Raiha

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Charlie darling, quit being such a cry baby. Nobody likes a whiner. Except maybe your mum. Besides, it's our job to just embrace the fascism. To be happy with totalitarian rule.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Well Macey doesn't know Morphia at all, so she'd feel an abstract sympathy but you're right Mum, accidents happen all the time. Granted this time I'm pretty sure "accident" is more fitting. Darn that Hugo Black. I think we should have an image of him. I always envisioned him as a dashing Zorro figure, the mask hiding the ticking time bomb of evil inside him...[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Whoa, Mann'][SIZE="1"][COLOR="hotPink"] So, everyone be happy. Resolved and adjourned, yes?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]You should save those blandishments for the threads where people get all riled up and start spamming the CAPS lock button. In essence, I can see how things were taken out of context. The word cluster...screw... is starting to be more and more applicable. But in the meantime this is something that deserves discussion not just a quick dismissal. But seriously Charlie, you are JUST discovering OB is a fascist state? We've come to accept this for some time now. It's just part of life. Kinda like living in Italy in the 1930s.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Udon'][FONT="Verdana"]Since my parents are Filipino, then I odviously eat Filipino foods. We normaly eat rice almost evey single day, and im guessing that most of the other asian counties also eat rice everyday too. But thats just my assumption.[/FONT][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Trebuchet MS"]Well, in certain areas of China they just spring for noodles. And the variety of noodles gets crazier and crazier the more you travel. In some places they're as long as your arm and in others as short as your pinky, but really broad and flat. Although at my old church, everyone was Phillipino except my family and like one other family... ...so we likes the chicken adobo, and the pancit [chow mein sort of], and the lumpia [egg rolls, but superior]. Although one thing I have to say I miss the most is the banana fritters. Definitely that.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]In California there's no real regional food. So everything is often a mishmash of everything else. I.e. at steak houses they often do Pan Asian foods and do lettuce wraps for appetizers or have a massive variety. Pan-Everything is becoming intensely popular all over California, although Mexican food is the most popular. For obvious reasons. I like tamales and tacos myself. Especially the city I'm in now. You can throw a rock in any direction and hit a taco stand. And not the crappy Americanized kind with gallons of cheese all over the place. You can get them in the traditional corn tortillas with spicy meat and sauce. Oh so fantastic.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I think that's when Bavaria would get clever and ensure that her prince/king had mistresses. That had bastard children that she could palm off as her own. OR Maybe she and Leonhart were...cough.... incompatible?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Shy'][size=1]I imagine Beatriste would have more of a problem with Victoria riding a Chimaera than Bavaria would. Those things are dangerous! -Shy[/size][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Hence: Macey rides and holds onto Macey. I had that happen to me once in China. They couldn't afford lawyers if I fell and cracked my skull, so I had to ride double with a cool and awesome horse herder. So essentially Victoria would get to hold the reins, but being the sidesaddle genius that she is, and since they aren't going to be doing more than walking, it should be fine. And exciting! And SAFE![/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]*gives Aryanna a little poke* Just so you know, Lucy can carry double. Cough cough. Because Macey wouldn't want you up there alone because doubtless your mother would find out and then there would be some trouble in the form of a tongue lashing. Specifically the tongue lashing of. your. life.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[RIGHT][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/catherinesara-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/vincentachard-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/IMG][/RIGHT] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]"Ah young love. Tis a grand thing." [i]Lady Catharine turned to the scent of roses and the sight of Macey leaning over slightly to get a better view. Victoria Ann was currently nuzzling Lucy, who had bent down to get a better view of the small and sweet smelling thing currently petting her enormous cheek feathers.[/i] "Absolutely. I can't imagine why Lady Bavaria wouldn't want such a beautiful beast on the grounds." "Simple dear Aunt. She can't stand to be in the presence of anything more beautiful than she." [i]Macey had lowered her voice so only Lady Catharine and perhaps Vincent could hear. The two exchanged amused glances, but refrained from laughing for the appearance of things. With a little flick of her hand, she passed a rose to her Aunt, who immediately tucked it into the long flare at the brim of her hat, creating a remarkably antique and coquettish look. Vincent leaned over to catch Macey's attention. [/i] "Perhaps you should take a better look at Lucy yourself. I'm sure Gustave would like a chance to brag about his latest gift to the family." "Naturally. From what I recall, it's getting him to take a quick break to breathe that's the trick." [i]Vincent chuckled and gestured to Victoria Ann, who was now apparently being lecture on the various parts of Chimera anatomy. With delicate steps, Macey moved across the balcony, lifting the hem of her skirt with her right hand, keeping her destination in sight. Part of her was pleased with seeing Gustave again, and another part was wondering exactly why. Aside from the fact that he was a foreigner, and thus more interesting than all the other men surrounding her, and he looked nothing like Vincent but- Macey shook her head just once to cut off that particular train of logic; if logic was even the word for that. Once she'd made it across the way, she came up behind Victoria Ann just in time to hear her squeal something that sounded both intelligent and juvenile at the same time. Gustave turned as the sound of a swishing skirt reached his ears and found Macey smiling over at him rather enigmatically. He immediately bowed and she curtsied, Victoria Ann beaming up at them both. With practiced movements, he reached for her hand and kissed it, murmuring.[/i] "Macey Ellen, you look as pretty as a picture with those exquisite roses and sparkling diamond-like eyes-" "Oh come now Gustave, no need to flatter me to death. Save it for those who really really need to hear it." "You wound me so deeply." [i]He feigned an injured look, which was accompanied by the sounds of light girlish laughter from both Macey and Victoria Ann. Macey handed the roses over to Victoria Ann for just a moment, while she held out a palm to Lucy, having some experience with Chimaeras, just enough to know what they liked and what they'd instantly hate. Lucy inhaled deeply with a light whistling sound, then exhaled in a brief burst and burbled lightly with contentment. Pleased, Macey stroked the side of her neck, and down to her powerfully built flanks. Victoria clapped her hands and cheered.[/i] "Yay! She likes you too!" "I'd hope so. With any luck, Lucy'll find out that you don't like Bavaria and peck her eyes out." [i]Macey spoke in a conspiratorial 'just us girls' tone, which Gustave immediately picked up on. Victoria handed back the roses all at once and immediately began petitioning Gustave for a chance to ride.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Ah the possibilities are endless. And for the record, we've established that despite the fact that Lucy is partially bird, she DOES in fact have a sense of smell. So if you don't smell good and your name begins with L and your surname begins with M, I wouldn't recommend getting close unless you want your brains pecked out. *vacant smile at the image*[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]I'm currently writing my post and I'll have it up shortly, guys. I'm including some description about what the races are and all that, so hopefully it'll give everyone something to work with.[/font][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Is this before or after Gustave greets all the Almagests? Or will that be included?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Oh goodness. Oh my sainted Aunt. Oh my painted pants. You ......are quite amusing. You've decided to base your beliefs on Evolution on videos and websites you found online. I don't even know if there's an intelligence response deserved here. But since you're new, and young, and don't like to spellcheck, I suppose I should do it anyway. As someone who has a foundation of thought rooted in old school Judeo Christian beliefs, I don't find myself to be an idiot. I also don't think there's a disconnect between Evolution and Creationism. I don't believe the universe was instantly created in 7 days but that doesn't mean I don't believe in Intelligent Design. To quote the West Wing, "I'd like to believe that God is intelligent." And as for your demand for "real" reasons and answers? Both Creationism and Evolution will never be fully explained for either side to be completely satisfied. The science of Evolution is a theory, just like every other concept. And Creationism requires a certain amount of faith, or a willingness to not put every ounce of your trust in science. There. Go play. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Moving right along before I have to start quoting the wikipedia page- and/or writing more 'Little Deaths' entries. Are we going to be using dinosaur like creatures? Or are we sticking to birds, mammals, and other fluffy and relatively cuddly things?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Sandy']But I just wanted to show D'Ann that bipedal doesn't equal walking upright like she said. Besides, the chimaeras are hybrids of [I]animals[/I], and I can't think of any animal that would walk upright (besides us humans, haha).[/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Now whose nitpicking? Gavin's absolutely right in his interpretation of what I meant. Please don't misinterpret what I say merely to disagree or make yourself feel better. I wasn't anticipating arguing over figments of our imagination. Gorillas can walk upright as well on all fours. Werewolves are usually in the same vein, since we're talking fiction here. And bird hipped animals like Chocobos aren't actually considered bipedals if you want to get all [b]scientific[/b] on me. For that matter neither are lizard hipped Velociraptor like creatures such as those pictured above me. I'm not sure if flying Chimaeras sounds like a good idea though. They'd have to be in a dome or kept on invisible leashes or have jesses and hoods like flying hawks.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Okay so by bipedal I meant standing upright. Or maybe there could be several divisions of Chimaera activity. For example, Chimaeras that stand upright and can't be ridden except piggyback style. ....which sounds stupid. And Chimaeras that are capable of being ridden and whipped to go faster and turned into glue when they loose a race and break a limb...[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='James'][font=franklin gothic medium]Anyway, I really only have one question. There has been some discussion of Chimaera...but I still really don't know exactly what they are. Can they be pretty much anything? (i.e. some sort of hybrid animal) Or are there any features that are typical of Chimaera?[/font][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Well I suppose they'd have to be capable of being ridden, so not bipedal. And Victoria says they have feathers. So maybe gigantic chocobos! YAY![/FONT][/COLOR]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The jaws of She Who Consumes snapped and her wickedly forked tongue writhed with rage. Darren held onto her collar gamely, even as she jerked and tugged against his grip. Physically, she looked like Cerberus if he?d abandoned his superfluous heads and been female. Her eyes snapped and sparkled with their own hectic red glow. Paws larger than a man?s hand, with widely curved nails and barbed dewclaws scrabbled at the ground, tossing up gravel. Massive slabs of jaws with wickedly hooked teeth gaped and glistened wetly, covered with saliva that fell to the ground with light hisses. A pointed tail lashed and swayed back and forth, always threatening to slice through her master?s thigh but never quite touching it. Darren leaned down slowly in an apparent act of suicide and put his lips very close to one of her pricked, oddly delicate ears and spoke in a calm, low voice that pierced through her growls.[/i] ?Go to him. Take him down, but leave him alive. Bring him to me alive.? [i]He straightened up again as She gave him a look of apparent remorse, visible through the demonic eyes. But Darren kept his expression firm and she looked back towards her prey and whined once, harshly in her throat. When he pointed with one finger and released his grip on her collar, she leapt forward in a spray of dirt and saliva. The target never saw it coming. And the hellhound bunched her muscles and leapt up, knocking him down from his perch, claws in his shoulders and hips, tail swinging around to slice through the muscles in his thighs, in his legs. He whined and screamed and gasped for breath, terrified out of his mind, when the beast brought her face very close to his and smiled. She smiled hideously and unnaturally, as out of place on her as laughter in a morgue. And with a careful bend of her jaws, she clutched him up between her teeth at the neck, just enough to carry but not enough to pierce. Trotting slowly, dragging him in front of her, she returned to her master and dropped him on his knees at Darren?s feet. Then she circled around behind him and sat back on her haunches, licking her claws like an oversized cat. He reached out and stroked her ears with one hand while the other stroked the stubble of his beard.[/i] ?So you?re the one that threatened my wife. And killed me.? ?I was just following orders! I swear!? ?Raiha. Kill him.? [i]The hound obliged, tearing into his throat with a snap and a growl, eviscerating him with the slightest pressure of her claws. And he shrieked and cried and pissed himself like any other, despite the fact that they were all dead. And then his voice tapered off to a whimper, only to be eclipsed by Raiha?s howl. It blasted across two worlds, and pierced the eardrums of mortals and the undying alike. Then it stopped. Darren had crossed his arms, oblivious to the carnage, and smirked. He couldn?t help but think she was a perfect tool, the instrument of his revenge fulfilled. His death, before his time, meant he?d been taken to his world between the two. And Raiha, being who she was, had been sent along, or at least a copy of herself. Totally inhuman, yet still retaining certain features of her human self. The Hound of Hell. Incapable of being controlled by anyone but the pure of heart. Incapable of stopping until her prey was utterly destroyed. She served him with all the faithfulness of any normal dog.[/i] ?That?s a good girl.? [i]She wagged her tail up at him and laid down at his feet.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Felix Freeman'][SIZE=1] yea, I read your post, and since there's nothing going on in the library, which is kinda of a disappointment, I'll have Freeman, drive home and come across your semi dead body. But my post'll have to wait til tommorow, or something happens in that library.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Well, she'll probably be awfully embarrassed once she comes around, although she won't be fully healed until you two have gotten around to exchanging names. That and she'll have the most horrific scars from where she hit the ground and where Dani pierced her skull.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Sandy']Well, screw you all for not letting me screw. XD I will remove the sex part, but to my[I] personal [/I]storyline it's important that Gadget gets this treatment. Don't you guys think I have a plan to my character will I do?[/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]You got plenty earlier and you'll get more later I'm sure. And by treatment I can only assume you mean the injections. Oh yes, and if that last sentence there was in English will someone please tell me?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I walked through the halls of the high school, feeling the anger build up behind my eyes. The crowds. I hated crowds. And the fights. Every single time a freaking fight broke out, someone inevitably shoved me up against the wall in their haste to get to where all the action was. I couldn?t stand it. And I walked down the halls, towards my next class, a series of visions and fantasies nearly overwhelmed me. I saw myself jerking my body up in a kick, twisting forward until the person in front of me died. His head would crack to one side and his neck would snap with the most delicious sound. And tasting his death on my lips, I could concentrate on the Calculus. Then at the bell, I began the walk to my next class, steeling my nerves. But apparently I hadn?t steeled them enough. An unremarkable looking boy bumped into me as I turned a corner and knocked my books from my arms. An irrational hatred for him jerked out of my body and I found myself swearing and shouting at him.[/i] ?-the fuck is your goddamn problem!?? ?I?m sorry! I just didn?t see you!? ?I don?t care. You?re still going to die.? [i]And then time stood still. All around us people stopped moving. The sound of hundreds of students going to and from their classes died away. And I snarled an incoherent sound, my jaw extending, teeth sprouting from my mandibles. In the way of defense, he struggled to raise a force shield with one hand, but underclassmen that he was, it waved for an instant, and I crashed into it like it wasn?t there. Shrieking in rage and reveling in the entropy, I sank eight claws into his shoulders and threw him down, the blood slithering between my talons. Feathers sprouted from my shoulders and above my eyes, and I felt the demented feelings of bloodlust chewing at my sanity. Ah what the hell? I gave into the feelings. The pleasure washed over me in a wave, fueled by his fear, and I threw myself on top of him, while he screamed and struggled and cried for help. But the crowd hadn?t moved still, and nobody could hear him. Even I didn?t hear him. All I could hear was my breathing, harsh in my malformed throat. With my wings I beat him about, and with my arms I thrashed his flesh, tearing every inch of skin I could see that was as of yet untouched. With my teeth I tore out his eyes. With my feet I clawed into his groin. And with a snatch of my claws, I removed his ears. His mouth. His nose. And the horrific waste of flesh still breathed. I swung both arms forward, crossing them at my shoulders and then flinging them out to tear through his stomach. And the slippery scent of bile and blood warmed the air while I sang the song of death that screamed itself out through my body. Human suffering. It spoke to me. More than any work of art. I cherished it. Drank it in through every part of my exposed skin. The death rattle in his throat drove me like a goad, and I plunged both arms into his chest, ripping out his still beating heart, shredding his lungs. His ribs cracked like sticks under my touch, and I sank my teeth into his ruined throat. And the sounds were glorious. Of ripping meat and crushed bone. With a wrench of will I stopped myself from mangling his corpse further and stood up straight. With a twist of my spine, the teeth receded, the feathers vanished, and the bloodstains on my body faded into my skin. Then I took a few steps away from the dead boy and resumed my walk towards my next class. I blinked. And time surged forward once more.[/i] ?Oh my god! What happened to him!?? [i]The shrieks of horror were music to my ears. And I walked down the hall, my hair lashing out behind me like a whip. The suffering was just delicious. I swallowed it like I had his insides. And desire for violence sated, thirst quenched, I walked on. Couldn?t be late for my next class. That would never do.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Who? [b]Indifference[/b]: Because she likes me and thinks I'm gorgeous. That and she's not a sweaty 15 year old boy panting over his computer monitor. [b]Allamorph[/b]: Because he's one of those sweaty boys panting over my image on his computer monitor. Just kidding. Actually it's because he's capable of deep thought, something I often feel is a dead art here on OB. I'd nominate more, but my memory of 2007 is fading fast. Oh wait. Now I remember. [b]Put On Your Red Shoes And Dance[/b]: With the minor exception of one post, it was an amazing duo RPG with two amazing cameos. Charles and I had an amazing ride, and it was fun while it lasted. And RicoTranzrig, former moderator and boyfriend of mine made his guest appearance. What more do you want?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Unfortunately the idea of a cheerful lighthearted death for Nerdsy does not fit in well with the theme I’ve set up for “Little Deaths” thus far. That would’ve fit however, in the “Otakuboards Celebration.” Perhaps in Part 2, we shall see it.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[RIGHT][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/victoriaann-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/alecialeanna-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/RIGHT] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Lector Moebius swept by the Almagest box, chatting animatedly with some female figure from the Midorah house, when Macey's well trained nose caught a whiff of something foul. She brought out her omnipresent handkerchief and pressed it to her face, passing a spare to Victoria Ann, who had taken up a seat to her left.[/i] "Oh for the love of- It smells like something died under the stairs!" "We were SO proud of it when we made it too. But you're right... ....ugh. It's so awful!" [i]Macey found herself nearly gagging at the remarkably rancid stench, and turned her head in a vain attempt to find something sweeter smelling. A passing vendor made his way up the aisle with a basket of roses and assorted bunches of flowers and Macey leaned over to Victoria. She pressed a silver piece into her hand and pointed at the vendor. The girl immediately leapt up and pranced right over, returning a few moments later with two dozen roses of the deepest red. So red they almost looked black.[/i] "Ooooh, aren't these just beautiful Macey!?" "Gorgeous. And definitely better smelling than anything else we'll find here today." [i]She plucked a few roses from the bunch and pulled them carefully through Victoria's hair, pinching off the stems carefully. The girl giggled and clapped her hands when Macey pulled out a small mirror to show her the effect. Things were just settling down, Macey's olfactory nerves recovering from the dreadful assault, when Alecia returned with her husband from the opposite direction. Alexander immediately fell into discussion with Fonty about the shooting, while Alecia sat down next to Macey at her right and unwrapped the paper around a pack of chips. To Macey's surprise, she tucked in with some gusto, and she felt the beginnings of understanding pricking the back of her mind. She sat down and waited for Alecia to finish before speaking in a very low voice.[/i] "Alecia darling. ...are you feeling alright?" "Never better Auntie. Why do you ask?" "When was the last time you had that time of the month?" "Ummmmmm... You know I don't remember." [i]In an entirely appropriate gesture, Macey arched one eyebrow incredulously, then turned back to watch the crowd, the roses in her arms shaking slightly in the breeze.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Justin sifted through the papers on his desk, the headlines of the newspaper caught his eye.[/i] [b]“Internationally Acclaimed Cellist Murdered In Home Intrusion.”[/b] [i]A cellist. How odd. A closer look at the obituary page revealed further details. Something about the murderer being killed in turn by the cellist’s wife, something about a lawsuit. Nothing he cared to interest himself in further. Out of habit, he looked further down to see if there was anyone else he knew. Some long haired, socially maladjusted freak had died in what was called 'from natural causes'. Even though he’d been found without his head attached to his body. Justin shrugged his shoulders in a careless gesture and leaned back in his chair. The picture next to the name wasn’t a familiar one. He looked around his expansive den, in his more expensive house, self satisfied in the extreme. Thousands of books lined hundreds of shelves. Plaques on the wall from former students, and framed photographs of himself next to various dignitaries and heads of state. His advice had been taken into consideration in no less than two presidential terms, and his various articles and papers had been published in dozens of journals and magazines. Everything was perfect. And then the floor fell out beneath him. His female servant stood quietly at the door, and behind her hulked a familiar face. It walked into his den without taking off its shoes. It sat across the desk from him and crossed its arms across its chest. [/i] “Hello. Dad.” [i]In his mouth the word ‘dad’ was an insult. A perversion. And Justin looked forward into the face of his illegitimate child. Born of a beautiful woman years previous. Too many years and too many thoughts had buried those shameful thoughts. The woman was already deceased, he’d watched the obituaries for that. But this boy. It was a shock, something that he could feel would needlessly complicate his life. But he watched the boy claiming to be his own son.[/i] “Jenna sent me to find you after she died.” “She died four years ago.” “I decided to take my time about it. It wasn’t as if you were going to die any time soon.” [i]His irritation at the boy deepened further. He dared to speak her name. And he came into his sanctuary, bold as brass. Justin uncrossed his legs, and leaned forward slightly.[/i] “You never wrote to her. You never called her. You kept me a secret.” “We both agreed it was for the best.” [i]Hot shame welled up in his throat, threatening to spill over. And instead of giving voice to remorse, he frowned and looked down his nose at the underdressed, rebellious, arrogant snotty little shit.[/i] “Get out of my house.” “All in good time. But I’m going to tell you now. You have two choices. Acknowledge me as your legitimate heir, since I know you have no others. Change your will. Or find a way to remove yourself from the picture.” “You impertinent little-” [i]He paused. Then he saw the way out he would’ve always taken, had it come to this. Justin stood, and with measured steps, walked past his son, up the stairs to his bedroom. He sat down on the bed and opened the end table drawer. A pad and pen. He wrote down a short note, then laid it down and turned out the lights. He was a selfish, stubborn man. And he would not be told what to do by anyone. Justin removed his clothes, pulled an extension cord from the wall, and tied one end around the bed post. The other around his neck. And then he threw himself down to the carpet, choking his life away. Death came slowly. Noisily. Hemorrhaging behind his eyes. Constriction in his chest, painful, stabbing pain. A cough ripping through his lungs, stealing away his breath. And then nothing at all. [/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Darren leaned over his instrument, his fingers moving across the strings, the bow singing and bowing to his touch. Beth nodded and smiled and moved her crossed legs. Eventually the piece came to its conclusion and she smiled and clapped her hands. He set down the pieces as she stood in a rush of blue silk, bending slightly at the waist to kiss his cheek.[/i] “Your music is so beautiful. I always love to listen to your playing.” “As do I.” [i]Crystia and Raiha nodded sagely, arms crossed loosely over their chests. Both stepped lightly across the threshold towards the guest rooms. It was very late after all. And while they’d been enjoying ginger ale in raspberry sorbet, it was time to let the happy couple enjoy their time together alone. Tactfully removing themselves from the picture seemed like the right thing to do at the time. In retrospect, it was the best thing to do at the time. Crystia idly scrolled through the homepage of Raiha’s laptop, and read the latest news. One headline stood out sharply against all the others. [/i] [b]“Socially Inept Student Found Dead in Lake. Arms Missing. Parents Mortified.” [/b] [i]Meanwhile, Darren stood, brushing his lapels lightly, leaning over to kiss his lady back, this time on the lips. The two were just setting down their glasses in the kitchen sink, when the bay window above the kitchen nook smashed inwards. And the hooded man made his entrance, holding his rifle, pointing it at the shocked couple. Jerked back by her husband, Beth nearly screamed, as Darren pulled her behind him, taking a defensive stance. Unarmed and unprepared, he looked the intruder full in the face. And then she really did scream. Her husband was jerked back, two taps in the chest, the blood welling up around the wounds. He choked on his own blood and died, cradled in his wife’s arms. The sounds had alerted both Crystia and Raiha. The later reached into her purse, tossed carelessly upon the desk and jerked out a .38 and snatched up her knife from under the pillow. She narrowed her eyes, when the sound of Darren’s death reached them both. Crystia’s sob filled Raiha’s ears. Then the dark took over.[/i] “Murderer.” [i]Beth didn’t cower, but looked up into the face of her husband’s killer as well, when Raiha took a running start, barefoot across the floor and flung herself forward at the attacker. In a flurry of swiftly landed blows, the two skidded across the floor. Raiha landed on top, the gun in the thief’s mouth, knife plunged through the trigger finger. In the struggle, the rifle had slipped out of his grasp, and Beth snatched it up with shaking fingers and tightened her grip at once. Raiha took the gun out partway, enough for him to move his tongue and she snarled.[/i] “Explain yourself. Who sent you? Why did you do this?” “We were here to get at you. Dumb fuck was just in the way.” “Who’s we?” [i]Her voice choked itself out of a rapidly closing throat, her teeth gritting so hard they ached.[/i] “I can’t tell you that. You’ll have to die not knowing.” [i]The sound of a rifle being lined up. The click of the safety. And then the harsh voice of a woman choking down her rage.[/i] “Suits me just fine.” [i]Beth opened fire, Raiha rolling to one side out of the line. And his body jerked and twitched and died. Facedown, destroyed by the weapon that had killed her husband. She flung it down, as Raiha slowly dragged herself to her feet. She leaned down over the dead man and ripped off his mask. Nobody she recognized. Beth sobbed once as she gazed at her husband’s empty body. And Crystia screamed one high sound of keening. Then the house was still.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]