Futuristic Eradication

[CommodoreOlaf]

Takeshi grabbed his keys from out of a clear bowl on the counter and turned to Novi.


"Noo, it looks like crap but this wallet's lasted me for years. I'm going to the bank and then a clothing store, but I could always stop by somewhere else if you want."


Indeed it had, the duct-taped wallet had once been a handy Olafin leather but after many years of wear and tear (and countless rolls of duct tape), the wallet never failed to hold up.


"Rest in peace, eighth-grade formal." He muttered to himself.


@Agent Nine


((sorry I didn't know what to talk about xv))

 

[Agent Nine]

Novi watched him go, clearing the last bit of laughter-tears from her eyes with the back of her palm. Why he wanted to keep that tattered excuse for a wallet was a mystery to her, but she mentally shrugged and left the issue alone. It was his stuff; he could do what he wanted with it. She then turned back to Kyoko, smacking her hands together. "Welp, Shakespeare is gone. Let's see how you think my non-poisoned spaghetti tastes."


With just the slightest bit of unnecessary flourish, Novi spooned some of the spaghetti onto the plate. Then she paused, stared at it for a few seconds, and piled on some more. She had no idea how much Kyoko ate, so playing it safe and just giving her a crapton of food was the best thing to do, knowing her own appetite. She then drizzled some of the sauce on top, then plopped the plate down in front of the girl.


It was odd, but if she was being honest with her, cooking made her feel a bit happy. Just browsing through the kitchen and handling food made her think back to those arduous yet fun days when she and her mother would cook together, making up their own instructions as they went along.


Realizing that her mind had wandered, Novi brought herself back to the present and stared down at Takeshi's kid sister. "If it sucks, let me know. I haven't done this in a few days."


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[Flabbysaurus]

"Thanks..." Flynn mumbled in response to Sammy's compliment about his house. Flynn almost winced at the question about his family. He was quick to hide it with a small chuckle but he knew he couldn't avoid the question or lie. He'd hate to say his dad was great then have Sammy be quite shocked later on at his fathers real personality. Flynn sighed and began to answer.


"Well my mum's the nicest person I know. She's really kind to me, my dad...pretty much everyone. I'm sure you'll like her." Flynn replied with a smile which soon faded once he came to the topic of his dad. "My dad's a scientist which is why we have a lot of money. Maybe you'd know about the stuff he does cause I don't. But um...he's..." Flynn trailed off as he tried to the find the right words. "He's an ***hole. We don't get along at all but you might since you at least have something in common." Flynn said bluntly. "What're your parents like?" Flynn asked.


@Auren

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

"Shakespeare?" Ew, they already had nicknames for each other? Kyoko recoiled a little at the woman's comment. It was only the first day and she was beginning to see the developmental arc of a sappy couple. Kyoko brushed those thoughts away, the woman was nice enough to make spaghetti.


"If it sucks, let me know. I haven't done this in a few days."


Kyoko stared at the glop of tomatoey pasta in front of her. It looked almost intimidating as if taunting her with its size and bright color. Accepting the challenge, Kyoko picked up the fork, stabbed it into the center, and then twisted the handle, controlling the spaghetti. With her other hand, she used a spoon to cut a meatball in half, it's contents still hot and steaming.


Bringing the pasta to her mouth, Kyoko found the aroma very enjoyable and all the more pushed her to actually eat the thing. She hesitantly placed the fork in her mouth, bit down, and then pulled the fork it quickly. The pasta was.. Actually really good. Novi had created it in various ways very differently than she would have made it, but to each their own. Placing the slice of meatball next, she found herself yet again enjoying the flavors. It was seasoned just right, without the overpowering flavor an inexperienced chef would probably think to include.


Kyoko was impressed, but it would take more than a simple dinner to earn her trust. Kyoko realized she was really hungry and before she knew it, she had devoured her plate.


"Thank you, it was... good. I didn't expect that."


Watching Novi eat was interesting, she managed to finish her food quickly and efficiently, yet still maintained the poise and grace of a well-mannered woman. Which led Kyoko to wonder,


"What do you do for a living?"


@Agent Nine

 

[Syrenrei]

Skye Yoona Park


The next couple hours were a flurry of the same change that Skye had been lethargic and pensive about. Now that she had invested herself, a small glimmer of excitement shone through and she was more enthusiastic. She solicited the help of Hans in moving most of the furniture in their newly mutual bedroom away from the walls as well as that in the recreational room. Plastic sheeting had been neatly packed in one of the decor boxes and was placed over the large items of value to assure they were not destroyed . Skye personally stored away or temporarily shifted around smaller things that could become ruined- mostly necessities stored on counters. Tape was then put down around the trim and the top edge where walls met the ceiling. There were two sprayers to calibrate, though they discovered it was easier to have one do the larger nozzle setting and the other do a smaller nozzle setting that was more detail oriented. The colors? A slightly different shade of blue for the bathrooms to give diversity- from a slightly pale blue, to the suggested marine blue, a brilliant cerulean, and a steel blue. The master bedroom was a subdued yellow that was reminiscent of rays sunshine peeking through the windows. For the recreational room she was more daring, selecting a saturated red that would be made slightly less intense due to the walls of reflective glass that made up most of the room.


Skye was focused and relatively silent during the process. It was not that she had become hostile; quite the opposite. As the walls changed so did her disposition. Although there was some fear in 'erasing' or 'hiding' the familiarity of the apartment shared with James, it was also freeing. His ghost took several steps back as it made way for the blossoming size of her new life. The foot that had remained squarely entrenched in the past lifted and dragged itself forward to the present, her eyes cast towards a horizon that was not as scary and bleak as she had imagined. At one point she smudged blue into her hair and laughed at the mess she had made. It was vibrant and so she found herself slowly becoming the same. Had each breath before been shallow and halted? Was she now gulping down reality with renewed vigor?


With the master bedroom completed (Skye declared it top priority) and two bathrooms also finished, she had been about to approach Hans to discuss a break when the announcement reverberated through the streets, building, and rooms. It boomed into her heart as if the calm speaker had been screaming. A celebration. A ball. Of course she had attended such functions before with her family as a member of the upper class. She knew about the various table settings, which fork to use for her appetizer, how to properly cut meat, how to graciously decline a dance partner, and how to waltz as elegantly as any lady should. While she did not care for such things, it was important to other socialites and her parents that she was not an embarrassment of etiquette. Her eyes drifted towards Hans and she was reminded this affair would be for all the social classes that had partaken in the Love Harvest. Even more importantly, it was the government's method of parading their success rather than immersing them into actual fun.


She was going to be a display. Arm candy. There would be threats and guns for those who didn't smile and wave to the masses in reassurance of the master plan. They were to endorse the supercomputer. Skye wasn't particularly opposed to the methodologies of the government as a whole- she could not change them so there was no point to having a strong opinion. It would simply be tiring and frustrating to wear a mask of elation on command. She also hadn't purchased much clothing in the last few years, so most of her choices were limited to her days before even James. Fortunately she still fit in all those garments to her knowledge. "I don't suppose you packed a suit in those suitcases? Or maybe a dress uniform?"


@Hanzax

 

[Hanzax]

Hans Grøngaard @Syrenrei


After having finished off three of the rooms the speakers than across the streets started emitting a message. There was to a ball to be held tonight and all the newly-wed Love Harvesties were invited. Balls were not something Hans had much experiance with. The most formal event he had been a part of was the Love Harvest, which did not teach anything about etiquette. Although not knowing etiquette did not mean he didn't know how to at least look respectable.


"Aye, I've got a dress suit, shoes, pants and tie. Luckily I grew to be the same size as my father." He smiled. There were many things he had inherited from his father that he would otherwise never had needed. Making use of them was one of the ways Hans could withouth regret honor his father. "Honestly I've never been to a ball, I'm thinkin' it's gonna be a fancy party. Should be pretty enjoyable if don't think about the details."

 

[Agent Nine]

Novi seemed to sense the girl's quiet revulsion of the nickname she'd stapled onto Takeshi. Personally, she'd been treating it as a somewhat lighthearted joke between her and the oh-so-gifted speaker that was her genetically-matched partner. Kyoko seemed to be taking it in an entirely different direction; one that was fringed with lovestruck couples calling each other "pookie-bear" and "muffin-cheeks" and "honey-bunch."


"Shakespeare. Your brother's so eloquent with his words that I figured I'd give him a fitting name," Novi quickly said, defending herself while managing to keep her words laced with sarcasm. She'd get it, right? That it was a joke. The young woman was convinced that she would, but the slight warmth in her cheeks at that moment couldn't be ignored. She willed it away after a moment, staring at Kyoko as the girl prepared to sample her food.


If she actually said that it sucked, well...Novi wouldn't care much. It would be nice if it didn't, though. If anything, the spaghetti was a sort of peace-offering. A step towards what Novi hoped to be a decent relationship between herself and Takeshi's sister. Or acquaintanceship. Whichever was better.


After a few bites, the girl inhaled everything but the plate. Novi ate at the same time but at a different pace, chewing slower than she usually did. Appearances mattered, to an extent. And then:


"Thank you, it was... good. I didn't expect that."


She liked it? Novi raised eyebrows at the statement, but was nonetheless surprised and pleased. "Huh. Really? ...Thanks."


At the next question, however, Novi found herself a bit stumped. "Ah...uhh...oh, you know," She replied after a moment of hesitation, adding in a dismissive hand wave. "Odd jobs. Restaurants, mostly."


Then she paused, and figured, with a sigh, that that needed some elaborating on. "Waiting tables, cleaning...I've been in the kitchen a few times but that's not really...my station."


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Kyoko brought a hand to her chin in thought. Well, they did only know each other since a couple hours ago, they couldn't have been at that level yet. Though she understood they seemed to have already incorporated a sense of humor in their relationship, it didn't occur to her that love wasn't always the fair-maiden-and-knight-in-shining-armor fairy tale she had always believed.


"Shakespeare? That's kind of funny. Speaking of which, are you guys Romeo and Juliet?" Kyoko inquired as brought her plate to the sink. Something she realized as the plate touched the cool metal, she had done something she hadn't done in a while. The girl missed the house dearly, but there were things that needed to be done, people to seem purposes to live for.


Returning to the table, she listened carefully as Novi mentioned all of her methods of contributing to her bank balance. Huh, so she used to clean and wait for restaurants. Kyoko didn't have much of a reaction to that, but she definitely was satisfied that the bronze woman at least had a job or two, both of respectable origin.


"I see. Are you happy like that?" Kyoko hadn't meant to ask such a personal question, but as it crossed her mind, it slipped. She immediately leaned backwards, almost flinching at the question as if a timer toaster as gone off.


---


As he pulled up to the bank, Takeshi figured he'd take out some money to rent a tux. One of the formal clothing stores in the Community, the Artemis, he knew offered tuxedos at 'affordable prices'. That's what they claimed anyway.


He ended up withdrawing from his savings: about three hundred dollars with the intention of spending two hundred at most. Outside the Artemis, he recognized the soft glow of the neon sign the store showed off.


Takeshi wandered in the store, they wouldn't be closed for another six or so hours, so he took his time. The store was no Black Friday but it was not entirely dead either, so he decided he would get in there, get a suit, and get out as quick as he could. After about 30 or so minutes of browsing the double lapels, opera connoisseurs and prom suits, the Oshiro was still without a tux.


Takeshi did find, however, himself in the presence of a little old woman, in uniform as an assistant, who's height passed barely above a midget's.


Her eyes seemed to be squeezed shut and her frame looked like a simple bump into a wall would make her disappear into dust. She seemed so fragile. The woman tugged on his jeans and led him to a section he passed multiple times but never really considered looking at.


"Yes? These here?" He asked. She nodded and produced a long wooden stick of bamboo. Almost taking Takeshi's head off, the little assistant woman brought the stick to rest on a single tuxedo, resting on the high shelf. It was a classic black-and-white tuxedo and she beamed a toothless smile when Takeshi saw it.


He brought the tux down and the woman grabbed the tag, examining it's specifics. She hobbled to the back of the store, and after a minute, came back with an identical suit but this time, to fit Takeshi. In the dressing room, it was slim and it fit very well. That's very impressive to figure out my size just by sight.


"Thank you very much." He said, kneeling down to get to her eye level. The words she spoke to him were,


"Love her, and when love begins to fail, love her even more." The words were cryptic and not commonplace by nonetheless Takeshi smiled. Then they fist bumped.


"That'll be two ninety-nine." The woman said at the register. She was standing on a stepladder to reach the counter and even then, she barely cleared it.


"Wow, alrighty." Takeshi murmured. She had convinced him well enough. After paying for the tux, he picked up the suit, and headed to his car. The old woman's words had brought happiness to the moment. In that minute, there existed a genuine peace between two strangers, and knowing that still happened these days conjured only good vibes.


@Agent Nine

 

[Ayl]

@X405


Seeing the newly appointed military man just got promoted, Jacob mumbled as how easy and fast this was all going. Looking at the hand offered, he decided that common sense was to be expected of him. He took the hand and gave it a good shake, introducing himself. "Jacob Morgan. Glad to meet you, lieutenant, althought the circumstances could've been better." he added.


"Ah, now that you two are now acquinted, I will now debrief if you on your first assignment." the agent spoke from his seat. Pulling out another dossier from beneath his seat, he passed it towards the two men in front of him. "Nickolaus Karss, one of the top men running the underground resistance against the Community. They've been a pain in our sides for a long time now. Always ellusive, we never actually came close to finding out their real identitites. Until now. Your mission is simple. Find Karss, interrogate him, find out what you can, then dispose of him. Quietly. We don't want anyone getting wind of these operations. It could cause distress among the masses." the suit spoke.


The car finally stopped and the MM agent gesticulated towards the door. "Outside awaits the main headquarter of your task force. It isn't much, but it will do. When you enter, go and present yourself to the CO. You will receive your gear and everything you need to take care of your current and future assignments. Good luck, gentlemen, and fear not. We will be watching you. Closely! Now, get out!" he snarled.


Jacob didn't need a second invitation. Without even saluting, he stepped out of the limo and was temporary blinded again by the sun, although not as much as the first time. His eyes got more used to the sun now, as he gazed upon a rectangular shaped building, looking quite ordinary. Looking around, he deduced they were not in the military sector. Quite logical, since they were black ops. A normal place like this didn't belong somewhere where grunts could ask questions.


Taking a glance towards the lieutenant, he asked him with a grin on his face. "Shall we?". Not waiting for an answer, Jacob already started pacing towards the main door, albeit slowly, so he wouldn't let his new "comrade in arms" behind. At this moment, Jacob was hypped. An actual member of the resistance, one of the big shots, nonetheless. This could be his chance to join the ones that had had their boots on the throat of the government more than once. The perfect place where he could start his revenge.

 

[Syrenrei]

Skye Yoona Park


"Do you need them to be laundered? If they have been in storage for some time they might need a dusting off at the least." She weaved her way through the bedroom furniture that had been moved to the centre of the room, drifting past the coalesced sunshine paint that was almost dry, and the subsequent newly cobalt-hued master bath. As one might predict, the walk-in closed was both massive and barren. The left half contained racks of her clothes carefully arranged at different heights for maximum efficiency with the various lengths of garments. Since James's death the right side had been completely vacant, its polished wooden and chrome shelves, racks, and hangers a testament to the loss. Skye imagined that Hans's two suitcases would make it an even more haunting image. Should she purchase him clothing or would that be forward of her? The military did not have too much use for casual clothing but she felt her own wardrobe was now made excessive. Blouses of every shade imaginable, dresses of varying formality and coverage, skirts of several flattering styles and patterns, slacks carefully ironed and folded. Many Upper Class women had more shoes than she did- they lined the floor of her side of the closet in two carefully organized rows. None of the other upper echelon (to her knowledge) had what was contained on the shelf in the farthest corner of the left. Frayed jeans, low-grade shirts, slightly stained blouses, and the like had been collected for her ventures into the districts of the Middle and Lower Class to help her blend in. It was a strange assortment for someone of her standing to possess but she treasured it all the same.


"Well, what color is the tie?" she inquired. Splaying her fingers and running it against the fabrics of her dresses, she considered the choices. Many clothiers catered to fashionable ladies in blue and white, but there was also purple, aqua (her favorite), yellow, black, pink, burgundy. How modest should the attire be? Certainly the government would expect something respectable- but there were plenty of high-brow events with women wearing something slightly scandalous. Skye gave herself a sly smile. Yes, that would be quite something. She was just flesh to them, someone to keep alive and fertile and happy so that she may produce more of humanity. Rationally she understand that they were endangered and the government was just trying to help them survive. What shame was there in showing the skin that they valued her for? When children were thrust on her she might lose her slender physique.


@Hanzax

 

[Agent Nine]

"Speaking of which, are you guys Romeo and Juliet?"


Novi snickered at the question. "Didn't they both kill themselves at the end of the play?" She replied as she went over to the sink to get rid of her own plate. It wasn't really an answer, but she seemed to treat it as one, starting to put away all the ingredients and utensils she'd dealt with. After a few minutes, only the spaghetti and sauce was left to remain on the stove-top; Novi considered packing them up and putting them in the fridge for a moment, but figured that it'd be a slightly better idea to leave them out for the time being. Just in case Takeshi wanted some when he got back from the bank and...wherever else he decided to go to.


Kyoko's next question caught her off guard. Then again, a lot of things seemed to be doing the same, today. Eventually, she'd probably be immune to surprises.


"Happy...?" Novi echoed, blinking at her. That was different. She'd never really given much thought to her jobs; in her mind, they were simply ways to keep herself busy during the week, as well as a method of sustaining herself and further the independence she'd been familiarizing herself with her entire life. She didn't treat them any differently and, as a result, didn't treat the people she worked with any differently, either. They were necessary associates at best, and obstacles at worse.


Rooted to her spot on the ground, Novi was quiet for a while as she thought, her eyes resting steadily on Kyoko's. They were difficult feelings to explain...ah, to hell with it. The girl seemed smart enough.


"Well, let's look at it this way," Novi began, leaning back against a counter and crossing her arms at her stomach. "Jobs are a means to an end. People don't work in sanitation because they enjoy it or anything; they do it to make money and put food on the table for their kids. Of course there are jobs that people can go and have fun with, but...I dunno, I guess one of those hasn't made itself available to me."


She shrugged. "Do I hate mopping floors and taking orders? No. Do I love it? No. It's just a thing that I can do that happens to make me money. And as far as being 'happy' goes...I guess I'm happy that I'm earning my keep."


There. A reasonable enough answer, if she said so herself.


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[Hanzax]

Hans Grøngaard @Syrenrei


"The tie is black with a golden symbol at top. I've got a yellow dress shirt that should fit well with it. Also, I dusted em' off as I packed them into my suitcases, my shoes might need a shinin' though." He responded as Skye had made her way into their newly painted master bedroom. His wardrobe was not of the highest priority but looking respectable in public and around others was preferred. His everyday attire, if it wasn't military, was could be considered semi-formal. Different colored jeans with a short sleeved dress shirt that was a little to big to give better movement.


Placing the airbrush down Hans went out to the living room, where they had earlier eaten their pizza, and lifted his suitcase up onto the table and unzipped it. Folded neatly was his father dress suit, shoes and tie pilled ontop each other. He moved the pizza boxes aside and spred them evenly across the table for when they had to leave. One could tell the suit had taken on some years, both the suit, pants and tier shared the same slightly smoky black color. There were two buttons on the jacket, one mid way down, just below ones sternum, the other two inches below that. The small emblem on the tie was an embroided trident in golden thread, it was only three centimeters tall but was easily visable when paired with the suit. "I guess I should ask where do ya want me to store my clothes, I'll my suit out here so it's ready." Hans said in a raised tone to make sure Skye could hear him through the walls of their apartment

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

It was a reasonable enough answer. Kyoko liked that woman wasn't a money-hungry workaholic who worked 24/7 but also that Novi wasn't a lazy bum. She was labor-capable and as much as Takeshi irritated her to the ends of her nerves, Kyoko still preferred Takeshi to be in good hands. It was in her blood to. Her brother was just being stubborn. Kyoko believed she was old enough to make her own decisions.


"That's cool, I guess." Past here, Kyoko hadn't figured out this far into meeting Takeshi's Love Harvest partner. Kyoko brushed a rogue strand of hair from her eyes and stared at the table.


"It must be fun. Going to the ball. And get all fancied up. It's just make up for a far messed up facade of the government, if you ask me."


Kyoko glanced at Novi, expecting to see a bewildered emotion appear on her face.


"Speaking of which, if you um, need any one to help you with your make-up for tonight, I know a thing or two." Kyoko, preparing on the defensive Novi placed her under a certain tomboyish category, continued,


"I may carry a bat, but I'm still a girl."


Just then, Takeshi entered, carrying the tux under a white plastic covering.


"You guys miss me?" He said with smirk.


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

"Cool," she said. Right, sure. It was "cool." Novi shrugged, leaning on the tips of her toes to fish a glass out of the cupboard. She took it over to the sink and filled it with water, still listening as Kyoko spoke. "Hah. Great, if your idea of fun is getting all gussied up to go stand around in a huge ballrooom, being all but forced to talk with total strangers," She commented as her back was turned, her tone dry. Novi was decidedly avoiding bashing the couples' ball too much, despite how much she wanted to; she didn't enjoy the idea of it at all, and drew no personal joy out of putting on fancy clothes or going to public events.


Then Kyoko went on, saying something about make-up. Novi turned to her after a while and blinked, an eyebrow raised in a genuine curious expression. "Of course you're a girl. You were born with the right parts, weren't you? And chicks need to be prepared just as much as guys do when it comes to self-defense. I, uhhh...appreciate the offer, though. I guess. If I decide that make-up is a needed thing I'll give you a call."


Takeshi showed up at that moment, strolling into the kitchen with a fresh new suit slung over his arm. Novi gave a few congratulatory claps. "Well, look at that. A monkey suit that might actually fit you."


@CommodoreOlaf

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[Syrenrei]

"Go ahead and bring it in here if you like," she called back through the wall, considering the golden choices that hung from the premium hangers. They were relics of glittering appearances at the balls and events that her parents had insisted she attend. Admiring their beauty she let her fingers stop at a beautiful champagne sheath dress that ought to compliment his attire. Sheer fabrics and a long slit up the leg would create an elegant and slightly scandalous silhouette. The shoulders were bare, as on most evening gowns, but the back was more covered than many other styles that those with hourglass figures favored. It might be a bit much to show so much skin that she embarrassed her newly attained husband. Moderation was key- enough to rebel slightly against the incredibly modest attire a wife might be expected to sport on her first evening out, but not enough to cause lasting infamy.


Carefully slipping the crystal-encrusted shoulder off the hanger, she pulled the garment free and held it up to her torso. She had 'filled out' as her mother so delicately noted since she last wore this several years ago, but not enough to merit an alteration. What was slightly lose might be a little tight in the chest and waist, but that was often the price of fashion. Had she cared enough to do so she could have called over a friend and enlisted their help to get into a properly taut waist corset.


As the fluttering aureate gown was folded over an arm, she pulled down her box of jewelry. Most had ten times more than she had accumulated- truth be told she'd rather sport the same pieces over and over than deal with the frustration of trying to buy more. Gems were increasingly rare in the post-virus society, many grown in laboratories rather than mined, and were often not worth the expense. It would be a shame to not wear any, however, so she mulled over a small selection of gold to match the tones they would be wrapped in for the ball. There were also shoes to consider and how to make her hair more presentable. Skye sighed. It would have been much easier to be born a man instead of a woman.


Should Hans decide to join her in the closet, he'd find her staring pensively into the box of sparkling necklaces and earrings for several long moments before sighing once more. This was truly not her forte.


@Hanzax

 

[Hanzax]

Hans Grøngaard @Syrenrei


Flicking quickly through the pile of shirts in his suitcase. Spotting the only piece of yellow left he slips out a golden colored dress shirt. He zipped closed the suitcase once again and let the shirt rest ontop of the his fathers dress suit. Picking up the a suitcase up each hand he headed towards the master bedroom. As he stepped inside a closet door was open, illuminating a small pocket of the room. Placing the suitcases beside the door their newly painted room he took a look inside. It was a full blown walk in closet, something that he had never expected to see in person. One side was plastered with different types of fabrics in varying colors and designs. On the other it was empty and desolate, not one article of clothing was present, without a doubt that would be his row.


Further inside closet was Skye, standing there looking down into a small wooden box. "Is a pretty elaborate setup you've got runnin' in here." Hans announced as he entered the closet. He took a few steps closer to Skye who had been holding a golden dress spread across her arm. It wove and twisted in a multitude of places, far more complex than the simpel piece of fibre that his suit was. Taking a look over Skyes shoulder he saw the contents of the box she had been pearing into, jewelry. Quickly he spotted a pair of earrings sprang forth as ideal in his own eyes. The focal point of the piece was the gemstone, a bright sapphire that contrasted with its golden walls. "I'd go with that one." He said as he had positioned him close enough to reach over and point.

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Kyoko shrugged and said,


"Sure thing." and as Takeshi entered, she continued, "I might need to put some on him if he wants to look decent tonight." It was a little joke that she muttered, quick to escape Takeshi's hearing range and of which, when imagined, brought laughter to her throat.


At her brother's opening words, Kyoko felt a chill run through her body, leaving her core cold and feeling sluggish.


I miss mom and dad. Kyoko turned towards the floor, feeling here eyes moisten a little, as she replayed the memories of the Oshiro family throughout her mind. They once were happy, but now melancholy seemed to seep through the ripped fabrics of her life as her father and mother left them on their own.


Takeshi sensed nothing as he walked past Novi and Kyoko into the hallway. He placed the tux on his bed and returned to the kitchen.


"I see you've completed cooking. You mind if I have a taste?" He said, eying the pot with curiosity.


It wasn't a usual thing to have someone cook for him. If you didn't count fast-food meals, the concept of homemade cuisine was foreign to him.


"Did you eat already?" He asked, balancing a plate of spaghetti on his palm, as he slid into chair across Kyoko. "I hope you weren't too harsh on her cooking."


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

Novi managed to catch a sliver of Kyoko's joke, stifling her own laughter as Takeshi walked by, vanishing down the hallway. Then he came back and started snooping around the stove-top. "Go ahead," She replied, waving a hand at both him and the pot as she peeled herself off of the counter. "I should probably go and...unpack my stuff."


True, there was a certain tension that seemed to crackle in the air whenever Takeshi and his kid sister were near each other, but that wasn't what was encouraging Novi to leave the kitchen. Whatever issues they had with each other would vanish in time. ...Hopefully. It wasn't her business, anyway, and she wouldn't pry. Absentmindedly tapping her fingers on her legs, and after retrieving her box of stuff, Novi walked out through the doorway and turned down the nearest hall to go to the guest room. Once there, she plopped down her things and started to rifle through her pile of clothes. It was a pretty substantial pile, too; she'd been in a sort of rush, but Novi hadn't neglected any of her drawers, having yanked a handful of clothing from each one. She had plenty of shirts, pants, socks, and underwear to last her a good while.


"What the..."


Pausing, Novi blinked down at the messy pile as her hand came across a streak of blue. She didn't own many blue things...did she? The young woman pulled at the cloth until she could get the entire thing away from the rest of her clothes. Lo and behold, it was a sleeveless, blue cocktail dress. One of those v-neck ones, too, with a single strap that seemed to loop behind her neck. Novi held it up to herself, pinching the smooth fabric in places while inspecting the rest of it. The dress stopped just above her knees.


Huh. She couldn't remember buying the thing at all. And yet here it was, apparently having been shoved into her drawer with her other clothes instead of on some hanger somewhere. Maybe it'd been a present...? Or some ill-conceived purchase from ages ago that she'd hidden from herself. Either way, Novi had mixed feelings about finding the dress.


On one hand, it was good that she had something to wear for the ball, now.


On the other hand, she'd never worn a dress before in her life. At all. ...Ever.


Letting out a heavy sigh, Novi plopped herself down onto the edge of the bed, the dress bunched up in one hand.


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

The spaghetti was good and Takeshi could say he actually enjoyed it. He could still remember the last time his mother had cooked for him. The dish was an old recipe she had found on the internet from the ancient days: Indian curry. Although many of the required ingredients were not readily available and thus, forced her to use processed alternatives, the dish was a success. Both in it's flavor, as it wasn't as lacking as Takeshi expected, but it also delivered the forewarned gaseous experience he figured he was exempt from because of the initial ingredient substitutions. Successful, was the choice word for the curry but Takeshi would have chosen something more along the lines of 'Never again'.


Mrs. Oshiro fell ill due to the overgrowth of a tumor in her brain, causing her severe paralysis and intense pain throughout the entire body. Her cognitive abilities were dampened, but not entirely incapacitated and she was able to speak, at most 4-5 sentences a day.


Watching her brother drift away mid-bite, she observed in him a change. A change she wasn't sure of. To her, he seemed... Impelled. To what task, she hadn't the slightest idea, but it was almost like he didn't have the same apathetic behavior she usually witnessed.


Breaking the silence between them, Kyoko said,


"Mom would be proud." Takeshi looked at her, perplexed. "You finally have someone who can cook for you."


Takeshi glared at her.


"Stop."


"It's okay. Novi knows what she's doing. Finally, some direction in your life."


"Kyoko." He forced through clenched teeth. He realized he was gripping his fork so tightly his knuckles turned white. Takeshi released his grip and sighed. After a minute of silence,


"... I'm scared. Should I be? No. But... I still am." He pushed his plate away and leaned back into his chair. "It's stupid to you, I know. 'Let a formula control your future'. It's not all that though, don't you see?"


Takeshi leaned over his plate, with pleading eyes.


"I don't have a clue about what's going to happen. All I do know is that I make things work as best as I can. With Novi, maybe, maybe, we don't work out and we end up hating each other's guts. Or maybe.. we do work out and we.. coexist. It can go either way, but right now, the best thing to do.. is just sit tight. All we got is each other. " Takeshi rubbed his temple, glad that he managed to speak to her, but it was all in her power to actually consider it.


Kyoko just stared, impatiently. She still felt differently to him but the words weren't going in one ear and out the other. She was beginning to understand his reasoning. If only, he could understand hers.


"You play it safe too much. If only you wanted it as much as I do." She broke away from the table and entered her room, closing and locking the door behind her.


Takeshi felt exhausted. After washing the dish and utensil (and whatever was left in the sink), he went across Novi's new room into his own. It was weird. Knowing that someone had come to live with you, an acquaintance at best, was not very comforting. Takeshi had grown to accept Novi and to an extent, like her, but there were still layers of her he had to discover.


Passing her room, he considered knocking, but instead he went right and closed his own door. He would take a shower. Then, he'd shower, shave, poop, the whole shebang. Then, he'd get dressed and wait in the living room for Novi. They'd go to the ball, have a ball, come back and then they'd start their lives together..


Coexisting.


That was the plan right..?


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

There was a lot of door-closing coming from beyond her own shut door. No slams, but still...the only reason she'd closed her door was because she was used to doing it at her own home. It seemed like it was a common thing, all of a sudden. Or maybe Takeshi and his sister had had a little tiff, and now they were shutting themselves up in their rooms to simmer off. Novi frowned at the concept of the latter, but stayed put on the edge of the...her...bed, with her newly-discovered dress clutched in her hands.


Well...now what? Should she shower and get herself dressed? It kinda felt like there was a couple of hours before the ball started, though, and if that were the case then there was no need to get ready any time soon. But until that point...what did she have to do?


Takeshi and Kyoko could be volatile at the moment, but Novi figured that she at least had to ask someone about the dress she'd found. To the young woman, it was a nice-looking piece of clothing, but dammit, it was a dress; she didn't know how to deal with the things.


...Speaking of fancy clothing, she probably needed a different pair of shoes...would they launch a bullet in her brain if she went wearing a dress and a pair of sneakers?


Welp, Kyoko was the only other female in the house. As loathe as Novi was to make assumptions based off of gender, it seemed like it'd be a good idea to ask the girl about the dress. An opinion was all she really needed; clothes and food were probably the only two things that Novi would accept criticism on. Mind made up, she got to her feet and slipped out of her door, going down the hall a couple of feet before rapping on Kyoko's door with her knuckles.


"Open up, kiddo. I need...errr, I have a question."


@CommodoreOlaf

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[CommodoreOlaf]

Kyoko paused her music. Did someone knock?


She got up from her bed and unlocked the door. Opening it a little, she peeked the crack and saw Novi.


"Oh. Novi."


Kyoko opened the door wider until it rested against the rubber stopper. She furtively looked behind Novi to see if Takeshi was still at the table. Seeing that he was not, she exhaled. He wouldn't bother them, more importantly her, now.


"What's up?" Kyoko asked.


--


Takeshi knew it was a couple hours before the Community Ball. Deciding he would chill for a little he fell onto his mattress with a Oomph.


Resting with a pillow behind his head, he flipped the television on. It was a news report of Tina Edmund, one of the evening anchors for the Community. In the upper corner of the screen, was a still image of a man whose face he did not recognize. A couple smacks against the bed later, the remote turned the volume up so Tina could be heard.


"...vidence has come up from a cold case ten years ago in what's considered one of most terrible acts of rebel terrorism in it's time. The Train Bombing of Platform 6 was an unsolved case in which a destructive bio-bomb went off during the morning commute on April 6, 2056. Recently, the identity of a man has been undisclosed but his picture as one of the suspects on the scene has been developed from supposedly misplaced CCTV film."


Takeshi stood quickly, he couldn't believe his eyes. His father had fallen victim to the bombing when he was at a young age. He didn't know much about it but he did learn that the ones who bombed Platform 6 were very bad people. He walked slowly up to the screen. "Here he is now in an updated picture."


Takeshi stared at the face. It was the face if a man who looked to the side showing a perfect profile. The sick man who killed all those innocent people. The twisted man who plotted against the government. The man who killed his father. Takeshi clenched his fists until the image disappeared, feeling a knot forming beneath his heart as it's pace quickened. Takeshi fell into a deep thought.


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

She opened the door. That was as good of a sign as any.


Instead of responding right away, Novi held up the dress so that the girl could see, dangling it in the air with a piece of the fabric pinched between her fingers; it was a manner that a lot of people would mimic when holding sagging bags of garbage or dead pests that'd been found behind stoves and under tables. She might as well have been holding a piece of roadkill.


"I had no idea that I had this, but I do," Novi said, shaking the dress a little as she spoke. "And...dammit, I don't know. What do you think...? Of the dress. What do you think of the dress?"


The young woman was in no way anxious or pleading with Kyoko, but it was clear by her tone alone that she didn't know what to do with the thing.


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Kyoko looked at the thing curiously. It didn't look old or worn. It actually looked relatively new. The younger woman knew a decent amount of information about fashion. She was no fashionista but she could still make an outfit.


Eying the fabric, Kyoko extended her hand and took the edges of the dress. She let it fall until it was completely hanging in front of them both.


In Kyoko's opinion, the dress seemed like a good match for Novi. She suggested,


"This is great. Does it fit you?" Placing the dress across her shoulder, Kyoko left the door to visit her shoe rack, in which stored many various shoes and footwear.


Grabbing a light cream-colored pair of heels, she made her way to the dresser and fumbled around with the contents for a minute. Finally, she found what she was looking for - a clutch purse of similar color as the heels. Kyoko brought the items to Novi.


"These will work well together, but it's up to you." Kyoko advised, her hands extended holding the objects.


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

"This is great. Does it fit you?"


"I haven't...tried it on, yet," Novi muttered, her amber eyes alight with curiosity as she watched Kyoko go over to a shoe rack and start rummaging through things. The chick obviously knew what she was doing. Getting on her toes a bit to look over the girl's shoulder from afar, Novi strained to see what things she'd found. That is, until Kyoko turned around and held the items out to her. A pair of heels and a matching clutch purse. ...Huh. Who knew?


"Wow...uhh...thanks," Novi said after a moment, tilting her head as she inspected the shoes and purse in turn. She didn't sound too enthused, but the fact that the girl had gone and found extra things for her had stunned her. All Novi had wanted was a simple opinion on the dress; not a mass of accessories to rent out. She was grateful for it, hell yes, but...it was all just so...unexpected.


"They do look like they'd work. You've got an eye for this sorta stuff, so I'm trusting you. And you, uhh...you're letting me borrow them? These are your things, aren't they...?"


And then, as an afterthought and with a slight smirk, Novi added "Unless your bro isn't telling me something."


@CommodoreOlaf

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[Syrenrei]

Skye Yoona Park


She jumped slightly when she heard Hans speak. So much time alone in the apartment had bred an expectation of continued, permeating silence. His words, his breath, and movements jostled her out of her staring contest with the inanimate object. Many times she found herself, as she was now, lost in thoughts and gazing in a direction for upwards of half an hour before reality shook her free. He drew closer after his compliment on the arrangement of the closet and then leaned over her, pointing at a pair of sapphire earrings that he favored. Relieved to have another minor decision out her hands without excessive time spent on deliberation, she slipped them into the holes in her ears and stood, placing the box back on its shelf.


It certainly took some getting used to- being around a man again. Hans was certainly not threatening in any way, but he exuded even more masculinity in his differences than James did. The racks and shelves were a few inches lower so that she and James could reach them more easily, but this was not necessary for her new taller husband. There would be a lot less struggling to lift heavy objects and open tightly sealed containers. Despite her jaded disposition she felt her heart briefly flutter. How ridiculous. She was a grown woman that had been through this sort of adjustment before... and he had died. There was no sense in letting herself get carried away by charm and good looks again only to suffer disappointment later.


Next came the shoes, which were easy- she had only one pair of gold sandals and pumps would be a touch inappropriate with the gown she had chosen. Most of the participants of the Love Harvest were younger than she was- teenagers that had just entered the 'program.' As one of the few in their mid-to-late-twenties this would conjure an image of refined elegance- along with a slightly scandalous showing of skin. Skye knew she could not compete with the youthful glow of her juniors. Being 'cute' was out of the question and too 'sultry' might encourage the government to have stern words and actions. Tempered, lovely rebellion. She smiled to herself.


"I can't imagine you are the type that enjoys shopping, but you can feel free to fill out your space with new purchases. I know this all seems rather extravagant, but both my parents and my deceased husband's are wealthy. When he passed, I inherited more than I know what to do with," she stated. His parents had been full of grief themselves and they the depth of Skye's feelings. She wasn't sure if they had thrown money at her because it was the right thing to do, because they were trying to honor his memory, because it was all they had left to give, or because they wanted to cement a relationship with the daughter they almost never had. It was a trying process for everyone involved. "I have a younger brother, Tristan, so they try to split everything between us to be as fair as possible. He'll be attending the Love Harvest himself for the first time next year."


With the heels in her hands and the dress draped over her arm yet, she exited the closet and placed both on the pristine white bed. "Regardless, you can buy whatever you like within reason. I don't get out much except out much except for school and to eat." Food was one of the few purchases that actually bought her fleeting satisfaction and happiness. There were some excellent chefs in all three social statuses that she was a repeat customer of. One man ran a noodle shop in the Lower Class District and made all of the dough by hand; it was absolutely amazing. Whenever he saw her walk into his humble derelict restaurant her began to make her favorite dish without prompting. He ran a profitable business but she always felt compelled to pay double the cost of the meal.