Hideo Kojima...You Lying Bastard!

This man can't stop himself, he should be put in a Rehab Home...

The Topic At Hand...

Read the link...that's right.

By the way...best quote on the page!

I'm starting to think that Snake and Kojima (like Dubya) have no exit strategy planned..."

Quitter

I quit my job today. I couldn't go back there and when I finally just tried, I decided I needed to just give it up and go back to school. At that point, they were going to fire me anyway if I went back because I was late. And I really wasn't happy there or with most of those people. Most of the time I felt like I was really worthless there and people made me feel as such all too often. My one supervisor that I thought was really cool called and asked me what was wrong. I told him in a nutshell. An older lady who worked with me answering phones also called. I felt really bad for telling her, because we've lost four people in the past month, we only had nine people over there to start with.

I can't function with the way things were. Any things, in the last day or so I've done things that were drastically hard to do, but needed to be done. Even if I technically just didn't do anything with the work situation so they were going to fire me. I can't be healthy in the situation I was in before though. It was making my physically sick. So I had to make a change.

Adjustment

I wonder how much longer I can keep my mouth shut? I want to say something that I think won't come out right or go over well. And its in my nature to say something like this all of the time. The words come up, uncontrolled and unchecked. They come straight off my heart and through my mouth without being run through my mind what so ever. I think that might be the wrong way to do this.

My life has been all about adjustment, I think everyone's life is. When you crave those changes and the difference, its a great thing. But change is hard to get used to and its scary. Some of us would rather go through the same miserable routines than change. Right now I am stuck in that place in more ways than one. And I really don't know what to do about it.

Complex

There's some complex stuff going on right now, but its all in my head. I am trying to figure out exactly what it is I want to do next because there's not a clear path to follow and there's no easy risk to take, you know. This has been a long year...life's thrown a lot of curve balls (as I think it always does). But right now, things seemed to have calmed some, and I seem to have something on my mind that just won't leave. I'm starting to wonder if this was all one big mistake.

Something That Produces Results

You're trying to grow up and learn. Oh so that's what you call it. I'll never understand the mentality that people have to take all of the wrong steps, to repeat all of the same old mistakes. To cry out for help, only to ignore those who seem willing to actually help and run head first into the person who is least qualified to do anything.

I am done helping those who I think need help without being asked, maybe even begged. Its not worth it because it never turns out for the better. This last time is just more proof to that, I just have to not watch some people, not care for them or look after them. They'd never do the same for me, anyway.

You say, you want something the produces results? Then actually be open to something that's real instead of surrounding yourself with people who don't know what you're going through, with people who want you around for the wrong reasons and grow up.

Care

I spent the past week and a half trying to be nice to people at work and trying to be all friendly and all that other silliness and I see it just means I get walked on. I am sick and tired of the people who I have had to deal with and what I have been stuck with doing. I have gone from doing my job to doing about three jobs and then getting told that I am "A waste of man hours". I have seen most of the good people leave because they realize its bullshit.

I was really depressed, stressed out and sick about a week ago, so I tried to use my two sick days to get off work. Not only did they not pay me for them like they were supposed to, they suspended me for three days which caused me to lose more money. Keep in mind this is all stuff I can't control.

Then I go back in there like a sap and act all nice a friendly, while people are get all rude with me like I am doing something wrong. This one asshole hates me just because I talk to some girl he likes and is not even dating...then he ends up in the hospital with some issue. They asked me to sign a card for him, I just told the girl, "I don't hate him, but it doesn't mean I care..."

And that's exactly what I meant to say. I'm really sick of being the only person who cares about others when no one even wants to return the favor.

Texas Responds to the World Court

To those who don't know, a Mexican national who helped to rape and brutally murder a young girl was killed just before midnight last night. The Mexican National who had been on Death Row for years tried to appeal by saying that he wasn't given a chance to appeal to his home country before the trial because he didn't know he had the right. I guess we put a new spin on the words "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse".

This is a message to rapists and murderers that sooner or later they get what they deserve. When Bush tried to intervene, because the man has been a pansy lately when it comes to foreign policy, the Supreme Court told him to step down and it wasn't in his jurisdiction. Likewise we showed how the World Court has no power over our constitution and Supreme Court...when we adopt a treaty its up to the Supreme Court to interpret it.

And while the World Court has nothing to do when it comes to millions killed over diamonds in Africa or the civil rights violations in China, they can't stand us killing murdering rapists. I think the State of Texas said it best in this personally addressed memo to the World Court.

When Hell Freezes Over

So I made a little wager with Chris from work today...turns out that he wanted to invite me to his birthday party despite the fact he was pretty sure I wouldn't come. Why? Because he's having it at a strip club...not even just that, but a full nude bar. I promptly said no...even when he said a girl I like might come.

He then told me that he was going to invite Max, who is currently on leave from the military. For those of you who don't know, Max is Tiffany's husband. And for those who don't know Tiffany...she still gets uptight when I say fuck. So you can imagine she wouldn't like the idea of her husband going to a strip club. When Chris said what he said next, I laughed.

He told me he's going to get Tiffany to come too.

I must have looked like a lunatic, I laughed so hard. So here's where the wager comes in. I told him if he gets Tiffany there, I'll come. I'm so confident in Tiffany's core morals that I will go to a strip club if she does. I still won't let anyone dance on me or anything (I might buy an eight dollar coke), but this is a large move for me. I've never set foot in a strip club and have no desire too. But I had to get in on this, just because its such an outlandish thing. Tiffany at a strip club...no, not going to happen.

Perhaps the saddest part of this story is the fact that if I am forced to go and that girl I like is there, no matter how many nude women are running around the room, I won't be able to take my eyes off of her.

Burn the Weather Man At the Stake

I don't believe this shit...they said last night on the news there would be nothing Tropical here for at least the next two days...then I go outside today for lunch and its raining. Now there's like a forty mile an hour wind whipping around outside my apartment...

Should we be able to fire these assholes down at the weather service when they mess up like this. I expected a quiet night at home drawing this picture and being lonely and now all of a sudden I am dealing with a thunderstorm warning and the neighbors kids crying about the bad weather...

I shouldn't have to take this kind of treatment, if this were freak storm...it would be one thing. But this is a named Tropical Storm. I mean, remember Hurricane Allison (yes I know it wasn't a Hurricane but saying that a Tropical Storm caused that much havoc is saddening)? That storm snuck up on us and completely washed this city out...twice. They didn't even see it until it was six in the morning the day it was hitting. We had a like four hour warning.

I am getting tired of this. How does the city with some of the worst weather get the worst weathermen?

Sick

So I was forced to leave work today on account of the fact that I was afraid I was going to throw up there. I came home, slept and laid around most of the afternoon. I talked to people here and there, but for the most part I just waited around. I think that only one person really worried enough to call and ask what was up. I kind of liked it that way. I'm allowed time to sit here like this and starve this sickness...it doesn't seem to be working yet.

There's been a lot going on this week. Right now though, I can't even bother to think about all of it. I just need to kind of step back and try to get some rest.

My Brother and Barack?

This is a little bit of a shocker that I received the other day.

Who's that? It's my older brother, Jeff and Barack Obama...not sure how he even got the chance to meet the guy, but I wish I had been there. I never get my picture taken with celebs...

Moment of Clarity

I figured out why I like this girl...and the way I did it was through something that was a bit of a last resort...something I haven't really done since my brother died. I prayed.

I asked God to give me the strength to tell her all this...this stuff that even in my head made little sense. And then he instead gave me something better...he gave me some sensible words to say.

He put the words right into my head...when I'm around her at work, she makes me happy. Like I truly feel like being there. I feel something I haven't felt in a long time.

I don't want to lean on a person to make myself better, that never works. But she gives me a feeling to aim for, something that I stopped trying to get because I forgot how good it felt.

I think they call it a moment of clarity.

Someone Please Help *facepalm*

Already this week is looking a lot better than the last. I guess things are darkest just before it brightens back up. But how luminous will the brightness get this time? It might sound bad that I am talking about things being better and already here I am worrying at the same time about the darkness coming back.

Well I had to come to a realization the other day after talking to Heather the other day...the darkness will always be there. Whether its right in your face or crept back into the deepest, most remote corners of your mind. We've got to live with it and combat it as best as we're allowed.

Right now the little bit of darkness that's creeping up is my fear that me liking this girl is going to bring me back down. I really can tell I like her and we're okay friends, I know some stuff about her. But I don't know how to progress this. She posted on her myspace saying that if someone likes her "they should just ask her out". Okay does that mean I should take her advice. In my understanding and past knowledge I know girls don't always know what they want and don't always advertise what they really mean they want.

That could be a defense mechanism to weed out guys...or any number of things. I once told Rickey that the problem with guys like me and him who are preceptive and sort of smart is that we know how to read into things. We have some understanding of Human Psychology and it hurts us in the long run because we know all of the different things that the little things can mean.

At the same time it helps us alot, we're able to take precautions and things like that and know what people mean and understand some of the things they do better. But this girl is complex, she's hard to read. I don't know what it is about her but I can't tell if I should take that step and ask her out...or if I should do my usual cower away and bitch about it to you guys later.

To make matters worse her eyes have this power, they're so deep and entrancing that its like getting caught in Itachi's Tsukyomi (I know I'm a nerd...look it up). I either freeze up, or say something very random and stupid, for example, "Jeeze you have pretty eyes." That's not smooth, that's the opposite of smooth.

Someone...ladies advice please.

Size 16 Girl Scoops Second Place in Miss England Competition.

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:11 AM on 21st July 2008

Size 16 girl scoops second place in Miss England competition as 'Combat Barbie' wins 'Eco Girl' award

A 17-year-old girl today became the first size 16 girl to come second in the Miss England beauty contest.

Chloe Marshall, who is a trainee opera singer from Cranleigh, was crowned Miss Surrey.

Chloe said earlier: "I wanted to enter Miss England to show everyone that you can be beautiful no matter what size you are and that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes."

People are outraged about this and I really don't see the big deal. The girl is a little overweight, but she's still pretty and I find her attractive. I think people are just kind of dumb and bigoted. But what do you think this says about things? And do you think that this is a good or bad thing that she won?

News Story Here

Return of the Regulars

Something happened today, I guess it was just a crisis for me personally, or a crisis coming to a head. For the most part there have been plenty of things going on with me. I think I have really taken a step backwards. But all of that doesn't matter actually...

What's important is that I have decided to give something a go again. Namely the comic book that Prentiss and I were working on. I might need to rework some things, might even need to scrap everything that I have and have to start over. But I want to at least make and attempt at this comic again. I think there are some jokes out there that we have to tell the world and I also think its been far too long since I drew anything really.

X-Files Review

I think it was Roper who made the comment, "X-Files: I Want to Believe plays out the way thrillers used to, back when audiences had to think and the villain wasn't larger than life." I am writing this for two ladies who asked me how it was, let me tell you. I have watched every episode of the X-Files at least three times, I own eight seasons of the television show and still consider it one of my favorite shows.

About twenty minutes in I realized how old Dacovhony and Anderson looked, then I realized, its been about sixteen years since the show started. These are characters we have watched in one form or another for sixteen years. Video games, books, two feature films, one spin-off show later, the chemistry is still there for the characters. This movie is all about characters. There are questions of self worth, of faith, or the world in general and of love all rolled up in this two hour movie.

Of course there are testaments to the fans of the show all over the place, some of the old cases are mentioned briefly, some old characters pop up. But this movie truly was made to stand alone. More than that it was made to make the audience think. Don't go in expecting shooting and gun fights and car chases, this isn't even on the scale of the first X-flies movie which was great...if you watched the show.

Think of this as a large scale piece of what the show represented. Think of this as what the X-Files used to be. A show that made us question coincidence. A show about characters searching. To be truthful the characters in the movie, besides looking older, resemble Mulder and Scully from the beginning of the show more than they do the Mulder and Scully from the end. Yet the writers didn't forget all that they've been through. They didn't over look the fact that Mulder is wanted at the end of show on charges of treason, espionage, perjury and other heinous and trumped up charges. They didn't forget how the FBI offices in the old show looked or the fact that Mulder and Scully had a son, who would be about seven by now.

But for the most part, they've reintroduced the characters. They push all of the info that's needed into the movie and go from there. Even if you've never seen an episode of the show, you can enjoy this as long as you're willing to think and to well...dare I say Believe.

I want to believe

I think that anyone who really knows me well, will know one thing. I have been an X-Files fan since the show first premiered. I was a little kid then watching it at my brother's house on that Sunday night. I think that something about that show just made me love it. Regardless I am happy to say that today the movie came out, and while the many of the reviews say "its for the fans only" I could care less. I am a fan right?

I am going to go over to the theater later today and watch that, mostly because I have been on this "I have to see all the movies I want to kick" and so far I have missed like one movie I wanted to watch: Get Smart. Other than that I have seen everything that I wanted to see.

I've also got it on my mind to possible ask this girl if she wants to hang out this weekend. Not sure what else I can say or do to get her attention, if I don't already have it. It's scary to have to walk up to someone and take that step, maybe it would be easier if I just had something I could pawn it off on, like if we had to hang out for a reason and get to know each other. But I wonder: Do girls really ever think that guys innocently ask to go to dinner or movies?

I guess that even if things don't go swimmingly, I've got X-Files...something I've looked forward to for what--six years now. It'll be good to see Mulder and Scully back in action.

Currents

Looks like Hurricane season is in full swing. Today marked the first attempt by mother nature to drown and murder scores of people in the south Texas area. Needless to say, for the size of the storm, the freak out was unwarranted. It rained a little here, it wasn't like a repeat of Allison or Katrina.

I think that with the memory of what happened with Katrina, all of the damage it caused, that people still have this fear fresh in their minds. For some people that was their first large destructive storm, some people didn't live through Andrew or the ones that preceded that. Even I vaguely remember it.

What I want to say about all of this, what's on my mind even in this storm and this bad weather, is just how much I wish I had someone to talk to, not that I can talk right now. I need to be out of the apartment and away for a while, I need to see someone who I can just sit and chat with, have some fun without having to worry about work and the like. Work has recently been one of my bigger worries.

There have been a lot of changes made and the like, and some other people seem unable to adjust to the changes and shape up. I have been trying to sell things more often like I was told to do but there is resistance from the salesmen. I don't really blame them, but they should petitioning someone higher up instead of messing with me. I don't really feel the need to let someone walk on me and back down, you know?

There's a lot going on that I don't want to think about. There's a lot going on that is beyond my control and some of which should be beyond my caring. Looks like it won't be a good week after all.

Proposal I

Its really hard for me to gather myself and actually go up to some girl and ask her out. It usually takes me a long time to admit to myself that I actually like them and that its not just some passing fad. I've never really been the kind of guy who could just stroll up to some random woman and ask her out with some suave move, that's not me. In fact I don't like that guy.

That guy never got the chance to know the girl or even talk to her, he's just going off what he sees. And I know that the first attraction we usually have, what usually draws us to a person is their looks because its the first thing we get to experience for the most part. We know little about them at this point and that's alright.

I know now that its okay to have to learn some things, its okay to get to know a person and talk to them and get comfortable. I don't want to be that guy who goes into the date blind with no clue about what the girl likes or doesn't like...what kind of person she is and all of that.

Even with all of this in place and all of this knowledge I will still be nervous when I have to go up to her and ask. And if she happens to say yes then I will be even more nervous on the date. I don't handle these things well. All those years in high school and years being told different things led me to believe that no girls that I want would want me. It's a mentality that is pretty much stuck in my head.

I think that one thing in all of this is for sure; once I get to this point its pretty much for certain that I will ask the girl out unless she's not single (which she is single) or unless she's gone to where I can't talk to her. I guess just wish me luck.

Sofiel: Partitions 2/2

They finished up, the sun was completely set by the time they got back to the car and by the time they were on the freeway most of the traffic had cleared away. Madeleine almost dozed off in the car and by the time that they dropped her back off at her car and she drove home she was ready to fall asleep on the road.

She had to wonder, was she getting weaker?

Did something happen to her.

Brian followed her back to the hotel and walked her to her room, which was only on the floor right below his. She lingered in the door way of the room as Brian stood holding her around the waist, “I guess that I'll see you in the morning,” he said as he leaned in.

She pressed up onto her toes and they're lips met, but soon he was holding her on the side of the neck. She fought to open her door, but couldn't get the key in right and didn't care. Her hands went up under his chin and her back flattened against the dull monotone door. Something she'd been holding back all day erupted in a torrent.

One of his hands found the back of her thigh and she made a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a moan. Behind her the door shuttered loudly as her head came back into it. She giggled lightly, “Sorry....” she muttered.

Brian began kissing her down the side of the neck and she tilted her head up while trying to find the key again and get the door open. Suddenly there was a sound the elevator arriving and the doors sliding open. In an instant Brian was off her but it was too late.

“What's going on up here?” asked a woman coming off the elevator. Her tone sounded as if she knew exactly what was going on and was offended.

Madeleine spun, rubbing her hair down in her face to try and hide the redness, “Um, so yeah see you in the morning,” she worked the key into the door quickly and then opened it.

Brian gave her a hardy good night and let her door shut as he walked off. The room was dark and she fought to find the light on the wall with only the illumination from the window coming in. Off by the side of the king sized bed she spotted the tall free standing lamp and made her way to it.

The lamp flicked to life with a click and no sooner than she did that, she was pounded in the face. She stumbled backwards in shock. Her footing was a little lost and she caught herself on the bed. Even then she managed to fall to one knee on the green padded hotel carpet.

When she finally looked up her assailant stood over her, the only thing was the girl who had done this looked almost exactly identical to her. Her hair was straight, combed down and jet black. Her lips were a vast contrast from her face, drenched in red lipstick.

“Who the Hell are you?” asked Madeleine getting back to her feet.

“Ugh,” said the woman, “When they told me I had a doppleganger here, I didn't think she would look this...prudish.”

“Doppleganger?” Madeleine was holding her nose, “Who are you?”

“Can't you tell bitch? I'm you,” she said walking down the side of the bed. “Well more or less, I'm like the improved version of you—had it been me outside that door, I'd have fucked that man's brains out...”

Madeleine strafed around to the side, “Wait...like one of those alternate dimension things...”

She shrugged, “Whatever,” she said, “when it comes to being here, I'm more like you're shadow.”

In comparison to Madeleine she was dressed in complete contrast, a tight tank top and a skirt that stopped well above her knees.

“So you stole in here to give me that bunt to the face?” Madeleine asked.

The Shadow shook her head, “Of course not,” she advanced quickly and kicked Madeleine in the stomaching knocking her back, “I came to see how rough the other me likes it...” she flung two knives down but Madeleine dodged getting to her feet.

This time when the Shadow stepped in to kick, Madeleine caught her by the leg and drug her to the ground, “Bitch.”

The clone thought to catch Madeleine off guard with a second kick, but she in the face with the face. Forced to let go, she dropped back and almost slammed into the side of the bed. Her Doppleganger got to her feet before Madeleine could, “Its not like in the movies, is it?”

Madeleine was holding her forehead as she rose, “What?”

“The gallant heroine and the copy duke it out, only to find they match each other move for move...” she said.

“You're insane,” Madeleine responded.

She produced a blade from the side of her skirt, “Maybe so,” she started, “But it appears I might be stuck here—and I'd like to know I'm more than your copy...” the two of them rushed together, Madeleine kicked the knife from her hand up into the air and spun to continue with a more forceful second kick. The copy was caught off balance but still managed to grab Madeleine by the shirt and pull her closer.

It all happened in a flash, the shadow grappled at her neck and turned her around. With a fleeting motion the clone caught the knife from the air. Madeleine was pulled down to the floor, with the clone behind her holding her around the neck with the knife poised.

“If you erase the original does the copy by default because the original?” asked the clone.

Madeleine vanished in a blinding flash of white and feathers; there was a pop sound and then she reappeared on the other side of the room near her suitcase and dug her hand down into the tightly packed clothes. The copy sprung back to her feet, and Madeleine whipped her pistol up and fired.

The sound was muffled by the silencer, the bullet tore through the air narrowly missing the target's neck. It sunk into the base of the wall just underneath of the air conditioner unit. As the copy moved to the side she flung a knife at the gun, knocking it off balance.

In those few seconds of lost concentration the Doppleganger rushed in for the attack. She forced the gun off to the side, “I see you won't go down with out something of a fight.”

Madeleine was an even match for the mysterious copy, her own strength seem equal and not over come. She struggled to hold back thoughts of what was going on until later. In another flash Madeleine moved up behind the clone now, teleporting instantly.

She went to strike out and before she could the clone teleported too. Instinct kicked in and Madeleine ducked down narrowly being missed by the forceful blow from the copy. And before the leg could be recovered, Madeleine, with herself just in range, swept the clone's leg out from under her. The assailant came tumbling to the ground and Madeleine pounced up to pin her.

With the copy plastered to the ground and her weight on her Madeleine drew her arms back, the rock like armor that she could call fourth in an instant encased her arms and she brought her arm down to pound her enemy into the carpet.

As her hit connected she was met with the resistance of the same rock armor covering the clone's face. Madeleine gasped and before she could take any other measure the clone was gone, teleporting out from under her. With a kick to the back of the head Madeleine careened off the dresser and into the wall.

She set up holding her head and quickly got to her feet, “Impossible...you've got the same powers...”

“Exact copy,” the leather clad woman strutted towards her, “we're going to have access to the same exact amount of power...”

“No one is an exact copy—none of this makes sense,” Madeleine searched the room for something, anything she could use.

“Love, we are No One's,” she spoke with her arms folded over her chest, “We're not people like your new boy toy, or even your mother...we're just forms—examples of perfection, not like the distorted trash that's Humanity...” she had stopped just feet away from Madeleine.

“I was right,” Madeleine started, “You might look like me and have my moves—but its clear you're nothing like me.”

“You're right,” said the clone, “I drink, I smoke, I fuck, I couldn't give a rat's ass about 'the human condition' and after I'm done with you I'm not going to squander my time away on this miserable existence you call a life...” the clone darted for her.

Madeleine straightened her hand out behind her like like a blade and encased it in hardened carbon, diamond. Just as the clone reached her she jabbed her diamond arm right through the heart. The sound of bone and flesh being torn into, sliced perfectly by the precious stone was the last sound for several moments.

“How did you...” the Doppleganger rasped. Her fingers grasped Madeleine's arm where it plunged into her chest, “...how did you do that?”

“Because only I know what I can do,” Madeleine said with her arm still jutting out the back of her clone's body. It was obvious she'd hit the fatal mark. She was kneeling with her arm struck out and up, the clone leaning down into the wound with its blood leaking down Madeleine's arm.

Madeleine transported herself and the clone out of the building. When she reappeared she stood at the edge of a murky river with the clone's body out over the edge of the water. The liquid was dark and still below. For hiding this body, something told her the River Walk would suffice.

“Things would have been different...” she gasped, “...in my dimension.” the clone expired as the last words left her lips.

Madeleine knelt on the side of the water and lowered the body down into the water and pushed the body off into the dark muck, “As if...” she rinsed as much of the blood as she could off in the water. She hated to even get the blood on herself at all. But this was business—this was her life.

After she warped herself back to the hotel room, she rushed around and picked up anything that didn't belong. Dropping to a squat and collecting up weapons, the shell casing from the gun and anything else she couldn't let be seen.

These things she deposited in the side pouch of her suitcase where no one would usually care to look. She took the time to wash up, her arm was a mess and she would have to scrub real had to get the blood completely cleaned. She came back out and dried off and then she was on the room phone, “This is Madeleine in number seven forty-five,” she sighed, “I'm going to need you to bring up a bottle of wine.”

The voice on the other end was male, very polite and all around well mannered, “Yes, ma'am, do you have any preference?”

Madeleine thought for a second, “Wait scratch that,” she paused, “bring me up a bottle of Patron Green Label and two small glasses.”

“Yes ma'am, right away.”

The moment she hung up the phone she was on the cell calling Dee, the phone only rang once and Dee answered. Cutting off anything Dee might say, Madeleine spoke, “Someone just came after me.”

“Jeeze Maddie,” Dee said, “I could have had male company over.”

“I'm serious, some kind of clone just attacked me,” Madeleine said.

“Clone of you?” asked Dee.

With a sigh Madeleine said, “Yes, try to keep up.”

“What did she say?”

“She said a bunch of shit about erasing me and then something about another dimension...” Madeleine said.

“War told me once that there were other dimensions to help keep this one in balance—you didn't kill her did you?” asked Dee.

“Yeah, I just dumped the body,” Madeleine said.

“Dammit Madeleine!”

Madeleine took a seat on the corner of the bed, “What is it?”

“If you killed her it might have broken that balance some...it could make you and any other Madeleine in other dimensions just a little bit more ...” Dee was cut off by Madeleine.

“...bad?”

Dee sighed, “If that's what she was, look you need to promise me something.”

“What's that?”

“Just make sure that there were no adverse effects,” Dee said.

“I assure you I'm you're same chipper little Madeleine!” she said.

Dee scoffed, “You saying that kind of shit already worries me.”

“Good by Dee,” she said.

“Bye.”

When the phone was hung up Madeleine decided to cut the television on and try to calm her nerves, it was only about five minutes before there was a knock at the door. Madeleine walked over to the door and opened it to find the waiter standing with a small round tray, the bottle of Patron encased in ice and two glasses upside down on the side of the tray.

She took the tray with a smile, “Thank you so much,” she started, “Sorry for calling so late.”

“It's not a problem ma'am,” he said as he nodded at her and turned away.

Madeleine shut the door behind herself with her foot and placed the tray on the corner of the bed. She decided to change clothes before doing anything more, there was this little night gown she had that she loved to wear, a light brown silk thing that she slept in most of the time. It wasn't something she would have been used to a guy seeing her in though.

A thought crossed her mind that she normally would have dismissed, but something made her stop on it and entertain it. Entertaining turned into thinking and thinking soon turned into action. She moved back to the closet and dug out a pair of little shorts and a t-shirt that she'd packed mainly to wear under other clothes.

She changed in a hurry, brushing her hair and teeth too. She headed out of the room with the tray of Patron in hand and boarded the lift bound for the floor just below hers. The wait going down seemed like it lasted forever. From there it was just one hall over to get to Brian's room. She reached his door and gave a little light rap.

There was no answer at first.

She knocked again “It's me.”

The door opened to a room lit by the cool glow of the television and nothing else. Brian peered out through the crack, “Is everything alright?”

“I couldn't sleep,” Madeleine said as she held the tray in the door, “Wondering if you needed some company.”

Brian's eyes widened as a jolt of realization rippled through his body. Madeleine's shirt not quite reaching the top of her shorts, the way she half leaned in the door. He'd always seen her as beautiful, gorgeous, even unassumingly sexy. But something was different there now. Her little half cocked smile postured beneath her button nose. He'd not seen her like this before, “Are things okay?” he asked, “You seem like somethings up?” he let her into the room.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” the glasses clinked together on the tray as it was placed on his dresser. As he turned to head to the bed, she grasped his collar and guided him back towards her, “Now come here for a second...”

Now she backed into the dresser, her hand out behind her in a clumsy effort to direct the tray away. She slid her butt halfway up onto the wooden surface. The slippers slid from her feet as she let her feet hang just barely scrapping the ground.

She was holding him under the chin as he stepped in closer until he was standing between her legs. He grasped her hands in his, massaging them with his thumbs before forcing them down to her sides. His mouth covered hers hungrily, “Madeleine, I hope you didn't come down here to do anything you're going to regret because you think it'll make me happy.”

Madeleine had to wonder if Dee was right, if maybe the double had some adverse effect on her.

“Who said anything about doing something I'll regret,” her legs tightened and tensed around his body some. “I'm doing exactly what I want to,” her lips were drawn to his in a series of short shivery kisses, “You're not getting any further than...what's it called...second base,” with her body still connected to his, she turned back to open the bottle.

His breath flattened again her the curve of her shoulder as he spoke between each kiss that brought him closer and closer to the nape of her neck, “That's fine...by me...a guy could...get used to...this.”

Just as his lips brushed the curve of her neck, she tilted her head away and reached up caressing the side of her neck. Exploratory fingers etched lines down the small of her back. She remembered just then that something was concealed just below her waist line.

Her hand found its way to where she'd hidden a short flat throwing knife, tucked in the elastic waistband and before his hands could move too far down, she plucked it out and dropped down behind the dresser. Back there it was safe, no one would find it until it didn't matter.

The way her lips parted in an uncontrollable exhale brought her attentions back to him. Finally she could enjoy this, all the while knowing she'd have to hide portions of herself away. This was going to be part of her secret life, the part of her partitioned away from him. Brian didn't need to worry himself with matters of doubles, dopplegangers and Angels.