A Hopeless Dilemma -private-

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Welcome. This is a private roleplay between Heiwuya and Anastasie Rossi. Please feel free to read along, but please do not post unless you are one or the other.

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Sacrifice: Hopeless
Antoine * Judicael * Rossi

i ' m x n o t x h o p e l e s s

A tiny hole-in-the-wall. That's what this tiny little cafe was to the young man. At seventeen, Antoine thought everything was so small. Abstract thoughts like life and destiny were pushing him into a box that he didn't want to be part of anymore. And at seventeen, his family was pushing him into several boxes. The 'why don't you lose your ears already' box that his brothers and father were pushing him into, the 'get good grades. get your applications into university. study for your baccalaureate' box of his mother and father. And the 'don't change too much, brother' he was getting from his adorable little sister.

Too much. Too much for the smart young Frenchmen. Antoine Judicael Rossi was sick and tired of his Italian father and French mother bickering about their son's choices in life. Because he was the last boy to fly the coop, he was pressured into not doing what several of his older brothers had done: one was married at 20 because he got someone pregnant, one was flunking law school because of drug problems, and the last one had disappeared. Antoine flipped his page of the book he was reading. Sipping his tea, he looked at the clock tower and sighed. Where is he?

His Fighter. Oh, yes. Antoine had been training as a Sacrifice, and he had just met him a few days ago. But they were named Hopeless. As if having that in your skin every time you got near your Fighter was enough to drive you nuts.. Antione glanced down at his collar bone. For a summer day it was sure chilly. He pulled his hoody closer to himself. But not before feeling his collarbone under his white tanktop. The words were there some where, and they weren't glowing, so his Fighter wasn't near him yet. Damn him.

[Heiwuya]

don’t pretend everything’s going to be alright . . . //
F i g h t e r : .. M i r o s l a v .. I v a n o v a . . . //

iroslav tapped his fingers rhythmically against the bus seat's armrest. He glanced quickly out the window and pulled the "Request Stop" line. He jaunted down off the bus and pulled a cigarette from his back pocket; he lit it quickly, and began walking briskly down the street towards the café.

As Miroslav approached the cafe, he made an effort to pull the scarf more tightly around his neck to keep the glow hidden. He walked through the café's french doors, behind Antoine, and laid his hand on the boy's shoulder.

" Sorry I took so long. The bus was a minute early, and I was a minute late to the stop, " Miroslav explained. " Hope you didn't wait too long. In repentance for my sin, allow me to pick up the check. " He flashed his Sacrifice a sarcastic, but sincere, smile and sat down across from him.

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Sacrifice: Hopeless
Antoine * Judicael * Rossi

i ' m x n o t x h o p e l e s s

"Lord love a duck..." Antoine muttered as his collarbone tingled and glowed lightly. He turned when he heard his Fighter's voice and gave him a tight glare, "The train works just as well as the bus, Miroslav," he replied. He had called his Fighter here for a reason, and it wasn't to talk about Paris's train system.

"If you really want to repent from your sin, why don't you just f--" he was cut off by the waitress placing a drink down. "Will that be all, or does your friend want something?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

His request would have to wait for a moment.

[Heiwuya]

don’t pretend everything’s going to be alright . . . //
F i g h t e r : .. M i r o s l a v .. I v a n o v a . . . //

he first thing going through Miroslav's mind when the waiter approached was ' I'll have a cup of that. ' But discretion was the better part of valour, so instead he asked for 'a red tea with a shot of vanilla, if that wouldn't be too much of a bother.' He flashed his best ladies' man smile and turned back to Antoine.

" The train is more expensive, however; how'd I pay for all this if I took the train? I'd have to go dutch on the coffee if I did that, " Miroslav mock-moaned. " But anyways, you called me here for more than coffee, I assume. You don't seem like the sociable-type -- and I've got a pretty lady over there who is begging for my number. "

Miroslav flashed the waitress another of his award-winning smiles as she set down his tea. He dumped three sugar packets into the tea and stirred while he waited for Antoine to tell him why they were here.

[XxXflorentinexrouletteXxX]

Sacrifice: Hopeless
Antoine * Judicael * Rossi

i ' m x n o t x h o p e l e s s

Antoine studied his Fighter for a moment, "I would call you stupid, but since you can tell I'm not exactly sociable, I'll let your disgusting attitude slide..." he said, green eyes narrowing. He took a sip of his chai tea latte and breathed in. "I need to get away from here. From here, from the Academy..." he said. "You can't come here and say to me that you like walking down the halls of the Academy and hearing 'Hey! That's Hopeless's Fighter!'" he glanced at Miroslav. He wondered if he was right about it, or that his Fighter was some sick, twisted person who had no pride. Judging from how he was ogling the waitress, he had a sinking feeling in his gut about the whole thing. Maybe he's just an idiot... he thought, the oxymoron of a hopeful thought floating in his mind.

[Heiwuya]

don’t pretend everything’s going to be alright . . . //
F i g h t e r : .. M i r o s l a v .. I v a n o v a . . . //

e sipped his tea quietly and contemplated the suggestion his Sacrifice had just made. Leaving the Academy was not something that was necessarily easy to do. But, more than that there was the question of where to go, where to sleep, what to eat . . . He wondered if Antoine had seriously thought about this, or whether it was just a rash anger caused by some petty argument with his parents. Miroslav couldn't really say one way or the other, so he opted for trying to soothe Antoine's anger before asking whether or not he'd seriously thought this through.

" A name is something decided before you're born -- whether it's Antoine or Hopeless, your name only traps you if you let it. So people can say 'here comes Hopeless' fighter', and it means the same to me as 'here comes Antoine's fighter'. "

Miroslav swished his tea in his cup, watching the stray tea leaves dance about the amber liquid; he briefly recalled that you could tell someone's fortune based on the way tea leaves fell . . . he wondered what this cup was trying to tell him. " Besides, there's more to it than just 'let's leave.' Do you have any ideas where we would stay? I for one need a decent pad to bring the ladies back to, at the very least. "

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Sacrifice: Hopeless
Antoine * Judicael * Rossi

i ' m x n o t x h o p e l e s s

So he is smart. Antoine thought, smirking into his drink. But the attitude the other was bearing was disgusting. The man in front of him still had his ears, for one, and two... well, Antoine just wanted to play a bit now...

"I have penpals in all sorts of countries. They can house us in their various company houses. All expenses paid since I am such good friends with them... and they owe me anyways," he said, putting down his drink. For such a short boy he was kind of intimidating for some. But he had his moments of being somewhat adorable. "How old are you again, Miroslav?" he asked, his innocent face covering up the cogs that were working overtime in his brain.

[Heiwuya]

don’t pretend everything’s going to be alright . . . //
F i g h t e r : .. M i r o s l a v .. I v a n o v a . . . //

iroslav pondered, ' So maybe he has thought this through a little bit more than I gave him credit for, but . . . I hope he hasn't overestimated the generosity of his penpals. '

Miroslav templed his fingers together and stretched. He wasn't used to getting up so early on the weekends, and he was tired. So while he was usually a very observant fellow, that may be why he didn't catch the smirk that danced across his Sacrifice's face, and didn't catch the hint of sarcasm in his last comment.

" Nineteen. Thought you knew that, " Miroslav mentioned off-hand. " Though, I don't see why it matters right now. "

Miroslav pulled his silver cigarette case out of his back pocket and thumbed another cigarette out of the case; pulling the matching lighter from his side pocket, he lit it and took a long drag, the tobacco burning slowly and releasing that heavenly smoke.

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Sacrifice: Hopeless
Antoine * Judicael * Rossi

i ' m x n o t x h o p e l e s s

"I did. I was merely checking, jeez," he replied. He sat back, taking up his drink again. He looked down at his book and opened to read the flap. Not that he needed to. He had read it before purchasing the book.

"You've graduating from the Individual Fighter classes anyway. Now its time to start Doubles training. How do you know this isn't part of it?" he asked, lazily glancing at his 'soulmate.' Had the man forgotten that his father was principal of the Academy? Antoine couldn't just leave. But it was true. Even at their first trial fight together, Hopeless was deemed the best in the Academy. So Mr. Rossi had asked his son to pose an alternate course for the two. It would be too... boring if his son and his Fighter were dueling halfwits.

Antoine simply stared coolly at his Fighter, waiting for an answer. Idiot.

[Heiwuya]

don’t pretend everything’s going to be alright . . . //
F i g h t e r : .. M i r o s l a v .. I v a n o v a . . . //

iroslav tapped the ashes of his cigarette into the ashtray set on the table. ' Ah, I remember now . . . he's the Head's son, isn't he? ' Miroslav pondered the possibilities. At the very least, he could use this 'alternate-curriculum' to get out of doing any real work for a while.

" Before I make any decision -- given that your father is Headmaster, why doesn't he just arrange for us to lodge at the other Academies? Or, the very least, give us some travel money to spend on lodgings? I don't like the idea of travelling relying on the generosity of others; in my experience, generosity does not extend very far past an invitation -- they never expect for you to take them up on the offer. "

That had been the case for Miroslav when his parents had died. His godparents had agreed to take him in if anything should happen to his parents, yet when it actually came time to make good on the agreement, they had turned him out. It wasn't like he couldn't live alone -- he had the money from his parents' insurance policy, but -- living alone at seventeen . . . it was lonely.

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Sacrifice: Hopeless
Antoine * Judicael * Rossi

i ' m x n o t x h o p e l e s s

Antoine put his book on the table and leaned forward, propping his chin in his cupped hand, with elbows propped up on the table. He closed his eyes, grinning (rather, smirking) as his ears twitched once, then twice. "He'll have a limo pick us up. And those penpals? Other Sacrifices from international Academies." Antoine said. Emerald eyes opened, widened, and he straightened, his hands poised over his book, somewhat shocked. "You thought they were just normal people?" he laughed, "When I said they owed me, it was true..."

[Heiwuya]

don’t pretend everything is going to be alright . . . //
F i g h t e r : .. M i r o s l a v .. I v a n o v a . . . //

iroslav let out a hefty laugh; he laughed until it felt like his stomach was threatening to collapse, oxygen somehow escaping every breath he took. By the time he managed to get himself under control, he was seeing white and black static dance across his vision, turning the world into a badly tuned television set.

" Ahh, haa . . . I guess that's what I get for underestimating the son of the Headmaster! " Miroslav weezed out the words as his body was threatening to launch him into another fit of girlish giggles.

" Well, I suppose I can't really turn down the suggestion then, can I? "

Truth be told, he had no intentions of turning down Antoine's proposal from the beginning. The funds his parents had left him had seemed limitless when he first moved out, but now he saw them dwindling, and his situation was becoming a little dire. Part-time jobs were forbidden by the Academy, punishable by expulsion -- but it was almost to the point where Miroslav was going to have to take the risk.

" I have a few things I'd have to tie up before we could leave. I need to give my landlord notice on my apartment, transfer some funds from my savings account, get packed and sell off what I won't need . . . but, once that's done, I can leave immediately after. "

[XxXflorentinexrouletteXxX]

Sacrifice: Hopeless
Antoine * Judicael * Rossi

i ' m x n o t x h o p e l e s s

Antoine waited patiently for the laughter to cease. He didn't care what the other was laughing about, he just wanted to know a god damn answer. When his Fighter had stopped and said a few words about the matter, Antoine's ears pricked forward as if he was listening, but his mind was elsewhere until Miroslav got to the point.

"Then I'll see you in classes. We'll still have those until we leave. You'll have a week. We'll leave on Saturday for the Geneva Academy..." Antoine replied coolly, taking off his jacket as a warm front hit him. It was insane that they were still in the Academy during that June, but, really, this was a summer assignment his father had for Hopeless. Though, thinking about it, it might go on...

Antoine stood, stretched, and picked up his book. "Go get some sleep. I realize I got you up early for this. So go home and sleep. That an order." he said, and left.

[Heiwuya]

don’t pretend everything is going to be alright . . . //
F i g h t e r : .. M i r o s l a v .. I v a n o v a . . . //

With all that out of the way, Miroslav sipped the rest of his tea with relish -- he really did enjoy a cup of something warm in the morning, and the nutty aroma of the red tea had been perfect to soothe Miroslav's stresses.

When he finished the cup, he flagged down the waitress for the check, and paid for the drinks.

" Well then, if it's an order, I can't say no, can I, " Miroslav asked. " And I guess I'll have to put the pretty waitress on hold until we get back."

Miroslav got up, bowed to his Sacrifice and pushed in his chair. He glanced out the window and saw the bus pull up to the station. ' [********] '

" Oh wait, I didn't have any change, so I don't suppose you can tip the waitress, " Miroslav yelled, running and yelling, trying to get the bus driver's attention before he drove off.