Revelation

[size=1][color=#8B008B]It was still a bit early for me to leave, so I decided to stay at the Y a bit longer. Unlike Raiha, I didn’t have anyone to take care of, just me and myself. Besides, the Y was something like a safe haven to be. I was at peace there; I could think only about the music and the dance and nothing else. It was my escape from the outside world. But the guy at the front desk had to bring me back to reality when he announced he was locking up. It was only then that I realized what time it was- 9:50. I was going to be late. A trail of swears- both Korean and English- flew out of my mouth as I juggled my things in my arms while I fumbled with my car keys. Once I managed to put everything in and turn everything on, I sped down the road to my uncle’s club. The clock read 10:01. Even in the somewhat safe confines of my car, I was wary. It was one thing to work the corners at night, but it was a completely different concept to be on a corner at night. I definitely didn’t want to be caught dead doing the latter. Literally. I finally arrived at the club and parked my car in the back parking lot. Some of the girls were out taking a smoke break, teasing me as I hurried into the dressing room. I came back out wearing a hooded trench coat over a short black skirt and a low-cut red halter top with black ankle strap heels. One of the bouncers gave me a lift to my spot and wished me luck. Like I needed it. Then again, maybe I did. Everything seemed to be the same old- small gang fights, drug deals, women yelling at men, men yelling at women, children crying. Nothing was any different from yesterday or the day before, everything was the same. Except for one thing. It was too quiet. When things got quiet on the streets, it meant something was going down. I heard tires squealing and guns firing. I’d only been on the corner for less ten minutes and already, my ass was about to die. I dialed Raiha’s number and hoped to God she was home. The other receive clicked; she was home. [B]“Hey! Raiha! Can you pick me up from the corner of Smith and 17th? It looks like something’s happening on 15th. I don’t want to be there for it.” “Yeah. I’ll be right there.”[/B] Raiha and I shared a one-minute conversation about the “cholo convention” that was taking place near 15th. I heard the faint sirens grow louder and knew they were going to come down this road. I watched the corners for red and blue flashing lights. Just as I was about to curse Raiha’s bucket of a car, I saw its headlights head towards me. I flagged her down and jumped into the car before Raiha came to a full stop. The police were sitting like predators with their lights off. I told Raiha to go the way she came because they were about to turn their sirens on. She made a U-turn while I fastened my seat belt and clenched my coat tight around me. Right as she was about to turn the corner, sirens blared behind us. I sat up straight and pulled my hood over my head. From the corner of my eye I saw a policeman walk up to Raiha’s window. He tapped with the butt of his flashlight. When she rolled it down, he blinded us with its blinding light and asked Raiha a question. [B]“Do you know how fast you were going girl?”[/B] I rolled my eyes, thankful that he wasn’t able to see that. Cops always found some stupid excuse to stop people. Every cop had a superiority complex- they thought they were above the law and nothing could touch them. Raiha replied with a slight nerve-racked tone, [b]“I believe I was going 25 officer.”[/B] Being a cop, he said he caught her at 45 in a 25 zone. I cursed under my breath and watched as he told the both of us to get out of the car. Something about the cop gave me a weird vibe. Cops usually gave tickets and left; speeding never warranted for the people to get out of their cars. Something was up. I stepped out as calmly as I could. Without a word, he grabbed Raiha and pushed her onto the front of the car. Her face was slammed onto the hood while the cop held a gun towards me. So many things ran inside my head- help Raiha and get shot; run and get shot; run and break my ankle; not run and watch Raiha get mauled by this bastard...too many things. I didn’t know what to do. Raiha began to cry quietly. She began to plead with the cop but he wouldn’t have any of it. Still holding the gun towards me, he pulled her pants and threw them somewhere. With the gun still pointed towards me, he smirked and threatened to kill me if either of us did anything. I badly wanted to tell him to fuck himself in the ass, but I knew he’d hurt Raiha even worse. I felt hopeless; all I could do was close my eyes. But the sound of a somewhat familiar voice made me look desperately in the dark. All I could see in the dark was the spark from the gun and the cop falling to his knees, dropping his gun. Raiha didn’t move from the hood of the car; she laid there as the man came up to the cop. She stayed on the hood of the car as he shot the wounded cop twice before reaching him. Once he came close to the cop and Raiha, he held the gun to the cop’s forehead and shot him. Raiha was still on the hood of the car with tears rolling down her face. I began to pull off my trench coat as I walked towards Raiha. I wrapped her around it as I picked her up from the hood. [B]“Anything else that needs to be taken care of?”[/B] was all he asked.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Someone needs to calm down, and yes, I am talking to you [B]Felix Freeman[/B]. First of all, my life does NOT revolve around the OB. Second of all, perhaps there's a slight chance that I haven't been able to think up anything to write. And lastly, I've been working my ass off for the past weeks therefore haven't had time to write anything. Which brings us back to my first point, my life doesn't revolve around the OB. With that said, I'll TRY and get something up as soon as I can.[/size][/color]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I'm more frightened by the assassin that walks into your bedroom and slits your throat than the gang banger who postures big on the street then gets cut off from his cholos and wets his pants when it turns out you're armed.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=#8B008B]Or it could be a tiny little Asian girl who has a peculiar way of intimidating people. I mean, who knows? You know? And as far as manly posturing goes, there's a difference between cockiness and confidence.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]As far as birthdays go, I don't really celebrate mine. I look forward to celebrating everyone else's, just not mine. I don't really care for that. I won't bring anyone down and scold them for telling me 'Happy birthday' but it's just not my style to celebrate. And this year, on the day of my birthday- February 22- I went out to eat and then went to Karaoke. The day after, I went out to eat and then went to Karaoke. Again. Though with different people.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Seems like I've neglected this thread for far too long. So here's, once again, my long list of movies I've seen: [B]Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay[/B] - If you liked [B]White Castle[/B], then most definitely you will love this movie. The movie does just about every lewd act you could think of yet still retains its hilarity. [B]Hitman[/B] - Here I thought I've seen almost every assassin/"you kill me, I kill you"/etc. movie there ever could have been, but I've been proven wrong. This movie, I'll admit, is quite interesting. I particularly liked the part where he's reading a magazine article. [B]Juno[/B] - The sweetest and most adorable movie. The dialog is completely off-the-walls and Juno wasn't your average, teeny-bopping, gum-chewing, 'I love [insert Top 40 singer here] teenage girl. She was this 70s-rock-loving, slushee-drinking, [B]Annapolis[/B] - Two words: James Franco. No, I kid. The transition James Franco's character makes is astonishing. He turns from this mouthy, never-listens-to-anyone guy to becoming a man of the military. Along the way, each person he meets within Annapolis changes him into someone better. But, I must still say, James Franco esta muy caliente! [B]August Rush[/B] - I lied. Juno AND August Rush are the sweetest and most adorable movies I've seen. This movie is astonishingly amazing. It captures the journey of a boy who escapes from a boys' home in search for his parents. And the way they interacted music with him made it that much more amazing. And being the ever-lazy girl I am, here's the rest of the list without reviews: [B]The Other Boleyn Girl Peter Pan [2004] The Kingdom Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Requiem For A Dream Ocean's Eleven 10,000 BC Horton Hears A Who The Black Dahlia Lucky Number Slevin Superbad Blue Crush The Brave One Disturbia Transformers Sunshine Forgetting Sarah Marshall[/B] I'm sure I'm forgetting a few but there you have my list. [i][B]Movie Count:[/B][/i] 49.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]I'm guessing Gavin blasted his way through? *sighs* Men. When do they ever pay attention? Well, I suppose when the idea of sex is given and when their manhood is being threatened. But still... Oh and another note, where's Iki in all of this? Did he leave with Vicky and Eriju? He seems to have gone MIA.[/size][/color]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]Just something I'm going to incorporate into the character in Contracts Mike, after a major kill, Gavin will mutter a few prayers over the bodies of the deceased. [/SIZE][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=#8B008B]That totally reminds me of 'The Boondock Saints'- great movie, by the way- and how they always said a Latin prayer before executing a kill and, I think they did one after. It's odd though, a few days ago I was talking to Mike about 'The Boondock Saints' too. Funny how people's minds work.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]I'm here; I just didn't know what to put in considering [B]Felix Freeman[/B] was the one who brought my group to his house. But yes, I'm still here and if I'm here, [B]Ikillion[/B] is most definitely as well.[/size][/color]

[quote name='Pumpkin'][color=#CC6600][font=Tahoma]Forshame White. *shakes fist* BTW, he should definately make another Elements RPG. I am so waiting for one already, I LOVED those. Reminded me of .Hack Sign kind of.[/color][/font][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=#8B008B]Hell yes, he should! The Elements RPG was awesome and I've been dying for another one. [quote name='Pumpkin'][color=#CC6600][font=Tahoma]P.S. I don't like long romantic walks on the beach FYI. P.P.S But I do like Volcanoes and Cream Cheese. P.P.P.S Why the heck are you still reading this?[/color][/font][/QUOTE] Well, didn't you know you get sand in your shoes when you do? Volcanoes are amazing but cream cheese is disgusting. Why the heck am I still reading this? That's a good question. I have no idea. Maybe it's cause you're just so awesome, [B]Pumpkin[/B]. Okay, in all seriousness, like everyone is saying, online relationships are online relationships. Sure, we've made connections with each other but like Raiha said, if friends from OB were to die, I would have no idea. And like her, it's not like I'd go crazy wondering why they weren't online or something. I'd just think real life pulled them away from online life. Simple as that. There are people I miss and people that I would miss and people that I am going to miss. It's inevitable because once you've made a connection with a person, it's somewhat hard to sever that tie. And because I'm insane and have nothing better to do, I'm planning on visiting people sometime in the future. Granted, it might take a long time for some but for others, it might be sooner than they think. And really, OtakuBoards has always been a dysfunctional family since it started with Harlequin, wristcutter, Raiha, and all of the other oldies. We've had our wars, our exiles, our petty fights; but really, what family hasn't? Granted, they didn't try flaming each other. Well, that's my two cents.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]After a warm shower and a breakfast of Belgian waffles, I made my over to the living room. Raiha was already sitting on the couch and watching some uninteresting show about hills on MTV. I sat beside her and snuggled against her chest as she put an arm over me. The familiar scent of poisons and lavender filled my nose as I shifted my weight closer to her. It was comforting to be able to feel her warmth and smell her scent of poisons and lavender. Though our relaxing time was short, I took that time to inhale deeply and take in as much of the smell as I could. As nuch as I wanted to sit on the couch with Raiha and have nothing to do, I knew it wasn?t an option. We both had a job to do and unlike her, I had to prepare myself for the day. In the choice of career that Raiha and I took, there was no room for errors. When you worked for a man like James, you couldn?t afford to make even the slightest mistake. One single step out of line meant my life and the lives of those around me. I wasn?t going to allow myself to be troubled with trivial thoughts; I wasn?t going to mess up. Unlike Raiha, I was still a young girl and somewhat new to the business. My mind was still taking its time to form to the idea. Because it was still forming, I was susceptible to do stupid things, like let my emotions overtake me. If I wanted to do my job well, I had to mentally prepare myself. I didn?t know how Raiha did it, but she did. She had complete control of herself; nearly complete if you didn?t count Gavin the Crusader, but that?s a story all in its own. Even so, it always amazed how she could wake up and do her job yet still remain- I suppose the word would be- human. How could she retain feeling when our occupation strives to strip that way? [B]?I need to stop thinking,?[/B] I mumbled to myself. Raiha stopped running her fingers through my hair and looked down at me. From the corner of my eye I saw her famous ?that?ll-never-happen-and-you-know-it? look. She was infamous for throwing them and I was notorious for receiving. I turned my head to face her. I smiled at her quickly and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. My body shivered ever so slightly- I still wasn?t used to the tingles she gave. In response to her look I said, [B]?Don?t give me that look, Rai. You know thinking is not good for my health; especially if we don?t want to let James? newest be stranded at an airport.?[/B] Raiha raised a brow at me. [B]?You should have killed him when you had the chance.?[/B] I shrugged my shoulders and raised my arms behind my head. [B]?I should have, but I didn?t kill Boss.?[/B] At the sound of his name, Raiha exhaled a sigh of disgust. I chuckled as I flipped myself over the couch and watched her face change into that of sour expression and intense dislike. [B]?Don?t be so sour, Rai. He did, after all, do exactly what James wanted him to do.?[/B] Raiha scoffed and walked past me to our bedroom. I followed suit and walked into the walk-in closet. I listened to Raiha grab small duffle bags and rummage through the drawers while I put on a pinstripe blazer over a short-sleeve black button-up shirt and black suit pants. Raiha always welcomed a new challenge to our small entourage but she just couldn?t find it in herself to like anything about Boss. Of course, she never questioned James? decisions but why he was sending Boss after the Black Hand was beyond her and she voiced it often. Even as we left our apartment. [B]?He?s nothing but a troubled, arrogant kid. I don?t get why James is sending Boss after the Black Hand, Eriju.? ?It?s James? decision, Raiha.?[/B] I reminded her as we stepped out of the elevator. [B]?Boss may be an arrogant and troubled kid but he?s one of few who were able to get within ten feet of James.?[/B] Raiha and I handed our bags to the driver before getting into the backseat of the car. [B]?He?s one of less who?re still standing. You would know how that feels.? ?I still think you should?ve killed him when he was in the hospital,?[/B] she growled in a low, hushed voice. If there was one thing I was sure of, it was how the day was going to go and this day was just the beginning of something terribly horrible.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B][B]@ Riku:[/B] Didn't you know? I'm psychic. *taps temple* And as far as the hotness meter of me going over 10,000 goes, it should be at least 1,000,000. No, I kid. But really, you're too kind. Where are my pictures? Well, I don't know. *shrugs* [B]@ Anomaly:[/B] That is a good idea. I've also heard that some boutiques are able to make sure that the dress you buy isn't sold to another person who would be going to your dance.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]First off, seems like we might have some male dominance competition coming soon. Secondly, this part sort of bothers me: [quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Or even how they could even puncture him.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] Having 'even' twice in a sentence sort of throws it off. Lastly, [quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]?Go wake up Billy Gavin. Neil would you please start cooking? The skewers are in the drawer under the grill Andrew.?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] It's amazing how Raiha could just simply be somewhat nonchalant after an attack on her second child. Then again, they all have been through horrendous disasters before. I suppose they've always been ready for another.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B][B]@ Anomaly:[/B] I heart your dress. That is the cutest dress I've ever seen and I hardly like dresses. [B]@ Riku:[/B] Why does it not surprise me your name would become Riku? =P I mean that in a good way. Shoot, I'd tap that and I'm a straight girl too. [B]@ Mike:[/B] Dawg, we know you love your body and all but...is it possible for you to take a picture that's actually NOT half-naked?[/size][/color]

[quote name='Raiha'][i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]It didn't look like he was dressed for a friendly guy's night at the grill, but rather to go hunting for a would be killer.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=#8B008B]So is Neil part of some underground Saiya-jin mafia or something? I mean, clearly that's how he sounds right about now.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]In my younger years, I was a dreamer. I dreamt of going to a place of diversity and difference. I dreamt of creating a name for myself and making my way to the top. I would be the CEO of a large corporation; I would be the owner of the greatest restaurant; I would be anything and anyone in place like Otaku City. And I was right. I was something and I was someone; I just wasn’t what I thought I would’ve been or who I would’ve been. I was everything and everyone but that. If someone were to ask me who I was, I wouldn’t be able to tell them. I wish I could, but how am I supposed to answer that when I don’t even know myself? All I could really tell them was my name; which is Jae. It’s pronounced like ‘Jay’ and short for something you’ll never be able to pronounce. But because I emigrated from South Korea, had an unpronounceable name, and knew next to nothing of English, I was the brunt of every joke. Sadly, no one really knew me and was surprised that a four foot eleven, 110 pound girl could lay waste anyone who provoked her. After all, it was survival of the fittest in the city. You see, if there ever was a place that was hell on earth, it was Otaku City. It was a place of pain and suffering, where dreams didn’t matter and your status meant nothing. In this city, it didn’t matter if you were a six foot two, 185 pound police officer with a gun; you’d be brought down no matter what. Why? Because the law didn’t run the streets; the demons did. They lurked on every corner and in every alley. And if you lived in the city, you lived on their territory. And when you lived on their territory, you worked for them. And when you worked for them, they owned you. Thankfully and luckily, it wasn’t like that for me. I was lucky enough to work for a man who knew my father whom I knew as ‘uncle.’ Because he knew my father, I was treated better than the rest of the ‘workers.’ Even though I had to work a corner at night wearing six-inch heels and skanky outfits or even bare my breasts while sliding down a pole, my ‘uncle’ made sure I wasn’t sexually itemized. He made sure I was taken care of and treated rather as an escort, than a whore. I was thankful for that. But with everything that’s been going in Otaku City, a person couldn’t really afford to be picky. I was willing to do just about whatever it took...even if it meant selling my own body.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]I wonder as much as Gavin; exactly what or who in the damned world could actually give Billy those knife wounds and make it seem like he was hit by a semi? And what happened during that black out? I'm curious to find out.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Yes, I completely agree with Gavin. Get on with the girl-on-girl action, Mike. I'd like to see what Annie brings to the table against Erica and Raiha. Hopefully the two'll have some fun before they get tired of her.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]A gentle whisper trailed into my ears. I dug my face deep into something soft and fluffy, mumbling something incoherent. The gentle whisper came closer to my ear and grew just a bit louder. It was a woman?s voice, I knew that much. She had a tender and soothing voice, much like the one a mother used to put her child to sleep. It really was soothing, but at the same time it was just another obnoxious sound in my ear. Thankfully, it went away and I was able to be at peace. At least, I presumed I?d be at peace. Instead, a rude awakening came to me when something bright hit my face. I dug my face deeper into the soft and fluffy something, wondering who let in the bright light and why everything around me was soft and fluffy. Even though, the bigger question was ?who?, I wanted to know ?what? and ?why?: what was I surrounded by and why it felt like that? It was a possibility I was in a linen closet. But instead of dwelling on that, my mind finally decided it wanted to know ?who?. ?What? and ?why? didn?t matter so much. The only thing that mattered was whose head was going to be served on a platter for letting in such a deathly bright light. I groaned furiously as I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the new light. From what I was able to gather from my blurred vision, there was a woman standing in front of the window. I presumed it was a woman from the feminine silhouetted figure I could make out. I slowly lifted myself up and readied the throwing knife in my hand under my pillow. When I was finally erect, she turned and I loosened the grip on my knife. [B]?I do hope you weren?t thinking of throwing that knife at me.?[/B] I cocked my head to the side as I reached for my glasses. [B]?The one under your pillow,?[/B] Raiha said as she pointed to the pillow beside me. My head followed her hand and went back to her. Even though I had just held it seconds ago, I found myself dumbfounded. I blinked a few times and scrunched my face in confusion; while Raiha raised a brow. It took me a while before I realized what she had meant. With a laugh, I replied, [B]?Hardly. Though, a few strands of your hair would?ve been cut off.?[/B] Raiha kept her brow raised but gave me a scolding look. Quickly I added, [B]?if I didn?t know it was you.?[/B] She smiled and sat at the edge of the bed. I adjusted my glasses and looked at her with amazement and pride, much like the way a little sister did for an older one. But Raiha?s didn?t match my happy exuberance; instead her face was filled with concern. Despite the way she held herself, I could tell she was worried. In fact, I knew she was from the way she held my hand in hers and the way she pushed my hair behind my ear. It was also what she asked me. [B]?Eriju, are you having those dreams again??[/B] My face fell. My eyes dropped to our hands and my free hand gripped into a fist. Raiha asked me again, [B]?Are you having them??[/B] I didn?t know what to say. I didn?t want to talk about it. She always asked me that every day, when I woke up. At least this time she didn?t mention his name. [B]?Yes. I am.?[/B] I looked into her eyes. This time, my eyes weren?t watering like they did before. [B]?They never actually finish. They always end with my meeting you.? ?I know,?[/B] she said. She held me in her arms for a few moments before letting me go and telling me, [B]?You reek of something disgusting. You need to take a shower.? ?Alright...if you make me breakfast!?[/B] Like a little kid I jumped out of bed with a smile on my face. That?s what I loved about being with Raiha; I didn?t have to be a stoic person. My choice of career had no meaning. My sadomasochistic nature was nonexistent. I didn?t have to act like an emotionless killer; I could be a normal person with normal feelings. I didn?t have to act professional and serious like I did with everyone else. With Raiha, I was able to be the crazy, wild, rambunctious person I always was. With her, I could be me with no guns attached.[/size][/color]

[quote name='Raiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]You meant...Raiha not Erica when describing the second outfit the second female was wearing? Yes? Oh well. I'll proceed as normal. Dibs on gouging out Annie's eyes. Wait your turn Eriju. *prod*[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1][color=#8B008B]Wait my turn, she says. AND she prods me, as well. How rude~! Fine, fine. But I get to shoot someone in the balls...and I get to kick someone's head in. Please and thank you.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Another top-notch installment, Mike; even after your long hiatus, you still manage to break out amazing lines. I'm still impressed. Though, I've got to say, you've created a lifetime of mess for yourself. I mean, really you've opened a wormhole and create a lifetime of messes- however short that lifetime may be. [quote name='Zen'][size=1][color=royalblue]Raiha laughed and snuggled into Gavin. [b] "Well, you're pretty much fucked, huh?"[/b][/color][/size][/QUOTE] She definitely took the words right out of my own mouth.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]And here I was, like with D'Ann's last installment of [B]Hell Is Where The Heart Is[/B], half-expecting [B]Retribution[/B] and Erica to [i]at least[/i] have a larger fighting scene. Then again, the title did say: 8Bit VS. Zen; which I would like to say was not the way I thought it would end. It was bloody, gorey, and definitely had a bit of a [B]Kill Bill[/B] feel to it. I was and am impressed. Moving on, I think it's time that the lovely cake-sexed couple make their way back into the story. I think, for now, they can suffice with the amount of alone time they've had. They'll have plenty of opportunities to kiss-and-make-up later.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]The pace in this story and the atmosphere of it was slower than most of your stories. Granted this is not one of your usual styles, it was a nice change. You know, I realized that you're able to fit in a lot of detail in very few words. Usually people put in a lot of detail in many words or not a lot of detail in very few words; not the other way around. But then again, I'm sure lots of other writers do that as well, which would mean that I'm stating an obvious. Whatever.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Aw pooh, I was half-expecting Gavin to lay a severe beating to Billy but he only resorted to shouting at the boy. But at least it was entertainment for the guests, no? Well, let's just hope that Gavin can take the other half of the news well...or at least try not to blow up the house.[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]I've got to say, you put a lot of twists and turns in this story but no matter how twisted it gets, you manage to keep it on track. This is definitely the wittiest and satirized- at least I think- story I've read in a long while. You know, it makes me wonder though why all of those people think Kensley is someone else and, like Mike, I just wonder why Naomi cares about Kensley. What's her purpose or does she want to kill him too after she "protects him"?[/size][/color]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Definitely a knee-slapper, this chapter. I think I kept laughing even after I read some lines. You've got a real knack for making witty lines, Gavin. I'm impressed, truly I am. I can't wait for the next installment.[/size][/color]