Kings and Queens of Promise

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria smiled bitterly, rubbing at her neck where he had grabbed her by the collar. He certainly had a fierce grip. "I know the name of every member of KQP. They are my family. And one stood out above all the rest. His name was Daniel...and he was my best friend. We were in love, we were just so right," she said, her words meshing together when she remembered him. His dark eyes, his dark hair, the way his smile gave her chills... "And he was killed by the government on a top secret mission." She swallowed her tears back, not willing to cry in front of a guy who was practically a stranger. She wouldn't show her weakness, not now.
"That's why I truly want to destroy this government," she admitted. "I care about our cause--freedom for all--but it's the memory of Daniel that really keeps me going. So, yes, I do think I might know what it's like. I know you lost a lot today, but you're not alone. You might feel that you are, and in some ways, maybe you are in a solitary place, but you're not completely alone." She got to the entrance of the KQP HQ, not noticing as her shoes filled up with sewer muck. She knocked on it, and gave Ella, a six-year-old, the password. They were allowed in. "We've all lost here...it's just all different things. Ella here saw her younger brother die in a house fire when she was just three. We rescued her from the house fire and took her in. Her parents died in that fire. Her old brother now rules in her parents' place. Everyone's got a sob story, Jun, but some are stranger than others. You can go out for revenge, or you can do it for the people. I, personally, am doing it for both."
A bell clanged.
"Come on, dinner's ready," she said, leading him to the Dining Hall, as they had so grandly nicknamed it. Really, it was a room hardly bigger than a church, and, as it housed over a few hundred kids, was bursting with children. Kids from ages two to sixteen were in the Dining Hall. "After eighteen," Aria explained, "most kids go out on their own...or they're killed on missions. I, personally, have no desire to do either." She sat. "Everybody can eat now," she announced. "We'll announce you later," she whispered to Jun, and gestured for him to sit in the empty seat beside her.
Aria didn't want to tell him that that used to be Daniel's seat. It hadn't been used since his death.  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

Jun didn't say or eat much at dinner, he just sat next to Aria and played around with the food on his plate. Everyone near him was giving Jun strange looks to which Jun replied with a piercing glare that startled everyone. He could barely hear them whispering, "Why is that scary guy sitting next to Aria? Who is he?"  

[Kleopatra Selene]

I stood. "Sorry about the food, guys--or the lack of food," Aria amended, "but there's a little lack of the stuff right now, especially if you live in the sewers. Molly's making the soup water-thin as it is." She gestured to Molly, KQP's official head cook. The fourteen-year-old, who had a serious gift for making even terrible food taste edible, smiled and blushed. Molly Grue had a serious talent.*
Everyone halfway laughed at Aria's statement, then waited for her to introduce the new guy. She turned, halfway facing Jun and halfway facing the rest of KQP. "SILENCE!" she screamed, and whispered to Jun, "Sorry, they like to talk. Hope I didn't bust your eardrums..."
She turned to everyone in the KQP, gesturing to Jun with one hand. "This is Jun..." she didn't know his last name, so she decided to forgo it. "This is Jun," she repeated. "He's decided to join KQP under tragic circumstances which, as always, I will not divulge. You wanna know details, you gotta wait for him to tell. And, as always, no pestering. Hope you all had a lovely dinner," she continued sarcastically. "Everyone make sure to thank Molly, though," she added. "Anyone volunteer to be Jun's bunkmate?"
For a group of sewer rats, they had a lot of cots. Most people doubled up in one cot because, for all of their gathering of cots, there was a big shortage. Too many people were joining and not bringing their own furniture.
Nobody replied, and she smiled awkwardly. "Well, then, I suppose I'll just have to assign somebody." She thought, wondering if there was a boy who didn't have a cot mate. "Or would you like the couch in the den? I'll warn you, the older ones sometimes get up in the night and get high in there," she said. "I can't stop them." She was addressing Jun quietly, and no one heard. "So it's other listening to a cotmate snore, or listening to druggies get high." She shrugged. "Your choice."

*Does anyone know where I got the inspiration for Molly's name? HMM?  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"I'm tired of dealing with junkies, so feel free to throw whichever sniveling cockmunch you want into my room. I don't give a sh*t." Jun said.  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria smiled sympathetically. She remembered being angry. "Luk!" she called, and Luk, a small seven-year-old, stepped forward timidly. "Luk's cotmate died in an explosion ten months ago," she whispered to Jun. "I think you'll like him. Just don't drive him crazy. I mean literal off-the-wall crazy. Be halfway nice, please."
Luk turned to Jun and looked at Aria, as though saying, Are you crazy? Aria grinned good-naturedly. "You two make sure you get along," she ordered. "Now, anybody want dessert? Because if you do, you'd better go outside and stab it yourself!" Part of the room laughed, another part only grinned and bore it. Aria's face fell teasingly. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm not funny. Why don't you guys tell me this before I make a fool of myself in front of the recruits?"
Everyone laughed. Someone called out, "Because that's the funny part!"
Aria turned to Jun. "Good luck with Luk. He's a timid little thing, very scared. He's never actually been on a mission. He saw his mom get blown up by terrorists." Naturally, not the KQP. They never killed, just blew up buildings and information. There had only been that one time, and it had been an accident. Really. "Anyway, good luck." She raised her voice. "Okay, free time until ten! I'll come and personally check your rooms for lights-out! Dismissed, guys!" she said, clapping her hands, and told Jun, "Luk can show you your room. Now, it's overcrowded with a bunch of other boys, but if they mess with you or they're too loud or something, just threaten them with me or John. We're basically the punishers of KQP, they'll know enough to shut up. Or you could just threaten them." She stood and retired to her room, where twenty-nine other girls inhabited the room. There were five rooms in all for girls, and five for guys, and each cot was big enough for two. She hoped everything would be comfortable enough for Jun.
Sighing, she picked up her book and began reading about some Thirst Tournament.*

*If anyone's ever read The Hunger Games, I'm making a reference!  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

Jun made his way into the kitchen somehow, and he immidiately started searching for booze. Jun managed to find a hidden stash of perfectly ice-cold brewskies. "B double-E double-R U N, Beer run! B double-E double-R U N, Beer run! All you need is a ten and five-er, car and keys and a sober driver, B double-E double-R U N, beer run!" he sang drunkenly through the halls. Jun can be a very nice person once he's completely and totally sh*tfaced beyond all reason.  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria heard loud, off-key singing. The rest of the girls were in bed, lights-out had occurred about ten minutes ago. Whoever was out was disturbing her and had probably woken some people. I recognize that voice...crap. And he was doing so well, she sighed internally. She wriggled out of the cot, careful not to disturb her cotmate, and stood. She stepped over other pairs of girls--none of which, luckily, had woken--and opened the door, spotting an obviously-drunk-or-at-least-partially-tipsy Jun.
"Would you let some people sleep?" she bellowed as loudly as she dared. "Some people need their beauty sleep." She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare complain about a hangover tomorrow."  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"Some people need beauty sleep, but you ain't one of 'em." Jun said. He stuck a bottle in Aria's mouth and tipped it back. "C'mon bud, let's git plastered!"  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Aria choked slightly and took the bottle from him, easing it out of her mouth. "Hey! You almost choked me to death!" she said indignantly, but Aria hid a small smile at the compliment. Very few people had time to call others beautiful, but she was certain that was exactly what Jun had just done. He's drunk, she reminded herself. "I've never been drunk before," she said. "Do you have any white liquor?" She bit her lip, remembering something. "Frick! So somebody finally found Fred's stash! He was the drunk of the group. Died a year ago. Nobody ever found his stash." She eyed the bottle nervously. "Are you sure you wanna drink that? I'm not sure if that's the kind that lasts forever or what. It probably at the very least tastes flat..." she tasted the roof of her mouth. "Oh, what the hell." She took the bottle. "As I recall, Fred never drank white liquor." She took a small sip, and coughed. "Forgive me if I do repeat that I've never been drunk before. And what exactly does 'plastered' mean?"  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"Plastered, drunk, wasted, shitfaced, obliterated, ******** up, faded, blasted, gone, tanked, blitzed, wrecked, bombed. Howzat for ya?" Jun said. "Lishen girl. Yooz gon' need sum stronga s**t if yoo wanna run wit da big boyz. I tot yoo waz da leeda."  

[Kleopatra Selene]

"Speak English and I'll respond properly," Aria retorted. "I am the unofficial leader of KQP, yes. Well, actually not unofficial: I am the leader of KQP. And I can play with the big boys just fine." She prayed that her face did not turn red. "That doesn't mean I have to get wasted in the process, dear."  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

"It does if yer gonna drink with me." Jun smirked. "C'mon, drink up sweety."  

[Kleopatra Selene]

Indignantly, just to prove how tolerant she was, she took a long chug. "What do you think I'm doing?" she growled, and her face lightened. "Did I neglect...did I neglect to mention that I'm a cheap drunk? My mom used to give me alcohol when I was sick...and I'd get tipsy..." she giggled a little. "Sorry, sorry," she coughed, trying to look more serious. A moment later, giving up that facade, she dissolved into a burst of giggles, and took another swallow. She set the bottle down, thought better of it, picked it up again, drank from it, and handed it to Jun. "What do you think would happen if other people knew I, me, their leader, was here, getting drunk with the newbie?"  

[x_-Mockingjay-_x]

Name: Rowan Mace
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Talents: Sword fighting, hand to hand combat, ect.
Sibling's Name: Elizabeth
Brief Bio: Always stuck at second best, I decided not to try to please my parents by attending all my classes and taking part in more Feminine activities like walking with a book atop my head and always keeping my hair in perfect condition. I'm rebelious and they have yet to live with such disappointment.
Pic:

( the picture won't come up in img so heres the link : http://files.myopera.com/Whitejasmine/albums/65255/Minitokyo.Unknown.Female.Scans_378267.jpg )  

[chancellor cherryclaw]

Jake smiled fiendishly. "I thought you might be a lightweight. You just knocked yourself off my hate list, congratulations." he said, the drunkenness disappearing from his voice.