OUTRAGEOUS test thread [don't touch it]

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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We all share the pain
of our histories
but the ache goes away
if you could see
This night under stars
well I call it peace
if you say I'll never need more than this
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She didn't dream. And it wasn't in that over exaggerated way a child said the didn't dream when all it merely was was an inability to remember the dream. She truly did not dream. Once upon a time, she had the most vivid dreams every night, and she would wake up halfway in love with heroes of her nighttime stores, while viciously hating their antagonists. It was a side effect of the experimenting, or that was all that could be guessed. And from what she had heard over the course of her 'treatment' as they had called it, to tone down the sound of what they had done to her, she had heard of some truly horrifying side effects on other test subjects, so she liked to think of herself as lucky. The girl still missed her dreams though. You don't know how much they do for a person until they were gone, she had found out. Dreams probably would've made all of this a bit more tolerable, with a chance to at least escape when she slipped into sleep, though that was pretty hard to do anyway these days. She was pretty sure the only reason she slept at all was because every time she fell onto a bed, she was so tired that her body just shut off, and probably would've kept her asleep for far more then eight hours, if not for the fact that she couldn't seem to stay awake much longer then that. Her body was now trained at this point, not to sleep to late.

Currently, she was just really lying in bed, her eyes closed but her mind fully aware of everything going on around her. Her now sensitive ears picked on Tess sighing and moving around, though it wasn't as if she were being completely quiet about it. Lucile kept her eyes shut anyway, breathing deeply, taking advantage of what little time she had left to rest her eyes, her mind, her entire body. Soon enough they would be leaving, heading for, well, who knew. They were as spontaneous as you could get with their movements, trying t make as hard as possible to the tracked. It was a tedious process, one that sometimes made Lucile wonder why she had run in the first place. Then she would remembered. As far as the government was concerned, she was theirs to do with what the wanted, whatever that happened to be. The idea was a scary one, considering all she had gone through before she had been able to leave. Testing of the endurance of her body and now super-enhanced senses and reflexes and what not. Blood test after blood test, in an attempt to find what it was about her DNA that made the experimenting on her that they'd done a success, while others had died from it. Just the prospect of living the rest of her life like that had been terrifying. She hated being under someone else's control, even if were her own choices that got her int the middle of this.

"Lucy, we need to get going." It was quiet commands like this that often made Lucy wonder if she had really left for something better, or if she had only left to be bossed around by someone else. She knew that in truth, Tess thought of her as far more human than the government did. Still, there was always some degree of separation between herself and the scientist. Lucile had long ago become used to the other female's presence, though she couldn't always say it was a comforting one. They were both on edge, and they had both made choices that had gotten them to this point. At the same time, Lucile couldn't help but to feel like she had the right to blame Tess for her current condition. Lucile hadn't really been aware of what all the experimenting had been for, she had thought it was just some kind of clinical testing. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time she had participated in a drug trial. Sometimes you were payed very well for that kind of work, and seeing as she had been putting herself through college she had need the money. That was no excuse for not knowing what she had been letting them put into her body though.

Her eyes snapped open, and she stared up at the ceiling as she began to slowly move her body. She still didn't not have full control back over body, because didn't know when any movement was too much anymore. All she knew was that if she didn't think about it, she could move at speed that made her nauseous, gripped things with enough strength to crush them, and ended up exhausted far earlier then she intended to tire herself. Thus, she moved slowly, because she was pretty sure that was what used to be normal to her. It was still a trial and error thing at this point, and she found herself moving more slowly then she had meant to. When she was up, Tess was in the bathroom, and she took that chance to grab some clothes and get dressed quickly, so that all she would have to do in the bathroom was basic hygiene things. She didn't have much in the way of clothing, but what she had was pretty usually for what she used to wear. Wasn't like she had ever dressed to draw attention. She pulled over her head a chocolate brown turtle neck, and cover her legs in the usual jeans.

Tess left the bathroom and went in to brush her teeth and wash her face and whatnot, quickly so that they could get going. When she came back, she looked at Tess, almost waiting for prompting, until she decided that she could do the prompting herself. Crossing the the room, she picked up her bag and went to the door. "Let's go." she said, deciding she was taking the lead for once. They had no planned destination anyway. The real test would be seeing how Tess reacted. Not that Lucile expected a bad reaction.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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Boy you swallow truth like honey
As you spew your lies upon me
Sweet and smooth as it goes down
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"Mommy, when are you coming home." the seven-year-old's voice was small, asking the same question she had asked everyday since her mother had left the country. Iseul sighed. Both the seven-year-old she spoke to now, and her four-year-old also, were never satisfied with the answer of 'soon' that she had been giving them. Iseul was tired of herself not being able to give the girl or the boy a real answer. She did have some sort of timeline though, and she used that.

"I'll be home for a day or two next week, but I'll probably have to leave again for a little bit more." she was never anything less then honest with her children, because how were they supposed to trust her if she made empty promises? Iseul knew that right now, they missed her, but later on, if she came home and then left without warning a couple days later that they would be all the more disappointed. It was a lot to expect of children, for them to understand why she was never home sometimes, and why they couldn't be with her, but Iseul did her best to explain it. Hell though, it was a lot to expect of even her husband. And he had to put up with his wife traveling all over with some random guy that wasn't him. Now, given, Dae and met Samuel, and Izzy didn't have that kind of interest in her partner, nor did he in her, still it would make anyone in even the most secure relationships a bit on edge. Not only that, that left him at home raising their children most of the time. That right there was one of the few ways that you could make Izzy feel like she was a bad mother, no matter how much attention she gave her children every time she was home or how much she talked to them when she was away.

Aside from being away from her family, Iseul couldn't say that she hated traveling, even if she didn't get to do much in the place that she was traveling to. Iseul had spent most of her youth traveling, being the daughter of an ambassador, and she was pretty sure that life wouldn't feel right if she couldn't travel. This reason wasn't necessarily why she took on her job, but it did help her appreciate it a bit more. So why did she take on her job? Part of her liked to say she had always wanted to work as an agent, but that was a big fat lie. It was more like, she needed to work for the government, and this was the only job that sounded remotely interesting to her. Why did Izzy need a job working for the government? It was a family thing. She was only second generation Korean-America, her father being first. And her father, her mother, her older sister, her older brother? They were all in the government. Different jobs, but same employer, sort of. Iseul didn't want to be the first one to break tradition. She could leave that to one of her children, or nieces or nephews. Now that she looked at it of course, she was pretty sure it would've been better had she taken one of the more boring jobs. Then at least she would be home right now, instead of chasing after some scientist and experiment down. She didn't even know the full details of it, she was just following orders, but either way, at this point she was agitated beyond belief with the fact that they weren't getting anywhere.

Samuel nearly jumped across the room when there was a knock on the door. Iseul rolled her eyes. "Jae, I have to go sweetie. Tell Daddy and your brother I love them. I love you. Bye."

"Okay, bye Mommy." with that the small child hung up. Izzy kept her ear to the phone for a bit longer before doing the same. Now all she had to watch was Sam grinning like and idiot at the woman who brought his room service.

"당신의 혀를, Sam 멀리 두십시오."* she said in Korean, laying back against the headboard of her bed. He didn't really pay attention to his partner though, he was too busy telling the woman to charge the food to the room and giving her a tip. Izzy supposed that she couldn't really blame him. He really was a social person, it had to be hard being cooped up when they traveled rather then being out and about, having at least a little fun.

When the woman was gone, he sat back on his bed and Iseul shook her head. "One of these days they're gonna give you a budget you have to follow, you spend so much whenever we travel." she told him. Well it was true. While Izzy always just made something in the room, like the cup of noodles she had sitting on her bedside table, Sam was a big fan or room service and all the works. She wouldn't be surprised if they put him on a budget one of these days.

Looking back at the television, Izzy sighed. She was so sick of hotel television. She didn't even like TV normally, so why would watching it in a hotel make it any better? "So where are we off to next if they're not here?" she questioned Samuel, hoping he had been paying more attention to their orders and the order of their travel plans then she had been.

OoC ll Translation: Put your tongue back in your head, Sam.
""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

Emilene Corey Fletcher

❝the one who could be a total risk❞

Upbeat✖Acts first, thinks later✖Nosy

feminine ll E
twenty-two ll december thirty-first

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts.
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess.
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess.
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"So, how'd you bribe the ref?" Dante asked her jokingly as Franklin made sure he was steady on his crutches.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll have you know that I have a good luck charm." she informed him, taking out the keychain that she had gotten from Blu. "Blu gave it to me." she added in, not really conscious of the small smile she had on while she said it. Anyway, Franklin couldn't help it if the gesture made her smile. Anyone would smile, at least if it was someone they liked as much as she liked Blu involved in the whole thing. As she put the keychain away, she noted how Dante made a face and rolled his eyes, then made a point to ignore it. She was only contributing to the problem, she realized, if she went through the trouble of publicly reprimanding him and what not. If he didn't get a reaction, he would tone it down eventually. Or something like that. The idea had worked with her bratty cousin, that was all she knew.

Again, she and Blu laced their fingers together on this walk. Occasionally she would look back to make sure the boys were actually still with them, but the ice cream parlor wasn't that far away, so it wasn't likely they would be killing each other in that time. The rest of the walk? She found herself absorbed for the most part in her own thoughts. Again they trailed back to her relationship with Blu, which was becoming less and less ambiguous, with hand holding, token giving, and kissing, albeit the kisses were on the cheek, thus far. But still, it was a kiss none the less. The whole idea of any of that had a slight blush enveloping Franklin's cheeks, and she was almost caught off guard when Blu posed her question about the keychain. She looked up at the other and smiled. "Yes you were; I never really doubted it."

They reached the ice cream parlor, and Blu held the door open for them. "Thank you, Tiffany." she didn't really believe the name fit, bit it was worth a try. It just seemed, too common to be Blu's name. Then again, a name couldn't define a person all on it's own, could it? That had been the whole point of this game, for Franklin to prove that idea. People were amazing in their own rights, and just because a girl was named something like 'Heather' didn't mean she was a stuck up air-head or whatever. At the same time, she couldn't say that she could think of herself with a name that didn't normally belonged to a boy, or Don with a name that didn't remind her of centuries old literature.

"Blu and me can go get the ice cream. What d'you want, Donnie?" she asked after she had helped him get his ankle elevated correctly.

"Cake batter with rainbow sprinkles in a waffle bowl." what what her friend grumbled. After Blu got what Harper wanted, they went up to the counter and place the order. While they waited, she looked back at the boys, who seemed to be just sitting in silence.

"I'm not really sure they're getting along better or worse." she mused, looking back to Jane. "What do you think?"

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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I'm a suspect, I'm a traitor
I'm only here in body, visiting
Yellow faces and the distant screams
The beauty is in what isn't said
I'm rising to my feet
Because tonight, the world turned in me
Because right now, I don't dare to breathe
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

He stared at the small map book in his hands, trying to ensure his location was where he wanted to be. Really though, how would it be possible for the young man to lose his way between the hotel and the flea? The man at the hotel had even been kind enough to trace the way from the new, cheaper hotel that he was staying at to the flea had been to to go to in marker in his map book. Of course, that didn't account for Eli's horrid sense of direction. If it did, he wouldn't be having this issue. After all, he knew where he was, it just wasn't where he was supposed to be.

The cafe that he stood before was the only thing he knew on this street, and it was way far from where he was going. Eli sighed, adjusting the bag that sat on his shoulder. He contemplated how counter productive it would be to go into that cafe. If he went in he would get a coffee, and though it wasn't an expensive cafe, it was using money he needed for other things nonetheless. But, you really couldn't stay alive on cheap ramen noodles cooking in your hotel room. It wasn't healthy. Never mind that coffee wasn't exactly healthy either. That wasn't the point.

Finally, he made up his mind, and entered the cafe, very conscious of the fact that he was only going to get a coffee, nothing more, and that he was going to figure out how to get to the park he needed to get to from where he was now. One of the artists that frequently sold his art in the open air flea market had seen Eli sketching, and after looking at some of his art had offered to let Eli sell pieces with his, an offer Eli had gladly taken. He knew from experience that his pieces sold fast. One, he didn't charge much because he liked doing art, and he wanted people who liked his art to have a chance at having it, and two, because he would do on the spot requests for people, quick five dollar sketches of whatever they wanted-- within reason of course. Five dollars was hardly enough money to pay for what he needed, ten sketches added up to fifty, twenty to a hundred. It was all about optimism, really, and Eli had plenty of that. He was hardly ever a pessimistic person.

He walked up to the counter, smiling at the very blonde male behind the counter. Eli couldn't say that he thought the male liked him, but he was there every time that Eli went into the cafe, making Eli want to be friendly towards him, whether the other showed any sign of appreciation or not. It was his nature to be nice to everyone, more so to people who he saw frequently. The young man had been raised on the idea that making friends was better then just going around in a world of strangers, and he held onto the concept very firmly.

"Bonjour! May I have a small coffee?" The young man, who's name Eli knew was Gabriel, looked like he had just gotten off a break and wasn't to happy about it. Then again, he never really looked happy about anything when Eli saw him. Still, Eli smiled as he pulled out his wallet and a bill to pay for his drink, adjusting the portfolio he held under his arm of sketches he meant to sell at the flea. "I assume the price hasn't changed in the past few days." he said cheerfully as he handed over the bill. So far he had tried just about everything to be seen in a good light by the other male, but so far nothing had worked. Eli wasn't sure why it even mattered so much, more so it seemed that it mattered with other people. It was just, if he had to stay in Paris for so much more time then he had planned to, then it would be nice to have a friend. It was a mystery why he had chosen Gabriel, he just had.

It had all started when he had first arrived in France. He was a fresh graduate, in need of some kind of vacation before he entered the so called 'real world'. He chose France for whatever reason. Mostly, because of the amazing art history. Now, he had only intended to be in France for a couple weeks. However, at some point during those two weeks, his passport had been lost. How or when, Eli wasn't sure. He had decided it was his own fault for not paying better attention, and he took full responsibility for the whole thing.

This had lead Eli to the American consulate, where they had ordered him a new passport, which he had needed to pay for, an expense he had not anticipated. Without that money, he was unable to get a plane ticket, meaning he was stuck until he got the money, and the price only ever seemed to be rising, making it all the more difficult for Eli. He refused to ask for help, because it was easy enough to call his family up to ask for help, but he didn't want to make his mother give up more money for him. She had kept her self on a tight budget all the time he was in school so he could have what he needed, because even with financial aid and jobs, he still didn't have enough to pay for school, and he didn't want start out life with loans. Eli was not asking for money from her, and that was a subject that was final.

And that was the story that ended Eli here, in France, with very limited verbal abilities when it came to the language and knowing no one. He was making the best of the situation. Because really, when it came down to it, he could've been stuck in places far worse then Paris. Even if the person he stood before hated him.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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suppose I never ever saw you
suppose you never ever called
suppose I kept on singing love songs
just to break my own fall
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She probably should've been asleep. In fact, she wasn't sure why her body hadn't just kicked in and forced her to sleep. It wasn't as if it hadn't happened before, when she was cuddled up under a blanket one her couch, watching horror movies. In Emilene's opinion, horror movies were the only kind of movies worth watching, unless you were talking about her guilt pleasure, which were historical dramas. Of course, that was only something her closest friends would know, from sleepovers where they didn't sleep, and current her close friends consisted of three, but two were out of state, bringing that number down to one.

Of course, she hadn't talked to Harley in a couple days. That was okay though. Sometimes they went as much as a week without talking, though one would always show up at the other's door eventually. Plain phone calls weren't good enough for them. You couldn't really have a good conversation over the phone, and wasn't conversation something that kept a friendship going?

The phone ringing on the coffee table was probably far more of a scare the the killer jumping out of nowhere on the darkened screen.Emilene jumped a little, though she didn't even think about who it could be. the ringtone was enough to tell her that. You see, E was one of those people who had different ringtones for anyone important. The song that played now was 'Stand Up' by the Flobots. Why she even associated that song with Harland was a mystery. She just did, and that was all that was important.

When she slid her phone open, she held it to ear. Then? She was silent, listening. Harland didn't call her at three in the morning just to chat. She wanted something, and she knew to just say it and not wait for pleasantries. So what did she want? For E to open her door. That was it. Harland hung up, and Emilene sighed. Harley better have some story, that was all she could think. Some story, or look absolutely pathetic. Or else, she could endure E's scolding about how at three in the morning she should be at home, not walking to driving the streets alone.

She paused the movie, turned on the light, went to the door. At this point, she could hear Harland banging on it. That made her move a bit more slowly. Her natural instinct to defy demands. Or some kind of psychology mumble jumble like that. That was what happened when your older brother want to analyze all of your actions for some kind of grad school homework. All that aside though, E did open the door in the end.

What was she presented with?

A rumpled looking Harland. Tired, yet looking as if she had been letting out those laughs of hers. Emilene stared up at her for a moment- because at an even five feet she stared up at pretty much everyone -then stepped aside, the automatic okay. It wasn't like she could turn Harley away. This apartment was as much her's as it was E's, even if it wasn't her who had her name on the lease or who was paying the rent. It was sorta the same at Harley's place, or it had been. With the boyfriend back, she really couldn't imagine herself over there nearly as much, with the thought of this guy she didn't really know just walking in like he lived there, because, well, he did. She was the one who didn't.

Now, E was never opposed to making friends, but she also had her weird rules about friends, especially ones that were entangled with her original friends. Why? Because there was always the chance the time would come that people had bitter break-ups, and whether someone meant to or not, they always brought their friends in on the drama. Drama just wasn't something E was highly interested in.

Wordlessly, she grabbed onto Harley's wrist, pulling her further into the apartment. No hugs, no automatic 'are you okay, blah blah'. No. None of that came until she knew the situation really was. Hell, for all E knew, her friend had just wanted to see her, though it didn't look that way. She liked to keep things in perspective though, at least during late night situations. During the day it was a whole other story, but you had to take into account that she was also awake during the day and had more energy to jump top action.

They sat on the couch, E drawing her legs up underneath herself. "So what's up?"

That was it. No more, no less, because that was the only question that needed to be ask. It would eventually lead to all other questions and answers that needed to be out there.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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Theres something 'bout giving up
That sounds so bittersweet
Think I'll throw in the towel right now
(but I'll fold it nice and neat)
I'll lay low on the ground
And I'll be on my feet
When I can breathe
When I'm good and ready
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

There was no reason for him to, all James had said was a simple hello, but Ephriam couldn't overcome the red that came to his cheeks. Once James was in the barn, he buried his head in Starlight's neck. This was... not a feeling he could say he recognized. He sort of wished he could, so he was able to keep himself more composed when he was around James, but he didn't see that happening. It was a kind of spark, obviously not like the feeling that he had most definitely misinterpreted with Isadora. She was... a fluke that had flown under her radar. But again, without her there would be no James. Thus, to an extent, Ephriam had to be grateful, but that only so far. For that matter it only went as far as he wouldn't just leave her on the streets if he were to ever escape her. Then again, he probably would never be able to do such a thing anyway.

James returned and Ephriam lifted his head. He wanted talk, but he knew better then to open his mouth at all. He couldn't trust himself not to let everything tumble out, and they couldn't have that happening, where stable hands and other residents of that palace were milling around. Granted, Ephriam wasn't so worried about the stable hands. One way or another, the servants of the Palace always found out the truth of what was going on. They knew how to keep it all to themselves, and they also knew who was the one of the royal couple that treated them well, and that person was certainly not Isadora. Loyalties often were what kept some secrets secret and made some public. However, it was not only the stable hands around. Not many were up this early in the morning, but there were few. Ephriam knew that Isadora would have her ladies in waiting up, because she had woken up early that morning to vomit, and if she was up, everyone else need to be up. Ephriam honestly wouldn't be surprised if he saw Emilene storming down past the stables on a walk.

Technically, his sister wasn't a lady in waiting to Isadora, because had higher rank than Isadora. However, Isadora treated her as if she were one of her ladies, though she knew not to use the term lest she wanted Emilene to slap her. It drove Emilene near crazy, Ephriam knew, but she put up with it, once telling Ephriam it was because she knew that Isadora would only complain to him about it and make his life more difficult.

Soon enough they were off, Ephriam only having to nod to give the signal that he was ready to go.


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


James lead them to an isolated area just off the trail, and Ephriam found himself getting more and more antsy, ready to finally talk. There was a lot to get out there, things that were either important or just something he couldn't hold back, but you couldn't really call it important. Or maybe you could, and Ephriam just didn't know it yet. Ah... it was just to complicated for him to deal with in his thoughts.

He sat beside the other male, closer then what would've been allowed in public. Now that he had a chance to talk, most words seemed to escape him. "I don't... I don't really know how to handle any of this." he admitted. "I can't say that I normally feel things like this, much less act on them."

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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Your eyes are dusty dirt porn magazines
You're lazy, selfish, yeah you were raised that way
It's a hole that he was bred
I'll take your pants, you take my hair
And let us dance and choose the happy and depressed
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Both had gotten into the clothing that Nova had given them, though only one seemed okay with it, and that was Kyrie. Alex was seething, whether she knew the look was portrayed on her face or not. Nova had to resist the urge to smile. Were the native clothes really that bad? Was it that horrible to be a bit modest about your body, have some respect and share more of it with just your lover rather then the whole world. It wasn't practical either, when you wanted to get real work done. It was easier to move in loose clothing, and it was safer to have more of your body covered. And then there was the whole modesty factor, something that didn't bother the females of the reservation, but that Nova had heard referred to as 'sexist' and 'barbaric' by outsiders. She vaguely wondered if they knew what being sexist really was.

No one one the Rez was just a sexual object, yet everyone on the outside seemed to be. And what's more, women were taught that it was better to wear skin tight and often revealing clothing while it was okay for men to wear whatever they pleased. On the Rez, yes, it was okay for the men to wear much less clothing then women, but that also went with the day to day works they did as opposed to what the women did. The clothing standards had erupted from different needs, and then the idea of modesty and chastity came. Sex was always second in their culture, and sometimes third.

She didn't smile, and she didn't laugh at Alex's mood. She kept a straight face and turned her attention to Kyrie's questions. Now she did laugh. She couldn't help it. Just the idea of a baby possibly being born at a celebration like this, it was funny. "There really are no births that natural way anymore on the outside." she mused, more to herself then the other two. "Just, did you know what I meant when I said that our pregnancy celebrations are the equivalent to the baby showers that were once had on the outside?" she questioned. Whether the answer was a yes or a no, she continued on. "No, it is very unlikely that the child will be born there. There are a couple months yet before it's time for the mother to give birth." she informed them, regaining her composure and returning to the more stiff guide demeanor that she had.

Now she began to lead them back to the door as she answered Kyrie's second question of where she would want them to be during the performance. "I have a friend that will watch you two. He will show you where to sit." she said, thinking of Pax when she spoke. They stopped to put on shoes, and then they were out the door. She continued feeding them information as the moved to the center of the Rez, where the celebration would be held.

"So what will basically happen is that a blessing will happen over Aniki- the mother -and then there is a dance, after that it's all eating and talking. Aniki and Elsu will announce the name they have chosen for the child, and that is it." she told them. She left it open for more specific questions after that, and soon enough they were at the center of the Reservation.

"Nova!" Pax called out. Nova turned and smiled at him. When he came forward, he observed the two with Nova and was quick to switch his languages over. "I thought you were going to make sure they were gone by now."

She gave him a whithering look. "Talk to Levi if there is an issue." she said flatly. "He's your cousin." with that, Nova went back to the language everyone could understand. "So, Pax. Considering who started all of this, I need you to watch them while I lead the dance." she told him.

Pax didn't look happy about, but he nodded. Nova smiled at him, for a moment dropping the stiff demeanor she kept as a guide as she spoke rapidly once more in their own language. "Watch the blonde. I'm pretty sure that if she can get something, she's not going to let anything stop her. And remember you are married and Luyu will kill you if you have a weak will." she warned him, her way of reminding him that dealing with an outsider often involved them coming onto you. Finally, she turned back to the other two. "So, I'm going to leave you guys with Pax, but I will be back right after the dance." maybe that was a deterring thing for Alex, who seemed the more likely offender out of the two. Hey, she could hope, right?

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

Dante blinked. What did Harper care for how he had met Franklin? He probably didn't. Most likely, he was just making idle conversation. Dante didn't really appreciate it, but at the same time, he knew that he had to answer. Why? It was all a matter of they had to at least get along somewhat, if they intended to get anything done. They wouldn't be at all effective if they couldn't settle their differences for a little while and actually lay out a full plan to pit the girls against each other so that they would eventually separate. Still, Dante had to bite back the urge to tell the other that it was none of his business and remind himself repeatedly of what this alliance would result in. Franklin, unattached, and no longer in a situation that could potentially lead to hurt for her.

"We had biology together in middle school. I told she was going to be my partner, she made me say please." he said flatly, telling it with none of the zeal that Franklin told the story with. She liked it much more then he did. Then again, it didn't cast her in a bad light. It made her look witty and charming, as always. On the other hand, Dante just sounded like he was a snot nosed kid with that story. Really, how many people just told others they were going to be their bio partners? In essence, he had really been telling her that she was going to be his friend, whether she like it or not. She had asserted the fact that she would forever have the upper hand in their relationship, no matter what he did, by making him ask more politely. It was all a dance with words.

He knew that now it was his turn to play nice. If he didn't, then he just seemed like a douche bag, which, he could admit to being from time to time, but he didn't feel like being labeled as one at the moment. Right now he would take the term anti-social. Yes, that was it, even if he wasn't by nature an anti-social person. He had plenty of friends. But still. "How did you meet Blu?" he asked reluctantly.

Soon enough the girls were back, and Dante took note of the goofy grin his friend had on her face as she cheerfully handing him his waffle bowl. "One cake batter with rainbow sprinkles!" she took a seat between Dante and Trista, and Don continued to watch her as begin to eat her own ice cream, still unreasonably happy. Something had happened while they were at the counter, and Dante was pretty sure he wasn't going to like whatever it was. Then Trista brought it up, saying that the girls were going to see a movie. Yep, he didn't like that, or the way th Trista was so apparent about how this trip wasn't something the boys were allowed to come on. Dante knew to play it cool though, just like Harper was. All he needed to do was nod and play along, nod and play along. At least with the girls gone they can get to deciding what they were going to show their respective girl about the other to make her want to break up.

Finally it came to the time when the girls finished their ice cream and were getting ready to leave. "I'll check on you late Don. Try not to hurt the other ankle." Franklin told him, kissing his cheek. After that, she turned Trista of course, offering the other her hand. With that they left, saying good by to the boys one last time before they went out the door. Dante watched the door for a moment, then sighed, stabbing his spoon at his half melted ice cream. He at a few spoon fulls before he finally looked at Harper again.

"We should probably talk about this now, so we can get them separated sooner rather then later." he said. For a moment, thinking about the way that Franklin had been smiling, Dante felt bad about all of this. But he shook that off quickly enough.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts.
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess.
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess.
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

"I do agree, Althea. Death glares are slightly better." Franklin said with a laugh. "Who knows, maybe soon they'll just be glare, with no intention of death." well, if soon meant many, many weeks. Sometime the boys could be surprising she supposed. In theory at least. It couldn't really be said that Dante ever surprised her much. After years of friendship, the male was pretty predictable in his actions. She of course didn't know Harper, but so far, all she had seen of him had really reminded her of Dante, making the two seem like one person in two different bodies in her mind. Maybe that sounded like making quick judgments, but hey, scientifically, the mind made up it's opinion on someone in seven seconds. What you did in those seven seconds mattered, and in the seven seconds Harper had first been introduced to Franklin, he had acted very Dante like, setting her mind to that opinion essentially.

It was while they waited for their ice cream that Blu made her proposal, that they go to the movies after they had their ice cream, no boys allowed. Franklin liked the idea, finally getting some time that was more then just a few minutes with Blu. Of course, while she had been smiling and musing about how much the idea suited, she had forgotten to answer, but made a point to when Blu started to say that she could always say no. "That sounds great, Nora. I-- I'd really like that." she cut Blu off, keeping her smile so the other could see that her words were genuine. Blu smiled back, and it seemed as if both parties were thoroughly satisfied.

After that, they grabbed their ice cream and made their way back to the boys at the table. Up until that moment, Franklin hadn't really thought about how she was going to tell Dante that she and Blu were leaving him and Harper behind to go see a movie. Still, she kept on grinning as she gave him his ice cream. "One cake batter with rainbow sprinkles!" she said happily, placing the ice cream before her best friend, then taking a seat. It seemed as if she wouldn't be the one who had to break the news to the boys, seeing as Blu took it upon herself to tell them that they were going to the movies. Well, there was one less issue. Now she just had to wait for the reactions. She wasn't really sure what to expect for that.

The one to react verbally was Harper, who was admittedly surprising in what he said. Franklin had thought she might of heard some kind of objection, but she didn't. And Dante, he didn't say anything at all, which was both surprising and not so much at the same time. Surprising, because usually the first to run his mouth. Not so surprising because he instead had on a tight lipped smile, which was as good as saying 'I don't want you going out with her'. Frankie however, didn't say a word about it.

When the girls finished their food, they got up, said their goodbyes, and with final waves to the boys, they were out the door. As they started their walk to the movie theater, which was only a few streets away, Franklin laced her fingers with Blu's. For a few minutes they walked in silence. Not the awkward, don't know what to say silence. The nice silence, where you could say something, but you didn't have to for everything to be okay. Eventually, when a question did occur to Frankie, she asked it easily. "What movie are we going to see, Beatrice?"

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
suppose I never ever saw you
suppose you never ever called
suppose I kept on singing love songs
just to break my own fall
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

Emilene was very careful to hold her words. She needed to wait, to hear everything. She had a million answers to the question about how love was 'supposed' to be, and it took all she had to bite her tongue. This was Harley's time to explain, and it seemed like she need to get everything out before E had a decent handle on things. It was obviously an issue about love, and about her boyfriend, the one she had only been with for a month before he was gone to war, deployed to Iraq. She knew bits and pieces about him, but nothing that gave her a full picture of the man. Hell, this was the first time that she was even hearing about how things had been going since he had gotten back. She wasn't sure how to react to the relationship if the first thing she was hearing was at three in the morning with and utterly broken down Harland.

The vibrating of Harland's phone was loud; apparent in the quiet room. That was the thing about vibrate mode. It was supposed to be quiet then your actual ringtone, but in the quiet or even the semi-quiet, it seemed more obnoxious than the actual sound of the phone's ringtone, no matter what it may be. Perhaps it was only E that thought any such thing though. It didn't help the that vibrating only went unanswered, only watched. And as both girls watched the phone vibrate on and on for who knows how long, it only seemed like it was getting louder. Emilene knew that wasn't possible, but she was about ready to break the phone when the vibrating stopped. Hopefully he would take the hint of Harley not picking up and not call again for a little while. E wasn't sure if she would be able to take another period of vibration.

Suddenly, before she knew it, it was that time.

Harley watched her, and she watched Harley. She wasn't stalling, she was thinking. Slowly, she curled and uncurled the toes of the foot that sat under her thigh. She didn't want to end up with Harley making any decisions solely based on what she said. Ultimately, all the decisions for this laid in her friend's hands, and she could go either way. Really, this was more to help her put everything into perspective, and for that task, Emilene was fairly good. She could be the first to admit that she didn't always put the talent to the best use regarding herself, but with others, she was used it whenever she got the impression that that was what they wanted when they came to talk to her.

"Will, first off, love does suck, from my experience." she told the other, sharing what little 'wisdom' she had. E didn't really like the word wisdom though. That would imply that she had a ton of life experience, which she didn't. She was only twenty-two, and who the hell at twenty-two had wisdom? E knew that she didn't. What she had was some knowledge, involving things that had happened to her, though much never really happened to her. "Or, I shouldn't say it sucks. But the whole idea of perfect love doesn't exist, as far as I've seen." Yes, she was okay with leaving open the fact that she might be wrong. It happened, often enough. And when she was proven wrong, Emilene wasn't always the most mature about it, so why not head that issue off at the beginning? It made her look like less of a child in the end. "The thing about it is that it goes up and down, sometimes it sucks, but then it gets better and better... and then can suck again." she shrugged. "I can't really tell you if it's him it's going to get better with though. I don't think that it's fair that he's telling you how to you'll feel if this or that happens though..." she trailed off, losing track of where she was going with that. In the end, she shrugged again. "Because, who can tell the future?"

When Harley thrust her wrist as Emilene, insisting that it was this was killing, E couldn't help but laugh. Waving the hand away, she shook her head. "Have you been eating? That's far more likely." she told Harley, standing. "You up for making some late night quesadillas? I won't burn them this time."

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
I'm a suspect, I'm a traitor
I'm only here in body, visiting
Yellow faces and the distant screams
The beauty is in what isn't said
I'm rising to my feet
Because tonight, the world turned in me
Because right now, I don't dare to breathe
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

Eli had to let his sarcastic streak go when the question came up about what kind of coffee he wanted. Gabe was taking a jab at the fact that he didn't think he could name a specific coffee. Of course, the idea was solely based from the fact that Eli was American. And for all that Eli was a generally nice, cheerful person, he did have his moments of sarcasm, especially when you began to assume things about him. Such as his heritage. If you were going to base his knowledge of coffee solely off of where he came from, the Gabe had so much more coming to him then he thought. True, on Eli's father's side he was what his father affectionately called a 'European mutt' that was mostly dominated by and English heritage, however, on his mother's side he was Colombian and Brazilian, which were two countries that pretty much dominated the coffee industry, thus kind of defeating Gabe's jab. Eli let it go though, it wasn't worth it.




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


"Bonjour! May I have a small coffee? I assume the price hasn't changed in the past few days." Gabe sighed, staring at the boy blankly as he made his wee joke about the price of coffee. Why would they have changed it? He was tempted to tell him that yes, in fact the price had changed, it was now double the price and you only got a cup of milk now, just the way you Americans liked it. But he silently took the boys money, putting it through the register and giving him a random amount of change. If the boy didn’t like it, in the future he could be more exact about what kind of coffee he wanted. ‘A small coffee’ wasn’t exactly specific, that could mean anything.

”So what kind of ‘small coffee’ do you want American? You want... a latte, a short black, espresso, macchiato, flat white... or do you want the dreaded Americano coffee?” He asked, raising his eyebrow and smirking softly at him. The boy was determined to befriend him it seemed, and Gabe was determined to rebuke him. He had enough friends, he had his family, he had the cronies who played cards at the cafe. He did not need a foreigner who most probably thought that Reims was a part of Paris and not a city in it’s own right. It was about an hour away from Paris, Gabe could not understand for the life of him why people could not get it right. Paris did not make wine, in Paris they drank wine and walked around thinking they were so wonderful, living in the best city in the world. Reims was obviously far superior to Paris! Gabe hated Paris! Okay that was possibly too strong of a reaction, in reality Gabe loved Paris and her many charms... but he was in a bad mood for some reason. He’d woken up so happy as well, and he’d had a good day.

Coming to the conclusion that it must have been this boy who stood in front of him who had put him in a bad mood, he faintly scowled at him before ducking his head and pulling on the coffee grinder pull, tamping it twice before wedging it into the espresso machine and slotting a cup beneath it. If the boy did not know what kind of a coffee he wanted, then would drink a flat white damnit.

”soyez gentil, Gabe”** Pap called out, looking up from his cards for a minute, a thick curl of cigar smoke escaping from between his fleshy lips as he spoke. Fine, if Pap wanted him to be nice he could be nice. He could be charming damnit. As he poured milk into the stainless steel jug, he flashed a bright smile at the boy, not at all sarcastically. Well, yes a lot sarcastically, but he would suppress that to make Pap happy. How hard could it be to be nice to the tourist? People said he was very nice. Clipping the thermometer to the side of the milk jug, he dropped the steamer into it and began to froth the milk for the coffee.

”So tourist, do you like Reims?” He asked, looking up from his milk to flash another short smile at the boy, silently cursing as the milk began to froth over. He dropped his eyes back onto it, letting it heat to sixty degrees before he turned off the steam. He wiped off the steamer and the thermometer so that the milk wouldn’t dry and stick to it and thus become impossible to get off. He surfed the milk, making sure it was completely smooth before knocking it town against the bench twice, and then pouring it as quickly as possible into the coffee cup to keep the crème intact.

He pushed the coffee towards the boy, bending down and pulling out a beignet that was still a little hot, pouring a swirl of chocolate over it and dusting it with icing powder. If Pap wanted him to be nice, then Pap would surely consent to give the boy some free food. He pushed the small plate of food towards the boy with a blank stare. ”You will eat, boy. And in return, in the future we will make an effort to pronounce the word ‘bon-joh,’ not ‘bon-juur,’ will we not? If we are going to speak French, we will speak it properly.”

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Theres something 'bout giving up
That sounds so bittersweet
Think I'll throw in the towel right now
(but I'll fold it nice and neat)
I'll lay low on the ground
And I'll be on my feet
When I can breathe
When I'm good and ready
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

It felt right, how James rested his chin on Ephriam. Ephriam's response was to lean against the other male, even if he did hesitate for a moment. He knew the whole point of them being out here was that nobody would see them, but it was is instinct. A way to protect both himself and James. Therefore, there wasn't anything necessarily wrong with this hesitation, since it was out of a need to make sure they were safe, not out of actually fear of this relationship. If that made any sense at all. He liked the warmth he felt where his body touched the other's, he liked how it felt like this was supposed to be this way. Never could he say it felt this way the few time he had held Isadora, and though in that past when he had courted young noble women he did not find it horrible or unexciting, he also wasn't sure that they would measure up to this in the same way. Here he was hyper aware of everything, those times it just wasn't so significant.

It seemed that they knew how to move just enough and just in the right way to look at each other without losing too much of the contact in the places where they were touching. James admitted to the fact that these feelings were intimidating, and that he didn't want to get hurt. Ephriam squeezed the other's hand, trying for comfort, or something of the like. He looked to James to see if he was conveying it right. Rubbing his thumb slowly across the back of Jame's hand, he spoke slowly and thoughtfully. "I think... I think that this is going to be difficult, and it is impossible to avoid mistakes. But if we aren't trying to hurt each other, then we shouldn't." he reasoned.

Of course he knew he was being a bit optimistic about things, that just because they want something to happen a certain way didn't mean that it would. He wanted Isadora not to be pregnant, he wanted not to have this all be a secret, but none of that was going to happen. Being pessimistic about it just wouldn't do though. At this point, Ephriam couldn't really see what was going to happen of course, but he was willing to believe that no matter what they went through, eventually things would work out to how they were supposed to be. Ephriam had always been one to let life sweep him around, and perhaps up until no that hadn't been doing him much good, but now his method was proving to have more merit then he once thought.

The real question was how were they going to have this romance without letting it become a public affair? The only way Ephriam knew how to court was public. Then again, those were with docile women of noble birth, not with a male, much less with someone like James. Just going off for rides and hiding from the world would not be enough for them, Ephriam already knew. Not to mention that such a thing would grow harder as his responsibilities became more and more. He stared at their intertwined fingers, thinking of how once they left the secludedness of this clearing they would have to drop hands; pretend like they had gone on nothing more then a ride around the castle. He wondered how long it would take before the excitement of their secret wore off, before all they wanted became the ability to have a normal courtship where one could send off public gifts, and romantic yet not-so-secret walks through the gardens at night.

Serenely he smiled at James when the other stated basically what he had been thinking. This will be made to work. They will keep it a secret. Above all, they wanted to see where this led them to in the end. "I have no objections to that." he agreed, his voice soft. After that he wanted to move onto other things, or rather, his mind was doing it without his real permission, thinking back more to the night before after they had returned to the ball and after the ball had ended. He had been dragged by Isadora back to their chambers, where she had proceeded to babble about everything child related, not allowing Ephriam to get a word in edge wise at all. He closed his eyes thinking of all the things she had gone on about that night, since he hadn't been completely present for the conversation then. He had been too busy, processing what had just happened with Jame, and just the simple fact that he was going have a child. Or Isadora was going to have a child, he was merely the father, but still.

"Your cousin wants to name our child Gamel if it's a boy." he stated when he realized that was indeed the name his wife had been so set on the night before. He hadn't argued it then because he hadn't been paying full attention to her words. Now he was slightly horrified that he hadn't set his foot down on that one. She was sure to be all the more stubborn now that she thought she had it past him.

Isadora would be the hardest part of this relationship, since she so often demanded he account for the time that he did not spend waiting on her. There would have to be a way around that though. Perhaps if... Ephriam sat up right, pulling away from James for the most part. It was genius, or it was stupid, he wasn't quite sure yet, but he still turned his attention back to James to explain his sudden excitement. "I- I know of something that can help us. You'll have to trust me though." he told the other, his words slow as he thought each one out. While he waited for an answer, he squeezed the other's hand.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

The first bit of information that Harper gave Dante was pretty sad. That was a minor annoyance, barely able to qualify as a bad habit. Dante could say with all certainty that the downfall of Franklin and Trista's relationship would not be teeth clicking. Hell, that wouldn't even be a contributing factor. It would be at the very bottom of the list of things that annoyed Franklin about the other female. Dante could see what was happening though. Harper didn't want to give his friend up, or more, he didn't want to give too much information that might completely demolish the female. Just enough that they would break up. He was starting small and probably wouldn't give Dante any significant information until Don gave up some about Frankie. Why he should have to be the first to give his girl up, Don wasn't sure, but he wasn't really up for a back and forth game of who could give the most useless information, which was where he was pretty sure this would lead if he didn't just talk. Harper seemed to be just as stubborn as he was, and he wasn't willing to test if that were true or not.

It would really be an understatement to call Dante stubborn. He could hold on to things for years, whether it be grudges or things he wanted. A prime example was the candle he still held for Frankie, even after meeting her years ago. Because of it, he had never let himself get too wrapped up in relationships, just in case she finally admitted that she wanted him. At this point it was more of a fantasy as opposed to a hope, but still. He had done his fair share of dating, though his most serious relationship had only lasted six or so months, and hadn't been all that serious. He just couldn't do it. Perhaps it made him somewhat of a loner, despite the fact that he did still have friends, but it was something Dante could live with. The idea was that he wanted to be available should Franklin ever come knocking; never mind that she probably would never come to him for a romance.

He sighed, shaking his head. "That was virtually no help." he informed Harper, breaking off a piece of his waffle bowl that no longer had ice cream in it and popping it into his mouth. Slowly he chewed, contemplating what to give up first. He wanted it to be better information then what Harper had given him, but at the same time he didn't want it to be too big, in case Harper ended up wimping out on giving better info. "Frankie is... messy and completely unorganized. Her apartment is a disaster zone most of the time." Hey, it was better then teeth clicking, or that was what Dante's opinion was. You could tune out something minor like a small noise, but could you really tune out a mess? They got in your way, and it made areas seem small and cramped, so on and so forth.

Now he broke off another piece of waffle bowl and sat back, waiting to hear what Harper would offer him this time.


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


Sometime later the boys could be found in Franklin's apartment, it being the closest for walking considering Dante's ankle, and Dante having the key making it the logical choice. They now sat across from each other, Don on the blue striped love seat that Frankie had gotten at a secondhand store, Harper in the yellow floral arm chair that she had gotten from the same store. In Dante's opinion, part of the charm of being at Franklin's place, once you got past the mess and whatnot, was the mismatched furniture and decorations. Somehow, it all managed to come together nicely without looking tacky, and it all shown with Frankie's personality.

"Frankie's a giant flirt." he informed Harper in a bored tone at this point. "She doesn't really mean to, but she charms just about everyone she meets and flirts without thinking about. She never cheats though." it was important to clarify that, because he wouldn't let anyone go around calling Franklin a cheater when she wasn't. That was taking it a step to far and he wouldn't have that. It was inappropriate and unfair to his friend. She did flirt though, and Dante wasn't sure if it was her natural charmer streak or just something that she had forgotten how to turn off. Either way, it was there, and she was better at it then she probably thought she was.

His stomach rumbled. Ah, it had to be around dinner time. Grabbing his crutches, he stood, going to the kitchen. He probably could've gotten there with his eyes closed, he knew this apartment so well. Checking the fridge and her cupboards, he finally decided on something quick to make. "You want a quesadilla?" he called back to the living room as he pulled out what he needed.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts.
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess.
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess.
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

Franklin smiled and Blu suggested that she might rather stay with the boys, and shook her head. "I think a little time separated from us might do them some good." she mused before shrugging and moving back to the topic of what movie they were saying. "And I do think that is the perfect choice of a movie." she had been wanting to see it, but going to children's movies alone always made her feel weird, and Dante refuse to go with her. Something about the 'raping of childhood memories'. That had made Frankie roll her eyes. It was a rare thing that Don ever refused to go see a movie with her. The last time it had been the Hannah Montana movie, with a reason along the same like except this time the words were 'exploitation and raping of a girls childhood'. It all made Frankie giggle a bit on the inside really, having a friend who was so odd about certain things like that.

With that they had made their choice. Where the Wild Things Are. They walked the rest of the way to theater with a minimal amount of talking, once more in that comfortable silence. The whole walk Frankie had a small smile on her face, happy to know that this was their first real date. Perhaps they weren't saying it was so, but they didn't have to. It was obvious enough it was, or else the boys would be with them and all of this would feel different. It just felt like a date, if that made any sense at all. And things didn't just randomly feel like they were dates unless they were just that, a date in every sense of the word.


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


The movie let out and the girls left the theater, still hand in hand. It had been cute, not exactly like the book, but still cute. For a few moments the girls walked in silence, until Blu pointed out that it was getting getting late, then asking if Frankie wanted to get something to eat. Or did she have to go back to Dante? It only took Frankie a few seconds to think on it before she made her choice. That choice? "I think the Dante can fend for himself for awhile longer, he is a big boy after all. Some time alone won't kill him." hell, she didn't even know if Dante was alone, for all they knew the boys could've buried the hatchet and were spending time together at that very moment. It would be good for Dante either way, knowing that she wasn't going to just be there every second, that though she loved him, there was a life outside of him that she had. Perhaps it would even encourage him to get a live that didn't always have to involve Franklin.

"How about some Thai? I know this really great place down the street from the diner. Technically, they're competition, but they make really, really good food." she suggested with a smile. Well, it was really good Thai, competition or not. It wasn't like they were selling burgers and fries like the diner anyway, so Franklin didn't feel bad about liking their food. Perhaps if they did she would, but they didn't.

"So what do you say, Delilah? You up for it?" she asked

ooc ll sucky post is sucky. Sorry!

""