XENOSAGA 0: Die fröhliche Wissenschaft -- 4/?? -- COMPLETE
!! RETCON WARNING !!
Romeo says the year is 2066, but we changed this: it's now ~2017.
[ROMEO] You like my eyes, chaos? ::Romeo's blonde bangs were clouding chaos' vision, because that's how close his head was to chaos'. His thumbs pressed down against chaos' Adam's Apple (or what little he had of one), and his general grip on his neck tightened.:: Take a real good look. ::There was no revelation to be had; no mystery to be solved. Romeo's irises were a crystal orange, and that was all. And his eyes--they were full of hate.
Romeo slammed chaos further into the wall, released him, and then loitered towards the cockpit.:: Get dressed. We're landing. ::He kicked a random pair of shoes--a pair of many--away from the wall, causing it to scatter out into the hall. They were complete with the unworn socks balled up inside them.
Romeo leered over the pilot's panel and flicked a few switches.::
[CHAOS] ::If the Compass of Order and Chaos had been functioning, it would have begun oscillating crazily once chaos wasn't able to breathe right. Anything he wanted to say regarding those plain, but nonetheless hateful eyes was limited by the thumb digging into his throat. He stared back; his left eye winced shut, but the right rapidly moved around as he lifted his leg a little, getting ready to kick the shit out of Romeo's shins or something. Before this could happen, Romeo pushed and released; chaos stepped forward reflexively and reached up to his neck.::
Man, keep making that face and it'll freeze like that. ::A shoe finished its tumble and touched his bare foot. He looked down at it, blinked, and then realized the shoes were for him. Guess this New York place wouldn't appreciate any bare-footed youths. After warily looking up at Romeo again, he crouched down to put the socks and shoes on with somewhat clumsy fingers. Though he was able to tie his shoelaces, he did it messily and ended up with a knot on one.::
[ROMEO] ::The ship SHOOK! The rifle fell from the dashboard, the condoms fell into the passenger's seat, a shatter was heard in the kitchen's direction, and several of the unpicked shoes rolled over and hopped off of the floor. Romeo scraped his thumb against his two front teeth, savoring the flavor of the Zohar. They had landed--in the middle of Times Square.::
[PEDESTRIANS] AAAAAHHHHH!!
[BUSINESSMAN] Oh my GOD!! ::A random businessman--why was he stumbling around the Square this late at night?--fled from the havoc and destruction that Romeo's ship had just caused to the pavement.:: THE TERRISTS ARE HERE! THE TERRISTS!!!!
[ROMEO] ::Romeo looked down at his thumb, and then to chaos.:: You like steak?
[WAITER] ::The waiter--flawless in both appearance and French accent--placed a menu out in front of chaos. He finished topping off Romeo's glass of ice cold water and then dipped his head in the couple's direction.:: Should you need any help whatsoever navigating our menu, please--do not hesitate to call on one of our waiters. I will be with you shortly, Sirs.
::With a smile, the waiter propped his arm horizontal behind his back and took off in another table's direction.::
[ROMEO] Don't mind the staring; these rich types have probably never seen a t-shirt in their life. ::Romeo looked up from chaos' shirt, to his face. And then he realized they were two men in one of New York's most fine fine dining restaurants: Daniel.:: Or fags. ::There was some mild, muffled gasping in the background.
Romeo took a gulp of the water he'd been presented.:: See anything you like? ::Of course, considering the menu--including its descriptions--were in French, it was unlikely that chaos saw anything he understood.::
I'm not gonna get arrested if I give you wine, am I? ::Romeo finally opened his menu and immediately skipped down to the Beers and Wines section.::
[CHAOS] ::chaos had figured out upon meeting Romeo that the guy wasn't discreet--mass-executing members of the excavation team gave a real good first impression--but this was ridiculous. Out the cockpit's window, he could see Times Square: even in the middle of the night, it was bright as day. The countless television screens, marquees, and lights assaulted his eyes with their garish modernism.::
Uh. ::They were going to have one hell of a parking ticket after this. He side-glanced Romeo.:: I've never had steak.
::But he was interested, because that was what he started hunting for in the menu once he received it. For someone who shouldn't have known a lick of French--he was American according to his passport, and what patriotic American associated with anything French?--he seemed to be reading the goobledegook avidly.:: Sauce aux champignons...
::He looked up and then around at the people at other tables: yes, they were staring at the odd couple there.:: H-Huh? Hey! ::He glared at Romeo and shut his menu to await the waiter.::
I think I'm gonna have some of this 'steak' stuff. And I've never had wine, so I dunno.
[ROMEO] Steak au Poivre's the only way to go about it--steak in pepper sauce. Simplicity at its best, chaos. The greatest things in life are always simple. Remember that. ::He rose a brow when the waiter returned. There was a small, vertical scar across his brow.::
[WAITER] I assume you are ready, Sirs?
[ROMEO] You're good at that, aren't you?
[WAITER] Excuse me, Sir? ::The waiter retrieved his pad from his breast pocket and leaned his pen into it.::
[ROMEO] You know exactly when your guests are ready to order. That's the sign of a good waiter. ::.. was Romeo already drunk?::
[WAITER] .. why thank you, Sir.
[ROMEO] ::Romeo smiled. At the waiter.:: We'll be having the Steak in Pepper Sauce--don't, .. burn it. I'll sign a fucking release form if I have to.
[WAITER] Uh--
[ROMEO] And your best wine. Something compatible.
[WAITER] ::The waiter looked from chaos to Romeo, and was about to mention chaos' age when he noticed the glistening of the gun attached to Romeo's belt. How had he gotten in here with that?!?!:: Ah--yes. Of course. It will be just a moment. ::The waiter very quickly returned to the kitchen.::
[ROMEO] 2066 and lawmakers still don't understand the concept of good beef. ::Romeo slammed his glass of water against the table, which lost a lot of dramatic effect when he realized it was a glass of water and not a can of beer. He looked at chaos' chest through the water glass.
He exhaled through his nose and leaned back in his seat. Comfortable. Everything in this restaurant was comfortable; it was the pinnacle of dining. It was also the deep-sea trenches of Romeo's pocketbook.::
So.
[CHAOS] ::All right, so Romeo was getting weirder by the minute. chaos was ready for him to turn into a mutated, incorporeal spirit that could rape humanity from beyond the real number domain, even though he had no idea where that thought came from in the first place. .Given the rapidity at which his own thoughts kept fragmenting, he thought he himself was getting weirder by the minute too. Maybe it was from being around Romeo. It was like a disease: weirdness.::
Is that like always stopping to smell the roses or some shit? ::he asked, squinting a little. Platitudes just didn't do it for him.
When the waiter walked ready, he flipped open his menu, but Romeo was already ordering for him!:: Wait--
::Oh my GOD, he knew that his hugest pet peeve was people talking over him. He glowered at Romeo the entire time instead while the odd exchange occurred, and once the waiter moved away, he said,:: I wanted the steak with mushrooms. ::It was petulant complaint, but Romeo was kind of the only person who could pay between the two of them. He'd have to eat his steak with pepper sauce and like it.::
--! ::The glass didn't break, but it still surprised chaos, whose frown disappeared when he jumped back in his seat a little. His eyes passed over the darkened spots on the tablecloth where the water had sloshed off and landed on Romeo's face.::
So what? Christ, you're confusing. ::Oh the huge manatee of it all.::
[ROMEO] Not as confusing as the huge manatee over there. ::Romeo didn't motion to it, but in the background, a manatee--yes, a living, breathing manatee--was sipping at some wine while having a decent conversation with a pretty young woman.:: I don't even understand how he fit through the door.
::He took the fancy, heavily decorated napkin off of the table and brushed his own cheek with it.:: If you have questions, chaos, now's the time to ask. I don't think we'll be able to get much alone time~ once we get to Toronto.
::He lifted his left arm and looked down at the watch wrapped around his wrist. Huh. 2 AM. Fortunately, New York was one of those cities that never quite slept; he was sure they'd be able to find an apparel shop of some kind after this incredibly late dinner.::
[CHAOS] ::chaos looked over Romeo's shoulder at the surface-dwelling manatee. One of his white eyebrows twitched. Maybe Romeo wasn't getting weirder after all; this entire fucking world was weird.::
Questions, huh? ::he asked, looking down at his own previously unmentioned glass of icy water.:: You're not going to mess around with my head with these, are you? I'd really appreciate some straight answers. ::He tapped his forehead and stared.:: Some of us are skewed. Not all there, if you know what I mean. ::The hand drifted down to wrap his fingers around the glass of water; he wanted to take a sip before he started.::
I want to know everything. Who I am, what's with my white hair?, what the fuck is with "Satan is hunting me down," who are you and why are you taking me to Toronto, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Romeo.
[ROMEO] ::Romeo put his hands and the napkin against the table. He tugged on the edges of the napkin and stared down at them. And then he leaned in to the table and started shoving their water glasses aside.:: Hold on.
[DINERS] ::Several nearby diners started looking towards the ruckus that was chaos and Romeo's table.::
[ROMEO] ::The coffee and tea trays were pushed aside. Romeo took the breadless bread basket and handed it off to chaos. The napkin was spread out across the table's face. It started absorbing the small amount of water that Romeo's glass had just spilled. Romeo pointed directly at the wet spot as it grew and grew.::
Okay--look. Look at this. That's you. This is you. And all of this-- ::He traced his fingers along the dry portion--the majority--of the napkin.:: That's U-DO.
::He looked up at chaos and then back down to his napkin. The spot had stopped growing. Romeo frantically reached for his glass and started pouring a little more of the water onto the napkin.::
Are you watching this? Do you remember this? So now there's you--and then there's everything else. ::His shaky eyes looked up at chaos, and he waited for something.::
[MANATEE] ::The manatee lifted his monacle and stared in chaos and Romeo's direction.:: Hmph, they'll let anyone in here these days.
[CHAOS] ::chaos awkwardly held the bread basket in front of him like a talisman, but kept it nearer to his lap than not. He closely watched what Romeo was doing. If Romeo were expecting to see a revelation break into chaos' puzzled, curious expression like sunlight through the clouds, he'd be disappointed.::
I'm... ::His fingertips drummed on the outside of the bread basket.:: Inside U-DO? ::he asked tentatively, meeting Romeo's gaze. His pupils dilated slightly, but not enough for him to notice any real change in the lighting of the room.::
Is that it? Or am I like... ::His next guess he didn't say; he just trailed off, looking back at the napkin.::
[ROMEO] Well, I guess you could say that once upon a time you were. U-DO was there, and then you came--but you overpowered U-DO. Easily.
::He poured just enough water onto the napkin so that only its edges remained dry.:: So.. now it's mostly you. And then you get tired. So you just.. you just take away all your tiredness and all of that crap, and you put it on one side of the universe. ::Romeo grabbed the ribbon that had originally been wrapped around the napkin and placed it along the middle of the napkin, separating the napkin into two halves.:: So this side is your happy tra-la-la side, and then this side is the stuff you need to hide. --You know what I'm saying?
::His eyes very briefly looked up to chaos', and then he returned them to his makeshift diagram.:: See these dry edges? U-DO's still there; just a little bit of it. So it goes to the Bad Side, for no apparent reason. And then, to keep all that bad stuff away, you make your Kingdom. ::Romeo pulled the Zohar out of his pocket and smacked it down on chaos' Side--the 'Good Side'. He took his hand away from it and looked up at chaos again.::
You understand?
[MIANG] ::The oscillation of the Compass of Order and Chaos was reflected in Miang’s eyes. She stared into the Compass--she stared right at chaos’ face. The widest smirk she’d ever bared crossed her own face.::
He lost Contact.
::She looked up to the Brown Testament, and then Wilhelm.::
[BROWN TESTAMENT] Jerusalem. New York. I hear the city is an architectural marvel.
[MIANG] It won’t be much of a city when we get done with it, ::Miang said as she clasped her fist shut against her chin.::
[WILHELM] He looks exactly like Yeshua! ::Wilhelm never sounded affected by anything unless he was in Yeshua's presence, which wasn't the case now and yet he sounded just as alive. Wilhelm's chair got shoved back as he stood up from it and stared into the green-blue depths of the Compass.
While Miang and David conversed, he reached up and touched a couple of fingers to his lips. There was sweat on them; he could taste it, metallic and warm.::
[CHAOS] So you're saying that... ::chaos smiled in that incredulous, disbelieving way he did when something too big for him to understand was getting squeezed into his head. He shook his head as if to ward off this Truth, causing his bangs to swing back and forth.:: I get it, but I don't get it.
This sounds like it came right out of Genesis or something. And I'm just... I'm just a kid.
::This must have been what Jesus Christ felt like when Yeshua told him what he was destined to do and become at God's behest: complete fucking denial.::
But if all that's.. whatever, then what does that make you, Romeo?
[WILHELM] Is this it? Have we reached the final act of our grand play? ::He looked up at Miang and the Brown Testament. They ought to have been scared, because they had probably never seen Wilhelm excited before.::
"Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars..."
[ROMEO] chaos, you are Genesis. ::Romeo tilted his head and grinned at chaos’ inquiry.::
Me? I’m your-- ::There was a pause, and then Romeo reached up to cover his right eye. He almost DOVE onto the table to latch onto the Zohar with his left hand.::
[MIANG] ::Miang turned her head to the side, yet her eyes remained fixated on the Compass‘ Sight-which flickered and blackened.:: Wilhelm, we act now. He knows.
[BROWN TESTAMENT] ::The Brown Testament adjusted his cuffs and turned to leave the room.::
[ROMEO] ::Romeo abruptly stood from his seat while he pushed the Zohar against his chest.:: chaos, we're leaving. Now.
[WAITER] Sir? Is everything alright? ::The waiter had approached--two steak dinners lined along one arm, while his other hand held a wine bottle and two wine glasses.::
[ROMEO] ::Romeo gulped and frantically looked between the waiter, the large assortment of staring diners, and chaos. He was sweating.:: Uh--can--can you--can we get that to go?
[WAITER] .. o_o
[ROMEO] Today? NOW? ::Romeo looked down at the Zohar and realized it was exposed for everyone to see. He crammed it into his pocket and pushed his seat in.::
[WAITER] ::The waiter had already left to put the food into some take-out plates.::
[ROMEO] ::Romeo clawed at the hair at the back of his head while he stared at the ground, thinking intensely.::
[WILHELM] ::Wilhelm smiled malevolently.:: These violent delights have violent ends. Do it.
[CHAOS] ::For a second there, chaos' breath caught as he waited for Romeo to spit it out already. When Romeo freaked out about that little gold thing, however, chaos just looked bewildered yet again.:: What is it? What's going on?
::But Romeo ignored him in lieu of ordering the water around, which really got on his nerves. Once they were alone again, save for the people staring at them, he dropped the empty bread basket on the table, stood up, and pushed his own chair in. One of his hands--bare--dropped onto Romeo's arm, which he noticed was muscular even through his clothes.::
Hey, Earth to Romeo? You still with me or what?
[ROMEO] ::Romeo seemed surprised when chaos touched him. He looked down at where the contact had occurred, and then made eye contact with chaos. He nodded very slowly.:: Yeah, let's..
::Romeo ripped his gaze away and looked at all of the diners looking at him. He was beginning to feel a little paranoid. No one was going to forget the orange-eyed man with the white-haired, underage boyfriend.:: Let's get out of here.
[WAITER] ::The waiter lifted two take-out plates in Romeo's direction when he got in range, but he did not release his grip on them.:: We do require payment here, Sir.
[ROMEO] Uh--oh. Here-- ::Romeo reached down into his opposite pocket and slapped a Mastercard into the waiter's hand.:: Do me a favor. Charge me, then cut that card up. ::Romeo was already backing away towards the exit.:: I don't need a receipt. I'm not coming back.
[WAITER] .. uhh.
[ROMEO] ::He was about to take chaos' hand when he realized that chaos was already latched onto his arm. So he shoved him off.:: Don't touch me.
Remember your Bad Side I was talking about? ::Romeo stormed through the glass doors and stepped out into the open city. It was raining--and it seemed like a storm was coming in.::
I think it's here.
[CHAOS] ::chaos might have been flippant, but he did care that Romeo looked like he was about to have a panic attack of the worst kind. Considering the guy's violent behavior when he was mostly sane, he was afraid of what might happen if he mostly wasn't. He held onto Romeo's arm until he was shoved off, after which he folded his arms tight to his body and winced as the rain fell on his head. This actually brought up memories, and bad ones at that: the rain at the excavation site, the corpses buried in the rubble with bullets buried in their brain, Romeo and Masuda.::
Then what do we do? --And you still didn't tell me who you are.
[ROMEO] My name is Romeo Montague.
::He shook his head vigorously, sending water everywhere--not that it mattered, considering they were going to be soaked within a matter of seconds. As the rain trickled down Romeo's blonde hair, something strange started to happen. Several blonde patches were melting away as if they had been painted on, and crimson streaks were left behind. Romeo grinned and pointed at the space ship in the far distance. It took up three parking stalls, but at least he had moved it away from the center of Times Square.::
You killed my father. Prepare to die. --Isn't that how it goes? ::Romeo grabbed chaos' hand and started to SPRINT towards the spaceship.::
[MIANG] ::Miang’s eyes drifted from the Brown Testament’s feet as they disappeared beyond the doorway. They traced the floor, and then they settled on a large pair of boots in another corner of the room.::
Assassination. Murder. That sounds about right-doesn’t it, ... Cain?
Romeo says the year is 2066, but we changed this: it's now ~2017.
[ROMEO] You like my eyes, chaos? ::Romeo's blonde bangs were clouding chaos' vision, because that's how close his head was to chaos'. His thumbs pressed down against chaos' Adam's Apple (or what little he had of one), and his general grip on his neck tightened.:: Take a real good look. ::There was no revelation to be had; no mystery to be solved. Romeo's irises were a crystal orange, and that was all. And his eyes--they were full of hate.
Romeo slammed chaos further into the wall, released him, and then loitered towards the cockpit.:: Get dressed. We're landing. ::He kicked a random pair of shoes--a pair of many--away from the wall, causing it to scatter out into the hall. They were complete with the unworn socks balled up inside them.
Romeo leered over the pilot's panel and flicked a few switches.::
[CHAOS] ::If the Compass of Order and Chaos had been functioning, it would have begun oscillating crazily once chaos wasn't able to breathe right. Anything he wanted to say regarding those plain, but nonetheless hateful eyes was limited by the thumb digging into his throat. He stared back; his left eye winced shut, but the right rapidly moved around as he lifted his leg a little, getting ready to kick the shit out of Romeo's shins or something. Before this could happen, Romeo pushed and released; chaos stepped forward reflexively and reached up to his neck.::
Man, keep making that face and it'll freeze like that. ::A shoe finished its tumble and touched his bare foot. He looked down at it, blinked, and then realized the shoes were for him. Guess this New York place wouldn't appreciate any bare-footed youths. After warily looking up at Romeo again, he crouched down to put the socks and shoes on with somewhat clumsy fingers. Though he was able to tie his shoelaces, he did it messily and ended up with a knot on one.::
[ROMEO] ::The ship SHOOK! The rifle fell from the dashboard, the condoms fell into the passenger's seat, a shatter was heard in the kitchen's direction, and several of the unpicked shoes rolled over and hopped off of the floor. Romeo scraped his thumb against his two front teeth, savoring the flavor of the Zohar. They had landed--in the middle of Times Square.::
[PEDESTRIANS] AAAAAHHHHH!!
[BUSINESSMAN] Oh my GOD!! ::A random businessman--why was he stumbling around the Square this late at night?--fled from the havoc and destruction that Romeo's ship had just caused to the pavement.:: THE TERRISTS ARE HERE! THE TERRISTS!!!!
[ROMEO] ::Romeo looked down at his thumb, and then to chaos.:: You like steak?
[WAITER] ::The waiter--flawless in both appearance and French accent--placed a menu out in front of chaos. He finished topping off Romeo's glass of ice cold water and then dipped his head in the couple's direction.:: Should you need any help whatsoever navigating our menu, please--do not hesitate to call on one of our waiters. I will be with you shortly, Sirs.
::With a smile, the waiter propped his arm horizontal behind his back and took off in another table's direction.::
[ROMEO] Don't mind the staring; these rich types have probably never seen a t-shirt in their life. ::Romeo looked up from chaos' shirt, to his face. And then he realized they were two men in one of New York's most fine fine dining restaurants: Daniel.:: Or fags. ::There was some mild, muffled gasping in the background.
Romeo took a gulp of the water he'd been presented.:: See anything you like? ::Of course, considering the menu--including its descriptions--were in French, it was unlikely that chaos saw anything he understood.::
I'm not gonna get arrested if I give you wine, am I? ::Romeo finally opened his menu and immediately skipped down to the Beers and Wines section.::
[CHAOS] ::chaos had figured out upon meeting Romeo that the guy wasn't discreet--mass-executing members of the excavation team gave a real good first impression--but this was ridiculous. Out the cockpit's window, he could see Times Square: even in the middle of the night, it was bright as day. The countless television screens, marquees, and lights assaulted his eyes with their garish modernism.::
Uh. ::They were going to have one hell of a parking ticket after this. He side-glanced Romeo.:: I've never had steak.
::But he was interested, because that was what he started hunting for in the menu once he received it. For someone who shouldn't have known a lick of French--he was American according to his passport, and what patriotic American associated with anything French?--he seemed to be reading the goobledegook avidly.:: Sauce aux champignons...
::He looked up and then around at the people at other tables: yes, they were staring at the odd couple there.:: H-Huh? Hey! ::He glared at Romeo and shut his menu to await the waiter.::
I think I'm gonna have some of this 'steak' stuff. And I've never had wine, so I dunno.
[ROMEO] Steak au Poivre's the only way to go about it--steak in pepper sauce. Simplicity at its best, chaos. The greatest things in life are always simple. Remember that. ::He rose a brow when the waiter returned. There was a small, vertical scar across his brow.::
[WAITER] I assume you are ready, Sirs?
[ROMEO] You're good at that, aren't you?
[WAITER] Excuse me, Sir? ::The waiter retrieved his pad from his breast pocket and leaned his pen into it.::
[ROMEO] You know exactly when your guests are ready to order. That's the sign of a good waiter. ::.. was Romeo already drunk?::
[WAITER] .. why thank you, Sir.
[ROMEO] ::Romeo smiled. At the waiter.:: We'll be having the Steak in Pepper Sauce--don't, .. burn it. I'll sign a fucking release form if I have to.
[WAITER] Uh--
[ROMEO] And your best wine. Something compatible.
[WAITER] ::The waiter looked from chaos to Romeo, and was about to mention chaos' age when he noticed the glistening of the gun attached to Romeo's belt. How had he gotten in here with that?!?!:: Ah--yes. Of course. It will be just a moment. ::The waiter very quickly returned to the kitchen.::
[ROMEO] 2066 and lawmakers still don't understand the concept of good beef. ::Romeo slammed his glass of water against the table, which lost a lot of dramatic effect when he realized it was a glass of water and not a can of beer. He looked at chaos' chest through the water glass.
He exhaled through his nose and leaned back in his seat. Comfortable. Everything in this restaurant was comfortable; it was the pinnacle of dining. It was also the deep-sea trenches of Romeo's pocketbook.::
So.
[CHAOS] ::All right, so Romeo was getting weirder by the minute. chaos was ready for him to turn into a mutated, incorporeal spirit that could rape humanity from beyond the real number domain, even though he had no idea where that thought came from in the first place. .Given the rapidity at which his own thoughts kept fragmenting, he thought he himself was getting weirder by the minute too. Maybe it was from being around Romeo. It was like a disease: weirdness.::
Is that like always stopping to smell the roses or some shit? ::he asked, squinting a little. Platitudes just didn't do it for him.
When the waiter walked ready, he flipped open his menu, but Romeo was already ordering for him!:: Wait--
::Oh my GOD, he knew that his hugest pet peeve was people talking over him. He glowered at Romeo the entire time instead while the odd exchange occurred, and once the waiter moved away, he said,:: I wanted the steak with mushrooms. ::It was petulant complaint, but Romeo was kind of the only person who could pay between the two of them. He'd have to eat his steak with pepper sauce and like it.::
--! ::The glass didn't break, but it still surprised chaos, whose frown disappeared when he jumped back in his seat a little. His eyes passed over the darkened spots on the tablecloth where the water had sloshed off and landed on Romeo's face.::
So what? Christ, you're confusing. ::Oh the huge manatee of it all.::
[ROMEO] Not as confusing as the huge manatee over there. ::Romeo didn't motion to it, but in the background, a manatee--yes, a living, breathing manatee--was sipping at some wine while having a decent conversation with a pretty young woman.:: I don't even understand how he fit through the door.
::He took the fancy, heavily decorated napkin off of the table and brushed his own cheek with it.:: If you have questions, chaos, now's the time to ask. I don't think we'll be able to get much alone time~ once we get to Toronto.
::He lifted his left arm and looked down at the watch wrapped around his wrist. Huh. 2 AM. Fortunately, New York was one of those cities that never quite slept; he was sure they'd be able to find an apparel shop of some kind after this incredibly late dinner.::
[CHAOS] ::chaos looked over Romeo's shoulder at the surface-dwelling manatee. One of his white eyebrows twitched. Maybe Romeo wasn't getting weirder after all; this entire fucking world was weird.::
Questions, huh? ::he asked, looking down at his own previously unmentioned glass of icy water.:: You're not going to mess around with my head with these, are you? I'd really appreciate some straight answers. ::He tapped his forehead and stared.:: Some of us are skewed. Not all there, if you know what I mean. ::The hand drifted down to wrap his fingers around the glass of water; he wanted to take a sip before he started.::
I want to know everything. Who I am, what's with my white hair?, what the fuck is with "Satan is hunting me down," who are you and why are you taking me to Toronto, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Romeo.
[ROMEO] ::Romeo put his hands and the napkin against the table. He tugged on the edges of the napkin and stared down at them. And then he leaned in to the table and started shoving their water glasses aside.:: Hold on.
[DINERS] ::Several nearby diners started looking towards the ruckus that was chaos and Romeo's table.::
[ROMEO] ::The coffee and tea trays were pushed aside. Romeo took the breadless bread basket and handed it off to chaos. The napkin was spread out across the table's face. It started absorbing the small amount of water that Romeo's glass had just spilled. Romeo pointed directly at the wet spot as it grew and grew.::
Okay--look. Look at this. That's you. This is you. And all of this-- ::He traced his fingers along the dry portion--the majority--of the napkin.:: That's U-DO.
::He looked up at chaos and then back down to his napkin. The spot had stopped growing. Romeo frantically reached for his glass and started pouring a little more of the water onto the napkin.::
Are you watching this? Do you remember this? So now there's you--and then there's everything else. ::His shaky eyes looked up at chaos, and he waited for something.::
[MANATEE] ::The manatee lifted his monacle and stared in chaos and Romeo's direction.:: Hmph, they'll let anyone in here these days.
[CHAOS] ::chaos awkwardly held the bread basket in front of him like a talisman, but kept it nearer to his lap than not. He closely watched what Romeo was doing. If Romeo were expecting to see a revelation break into chaos' puzzled, curious expression like sunlight through the clouds, he'd be disappointed.::
I'm... ::His fingertips drummed on the outside of the bread basket.:: Inside U-DO? ::he asked tentatively, meeting Romeo's gaze. His pupils dilated slightly, but not enough for him to notice any real change in the lighting of the room.::
Is that it? Or am I like... ::His next guess he didn't say; he just trailed off, looking back at the napkin.::
[ROMEO] Well, I guess you could say that once upon a time you were. U-DO was there, and then you came--but you overpowered U-DO. Easily.
::He poured just enough water onto the napkin so that only its edges remained dry.:: So.. now it's mostly you. And then you get tired. So you just.. you just take away all your tiredness and all of that crap, and you put it on one side of the universe. ::Romeo grabbed the ribbon that had originally been wrapped around the napkin and placed it along the middle of the napkin, separating the napkin into two halves.:: So this side is your happy tra-la-la side, and then this side is the stuff you need to hide. --You know what I'm saying?
::His eyes very briefly looked up to chaos', and then he returned them to his makeshift diagram.:: See these dry edges? U-DO's still there; just a little bit of it. So it goes to the Bad Side, for no apparent reason. And then, to keep all that bad stuff away, you make your Kingdom. ::Romeo pulled the Zohar out of his pocket and smacked it down on chaos' Side--the 'Good Side'. He took his hand away from it and looked up at chaos again.::
You understand?
[MIANG] ::The oscillation of the Compass of Order and Chaos was reflected in Miang’s eyes. She stared into the Compass--she stared right at chaos’ face. The widest smirk she’d ever bared crossed her own face.::
He lost Contact.
::She looked up to the Brown Testament, and then Wilhelm.::
[BROWN TESTAMENT] Jerusalem. New York. I hear the city is an architectural marvel.
[MIANG] It won’t be much of a city when we get done with it, ::Miang said as she clasped her fist shut against her chin.::
[WILHELM] He looks exactly like Yeshua! ::Wilhelm never sounded affected by anything unless he was in Yeshua's presence, which wasn't the case now and yet he sounded just as alive. Wilhelm's chair got shoved back as he stood up from it and stared into the green-blue depths of the Compass.
While Miang and David conversed, he reached up and touched a couple of fingers to his lips. There was sweat on them; he could taste it, metallic and warm.::
[CHAOS] So you're saying that... ::chaos smiled in that incredulous, disbelieving way he did when something too big for him to understand was getting squeezed into his head. He shook his head as if to ward off this Truth, causing his bangs to swing back and forth.:: I get it, but I don't get it.
This sounds like it came right out of Genesis or something. And I'm just... I'm just a kid.
::This must have been what Jesus Christ felt like when Yeshua told him what he was destined to do and become at God's behest: complete fucking denial.::
But if all that's.. whatever, then what does that make you, Romeo?
[WILHELM] Is this it? Have we reached the final act of our grand play? ::He looked up at Miang and the Brown Testament. They ought to have been scared, because they had probably never seen Wilhelm excited before.::
"Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars..."
[ROMEO] chaos, you are Genesis. ::Romeo tilted his head and grinned at chaos’ inquiry.::
Me? I’m your-- ::There was a pause, and then Romeo reached up to cover his right eye. He almost DOVE onto the table to latch onto the Zohar with his left hand.::
[MIANG] ::Miang turned her head to the side, yet her eyes remained fixated on the Compass‘ Sight-which flickered and blackened.:: Wilhelm, we act now. He knows.
[BROWN TESTAMENT] ::The Brown Testament adjusted his cuffs and turned to leave the room.::
[ROMEO] ::Romeo abruptly stood from his seat while he pushed the Zohar against his chest.:: chaos, we're leaving. Now.
[WAITER] Sir? Is everything alright? ::The waiter had approached--two steak dinners lined along one arm, while his other hand held a wine bottle and two wine glasses.::
[ROMEO] ::Romeo gulped and frantically looked between the waiter, the large assortment of staring diners, and chaos. He was sweating.:: Uh--can--can you--can we get that to go?
[WAITER] .. o_o
[ROMEO] Today? NOW? ::Romeo looked down at the Zohar and realized it was exposed for everyone to see. He crammed it into his pocket and pushed his seat in.::
[WAITER] ::The waiter had already left to put the food into some take-out plates.::
[ROMEO] ::Romeo clawed at the hair at the back of his head while he stared at the ground, thinking intensely.::
[WILHELM] ::Wilhelm smiled malevolently.:: These violent delights have violent ends. Do it.
[CHAOS] ::For a second there, chaos' breath caught as he waited for Romeo to spit it out already. When Romeo freaked out about that little gold thing, however, chaos just looked bewildered yet again.:: What is it? What's going on?
::But Romeo ignored him in lieu of ordering the water around, which really got on his nerves. Once they were alone again, save for the people staring at them, he dropped the empty bread basket on the table, stood up, and pushed his own chair in. One of his hands--bare--dropped onto Romeo's arm, which he noticed was muscular even through his clothes.::
Hey, Earth to Romeo? You still with me or what?
[ROMEO] ::Romeo seemed surprised when chaos touched him. He looked down at where the contact had occurred, and then made eye contact with chaos. He nodded very slowly.:: Yeah, let's..
::Romeo ripped his gaze away and looked at all of the diners looking at him. He was beginning to feel a little paranoid. No one was going to forget the orange-eyed man with the white-haired, underage boyfriend.:: Let's get out of here.
[WAITER] ::The waiter lifted two take-out plates in Romeo's direction when he got in range, but he did not release his grip on them.:: We do require payment here, Sir.
[ROMEO] Uh--oh. Here-- ::Romeo reached down into his opposite pocket and slapped a Mastercard into the waiter's hand.:: Do me a favor. Charge me, then cut that card up. ::Romeo was already backing away towards the exit.:: I don't need a receipt. I'm not coming back.
[WAITER] .. uhh.
[ROMEO] ::He was about to take chaos' hand when he realized that chaos was already latched onto his arm. So he shoved him off.:: Don't touch me.
Remember your Bad Side I was talking about? ::Romeo stormed through the glass doors and stepped out into the open city. It was raining--and it seemed like a storm was coming in.::
I think it's here.
[CHAOS] ::chaos might have been flippant, but he did care that Romeo looked like he was about to have a panic attack of the worst kind. Considering the guy's violent behavior when he was mostly sane, he was afraid of what might happen if he mostly wasn't. He held onto Romeo's arm until he was shoved off, after which he folded his arms tight to his body and winced as the rain fell on his head. This actually brought up memories, and bad ones at that: the rain at the excavation site, the corpses buried in the rubble with bullets buried in their brain, Romeo and Masuda.::
Then what do we do? --And you still didn't tell me who you are.
[ROMEO] My name is Romeo Montague.
::He shook his head vigorously, sending water everywhere--not that it mattered, considering they were going to be soaked within a matter of seconds. As the rain trickled down Romeo's blonde hair, something strange started to happen. Several blonde patches were melting away as if they had been painted on, and crimson streaks were left behind. Romeo grinned and pointed at the space ship in the far distance. It took up three parking stalls, but at least he had moved it away from the center of Times Square.::
You killed my father. Prepare to die. --Isn't that how it goes? ::Romeo grabbed chaos' hand and started to SPRINT towards the spaceship.::
[MIANG] ::Miang’s eyes drifted from the Brown Testament’s feet as they disappeared beyond the doorway. They traced the floor, and then they settled on a large pair of boots in another corner of the room.::
Assassination. Murder. That sounds about right-doesn’t it, ... Cain?