GRAURGH!

Fuck!

Fuck fuck fuck!

Shit!

Down! Down! Get down!

Pant pant... is it... pant... still out there..?

I... gasp... dunno... lemme- shit!

AUGH!

Yes, yes, it's still there.

Oh, christ. I mean, jesus FUCK.

Preaching to the goddamned choir, man.

I mean... what? What do we do? What CAN we do?

We... we gotta think, we gotta-

There's no TIME, it's right THERE, and it's-

SHH!

!!!

Is it... isitcomingthisway?

... I... Ican'tlook.

Oh god. Oh god.

Shit. Shiiiiiiiit.

...

...

Maybe if we just-

Shh!

Anti Disestablishment

He was a mad one, alright, but he was determined to show them, show them all. It was after the end, after the fall, the collapse, after the riots had stopped and the new non-order was created. The anarchists were not in charge, but they had had their way, and all the rulers and leaders and tyrants and mayors and principals had been deposed or disposed, and no one was in charge. There was no system, no The MAN, no authority that demanded bowing and kowtowing to... so what was there? What was there that he could POSSIBLY rebel against? For he was of that age, that mind, that type that needed to fight against, to be an outsider, to be a non-conformist... but how to be a non-conformist when everyone is a unique instance unto themselves?

The first step was to recreate a society with leaders...

We've Rested Long Enough

Do we have to?

Yes.

But I'm so tired...

I know.

But-

We still have to.

Augh.

I'm sorry.

It's just so HARD...

I know.

I can barely stand!

I know.

I just... I just wanna stay here. I don't wanna go.

I know. But we have to.

Pleeease?

No. I'm sorry.

Why? Why are you making me do this?

You know why.

It's... I... just... hugh ugh ugh...

Shh. Shh shh shh.

A hugh oough ooh...

I know. I know.

Please...

I'm sorry.

Things are very tense

... oops.

Oops? OOPS?!

Nothing! It's nothing!

No, you said oops! You. Said. OOPS. What did you do?

Nothing! Shut up! Look, it's fine, okay!

What did you DO? What happened?!

NOTHING, okay?! What- don't come over here!

What did you do? What went wrong? Where is it?

Nothing, nothing, nothing! Alright? Nothing! It's fine! Everything's fine!

No, it is not all fine. If it was all fine, you wouldn't have said oops!

Well, I didn't, okay? I don't know what you heard! I didn't say oops, nothing is wrong, everything is FINE!

I swear to god, if you did something, and everything goes wrong...

NOTHING will go wrong, okay? OKAY?!

I don't believe you, but I have to get back to my station.

Whatever! Just go already.

I swear, you're going to kill us all someday...

Look, shut up! Just... shut up, okay? Shut. Up.

Colder than an unfired bullet

It was a cold game, this game of sniping. Nothing but crawling around, guessing where the other is at, hoping to remain unseen yourself, and taking a single shot before scurrying away hastily. Sometimes you would throw a rock and try to get the other to reveal their position by drawing their fire there, and tracking their fire back. Sometimes, you have no doubt, they would do the same. Round and round you sneak, hoping sometimes to surprise them from the side, from behind, from anywhere at all, only to catch them unawares and unshielded. Other times, you can barely stand it, and fire off a shot at every noise, real or imagined. You would be hungry, if your stomach could unknot itself at all. Your whole body is taut as a guitar string, and aches for it. All this, and yet you dare not rest, for death would surely come upon you the moment you closed your eyes.

It would seem, at first blush

Oh, come on, stop being such a weenie about this.

But I look ridiculous!

Oh for... no you don't.

I do too.

Okay, well, yeah, you do. But it's an adorable ridiculousness.

...

Now, see, when you blush like that, it's just even more adorable.

You're not making this any easier, you know.

I can't help it if you're being all cute now! If anything, that just makes me want to get you out and show you off all the more!

Nooo!

Yes, and stop arguing. You'll be fine.

Arrgh... alright. Let me finish getting my shoes on.

That's the spirit!

This could happen everyday and you wouldn't get tired of it

The smells of the soup came up at him in a cloud of steam as he lifted off the lid of the pot. It was a mix of spices, vegetables, and something else, something he couldn't put his finger on but it made his mouth water in such a way that he didn't really care. He ladled out a bowlful, sprinkled a little bit of grated cheese on top, and helped himself to another hunk of bread. Fresh, and warm, it made his mouth water just as much as the soup did. Once he got seated again, he freshened his glass of wine, then took a moment to just wallow in the simple pleasure of a good, a really good meal.