Smiley

The first time I met Smiley was in a dream. I know, I know, that's not the most interesting thing in the world. But it was where we first met. So far, I can remember the dream, so I figured I should note it down.

I was tied to a table, slowly being dismembered. First my fingers were clipped off, then my toes. Smiley was enjoying it - at least, I assume he was. If you've seen Slenderman, then you'll have an idea of what Smiley looks like. No extra-long limbs, but a similar black suit. He had no eyes, nor any sockets where they would go. Same for his nose. All he had was a mouth, stretched ear-to-ear in a sadistic grin. The corners of his mouth were held up by hooks. Blood dripped down into his teeth.

He wasn't a surgeon. He hacked away at me, piece by piece, and no matter how much I begged or threatened or cried, he kept going. My screams echoed in the room, and they seemed to fuel him. A gravelly voice echoed in the room, whispering over and over to me, "Feed the masses! Feed the masses!" I don't know what I was to do. Was my flesh food for others? I never found out.

I didn't die. Despite me losing organ after organ, no matter how much I bled, I didn't die. Even when I was just a head, I was screaming. And when that cleaver slammed down between my eyes... I woke up. Sweating, shaking, freaked out of my skin, and wishing I never fell asleep again in my life. I tottled over to my sink to wash my face.

Smiley was there in the mirror. Only for a split second, but he was there.

Questions and Evaluations.

I make no mistake, I am semi-drunk as I write this. I have recently been informed that I'm not the best friend I could be. While this, in it's own, is not bad news - I mean, really, not every friend is the best they can be, or we'd all be best friends - it has brought into question a lot of things, especially regarding certain incidents.

I won't name names or give details, as I want to protect the parties involved. I don't expect to get feedback from this - no one really reads what I write anyway - so, this is just me and my thoughts.

I always had an image of myself that I held myself to. I never did think I was the best person I could be, nor did I believe I was the worst. This train of thought I'm currently on is brought about by a certain individual who brought to my attention several pieces of information that have caused me to look at myself and see who I am.

I've been known to ridicule those who say, "I'd give my life for you." My reason is that dying for someone else is easy, as there are no consequences to deal with. But giving up everything BUT your life for a person... That is when you see who is who. And I always thought I was at least semi-reliable, that my friends could count on me when it mattered. I now question that line of thought. I see myself now as being a selfish person, unwilling to give up the smallest comfort for people, even my friends. Is that who I really am? I've been informed by a friend that I'm a hypocrite. While I don't doubt this in the slightest, the reason for the statement is what eats at me. I was told that, without intent, I've offended quite a number of people. I've also offended many on purpose, but not these. I can only think that I am childly selfish. As long as I get what I want, I am content to let the world and all it generates pass by unnoticed. I don't like to trouble myself with other's problems. I always assumed they would think the same.

Perhaps I was mistaken.

Either way, this goes up on the blog, It doesn't matter who reads it, comments on it, likes it or not. I have no one else to turn now. I need to think this through with a clear head. But one thing I do know, and cowardly or not, it does scare me. And that is the burning question in my mind. Several, actually. The first is one of culling. I'm quite fond of culling my friends - both online and in real life. I go through the lists, see who still merits my friendship, and let the rest know that they are no longer required. Brutal, rude, insensitive, yes. I won't make excuses as to why I do it. But one thought has never really crossed my mind until now: I may talk of who is worth my time. Have I ever thought of who's time I'm worth? The answer is, no I haven't. I'm selfish, so I wouldn't bother.

The other question is one that really scares me. As I've stated before, I thought I had an image of myself. I thought I knew who I was. What scares me is the fact that I am undeniably wrong about who I am.

This isn't something suicidal. I have no intentions of ending my life anymore. I've been through that phase (which, incidentally, taught me that I'm a coward. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here typing.)

But I have to ask myself if I am who I really think I am. A lie, told often enough, becomes the truth. Even if it is just someone lying to themself. In that case, have I deluded even myself into thinking that I am a better man that who I really am? Am I simply covering up my shortcomings and falsehoods with bravado, with piss and vinegar? Because I look at myself right now and see nothing of who I thought I was.

The scariest question has yet to come, though. I was informed that I should let go of my obsessions - anime, games, the like - and attend to real life and the trappings it holds. That I can always play later, and when friends show up it's not enough to just say "Sup!" and leave it at that. I need to work harder to maintain my friendships.

The question that bothers me is simple: If I was put into a position to choose between my creature comforts, or my friends, what would I pick? The easiest answer - the expected one - is that I pick my friends over my social bubble.

What scares me is that I don't know if that's true.

An American's view on Kolkata - Day 2

Woke up around 9:00 AM. Came down to tea and biscuits, courtesy the Awesome Mrs. Biswas. Sneha dropped by in the morning, then left, then came back again. After tea, I got down to typing up the events of the last two days. Sneha eventually woke Gourav up, and we had breakfast while I talked smack about Atique to Sneha (with input from Gourav now and then). So far, nothing eventful. Will update as the day goes by.

Later on we popped down to KCD - Kaka's Chai Dukan. At least, that's one of the interpretations of the acronym. It's one of the places Gourav used to frequent, and he had told me about it at length, so I had to see it for myself. The chai was good, the company was great, and it was definitely an awesome time.

We (Sneha, Gourav and I) had lunch at home. I gotta say, the food is amazing, but the quantity is a little too high for me. Another IHOP full. Chicken, beetroot, cauliflower, and staple rice and dal. We chilled after lunch, and Sneha got to see Gabriel Iglesias' "Hot and Fluffy" comedy special. I think she liked it, she was laughing as much as Gourav and I. Also, I should introduce the concept of "laed", for those who don't know what it is. It's basically the ultimate laziness, and Gourav was eating a lot of it. I should clarify: the Bengali verb "to eat" is used for many different types of consumption, like food, drink, and in this case, "laed". In this case, it means that Gourav was being a lazy bum. Sneha had a fun time getting Gourav out of bed.

After Gabriel, we went out to St. Xavier's College for a Christmas program. First was the choir. Good stuff, but they got nothing on the Spicer choir. They sang a few carols I knew, and a few I didn't. Was fun to listen to, even though I was starting to nod off. After that was a sort of performance poetry in Bengali. I didn't get anything, but it sounded pretty good to me. I'm sure if Javits is reading this, he'll have plenty of comments to make. We bailed out after that. We walked around Park Street, which is like Pune's Koregaon Park and MG Road combined. Lots of shops and stuff. It was an interesting walk, and the conversation was good. We split up at the metro station, Sneha went her way and Gourav and I went ours.

We took the metro down to Tollygunj. I can't really find a relative location from my experiences to compare Tollygunj to. The best I can say is that it's the center for roadside stalls. Kind of reminded me of the stalls you'd see during a matsuri in Japan. We took a walk and Gourav took me to a chai stall he'd been telling me about for ages. The tea... Ah, the tea. Even with my knowledge of English, I can't find the words to describe just how awesome that stuff was. Lemon tea, with a hint of salt, sugar and special masala. Absolutely divine. We travelled on after that, catching a rickshaw to Sakher Bazar.

Now, the rickshaws in Kolkata are different from the ones in Pune. While rickshaws in Pune charge you by distance (and charge you double by default), the rickshaws in Kolkata are kinda like buses. They travel only certain routes, and they charge a flat rate for the journey. So, catching a rickshaw means you need to know where to go to catch the rickshaw you want. Kind of refreshing, after all the bickering and arguing that comes with rickshaws in Pune. Also, a rickshaw with a switchboard. Interesting.

So we took a rick down to Sakher Bazar, and from there to Diamond Park. Walked around for a bit, met up with Ronojoy and chatted. Then, back home for dinner. Chicken and rice. IHOP full again. I swear I'm gonna put on a thousand pounds with all this food...

So far, this city is familiarly unfamiliar. A lot of things: Rickshaw, Metro, etc... They are concepts I'm familiar with from my life. But the implementation, the usage of these things, the little details that differ from how I know them to be... These are what make them unique to this city, this trip. I might never get to experience all this the way I have. It's an amazing thing, when you think about it. I never guessed I'd wind up here, doing what I'm doing, going where I'm going, meeting who I'm meeting. It's an amazing chain of events. This city has its own beat, and I'm not quite catching it yet. But it's new, and I gotta admit, a change of pace is always nice. I came here with the expectations of seeing new things, and I have. And it's only been two days... I'm sure there's a lot more in store.

Bonus Points: 3x multiplier for knocking out three modes of travel in one outing: taxi, metro, and bus.

High Score: Fresh grape juice in Tollygunj.

An American's view on Kolkata - Day 1

Woke up around 6:30. Damn scheduling, so used to waking up for college. Wasn't up to much in the morning except for my normal good morning texts. Atique showed up not too late after I got up, but he didn't stick around. Breakfast was yummy (Yes, yummy. Yummy train food. No sarcasm.) Everyone started waking up and getting about the business of getting up and ready for the day.

The day was uneventful, since most of the new things I had experienced were yesterday. Played more Uno with the lovely ladies across from us, now joined by two more cousins: Alisha, and Rohit (Not the same one Gourav knows). I didn't join in, though. I had finally gotten my laptop out and was finishing up Howl's Moving Castle. They later switched to a card game called "Not At Home." I got the basic gist of the rules, but it was most certainly the longest game I've seen in quite a while. One game of that and it was quits for then.

Lunch was good. After that, though, Gourav decided a nap was in order. On my bunk. And I was still sitting there. Granted, he did ask me if it was cool. But still... The dude almost pushed me off of my seat O_O;;. Afternoon saw a fully-charged laptop and more Uno, while I charged my 3DS. And, as for something new: My baby finally has her first major aesthetic damage - the palm rest is cracked. My voltage converter for my 3DS charger (sold separately) fell and hit my lappy. And that thing is a heavy little mother. No worries, though. It's a pretty thin crack and it's hardly noticeable unless you look for it. All in all, I'm strangely comfortable with it.

Evening, more Uno. And I'm still not tired of the game. By this time, however, I was getting tired of the jokes on me. Both Gourav and Atique have come up with several "nicknames" for me over the course of our staying together. And, thanks to Atique, they wore out rather quickly and now, they just annoy me. I don't mind people making jokes about me: I mind it when they pull those jokes way too far. Gourav is cool, but Atique's the one who gets on my nerves, and I don't wanna snap at G just because he didn't know how pissed I was. Gotta keep it together, Kade.

Train got to the station later than planned, but we expected that. Didn't have much to pack, as I had already arranged my backpack. My luggage was quite light - all I really had were clothes. I think my backpack was heavier than my luggage >.> Not sure, though. We got to Howrah station around 8 PM, and Sneha was there waiting for us. She's Gourav's girl. We said goodbye to Divya and crew (I didn't get their numbers. Gourav and Atique think it's because I forgot. But I've already got someone I'm interested in.)

Howrah station is the biggest train station I've seen in India. 23 platforms is no joke, especially when Pune Junction has, like what, 8? Yeah... Massive. Outside, the wait for the taxi was annoying. Had to get the 3DS up and running for musical accompaniment. We finally got one, though, and threw our luggage in and took the ride to Gourav's house. He showed up some of the city while we drove, some of the more famous shops and restaurants (And a place for Atique called "Gaylord". Don't know, don't wanna know). The city is half-new, and half-familiar. I don't mean to put Kolkata down, but living in the States has got me used to places like D.C. and Boston, with all the crowds and the skyscrapers and the roads and stuff. I know what cities are like back home, so half of Kolkata wasn't new to me: It's just like any other city. It's like a customized laptop: The basic model is the same. What makes it fun it the little details that are different from all the other models. Like the pot-bellied cops. Never see many of those in Pune. Arms, legs, neck, torso, face: all in proper shape. And a big-ass pot belly. Couldn't help but laugh.

Rickshaws aren't that much in use in this city. Taxis and buses. Rickshaws are only used like small buses: Set route, set fare, and you have to share with other people. It seems like if I wanna make this fun, I've gotta see the common Kolkata. Not the tourist places, not the famous sites. I wanna walk the streets and see how much normal Kolkata differs from regular Pune or regular Germantown.

We got to Gourav's place around 9:30. It's a pretty sweet house, although we could definitely use some heating. The place gets cold at night. But his mom and dad are both very cool. I didn't speak with them much, and most of the talking that was going on was in Bengali, so it was over my head. I can't really form an opinion of his dad, since I didn't talk to him enough. As for his mother, though, she seems awesome. We got home, had some tea and rested up, then headed out for a walk around Gourav's old hangouts. We met up with two of his friends, Ronojoy and Devanjan (I think I spelled those right). They seem like cool kids, so we might be hanging out in the future as well.

After hanging out for a bit, we came home to dinner. Amazing, amazing food. I don't even know all the dishes that were cooked, but they all tasted great. And the sweets were delectable. I felt like I just left IHOP after dinner: That kind of full stomach that makes you just want to lie down and sleep it off. I started settling in after that getting my laptop set up, checking out the internet (Server problems do not leave good first impression >.<) Set up his uTorrent to pick up Nikki and the rest of the latest anime I'm missing. Got him set up with Firefox and IDM as well. Server died before we could get any proper downloading, though. Will try again later. Eventually, knocked out around 3:00 AM.

An American's view on Kolkata - Prologue and Day -1

Right, then. As some of you may already know me, let me just introduce myself. My name is Kade, and I'm an American who's been in India for around 10 years, on and off. However, my experiences in India were somewhat limited, as I hardly ventured out of Pune - not for the lack of opportunity, but for the lack of interest. I really don't care about touring placing and seeing all the tourist spots, or visiting a place because it's famous. Which is what everyone suggested. So, when my roommate suggested I come down to Kolkata for Christmas, I was initially apprehensive of the idea. But hey, if you don't try, you'll never know. So, we booked our tickets, and now here I am. And it's been an interesting trip so far.

The point of this blog is not to be a travel guide to this magnificent city. It won't tell you where to go for shopping, or what to look out for. It won't give you tips on saving money. It's just me, throwing my words at you for you to read. So don't expect any life lessons: Just read and laugh. I'll try to update every day, but you can expect it to most likely fall between 2-3 days for posts.

Kolkata - Day -1

Started out train journey from Pune on the Duronto Express. First time I've ever been on a train for so long, and much better than a flight of the same duration. We left Pune around 3:15 PM. Not much interesting happened until the evening. The family sitting opposite us in the compartment had a cute little girl who got along with Gourav fabulously. Atique got stuck in another compartment, and talking to the TT to convince him only got him a scolding. Odd fact that G pointed out to me: Both Atique and the TT were Bengali, and both were trying to speak Hindi XD. Anyways, no luck for Atique, so he got sent back to his own compartment. Sharing the space opposite our bunks (We got Side upper and Side lower, on the side of the compartment) were two sisters from Kolhapur, also rather cute. Divya and Shweta. After watching them play cards with their cousins who came from the other end of the compartment for quite a while, we got the idea that a few rounds of Uno wouldn't go amiss. And they didn't. They loved the game and we had a lot of fun stacking +2s on each other. Gourav got smacked with a +14, as my memory serves.

Dinner on Duronto was much better than expected, and way better than anything I've ever had on the three-hour rides from Pune to Mumbai on the Deccan Queen. Although it was a little cramped on the seat (Note: No train in India is fluffy-friendly), we managed quite nicely. Chicken curry for dinner, with dal and rice. Snacks were a cheese sandwich and I don't remember what else. Plenty of food to be had, though. There really was no need to buy snacks, but we did anyways.

Our Uno games were joined by Dhamesh, Divya and Shweta's cousin. Although young, he had an attitude to match MY age. Really fun family, those guys. We played Uno and laughed and pretty much got introduced that night, and we all wrapped up and light's out at 11.

Now, while Gourav and I were having fun in our compartment (B8) with these two lovely ladies, Atique was stuck in B6 with, as he put it, "two uncles." And, as Gourav once told me, "Stick 5 Bengali people in a box, and they conversation with always wind up on politics." I can imagine what Atique had to sit through. And, mean as it may be, I did laugh about it.

Another similarity between Duronto and planes: Bathrooms are way too tiny. At least, I felt so, but then again, I don't think I should be used as the standard for such things. At the end of each carriage of the train are two bathrooms (4 per carriage, therefore). One Indian, one Western. Note to self: measure the chain on the water mug BEFORE doing your business T.T

During the downtimes on the train (I.E. Bored out of my skull), I was lucky enough that both Val and Usagi-san decided to talk to me, so I was always texting them. Gourav was also (I believe) texting his girl, and Atique was... I dunno, doing whatever has was doing while stuck with two uncles.

We met Gourav's friend, Rohit, on the train as well. Sat and chatted with him for a bit, but he didn't hang out in our compartment. Mostly Gourav was going over to his. Cool guy, and it didn't take him long to figure out which one of us was the crazy one (Hint: it wasn't me... I don't know how, but it wasn't me.)

My last complaint about Duronto: The beds. Also not their fault, though. I don't the train was designed to accommodate fluffy people. But I did manage to get a good's night sleep.

Tribute

Everyone has a classification. Male parent, Father. Female parent, Mother. And from there it continues. Brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, friends, enemies, lovers, strangers… Everyone has a neat little box that they fit in, and somewhat conform to.

And then there’s her.

She’s the exception to the rule. She takes my classification and laughs at it, jumping from box to box fast enough to make even a kangaroo stop and go “What the hell was that?” She’s my best friend, the girl I’m in love with, sometimes she’s almost like my little sister, and sometimes she mothers me. Sometimes I can’t stand the thought of her. Other times, I pine for the sound of her voice, rain on wilted grass.

Sarcasm is what started it all. Or more like my lack of understanding of sarcasm. Something she said that I didn’t pick up on, and thus it began. Before I knew it, we were pouring our hearts out to each other, complaining and consoling and laughing and encouraging… Sometimes I was afraid she’d move to a different world, but she never did it. And whenever I heard back from her, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Other times, I thought all I could see was black, but then her light shone in and brought me back to some level of sanity. Even when I thought everything was lost.

What do I call this person, this woman who walked into my life and proceeded to break all my rules? This crazy lady who keeps me on my toes? This angel who saved me? She’s not my friend, she’s much more. She’s not my lover. She’s neither sister nor mother… I have no label for her. I have no box that can contain her personality. And I’d prefer not to. She just… is. And that is the way it will always be, I think. And despite all I say… I like it that way. We’ll stay this way. We remain, en vife et en mort.

Return to Recurrence

So, it's been a while since I wrote anything >.< RL is kind of busy and fucked up and all that fun stuff... Anyways, new offering. This is another recurring dream, one that has cropped up recently.
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Oddly enough, there is no end or beginning to this one. You'd think there would be, but in reality, there isn't. I am just... THERE. I'm not alone, oh no. I can't remember exactly who is there with me. I know that the person is a male, and that I know him very well. But, for the life of me, I don't remember his name or face. And he is leading me, once again. Not trhough the odd, "Traverse-town" wannabe place, but this time it seemed like a house. One, single structure. But it seems burned out, like A massive angry fire had eaten it like a starved man at a buffet, even gnawing at the bones and sucking out the marrow. The place is gutted, black and burned. But still, it is enclosed. I don't know where the light comes from. Again, it is just... THERE.

It isn't just the two of us, either. There is some... thing... else there with us. Not part of our group, no. But it is there, in the building. I'm not sure if it was us that follows it, or it that follows us. Or maybe neither? I don't know. We go round and round the house. This... creature, this aberration, abomination... It scares the living hell out of me. It isn't scary-looking. Well, perhaps not extremely. You see, I only see it from the back... And it has a face looking at me. On the back of it's head. A face with a nose, constantly sniffing, and a mouth, permanently twisted into a sadistic grin. Somewhere between pain and pleasure, it strikes me as. And the eyes... are missing. Yes, missing. This is the back of the creature's head. And what really creeps me out, is that it's a mask. This moving, living face is tied onto the back of the creature's head. Maybe I watch too many horror/thriller movies, but I can swear that it's barbed wire that holds the mask to this creature's head. The body is pale grey, as if to blend in with the ashen environment, like a proper hunter. But the charred black of everything only makes it stand out even more. It walks like a monster from Silent Hill, staggering in erratic, jerking steps, twitching and tweaking. It never looks back, only sniffs the air and staggers onward. And my unknown-yet-known companion and I, we follow after it.

There seems to be some sort of game going on. There is a key. A little, flat, silver key. With a red tag. In all the bleakness, the dark and burnt hell of the building, the flashy color seems to stand out with a cocky flare, as if daring the darkness to mess with it. And it seems that my companion is tasked to pick up the key, put it somewhere else, and leave. And then, ahead of us, it appears again, as if the creature doubled back, picked it up, and put it ahead of us. Except it doesn't. Somehow, the key makes it's own way there. And we keep moving it, as if trying to keep it away from the monster. Which makes no sense, since it's ahead of us. Our lives depend on not being caught, though. This much I know. If we are caught, we are dead. Simple as that. And to not be caught, silence is paramount. As long as it doesn't hear us, we're fine. That is what I know, so I repeat to myself, "Don't make a sound, Don't make a sound..."

I don't know how many rounds we make of the building. Each circuit seems different. No room looks the same as one I've been through before, yet somehow, I know when we've started our "lap" again. Round and round, chasing each other. Until finally, it seems the game is at it's end. We finally put the key down in the last place, and I think, "Damn, took long enough." And then, my companion does the unthinkable.

He flicks the key with his finger.

The sound is louder than I ever expected. The monster immediately turns and bounds toward us, on all fours, like some demonic beast. My "companion" disappears rather well. I, however, do not have that much luck. A scramble towards the closest hiding place: The underside of a rather rickety bed. I don't even get a chance to crawl under, though, before I spin around, my back against the bed, sitting in the dirt and charred remains on the floor. It's in here. I try to hold my breath and not move at all. Silence and stillness, I think to myself. That will save me.

The thing walks around the edge of the bed, still on all fours, and looks me right in the face. Well, "looks" might be the wrong word, as it has no eyes even in the front. No features at all, except the band of barbed wire across the area a nose would be. The wire bites into the creatures flesh, red dripping down it's face in a sick version of running mascara. But it's head is pointed right in my direction. It twitches it's way over to me, crawling right up until it's face is mere centimeters from mine. I can smell it, this putrid, rotten stench of the beast that makes me gag. I do my best to not make a sound, and for a moment, it works. The thing backs away from me and I'm left alone, a shivering wreck, thoroughly scared out of my wits.

And then it bounds right on top of me with a screech that would shame a banshee. That impact is what wakes me. No weird after-effects this time, no odd Inception-like "dream within a dream". I wake up to the darkness.

Angelus: Chapter VIII, The End, and Sundry

The blast echoed down the hall. Not just one, but one after the other, rapidly.

“They chain-rigged the place… Fuck.” Rage said, yanking on the door handle. It slowly opened, inch by inch. The blasts got closer and closer, almost as if they were rushing to catch up to the ragged bunch of teens. Kade pushed past the rest of the group to pull at the door with Rage, wrapping his fingers around the edge, pulling.

“Alright, that should be enough. Spin, Angel, Noire, go!” Kade said at the door slid open a bit more. The girls easily squeezed through, just as a blast came close behind the group. Kade turned around. A massive storm of debris and dust was swirling like a dervish at them, burning fire mixed throughout it. Kade jerked the door open a bit more. “Rage, go!” He said, nearly shoving him through. Rage stumbled on the other side, then turned around, pulling at Kade’s hand as his friend squeezed through the door. Just as he made it through, the door slammed shut with a loud CLANG!, the force from the explosion shutting it fast. Kade lay on the ground, panting.

“Holy fuck… If I wasn’t so scared of dying right now, I’d say that was better than any extreme sport in the world…” Kade whispered. Spin helped him to his feet, waiting as he caught his breath, rubbing the stitch out of his side. “I haven’t run like that since military school…” He muttered, then looked around. “Everyone present and accounted for?” He asked, knowing the answer.

“Yes, sir…” Rage drawled, his pole-arm slung over his shoulder. Amy and Noire raised their hands like schoolgirls, and Spin just hugged him. Kade looked around, trying to get his bearing. The sun had already set, and the moon was in the sky.

“Well, we can head to Bel right now, or we can wait till morning… Me, I’m fine crashing here. I can sleep on the ground… And besides, I have no clue where we are anymore. I lost my direction the moment we saw those…” His voice died. No one said anything. “Since we found the exit.” He finished lamely. Extra tight hug from Spin. “What say?”

“I’m with Kade. I think we could use a break. No Windigo to worry about, so we can take it real easy. And even I’m lost right now. I can’t remember the last time I walked out of Nephilim… Oh, wait, I never did.”

“We could use a break too,” Amy said, “I think I need a bit to let myself catch up with everything that’s been happening.” Noire nodded, hugging her girlfriend. Kade turned his head to Spin.

“You wanna take a break, or keep moving?” He asked. She plopped onto the ground, laying out on the dirt. “I guess that answers it.” Kade said to himself. “Alright, break time. Whenever we wake up, we’ll move on. It won’t be far to Beldaris, we can probably make it by night even if we leave in the afternoon.”

The group split into it’s normal sub-groups then, Amy and Noire propped up against the wall, Kade and Spin lying on the ground. Rage, as usual, was the only one who was alone. Kade turned to Spin.

“Finally, some peace… You know, I feel sorry for Rage.”

“’Cause he’s all alone?”

“Yeah. I feel like I’m betraying him or something, you know? I don’t really hang with him that much anymore, even though I’ve known him since, well, shit, since middle school.”

“Go on, I’ll be right here. I promise I won’t get jealous unless you kiss him.” Spin said, giving Kade a peck on the cheek. He grinned back, letting the joke slide, and got up, trundling over to Rage and smacking him in the head before sitting down next to him.

“’Sup?” he asked, dropping down next to his best friend.

“Don’t hit me like that, I have a delicate head.”

“Only ‘cause it’s empty…” Kade fired back, grinning. Then his face grew serious. “Sorry about ditching you these past few days, man.”

“It’s cool, it’s cool. You and Spin, finally happened. Besides, you know how we work. Even if I don’t see you for years, makes no difference. We’re always like that.”

“True, true… So hey, man, I’ve been meaning to ask you… Since we made it out… What’s your plan? What you going to do? I mean, we can’t just hang out and play music all day… We ain’t got no family but us, so we need to find a way to survive.”

“I know, I know… I dunno, I might go find some place to work, like as an electrician or something, until I can get through college. I’ll have to go for that GED shit though, since we never finished High School. Damn Windigo.”

“Electrician? Why that?”

“You know me, wires are almost as good as sex. I don’t think I’d mind being an electrician, it’s like working my way through college doing something I enjoy. What about you?”

“I’m going to go into computers… Maybe open up my own gaming zone. But to start with, I think I’ll hang with you. GED and college. I need to get a degree. I’m pretty sure we can get some benefits, being Nephilim refugees. And I’m probably going to have to go to church soon. I’ll be dragging you with me.”

“You serious, man? You never were one for getting hitched… You going to marry Spin?”

“Yeah. Will you be my best man?”

“I’d trash the wedding if I wasn’t. But you sure about it?”

“No way in hell. But it feels like the right thing to do. I mean, I said ‘soon’, but that will probably be a few good years. You know, I want to make sure I’ve got a grasp on life before I drag someone else into mine.”

“Well, all the best, man. I’m pretty sure you can make it work.”

“I hope so… She’s the world to me.”

“I can tell. When you stop hanging out with me for a girl, I know it’s big.”

“When’s the last time that happened? No, wait, I remember.”

“Aki-“

“I said I remember, fool!”

“Pardon me, Mr. T.”

“Up yours.”

“Only after you.”

Kade grinned. This was the banter he missed. He rubbed his neck. “So what about you? Gonna find yourself a girl?”

“Maybe… Actually, I’m pretty interested in researching this Universe-Negaverse thing.”

“I thought you just said you wanted to go to college for electrical engineering.”

“Well yeah, but this is going to be a hobby. Five’ll get you ten that Noire’s going to go with Angel when she finds her way back. I want to see if it’s possible to create a connection, rather than just hope for one.”

“Why’s that? Plan to open a tourist spot or something?”

“No, you ijit. But it would be nice to know that Angel and Noire are only a few minutes away. I’m going to miss them. And I know you will to.”

“Yeah, I will… I sure will…” Kade’s voice faded as he slowly sunk his head down. Rage said nothing, just waited.

“Yeah, we need to make sure we stay in contact with them, somehow.” Kade turned around, waving to Spin. She got up off the ground and came to sit with the two boys, leaning on Kade’s shoulder. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, just thought I’d hang with my two favorite people at once. Something wrong with that?” Kade asked.

“Nope, not at all.”

Kade dug his hand into his pocket, groping around for a moment, then sighed to himself happily. He leaned towards Rage. “Do me a favor,” he whispered so Spin couldn’t hear him, “Go get Angel and Noire for me, will ya?”

Rage eyed him warily. “You gonna do it now?”

“Yeah, while I still have the balls.”

Rage patted his shoulder as he got up, then tripped his way over two the other two girls, squatting in front of them.

“What did you say to him?” Spin asked.

“Told him to get lost so I can make passionate love to you.”

“Out here in the open?”

“Yup, the way nature meant it to be.”

“You’re going to be sorely disappointed.” Spin said, nodding to show that Amy and Noire were approaching them with Rage in tow.

“Oh well, then I guess I’ll have to settle for second best.” Kade sighed.

“And what’s that?” Spin asked, apprehensive but intrigued.

“You know I love you, right?” Kade asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Yeah…” Spin answered slowly.

“And you know I want to be with you forever, right?” Kade asked again.

“Uh-huh…” Spin nodded.

“Well, I don’t have anything dramatic to say, or any speech ready. I just decided this a few minutes ago, and I want to do it before I find a reason to chicken out…” Kade shifted, pulling his hand out of his pocket and moving so that he was on his right knee. Spin gasped as he took her hand and slid a ring on it. The ring was simple, not even an engagement ring but more like a punk ring, pure titanium with a design of thorny vines going around it. “Spin, I love you and I want you in my life, now and forever. I can’t go on without you. Will you marry me?”

Spin was deathly still. She didn’t move, she didn’t even breathe. She just sat there, her hand outstretched, the ring resting on her finger. She pulled her hand back, her other hand twisting the ring on her finger round and round. Kade could feel sweat dripping down his brow. This wasn’t how he figured she would react.

“Kade, I don’t know…” She started, but he cut her off.

“I mean, it doesn’t have to be tomorrow… We can take our time, wait till we get settled… I know you want to have your own career, and I want to get my life in order, but maybe, when all that’s done… I know I can’t live without you.” Kade pleaded. Spin started to sob. Kade hung his head. Fuck, he thought to himself, this isn’t going the way I planned it at all!!

“Kade… I don’t-“ She started again.

“If you’re not sure, you can wait on it for a bit… I mean, I can totally wait till you sort yourself out...” Kade said, his eyes growing wet. Spin’s hand shot out, grabbing Kade’s ponytail and pulling it to shut him up.

“Shut up for a minute, will ya?” She asked, sobbing.

“Erk! Yes, ma’am!” Kade said, rubbing his head. Spin let go of his hair and sat for a moment, then opened her mouth.

“I don’t… I don’t think there’s anything I can say other then ‘Yes’…” She said, then threw herself at Kade. They both fell over, Spin’s arms wrapping around her boyfriend’s – no, now fiancée’s – her fiancée’s body, hugging him close to her as she whispered “Yes, yes, yes!” in his ear. Moments later, Noire and Amy descended on the happy couple, all tears and hugs and “Ohmigod!”, while Rage just looked on.

“And he actually did it… Damn.” Rage thought to himself. Ever since he had met Kade, he had to listen to how “I’ll never get married” Kade had been. And now this. Well, Rage thought to himself, I guess even people like him can change. Good. He shrugged and sat down, letting the emotional moment wrap around him. Noire and Amy had stolen Spin away for girl talk, and Kade dropped down next to Rage on the ground.

“Holy shit… I can’t believe I did that.” Kade muttered.

“Neither can I.”

“I mean, I always said I’d never get married…”

“Yet here you are, engaged, and of your own free will, at that.”

“What’s the world coming to?”

“Bunch of savages in this town.”

Kade just stared at Rage like he was an idiot, then smacked him in the back of the head. “What the hell?!?”

“Your tsukkomi is useless against me. Besides, we sounded just like Dante and Randal, and it needed to be said.”

“True. But man… My heart’s still pounding. I can’t believe I actually tied myself to a person for the rest of my life.”

“You sound like you’re already married.”

“Well, I will be, and to be honest, I’m as good as married when it comes to Spin, there’s no one else I want to be with… You’re the best man at my wedding, by the way.”

“No need to ask.”

“I’m not asking, I’m telling you.”

“Roger that.”

“So what do you think?”

“I think it’s your life and business.”

“Fuck you. Come on, what do you think?”

“I think… I think it’s a good thing. You two are really good together, and although you always said you’d never get married… For you to change that much to keep her with you, well, hell, I don’t think there’s anyone else that can do that.”

“Not unless it’s you, bro.”

“I don’t swing that way.”

“And neither do I. But you know that’s how it is.”

“Yarp.”

Kade laid himself on the ground, his hands behind his head. “So, I’m engaged, we’re out of Nephilim, and tomorrow, we’ll be in Beldaris, starting a new life… Never thought it would happen.”

“Really? You never really thought we’d get out?” Rage asked him, leaning back on his hands.

“Well, I mean, once we started moving, I knew we had to get out. But before that, when it was just us jamming in the garage, I never guessed that we’d move… I guess, with Angel’s arrival, everything changed… I just have one regret…”

“Oh?”

“I miss my drumset.” Rage leaned over and smacked Kade in the stomach. Kade laughed. “But really, we’re out… I think I have yet to get my head around that fact.”

“Well, how about you get some sleep first? I’m bushed, and I want a nap.”

“Right-O, sir, I could use a good one myself.” Kade stood up and dusted his pants off, and then smiled fondly at the sight of Spin recounting her version of his proposal. “Wasn’t even a proper ring,” Kade muttered to himself as he trudged over to the girls.

“Alright, alright, public announcement. It’s officially sleepy time, or at least, it is for me. Just letting you know.” Amy grinned at him.

“And I assume you want Spin here?”

“Hell no. I’d never get any sleep.” Kade grinned at Spin to let her know he was kidding. “But it’s open invitation for her. We’re going to be heading into Beldaris tomorrow, so I figured we have a chance to really relax right now, and I’m going to go sleep like there’s no tomorrow. Personally, I’d suggest you do the same. We’re all pretty tired.”

“You mean you are. We’ve still got plenty of energy.” Spin teased, but she got up to give Kade a hug and a kiss. “Sweet dreams, love.”

“Nothing but.” Kade said, turning around and finding himself as comfortable a spot as he could, and soon enough fell asleep.

* * *

It was barely light when Kade woke up. Dawn was just peeking over the horizon. Damn, he thought to himself, I really did pass out. He looked over the small area they had settled into. Amy and Noire were in each other’s arms, sleeping peacefully. Spin had her hand pressed to his chest, her head buried against his neck. Rage was sitting on the ground, awake but relaxed. Kade shifted slightly, trying not to wake Spin. She moaned softly and called out to him in her sleep. Kade grinned and kissed her softly, then scooted away and went to sit next to Rage.

“’Sup?” Rage asked him as Kade took his seat.

“Not much, man. Just woke up… Is it really dawn already?”

“Yeah… The Powerpuff Girls didn’t get to bed for a while. Seems you made Spin’s day with that little stunt.”

“That little stunt was the most pivotal moment in my life to date, you ijit.” Kade muttered, but grinned. “I’ll be heading to the Police Station in Bel today.”

“What? Why so?”

“Might as well. At least I’ll know that, if by night I have nothing, I can at least crash in an empty cell. Besides, we can report ourselves as survivors of Nephilim. Otherwise, we’d have to deal with the evacuees. And I don’t want to do that. And it’s possible that we’ll even get a lead on a place to live… I don’t know, it seems like the right thing to do.”

“Alright… And with the money Nine gave us, plus our status as Nephilim survivors, we might even be able to pay a few month’s rent for a place.”

“Ne? Sounds like a good idea?”

“I’ll tag along.”

“Alright, let’s wait for them to get up. No rush now. Now excuse me, but I do not want to leave my fiancée all alone when she wakes up.”

“You’re such a sap.”

“You watch Clannad as many times as I have and you’ll wind up the same way I am.”

“All the more reason to not do that.” Kade punched his friend’s shoulder and went over, sitting down in front of Spin, then shifting and half laying down, watching her sleep. The gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the way her eyes flickered underneath the lids, showing that she was dreaming. The occasional small sound she made while she slept… All of it had Kade enraptured. It wasn’t until he was admiring how deep her eyes were that he realized that she was awake. He leaned in and kissed her lips softly.

“Morning, dear.”

“You have no idea how wonderful that sounds.”

“Admit it, I swept you off your feet again.”

“Nope.”

“Then I shall try harder.”

“You do that, I’m going to wake up those two lover girls and get us on our way.”

“Good idea. The sooner we get to Bel, the sooner we can get a real bed.”

“And just what are you implying?”

“Other than the fact that I’m desperate to show you how good I am in one? Not much.”

“You don’t need to show me. I trust you.” Kade blushed. “Actually,” he started, “I may not be-“ Spin silenced him with a finger on his lips.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll make things work.” She then got up and stretched, and went off to wake up Amy and Noire. Kade grinned and rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky. He almost dozed off until he heard someone call him.

“Kade!” Rage waved his hand in the air. “Time to get moving!” Kade rocked himself to his feet, and trudged over, grabbing his bag and his sword. “Alright,” he said, “Off to Bel!”

The little group walked on. It wasn’t far, only a few miles. After around two hours, the passed the city limits and started coming across the first actual humans they had seen in a while. Everyone just stared at the group who walked through the streets, carrying medieval weapons, dressed in dirty clothes and not exactly smelling the best. Kade grinned at Rage. “Is it just me, or is everyone staring at us?”

“Oh, they are.”

“Wait, something’s missing…” Kade muttered, then he felt a familiar sensation settle between his shoulders. “Ah, there we go.”

“What was that about?” Spin asked.

“They’re staring at us even after we pass. I missed that feeling. Getting stared at just doesn’t feel the same until they start staring from behind me.”

They walked on. Eventually, they came across a traffic cop, who looked torn between running from them and arresting them. Kade walked straight up to the cop, hands visible and empty.

“Pardon me, officer. Could you tell us where the nearest police station is? We’re survivors of Nephilim.” The cops eyebrows shot up as he heard what Kade said, and he pointed down the street. “4^th and Jackson. Go down that way for three blocks, then turn right onto Jackson. You can’t miss it.” Kade nodded his head, then gave a small bow. “Thank you very much, sir.”

He walked back to the group and relayed to police officer’s directions. They started down the street. As they were passing down between two skyscrapers, Amy looked down one of the alleys and stopped dead.

“Angel, what’s the hold up?” Noire asked, then looked where Angel was looking and gasped. The others quickly joined them.

“Holy shit… is that?” Kade asked, staring at the swirling white light. It looked like the top of a tornado, or what he thought the top of one would look like. White light turning and twisting, swirling around one central point.

“Looks like a Vortex…” Rage whispered. Amy looked at Rage, then Kade, Spin, and Noire. Then at the portal. “Angel,” Kade said, “You don’t know where that’s going, or even if it goes anywhere…”

“I have to try… I love you guys, but… Home is always home, right?” Amy started, not sure how to tell her new friends that she was leaving, probably forever.

“Girl, we’re not going to force you to stay. We love you too, and we want you to stay, but… Well, like you said, home is home. If you’re going, then we won’t stop you… So, you going?” Rage asked.

“Yeah, I am… It may take me home, it may go somewhere else, it may kill me… But I’d rather know than go on wishing.” Kade pushed past Rage to wrap his arms around Amy, sniffing.

“Take care of yourself, you hear? And if… And if you get the chance, let us know what happened, alright? We’re always here, if you come back and need a place to be.” Amy sobbed and nodded, hugging Kade back. Kade let her go, moving aside and wrapping his arms around Noire as Spin hugged Amy.

“And you… You take good care of her, alright?”

“Huh?” Noire asked, confused.

“What, you didn’t think we’d make you stay either, did you? I’m pretty sure you want to go with her…” Kade said, letting go of Noire. Noire blushed and nodded. “I’m sorry Kade, Spin, Rage… I know we’ve been together for so long, but…”

“Shut up, woman!” Kade said softly. “If you’re going, then we won’t stop you… We’ll miss you, but we won’t make you choose, us or her. Just take care of each other, alright?”

“With my life.” Noire said, hugging Kade one last time. Kade moved back, letting all the goodbyes get out of the way, sitting down on his heels against a wall. Soon enough, farewells had been said. Noire gripped Amy’s hand in hers and looked at the three again. “Thank you, everyone… I hope we see each other again.”

“So do I,” Said Rage, “We all do. Now go, we don’t know how long that thing will stay open…”

Without another word, the two girls walked towards the swirling vortex. Just before they walked in, they turned around, waving goodbye. Kade waved, tears streaming down his cheeks. Spin was next to him, barely any better, almost waving in the wrong direction. Even Rage’s cheeks were wet as he waved. Then, the two walked into the vortex, and disappeared. Kade dropped his head and didn’t say anything. Spin’s arms were around him, his own pulling her against him as they comforted each other.

“Two more gone… At least we know they’ll be safe…” Kade whispered, then stood up, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Rage and Spin did they same, drying their eyes and stopping their sobs.

“You think they’ll really be safe?” Spin asked. Kade just nodded. “Of course. They’ve got each other.” He shook his head and hitched his bag up onto his shoulders again.

“Alright, people, off to the station… Time to start our new lives.”

And with that, the three who were left turned and left the alley.

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THE END

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FINAL NOTES: This took a while to post, even though I'd already finished writing it almost a year ago... Thanks go to you guys, the readers, past, present and future. I'm glad you took the time to look over this humble offering of mine. Be it one thousand, one hundred, or just one person.

And, saving the best for last, I would like to thank:

Angel, Noire, Rage, Kade, Spin, Nyne, Kannabis, Priest, Chaos, Dragoon and Sage. Whether the part you played was big or small, you have taken me on an amazing, fucking incredible, and awesome adventure, and let me share it with anyone who wishes to hear. It was, is and always will be an honor. Thank you, all.