A Sea of Crimson Blue (Round Two)

[Aex]

Although seemingly the perfect day for a carefree cruise, it was simply not meant to be. With the sun shining chivalrously in the sky, the vacationers guessed that they would get some time to bask in the rewarding light. It was truly a magnificent day. The large, ridiculously expensive boat couldn’t have looked more fitting amongst the vast openness of the sea.

It had become the jewel of its age and industry. A breakthrough in hydrodynamics. With the exception of the Titanic, no ship had ever received as much attention. And it was said that not even an entire sea of ice could stop it from succeeding where its sibling had failed.

Capable of holding thousands of passengers and moving knots faster than the leading competitor, it was said that the Fleeting Nova would revolutionize the world of pleasure cruises. With its main targets being the fabulous and the rich, there couldn’t be any chance of something going wrong. The last time a ship had had such claims made about it, it had, quite ironically, sunk.

Every single precaution and calculation in the world, however, couldn’t have prepared for the disaster that would take place on that ship’s maiden voyage. For while young, spoiled children dipped themselves in the shallow pools aboard the enormous upper decks, something terrible plotted in the untouched darkness of a supposedly uninhabited room.

Deep within the metal walls of the ship, enclosed within the walls of that quiet room, two eyes opened and looked around. The man to which they belonged wondered if it was time. He pulled the blind from his window and saw that land had become a distant dream. He smiled and closed the blind.

He stood from the small bed and opened the door. He was attacked by the light from the hallway. On such a sunny day, however, the lower regions of the ship never saw any life. The man stepped into the light and it embraced his white skin and dark black hair. His eyes scanned around. Seeing absolutely no movement angered him.

As me made his way slowly down the hall, his heavy cape swayed to and fro. He swept around a corner and again cursed his luck. “How damn hard can it be to find a human on this ship?” he asked himself silently. He made his way up a flight of stairs and tip tapped his finger against the railing as he went. When he entered the new hallway on the next floor and finally saw some movement, he sighed.

It was only a woman, but it would be good enough to start. She didn’t see him at first, but as he inched slowly closer, she turned her head. She was wearing a flowery green dress and a pair of sun glasses. It was undoubtedly some forgotten item that brought her away from her sun.

She smiled almost worriedly at the Enigma, which meant either one of two things. First, it was possible that she was the type of person who tried to accept the Enigma. Or alternatively, she’d realized she was in a narrow hallway with a potential beast.

“Good morning, ma’am. The name’s Zellio,” he said with a warmhearted smile. This seemed to make her feel a bit better. She waved to him and produced a genuine smile. She went back to opening her door and paid no further attention to Zellio until he had disappeared.

It took the woman a moment to realize that a figure has passed behind her but had never reappeared on the opposite side. She closed her eyes as the simple truth became clear. Gulping, she turned around. Contrary to her expectations, however, the man wasn’t there.

A little confused but unharmed, she returned to her door. It was then that the smug white face greeted her with a sick, twisted grin. He spun her around despite her protests and brought his arm around her throat.

“Listen,” the woman cried in terror, “if you let me go I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

Zellio laughed as he put his head against her shoulder. It could’ve been mistaken for a loving action if he hadn’t been holding her in place. “That’s won’t be necessary, honey.” He kissed her cheek and took his head away so that she couldn’t see him. “I want you to scream before you die.”

And like a genie granting a wish, the woman screamed. Even though she knew it was what he wanted, she couldn’t fathom why she would do anything else. And so she complied with the last request she would ever receive. And after she had exhausted her lungs, Zellio snapped her neck with nothing more than a small bit of force from his forearm.

He let the corpse fall to the floor and waited for the domino effect that was sure to ensue. Counting each agonizing second out in his mind (as he always did), he put his hands back under his robe. 7... 8... 9... 10... 11... 12... Bingo.

Doors opened and feet came flooding down the next stairwell. As soon as the limp body was seen, nothing could’ve stopped it. A button was pressed and there were lights flashing everywhere. Zellio couldn’t help but smirk as he saw the first gun. It was the guard who’d triggered the alarm. He didn’t even give Zellio a chance to offer him his life.

The bullet hit his cape and connected with the metal inside of it. The second bullet was aimed more skillfully. Before it could reach Zellio’s face, he accelerated his body and stepped around the bullet. When time resumed its normal pace, the guard fired off several more shots. The evil warrior caught three and let the last pass right by his head.

He began walking towards the guard but heard something behind him. There was a man dressed in shorts who had come out of his room. He was holding a pistol and was barely three feet away. Zellio’s eyes widened as the first shot’s echo resonated through his ears. A second followed and his vision blurred. Three more shots entered his chest to put the icing on the cake.

He couldn’t see; couldn’t hear. For a moment, touch was all Zellio had. And then his regeneration kicked in and the gruesome wounds healed. Visibly enrage, he brought up his hand to the overweight man. The man exploded in a flurry of dark red and painted most of the surrounding walls.

Zellio turned back around and laughed when he saw that the guard had fled. The white man decided that he was too cramped and accelerated through the mighty ship until he came to the nearest deck. Everyone there was already panicking because of the alarm. None knew what it meant.

While people realized that he was the cause of alarm, Zellio sat himself down by the pool. He dipped his legs into the water and pulled out two pistols from underneath his cape. He looked around and took aim. Within the next five seconds, fourteen people were laying on the ground with bullets through their heads.

As Zellio began to reload, he noticed that someone was standing one deck above him. The figure wasn’t moving. Did that mean the figure wasn’t afraid? “That’ll have to change.”

[Sakume]

Tick… Tick… Tick… The steady, monotone noise tugged at his nerves as if attempting to yank that last stubborn weed out of the thick ground that served as his skull. He noticed the thin black hand of the clock pass by its twin for the fiftieth time. Impatiently, he rubbed two fingers gingerly against his forehead. He hadn’t expected it to take this long, by any means. He glanced across the stark white room, searching for any sign of a comforting change of pace.

A few certificates hung, one slightly crooked, some degrees for a grade of accomplishment by others in the service. The pieces of parchment differed in color and size, some yellowing in a graven age. On a cherry wood desk there lay sprawled out several month-old magazines, in the middle a dying fern, its tender branches limp and decaying. He shifted from his slouch, straightening and crossing one leg over the other, his toga-like attire rippling in effect. Besides the plush couch he sat on, and the three empty chairs across from him, he had no pleasure of company. Some unconscious little boy in his mind fidgeted, despite the fact he knew he was here of his own will. The room reminded him somewhat of a waiting room for an inevitable doom of eternal detention.

Just then, the fuzzy, garbled speech came in short spurts from the speakers stationed in the small confinement. “Mr… Brabosi…” He caught his name vaguely and stood listening, although the rest of the muttering turned out completely unintelligible. He cleared his throat, smoothing his hair down, determined to make the best first impression possible. Slowly, his fingers enclosed about the cool doorknob and he opened it, taking those fateful steps inside.

Clack, clack, clack. Her fingers tapped away on the keyboard of her silvery computer without any sign of stopping, faster than his eyes could follow. She glanced up temporarily, exhaling through her thin lips. As she did so, a round bright pink bubble expanded, reaching a point of covering her nose before breaking with a sudden pop. She chewed, resembling a cow with cud, pointing with a French-manicured finger towards the chair in front of her desk. Taking the hint without a word, Will seated himself, shuffling so he stood up straight, a pleasant smile plastered on his face.

She temporarily halted her typing, though her mouth chewed the gum continually. “Mr… Brabosi.” She stated, opening the cabinet below her desk with a screech and flipping though several folders, bent over. He remained quiet, straining to see exactly what the secretary did. Her dark hair spilled out in a well-organized bun, some cascading below it as if it were a waterfall. Behind one of her ears lay a pencil, while a pen situated the other. She took her glasses from her face and placed them gently upon the top of her table, beside a glass mug filled with a steaming liquid. “Do you know why you’re here?”

“I… I took things off balance?”

“That, Mr. Brabosi, is the easiest way of expressing this morass you’ve gotten us all into. Of all the incompetent, foolish, idiotic people… You must have some gumption to allow yourself to come here.” Her nasally tone echoed with the smacking of her gum. “Well.” She pushed herself ever so slightly back from her desk, drumming her long nails along the polished wood. “If I were in charge of these things, you would be in a bigger mess than you find yourself today.”

“And how big is the mess I find myself in today?”

The woman lifted her head for a moment to look him in the eyes, sending an icy stare through his body. She went back to sorting and flipping through numerous papers. “Let me put it this way, Mr. Brabosi. If you don’t find a way to solve your problem, you could conceivably become the worst-known incident ever to befall heaven or earth alike.”

He greatly paled at that statement. “Is it really that bad?”

“Well, let me lay down the situation for you, Mr. Brabosi. You lost your guarded, which means your whole purpose of staying on earth was a failure. Then you refuse your one chance to return to heaven. You tell me. Here’s the whole point. You can’t stay on earth in your current situation. You also can’t return to heaven. There’s only one thing to do.”

Will swallowed the lump in his throat. “And that would be?”

“Well, you have to be stripped of your wings and return to earth as a human, all memory wiped from your past.”

“You’re kidding…” Will looked into her stone face with a horror. His wings instinctively moved to the back of his chair, folded tightly against his ashen skin. “Isn’t there another way?”

“Well… Normally I would say no, but for you, Mr. Brabosi... Your father is of great respect around here. Because of that fact alone, let me see…” She flipped through a few more papers, the incessant clicking of her fingers on the keyboard echoing painfully through Will’s mind. “Well, if you… There is one way. You see, you may stay on earth as long as you are doing some non-detrimental to the society. Community service, if you will.”

“I’ll do anything!” Will knew how painful having one feather plucked from his massive wings turned out. He didn’t even want to consider having both appendages taken. “Name it.” Despite the fact that Will knew how to fight, it didn’t mean he liked it.

“Hm… Mr. Brabosi. I see your military records clearly state you have a good record of accuracy with the bow.” Again, her bubble popped obnoxiously, her pearly white teeth smacking, making it more frustrating for the angel.

“Yes, Miss. I was known as the best shot in the whole history of the camp, even better than my father.” She nodded absent-mindedly, obviously not listening to a word Will said with any care for his well-being. “Is that good?”

“Yes, actually, that’s very good. That over-qualifies you for the only available community service at the time. Which means, Mr. Brabosi, you may retain your wings. For the time being.”

Will slowly released a very relaxed breath through his nose. “Go on, please.”

“All you have to do, Mr. Brabosi, is sign these. I need your signature here, your full name here, your last name here, your initials here, and your middle name there.” Will accepted the pen she offered him somewhat disdainfully, scribbling the orders as given. She carefully peered through the thick stack of paperwork, smiling with a look that gave Will second thoughts. Perhaps he should have read what he was signing.

“What is it exactly that I’m doing for community service, miss?” He asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

“Surely you’re familiar with the humans and their celebrations by this time, am I correct, Mr. Brabosi?” She asked, primping the papers so that they were lined up perfectly before closing them in the drawer with a slam.

“Somewhat, yes. I believe I know enough. Why do you ask?”

“In the month of February, the humans commonly throw parties on the fourteenth. They have named it Valentine’s Day. Now, on this day, there is a certain individual they call ‘cupid’ that uses his arrows to make people fall in love. We previously had a man that volunteered every year, but there recently was an accident with a mirror… And just let me advise you not to shoot yourself with the arrows, Mr. Brabosi.”

“You don’t mean…”

At this point, the woman stood up from her desk and thrust a hand out, grabbing Will’s own sweaty palm and shaking it vigorously. “Welcome to your new job, cupid.”

Will gaped at her, even as she went back to her business. “Wait a second!” He sputtered, attempting to speak coherently. “You’re telling me I’m supposed to take the role of this guy, flying around and shooting people to make them fall in love?”

She merely glanced up and nodded curtly. “Oh, and don’t forget to change before you leave. Be glad, Mr. Brabosi. You’re one of the lucky few we make changes for. Your uniform is in the closet, there.”

Will stood after a moment, holding his breath as he opened the dusty door. “You’re joking. Tell me you’re joking. No. There’s no way I’m wearing that. I don’t care if people can’t see me, I’m not wearing it.”

“Oh yes, you are. Either that, or I can have you scheduled in for a memory wipe.” Her dangerous eyes sparkled threateningly. “Your first mission will be made simple. There’s a new cruise ship called the Fleeting Nova currently situated near the Caribbean Islands. It’s sunny, warm, perfectly suited for an angel, even on duty. Think of it as an easy vacation. Several old couples, as well as many young children, all needing a good poke in the butt are waiting for you. Please, Mr. Brabosi. It’s only one day. Surely you can stand it for one day. Even if you do fail to shoot all those cute couples quick enough, we have the ability to slow time for you. Easy as pie.”

“I pray it’s so.” Will slowly removed the plastic-covered white shorts, looking at them with disgust. “This is going to be a long day.” He slung the small leather pack of arrows over one shoulder, opening the door and giving her one last long look.

Once his job legally began, Will found the ship easily. Far from any civilization, he began to imagine the woman would be right. His first targets, a pair of children sitting by the pool, were pure teasing for Will. He set them into the process of love without a moment’s hesitation, although deep inside he felt a spur of guilt. He didn’t want to force people to fall in love. As the angel passed over one of the several pools, he shuddered to see his reflection. He wore nothing to speak of clothes besides a short white pair of pants, glad it wasn’t a diaper like most humans pictured cupid, or worse, wearing nothing. Over his well-formed chest lay the strapped arrow quiver, incapable of running low.

The arrows themselves consisted of a thin body, though extremely difficult to break. Very slim and perfectly designed to soar aerodynamically guided by his expert touch, they nearly always hit their target directly. The only thing about them Will found not favorable to his personality was the sharp pink heart in place of the normal head. Will finished up with two or three more couples, seeking out the perfect scenes for a possible romance. He was somewhat surprised of such good weather in February, but then again, it was a cruise. He spotted two empty chairs and a half-used tube of sunscreen in a bored glance as he hovered over the wooden deck.

Though Will bit his lip, the sun’s glare convinced him no one owned the nearly empty container. He rubbed the ointment all over his white skin, worried for his bare body with all the exposure to the heat and light reflected off the waves. It was only after he tossed the plastic into the trash can nearby that he paled. A woman had returned to her seat, apparently the owner of the useful substance he claimed as his own. She wore a rather large puffy dress of a light lime color. Spread here and there about the collar were white flowers in differing patterns, and strapped sandals covered her feet.

“At least she has good taste in footwear.” Will mumbled softly, watching her actions further. As she looked for her missing helpful tool, her lip quivered in indignation. She took off her hat, setting it upon the pure white sunning chair and flicked her dark sunglasses upwards above her hair. Shaking her shoulders a little, the thin young passenger swung open a door, obviously returning to her room for more of the stuff she brought along. Will shrugged with disappointment at himself. He returned to work, pinpointing another couple near the volleyball nets, the girl sitting near the edge of the railing. “Nice shot, here. There’s no way I can miss it.”

Following this statement, Will pulled back on the taut line, aiming directly at the girl’s derriere, smiling at the various ocean’s creatures jumping around the boat’s stern side. Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared out over the deck. Various lights flashed before the angel’s eyes, and with a shocked reaction, he released the bow, completely unprepared. Will strained to see where the arrow had flown, but he caught no sign of it.

Everyone ran in a flurry of panic, guests desperately begging the guards for information. Will visibly jumped as a repeated sound of gunfire echoed out, very close to him. Carefully, the angel landed on the deck nearest, folding his wings behind him, glancing below. Horrified, the angel clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from gagging at the sight of the numerous dead bodies. He set his sights upon the one living figure nearby. This unknown person could use a good arrow in the backside, and Will knew just the person to give it to him.

[Aex]

Zellio continued to peer inquisitively over his shoulder at the unmoving figure. The sun made it hard to see any features, but it was possible to discern that he was male. And while the Enigma remained unaffected by his powerful stance, it could be said that the man had a certain air of confidence about him.

The white man stood from the pool and began shaking his legs inside his wet jeans. He turned around and placed one of the pistols back into the pocket of his jeans. Meanwhile, it seemed that the figure was shifting slightly. Zellio pushed the magazine into the gun and readied a shot. While the mystery of the man intrigued him, he didn’t appreciate the opposition.

As he readied to fire, something came flying at his hand and sent the gun flying into the chlorinated depths of the pool. Zellio cocked an eyebrow as he wondered what had struck him. “You’re fast,” he shouted to the man, unsure if he would be able to hear him from such a distance. There came no audible reply.

Taking the sheathed pistol from underneath his heavy coat, Zellio made sure to wield it with tighter fingers. Another object came flying at him before he could raise the firearm. This time, however, he was ready for it. As the arrow passed only an inch from his cheek, he accelerated and caught it in his right hand.

He looked the projectile over before he snapped it in half. Whoever the figure on the higher deck was, he was mocking Zellio. The arrow, while well crafted, was completed by a pink heart as a head. As he let it fall, it faded into a carefree golden dust.

Zellio turned back around, determined to get a better view of his foe. Just as his keen ears caught the sound of a strained bow, he jumped into the air. The arrow just barely missed his foot as he continued to move upwards. He began to fall and landed on the slanted roof in between decks. Another arrow nearly hit him as he jumped again.

This time around, he fell just behind the other man. He spun himself around and saw that the soon to be dead archer was wearing nothing more than a tight pair of white shorts. He spun around and the moving of his light hair revealed the surprised blue eyes.

There was a moment of silence between the two before the man brought his bow back up. As he grabbed an arrow from his quiver, Zellio stepped back, genuinely interested in the man’s origins. Another arrow shot forth and Zellio had to jerk to avoid it. He hadn’t appreciated from afar just how quickly they moved.

Straightening himself, Zellio heard a whimper from somewhere behind him. Realizing for the first time that the two warriors weren’t the only ones left on deck, he decided to ignore the other man. Just as he took a step toward the woman crying behind the chair, he felt something strike his posterior.

His face contorted until he felt the pain disappear along with the childishly decorated arrow. And then something strange engulfed him. He couldn’t explain exactly what it was, but it seemed like every thought melted away from his mind and was replaced with a new one. Suddenly, he’d lost the will to impose pain on the frightened young woman. All thoughts of the attacker behind him disappeared as he walked over to the young lady.

Her hair was long and brown and she was wearing a blue t-shirt and a white skirt. Her face was soft but her eyes were filled with fear. Zellio walked calmly over to her and she flinched as he offered her his hand. Reluctantly, she took it and he helped her up. She might’ve frightened easy, but she was low on prejudice.

The angelic archer smiled as he observed what he’d done. It was a temporary solution, of course, but it was definitely an improvement. Imagine how his sense of accomplishment was crushed, then, when he took a second look. Instead of walking off to the ice cream bar with his newfound love interest, Zellio had his arm around her waist and was trying to forcibly get himself a kiss. Whatever feelings of safety the woman had felt toward the Enigma had disappeared more quickly than they had spawned.

“Oh come on,” he said, rolling his eyes in disbelief. He threw his bow over his shoulder and walked slowly up to the impulsive bastard. He tapped him on the shoulder and tried to pry him away from the innocent girl. Zellio pulled his head away momentarily and shot him a queer look. He then brought his free hand up and pushed the angel’s chest.

Despite the seemingly small effort put into the push, the certified cupid was sent flying back onto an empty lawn chair. As he stood groggily back up, he realized that he’d done more harm than good. Would he be able to undo it?

[Sakume]

Will watched as he struggled to his feet, completely mortified to see the man bring the innocent young girl closer despite her loud protests. There goes my reference. He thought, biting his lip in defiance. He couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. After a little more rapid thinking, Will shoved his hands into his deep pockets of the uniform, closing his eyelids in a somewhat childish futile hope the situation would solve itself. He knew for sure that the rule stood firmly about him interrupting love of any kind unless it pertained to his own love life.

After a moment, his fingers enclosed about something in the recesses of the pocket, and along with a small string of fuzzy lint, Will pulled out a flat white card. He flipped it about, tilting it towards the bright rays of the sun, where a glimmering elegant print revealed itself. Will shook his head slightly in questioning towards the number, but after taking another glance at the helpless girl, headed to the nearest phone bolted to the wall. He picked up the receiver, and waited patiently for a dial tone. The best solutions to problems usually came when one remained calm.

Will set the card down, tapping a finger against the metal surface of the phone, talking to himself as he punched the buttons. “1-888-Heavenly Help.” He brightened as a ringing came through the reception. That hope quickly faded as the click of the phone sounded, and a loud smacking sound came through the fuzzy background.

“Hello, Heavenly Help hotline, how may I help you?” Will recognized the static-filled voice immediately. It would be just his luck the very person employing him answered his plea for assistance. From his left, a high-pitched shriek and a slapping sound reached his ears, and Will quickly gabbled off the entire problem completely incoherently.

“Mr. Brabosi?” She must have recognized his worried tone as well, even through such a terrible reception. “Say that again slower and take a deep breath. What exactly happened?” Will began to speak, but heard something on the other side of the conversation, another female voice. They sounded as if they were overjoyed to see one another, and a long procession of gossip began. “Mr. Brabosi? I’m going to put you on the automatic solve, okay? Just answer with the press of a button.”

Before the angel could protest, a very monotone, robotic voice echoed out. “Hello. Welcome to Heavenly Hotline. Please hold.” By now, Will tasted blood in an effort to keep himself quiet. No use in yelling at an inanimate object. A somewhat bouncy, joyful elevator tune floated out and Will sighed heavily.

He perked only at the end of the seemingly endless wait, knowing every second was precious to saving the girl. “Thank you for holding. Your call is important to us. If you are from or need assistance from heaven, please press one. If you from or need assistance from hell, press six six six.” In a great hurry, Will complied with the first option.

“Thank you. If you need assistance with times or schedules, press one. If you would like to book an appointment for a meeting with the supervisor, press two. If you need advice or help with your current position, press three.” Before waiting for any more options, the angel used the third option. After about two more cycles of picking what job he had and what the problem involved, namely, his arrows, Will came to the answer.

“If you have accidentally shot someone with an arrow that needs no love or if the match does not seem to work out correctly, simply shoot the recipient once more and countermeasures will be taken.” A click replaced the voice and Will found himself alone. He doubted the instructions slightly, but the next instant he realized he didn’t have the time to go back on his decision. The eager man had cornered the scared girl and nearly had her lips compressed to his. The only blockade between the murderer and his goal was the girl’s thin hand attempting to keep him away.

He lifted the bow, aiming extremely carefully for the man, releasing the missile exactly when two occurrences interrupted the exceptional aim. First, the ship had surprisingly lurched, a great shock for the angel since a craft this large usually felt no movements like that. Secondly, the young lady succeeded in pushing her unintentionally-gained lover back, just in the nick of time to take the bullet for him clumsily, thanks to the extra distance given by the sway of the boat.

She seemed shocked, and winced woefully, her eyebrows furrowed in pain for a single moment. Just then, she turned and fixed her eyes upon Will; anyone watching could almost see the invisible multiple fireworks set off behind her head. No… No no no! Will’s mind echoed as she neared him, extending a hand in a loving way, her long hair swaying in the wind’s gentle rocking. This wasn’t supposed to happen! She snatched his hand and pulled him down fiercely, straddling his bare waist. She then pressed a kiss to his lips, quite passionately. She certainly seemed to have discovered a spur with the help of the arrow; Will felt an assumption rise within him that depending on the personality of the person, the impact had differing effects.

Will clenched her wrists tightly, but not hurtfully, and pried her off him, though she stuck like a leech. He hardly had seconds to glance in the man’s direction before he felt something smack sickeningly into his jaw, and the previously shy girl flew to his side, helping him up. He looked towards the source and saw the lover, quite infuriated, heading his way.

[Aex]

Zellio frowned as Will stood up. He had an irritating air of innocence about him, but he couldn’t fool Zellio. Behind his angelic appearance and his diaper-like shorts was an evil man who wanted nothing more than to steal his beautiful... er... in all actuality, Zellio didn’t know the girl’s name. Did it really matter, though? Surely such an insignificant piece of information couldn’t have anything to do with his desires.

Back to more important matters, though. Zellio eyed the other man with an intense ferocity that could never be matched. As his love stood by the angel, he made a perpetual promise inside his own mind. He would cause that man the most incredible anguish imaginable before he forced him to beg Zellio to end his life.

The man looked at Zellio and brought his hands up defensively. “Look, I don’t want to fight you.” Zellio stopped his slow and casual approach. The girl, who he had been holding only moments ago, was trying to wrap herself around the peaceful angel.

Clenching his teeth, the Enigma brought his hands out from under his cloak and slowly undid the knot around his neck. Less than a second after he’d loosened the article of clothing, it fell to the ground with a tremendous bang!

“I don’t know who you think you are,” Zellio told him, “but I’m going to make yours an interesting death.” As he spoke, the girl clutching the other man looked up and pouted, almost as if the threat of murder was more like news of a ruined dress.

The angel named Will (whose name Zellio did not know), however, found the threat much more serious. To buy time, he slowly asked, “And what do you think you’ll do?”

Zellio considered the question. For once, he actually wanted to make something of his victim. “I guess, since it’s Valentine’s day, we’ll do something festive.” This caught the woman’s attention. True to form, though, she remained silent. Zellio continued, “I think we’ll start with a little dance at the speed of sound, just you and I.

“Then, when you’re tired, we can take a break. I’ll even let you rest. But then, once you’ve had a breather, I’ll poke a few holes in your chest. I’ll take your blood and draw a heart on your face. Then, as your eyes begin to glaze over, I’ll look deep into them and whisper the last name you’ll ever hear.

“And as you fade away, I’ll send you up into the air and use what’s left of you as fireworks. Then my love and I will fly far from here and live together forever.”

Will cocked an eyebrow. He gently pushed the affectionate girl from his side and looked back at the Enigma. “You’re sick in the head.”

Zellio shrugged almost uninterestedly. “So they tell me. Now let’s dance, prettyboy.”

OoC - Truly lackluster. V_V

[Sakume]

OoC: Aw. It's not bad. I'm sorry you didn't know about my post... ; ; ... << ... Okay. I'm confessing. *sits down behind Catholic church barrier* I... Have sinned, my father. I knew the whole time about the mistake with the ZU thing. I even had someone check for me to make sure it was my post last. But I didn't tell Aex. Because I figured he wouldn't notice. *nods* Thank you.

BiC: The threat of how Will was to be dismembered cut into the back of his mind like a knife through melted butter. Despite going through the hardships of the army and pushing himself above several obstacles, Will hated violence of any sort. Even the talk of such things that he found himself threatened with sent tremors through his body. Instead, he let no such emotion show. He hid his feelings well, simply raising an eyebrow and coming up with a general response as he dismissed the love from his side.

Without another word, the angel’s opponent leaped into the sky, returning with a force that slammed Will backwards, the magnitude of the gravity combined with the Enigma’s power almost like a sonic boom. Will rocketed up just inches from hitting the metal railing, knowing that would have been very unhelpful. He flapped his great wings once, gaining quite a bit of height as he surveyed the scene below. He settled himself nearly on one of the smoky pipes from the ship’s top, watching the man from above.

Nothing Will had seen could prepare him for what happened next. His eyes widened and he stared directly across at the man. “How… You’re in midair! How can you fly? I didn’t even see!” He hadn’t even blinked before the sight appeared in front of his eyes.

“It’s called psychokinesis. Try it sometime. Oh, wait. You won’t be able to, you’ll be dead shortly. Dance!” He withdrew a pistol from the recesses of his jacket; the sun’s blistering rays glimmered off of the polished surface. A single shot echoed out as Will jumped to avoid it, the ricochet clanging as the bullet fell. The man began to laugh as Will dodged several reoccurring shots, each causing another bead of sweat to break out on the angel’s forehead.

He raised his bow without any calculation and let an arrow fly, just to knock the weapon back so he could have a moment to escape the situation. He soared down, landing on the opposite side of the boat deck so as not to invoke the woman’s love again. This time, because it was an unused part of the boat, Will heard a low unpleasing creak as he allowed his sandaled feet to rest on the wood. Directly across from him, within mere moments, the man also landed. Both seemed aware of the fact that one wrong step here could cause the floorboards to snap, but Will had a distinct feeling the man across from him didn’t care.

One could almost hear the soft whistle of the western gun face-off. Only one problem remained. Will didn’t own a gun. “Tired yet?” A wry smile graced the man’s lips as he cocked the pistol for another round of fire. Suddenly, once again without explanation, the cruise ship lurched, and the gun was fumbled by the man. Not waiting for an instant, Will snatched it up and had it pointed directly at the man’s forehead.

“Don’t toy with me. I’m tired, I’m angry, and I’m not in a good mood.” The frustrated cupid snarled.

This time the man’s teeth were exposed in a snarl. “If you’re going to shoot me, shoot me, I don’t really care.”

Will lifted the pistol, completely prepared to wound his opponent, perhaps in the leg, to keep him from moving. However, after that flying incident, Will wasn’t so sure that it would matter. He had only begun to squeeze the trigger when yet another shudder vibrated throughout the walls of the boat. Will stumbled, clumsily dropping the gun which slid under the railing with a splash into the sea. “What keeps causing that?” He shouted, looking for an answer.

Although still obviously angry with the angel, even his opponent cast a side glance over to see what on earth took the title of the culprit. Both of the men’s eyes widened, one in shock and dismay, the other in pure interest. A huge shape pressed itself against the ship, causing the rocking once more. Will stammered, uncertain of what to think. “A…A b-blue whale? But why? Why would-” He stopped in mid-sentence, spotting something still stuck in the tale of the huge animal. A very familiar arrow. “Oh, no.” Will blinked, gazing down at the mammoth of the sea. The whale erupted with a low, peaceful croon. “That arrow I shot earlier must have gone into the whale. But the whale is in love with inanimate objects?” Suddenly, another lurch made the Enigma lose his balance and tumble overboard.

The whale spouted an unthinkable stream of water from its blowhole, helping the man back up and over. Will’s mind raced as he tried to keep up with his thoughts. “Wh… No. The whale isn’t in love with the ship! The whale is in love with you!” He pointed at the man, in pure shock.

The man began to laugh, and leaned over the side of the boat. “Think you can give another push?” No sooner had he playfully shouted, than Will stumbled back, causing one of the rotted floorboards to break in half, part of it snapping up to hit the angel square between the legs. Will clutched where the board had hit him, dropping to his knees. “Ow.” He managed to squeak, while his opponent continued to mock him. Moments later, the angel stood up, eyes sparkling. “That’s it. No more Mr. Nice guy.”

“I guess you can be sure of one thing, Mr. Cupid. Love hurts.”

[Aex]

OoC - I have no post, unfortunately. I couldn't possibly write one in an hour, either. However, I had to reply.

OoC: Aw. It's not bad. I'm sorry you didn't know about my post... ; ; ... << ... Okay. I'm confessing. *sits down behind Catholic church barrier* I... Have sinned, my father. I knew the whole time about the mistake with the ZU thing. I even had someone check for me to make sure it was my post last. But I didn't tell Aex. Because I figured he wouldn't notice. *nods* Thank you.

:XD

This was extremely funny. Even if I had been upset about missing it, I couldn't have possibly remained so after reading that.