John Ballard had finally finished his latest invention, and slapped it on his wrist. He then cringed, and waited.
A few seconds passed, but then he opened his eyes again.
"...Hah! It didn't explode that time!"
He sat down, and began adjusting the straps that held it on his wrist. It took a minute or so, but eventually, he was happy.
He then ran at a doorway, and kicked it open, hitting the button on the device.
A grainy voice began singing some sappy love song, and pink confetti went everywhere.
PDA, in her small, robotic form, simply sighed. "Havin' fun?"
"More than ever!"
He then turned, and slammed into yet another door, firing more confetti, and another song, at Jenny and Kevin, who had been snuggled on a couch, watching t.v.
"Happy Valentines, noobs!"
However, a swift collision from a closet sent him flying backward, slamming headfirst into a desk, and then into unconsciousness.
Kevin peered outside, eyebrow raised. "Wow... You didn't have to hurt him THAT badly..."
"...He scared me." Jenny replied, a small smirk on her face.
----------------------------------
Meanwhile, Blind Messenger was meditating in his chamber, his eye sockets blank... Well, like he really had a choice there, but still...
However, a loud, booming, 'L4WL PWN3D!" screeched through the air, and the necromancer went flying to the left, landing on one of his floating rocks. It impaled him through the chest (cavity), and he sighed, crossing his arms over the rock.
"Thanks a lot, D4rk."
"My pl34sur3, n00b." the dark cloud of energy replied, waving side to side happily.
"So? Why did you insist on impaling me upon a rock this fine, yet disgusting, day?"
"1 4m in l0v3."
"...Right."
"M337 K311y."
The servant motioned toward the shadow of a crystal.
"...Mhm. You realize, of course, that is a shadow of an inanimate object, correct?"
"Liez."
The shadow then pulled away from the wall, and floated to the Dark Servant, meeping happily. "M3h and K3lly, w3'r3 l1k3 'd1s." Two dark tendrils seeped from the being of darkness, and intertwined.
Then, the two forms began chuckling, and faded into their own realm.
Blind, meanwhile, sighed in annoyance. "Great. Not only do I have some kind of evil, possessed crystal now, but I am still stuck..."
He looked around, and sighed again. "...Help? S3rv4nt? Come here and help me... Please?"
". . . Uh, hello?" Hallucinogen's voice muttered into the Repliforce Paragon comm. "Uh, at risk of being really, really predictable, uh, is Essex. . . there and stuff. . .?"
* * * * * *
Schizophrenias was in his throne room in Castle Lunacia, looking outraged as he stalked back and forth at the top of the tower with no top, glaring at the orange skies of the Shadow Shard outside.
"Ruladork greet Master Schizophrenias, have valentine for," came the voice of the Rularuu Brute who worked in the castle as Schizophrenias' manservant. "Read now."
"What the--GAH! I've already had to set the despair cannons to fire on Ozell and Essex on sight," Schizo growled furiously. "And now YOU'RE doing this stupid Valentine's Day. . . stupidness!"
"Schizophrenias
Mean and nasty heartless jerk
Everyone hate him," Ruladork read, handing a black, dismal looking card in the shape of a heart to Schizo.
Schizo was speechless for a second, and then he grinned. "Bahahahaha! That's the kind of valentine I like to see! Aww, thanks, Ruladork. I hate you too."
* * * * * *
Moonscribe was simply sitting alone in a dimly lit room in the base where the Disciples of the Moon gathered, writing a letter by hand with a large blue-feathered quill.
* * * * * *
"Oh, come now, Rosie dear," came a cheerful voice from nearby where the were-human was sitting. From above it, actually, where a woman in medieval armor and glasses was hovering with pink-shaded wings, a book hovering in front of her of its own accord as she turned the pages.
"It's not that bad," Mother Salia continued, smiling sunnily at Rosie over her Tour Guide. "I agree with the part about the Cherubim, though, it really annoys them. It's all the silly commercialism that's the real problem. Just like with almost every other holiday, annoying, isn't it?"
The Medic shook his head. "Okay, boss, for the hundredth time. Humans have this thing called 'love..."
The Ghost Operative standing nearby laughed. Drechi shook his head in frustration.
This explanation was going to take a while.
---
"Hey, babe, what're you doin' later?"
"I'M MARRIED!"
"....Okay?"
Vasquez quickly threw up his arms to deflect the dozenth blast of pepper spray he'd gotten that day. It'd all be worth it though.
...Right?
Nonetheless, the rest of Drechi's crew found it rib-shakingly funny, and Vasquez didn't seem to be getting tired.
---
The Wing Talon Agent touched down in front of the Soul Police Chapters' base, holding a box of chocolates with a note from Lieutenant Bear. He still remembered his orders.
"Drop these off at this location," He had been told, "And if you read that letter, I will cut you open and feed your insides to Warwolves."
The Wyvern soldier sighed, being cursed with, quite possibly, the meanest man alive as a CO. Dropping the box and the letter into the mail slot, he hit his jetpack and got the hell out of there.
---
"Hey, baby, be mine." An Outcast cooed at a passing woman, mere seconds before being pulled into the bushes behind him.
The resulting nuclear explosion wiped the bush clump from the face of the earth.
Rulaag stepped out and grinned at the scared woman.
"Err. I apologize for being zealous." He chuckled softly, "But, ah, no rest for the weary, yes?"
The dumbfounded woman watched the alien superjump off.
---
Alpha growled. No, literally.
Being a Warwolf didn't really help with trying to get a date. Curtis had no such problem, however, and a "Reg'lar hot mamma" As he affectionately described her was soon walking down the street with him.
This was only a testament to his charm, as he had forgotten to toss the empty bottle of whiskey he had been holding the entire time.
---
"Oh, you poor, poor, wretched little thing." Reikoff frowned in mock sadness. "I'm so sorry I ambushed you and took you hostage, but look on the bright side..."
"Now you'll be serving a much more important purpose than whatever you already were."
"I'm a doctor!"
"Oh. Well, then."
"...Too bad." Reikoff shrugged. "Now, I've got an appointment, so you just enjoy our procedure, doc."
Reikoff activated his teleporter to the RFP base humming in delight at the screams of pain he heard.
((Think that's everyone, lol.))
El D just sat in his room at Portal Corps., filling out cards to every single hero he had met durring his time in Paragon City.....And when you've been in Paragon City scince the 1950's, that can be a LOT of heros......
"Theres another one..." he muttered "I HATE Valentines Day mainly for this reason....Every year I get more and more people I have to write cards for, and I know that it will never stop..."
He just laughed at the last notion and started to once again fill out cards, a pile of over 2 thousand left to still be done....
------------------------------------------
"Whattssss iss thisss?!" a Momba Fang hissed at the new commer, a fairly large (for his human kind) being.
"I'm here to borrow something..." the new commer growled, long black claws sliding out from his wrists. "Your Life!" he yelled at the snake-man, and he ran forward, ripping open the Snake's jaw with his right set of claws, almost pulling its lower jaw off in the process.
"Here we go...." he said, after physicaly climbing up the side of Ghost Widows tower. He dropped the carcass of the Snake on the flat piece of foyer in front of the door. He buzzed the comm. pad beside the door, and lept off the side of the tower, falling into the mists that had setteled below.
A Fortunada opened the door, and upond seeing the Snake, called for Ghost Widow at once.
The snake had a large heart-shape carved into its chest, with the words "Happy V-Day, from Velkon" carved below it.
"Another one of these...He keeps sending them every year..." Ghost Widow sighed. "Put it in for our reaserch on the Snakes anatomy, and see if you can't find this Velkon character...' she said to the Fortunada, and with that she walked back into the tower, counting how many times this had happened scince Velkon had first seen her.
"Too many times..." she said, and then she dirifted off further into her tower.
-----------------------------------------
My stalker, Velkon had a crush on GW scince he saw here when he was created by Arachnos, but scince he has switched dimensions, he dosent yet realize that this GW doesnt seem to like the Snake gift very much...Or does she? 
Global - @El D
Servers - Protector
"Ah, Hal-chan, I'm here!" chirped Essex's voice over the RFP comm. "Sorry! Today's just been so busy..."
As Reikoff teleported in, he'd see the little android scurrying busily between monitors, from console to console, checking readouts, typing frenetically, watching surveillance monitors.
"So much to be done..." she sighed a little, taking a moment to rest her forehead against the file database.
----------------------------------------------
"HOLY [censored] [censored]!!"
Rosalind sprayed hot cocoa all over her tabloid at Salia's approach, her ears perked.
"Damn, woman, you scared the sweethearts out of me!" she laughed, tossing away the ruined newspaper. "How's it going, Sal?"
She was reduced to grumbles again upon seeing a young couple prance by, giggling and newly engaged, as she could tell by the disgusting way they were smiling and the way the woman was being led around by her ring.
"....[censored] valentine's." she just repeated, glaring off to the side petulantly.
----------------------------------------------
"The jury finds the defendant not guilty of first-degree murder."
Evangeline DiBella, or Truefeather as she was registered, loosened, her trademark smile unchanging. Good...another case won.
The pretty young woman turned to her client, seeing him race into the arms of his wife and embrace her tearfully, smitten all over again by the assurance of freedom. It was impossible to tell by her half-closed eyes, but she stared at them, simply allowing herself to enjoy the two of them as people.
"...I am glad that love and truth do not have to be enemies today of all days." she murmured to herself pleasantly as she repacked her briefcase.
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
"Hm, what's wrong, Ess?" The Commander asked caringly as he pointed a pistol at the entering Hallucinogen.
"Want me to take care of some of your work?" He asked in the same sweet voice, a laser dot appearing on Hal's head.
Experiment landed not far from Repliforce Paragon's entrance. He threw off a pair of mechanical, red and pink wings, and smiled. "I think that was totally worth it."
"Right," PDA seemed to mutter boredly, "Smashing into the Mayor's window, and firing an arrow filled with that stupid confetti, was totally worth getting smacked away like a fly by his super strength Tanker bodyguard."
"...Good times..."
He dusted himself off, and began walking closer to the entrance. "Why do you like Valentines so much, anyway? You never get a date or anything, so--"
"Because, my ignorant little device, I get to bug the hell out of people. There are only two holidays where I have fun doing this; Valentines, and April Fools. If--"
"Heh, April Fools day seems to be you the entire year." PDA interrupted with a slight snort, only to have Experiment respond with silence.
"Hello, children!" he called behind Hallucinogen, cheery as ever, as if he had not just been insulted by his own invention, "Happy Valentines! I have arrived to cause you immense annoyance, and possibly to save Hal's life, if that gun is loaded!"
"Gah! Dammit! Look, she let me in, why don't you wait until she NEEDS help before offering it!" Hal said furiously, his eyes glowing slightly red. "Unless you WANT him to shoot me, Essex. Go on, be truthful. I wouldn't want to burden you with my existence unnece--ggh, sorry, I'm kinda tired today," he sighed, the edge leaving his voice.
A little white card in the shape of a heart was in his hand, surrounded with lace that had clearly been attached with glue quite inexpertly.
"Experiment. Thank God," Hal sighed as the hero arrived behind him. "I'm happy for the intense annoyance this time. I. . . think."
* * * * * *
"Oh, they're just silly and young," Salia said cheerfully, though this was hardly worth noting, as she was pretty much always cheerful. "Don't pay them any heed. Besides, I always think it's nice to have a little more love in the world." She shrugged as she hovered.
"Now I'll be off, Rosie, I was planning to be at the Repliforce Paragon base four hours ago," the guardian angel said, flying off in that direction and waving as she flew off, never completely taking her eyes off her beloved tome, though she seemed to fly quite well considering. "But that's why I always plan everything several hours ahead in case I don't feel like it then."
Cory Simmons handed his bouquet to Gertrude Youngs, a cabal sorceress he had met a few months ago when she had the codename of "Raven." She smiled happily at them, muttered an incantation, and they disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Interesting spell," Cory intoned, "Most people would have figured you just disintigrated them."
"Aw, Cory... What gave away the teleportation?"
"There's no dust crumbling to the ground..."
"What's to tell you I didn't have a disintigration spell waiting for the flowers back at my apartment?"
"Why send them to your apartment, then?" Cory smiled, "Besides, flowers are far more fleeting than their purpose. For instance, a more symbolic gift to represent a budding relationship is a sapling... Perhaps a willow in our case... to represent the growth and long-lasting nature of our developing love."
"Those are pretty words, Cory..." Gertrude idly stirred her tea and glanced down, "You think maybe this was an unwise decision?"
She gestured to the square quilted blanket they were sitting upon as it levitated far above the campus of the region currently known as Croatoa by much of the heroic and villainous community.
"To hold a picnic in the skies over Salamanca? No... This way, we avoid any nasty squabbles, and... "
Cory pulled a red gift wrapped box from within his cloak.
"It gives you the opportunity to enjoy this gift without feeling embarrassed."
She opened the box and found a necklace inside. A thin gold chain, glowing slightly with magical essence, coiled behind a small gem encrusted amulet shaped like a curled up cat. Gertrude smiled happily and squeaked out a little happy laugh as she pulled it out. Cory spread his hands and pantomimed holding the necklace and draping it around Gertrude's neck. When she heard the clasp click behind her, Gertrude leaned forward and hugged her valentine in a warm embrace.
"As you can see, young Cherub," Cory murmured to the childlike entity floating next to them, out of view from normal mortal eyes, "Your intervention is not required."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sarah... I love you... Will you..."
Joe Durnan bit off a curse as he rehearsed what he wanted to say. No matter how many times he repeated it, it always came out sounding corny. He and Sarah Grey had been dating since high school, and it seemed that they were destined to be together, but he just couldn't figure out the proper way to... to... To propose.
Sighing, he glanced out the window of the diner they had agreed to eat at for their Valentine's Day dinner. Sarah told him she'd be late, that her team had decided to help one of the city's major heroes with a peculiar problem. Struggling to remember that much of the city was under the protective cover of the Emergency Medical Transport, even dangerous areas like Perez Park or Baumton, Joe tried to calm his quickening pulse rate.
Suddenly, he felt a pair of tiny hands cover his eyes.
"Guess who?" he heard her familiar high-pitched voice squeak, "Bet it'll take you a million years!"
"No way... Mynx?"
Sarah's hands came away from his face and he felt a quick swat on the back of his head.
"That joke's so old..." she giggled as she moved to the other side of the table, "Hoo, boy, Joe! Positron had a group of us go after all sorts of crazy bad guys. The Circle of Thorns, the Vahzilok, even Clockwork... All trying the same thing! Just... Ugh, it was madness..."
She saw the glum look on Joe's face and smiled.
"But it wasn't nearly enough to stop me from making my date with you."
"Sarah..." Joe mumbled, "I... I need to tell you something..."
"Oh no! No, Joe, say it ain't so! Don't break up with me on Valentines Day! It's not right, it's not nice, it's downright mean! I'll make it up to you, I pwomise! I'll make more time for us! I'll huggle you morez..."
Other patrons suddenly were staring at them, mortification evident on their faces.
"Sarah, calm down!" Joe yanked the ring box out of his pocket, "I'm tryin' to tell ya I want to marry you!"
Smiling, she snatched the box out of his hand, opened it and put the ring on her finger.
Admiring it in Joe's stunned silence, she said, "I know, Silly, I was just frustrating you to make it easier to say."
"So..."
"Yes!"
She scrambled out of her seat, ran around the table and tackle-hugged Joe into the booth seat. While they lay there, cuddling and making out, a waitress showed up and tapped on Sarah's shoulder.
"Um... I don't think you two can do that here..."
"Do you mind?" Sarah giggled, "He just proposed!"
"So, you'll be having free ice cream for desert..."
"Yay!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
THUNK!
"Agh!"
A cherub flapped up to his boss and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Sir, I think this is a lost cause..."
"No," Eros replied, "I can make anybody love!"
"Sir... we've all read the reports on this guy. He just doesn't feel anything like that... It all gets torn apart inside his head and filed away into disused sections of his subconscious."
Eros let another arrow fly into Kipland Durj's back. The scrapper's soul let out another anguished cry as it clutched at it's metaphysical chest and clawed desperately at its back. The physical body scratched the back of its head.
"Come on!" Eros roared, "He's teamed with a group of women! Even those villains feel love today! This shouldn't be so difficult!"
"Will you knock it off!" Kip's soul suddenly shouted at Eros, "Don't make me come over there! I don't have TIME for a relationship!"
"Dammit, start feeling!" Eros screamed as he let fly another arrow, "You deserve to suffer like the rest of mankind today!"
"OW! That was my EAR!"
"Sir... 'suffer' is the wrong word..."
In physical reality, Kipland started swatting his left ear.
"What's wrong?" the shapely tanker he was working with intoned.
"I can't hear out of this ear all of a sudden," he replied, "Ope! There it goes."
"Oh good."
"That's it, I give up," Eros grumbled, "But before I go..."
"Sir..." the cherub winced as he saw his boss take a fist-full of arrows and take aim on the whole group.
"I'll get to that kid one way or another!" Eros screamed as he let fly.
Kip's face twitched a little and he scratched the back of his head again, "Man, what is going on... Hey, how long... until... uh..."
He noticed the girls he teamed with were suddenly all red-faced and looking away all of a sudden.
"What's wrong?" Kip checked his clothes for stains or unsightly openings, and, noticing nothing was amiss, suddenly had a horrible thought, "Is there something behind me?"
"N-no..." the tanker quivered out as Kip's face suddenly seemed to be framed with flowers in her vision, "N-nothing's wrong..."
Kip jumped back slightly when the girls collectively sighed.
"Sir, you remember the Bull of Minos, right?" the Cherub hissed as they flew away.
"Cripes! Why does everybody have to remind me of that!? I was defending my mother's honor, okay!?"
"Sir... It just serves as a reminder that your power can do just as much harm as it helps..."
"Oh, cram it, Steve!" Eros grumbled, "Who's next on my 'Overdue' list?"
The Cherub pulled a golden papyrus sheet out of thin air and consulted it.
"Oh... Oh cripes... Ezekiel Durj..."
"DAMMIT! How often do I have to deal with this jacked-up family!?"
"This might be easier, sir... He's one of those 'loved-and-lost' types... Being as he's our prior subject's father... and his ex-wife is in town... our records show it was not a falling out of love that caused their break-up..."
"They were in love, right?"
"Yes sir."
"So, a reconciliation..." Eros scratched his chin as they approached a bar in King's Row, "Hm, and they're both here. Oh good... I need a couple like this..."
"Sir," Steve groaned sternly, "You do remember we're not allowed to imbibe alcohol..."
"Yes..." Eros rolled his eyes.
"Also, sir, we're not allowed to videotape these things."
Eros glared angrily at his assistant.
"Shut up, Steve."
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Keep on the lookout, we know this is a confirmed target, hell be here soon. Jaredman ordered the rest of the Caper Brigade through a communicator strapped to his wrist. The whole team was together again, back in Arcadia for the short vacation, and also for a job for STUDS. It seemed that an opportunity had presented itself that simply couldnt be passed up by the Brigades most common nemesis: Dr. Phillis. Further excavation into the Underthere had revealed a series of tablets that were even now being retrieved with the help of Podos goblin tribe, and with the wealth of information on the demigod Immortal these were sure to hold, the bad doctor wouldnt be able to resist. After all, the last set of tablets discovered had begun the race for the Philosophers Stones, who knew what else could be hidden down there?
Art thou sure the iron heart of misconception cannot be swayed on this most changing of days? Podos voice answered back. The goblin warrior was ever-naïve of the human mind, constantly willing to believe that men cant be truly bad. The rest knew better, Dr. Phillis was rotten. Valentines Day didnt stop him.
Dont you remember, little green dude? Billyboys voice answered back, his form visible as he zipped through the air above, his silhouette glowing against the dusky sky. That prude Doc P doesnt believe in romantic love, he told us that last year, and the one before that, and Im sure more times I wasnt listening for! No, hes a mean, bitter, crazy, obsessed old coot with no heart. Hell be here.
The doctor didnt arrive that day.
--------------------------------
To think, my dear. Dr. Phillis began as he raised a glass of wine that he never drank, staring down at Grandville from atop the tower, his form cloaked in the red light that emanated from the beacon, That I allowed this day to roll by us last year without thought, without even the slightest hint of the implications that a feeling as abstract as love can bring to a day such as this. Set aside for us, it seems, and us alone. What feelings it can bring about, what hope! To think that only a year ago we hadnt tapped into, hadnt even discovered the boundless love that we hold for one another.
Cyba smiled sincerely as she listened to her lover and admired his regal form. Her own glass was empty, making her feel a bit guilty, but she knew Midas didnt mind. His choice to avoid alcohol was his alone, he had supplied the wine for her and even taken a glass himself to make her comfortable. Now she watched as he swished it around inside the glass, staring at the murky reflection of the villainous city from within.
Well build an empire together, Reyna. The doctor beamed as he turned to her and took her free hand in his. Youve always believed in my cause, and our love has only made us stronger, our goal closer. And every day the vision becomes more tangible, through the efforts of us both, through the alliances weve created and broken and the trials weve faced together.
I love you. Cyba told the man, sliding the blast goggles up his forehead to have a stare at his eyes. Im glad you decided to take the day off.
And Im glad you were able to convince me so very easily. Dr. Phillis replied as he took a step closer to the ledge, staring down and pouring the wine from his glass, letting it drop to the ground, where it splashed next to a bane spider patrolman. The Arachnos solider barley had time to look up to see where the liquid had come from before the glass shattered against his helmet, giving him a tremendous headache and catalyzing a fair amount of cursing. Another glass broke next to him, making him back up as he held his head before pulling out his mace and firing blindly into the sky, not even getting a shot relatively near the culprits.
I never do manage to hit them. Cyba pouted as she watched the confused bane spider. How do you do it?
Physics, my dear, and an unhealthy obsession with it that has led me to a life of crime and a perfect lover. The evil genius chuckled. Not to mention a bit of heart.
Balsk Azurebound, though he preferred not to mention his last name, sighed and spun around in his chair. The words describing the 'Valentine's Day' in the book he was reading remained static against the whirling view of the ceiling of the Soul Police Chapters' office. Eventually giving up in frustration, the winged lizard man stuck his foot against his desk, arresting his spin, and hopped up.
Tossing a weary wave to one of the humans, Balsk tromped around the base, wondering what he should do today. It was an even trade-off between beating the hell out of some thugs or spending more time researching whatever the hell was keeping him in this dimension.
"Never enough punks to go around," Balsk muttered to himself as he walked to the front door.
A package lying on the ground inside the door caught the draconian's attention and he stooped to pick it up and see who it was addressed too.
*************************************************
Solid happily hummed the Star Wars theme to himself while he scrawled out happy tidings on a stack of several dozen cheesy giftcards. Once he was done with one, he would drop the card into an envelope along with a little Valentine heart candy. This had become standard procedure for the android over the years and by now he had it down to factory line precision. Sure the stack of cards had grown larger, but that wasn't much of an obstacle.
And maybe if he finished soon he could mail the damn things and get to delivering the real gifts.
*************************************************
There was silence and darkness in the section of the LMOUSVEV base that Archlich called home. The silence was broken by the sound of booted footsteps and the creaking of armor. Then the darkness was shattered by a small desk lamp illuminating a heavy tome, open to the middle, and a skeletal hand clutching a pink letter. The letter was quickly opened and the envelope tossed aside, presumably in a trash can. The desk lamp's light was then joined by two blue flares that dimly showed the eye sockets that they were harbored in as Archlich read the letter. With some amount of finality, Archlich crumpled the letter and tossed it into the trashcan as well.
"Foolish girl," he said and turned off the lamp.
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
Lord Diov sat aside from the festivities of the 150th floor.
It was to be expected. The six husk lords all came from alternate time tracks of EARTH. Valentines day existed on all of them.
He still remembered the individual days he had brought each of them in. There had been shouting, arguments, and in Mr. White's case, violence. Nearly all of them had had relationships of one sort or another.
So every 365 days, Lord Diov let the lords take a break to visit the ones they had left behind.
Lord Diov sat musingly at his black desk in his silver office. Staring down at a few hundred data-pools that needed to be viewed and signed.
"Sup boss." Said a voice. Lord Diov glanced up. It was Poe.
"Why arn't you gone?" He asked.
Poe shrugged. "In a world were war is all you know, breeding is an assigned job. Not an option. As you know, I was raised away from battle. I have no relationships to speak of." The pyro-maniac sat down in a chair, and regarded Diov cooly.
"Why arn't YOU gone?" Diov glanced up again, somewhat startled this time.
"What do you mean?"
Poe shrugged. "Don't you have anyone special in your life?"
If Diov had eyes, they would have blinked.
"What?"
Poe spoke again. "Ya know...Someone you...Love?"
Diov looked at Poe.
"It does not work that way for me. I'm not exactly composed of flesh and blood. No chromozones or horomones for that matter. No reproductive organs..." Poe winced at that. "...Plus, my species are long gone. Extinct. They only existed in one timeline. There's no going back to save them."
"But wasn't there someone BEFORE all of that?" Poe persisted.
"Poe. What is the point of this conversation?" Diov asked, his tone somewhat threatening.
Poe shrugged. "I have nothing better to do...I was thinking. I thought that even though I've worked with you for thousands of centuries now...Yet I still know almost nothing about you. Ironic, I suppose, considering I'm one of your closest allies. Kuro and H'taed both claim that they barely know jack about you either. It's human nature, to be curious. I also find it somewhat sad..." He added. "That you can't even bring yourself to have an actual conversation with your most trusted allies aide from battle plans, schedules, and extra complicated commands."
Lord Diov looked at Poe, his red tinted monocles seeming to bore into the arsonist's eyes like drills. This time though, Poe didn't turn away. He met the glare dead on.
There was a lengthy silence.
".....Yes. There was someone." Diov said slowly.
Another pause.
"WELL?" Poe encouraged.
"My species reproduced asexually. Unfortunately, this process was still restricted to the classified gender you humans call 'female.' However, our newborn needed to be constantly infused with essence in order to mature and grow, and only 'males' of my species could naturally produce essence. So relationships were almost as important and essential to us as they are to you humans. Happy?"
Poe frowned slightly. "Don't gimme that. Tell me about HER."
Another very long pause.
"Her name was Xulra. You must realize, that when we were both born, the Divine was still in power. We were forced together as breeders. We hated each other." Diov started.
"Then came Demon Void...After that, we decided to leave each other. Aeon's of forced coperation made us somewhat hostile towards the other. Yet, for some strange reason...We both always found each other again. As if something was always keeping us together." Another long pause.
"After a few Aeons of running into each other repeatedly...We eventually grew somewhat fond of each other and decided to live together." He paused again, taking a moment to sign another data-pool.
"Then we found out. She was going to bring forth another of our kind soon. Since I was the closest 'male' to her at the time, I was naturally selected as the father." Poe sat, entranced so far.
Diov's voice hardened. "Then the Void Eclipse happened. Just days before my son could come into being." Poe decided to scoot his chair back a few meters.
"Poe. Listen to me, and listen well. We who are immortal can have no love. It is doomed to failure at the start, and it will always end in disaster. The only reason your race can behave the way it does, is because your lives are so fleeting. Your people must stand on the shoulders of the previous generations. We who are eternal...We focus on ourselves. It is our nature. Relationships will only hurt you."
Poe sat, stunned.
"Now get out. Now." Diov growled. He didn't even wait for Poe to respond, he just flicked his wrist and Poe's chair was literally blown out the door with him still in it. The door to the office slammed shut.
Poe stood, looking at the door.
'Happy [censored] Valentines Day to you too.' He thought.
He sighed. He had the day off, he was going to spend it somewhere nice. Earth. Yes, Earth. Not HIS Earth, of course, a differant one.
He walked onto a nearby rift pad, and vanished.
((AWESOME post, Diov. <3))
"Yep, see ya Sal." Rosie said with an offhandish wave. She sat there on the park bench for a little while longer, sipping her hot cocoa and scowling at couples that walked by.
"That does it." she muttered, tossing away her cocoa with a poof of smoke. The next moment, there was a border collie trotting briskly down the road.
At least now I only have to look at them in black and white. she thought, turning down into an alley. A dumpster bath was all she needed right now.
But, of course, her dumpster was occupied by a pair of meth-heads making out. The border collie leaned over the end and growled angrily at the two of them, snarling and baring her teeth until they freaked out and left.
Finally, she had the dumpster to herself, and was just getting some good rolling in, when --
"...Woof. <3"
Oh, christ.
In mid-roll, Rosie glanced up to see a Great Dane/pitbull mix leaning over the edge of the dumpster and staring at her.
......[censored] VALENTINE'S DAY. she thought as she took off like a shot, scrambling out of the dumpster and booking down the street with the alley mutt in hot pursuit.
----------------------------------------
Essex slammed her hands down on the console, causing the monitor to blip.
"Would you just...for ONE day..." she said, an edge to her voice belying the fact that she was not the most stable little pink android in Paragon City at the moment. "....consider maybe...MAYBE GETTING ALONG!?"
Her tiny chest heaved with synthesized breath.
She actually looked kind of scary.
"It's Valentine's Day." she said, balling her hands into fists. "Hal, if you can POSSIBLY think that I want someone to shoot you on Valentine's Day of all days then I just don't know what to do with you!! And Commander, please don't provoke him because every time he's miserable I have to fix it and there's only so much I can do! And there's Valentine's cards to write, and cookies to bake, and visits to make, and...and..."
She stomped her foot in rage, shaking her fists. "CAN'T YOU SEE I LOVE EVERYONE!? DO YOU KNOW HOW STRESSFUL TODAY IS FOR ME!?"
Delphi trotted by behind her, offhandishly reaching behind the android's neck and flipping a small switch. Essex's eyes promptly dimmed, and she slumped forward in stasis.
"I'd leave her down for about half an hour until she chills out." the orange and green messenger bot piped up. "Oh, hey, Experiment, Pedoboy, Loose Cannon. How's it going?"
Delphi held up a random gear, tied with a pink bow. "Some technophile keeps mailing me crap. Not bad, huh?"
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
". . . Yeah. . . sorry about that," Hal muttered, flushing. "I guess this is kinda a hard day for her. I'll just leave this here."
He tossed the card onto the top of the console and looked tentatively at Delphi.
"Uh, yeah, hey there," he said, grinning feebly at Delphi. "Uh, when she wakes up, y'mind telling her I'm sorry?"
He stared at the gear. "Uh. So, is that a GOOD gift, or. . . I mean, I'm not an android. . ."
"Oh, hello dears," Salia's cheerful voice came from behind Hal, Reikoff and Experiment. "How are you all doing? I'd have brought valentines, but I either didn't feel like it or forgot. I forget which."
"Uh, hello," Hal said, thinking to himself that surely even he couldn't forget whether or not he had forgotten.
Valentine's day.
Sir Morgant Trahaearn Drystan had never had a good Valentine's Day before. This one thought was permeating his mind.
The knight was brooding--sitting on the Talos Island ship where they had first kissed. It was long abandoned, nobody ever came to take care of it, and yet, for some reason, it was still floating in the water. Morgant sat down cross-legged and cross-armed, eyes closed as he stared into the depths of his memories and his mind. He was never one for angsting or for whining. And yet, for some reason, today, of all days, seemed to be particularly miserable.
At least he knew why.
Every year before this one, be it in Ellenier or Paragon, he had always simply sat enviously to the side and just...watched. It was almost maddening, seeing others just prance about hand-in-hand, oblivious to anything but themselves. Selfishness at its finest, only interested in their own pleasures and their own time together, and ignoring everyone and everything else. It seemed like the only way to be happy was to throw yourself into the arms of your lover, and just forget the rest of the world existed--just get sucked into yourself and your partner.
This year, though, he thought it would be different. He thought he'd finally be able to join the masses and just pretend that nothing else mattered. He was looking forward to just holding her in his arms, letting her chilled body rest against his, and just...tell her, all day, just how much she meant to him.
Despite that he had a girlfriend, it seemed the fact that Valentine's Day would be just as pisspoor as the rest--he'd be just as miserable, just as sulking, and just as sullen. And for one simple reason, really.
She wouldn't be able to be with him.
Morgant reflected upon the irony of this. Those miserable at Valentine's Day were often miserable because they had no mate, had no love, had nothing to call their own. He had all of that--a beautiful lover who was showering him with romance and affection, as well as giving him a roof over his head.
And yet, on the very day in which they should be celebrating their love, they were being yanked away from each other. Or, rather, she was pulling away from him.
Crey Industries had their hands buried into her affairs, as well as his. Constantly harrassing both her and him, she had dove full-force into investigating Crey's affairs, finding out just what the hell they wanted with her and him, and why. He lifted up his hand to rub his eyes, sighing and shaking his head. She had gotten so into it, so much into researching and proving and talking to contacts, she had forgotten about any concept of time at all--including what day it was.
Forgotten. It had slipped her mind entirely. She had no clue when Valentine's Day was, and would promptly be wracked with guilt once he reminded her it was today. So he simply decided to leave her to her work, and leave her happy at the moment.
There were plenty of other things to distract him, anyway.
Sometimes being alone just hurt.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Valentine's day.
A day of companionship, love, and romance. A time for others to enjoy their mates and their lovers. United partners making the best of their time.
She had two partners, though. A rarity among most people, but she loved them both equally.
Heckler and Koch.
The Heckler & Koch USP Match .45 ACP, to be specific. Two of them, one for each hand. Dual-weilding was normally something reserved for cheap action movies, video games, or Hong Kong cinema, but it was Virelai's specialty. A gun's recoil was fierce, to state the understatement of the century, and simply handling it often required two hands to keep a steady aim while continuing to fire. Normal humans simply didn't have the strength to handle single-handed recoil.
She mused as she peered down the iron sights of the left-hand gun, staring at the pictures of numerous people she knew nailed to a target board.
She wasn't human.
BANG! She squeezed the trigger and proceeded to loosen her arms to let the hand jerk back thanks to the shot. The .45 ACP ammo was powerful, to say the least. Low recoil combined with very good accuracy and stopping power, along with relatively low muzzle blast and flash, meant that she relied on it a lot. It was her favorite, along with the legendary .500 S&W, which she reserved for her Raging Bulls.
BANG BANG! She continued to fire with her left hand, not even blinking as she stared down at the target where the bullets had landed. A picture of Essex.
Shaking her head slowly, Virelai let her mind wander for a few split seconds. Being a bounty huntress wasn't exactly sociable business. There was always a chance people you knew would be turned against you, by means either in control or out of it. But one shouldn't even hesitate when staring down the barrel of a gun and aiming at someone you know--fire, anyway, even if it meant they'd die and you'd never see them again. She was often detached for a reason...she didn't like being with people, and more often than not, they let her down or she let them down, which lead to more pain. She was already used to pain, and wasn't fond of it--why give even more?
Essex, in particular. She had made and eaten ice cream with her, actually gone clothes-shopping with her, fought alongside to defend and help her, tried to support her when she was in cat-form...she had promised to never let anything happen to her.
...poof. All gone. She had failed to protect her, and now her memory was wiped as a result. The very few times she had opened up to someone, to something, and it was wasted. She would never have those chances again. She would never LET herself have those chances again--it only figured that the one time she opened up to someone in a long, long time, she proceeded to get stabbed.
BANG! BANG!
...It helped to think negative things when shooting at someone you knew.
BANG! BANG! Overdell was the next picture to get a bullet to the brain. Pervert.
BANG! BANG! Hallucinogen. The idiot was far too emo over far too little, and needed to shut up and get over it.
BANG! Rulaag. Self-righteous dick and an idiot who thought he knew it all, and needed a reality check.
BANG! Ozell One. Too happy and cheerful--he needed to get whacked with some cynicism.
BANG! Rosalind. ...She couldn't think of anything wrong, but shot anyway.
She stared at one final picture, depicting a reptilian luchadore, with a bright orange mask with white flares on it.
Anonysmo Dragon. She felt her face heat as she looked over at him. Ever since she was 17, she had a deep crush on him. His sense of justice, his sense of right...he was valorous, fair, and was always willing to go the extra mile to help those less fortunate than him. Besides...he was strong and muscular, and very, VERY handsome. What wasn't there to like about him?
Her eyes widened at where her thoughts took her. She was hesitating. Bad move.
Her left gun was empty. The Match only held 12 rounds of the .45 ACP. The 9mm Luger version could hold 15 rounds, but in the end, bigger was better.
She quickly lifted up her right hand and let off a blind shot--speed was of the essence, when you hesitate. She would work on being fast first, then work on being accurate WHILE being fast.
Virelai paused to see where the round had landed--she had missed by a mile, and the shot was roughly a foot above his picture.
The naiad sighed as she shook her head, lowering both guns and turning away to walk off.
Sometimes being alone just hurt.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Valentine's day.
She always kept her house dark around these holidays. Scordatura, out of her armor, simply lounged back in a red plush chair, her feet kicked up on the desk, adjusting her black pants. She wasn't going out at these times--crime was drastically reduced around holidays, and what little there was could be watched over by other heroes. She'd leave it for them to handle.
She looked around the darkened room with a bemused expression. She could finally relax, then. She could just...take it easy...lean back...and not have to worry about anything.
Scordatura frowned, taking a few moments to savor the silence and the rest.
...
...
...
...It was quiet. Too quiet.
Funny. She was going to relax, but she didn't like it. She didn't like how it felt. After all, how could she, when she was alone? Today was the day of lovers to get together, and not only COULDN'T she have a lover, but she didn't WANT one, much less had one. She had willingly chosen reclusiveness as a lifestyle--she was mostly disgusted with her fellow humans, and preferred being on the outside. In fact, that was how she lived her entire life--on the outside, looking in. Get too close to people, and they'll learn more about you, and the more they'll be disappointed once they learn of your flaws and your faults. She hated letting down people, and she preferred simply being an enigma that went in, did good, and vanished. That was the point of being a hero, right? Doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing, not to get your name recognized or for the fame.
She steepled her fingers together as her heel-wearing foot tapped the heel against the desk. She was rambling...she had the day off. Her MP3 player was nearby. Why be miserable when you can be happy? She quickly leaned forward to grab it off of the desk, put on the headphones, and hit "Shuffle". Might as well listen to random music instead of being emo.
You hide, won't fight
Avoid the daylight
Give in, won't win
No try to make it right
Aaah. Helloween. Her favorite band. They had some of the best songs ever, as well as thoughtful lyrics. One of the best, period.
Why don't you stop crying
Stop your painful dying
Why don't you give your life a sense
She recognized this song instantly. "Don't Run For Cover", it was called.
One game, one aim
But you're always sleeping
One light so bright
In darkness you're creeping
Why don't you use your head
Step out of your warm bed
And stop being an anxious rat
"..."
She instantly hit the stop button, yanking the headphones off of her ears.
What was she doing? She was sitting here and moping, taking a rest.
She was a HERO, dammit. She had duties. Why was she curling around here in misery, when she had a duty to do? Why was she concentrating more on herself instead of the crime that WOULD be around on this Valentine's Day? People would be hurt today, people would be wronged. And she was to right those wrongs, to make things better again.
Why focus on yourself? That was the selfish thing to do, and a mistake many heroes fell into. They believed that because they were great, they could take a break from rescuing others just because they were miserable--and the others they didn't rescue would often befall...nasty fates.
She was NOT going to let others suffer just so she could rest.
She shook off her head and kicked off her heels, standing up straight.
"CHAAAAAAAANGE, COMMANDO!"
Sometimes being alone just hurt.
But she was a hero. She was supposed to continue on, despite hurting.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Valentine's day.
Aaaah, what a day of the year.
Kairaishi spun around in his room in his (pink) pajamas, neuroarmor still snug tight around his body. He extended his arms out in a mock dance with a made-up partner.
"Aaaah, good lady, a wonderful Valentine's Day to you? May I have this dance?"
He lifted his voice into a falsetto. "Oh, God, it's Kairaishi! Oh, what a hunk! I would be honored to dance with such a sexy beast like you! Oh, take me home now!"
The puppetmaster chuckled at his own flattery. "Why, thank you, good madam? Yes, I am a sexy beast, and I would love to take you back home."
Both Reiketsu and Bousatsu watched from a distance. Despite being on autopilot, they still had no emotion or personality, and thus cared little about the puppetmaster's antics. He continued to swing and sway and flirt with himself, and they did nothing except continue to watch over him, hands on their katana hilt, in case anyone or anything came out of nowhere to assault him.
The Kabuki had their plans, and so did Kairaishi. First, he'd give a gift to himself. Then he'd write a love letter to himself. Then he'd prolly pull some pranks on unsuspecting lovers. Then he'd watch a cheesy romance movie. Then he'd prolly masturbate and pretend he was doing a hot chick.
Kairaishi blinked and shook his head, then slumped over.
God, he was a loser. No friends, no loves, and the best thing he could think of for Valentine's Day was wanking off?
...Hmmm. Maybe he'd call up Tragic Error again, ask for another time of companionship.
He sighed as he leaned against a table, tapping his fingers on a table. Funny how he would have to pay a mercenary to be a friend on Valentine's Day. How very...very...pathetic.
Sometimes being alone just hurt.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Valentine's day.
Desultory sat in his usual home, the sewers. The only place he really could live, really--the streets were prowling with criminals, and thus, were no option. Homeless houses would be an option, but people would ask far, far too many questions, no matter how often he insisted he was of no importance and redirected their attention to something else. The sewers were often abandoned, and so many possible things to sleep on easily found. Most notably, clothing from those that had fallen in battle in the rare times people were in it. Sure, there were always sections of the sewers that were CROWDED with people, for some reason, but just stay away from those areas and Desultory was peachy-keen. The scent and constant noise didn't bother him, as he didn't hear or smell in the way typical humans could.
He had wisely decided to stay off the streets this day. Sure, love and romance was everywhere, but so was rage, bitterness, and jealousy.
Lots and lots of poison.
He would just go hungry that day.
Desultory shrugged and lay his head down on a jacket that he had found, curling up into a ball to prepare to nap. He couldn't help but admit an inkling of jealousy that coursed through him as well.
How long had he been lingering among the humans? Decades. How long had he finally taken form among them and mingled? About a month. And yet, in that time, already had he gained what he had thought was a friend--only to learn the feeling wasn't returned. She was only interested in sticking arrow after arrow after him like a pincushion...not at all in friendship.
Desultory sighed. He was banished from his home, and Earth was the second best choice.
At least, so he thought. He was constantly alienating and scaring others away, when all he wanted was a companion, a friend. And on this day, when LOVERS were being celebrated...those who were friend enough to mate with each other, he felt more than a little left out. Most of those who were emo were simply emo because they had no girlfriend or boyfriend.
Desultory was emo because he had no friends, period. He constantly scared them away. He wasn't human, and possessed different mannerisms than them--and what he did have often terrified others, for some reason. He presumed they didn't like seeing things so...exposed.
He shook his head slowly, adjusting on his jacket and closing his eyes, drifting off to a fitful sleep.
Sometimes being alone just hurt.
((Hmmm. Sensing a pattern? <.< ))
Poe walked down the street. He sniffed.
His usual attire was white pants with black flame patterns running up the sides, a plain grey T-shirt covered by a white vest with his personal emblem on it, his special white gloves with more black flames on them, and his red tinted goggles, of course. His spiked and slicked back wild black hair topped it all off. He looked like what he was. A bad-[censored] sadistic atomic pyro-maniac.
Then again, it could have just been the various explosives and pyro-technic devices sticking out of every available pocket. Needless to say, most people gave Lord Poe a wide bearth.
Poe sniffed, and thought.
Lord Poe comes from a drastically differant time line then ours. In his world, wars were as common as pebbles on a beach, and even THINKING about the word "peace" was a valid enough reason to get shot.
Poe was the son of a World War 932 veteran, who taught Poe from early child hood how to use explosives and pyrotechnic devices. He wanted Poe to be able to plant traps around their home, so they could be safe from the chaos while the father enjoyed his veteran's benifits.
The plan backfired drastically when enemy cyborg zombie ninjas found all the traps using scrying spells, and disarmed them. Then an entire army of 10,000 troops, knowing fully well that it was an unnecessary use of force, marched on the mansion.
Poe's father was killed in the attack, but using a stealth generator that his father had given him, he devised a plan.
Lord Diov was in the dimension at the time, locating a fluxuating rift in space, when he observed the young Poe eradicate the entire army using only 3 well placed land mines. He immediately took the boy under his wing, and Poe has worked for Lord Diov ever since.
However...
Poe had spent his entire life in his father's mansion. He had never exited it except for a few scant times a year to make sure all the traps on the grounds were working properly. He had been completely isolated. Alone. In a world which knew no peace, there was no love. Breeding was a job, not an option or something that could be taken into consideration. Poe had never been a part of that. He had never developed a relationship with anyone. Hell, the only members of the opposite sex he had even seen were on average, his enemies.
That's why he was a bit of a pyro-maniac. It took his mind off other things. He liked the way fire changed things, re-shapped things. The blackening and boiling of wood, the hiss of steam, the brightness and eclipse of the flame...
Yet sometimes it wasn't enough. As Poe walked down the street, he couldn't help but feel sad. He was utterly alone.
A large Great Dane with traces of Bulldog in it chased a Border Collie across the street.
That's about when Poe decided to set something on fire. He didn't like what he was feeling, so it was time to induldge in his passion.
He whipped out his flamethrower, and a stream of essence infused flames bubbled forth from the nozzle, frying the Great Dane to ashes.
That cheered him up a little, and brought a small smile to his face as he watched the dog's skin slowly melt and pool in liquid form, the veins catch on fire and slowly blacken, the inner organs pump behind the bones before slowly falling apart...
He still looked at the ashes with the satisfaction only a pyro-maniac could feel after burning something.
He continued to look at the ashes.
The feeling passed.
Emptiness arose. He again felt that strange melencholy feeling.
He sighed, and looked around for something else to burn.
"[censored] Valentines Day..." He muttered.
OOC: Methinks someone needs a hug.
*places Essex right in front of Term, points at Term*
Oh hey look, a sad person!
*flees*
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((*hides behind riot shield*))
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
((I ain't sad. <_< My chars are, but I'm not.
Did I write emo that well? I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing))
OOC: Considering the other emotions you can write perfectly well, I'm pretty sure being able to emo-write is just fine.
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((Hope you don't mind...))
As Rosie bounded away around a corner to escape the other dog she managed to knock a pedestrians legs right out from under her and send both into a tumbling pile.
"AAAAHHH!" Kathode shouted as some stupid Border Collie smashed right into her. She saw the Great Dane approaching as well and pointed her finger at it, a small bolt of red lightning hit him on the nose and sending him away whinng with his tail between his legs.
"Away you! She's not interested!" Kathode took a look at the Border Collie and finally noticed the smell. "Awww, this outfit was clean too. Get off me you dirty mutt!"
Standing up, she noticed something familiar below the scent of garbage and looked more closely as the dog. "Don't I know you?" She asked.
((Mmm...H&K. That's love enough for me!!))
Reikoff artfully flipped the pistol, (A Colt .45, one of his personal favorites,) around and around his hands before stuffing it into his pocket in a completely overdone display. Completely ignoring Salia, who he had been briefed on by Rulaag. (Reikoff had contacts beyond mere humans.) He looked down at the card Hal had dropped.
"That's it?" He smirked.
The base teleporter blazed with energy, and out stepped a Gunslinger everyone instantly recognized -
Curtis, his body armor (and .357s) still smoking from taking and returning fire, respectively.
"Straight fr'm Fort Knox." He grinned a very Curtis grin, dropping a giant brick of solid gold on top of Hal's card, with a card twice as big and stuffed with money.
"Ah reckon ah likes them slush funds yew transfer'd ter th' new Outdoin' Hal Division we done 'stablished."
"I try, Cowboy, I try. Well if you kiddies would excuse us, it is after all Valentines day -"
"An' I gots a woman ter get back ter!"
"- And I have heroes to catch off guard. Have a happy Valentines day." He added with a deep sarcastic tone.
"Let's get out of here, cowboy."
As the two stepped into the teleporter, Reikoff pointed at Hal and then Experiment.
"Mess with the gift and you die." He sternly ordered them, and then they were both gone, the only evidence remaining of them being a still smoking bullethead that had fallen from Curtis' body armor.
Bear shot through the skies, his bowstring still stretched to the breaking point with a sniper-tipped arrow.
"This is Bear! I've got the target!"
He let the arrow fly. Not even looking to see if it landed and barely waiting for the scream, he shot off in another direction.
"He's all yours now!"
---
The Wyvern Lieutenant set down lightly, still in full Raptor combat armor, (Think Sting armor but silver and red) in front of the Soul Police's building. He glanced from side to side nervously, trying not to wait around in the open any more than he had to...
"Aww," Experiment sighed in mock sadness, "Don't I get a name? Like, Captain Awesome? Or... Like, Super Cool Guy? How 'bout Master Inventor of Truth? Nah, I like Captain Awesome. You can call me Captain Awesome."
He snickered slightly, before glancing at Essex again. "...Also; You should stay away from her for a while, Hal. Your emo is rubbing off on her. She used to be SO cheerful... All happy, huggy, and puppy-loving.... Now, she has this apparent new Emo-Module input..."
Roses are awesome,
Violets are emo.
I got no date for Valentine's,
and you would be primo.
"Poetry is epic failure." Rosalind grumbled as she wadded up the piece of paper and flung it into the garbage can in her cubicle.
Valentines' day. Again.
Rosie hated Valentine's day. It was so squishy and mopey and stupid, an excuse for emo kids to suck face and those stupid Cherubim to get more attention than they deserve. The were-human snorted. Did these people ever even read the Bible? The Cherubim were the enforcers with gigantic [censored]' flaming swords!!
"...Now -that- would be [censored] awesome." she muttered to herself, doodling a gigantic angel eviscerating a pair of kissing people with a huge, flaming sword. "Screw this arrow bull."
Rosie let her head fall into her folded arms on her desk. St. Valentine's day was always a pain, because the Soul Police had to let that pansy Eros and his cronies run wild and free, spreading mass idiocy among the populace. Sure, Rosalind had her share of crushes - but V-Day? Pure sappiness at its worst.
Disgusted with the concept, she stalked out of the SPC offices, past the printing presses and the contract workers. The cover for the Soul Police building was a tabloid - the fun kind of tabloid that couldn't be arsed with celebrities, but instead focused on finding BatBoy in a jar of peanut butter that cured cancer.
Grabbing one off the press to read, she went out into the wintry day, tossing a scarf around her neck. She stopped at a nearby coffee stand for a hot cocoa, which promptly belched steam into the air in a heavy, satisfied cloud.
"[censored] Valentine's." she muttered to herself, sitting on a park bench and reading her tabloid.
((OOC: It's another one of Essex's often ill-fated holiday threads! What are your characters doing for Valentine's Day?))
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace