Red Fish, Blue Fish

[Elijah Debs]

"But why romantic love? That seems to me the most selfish kind of love, but it is the most important to most humans." Elijah asks the fish.

["Zero" Americanski]

After spending time with Bassarov I head back to my apartment and begin packing. I notice that Erika's uniform blouse is still here, so I fold it neatly and set it in a drawer in my dresser. Now that the evil of Zwei is gone, or at least repressed, Erika seems a very nice if somewhat shy young woman. One I hope to meet again sometine.

When I'm done packing I head to the base to begin making preperations for when I leave.

[Lady Blue]

My phone rings just as I am getting over being stupid. In a fit of anger I had contacted Kolov, but now that I have had a chance to reflect I am not sure what to think. I answer the phone. "Hello..."

[Joukahainen]

I kiss her again, slowly starting to get caught up in the moment.

"I think you'll like this, Iris. This is part of being human." I say, slowly working my finger further down, but not penetrating yet.

[Victoria]

I lay back on my bed and spread my arms and legs as if making a snow angel in the lacey white bedding. I smile and roll over.
"Free? Nobody is free anymore. You think you are free but you are hunted and will never get ahead in this world. You aren't free unless you can get ahead, and the only way for me to get ahead is through Red Infinity. I am as free as I can be. But I'm rambling now."

"I'm an old vampire, maybe the only freedom left for me in the world is sucking the freedom and life from the youth. Give me another taste of freedom."

[Dinari Dollar]

"Hey Lady Blue, it's your old friend Dinari! I'm out of the camp thanks to my capitalist pals and thought I would ask a favor of you."

Dinari clears his throat..

"Can you sell a bunch of the FRA's weapons and give the money to Anna, Alex, and I. We really need it. Noy having a house and a car sucks. We would pay you back eventually."

[Freak Boy]

"Romantic love is the most important to humans because it is the most powerful urge for them, other than survival. Romance is a guise for the human emotion known as lust. They need it because their psyche has the sex drive tied with survival instinct in first place.

"You should know this quite well, Freak Boy."

Freak Boy groaned. "Is that really relavent at all right now?"

"Not at the moment, but when I make my point it will be. See, Elijah, as I said before there are many reasons for humans to need romantic love - some desire to validate themselves through a significant other, seeking someone on an intellectual level that they can relate to, lust, but regardless of what the reason is, it boils down to the fact that when humans have no one... they go insane."

[Sakari Lehtinen]

"There's an old saying that dates back to the 1930's, around the time the Soviet Union was gaining power and influence, the contradictions of capitalism were in everybody's faces because of the great depression, and workers were out in the streets. It went, 'freedom is something you assume, like your eyes, your arms, your feet, until someone tries to take it away from you. The degree to which you resist is the amount you are free.' You may feel free riding this raft down the rapids, and taking the path of least resistance, but the path of least resistance is what makes the river crooked. You are dangerously close to hitting land." Sakari states.

"But you may drink again, if you wish." I say, turning my head to expose the two puncture wounds in my neck.

[Elijah Debs]

"Thanks for the explaination. I think I understand now, at least a little." Elijah is about to put the fish in the water but pauses.

"Should I try to find that sort of relationship with a human or am I better off being alone?"

[Freak Boy]

The fish gives something that is close to a smile. "That's the real question now, isn't it? That is something for you to decide when you are ready."

and with that, it jumped into the water.

"Dude... the fish just blew off your question."

[Victoria]

I think about what he stated and get behind him. I reach from behind, placing my hand on his chest to stabilize him. This time I bite deeper and harder. It sends a painful chill up my own spine as I think of how it must feel for him. I take a long and meaningful drink of his blood.
"Keep feeding me."

[Elijah Debs]

"What that isn't fair! What a cop out!" Elijah says as the red fish swims away.
He turns to the other fish.
"Well, can you answer that or are you going to jump ship on us too?"

[Lady Blue]

"Money? Of course... I'll want to discuss this in person but I think we can work something out." I state. To me Dinari is like an older and kindly, if somewhat foolish, brother. Unlike my father, with whom I've never seen eye to eye with.

[Freak Boy]

"I think everyone deserves to have a romantic relationship of some kind, but that's just me. Do as your heart tells you - when you find a woman you'd be willing to have a relationship with, you'll know."

"And after you've been in one relationship, you'll know you never want to be in one ever again," Freak Boy added.

"Oh hush up, you." the fish said, giving Freak Boy a sour look.

[Dinari Dollar]

"Meet me in Helsinki. Anna and a new capitalist named Alex are here. Alex wants to meet you too. I think you could sell weapons to the anarchists, Blackhand, or Hagana. That should be enough money for us to get back on our feet."

Dinari doesn't care about weapons. He thinks that the FRA's military expenditures are a waste of money. Of course he squanders his money on women, parties, and luxury, the only things in the world worth spending money on in his book.