Never A Crowded Company [OPEN]

[Jackson von Dubone]

"Ah, the lovely trees are looking greener around this evening. And the weather is just perfect for a wonderful picnic with my most favored brand of tea, my own tea of course." A tall, black and red-coated man spoke as he strolled through the thickest of the woods with arms placed firmly behind his back, a harmless smile greeted his face as he observed the world's hospitality so far. "Hmm..." He pondered for a moment before striking an idea. "A picnic is too bland for this kind of setting. Tsk, tsk, what on earth was I thinking? This world welcomes me with open arms without anyone to greet me." With a more profound smirk he now marched as a soldier would and raised one finger to the sky. "I shall return the favor by giving the locals a fiery welcome!"

He cackled as he placed his hands on his stomach, not even trying to contain himself. But as quick as he laughed he quickly replaced the joy with a devious smile. "Yes... who knows what kind of screams I would hear if I do such mischievous actions towards a harmless world." He then cupped his chin, now thinking of the results that could arise. "Hmm... that would mean blundering heroes will fly towards this spot in an attempt to rescue the locals." He scoffed at the thought. "Not when I'm around to crush their weak hearts in two! Then they'll realize the true meaning of a broken heart!" He cackled once again, this time louder than before to let the forest echo his presence. Since he didn't belong in Neverland, it wouldn't be long until someone would notice he was a stranger from some other outside world. All he had to do now is wait for a response; he would rather have some action to occur first before he sparks the fireworks.

[War]

War walked through the Darkness considering her last conversation with Chaos. He wanted her to go out and make a name for herself, to get some talent scouts lining up. That was how it had always been for her with Chaos. He used her as his public face for the Horsemen, used her to manipulate warlords and despots, as they would all scramble to have her at their side.

She just wanted to fight, to march into battle again. She wanted to lead troops and conquer nations. she envied the great generals of the past, their passion and skill could change the world.

Now her job was to end it. not that she regretted such a choice, Chaos was right, humanity were all bastards, and they had betrayed her just as they had betrayed him.

She came out of the Darkness and was shocked by the heat. This place was humid, but the breeze off of the ocean was pleasant. She rested her hand on her hilt as she looked around. Maybe here she would find some challenge, or at least some hot young native to have a roll in the hay with. Maybe she would find something to help her, or at least entertain her.

[Akira Saito]

IN THE END IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 480px; background: url(http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/Nekomi-hime/Backgrounds/Seamless_PLaid_0072_by_AvanteGardeArt.jpg); border: 3px dashed #000000, bTable] i know, time is a valuable thing WATCH IT FLY BY AS THE PENDULUM SWINGS, WATCH IT COUNT DOWN TO THE END it's so unreal, didn't look out below THE TIME GO RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW, TRYING TO HOLD ON BUT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW

In hindsight, taking a nap in a tree in the middle of the forest had been a great idea. That is, when you take into account that forests are normally bothered only by forest creatures and the occasional quite human passerby. As it was now, a quite loud and obnoxious noise assaulted his ears and roused him from his cat-nap. Er. Maybe dog-nap was a better phrase for it? Not that he should be lying around anyway. Slacking off seemed to be a regular thing for him lately though. Not that he was complaining or anything, though his employer might. Still, he just wanted to get away and spend some time relaxing by himself. Was that really too much for him to ask for? Apparently it was. Letting out a yawn, he stretched a bit. There wasn't any reason to continue lying there, after all, since he wasn't even tired to begin with. With his peace disturbed he wouldn't have been able to relax again even if he'd wanted too. Not with the cause of his awakening so nearby. Maybe it was time to just get up and explore this world anyway. So, Akira dropped to the grassy ground below him and scratched at his furry left ear, tail swaying just slightly behind him.

i tried so hard, in spite of the WAY YOU WERE MOCKING ME, ACTING LIKE I WAS PART OF YOUR PROPERTY 220 WORDS jackson && war TAGS ... NOTES in the end - linkin park LYRICS gia <- me CREDITS and even though i tried it all FELL APART, WHAT IT MEANT TO ME WILL EVENTUALLY BE A MEMORY

[Jackson von Dubone]

Without dropping his full guard down a faint rustling noise made it's way into his ear, halting his laughter so suddenly as he carefully eyed his surroundings. Since the noise wasn't close to the path he was walking on, it only took a quick assumption of a frightened creature to let him chuckle a bit more. "My, my, the living within these woods appear to be resting, or possibly few. Perhaps my little tricks on starting a fire just won't do." To contradict himself he snapped his right hand's fingers as he whistled a tune, a small body of a fiery orb grew alive within his open palm. Without letting it go to waste he tossed the small flame into a patch of grass, scaring off a few bugs as it devoured each blade of grass. "Whoops, no harm in loitering, right?" He asked himself before cackling once again, this time a bit softer than before as the flame made a slow move to eat more blades of grass.

"Now is the time to start some fun, but maybe a small fire was a bit undone." He cheerfully rhymed as he continued his way, not bothering to look if someone took out his selfish deed. "This place is too sweet and carefree. Perhaps I should bombard the entire forest as the next step." He suggested, tapping his chin while the flames were about to take over one innocent tree.

[Constance Helene]

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2uggv45.jpg] What a colorful world this was. Constance walked along the path that a herd of deer had likely taken; the grasses were trampled to the point that some blades of grass had resisted growing once more. Today, Constance sported a long black gown laced with white. A very drab outfit, she felt, but it would have to do. The back of her dress trailed on the ground and grew dirtier by the moment, but the Lovely Shadow didn't mind it at all. She walked barefoot, pleased with how soft and lovely the ground felt. It was cool against her feet. The exchange in Somewhere Over the Rainbow had been rather quick, once she'd finished speaking with that colorful creature, Xanadu. She had the new spellbook tucked somewhere in her dress for safekeeping. It was hot in this new world, and for a moment she regretted wearing such a dark outfit, but she looked beautiful, so it didn't matter. She was so vain. Constance's attention was drawn from a lovely carnation growing on the path when suddenly a fool's bellowing laughter echoed throughout the entire forest. The woman narrowed her eyes, but the laughter was soon gone. She knelt down, touching the flower with her fingertips and purring, "Dan cor ao meu dedos." The color drained from the flower as though it were paint being sucked through a house. When Constance stood once more, the color of the carnation had painted her fingernails, and she was pleased to continued, stepping on the now gray flower and crushing the life out of it. Without color, what point was there in living? Another cackle, even louder than the one preceding it, erupted in the forest, near to Constance, tearing her from her thoughts. She scowled slightly, but she would keep her cool. No need to do more damage than necessary. She walked, following the sound of the voice, her near-black eyes sparkling as she sought the disturber of her peace. She would not react violently. Perhaps this... person or thing was simply having fun. And besides, perhaps they were a colorful being, and Constance certainly couldn't bring herself to attack something like that. Not without stealing a little color first. All it took was a touch and some Galician and then their colors were hers, wherever she put them. She came across another path, far more trodden than the one she'd been on, and immediately she saw the large man, dressed in black and a color similar to scarlet. He wore on his head a plumed hat. This picture both amused and intrigued her. She watched him quietly for a moment, and heard his words and saw what he had caused; across the way, a small fire was quickly picking at the grass, killing it and scattering little insects. She, behind him, was not noticed as he glanced around. The man laughed and Constance knew that she had found the source of the laughter. The man continued to walk and Constance followed. For a moment she considered casting an awareness spell, so he'd know of her presence without attempting to kill her - he appeared to be a sorcerer, as was she - but she decided against it. Whatever magic he used she was certain she could counter if she could bring the words from her cherry red lips in time. Constance looked at the flame that was continuing to grow, and for a moment she decided that it did not concern her, but then the thought of all the color that it would destroy changed her mind and she murmured a wind spell - "Deixe o lume morrer cunha brisa". A sudden wind rushed through the clearing, howling through the trees, and the fire was out like a candle that had been blown upon. Constance smiled at the man and cooed, "Your display of magic is impressive, my dear. Just a snap and you've got the power at your fingertips." Constance emerged from the shadows, long hair flitting, and she waited for the man to turn and finally notice her; the wind had tossed her hair and her dress this way and that, and the man's clothes would have been rushed at by the wind as well. Hopefully he wouldn't be too scared of a sorceress, hmm? A man like that had no reason to be scared of anything.

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[War]

War continued to walk through the jungle, her eye searching for every ambush spot, her mind zing up the local terrain. War was not just an affectation to her, once upon a time it had been her life. Every moment was spent on the battlefield or some new lovers arms. Funny, she had thought she would die in a glorious battle, not humiliated and executed by lying nobles.

None of that mattered now, now she was far stronger then she had been in life and once again she would wage war on her enemies, only this time her enemy was life itself, and her soldiers were creatures born of the Darkness.

Her quite reverie was broken by horrendous laughter. She rolled her eyes, some tourist likely getting out of hand. Then she smelt smoke and other thoughts filled her head.

They had ravaged her village in minutes. Everywhere she turned she saw a house on fire as the beasts laughed viciously, cutting down the other inhabitants. She moved quietly through the ruins, trying to avoid the monstrous soldiers around her.

She turned the corner and walked right into one of the vile men. She turned to run, but it was to late, he had seen her.

War shook her head to clear her mind. She needed to stay in the here and now. She moved through the underbrush, no longer walking casually, but instead relying on her instincts of battle. Her footfalls were muted as she crept to where she had heard the laughter. When she arrived she saw the others and decided to stay hidden, instead learning from them.

[Akira Saito]

IN THE END IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER

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From where he landed at the base of the big tree, he could see the culprit through the leaves and bushes. He was still hidden though, masked by woods and darkness. And that's probably how it was going to stay. Sure, he wasn't all to pleased with being woken up but the man he saw didn't seem very interesting. Well, the fact that the man was talking to himself was a little interesting. Not enough to be 'fun' though. The half wolf/husky liked messing around. In more ways then one of course but the fire-starting man wasn't really his cup-of-tea. Not only that, he wasn't really in a playful mood today. Not like he usually was at least. There had to be better ways for him to spend his time, rather than wasting it on a guy that liked to burn a bunch of trees for no reason. Speaking of burning trees, the fire was actually getting quite close to where he was standing. And it was spreading pretty quickly. A normal person would have moved away from the area or tried putting out the fire or something. Him? He just stood there. Even as the tree he had been napping in began to burn. Then, all of a sudden, the fire was blown out by a wind that whipped at his hair, fur, and clothes. It made his tail flap around too, which he didn't like so much. The wind died as quickly as it had come and left his hair rather tousled, which he minded but didn't bother trying to fix. Instead, he looked around for the creator of the wind and owner of the voice that was now speaking. A woman, dressed in black soon stepped into view. She perked his interest a little bit, enough to make him take a few steps forward at least. That was about it though. After all, he wasn't really in a playful mood remember. Still though, stepping forward meant stepping into view, at least to the woman who had put out the flames. He wasn't sure the man with the weird hat would turn to look in his direction just because of the rustling sound he made as he moved. So long as he didn't throw another fireball in the teen heartless' direction, all should be fine though. He didn't really want to fight today.

i tried so hard, in spite of the WAY YOU WERE MOCKING ME, ACTING LIKE I WAS PART OF YOUR PROPERTY 410 WORDS jackson && war && constance TAGS ... NOTES in the end - linkin park LYRICS gia <- me CREDITS and even though i tried it all FELL APART, WHAT IT MEANT TO ME WILL EVENTUALLY BE A MEMORY

[Jackson von Dubone]

Should really destroy the land of wild trees, or leave it be and have it as a hiding location in case his fun was reduced to fleeing from a defeated fight? To destroy and throw the world's normal life out of balance, or keep it in balance only to be disturbed once he encounters with the locals? He never considered losing in a fight, nor did he consider being friendly to the locals forever. Yet it has been ages since he was in shape to properly finish an entire armada of men with one strike, specifically World War Two when he joined the Russians at the very end. The only fight he was known for, but never awarded, was the battle at Stalingrad, ambushing and obliterating over five-thousand Germans in total with only two-hundred Russian casualties in total. After all of that he knew he could do more if he taught himself how to use his natural spells to good use.

A light wind brushed against his backside as he continued to decide on Neverland's fate, the once smell of smoke that filled the air was now gone. It was odd, but then again it didn't strike him as a need to check on his fire until someone spoke behind him. It was a lovely voice, no doubts there, and he couldn't resist but to turn around and see who was carrying such a tone. And sure enough, a lovely woman, who has black eyes, while dressed in black, was impressed by his earlier display of magic. Where did she come from? Better yet, who was she and does she live in Neverland? Was she somehow related to the sudden breeze, in which she would be known as a sorceress? If so, then where did she learn such a spell and how long can she use such a handy ability? Questions, questions, and more questions was all he could think about at the moment, losing interest in his surroundings as he chuckled softly and smiled.

He closed his eyes and bowed in respect. "Please, your flattery is too much for me to bear." He spoke gently as he stood straight, whipping his wrist in order to hold a cup of steaming hot tea in his hand. "It appears I am not alone after all, unless you're a lovely figment of my imagination." He smirked before sipping his drink, not making other movements as his cup refilled itself. "Has my fun summoned your arrival, or is your curiosity always leading you to fire-wielders such as I?" After he asked his question he sipped his drink again, this time to scout out his surroundings. So far everything seemed to be fine. No one was with her, until his eyes met another pair of eyes, this time dark gray ones. He smiled at the newcomer before turning his attention back to the woman, not wanting her to notice his glance was somewhere else. Now who's the lucky one with those pair of eyes? Could it be another woman, or is it this time a man? An animal perhaps? Only the owner will tell him.

[Constance Helene]

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2uggv45.jpg] As Constance expected, the man turned to her. He couldn't ignore his curiosity - no one could. His sharp golden eyes met her deep, all-consuming dark ones, and she was pleased to see the gears turning and the thoughts twisting about in his head. What he was thinking about did not interest her, unless, of course, it was about her, and why wouldn't his thoughts be about her? Constance was a stunning lady, and she knew it; she'd come from the forest and presented herself to him in peace and with praise, and certainly that would boost his ego a little bit and cause him to think of her, no? Of course. He glanced her over for a moment before bowing deeply in respect. This brought a pretty smile to Constance's face. Ever so charming, the man brushed off her praise, saying it was too much for him. A bit modest now, aren't we? she thought, amused. As the man stood straight he flicked his wrist, and the next thing Constance knew there was a steaming cup of tea in his hand. She grinned. Oh, he's very good! Constance made her way towards him as he spoke, commenting that he was, perhaps, not as alone as he'd thought he had been, and he hoped that she wasn't a figment of his imagination. She gently touched the cup of tea, glancing at the hot, fragrant liquid inside, and then looked at his face, that dazzling smile on her face as she answered, "I assure you that I'm as real as you are charming, and believe me when I say that you're a very charming man." A smirk slipped over the man's face, though at her flattery or his own charm she was unsure. Constance pulled her hand away, resting her fingertips lightly against her collarbone, and she watched, slightly amazed, as he sipped at his drink and - without any movement or another sound - he refilled it. The man then proceeded to ask if his fun had summoned her, or if she often found her own curiosity leading her to fire-wielders. Fire-wielders, no, but adventures, I suppose so. Constance just smirked in response, and after a moment of thought she replied, "You have remarkable talents, indeed. I wish I were as lucky. The only magic I can conjure must be conjured with words." She stepped a little closer to him and rested her hand lightly on his shoulder, keeping that enchanting smile on her face. She sang sweetly, "Do you have any other remarkable talents... Jackson?" Unheard by the man, when she had summoned the wind and it had howled through the trees, she had murmured another little spell - she just wanted to know the man's name. A whispered "un nome para esa cara" and she had received his name. Jackson von Dubone. She wanted to know nothing else. He already had her hooked. The man's attention slipped from her for a moment, but in that moment of his lapsed attention she found herself able to enjoy just gazing at him. He was a little rugged at first glance - not including his very eye-catching and, in her opinion, fashionable jacket that exposed much of his solid chest. Constance was a tad picky about the appearance of the men she allowed herself to associate with, and this man here was certainly no eye sore. No, she could definitely feel comfortable around him. If he turned out to be one of those whiny little "heroes" - which she doubted highly - then she'd be a bit disappointed to have to remove herself from his company. For a moment, Constance wondered what he'd noticed; she'd seen a light in his eyes, something like acknowledgment. But she, personally, wanted to pay more attention to this man. I bet he's under-appreciated, she thought with a devilish smirk as thoughts began to whirr in her head.

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[War]

War watched with a half smile. However much of her was disgusted. She already hated alchemist for their trickster ways. Now these two, they must be magic users. Chaos had warned her about magic, and he had found out through the Heartless.

Chaos was already searching to find if they could use magic, unlike the alchemy that was denied them. She didn't care, none of that mattered to her, and it was what denied them alchemy was what gave them power over the Heartless. Their hearts could not be stolen. All that mattered to her was mastering her control over the Heartless so that once again she would have an army to lead.

She followed the man's line of sight and saw the other figure in the underbrush. So she wasn't the only audience in attendance. However the whole of this was beginning to bore her, they did nothing interesting to entertain her, and the did nothing to threaten her.

It seemed one of the magic users was eying the other as prey, but which one was really the mantis, and did it matter to her. She decided to continue watching to at least determine who they were.

[Akira Saito]

IN THE END IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER

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Akira was losing interest. There really wasn't anything keeping him here. The world itself was alright but he doubted the King would have much interest in it. The blonde man would probably want to destroy everything and the Shifter wasn't into destroying worlds. That just gave him more reason to be on his way. But, of course, he couldn't leave just yet. He did still need to take a look around the place. Aside from a little nap he had come here to explore the place a tad. Otherwise he'd have to come back to this world again later and why bother needing to do that when he could get the exploration out of the way now? Whatever. He'd just get it done now and head back to the King or something. There was a possibility he'd come back to this world again sometime later on for some reason or another but he wasn't going to leave and let this be a wasted trip. Despite having come to this place in order to get away from his duties he wasn't going to leave without checking the place out a bit more. Besides, his reasons for looking around were more a personal matter than work. A sigh left his lips as he scratched the side of his head, stepping from the shadows completely and heading in the direction or... well, he wasn't quite sure exactly. All he was sure of was that he was heading somewhere other than here. He could smell salt water in one direction, so he wasn't going that way, and he could smell fresh water in another. He wasn't the biggest fan of water other than when he was taking a shower but he decided to head in that direction anyways. And that meant walking through the little clearing the man (she had just called him Jackson hadn't she?) and the woman in black were standing in. So, after shoving his hands into his pockets he stepped forward and started on his way, walking right past both people without so much as glancing their way. Or course, things didn't always go quite as planned.

i tried so hard, in spite of the WAY YOU WERE MOCKING ME, ACTING LIKE I WAS PART OF YOUR PROPERTY 370 WORDS jackson && war && constance TAGS ... NOTES in the end - linkin park LYRICS gia <- me CREDITS and even though i tried it all FELL APART, WHAT IT MEANT TO ME WILL EVENTUALLY BE A MEMORY

[Jackson von Dubone]

My, my, she's quite attracted to his appearance all of a sudden. Not that he had a problem with that - oh certainly not at all. But what he can't shake off is what does she want from him? Luxury and fortune weren't really his style of power and deep relationships wasn't really at the top of his daily "To-Do" list. She admits being a magician such as himself, but by words rather then summoning them by hand or body movement. So would that mean she could steal spells at will, or does she copy them for a short period of time? If not, then what was she aiming for? A stealer of souls? The harbinger of murdering men of any age? But what he should be asking is who is she by characteristics. Is she as evil and diabolic as he is? Or is she the savior that brings down troublemakers like himself? Or does she struggle on the question of where her path should be on, the left or right? The answer in the end will determine her fate if she was either meant to live or to be destroyed in his hands.

"Well, well, well, you have certainly gained my interest so quickly in such short notice." He spoke before sipping his tea again, until he stopped his movements when he heard her speak his name out of nowhere. How on earth did she know his name? Was she more of a mind-reader or a witch in disguise as a gorgeous woman? Closing his eyes he lowered his cup, keeping a small smile without looking at her anymore. She isn't a normal woman, that much was obviously known from the very beginning of their conversation. To arrive after a wind blew over meant she wasn't exactly part of the world, meaning she came from outside of Neverland's borders. She had come here for a reason, and that reason was not him anymore. No, he's just an obstacle for eyes to gaze upon and look away while focusing on her main fate if destiny. Could she find it here was not his prime concern, but rather did it involve Jackson's presence or not. As his thoughts collected all of his questions in such a short period of time, he almost ignored another set of noise walking towards their spot.

Opening his eyes he turned to see the same set of gray eyes from before, but this time they came with their rightful owner's body as well. What intrigued him, as he always is to any newcomer's face, to watch the young man walk was his ears, physic, and tail. The rest of the package was to be expected but those parts secretly amused him but did nothing to affect his small smile. The man's eyes were trained to look straight ahead, obviously not interested in what was going on between him and the woman, and continued to be on his way. "Hmph, I should be the one to stop you and question your presence, boy." He spoke heavy on the last word as he dropped his cup, no crashing sound was made as the cup just sank into the dirt road. "But I also grow bored toward those who think they can eavesdrop on my conversations and walk away with an uncaring attitude."

He chuckled a bit before looking at the woman this time. "As for your question madam, I'm afraid it is not meant to be answered." He said, his calm and gentle tone he once had now twisting into something else. "Do you honestly think I am to be swooned over your appearance and nothing more? Am I merely a game for your vicious hunt for amusement?" He then turned to the young man, his lips now turning blank and slowly a disappointing look. "Is carelessness the appropriate move to display in order to be on your way and not expect strangers such as I to take that advantage and kill you? To me, both of you are just things I can either listen to or not. In fact..." He faded a bit before sliding right in front of the woman's face, orange hawk eyes bearing down on her as his cheerful face was replaced with a look of a cold murderer. "Why don't I strike you down first before you decide to do anything else? I see that looks is the best way to distract and rattle a man's thoughts and heart, but unfortunately for you..." He then reappeared behind her, this time a few feet away. "My heart is long gone, and what is replacing it's position is nothing at all. I was once a human with talented gifts, but now I roam the worlds in order to destroy humanity and it's existence." Fire soon began to swirl out of his shoulders and crawled into his palms, eyes glaring towards her with a promise of death to come. Despite showing anger a twisted grin appeared on his lips, cackling madly as he shot flames toward the sky. "Jackson von Dubone! It is a name everyone is likely to ignore until their lives have turned into nightmares! You may think I'm a crazy old fool, but that's just only the cover of my book!"

[Constance Helene]

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/2uggv45.jpg] Again the man's gears were turning. He was quick and smooth in his replies, ever so calm and cool as he spoke in response to her. She thought, for a moment, of casting a mind-reading spell, but - doubtless - he would hear her, and though she knew he couldn't understand Galician, she knew he would quickly feel her eyes prying his mind. Besides, she was only that kind of lady when she wanted information, and at the moment she didn't want information, she wanted the attention of this stunning man. He chuckled softly and commented on how well she had managed to collect his interest, and he took another sip of his unique-smelling tea. The second she'd spoken his name, something changed. Tension had instantly found its way into the conversation, and though Constance doubted that had been the best move, she never regretted anything. No longer were his captivating eyes on her. He held his tea still in his fingertips, and again he found himself lost in thought - this thought, Constance knew, was full of suspicion and doubt, and even anger, perhaps. Constance, herself, had much to consider. She had come to this world out of the boredom of the blackened heart that remained in her slender body; it had seemed colorful, and lord knew that she adored color. Not only had she found color, but she had found a man worthy of her attention, and whose attention she sought after in return. He did not likely think of her display as simple seduction. No, he seemed much too paranoid and clever a man to see it as merely that. He likely thought that it was a trap, and why shouldn't he? Even Constance knew that she was a manipulative, cunning bitch. Both Jackson and Constance's attentions were torn from their thoughts as another younger man strolled out right into the open, looking bored and inattentive. She could see that he was in no mood to take part in the games played by these two; he was in no rush, but he wanted to get out of here quickly. What a shame, this could have been interesting. The gentleman made Constance smirk. He had lovely ears, like those of dogs, and a tail that also resembled a canine's. The Lovely Shadow, for a moment, considered imitating him, but the man beside her clearly showed no interest in this man's intrusion on their conversation. She did not allow her eyes to return to the face of the man; his cold voice slipped out into the air, venomous as a black widow's bite. It was a forceful statement that he made, and he allowed his cup of tea to drop; Constance resisted reaching out to grasp for it, and instead it sank into the dirt. Constance's black eyes turned colder, and she could tell that, perhaps, she had pushed the envelope a bit too far in saying his name. The man was clearly not too impressed with this boy who'd strayed into the clearing, interrupting their conversation that had already been running downhill rather swiftly. But Constance was not to be forgotten. "As for your question madam," he had cooed in his deep voice, "I'm afraid it is not meant to be answered." The man's voice began to smolder like embers in a fire, something more sinister than she'd expected; this was not the reaction which she'd been hoping for. No, instead she'd been hoping for amusement on the part of the man. He'd not played along with her game. On most occasions, she'd have just dug her nails into his temple and cast a painful death spell on him. No. Jackson was too peculiar a game to just pass him up by death. The man was no longer impressed by her beauty and her suggestive tones. He felt that she thought of him as a piece of game in her hunt. For the most part, that was true. And now it had become personal. She did not respond. The man addressed the canine-like boy, but what he said did not interest her until he said that both of them were just things. The nerve of this man. She'd practically served herself up on a silver platter, and the fool hadn't taken the hint. Still. The man was suddenly in her face, burning eyes cold as they bored into her face. She did not look at him; a stubborn look lay as a dull expression on her face. He threatened her - Keep calm, sweet Shadow... - and his voice became a hiss that she did not respond to. She, no longer focused on his appearance but instead on his intense voice, stared at the dog child. The man appeared suddenly behind her - his voice boomed in her ears. So his heart was gone. So he wanted to destroy all humanity and every world with it. She could smell fire burning again; she did not turn. Not yet. She could still feel him, still feel his eyes so piercingly fixed on the back of her skull. Heat rushed at her as flames shot into the sky, but she felt no fear. In his following cackles she could hear anger boiling over, but there was a broad grin in his voice. He called his name - a name to be feared - into the sky. She whirled around, black dress twirling, black hair whipping, and she snarled "Traia ese home de xeonllos, o seu lume é o meu para soportar!". If the spell had worked properly, the man would feel an intense force on his shoulders and would bring him down to his knees and steal his fire; if the spell had not worked properly, however, her cry would not go unnoticed - the fire that Jackson bore on his shoulders would suddenly be pulled right from his very being to be held in the palm of the Lovely Shadow and to burn without damage against her black dress. It would be something like something breathing a breath right out of your lungs. Her eyes took on the color of his own, and she smirked. "My dear Jackson, you're much too paranoid of a beautiful woman. I wanted nothing more from you than a moment's companionship. After all, you do intrigue me so very much," she murmured breathlessly, an excitement in her eyes as they faded back to black. She held her arms wide open and the fire dissipated. If he were to retaliate, she would take it like a bitch... and disappear just as whatever weapon he chose touched her chest. No more fighting for her - the last spell had left her head in a slight fog. It was one of the newer spells, stealing someone's element from them. Constance had always adored fire... so flashy. She could only await Jackson's reaction and the reaction of the boy who'd been so absent-mindedly watching.

[/color]

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ooc ;; basically, Constance cast a spell that could 1] pull Jackson down to his knees and steal his fire or 2] just steal his fire. You can choose which happens, or if neither happens - but I think it'd be more fun if she kicked his ass for half a moment via magic. XD[/size][/div][/td][/tr][/table][/center][/blockquote]

[War]

Now things were finally interesting. these two were obviously magic users of some sort, and this Jackson seem aligned with her own goal. She sighed to herself as she realized Chaos would just send her back to "invite" Jackson to their little organization.

She already did not like him and was at least comforted that Chaos would likely execute him when he was no longer useful. However she knew Chaos wanted to learn about this magic, and harness it if he could. It would be another tool at their disposal to give them further strength in the worlds. Maybe she could send Jackson to some hopeless battle to self destruct.

She brushed back her crimson hair as she watched each one of them set up their positions. This could turn fun, she certainly hoped it did. She walked out of the woods, he hand on her pommel, showcasing the ouroboros tattoo on the back of her right hand.

She wore her black uniform and stood straight as she surveyed the others, her face calm and emotionless. She looked straight to Jackson. "I have an invitation for you, one that should not be refused lightly." She said her hand never leaving her sword hilt.

[Akira Saito]

IN THE END IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/Nekomi-hime/Backgrounds/Seamless_PLaid_0072_by_AvanteGardeArt.jpg); border: 3px dashed #000000, bTable] i know, time is a valuable thing WATCH IT FLY BY AS THE PENDULUM SWINGS, WATCH IT COUNT DOWN TO THE END it's so unreal, didn't look out below THE TIME GO RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW, TRYING TO HOLD ON BUT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW

The 'boy' stopped in his escape, ears twitching back to better catch the words that were being said. He knew they were directed at him. He hadn't seen any other guys around. Surly he wasn't referring to that woman as 'boy' just now. And even though he hadn't looked around as he walked, he was pretty sure he was the only one moving. He didn't really want to answer to such a derogatory title though. Being called 'boy' certainly wasn't a compliment. At least, that was his opinion on the word. Then again. He looked down towards the ground, a grin slipping onto his lips. He spoke in a thoughtful manner, more to himself than anyone around him, though he was sure that could hear him just fine. "I guess I am just a boy to an old man like you." He lifted his head, looking up towards the treetops this time. His voice was no longer thoughtful as his eyes moved to look at the man, it had a certain edge to it as he spoke. "Who was eavesdropping? I'm just passing through. I couldn't care any less about whatever conversation you're having." Even after finishing, he stayed where he had stopped. Even when the man spoke to the woman again, he simply stood there and looked up at the sky between the leaves. He did, or course, hear everything that was said between the two but it wasn't like he was trying to listen. He really couldn't help that he had such good hearing. Akira's eyes roamed back over to the man again before long, figuring that he was the one being spoken to once again at the mention of 'carelessness' and all. The man had some nerve, suggesting that he could have used that carelessness to kill him. As if. As careless as he might have appeared, he was quite alert to the goings on around him. He probably wouldn't have even been scratched. His ears twitched and his eyes moved back to look straight ahead of him again. He tilted his head back down so that he was looking at the grass before his feet. He was a thing, was he? Something that could be ignored? He didn't truly care, his heart had been consumed by darkness and that left him numb when it came to really feeling emotions. All the same, he narrowed his eyes and his tail stopped it's soft and slow swinging motion. His grin morphed into a cold smirk, his sharp fangs bared. It wasn't just being called a 'thing' that made him react in such a way. No. He also did so because of the other mans actions. Threatening to kill a woman who, so far at least, had shown no hostility towards him in the least. Sure, it was odd that she had spoken his name but that was no reason to get quite so worked up. And what was with the fire? His eyes moved back to the man again. His expression didn't change as he watched the fire shoot up into the sky. Was he planning to burn them then? Then the same laughter filled the air again. Still as loud and piercing as before, if not more so. He felt nothing at hearing the man call out his name. He felt nothing as he watched the fire dance. And, maybe because he didn't feel anything, he didn't move from where he stood. He just watched on, a hint of amusement appearing in his eyes as he watched the woman spin around and snarl out a bunch of words that he didn't know. It must have been a spell, though he wasn't completely sure. The flames that had danced upon the mans shoulders moved to dance it the womans' palm. After she finished speaking, she spread her arms and the fire was gone altogether. He had the erge to tilt his head in curiosity but, even though it was a hard habit to fight, he stopped himself from doing so. He quite like the indifference he was pulling of right now. And he didn't want his cold look to be ruined. Not just yet at least. And then someone new stepped into view. Not his view, since he was still looking at the man, but he could hear the movement. Her words came as a bit of a surprise, considering what all had unfolded here just recently. Handing out a verbal invitation to a man who had just threatened an 'eavesdropper' when you yourself were also an 'eavesdropper' was a pretty bold move. Not that he could say much. It's not like he was scared either.

i tried so hard, in spite of the WAY YOU WERE MOCKING ME, ACTING LIKE I WAS PART OF YOUR PROPERTY 800 WORDS jackson && war && constance TAGS <.< considering my lack of dialog i'm not sure how i managed so much... NOTES in the end - linkin park LYRICS gia <- me CREDITS and even though i tried it all FELL APART, WHAT IT MEANT TO ME WILL EVENTUALLY BE A MEMORY