Station 'Dis, Station 'Dat

[Yolanda Riona]

Posted by Skyes on Jul. 31 2008,09:08
Station Square had been a lot closer than Skyes had thought, and thankfully, he didn't fall asleep behind the wheel during the trip. He was still exhausted from the trip TO Radical- this didn't help, much. He was nearing the city outskirts when he heard a voice that sent a chill down his spine:

"****!!!" Semyl was awake now. She was struggling to wriggle out.

"Soooooooooo... any particular part of town you need to get to..?" Skyes asked, trying to block out the increasingly violent shouts and bangs coming from the back. He hoped the seats were durable- In her state of anger, Semyl could very well break something back there.

"LET- ME- OOOOOOOOUT!" She was NOT happy. And also under the impression that during the time she was passed out, a group of people had hijacked the vehicle and stuffed in the trunk.

"Did I remember to take the handgun away from her...?" Skyes froze.

BANG! Apparently not.

"Aw nuts." He said. She had fired off a warning shot, leaving a tiny hole in the rear of the vehicle. Deciding someone was bound to get hit, Skyes motioned for the person next to him to take the wheel.

"SIS! It's okay, calm down!!!"
Posted by Burner Samson on Jul. 31 2008,13:50
(Burner) "No, you can let us out just anywhere."

Charlotte couldn't take the wheel because her arm was broken, but she shifted the vehicle into park when Skyes turned his attention away. This was certainly an unwelcoming turn of events, but Burner had seen worse.
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 02 2008,13:08
"What's going on? Why am I IN here?! My back hurts! My legs are crampin' up! It's stuffy in here! Let me out!! Skyyyyyyyyyyyyyyes!"

"In a while, sis."

"You're gonna get it SO BAD when I get outta here!!"

"'If', more like." Skyes said flatly. Semyl had been complaining for the last half hour since she woke up, and it was clearly starting to tick Skyes off. But, he had more pressing issues on his mind.

"Where am I supposed to dump this auto at? I can't exactly pull up to our home in a stolen vehicle- Even if it IS from another city..."

----------

An hour later, Skyes had finally reached a point where he could safely say that the group was in city limits. Best of all, it appeared as though no harm had come to Station. He let out a sigh of relief, and pulled over.

"Ooooooookay, people, here we are." It made him feel extremely happy to stretch his legs out as he got out. Wrapped up in complete confidence, he forgot to hold up his guard when he popped open the trunk.

PUNCH.

"I TOLD YA!" Semyl shouted.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 02 2008,14:37
Burner and his party had already gotten out of the vehicle and were surrounding Skyes in a semicircle.

(Bret) "Do you and your sister have moments like this very often?"
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 02 2008,15:22
"Like you wouldn't believe..." Skyes moaned, massaging his head- Semyl had anger issues, alright.

"Wow, that one looked like it hurt. Guess that means that liquor finally wore off." Semyl giggled.

"Oooowww... You know, you not even old enough TO drink."

"By whose standards? Humans?" Semyl snapped, finally managing to tumble out of the trunk.

"Is there a difference? Besides, what would Mother say?"

"The woman that only raised 20-something children for the past eighty percent of her life?"

"Okay, fine, bad example."

Semyl barely noticed the group forming around Skyes- so THAT'S who she heard on the way down here. "Oh, hiya." Her mind processed this for a bit; There WAS the issue of what to do with the van... "Say, ya wouldn't-"

"No." Skyes cut her off. It wasn't nice to unload illegally obtained items onto strangers. Funny thing to do- but not nice.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 03 2008,18:14
Burner and everyone else glanced at each other, then back at Skyes and Semyl.

(Burner) "Something on your mind? What do they call you, anyhow?"
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 12 2008,17:25
[Right- Now that everything has settled down among the members, let's continue.]

"Er- Didn't I already introduce myself...?" Skyes thought. Maybe Burner was just trying to switch the conversation- Skyes played along with it, since it might distract the overly-energetic Semyl. At least long enough so he wouldn't get punched. Just because he was heavy didn't mean he couldn't feel it- She can really make them hurt.

"I would say 'they' call her Crazy-" He said, pointing at Semyl. "-and I'd say that I'm Singl- Mffft?" Semyl had clamp his mouth shout with a quick movement of her hand- "Not now." She muttered quietly- She didn't need any trouble from Skyes usual habit of hitting on women- And seeing as how one was present, Semyl hoped she could somehow convey the message to Cherry to 'Walk away!'.

"As I was saying-" Skyes said, freeing himself of her hand, "-Skyes Lowell's the name. Pleasures mine, especially considering the dainty little- Mfft?!" Once again, embarrassment was averted thanks to Semyl. "Brooooother! Cut it out!" She growled.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 13 2008,06:35
Burner and everyone else had already taken the hint and gotten their distance.

(Burner) "Err... Skyes, do you need help taming your sis?"
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 13 2008,09:56
"TAMING?!? I'll show you taming!" Semyl yelled, taking a quick step towards the group before being snatched up by Skyes. "Hey! Lemme go! Let me at 'em! I'll make a handbag outta him!"

"She's... been under a lot of stress, lately- Hang on, I got this..." Placing both hands on the side of her head, he clasped both and lifted her straight into the air.

"MFFT! Mfft pfft %@$#fft mffft!!!!! ... Mffft."

Releasing her onto the ground behind him, Skyes turned towards Burner and saw that the group had backed away a bit- "Oh, don't worry, she's harmless. All you gotta do is pull on both ears and she'll stop." he said, performing the action when he saw her dart out again.

"Geh!" she said, and fell down with a thud.

"See? Not a problem. I try not to do that often, she doesn't like it much... So..." He left off, looking for something else to talk about.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 13 2008,13:57
Burner tilted his head to one side with his arms folded.

"I actually don't come to Station Square all that often. I grew up in Radical, you see. What's it like here?"
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 14 2008,20:20
"Weeeeeell... It depends what part of town you're in. Central Station is always bustling, and is the nicer part of the whole city. Not only that, but it's also the majority of the city limits. You can probably find ANYTHING you're looking for there, too. It's meant to look good in a reeeeeeally bad attempt in hiding the fact that it's just about the only area that looks worth living in. Not to say the other parts of Station Square are that bad. But there's a lot of tension concerning the... quality of housing. It's kind of a mixed bag... But it's still an extremely good place to grow up in. Just try not to stick around the western outer areas and you're- you're... uhhhh..." He dropped off, looking around... "Where did I stop...?"

Semyl had barely picked herself off the ground, not knowing why she was down there in the first place. "Hey brother! How ya doing?" She happily cheered, appearing to be unaware of her previous anger moods. "Oooooh, hey, what're we doing in the western outer part of town? I don't feel like having to charm my way out of a mugging, you can only do that so many tiiiiiii...mes... You guys still here?" She asked, pointing at the group. "Don'cha know it's bad to stop here in the thugs' turf?"

"I just finished saying that... and besides, we STOPPED because YOU wanted out of the trunk." Skyes said accusingly.

"Oooooh yeeeeah... I'm still telling Mama on you! Who do you think you are, stuffing your little sister in the trunk?"

"...You're OLDER than me by a few minutes, what are you talking abou- Er, I think we've bigger problems, Sis..." Skyes muttered- In the broken down buildings around them, silouettes could be seen leering out at the group.

"Guys... Slowly move towards the van... and get in quietly..." He had a feeling he should've kept going into a nicer, more pleasant part of Station Square.

Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 15 2008,08:45
Everyone was beginning to move toward the van slowly, just as Skyes said.

(Burner) Wonder who'll be stuffed in the trunk this time...
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 15 2008,22:57
It didn't take long to realize something bad was going to happen- Semyl could tell right away that the trunk issue was going to come up. "'Eeeeeyyyyy, don't even THINK about shoving me in there again-"

"I GOT DIBS ON THE YOUNG'N!!!" a voice shouted from the darkness.

"Young'n? Who's the young one here...?" Looking around, Semyl saw that she was easily mistakable for the youngest of the group. "Ulp... Uhh..." Swiftly turning around, she sprinted towards the rear of the vehicle, punched the truck open, squirmed in, and shut it firmly behind her. "No objection here, Brother! GO!"

"I- I didn't even say anything!" Skyes said flatly. "Well- That saves me a lot of trouble..."
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 16 2008,06:58
(Burner) Well, I guess that answers my question.

Everyone else was in the van by now. This time Burner rode shotgun.
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 17 2008,00:22
"Sis, are you already-"

"FASTER!!! NO TALKING, STEP ON IT!" Semyl had only heard too often of what tends to happen to young women in these parts.

----------

"Ugh, can't believed I forgot about that... Pardon the... inconvenience..." Skyes said, bringing the vehicle to a halt once inside central Station. It was already apparent that this was the better part of town to be.

"Can I get out now?" Semyl nagged from behind.
Posted by Huu B. on Aug. 17 2008,06:39
True, the Central Station area was relatively safer than the western outskirts, but it still had its dangers. And one of them was hiding in an alley just a stone's throw from Skyes and co.

Hm... that van might be a perfect target. If I can get someone out of it...

Huu kicked a trash can over, creating a loud noise, then hid behind a dumpster until someone approached.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 17 2008,06:41
Burner and the rest of his group had just exited the van. Bret approached the trunk and had just opened it when a clattering sound echoed nearby.

(Charlotte) "What was that?"
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 18 2008,12:03
"Don't." Skyes said, motioning for the other's to halt- Semyl had shot a glance at him from the trunk as she slid out- Something seemed off here.

"What's up, Sis?" Skyes said quietly as he walked over to her, helping her get out.

"I sense a trick... The 'garbage can' trick is something I used ALL the time as a thief, and it takes one to know one. I just know something's up." She whispered.

"Oh, it's nothing." Skyes said loudly, and in the direction of the noise. But the look he gave Semyl clearly said "Me too."

A small growl started rumbling in the back of Semyl's throat. "I say, let's take em'!" She nudged Skyes.

"Such a direct approach, Sis... Hold on... It might just be some kid or the like. Y'know... maybe someone that's here like the old group." He told her, referring to the children they used to take care of.

"You mean S5?" Semyl asked. She was still highly unconvinced.

"Look, will it make you feel better if I Sidewinder the can??" Skyes said, exasperated. A little one wouldn't hurt- just hard enough to startle whoever was there. Winding up the punch, he was about to send a short trail of energy flying in that direction when he saws... Mice. Three of them, crawling out of seemingly nowhere- That threw him off.

"Er- Sis, it's just.. mice... Tiny ones, at that, hehe. Jeez, you were about to have me Sidewinder a bunch of MICE!!" Skyes chuckled. "You know, Sis, you could do better to have pity on the unevolved small animals. Naka knows we already have it better than they do. Why don't you spare them? I know they're fierce and hungry for blood, but come on, they can't even stand on two legs." Skyes joked, still laughing at Semyl's insecurity.

"Oh hardy-har-har, brother, very funny." she barked at him. "...It's been awhile since I've seen a small animal... Yeesh, imagine life without bipedalism. Scary times, I think." She said, moving to and crouching down near the mice- she had temporarily forgotten her previous sense of danger in the general area.
Posted by Huu B. on Aug. 18 2008,13:05
Huu grew silent.

They weren't fooled. Maybe something a little less subtle...?

He moved slightly into the light, then immediately retreated, allowing his audience to catch no more than a glimpse of his shadow.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 18 2008,14:01
Charlotte jumped a little when she glimpsed Huu's outline.

"Okay, now I'm sure I saw someone back there..."
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 18 2008,18:10
Semyl froze on the spot; The shadow DEFINITELY wasn't mice. Taking a few steps back, Semyl nudged Skyes and pointed towards the alley. "Should we flush em'?" Semyl asked.

"I'll do it, you're in no condition to start something."

"Oh, come on, my arm's perfectly fine." Semyl said indignantly. She had broken it taking a short fall off of the Lowell residence a few days back, but it had pretty much healed. Enough to be stuffed in a trunk, apparently.

"I'll do a better job." Skyes shot back, winding up a punch to the ground.

"But, I don't think sending a shockwave down a small alley would-"

Action 1: Sidewinder > 'Alley'

"Oh, do it anyways why don't you. Sheesh. You need to listen to me more often, brother!"

"Relax. It wasn't full power. It's not enough to hurt anyone. Just enough to make him yelp. Er- scream, if it's a human. Though, I've heard humans yelp, too-"

"Skyes, shut up."

"Okay..."

Posted by Huu B. on Aug. 19 2008,08:22
The shockwave down the alley was followed by something that was neither a yelp nor a scream. But it was accompanied by the sounds of a few more trash cans rattling.

"Hey, what the-?" ****! He's not coming this way! Now how should I play this...
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 19 2008,08:54
(Charlotte) "I think whoever's in there felt that."

Burner quickly got bored of watching. He stepped in front of Skyes and prepared to enter the alley.
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 19 2008,14:01
Skyes was about to follow Burner when he got an idea... A sneaky one, at that.

"Yeah, they had to have felt that. Why don't you go with Burner and check it out, Sis, and I'll stay here and make sure nothing happens to the group!" he proclaimed cheerfully. "I'll especially keep an eye out to make sure no harm befalls that pretty little lady." Skyes muttered under his breath, slyly directing his gaze over at Charlotte... Which was quickly replaced with an angry Semyl stepping up in front of him, glaring him straight in the eye.

"I heard that. Get movin'!" she said, grabbing Skyes by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow, okay, oooow..." Skyes took his place at Burner's right, while Semyl stayed behind both of them.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 20 2008,14:49
((I can't be bothered to log in and out of both accounts anymore.))

Burner stepped into the alleyway until he got close to Huu, but failed to spot him hiding in the dumpster's shadow on the left.

(Burner) Where is...?
(Huu) Yeees... come just a little closer, little squirrel...
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 20 2008,15:26
Semyl came to a complete halt, sensing they were getting close- But she didn't have a clue where this person was. The alley had a lot to hide behind. Skyes guess was as good as hers.

Skyes, however, didn't catch this, and just continued on into the alley. Aware that sending him a warning would most likely give of their position, or at least distract Skyes, she stayed silent, watching his back, and taking the occasional glance at the group that was left at the van.

"Uh... do you smell something...?" He asked. There was a light scent of roast coming from one of the dumpsters... Skyes took a giant step towards it, flipped the top open, as quick as he could...

"What the-" he said, taking a step back. Semyl rushed forward, only to see...

"Oh, com'on! Who the H*LL would throw away a whole pot roast? Such a d*mn waste..." she said.

"Focus..." Skyes warned.

"Hey, you were the one who started pickin' at the dumpsters."

"But I had a feeling about this one."

"Skyes... it's EXACTLY the same as the other three! What made this one so special?"

"It smelled like roast. And this one is shinier than the other three."

"Skyes... You're an idiot. Y'know that?!" Semyl said, obviously irritated. She got all worked up over nothing. And, with the smell of pot roast now in the air, she couldn't tell one scent from another. Skyes merely scratched his head for a bit, while Semyl gave an exasperated sigh. Wrong dumpster. And now the two had let down their guard, hastily shuffling forward to catch up to Burner.

Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 21 2008,17:19
As Burner walked past Huu's hiding spot, the raccoon suddenly grabbed the squirrel by the arm and pulled him in. This was followed by a sound that sounded like someone hitting someone else on the head, and a few seconds later, someone who looked almost exactly like Burner, but slightly darker, emerged from behind the dumpster. He said nothing, just stepped towards Skyes and Semyl before stopping.
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 21 2008,18:05
Skyes and Semyl had alerted themselves again, while speeding up to stay behind Burner- Though, it seemed he was coming towards them.

Skyes had thought that whoever made the noise should've already been found by now, unless they got away. He was going to suggest turning back, and now it looked like as if Burner had the same idea, for he was making his way back as the pair ran into him... literally. Staggering for a bit, Semyl became a little peeved. "Ow! Hey, watch where you're going!" Skyes, however, was a bit nicer about it. "Oh, hey there. Something wrong, Burner?"
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 26 2008,05:02
"Burner" didn't say anything. Instead, he drew his switchblade knife out of his pocket and pointed it at Semyl's chin.
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 26 2008,17:44
Semyl froze at the sudden threat- Skyes hadn't exactly done the same. In an instant, he shoved her out of the way and brought about his right fist hurtling towards "Burner"'s knife. This was either going to work and disarm him, or he'd probably have a quicker reaction; Worst-case scenario, Skyes was going to take a hit.

"BURNER! What the h*ll-?"
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 27 2008,05:55
"Burner" still didn't say anything. He pulled his hand back just in time, and Skyes missed. He then attempted to counterattack by knifing Skyes's arm.

Somewhere behind one of the dumpsters, someone could be heard moaning, as if he was just waking up from getting knocked out.
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 27 2008,20:24
"SEM! Run!"

The knife struck home, and lodged itself in Skyes right upper arm. Wincing as it sliced through, he readied a shoulder slam with his left side- The only way to win a knife fight with your hands was to make sure the other guy got knocked out before he had a chance to attack.

The maneuver left a great opening for a stab at Skyes, but the knofe was already preoccupied. Skyes hoped that he'd be able to land a hit before "Burner" drew it out for another attack.

Semyl had already taken cue and dashed past the two. Thinking that if "Burner" was in on this, surely the group at the van was, too. The only way left was towards the alley. Taking refuge behind the dumpsters, she became a little disheartened- She never left Skyes' side in a brawl, but if he felt certain enough of the danger that he ordered her to run... She had no choice. She'd have helped, but it has been quite sometime since her last fight- Everything from her elemental abilities to her physical form; She was too rusty to even risk it.

And whatever she landed on after her jump towards the dumpster seemed like it was... moving. After a short, uneased pause, Semyl looked down to find herself staring at Burner- Or, at least, another one.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 28 2008,04:30
Not one to be discouraged easily, "Burner" let go of the knife and blocked the slam with his right hand, while casting a small amount of fire from his left hand, destination Skyes's face.

The real Burner, the one Semyl had just discovered, slowly tried to get to his feet.

"Ugh... what the **** just happened? I think someone grabbed me and knocked me out when I came in here..."

Posted by Skyes on Aug. 29 2008,07:04
"Whuh-" Semyl stared at him. And then shifted her gaze at the other Burner, and then back to him. She wasn't all too sure why, but she thought it in her best interests to help this one get up.

Meanwhile, Skyes had not expected an elemental attack- Must less one directed that quickly. He tried to raise his right arm to block the blast. This resulted only with the knife wound getting scorched. To make it worse, Skyes was only able to fend off a portion of the flames- The bit that got through seared one side of his face, and caused him flinch. Clutching the burn, and stunned at the sensation from his arm, he took a couple of quick steps back from "Burner".

Sensing that prolonging this any further was only going to make matters worse, Skyes flared up and sent an elemental spire of his own hurtling towards Huu.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 29 2008,09:52
The real Burner was on his feet now. He looked around the dumpster and spotted Skyes engaged in combat with... huh?

Meanwhile, the fake Burner failed to anticipate the elemental spire and was knocked backwards by it. It was this scene that the real Burner witnessed. Anxious to get some attention, he stepped behind his impostor and cleared his throat loudly.

Posted by Skyes on Aug. 29 2008,18:10
Skyes was still highly aggravated about having his face torched- The pain still lit up every second. He would've dug into Burner had there not been one standing over him. All aggression fading away, Skyes was now heavily confused.

"Maybe I just got hit and I'm seeing things..."

Semyl hadn't said anything since the finding of the other Burner- Her eyes darted back and forth between the two, trying to figure out any reasoning behind this situation.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 29 2008,18:26
The fake Burner turned to look at the real one. "What is it?" he growled, in a voice that was definitely not the same as the real Burner's.

In response, the real Burner looked the fake one square in the eye. "Who are you, and where do you get off trying to impersonate me? Last I checked, I didn't have a twin brother."

"It's nothin' personal, kid, it's just what I do."

The real Burner quickly punched his impostor in the jaw, the fake retaliated with a foot to the crotch, and both Burners quickly got into a fistfight.
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 29 2008,18:42
Skyes' first move would have been to pry one Burner off of the other- But he had no clue as to which one was which now, and Semyl's expression clearly said she was just as lost.

Trailing one Burner with his eyes, Skyes tried to keep a tab on whichever one had the impostor's voice- But constantly blinking with his burned eye proved to make this task particularly difficult.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 29 2008,18:46
As the two Burners continued to wrestle, Charlotte stepped into the alley.

"What'd I miss?"
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 29 2008,19:28
Hearing Charlotte enter the alley, Skyes immediately wheeled around and unclasped his face; "Pops always said to never look weak in front of a lady..." As fine as he tried to portray himself, with a quarter of his heard burnt black and blood seeping through the arm of his tunic, only his smile hinted to ANYTHING being 'okay'.

Semyl had already caught on to this, and would normally punch Skyes, but current health concerns made her hold back- He seemed like he took enough damage from the fights anyways.
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 30 2008,04:27
Charlotte could quickly tell that Skyes wasn't going to answer her question, so she looked past him and Semyl at Burner and his impostor.

"Who's Burner fighting with? Looks like... himself?"
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 31 2008,10:25
"Your answer is as good as mine." Skyes replied politely. Looking over at the brawl, he couldn't help but wonder what to do next. He could try to pry the two apart; Break up the fight, more like- But there was still the chance of getting knifed. And he still hadn't caught on to any signs of telling the two apart physically.

Semyl was now observing the wound on Skyes arm, and jumped back when she saw that his face was singed. "Jeez! What'd it do to you...?"

"Caught me off guard."
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 31 2008,11:36
The fake Burner now had the real one pinned to the ground. The fake began to charge up a fireball to end the battle, but the real Burner caught him by surprise and knocked him off. The fake hit the ground hard, and began to get up.

"Hmf... not bad."

The real Burner was now generating his own fireball to pitch at the fake.
Posted by Skyes on Aug. 31 2008,11:50
Catching on to the imposter's voice, Skyes readied himself to assist He'd send a Sidewinder right as the real Burner pitched his fireball- This would make it extremely difficult to dodge one or the other.

Action 1: Sidewinder > ??Burner??
Posted by Burner Samson on Aug. 31 2008,14:57
The fake Burner stopped the real one's fireball with a fireball of his own, but the Sidewinder caught him off guard, throwing him off his feet and knocking his head hard against the dumpster.

As the fake got up and rubbed his head, his body demateralized and reformed into that of a brown raccoon. Yup, you guessed it: Huu Benjiski. Apparently that last blow had caused him to lose his copied state.

Burner balked. "What the ****?"
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 01 2008,00:26
Skyes had jumped back when he saw the true form of Huu.

"HOW did you-"

"Who cares? GET 'EM!'" Semyl leapt straight for the raccoon, but was quickly held back by Skyes.

"Stay out of this." He suspiciously eyed Huu. Skyes didn't take attacks all too kindly, much less on his twin sister. "What do you want...?"

"Yea, yea, give us three good reasons why we shouldn't beat the cr-"

"Sis... What'd I just say...?"

Posted by Burner Samson on Sep. 01 2008,05:26
Burner tried to approach Huu, but the latter stood up and pushed the former aside before approaching Skyes.

Huu glanced at Skyes's knife wound. Even though Huu had made the wound with a replica of Burner's knife, said replica had dissolved when Huu returned to normal.

"My, my, that looks serious. You really should see a doctor about that."

Huu kept his guard up, expecting Skyes to try to sucker-punch him.
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 01 2008,18:04
Skyes' ears folded back, and a low growl resonated from his throat.

"Back off."
Posted by Burner Samson on Sep. 02 2008,05:49
Burner watched with his arms folded, not sure what to do. Huu looked at Skyes for a moment, then at Semyl, then at Burner.

(Huu) I've already copied the squirrel and that didn't go so well. I wounded the big guy quite a bit and I wouldn't want to put up with those injuries. That leaves the girl. She doesn't look half bad...

His decision made, Huu stepped towards Semyl and rubbed her shoulder gently.

(Huu) "Your sis is very cute."

Huu was ready to jinx backwards in case either Skyes or Semyl didn't take kindly to his actions.
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 02 2008,19:25
Skyes lunged out at Huu out of rage. Where did this guy get off threatening Semyl, knifing Skyes, smoking a portion of his face, and then trying to act buddy-buddy!

Barely catching him by his tunic, Semyl tugged him back, and slid over to Huu disarmingly. While maintaining eye contact with him, she signaled behind her back at Skyes by crossing her thumb with her ring finger- "Hang on."

"...Maybe she's going to try and work something out with him... Ahg, d*mn punk burned a good part of my face..."

"Cute? That's a new one." Wrapping her other arm around Huu, and taking special care to caress her body against his, she ran her fingers across his neck. "Ya know, there's something you're looking for... We're two alley drifters, we think alike, heck, I'm willin' to bet you've had your share of heists with that illusion of yours... So, what is it you want...? I might be able to... Help ya out..." She said enticingly, tightening her grip.

All this was highly unnerving to Skyes- He hadn't a clue what Semyl was planning. Nor did he agree at all with this approach.

"If that's your way of solving this, I'm going to hurl." He thought bitterly.

"I suppose you thought we'd be an easier target to make a quick buck out of... But it looks like you bit off more than you can chew, eh...? Why don't you just..."

"I mean, come on, even I wouldn't do that."

"...GIVE UP, YA SMARMY B*ST*RD!!" Semyl raged at Huu, drawing her own switchblade and bringing it towards Huu with a inward motion, aiming straight for the gut.

"...I wouldn't have thought of that either..." Skyes was shocked that Semyl would risk such a situation, and quickly readied himself to bail her out when something was sure to go awry.

Posted by Huu B. on Sep. 03 2008,08:40
((Switching accounts because I think Huu is more important now))

Burner raised an eyebrow at Huu's sudden change in attitude... as well as Semyl's.

Huu wasn't really trying to hit on Semyl; he just wanted an excuse to touch her. And touch her he had. He hadn't expected her to react pleasantly, so he knew something was up. And when she threw a surprise attack at him, he was ready.

There was no time to dodge, so Huu used a different tactic. Right as Semyl brought her knife in, he activated his Mirror, and his body turned to vapor for the brief second it would take for him to change form. The timing was perfect, as Semyl's knife passed through him harmlessly.

Of course, Huu immediately re-solidified into a form resembling Semyl's, and took the opportunity to throw a punch at her jaw.

((There wasn't much about Semyl in your profile, so I'm going to have to do some assuming regarding her abilities. You'll stop me if I make a mistake, right?))
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 03 2008,14:02
[OOC: Yikes, good point. I wasn't planning on Semyl to be a sub-character until recently. I did realize I hadn't written anything on her, so that's why I gave her 'Rusty' status; It wouldn't be fair for me to name a skill I hadn't detailed earlier, y'know?

Hm... Well, Semyl currently has weakened abilities from dis-use, and her left hand is currently busted from an earlier accident... Not sure how Huu's form would take that, so, that'd be up to you. If it's of any help, to avoid naming wind elemental abilities and later changing it during character screening (creating a paradox.), she IS highly agile and dagger-adept. Throwing included. I should probably get to doing that... >_>]

Semyl had jumped back- not out of evasive action, but of shock.

"My waist is NOT THAT WIDE!"

She felt the hit connect, but depending on which hand was used, Huu would've either thrown a weak right-punch, or a strong left-punch. With repercussions; Semyl's left hand was still busted from earlier in the week. Punching Skyes during the trip home didn't help it out at all, either.

Skyes, still perturbed by the near-perfect copy of his sister, strode forward and caught Semyl. He hoisted her up, as she became a bit dazed from Huu's punch.

"Ow! You little- Skyes, launch me!!"

"Er, Sis, it's been awhile since-"

"Now!!"

Grabbing her by the back of her tank-top, Skyes spun around on the spot, and after four rotations, sent her flying at Huu. He had a bad feeling about this...

"Try that again, ya little spaz!" Semyl shouted, arching her body to deliver a kick to Huu's head.

Skyes feebly followed that by charging at the same target.

Posted by Huu B. on Sep. 03 2008,17:44
Anticipating the technique, Huu dropped to the floor so Semyl would miss him. He then drew out a replica of Semyl's switchblade and aimed it at Skyes's ankle.

((Skyes is gonna need an ambulance by the time this is over...))
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 03 2008,18:01
[OOC: Probably so... >_>]

Skyes who was just coming out of his spin, had knelt down to stop. The dagger didn't hit the intended target, but slid itself very nicely just above his knee.

"Geh!-"

Looking down, he was only half surprised to find yet another knife sticking out of a limb. He seemed to somehow attract pointy things towards himself.

With her kick going clear over Huu, Semyl landed and immediately swung around and lunged at him.

Now entirely aggravated, Skyes no longer wished to hold back from mangling Huu. Charging up energy in both palms, he slammed them down in the ground, send both tremors traveling towards his enemy.

Action 1: Sidewinder > Huu
Action 2: Sidewinder > Huu

Semyl hadn't thought of this happening, and wished she hadn't gotten so close to Huu.

"Whuh?! BROTHER! You'll hit us BOTH!!!"
Posted by Huu B. on Sep. 03 2008,19:01
Huu let go of the knife and carefully stood up. Semyl's yell called his attention to her, and immediately back to Skyes.

As for the Sidewinders, Huu was able to leap over the first, but his timing was bad, and the second tripped him up before he could jump again. Frustrated, he tried to get to his feet again, but the damaged left hand he had unwittingly copied along with Semyl's body made it a painful effort.

Burner saw everything that was going on. He quickly leaped forwards and shoved the real Semyl out of the way of Skyes's double attack, only to take both shockwaves himself and hit the ground face-first.

Owowowowow... this is why I hate playing hero.
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 03 2008,20:07
"That- wasn't what I thought would happen..." Skyes muttered.

"D*MN*T! How HARD is it to hit ONE GUY???" Semyl was losing her cool, and twirled around Huu, going in for another kick. Mid twirl, she whipped out her last resort items- Extremely smaller throwing knives that were more like card-thin slits of razor sharp metal. After her kick swung around, she'd aim all three with one hand at Huu. "Skyes! DO something!!!!"

"I'm TRYING!" Skyes shouted back, irked at his inability to hit smaller targets.
Posted by Huu B. on Sep. 04 2008,05:29
Huu had somehow managed to get to his feet during Semyl's twirl, and produced three throwing knives of his own. He took the kick, but managed to chuck his knives at the same time that Semyl did.

Two of Huu's knives collided with two of Semyl's, knocking all four out of the air and sending them to the ground. But the last two missed each other, and Semyl's landed in Huu's right shoulder.

"****!"

As for Huu's remaining knife...

((I just realized how fun it is playing with a character with a replication ability. I should find something more significant to involve him in.))
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 04 2008,13:39
Semyl had ducked in order to dodge Huu's knife- Skyes didn't do the same. He wasn't sure what hurt more- Another knife sticking out of his shoulder, or getting hit by Semyl's own weapon. Not that she hadn't 'accidentally' aimed one at him before- It happened as regularly as clockwork.

But that doesn't stop it from hurting. Inside.

He seemed to be knife-prone.

"Wha- Gah, not again!!!"

While Skyes struggled to find the words, Semyl, took a quick count of how many more knives she had- Twelve. A LOT less than she was used to. Pulling out another six, three in each hand, she aimed straight for Huu.
Posted by Huu B. on Sep. 04 2008,15:25
Huu had drawn out four knives, two in each hand. He dodged sideways when Semyl threw her knives, but two of them still got his arm. Then he spun around and threw all four of his own, aiming low.

Burner was just getting up. He wanted to join in on the fight again, but now he wasn't sure which Semyl was which, so he took cover behind a trash can and watched.
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 04 2008,18:32
Semyl had tried to hope over the daggers, but came out with two piercing her, one on her upper left, one on the lower right. Landing was a bit more painful than she expected. The other two barely went under Semyl, one bouncing off the ground with a sharp screech, the other finding itself nested comfortably in Skyes leg.

"Oh, COME ON!!!" Limping back towards a dumpster, he took refuge behind it. Frontal attack seemed only to earn him a new keepsake. In his leg.

His current plan not heading anywhere, Skyes decided to take a new approach. Sidewinders drain a little bit out of him, and they had too wide of a range to prove useful here. However, Spires seemed to not be as hard on Skyes, and there was a better chance of hitting the target, not Semyl or Burner. Cursing at every pulse of pain that vibrated throughout his leg, he wondered what kind of medical attention or healing this was going to take. Even he started to feel it after awhile. Skyes' only positive view on the situation was that Semyl hadn't brought along her poisoned knives.

It still hurt.

Action 1: Spire > Huu

After much thought, SKyes still couldn't figure why he was hiding and using magic- That seemed pretty much the OPPOSITE of what he liked to pride himself on.

"Just need an opening..."

Posted by Huu B. on Sep. 04 2008,18:48
Well, Huu didn't see that Spire coming. It caught him right where it was aimed, throwing him against the opposite brick wall.

At this rate I probably won't be able to hold my form much longer... I think I'd better make tracks!

His mind made up, Huu chucked two more throwing knives in the general direction of the Lowells, not really caring who they hit, then made a run for the dark interior of the alley.

Meanwhile, Burner made his way over to Charlotte.

"Cherry, don't just stand there! Go fetch a medic! Skyes isn't looking too healthy!"
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 04 2008,18:56
Seeing Huu retreat, Skyes saw this as his desired opening:

"Finally! It's over now-"

Thfp thfp.

Looking down, Skyes saw the shining ends of two more miniature knives. One in the chest, one just below.

"Oh... crud..." he muttered, falling backwards. Barely hoisting himself up with one arm, he tried to get a word out to Semyl, who was highly debating whether or not to pursue Huu.

Looking back at where Skyes was, Semyl worriedly ran back towards him. "Brother! Hang on!"

"That guy has better aim than even I do..."
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 05 2008,05:52
"Brother! I'm so sorry, I tried to chase him down but he got my ankle, and-"

"I'm okay, Sis'. Watch..." As quickly as he fell down, Skyes jumped up and dusted himself off. "See? Ta-Da~!"

"...You're bleeding in five different places..."

"So? People bleed all the time, it's natural as pie. You think Skyes Lowell would fall to a bunch of needles? Feh! You nail me with those all the time, it doesn't hurt me much anymore."

"That... doesn't explain-"

"I don't think you heard me. Ta-Da~!"
Posted by Burner Samson on Sep. 05 2008,08:51
Burner watched with his arms folded.

Cherry better get back with that medic soon. I don't know how long this clown will last...

(Huu had returned to his neutral state by now, so all the knives he'd thrown had disappeared.)
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 05 2008,14:00
Skyes looked around, still a bit pained. "Where'd Cherry go?"

"Looking for a medic."

"...For who?"

"You. Apparently. "
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 06 2008,23:34
[OOC: As much fun as this little party is, I must take my leave. ^_^]

"Wait, that means she isn't even here?! Awwwww, I didn't even get to ask her number before she walked out on me."

"I- I think we gotta get somebody to look at that, Skyes... Skyes..."

"Bah! I'll just pluck them- ...out?"

"...Didn't you... have a few things... stuck in-"

"I thought- I thought-" Skyes stuttered, poking the wounds lightly. Those were real, so what happened to the knives?

"..."

"...My face hurts..."

"Naw, really? I'da thought otherwise, I mean, ya only took a fire-ball head on."

"Har-har, Sis. Hey, isn't Aunt Vivi visiting?"

"A little off topic, but yes, I think she's in town. Then again, we have over a dozen aunts, so I could be mixed up."

"It's not like ALL of them are visiting."

"Ten of them are. They're here for Cecilia's wedding, remember?"

"That's not even for another month. Moochers."

"Any particular reason why you asked?"

"...We need to take a quick trip home."

"But Skyes, you're still-"

"It's okay, that's why. Lemme just go tell Burner we're leaving."

Skyes worked his way over to Burner, and was about to explain the situation and bid a proper farewell when Semyl jumped up on Skyes, yelled "SMOKE-BOMB!" and threw down an item of the same. The alley quickly filled with smoke, and Semyl pulled on Skyes.

"Sem, what are you d-"

"Com'on! This way! Shortcut!" The two worked their way deeper, and quickly ran out of sight- Semyl leading, Skyes being dragged alongside.

"Sis, where are we going??""

----------

"That still wasn't nice to do, Sis."

Still chuckling from earlier, Semyl couldn't help but smile at Skyes. "I ALWAYS wanted to do that! Like NINJA!!!! H-ya!" She laughed, raising her leg and sending a jump kick at an imaginary opponent.

"It's not nice to just ditch people like that. And Burner seemed like a cool dude, too. He helped us out right there. You know, before I accidentally smacked him with a Sidewinder? Two of them, actually? And that Cherry girl- Man, I would've-"

"Say no more, I don't wanna think of it. I bet there THOUSANDS of things you would've done to and or with-"

"Oh, come on, do I come across to you as a pervert?"

"..."

"Not funny Sis! I'm not- I'm not like that!! And also, it's not exactly polite to throw a smoke-bomb at someone."

"It's a lot of fun. I really really really just wanted to do it. Try it, you'll like it! It's hilarious if you do it right." she said, pulling out another one and offering it up to Skyes. He stared at it for a bit, and convincing himself to at least give it a shot, he took it and wound up his arm for a pitch.

"Only because it's for you, Sem." Flinging the tiny, black ball down the alley, Skyes tripped a little bit during the throw. It crash into the wall, bounced off of a trash can, rebounded off of the other wall, and zoomed in on an apartment window. With a guilt-causing crash, it sailed straight through the glass and went off, as puffs of dark smoke billowed out of the apartment. A man could be heard cursing inside.

"JANE!!! YOU LEAVE THE OVEN ON AGAIN?"

"No I didn't, dear, the alarm would've gone off."

"Woman! I'z KNOW you lyin' to me! You try 'n make them's bar-b-que, Did't-chu? You make az good of a bar-b-que as you do a girl! Day'um, what'chu burn dis' time? Ah can' see anytang! Where the hell's mah beer? I LEFT IT RIGHT HERE!"

"That's it, Robert! The last time! I'm leaving you! My parents were right, you aren't even worth my time!!"

"Babe, wut about the chil'ren?"

"We don't HAVE children! Because you're too damn lazy to even try!"

"Don't you go runnin' on me now! You think you can do better? Woman, you walk out, I ain't lettin' you back in here, ya hear?!"

"Fine! I don't care! At least I got a job to support myself with, I don't need you! And you got a week to pay those bills before they throw you on your cheap ass anyways! GOOD-BYE and GOOD RIDDANCE!"

"Oh, slam the dayumb door why don'chu! ...She'll be back. I know dat... Dayumb smoke comin' outta no'ere."

Skyes looked up at the window, then down at Semyl, and back up at the window again. "That's... not what I expected..."

She had broken into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, and wiped a tear away. "Hey, I didn't do it! See, EVERYONE has fun with a smoke-bomb."

"...That man is liable to hurt himself if he can't see, though... HEY SIR! ARE YOU OKAY?"

"Who dat! WHO DERE? Youz a ghost or summat? Youz in mah HEAD, AIN'CHU? Git outta mah head b'fore I put a five shell through it! Where's mah gun at, I'll shows you. See dat? SEE DAT! I ain 'frain to pull it! I know you in my head! I git m'self, I get you too! You ain't out yet? I'ma pull it! Three seconds! THREE! TW-"

BANG.

Silence.

"...Sk-Skyes, you don't think he shot himself in the-"

"Wh-wh-what have I done...?" Skyes trembled, unable to divert his eyes from the smoke. "I- I feel horrible, I didn't mean for-"

"AW, dangit! Dere goes mah tely-vision. Shucks, I never learned how to hold a gun. 'EY, GHOST IN M'HEAD, YOU GONE YET?"

"...Skyes?"

"...Shhhhhh, don't give the psycho anymore ideas. Let's get the heck out of here, Sis'."

If Semyl was right about the shortcut, the two were sure to be nearing the Lowell residence.
Posted by Burner Samson on Sep. 07 2008,12:01
At around that time, Charlotte came back, pulling a mouse in GUN medical uniform behind her.

"Okay, where is he?"
"Well, he was here a moment ago... Burner, what happened?"
"I think he and his sister threw down a smoke bomb and fled."
"That can't be good... say, what happened to your arm?"
"Oh... I had it broken while I was trying to escape from the Imperium."

Burner decided to take the opportunity to slip away. Among other things, he was out of spray paint.
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 07 2008,15:14
<Later>

"REAL FRIGGIN' NICE BROTHER!"

"I already said sorry..."

"It's like ya WANT to get us killed!!"

"Look, I know you might not like the idea-"

"How the hell did I get sucked into this... AGAIN?!"

"-but we might do better this time!"

"I must be crazy. Of COURSE I know how. You and your big mouth."

QUOTE
<Lowell Residence, 15 Minutes ago.>

"Ugh, it's good to be home, Sis'. Hopefully I can get someone to look at my face, it still... burns..."

"Yeah, burns tend to do that."

"Sis'? I'm... I'm still not sure about this. We promised we'd go get Gramps out of Radical. Instead... We... Ran."

"I willing to bet Mom will understand- Alien Invasions aren't exactly like clockwork around here, y'dig?"

"I-I guess so..."

The Lowell residence- Three stories high, and a land plot stretched across 4.15 acres. Sounds roomy, but with a family count ever-growing (Minus distant relatives, 179, minus the few that got a house of their own, 92), There's ever hardly peace, quiet, or privacy...

"Big brother, big brother, you're back!" A smaller child came waddling up, dragging another behind with her foot.

"Ahaha, hey there, Irene! How my favorite little sibling? You been good to Mom, right?"

"If you wanna think so, okay!"

"Ya know, Gary, you should hang on to her leg like that. It'll fall off!"

"I'm not Gary! I'm Stephen!" scoffed the little one.

"Er, yeah, sure."
-----

"Skyes! Skyes, oh, my dear little boy, you're safe! And Semyl too, oh, thank the heavens!" Mrs. Lowell, short, stocky, and some would say plump. Nothing hindered the woman as she bounded across the stuffed kitchen and scooped up Skyes and Semyl in a good old motherly fashioned hug. "I was so worried! I heard about what has been going on around here, I couldn't believe I sent you two! I-

"Mooooooooooom~ I'm fiiiiiiiiiine, lemme breathe!" Semyl said, trying to break free of the embrace.

"We're okay, we're okay, Sis' and I-"

"Oh, now now, dear! You can't expect me to think everything is alright when we have this!" Mairelle pointed at a small paper on a nearby table. Picking it up, Skyes read it aloud:

QUOTE
ATTACK ON CITY LEAVES POPULATION DEVASTATED
WHERE IS SONIC?
Anquila Webler, Capitol City Coverage

It was in the late afternoon that the sky above Capitol City was shrouded in storm clouds and ships that could rival Dr. Robotnik's horrific Egg Carrier. At first thought to be the work of the diabolical doctor, that rumor has recently been dismissed as the true perpetrator unmasked himself in a wide screen holograph above the city. It was fortunate for us that fellow news reporter, Bryant Cross, was on site to quote:

QUOTE
"Greetings to all the new citizens of the Crescent Empire. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lord Sarath Crescent although you may all address me as Lord. You have seen the futile attempt by your military forces to stop us so I trust you will all submit quietly. This city is now under my command and anyone found resisting will be shot...immediately. From this point on I am claiming this world as part of my Empire. I am a gentle soul at heart...but if anyone gets an idea of playing hero I'm afraid they will find themselves in....rather awkward circumstances. End transmission!""


Despite GUN's efforts to stop the massive invasion on the city, they have since late retreated. It is unclear at the time whether or not they will spur a counter attack. In the mean time, Radical City has also leaked reports of similar circumstances. Casualties of these attacks remain unknown at the moment.

And speaking of unknown, just where is Sonic the Hedgehog? This has become a popular question among the survivors of the attacks. Usually fast on his feet to help those in trouble, so far there has been no such sign of True Blue. After two years of peace, has the blue blur finally called it quits? These questions to be answered next issue.


"I was so worried! Sending you two off all by yourselves- Skyes, what happened to you?" Mairelle had barely noticed the multiple wounds Skyes had received earlier.

"I- Uh, We... We..."

"You should get your Aunt Vicky-"

"Vivi." Another Lowell corrected.

"-Vivi to heal that, what ever happened to your face?! She will patch that up right, quick, and in a hurry! Speaking of Patches... Where is...?" Mairelle dropped off, inquiring about her father.

"Mom- We... We tried, but we- We..." Skyes struggled to find the words to describe the situation- The crestfallen expression on Mairelle didn't help either.

"...It's okay, Skyes, I know you tried..." Mairelle mumbled.

Skyes and Semyl had shot glances at each other, and both of them knew that they could've searched a little longer than they did. Semyl was about to apologize dearly, but was quickly cut off by Skyes, who had thought up of a quick lie, on the spot; "G-Gramps is A-O.K.! Yeah, we found him, that old coot!"

"You did?!" Mairelle raised an eyebrow.

"We did?!" Semyl choked, giving Skyes a blank stare.

"Yeah! We, uh, had to come back... because... because..." Skyes didn't know what to say next.

"-Because we needed proof of kinship!" Semyl blurted out, apparently going along with the act.

"Is.... that even a word, Sis'...?"

"What do you mean, Semmy?" Mairelle asked, now a bit hopeful.

"What I mean, is... I don't know if that's the word, but- We need a way to prove that we're related to Gramps before the- the, uh, officials... release him to us."

Mairelle looked surprised: "Well, couldn't they just tell by looks? What about your I.D.? Couldn't they use that?"

"...Uhh... Not really, Mom, see- uh...." Semyl was now stuck.

Picking up on this, Skyes continued: "Well, Mom, you know how the Lowell family is all so expansive... See, we're such a mixed people now that a Lowell has a good chance of being born an entirely different... uh... thing, than the last. You know, how like Gene was born a bit like a wolf?" Skyes quickly said, referring to one of his younger brothers. "But see how Semyl and I came out more... uh, Canine... ish?"

"Yeah, yeah, see, an' we all know that brother and I are a dark-shade of Lowell-"

"But Gramps is more of a golden, erm, tannish kinda guy." Skyes realized he now had the eyes of seven Lowells on him; He also realized how ridiculous this was sounding.

"...Well, then, why didn't you two just say you needed papers! Oh, am I ever so glad!!" Mairelle chuckled, squeezing Skyes and Semyl once more.

"Yeah, yeah, it's okay, Mom, we'll be going straight back as soon as we get proof of kinship, right Sis'?"

"Yeah... We'll be... going back..." Semyl muttered. After Mairelle and the other had turned away, Semyl shot Skyes a glare- "Don't-even-talk-to-me."


"Ya damn idiot, why would we wanna go back there?! Death! That's what lingering there! Didn't you catch the glimpse of, oh, I dunno, BODIES when we were there LAST TIME?!?! Dangit, I left my gun in the- In the- Skyes, where'd we leave the van? I know we stole it, but shouldn't we keep track of stuff like that?"

Posted by Burner Samson on Sep. 07 2008,18:36
Fortunately for Burner, the nearest hardware store was vacant due to the martial law, and everything inside was free for the taking. He easily found a can of non-toxic black spray paint and another can of red, both fresh and ready for spraying. He also picked up a large bar magnet that had fallen off the shelf, though he wasn't really sure why. After collecting what he wanted, he proceeded out the door.
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 08 2008,17:20
"Come on, Sis', it'll be like old times!"

"..."

"See, it won't be that bad... come here, give me a hug!"

"Oh, fine, ya big lug... I guess I just over reac- I over react- Aw, damnit Skyes, you didn't go get yourself fixed up, did you?!" Semyl growled. "Gah, I got blood on my shirt. Thanks a lot."

"But it stopped awhile ago- At least I think it did."

"You moron, you can't just go around in a bloody tunic, people will think something happened to you. And they'll freak out when they see that half of your face is charcoal."

"But Aunt Vivi wasn't there, and there is NO WAY I'm letting uncle Jesse provide medical attention. He'd just make it worse..."

"Aw, man, you know how hard it is to get blood out of yellow?"

"Aaaaaand, you're not even listening."

"I mean, it mixes in the washer and turns it some sorta off shade. Maaaaan, I liked this shirt."
----------

"Hey, I have to go check in on... Something... Meet me by the Burger Hut in two hours, we'll leave then. Got it?"

"TWO HOURS?!? Sem, what the heck are you going to do that takes TWO hours?"

"Hey, hey, I have plenty of things that I need to do. I need to stock up on knives- Don't wanna be caught with only fifteen o' them, y'dig? Plus, I need to go get more smoke bombs, and probably replace my handgun, cuz' I'm SURE as hell NOT gonna walk within a mile of Radical City without a firearm. Oh, and I need to see somebody else... For my job."

"I- I guess all of that would take awhile... Sis'?"

"Yeah?"

"You never really told me what you do."

"Precisely."

"But-"

"Two hours! Don't be late!" Semyl started to run off into a crowd.

"Sis'! But- wait, how are we even getting there-"

"Don't worry! I should jack something better this time!" she called, disappearing among the others.

"...I was worried you'd say that..." Skyes said to himself.

Posted by Skyes on Sep. 18 2008,23:22
A few more minutes had passed. Semyl made her way down more alleyways, swung rights and left on corners, and had a seemingly never-ending path until she found herself back to where her encounter with Huu had been. She didn't come back looking for him, however.

"Jeez. With all that ruckus that dude was makin', I thought one of the guys woulda' heard it. Hey! Lay, Cress, open up." It looked as if Semyl was addressing no one in particular, but there was an extremely well hidden solid iron door masked as part of the wall. "I'm back."

"Password." a muffled voice inquired.

"Aww... Erm... The password... I... ah..." Semyl always hated this part. The password changed weekly- And she didn't have a clue what day it did, nor did she know the current password. "I... I... CAN'T remember. Just let me in! I got jumped here earlier, don't wanna try that again!"

"Nope. You know what Boss said. No can do... MAYBE... for a... hmm..."

"Dammit Lay, I'm gonna POUND ya when I get in! Where's Cress?!"

"I ain't telling ya, and I'm not gonna let you in... 'Gonna pound ya' is actually the password, but you are lookin' extra hot today... Maybe for a lap dance, you'll get in."

"Wha- Wha- WHAT?!? Lay, you sonova-"

"I coulda said 'Striptea-'" WHAM. Something was slammed against the door, and a body could be heard falling to the ground. A few shuffles later, and a more hospitable, female voice muttered, "Damn pervert. Hey Sem."

"Ugh, Cress, there you are. Can you please open up?"

The iron door opened surprisingly smoothly, and after unlocking a few gates, disarming a few alarms, and scanning the general area, Semyl was greeted by a small, ghastly-thin kit fox, wearing a very expensive looking opera crimson dress. "Heya, welcome back! We were worried, kid."

"Hiya, Cress. I'm fine, I'm fine."

"What's this I hear about you getting jumped? You get a good look at him? Lay and I will put a beat down on him so hard-"

"*cough*" 'Lay', a hedgehog only slightly taller than the vixen whose foot was keeping him pinned down by his tuxedo, gave a weak attempt at trying to get up. "Ooooowwwwww... Cress, why ya gotta be so mean?"

"Oh, shut up, you pervert. I swear, Semyl has been working here awhile now, and you're STILL trying to get into her pants." Cress relaxed her foot, allowing Lay to get up.

"No, no, see, I've been trying to get into YOUR pa-" PUNCH. Lay lay spread out on the ground, Cress rubbing her hand from the force of the punch.

"Rough day, Cress?" Semyl sneered, trying not to laugh at her instant reaction to Lay. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"It's been more than long, Semyl. We got a newbie here, and to make things worse, a job to do."

"Well, that's how we get pain, ya know. What's the job this time?" Semyl asked.

"Hopefully, one where I get to finally see Cress nekkid-" KICK. Lay rolled over a bit, clutching his stomach as Cress started to dig her heel into it.

"Shut UP Lay! ... Sorry Sem, what was that? Oh, yeah, the job. Well, see, this time, the drop off point is in the East Side Theatre. The client needs us to deliver the.. 'goods' in a few hours, and that was the requested site. In order to reach the upper levels of the Theatre, though... We need to be a paying guest, you get my drift? That's why Lay and I are wearing these get-ups, we need to 'fit in' with the other attendees. Ugh, this thing is a little tight for me though... I HATE having to dress up for theater shows, jumpsuits are much better."

"I know. You look HAWT in them. Not that I mind the dress either, babe, I mean, even I would think of it as 'tight' if I had a killer rack like you di-" KICK. Cress was clearly irked by Lay, and Semyl couldn't help but laugh.

"HAH! You two remind me of the way I am with Skyes!"

The hedgie and vixen looked up, puzzled by Semyl's remark.

"Your own brother hits on you?" Cress said incredulously.

"Your own bro thinks ya got some killer knockers?" Lay said at about the same time.

"Wh- What?! NO! I meant the part where I get to randomly hit him out of anger. Kinda like how Cress does to you. Plus you can't hit her back, cuz' she's a girl and it wouldn't be gentlemanly of you to do it anyway."

"Meh. I've always loved a woman who could-"

"...Lay, think about the position of my heel. Now think of what you're about to say. Don't do anything... stupid..." Cress said, shifting her heel down a bit.

"Ahehehe, I'm... As much as I'd like to see Cress lay into Lay, I think I should go report in."

"Alrighty, see ya then!" Lay and Cress both chipped in. "And if someone ever messes with you, you come straight to Big Sister, yeah?" Cress said cheerfully. "And don't forget Big Brother, ya?" Lay said, sending Semyl a wink.

"I already have a REAL 'Big Brother' to deal with, thank you."
----------

"Hey, Sem, you're back! How's our little rookie!"

"Rod! I've been here four months now!"

"And I've been at this business for twenty-one years. You should be glad you're even a 'Rookie'." Rod laughed, offering Semyl a hand and leading the way into a make shift office. Rod was a raccoon, average sized and just about similar to any other raccoon out there, save for the two gold rings dangling from his left ear. He was draped in blankets. "Please pardon the chilliness of my room. The A/C went haywire, but I couldn't contact our new tech guy. Man, I miss the old days, when I first started our little organization... I knew a mechanic who had a knack for ANYTHING. I miss good old Nil, wish he didn't retire. Heard he opened a shop, though, been meaning to go drop in. Too bad we've had so many clients lately... Ah, you wouldn't know him, he's old by now. Not too old, I hope- Wonder if he remembers me. But go on, Semyl, what news do you bring?"

"Mission completed, Sir! Done with ease!"

"Ah, yes, I believe your client was Kvaldi, right? I cannot thank you enough for accepting this job. Getting shipments to Radical is, to be frank, a hassle. He pays good. Always seems to have us ferrying around drugs, though. I've never seen any contraband that wasn't drug related come from or go to him. At all, and he is one of my oldest customers, mind you. Oh, I cannot express my sorrow for sending you on a trip like that! Granted, I couldn't have known that such a tragedy would fall on Radical right as you got there, but I am glad you made it back in one piece, Semyl."

"It was no problem, sir. My brother did a great job of keeping me safe."

"...About that, Semyl... This... 'Skyes' person, is he... does he..."

"Know about us or know what I do? Naw, don't worry, I've kept him off of my back. He doesn't know a thing, Rod."

"Well then! Excellent! Please, have a seat."

"Thanks." Semyl slumped in her chair. It was quite comfy. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Man, who woulda' known bein' a smuggler could be so exhausting?"
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 20 2008,00:22
----------
Meanwhile...

"OW! Hey, lady, careful with the face!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but this appears to be a real harsh burn you've received... You said you got this...-"

"-At a family cookout." Skyes lied.

Seeing as how Semyl was going to be awhile, Skyes decided to try to find a healer or a medic. SOMEBODY had to be able to cure his burn. Only one person nearby fit the description.

"I'm sorry, sir, but this is much too difficult for my magic. Even the gouges are deeper than I'd feel safe with."

"Wait, what did you just say?"

"The cuts, sir. They look as if somebody took a knife to you. Must have been one heck of a cookout-"

"No, before that." Skyes said, eying the woman suspiciously.

"My magic isn't enough to-"

"Magic?! I thought you said you were a medic!!"

"Well, a healer is just like a medic-"

"No, no! Magic is NOT the same as medical attention! Both are ex-TREMELY different from each other!"

"Look, coal-face, a medic makes the pain go away. So does a healer. The way I see it-"

"A medic is an actual professional that knows a practical way to do it!! How do I know you won't magic my face in a way that would REALLY hurt?!"

"My magic is as good as any medicine out there!!"

"You're deluded, lady, you know that?!"
----------

"Well, I think I'll take a break, guys. This last job paid enough to carry me over a couple o' months." a cheerful Semyl skipped across the hallway.

"I still can't believe that guy paid Rod THAT much just to move some drugs from here to Radical. That guy just HAS to be on pills." Cress said, folding her arms and giving Semyl a disapproving glance.

"No, but thanks to me, he is now! Money is money, Cress. I don't ask Rod about nothing, as long as it continues to have a quad-digit paycheck at the end of it. "

"You're lucky. You get to go places, and here I am stuck with a client who doesn't wanna do anything but cocktails and opera performances."

"What do you gotta smuggle, Cress?"

"I shook the package a bit, an' I weighed it. I think it might be a sniper rifle of sorts." Lay pitched in.

"A sniper rifle??" Semyl said in complete disbelief. "Who would pay us to sneak a rifle into an opera house?"

"Someone who wants to make sure another someone hits that high note? I dunno." Lay mumbled. "Like ya said, job's a job."

"Heh, good luck, you two. I gotta go check on Skyes, to make sure he hasn't caused any more problems."
----------

Still at a loss at what to do, Skyes threw himself down on a bench, wishing for easier times.

"I don't care what anyone says. Medical practices and healing magic just aren't the same."

"Oh, really, brother?"

"SEMYL!! What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be back for another hour and a half!!"

"My... errand went by... a lot quicker than I had thought it would."

"So we're leaving early? Because I haven't been able to find anyone to fix my face. WITHOUT magic."

"You need to stop being so paranoid. Magic is just as good."

"Magic is also REAL risky compared to normal, planned procedures."

"I'm telling ya, Skyes, you have this misconception about magic. You use it, why are you scared of it? Eh, forget it. I got paid! Let's get something to eat, I'm starving."

[Yolanda Riona]

Posted by Burner Samson on Sep. 25 2008,06:15
At roughly the same time, Burner and everyone else he'd rescued from the Imperial ship was gathered in an alleyway nearby. Burner had already applied the Dragons' logo to the wall. Interestingly enough, one of them had seen it before.

"Hey, I know that logo! That's the logo of... that gang that was around several years ago, right? The Dragons?"
(Burner) "Guessed it. I'm the last one remaining, and I want to restart the gang. I think we've got enough people here to work things out."
(Bret) "You're joking! Don't you think this country's having enough troubles, with the alien invasion and all? Do you really think they need more trouble?"
(Burner) "That's why I'm changing the rules a bit. We'll keep the old ways, but we'll hassle the ones who ARE causing trouble. We'll be an anti-gang of sorts."
(Everyone) "..."
Posted by Skyes on Sep. 28 2008,10:54
"You're in a jolly mood for once."

"Yuh-huh."

"That's a rare sight."

"Yuh-huh."

"Good enough mood to tell me where you went, by any chance?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Ah."
----------

After much MUCH debate, tears, dragging, kicking, and pulling (on Skyes' part. (Mostly)), a few minutes, one healing spell, and roughly a chicken's worth in cash later...

"See brother? Healers are our friends..."

"He- he charged us... to do weird stuff. To my body."

"Yeah, but see-" Semyl held both of her hands up. "If this is 'Decent'-" She waved her left hand. "And this is 'Okay'-" Indicating with her right, "You're somewhere... here." she said, pointing outside of the range near her left palm.

"I'm... only 'Decent'?"

"Well, your face looks normal, but I gotta take off points for you still having a bit o' blood on your... shirt-thing."

"It's a tunic."

"Whatever. I'm still hungry."
Posted by Tancer Fang on Sep. 30 2008,19:54
((from cross country))

Tancer had followed Roxie for a few minutes. Coming between the seriously unhealthy looking "Joey's cheese shack and fried goods" and the family owned "Happy lucky fast cleaners" dry cleaners . The fox looked around relaxed in his posture, noticing the dusty glow of a street lamps flickering on and off behind them as they made their way through the middle of the block.

"So, babe, How did you like the night so far?" He asked with a devilish grin.
Posted by Skyes on Oct. 04 2008,00:44
"This. Night. Sucks." Skyes let out a sigh of discontent before nodding to Semyl. "I'm not much for eating." "I haven't been much for anything lately..." He thought, dragging his steps along.

Semyl threw a glance at him, and stared at the ground for a bit, not exactly sure what to say.

"Brother..."

"Look, Sem... If you wanna get something to eat... there's a Joey's, like, right over there. Go ahead. I'll just... wander for a bit."

"Skyes, you haven't eaten in two days."

"I'm fine."

"..."

"..."

"...You still think about her lots... don'cha?"
----------

Truth be told, strolling around with Semyl did remind him of a certain someone. His sort-of happy mood only change to sort-of depressed within minutes. Still heavily adamant about not discussing anything with Semyl concerning the matter, Skyes sent her off on her munchie-excursion. Taking a seat on a bench, he threw his head back and closed his eyes. Nights seemed to always drag on nowadays, the lamps only proving a small reminder that he was still disturbed with the outcome. Of everything...

"Hiya. Mind if I sit here, Mr. Gloomy?"

"...Aren't you supposed to be eating?"

"I decided to Take-Out."

"Fan-friggin'-tastic."

"...You don't have to be so moody, Skyes..."

"*cough* This coming from who?"

"...Brother... If there's something you really need to get off of your mind... You know I'm always willin' to listen."

"And I faintly remember telling you... NO." Skyes always disliked the way siblings never knew when to just stop talking.

Semyl bit her lip, trying to respond nicely to that. Skyes was being his unusually difficult self. "...Look, you can't really blame yourself-"

"Shut up."

"Skyes-" She was starting to become slightly uncomfortable. Resting her head on his arm, she tried to interpret Skyes' eyes for any signs of letting up. It was never good to let him clam up. "-Skyes, her father's disapproval of you... It had no actual basis of-"

"Truth? No, no, I supposed he had quite a few points. What was his wording?"

"Skyes-"

"Ah, yeah. 'Illiterate, hopeless, slob of a mutt-'"

"Skyes..."

"'-not worth a second thought-'"

"Broth-"

"-like the entire line of-"

"-er-"

"-abhorrent dregs he comes from.'"

"..."

"That was line one. Wanna hear the other five minutes-worth? Bet he didn't think I even knew what that all meant. After all, I never so much as stepped on school grounds before, so I must be illiterate, huh?"

"That's not true Sky-"

"Nothing like having your fiancee's pops call your family scum, either." Skyes withdrew something from an inner pocket, and stared at it for a bit. "Funny thing, too. She didn't say a thing in my defense..." He glared at the object, holding it up in the light. "Not a damn thing."

"You're... You're not... stupid, Skyes... We were home-schooled, is all- He didn't-"

"-Believe that I was in any way, 'worthy'? Yeah, I know." He let out a snort of contempt. Holding the object with the end of his thumb, he gave it a flick, and it zoomed out of sight, making only the lightest of sounds as it collided with a lamp. He pushed Semyl off and stood up, staggering away.

"Let him keep his damn daughter. I've got a house-full of dregs to welcome me home... and by that, I mean constantly remind me what a screw-up I turned out to be."

Semyl looked at him in shock. "Skyes! We- We've never said that you were!" She held back a few tears. "...You don't mean that... Brother, our family has always tried to raise every Lowell the best they could... There's some people out here who don't even HAVE a family!!"

Turning on the spot, Skyes glowered at Semyl. "SHOW me! I'm envious!" Seconds of silence passed. Content that Semyl had no answer to that, he stalked off, leaving her to her own thoughts.

"I know you didn't mean that, Skyes..."

She couldn't decide whether or not to pursue him. Shifting her feet nervously, she saw a miniature, glimmering object, resting about two yards from the pole Skyes had flicked at. Retrieving it, she polished it off and rolled it about her palm.

It was an engagement ring. A beautiful one, even though it had lost its stone from its forceful disposal.
----------

Skyes hadn't walked far. He pretended to do so, but really wandered around in a circle. He eventually found himself at the same bench from 20 minutes earlier; only Semyl was gone.

"Sorry, Sem..."

Finally coming to semi-terms with himself for now, he was about to head home. He made his way in between the shoddy restaurant and dry cleaning when he bumped into a statue- Or, at least what he conceived to be a statue.

"Ow!" Skyes had walked right into Tancer, and was rubbing the tip of his nose. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

[Roxie Valas]

Roxie ran through the events quickly in her mind before responding.
"Well, its been quite interesting. You've sure made it exciting." She said as they walked in the alley between the restaurant and the dry cleaners.
"Just another block or so and then.."
Skyes had walked into Tancer, cutting her off as she saw him rub his nose.

[first post on new board! ]

[Tancer Fang]

Tancer wasn't sure how to respond to what had happened, he kinda stared blankly at the dog. He himself barely moved for the less obvious reasons, such as his most metal skin and bones.
"Oi, Buddy why don-" Tancer seemed he was gonna go off on the dog, but he heard the apology and stopped mid sentence. "What ever." The fox muttered. He turned to Roxie "Then what, babe?" he asked her, wanting to get to her apartment just as fast as she did.

[Skyes Lowell]

Skyes shook his head- Must've hit a pole... So where did this guy come from?

"Sorry... I... Should've watched where I was going... Huh?"

As he gave a full 90-degree apologetic bow to Tancer, he noticed a small glint on the floor- a coin. Beside it was another pair of feet. Looking back up, his eyes traveled back up to those of Roxie.

He was stunned. All and any forms of sleepiness went away instantly.

"Do I know her? She looks familiar..." Skyes thought. He tried to scan his mental database for answers- Hitting on a previous interest was always in bad taste. Maybe that's where the familiarity came from. No, no, this is a different one. He would've remember somebody with eyes like THAT. So the familiar part was probably just some casual passer-by or something. Maybe he saw in a cafe, a shop, what have you... "Focus!" His mind shouted. All of a sudden, Skyes became heavily self-sensitive- Encounters with a lady did not happen everyday. His small fit of depression seemed to vanish- And question came flooding in: What condition was his hair in? Did he remember to slap on colonge? How did he look? Skyes threw a furtive glance at Roxie's hand- No ring? That's a good thing. Sure, Tancer said 'Babe' which might imply she's taken... but it might also imply the opposite. He gave Tancer a kindly look, and bent down to pick up the coin. He concluded:

A) The coin belonged to her, and gave him an excuse to keep the conversation going... for a little bit.
B) She was undoubtedly a she. Good thing? Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssss.
C) Even if the coin wasn't her's, it be an excuse to ask her for a name, and also if he's seen her anywhere. And he ALWAYS looked for an excuse to talk to a woman.

"Oh, hello! I think you dropped this." He said, offering the coin in one hand. "Even if you didn't, it was 'Heads' up, so it's good luck." Skyes gave Roxie a friendly smile, as he brushed past Tancer. His mind continued to formulate a few guesses about her. "She's definitely from here. This guy just seems like as if he's lost... and she's the one leading... Age? Eh, she looks 18-ish. 20 at the most. If she DOES live here, maybe I really have seen her around."

"I'm sorry, but... You look real familiar. Have we met before...?"

[Roxie Valas]

"What..?" Roxie was a bit surprised to see Skyes in front of her, holding out a coin.

"Oh...thanks. I didn't drop it, but I'll take it anyway." She took it from him and placed it in her pocket. She turned back toward Tancer.

"I meant to say, 'then we would be at my place.'" Roxie said the last part of the sentence softly, realizing how awkward it was to say something like that in front of a complete stranger. But was he really a stranger? He seemed awfully familiar...as though she had seen him around before. But then again, this is Station Square, so it is possible. But still...

"Actually...you do seem familiar. I think I saw you around my high school." Roxie mindlessly started walking in the direction of her apartment, which was just one more block away. She usually walked when trying to recall something or when she needed to think. She looked back at Tancer and Skyes, expecting them to follow.

[Tancer Fang]

Tancer instantly gave Skyes a rather dangerous looking glare. He placed his arm firmly on the dog's shoulder, pulling him close, making sure the two of them were forcefully locked. Disguised as a friendly gesture from Roxie. "Well, Buddy so long." He began to push Skyes in the other direction "Have a good one." Tancer's tone clearly meant the opposite. After attempting to get he dog out of his hair, he made his way to catch up with Roxie. All the while thinking "Crappy dog" in his head.

[Skyes Lowell]

Skyes chuckled.

Insecurity. A welcome sign from Tancer. There's no way he'd be her husband- Too un-homely to fit the part. The insecurity hints that he's not even her boyfriend- Probably trying for the position, but none-the-less, just another person.

Skyes shuffled back toward the two, making sure to throw a quick grin at Tancer. He slid to the side of Roxie, and tried to continue the conversation, nudging the 'other guy' out of the way. Little hard to do with the added weight of the fox.

"Ahehe, school, huh?" he said, trying to rack his mind for the possible name of this acquaintance. "Is she... Aliyla? No, no, Aliyla was a cat... Jes? No, not that one either... Man, she was HOT. Oops, got to focus here... Is she Rachel? Wait a tick, Rachel punched me in the stomach... Can't be her... Maybe she's... She's... Huh... Well, she's definitely NOT somebody I've hit on before... She said school... school... Man, I didn't last long at high school... I think... I think... Huh, that's some funky hair she has. Hair? ..."

"NOW I know! Roxie! Roxie... Er... Val... Vales?" Skyes couldn't remember her exact last name. Too bad he didn't have an accent of some sort to blame it on if his answer was wrong. "Nice to see you again!" He said delightfully, shooting another glance at Tancer. "Hey there, don't think I've seen you before. Skyes J. Lowell's the name." he said, holding his hand out.

[Roxie Valas]

"It's 'Valas,' actually." Roxie corrected Skyes. He did seem familiar; the last name did ring a bell. "I was a bit of an outsider, but I think I've seen him around," she thought to herself.
Roxie noticed the odd interaction going on between Tancer and Skyes. Oh really now, can't we just be friendly?

She finally came to what was her apartment. It was a five-story building that appeared as though there had been many tenants that had lived there. She searched in her pockets for her key until finally she remembered that she kept it on her belt. She turned around to the boys.

"Er, would you like to come in?" Roxie gestured toward Skyes. It was impolite to not invite him in; even if he was kind of a stranger. But then again, so was Tancer. It's not like they can try anythin'; I can handle myself. She smirked at how cocky she was and waited for Skyes reply.

[Tancer Fang]

Tancer gave one of his patented devilish smiles, grabbing on to Skyes hand with no less force then a vice grip. He loved being underestimated, the best position to be in.

"Tancer S. Fang." the metalic fox responded, with a sly tone. Knowing that Skyes hand would atleast be sore for a day or two. The dog was big, Tancer gave him that much. He wasn't planning on making the dog leave, but have Skyes leave on his own accord.
"oi, babe, This is a nice place you got here. I don't see a roach any place." He was trying to compliment Roxie's apartment building, but it just seemed to come out dumb. Who knows maybe that would have some charm to it?