Living The Unlife

[Fenitchka]

"Oh." I smile and nod, even though it is as if he is speaking Swahili to me.
I don't have any games that I play. I didn't even play games when I was younger.

"Tell me about the games since I am not very familiar with them."

[Danuel Stinin]

"Well, the universal idea of any of these games is to escape your life for a short time. Simply put, you make a character and become that character for a short time.

All the games have different rules and goals, but the ideal behind all of them is escape. That's why they attract me so."

[Fenitchka]

"Why do you feel you must escape? Because you are alone?" I question.

[Danuel Stinin]

"Basically." Dan pokes at his food. "I'm the dungeon master. I play everyone that the players don't. I build the world. I make the rules. It's almost intoxicating sometimes. In real life, I'm just some kid with not friends. I like being the Dungeon Master better."

[Fenitchka]

"I understand. I sometimes wish that I could escape, but Kolya needs me. I don't see why you have a hard time making friends. You seem perfectly likeable to me."

Kolya goes back into the other room to play with his toys.

[Roland the Black Hearted]

Cynthia's cell door opens, and Roland steps inside. "Hello Cynthia. I am Roland. From the A.S.S!" He checks his clip board and clicks his tounge. "Oh my my my. You've been a very naughty girl Cynthia. Not the worst we've ever seen, but bad just the same. Let's just see what sort of things you've earned from your disgusting behavior..." Roland slowly flips through the pages on the clip board. "Yes. Yes, that sounds about right. Well Cynthia, there is some good news. You have a long time left ahead of you. Bad news is it's not going to be much fun." Roland's clip board vanishes and he walks towards Cynthia, a black needle appearing in his hand. "Now then, let's begin shall we?"

[Danuel Stinin]

"How long have you known me? Fifteen minutes, twenty maybe? I am not a likeable person most of the time. I can see it in hind sight. I say things without thinking about how they might hurt people. That words might be painful never even occurs to me most of the time.

By the way, how do you support yourself? Does the father of Kolya pay child support? It's obvious that he doesn't actually help you with anything physically. Makes me wonder about people. I mean, he must have seemed perfectly reasonable when you slept with him and then, suddenly, he up and dumps you when you have his child."

[Fenitchka]

"You brought me my book bag and offered to tutor me. Those were both good things that show me that you care about people."

I take his dish and wash it.

"I was young and I still am young. I didn't know about boys or sex. I was very naive. I made a mistake and now I live with it. Red Infinity pays for this place, since that is who I work for. I have nothing to do with Kolya's father."

[Danuel Stinin]

"I story I've heard before actually. More than a few of the girls in school have dropped out for similar reasons. At least you have someone helping to support you. Must have been difficult. From what I understand, it's very difficult to get approved by the government for aid."

[Lena]

Lana's and Peter's voices slowly drifted away as she thought. Her mother.. why? Why had her mother always not like her, always fight with her? Lena used to hear her friends joke, that her mother would fight with her until she died ... and that was what had happened.. Lena recalls their last fight, on her 16th birthday, in the evening..

Lena had been sitting in the living room of their house, crying. Lana was beside her, when her mother walked in. "Lena! How could you not learn how to control your fire? Everyone thinks your some sort of curse now, why can't for once, you be normal? Be like Lana for once!" Her mother had yelled at her, before Lena stood up and began yelling back. Her sadness having turned to anger.

"Be like her? Mother, I'm me! I never will be Lana, no matter how much you yell at me! I make mistakes, people make mistakes, Lana makes mistakes! She's not prefect! She's not any more greater then I am, yet, you always pick her! You never yell at her, you think she's prefect! Why can't you accept me as I am, as me? All I want is to hear you actually say I love you, and mean it!" Was what Lena yelled back, her sister standing behind her. Lana always got scared when she started fighting with her mother.

"Lena, you're the one who yells back at me! I'm.." Her mother's face suddenly lowers, she seems to suddenly have become sad. "Lena.. I need to tell you something, at night, meet be near the temple.. It's something important." Then her mother leaves, leaving behind a confused, angered, and sad Lena.

Lena had never showed up through, she had left with Lana.. What had her mother wanted to tell her? Was it the reason she was always so mean to her? Other memories of fights cross her mind's eye, but also of her friends.. She closes her eyes for a second, forcing herself not to cry. She didn't want Lana to get worried.. She opens them again and looks over at Lana and Peter.

She's not sure what to say, since, well she had no clue what they had been talking about.

[Peter "The Owl"]

"Lena?" Peter repeats. The girl seems to snap out of a trance, looking slightly confused. "Daydreaming are you? Come on." He picks up one of the water bottles and tosses it to her. "Drink some water. It'll help you wake up. Anyway, as I was saying, your sister doesn't want to come to Lapland. She wants to stay in Helsinki."

[Freak Boy]

Fre--*groan* "Che" finished writing the next few chapters in his book before deciding to set up his radio equipment. Since he had nothing else to do, he might as well let Red Infinity know he's alive and well. He set up his equipment and began broadcasting his rant to the world. He started his show with the song he wrote for Bassarov as an introduction - like that NPR music, except it's a rock song.

I am only a radio host with a low budget show
But speaking as one of the people I want you to know-
We are tired of the decline of,
Society with no sign of,
A government willing to give us the things we deserve!

*guitar piece*

There is only one man who can lead any workers regime!
He lives for your problems, he shares your ideals and dreams.
He supports you, for he loves you!
Understands you, is one of you!
If not--why would he help me?

*kickin' guitar solo*

Now I am a worker I suffer the way that you do!
I've been unemployed and I've starved and I hated it too!
But I found my salvation
In Valodya - May the nation
Let him lead them as he led me!

*small guitar part and fade out.*

"Goood morning world. Freak Boy here. You want to know something interesting? When I was in the ministry of terror, I was told that I was, and I quote Dr. Andrea Murdock, the Minister of Information; 'You are a murderer at least and a nuisance at most.'

"Well, apparently this nuisance is game enough for Lady Violet Zadung, AKA The pregnant dog with good public appeal because she has people who cover her tracks, to send an assassin after. Oh, in case your wondering, no. The assassin didn't kill me." Freak Boy said over the air.

"Most people say that when an assassin comes after you, Red Infinity has scared you into your place. Well, Red Infinity... know this. I AM A VERY SLOW LEARNER!!! Let's assume this assassin DID have an affect on me, let's just assume. If he did, here it is; I am now more determined than ever to piss off Red Infinity than ever!

"Now, on to the news. Apparently, a recent survey says that if Lady Violet and Lin-Sat ever had children, they would be the world's ugliest babies."

[Lena]

Lena barely catches the water bottle, having looked toward her sister. "Lana, please, stay with me for a while. There's something very important I have to tell you.. I'd rather not tell you now through.. Oh, and sorry about that! Heh, daydreaming's one of my bad habits!" She attempts to sound cheerful and smile, not really sure that Lana would believe her act.

She drinks some of the water after chilling it to ice water with her ice powers. "Thanks for the water, Peter!"

[Peter "The Owl"]

"No problem at all. Anyway, this is between you and your sister but if you want my advise, you should stick together.

Still, it's another day and a half before we reach Helsinki so there'll be plenty of time to talk about everything.

Right now, let's just enjoy ourselves. So Lena, what is the plan for you now? I mean, you can live at Lapland as long as you like, but you'll probably get bored on your own. I'll be training most of the day and there's no one else up there accept Hope."

[Lena]

"Well, I.. haven't really thought about that. It sounds like a good place to try to learn control of.. certain powers of mine. I would like to join the Eternal Light, that's what me and my sister had originally planned on doing when we arrived here."

Lena says, beginning to think about what she would/could do, happy to have something to take her mind off of her past.