Fight No More Never–– Day 5 (February 6, 2317)

[Cytherea]

James

“T-thank you,” She said, smiling warmly to James, “but if you get cold you just take it right back. I’d hate to be the reason you catch some awful cold.”

James looked at her, slightly startled.

I don't want to like rip it off her shoulders or anything... I'd never forgive myself. And that's beside the point anyway. I would just have to ask, which I won't do- oh forget it. It doesn't even matter...

"I've just always been around Rosie and Tucker is a new friend. So I’m not quite positive where he hangs out.”

"Wait." James stopped walking abruptly. "Your friend has a boyfriend who you don't even know? Okay..." he started walking again, slowly now. "That's... none of my business." he finished in a sharp intake of breath. "Never mind."

Rosie

Rosie felt so secure with her hand in his strong one. Everything just seemed so... so perfect. She was afraid that suddenly she would wake up to see that it was all a dream.

"Parks were one of my favorite living and hiding places when I was little too. Parks, and alleyways..." she frowned disapprovingly. "The park is just such a calming and relaxing place." she smiled up at him, her long strawberry blonde hair gently waving in a light breeze.

[Hwin]

Clover:

Clover waited for him to catch up.

“Never mind.”

She looked him straight in the eye. “You don’t believe in ‘love at first sight’ do you? Well, at lease you don’t really look like you would. But I do,” she gripped the coat and held it tight around her, “because if you could only have seen them when they met. It was almost…magical the way his eyes were lost in hers. Suddenly it was as though they were never strangers! I’ve never seen her that way in all her life.” Clover stopped abruptly.

Embarrassed, she looked away from James; he didn’t even want to discuss the subject further and she just had to say all of that. Rosie always told her she could never hold her tongue, even around strangers.

“But I guess you’d have to experience such a feeling to believe it.” She said slowly, continuing to walk down the street with James.



Tucker:

“Parks are always better I’d say.” Tucker agreed with a grin. “It’s like taking a breath of fresh air after being in a room full of smoke.”

They stood there for a moment more, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere the small park had to offer. Today has turned out to be unusual enjoyable, all thanks to a certain someone… His deep brown eyes gleamed in the sunlight as they watched the girl who stood so near.

[Cytherea]

James

James raised an eyebrow with expertise at her last words.

"And so I am critiqued quite severely, with your suggesting of my never feeling love at first sight." he said with a slight tilt of his head. "Almost suggesting that I have no feeling, I believe?" he looked at her for just a moment before continuing to look ahead. "That's harsh judgement."

Rosie

Rosie gently reached for his hand with a wide smile.

"Come on." she said, her eyes expressing the emotions that words were hard to express. "I want to show you something."

[Hwin]

Clover:

“That’s harsh judgment.” James said, looking ahead.

“N-no, I mean, that’s not what I meant.” Clover bit her tongue and stuffed her hands deep within the coat’s pockets. Suddenly, she found herself self-conscience of every word that almost slipped out of her mouth.


Tucker:

Tucker took hold of her hand and pulled her nearer, just a bit.

“Come on, I want to show you something.”

“Take me away.” Tucker smiled and a new sensation filled his chest as he looked back into those beautiful blue eyes.

[Cytherea]

James

“N-no, I mean, that’s not what I meant.” Clover quickly amended. James looked back at Clover, who was acting frustrated and flustered, a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

"What did you mean?" he asked without looking at her. "That I have never experienced love at first sight, that I have never experienced any sort of love, or simply that I have not the capacity to love?" the words flowed easily. "Or perhaps you mean to say that my imagination is not as active as most, and so therefore I am not gifted of receiving or feeling love? Or that when I do by some miracle obtain love, that I don't have the slightest clue what to do with it? Maybe my idea of true love is different than those of others, and so I cannot accept love the same way others would." he took a deep breath. "Or perhaps..." he turned at looked at her. "Love is something foreign to me, that I can never grasp." he stated softly.

Rosie

Rosie and Tucker ran through the park, laughing and enjoying each others company and smiles. The cold breeze rustled the trees and sent stray leaves flying and tossing around, and beams of light shone through the thick trees in small patches on the ground.

"Here it is." Rosie breathed in the cold air, her quick breaths catching and forming white clouds around her. She laughed. "I know, I know; it's a tree." she let go of his hand and started climbing up the huge tree in front of them. "But the beauty is at the top." she smiled down at him from a perch in the tree. "Come on." she held out her hand to help pull him up (not because he needed help, but more because it felt romantically correct) "Right now is the perfect time."

[Hwin]

Clover:

Clover’s eyes locked with James’ brown ones. “No,” she began soflty, “no, everyone can feel love, I am certain. I suppose we might not all view it the same way, like it’s different for every person who feels and experiences it.” She sighed and continued. “Why I asked you that was simply because I tend to be easily offended for my friends. Upset with your surprise at my little knowledge of Tucker, I forgot to think before acting and allowed my tongue to have complete control. I am sure you have experienced love or whatever it is that you define as such. It was wrong of me to take my own idea of it and try to use it against you.”

Clover’s let her bright blue eyes drop from James’ intense stare. Her breaths came slowly and her cheeks turned a radiant red.

“I’m...sorry if what I am saying isn’t making much sense. But please know that I am truly am sorry for offending. Might we be friends?” She looked back up at James with merriment in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

[Cytherea]

James

James was caught completely off guard by this innocent question. His eyes grew noticeably wide and a light red tinted his cheeks. Not used to feeling cornered or baffled, he shook his head rapidly.

"Friends?" he asked. He stuffed his hands into invisible pockets, and then realized that he was no longer wearing his coat. "Ah..." he looked down at her and couldn't help but admire the cheerful and energetic way she acted. Her eyes whispered friendliness, and her smile was engagingly pleasing. "A friend..." he started to regain his normal guard over his words and actions. "I have just met you, and I must confess that in my years, which have been few, I have not made any friends that I wanted to retain. My family consisted of all the social life that I required. However..." he glanced at her and felt a strange lump catch in his throat. "I suppose that we may be friends, but only in a manner that is beneficial and advantageous to the both of us, and especially not harmful to the other. We should have no respect for persons; that is, we should view one another in the same light and not place either of ourselves above the other. And to begin this, I must ask." he glanced back down into her beautiful eyes. "Why would you want to be my friend?"

[Zinna]

Rollo and Saben


Saben checked his watch. It read 9:58. "Rollo, when does the shop open?"

"At 10 sharp," Rollo said casually. He glanced inside the poorly covered window. The clerk, a mouse IS, was stocking the shelves before the shop opened.

Saben check his watch again...9:59. He glanced down the street. Except for the few street urchins there was no beautiful girl coming down the street.

The cheese shop was a shabby little hut, but coming out of the cracks in the wall was wonderful smells of fresh cheese. It is located at the very end of a dead end street. There are a few stalls and some small shops on that street. At the two front stalls young children sell trinkets that they found on the streets, the next stall is ran by a kindly old man with an eyepatch who is a tailer and sometimes he will secretly patch the little children's rags and make them dolls from scraps. Next on the street came the shabby, old shops. The first few are run by poor youth in their twenties who once lived happy lives but whose parents were taken by fevers to dreadful to mention. They sell soups and breads. Right before the cheese shop is a supplier store ran by a foreign family. This family consists of a father who was disabled in a fight, a mother who is very thrifty, six girls between the ages of two and seventeen, and five rambunctious boys between the ages of three and fifteen. Only the oldest girl and the two youngest boys can speak english. The entire street is one community where everyone helps everyone else and because of this close community only the Coppers dare to cause trouble here.

Rollo glanced down the street and saw Lita. "Here she comes."

[Anwen]

Lita giggled behind her hand, realizing they must not have heard her. "Hello Rollo, hi Saben! Sorry about cutting it so close!" She called, running the rest of the way. She came to a stop in front of them readjusting her plum-colored beret. "I ended up meeting a Shark on the way here, so I took a little longer."

[Zinna]

Rollo, Saben

Rollo limps over to Lita until he is two feet away. "Did he make you feel unpleasant? Did he hurt you? Did he interrogate you?" Saben stood there quietly. Behind him the old tailor approached.

The clerk inside the cheese shop unlocked the door. "We are open, Rollo," she called through the now open door, "I thought you brought Saben with you."

[Anwen]

Frowning slightly, Lita replied, "no... He seemed nervous, stayed a few feet away and we talked more about him and the Sharks than about me." Her face lit up in a smile then. "Hello Tito! I didn't know you were coming! Wait a moment..." she turned back to Rollo. "I thought you said he wouldn't like it?"

[Zinna]

Rollo and Tito

Rollo whirled around. Tito, having just emerged from the gap between the fence and the cheese shop, glared at Rollo and folded his arms as he addressed Lita, "Hello Miss, I don't believe we have met."

While Tito and Lita conversed Rollo searched wildly for Saben. "He was right here," Rollo mumbled scanning the ally. Nothing seamed out of the ordinary except that the old tailor disappeared.

Tito turned to Rollo. "Have you lost something brother?" He returned to his conversation with Lita. Rollo stared in awe. He just noticed that Tito was wearing the clothes of the old tailor.

"Tito..." Rollo started.

[Anwen]

"Where's Saben?" Lita wondered quietly as Tito turned to Rollo. I know he hasn't been in the cheese shop, so maybe he wandered down an alley. She paled as she wondered if he had been as upset as Rollo had been when she mentioned the young gang member she had met. She didn't really mean to seem sneaky, but she turned away from the boys "conversation" to see if she could find Saben.

[Zinna]

But when Tito turned around Lita was gone. "Rollo, I am going to tell you the truth," said Tito gritting his teeth, "And it will endanger everyone."

Rollo, still is shock, just stands there.

Tito motioned that they should enter the cheese shop. Once inside he nodded to the IS shopkeeper, Ali, who opened a door behind the counter. Tito lead the way through the store room to another door partially blocked by barrels and cheese cloth hanging on the door frame. He removed the obstacles and opened the door. "Rollo, enter," Tito whispered.

"Where are we going?" Rollo mumbled. Why did I suggest that two young men and a young woman meet in the most dangerous area of Subterria. I know that they are still after us...if only I knew what they are.

Tito just glared at Rollo.

Rollo looked into the darkness beyond the door. Seeing no unnatural movement he entered. Then Tito shut the door. It was dark so he felt his way along the wall. After what felt like an hour (which was actually about three minutes) he saw a light...just before he was knocked out.

When he comes to he sees Tito and three other people. One, a female, is dressed in a Victorian era dress, a simple long sleeved, dark green, full skirt, high neckline dress with which she wore Steampunk accessories, a utility belt, aviator goggles on top of her head, and a key on a thin chain around her neck. The other two were men both dressed identically in brown pants, white dress shirts, dark green knee high boots, dark green coats with tails. Attached to the coats are pocket watches on gold colored chains. All three had shoulder length hair pulled back. Tito now wore attire much like the other men but with goggles around his neck and a fedora on his head.

"Welcome to the Gang Banishers. Tomorrow we are going to find Lita."