RPG The Sleepers

[Raiha]

[color=darkorchid][font=times][i]She danced in her dreams, turning en pointe, flickering like a candle's flame, beautiful and elusive. Luyii reached out her insubstantial hands to grasp at her mother's fading form, and grasped nothing. The illusion was gone. Her eyes snapped open, returned to the real world, and she sat up in a flurry of tossed sheets, and flying hair. Luyii's fingers gripped the silken covers of her blankets, curling them up in her hands, her eyes full of tears. She hated waking up crying. But what choice did she have? Some dreams she could control, others were impossible to change. Dreams about her mother were always dreams that were inexorable. They usually meant something was wrong.

She brushed a hand against her eyes, sighing and shaking. Forcing herself to speak aloud, she banished the remaining thoughts and regained herself.[/i]

"Where's Doctor Freud when you need him?"

[i]"Probably off doing crack with his nutty patients."

Consoled, Luyii slid out of bed, noticing the time was just five a.m. and hardly the time she was usually up. Lai was still missing, or rather, she would've been missing if Luyii hadn't known exactly where she was, she might have started panicking. She stood in front of her mirror again, noting every feature, every angle, every line, and wondering why she was up this early. Instead, she raised her hands to her hair, running her fingers through messy hair, switching to brush and untangling the mess one lock at at time.

Slowly easing herself into the chair, sighing once, twice, and reaching for her planner. Without Lai to read it, it was almost frightening. She noticed her first appointment with Dr. Xiao, and a lunch with her father. Meanwhile, Sai was probably sleeping in his flat, and wrapped up in business, not thinking about her. Luyii slammed angry hands into the table, and instantly relented. She jerked herself upright and swept towards the closet, picking her clothes silently. For the doctor, she supposed conservative and tasteful items would be in order.

She slipped on white lingerie this time, adding a simple white button down blouse, khaki slacks, and a matching blazer. White heels, silver earrings and a feminine watch. Her hair quickly took the shape of a french knot, and she slid a silver and crystal comb into the ensemble. Luyii surveyed her reflection with some satisfaction, realizing that she'd spent an hour staring into her closet without noticing time tick by. She shrugged and turned to see her door open to admit one of the other servants in the house, holding a tray of breakfast for her.[/i]

"Good morning Miss. I thought I'd bring this up since Lai's still out with Dead..."

"Right, thank you."

[i]Luyii motioned with her hand, and the girl set down the tray on one of her smaller tables and turned to smile prettily at the heir to the Sleepers.[/i]

"Is there anything else you need me to do here?"

"Please make the bed and tidy up a bit. There isn't much of a mess I could've made in less than 12 hours."

[i]As Luyii ate quietly, reflecting on what she was doing eating rice gruel with sour plums at 6 in the morning, while a serving girl she barely knew was doing everything Lai used to do in her place. Shrugging off the feeling, she slipped downstairs, followed by her bodyguards, noticing the utter lack of life around the mansion. They, the bodyguards, figuring she simply wanted to be driven around the city until her appointment, opened the door of her Quattroporte and she slithered into the back, leaning against the soft leather, sighing yet again.[/i][/font][/color]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]"I've arranged," Dr. Xing began and stopped. He sipped on what appeared to be a smoothie or milk shake and narrowed his eyes.

The head nurse blinked in confusion. "Sir?"

"I've.. collected on an old debt. You do remember Dead, don't you?" Sipppppp. "Kidneys, lungs. His left testicle too. I never told him that part. Wouldn't want him to feel too obligated." Sippppp. "He's going to moonlight as a guard for our patient. Consider him a figure of authority to the staff."

"Yes, doctor. And what does Mr. ... Dead look like? My memory of him is pretty foggy."

"Oh you'll know who he is." Sipppppp. The cup went empty and Dr. Xing glanced down at it.

Dr. Xing tossed the now-empty cup into a nearby trash can and wiped his hands on his coat. He looked up to the nurse and smiled.

"He'll make sure you know."

"Yes, doctor."

"I don't expect too much trouble." Dr. Xing said and looked out the doors to the street. "Tighten the security just in case though."

A beeping noise came from his front coat pocket. He pulled out his mocom and opened it. His smile widened.

"I have business to attend to."

"Has she..?"

"Good day." Dr. Xing turned and moved to the elevator. He exited on an upper floor and moved into the room holding her.

Two nurses flanked her bedside. One of them looked up. "She's showing signs of consciousness returning.. and rather quickly too."

"She's strong." Dr. Xing said and sat down next to the bed. "It will only be a matter of time."[/color]

[DeadSeraphim]

[font=arial][size=1][color=indigo]My night had been fun filled and interesting, to say the least, not the least because of that thing she did with her tongue. I finally got her home at about 5am, which I didn't consider especially late (though Luyii's bodyguards begged the differ), and got all of three hours sleep before I was out again, this time with a less enjoyable task at hand.

Bodyguarding a sick girl.

I rolled up to Xing's clinic at at about 8:30, lighting up a smoke and letting the car idle as I ordered a bouquet of old roses for Lai over the phone. Damn Xing for blackmailing me into this, I had better things to be doing right now, like, say, sleeping. Sighing, I finished the smoke and got out of the car, a feeling of impending doom growing deep in my chest as I took each step. At first it had only been a humming, but by the time I was pushing open the bulletproof glass doors it was a raging cacophony, drowning out all emotions and thoughts but fight or flight. I shook it off.

What was I, a woman?

"Can I help you sir?" the nurse behind the counter asked, looking up from her computer as I swaggered inside. I leaned on the counter and tapped my fingers on the hardwood for a moment, considering just walking straight out again, but I was pretty sure that'd be a bad, [i]bad[/i] move. Finally, I answered.

"The name's Shi Aolie, Xing is expecting me." She pursed her lips and checked her ledger.

"I'm sorry sir, there's no Shi on record for any appointments." I laughed slightly.

"No no, I'm here to look after someone, not take an appointment. He might've introduced me as Dead." The woman's face lit up with recognition and she stood up, extending her hand for a handshake. I shook it briefly and followed her as she exited the reception, her hips swaying and her bra-less breasts bouncing slightly as she guided me through the halls.

"We were expecting you earlier, Mr Aolie," she said as she walked ahead of me. "Dr Xing has already left for the morning, in fact. What held you up?"

"I was..." I paused, my mind not working right on account of it being focussed intently on the arse before me. I'm sure she wasn't wearing panties. "Busy." She laughed softly.

"Yes, by the smell of you I'm quite sure you were." Stunned, I stopped and sniffed at my jacket, quickly identifying the scents of sex, cigarettes and alcohol. Wow, her nose was [i]good[/i]. Shaking my head in disbelief I quickly caught up with her, now standing outside a nondescript door. On each side stood bodyguards armed with rifles, but I doubted they were anywhere near as good as I was.

"This is the room," she said briskly. "We have no name we can release to you, but we are told we're under your complete authority during your service here." I raised an eyebrow.

"So I can smoke?" She made a face.

"Theoretically, yes, but it wouldn't be good for the patients..." I was already lighting up and pushing past her, ignoring her feeble protests. Coughing slightly, she looked in as I scanned the room. "We trust you'll have very little to do today, but better safe than sorry, right?" I exhaled slowly and watched the smoke curl up and hug the roof, creating a light haze that seemed to add an air of mystery to the otherwise sterile room.

"Yeah, makes sense, I guess," I mumbled, walking past the patient and checking out the view from the window, a sweeping vista that somehow seemed to take in the whole bay.

"Have a good day, Mr Aolie," the nurse said quietly as she closed the door. "By the way, how's your testicle?" I turned to her, confused.

"My what?" The woman grinned impishly and closed the door without answering, leaving me alone in the room with the patient. Finally looking at them, I was suddenly overcome with both shock and repulsion. It may have been dark, and it may have been raining, but I'll always remember the face of the woman who tried to kill me just nights before.

"Well fuck me," I whispered, the smoke dropping from my mouth. "This isn't good at all..."
[/color][/size][/font]

[Shy]

[indent][size=1][color=green]Every night the voluptuous Nurse Miyuki Jones would step outside the hospital walls to smoke a cigarette. While keeping watch over Sun Heights? coma ward was far from exciting, these moments of nicotine-fueled bliss were the only thing that gave her graveyard shifts meaning. Graveyards were usually reserved for the younger nurses, but at this point in her life the last thing Miyuki wanted to do was socialize with patients and their families. She informed one of the neighboring wards that she was going on her break, grabbed her pack of Camels, and headed out towards the fire escape.

It was then when she noticed a younger man sitting in one of the ?Jane Doe? rooms. Any visitors to the coma ward were few and far between, especially at this hour when they were forbidden. The woman thought about the situation for a moment, but eventually decided to deal with the man herself rather than call in security. It was getting late, anyway, and chances are the elderly guard would be asleep.

Nurse Jones entered the room quietly, catching the attention of the stranger.

?Sir,? she said with a tone of authority in her voice,? Visiting hours have been over for some time.?

The man let out a small laugh.

?I?m with Dr. Xing. He?s hired me to watch after this one.?

?Oh, I see,? she said dryly, ?Well, if the mysterious Dr. Xing requested your services. You must be good at whatever it is you?re doing??

"Sitting. And I?m excellent at it, love.? He smiled back, "Didn't you get the memo?"

"We don't gossip much here. I'll leave you back to your exciting night job."

?If you?ve had the week I?ve had, you?d welcome the chance to sit and watch this bitch hooked up to life support.?

?I take it you know our Jane Doe then. Either that, or you?re a misogynist.?

?Maybe a little of both? but this woman tried to kill me.?

Miyuki raised her eyebrow.

?An Ex??

?An assassin. Does the name ?Ghost Fox? ring any bells??

?Honey,? Miyuki said as she adjusted her breasts for added prominence, ?If I kept track of every Yakuza who came in here for a gunshot wound of a drug overdose? shit, I?d have to go into the witness protection program.?

The man thought for a moment, and stood up.

?My name?s Shi Aolie. I?d love to hear your name, Misses?.?

?Miz,? she replied, ?Miyuki Jones.?

She extended her hand and he kissed it softly, his five o? clock shadow scratching against Miyuki?s soft skin. The nurse pulled her hand away for a moment, and her demeanor turned serious.

?I will say one thing about this, Mr. Aolie. We have some unspoken rules here at Sun Heights, and if you cross Dr. Xing you aren?t just fired? you?re never heard from again.?

?Let me worry about that later,? Shi grabbed onto Miyuki?s hand once more, ?You wanna go outside and smoke a cigarette??[/size][/color][/indent]

[Malkav]

[size=1]crack...
crack...
crack...
crack...

The cardinal was silent. Though his body was mere flesh, his soul was as solid as stone...

crack...
crack...
crack...

The sins of the flesh bled from his body with each strike of the whip. The shame of sin would not be his after this act of retribution...

crack...
crack...
crack...

Bridget readied himself to strike the cardinal once more. He did enjoy these little beatings, he loved the fact that he had the power to turn even the scions and champions of the church. In his head he repeated a term he'd heard in the hallow halls of this building and nearly laughed out loud about it, everyone's gay for Bridget.

"Enough!" yelled the good doctor, noticing Bridget was about to strike once again. "Ten lashes, dear Bridget. I shouldn't have to remind you."

The Cardinal opened his eyes as if coming from a trance. "Mea Culpa..." he uttered. He looked around, noticing his surroundings for the first time. He saw his hands strung up from the ceiling in which he dangled helplessly. He scanned the room at least twice before his eyes finally came to a rest on the good doctor.

"Welcome back, Father." said Xiao, looking on with a slight smile on his face. "I would love to stay and reminisce, but I have a client waiting on me in my office. So in the interest of time...cash or check?"

Dr. Xiao wore an Armani suit today, no tie. Leisurely professional was his term for his look today. His hair was tied back into a very conservative ponytail and he wore a modern pair of glasses, they were new. He sat in a decorated armchair and upon a coffee table before him sat two folders. One held photographs, the other, documents.

"The money will be wired to you before the end of the day." said the cardinal, while he spoke, Bridget had made his way to undo the rope in which the cardinal was tied to.

"Please see that it does," replied Xiao. " I would hate to make these public."

He opened the folder holding the photographs and began cycling through them for the cardinal to see. Each picture showed, to the cardinal's embarrassment, his previous encounters with Bridget, Xiao's most famous prostitute.

"You would threaten me with this?" said the cardinal, his face becoming pale.

"If this isn't enough, I have nearly ten hours worth of footage waiting to be broadcast." Xiao retorted, pulling a remote from behind him and pressing a simple button.

A cabinet in the corner opened up to reveal a television. On this television was a sample of footage. The cardinal looked disgusted.

"I wouldn't have had to resort to this if you hadn't come up short on your last visit. Do not let this happen again, Cardinal."

Xiao stood and grabbed the folder holding the documents then casually exited the room.

***

Luyii had been waiting at least a half hour for the doctor and was tired. She made way towards the door, angry that she had been stood up by this man. She opened the door and just as she stepped foot outside of it, out of nowhere a man appeared.

"You must be Luyii," said the man, "my name is Dr. Sun-li Xiao, I am most sorry to have kept you waiting."

Luyii collected herself after the surprise and regained her composure, "I have other places to be doctor, maybe another time."

She walked past him, knowing that it wasn't a good idea, but it gave him a sense of her, and let him know she wasn't one to be trifled with. The doctor grabbed her hand and stopped her. Luyii turned around and looked at him, "Let me go." she said.

"Miss... My untimeliness reflects poorly on my intentions, but I do want to help you. I can tell from the look in your eye and the strength of your resolve that something's troubling you."

Luyii looked into the doctor's eyes and thought to herself, he may be worth the trouble. She snatched her hand from his and walked back into his office. The doctor breathed a little easier and followed her in, happy that he didn't loose a client.

Inside his office they began to talk. Dr. Xiao went through the usual textbook questions: What can I help you with? How do you feel about that? How does your family feel about this decision? Of course, the usual textbook questions only got text book answers, and an hour into the conversation, it seemed as if they had got nowhere. She opened up, but not enough, so Dr. Xiao decided to take a more unorthodox approach.

"Tell me about your mother." began Xiao as he scribbled notes into his writing pad.

Luyii looked at him scathingly, "I don't recall bringing her up." she replied, remembering her mother at the most inappropriate time.

"I know...why not?" Dr. Xiao finally had a breakthrough.

"Well, she died when I was a young girl..." Luyii expected the follow up question.

"I'm going to assume that she has nothing to do with you being a pit fighter, which by the way is very self destructive. What do you remember about her?"

Luyii thought back on her mother, remembering her sick and dying in bed, and Luyii crying and feeling as if she let her mother down, "She was a good person."

Xiao stood up and walked over to the window, staring down at the street below. He said nothing and made Luyii feel uncomfortable. He knew she was lying. She saw it in the way he handled her response.

"What did she do to disappoint you?" asked the good doctor.

"She didn't disappoint me. She was as I said a good person."

"Good, and yet not good enough to earn more than a sentence about her from you. If you were my daughter, I'd be crushed."

"What else is there to say?"

"Was she not as strong as you? Was she weak? Was that what disappointed you?"

"I said she didn't disappoint me!"

Luyii stood this time and slammed her fist on the table. Dr. Xiao cocked his head to the side just enough so that he could see her. "Look at yourself, your mother must have been half the woman you..."

"I was the disappointment!" Luyii clasped her hands over her mouth from what she just said.

The good doctor returned to his desk and sat down, clasping his hands together and resting his head upon them. "Sit down my dear, we are going to be here for a moment longer than either of us expected."

Luyii sat down. The good doctor reached into his desk and produced two glasses and a bottle of bourbon, his favorite. He poured two glasses and handed one to Luyii, smiling the whole while. It was early, but she needed it. "Begin." he said.

"I always believed," began Luyii, a single tear falling from her eye, "that I should have been born a boy..."

Another hour passed and Luyii told the good doctor everything. She told him about her love for her mother, her duty to her father and the brotherhood, and her upcoming marriage. The good doctor jotted all of this down and the whole time, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. What began as a simple need to increase his net worth became a genuine feeling of affection for this girl in front of him. Here sat a woman, young, beautiful, and proper, who was at that time of life where the little girl in her had to relinquish power to the adult. She stopped growing up at the age of eight, and her behavior became increasingly self destructive, masochistic even. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind, she knew that the child had to die. These pit fights were the equivalent of playground brawls in her mind. The good doctor knew what she had to do, but it wasn't his job to tell her, it was his job to help her figure it out herself. After all, part of growing up is making your own decisions.

"Your marriage, Luyii," the doctor began, regretting what he had to do, "Why do you have reserves?"

"Well I love Sai, but I just don't see myself married." she began, "My father wants me to marry quickly and I fear it's because he doesn't think he will be around much longer. I'm so scared that soon after I get married, he'll die. It's as if he's holding on simply for that day."

"You may be right." said the doctor, a blatant lie, "However, that's too much pressure to put on a child."

"A child?" Luyii asked, taking offense to the statement.

"Yes, you are a child. Your father's child at that, why should you give up the rest of your life just to meet his needs? Or anyone else's at that? Why marry now? It can wait. Besides, if your father gets ill in that time I'm sure he'll prolong his wretched life until you come around and get married."

"So you're saying don't get married and go against my father's wishes?"

The doctor cringed a small bit, she wasn't supposed to take the bait. "Yes besides, how do you know your husband to be, Mr. Yuan is even right for you. In your life you'll meet other men, any one of them could replace him."

"No they couldn't..." whispered Luyii, she dug her fingers into the armrests of the chair.

"Why couldn't they? We're all the same, you know. Any man could replace the next." the doctor said, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms. "If you'd like, I could set you up with one of my...gentlemen. I'm sure any one of them would be more than ecstatic to please you. I'm sure any one of them would make for a fine replacement."

"How dare you," said Luyii, sitting at the edge of her seat now, "non of them can replace Sai. How dare you try to sell me a prostitute!"

"Sell? The first one's on the house, consider him a gift."

"I Love Sai! I would never!" Luyii once again rose out of her chair.

"Love?" said the doctor, rising to meet her stare, "Love gets you no where, young Luyii! Substance is what drives a relationship and a marriage. You can't even commit yourself to the idea of marriage! Loving without substance is not worth loving at all!"

"I want to marry him! I just fear I'm not ready!"

"Then you're a liar!" the doctor saw it coming.

"NO! I'm ready to marry, I'm just not sure if I'm ready to be his wife! I would walk down the isle this very second if I could! I only want the best for us!" Luyii calmed herself and stood straight, "Since my mother died, I've had this feeling...this numb feeling. When I'm with him, it goes away. I can feel again, I love that feeling. He's the only one who ever gave it to me."

"With what?" retorted the doctor, "hard dick and bubblegum?"

Luyii utterly insulted raised a fist and punched the doctor square in the jaw, knocking him back into his seat, "I went soft with that one. I'm leaving." she said, cracking her knuckles after the shot..

"You know where the door is." said the doctor, holding his jaw, damn it hurt. Despite the pain, and the realization that he was not about to get paid for this, his job was done.

Luyii stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind her. Her heels clacked loudly as she made way towards the elevator. Before she could press the button, the doors swung open and inside stood a young boy dressed in a sailor outfit. "Going down?" he asked as Luyii got into the elevator, she nodded and down they went.

"You're coming out of Dr. Xiao's office?" asked the boy as the elevator lurched down the shaft.

"I don't want to talk about that quack bastard. He just wasted three hours of my time." Luyii replied, staring intently at the door, not really wanting to talk to the child.

"Miss, if you don't mind me asking. What did you go to him for?"

Luyii rolled her eyes wishing the kid would be quiet, but in order to not be rude she answered. "He was supposed to help me deal with my marriage, I was having reserves."

"I'm sorry he didn't help you get over those reserves, usually he's good at stuff like this, don't blame him."

Luyii's brain suddenly jolted to a stop. She thought back to that final argument with the doctor and the context of it. In the end he was trying to convince her to get out of the marriage, while at the same time she insisted that she wanted it. I lightbulb went off in her head. "Did he...?" she whispered under her breath as she realized something incredible. Her previous doubts were gone. She wanted to marry Sai, and nothing stood in her way now, not even herself.

"Do you believe in God?" asked the little boy, who Luyii finally looked down at to find smiling.

"Yes." she replied.

"There's something special that psychatrists, doctors, and even surgeons share with him." said the boy, his smile still there.

"And what's that?" the elevator door came open to reveal the lobby of Dr. Xiao's office building.

"When they do something right: a surgeon operates and doesn't leave a scar; a doctor treats, and the patient walks out able to do all he was able to before he went in; and a psychiatrist helps you solve your mental illness, and gives you the medium to correct it. When they do this just right, like God, in the end you may not notice right away that they did anything at all. Have a wonderful day."

Luyii stared at the boy as he walked out into the lobby and into the arms of some man who looked ecstatuc to see him. She too exited the elevator and thought about what was said. The doctor did his job, and Luyii felt wonderful.
[/size]

[TheResplendent]

[FONT=Tahoma]Another papercut. Through all the rough and tough fights he had been through in his life, Sai disliked papercuts more than any bruise or broken bone he could ever sustain. Not only did they tend to sting more but it reminded him that he was stuck in an office doing tedious paperwork and not beating someone's face in, out chatting with friends and having a drink, or with Luyii doing whatever their imaginations could think up in as many places as they could. Sai sat back in his chair and tossed the latest inanimate finger assailant to the side and pulled his cell phone from his belt. He began dialing Luyii's number for the third time that night, hoping that she'd pick up so he could atleast kill some time hearing her sweet voice instead of the commotion outside his office and Kwan's incessant cursing on the phone with someone who had apparently found the front windshield of his car shattered in the parking lot of the building.

The joy of hearing Luyii's voicemail was again what Sai had to settle for. A normal man would have gotten suspicious by that time. Sai knew better though, he could trust her with his life even if he couldn't trust every other man around her. That's what made being her man fun though, being able to smile everytime he breaks the arm of someone who refuses to accept that she was taken. He swore that she had told him about an appointment of some sort sometimes today, but he couldn't remember the time for the life of him.

He decided to take a break, his third of those as well for the night. He walked over to the door to his office and opened it, startling Kwan at the same time. He gave one last [i]"Fuck you dickless prick!"[/i] before hanging up and turning his attention to Sai.

[b]"Kwan, how much is a fucking windshield? Two hundred dollars?"[/b] Sai said sarcastically, pulling out a cigarette. Kwan eyed him a little oddly.

[b]"I thought you quit?"[/b] he said, taking a cig from Sai's pack as he offered it.

[b]"I havn't been this swamped with work for a long time. Also for some reason I can't get the idea that there's too many things out of place lately. One cig isn't going to kill me."[/b] Sai responded, leaning against the wall as he looked down over the barricade where the stairs from the back entrance led up to.

[b]"Not like you to be preoccupied by hunches."[/b]

Sai laughed a bit to himself and pulled out his phone again, searching through his phone book for Dead's number. After a failed call he noticed that he neglected to add in his new number to his book.

[b]"Kwan, do me a favor and get Dead on my office line."[/b] Sai asked Kwan, who hurried inside and did as requested. Sai pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and took a few moments to look at it.

[b][i]''If the shits gonna hit the fan, i'll be damned if it happens on my turf'[/b][/i] Sai thought to himself. Moments after, Kwan came walking back out from his office with a confused look on his face.

[b]"It seems like Dead's phone is off, it just goes straight to voicemail."[/b] he reported.

[b]"I see...looks like everyone has been quite preoccupied for the day. Guess that means I better get my ass back to work."[/b] Sai said with a sigh and flicking his cig into the standup ash-tray.[/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][font=times][i]Luyii sat back quietly in the back seat, her driver weaving slowly through traffic to the main base. As they drove, her bodyguards sat silently and unmoving in the passenger seats. She reached into her purse and withdrew her cell phone, flicking it open to reveal several messages from both Lai and Sai as well. She sighed quietly and began to listen to the voice mails. Some of them were of meetings she had listed for the day. Lai sounded happy too, Luyii smirked to herself and thought of the look on her face.

"I suppose she's quite happy about Dead. I hear he's fun stuff from the girls."

She shook her head to clear it, an amused smile finally crossing it and she laughed aloud, drawing worried glances from her bodyguards. They looked mildly worried, but they were soon at the mansion once more, and they leapt out to open the door for her. The bodyguards at the door first saw a flash of leg and a perfectly laced sandal. Lai was there just inside the foyer to bow and greet her cordially, and respectfully. The cruelty and sarcasm was reserved for private displays.[/i]

"Lunch with your father in five, you're just in time."

"Cutting it a little close, how bad is it?"

"It's not bad at all."

[i]Luyii hurried down the hall, gliding really, but to her, she was booking. She pressed her hair back into place, and straightened her earrings. Just in time, the doors opened and she was ushered into the quiet side room of her father's office, where he received certain guests for lunches, and always dined with his daughter every Thursday afternoon. The ivory chopsticks glistened under the glow of lovely ambient lights and the food was steaming. She sat, the chair being pulled back for her by Yugo, and faced Boss Fai with a perfectly cultivated smile on her face.[/i]

"Good afternoon father."

"Daughter, I hear that you met with Dr. Xiao. Was it a good session?"

"It was our last. I'd appreciate it if you sent him a gift in thanks."

"To what do I owe him gratitude for?"

"I know you want me to marry father," [i]Luyii poured them both tea calmly and with a light flourish. She handed him a cup as he watched her shrewdly, and she poured her own, taking a light sip, savoring the jasmine scent.[/i]

"Well of course I do. War means I'm the most vulnerable to attack. Your marriage to the War Dragon is the best thing that could happen, and the sooner the better."

"I'm aware of this, and I'm ready to do as you've asked."

[i]Boss Fai smiled slowly, and leaned back in his chair, holding his chopsticks and bowl in a relaxed manner. She smiled and held her own bowl between very graceful fingers. They ate quietly, and in silence for the rest of the meal. Their form of communication was usually limited to strictly business, but he showed his love for her with gifts, small things, and notes. Today she would find a small box with a antique jade pin carved in the shape of a resting tiger. Tomorrow it would be the matching pin of a dragon rampart.

After, she went to her room with Lai, and called her now fiancé back.[/i][/font][/COLOR]

[Zen]

[size=1]OOC: Here's my introductory post, as ordered.

[color=darkred]



Rain fell over the grimy city as shady individuals weaved in and out of human traffic. A young, far off-looking young man inhabited the moving mass. Wearing a dark hooded jacket and a pair of black sweat pants, his face and person was hard to identify. His destination was the War Dragon's Fight Club, just a few yards down the street. Neon signs lit the street and people scurried along, barely noticing the falling water.

He stopped in front of the large, yet rather well kept building. Two exceptionally large, more than likely armed, men crowded the entrance. They stared down at the thin young man with threatening eyes. One of the men, bald and with an ugly face, stepped forward, but his, and his partner, quickly fixed their gaze on an oncoming sports car. A cream Maserati crawled to a halt in front of the club. The two bouncers and the young man both watched as the door opened upward. First to reveal a long pair of healthy-colored legs, attached to a rather attractive young Chinese woman. Clothed in a red dress, her elegant body raised from the car.

Both of the bouncers seemed silent, watching her as she stepped forward towards the young hooded man. Bowing slightly, she spoke in a confident voice, [b] ?Good evening, Fei Long. My name is Luyii. If you would like, I?m sure it?d be in your best interest to follow me inside. Your chances of survival would surely be better??[/b] Her eyes met his with a smiling glare.

Fei Long smirked to himself before speaking. [b] ?I?d be glad too. Please, lead the way.?[/b] He bowed slightly before allowing her to step past him. Moving towards the front doors, she bowed to the two bouncers.

[b] ?If you would excuse me, gentlemen.?[/b] The two bouncers seemed confused, but both pushed open one of the two swinging doors, allowing her inside. Turning around, she looked back to Fei. [b] ?Come?[/b]

Fei smirked again and nodded. Walking forward, his eyes shifted back and forth between the two bouncers as he passed them, entering the large, and rather loud, fight club. Lights blared and voices hollered back and forth, calling out bets and wagers. The smell of alcohol filled the room, distracting Fei as Luyii blended into the crowd. Fei quickly followed, attempting to stay close by her as she moved.

[b] ?Listen, you need to understand that this turf is not exactly friendly for your type!?[/b] she shouted casually over the woops and hollers of the gamblers. [b] ?Be glad I came along, otherwise you?d be in the back alley right about now, getting ?acquainted? with those two large gentlemen outside.?[/b]

[b] ?Heh, well, I guess we?ll never know now, will we??[/b] Fei replied jokingly, however it seemed not to sink into Luyii?s mind. Fei struggled to keep up with her quick pace as she maneuvered through the establishment. He kept a close eye on her unique tattoo, her most defining quality at first glance.
[b] ?I know why you?re here. Just understand the pecking order and don?t do anything stupid, and it?s possible you may leave here alive.?[/b] her voice was rather loud, but her words still seemed personal to Fei. [b] ?I can?t assure you won?t get hurt however. There are many strong fighters who come to this club??[/b]

[b] ?I?m glad your confidence rests with me, madam??[/b] Fei laughed sarcastically as raised his hand to remove his hood.

[b] ?I wouldn?t do that just yet??[/b] Luyii spoke quickly without looking back. [b] ?You may want to hide your identity until we?ve reached an area where the rules protect you.?[/b]

[b] ?Popular, am I??[/b]

[b] ?No??[/b] she replied shortly. Fei?s humor didn?t amuse her.

From afar, Fei could make out a small door, and a old looking gentlemen sitting next to it on a folding chair. He held a clip board, but seemed half-asleep. Grey strands of hair decorated his balding, spotted scalp. Dressed in an old silk suit, his eyes drifted closed beneath a pair of small spectacles. As the two approached the door, the old man suddenly roused himself energetically, standing rather stiffly.

[b] ?Good evening, my lady.?[/b] he spoke in a formal manner with a old, shrill voice.

Luyii stepped up to him, [b] ?Good evening, Chen. I have a fighter here whom will be fighting tonight.?[/b]

[b] ?Of course, my lady. Please, enter.?[/b] With his words, Chen waddled toward the door and opened it politely.

[b] ?Thank you, Chen. Please, enjoy the night.?[/b] she replied to him.

[b] ?The same, madam? and good luck, young man.?[/b] Chen nodded to Fei as he passed him. Fei responded with a nervous nod of his own...[/color][/size]

[TheResplendent]

[FONT=Tahoma]Fei watched Luyii as she led him further in. He tried not to let his eyes wander too much, but at times it seemed unavoidable. He was discreet about it however. They began ascending a flight of stairs before Fei Long spoke up a gain.

[b]"So, I will meet the War Dragon personally?"[/b] he asked, figuring it was true but seeking the assurance anyway.

[b]"Yes, he likes to meet with most first time fighters personally and match them up as he sees fit."[/b] she responded.

Fei nodded as they reached Sai's door. Luyii knocked on the door, her heartbeat quickening from the idea of being able to see Sai again and spend some time with him while this new comer had his first match up. Sai sounded as if he deeply missed her presence as well from their conversation over the phone. Sai was expecting her, and Fei Long as well. When it came to a mixture of business and pleasure there typically wasn't too many problems, but the War Dragon had been up to his elbows in so much that he would welcome taking a sit back for a few hours with Luyii and leave the majority of the regulations to his assistants.

The door opened and Sai greeted Luyii with a small kiss of greeting, then allowed her entry while Fei followed. Sai extended his hand to Fei and both bowed their heads to one another as they shook.

[b]"War Dragon of the brotherhood of eternal repose, it's an honor."[/b] Fei said, standing with his hand folded infront of him after breaking the handshake with Sai.

[b]"It is nice to meet a young and promising fighter such as yourself, the ring is always looking for your type to spice things up."[/b] Sai replied sincerely. Luyii sat in the chair behind Sai, observing him as he spoke, her legs switching their crossed placements every thirty seconds or so.

The fight ring boss took a step back and shuffled through a few papers on his desk after they finished their small talk. He pulled the one he had selected earlier out after Luyii had given him a rundown of Fei's style and experience. Sai read it over quickly to remind himself of anything he might have not recalled from his quick looking over earlier and smiled at Fei.

[b]"My assistant Kwan shall escort you down to the floor. Your fight will follow the next one. Your opponent is Fu Shao, a very capable kung fu stylist with a decent ground game as well. Fighting him will break you in nicely, and let you know right away if you truly belong here or not."[/b] Sai explained, his voice stern and serious. Fei Long nodded and bowed his head again in respect, accepting the match up willingly. He thanked Sai before Kwan took Fei down to the floor.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Sai turned to Luyii who was already standing and walking to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his around her waist and hugged him close to her, her cheek against his shoulder. He took her cheek with his hand semi-forcefully and planted a deep kiss on Luyii's lips.

[b]"It's good to see you, I was growing much too bored with all the work here. "[/b]

Luyii giggled at Sai's comment and brought him by his hand to his seat and sat him down, while she cleared a space for herself on his desk and sat infront of him in a provocative manner, her legs crossed with her bare foot resting up against his crotch, her back arched with her hands supporting her from the sides.

[b]"I bet it is. You won't be bored anymore, I promise you that."[/b] she said, giving him an inviting smile as she massaged his area slowly with her foot. Sai clutched the arms of his chair and leaned his head back. His hands quickly found their way to her leg though, sliding them slowly up and down her calf. She grinned at him, and and uncrossed her legs to leave them open just a bit to him.

[b]"So, I'm sure my father has spoken with you already."[/b] she said, alluding to something specific. Sai took some time to find his train of thought before he answered.

[b]"Yes. He's expressed his desire for my fertility testing. Though personally I know I've...no problems in that area."[/b] Sai replied, still a bit distracted from the activity going on below the belt, as well as the feel of Luyii's smooth legs and visible lingerie bottoms.

[b]"Heh, yes my father is quite thorough and straight forward. He very much looks forward to our day."[/b] she said while glancing into the air for a brief moment.

[b]"Do you look forward to it?"[/b] Sai asked ,wanting to make sure Luyii was not discontent. Luyii answered initially with a glance that transformed into a smile. She knew that she would have to have a child, and that after the ceremony Sai would officially become the heir to Fai Chou's position in the brotherhood. She would be happy, Sai would be happy, and her father would be happy. The formula seemed to work out perfectly.

[b]"It may be a forced marriage, but not only am I ready, I couldn't be happier."[/b] she replied confidently. She pulled him closer with her free foot by his chair arm and inched herself closer to him. His hands reached the inside of her thighs as she pressed her chest against his face in a tight embrace.

The two stopped only for a brief second after hearing Fei Long's fight announced and the sound of the crowd cheering and chanting Fu Shao's name. Sai looked up and out toward the window of his office that overlooked the fight floor, though they were too far back to see anything or to be seen.

[b]"I wonder how the new acquisition will do. Fu Shao is no pushover."[/b] Sai thought aloud.

[b]"We can find out after we've finished."[/b] Luyii said, going back to what she was doing, much to Sai's acceptance.[/FONT]

[Sandy]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]It had been a morning of bad news for the Brotherhood of Jade Forest. First, the Scarlet Mistress had been found slaughtered from her quarters, and then the body of the boss's son had been discovered.

The high-ranking members were gathered at the conference room. Everybody were silent as they waited for Shek Lu to enter. The mood around the long table was so tense that Snowcat imagined he could draw symbols into it with his finger.

[I]"And I'm to blame for that, at least partially"[/I], he thought. But there were no time for regrets. With his greatest ally dead, he would have to move extra carefully from now on if he wished to step into Shek Lu's place and avenge Mr. Wang.

Then the boss arrived through the back door. His face was pale, his eyes had red circles around them, and his mouth was distorted by inner pain. But he didn't look miserable and beaten, no. He was like the God of Wrath as he walked to his chair at the end of the table and sat down.

[B]"Brothers"[/B], he said shortly. [B]"We are at war."[/B]

Suddenly all the people in the room started to cheer and shout, slam the table and stomptheir feet. It had been a long time since their brotherhood had been a part of a gang war, but they were ready now.

Everybody got up, Snowcat among them. Shek Lu gave quick instructions to each of them, and one by one scurried out.

Out of a sudden there was only Snowcat and Shek Lu left in the room.

[B]"Mr. Wu"[/B], the boss started. [B]"I know we have had our... disputes in the past, but your poisons would be very beneficial for our brotherhood in this war. Mr. Wu... Snowcat... Will you fight with us?"[/B]

Snowcat couldn't believe his ears. Shek Lu was actually making a gesture of peace to him! To the man who raped and murdered his son! May the gods never let him know the truth...

[B]"I will, Boss Lu"[/B], Snowcat said with a respecting nod.

This was it. His chance of a lifetime. His poison darts would end the reign of Shek Lu, but the Infinite Longevity would get all the blame.

Killing the beautiful Lee had been worth this.[/COLOR]

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

Fei stepped into the ramshackle locker room of the fight club, a single light illuminating the room. Blood stains and other bodily fluids stained the floor and walls. Kwan sat back, ready with tape and fighter?s gloves as Fei stripped himself of his hoodie and other clothes. His many scars and defined muscles shadowed in the dim light, shadows accentuating his now visible gang tattoo on the side of his neck. Kwan gave a flinching look for a moment, but seemed to suppress his surprise rather well.

Taking his pants off, Fei was now dressed in only his fighting shorts. He then sat down and held out his arms and propped his shins out far as Kwan approached him with the athletic tape. Unrolling a strain with a loud cracking sound, he began wrapping the Fei?s forearms and slowly made his way towards his hands, bringing the tape through his outstretched fingers and hands. The process was rather short, but ceremonial in spirit, neither speaking as the ancient battle ritual was performed.

After the last bit was patched up, Fei squeezed both hands, testing out the dexterity of the tape. Approving of Kwan?s work, he stood up and cracked his neck. [b] ?Understand this? you are not expected to win this fight, young man. You are new, a sacrificial lamb. The man you are about to fight has been around for sometime. He has a reputation of being highly skilled in all areas of combat. A veritable champion in the works??[/b] Kwan patted Fei on his shoulder. [b] ??as well, your affiliation is quite unpopular with many crowd members. If you should lose? it is possible an ?accident? may happen in the ring.?[/b]

Fei laughed, [b] ?Are you trying to say he?s gonna kill me??[/b]

[b] ?That may be the case if you don?t win.?[/b] Kwan?s tone was dark.

Fei laughed again, [b] ?It wouldn?t have been the first time? I?ll try my best, haha.?[/b]

Fei?s lighthearted demeanor threw Kwan off. He simply shook his head and walked past Fei. [b] ?Follow me. The moment of truth is here.?[/b]

[b] ?What was the guy?s name again??[/b]

[b] ?Fu Shao. The Silent Ogre.?[/b] Kwan nearly whispered as Fei passed him and looked back as they walked towards the ring.

[b] ?Hahaha! How unflattering?. Well. The Silent Ogre is about to meet the Sleeping Tiger.?[/b] Fei pumped his bicep up and smiled back to Kwan. Kicking open the door, the entire front area became silent, each occupant looking directly in Fei?s direction. Fei swung his head back and smiled from under sleepy eyes.

For a moment, all was silent. Breaking the silence came an anonymous whistle, which then brought on a roar of both boo?s and applause as Fei made his way towards the ring. Waiting on him in the middle of the ring was a rather large, muscular man. Looking nearly twice the size of the almost petite Fei, it was apparent what the several hecklers in the crowd meant by ?rip him apart!? Stepping up to the uplifted ring, Fei looked into the firey, dark eyes of his opponent who was partially bald and severely scarred on the face. For a moment, the two stared off as the crowd cheered on. Fei looked down to his feet, then cracked his neck loudly. Something clicked in his head and changed his mind. Looking back up again, his eyes were ablaze with hatred and fury, a new man different from the lethargic lay-about he was moments ago.

Growling loudly and giving off an animalistic battle cry, Fei leapt onto the ring mat with a loud thud. His opponent stared at him with a near fearful disdain. Stepping up to Fu Shao, Fei gave him a maddening glare, smirking and snarling at the same time. The referee of the match stepped in between them and jabbered the rules to the two fighters in incoherent Chinese.

Both fighters ignored, caught up in the middle of their stare off, all things around them no longer mattered. Blood lust could be felt radiating off the both of them. Stepping back, the ref pushed both of them away slightly. Neither budged, simply obliged him by shuffling back a few feet. Throwing his hand down, he screamed [b] ?Fight!?[/b] and it was on.

The enormous Fu Shao threw his large palm up and rushed at Fei with a barrage of Wing Chun punches, throwing in all directions. Fei?s hands were down, but he simply bobbed and weaved smoothly around the punches, an angry grin on his face. Backing up against the ropes, Fei bounces off and spun around the approaching Fu Shao. Spinning like a gale wind, Fei launched his steel-like shin into the man?s rib cage with a three-sixty kick. The sound of cracking bone was hear across the room and Fu Shao dropped to a knee instantly from the kick. Fei could be heard laughing in an insane manner as the crowd cheered uproariously.

Dancing back across the ring, Fei stuck his hand out reminiscent of the ancient master, Bruce Lee. Flipping his fingers, he growled [b] ?Stand back up, so I can hit you some more!?[/b] his arrogant taunt pushing a cheerful roar from the crowd?.[/color][/size]


[size=1]
[b]OOC:[/b] Tag to someone else. You guys can describe the fight and then I?ll finish it. I just got back from a rock show and a full day?s work. TIRED.[/size]

[DeadSeraphim]

[font=arial][size=1][color=indigo]She smiled wryly at me and took her hand from my grasp.

"I'm very sorry Mr... Dead, but I'll have to decline your offer." I grinned.

"Too good to smoke with an enforcer?" She laughed.

"I daresay my boyfriend would say so." I rolled my eyes and leaned back into the hard plastic hospital chair, languidly blowing smoke rings and watching them float to the ceiling. Inside my coat pocket I suddenly felt a vibrating, and quickly withdrew my phone. The caller ID said Lai.

"Hello?" I heard her smile over the phone and smiled to myself.

"Did you send the roses?" she asked, a wry tone in her voice.

"I'll leave you be, Mr Dead," Miyuki said with a wink, before quickly slipping out and closing the door behind her.

"Of course. Only the best for the mob bosses' daughters assistant." Whoops, wrong choice of words.

"Is that all I am to you?" I laughed.

"Of course not. But I daresay posies wasn't going to cut it." She laughed, and I heard her speak to someone else in the room. I caught. "You don't know anything" and "shut up" before she came back to the phone.

"Just Luyii. What are you doing tonight, Mr Aolie?" I sighed.

"Watching a half-dead assassin breath through life support." I paused to pick at a thumbnail. "It's truly my idea of a night out."

"That's a shame," she said, disappointed. "What about tomorrow?"

"You think you can get away from Laiyuu again so soo-" I was cut short by the sound of a harsh cough. "Oh shit, I have to go. I'll call you later." I quickly hung up and ran to the door, peaking my head out.

"I need a nurse! Or Xing! Or a fucking handgun!" A few nurses turned towards me, but only Miyuki, coming in from her smoke, responded.

"What's wrong?"

"Ghost Fox is waking up."[/color][/size][/font]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][font=times][center][b]Act Two: The Cold War
Scene Three: Things Heat Up[/center][/b]

[i]With a quick jerk of her arms, Luyii grabbed Sai and slammed him down on his desk, swiftly jumping on top of him to grip his hips between her legs. He gasped for air, with the pressure she was applying to his chest and attempted to raise himself up, only to be shoved back down, nearly taken out by an errant paperweight. Luyii smirked at his expression and leaned down, unbuttoning her top button with two fingers.[/i]

"You're lucky I order strong desks."

"I suppose I should be... ...now let's see if it really can withstand us."

"If it can't, it's still under warranty."

[i]The Willow Fairy ripped off his shirt, the sound of tearing fabric only exciting her further. As he grabbed the hem of her dress, flicking it up to grab her ass. She wiggled it at him and lowered her head to his belt, undoing it slowly and flipping the zipper of his fly up. With her teeth, she slowly unzipped it all the way, pressing her face against him. He applied pressure to the back of her neck and she mock struggled, raking her fingers down his chest, creating eight long red streaks.

Sai's moans filled her ears and accordingly, she let him unzip her own dress, the straps cascading down, the skirt brushing against him as she arched, letting it decorate the floor.[/i]

"So should we circumvent your father, surprise the old man and save me from the indignity of getting tested altogether?"

"It would have a tasty irony to it. ...why don't we?"

[i]She pushed his head back down on the table, and let him clutch her body close to his, feeling the small of her back, the raised tattoo on her neck, the softness of her hair. He flipped her on her back and bit her bottom lip gently, barely making a mark. She kissed back, smiling at the expression on his face. Her earrings brushed against the skin of his neck, cold and smooth, as she lipped his cheek.

[center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center]

The future of the Brotherhood of Eternal Repose lay entwined in each other's arms, whatever had been on the desk was on the floor, any clothes they might have been wearing also there. A servant timidly knocked and began to open the door, only to see the flash of Luyii and then her foot slamming it shut again. She turned and gave a look to Sai with a smirk playing about the saucy curve of her lips. He cupped her cheek in one hand and she did the same to him. Slipping off the table top, she stepped into her dress, pulling the sleeves back to her shoulders, pulling her hair up so he could zip up the back. He turned and reached for his shirt, then held up what was probably a shirt at one point.

Luyii's expression was guileless, and she pointedly looked away, running her fingers through her hair. He gave her a look. A two hundred dollar shirt. Missing buttons, a sleeve torn nearly clean off.[/i]

"I should send you the bill for this."

"Spare me. You have dozens more in that closet. I checked you know."

"So I've been found out."[/font][/COLOR]

[Wondershot]

?Well, it looks like the ga-gang?s all here.?

Razorback looked up in disdain to see the uniformed officers and forensic scientists milling about Leo Chen?s ex-room in the hotel. He felt a surge of anger as he saw two uniformed officers hurling a bodybag into a truck parked in front of the hotel. Leo had always been sure to keep his place clean, and now the cops were milling about, disorganizing his things. No respect for the deceased. He looked down at the blood-stained dumpster beside him. The bloodstains began to glow a bright, furious blue color, and Razorback tilted his head to look at them.

?Don?t worry, Yue, I?ll get them out for you.?

The bloodstains glowed a contented green, and Razorback began his advance towards the hotel, leaving the duffel bag in the care of his dead friend.



Alice grimaced at the sight of the man whom Sergeant Scruggs? knife had found lying on the floor. She knew that Detective Chang and Scruggs? methods were usually ruthlessly efficient, but despite her years of training on the force, she had never completely gotten used to what the two of them were capable of. She nodded to the two forensic scientists nearby and they proceeded to load the man into a bodybag. Years ago, such sloppy investigations would not have been tolerated under the force, but Alice had learned long ago that Chang and Scruggs? methods were easily the best ones for solving the problems that plagued the city today, and that it was not in her place to question them. She stiffened as she heard a voice out in the hall.

?...more scum off the schtreets! How about it, officers? A toast to your victory againsht the mob...?

Just a drunk, the officers outside could handle it. Alice looked towards the balcony to check and make sure that the team outside was doing all right at cleaning up the messy paste that remained of Leo Chen. When she looked down from the balcony, though, a disturbing sight met her eyes.

Purple gas, and she could swear that she heard the din of people trying to speak.

Upon closer inspection, she could make out members of the forensics team writhing on the ground and in the street, babbling incoherently. She heard the sound of smashing glass out in the hall, and the officers posted outside screamed. There were gunshots. Alice ducked behind the balcony door and drew her weapon.

A profound silence.

Alice wheeled and glanced into the hall. It was now bathed in purple gas. She could just barely make out the officers yelling...something that she couldn?t make any sense of. A voice erupted from the hall.

?Let?s hear it for San Francisco?s finest!?

A man burst into the room, short, bald, generally looking like a mess. He produced two wine bottles from behind him and tossed them up to the ceiling. They shattered on contact and, all at once, the hotel room was bathed in thick purple smoke. The forensics team began to cough and splutter, and Alice heard them drop to the ground one after the other. Alice aimed her gun to fire shots, but she couldn?t see anyone because of the gas, and couldn?t risk harming the forensics team. She instead retreated back to the balcony, and flipped open her cell phone, trembling fingers moving for the speed dial.

?Chang! Detective Chang! Someone?s raiding the hotel! They...?

Alice felt a piercing pain in the back of her neck...

And that was all she felt.

Dropping the cell phone on the ground, her legs crumpled and she fell, slumping over the balcony railing, nearly falling all the way over. She could still see and hear, but was completely paralyzed. She heard the footsteps of the man approaching behind her, and, through her upside down perspective, saw him reach down to pick up her cell phone. She could barely hear Chang?s voice on the other end.

?Alice! Alice! What the fuck is happening?!?

The man then began speaking in a raspy, strained falsetto.

?Oh, Detective Chang! It was so-so scary! The man was trying to rape me! He?s coming back this way! Save me, Detective Chang! He...?

The man then flipped the phone closed and placed it gingerly on Alice?s back, though she couldn?t feel it there. The man began taking steps back into the hotel room, but abruptly stopped and turned around. He began walking back towards her, and his legs soon disappeared from sight. She could hear his breath in her ear, telling her that he was leaning over the railing right next to her. He whispered into her ear.

?Tell Yue and Leo...I sa-said hi.?

He retreated back into the hotel room, but not before smashing a small purple vial on the balcony ground near her face. Alice shivered, and all at once, began feeling her body again. She struggled to right herself, but her body wouldn?t do it, it had begun convulsing without her control. She could only watch with terror as her legs started kicking madly, slowly unbalancing her until she finally tilted all the way over the balcony.

Her vocal chords began to work again, she managed what she thought was a scream, but was only a raspy exhalation before her head contacted the pavement, sending chunks of bloodied gray matter spraying across the sidewalk.

Razorback exited the hotel from the service entrance, but he still saw what remained of Alice on the sidewalk as he passed by. He did a double take at her remains, and saw them begin to glow red.

?You?re mad, okay, but your friend did this to me first! He killed my friends, so, so you should have thought of that before you decided to be his friend!?

The remains started to glow blue, infuriated, and Razorback spotted a piece of her brain at his feet. From what he could make out, it was part of the temporal lobe. He picked it up and examined it briefly before popping it in his mouth.

He gave it a brief taste, and then spat it out, coughing and spluttering. He picked the piece of gray matter off the sidewalk and slipped it into his pants pocket.

?Dirty thoughts about your part-ner?? He asked Alice?s cadaver before continuing his stroll. He returned to his duffel bag and picked it up, looking bemused at he walked down the alley.

He couldn't help but smile.

?Chang, eh??



OOC: This takes place after whatever Flash or Chaos posts, chronologically.