Chapter 5: The Invisible Hand

[Calithin Crest]

"Don't worry, I don't take it badly. I understand. It's not for everyone. It's like... The Olympics of human interaction, and that just isn't for the general population. I don't blame you."

I take a deep breath and sigh.

"Well, I'm sorry to be such a disappointment. There's few things worse that having the expectation of friendship shot down. I apologize my very best apology, but I've been in this play before... And many times... And really I do my best to be honest with people. And honestly, I just wanted you to know what you were dealing with. It kind of makes me feel like a dinosaur, and I can't lie, it's a little sad. But that's how things are."

I slouch a little and frown. Such a predicament.

"Anyway, the whole thing adds up to nothing more than a waste of time. And I hate to waste people's time... So... I think I'm going to get going."

I smile and give her a pat on the head.

"Take care of yourself. I'll be seeing you. You can make me more cookies sometime."

With that I grab my jacket and head out the door.


((Yeah, I'm heading off too. Have a good night!))

[Azure Blackstone]

"now i have to pay for that bike" the idea that she works at a coffee shop sounds nice. coffee is one of the few things that is good about the future. "that must be nice" i continue to walk with her deciding to buy crest his cookies tomorow. "so you live close by" i ask her seeing that we are again alone.

[Tuesday DeCastro]

This girl seemed so comfortable while talking to Tuesday, she didn't flinch at all, or show the slightest sign of any kind of fear, was she trying to get Tuesday to do so? She wasn't ignorant, not in the least, and there was no way that Tuesday was going to admit to being a rebel, no way at all.

She looked to Malak when he talked, giving a fake name, and actually laughed at his lack of smoothness. Oh jeeze, he cracked her up. Her laughter only lasted a moment though, before she drew her face, and regained her composure.

"In a world such as ours, even being ordinary is dangerous, anything short of extraordinary is considered unacceptable." She thought for a moment, phrasing and re-phrasing her next statment.

"Sometimes...people don't need people to get through to them, really its possible to just look around," She gestured around them, "And see what the world is coming to. They're aren't many courageous...or even possibly considered stupid enough to speak out openly. But as you said yourself earlier, circulation of rebel newspapers is an outstanding rumor at the moment, and if the papers are in fact circulating, then somewhere someone is getting through their thoughts and opinions to someone else."

She shrugged, looking the girl in the eyes at this point. "Who knows, we may be on the verge of change as we speak."

[Virgil Evans]

"No sun but light. No sun but color. No sun but sky." Virgil rambled, dropping his eyes back to his own picture. The pens were silent now, everything was worse than silent, everything was dead.

The pupils of Virgil's eyes shaken to pinpoints within his limegreen irises. Everything was dead... they were still. No, wait... he was the dead one?

Frozen in place, his eyes entirely green, all black and white faded away, he saw it somewhere distant.

He saw the leaves.

Every muscle in Virgil's body seemed to go dead and he flopped over onto the table, his head on its side, every ounce of will gone from him. His mouth moved, defying his body's immobility.

Crimson leaves line the shores on their brown arms;
The earth opens beyond them and bleeds upon the land.

In the place the normans named for the limbs of fish;
The red false duke will stand before his beast and see.

Heir to the sire of what-is-it will command the forest to live;
His words fall to empty minds and are obeyed without thought.

The jester of the prince will die on the sword of an iron shell;
Lost ones return and the fool will play the last trick in his bag.

The duke, the heir, the jester, and the flower stand together;
It begins when the sun fades over the rose flower's bed.

Virgil's eyelids relax hald closing over his still green eyes as the words fade and the pictures vanish. He hears, in just a whisper, as the paper welcomes him back to the living. Virgil smiles and closes his eyes.

[wyvernlord]

Tyler sat, and Tyler waited. His men were growing blood thirsty. “Gotta love them demons,” he reminded himself. He chuckled and drank from a glass of water when his target passed within a few hundred feet.

“Now!!!” He yelled. His men snapped into action and, within seconds, his target was dead.

[Eun/Aoi Kiriyama]

Eun's cell beep for a minute or so before Aoi pick up the cell. He listen Keito's message about coming over and have some cookie. As soon as he finish listening the message, he delete it.

"She's not a mood to go over there." Aoi thought to himself.

Aoi then puts away his homework his book bag and left his room. As he enter the kitchen, he transform back to Eun. When Eun look over the leftover food in the fridge, she thought over the designs.

"The designs look suck. I don't think he like them." Eun says out loud. She took out two water bottles and close the fridge. She then walks over to the corner of the living room. At the corner of the room, there are 3 potted Cactuses(sp). To Eun, they are her younger sibilings.

"Sorry that I didn't water you guys in the past 4 days." Eun says to her sibilings as she begins to water them.

[Peter "Levitas" Barak]

Peter grinned and chuckled. Slumps... right. He'd been below slumps. There were levels of the world that most people didn't know existed. And he'd choosen to live in them. Which is why he had few regrets. He'd followed his own will and it had led him down, down, and down until he emerged so far out the other side he was where he was today. No regrets.

"You should consider moving back if you ever have the chance. It's a nice place... part of it at least." He put a hand into his pocket and waved his other at Bambi. "Night Bambi. See you soon."

[Jack Kruschev]

"Virgil," Anthony said, taking out additional pen and paper. "I want you to keep drawing. What you are saying is interesting and I care," Anthony lied.

[Stasia Oktyabpina]

Stastia had just fallen asleep in here bed after a long days work when out of no were the fire alarm stared to go off in her apartment “BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!BEEEEEEEEEEEEP!BEEEEEEEEEP” it went she rolled of her bed hitting her head on the dresser beside it “ THAT JUST GRAET!!” she yelled as she as this happened and she realized that she was only in a white sleeveless top with black underwear “why does this stuff always happen to me…” she murmured to herself angrily as she grabbed a black silky robe that was knee length on her and putted it on along with her flip flops sandals as she followed the crowed dawn and out of the lobby she waited in the crowed of people in there PJs until the manager of the building announced that no one cold come in until the day after tomorrow of this was a gas leakage

great know I’m stuck in a white sleeveless top black underwear and a black robe out side she tot to her self as she begin walking away from the crowed wait tell I tell my pet Chistoffer about this he’ll be Laughing so hared that the hole block well here him… she thought making her way to the weapons shop

and when she saw no one was around she summoned Chistoffer when he appeared he looked around and saw what she was wearing the eyes on his wings were all looking at her “ what?!?” she said to him he then said in his crater toned voice “ nothing it just odd….. of you to go out with ….. umm only your PJs” then laughed at her a bit “ well there was some gas leak ok! And now I’m stock like this!’ she said to him crossing her arms he stopped laughing when he saw that she was get more mad “ want a ride???” he said bending dawn so she could get on his back “ ok…” she side “ but I’m still not giving you your treat after you laughing at me” then getting on his back “ OOOOOHHH CAN YOU THINK ABOUT IT! I MISS MY COOKIES! “ he complained with a frown “ I’ll think about it…. Now lets get to the weapons shop be for anyone sees you…. If you remember the last time that happed…” he chuckled at the thought of it “ ya the kid almost died at the spot hahahaha!” he said laughing making his way to the weapons shop not flying to keep a low profile yet had his wings speed out so he could see if anyone was coming

[Virgil Evans]

Virgil shook his head, burshing long hair across the table. It giggled from the tickling.

"No more sad things," he said, "I won't look at the leaves anymore, the leaves aren't friendly." He raised his head, and slid the paper away. He should tell it he was sorry for giving it such a bad picture, he hoped the paper knew it wasn't his fault. Or the pens, the pens weren't to blame.

"I can't trouble more friends with badness..."

[kalaessa Artemus]

Kalaessa was glad that Asure did not ditch her like she thought he was going to run after the bike and ditch her “ why I only have a few blocks and I’m home… and I think its ok working in a coffee shop seeing on how workers there have 50% off all stuff there and I do like cheep coffee in the morning” she said to him happily “ how about you? Do you travel a long way from home for work?” she asked him as she looked at his eyes

[Malak Al-Dabaran]

Malak stands there dumbly, not sure what to say. He crosses his arms and tries to think of an excuse to leave. This woman could be a rebel, but, things seem just a little dangerous for some reason. He looks up at the sky and thinks for a while.

"We had better get going or we'll be late for your little cousin's birthday party! I really hope you didn't forget the gift back at your apartment." He says with a look of worry.

Really, he wants to ditch this chick to talk about some private matters anyway.

[Azure Blackstone]

he felt a little aware of himself "nah i get these voucher things so i can sat in any hotel for like five bucks" he had no route like a paper boy so he could be asked to go anywhere sometimes no address just a name and time. "and i love coffee all kinds of coffee black brown hazelnut" he looked back at her almost stumbling. he then continued to walk "so do you have any friends family in the city"

[Lucio De Saldanha]

Lucio spends some time hiding in the mall before he dares venture out. He cautiously walks down the street looking for any sign of the android. Things appear safe, but he still needs to find a job. He sticks out his thumb and manages to hitch a ride out of town. Once out of town, he travels from farm to farm looking for work.

Lucio finally finds a job on a pig farm as a helper. The farm smells terrible, but pigs are sacred to the Manalists. He is given a pail of slop and told to feed the piglets. He does as told, but can tell that this job is really not going to be much fun.

[Li Violette]

To Alryk Vayne

After I am done with my work, I place a phone call to Alryk Vayne that he should meet me at my office in Beijing later this week because I am interested in a loan. That is all I say in the message, but, I assume he will try to set up a meeting or stop by. I would go myself, but, I wouldn't want to be seen. I would hate to draw suspicion and this is a personal loan.

After leaving this message, I make a call to one of the rebel leaders in Cuba. He reports that there is mafia activity there or that he has at least seen a few well known members of the Russian mafia there. This interests me and I make a note to myself to visit Kaschei sometime next week.