Interludes (NO COMMENT POSTS PLEASE)

[Stasis Kiss]

Next Installment : Stasis Can't Write Small Things
_________

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

Right. Whoever came up with that pithy gem probably never went to school. Or at the very least, never had detention. It had to have been a guy though - only a guy could come up with something like that. Who had it been anyways? Nietzsche? Churchill?

Cookie Monster?

She'd had detention precisely once before in a previous school, three or four back and hadn't enjoyed it then either. With a feeling of impending doom she tugged her new plaid skirt down, convinced the thing was showing more than it ought to. The tie was half choking her but she wasn't going to get in trouble for taking it off, no way. She could put up with being a little lightheaded. On the bright side, if she passed out from blood constriction maybe the Powers That Be would take pity and give her a swanky kerchief instead. Assuming they didn't save the effort and have her remains cremated.

She had to admit though - the socks were just great.

Stasis checked the room number engraved on the frosted glass in front of her, comparing it to the neat assignment written out for her. A107 - DETENTION: BRING ASSIGNED SCHOOLWORK. For once she'd managed to be in the right place and nearly at the right time too. She'd only gotten turned around twice which had to be some kind of record so far.

She blew the hair out of her eyes one more time for good luck and lifted her chin in unconscious, defiant habit. It was only detention. It was probably good for her; character building or something. No doubt Kris would expound on the topic when she got back to the dorm, complete with reference books on the subject and the relevant psychological passages to take note of. She'd only been in quad five for less than a week but some things had established themselves pretty quickly.

Well, at least Kris was doing her version of social. After the Easy Bake incident Lycia wasn't exactly talking to her. But in her defense, how was she to know a toy oven could cause so much damage? She'd just been trying to make something nice to eat! Something to share with everybody. So the burnt smell was taking a while to dissipate - that couldn't reasonably be blamed on her, could it? Smells just did that.

At least it hadn't been burnt fish.

Lycia was taking it pretty hard though. As proof of the fact that she was in the dog house, the other girl hadn't even offered to share this morning's pot of java with her equally addicted friend.

That meant she'd had to wait until Lycia had zombied herself out the door before scrambling for the dregs. That in turn had made her late, which had made her forget her half finished homework in its crumpled pile when she'd thrown it against the wall in disgust the night before and that in turn had caused her to have no respectful answer ready when the Sister had asked where it was.

Not her fault. If Lycia had just given her a single cup of coffee, just one lousy teacup worth she wouldn't have said the first thing off the top of her head. Nor followed it up with a straight faced justification.

So here she was, at detention. Staring at the door. Late.

Stalling.

Anxiety made recent uneasy control a little more precarious. She took a deep breath and tried to keep the ice from actually taking her over. It just didn't look as good in plaid.

Opening the door wasn't as hard at it first appeared. For one thing it was just a door and opened quite easily. She even managed to get a few reasonably firm steps into the room, opening her mouth to apologize for her tardiness.

That was the plan anyways. It lasted about four seconds before she and it came to a crashing, uncertain halt.

Out of the corner of her eye a nun in habit was turning to look. A few bodies were strewn here and there throughout the classroom. The afternoon sun even managed to streak through the somewhat dirty windows.

Just what was he doing here? This was her detention.

Silly, stupid question. Silly, stupid, heart stopping question.

Jaygo.

He was stretched out at one desk, looking nearly asleep. His hair was lit in a blonde halo, bright enough to cut at the eyes which might explain the empty space around him.

There was a thin volume falling out of one hand, probably his concession to the required schoolwork. He sat up though as she entered though, sat up when she walked in and those green eyes irised open and did funny things to her breathing. The look on his face was half surprise, half something else.

Couldn't have helped it; not even if she'd known it was coming, not even if her life had depended on it.

She smiled. A traitor smile that spread over everything in a nova flash. It had been days. So good to see him. And damn it... he saw it. Saw it and smiled back.

Oh, that was so not right. Jaygo Jones did not need any more encouragement. Already much much too comfortable around her, making her feel much much too comfortable around him. The surprised smile on his face was already descending into smirk.

She closed it down, falling back desperately on some of the tanker training she'd been getting with the formidable and humorless Mr. Asumio. It got the expression off her face but in the story of her life the damage was already done. Stasis kept the groan under her breath and turned to the Sister at the front of the class and offered a half bow.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Off the top of her head that wasn't too bad at all. Certainly better than this morning's effort.

"You would be Stasis Kiss, I take it?" The wimple clad woman checked out a piece of paper on her desk briefly. "Do you prefer your street name or your birth name?"

"Uh." Her cognitive functioning was operating at the speed of treacle. "Street.. street name, please. If you don't mind." Jaygo knew her name, she remembered suddenly. That had also seemed a good idea at the time.

"We strive to make all our students comfortable. Now please take a seat, Stasis. You're ten minutes late. You will remain your full hour of detention plus that additional for your delay."

"Okay. Uh. Thank you, Sister."

Turning around was not the most difficult thing she'd ever had to do but it certainly took honorable mention. Not meeting anybody's eyes, particularly a certain pair of laughing ones, she walked to the back of the class and took a blind seat. Sitting in front of him would have been sheer torture, imagining him staring at the back of her hot neck. At least from here he couldn't see her and she could stare at the back of his head. See how he liked that!

She'd take any advantage she could get. She'd won battles on slivers of endurance before.

A guy she'd never seen before leaned over and well .. leered was a good description. At least his bushy monobrow wiggled at her and the expression was pretty easy to decipher. He was built like a brick wall which probably explained why he thought this was a good idea. She didn't equate size with stupidity but Moron's Law said there was always one in every school.

This at least she knew how to take care of. Leaning in his direction, she smiled - and blew him a kiss. Just a small one.

"Biff? Is there a problem?"

Biff? That pretty much confirmed her instant assessment. Who named their kid Biff? That was like, straight out of some redneck manual. Sadly the boy was too busy trying to scrub feeling back into his face to answer right away.

For a second she thought she might have overdone it but eventually he did manage to mumble something. While the Sister frowned she did eventually turn her attention away and Stasis breathed a sigh of relief. Oddly, Biff didn't look at her again.

Fumbling with her books took up a decent five minutes. Managed to waste at least three more in the finding, losing, finding and then sharpening the pencil. Then she was stuck staring at the blank piece of paper in front of her with no inspiration. What was she supposed to be working on again? She took a quick look at the textbook cover. Plane Geometry.

Great. Math. Just another four word which about summed up her feelings on the whole subject.

The time ticked down slowly. Then - how it happened she wasn't sure. For one thing, she was pretty positive she hadn't been daydreaming or anything. Too keyed up trying not to notice a certain lean bulk four desks ahead of her, pretending that she knew the difference between an exterior and an adjacent angle. Which didn't really explain how the neatly folded square of paper made it onto her open books like a magic jumping frog.

She looked around guiltily but nobody seemed to have noticed. She glared suspicously but Jaygo had gone back to staring at the ceiling again, all she could see was the top of his head. She wasn't sure but she thought maybe she could even hear him snoring. Nobody else was even remotely close enough to have leaned over though and she was pretty sure that her formerly amorous suitor would rather kiss a tiger than get within touching distance. So how had the note gotten there?

Wrinkling her nose, she teased the creased edges open. It was full of printed text - a page torn from a book. Flowery stanzas greeted her surprised eyes but it was the lazy handwriting scrawled into the margin that riveted her attention. She'd never seen it before but there was no doubt who had written her the note.

Dance coming up. Wanna go?

The hot feeling that ripped down her spine, that pooled like honey in the pit of her belly was something she'd never admit to. Never. For one thing she didn't feel that way about Jaygo Jones, Mr. Fan Club Himself. Not her. Not for him. She was level headed, straight forward, about as interesting as that stuff they served in the cafeteria on Thursdays. She got the job done and stayed out of the way.

She didn't even like blondes.

Stasis swallowed the inexplicable panic.

Calm, cool reasoning would save the day. She didn't like crowds. She'd never been to a dance before in her life, wouldn't even know what to do at one. She was all left feet for one thing. She'd get lost trying to find the silly thing!

Wanna go?

The question just sat there and stared at her with a smug expression.

She flipped the piece of paper over and with neat strokes penciled in her terse reply around stanza sixteen. Since she wasn't ninja anything, she just waited until it looked like the warden at the front of the classroom was busy scratching her ankle and lobbed it at Jaygo's head. It bounced nicely but he caught it before it hit the floor, proving he wasn't as asleep as he'd been pretending. The Sister didn't seem to notice that either.

Oddly, there was tension in his shoulders as he slowly opened the crumpled ball of paper. What was he doing? He was just messing with her head, that's all.

Stasis firmed her resolved and look back down at the stupid page of figures that would probably never make coherent sense.

Maybe Kris could explain it. Kris was very good at explaining things to her silly friend.

____

((sorry for the length, Detective! did you make it this far?))

[Kris O'Sullivan]

Kris walked into the iCON of Steel Canyon, and made her way to the counter. Delphine, the girl at the counter went to get Serge, when the red haired teen asked about her order. That made Kris nervous.

Was there a problem? Did they cancel the order due to some manufacturer issue? There was a lot of stuff that could have gone so wrong.

"Allo, Kristina," Serge said enthusiasticaly, as he approached. "We just got your supersuit! Tres meow! You shall have to beat the mens off with a stick!"

"Uhmm... Me," she blushed as she asked. She had seen the 3D model of her with the outfit on, but she didn't recall it being that sexy. Maybe the rumor was right about Serge being a pervert. "I wasn't... really looking for... uhmm... you know... sexy."

"Why don't you try it on," he said with a nod. "Maybe sexy was the wrong word, huh?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "May-be"

A few minutes later...

"This... This looks a bit too... Are you sure this is what I ordered? I mean, this is kinda..."

"Kinky," he asked.

"Yeah! Not me, I don't think," Kris replied. "And, a bit... Blah, too. I mean, all black? I really had no idea how blah black could be."

"Let's try some changes with our new holographics center," he offered...

Later still...

"Alright," Kris nodded. "I think that'll doo just fine, Serge. Thanks for the help!"

Anytime, Miss O'Sullivan," he cheerfully replied as she smiled and walked off. She had managed to barter with Serge, and was pretty pleased with the result. She would help him with some problem, after she reached her 20th Security Level, and he would give her the suit. Both parties pleased! Problem averted.

[Kris O'Sullivan]

Kris had done all of her work (for the semester). Now, she was finished with breakfast, but overheard several students talking about Bloody Bay. It was in the Isles, and she could actually go, without stirring up too much attention. But, if she went at night, Lycia, Stasis, or both might sidetrack her. No. Kris needed these answers, and perhaps this Bloody Bay would be her window of opportunity.

Stepping off of the campus, Kris had a huge lump in her throat, and was extremely nervous about being caught. Quietly, in the morning hustle and bustle, she slipped into the crowd, and even manage a spot on the ever illusive bus, which dropped her off at the station. Once there, the young girl made her way onto the train, and watched for the Skyway City exit.

It was amazing how dead people's emotions were, first thing in the morning, though there were plenty who were awake, and busy worrying or anxiously anticipating the days events. Kris tried to remember a time when she could feel others' emotions, and knew it had been only a year ago, but it seemed like she had always had her empathy. At King's Row, a very brightly clad hero stepped onto the train and announced obnoxiously that they group of passengers could relax, that Captain Neon would keep them safe.

"D- Dayglow, sir," she interjected.

"Excuse me, miss?"

"Your colors," she explained. "They're not neon. They're dayglow. Dayglow, unlike neon gets brighter in daylight, where neon gets brighter in the dark."

"Wise ass," he snorted.

At the Skyway City stop she hopped off, and the hero told her he hoped she got to make good friens with the trolls dressed like she was, but Kris ignored the man, and flagged a taxi on her way to the road. Once in, she told the driver to, "Drive to the place where heroes go to Bloody Bay."

"You mean Faultline Gateway, right," he asked.

"Is that where I go to get to Bloody Bay?"

"So far as I know it is," he replied glancing back to the superpowered schoolgirl. "Why you wanna go there?"

"I have business to tend to," she said as she opened a book on asronomy.

"Well, if you were my kid, you'd be in school, where you belong, miss. That place is dangerous!"

Kris said nothing, and read her book on the way. When the cab stopped, she hopped out, and payed the cabbie, before turning to look at the scene. A fenced in guard compound stood watch over the Faultline Gateway, and a similare one stood by, to her right, with a Sikorsky Sea King helicopter, sitting with it's engine running on the helipad, like what the Coast Guard used. Looking between the two, Kris decided that she was still going to Bloody Bay.

The helicopter sat down and Kris piled out with the other three heroes, who looked at her strangely, and left together for their target. Kris taking the que, went her own direction. Soon enough, Kris came to a realization. The only way out of Bloody Bay was either via Longbow or Arachnos. This was no good. How could she find information on her father, here? She needed to get to Aeon City!

"Well, well! Look at this! We have ourselves a little schoolgirl on our hands here," a man's voice said from behind. "She'll make a perfect offering to open the portal! Sieze her!"

Before Kris could react, something heavy slammed into her head, knocking her unconscious. Later she recovered, discovering she was no longer on the street, but was in an office. Her body felt battered, and she wanted to cry, but she would pull through. Using her empathy, she healed herself, then looked herself over before attempting to leave. Her clothes looked like hell, but she was okay.

Time to get out of here, she thought. Stepping into the sunlight, the red haired empath had to let her eyes adjust. As her sight returned to normal Kris was dismayed to see City Hall and the statue of Atlas, just across the street. ~Great! Back in Paragon City! What the-,~ she tought, as she noticed a note in her shirt pocket and pulled it out to read.

Class Dismissed, and lesson learned. Go back to school, little girl.

con amor,
Tu abuelo loco

[Mimi]

A Musical Interlude.

Yulia sat on her bed with her face buried in a book. Whether she was reading it was the question. So much had happened. So much had changed. And as Mimi watched her read, she wondered if the awkward, angular girl had any idea that things might someday be okay again.

“Enough of this,” Mimi said.

Yulia looked up. “I am sorry?” Her accent wasn’t as pronounced as it had been even three weeks ago.

Mimi smiled, her eyes twinkling. She stood up, and wondered over to her computer. She tapped a few keys, and strong chords began to fill the room from the speaker system. Mimi bounced over to Yulia, and began to dance. She held her hands out towards Yulia, beckoning. And Mimi sang along.

When I grew up, well it felt great
I watched how others took their fate
Some felt afraid and undefended, so they got mean
And they pretended what they knew made them belong more than you.

“C’mon,” Mimi shouted over the music. “Dance with me!”

Yulia bit her lip, thinking.

I’m sure you know there's lots to learn
But that's not your fault, that's just your turn, yeah, yeah

Teenagers, kick our butts, tell us what the future will bring
Teenagers look at us, we have not solved everything

“Stop thinking about it, you dumb Czech,” Mimi teased.

Mimi’s rudeness broke Yulia’s reverie, and she smiled, taking Mimi’s hands as she stood.

“Yay!” Mimi cried happily, and she dragged Yulia forward into the open space in the center of the quad.

We drink and smoke to numb our pain
We read junk novels on the plane
We use authority for show so we can be a little smarter

Mimi spun away from Yulia and shook her hips. Then she finished the spin, and brought her hands together by her face, pantomiming a microphone.

We still can grow, and many do
It's when we stop we can't reach you
We feel the loss, you feel the blame
We're scared to lose, don't be the same, hey hey

Teenagers, kick our butts, tell us what the future will bring
Teenagers, look at us, we have not solved everything

Yulia felt a little out of sorts. She had never liked dancing. Her limbs felt too long, her body full of too many angles. She didn’t have Mimi’s soft curves or mischievous nature. She had always been more accustomed to playing the music herself. That was where her talent lay: always the musician, never the dancer. As she thought about it, her feet slowed and she thought about sitting back down.

Mimi must have sensed it, because all of a sudden she took Yulia by the hands and jerked her forward again into motion.

The hometown brought its hero in
To speak at the high school gym
He took a breath, he took a chance
He strode up in his leather pants
And said, "Gee, thanks... but
I'm here today because I fought for what I felt and what I thought
They put me down they, were just wrong
And now it's they who don't belong, oh, oh

Mimi led Yulia around, her eyes still shining. She sang in perfect pitch along to the music. Occasionally, she made little ‘come hither’ faces to Yulia, raising her eyebrows and giggling. She snapped the taller girl out at arm’s length, then spun her in like a ballroom dancer.

Teenagers, kick our butts, tell us what the future will bring
Teenagers look at us, we have not solved everything

Yulia let it go, and much to Mimi’s relief, started to move her hips in time. She had no trouble finding the rhythm. Mimi smiled and leapt onto one of the empty beds. She bounced on the mattress, and sang.

And when the media tries to act your age
Don't be seduced, they're full of rage
Find your voice, do what it takes
Make sure you make lots of mistakes

Yulia started turning in slow circles, closing her eyes. How could she not be happy? Everything seemed very far away; she existed in a tiny fraction of an instant, and it was good.

And find the future that redeems
Give us hell, give us dreams
And grow and grow and grow

Mimi was really bouncing now. She was having trouble keeping her feet each time she landed. Yulia hummed along in harmony to the chords: though she didn’t know the song, years of practice made the structure easy to predict. The song was reaching its crescendo, and Mimi sang with abandon.

And someday when some teenagers come to kick your butts
Well then like I do try to
Love
Kick our butts
Love
Kick our butts
Oh I love
Kick our butts

Mimi bounced especially high, and let herself fall flat on her back onto the mattress. The song ended, leaving the room quiet. Mimi was breathing hard.

Yulia smiled at the green-haired girl. She could see that Mimi’s roots were starting to grow in, each bright green hair ending in a quarter-inch of dark brown.

Mimi sat up, still catching her breath a little. She smiled at Yulia, then hopped up off the bed. “Okay, you’re free,” Mimi said. She walked to her desk and picked up The Trial, which her honors English class was reading.

Yulia watched the girl curiously and grinned. “Mimi?”

Mimi looked back at Yulia inquisitively.

Yulia smiled. “Maybe one more song, nay?”

[Wachabe]

Not really sure this where i am thinking or writing this....

I have decided that Conrades is making my write my thoughts down so we can discuss things more coherently, so i guess this would be in my Journal...



What I am Affraid of

I finally worked with another hero yesterday... It was terrible... not because of the persone, since my return i have met a number of newer students, and Kali is very nice.

But... there is always a "but", always... she got hurt, a couple of times actually, not near as bad as the other, but she got hurt. It only took moments in the Hospital for the regenerative utilities to work their magic, but she hit the ground hard a couple of times. I just cant deal with the guilt, if i die it is my own fault, i WONT bring anyone down with me. I know that heroes go down every day, i know they always come out all right, i know that when three young men died standing with me it was MY fault. They weren't incapable... hell, they were more experienced and eager than i was. That doesnt change the fact that when i walked out the door, i walked out alone. I never met them again at the hospital or on the street, they are gone, and im not.... its not fair.

I never asked for their help, they saw me and just tagged along i guess, they didnt ask for a break, but then again i wasnt really listening. All i could hear was anger, all i could see was red. We ended up at the top of a tower in King's Row, we had fought all the way throught the building, it should have made me suspicious that the last half dozen floors were empty... but we kept going. As we threw open the door to the rooftop i didnt hesitate drop the first man pointing a gun at me then move onto the next... though the other three... well, they paused.

They paused, and were immediately taken down in a shower of buckshot and 9mm lead that lundged into their bodies. They fought back, but it was only a matter of time that knives and sledge hammers followed up the guns, there was no hurried hospital visit for those three, they died there... but i lived.

I pulled the knife out of my leg, the rebar from my side... the bullets that had hit their mark were already begining to get pushed out of my body. I layed there bleeding, i could leave, leg was still busted up, it wouldnt take long, but until it healed all i could do was lay there and look at those three, the three that died when i didnt.

I didnt die.... I cant deal with that...

[Kris O'Sullivan]

Kris came into her mom's flat in Founder's Falls. On her shoulder was her bookbag, with more books than she had homework for, and her other bag, which she had just picked up from iCON. She set her bags down at the desk, and went to the restroom. Upon her return, Kris was stopped cold in her tracks.

Her mother had the supersuit, and was looking at it with a mixed look of horror and shock. Kris' blood ran like ice and her eyes watered, the moment her mother looked up at her. She already knew where her mother stood on this topic.

"What is this," her mother demanded in her heavily accented voice, holding the outfit in her clenched fists. "Kristina Cerise! They will surely find you, if you dare fight against them! I forbid this!"

"Mama," she interjected, with her own accent slipping through the years of training to sound like American kids. "I have a gift! God would never have given me this gift, if He intended me to just hide like some..."

"Some what, Kristina," her mother said with a hurt expression on her face. "Some coward?! Well, let me tell you something. 'The meek shall inherit the Earth,' He says. If you do this, you will not be one of those left when it's over. I didn't flee to the America, just to watch you, my only dream, die at the hands of criminals and thugs... Or... Or worse!"

"Mama... I've been doing this long enough to have a Security Level," she admitted.

"You what?! No," her mother cried as she ran down the hall and slammed the door to her bedroom.

Kris, head hung low, fixed a quick dinner for her mother, before turning to leave for St Joseph's.

"I'm sorry, mama," she said teary eyed, as she gathered her things, and closed the door.

[Kali Jade]

Kali sat on the bridge, the lion statue again helping to hide her from the world around her.
She messed things up again....
How would she ever fit in if all she did was mess up everytime someone gave her a chance?
Small tears traced thier way down her cheeks. Sure she was alright. No harm done to her that wasn't healed quickly and with no visable trace.
But the damage was done.
One more student that would avoid her.
"Everyone has thier off days right?" She thinks quietly to herself. It was just an off day.... next time it will be better. Next time , she would use more common sense and not let her nervousness get in the way.
But she knew there would be no next time with the one she had let down.
Wachabe never said it, He was very polite. Thanked her for her help even. But she could feel it.
Hell ... worse than that she could see it in His face.
She had let Him down immensly.
"Maybe it's best to stick to just idle chatter and Pocket D with my new friends" , she thinks to herself.
Not as easy to botch things that way.

As she wipes the tears away with the back of her hand , she stands slowly .... looking to both sides and behind her before rising into the pale blue sky.
Up here... up here among the clouds .... this is where I am free.
Kali glides higher up above the waterfront. Several hundred feet up she stops .... hovering and looking down upon the world around her.
"Will I ever fit in?" she wonders.

[Wachabe]

The monitors flickered and fans whirred as Wachabe stepped into yet another Arachnos lab. He had fought along side another friend and again... he was fine, while Maverick had dropped three times...
Wachabe was better on his own...

Its not getting better

Though there werent any trips to the hospital involved that didnt help that fact that Wachabe had to slap an Awaken(tm) patch on the motionless body of Maverick three times too many. Maverick had readily volunteered to enter the Circle's stronghold with Wachabe, he was eager and each time he stood back up, was more determined.

That didnt help the fact at all.... Maverick was beaten and dropped while Wachabe stood there unharmed, sure he had taken some blows but not enough to be unconcious on the floor. Though Maverick had volunteered, Wachabe still held himself responsible for what happened... He hated how it ALWAYS happened.

Whatever grist the mill requires

So there Wachabe stood in the red light of those Arachnos banners, he paused to wipe his brow after sweat dripped into his eye, causing it to sting. He had been at this for several hours now... recovering uniform prototypes, rescuing longbow agents, defusing bombs... destroying arachnos drones.

He liked being able to chat with the other students over the ear piece, when they weren't being hurt at his side. He didn't dislike the other students... just fealt like it was better that his was the only life he was putting in danger.

So, he did his job, he tore apart drones, incapacitated exosuit-wearing opporatives and snatched the goods when applicable... he still hadnt fallen, and nobody at his side had either.... the way it should be.

Wachabe would go on, smiling at school, then pulling on his suit and washing it all away with blood at night... the way it had been before, he could get used to it again. It kept the voices quiet....

[Karl VonMandrake]

**OOC: In respect for this wonderful thread, I have begun a sister thread in the Bloodvine forums titled "Bloodvine Interludes". What follows is my first submission, and I hope this gives you a bit of insight to at least one of our students. Please, enjoy.**

Karlof stepped onto the Port Oaks dock, a brisk breeze coming off the water as other students from the Bloodvine Academy stepped off the boat. It was the weekend, and most of the smaller vessels the school used to get around the Isles were occupied on official business. So, any of the students that wished to spend some time away from the residential wings of Bloodvine Manor had to come to an agreement where the larger shuttle boat was to take them.

As Karl brushed some insignificant speck of dirt from his shirt, he watched as the boys and girls he spent time with in class departed to go shopping, run personal errands, have lunch, or just simply get out from underneath the ever-watchful eye of the Bloodvine family. Karl simply wished to be someplace where he didn't need to be reminded of his father's far-reaching influence.

Walking up from the dockside, Karl watched as some of Marcone’s lower-ranked men shoved their way down the walk across the street from him. Always with the swagger in their step, these men believed they were the lords of their own little corner of the Isles. Karl smiled and shook his head as they began roughhousing some citizen for whatever petty indiscretion, only to be interrupted by one of Lord Recluse’s many Chosen. The individual was a man with slightly graying hair wearing green and chrome boots, a lab coat, and some sort of armor underneath. His eyes were obscured by goggles, but the air of menace in the man’s very movements let Karlof know that he was not as amused by the Marcones as the 17-year old was. Apparently the citizen was a lab assistant of the older man, and the Marcones had stepped on the armored toes of the apparent scientist far too often. Moving on, Karl breathed deep of the fresh air as the muffled yells of the gangsters were met by the expected sound of pulse rifle fire.

Port Oaks was not the most affluent of the Rogue Isles, but it was not devoid of culture. A small bookstore was Karl VonMandrake’s decided destination, a store that specialized in the little things that make life enjoyable. Opening the thick wood door, Karl heard the bell jingle that announced his arrival to the shopkeep. Letting his eyes adjust to the soft light inside, Karl waited as the goateed gentleman finished shelving some leather-bound books, then looked up and smiled at the young german.

“Ah! Guten Tag, Herr VonMandrake! How are you today?”
“I am quite well, Mister Fordhem. How is business?”

The man brushed off his hands as he stood up, a knowing smile on his face. Jacob Fordhem knew far more about Karl VonMandrake than most probably did in the Rogue Isles, and he also knew that when Karlof came into his shop, it was not because of any other need than the wish to be himself. Jacob Fordhem spoke with only a hint of an English accent, having left his home quite a long time ago.

“Karlof, you are just in time! I had just received a most fortuitous shipment from some of my suppliers. Fortunately, they are as foolish as they are reliable. What they had mistaken for a number of crates of a worthless 1816 vintage was in fact some French noble’s hidden stash that he was trying to smuggle out during the revolution! The labels, they are false!”

“You mean to tell me you have suppliers that actually fell for that old trick? Come now, Jacob, how am I to believe in such a tale?”

Karl had no doubt that the shopkeep was telling the truth, but both men knew the enjoyment of telling another of their conquests.

“Karlof, you insult me! Come, here, see the bottle? The method of blowing, the way it is formed, completely wrong for the vintage and vineyard label! I stake my reputation that these are Monforts, not the paltry Valley Dusks they claim to be.”

“Yes, Jacob, but reputation is not something you can deposit in a bank. Come, give me Proof!”

“You are lucky I like you so much, young VonMandrake. Very well, we shall drink a glass together.”

Bringing two glasses from a cabinet behind the counter, Jacob Fordhem pulled the cork out of one of the bottles and poured the dark red liquid into glasses for both to enjoy. Both men enjoyed the delicate game of etiquette and challenges, and both new the other saw this as no more than a game to be played between worthy individuals. Finally, after examining the elixir in the light of nearby candles, the two men rose their glasses.

“To your health, young Lord VonMandrake.”
“And to your prosperity, Jacob Fordhem.”

Slowly, the wine washed over Karl’s mouth. The flavor, the aroma, the hint of oak, all of it was exquisite. Karl had no idea if it was truly a legendary 1726 Monfort as Jacob claimed, but it mattered little. The experience was worth what ever price the older man asked.

“You are most correct Jacob, it is as you claim. Now, what will you be asking for these bottles?”

“Karlof, there are few in the Isles that would appreciate this find as much as you. And I am not too proud to admit that those who would be able to see how valuable this vintage is have no need to shop here in Port Oaks. I was hoping for an excuse to open a bottle for myself as it was, and you have brought to my shop many other items which have brought a higher price than most of the American beer swilling swine outside those doors would be willing to pay for these works of art. What do you say to…”

After coming to an agreement that left both men quite happy, Karl leaned against the counter as his host wrapped up his purchase for shipment back to the Bloodvine Academy.
“So, Karlof, I assume that one of the bottles is to be shared with that young lady you have spoken to me about so often?”

“I’m not sure yet, Jacob. She and I… there is still much unsaid between the two of us. I am not even sure if there is anything there. I find myself surrounded by so many beautiful women at both the Academy and Pocket D, but still she remains someone quite special.”

“You make this decision too difficult, Karl. Your privacy is something you can enforce should she spurn…”

“No Jacob. That is just it, I’m not so sure it is something I could make sure of in her case.”

“Well, I will not speak of it any more then today. There we are, all finished! Now, if you should come across any more of those venom samples, I do have a buyer that is willing to pay twice what you received last time. Just call me at least an hour before you come so I can make the proper arrangements.”

“I will. Have a good evening, Jacob.”

“You as well…”

[Wachabe]

Well, I havent had an event to write in this journal about in a while, but last night was fairly active.

First i was sort of disappointed in the Arena... i was hoping that someone would better me and i would be able to single out a companion who i wouldnt worry about running around with.

I have been on my own so long now that i find myself even looking for someone who i can strust to stand with me. Mighty Electron was very promising, when we faught together he did not get KOed once and seems to be tough enough... for someone who focuses on healing others anyway... but it wasnt Electron i left the Arena with.

Interestingly enough... a girl named Angelle seemed eager to accompany me, i dont really know why, but im glad she did. At the Arena she was very curageous even being less experienced than the rest of us she faught.

Afterwards she did something that threw me at first, grabbing onto my cape like a lost puppy. But she was eager to accompany me, so i gave it a chance, what is the worst she could do? Dissapoint me?

So, i loaned my experiences to her and she followed me through a number of missions. She didnt fall once, it was fantastic. Granted there were a couple of times when i had to abandon my target to distract a Crey opporative targeting her, she still kept with me.

All this time i have spent looking for someone that was tough enough to keep up. I thought i had found one once, but she has gotten to caught up in romance to be useful, now i found Angelle hopefully she will want to team up again

[Jason Vonken]

"Well... maybe I could ride the train?" Jason Vonken offered with distress in his voice. His mother was behind him, with an equally distressed look upon her face. In front of them both stood Jason's father... ready to dismiss them both.

"You will stay at the charity function and you will meet the benefactors. That is my final word, Jason. You will not be going to this school dance, do you understand me? You will be on your best behavior... both of you." He gazes at his wife with squinted eyes, causing her to jump back ever so slightly... as if she had just been hit.

His word would have ended the discussion on any normal occasion, but there was something in the air on this day. As Jason's mother turns to leave... defeated... Jason stands there meeting his father's gaze.

"Why do I even have to be at this... this... charity event? It's your company, not mine!"

The sound of his father's backhand connecting to Jason's face echoed all the way to the maid's quarters at the end of the hall. His mother cried out for her son, rushing down to his side... pulling him away from his father as best as she could.

Jason's hand held his reddened cheek, his face a mixture of fear... and anger. He allowed his mother to lead him out of the room, but his eyes never left his father's. This, he decided, wasn't a closed discussion.

[Stasis Kiss]

Come.

She was faster, so much faster than he was.

The earth that crawled over his skin made him a small god, stone and magic and poison running through magma veins. But slow, so slow. She spun on one booted heel, swayed as a massive fist connected; struck a glancing blow against her shoulder. The sound echoed oddly in her ears.

Come to me.

There was no sanity left in his eyes, not now if there had ever been. She sank a fist in his ribs, drove the other into his belly. No purchase, no damage, no answer but the rage she had to have. An incoherent roar burst from frothing lips even as he lunged, reaching. A vicious backhand exploded across her face.

Dance with me.

There was blood then, his, hers, it didn't matter. He followed only her, saw only her, needed only her. So close to perfect, even with flashes of motion in the corners of her eyes. Slid under a careless arm, so close that armor touched armor in a lover's kiss.

Did he feel it? Did he see? She wanted him to see.

Be with me.

She spiraled in lockstep, half tucked against his side. Hands to touch the stone, fingers shedding power in ribbons of blood, flesh to hard flesh in the only embrace that mattered. The shock shuddered through both of them as she tore away a portion of his life with her left hand, snatched yet more with her right.

Not enough. Too close to evade now as twin hammers rose, fell, broke across her back. Pain was a white sheet across her mind, a whistle through her teeth. Through the haze of it she saw them rise again and laughed.

The second shattered ice, drove deep cracks through everything she was. Vengeance returned two-fold.

Love me.

The third broke bones and took her to her knees.

He was raising his hands for the fourth when he died.

"Gyul! Tara!"

A dark shadow over her again but the voice... she knew the voice. Standing took more than she had to give but she did it so that the worried hand wouldn't touch her, wouldn't see how badly she was broken beneath the surface. A name then, to match the rough patois.

"'m okay, Jai. That was.. tough."

Perfect, so close to perfect, with those hands so willing to break and the heat of his eyes. Water froze silently against her skin, laced her eyelashes with frost. Began to knit again the things that were damaged. She glanced around to see faces she barely knew looking at her with odd expressions. Jai. August. Kid.

"I tol' you no dyin' today, gyul." A warning although she heard also the promise he hadn't meant to give. She grinned because it was expected, tasted copper on the back of her tongue.

"If you say so."

Not quite perfect, at the last.

She was, after all, still alive.

[Ginga]

Jai ran down the hall, grinning like an idiot, heading to the end of the hall. He stopped at the door and knocked rapidly. Beyind the threshold, the quiet giggling and softly playing music went quiet. Then the door opened, and Lycia peered through into the hall. Her face went from guiltily worried to her customary brightness.

"Ginga!" she squealed. Somewhere behind her, someone grumbled audibly.

Jai smiled, trying to ignore the grumbling. "Miss Lycia, allo!"

A light of realization came into Lycia's eyes. "It's here?"

Jai nodded. "Fuh certain. I been dere fuh ovuh an hour-- an' ya was right! I nevah seen anytin' like it!"

Lycia giggled, and vanished into the room. Jai stood in the hall, listening to the exchange within. "C'mon..." he heard Lycia whine. "It's a suprise, you'll like it, really!"

Whoever she spoke to just grumbled a little and mumbled something about having some freakshow to beat on.

Jai stamped his foot. "Alright, ya sometimey gyul! Ya ain' doin' no good!" He shoved the door open and stepped into the doorway. She sat on her bed, hastily donning her armor, and trying very hard to look too busy to look up. Lycia had one of her hands, and was pulling on it, vainly trying to get her on her feet. Between the pulling and only having one hand, the armor-donning was probably futile, but Stasis Kiss was giving it her best effort.

Lycia turned her head and put on an expression of mock frustration. "Ginga, help meee! She won't get uuuup!" she whined playfully.

Jai grinned and stepped forward. "Okay den. Tara, don' make me carry ya down ta de rec-room, gyul." he reached for her other arm mischievously.

Stasis snapped her head up. "Don' you be touching me, Jai!" she growled, slurring the T of the word don't. Over the last few days, parts of his accent had slipped into her speech. Jai still didn't know what to make of that.

Ginga grinned. "Den don' be makin' me. Stan' up an' come along an' have some fun wit us."

"Yeeeeah," Lycia pleaded.

Stasis gave Lycia a look. Jai was fairly certain it meant something, but Lycia seemingly ignored it, shaking her head. Stasis sighed, defeated by the frenetic girl before her. She tore her arm away from Lycia's grasp, but started unbuckling the shoulder-plate of her armor.

"Yay!" Lycia cried happily.

And then they were in the hallway, Lycia and Jai running ahead, then pausing to wait for Stasis. Occasionally, Lycia stamped her foot and feigned impatience. Stasis plodded along, wondering what she had done to deserve any of this.

At the bottom of the stairs, Jai turned into the recreation room. He stopped short, breathtaken. Lycia skipped up next to him, smiling. Stasis came around the corner and groaned loudly.

Standing amidst the pinball machines and foozball was a large, bright, loud box. The sign across the top read "Dance Dance Dance."

Stasis blinked, realization setting in. "Oh, no. No, no, a thousan' times no."

Ginga grinned like a jab-jab. "Yes, yes," he began.

Lycia finished the thought. "A thousand times yes!"

And then they were dragging her-- almost literally-- across the room.

"I can't do this, no, I have two left feet, honestly, guys." her voice was almost pleading. "Lycia, Jai-- don' make me do this."

But Lycia was already feeding a dollar-bill into the machine's hungry innards. Lights flashed. The game came to life. "Welcome, dancer!" a synthesized annoucer crooned.

And somehow, Stasis found herself on the pad, with Ginga standing beside her. "Ya don' worry 'bout nothin, Tara," he said, the mischief in his face mized with a sort of serious tone he sometimes struck, and which she sometimes resented. "Dey diff'rent settin's an' everytin'. Ya jus' follow along and we have yuh dancin'."

"Yeah!" Lycia chimed in.

And the screens rolled by, Jai changing the settings. Stasis got set to 'novice', Jai to 'expert.' And then a confusing myriad of arrows started flowing up the screen as the music pumped and rumbled. Jai's side of the screen was flooded with arrows; Stasis had only a few to pay attention to.

Ginga smiled happily at her. "Here we go, gyul!"

Stasis swallowed hard, but moved her feet.

[Stasis Kiss]

"Biff is starting to be a problem."

He didn't answer right away, simply handing over a poppy bagel from the crumpled bag in his hand. Against her back the rough brick was warm from the ovens below, almost hot enough to burn and the smell of the bakery mingled oddly with the tang of salt water. The mournful wail of barges could be heard calling across the water as they struggled to find port through the morning fog.

She sympathised. It was really much, much too early to be up and moving around. Classes weren't due to start for another two hours.

"Who's Biff?"

She rocked a foot against his thigh, making him sway. His feet dangled over the edge of the roof which probably looked passing strange to anybody looking up from below.

"Don't go there, Jade. You know perfectly well who I mean and it's a nasty drop to the ground."

"This? I've fallen farther than this in my sleep." He made a point of peering down, grace notes of hair falling forward to touch his face. "Why, Master Lei would often have me sleep at the top of the highest..."

"Hey. Sherlock Rooster. In case you hadn't noticed I'm not your Master Lei and I bet I can still launch you further than he could. I'm pretty certain that I've got more motivation."

He gave her a sidelong look. "I've noticed."

"What? That I have more motivation?"

"No. That you're not Master Lei."

"Huh." Something odd fluttered in her stomach, like she'd eaten a butterfly along with a mouthful of warm bread. "Anyways, you're changing the subject."

"Like you never do." A grin betrayed his sarcastic tone.

"Rig... hey! Look, I'm being serious here."

"So was I."

"Rooster..."

He held up his hands to placate her. "Okay. So what about Hannigan? He breathe too much of your air again?"

She rocked him harder, digging her heel in. Apparently it was a little too much as one hand grabbed her ankle and moved it up so that her boot rested on his thigh, his fingers digging in. Gently enough but she could feel the tingle as one casual thumb stroked a pressure point.

She left it there. If she wanted her foot back she'd have to fight him for it and then he'd win. Besides, she was comfortable. She took another bite of bagel.

"No, he knows better than to bother me most of the time. I found him and that posse of his..."

"Most of the time?"

"Would you just focus for a minute here? What about all that Furious Storm Calms The Waters stuff?"

"Sleeping Dragon Guards The Portals," he intoned gravely. Peering suspiciously at his face she had no idea if he was being serious or not. "The meditation that makes the mind smooth and narrows qi to its finest point. Master Lei favored it most highly."

"And you probably practised it on tops of really big towers in your sleep. Look, Biff and his pack were shoving around the new guy after second bell yesterday."

Jade shrugged, a miniscule motion barely felt. "So Biff is a bully. It's not like that's news."

"I mean, they jumped the guy, three on one. The kid looked kinda scared, I'm pretty sure there was some rough stuff going on before I showed up."

"You can't save everyone, Stasis." His voice suggested he was speaking to himself as much as he was to her. His hand squeezed her ankle. "Which new one was this?"

"The dark haired guy, he's sort of hard to miss. Name's Jai." She finished licking the crumbs from her fingers, not even flinching as Jade pulled one of his powerbars from inside his robe and handed it to her. He bought the bagels, she ate the bar. A simple system but it worked. "He sounds like he's talking martian half the time."

"Ah, him. The guy from Trinidad, right?" After making sure she was opening hers, he produced another granola bar, tearing its foil wrapper away with his teeth. "I've seen him in action a few times, he's got some serious moves. He does this thing where he'll drop into something like a Crane Wave Fist, but he shifts his weight backwards and-"

"You're like a ferret, you know?" She crumpled the gaudy foil packaging in her hand and lobbed it, letting it bounce off of the top of his head and into his lap. "I'm telling you about the guy getting gang jumped and you're analyzing his technique?"

Taking a moment to chew thoughtfully through the dry dietary suppliment, he thumbed the crumbs from the corner of his mouth. "All I'm saying is, he could teach me a thing or three and he can probably handle himself. Besides, Biff's never gonna back off if this Jai goes looking for help right away. It's... an honor thing."

Stasis snorted, her opinion of that statement not terribly high. "You can't honestly tell me that you think Hannigan is going to leave him be because it's the 'honorable thing to do.'"

"No, but I can tell you if anyone comes off as the weak-and-needy type, Hannigan smells the blood in the water. We leave it alone, Biff'll keep pushing until one day he'll push too far and end up with a well-deserved foot in the face. He'll learn not to mess with the kid, and everything will be set right. Happily ever after."

"It doesn't work like that."

Jade was already shaking his head. "It does. Trust me on this, it works exactly like that."

"That's a load of .. malarkey." He grinned at her, hearing the word she barely dodged. "You don't let the big kids pound the little kids until eventually somebody ends up in the hospital."

"So what are you going to do then? Stand over the guy until everybody thinks you're his guardian angel come to earth?" He twitched the nearly forgotten wrapper from his lap and deposited it neatly in the brown paper bag, then added his own. "That won't solve anything."

Stasis grumbled something under her breath that Jade affected not hear. "Well, I'm not going to just stand around and watch the macho posturing," she eventually managed to articulate.

"Yeah, you will. Unless it gets out of hand, just stay out of it."

From her vantage point of three feet away, warm brick pressing into her back, she traced the smooth line of his cheek against the lightening sky. Something clicked into place.

"He went for you too, didn't he?"

He shot her a look, half amusement, half something else. "I'm half his size, Stasis. What do you think?"

"Huh." She nibbled her lip for a moment before finally blurting it out. "So. How did you handle it?"

His fingers tightened on her forgotten ankle, making her shiver for no reason that she could explain. "Easy. I put a foot in his face. He got the message."

"Jade!"

Warm brown eyes grinned at her, their odd flecks catching the light. "Hey. Biff might want to date you but he just wants to pound the rest of us. I know who got the better end of that deal."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Huh. No argument there."

Jade grinned and then looked away into the thinning fog, his eyes narrowing. Probably checking for the time although how he could tell with the sun only a vague haze low in the sky was beyond her. A seagull chose that moment to cry out, cutting through the air. She glanced surreptitiously at her wrist chrono. Almost time.

They must have come to the same answer because a moment later her captured boot was on the ground. He was standing over her without seeming to have gone through any of the intervening motions. She shook her head, impressed despite herself. She couldn't move that fluidly if her life depended on it. She was pretty sure she'd break something even trying.

"Ready?" He didn't wait for an answer, reaching down. She took his hand without hesitation to accept the lift to her feet. His fingers were warm in hers and strong. She could still smell the poppy seeds.

"Born ready." Automatic answer. Standing, she was taller than he was, not that it ever made a difference.

"Then let's go. We're going to be late."

____
written by Stasis Kiss and the indomitable Jade Rooster. i challenge you to figure out who wrote what.

[Misericorde]

Misery loves Company
________________________
"Hey, wait up, Le Mis!"

Michael knew who it was before he spun slowly on one heel to confront his latest foe.

"So, you're the one, huh?" A thick finger found it's way into the hollow between clavicle and pectoral. This guy, "Biff," was apparently a bit stronger than everyone else had said he was. The pain was there, a brilliant star in his shoulder.

Somehow, Michael had managed to avoid Biff for almost a solid week. he wasn't normally one to avoid a confrontation, but those damn limiters... That, and something in him just didn't really feel like fighting anymore. He was sick of it. Liar, liar, you live for the taste of it, you're sick, so sick, and now they all know.

"I'm the one, what? I don't understand." He didn't know why he said it. He knew exactly which "one" he was. Hunter, you cull the herds of vicious beasts that eat the flesh of the innocent, the teeth that tear, you bring them the mercy they crave. Why else would they come to you?

"You," and that fat finger kept poking him right in that brachial root, punctuating each syllable, "are that kid who used to hunt down masks."

Well, that certainly hadn't taken long to get out. Biff was big, and mean, but that didn't make him stupid. Michael absently considered the possiblity that being an asshole might be Biff's metahuman ability.

Sensing that Michael - Misericorde - wasn't going to respond, Biff continued, raising his voice so that the now-gathering crowd could hear. Guys like this always loved an audience.

"I know this, who knows a kid, whose dad works for Hero Corps. You know they got a file on you? You know they stamped it, right? Stamped it "Sanction" in BIG RED LETTERS."

Michael stared impassively at Biff's shoes. He hadn't known that. Probably was a lie, because as far as he knew, Hero Corps didn't sanction anybody.

"That wasn't me, man. That was someone else. I need to go to class." Misericorde kept his eyes glued to Biff's shoes. If he looked him in the eye, Biff might take it as a challenge. He left the "please" off the end, knowing that it might be mistaken as weakness. If a beast smells pain, it gets excited, it gets confused, it gets....slow.

Biff was not, apparently going to be dissuaded so easily. He replaced that thick digit with a thumb, that meaty hand clamping down on his shoulder.
"Don't even think about walking away from me, you..." Biff lowered his voice, "...you fucking murderer." Even his voice was thick. He practically spit the sentence at him. Biff was giving himself...permission.

Something ugly coiled in Michael's abdomen, something low and hot writhed there. It was on old thing, and it made him sick. It broke like a wave upon his heart, before he drove it back down, as he'd done so many times before.

Michael suddenly smiled a jovial smile, and placed one gentle hand on Biff's shoulder. "Listen, man." Biff was too surprised to react just yet. "You and I know that you're one of the toughest kids here. You got powers..." Michael gestures to the small group around them "...they got powers. But there's one thing these powers can't do for you, Biff."

A smirk from the bully; this Misericorde kid, this Freshman, was giving him just the incentive he needed to pound the little jerk into mush. "Oh, yeah, murderer? What's that?"

The swift knee to groin area didn't hurt Biff much, but it did double him over. Misericorde's fist rocked into his chin, and he found his face framed with a pair of blades that looked...sharp. Something tickled the soft tissues of his neck. Biff swallowed, heavily. His toes wriggled uncomfortably in his sneakers.

"They don't make you smarter."

Biff considered these words. He tried to save face. "I'll see you around, Le Mis." The words came out a bit more high-pitched than he would have liked. That thick hand came off Michael's shoulder, slowly.

Michael smiled softly. "Not if I see you first."

He left it at that. He knew it was wrong to feel good about what he'd done. Perhaps now they'd stay away, and stay safe. Like a thousand times before, no one met his eyes.

He went to class.