La Catalina

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Yes," Bohdan affirmed, rubbing his car as it automatically sprung to life, sensing its owner's presence. It has a remote sensor that turns the car on whenever Bohdan's genetic marker nears it. "The manufacturer is Earth-based, but the factory is in Ruthenia. Therefore, it is custom-built for a Ruthenian." He grinned, and opened the passenger door, gesturing Sven to step inside.

[Kurt]

Sven slid in to the passenger seat and looked up, "I fell like 5 year old sitting in the front for the first time." He said reaching up, a full three feet at least was between him and the ceiling. "All I need is the kit out of my bag before we head over there."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Of course," Bohdan assured, settling into the driver's seat. He shifted the gear into drive, and put on his seat belt.

At that moment, Elizabeth found herself alone, sitting in the middle of the park as the rain continued to bombard her jacket and cap. She exhaled, with the rainwater now thoroughly soaking her muzzle, and a breath of hot, steamy air careening from her mouth. She leaned back and kicked her feet up to the table, pulling an electronic cigarette from her jacket pocket. She turned it on, and looked to the seat across her to find a familiar face sitting in it. It was her husband, Lucas, albeit a ghost of him. Is he real, or is he just a figment of Elizabeth's imagination?

"When'd you start back up on them?" Lucas asked his living partner in raspy, yet ethereal voice, wearing a blood-stained light-blue dress shirt, its sleeves rolled up. He took shallow breaths, and occasionally coughed up a handful of blood.

"After you..." Elizabeth began, but choked. She brought her head down and shook it, but then managed to raise it back up and look her husband in the eye. She twirled the e-cig in her fingers.

"So just because I'm 'gone', that suddenly opens the opportunity to fall back to a bad habit you fought so long to kick?" Elizabeth put her e-cig away in shame.

"Everything's just been harder without you."

"Life's hard, babe." Lucas took a deep, raspy breath, grasping his wound. "It's harder if you grieve because it's hard. So, what about the dude who killed me? You still think about going after him?"

"Sometimes," Elizabeth said as she looked back to the Aventador containing Bohdan and Sven.

"Liz, I don't need you to do that. I don't want you to do that."

"Luke, he took you away from me." Tears began to run down her face from her eyes, but she was totally stone-faced. "That leather-winged scalie-skinned pile of garbage took you away. You just want me to let him go?"

"What about you? What are you planning on taking away?" Elizabeth had a puzzled look on her face. "That guy," Lucas continued. "Chmielnicki, that's his name. You said that he lost his whole family in a war?" Elizabeth nodded 'yes'. "They all have the name 'Chmielnicki' on them. Two of them are his brother's and sister-in-law's, he says. That means that those two were married. Imperial law decrees that all married couples must have at least one child." Elizabeth then realized Bohdan's true status. "Then, that means that Mr. Chmielnicki is an uncle of at least one kid." Lucas then stood up, wincing and struggling in the seemingly monumental feat. "You're gonna take away that one kid's closest thing to a dad? Cold, Liz. Cold." Elizabeth then looked to the Aventador, with eyes still red from the tears. She then looked back to the ethereal spirit of her husband.

"I just want you back, Luke," she said.

"Aww, Liz..." Lucas began. "I never left you. I'm still here, as a memory in the recesses of your mind," he said, gesturing to his own head for visualization. He then put his hands down to his sides. "And as long as you remember my existence, my existence is assured." He smiled. Suddenly, a bolt of lighting illuminated the whole sky, and struck the lightning rod of a distant skyscraper. At that moment, the apparition that was Lucas Morion left the park.

[Naza Sutera]

"Yeah, just hang the hell out," Amelia said, leading Korben back to the ground floor. "Binge on Netflix and junkfood. Share embarrassing stories. That kinda thing." Once she was back downstairs, she walked through the dining room to a hallway that accessed the garage and laundry room. Entering the laundry room, she hung Korben's suit up on a clothing rack to air dry, and tossed his other clothes on the washing machine. She didn't know whether to wash them for him or just dry them. She'd figure it out later. Exiting the laundry, she said, "Make yourself comfortable."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Okay, thanks," Korben said, plopping down onto the unusually comfortable couch. "Nice house," he commented, admiring the posh home, opulently decorated with tasteful paintings of landscapes. The walls were colored with warm oranges and yellows, which had a soothing effect on Korben's disposition. He melted into the couch, and exhaled deeply.

[Naza Sutera]

"Thank you," Amelia said as she entered the fridge for some refreshments. "Want anything to drink?"

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Got soda?" he asked politely, rolling up the sleeves on the sweater he wore.

[Naza Sutera]

"Let's see..." Amelia looked to the middle shelf and saw the twelve-pack of coke. She tore open the box and took out two cans of soda and closed the refrigerator behind her as she left the kitchen. She sat down on the couch. She handed Korben his soda. "Here ya go."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Thanks," Korben said, grasping the soda can. As his right hand approached the top of the can to open it, it started to shake. He became slightly annoyed, and struggled to grip the opening tab. As he managed to grab hold of the tab, his left hand started to tremble as well, shaking the can. Korben, slightly distressed, put the can down onto the coffee table, and calmed down as best as he could. However, the realization dawned upon him: it wasn't anxiety that befell him, it was his own medications betraying him. He made fists with both of his hands, which almost magically caused his trembling to cease. Korben picked the can back up and, aware of his shaking of the beverage, opened it as carefully as possible. The iconic 'hiss' of the soft drink leaked out as Korben gradually opened the tab, praying not to unleash the soft drink in all its might.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks
Naza just HAD to make the soda spill...

[Naza Sutera]

Amelia had already opened her soda and took a gulp as she watched Korben struggle with opening the can. She thought it was a little odd at first, though it began to worry her as she noticed that his hands were trembling. Nerve damage? Simply nervous? He managed to pop the tab, and the soda fizzed up and gushed all over the floor. "I'll get some napkins," Amelia said, hopping up to go grab the paper towels.

A couple neighborhoods away, a red Ford Taurus X sat idling next to a curb in the modest enclave of Ibiza. The SEL AWD trim, Eddie Bauer Edition, with leather, sunroof, and all the infotainment goodies. It was a lot of car and a great deal for the price of about fourteen thousand pre-owned.

Derek sat in the driver seat of the aforementioned crossover SUV/station wagon thing he'd purchased practically on a whim leafing through brochures and pamphlets he'd picked up while visiting the various home sales centers in La Catalina. The paperwork featured an innumerate amount of floor plans and construction options from the many homebuilders in the area. Looking up across the street at the phoeniX Homes model home and sales office, he wondered if he were being too hasty.

It was a model from the "Courtyard" series from the builder. And hence the name, it was built around a central courtyard as with the tradition of classic Spanish-style homes back on Earth. The two-car garage was converted into office space and an entrance to the model home, with a ornate fountain where the driveway would be. The rain had slacked up a bit, and Derek eyed the sales center, the intermittent wipers clearing the raindrops from the windshield every five seconds or so. A couple exited the sales office, running to their grey compact SUV, the headlights of the Mercury Mariner blinking on moments thereafter.

Derek sighed, still wondering if he was making the right choice.

 

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Sorry," Korben apologized, his short ears lowered down onto his head. His face flushed with embarrassment, and placed the can on the coffee table. He waited for Amelia to return with napkins, his hands dripping with soda.

Meanwhile, in Ibiza, Sandor was still waiting for Bohdan and Sven to come to the rescue. The pain was still strong, but it didn't totally occupy his mind, as he was watching his favorite TV show: Whose Line Is It Anyway?. He would always get a laugh out of the skits on the show, even if it hurt every time he did. However, Sandor heard the faint sound of a window opening in the first floor bathroom. Who could it be? His pistol was strewn out on the coffee table, and he struggled to reach it. He felt the vibrations of very light footsteps echoing from down the hall, and managed to slouch down onto the table and grabbed his weapon. He cried out in agony, and fell to the floor, clutching his loaded weapon. Salamon, now awoken from Sandor's yelling, began to cry out for someone to comfort him. Sandor then suddenly heard footsteps run into Salamon's room, and open the door. "You will not harm him!" Sandor warned to the unseen assailant. "If you do, I will destroy everything you love!" He then heard the footsteps inch closer to the living room. Sandor crawled up onto the couch, and popped his head up. The intruder showed themselves to Sandor, who breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the figure.

"Your door was locked, Alex," the sea otter said, cradling a now calm Salamon in her arms. It was Teresa Sanchez, Sandor's girlfriend. She spoke with a moderate Nutria accent (European Spanish).

"It always is," replied Sandor, collapsing onto the couch, tossing his weapon onto the table, where he laid in pain. He managed to sit up as Teresa placed Salamon in the crib in his room. She returned to the living room and sat down beside the wounded tykeriel.

"You don't look too hot," remarked Teresa.

"It's nothing, just a fractured rib." Teresa then slapped Sandor's rib, and he groaned in horrible pain. A few moments later, Teresa went to the tiny foyer to take off her sneakers and rain jacket. She was slightly damp from the rain, and shook her head to remove any excess rainwater. She returned to her boyfriend wearing a t-shirt over a tank top and old jeans. Tessa plopped down next to Sandor.

"Did you call Korben to help you?" she asked.

"No" Sandor replied. "Because that rich yuppie did this to me."

"What'd you do to him?"

"I took his phone from him."

"Now that doesn't make sense," Teresa proclaimed. "Why break a person's bone for a silly phone?"

"I know!" Sandor agreed. He looked into Teresa's eyes. "The way you broke into my house was so friggin' sexy..." he said seductively.

"I know," she replied lustfully. "I practiced on the neighbors' place." Teresa approached Sandor, and they shared a passionate kiss.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks

[Naza Sutera]

Amelia came back with the napkins and cleaned up the mess. As she mopped up the spilled soda with a wad of paper towels, she asked, "So, Korben... Do you do this kind of thing often?"

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"As in," Korben began, sitting back on the couch. "Hanging out w-w-with f-friends at th-their house?"

 

Meanwhile, in Town Square, Bohdan took Kurt to their condo so that Kurt could retrieve his bag, containing his medical supplies. The rain still continued to pour, but that did not deter the Aventador from forging on. After a few moments of driving down a sopping wet road, the duo reached their condo, and left the vehicle. "So," said Bohdan. "Let us get this elusive bag of yours, hmm?"

[Naza Sutera]

Amelia finished cleaning up the mess, tossed to soiled paper towels, the flopped down on the couch. "Wanna find something on tee-vee?" Amelia asked as she picked up the remote and started surfing the HD and premium channels.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"You wanna watch Th-Th-The Fifth Element?" Korben inquired. "My parents named m-me after th-the main p-p-protagonist. They're b-big fans of it."

[Naza Sutera]

Amelia Looked at Korben and stared, registering what he said, then she suddenly doubled over laughing. "Ha! Ha haaaa!" She snorted as she tried to catch her breath. "...No, wait, I'm not laughing at you, it's just, um..." she reached to the ottoman/coffee table thing and picked up her can of soda. She took a gulp to refresh herself and cleared her throat. "--Ahem...Um... It's just that I've been trying to figure out if that was a coincidence. But lo and behold! Your parents must be real fans of Bruce Willis."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben smiled, and began to chuckle lightly, saying, "I was practically r-r-raised on D-Die Hard." He took his moist can of soda and took a sip. He placed it back on the coffee table. "Unbreakable, The Sixth S-S-Sense, Armageddon, 12 M-M-Monkeys, I've s-seen it all. So... Shall we?"

[Naza Sutera]

"We shall!" With that, Amelia pressed the OnDemand button on the cable remote and selected the classics section. Realizing that they'd be there all day if she searched every title manually, she elected to use the 'search' feature and type in the name of the movie. By the time she keyed in "FIFTH EL" the movie came up in the listing and she promptly selected it. "...--Oh! I forgot! Kettle corn! Bee-are-bee." Amelia then hopped up to go nuke a bag of popcorn.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Oh, I love k-k-kettle c-corn," Korben said enthusiastically, his tail slowly drifting from side to side as it rubbed against his back.

[Naza Sutera]

While Amelia took care of the bag of popcorn, an alert on her phone went off.

Amber stared at the message she just sent. "im almost there" it read. Someone behind her blared their horn, letting Amber know that the light wasn't getting any greener.

"Oops! My bad..."

Putting the vehicle in gear, she waited until she was actually turning before she used her signal, as per with any bad driver. With a little more zeal than needed, Amber gassed the deep espresso-colored Buick Envision through the left turn onto one of the entrance boulevards to La Catalina. She had a bit of a lead foot to say the least, seeing as she flew by a "Speed Limit 45" sign at about sixty miles per hour. She was approaching another light, and slowed down a little, signalling to make a right turn. She whipped around the corner at thirty-five miles per hour. the turn off for Bellucci Drive was on this road... She didn't pass it did she?

"Ah! There it is!"

Flipping on the left indicator, she pulled to a stop and waited for an oncoming car to pass before swinging onto Bellucci Drive. She barreled down the street, keeping an eye out for Amelia's home.

"Who's that?" Amber wonder, seeing some silver sports car parked in front on her friend's house. And then it dawned on her that it was Amelia's guest. Slowing down to a more civil speed, Amber pulled into the driveway next to Amelia's Porsche SUV. Pulling out her phone, she decided to send another text to announce her arrival.

By this time, Amelia had sat down with the bowl of popcorn. She'd picked up her phone off the ottoman to check her alerts, only to be bombarded by another alert just as she unlocked the screen. "Whadaya know? Amber's here."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben was flabbergasted. "Ah, uhh, bla, bluh, bwo, who?"

[Naza Sutera]

"Amber," Amelia said. "My friend. I texted you and said she was coming over." Hopping up, Amelia went to the door for her Amber. She manually released the deadbolt and opened the door just as Amber made it to the porch.

"HAAAYYYYYEEEE~~~" Amelia squealed as she stretched out her arms to embrace Amber in a hug. "Gurrrl! How you doin?"

The leopard, dressed in an ecclectic "Cosmopolitan Hippie meets Urban Bohemianism" motif, lightly hugged Amelia to keep her from getting too wet. "So anyway," Amber started, unbuckling the belt to her brown leather peacoat and slipping it off, "I need to tell you about the Beyonce concert you missed!"

"--Damn that!" Amelia said, taking Amber's coat for her and looking at it. "Tell me where you got this coat first!"

"Oh, that? I got that from Kenneth Cole. For a bargain, too. It was like forty percent off."

"Well, you know what? I'm going to steal it later," Amelia said, putting it into the coat closet next to the staircase. "Oh, and I love the hair," she said, referring to Amber's choice in hairstyle.

"Oh yeah." Amber patted her 'fro-hawk', a bold style she did by pinning her mane of kinky curls into something that resembled a mohawk. "Been trying new things since I went natural."

"Well, girl, you betta WERK."

Amber chuckled. "...So, you have a guest?"

"Oh yes. Its... Him."

Amber raised her brows. "You mean... Him?"

"Yes, I mean him."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben, seeing Amelia's friend enter through the front door, stood up, and walked towards the portal. "Hi", he said sociably. "I'm Korben. You're Amber?"

[Naza Sutera]

"Oh, yes!" Amber said merrily. "I've heard a lot about you. You were the one who put some racist idiot bigot guy in his place."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Well," Korben said, looking down at the ground in humility. "Wasn't actually m-me," he admitted. "Didn't want t-to hurt him, y'know."