Separation [by Xxerth]

[Rhindeer]

Xxerth
The Bastard
Posts: 771
(12/22/04 5:33 pm)
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   Separation
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 <font color=red>Neseraph couldn't sit down; there was simply too much going through his mind for him to remain static for too long. As a result, he was pacing methodically around his and Vivante's round table in the Inn's bar room. He would pace one way for several minutes, stop for a few seconds, then turn around and start pacing the other way, and this process had been going on for a couple hours now.
His mind was plagued with myriad thoughts.


--Neseraph was a tall man with thick white hair down to nearly his shoulders and eyes that were an uncomfortable shade of blue. His boots, trousers, and sleek longcoat were all black in hue, and he wore his gray tunic tucked into his pants.--


The few others that were in the Inn's dimly lit bar room paid the pacing Neseraph little attention, save for the red-headed female barkeep who was alert; one too many a bar fight broke out due those brooding types.
And Neseraph, of course, was too concerned and preoccupied with housing his thoughts to pay any attention to them, and much less drink his own ale that was sitting unappreciated on the table.
It had been several days since Bishop had died. After teleporting from the burning museum, Neseraph, Insera, and Vivante had spent a few hours roaming around Serendipity looking for a cemetary to bury him in. When they failed to find one, Insera made a quiet suggestion to bury Bishop where it all had started: In the Nomads Forest. When the travel, burial, and last respects were done and over, the aimless trio found their way back to the village of Serendipity. At least between Neseraph and Insera, a lingering and growing air of despair, apathy, and loss of purpose was settling in. What could they do? They had failed in their mission to protect Bishop Keller, and he was central to Grizrend's plan to rectify the nasty situation in the present...their time. They still hadn't told Grizrend what had happened either; he attempted to contact the two once, but his call was ignored, and so far, he hadn't tried again.
They were damned to their fate now and they knew it.

Neseraph and Insera still hadn't seen or heard from Nazune either. It was no stretch of a possibility that she was dead as well, probably found and killed by the Hellsend or even the Godsend. If it were so, that would leave them as the only two remaining: They would only have each other, and they were slowly falling apart and breaking away from one another.
And Neseraph knew it too. After Bishop's burial and the trio's subsequent return to Serendipity Village, Insera had been growing quieter, colder, and more reclusive; she was gradually spending less time with Neseraph and Vivante and more time locked away in her own room. Hell, he had been talking more with Vivante the past couple days than with Insera.
This sort of behavior was highly uncharacteristic of Insera; something had deeply affected her, and tonight, Neseraph was planning on finding out just what it was. He couldn't afford to lose Insera, and he knew that she couldn't afford to lose him.

Neseraph arrived at that part in his cycle of pacing and stopped for a moment. His eyes trailed down to his neglected mug of ale on the table, and he couldn't help but contemplate on whether or not to drink it. On one hand, getting plastered right before confronting Insera about her issue had its benefits: if she blew up on him, at least he'd wake up sometime later and think it was just a bad dream and that he fell out of his bunk. On the other hand, getting plastered right before confronting Insera about her issue had its downfalls: he'd probably waltz into the room smelling like a drunk, talking like an idiot with a bad slur, thinking like a hormone driven high-schooler, and teetering like an unsteady tower.
....
He decided that it was best to go into that room with a clear head and healthy liver.
Neseraph slipped a hand into his longcoat pocket; he might be drinking before going to speak with Insera, but he'd be god-damned before he stepped in there with getting a few smokes in first.
He felt the pack of cigarettes in his pocket - his last pack, he knew. Neseraph withdrew the pack from his pocket with the matches already in his other hand.
....
Neseraph was disappointed at what he saw inside the pack: Not a single cigarette to calm his nerves. Damn.
He crumbled up the empty pack in an annoyed fashion and slipped the trash back into his pocket along with the matches, then began pacing around the table again.

The red-haired barkeep caught eye of Neseraph and his failure to procure a cigarette. She shook her head slightly as she was cleaning a mug; all the drug addicts came in at night, and they all had one thing in common.
They were hopeless. </font>
 
 
Nightcandle
Satanized for your protection
Posts: 1414
(12/23/04 3:44 pm)
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   <- Vivante
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 Vivante watched Neseraph stalk around the table, occasionally taking a drink from his ale. It'd been a long time since he had something to drink, but since they got back to Serendipity after burying Bishop he and Neseraph had been in a bar every night. Every night Vivante would get one ale and slowly drink it down while watching Neseraph or the other patrons. Sometimes he would talk with Neseraph, though Vivante wasn't exactly the best conversationalist.

During their trip to the Nomads forest, Vivante braided his hair (which was, to his mild dissapointment, now white with two stripes of cyan again) to keep it from getting snagged in the foilage and now it was coiled once around his neck, the end piled in his lap. The buriza was next to the ale on the table, ever since the incident at the museum Vivante was a little edgier than usual. That long haired woman killed Bishop so easily and he couldn't think of a reason she wouldn't eventually target Neseraph and In-Sera. When that moment came he didn't want to be caught unaware...

Neseraph and In-Sera didn't seem to think that way though. In-Sera just wanted to be alone, which really seemed to bug Neseraph, causing him to pace around in bars. At least he was prepared though, he could protect them when the long haired woman came after them again. He still wanted to learn a few combat techniques from In-Sera and she needed Neseraph, they were a team.

He took another pull from his ale and watched Neseraph stop and look at his own mug, which had been ignored since it was served. Vivante would have ignored his own if Neseraph hadn't bought it for him. Neseraph wanted him to drink, if he didn't want to drink the ale he bought himself that was his business. Neseraph then pulled a paper box and some matches from his pockets, got annoyed with the paper box and shoved both back in his pockets before resuming his pacing.

Vivante felt it was an oppertune time to clean the daggers he carried. He pulled one out of his boot, then pulled a rag and a little bottle of clear liquid from a pocket in his black longcoat. He drizzled a little of the clear liquid on the rag and set to cleaning the blade.

[Anonymous]

Neseraph finally felt the urge to park his butt in one of the chairs at the table. He collapsed both of his elbows onto the table and buried his face into his hands. Everything in his entire life had just taken the express train back down to Hell and now he didn't even have a freaking cigarette.
He wiped his forehead; god-damn nicotine.
In a desperate effort to find something to occupy himself in the stead of smoking, Neseraph dunked his index finger into his glass of ale and began stirring the beverage.
He knew exactly why he was procrastinating; he feared that he might be part of the reason that Insera was in the state she was in. And if that was true, it be dangerous for both himself and her if he even came close to her. Insera hadn't really shown too much exterior reaction to the fact that Neseraph was a High Seraphim, but she was like an open book; either that or he just knew her too well. He could just tell that that simple fact was slowly tearing away at her on the inside, compounding upon the initial fact that he was Angel to begin with and making it all that much worse.
But then, Neseraph realized, on the flip side, if he waited too long, it might be too late to work out any kind of a peaceful resolution with her. She might become so consumed in the dreadful truth that nothing would be able to save her...
...
It was worth that chance.
Neseraph extracted his finger from his glass of ale and pounded the table in determination, looking straight at Vivante and saying resolutely, "Tonight. We're gonna talk to Insera tonight."
And, just before he had the slightest chance to get up and start for her room, a feminine voice said, "I hope you have a moment to spare..."
Neseraph's heart stopped...until he realized that the woman's voice didn't belong to Insera. He looked up and saw a woman dressed in flowy, all white garments with long, light blue hair and dark green eyes.
Who looked awfully...familiar.
"We have met once before, Neseraph," said the woman softly. Her voice was soft, nothing harsh about it in the slightest, and echoed very faintly.
"Have we?" inquired Neseraph with a small grin. "I think I'd remember such a lovely face."
A small smile tugged at the sides of the woman's mouth, but was ultimately overcome by a slight frown. "Please...I do not have much time to stay in this place."
Quick to jump onto the opportunity to procrastinate some more, Neseraph invited her to a seat next to Vivante by pointing it out. He offered then his glass of ale that he had played with, "Want something to drink?"
The woman gracefully sunk into the seat next to Vivante, then declined Neseraph's offer of alcohol with a simple gesture of her hand. "I have come to share urgent words with you, Neseraph-"
"Don't believe I caught your name, cutie," interrupted Neseraph rudely as he took hold of her soft hand in his own from across the table and grinned.
"I apologize. I shall reintroduce myself," said the woman gently. "I am High Seraphim Alexiannastraziel."
!!!!
She nodded her head slowly and held her right hand to her heart. "Forgive me, for it has been quite the while, and you may not remember me. I am High Seraphim Alexiannastraziel. The one who delivered you from Upper Heaven to Province was I."
"...Holy shit..." Neseraph choked out.

[Anonymous]

Vivante glanced at Neseraph when he sat down and went back to oiling the dagger. That one was finished soon enough, he put it back in his boot and pulled its mate from his other boot. It was a little gummier than the other one, he dabbed a few drops of oil on the blade before oiling up the rag and wiping it clean.

A few swipes and the rag was floating over the steel effortlessly. The dagger went back in his boot and he grabbed one of the pair he kept inside his black coat. The rag still had a bit of oil on it, so he wrapped it around the blade.

Then Neseraph thumped the table. Vivante looked at him. Seeing In-Sera sounded like a good idea, he put the dagger, rag and bottle away, looking in the direction of the voice that came out of nowhere.

It wasn't In-Sera, and it wasn't the long-haired woman from Adela (though he doubted she would ask them for their time...). Apparently, she knew Neseraph. Vivante kept a close eye on her, looking over her billowing clothes for signs of a hidden weapon. He kept his eyes on her as she moved to sit next to him and looked her over once again when she sat down. There probably wasn't much to worry about, Neseraph was treating this woman almost in the same way he treated In-Sera, though this woman didn't react quite as violently.

Scratch that. Vivante slipped a hand inside his black coat, glancing at Neseraph and then back at Alexiannastraziel.

[Anonymous]

Neseraph took a big breath and exhaled it slowly; it didn't even come close to matching the sensation of smoking a cigarette, but it was the best he could do in the present situation for his nerves.
He rested his elbows on the table and bridged his fingers, taking on a more serious tone than usual, "Alright, if it's important enough to bring you out of Heaven, then let's hear what you've got to say."
Neseraph eyed Vivante out of the corner of his eye, seeing him undertake security precautions into his own hands. He waved his hand horizontally by the side of his neck twice in quick succession, a gesture meaning 'Cut it out'.
Alexian watched Neseraph's gesture with a small amount of curiousity.
Neseraph grinned innocently.
Then, getting on with it, the Seraphim spoke, "Neseraph...what will you do now? Everything that you come here for has come to naught, and you are trapped, and alone, and are being hunted."
Neseraph blinked and remained quiet and still for a moment. He let out a heavy 'Heh' and replied, "Wow, you make everything sound so bad. Are you a bad girl?"
Alexian seemed a little perplexed by the question, then said softly, "Neseraph...please."
He held up his hands, "Alright, alright. Ok...what will I do now? Hmm...good question," he scratched his chin as he leaned back in his chair. "I suppose I'm going to take Insera and find a way back to my home time." He grinned at Vivante and offered, "You're cool. You can tag along too if you want."
Alexian looked rather disapproving of the prospect of Vivante leaving his time to go and live in another and therefore further make a mess of the rules of time. But, nevertheless, "That is a good but not easily attainable goal. Please...allow me to help you."
Neseraph narrowed his eyes a little and asked questioningly, "Why do you want to me? Why are you doing this?"
Alexian lowered her gentle eyes a little and replied quietly, "If you want to know the truth, I am not doing this for you...I am doing this for myself. I should have never allowed myself to become involved in such a terrible thing." She sighed and said more to herself than any other, "I suppose that all High Seraphim are not as good as they should be. There will always be the puppets and puppetmasters of history...and Elial and I both were caught in the strings."
Neseraph smiled and leaned forward. "I like those qualities in a woman - Sticking with what she believes and getting what she wants regardless of anybody else," he said and winked.
Not really catching onto Neseraph's playful flirting, Alexian nodded and smiled mildly back, taking his words as a sort of strange compliment. "Thank you."
"Anytime," Neseraph replied as he leaned back and intwined his hands behind his head.
"I must tell you one last thing before I depart," started Alexian. "Watch yourself, and be mindful. Much as transpired. You have more enemies now than you might think."
She turned her head to gaze at Vivante now, and asked him in a beseeching manner, "Will you help us? Will you accompany Neseraph and fight alongside him in what may come?"
Neseraph let his eyes trail over to look at Vivante, slightly amused by the Seraphim's question. Heh, he might be willing to help Insera...he seemed attached to her like a grasshopper to his sensei. But then again, maybe enough male bonding took place in this shabby little bar.
He almost chuckled aloud at that thought, listening intently to what Vivante's answer was going to be.

[Anonymous]

Vivante narrowed his eyes a little before slowly removing his hand, entwining it with the other and resting both on the edge of the table. Neseraph had a point, he was being too obvious, if the woman was a threat it wouldn't be good to provoke her into prematurely attacking. For now it seemed best to sit and listen.

And watch the woman. Just in case.

Vivante tapped his hands against the table once, untwined his hands and took a pull on his ale. In-Sera and Neseraph were going to find a way back to the place they were from - Time. And, Vivante perked up a bit when Neseraph grinned, he could 'tag along' with them to time. The woman didn't seem to like that, maybe it would be good for In-Sera and Neseraph if he tagged along. Vivante took another slow, pull on his ale.

The next part of their conversation didn't interest him much. The woman was talking about helping them, not for them, but for her. It was still helping them, and it would help. Unless the woman meant to betray them, and was feeling guilty and giving some clues to her future treachery. No, that wasn't logical at all.

When she mentioned having enemies Vivante's first thought was of the long-haired woman. She already killed Bishop, and then there was Nazune, who had been missing since Hell. He wasn't sure what happened to her, but whatever happened may have been the cause of another enemy.

The woman was looking at him, and asking him to help Neseraph. He took his hand off the glass and laid both next to each other, curling them into the wood slightly. What about In-Sera? Wasn't she going to come? "What will In-Sera do while Neseraph and I fight?"

[Anonymous]

Neseraph grinned and chuckled, then tapped the table with his hand and said, "She's gonna come with us, Viv. In fact, we're gonna go talk to her now." Neseraph thumped his chest and stood up from his chair.
Alexian nodded. "Very well then. I will guide you and be nearby always."
"Comforting," replied Neseraph as he placed his hands behind his head and stretched.
Alexian stood up gracefully from her seat. "Good fortune be with you Neseraph," the High Seraphim addressed him. Then she turned to Vivante, "And I thank you for your aid."
"Parting is such sweet sorrow, Alex," Neseraph quipped one of those sappy lines he heard humans say sometimes and grinned.
The corners of Alexian's mouth twitched for a moment, revealing a gentle smile for a short moment. "Perhaps..."
Then, abruptly with her last word, she was simply gone. It was not like she had teleported or disappeared away, but more like reality itself had shifted in such a way so that Alexian was not there and had not ever been there.
Neseraph smirked and looked at Vivante, "She's such a nice girl, heh heh."
Right at that moment, Alexian's voice could be heard in Neseraph's head. And, inadvertantly and for some strange reason, her voice could be heard in Vivante's head as well:
I appreciate your kind words, Neseraph.
!!!!
Neseraph's eyes bulged wide open and he glanced around quickly, not really expecting to hear a foreign voice in his head. "Whoa! That you?"
Yes. Do not be so alarmed, Neseraph. I will watch over and guide you as I have said, and so to that end I will remain close by and vigilant.
Oh boy, this was probably gonna look weird - talking to himself. He'd probably end up as the laughing stock of the bar as soon as he replied to Alexian.
Then, in light of a brilliant idea that just recently struck him, he turned to face Vivante to make it seem like he was talking to him. He replied truly to Alexian then after he winked at Vivante, "Nice to know that you got my back. It's just a shame that your gonna have to sit back while me, Vivante, and Insera hog all the action."
Then the voice of Alexian spoke again to them:
Do not worry, Neseraph. I shall do what I can to aid you in your ends. It is the least I can do...
"No hard feelings, Alex," responded Neseraph with a grin. It really was weird to be looking at one person and really talking to another who wasn't there and just a voice in your head.
He cocked his head in the direction he was about to start heading and said to Vivante, "Alright, let's get going. I pretty sure Insera's just dying to see us...especially me." Why not make fun of a potentially bad situation?
Then turned and started heading for the exit of the bar. Sixteen - sixteen was the magic number tonight; that was the number of the room that Insera was in.
He took in a deep breath and continued out of the bar...
All or nothing.

[Anonymous]

That sounded good, leaving her alone would make her an easy target. Vivante stood after Neseraph. She might need to be dragged along with them. If it came down to it, Vivante considered volunteering for dragging her, he might learn some of her slap-fu in the process.

When Alexian thanked him Vivante gave her a dull look. He wasn't aiding her, he was aiding In-Sera and Neseraph. He picked his his ballista, cradling it in one arm. That reminded him, he still needed a-

Where did that woman just go? She was standing there, in plain sight and then just vanished. And somehow... it didn't seem that strange that she wasn't there. Vivante looked at Neseraph and raised an eyebrow at his sudden compliment. Her? Ni-

Vivante tensed and looked around the bar when the voice came into his head. Who was talking to him? Where were they? He caught Neseraph looking too, he must have heard it. It sounded so close, like it was right above him. Or in his head. And there it was again. He turned to Neseraph, who turned to him and winked. He nodded to Neseraph's comment about having his back, his eyebrow about to twitch at the sitting back until his name was mentioned.

And the voice came again. Neseraph was talking out loud to the voice, he just happened to face him when he did so. Ah, so the others in the bar wouldn't know that the woman was talking to them in their heads. Then the conversation was over and they were going to see In-Sera, Vivante walked next to Neseraph, glancing up and down the road when they left. "What will you tell her?"

[Anonymous]

Neseraph grinned as he began to ascend the stairs up to the second floor of the inn, his hand gliding up the right railing, and answered Vivante's inquiry, "I'll tell her that she has the most beautiful and enchanting eyes that I have ever seen in my life."
He chuckled, then added, "Just let me do the talking. It won't be the first time that I've literally put my life on the line just trying to speak with her, believe me."
This Insera...is she truely so dangerous? Alexian inquired innocently and curiously.
Despite the fact that Alexian wasn't physically there, Neseraph nodded his head. "Remember the tower incident? And then some, Alex. And then some, heh heh."
Oh my...

14...
It was almost like a clock counting up to his doom as he neared his destination. There were no more jokes and grins from Neseraph now, and a more serious expression was painted on his face. He felt that he shouldn't be so anxious, but he couldn't help the nervousness that was slowly consuming him. Perhaps this was the breaking point...the point where the awful truth was realized by both Insera and himself.
That they were never meant to be.
15...
No! Hell no! God-damn this pessimistic, depression, Zoloft shit. And fuck that whole idea of 'meaning to be'. That's a load of crap. Things just aren't simply 'meant to be' or 'not meant to be', people make things happen.
16.
Neseraph steeled himself.
Right.
Make it happen.
He breathed in and breathed out, then laid his hand on the doorknob.
Wait.
!!!!
Knock, stupid.
Oh yeah, good idea.
Neseraph cleared his throat, then quickly rapped his knuckles on the wooden door three times in succession. A good minute or so went by with no reply, no answer, no sounds, no nothing. Neseraph glanced over his shoulder at Vivante, then shifted his eyes between the door and his companion a couple times.
That didn't work.
Back to the original plan.
Neseraph slowly turned the knob of the door, which, surprisingly, was left unlocked, and opened it just enough to peek his head inside.
"Insera?" he called out, taking a glance around the common area of the room.
...
The room was only dimly lit by the moonlight pouring in from the outside via the window. The air was still and silent, and Insera was nowhere in immediate sight.
Not a good start.
Neseraph creaked the door open all the way and carefully stepped into the room, each of his bootstrides measured and cautious. He slowly and meticulous turned his head to his left and right, taking in everything about the room.
*chik!*
An arm holding a submachine gun suddenly thrusted out of the side room on Neseraph's left-
BANG!!!
Neseraph grunted and recoiled back away from the side room as a small burst of blood flew from his shoulder. He grasped his injured shoulder and fell down onto his rear end up against the bed.
Insera, armed with the gun and looking rather distraught, stepped out from the side room and walked up to Neseraph, stopping right in front of him and looking down directly into his blue eyes.
"Insera..." he managed between clenched teeth.
The corners of Insera's mouth twitched into a sorrowful frown as she gradually raised the weapon up and pressed it against his forehead.
"I'm sorry," Neseraph admitted sincerely, looking past the barrel and back into the bronze eyes of Insera. "You don't deserve to be going through this."

[Anonymous]

Let Neseraph do the talking, Vivante nodded. He may not have had the most effective way to speak with In-Sera but, he could do it. Vivante slowed down once they neared the door, they couldn't both go in at once, and since Neseraph was going to do the talking it'd be best if he went in first.

Neseraph knocked. Nothing happened, no sign of In-Sera. Vivante wondered if In-Sera went off somewhere and whether they just missed her or if she'd be gone awhile. Both weren't good, she should have left them a note.

Or locked the door. Vivante leaned to the side a bit to look around Neseraph when he cracked the door. He couldn't see much, just a sliver of the room. When Neseraph entered Vivante stood on the threshold, waiting until Neseraph was a few paces in before inching inside and looking around himself.

It didn't look right, it was too neat. Too perfect.
*chik!* Vivante's attention snapped to the side room.
BANG!!! Neseraph was down.
And Vivante was moving, he pulled a metal crossbow from his pocket, aimed.

Saw In-Sera. Vivante put the crossbow back in his pocket and ran to her, grabbing at the hand she held the crossbow with, to pull it back and away from Neseraph. Neseraph just said to let him talk, he couldn't do much talking with In-Sera if she was going to kill him.

[Anonymous]

Neseraph could see tears watering up in the corners of Insera's eyes. She didn't even resist when Vivante pulled her arm and thus the gun away from Neseraph's face. After that was done, she simply let go of the firearm and let it fall to the floor.
Insera gulped and took a large intake of air through her nose, cocking her shaking head up some. "He is...not coming back, is he?"
Neseraph dropped his gaze from her eyes and shook his head side-to-side. "No..." he said softly, trying to make it as easy as possible.
Her bottom lip began to twitch feverishly as she started quietly, "And you...neither are you."
Neseraph raised his eyes back up to meet her's. "...What?"
She shook her head, as if she were anticipating the answer to her own question. "Neseraph...you...you are never going to be the same...never going to be who you once were...are you? Everything has changed...again. And there...there is no going back, is there? We can only move forward into uncertainty...and farther away from the things we loved."
Neseraph's eyes shifted right to left rapidly as he was intaking everything that Insera was saying to him; she was right. Everything she was saying was true...except for one thing. He brought his eyes up to meet her's once again, then replied, "You're right...we can't go back. Once you know the truth, there can be no more lies. But...there's one thing that we can go back to..."
Insera gazed at him intently.
"We can go back home. Back to our own time," Neseraph slowly began to rise back up to his feet. "There's nothing left for us here, and there's no reason to stay. We've lost everything here...but we can rebuild back in Sanctuary. I just want to ask one thing of you, one thing that you asked of me before..."
Insera tilted her head very slightly to her left side, her mind receptive to the coming question.
Neseraph slowly extended his hand out toward Insera and said almost inaudibly, "Follow me."
!!!!
Insera's eyes gradually widened in emotional surprise as those all too familiar words graced her ears, only spoken from Neseraph's mouth this time. The memory of when she asked him to do the very same thing displayed vividly in her mind, that memory of the time before it all happened. When she asked 'Follow me' of Neseraph, it was their destruction; but now, when Neseraph asked 'Follow me' of her, it would be their salvation.
She smiled meekly and wrenched her right arm free of Vivante's grip to forcefully grasp Neseraph's outstretched hand. She pulled herself forward into him and embraced him with her other arm, their clasped right hands between their chests. "I will..." she breathed.
Neseraph smiled back and rested his chin lightly on the top of Insera's head, saying in relieved response, "I'm glad."

[Anonymous]

In-Sera didn't resist. Didn't do anything but drop the gun once he pulled her hand away. She was crying. Vivante looked at Neseraph, still holding In-Sera's arm, just in case.

Now they were talking. Vivante's eyes trailed between them. Neseraph to In-Sera, In-Sera to Neseraph.

Vivante let go of her arm when she pulled it, stepped back a pace and put the crossbow back in his coat. It looked like In-Sera was coming with them.

[Anonymous]

Time passed, things settled down, and a plan was being made...

Neseraph took his katana out from underneath his coat and laid it down on the table with the rest of the weapons and took a step back. He glanced over at Insera and asked, "Alright...so what do we have left?"
Insera paced forward towards the table, observing the weapons while rubbing her chin with her right hand and supporting that same arm at the elbow with her left hand. "Excluding Vivante's own armaments, we have in our possession one .9mm pistol, three .45's, four Ingrams, four MP5k's, several addition magazines of ammunition, and your katana."
"Guess we're gonna have to make ends meet," said Neseraph. "Dibs on the MP5k's."
"Take a .45 as well," said Insera as she slid it across the table to him as he was picking up the first two submachine guns.
"That little thing?" complained Neseraph, looking down doubtfully at the pistol.
"Just take it," Insera commanded. "You never know when something so miniscule could have its use."
"I used to tell my male enemies something like that," remarked Neseraph.
Insera glowered disapprovingly at him.
He grinned back.
"Well then," started Insera as she finished storing two of the Ingrams in her suit coat, "Tell me what you have in mind as far as getting us back to our own time."
"First," said Neseraph as he slid a clip into the .45, cocked it, and slipped it into a small holster on his right boot, "we head back to Adela Village. Back to the Art Museum-"
Insera quickly shot him an incredulous look.
"I know what you're thinking," stated Neseraph as he hid the first two MP5k's in his longcoat. "But it's the only place where we can start looking for answers. Grizrend's tried to call us twice, but we never picked up. Now he's stopped, and we can't call him. I think that's effectively ruling the Mirror Bracelet out of our pool of possiblities."
"That place is not safe," warned Insera as she put the other two .45's in her trouser pockets.
"We live for that sort of thing, right?" replied Neseraph with a grin. "And besides, we got this guy to watch our back." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at Vivante, then looked over it at the man and said, "Right?"
Insera smirked a little. "Very well then." She hid the .9mm behind her back, supported by her trouser's belt.
After securing his katana, Neseraph picked up the last two MP5k's and headed towards the door. "No time to lose. I don't know about you babe, but I've got such a craving to have a victory meal at one of those old restuarants we used to visit."
She snickered a little and took the final pair of Ingrams from the table. Then she scowled slightly and replied to him as she trailed after him, "Don't call me that."
Neseraph grinned as he passed through the portal.
Somethings never change, no matter what.