Author's Notes: Now I'm confused. I've always thought May was between
ten and twelve. I have received reports from more than one person on
the GameFAQS message boards that she is 17. The thing is... look at
her. Really, LOOK AT HER! She has no chest! I'm not being perverted
here, but every anime-drawn character always has a definable chest.
Even Lina Inverse had bigger breasts than May, and she's supposed to
be diminutive! I'm talking official art, now... most fan artists draw
these huge things on May bigger than her head, but I digress. My
point is, I took another look at the game and decided she's a bit tall
to be ten... I decided to look for a definitive source to get her
actual age, and you know what? I haven't found anything yet.
So my question to all of you readers is: how old is May? I don't care
whether its your opinion or an actual source, but please say which it
is!
On to more important info: I don't think this chapter's as funny as the
last one, but this chapter is more to introudce everyone. I got so
desperate to finish this chapter that I had to skimp a lot on transitory
paragraphs... gah, I hope I never have to introduce 12 characters in one
chapter ever again...
Disclaimer: Despite my best efforts, I still do not own Guilty Gear.
Otherwise, I'd have Sol as my personal bodyguard. They are owned by
Arc Systems. All questions/comments/death threats can be sent to me
at thearchimage@fanfiction.net. Please do not sue me, I have no
money.
WARNING! The following contains a few slight spoilers for GGX2. As a
matter of fact, the rest of this fic will probably give away a few
things about it as well. You have been warned.
A Little Bit of Innocence
A waste of good bandwidth by: TheArchimage
Part 2: Roll Call!
-----------------------------
-The next day-
Jam had set up a cheap wooden booth in front of her restaurant, the
best she could do on such short notice and with such limited
materials. It was little more than a desk with a sign hung above it,
the sign reading "Welcome Honored Guests!"
One of the first to arrive was Potemkin. He was not wearing his large
Zepp slave collar, but instead had on sunglasses and a bright Hawaiian
shirt. "Ain't you a big fella?" Jam asked. "Whatever you're eating,
you're sure doing something right!"
Potemkin lowered his head a bit. "Thank you, madam. I just returned
from an operation in the mid-Atlantic, when President Gabriel ordered
me to take a short leave of absence. He believes it would be best to
let me recuperate, although my abilities have not been taxed for some
time."
"Well, good timing then! Glad to have you aboard!" Potemkin gave
jam a military salute, which looked nothing short of hysterical once
you considered he was wearing neon yellow. He then walked off to stand
with Millia, and Jam had to do a double-take. "Millia? When did you get
here?"
"Just now," she replied, then sharply turned away from her to signal the
conversation had ended. Jam marked both their names down, making a
mental note to help that girl brush up on her conversation skills.
Almost right behind Potemkin was another man. He was wearing a
uniform that would have been quite common during the Crusades, but
these days was an increasing rarity: the robes of the Holy Order of
Sacred Knights. His short blonde hair was pushed about slightly by
the wind, and the legendary sword Thunderseal was carried in his right
hand. "Shoot, it's the cop," Johnny said as he rubbed the back of his
head. "How should I explain this...?"
Ky shook his head. "You may relax. I am not here on official
business, and I lack the manpower to arrest you without support. I
merely came at Miss Jam's request."
"For ME?! Oh, Ky, you're so... cute!" With this Jam leapt over the
table, hugging Ky tightly. Ky clenched his teeth and started glowing
red. "Aw, he's blushing! Just like when we fought before... you
remember that, right? You were so stunned by my beauty that you let
me win!"
Ky loosened his collar slightly, suddenly feeling quite hot. It was
true that he was stunned at that time, but it wasn't completely
because of her beauty. 'That skirt of hers is far too short...' he
admonished silently. '...and she kicks far too high. How was I
supposed to fight if I could not even look at her?'
May giggled, "Come on, Ky, you're not fooling anyone. You came here
to see your TRUE love!" Ky's face showed complete confusion. May
spelled out one letter at a time, "S-O-L!"
Ky grimaced, and he visibly shuddered. "I would sooner break my
entire collection into pieces," he vowed through clenched teeth, his
patience destroyed utterly by the mere mention of a thought so vile.
"That is a horrible, vicious, disgusting rumor. Never speak of it
again."
May was about to say something more, but Jam cut her off. "He's
right, you know," Jam added. "You really shouldn't spread rumors like
that. Who knows what Sol would do if he heard that? Besides, we all
know Ky is just saving himself for the right woman..." With this, Jam
pressed her body closer to the knight, grinning suggestively.
Ky noticed that her... assets were starting to spill out of her dress.
He swiftly averted his eyes and coughed. "I doubt he will come,
anyway. He has always been anti-social, and would see little point in
a gathering like this."
No sooner had he said that when April perked up. "Hey, look! It's
that guy with the flaming sword! Huh? How'd Ky get over there?"
Jam blinked, then looked downward toward her now-empty arms. She
gasped and grabbed at the air a few times with the hand that mere
seconds ago was wrapped around Ky. "Hey! How the heck did he...?"
Ky approached his rival with the air of an executioner. He stared
straight at Sol as he spat, "I've been waiting for you."
Sol gave him a sardonic smirk. "I'll bet you have. What about it?"
"I believe we have unfinished business between us..."
"Maybe we do," Sol shrugged. "But I'm not in the mood. I'm here for
a party, not a fight. You need to loosen up a bit too, boy. Or at the
very least, try to remember how." With that, Sol flicked his nearly
spent cigarette into a nearby wastebin and walked straight past the young
knight.
Ky fumed a bit, but kept his anger in check as Sol walked past him.
It would be extremely rude of him to start a fight in front of so many
people during what was supposed to be a friendly occasion. He'd just
have to bite his tongue and deal with this the best he could.
Sol stopped suddenly, sensing something not altogether human. He
gripped the Fireseal tighter as he scanned the crowd, but allowed it
to loosen again when he realized where it was coming from. The person
noticed Sol, and nervously walked up to him. Sol's eyes narrowed,
although he was no longer looking in her direction. Some people...
"Um... Mr. Badguy?" Dizzy asked cautiously.
His eye slowly slid in it's socket to glare at the young Gear who had
uttered it. She fidgeted slightly, clearly both nervous and frightened.
'Her again,' he thought as he caught sight of the winged half-Gear.
'How the hell did she get here? And how did she ditch that moron?'
"Hey," Sol greeted simply, turning toward her. Dizzy made a tiny "Eep!"
as he did so. Sol shook his head. "Relax. I ain't starting any
fights today."
Dizzy swallowed hard and responded, "I... I see. I'm sorry... it's
just that, after last time, I thought you would attack me again..."
"A few hard feelings, then? I ain't surprised."
Dizzy put on a strained smile as she shook her head, nervously
wringing her tail. "Nope... no hard feelings at all..."
Sol thought he saw something going on behind Dizzy, and leaned to the
side a bit to see. Necro was practically frothing at the mouth, one
of his hands holding a large battle-axe and the other glowing with
energy. If it weren't for Undine holding him back by the shoulders,
he would doubtlessly be trying to tear Sol limb from limb. '"Trying"
being the operative word,' Sol thought smugly.
Dizzy felt a drop of sweat form on her forehead from both the exertion
of trying to keep Necro under control and from the embarrassment this
situation was causing her. Sol gestured with his head, and said with
more amusement than worry, "He looks a bit pissed."
Dizzy shook her head. "I...it's okay. He's just a little on edge...
Necro!" she turned to face her wing suddenly, which stopped struggling
and shrunk a little from her gaze. "Such language!"
Sol shrugged. "Guess I'd better give the little bastard some time to
cool off. I'll see you around." He walked away, waving nonchalantly
over his shoulder as Dizzy watched him head off to the side of the
gathering.
"See, Necro?" she said. "He's not really a bad person... today is a
holiday, so why don't we all relax a little bit?" Necro looked from
Dizzy to Sol, then back again before reverting to a black wing. Dizzy
smiled. "That's better." Undine gave a serene smile as she became a
white wing again. "If it's just for a little while, we can all be
friends..." she said hopefully.
Sol sat on the curb, laying his Fireseal down by his side. He looked
out among the rest of the mingling guests. It wasn't like he needed
friends or anything... when you lived 150 years, you got pretty good
at keeping yourself amused. Yes... his life was much like that
solitary raven sitting on the fence, cawing solely to amuse itself
rather than respect the wishes of those who'd rather see it shut up.
He did what he wanted, and anybody who didn't like it could piss off.
Wait a minute... raven?
Sol lowered his head. "You son of a bitch," he sighed to no one that
could be seen. "Do you always have to get in my way wherever I go?"
Seemingly melting from the shadows, Testament appeared behind him. "I
am surprised you did not sense me earlier. I could have slit your
throat a hundred times since you arrived. Only the smile on her face,
and the knowledge that doing so would destroy it, stayed my hand."
Sol raised an eyebrow. "Don't be so dramatic. It's a party, not a
damn poetry reading. Hey, waitress," he called out suddenly. "We got
a party crasher."
Jam frowned. "I have a name, you know! But... oh, Testament! How
are you doing?"
Testament's eyebrow twitched. "We may have parted without bloodshed,
but do not think I am your friend, human. Your kind is-"
"Testament!" Dizzy shouted, running up to him. "It's been so long!
Are you here for the party too? I didn't know you were invited..."
Testament coughed into his fist as he confessed, "I wasn't."
Dizzy blinked. "Oh. Well, why don't you join us now? I mean, you
came all this way..."
Testament considered her briefly. "... Very well. Waitress, I shall
join your little party if that is what Dizzy wishes."
Jam sighed. "The plans are a bit tight, you know. It might be tough
to squeeze you in at such a late time..."
Testament eyed her. "I'm not asking, I'm telling. Deal with it."
Dizzy playfully hit Testament on the shoulder. "Now now, Testament,
you don't have to be unfriendly. I know you met Johnny already, but
I've made lots of friends on the ship in the past few weeks... come
on!" And with that the winged girl dragged Testament deep into the
crowd.
As Jam warily added Testament's name to the guest list, the area
around her suddenly darkened. Confused, she glanced upward. She then
dropped her head back down and sighed, burying her face in her hands.
"I should have known..."
Mere feet from where she was standing, the doctor known only as Faust
made his landing. For most other people, this would mean their
helicopter or airplane. But Faust chose a wildly different mode of
transportation; an umbrella. He floated to the ground as gently as a
leaf, singing a little tune to himself:
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious,
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious!
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
Faust folded up his umbrella and slung it over his shoulder. "Ah,
Miss Jam. It's so nice to you again. I have been hoping to have some
of your lovely cuisine once more."
Jam sighed. "Hello to you as well, Doctor. And thank you for the
compliment."
"Hm?" Faust said as he inspected Jam's booth. "This style of booth
reminds me of something..."
Jam frowned. "What do you mean...?"
With that, Faust reached into his pocket and pulled out a nickel. He
tossed it into the booth and said, "I've got a problem. You see,
there's this little red-haired girl I like, and-"
"What do I look like, a matchmaker? I'm having enough trouble in that
area myself..." She glanced in Ky's direction at this remark. Her
eye twitched when she realized he was talking with Millia. Maybe
her conversation skills were just fine after all. 'Mitts off, you
hussy,' she attempted to telepathically warn Millia. 'He's mine! I
saw him first!'
"Well!" Faust huffed in mock offense. "I shall have to take my 5
cents elsewhere." Faust picked his nickel back up, and stuffed it in
his pocket. His single eye blinked as he looked up. "Um... Miss Jam?
I think you have a problem..."
Her ears perked up. "Problem?"
Faust nodded. "Yes yes... what happens when you put a cobra and a mongoose
in the same room?"
Jam frowned. "I don't quite get what you-"
A new voice, smooth and medium-toned interupted, "Is this the registration
booth?"
Jam turned to face the newcomer, and was not disappointed. "Ooh! Aren't
you handsome!" Jam said smiling. The man in front of her had his long white
hair pulled back, revealing his well-cut features. His face held an almost
feminine beauty that Jam knew she'd never seen before. Well, he didn't have
to know that... she could squeeze one more hottie onto the guest list. "Yes
sir, right away sir. Can I have your name?"
"Venom."
Jam blinked. "No way!" In response, Venom flipped his hair down in
front of his face, showing the unmistakable blue eye painted onto his
hair. Jam stared and complimented, "Wow, I never knew you looked so
great under all that hair... you should wear it up like that more often!"
Venom turned toward her, his expression now unreadable due to the large
amount of hair blocking the view. However, his tone of voice seemed
genuinely intrigued as he asked, "Do you think so?"
Jam nodded. "Oh, yes! Why, with a face like yours..."
"You're wasting time," Millia deadpanned. "He doesn't swing your way, if
you know what I mean..."
Faust opened his umbrella up and positioned it in front of him like a
shield. "Uh oh, here we go..."
Venom turned toward Millia and grumbled, "They just invite anyone
these days, don't they? I wouldn't have come if I knew this harpy was
going to be here..."
Millia sighed and looked away. "Zato is dead, good riddance. Get over
it already."
"Do not waste your good fortune, woman. You will pay for your crimes,
someday soon. Mark my words." Venom then walked off into the crowd,
the two parting for the first time in a long time without causing
property damage.
Jam breathed a sigh of relief. "Too close!"
Two figures came walking toward the group, both in traditional (and
exceedingly rare) Japanese garb. In front was Anji Mito. He was in
his familiar blue outfit, well-defined chest bared and swaying to and
fro like he had not a care in the world. Slightly behind him, dressed
in her usual white kimono, was Baiken. Her sword still hung at her
side, and her hair covered the left side of her face nicely.
"Hey, you two, you made it!" Jam waved. "I thought they didn't let
Japanese out of the colonies these days..."
"I'm not registered," Baiken answered bluntly, though for a Japanese
the statement was a confession to breaking international law. "It gets
in the way of more important things."
"And I snuck out," Anji declared proudly. "Really, it's just too
stuffy and boring in the reservations. A man can't see what the world
has to offer being cooped up in there, right?" He punctuated his
statement with a mirthful laugh.
Baiken eyed her traveling companion the same way one might eye a
chatty bird at six-thirty in the morning. She fingered her sword as
she warned, "Someone shut him up, or I will. I've had to deal with
this guy since six miles ago."
Anji scratched his head nervously. "Now now, no need to be so violent..."
Baiken sulked. "Plenty of need. I've got a loud-mouthed braggart AND
an annoying twerp following me around..."
At that a portion of the road popped up, revealing Chipp Zanuff under it.
His sudden appearance happened to be directly under the spot Anji was
standing, and sent him toppling to the ground. "Damn!" Chipp said, looking
at Baiken in amazement. "How long have you known I was there?"
Baiken sighed. "Almost since the beginning. Your skills need work, 'ninja';
I could hear you from a mile away."
Anji sat upand asked Baiken, "Um... when you said 'loud-mouthed braggart'
and 'irritating twerp'... which one of those am I?"
Baiken seethed, "Does it really matter?"
Jam made a few last checks on her list, then looked it over one last
time. She winced a bit as she crossed Zato's name off the list,
thinking, 'This is a bit out of date...' She tapped her pencil a
few times next to the only name that had not yet been marked.
"Hmmm... that's funny, I thought Axl would be one of the first ones
here..."
Millia stepped forward. "...We met each other on the way here... but
he vanished."
Jam raised an eyebrow. "Vanished?"
Millia nodded. "I looked away from him for a moment, heard him
scream, and then he was gone."
Sol overheard this conversation, and his eyebrow twitched. 'After all
the begging he did to get me to come, he doesn't even show. That
twit had better have a good excuse...'
"Really... hm. All right!" Jam said slamming her guestbook shut. "In
that case, I guess everyone's here that's going to be. If I can have
everyone's attention," she shouted out. "The party's location was
originally supposed to be my new restaurant... but as you can see, you
just can't get good help nowadays. So, we'll have a slight change of
scenery... a Pacific island, airway provided by the Captain of the
Jellyfish Pirates himself, Johnny! He volunteered his lovely Mayship
to book us passage, so everyone give him a big hand!"
There was a short outcry of surprise, followed by a round of applause.
Grinning widely, the aforementioned pirate stood up. It was his turn
to shine. "Yes, thank you everyone. It's the very least a wonderful
man like me can do for all of you. I should point out that my ship is
NOT your playground, and fighting on board won't be tolerated. I will
charge you for any damage you do to it, and those who can't pay...
well, let's just say 20,000 feet is a LOOOOONG way to fall..."
After a few nervous chuckles, Johnny continued, "Well, the lifeboat is
this way... if you'll all follow me, we'll get this trip started!"
Miscellaneous Notes:
May's comment: I'm not a fan of the Sol/Ky pairing. Can'tcha tell?
Faust: An obvious joke, perhaps, but a good one nonetheless. And yes,
the word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", nonsense though it may
be, is spelled correctly here. This might be a good time to add it to
your spell-checker dictionary.
The booth: Yes, Faust is making a Charlie Brown joke. The only reason
Jam doesn't spot it is because Charlie Brown wouldn't be common
knowledge in 2170, don't you think?
Characters that will be showing up later: Axl, Slayer, Eddie, Bridget,
Zappa, I-No. Not necessarily in that order, but pretty much whenever
it would be most amusing.
ten and twelve. I have received reports from more than one person on
the GameFAQS message boards that she is 17. The thing is... look at
her. Really, LOOK AT HER! She has no chest! I'm not being perverted
here, but every anime-drawn character always has a definable chest.
Even Lina Inverse had bigger breasts than May, and she's supposed to
be diminutive! I'm talking official art, now... most fan artists draw
these huge things on May bigger than her head, but I digress. My
point is, I took another look at the game and decided she's a bit tall
to be ten... I decided to look for a definitive source to get her
actual age, and you know what? I haven't found anything yet.
So my question to all of you readers is: how old is May? I don't care
whether its your opinion or an actual source, but please say which it
is!
On to more important info: I don't think this chapter's as funny as the
last one, but this chapter is more to introudce everyone. I got so
desperate to finish this chapter that I had to skimp a lot on transitory
paragraphs... gah, I hope I never have to introduce 12 characters in one
chapter ever again...
Disclaimer: Despite my best efforts, I still do not own Guilty Gear.
Otherwise, I'd have Sol as my personal bodyguard. They are owned by
Arc Systems. All questions/comments/death threats can be sent to me
at thearchimage@fanfiction.net. Please do not sue me, I have no
money.
WARNING! The following contains a few slight spoilers for GGX2. As a
matter of fact, the rest of this fic will probably give away a few
things about it as well. You have been warned.
A Little Bit of Innocence
A waste of good bandwidth by: TheArchimage
Part 2: Roll Call!
-----------------------------
-The next day-
Jam had set up a cheap wooden booth in front of her restaurant, the
best she could do on such short notice and with such limited
materials. It was little more than a desk with a sign hung above it,
the sign reading "Welcome Honored Guests!"
One of the first to arrive was Potemkin. He was not wearing his large
Zepp slave collar, but instead had on sunglasses and a bright Hawaiian
shirt. "Ain't you a big fella?" Jam asked. "Whatever you're eating,
you're sure doing something right!"
Potemkin lowered his head a bit. "Thank you, madam. I just returned
from an operation in the mid-Atlantic, when President Gabriel ordered
me to take a short leave of absence. He believes it would be best to
let me recuperate, although my abilities have not been taxed for some
time."
"Well, good timing then! Glad to have you aboard!" Potemkin gave
jam a military salute, which looked nothing short of hysterical once
you considered he was wearing neon yellow. He then walked off to stand
with Millia, and Jam had to do a double-take. "Millia? When did you get
here?"
"Just now," she replied, then sharply turned away from her to signal the
conversation had ended. Jam marked both their names down, making a
mental note to help that girl brush up on her conversation skills.
Almost right behind Potemkin was another man. He was wearing a
uniform that would have been quite common during the Crusades, but
these days was an increasing rarity: the robes of the Holy Order of
Sacred Knights. His short blonde hair was pushed about slightly by
the wind, and the legendary sword Thunderseal was carried in his right
hand. "Shoot, it's the cop," Johnny said as he rubbed the back of his
head. "How should I explain this...?"
Ky shook his head. "You may relax. I am not here on official
business, and I lack the manpower to arrest you without support. I
merely came at Miss Jam's request."
"For ME?! Oh, Ky, you're so... cute!" With this Jam leapt over the
table, hugging Ky tightly. Ky clenched his teeth and started glowing
red. "Aw, he's blushing! Just like when we fought before... you
remember that, right? You were so stunned by my beauty that you let
me win!"
Ky loosened his collar slightly, suddenly feeling quite hot. It was
true that he was stunned at that time, but it wasn't completely
because of her beauty. 'That skirt of hers is far too short...' he
admonished silently. '...and she kicks far too high. How was I
supposed to fight if I could not even look at her?'
May giggled, "Come on, Ky, you're not fooling anyone. You came here
to see your TRUE love!" Ky's face showed complete confusion. May
spelled out one letter at a time, "S-O-L!"
Ky grimaced, and he visibly shuddered. "I would sooner break my
entire collection into pieces," he vowed through clenched teeth, his
patience destroyed utterly by the mere mention of a thought so vile.
"That is a horrible, vicious, disgusting rumor. Never speak of it
again."
May was about to say something more, but Jam cut her off. "He's
right, you know," Jam added. "You really shouldn't spread rumors like
that. Who knows what Sol would do if he heard that? Besides, we all
know Ky is just saving himself for the right woman..." With this, Jam
pressed her body closer to the knight, grinning suggestively.
Ky noticed that her... assets were starting to spill out of her dress.
He swiftly averted his eyes and coughed. "I doubt he will come,
anyway. He has always been anti-social, and would see little point in
a gathering like this."
No sooner had he said that when April perked up. "Hey, look! It's
that guy with the flaming sword! Huh? How'd Ky get over there?"
Jam blinked, then looked downward toward her now-empty arms. She
gasped and grabbed at the air a few times with the hand that mere
seconds ago was wrapped around Ky. "Hey! How the heck did he...?"
Ky approached his rival with the air of an executioner. He stared
straight at Sol as he spat, "I've been waiting for you."
Sol gave him a sardonic smirk. "I'll bet you have. What about it?"
"I believe we have unfinished business between us..."
"Maybe we do," Sol shrugged. "But I'm not in the mood. I'm here for
a party, not a fight. You need to loosen up a bit too, boy. Or at the
very least, try to remember how." With that, Sol flicked his nearly
spent cigarette into a nearby wastebin and walked straight past the young
knight.
Ky fumed a bit, but kept his anger in check as Sol walked past him.
It would be extremely rude of him to start a fight in front of so many
people during what was supposed to be a friendly occasion. He'd just
have to bite his tongue and deal with this the best he could.
Sol stopped suddenly, sensing something not altogether human. He
gripped the Fireseal tighter as he scanned the crowd, but allowed it
to loosen again when he realized where it was coming from. The person
noticed Sol, and nervously walked up to him. Sol's eyes narrowed,
although he was no longer looking in her direction. Some people...
"Um... Mr. Badguy?" Dizzy asked cautiously.
His eye slowly slid in it's socket to glare at the young Gear who had
uttered it. She fidgeted slightly, clearly both nervous and frightened.
'Her again,' he thought as he caught sight of the winged half-Gear.
'How the hell did she get here? And how did she ditch that moron?'
"Hey," Sol greeted simply, turning toward her. Dizzy made a tiny "Eep!"
as he did so. Sol shook his head. "Relax. I ain't starting any
fights today."
Dizzy swallowed hard and responded, "I... I see. I'm sorry... it's
just that, after last time, I thought you would attack me again..."
"A few hard feelings, then? I ain't surprised."
Dizzy put on a strained smile as she shook her head, nervously
wringing her tail. "Nope... no hard feelings at all..."
Sol thought he saw something going on behind Dizzy, and leaned to the
side a bit to see. Necro was practically frothing at the mouth, one
of his hands holding a large battle-axe and the other glowing with
energy. If it weren't for Undine holding him back by the shoulders,
he would doubtlessly be trying to tear Sol limb from limb. '"Trying"
being the operative word,' Sol thought smugly.
Dizzy felt a drop of sweat form on her forehead from both the exertion
of trying to keep Necro under control and from the embarrassment this
situation was causing her. Sol gestured with his head, and said with
more amusement than worry, "He looks a bit pissed."
Dizzy shook her head. "I...it's okay. He's just a little on edge...
Necro!" she turned to face her wing suddenly, which stopped struggling
and shrunk a little from her gaze. "Such language!"
Sol shrugged. "Guess I'd better give the little bastard some time to
cool off. I'll see you around." He walked away, waving nonchalantly
over his shoulder as Dizzy watched him head off to the side of the
gathering.
"See, Necro?" she said. "He's not really a bad person... today is a
holiday, so why don't we all relax a little bit?" Necro looked from
Dizzy to Sol, then back again before reverting to a black wing. Dizzy
smiled. "That's better." Undine gave a serene smile as she became a
white wing again. "If it's just for a little while, we can all be
friends..." she said hopefully.
Sol sat on the curb, laying his Fireseal down by his side. He looked
out among the rest of the mingling guests. It wasn't like he needed
friends or anything... when you lived 150 years, you got pretty good
at keeping yourself amused. Yes... his life was much like that
solitary raven sitting on the fence, cawing solely to amuse itself
rather than respect the wishes of those who'd rather see it shut up.
He did what he wanted, and anybody who didn't like it could piss off.
Wait a minute... raven?
Sol lowered his head. "You son of a bitch," he sighed to no one that
could be seen. "Do you always have to get in my way wherever I go?"
Seemingly melting from the shadows, Testament appeared behind him. "I
am surprised you did not sense me earlier. I could have slit your
throat a hundred times since you arrived. Only the smile on her face,
and the knowledge that doing so would destroy it, stayed my hand."
Sol raised an eyebrow. "Don't be so dramatic. It's a party, not a
damn poetry reading. Hey, waitress," he called out suddenly. "We got
a party crasher."
Jam frowned. "I have a name, you know! But... oh, Testament! How
are you doing?"
Testament's eyebrow twitched. "We may have parted without bloodshed,
but do not think I am your friend, human. Your kind is-"
"Testament!" Dizzy shouted, running up to him. "It's been so long!
Are you here for the party too? I didn't know you were invited..."
Testament coughed into his fist as he confessed, "I wasn't."
Dizzy blinked. "Oh. Well, why don't you join us now? I mean, you
came all this way..."
Testament considered her briefly. "... Very well. Waitress, I shall
join your little party if that is what Dizzy wishes."
Jam sighed. "The plans are a bit tight, you know. It might be tough
to squeeze you in at such a late time..."
Testament eyed her. "I'm not asking, I'm telling. Deal with it."
Dizzy playfully hit Testament on the shoulder. "Now now, Testament,
you don't have to be unfriendly. I know you met Johnny already, but
I've made lots of friends on the ship in the past few weeks... come
on!" And with that the winged girl dragged Testament deep into the
crowd.
As Jam warily added Testament's name to the guest list, the area
around her suddenly darkened. Confused, she glanced upward. She then
dropped her head back down and sighed, burying her face in her hands.
"I should have known..."
Mere feet from where she was standing, the doctor known only as Faust
made his landing. For most other people, this would mean their
helicopter or airplane. But Faust chose a wildly different mode of
transportation; an umbrella. He floated to the ground as gently as a
leaf, singing a little tune to himself:
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious,
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious!
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
Faust folded up his umbrella and slung it over his shoulder. "Ah,
Miss Jam. It's so nice to you again. I have been hoping to have some
of your lovely cuisine once more."
Jam sighed. "Hello to you as well, Doctor. And thank you for the
compliment."
"Hm?" Faust said as he inspected Jam's booth. "This style of booth
reminds me of something..."
Jam frowned. "What do you mean...?"
With that, Faust reached into his pocket and pulled out a nickel. He
tossed it into the booth and said, "I've got a problem. You see,
there's this little red-haired girl I like, and-"
"What do I look like, a matchmaker? I'm having enough trouble in that
area myself..." She glanced in Ky's direction at this remark. Her
eye twitched when she realized he was talking with Millia. Maybe
her conversation skills were just fine after all. 'Mitts off, you
hussy,' she attempted to telepathically warn Millia. 'He's mine! I
saw him first!'
"Well!" Faust huffed in mock offense. "I shall have to take my 5
cents elsewhere." Faust picked his nickel back up, and stuffed it in
his pocket. His single eye blinked as he looked up. "Um... Miss Jam?
I think you have a problem..."
Her ears perked up. "Problem?"
Faust nodded. "Yes yes... what happens when you put a cobra and a mongoose
in the same room?"
Jam frowned. "I don't quite get what you-"
A new voice, smooth and medium-toned interupted, "Is this the registration
booth?"
Jam turned to face the newcomer, and was not disappointed. "Ooh! Aren't
you handsome!" Jam said smiling. The man in front of her had his long white
hair pulled back, revealing his well-cut features. His face held an almost
feminine beauty that Jam knew she'd never seen before. Well, he didn't have
to know that... she could squeeze one more hottie onto the guest list. "Yes
sir, right away sir. Can I have your name?"
"Venom."
Jam blinked. "No way!" In response, Venom flipped his hair down in
front of his face, showing the unmistakable blue eye painted onto his
hair. Jam stared and complimented, "Wow, I never knew you looked so
great under all that hair... you should wear it up like that more often!"
Venom turned toward her, his expression now unreadable due to the large
amount of hair blocking the view. However, his tone of voice seemed
genuinely intrigued as he asked, "Do you think so?"
Jam nodded. "Oh, yes! Why, with a face like yours..."
"You're wasting time," Millia deadpanned. "He doesn't swing your way, if
you know what I mean..."
Faust opened his umbrella up and positioned it in front of him like a
shield. "Uh oh, here we go..."
Venom turned toward Millia and grumbled, "They just invite anyone
these days, don't they? I wouldn't have come if I knew this harpy was
going to be here..."
Millia sighed and looked away. "Zato is dead, good riddance. Get over
it already."
"Do not waste your good fortune, woman. You will pay for your crimes,
someday soon. Mark my words." Venom then walked off into the crowd,
the two parting for the first time in a long time without causing
property damage.
Jam breathed a sigh of relief. "Too close!"
Two figures came walking toward the group, both in traditional (and
exceedingly rare) Japanese garb. In front was Anji Mito. He was in
his familiar blue outfit, well-defined chest bared and swaying to and
fro like he had not a care in the world. Slightly behind him, dressed
in her usual white kimono, was Baiken. Her sword still hung at her
side, and her hair covered the left side of her face nicely.
"Hey, you two, you made it!" Jam waved. "I thought they didn't let
Japanese out of the colonies these days..."
"I'm not registered," Baiken answered bluntly, though for a Japanese
the statement was a confession to breaking international law. "It gets
in the way of more important things."
"And I snuck out," Anji declared proudly. "Really, it's just too
stuffy and boring in the reservations. A man can't see what the world
has to offer being cooped up in there, right?" He punctuated his
statement with a mirthful laugh.
Baiken eyed her traveling companion the same way one might eye a
chatty bird at six-thirty in the morning. She fingered her sword as
she warned, "Someone shut him up, or I will. I've had to deal with
this guy since six miles ago."
Anji scratched his head nervously. "Now now, no need to be so violent..."
Baiken sulked. "Plenty of need. I've got a loud-mouthed braggart AND
an annoying twerp following me around..."
At that a portion of the road popped up, revealing Chipp Zanuff under it.
His sudden appearance happened to be directly under the spot Anji was
standing, and sent him toppling to the ground. "Damn!" Chipp said, looking
at Baiken in amazement. "How long have you known I was there?"
Baiken sighed. "Almost since the beginning. Your skills need work, 'ninja';
I could hear you from a mile away."
Anji sat upand asked Baiken, "Um... when you said 'loud-mouthed braggart'
and 'irritating twerp'... which one of those am I?"
Baiken seethed, "Does it really matter?"
Jam made a few last checks on her list, then looked it over one last
time. She winced a bit as she crossed Zato's name off the list,
thinking, 'This is a bit out of date...' She tapped her pencil a
few times next to the only name that had not yet been marked.
"Hmmm... that's funny, I thought Axl would be one of the first ones
here..."
Millia stepped forward. "...We met each other on the way here... but
he vanished."
Jam raised an eyebrow. "Vanished?"
Millia nodded. "I looked away from him for a moment, heard him
scream, and then he was gone."
Sol overheard this conversation, and his eyebrow twitched. 'After all
the begging he did to get me to come, he doesn't even show. That
twit had better have a good excuse...'
"Really... hm. All right!" Jam said slamming her guestbook shut. "In
that case, I guess everyone's here that's going to be. If I can have
everyone's attention," she shouted out. "The party's location was
originally supposed to be my new restaurant... but as you can see, you
just can't get good help nowadays. So, we'll have a slight change of
scenery... a Pacific island, airway provided by the Captain of the
Jellyfish Pirates himself, Johnny! He volunteered his lovely Mayship
to book us passage, so everyone give him a big hand!"
There was a short outcry of surprise, followed by a round of applause.
Grinning widely, the aforementioned pirate stood up. It was his turn
to shine. "Yes, thank you everyone. It's the very least a wonderful
man like me can do for all of you. I should point out that my ship is
NOT your playground, and fighting on board won't be tolerated. I will
charge you for any damage you do to it, and those who can't pay...
well, let's just say 20,000 feet is a LOOOOONG way to fall..."
After a few nervous chuckles, Johnny continued, "Well, the lifeboat is
this way... if you'll all follow me, we'll get this trip started!"
Miscellaneous Notes:
May's comment: I'm not a fan of the Sol/Ky pairing. Can'tcha tell?
Faust: An obvious joke, perhaps, but a good one nonetheless. And yes,
the word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", nonsense though it may
be, is spelled correctly here. This might be a good time to add it to
your spell-checker dictionary.
The booth: Yes, Faust is making a Charlie Brown joke. The only reason
Jam doesn't spot it is because Charlie Brown wouldn't be common
knowledge in 2170, don't you think?
Characters that will be showing up later: Axl, Slayer, Eddie, Bridget,
Zappa, I-No. Not necessarily in that order, but pretty much whenever
it would be most amusing.