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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 24, 2015 11:10:38 GMT -5
Another boring day...
Harley sat in solitude at the dining room table of her lonely little apartment. One hand held a fork that consistently shoveled salad into her mouth, the other acted as a rest for her chin. She stared solemnly at her laptop, the screen occupied by Microsoft Office. Only one thing had been typed thus far on the current page: "Chapter 1."
She thought she had it all figured out. She had been yearning to write this novel for months. And now that she had finally started, her creative energy had somehow dramatically stagnated. To say that it was frustrating would be an understatement.
It hadn't even occurred to her that she had finished her lunch until she heard her fork hit the bottom of the empty salad bowl. Once she processed this, Harley sighed, closed her laptop and carried her dishes over to the kitchen. She told herself that her ideas would come back to her soon, probably when she least expected it. She just needed to step away for a moment and find something else to do. It didn't seem like a bad idea, considering how cooped up she had been feeling for the past few days. A day out of the apartment would do her a world of good. But where could she go? What could she do?
After washing her dishes, Harley stepped into the living room and stared out her window, looking down at the city below. Surely there was a vast number of things to do on the island that she had not yet tried.
Then she saw them. Off in the distance, she could clearly make out the approaching shape of an angel carrying a short, short teenage girl.
Harley took it back. She took it ALL back.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 24, 2015 18:44:15 GMT -5
"Oh, great, so we're stopping here first, I'M STILL HUNGRY, Y'KNOW!" Juno protested as they arrived at the apartment complex.
Alfie poked his head out of Rhys's pocket. "Maybe Harley will have some food for ya!"
"Harley doesn't have any food. She has plants."
"Well, so do I! I'm the green one here!"
Juno sighed. "Let's just get her a** in gear and get this over with."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 24, 2015 20:33:50 GMT -5
"Really, Juno, I think we would all benefit from a reevaluation of priorities," Rhys sighed as he set Juno and Alfie down and the trio entered the building. "Nonetheless, I believe this should be quick enough. You'll see. Harley will understand the situation once we explain it to her."
"Dammit dammit dammit!!" Already, Harley was in a panic, haphazardly stuffing whatever belongings she could into a suitcase in the desperate hope of getting away from the inevitable. "I always knew this day would come! Why NOW?! How was I not ready for this?!"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 25, 2015 14:02:39 GMT -5
"Whatever," Juno muttered, keeping silent for the remainder of the trek upstairs and to Harley's apartment. Once there, she irritatingly banged her fist on the door nonstop. "Harley, open up! S***'s goin' down!"
For a while, the only noise to be heard was Juno's rhythmic door pounding. Eventually, Alfie -who had promptly resized prior- humbly spoke up, "What if she's not home?"
"Oh, she's home, alright." Juno kept at it, punching the door louder and faster. "I CAN KEEP THIS UP ALL MORNING, HARLEY! JUST OPEN THE G** DAMN DOOR!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 25, 2015 20:02:20 GMT -5
Rhys watched Juno's furious assault on the door with an awkward frown. He would've suggested she desist, but a next-door neighbor beat him to it. "HEY, WOULD YOU CUT THAT RACKET OUT?!"
"Apologies... she'll stop soon enough!" Rhys replied uneasily.
As he predicted, Harley quickly opened the door shortly thereafter, putting a stop to Juno's banging and filling the doorway with a furious scowl. "Alright alright alright! Just get in here and quit disturbing the peace!"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 26, 2015 16:49:52 GMT -5
Juno was already on her way inside as Harley made her protest, making a beeline for the kitchen.
Alfie bounded in after her, smiling at their final companion. "Hiya, Harley! Long time, no see!"
"I told you guys!" Juno shouted from inside one of the kitchen cupboards. "Nothing to eat! I mean, what IS this crap?! Why is there no cereal?!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 26, 2015 22:50:19 GMT -5
"Not long enough..." Harley sighed as she followed Juno into the kitchen. "Okay, first off, cereal is mass produced and has no nutritional value; you should consider eating something organic once in a while. Second... I know why you're here." She looked to her side, flashing a distraught visage at Rhys. "I know why you brought 'em."
"Then you understand that the situation at hand requires your assistance," Rhys gently spoke.
"Yeah, look Rhys... I respect you and all, but I don't see how I'm supposed to help with this whole Kalon issue, let alone how these nutcases are supposed to help."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 27, 2015 20:59:50 GMT -5
"Geez, Harley, you're such a dweeb," Juno grumbled as she resumed rooting through the cupboards for nothing in particular.
In an adorable fashion, Alfie tilted his head slightly and gave a little grin. "Aw, come on, Harley. This is a big deal, and no big deal ever got done by sitting around and hoping the problem would solve itself. Nature's gotta run its course, but we're a part of nature... and Kalon kinda wants to destroy us. So it can't hurt to try doing something about him, right?"
"Uh, yeah. It can," Juno objected. "It can hurt a lot. Like world-ending calamity levels of hurt. Like... John levels of Hurt."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 28, 2015 8:55:47 GMT -5
"As much as it pains me to say this, I have to agree with Short Stuff," Harley grumbled. "What're the four of us gonna do about a world-conquering demon?"
"It doesn't have to be just the four of us," Rhys explained. "Surely there are others on this island who would agree to join our cause if we only explain the importance of it. Not to mention Kalon wouldn't suspect or have as much power against those who fight without Dust."
"Well, okay, I can understand that much..." Harley awkwardly kicked her foot around, finding it difficult to look at Rhys and instead casting her gaze at Alfie. "But why now? I mean... we got it pretty good on this island, and I'm not gonna act like I don't care that he's out there destroying other universes, but why have you chosen now of all times to do something about him?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 30, 2015 10:31:41 GMT -5
"HEY, WHO YOU CALLIN'-?!"
"Rhys found some Dust rocks," Alfie responded, cutting off Juno's Napoleon Complex-induced tantrum. He held up the stone that Rhys had given him for Harley to see. "Out in the desert. He thinks that the island is attracting pieces of another world that he destroyed and it could potentially lead him here."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 30, 2015 22:08:24 GMT -5
"Oh." Harley's attention was definitely grabbed now. She leaned down to Alfie's level and studied the solidified Dust. "I-I see. I... honestly had theorized this. Being the center of the multiverse, this island likely has its own sort of gravity. It makes sense that debris would eventually wind up here."
"And if Kalon were to follow the Dust here, his wrath would devastate the island," Rhys continued. "It's one thing if he succeeds in absorbing all Dust; I don't think anyone's entirely certain what he would become if such were the case. But I fear what would happen to every universe in existence if Dimensional Island was destroyed in his wake."
"That, uh... Y-You make a fair point, Rhys..."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Aug 6, 2015 12:52:43 GMT -5
"Right. So we gonna do something about it or not?" Juno grumbled. "'Cause honestly, even though I'm here mostly by force... and a small glimmer of hope that I'll get an opportunity to shove ol' so-and-so's think tank up his dick hole, I could see it going either way."
"Rhys is pretty insistent that you can help us, Harley," Alfie added. "Every helping had is appreciated!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 6, 2015 21:47:42 GMT -5
"Listen, I appreciate that and all, but I don't know how I could help," Harley awkwardly offered.
Rhys stepped closer and gave her a kind, open answer, "Harley, you are incredibly smart and well-researched on the matter, and I'm absolutely certain your intelligence -not to mention your honesty and social abilities- will prove to be an asset in the tactical and investigational processes of our mission. And, of course, given your history, understanding of and compatibility with Dust, I thought it only fair that we include you."
Harley was taken aback slightly, bashfully attempting to hide her blush. "Well... uh..."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Aug 7, 2015 21:51:19 GMT -5
"Jesus, just f*** already!" Juno groaned, turning around to hide her growing disgust. Damn heteros...
"You know, Harley, you are pretty obvious about it," Alfie meekly offered with a little shrug. "But more to the point, are you in?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Aug 8, 2015 9:20:09 GMT -5
"Oh, go to hell, Juno!!"
"Harley..." Rhys gently grabbed the arm that Harley had risen to point at Juno, his paternal expression effectively calming her down.
Alfie's comment didn't exactly help, but he was at least polite about it. His following question led to Harley turning away uncomfortably. "Well... I... I wanna help. I wanna see an end to the destruction. But I don't wanna go charging into disaster kamikaze style. I wish I could see this in a more positive light. I just..." Her words got caught in her throat, and after a long silence, she finally expelled them in a long sigh. "I need to think." Then she made a hasty retreat down the hall.
Rhys said nothing, opting to give her all the time she needed on the matter, as serious as it was.
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