Domicile: Basement (Conflicts of Interest)
"Maybe you should stay up here, Talbot. You don't look too well."
"Honestly, guys I'm fine." Talbot backed away from them, his voice showing a hint of exasperation.
Just then, the three of them heard rapid footsteps overhead, moving closer- heading right for their location. The basement door flung open, revealing Jackie, rage in her wide eyes. Charles, being the closest one to her, regarded her rather casually. His sunglasses were gone, and is blue eyes almost seemed to have a look of slight annoyance at her arrival upon the scene.
Without a moment's hesitation, Jackie flew at Charles, fists raised. He raised his arm to sheild himself as she brought them down, trying to stike him in the face, but he always seemed to anticipate her move and either dodge or block with an arm. Talbot stood shocked and horrified; further away- loosely clutching the sledgehammer in gloved hands- Ralph smiled in apparent amusement.
For Ralph, this violent dance was a perfect testiment of the destructive tendencies humans cannot avoid dragging around with them. He set down the sledgehammer and leaned on the handle, caught up in the beauty of the spectacle as the others got caught up in the current of action transpiring.
Talbot rushed over and attempted to grab Jackie and pull her off Charles, but as he caught hold of her arm, she reflexively spun around and hit him full in the face with her free hand. Stunned, Talbot staggered backward, clutching his face, he dropped his flashlight- which rolled over to Ralph's shoe. Nonchalantly picking it up, Ralph continued to play spectator. Charles used the opening to firmly grab Jackie's arm with both hands, then pull her forward, getting her off-balance. Pulling her as he spun, Charles rapidly brought Jackie to the floor. It was evident to Ralph that Charles had at least some training in the field of martial arts.
"Are you alright, Talbot?" Charles asked as he twisted Jackies arm behind her back illiciting a scream of frustration from his captive. Talbot could only grunt a small noise as he clutched at his eye, which had sustained the brunt of Jackie's reactionary strike. Ralph walked over to his brother and looked him over.
"Quite sure you're going to have a black eye, bro. You may want to put some ice on that."
Talbot glared at Ralph with his uninjured eye, but said nothing.
"What, you wanna hit me now? Or do you just wish you had control over the forces in this universe sometimes?" Ralph's tone was a mocking, and he smiled as his brother turned and headed for the stairs. People are such animals- they try to throw their feeble might into everything- even each other- and when that fails, they make one last spastic attempt, then fall limp, defeated.
Ralph turned to shine the light on the kneeling Charles, who was using his knee to pin Jackie- who seemed almost beyond speech as she flailed and yelled obscenities- to the floor. He purposely shined the light directly into Charle's blue eyes when he asked the following question:
"Well, what now?"
"Honestly, guys I'm fine." Talbot backed away from them, his voice showing a hint of exasperation.
Just then, the three of them heard rapid footsteps overhead, moving closer- heading right for their location. The basement door flung open, revealing Jackie, rage in her wide eyes. Charles, being the closest one to her, regarded her rather casually. His sunglasses were gone, and is blue eyes almost seemed to have a look of slight annoyance at her arrival upon the scene.
Without a moment's hesitation, Jackie flew at Charles, fists raised. He raised his arm to sheild himself as she brought them down, trying to stike him in the face, but he always seemed to anticipate her move and either dodge or block with an arm. Talbot stood shocked and horrified; further away- loosely clutching the sledgehammer in gloved hands- Ralph smiled in apparent amusement.
For Ralph, this violent dance was a perfect testiment of the destructive tendencies humans cannot avoid dragging around with them. He set down the sledgehammer and leaned on the handle, caught up in the beauty of the spectacle as the others got caught up in the current of action transpiring.
Talbot rushed over and attempted to grab Jackie and pull her off Charles, but as he caught hold of her arm, she reflexively spun around and hit him full in the face with her free hand. Stunned, Talbot staggered backward, clutching his face, he dropped his flashlight- which rolled over to Ralph's shoe. Nonchalantly picking it up, Ralph continued to play spectator. Charles used the opening to firmly grab Jackie's arm with both hands, then pull her forward, getting her off-balance. Pulling her as he spun, Charles rapidly brought Jackie to the floor. It was evident to Ralph that Charles had at least some training in the field of martial arts.
"Are you alright, Talbot?" Charles asked as he twisted Jackies arm behind her back illiciting a scream of frustration from his captive. Talbot could only grunt a small noise as he clutched at his eye, which had sustained the brunt of Jackie's reactionary strike. Ralph walked over to his brother and looked him over.
"Quite sure you're going to have a black eye, bro. You may want to put some ice on that."
Talbot glared at Ralph with his uninjured eye, but said nothing.
"What, you wanna hit me now? Or do you just wish you had control over the forces in this universe sometimes?" Ralph's tone was a mocking, and he smiled as his brother turned and headed for the stairs. People are such animals- they try to throw their feeble might into everything- even each other- and when that fails, they make one last spastic attempt, then fall limp, defeated.
Ralph turned to shine the light on the kneeling Charles, who was using his knee to pin Jackie- who seemed almost beyond speech as she flailed and yelled obscenities- to the floor. He purposely shined the light directly into Charle's blue eyes when he asked the following question:
"Well, what now?"