Fragmented memories

[kai the pkk]

Max: Can it be.. wait I'm in Texas?!...How or when did I get to Texas no more importantly this guy says he was sent by the Vatican there's no way his appearance his name even carrying a freaking broadsword!..there's no way I'm mistaking him for somewhere else I'm sorry for the confusion then rather you look like someone I once knew ( he begins to eat his sandwich) it was just a silly nevermind ( he changes the topic) so why do you carry a sword?

[GamerKale]

Nicholas frowned slightly, sipped from his tea and sat it and his sandwich down to pick up the blade in question. He traced the hilt with his fingers. "Troubled history. Before I went to seminary I led a violent life. I pupiled myself to a knight in order to learn how to fight better. I picked up more than I had intended to by the end of it, I carry this arming sword so that I never forget what he taught me. And it has become both a comfortable and reassuring burden to carry." He set the blade back on the table, "It has also proven itself useful on a number of occasions. You would be surprised by the difference in the number of people who respect the collar and people who fear the blade. Was he a good friend? The other Nicholas."

[kai the pkk]

Max:...( he listens as Nicholas tells his story) The more he talks there's no doubt about it he's the same Nicholas as the one for Cerberus I don't know if we were how you would say close we were coworkers t and originally he watched out for me ( he takes a sip of teaI can't push it from what I can tell it seems he really doesn't remember anything about Cerberus or how I even got here ( he continues to talk with the priest avoidin his past from the way he acted it seemed like a touchy subject) so your a sword wielding priest? Can't say I've seen tons of those you just might be the only one.

[GamerKale]

Nicholas does not press for information, if Max doesn't want to talk about it that was fine by him. He smiles at the remark, "Yes, we're a dying breed, have been since the crusades. These days most get hung up on "Thou Shalt Not Kill". And they instead focus on turning the other cheek," he glowers darkly, "but in the face of true evil that kind of thinking does not work." Nicholas meets Max's eyes, and for a moment the warmth of the priest is muted leaving only a familiar determination. "I will do what I must to spare innocents from suffering." The door opens and a lady with golden hair streaked with silver enters smiling. "Father Carpenter, there you are. Michael and I were about to head home, I found this list on the ground by your coat. Is it current?" At her voice the warmth returns and Nicholas turns to her smiling. "Yes it is Charity, but I can get them tomorrow." "Nonsense, we need to pick a few things up ourselves. Should I add anything for your guest? Soy milk, veggie burgers, or maybe something for migraines?" She asked Max gently. "I do not believe he will be staying the night. We were just getting caught up." "Alright then. You have our number if you think of anything else you need Father?" "Yes yes, I will be quite alright. Thank you." She nods and ducks out and Nicholas turns back to Max, shaking his head. "Honestly, I feel like I should be saying those things to her. You are welcome to stay here anytime of course. The cots are there to be used. But I believe you started to mention that you were on your way home when we bumped into one another. Speaking of, I've probably kept you long enough for one day." Nicholas rose to escort Max out. "You are always welcome here, night or day regardless of the hour, although at night you will need to come to a simple wooden door on the side of the building to wake me. Much as I wish it was unnecessary even in this small town there are thieves who will steal what little there is to take from the church so I must keep the doors barred and locked."

[kai the pkk]

Max: thanks I'll keep that in mind father thanks Again for the hospitality ( walks out of the door leaving the priest alone)....Back to square one...I don't know how or when I got to Texas the only thig I do know Os that there's something strange going on even Templar seems to have lost his memory ( he walks through the city streets)

???: oh well well What do you know the intel was right that's him allright that's phantom...( he begins to follow max)

Max:( he continues to walk as he begins to notice he's being followed) This is interesting...

[Helbaworshipper]

There were times that Lily came out. "Alice" often came out when the night hit. Of course, there were remnants of her past behaviors at times. For example, each morning she went to visit the church and draw. She felt like there was something to seeing what faith might be like if she had kept attending church when she was younger. Of course, she never had the clothes she did now to dress nice to enter the parish. She had her hair held in a delicate braid, her body cleaned of any of the dirt or pherenome she had spread. She looked like she was heading to sunday school in the floral skirt and white blouse. The hide out was on the other side of town, but she felt it was necessary to keep from tainting the church with too much of her presence. She took a deep breath, though she always looked out of it in some way. She entered the church doors slowly, making sure no one else was around as she walked in. She refused to do confession because she had already hurt far too many people to ask for forgiveness.

[GamerKale]

"Requiescat in pace." Father Carpenter finished saying as the doors closed behind Lily. He turned smiling to her, "Good morning Lily." His eyes became critical for a second and then he sighed. "You know, if you ever want to talk. I will listen." He looked back at the stone crucifix adorning the front of the room. "Or you can talk to Him too. He hears everything, not just what I am told, and knows what we've done as well." He placed a remorseful hand on the hilt of his sword. Nicholas turned back to her sadly and raised his hands in submission, "But that must be your choice and I know you don't like hearing it every time you come in. Is there anything I can do for you today or shall I just leave you two alone?" Oddly enough, he didn't give her the spiel every morning, just those after she had gotten blood on her hands.

[Helbaworshipper]

"It's all your fault that you're failing! Don't you realize that you incompetent girl?!"

Her hands shifted a little, turning to look at the priest. She always had a look of being in a dream when she was being what she used to be. Of course, it made her look like she was trying to blend in the background or watch. "You always like talking about peace." She commented, looking a bit confused. "What kind of peace do you mean? Is it the kind that gives you dreamless sleep?" Personally, she had never been able to have a dreamless sleep before meeting Rabbit. Even then, that was only when she had the special pills.

[GamerKale]

Father Carpenter took a deep breath thinking of how to answer that. "Being at peace with yourself. All of yourself. Even the parts of you that you do not want anyone else to see. For some that is harder to achieve than others and some people never do. But accepting yourself is often easier if there is somebody else who will also accept you. That is why happily married people wake so well rested and also why they do not sleep as well when apart. The first night of undisturbed sleep I had was after I chose to tell my mentor everything I had done and received his forgiveness. But I don't have my mentor anymore, nor any other human being, but I speak with Him and I know He listens and forgives me and so I can forgive myself for harming another or being too slow to save someone. In doing so I take away the power that the part of myself that would have me return to the path of evil, violence, and murder would wield over me."

[Helbaworshipper]

For a moment, her eyes as Alice appeared, seeming angry at his tone. However, as fast as she had appeared, her normal gaze appeared. "It's nice that you care so much about me, Father." She had a smile on her face as she spoke. "Thank you, but you're the only one I could trust with the way I am when I'm in a church. Otherwise, I can't even trust the people who want to be close to me. After all, that's what he taught me early on. Trust only one area that you can in a sense still see as normal." She had the remnants of what probably was her smile still on her face. She turned towards the more open area of the church, pulling the pencil out of the case on top of her sketch pad. Settling down, she paid attention only to the feeling she gained from sitting in the church. She didn't sketch the church, but she would sketch scenes of her life that she could remember in the peaceful atmosphere.

[kai the pkk]

Max: ( as he turns into the dark alleyway he stops oce he comes to a dead end with a tall fence) allright then why do you quit following me allready!

??? : discovered allready I see..( he walks up to max as he stops a good few feet away) yo phantom!

Max:...wait I know you...Rider can you tell me what's going on here? ( he starts to walk towards him but he stops)

Rider: ( he removes 3 black poles from need the back o his shirt as as he tosses them into the air as he catches them ashe combines them together Into what looks like a Bo staff though 2 black blades emerg from both sides of the weapon it's a double bladed staff)

Max: what do you think your doing?... ( he remOves his glasses and stocks them in his pocket his eyes see
Different as they focus on the target infront of him)

Rider: here's the thing phantom the boss really wants me to bring you in ( he readies his weapon) ever since Cerberus split we've been looking for you...it looks like we finally found you then do try to make this fun for me phantom

Max: ( he jumps back to dodge a horizontal slash) what are you doing?! What do you mean generous split! What's goin on?!

Rider: ( you've dashes at Max) you talk too much!

Max: ( he manages to narrowly dodge the second slash as he jumps back as he draws his black origami on pistol from its holster) you asked for it! ( he fires two shots though the bullets are deflected by rider as the gun shots begin to attract the local pOlice max dashes at rider and parry another slash with the side of his gun as he jumps and kicks off the opposite wall over the fence as ride slices his way through in pursuit of max)

(maxs gun replace the roman numeral with the initials http://media.photobucket.com/image/blac ... un.jpg?o=3 )

[grave robbing adept rogue]

Vincent just finished breakfast and was laying down on a couch staring blankly at the ceiling. "Excuse me, Sarah?" A maid approaches from the doorway leading to the dining room she bows politely upon seeing Vincent. "Is there something you need master Vincent?" She stood straight with her hands folded in front of her. Vincent sat up and crossed his arms "What did they send me today? Don't lie to me this time and say nothing again otherwise I will be displeased." Sarah seemed confused but after a few moments she realized what he meant, she sighed knowing he would be angry with the answer. "They sent a lot this time, It was rather... unsettling. They must really want you to take a side master Vincent." She bows again and turns around, Vincent stands up quickly and groans. "Where have you placed them?" Sarah beckons for Vincent to follow, they walk out the door and down a flight of stairs to the main entrance. They both stop at the top of the stairs. "Well, have you seen enough?" Sarah walks back toward the dining room on the second floor while Vincent's face starts glowing red with rage. "Uurrghh..." The large front doors were wide open and a sea of flowers and neatly wrapped presents flowed onto the floor. Vincent began stomping his way down the stairs and stopped to face the gifts. He pulls a whistle from his pocket and blows into it, the sound resonates throughout the building and servants line up behind Vincent. "I want the flowers put into the garden, everything else can be burned unless you would rather have it." Vincent was calming his anger when one of the servants behind him yelled out to him. "Sir, there isn't enough space in any of the gardens, they were filled about a week ago from the last batch of flowers!" Vincent slaps himself and keeps his hand on his face. "I don't care how it's done, Cerberus has gone too far with this! I just want it gone!" The servants sound out in unison "Yes master Vincent!" They immediately get to work scavenging for anything they could want and throw the rest in a separate pile to be donated or thrown out, the flowers are placed in a third pile to be burned. Vincent walks upstairs as calmly as possible while thinking to himself. I'm going to kill the next delivery man, I swear.

[GamerKale]

Father Carpenter frowned at the girl but said nothing, he disappeared into the back for a minute and returned wearing his coat, he quietly placed a bottle of water within arms reach of Lily, and went outside with a small box of replacement Christmas lights. He retrieved a ladder from the shed, the building used to be the pastor's home but at some point it had been turned into a shed, and climbed up to the roof to replace burnt out bulbs.

[SakuraAlkaid]

As soon as Selena made it into town, she heard police sirens. "I'm guessing my best bet would be to follow the noise," she thought as she took off running towards the sounds of the sirens. It didn't take her too long to see what had caused the commotion, either. Max was being chased by yet another Cerberus agent, and it looked like a much different meeting that she had been instructed to have with him.

Selena managed to get behind them, staying out of their line of sight the entire time, until she managed to get to an alleyway directly parallel with them. She ran in before she saw Max pass and met Rider at the opposite end with the bladed edge of her fan at throat level. She kept it just far enough away that he wouldn't run into it, but at a distance close enough to his flesh that it would stop him in his tracks.

"I was instructed to come here today, if I'm not mistaken. Please return to your own mission, immediately," she said softly, as if she were telling an old friend a secret. Her gaze, however, when she met his, held an edge sharper than her blade.

[kai the pkk]

Max: ( he clashes weapons with rider as teycintinue running down the alleys util selena intervenes as max turns quickly as he aims his gun at the two before him)

Rider: oh Selena baby hows it going sorry to break it to you but I'm under different orders oh wait could it be you have no idea which assassins chose which side? Oh now this is interesting ( jumps back to avoId a attack from her fan) now now this is going to be fun my fights not with you babe...( the police sirens get closer and closer) tch whatever you lucked out phantom! ( he runs off as he returns his weapon to it's originally form)


Max:...What's going on here why was rider after me?!

[SakuraAlkaid]

As soon as Rider ran off, Selena returned her fan to her waist and turned to face Max, a faint smile working it's way onto her face against the anger Rider had brought out. She noticed that he still had his gun pointed at her and a confused look on his face, which kind of made her heart sink. Did he really not recognize her? She smoothed her skirt down before her and tried to smile wider, hoping that he would lower his gun if he felt she wasn't a danger to him.

"Long time no see," she called out to him softly, the sirens beginning to blare even louder around them. If they didn't leave soon, they would end up being questioned by the city's police department and with Max's weapon in plain sight, that wouldn't prove good for them.

"You do remember me, don't you?" Selena continued as she dared to take a slow step closer to him. She pulled her hands up beside her torso in an attempt to reveal that she had nothing in hand just in case he didn't.

[Helbaworshipper]

Police cars were going by. It brought Lily out of her thoughts and turned her focus onto the situation. With a yawn, she stood up and closed the pad. She looked at the bottle of water and picked it up slowly. Examining that it wasn't open before, she placed it under her arm and began to walk out of the church. Hearing the alarms reminded her too much of Rabbit's death. She had heard them that day too, but too late. Rabbit had been laying in a pool of blood, his throat cut out. She had had to leave his body and she had never seen it again. No one had bothered to find who had murdered him.

She opened the church doors and went into the street. She would head back to the hide out now. She needed to find who killed Rabbit and torture them until they knew the pain he felt. The pain she felt for losing the one person that allowed her to dream without nightmares.

[kai the pkk]

Max:...( he holsters before Selena can speak he knew exactly of all the people he can trust Selena no matter what)...Selena just what kind of question is that? I'd have to be a real idiot to forget who my partner was right?....hold that thought ( the two run down a separate alley and make it away from the police) so then what Are you doing here selena better yet maybe you can give me some answers

[SakuraAlkaid]

"So he remembers me, and he appears to be the same as he always was... I wonder what caused him to run away like he did, then," she thought as they ran, although she knew the only way to get that answer was to ask him. Hopefully he would be able to give her an answer. Remembering her was a good sign, however. As soon as they stopped running, Selena leaned against the side of a building opposite him and looked back at her old partner, tilting her head ever slightly in a curious manner.

"I was sent here to retrieve you, Max, and bring you back to headquarters... You've been gone for seven months now, with no reason why..." she replied, silently hoping he would take the given opportunity to explain his disappearance. "That's why I had to ask if you remembered me before."

[GamerKale]

Father Carpenter had heard the sirens too of course, but they didn't bother him and he tried to avoid sticking his nose in the business of the police, when he could avoid it. Now other people's personal business that was another matter entirely, meddler was practically his middle name. He saw Lily leaving and called after her, "Have a good day."

A minute later, he nearly lost his footing, almost found it again, and lost it. He fell, sliding off the edge of the roof, caught his hand on the edge for half a second and planted his feet on either side of the inset stained glass windows quickly enough that he only fell a foot or two. "Whoohoo, that was close. I do hope this is not meant to be some portent about the rest of my day. You know how I feel about spoilers." He shouted, "Could somebody please bring the ladder over here? Hello? Anybody?" No reply. With a sigh he started shimmying his way down as if it were a chimney. "And Charity said getting so into character for Santa Claus would be a wasted effort well who's laughing now? Hohoho, merry Christmas." He muttered to himself while he worked his way down.