The Woes of Women, Rip and Syd

[Ripley Malafei]

He had to admit, he lived in one of the biggest shitholes in the entire world. But this shithole just happened to be home and you couldn't really argue with where you felt home was. Yet he had to admit, having beggars as neighbours really wasn't all that great.

He still couldn't believe the stupidity of the people around him, remembering once a woman had come up to him, wanting change for the bus because she was having a miscarriage. The fact that he could smell the smoke from the joint in her hand really didn't help her cause at all. Needless to say, she only received a rather sharp whack around the shins before he carried on, her curse was swallowed by a high pitched shriek as she finally noticed his large and rather vicious companion.

Mustang must have looked somewhat scary to earn such a reception. He wouldn't really know, being blind and all.

Ripley turned the corner walking up the cobbled stone path heading up a hill towards his flat. The rain had mercifully left the streets bare - most people seeking shelter where they could. But the air felt heavy and muggy. Ripley continued rushing up the hill to get back home, once again frustrated at what would be waiting for him at home.

Stupid girl. Even more moronic brother. He swore, if he came home to giggling and heated whispers he was going to have his brother castrated. Idiotic randy shithead his little half brother was.

Finally reaching the top of his hill he pulled out the keys to his front door. "Mustang!" He growled out loud, telling his dog to hurry up and stop sniffing around the garbage for scraps.

He climbed up the stairs in two and growled once again to find the door to his flat unlocked.

And even more so when he felt a whirl of air pass his ear and the piercing shattering of what seemed to be something made of glass.

"What the fuck is wrong with you woman?!" Ripley yelled.

[Sydney Fulke]

Sydney sat on the bathroom floor, where he had left her.

She was shaking in the cornor, the lights out, she sat in the dark. Money was strewn around her, thrown at her before he departed. To 'help her' he had said. Was that what he thought she needed or wanted from him? Money was clearly never the object of her affections or her life up until now would have been quite different. He was all she had left. The only person who had yet to disappear from her life unexpectantly. First her parents then Zaak and now too Hadrian.

She sat, hopeless and abandoned for the third time in her life. She was at a loss for what to do. Her blonde hair sat limp on her shoulders. Her face was stained with red as tears drifted over her cheeks. He loves me. She thought over and over unable to wrap her mind around the situation. He told me, he showed me, he loves me.

Through her thoughts she heard the sqeek of the front door openining, with a sudden burst she picked up the soap dish and threw it at the wall. The porcelin shattered over the tiled floor. Leaving chiped and sharp pieces everywhere.

[Ripley Malafei]

Mustang rushed in, sniffing around at the carnage as Ripley slammed teh door shut behind him. Locking it he stormed into the bathroom, where he could hear her sniffling and sobbing. Oh for fuck's sake! What was it with women and crying?

"Look, I don't care how moody you get when you're menstrual," He growled at her from the doorway, "It gives you no fucking excuse to go break things. You break it, you replace it." Ripley said, crossing his arms.

He heard her give what sounded like a heaved sob and shook his head. Women. Too much trouble than they're worth. The ones that happened to live with him from time to time.

"Where's Hades?" He finally asked, pushing his sunglasses up t he bridge of his nose as he did so. He wasn't about to go and comfort his brother's woman. He had better things to do, and he didn't need her wracking sobs in the background. Maybe he would play some jazz music to drone her out of he radical background sounds in the neighbourhood.

[Sydney Fulke]

Ripley, what an ass. The last person that would be of any help to her right now. She was better off sitting in an ally with rats than in a room with him. So she stood, however trembley it was. She snatched up one of the bills on the floor and pushed it into Ripley's hand. "That should take care of it." She said in a would-be determined voice if it weren't for the fact that she had spent the last hours crying. So it was more scratchy than anything.

She then passed by him and into the room her and Hadrian had shared for the past two years. She stood in the doorway for what felt like hours, more like 45 seconds, before sliding down the door post onto the floor. From there she just stared into the room, taking it all in.

All the memories flooded through her. Nights they spent together in bed, mornings with the paper... It couldn't have all been a lie, that's impossible. Inconceivable.

She couldn't have loved him enough to fabricate a reality. Trick herself into seeing a whole life that never existed. No. Something was wrong. Everything was wrong.

Tears continued to fall, she left them roll off her face and drip onto her shirt.

[Ripley Malafei]

Ripley frowned a little at her attitude but shook his head instead. He really didn't care. Stuffing the money in his wallet he walked in to the living room and switched on the cheap music player he had managed to barter for. Within a few minutes jazz music played throughout the flat drowing out any annoying noises she would make.

He could gather that she was probably upset over something involving Hades. Shaking his head again he headed into his room to change out of his wet clothes. Throwing on a pair of cotton trousers and a thick woolly jumper he grabbed a towel, wiping at his wet hair slightly as he entered the kitchen.

It seemed that the woman hadn't moved from her spot by the door.

Grabbing a cup he boiled some water for coffee and stood by the hallway. He felt Mustang push past him to get some food from the kitchen.

"I don't know what your problem is but get over it. Frustrating enough having you around here without you moping." He said, pushing his roung sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose before turning around to grab the coffee beans.

"And clean up the mess you made!" He shouted. "Mustang gets cut and you're paying his vet bills."

[Sydney Fulke]

She nodded her head slowly in response, to aknowledge the fact that it was frustrating being there with Ripley. But it's not as if this gesture had any signifigance to a blind man.

Without moving from her spot she managed, "Yes that's true, you don't know what's wrong." She wiped at her face. "I'll be out soon enough."

With what seemed like great effort she stood up and entered the doorway to the bathroom once again. The lights were still out. As she flicked them on she caught a glimpse of her reflection, ghostly. Her eyes were puffy, blood shot, and still shining with tears. Her skin was pale and splotchy. It was not Sydney at her best.

She breifly left the bathroom to retreive the dust pan and bush. When she returned she got down on her hands and knees and began to sweep. She was too lazy to ague with Ripley and thought it better just to clean the mess.

When she finished she dropped the chardes into the waste bin and stood again. Her heart was pounding as she surveyed the small tiled room. How Hadrian had just sat there and told her they were done. He was leaving. No real reason. She was simply 'better of without him.' She begged to differ, she was far worse without him.

[Ripley Malafei]

The jazz music continued to filter throught the flat, drowning out most sounds but Ripley's sharp hearing could at least detect the sound of her brushing away at the shards she had created. He held in his mild surprise at her actually tidying up withuot a sharp quip at him. Usually she was a right fire-cracker around him, never missing the opportunity to insult him or make his life that little more difficult than it already was - despite the fact that he had let her live under his roof.

He shook his head, stirring his black coffee. He was about to throw the spoon in the wash-basin before the tiny good part of his concscience arose.

A few minutes later he emerged from the kitchen, walking over to where he sensed her presence.

"Here, just don't go throwing it about the walls." Leaving her with the hot chocolate - Hades always re-itterated how much she disliked coffee - he walked across the small hallway towards the living area. Ripley may have been cold to people, but woe betide him should he not at least slightly comfort a distressed woman. It was a small gesture which she probably wouldn't really accept fully anyway - he could at least say he tried.

Placing his coffee on one of the side tables, Ripley collapsed into his chair (no one else was allowed to sit on it) and put his feet up, trying to relax a little after the long day's work.

[Sydney Fulke]

Sydney had collected the money off the bathroom floor after cleaning up the mess she made. She was now sitting in a corner, sorting and counting it. She knew how much he made and was guessing this was a good chunk (if not all) of his savings. He was giving her everything except himself. She was still at a loss of what happened but had come up with a plan at least.

Her sortign was interupted by Ripley's presence, he handed her hot chocolate. A seemingly nice gesture for such a bastard. "Is it poisoned?" She asked more to herself after he had gone into the other room. She wouldn't put it past him. So she simply set the cup aside and finished.

With the money sorted she folded it neatly into an envelope and took it with her back into their room. There she pulled out a small black traveling case and began dumping clothes into it. She packed her warmest stuff, sweaters and long pants, first. They'd be most needed seeing as it was winter. She then filled the rest of the space with whatever was left. Not all, but most fit in the bag. She didn't have much, always felt guilty taking from Hadrian. And Ripley was one to always point out how she was 'using him' and 'stealing from him.' ...Asshole.

She left the bag in the doorway and went into the sitting room with just the envelope. "This," she said placing the envelope in his grasp, "should make up for all the trouble I've caused you. It is much more yours than mine."