ZRP-2: Chapter 3, The Coming Storm

The cat leapt to Sam's side, sauntered up to her face, and licked her cheek, before leaping off the bed and going to Eve, where she snuggled up against her back without further ado.

Hibiki smiled, walking beside James.

=I finished with my first course, but I was hungry and got myself seconds. This time, I got something that looked slightly more appealing and appetizing=

God...that shit was disgusting...

=I dig into the seconds, the taste not turning my stomach like the last one did=

(Sam)
"I guess that answers that then."
=I chuckled=

(James)
=Walking into the cafeteria, I grabbed a tray, letting go of Hibiki's hand to hold it up, and piled some food on, and we grabbed a seat at a table=

"Yeah.../
Eve ready missed Sam's hugs.
Fucking hell.

Hibiki piled her tray just as much as James did. Because why not.

(Sam)
"We'll, good thing I don't have any allergies."

(James)
=Once we sat down, I started to dig in with gusto. God, was so hungry. Everything from today had left me exhausted

=I continue to eat my food, watching James and Hibiki walk in from my seat. I continue to eat, feeling a sharp burn in my throat, as if someone put a burning coal down my throat, a nuclear fireball exploding in my stomach. Now...I was no stranger to spicy food, but this food was really spicy. I let out a heartfelt curse in German as the spicy food exploded in my belly once again=

(German) GOD-FUCKING-DAMNIT...

=I nearly gag as the eat the food once again, feeling it explode in my belly=

I swear...I'm going to ask what they put in this shit...and where they got it...

=I groan as I bit down another bite, trying to wash the food down with what ever milk I had left=

(James)
=I could have sworn I heard something, but honestly a pair of elephants could have been stampeding and i wouldn't have noticed, I was that hungry=

Hibiki heard a german curse.

(Japanese) Stupid Germans.

She continued eating.


Eve sighed. "Yeah. Good thing..."

(Sam)
"So.....what do you plan on doing next? Where will you go from here?"

(James)
=I eyed her suspiciously, even as I chewed my food=
"What was that?"

=I sighed with relief, the milk calming down whatever it was I ate. And only one person had enough balls to pull that stunt, and I spied him from the kitchen, snickering like a schoolboy=

Derrick...I swear, if my mouth wasn't in pain...I'd be laughing about the incident

=I felt the sweat rolling off of my my face from the effects of the spicy food=

Goddamnit...that still hurts like freaking hell...

=I went to get a glass of water, hoping to dull the pain, and then head back to my table. I hear something vague, sitting down and ignoring the jibe=

He's lucky...Derrick is fucking LUCKY that I'm still in a wheelchair...I seriously want kick his ass...

=I take a sip, wanting to feel the relief wash over me=

"I figure out how to wake up knowing I probably won't wake up in your arms." Eve said truthfully.

Hibiki shrugged.

(Sam)
=And there was the guilt. I couldn't really look at her=
"Yeah well....maybe one of us will turn out to be a sleep walker."

(James)
"Suit yourself."
=Once I was done, I pushed my plate back, leaning back in my seat=

"I'm the nightmare girl." Eve said.

Hibiki merely smiled sweetly.

Mira walked in and smacked Andrew.
(German) Stop trying to kill yourself with spicy foods.

Aye...

=I rubbed the back of my head, turning beet red from embarrassment=

(German)Blame Derrick...He was the one trying to kill me...

=I smile thinly=

He knows I can't tolerate that crap.

(Sam)
"Eve, so far you're hardly a nightmare girl. You're very sweet."
=Maybe I was saying the wrong things, stuff that could give her the wrong idea, but I didn't care. I wanted her confidence to stay up=

(James)
"Maybe I'll make you tell me later."

Eve blushed. "I meant I have nightmares...I don't sleepwalk..." she looked at her hands, wishing this was some stupid cartoon or an anime where she had some gift from Sam to look at.
"Thank you."

Hibiki smiled.
(Japanese) Over my dead body honey.

(James)
"Hey, last I checked I was very persuasive with you."
=I pressed the side of my body against her in affection=

(Sam)
"No problem Eve, it's what I'm here for."

Eve smiled. But she did nothing more.

Hibiki giggled. "I thought you wanted a party."

(James)
=There was a really dirty line in my head right then. Something involving party and 'pants.' I kept it to myself though=
"More than one way to party I guess."

(Sam)
"So, you just going to sit there all day?"

"Mhmh..." Hibiki said.

Eve shrugged. "I dunno what to do."

(James)
"So.....want to head back to the room? Or talk with Andrew and Miranda?"

(Sam)
"Well....we could always talk. Anything you want to talk about?"

=I get up and give Derrick a 'You're going to pay for that someday' look, wheeling away from my table and depositing my water=

I'm going to devise an appropriate punishment for you...and we're just going to look back on this and laugh

=I wheel back to my table, once again resting when I could, my face still red. Whether that was from the spicy food or embarrassment, I couldn't tell myself=

"Dunno. They seem content." Hibiki answered.

Mira sat beside Andrew and took his hand.

Eve shrugged. "I don't know what to talk about."

=I give Mira a grin, my face now more red from embarrassment than the food=

Think I should tell them...?

=I give an impish smile=

Yaknow...about us getting hitched?

I will say this. Seeing Andrew, the behemoth of a man in a wheelchair had me... well. I laughed when he went off.
But anyway, you wanted to know what I did next yes? I went straight up to my apartment and sat on the bed.
Frankly I just needed a little rest before talking with her. I mean c'mon, huge battle thing earlier today. I just need a little rest at least.
Then I'll tell her. Hopefully.

(James)
"I guess. Besides, talking with them would just delay our fun."

(Sam)
"Well.....think. There's gotta be something casual we can talk about."

Hibiki giggled. "Lead the way my Prince Charming."

Mira shook her head. "Not yet."

Eve didn't know.
"You're asking me?" She asked pointedly.

(James)
=Grinning, i took her hand and led the way. We never did put the trays back though=

(Sam)
"Yeah."

=I sigh, but couldn't help but smiling=

Alright...if you insist, m'lady.

=I grin, imagining the surprise on their faces=

It'll be worth it when we do...

=I wheel out from the table and begin to head back to the room with Mira, nothing but positive thoughts in my head=

Eve sighed. "I don't know Sam. I barely know anything normal to talk about."

(James)
=We were soon back in the room.....and things sorta went as expected from there=

(Sam)
"Well, try."

"So...if I started to sleepwalk...."

Hibiki chose bottom.

=I wheel back to the room, letting Mira in ahead of me and grin to myself knowingly=

Well...at least they have the decency to do it in a their own room, now...

=I wheel up to a chair and sit down, letting out a huge sigh of relief, and going into the realm of sleep. I once again lament my injuries that hampered my ability to enjoy my time with Mira. I smile though, still unaware of the events that transpired=

(Sam)
"Then it would probably be like those old cartoons where I have to save you while you're sleep walking."

(James)
=It was more passionate than usual. Today's victory made me happier than normal, and I wanted to indulge myself. It sounded like I was an addict, but there it was. I loved her, and I wanted nothing more than to feel her in this hour of victory=

"It's not far, where I'd go." Eve replied.

Hibiki indged herself.
Bevause this was both celebration...and a damn good stress reliever.

(Sam)
"Where would you go? A walk around town?"


--South of Missouri--

=The helicopter had as close to a full tank as possible, the Shepherds pouring as much fuel as they could salvage into it. They'd need it, their location several hundred miles south of St. Louis. There were only three people in the copter: a pilot, co-pilot, and the passenger. The passenger himself, a survivor of the attack on the base in St. Louis, had been ordered by Jonah to head to the Meet. The leaders were gathering there, and they would know what had happened=

"Your bed. Silly. If I was sleepwalking..."
Eve laughed softly.

(Sam)
=Chuckling, I shook my head=
"Maybe I'll use the pillows to make a fortress around my bed then."

(James)
=It ended with the two of laying side by side on the bed, sheets draped over us, panting lightly. To be honest though, it just seemed like we were going through the motions=

Eve giggled.
"Any fortress can be breached."

Hibiki panted slightly, but kissed James. "Dessert was wonderful." She smiled. "I love you."

(Sam)
"True I suppose."
=I couldn't tell if this was verbal foreplay or not. I didn't really want to know=

(James)
"Love you to Hibiki."
=Despite how I felt about the sex, it didn't stop me from twining my hand with hers=

Eve fell silent for a moment.
"Where would you go?"

Hibiki smiled, her hand intertwining back. "Best stress reliever ever."

(Sam)
"I don't know. Maybe wherever my family went I suppose. But in the end....I'd go somewhere I could call home. Somewhere where I can live, and not just survive."

(James)
=I chuckled a little=
"Yeah, I guess."

=Falling silent, I stared up at the ceiling, trying to think of something else to say=

Eve rolled over to look at Sam.
"Yeah...that sounds good..." she sighed.
She had wanted that...but with Sam.
Not without

Hibiki laid her head on James' chest. "I wish these moments would never end..."

(James)
"Same here.....but the world isn't kind enough grant that wish."

(Sam)
"In a world like this, that kind of place is paradise."

Eve smiled. "Paradise is what we make of it."

Hibiki smiled softly. "One day..."

(James)
"One day...for now though, we have to fight for whatever room we can."

(Sam)
"That it is. It's even better when there are people there with you to enjoy it."

Eve's smile turned sad. "Am I one of those people who could be there for you?"

Hibiki closed her eyes. "Yeah..."

(Sam)
"Heh, more than likely. We seem to get along well, don't we?"

(James)
=There was nothing left to say. So I just lay there, holding her hand=

--Somewhere outside St. Louis, Location Unknown--

=A figure walks toward St. Louis, their gait a limping one. Unless someone spotted it, no one knew this was a Shepherd that had been attacked. To the naked eye, it was just another wounded loner in need of some help. Only one person in the world would recognize the figure, wanting to kill them on sight. She was bruised and battered, large cuts along her legs and back were a testament to a vicious attack by a band of bandits. She was working alone and had been overpowered, the nearest Shepherd facility hundreds of miles away. She had gotten her orders a day ago, the bandits attacking later that day. She was now wounded, tired, starving, and in desperate need of medical attention. She spots the gates of the compound falling to an exhausted heap near the gate=

Let's just hope they're the generous type...

=She screamed as she landed on her back, the wounds sending a wave of pain through her body=

Eve smiled again. "We do..."

Hibiki closed her eyes and snuggled up to James.