*Zebra Pancakes*

(Lol yes it has pancakes in the name Aka! Always important to have pancakes in the name!)
This is just an idea thread. A bit of a time passer since we're kinda at a stale mate at the Pirates thread. It's not taking the place of that thread, but just a place to collect ideas an posts to beat some boredome! Yay!!!!!!! Soooooooooo, let it begin.
hahaha so first is the wedding scene we talked about right Aka? I hear its going to be a bit of an opening before the show really starts. Haha poor poor unsuspecting characters....ANYWHO!!! How are we going to open this off? Me or you? Mateo and them being dragged out of jail? OOOOOR Hime getting ready for her wedding?

Hime was strapped into her dress, she had been washed , combed, braided, and bejeweled.

she was getting tired of the two new maids that were there gushing at her as her first maid keep her distance.

she tried to not fidget as she waited... for the first act of her death...

she hoped the three of them had a good life with this sacrifice...

there was a knock on the door as the maid moved to open for filipe's superior. the older man smiled his face kind as he smiled at her.

" ah child... he is a lucky man.... and i am proud to have the honor to walk you to him " he offered her a arm that she took as he started leading her to the military court yard were the cerebration would be.

" thank you sir, i am most glad it is such a kind man that is giving me away" she said smiling brightly to the mans delight.

" its a shame i could not snag you for my own son... but filipe needs a weekness he is too ruff.... you are just what we have all prayed for you know " he said chuckling as they got to the large doors waiting for the que to start the wedding martch.

Mateo had sat, thinking, waiting, hoping that all of this just wasn't real. That maybe he would wake up and maybe he might be back on that military fortress back in Barbados on that first day, without a care in the world. There would be no problems, no pain, no stupid unease that had worked itself into the back of his mind, no Arata, no Freya, and no Hime. Somehow....that just didn't sound as good as he wished it would.
"I'm sorry Freya...." He said again, though he knew she must have been annoyed by it by now. Arata was already down right pissed with him and made another loud groan of annoyance.
A group of guards walked up to their cell and Arata let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods. Someone to carry me away from this idiot!" He said and Mateo sneered at him. The guard glared at Arata and motioned to his followers. The men collected them, grumbling and struggling as they were dragged from the cell.
"Where are you taking us-?"
"To a service." One answered in a nasaly voice.
"Un Servicio?" He muttered so that Freya would get the gist of what was going on.
"Cheer up lads! There's a wedding and your invited!" A guard laughed in his face and Mateo's face fell in shock. What was that odd pained sensation that hit him in the gut. Was it guilt, fear, anger? He tried to understand it, but suddenly being forced forward by the guards broke his thought process. He could only move along the line in silent contemplation as they sat down in the alter pews. And he could only flinch at the sounds of "the bridal march" began to play on the massive organ.

the door opened bathing her in light causing her to glow as they started down the isle.

the congregation fell silent every one standing in aww as Hime passed like an angel by them.

the march took for ever and when she saw Mateo and Arata her stomach clenched but she keep her composure despite the pain.

the man then set her hand in Filipes as they met the front and the music stopped.

Hime smiled up at Filipe doing her best not to look at the three of them. " finaly " she wispered to him .

"Only a few more minutes and we'll have everything." Filipe said to her and the priest smiled a little in that holy awe.
He began a prayer in French that echoed over the open space of the military bases chapel. The place glowed with light, everyone sat dignified yet stunned in awe of the sweep in the moment. Even Mateo felt the impact of Hime's beauty, though with it came the peircing pain. He couldn't stand it, seeing her with her hand in the hold of another man's, knowing he was losing her. And did she care? He watched her his eyes pleading her to look back, to turn and run back to them, to admit that she wasn't really going to do this. But she didn't, not even when the priest asked if anyone objected.
"She played you guys like a fiddle." Arata muttered under his breath, hating to admit she got him to. Mateo felt the words hit him, made him tense.
"You're vows, do you General Filipe Constantine. Do promise to care for this woman, to swear upon the sake of your honor that you will follow a life of marital sanction upon blessings of the church, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
"I do."
The priest looked to Hime and asked the same of her. Would she accept?

Hime looked up at Filipe and smiled, " as to merry you will give me the one thing i want most in the world as a human, yes i do " she said.

she would not say yes to say yes but yes was needed.

she pushed up on her feet and forced a quick kiss on Filipe to the delight of the every one," Filipe.... toss those dirty lice out on the street now " she said.

" its embarrassing to have them here.... " she hugging him suddenly , " please i just want it to be you here with me "

she sighed hiding her face in his chest as he wanted him to hurry and keep his end of the deal.

Filipe loved the idea of winning. Infact right now he got the pleasure from a victory all its own. Who knew that such an opportunity for a high would stumble into his office only yesterday? And now it came to dealing with those that he'd crushed. Not a very hearty or challenging bunch though..Oh well, he could pick his battles with the other fools that held value in high places.
"Of course, love. You won't have to worry about them again." He gave a flick of his hand.
The guards hauled the three to their feet and Mateo struggled against their hold. "Hime-!" He called out to her but the guard hit him in the pressure point before he could complete the thought. He was out like a light, being dragged off with the others to the streets. The other nobels stared in disgust at them, whispering amoungst themselves at why such low lives would be allowed here.
"Well my dear Utahime. Perhaps you wish ti get the mingling out of the way before we retire for the evening?" He asked, throwing the wives circle of the higher appointees, chattering and giggling in the corner.
~~~
Mateo felt his body lurch as they tossed him and the others down onto the dirty alley. "un lieu adapté pour les ordures." (A fitting place for the garbage) The guard spat before leaving them there. As he came to, Mateo could feel the ache in his head as well as his chest. Hime had just let them go...like that...He thought they were friends, at least some kind of partners in this crazy destiny they'd wound themselves up in. But maybe not.
He sat up with a groan as Arata rubbed his back gingerly.
"Damn for dainty assholes on the dance floors, they're pretty forceful." He snickered but no one laughed. Mateo huffed and leaned against the alley wall for support.
"Ah, Mateo get over it. She got the better deal." Arata said, giving Mateo a slightly less evil look. "Hell, i would have done the same."
"She wouldn't do something like this." Mateo said, looking down at the ground. Arata frowned.
"Ah but she did. can't argue with that now can you?" Arata sniffed before looking back at the alley's entrance, almost wishing to see Hime there himself.

Hime keep up a brave face full of happiness.

her body was getting cold and stiff though... she hoped all those about her took it as nerves.

she smiled and laughed were she needed too... she at and cut the cake with Filipe and when she could take it no longer she sighed and looked to Filipe before winking, " i can take no more... im so tiered please dear husband let me retire to our room "

she was leaning of a pillar net to him for support ... she could barely stand on her own.

Filipe was in the middle of a conversation with a general from the Montreal post who was speaking rapidly about a new deal for weaponry for Filipe's base. He heard Hime's words as an annoying buzz next to the french but looked to her with a soft look. She did appear tired, but foreign women were fragile after all. "Alright. I'll make sure you get there safely." He said his apologies to the man and turned to Hime, offering her his arm. The two loeft the noise, the lights, and all the fantasy leaving them in the silence.
When they reached the farthest reaches of the living wings, a maid was there to open the door with a flourish. The suite was large and exstravogent, way too put together and clean, suited for a single man living a luxurious life rather than a married one. "Here you are, madame, best room in the house.." He said, giving her a half smile. He pulled Hime close, holding her by her waist. "Now, that the show is done however. We have the freedom to do as we want." He said leaning in close to give her a kiss. "And what pleases us as well-"
"Générale Filipe!" A guard walked in then took a step back at Filipe's venemous glare.
"Can't you see that I'm-"
"But sir, the commander of the kings navay, wishes to have a word with you-he said it's important-something about a raise in funding..."
Filipe's eyes were still narrowed but didn't seem as mad. He looked back to Hime. "Duty calls, rest Hime, you look pale." He said but with lack of much concern as he left to return to the waiting man.

Hime managed to make it to a chair before full weakness set in.

the maid quickly undressed her and helped her to the bed.

Hime was so week. she shivered violently as she maid tucked her in, " lady... " she said before running form the room .

a doctor was brought in and looked at her. " please say it is the nerves eating the lady " she pleaded knowing Filipe would be angry his bride is ill on there wedding night, " or bad food "

the doctor shrugged... " i dont know... ill have to bleed her... it might be bad blood " he said. getting his leaches out.

Hime didnt fight... she new it was her time. she would finally be a full human... she would die her first death tonight.

Hime got colder and colder her body seeming to turn from gold to a silver as she lay passing away quietly to the doctors puzzlement and the maids horror.

Filipe was talking buisness, working the men around him that were half drunk off their ass as the hourse passed and getting himself better on their good sides. It was a mild damper however when a hysterical maid tried to enter the room but was stopped by a guard. she whispered something to the guard who turned pale in comparisson to her. He walked up to Filipe and whispered the news to him. At first he didn't seem to get the gist of what the guard was saying, but when the words "dead" he dropped his glass. He whirled around and followed the escort from the room and to his own. There Hime lay on the bed, pale and dying while a doctor and maid hovered over her.
"What the hell is going on?!" Filipe snarled, stunned as well as down right pissed to see the doctor getting ready to bleed her.
"I don't know, Misure, she just fell ill-!"
"Shut up, already! You-fix her." He shouted at the doctor who flinched but went back to working on Hime frantically.
"But I can't. She's weak, too weak to do much of anything. Her heart is stopping!"
Filipe looked from the doctor to Hime with a growing anger and slight ache. How dare he be tricked with damaged goods? Losing his bride and formidable opponent? Cheap....just cheap.

" i just need sleep " Hime said weekly .

waving her had about , " you are all so noisy... please leave me in peace " she sighed.

she wished she had died before they got him... the ass hole should have just found her cold dead body in his bed... then to stand there pissed... and making her last moments hell.....

she sighed unable to do much more... she was just... so tired.

"And yet she speaks!" Filipe growled, the maid flinching. He looked Hime over in her paleness. She did look worse for ware but not dead yet. "Looks like shes just ill from something. Fever perhaps. Is there anything you can give her for that?" He huffed, rubbing his frowhead at the stupidity around him. The other men at the party must have thought him an utter moron right now.
"Why yes sir but-"
"You heard her. Fine. Would a dying woman say she was fine?" He snapped and the doctor shook his head slightly. "Then what is the problem? Sleep is what she needs then sleep is what she gets." He folded his arms. "Don't leave her side, stay on call. And unless she starts bleeding from her eyes or speaking tongues don't interrupt me on such matters again."

Hime smiled " Filipe...make a killing out there and ill give you something special " she said.

when he left she let her body sag into the bed.

done, that is what she felt like. " hmmmm to die would be an offly big adventure... " she said as she closed her eyes.

her time was up. three years of a curs finally comes to an end.,...

Hime sighed one last time before slipping into an imortal death.

(night ^^ )

(skipping ahead I guess?)
Early that morning, Hime was found and pronounced dead. This was much to the publics horror and Filipe's annoyance. The woman had barely seen a taste of this new life she had, only wasting his time. But disposing of her wouldn't be something so trivial, after all he had to play the persona of the heart broken husband that was appealing to those around him and in the higher inner circle. So she would be burried in the family crypt, in the cemetery just outside of Port Charles. It was a vast property that lay as the final resting place for all of the rich and regal for centuries.
Her death was a mystery to others and good gossip for the wives to whisper amongst themselves. Talks of murder and sickness flooded the streets, while others claimed she took her own life. The truth was never quite known, and took form into a multitude of these shadowy tales that took to idle bar chat. Little did the three people that were once her friends expect the day of her burial to discover her death.
(lol details of them at the time, the place they're resting, events going on at the time)
Mateo couldn't take the quiet and silence that hung over the room. He was tired of waiting, wondering if Hime really had left them. He shook his head. That couldn't be it...right? He pushed himself out of bed and attempted to make himself look presentable. It was hard seeing as he looked half drained and severely annoyed. Arata and him hang said a word to one another all night, both were subdued. His annoyance really came from the way his heart doubted that Hime left them...the fact that he actually missed her.
He shook of the emotion and walked downthe stairs in a fog. The women gathered in the parlor of the small inn looked gravely at each other, whispering something.
He hardly cared for their gossip till Filipe's and Hime's names floated into the mix. He listened a little closer though pretended to be interested at something outside the window.
"What a lovely wedding it was too...So sad..."
"Married yesterday and dead the next day. How could this have happened?" Dead?!
"There is rumor she fell ill" She?!
"Or that Filipe killed her." Killed her?!
Mateo stared frozen at the window. Unable to truly gather his thoughts or actions he turned to the ladies, trying to quell his frantic worry that was building behind his composed mask of concern.
"Um, what was that you said?" Be asked, his voice faltering a bit.
The woman blinked, surprised. "Oh my dear boy, it's horrible. The General's wife died yesterday, after her wedding. tragic but she's to be burried today." Mateo's eyes widdened and a pain hit him square in the gut. His composure faltered. They were lying, kidding, in on some sick joke. Hime wasnt dead...she couldn't be....The woman saw the hurt in Mateo's features and gasped.
"My dear, was she a friend of yours?" Mateo choaked on his answer so he simply nodded.
The woman frowned and looked to her friends then back to him. She waver a moment before she got to her feet and offered him a seat in a chair. "Come now, let me get you some tea..."
She came back moments later and came to rest infront of him. Mateo couldn't make himself move, smile or breath properly. He was in shock, or in pain he couldn't tell which was more prominent. He just couldn't understand...
"Perhaps," the woman began, but her words didn't faze the icy hold over him, "maybe I could take you, later to-um- see her an say goodbye...my sister is buried there, she married a duke after all, anywho, I'm permitted to visit her grave...perhaps you can visit you friend tonight before the crypt is closed..." He looked up but could only afford a nodd and a small "Thank you." before he was forced to leave upstairs to tell the others.
(I'm thinking time passes, him and Freya get in an argument over visiting Hime's grave, but he sneaks out that night and goes anyways)

the darkness and cold pass slowly till her body warmed up about eleven thirty that night.

her skin sliver her hair a pink blond.... no longer a golden graceful mermaid.

Hime was a moon lit human.

she woke up in the dark alone.... and obviously in a grave house... she could smell death all around.

she got up and got off her table her white dress flowing around her.

she needed to get out of here before they discovered she was alive....


Filipe would be mad she died... pissed she came back...

she half stumbled her way to the entrance as she regained the use of her legs... it took about an hour making the time she got to the door midnight,... or so...

no guard would aproch her thinking her a ghost perhaps...

she smiled. some how she though of Mateo's look at getting tricked by something like that.

it made her happy to know he was free some were.

she opened the door and stepped out looking up at the full moon in aw.... had the moon always looked that beautiful...

Mateo moved through the different graves, hauntingly beautiful as well as eerie under the light of the moon. The cold breeze chilled him slightly, only stirring the emotions that were welling inside him. He didn't understand how Hime could have died so soon? Thoughts began racing to him of the times that she told him of her curse. Was that what killed her?
'I wasn't there to protect her..to be there at least for her before it happened...what if I could have done something?' He thought coming to a stop by a group of graves that surrounded the statue of an angel.
He rememred the last time he came to a graveyard, when his mother had died and been burried in a grave that the tavern pitched in to pay for. He never thought he'd ever be back in one, especially not to see off another woman he....He frowned at the thought. What was he thinking? He hardly knew Hime and yet he felt a care for her...she was a good girl, who didn't deserve the life she was dealt. Maybe that was why he felt that way. But he didn't feel that was exactly right.
What did it matter now? She was dead, and he blamed himself. Why did he even come anyways? It's not like he could do anything for her now.
He sighed, feeling his knees lock, keeping him from going forward any further. He was considering turning back, going back to the inn, back to Freya...till a sound caught his attention. It was the sound of grating metal of a gate door opening and finally that of wind catching fabric. His brow furrowed and he looked up towards the noise. Instantly his breath caught in his throat and his eyes widdened in shock. There stood Hime, or what looked like Hime but was now so...different. Almost paler than her usual self.
He felt the need to run over to her but internal instincts caught him first. She was dead....right? so how was she standing there now? He was never a superstitious person, but this was a bit much. He took an uneven step back and slipped on some of the wet leaves at his feet, slipping backwards onto his back in the grass, hitting his head on the ground hard. He groaned and shifted his head now aching as he sat up, everything was a bit fuzzy for a moment till he saw Hime again. He let out a small sound of surprise and horror at her ghostly figure, unable to blush in embarrassment at himself for he was probably as pale as the marble at this point.

Hime was caught off guard when she herd some one near by. she ducked down and looked up seeing... WHO it was.

she could only look at him before she found the use of her body around the shock.

she stumbled forward and looked him over putting her hands on his head to check for blood .

" gee... you could have scarred me back to death... " she said giggling lightly her now strait hair catching the moon light as her now gray eyes looked in on his face.

Mateo looked different too.... " human eyes.... they see so different Mateo... why didnt you tell me the world above land was beautiful to humans.... " she whispered looking back up to the moon.

then she looked back at him with a puzzled look on her face, " wait... how did you know i went through my immortal death?" she asked.

Mateo flinched when Hime touched him, she felt cold, but normal cold. Like someone that had been sitting out in this breeze for a while. He looked up at her questionately, confused and freaked out a bit. God his life seemed like it was being thrown around in some kind of fricking mystery box these days.
"Y-You're wha-what?!" He stammered, and cleared his throat at that and made himself focus.
"You died-everyone in town is saying you did-but you're suposed to be dead-or at least dead dead-not walking-but you are-which is great-but also-and really creepy-but you're not alive but you are-and you look so-different..." He was starting to get a headache from all this scatter brained rambling and his brow furrowed in confusion. "Hime, what's going on? I really need to understand this." He said, feeling like his head was spinning.

when Mateo flinched Hime let him go and pulled her self away suddenly uneasy....

maybe he was happy with her gone... did she ruen things...

she hugged her self and sat back , " i... am not... im alive...now... i died... sorta... the mermaid part of me died.... im Human now... "

she looked away tears welling up into her eye's blurring her vision., " im only a human now... ill get old and die one day... but for now im alive...

she got up and turn away not wanting to see him hate her, " but... if you want... ill disappear... and you can pretend i did die.... i dont want you to hate me " she wispered afraid he will curse her too.

Mateo listened to Hime and watched her withdraw from him. So she wasn't dead..but now alive as something new? A human. He didn't know wether to be over joyed, relieved, or mad that she knew this was going on and didn't tell him. But now she was hurting, her voice always gave that away though she tried to hide her tears by looking away. It got to him, the thought of her being hurt messed with his thoughts again. So much so he didn't think much about his actions. He pushed himself to his feet and turned her to him, before pulling her into a hug. Not a tight hug, but something that was enough to hold her to him, as well as allow her to push him away.
"Hime, I thought you were dead." He said in her ear. "And the truth is you made me hate myself before I could even think of hating you." He was unable to let her go when he realized that she may be uncomfortable, not only because he likedd this space but he couldn't let her see his weak expression.

Hime felt her heart jump strangely and her chest seemed to squeeze the air from her lungs.

and her face felt hot. she was frozen and found not only that she didnt want to... but could not push him away.

at this moment hearing he didnt hat her and worried.... her body became weak in her relife.

" thank goodness.... i dont know what i would have done if you hated me... any one but you Weird Mateo " she said her small hands gripping his shirt so she could hid her red tear stained face.

" im sorry i came back looking so weird.... " she said shivering lightly as she tried to change the subject.

'Anyone but you weird Mateo...' He had never been more happy to be called weird in his whole life. But her calling herself weird, apologizing for her still attractive looks? Well, he had to admit he didn't feel that heart stopping pull to her looks like he did the first day they met. Maybe becoming human had toned that down a little...He wanted to kick himself for thinking about her looks at a time like this and gave a small smile. "I don't see weird but, if you say so. I guess we can be weird together then." He said humorously, his good mood returning. He loosened his grip a little and tried to see if she still cried. His shirt was a little damp now. "Hey, I'm sorry I left you alone like that with that-" He paused sucking in his breath to keep from saying rude words towards the general and upsetting Hime further, he had to be calm with her. "I shouldn't have done that. I shold have told you no when you started that whole offer thing..." He was reminded of the way she looked at them so coldly while she was in that office and had to stiffle the unease that it brought. "By the way you're an amazing actress." He added but got to thinking about just how good she had been. Playing the part at the wedding as well, but what about after the wedding when they weren't with her? There was a wedding party ofcourse, it was her wedding night after all...He felt a thought coming to him that he hadn't really thought of till then. He tried to shake it off, but it didn't budge.
'She wouldn't have-not with that guy-he would have tried but-Hime hates men-so she wouldn't let that guy touch her-but how could she if he forced her...?' He was troubled by the thought and unknowingly grew a little tense.
"Hey, Hime..." He began but the slight anger of the idea and awkwardness of asking her got the better of him, "You feel okay right...not like weak or anything after changing?"

Hime peeked up at him from his chest and shook her head, " no just weird i guess... everything is different. "

she sighed and managed to let go of his shirt, " im okay... its not like i was murder "

" i iguess you can say i had a very deep sleep so my body feels a little heavy and im still sorta tired.. "

she giggled at this and shook her head," you will not believe how pissed he was when he learned he was shorted " she said smiling up at him.

" it almost makes pretending to be happy for my 100 year childhood at home worth it "

she shrugged, " when you have a long time to act... you get good at it... the hard part... is remembering who you were. "

" i hope.... i can find my self as a human.. and then i wont have to act anymore.... " she said looking back up at the moon in thought.

(Lol my last past for the night. Can't stop yawning *yawn* gosh it is contagious. Anywho, night night!)
'Shorted that's a good thing..' He thought but then made himself pay attention to what else she was saying. Finding herself, such a deep thought and purpose for someone who just woke up from death. But she felt she didn't know herself, and to be honest he was curious as to if he was seeing the real Hime now.
"Yeah, I bet you will. And I'm sure we can all try to help you in any way we can." He said and looked at her face though she stared at the moon. It had a pretty glow to it, her skin catching the pale light. A thought of Freya hit him and instantly he made himself recoil from his image of her. "I'm serious though," Mateo said taking her hand, tryin to use contact as a way to stress how he felt, "Since Rei's not here and Arata is-well himself, if you need anyone to help you with anything. I'm here, alright. So you don't have to do anything so brash anymore, okay? Promise me that." He wanted her to be safe, much like Freya only this was something that nagged at him at the moment. He needed to hear her say that she wasn't going to put herself in danger anymore, that she wouldn't leave again...