The Dinner Party

The next few days passed without mishap. Until (without MY consent, mind you.) a dinner party was arranged in Haven. In the middle of war. I had to go, said Pecker. Ambassadors from Franerik would be there. Probably to grovel for our help. Well it didn't seem like a bad idea to me, until the fine print came up-I had to wear a dress. Not cool. I was disputing it with Pecker in my bedroom.

Janovah: Look...there is no way in HELL I'm wearing a dress. Who's idea was this anyway?!
Pecker: Onin and Samos believe that you would look more adult and queenly if you attended a dinner party to negotiate military action.
Janovah: No, I mean the dress part!!
Pecker: Well...you have to look womanly!!
Janovah: I don't want to look "womanly".
Pecker: What is it with you and dresses, anyway?
Janovah: I've hated them ever since that play in the third grade..."Swan Lake".
Pecker: Why? What happened?
Janovah: Timmy-What's-His-Face looked up my dress. So gave him a bit of a socking in the nose...and another...and another...
Pecker: You have serious anger issues.

Unfortunately, no matter how I tried...I was stuck. I had defeated many foes before...But I had yet to defeat the dreaded dress. The Air Base had deposited us at the new Palace on the night of the party. I found myself in the dressing room, facing my worst nightmare. There were three maids there, and a little screen that I stood behind. They handed me a white bodice, and I took it. I gulped. I changed out of my other clothes into the wretched thing. I felt naked. And the best part, the corset!! How I loved being suffocated!! (Arg) And finally a covering piece...well, it was sort of nice looking. It was yellowish-goldish, with little flowers embroidered into it. Then they tore through my hair with a hairbrush. It was tied up in really complicated manner, much unlike my simple, yet effective tight bun.

There was an extreme feeling of tension. Was something going to happen? I hoped not. I made my way to the dining hall, but right outside I bumped into Torn. He was wearing Freedom League armor, arranged for that of a Commander. He looked really quite dashing. Unlike me. I looked like a coconut on a matching dressmaker's dummy with a ripening banana peel on its head, because my skin was so tanned and brown. My body felt like it would explode any minute from the corset, despite the fact I was so slender you could easily see my ribs and hipbones.

Torn strolled up to me, he eyes gleaming. They were so beautiful and blue. He took my hand and kissed it with a flourish, trying to act like a gentleman, as always. He led me through two doors into a long room, with an equally long table. There must have four or five hundred people there. Chandeliers hung delicately overhead. We seated ourselves near the middle. Somebody from a far end spoke in a loud voice.

?????: Now that we're all here, let us begin!

People all around began talking as chefs laid down platters with things that looked really delicious...yet I had no stomach for any of it. The tension was growing. People began to eat, stuffing their faces, and talking about various things. I could hardly stand it; mouths chewing and talking, gullets swallowing when there was danger. Some women started poking odd questions at me. One, who introduced herself as Dia, asked some personal ones.

Dia: So I've heard you and Torn are engaged...Have you shared any really nice moments?

God yes!! When he was going to be executed, when Freedom HQ was on fire, after I defeated Veger, when I was half unconscious after my battle with Rin just a week ago, when he caught me on the stairs, when he stopped me from committing suicide; wait, I'm not sure that was a wonderful moment. I had to pick one...I chose the Freedom HQ fire; it would make him very heroic. I went into excruciating detail and how he had pulled my out of danger, yadda yadda. I noticed Torn was kind of blushing, I knew I was exaggerating a little.

Dia: Oh, how wonderful, I hope you find a nice quiet place to raise the children.

I turned absolutely red, and Torn dropped his spoon. I giggled within myself at his reaction.

Torn: Ch-ch-children....um....it's a little early to be discussing that, isn't it?!
Dia: Of course not! The sooner the better, especially a man your age.

I never exactly knew how old he was. I knew he was older than me, but that's about it.

Dia: Thirty-Seven is getting a little up there, don't you think.

If I had been drinking something I would have choked. Thirty-Seven? That's over twice my age! I tried to remind myself...age is just a number. Well for one thing, he didn't look it. He had no wrinkles, and he was muscular and active. Mmm...muscular.

I got used to weird questions, and for a while I just kind of fiddled with my food. I was too anxious to eat. But then; it happened. We heard a person shouting, a man from the balcony right outside of the sliding door at the end of the room. The voice was familiar.

Man: Mother of Mar!!

Everyone got up, including me, and rushed out onto the enormous balcony. It was a Tsunami-A giant wave of water heading for the city at a fast speed. Everyone started screaming, and there was pandemonium. What to do? Duh. I'm the leader. That's my cue. I shouted so loud that I got everyone's attention immediately.

Janovah: Everyone!! Head to higher grounds!!

And they did, like obedient dogs. They rushed back inside and up stairs to highest floor. They were safe. However, I was still on the lower levels making sure everyone got up safely. I was on a staircase. Everyone had gotten up safely. I turned to head upstairs, but-My dress was caught. Stupid ass thing!! I felt the building shudder and I tried to desperately pull the fabric free. I heard the sound of rushing water, getting closer and closer. I pulled and tugged. The floor became damp, and ankle deep in water, then waist deep, until I was floating at the top of it. I gasped several times, and took a big breath of air, as it slid above my head. I was drowning, surely and slowly, and until I faded out...

3rd Person

Torn's POV

Torn waited anxiously for Janovah, but there was still nothing. The building had stopped flooding, but Janovah was missing. He decided to go find her, now. He slipped away from the panicky crowd and down a few flights of stairs until he found where the water began. He jumped in, not knowing what would happen. Down a few feet, he saw her, paled somewhat. She looked dead. He grabbed her waist, and tried to pull her up, but her dress was caught. His breath was running short. He fumbled for something to cut it with. He found the handle of his knife, his boomerang like knife. He pulled it out and began cutting. Finally he tore the fabric loose. He began to swim up to the surface, but at this point he was tired and light headed, and Janovah felt so much heavier. He finally felt his face break the surface, and he gasped. He felt a little stronger and hoisted Janovah onto the floor above.

He climbed up from the submerged staircase. Janovah wasn't breathing, and she looked dead. She was so cold, too. Was she-? No, of course not. Janovah can't die. He found the source of the problem, her corset. It was much too tight, and she didn't need one anyway, because she so skinny. He found the strings that held it together, and he sliced them loose. He would hate to think how Janovah would react to find she was only wearing a bodice...but anyway...he pumped the water out of her until she went in to a coughing fit.

1st Person

Janovah's POV

I opened my eyes to see Torn's face. Looking concerned and anxious. He had rescued me from my watery tomb, I realized. We were at the top of the staircase. And then I discovered; I was only in my bodice...he pulled my corset off!! I became instantly embarrassed. I was practically naked here!

Torn: Are you okay?
Janovah: I think...

Not okay!! I felt sort of violated. I blushed slightly. But then Torn didn't seem to care at all. He actually kissed me. I stopped feeling embarrassed. Instead I remembered the dress that Rin made me wear for our wedding. Black, ugly. And it was so low cut you could clearly see the crack of my boobs. But-despite the fact that there were no casualties to the terror, I still had a sense of danger.