Chapter 6- Brooke and the Angel Tear

[junkuroki]

GC~

Gone was suddenly hit on the head with something. He grabbed it before it fell to the ground, it was some chocolate. What was this some trick to make him act like a child in front of Brooke? He glared suspiciously at everyone, shoving the chocolate into his pocket. He was going to act mature, no wait he just wasn’t going to eat anything.

"Now, ignore that girl over there and tell us why you brought us here," Stardust commanded.

“Yeah, Stardust’s right, love. She should know, they are best friends after all. But just a little suggestion before we do that, love, is there someplace we can err… freshen up? We wouldn’t want to offend a beautiful lady like you, with the blood and all. And if we’re talking business, well that might take a while, and bloodstains are tough to get out once they set love.” Gone said, hoping fervently that Reese would do his retching in private.

[junkuroki]

Ash~

"Emerald? There is no emerald at the lab. Just a pink useless stone." Stardust stated as if the answer were obvious. It took a few seconds for those words to settle in as Blaze exploded.

"WHAT?!?!?? YOU DIDN'T GET THE EMERALD!??" Blaze screeched almost as loudly as she had when Zacke did his nascar racing. "You cannot be saying..... that ALL of that was for NOTHING???" She finished, panting.

"Well that it then." She spat. "We start all over from the whole fucking beginning. Why would Laice lead us to the wrong place? fuck it. Where's the pink thing that you losers got then? Cough it up." Blaze said with no clue of how literally she had put things.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

"I don't know what happened but we came here for absolutely nothing at all! Yes!" Stardust scowled at Blaze's direction.

"And will you shut up!?" she spat. "You're too loud, I said it we'll give it. You don't have to go crazy about it, you maniac!"

[junkuroki]

Auria~

"Fucking hell," Reese spat, stepping forward from the wall, turning towards Blaze. "I swallowed the diamond, alright?!" he spat, then glanced around at their expressions. "Yeah, swallowed." His eyes darted around. He seemed sort of tense.

Zacke tried not to laugh. How gross.

"You...what?!" Brooke said as if she didn't believe him.

"Who are your friends, Brooke?" a man said, stepping into the room. He wore a black suit, his hair short, perfectly combed. He smelled of expensive cologne.

Brooke immediately tensed. "Oh, umm, these would be the SeeDs that were at daddy's lab today." she said.

The man arched an eyebrow. "Why are they in our home?"

Brooke laughed nervously. "It was such a silly missunderstanding, you have to know. You see, they were only retrieving the gem to protect me! Those dirty scumbags at the lab were trying to instill Angel Tear with Firaga magic in some lame attempt at assassinating me! They haven't got many leads but some of the witnesses say they saw a member of the Hell Cats down there, Altair."

Altair frowned, an unconvinced look on his face. "Yes, well, whatever. Be careful Brooke. My plane for Dollet leaves in an hour so it's nearly time for me to be leaving." he glanced around at the SeeD, a look of distaste on his clean-shaven face. "Play nice, we've got plenty of security." he said, as if warning them. He then gave a curt nod toward Brooke, and headed into the lobby and out the front door.

Brooke turned to face Reese as soon as she heard the front door shut. She placed her hands on her hip. "My diamond is where?!"

"I had to make sure they didn't take it from us." Reese stated.

[junkuroki]

GC~

Gone blinked. “Brooke, love, let’s make it clear that none of us were err… consulted on how we were going to transport the rock. Reese, well, he err… took the initiative. And we stand by it…?I think we do anyway. But love, look at this way. Where would you rather have had him put it, in his pants or in his stomach?”

Gone groaned as the words poured out of his mouth, he’d get lectured for that remark for sure, he thought shooting a glance at Jun. Was he imagining it or was she frowning at him?

[junkuroki]

Lily~

"Where would you rather have had him put it, in his pants or in his stomach?”

Jun's eyebrows raised as far up as biologically possible at Gone's question.

Of all the grossest things to say....!

She frowned incredulously at Gone, but decided against scolding him then.

She turned her glance towards Brooke.

"Miss Coroniere... I'm sure Reese can think of a way to get it out later. It's not like he's going to be too comfortable with a rock sitting in his stomach. Please be kind enough to tell us now what it is you require us to do...."

She paused a little. She could sense some of the SeeDs were getting impatient, herself included.

"...Cos time we do not have in abundance."

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Brooke arched an eyebrow at Jun. "Well thats all fine and dandy but I want my diamond. You," she turned back to Reese. "the closest bathroom is down that hall," she pointed. "first door to the right. Better gag it up before it drops down into your..." she scrunched her nose in disgust and decided not to finish the sentence.

Reese narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but started off in the direction she'd pointed, anyway. She was right. It was going to hurt a lot less coming out his mouth than...the other way.

/Tsk tsk tsk, all this fuss over a little rock!/ Perish squeaked.

I had to make sure it wasn't of importance.

/Well you did a mighty fine job of that, but now I bet you wish you didn't!!/

He opened the bathroom door and stepped inside.



Zacke glanced at Reese's back as he left the room. "So, about this...favor..."

"Oh yes of course, well, I was hoping you guys could be my...escort?" she laughed nervously. "It's just I've been trying for the past year to escape Esthar...I don't...I don't like this side of the war, and I want out from under the suffocating prejudice of this city.

"So, all I ask is that you take me with you. Knowing you're SeeD tells me you won't be in this city long. It also tells me you'll know how to escape the city. With all this security and my father watching so closely, I can't get out on my own. Just let me tag along, I promise I'll go my own way at the first city we get to."

She glanced around, her eyes hopeful.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

Stardust studied Brooke for a while. She wanted to hitch with them outside the city? Listening to her speak, she made it sound like getting out of Esthar was an easy job since they were SeeDs but that was not the way it worked at all.

"You think it's that easy to get out of Esthar?" Stardust said to her. "If something happens to you, we will not be held responsible..." she reminded her. "You should know that

[junkuroki]

Fox~
"How far out of Esthar do you want to go, Miss Coronie?" Dan spoke.

Alaxia look at Brooke. Is she Serious she thought How the hell dose she think were going to do that without getting caught?
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Alaxzander watched the young women.
/Hey Alaxzander, what do Brook and a Barbie doll have Incommon?

I don't know what?

/There both made of plastic!/Alaxzander smerked and attempted to hold in his laughter when he looked at Brooke.



^ (wtf. That's like the exact same comment Blaze made about Brooke with the plastic thing. ~_~ tard.)

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Brooke waved a hand dismissively. "Oh...wherever. Your destination is my destination, as long as it's somewhere I can live. Town, Garden, whatever." She shrugged.

"What if we don't know our destination?" Zacke spoke up.

Brooke seemed remarkably surprised. "You..don't? Really now?"

Zacke glanced around at the rest of the team. "We haven't exactly had a chance to discuss it."

"I see..." Brooke bit her lower lip. She turned to look at the window. "...well, the sun is falling. Soon it will be night. What would you say to a night here in the mansion? We have plenty of guest rooms. You could even wash up and maybe clean some of those wounds...you all look very tired." She glanced around at them, checking their expressions.



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Reese approched the sick, muttering to himself. He pulled his hat off, setting it on the counter beside him. He leaned forward over the drain and pushed his forefinger into the back of his tongue, gagging instantly.

/EWWWWWW!!!!!/ Perish screeched the second mucus flew from his mouth, into the sink. He coughed harshly, too distracted to take notice of her obvious disgust. Nothing but phlegm was in the sink. He growled almost inaudibly and gripped the side of this sink harder, fighting off the strong urge to slam his foot into the wooden cabinet below the marble counter-top.

/Oh come now don't throw a tantrum Reesie, breathe in...out...in...c'mon exercise that self-control!!/

Look who's talking. Reese thought bitterly. He pushed the drain shut and gagged himself again. This time the gem came up, hitting the bottom of the marble sink with a 'clink'. He coughed a few more times and spat into the sink, then grabbed it up and re-opened the drain.
After cleaning his hands and face, the counter, the sink, and the gem, he started for the door.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

“...What would you say to a night here in the mansion? We have plenty of guest rooms. You could even wash up and maybe clean some of those wounds...you all look very tired," Brooke suggested, then waited for their reply.

Stardust stood up and approached her. Brooke’s offer was tempting. Not only did she look like a mess but she was feeling beat as well. A nice shower and a warm bed would definitely hit the spot.

“I’m sorry but we’re in a hurry to get back to Garden.” Stardust said. “If you’re that crazy enough to come with us then suit yourself...but...”

/Mmm...Is that right?/ Diwata said. /I want to stay here for a night. And you need to look in the mirror, Stardust. Your favorite shirt is far from spotless. I saw it, you can’t deny. Moreover, this mansion looks awesome....So classy and is perfect for OUR taste./ She giggled.

Speak for yourself, replied Stardust. She wouldn’t degrade herself into a freeloader. Her skin wasn’t that thick to accept Brooke’s offer. Besides, she still didn’t feel that comfortable around her—Amabassador Coroneire’s daughter—much more stay on her place. Her break would have to wait.

Stardust turned to her teammates. “We got to get going now.”

/Now, who’s speaking for herself...?/

[junkuroki]

Lily~

"I'm going with Stardust." Jun rose from the couch, walking towards where the pink-haired SeeD stood.

She never felt comfortable resting in strange new places. And it didn't help that this Ambassador's daughter was not exactly on her Top 10 Most Trusted hit list.

"Sorry to decline your kind offer, Miss Coroniere. You'll have to excuse me." With a slight nod, she walked towards the exit of the living room, but stopped and turned back to address the other SeeDs.

"Anyone wants to stay, stay. But be reminded that we have no single clue where the Emerald is. And time isn't something we have much to waste. Not at all."

She stared at them briefly, and turned to leave.

[junkuroki]

Ash~

“We got to get going now.” Stardust told the team at Brooke's suggestion of staying at her gigantic mansion for the night. Blaze was about to say the same thing but rethought this when Stardust spoke up.

"I'm going with Stardust." Jun agreed. Blaze surely did not want to agree with Stardust, but nor did she want to spend volunteer hours in the home of miss barbie. Her eyes darted around the room they were currently in.

expensive vases. expensive paintings. expensive oraments and quite possibly more china and silver in the kitchen than I could imagine. Blaze had made up her mind. She was getting rich tonight.

"Look outside. It's pitch black outside. We are not traveling at night in Esthar as seeDs. At least I'm not. I'd rather stay in a mansion with free service."

and have some fun stealing during the night.

[junkuroki]

Auria~

"Blaze is right." Zacke added. "It's dark. We're tired, hungry, and filthy. We have no idea how we're going to get out of the city."

"Oh, I give my word nothing will happen." Brooke interjected, finally catching on to their mistrust. "Daddy and Altair will be gone for weeks, I've got free run of the entire mansion. Everyone here is under my command. I assure you, you are safe."

Zacke arched an eyebrow before glancing around at his teammates. "Well there you have it. She hasn't done anything up 'til now to give me a reason not to trust her, and that accompanied with the fact that I'm about ready to collapse and die of fatigue means I'm staying. And I think everyone else should, too. No sense in breaking up into groups again."

Brooke opened her mouth to say something, when Reese walked under the arched doorway and into the room, holding something in his hand.

"Here." he strode over to Brooke and thrust the gem into her hand. "Your precious diamond." The bitter tone in his words was hard to miss.

Brooke immediately let the gem drop to the floor and frowned in disgust. "Is it sanitary?!"

[junkuroki]

Ani~

"Hey," Stardust muttered at Jun as soon as she passed by her. She made a gesture for her to wait. Then shifted her gaze back to what the others were still about to say.
She just frowned at the sound of her teammates agreeing to spend the night at the mansion.

"Oh, I give my word nothing will happen. Daddy and Altair will be gone for weeks, I've got free run of the entire mansion. Everyone here is under my command. I assure you, you are safe." Brooke assured them, and Zacke supported her.

Maybe that was right. If something were to happen it should've happened now, wasn't it? Maybe she could spend the night here, afterall. But only because she was outnumbered and she really wasn't in the mood to argue. She was too tired to, anyway.

A while later, Reese came carrying Angel tear in his hands. Stardust watched as Brooke suddenly dropped her diamond and said, "Is this sanitary?" in a posh tone.

Stardust shook her head. She looked down on her shirt. She noticed it just now. Diwata wasn't kidding when she said her shirt was far from spotless. A faint line of blood--Reese's blood probably--diagonally lined the bottom of her now dirty white beater. Her skin felt itchy as well and the dust were whitening her black pants.

"Suit yourselves..." she said in agreement. If she was going to stay here, then it should definitely be worth her while. "Hey..uhm..Brooke," she called, grasping her attention. "I guess I'll stay too but...if you don't mind. Do you have some spare clothes?"