Futuristic Eradication

[CommodoreOlaf]

Who was he? Why now, after ten years, has any progress toward the case surfaced? That man he did not know yet formed in Takeshi strong emotions of anger.


What was the meaning of all this? Takeshi paced the room, unsure of it all. He could remember being lifted by his father's strong arms, the faint scent of his cologne, and his father's eyes, as dark as night. He could remember the afternoon when a military officer arrived at their door with a piece of paper, wearing a mournful frown.


That was war. That was what was happening between the government and the rebels. That was loss. Takeshi looked at himself in the mirror, examining every inch and edge of his face, his body. He wondered if he had what it took to lead a family. He wondered if he had what it took to be strong. Sitting on the bed, he sighed heavily, clasped his fingers together, and let his head hang.


--


Kyoko giggled and covered her mouth.


"I'm sure he won't mind if you borrow it." She returned in the same manner.


"If you do end up using the accessories, please try to take care of them."


Kyoko had never lent anything to anyone ever before so in her mind she felt like she was doing her a huge favor. Of course, she expected it back but she still decided to add,


"Consider it a 'marriage gift'."


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

"Marriage gift", she says. Ha.


Novi took the shoes and the purse, weighing them in her hands a little as if she wasn't used to the feel of such things. "I'll try not to burn them to a crisp," She muttered jokingly, reclaiming the dress to sling it over her own shoulder. Then, feeling as though things had been resolved, she gave the girl a nod and let herself out, leaving her to her own devices.


It was then that Novi found herself torn. On one hand, she could probably go about her business and stroll about the house. Maybe even find a book to read or something to pass the time. It was better than sitting and doing nothing for the next few hours.


On the other hand, she could go and see what Takeshi was up to. He'd been pretty quiet within the last few minutes, and it wasn't...like she was concerned or anything, but she'd admit to being a bit curious. Just what the hell was he doing in there, by himself?


...Well, she could think of a couple of possibilities, but they didn't seem right. Time to find out.


Novi went over to his door and tapped on it with her knuckles. "Knock knock. Telegram."


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[Hanzax]

Hans Grøngaard @Syrenrei


"I only really buy things out of necessesaty, but if I spot something that I like I'll be sure to buy it then. We certainly won't run into a problem of me needing extra room." He replied with a smile. Through out his whole life he had never been in a position where money was an issue, his parents earned enough money to keep trouble at bay and now both of his wives had more money than needed. Even so he had never been one to over saturate himself with things, buying something actually had a value greater than just thing you had bought.


Hans dragged the suitcases around the corner, into the closet and zipped them open. Leaving his battered suitcase untouched but open in the corner nearest the door, he began unfolding and hanging his shirts and jumpers onto the hangers. His jeans and other forms of shorts and trousers were folded up and placed into one of the shelves for easy pickings. The only other pair of shoes he owned besides his dress and daily shoes were his military boots, which would stay safe and ready together with his shotgun.


"I have a feeling we're going to be attracting alot of eyes with our matching setup and age." Hans laughed. Seeing as he had a chance to scout the competion earlier in the day, one thing that he took note of was that most particapents were young. The machine that was the Love Harvest was apparently very efficient, although there were always the unpredictable outcomes like himself and Skye. "Guess that's a good thing though, hopefully everyone won't be to afraid to speak to eachother."

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Takeshi heard the soft knocks and thought, Hm. Kyoko never called on him for assistance or for anything really, it must've had to have been Novi.


He got up from the bed and smoothed the part of the covers he had been resting on. For what reason, he realized as he approached the door, he did not know exactly.


Should he open the door quickly and act surprised?


Or slowly, cautiously? He didn't know her that well of course.


Just open the door. Takeshi sighed and turned the knob, swinging the wooden door inward until they stood together, in plain view. It was weird seeing Novi, standing before him, in his own home. Well, it was their home. But he decided it would take some getting used to.


"Hey there." Takeshi said casually and in spirit of the classic knock-knock joke, he added, "I thought that joke died off years ago." After a brief chuckle, he continued,


"What's up?"


@Agent Nine

 

[Lucem]

As Vincent walked back inside the house, he scratched his head in a slight fit of frustration. Based on the progress he had made so far, he wasn't escaping any time soon. This place was built like a prison, the large walls doing well of giving off a feeling of being trapped.


As the surface underneath his sneakers changed from hard marble to luxury carpeting, Vincent stopped when the familiar, computerized voice started to ring in his ears. "Attention, members of the community," Attempting to block out the large volume, he placed his hands over his ears, a headache now beginning to form.


What did they want with him now? The Love Harvest was over already, wasn't it? He couldn't think of any reason for the current broadcast unless something important had come up.


“With another successful year of Love Harvest, we would like to host a celebration pertaining to three generations of continuity. The first Community Ball will be held tonight at Concord Center." Feeling his blood run cold, Vincent attempted to push back the thoughts that began to creep up. 'Don't worry. If I'm lucky, this will be optional and I can focus on getting out of here.'


“Participation is mandatory. Dress is formal and, if possible, bring your Love Harvest partner. May the order provide you unity. Long live the Community.” With the announcement over, Vincent found himself kicking a wall once again. 'Damn! Damn! What's with this talk about a ball!?' With this being the first celebration of its kind for the Love Harvest, it felt as if the government was doing this just to make Vincent even more annoyed than usual.


Being brought out of his mental rant by the sound of his name, Vincent turned his head to face Emilia. Yes, this was his legal wife, someone he had known for less than twenty-four hours. Now, he was expected to run off to some ball with her and be put on display in order to boost the government's public image.


Stopping his assault before putting another hole in the wall, Vincent turned the rest of his body. Brown hair shadowing his face, it took everything in his power to not scream in rage. 'Remember the plan. Remember the plan. Remember the plan...' If he blew up now, he'd definitely be in trouble. They were expected to show up and if the couple was lacking one member, it wouldn't be good for said member.


Clenching his fist, as if it was containing his anger, he spoke up. He would need to stick with using a single word for now. "So?"


@Darth Pai

 

[Agent Nine]

He opened the door, albeit a little slowly, and Novi briefly wondered whether she should toss her dress and borrowed goods into her room. The young woman wasn't one for surprises, and had harbored a sort of hate of them that festered over the years from many a surprise gone wrong (birthday parties were the worst), but she had no idea if Takeshi felt the same way or not. Maybe it'd be a good idea to shock him with her outfit, if only because she imagined the look on his face would be pretty damned funny.


Of course, actually donning the dress would take a lot more effort once it was dressing-time. She liked it, but still couldn't really see herself in it.


"Nothing much. I was just...wondering what you were doing in here, all quiet and holed up," Novi replied, shrugging a little. She might as well be truthful, and jokes weren't coming as easily to her at the moment. That was odd. Pausing for a moment, she seemed to hesitate before asking "Are you, uhh...alright? I mean, I'm totally allowed to pry into your business and all, now, but..."


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Takeshi shuffled backwards, a little surprised at Novi. She didn't seem like the type to... care, for a lack of better word. Granted, she was a human being and most human beings were capable of such emotions. Additionally, it was in Takeshi's nature to believe wholeheartedly in this idea, but it didn't seem like Novi to actually go up to someone and ask about their condition. It wasn't bad of course, it was only.. Different.


"Are you, uhh...alright? I mean, I'm totally allowed to pry into your business and all, now, but..."


"Um. Yeah. I'm all good in here. Just watching some.." He twisted to look at the television screen, which was a public announcement channel in which the screen would change every five minutes. "...announcements." Takeshi said, turning back to face Novi. Of course, that sounded dumb. Watching announcements?


"Would you like to watch some television as well? There's another screen in the living room. There's also beers in the fridge, if that's something you do." He suggested with a weak smile. Takeshi didn't drink alcohol, but he kept two or three bottles in the fridge for his uncle, a standard Mr. Micah Red (just Red to the Oshiros), who was his mother's brother and Upper Classman that came to visit and check up on them often. Takeshi would stock the alcoholic supply for Red as he came around, just to be hospitable. Takeshi would rather there be no libations in the house, like his father preferred, but he owed it to his uncle, whose connections in the Upper Class gave to them financial help and provisions, especially during their most trying times.


"I'm about to go work on something in the garage. You're welcome to join me, also. Keep me company. I do warn you, a lot of it is watching." Takeshi paused before quickly shutting off the screen, as it had become gradually more and more static-ky, and closed the door behind him.


They were close now. Almost in each other's personal space. Up close, he could smell a pleasantly sweet scent permeating the air from her person and he could feel his heart halt for a split second. Up close, he noticed her skin was so soft-looking and clear of any blemishes. His amazement was brought higher as he noticed how flawless her skin was. "Sorry." He apologized as he stepped and turned away from her, turning multiple shades of red.


@Agent Nine

 

[Sen Pai]

Emilia grimaced when she saw Vincent kicking furiously at the wall. Although he wasn't saying anything, well, anything that she could hear that is, Emilia thought she had quite the accurate guess to what he was thinking. It was along the lines of the event, of course, and included a few words that would be considered profanity to an innocent child's ears. She was grateful that Vincent wasn't saying such words out loud. Even if they were just words, Emilia didn't exactly enjoy the negative meaning behind them.


A look of relief appeared in Emilia's eyes when she saw Vincent cease trying to make a hole in the wall and turn around to face her. However, she was not smiling. Emilia knew that it was not the right time or situation to fake another smile or try to shrug it off with a silly grin. But, what could she do? Say that they didn't have to go and that they could simply stay in the house? No, if Emilia did that she would be lying. There was no possible way, other than illness, that they could miss the government's celebratory event without stirring up some unwanted trouble.


Breathing in through her nose, Emilia bit her lower lip and hunched her shoulders as she watched Vincent tremble with anger. Alright, so he was mad. Even if Emilia had only known her "husband" for less than a day, she was starting to understand his behavior pattern. Not that she was actually taking notes and tabs purposefully. So far, Emilia has witnessed annoyance, irritation, anger, and silent rage from Vincent. But really, thise four emotions were really only two, just worded differently.


Emilia squeezed her eyes shut for a moment or so, furrowing her brow as she figured out what she should say to Vincent, who was practically shaking with fury, seeming to try and contain his anger. Then again, Emilia didn't know if she should say something in the first place. Would that be a good idea? Perhaps her voice and words would only anger Vincent even more. Emilia didn't know what to do! She hadn't been in many situations like the one she is in now. In fact, Emilia probably never experienced something like this.


"So?" The one word Vincent managed to get out of his mouth shook Emilia out of her worried thoughts, bringing her full attention to the current moment rather than dilly dallying in her mind.


Emilia pursed her lips together and side stepped to get the door out of her way. Walking outside, Emilia did her best to remain calm and not look like she had no idea what to do and folded her hands together to keep them occupied. Ignoring the fact that her palms were a little sweaty, Emilia tried to smile in attempt to cheer Vincent up. However, Emilia knew that the smile wasn't really meant for Vincent. It was meant for her.


"What...do you mean by so...?" Emilia mumbled the question under her breath, her voice soft and quiet. Wondering what Vincent meant by the two letter word, Emilia cleared her thoughts and decided not to look too deep into it. It was probably nothing anyway.


Plastering on a cheerful grin in hope to lighten up the mood, Emilia released the breath of air that she was holding and relaxed her muscles before straightening her posture. "Well, I don't think we should worry." Emilia started, wiping her sweaty palms on the sides of her skirt. "We have a great government who has helped humanity survive for three generations." Nodding her head to agree with herself, Emilia folded her hands behind her back and stood on her tip toes for a moment before rolling back on her heels. "They only want the best for us and I think this may be the first public event in decades!" Optimistic and bubbly, Emilia couldn't help but feel proud in the words that she spoke. Her father was a government official after all. The government cared for the Community. Without the government, the Community wouldn't have existed. The human population in North America would have fallen quickly to a depressing zero. Without the government, humanity wouldn't have survived for so long.


@Lucem Tenebris

 

[Agent Nine]

Announcements? Well that sure sounded...boring. And what was up with the surprise all over his face? What, the guy didn't think she was capable of rising above the rank of being a selfish bastard? Just because she didn't show it often didn't mean that she didn't care about other people.


Novi frowned a bit, her mind drifting yet again as she stood in the doorway. Truthfully, she felt a bit offended by his unspoken assumption, but was quick to calm herself down. Right now, she just seemed to be looking for an excuse to get angry with him. It was hard to come up with one.


Options, options...he was leaving her with plenty of options, and Novi didn't have the faintest idea of what she preferred to do, nor did she really have a preference. She just...wanted something to fill up the time that spanned between now and the impending ball. Something that wouldn't bore her to tears or send her outside, looking for sources of entertainment.


"The garage it is, then," Novi replied after a moment's thought, basically ignoring their unintentional closeness. At least, until Takeshi decided to move away a bit. Then she simply raised an eyebrow at him. "Hell, maybe I'll learn something if I watch you hard enough."


That was when she took a few steps back and turned to toss her things into her room, opening the door with a foot, before turning back to him.


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[Lucem]

Raising a brow as the girl motioned to move outside, Vincent turned his body to keep up with her changing direction. Why she would choose to go outside after having just returned to the house was beyond him. Of course, everything she did was beyond his comprehension.

​

​

Not wanting to fully follow Emilia outside, Vincent pressed his body against the door's frame. As he watched her shift around and change her stance, he noticed that she seemed a bit nervous. Despite noticing this, he had no intention of addressing it. It would just cause another issue that he did not need right now.

​

Hearing her finally speak up, Vincent now gave her a small amount of his focus. Hearing her address the confusion she had about his response, he realized that he probably should've tried to phrase his words better. He had intended to leave the next decision up to her, but it wasn't easy with his current emotions.

​

As she began to talk once more, her words began to confuse him a bit. 'What's she going on about? No need to worry? I'm not scared, I'm mad.' He didn't know where she was planning on taking this conversation.

​

As he stood confused, her next words would be what finally made him give her his undivided attention. Unbeknownst to her, Emilia had just brought up a subject that would have been better left alone. As she spoke, he took note of everything she said, each word resonating in his ears as clear as crystal.

​

Removing his side from the door's frame, Vincent's obvious and boisterous anger had faded. The previous scowling had disappeared and his face was now left blank. At this moment, he threw away the notion of biting his tongue in order to avoid any troublesome situations.

​

Moving from his position near the entrance, Vincent began to move towards Emilia. The only sounds that could be heard at the current moment were the clicks of the boy's shoes and the splashing of the running water from the nearby fountain. The lack of sound created a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

​

When Vincent would stop moving, he would find himself quite close to Emilia. He had been distancing himself from her as much as possible as soon as he had met her, leaving the lack of a large gap between the two to be seen as quite strange. Now, he was as close to her as he had been so far, but he paid no mind to the close proximity. He wasn't thinking very much at all right now, his focus only being on the words that he had heard but mere seconds ago.

​

Despite the height difference that he had been annoyed by earlier becoming more apparent at the moment, the fact that the girl was taller wasn't registering right now. With their almost equal height, his eyes now bore into her own, not reserved in the slightest. Her bright and bubbly self contrasted greatly from his cold appearance, his eyes putting even ice to shame. His words were none too kind either, as he spoke after having remained silent for a while now.

​

"Is that what you really think?" It was obvious that he was angry, more so than earlier, but the way it was displayed differed from his previous attempts at destroying property. Right now, Vincent rested on the fine line between silent anger and blistering fury, a dangerous spot to be in right now. His voice didn't shake with rage, but it held an icy tone, letting it be known that he was displeased. This may have been seen as an overreaction to just a few harmless words, but it was a sensitive issue for Vincent.

​

When she spoke, it became apparent that the two were more different than it had seemed. Emilia, as soon as she had revealed her positive attitude towards the government, had registered as one of the people Vincent could not stand.

​

@Darth Pai

​

​

 

[Syrenrei]

"That's rather the point, don't you think? They want to give voices, names, and faces to their success. If they are going to parade me like a prize horse, I will at least oblige them on my own terms. It will be interesting to see if they center their efforts more on the youth who were matched immediately or if they will focus on the slightly older adults to showcase that everyone can be found a match. If that is the case we will be prime examples of how wondrous the supercomputer is to have matched two widows genetically." Her voice was calm, cool, and distant as if such things did not matter to her. Inwardly she was conflicted on how to view these arranged marriages and the interference of the government. It seemed to be a rational, scientific solution to a plague that was spelling the end of days for their race. On the other hand, the government was so powerful that they were not truly as free as they ought to be. People were not free to chose their lovers, their spouses, or even in control of the children they birthed. From conception to death their own bodies did not belong to them. Even with the most noble of intentions it was a morally ambiguous area at best.


And what of feelings? The depth of a human being's heart was profound and the subject of the most beautiful art ever created. A passionate, intense love could create an everlasting bound or turn to a bitter hatred that could spurn a war that would last decades. Did their methodology in pursuit of a cure for the epidemic dehumanize them? Her parents cared for each other and their children but yet it was not the romanticized sort in fairy tales. There was a disconnect from their past to be certain.


Duty. There was a duty and responsibility they had to each other greater than the summation of their feelings. Each man and woman had an unspoken obligation to reproduce despite any feelings to the contrary. Were they all allowed to be selfish the birth rate might drop abysmally low and all sorts of defects that had been eradicated might come back to light. Skye was no professor of history, but arranged marriages had been the norm for centuries upon centuries before people wed for affection and devotion alone.


But Skye was tired and injured and her opinion biased. As scared as she was of change, there was nothing substantial left to lose. James had been erased from this world and soon all traces of him would be carried away with the wind. Her heart lifted incrementally at the prospect that the community might eventually flourish enough to allow more than it did now. They could tear down the walls and run into the landscapes that were so foreign to them over the course of the last fifty years. There were many problems that would be created with such individual indulgences, but a return to the mess and glory of their past was enthralling. There would be small steps forward first, tentative baby steps, perhaps even literally. "It will be awkward and the social classes will no doubt keep to themselves. The Upper Class will not want to associate with those beneath them, and the Middle Class may turn away the Lower Class. Couples will struggle to determine what class they belong to most appropriately and how to conduct themselves. But it will be a wonderful opportunity to mingle with the Lower and Middle Class. I imagine I'll raise a few perfectly shaped eyebrows."


@Hanzax

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Takeshi almost wished for a second, for Novi to decide to watch television instead of joining him in the garage. In there with his reliable workshop and handy dandy tools, he was at peace. It was almost therapeutic, in a sense. It was really more of a relaxing hobby than anything but even then, he was unsure he did the right thing letting Novi into his workshop. After some thought, he decided it'd be alright to let her in.


Oh well, we'll have to see. Maybe she doesn't knock something over like that one girl. Takeshi groaned as he remembered a time two or three years ago when Kyoko brought over her friend, Amber, for a sleepover. They had snuck into the garage to check out Takeshi's odd creations and had accidentally knocked over a project he had been working on for a good diligent seven months. The project was broken beyond repair and Takeshi spent many months in despair afterwards. He did recover of course, but that unfortunate event instilled in him a sense of unease whenever he thought about letting someone observe his work.


Opening the door of the garage, he slid open a tiny door which housed a switch. Flipping on the switch a second later illuminated the ceiling and walls with a white luminescence. It flashed brightly at first but became a softer intensity of light.


Around them were four workbenches in each corner of the garage, each equally messy and covered with tools. Takeshi weaved between various objects of which hadn't been used in the house: old cabinets, flat-tired bicycles, a broken lawn mower..


Past all that was his main workspace. He was working in several projects, but his main focus was on a small jumble of metal sitting on the work table in front of him.


"So, tell me.. What's your story?"


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

Novi followed Takeshi to his garage, blinking at the spastic flourescents that he had up on the walls. This place is an epileptic's nightmare.


They weren't in the room for more than three seconds before Novi started to wander, strolling by the workbenches and inspecting the little gizmos and doodads that she assumed he'd adopted as his projects. She was sure to keep her hands in her pockets; common sense told her that Takeshi wouldn't want her touching his stuff. What idiot decided to lay there hands all over another person's things during their first visit to a house, anyway?


"Story...?" Novi repeated, bending down to get a closer look at some really, really old car engine. "Want to be specific? I'd like to think that I've told you a lot within the last few hours. Personal stuff, too. What more do you want?"


As much as the words called for annoyance, her tone was casual. Conversational, even.


@CommodoreOlaf

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[Sen Pai]

Emilia's eyes widened in shock when Vincent suddenly approached her, staring her straight in the eyes. She almost flinched at the coldness held within the brown tone, but simply stood where she was, nervously staring back at Vincent. Clenching her teeth, Emilia couldn't figure out what he was thinking and felt a sense of fear that swirled in her mind, jumbling up her thoughts.


Had she said something wrong? Had she somehow offended Vincent without knowing? Emilia began to panic silently, leaning back to get as much room away from Vincent as possible without looking obvious. It was clear that she was uncomfortable, she didn't know what to do. None of the teachings she was taught as a child were helping in this situation.


Her eyes dashed back and forth, as if looking for some thing to help her escape from the discomfort she was feeling. However, when Emilia found nothing that would help her, she mustered up all of her courage to look back into Vincent's eyes. It was as if she was looking at a brick wall. Emilia couldn't see any emotion in them, it was as if he had the eyes of a dead fish. A cold, desensitized, impassive fish.


"Is that what you really think?" The question shook Emilia, it was the little pebble that destroyed the structure. What was Vincent trying to say? Was he implying that she was wrong? Emilia held her breath, the lack of oxygen going to her brain caused her to become dizzy and disabled her ability to think properly. Everything was fuzzy, her vision was blurred and unfocused. However, the need to reply and not keep Vincent waiting was still in her mind. So, Emilia said the first thing that came to her head.


"Yes."


@Lucem Tenebris

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Takeshi had fixated most of his attention on the engine, examining the device intently like an avid sudoku player would the puzzle section in the Sunday newspaper.


"No, no.. I don't mean that. Of course, we all have our backgrounds and such, but that's all behind the scenes." Takeshi went to the work table and grabbed a toolbox. He didn't turn to her as he spoke but from the post-speech silence he figured she wasn't any less thrilled of his inquiry.


"I was born on May 6 in little hospital, The Yata Providence, and I lived in the Upper Class Sections until I was 8. Dad died. Moved here. Mom ended up getting sick." He looked at Novi for a quick second.


"Though it wasn't the Virus. They found a tumor in her brain." Takeshi stared at the engine as he fiddled with it. "Both really suck ass, in my opinion." He began using a screwdriver to unlock the panel from the side of the engine.


"I work at a construction factory most of the time, but I also fiddle with things, as you can see." Takeshi brought the panel off the engine and examined the interior.


"I'm allergic to chocolate." He made sure several connections were secure and then opened a valve. "... I hate fire. I might as well be scared of it."


Takeshi tightened the valve again and replaced the panel.


"How about you..?"


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

Oh. So...random facts and hastily summarized life stories. Novi could do that. She might have shared some personal stuff with Takeshi that she'd never utter aloud around other people, but that didn't mean that she'd told him everything about her. Everything important, at the very least.


Crossing her arms at her stomach, a habit that she'd apparently grown into, Novi began to slowly pace about and rattle off all of the relevant, interesting things about herself that she could think of. "Alright...well, I was born on December 12th in a little hospital called..." What was the name, again? "...'St. Michael'. I'm pretty sure that was the name, anyway. Dad up and left once I was old enough to get moved out of the baby ICU. Mom got sick when I was 8, and Aurie moved in a few weeks later."


There was no malice in the young woman's tone at the mention of her care-taker's name, nor did she look over at Takeshi at the quip about her mother. She simply continued to pace, somewhat forcing herself to sound more uncaring than she actually felt.


"I've lived in the Middle Class all my life. No living relatives, as far as I know. I guess dad could be alive, but I'd have no way of knowing that for sure."


He probably was. Maybe he'd even found another wife and had settled down...maybe he'd had a child with her, and they were happy somewhere. Happy together. Or maybe he'd skipped out on them, too, the prospect of family life too scary to handle, scary enough to make him piss his pants. Or maybe he was dead. Whatever the situation was, he sure as hell wasn't around.


"I work part time at restaurants...waitress duties and cleaning and stuff, not too much cooking. Though I guess I've settled at one of those places, now...I got fired a few times from other ones. Something about having 'anger issues'," She continued, using air quotes for "anger issues".


"Ah...I hate cats, but think spiders are cool. And I like pistachio ice cream...also bacon omelettes, if you hadn't noticed yet. Ha."


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[Hanzax]

Hans Grøngaard @Syrenrei


The governments motive had never struck Hans as important. Whether or they'd gain something out of showing forward the new and succesful Love Harvest couples was irrelevant. The goal was for the public to react positivly to there actions, and if so everything turns out fine, the public likes the Love Harvest. If the public however doesn't react well then they've just learned that it's something they should not do. Improving the welfare of everyone would take years on end if they were to make sure that public would without a doubt support them without mistake.


"To be honest, I care little for socail statuses, far to often they're either something you've been given or something you've taken without any dedication. For that reason I also tend to favor both the lower and middle class, although they may not favor me, they have less to offer through power and wealth and therefor offer up themselves." Hans replied as he finished hanging the last of his clothes onto the crome bar. "I guess that's also the reason I am a part of the military. Ones rank is more often than not a directly correlated to ones effort put into your duties."

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

"Alright...well, I was born on December 12th in a little hospital called...'St. Michael'. I'm pretty sure that was the name, anyway. Dad up and left once I was old enough to get moved out of the baby ICU."


Her dad left? Takeshi felt saddened at the thought of it. Just utter abandonment. It was enough to make him feel heavy.


"Mom got sick when I was 8, and Aurie moved in a few weeks later." Novi's childhood was to Takeshi, tragic, to say the least. Though he felt he could compare, they both lost a parent at a very young age, even then that Novi had already lost one beforehand.


"I've lived in the Middle Class all my life. No living relatives, as far as I know. I guess dad could be alive, but I'd have no way of knowing that for sure."


Takeshi considered the possibility her father was still alive. For whatever reason he left, he was sure that affected her negatively in some way or another. He wasn't exactly sure how, but the absence of a father figure tended to create holes happiness-wise, he had concluded from his own experiences.


"I work part time at restaurants...waitress duties and cleaning and stuff, not too much cooking. Though I guess I've settled at one of those places, now...I got fired a few times from other ones. Something about having 'anger issues'."


Takeshi stopped fiddling for a second.


Anger issues? Oh, God. It came true. She's a raging killer. He thought quietly to himself, grinning. On a more serious note, he wondered to what degree these so-called, air quoted, 'anger issues' went up to. He wasn't positive he that he wanted to find out.


"Ah...I hate cats, but think spiders are cool. And I like pistachio ice cream...also bacon omelettes, if you hadn't noticed yet. Ha."


"I like that you're not a cat person, but I can't say the same for your little arachnid buddies."


Takeshi flipped the engine over on it's side carefully and then pressed a button, which actually revealed foot-long space for a cartridge of sorts.


"And hold on, anger issues?"


Takeshi then brought out a cooler from underneath the work table and produced a thin glass cylinder container carrying a bluish liquid with the consistency and viscosity of water. Placing the cylinder into the space in the engine, he pressed down on the button again and inserted the cylinder completely into the engine.


"Should I be concerned?" He said, clearing his throat. "Sorry, that sounds dick-ish. I mean, I'm not gonna die in my sleep if we ever get into an argument one night right? My door doesn't have a lock." Takeshi said his words lightly, but he imagined he was genuine about it.


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

"Should I be concerned?"


At this, despite the damper she'd put on her own mood, Novi snickered. He sounded as though he wanted to be joking, but at the same time there was the faintest sliver of unease lurking within his tone. The guy was a positive person, but Novi was actually pleased that he was being cautious. Being careless was as annoying of a trait as it was risky, especially when it came to people.


She came to a stop a few feet from his chair, her lips curving into a smirk. "What was that one famous line from that play? 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?" Novi replied. "Ha! Calm your nerves, Shakespeare. I might lash out from time to time, but I don't think you need to worry about dying anytime soon. I don't ever go that far."


Novi let her words hang in the air for a bit, enjoying the mildly-scared look in his eyes a little too much. "Seriously, though, you'll be fine. The people I've worked with just haven't been the brightest...really, though, I'm thinking it's that some people don't understand. You just can't say shit to me and not expect me to say shit back. You also can't blab about me behind my back and not expect me to find out." The last part was muttered under her breath, meant for her ears and hers alone.


"Just avoid pissing me off and you should be good."


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[Lucem]

As Emilia backed up in order to distance herself from Vincent, her feelings of discomfort were obvious. However, Vincent paid no mind to how she displayed her current feelings through her body and focused on the current situation. He only had one thing on his mind at this point in time.


When her previously darting eyes had rested on him, a period of silence ensued. He received no immediate response, but that was to be expected. The girl was uncomfortable and he was impatient. The end result of this interaction wouldn't likely be positive.


As she finally gave an answer, Vincent's previous blank expression turned to one of displeasure. "Yes" was the answer that was expected, but hearing it still made him angry. Lips turned into a slight frown and scowl appearing in all its glory, Vincent retracted from his position near Emilia.


Taking a few steps in the opposite direction, Vincent changed his focus from the girl to the running water coming from the fountain. Still obviously displeased with the answer he had received, Vincent finally spoke after being surprisingly quiet for so long. "The government is just an overgrown jail warden and this country is their prison."


Holding his gaze on the fountain, Vincent continued with his rant, which was relatively small compared to what he's done in the past. "They keep us under surveillance and keep us in order as they see fit. If anyone steps out of that line they've set, they off you without a second thought. They don't want what's best for us, they want control and nothing more." His voice wasn't particularly loud, but his tone was harsh and the words he spoke contained venom. It was the epitome of silent anger. Of course, the silent part could only last for so long.


"We're all dogs in a cage that are just waiting to get put down. People suffer and they don't give a damn. They are the scum of the Earth all brought together in one group. Doctors, military, officials, every one of them can burn." Pausing for a moment, Vincent's scowl began to grow, the silent anger beginning to evolve as he kept talking. "They don't care who they hurt."


Turning his head to face Emilia once again, Vincent would only speak one more sentence. "Someone like you could never understand."


@Darth Pai

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

Her words did little to comfort him as she admitted to the occasional 'lashing of outs'. It didn't help either that he was supposed to spend the remainder of his life being with her, and eventually going down that road of producing children for the human race to continue on.


Whatta supercomputer, huh?


"I'm not the type to make people mad, intentionally, at least. So there's that." Takeshi went to the opposite side of the engine and felt around the back for another button.


"I wouldn't leave you either.." He blurted, instantly regretting the phrase. He didn't want to make it seem like she was afraid of people leaving. If anything, she appeared to be outwardly indifferent about it. Takeshi witnessed once more more his verbal superpower: speaking his mind, no matter how dumb it really was to bring up at the time.


"I'm just saying, if the thought ever crossed your mind by the infinitesimal chance it did."


Takeshi found the button, pressed in with his fingers and twisted until the button locked inside the engine. The device roared to life, lighting up and almost rumbling. It stayed like that, as loud as a lion and as bright as the morning sun, but for a few seconds before dying out, coughing and wheezing failure as the object's lights went out.


"It always does that." He muttered, shaking his head. Turning to Novi he asked, "Am I your first Love Harvest partner?"


@Agent Nine

 

[Agent Nine]

"I'm not the type to make people mad, intentionally, at least. So there's that."





Well that was good. Novi didn't think she had the patience to deal with an intentional jerk.


No longer pacing, she continued wandering about the garage, paying particular attention to a small device that made her think of something that'd be in spaceship. Novi wondered if Takeshi had ever tried to build his own car from scratch, before. The task was probably a lot like building a computer; you had a bunch of tiny components and a bunch of huge ones, plus a base...and if you screw up on one tiny thing, the entire project is ruined.


Takeshi's next words didn't really hit her for a while. Novi's back was to him, at the moment, and when it finally seemed to click in her head, her eyes widened. No, the thought had never really...crossed her mind, nor had it been a concern in the first place. Abandonment was only so familiar to her, though she supposed that she'd start expecting it from people if her luck had been any worse during her younger days.


"First part...? Oh, right. Yeah. Congrats," Novi replied after a while, having gone quiet. She sounded distracted. "I've been stumping that computer of theirs for a few years. Seems like they finally fixed the bug in it or whatever had been going wrong."


Not that she'd minded. It was nice not to be burdened with another person for the last few years. She'd been able to go on living like she always had.


Novi walked over to where he was, blinking down at the hunk of metal he was tinkering with. "So, where's the engine going?"


@CommodoreOlaf

​

 

[Sen Pai]

In every sector there is a giant digital clock in the middle, displaying the date and the time. Everyday, when the clocks strike eight at night, the Public Announcement system turns on with the three binary sounds and announces the time of curfew, where everyone must be in their own sector and travel around the Community will be monitored strictly. Citizens must have a pass to be able to travel to another sector past the time of eight o'clock at night. However, this did not happen on January 2nd, 2076.


With the event of the 1st Community Ball occurring at the Concord Center, the military roamed the streets, their guns held in their arms, ready to suppress any sort of rebellion. The tanks could be heard trembling through the streets and patrolling the underground tunnels of the Community. The event was something that was being prepared for quite a long time, even if it wasn't known to the public until the day of it. The government had to make sure everything was perfect, the lives of the general public would be in danger if the rebellion group decided to attack on that one day. It was also quite inevitable that they would be planning to do so as well.


The cold winter air caused for the people's breaths to be able to be seen. A light layer of snow covered the ground, the tracks of the people and the tanks could be seen in the ground, but the white pieces of fluff kept falling from the darkening sky. Grey clouds blocked the sun from streaming in most places, but there were those few areas where the sunlight shot down from behind the clouds. Concord Center was not one of those places.


The center was lit up with decorations, ranging from blue and white lights to balloons and banners. The words "Welcome to Concord Center" and "The 1st Community Ball" were hung up around the building on digital banners. They streamed across the signs, using the digital technology of the 21st century to their advantage. Every other building around the Concord Center looked like plain Christmas trees compared to the marvelous building.


Although they were disguised, one could easily spot the military squads that patrolled both the outside of the building and inside, walking around in their squads, their guns and shields at the ready. The black uniform of the military was easy to hide outside of the Concord Center, troops guarding the entrance and all around the building and on top of a few balconies. Even a few helicopters were parked on the roof and ground.


Of course, once you entered the building, you would find yourself being blinded by the whiteness of the walls and floors. The ground was marble, holding a more beige colour rather than a pure white like the walls and staircases. Similar to the Love Harvest buildings, there were streams of water running through the building, decorated with ferns and all sorts of plants.


Following the signs, you make your way into the makeshift ballroom. Originally it seemed to be an indoor arena, however, the roof was protected by the glass, keeping the snow out of the building. The floor was a rather off shade of white. It appears that the ballroom used to be an ice hockey rink. Without the ice and the markings on the ground, it was somewhat difficult to point it out. Broadcasted sports were rather hard to come across nowadays.


Light music flowed through the air and there was a large table of food off to the side. The huge staircase going down to the makeshift ballroom was most likely the stands where the fans would sit when watching the game. With the large amount of people entering the building in an orderly fashion, it was impossible to turn around and head back without bumping into someone and catching the attention of the military. However, why would you want to turn back? There was cake.


@Veirrianna Valentine @X405 @Ayl

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

"I've been stumping that computer of theirs for a few years. Seems like they finally fixed the bug in it or whatever had been going wrong."


So he was her first partner but for the previous years, but the computer had proved unsuccessful in finding a match. Takeshi felt almost comforted by her inexperience with a Harvest match. That meant she was just as a beginner to everything as he was, or so he thought.


"So, where's the engine going? Novi asked as she neared him.


"It's supposed to go in that old Mazda, but I'm having trouble finding the correct amount of engine fluid. It has to be perfect or it won't run." Takeshi brought his hand to his chin and began tapping his foot in deep thought. Instead of a solution, he came up with a joke for her.


"It's not a bad thing the computer didn't find a match for those first couple a years. Maybe they were saving the best for last." He grinned, aiming to playfully punch her on arm.


He missed and then stood there frozen, awkwardly.


Takeshi shook his head and covered the engine with a large blue cloth. Checking the time, he said,


"This'll have to wait for another time. I'm gonna get ready for tonight." He wiped his hands on a cloth rag and threw the rag into the sink with professional sports player accuracy.


He then made his way past her towards the door.


@Agent Nine

 

[Ebonysdagger]

Sandra made her way through the crowd as slowly and lacking in human contact as she could manage. Her pair partner had apparently wound up sick or something and had been taken away. She almost had not made it to the ball from the amount of scrubbing and cleaning of her person she had went through and the preventative measures she had taken. One would not think taking an extra dose of vitamins would take long but they would be wrong. Especially when the person doing so could barely keep from shaking their own body apart in worry during the process.


Sandra really hoped that she would not catch something from having had to be out in the cold air for the third time today or from the masses of people who were just likely teeming with bacteria. "Please let this be over quickly so I can go home where it is safe and clean." She sends up a few quick prayers to whatever may be listening that she makes it through this healthy and quickly.