La Catalina

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan went in, on Jolene's wish. He had a slight limp because he hurt his leg during his fall. Although the condo seemed to be prepared for use, there were still moving boxes strewn here and there, and a massive pile dominated the room. "So, do you need help sorting things out?" he asked, analyzing the tower of boxes from the bottom to the top.

 

Elizabeth, by now, came to understand Ezra's apprehension to the question. "Can you tell me about it?" she asked, finishing her ice cream. "If you don't wanna elaborate, I won't pressure you or anything."

[Flare]

Felecia agreed to the hug with Sam, doing so. She then proceeded to retell the events of the day to them, though in a very Felecia like way of doing it. Upon finishing she presented her own question. "What exactly took you so fucking long?" WOlf and Felecia had been here for quite a few hours, and Felecia had originally been in the same area as the others, they should have been there long ago.

[Gestalt]

Harry had reached the main guard house by now. He had noticed a transport with his fuel order pass him up earlier, but he continued his stroll locked in a train of thought on how one could possibly make the most of nothing.

An eager ferret fellow on staff exited his post from within the large guard house and approached him.

"Hector Herold!" he said. "What the hell are you doing on damn Cornerian soil with the rest of us? Haha." It was Orlando, a high school or middle school acquaintance.

"Even gods find themselves restless, lounging in their thrones of clouds nestled in the mountain tops," Harry said.

Harry didn't plan on revealing anything as the conversation unfolded. He didn't require anyone feeling sorry for him. It would slow him down.

"All that moon sailing is going to your head," Orlando replied, simply smiling.

"Tell me, Orlando, what is the deal with this architecture." Harry scanned the houses again under his navy tinted aviators.

"Oh, Spanish Revival - clay tile roofs, hand placed stone walls, and copper guttering. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah, no...it's great."

Orlando was staring at the houses, fixed in a trance of appreciation. Harry was looking to remove himself, at least, somewhat politely.

[Monokuma]

Wolf wakes up a bit and comes out to greet the two, making small talk with Kimari about the house and how Deon made them move here, discussing room plans. Sam told their situation in the delay of arrival.

"Sorry, dear. When you left the ship, one of the new crew members caused an aircraft accident and we had to get that sorted..."

[Zaphyr Stone]

"Nah, I can handle it, but thank you." She smiled, walking back to her room to freshen up and change, "Besides, we should do something fun! Feel free to have a seat. I have tea and water in the fridge if you want something to drink."

----

"Oh, no, it's no trouble for me." He smiled reassuringly, "You see, I suffer from depression. I've had a good number of years to work with it, and medication does help even things out, but back when I was in college, I was at an all-time low. My girlfriend at the time just didn't know how to deal with or support me, and we drifted apart. My second relationship didn't prove to be any different. I can be a little slow to warm up, and she didn't have the patience."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Oh, very well," replied Bohdan. Upon hearing her offer for a drink and a seat, Bohdan felt obliged to agree. "Thank you," he said, going to the kitchen. Upon entering it, he opened the refrigerator and discovered a cool bottle of water. He grabbed it with his massive hand, and closed the fridge. Bohdan walked over to the couch, and sat down, unfolding his wings and lazily spreading themselves out onto the piece of furniture. He unscrewed the cap, and downed a quick gulp. "So, something fun?"

 

Elizabeth nodded in understanding. She knew some people who battled and currently still battle with the bleak menace known as depression. The most notable of these individuals would be Bohdan, who is currently receiving counseling and medication from Korben. She also did not mind Ezra's general reservation. Elizabeth's patience was equal to ten men. Of course, as a sniper, some of that was taught to her. "Well, don't you worry about me, Ezra," she assured. "I'm here for you." At that moment, looking at the what was once an empty seat behind Ezra, Elizabeth caught sight of her husband, Lucas. He was exactly the same as he was when she saw him in the park earlier that day. He was sipping on a strawberry banana smoothie that looked eerily more red than normal. He gestured her to keep going, mouthing "Build on that". Elizabeth then looked at Ezra in the eyes, and touched his hand, smiling. Lucas grinned, gave her the thumbs up, and faded away. His smoothie followed suit.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks

[Zaphyr Stone]

"Yeah!" She called back from her bedroom as she wriggled out of her sweaty tank and raggedy jeans, "You've lived here longer than me. What is there to do out here that's fun?"

----

Ezra smiled gratefully, placing his free hand over hers. "You know, I was so inspired by the people who reached out to help me, that I decided to give back. I finished my degree and became a psychiatrist. My clients are children, though." he chuckled mildly, "But I can tell when someone is in need. I'm here for you as well, Elizabeth."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan pondered what was considered "fun" as of that time within the immediate vicinity. The movie theater was not showing anything exciting or decent. And besides, Bohdan's massive frame would block the sight of most patrons unless he sat in the back, and that is no way to enjoy a movie in the theater. All of the restaurants have food, but would not be considered that fun, especially considering that they both ate an hour ago. There was a bar: Zusie's, across Town Square, which had karaoke nights. However, it seemed too early in the day to go out to a bar. Suddenly, almost unconsciously, Bohdan heard himself speak. "Do you want to watch a movie?" he asked to Jolene from the living room.

 

Elizabeth smiled at Ezra's comments. This is really going well, she thought. She moved her head in closer to his, in an attempt to touch her snout with his. In Gallia, this was considered the beginning of a relationship of any sort.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks

[Flare]

Felecia scowled. "Newbies. Break everything." After saying this Felecia grabbed Sam by the hand and dragged her inside the new house.

 

Meanwhile, nearby, Solar and Rena had finally finished unpacking their stuff and had decided to set out into the town in search of any friendly locals, or at the least just a place for them to pick up some food for the future. "That payout was huge...this whole town is absolutely massive." Solar said, turning to the Lynx girl next to him. "Here's hoping the people here are nice and not posh assholes." Rena responded to this by nodding her head in agreement.

[Monokuma]

Sam's arm was practically yanked by Felecia, with her struggling to keep up not to fall flat on her face. "H-Hey! Slow down! You're gonna kill me, hon! What are you talking me to?"

Wolf and Kimari kept up the talk about the house plan, taking about which rooms they'll all get as the two walk inside as well.

[Zaphyr Stone]

"You mean here?" she called back curiously. She blotted herself dry again with a towel and put on a clean graphic v-neck and some nice dark jeans. She took off the sweaty headband and gave her hair a quick spray of dry shampoo before running a brush through it. Feeling a little more presentable, she walked back out, smiling at how relaxed he looked, "That could be cool. I could even make a snack. What kind of movies do you like?"

----

Ezra's heart crept up into his throat, and he knew he was blushing even more now that she was closer. Looking into her eyes, however, he found that he had no reason to feel uneasy. She wouldn't hurt him. He wasn't sure how he knew that for certain, but he just knew that he felt an unspoken connection. He leaned in as well, gingerly pressing his nose to hers. The bundle of nerve endings at his nose collided with hers and sent little chills down his spine. He found courage in her eyes, courage she had mustered in her own life reflecting back on him. She was being brave even now, taking a chance on him. He would be brave as well.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan, totally caught off guard by her response, was a maelstrom of emotions on the inside. On the outside, however, he was totally calm. It was just a suggestion. He had no idea that she would even dream of accepting his proposition, yet here he is, posed with a question. "What kind of movies do you like?" He has not even seen a whole movie in a while. The last one he saw was called "The Assassinator" (fictional), an action-comedy film parodying hit man movies. Bohdan loved it, and got a kick out of it. He decided to choose that movie. "I have a fondness for action-comedies. Perhaps, 'The Assassinator'?" He turned his head to Jolene, who reentered her living room.

 

Elizabeth, upon feeling Ezra's nose touch hers, felt something else entirely. Something that she only felt around Lucas. However, Lucas was not touching her nose. He was not holding her hand. It was Ezra, this lanky wolf. She thought of it amazing that Ezra seemed to possess the same magnetic qualities as her former husband. He had the same glow, the same hook. "I haven't felt like this in a long time," she confessed. Elizabeth, suddenly feeling bold, closed her eyes and kissed Ezra on the lips. She prayed that this blitz did not upset Ezra.

[Gestalt]

"Aww, you don't like it." Orlando had finally noticed.  "Well..," he held his arms at his back, "you could always make the inside your own."

"Naturally," Harry nodded. "...loook, I need to go, settling in to do and whatnot."

"Oh. See you around, then. Any time you leave main gate on this shift, actually."

"Yeah.."

[Zaphyr Stone]

"I've never seen it." she shook her head, "But I'm all for trying new things."

She grabbed up her remote and turned the smart TV on, switching it to Netflix. She handed it to him with a smile.

"Think you can find it while I make us something? I hope you like sweets."

----

In that moment, Ezra felt the world around him come to a halt. Even the beating of his heart stood still. The kiss was a surprise, and yet somehow he had expected it instinctually. They were two ships passing in the night, finding solace in a familiar face on troubled and obscured waters. He returned her kiss tenderly, feeling encouraged and inspired.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan began his brief search of "The Assassinator" on Netflix, carefully typing the small buttons with his large fingers attached to his great hands. His face contorted due to the effort. However, he perked up once the word "sweets" was uttered in his presence by Jolene. "Sweets?" he questioned all too elatedly, sitting up. Bohdan then did his best to conceal his enthusiasm, slouching back down onto the couch. "Sweets are fine," he said calmly. Then, Bohdan found what he was looking for: "The Assassinator", which had a healthy four and a half out of five star rating. "Ah, I have found it," he announced.

 

Elizabeth, noticing that Ezra was more than welcoming of her kiss, decided to invest more of her time and energy into making it one that would not be soon forgotten. She used her free hand to slowly caress the side of Ezra's head, feeling his soft, thick, grey fur and his brown, smooth hair run through her fingers. Her whole world seemed to melt away, and only she and Ezra were within the Universe. However, she knew this was impossible to last forever, and after a few seconds, she slowly backed out, smiling.

 

Meanwhile, Sandor had woken up from his slumber, although in a different location than the hallway. He was in his bed, neatly tucked under his blankets. He sat up, and looked around confusedly. Sandor opened his nightstand, checking to see if his tertiary sidearm was there, which it was. He grabbed the small handblaster, checked to see if it was loaded, which it was, and cocked it. He got out of bed, wearing a tank top and the jeans he put on to go to Panera Bread earlier that day. Sandor opened his bedroom door ever so slowly and ever so quietly. He looked to his right and left, pointing his handblaster in both directions. Satisfied that there was no one there, he quietly tiptoed downstairs, and approached the living room. He heard stirring, and the sounds of Salamon. Sandor quickly bolted into the room, worried for Salamon. Waving his weapon around, he eyed the two figures. Suddenly, he screamed out in terror, dropping his weapon. The figures looked up to Sandor from their seats on the couch. They were a male tykeriel and a female tykeriel. The female was holding Salamon, who was clearly agitated by Sandor's screaming. "Sandor..." said the female in utter disbelief. She spoke in Magyar. They both stood up. Sandor was petrified in fear, and his face showed it. "We were so worried about you. But now we know you're alive. You're healthy, you're wealthy, and you have a son." She began to tear up. Sandor continued to stand completely still.

"Sandor," said the male tykeriel, also in Magyar. "Will you not say anything to your mother and father?"

[Flare]

Felecia led Sam into the house and through it, pointing out a few key rooms to her, as well as pointing at the fridge and pretending to choke at the sight of what was inside. She then yanked her again to the main attraction in her mind, the basement. She had already set up some sheets around the walls to make it more comfortable, as well as dragging multiple carpets from the upstairs to make the stone floor easier to step on. "My room. Care to join?"

[Zaphyr Stone]

Jolene pulled out a pot, a bottle of canola oil, and a bottle of popcorn kernels. Pouring just enough oil and kernels to coat the bottom of the pot, she set the pot on the live burner, placed a lid over the top and moved on to the next step. She took a peak, watching Bohdan struggle with the remote with a small silent giggle. Returning to the counter, she grabbed out a pack of Oreos and placed a handful of them in a ziploc bag, which she sealed and rolled over with a rolling pin to crush them. She then grabbed a bowl and filled it with white chocolate chips. Setting the bowl in the microwave at intervals of a few seconds with breaks to stir, she repeated until the chocolate with smoothly melted.

"Great!" She responded to Bohdan when he announced he'd found the film, "Almost done in here."

She returned to the pot and shook it vigorously over the burner as the popcorn began to pop. She continued this until the popping slowed almost to a stop, and she removed it from the burner and turned off the heat. Grabbing a popcorn bowl, she poured the popcorn in along with the crushed Oreos, drizzling white chocolate gradually as she mixed everything in together. Satisfied with her work, she washed her hands and returned to the couch with the bowl. "Here we are! Cookies and Cream Popcorn." She plopped down next to him and set the bowl between him, careful not to smash a wing as she did.

----

Ezra exhaled softly and slowly as they parted. Reality came drifting back into focus, but everything was different now. He smiled lazily at her. "Well...I guess that settles that, huh?"

[Monokuma]

Sam was being pulled by Felecia like she was in a roller coaster, glaring at the food, as she sometimes didn't follow the rules of her culture, quite sad at the store of meat. As they got to the basement, she took a look at what Felecia had done to the place, making it livable for her standards, but she had a better decoration plan. "Yeah, hon. Women have to stick together, of course, but dear, mind if I take my fashion sense in this too?"

Wolf and Kimari watched as the two girls ran in a flash tour, while Kimari saw the furthest room, the Guest Suite, and the two began to set up there for Kimari's sake.

[Flare]

Felecia scowled and went to the right side of the basement. "Don't touch my purple." She then moved back to Sam after specifying her area of the basement. "Lots of people hate me already." She said, reflecting on the events earlier in the day. Though still a little angry that no one seemed to be mad at the boy for his actions, yet hers were seen as horrible she had decided to not give a shit about the opinions of anyone in this town.

[Monokuma]

Sam holds up her end of the deal as always, making sure her crimson half of the basement was tidy for decoration later.  "It'll be like the ship room we have, hon. With the bathroom right there, it'll be just like it!" She would continue, with the exception of what Felecia said next. "Lots of people? Explain, hon."

Wolf and Kimari continue to set up the Guest Suite, now going out near the pool for Kimari's relaxation area.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan selected the movie, but upon being presented the Cookies and Cream Popcorn, he placed the remote beside the bowl, and stared at the bowl's contents in wonder. "Amazing..." said he, stunned. He picked up one piece that was particularly coated with the melted chocolate and Oreos, and ate it. He savored its incredibly sweet taste. It was an almost orgasmic feeling. He nodded his head. "This is very excellent." He looked to Jolene. "This reminds me of the time my family and I vacationed to Earth. We landed in the spaceport in New York City, and one of the first things I did was buy a pack of Oreos." He chuckled, looking back at the bowl of popcorn. "Those Oreos were among the best things I had ever tasted." His almost endless smile, however, cloaked an underlying sadness: the reality that he could never again vacation to Earth with his parents and brother. Bohdan snapped back to reality, and picked up the remote, playing the movie. He slouched back, not at all minding that Jolene was lying on his wing.

 

Elizabeth finally came to her senses, enough to respond to Ezra. "Yeah, it does," she said. Elizabeth knew that this was the beginning of a beautiful relationship, one that would be healthy for the both of them. "You're not only a good guy, you're a pretty decent kisser, Ezra." She chuckled.

 

Sandor attempted to address his father's question, but he was a statue sculpted by terror. How the Hell did his parents find him? How could they afford to travel to Corneria? What was their opinion of him? However, he needed to answer immediately, for his father steadily approached his son. "Sandor," continued his father in Magyar, "please talk to us. It has been far too long." His eyes held a certain innocence, a certain kindness. Sandor had never seen that before in his father's eyes. He slowly began to articulate his question.

"How did you find me?" he said with a shaken voice. Sandor's father, Attila, stopped. Attila sighed.

"Your friends, Sandor," he explained. "The priest and those Cornerians approached us, and told us that you were well. We were so excited, we wanted to see you. They paid for our trip, and now they are pooling their resources to find us a home in this place. We already sold our old home on Kew." Sandor was utterly flabbergasted. His parents left their old lives just to be with him. Just to see him regularly again. Just to hug him and kiss him and tell him that they still loved him. Being struck by this reality, he broke down, began sobbing wildly, and hugged his tall father. Attila embraced his son with all of his love. Sandor's mother, Katalin, approached Sandor, having placed Salamon in his cradle in the living room. She hugged her son alongside Attila.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks

[Zaphyr Stone]

"Thanks," she smiled sweetly, making herself comfortable next to him as the movie started. Something about the way he told his story was oddly wistful. It peaked her curiosity, but she wouldn't even know how to word her question if she were to ask further. It was just a feeling she had. Seeing how he comfortable lounged now, she decided to log it away and enjoy the movie.

She couldn't explain the indescribable calm that washed over her whenever he was around. Somehow she felt safe with him. She knew he was genuine.

"So, action-comedy, huh?" She asked as the film began.

----

"You're pretty good yourself." He chuckled, brow furrowing in a mock-serious tone, "We should do this again sometime. I'll have my people call your people, and we can pencil each other in."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Yes," answered Bohdan. "I heard that it was well-received by audiences and critics alike, so it should be good." He took a handful of Cookies and Cream Popcorn from the bowl and ate them. He fixated on the movie, tuning out everything else, save for Jolene, who sat next to him. The movie's opening credits consisted of cliche actions scenes paired with nondescript exciting music, all while the names of the actors and key production personnel flashed on the screen.

 

"Well, I'd need your contact number, Ezra," Elizabeth said, pulling out her phone. "You almost gave me it at Panera Bread, 'cept we were... interrupted. I'll give you mine, too."

 

Elias and Joanna departed their home in Ibiza, the sun now beaming its rays upon Corneria City. Elias was donned in a dark green polo, khakis, and brown loafers. Joanna had on a loose dress shirt, jeans, and skate shoes. They walked side-by-side to Town Square, in order to find some activity to do together. The sunshine was occasionally disturbed by the Septimanian Palms lining the major avenues and streets, which quivered in the daytime breeze. Sometimes, there would be an vehicle that would pass the two on its way to some nondescript location, near or far, its make, model, color, license plate, and passengers an enigmatic blur. Within a few minutes, Elias and Joanna reached Town Square, with the ground starting to dry up again. "Hmm..." began Elias, pondering, "what to do..."

[Naza Sutera]

Amber had gotten to the climax of her anecdote, they were both convulsed in laughter, looking lively and animated as they talked and laughed. Amber had a knack for making a shitty day sound like a day at a theme park.

"And so, then, like... They have the nerve to hire an attorney?" Amber sighed, slumping down on the sofa. "Sometimes, I feel like my life is a movie. Like, somebody somewhere up in heaven is like 'Okay, let's see what else we can do. Let's write into the script that... Okay, she has finally gotten a nice house that she loves... And then an earthquake comes... and demolishes her house~! A-HEE-HEE-HEE-HAR-HAR-HAR!'"

"You're not the only one," Amelia sympathised. "After some of the shit I've had to deal with, I'm surprised that a tsunami hasn't come and wiped me out."

"--But you know what? Lemme not complain. I know that there are people who have it worse off than me. And plus, God has been so great to me, He has blessed me with so much, and so I'm not going to harp on this little glitch in the matrix..."

 

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben had sat down and listened in on their little anecdote. He admired how they could take such an awkward and stressful situation and laugh about it. He had not done that before in a very long time, mostly because he had never experienced a situation like Amber's. He would spend whole days either cooped up in his mansion all by his lonesome or be out working and healing those whose pockets were deep enough for him. He smiled slightly, which was becoming less and less rare for him, especially when he was around Amelia. He sighed quietly, noting his changing behavior.

 

Joanna's ears perked up, with an idea bursting into her mind. "What about a movie?" she suggested. Elias turned to her, and briefly pondered her offer.

"Eh," he shrugged. "Why not? Let's go." The two then walked to the movie theater across Town Square, and examined the posters adorning the front of the building. "Hm. Which movie should we see?" Joanna also scanned the posters, and happened upon a romantic comedy: 'Don't Shoot The Messenger'. It had a tired plot, but the acting and script seemed decent.

"What about 'Don't Shoot The Messenger'?" Joanna asked. Eli nodded his head.

"Yeah, that seems good," he answered. The couple then walked into the theater, and waited on the short line to buy two tickets.

Edited July 10, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks