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Futuristic Eradication

Oscar was startled by the interruption, to say the least, he had never been on prison duty before, much less escorting prisoners to their eradication, but he was covering for his buddy who was busy at the love harvest. He wondered vaguely if this happened often, or if he was about to be roped into something big and new. He followed the man without hesitation, but along the way, he said "Sir, permission to be briefed on the current situation?" a single 'permission denied' in response was enough to shut Oscar up for the rest of the way. Oscar silently mused as to what this cliched man-in-black could be here for on the Love Harvest of all days. The possibilities were endless, but Oscar knew musing would get him nowhere, so he kept one hand on his sidearm, in case this guy wasn't actually a real G-man, but followed close, nonetheless.
 
"I don't imagine that you'd know where your sister is, right now, but I kinda...feel like she should be in on this."


Right. My sister.. He sighed at the troubling thought that was young and sharp-tongued Kyoko. No matter how much he hated her involvement with the rebels, she was still his sister. He was tasked with teaching her, loving her, taking care of her, and he considered himself a failure in that degree.


He nodded. "You're right." Only a couple seconds ago, was he telling himself that he wanted peace between people yet, he felt a sense of defeat when it came to Kyoko. Novi had given him a friendly reminder, an unintentional one, but one still, that finally lifted his spirits.


He'd have to find a way to talk to her somehow. The sooner the better.


"Speaking of which, what is your house like?" Takeshi wondered. When she talked about family, it seemed that she didn't have siblings. If she did, she refused to speak of them for that matter. Lots of questions burned in him that he wanted to ask Novi, this mysterious girl of bronze.


@Agent Nine
 
Hans Grøngaard @Syrenrei


Having left the Love Harvest and acquired their own clothes back they hopped into their respective cars and Hans lead them on they journey to his home that's soon to be abandoned. Being alone in his car gave him time to think, when interacting with people he'd usually run on instinct and say his first thoughts. Sure this made things awkward now and then but it made being honest a whole deal easier.


Whether or not Skye was a widow like him didn't really befall him until she said so. It wasn't as if he'd look at her in a different light, if anything it deserved respect for going through something so harsh. Surely the system behind Love Harvest was to present everyone on equal grounds, but then what are the collars for? If anything they just present a way for people to throw their discontent at eachother merely because of their standings. If they were to give everyone an idea of what kind of person they were, why the white suits? The way a man or woman dresses shows an overwhelming amount of their personality and opinion of either the Love Harvest or their partner.


Then there's a third more dreadful possibilty. For the system to run fluidly they'd have to assure themselves that no one would run from the Love Harvest. Therefor if one were to run in the middle of the larvest harvest you would end up with a collar that electrocutes you and a white suit that's indistinguishable like no other. Thankfully such things are not neccesary to think about. The only thing that mattered for Hans was his new wife and keeping her safe and happy. If anything were bad to happen alongside that he'd just have to face it.


Stepping out of his car onto the gravel infront of their small home he headed for the door. "Welcome to my old home. He's the laundry/entrance. After the next door straight ahead we'll be in the living room, they'll be a kitchen on your right and the door straigh ahead is the bathroom." He said as he opened the door into the house and took his shoes off inside. Moving to the door on the right he entered the bedroom and pulled two suitcases out from under the bed. "Just sit down and get yourself a drink if you like. The house is small enough that we can talk across it." Hans said as he opened his wardrobe and began packing his clothes and valuables.
 

What was her house like...?


Novi blinked at his question. It wasn't something she'd ever been asked before, and when tasked with describing her home to another person...well, the young woman wasn't really sure how to go about that. She went over to couch and seated herself on its arm, deep in thought.


"Well...it kinda sits on this slope, and there's a man-made river across from it that...might actually be some sort of irrigation canal," She began, her expression thoughtful as she stared at a random section of the floor. "It's a little bigger than your place. Three bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom...and a basement, but there's not much down there except for a boiler. And the kitchen doubles as a dining room."


Novi fell quiet, then, trying to figure out whether or not there was anything that she was leaving out.


"...It's always warm. Unless the boiler acts up, but then if you hit it a few times it starts working right, again. It's...kind of old."


Then she looked over at Takeshi. "How many, ah...how many bedrooms does this place have?"


It was an important question. Sort of. But it brought up another matter entirely; would they be sleeping in the same bed...? Was that some sort of requirement? Novi had read through a majority of the paper they'd signed, but she couldn't remember skimming over anything that talked about sleeping arrangements.


Novi's expression was a calm one, though there was a just noticeable tinge of red to her cheeks.


@CommodoreOlaf

​
 
"How many, ah...how many bedrooms does this place have?"


At the mention of the bedroom, Takeshi froze. Was she thinking the same the thing he was? His stomach twisted as he thought about sharing the same bed with Novi. Of course, the Love Harvest wanted them to. He wasn't even sure if it was in the contracts. Probably was. Anyhow, he had never shared his bed with anyone before in his life.


Some couples probably had already figured it out. Perhaps others were as lost as a penguin in a city. Takeshi and Novi fell into the latter category.


"Three.. Three bedrooms." He looked down the hall, seeing the two doors that belonged to the bedrooms of him and his sister. On the left side was his mother's. Her bedroom had been cleaned out and turned into a guest room. If she wanted, she could sleep there..


"One for.. each of us if you want." He wasn't sure if she shared the same concerns as he did. Best to play it safe, Takeshi reasoned.


@Agent Nine
 
Sammy grinned wide and nodded. "Flynn! What a great name,"she mused, her eyes bright. She glanced at his collar's color and her eyes grew wide. "OH, wowsa! You're rich?"she started to giggle, and then her eyes trailed over his body covered in the white suit. "And handsome. Ma will be so happy." She put a hand out to cup the side of her mouth as she whispered,"She didn't think I'd get a good one,"she winked. Then, her gaze followed the other couples and she grabbed Flynn's hand.


"OH! Let's go, let's go!"she said as she walked towards where the other couples had headed, dragging Flynn with her. She looked back towards him and smiled again. She never had a problem with how the society kept order. It made sense to her, in the same way that she would find the cure soon with her studies. Actually, she found the pairing to be very exciting, almost as exciting as creating a new compound. She pointed at her goggles. "I'm a scientist in training. What do you do, Flynn?"she asked as the line they had entered moved along. They were going fast and were at the registration desk in no time.


@Flabbysaurus


(( I'll be around today and tomorrow, so I'll be sure to reply enough to get us moving/caught up. Sorry bout being slow. Didn't realize how fast this was going *sweatdrop* haha. Also, short post is short... *shrugs* ))
 

Three. That was good, one for each person; Novi would be lying if she told herself that the prospect of sharing a bed with another person, let alone one of the opposite gender, didn't bother her. If there was ever a surefire way to create tension and discomfort between two people, hell, that was it.


Novi followed Takeshi's gaze down the hall, assuming that the doors he was looking at led to bedrooms. "Yeah...yeah, that sounds like a good idea," She said after a moment, still peering down the hall. A bedroom for himself, his sister, and his late mother, she reasoned. Mulling over her thoughts, some more, Novi frowned a little at the possibility of sleeping in his mother's old room. Would he mind? Supposedly not, since he hadn't said anything about it yet.


Back at her own house, Novi's mother's room had stayed untouched, left in the same state that it had been in when the woman had been wheeled out of the house on a stretcher, her face gaunt and her eyes sunken in her skull. It took a couple of weeks for Novi to convince herself to at least make her mother's bed, but after that point the room was left alone, fueled in part by a defiant eight-year-old's wishes that her mommy would come back home, someday, happy and illness-free.


It was also because of these wishes that Aurie had been "banished" to the guest room. Novi didn't let the woman within a foot of the quilted, king-sized bed, and her appointed caretaker didn't dare to bother with it, either. The same would probably go for potential house-guests.


"So...you'd be fine with me moving in?"


@CommodoreOlaf

​
 
"So...you'd be fine with me moving in?"


Takeshi fell silent. He had to really consider his answering of her question. She wanted to know if he was okay with her joining his everyday life, this woman he barely knew, that infinitely scared him yet drew him in simultaneously.


On one hand, he wasn't okay. They barely knew each other and they were supposed to live together and start a family. Who made up that kind of crackpot plot? Oh, right. The government. What if one person of the match was a complete psychotic sadist who'd end up murdering their mate in a disgusting self-gratifying ritual. That wouldn't be a good time for the other. Didn't the government consider this stuff?


On the other hand, he found himself fine with the idea of her living with him. He wanted to get to know her more. To understand what it was like to have a real friend. That's what married couples were, right? The best of friends. True, he would have friends, but the friends he did have were scarce. And even out of that small number, all but probably one or two never truly knew him.


He turned to her and said,


"Well, I'm not saying I'm jumping for joy to live with you, but.." He flashed a smile. "I wouldn't mind."


He knew the issue of who slept where would come up sooner or later, they both did, especially as awkward as things already got. That wasn't an easy topic to cover. So, Takeshi made it his goal to avoid it, unless she brought it up, in which case, his prepared opinion would remain neutral to the subject, neither completely kicking her out of his personal life nor absorbing her into an intimate standard.


Oh boy, why do I have to go through this.


"But first, would you mind living with me?" Takeshi usually resorted to humor, sometimes humor nobody would understand, in cases of social anxiety.


"Are you sure you can handle this?" He gestured to his muscular frame, but stopped realizing the utter stupidity of his statement and said,


"Don't answer that." He scratched the back of his neck, already red and warm with shame.


@Agent Nine
 
Skye Yoona Park





Skye was unfamiliar with the route they took to Hans's home. After they had changed and left, she tailing him on the way to his residence for the sake of simplicity, she realized how much of a princely gentleman he was. While she had worn a decent blouse and slacks, she hadn't worn her best finery, most flattering make-up, or anything more than 'business casual.' It had been revealed during their departure, however, that Hans had chosen specific garments for the occasion. Both knew the white suits would utilized in the 'ceremony' and their clothing would not create the first impression... but perhaps that was just the type of man he was. He took everything seriously and in stride, accepting life with careful consideration and a healthy dose of optimism. How had he persevered so well if he was a widow himself? Was he not still injured over his loss? Had he discovered some method o self-healing that soothed away the paranoia of history's oft repetition? Or was he merely pretending? It seemed unlikely that this was an act- after all, it mattered not what Skye thought of him. They were matched before they had even awoken this momentous morning.


There was nothing to do except focus on the drive. Music was turned on to avoid complete silence until they arrived at a quaint little home with a gravel driveway. The singing over the speakers was drowned out by the distinct rumbling of tires on pebbles. Skye turned off the car and stepped out, meeting Hans as he opened the door for her, leading the way into his humble abode.


Without context of what social class his prior wife fell into, their destination was a complete mystery to her. The military provided for soldiers but did not dictate a marital home. Had she been of the lower class, barely scraping by on minimal wages and with a robust contempt for the wealthy? Was she of the more rare middle class, having a comfortable living situation yet fearing a descent into poverty and yearning for the riches of the elite? Or was she upper class, basking in the warmth of what riches the community and advanced technology could provide? The answer was still obscured on arrival as she could conceive this being a choice regardless of class- peaceful, quaint, neither excessive nor cramped. She glanced around with rampant curiosity as she was escorted inside.


"Do you need me to pack anything for you?" As chivalrous as he was, she fully expected that he would decline her offer. Skye sat down on the nearest seat (either an armchair or sofa) and continued to study her surroundings for clues about its occupant. Was he tidy or messy? Did he prefer aesthetics or comfort, modern or rustic, bright colors or darker hues? For the most part her home was a blank canvas- she and James did not have much time to decorate before his untimely death and Skye had little desire to continue the efforts. Most of the walls were a monotonous white with no hangings on them besides a few framed pictures of her family.
 

It was a simple enough question, and a simple enough answer would do. But Takeshi looked stumped, and the immediate silence that Novi seemed to inadvertently create only succeeded in stumping her, too. Sitting with her hands at her sides, Novi stared at him, her eyes boring fearlessly into his as she waited for a word, a gesture, anything. One part of her seemed to be daring him to make an excuse, while the other part was actually a bit anxious about what he'd say.


All in all, it should have been clear to the guy that Novi had no real qualms with leaving her home behind. Perhaps her feelings would be different if she had a large family, or if her parents were still around, or if she was concerned with leaving Aurie on her own. Perhaps she'd feel differently if she'd be leaving behind a mass of friends. But she wasn't; there was nothing left in that house for her, save for a few sets of clothes, some bedsheets, and maybe a photo or two. She was more than ready to leave it all behind. Willing, really, eager to go.


The true concerns were in taking up residence at Takeshi's house. Supercomputer or no supercomputer, the guy was no less of a stranger to her than she was to him. Moving into a stranger's house was a pretty big step to take, and one that Novi wasn't incredibly psyched about.


She was, however, curious. About him and his life and this apparent, rebellious younger sister of his, whom he was convinced she'd get along with.


Curiosity was a powerful motivator, in times of uncertainty. Now happened to be one of those times.


"Well, I'm not saying I'm jumping for joy to live with you, but...I wouldn't mind."


Novi merely blinked at his response, momentarily unsure as to whether or not she could laugh at that or take it seriously. Eventually she decided to do neither.


Then he gestured at himself, like some amateur door-to-door salesman trying to glorify his wares, and Novi couldn't hold back the laugh that ensued. "I dunno, Hot-Shot," She replied with a sly smile, placing a few fingers on her chin as she looked him up and down. "I sure as hell feel intimidated."


So he could make her laugh. ...A lot. That was a plus, considering that tended to be a difficult task for others. Novi felt as though a majority of the stupid comments were being made for hilarity's sake, but it was also pretty possible that Takeshi was a cornball.


A pretty fit, nice-looking cornball.


"I can't promise you I'd get used to it right away, but no, I wouldn't mind. Y'know, as long as your sister doesn't pull any sneaky sh** on me while I'm sleeping or something. ...Weren't you gonna call her?"


@CommodoreOlaf

​
 
Flynn was surprised at all the compliments Sammy was giving him. He smiled a little but didn't realise how red his face was becoming. He'd never been complimented so much before by one person. "Um...tha-" Flynn was about to thank Sammy but she surprised him by suddenly dragging him to the queue in front of the desk. After explaining what her job was Sammy asked what Flynn done. It was kind of awkward since he didn't even have to work, his dad was rich enough to make sure everyone in the house had a comfortable lifestyle.


"Well...I don't really...have a job." He replied. Rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as his eyes looked down to the ground. However, before the conversation could continue, Flynn realised they'd made it to the front desk where they would finalise their marriage and finally get rid of the collars. After completing the registration Flynn felt his collar release it's air tight grip from his neck. He dumped it in the disposals and rubbed his neck as he walked out the front door, hoping to alleviate the pain the collar had caused. Flynn turned around to face Sammy. "Uh...this may seem like a stupid question but who's house are we living in? There's plenty of room in my house but if you prefer your house then I understand." Flynn asked. He gestured to a black suv with tinted black windows. "That's my family's chauffeur so he can take us wherever you want." Flynn said.


((A bit rushed but I just want to get our characters outside))


@Darth Pai
 
"I dunno, Hot-Shot, I sure as hell feel intimidated." She responded quickly and perfectly.


Takeshi beamed on the inside. He was glad those days as a young comedian doing little bits for Mom and Sis paid off. It was a secret he never talked about and everyone else amazingly had forgotten (he preferred it that way). Here she was, the match he was destined for, honestly and genuinely laughing. Sincerity was a big thing for him, but yeah no, she'd have to kill him before he told her about his funny days.


Another good response! He laughed nervously. Takeshi thought to himself, he could get used to this.


"I can't promise you I'd get used to it right away, but no, I wouldn't mind. Y'know, as long as your sister doesn't pull any sneaky sh** on me while I'm sleeping or something. ...Weren't you gonna call her?"


Takeshi stood up and leaned against the wall adjacent to Novi, thinking about how Kyoko would react to his new "wife".


"She doesn't answer when I call her, but she comes home late. Like early morning late. I was thinking I could leave a note about you, for her, so she could like give her input or whatever." That was the logical use and also the most effective method of contact he could think of considering how she avoided him like the plague. He scratched his elbow, got up, and leaned on the wall adjacent to her.


"If you do move in, you have to tell me everything. Well, not everything, just, you know, important stuff." Takeshi crossed his arms and sighed tiredly.


"Stuff like what your allergies are, or if you have a tendency to be gassy," he chuckled at this part, "or if you plan on... Decorating or something." He searched her eyes for a response. Is that what women did these days? Decorate the interior of houses, bake ricotta cookies, and listen to old, old Coldplay albums from the early 2000s? He didn't know, but he'd have to find out.


If they were gonna live together, then they were going to become comfortable with each other. It wasn't a major leap, but it was a small step forward. Baby steps.


"As for my sister, she seem rebellious and out there but she's actually very caring. She isn't the same girl she used to be, though we never forget what we were taught. It's gonna be a few weeks for her to get comfortable with another person in the house."


"For me, it may be months." Takeshi quipped. He laughed but it quickly died down as he caught himself staring at her. His cheeks tinted slightly red, this time not of embarrassment.


@Agent Nine
 
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"OH! Of course. You are rich, so I guess you wouldn't have to work,"she said, more surprised that she hadn't thought of that at first. When her collar was taken off, she rubbed her neck a bit and grinned. "That isn't a dumb question at all!"she said as she put a finger over her lip as she thought. "Well, my parent's home is rather small. I'd have to move all my equipment if we moved into your house. I'd need at least two rooms, or well,"she blushed a bit as she was making some sort of demand for her provisions.


"Well, I mean... well.. you see. I go to a university nearby, and I use my lab at home to do most of my experiments. I can use only one room though, but I don't like sleeping next to chemicals. Had an accident once when I did that."She paused for a moment before another thought hit her.


"Wait, we would be sharing a bedroom, wouldn't we?"she almost gasped. She blushed a bit before smiling again. "Well, that does make the best sense. Where would you prefer, Flynn? We're in this together, you know?"she smiled and nudged his arm playfully. Then, she ran a hand over her hair, pausing when she felt something rough. She pulled the strand of hair into her gaze and gasped. She had forgotten to get some of the green goop out of her hair. She wasn't embarrassed that she had missed it. Her main concern was what the goop might do with prolonged exposure to her hair follicles. She started to pick it out. "I'd like to go get some of my normal clothes on though,"she grinned and motioned at her white suit after she had picked her hair as best she could.


Sammy looked over finally to the suv Flynn had motioned to, and upon seeing it, her eyes grew wide. It screamed money in a way Flynn hadn't when she met him. She wondered what being rich was like. She hadn't had the luxury of a car, since her parents lived in town and she would walk or take a taxi most days. She pushed Flynn's shoulder lightly. "That's some car!"she said, amazed, holding back the urge to point at it. It wasn't that it was impressive, but black on black made a statement.


@Flabbysaurus
 

A note was better than nothing. To Novi, it didn't really sound as though she'd be seeing this sister, much, but it was good to have communication in mind. She didn't want any complications popping up; sure, his sister could probably put two and two together and figure out that Novi was "required" by law to be in the same house, now, but suppose she freaked out? Suppose she came in one night after whatever shenanigans that she'd been in, only to find some stranger dozing in what used to be her mother's room?


Novi didn't want to be tackled in her sleep. She also didn't want to have to beat the crap out of her significant other's kid sister.


As Takeshi went on about her moving in and having to tell him important things, Novi smiled a little. "I won't kill you in your sleep. Let's get that out of the way, first. No allergies, either, and I don't plan on coating the walls in floral wallpaper or replacing all of your curtains with frilly, lacy pink ones."


From what she could tell, the guy had a very poor understanding of women. Either that, or the ones that he'd always been around were the stereotypical, sickeningly sweet, house-wife-y ones.


Teetering on the edge of the couch's arm, Novi titled her head at him once she caught him staring. What? Did she have omelette on her face or something? As a precaution, she swiped a hand over her mouth, then got back to her feet and said "Well, are you gonna introduce me to my new living quarters, or should I just go and get my stuff?"


@CommodoreOlaf

​
 
Takeshi snapped out of his gaze as she said,


"Well, are you gonna introduce me to my new living quarters, or should I just go and get my stuff?"


Takeshi gulped and straightened up, replying with,


"Okay, um.. A tour? Alright. So, this.. This is the.. living room." He said gesturing to everything them. He clasped his hands together, turned, and went into another open room.


Facing Novi again, to his left was the kitchen with a little island in the middle and on the right was the dining room table, a simple basket of fruits adorning the center.


His only words, "Self-explanatory."


Coming into the living room again, he turned left, passing the television, and went down the hall. He switched on another light and opened the first door on his right: Kyoko's.


The girl's room had been mostly untouched ever since she left a week ago. A book lay open on her pillow, Macbeth, and her bedsheets were crumpled with use. The bed was against the far wall vertically.


"This is Kyoko's room." A few seconds of peering in, he closed the door; there wasn't much to see here.


Going down the hall, he continued the door by opening his room.


"Here's were I get my beauty sleep."


The room was a little larger than Kyoko's but not by much. Paint had begun to chip on the ceiling and one of the window's blinds had snapped in half, leaving it purposeless. His bed was against the far wall as well, this time horizontally. Everything was fairly tidy except for his bedside table which was littered with papers, bills, spare change, and little nuts and bolts. His beside radio flashed the default 12:00 continuously, thanks to one night when the entire neighborhood blacked out. He just never got around to fixing the time.


After closing that door, he opened the door directly across from his, which led to his mom's. The door creaked open, revealing a room shrouded in darkness.


"Hold on." He said as he walked across the room and pulled the blinds up. The room lit up with light, revealing a single neatly made queen-sized bed, with a transparent fabric canopy. The room was plain except for an old Victorian chair in the corner, a bookshelf with books, a bedside table with a lamp on one side of the bed, and a vanity on the other. He gave her the most time looking inside that room, but every second was a painful one. Memories of his mother sung lullabies to his heart, how she used to be so cheerful and lovely. How she used to be alive. She was nothing now, a useless woman whom he dearly loved but lived in a world that had no care for love.


He closed the door and after a couple seconds, he turned to Novi,


"I can help you bring your stuff in."


@Agent Nine
 

Novi followed Takeshi around the house, giving him ample distance as he walked so that she wouldn't clog the hallway by being too close. All in all, it seemed like a comfy little house with comfy-sized rooms. She had no comments to make, but kept a thoughtful expression on her face as her amber eyes swept over every occasional chair, drawer, and interesting section of flooring.


In the young woman's mind, going through life with having just enough was the best way to live. She just couldn't understand what people saw in the Upper Class neighborhoods; it was all a crapload of gaudy, marble pillars and fountains, not to mention colossal houses filled to the brim with useless things. Butlers, maids, chauffeurs...the wealthy had everything, spoon-fed their riches and privileges as soon as they were out of the womb. And yet it made them lazy. Dependent, incompetent when it came to taking care of themselves. Novi didn't hate rich people; she simply hated how they lived.


Life was supposed to be a challenge. Take the challenging, work-heavy aspect away, and what did that make you? A sensitive, spineless sack of mush who didn't know how to take care of him or herself.


Novi's thoughts had wandered pretty far by the time they reached his mother's old room. My new room, she mused, stepping over the threshold but staying near the door as Takeshi went and opened up the blinds. It was a nice room, and Novi found her attention drawn to the bookshelf. Did his mother like to sit and read at night? Did she read her children bedtime stories when they were little and restless, just to get them to finally go to sleep?


She found it a bit curious that Takeshi hadn't said a word about his father, so far. Novi assumed that he was dead, too, unless their situations were a lot more similar than she realized, and it was just as likely that his father had left the family when he was young.


"Good riddance," Her own mother had said, once, scowling at the topic. "He didn't want to stay. I didn't stop him."


"I can help you bring your stuff in."


Novi blinked at Takeshi, having zoned out. Then his words sunk in. "Huh? Oh, you don't have to. I guess it would help, but it's not like I'm lugging boxes and boxes of crap over here. One box would probably do the trick. ...Or two." Alright, maybe you could use the help...


"You can come with me on the off chance that I do need help," She reasoned, already heading for the door. It was decent outside, so she left her jacket on the rack. Novi got a few feet from the house before realizing that she was in an unfamiliar neighborhood, surrounded by unfamiliar streets. "...Right. I might need you to...navigate me back to the diner. From there, I know how to get back to my place and grab my stuff. ...If you happen to have a car, though, that'd be cool, too."


@CommodoreOlaf

​
 
Takeshi nodded and led her into the dining room. In there was a door past that, the garage. Takeshi never really took people in the garage. Ushering Novi into the garage, he saw the familiar place he spent a lot of his time in. On one side was a workbench where incomplete gadgets and gizmos were scattered here and there. In a lonely corner, were the few things from Mr. Oshiro's possessions the government had let them keep after his father passed away (which wasn't a few things considering his father owned a lot of papers, documents, collector's toys and old relics. A photo rested in a frame on a cabinet against the wall of his father, smiling his friendly smile.


"If by car you mean this thing, then yeah." Takeshi walked around his vehicle to the driver's side, an old fuel-cell car, modeled after the ancient Mazda RX-8. It coughed and screeched with it's prehistoric engine and rusted wheels, respectively, but it was reliable.


"I began refurbishing it only a month and a half ago, so some features still need tinkering with."


He brought his hand to the handle guiding his thumb to the fingerprint reader/oval shaped impression. The car hummed to life as it's dashboard began to turn to a cool turquoise blue but then it stopped and quickly died down. Takeshi looked at Novi, disappointedly.


"I'm still working on it." He said.


He inserted a key and sat in the driver's seat. "Come on in." He said, reaching over, unlocking the passenger door, and pushing the door open.


@Agent Nine
 
Hans Grøngaard @Syrenrei


"Nah, there isn't exactly much to be helping with." Hans said as he had nearly finished packing his clothes into one of the suit cases. There was more than enough room in the suitcase for both his clothes and anything else he would need. Carefully placing his dress-suit, shoes and tie, which he had inherited from his father, ontop of the pile. Hans closed the suitcase with quick snap with some pockets on the top for the rest of his belongings. The second suitcase, far more bruised and used than the first, stored his military goods. Inside housed the shotgun that was gifted to him when he officially joined the military.


Having finished packing his valuables he walked out into the livingroom and placed the two suitcases beside the sofa and sat down. "I guess it's my turn to explain my history as you have yours." Hans said as he lifted the scared suitcase up with one hand and revealed the contents. "This is a gift from my father. He gave it to me as congratulation for joining the military. The year that he gave me it I was 18 and was lucky enough to strike out on my first go in the Love Harvest. The womans name was Fredericia, she was of the upper-class but didn't care for an extravagent life. So we bought a house and lived together as friends. Slowly we grew closer and closer and by the age of twenty we made it "official". Hans paused for a second looking down at the one of many things his father had given him.


"After a year we decided it was time for a child. Which brings us to what happened a year ago... As Fredericia was nearing the end of her pregnency my father fell ill. You most likely know what happens after that, he died. Not long after my wife is sent to hospital to give birth to a baby boy. After conceiving the child she passed away." Still staring down into the contents of the suitcase, his throat begining to dry, coarsing his voice, he continued. "My son was promptly sent to a foster family and I was left on my own. Thus I dedicated myself to my duties in the military and occupied myself with other things to distract myself. My wife and father aren't coming back, that I know all to well, the only thing I regret is not being able to do anything to prevent their deaths." He finished as he started zipping up the suitcase and lifted his head back up. "I guess we can start heading out." Hans said with a voice still rough from earlier.
 
((Collab post w/ @kitsunemage. Your character is now dead, @SkyFilms. Thank you for applying for and participating in "Eradication", it's too bad that you weren't able to answer. But, as Aislyn would say, "The show must go on."))


The process was relatively simple, with signatures and a digital fingerprint scan- perhaps that was why she hadn't seen anyone wearing gloves? In any case, it was merely a matter of moments after Aislyn had tamed her blonde curls once more before Levi Rose, and Aislyn Whitman (now Rose as well) were married. It was strange, she didn't feel any different. When she looked back towards her new husband, his face masked by the grey gas-mask, her heart didn't throb like it was supposed to in the stories she had read about love on first sight. She was still herself- blonde hair, blue eyes, she hadn't inextricably grown any taller, she was glowing- there was no urge to cry.


A simple, shy smile, greeting her new life with the barest of curves at the corners of her lips.


When they left the love harvest, Aislyn clad in her beautiful ruby dress once more, she was already enchanted. He seemed to hold all of her words with a grave kind of levity. Listening carefully even as she prattled on about things of no consequence. Every reply held the weight of his thoughts, as if every word was carefully considered- weighed and given with sincerity. He had taken her hand at the crook of his arm, guiding her around the sector she was unfamiliar with- a sure step guiding his path.


So this is what it is like, to have someone treat you with the same kind of care I have always dreamed of. It's a beautiful feeling.


~~~~~~~~~~~

​



"Levi?" Aislyn glanced up at her husband (Husband! She loved the feel of the word in her mind), he had been silent for a while, joy apparent in the flush in her cheeks and the shine in her eyes. It brought new life to her already beautiful face, the pink accenting her porcelain skin, bringing out the blue in her eyes, a color achingly similar to the sky on a clear cloudless days.


"Look." His voice was quiet, careful, and she had been so enraptured by their conversation (Though truthfully Aislyn had been doing most of the talking) Aislyn had not noticed the approach of the park. Emerald stretched out in front of her, in leaves of deep pine and small points of new green, cradling flowers of white and blue. Small bells dangling from delicate vines- stars proudly facing the sun, bright against the freshly turned soil.


It didn't matter to Aislyn that it might not be appropriate- before she could stop to think about her actions she had toed the small heels off of her feet, her skirts held in her hands as she stepped onto the carefully maintained grass. Crisp green beneath her feet, vast boundless blue above her- Aislyn couldn't fight the urge to laugh. She made her way further onto the field, twirling with a flourish of red and black satin- her smile quicksilver in the.


"Come dance with me!" Aislyn gave another twirl, reveling in the sun and the fresh air- the neat order of the park and those around her. Even the stares of other couples out to enjoy the simplicity of cultivated nature.


"Levi?" She turned, her smile slowly fading as they lit upon her husband. Why was he still standing there-


Everything began to crash down around her.


Hunching over in pain, Levi's arms quickly latched themselves around his stomach in attempt to control the pain. He felt as if someone was stabbing him in the gut over and over again. The agony wracked through his body, his thoughts becoming nonexistent as all his brain could focus on was the pain. The pain of death.


Falling on his knees and then to the ground, Levi's mask fell off, exposing his face to the world. He could feel his heart beating against his chest, wanting to rip out of his body to escape whatever was attacking it. Levi knew these symptoms, he has seen many people fall ill to the horrible cause of the agonizing pain. The Nitrum Virus.


As tears welled up in his eyes, Levi gasped for air, only to find that his lungs had collapsed and something was beginning to rush throughout his body. Feeling it go up his throat, Levi coughed to get the slimy liquid out of his mouth only to see flashes of red and feel the familiar texture of blood. Slowly, Levi moved his eyes to stare at the gas mask he had worn all of his life.


Had it not worked? Had his mother been wrong the whole time? Levi mentally sighed and closed his eyes. His conscious was beginning to falter. He felt his body be pushed over to the side and the blood spill out of his mouth and trickle down his nose. Levi didn't bother trying to spit it out. His whole body wracked with torment and he couldn't do anything about it. All he could do was hope that it would be over quickly.


The last thing Levi Rose heard was a shriek of a woman and the familiar sound of the ambulances rushing in.
 

Following him, Novi was led into what looked like a workshop of sorts. There were all sorts of tools strewn about the walls, and all sorts of homemade gadgets scattered all over a workbench off to their side. Takeshi sure seemed to have a hobby of tinkering with things. I wonder if he was ever a mechanic...


Then, as though he'd been able to read her mind at that exact moment, he showed her the somewhat aged hunk of metal on wheels. A Mazda, apparently; a gem of its time, but more of a relic in the current day and age that they all lived in.


He slipped into the driver's side and opened the door for her. Novi let herself in, though the brief wave of disappointment that swept over her as she moved couldn't be ignored. She'd kind of been hoping that she'd be the one who drove; still, it was Takeshi's car, and now that she knew that he had worked on the thing himself, it was more than understandable that he would be driving it in the first place.


There was also the fact that she had gotten her license confiscated a couple of weeks ago, but that wasn't as important, nor did he need to know.


"Have you ever been a mechanic?" Novi asked once they were on the road. "Or mechanical engineer, I suppose...unless those two are the same. Either way, you seem to like fiddling with things, a lot. Like that doorknob...I've never seen something like that, before. A pretty smart idea, to be honest."


@CommodoreOlaf

​
 
@Darth Pai


"Levi?" It was a hesitant call at first. Why was he doubling over? Had she been able to see his face she might have thought he was in pain- He fell to his knees. It almost happened in slow motion, his arms tightening around his waist, chest heaving as he struggled for air. The gas-mask, something she had begun to believe was like a symbol to him, crashing to the ground- it's lone in-tact lens shattering at the force. No. This wasn't happening. Not to her.


"Levi!" She lifted her skirts in her hands, feet flying across the crisp grass- which somehow seemed grey and dull. The only thing she could see was red. Red flowers, red dress, red blood. Her mind didn't even register that someone had reached out to restrain her- she only knew that she was no longer moving. She couldn't get close- she couldn't go help.


"No... No!" She was deaf to the soothing murmurs of the people restraining her. She struggled, vainly, hoping beyond all hope that this was just some elaborate act- a stage. He would stand up and they would laugh about this, joke about her frantic cries and the sobs that forced themselves out of her throat.


He didn't stand up. The ambulance arrived. Men in white, lifting him, dragging him away.


And then she was alone.
 
Backing out of the garage, he replied,


"Thanks, yeah, it's just something I do in the meantime. I haven't had any training on it though. Just lots and lots of reading." After reaching the end of the driveway, he neared the edge of the street. Looking both ways, he saw it was safe and resumed.


As he was about to touch the asphalt, another car came roaring past, inches away from his rear bumper and certain collision. Takeshi pulled stopped just in time. The driver of the speeding car stuck his head out and yelled,


"HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU GOING!" The guy was going at least 50 in a 25 mph zone. Takeshi pulled forward a little and shouted back,


"Sorry!" He automatically pulled out a pad and pen, scribbling down what seemed like inscrutable text. Upon closer inspection, you'd be able to tell it was a license plate number. The speeding guy's license plate number to be exact. Takeshi then crumpled up the paper and gave Novi a look, as if he was saying 'idiots, what can you do?'. He tossed the paper into a little waste basket on the floor, joining a pile of similarly crumpled up pieces of pad paper.


He continued to back out into the street, this time a little more wary. After pulling forward, he reached the end and said, "Alrighty, where's your nest?"


@Agent Nine


((It's a short post >_<. Also, hope you enjoyed ya 4th of July. To all, as well!))
 

((Sorry, Space Dandy was distracting me. lol.))


A self-taught mechanic, then? Pretty impressive.


Still a bit curious, Novi was preparing to ask him if he'd ever considered taking up the profession and making some real money off of it. Then, out of the blue, a car came streaking by them, nearly rear-ending Takeshi's car by a third of an inch. He didn't seem concerned, either, going so far as to actually shout at them.


"HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"


Novi took the opportunity to stick her head out of the passenger window. "WATCH IT, YOURSELF, DUMBA**!" She screeched, easily overpowering Takeshi's meager "Sorry" as she leaned half of her body out of the window. The young woman then let out a loud, exaggerated sigh, slipping back into her seat and crossing her arms against her chest. "What a jerk," She huffed, staring ahead at the windshield. "If we're lucky, he'll drive himself off of a bridge."


And, with how the man had been driving, it was likely. That car would be damaged at one point or another, and Novi only hoped that whatever accident he'd get into would shut that smart mouth of his.


Eyes wandering yet again, Novi's gaze fell upon the waste basket that sat on the floor, filled to the brim with crumpled pieces of paper. Takeshi only added to that pile; just how many near-accidents had the guy been in, anyway? Did he ever bother to call the cops, for that matter? Probably not, if that entire bin was full of license plate numbers.


The guy's next words re-focused her attention on the task at hand. Sitting up straighter, Novi gave the road that they were on a scrutinizing look. "The house is on Bailey Street. You can probably get there from here if you get to Adelaide, first...which is a left, then two rights and another left..."


Really, all either of them needed to do was keep an eye out for that man-made river. If she could find it, she was sure that her home wouldn't be too far from it.


@CommodoreOlaf

​
 
Flynn patiently listened to Sammy as she explained about her lab and how much room she needed. Flynn was quite surprised at the mention of her going to a university and the fact that she had her ver own lab. He wondered how her and his father would get on. Maybe he would actually like her despite being middle class.


"Well I'm fine with sharing my bedroom. It would save more room but if you would prefer your own room that's fine. Also we can move your lab into the basement if that's okay? We never use it so I'm sure it'd be okay. You'd probably have to oversee the moving of your lab so nothing explodes" Flynn chuckled. He walked over to the car and got in the back and waited for Sammy to get in as well. "I hope you don't mind but I'll stop at my house first just to make sure they're okay with moving your lab in the basement." Flynn said as the chauffeur started the car.


After a reasonably long drive the car pulled up to the house. Flynn walked up to the large, white house. He attempted to open the door only to realise it was locked. Flynn sighed and lifted up one of the many potted plants that decorated the path around his house. He retrieved the key from underneath it after making sure no one was looking except for Sammy. "Well you know where the spare is if you ever need in." Flynn said with a smile as he unlocked the door and walked in.


"Welcome to my home. It seems my parents are out. I'm sure my mum will be home soon. Not sure about my dad though. He might have been called out to work..." Flynn explained as he slowly walked around the house. "I'll give you a quick rundown. Down here there's the living room, the kitchen, the dining room, a couple of bathrooms and my fathers study...but you shouldn't go I'm there unless he asks you." Flynn said as he pointed to the different rooms on the first floor of the house. Most, if not all of them were spotless (except from the study which they couldn't see). They all seemed to have expensive furniture in them that definitely gave of they high class vibe that Flynn didn't.


"Upstairs there are 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. One of them is a spare which you can use if you want. You should be able to figure out who's room is who. We all have are names on them except from the spare and of course the bathrooms don't." Flynn said before taking a deep breath after talking for so long without a break. "And of course the empty basement is down there." Flynn said as he pointed towards a door at the end of the hall.


"Okay. The rushed tour is finally over just go wherever you want and look around. I'll be right behind you if you need me." Flynn said with a smile. Waiting to see what Sammy would do.


@Auren
 
Skye Yoona Park


Skye listened attentively while the man spoke with the rough voice of someone who profoundly felt loss. A father and a wife, then to have his child taken to be raised by another couple while he was still reeling in agony- she marveled slightly at his endurance. It would have been easy to focus on what might haven been and what was stolen from him. A bright future filled with romantic love, giggling children, and doting grandparents. So much had changed over the centuries but the perseverance of happiness stayed the same. Methods evolved, wars were waged, and plagues struck, both nothing diminished the yearning to create immortality. Some sought to manifest this destiny through progeny, whether it be genetic, raising, caring, tutoring, or all combined, others strove to create great works that would stand the test of time, and yet others made their marks simply living lavishly and being known to all. Death came for all men but few wished to be completely forgotten.


Hans had as little as Skye did but he had not let the flickering flames of hope die out. Perhaps once they were but embers carefully tended and stoked in his heart, but he was more dutiful than she and had reaped a small reward. For an instant she felt shamed at her recollection of his statement regarding his dedication to protecting others (including Skye, of course). The woman still loved her parents, brother, and friends dearly, but she had only tried to protect herself after James lost. She felt helpless and resigned herself to powerlessness. Hans did no such thing. He put his feet squarely in front of one another and strode forward. He was a widower but he was not a victim; he was a survivor. Skye was but a shell of her capabilities. It was a slight embarrassment she hoped to keep to herself.


"You have my condolences. From what little you have said, though, I believe they would be proud of you for dedicating yourself to understanding people. Not many people in this world- much less the military- have such noble and altruistic intentions." With a pause and a smile she added, "And especially not lawyers." The rather petite female was a bit of a bleeding heart for the right cause. Compassion and empathy were were vices as much as they were her virtues and she found herself inexplicably drawn to Hans. It was not the sort of amour that the Love Harvest might prefer, but it was more than the blatant apathy that overshadowed the event earlier. At the very least she expected them to be friends. As troublesome as it was she was getting attached- which made it all that much more dire that she keep enough distance there would not be an attachment that would later become a source of gut-wrenching misery.


"Well, let's get going then. All that standing in line has made me famished and I think I can speed dial a pizza delivery to arrive at the apartment right when we do," she smiled. Before any objections could be voiced she rose from her chair, turned, and exited the building as she withdrew her phone from a pocket in her trousers. He could hear her soft voice reciting directions to whomever she had so quickly rang in an interesting mix of Korean and English. What few words he could understand were indicative of a different sort of delivery than just lunch- artwork and paint in one of the outlandishly expensive sprays that would enable coloring an entire wall in a fraction of the time. With technological advancement came expedient interior design- for a price.


@Hanzax
 
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