Chapter 18: A Parable for the Terrible

[Jack O. Trades]

Having seen the door open a grin spread across his scarred lips. Well this would be pleasant. His thoughts of a simple evening, a little business, a drink or two, were immediately replaced with rage as he saw the door close. Did he see someone INSIDE the girls house? Drawing his lips back in a snarl he drew the shotgun from its shoulder pumping it once as he placed a hand to his chest beginning to speak "Move yer eyes round, keep us posted. Our little Anya girl wants to play tag..."

Eyes snapping to the four who 'protected' him he motioned to the house with a jerk of his head as he began to charge forward both of the hyena's letting out a cackle of excitement snapping at the air as they followed. His hand to his chest he spoke sharply once more "Rest of you set?" He only half heard the affirmative from the men he had sent to circle the house "Yeah yeah, listen! Three of you get inside and prepare a little surprise the rest of you I'll meet ya on the other side"As he had finished speaking his tell tale manic grin he raised the shotgun and with a bang blew a large hole through the front door.

Raising a hand he motioned towards his guards waving two of them forward, and they rushed forward kicking the door open. As the two went in guns at the ready he walked through focusing straight ahead. He only half heard the sound of breaking glass. The three men he had assigned to enter the house clambering through the window he ignored the salutes he had received, only absently noting the three reaching into their packs and placing something in various spots along the wall.

Whistling softly he watched both of his beasts lunge forward sniffing at the ground. Leading their master to the back door he waved them both away they proceeded to pad around the house, Bud and Lou deciding to test how well a couch would be used as a chew toy. Aiming once more he blasted the door the back door from its hinges as all within range would hear his deranged laughter echoing while he reloaded. Stepping through the door way he was followed promptly by the four guards who readied themselves for any sudden movements.

With a small smile on his lips his stride became a leisurely stroll as his eyes darted with an almost manic gleam to his gaze to each person in turn. As the two men he had sent around the house finally managed to span the house joining his guard in their awareness. Nodding almost pleasantly to the various people in silent greeting only to lock his gaze upon Anya the intensity of them seeming to look through her "Anya girl....where are your manners? Ya call me, I gather a few of the lads....Thought we'd have a few laughs, catch up. And you run away...and fail to introduce your new friends!"

Lifting the shotgun in his hand in stark contrast to his men who fanned out keeping their guns at the ready he bowed theatrically seeming to have forgotten his rage in an instant. Rising slowly he propped the gun onto his shoulder giving all a wide Cheshire grin as he spoke "Good evenin folks, I'm Mr. J..."

[Tristan Tuzanic]

Tristan looks at his cell phone and groans. He knows who is calling him. He lets it ring a few times before finally finding the courage to face his wife. "What do you want? I am on my way to see you." He says with a groan. As he says that, he arrives at the entrance of the high temple in Helsinki. He enters the building and starts walking towards her quarters.

[~Ophelia Vespera~]

Ophelia was a little relieved when a woman answered the door, making her a little more confident she was at the right place and unfolded her arms.
"I hope. I'm sorry to bother you. Ah.... I was sent to this address. I-I was told I might be able to get some help. I'm from Rome and I've kind of gotten lost here in Helinski." Ophelia explained, glancing down at the soggy wet address paper, "Are you Hilja?"

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"Yes, I am Hilja. Come in, we'll see what we can do." I reply to her. I lead her inside into the kitchen, where I was in the middle of making some pancakes. "Are you hungry? You can have a pancake." I offer.

"So....how did you get lost here in Helsinki? And who sent you here?" I ask. It does seem pretty curious, since I don't have that many friends outside of the room here.

[~Ophelia Vespera~]

Ophelia stepped inside and followed Hilja into the warm kitchen where the smell sweet pancakes wafted in the air. There was also a man sitting at the table who she nodded politely too, before answering Hilja.
"No thank you.. I'm not hungry." She'd lost her stomach having a gun pointed at her head.

"I was delivering some flowers and the teleportbooth I ended up in here in Helinski malfunctioned, to make a long story short.. I didn't really get the name of your friend.." Ophelia treaded the subject carefully, "He was very skinny, light brown hair, green eyes, I think?.. He was delivering something and I just happened to run into him and another man."

Some people lived double lives and she wasn't sure whether Hilja knew or cared if her friends delivered drugs, stole vans, or pointed guns at people.

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"Hmm..I am not sure who that would have been. But oh well." I reply to Ophelia. No big deal. Maybe it was a friend of a friend. "Well, let's see, we are all pretty poor so I am not sure if any of us can afford one of the better teleportation booths that rich people use." I state to her, since she had mentioned before that she needed help.

"Maybe Freakboy could help though. He is very good with technology. Maybe he can get a code for a better machine. Unless you are too afraid to go back into another booth."

[~Ophelia Vespera~]

"I don't have any other choice, really." Ophelia replied, "I have money, not that much. I think I may have enough for another outdated one.."

She placed her hand over where her rosary was hidden above her heart. She survived one trip in the teleportbooth, barely, and she actually thanked God for that. Hopefully He would help her survive again. It was days like these where she couldn't help but relapse back to her old religious beliefs. It was miraculous, she thought, that she'd gotten through as much as she had, not without some divine help.

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"Hey Freakboy, do you think that you could get a code for a better teleportation booth?" I ask Freakboy. I finish making the pancakes and sit down at the table. I put one on a plate for myself and take a few small bites.

"You were delivering flowers? Who were you delivering to?" I ask, backing up to something that she mentioned earlier. "I love flowers..." I add.

[Anya Louteius]

Anya froze when his gaze locked with hers. She could feel his rage burning her insides to mush. She hated that feeling, and she didn't speak, a few broken bones over the past few months had taught her that. Then when he spoke in a vicious almost jokingly tone, she knew she was in for it. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited.

He said his introduction and she looked up at him. "I'm sorry Mr. J.....I didn't mean to run away. It's just I thought you would kill me if you saw him and....and....and..." She started sobbing unable to keep herself together. She covered her face and stood there sobbing. She learned that his anger and dominance wasn't something that should would mess with.....ever!

[~Ophelia Vespera~]

"A lady named Linnea Corpella.. The flowers kind of got toasted in the teleportbooth, though." she replied, taking off her poncho and setting it on the back of the chair that she sat down in. It felt good to rest for a moment and talk about more pleasant things.
"Well I'm sure if you love flowers you'll love my shop. If you ever find yourself in Rome, you should come. I don't think there is one person in Europe that has more flowers than I do.. Or actually grows them naturally like I do. I ordered some carnations from Allmart and they were the strangest things I've ever seen. Modified plants compare nothing to the original plant."

[Jumala Keitoleinen]

Keitoleinen is let into Global Bank about the same time that Calithin and Dinari arrive. Behind him, are two staff people, wheeling a giant cake. Keitoleinen turns around to greet Calithin, Dinari, and Momo. "Hello ladies." He says cheerfully. "It's nice to see you are going to the party as well. I am going to use this opportunity to show my monitoring system designs to the Moderator. I suppose...you have designs to submit as well?"

[Li Violette]

"Hello Cephrien, good to see you. I was just about to leave for the party. You can come along if you like. I'll just say you are my body guard." I state as I finish filing some papers. I file the papers and push my chair into the desk. With that, I grab my coat and start walking to the door of my office. I close the door and lock it, since Cephrien can get out of the office even if the door is locked.

On the other side of the locked door, I wait for Cephrien to see if he wants to come along to the party.

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"I know Linnea!" I reply to her. "In fact, I think she came in with Horacio." I state (since Linnea was last with Horacio, Tuesday, and Freakboy. She never posted that she went along with them, but I assume she did.)

"That's pretty neat! Well, I would love to see the flower shop sometime. And I agree with the Allmart flowers. With flowers like that, someday people won't know what real flowers used to look like."

I take a few more bites of my pancake. "I actually work part time in a garden here in Helsinki. It is a garden privately owned by a professor named Charon. It is wonderful, really. If you are here long enough, you should visit it."

[††Venice "Cephrien" Ashgrove††]

Just as expected, Ceph easily phases through the nearest shadow outside of the room, standing a few feet away from Violette. With the flowers held in his hand, he makes a slightly concerned face towards her.

"Are you sure?" He says, raising his palm to speak intelligently.

"I can't be certain if there won't be people there who have seen my face before. I am, technically, a terrorist now."

Ceph regret speaking against the offer. It was very rare that he was able to go out to places with Violette off of duty. Let alone parties. But getting her cover blown would be disastrous, so he had to make sure she thought this through. If worse came to worst, he would find away to pull the attention on himself and away from her.

[Li Violette]

"People will be paying attention to the party, more than to you. But, maybe we could do something to alter your appearance a little before we go. Any ideas of how you might look a little different for a few hours?" I ask him. We wander out of the main office of the World Economic Council which is actually walking distance to Global Bank. Both are in Lucern.