#when they looked at me like i was vermin for deciding to learn the language... uh

[konohamaru-sensei]

gotta be honest, seeing people that would definitely have bullied me in school for choosing japanese studies going to Japan is a little annoying.

even more so if they now participate in fandom spaces too.

[asphyxiateher]

Only Monsters Come Out At Night

Chapter 2: Say My Name. A/N: Rough draft I’ll be posting to AO3 later after I go through the edits. Enjoy now, I’ll be polishing it later. I personally would let Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters step on me but that’s just me

Warnings: Character death, graphic descriptions of violence, gore, horror. Elements of non-con. 

              Time had no meaning for Desdemona anymore as her entire being floated comfortably into a quiet void. She was only accompanied by the sweet sound of silence that filled her ears and that in itself was comforting. She was in such a deep state of sleep that it felt like she would be trapped in the peaceful state of purgatory for eternity, but alas that would no longer be the case. Desdemona thought she was dead; in fact, she wanted nothing more than for that to be the case. Unluckily for her, she was about to wake to unfortunate events that would lead her to believe she was trapped in Hell. At first, she sees nothing in her field of vision but then she hears the shrill sound of familiar laughter that sends a shiver down her spine. The black abyss she grew accustomed to deteriorated all around her, a blinding flash of white light surrounds her for the briefest of moments before Desdemona’s eyes finally opened to reveal the disturbing scene before her. “Mother, my pet is finally awake! Oh, I was growing ever so impatient, my darling little one. I was so desperate to peer into those gorgeous eyes of yours again, I was tempted to pluck them out of your skull as you slept.” A voice whispered dangerously into her ears behind her, wet lips gently wrapping around her right ear before it was released with a pop. “Cassandra, you foul thing, learn your place! How many times do I have to say that it was I who found our prize? Do not touch what does NOT belong to you!” Screeched the woman with the green pendant as she materialized by her side in an instant. It didn’t take long for the fact to register that this was the first time that Desdemona could finally get a better look at the women who attacked the group in the village. Now that their hoods were down, she could better identify them by not only their hair color but by the manner of which they spoke and the pendants they wore. The way they continued to fight over her made her stomach turn as she struggled to comprehend why they wanted her alive and what they were going to do with her.

Another black mass of insects appeared and disintegrated into nothing just as quickly as the third woman decided to chime in, her yellow pendant gleaming brightly against the dimly lit room. Her dirtied, dark brown hair tickled Desdemona’s face as she leaned dangerously over her, the smirk on her face growing wider when Desdemona’s breath grew heavy again. She raised her hand and playfully walked two fingers up Desdemona’s arm and over her collarbone before she roughly grasped her prey’s chin and forced her to look directly into her eyes. “Hello, pretty little plaything, you’ll find that my sisters lack manners when they’re lusting over irresistible blood. You should feel honored you made quite the impression as you did. The others you brought with you are undeserving of your company and you’ll find that they deserve punishment simply by existing. Mother will see to that soon enough.” The brunette told her quietly as she straightened back up.

‘Wait, what did she mean by punishing the others for simply existing? Where were Desmond and Veronica?’ Desdemona worriedly thought to herself. The younger Hawthorne sibling attempted to move but she didn’t realize her wrists were restrained by old fashioned shackles until it was too late. She suddenly felt herself being lifted to her feet by the two crazed sisters standing on either side of her. Each woman occasionally nuzzled into her neck and sniffed at her, nipping at her and licking exposed skin whenever the impulse struck.

Desdemona glanced around her environment and realized that they must be inside the castle if the polished flooring, centuries old artwork and beautiful grand staircase were of any indication. Where else would they be after getting lost out on the trail?

The frightened young woman made the mistake of looking over to her left and found that the red-haired woman known as Daniela was staring at her with a glazed look in her eyes. The sight of her lips parting and blowing her a small kiss made Desdemona’s heart nearly jump out of her throat. She couldn’t avert her gaze out of fear and Daniela took that as an invitation to flirt the only way she knew how. She brought two fingers to her face, spaced them out to a “V” shape and made an obscene gesture with her unusually long tongue, moaning loudly when Desdemona blushed and looked away. “Don’t be shy, my love. Once we take care of Mother’s unwanted pests, we can finally be alone together and I’ll taste you once and for all. You’ll find that I do want to eat you but only in the best way possible. You wouldn’t deny me the pleasure, would you?” Daniela growls out, her eyes fluttering shut as the sound of Desdemona’s blood rushing through her veins and her rapidly beating heart thudding against her chest awakened a whole new need in Daniela. Desdemona wanted to cry out but refrained from doing so when she realized somebody else was coming.

Heels could be heard clicking from afar, a door slamming open and voices shouting in protest behind what seemed to be an impossibly tall, statuesque women. Desdemona’s jaw dropped for two reasons: The woman who entered the room dramatically exuded such class and confidence that it didn’t look awkward in the manner in which she had to bend so far low to pass through the doorway. When she uncurled herself from the uncomfortable position, her golden eyes met gray uncertain ones and they immediately pierced through Desdemona’s soul. The woman brought out a whole new level of terror within her. The second reason Desdemona’s mouth remained agape was due to the fact that the mysterious woman dragged along the wounded bodies of both Desmond and Veronica.

‘They’re still alive!’ Desdemona thought, hope rising in her chest the moment she saw both her best friend and twin reacting to her presence. “Des, you’re okay! Christ, the way these fucking things were talking about you, I thought the worst happened.” Desmond called out to her, desperation in his voice as he attempted to crawl his way towards his sister. Veronica tried to break free from the intimidating woman’s grasp but the woman merely raised a perfectly manicured brow in response and tugged on the chains wrapped around both Desmond and Veronica. They had collars clasped tightly around their necks and they choked as a result of the chains being pulled back.

When Veronica glanced back at Desdemona, the furious expression on her face softened when she noticed the bedraggled state her friend was in. Desmond noticed it too and it only served to fuel his anger. “What the fuck did they do to you? I’ll kill them, I’ll slit their fucking throats and make them pay if they so much as tried to ra-,” Veronica began but was immediately cut off with a harsh slap to the face. “Goddamn, bitch!” “Silence, vermin! Speak when you’re spoken to or you’ll learn your place soon enough should you continue to use foul language in my house. Now, pray tell my daughters, what is it that has you all so eager about entertaining this particular foreigner?” The elegant woman asks as she gives Desdemona a once over. The manner in how she reacts to inhaling Desdemona’s scent alarms the younger Hawthorne sibling. She decides to inspect her more closel with flared nostrils and enlarged pupils. She seemed…pleased, for whatever reason. ‘Do they plan on sacrificing you to appease whatever wicked deity they believe in?’ Desdemona nervously asked herself.

One of the daughters, the one known as Bela and the one with the red pendant, spoke first. “We were out on the hunt in the village when I suddenly picked up on her delicious scent, mother. She’s a carrier of our favorite blood type. We haven’t had anyone like her in so long, we were hoping we could make a feast of her with your permission.”

Desdemona tensed up at the suggestion and vigorously shook her head. “M-may I ask what w-we did to offend you and your daughters? I apologize for any wrongdoing, ma’am but we’re just Americans on vacation and we ran out of gas on the way to Bran! We weren’t expecting to get lost but please let us go, we didn’t come out here to hurt anyone!” She pleaded with tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes flicking from Daniela to Cassandra and finally, the incredibly powerful woman standing before.

“Des, don’t go begging them. They’re not going to listen to reason, believe me; we tried!” Desmond warned.

The quiet dark-haired woman, Cassandra, sneered at Desdemona’s twin and slashed at his face with her sickle in hand. Desmond cries out and attempts to cover his face with his cuffed hands only to have them ripped away. She kicks his chest and flattens him on the ground. Cassandra smiles wickedly as she brings her heel to the open cut and presses hard against his face for a moment, stomping on him a few times for good measure. Both Veronica and Desdemona scream, begging the sadistic sister to stop tormenting him but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

“Good, girl, Cassandra. The hideous man-thing won’t shut his hole. I’m this close to gutting him on my newly polished floor and letting you girls get your fill for the evening. Ugh!” The woman in charge said before looking over to you once again. “It seems your exotic little treat has good manners considering what she is, however, and wishes to bargain with us. I can be a most gracious host and I’m all ears but I have two conditions if you wish to prolong your life, little one. Allow me to introduce myself first. I am Countess Alcina Dimitrescu and these beautiful girls of mine are my daughters Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela.”  

Veronica scoffed and spat at the floor, earning a glare from the titan of a woman who was apparently on the edge of snapping. Desdemona was ready to leave in one piece so of course she stepped in and spoke on behalf of her brother and her furious friend. “P-pleasure to meet you all, I’m Desdemona Hawthorne and that’s my twin brother, Desmond and my childhood friend Veronica. Ma’am, or My Lady, this all has to be a colossal misunderstanding and we are willing to pay any price if you allow us to leave and return home.”

The trembling girl gasped the moment she felt a pair of cold hands wrap themselves around her breasts from behind. Another set of hands reached for her belt buckle and began undoing her jeans rather enthusiastically. The next thing she knew, her v-neck shirt had been torn in half and her pants torn and ripped off her body.

“Desdemona, such a lovely name and what a lovely body. Mother, please let me keep her? I promise I won’t break her.” Daniela whined as she rubbed her hands up and down the length of her victim’s bare torso. It didn’t help the situation at hand when Daniela’s touch left Desdemona arching back into her, which must have sent the wrong signal because the delusional woman squealed with delight.

“If you or Cassandra had it your way, you’d bleed her dry on the first night and waste her blood when I would savor every inch of her until her very last moment!” Bela complained, her fingers inching dreadfully closer to the band of her undergarments.

“Get your filthy fucking hands off my sister, you twisted bitches. Stop fucking touching her! I’ll kill you, I swear it!” Desmond bellowed, managing to pull away from Lady Dimitrescu’s clutches and lunged at the women that were touching his twin inappropriately. He swung his arms at Daniela and used the length of the chain to whip against the side of her body. Daniela, caught off guard by his sudden attack, screeched in surprise and this immediately angered Alcina.

“ENOUGH!” Lady Dimitrescu signaled for her daughters to apprehend Desmond and the girls obliged, their concern for Daniela overwhelming even to them. Bela and Cassandra ambushed him on either side and using their transformative powers, they pulled him away from their youngest sibling and slammed his body against the nearest wall. Cassandra pinned his shackled hands above his head while Bela held onto his thrashing legs tightly.

Veronica was breathing heavily but made no move to run to him, not while Alcina held her leash tightly. Her brows were furrowed, teeth gnawing at her bottom lip as she tried to refrain from saying anything that would cause them to harm Desmond.

Desdemona could only cry out for mercy as it physically pained her to watch her own twin suffer at the hands of these monsters.

Meanwhile, Alcina had been hunched over Daniela and whispered disturbingly soothing things into her daughter’s ears, words expressed by a loving mother to her daughter, and it looked almost normal. When Alcina stepped away from Daniela, she composed herself after displaying what she deemed a moment of vulnerability and shot Desmond a withering glare. “How dare you touch my daughter with your filthy man-hands, you wretched creature. I can see there is no taming a wild animal like you and like all wild animals, they must be put down! I was ready to lay down my conditions if I were to let you leave alive but you really screwed yourself. Desdemona Hawthorne, seeing as you were polite and tried to communicate in a manner I found pleasing, you shall be gifted to my daughters as their personal form of entertainment. You will be their plaything, and your trashy friend, Veronica, who is now under my employ as a house maiden, will be forced to clean you up after every time they choose to play with you. She will be beaten and broken until she learns what it is to be obedient.” Alcina growls out menacingly, enjoying the way Veronica begins to hyperventilate at the terrifying concept of being broken in by someone like Lady Dimitrescu. Alcina drags Veronica across the room as she approaches Desmond and Veronica is now desperately trying to claw her away from the elegant countess. Raising her free hand in the air, sharp elongated claws form almost immediately at the tips of her fingers. It was in this moment that panic begins to set within Desdemona as she realizes what she’s about to do and so she attempts to rush Lady Dimitrescu. Daniela is quick to catch her prey and uses force to subdue Desdemona. She slams her knee against Desdemona’s back and brings her down to her knees, hooking both of her arms from around and underneath the smaller girl and forcefully raises her arms up. “Let this be a hard lesson, my darling. Don’t you ever disrespect my mother in her own home or disobey her when she gives you an order. There are worst things than death, love, and they wander the mansion unsupervised at night.” Daniela whispers into Desdemona’s ears before bringing her attention back to her mother. Heart hammering against her chest, Desdemona’s blood runs cold when she sees Desmond shed a tear at the realization that he was going to pay the ultimate price. In a quivering voice, Desmond beckons his sister to look at him one final time.

‘Oh no, no no no. They can’t do this, they won’t do this! I have to help him. I’m not sure I can live without my other half, it would be too cruel for me to go on without him!’ Desdemona thinks, weeping at the sight of her twin brother sacrificing his own life for hers. “P-please, my l-lady, let him go I beg you! Don’t hurt him please, I’ll do anything if you let him go. Don’t take him away from me, please.” Desdemona begs. Steely gray eyes meet hers and she recognizes that he is resigned to his fate. She sucks in a deep breath, unwilling to break eye contact as he says his final goodbye. “See you on the other side, Dezzy. Promise me you’ll make it out of here. Mom deserves to know. I love you and V…so very much.” He tells her with a wavering voice. In the background, Veronica is verbalizing her objections and pleads for Desmond’s freedom but in the end, it was all for naught.

With an evil smirk and a deep chuckle, Alcina brings down her claw at Desmond’s abdomen, slashing him so deeply that his innards begin to seep out of him.

Desdemona feels like she’s suffocating, her lungs unable to function as she struggles to make a sound no matter how much she wants to cry out her brother’s name one more time. She throws her head back and opens her mouth to wail but nothing comes out but a few choked coughs. The surviving twin couldn’t explain it but it felt like Alcina personally reached into her chest and destroyed the most important part of her being. Desmond was her other half and upon death, a most profound connection between siblings is severed and there lies nothing left but an echo of what was once there. Desdemona felt…empty, as if she would never be whole again now that her brother was gone.

She shuts her eyes and the horrifying image of Desmond’s intestines piling up on the floor and blood sloshing everywhere replays again in her mind. The hurt is renewed and this time, she summons every ounce of emotion she could as she screams out his name, Veronica’s loud, panicked screaming fueling her grief.

“DESMOND!”

She screams it over and over again until her body slumps in Daniela’s arms. She’s too weak to do anything else. She can hear voices and the sound of heels clicking but she can’t hear what is being said. Desdemona tries her very best to drown out the background noise as her sorrow was too great but Cassandra’s voice breaks her out of her reverie and it is what she murmurs in Desdemona’s ears as she passes by that makes her whimper for an entirely different reason.

“Just you wait until I make you say my name like a prayer, love. This is only the beginning.”

[awed-frog]

The Other America

by Martin Luther King Jr., 1967

[This is the ‘a riot is the language of the unheard’ speech. It is a masterpiece of human decency, wisdom, rhetoric and political clarity, and sadly its message remains as important and urgent as it was 50 years ago. Please read it.]

Members of the faculty and members of the student body of this great institution of learning; ladies and gentlemen.

Now there are several things that one could talk about before such a large, concerned, and enlightened audience. There are so many problems facing our nation and our world, that one could just take off anywhere. But today I would like to talk mainly about the race problems since I'll have to rush right out and go to New York to talk about Vietnam tomorrow. and I've been talking about it a great deal this week and weeks before that.

But I'd like to use a subject from which to speak this afternoon, the Other America.

And I use this subject because there are literally two Americas. One America is beautiful for situation. And, in a sense, this America is overflowing with the milk of prosperity and the honey of opportunity. This America is the habitat of millions of people who have food and material necessities for their bodies; and culture and education for their minds; and freedom and human dignity for their spirits. In this America, millions of people experience every day the opportunity of having life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in all of their dimensions. And in this America millions of young people grow up in the sunlight of opportunity.

But tragically and unfortunately, there is another America. This other America has a daily ugliness about it that constantly transforms the ebulliency of hope into the fatigue of despair. In this America millions of work-starved men walk the streets daily in search for jobs that do not exist. In this America millions of people find themselves living in rat-infested, vermin-filled slums. In this America people are poor by the millions. They find themselves perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.

In a sense, the greatest tragedy of this other America is what it does to little children. Little children in this other America are forced to grow up with clouds of inferiority forming every day in their little mental skies. As we look at this other America, we see it as an arena of blasted hopes and shattered dreams. Many people of various backgrounds live in this other America. Some are Mexican Americans, some are Puerto Ricans, some are Indians, some happen to be from other groups. Millions of them are Appalachian whites. But probably the largest group in this other America in proportion to its size in the Population is the American Negro.

The American Negro finds himself living in a triple ghetto. A ghetto of race, a ghetto of poverty, a ghetto of human misery. So what we are seeking to do in the Civil Rights Movement is to deal with this problem. To deal with this problem of the two Americas. We are seeking to make America one nation, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Now let me say that the struggle for Civil Rights and the struggle to make these two Americas one America, is much more difficult today than it was five or ten years ago. For about a decade or maybe twelve years, we've struggled all across the South in glorious struggles to get rid of legal, overt segregation and all of the humiliation that surrounded that system of segregation.

In a sense this was a struggle for decency; we could not go to a lunch counter in so many instances and get a hamburger or a cup of coffee. We could not make use of public accommodations. Public transportation was segregated, and often we had to sit in the back and within transportation — transportation within cities — we often had to stand over empty seats because sections were reserved for whites only. We did not have the right to vote in so many areas of the South. And the struggle was to deal with these problems.

And certainly they were difficult problems, they were humiliating conditions. By the thousands we protested these conditions. We made it clear that it was ultimately more honorable to accept jail cell experiences than to accept segregation and humiliation. By the thousands students and adults decided to sit in at segregated lunch counters to protest conditions there. When they were sitting at those lunch counters they were in reality standing up for the best in the American dream and seeking to take the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Many things were gained as a result of these years of struggle. In 1964 the Civil Rights Bill came into being after the Birmingham movement which did a great deal to subpoena the conscience of a large segment of the nation to appear before the judgment seat of morality on the whole question of Civil Rights. After the Selma movement in 1965 we were able to get a Voting Rights Bill. And all of these things represented strides.

But we must see that the struggle today is much more difficult. It's more difficult today because we are struggling now for genuine equality. It's much easier to integrate a lunch counter than it is to guarantee a livable income and a good solid job. It's much easier to guarantee the right to vote than it is to guarantee the right to live in sanitary, decent housing conditions. It is much easier to integrate a public park than it is to make genuine, quality, integrated education a reality. And so today we are struggling for something which says we demand genuine equality.

It's not merely a struggle against extremist behavior toward Negroes. And I'm convinced that many of the very people who supported us in the struggle in the South are not willing to go all the way now. I came to see this in a very difficult and painful way. In Chicago the last year where I've lived and worked. Some of the people who came quickly to march with us in Selma and Birmingham weren't active around Chicago. And I came to see that so many people who supported morally and even financially what we were doing in Birmingham and Selma, were really outraged against the extremist behavior of Bull Connor and Jim Clark toward Negroes, rather than believing in genuine equality for Negroes. And I think this is what we've gotta see now, and this is what makes the struggle much more difficult.

So as a result of all of this, we see many problems existing today that are growing more difficult. It's something that is often overlooked, but Negroes generally live in worse slums today than 20 or 25 years ago. In the North schools are more segregated today than they were in 1954 when the Supreme Court's decision on desegregation was rendered. Economically the Negro Is worse off today than he was 15 and 20 years ago. And so the unemployment rate among Whites at one time was about the same as the unemployment rate among Negroes. But today the unemployment rate among Negroes is twice that of Whites. And the average income of the Negro is today 50% less than Whites.

As we look at these problems we see them growing and developing every day. We see the fact that the Negro economically is facing a depression in his everyday life that is more staggering than the depression of the 30's. The unemployment rate of the nation as a whole is about 4%. Statistics would say from the Labor Department that among Negroes it's about 8.4%. But these are the persons who are in the labor market, who still go to employment agencies to seek jobs, and so they can be calculated. The statistics can be gotten because they are still somehow in the labor market.

But there are hundreds of thousands of Negroes who have given up. They've lost hope. They've come to feel that life is a long and desolate corridor for them with no Exit sign, and so they no longer go to look for a job. There are those who would estimate that these persons, who are called the Discouraged Persons, these 6 or 7% in the Negro community, that means that unemployment among Negroes may well be 16%. Among Negro youth in some of our larger urban areas it goes to 30 and 40%. So you can see what I mean when I say that, in the Negro community, there is a major, tragic and staggering depression that we face in our everyday lives.

Now the other thing that we've gotta come to see now that many of us didn't see too well during the last ten years — that is that racism is still alive in American society. And much more wide-spread than we realized. And we must see racism for what it is. It is a myth of the superior and the inferior race. It is the false and tragic notion that one particular group, one particular race is responsible for all of the progress, all of the insights in the total flow of history. And the theory that another group or another race is totally depraved, innately impure, and innately inferior.

In the final analysis, racism is evil because its ultimate logic is genocide. Hitler was a sick and tragic man who carried racism to its logical conclusion. He ended up leading a nation to the point of killing about 6 million Jews. This is the tragedy of racism because its ultimate logic is genocide. If one says that I am not good enough to live next door to him; if one says that I am not good enough to eat at a lunch counter, or to have a good, decent job, or to go to school with him merely because of my race, he is saying consciously or unconsciously that I do not deserve to exist.

To use a philosophical analogy here, racism is not based on some empirical generalization; it is based rather on an ontological affirmation. It is not the assertion that certain people are behind culturally or otherwise because of environmental conditions. It is the affirmation that the very being of a people is inferior. And this is the great tragedy of it.

I submit that however unpleasant it is we must honestly see and admit that racism is still deeply rooted all over America. It is still deeply rooted in the North, and it's still deeply rooted in the South.

And this leads me to say something about another discussion that we hear a great deal, and that is the so-called "white backlash". I would like to honestly say to you that the white backlash is merely a new name for an old phenomenon. It's not something that just came into being because of shouts of Black Power, or because Negroes engaged in riots in Watts, for instance. The fact is that the state of California voted a Fair Housing bill out of existence before anybody shouted Black Power, or before anybody rioted in Watts.

It may well be that shouts of Black Power and riots in Watts and the Harlems and the other areas, are the consequences of the white backlash rather than the cause of them. What it is necessary to see is that there has never been a single solid monistic determined commitment on the part of the vast majority of white Americans on the whole question of Civil Rights and on the whole question of racial equality. This is something that truth impels all men of good will to admit.

It is said on the Statue of Liberty that America is a home of exiles. It doesn't take us long to realize that America has been the home of its white exiles from Europe. But it has not evinced the same kind of maternal care and concern for its black exiles from Africa. It is no wonder that in one of his sorrow songs, the Negro could sing out, "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child." What great estrangement, what great sense of rejection caused a people to emerge with such a metaphor as they looked over their lives.

What I'm trying to get across is that our nation has constantly taken a positive step forward on the question of racial justice and racial equality. But over and over again at the same time, it made certain backward steps. And this has been the persistence of the so called white backlash.

In 1863 the Negro was freed from the bondage of physical slavery. But at the same time, the nation refused to give him land to make that freedom meaningful. And at that same period America was giving millions of acres of land in the West and the Midwest, which meant that America was willing to undergird its white peasants from Europe with an economic floor that would make it possible to grow and develop, and refused to give that economic floor to its black peasants, so to speak.

This is why Frederick Douglas could say that emancipation for the Negro was freedom to hunger, freedom to the winds and rains of heaven, freedom without roofs to cover their heads. He went on to say that it was freedom without bread to eat, freedom without land to cultivate. It was freedom and famine at the same time. But it does not stop there.

In 1875 the nation passed a Civil Rights Bill and refused to enforce it. In 1964 the nation passed a weaker Civil Rights Bill and even to this day, that bill has not been totally enforced in all of its dimensions. The nation heralded a new day of concern for the poor, for the poverty stricken, for the disadvantaged. And brought into being a Poverty Bill and at the same time it put such little money into the program that it was hardly, and still remains hardly, a good skirmish against poverty. White politicians in suburbs talk eloquently against open housing, and in the same breath contend that they are not racist. And all of this, and all of these things tell us that America has been backlashing on the whole question of basic constitutional and God-given rights for Negroes and other disadvantaged groups for more than 300 years.

So these conditions, existence of widespread poverty, slums, and of tragic conniptions in schools and other areas of life, all of these things have brought about a great deal of despair, and a great deal of desperation. A great deal of disappointment and even bitterness in the Negro communities. And today all of our cities confront huge problems. All of our cities are potentially powder kegs as a result of the continued existence of these conditions. Many in moments of anger, many in moments of deep bitterness engage in riots.

Let me say as I've always said, and I will always continue to say, that riots are socially destructive and self-defeating. I'm still convinced that nonviolence is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and justice. I feel that violence will only create more social problems than they will solve. That in a real sense it is impracticable for the Negro to even think of mounting a violent revolution in the United States. So I will continue to condemn riots, and continue to say to my brothers and sisters that this is not the way. And continue to affirm that there is another way.

But at the same time, it is as necessary for me to be as vigorous in condemning the conditions which cause persons to feel that they must engage in riotous activities as it is for me to condemn riots. I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation's summers of riots are caused by our nation's winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.

Now let me go on to say that if we are to deal with all of the problems that I've talked about, and if we are to bring America to the point that we have one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, there are certain things that we must do. The job ahead must be massive and positive. We must develop massive action programs all over the United States of America in order to deal with the problems that I have mentioned. Now in order to develop these massive action programs we've got to get rid of one or two false notions that continue to exist in our society. One is the notion that only time can solve the problem of racial injustice. I'm sure you've heard this idea. It is the notion almost that there is something in the very flow of time that will miraculously cure all evils. And I've heard this over and over again. There are those, and they are often sincere people, who say to Negroes and their allies In the white community, that we should slow up and just be nice and patient and continue to pray, and in a hundred or two hundred years the problem will work itself out because only time can solve the problem.

I think there is an answer to that myth. And it is that time is neutral. It can be used either constructively or destructively. And I'm absolutely convinced that the forces of ill-will in our nation, the extreme rightists in our nation, have often used time much more effectively than the forces of good will. And it may well be that we will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words of the bad people and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say wait on time. Somewhere we must come to see that social progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated Individuals. And without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. And so we must help time, and we must realize that the time is always right to do right.

Now there's another notion that gets out, it's around everywhere. It's in the South, it's in the North, it's In California, and all over our nation. It's the notion that legislation can't solve the problem, it can't do anything in this area. And those who project this argument contend that you've got to change the heart and that you can't change the heart through legislation. Now I would be the first one to say that there is real need for a lot of heart changing in our country, and I believe in changing the heart. I preach about it. I believe in the need for conversion in many instances, and regeneration, to use theological terms. And I would be the first to say that if the race problem In America is to be solved, the white person must treat the Negro right, not merely because the law says it, but because it's natural, because It's right, and because the Negro is his brother. And so I realize that if we are to have a truly integrated society, men and women will have to rise to the majestic heights of being obedient to the unenforceable.

But after saying this, let me say another thing which gives the other side, and that is that although it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated. Even though it may be true that the law cannot change the heart, it can restrain the heartless. Even though it may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, it can restrain him from lynching me. And I think that's pretty important also. And so while the law may not change the hearts of men, it can and it does change the habits of men. And when you begin to change the habits of men, pretty soon the attitudes will be changed; pretty soon the hearts will be changed. And I'm convinced that we still need strong civil rights legislation. And there is a bill before Congress right now to have a national or federal Open Housing Bill. A federal law declaring discrimination in housing unconstitutional.

And also a bill to make the administration of justice real all over our country. Now nobody can doubt the need for this. Nobody can doubt the need if he thinks about the fact that since 1963 some 50 Negroes and white Civil Rights workers have been brutally murdered in the state of Mississippi alone, and not a single person has been convicted for these dastardly crimes. There have been some indictments but no one has been convicted. And so there is a need for a federal law dealing with the whole question of the administration of justice.

There is a need for fair housing laws all over our country. And it is tragic indeed that Congress last year allowed this bill to die. And when that bill died in Congress, a bit of democracy died, a bit of our commitment to justice died. If it happens again in this session of Congress, a greater degree of our commitment to democratic principles will die. And I can see no more dangerous trend in our country than the constant developing of predominantly Negro central cities ringed by white suburbs. This is only inviting social disaster. And the only way this problem will be solved is by the nation taking a strong stand, and by state governments taking a strong stand against housing segregation and against discrimination in all of these areas.

Now there's another thing that I'd like to mention as I talk about the massive action program and time will not permit me to go into specific programmatic action to any great degree. But it must be realized now that the Negro cannot solve the problems by himself. There again, there are those who always say to Negroes, "Why don't you do something for yourself? Why don't you lift yourselves by your own bootstraps?" And we hear this over and over again.

Now certainly there are many things that we must do for ourselves and that only we can do for ourselves. Certainly we must develop within a sense of dignity and self-respect that nobody else can give us. A sense of manhood, a sense of personhood, a sense of not being ashamed of our heritage, not being ashamed of our color. It was wrong and tragic of the Negro ever to allow himself to be ashamed of the fact that he was black, or ashamed of the fact that his ancestral home was Africa. And so there is a great deal that the Negro can do to develop self respect. There is a great deal that the Negro must do and can do to amass political and economic power within his own community and by using his own resources. And so we must do certain things for ourselves but this must not negate the fact, and cause the nation to overlook the fact, that the Negro cannot solve the problem himself.

A man was on the plane with me some weeks ago and he came up to me and said, "The problem, Dr. King, that I see with what you all are doing is that every time I see you and other Negroes, you're protesting and you aren't doing anything for yourselves." And he went on to tell me that he was very poor at one time, and he was able to make by doing something for himself. "Why don't you teach your people," he said, "to lift themselves by their own bootstraps?" And then he went on to say other groups faced disadvantages, the Irish, the Italian, and he went down the line.

And I said to him that it does not help the Negro, it only deepens his frustration, upon feeling insensitive people to say to him that other ethnic groups who migrated or were immigrants to this country less than a hundred years or so ago, have gotten beyond him and he came here some 344 years ago. And I went on to remind him that the Negro came to this country involuntarily in chains, while others came voluntarily. I went on to remind him that no other racial group has been a slave on American soil. I went on to remind him that the other problem we have faced over the years is that this society placed a stigma on the color of the Negro, on the color of his skin because he was black. Doors were closed to him that were not closed to other groups.

And I finally said to him that it's a nice thing to say to people that you oughta lift yourself by your own bootstraps, but it is a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he oughta lift himself by his own bootstraps. And the fact is that millions of Negroes, as a result of centuries of denial and neglect, have been left bootless. They find themselves impoverished aliens in this affluent society. And there is a great deal that the society can and must do if the Negro is to gain the economic security that he needs.

Now one of the answers it seems to me, is a guaranteed annual income, a guaranteed minimum income for all people, and for our families of our country. It seems to me that the Civil Rights movement must now begin to organize for the guaranteed annual income. Begin to organize people all over our country, and mobilize forces so that we can bring to the attention of our nation this need, and this is something which I believe will go a long long way toward dealing with the Negro's economic problem and the economic problem which many other poor people confront in our nation. Now I said I wasn't going to talk about Vietnam, but I can't make a speech without mentioning some of the problems that we face there because I think this war has diverted attention from civil rights. It has strengthened the forces of reaction in our country and has brought to the forefront the military-industrial complex that even President Eisenhower warned us against at one time. And above all, it is destroying human lives. It's destroying the lives of thousands of the young promising men of our nation. It's destroying the lives of little boys and little girls In Vietnam.

But one of the greatest things that this war is doing to us in Civil Rights is that it is allowing the Great Society to be shot down on the battlefields of Vietnam every day. And I submit this afternoon that we can end poverty in the United States. Our nation has the resources to do it. The National Gross Product of America will rise to the astounding figure of some $780 billion this year. We have the resources: The question is, whether our nation has the will, and I submit that if we can spend $35 billion a year to fight an ill-considered war in Vietnam, and $20 billion to put a man on the moon, our nation can spend billions of dollars to put God's children on their own two feet right here on earth.

Let me say another thing that's more in the realm of the spirit I guess, that is that if we are to go on in the days ahead and make true brotherhood a reality, it is necessary for us to realize more than ever before, that the destinies of the Negro and the white man are tied together. Now there are still a lot of people who don't realize this. The racists still don't realize this. But it is a fact now that Negroes and whites are tied together, and we need each other. The Negro needs the white man to save him from his fear. The white man needs the Negro to save him from his guilt. We are tied together in so many ways, our language, our music, our cultural patterns, our material prosperity, and even our food are an amalgam of black and white.

So there can be no separate black path to power and fulfillment that does not intersect white groups. There can be no separate white path to power and fulfillment short of social disaster. It does not recognize the need of sharing that power with black aspirations for freedom and justice. We must come to see now that integration is not merely a romantic or esthetic something where you merely add color to a still predominantly white power structure. Integration must be seen also in political terms where there is shared power, where black men and white men share power together to build a new and a great nation.

In a real sense, we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. John Donne placed it years ago in graphic terms, "No man is an island entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." And he goes on toward the end to say, "Any man's death diminishes me because I'm Involved in mankind. Therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee." And so we are all in the same situation: the salvation of the Negro will mean the salvation of the white man. And the destruction of life and of the ongoing progress of the Negro will be the destruction of the ongoing progress of the nation.

Now let me say finally that we have difficulties ahead but I haven't despaired. Somehow I maintain hope in spite of hope. And I've talked about the difficulties and how hard the problems will be as we tackle them. But I want to close by saying this afternoon, that I still have faith in the future. And I still believe that these problems can be solved. And so I will not join anyone who will say that we still can't develop a coalition of conscience.

I realize and understand the discontent and the agony and the disappointment and even the bitterness of those who feel that whites in America cannot be trusted. And I would be the first to say that there are all too many who are still guided by the racist ethos. And I am still convinced that there are still many white persons of good will. And I'm happy to say that I see them every day in the student generation who cherish democratic principles and justice above principle, and who will stick with the cause of justice and the cause of Civil Rights and the cause of peace throughout the days ahead. And so I refuse to despair. I think we're gonna achieve our freedom because however much America strays away from the ideals of justice, the goal of America is freedom.

Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up in the destiny of America. Before the pilgrim fathers landed at Plymouth we were here. Before Jefferson etched across the pages of history the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence, we were here. Before the beautiful words of the Star Spangled Banner were written, we were here. For more than two centuries, our forebearers labored here without wages. They made cotton king. They built the homes of their masters in the midst of the most humiliating and oppressive conditions. And yet out of a bottomless vitality, they continued to grow and develop.

And I say that if the inexpressible cruelties of slavery couldn't stop us, the opposition that we now face, including the so-called white backlash, will surely fail. We're gonna win our freedom because both the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of the Almighty God are embodied in our echoing demands.

And so I can still sing "We Shall Overcome." We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward Justice. We shall overcome because Carlyle is right, "No lie can live forever." We shall overcome because William Cullen Bryant is right, "Truth crushed to earth will rise again." We shall overcome because James Russell Lowell is right, "Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne — Yet that scaffold sways the future." With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.

With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discourse of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to speed up the day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and live together as brothers and sisters, all over this great nation. That will be a great day, that will be a great tomorrow. In the words of the Scripture, to speak symbolically, that will be the day when the morning stars will sing together and the sons of God will shout for joy.

Copyright © Martin Luther King, Jr. 1967

[link to source | link to video]

[mbavholidayexchange]

to @oceanographerschoice from @rowsha

title: holidays are for making you blush

rating: teen and up audiences

summary:

the story of a vampire learning to be loved, and the two idiots who love him.

ao3 link: link

content:

Rory Keaner grew up different from his boyfriends.

Not so much different from Benny, as they both grew up with a single parent, but much more different than Ethan. He sort of (definitely) envies Ethan in a way (in many ways); he envies his nuclear family, his good grades, his smarts, his humor, and-

His flat chest.

He envied Benny's too. Both of them, unlike Rory, grew up and identified as cisgender boys. Nothing changed about their wardrobe when they got to middle school. Neither of them had to deal with a substitute teacher who didn't know the chosen names of everyone in their class. They didn't live with the shame, the tears, the want to be someone other than themselves- they've been with each other since they were both in diapers. And Rory would never have that bond with the two of them. He would never be able to relate to them the way that they related to each other.

The jokes, the references, and the longing, knowing gazes they would shoot in the direction of the other. Rory didn't know what it was like to have someone know you inside and out. He knew the concept of his body was… an enigma all on its own. He knew his own brain betrayed him when it came to understanding a word Ethan and Benny were saying to each other half the time.

So, becoming a vampire made things…

The day he got bit was easily the best and worst day of his life. It was rushed, it was peer pressure, it was the way Rory felt waking up into a body he finally felt was his. But at the same time… he felt dead. No matter how you looked at it- he was a dead person, that was a part of him now. He didn't have a beating heart, just still blood that stayed cold and dead like cement flowing throughout his veins. He had no need to eat, but he still ate (in other ways). He didn't need sleep, not because he was immortal, but because the thought of never being the person he was before… it tore him up inside.

For the way he was born and for the way he transformed, he knew he wouldn't be the same as his boyfriends ever again. After all, they were human- well, minus Ethan because he's some type of prophet for the supernatural. And Benny too, what with him being a "spellmaster" as Grandma Weir put it. So, okay, maybe they weren't fully human. But they would grow old and live life the way it was meant to be lived- with death. And Rory would have to watch them die and be alone for all of eternity. Who else (other than a seer and witch) would be able to love someone so… noticeably undead?

To Rory's surprise, Benny and Ethan didn't really care whether he was alive or "undead." they cared about keeping Rory safe from being found out. They stole bags from the blood drive, they picked up extra sunblock for him at the corner store. Sunglasses, hoodies, rats- the whole nine yards. Just to make Rory happy. Just to keep him from exposure. it made him wonder if all those intrusive thoughts of never being to love again once they were dead were valid at all. He feels like, to a certain degree, the thought of his boyfriends staying with him (even after they were long gone) would be enough for him to make it on his own.

There were still other things about being a vampire trapped in a girl's body that bothered him. On one hand, he could run away from his mom and live his life and live somewhere with Ethan and Benny in the woods. Like they did in Dusk. On the other hand, he could tell someone other than those two what was going on, and that he needed help (a cure, a surgery, something). If he stayed the way he was, trapped inside his room with the curtains drawn and sneaking vermin into his room, he would stay like that until his mom noticed he wasn't aging and find out the awkward way. But if he just told somebody maybe it would be hard and he could find a cure like Sarah did and live and die with Benny and Ethan and-

No. That's not possible.

He can't tell anyone. Not a single soul. that he's a vampire- that he's transgender. That his disgusting, embarrassing name is Tabitha Abigail Keaner and that's the name he has to hear over and over and over at home. At a place that doesn't feel like home because home was wherever Ethan and Benny were.

But he can't keep it in any longer. Surely, it's going to get blurted out eventually. Or written in a note followed by "I've decided to skip town, you'll never see me again, goodbye everyone." He wondered, sometimes, how much a bus ticket would cost.

Not a lot of it makes sense, and not a lot of it should make sense. But he knows that no matter how horrible his home life will get, and no matter how much he wants to correct teachers and substitutes, he'll always have his home. Ethan will always put on a videogame and Benny will always order a pizza for the three of them. And they will always call him Rory, whenever they kiss or hold hands or ask him to pass the remote.

Rory decided that he wouldn't let the daunting gloom of immortality shake him as much as it did when he was just a fledgling. He decided that the future was malleable and the present was cement, because of Ethan throwing his controller and Benny slamming the door on the delivery guy's face. He cherishes what he has, even if it is two dorks in Canada. For now, as the thoughts of them dying swim in his mind's kiddie pool, Rory rests on Ethan's chest while holding Benny's hand.

-

"Chag ah molad baruch, Ror." Benny says, placing a kiss on Rory's cheek as they sat under Ethan's Christmas tree.

He blushes, both because of Benny's kiss and the embarrassment of not learning Hebrew fast enough. He looks down at the wrapped gift in his lap, sitting shiny and neat underneath a large plastic ribbon. He pulls Benny in for a hug. It only lasts for a second or two, before he pulls back to ask:

"That means 'blessed Yule', right?"

Benny laughs, then nods in agreement. He gives Rory another peck on the cheek and Rory has to try his best not to squeal like a Dusk fangirl.

"Or 'merry Christmas'," Ethan interjects, face stuffed with Grandma Weir's cookies, "but if you wanna look at its root meaning, it translates to-"

"Celebrating the birth of a male. Yes, E, we know." Benny and Rory both roll their eyes, knowing that Ethan was never slow when it came to languages.

Rory feels a bit bitter that Benny taught Ethan hebrew before him- but then again, they did meet before they met Rory, so it makes sense that Ethan would be almost fluent in it by now. Still, it didn't stop Rory from being jealous of their impenetrable bond.

Ethan shrugs, turning back to the cookie platter only to notice the last of the treats had been mysteriously eaten. He gasps dramatically, spinning around to face Benny and Rory, who were gleefully eating the remaining cookies together.

"Stupid vampire speed." he grumbles, sitting down next to the two of them. Rory ruffles his hair playfully, and he smiles.

"You should know you're no match for the vampire ninja, babe." Rory says matter-of-factly, resting on his elbows now. A smug smile was plastered on his face as Ethan scowled and Benny giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." he says with his arms crossed, "open my gift first."

"No way! My gift is cooler!" Benny says, pushing Ethan's gift out of Rory's lap and snapping his fingers. Suddenly, a small, beautifully wrapped box is in the other gift's place. It sparkles with magic air, shining (quite literally) as bright as a star.

"Wh- no fair! Yours didn't glow before! Take it back!" Ethan surges towards Benny, tackling him to the ground. They both struggle for a while, Benny pulling at Ethan's hair and Ethan trying to put Benny in a chokehold while Rory falls to the floor laughing.

After enough laughing, and concern for his boyfriends' well being, Rory decides to speak up.

"Okay, how about I open the gifts with my eyes closed? That way, whichever gift I pick is a surprise."

The two boys look up from their tangled position at Rory, Ethan's fist stopping mid-air above Benny's face. They look at each other, then shrug. They untangle themselves from each other, sitting prim and proper next to the tree. It makes Rory's smile even wider.

"Seems fair to me." Benny says.

"I don't see why not." Ethan agrees.

With that, Rory closes his eyes and begins to reach underneath the tree. He feels around for a bit, hand accidentally bumping the branches of the fake plant, until he feels a gift. He can't tell whose it is, but he knows that it's medium sized and wrapped in a bow. He thinks it might be the present from earlier. He picks it up and settles it on his lap, opening his eyes.

"To Rorster, from Ethan." he reads aloud, "looks like Ethan's is up first."

Benny groans in defeat, and Ethan pumps his fist in triumph. He briefly turns to Benny and kisses him apologetically, ruffling his hair. "Better luck next time, Ben."

"Go on, open it." Ethan encourages, arm around Benny.

Rory rips through the paper excitedly, making sure to keep the bow intact as he tears off the decorative wrapping. When all the paper is gone, he sees a familiar logo across the seal. His eyes widen in realization, mouth agape in wonder. Could Ethan really have pulled this off? No way- no way he could've done this…

"Ethan, you shouldn't have…" Rory says as he peels back the seal on the package, opening it to reveal-

A chest binder.

Not just any chest binder- a GC2B binder. And not just one, but multiple; a nude one that matches his skin tone, a black one, and a navy blue one. Rory clutches his hands over his mouth. He can't believe this… he knows how expensive these were, and he just… can't imagine how Ethan got the money to buy them.

"How- how did you-" Rory picks up the binders one by one, running his hands over the smooth material. Tears began to form in his eyes.

"It was nothing, really. I just used my birthday money from the past year or so and figured it would come in handy one day." Ethan said it like it was really nothing, shrugging nonchalantly as he leaned on Benny's side.

Rory, dumbfounded, couldn't keep his eyes off the binders. They seemed to shine brighter than the magic box, to glimmer in the light of the tree. The fabric felt silky smooth on one side, and perfectly rough on the other. It made Rory's heart want to leap out of his chest and swaddle his boys in the tightest of hugs. The tears from earlier were beginning to fall as Rory couldn't keep his happiness inside of him for much longer. The two boys began to take notice of his tears, wiping their own eyes themself.

"Well, I guess you gotta open mine now." Benny smirks when he says it, a glint in his eye that Rory knew all too well.

This is either going to be a very elegant gift or a very elaborate set up to a prank.

Rory opens the gift with caution, untying the ribbon around the small box. Still glowing, Rory has to squint his eyes to lift the top of the box off. He holds his hand over his eyes as if the sun was beaming directly into them. After a while, the light begins to die down.

"Jeez, Benny," Ethan rubs his irritated eyes, "did you have to make it so… painful to look at?"

"It's for the drama, dude."

Rory chuckles at that, wiping a light-induced tear from his eye as he reaches inside the box. His hand comes in contact with something small and… textured? It feels like a chain of some sort. He picks it up, then gazes in awe at the present in his palm.

"A locket? Ben…" true to his word, it's a real locket. The chain is silver, as is the heart shaped pendant hanging from it. Rory can see his reflection in the heart, and it makes his chest flutter.

"Open it!" Benny smiles from ear to ear, along with Ethan, who is just as in awe as Rory.

Doing as he's told, he opens the pendant. Inside is a picture of the three of them. They're at the place where they got those milkshakes that made Ethan discover he was lactose intolerant. As he blinks, the image changes. The picture of Benny and Ethan dressed as Ghostbusters on Halloween makes him remember the time they got swirlies from those jocks. It changes again to a moving image of Benny tripping and falling at the roller rink.

"I have no idea how you got pictures of these, but I love them. Thank you." Rory wraps his arms around Benny briefly, kissing him on the cheek as he lets go.

"It's a spell." Benny states proudly, "it shows all of your zikheronott semekhim- or 'happy memories', with the ones you love."

Ethan slaps him playfully on the shoulder. "You made my gift look like shit!"

Benny rushes to tackle Ethan, and they return to their shenanigans. They tussle on the floor again, looking like total geeks. Rory goes into another laughing fit as Ethan sits on Benny's back, trying to force him into a grotesque, spit-soaked kiss.

-

The next day, Rory proudly walks out of his house with a flat chest. His locket tucked safely under his shirt.

[elesianne]

A Silmarillion fanfic, chapter twenty-four

Chapter summary: The winter before their wedding, filled with preparations and waiting.

Rating: Teen and up audiences; Chapter length: ~2,800 words

Chapter notes: This is a short chapter but the next, last one is a behemoth.

(Read on AO3)

*

Chapter XXIV // A winter of waiting

My beloved betrothed Tuilindien

begins the letter that Tuilindien receives from Carnistir only a short time after he went home.

 I found our house still standing like Curufinwë and Findaráto assured us at the harvest festival, and in fact they had made more progress on it during my absence than I had expected. Apparently their personal disagreements only spurred them to work harder, in some sort of one-upmanship. The basic structures of most walls are finished, and there is even a roof on most of the garden-side rooms.

 I have taken up residence in the most finished room, for myself as well as Cinder – that is what I named the kitten. It seemed the most fitting name for a black cat with orange eyes. Cinder did not much enjoy the journey here, but is settling in well. Her mother seems to have taught her well, for she has already caught two mice. She doesn't appear to be as sociable as Snowdrop, though, but an independent spirit who likes to keep her distance from me while sneaking to sleep close to me at night.

 Curufinwë does not approve of my moving into a building site, as he put it. He told me that I seem to have lost the last of my dignity and concern for appearances now that I am certain that you will marry me.

 I told him that it is my house and I will live in it if I want.

 The truth is that I am tired of the daily journey from the palace. Not because of the distance, mainly, but because there is little privacy there and I had to waste time every day talking to people I didn't want to talk to but had to for grandfather's sake, at meals and upon leaving and coming back at night. Here there are no distractions, just Cinder and I, and Makalaurë's house is near enough that I go there for meals as often as Tinweriel tolerates me.

 Spending the summer with you was delightful, but so is throwing myself into work here again, seeing our house grow every day, making it ready for you.

 I miss you already, though, and look forward to your winter visit.

 With love

 your Carnistir

*

  My darling Carnistir,

 I am glad to hear that you found the house in a better shape than you expected, and especially that little Cinder is making her contribution by catching vermin.

 I do not think that living in a half-finished building must mean loss of dignity, and it would certainly not make me any less likely to marry you if I hadn't already decided that I will do it. I cannot help wondering, though, as winter approaches, whether you and Cinder will be warm enough. Have you any source of heat there?

 It is silly of me to worry, I know. You know how to take care of yourself. But I spend a great deal of time thinking of you these days, even more than before. I am writing my treatise but it does not take that much time, and I do not have any particularly ambitious goals for it. I write a little, I help look after Aiwië, I spend time with Cirincë (I have kept up the riding lessons we began in the summer) and I think of you. That is how I spend my days.

 I admire your industriousness and I love you for working so hard to make us a home. I only hope that you make enough time for rest as well, though you now live there in the middle of your work.

 As for me – as the forests and fields on the mountainside settle into winter, as the days grow cooler and many of the songs of birds fall into silence, I find that my heart has settled into waiting. First for my visit to your city, and then for the move to Tirion. I have already gone through all of my things and decided which ones I will bring with me. I am just waiting to pack them and give most of the rest to Cirincë.

 Carnistir, I have never before found waiting this hard. Perhaps because every day, I say goodbyes in my heart to the people and places and things I have always lived among – and every day, I miss you so. I feel bare and alone now that you are so far from me that I cannot feel your spirit in our connection, no matter how hard I try.

 When I miss so that it feels like it must surely eventually become unbearable, I take off the ring you gave me and I read the words inside. I feel warm, then, and comforted by the strength of your affection and your promise to me.

 And I count the days.

 Your Tuilindien

*

As late autumn is turning to true winter, Tuilindien rides to Tirion. She has only a groom and a maidservant with her this time, for this three-week visit is for her to begin building connections and making plans for her future in Tirion, as well as for wedding planning.

She stays at the palace once again, as a guest of Indis and Finwë. The queen takes her role as hostess seriously. She introduces Tuilindien to all of her ladies, many of whom are Vanyarin, and invites her to so many meals and activities that Tuilindien's days are easily filled. She has no time to feel lonely, though this is her first time in Tirion without any of her family.

For she spends time with Carnistir, too, of course, and is invited to dinners at his family's house as well as Makalaurë and Tinweriel's.

'It is very nice to have Carnistir and you both here', Tinweriel tells Tuilindien the first night that they dine there. 'Carnistir has been a very frequent dinner guest lately, but despite my best efforts in training him, he is still not much of a conversationalist. When I asked him to tell him about his summer on the plains with you, he spent the entire meal explaining winemaking methods to us.'

'He devoted himself to learning them', Tuilindien replies.

Tinweriel smiles at her over the rim of her wine glass. 'A loyal reply', she notes. 'But tell me, what did you two do for fun?'

Tuilindien does her best to answer that. On the whole, dinners with Makalaurë and Tinweriel go well. She is glad for it. Makalaurë and Carnistir are close, and Makalaurë's house is also physically much closer than Carnistir's parents' house. Fëanáro and Nerdanel's home is almost on the opposite side of the city from the property Carnistir bought. Tuilindien has not dared to ask whether that was a contributing factor to Carnistir's decision to buy it.

Besides dinners and entertainments, Tuilindien visits members of the scholarly community too, finding out what projects are going on and whether there is something she could contribute to.

In the end she decides on teaching, though. For there is a need for a teacher of language to the children of the court – the offspring of royal advisors, courtiers and ladies-in-waiting, court musicians and poets, seneschals and officials. Tuilindien will teach some of the more advanced students varieties of Quenya that they do not yet know, and the basics of Valarin, and the script of Rúmil.

Fëanáro raises his brows when she tells the family of her plans. 'If you believe that taking on the role of schoolmistress is a wise beginning to your life here –'

'I do', Tuilindien interrupts, for she is learning that it is best to assert herself with him.

'Then we wish you all the best in it, dear', Nerdanel completes her husband's sentence. 'May your students be more obedient and interested than our little terrors.' She smooths down Telvo's hair affectionately while he protests the description.

Three weeks pass fast. When they come to their end and Tuilindien prepares for farewells again, Tuilindien pleads with Carnistir once more to let her come see the house.

'No.' Carnistir dodges her kiss. 'You can kiss me as many times as you like, vanimelda – I shall like it very much if you do – but it will not make me show you the house yet. Not while it is half-built. It is coming along well but at the moment it looks hardly better than the old house at the time of our betrothal. I want your first impression of it to be good.' He grows serious. 'You do still trust me with the house, don't you? You've told me that you have faith in me making it a good home for us both.'

'Of course I still trust you. I am only curious, so very curious',   Tuilindien admits sheepishly. 'Impatient, too. But I will bear it. Let us go through the plans I have drawn for the garden instead. What do you think of this layout?'

Carnistir bends down to look at her notes. They are inexpertly drawn but that does not seem to bother him, to her relief. He points out some things that would not work, and Tuilindien listens intently and makes corrections, and touches his knee every now and then.

*

Tuilindien is relieved when, upon returning home for the rest of the winter, she finds that while she still counts days and looks forward to her wedding, the impatience does not make her unable to enjoy the time she has left with her family and friends.

She spends much time with Cirincë, for her younger sister is sad. Tuilindien's temporary absence appears to have made her rapidly approaching more permanent departure much more real to Cirincë.

Tuilindien tries to console her with promises of visits, to little effect. In the end they just spend as much time together as possible.

Lirulinë spends more home in the family home than she has for years, too, though that might be because of the many eager arms that there are there to cuddle baby Aiwië. Little Cantiel, only a few years older than her niece, is fascinated with the baby too, and babbles to her for hours about everything and anything.

Cantiel receives her mother-name at midwinter, the whole family with aunts and uncles and grandparents gathered to hear it.

Sailiel gathers her youngest daughter close to her and raises her voice for the announcement.

'It is a little early, but she is not the baby of the family anymore', she begins. 'And now that she speaks and plays with language, I would like her to have a name with more personal meaning.' Tuilindien's mother glares at her husband who gave their fourth daughter a father-name meaning 'fourth daughter'.

'I knew I could trust you to gift her a better name', Ingolmo says innocently.

'Darling daughter.' Sailiel lifts Cantiel in her arms and brushes her hair tenderly out of her eyes so she can gaze at her. 'I wish to give you the name Wilwarindëa.'

Cantiel tilts her head. 'Like a butterfly.'

'Like a butterfly', her mother confirms. 'For you run around the house and garden, just for fun, from one family member to another like a butterfly flutters from flower to flower.'

Wilwarindëa grins and looks over her mother's shoulder to her sisters. 'I didn't get a bird name', she declares to them jubilantly. 'I got a butterfly name. The only butterfly name.'

'Congratulations, Wilwarindëa', Tuilindien tells her, suppressing her own grin.

*

Preparations for the wedding have gone well, especially when one takes into account that the bride has participated in them by letter for many weeks. Finwë and Nerdanel have borne principal responsibility in making the arrangements, with Carnistir relaying Tuilindien's latest wishes and vetoing some details on his own behalf.

'We will not have an entire orchestra playing at the wedding, Cáno. It is a celebration for family. If you keep suggesting it, I won't let you and Tinweriel play at all', Carnistir had to threaten during one meeting.

'It's an orchestra Tinwië and I belong to, so there's no reason it couldn't perform at a family celebration', Makalaurë argued. 'There was an orchestra at our wedding.'

'It was your wedding', Carnistir pointed out between clenched teeth. 'This is mine and Tuilë's. We're less…' he wants to say pompous or dramatic, but that would be too rude '… grandiose people.'

Finwë played peacemaker. 'People do have different tastes and desires, Makalaurë. I'm certain that Carnistir will be very grateful if you and Tinweriel hold an intimate performance at the wedding. You do not need an orchestra to make beautiful music. Is that not right, Carnistir?'

'That's right', Carnistir muttered, and with that the matter was finally settled two weeks before the wedding.

Arguing with Makalaurë had felt strange. Moving back to his childhood home for the last two weeks before the wedding feels stranger. He only does so because his mother and brothers beseeched him to.

He finds his room much like he had left it, only a little tidier. Carnistir runs his fingers over the books and papers and other things he'd left behind as unnecessary. After over three years away, it almost feels like they belong to another person.

It is no matter that the room he lived in since he was a child doesn't feel like his anymore. He has a new room elsewhere, one that is only missing the finishing touches now, and he didn't come to his family home to spend time in his room anyway. He came to spend time with his family.

And he does just that, as much as he can spare time from working to make sure the new house will be habitable if not finished by the time of the wedding.

He plays with his youngest brothers and takes them riding and listens while they tell him everything they've ever thought of – that is how it seems anyway.

He tells them that he won't see them any less when he has married Tuilindien. More, very possibly, since he won't be as busy with the house project anymore.

He feels certain, without asking Tuilindien, that his little brothers will be welcome in their house even if they visit often and leave a mess behind. It is rather wonderful, being certain of things like that.

'My new house is on the other side of the city but that is not a problem', Carnistir tells Ambarussar. 'You've become good riders in the last few years. You are not to just hop on your ponies and ride there, but if you ask mother or father for permission and for a groom to accompany you, it should be no problem for you to visit frequently.'

The twins beam at him and Pityo lets out a small cheer.

'You must always be courteous to Tuilindien and do as she asks', Carnistir hastens to add.

Both Ambarussar looks offended that Carnistir thinks that they might not be the most courteous children in all of Aman. 'Of course we will', they say in unison, which adds to rather than relieves Carnistir's fear that they definitely won't behave.

He ruffles their hair, anyway, and tells them to go beg the cook for something sweet they can all share.

*

A week before the wedding day, Tuilindien with her whole family arrives in Tirion.

Carnistir embraces Tuilindien tightly as soon as he sees her, and tells her, 'You are a day late.'

Tuilindien's eyes are bright with tears of joy. 'The roads were terrible', she says with a half laugh, half sob, trailing her hands through his hair. 'The mountain-paths especially were muddy with melted snow. It is not the best time of the year for travelling.'

'But it is an excellent time for a wedding, for I could not wait a day longer than the six we still have left.' Carnistir holds her close, nuzzling her neck. 'I have no words for how glad I am that you are here to stay this time.'

Tuilindien sighs. 'As am I, my love, to truly stay with you finally, with no goodbyes in sight.' She strokes a gentle hand down his back. 'Right now, though, we must join our families for dinner.'

'They can wait a moment.'

'They have already waited. Come now, Carnistir.'

At dinner and during the socialisation afterwards when his family member and relatives whisk Tuilindien away from him, he observes her, especially in relation to the few women already in his family. Tuilindien is shorter and more slender than his mother, and dressed in lighter colours, blending in more with the marble of the palace; she is more quiet and more still than Tinweriel with her witticisms and wide gestures.

Yet he knows where she is in the room at all times, no matter how many more colourful or louder people she is surrounded by. Even without looking he knows where she is at any moment, and feels better than ever for knowing that she is there, never far from him.

*

A/N: In the next chapter, the long-awaited wedding day with its night.

I can't believe there's only one chapter left! And then some sequel fics, if I manage to write them.

Also: total wordcount for this fic is now

!!!

[bittersweet-disney-blog]

Pocahontas (1995)

So, to start this project off, I have decided to watch Pocahontas. I think this is the first film that I've told a few people about where they have said "Huh... I don't remember much about Pocahontas." That's because Disney messed up and made it pretty forgettable. Let me break it down;

First and foremost, in the movie she is shown as an adult woman whom later falls in love with an adult Englishman named Captain John Smith (who could easily look like he is in his mid twenties). Real life? She was ALMOST TWELVE and he was TWENTY-SEVEN! Let that sink in a little bit. Thankfully, there was no loving/sexual relationship between the two. It seemed that she was just looking out for him.

There are some scenes in the movie that do match up history (a few examples are of how Jamestown came to be, when his head was on the stone and she uses her body to save him and the main characters' names are pretty accurate) but since its Disney, we gotta add some magical things, don't we? So let's throw in a few animal sidekicks and a talking tree. That'll REALLY bring the audience in.

Let's get to the meeting of the two in the movie. Pocahontas speaks to John Smith in her native tongue and he doesn't even bother to use body language to communicate. Suddenly and magically, she listens to the wind and now she knows the English language perfectly??

In reality, she was so curious that she actually took the time to learn and understand the English language to better communicate with John Smith that they (her tribe and the colonists) thought of her as an emissary and peacemaker between the two.

Half way into the movie I actually chuckled at this part. Governor Ratcliffe is in his tent having a full on panic attack because he hasn't struck/found any gold yet. He turns to his personal assistant (honestly, I'm not sure what this poor man was even doing there) named Wiggins and asks (I'm paraphrasing here): "Want to know why the hell we haven't found any gold yet and those Indians tried attacking us?!" And Wiggins? He lays down some REAL truth. Word for word, he said: "Because we invaded their land and cut down their trees and dug up their Earth?"

YES!

Well, they didn't REALLY attack first. The settlers did because they saw ONE GUY in the bushes just scoping the place and OF COURSE someone had to be the first to start something. But WHY DID NO ONE (or the majority of us) NOT CATCH THIS SOONER?!?! However, Ratcliffe decided it was the Indians' fault and this is where damn near bloodshed commenced.

I'm going to pause here and talk about the song "Colors of the Wind" I did enjoy the song and the artistic visionary of it all. How they would morph from animal to human and show the beauty of nature and Mother Earth. This song not only won a Grammy, an Oscar and Golden Globe awards for "Best Original Song" but it portrays how everything is connected in a spiritual and beautiful way.

Now we get to the "battle scene".

!!!WARNING!!! THIS PARAGRAPH CONTAINS DEROGATORY TERMS THAT I IN NO WAY WOULD EVER EXPRESS! What is posted is ALL quotes from a Disney song. If you want to skip this part, I would not blame you.

What is ANY good Disney movie without some kind of battle and some kind of song to go with it?

At this point, I should state that this movie was made in 1995 (or at least released around that time). During the 90's, that era was allowed to get away with almost anything.

Watching this movie again, after who knows how long, the battle song "Savages" is pretty gosh darn racist. I know Disney was trying to stick to the times that this happened, but there should've been a better way to go about it. There was a LOT of racist remarks on both parties of this song.

The word "savages" is used a LOT on both sides. One side claims/sings: "Their skin's a hellish red. They're only good when dead. They're vermin as I said, and worse!" <--- that hurt to type. And the other side? Just as bad: "The pale face is a demon. The only thing they feel at all is greed. Beneath that milky hide, there's emptiness inside. I wonder if they even bleed?!"

I, personally, feel that race and skin type should NOT have been brought into this under ANY circumstance. Again, I know it was during the times where one race hated another and when trying to be accurate, this is how they displayed their emotions. I just think that there could have been other ways for one side to fight about the other side through song and dance but just not this way (again, my personal opinion).

Now that we're past that, after the almost battle scene, we're at the (somewhat) accurate part where Pocahontas threw herself on top of John and demanded that her father not kill him. All almost ends well except for deranged Ratcliffe who aimed to shoot Chief Powhatan but shot John instead.

After seeing a few people be shot in this movie, I noticed that there was no blood in sight. That is another thing I will applaud about Disney. They can make a dark scene without having to show any kind of gore to know what has happened and still make it "family friendly" movie.

Now let's get back to reality. John Smith lead some of the settlers to get food and crossed the hunting party from the Powhatan tribe and the tribe killed them all BUT John. The brother of Pocahontas tied John up and brought him back to the village to make a spectacle out of him. According to John (in his own notes), his head was placed between two rocks and Pocahontas did come to his rescue and begged for him not to be killed.

Some historians believed that John was not entirely truthful because there was another time he claimed to have gotten kidnapped and a different "princess" came to his aide and saved him.

There was a second almost battle between the tribe and the settlers and unlike the movie (where John and Pocahontas warn each other about their sides wanting to fight), the tribe was going to come at night and fight the settlers but Pocahontas snuck off to warn John where he and the Chief met up to negotiate.

The movie ends when John got shot and gets put in a row boat to go back to the ship to be taken back to England to be treated for his injuries. I don't think they purposely set it up for a second movie, but they went with it and made Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World.

In this sequel, he is "missing" for treason (thanks to Ratcliffe) and she goes to find him but meets up with John Rolfe (her "guide") to help her. Now, I refuse to watch this movie because it is even MORE inaccurate than this one. What REALLY happened, you asked? John died from injuries that he got at the almost second battle. The British kidnapped Pocahontas for negotiation purposes and brought her to England. There, she met and married a man named John Rolfe at the age of 17, and together they had a son who they named Thomas. After a while, Pocahontas had her named changed to Rebecka Rolfe. In 1617, at the age of 22, Pocahontas (aka Rebecka Rolfe) passed away on British soil.

So what is my conclusion? There are probably great reasons why this movie gets forgotten a lot.

Maybe from its greatly historical inaccuracy (even though some good movies have that) or it's blatant racism or just forgetful songs that didn't win anything or simply some people just don't find this Disney movie as enjoyable as others.

Whatever the case may be, this movie is both liked and hated by a many Disney fan.

[imagine-loki]

A Warrior’s Life

TITLE: A Warrior’s Life

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter Ninety-Nine

AUTHOR: wolfpawn ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Viking Loki coming to your village, raiding, and pillaging, before deciding there is something about you that intrigues him and deciding to take you back to Asgard with him. There, you are forced to learn a new life and language, and though you hate what has happened to you, you learn that Loki is not as bad as you think.

RATING: Mature

Maebh walked around carefully, making sure to no danger to her, a dagger in hand. She halted as she heard someone walking down on a corridor, she saw no means of escape, so readying to strike, she got into position. As soon as she saw the foot of her enemy, she lunged at him causing the pair to fall to the floor. Her dagger to his throat.

‘Meabh!’

Maebh stared at the person under her in shock. It took her a moment to realise she knew him. ‘Sean?’

‘You are alive, thank God.’ She got off him and allowed him to get to his feet again, but she kept her distance eyeing him suspiciously. ‘There is no need to worry, princess, my alliances lie where they always have, with you and your family.’

‘How are you here?’ She heard another coming towards them but she did not have time to hide herself. When the person came into view, she exhaled and felt the dagger slip through her fingers and fall to the floor. She ran forward and found herself jumping into the man's arms, giving him a kiss as she did. ‘I have always been so fond of you but I have never been so happy to see you.’

Thor held her to him for a moment as though he was clutching onto life itself. ‘Nor I, you Maebh.’ He looked at her fondly before looking to her stomach. ‘The baby?’ He asked worriedly.

‘How safe is it to leave here?’ She half demanded.

‘Getting safer by the moment, the man who called himself the High King of Ireland has fled with his men, all that are left are the soldiers of the Lord that resided here, but he too fled.’ Thor informed her.

‘I need to get the children.’ Maebh turned and headed back the way she had come, Thor followed her having sworn to himself not to let her out of his sight until she was safe once more. When she got to the room she had hidden the children in, Maebh all but pounded on the door. ‘Danu, it is me, open the door, we are getting out of here.’ Not a moment later, the door was unbolted. Danu had barely stuck her head around the door to ensure it was just her mother made her way into the room, rushing to the bed where Einar was still sleeping and bringing him into her arms.

‘It was born?’ Thor walked in, relieved to see Danu safe and a small infant in Maebh’s arms. As soon as Danu saw her uncle she rushed to him, Thor bringing her into his arms and cradling her close, kissing the side of her head. ‘Hello, my precious little niece.’ He beamed in elation. ‘Would you like to come home?’

‘More than anything in the world.’

Thor was about to playfully continue the conversation when he noticed something on the rug. ‘That is the afterbirth?’ he looked to Maebh. ‘You have just birthed?’

‘I helped,’ Danu beamed in pride.

‘He is not an hour old.’ Maebh told him.

‘Most women do not get out of bed for a day after they birth, I often wonder are you truly different to all others or do you do these things just to be different.’ Thor shook his head and smiled.

‘I am on enemy soil, I have men who have said they want to take my children from me and raise them to be nothing more than spoils of war here on Midgard, to have them forget who and what they are and become believers in the Midgardian faith. How can I think it to rest until I had them safe again?’

‘For one who does not believe in the Gods, you are terribly blessed.’ Thor chuckled.

‘If I get out of this alive, if I get my children back to Asgard, I may have to reconsider my beliefs.’

‘Well then, I think it's best that we leave.’ Maebh noticed that Thor had yet to put her daughter out of his arms again. Even as he walked through the doorway, he held onto her, Maebh following behind, Einar in hers.

They made a way through the dwelling without issue. When they reached outside, there was a small cheer when Thor was seen, and an even louder one when the men from Asgard that had been fighting alongside some of the Midgardians recognised the black-haired, Green eyed little girl looking at them from his arm. When Maebh emerged she smiled to see familiar faces.

‘For one that looks as though she has seen the very pits of Hell, you still stand tall.’ Heimdall grinned as he bowed slightly to her.

‘I have been to them and told them to tidy up for we are about to send many their way.’ Maebh gave a small smile. ‘Where is Loki?’

‘He and others made their way to another dwelling, we were unsure exactly where the children would be. if I am honest, we were told that you had already died, but that Danu was alive. The information we have gathered told us that she had either been moved to that location or was at this one. We could not risk her being in one and a message getting to it from the other that we were here and them doing something to her.’ Thor explained looking at his niece and smiling. ‘We could never let anything happen to you, could we?’

‘Nope.’ Danu cuddled into her uncle, her arms around his neck. ‘Why is your hair different? It is all gone.’

‘Because an Asgardian my size does not blend in easily. To make them not realise who I was, I had to look something like them.’

‘You look silly.’ Danu stated in a factual manner. The men laughed at the child's innocent comment.

‘You are your father’s daughter.’ Thor chuckled.

‘I am his image and my mother’s manner.’

‘I will say nothing.’ Thor looked to Maebh, the pair smiling at one another. ‘All things considered, this was easier than I thought it would be.’

‘Never say anything like that, that only invites trouble.’ Maebh warned.

‘That is true actually.’ Thor acknowledged. ‘Would you rather we got a cart?’

‘No too slow and lumbering, get me a horse and a large length of material, clean and not too hard.’

Thor looked to one of the men and gave a small nod, the man nodded back and rushed off to guess what she requested. ‘Forgive me for asking Maebh, but will this not hurt, considering.’ He indicated to Einar.

‘I am already in pain, what is a little bit more?’

‘I often wonder you just court suffering for this sheer joy of it.’

‘Perhaps some of my parents' faith still resides within me. Their faith dictates that one must suffer in this life to be rewarded in the next.’

‘Yes, I think you do have such in you, for I have never seen one to willingly suffer as you do.’

‘Well, outside of Sif of course.’ Maebh jested as a horse was brought to her, Thor giving her a bemused look.

‘We have missed your humour,’ Heimdall chuckled as he mounted his own horse.

When given the piece of cloth, Maebh used it to tightly secure Einar to her chest, leaving her hands free so that she could hold the reins of the horse. Thor mounted his horse but only after putting his niece on the front of his saddle. He made sure she sat back against him and kept an arm around her as he gently because his horse to walk forward.

They did not travel for long before a single rider came towards them. Maebh was concerned, not liking that she had very little idea of what was afoot, Thor, however, seems somewhat relieved to see the young man. ‘Well?’ He spoke.

‘The dwelling was empty, not a man, woman or child within of any note.’ The man, a Midgardian, informed them.

‘But there were people within?’

‘Yes Sire, as the intelligence told us, they were anticipating the High King, as well as his entourage and also two children, one an infant. Your brother has a trap ready for them.’

‘Norns, I would not like to be the man who tells my brother what plans were made for his children.’ Thor grinned, looking around at Maebh.

‘Oh no, perhaps we should stop them.’ Maebh’s voice was toneless but then she grinned wickedly. ‘I only hope that they do not miss their little welcome committee, or us with them.’

‘What do you suggest?’

‘Get Danu and Einar somewhere safe, get me some armour and let us join them for the lovely little meeting.’

‘You have just birthed.’ Heimdall pointed out.

‘Exactly, that means there is nothing stopping me from gutting these pigs like the diseased vermin they are.’

‘You are not of this world.’

‘What makes you think that?’ She looked up for a moment and made a small whistle. Only a moment later, Morrigan, who had flown off her shoulder in the hallway when she had attacked Sean and had not made its way back to her after, flew down from the skies and landed on her shoulder once more.

‘There is a story behind that.’ Thor pointed to the bird. ‘I do not know what it is, I do not even know if I am going to be told it, but there is a story.’

‘There is time enough for stories once we are on the boat home.’ Maebh smiled. ‘We need to hurry, UíNeill and his men will reach the convoy soon.’

Fandral and a few others took the two children and brought them to a known safe area. Thor, Maebh, Heimdall and the others continued on to where they knew Loki and his party to be. On route, Maebh was presented with her armour which Loki had insisted on bringing with them as well as her own clothes. Two minutes and a quick change behind a bush and Maebh was ready. Mounting a horse once more, she brought it to the side Thor and looked at him almost gleefully.

‘How much do you wish to make them suffer?’

‘I want as many to be kept alive as is possible. When this is done, I want them lined up in front of me and as soon as I pointed them, know that they are mine. I will deal with them. I will be the one to make them suffer.’

‘So, you were called a whore again I assume?’ Thor looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

‘Among other things.’ Maebh shrugged unapologetically.

Thor looked at her for another moment before looking to the men, ‘Well, you heard her, all survivors are to be held in that manner, understood?’ There was a shout of understanding before they rode on. Sure enough, they got to the area of the other homestead as the battle was being fought. There were men fleeing as the home seemed to be beginning to smoulder.

‘Do you recognise any of them?’ Thor looked to Maebh. Her answer was unsheathing her sword and looking to him for permission to ride on. ‘Like I could stop you.’ He laughed, taking out his own weapon. He gave a call out and all those there began to charge towards those fleeing locality. Morrigan took flight but remained above Maebh as her horse galloped towards the first of the men.

With her sword in her hand, she paid close attention to every detail of the men's attire so as to pertain who they were allied with. As soon as she saw UíNeill’s emblem, she sneered and swung her sword, decapitating him as she did, riding on as she changed what hand the sword was in for her next opponent. She made her way through them all until she got to the worst of the fighting, in amongst it all were Lord Conor and UíNeill. The pair looking menacingly at the man in front of them, both knowing that as it was two on one, they held the advantage.

‘Such a deadly pair you are but are you more deadly than us?’ The three men looked around in shock. ‘Hello, husband.’ She smiled, looking at Loki, he looked at her as though she was a Valkyrie sent by the Norns. She sneered at the now concerned looking men, who seemed to realise they were in trouble. ‘Good to see you had faith in finding me.’ She indicated to her attire he had brought for her.

‘I never doubted it.’

[scifer]

Journal Entry #65 : Dr William Beck 21:32 April 7th 1958 Something peculiar happened with one of our products, this evening. I was done for the day and about to head to my car when something caught my eye in the hallway outside the lab. It stopped outside the door as if it was waiting for me to open it. On doing so, I found it was one of our CIE units – a Mk 5. I remember because I wanted the kid-friendly range to look like cartoon lions. I guess they went with sheep instead. The CIE had something in its hands. When I asked the unit to state purpose, it looked straight into my eyes and said “I tried to help”. It held up its hands and opened them to me, revealing a tiny, deceased mouse. I asked the unit where it found the poor animal and it replied “I always had him”, then “He was sick” and repeated “I tried to help”. At first glance, I thought it was one of the laboratory mice, or just simple vermin. But when the unit handed the creature over to me, I noticed the mouse had been cared for, well-fed and groomed, until its demise. The creature looked as if it had never had to deal with the claws of a cat, nor poison, nor mousetrap. I’m no biologist, but I assume from the greyish fur and wrinkled skin on his ears that the mouse had died of old age. Then, the unit looked up at me in a way words fail to describe. I’ve been building these things for 4 years now and I know that a CIE cannot show any facial expression or body language it has not been programmed with. But I’ve never seen a CIE’s optical lenses display what I saw just then. It looked, for lack of a better word - heartbroken. Doctor Ogilvy is going to think I am a sentimental fool if she ever reads this. But even if I try to rationalize these events as a human being seeing human emotions in a mechanical device, there are still many unanswered questions. How did the unit boot outside of protocol, disconnect the charge pack and walk down 2 flights of stairs all on its own? Why did this CIE decide to care for a non-human patient? Why did the unit feel the need to show the mouse to me, like a child expecting scorn? Could this 2 million dollar box of wires, valves and synaptic transistors that can't even pass a goddamn Turing Test honestly be experiencing ‘guilt’? Maybe this isn't as crazy as it sounds. Mk 5 CIEs are programmed to recognize basic facial emotions and body language in humans. It gives them an artificial bedside manner. They can recognize if a patient is afraid of needles or still in shock from their injury. But they can't experience the emotional data themselves. I wouldn't know where to begin programming such a thing. But what if this CIE is developing its own synthetic emotional responses based on human emotions it has witnessed? What if the unit's PCMU has adapted to feel remorse after the loss of a patient? It must have seen a human doctor do this during functionality tests. The unit could be connecting runtime experiences and intertwining them with emotional data. Surely human children learn to deal with more complex emotions in a similar way? Truly, a giddy concept! I then did something I have never done. Against my better judgement, I leant down on one knee and I spoke to the CIE as if it were a child. A foolish and maudlin notion, but a powerful feeling gripped me at that moment. It could have been the late hour, or it could have been my paternal side, but I felt a need to consol this unit for one reason or another. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I think I told the CIE that it did everything in its power to save the mouse, but nothing lasts forever. I said the mouse had lived a good life and that the CIE’s care had made that life possible. Then, I told the unit to go back to the charging annex. After a few moments, it obeyed, leaving without a word. I've kept the mouse in my drawer wrapped in medical tissue, for now. I'll share my findings with Ogilvy in the morning. I only hope she'll have mercy on me. What a strange day. Beck.

[kappasigmalife]

Desolate Caladium: Chp 2

Desolate Caladium : chapter 2

Falls on me

The dead of night came quickly for us, I was able to use some of my savings to get us out of port on a cargo ship going to neighboring islands. The kingdom is in an uproar and caladium is terrified. While on the hold we were finally able to rest and I watched as he tossed and turned the entire night. Of course I wanted to tell him everything was fine but in truth how could it, losing your father, cast from your kingdom like a leper, and your only company is a guy you saved 5 years ago, and is wanted for the murder of the king. When he woke up I found him eating a basket of fruit some of the sailors gave him, tossing me a banana, he told me to eat it plenty of it considering scurvy is a thing in the high seas. Eating the fruit I notice that caladium is taking out a long dagger and looking at it.

“an azoth dagger, meant for mages who completed their training as novices and attain the rank of casters, only given when one slays a beast, never thought I’d ever unwrap the cloth to use it.” “it’s a beautiful blade prince, but why take it out now” As I ask I notice hime cut it into his long locks of hair and sees it change color, from dark brown, to a light tan.

“as of now, my name is callum, and drop the prince, I don’t have use for it no more.” When we got to port he asked me to get him clothes that were civilian instead of royal and as we walked I saw him eyeing the guards around us, looking for me.

“don’t worry if anyone notices you, ill keep them away alright.” “being a mage must really be cool.”

“well it’s the hard work that pays off.”

His hair almost looks better shorter, but of course the hair that fell off just burned away, no doubt to just simply keep from being tracked later on. He grabbed my by the arm and brings me to the marketplace where he places some cents on a man’s table asking for a place for the night. The man tells him money is no good for him as the merchants guild has been struck down by the fallen kingdom and requires assistance more than anything. He gave us the room in exchange we bring his caravan to the next city 5 miles away. Gladly accepting, callum looks at me and smiles knowing that were safe another day. That night he slept more soundly and I kept watch outside once again. I began notice the sound of a horse galloping fast around the market and place it as nothing more than rounds being done by the police force. My real concern was watching callum just sleep as the night drags on. He woke around 4 am telling me he will take over and for me to rest before we must leave again. I can tell his very focused as he doesn’t even blink as he gazes outside, his auburn eyes under the moon glistened as I looked at him before drifting off. Although my time with him has been short we have been through more than enough to know the confines of needing one another to survive in this world. He promised me that we would be okay and in retrospect we are, together we stand against the illegal acts of the coup de ta    while also running from our fate at the hands of the gallows. Forbidding himself from magic, he relies only on his brawn to keep us safe.

While the night persisting into the early morning we were able to rest enough to be ready to head out with the caravan. He took the reins and whisked us away from the market all the way to the next town in only a matter of hours, with one horse and supplies. As we arrived he received a large sum of cash that he stashed into his satchel to get us another room. Instead of a nice room in an inn, we chose to stay in the stables free of charge in order to recuperate and regroup our route away from the kingdom. His idea is to become a merchant only to provide protection as well as favors for cash in return for living quarters and start a new life. While I would like the idea of having a new life with him, it is not fair he is the one doing all the work. I requested to be sent to the local apothecary to work as a medical official and help townspeople with licensing from the city. The issue is that I need an alias as well, but callum assured me that desmond is so common it wouldn’t be an issue and effortlessly got me an emblem signifying my alliance to a med corp. as tears ran down my face I saw that he was smiling and wiped the tears from me.

“your eyes, I didn’t notice they were green, the color of life, a perfect fit for a medic.” “I never really noticed callum, thank you.” “we should celebrate, lets splurge a bit at the bar.” we drank til the hour grew late and we laughed at the expense of our new life, although much of it was running thin on the confines of time as we needed callum to still earn a living with the merchants guild. As a mage he could easily be a noble or even king, but his life was gone and he looks like hes okay with it.

“why are you so happy callum?” “huh, that’s no issue des, I just love being happy.” “but you have lost everything you had in a matter of days and you see the brighter side so quickly.” “of course I do, its because deep down the more I see the pain and anguish the easier it is for me to learn from it and become a better person throughout my life”

“why help everyone but yourself, you act like that’s your purpose.” “as a mage that is how I am born to be, to use magic as a way of helping instead of destroying as my master would say, but now I cant without being outed by the guards.” As I think back at all the things hes had to endure its more prevelant now that I merely only know one minute of his life aside from the entirety. He went on to tell me of his childhood, when his mother died when he was born due to the inheritance of her magic, his father showering him with affection even though he was king, spending time with other kids his age accidently hurting them only to have one friend who understood him.

“I fear that he may come soon, he is the most powerful knight of my fathers council and his bloodline is laced in carnage and bodies.” “how come, isn’t he your friend.” “because its his duty to protect the kingdom, as of now were seen as fugitives and at the same time as victims of conspiracy, but that doesn’t matter to them, they wish to seek control and end the kings familial bloodline one way or another.” “you really are a brave man, I don’t get how you could ever…..” he cut me off placing his hand on my mouth and gesturing me to leave with him. Sneaking out the back he pulled me into a back aisle in the road where he snuck behind the crates. A large hulking figure was looming around stopping in the aisle before moving on. I knew something was different, he was reeking of blood and seemed like the type to end a many for simply arguing with him.

“already found us, and not even three days passed, well done black knight, may we settle our debate tonight or shall I continue to elude you.” As I blinked the man came between us narrowly slicing me with a odd weapon, a sword and staff combined. He looked at both of us and kicked me into the crates as he went to take on callum, whose leaped in the air to the rooftops grabbing his azoth dagger. The man followed suit and I could only watch as they continually fought clashing blades and running after one another.

“for a man who is the kings lapdog, it’s a surprise you didn’t decide to kill him.” “true I didn’t, but given the price I can easily take his sons hide as my own trophy.” “always the morbid talker, taking any price for the job, taken any price for a rescue.” Callum had blasted him off right at my feet landing on his head. As soon as I thought he was dead, he rose back up cracking his neck into place and laughing.

“losing your touch caladium, you really surprise me without your true magic showing.”

“its callum, and what did I expect from the son of the impaler, or as I call you guys, the failed kinship.” “ouch most damage you ever gave me” Callum was getting more and more serious in this fight and all I could do was watch as the two moved more quickly than ever at each other. The metal of the blades going back and forth like a wavering dance of who would lead next, until chris began incantations.

“caelum hoc urere flammis bestia”

“oh goodie breaking out the dead language that gonna be fun.”

A burst of flames erupt from callums blade and strikes the man into the wall allowing him to grab me and run. The man gets up and gives chase merely cornering us and getting to grab my by the collar as I tried to run. Putting his blade to my neck he asked for me to drop mine and come with him. Doing so callum gives into the demands and leaves. I pick up his azoth dagger and glows in the direction he left with the man. Following the signal I come to see the man with piercing red eyes and golden hair curled with a massive beard. The two are drinking together near the shore and I sneak to see what is going on.

“its been years bro, how have you been?” “tough, but you know what its like in the kingdom.” “yeah true I don’t get it either but they pay well, and again im sorry to hear about your dad.” “he was old and things happen, but thank you for the sentiment.” “pleasure now that I know your good on your own, im gonna tell them your dead, and so is that nurse fellow.” “thank you for this, Trev” “least I could do after busting your ass to get me the knights gig, a vampiric knight of the council god everone flipped.” “those were the good old days.” I watched as callum got up and hands over a emerald pendant as the black knight rises and takes it from his grasp.

“payment for this favor, you know the drill.” “ill find two loathsome vermin in town your size and axe them off, then you disguise them yourself, that will act as proof of your death.” “not the first time we did this, go to the east district that where most of the mongrels live.” “good to know, and by the way, why hang around that kid.” “I see something in him innocent, that’s been masked for a long time, also his smile is adorable.”

[notjustbacon]

What 3 months Abroad Feels Like

What's up buttercup?

A quarter of a year has passed since we've embarked on this journey. We've missed all of Spring at home in rainy Portland, Oregon. No matter how many different ways I say it, it still feels unreal and as if the whole concept of being away for three months has not really sunk in. We've climbed mountains, scaled cliffs, spelunked through caves, crossed rivers à pied and have enjoyed moments relaxing on sandy beaches. I've eaten more than my fair share of "weird" foods, and now some of it doesn't seem so weird anymore. Some of it though, I could go without ever being served again. Already, we have traveled through 3 countries, with just 4 left on our itinerary.  

These are just some of the thoughts that come to mind when I get asked, "What have you been up to?" My friends, you know that we are living through an adventure of a lifetime, but still many people are left asking questions. All of the queries circle around one main idea: What's it like to be two crazy kids who quit their jobs to travel for half a year? In short, it's been exceptional. I have shared that traveling is not all rainbows and unicorns, but there has been a lot of sunshine on our journey. In fact, there's been way more sunshine than we've expected considering that we are journeying through SEA during the wet season. Here are some of the most common questions I've been asked, my answers, and a funny story about unexpected traveling.

Did we pack appropriately?

Yes...? And also too much. Surprisingly, none of our equipment or clothing items have failed us... Well except for the (now) three pairs of elephant pants I've bought in Vietnam to use on our hikes. Why can't someone (I'm looking at you Prana) just make a very durable, yet breathable and comfortable pair of elephant pants? Oh - and as I started writing this my bra decided to spring loose in more than one way - making it completely unfunctional. The creator in me has just been buzzing with equipment ideas (working overtime). Maybe I'll have a few to submit, or maybe I'll just let them go and enjoy my days here. 

The biggest takeaway we're learning is that we could have packed a whole lot less. A friend of mine is heading to India for a month and asked me for my traveling wisdom. Ha! It only took me three months of traveling to become wise - SCORE! About half of my reply email consisted of packing advice. While the length of our trips are different and the climate she's covering is only one (really hot), these same rules should apply to any trip. You just have to pick and choose your items carefully, and if you're a dude you'll likely be able to forgo several items below. Basically, if I could do it over again I would pack:

The must haves: 3 shirts, two pants/shorts, 2 bras (as seen above, you NEED a back up), 4-5 underwears, 2-3 pair of socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, a shampoo bar, a stash of resealable ziplock sandwich bags, tweezers, ibuprofen/Advil, sleeping pills, deodorant, sunscreen, bug spray, earplugs, cold medicine, laundry detergent bar, Band-Aids, a waterproof and breathable rain jacket, good hiking shoes, a pair of flip flops, a good water bottle, a medium size backpack (much smaller than my 60L), a few dry sacks (these water resistant/proof stuff sacks save space and wear on your belongings), silk bug proof sleeping liner (trust me on this - spendy, but such a life saver) extra hairbands, and sunglasses.

The nice to haves: phone, phone charger, camera (and charger), conditioner (if you use it regularly), a buff (or some sort of sleep mask), a drawstring/hiking bag/carry on bag, and a book (one you could read and toss).

Travelers Tip 73: The primary goal here is to get your pack under 7 kilograms, by doing so you can take your pack as a carry-on and travel as freely as possible.

What are we learning about?

Simply put, we are learning about ourselves and this great big world (both as individuals and as a couple). What aren't we learning about would be an easier way to answer this: nothing. Strengths, weaknesses, pet peeves, worldly things, other ways of life and culture pretty much cover the top things we are learning about. I've already got a much better grip on what I feel passionate about and how I want to spend 40 plus hours a week to earn a living. I would have hoped that my four-year degree had this subject covered, but nope. University just taught me a little more about growing up and gave me a key to entry level jobs. Having the experiences of working for different people across the world has given me a much better perspective of what I hold most valuable. It's also given me key business lessons in how to be assertive and how to negotiate. What else has traveling taught me? To face my fears head on, just get through the yuck and you'll be better for it. For example, in these two pictures, I'm pushing myself beyond the brink of exhaustion to see all of these intriguing new places, despite my fear of heights and falling... This newfound work ethic has helped me harness the skill of being comfortable with being completely uncomfortable.

Before this trip, I had read several articles claiming that traveling isn't going to solve your life's mysteries. In particular, this one plaguing article by another Alex talks about why: You can't simply run away from your (sad) life or job at home and expect that it will be different when you get back... Your problems will always follow you. Alex claims, "Travel won’t help you fix deep personality flaws, or learn how to find work you love, although it may help put some pieces together. It isn’t a magic bullet that will solve all your problems. 20 somethings, in particular, are experts at running away." Well, quite a few thoughts percolate in rebuttal to this Alex. Not to mention that we have yet another overrun claim that millennials are useless and stupid? GAWD. Let me just get right to the point and respond to the above claims:

Yes, you can run away - from anything. If you have a will, you can find a way. Sometimes a person needs a new home, a fresh start, and new connections to get the ball rolling. Traveling has made many an expat. I'm not advocating that you disappear from all those who love you, but I do want to point out that there is a range to disembarking from what was your life + home in favor of taking a different direction. You could become an expat or you could return to exactly where you took off from, but either way, you'll be different.

Expectations in life are a very funny thing... You can have them, but life and people will do as they please. It's likely that home will stay the same if folks are just planning on doing the "same-ol-same-ol". The people in your life will go on doing what they did unless of course, they have any number of life changing events. It's best not to put people in boxes while you're away and expect them to come back out as they were before. Because you will likely be wrong... because people are living beings who grow and change... because people are alive, and that's what living things do.

Whether or not people or things or jobs will be different when you get back to the U.S. is pretty much a moot point. You will be different. Traveling causes you to face your fears on at least a basic level. It challenges you to get out of your comfort zone and grow exponentially without a moment's notice (see my story below). You probably won't even feel like you're the same person when you get back, but it will great to see familiar faces when you do. And that's if you decide to go back. Again, you could be country shopping without knowing it. Traveling may make you eager to return home, or it may make you realize that there's a better place for you than where you used to call home. Wherever you roam, you'll be picking up new skills, vocab, and friends. Traveling just helps define who you are at the core and helps you blossom into that more beautiful being.

What's the hardest part about traveling? What's the best part?

I try to cover both of these questions as often as possible in my articles. But if I were to nail down the top 5 most challenging items, they would be the heat/weather changes, intruding bugs/vermin, always wearing dirty clothes/feeling grimy, us generally not "getting it"/language barriers/lack of knowledge, and craving foods from home. I talked about some of this in The not so brave side of traveling - I will say the hard things challenge me to grow the most though, so I wouldn't give them up.

As for the good stuff... My top 5 include home cooked meals (family style), meeting new people (my new family), exploring unknown places, personal growth, and sharing the whole experience with my husband. It's hard to nail down one thing that has been the best part. Again, I do try to cover these things in my articles - because, why not share the love?

Tell me a funny story from your travels...

So one day, we decide it's time (actually long overdue) to get out of Vang Vieng and head up north to Luang Prabang. Alex walked around town and found a stand that advertised a questionably low price, it was actually the lowest price seen to get a minivan to Luang Prabang. He started up a conversation and was immediately discouraged when the clerk quoted him a much higher price. Alex vehemently pointed to the sign that quoted the lower price and the clerk came over to the sign to show him the washed out slash over the price that had the new price written illegibly next to it. Alex squinted, saw, and said, "fine, I'll just go to any of these other stands and get a cheaper price." Eventually, they both begrudgingly agreed on the general price listed at the other stands, made the exchange of cash for the voucher, and settled to see each other the next morning for our pick up.

The next morning we were out in front of our guesthouse awaiting our minivan when a tuk-tuk pulls up and the driver inside yells at us to saddle up. We looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders in an assumption that this was our ride to the minivan station... Which, luckily was a safe assumption. A dizzying fifteen-minute ride later, we arrive at the station and found a huge crowd of commotion in front of two vans, one is tossing luggage on top of the vehicle. Alex and I had predetermined that we would avoid this predicament at all costs. We are traveling for over half a year and our backpacks are our whole lives, house, and belongings... We don't want them schlepped off to the side of the road somewhere along the journey north. Fortunately, my teacher's eyes noticed a gentleman patiently waving from behind the commotion for passengers to come around to his third van in the back. I'm so glad I spotted him, his van was much nicer than either of the two up front and had only 3 passengers so far - meaning Alex and I got pretty great dibs on seating (second row in with two adjoined seats by an aisle to the back seat). The driver took our luggage, loaded it in the back, and left us to settle in. Phew!

Within minutes the ten passenger van was filled and ready to set off on the 4-hour drive to Luang Prabang. Our seats were pretty ideal, we had snacks and a/c, and life was glorious. Until all at once the middle passenger just ahead of us lunged back her seat smashing into Alex's long American-Man-Legs. He grimaced and looked at me with concern, one of the backseat passengers wasted no time speaking up and said, "You better say something now, it's going to be a loooooong ride." He nodded, smiled back at her, and summoned the courage to speak up. With a little effort, he was back to having a little knee relief and our van took off. 

The sights out of Vang Vieng were gorgeous. There were thick dark clouds folding over the jungle mountains and luscious green throughout our entire ride. At one point, I must have fallen asleep, because I was jolted awake by the van slamming on its brakes. I shook off my tired and looked around, expecting others to be concerned. The other passengers just looked bored but focused on the scene ahead of us. It looked like a long line of traffic was piling up behind us and no one in front of us was moving. We saw cars attempt to pass and then pull into the crevices between other cars ahead of us. People started chattering when they saw other drivers ahead get out and put rocks behind their wheels. We all fell silent when our driver rolled down his window to chat with a vehicle passing from the other way. I don't know what we thought we could understand, none of us spoke Lao... But we did know something was wrong.

Some time passed before our driver put the car in park, got out, opened our sliding door and waved for us to unload. With his limited English, using some words and mostly sign language he managed to inform us that we would need to walk up the hill and he would meet us at the top (by way of pointing up the hill and saying, "You walk."). We didn't know why, we didn't really know much more of the plan, but we knew nothing was going to happen unless we started walking. Many of us questioned whether this was even safe at all, but we endeavored forward. It wasn't too long into the walk when we realized that the previous night's torrential monsoon had wreaked havoc on the hill our van was attempting to ascend. The road was washed out and was nearing landslide conditions. So traffic on both sides stopped to let the 4-wheel drive vehicles experiment at their pursuit to the top, while a tractor from a nearby construction site was towing up other vehicles one by one. We laughed nervously, thanked ourselves for not wearing white and watched at the top. We didn't know for how long, but within an hour our van was hauled to the top, we all piled back in, and were off to our destination as if nothing had happened.

There's really nothing else to the story other than we made it to Luang Prabang with another memory that we would never forget. This wasn't our first unexpected travel story and it certainly won't be our last, but I am thankful to have it be part of our journey. A perfect story is uneventful, whereas a journey like ours is peppered with memorable, laughable and teachable moments. I can't even imagine the debauchery that would have ensued had this event happened back home. Instead of pulling together and moving forward, we would have likely all broken down and called troops of newscasters, lawyers, and backup vehicles. Which would have just jammed the whole situation further.

Traveling for three months feels miraculous.

It can be life changing if you embrace it. So far I have gained a much broader circle of friends, various experiences that I never thought I'd have (in my wildest dreams), and my world has grown exponentially. I see things differently now. Now when I cross the street, I don't just look for cars, but I don't cross in fear either. Now when I hear someone honking, I think, "Hey buddy, thanks for seeing me." Now when someone offers me an egg, I think twice before saying yes. Those are all things I learned in Vietnam. I've learned how I can help the earth from my time in New Zealand. I've learned how to relax from my time in Laos... and also that a "hiking path" doesn't necessarily mean there's a trail. I don't know what else I'll be learning. I just remember what Lao Tzu said, "A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." 

[badlydrawnstuff]

det au part 7

Arséne: *he is pacing in front of his desk again. Please, stop him.* It's been a while since I've made a check update. Stop me if I make a mistake. *he picks up his notes, and clears his throat* Sheepy and I started off by making progress with Tom's case. The group of teenagers assisted Watson in getting back home, as his search for Sherlock was fruitless. Fortunately, Sherlock arrived on his own. We then... Er.. "Interrogated" Pi- Naoya. I'm not used to that yet. Sheepy and I then rescued Kazuya from Twilight. As Watson gave him a medical check-up, I spoke more with Tom. Progress was made. I then left to find Diego, and Sheepy helped make progress with Kazuya. This is, unfortunately, when Sherlock was kidnapped, and Nyar made his first contact with us. We immediately left to retrieve Sherlock, and did so successfully. At roughly the same time, Van Helsing came to us and has stayed put.

[he stops for air] We visited Phil for the first time, then went to visit Germain. Unfortunately, his home was being ransacked by Twilight at the time, as they were searching for the butterflies. I managed to glean more information from Tom as we returned home through an old tunnel. ... I managed to hear "Toothbrush gun" in between events, and quite frankly, I'm horrified. Diego came to us, and I left with him. Others checked in with Phil's household- Everyone was safe. Harley went with Germain to judge damages done. I met Mycroft, and was surprised by just how far his head was up his ass- Pardon my language. I asked Sheepy to research recent fires, but the answer to that came in later. [air] I snuck out later that night with Diego to visit Mycroft and learn what we could. ... Irrelevant time marker- Obtaining Pepper. I'm blaming Sheepy. Nyar called, claiming he had Naoya and his family in his clutches. We decided to treat the matter with tact, not rushing into it immediately. We also more formally met Mycroft now, as well as his children. [air, again. give a minute] I then left some time later, to rescue those who were captured by Twilight. Germain managed to free Ryuunosuke from Twilight's grasp, in the meantime. He and Watson had Ryuu reunited with his friend, and they both left. Around this point, Sherlock's arm was fully healed, which is strange and worthy of note. [air] All three Toudous were brought back, and Mycroft was taken. We, in reply, set off to fetch him. We were separated, and ... [arsene looks bothered] We know what happened then. Mycroft and his family moved in the building over, as did Germain. [last air break] Nyar and Phil came to us to talk about stopping Twilight. The day after, I met Jason and worked more on Tom's case. ... Sherlock, Sheepy and I intended to do multiple things, but got sidetracked by the Jackson family's plight. I picked Sheepy up the day after, then Watson, Mycroft, and Sherlock went out. Sheepy and I then went exploring, but found no evidence. We now conclude at the current time, 8:19 PM. ----- Sheepy: Sheepy: Ugh... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he finally sits back down, and neatly puts the files away* Sheepy: Sheepy: Why. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I missed the last two potential updates, and we've been doing this for years. Sheepy: Sheepy: Horrible. Arsé-kun: Finis: That was most educational. I feel as if I've learned something. Sheepy: Sheepy: Wow. Arsé-kun: Finis: What, did you not? heepy: Sheepy: No. Arsé-kun: Finis: Such a shame. Sister, please put the couch down. Sheepy: Cardia: *she puts it down* Arsé-kun: Finis: Thank you. Sheepy: Sheepy: When will they get back? Arsé-kun: Finis: That, I do not know. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm bored of waiting. Arsé-kun: *Meanwhile, and by meanwhile I mean somewhere else, several hours beforehand* Sheepy: Sherlock: We probably should've told them that we'd be out late. Sheepy: Sherlock: We'll be home soon anyway, so... Arsé-kun: Watson: I'd have called already, but I forgot to charge my phone. Sheepy: Sherlock: I didn't bring mine either. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: You two, I swear. I did. Sheepy: Sherlock: I have a bad memory. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he goes to dial the office phone, but stops because he almost walked into a pole. 10/10* Sheepy: Sherlock: You should look where you're walking. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I most certainly should. Sheepy: Sherlock: We can stop and wait here until you make the call, but someone may bump into us if they aren't paying attention. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: m-hm.. Sheepy: Sherlock: So I'll keep a lookout. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Please. *he calls the office phone. Because everyone is busy at the moment, nobody picks up* Sheepy: Sherlock: Darn. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Perhaps they're busy? Sheepy: Sherlock: Probably. Sheepy: Sherlock: Let's hurry home then... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he takes a step or two away, and looks back* Sheepy: Sherlock: What's up? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Are we going? Sheepy: Sherlock: *he looks to Watson before following* Arsé-kun: Watson: ..... *he hasn't moved* Sheepy: Sherlock:....Watson? Sheepy: Sherlock: *he gently shakes Watson* Arsé-kun: Watson: ......... *he's unresponsive and staring off into space* Sheepy: Sherlock: Are you okay? Sheepy: Sherlock: *he waves a hand in front of Watson's face* Hullooo...? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he joins in, equally as confused as Sherlock* Sheepy: Sherlock: Maybe he realized he left the stove on. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Very funny. *he grabs Watson's wrist and attempts to make him move. He doesn't budge* Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm concerned. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: As am I... Sheepy: Sherlock: Do we take him to a hospital? Sheepy: Sherlock: Or bring him home? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he looks around* Which one is closer..? Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm not sure. Sheepy: Sherlock: Home might be safer, but... do you think it's a stroke? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: No. *he strolls out from behind Watson, keeping a hand on his shoulder* Good evening, vermin. I see you're still alive. Sheepy: Sherlock: Wh... Sheepy: Sherlock: You... Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Fortunately for you, I am unarmed. Can't a guy do his grocery shopping? *he shrugs* Sheepy: Sherlock: Don't touch him with your grubby hands. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: I'm almost insulted. Fortunately, I already have what I want. Sheepy: Sherlock: What're you getting at? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Oh, this one was so valuable to my dear son. I'm going to make him truly valuable. Sheepy: Sherlock: Leave him alone. Sheepy: Sherlock: Your son is just taunting him, isn't he? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Oh, Nyarlathotep absolutely was, but... His knowledge... It has potential. I want it for my own. Sheepy: Sherlock: Too bad. Sheepy: Sherlock: That masked man already used him for Phil. That's enough. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: What are you going to do? Shoot me in public? *he gestures with his free hand* The public may not be looking now, but if I am harmed, they will see you, having harmed a civilian. Sheepy: Sherlock: I... Arsé-kun: Azathoth: The great Sherlock Holmes, harming the public he'd protected? What an uproar that would cause! Sheepy: Sherlock: I can't let you take him away...but...I can't do anything to you... Sheepy: Sherlock: That masked man messed with my head somehow, so why not me? I'm an unfinished experiment of yours! Why him?! Arsé-kun: Azathoth: All he did was attempt to repair your memory. *he scoffs* So much more potential, and that's what he did? Sheepy: Sherlock: He didn't have time to do more. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: He absolutely did, and he spent most of it on the phone or fooling around. Sheepy: Sherlock: If there's so much more potential, then take me! Just leave him alone! Arsé-kun: Azathoth: *he looks thoughtful* Arsé-kun: *and Mycroft looks about ready to punch Azathoth* Sheepy: Sherlock: Do whatever you want to me. Just... leave Watson alone. Sheepy: Sherlock: You don't get willing participants often, do you? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: ... You present a compelling argument. Calm your other, and I will give my answer. Sheepy: Sherlock: Mycroft, it's fine. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: It's really not... I don't want to lose yo--Watch out! Arsé-kun: *and Sherlock receives a solid smack to the side of the head* Sheepy: *he's surprised and dazed, facing Azathoth* Arsé-kun: Azathoth: I appreciate your willingness, but I'll have to decline. *he takes a step back. Watson follows suit* Have a good evening, gentlemen. Cheerio! *and then something just plain snaps* Sheepy: Sherlock: Ugh! Watson- *being hit on the head didnt help his head any and nor did azathoth's fun time bubble snapping* Arsé-kun: ??: ---- Sir! Wake up, Sir! Sheepy: Sherlock:......? *he slowly opens his eyes* Arsé-kun: Tatsuya: Oh! It's about time.. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he squints, visibly confused* Where's Watson? Where's Mycroft...? Sheepy: Sherlock:...where am I? Arsé-kun: Minako: *she leans into Sherlock's frame of view* Mr. Mycrofts right over here! *she gestures over her shoulder* And we brought you to our home base! We figured it'd be safer... Sheepy: Sherlock: Thank you... Arsé-kun: Minako: No problemo, Mr. Holmes! Anything we can do to help ^^ Sheepy: Sherlock: Did you see Watson? Arsé-kun: Tatsuya: W-we didn't, I'm sorry to say.. Sheepy: Sherlock:......It's fine. Sheepy: Sherlock: I need to check on Mycroft. Arsé-kun: Minako: Go ahead! *she gets out of his way. Tatsuya follows a moment later* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he goes to check on Mycroft!* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he seems fine, and he's discussing what the hippity hap just happened* Sheepy: *Sherlock kinda just lurks* Arsé-kun: Minato: *he stops eating for a whole one seconds* Yu, whatever you just said makes no sense in any theory of magic or... Actually, just shut up. Sheepy: Yu: Huh? Sheepy: Sherlock: Um... Arsé-kun: Minato: No ethereal being would be able to pull something like that off- !! *he shoves food into his mouth. panic* Sheepy: Sherlock: Uh... Sheepy: Yu: Who says?! Sheepy: Yu: Maybe it's a special one. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he raises his voice a tad* Oh, Sherlock! Sheepy: Sherlock: How are you feeling? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Confused and angry. I was afraid you'd have to get carted off to the hospital, too. Sheepy: Sherlock: No... I'm fine... my head just hurts... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: You hit the ground pretty hard... Sheepy: Sherlock: I still feel it. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he looks frustrated* Arsé-kun: Minato: ... *he looks at Yu* The only special one here is yu. It doesn't make sense. Sheepy: Yu: I'm very special. Arsé-kun: Minato: But are you more special than my right eye? Sheepy: Sherlock: *heck you mycroft hug me* Sheepy: Yu: No. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *oh ok* Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm sorry for worrying you. Sheepy: Yu: Your right eye is the source of all power. Arsé-kun: Minato: Damn straight. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I apologize for not having done enough. Sheepy: Sherlock: There's nothing you could have done. Arsé-kun: Minato: *he shoves another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, then slides his cell phone across the table towards the Holmes* Sheepy: Sherlock:...? Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't remember his number. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Oh, I was going to use it to call the office. My phone got... .... nd it's very late now. Sheepy: Sherlock: Okay. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... I'll put it on speaker, so we can both talk. *he dials the office* Sheepy: Sheepy: *deep, creepy voice* Who did you want me to... target? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: That's not funny. Sheepy: Sheepy: Sorry, I thought it was a phone call from someone I cared about. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Hand the phone off to someone more mature than yourself! We got jumped in public. Sheepy: *Arsene receives the phone* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Are you three all right?? Sheepy: Sherlock: ...No. Sheepy: Sherlock: Watson was kidnapped... Arsé-kun: Arséne: WHAT?! Sheepy: Sherlock: He said something about... uh... making Watson as useful as the masked man acts like he is... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: The worst part is that Watson just... Went with him. Sheepy: Sherlock: Yeah... Arsé-kun: Minako: *she lowers her voice* Vampire? Incubus? Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he swears quite a bit in french* Where are you both now? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: You know the little corner sweets shop, by Mulberry Court? That's where we are. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: The shop looks closed, but we're inside. We'll come out- Arsé-kun: Arséne: Non. Laisse tomber. Just forget it. If you got jumped in public, it's not safe. Arsé-kun: *Tatsuya wants to say something. Mink is thinking hard. Minato's eating again* Arsé-kun: Tatsuya: ... I could, uh. I could bring you back on my bike...? Sheepy: Sherlock: *he looks to Mycroft* Sheepy: Sherlock: Should we accept the kid's offer? Or...? Sheepy: Sherlock: Personally, cars and motorcycles make me feel uh... sick... Sheepy: Sherlock: I'll do whatever you do. Sheepy: Sheepy: So, like, purely out of curiosity, Arsene? Sheepy: Sheepy: How are we going to break the news to Iris? Sheepy: Sheepy: She's in her room right now. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Not in the worst way possible, aka just yelling it up to her. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I say we should. It'd be faster, and safer than walking. sheep: Sheepy: I won't. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Me, neither. sheep: Sherlock: Okay, then I will. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Either way, I suppose we should get going. sheep: Sherlock: Thank you for your help. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: It bears repeating- So thank you verrrry much for your help! sheep: Sheepy: It's genetic. sheep: Sheepy: Now Harley has to say it or I'll doubt he's really related to them. Arsé-kun: *Arséne laughs, says goodbye, and hangs up* Sheepy: *so they go home* Arsé-kun: Finis: *he decided to wait outside for them.* Sheepy: *they arrive!* Sheepy: Sherlock: Hullo, Finis. Arsé-kun: Finis: Welcome back, uncle. You too, father. Sheepy: Sherlock: Sorry for being late - ... huh? Arsé-kun: Finis: Is something wrong? Sheepy: Sherlock: No, no, I was just a little surprised, that's all. Arsé-kun: Finis: *he nods, and holds the door open for them* Sheepy: *Sherlock enters* Arsé-kun: *Sherlock is nearly tackled by Arséne. Mycroft enters without incident* Sheepy: *you sure about that? mycroft receives a hug at 99 million miles per hour from cardia. you're dead mycroft* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *HRK* Sheepy: Cardia: I was worried! You disappeared for hours! Fran kept asking me if you were back, too. He had something to tell you. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please remember my spine! Sheepy: Cardia: Oh! I forgot. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Thank you! Sheepy: Cardia: By the way, where's the third guy? Arsé-kun: Finis: Did you not hear? He got taken away.. Sheepy: Cardia: Huh? Arsé-kun: Finis: Did you not hear me? Sheepy: Cardia: I heard you. Sheepy: Cardia: I'm just wondering why they'd take Watson away. Arsé-kun: Impey: Why don't we go get him back, then? Sheepy: Sheepy: Sounds good. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... ... I don't know. Sheepy: Sheepy: ? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'd love to, don't get me wrong, but it may be expected. Sheepy: Sheepy: Hmm... Arsé-kun: Arséne: I hate to ask this of you two, but... ... mais.... Could you both clarify what exactly happened? Sheepy: Sherlock: We were heading home and Watson suddenly stopped reacting. Sheepy: Sherlock: That man who shot Harley, uh... he was there. I don't know what happened... he smacked me pretty hard on the head. I think he left with Watson afterwards. Sheepy: Sherlock: He claimed that Watson would be of use to him. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he nods two or three times. relax* Accurate. The only detail I can add are that Watson seemed drugged, but we'd have noticed if he was beforehand.. Sheepy: Sherlock: And that... despite us being in a public area, no one seemed to notice him assaulting me. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Nobody seemed to notice it at all. ... Then again, the only part that probably would have caught anyone's attention was the assault. Sheepy: Sherlock: Yeah. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ..... Even then, though. It felt like it was so long before someone even noticed me trying move you. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Even then, I can't help but wonder if it was social apathy or something else. Sheepy: Sherlock: Weird... Sheepy: Sheepy: Well, he is Azathoth, isn't he? Arsé-kun: Finis: I was going to make a comment about societal apathy... Sheepy: Sheepy: He's called the blind god for a reason. It's meant to be a jab at him to call him oblivious, but it seems like everyone was blind to your presence. Arsé-kun: Impey: That's possible?? Sheepy: Sheepy: Well, Watson worked on Phil's neck without anesthesia and Phil was just fine moments later. Sheepy: Sheepy: Phil is Nyar's brother and Nyar is Azathoth's son. Sheepy: Sheepy: If both of them are capable of almost instantly healing from wounds, what do you think their father is capable of? Arsé-kun: Germain: Feats the human mind may not be able to comprehend. Sheepy: Sheepy: Exactly. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he seems to be thinking* Arsé-kun: Germain: .... I don't know if we'll be able to rescue him at all, friends. Sheepy: Iris: I won't accept that! Don't give up - we haven't even tried yet! Sheepy: Iris: We succeeded all the other times, so why... why's this time any different?! Arsé-kun: Germain: If he is willing to use his powers in broad daylight to do what he wants, who's to say we'll be able to counter them? Sheepy: Iris: I don't care! I'll go rescue him myself if you guys won't! Arsé-kun: Germain: It's too dangerous. You could die. Sheepy: Iris: What's the point in living if you're all alone? I don't want to lose him... he's all I have... I'm not going to watch as I lose someone important to me again! Sheepy: Iris: I'm not helpless anymore! Arsé-kun: Germain: ... .... *he nods and smiles, raising his hands to clap* So brave, dear Iris! I cannot help but want to assist you in any way I can. Sheepy: Iris:...? Huh? Arsé-kun: Germain: I do not want you doing this alone- Therefore, I have decided to help you. Sheepy: Iris: Thank you! Arsé-kun: Germain: Now, would anyone else care to join us, or will it be only us? Sheepy: Sheepy: I'll help if Arséne lets me. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Go on ahead. Sheepy: Sheepy: Nice! Sheepy: Sherlock: I'll help. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: If you are joining, I shall as well. Sheepy: Sherlock: Thanks. Sheepy: Cardia: Is it safe for me? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Not exactly, but I'm not going to stop you from joining. Sheepy: Fran: Um... Mycroft, I know this is off topic, but, uh... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Oh? Right, didn't you have something to say to me? Sheepy: Fran: They probably have the keystone so you might not want to let her go with you... but that wasn't what I wanted to say. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: .... That is a very good point. But, go on. Sheepy: Fran: I don't want to seem like a busy body who's criticising your parenting or anything - this is more just a concern Sheepy: Fran: Make sure to have her go outside often. That, and make sure she's in a well ventilated area when she's inside. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Ah, the poison. Far ahead of you. Sheepy: Fran: Um, with how the Horologium is structured... basically, it's putting out toxins in the air constantly. Sheepy: Fran: Small amounts, of course, but it can build up and, well, the poison just so happens to be deadlier as a gas than anything else Sheepy: Fran: If you start feeling like you're having trouble breathing or you get a cough, that's what's causing it most likely. Sheepy: Fran: Not to scare you. Sheepy: Fran: The keystone amplifies that. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... So what about burns from the toxins? Sheepy: Fran: Um, those are because it's in a liquid form. In theory, it won't kill, but... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I'd probably be dead by now if it did. Sheepy: Fran: It can melt through everything. The burns are caused by it melting your flesh, basically. Sheepy: Fran: Which is painful, but, again, not as deadly as breathing it in Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Boy howdy, am I glad to know I won't die. Sheepy: Fran: Um, I also found a temporary fix to her poison. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Good, excellent! Sheepy: Fran: It's the substance that's protecting her body from the poison. Sheepy: Fran: If put on clothes or other objects, they won't melt. Arsé-kun: Impey: I put it on all the doorknobs n' stuff for that! Sheepy: Fran: I put it on a pillow case, covers, and a blanket... Sheepy: Fran:...That's all so far, actually. Arsé-kun: Impey: We should work on it Sheepy: Fran: Yeah... Arsé-kun: Impey: Speaking of working, though, I wanna help you guys, too! Sheepy: Fran: As do I. Arsé-kun: Finis: I, too, am joining. Sheepy: Sheepy: Is Van joining? Arsé-kun: Van: Absolutely. Sheepy: Sheepy: Great. Sheepy: Sheepy: Arséne? Arsé-kun: Arséne: What do you think? ... I think it's safe to say all in my sight currently would like to join, or eventually will. Sheepy: Sheepy: Is that a yes? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I feel like I'm being doubted. Sheepy: Sheepy: We need to know. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Of course I'll help. It'd be absurd for me to not do so. Sheepy: Sheepy: Good. Sheepy: *Sherlock has plopped down in a chair. He's got his violin! he's also sitting with his legs over the arm. that looks uncomfortable buddy* Arsé-kun: Wagahai: *sherlock's lap is my chair now. notice me* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he pets Wagahai* Arsé-kun: Wagahai: *yaaaaaaay, happy cat purr* Sheepy: Sherlock: *good cat* Sheepy: Sherlock: *I was going to play the violin but. cat.* Arsé-kun: Finis: *he decides to inspect the violin for himself, now that Sherlock isn't using it* Sheepy: Sheepy: We're saved from his bad mood music. Sheepy: Sheepy: Thank goodness! Arsé-kun: Finis: ... May I try? Sheepy: Sherlock: Go ahead. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh... oh no.... Arsé-kun: Finis: Thank you. *he takes the violin gently and sets it up to play* What? I have wanted to try for quite a while, since I read about them. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's easy to make violins sound awful. Sheepy: Sheepy: Sherlock intentionally plays badly when he's in a bad mood to annoy everyone. Sheepy: Sheepy: You can tell whether or not it's worth talking to him from the quality. Arsé-kun: Finis: The poor violin. I'm amazed it's condition is this good when treated so poorly. *he picks up the bow, and starts up Concerto No. 5 in A Major. By Mozart. He has never touched a violin. how.* Sheepy: Sheepy: Uh. Arsé-kun: Germain: Ah, Mozart. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he continues to pet Wagahai. he seems to be in his own little world. just him and wag.* Arsé-kun: *Sherlock has had a stressful day. Let him relax, with the violin being played properly in the background* Sheepy: Sheepy: You prodigy types are the reason why I have self-confidence issues. Arsé-kun: Finis: *he pauses* Not at all. The only reason I know the song is because I played it on the piano- Which, while it's not the right instrument, it's... ... *he's finally caught on to what Sheepy meant* I'm so sorry. Sheepy: Sheepy: Iris already is on her way to getting a medical degree and is a genius inventor, you're playing Mozart despite it being your first time playing the violin, Cardia has superhuman strength, and I... Sheepy: Sheepy:............ Arsé-kun: Arséne: Adapt to new situations with ease, faster than I'd ever seen anyone else. Sheepy: Sheepy: Huh? Arsé-kun: Arséne: You're already as successful more successful a thief than I was at your age, as well as a much better detective. Sheepy: Sheepy: Yeah but you're helping. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Oh, shush. Sheepy: Sheepy: Not that helping is bad, but you didn't get that push when you were my age. Sheepy: Sheepy: At least I doubt it. Sheepy: *anyway the next day. do they try to save watson today?* Arsé-kun: *Absolutely!* Sheepy: *time to go to the department store!* Arsé-kun: *And Impey forgoes stealth in favor of kicking the door in. We're the rescue squad, hoooooooo!* Sheepy: Sheepy: Where are all of the grunts? Arsé-kun: Impey: There were way more..! There's, like, nobody! Sheepy: Sheepy: Hmm... are we sure Watson is here? Arsé-kun: Impey: We'd better look! Sheepy: Sheepy: Alright! Arsé-kun: *time to look around!* Sheepy: Sheepy: Hmm... find anything yet? I haven't. Arsé-kun: Impey: Nope! I don't see nor hear nor smell or anything anyone! Sheepy: Sheepy: Darn. Arsé-kun: Impey: Anyone else? Sheepy: Fran: No. Arsé-kun: Germain: Nothing here!~ Arsé-kun: Germain: Van Helsing, what about you? Arsé-kun: *there's a few beats of silence. vaaaaan..* Sheepy: Iris: Abby? Arsé-kun: Impey: He's still here, right? Didn't wander off or anything? Sheepy: Iris: *she looks around for him* Sheepy: Sheepy: Maybe he's a ghost. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he exits a room, coming out right behind Sheepy* That would be scary. Sheepy: Sheepy: *he twists around and slugs Germain before realizing that it's him* Arsé-kun: Germain: *he takes the hit gracefully and doesn't budge* I'm sorry, did I scare you? Sheepy: Sheepy: Yes! Arsé-kun: Germain: So sorry. Sheepy: Sheepy: I didn't mean to punch you, sorry. Arsé-kun: *Van is eventually found in the corner of what appears to be an examination room of sorts. He's curled into a little, shaking ball- Quite the opposite of his usual behavior.* Sheepy: Iris: Abby! Sheepy: Iris: *she goes over to comfort him* Arsé-kun: Van: *he jerks away from her touch, mumbling a 'no' or seven. He's panicking pretty badly* Sheepy: Iris: Don't worry... everything's okay... you're safe. Sheepy: Iris: No one is going to hurt you again. Arsé-kun: Van: .... .... ? *he turns his head a tiny bit* Sheepy: Iris: It's just me. Arsé-kun: Van: ... ... I... I'm s-sorry... Sheepy: Iris: You're my friend. Friends take care of friends, right? Sheepy: Iris: It's no problem. Arsé-kun: Van: ... *he nods, leaning ever so slightly towards her* Sheepy: Iris: You can stay here as long as you feel you need to. I'll stay with you. Arsé-kun: Van: St-stay..? Here...? Sheepy: Iris: Did you want to leave? That's fine too. Arsé-kun: Van: *he nods* Sheepy: Iris: *she puts out her hand in case Van wanted to take it* Arsé-kun: Van: *he does take it* Sheepy: *Iris leads him out of the room!* Arsé-kun: *Van stays close to her. This is his safety Iris. She is safe.* Sheepy: Iris: *she isn't bothered by this. actually van = safety to her so she's happy to have him close* Arsé-kun: Germain: ...? Sheepy: Iris: *she isn't sure if she should talk about it* Arsé-kun: Germain: ... .... Ah. Shall we leave, presuming no one has found anything? Sheepy: Iris: Yeah. It's for the best. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he whistles* We're leaving, all! Sheepy: Sherlock: We'll need to find another place to look. He isn't here. Arsé-kun: Impey: Nobody is. It's so weird.. Sheepy: Sheepy: I've got a theory. Sheepy: Sheepy: They moved buildings. Sheepy: Sheepy: We already know where this is so... Arsé-kun: Impey: Probably! I don't think was their only one! Sheepy: Sheepy: That too. Arsé-kun: Impey: ...? Diiid something happen? Sheepy: Iris: *she looks unsure if she should talk about it* Arsé-kun: Germain: Judging from what I see, perhaps, but it may not be our business. Sheepy: Sheepy: Ew you're touching her grubby science hands. Sheepy: Iris: Sheepy! Sheepy: Sheepy: When we were little she wanted to hold my hand all the time and back then they were grubby from dirt instead of science. Arsé-kun: Van: .... One more peep out of you, and my shotgun will be so far up your ass that you'll be shooting bullets from your eye socket, and you'll taste nothing but gunpowder for the rest of your short-lived life. Arsé-kun: *he is not happy, to say the least* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he slowly hides behind Germain* Arsé-kun: Germain: *he shakes his head* Such obscenities. In front of children, no less. Sheepy: Sheepy: Yeah I'm a children. You're threatening a kid. Cruel... Arsé-kun: Van: ... *he looks at the floor* Sheepy: Sheepy: I wasn't aware it'd be insulting to you. Iris and I insult each other all the time without really meaning it. Arsé-kun: Impey: ........ Yeah, now's the time to go, get outta here! Sheepy: *so they leave!* Sheepy: Sheepy: Where to now? Sheepy: Iris: Where would they take him? Sheepy: *Suddenly, Sanchan gets a phone call!* Arsé-kun: Germain: *this isn't weird at all.* Hello, Nyar. What do you want now? Sheepy: Nyar: Saint-Germain, I... ... Ugh... ... H...hey, you like clothes shopping, right? There's a great place nearby, actually...*cough* it's...er, "Paulline's dresses"...right by that one seafood place, "Jumbo Shrimp"... ... actually I'm - *bang, bang* Auuugh! Arsé-kun: Germain: Oh, thank you. I'll call you back when you've stopped being dead. Sheepy: *Nyar's end goes mostly silent other than pained panting* Arsé-kun: Germain: .... *he covers the phone* I'm not sure what he was going to tell me, but he got caught. Sheepy: Sheepy: Seems like the places were a hint though. Arsé-kun: Germain: I'll definitely investigate myself later. Sheepy: Sheepy: Is he okay? Arsé-kun: Germain: He's dying, but he'll be fine. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh. Arsé-kun: Van: ... *he occasionally looks up from the ground to look at Fran* Sheepy: Fran: Um, are you okay? Arsé-kun: Van: ... Can I talk to you? Sheepy: Fran: Sure. Arsé-kun: Van: ... ... *he lowers his voice* No, I'm really not. Sheepy: Fran: What's going on? Arsé-kun: Van: ... I don't know. Arsé-kun: Van: I was fine until I walked in.. Sheepy: Fran: Maybe your memories were stronger in there? Arsé-kun: Van: N-no.. I just remembered what they did to me, and... Sheepy: Fran: It's the room they tested on you in, right? I just mean, you have more vivid memories when you're at the source. Arsé-kun: Van: ... Oh. Yeah, I guess. Sheepy: Fran: I'm not exactly sure how to help you. Sheepy: Fran: I know the source of your problem. Sheepy: Fran: I just... don't know a solution. Arsé-kun: Van: ... It's fine, it'll be fine. Sheepy: Iris: Abby, um... I can understand how you feel. Arsé-kun: Van: .. I'd rather not say there's any in public. Sheepy: Iris: I've been doing it all of these years and it only hurts more. Arsé-kun: Impey: Why're you guys lagging behind?? Sheepy: Iris: Sorry! Sheepy: Fran: Where are we headed? Arsé-kun: Van: It's fine, you nosy-- No idea. I'm following you guys. Sheepy: Fran: Impey? Arsé-kun: Impey: Uh! Sheepy: Fran:...Saint-Germain? Sheepy: Fran: Where are we going? Arsé-kun: Germain: ... *he's still on the phone* .. I think we should check near a few shops. This line is suspiciously dead. Sheepy: Sheepy: Like the ones he listed. Sheepy: Sheepy: You think Nyar is in any real danger? Sheepy: Sheepy: If so, do we stand a chance? Arsé-kun: Germain: I'd hope not. What's going to hurt him, a flashlight? Sheepy: Sheepy: Azathoth? Sheepy: Sheepy: He's really powerful right? Arsé-kun: Germain: Only when he actively bothers to be. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh. Sheepy: Sheepy: Hmmm... Arsé-kun: Germain: Either way, those shops are closer to your home than we are now. We may as well check on the way. Sheepy: Sheepy: Yeah! Sheepy: Sheepy:.... Sheepy: Sheepy: So wait. Sheepy: Sheepy: They chose a place near home...? Sheepy: Sheepy: Hmm... Sheepy: Sherlock: *he begins to powerwalk back. impatient.* Sheepy: Nyar:.......cooking appliances...*cough*... Sheepy: Nyar: go to..... Sheepy: Nyar:................. Sheepy: Nyar: grah'n bug r'luh-agi gnaiih ilyaa c-ooboshu Arsé-kun: Germain: ... *he smirks a little* All right, how about I call you later? It's clear someone's with you. sheep: Nyar: ........... sheep: Sheepy: Uh. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... ... Are you still there? Sheepy: Nyar: *groan* Arsé-kun: Germain: Okay, you are.. sheep: Nyar: J-just end it... I'm no toy... Arsé-kun: Germain: *he takes the phone off speaker, and then covers the receiver* I'm going to keep listening in. Go on ahead of me. sheep: Sheepy: Okay. Arsé-kun: Germain: Go explore the shops. I'll catch up. sheep: Sheepy: Sounds good to me! Arsé-kun: Germain: *he leans against a building and begins listening again* sheep: Nyar: I'm already in enough pain... Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Oh, I'm sorry, son. I should have started with the numbing. sheep: Nyar: Wh-why're you doing this? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Why are you helping them? sheep: Nyar: ......Because they helped Phil. sheep: Nyar: I'd be backing you up if you'd helped him. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Do you mean to say I didn't?? *he sounds annoyed* I had all that research done for you. I had searches done for the necessary things. sheep: Nyar: I was under the assumption you did all that for your own reasons. sheep: Nyar: It has become a necessity in creating the perfect soldier, hasn't it? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: I was curious about it, yes, but it was not my focal point of my research until you presented it. sheep: Nyar: So it wasn't for him, but rather for yourself. sheep: Nyar: That's exactly what I'm talking about! Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Is it? .. Oh, and be a dear- Hold this for me. I will numb the pain for you. I should have done that first. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: *he hands Nyar a mask- more specifically, a gas mask. It's attached to something, and it is on. Azathoth proceeds to slam it against his face* bug shagg ng-fhtagn gof'n sheep: *Nyar is knocked out by it* Arsé-kun: Azathoth: *he does the smart thing, and hangs up the phone before doing anything else* Arsé-kun: Germain: .... Hm. Arsé-kun: *and so, Germain runs off to catch up* sheep: Sheepy: There you are. Arsé-kun: Germain: Have I missed anything? Sheepy: Sheepy: No. Arsé-kun: Germain: Ah. Sheepy: Sheepy: We still haven't found Watson. Arsé-kun: Germain: Well, good news and bad news. The good news is, Azathoth is where Nyar is. Sheepy: Sheepy: What's the bad news? Arsé-kun: Germain: Azathoth attacked him and knocked him out before hanging the phone up. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh boy. So we don't have any support from within anymore . Arsé-kun: Germain: m-hm. Azathoth knows he was helping us. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh shoot. Arsé-kun: Germain: He mentioned the "secret place" earlier, though.. It may be hidden under a store. Sheepy: Sheepy: Hmmm... Sheepy: Sherlock: Watson is top priority. We have to go for him. Arsé-kun: Germain: I'm more afraid of what he wants with Watson. Potential could mean a lot of things. Sheepy: Sherlock: Exactly. Sheepy: Sherlock: If Azathoth was going to test on Nyar or something, he already would have. We have to make rescuing Watson top priority because he most likely will be tested on Arsé-kun: Minako: Sheeeepy!! And Mr. Holmes, too, hello! Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh, hullo! Sheepy: Sheepy: Minako! Arsé-kun: Minako: Hi, hi! :D Did you guys ever figure out what happened yesterday? Sheepy: Sheepy: Kinda? We're actually going to go help Watson right now. Arsé-kun: Minako: Oh? You found out where he is? Sheepy: Sheepy: We have an idea but that's it. Arsé-kun: Minako: And what's that? Around here? Sheepy: Sheepy: Uhuh. Arsé-kun: Minako: Uhhh.. *she stops and thinks* I know Paulline's has a basement, Jumbo's got a locked backroom... Maybe it's one of those? Sheepy: Sheepy: I think it's the former. Arsé-kun: Minako: Good luck getting in there! Me n' the team have never gotten in there! Sheepy: Sheepy: He mentioned cooking appliances. Sheepy: Sheepy: Clothing stores usually sell cooking appliances. Arsé-kun: Minako: Then wouldn't the latter make more sense...? Wait, Mister Watson did? Or someone el-- *she stops* Sheepy: Sherlock: It's neither. Sheepy: Sherlock: He mentioned that it was a nearby location. Arsé-kun: Minako: I dunno, Jumbo's got a kitchen with appliances! Sheepy: Sherlock: Meaning, it's not either. Sheepy: Sheepy: We can check there. Arsé-kun: Minako: Good idea! Just, just do it later. Boss doesn't like anyone snooping around, so.. I hope you know how to pick a lock? Sheepy: Sheepy: Sherlock does. I don't. Arsé-kun: Minako: Well, okay! Sheepy: Sherlock: I can't wait until the boss leaves. Arsé-kun: Minako: Well... You might be able to get away with it! You're Mr. Holmes! Sheepy: Sherlock: And it's a difference between life snd deatj. Arsé-kun: Minako: It's that important?? Then there's no way he can kick you out! Sheepy: Sherlock: *he nods* Arsé-kun: Minako: If it's as bad as it sounds, you'd better get going! Arsé-kun: *as they start heading over, Impey exits* Sheepy: Fran: Huh? Sheepy: Fran: Impey? Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, hey! Were you guys coming in? Sheepy: Fran: Yeah. Um, did you notice something? Arsé-kun: Impey: Not a thing! Y'know, the backdoor isn't locked when it's open! Sheepy: Fran: Oh, let's go there then. Arsé-kun: Impey: No need, already checked it out! Sheepy: Fran: Good job! Arsé-kun: Impey: Thank you! Checked back to front, no signs of him at all. Nobody even saw me, I was so quick! Sheepy: Fran: Thank you for doing that! Sheepy: Fran: Where to now then? Arsé-kun: Germain: I'd suggest we move onto the dress store, but it's beginning to get late.. Sheepy: Sherlock: ...But... Sheepy: Sheepy: They can jump us better at night. Arsé-kun: Impey: Righto. Sheepy: Sherlock:...Fine. Arsé-kun: Germain: It's unfortunate, yes, but it cannot be helped. Sheepy: Sherlock: I understand. Arsé-kun: Impey: We can send out the night brigade! Sheepy: Sherlock: But it's dangerous at night. Arsé-kun: Impey: Well, yeah, but they'd be the most accustomed, right? Sheepy: Sheepy: My chances of survival are near zero if I get caught by them. Arsé-kun: Impey: Fair enough..! Sheepy: Sheepy: Let's go home. Arsé-kun: Germain: m-hm. Arsé-kun: *DUDUDUDUUD HOME* Sheepy: Iris: Oh! You're back! Arsé-kun: Impey: We'reee back! Sheepy: Tom: tick tock Sheepy: Tom: 3 hours remain Arsé-kun: Arséne: You'd better be talking about the races. Sheepy: Tom: one curious little sheep went out at night, the butcher found him Arsé-kun: Germain: Delightful. Sheepy: Tom: 13 little sheep remain Sheepy: Tom: tick tock Sheepy: Tom: a sad little sheep goes out to find his friend, the butcher finds him Arsé-kun: Arséne: Tom, please stop. Sheepy: Tom: 12 little sheep remain Sheepy: Tom: 3 hours remain Sheepy: Sheepy: Thanks Tom. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he folds his hands over his head* Why have you been like this all day? Sheepy: Tom: a bird picks off a brave little lamb Arsé-kun: Arséne: Mouton, take your toy. Please. Sheepy: Sheepy: *he takes Tom* Sheepy: Tom: dont go to the races little fox the bird will find you Sheepy: Sheepy: You think it's because of yesterday? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I don't know. I thought he recovered just fine.. Sheepy: Sheepy: Then maybe he's messing with you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'll throw him in the washer if he is! Sheepy: Tom: a brave thief executes tom Sheepy: Tom:... Arsé-kun: Arséne: I didn't say it'd be on. Sheepy: Tom: Tick tock. Your clock's running out. Sheepy: Tom: woah Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he groans and slides his hands down to over his face* Enough, Tomas! Sheepy: Tom: *his clear speech turns to incoherent chattering. he hasn't done that for a while but at least it isn't ominous?* Arsé-kun: Germain: *he suddenly seems curious about what Tom's saying* Sheepy: Tom: *mumbling* a bullet strikes, a coat dyed red with the crimson blood of an unfilfilled life, Sheepy: Tom: Your clock's running out. Tick tock. Sheepy: Sheepy: Thanks Tom. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he looks. Somewhat distressed* Sheepy: Tom: a lost life, a lost friend, a lost family, make your choices well, thief, and keep your eyes sharp Sheepy: Tom: You won't like the results if you're careless. Sheepy: Tom: woah Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he makes this NOISE. this extremely distressed whine, that sheepy's only heard when he decided to watch the exorcist for movie night, among others* Sheepy: Tom:... Sheepy: Tom: vote on tornado Sheepy: Tom: you lost your keys in the refrigerator Arsé-kun: Arséne: Is that where I put them?! *he goes and looks. bye. he's leaving the room* Sheepy: Tom: you lost your life to the gun that used to bring you comfort Sheepy: Tom: bang bang Sheepy: Iris: *she is scared. who is tom talking to now* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he is patting Tom* Arsé-kun: Germain: Tom, tell me something. Is what you see a guarantee, or a possibility? Sheepy: Tom: are you always guaranteed to take the expected action? Arsé-kun: Germain: I see. That would be a no. Sheepy: Tom: you'll find yourself in a bad situation if you don't take caution Sheepy: Tom: sometimes the best action is no action at all Arsé-kun: Germain: m-hm... But tell me, did you need to word it all like that? Sheepy: Tom: ........ Sheepy: Tom: i play the role I've been given, I read the lines of the script as dictated Sheepy: Tom: my life was spent as a prop in a play Sheepy: Tom: a meaningless decoration in life Sheepy: Tom: only to be taken down when my time came Sheepy: Tom: only in my death am I an actor, and not many people get the opportunity to be recast Sheepy: Tom: and so I read the lines exactly as they are Arsé-kun: Germain: I see. No subtlety.. I may try that one day. Sheepy: Tom: woah Arsé-kun: Germain: Whoa, indeed. Sheepy: Sheepy: Tom, you've got rabbit fur on you. Take better care of your fleece. Sheepy: Tom: you arent the boss of me Arsé-kun: Impey: Speaking of rabbits! Where are all the animals? Sheepy: Sheepy: Ask Arsene when he reurns from hiding in the fridge. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he returns, nonchalant* Cardia and Finis have them, last I checked. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh thank goodness I thought the fridge ate you. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's rebelling. Arsé-kun: Arséne: We can feed Impey to it. It's not like he's doing anything. Arsé-kun: Impey: Hey! Sheepy: Sheepy: Impey would be a good sacrifice. Sheepy: Sheepy: But then we'll die from starvation. Arsé-kun: Impey: And I'm too good looking to die! Sheepy: Sheepy: Which would kinda stink. Arsé-kun: Germain: It sure would. Corpses tend to smell bad. Sheepy: Sheepy: That too. Sheepy: Sheepy: but no one will cook if we don't have Impey. Arsé-kun: Arséne: You imply no one did before him. Sheepy: Sherlock: Breakfast is not a necessary meal in present times. It was only necessary in the past because people would need the energy for physical labor. Lunch is not a necessary meal either because dinner comes six hours later. We'd only need to worry about dinner. Sheepy: Sherlock: Dinner is only required once every few days. Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, now I'm hungry again! Sheepy: Sherlock: I ate food today Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm hungry too but I'm also tired. Sheepy: Sherlock: By the way, have those kids eaten? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Yes. Sheepy: Sherlock: Okay, good. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Also, Sisi has been given a "makeover" *airquotes and all* And I'm not cleaning it up. Sheepy: Sherlock: What? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Whoever left a dirty tee lying around- It's Sisi's now. Sheepy: Sherlock: Um. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he finally looks over at Mycroft. Sherlock that position you're in already looked uncomfortable. Please.* Dirty tee? Sheepy: Sherlock: Like, t-shirt? Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't have any t-shirts. Sheepy: Sherlock: Harley does so maybe Wilson got into his drawer? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I hope not. Sheepy: Sherlock: It wouldn't be a surprise. Sheepy: Sherlock:....Um... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... Hm? Sheepy: Sherlock: What if he doesn't wake up? What's going to happen to Wilson? Arsé-kun: Arséne: We take care of him, of course. Sheepy: Sherlock: Wilson's a daddy's dog. He's incredibly attached to just Harley. Sheepy: Sherlock: Wilson will be okay, right? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Dogs, like people, can readjust. Sheepy: Sherlock: Can people have nightmares when they're in a coma? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I... I don't know. Sheepy: Sherlock: What if he's having nightmares? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'm a thief and a detective, not a doctor. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he's back, and grinning* I hope you guys don't mind not having pillows for the night! Sheepy: Sherlock: People use pillows? Arsé-kun: Impey: Yes? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I should have mentioned the kids snagged them all in an effort to create the ultimate castle. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh. Okay. Sheepy: Iris: Everyone's? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I think so. Sheepy: Iris: I didn't want people going into my room... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Considering I heard the phrase "You can't go into a girl's room without getting cooties", I think you're safe. Sheepy: Iris: Good! Sheepy: Iris: Because my room is off limits. Arsé-kun: Germain: The matter aside, now may be the time to turn in for the night. Sheepy: Sherlock: I was trying to. Arsé-kun: Germain: Then go. No one is holding you here. Sheepy: Sherlock: No, in this chair. Sheepy: Sheepy: Don't sleep in the chair. Why do you even have a bed if you're always going to sleep in the chair? I want a bed. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he attempts to pull Sherlock out of the chair* That is not a bed, Sherlock. Use yours. Sheepy: Sherlock: No. Sheepy: Sherlock: It's comfortable. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Banned. Sheepy: Sherlock: I like it here. Arsé-kun: Arséne: We're going upstairs. Sheepy: Sherlock: ? Sheepy: Sherlock: We are? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Bonne nuit! *and he decides to drag Sherlock upstairs. bye* Sheepy: Sheepy: I want a bed. Arsé-kun: Impey: Quick, use Sherlock's, it's empty! Sheepy: Sheepy: It has no pillows. Arsé-kun: Impey: Uhhh. Uhhh! *he runs off, and returns with a pillow* Here! Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay. I'm stealing Sherlock's then. Let's go, Tom. Sheepy: Tom: two hours remain Sheepy: Tom: tick tock Arsé-kun: Germain: Well, good night, all. *he yawns and leaves. bye* Sheepy: Iris: *she doesn't seem like she's going upstairs.* Arsé-kun: Impey: ...? Sheepy: Iris: I'm going to stay down here for a while in case Daddy comes back. Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh. Well, okay! ... I was going to go out for a bit, but I'd better not. Sheepy: Iris: I don't want you to go out. Arsé-kun: Impey: I'm not! I'll wait until morning. Sheepy: Iris: Okay. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he bends down to be on eye level with Iris* As for you! If he's not back by two, go to bed, or at least try? Sheepy: Iris: I'm scared because he isn't here. Arsé-kun: Impey: But we all are! Sheepy: Iris: Without him here the fork man will come and hurt me. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he looks back in* The.. what? Sheepy: Iris: The fork man. He killed Mom. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... .... I suddenly feel like I know who you are talking about. If I am right, would you like me to slit his throat? Sheepy: Iris: Wh..what? Arsé-kun: Germain: :) ? Sheepy: Iris: You know who he is??? Arsé-kun: Germain: If. I may not. I do know a man who wields a trident, but he is not of a mean temperament.. So perhaps not. Sheepy: Iris: He uh... he moved really slowly until he attacked. And I remember rattling chains. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... Oh, god damn it, Hansel. Someone apparently did not like your mother. Sheepy: Iris: Rather than leaving after killing her, he just stared at me for a while before leaving. Sheepy: Iris: Is he going to come after me? Arsé-kun: Germain: He is... Not very vocal, but I highly doubt it. No reason. Why would anyone want to harm a child? Sheepy: Iris: Why would he hurt Mom? Arsé-kun: Germain: Like I said-- Apparently, someone did not like her. Sheepy: Iris: You mean him? Arsé-kun: *Impey, meanwhile, has exited stage Upstairs. He did not like this conversation* Arsé-kun: Germain: No, not him. ... Don't tell the others I said this, except maybe your father. Hansel works for an organization with little say in the matter. *he makes eye contact with Iris. it's weird and unsettling* I'll apologize for his actions now, but perhaps you'll be able to find out why it happened. Sheepy: Iris: Huh...? Arsé-kun: Germain: Think Twilight, but much smaller. Sheepy: Iris: But... why haven't they been stopped? Arsé-kun: Germain: Because they aren't well known. They've only got a few members, all of which are assassins. Sheepy: Iris: But he joined knowing he'd have to kill people, didn't he? Arsé-kun: Germain: I doubt it. Sheepy: Iris: Why doesn't he leave? Arsé-kun: Germain: I doubt he can. A leader that can control multiple assassins is powerful, after all. Sheepy: Iris: Oh... Arsé-kun: Germain: ... *he yawns again. he doesn't bother opening his eyes again* Excuse me. Sheepy: Iris: You should sleep. Arsé-kun: Germain: I intend to. You should, too. Sheepy: Iris: I need to wait for him to return. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... If you say so. Arsé-kun: *Germain leaves the room* Arsé-kun: *What will Iris do?* Sheepy: *wait* Arsé-kun: *... Okay, now what?* Sheepy: *play with wag? be worried about van and watson* Arsé-kun: *Wag plays with her for a while, before going to sleep on the table.* Sheepy: *she is now alone again.* Arsé-kun: *She can't check on Watson, obviously, but she CAN check on Van!* Sheepy: *she checks on Van* Arsé-kun: Van: *he's... Lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. He sits up a bit when Iris looks in* Sheepy: Iris: Are you feeling okay? Arsé-kun: Van: Better than before, I guess. Sheepy: Iris: That's good. Arsé-kun: Van: ... Did you need something? Sheepy: Iris: I just wanted to check if you were okay. Arsé-kun: Van: ... Oh. Thanks.. Sheepy: Iris: I was worried about you, so... Arsé-kun: Van: .... I suppose I panicked. ... I'm not quite sure why. It's not like anyone else was in there with me. Sheepy: Iris: It's human nature. I get scared when I'm alone. Arsé-kun: Van: ... I suppose.. *he doesn't seem sure. he's still trying to find his glasses, too.* Sheepy: Iris: They're on your head. Arsé-kun: Van: Oh. *he puts them on* Sheepy: Iris: Sorry if I'm bothering you. I can't sleep. Arsé-kun: Van: You're not. I can't, either. Sheepy: Iris: I feel really scared and worried and I keep wishing that he'd just walk in through the door like nothing happened. Arsé-kun: Van: Of course you do. .. It's human nature. Sheepy: Iris: I don't feel safe without him here. I guess that's another reason why I came to see you. I feel safer with you around. Arsé-kun: Van: Is it really me, or is it my guns? Sheepy: Iris: It's you! Sheepy: Iris: I don't like it when he's not here. Sheepy: Iris: I was told that that man isn't going to hurt me but I can't believe that. Sheepy: Iris: Please protect me from him if he comes. Arsé-kun: Van: .... .... *he almost growls. almost* Yeah. I'll shoot the son of a bitch. Sheepy: Iris: Thank you...! Sheepy: Iris: He uh...he had chains, and he had a hood. His trident looked more like a fork but I was told it was a trident. Arsé-kun: Van: ... Don't recognize it, I think. .. I'll think about it in the morning. Sheepy: Iris: Okay. Arsé-kun: Van: ... Well, if we're staying up, I'm up now. Sheepy: Iris: So am I. Arsé-kun: Van: I'm going downstairs, then. Sheepy: Iris: I'll follow you! Arsé-kun: *so they go downstairs* Sheepy: Iris: Wagahai is sleeping so we can't play with him Arsé-kun: Van: ... *he sits on the sofa, and turns the tv on* Sheepy: *Iris joins him!* Arsé-kun: *they watch some tv. yahoo.* Sheepy: *exciting! it's kid cartoons!* Sheepy: Iris: *she seems to be happy just that she's with Van.* Arsé-kun: Van: *he leans back on the sofa. is there anything better on tv? ... nope!* sheep: *oh well!* sheep: *Iris seems to be enjoying it at least* Arsé-kun: Van: *he looks bored shitless. the show is going to put him to sleep before anything else. he's dying, squirtle* sheep: Iris: Is there anything you wanted to watch? I'm okay with anything. Arsé-kun: Van: It's too late for anything decent to be on.. sheep: Iris: Really? Arsé-kun: Van: Or anything appropriate. sheep: Iris: Oh. sheep: Iris: I've never watched tv at this time of night Sheepy: Iris: Although sometimes Sheepy is up and watches horror movies. Arsé-kun: Van: Not the time for those. Sheepy: Iris: They scare me. Sheepy: Iris: When I see them I always end up not sleeping. Arsé-kun: Van: *he grunts in the affirmative, sliding down the sofa a little* Sheepy: Iris: Are you tired? Arsé-kun: Van: Kind of.. Sheepy: Iris: It is late. Arsé-kun: Van: m-hm. *he loosely gestures back to the tv* Don't worry about me. Sheepy: Iris: Okay. If you say so. Arsé-kun: Van: *he takes his glasses off, and puts them onto his shirt collar* Sheepy: Iris: *she yawns* Arsé-kun: *the tv continues to be on. time passes* Arsé-kun: Van: ... .... ...... *he slowly slumps over, having finally fallen asleep* Sheepy: *Iris soon decides that he has the right idea and goes to sleep. good night sleep tight dont let the fork man break into your house and smash his fork over your head, killing you instantly* Arsé-kun: *THAT IS NOT HOW IT GOES* Sheepy: *SURE IT IS* Arsé-kun: *Either way, Arséne comes downstairs a few hours later. He sees Van and Iris, and wisely decides to leave them alone. He DOES, however, get blackmail material, before disappearing into the kitchen* Sheepy: *Arsene you jerk.* Arsé-kun: *Yes.* Arsé-kun: *Drinking tea, Arséne looks out the backdoor. How's the weather lookin'?* Sheepy: *Well, it's sunny with a chance of Nyar. Bloodied up and passed out.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he honestly considers just leaving Nyar there, but ultimately decides against it. He goes outside and carefully retrieves Nyar, before going inside and dropping him off with Germain* Sheepy: *Nyar doesn't comment. He's covered in bandages, stained with what one can assume is blood. It looks a little off though.* Arsé-kun: Germain: ... ... *he looks Nyar over, and moves him to the bed before starting to clean the blood off* Sheepy: *Germain you're going to be at that for a while because there's a lot of it.* Arsé-kun: *He doesn't mind. Let him help his friend* Sheepy: *Nyar slightly opens his eyes and clumsily reaches out towards Sanchan's face. Pat. pat. pat. Squint. Oh, that's not Azathoth.* Arsé-kun: Germain: Good morning. How do you feel? Sheepy: Nyar: with my hand Arsé-kun: Germain: All right, how do you feel, mentally? Sheepy: Nyar: my brain is a soggy noodle Arsé-kun: Germain: ... I see. Would you like to rest a while longer? Sheepy: Nyar: we're going on an adventure Sheepy: Nyar: you, me, the ten liters of blood I've lost Arsé-kun: Germain: You're still drugged, aren't you? Sheepy: Nyar: how much anesthesia can kill a man Arsé-kun: Germain: Depends. Why? Sheepy: Nyar: I think I'm dying Arsé-kun: Germain: Oh, probably. Sheepy: Nyar: are my legs still there? are they still there??? Arsé-kun: Germain: Yes, sir, still there. Sheepy: Nyar: oh, thank goodness. Arsé-kun: Germain: Nothing is missing, as far as I am aware. Sheepy: Nyar: well my blood is missing Arsé-kun: Germain: Well, yes, but.. I can't just give you a transfusion, can I? Sheepy: Nyar: *he tries to sit up. owowow.* Arsé-kun: Germain: Careful, now. Sheepy: Nyar: we're going on a trip- Sheepy: Nyar: -is the room spinning? stop spinning the room saint-germain Arsé-kun: Germain: Please lie back down, Nyarlathotep. You're still not fully healed, as well as sedated. Sheepy: Nyar: *he does as ordered* Arsé-kun: Germain: ... If you know, why were you in the backyard? Sheepy: Nyar: chainsaw Sheepy: Nyar: I'm gonna borrow the chainsaw Arsé-kun: Germain: Please don't. Why were you in the backyard? Sheepy: Nyar: to get the chainsaw Arsé-kun: Germain: What would you need that for? Sheepy: Nyar:.... Arsé-kun: Germain: ... That's what I thought. Sheepy: Nyar: saint-germainnnn....we gotta goooo... Arsé-kun: Germain: Not now, Nyar. After you've recovered. Sheepy: Nyar: it'll be too late then Arsé-kun: Germain: It won't. Please rest. Sheepy: Nyar: you'll regret it Arsé-kun: Germain: Yes, I will, but I'd like you to not harm yourself any further. Sheepy: Nyar: ... Arsé-kun: Germain: ... Yelling "But the Spanish Inquisition is coming!" is not a valid excuse. Sheepy: Nyar: you won't get to know my secret Sheepy: Nyar: and soon it'll be useless Arsé-kun: Germain: Then tell me now. Sheepy: Nyar: cooking Sheepy: Nyar:.... Sheepy: Nyar: cooking? Arsé-kun: Germain: ... So the restaurant, or the shop next to it? Sheepy: Nyar: second Arsé-kun: Germain: Underneath? Sheepy: Nyar: uhuh Arsé-kun: Germain: All right. I'm going to go pass that on, and also make some tea. Get some rest, please? Sheepy: Nyar: my worth is now gone do you can throw me in the garbage Arsé-kun: Germain: Absolutely not. *he closes the curtains* Go to sleep, Nyar, or I'll hop you up on nighttime pain medication. Sheepy: Nyar: *he gives Germain a groggy look before deciding to sleep* Arsé-kun: Germain: *he quietly leaves, and goes down to the kitchen.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: -- And either way, we need the information he has. We need to know where Watson is, right? Sheepy: Sherlock: We can't trust him. Arsé-kun: Germain: He says that Watson is hidden underneath the cooking shop, next to the restaurant. *he puts the tea kettle on* And you don't have to. I can see why you wouldn't. Sheepy: Sherlock: What?! Really? We have to go...! Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he puts his cup down* This being an emergency, I'll agree. We can eat afterwards! Sheepy: Sherlock: *he gets his hat and dashes out the door!* Arsé-kun: *Arséne chases him out!! Germain watches them, and closes the door behind them* Sheepy: *how kind! or is it to stop nyar from running out to fight azathoth with the plastic fork of power* Arsé-kun: *both* Sheepy: Sheepy: They were in a rush. Arsé-kun: Germain: And with good reason. Sheepy: Sheepy: Something about Nyar and Watson. Arsé-kun: Germain: Nyar has told me where he last saw Watson. So, I passed it on. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh, good. Arsé-kun: Germain: Hopefully, they make it in time.. Sheepy: Sheepy: I hope Watson is okay. Arsé-kun: Germain: As do I.. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm a little worried that those two went alone. Arsé-kun: Germain: I'd have gone with them, but I've got my own problem.. Sheepy: Sheepy: Huh? Arsé-kun: Germain: ... *he smirks a little* If you've ever wanted to ask Nyar anything, now's the time- He's higher than a kite. Sheepy: Sheepy: Why? Arsé-kun: Germain: Remember I told you yesterday how Azathoth had attacked him? He apparently tried to test on him.. Sheepy: Sheepy: Well, Nyar would be a good test subject. No one is quite like him. Arsé-kun: Germain: Exactly. Thankfully, nothing seemed to stick except for the drugs. His wounds should be healing as we speak. Sheepy: Sheepy: That's good. Arsé-kun: *MEANWHILE, WHERE IT MATTERS* Sheepy: Sherlock: We're almost there- Azathoth! Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Good morning, gentlemen. *he's sitting where he doesn't belong- in midair.* You just missed your dear Watson by a couple of seconds. He just left! Sheepy: Sherlock: Wh...how- no, where is he? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: How should I know where he's wandered off to? I opened the back door, and he left! Sheepy: Sherlock: What? Why? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: I was going to leave, as well- But oh, now I have to talk to you. Sheepy: Sherlock: What did you do to him? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Why so hurtful? I just chatted with him! The poor dear, is he always hounded on like this? Sheepy: Sherlock: What? Sheepy: Sherlock: Who? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Dr. Watson, of course! Is every action he takes questioned so mercilessly? Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't know. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Better work on that! I'd better get going- The grocery sale ends at noon~ *he strides on out. bye* Sheepy: Sherlock: Wait! Arsé-kun: Azathoth: *from outside* Cheerio! Sheepy: Sherlock: Ugh... where could Watson have gone? Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he seems nervous for a moment* I don't know. We'd better find him, and quickly. Sheepy: Sherlock: Right... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he almost drags Sherlock out, running. they must move at a swift pace* Sheepy: *Sherlock eventually matches his pace* Arsé-kun: *and they're running, scanning the crowds for the familiar streak of ginger* Sheepy: Sherlock: Waaatson! Watson??? Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... ! There! Turning the corner! Sheepy: Sherlock: Let's follow! Arsé-kun: Arséne: Right. Sheepy: *Sherlock dashes after Watson* Arsé-kun: *and he does, inevitably, catch up* Sheepy: Sherlock: Watson! *hope you're ready for a bear hug watson. because you're getting one* Arsé-kun: Watson: *he freezes up, as if he doesn't know what to do* Sheepy: Sherlock: Watson? Arsé-kun: Watson: ..... ........ Please let me go. *he doesn't sound entirely there..* Sheepy: Sherlock: Are you okay? Sheepy: *Sherlock doesn't seem to be willing to let go...* Arsé-kun: Watson: .... Yes, just fine... Sheepy: Sherlock: You don't seem like it. Arsé-kun: Watson: .... I am truly fine and well.... *he starts to sag a little in Sherlock's arms. Whatever you say, Watson* Sheepy: Sherlock: Let's go home. Everyone is waiting for you there. Sheepy: Sherlock: You seem tired, too. Arsé-kun: Watson: ...... ....... I'm very tired... Sheepy: Sherlock: I can carry you back. Arsé-kun: Watson: ...... *his voice is growing quiet* ..... If you so desire.... *and he nearly drops, the only thing holding him up being Sherlock* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he picks up Watson* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he looks rather distressed, meanwhile* Sheepy: Sherlock: Arséne! I have him. We have to go home. He's tired. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... We've got a bit of a bigger problem.. *he waves his hand in front of passerby. They don't seem to notice..* Sheepy: Sherlock:...! Sheepy: Sherlock: This is what happened yesterday.... Sheepy: Sherlock: So Azathoth is around... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he latches onto Sherlock's arm* We'd better stay together, then. Sheepy: Sherlock: Okay. Sheepy: Sherlock:...Let's just head back and keep an eye out for him. Ars��-kun: Arséne: R-right... Sheepy: Sherlock: *he begins to head back* Arsé-kun: *Arséne stays with him, looking around warily. He freezes up for but a second, followed by a shout of surprise and letting go of Sherlock in favor of curling into a ball on the ground* Sheepy: Sherlock:!! Arséne! Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he's shuddering* Je suis vraiment désolé! Je veux aller a la maison! Sheepy: Sherlock: *he looks around* Arsé-kun: *He doesn't see anything, but the weight in his arms seems to have lifted...* Sheepy: Sherlock:...? Arsé-kun: *watson has vanished!* Sheepy: Sherlock: ?! Sheepy: Sherlock: Where did he go??? Sheepy: Sherlock: *he bends down* ...Arséne, are you alright? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Je me sens malade.. Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't understand. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Je suis désolé. Je ne pouvais rien faire... Sheepy: Sherlock: *he pulls Arséne close* Arsé-kun: Arséne: merci.. Sheepy: Sherlock: We clearly don't have enough manpower alone, so let's go home, reorganize our thoughts, and get a larger group. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Allons-y.. Sheepy: *so they go home!* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Nous sommes de retour..! Sheepy: Nyar: And so then- Sherpoodle's back~ Arsé-kun: Germain: .... *he looks towards the door. Looks back* I don't see anything. Are you sure..? Sheepy: Sheepy: Welcom- eh? No he's not. Sheepy: Nyar: They're deadghosts now. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Ehhh?? Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit? Sheepy: Sheepy: That's not funny. Sheepy: Tom: you're too late Sheepy: *Tom is staring at Arséne and Sherlock...* Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... ......... Sheepy: Tom: a bullet takes the life of a thief, a detective is left all alone Sheepy: Tom: are you ready? Sheepy: Sheepy: Tom, who are you talking to Arsé-kun: Arséne: .......... ................ *he's gone pale* Sheepy: Tom: the time approaches. Sheepy: Tom: for now it is like an eternity away, but when the fated time comes it'll feel like an instant Sheepy: Nyar: Pssshh. They're standing right there, Tom. He's not dead. Sheepy: Sheepy: Did you two plan this or something? Arsé-kun: Arséne: ......... *he slowly goes over to Sheepy, and lightly tugs on his sleeve* Sheepy: Sheepy: Tom, stop that, you're scaring me. Sheepy: Tom: stop what? Sheepy: Sheepy: Tugging on my sleeve. Sheepy: Tom: *his gaze has followed Arséne but he doesn't comment* Arsé-kun: Arséne: ...... ........ *he's trying his damnest not to cry. Normally, this is very simple, but he's extremely distressed. he hugs sheepy from behind for a good moment, before letting go and fleeing the room* Sheepy: Sheepy:???? What's touching me? Sheepy: Sherlock: Arséne!! Wait! *he chases after Arséne* Arsé-kun: Germain: *he opened his eyes about ten seconds too late* I still don't see anything.. Sheepy: Nyar: They went to their room. Arsé-kun: Germain: ..... Tom? Sheepy: Nyar: I'd explain what's going on to them but it's too much fun to watch. Sheepy: Tom: what Arsé-kun: Germain: Did they leave the room..? Sheepy: Tom: they went upstairs Arsé-kun: Germain: .... Sheepy, watch him for me. *he decides to go upstairs himself* Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay. Sheepy: *Sherlock is trying to comfort Arséne* Arsé-kun: *And Arséne's trying to calm down. The keyword is trying. This is all too much for the poor guy* Sheepy: Sherlock: Maybe it's all just a bad dream. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he shakes his head* Sheepy: Sherlock: Maybe he's suddenly developed blindness? Arsé-kun: Germain: ....... I can just barely see you two, so that would not be it. Sheepy: Sherlock: Huh? Arsé-kun: Arséne: ..!! Sheepy: Sherlock: Saint-Germain! Arsé-kun: Germain: .... It's taking a monumental effort to even hear you two, let alone seeing. ... Neither of you have died, by the by. Sheepy: Sherlock: What happened to us? Arsé-kun: Germain: Azathoth is trying to keep you two hidden, I would guess. ... I don't know how long he can do it for. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh... Sheepy: Sherlock: Because we need to get more people to rescue Watson? Arsé-kun: Germain: ... Perhaps. He may be intimidated by you both. Sheepy: Sherlock: Why? Arsé-kun: Germain: Being a threat to his plans? I'm not sure.. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh... Arsé-kun: Germain: Either way, I will inform the others that you are indeed here. Sheepy: Sherlock: What does he plan to do with Watson? Did Nyar say? Arsé-kun: Germain: I will ask, but he barely got information to me earlier.. Sheepy: Sherlock: Okay. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he goes back downstairs* They were telling the truth. Sheepy: Sheepy: Really? Arsé-kun: Germain: Truly. Azathoth has them hidden from sight. Sheepy: Sheepy: So that was Arséne that was hugging me? Sheepy: Sheepy: I didn't feel like I as being crushed so it wasn't Sherlock. Arsé-kun: Germain: I'm inclined to say yes. Sheepy: Nyar: So did I tell you about the time I beat up my dad with a pool noodke? Arsé-kun: Germain: Six times, now. Do you know what your father wanted with Watson? Sheepy: Nyar: Why do I want you? These are all such complicated questions. Arsé-kun: Germain: Please stop that. Sheepy: Nyar: But......... Arsé-kun: Germain: Enough, before I confine you to the bed again. Sheepy: Nyar: Because my dad is jealous because my dearie and I have something special~ Arsé-kun: Germain: *has he turned a shade redder? It's hard to tell* I'm going to ignore you. Sheepy: Nyar: Why? Phil already ignores me. Arsé-kun: Germain: Phil has the emotional capacity of a rock. Sheepy: Nyar: Eve took away his emotions. Arsé-kun: Germain: You're blabbering again. Sheepy: Nyar: But she did! Arsé-kun: Germain: *ugh.* Yes, thank you for sharing. Sheepy: Nyar: I miss the old him. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... As do I. Sheepy: Nyar: He's so distant now. Arsé-kun: Germain: m-hm... *he then makes a wise decision- switching languages so he can't be eavesdropped on* Arsé-kun: *It becomes impossible to understand the conversation, excluding Germain's face turning redder, and Nyar smirking* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he is confused* Arsé-kun: *Maybe you shouldn't be trying to understand still* Sheepy: Sheepy: *fine, time to play with sisi* Arsé-kun: Sisi: *PLAY???* Sheepy: Sheepy: *YEAH* Arsé-kun: *playtime is fun. Tom gets involved.* Sheepy: Tom: aaaaaaaa Arsé-kun: Sisi: *y he screem* Sheepy: Tom: hes gunna serv me wit buttr Arsé-kun: Impey: *he wanders in, rubbing his eyes. he looks like a mess- the same as every morning* Mornin', all! Sheepy: Sheepy: Hi, Impey. Nyar is staying over. Sheepy: Sheepy: He's loopy from the anesthesia that Azathoth used on hi- Sheepy: Nyar: Oh it's that guy! The engineer guy! Did I tell you about the time that I beat up my dad with a pool noodle? Arsé-kun: Impey: No! I wanna hear that, though! Sheepy: *And so. Nyar tells the story about the time he beat up Azathoth with a pool noodle. He keeps going off track and blabbing about stuff that's not at all relevant to the story.* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he's thoroughly entertained by this. Impey, you've doomed them all* Sheepy: Sheepy: Impey... you fool... sheep: Nyar: And that's when I said... "it's Nyar-lat-ho-tep!!". .. Wait, no... I didn't say that. sheep: Nyar: Speaking of which, Phil's birth name is Nodens, but he prefers Philemon. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he's given up stopping Nyar. He has sat down, put headphones on, and picked up the newspaper* sheep: Nyar: Azathoth's name is Azathoth but he goes by Azathoth. sheep: Nyar: Saint-Germain's name is Leopold but his given name is MyBoyfriend... it's a creative name............ Arsé-kun: Germain: ... !!!! *he buries his face into the paper. Seems like the headphones weren't on* sheep: Sheepy: You're really loopy from the anesthesia. Arsé-kun: Impey: Has he eaten anything? Does anyone know? sheep: Sheepy: I don't think so. Arsé-kun: Impey: Doesn't it take longer to recover if he doesn't, or something? sheep: Sheepy: Probably. Arsé-kun: Impey: What about you? Have you eaten today? sheep: Sheepy: He grabbed me as soon as I came downstairs, so no. Arsé-kun: Impey: Well, I'd better get on cooking, then! sheep: Sheepy: Would it be too much trouble? Arsé-kun: Impey: Not at all! sheep: Sheepy: Okay. I want to watch. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he seems delighted* I'll surely teach you how to make righteous pancakes! sheep: Sheepy: Okay! - He felt dazed. When Watson came to, he was lying back in a recliner. Confused, he looked around, but even that slight movement made him dizzy. Leaning back and listening, he heard quiet music being played from somewhere. He wasn't sure from where- the room seemed empty apart from himself and his seat. He closed his eyes. He opened them again upon feeling a slight pinch on his arm. Turning his head ever so slightly to the right, he observed nothing was unusual. Strange, he thought. Ever so stranger, there was a shadow now cast on the wall in front of him, displaying someone standing next to him- Yet, there was no one. His eyelids grew heavy. He closed his eyes. He didn't want to open his eyes again. He felt comfortable where he was. He felt like he could sleep here for as long as he liked. The music stopped, and Watson opened his eyes. There, before his face, was a lightly swinging watch. Instinct told him to watch it as it swung back and forth, back and forth... He couldn't look away. He wanted to grab it, hold it, but his limbs felt heavy. He was confused, and somewhat distressed. Why couldn't he move? "Relax." The order was simple, but effective. Watson felt his body go limp, and his head lolled to the side. For the briefest moment, a hand that was not his own entered his vision, only to right his head. What was happening? "Have no fear. You seem afraid- There is nothing to worry about." Again, Watson found himself obeying the order. The worry drained from his mind, leaving only the previous confusion. Who was talking to him? Why was he obeying without question? Was his face displaying his confusion? His questions were endless. "You seem confused. It is not worth thinking about. Just let yourself relax." For the third time, Watson obeyed without question. Without the questions filling his mind, his attention returned to the watch. He did not even wonder about the pinpricks of pain he felt upon his arm or neck. He did not want to. "Watch, as it swings." Watson did not need to be told again. His attention was purely on the watch as it moved. "You do not need to move your body. Watch with your eyes. Allow the rest of your body to relax." His head drooped forward. His eyes, glued to the watch, rolled up in their sockets to continue gazing at it. The watch was raised up ever so slightly, and his eyes followed it. His eyelids began to flutter lightly- They did not want to stay open. The voice- the calming, relaxing voice- continued to drone on and on. The voice became less commanding and more gentle as they spoke, keeping Watson's attention off of themselves. Gradually, his eyes closed, and he slumped to the side. He seemed to be fast asleep. A nasty smile covering his face, Azathoth uncloaked all that he had hidden. The numerous needles in Watson's arm continued to function properly, and the music began to play again. Azathoth stopped and pocketed the watch. Another job well done, but his work wasn't done yet. After carefully adjusting the mask on Watson's face- the mask he'd never registered was there- and lowering the seat so Watson was lying flat on his back, Azathoth sat down on a stool next to him. As he gently turned Watson's head to the side, he began to utter some more. "You do not need to ever feel pain again," he suggested, picking up a stray scalpel, "Nor do you ever need to feel anything but a resounding calm." Shaking his head, he placed the scalpel back from where it had came. He next picked up the end of a wire, considering it closely. He flicked a switch next to him, not even giving it attention. He only looked away from the wire when the gasmask began to emit fog- It was time to begin. The shadow on the wall no longer displayed two people. It now displayed one man, and one writhing mass, making sounds akin to giggling. This was going to be his best test subject yet. - Arsé-kun: Impey: --- And that's how it's done! Sheepy: Sheepy: I've learned today. I'm going to cook for Arsene eventually. And then he'll have to pay me. Arsé-kun: Impey: Doesn't he already? Sheepy: Sheepy: Yeah. Arsé-kun: Impey: Then what's the point..? Getting more money? Sheepy: Sheepy: Showing appreciation I guess. Arsé-kun: Impey: I suppose- Hey, now. Don't pass out in your pancakes, Nyarly! Sheepy: *Sorry, too late, Impey. Nyarly's out.* Arsé-kun: *meanwhile, some pancakes have Miraculously Disappeared. I blame either Arséne or Sherlock* Sheepy: Sheepy: Creepy. Arsé-kun: Impey: What? I wasn't looking. Sheepy: Sheepy: They disappeared. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he sniffs the air* Is it me, or have we been graced with Sherlock's presence? ... Arséne probably would have unbraided my hair! Sheepy: Sheepy: Probably Sherlock. Arsé-kun: Impey: Uh-huh. Sheepy: Sheepy: Because it's a Holmes thing to love pancakes. Sherlock likes them plain, Harley likes them with maple syrup, and- actually, I forgot about Mycroft. I don't know if he likes them. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Mycroft doesn't care. Sheepy: Sheepy: You don't like pancakes? Sheepy: Sheepy: So it's not genetic to love pancakes? Sheepy: Sheepy: Also, Azathoth cursed Sherlock so he's around here somewhere but you won't notice him. Sheepy: Sheepy: He's like me when I went to school. Sheepy: Sheepy: Ignored, neglected, shunned, Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I know how that feels. *he sits down at the table, opting to ignore Nyar- who is getting moved by Germain. Seems he decided to check on Nyar* Sheepy: Sheepy: Nyar is here because he was drugged by Azathoth and he ended up here. Sheepy: Sheepy: You just missed him telling the same story exactly seven times. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I'm glad I missed it. Sheepy: Sheepy: I wish that I did. Sheepy: *Tom is staring.* Sheepy: *When did he get to the table?* Sheepy: *Why is he staring at Mycroft?* Arsé-kun: *Who knows?* Sheepy: *We just don't know.* Arsé-kun: *mysterious tom, mysterious methods* Sheepy: Tom: hi Arsé-kun: Impey: When'd you get there, Tom? Sheepy: Tom: when you werent looking Sheepy: Tom: i want pancakes Sheepy: Tom: but sheep are allergic to pancakes Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, sorry, Tom! Sheepy: Tom: i havent had food in Sheepy: Tom: 20 years Sheepy: Tom: sherlock has competition Arsé-kun: Mycroft: He certainly does. Sheepy: Tom: but im dead and if he gets sick he'll be in big trouble Sheepy: Tom: woah Sheepy: Tom: did they not brjng watson back Arsé-kun: Germain: No, unfortunately. Sheepy: Tom: come baaaaack watson Sheepy: Tom: i miss you Sheepy: Tom: by the way changing your password didn't help because i know the new one Sheepy: Tom: i know everyone's passwords. Arsé-kun: Germain: Suddenly, my internet history makes sense. Sheepy: Tom: i had to know if sheep were allergic to pancakes Arsé-kun: Germain: That's all right. Sheepy: Sheepy: Where is everyone else? Arsé-kun: Impey: Fran's working... Again.... Van n' Iris are upstairs? I think? N' the other kids are.. Uh.. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: In another room, sharing boxes of cereal and watching tv. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's good that they're unaware of what's happened. Sheepy: Sheepy: And you don't seem happy about that first part. Arsé-kun: Impey: Of course I'm not! He overworks himself.. Sheepy: Sheepy: Is he a workaholic or something? Arsé-kun: Impey: Yes! Sheepy: Sheepy: He needs a hobby. Arsé-kun: Impey: Then he'll work on THAT constantly! Sheepy: Sheepy: That's how it works? Arsé-kun: Impey: It is for him! Sheepy: Sheepy: I'll make him come down and eat. Arsé-kun: Impey: Please! Sheepy: *Sheepy goes upstairs. Moments later Fran comes rushing downstairs to Impey. Sheepy is following* Arsé-kun: Impey: I owe you one! What'd you do?? Sheepy: Fran: Are you OK??? Sheepy said that you were hurt! Arsé-kun: Impey: Yeah. My feelings are hurt. Eat something, dammit! Arsé-kun: Impey: oh yeah and i cut myself on the sharp part of the counter Arsé-kun: Impey: But eat something! Sheepy: Fran: I'm sorry... I forgot! Sheepy: Fran: Shouldn't I check on that first? Sheepy: Sheepy: You did? Arsé-kun: Impey: Nope, it's fine, it's cool for ten more minutes! Arsé-kun: Impey: ... I'd show you, but ya'll are eating! Sheepy: Fran: I'm sorry... Arsé-kun: Impey: Shhhhhhhhut your trap n' have some pancakes! Sheepy: *Fran follows Impey's advice* Sheepy: *Tom is still staring at Mycroft...* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... What are you looking at? Sheepy: Tom: sherlock Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he glances behind himself. lightly punches the air behind hi- wait it connected* ... Oh. Things get weirder every day. Sheepy: Tom: blame azathoth Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he visibly shudders* Sherlock, your hands are bloody cold! Get them off my neck! Sheepy: *Sherlock removes his hands* Sheepy: Tom: he's giggling Arsé-kun: Mycroft: How are you so cold?? Sheepy: Tom: "ive always been this cold so i always wear my coat" Arsé-kun: *Meanwhile, the floating top hat and mask have arrived! Armed with a whiteboard and a marker. Hi, Arséne* Sheepy: Tom: wow Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'm desperate, okay? Sheepy: Tom: you always are pretty pitiful Arsé-kun: Arséne: D: Sheepy: Tom: thats for threatening me yesterday Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he scribbles on the whiteboard "I'm being bullied!" and faces it towards the table* Sheepy: Sheepy: Finally, someone bought a levitating whiteboard. I've been asking for that. Arsé-kun: Arséne: "I'm hurt!" Sheepy: Sheepy: It has emotions. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he erases it with his sleeve and draws an up arrow on it* Sheepy: Sheepy: Gosh, my only friends are inanimate objects. Arsé-kun: Arséne: "That's not funny." Sheepy: Sheepy: A hat, a mask, a whiteboard, a marker, and Tom. Sheepy: Sheepy: My only friends... Sheepy: Sheepy: Nevermind, floating whiteboard and marker, your sense of humor is garbage. I've disowning you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he draws a sad face* Sheepy: Tom: woah Sheepy: Sheepy: Don't sad face me. You have hat and mask to be friends with. Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... "Never mind. Forget I came down here." Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm a terrible choice anyway. Sheepy: Sheepy: I have no redeemable qualities but everyone has to put up with me anyway. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... *he takes the hat, and plops it on Sherlock's head, before handing him the whiteboard and marker* Have a blast. Sheepy: Sheepy: Run while you still can. Sheepy: Sherlock: What do I do with it? Where are you going? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Use it to talk to them. I'm going back upstairs.. Sheepy: Tom: you actually just upset arsene just so you know Sheepy: Sherlock: Why?? Sheepy: Sheepy: Eh? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Don't feel needed down here. *he takes the mask off, and puts it on the table* Sheepy: Sherlock: Why not? Sheepy: Sherlock: I need you. Sheepy: Tom: look at what you did sheepy Arsé-kun: Arséne: You were doing just fine without me. Sheepy: Tom: you took a perfectly good arsene and gave him anxiety Arsé-kun: *Impey nearly chokes in the background* Sheepy: Sheepy: Nobody told me that that was Arséne! Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm not smart. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Sherlock's still behind me. Do the math. Sheepy: Sheepy: 1 + 1 = I'm an awful human being who was just a jerk to an already stressed out person. Sheepy: Tom: checks out Arsé-kun: *Arséne actually leaves now, looking even more stressed than he was when he arrived* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he picks up Tom and decides to go talk to Arséne!* Arsé-kun: *first, you have to FIND arséne* Sheepy: *tom can help with that* Arsé-kun: *it's like hide and seek, but a lot more stressful!* Sheepy: Sheepy: Arseeeene?? Sheepy: Tom:......... Sheepy: Sheepy: Where did he go... Sheepy: Tom:........... Sheepy: Sheepy: Do you see him, Tom? Arsé-kun: *Arséne, meanwhile, has jammed himself under his desk and he's back to square 1- uncontrollable sobbing. Lupin is having an extremely bad day* Sheepy: Tom: if he wants to be left alone why are you bothering him Arsé-kun: Arséne: ...! Don't tell him thaaat! Sheepy: Tom: do you want me to tell him your location Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'll come out.. *he unjams himself and sits down on the sofa. you can see it shift* Sheepy: Tom: hes on the sofa Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... Merci.. Sheepy: Sheepy: *he goes over to the sofa. where is arsene sitting. uhhh. just guess and dont sit there* Arsé-kun: *and, of course, he sat right on arsene* Sheepy: Sheepy:??? Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he lightly puts his arms around Sheepy* ... Sheepy: Sheepy: *he doesn't seem like he's gonna move. sorry Arséne* I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... *he tightens his hug a bit* Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm scared about what Tom said and I don't want to lose you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he hugs even tighter. he's shaking a little* Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm not good at making friends. I don't feel comfortable around most people. You're the only one I can actually relax around. I don't want to lose that. Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... I'm so, so sorry.. Sheepy: Sheepy: Why're you sorry? Sheepy: Sheepy: I insulted you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Bec--- You heard me?! Sheepy: Sheepy:...Huh? Sheepy: Sheepy: I did! Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, je suis désolé! Sheepy: Sheepy: Why're you sorry?? I don't get it... Arsé-kun: Arséne: Because I'm completely out of sorts..! Normally, that wouldn't have ever bothered me.. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's understandable that you are. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm sorry that I can't do more to help you... Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... Can I pull a you? Is that permissible? Sheepy: Sheepy: Huh? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Shut up and give me attention. Sheepy: Sheepy: *he hugs Arséne* Arsé-kun: *arséne's day has now improved Significantly!* Arsé-kun: *it then proceeds to tank again, because they both remembered that Arséne is due to Die* Sheepy: Sheepy: *I'm sorry Arséne if you liked that shirt because Sheepy has his face buried in it and has started to cry. Remember how you're gonna die? Yeah actually it's ok if he ruins your shirt* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he's stopped crying, and is trying to comfort Sheepy. He's gotta keep up appearances! He's fine!!* Sheepy: Tom: *he is watching the two wordlessly* Arsé-kun: *the phone! the phone is ringing! and it's sherlock's office phone!* Sheepy: *Sherlock gets the phone* Sheepy: Sherlock: Hullo? Sherlock Holmes speaking. Arsé-kun: ?: Oh, hello! I'm a nurse working for the hospital. I've got good news! Your brother woke up! Sheepy: Sherlock: Really?! Sheepy: Sherlock: Mycroft!! We're going! Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Huh? Sheepy: Sherlock: Harley woke up! Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Sherlock, we're going! Sheepy: Sherlock: OK! We'll be right there! Arsé-kun: nurse: All right! He should be all cleaned up by the time you get here. Sheepy: Sherlock: Great! Sheepy: *so they go?* Arsé-kun: *they fucking run out of there before anyone else can join them* Arsé-kun: Germain: Haven't they learned yet..? Sheepy: Tom: no Arsé-kun: Germain: *he groans before stealing Mycroft's seat* Sheepy: Nyar: Sherpoodle never learns....unlike real poodles Arsé-kun: Germain: That was the most logical thing you have said all morning. Sheepy: Nyar: My brain is like a poodle. Sheepy: Nyar: Fuzzy and small. Arsé-kun: Germain: Still better than the wet noodle it was before. Arsé-kun: Tom: you know what else is fuzzy and small Sheepy: Nyar: You? Arsé-kun: Tom: no Sheepy: Nyar: What? Arsé-kun: Tom: yes. i baa-mboozled you Sheepy: Nyar: I've been tricked. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he picks up Tom* You weren't there a few seconds ago, you lil' shit! How'd you get here?? Sheepy: Tom: im fast Arsé-kun: Impey: Yeah, I see that! Sheepy: *nyar actually eats his pancakes* Arsé-kun: *Germain looks impressed* Arsé-kun: Germain: Well, you didn't fall asleep in them this time ^^ Arsé-kun: Finis: .... *he gets tired of eavesdropping, and wanders away.* Arsé-kun: Finis: *he's been watching since he heard that Sherlock and Arséne were back, and he's learned a lot.* Arsé-kun: *On the other hand, he's now extremely bored, and he doubts they would appreciate him telling them that he has been listening* Arsé-kun: *He decides to walk in anyway, and quietly take a seat for himself. He uses his dictionary as a booster seat. Smart!* Arsé-kun: Finis: ... *he looks at Nyar* You look trashy. *n-not as smart.* Sheepy: Nyar: That's because I am. Sheepy: Nyar: I feel like garbage. Sheepy: Nyar: So, like, when I've recovered, will I not be allowed to come visit anymore? Sheepy: Nyar: I know I said some pretty nasty things but I actually haven't done much to you guys. Sheepy: Nyar: Sherlock's memory is slowly recovering because of me. Sheepy: Nyar: I wasn't even the one who broke his arm. A grunt did. Sheepy: Nyar: I used fear factors as convincing but that's really my only crime Sheepy: Sheepy: H-he never said it was you... right? He just said... "thief"... Arsé-kun: Arséne: If it isn't me, then it's you. If not you, then... Diego? .... Does Iris count? Arsé-kun: Germain: You can stay with me, Nyar. I've got space. *he leans on Nyar's chair* I'm just glad you're able to speak coherently right now, though. sheep: Nyar: I feel like death. sheep: Sheepy: I was thinking Diego, but... "little" concerns me. sheep: Sheepy: Am I little? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Eh. Not really? sheep: Sheepy: Then is it Iris? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I hope not..! sheep: Sheepy: She's little. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Tom's little. sheep: Sheepy: Tom isn't a thief. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I don't know, he's definitely stolen some hearts. sheep: Tom: ... sheep: Sheepy: He's dead though.. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Good point. sheep: Tom: bet on tornado Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Thank you, Tom Arsé-kun: Van: *he arrives downstairs, having jumped right over the railing, the sofa, and everyone on the sofa. don't try this at home, kids!* sheep: *Iris did try it at home! And crashed into Arsene and Sheepy. good thing sherlock isn't here* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *oOF* sheep: Sheepy: *AAAAAAAAAAA* Arsé-kun: Van: *he looks, and makes a 'tut' noise* You're going to kill someone like that. sheep: Iris: I was copying you. *pout* sheep: Sheepy: *I WAS ALREADY SAD AND NOW IM HURTING TOO* Arsé-kun: Van: Don't do that. sheep: Iris: Why? sheep: Sheepy: I'm suing you for damages. Sheepy: Iris: You're bullying me! Sheepy: Sheepy: You test your inventions on me! They hurt! Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he imitates an old man* my ba-aaack Sheepy: Sheepy: And you hurt Arséne. Sheepy: Iris: It was an accident. Arsé-kun: Van: A lot of bad things are accidents. *he decides to head into the kitchen. Impey is staring because he saw Van's landing. Impey is ignored* Sheepy: Sheepy: Like me. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm an accident. Sheepy: Tom: nothing is a mistake. just a happy little accident. sometimes that accident improves the image as a whole Arsé-kun: Arséne: Ah, Bob Ross. Arsé-kun: Van: *he has also decided socializing isn't his strong front today. everyone receives a grunt of helloness* Sheepy: Sheepy: Hi. Sheepy: Sheepy: Sherlock and Mycroft are out to see Harley. He's woken up. Arsé-kun: Van: *he glances back at Sheepy. he hears you, but doesn't feel like replying* Sheepy: Sheepy: They nearly got Watson but didn't. Also, Nyar is staying here. Arsé-kun: Van: *he sees Nyar, and decides! He doesn't care* Sheepy: Sheepy: He's recovered from being loopy I think. Arsé-kun: *mEANWHILE AT THE HOSPITAL, WHERE SHERLOCK IS NOT LOSING HIS ENTIRE SHIT* Sheepy: *I'm sorry Mycroft personal space isn't a thing anymore. At least him intruding into your personal space is helping him keep calm* Arsé-kun: *Mycroft does not mind or care* Sheepy: Sherlock: Where's his room again? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Down the hall- Hello, yes, we're going to visit our brother, yes, thank you- Not too much farther. Sheepy: Sherlock: Okay. Arsé-kun: *so, they get there! As promised, Harley is awake and cleaned up.* Sheepy: Harley: *he looks over at them but doesn't comment. does he not recognize them, or?* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he slowly waves hello. he expects a verbal beatdown* Sheepy: Harley:....... Sheepy: *Harley hesitantly copies it* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ...? How.. uh, how are you feeling, Harley..? Sheepy: Harley: Uhh...*he seems to be thinking* .... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... Brain not working just yet? Sheepy: *Harley takes a moment to register what Mycroft said and shakes his head* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Understandable. ... I wonder if we are permitted to take him home? Sheepy: Sherlock: I have doubts. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Lets find out, shall we? Sheepy: Sherlock: Alright. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Alright. Pop into the hall and ask, I guess. Sheepy: *Sherlock pops into the hall* Arsé-kun: *Sherlock has a short discussion with the lead nurse! Due to him knowing Watson, and them really badly needing space, taking Harley home is permitted! This is unprofessional, but they really need the space* Sheepy: *great!* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Well? Sheepy: Sherlock: They said yes. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Ah! That's great. Sheepy: Harley:....*he still seems confused..* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Is something wrong? Sheepy: Harley: Who.... ... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: .... .... Ah. We're your brothers. He's Sherlock. I'm Mycroft. ... You've known him far longer than I. Sheepy: Harley:.... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... You've also got a little dog named Wilson. He'll be glad to see you. Sheepy: Harley: ! Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Oh, do you recognize him? Sheepy: Harley: *he nods* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he seems concerned* Sheepy: Sherlock: What about Watson? Do you remember him? Sheepy: Harley:? Sheepy: Sherlock: Watson, the one who took us in. Sheepy: Harley:? Sheepy: Harley: *he looks over at Mycroft* ? Sheepy: Harley: *point* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: N-no? Sheepy: Harley: *well, okay.* Sheepy: Sherlock: Home is kinda far from here. How will he make it? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I could get my car.. sheep: Sherlock: I guess so. Or I can carry him. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: You are not carrying him all that way! sheep: Sherlock: I'm not? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: No! sheep: Sherlock: Why not? sheep: Sherlock: He's not heavy. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I'm getting. My car. sheep: Sherlock: *he frowns* ...OK. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Thank you. I'll drive slow for you. sheep: Sherlock: Uh... okay. Arsé-kun: *mycroft exits stage left. mycroft returns from stage left about twenty minutes later* sheep: Sherlock: Oh! You're back! Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Did you think I wasn't coming back? sheep: Sherlock: I thought you were going to come back. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Well, good. *he looks to Harley* sheep: Sherlock: Harley has been staring out the window most of the time you've been gone so i was lonely. sheep: *Harley was staring out the window but now he's staring at Mycroft. gaze.* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: .. Well, come on. We're going. sheep: Harley: *he unsteadily gets to his feet.* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Would you like a hand? sheep: Harley: *he nods* Arsé-kun: *And so, Mycroft assists Harley! He expects Sherlock to swoop in and pick Harley up, anyway* sheep: *Sherlock doesn't* Arsé-kun: *amazing!* sheep: *instead, Sherlock is uncomfortable* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: .... I messaged Finis on the way. He informed me going slow is the exact opposite of what I should do in this case. sheep: Sherlock: Really? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Apparently so. I didn't know that. sheep: Sherlock: Wow. sheep: Harley: *he isn't listening.* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... Something have your attention? sheep: *Harley points at a squirrel* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Ah. sheep: Sherlock: When we went to the park a few times he broke up from us and we found him covered in the squirrels he was feeding Arsé-kun: Mycroft: What is he, a Disney Princess? sheep: Sherlock: No that's me. sheep: Sherlock: He's just the king of squirrels. sheep: Harley: *he wants the squirrel but has no choice but to continue leaning on Mycroft* Arsé-kun: *the squirrel continues its journey looking for NUTS* sheep: Harley: *good squirrel* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: And here's the car. Do you want to walk, Sherlock? sheep: Sherlock: I'll get lost if I do. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Well, then get in the car. sheep: *Sherlock gets in the car* Arsé-kun: *mycroft drives back to the office. nobody dies* sheep: *sherlock feels like he's dying and harley is amused by the window* sheep: *so only one person is miserable but who cares about him* Arsé-kun: Wilson: *he's started barking like mad and racing around the offices. chill, dog* sheep: Harley: *WILSON!!!!!* Arsé-kun: Wilson: *DAD!!!!* *he nearly jumps into Harley's arms the minute the door is opened* sheep: Harley: *he pets wilson. have you been a good puppy while ive been gone. i bet you have. i love you wilson* Arsé-kun: Wilson: *this is the most excited dog the world has ever seen* sheep: Harley: *this is the most excited Harley the world has ever seen* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... Sherlock, are you all right? sheep: Sherlock: *dizziness: check. sweating: check. nausea: check. general discomfort: check. dying: possibly* sheep: Sherlock: *he whimpers. good reply.* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: .... I'm so sorry. sheep: Sherlock: *he's just going to lie here for a while and suffer don't mind him* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Bonjour, Harley! sheep: Harley: *he looks up, visibly confused* Arsé-kun: Arséne: ...? sheep: Harley: Who're you? Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he looks downright hurt for a moment, but perks right back up* Have you forgotten? I'm Lupin. C'mon, lets get inside, allons-y! sheep: *Harley goes inside* sheep: Harley: *he points to Saint-Germain and looks to Mycroft* Watson? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Nope. Good try, though. sheep: Harley: *he points at Iris* Watson? Arsé-kun: Germain: Well, you're not wrong. sheep: Iris: Watson is my dad. sheep: Harley: *a hint! he points to Van* Watson. Arsé-kun: Van: Absolutely not. sheep: Harley: *he appears bothered by this. who's watson??????* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Did you not tell him.. Hey, wait, where's Sherlock? sheep: Harley: Car. Arsé-kun: *arséne makes a face and goes to get Sherlock* sheep: *Sherlock has seen better days. he looke like death warmed over. rip.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... *he pulls Sherlock out, and brings him in a different entrance. The convenience of multiple doors.* Sheepy: Sherlock: Everything's spinning.......... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he puts Sherlock down on the sofa* ... Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure what to do. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm dying......... Arsé-kun: Arséne: Hi, dying. I'm Arséne. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm going to die. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Sure. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he lies down on the sofa* ...................................... Sheepy: Sherlock: The room is spinning................................................. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he closes his eyes* ................................................ Sheepy: Sherlock: ........... Sheepy: Sherlock: *he suddenly shoots straight up to a sitting position* THEY USED THE CLOSET LIKE A PORTAL FROM THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE! Arsé-kun: Arséne: ..... what Sheepy: Sherlock: Eight years ago! Sheepy: Sherlock: The blood trail ended at the closet! Sheepy: Sherlock: They used the closet as a portal! A portal to somewhere!! Arsé-kun: *Arséne has no idea what Sherlock is talking about, but he decides to write it down anyway* Sheepy: Sherlock: He left through Iris's closet. He probably came in through there too. Like some sort of monster. Sheepy: Sherlock: He's probably like Azathoth. Arsé-kun: Germain: Good call. Sheepy: Sherlock: Huh? Sheepy: Sherlock: Do you know him? Sheepy: Sherlock: The killer, I mean. Arsé-kun: Germain: If you mean who I think you do, then unfortunately so. I've already spoken to Iris about it. Sheepy: Sherlock: Who is he? Arsé-kun: Germain: He's a guide and generally? A very passive man. It's unfortunate what he was forced to do. Sheepy: Sherlock: Who forced him to kill her? Arsé-kun: Germain: His boss, I'd presume. Sheepy: Sherlock: Who's his boss? Arsé-kun: Germain: You imply I would know such things. Sheepy: Sherlock: What's his name? Arsé-kun: Germain: Hansel. What I do know from him is that he did not wish to do the task presented to him, but did due to something personal on the line. Sheepy: Sherlock: Why didn't he go to the police? Arsé-kun: Germain: Aforementioned personal business? Possibility of being killed? sheep: Sherlock: I see. sheep: Sherlock: How did he get in through the closet? Arsé-kun: Germain: .... I would not know that. Sheepy: Sherlock: Is it normal for him? You immediately recognized him from that. Arsé-kun: Germain: Yes. He tends to use irregular entrances. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... At least, they make some sense. Sheepy: Sherlock: Like from where? Arsé-kun: Germain: Oh, I don't know. A washing machine? Sheepy: Sherlock: Can he come out of washing machines? Arsé-kun: Germain: No. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh. Sheepy: Sheepy: *during all this he sneaks out in his Joker outfit. time to steal stuff* Arsé-kun: *where is he going?* Sheepy: *the clocktower because it had twilight stuff so it might be good to investigate?* Arsé-kun: *Sheepy gets there to see a few twilight grunts leaving. They're bloody and bruised* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he hides and waits for them to leave* Sheepy: Sheepy: [text: to Arsene] I see Twilight grunts. They seem like they've been in a fight. Investigating further. Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Sheepy] YOU WENT OUT?! Sheepy: Sheepy: [text: to Arséne] You didn't notice??? Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Sheepy] Non! I'm with Sherlock and Harley! Sheepy: Sheepy: [text: to Arséne] Wow Arséne you're getting oblivious as you go up in years. Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Sheepy] Where are you, though? Sheepy: Sheepy: [text: to Arséne] Clocktower. Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Sheepy] I'm on standby. Message if anything happens! Sheepy: Sheepy: [text: to Arséne] Beaten up Twilight grunts makes me think that it's another case of Van. Going in right now. Sheepy: Sheepy: *he enters the clock tower* Arsé-kun: *it smells like blood.* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he looks around* Arsé-kun: *there's blood.* Sheepy: *he goes up the stairs* Arsé-kun: *the smell is stronger. There's also a sound much like someone trying to yell for help, but they're muffled* Sheepy: *Sheepy quickens his pace and approaches the voice* Arsé-kun: *There's a kid! They're bound up and gagged, lying on the floor, writhing, trying to scream* Sheepy: *Sheepy comes over and starts to untie him* Arsé-kun: kid: *he stares up at sheepy with his big, red eyes. red, glowy eyes. before he utters a low growl. words don't seem to be wordsing right now* Sheepy: Sheepy: I won't hurt you. Don't worry. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm not a part of Twilight. Arsé-kun: kid: .... *he whines, bowing his head down* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he continues to unbind the kid.* Arsé-kun: kid: *once able, he clings onto Sheepy like his life is on the line* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he finishes untying him and removes the gag* Arsé-kun: kid: *he bites onto Sheepy's sleeve. ultimate grip* Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm Sheepy. I'll do my best to help you. Do you have a place to stay? Or did you want to comes back home with me? There's a doctor there if you're hurt. Arsé-kun: kid: .... *he whines again, clinging to Sheepy's arm a bit tighter than before* Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay, let's go home then. Are you able to walk or did you want me to support you? Arsé-kun: *the kid tries to stand on his own. his legs wobble, and he quickly grabs onto Sheepy again. He looks up at Sheepy. help him. you knOW YOU WANT TO* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he supports the kid* Sheepy: Sheepy: *he returns home with the kid!* Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm back! Arsé-kun: Arséne: Welcome back. .... A kid? Sheepy: Sheepy: He was captured by Twilight. He may be hurt. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he appears on the stairs* They're still grabbin' kids?! Sheepy: Sheepy: Seems like it. Sheepy: Sheepy: Can you get Fran? Arsé-kun: Impey: I sure can! *he disappears, but is still audible* Fraaaan, hurt kid! Sheepy: *FRAN IS HERE* Arsé-kun: *Impey follows him back* Sheepy: Sheepy: I'll stay with you. Sheepy: Fran: Um, you can lie down here. Arsé-kun: *the kid climbs onto the couch and curls up on it. he's staring at Fran and Impey* Sheepy: *Fran goes over and begins to patch him up* Sheepy: *Fran eventually finishes* Arsé-kun: kid: ... *he grunts and inspects the bangages* Sheepy: Fran: How are you feeling? Arsé-kun: kid: .... *he looks up at fran with his big ol glowy red eyes. he whines* Sheepy: Fran:...! Arsé-kun: Impey: ... What is it, bud? Sheepy: Fran: Look at his eyes. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... y'think it's...? Sheepy: Fran: I'm sure it is. What else would cause that? Arsé-kun: Impey: ... Good point. But... he's behaving too well, I think. Sheepy: Sheepy: *he doesn't get any of this. he's stilll hanging out with the kid.* Sheepy: Fran: That's true... Sheepy: Fran: Then what is it? Arsé-kun: Impey: Might it be that he's still a kid? Or... Sheepy: Fran: Maybe. Sheepy: Fran: Did you have another idea? Arsé-kun: Impey: ..... I do smell an awful lot of blood on him. Sheepy: Sheepy: He roughed up a bunch of Twilight grunts. I smelled it too for a while. Arsé-kun: Impey: By himself?? Good job, kiddo! *he goes to pat the kid's head. he apparently moved too fast, and got snapped at* Sheepy: Sheepy: Hey hey, he's still shaken from earlier. Be more careful Arsé-kun: Impey: Righto. My bad, kiddo. *he goes for it again, but much slower* Sheepy: Sheepy: I wonder if he can stay in Sherlock's room for now. Sherlock can sleep in Arséne's room. Arsé-kun: Impey: I dunno, I think we should hold onto him for now. Right, Fran? Sheepy: Fran: It'd be best if we can monitor his condition. Sheepy: Fran: He can use the lower bunk. I'm not tired anyway and I should stay up in case he needs anything. Arsé-kun: Impey: Or, at least one of us should! Sheepy: Fran: Right... Arsé-kun: Impey: By which I mean me! You've been up since you got up. I at least got a nap. Sheepy: Sheepy: I can stay up. Sheepy: Sheepy: Would you prefer that? *he looks over at the kid* Sheepy: Fran: I'll sleep if you're staying up. sheep: Sheepy: Okay. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he slooowly goes to pick the kid up. No fight from the kid* All right, we're gonna head up. See ya in the mornin', Sheepy! sheep: *So the next day!* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he's up early and already cooking! Seems he was serious about staying up all night..* sheep: *Sherlock is here!* sheep: Sherlock: Have you fed the dogs and Wagahai already? If not, I will. Arsé-kun: Impey: Yep! Pepper, too. How're you? sheep: Sherlock: I didn't sleep. Arsé-kun: Impey: You, too? Sheepy: Sherlock: I started worrying. Arsé-kun: Impey: 'bout what? Sheepy: Sherlock: Whether we can actually get Watson back or not. Arsé-kun: Impey: Why wouldn't we? We've succeeded at everything we've done! *he turns his attention back to cooking for a minute or so* Sheepy: Sherlock: Think about it this way. Sheepy: Sherlock: We aren't up against Nyar anymore. We're up against someone who actually cares. Sheepy: Sherlock: Azathoth said it himself: Sheepy: Sherlock: "Nyar could've done so much more to you, and yet he spent most of the time talking on the phone and goofing around". Arsé-kun: Impey: ... That's a good point. We might have to really put effort into this one! Sheepy: Sherlock: We were in a scenario where we couldn't lose when we were against Nyar. He was going to throw it no matter how badly we performed. Sheepy: Sherlock: Our first interaction with Azathoth ended in Harley and Mycroft getting shot. Mycroft got lucky that it was just his arm. Our second ended in Watson being taken away. Arsé-kun: Impey: Yeah, true. ... *he stifles a yawn* Can't give up before we try, though! Sheepy: Sherlock: I know. Sheepy: Sherlock: It's difficult not to worry, though. Arsé-kun: Impey: Well, yeah, of course! .. Hey, did anyone tell you 'bout last night? Sheepy: Sherlock: No. Arsé-kun: Impey: Guess I'd better! Sheepy found a kid in the clocktower. Poor kid was tied up the way Abby was! Arsé-kun: Impey: But it's cool, he's in a lot better shape! Sheepy: Sherlock: That's good. Arsé-kun: Impey: He's under the table, if you wanna meet 'im. Sheepy: *Sherlock looks under the table* Arsé-kun: kid: *he's definitely there, and he looks at Sherlock. .. his eyes aren't red anymore* Sheepy: Sherlock: Hullo. Arsé-kun: kid: ..... hi. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm Sherlock. Arsé-kun: kid: ... Delacroix. Sheepy: Sherlock: Nice to meet you, Delacroix. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: ... I already like you better than him. Sheepy: Sherlock: Huh? Arsé-kun: Delacroix: You used my name, and not some stupid nickname. I appreciate it. Sheepy: Sherlock: No problem. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: ... *he turns his attention back to Sisi, who just waddled in. dog dog dog* Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh! Sisi! Arsé-kun: Sisi: *hello bark* Sheepy: Sherlock: Have you met Sisi yet? Arsé-kun: Delacroix: no.. Sheepy: Sherlock: He's a very good dog. Arsé-kun: Sisi: *im going to smell you, and be your friend, love me* Sheepy: Sherlock: Seems like he likes you already. Sheepy: *Nyar has arrived!* Arsé-kun: *Germain follows him in, rubbing his eyes* Sheepy: Nyar: I heard you talking about me. Sheepy: Nyar: And I can confirm that I wasn't trying. Sheepy: Nyar: Well, to kill you guys anyway. Sheepy: Nyar: Just to intimidate you. Sheepy: Nyar: If I was trying to kill you, none of you would be here speaking right now. And yet, I can also confirm that your concerns are correct. Azathoth is more dangerous than me, even when I'm trying. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: .... *he peeks out at Nyar. still petting Sisi* Sheepy: Nyar: Hello there. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: .... ... *he makes this face* Sheepy: Nyar: ? Sheepy: Nyar: What is it? Arsé-kun: Delacroix: from down here, you smell like burnt octopus. Sheepy: Nyar: *he raises his eyebrows* Sheepy: Nyar: I understand that last part. Sheepy: Nyar: Not that first part, though. Sheepy: Nyar: They weren't burnt........ Arsé-kun: Delacroix: .... Well, then you smell. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm sorry for that. Sheepy: Nyar: I was going to go take a shower later. Arsé-kun: Germain: You can do that without melting? Sheepy: Nyar: What, you think I'm a witch? Sheepy: Nyar: I love water. Arsé-kun: Germain: ok. Sheepy: Nyar: I thought you knew that. Arsé-kun: Germain: I do. *he honestly considers dumping this glass of water on Nyar's head. he pours a tiny bit* Sheepy: *Nyar doesn't react.* sheep: Sherlock: Maybe it's a delayed reaction. Arsé-kun: Germain: Wait, hold on. *he puts a single shake of salt in the glass, and then dumps the entire thing on Nyar's head* sheep: Nyar: Why. Arsé-kun: Germain: ..... *he just dumps the salt on, too. fuck it* sheep: Nyar: Why're you like this? sheep: Nyar: Now it looks like I have dandruff. Stop dumping things on me. Arsé-kun: Germain: Let me have my fun, you cephalopod sheep: Nyar: Cephalopod? sheep: Sheepy: I knew it. I knew he was a tentacle monster in disguise. sheep: Nyar: No. sheep: Sheepy: Octopi don't like seeing inconsistent colors which is why they solve Rubik's cubes. *he places a Rubik's cube on the table*. If you're really a tentacle monster you'll have to solve this. You won't be able to resist the temptation. sheep: Nyar: ................... Arsé-kun: Germain: He's gonna do it. sheep: Nyar: *he looks away, visibly stressed out* .......... sheep: Nyar: There are normal human beings who don't like seeing inconsistent colors. Why does it make me a tentacle monster? Arsé-kun: Impey: *he's finished cooking, and picks up the rubix cube* What if these were all monotone? Like, varying grays? sheep: Nyar: ............................. sheep: Sheepy: Don't do that. That's evil. sheep: Nyar: ... Ugh! Give me that! *he snatches it away from Impey and solves it very quickly, putting it down on the table with a huff* Arsé-kun: Impey: Wait- sheep: Sheepy: He really is an octopus. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... Good job? sheep: Sheepy: This means he eats his own arms when he gets stressed out. Gross. sheep: Nyar: I do not! I might chew my nails but that's normal! sheep: Nyar: A third of adults chew their nails. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he's been throwing stuff out his window into the back yard. an inflated kiddie pool has just landed in the backyard* sheep: Sheepy: Arsene is back at it again. Arsé-kun: Impey: Is this the legendary yearly clean-up? sheep: Sheepy: Yeah. Arsé-kun: Impey: Wow! sheep: Sherlock: *he is busy pacing back and forth. ignore him* sheep: Sheepy: It's rumored that when Arsene cleans, someone's cancer is cured. sheep: Sherlock: *he takes out a pen and starts writing on his arm. he's apparently come up with something* Arsé-kun: *Impey decides to go outside. Impey is nearly beaned with a printer* sheep: Sheepy: Rest in peace. Arsé-kun: Impey: I SAID KEYS! *he gets intentionally smacked with a pillo* Arsé-kun: Arséne: .. Can you throw that back up? I still use that sheep: Sheepy: Now it's gross. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Good point. sheep: Sherlock: ...*he pauses and looks over his arm, vocalizes an "Aha!", and continues writing* sheep: Sheepy: Wash it before you use it. Arsé-kun: Arséne: he can have it. Impey germs. You know. *he moves away from his window, presumably to finish cleaning. spring cleaning* sheep: Sheepy: Ew... Arsé-kun: Impey: !! Jerk! *he throws the pillow back. He misses the window, but the pillow exploded on contact with the wall. powerful wall. great wall. lovable wall* sheep: Sheepy: I liked that pillow. Arsé-kun: Impey: I've never seen a pillow explode like that before! sheep: Sheepy: Wow. Arsé-kun: Impey: I only threw it back up! What was that about? sheep: Sheepy: You killed it. sheep: Sheepy: You murderer. sheep: Sheepy: If we don't eat soon, Sherlock will eat before us. sheep: Sheepy: He'll probably eat our food too. sheep: *Sherlock is talking to himself and pacing still.* sheep: *So, you have time , impey* Arsé-kun: *and so, impey comes back in and actually eats something. arsene also joins them* sheep: *sheepy eats too* Arsé-kun: *even delacroix comes out to eat food. he's not very chatty* sheep: *Harley isn't talkative either. and keeps dropping his fork. save him* sheep: *Nyar went somewhere.* Arsé-kun: Germain: *he refills his cup, and wanders outside. nice day* sheep: *Nyar is in the pool.* Arsé-kun: Germain: .. *he dumps the water in the pool* Would you like me to get the hose, madam? sheep: Nyar: I'm uncomfy. This flesh feels gross and wrong. sheep: Nyar: I'm kinda stuck though. Arsé-kun: Germain: Nah, not really. sheep: Nyar: What if someone sees? Arsé-kun: Germain: Nyar, does it really matter? They'd find out anyway. sheep: Nyar: I'm already being suspected, no thanks to you. Arsé-kun: Germain: You're welcome. sheep: Nyar: Alright, you think anyone can see? Arsé-kun: Germain: I think they can. Here, I'll block you. *he moves a few inches to the right* sheep: *Nyar transforms into an octopus! this transformation would be horrifying if you hadn't seen it before.* Arsé-kun: Germain: Done? sheep: Nyar: (Yes.) Arsé-kun: Germain: how cute. Shall I move again? sheep: Nyar: (I'm much more comfortable now. I don't know how you stand it, but I guess you were born that way.) sheep: Nyar: (If you wanna. And I'm the cutest around. Dad is just gross.) Arsé-kun: *Germain decides to just. join Nyar in the pool. mature adults* sheep: Nyar: (I don't think Phil can change, actually. So I'm your only choice for cute octopi.) Sheepy: Nyar: *stick* Arsé-kun: Germain: .... Thanks Sheepy: Nyar: *pay attention to me or I'll stick more of them on you* Sheepy: Nyar: (What will you say if they see me?) Arsé-kun: Germain: *he is, he is!* Arsé-kun: Germain: You're an octopus, not some... Horrible monstrosity. Sheepy: Nyar: (I could be a horrible monstrosity if you want) Arsé-kun: Germain: Not in public, Nyar. Sheepy: Nyar: (You'd like that in private?) Arsé-kun: Germain: Of course. Sheepy: Nyar: (Wow. Weirdo.) Sheepy: Nyar: (What if they ask how an octopus got here?) Sheepy: Nyar: (This isn't exactly what I wanted but it's still better.) Arsé-kun: Germain: Considering you've gone mysteriously absent, and that they have an IQ over seven.. Sheepy: Nyar: (Most of them. Not all.) Sheepy: Sheepy: I was hoping for an eldritch abomination and instead I got a flapjack octopus. Arsé-kun: Germain: How unfortunate for you. *he goes to pick Nyar up* Sheepy: Nyar: (This was the only one I felt safe with.) Arsé-kun: Germain: It's cute, so it's fine. Sheepy: Nyar: (Impey won't cook me if I look like this.) Sheepy: Nyar: (Octopi are expensive normally...) Arsé-kun: Impey: *he's come out to investigate* !! Sheepy: Nyar: (Oh shoot.) Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, it's cuuuute! Sheepy: Sheepy: It's Nyar. Arsé-kun: Impey: <3 Sheepy: Sheepy: He's...cute... Arsé-kun: Impey: Fran! Fran, come here! Sheepy: Fran: *he arrives!* What's going on? Sheepy: Nyar: *he is starting to get flustered. he hides in his tentacles. he was not expecting to be the center of attention* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he points at Nyar* Cutie! Sheepy: Fran: It is cute! Arsé-kun: Germain: *he looks down at Nyar* Positive reception thus far. Sheepy: Nyar: (I'm uncomfortable.) Arsé-kun: Germain: No, you're adorable. Sheepy: *Nyar changes to the color of Sanchan's sleeve* Sheepy: Nyar: (I'm invisible.) Sheepy: Sheepy: A mystery has been solved. Arsé-kun: *Impey finally tears his attention away from Nyar to go through the trash* Sheepy: Sheepy: Why Sheepy: Sherlock: -And so. My conclusion *he taps a large map on the wall* Is that he's here. Sheepy: Sherlock: Any questions? Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he starts clapping* Bravo, Sherlock! You're a brilliant madman, but brilliant nevertheless! Sheepy: Sherlock: *he seems pleased with himself!* Arsé-kun: Van: .... I understood.... Barely any of that, with how fast you were speaking. From the top, in english. Sheepy: Sherlock: So, the first thing I noticed were Azathoth's shoes. Sheepy: Sherlock: The dirt on them came from this general area. Sheepy: *Sherlock taps the map* Sheepy: Sherlock: Watson did not have it on his shoes. Sheepy: Sherlock: Meaning that he was headed there. Arsé-kun: Van: How do we know he wasn't going somewhere else, perchance? Sheepy: Sherlock: He was going towards that area, and Azathoth ended up dirtying his shoes while casing it. Sheepy: Sherlock: It was fresh dirt too. Arsé-kun: Finis: .... I understand thus far, but how about the specifics? Sheepy: Sherlock: The company who owned this factory went bankrupt recently. Sheepy: Sherlock: The factory has not been in use since then. Arsé-kun: *there's a moments pause, where it's expected for someone to comment. no one does. Watson is not here to comment.* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he looks bothered by this* Sheepy: Sherlock: It's spacious as well. Meaning, he could do as he pleased in it without worrying about space constraints. Sheepy: Sherlock: Like with the department store. Arsé-kun: Finis: ... There may be space for all of the grunts there. Sheepy: Sherlock: Right-o. Arsé-kun: Arséne: We'd best be careful. The security inside would be intense. Sheepy: Sherlock: Right. We should go as soon as possible. Arsé-kun: Arséne: .. At least, after we get the others inside. Sheepy: Sherlock: Right. Arsé-kun: Germain: What's going on? *he comes in, with Nyar on his arm. he's absently petting nyar's head.* Sheepy: *Nyar approves.* Arsé-kun: Germain: Some kind of meeting? Sheepy: Sherlock: I figured out where Watson is Arsé-kun: Germain: That's wonderful! Sheepy: Sherlock: Once everyone is ready, we're going Sheepy: Nyar: (I'm going to have a rematch with Dad.) Arsé-kun: Germain: All right. *he leans outside* Get inside, you two! Sheepy: Fran: *he comes inside* Arsé-kun: *Impey follows!* Sheepy: Sherlock:...Actually, what're we going to do about Harley? Can we leave him alone here? Sheepy: Sherlock: Would Azathoth send people to grab him while we're gone? Sheepy: Nyar: (He's useless.) Arsé-kun: Arséne: Are we all going? I was thinking we keep to two groups, like last time. Sheepy: Sherlock: Good idea. Sheepy: Sherlock: Who's going and who's staying? Sheepy: Tom: ........ Arsé-kun: Van: .... Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... As I'm not good at combat, I think I'll stay behind. Sheepy: Sherlock: Harley seems to have gotten attached fo you anyway. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Surprising. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'd like to go- Sheepy: Tom: little thief, three hours remain. are you happy with your life? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I don't want to go anymore. Sheepy: Sheepy: I wanna go. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ..... I suppose I will, anyway. Sheepy: Tom: little thief, are you ready to face the bullet that threatens to end your future prematurely? Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he just. slams Tom's face into the table* Enough! Sheepy: Tom:......... Sheepy: Tom:................ Arsé-kun: Delacroix: .... ??? Sheepy: Tom: aaaaaaaaa Sheepy: Tom: im bleeding Arsé-kun: Delacroix: *he grabs Tom off the table* ?? Sheepy: Tom: make it stop make it stop make it stop Arsé-kun: Delacroix: *he hisses and nearly drops Tom* What the heck? Sheepy: Sheepy: Should we bring Tom? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Non! Sheepy: Sheepy: Why not? Sheepy: Tom:.... Arsé-kun: Arséne: He's going to stress us out at this rate. Sheepy: Sheepy: He's doing his best to help. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Saying someone is going to die, repeatedly, is rather stressful. No, and no. Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay. Sheepy: Tom:........... Arsé-kun: Delacroix: *he awkwardly pats Tom's head* Sheepy: Tom: *he doesn't seem to mind.* Arsé-kun: Van: ... I'll hold back this time, as well. I'll guard. Sheepy: Iris: *she looks conflicted* Arsé-kun: Germain: I, for one, will gladly go. Sheepy: Nyar: (I'm going.) Arsé-kun: Impey: I'll go! Sheepy: Nyar: (I can escape anything.) Sheepy: Fran: I'll follow Impey. Sheepy: Nyar: (Besides, I doubt he'll test on me again.) Arsé-kun: Delacroix: I'd like to not be anywhere near that hellhole. I'll pass. Sheepy: Iris: Ummm... Sheepy: Iris: I'll stay with Abby. Please keep Daddy safe. Sheepy: Nyar: (I can serve as a distraction device worst comes to worst.) Arsé-kun: Germain: As can I. Sheepy: Nyar: (Actually, I've got an idea.) Sheepy: Nyar: (There's probably vents, right? I can drop down on him. That'll give him a scare.) Arsé-kun: Germain: Or a broken spine. Good plan. Sheepy: Nyar: (Oh, good point.) Sheepy: Sherlock: IS everyone ready to go?? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I think we're as ready as we'll be. Sheepy: Sherlock: Then let's go. Arsé-kun: *the journey begins!!* Sheepy: *Sherlock leads them there. Nyar has probably switched back to being human.* Arsé-kun: *i'd hope so. being an octopus in public is weird. Arséne decides he never wants to see that again* Sheepy: *Im sorry Arséne* Arsé-kun: *instead, Arséne focuses his attention on Sherlock, just in case. Germain is keeping an eye on their surroundings* Sheepy: *Sherlock is focused on remembering his way there.* Arsé-kun: Impey: --And anyway, I don't know how long I can do it for. Sheepy: Fran: I can take over. Arsé-kun: Impey: I don't know.. You already do one of us.. Sheepy: Fran: That's a good point. We can test it and see if I can handle it. Arsé-kun: Impey: Not tonight, though. Sheepy: Fran: Right. Sheepy: Sheepy: So how are eldritch abominations born? Sheepy: Sheepy: I don't remember any mention of Azathoth having a wife or anything so how did he have kids? Arsé-kun: Germain: However he wanted. Sheepy: Sheepy: So like a plant? Sheepy: Sheepy: Is Nyar a plant? Sheepy: Nyar: I'm a plant, you caught me. Sheepy: Nyar: Saint-Germain is also a plant. Sheepy: Nyar: Even you are a plant. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm sorry, you're adopted. Sheepy: Sheepy: I know. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Joke's on you- He already was. Sheepy: Nyar: Well. Sheepy: Nyar: I've made a huge mistake. Arsé-kun: Germain: You sure have Sheepy: Nyar: So, so, so wait. Sheepy: Nyar: Fluffy isn't Watson's kid? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Non? He's mine. ... And he was adopted. Sheepy: Nyar: *he looks bothered by this* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Iris is Watson's. Sheepy: Nyar: You're acting like there's only one. Arsé-kun: Arséne: There is. Sheepy: Nyar: Then what happened to the other one? Arsé-kun: Arséne: There's never been another one. Was there supposed to..? Sheepy: Nyar: There was definitely going to be a second one. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Considering his wife... ... Sheepy: Nyar: I knew that his wife died. Arsé-kun: Germain: From what I understand from this, she may have been pregnant at the time. Sheepy: Nyar: I was confident the child was already born. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... Do you know something we don't? Sheepy: Nyar: I've been fed false information. Sheepy: Nyar: Do I? Sheepy: Nyar: Maybe. Sheepy: Nyar: Or maybe I don't. Sheepy: Nyar: If I give away all of my information that I've been withholding, I'd lack interest. I'd be the throw away villain whose entire purpose had been lost. Sheepy: Nyar: So. Sheepy: Nyar: I won't tell you. Arsé-kun: Germain: Yet. Sheepy: Nyar: Yet. Sheepy: Nyar: I'll just say one thing: Sheepy: Nyar: Your perception of reality may not be correct. Sheepy: Nyar: Our presence does things, you know. Sheepy: Nyar: And sometimes we don't want you knowing things. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... I think I understand. :) Sheepy: Nyar: So. Any other questions? Arsé-kun: Impey: Are we there yet? Sheepy: Nyar: I'm willing to answer just about anything you might find of interest. Sheepy: Nyar: No. Sheepy: Sherlock: We're close. Arsé-kun: Impey: What kind of octopus were you? Were you poisonous? sheep: Nyar: A little but not deadly. All octopi are poisonous, actually! And, a flapjack octopus. sheep: Nyar: The only deadly octopus is the blue ringed octopus. sheep: Nyar: They're the size of a golfball and their bites are painless, unlike normal octopi, but can kill an adult human within a few minutes. sheep: Nyar: Their poison can affect you even if they don't bite you if you prolong contact, but it won't be deadly. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... What about things that aren't human? How's it affect those? sheep: Nyar: ... I doubt it'd work on Dad. Arsé-kun: Impey: Dang! sheep: Nyar: Unless you mean animals or toddlers, in which case, it'd still kill them. Arsé-kun: Impey: Toddlers are still human! sheep: Nyar: Incorrect, toddlers aren't humans sheep: Nyar: They're gremlins. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... Okay, true! sheep: Sherlock: We're here. sheep: Sheepy: Creepy. sheep: Nyar: So do we have a plan? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I don't think so. sheep: Sheepy: I can ask a guard where watson is. There's a voice they'll react to. Arsé-kun: Impey: Right, that! sheep: Sheepy: Then we just have to get there. sheep: Nyar: You make it sound so easy. Arsé-kun: Impey: Will it not be? sheep: Nyar: Dad is much more skilled than me. He's actually bothering, too. sheep: Nyar: As I said... sheep: Nyar: If I really wanted to... sheep: Nyar: I could crush you right here and now. Arsé-kun: Germain: But you won't. sheep: Nyar: Of course not. sheep: Nyar: We have a common goal. Arsé-kun: *and here comes a guard!* sheep: Sheepy: *In a commanding voice* You! Where is Watson? Arsé-kun: guard: .... back. sheep: Sheepy: Thank you. Arsé-kun: guard: .... Please leave the premises. sheep: Nyar: *he approaches the guard* Arsé-kun: guard: .... Please. sheep: Nyar: Hmhm, this place has a cockroach infestation, doesn't it? Seems like you've got a little something there on you... sheep: Nyar: They reeeeaaallyyyy like you, huh? Arsé-kun: guard: ... .... *they don't look* sheep: Nyar: *he frowns* It's your loss, really. I was warning you because this type will burrow into people. One is right now. Arsé-kun: guard: ... .... *they quickly smack their arm and look back at Nyar* And now it is dead, much like you will be if you remain on premises. sheep: Nyar: You'd kill Daddy's little ball of sunshine? ... Hmm. He's trained you all well. sheep: Nyar: Hmhmhm... well, look at the time. It's time for your nappy-poo, sweetie. *he suddenly smacks the guard very hard on the head* Arsé-kun: *the guard goes straight down. are we sure you didn't kill him?* sheep: Nyar: *he checks* sheep: Nyar: Oh, goodie. They're just sleeping... and possibly have permanent brain damage. sheep: Nyar: Let's go in. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he decides to look elsewhere* Yeah. sheep: *so they go in* sheep: Nyar: *he looks around* Arsé-kun: *lots of grunts doing their own thing. two are repairing uniforms. they're the only ones who don't look totally dead inside. this is completely irrelevant.* sheep: Nyar: ... Sheepy: Nyar: *he seems interested in the two, but doesn't comment. instead, he thinks about how they can infiltrate the base further.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... Where should we go? Sheepy: Nyar: I could go in and sacrifice myself as a distraction device. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Please don't unless you have to. Sheepy: Nyar: Phil would be mighty convenient just about now. Sheepy: Nyar: He'd be useful for planting ideas in their head. Sheepy: Nyar: Let's just be sneaky. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Right. Sheepy: *Nyar begins to sneak deeper in* Arsé-kun: *Arséne follows suit, keeping quiet* Arsé-kun: *scooby doo sneaky music begins to play. Impey would be whistling it if he could* Sheepy: *Nyar doesnt question it. They sneak further in.* Arsé-kun: *it's not actually playing- Impey is quietly humming it* Sheepy: *do they get there without incident?* Arsé-kun: *yes!* Sheepy: *They arrive to the room with Watson!* Arsé-kun: *there is nothing of note happening. Just more grunts. find watson?* Sheepy: *yes* Arsé-kun: *well, they all have helmets, and none are paying attention to the team.* Arsé-kun: *Nyar attempts to have the grunts remove their helmets* Arsé-kun: *Most of the grunts completely ignore him. Only one starts to move, and they can't seem to get the helmet off. Wires are poking out* Sheepy: Nyar: *he squints* Arsé-kun: *a bit of ginger ponytail is also peeking out.* Sheepy: Nyar: Follow me. Arsé-kun: ?: .... *they look at Nyar* Sheepy: Nyar: The masks are outside. I'd appreciate it if you help bring them in. Arsé-kun: ?: ..... yes, sir. Sheepy: *And so, Nyar heads for the front of the building* Arsé-kun: *the grunt follows him.* Arsé-kun: *everyone else is following at a distance.* Arsé-kun: *the grunt follows without a word* Sheepy: *...The moment they get outside, Nyar picks up the grunt and runs! Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, okay Sheepy: Sheepy: He did all of the work. Arsé-kun: Impey: Well, didn't we only come just in case? Sheepy: Sheepy: Yeah. Sheepy: Sheepy: But he's also the Crawling Chaos, so... Arsé-kun: *From behind them, a burst of three gunshots. A single moment of silence, and Arséne falls to the ground.* Sheepy: Sheepy: Arséne! *he drops to Arséne's side* Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Did you all think you'd get away so easily? I'd shoot you all down, but I've run out of ammo. Sheepy: Sheepy: Y...you... Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Terrible, I know. I don't care. Thy forbid I wake up, for none of you would exist. ... Not that it matters. I learned what I wanted. *he tosses the gun away. what a waste of an rk5* Sheepy: Sheepy: W...wake up? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Shall I spell it out for you? If I were fully here, only I would be left. Where's the fun in that? Sheepy: Sheepy: Why're you relying on people if you could easily wipe us out? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: What did I just say, child? I am not at full power, and cannot be. Arsé-kun: *Impey, meanwhile, has decided getting Arséne out of harms way is the best plan* Sheepy: Sheepy: Is that why Nyar was having trouble causing hallucinations? Sheepy: Sheepy: Or was that caused by your testing on him? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: That was me, actually. *he seems proud of himself* Sheepy: Sheepy: Is it permanent? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Of course not. Sheepy: Sheepy: Why is he working against you? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: How should I know? Sheepy: Sheepy: I thought he had an evil plan in mind to make all of humanity suffer by rebelling against you. Darn. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Oh, he probably does. He just wants attention, silly kid. Sheepy: Sheepy: That's it...? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Probably. Sheepy: Sheepy: Doesn't he already get enough? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Apparently not? I never understood him, or Nodens. Sheepy: Sheepy: What did Nodens do? He's going by Phil now and I don't get it. Sheepy: Sheepy: The books make him out to be someone who hunts for enjoyment and gives people tidbits of information so they'll make a fight more interesting for him... Sheepy: Sheepy: But he's just an emotionless husk based on my interactions... Arsé-kun: Azathoth: That was right once. Idiot got rid of the feelings he had. I appreciate the loyalties he has now, but it's so boring. Sheepy: Sheepy: He works for you? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: I think so? *he seems thoughtful* ... I'm not sure. Sheepy: Sheepy: The last interaction I had with him ended in him kicking a hole in the wall because he thought it was completely normal to do so... Sheepy: Sheepy: Where did his emotions go? Can he get them back??? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Again- I do not know. I may turn my attention back to him for that reason. Sheepy: Sheepy: That'd be good. He's unsettling at times with how emotionless he is. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: ... ... *he shifts his hair out of the way, and cracks an eye open* ... You remind me of a mortal Nyarlathotep was obsessed with for a time. *he puts his hair back* Ask him about it. I want him to squirm. Sheepy: Sheepy: Eh? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: :) Sheepy: Sheepy: Is that why you aren't killing me? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: It may. *he yawns* It may not. Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay. I should let you sleep. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: That'd be nice, but I've got something to do, first. Sheepy: Sheepy: Huh? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: I've got to drive someone mad, then I can nap for the week. I scheduled it, so I'm going to do it. Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay. Have fun. Arsé-kun: *azathoth exits stage left by just. not existing here anymore. bye* Sheepy: *Sheepy leaves and drops something without realizing it on the way out!* Arsé-kun: Azathoth: ... *he returns for a moment to retrieve it. he decides to keep it.* Sheepy: *it's cute, fluffy, and likes to scream.* Arsé-kun: Impey: --- Sorry, sorry, I'm trying not to! You've got like, ten minutes, before I get hungry, Fran! Sheepy: Fran: He's hurt...! I'm right here anyway... Arsé-kun: Impey: Yeah, yea- Sheepy! What took? Sheepy: Sheepy: I was talking to Azathoth. Arsé-kun: Impey: oDo Sheepy: Sheepy: He was surprisingly very nice to me... wait! Is Arséne okay??? Arsé-kun: Impey: Injured, but alive! Sheepy: Sheepy: That's good. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... ... ...? Sheepy: Sheepy: *he joins Arséne* Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... ooh, oww... I was shot, wasn't I..? Sheepy: Sheepy: You were. Sheepy: Sheepy: But you're not dead! Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... Remind me to throw Tom into the trash. Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay. Sheepy: Sheepy: Just try to relax. Arsé-kun: Arséne: It's hard to.. Sheepy: Sheepy: You'll bleed more if you don't relax. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Right, you're right, I'm sorry. Sheepy: *so meanwhile! happy fun times with van!* Arsé-kun: Azathoth: -Don't look so mad at me. I only had one thing to say! *he holds his hands up* Sheepy: Iris: *she is hiding behind Van* Arsé-kun: Delacroix: *he's also behind Van, and hissing at Azathoth* Sheepy: *Harley is watching this. it's not like he can do much in his current state so* Arsé-kun: Azathoth: Oh, come on, Helsing. I thought you were a good boy. You're a good boy, right? Who's a good boy? Sheepy: Iris: ? Arsé-kun: Van: .... .... Sheepy: Iris: Stop taunting Abby! Arsé-kun: Azathoth: I'm already done! That was all. Sheepy: Iris: *she still seems intimidated* Arsé-kun: *Van's gone quiet* Sheepy: Iris: Abby...? Arsé-kun: Van: ....... ........ *he utters a low growl and looks down at the kids. glowing red eyes are bad. very bad* Arsé-kun: *Delacroix hisses at him, loudly, and backs away* Sheepy: Iris: Are you okay, Abby? Arsé-kun: Van: .... .... *he pushes Iris away, and opens fire on Azathoth. Azathoth lets it happen.* Sheepy: Iris: ?! Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Idiot! Get out of there..! Sheepy: Iris: *she doesn't seem willing to leave Van. sorry delly* Arsé-kun: Finis: ... ... *he's watching from the backdoor. He shakes his head* Sheepy: Iris: *she waits for Van to pause to tug on his jacket* Abby? Are you alright? Arsé-kun: Van: *he shoves her away, a bit harder this time* Sheepy: Iris:...? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: *he starts laughing, and picks himself up off the ground* Bravo, bravo! The perfect reaction, finally! *he holds his arms out* Take it out on me, soldier! Sheepy: Iris: Abby... you need to calm down! He's planning something! Arsé-kun: Van: *iris is ignored in favor of shooting at Azathoth until he runs out of ammo* Arsé-kun: Van: *he growls again, and tosses his gun away in favor of getting the other one* Sheepy: Iris: *she lets out an "Ow...!" before returning back to trying to stop Van* Arsé-kun: Van: ...! Arsé-kun: Van: ... .... *the glow seems to die down a little. his anger has subsided a bit, but he is still very growly and gutteral* .... Did I... Do that? Sheepy: Iris: It's okay... I know you didn't mean to. Just please calm down... Arsé-kun: Van: .... .... Arsé-kun: Azathoth: This is what's going to stop you, good boy? Arsé-kun: Van: ....! *he clutches his head with his free hand* Make it stop...! Sheepy: Iris: *im gunna hug you so please chill* Arsé-kun: Van: ... ..... *he starts to point his shotgun at himself..* Sheepy: Iris: Abby! No! Sheepy: Iris: Don't! Arsé-kun: Van: ....... .......... *he starts wobbling in place, nearly dropping his shotgun. he opts to pull the trigger- and misses completely, the bullet soaring over his shoulder* Sheepy: *CARDIA IS HERE TO KICK BUTT! IM SORRY AZATHOTH ITS TIME FOR ONE PUNCH MAN TO THE GUT* Arsé-kun: Azathoth: !!! *that tears through him like paper. he drops.* Sheepy: Cardia: Bug off and don't come back! Sheepy: Cardia: That's only a demo of what I'll do to you if you show your face around here again, jerk! Arsé-kun: Azathoth: ... *he quietly begins laughing again* Perhaps. I've learned what I wanted. Sheepy: Cardia: Huh? Arsé-kun: Azathoth: .... Note 345k, trigger fades with emotional stimulation. *he nods to himself, and stumbles to his feet. he's heavily bleeding red and black* If I can not be assaulted again, I will leave. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh, how nice of you to escort me home, but I would've rather you walked me back to make sure any creepy strangers didn't come up to me rather than teleporting home. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm sorry Azathoth but you can't come in because they don't like strangers here. Sheepy: Sheepy: But next time you want to visit you can stay outside. Arsé-kun: Azathoth: *he chuckles* I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I was your butler now, Curly. *he shakes his head* I already told you what I was doing. With that- *he drops into his own puddle of blood and disappears. bye* Sheepy: Sheepy: Bye, have a nice trip. Arsé-kun: Van: ... .... Sheepy: Sheepy: Sorry about that. He said he wanted to drive someone crazy. He's going home to take a nap now. Sheepy: Iris: Abby, he's gone now, so everything is okay. Arsé-kun: Van: .... *he drops to his knees, letting go of the gun. he's breathing faster than need be, and visibly sweating. the glow has gone away* Sheepy: Iris: *she hugs him and tries to calm him down by talking in a soft voice. Iris does her best.* Sheepy: Sheepy: So I've got information once Van is feeling better and everyone is ready to hear it. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: *he's staring at Sheepy* Sheepy: Sheepy: What? Arsé-kun: Delacroix: You're so casual..! What the hell?! Sheepy: Sheepy: I can't bring myself to be bothered by this for some reason. Sheepy: Sheepy: Maybe because I'm tired. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Weirdo. Sheepy: Sheepy: So is everyone ready for the newest scoop? Arsé-kun: Finis: I suppose so, yes. Sheepy: Sheepy: So I talked to Azathoth while Fran and Impey treated Arsene. Sheepy: Sheepy: For a long time, too. It was surprisingly a pleasant conversation. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: How are you alive?! Sheepy: Sheepy: He didn't seem to be interested in hurting me. Sheepy: Sheepy: He was actually very relaxed once it was just the two of us. Sheepy: Sheepy: I don't know why. Sheepy: Sheepy: Actually, he gave a possible reason as to why but I don't get it. Sheepy: Sheepy: So anyway. Arsé-kun: Finis: Go on. Sheepy: Sheepy: I can say for certain that Phil isn't fully an ally. Sheepy: Sheepy: He's working for Azathoth. He's apparently very loyal at that. Sheepy: Sheepy: Or, at least with. Azathoth wasn't confident if Phil was working for him. Arsé-kun: Finis: ..... I feel like I understand. Continue. Sheepy: Sheepy: Azathoth may shift his attention towards getting Phil's emotions back, which may give us time to relax. Sheepy: Sheepy: As for Watson, Nyar currently has him. He had wires and stuff. He was listening to Nyar's orders wihout question. Hopefully we can fix him. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: And where, exactly, is Nyar? Sheepy: Sheepy: No clue. Arsé-kun: Germain: On his way. *he looks at the bloody yard* What happened here? Sheepy: Sheepy: Azathoth escorted me home except he got here too fast and apparently got Van angry. Sheepy: Cardia: I shoved my fist through his stomach. Arsé-kun: Germain: Very funny- Good work, Cardia. Anyone else willing to share? Sheepy: Iris: Abby's eyes turned red and he started growling. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: It's what happened to me. Sheepy: Sheepy: I remember that. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: ... "Potential".. Something like that. Sheepy: Sheepy: Hmm... Sheepy: Sheepy: Saint-Germain, you missed an important detail. Arsé-kun: Germain: Oh? Sheepy: Sheepy: It's about Phil. Arsé-kun: Germain: Oh, I heard it. Sheepy: Sheepy: You did??? Arsé-kun: Germain: I was just around the front. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh. Arsé-kun: Germain: I'd doubt his loyalty. Phil tends to only involve himself in things for the knowledge it brings. Sheepy: Sheepy: So he's okay? Arsé-kun: Germain: Correct. Sheepy: Sheepy: That's good. Sheepy: Sheepy: I have a question. Arsé-kun: Germain: Yes? Sheepy: Sheepy: Nyar isn't here and you're smart, sooo... Sheepy: Sheepy: Azathoth said something weird to me. Arsé-kun: Germain: Not surprising. Carry on. Sheepy: Sheepy: "You remind me of this human that Nyar was interested in for a while. Ask him about it - I want to see him squirm" or something. Arsé-kun: Germain: *his eyebrows shoot through the stratosphere. he stares.* Sheepy: Sheepy: He even opened one of his eyes. Sheepy: Sheepy: What's he talking about? Arsé-kun: Germain: .... That's something that is out of my business. What I can say is that it may not be a bad thing. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's not? Arsé-kun: Germain: He went upstairs. Ask him. Sheepy: Sheepy: Well, okay. Sheepy: Sheepy: Let's go then! Please come to be my body shield. Arsé-kun: Germain: How elegant. Sheepy: *Sheepy goes inside and upstairs* Arsé-kun: Watson: *he's sitting next to, and leaning on Sherlock. He seems tired.* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he has an arm wrapped around Watson* Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh! Watson! How are you feeling? Arsé-kun: Watson: ... Tired. Sheepy: Sheepy: Understandable. I hope you feel better soon. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... Thank you.. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he is surprisingly quiet* Sheepy: Sheepy: Nyar, Azathoth said that I reminded him of someone you took an interest in for a while, and that you'd squirm if you remembered him. Sheepy: Nyar: We aren't talking about this. Arsé-kun: Germain: Well, he's certainly squirming. Sheepy: Nyar: Wait, how are you still standing if you talked to him for a while? Was it just a side comment? Arsé-kun: Germain: That's what we all want to know. Sheepy: Nyar: *he looks bothered* Sheepy: Sheepy: We bonded over badtalking you. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... It may have been a serious statement. Sheepy: Nyar: You think so? Arsé-kun: Germain: I take it back with respect. Arsé-kun: Germain: Clearly it was unimportant. Sheepy: Nyar: No, no, now I'm thinking about it. Sheepy: Nyar: How would that be possible? Arsé-kun: Germain: Hell if I know. It's too complicated for me to try and figure it out. Sheepy: Nyar: I do feel very relaxed when he's around, but... Arsé-kun: Germain: Well, then it was a correct statement. Sheepy: Nyar: Hmm. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm scared. Arsé-kun: Germain: Why? Sheepy: Sheepy: I've gotten involved in something weird. Arsé-kun: Germain: You sure have. Welcome to reality. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm overthinking things. Arsé-kun: Watson: .... *he's fallen asleep in the background* Sheepy: *Sherlock keeps him supported* Arsé-kun: *good sherlock* Sheepy: Sheepy: I can't believe it. I'm like catnip for eldritch abominations. Arsé-kun: Germain: Apparently. Sheepy: Sheepy: Will Phil react to me? Arsé-kun: Germain: Doubtful. He would have by now. Sheepy: Sheepy: Awwwww.... Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh well....... Sheepy: Nyar: You think that that cult from a while back has something to do with his? Arsé-kun: Germain: ...... I completely forgot about that, actually. That's how minor it was. Sheepy: Nyar: Yeah, but she was concerned about it. Sheepy: *Sherlock has decided that it's naptime* Arsé-kun: Germain: Enough out of you, Nyar. Sheepy: Nyar: Whoops. Arsé-kun: Germain: That was intentional, wasn't it? Sheepy: Nyar: Gosh. I just got really comfortable and it all slipped out... Arsé-kun: Germain: Do I have to tape your mouth shut? Or will you make a new one to yap? Sheepy: Nyar: No. Sheepy: Nyar: That wasn't a joke though. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... Lets discuss this elsewhere. Let them be. Sheepy: Iris: *SHES HERE!* Daddy! You're back! Arsé-kun: Watson: .... Iris, hello.. Sheepy: Nyar: Yeah, I definitely agree. Sheepy: *Watson gets a hug!* Arsé-kun: Watson: *he returns it. she's okay, everything is right with the world. except that he's AWAKE* Sheepy: Iris: How're you feeling? Arsé-kun: Watson: Drowsy. ... What happened to you? Sheepy: Iris: *she breaks eye contact* I tripped. Arsé-kun: Watson: .. Iris. Sheepy: Iris: ? Arsé-kun: Watson: ... Tell me what really happened in the morning, please. Sheepy: Iris: Okay, Daddy. Please get some rest. Arsé-kun: Watson: .... Okay. You should, too. Sheepy: Iris: I will! Arsé-kun: Watson: *he leans back, and waits for her to leave before going back to sleep* Arsé-kun: *the next morning!* Arsé-kun: *Watson is the first one up, and he puts his coffee on. He has a hoodie on, and the hood up, to hide the wires n shit. It's weird and uncomfortable.* Sheepy: *The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. Sherlock is lying on the sofa with an empty, almost lifeless look in his eyes as he plays the violin badly to reflect his thought process and melancholy. It's a normal day.* Arsé-kun: Watson: *he groans and goes to Sherlock* It's that kind of day? Sheepy: Sherlock: *It takes him a good minute to pause playing and reply* The birds are happily chirping away, the sun is shining on this pleasant day, I hope a truck hits me. Arsé-kun: Watson: .... *he decides to sit on the sofa. specifically, right on Sherlock's gut* Keep that up, and I'll arrange for it to happen. Sheepy: Sherlock: *OH. He wasn't expecting that.* Sheepy: Sherlock: I knew I could count on you. Arsé-kun: Watson: Can I count on you to play properly? Sheepy: Sherlock: I can play properly. Arsé-kun: Watson: prove it. *he grins* Sheepy: Sherlock: What do you want to hear? Arsé-kun: Watson: That's a good question. Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't know what to play. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh, right. Sheepy: Sherlock: Harley's out of the hospital. Actually, we took him out the moment he woke up because they're having problems with too many people and not enough staff. Sheepy: Sherlock: He's still recovering. Sheepy: Sherlock: By recovering I mean he's nothing like how he was before and he's acting strange. And dropping things. Arsé-kun: Watson: !! Sheepy: Sherlock: He's been sticking with Mycroft so you probably won't get to see him until Mycroft comes over. Sheepy: Sherlock: Anyway, what did you want to hear? Arsé-kun: Watson: *Watson thinks about this* That depends, what are you willing to play? Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't really care right now. Arsé-kun: Watson: ah, just play what you were before- but properly, please. Sheepy: *Sherlock goes back to playing but stops putting his woes and confused, negative thoughts into his music. sounds good!* Arsé-kun: *Excellent! Watson goes and retrieves his morning caffeine.* Sheepy: *I hope you enjoy Legs Prosecutor's theme song written by Sherlock Holmes, Watson. It's pretty reminiscent of vampire movie music.* Arsé-kun: *but it's still good and not depressing* Sheepy: *this is true. let's hope this actually keeps up rather than sherlock deciding to be depressing again* Sheepy: Sherlock: *No, wait, it's starting to turn back to a song of his melancholy again. Nevermind.* Arsé-kun: Watson: *he lightly bumps Sherlock* No. Don't. Sheepy: Sherlock: It's a song about my depression. Arsé-kun: Watson: Yes, I hear it. Sheepy: Sherlock: I hope today is the day where my heart suddenly fails me and I die. This seems like a good day for that. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Don't do that. Sheepy: Sherlock: Hi, Arsene. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm bored. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm also sad and I don't know why. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he checks his gun, points it at the wall, bang! moves it some. bang! sherlock stop putting initials in the wall with your gun you may be a good shot but Stop* Arsé-kun: Van: *he's been attracted to the sound of gunfire* Sheepy: *It's just Sherlock shooting at the wall. nothing interesting.* Arsé-kun: Van: ... Why. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm bored and sad, as I said. Sheepy: Sherlock: ...Ah, shoot, I broke focus and missed. Sheepy: Nyar: Hello, Dearie~ *where did he come from?* Sheepy: Nyar: I was drawn here from the noise but I'm pleasantly surprised to see you up and moving. I apologize for Dad's... additions to your frame. Sheepy: Nyar: I doubt that any human could remove that without possibly permanently injuring you. So, the question must be asked: How was it put in in the first place? Hmhmhm... Sheepy: Nyar: It can be removed the same way it was put in, and it was added the same way it'll be taken out. A vicious cycle that leads to no answer. Arsé-kun: Watson: I'd like to know, myself, but not now Sheepy: Nyar: You aren't interested? Sheepy: Nyar: Gosh, being a mysterious antihero is difficult when nobody is curious. Arsé-kun: Watson: I just had my coffee. Arsé-kun: Watson: I'll care in about half an hour. sheep: Nyar: Well, okay. Arsé-kun: Van: *he's looking at the wall* Did you really need to waste bullets for this? sheep: Sherlock: I'm bored and sad, as I said. Arsé-kun: Van: Fair enough. .. Hand me your gun, I want a turn. sheep: Sherlock: *he hands Van the gun and goes back to playing the violin* sheep: Sherlock: Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you hadn't been born? sheep: Sherlock: Would it be any different? Arsé-kun: *Van decides to copy Sherlock, and shoots his initials into the wall-* Arsé-kun: Van: Nope. sheep: Sherlock: If I was never born, I doubt anyone would miss me. sheep: Nyar: Well, of course not. sheep: Sherlock: People act as though individuals are one of a kind sheep: Sherlock: but if, say, Isaac Newton was never born, someone else would have come up wih his equations. sheep: Sherlock: He cried out the loudest and thus got the credit. Arsé-kun: *Germain arrives to see what's going on. Bad violin and gunfire.* sheep: Sherlock: However, he is interchangeable, and we could put anyone in his place so long as they would have discovered the same things and no one would bat an eye or notice a difference. sheep: Sherlock: Basically, people only see the accomplishments of the individual and not the individual's true self. sheep: Sherlock: Without his accomplishments, Isaac Newton would be as worthless to the human eye as any other person. sheep: Sherlock: ...So. sheep: Sherlock: What I'm trying to say is... sheep: Sherlock: Whether or not I'm a detective, I will make no impact on humanity and thus will be forgotten like everyone else, since to the people of the future I am worthless. sheep: Sherlock: Meaning, I could quit my job and become a bee keeper and no one will bat an eye. sheep: Sherlock: The bees will appreciate me. sheep: Sherlock: Bees don't have a concept of past Arsé-kun: Arséne: how could you? sheep: Sherlock: past or future. sheep: Sherlock: How could I what? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Leave us for the bees. sheep: Sherlock: I'll be appreciated there. I'll be worth something. sheep: Sherlock: The bees will be happy that I'm taking care of them and I'll be happy that I'm taking care of the bees. Arsé-kun: Germain: Bees, hmm.. sheep: Sherlock: There are many detectives more influential than I. sheep: Sheepy: Speaking of bees, where's Tom? sheep: Sheepy: I haven't seen him since yesterday. Arsé-kun: Germain: He wasn't brought along, was he? sheep: Sheepy: Arsene said no. sheep: Sheepy: Did he run away? sheep: Sheepy: Would Tom run away from home! Arsé-kun: Germain: Can he? sheep: Sheepy: I think so. sheep: Sherlock: He went into your bag. sheep: Sheepy: Wrong, Tom isn't in my bag. sheep: Sherlock: No, yesterday. He went in before we left. sheep: Sheepy: .... sheep: Sherlock: I could tell because your bag had been shifted slightly before you picked it up. Arsé-kun: Germain: He'll probably be fine. sheep: Sheepy: Yeah... sheep: Sheepy: Speaking of which, how are you feeling, Watson? Arsé-kun: Watson: A little tired, but otherwise functional. sheep: Sheepy: That's good. Arsé-kun: *Pepper the rabbit is here.* sheep: *you know who else is here? Harley. he's inspecting the bun. pet bun.* Arsé-kun: *happy bun* sheep: Harley: *he looks over and points at Watson* Watson? Arsé-kun: Watson: Correct. sheep: Harley: I don't know what that means. Arsé-kun: Watson: I'm Watson, yes. sheep: Harley: No. Arsé-kun: Watson: *he seems interested* No? sheep: Harley: I don't know what that means to me. Arsé-kun: Watson: You've lived with me for quite a few years, now. sheep: Harley: Yes. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... All right, this is bothering me. Come here so I can put your hair up. sheep: *Harley comes over* Arsé-kun: *Watson puts Harley's hair into a pony* sheep: Harley: Why? Arsé-kun: Watson: You would always wear it up like this. sheep: Harley: No. Arsé-kun: Watson: No? sheep: Harley: I wore it short. Arsé-kun: Watson: I meant as of late, Harley. sheep: Harley: No. Arsé-kun: Watson: No? sheep: Harley: I slept for a long time and it grew out, like Rip Van Winkle. Arsé-kun: Watson: No, no. You're still recovering- Not all of your memory has returned yet. You let it grow out when you were living with me. sheep: Harley: I don't live with you anymore. Arsé-kun: Watson: Yes, you do. Sheepy: Harley: Why? Sheepy: Harley: Why did I start living with you? Arsé-kun: Watson: Somewhere to stay, somewhere to be safe. Sheepy: Harley: I'm an adult. Arsé-kun: Watson: Now you are, yes. Sheepy: Harley: Was I not then? Arsé-kun: Watson: You aren't born as an adult, Harley. Sheepy: Harley: So I've been with you since I was born. Arsé-kun: Watson: Well, no. Sheepy: Harley: How long have I known you for? Sheepy: Harley: I feel comfortable being around you. Arsé-kun: Watson: ooh.. at least twelve years, now? Sheepy: Harley: That explains why. Sheepy: Harley: So your familiarity is why I feel comfortable. Arsé-kun: Watson: I'd presume so. Sheepy: Harley: So how do Sherlock and Mycroft come into all this? I don't understand. Sheepy: Harley: I don't get that sense of familiarity with Mycroft and I don't get that sense of comfort with Sherlock. Sheepy: Harley: *he has sat down. he had some difficulty getting over there. seems like doing coordinated things like walking in straight line isn't his strong point currently.* Sheepy: Sherlock: *all of this discussion about him has caught his attention* Sheepy: Sherlock: *...before he quickly loses interest and starts going for Arséne's attention.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *attention!!! yes, great!* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he is happy for the attention.* Sheepy: Nyar: So. Are you ready to listen to my melodious voice yet? Sheepy: Nyar: 'Cause I've got both questions and answers. Sheepy: Nyar: And you're lucky Dearie 'cause they all concern you. Arsé-kun: Watson: Well, I suppose. I don't feel like I have much of a choice. Sheepy: Nyar: So. How much do you remember? Sheepy: Nyar: Of your little experience yesterday. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... .... Was it yesterday? Either way, not very much. sheep: Nyar: It was. sheep: Nyar: Do you remember anything in particular? Arsé-kun: Watson: Not very clearly, no. ....I was with other grunts? One was speaking to me, but I don't recall what was said.. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... I may have only recalled them due to having a similar hair color, but that doesn't really make sense to me.. sheep: Nyar: Finally, the time has come for the man of mysteries to supply answers. Arsé-kun: Watson: *he looks unfazed* I didn't even ask. sheep: Nyar: Let me tell you a little story. Arsé-kun: Watson: oh, no. sheep: Nyar: Once upon a time a poor man, let's call him H, was ordered to kill a pregnant woman, let's call her M. His boss, O, suspected her child to have the capability of becoming the perfect soldier that my father oh-so desires. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... .... sheep: Nyar: So H killed M and was later berated due to making the mistake of not confirming that the child was dead. sheep: Nyar: And my father stole that child away, even though they weren't prepared to be born yet. Arsé-kun: Watson: Stop right there. sheep: Nyar: We work in mysterious ways. sheep: Nyar: I apologize, Dearie. I've known this for a while now. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... I get the impression you're amused by all this. sheep: Nyar: Humans are playthings to me but sometimes I get emotionally invested in my toys. sheep: Nyar: You interest me, meaning I've gotten emotionally invested in you. sheep: Nyar: All they know is Azathoth and by now I doubt there's any point in taking them away. sheep: Nyar: By now it'd be kidnapping. sheep: Nyar: So I really wouldn't recommend it. sheep: Nyar: Anyway. sheep: Nyar: As I mentioned, no human can remove those wires without hurting you. sheep: Nyar: I'm not human, as you may have guessed, so lucky you. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: *he's standing in the doorway with a little juice box. he Probably squeezed the box in surprise at one point, because he got red on his face.* Is this normal morning conversation for you people?? sheep: Nyar: It is now! Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Awful. sheep: Nyar: Buuuuuuut.... sheep: Nyar: Sorry, I don't feel like it. sheep: Nyar: I mean, you may be able to bribe me... sheep: Nyar: But I've got other business to attend to- sheep: Sheepy: Please? sheep: Nyar: .............. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Incredible. sheep: Nyar: Lucky you. I'm feeling generous... sheep: Nyar: So I'll do it. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Great, can I say what I came in for? sheep: Nyar: What? Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Braids guy isn't feeling good, and you guys have to suffer making your own food. sheep: Nyar: That's too bad. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Isn't it? sheep: Nyar: Guess we'll have to solve the mystery of who will cook today before I submit my case to you detectives. Arsé-kun: Van: Not me, that's for sure. sheep: Sheepy: I can make curry. Arsé-kun: Arséne: That'd be suitable for later. sheep: Sheepy: Iris can make breakfast stuff but she's upstairs. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Must I do it this morning, then? sheep: Sheepy: We also have cereal. sheep: Sheepy: If ya wanna. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Well, I don't. sheep: Sheepy: Sherlock can cook but he won't put effort into it even though he can do it well. sheep: Sheepy: It'll leave a sense of emptiness and sadness.... sheep: Sherlock: I'm empty inside. sheep: Sherlock: I'm also not moving. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I would, but I tend to overdo it. sheep: Sheepy: Cereal.... sheep: Sheepy: Wait. Harley will drop the spoon a bunch. sheep: Sheepy: Um. I guess I'll try to summon Iris? Arsé-kun: Watson: If you can't, I'll try. sheep: Sheepy: [Text: to Iris] Your ship was sunk by canon. Arsène and Sherlock broke up. sheep: *Sherlock's phone buzzes! he takes it out, writes a short text, and puts it away.* sheep: Sheepy: ... sheep: Sheepy: She blocked my number. sheep: *Arsene also receives a text!* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he takes his phone out and looks* Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] LUPPIE!!!!! sheepy said that you and holmesies broke up. hes lying right? holmsies said that sheepy was lying but i need to know it from you too Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Iris] He's lying, he wants you to come down and cook because Impey is feeling unwell.. Please unblock his number- What if there's an emergency? Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] then i text you? Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] ill unblock sheepy but im not coming downstairs Sheepy: Sheepy: She unblocked my number. Sheepy: Sheepy: She called me a jerk and said that she's ignoring me now. Sheepy: Sheepy: Thank you Iris. Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] im buuuusssyyyyy get holmsies to cook Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] tell daddy i said hello though Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Iris] Busy? Doing what? And you know Sherlock's cooking is bland. Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] im buuuuusssyyyy doing things Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] (；¬д¬) Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Iris] Define busy. Busy as in "I'm preoccupied" or busy as in "I don't want to say what it actually is"? Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] im preoccupied ( >д<) Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Iris] Okay, just make sure you come eat something today, or I'll have to come up there! (◕‿◕✿) Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] Im really busy and wont be coming down for a long time so dont bother me. (╬●∀●) Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Arsene] if you keep bothering me about it ill block you (°ㅂ° ╬) Arsé-kun: Arséne: [text: to Iris] Not if I do it first! :P Sheepy: *...Arsene has been blocked!* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Oh, she blocked me. Oh, well. Sheepy: Sheepy: Nice. Sheepy: Sheepy: That's two. Sheepy: Sheepy: Let's take Sherlock's word of advice and all starve to death because we only need to eat once every three weeks. Arsé-kun: Watson: Don't do that. Sheepy: Sheepy: Cereal's gross. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Well, have fun suffering! Sheepy: Sherlock: If it helps any she blocked me too. She apologized but also said that it's in case Arsene tries to use my phone to message her. I feel...... betrayed - heartbroken. *He's got his violin again. No.* Sheepy: Sheepy: Three. Arsé-kun: Watson: *he takes his phone out* Arsé-kun: Watson: [text: to Iris] You've made Sherlock feel sad and unwanted. You're going to have to hear his violin, too, you know. Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] its not personal Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] he never uses it anyway Arsé-kun: Watson: [text: to Iris] All right, I'll bite. What's wrong? Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] why do you think theres something wrong? im just busy Arsé-kun: Watson: [text: to Iris] The mass quantities of blocking you're doing. Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] i dont wanna come down Arsé-kun: Watson: [text: to Iris] Shall I come up there, then? Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] youre not okay and abby had a breakdown yesterday Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] i just want things to go back to how they were Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] my door is locked so good luck Arsé-kun: Watson: [text: to Iris] There are two thieves in the house. A locked door isn't stopping anyone. Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] you wont find me Arsé-kun: Watson: [text: to Iris] We'll see about that. Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] ヾ(*｀⌒´*)ﾉ Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] im going to hide now so good luck because im not bringing my phone Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] no hints for you Sheepy: Iris: [Text: to Watson] sorry daddy Sheepy: *...Watson has been blocked!* Arsé-kun: Watson: ... Four. Sheepy: Sheepy: She blocked you??? Arsé-kun: Watson: She bothered to explain herself, at least. Sheepy: Sheepy: That's progress. Sheepy: Sheepy: What was her reason? Arsé-kun: Watson: She's worried and moody. I'll talk to her later, I suppose. Sheepy: Sheepy: Oh, that's fun. Sheepy: Sheepy: Good luck with that. Arsé-kun: Watson: Thank you. Sheepy: Nyar: Anyway. Sheepy: Nyar: Since that's all cleared up. Sheepy: Nyar: I've got a job for you detectives. Arsé-kun: Arséne: oh no Sheepy: Nyar: It'll be interesting, I swear. Sheepy: Nyar: So! Sheepy: *Nyar takes out a newspaper and puts it down on the table* Sheepy: Nyar: *he then points to an article about a mass suicide in a cult- wait, this newspaper is from 14 years ago.* Sheepy: Nyar: This interests me. Sheepy: Nyar: So I want information on it. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... If it's this old, can it wait until I'm done with my other case? Sheepy: Nyar: Well, I guess so. Sheepy: Nyar: I thought you'd be more interested. Sheepy: Nyar: But that other case did come first, soooo... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he nods* I'll let you know if I find anything, though. Sheepy: Nyar: That's good. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm looking forward to it. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm hungry. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Then go get something. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm going to make curry if nobody decides on food. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he sighs* If you absolutely must. Sheepy: Sheepy: I don't have to. Sheepy: Sheepy: There's cereal. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Go eat something, will you? Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay, fine. Sheepy: *sheepy goes and gets food. sherlock has started to play the violin again. harley's completely ignoring everyone* Arsé-kun: Impey: ... oh, hey. Sheepy: Sheepy: Impey! You're sick. Why're you cooking? Go rest. Arsé-kun: Impey: Who told ya that? Just 'cause I feel trashy doesn't mean I can't help out 'round here. Sheepy: Sheepy: There's times when you have to set limits on yourself and rest. Sheepy: Sheepy: You're getting this advice from the person who refused to rest for very long after being stabbed in the stomach. Sheepy: Sheepy: So go rest. Arsé-kun: Impey: Y'know, normally I'd agree, but I'm super hungry. Sheepy: Sheepy: There's cereal. Arsé-kun: Impey: oh shit you're right Sheepy: Sheepy: That, and Iris has already locked herself in her room and blocked everyone who's texted her over the incidents yesterday. Your health going downhill would not improve this situation any. Sheepy: Sheepy: So don't push yourself. Arsé-kun: Impey: Huh? Did she- Man, I'll be fine. It happens. Sheepy: Sheepy: Did she what? Arsé-kun: Impey: Did she really? Do we gotta break into her window? Sheepy: Sheepy: Well. Sheepy: Sheepy: I can pick locks. Sheepy: Sheepy: So can Arsene. Sheepy: Sheepy: So no. Arsé-kun: Impey: Well, okay. ... I can't just leave mid-cooking, though, so! Sheepy: Sheepy: ? Arsé-kun: *because he's already set up and everything! He just hasn't actually STARTE-oh now he has.* Sheepy: Sheepy: Do you need help? Arsé-kun: Impey: I don't need it, but it'd still be appreciated! Sheepy: Sheepy: Great, because I'm helping now. Arsé-kun: Impey: Okay! Sheepy: *instead of looking at Impey's face, though, Sheepy seems to be staring at Impey's arm.* Arsé-kun: Impey: Eyes are up here! Sheepy: Sheepy: You've got a weird mark on your arm. Arsé-kun: Impey: Huh? Oh, that! Arsé-kun: Impey: I did that myself! Don't worry about it. Sheepy: Sheepy: Uhuh. Sheepy: SHeepy: Okay. Arsé-kun: Impey: What? Sheepy: Sheepy: Sorry, I don't believe you. Arsé-kun: Impey: Fran did it. He's actually a vampire. Sorry, I never told you. *he's kidding* Sheepy: Sheepy: No, if he was, you would've seemed sick sooner. Arsé-kun: Impey: Huh? Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm saying that if there's a vampire, it's not Fran, but rather the kid. He's the newest one in the group, I've never seen those marks on you before, and he stayed with you two. Arsé-kun: Impey: i was... kidding.. Sheepy: Sheepy: Huh? Arsé-kun: Impey: About him being a vampire, that was a joke.. No need to take it so seriously! Sheepy: Sheepy: I guess that was too intelligent from me. Arsé-kun: Impey: That wasn't the problem! Sheepy: Sheepy: Let me wallow in self-pity. Arsé-kun: Impey: no! Sheepy: Sheepy: Where did I go wrong? Arsé-kun: Impey: *he shrugs* Sheepy: Sheepy: I was sure that there was a hint of truth in your joke. Sheepy: Sheepy: Maybe Fran will die if exposed to sunlight and that's why he doesn't like going outside. Arsé-kun: Impey: Noo! He DOES skip tanning, though. He goes from pasty to burnt! Sheepy: Sheepy: Ow. Sheepy: Sheepy: He did seem very pale to me and this explains why. Arsé-kun: Impey: m-hm! Sheepy: Sheepy: Actually, I'm curious. What's your relationship with him? You two are basically inseparable but at the same time Fran seems to pay very little attention to ... everyone including you. Arsé-kun: Impey: Now? Best friends, amigos! ... But yeah, he's like that. Arsé-kun: Impey: He's kinda shy. Sheepy: Sheepy: Ohh. Sheepy: Sheepy: Well it's good that you aren't bothered by it. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm actually shy too. Arsé-kun: Impey: You don't seem like it! .. I mean that as a compliment! Sheepy: Sheepy: Talking to adults doesn't bother me because I don't care what they think of me. Sheepy: Sheepy: But I get very nervous talking to people around my age and quickly give up. Arsé-kun: Impey: That why you don't talk to those kids? Sheepy: Sheepy: I guess I wouldn't seem shy because you're an adult. Sheepy: Sheepy: And yes, that's why. Arsé-kun: Impey: But you're gonna be an adult soon, right? Then what? Sheepy: Sheepy: Adults don't care about me. They never have. It's set in their mind that I'm worthless and there's no changing it. Sheepy: Sheepy: So there's no point in acting like I can change it. Arsé-kun: Impey: I dunno! Seems like everyone here cares! Sheepy: Sheepy: I guess so. Arsé-kun: *rank ku ha?* Sheepy: Sheepy: I can change how the group of kids feels about me and I'm scared of ruining it. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's like a nice shirt. Sheepy: Sheepy: You don't want to wear it because there's a chance you may make it dirty. Arsé-kun: Impey: Eh. Better get it dirty than never wear it. Sheepy: Sheepy: That's easy to say. Arsé-kun: Impey: You think so? Sheepy: Sheepy: It's not easy to do. Sheepy: Sheepy: In the end, that shirt is lost or becomes covered in dust - unwearable. Sheepy: Sheepy: That's what happens to all of my relationships with people around my age. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Then you wash the damn thing. Move over, Socrates, I wanna put this in the sink. Sheepy: *Sheepy moves* Sheepy: Sheepy: That's easier said than done. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Yeah, a lot of things are, unless you're mute! Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, Delly, that's mean- Arsé-kun: Delacroix: ARGH, you stop that! Sheepy: Sheepy: Huh? Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Call me by NAME, you mudblood, not some.. babyfied version of it! Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, sheesh. I'm so sorry, Dracula Delacroix the second, I'd better only use your full name, at all times! Sheepy: Sheepy: I knew it. I knew he was a vampire. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Well, isn't that good for you? Just don't share it. Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay. Arsé-kun: *Delacroix leaves* Sheepy: Sheepy: Tom went missing. Arsé-kun: Impey: Huh? How? Sheepy: Sheepy: Sherlock says he went with us yesterday. Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, geez! Sheepy: Sheepy: Maybe he fell out.. Arsé-kun: Impey: I hope not! Sheepy: Fran: *he seems like he's just woken up. he yawns* Good morning, Impey. Do you want help?...oh, I was beaten to it. Arsé-kun: Impey: Mornin', Fran! C'mon, you can help, too! Sheepy: Fran: Okay. Sheepy: *Fran joins them* Arsé-kun: Impey: Still tired? Sheepy: Fran: Yeah... I fell asleep at my desk and it wasn't restful... Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, geez. Sheepy: Fran: My back hurts some from it. Arsé-kun: Impey: I've told you this- If you're going to sleep on your desk, at least don't half ass it! Climb on it if you have to! Sheepy: Fran: Sorry... Arsé-kun: Impey: It's fine! Sheepy: Fran: I was tired. Sheepy: Fran: So I didn't think about it. Sheepy: Fran: I'll try to in the future. Sheepy: Sheepy: Are we close to done? I've never made this before. Arsé-kun: Impey: Yep, nearly done! Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay! Sheepy: Sheepy: I feel awkward now. Sheepy: Sheepy: I didn't intend to open up to you. Sheepy: Sheepy: Please don't see me as an idiot or a coward... well, you're an adult, so if you see me as that now you've always seen me as that. Arsé-kun: Impey: Why would I? I get what you meant. Sheepy: Sheepy: You do? Arsé-kun: Impey: Yeah. Sheepy: Sheepy: That's good. Sheepy: Sheepy: Impeeeyyy a hobo broke into the house again. He's talking to me. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's scaring me Arsé-kun: Har: Hee-eey! Sheepy: Sheepy: What do I do? Arsé-kun: Impey: Not be a jerk! Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay get the knife. I'm either a jerk or dead. There's no in between. Sheepy: Fran: Um, there's cereal. Arsé-kun: Har: *he looks to Fran* I don't wanna steal all of the cereal, though. Sheepy: Fran: Um... Sheepy: Fran: We didn't really uh... plan on you to be joining us, I think. Arsé-kun: Har: Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Sheepy: Fran: I mean... Iris hasn't come downstairs and Sherlock may skip breakfast so maybe...? Sheepy: Fran: Umm.. Sheepy: Fran: Toast...? Arsé-kun: Har: That'd be cool. Sheepy: Fran: There's bread. Sheepy: Fran: There's also butter. Sheepy: Fran: Make sure to grab the butter without Sherlock written on it. Sheepy: Fran: How are you and your two brothers doing? Arsé-kun: Har: We're functioning. Aber's fine, Morty's... being Morty. Arsé-kun: *har ventures into the Fridge. Wow! A Full Fridge!* Sheepy: Fran: That's good. Sheepy: Fran: But how are you? Arsé-kun: Har: I'm surviving! Sheepy: Fran: That's always good. Sheepy: Sheepy: *he has started to ignore Har. he's uncomfortable.* Sheepy: Fran: Did you want to join us? Sheepy: Sheepy: *he freezes up some upon this being asked* Sheepy: Sheepy:.... Arsé-kun: Har: Nah, I'm good! I'll just take up space. Sheepy: Fran: That's not true. Arsé-kun: Har: *he notices sheepy's face* I dunno about that! Sheepy: Sheepy: No, it's nothing like that. Arsé-kun: Har: If you say so! Sheepy: *anyway they finally finish cooking* Arsé-kun: *hooray!* Arsé-kun: *in the distance and not so distance, Mycroft dying because Sherlock touched his neck again with his cold, cold hands.* Sheepy: Sherlock: *will me touching you with my cold, cold hands make you pay attention to me?* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *iT MAKES ME WANT TO DIE* Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm lonely. *he has at least taken his hands off of Mycroft's neck. now he's got his arms wrapped around his neck and is leaning on him. Leeaaaannn...* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I can't sit down at a seat with you doing that. Sheepy: *Sherlock stops* Arsé-kun: *and Mycroft takes a seat* Sheepy: *Sherlock resumes* Sheepy: Sherlock: Iris won't be joining because she's in a mood. Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, that's a shame! Can I throw it in her window? Sheepy: Sherlock: You could try? Arsé-kun: Impey: Neat. Sheepy: Sheepy: Or you could use the door. Arsé-kun: Impey: I dunno, I hear it's locked! Sheepy: Sheepy: Are you forgetting who I am? Arsé-kun: Impey: No, I meant that I can't do it! Sheepy: Sheepy: I can pick the lock. Sheepy: Sheepy: I was gonna do it for Watson anyway. Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, then go ahead! Sheepy: Sheepy: Did you want to do it now or later? Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, not yet! Lets eat, first! Sheepy: Sheepy: Sounds good! Arsé-kun: *most of the team arrives to eat food. it is food time* Sheepy: *food time is nice! sherlock plays good music and harley seems more coordinated than yesterday.* Arsé-kun: *excellent!! great!! radical!!* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he ate, but still seems hungry* Sheepy: *nyar only gets brushed off by sheepy five times. it's amazing.* Sheepy: Fran: *he gives Impey a concerned look* Arsé-kun: Impey: .... What? Sheepy: Fran: *he gently pushes his plate over to Impey. js this a good replacement?* Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, no, no! It's fine, really! *he pushes it back* Sheepy: Fran: Are you sure...? Arsé-kun: Impey: Yeah, I ate! You need it more. Sheepy: Fran: I'm sorry... I'm not that hungry... Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, shush. You need it more. Sheepy: Fran: You're still hungry and you do more physical activity rhan I do. Arsé-kun: Impey: IIIII'm gonna go upstairs. Sheepy: Fran: But... ... well, okay. I'll join you when I'm done. Arsé-kun: Impey: All right. *he leaves and goes upstairs, shaking his head and fidgeting with his braid* Sheepy: Nyar: You've got no obligation to trust me, but I assure you that you don't want to be awake for the procedure. Arsé-kun: Watson: No, you're absolutely right. It may harm me if I am. Sheepy: Nyar: Or make you go insane. Sheepy: Nyar: I've got a pretty good idea how Dad got it in. I doubt you know much about Lovecraft's stories, but... Arsé-kun: Watson: ... And that would be unfortunate- I think I can figure it out Arsé-kun: Watson: Either way, I do not think we have anything strong enough in this building.. It'd need to be effective more than a couple of minutes. Sheepy: Nyar: Exactly. Sheepy: Nyar: We have to look around for something. Sheepy: Nyar: Saint-Germain will be a witness of the procedure if both you and he are comfortable with it. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm aware of Sherlock's... inability to trust me, which is definitely understandable, but... Sheepy: Nyar: He can't watch. Arsé-kun: Watson: *he nods* Absolutely not. I doubt he'd be able to. Sheepy: Nyar: It's not so much you. Arsé-kun: Watson: m-hm. Sheepy: Nyar: If you wake up and see me before I've gone back to looking like I look currently, it may inflict madness upon you. Sheepy: Nyar: So we have to be careful with that too. Arsé-kun: Watson: If I wake up and see something I don't understand, I'll look elsewhere. Sheepy: Nyar: Good. Sheepy: Nyar: Just, close your eyes and try not to look, worst comes to worst. Sheepy: Nyar: I apologize on behalf of my father for everything you're going through currently. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... Well, it's not your fault, but I accept anyway. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm partially responsible. Arsé-kun: Watson: Not for this. Sheepy: Nyar: The moment the grunts grabbed your daughter it was fated that you'd become part of this whole Twilight mess. Sheepy: Nyar: And I threw gas into the fire with my actions. Arsé-kun: Watson: Well, yes, but I meant this event in specific. You didn't do it, did you? Sheepy: Nyar: I didn't. Sheepy: Nyar: I tried to clue the group into where you were but I was too late. Sheepy: Nyar: Dad beat me to a pulp before testing excruciatingly painful things on me. After a while he used anesthesia but he used... way too much. Sheepy: Nyar: Basically, I failed in assisting you despite briefly being in the position to be able to. Arsé-kun: Watson: You did what you could. Sheepy: Nyar: This is true. Arsé-kun: *Impey has given up on subtle eavesdropping and is looking in the room. Something's caught his interest.* Sheepy: Nyar: So.. We need something to knock you out for a while and something or someone to ensure Sherlock won't come in. Sheepy: Nyar:...? Sheepy: Nyar: Hello, Impey. Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, uh! I could block the door! Sheepy: Nyar: That would be appreciated. Sheepy: Nyar: You can't look in though. Sheepy: Nyar: No one can look except for Saint-Germain. Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, that's fine. You won't be a cute octopus, so I don't wanna see. Sheepy: Nyar: Yeah, I'll be an eldritch abomination. Arsé-kun: Impey: Neat. Sheepy: Nyar: So now it's just knocking you out. Arsé-kun: Impey: y'think Sainty-G might have an idea? Sheepy: Nyar: Idea? Arsé-kun: Impey: Yeah, an idea. Sheepy: Nyar: Idea........ Arsé-kun: Impey: *he goes and sits next to Watson* Yep. Sheepy: Nyar: Saint-Germain probably has an idea Sheepy: Nyar: Thank you for the food earlier, by the way. Sheepy: Nyar: Anyway, although you don't really have to... Sheepy: Nyar: My brother, Philemon... or Nodens as he used to be called is a little... stiff, as you've seen. Sheepy: Nyar: Basically, he's had his emotions stolen away. Yes, by the same person who took his memories and put that chip in him. Sheepy: Nyar: According to Fluffy, my father may turn his interests towards getting Phil's emotions back. Furthermore, Phil is currently partnered with him. Sheepy: Nyar:...This worries me. I think he's up to something. My father was trying to reprogram people, as you experienced yourself, and Phil's ability is, to, well... Sheepy: Nyar:....Put ideas into people's heads and make them believe that idea unconditionally. Many famous scientists got their moment of insight from him. The only drawback is that he's incapable of lying, meaning for reprogramming purposes it'd be useless unless my father convinced him that it was the truth. Sheepy: Nyar: Basically, if my father managed to get his emotions back, he'd have a very powerful tool who was indebt to him. We need to get Phil's emotions back first in full. Sheepy: Nyar: This will be payment for removing the wires and doing a few other things of your choice. Your wish is my command in this case, as long as your detective friends either investigate this or the cultist case. Sheepy: Nyar: Although, since Fluffy asked, the wire removal will be free of charge. Arsé-kun: Watson: If you'll write this all down for me, that'd be wonderful. Sheepy: Nyar: No worries, I will. Arsé-kun: Watson: *he stops to think* .. Lupin already said he'd investigate the cult next, didn't he? Sheepy: Nyar: He did. Arsé-kun: Watson: I'd gladly do what I can for the emotional issue, except I seem to be wildly outclassed. I'm a doctor, not a magician. Sheepy: Nyar: And I'm a magician, not a doctor. Sheepy: Nyar: Yet, I've gotten nowhere. Arsé-kun: Watson: I don't know, I think you're closer to cosmic eldritch than magician. Sheepy: Nyar: Well, I am that. Sheepy: Nyar: Phil, not so much, despite us being twins. Not sure how that works. Arsé-kun: Watson: Recessive genes? Sheepy: Nyar: Well, we were born of asexual reproduction, but maybe. Sheepy: Nyar: Or something like that. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he leans back, raising his eyebrows* You gonna talk to Sainty-G or not? Sheepy: Nyar: I will, I will. Sheepy: *Nyar gets up and goes to talk to Saint-Germain.* Arsé-kun: Germain: *he's looking out the backdoor, watching Van and Sheepy try to reach Iris' window. Van is not thief material* Sheepy: Nyar: Hey, I need you to do a thing. Arsé-kun: Germain: How vague. Sheepy: Nyar: Two things, actually. Sheepy: Nyar: It's time to play doctor and remove Watson's wires, but I have to knock him out. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm still recovering. Sheepy: Nyar: So we're gonna have to do it through natural means. Sheepy: Nyar: Any ideas? Sheepy: Nyar: Impey's gonna guard the door or whatever. But, I'd rather a witness be there in case anything happens. Arsé-kun: Germain: You let.. ... You left them alone, didn't you? Sheepy: Nyar: Yeah, why? Sheepy: Nyar: Impey kept insisting I talk to you. Arsé-kun: Germain: ...... Well, I guess we don't need anything anymore. Lets go upstairs. Sheepy: Nyar: ...Okay. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he shakes his head* I can't believe you did this. *he starts heading over to the room* Sheepy: Nyar: You're not telling me what I did wrong and it's worrying me. Arsé-kun: Germain: When we're alone I will. sheep: Nyar: Okay, okay, geez! sheep: Nyar: I feel like you're disappointed in me...uh? Arsé-kun: Germain: Not exactly. I just expected you to catch on. sheep: Nyar: I've been here a few days. sheep: Nyar: My memory is foggy of the first one. sheep: Nyar: I was out the second one. Arsé-kun: Germain: That's fair. sheep: *so they go in.* Arsé-kun: Germain: ... *he quietly gestures ahead* My point's been proven. sheep: Nyar: Wh-what the... Arsé-kun: Germain: .... Now's a better time than any. Sheepy: Nyar: ...Good point Sheepy: Nyar: Impey, get out. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... .... *he looks up* Huh? Sheepy: Nyar: Get out. Sheepy: Nyar: The procedure's starting now, so get out. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... Oh! Uh! ... I'm sorry? *he looks apologetic, but he does start to get up* Sheepy: Nyar: You already knocked him out, so we don't need anything. Sheepy: Nyar: Your vampire whatever should last long enough. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he nods and quickly exits stage left. very quickly. bye* Sheepy: Nyar: *He closes the door and uh. That's an eldritch abomination, not Nyar. Um.* Arsé-kun: Germain: *this is fine.* Sheepy: *Nyar gets to work!* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he, as promised, is now guarding the door. he's wiping his face off with his sleeve and looking somewhat sheepish* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he approaches* What's going on? Arsé-kun: Impey: I've made a mistake. Sheepy: Sherlock: What'd you do to him? Arsé-kun: Impey: N-nothing bad! He's fine, I swear! Sheepy: Sherlock: You're lying. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... Okay, kind of, but he's fine! Sheepy: Sherlock: *he squints* Arsé-kun: Impey: It was kinda bad! Arsé-kun: Impey: .... Okay, really bad, please punch me! Sheepy: *Well, you asked. Sherlock slugs Impey riiight in the face. Rip* Arsé-kun: Impey: *yOWCH* Thank you!! Sheepy: Sherlock: *he speaks more slowly* What. Did you do to him? Arsé-kun: Impey: *he seems to shrink a bit, and he's grabbed his braid* C-can you not tell anyone if I tell you? It wasn't on purpose, I swear! Sheepy: Sherlock: Speak. Arsé-kun: Impey: I, uh, I accidentally, uh, y'know how, uh, Delly? *he pauses for a moment* I know you were listening to our conversation, by the way! I could smell you. *he nods and looks away for a minute* I, uh, me too, and I, kind of accidentally.. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he seems. more angry.* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he ducks down a bit more* I didn't mean to! Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't care. Sheepy: Sherlock: You still did it. Sheepy: Sherlock: He's been through enough. Arsé-kun: Impey: .... Yeah. I did. *he's trying not to cry..* And he has, I know. Do you want to kill me? Should I go? Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm not going to kill you. Sheepy: Sherlock: Don't you ever pull something like this on him again. Arsé-kun: Impey: I won't, I won't, promise! Sheepy: Sherlock: *he's pressing x to doubt but backs up some* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he's still warily watching Sherlock* Sheepy: Sherlock: Don't come to me for anything for a while. I won't be sympathetic. Sheepy: *with that, Sherlock turns to leave.* Arsé-kun: *Impey is quiet. He's started staring at the floor* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he walks off* Arsé-kun: Impey: .... ... *he slides down to the floor. remember Try not to cry? failed step one* Sheepy: *I'm sorry Impey.* Sheepy: *at least sherlock wont beat you up because he's ignoring you now?* Arsé-kun: *that is not an improvement* Sheepy: *well he is?* Arsé-kun: *this is not helping* Sheepy: *thats too bad* Arsé-kun: *MEANWHILE DOWNSTAIRS* Arsé-kun: Finis: .. I've suddenly got a feeling of absolute dread. Sheepy: *Sherlock comes downstairs and he's visibly ticked.* Sheepy: Cardia: It's the detective! Arsé-kun: Finis: *he accidentally makes eye contact* You know what? I don't want to know. Sheepy: Sherlock: Impey hurt Watson. Arsé-kun: Finis: What did I literally just say? Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm leaving. Sheepy: Cardia: Have fun! Arsé-kun: Finis: ... If you get kidnapped, it's on you. Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't care. Arsé-kun: Finis: Lovely. Sheepy: Sherlock: *and so, he heads to the door!* Arsé-kun: Arséne: You better not. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm going. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Don't you dare. Sheepy: *Sherlock opens the door. rebellious.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he stands up, and there goes everything on the desk* Do not! Sheepy: Sherlock: Bye. Sheepy: *aaaand he's exited.* Sheepy: Sheepy: Rebellious. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Fils de pute! Sheepy, hold the fort! *he goes after Sherlock* Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay, bye. Sheepy: *Here's a fun game! Where's Sherlock? seems like he ran away. literally.* Arsé-kun: *nothing Arséne can't deal with!* Arsé-kun: Finis: ... This is no fort. Sheepy: Sheepy: He always says that. Arsé-kun: Finis: Why? Sheepy: Sheepy: It sounds cool. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's also a figure of speech. Arsé-kun: Finis: Well, I figured that. Sheepy: Sheepy: Haha. Arsé-kun: Finis: ... Also, when was he going to mention that he stole a painting from father's house? Sheepy: Sheepy: He doesn't need to if Mycroft already knows. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: You've got to be kidding me. Sheepy: Cardia: I don't know if I have enough for you, Wilson. You have to wait until I'm done. Arsé-kun: Wilson: *he puts his head back down on Harley's lap and sighs. he will wait* Sheepy: Sheepy: He put it on the wall somewhere. Sheepy: Harley: *he pets Wilson* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Oh, I see it now. I thought it was coincidence at first. Arsé-kun: Wilson: *DAY MADE!* Sheepy: Sheepy: Nope, he stole it from you when Sherlock visited you. Sheepy: Harley: *who's a cute puppy. it's you.* Arsé-kun: Mycroft: And to think that I was watching him. Sheepy: Sheepy: He's skilled. Sheepy: Sheepy: And I! am his assistant, his prodigious student. Sheepy: Sheepy: ...Is what I want to say, but I don't know if I'm good enough yet. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Fearfully noted. If either of you touch my car, you'll be paying for damages. Sheepy: Sheepy: Ehhh?? Sheepy: Sheepy: Why? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: It's my car. Sheepy: Sheepy: But if I touch it will it explode? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Knowing our luck? Yes. Sheepy: Sheepy: What if I touch you? Sheepy: Sheepy: Will you explode? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I hope not. Sheepy: Sheepy: *poke* Arsé-kun: *nothing happens* Sheepy: Sheepy: Darn. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: What do you mean "darn"?! Sheepy: Sheepy: I was hoping that you had King Midas's touch. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Then I'd be dead. Sheepy: Sheepy: By the way, Sherlock just threw a hissy fit and left. Sheepy: Sheepy: You just missed him. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Is that what that was? Sheepy: Sheepy: It was a particularly bad one, yeah. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: I'll let Arséne handle it. Sheepy: Sheepy: Apparently Impey hurt Watson but I doubt it was intentional. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: *he winces* Does he know that? Sheepy: Fran: What did you say? Sheepy: Sheepy: I doubt he cares, honestly. He's overprotective of Watson, along with Iris, Arsene, and me... oh, I said he got mad at Impey. Sheepy: Fran; I'm sorry.. I have to go find him. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Oh, go ahead. Sheepy: Fran; *so he hunts for impey.* Arsé-kun: *well, Impey's not guarding the door anymore. Seems Germain's taken over.* Sheepy: Fran; Have you seen Impey? Arsé-kun: Germain: Not since he was here, no. Sheepy: Fran: Where did he go? Arsé-kun: Germain: He headed towards your room. *he then gives Fran very detailed dirt. heres the dirt* Sheepy: Fran: Th-thank you...! Arsé-kun: Germain: Quite welcome. Do make sure he is okay. Sheepy: *Fran goes back to his room.* Arsé-kun: *The window is fully open when it wasn't before. "Sorry" is written on the wall in marker. I hope that's marker.* Sheepy: Fran: *he looks out the window* Arsé-kun: *it's the great outdoors!* Sheepy: Fran: *but where is impey* Arsé-kun: *use that big brain of urs fran* Sheepy: Fran: *where did he go??? he ran away but where???* Arsé-kun: *I'd tell you, but I don't know* Sheepy: *Fran investigates.* Arsé-kun: *He finds! One (1) cell phone that is not his, and other miscellaneous belongings of Impey's* Sheepy: Fran: *he collects them up and looks around* Impey? Arsé-kun: *it's fucking nothing.* Sheepy: Fran: *he investigates more.* Arsé-kun: *He finds a box under the bed but that's about it. It has cobwebs. It's not new* Sheepy: *Fran puts Impey's stuff on the desk* Sheepy: Fran: *does the box have secrets about where Impey webt?* Arsé-kun: *no, it just has a neatly folded sweater. that's it* Sheepy: Fran: *awww. oh well.* Sheepy: Fran: *he investigates the sweater because now he's curious. this is weird. it must be a hint.* Arsé-kun: *A card falls out!* Sheepy: Fran: *A HINT! he reads the card* Arsé-kun: *It's got hearts drawn all over it on the front. On the inside, it just says "Here's to a year and another year for you! Lets stay together no matter what!" and has Impey's signature, followed by a little fanged smiley face* Sheepy: Fran:...*his hands are trembling. he puts it down. oh. he's crying. um, well.* Arsé-kun: Germain: *he looks in* .... I'm so sorry. Sheepy: Fran: I-... I have to find him...! Arsé-kun: Germain: ... I will come with you. I feel at fault for not having broken him and Sherlock up when I had the chance. Sheepy: Fran: Thank you...! Arsé-kun: Germain: Quite welcome. ... We'll use a different exit. No need to get more attention. Sheepy: Fran: Okay... Sheepy: *Fran and Sanchan hunt for Impey!* Arsé-kun: *THEY DO THEIR BEST BUT THEY DON'T SUCCEED!* Sheepy: *Fran is upsetti.* Arsé-kun: *Understandable.* Sheepy: Fran: Why didn't he say something...? Arsé-kun: Germain: He may have been too upset... He'll most likely return. Sheepy: Fran: You... you think so? Arsé-kun: Germain: I'd like to presume it was an emotional response. Once he has cooled off, he'll probably come back. Sheepy: Fran: I hope so.... Sheepy: Fran: I feel so scared without him.. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Tell Sherlock that. Sheepy: Fran: What? Arsé-kun: Arséne: You heard me. Sheepy: Fran: Why? Sheepy: Sherlock: L-let go...! Arsé-kun: Arséne: Because actions have consequences, and he hasn't seemed to learn that today. *he tightens his grip* Why, so you can punch every house on the block? I don't think so. Sheepy: Sherlock: Let go! Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Make me. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he gently places his now broken hand on Arsene's arm and starts to push on it while trying to pull his arm away. this lasts for a few seconds before he yelps and pulls his hand away* Sheepy: Rip Sheepy: Sherlock: Let gooo...! I'm not coming back right now! Arsé-kun: Arséne: You broke your hand. Yes, you are. Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't need to go back to fix it! So let go! Arsé-kun: Arséne: What would Watson say about this? Sheepy: Sherlock: *he tries to pull his arm away again* Sheepy: Sherlock: Leave me alone! Arsé-kun: Arséne: Why, so you can get picked off and killed, alone? Sheepy: Sherlock: Does it really matter at this point? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Say that again, to my face. Sheepy: Sherlock: Does it really matter? Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he smacks Sherlock, right across the face.* Yes, you imbecile! Sheepy: Sherlock: *upon being slapped, Sherlock struggles more* Sheepy: Sherlock: Let go, let go! Arsé-kun: Arséne: ..... See if I care. *he lets go* It isn't like you mattered to me or something. Sheepy: Sherlock: *with his newfound freedom, Sherlock makes a break for it! See you, space cowboy.* Sheepy: Fran: I'm sorry... Arsé-kun: Germain: .... *he grabs Fran's arm* ... Don't. You didn't do that. Sheepy: Fran: I don't get it... Sheepy: Fran: I never thought Impey would run away... and Sherlock's always been so laid-back. Arsé-kun: Germain: Pardon my language, but great googly moogly, it's all gone to shit. Sheepy: Fran: Why...? Arsé-kun: Germain: I don't know. Sheepy: Fran: What do we do? Arsé-kun: Germain: Mass homicide. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... I'm joking, of course. Sheepy: Fran: For real what do we do? Sheepy: Fran: We need to make sure his hand is treated but we also need to find Impey. Arsé-kun: Germain: I'm afraid any attempt we make will end like.. that. Sheepy: Fran: But... if a broken bone stays likethat long enough, it can become permanent. Arsé-kun: Germain: Unless you want me to threaten him with violence, I'm out of ideas. Sheepy: Fran: I guess we go home and ask everyone else. Sheepy: Fran:...Arsene? Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... What. Sheepy: Fran: Is that okay with you? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Sure. Sheepy: Fran: Okay... Arsé-kun: *they go home!* Sheepy: Sheepy: *the first words out of his mouth are the french that Arsene spoke before he left.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... ... *snrk* Sheepy: Sheepy: *...he repeats it a few times, like a child who just learned a new word. he sounds unsure of himself.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: I cannot believe you've learned to swear. Sheepy: Sheepy: Eh? Sheepy: Sheepy: What does it mean? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Eh? Sheepy: Sheepy: The phrase. Sheepy: Fran: Oh dear... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he's still angry, but it's hard to be* .... *and he starts laughing* Sheepy: Sheepy: Arsene!! What does it mean??? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Work it out, Mouton! Sheepy: Sheepy: Ehh... ... Sheepy: Sheepy:... Sheepy: Sheepy: You jerk! Sheepy: Sheepy: You big bully, you!!!! Arsé-kun: Arséne: I didn't do anything! You repeated me! Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm a pure child and you knew I'd copy you! Sheepy: Sheepy: My innocence! Destroyed! Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'm more surprised you figured out it meant "bitch". Sheepy: Sheepy: I guessed! Sheepy: Sheepy: From context! Sheepy: Sheepy: Ugh! Sheepy: Sheepy: Hello! Police! I'm being bullied.. Sheepy: Sheepy:... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he remembers he's angry again. moment ruined* Sheepy: Sheepy: Police? Sheepy: Sheepy: Where's Sherlock? And your shirt is bloody, ewwww. Sheepy: Sheepy: Clean that out before it sets! Sheepy: Cardia: Robber! Look. I made Uncle more pretty! *she gestures to Harley* Arsé-kun: Arséne: He ran off. *he just takes his shirt off. issue solved* Quel salaud. Vie de merde. *the french insults stop to look at Cardia and Harley* ... Oh, he's beautiful. Sheepy: Harley: I'm gorgeous. Arsé-kun: Arséne: But not as gorgeous as me. Sheepy: Harley: You don't have flowers like me, Lupin. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Oh, is that needed now? Sheepy: Harley: The truly gorgeous one is Wilson. Arsé-kun: Wilson: *bark!* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Oh, how could how I have made this mistake Sheepy: Harley: He's handsome. Aren't you, Wilson? *pet* Arsé-kun: Wilson: *YES I AM* Sheepy: Fran: I'm uh... going upstairs. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Great. Take care of your blubbering boyfriend. Sheepy: Fran: He's back?! *he rushes to his room!* Arsé-kun: *and there's the boy, crying into a ball of cat fur. i mean wag* Sheepy: *Impey gets hugged at terminal velocity by Fran* Arsé-kun: Impey: !!! Sheepy: Fran: Impey...! I missed you so much... please don't go again... Arsé-kun: Impey: S-sorryyyyyyyy! Sheepy: Fran: You're safe and that's what matters. Sheepy: Fran: Please don't blame yourself for what happened... Arsé-kun: Impey: B-but I did... Sheepy: Fran: Nobody else blames you. Arsé-kun: Impey: But I did! I shouldn't have. Sheepy: Fran: It was an accident. Sheepy: Fran: Everyone makes mistakes. Sheepy: Fran: But if you dwell on them... you'll never be happy. Sheepy: Fran: So don't hurt yourself over it, please. And.. don't run away again. I was so scared... Arsé-kun: Impey: *he's definitely crying again* Sheepy: Fran: *he tries to comfort Impey* Sheepy: Fran: It's okay... Arsé-kun: Impey: It's really nooot! Arsé-kun: Impey: I should have kept myself under control! Really! Arsé-kun: Impey: Maybe I could have ASKED, even, but I couldn't even do that! Arsé-kun: Impey: Maybe Delly's right. I AM inferior. Arsé-kun: Impey: He's got better self control and he's ten! Arsé-kun: Impey: ... Maybe this time the lesson will sink in. Arsé-kun: Impey: .... *he's quiet for a bit, holding Fran and trying to calm himself* Have I ever told you where I lived before Twilight? Sheepy: Fran: Impey... you aren't inferior just because you reacted when you were pushed to your limit. Sheepy: Fran: He's feeding on you. I, uh, dont know much about vampires but I doubt they do that often. Sheepy: Fran: You're also basically starving yourself living off of just me and waiting for me to recover between each one. Sheepy: Fran: So... I'd say that you have amazing self control. Everyone is at their limit right now. Sheepy: Fran: No... you haven't. Where did you live? Arsé-kun: Impey: Anywhere I could. The minute anyone found out what I was, I had to move n' quick. Sheepy: Fran: Nobody wants you to leave. If for some reason you decide you have to, I'm going with you. Arsé-kun: Impey: .... Fine. Sheepy: Fran: You give me strength. Arsé-kun: *germain decides he's bored of listening to sappy radio and goes back downstairs* Sheepy: *the front door opens. it's Sherlock. he's talking to someone...* Arsé-kun: Arséne: .. Welcome back? Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh, hullo. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he enters. as does the person who he was talking to. he looks fancy!* Sheepy: ?: Good evening. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Bonsoir. Sheepy: ?: Nice to meet all of you. Sheepy: ?: My name is... ... You may call me Eggs Benedict. I actually was discussing a... case with Mr. Holmes. Sheepy: *The stranger's left arm is oddly limp...* Sheepy: Eggs: I hope I am not intruding. Arsé-kun: Arséne: If it is about a case, then not at all. Sheepy: Eggs: Is Watson here? Mr. Holmes has a bad memory so I would appreciate it if someone were to remember the details for him. Arsé-kun: Watson: Surprisingly, yes. *it's watson!! he's alive!* Sheepy: Sherlock: *he sits down. he's apparently tried patching up his hand but it didn't work too well.* Sheepy: Eggs: Good evening. Sheepy: Eggs: I've come with a case, as you heard. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he's eyeing Eggs curiously* Arsé-kun: Watson: Yes, I did. *his eyes go straight to Sherlock's hand* And what did you do?? Sheepy: Sherlock: I punched a wall. Sheepy: Eggs: A thief visited my father's home last night and stole a precious jewel. Sheepy: Eggs: My father is a collector, you see. Arsé-kun: Watson: Yes, I do. *he looks at arsene for the briefest of moments* Sheepy: Eggs: I would appreciate it if you would retrieve it. Sheepy: Sherlock:... Arsé-kun: Watson: Either way, I see no reason to say no. Sheepy: Sherlock:...Wait. Sheepy: Sherlock: Your father came by it honestly, didn't he? Sheepy: Eggs: Of course. Sheepy: Sherlock: You look familiar. Arsé-kun: Watson: Details, then, Mr. Benedict. When did it happen and such? Sheepy: Eggs: I heard a strange noise last night around ten o clock. I came down to see a tall man with the stolen jewel. He ran away afterwards. It was too dark to see anything. *he's clutching his shoulder. is he leaving something out...? he seems uncomfortable.* Sheepy: Sherlock: I've definitely seen you somewhere before. Sheepy: Eggs: Two others were staying with us, as they usually do. They slept through it. As did my father. Sheepy: Eggs: Is there anything else you would like to know? Sheepy: Sherlock: *he is still staring very hard at Eggs. what're you thinking about buddy?+ Sheepy: Sherlock: What's the name of your father? Sheepy: Eggs: That's personal information. Arsé-kun: Watson: It's not if it is necessary information. Sheepy: Eggs: I can't disclose that information. Sheepy: Sherlock: I've met your father before. Sheepy: Eggs: I wouldn't know. Sheepy: *Eggs is visibly uncomfortable.* Sheepy: Sherlock: Watson, I'm not taking this case. Arsé-kun: Watson: .... I'm more concerned about his arm. Sheepy: Eggs: My arm is fine... Arsé-kun: Watson: You're fooling no one. Sheepy: Eggs: *he clutches it tighter and looks away* Sheepy: Eggs: I, uh... Arsé-kun: Watson: Clearly, something happened to your shoulder that's paralyzed your arm. Was it a gun or a knife? Arsé-kun: Watson: No judgment from me on either. Sheepy: Eggs:...Gun. Arsé-kun: Watson: Presuming it was the thief. Sheepy: Eggs: Yes... Arsé-kun: Watson: If left alone too long, the damage may become permanent. Sheepy: Eggs: If dealt with by the hospital, my father may be informed. I can't worry him. Arsé-kun: Watson: And he won't be worried by bloodstains? Sheepy: Eggs:... Sheepy: Eggs: Um... Arsé-kun: Watson: *he sighs* Come here so I can treat it. Sherlock, you too. Sheepy: *both come over.* Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm confident. His father is Professor Moriarty. Sheepy: Eggs: Wh-what?! Arsé-kun: Watson: I'd have to agree. He sounds rather similar, and they share a few features. Sheepy: Eggs: H-he... n-no, it's not... Sheepy: Eggs: *he is flustered.* Arsé-kun: Watson: No need to be so nervous. We're not going to arrest you or something. Sheepy: Eggs: Really? Arsé-kun: Watson: Why would we? You've done no crime. In fact, you're reporting one. Sheepy: Eggs: My father hasn't committed any crimes since the incident. Arsé-kun: Watson: I didn't even know he was alive! How is he? *he's taking care of the wound best he can* Sheepy: Eggs: Wheelchair-bound but otherwise healthy and happy. Arsé-kun: Watson: No wonder nothing has happened... Was that mean? I'm sorry. Sheepy: Eggs: It's fine. Sheepy: Eggs: And, the gem was obtained through honest means. Sheepy: Eggs: I know his track record but I can assure you that this one was. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he shifts the phone* Seems honest to me. Can you three take this eleswhere? I've got a case to focus on. Sheepy: Sherlock: Alright, fine. Sheepy: Sherlock: Arséne, I want to talk to you later. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Fine. Sheepy: Sherlock:...Thank you. Arsé-kun: *they move one room to the right. Germain has taken over a sofa. sanchan why* Sheepy: Eggs:...So, um, I know you don't like him, Mr. Holmes, but this doesn't concern him. It's a case from me. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... Just to make sure, was there any property defacing? Sheepy: Eggs: No, there wasn't. Arsé-kun: Watson: All right, Zorro is out of the question. Violence was also involved, so both Phantoms are out as well- The original, and Joker. Sheepy: Eggs: Phantom... Arsé-kun: Watson: Hm? Sheepy: Eggs: Phantom...Fantom...Fantomas? Sheepy: Eggs: Th-that was just a prank letter, I'm sure... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *from the other room. he's raised his voice* That's French for Phantom, and I am offended and appalled! Sheepy: Eggs: Three phantoms? Arsé-kun: Watson: One more than the number of phantoms we can tolerate. *he's kidding. i think* Sheepy: Eggs: Do you know who Fantomas is? Arsé-kun: Watson: Never heard of him. Sheepy: Eggs: I see. Sheepy: Eggs: I received a threatening letter from him previous to this. Sheepy: Eggs: It mostly spoke of the horrors he had done to others and how he would be visiting me. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he leans in, looking actually offended* I'm amazed you're still alive, then. Sheepy: Eggs: I almost wasn't. Sheepy: Eggs: I informed no one in the household of the letter due to the fact that I often receive threats. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Fair enough, and my apologies- I was speaking with a client. *he nods and frowns* Fantomas is a French phantom thief. I'd say gentleman thief, but he's so ruthless and callous in his ways that it'd be stupid. Sheepy: Eggs: Why did he attack me? Arsé-kun: Arséne: I wouldn't know. Sheepy: Eggs: That's unfortunate. Would it be too risky to take back the stolen belonging from him? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Absolutely. Sheepy: Eggs:... Sheepy: Eggs: That's fine. Arsé-kun: Arséne: You're going to do it anyway, aren't you? Sheepy: Eggs: No, no. Sheepy: Eggs: I'm going to explain the situation to my father. I'm sure he'll understand . Arsé-kun: *EGGS, YA PHONE IS DOIN' THE RINGS!* Sheepy: *Eggs picks up.* Sheepy: Eggs: Hello? Arsé-kun: Moriarity: Don't ever run off again. It's bad enough I have to clean this blood up. Sheepy: Eggs: I'm sorry...! I was trying to find someone who could help... Sheepy: Eggs: It slipped my mind to tell you. Arsé-kun: Mori: You didn't turn your phone's location off. Sheepy: Eggs: No, I didn't. Arsé-kun: Mori: Riddle me this, son: Why. Sheepy: Eggs: Why would I turn it off? Arsé-kun: Mori: No, no. Why are you there? Sheepy: Eggs: To get help. Sheepy: Eggs: The detective here ended up recognizing who stole it and says that we shouldn't try. Arsé-kun: Mori: I'd like to presume they are of French origin, then. Sheepy: Eggs: I think so. Arsé-kun: Mori: Can you explain the bloodstain? Sheepy: Eggs:...Um... Sheepy: Eggs:.... Sheepy: Eggs: The thief shot me in the shoulder. Arsé-kun: Mori: Just your shoulder? You did not bleed a fountain from your shoulder. ... I will wait until you are here to ask. Sheepy: Eggs: The doctor here treated my shoulder so I should be fine. Arsé-kun: Mori: ... .... .... *he's silent for a few moments* Sheepy: Eggs: Dad? Arsé-kun: Mori: I suddenly believe I know exactly who you are with. They are both alive? Sheepy: Eggs: Yes. Sheepy: Eggs: Mr. Holmes has a broken hand but other than that both of them seem okay. Arsé-kun: Mori: Give them my regards- Especially Holmes. I'm surprised he survived. Sheepy: Eggs: I was surprised myself. Sheepy: Eggs: But, how did you figure out who the thief was? Arsé-kun: Mori: It's not that hard. Sheepy: Eggs: Huh? Sheepy: Eggs: He didn't leave any signs of who he was except for the threatening letter he hid among my things and I never spoke of it because I thought it was a prank. Arsé-kun: Mori: I recognize the name from years past. Sheepy: Eggs: So then you saw the letter, or did he leave his name somewhere? I didn't thoroughly check the scene. Arsé-kun: Mori: I checked the letter, of course. Who do you take me for, the police? Sheepy: Eggs: No, I just didn't know you knew of it. Arsé-kun: Mori: Well, I do. Give my regards. To the other Holmes, as well- I know there's more than one. Sheepy: Eggs: Herlock or Mycroft? Arsé-kun: Mori: Yes. Sheepy: Eggs: I will. Sheepy: Eggs: I believe both are here... Arsé-kun: Mori: Excellent. I expect you home at twenty-one hundred, sharp. Sheepy: Eggs: I'll do my best. Arsé-kun: *Mori hangs up* Sheepy: Eggs: Before I leave, can I speak with Mycroft? Arsé-kun: Watson: Oh? You know him? Sheepy: Eggs: We work together. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he has lost interest in Eggs* Arsé-kun: Watson: Then I see no reason why not. Arsé-kun: Germain: Now that all of that is out of the way, hello, Benedict. Sheepy: Eggs: Hello. Sheepy: Eggs: I didn't see you there. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he looks to Arséne. talk to me.* Sheepy: Eggs: How have you been, Saint-Germain? Arsé-kun: Germain: I've been all right, fortunately. Arsé-kun: *arsene comes back with mycroft. arsene left at some point? stealthy. mycroft looks surprised, followed by annoyed* Sheepy: Eggs: Good evening, Mycroft. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... .... Evening, Robert. *he drops the angry look* We're not at work- I've got no reason to be sour towards you. Sheepy: Eggs: What? Sheepy: Eggs: *he is visibly surprised.* Sheepy: Sherlock: His name isn't Eggs? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Of course not, Sherlock. That would be horrible. *he looks back to Eggs* Don't look so shocked. It's like you thought I was genuinely angry. Sheepy: Eggs: I did. Sheepy: Sherlock: Then why did he call himself Eggs? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: To not mention his real name, I'd presume. Sheepy: Eggs: My father sends his regards to you and your other brother. Sheepy: Sherlock: Is that really a good thing considering that he's the Napoleon of crime? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: That's a good question. I'd say yes. Sheepy: Sherlock: Have you met him before or something? Sheepy: Sherlock: The most personal, close-up interaction I've had with him is getting thrown off a waterfall. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: A time or so. Sheepy: Sherlock: How was he? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: In a lot of pain, as far as I could tell. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he stares off into space for a moment before finally replying* Well, that's understandable. Arsé-kun: Watson: It certainly is. Sheepy: Sherlock: I still hurt some every so often from the fall. Sheepy: Sherlock: Especially in the winter. Arsé-kun: Watson: Injuries tend to hurt more in the winter. Sheepy: Sherlock: Is it ever going to heal??? Arsé-kun: Watson: Fully? Perhaps not. Sheepy: Sherlock: Ughh... Sheepy: Sherlock: But I'm much younger than him. The fall was probably worse for him. Arsé-kun: Watson: I want to presume so. Sheepy: Sherlock: Unless he's magical. Arsé-kun: Germain: I doubt that would save you from a waterfall. Sheepy: Sherlock: It wouldn't? Arsé-kun: Germain: I doubt it. Sheepy: Eggs: ... Sheepy: Eggs: Anyway, that's all I had to say really. Sheepy: Eggs: I'm supposed to return by 9:00 at latest and I don't want to worry him further. Sheepy: Eggs: I apologize for being brief. Arsé-kun: Germain: Tis fine. Sheepy: Eggs: You can visit any time, of course, as long as you notify my father ahead of time, so if there's anything on your mind we can continue there or when you return to work. Sheepy: Eggs: Oh, er, I'm running late. I really have to be going. See you soon. Sheepy: Eggs: And thank you for treating my shoulder. Arsé-kun: Watson: Of course. Sheepy: *Eggs leaves.* Sheepy: Sherlock: Arsene, I want to talk to you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Okay? Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm sorry. Sheepy: Sherlock: Please don't be mad. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... I'm sorry I lost my temper, as well. Sheepy: Sherlock: I was scared, stressed, and confused... I needed some distance. Sheepy: Sherlock: I didn't mean to hurt you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... It's fine. I didn't hurt you either, did I? Sheepy: Sherlock: No... you didn't. Sheepy: Sherlock: I shouldn't have done it. Arsé-kun: Watson: Or punched a building. Sheepy: Sherlock: It's better than punching Impey, which I did. Sheepy: Sherlock: I should apologize to him too. Arsé-kun: Watson: That would be wise. Sheepy: Sherlock: Where is he right now? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Upstairs. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he gets up and heads upstairs* Arsé-kun: Impey: ...!! Sheepy: Sherlock: Impey, I'm sorry about earlier. Sheepy: Sherlock: I wasn't thinking. Arsé-kun: Impey: But you had some points.. Sheepy: Sherlock: I was just stressed and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Sheepy: Sherlock: Is there some way I can make it up to you? Arsé-kun: Impey: ... Yeah. Could you not share what I did, exactly? I don't want everyone knowing... I'll probably get chased out.. Sheepy: Sherlock: I won't share it with anyone. Arsé-kun: Impey: Thank you! Sheepy: Sherlock: If it helps any I broke my hand. Arsé-kun: Impey: N-not at all! Sheepy: Sherlock: But now I can't punch you again until it heals. Arsé-kun: Impey: How did you break your hand?? Sheepy: Sherlock: I punched a wall. Sheepy: Sherlock: Well. Dented it. Arsé-kun: Impey: How and why?! Sheepy: Sherlock: By punching it and because I was upset. Arsé-kun: Impey: D: Sheepy: Sherlock: I'll be okay. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'll heal quickly. Sheepy: Sherlock: I always do. Arsé-kun: Impey: If you say so.. Sheepy: Sherlock: I didn't hurt you, did I? Sheepy: Sherlock: I didn't mean to if I did. I just... lost it. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm sorry. Arsé-kun: Impey: Me, too. Sheepy: Sherlock: Well... um, now that that's that. Now what? Arsé-kun: Impey: Not sure. Lemme drop Fran on th' bed so he can nap, and let's go back downstairs! Sheepy: Sherlock: Okay. Arsé-kun: *so he does, and they do!* Arsé-kun: Impey: I'm not elusive! Sheepy: Sheepy: A mystical, mythical Impey. Arsé-kun: Impey: Much better! Sheepy: Sheepy: You missed someone named Eggs. Sheepy: Sheepy: You could've been friends and bonded over weird names. Arsé-kun: Impey: Seriously? Sheepy: Sheepy: Well we've bonded and I have a weird name. Sheepy: Sheepy: That must mean something. Arsé-kun: Impey: That's just your nickname! Sheepy: Sheepy: My nickname is an improvement over my real name. Arsé-kun: Impey: Is it really? Sheepy: Sheepy: Yeah. Arsé-kun: Impey: Really? Sheepy: Sheepy: My real name is... Sheepy: Sheepy: "The". Sheepy: Sheepy: Sorry guys I've lied all along. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Good try, Mouton. Sheepy: Sheepy: Only you know my real name. Sheepy: Sheepy: Names are power, according to many different ancient cultures. Arsé-kun: Germain: A fair point, that is. Sheepy: Sheepy: Speaking of power, today I learned that Van doesn't have the power to instantly open windows with his mind and that throwing me at windows ends up in me smacking into them. Arsé-kun: Germain: How unfortunate. You could not grab onto the windowsill? Sheepy: Sheepy: Nope. Sheepy: Sheepy: Should I have tried picking the lock? Sheepy: Sheepy: I haven't but I don't know what traps await. Arsé-kun: *a single gunshot echos from upstairs. just one.* Sheepy: Sheepy: *well. he rushes upstairs because that didn't sound good.* Sheepy: Sheepy: Van, what'd you shoot? Arsé-kun: Van: The lock. ... I may have gotten more of the door. I did not plan my actions well. Sheepy: Sheepy: I could've picked the lock for you... Arsé-kun: Van: Ran out of patience. *he puts the shotgun down against the wall, and casually intrudes. fuck the rules* Sheepy: *The room is mostly pink. The Watsonbot is on the table with some tools nearby. Looks like she's been working on it recently. There's also a few large stuffed animals on the bed that seem to be themed after the 221B group. Iris's phone is on her bed. enough details, though. Iris seems to be absent.* Arsé-kun: *Van checks two places- Under the bed, and the closet* Sheepy: *Iris is in the closet. seems like she just woke up because she gives Van a dazed, confused look* Arsé-kun: Van: Why..? Sheepy: Iris: *she sleepily rubs her eyes and blinks. pauses.* ... A-Abby?! Arsé-kun: Van: I'm intruding. *he takes a wrapped cinnamon roll out of his pocket and gives it to Iris. he snagged it when no one was looking* Sheepy: Iris:...? Sheepy: Iris: Thank you...! Arsé-kun: Van: ... Also, I broke your lock. Good luck. Sheepy: Iris: Huh? Why? Arsé-kun: Van: To get in. Ran out of patience. Sheepy: Iris: I don't know how to fix it... Arsé-kun: Van: Me, neither. Sheepy: Iris: I'm sorry for blocking you. Arsé-kun: Van: Are you? Sheepy: Iris: Yes. Arsé-kun: Van: Are you really? Sheepy: Iris: I'm not sorry for blocking everyone else excluding Daddy. Arsé-kun: Van: Perfect. *he gives her a can of lemonade, from a different pocket. he planned this part* Sheepy: Iris: Thank you. I'm sorry for worrying you. Sheepy: Iris: I was scared. Sheepy: Iris: So I tried to block everything out. Sheepy: Iris: Instead I ended up falling asleep in the closet. Arsé-kun: Van: .. *he kneels down* What scared you? Sheepy: Iris: The thought that I may lose you to whatever caused your behavior to change yesterday and the thought that Daddy has been tested on by Twilight and may not be the same one day. Arsé-kun: Van: .... He's fine. Those wires are gone. No one told you? Sheepy: Iris: Huh? Arsé-kun: Van: ... I suppose not. A lot has happened in the last few hours. Sheepy: Iris: Really? Arsé-kun: Van: Yes. *he gives her a short update. He doesn't know all the details, but..* Sheepy: Iris: *she frowns* Holmsies? Fighting with people? Arsé-kun: Van: Stress, I heard. I don't know. Sheepy: Iris: I see.. Sheepy: Iris: But are you okay? Arsé-kun: Van: *he shrugs* I'll live. Sheepy: Iris: *she looks worried* Arsé-kun: Van: ... I'd talk to you about it, but I feel wildly out of place in here. Sheepy: *Iris gets up. Seems like Bunbun Sherly will be joining her for Listen To Van's Problems hour* Arsé-kun: Van: You okay with going somewhere else? Sheepy: Iris: Uhuh. Arsé-kun: *they end up in van's close- ROOM. HIS ROOM. WHICH IS CLOSET SIZED.* Sheepy: Iris: Why did you accept being put in a small room? Arsé-kun: Van: ... I like it. There's only really room for me. Sheepy: Iris: Oh... Arsé-kun: Van: And apparently you. Sheepy: Iris: And Sherly. Arsé-kun: Van: Yes, and- Arsé-kun: Germain: What is this, a new club base? Sheepy: Iris: It's Germy. Arsé-kun: Germain: It sure is. *he steps in and shuts the door behind him* Is something happening? Sheepy: Iris: *she looks to Van* Arsé-kun: Van: ... I don't know what came over me before, and I am sorry. Sheepy: Iris: That's what scares me. I don't want to lose you. Arsé-kun: Van: .... I can only hope that won't work a second time. Sheepy: Iris: But what if it does...? Arsé-kun: Van: .... Then keep away from me. .... I think I may have only acted that way because I believed I'd hurt you. Sheepy: Iris: But... Arsé-kun: Germain: But then what is keeping you stable would not be nearby. Sheepy: Iris: Yeah! Arsé-kun: Van: .... Then I don't know. Sheepy: Iris: I don't know either... Arsé-kun: Germain: .... Though, now I am curious. You'd never really attached yourself to anyone. Why Iris..? Arsé-kun: Van: ...... I'd like to know that, myself. Sheepy: Iris: Huh? Arsé-kun: Germain: Perhaps I should explain myself better. *van nods* ... As long as I've known Abraham, he'd never really bonded with people. You make the first notable exception. Sheepy: Iris: Really? Arsé-kun: Germain: Truly. Even I wondered at times if he cared. Sheepy: Iris: But he's really nice. Arsé-kun: Germain: Especially to you, I notice. Sheepy: Iris: *she seems unsure as to what to say* Arsé-kun: Germain: ... Then again, it may just be Abby's hidden talent for getting along with children. I've decided he has that, just now. Arsé-kun: *Germain gets punched in the shoulder. He looks unfazed* Sheepy: Iris: Does that mean he gets along with Sheepy? He's magical. Arsé-kun: Van: He's not exactly a child... He's immature more than anything. Sheepy: Iris: Huhh?? But he's only a little older than me! Arsé-kun: Van: He's tolerable. Sheepy: Iris: Usually. He used to be nicer but something just changed one day and he became distant. Arsé-kun: Germain: Puberty. Sheepy: Iris: Will I become like that too? Arsé-kun: Germain: Doubtful. Sheepy: Iris: Is that just a guy thing? Sheepy: Iris: And will he ever grow out of it? I don't like the new him. Arsé-kun: Germain: No, and it's very possible. Sheepy: Iris: That's good. Sheepy: Iris: I hope he does at least. Sheepy: Iris: Abby!! Did you go through a phase like that? Because you don't seem distant. Arsé-kun: Van: ... ... Something like that. Sheepy: Iris: So he'll probably go back to being nice eventually because you did. Arsé-kun: Van: Sure. Sheepy: Iris: Great!! Sheepy: Iris: By the way, Abby. Sheepy: Iris: You remind me of someone. Sheepy: Iris: You remind me of Zieksy. Sheepy: Iris: His resting face makes him look angry all the time but he's actually really nice. Sheepy: Iris: He also tries to make everyone think he's really mean but once he gets comfy in a situation he forgets about the act. Arsé-kun: Van: ... Well, alright. Sheepy: Iris: *did she insult him??? that worries her a little.* Arsé-kun: Van: Do I look that angry? Sheepy: Iris: Uhuh. Arsé-kun: Van: Huh. Sheepy: *so anyway the next day! fun! egg!* Arsé-kun: *Impey's up early again! And today! He sat down and had cereal. low effort day* Sheepy: Nyar: Hey. It's me. Everyone's favorite eldritch abomination. Arsé-kun: Impey: Morning, Nyar! Sheepy: Nyar: Good morning. Sheepy: Nyar: Or bad morning. Sheepy: Nyar: Whatever you get your kicks from. Sheepy: Nyar: I hear everything worked out well in the end with Sherlock. And, also, I gotta thank you because you ended up being very useful. Sheepy: Nyar: You removed a little bit of inconvenience out of my life. Arsé-kun: Impey: "Ended up"? What am I, a load? Sheepy: Nyar: Well, no. Sheepy: Nyar: Being called useful is actually a very big compliment from me. Arsé-kun: Impey: Or so you say! Sheepy: Nyar: Most of the time people are just playthings to me. But once they've proven they can get me further to my goals... I start to grow a little attached to them. Sheepy: Nyar: Who knows. Maybe I'll grow attached to you. Sheepy: Nyar: Not in a literal sense, of course. Sheepy: Nyar: Anyway, I'm sure it'll please you to know that the effects of my father's testing are slowly fading and I'll be in condition to do as I please soon enough. Arsé-kun: Impey: It had lasting effects? You sure seemed fine. Sheepy: Nyar: Well, physically I seem fine. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm sure you noticed me trying to induce hallucinations on that grunt a few days back. Sheepy: Nyar: Obviously it didn't work so I ended up having to knock him out with my bare hands. Ugh. Sheepy: Nyar: If I was at my true potential, I could've easily broken his mind to the point of no return and had him do my bidding. Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, don't do that. 's no fun. Sheepy: Nyar: But I was not due to the restrictions he set with his testing. Sheepy: Nyar: It's fun for me occasionally. Sheepy: Nyar: Anyway, as I said, the barriers he set are breaking down. Arsé-kun: Impey: And that's great! Just don't, uh, use everyone here for your entertainment, huh? Sheepy: Nyar: This group is already entertaining me. Sheepy: Nyar: And so, I don't have to throw any unnecessary conflict in to spice things up. Sheepy: Nyar: Lupin agreed to my case with the cultists and I believe Watson is willing to assist me with getting Phil's emotions back. Meaning, they're useful to me and thus I definitely don't want to throw any "wrenches in the machinery" so to speak and ruin their chances of going down the correct path. Arsé-kun: Impey: That I understand! No need to be a gremlin in an airplane! Sheepy: Nyar: Yeah, something like that. Sheepy: Nyar: Once you guys finish up what I want you to do, I may grant a few wishes. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... That's tempting, but what's the point? Stuff like that tends to leave people worse off. Sheepy: Nyar: I don't mean like that. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm not going to make something out of nothing. Sheepy: Nyar: I just mean, if you want something done, I'll do it. Sheepy: Nyar: Don't expect so much out of me when I haven't been fully powered for a looooooooong time. Arsé-kun: Impey: Nothin' from me, that's for sure! Sheepy: Nyar: Well, okay. Sheepy: Nyar: Either way, I wouldn't be granting them now because again, my requirements have not been fulfilled. Sheepy: Nyar: You gotta work for my services. Sheepy: Nyar: *he plops down on one of the chairs. sticks legs on table. thanks nyar.* Arsé-kun: Impey: Hey, get those off the table! Sheepy: Nyar: *he moves them* Sheepy: Nyar: When is everyone else going to get up? I'm so booooored.... Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Not yet, probably! So lazy! Sheepy: Nyar: Clearly the entire world revolves around me so I should have entertainment 24/7. Sheepy: Nyar: That's a joke. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Hey, hey, tell me this! What's the color of your blood?? Sheepy: Nyar: Black. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Why?? Sheepy: Nyar: 'Cause I'm not human, that's why. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm an eldritch abomination. Sheepy: Nyar: Technically, my blood is just what my body is formed of. Sheepy: Nyar: It's not really the same as your blood. Sheepy: Nyar: It's more like... hmm.. Sheepy: Nyar: I don't know how to explain it. Sheepy: Nyar: It's not that interesting. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Sounds it. Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, Delly, leave him alon- Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Knock that off! Sheepy: Nyar: It doesn't bug me. Sheepy: Nyar: Now that I've told you two this, I know I won't be bit by any vampires. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: .... Arsé-kun: Impey: No, you look like you're tempting him. Sheepy: Nyar: Unless, of course, you want to poison yourself. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Would it? Sheepy: Nyar: It would. Sheepy: Nyar: It's like drinking oil. Sheepy: Nyar: Like, car oil. Sheepy: Nyar: I guess. Sheepy: Nyar: I've never done it. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he grabs the back of Delacrox's shirt collar* Don't do it, Delly! Arsé-kun: Delacroix: Stooooooop calling me that! Sheepy: Nyar: Maybe he'll stop calling you childish names when you stop making childish mistakes. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: I AM a child! Sheepy: Nyar: Like even considering taking that as a challenge. Sheepy: Nyar: Then accept the nickname. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: I'm not! I'm hungry- No! Sheepy: Nyar: If you drink my blood you'll probably start vomiting up your insides or something. Sheepy: Nyar: I don't actually know. I'm bluffing at this point. Sheepy: Nyar: Dad might be curious about the results actually. Sheepy: Nyar:...Actually, whatever. You can do it if I can call you Delly. Arsé-kun: Delacroix: *he looks absolutely, downright offended for a minute* ... Fine, but only because I don't think I could stop you anyway! Sheepy: Nyar: Go nuts then, Delly. Arsé-kun: Delly: *he flinches, then climbs the back of the chair to get at Nyar's neck. Delly, no. thats not what he meant probably* Sheepy: Nyar: *he doesn't seem bothered* Sheepy: Nyar: You have fun with that, kiddo. Arsé-kun: Delly: *he does his thing for a bit, before letting go and falling off the chair- thankfully, onto his ass* Sheepy: Nyar: You done? Arsé-kun: Delly: ... y-yeah... Sheepy: Nyar: ... Uhuh. Sure. *he pulls out a phone* [text: to Saint-Germain] saaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiint germaiiiiin i have a question Sheepy: Nyar: [text: to Saint-Germain] lets say a child vampire drank my blood. would they die. yes no pleasr anserr Arsé-kun: Germain: [text: to Nyar] uh no. i dont know? can i wake up first Sheepy: Nyar: [text: to Saint-Germain] you aren't fully awake yet Sheepy: Nyar: [text: to Saint-Germain] hiw are you typing if youre asleep Arsé-kun: Germain: [text: to Nyar] Very funny. And no, I doubt they would unless it was far too much. Sheepy: Nyar: [text: to Saint-Germain] well the kid drank my blood Arsé-kun: Germain: [text: to Nyar] I'm coming. Sheepy: Nyar: [text: to Saint-Germain] finally Arsé-kun: *Germain arrives about thirty seconds later* Sheepy: Nyar: Hey. Arsé-kun: Germain: Why did you allow this? Sheepy: Nyar: You're 95% of my self control. Arsé-kun: Germain: *hand applied to face* Sheepy: Nyar: Whoops. Arsé-kun: *Germain bends down to check on Delly. He's fine, if not a bit dazed. And possibly violently hallucinating* Arsé-kun: *By the way, he is.* Sheepy: Nyar: Whoooops. Sheepy: Nyar: I was curious. Sheepy: Nyar: But now he's hallucinating. Hmm. Well, that means whatever Dad did has nothing to do wih my bloodstream. Arsé-kun: Impey: Why are you so casual about this?! Sheepy: Nyar: I'm the Crawling Chaos, duh. Sheepy: Nyar: Have you read the books? Arsé-kun: Impey: No? I never had time, really! Sheepy: Nyar: Well, they're great reads. Especially the ones about me. Sheepy: Sheepy: I agree. Also, is Delacroix sick? Arsé-kun: Germain: If you can understand them, that is. Arsé-kun: Impey: Oh, uh Arsé-kun: Delly: .... I've made a mistake. Sheepy: Sheepy: Rest in peace Arsé-kun: Delly: I'd like a free pass for death now. Sheepy: Sheepy: Nyar could probably give you that if you want it. Sheepy: Nyar: That's my boy, Randy. Always knowing how I'm going to reply next. *he ruffles Sheepy's hair* Sheepy: Sheepy: Like Randolph Carter? Sheepy: Nyar: *he quickly pulls his hand away* Sheepy: Nyar: I was just messing with you. Sheepy: Sheepy:....Uhuh. Sheepy: Nyar: Anyway, kiddo, you should expect the hallucinations to affect all of your senses. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm always glad for willing participants in tests to see just what my body is capable of. I stated the possible dangers to you and yet you didn't seem deterred, so this is all on your head. Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... I've decided I don't want to know anymore. *how long have you been there, lupin?* Don't tell me, I don't want to hear it. Sheepy: Sheepy: Arsene, Nyar is trying to buddy-up to me and is acting like he knows me very well. It's creeping me out. I don't want friends. I'm a loner who's liked by no one. Arsé-kun: Germain: No, you're not. You'll regret that later in life. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm the loneliest of loners. Sheepy: Sheepy: My inability to trust people along with my crippling depression and inability to be true to myself causes me to hold people at a distance. People who think they're my friends actually know nothing about me no matter how much they act like they do. You can't be friends with someone you can't trust. *he sits down in a chair* That's why my only friends are Arsene and Sisi. Arsé-kun: Germain: ... ... Poor Iris. Sheepy: Sheepy: She has friends other than me. Arsé-kun: Germain: Tell her that yourself. I happened to hear that she's very upset about you pushing her away. Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm not going to lie about how I feel. Arsé-kun: Germain: I never said to lie. I said to tell her yourself. Arsé-kun: Germain: Please. Tell her, yourself, that you think she knows nothing about you, and that you don't trust her. I'll fetch popcorn. Sheepy: Sheepy: Are you trying to start something up? Sheepy: Sheepy: I like her but again, if I don't feel like I can trust basically anyone including myself, it's unfair to her to call myself her friend. Arsé-kun: Germain: But why is that, exactly? Sheepy: Sheepy: Can one really give reasons as to why they feel things? Sheepy: Sheepy: You can rationalize and try to explain things all you want, but the fact of the matter is that the brain is a very complicated thing and not even your mind understands its actions at times. Arsé-kun: Germain: That's fair enough. I concede. Sheepy: Nyar: Lupin, when are you going to start investigating the cultists? I'm getting impatient. Gosh. I wanna see your reactions. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Not yet... I've got a case, and anyway, that statement scares me a little. Sheepy: Nyar: I don't know what you'll come up with but I've got a clue as to what the true end result of it is. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Could you perhaps share? Sheepy: Nyar: Hmmm... Sheepy: Nyar: I'll say this. Sheepy: Nyar: It's very, very relevant to you. Sheepy: Nyar: Or maybe someone close to you? Sheepy: Nyar: Who knows? Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Sheepy: Nyar: Although, I wonder. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I wonder where Tom is.. Sheepy: *Tom falls down the stairs, screaming. He didn't have those clothes before.* Sheepy: Nyar: Nevermind. That's spoilers. Sheepy: Nyar: It's too much information and you'll guess where I'm going with it. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ... Ah, there you are! *he retrieves Tom* Where did you get these..? Sheepy: Tom: twilight Sheepy: Tom: i made a friend and also i accidentally became a captain of twilight Sheepy: Tom: it was a fun adventure Arsé-kun: Arséne: ..... I'm not going to ask. *he deposits Tom on the table* Sheepy: Sheepy: I'm impatient. Tell me the answer. Sheepy: Nyar: Noooo. It's a game. You can't just cheat to the end. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's called using a walkthrough! Sheepy: Nyar: You can't use walkthroughs for mind games... Sheepy: Tom: these clothes are nice Sheepy: Tom: so is azathoth hes my friend now Arsé-kun: Impey: Whatt'd'ya mean you made friends with Azathoth? Sheepy: Tom: he made me this outfit Sheepy: Tom: we talked about life and stuff Sheepy: Tom: or death in my case Sheepy: Tom: and our interests Sheepy: Tom: and were friends now Arsé-kun: Impey: Uh. Good job? Sheepy: Tom: thank you Sheepy: Sheepy: Did she tell you she hated me being distant, Saint-Germain? Arsé-kun: Germain: Yes, in fact. Sheepy: Sheepy: If I tell her how I feel, what d'ya think will happen? Arsé-kun: Germain: Either acceptance, or grief. Sheepy: Sheepy: Not risking the latter. Sheepy: Sheepy: I doubt it'll improve things. Arsé-kun: Germain: A fair point.. Sheepy: Sheepy: If she wants to be upset, she's going to get upset, and there's really no point in pushing my luck. Sheepy: Sheepy: It's how people are. Sheepy: Sheepy: They'll find some reason, any reason, to act a certain way towards you. Sheepy: Sheepy: Of course, you can influence that, but only negatively usually. Sheepy: Sheepy: And with that in mind, just because I'm distant and it may seem like I'm not trying doesn't mean I don't care. Sheepy: Sheepy: It means I care too much. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Good to know. *he leaves the room..* Sheepy: Sheepy: ? Sheepy: Tom: *he's disappeared. Where did he go? Oh, he followed Arsene. Maybe? He's there, anyway.* Sheepy: Tom: aaarssssseeeeeeeeeeneeee Sheepy: Tom: i met byrd Sheepy: Tom: he was acting strange and didnt seem to recognize me Sheepy: Tom: will he burn me Sheepy: Tom: will you burn me Arsé-kun: Impey: No? Sheepy: Tom: but i scared everyone Arsé-kun: Impey: So what? Sheepy: Tom: so nobody dislikes me over it Sheepy: Tom: thats good Sheepy: Naoya: *he knocks on the door* Arsé-kun: Germain: Who is it?~ Sheepy: Sheepy: *he opens the door and then closes it* Sheepy: Naoya: W-wait! I need to talk to you! Sheepy: Naoya: *he knocks on the door* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he goes and opens the door for Naoya* Sup, dude? Sheepy: Naoya: Um, is Mycroft here? Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... Unfortunately. Sheepy: Naoya: Um... Sheepy: Naoya: I'm sorry to bother you. Sheepy: Nyar: It's Naorin! Sheepy: Naoya: *he ignores this* I have something really important to tell you. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: ... All right, who at my workplace made a fool of themselves this time? Sheepy: Naoya: I wouldn't really call it "making a fool of themselves"... Sheepy: Naoya: Robert Moriarty was accused of murder. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: god damn it Sheepy: Naoya: And by extension, all of those really gruesome 'crucifixion' murders. Sheepy: Naoya: Last night he was found collapsed nearby the victim. There's apparently witnesses and everything. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Boy, I'm glad the police immediately blame someone. Sheepy: Naoya: I just thought you should know. Sheepy: Naoya: He's having a lot of trouble finding an attorney despite having a lot in the way of assets, apparently. Arsé-kun: Watson: *he's just gotten downstairs with his cane* .... I know someone who can help. Sheepy: Naoya: You do? Sheepy: Naoya: I don't know if anyone would want to touch this case. Arsé-kun: Watson: Well, they owe us a favor, so.. Sheepy: Naoya: The police want to clean this situation up and forget about the murders all together. Anyone who comes after this will just be a "poser"... Arsé-kun: Arséne: Pardon my French, but fuck the police. *he's back! he deposits a brown sheep toy next to tom he found it!* Sheepy: Naoya: Meanwhile if they don't succeed in proving him innocent, they might be associated as the ones who defended a serial killer for the rest of their lives. Sheepy: Tom: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Sheepy: Naoya: It'd be appreciated if you did contact them, though. Arsé-kun: Watson: Let me turn my coffee on, and I'll call them. Sheepy: Naoya: Okay. Arsé-kun: *and so, watson does! he steps out* Sheepy: Naoya: I apologize for interrupting your morning, everyone. Arsé-kun: Impey: Aw, it's fine! It's always a mess anyway! Sheepy: Naoya: Is it? Arsé-kun: Impey: Yeeep! Sheepy: Naoya: Ours was usually a mess when Nyar stayed with us. Arsé-kun: Germain: low blow. Sheepy: Nyar: Wow. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm offended. Sheepy: Nyar: I haven't seen Phil in like three days and I'm already worried about him. Sheepy: Nyar: But I've moved in with my husband. Sorry Naorin. Arsé-kun: Germain: your what Sheepy: Nyar: My husband. Sheepy: Nyar: Mycroft. We're married... Sheepy: Sherlock: Nevermind, I'm going back upstairs. Arsé-kun: Mycroft: Me, too. Wait up. Sheepy: Sherlock: *he waits for Mycroft before going up.* Arsé-kun: Germain: Look, Nyar, you've scared them off. Sheepy: Nyar: Whoops. Sheepy: Nyar: But actually I'm here for Saint-Germain. Arsé-kun: Germain: Terrible. Sheepy: Nyar: Why? Sheepy: Nyar: I loved you and you you do this? Break my heart with your heartless comments? I want a divorce. Arsé-kun: Germain: Flatter me and insult me all you like, but not now. Sheepy: Nyar: Awww... Sheepy: Nyar: But what will I do if not that? Arsé-kun: Germain: Millions upon billions of other things. Sheepy: Naoya: *he appears uncomfortable* Sheepy: Nyar: Heyy, Naorin. Phil is working with Twilight's head right jow so watch out. Sheepy: Naoya: I know. Arsé-kun: Germain: Ah, that makes things easier. Sheepy: Naoya: He said so. Sheepy: Naoya: I can't really get mad though because I have no clue what he's planning. Sheepy: Naoya: And his behavior towards us hasn't changed. Sheepy: Naoya: Which, in the end... after everything Kazuya has been through due to you, Nyar, is what's most important to me. Sheepy: Nyar: Heyhey, this is supposed to be my redemption arc. You seriously haven't done your research if you think I had any control of the situation. Sheepy: Naoya: I don't want your excuses, Nyar. Nobody liked how you changed and it's very difficult to see you as more than the person who hurt all of us. Things have been much more relaxed after you left. Sheepy: Nyar: Kiddo, if you keep pushing away allies over here, one day you'll have none and be in a very dark place. It's how life works. I would call my Twilight head personality an act. I wouldn't call how I treated you three before this whole Twilight nonsense an act. Sheepy: Naoya: It'll never go back to how it was, Nyar. You've burnt your bridges. Stop trying to rebuild them. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he looks to Nyar* I've told you this before- You can't just yell "It was all an act!" and expect everything to be fine. You keep doing this, and you haven't learned. Are you going to this time? Sheepy: Nyar: Hmm... Sheepy: Nyar: Probably not. Sheepy: Nyar: It's how I am. Sheepy: Nyar: Am I going to change for someone whose opinion of me would be terrible either way? Sheepy: Nyar: No. Arsé-kun: Germain: That's what you said three times ago. Sheepy: Nyar: ........ Sheepy: Nyar: People call me a monster because I am one. That's what I am deep down and no amount of "You can change!" will fix that. Sheepy: Nyar: So if you've got any faith in me in terms of changing for the better, your hopes will be dashed. Arsé-kun: Germain: No one is telling you to. *he raises an eyebrow* I'm more expecting you to run to the states and curbstomp an abusive orphanage to the ground. Sheepy: Nyar: Well. I could. Arsé-kun: Germain: I'm still waiting for the world domination attempt. Sheepy: Nyar: If I rule the world, nothing will be fun anymore. Arsé-kun: Germain: What about the inevitable revolution? Sheepy: Nyar: I could just easily wipe everyone out. That's no fun. Sheepy: Nyar: Just remember, Naorin, one day you're going to have to make a decision, and the choice you take may tear your heart to pieces but it's necessary for the greater good. It's how adult life is. Arsé-kun: *there's a moment of uncomfortable pause* Arsé-kun: Impey: *he leans on the table, looking up at them* How long have you two known each other, anyway? Sheepy: Nyar: Forever. I've known him since...... Sheepy: Nyar: Gee. Arsé-kun: Germain: Far too long. Sheepy: Nyar: Yeah. Sheepy: Nyar: Phil, Saint-Germain, and I have been together for forever. He's basically part of the family. Arsé-kun: Germain: That makes me sound far too old. Sheepy: Nyar: You're not that old. Sheepy: Nyar: But you did know Phil before he was a piece of cardboard personality-wise. Arsé-kun: Germain: m-hm. Such a shame, that was. Sheepy: Nyar: By the way, Naorin. If you really care about Phil, you wouldn't be so accepting of him working for Twilight. He could be hurt, you know. Or maybe end up like Kazzy was. Who knows? Sheepy: Naoya: He was determined about it. Sheepy: Naoya: Anyway, um, I'm sorry, but I'm really busy and will have to go as soon as Dr. Watson confirms that Robert has gotten legal help. Arsé-kun: *speaking of which, Watson's still on the phone. he's not done yet* Sheepy: Naoya: *oh.* Sheepy: Naoya: *he is visibly uncomfortable from Nyar's presence...* Sheepy: Sheepy: Hmm... I guess maybe they don't want to defend that guy? Arsé-kun: Impey: *he tilts his head a little* .... Nah, he's sayin' something else. Arsé-kun: Impey: uh... Mostly complaining and something about a black cat.. Sheepy: Sheepy: Eh? Arsé-kun: Impey: .... ..... Oh! He's coming back. Arsé-kun: *and watson does exactly that!* Sheepy: *Watson suddenly feels very cold fingers on his neck.* Arsé-kun: Watson: !! Sherlock!! Sheepy: Sherlock: Hullo! Arsé-kun: Watson: Yes, hello. *he looks to Naoya* I've been given an affirmative. Sheepy: Naoya: I'm glad. Sheepy: Naoya: Thank you for calling them. Arsé-kun: Watson: Quite welcome. Sheepy: Naoya: Okay, um, I've informed Mycroft and found a defense for Robert, so everything is well. I'll be going now... Thank you. Arsé-kun: Germain: No problems. Stay safe on the way home! Sheepy: Naoya: Thank you! *so he leaves.* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Will anybody else be needing the phone? Sheepy: Sheepy: Yeah, I need to call all of my many friends with it. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Are you so distant you can't bother to go upstairs? Sheepy: Sheepy: What do you mean? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Never mind. *he steps out, and goes to sit down at his desk* Sheepy: Sheepy: What's upstairs for me? Arsé-kun: *sorry, sheepy, you'll have to wait. Arséne has picked up the phone* Sheepy: Iris: Good morning everyone! *SHE'S HERE???* Arsé-kun: Impey: Mornin', Iris! Glad you could join us!! Sheepy: Iris: Daddy, how are you feeling? Arsé-kun: Watson: Better than yesterday! You, too? Sheepy: Iris: Uhuh! Sheepy: Iris: I'm really glad the wires were removed. I was worried. Sheepy: Nyar: I'm capable of good things after all, huh. Arsé-kun: Impey: I'm just glad I didn't ruin anything..! Sheepy: Nyar: Nah. Sheepy: Nyar: Saint-Germain had to step out but all is well. Arsé-kun: Watson: Speaking of well.. Sherlock, your hand? Sheepy: Sherlock: What about it? Arsé-kun: Watson: How is it feeling? Sheepy: Sherlock: Well, the skin in my hand contains nerve endings that enable my brain to register any sensations my hand feels. Our sense of pain is coupled wih the sense of touch, which enables us to react when we touch something that hurts us, such as a hot plate or very cold ice. Sheepy: Sherlock: Basically, anything I feelings I have with my hand were created by my brain. Arsé-kun: Watson: Sherlock! Sheepy: Sherlock: What? Arsé-kun: Watson: Not what I meant! Sheepy: Sherlock: Then what did you mean? Arsé-kun: Watson: Does it still hurt? Sheepy: Sherlock: Pain is not a good measurement of an injury. Sheepy: Sherlock: A papercut hurts more than a bad burn and hitting one's funny bone can be more painful than breaking a bone. Arsé-kun: Watson: So it does. Thank you. Sheepy: Sherlock: I barely slept last night. Sheepy: Sherlock: Do I really have to help Moriarty's son? Arsé-kun: Watson: It'd be preferred if you did. Asougi and Ryuunosuke are on it. Sheepy: Sherlock: Asougi is that mop man, right? Arsé-kun: Watson: That's right! Sheepy: Sherlock: And Ryuu is the one whose eyes dart around all the time. Arsé-kun: Watson: *he looks delighted!* Yes, yes, that's right! Sheepy: *Sherlock seems pleased with himself!* Arsé-kun: *Iris also looks pleased! She somehow got onto Impey's shoulder? He probably put her there. Look at the happy child. LOOK AT HER* Sheepy: Nyar: *he seems proud of himself. hmm.* Arsé-kun: *the room's overall mood seems to have gone way up! ... Except Delly's, he's still sitting on the ground and suffering intensely.* Sheepy: Sherlock: There's Susato too, right? Didn't you work with him once? Or wait... Maybe she's that bookworm who really liked your stories... Sheepy: Sherlock: He? She? Arsé-kun: Watson: She. Sheepy: Sherlock: Right, she's the one who liked your stories. Sheepy: Sherlock: But... Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm still defending the son of the Napoleon of crime. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm not okay with this. Arsé-kun: Watson: You may not be. If you can find evidence pointing to him having done it, you can say that. Sheepy: Sherlock: Really? Sheepy: Sherlock: I guess you're right. Arsé-kun: Watson: I like to be sometimes, you know. Sheepy: Sherlock: You usually are. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm usually not unless it's something I care about. Sheepy: Sherlock: Such as the planets. Sheepy: Sherlock: There are ten planets, right? Sheepy: Sherlock: The moon is a planet. Sheepy: Sherlock: It's like the little brother of Earth. Sheepy: Sherlock: Pluto is cold but everyone likes it anyway. Sheepy: Sherlock: Mars is closest to the sun and it's very hot. Arsé-kun: Impey: Most of that was wrong!! Sheepy: Sherlock: Like what? Arsé-kun: Impey: The Moon's not a planet! There are 8 planets! And Mercury is closest to the Sun, not Mars! Sheepy: Sherlock: Even if the moon isn't a planet by birth, it should be considered a planet because it's been in the family long enough. Sheepy: Sherlock: Sheepy is adopted but he's a Lupin, for example... Sheepy: Sherlock: So even ifthe moon is adopted, it's still family. Arsé-kun: Impey: Then we'd have too many planets! Sheepy: Sherlock: We would? Sheepy: Sherlock: There'd be Mercury, Mars, Earth, Moon, Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Cyanide, Plato, and the Sun. Sheepy: Sherlock: Wait. Plato is a philosopher. Arsé-kun: Impey: The Sun isn't a planet, and where the heck did you get Cyanide?! Arsé-kun: Impey: Did you mean Ceres?? Sheepy: Sherlock: Mercury is a toxic substance. Arsé-kun: Impey: It's named after the Roman God! Sheepy: Sherlock: Cyanide is toxic too. Arsé-kun: Impey: All of the planets except Earth are- Cyanide isn't a planet, Sherlock! Sheepy: Sherlock: Even the Moon? Sheepy: Sherlock: Earth is named after the ground, earth. Sheepy: Sherlock: Moon is the name of the man who lives on it. Arsé-kun: Impey: The Moon isn't a planet!! It's a moon! It has an entire category named after it!- No! Sheepy: Sherlock: It's his private vacation place. Sheepy: Sherlock: I have an entire category of stories named after me and their content is questionable. Arsé-kun: Watson: That I can confirm. Arsé-kun: Watson: .... I was ignoring that category. Sheepy: Sherlock: I wasn't referring to your writings. Sheepy: Sherlock: I was referring to what Iris and Sheepy showed me. Arsé-kun: Watson: I thought you meant the semi-official things. I want to drink bleach instead of coffee now. Do you think they mix? Sheepy: Sherlock: I like the dog one. Arsé-kun: Watson: Okay, that one is fine. Sheepy: Sherlock: Bleach is bad for your health. Sheepy: Sherlock: Dogs aren't. Sheepy: Sherlock: I like Sherlock Hound. It's a nice show. My favorite character is the dog version of you, Watson. Arsé-kun: Impey: *he's put his head in his hands. cyanide is not a planet* Sheepy: Iris: Holmsies knows nothing about planets. Arsé-kun: Impey: I noticed.. Sheepy: Iris: He doesn't remember much past a few years after he met Daddy so he doesn't remember many things you learn as a kid. Sheepy: Iris: Like planets! Sheepy: Iris: Or, what else... Sheepy: Sherlock: Something about that seems wrong. Arsé-kun: Impey: ... That's why that's bothering me! There's a moon that's got Cyanide, just not a planet! Sheepy: Sherlock: Cyanide is the blue planet. Arsé-kun: Impey: Nooo! Those are Uranus and Neptune! Titan is a moon! Sheepy: Sherlock: Cyanide is a fruit. Sheepy: Sherlock: It's a poisoning but also a fruit. Arsé-kun: Watson: Closer. It's in the seeds of some, specifically. Sheepy: Sherlock: It's the red one. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... Sheepy: Sherlock: They're put in pies. Sheepy: Sherlock: Cyanide pies. Arsé-kun: Delly: ... That's a fucking apple Sheepy: Sheepy: Cyanide pies are my favorite. Sheepy: Sherlock: No, no. Sheepy: Sherlock: Apples are trees. Arsé-kun: Delly: ............ Nyarlathotep, can I drink bleach? I'd like to drink bleach now. Sheepy: Sherlock: Cyanide is in the seeds of the red fruits. Sheepy: Nyar: No, I already drank it all Arsé-kun: Delly: drat Sheepy: Sherlock: I had a case where someone poisoned someone else with the seeds. Arsé-kun: Watson: Yes, you did. Sheepy: Sherlock: Cyanide seeds. Arsé-kun: Watson: Okay, now you're doing this on purpose. Sheepy: Iris: Holmsies the last time you went to the store you wrote down "apples"... Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he leans in* He knows what an apple is. He ate one the other day. *he exits stage right. he just wanted his 2 cents* Sheepy: Sherlock: Arséne bought it for me. Arsé-kun: Impey: Please tell me Cyanide being a planet was you joking, too.. Sheepy: Sherlock: Yes. Sheepy: Sherlock: I was supposed to recharge but my hand kept waking me up. Arsé-kun: Impey: Okay, good!! Sheepy: Sherlock: So I'm running on fumes and want attention. Arsé-kun: Impey: You're gettin' it! Sheepy: Sherlock: Good. Arsé-kun: Impey: Geez! I thought you were being serious..! Arsé-kun: Germain: No. He's Sherlock. Arsé-kun: Impey: Sainty-G, how could you?! Sheepy: Sherlock: I wasn't. Sheepy: Sherlock: I know very little about space but I know that cyanide isn't a planet. Sheepy: Iris: Holmsies! You know a lot about things that can kill people! How do you cure depression??? Sheepy: Sherlock: A depression is caused when the dollar is worth very little and the employment rate is very low. Sheepy: Iris: No! Sheepy: Sherlock: There is no one way to "cure" a depression. Sheepy: Sherlock: The economy is a very complicated system. Sheepy: Sherlock: For one, the government must create jobs to be able to keep their economy afloat. Sheepy: Sherlock: Secondly, printing money will actually damage the economy more. Sheepy: Iris: Holmsies! Sheepy: Sherlock: Third, borrowing money won't help because a depression is actually a very, vey extreme case of a recession. A recession can cause a depression and once a depression ends the damage might cause a recession. Sheepy: Sherlock: A recession is generally caused by an economic decline in activity such as trading between countries or occupations within the country. Sheepy: Iris: Daddy, how do you cure depression? Arsé-kun: Watson: Very carefully. Arsé-kun: Watson: Why? Sheepy: Iris: Because I don't want Sheepy to be distant anymore. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... Ah. Sheepy: Iris: So how do I??? Arsé-kun: Watson: That depends on a lot of factors, and I doubt he'd be too willing to share them. Sheepy: Iris: Like what? Arsé-kun: Watson: Personal experiences. Sheepy: Iris: Oh. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... I'll talk to you about it a bit later, how about that? Sheepy: Iris: Okay! Arsé-kun: *Arséne is now done on the phone. He was arranging a meeting with Jason* Sheepy: Sheepy: You've returned. Arsé-kun: Arséne: oui. Sheepy: Sheepy: Who were you calling? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Jason. As the toy was found, the case is nearly closed. Sheepy: Nyar: Nice. Sheepy: Nyar: After that, get to my case. It'll be fun. Sheepy: Nyar: If you've got any questions, ask them now. Once you actually start it, it's closed book. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Here's one: Why? Sheepy: Nyar: As I said. This case isn't so much for me as it is for you. Sheepy: Nyar: There may be some questions on your mind that will be answered once you look into this cult. Arsé-kun: Arséne: ..... ....... Fine. *he seems unhappy* Sheepy: Nyar: I can't say you'll like the results, though. Sheepy: Nyar: But, don't forget: Sheepy: Nyar: The truth is unchangeable. Humans try to create their own "truths" but only end up hurting those around them. Sheepy: Nyar: So, will you accept what you find? Or will you deny the facts and believe your own construct of reality? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Take a wild guess. Sheepy: Nyar: ... Good. Any other questions? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Will you leave me alone so I can actually start? Sheepy: Nyar: Don't you at least want to know which cult you're looking into? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Write it down. Sheepy: *Nyar writes down the date "04-01-2002" and passes it to Arsene!* Sheepy: Nyar: That's all you get. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Thanks a lot. Sheepy: Nyar: Ah... right. One other thing. Sheepy: Nyar: There's no witnesses. Nine out of the ten cultists committed suicide through poisoning. Now, I wonder what happened to the last one, hmm? Arsé-kun: Arséne: A variety of things could have happened, actually. Sheepy: Nyar: Good luck! If you're struggling, I'll help you. Sheepy: Nyar: Yes. Sheepy: Nyar: But, what really happened? Arsé-kun: Arséne: A hot pile of shit, probably. Sheepy: Nyar: Awww, that's no way to think of it. Arsé-kun: *delly is still dying internally* Sheepy: *Sheepy has his head in his arms. He may or may not be taking a nap right there at the table.* Arsé-kun: *that explains why he isn't talking* Sheepy: *sheepy is either asleep or talking. there is no in between.* Arsé-kun: *fair point* Sheepy: Sherlock: So when am I supposed to meet Asougi and Mr. Naruhodou? Arsé-kun: Watson: Tomorrow morning. Sheepy: Sherlock: ... Sheepy: Sherlock: *he raises his eyebrows* Arsé-kun: Watson: ..... I know, trust me. I asked if it could be later. Sheepy: Sherlock: If I don't sleep tonight I can probably join them. Arsé-kun: Watson: Don't do That... Sheepy: Sherlock: Then what do you want me to do? Sheepy: Sherlock: Good luck waking me up. Arsé-kun: Watson: Just go to bed early..?? Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh! Good idea. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'll go to bed at 4 PM. Arsé-kun: Watson: Good luck Sheepy: Sherlock: I should wake up by 1 AM, whic is morning. Arsé-kun: Watson: That's... A bit too early. Sheepy: Sherlock: Is it? Sheepy: Sherlock: When should I aim to wake up??? Arsé-kun: Watson: Maybe around six? Sheepy: Sherlock: Uhh... Sheepy: Sherlock: So then I go to bed around ten. Arsé-kun: Watson: Sounds good. Sheepy: Sherlock: Please remind me. Arsé-kun: Watson: I'll do my best. Sheepy: Sherlock: I know I won't remember. Sheepy: Sherlock: I hope I don't have to do too much. Sheepy: Sherlock: Think about it this way. Sheepy: Sherlock: Eggs Benedict is most definitely innocent. Yesterday he approached me for a case and it felt as though we were being watched. He then left and in the same night he was knocked out. Based on the way he held his arm, he most likely did not use his right or left arm too much on his way back home in case he would accidentally jerk his left arm. Furthermore, he did not appear armed. Sheepy: Sherlock: But: This means that the one who shot him in the shoulder knocked him out nearby the murdered individual. Sheepy: Sherlock: If I find evidence pointing towards the true killer, they might turn their attention towards, I don't know, Iris, you, me, anyone who lives with us. Arsé-kun: *John H. "This is why you're my partner" Watson was approving until that last part* Arsé-kun: Watson: That's the risk for any case, Sherlock. Sheepy: Sherlock: Except the one who shot him claims to be Fantomas. Sheepy: Sherlock: Fantomas is a sadistic murderer who draws out death as long as he can so he can get as much enjoyment out of it as he can. Sheepy: Sherlock: The fact that the victim was shoddily crucified points toward it being Fantomas. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he nods* I was hoping not to have to deal with him again. ... I suppose we don't have much choice, do we? Sheepy: Sherlock: I haven't had to deal with him yet, but... I guess so. Sheepy: Sherlock: I was hoping for a normal case for once. Arsé-kun: Arséne: That would be nice. These all seem to be tying into single or multiple other points.. Sheepy: Nyar: Like cultists. By the way, have you solved it yet? I've given you enough information for you to solve it right here and now. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he looks annoyed* I haven't. Finished. My other case. Sheepy: Nyar: Fiiiiiiinnnnneeee... Sheepy: Nyar: A detective worth their salt would've solved it already. Arsé-kun: Arséne: The only salt here is me. I'm getting salty. Sheepy: Nyar: Wow. Sheepy: Nyar: Do you need a hint?? Sheepy: Nyar: Here's a hint: The date and the number of people who didn't poison themselves are all you need. You may br getting frustrated but it concerns something or someone you care about. Sheepy: Nyar: Once you get that far, you get your payment of information. Arsé-kun: Arséne: .... Arrêtez. Arsé-kun: Germain: Oh, I understand it now. It's one and one, and that makes two. Arsé-kun: Germain: Two plus four, for April, is six Sheepy: Nyar: Oh, oh! Don't tell me, based on your tone of voice, you figured it out! Arsé-kun: Germain: And six is afraid of seven Arsé-kun: Germain: Because seven eight nine. Sheepy: Nyar: Saint-Germain... Arsé-kun: Germain: But wait! There were nine cultists who died. Sheepy: Nyar: Yes. Arsé-kun: Germain: So the cult is the Cult of Eight. Sheepy: Nyar: Eh? Sheepy: Nyar: There were ten members and one had passed earlier due to complications... Arsé-kun: Germain: *he just nods and looks satisfied* And from there, I know exactly what group you're speaking of. Sheepy: Nyar: Oh shoot he heard me. Sheepy: Nyar: *he clears his throat* SO! You've figured it out, haven't you? Sheepy: Nyar: Your tone of voice says you did. Arsé-kun: Germain: Time to become the next Scotland Yard! Sheepy: Nyar: Saint-Germain... I love you but you're ruining the mood. Sheepy: Nyar: And if you keep it up, I won't tell my story and Arsene will never hear the thrilling story of the cult. Arsé-kun: Germain: Fine, I'll stop. Sheepy: Nyar: Alright, Arsene! Are you ready for a story? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Non! Sheepy: Nyar: Rreeeaallllyyyy? Sheepy: Nyar: Oh well. Sheepy: Nyar: Have fun not knowing things then. Gosh. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he puts a hand over Nyar's mouth* I do believe he is growing tired of your voice Sheepy: Nyar: *he pouts* Arsé-kun: Germain: Don't give me that face. Sheepy: Nyar: *pout, pout* Sheepy: *a knock at the door!* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he gets it, but not before grabbing the brown sheep toy and tom* Sheepy: Jason: Good morning, Chief! Arsé-kun: Arséne: Bonjour! sheep: Jason: Thank you so, so much for helping me find it. sheep: Jason: And confirming what happened to Tom. sheep: Jason: Please take good care of him. sheep: Tom: ...... sheep: Jason: I hope you don't mind if I visit him occasionally. sheep: Tom: i dont want you to leave but i dont want to leave sheep: Jason: I'm...sorry. I can't rest easy until I've brought your killer to justice. sheep: Tom: nonononononono dontdontdontdontdontdontdont Arsé-kun: Arséne: Don't? Will something happen, Tom? Sheepy: Tom: dont do it Arsé-kun: Arséne: You heard it here, Jason. Whatever you're planning, don't. Sheepy: Jason: ...Alright. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I mean it. Don't make me have to save you or something. Sheepy: Jason: Alright. Sheepy: Jason: I won't. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Thank you. Sheepy: Jason: I'll be going now. Thank you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Quite welcome. Stay safe! Sheepy: *Jason leaves.* Sheepy: Nyar: Sssoooooo.... Sheepy: Nyar: Nice job on that case. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Stop right there. Sheepy: Nyar: Fiiiine Sheepy: Nyar: I'm pushy because I understand the importance of it Arsé-kun: Arséne: That's wonderful. Sheepy: Nyar: Why? Sheepy: Nyar: You call it wonderful and yet don't act. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I said I would. Stop it. Sheepy: Nyar: Fine. Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't get why I can't just solve whatever the case is. Sheepy: Nyar: It's not related to you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Ask again, and I won't. Sheepy: Nyar: Fine. Sheepy: Iris: Sheepy, it's bad for you to sleep there. Sheepy: *other than an irritated huff, Sheepy doesn't react to Iris. rude* Arsé-kun: Germain: That's not very nice of you. Sheepy: Sheepy: Okay. Arsé-kun: Germain: Okay. *and he decides to just grab Sheepy and pick him out of the chair* Arsé-kun: *he then decides to dump Sheepy off on the bed upstairs. Specifically, Arséne's* Arsé-kun: Germain: ... I don't know if you're listening, and I know you're having trouble trusting others, but.. Arsé-kun: Germain: You can't push everyone away. A time will come when you need others in your life. Arsé-kun: Germain: Iris looks to you as more than a friend- she sees you as her big brother. Arsé-kun: Germain: *he hums and looks around* Arsé-kun: Germain: I understand if you don't feel the desire to immediately reconnect- It may not feel worth it. Arsé-kun: Germain: Just... Just don't be so distant that it harms not only yourself. *he exits, and goes back downstairs. He wonders if he should find Iris a Lovecraft book to read, so they can connect on that front* Arsé-kun: *Germain decides to scan the bookshelves. While doing so, he remembers Delly is still dying and goes to check on him.* Arsé-kun: Delly: *he's opted to lie on the floor, and he looks absolutely miserable* Arsé-kun: Germain: ... Are you going to be all right? Arsé-kun: Delly: .... I've been scarred for life. I've made a mistake, Saint. I can't even see your face right now. All I see are tentacles n' stuff. *he shudders* Arsé-kun: Germain: .... I should have stopped you. My apologies. *he carefully picks Delly up, and deposits him in his own bed. Let him rest* Arsé-kun: *Germain then returns to hunting for books* Sheepy: Nyar: What'cha looking for? Sheepy: Nyar: I can help you find it! I'm great at finding things. Sheepy: Sherlock: Arsene, my hand still hurts. What do I do? I don't want it to keep hurting. *he leans on Arsene some. Sherlock why do you do this.* sheep: Nyar: This book is about me. *he grabs one of the lovecraft books* You should read it, Saint-Germain. sheep: Nyar: I like it. sheep: Nyar: Have you ever noticed how our names aren't pronounceable to humans??? We won't arrive if you get our name wrong. Someone else will probably... Arsé-kun: Germain: You imply I haven't. It is what I was looking for, though. Sheepy: Nyar: Ooohh.. Arsé-kun: Germain: So, thank you. Sheepy: Nyar: No problem! Sheepy: Nyar: What're you reading it for? Arsé-kun: Germain: Oh, I'm not. Sheepy: Nyar:??? Arsé-kun: Germain: It's not for me. Sheepy: Nyar: Who's it for? Arsé-kun: Germain: :) *he just kinda nods and goes back to Iris* Sheepy: *Nyar follows* Sheepy: Iris: What's that? Arsé-kun: Germain: It's a book. I was thinking maybe you could try reading one of Lovecraft's works in particular, so you'd be able to speak with Sheepy a bit easier. Sheepy: Iris: How would that help? Arsé-kun: Germain: It's something he is interested in, isn't it? Sheepy: Iris: Yes, but... Sheepy: Iris: I don't understand it too well. Arsé-kun: Germain: Considering we've got one hell of a character living with us right now, I don't think it'd be too hard to understand. Sheepy: Iris: Sheepy did seem to understand the situation very well as soon as he heard Nyar's name... Sheepy: Iris: But I don't understand the stories. Arsé-kun: Germain: That's understandable. Sheepy: Nyar: There's a story about me. You should read it. Sheepy: Sherlock: -I don't want to go out tomorrow because I wanted to spend the day sleeping. Sheepy: Sherlock: If I go out tomorrow for the case I'll not only be defending the son of my mortal enemy but I'd also be endangering us.. Sheepy: Sherlock: But Watson is insistent. Sheepy: Sherlock: I don't even know if he's going with me. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Hm.... Sometimes you need to do things you don't want to. *he shrugs* I don't want to look into this cult, but here we are. Sheepy: Sherlock: I always do things I don't want to do. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Look on the bright side- You're not defending the man himself. You're defending a man who happens to be related. Sheepy: Sherlock: Hmmm.. Sheepy: Sherlock: I guess so. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'm scared of possibly seeing him again. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'm rather nervous about seeing Fantomas again. ... I'm unsure which is worse. Sheepy: Sherlock: Fantomas isn't injured from it. Sheepy: Sherlock: So, Fantomas Arsé-kun: Arséne: Fair point. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Here, look. If Watson doesn't come, or he's not able to, I'll come. How about that? Sheepy: Sherlock: Okay. Sheepy: Sherlock: Thank you. Sheepy: Sherlock: I'll ask to make sure thogh. Sheepy: Sherlock: Watson! Are you going to come with me tomorrow? Arsé-kun: Watson: I don't know, am I? Sheepy: Sherlock: Huh? How do you not know?? Arsé-kun: Watson: Do you want me to? Sheepy: Sherlock: Yes. Arsé-kun: Watson: Then I shall! Sheepy: Sherlock: That's good. Sheepy: Sherlock: I was concerned that you were saying that you didn't know if you were going because you didn't want to go. Sheepy: Sherlock: That raises the question of why you go, actually. Are you going by choice because you find it fun, or are you going because I strongarm you ito it...? I wonder this sometimes. Arsé-kun: Watson: I want to help you. I'm your partner, after all. Sheepy: Sherlock: That's true. Sheepy: Sherlock: Harley is your partner too but you don't write much about him. Arsé-kun: Watson: I have. Sheepy: Sherlock: I just mean not as much as you do about me. Arsé-kun: Watson: At least, not that I've released. Sheepy: Sherlock: Huh? Sheepy: Sherlock: I've never read it. Does he not want it to be released? Arsé-kun: Watson: No, no. I just never had the chance. I'm never pleased with the wording or the flow of it. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh. Sheepy: Sherlock: He is a complicated person. He pushes everyone away but at the same time he's extremely possessive of those he hasn't pushed away. Sheepy: Sherlock: He has an odd view on things too. I click with basically everyone I meet but his opinion of it is: "If you're friends with everyone, it's like you're friends with no one"... Maybe he's just very picky? It's not good to have unmeetable standards, but it's also not good to have no standards at all. Arsé-kun: Watson: He's trying to solve a rubix cube where a single puzzle piece would suffice. Sheepy: Sherlock: That sounded incredibly intelligent. So intelligent that the meaning was lost on me. Arsé-kun: Watson: He's making it harder than it needs to be. Sheepy: Sherlock: Oh. Sheepy: Sherlock: The only ones who have met his standards are Wilson and you. Arsé-kun: Watson: Wilson is a dog. Sheepy: Sherlock: Wilson will only be nice to me when he wants something. Sheepy: Sherlock: Wilson and Harley are very alike. Arsé-kun: Watson: m-hm. Like master, like dog. Sheepy: Sherlock: Both of them have extremely high standards and will only lower their standards when they feel they need something. Arsé-kun: Watson: ... At least, he did. Sheepy: Sherlock: What do you mean, past tense? Arsé-kun: Watson: He's been staying exclusively with Mycroft and his kids. Sheepy: Sherlock: I noticed that. Sheepy: Sherlock: His mind is very scrambled. Sheepy: Sherlock: The only one he actually recognized was Wilson. Arsé-kun: Watson: He recognized my name, but not who I was. Sheepy: Sherlock: No, that's not it. Sheepy: Sherlock: I mentioned your name to see if he remembered it. Sheepy: Sherlock: Since he didn't seem to recognize us when we walked in. Sheepy: Sherlock: He pointed to everyone in this group and said your name. Arsé-kun: Watson: He tried his best. Arsé-kun: Watson: Either way, from what I've seen, he's been improving. Sheepy: Sherlock: He is. Sheepy: Sherlock: He's still a little clumsy but not as bad as before. Arsé-kun: Watson: M-hm. Shall we check on him, while on the topic? Sheepy: Sherlock: Okay. Arsé-kun: *time to check on him!* Sheepy: *he's petting Wilson. nothing interesting about that.* Arsé-kun: Watson: Good afternoon, Harley. Sheepy: Harley: Good morning. Arsé-kun: Watson: How are you feeling? Sheepy: Harley: Fine. Arsé-kun: Watson: That's good. Sheepy: Harley: *he doesn't seem sure what to say, instead looking down at Wilson again* Arsé-kun: Wilson: *he continues to be a dog* Sheepy: Harley: I don't have anything else to say. Arsé-kun: Watson: That's fine. Sheepy: *Harley begins to get visibly uncomfortable.* Arsé-kun: Watson: Well, Sherlock, he's fine. Sheepy: Sherlock: He doesn't seem social but physically he looks fine, yeah. Arsé-kun: Watson: m-hm. Sheepy: Harley: Why're you talking about me like I'm not here? Arsé-kun: Watson: My apologies. Sheepy: Harley: It's scaring me. Sheepy: Harley: I'm not social because past your names, I know very little about both of you except that you seem familiar. Arsé-kun: Watson: Then why not ask? I'd be perfectly willing to share. Sheepy: Harley: Well, then, tell me about yourself. Arsé-kun: *And so, Watson does, with a decent amount of detail. Not TOO much. Just enough* Sheepy: Harley: So we have very little in common. Arsé-kun: Watson: Sort of. We've lived together, like I've previously mentioned. Sheepy: Harley: Why? Arsé-kun: Watson: Financial assistance, later working together. Sheepy: Harley: Who was assisting whom? Arsé-kun: Watson: I, to both you and Sherlock here. Sheepy: Harley: Why? Arsé-kun: Watson: Because you and he are detectives, and I came along as the doctor and sidekick. Sheepy: Harley: No. Arsé-kun: Watson: No? Ah, that is not what you meant. Why, as in why did you have financial difficulties? Or why, as in why did I assist you? Sheepy: Harley: Supporting two people along with yourself sounds difficult. Arsé-kun: Watson: It was, but it was worth it. Sheepy: Harley: I'm sorry. Arsé-kun: Watson: For? Sheepy: Harley: Putting you through that. Arsé-kun: Watson: It's fine. You're not at fault. Sheepy: Harley: Fault is an abstract concept that at the end of day doesn't matter. Sheepy: Harley: Whether someone is or isn't at fault, it's happened and there's no changing it. Arsé-kun: Watson: A valid point. Sheepy: Sherlock: But the concept of "fault" is used to teach people to learn from their mistakes and change their ways, or to stop people from committing acts like it again. Arsé-kun: Watson: Also a valid point. Sheepy: Sherlock: If you completely disregard fault, while it's easier to sum a situation up as "what's done is done", the real problem is never solved. Arsé-kun: *Watson decides to step back and listen to these two. Arséne is eavesdropping to avoid researching cults* Sheepy: Harley: Okay. Sheepy: Harley: *he points to Arsene* It's Lupin. Sheepy: Harley: He's the one who carried Sherlock out of the car when he got carsick. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Yes, I did. Sheepy: Harley: That's the only time I interacted with you. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Is it? My apologies. Sheepy: Harley: I see. Arsé-kun: Arséne: We'd just been starting to get along, too.. Sheepy: Harley: We aren't fighting. Arsé-kun: Arséne: No, we're not. sheep: Harley: So we're getting along. Arsé-kun: Arséne: Yes, we are. Sheepy: Harley: You sound disappointed. Arsé-kun: Arséne: I'm not, I assure you. Sheepy: Harley; I see. Sheepy: Harley; So we're still getting along. Sheepy: Harley; Meaning you lost nothing... Arsé-kun: Arséne: I suppose so. Sheepy: Harley; So you shouldnt be disappointed. Arsé-kun: Arséne: You're right. Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he seems to brighten up* Sheepy: Harley: *he looks down at Wilson again* Arsé-kun: Arséne: *he kinda just pats Harley's shoulder, and pats Wilson with his other hand. Mutual pats* Sheepy: Harley: *he looks over* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Don't you get tired of sitting inside all day? Sheepy: Harley: Tired? Sheepy: Harley: Why? Arsé-kun: Arséne: You're always looking outside.. Do you want to go out? Sheepy: Harley: Yes. Arsé-kun: *Arséne looks to Watson for permission. Permission is granted!* Arsé-kun: Arséne: Great! Lets go out, Harley! Arsé-kun: *he seems excited* Sheepy: Harley: Okay. Arsé-kun: *they go Outside! Wowza.* sheep: Harley: Where are we going? Arsé-kun: Arséne: Not far. Is there anywhere you'd like to go? Sheepy: Harley: I don't know. Sheepy: Harley: I want to go to a place with squirrels. I like them. Arsé-kun: Arséne: We could visit the park, then. Sheepy: Harley: Is there one nearby? Sheepy: Harley: If so, I want to go there. Arsé-kun: Arséne: It's not too far.. Sheepy: Harley: Okay.

[annamcnuff]

Reflections on bike ride through the 50 states

“America is just like the UK, only… bigger, right?”

I’d like to ask you all a favour. If you ever happen to be within earshot of such a comment, please make a beeline for the offending individual (even if it requires a Starsky & Hutch style roll across a car bonnet), cup their face firmly between your hands, lean in and scream “Nooooooooo.” It’s a common misconception. And one that I harboured myself a year ago. The truth is that our beloved countries are hugely and unbelievably different - both physically and culturally. I could write a thesis on the points that set us apart; Laws, history, work ethic, transport, environmental issues, to name but a few. My personal fave however, is language & communication.

Never before have I been so acutely aware how we British dance around our sentences - using colloquialisms, semi apologies and flowery comparisons to get a point across. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. In fact, I’m the worst offender of the prolonged prose. Here’s an example:

British: “Umm would it be possible, to perhaps, I mean, if it’s not too much trouble, to have a cup of coffee? And if there was a bit of milk hanging around in the fridge, that’d be lovely too.”

American: “Yeah I’ll take a Coffee. Milk. No sugar.”

THE GOOD TIMES

Oh my there were many. So so many. More than I’d ever hoped. Watching grizzly bears forage in the shadow of the Mount McKinley. Finding myself on the road at dawn in the desert, alone with no sound beyond the whirr of my wheels. Cresting that first pass in the Rocky Mountains. Striding through the plains of Wyoming, a herd of mustangs running alongside. Perched on a rickety bench, watching the morning sun creep above the North rim of the Grand Canyon. Finally leaving Route 50, America’s Lonliest road. Stargazing at 2am in Colorado. Looking out at classroom of excited schoolchildren, kids as young as five telling me they want to be an adventurer when they grow up too. Welling up when leaving families who’d taken me in over a storm. Eating breakfast with an 85 year old Grandma, listening to her tales of love lost and a life well lived.

THE BAD TIMES

Let it be known that it ain’t all rainbows and sunshine in Adventureville. Battling chronic knee pain for 2 months. Camping alone in Northern Wyoming, scared witless that a bear might come wandering by. Pitching my tent in a bush between an interstate and a freight railway line, a train shaking the ground every two hours. Pulling two people out of a car wreck in Colorado. Setting out to ride 120 miles in pouring Iowa rain, being soaked to the skin, verging on hypothermic and searching for a motel within 20. Riding into Cleveland on a busy road in the dark, fearing I’d be hit at any moment. A motor home passing far too close and almost sucking me under the back wheels. A campground owner treating me like vermin. Getting homesick with 6 weeks to go. Facing 30 mph headwinds.

WE, HUMAN BEANS

Are you still with me? Awesome. Perhaps pause for a cuppa, and go grab yourself a biccie? This shiz is about to get real.

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over the past 7 months, it’s that we’re a race governed by fear (hold those cries of ‘Steady on, love’ and hear me out). I know it makes evolutionary sense that we be wary of situations that could potentially cause us harm, but somewhere along the way, we took it too far. We began to spend our time focused on the things we can and can’t do, rather than the things we could.

I could have been attacked by a bear. Or a man. (Or a half man, half bear.) I could have been run over by a truck. Then again, at home, I could slip and smack my head on a work surface in the kitchen. I could get knocked down by the 281 as I cross the road in Teddington Town. In fact, the chances of the latter things happening are probably higher than the former. What am I do to? Stay out of the kitchen? Not go outside? Well that’s just ridiculous. Precisely. It is.

The truth is we don’t like doing things beyond our usual remit, because they expose cracks in our character. Weaknesses. Parts that we try to keep hidden from others to ensure we maintain a perception of us as a high functioning member of society. It’s only natural. I do it too. Yet nothing frustrates me more than hearing “I’d love to do that” To which, nowadays, I tend to go into bitch mode and reply: “So do it then.” It’s probably actually that you a) don’t want to do it badly enough (which is totally cool), b) it’s not a priority right now (again, totally cool) or c) that you’ve given yourself a hundred reasons why you shouldn’t. And what’s more, convinced yourself that those reasons are valid ones.

The only difference between me having spent the past 7 months blowing my mind, and having… not, was deciding that my excuses were just that. And that it was actually an option to go. Which, not having any real responsibilities and being at the point in my life that I am, it was. And I’m grateful for that. In short, when are you ever going to regret trying to do something that you really want to do? I’ll give you a clue, the answer is: Never.

If there’s one precious secret I’d like to share, it’s this: When you put yourself out 'there’, way beyond your comfort zone, indulge in endeavours that cause your heart to beat fast and your chest to tighten - amazing things happen. Doors open, opportunities arise and most importantly, the painful chinks in your armour heal. The cracks that threaten to make you fall apart - they seal over. You become far stronger than you’d ever imagined. You grow, immeasurably. You surprise yourself, and you find it a far easier process to meet your own gaze in the mirror. We’re animals after all. In testing circumstances it will always come down to fight or flight. And you’re not very well going to lay down, are you?

I, A HUMAN BEAN

So what have I learnt about myself? Well. There are a few things I always suspected to be true. And then there’s a few new faces at my personality party.

Accept help where help is offered: I really don’t like asking for help. But what dawned on me through the trip is that sometimes the best experiences come from letting others save your British Bacon. If a stranger walks across a campground at breakfast time, and offers you coffee and a banana - newsflash, they want to give you coffee and a banana. In fact, it’d be ruder not to take it. From here in in I will be doing my best to accept all offers of coffee and bananas, among other things.

Please yourself, and only yourself: I’ve always held the belief that you should only really satisfy yourself in this life. I don’t mean be selfish, being proud of who you are and the way you behave goes hand in hand with treating others as you would like to be treated, after all. I’ve got two star based tattoos about my person, because I love stars. And I love stars because they remind me how marvellously insignificant I am. And that in the grand scheme of things no one really cares what you do, so you may as well do as you darn well like. That’s not changed.

Cut the comparison: We’re all so hard on ourselves. Constantly criticising and comparing the way we look, act and what we achieve with our peers. Facebook and Twitter can turn to tools of self destruction, and it’s exhausting. I do it a lot, and I’m trying my best to let it go. It’s incredibly difficult. And I know I’ll lapse from time to time. But I also know that comparing yourself to another person is downright ridiculous. It’s verging on insane. If you’ll excuse the cheesy trumpets and rousing theme music - there is no other like you. So please stop it. And I’ll try my best to do the same.

There’s a difference between being alone and being lonely: I haven’t really been lonely at all on the trip. In fact, I’ve felt more lonely at times in London, surrounded by people, than I have on my tod in the middle of the desert. I could be biased, but to spend time in your own company, you’ve got to be pretty good friends with yourself. I mean, you can’t have too many anxieties or insecurities, or they’ll eat you up from the inside out. So I think a little alone time is a great thing. It forces you to reevaluate whether you’re truly happy with what you’re spending your precious time on the planet doing. And that’s why so many people shy away from it. Because they’re not.

There’s a difference between being a bad ass, and a dumb ass. Pushing on through pain, bashing out 130 miles, dragging yourself out of bed when all you want to do is sleep - that’s badass. Winding up on a busy road at the mercy of trucks, ending up soaking and freezing with no shelter in sight and heading out to ride in a big storm - that’s dumb ass. And it’s been one of the greatest learnings of the trip. Dumb ass actions will only get you, and possibly others into trouble. And for what? So it’s bad ass action only from here on in.

WHAT NOW?

I’m going to write a book. Because, well, I’ve rediscovered that I love writing. And that there’s a real joy and art in sharing a good story. I hope some people will read it, but at worst it’ll be a record for any sproglets I have in years to come. I have no doubt it will be a tortuous experience, and don’t be fooled into thinking I have the faintest idea what I’m doing, but it seems to me like a marvellous new challenge for the next 6 months.

I’ll be refashioning the www.thebigfive-o.com into a historical record of what went down in Five-O town, and starting up a new blog - to host tales of all future adventures. If you’ve enjoyed following this one, don’t let this be the end of something beautiful. I’d love it if you made a mental note of the highly original www.annamcnuff.com. You’ll find me waiting for you all there with open arms in the very near future.

Tomorrow sees a return to work at Sky TV. To a bunch of people I love spending time with, and a job I do actually really enjoy. I doubt it’ll be too long before I’m off again somewhere for an extended period, but in the meantime I’m throwing myself back at working life 100%. And cramming every spare second around it with mini adventures. Adventure is a state of mind, after all. And my brain is addled forevermore.

Lastly, I can’t thank you all enough for sharing this trip with me. For the support, kindness and untold levels of awesomeness you’ve wafted in my general direction. Whatever future mischief lies in wait, you guys will always be my first adventure army.

One love. Peace out.

McNuff xxx