Hi all! The prompt for this week is: chicken Have at it!

As I'm in Brussels I've been seeing a lot of games of chicken this week! Keep your fingers crossed for Greece -- we're having a referendum next Sunday on new austerity measures. Of course I'm with the "no" camp, i.e. right now the pro-government camp (yeah, strange, it's the first time in my life that I support a government). But it won't be easy, as it was just announced that the banks will stay closed all week. But it also won't be easy if the "austerity" measures are adopted. Austerity has killed the country in the last five years. Now, at the very least, there's a glimmer of hope for some dignity... 'Scuse the rant, mates, I just couldn't help myself when I saw the prompt!

Rant away, I always find another perspective interesting.

ED and Daniella -- there can always be more -- and so there is! EW -- the trouble -- and the fun -- is only just beginning! *** He brought her back to a small room tucked behind another bar, one that was old and had definitely seen better days years ago.  In fact, were it not for the small, glowing neon sign advertising a German beer that was propped up in the bar's one and only small window, high above the door, Jun would not even have thought the building was occupied. As they had gone around the building to their room, she glanced up.  The boarded up windows on the floors above the bar further enhanced the run-down and abandoned look.  Jun gave a small glance over to Red Impulse, surprised that he would even know about a place like this. But then, she asked herself, what do we really know about him?  For the first time, a small frisson of doubt mixed with fear spiked through her.  True, Nambu knew him and they had gone on a few missions where he and the others in the Red Impulse squad had helped them out, but the others weren't here now.  It was only him and her -- and he knew, he expressly asked, if the guys were with her. And she had said no.  So now he knew she was alone as well.  Still, it was nearing one in the morning and Jun's plan had only extended to finding the guy that Nambu had named and getting into his townhouse.  She hadn't thought to find a place to stay, but it was too late to find something else now. It's just a few hours, she thought to herself, giving Red Impulse an appraising look before relaxing slightly.  She highly doubted that he would have gone to the trouble of getting her out of that strip club if he had any kind of evil intentions of his own. And if he did, she concluded, she had enough faith in her own skills and training to point out any errors in his thinking.  But right now, he was acting as if she weren't even there.  Jun swept a glance around the room, such as it was.  It was small and, like the bar in front of it, had a certain depressing, forgotten air to it.  The furniture and decor, at least what there was of it, were probably older than she was and the small lamp on the edge of the dresser barely threw off enough to see by.  "Well, this is a nice place, in a neglected kind of way," she said with bright sarcasm. "Didn't get it for the ambiance," Red Impulse said tersely as he opened a door as narrow as a coffin lid. "I'm surprised you would lower yourself to be seen in a place like this." He arched a brow at her.   "How would you know?  Besides, this isn't about luxury or comfort.  I got this room because it's all about location." "What about it?" "It's centrally located between the bar we were just at and my target.  Plus, it has the advantage of being overlooked because of that very reason you just pointed out." Then her eyes drifted to the largest piece of furniture in the room and the implications of it hit her. "There's only one bed?" she asked even as she thought the words.  Red Impulse glanced over to her from where he stood in front of the incredibly small closet. "Yes, there's only one bed.  What were you expecting?  I was supposed to be alone here, remember?" Jun felt her cheeks go hot.  "Well, it's just that, um, I can sleep on the floor, then, since I wouldn't want to put you out or anything." Red Impulse gave a half shrug as he pulled a small gym bag out of the closet and unzipped it.  "Stay where you like.  I won't be here for much longer." "Why?" she demanded, instantly on alert.  "Where are you going?" He pulled out several items of clothing from the bag, then shrugged out of his suit jacket and hung it up.  "I still have work to do and I probably won't be back until daybreak.  You'll be fine here, so long as you stay in the room." "But where are you going?" Jun insisted, watching him as carefully shook out a  dark, hooded sweatshirt, dark t-shirt and dark pants, laying them all out on the bed. As he began to unbutton the cuffs of his shirt, he explained.  "One of the men that you were flirting with -- and you really need to be a little more careful with that, by the way -- happens to be one of the biggest players in Galactor."  He glanced at her a moment before loosening and removing his tie.  "But you knew that, didn't you?" Jun nodded and gave a half shrug of her own.  "I might have." Red Impulse went on.  "Between the bar fight and the police investigating, it means that he will be conveniently out of the way for at least the next two to three hours, more if he stupidly decides to argue with them." Jun's eyes widened as she caught the gist of what he was saying.  "So that will give us plenty of time to go through his place and be sure he won't come back unexpectedly." Red Impulse glanced up, his eyes narrowing.  "Let's be clear on one point here.  There is no 'us'.  I am going and you are staying here.  I have enough to worry about without trying to babysit you." "I don't need you to watch out for me," Jun said, straightening her spine.  "And besides, Nambu obviously wanted both of us to investigate."  She tossed that out and held her breath. "That's fine, so long as you don't leave this room until tomorrow morning," Red Impulse said.  He paused in his unbuttoning, then gathered up the clothes and opened a second narrow door behind him. It was either another small closet or the bathroom.  Jun was guessing bathroom. "Besides," she called out to him as he began to close the door, "if we both go, we can cover twice as much area than if you just went alone." He paused a moment, and in that moment, Jun could see her argument was weakening him.  Then he stepped back and slammed the door shut.  A few minutes later, he emerged wearing the dark clothes, pausing only to hang up the shirt and pants he had been wearing. "So I take it you know where this guy lives?" she asked casually, planting herself right in front of the only way out of the room.  She could feel the doorknob digging into the small of her back, but she was not about to let him leave without her. "Correct."  He walked over to her.  "Now if you'll excuse me." "Tell me where it is first," she said, "then I can get my bike and meet you there." The expression never changed on his face, but his anger scorched his words.  "You are going nowhere until I can get you back into a safer part of town tomorrow morning." "But I can help ... we can help each other," she amended.  She would not beg; she refused to do that.  After all, she had her pride, and the fact that she was here without permission was quite beside the point. At any rate, she was not about to chicken out now.  "I have every bit of right to do my own investigating as you do."  She mentally crossed her fingers on that one.  All he had to do was call Nambu and Hakase would no doubt come for her himself.  Or send one -- or all -- of the guys and she could be treated with listening to Ken berate her for acting on her own all the way back to Utoland.  Again. Red Impulse squared his stance and crossed his arms over his chest.  "All right.  Say you do come with me.  You're hardly dressed for the occasion, what with that outfit you're not wearing.  Do you even have a change of clothes?" Jun glanced down at her dress.  It was a bright white and done in one of those sleek, modern styles where it looked as though the dress had been slashed, leaving strategic parts covered, of course, and the remaining strips were held together with bits of gold colored metal links. "What's wrong with it?" "Nothing, if you were wearing the rest of it." Jun glared up at him.  "Are you saying it's too risque?" "No, I'm saying that I have handkerchiefs that have more fabric to them that dress."  His disapproving frown deepened.  "Nambu actually approved of you dressing like that?" Jun straightened her shoulders.  "I don't need Hakase's approval for what I wear and if it doesn't bother me, why should it bother you?" Red Impulse's brow rose slightly, but he let the comment pass.  "The next problem should be obvious to you."

RIGirl: This contest of wills is pretty entertaining.

Can't wait for more, RIgirl!

Jinpei was still in the false BirdStyle as he carried a small bundle consisting of the clothes Galactor provided him after he had been snatched from the juvenile hall. A single henchman escorted him down one corridor and then another. The regular spacing of the overhead lights triggered a thought: he had no idea how long it had been since he last saw daylight. One final turn and they were standing in a small lobby. There were two small round tables near the middle of the floor -- each surrounded by four chairs -- and a couch against the far wall. Three doors were on each of the side walls. Three of the four imposters were in the lobby. Jeremy and Misha wore jeans and a t-shirt; Misha sat at one table, playing solitaire, while Jeremy sat with his feet propped up on the other table. The false Condor, still in BirdStyle, sprawled on the couch. "One of them can show you your room." the Galactor soldier spat. "Who took a dump in your baby formula?" Jinpei responded. The Swallow suddenly found a gun barrel pointed at his visor. "Go on." Misha chimed in, "Shoot." "Yeah." Jeremy drawled, "It ain't like you're the first goon carcass tossed on the compost heap." The henchman stormed off, grumbling, "Smart ass chicken shit!" as soon as he was out of Jinpei's sight. "So," the boy said as he ignored the fuming goon, "where's Aradia?" "In her room." Jeremy explained, "She don't show heself much during downtime." "She's been like that since she cut her hair." Misha added. "You see," Jeremy continued without being prompted, "Aradia had one hell of a Deathhawk-type hairstyle. Well, the boss lady just happened to mention that she don't normally like that type of haircut. Aradia took it all personal-like, got mad, and took some scissors to her hair." "And she's been doctoring a grudge against the boss-lady ever since." "That's 'nursing' a grudge, Mish." "Oh." By then the faux Condor was standing just behind Jeremy and Misha. "The boy needs to put his things in his room." The accent suggested he was from somewhere in eastern Europa, but not Misha's part. Jinpei swallowed down the urge to laugh -- that accent so fake to his ear. Joe's impersonator turned and walked away. Jinpei walked just fast enough to catch up, which was when they reached the farthest door on the right-hand wall. The room was a little bigger than his quarters at Crescent Coral Base. Jinpei flopped down on the simple bed and set his bundle beside him as the pseudo-Condor shut the door. "So what're you playing at, Joe-aniki?" Jinpei asked, his voice about to burst with laughter, "You afraid I'll do better than you on solo missions?" "What are you talking about? What's a 'joeaniki' ?" "And the fake accent --" "It is not fake." Icicles hung from each word. "I am from Warsovia." "Okay, we'll play it your way." the boy replied as he took off his helmet and set it on the other side of the bundle. The man from Warsovia looked at him for a moment before moving on. "The closet is to be used only for your costume -- regular clothes go in the dresser. The TV only receives Galactor-friendly networks. You have been given an XBox, but," his voice took on a menacing, frigid tone Jinpei never heard before, "if it interferes with your duties, you wii be punished. And you will not be able to beat the boss the way you did that small woman who took you into her home!" Jinpei took a moment to start breathing again. "Got it."

Yipes!

EEP! Wow, EW, now that's how you do intimidation -- poor Jinpei!

[unrecoverable text]

KT: An interesting look into Julia's life. Imagine how much time he'd spend in shops like that if they got together.

Ugh. I'm glad I never worked in a store like that !

Wow, KT, that just brought back all sorts of bad memories dress shopping for the various weddings I got dragged into as a bridesmaid! Where was Joe when I needed him? LOL