annotate old/stories/noir-afterwards.txt @ 2:fc00894c1d4a moonlitnights

[svn r3] moved all the bad stuff to 'old'
author rlm
date Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:53:12 -0500
parents
children
rev   line source
rlm@2 1 Afterwards
rlm@2 2 Immo
rlm@2 3 immo@hamena.org
rlm@2 4
rlm@2 5 Author's comments: Okay, I know the title sucks ass. Don't blame me.
rlm@2 6 It was either that, or
rlm@2 7 'Josie and the Pussycats' cuz that was the cd I've been listening to
rlm@2 8 repetitively. Buy the cd
rlm@2 9 everybody! Oh, by the way, I love Eliza Dushku. She's the girl that
rlm@2 10 plays Faith in Buffy the
rlm@2 11 Vampire Slayer, Missy in Bring It On!, Annabel in Soul Survivors,
rlm@2 12 Danielle (Dan the Man) in
rlm@2 13 The New Guy (Watch it for the bathing suit scene!) and a whole list
rlm@2 14 that I won't bother, cuz
rlm@2 15 I'm too busy worshipping her. :P Its late. Um, its a Noir fic with
rlm@2 16 femslashy/yuri/shoujo-ai/
rlm@2 17 girl-girl love/angsty thing. Cool. I think girlgirl love is cute. So
rlm@2 18 shut up.
rlm@2 19
rlm@2 20 COMMENTS, COMPLIMENTS, REVIEWS, COMPLAINTS, FLAMES (please, no?),
rlm@2 21 ARE WELCOME (cept for the
rlm@2 22 flames). Please. I'm doing an analysis on Oedipus. Leave my psycotic
rlm@2 23 psychoticness alone (but
rlm@2 24 all C&Cs and Rs are welcome!) and read the fic.
rlm@2 25
rlm@2 26 ~-~-~
rlm@2 27
rlm@2 28 It might've been better if I had died that night. I don't know, but
rlm@2 29 sometimes I think
rlm@2 30 it would've been so much better if Mireille had killed me as soon as
rlm@2 31 I approached her. Then
rlm@2 32 she wouldn't be going through this.
rlm@2 33 "I don't regret a thing." Mireille and that beautiful smile.
rlm@2 34 What a lie that was. When she thought I was asleep, she would cry,
rlm@2 35 and I would just
rlm@2 36 lay there and listen to her, because there was nothing I could do.
rlm@2 37 There was nothing I
rlm@2 38 wouldn't do for her, but really, there was nothing I could do.
rlm@2 39 It was stupid of both of us to think that love would conquer all.
rlm@2 40 Shallow breaths and
rlm@2 41 passion-filled nights don't erase the blood on our hands. Especially
rlm@2 42 not mine. I haven't even
rlm@2 43 made penance for my crimes against her.
rlm@2 44 She would never admit to regret, not my Mireille. She was strong,
rlm@2 45 and I was so proud
rlm@2 46 of her, so drawn to her and her curious ways. Sometimes, I feel like
rlm@2 47 I have nothing inside me
rlm@2 48 and she would fill me with herself, her light, her face, her being.
rlm@2 49 Lately, I've been unresponsive, I've withdrawn into myself, and she
rlm@2 50 worries. I don't
rlm@2 51 want her to worry, but its so hard not to think about these things.
rlm@2 52 Does her family haunt her at night, screaming for revenge?
rlm@2 53 Why does she continue like this?
rlm@2 54 And I watch her, sometimes, when she's not looking and try to see
rlm@2 55 those ghosts that
rlm@2 56 surround her. I know she has one, or some, because I do too. How
rlm@2 57 does it feel to have a
rlm@2 58 Chloe, eternally poking you with a dessert fork?
rlm@2 59 Just thinking about her sometimes, in an ethereal form, grinning
rlm@2 60 delightfully, makes
rlm@2 61 me smile too. But I dread it everytime I see the phantom glare at me
rlm@2 62 accusingly.
rlm@2 63 Love can't win all the time, just as hate can't win all the time
rlm@2 64 either. Altena, dear
rlm@2 65 mother, forgive me. For I have sinned.
rlm@2 66 Love can't erase the trainings of Noir. I was brought up, knowing
rlm@2 67 nothing else except
rlm@2 68 Noir. How could I abandon it?
rlm@2 69 Noir was two...
rlm@2 70 How could Mireille abandon her family?
rlm@2 71 The breeze was warm, a perfect summer day, sitting in an outdoor cafe.
rlm@2 72 Five to twelve. Would she be late?
rlm@2 73 When arms wrapped around me from behind in a tight hug, I knew that
rlm@2 74 was a stupid
rlm@2 75 question. Stupid, stupid. Of course she wouldn't be late.
rlm@2 76 "Good afternoon,"
rlm@2 77 It was amazing how, just the touch of her lips brushing against my
rlm@2 78 ear, the slight
rlm@2 79 growl in her voice, could set me on fire. She brandished a rose,
rlm@2 80 brushing it deftly across my
rlm@2 81 lips, and I found myself blushing when I saw an elderly couple
rlm@2 82 watching us in amusement.
rlm@2 83 "Mireille..." I leaned my head back, and she kissed me on the lips
rlm@2 84 tenderly, before
rlm@2 85 moving to her seat opposite me. How could anyone be so beautiful?
rlm@2 86 How could anyone be so damned beautiful, yet so dangerous? My eyes
rlm@2 87 trained on her
rlm@2 88 hands.
rlm@2 89 "Kirika, there's a show at the Paris Opera House." Two tickets
rlm@2 90 appeared in her hands.
rlm@2 91 "Lets go watch."
rlm@2 92 "What are we watching?"
rlm@2 93 Merielle shrugged, grinning. "Does it matter?"
rlm@2 94
rlm@2 95 And when we sat in those plush red seats, and I leaned back,
rlm@2 96 watching the opera, it
rlm@2 97 didn't really matter. The music, the whole of the opera, was
rlm@2 98 beautiful.
rlm@2 99 "Have you heard of Le Fantôme de l'opéra?" Her words whispered into
rlm@2 100 my ear. I
rlm@2 101 shivered, as a hand brushed teasingly against my thigh.
rlm@2 102 "Phantom of the Opera? Isn't that a musical?" I responded in a
rlm@2 103 breathless tone,
rlm@2 104 Mireille's hair tickling my forehead, as the blonde nipped at the my
rlm@2 105 neck.
rlm@2 106 'Mireille...'
rlm@2 107 "Mireille," I was ashamed of the lust that was so evident in my
rlm@2 108 voice. And even when
rlm@2 109 I tried to squirm away from her, I returned those kisses. "We're in
rlm@2 110 public..."
rlm@2 111 "In public, in private, in our own box number five." Mireille
rlm@2 112 chuckled when I let out
rlm@2 113 a loud gasp. "Only le fantôme de l'opéra will see us. Now... kiss me."
rlm@2 114 It didn't really matter which opera we were watching, because as the
rlm@2 115 orchestra played
rlm@2 116 on, I was just thankful it muffled the sounds we were making.
rlm@2 117 Mireille could be quite the
rlm@2 118 risk-taker when she felt like it, and as I lay against her chest,
rlm@2 119 listening to her heart
rlm@2 120 slowing back to normal pace, I wonder how much I've changed her.
rlm@2 121 We ran down the steps, past the other opera-goers, and giggled and
rlm@2 122 apologized when we
rlm@2 123 bumped into people, no amount of sour looks or complaints could kill
rlm@2 124 our mood. We were
rlm@2 125 together, alive, and well.
rlm@2 126 Wandering the streets, we kissed, chased each other, watched the
rlm@2 127 lamplights flicker
rlm@2 128 on and off for a while, then watched the dark waters below us, on a
rlm@2 129 bridge.
rlm@2 130 I had buried whatever normal life I had in those dark waters. Maybe
rlm@2 131 I should go and
rlm@2 132 buy myself a new sketchbook... but was that really necessary when I
rlm@2 133 know that simple drawings
rlm@2 134 on paper could not give me nearly as much life as Mireille did?
rlm@2 135 Strange how to people could meet under such strange circumstances,
rlm@2 136 yes, that was us.
rlm@2 137 Stranger still how one could love the murderer of your family, how
rlm@2 138 you could fall in love
rlm@2 139 with the person who said they would kill you.
rlm@2 140 Heh.
rlm@2 141 It was funny.
rlm@2 142 That feeling. That word. Love.
rlm@2 143
rlm@2 144 *-*-*
rlm@2 145
rlm@2 146 We had finally gotten past that last hurdle.
rlm@2 147 Didn't know it was so hard for both of us to just show that we cared
rlm@2 148 for each other.
rlm@2 149 We could take out a small army by ourselves, and still, those three
rlm@2 150 little words defeat us. I
rlm@2 151 don't know what we're so afraid of, but neither of us could utter
rlm@2 152 it, even a month after our
rlm@2 153 run-in with Soldats, when everything fell to a close at the Manor.
rlm@2 154 But was it really the end?
rlm@2 155 That haunted expression in Kirika's eyes... it was still there.
rlm@2 156 And Soldats still lurked around the corner. I could feel them. Smell
rlm@2 157 them, maybe. A
rlm@2 158 scent of old parchment, and fine red wine that intoxicated and made
rlm@2 159 me feel sluggish and
rlm@2 160 dangerously drunk.
rlm@2 161 "Mireille?"
rlm@2 162 I moved away from the window. I thought I had... no. It couldn't
rlm@2 163 have been. I thought
rlm@2 164 I had glimpsed the shine of the noonday sun off the cold steel of a
rlm@2 165 gun. But that wasn't
rlm@2 166 possible.
rlm@2 167 I kept telling myself that, again and again, over and over.
rlm@2 168 'It wasn't possible, it wasn't possible, it wasn't possible, it's
rlm@2 169 very possible, you
rlm@2 170 two embarassed their whole organization, the two of you managed to
rlm@2 171 single-handedly cripple
rlm@2 172 Soldats and off some of their most important and powerful members,
rlm@2 173 you know the identity of
rlm@2 174 the roots of Soldats, old men who sat in seats of power...'
rlm@2 175 "Is something on your mind?"
rlm@2 176 Our eyes met, and I fought an internal struggle. Should I tell
rlm@2 177 Kirika about my
rlm@2 178 worries? Or should I keep it to myself, keep this paranoia buried
rlm@2 179 deep inside me and not
rlm@2 180 scratch at a wound that was still fresh and red. Irritable if you
rlm@2 181 touch it. Infections, and
rlm@2 182 pus caking around the edges of the cut.
rlm@2 183 "Nothing."
rlm@2 184 "Here," Kirika got up from her seat and walked behind me, hands
rlm@2 185 sliding across my
rlm@2 186 tense shoulders, thumbs and fingers caressed the bare flesh of my
rlm@2 187 back, slipping underneath
rlm@2 188 my shirt to run dry heat across the my back.
rlm@2 189 "Kirika," I couldn't help it, and arched my back, giving in to the
rlm@2 190 smaller girl's
rlm@2 191 ministrations.
rlm@2 192 "That feels nice..."
rlm@2 193 Lips trailed across the back of my neck.
rlm@2 194 "THAT, feels even nicer," I purred. Kirika's mouth turned up into a
rlm@2 195 small pink smile.
rlm@2 196 "That's exactly what I want to hear."
rlm@2 197
rlm@2 198 Later on in the early evening, I still had that feeling. We had
rlm@2 199 decided to eat at a
rlm@2 200 small diner we both loved, and it was easy to pick out the sore
rlm@2 201 thumb amongst the regular
rlm@2 202 patrons.
rlm@2 203 "That one." I was sure. So sure.
rlm@2 204 Kirika's eyes darted to the side, unnoticably, and she continued her
rlm@2 205 meal. "I see."
rlm@2 206 "That's why I've been acting all jumpy." pause. "Soldats."
rlm@2 207 Kirika's hand tightened around the fork, she placed the utensil
rlm@2 208 down, and reached for
rlm@2 209 the stem of her wineglass, almost downing all the contents in one
rlm@2 210 gulp.
rlm@2 211 "No." Her voice was harsh.
rlm@2 212 "I'm certain--"
rlm@2 213 "No." Kirika said a bit louder now. "No. No more. Its not, Mireille.
rlm@2 214 We leave them
rlm@2 215 alone, they leave us alone. Please."
rlm@2 216 I looked at the dark-eyed girl, saw a sort of anxiety in her.
rlm@2 217 "I want to believe, I want to, Mireille. That they've left us alone.
rlm@2 218 We have nothing
rlm@2 219 to do with them, they have nothing to do with us." Kirika reached
rlm@2 220 out to place her hand on
rlm@2 221 top of mine. "Please. I *need* to."
rlm@2 222 I could feel that rough spot on her finger, her trigger finger. Over
rlm@2 223 time, if one
rlm@2 224 pulls the trigger of a gun too much, one develops a callous on the
rlm@2 225 spot. Like if a person
rlm@2 226 writes too much. If one stops doing whatever it is that developed
rlm@2 227 the callous in the first
rlm@2 228 place, it will fade. But it takes some time.
rlm@2 229 So I closed myself off to the newness in the environment, and
rlm@2 230 ordered a strawberry
rlm@2 231 shortcake for myself, and Kirika ordered a chocolate cheesecake,
rlm@2 232 that she only managed to
rlm@2 233 finish half of.
rlm@2 234 "Lets go home."
rlm@2 235 The bill was paid, and we went back to our apartment. The man had
rlm@2 236 also paid his bill
rlm@2 237 and was following us. But both Kirika and I ignored it. Or at least,
rlm@2 238 I tried to. The
rlm@2 239 comforting weight of my handgun in my purse was... of little
rlm@2 240 comfort, as he followed us up
rlm@2 241 the steps to our apartment... and stopped one floor before ours. I
rlm@2 242 heard the jangle of his
rlm@2 243 keys as he let himself into his apartment.
rlm@2 244 I breathed out a sigh of relief. Overreating to the smallest thing,
rlm@2 245 that's probably
rlm@2 246 what Kirika was thinking right now as she unlocks the door to our
rlm@2 247 apartment.
rlm@2 248 The plant was outlined by the low-hanging moon, almost as if it
rlm@2 249 perched on the
rlm@2 250 windowsill. Kirika went to take a shower first, and I went and made
rlm@2 251 some tea, the ritual had
rlm@2 252 been set for us. I boiled the water and spooned tea leaves into the
rlm@2 253 teapot. Then, I went and
rlm@2 254 set the table for two. Usually, Kirika would be helping me... but
rlm@2 255 tonight there was tension.
rlm@2 256 I nursed my cup of tea, enjoying the herbal scent, when Kirika came
rlm@2 257 out of the bathroom.
rlm@2 258 Steam raced out between her legs, she was in her bathrobe, hair
rlm@2 259 hanging wet and loose, towel
rlm@2 260 draped over her arm.
rlm@2 261 "Your turn." Kirika sat on the bed, and used the towel to slowly,
rlm@2 262 meticulously, dry
rlm@2 263 her hair.
rlm@2 264 "The tea. It'll get cold."
rlm@2 265 And there was that glare, I had seen that same glare when I had gone
rlm@2 266 to 'rescue'
rlm@2 267 Kirika from the kind mother. That glare that recognized me, but
rlm@2 268 wished me a slow, painful,
rlm@2 269 torturous death.
rlm@2 270 "I'm sorry." She returned to normal, regret written clearly on her
rlm@2 271 face.
rlm@2 272 "No, its..." I was going to say it was my fault. But it wasn't. So
rlm@2 273 it would have been
rlm@2 274 a lie. It was awkward, just standing there, so I escaped to the
rlm@2 275 washroom, and hid underneath
rlm@2 276 the spray of the shower.
rlm@2 277 When I came back out, Kirika was already in bed, her cup of tea
rlm@2 278 finished. And my tea
rlm@2 279 was already cold, so I just went back into the bathroom, wiped off
rlm@2 280 the foggy mirror, and
rlm@2 281 blow-dried my hair.
rlm@2 282 Slipping under the covers, I turned so my back faced Kirika's.
rlm@2 283 'So. This is a lover's quarrel.' Even though, outwardly I was
rlm@2 284 relaxed, everything was
rlm@2 285 a bundle of quivering nerves, and that delightful mixture of hurt
rlm@2 286 and fear pricked my brain.
rlm@2 287 A feather-light touch, and Kirika drew me into her arms, breath
rlm@2 288 ruffling my hair.
rlm@2 289 "I'm sorry."
rlm@2 290 "I'm not mad at you."
rlm@2 291 A soft chuckle that tickled my back.
rlm@2 292 "Yes you are."
rlm@2 293 Turning in Kirika's hold, our noses touching, breath smelling of
rlm@2 294 minty freshness from
rlm@2 295 the toothpaste, I smiled at her.
rlm@2 296 "No." Lips touched in a kiss. "I'm not."
rlm@2 297
rlm@2 298 *-*-*
rlm@2 299
rlm@2 300 Merielle woke up. It was a dreary day, one of those rainy days that
rlm@2 301 left everybody
rlm@2 302 restless. Kirika was one of those people. The sheets bunched up
rlm@2 303 around her legs, and the
rlm@2 304 blonde kicked them off irritably.
rlm@2 305 "Kirika?" She called out, knowing full well that she wasn't going to
rlm@2 306 get a reply. The
rlm@2 307 girl had probably run down to one of her favorite breakfast places.
rlm@2 308 And sure enough, when
rlm@2 309 Mireille went to find her, she was sitting at their table, breakfast
rlm@2 310 already ordered.
rlm@2 311 "I ordered for two."
rlm@2 312 Mireille nodded, and thanked the waitress when she came back with
rlm@2 313 their breakfast and
rlm@2 314 the newspaper. Since they didn't accept contracts anymore and had
rlm@2 315 'retired' from the assasin
rlm@2 316 business, Mireille had found the time to read the newspaper. Most of
rlm@2 317 the time, she scoured
rlm@2 318 the headlines, wondering, searching for something which never
rlm@2 319 appeared.
rlm@2 320 "Your omelette is getting cold."
rlm@2 321 Mirielle put down the paper.
rlm@2 322 "I was wondering..." Kirika started. Mireille paused, and the russet-
rlm@2 323 haired girl
rlm@2 324 continued. "I was wondering if, maybe, you think visiting Canada...
rlm@2 325 wouldn't it be nice? I
rlm@2 326 mean, there's the Niagara Falls. I heard there's always snow there,
rlm@2 327 so maybe catch some
rlm@2 328 skiing?"
rlm@2 329 Mireille nodded, putting fork and knife down. "A vacation?"
rlm@2 330 "Yes."
rlm@2 331 The blonde smiled, a sparkle of interest in her eyes. "You know not
rlm@2 332 all parts of
rlm@2 333 Canada have snow this time of year, right?"
rlm@2 334 Kirika blushed. "Of course. You're teasing me."
rlm@2 335 "I wouldn't dare!" Mireille laughed, and cut out a small corner of
rlm@2 336 her omelette. She
rlm@2 337 never used to eat breakfast.
rlm@2 338 "We'll have so much fun!" That child-like glee, that Mireille
rlm@2 339 mirrored. Both had been
rlm@2 340 deprived of most of their childhood, and now they relived it with
rlm@2 341 each other. Plans were laid
rlm@2 342 down, each detail was examined, equipment, money, everything was
rlm@2 343 accounted for on sheets of
rlm@2 344 napkin that the owner of the establishment gladly provided his
rlm@2 345 customers with. It was like a
rlm@2 346 grand adventure for them.
rlm@2 347 Travelling to a place that didn't involve shooting at, being shot
rlm@2 348 at, or other such
rlm@2 349 things that lead to an unnaturally short life.
rlm@2 350 "Be right back. Washroom."
rlm@2 351 She walked through the door, and immediately froze.
rlm@2 352 "You couldn't escape us, you know that."
rlm@2 353 Kirika's mouth opened and closed, no words coming out, the coldness
rlm@2 354 of the blade,
rlm@2 355 pressed against her throat made her eyes water.
rlm@2 356 "I killed you."
rlm@2 357 "Well, obviously, you didn't do a good job, did you." The figure
rlm@2 358 murmurred
rlm@2 359 humorously. "You weren't as sloppy when you killed that man in the
rlm@2 360 floor below yours."
rlm@2 361 "How did you know...?"
rlm@2 362 "Merielle was right. I was watching her. But that man was innocent,
rlm@2 363 you know."
rlm@2 364 Her mouth went dry.
rlm@2 365 "No. You're dead."
rlm@2 366 "You're repeating yourself."
rlm@2 367 "No, no. I KILLED you." Kirika insisted. "You're DEAD."
rlm@2 368 "But I'm alive."
rlm@2 369 "I could kill you again."
rlm@2 370 "I'll come back." Was the malicious reply. "And I won't be as nice."
rlm@2 371 Kirika quavered at the tone of voice, reduced to a child again.
rlm@2 372 "But... I did kill
rlm@2 373 you."
rlm@2 374 "Fine." The person sighed, and lowered the blade. "This is a
rlm@2 375 horrible nightmare that
rlm@2 376 you'll never ever wake up from, Kirika. It could be a dream. Here."
rlm@2 377 The person handed her a gun, cold to the touch. Her gun. She knew
rlm@2 378 her gun. Eyes rose
rlm@2 379 to search the person's face, and they smiled reassuringly. "It's a
rlm@2 380 nightmare. It doesn't make
rlm@2 381 any sense. And you know, only when you've finished what you started
rlm@2 382 in this horrible dream,
rlm@2 383 when you were just a little girl, will this end. Am I not right?"
rlm@2 384 "...It was beginning to be a very good dream."
rlm@2 385 "It was." The person nodded sagely. "For you it was. But you know
rlm@2 386 what they say, 'All
rlm@2 387 good things must come to an end'."
rlm@2 388 "Yes. Altena." Arms wrapped around her and a kiss brushed her
rlm@2 389 forehead.
rlm@2 390 "You have things to do, Kirika."
rlm@2 391 It was a horrible nightmare. She couldn't control her limbs,
rlm@2 392 couldn't stop herself as
rlm@2 393 she checked the gun mechanically, then stalked out the door. The
rlm@2 394 owner was nowhere in sight,
rlm@2 395 and the light that filtered through the rain-splattered glass made
rlm@2 396 everything have a horrible
rlm@2 397 sickening feel to it. It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare.
rlm@2 398 She walked up behind Mireille, and the blonde didn't turn around,
rlm@2 399 still bent over
rlm@2 400 those plans to Canada, talking aloud.
rlm@2 401 "Plane tickets, we could go get them tomorrow... actually, we could
rlm@2 402 leave right away!
rlm@2 403 There's nothing holding us back here anymore!" Mireille still didn't
rlm@2 404 turn around, as she
rlm@2 405 laughed. "Of course, we'll have to worry about the non-existant
rlm@2 406 snow..."
rlm@2 407 If this was all just a horrible nightmare... then if she woke up,
rlm@2 408 Mireille wouldn't
rlm@2 409 be real, right? So. It had to end like this. Everything would end.
rlm@2 410 Or would a new nightmare
rlm@2 411 just begin? She really did like this dream.
rlm@2 412 "Mireille?" Kirika relished how her tongue wrapped around the
rlm@2 413 syllables of the
rlm@2 414 blonde's name.
rlm@2 415 "Yes?" And Kirika loved how Mireille answered her.
rlm@2 416 She still didn't look back. She really should. Or maybe she
rlm@2 417 shouldn't. Kirika didn't
rlm@2 418 have control... not the control she wanted. She could feel HER
rlm@2 419 watching...
rlm@2 420 "Hey... you know I... you know." That caught Kirika off-guard. "I
rlm@2 421 can't say it. But
rlm@2 422 maybe I'll say it some day, Kirika. I don't know. It seems like
rlm@2 423 everytime I say those three
rlm@2 424 little words to anyone, they end up dead."
rlm@2 425 Laughter. Mireille's laughter, and Kirika's, who sounded near
rlm@2 426 hysterical. She cocked
rlm@2 427 her gun, and she could see Mireille's shoulders freeze at the sound,
rlm@2 428 gasp at the feel of the
rlm@2 429 barrel against the back of her head.
rlm@2 430 "Seems like you and I are the same." Kirika didn't know why, but
rlm@2 431 tears were running
rlm@2 432 down her face. "We just can't seem to keep the people we love."
rlm@2 433
rlm@2 434 ~-~-~
rlm@2 435
rlm@2 436 OOC: SO late at night, gonna do Oedipus homework and that sucks
rlm@2 437 crap. My class is so funny.
rlm@2 438 We have one of those class-clown kids as Oedipus, and a Guyanese
rlm@2 439 girl who always kisses her
rlm@2 440 teeth at and give attitude to people playing Tiresias, the blind
rlm@2 441 soothsayer. So funny.
rlm@2 442 guy:...You have no power or truth. You are blind, your ears and mind
rlm@2 443 as well as your eyes.
rlm@2 444 (The guy adds a 'haha!' at the end)
rlm@2 445 girl: You are a pitiful figure. These reproaches you fling at me,
rlm@2 446 all these people will fling
rlm@2 447 them at you--and before very long. (Add a lot of kissing teeth,
rlm@2 448 attitude at the 'flinging'
rlm@2 449 parts, and eye-rolling. So it'll look like this:)
rlm@2 450 girl: You (