Chapter 18: A Parable for the Terrible

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"Well, it is nice to meet you." I reply to him. I head to the kitchen and look around to see what I can make. I am not actually a very good cook, so, this might be a challenge. I settle on pancakes since I have some of that instant mix.

"We'll have pancakes." I suggest.

I start measuring the mix and water. "I am not a very remarkable rebel. Armin and Kasper are probably the best ones around here. I just work a lot." I explain to him, somewhat modestly.

"You're from America?"

[Freak Boy]

"Yes and no... I sort of commuted between Mexico, America, and Columbia... but yeah, I'm from the general area," he said. He didn't feel like sitting, so he instead decided to explore the living room and look at the various pictures and odds and ends on display. "This is an interesting design," he commented aloud in regards to the patterns on a throw pillow.

[Heikki Toivonen]

"Hmm..." Heikki replies to her. He writes down an address. IT is actually the address of Hilja and her friends. Heikki gives Ophelia the paper. "Maybe these people can help you."

Heikki then gets into the van. Bonifaz looks impatient and ready to go, so everyone gets into the van and the driver pulls away, leaving Ophelia alone in the rain. Heikki watches behind them as Ophelia becomes more distant. He isn't sure if they should ditch the van. It isn't that important to them. He sighs and will let the others decide what happens.

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"Oh...alright..." I reply. So he travels a lot, maybe...for work. Maybe he is on the run. "I heard it's sort of ..well a wasteland there in America. Radioactive and full of ...savage people." I say of America. I start making the pancakes as I talk to him. He seems happy to explore the house.

[Freak Boy]

"Yeah, it's pretty bad," he said. "Reminds me of an old gaming series called 'Fallout.' Fun times." A grin spread across his face. "I wouldn't really call them savage... maybe just... down and out and really determined to survive, y'know, man?"

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"How do you survive there?" I ask him. "I've heard that in some ways that it is better there, since it is not controlled by the Manalists. The only threat is Dinari Dollar and Allmart. I guess...it would be interesting to visit." I state.

"You also mentioned that you are involved with Red Infinity. What are they like?"

[Freak Boy]

"They seem nice enough," he said in regards to Red Infinity. "I don't know them too well, just deal with a few people here and there.

"Survival in the badlands can be tough, but there are pockets of land here and there with some basic amenities like clean bottled water or fresh food. So long as you stick to the cities, your fine. I'd hate to be stuck in the plains or some other desolate stretch of land... doubt I'd make it more than a few days. And yes, it's nice to not have to deal with the Manalists--as for Dollar and Allmart... heh. They're not much to worry about. Sure, life's tough overseas, but the life there... it allows me a certain freedom that I, personally, wouldn't trade for anything in the world."

[~Ophelia Vespera~]

((To Hilja and Freak Boy))

Ophelia thought about asking if they could take her to the address before they left, but the impatient man with the gun was starting to look more angry by the second, so she refrained. She watched the van hopelessly as it drove away, leaving her in the dark rainy streets of Helinski alone. She was still for a while, letting the shock of all that had just happen soak in like the rain in her clothes.
Who were those guys and who was this "Hilja" person she was being sent to? ... And most importantly, where was she?
She continued to walk with the hope that she was going in the right direction towards the address. She asked people on the streets where to go, who at times only helped to get her lost. It seemed not even the citizens of Helinski knew where they were and she traveled in several circles, before finally arriving at the address written on the paper.
The lights were on inside the home from what she could see and she could hear the vague murmuring of people's voice inside. She approached with caution up to the door and knocked lightly, half wishing there wasn't an answer and half wishing the opposite.. Maybe she was best finding her own way out of the city. Heikki hadn't been all that bad of a person, but his partner who pulled the gun on her had scared the wits out of her and she didn't want to meet anymore violent people tonight.

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

I take the first pancake out of the pan, and hear a knock at the door. I turn to Freakboy. "I should get that..." I tell him. I excuse myself and wander over to the door. I peek through the window and see someone who I don't know. She doesn't look dangerous though, so I open it up.

"Can I help you?" I ask her nicely.

[High Priestess Succinite]

(( To Tristan ))

Succi was so stressed out. Everything that had happened it just, it was driving her insane, and then there was Tristan, who never stopped by to see his child or even her for that matter. She was so upset, but she had to strong, it was because of her position and her son, she couldn't let him see her upset, she had to be strong. But dammit she was so mad she couldn't think straight. She tried to hide it and go about her duties, she dreaded seeing him and her son would know how tense she is and be upset and hse just wasn't sure she could handle that today.

She finally finished everything and went home and called Tristan. She wanted him to hurry up and come to see their son. She was so pissed she couldn't even think straight. She waited for him to answer his cell phone. He would come home or she would go find him.

[Niilo Ukkonen]

Niilo knew he would be in serious trouble in no time at all. True, while he could control numbers, time, etc., he would still be in some horrible situations for quite some time in a short period of time. Such a shame.

Perhaps the life of mooching, drugs, and running would now be put behind him. Maybe he wouldn't be around much longer.

Of course not!

Niilo would survive. His laziness and arrogance had gotten him this far; it would surely bring him even further than he'd ever been before. Every day is a new day, and every moment is a new point in time. By all means, things were far from their endings. The world was still here, as was Niilo.

Rushing to follow Anya out of the door, Niilo realized that he didn't hear any gunshots, which meant that the armed men were no more. Tossing a nearby pebble at Anya, making sure it bumped her in the back, Niilo said, "Hey, I think it's actually safe."

Niilo stopped walking and turned around. Opening the door, he saw people greeting each other and seemingly happy and content with their situation. He wasn't really sure what was going on any more, but he didn't much care; he was about to get some drugs.

"Yo!" he barked as he left he building.

[††Venice "Cephrien" Ashgrove††]

(( To Li Violette ))

Before long, Ceph arrives at Violette's office. He doesn't knock or use the door, but instead, he uses his Shadow Transportation to enter the room. If Li was in the middle of an important meeting, he would just hide it out.. since he would be mostly unnoticable in this position. He held the flowers in one hand to his side, waiting for the woman to make eye contact with his form and notice him.

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday had gone with Horacio and Freak Boy to the socialist home, and settled into the couch talking with some of the others. It wasn't exactly cozy, but it was a safe place for the most part. Much safer than Tuesday's own apartment, where they'd held several impromptu meetings, for her neighbors had grown nosy. Constantly complaining of the odd people endlessly going to and from the building, and wondering where Tuesday's loyalties lie. Not to mention her landlord was threatening to evict her if she was late to pay her rent again. If that occured, perhaps she'd ask if there was room here for one more, either that or she'd make the commute to London and live above HQ with some of the other socialists.

The smell of pancakes wafted to where Tuesday, whose lunch had been interrupted and was famished, sat. She stood and made her way into the kitchen to investigate. "Something smells wonderful." She commented as someone knocked on the door.

She turned to Freak Boy. He was proving to be an interesting character, to say the least. "Horacio said something about you having a radio station?" She inquired.

[Freak Boy]

"Yeah, Guerilla Radio," he said with a smirk. "I'm on a pirate station, I forget what the AM frequency is but the FM one is 104.5. I play a lot of rock music, and three times a week I do a sort of newscast about the state of things. Y'know, try and organize, that sort of thing..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something. He spun around to gaze at the spot in the corner where something caught his eye, but nothing was there. "Sorry... thought I saw something."

[Calithin Crest]

I get into the teleportation booth and with some apprehension allow myself to be instantly transported to Switzerland. Stepping out of the booth, I feel a little uncomfortable. I just think science doesn't know enough about subatomic structure yet to fully understand what teleporting like that does to a person's atoms. I'd rather fly any day.

I sigh and follow Dinari, who is following Momo. We're like very successful ants in a little row.

"I love parties sometimes. Right now is some time. Socializing is just great. I'll never understand shy people."