Chapter 15: The Sacred and Profane

[Bonifaz Artz-Lehrer]

Suddenly Bonifaz gets a call. He checks, and it is from his father. "I will have to take this." Bonifaz states, getting up. He gives Amelia a kiss on the top of her head. "Be a good girl and don't go Creditor on any of us." He says nicely. And with that, he leaves the room to take the call in his small homeoffice.

He hears from his father that there will be a meeting of the Blessed and that one of them should attend to represent the interests of the Artz Lehrer company. Bonifaz isn't sure, since the Blessed may be after him. He says his father should send an expendable secretary or someone less important, in case discussions don't go well.

[Evana Majarae]

Eve forced a smile to go along with Kyra's peppiness and said with dry sarcasm, "Oh, I'm so excited." Their mother had literally slept with many men. It was, Evana thought, the only choice for her to bring in extra money. It was also how she came into being. Not wanting to dwell on that for too long, she merely stayed out of the conversation. She liked being quiet for the most part anyways.

[Kyra Majarae]

Kyra looked at him thoughtfully and smiled. "I am going to my manor back in France. I need to go shopping as well, since I ripped my dress at Keito's party. Stupid boy made me ruin my dress." She shrugs and smiles. "Did you want to go as well?" She looked at Eve and smiled. "Say goodbye to our older brother Evana." She smiled at him and waited for Evana's goodbye.

[Evana Majarae]

Evana eyed her a little warily. Oh how she had changed. Then again... over a decade had passed since they had seen each other... which is well enough time for anyone to change, especially after what they had been through. Eve's hair fell into her face as she thought silently 'You aren't going to let him answer you before just telling him goodbye?'[/i] She dismissed the thought. Why would he want to go shopping with them in France anyway? 'New glasses, I suppose.' She answered herself quickly.

She offered a small gesture of fare well to the dead man (which still confounded her). "Will we be seeing you again soon?" She asked, going off of what Kyra insinuated on the note that he wasn't coming along.

[Ivan Koporb]

Ivan noticed the sarcasm dripping from Evana's comment and rolled his eyes. "You're not the only one. Is not exactly good time tracking you down, either. Next time, you get suits, come to Russia. I like Gray Zone better anyway. Less people." He explained, turning away from the girls to head down the street away from the teleporter.

"прощание my dears. If I miss Jacky, give him a good kick from his brother." Ivan cackled at the idea of one of the girls actually kicking Jack for him. He didn't see it actually happening, but the notion was no less amusing.

He turned his head back toward Eve, his spine popping several times since his head was the only thing turning. "Probably. I am your brother, after all. Family must vatch each other's backs, eh?" He remarked, raising his hand and giving the girls a wave.

[Kyra Majarae]

Kyra led Eve off toward a teleportation booth and she called back to Ivan. "Oh I will do it for you!" She laughed and stepped inside with Eve and they disappeared.

They appeared in Paris and Kyra stepped out and smelled the fresh air. This was her favorite place. She smiled at Eve and wrapped an arm around her shoulder again. "Now we should talk and shop. Pick out what you like. There is no limit." She smiled at her sister, hoping that would cheer her up.

[Toolah "Tuvi" Renee]

Tuvi grew extra bored waiting for Dinari and the party started to dwindle down.

"Dinari, we should leave. I still owe you a massage and we need to go over your speech about All-Mart." She explains. She doesn't know why she is being so nice to Dinari today...

[Evana Majarae]

Evana looked around, taking in the newer, still unfamiliar surroundings. This was an entirely different turf for her. "Can we just get inside?" She asked, rushing. That small shed of paranoia back home was lingering inside the back of her mind and being outside in another unfamiliar place was making her edgy.

[Capricious Crest]

Capricious had been at her father's mansion for the Blessed party, but found it rather boring. She'd done something unheard of for her, and stuck to the sidelines.

The lack of attention had nearly killed her.

She'd enjoyed the animal slaughter though, and was surprised at how spectacular mammoth tasted. She'd have to have it more often.

Now, she was on her way to the Economic Council meeting. These were usually long, boring, and tiresome. And she'd probably spend the duration of it irritating her brother, or sleeping, or something else completely unproductive.

Entering the meeting room, Capricious searched breifly for the plaque that read 'Crest Mining', and saw that she'd arrived before Calithin. Ha! Bragging rights were hers! Who was lazy and unfocused? Certainly not Capricious, no sir. She was on time, in fact, she was early!

She took her seat, feeling triumphant, and waited for everyone else to arrive and the meeting to begin.

[Emmet Fawkes]

Bishop laughed. “I'm learning more and more about them,” He noted, watching Amelia. “That old coot? Boni, your giving me horrible images here.” He rubbed at his head, pretending to ward the images away, sniggering softly through the mask-holes. It sounded more like hissing through a hollow tunnel. The man stretched out on the sofa-chair once more, kicking his feet back onto the foot rest. This place was pretty comfy. Honestly, he knew little of the outside world after being imprisoned for so long—all he'd learned from Null was: the enemy is them, kill them, here's how to play with this gun and knife. Bang! Bang! Slash Slash!

“I'm crazy and all,” Bishop admitted feebly, attempting to decipher what Amelia said. It was practically impossible. “But she sounds like a broken record, Boni.” The Invisible Hand job. He snickered softly, pressing a hand to his mask as if to muffle the sound. The smiling face scrawled onto his mask mimicked his mood.

“Annette Rosenthal.” He tested the words on his lips. He knew little about her.

Bishop watched as Bonifaz excused himself to take a phone call, and took the liberty to take in his surroundings. He pushed himself from the chair and strolled towards one of the window, taking deliberately slow, theatrical steps, his hands behind his back. Peering outside, he stared out across the lake. It was nice out here, he had to admit.

[Calithin Crest]

My face completely lights up. I see Tuesday and I give her an intense hug. Normally I am not so affectionate, but not-dying warrants hugging.

"I am SO happy to see you! Man... These things usually aren't so crazy. My bad. I had no idea."

I walk with her to where my car is parked and hold the door open so she can climb in before getting inside myself.

"I'm going to drop you off. I'd like to have some down time, but, there's this meeting I need to get to. So, sorry about that. I fully intend to make up for this night with a date that isn't... So life-threatening, in the future. Maybe just a little tiny bit life threatening next time."

I start the car and pull away from what is not a bunch of rubble and askew fragments of a mansion.

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday is a little caught off guard by the hug, but laughs, and hugs him back anyway. She thanks him for holding open her door, and climbs into the car.

"That was my first time at a Blessed party, and I have to say, I'll never forget it." She paused. "I think we should add tighter security to our universe, and no crazies."

"A less life-threatening date sounds nice."

[Calithin Crest]

"Yeah. We could go, like... Alligator wrestling or something. It would be safer than that party was. I've never seen so many things blow up at once."

I shake my head and feel extremely tired as I watch the road. I'm a little upset about having to go to the council meeting after this and would definitely rather hang out with Tuesday, but, duty calls.

"So I was thinking... And I think you need a nickname. You can choose one for yourself right now, or you can leave it up to me... At which point it's probably going to be kind of bad."

[Tuesday DeCastro]

"Alligator wrestling, hm. Well, we've already been through explosions, that war with the universe, and there was that ghost that haunted your boat while we were sailing." Tuesday laughs.

"A nickname? Huh, well when I was younger my friends used to call me Tues, or Te. But those aren't really good ones." She pauses, and thinks a moment. "I've really never been good at coming up with nicknames, especially not for myself. So you can go ahead and choose."

[Calithin Crest]

"Okay, well lets see... We can do Dee, or Dasy, or Daze. Maybe Cassy or Cass if we're going by your last name. Then there is the option of one that's not based off of your names at all. There are just so many possibilities when it comes to nicknames. I love nicknames. It's all official and such with a nickname."

I yawn as I take a turn and stop at a stop light.

"Man, I am truly exhausted... Very jealous that you get to go home and just chill out."