Recent Posts

“It got very complimentary reviews in the newspaper,” the unicorn man answered. He had not been here before. It looked very nice, though the windows were a little on the strange side. The bowed glass gave him a bit of a headache to look at. The diners within were all dressed to the nines. For once this century, he actually felt a little under dressed.

He didn't even have to hold the door to the restaurant, as the Fish Bowl employed someone specifically for that purpose. How nice. It left him free to guide Noel into the restaurant with a gentle hand around her. She was clinging, which Sebastian took as a positive indicator for the evening. He pulled her a little closer. Her hair was still a little damp, but smelled very nice.

“Mmm, smells good enough to eat,” like a field of strawberries and clover. The restaurant food smelled alright, too, of course.

He was actually a little saddened when they were finally seated; it meant there was an entire table between the two of them and Noel couldn't mold herself to his side nearly so easily anymore. He held Noel's chair for her (he wasn't about to let some young waiter usurp that privilege from him) and risked giving her a quick kiss on the cheek after she settled into the seat.

“I'm so glad you came with me tonight Noel. I feel as though we should have done this ages ago.”

They really, really should have. It had taken him this long to realize the potential of an actual relationship with Noel that went further than student or roommate, one that also wasn't just a shallow one night thing. In none of his memories were there women that could be both friend and something more, quite possibly because Noel was one of the first women he respected enough to consider a friend. Maybe it could work. You never knew.

Noel's attire was unexpected to say the least.

In nearly any era, in nearly any country, she'd be considered practically naked right now. Being a modern girl, however, she didn't seem at all shy about showing off most of her skin in front of another person. At least she had the sense not to go out like that. Not that she didn't look good. Because she definitely did. It was just that... just that... well people might stare. Not that he was staring. But other people might. And then he'd have to gouge their eyes out. Which might ruin their dinner.

"Yes, that might be for the best. You wouldn't want to get cold."

Sebastian swallowed, then added, "I'll just put these in water for you."

That gave him an excuse to politely look away while she went to find something with a bit more fabric to put on. Not that he minded the way she... but this was Noel. He was supposed to be her protector. Her roommate and her swordmaster. He hadn't had such impolite thoughts about her since they had first met, before he really knew who she was. Where were such thought coming from?

Maybe that was the source of his problem. When was the last time he'd been able to actualize such thoughts? Last time he'd seen Lori had been last summer? Had it really been that long? No wonder he was feeling out of sorts.

A date was, perhaps, exactly what was needed.

He found a vase, which wasn't quite the right size but seemed like it might be the only option, and filled it with water from the tap humming all the while. His tail swished across the floor and encountered a puddle. He looked down. More a trail than a puddle actually, potentially from Noel's long hair. That would never do. Someone could slip.

The unicorn man put the half arranged flowers aside and grabbed for a towel, going down on his hands and knees to sop up the liquid, still humming. A tune from the Baroque era, Telemann perhaps.

Noel was willing to accompany him on a date. He was feeling better already.

It was only a matter of time.

When someone fired shots in a public area, it wouldn't be long before the police arrived. It may have been Sebastian's imagination, but he thought he could already hear the sirens in the distance. Soon someone would put the pieces of the puzzle together and figure out where the shooter and the shooting victim had gone. Soon, someone would burst out of the door in the center of the roof that led to the stairwell. Soon someone would pass their judgement as to whether the man with the sword or the woman with the gun was the guilty one.

It was only a matter of time.

As one of New York's most wanted and a visible mutant currently attempting an attack on an unarmed woman, Sebastian had no doubt who they would believe in this instance. A little blood on his coat with no bullet wound would mean no harm was done to him and no crime was committed. Proof of that was standing right in front of him, protecting the would be assassin and all but formally promising to pay his dry cleaning bill. As if that was what he was really upset about. Hadn't the man seen what had happened? He certainly hadn't tripped and stabbed himself with his own sword to spill all that blood.

No, if he wanted justice, he was going to have to take it for himself.

It was only a matter of time.

He had to keep the woman from escaping, either down the stairwell or down the fire escape. If he could keep her pinned in the corner of this roof, then he could prevent her from getting away. The only problem was Styx standing right in the way, doing his damnedest to distract him.

The first blow, slashing down and to the side was easy to dodge. Sebastian's own strike was aimed not at Styx, but at the spot next to him, the area where the woman would try to run first.

Nope, not that way.

He didn't care if Styx thought he had missed. He was not letting his attempted murderer get away before the police arrived. Styx would get tired, he'd mess up, there would be an opening, and when there was, Sebastian would carry out his justice and prevent his assassin from ever trying again, prevent her from causing the apocalypse.

The sirens in the distance wailed louder, definitely heading this way.

It was only a matter of time.

So it was to be a race, then, was it?

Beautiful red headed assassin, versus pale, murderous unicorn man, versus the tall, tattooed horseman of death. Who would jump first?

Sebastian didn't like running on the narrow beam. It took him longer to cross it than he would like, and while he crossed the man on the fire escape made it to the top of his building. It looked as though he would be jumping down to meet them on the next building.

The assassin reached the end of the beam then and safely made her jump. A few more steps and she had disappeared behind some sort of machine that always seemed to be on rooftops. Sebastian didn't know what it did, other than hide snipers from view long enough for them to start pulling out guns and taking aim with them.

The immortal took the last few steps and glanced up. He couldn't see Styx from this angle, but he was sure the other man was racing across the top of the building by now, ready to begin being a nuisance at any moment.

Sebastian stepped back, readied himself, then made the jump down to the next roof top.

The city looked much the same as it ever did. Buildings scraped the sky, drivers scraped fresh snow off their cars before joining the morning commute, plebeians went where they needed to go and did what they needed to do to scrape by.

The city did not burn. Smoke did not blot out the dull winter sunlight. The streets didn't reek with the bodies of the dead.

Apocalypse averted.

Sebastian was sorry for all the promises he had broken by leaving last autumn without much of a word to anyone. He didn't much like prophetic dreams, and he liked them even less when they indicated that being in New York City that winter would mean that in the future there wouldn't be anything left of the world but a dust heap with bands of mutants squabbling over scraps of food like rats.

In the dream he had inadvertently played a crucial role in causing the world's downfall. Someone hadn't like him, they had sent an assassin, an explosion had gotten out of hand, etcetera etcetera until the whole world was bombing itself into pieces.

No, thank you.

He had decided that, at least for a little while, he'd lay low. He'd avoid the problem by avoiding everyone and everything.

So he had gone to Wisconsin.

Wisconsin was a serene place in the heart of the American continent. The people were friendly and hard working, it was quiet, there were lots of green pastures, that is until November hit, then there were lots of white pastures. He had started another branch of the Church of Eternal Life and many of the young mutants there had been eager to embrace its philosophy of using one's mutation for good.

Sebastian had intentionally left out the teachings about earning immortality in this lifetime. The dream had also proved that to be a bad idea. For one, it wasn't as permanent as he had thought, and two, people misused it for business that had nothing to do with the church's teachings.

Now that it was nearing spring, the unicorn god figured it was about time to revisit his more urban flock. The danger had likely passed and he didn't want to grow too distant.

Sebastian was back.

He went to the church first before making any other stops. He found a place to park his uniquely painted mustang convertible and walked the rest of the way toward the holy building. As he neared the front door pain exploded in his chest. He staggered and fell back against a lamp post. His hand came away red and his vision swam.

Was it impossible to escape fate after all?

--------------------------------

Ginny Douglas couldn't believe her luck.

She actually recognized the pale figure framed in her cross hairs. It was the actual “god” of this so called “religion”. Sebastian, or whatever the hell he called himself, was back.

Back to tell more silver tongued lies to troubled youths, back to taint the minds of humans with the very idea that mutie freaks were worthy of worship, back to damn more souls eternally to hell by leading them along his false path.

She hadn't fought three years in a war so this country could suffer from an invasion of heretic freaks. She hadn't risked her life so horned mutant assholes and their cults could steal away the city's children. She hadn't become a sniper, a killer for her country, so that her own son could be influence by such devils.

Ginny Douglas wasn't a murderer. She was an executioner.

She had come to execute the three young leaders of the church. Instead she'd had their false god walk into her trap. This was proof that what she was doing was correct. Fate had meant for this to happen.

Now she would prove that the unicorn man wasn't a god after all.

She squeezed the trigger and smiled as red soaked the front of his chest and he collapsed backwards.

--------------------------------

Sebastian blinked at his reddened hand then let it fall to the ground. Biting cold seared his chest, hurting nearly as much as the bullet had. He breathed in slowly, trying not to take too deep a breath. Ice seared him from the inside out. It felt like the bullet had gone through his lung. He decided to stop breathing for the next few moments, if at all possible.

On top of his own church there was a glint of light off a piece of glass. A telescope?

No, one of those miniature telescopes that could be mounted on a gun.

The fierce cold in his chest diminished as its healing powers knit his wounds closed once more and the unicorn man pushed himself back to his feet. Most pedestrians that hadn't already fled in terror when he'd collapsed decided that now was the opportune time to leave. Assassinations were one thing, and unicorn zombies quite another.

The immortal stared up at the steeple above him, trying to assess how the assassin had gotten up there. How had he or she even known that he would be here? Was it the same person who had originally been going to blow him up and had instead decided on shooting him? He had to find out. Or he had to kill them so they could never come back and try again with explosives.

He saw a glint of red hair as a woman, presuming her job to be finished, made her way across the roof toward where the slanted peak was closest to the ground and a pickup truck parked ready and waiting for her to jump into its bed and drive away.

“Not so fast.”

He drew his swords from the holster that crisscrossed his back and took off at a run. He reached the truck before she did and leaped up on top of it in two jumps. In another he was able to scramble up to the sloped section of the roof.

The lady took off in the opposite direction, up to the top of the peek. Her now packed away rifle swung behind her in its case.

“Uh,” Sebastian backtracked quickly. “You know, I think it will work out. I was thinking of a ball or something where lots of young boys would be about. There aren't too many people that will be admiring your neck at this sort of event. If they do, they will answer to me.”

Sebastian turned to the side slightly, to look after where their saleswoman had gone. She didn't seem to be within hearing range of that last comment at any rate.

“Perhaps you should try on the other one just to be safe. Though, I like this dress a lot. It helps show off all your natural beauty. I can already tell you'll grow up into a stunning woman someday.”

That is, if she grew up at all. If she was still wanting to become immortal, Sebastian had no idea how that would affect her aging process. It didn't stop him from aging naturally, but he could also age backwards if he wanted, so he wasn't exactly a good test subject. It was possible that she could remain this age forever, and that was more than a little troubling.

“You're right about another thing; these people are resourceful. They can find food. I'm just trying to make that job a little easier. If I can prevent one man from having to eat scraps from a dumpster or one woman from having to sell drugs, weapons, or even her body to earn enough money to buy food, if I can prevent one boy having to steal bread or keep one little girl from going hungry at dinner time, then I will do it. Furthermore, if I can do that for anyone in the city who needs it, then I will.”

“If I had a way of finding every single person that was in desperate need of food and enough time to deliver meals to every starving person in the city, that is exactly what I would do.”

He looked down, saddened, “Unfortunately, I don't have a way of doing that. The next best thing is to make a centralized location where people know they can count on getting a meal if they need one. It makes it easier for them, knowing one place they can trust where people won't look down on them. We don't discriminate. Anyone can eat here whether they are princes or paupers, homeless or not. It doesn't matter.”

He looked up again, “Now I don't know what stories you've heard about other churches or other religions, but here, we have no requirements of those who come in our doors. If people want food, all they have to do is come and get it. There is no favors or debts for such a thing. We don't preach all through dinner or force anyone to convert. I wouldn't ask that of anyone.”

Sebastian shrugged, “Then again, if you don't believe me, perhaps you should come to one of our dinners and see for yourself what it is like before you start judging.”