Family Time (Open to BKs)

[vierre]

Doing fine. Don’t worry.

Vierre sat in the darkened mess hall, a few select lights from the kitchen area trespassing into the room and casting long, hazy shadows. The bluish backlight from his cell phone illuminated his face as he stared at the pending text message. His eyes traced over the same four words over and over. His right thumb grazing the keypad lightly and tracing the individual keys. Closing his eyes, he pressed the final button.

Message sent.

Vierre opened his eyes, slumped back into his chair, and dropped his head back. Looking towards the ceiling he sighed then placed the cell phone onto the table in front of him. But within moments, the device rattled against the table, the screen lit up, and the electronic ring chimed through the empty hall. Sitting up, he took the phone back in hand, gazing at the caller ID display.

‘Talia…’

It was his sister, likely furious that, for another month, his sole communication with her consisted of fewer than 10 words in text. The truth was though, even now he was not prepared to speak with her. The phone stopped ringing, and after a few more moments of silence beeped with an incoming text message.

Where are you? Please tell me. Come home.

Vierre gripped the phone tightly. He had lost count of how long it had been like this. After his discharge from the Britannian Military and being disowned by his grandparents, he had spiraled into the bad habits of a dangerous lifestyle and eventually found himself a captain for the Black Knights. For the safety of his sister, still residing in the Imperial Capital of Pendragon, this was something she could never know. He forced himself to limit his communication with his remaining family. Vierre would contact his youger sister perhaps once a month and his older brother even less frequently. And never with anything more than the written word. It was lonely, but in this case it was not his risk to gamble with. As far as they were concerned he was traveling somewhere in the remote regions of the European Union.

By now Talia, the bright scholar that she was, would be attending university undoubtedly pursuing subjects suited to her ideological mind. For a while though, before graduation, Talia had mentioned in one of their brief text exchanges that she was thinking about transferring to Ashford Academy. This had come as a minor alarm to Vierre. He knew the displeasure his sister held for the Britannian aristocracy and why she might wish to immerse herself in the midst of the plight, but he could not allow her to be in Area 11, especially because his role as a Black Knight brought him there so often. It was difficult to dissuade her, and a personal hardship to push her away against his own wishes, but eventually she remained in Pendragon much to his relief.

Vierre slid the phone shut, the last message from his sister fading away as the screen darkened to black. With the phone now silent, he slouched in his seat once more, staring off into the shadows and dark corners of the mess hall. For another month, he disappeared from family.

[Sakura Shizuka]

Papa, Sakura is back! A five-year-old shouted as she ran through the front door of her house, promptly flying into her father’s waiting arms.
“Welcome home, Sakura. Did you have fun at training?” The chibi Sakura bobbed her head back and forth, a goofy grin spreading across her face.
“Uh-huh! Sensei says Sakura can kick butt! Sensei gave Sakura a gold star! See?” She tilted her body to the left, showing her father a shiny gold star sticker. The man laughed gently, ruffling his daughter’s hair.
“Very good, Sakura. Now, Papa has a surprise for you.” This caused the little girl’s eyes to sparkle in delight. A present! From Papa! A present from Papa was always good! Her father reached into his back pocket and presented a simple gold locket. Oval-shaped, hanging loosely on a gold chain, he placed it gently into his daughter’s hands. “This was Mama’s. She told me to give it to her baby. That’s you, sweetheart.” Small hands gripped at the locket and push the clasp, causing the locket to open. Immediately, a soft sound began to play, mostly instrumental, but there was the faint sound of someone humming in the background. A female.
“Pretty song.”
“That’s Mama singing, Sakura. See, that’s her in that picture.” He pointed to the left side of the locket where there was a picture of a beautiful young woman. She was obviously Japanese, her facial features were a dead giveaway. But there was one strikingly unusual feature about her-her eyes. Instead of the standard black that most Japanese had, hers were a bright green. The young girl’s own pair of emerald eyes widened as a blush appeared across her face.
“Mama’s so pretty! Mama has same eyes as Sakura!” Again, a gentle hand ruffled the hair.
“Yes, Sakura…you have your mother’s eyes.” he said gently as he placed the locket around the young girl’s neck. “Remember: no matter what happens, Mama and Papa are always with you…” he tapped her lightly on the chest where the locket dangled. “...right here.”

The sound of a soft melody filled the empty bedroom. “Mama…Papa…” Sakura stared at the picture of her mother and father, both smiling at her from their respective sides of the locket. “What would you say if you saw me now?” she mumbled to herself, sighing heavily. Snapping the locket shut, thus ending the calming music abruptly, Sakura stretched out on her bed, her knees cracking. She turned her head and glanced at the clock. And winced. Had she been daydreaming for that long? Sheesh…

“C’mon, Sakura…lounging around isn’t going to solve anything,,,” she muttered to herself as she reluctantly hoisted herself out of her bed and padded out of her room. Yea…too much work to do…no time to relax…but first she needed tea. Just to get in the groove. Plus it was bloody cold. She shivered slightly. Sakura disliked the cold. Immensely.

Tugging the sweater she had thrown over her regular attire closer to her, the thoughts of a steaming cup of tea filled her mind. Oo peach tea…with a side of Pocky. Should she go for regular chocolate? Or perhaps honey? Both went well with peach tea…

She crinkled her nose slightly in thought as she entered the kitchen, pulling forth her mug. Well, last time she checked, she was low on honey…and she wasn’t seriously craving those…might as well save them for when she really wanted some. Yosh, traditional chocolate pocky it was then! Pouring hot water into her teabag filled mug, Sakura padded out of the kitchen with every intention of heading to her office to tackle the lovely pile of paperwork that was cluttering her workspace, when the sound of a cell phone going off made her pause mid-step. Automatically she felt the side of her pocket, where hers was normally kept. Nope, not her. Besides, her phone was usually left on vibrate. Her ears twitched slightly. The Mess Hall? Who would be there at this hour? She frowned slightly. Maybe someone had left their phone in there by accident…

Turning on her heel, Sakura padded down the hall and entered the Mess Hall just in time to see Vierre glance at what she presume was a text message, only to slide it shut without typing in a response. Judging from his overall body posture, Sakura could safely conclude that Vierre was not exactly in a perky mood. Which was odd, given the man’s general carefree nature.

….oh fuck it.

Muttering curses to any and all available gods for giving her the worrywart gene, Sakura walked over to where Vierre was sitting and perched herself on the arm of his armchair. “Evening.” she greeted as she took a sip of tea before nodding her head over to the phone. Might as well try to lighten up the air.

“Love letter?”

[Zane Burnlight]

Zane meandered through the halls of Pengali Island. He was looking for the mess hall, but was lost. He had arrived shortly after the Shinjuku battle's conclusion. The Ghetto would offer him safety no longer.

He turned another corner and gave a brief thanks to luck. He strode into the hall and found two people sitting at a table. He didn't recognize either one, but assumed they were superiors. He saluted before walking to the kitchen. There had to be something to at least munch on.

He opened a cabinet and was attacked by several bags of chips. He didn't know the brands, but one of the flavors stood out in his mind: salt and vinegar. His sister, Alexandria, had been munching happily on them the day that he had come home and told his family that he was officially a member of the Britannian military.

"I made it, dad. I'm going to be a Devicer." His father hadn't been pleased. The man had wanted Zane to be a bureaucrat like him. Something safe. Something boring. Even still, his old man had been supportive.

"Good for you, Zane." His sister had stormed out of the room. Zane couldn't care less what his parents thought, but his younger sisters' opinions mattered. He chased after her and found her in her room.

She punctuated her sentences with crunches of chips. "Why? Why do you want this? You hate the Britannian military, and yet here you are, joining them. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Sis, you know why. You know what I'm trying to do. After they train me, I'm going to bail and then-" She interrupted him.

"And then you'll disappear from our lives forever. Probably get killed." The tears began to fall.

"I've always been lucky. You know that as well as anyone." It was true, too. Zane couldn't count the number of bets that he'd won in his life simply on merit of luck alone. Alexandria herself had lost quite a deal of money to him over the years. "I don't know when or where, but you will see me again. I promise."

"I know." She sniffled. "I just don't want it to be on a wanted poster or in an execution."

Zane didn't have an answer for that. He wasn't the sort to make a promise that he couldn't keep. He opted instead to lean down and hug her. It was a strong hug. One that he only gave to his sisters. She started crying harder and hugged him back, even stronger.

It was at that moment that Erika came into the room, clutching a stuffed raccoon. It was her constant companion and showed obvious signs of long heavy wear and tear. "Why ya cryin' big sister? Is brother being mean?"

Zane and Alexandria stared at the youngest before laughing. "You could say that, Squirt," he said with a good deal of humor. "Your brother's just a big, stupid meanie."

He snapped back to the present with a shock. He didn't know how long he'd been standing there, staring at the bags of chips laying on the ground, but a few tears had managed to sneak out of his eyes and down his cheeks. It had been years since he'd even spoken to his beloved sisters. He didn't know how or where they were. He swiped the errant tears away and quickly replaced the chips.

He glanced at the bags again before snatching the salt and vinegar ones. Alexandria had loved the things, but Zane had never understood how. They were disgusting. He opened the bag and tried one shortly before grimacing. Still as gross as ever, he thought before walking back to the dining area. "Sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if I sit here, sirs?" he asked the pair sitting at the table.

[setsuna]

She was another face in the crowd. A sea of bodies, soulless as they stared at the five men tied to posts on front of a brick wall. She was wearing gray that day, and in this version of the events, so was everyone else. Every faceless body in that crowd. Of the men only one mattered. Shinji. His face was bruised, and he had a blindfold over his eyes. He didn't seem scared, but Setsuna could feel his fear, could feel the sweat on his skin, the uncertainty of death.
A man dressed in fancy white clothes spoke blasphemies against human nature in a tongue Setsuna didn't understand. She had no hatred in her heart, not at this moment. She felt only despair.

The vision changed to a medium sized apartment, cozy, familiar. Setsuna was younger, just blossoming into a teenager. There was still an air of sadness. She was wearing a black dress, and her brother was sitting in the small dining nook, at the table, wearing his Japanese military uniform. He looked distraught, until he saw Setsuna. He offered her a forced smile, his cheeks still glistening with the wet stains of his tears. So much love in those hazel eyes. So much pain for such a young man. He was barely a year older than 18.
"Hey sis, you feeling ok?"
Setsuna sat next to him, facing him, forcing a smile of her own. Their mom had died just a week ago, they had just been to her funeral, and their nation was being invaded by Britannia again, just like 100 years ago. The world was turning into a living hell. But she still had hope... back then she had hope. "I'm fine." she lied.
He looked at her with knowing eyes, wiping his tears, chuckling softly "You're not a very good liar, Setsu."
Setsuna looked down, biting her lower lip, trying to stop it from trembling, "I miss her."
Shinji reached over, giving her a warm embrace. She felt his warmth, the comfort, she felt safe. "I know... I miss her too... but you can't let this destroy you, Setsu. Remember, no matter how hard things get, me and dad will be here to protect you."

The image returned to that cloudy day. The man in white had finished speaking his babble, and now a man yelled orders, as a dozen faceless men with rifles obeyed the orders. Setsuna's eyes widened. She wanted to scream, but no sound came from her throat.
A tear ran down Shinji's cheek from his blindfolded eyes.
Setsuna tried to rush to her brother's aid, but it was like running through water. She screamed again, but no sound came out.
The final order was given. Time slowed as the bullets flew out of the rifles. Setsuna saw Shinji's face one last time, his lips mouthing, "I'm sorry, Setsu."
Time resumed. The bullets tore through his flesh.

"NO!!" Setsuna yelled as she woke up with a start, almost falling off her mattress on the floor. She coughed, choking on her own sobs. She put her hands on her face as the tears just streamed, the cold bit at her shoulders as she was sweating cold.
"You said... you said you'd be there. Well where are you now? Where are you now?!!" Setsuna grabbed a lamp and threw it across the room, smashing it against the wall. She rolled out of bed, taking her gun out of the holster hanging from the wall, putting it to her temple with a shaking hand, "I should come for you! I SHOULD!!" she yelled in the empty tiny bedroom. Her knees buckled. She fell to her knees, arms dropping, the heavy hand gun falling from her hand and rolling over the floor.

Setsuna panted, a piercing noise invaded her ear canal as blood rushed to her brain in a desperate attempt to keep her conscious in this breakdown. Setsuna simply concentrated on breathing. She swallowed hard, knowing this would pass, the piercing noise would pass... and indeed, it was soon replaced by her heartbeat thumping in her ears. Fast at first, but as she continued to take deep breaths, her heart beat slowed, until it faded from hear eardrums.

Setsuna stood, sliding on a pair of fatigue pants and a fatigue shirt over her dark green tank top. She slid her bare feet into her boots, not bothering with lacing them, walking out of her room with her pack of cigarettes and her aviator sun glasses on to hide the red in her eyes. She wandered into the mess hall, freezing as she realized there were people there. The last thing she wanted was company... but then again, it might help her clear her head to simply hear others talk.

She quietly went to the pantry, taking a granola bar. She headed to the fridge, taking a green tea soda... just another taste of old Japan that somehow survived the invasion. With her snack she sat down at a table not too far away from the others, munching silently.

[vierre]

“You understand why this must be done, don’t you Vierre?” Vierre shot a sideways glare at his older brother, Alain. Both stood on opposite walls of the corridor just outside the military courts, both clad in their pristine, regal military dress uniforms. All others in attendance for his court martial had departed by this time, and the two men were alone. Vierre scowled at his brother and muttered a few inaudible but choice words under his breath. “Spoiled brat,” spat Alain. “Think of what this does to our family name! The Viscount and Viscountess had little choice but to-” “You see? You see?!” interrupted Vierre, pushing himself off the corridor wall and taking a hostile step towards his brother. “‘Viscount’? ‘Viscountess’?” His voice soured with contempt, speaking the words as if desperately wanting to purge their taint from his mouth. “They are supposed to be our family! Our grandfather and grandmother. And yet, they’ve created this world that you have so wholly bought into where you cannot even see fit to refer to them with anything but a title. With mother and father gone, shouldn’t they be more than just titles?!” Alain, not in the least bit intimidated by his younger brother, stepped forward as well, looking down at Vierre. Even though Vierre stood at a height of six feet, his brother still had a few inches on him. “Think of Talia, Vierre. You’re being selfish. Selfish and ungrateful. Think of the life the Viscount and Viscountess have provided for us and think of what you have done to tarnish that name. You and I may be able to stand on our own now, but our dear Talia has not even graduated from school yet. You dare deny her the opportunities our noble blood entitles her to?” Vierre grit his teeth. It was a disgusting thought, and he finally understood the passion his sister held for what she saw as a terrible social injustice. Yet he had no response; no retort to counter the verbal blows of his brother. It was a social system so clearly broken and festering, but if it meant his younger sister would have the best… He scoffed and backed away. Pivoting angrily he walked away. Alain straightened his uniform. A stern frown painted his expression. “Ungrateful indeed…”

There had been the rustling of movement in the kitchen. A quiet clink from a ceramic mug and the sound of boiling water. Vierre ignored it, his thoughts still mired in a past that was admittedly not that long ago. How quickly things changed.

“Evening.”

It was the Commander, her voice breaking the solitary silence. She gestured towards the phone.

“Love letter?”

Vierre took the phone and placed it out of sight into a pocket. He looked up at the Commander. “Ahhh good evening,” he said warmly. His somber facial expression shifted suddenly to one of pleasant amusement. The transition masked by a hand that he brought up to momentarily rub his face. The change had been too quick and too smooth. Too natural to be considered natural. It would have perhaps gone unnoticed to a stranger, but it was likely that Sakura knew Vierre well enough to know that he was a storyteller and at times a prolific weaver of tales. The expression that he wore was always an effective tool to tell said story.

He chuckled disarmingly. “Oh… no, no, Sakura-” He paused to clear his throat, the slip in using her name entirely intentional. He corrected himself. “Shizuka. No, what a terribly awkward situation that would be. My heart, I’m afraid, awaits a destiny far greater than could be contained in a few meager and disjointed words via a text message. It must be a tale of love entwined with the impossible. Forbidden perhaps? Tragic or triumphant. Don’t you think that would be a relationship more fitting, Shizuka?”

Vierre chuckled again and smiled, visibly growing more serious. “I’m sorry. The truth is that it was a message from my sister in Pendragon.” He left it there for the time being as the unknown man entered the mess hall, saluted, and proceeded to the back. Vierre eyed the tea and Pocky in Sakura’s possession. He couldn’t help but grin slightly. She was a creature of habit and she knew what she liked. He could appreciate a decisiveness that shone through even when it came to choosing an evening snack. It seemed that this was a common trait in many of the people he associated with these days. He certainly would not complain about that. “The traditional chocolate tonight, I see?” he commented.

"Sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if I sit here, sirs?"

Vierre raised an eyebrow. “‘Sirs?’ It is far too late to be calling me sir.” His eyes narrowed as if offended and he nearly snarled his next words. “In fact, don’t ever call me ‘sir’.” Sakura would recognize it as another ploy with his facial expression. The unknown Black Knight perhaps would not. Just as quickly, Vierre smiled again and introduced himself in a polite manner, hoping to throw the stranger off balance, if just for a bit. “I’m Vierre. Vierre DeMara. First Division Captain. But never mind about that last bit. Please, have a seat,” he held out his hand offering him a chair at the table. “The Commander and I were just talking about… Hmm well I’m not entirely sure what my point was. Something about an epic romance.” He explained this, though he knew Sakura had been ultimately inquiring about an entirely different matter.

A fourth individual now entered the mess hall, eventually taking a seat nearby but conspicuously alone. “You there,” he called out to her, quite brazenly. “Bit of an awkward choice of seat, no? Not quite far enough to be alone, yet not quite close enough to be well… over here. And let’s face it, in an otherwise empty mess hall, you had ample seats to choose from. You are welcome to join us of course. It seems we are having a bit of a party.” Vierre’s earlier subdued behaviour may have piqued Sakura’s curiosity enough for her to stop by, but now as the number of people present grew, his public persona was becoming much more apparent again.

[Sakura Shizuka]

“Ahhh good evening,” Sakura’s eyebrow twitched. The carefree tone was so natural sounding that it was fake. Her eyes narrowed slightly. In short, a lie. Sakura hated being lied to. She twitched slightly at the use of her first name, but raised an eyebrow when it was quickly corrected. Odd…

“My heart, I’m afraid, awaits a destiny far greater than could be contained in a few meager and disjointed words via a text message. It must be a tale of love entwined with the impossible. Forbidden perhaps? Tragic or triumphant. Don’t you think that would be a relationship more fitting, Shizuka?” Sakura only stared blankly at Vierre, blinking dryly twice. Her eyebrow twitched slightly out of reflex. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the correct words-the end result being her opening and closing her mouth like some goldfish. Fortunately, she didn’t have to reply to his comment, as the First Captain continued. “I’m sorry. The truth is that it was a message from my sister in Pendragon.”

At this, Sakura’s eyes widened slightly. Sister? Sure, Sakura was aware that Vierre had one-it had been mentioned in his bio that she was given when he first arrived-but that was about it. She wasn’t aware of exactly how close he was with her, or if he was still keeping in touch with her. Those, she considered, were private details, something that was none of her business. Just as long as Vierre didn’t tell his sister anything he shouldn’t, all was good in the world as far as Sakura was concerned.

Siblings. Sakura never knew what it was like to have one, being an only child herself. A soft smile tugged the corners of her mouth. The idea seemed nice…having someone to play with during childhood. Not to say that her childhood had been lonely or anything-Sakura had been far to busy training to even think about being lonely. Plus she did have her circle of friends in the army. Yume, Cassandra, Izumi…

Her eyes darkened slightly. Izumi. Last time she saw him he tried to arrest her. Not that she could blame him or anything; it was his job, after all. But still…the fact that he was being an utter mule and choosing not to listen to her didn’t exactly please her. Sakura’s grip on her mug tightened slightly. ‘That idiot…’

“The traditional chocolate tonight, I see?”
“Hmm?” Sakura’s eyes followed Vierrre’s to the packet of Pocky clutched in her right hand. “Oh. Yes. I’m a little low on the honey flavored ones…care for a piece?” She said as she held out her packet in offering.
"Sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if I sit here, sirs?" Sakura snapped her head up to see a tall, dark haired man enter the room. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. She should know him. She ought to know him. Problem was…she didn’t. Crap.
‘I vaguely remember his face…I think he was in that list of recent recruits Kanzaki gave me a week ago…what the hell is his name? Zoss? No, that’s someone else…Jane? Wrong gender…Z…Z...’
“Zane!” Sakura suddenly blurted, a light bulb going off in her head. She faced fully to the stranger. “Zane Burnlight, correct?” She offered the man a smile, one that was kind yet still professional. “I don’t believe we’ve met officially before. My name’s Shizuka Sakura. No need to call me ‘sir.’” She raised an eyebrow in light humor. “Last time I checked, I was female.”

“The Commander and I were just talking about… Hmm well I’m not entirely sure what my point was. Something about an epic romance.” Emerald eyes rolled back down to Vierre. She stared at him for a few seconds, her eyebrows furrowed a fraction of an inch. The man knew just as well as she that that was not their topic of conversation. She mentally shrugged. Well, the subject of families was always a touchy one. Made sense to her if the First Captain did not wish to press on it. Might as well go along with it. She looked back at Zane.
“Yes, and how DeMara over here is delusional in the sense that he thinks he can get one.” The tone in which this was said was matter-of-fact, and Sakura’s eyes were closed as she took a sip of her tea. Yet, if one had listened carefully, they would have heard the subtle humor in it, and if they looked closely, a faint tint of a grin that was creeping up the corners of her mouth could be seen.

“You are welcome to join us of course. It seems we are having a bit of a party.” Sakura turned her attention to the direction where Vierre’s voice was aimed at. There, in a corner not too far away from the rest of them, was a fellow female. She narrowed her eyes in thought. Again, a face she did not recognize immediately. Aie…she was becoming lazy in her keeping up to date with the current members, wasn’t she? Sakura took a bite from her pocky, her eyes staring at the girl for a few seconds as she wracked her brain for a name. The pages of the list of BKs flipped through her mind, names and faces mentally flashing throughout her brain.

“Ah.” Finally the pages stopped turning. “Good evening, Muramasa.” Sakura greeted, tilting her head out of habit. Sakura’s eyes rolled briefly back down to Vierre. Well. The man seemed to be in higher spirits than when she first came in. But odds were it was due to the crowd that had formed. She clicked her tongue slightly. Service with a smile, eh?

Realizing that she was out of tea, Sakura hopped down from her position at the arm of Vierre’s seat. As she did so, she whispered lowly in his ear, so that only he could hear.

“You've been around Darcy for too long” It was true. Both of them had this tendency to act as if all were dandy in the world when in front of a crowd. When alone, however, the masks were taken off. It was enough to make the worrywart side of her go crazy. People told her when she was younger that she was like her father in that aspect.

God damn genetics.

[Zane Burnlight]

"In fact, don't ever call me sir."The man looked pissed. Zane was in the process of working out an apology in his mind when the officer's demeanor changed entirely. "I’m Vierre. Vierre DeMara. First Division Captain. But never mind about that last bit. Please, have a seat." Zane's hand nearly shifted to his pocket and lucky quarter, but he checked the motion before he embarrassed himself.

"I'm very sorry about that, Vie-" he started just before the woman nearly shouted his name and startled him - to put it mildly.

“Zane Burnlight, correct? I don’t believe we’ve met officially before. My name’s Shizuka Sakura. No need to call me ‘sir.’ Last time I checked, I was female.” There was humor in her voice. That meant that he had avoided insulting the two. Zane breathed a sigh of relief before settling down at the table and smiling.

"Sorry about that, ma'am." He ate another chip, this one making him scowl in much the same way as the first had. "I'm surprised you know my name already. I only just joined the Black Knights and I'd never even heard of this place until a few hours ago. I'm honored."

“The Commander and I were just talking about… Hmm well I’m not entirely sure what my point was. Something about an epic romance,” Vierre commented.

“Yes, and how DeMara over here is delusional in the sense that he thinks he can get one,” Sakura commented. It could have been taken as a rude comment, but Zane saw a slight twitch of her lips.

I definitely made the right choice in joining these guys, Zane thought incredulously. "Everyone's entitled to dreams. No matter how far fetched they may or not be."

Vierre suddenly shouted an invitation across the room to someone that had entered after Zane. He turned in his seat and saw a lone woman sitting at a table some distance away. He quickly appraised her: about his age, obviously Japanese, and quite good looking. Sure it wasn't the most professional thing in the world, but thoughts were harmless as long as they stayed just that.

The commander greeted the other woman. “Good evening, Muramasa.”

'Muramasa'... good name. Wonder what she's like, Zane mused. He smiled at her before giving a slight wave of his hand in an attempt to get her to join them. Keep it professional, he reminded himself tersely.

[kevin]

Kevin walked down the halls of Penglai Island. He couldn't sleep. He didn't feel comfortable. Today was one of those days he couldn't sleep, he was in deep thought whenever he tried to sleep. Parents? He couldn't remember the last time he had seen his parents or little brother.He was five when he remembered the last time he saw them.

"Mom, what am I getting for my birthday?"the young voice of Kevin asked his mother. He was four and would be five in a matter of hours. And he couldn't wait till he could open his presents. He was in his big living room. His father at work and mom home. His father wasn't home all the time. He was a govenor and he had a lot of work to do."Will dad be home today? For my birthday?"asked Kevin.

"Sure he will be home Kevin"said his mother holding back tears. How and why would he be home? He cared more about work then his family. Being at work 24/7."Go upstairs to your brother while I cook some food"said his mother."Sure thing mom"said the boy with a smile as he ran up the stairs.

As he reached his brother's room, he saw he was sleeping like a little angel. He walked over to him and layed down besides him. He combed his hair with his hand and kissed him."Sleep little brother. Today is my birthday and dad will be coming home too! Mom said so!"he whispered and saw his brother move a little. He backed away and walked away. He left his brother to sleep and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. However, he took the second set of staircases on the left and walked down and heard someone crying. He walked down quietly and saw his mother crying on the phone.

"Honey, why can't you come home today? It's little Kevin's birthday"she said as tears fell down her eyes. However no, his father on the other line spoke."Sorry, darling but I have work to do"he said without regret. He sure was mean."Why do you call me darling when you never come home?"she asked him. However, he shut the phone before she could ask him.

Kevin sat on the stairs heart broken. Tears fell down his face and he wiped them away. He walked down the stairs and saw his mother had wiped away the tears from his eyes as well."Mommy, brother is asleep. Though I think he will be waking up soon"he said as he sa down on a chair."Mind giving me some food to give hime?"he asked his mother.

"Sure dear"she said. It took a few minutes for her to prepare the food and by that time, he and his brother were down. Well he helped him down. Sure their were maids and workers but he could do this himself. He was infact his little brother. As they got to the kitchen table, his mother layed down some scrambled eggs and bacon. Sure the kid was two but he sure liked this for breakfast."Mommy, I won't be eating. Not so hungry right now"he said as his brother started to eat.

A few hours later, it was time for his birthday and the door bell rang. He ran to the door to see if it was his father but no. It was a man who had come to deliver a gift for him from his father. His heart broke in two and he ran upstairs. He fell to the floor of his room and started to cry. Why couldn't his father come see him? He didn't know but soon after, he cried himself to sleep.

He suddenly woke up noticing himself on the side of the floor where he was just walking."Woah!"he said to himself. He sure wished he could see his mom, brother and father. Even though he never came to his birthday, he did still come home sometimes and parents are parents. He got up and looked around to see if anyone noticed him. Then he saw the coast was clear and walked down the hall. His stomach growled like a lion and he looked at it. How long was he there for? He thought to himself. He walked down the hall again, made a left, then opened the door to see there were four people there. Vierre, Zane, Sakura and Setsuna.

"Well, either everyone has midnight hunger or there is a party over here which I wasn't invited too"he said with sarcasm."I'll be back, I need to feed a lion"he said pointing towards his stomach. He walked into the kitchen area and took out a pack of B-B-Q Dipsy Doodels. Then he walked over to the fride and took out a whole liter of Dr. Pepper. He walked back to the group and sat down and put a glass down as well.

"May I ask where there is no music in this party? Or am I just mistakenly wrong?"he said to the group and opened the chip and put one in his mouth. However, took it out and layed it down on a napkin."Sorry, where are my manners?"he said as he raised the bag of chips and asked everyone if they wanted some. Then he sat down, picked up the chip from the napkin and put it in his moth. Soon after, he poured a cup of Dr. Pepper and asked everyone if they wanted some before drinking. Good thing he brought some plastic cups too.

[setsuna]

You there
The words waked her from a stupor. She looked up from her snack through her sunglasses. She didn't remember Vierre's name, but she remembered he was a captain, however, as Vierre introduced himself to Zane, Setsuna made a point to remember the name DeMara. She stared at him for a second... he looked... Britannian. Her eye twitched behind her sunglasses, but she got up and sat closer, though she stayed quiet. She nodded softly to Sakura, "Shizuka." She said softly.

Zane's greeting then reached her. She nodded softly at him. Before taking a bite of her granola bar. She overheard everyone, though didn't really pay attention to anything in particular. Her mind felt like static on a television set. She looked at Kevin as he offered chips and a Britannian drink. She shook her head. It bothered her... one of their captains was of Britannian heritage, and they had Britannian products here. She knew not everyone was as much of an extremist at herself, so she kept her mouth shut about it, but it still bothered her.

Setsuna looked around as she finished her granola bar, checking if there was a no smoking sign in the mess hall. She couldn't remember if it was allowed or not. Not finding a sign anywhere, she decided to ask first, "Am I allowed to smoke in here?..."

[Lucien "Ishtar" Darcy]

Crimson locks had been braided tightly and were still dripping wet after Lucien’s shower. He had intended to crawl into bed afterwards, but the shower had woken him up rather than relax him enough to sleep. Now awake, Lucien decided to go in search of entertainment… or at least food. Humming softly to himself, Lucien lightly padded through the hallways dressed, as usual, in only his button up nightshirt which tonight was slightly damp after his shower and clung to his body, making it even less of a suitable covering than usual.

There were voices from inside the mess hall and Lucien paused outside to listen for a few moments. He wasn’t usually one to eavesdrop; he had no problem in simply dropping in on a conversation, private or not. But ever since his own little break down, Lucien was a bit more careful about interrupting private discussions. There may be things that his comrades didn’t wish to share with the entirety of the base, and on occasion even Lucien was willing to recognize that… on occasion.

Vierre was inside talking about his sister. Lucien wasn’t familiar with any of the other Black Knights’ family situations, and considering his own familial situation, he had never been too interested in prying into the lives of the others. The talk intrigued him. Families, real families not the ones that Lucien had been introduced to, were interesting to him. Vierre was very much the big brother type (It was part of his appeal.), so him having a sister wasn’t too surprising to Lucien. Sakura’s voice was easily recognized, as was Kevin’s, but the other two Lucien didn’t identify right away. Still, the conversations didn’t seem too private that Lucien wouldn’t be allowed to join them, so he happily invited himself in with a grin.

“No, what a terribly awkward situation that would be. My hear, I’m afraid awaits a destiny far greater than could be contained in a few meager and disjointed words via a text message. It must be a tale of love entwined with the impossible. Forbidden perhaps? Tragic or triumphant. Don’t you think that would be a relationship more fitting, Shizuka?”

“I believe that our relationship fits your description quite well, don’t you?” Lucien asked as he draped his arms over Vierre’s shoulders from behind, leaning against the back of the man’s chair and letting his wet braid fall over both their shoulders. “A forbidden tale for sure, but whether it is tragic or triumphant is still to be seen. I think a little bit of both would suit us well, but triumph is what I see in the end.” Lucien assured him before lowering his head to nip at the captain’s earlobe. The redhead was quick to retreat to get some hot chocolate before Vierre retaliated.

“Sorry to interrupt, but you mind if I sit here, sirs?” Lucien glanced over his shoulder to identify the speaker. He was vaguely familiar, but Lucien couldn’t come up with a name for him. Not that it mattered; he was new to play with. That alone made him interesting to Lucien.

“Last time I checked, I was female.”

Sakura had conveniently supplied the boy’s name: Zane Burnlight. Lucien filed it away for later, but he was far more interested in her last remark. Returning to the table with his hot chocolate, he set it on the table before putting an arm around his precious commander. She really should know better it was her own fault. “The last time you checked? Was it a long time ago? Because I would be happy to check for you again to confirm,” Lucien purred as he placed himself in Vierre's lap, but snuggled close to Sakura on the arm of the chair.

“May I ask why there is no music in this party?” Lucien’s eyes slid to Kevin for a moment, but offered no other response. The boy had been sheltered if he thought this was a party. Lucien would have to correct his definition, but later. Right not he was occupied.

“Am I allowed to smoke in here?” Lucien knew the girl by face, but not by name, and he shrugged slightly in response. It didn’t matter to him. He was certainly used to it.

“You’ve been around Darcy for too long.” Sakura’s remark quickly brought Lucien’s attention back to her, and he pouted.

“That had better be a compliment.” Lucien punctuated his sentence by reaching his fingers into his whipped cream and dabbing it on Sakura’s nose as she stood. “It was, wasn’t it?” He asked looking between her and Vierre. He settled on cuddling against Vierre since Sakura had left. Lucien placed his head in the crook of Vierre's neck. "You think I'm a good influence don't you?" He asked innocently, placing a kiss on Vierre's jaw.

[vierre]

((I assume Setsuna is no longer being played, so I didn’t really tailor a response to her into this post))

Vierre grinned inwardly. He enjoyed the subtle traces of emotions that incipiently trailed across the faces of people. The tiny twitches and tugs at lip corners. Sakura was particularly expressive when something resounded with her, even if minor. Perhaps the crafted and convoluted statement on some theoretical forbidden love was a bit much. He was hoping for more of an answer from her, but when it seemed that nothing cogent was coming to her, he mercifully continued on.

However, that did not preclude resident… well resident something from chiming in. Vierre heard Lucien’s voice before he felt the man drape himself over his shoulder. The slightly damp man. Vierre flinched slightly. Lucien was certainly a guaranteed way to keep things interesting.

“A forbidden tale for sure, but whether it is tragic or triumphant is still to be seen. I think a little bit of both would suit us well, but triumph is what I see in the end.”

Vierre opened his mouth to speak, but flinched again, this time much more obviously, as Lucien nipped his earlobe and quickly backed away to fetch something.

“Darcy…” said Vierre, his voice low and threaded with warning. Vierre was perhaps one of the most tolerant members of the Black Knights when it came to Lucien’s playful, and undoubtedly calculated, advances. However, it was a rather poor first impression to be exhibiting to the newer members of the Black Knights. From a purely professional point of view, it was entirely unbefitting for a captain. Vierre slid his eyes quickly over to Sakura, casting a very familiar look when it came to Lucien’s actions, as if asking her to keep the French playboy off of him.

“Oh. Yes. I’m a little low on the honey flavored ones…care for a piece?”

Vierre held his hand up, politely declining the offer. “Ah no thank you, Shizuka. Fate has not blessed me this night with a craving.” With Lucien momentarily absent Vierre relaxed and resumed his typical demeanor. He was actually surprised that Sakura had not pressed further regarding his sister and the text message he had ignored. Though in perspective, he had chosen not to ask her about her locket either that previous day. He wondered now if that was the right approach in general.

“Yes, and how DeMara over here is delusional in the sense that he thinks he can get one.”

Vierre’s eyes shot back over to the Commander-in-Chief. He was also not expecting her to retaliate with a jovial jab, but pleased with it being that much more fun. “Oh Sakura,” said Vierre, interrupting her serene sip of tea. He then purposefully paused long enough to let the Commander know again that his choice of names was entirely deliberate. He put a hand to his lips as if thinking, though in actuality was obscuring, from Zane's viewpoint, the return grin to Sakura. “You know me too well. Now who’d have thought the work involved in captaining a division of the Black Knights could stand in the way of something so mighty as romance? Preposterous isn’t it? Where is this eternal force known as ‘love’? Perhaps you’ve had better fortunes, eh Shizuka?” He smiled pleasantly on the outside as he attempted to turn the topic back on Sakura.

"Everyone's entitled to dreams. No matter how far fetched they may or not be."

Vierre chuckled. “Certainly a loaded statement if I have ever heard one. Tell me then, Zane, are your dreams of the far fetched variety? Perhaps those are the best kind, hmm? After all, noble is the pursuit, but what happens if you actually obtain that dream? How dreadful it would be to have nothing left.” Vierre looked curiously at Zane. He was obviously not Japanese. He was like him. “So you are Britannian then? asked Vierre abruptly.

Vierre raised an eyebrow and once again looked over to Sakura when Kevin joined the group with chips and pop in hand. Clearly the subordinate officer had recovered from his wounds and seemed to be suffering from no ill effects. Vierre hoped that he at least learned a lesson about instigating needless combat, but somehow he doubted it. It was something hardwired into his personality, and it would get him killed sooner rather than later. Vierre raised a hand again, declining the offer of food and beverage. “A bit late for junk food, Parker. And somehow I imagine the Commander prefers her Pocky.”

“You've been around Darcy for too long”

“Oh come on now, that can’t possibly be true. I’m no where near that flamboyant.” He gestured towards Lucien. And of course any reference to Lucien was an invitation for him to play as he sidled into the space vacated by Sakura. Vierre leaned away from Lucien calmly, though not bothering in the slightest to be subtle about it.

"You think I'm a good influence don't you?"

Lucien then placed a light kiss on Vierre’s jawline, causing the Black Knight captain to lean further and further away, until he could not balance himself in the chair anymore and he swung himself out of it and to his feet with a quick twist of his body. He cleared his throat. “Darcy! While I must be awfully hard to resist, perhaps we can… introduce you to some new people, hmm?” he said with a smile gesturing to the assembled crowd. It was perhaps an action of unbridled evil to set Lucien loose on the unsuspecting or unprepared.

[Sakura Shizuka]

“Oh come on now, that can’t possibly be true. I’m no where near that flamboyant.” Sakura raised an eyebrow at the lap-filled-with-Lucien First Captain. Little playboy had decided to make himself present, despite looking like he’d just run out from a shower. Needless to say, in the brief minute or so he had been here, Lucien had successfully sent Sakura’s eye on a twitching spree, as well as raising her stress levels up 6 notches.
“Whoever said I was talking about flamboyancy, DeMara?” Sakura asked calmly before eyeing Vierre, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

The man was very much like Lucien. Sure Vierre wasn’t French, nor flamboyant, nor a prostitute (she hoped), but in other aspects he reminded her of the fellow redhead. Both of them were very good at hiding their emotions, for example. Take Lucien, for example. Only once did Sakura ever see the man break down. Ever. Other than that, he was always smiles, regardless of the situation. Vierre was much the same. He always carried this annoyingly carefree nature about him, yet Sakura had an itchy feeling that like Lucien, he had a past filled with sorrow. Hell, most of the people here did. Shouldn’t make him much different. But most people here were not as stupidly optimistic as Vierre. Some were socially reclusive, like Aoi, others took out their anger in the form of toilet bombs, like Anju. Vierre, on the other hand, was like Lucien. Put on a smile and entertain people. Don’t let others see you down. Don’t worry others.

It was enough for her to stab her eye with a fork.

“That had better be a compliment.”
“Hmm?” Sakura glanced over at Lucien, just in time to-

“What the- Something felt cold on her nose. Cold and vaguely…fluffy. Her nose crinkled slightly. Slowly reaching up, an index finger dabbed at her nose, wiping half of whatever the hell it was Lucien had plopped on her. White. Creamy. Fluffy. She looked back at Lucien, her expression dry.

Whipped cream. It was bloody whipped cream. She sighed slightly, grabbing a tissue and wiping her fingers and nose clean. “Darcy, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t waste food like that…” she said, but had the inky feeling it fell on deaf ears.
“It was, wasn’t it?” Sakura rolled her eyes, tossing the tissue out on her way to the kitchen.
“Hai, hai…if that makes you feel better…” she called nonchalantly. No point in saying otherwise. Would be a waste of breath. Plus, it would most likely be an invite for the playboy to torment her more.

Entering the kitchen, Sakura grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the high cupboards. Hopping up, Sakura opened the door to her lovely little stash of tea. Her little sanctuary, as she liked to put it. It was common knowledge that should one try to tamper with it, they would be prepared to meet Mr. Pointy. Not many people liked Mr. Pointy.

Sakura stared up at her collection of tea bags. And blinked. She looked back down to her tea-less mug. And scrunched her nose. Which flavor next? She didn’t want a second cup of peach…perhaps green? No, had that earlier…raspberry? Na, too sweet…perhaps…

She reached up and plucked out a pink box. Sakura tea. As clichéd as it may sound, Sakura’s favorite flavor of tea was indeed, Sakura tea. Maybe it had to do with something with her sharing the same name, she didn’t know. Nor did she care. All that mattered was that she loved her Sakura tea and right now, she was going to have it.

As she waited for the kettle to boil, Kevin entered the room. An eyebrow rose delicately. He looked in high spirits. She titled her head slightly in greeting. “Kon…ban….w…a…” Sakura said slowly as she saw what exactly the Subordinate Officer was getting. Dipsy Doodles and Dr. Pepper. She blinked once and then turned her head to the clock. Then back to Kevin. Dipsy Doodles and Dr. Pepper. She blinked again. Well. Guess there was no specific time for junk food, now was there?

…but still. Dipsy Doodles and Dr Pepper?

Blinking to herself and shaking her head slightly at Kevin’s retreating form, Sakura got up from her leaning position by the counter and poured the water into her mug, the smell of tea already turning her happy button on. Tea~ What ever would she do without it? Heading towards the door, Sakura paused mid-step as her eyes fell upon the towel closet. She stared at it for a few seconds.

….

“…oh fuck it.”

Heading back to the Mess Hall, her aura somewhat lightened up due to the tea in her hand, Sakura took note that Kevin had joined them, instead of returning directly to his quarters as she initially perceived.

“…introduce you to some new people, hmm?” Sakura blinked as she saw Vierre practically leap up from his chair. Her eyes rolled between him and Lucien, an amused eyebrow arching slightly. Looks like Vierre had had enough of French playboy for one evening. She grinned into her mug as she took a sip.

Part of her sympathized with Vierre, having been the victim of Lucien’s antics many a time. But the other part of her remembered oh so clearly when Vierre had essentially abandoned her when Kevin had gotten himself busted up. How he had left for her to play the role of sweet, caring nurse. Her eye still twitched at the thought.

Walking over to behind Lucien, Sakura placed her mug aside before undoing his braid, her fingers combing the strands apart gently. Then, flopping the fluffy towel that she had grabbed from the closet, began to rub the playboy’s hair dry. “I don’t think that’s necessary, DeMara…I think you and Darcy make quite the couple. Besides, weren’t you the one who was talking something about an epic romance? I think a DeMara x Darcy relationship would fall under the category of ‘epic’, wouldn’t you agree?” Sakura suddenly asked, turning her head over to Kevin and Zane briefly before turning her attention back to Lucien’s hair which was drier than it was previously. It wasn’t perfectly dry, but enough so that she wouldn’t worry about the man catching a cold. The worrywart side of her wouldn’t shut up if he did.

Separating the red locks into three separate strands and began re-braiding it, the young Commander gave Vierre a sweet smile. “I don’t think your status as Captain should have a hindrance on your romantic life, and I’m sure Darcy will be more than willing help you sort out your schedule…” She finished tying the braid and rested her elbows on the playboy’s shoulders, her chin resting on her hands that were on top of Lucien’s head. She looked at Vierre, an innocent smile on her face.


She knew it was a bitchy move. She knew it was spiteful move.

She was a spiteful bitch.

“Ne?”

[Zane Burnlight]

“Certainly a loaded statement if I have ever heard one. Tell me then, Zane, are your dreams of the far fetched variety? Perhaps those are the best kind, hmm? After all, noble is the pursuit, but what happens if you actually obtain that dream? How dreadful it would be to have nothing left,” Vierre said with a bit of mirth in his voice.

Zane's mind froze a little. He hadn't expected that. "No offense, but you sounded almost like my sister there. Anyway, I wouldn't say that my dreams any more out there than those of anyone else here. I just want everyone to be free. I never really thought about what would happen when we get there. I'll just jump off that bridge when I get to it."

With a sudden change of subject, Vierre asked “so you are Britannian then?"

Now that was a surprise. Zane had hoped that he would have more time to get to know the other Black Knights before this particular topic came up. Talk about a loaded question, Zane thought with a sigh. He took out his lucky quarter and started twirling it in his fingers. "Yeah, I am. Born about 50 miles away from Pendragon. How about yourself?" He politely declined Kevin's offer before bringing his attention back to the others in the room.

They were talking about and to a man that had draped himself about Vierre. He had red hair and was dripping water. The Captain had identified him as Darcy. He had a strange way of conducting himself and didn't seem like too much of a soldier.

Sakura came back, a cup of tea in one hand and a towel in the other. “I don’t think that’s necessary, DeMara…I think you and Darcy make quite the couple. Besides, weren’t you the one who was talking something about an epic romance? I think a DeMara x Darcy relationship would fall under the category of ‘epic’, wouldn’t you agree?” She started grooming Darcy's hair. It was a strange thing to see warriors doing in Zane's experience, but he decided against remarking.

“I don’t think your status as Captain should have a hindrance on your romantic life, and I’m sure Darcy will be more than willing help you sort out your schedule…” She was smiling, but something about her voice gave Zane a strange feeling. He chose to wait quietly and get a better feel for his new allies while idly flipping his quarter.

[kevin]

Kevin was on his second cup of Dr.Pepper and had almost finished quater of the big bag of chips. Suddenly Lucien came in and he saw him. He was what he heard from others, 'weird'. Not only that but it was said he was both femanine and masculine. Kevin shivered as he stepped into the room. He filled the glass up again and took a gulp. He took out his phone to see if his track ball was blue. However, it wasn't, he really was hoping for it to be blue. Then he put his hand back into the bag and took out chips and put them in his mouth. Boy was he hungry. He finished his third cup and poured another one when Vierre spoke.

“A bit late for junk food, Parker. And somehow I imagine the Commander prefers her Pocky.”said Vierre. However, Kevin had an answer of his own."It's never too late to eat "junk" food"said Kevin as he he raised both of his arms and signed quotation marks when he said junk."Also I would appreciate if you wouldn't call it junk food. You can call it "Un-healthy food" or as I like to call it, "24/7 Fast Food""he said. He then turned back to his cup of Dr. Pepper and took another gulp.

“Darcy! While I must be awfully hard to resist, perhaps we can… introduce you to some new people, hmm?”said Vierre and Kevin almost chocked. The nerve of the guy to pull a stunt like that! Was he mad? He must have been. How would he know how a person would feel if Lucien started doing what he called "stuff" to them? It would be really freaky! He finished his cup of soda and poured another one. He would too have to pull a stunt. He took some more chips and ate them. Then he drank some more soda and looked at Lucien.

He figured if the man would come next to him, he would say he had to go to the bathroom. Though that may have not worked. For example, Lucien might just invite himself in himself. So, he thought he would go back into the kitchen and put the half eaten bag of chips back but who knew what Lucein would do then. So, he just sat there. Looking to see any sign of Lucien coming towards him. Soon after, he gulped for air.[/i]

[Aloysius Drebbel]

-Topic finished-

Vierre DeMara: (2504 Words, Normal RP) 260 Exp, 260 Credits [+10]
Sakura Shizuka: (3076 Words, Normal RP) 318 Exp, 318 Credits [+10]
Zane Burnlight: (1462 Words, Normal RP) 156 Exp, 156 Credits [+10]
Kevin Parker: (1358 Words, Normal RP) 126 Exp, 126 Credits [-10]
Lucien "Ishtar" Darcy: (811 Words, Normal RP) 91 Exp, 91 Credits [+10]

Credits and EXP have been added.