior of the room one more time; at the far end of the room had been an open door which he at first had shrugged off as nothing more than belonging to a closet. But giving the compartment another glance, he did spot a bit of movement from within despite the lack of light.

Now curious he carefully snuck closer, almost inching his steps towards the door. His assumption that the closet had been too small to hold a person had been wrong. Inside shelves covered the walls, each and everyone of them packed with bottles and small casings. Standing with her back facing the door was Fay, moving and pushing the glass around, obviously looking for something – his medication, no doubt. Finding this the appropriate time to make his presence known, he gave a small cough as he stepped inside the small chamber. “Uh… Miss Noelle?” “Doctor.” The sharp tone of her voice took him by surprise, momentarily blanking out his mind. “I-I…” He was at a loss of words, stuttering as he tried to keep up appearances for the woman he was pursuing. Behind him the door – loose on its hinges – had slowly begun to move.

“Lord Wilde, I’m afraid I will have to ask you to ste—“ Fay’s words were cut short as the door clicked shut, only to be followed by the all too familiar hollow resonance of the lock popping into place. The tiny space became dark and silence filled the air. Her previously busy hands had ceased their search and the woman stood as if frozen. Eugene, too, had gone quiet with a silly – but growingly nervous – smile stuck on his face. “A-Ah…! Let me get that for you…” The uncertainty of his words was unmistakable and yet he quickly found himself fiddling with the doorknob, giving an honest attempt at opening the locked door. “Maybe if I…” This time he actually turned and grabbed a hold of the metal with both hands, putting his weight against the solid surface of the door. It wouldn’t budge.

“It won’t open.”

Startled, Eugene cast a stare over his shoulder at his host, vaguely able to make out her silhouette from the light that made its way through the crack beneath the door. The already cramped space seemed even smaller with their main light source gone and Eugene felt the distinct sensation of panic building up ever so steadily. “Aha, so it would seem…” He wasn’t sounding too enthusiastic anymore.

“Miss No—Doctor, you wouldn’t happen to have a key for this door, would you?”

“No.”

Eugene felt his hope fading, replaced by a sudden fear of the darkness that enveloped them. How the noble lady managed to remain as composed as she appeared right then would forever be a mystery to him. His hands left the knob of the door and instead searched along the surface of it, looking for anything that might make for an escape. “We shouldn’t have to worry, though, should we? Surely someone will find us and get us out of here in no time. A few hours in here won’t kill us, right?” As silly as his questions seemed, he needed some sort of verification of his words. Some proof that they were going to be alright.

But instead of an actual reply, the questionable sound of ruffling clothes followed. “What are you—“ “Duck.” Had the time been available to him, Eugene would probably have followed up on the oddly specific order with more questions. The heeled foot planted only inches from his person a second later, however, evidently did not agree with this and he quickly sunk to his knees in shock. On impact the force had the door simply fall off of its hinges, lingering only a second in an upright position before falling to the floor with a loud noise. And only for that one second, as the light invaded the chamber once more, was Eugene blessed with quite the sight of the lady’s more intimate garments.

Fay gave a small huff as she fixed her posture, taking a moment to straighten out any creases in her clothes before returning her gaze to the dazzled man on the floor. While most would definitely have found the scene impressive, Fay herself was far from amused. “I think it is time for you to leave, Lord Wilde.”

[KLIEN LIVESSAY]

A Scarlet Collar Valentine
entry for Klien & Veradux

"For you." Veradux held out a bouquet of flowers at which Klien folded her arms and stared. They were made of paper, colored plastic, and painted cardboard taped, screwed, and otherwise attached to what were supposed to be stems made of metal and wood. A scrap of cloth wrapped the whole thing together, both protecting Dux's hands and cradling the stiff florals in a soft home. Klien had smothered a grimace at the terribly medly, but she could not hide the leer. Who the fuck did he think she was? His goddamned daughter?

"Rho made them." He was trying not to fidget in his gentlemanly pose: feet together, back straight, one arm out stretched, the other folded neatly behind his back. Given the last minute nature of his departure, he didn't have time to change out of his street clothes. A white t-shirt and jeans, however, were simply inappropriate so he'd thrown on a suit jacket on the way out. The bright red gun at his hip glared at everyone in the little eaterie, reminding them they were witnessing a silent confession from a Scarlet Gun. Thinking it over, it wasn't entirely the best looking outfit he'd come up with on the fly. Klien was wearing a fitted black lace bodice that made her eyes and hair stand out all the more. Not to mention, it accentuated her curves in all the right places...

"Oye. Moron." She snapped twice, startling him out of his reverie and he knew from her darkening expression that she wanted --and deserved-- an explanation for his tardiness to their "date". This was going to turn out miserably, he'd just known it from the get-go.

"Actually she set this up again, not me. I didn't find out until she stuffed these in my hands on my way out this morning." A lopsided smile squirmed across his face at the thought of his daughter sneaking around behind his back leaving secret messages for a gang member in a rival gang. It was an incredibly dangerous thing to do; he'd definitely have to punish her for it. It was a father's duty to protect his daughter, not the other way around. The goofy smile worming its way onto his face broke into a toothy smile when he caught Klien's gaze. "She knew I wouldn't stand you up so here I am."

Klien pursed her lips ever so slightly at the explanation she'd been waiting for, raised a brow, and waited for whatever thought seemed to be lingering in his head. This game of cat and mouse was getting old very fast. "If you've got something say, quit standing there like a mindless idiot and spit it out." It did the trick thankfully and reminded Dux --and the patrons-- just know he was dealing with: Klien Livessay, currently the most notorious member of the Black Collars. He blinked a few times, as if she'd smacked him and suddenly remembered how to move the rest of his limbs, looking a tad like a pathetic teenager that didn't know how to stand up straight. Klien rolled her eyes when he looked away.

"I'm late because I stopped to get... this."

When she looked back, the disgusting motley was gone, replaced by a single, white daisy. Her shoulders relaxed ever-so slightly. She had never seen a flower up close before. Violet eyes flitted from it to him and back, unable to look away, until a thought crossed her mind. All at once the suspicious glower returned. "What do you want?"

"Ah... To share breakfast, I would expect, since that's what Rho told you we were here to do." That seemed to do the trick as Klien slowly unfolded her crossed arms. She accepted the daisy delicately, much to his pleasure, and sniffed it, looking very much like the woman he knew she was. "Veradux Montoya, at your service," he chimed, reminiscent of their first meeting and gestured with the stand-in bouquet to a table for two.

"Hold up, half-wit," she ordered, insensitive in tone compared to the look she wore for the flower in her possession. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, wondering just what she could want now.

A wicked look crossed her face and she pointed at the bouquet. "Give me those." He looked surprised at the request and held them up as if unsure if he should part with them. Klien frowned and held out her hand. "They're mine. I said fork 'em over."

"I didn't think you'd want them..." He started and hesitated a hare's breath before holding them out for her. Klien snatched them up instantly and turned for the door in a whirl of fuchsia. When he didn't follow, it was her turn to stop and look back over her shoulder.

"What the fuck are you doing? Do I have to invite you with a giant sign or something? Let's go." The impatience in her voice set the life moving back into the patrons. The Black Collar scanned their faces to be sure each and every one of them went back to their business and didn't follow like the unwelcome vermin they were. Dux, however, just stood there like the idiot she knew he was, opening and closing his mouth like some dying animal.

"I've got plans for these." She grinned something devious and waved the bouquet tauntingly. "And they're a hell of a lot more fun than sitting around here. I just hope you know how to use that thing 'cause I'm not sharing when you run out ammo. Let see what you got, Scarlet Gun."

Dux looked where she'd pointed with the bouquet. Was there something next to him he didn't know about --His gun? What did he need his gun fo-- A grin of understanding spread across his face when she mentioned extra ammunition. It was a challenge. "Don't you worry." He said meeting her at the door. "I'm set to go, but I already know that the lady always wins."

event tags: klien livessay [claus!] and veradux montoya [ned!]
word count: 1034
notes: Valentine's Contest Entry!
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[DIETRICH BRAACH]

[Mildred Connover and Dietrich Braach]

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,420px,true][atrb=style, vertical-align: top; background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/287m6bd.jpg); background-color: e1e1e1;] Stories of unselfish, sacrificial love are easily remembered, because they speak to our hearts. There are also those that celebrate friendship, reminding us that love appears in more ways than one. Two lovers, sharing a silent night together, sat side by side watching the flames of the hearth fade away. The man turned, staring into her dark hazy eyes with unnamed emotions. “You are my inamoratas, and I am your inamoratos.” He uttered softly, a strangely tender expression on his (self-professed) handsome face as fingers neared her cheek, attempting to draw her into a kiss. She did not resist, leaning forward inch by inch till their noses almost touched. Dietrich smiled, a tinge of mischievousness slipping into his curved lips. He had been waiting for this moment for the past seven hours. All Mildred had to do was to let nature take its course and… Nothing happened. Opening his half-lidden eyes, Dietrich’s fingers twitched. He shifted impatiently, reaching over to pull her towards him and subsequently risk being burnt to death, only to be stopped by a single sentence from his companion. “What the fuck did you just call me?” Mildred glared at him, a tigress ready to tear his limbs apart. Dietrich gave a bright smile, hand withdrawing as subtly as possible while he pretended to ponder over his answer. “My lover.” His answer was loud, confident, matching the puffed chest and Dietrich’s trademark megawatt smile. Mildred’s glare softened – or perhaps she was just narrowing her eyes – while she spoke, holding a steady gaze with the enthusiastic sky pirate. “I’ll show you what’s love.” There was a fiery passion in her words, fuelling Dietrich’s delusion that Mildred was about to do something drastically sexy. It prompted him to start unbuttoning his shirt, an almost dreamy smile plastered on his face. Well, at least he was right about the ‘drastic’ part. Mildred had spun and backed away, letting her legs face him. Lifting the left mechanical leg with a cruel smile, the pyromaniac triggered the flamethrower function. With his shirt half undone, Dietrich yelped and sprung upwards, leaping onto the table nearby. “Tch.” Evidently irritated that she had missed the shot, Mildred turned and prepared for the second shot. “WOAH WOAH WOAH!” Unable to hold back his shouts this time, Dietrich shirked away from the edge of the table, eyes widened in shock as he dodged the searing flames. “What do you think you’re doing?!?! Watch the hair, for venny’s sake!” The mutant ducked, rolling off the table and sidestepping Mildred. Not to be outdone, she swerved round, aiming for a kick at his crotch to punish his egoistic behaviour. “Fuck!” Dietrich yelled. “Everything alright in there?” Continuous loud knocks on the flimsy door accompanied by a shrill voice forced our dear protagonists to freeze mid-way through their actions of dashing and aiming, presenting a hilarious scene. “…Yeah!” Dietrich called out, hoping that his nervousness was not obvious, “We’re just… … role-playing! Haha, you know how it is nowadays… gotta keep… things… fresh…” Yep, he was definitely going to be burnt to death after the mission. An answering laugh from outside the door had Mildred flipping the finger at him, while he gave a half-hearted apologetic look. Hushing anything she was about to say with a finger to his lips, the two waited for the sound of footsteps leaving outside of their room before carrying out a heated discussion. Mildred was neither Dietrich’s lover nor fiancée. They were simply pretending and acting out both roles, all for the sake of completing a mission and collecting the hefty sum of venny promised to those who solved a little mystery. It sounded simple enough at first. The poster’s details at the Outpost listed a request for someone, or a group, to solve the mystery of disappearing couples in the Hidden City of Dregs located in Hogwash. Mildred, having nothing to do for the rest of the day, figured that it would be an easy job. Just as she approached the bartender for more information, a green-haired man showed up asking for the same thing. His name, she soon learned, was Dietrich. As Mildred and Dietrich got into an increasingly loud argument over who should take up the mission, the bartender had given them one look and suggested a surprisingly clever solution: Work together and pose as an engaged couple to solve the case. After hours of rehearsing their lines as a ‘couple’, Mildred was ready to give up. “Why don’t we just burn this place? They’ll ‘fess up to everything after that.” Her companion shot her an exasperated look. “Hmph. Just sayin’.” They had arrived in Dregs some time after the sun set, heading towards the rumoured motel where many of the couples were last seen at. The motel owner, a woman in her late forties with an annoyingly high-pitched voice, had greeted them, going out of her way to make the two new guests feel as comfortable as possible. “Thank you!” Dietrich had called out, forcefully gripping Mildred’s hand as they walked up the stairs. Once they had entered their room, she had immediately pushed him away, eager to be rid of the green-haired pest. “Don’t you dare try anything funny again,” she warned Dietrich for what seemed to be the umpteenth time while refilling the propane. She had used up half the amount dealing with Dietrich’s wandering hands, and was displeased with how he had wasted her precious firejuice. “This is an act. Nothing more.” This caused her companion to look away from the mirror, pausing his preening time to address her sternly, “We have to be professionals and put up something convincing, remember? If the owner doesn’t seem to suspect anything, we’ll be free to investigate this place AND rescue those poor souls… think of the venny we’ll be getting, Mildy dear!” Mildred rolled her eyes at his pathetic attempt of being friendly with her. Seriously. Were there no normal people in this world? “Anyway, there’s something you should know,” he continued, ignorant of Mildred’s crude gestures, “After your crazy fire spouting time, I was pretending to search for the bathroom… and guess what I heard?” He paused. “Strange thumps coming from beneath the ground!” Mildred laughed, muttering something about ‘wild ones going at it’. “That’s not it!” Quickly lowering his voice, Dietrich whispered, “I was on the ground floor… meaning it was from the basement. I’m sure that there’s something going on in there!” Despite doubting his investigation skills, Mildred was soon talked into playing along with him. They pretended to indulge in loud rounds of lovemaking, adding on lewd noises as part of their act. Mildred had been unwilling, but after Dietrich grudgingly offered to let her beat him up afterwards, her enthusiasm was almost scary to witness. After estimating that an appropriate amount of time had passed, our protagonists stayed silent, giving the impression that they had fallen asleep. They waited, observing that the owner patrolled the motel floors every hour. Thankfully, her footsteps were loud, giving them warning to hide after slipping out of their room at a suitable moment. “Turn left, yes, here. Wait. Alright, she’s on the top floor now… let’s go!” Dietrich murmured under his breath, “This is exciting. We’re like…ninjas.” Mildred prodded his back with one finger, “Shut up. I don’t need a running commentary on what we’re doing, dumbass.” Reluctantly keeping his mouth shut, Dietrich sped up, landing at the bottom of the stairs like a cat. With some jostling between the two supposed partners, they managed to find a suspiciously hollow-sounding square-shaped plank. Lifting it with as little noise as possible, Dietrich jumped straight into the darkness and held up his hands, wanting to aid Mildred out of the sparkling goodness in his heart. Miffed to be receiving help from the pest, she had jammed the mechanical leg against his chest while being lowered into the basement. Satisfied to hear him wheezing in pain, Mildred took the lead. Thump. Thump. Thump. “Yes, I hear it too,” she held up a hand, silencing Dietrich as they crept further into the heart of darkness. A pitiful sight greeted them - lying on his back with ropes wound around his upper body and legs, a man was kicking tiredly against a wooden beam. “Mmmph!” Dietrich worked to untie him as Mildred tore off the gag. Panting harshly, the man explained how his girlfriend and himself had been leaving the Big Red when they were assaulted by two men. One looked like a lizard, while the other had his face wrapped in bandages. “She,” – the motel owner – “Is a crazy hag… please tell me you haven’t drank any of the drugged tea she served!” Mildred looked over at Dietrich, who was still unfastening the rope secured around the man’s legs, recalling how they had secretly dumped the food and drinks given because Dietrich was dead-set that something was horribly wrong. He's not that useless after all. With the man’s input of what he had overheard, Mildred and Dietrich learned that the motel owner was in cahoots with a small-time slavery ring. Their modus operandi was to stalk unknowing couples, waiting till they were alone before attacking them. The lizard chimera was the grunt, while the one wrapped in bandages was in charge of injecting drugs into the couples so that they would be unable to put up a fight. Using the information given, our protagonists dashed onwards, racing to free other kidnapped couples who were locked inside rotting cages. Helping the last person out of the basement, the partners were on their way to exiting the motel when three large shadows loomed over them, blocking the only exit. There was a second of uneasy tension between the terrible trio and our protagonists, broken when the motel woman shrieked like a banshee. Kill them!” The lizard chimera hissed, leaping towards Mildred. Battle lust danced in her eyes as she lifted her leg with a smirk, “How’d you like to be cooked?” A blast of fire shot out, scalding the chimera’s face. His companion, the bandaged man, let out a guttural smile as he attempted taking down Mildred. “Going somewhere?” Dietrich chuckled at his surprised expression, “I’m faster than you.” He taunted the other, holding one end of a bandage before pulling hard. Sliding out his trusty gun, Dietrich fired three shots – above his head, on his left shoulder, and just below the crotch. “I won’t miss next time!” Waving his gun with a maniacal grin atypical of himself, Dietrich stood back to back with Mildred, who appeared to be having a blast of her time – quite literally. “Time to go!” Mildred shouted suddenly, grabbing Dietrich arm as she hauled him out of the motel. Ten minutes later

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“Ow ow ow! Can’t you be a little more gentle?” The green-haired mutant winced, trying to pull his arm away from the dark-haired woman. “Shut up, you wuss. Who the hell gets injured AFTER winning a fight?” “Oh shut up, it’s all your fault!” “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I was the one who tripped and fell face-flat onto the ground…rather spectacularly too.” “…whatever.”

Sitting on the pile of unconscious henchmen and motel owner, Mildred pressed a scrap of bandage – courtesy of the ‘mummy’ as they had dubbed the bandaged man – against Dietrich’s bleeding arm. She had laughed uncontrollably when the mutant tripped over his own feet after running out of the burning motel, earning a long hard glare and a colourful string of curses from Dietrich. It had been admittedly funny, from her point of view, that he had painstakingly maintained a charming Prince-like image until the incident happened.

“Oi,” Dietrich stared at the raging fire consuming the motel, “Here.” His gun was swirled in the air, before meeting Mildred’s flame-throwing leg in a loud thunk. Understanding what he was trying to do, Mildred shifted her leg to echo the unvoiced sentiment. Despite the initial arguments and petty fights, they had covered each others’ backs during the mission. “We make quite a team,” she mumbled. “Quite? You’re kidding me!” Dietrich’s disbelief had Mildred turning her head sharply, offended that her words were not taken seriously. “We were PERFECT, Mildy dear. Perfect!” He cried out, pumping on fist in the air before groaning, forgetting that it was his injured arm he was straining. “Ha ha!” Mildred’s laughter was soon joined by Dietrich’s, and our protagonists were soon immersed in a strangely sweet moment…if you discounted their oddities and quirks. Perhaps this was what Love was about, a form of friendship and gradual acceptance of what and who you are.

“Damn it.”
“What?”
“Should have brought along more propane to keep the fire going.”
“… you’re a pyromaniac.”
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-the end-
this has been a proud collaboration between zulu & kai
thank you for reading this!

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[{ HANNIE }]

ALRIGHT. Sorry everybody for the extreme delay, apparently February was a month of...well, a lot of people being busy.

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN BY MARCH 6th. After this we won't be accepting any more, and we'll get to deciding the winners after that.