Chapter 21: A Roman Holiday

[darian]

((Back to Sidapa))

Darian had finally awoken from his rest a few minutes ago, busily working on patching up the holes in his armor before anything else. The holy week had finally started and while he wishes he could have been there for Master Scrag's rousing speech, he decided it would have been best to first fix his armor in the event of a rebel attack- how ironic that such an attack had already happend twice without his knowing... though he couldn't help but shake a sense of deja vu about him. It seemed like he had been working on his armor longer then he really had.

He shrugged it off and continued to busy himself with his armor when suddenly a knock came at the door. "Enter!" Darian barked over his shoulder, his mask still on and thus distorting his voice into a cold, mechanical tone. What did Sidapa want with him he wondered not bothering to get up from the side of the bed. Did he want to check up on him? Darian doubted that seriously and figured it must have had something to do with what happend when he left with one of the rebels; yes, that had to be it. He didn't really have much time for such things, but so long as he didn't miss to much of the festivities, Darian would allow a moment or two.

As the door opened, Darian was just slipping the upper portion of his armor back on, allowing a brief moment for Sidapa to see the scarred and now recently bandaged paled body of Darian. So long as he didn't see his face, Darian wouldn't be tempted to kill him. "Make it quick, I do not want to miss out on the festivities." Darian said simply.

[kalma]

"It all depends on what they believe is right." Kalma said simply, but there was a deeper meaning to it. Some people (like herself) would believe that Momo was in the right to try and make a display of her power in an attempt to take over SOTA; which may have been postponed until much later on had she known about Jumala being a god.

"Just don't worry to much about it. What happens, happens." Kalma added simply as they made their way through Genetech. She too wondered what Genetech's boss would be like...

[Sidapa Amparo]

"I got another rebel. That's all. I heard you were hurt so I was checking up on you." Sidapa replies. He steps back to the door and lingers there for a moment. It seems that Darian is fine anyway.

"I won't bug you. I just ...wanted to inform you that another was captured."

Sidapa sense the hostility from Darian, so he just leaves to join the festivities himself. He leaves and wanders outside to the crowd of people listening to the testimonies.

[Armin Lehrer]

Armin is impressed by Bonifaz's hospitality and isn't the least bit suspicious of it. He enters the home and looks around. "Wow, you sure got a nice place, but too bad the TV is broken." Armin says, looking down at the smashed TV.
He looks at his comrades and smiles.
"We won't stay too long then. Just long enough to figure out where a safe place to have our HQ might be. Yep." Armin assures Bonifaz with a nod.
"I don't like stir fry, but, maybe I can make burgers and hot dogs for all of us!

[Malak Al-Dabaran]

Among the rebels that went to Germany, Malak feels like an odd one out. Armin is German and seems comfortable around Bonifaz. Hilja seems happy wherever she goes. Malak feels suspicious of these Null members, but doesn't want to rain on anyone's parade. He takes a seat in the living room and watches Bonifaz and the other nihilists carefully.
"We still don't know what happened to Kasper or Lucio." Malak reminds everyone.

[Horacio Hatfield]

Horacio feels safer in the flower shop than he has felt in most places, even though it is right in Rome, the center of it all. He listens to Cephrien and Ophelia talk and is alarmed by the fact that one of the rebels was captured. He worries when Cephrien says he might try to rescue her.

"Maybe you could try to pass yourself off as one of the fighters in the Gladiator arena, and help rescue her then." Horacio suggests.

[Lucio De Saldanha]

Lucio finds himself in the Temple of Terror, in a small prison cell. Like Salome, he is told that later this week he will be put out in public in a gladiator fight. The reality of it all doesn't sink in, so instead, he just tries to think of poems or rhymes in his mind to distract himself.

"I once met a girl, she was small and tan

She was my friend ...and...she was from Iran (she was from Iraq)

At least she won't know the kind of pervert I am."


Lucio didn't like that poem, so he tries to think of another...

[Tristan Tuzanic]

Tristan watches people give their testimonies. He would stand up there, but he has nothing good to say about religion or getting ahead. He pays special attention to Dr. Lonrott and Calithin Crest. They both annoy him. "Yeah, try being the best when your miserable and your wife and everyone else controls your life." Tristan mutters to himself. In a sense, he is the best...at complaining about life. No one seems to do it more than him anyway.
He continues watching the testimonies but he feels it is all just a false hope.

[Eun/Aoi Kiriyama]

"I don't need help, but....I guess I can stay at your place..." Eun reply. "For a while though..."

She wasn't sure why she gave in, but she kinda knew why. If Eun somehow manage to stay at SOTA, then Keito might not be very happy about the living situation.

"So....can you show me a way to your place or not?"

[Linnea Korpela]

Linnea listens very closely, she enjoys listening to Kith but can sense a hint of sadness.
"Actually...I don't know that much about angels either," she was shocked to say it, but it was true. "I have never met another angel and I didn't get the chance to get to know my parents. While hiding what I am, its difficult to learn about who we are and what we do. And even more since most of what little literature did exist, is now gone forever."
This was also something else that Linnea never really thought about, and hearing herself say it out loud made her feel sad. Maybe all of these buried feelings was keeping her from making any friends.
"I enjoy talking to you too," Linnea smiled. "I guess you could say that I'm patient. After spending most of my time alone, its nice to be in the company of people. And people that I can call my friends."

[Archer Aylmer]

I watch the Socialists out of the corner of my eye. They all seem fairly oblivious. Really, Socialists are just as bad as Manalists are just as bad Fascists are just as bad as every other group that forces a mindset which restricts freedom and awareness. It's uncomfortable being around them.

I take a seat in an armchair, since I don't particularly want to sit by Malak on the couch, and in general keep to myself. I'm not very social anyway.

"Hamburgers sound good..."

Hamburgers do sound good.

[Bambi Engel]

Bambi jumps slightly when Annette opens the door, eyes flickering around in their usual manner. Seeing it was her boss, she's pleased with the amount of work she had completed so far- although her paranoia worried it wasn't enough. Hearing her first statement, her fear spikes. "I apologize-" She begins, but then Annette finishes.

Rome? It was one of the few places she'd yet to been. A tiny part of her felt excited... but it was for the Holy Week. She knew she had little choice, she didn't want to upset Annette. Her job was the most important thing to her. "That sounds lovely, it is good thinking." She replies honestly. It did sound lovely aside from the Holy Week- she had nothing against it, it was just... they did sacrifices and the like. Human ones. Perhaps that was already done with?

"Is there anything you'd like me to bring?" She questions, thinking of various documents and statements. She didn't believe so unless there were any problems with the Rome branch.

[Lulu Nojurny]

Lulu hung up the phone and watched as Travis left with Alora. Lulu wasn't able to financially be able to support him anymore, and Alora agreed to adopt him and raise him. She felt a pain in her heart as he left, but she knew it was for the best. She turned on the T.V. and flipped through the channels and frowned as she saw women burning and all that religious hocus pocus that everyone was believing. She sighed and turned off the T.V. and went to make herself some peach tea.

The doorbell rang and Lulu rushed to the door. She opened the door and smiled at Anya. "Anya it is so wonderful to see you! How have you been? Please come in and take a seat. Would you like some peach tea?" She walked gracefully, as if floating into the kitchen to get them some tea.

[Momo Kurokawa]

Momo looks over the plans that Max sent her and gives some final advice to the technicians in London she had been meeting with. Her main advice was just a few cosmetic changes to the satellites that had already been made. Otherwise, they looked just fine and she figured they would be effective until perhaps new ones could be created and launched. After finishing the meeting with M TV scientific staff, she sees that she has a message from Anthony West.

Since she is already in London, she decides that she will meet with him, since it is not too far out of the way to go to Dublin.

She enters a teleportation booth and soon finds herself at Genetech's HQ. She's always been envious of them. They have very nice facilities and good, well trained staff.

She makes her way to Anthony's lab and enters.

"So, what have you discovered...I do appreciate your willingness to share the information with Intelligent Design. Maybe...people will forget the incident in Helsinki..." She states to him.

[Annette Rosenthal]

"I don't think that you will need anything. The Roman branches of the banks will be closed for the Holy Week, so, if we meet with any of them, it will be very informal." Annette explains. She looks at the time. "The ceremonies have already started. I think we had better leave."

Annette waits for Bambi to put her work away and both leave the office. Annette leads the way to the nearest teleportation booth and puts in the code for the Highest Temple. (hope you don't mind being moved)
They are teleported, and in an instance, they find themselves in a crowd of spectators. Right now, some of the Blessed are giving testimonies on how they became Blessed. Annette listens to a few inspirting speeches and turns to Bambi.
"You should go up there and say something. You could say...hmm...about how you have been proving yourself at Global Bank and planned our Manala Mas celebration this year." Annette suggests, putting Bambi on the spot.