"Okay," George said in a pleasant tone, gritting his teeth, "we've
established that the colonies have made up a Colonial Assembly, correct?"
"Correct." Chibodee, Nastasha, Chibodee's girls, Rain, and Raymond said
through their own clenched teeth.
"We've established that this Assembly is bicameral and the Houses are
based on population and equal representation, and that the House with equal
representation is the more powerful one, correct?"
"Correct." came the grudging answer again.
"Some nations object to the setup of the Assembly as being a copy of the
Neo- American governmental system, correct?"
"Correct." they chorused again, though Chibodee began looking
mutinous.
"So. There are our facts." George stated. "We must work around them."
"I KNOW that-" Nastasha furiously began, at the same time as Chibodee
burst out,
"We shouldn't HAVE to work around those goddamned sons of bitches
with their own way of doing things shoved so far up their ass that-"
"Chibodee!" George reprimanded. "I will thank you NOT to be vulgar!"
"Listen, ya French bastard-" Chibodee snarled.
"Stop it!" Rain stomped her booted foot. "Chibodee, we all KNOW
you're upset, but please don't take it out on us! George is only trying to help!
Besides, HE'S not the one you're really mad at!"
Chibodee sprang up, eyes narrowed and fists clenched, but a warning
growl from Domon prompted a sullen, sudden turn of the heel and furious
stomping into the woods, accompanied by mutterings that none of them
particularly cared to hear.
"Sorry." Shirley casually apologized, sounding used to it.
George let out a deep breath. "It's not your fault, Mademoiselle, but
thank you nonetheless."
"He's just frustrated." Rain soothed.
"We all are." Nastasha snappily retorted, "but the rest of us are mature
enough not to go have a temper tantrum."
"That's just how Chibodee is." Cath defended. "He'll come back later,
cooled down and sorry."
"This isn't helping us." Argo pointed out.
"Right." Nastasha quickly agreed. "We need to figure out some way to
influence them if they take the wrong course."
"And how would we do that, Sis?" Sai Saici asked. From anyone else in
the group, the question would have been sarcastic.
And the arguments began again.
*
Chibodee wasn't sure how far he'd gone before the red cleared from his
vision. He usually didn't get that riled unless there was an enemy in front of
him.
'Well,' he considered, 'there is an enemy. One reason I'm so pissed is because
it's one I can't pound. Or even see.
'Not that pounding those sorry- ass delegates would do any good.' he snorted.
'This whole thing is one big bogus headache...'
He half- turned in response to a prickling at the back of his neck.
He received a foot in his face for his pains.
Chibodee recovered quickly, spreading his legs to brace himself and
holding his fists in a battle-ready stance. "You want it? COME ON!" he roared,
glad of the opportunity to work off his frustrations in this most satisfying of
ways.
And it came, in the form of a rapid series of kicks and punches that
reminded him forcefully of Domon. Especially when a few blows to the ribs
hindered his ability to breathe...
Chibodee lashed out at an enemy that was only a sinister amalgamation
of shadows. Each glancing attack left him spinning in its direction, only to be set
upon from behind.
"Come out and fight me FAIR!" he bellowed.
A kick to his chest sent him flying backwards, his unseen opponent taking
the opportunity to deliver further punches to his face and chest that left him all
but winded. He crashed into a tree and the blows stopped.
"You're pathetic." came a cutting female voice from the shadows. It
moved too quickly for Chibodee to track. "You're the representative of Neo-
America? Shame, shame, shame."
Chibodee struggled to his feet. "Come out and fight me!"
There was a gleam of white in the darkness that might have been a smile,
and Chibodee was assaulted again. A kick to the groin left him curling in the
dirt.
"Cheater!" he wheezed.
"Life isn't fair." the voice retorted sharply. "If you rely on your enemies
to fight fair, you're going to die. And YOUR enemies will NOT fight fair,
Chibodee Crocket. You think the Dark Gundam was bad? You knew what you
were up against and could face it out in the open. You don't have the skills to
elude the shadows that will be reaching for you now. If you're going to help
your friends, let alone yourself, you're going to have to quit thinking like a
boxer. You're going to have to drastically increase your speed and creativity.
And some work on your marksmanship wouldn't be amiss, either. I watched
you fight Chapman, last time."
"Who- are you?" he growled.
"I'm the one watching from the shadows. I'm the one who's been keeping
them from you for the past year, who's been in the wings. But I can't do it any
more. You're going to have to learn how to protect yourself."
Chibodee raised himself to a scraped elbow. "You dirty little-"
"I'll be back." she interrupted. "And I'll kick your ass until you can make
a good enough stand that I'm satisfied." Her voice was taunting as it floated
back to him. "Bye, baby."
Chibodee managed to make it to his feet before he passed out.
Poor Chibodee! But I can't resist giving myself an excuse to beat him up a little. :) Special thanks to LivEvil and BlinxKasshu for reviewing. Give yourself a cookie! As always, please review and give me advice. Tell me what you think and why.
And does Chibodee seem like the weakest member of the Shuffle Alliance to anyone else?
established that the colonies have made up a Colonial Assembly, correct?"
"Correct." Chibodee, Nastasha, Chibodee's girls, Rain, and Raymond said
through their own clenched teeth.
"We've established that this Assembly is bicameral and the Houses are
based on population and equal representation, and that the House with equal
representation is the more powerful one, correct?"
"Correct." came the grudging answer again.
"Some nations object to the setup of the Assembly as being a copy of the
Neo- American governmental system, correct?"
"Correct." they chorused again, though Chibodee began looking
mutinous.
"So. There are our facts." George stated. "We must work around them."
"I KNOW that-" Nastasha furiously began, at the same time as Chibodee
burst out,
"We shouldn't HAVE to work around those goddamned sons of bitches
with their own way of doing things shoved so far up their ass that-"
"Chibodee!" George reprimanded. "I will thank you NOT to be vulgar!"
"Listen, ya French bastard-" Chibodee snarled.
"Stop it!" Rain stomped her booted foot. "Chibodee, we all KNOW
you're upset, but please don't take it out on us! George is only trying to help!
Besides, HE'S not the one you're really mad at!"
Chibodee sprang up, eyes narrowed and fists clenched, but a warning
growl from Domon prompted a sullen, sudden turn of the heel and furious
stomping into the woods, accompanied by mutterings that none of them
particularly cared to hear.
"Sorry." Shirley casually apologized, sounding used to it.
George let out a deep breath. "It's not your fault, Mademoiselle, but
thank you nonetheless."
"He's just frustrated." Rain soothed.
"We all are." Nastasha snappily retorted, "but the rest of us are mature
enough not to go have a temper tantrum."
"That's just how Chibodee is." Cath defended. "He'll come back later,
cooled down and sorry."
"This isn't helping us." Argo pointed out.
"Right." Nastasha quickly agreed. "We need to figure out some way to
influence them if they take the wrong course."
"And how would we do that, Sis?" Sai Saici asked. From anyone else in
the group, the question would have been sarcastic.
And the arguments began again.
*
Chibodee wasn't sure how far he'd gone before the red cleared from his
vision. He usually didn't get that riled unless there was an enemy in front of
him.
'Well,' he considered, 'there is an enemy. One reason I'm so pissed is because
it's one I can't pound. Or even see.
'Not that pounding those sorry- ass delegates would do any good.' he snorted.
'This whole thing is one big bogus headache...'
He half- turned in response to a prickling at the back of his neck.
He received a foot in his face for his pains.
Chibodee recovered quickly, spreading his legs to brace himself and
holding his fists in a battle-ready stance. "You want it? COME ON!" he roared,
glad of the opportunity to work off his frustrations in this most satisfying of
ways.
And it came, in the form of a rapid series of kicks and punches that
reminded him forcefully of Domon. Especially when a few blows to the ribs
hindered his ability to breathe...
Chibodee lashed out at an enemy that was only a sinister amalgamation
of shadows. Each glancing attack left him spinning in its direction, only to be set
upon from behind.
"Come out and fight me FAIR!" he bellowed.
A kick to his chest sent him flying backwards, his unseen opponent taking
the opportunity to deliver further punches to his face and chest that left him all
but winded. He crashed into a tree and the blows stopped.
"You're pathetic." came a cutting female voice from the shadows. It
moved too quickly for Chibodee to track. "You're the representative of Neo-
America? Shame, shame, shame."
Chibodee struggled to his feet. "Come out and fight me!"
There was a gleam of white in the darkness that might have been a smile,
and Chibodee was assaulted again. A kick to the groin left him curling in the
dirt.
"Cheater!" he wheezed.
"Life isn't fair." the voice retorted sharply. "If you rely on your enemies
to fight fair, you're going to die. And YOUR enemies will NOT fight fair,
Chibodee Crocket. You think the Dark Gundam was bad? You knew what you
were up against and could face it out in the open. You don't have the skills to
elude the shadows that will be reaching for you now. If you're going to help
your friends, let alone yourself, you're going to have to quit thinking like a
boxer. You're going to have to drastically increase your speed and creativity.
And some work on your marksmanship wouldn't be amiss, either. I watched
you fight Chapman, last time."
"Who- are you?" he growled.
"I'm the one watching from the shadows. I'm the one who's been keeping
them from you for the past year, who's been in the wings. But I can't do it any
more. You're going to have to learn how to protect yourself."
Chibodee raised himself to a scraped elbow. "You dirty little-"
"I'll be back." she interrupted. "And I'll kick your ass until you can make
a good enough stand that I'm satisfied." Her voice was taunting as it floated
back to him. "Bye, baby."
Chibodee managed to make it to his feet before he passed out.
Poor Chibodee! But I can't resist giving myself an excuse to beat him up a little. :) Special thanks to LivEvil and BlinxKasshu for reviewing. Give yourself a cookie! As always, please review and give me advice. Tell me what you think and why.
And does Chibodee seem like the weakest member of the Shuffle Alliance to anyone else?