Are There Strings on Me? [Closed]

[Drake Pathos]

No. Don't burn - please don't cry - please keep a smile - please don't scream. Please don't beg, don't plead, please stop looking at me. Why are all of you screaming? Darius was trapped within a nightmare, seemingly sitting down on a floor with only a small area illuminated by a light. The shadows around him slowly keep revealing the amount of dead scorched and brittle from the wild flames that consumed their home. The bright sun eating away at Twilight Town, all because he wanted to prove something. Their bony hands revealed patterns of reddish orange veins all throughout when light struck, extending to grab hold of the boy. Darius began crying as he questioned their meaning. While he visually saw these skeletons, a secondary illusion flickered over to show him the flame-decayed flesh of those running from the depths of hell he created. He claimed to be a sun, but he truly was just a layer of hell bound to cause unfathomable destruction. As the peeling skin and melting muscle faded, leaving him with the skeletons he created, he began feeling like madness was rooting within.

As the boy had a strong enough will to hide the truth from himself, his consciousness had a mirrored endurance. In reality, the boy was clawing at himself as he traversed through the vicious portal. Screaming, the sound that would normally annoy was instantly diffused and torn away. The skeletons in his nightmare began raveling around his body, tearing at his meat. Long strands of muscle snapped and cracked against his body and the skeletons' hands while they ripped chunk by chunk. A hand from the distance plunged into his heart, and the figure revealed itself to be Amadeo. Fire burst from his body, his rage burning brighter than the wild nature of his flames. WHERE WERE YOU!? The fire consumed the skeletons, crumbling them into nothing. WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP ME? The fire formed hands and took Amadeo, slamming him on the ground. WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THEM? Darius summoned his Wildheart to his hand, pointing it down and in the process of kneeling, brought the blade down on Amadeo's chest. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! You deserve nothing but impeachment by death.

Amadeo's blood flowed down his body in an X-shape, forming a clover underneath in pattern. As Amadeo leaned up to speak, he choked on his own blood. Failing to speak, Darius stumbled away from the body in response. Faintly, the rebel could hear, "You know nothing". The body exploded in an all-consuming fire, taking Darius and tearing his life away. Awakening from his nightmare, Darius struggled to stand, surrounded by ash and scorched grass. Panting heavily, he felt a pulsing through his limbs. He flailed his body around to survey the area. Removing Wildheart from its sheath, he noticed it was still strong and unscathed. His clothes were hardly tainted by heat, however he appeared into wherever he was like a meteor. The thoughts, regret, pain and skeletons he was seeing before were left in the nightmare. Now he just felt scared. Scared of his life coming to an end and his mission failing. He was scared of whoever the governor would send after him, yet he wouldn't show it to anyone who actually saw him.

Tears fell from the boy's face. Out of all the spunk, gall and rage, he was crying out of fear. The boy curled up into a ball, eventually falling asleep. Night time came, and a light from a distance could be seen. Darius sleepily walked to it, dragging his feet from the post-sleep exhaustion. The light grew brighter, and eventually it buzzed by him. "...What?" As he awoke, his body enabled him to run after the fleeting light. "H-Hey! Come back here!" Catching up to it, the boy was met by a floating sprite. It smiled at him, wagging its tiny hand in a hello. "W-Who are you?" Giggling like a little girl in sound, the sprite spoke as if someone was right in Darius' ear. "Isn't it obvious silly? I'm a fairy! Fiery and daring! Oh, yes my fire is quite glaring! Nah, fuck that noise. Why are you following me? I'm not sprinkling my spores on you so you can fly." Darius was thrown by the spunk of the fiery creature. "Uh...aren't fairies?" "Yeah and? I'm a fire sprite. I know you humans like how they sparkle, but I'm pretty sure they are all inbred." Darius reluctantly chuckled, unable to resist because of how funny it was to hear a sprite talk like such.

"Well...I...I'm Darius. I just got here a while ago." The sprite smacked Darius, somehow making him feel the force of a full-sized person and whipping his head to the side. "YEAH! I KNOW! You came crashing like a fuckin' rock of fire. Dick." Darius raised his hands and shrugged. "Name's Ellis, by the way. Not from around here, that's for sure. So where are you from?" Darius was about to blurt out Twilight Town, but looked away in a shame he didn't know he was feeling. "The skies." Ellis shook her head, sitting on Darius' shoulder. "Well, I'm lazy. Walk around and I'll point shit out to you. Tour start." Darius had a hesitation and stutter with each step, however he did as the sprite said, being toured around a small part of Neverland. For a while, they were actually alone in the night. However, the night was young.

[Jasper Poe]

---

---

It had been weeks or maybe longer. Since Jasper landed his UFO in this world, man had it been adventurous. What with meeting Leo, his encounter with the heartless, and all the other events to have unfolded. It was down right amazing, in fact Jasper would document all of it once he could find a diary. But if there was anything to write about at all, it would definitely be notes on how much scarier Neverland was then Halloween Town.... "It gets spooky here often, I've gotta be honest. At least Halloween Town has lights, this place is all dark and empty." The skeleton's hands would push back to his long reddish tinted hair. He managed to take off his bracelet and tie up the shoulder length locks, this kept the hair off him. As a skeleton man; he previously didn't have any to tie up, he never had to worry about such trifling matters. But human bodies did all sorts of weird stuff, like sweat! "Ewe... Sweat." It would seem the teenager was covered in it as well. How terrible! He really needed to bathe soon, wasn't there a mermaid cove out by the Red Man's Territories? Jasper had already explored and marked most of the land with his photographic memory. But he made sure not to meddle to often with the inhabitants.

The sound of leaves crunching under his shoes was the only noises heard to Jasper. He was nearing the Indian's area when a voice managed to reveal itself. It sounded like a boy, French perhaps? Who in the world could he be chatting with? Jasper's pony tail slapped a large leafy bush as he uncovered himself. About thirty feet away a small red-light flickered and a shorter human was walking along. The light seemed to guide him, Jasper was curious as could be; so predictably enough, he observed them. Confused was the word to explain the halloween-towner's emotions currently... Poe was unsure how to go about meeting humans anymore. It seemed as if anytime he spoke with them it ended in battle or rejections of some sort. They always misinterpreted him as this 'Dodahl character' or 'a monster', while all were very flatteringly... It still hurt when someone slapped him in the head. Thus, he would not make himself known until after the possible hostility seemed to pass. While waiting out the storm Jasper noticed smoke off in the distance Darius was heading towards.

[Drake Pathos]

The light floating around Darius would be seen as nothing more than a bead of fire trailing as the boy continued to walk. To those outside looking in, he was simply talking to a moving fire that did not respond. As the two traversed, Darius "heard" the sprite speak more to him about the world. "Since I can't really go too deep, what I do travel through I've learned a few things. This place? It's called Neverland and is the perfect paradise for bratty-looking kids like you. It's mostly kids, seen few adults. Gots wonders and animals and the like." Darius smiled as he continued his stride, seeing some sort of...desire in the sprite. He definitely wanted her to be his friend, having little left in the skies. After what he did, people were going to hate him as soon as they could put two and two together. Even worse, he would be identified as someone much more terrible and he didn't exactly know it yet. In the distance, they saw smoke. The sprite pulled Darius on over to another direction, making him look like he was fumbling. The fire wasn't actually pulling him, Darius was the one who truly saw that.

Darius entered the wilderness on the command of his imaginary friend, his body secreting magical energy. The fire absorbed this magical energy, however the boy was unaware it was happening. "Man, this place is pretty cool!" the sprite giggled once again, as the ginger sounded like such a kid. "Gah, that sounded fuckin' stupid. I'm just gonna pull out my notepad..." Darius mapped what he currently remembered and what they currently explored, giving a detailed sketch of Neverland as it was. Ellis floated around the pad, standing curious as to what the ginger was scrawling. "So, uh. Are you some kind of artist or something?" Darius smiled at the sprite, bobbing his head while contemplating how to answer. "I guess you could say so. I like my maps, I like my designs, and yeah my work makes me a bit of a narcissist." Ellis giggled again, sitting on Darius' shoulder (floating in the eyes of others as the bead of fire it really is).

"Nah, it's cool. Be proud of what you can do. I always think that if you do something damn-right good, you should own up to it. Have you ever shared your work?" This question made Darius reluctant to answer. He remembered his days selling maps to the bandits, and the damage it caused as well as the grief. He was exiled from his home world, and now he would be exiled from Twilight Town. If he wasn't such a foolish boy, he'd be fine right now, relaxing within the golden-hue world. "Yeah, huge mistake." the sprite frowned, shaking her head to and fro with a magical jingle to it. "Tsk, tsk. If you sold it to the wrong people, y' just gotta be careful next time! Can't go around sellin' willy-nilly. Actions matter, Darius." Darius felt something in his heart, a mixture of despair and self-loathing. He ignored it, and just slumped his shoulders in shame. "But don't worry, boy. Everything gets better. You just gotta keep your flame burnin' bright. Cut the strings these worlds have on you, and be your own person." The sprite caressed Darius' face with her tiny hand, and the two shared a smile.

The reason the flame was absorbing his magical energies was because she was coming to life. The bead of fire slowly formed her shape, and what he was imagining was coming to fruition. However, the bead had only formed her torso thus far, and the words she spoke to him would still remain between the two. "Ellis...you're the only one who's ever told me my fire is a good thing." Ellis shrugged, "Welllll not for gardening. But it's certainly something. You remind me of me, the bright spunk and the zany attitude. Just don't get too radical about how bright or how hot you burn." Darius found another opening, taking rest at a large rock. Laying down on it, Ellis decided to rest on his chest. Little did they know, they were being followed. Had Darius let his heart sing to him about the fires around, they could've possibly picked up the man's presence. "Ellis...I'd just like to say...there are no strings on me." Ellis giggled, causing Darius to furl his brow. "There's strings on everyone, kid."

[Jasper Poe]

Darius was having a good time talking to his little ball of fire. Well... Damn. Jasper wasn't sure if the kid was insane or not. He watched as the boy absorbed all the fiery damage around the smoking area and then followed them on farther. Until they got all the at too the rock.  Jasper peaked his head out of the rock to watch for a few minutes; that little ball of fire was beginning to look different.

Darius was laying down? Not good! The heartless were everywhere! Jasper felt it was probably time to make himself known. He walked out of the leafy wall that had hid his body and made a peace-sign, after which the skeleton made hand gestures for the ginger to stand at attention. His eyes glanced from left to right.  "Yo! No time for sleeping now man! There's monsters around here. Up, up, up, up!" The buzzing fireball was beginning to look odd. Was there a person in there?

Jasper couldn't exactly tell. Though, it would explain who Darius had chatted with before now. He squinted at it, but shook his head moments later and turned all of his vision back onto Darius Fetch. "If you sleep, the big ants will get ya. They're black and they've got big glowing yellow eyes.. You have to stay awake or they'll get you." Jasper Poe attempted to explain. He wished he had a name for those black monsters. It was so strange too him.

[Drake Pathos]

Noise revealed the person closing in before they came into sight. Immediately, Darius' hand darted to the side, wildfire releasing itself to shape his blade in an instant. Ellis hid behind Darius, who saw a skeleton man approach. Flashes of what he dreamed about would encompass his vision, the dead being shown before him. Darius began to tear up as his face twitched. Ellis floated around him, putting her tiny hands on his cheek, or at least that what he thought happened. The fire just floated around, faintly having the beginnings of limbs grown. "Darius, kid. Calm down, what's wrong?" Darius' heart was pumping full of fear as he saw the skeleton man as the dead from Twilight Town now torn of their flesh and their bones charred. "They're....They're right in front of me. They are all crying...screaming. Why do they have to remind me?" Darius couldn't help but have to fend off a panic attack. He was already seeing things such as the dead. The man before him wasn't even what he thought he was seeing. As he spoke, the image of the dead all spoke in unison with varying voices.

"Shhh...they aren't there. Don't worry, kid. Calm. Calm..." Darius took a moment and began feeling the rough pump of his heart start to lessen. Looking into the eyes of the sprite, there was something mesmerizing about when their stares met. Darius seemed so lost without someone, and now Ellis was there to make him lose focus of everything around him just so he could be put in a trance by her eyes. Sniffling, Darius nodded his head at Ellis, but kept his sword out. Once he accepted that he was seeing self-illusions, he saw the skeleton man for what he really was. "Heartless? Well blimey, mate. We have to kick some arse, little dark buggers just shite all over the wonders of worlds, right?" Darius spun his sword, walking with a bounce to his step. Smiling at Jasper, Darius had the zany gusto returned to him. "Well, les' not run with our cocks between our legs. Where are the little fuckers?" Darius' sword was emblazed, ready for being the light to the darkness and slayer of what lies within.

[Jasper Poe]

The flash of a weapon made Jasper jump, his head bouncing into air as well. In defense his own weapon would blow up in an puff of black smoke and bats. It was a large black scythe by the name 'Reaver', the skeleton's eyes squinted. He was pretty lost at first until he peered down at his hands and discovered that his human form was toggled off. "Oh my!"

In a quick second the males; all of Jasper's bones would be buried by muscles, tissues, organs, and skin coverings. The skeleton was overcoated in a transmutation. His hair fell back onto his face and with his brow raised, the character watched the fireball (Ellis) zip and fly around Darius's head. "Humans are crazy! Why are you all so violent!" Jasper backed up a bit as the possession occurred. Or whatever the hell it was.

He then quickly lowered his sickle-blade when the boy's face lit into a smile and his entire vocabulary shot into a blur of slanted speed. "Heartless?? Yes, yes! That's a good name for them. Cocks? Is that what they're called?" Jasper peaked in his bridges and quickly shot his attention elsewhere. "I didn't know what the hell that was!"

The skeleton boy made a funny facial expression. But all laughs aside a large group of heartless would blow up around the three. Full of shadows and red noctures. A few blue rhapsodies as well. When I say a lot, we're talking in the double digits! "Awe Man!!!"

[Drake Pathos]

Darius reacted immediately, throwing his sword to ricochet between three shadows, hitting a red nocturne in the air before the sword spun back into his hand. Batting away shadows, he was shaking his head as he entered battled with the little buggers that he had to protect his friends from before. It reminded him he should try to catch a ship and try to find the castle, wondering if it'd be in a whole world or on its own. There was certainly a different feeling being within it from regular worlds. Focusing on the fight at hand, Darius triggered his Heart of Ember, fire encompassing his body as well as adding to his blade. Walking over to a shadow and casually grabbing it, the heat forced a mist of darkness to exude. Squeezing while batting away defensively, the shadow eventually popped and the darkness flowed away. Looking at each shadow or floating dark mage he struck, he saw flashes of them being the shadows of the people he killed. However, it was clearly impossible. He was in an entirely separate world. Ellis floated nearby, trying to calm the boy.

Entering a flurry, he would continually stab and slice at the shadows, fire beating against his body from the red nocturnes. Bouncing his sword off the ground and into a red nocturne, it bounced to another and back into his hand. Jumping up, he uppercut a red nocturne and destroyed it. Grabbing the other, he was held up in the air for a moment, taking his sword and stabbing repeatedly before it disappeared. Then, he would engulf the field in fire as he swept his blade, releasing his Break Burst, taking away the shadows but leaving a few for Jasper. Most of the blue rhapsodies and red nocturnes remained due to his mostly-grounded attacks. "Darius, you gotta hold your fuckin' horses! Calm...down." Darius' rage was visible across his face, and the sprite that was taken form could now visibly be seen caressing his face. However, only he could hear her still. Darius trembled with projection, somehow blaming all the death he caused on the heartless that currently plagued him.

"Oi, mate. Stop staring at your prick and wack some of these little brats! Not supposed to stroke yourself in the midst of battle." Darius pointed his sword at the man, watching several spells fly at him at once. The man was an oddity, one that switched from skeleton to fleshy as well as not knowing what the hell a dick was. "He's a virgin." "Well, a'least he ain't done in by some fuckin' Sallies. Trust me, you need a mage for the kinda itch them Sallies give." Ellis and Darius nodded as they were given a moments reprieve from having to fight.

---

Spoiler:

[Jasper Poe]

Jasper chortled. In all honesty he found it funny, he found everything funny. It wasn't that he meant to be oblivious to what it was. But as a skeleton he'd never needed nor seen one. This moon magic was very weird; skin in itself was very mysterious to the boy as well. Though, he decided to just leave the impression of virginity with his company. It seemed to spawn some sort of chitter-chatter and that was much better than other things. Such as ignoring or even running away with bloody screams of hell and terror. Darius seemed to have cleaned himself of those before the arrival of the black uglies.

The black uglies, or heartless, as Darius called them were already being rekt and beat to hell by what appeared to be a bouncy-blade technique. That was really cool! Jasper wished his scythe could bounce, then he would be some top notch shit! But oh well, a settling for what he had was fine. Darius had his own tricks; but Jasper carried around a select few two. He wouldn't be outclassed by buzzing embers and bouncy ball swords. No sir! His style was much more of 'the annoying' type. For one let's start with his powers over the body.

Jaspers arms immediately dislocated and levitated around him, spinning as the momentum gained. Until he was literally an armless handicap, but with a shield... I guess it could be called that. The blade then began to spin around as well. Creating an even 'more" versatile shield of sorts. The spinning offensive barrier was no short-coming skill. First his used his base ability: "Skeleton Man" to pull off both limbs. Then, with the aide of bone displacement method, the boy controlled the arms telekineticly. While making them spin around his body to the right he forcibly made the wrists spin in the opposite direction causing a malestrom-tornado to form. Since the bones were as strong as him physically and this close. Winds or other powers to knock off his skillset would fail to work. He had literally made a shield of pure scythe.

You might ask yourself what he would do next and it was all quite simple. Darius stayed busy tanking with attention, leaving Jasper time to charge his blade speed. So by the time Darius or Ellis could really pay him mind; Jasper started galloping towards the heartless. It was obvious that he took nothing seriously. But his control over the rotations and telekineticlly mastered bones... It was nothing slight of mastery. A red nocturne attempted launching fireballs, it was a sad attempt. The blade batted all incoming spells and projectiles to the side. And as he closed in the blade chipped and shredding doing base damage on all nearby enemies. Thanks to the sheer speed and velocities. The blades cut them down so fast they exploded and dissipated quite quickly.

Jasper took a minute or so longer than Darius, but he came out unscathed as well. When he finished his bones dropped to the ground. The scythe desummoned as well, but Jasper was laughing too himself. He bent over and the arms reattached themselves telekineticlly. He then used his free hand to twist and tighten them on. It was very strange but his style was interesting. At least he presumed so, Darius by far exhibited greater talent and raw power. That much was for certain.

"Sorry for such a long wait! I am.. Much weaker a fighter, I did a little messing 'round with magic in the past, but to be truthful that was the first type of battle victory for me ever! Killing those heartless sure does feel good. I take it you've fought them before? Hah! And here I was worried about the safety of a warrior. Pardon my ignorance in such matters, man~" He offered the ginger a high five. Regardless if the kid clapped it or not he would give himself a high five as well. Before turning his attention to the fireball... Wait, is that? A fairy!?

---

- Bone Displacement Method! - Used -

[Faye]

Vulgar and crude… and yet, somehow curious. Faye thought, as she watched the two strange boys below from a tree branch. Held aloft by strong thick vines, she very lightly kicked her feet, moving herself back and forth in the floral swing she had given form.

The sorceress had been traveling alone through the unfamiliar world, desperately searching for some answer that could help save her own from the shadowkin. So far, she had been unsuccessful. For each answer she received, a dozen questions took its place. It felt like she was going around in circles, chasing after clues, only to wind up biting her own tail. Where was this weapon of light and its wielder her tomes had mentioned? How many worlds had she searched with no sign? Faye did not know, only that it was the key—quite literally— to banishing the darkness from the Enchanted Dominion. Before she had ventured forth from her home, she made a pledge that she would not return until she had the solution to its survival. No matter how badly her heart ached to return to the lush green forests nestled within the mountains, she could not. Not until she found the Keyblade Master or another means to saving her world. There was a promise to keep, and she would not fail. No matter the cost, she would find a way.

A tiny flame had caught her attention in the distance, which eventually led her to the two teens and the sprite. There was trouble afoot, for the boys had been surrounded on all sides by Heartless. Some of which were familiar incarnations and others not so much. Rather than jump into the fray to help, Faye remained concealed, observing from a distance as was her nature. They fought the fiends off quite well, and she saw no need to intervene. It was a relief, and exciting to see as well; though she would never reveal such by her expression.

The boy who seemed to be talking to the wisp had fought with a reckless passion, laced with rage. It was clear for her to see that there was no discipline there magic wise or anywhere else for that matter. It was rather irksome for the sorceress to see. The other boy, an animated skeleton wrapped in flesh, had made her stomach churn. It was the first time she had ever witnessed someone detach their limbs to use as a weapon. Hopefully, he would not display that attack again anytime soon. Faye was not sure her stomach could handle it.  

I see that one possess the burning curse as well, throwing it around like a madman. she thought as a sneer touched her ruby lips. A violet had bloomed upon the vines, one which she plucked and began to gently caress its silken petals. There appears to be a— yes, a fairy in his company. Hmm… quite different than the ones I am accustomed to seeing back home. I must admit, ‘tis a relief that they are not restricted to my world alone. The sorceress placed a finger to her chin, recalling the fire sprite's manner of speech. Well, maybe… she released the flower from her hand, allowing it to float down near the teens. That was one way to make an entrance.

[Drake Pathos]

The man Darius fought along side with was quite strange, detaching his limbs and flailing them around in an effort to defeat the heartless before them. He accepted the high-five with great energy...so much so that it might send Jasper flying. However, he remained was entranced by the sprite that guided him through the battle. She kept him at ease, protecting his mind from the corruption of anger and rage, all of it made by his own actions and projected self-loathing. What he can wack would take the full force of his regret, and that is how it would be for a while. However, things such as Jasper kept his mind at ease with the wonder of work that has yet to reveal its origin of function. Darius walked over to Jasper after they had finished, finishing off a shadow by tossing his sword at the ground as it lunged, letting it ricochet off the ground and bounce off the heartless' head. It would do a triple spin before landing back in the boy's right hand. Spinning the blade upward, he would catch the tip on the brink of the sheath, slamming it shut. "Good job, mate. You decided to wack them around instead of y'self."

Ellis smacked Darius, causing him to wince in pain. "Be polite you arse!" Darius scratched the back of his head, grumbling in response. Ellis and Darius seemed to have instant comfort in going such lengths as to abuse each other with words or strikes. Ellis was simply trying to keep the wilderness of the boy in check, nothing more. What made the fiery fairy this way was an oddity. "Well, anyways. The name's Darius and this, here, is Ellis." Ellis waved cutely at the odd man, however she had remained by the boy's side. "Nice to meet you! Sorry for this psycho, here. He's a bit of a wild one." Darius and Ellis stared with evil in their eyes at eachother. "Don't worry, I think they're all gone now! Now, let's- hm?" The fairy flew to a flower, trying to catch it but resulting in it scorching into ash. Saddened by her flaming touch, she looked onward to see a figure from afar.

Darius looked in the same direction as Ellis, walking on over with a cocked head. "Oi, Who's'at over there?" Pointing on over to the distance, Ellis hid behind Darius' head. "I dunno...Fetch, pull out the big stick." Shrugging, Darius summoned the sword in another gust of wildfire. Taking a defensive stance, Darius made it clear he wasn't intent on fighting, but was prepared to do so. "B'sides the show-ery, wha's your name?" Darius peeked on over to the skeleton-to-flesh-man. It was rude to go without introduction.

[Jasper Poe]

The impact of Darius's clap was most unexpected, it caused the Trick o' Treater to stagger back, while also causing his hand to burn from the raw strength thrusted outwards. This resulted in the negation of transmutation; revealing yet again a complete skeletal fiend, wrapped in nothing but clothes. Jasper quickly repositioned himself, and came back to his senses only for his frown to respond at another insult from the ginger. At first it was funny to the skeleton. But now it was growing into more of a humiliation, an embarrassment... The monster's thumb-bone slid under his nose holes, he felt an itch there without the flesh.. It was pestering his nasal area.

After Darius halfway insulted and complimented the ghoul, the fireball jumped forth in defense. A shrug was offered up to the fairy, however from the way he moved, it was obvious he was thankful. "Oh it's really no mind. I'm actually glad he's so blunt, I prefer it over other things. If everything was sugarcoated well... Then it would be boring. Sort of like my home, everything was about sweets or scares. I enjoy the unexpected. Its a thrill." The skeleton stood by allowing them to chat up the place for a few more minutes. "Oh! Wonderful names. Nice to meet you both." Upon meeting two more people, Poe's mind zoned out for a few moments; Missing the argument held together by his temporary party members. He began to name off all the oddities that had happened in the last two weeks... It was all strange too him...

His vision was trained at the night sky. While his voice remained muted for the minutes to follow.

When his curious self came back too... Gaping empty eye sockets observed Ellis whe she burned through a flower. Darius jumped at the possible arrival of a third individual. Darius was much quicker to hostility than even Terra was. Humans are so rough and violent. I wonder what makes them think we're the monsters! Humans are the scary ones.

"My name is Jasper. Sorry for not mentioning sooner." The skeleton tucked both his skinless hands into hoodie pockets and paced forward ahead of Darius. His eye-holes squinted. And his bony jaw shaped into a smile. "Well hello, hello! Are you a heartless?" Jasper had a strange feeling that the mysterious encounter wasn't. However his natural bone displacing defense, was probably more suited for a scouting mission. (If an ambush was trained on them, Jasper would make the perfect opening for his comrade.)

[Faye]

The sorceress gently tapped the long nails of her Wyvern Gloves against the crystal ball in her lap; the little violet fire inside began to glow a bit brighter, humming softly in time with each beat of Faye's fingers. Hostility was not unfamiliar to the woman. Back home, she was met with passive aggressive behavior on a regular basis. A human raised by fairies was an oddity, and anything different was frightening to the people of the Enchanted Dominion. After the mass murder performed by one mysterious masked man, magic was feared more than ever. It was a pity that the foul deeds of a few could completely ruin the reputation of an art in only a short time. Faye had been told that once upon a time, magic was a normal part of life, a gift the fairies gave freely to the people.

After the slaughter of the nobles, the people placed the blame on the fairies, accusing them that they had sat by and allowed the dawn of anarchy to rise. Ever since then, the magical beings and the humans had been divided. They had turned away their greatest allies against the darkness without so much as a second thought. One day, she would make them see the error of their ways. She would show them that they could find salvation in the magic they denied. Although she would never admit it to herself, she wanted to show them that, sorceress or not, she was the same as them, a human. Not a witch, not an evil fairy, not a Heartless...

The things one will do in their fear. Ignorant fools. The lot of them. Faye let out a small huff, unable to restrain her thoughts from wondering back home. This was no time to have her head in the clouds.

With a shake of her head, she came back to reality, turning her attention down below. "Greetings." she said; her tone was soft and regal like in nature; her expression was calm, but serious. The Wisp Sphere rolled out of her lap, hovering behind her in a violet glow, almost as if it had a mind of its own. It circled her a few times, bouncing from side to side in a joyful dance.

Twirling her index finger, the vines began to grow, lowering the floral swing until she was close enough to reach the ground. The woman gracefully rose to her feet, smoothing out the ruffled skirt of her long extravagant dress. It was as if she had jumped right out of a fairytale, very out of place, indeed. "Do I appear to be a Heartless?" she asked the skeletal teen, holding back the tinge of frustration she felt at such an accusation. Clearing her throat, she reminded herself that a proper lady had to be patient and understanding. Especially with those younger than her, even if it was only by a few years. Heck, someone could be a year younger than herself and she would almost always treat them as if they were a child. "I suppose one cannot be too careful, though." holding out her dress, she bobbed a curtsy. She had to remember her manners. "A gleam of light and the faint sense of magic caught my attention from afar. T'was what led me to you three. I understand this light was you. Ellis, was it?" she turned her attention to the sprite, more curious about her than the two boys, it seemed.

[Drake Pathos]

Ellis flew up and dropped down onto Darius' head, kicking her legs up and down and bobbing her head left and right. Darius sheathed his weapon and gave an energetic wave. "Hello there, and for all I know, heartless are those little black creatures. Oi, gotta punt the fuckers to death. Annoyin' lil' shites." Ellis sighed at Darius' instantly vulgar language. She was going to have to teach him how NOT to be embarrassing to the public if they were to journey together. Weird. The thought of sticking with the boy just popped in her head, and in the head of her partner. The two just...let it flow together. From meeting and touring to just being outright partners. It just...happened. It didn't actually feel weird at all, as if the pieces are snug-fitting. Leaning in Jasper's direction, Darius made the stretch to look at him. "Oi, bone'n'fleshy man, probably shouldn't do that arm floaty thing. Not everyone finds that cool like I do." When Ellis was addressed, she put a hand on her chest and struck a mocking pose to seem overdramatic.

"Oh...me?" Darius rolled his eyes, but thought about what other kinds of things could possibly heartless. Closing his eyes, the heat from his heart streamed throughout his body, granting him greater sense over the magics of the world. Both Jasper and Faye could be felt purely for their magic. Faye, herself, gave him some sort of tingling feeling. Smirking, he felt the fire within her reach out to him. "My heart...it feels the flames within you. And you, Ellis. Well. No wonder you're a fuckin' roman candle." Ellis made a face of annoyed expression, wondering why Darius was being so random. Darius just looked away, staying quiet after even finding his own words annoying. Scratching the back of his head, the boy watched Ellis floated on over to Faye and wiggled her fingers in a form of waving. Flying about, the wild sprite seemed quite happy. Darius, on the inside, was a bit jealous that he wasn't the center of her attention. Grumbling underneath his breath, he crossed his arms in frustration. "Now, missy, what be your name?"

---

Used In Your Heart Shall Burn | 120 MP - 25 MP = 95 MP Remaining

[Jasper Poe]

Jasper would've twisted his entire head around to meet Darius, but perhaps the ginger's words were right. Females seemed to think the dislocations and mental control over his skeletal structures and alterations were hideous. Frankly, the human-skeleton thought it be very handy. Cool even. But meh; fleshies were always kind of weird in the ways of 'acceptance'. Jasper decided to keep his mouth closed. He really wanted to check out skull rock again. He'd seen it once; but it was fairly weird... It felt like something was pulling him along that way. This is where he made the decision to leave the crew.

This island had one last thing for him to do. "You're right. I'll have to be more courteous. Anyways, I think it's time we part ways now Darius. It was great meeting you and Ellis, man. I'm sure we'll encounter each other in the future. Maybe sooner than expected. I've gotta run." After finishing up his farewell the monster left the scene with a wave. His destination... Skull Rock!

[Topic Exit]

[Faye]

Faye gave a polite bow of her head, allowing a few strands of her wavy locks to rest gently over her shoulders. The fiery teen's language was a bit startling. It was not a complete surprise, I mean, she had overheard it from before. What really shocked her was that he continued to do it, even though she was in his presence, a lady. Did that not matter? Was he perhaps a sailor of some sort? Maybe a fisherman's son? If that was her lot in life, the sorceress would do more than let out a few curses if she had to work with smelly fish all day.

Faye decided to believe that he didn't know any better, rather than take it as an insult. After all, the cultures of the worlds varied drastically. In a way, it was better than what she was used to. Back home, typical women were seen as delicate wallflowers to be protected. They stayed at the house and had children. The end. Faye had always had higher aspirations, and wanted to pave her own way through life, not have it be dictated by a husband. Perhaps his cursing was improper, but Darius was speaking to her as a person, and not just as a woman and nothing else. That was admirable. Still, his filthy mouth would take some getting used to.

"My, my..." she started, "Quite the... colorful vocabulary, you have." the woman glanced to the side briefly, lacing her fingers in front of her. "And yes, the Heartless are quite the bother. Would be that we could be rid of the fiends forever. Unfortunately, there is only one way of accomplishing that feat to my knowledge." perhaps she could ask the two young men what they knew of the Keyblade, but Faye decided it would be too soon. It would be foolish to place her trust so quickly without observing them further. Although they appeared... well, Darius and Ellis appeared fine at least. The skeleton, however, left her a bit wary. Never before had she witnessed such a sight. Jasper looked like he had walked right out of someone's nightmare.

At the mention of her possessing an affinity for fire, the sorceress nodded. "Indeed. An acute observation. Interesting..." Faye said, tilting her head slightly, finding it curious how he knew this. "Hm, I have not yet even displayed my capabilities. You are quite perceptive." looking to the fire fairy, a very  fine smile touched her lips, it could hardly be seen. The maiden was not one to openly express her emotions like some. She was rather conservative about it. "I am Faye, a sorceress. And if I overheard correctly, you are Darius, and you are Jasper." by the time she looked in the skeleton's direction, she noticed that he was giving his farewells already. Hopefully, her presence hadn't encouraged that choice. Where he was going, she was not sure, but she waved goodbye all the same.

[Drake Pathos]

Darius wasn't a son of anything that would dictate over his improper language. In fact, he was the son of two nobles that were killed while he was young. Due to the narrow bloodline of his family, this resulted in him become the level of a peasant. Whatever fortune his family had was taken by bandits or the court, thieving him of what could've been a brighter future. Darius ended up becoming the punk and terrorist he was now, looking into the eyes of the girl and seeing nothing but a person. Albeit, someone who likely thought she was above others in some form possibly related to the fire within. Darius saw how Ellis greeted her, but was set aback. He knew it wouldn't be immediate for him to be branded some criminal, however it would eventually cause his public exile. This time it wasn't map-selling, it was terrorism and he assumed that word traveled throughout space. Looking at Faye and Ellis, he wondered if there was going to be anyone to give him the solace of peace he needed in times of crisis. Crouching and fiddling with streams of fire, Darius just kept a solemn tone. "I'm simply a colorful man. I don't believe in that shite about public appearances. I am who I am, consequences and rewards and all that fiddly-do." Darius wiggled his fingers at the end of his sentence to enforce the fact that his front was the depth that people would look into.

But maybe that was a lie. Maybe the depth people saw was only as deep as his words, and how he truly thought was something he unintentionally did not show. The genius that would create his artistic abilities over magic and the craft was something that came to the surprise of others. His multi-layered words often gave the impression of a baffoon, however the underlying meanings allowed him to swerve around the pretentious nature of regular mages or the judgmental views of simple citizens. The nonchalant that he constantly beamed resisted words of sharp manner that would try to reach his ears. Ellis, herself, flew over to the boy, sitting down on his hat without catching it aflame. "Well, I just...feel it. I can hear how fire speaks to me. It's a melody of heat and passion unlike any other. The vein of flame that runs through most just shows itself to me at times. So I apologize if my connection to it perverts your purse of magi." Squinting, Darius gave a mocking apology, but it was all in good fun. He tries to topple the intelligence he sometimes lets out with words of rude nature or immature humor.

"Oh, Darius. Don't be such an ass." He shrugged, closing his eyes in a motion that showed no remorse for mocking the sorceress. "Anyways...It's nice to meet you Faye. I'm just showing this kid around, so if you would like to accompany us-" Darius' head darted to the left, causing Ellis to roll off and fall. She luckily was able to stop herself and fly upward, pouting at the boy. But she noticed ahead figures approaching. Darius bolted to a combat-ready position, his sword coming in through a burst of wildfire. His body had been set afire for quite some time, pumping via his heart. What could be sensed from afar was a source of fire, which would likely be more heartless. It would not, and a group of kids with spears would sloppily prepare to fend the three off. They wouldn't attack, simply stand there while a larger kid held a crude machete made from bone and wood. "What are you people doing here? I haven't seen you guys here before." Darius looked over to Faye and back to the kids before sheathing his sword. "Ha, you kids don't want to get too close to the sun. I'm here because I damn-well want to be. Now put the sticks and stones down before the Sun gets close to you himself." Darius had the guile and violence the kids shared, however it was false and he knew the "tough guy" mentality was what really gave dominance over the younger groups.

[Faye]

It felt like that everything this boy said had two or three different meanings layered on top of each. Faye had never come across such a manner of speech before, not even from the village dumbbell. Either he was incredibly witty or he was an idiot. The sorceress wasn't quite sure which it was yet. If whatever he said was insulting or not, she decided to pay it no mind... mostly because she didn't even really know what he was saying. Still, it was a bit infuriating, but as any proper lady, she kept her calm. Like he said, he wasn't one to hold anything back, and asking him to clean up his act... that wouldn't go over very well, she imagined. They had only shared a few words, but Faye could already tell that the two of them were very different people, probably opposites in almost every way. Would this be a good or bad thing?

Nodding her head, Faye was listening to Ellis explain what they were doing, when they were suddenly interrupted. Someone was approaching. Friend or foe? It was better to be safe than sorry. The fiery redhead quickly drew his blade in a flash of fire, preparing himself for the worst. This guy was always on his toes. Not a bad trait to have, Faye thought. The sorceress reacted in kind, though less dramatically. Holding out her hand, the crystal ball hovered into place and began to glow as the violet flames flickered within. However, the "danger" wasn't what she was expecting. A group of children came into view, all bearing weapons. A tiny smile made its way upon her lips as she allowed the Wisp Sphere to hover beside her once more.

Kids... she always had a soft spot for children. They were so much easier to talk to than adults, possessing an idealistic look on life much like herself. Their demeanor was far sweeter, and the sorceress felt like she could relate to them more. They were both dreamers. At a young age, she had always questioned why things were put into place as they were. Why did nobles get everything while the peasants received little? Why was a proper education a rare thing to have? Why couldn't a woman be in command for once? Sure, she practiced noble etiquette, but that was her own preference, not something forced upon her. The ideas that were usually weeded out over time in "normal" children, stayed with Faye, and she held them close to her heart.

Heaving a deep sigh, the fire maiden looked sideways at Darius. "We are simply exploring." she said politely to the newcomers. "And who might you young lads be?"  

[Drake Pathos]

Darius was a trickery one, his words always making someone think him the violent and ignorant boy. However, he had a swiftness about him that let him mask as a dangerous person while really just wanting to keep the weak away from him. Which reminded him to do the same with Faye at some point, as to avoid the likely notoriety he would receive. Darius saw Ellis flutter about, shaking her head as she listened to the boy. He knew his words brought judgment from the wise, but wisdom wasn't always clever enough to see the truth. Ellis stayed around him, so either she was innocent and didn't know anything or some unknown force kept her attracted. As for the mage beside him, Darius doubted that she was fair enough company to keep with him around, let alone quick enough to keep up. Looking,s till, unto the kids, they held their spears with a gusto that showed no fear. Rolling his eyes, Darius walked on over. As two kids lunged, he swerve and removed the spears from their hands and used the blunt sides to knock them down. Twirling the small spears, he tossed them to the ground. Looking over his shoulder to the other kids, they all took a defensive stance towards Darius. "I mean, really? You think you can poke me without training?" The leader put his spear and waved his hand so the others standing did as well. "Ow, Jimmy! He hurt me!" "Got no cheese for you, Sam."

Darius cackled, he putting a hand to his mouth to stop. "And you kiddos are too young to drink the wine! Ha." The leader struck Darius with a look, since they were all a few years younger for sure. They didn't like having their youth reminded of in a light that shined it as a weakness or flaw. "Hey, being young is great! Better than being old as shit!" Leaning over to the leader, the ginger put his hands at his waist. "Ye? And I s'pose you know how to down a pint in a swig? I s'pose you can summon fires from imagination," as he spoke, Darius swirled fire with his twiddling fingers, out-reaching to enhance his point, "And bed the finest ladies? I guess not. Balls ha'n't dropped nor has the pecker pumped an ounce of hardening blood. No vitaar for you greenhorns." "At least here, when the dick can give dickens, it'll be forever! You'll be using a cane by the time you're done. How did you even find Neverland?" Darius dodged the question by muttering a few words and wagging his hand. "Anyways, Ellis, time for a bit of travel, eh?" The fairy nodded and swam through the air around Darius, landing on top of his hat. Beginning to march off, the kids gave him a look of wonder.

It's as if they thought he was a role model, a punk who didn't let growing up affect him. He talked their talk and didn't give a damn about what they said. But he really just thought the kids needed more defensive training, however it was a bit dangerous for him to provide it. If people like him always popped up around their home, they would need to be able to fend such people off. Dangerous punks, even though he wasn't actually a dangerous punk. He just played that part, an honest-to-God tinkerer and map-maker. Which reminded him, he continued to map out Neverland from the places he's seen and traveled. "Is Faye coming along?" Rolling his eyes, Darius shrugged. "Fine, oh Faye~. If you want to join us, you can!"

[Faye]

Sighing, the sorceress stood where she was, watching Darius "handle" the situation with the children. Personally, she would have preferred a more gentle approach, but she had to admit; the whippersnappers were a bit rowdy. Maybe they needed that rough and tough big guy demeanor to set them straight. Still, it bothered her. After all, Faye was a civil person. A bit conceited, yes, but easy to get along with on most accounts. Not everyone was willing to cooperate, unfortunately. Her patience was a well difficult to run dry, but when it did; there was hell to pay. If provoked enough, the sorceress became the very thing her people feared. A witch, an evil fairy, a monster of nightmares. There would be no pity spared upon those that spurred her wrath. One chance. That's all that was given. Anything more, was foolish. Betrayal was not forgiven. Ever. Those that were a problem, she promised to eliminate, and swiftly. Thankfully, she had yet to be pushed over the edge, and truly, she prayed she never would be. The last thing she wanted was to prove that she was the demon her home claimed her to be. It was always there, though, bottled up from the years of harassment she had endured from humans, her own kind, since she was small. That dark part of her heart lingered, waiting for her to someday lose her patience. Her light was stronger, and kept the shadows at bay... for now.  

Well, horrified didn't even come close to what Faye felt when Darius mentioned drinking and intercourse to the younglings. She was tempted to walk up and slap him right across the face, but held back. The kids didn't need another bad example, even if they did already seem to be rotten to the core. What were these kids doing here, and where were their parents? Were they admiring Darius as they marched off in defeat? Oh light, help them. Instead of doing anything rash, she let out a disapproving hum, shaking her head slowly. The fire sprite caught her attention, and she thought over her offer. Nodding at Ellis, she decided that it wouldn't hurt to follow. "I suppose there is no harm in tagging along. However, I do not wish to be where I am not wanted, of course." she turned her gaze upon the redhead. Perhaps, she could get a better look at his eyes as they traveled. The windows to the soul... there was so much that they could say that words never could. People always reacted differently to her routine staring fits. Most were uncomfortable, and others completely misinterpreted her intentions for something more lewd. That percentage consisted mostly of men too hung on themselves to think any differently.

Different culture or not, perhaps a suggestion or two wouldn't hurt while they took their stroll. "That could have gone a bit more smoothly, I think." she placed a hand on her hip, lifting her chin. "Heaven forbid children not have their innocence sucked out of them so young. They have plenty of time to be bitter old adults and so little to just be children. Having their light shine brilliant and pure is refreshing. Though, I must say... they were odd little younglings." now that she thought about it, they had mentioned that they would never grow old. That was rather peculiar. Probably nothing more than their imagination. Adulthood was a threshold all had to cross in their lives. "You did seem to connect with them rather easily. If only it was a tad bit... cleaner. I might have been impressed." she curled a wavy lock around her finger. "Ah, but impressing me isn't the reason you're here, is it?" she felt a small smirk touch her lips. The woman could poke at a bit of fun too. It was subtle, and probably bad, but she could make the attempt. "Which begs the question. What is your purpose here?" honestly, she didn't expect an answer. Maybe she'd get a jumble of words to juggle and ponder their meaning, but that was about it.

[Drake Pathos]

Darius had a better understanding of the young than Faye did for sure, they didn't want some uptight, royalty-in-attitude person to tell them how things should be. These kids were wild, and leaders of equal wilderness are the only ones who can take hold of those in which the wild roams. He was a wild one himself, and that gave him that edge he needed to drive them away. When he noticed during the separation there was a little admiration for the ginger, he smirked while he was turned away from the kids. It was nice to have someone see him in a good way, however it was not nice to even remotely be near the role of role model. What he much preferred was what they were doing now, just traveling to see the world. It would give him the momentary escape from his issues at hand, but with Ellis and Miss Priss by his side, there were enough words to go along. Unlike the grown lady, Darius had a fluid patience. One that was a little or a lot compared to the situation and subject at hand. He was a hot fire to put out either way, so testing him wasn't such a smart idea. However, if he were betrayed? He'd make sure there was a special brand on those who betrayed him. Ellis looked down from where she sat, wondering what the boy was thinking.

Oddly enough, she felt as if she already knew. Something tied their minds together, and subconsciously there was an instant connection and care for one another. "Hey..." Darius didn't say anything, he was simply thinking of the future. He didn't want to ponder the thought of what was really on his mind. All he saw was the burning of innocents, but he still found his actions to be justified. How could a kid forget what he's done? Something like that, now that's the true brand. Ellis shifted to his shoulder, leaning against his neck. The warmth was nice, and for a moment he closed his eyes and forgot about his surroundings. "Darius?" "Yeah, Ellis?" In between Faye talking, the two had a moment of silence, and when no one spoke, she simply asked. "I think I'll stay with you." Darius couldn't help but crack a smile without any sort of sarcasm or wit. It was a pathetic one, simultaneous to the non-existent tears he would've shed had no one been around. "I'd love that." When Faye move onto her question, he froze. His purpose in Neverland? Besides a convenient escape, he was trying to find something to loosen up the tension of intense decision.

Darius didn't know how to answer Faye. His lips quivered in anxiety, since he couldn't just say out-right he came from bombing a whole city and then was on the run from whatever repercussions had followed. So simply, he turned to her with Ellis resting against him on his shoulder. "My purpose? I'm just a wayfarer. Recently came from a world that was full of corruption. Not my taste. Decided I needed to see somewhere...more free." Ellis smiled, unknowingly just reacting in accordance to Darius' will. She was happy, apparently, that he enjoyed where he was. But really it was her being happy he was content, a conscience being content with peace of mind. Little known to others, there was a large field scorched by the mighty fire of Darius' rage a long way's away. It was in a rather secluded area, so it was unlikely the trio would see it. As they strolled into more foreign lands, Darius saw a beautiful grove in the distance. "Ellis, do you know if that's inhabited?" Ellis shrugged, "Shouldn't be. Walk on over!" Darius waved his hand and dashed over to the grove. It was connected to a river and was underneath a cliff. How the vegetation folded and the light struck it gave the grove a sense of beauty and elegance. Darius walked backwards when he neared, yelling out to Faye in reference to the kids. "Oh, and by the way! It takes a punk to understand little punks!" Ha, if that's what I am, even.

[Faye]

Faye watched Darius and Ellis, easily noticing the connection they shared. Perhaps they had been friends for a long time. It was unknown to the fire maiden. After all, she had only seen the two together, and they just seemed to click so well. Two companions side by side, sticking it out together; it was a relationship that she envied. Although she would never it admit it, she was actually very lonely. Traveling the worlds was tiring, even when she was in the company of other people; she still felt alone. The adventurers she had met were fair weather friends at best, and maybe not even that.

No one seemed to truly understood the sorceress and her ways. There had yet to be anyone who truly matched her unique wavelengths. She had herself and that was about it. Sure, there was her adoptive mother and Noir, but they were both worlds away. Rosethorn wasn't always the best person to talk to about her human problems, and Noir... well a horse can only listen. Thinking of her animal companion, she lowered her head. Her heart ached for her equine friend. It had been so long since she had stroked his velvety nose, or brushed his silky mane. At any time, she could call the stallion to her aid. Maybe she could do that today. Just for a friendly visit. While her mind had been wondering, she just barely caught the redhead's response to her question.

"I see." she said. Whether he was telling the truth her or not, it really didn't matter. It was his business in the end. "'Tis a good a reason as any."


They continued onward. Darius and Ellis had their own conversation of little words while Faye remained silent, admiring the flora and fauna that they came across. The trees and flowers were wild and free, growing wherever they pleased, squeezing and twirling into any shape or form that they desired. There was no hand to guide them, but unlike the Deep Jungle, however, it wasn't completely unruly. This was more natural, or at least, in Faye's opinion of the landscape. The tropical forest was something she could admire for what it was.

The sorceress came back to reality when she noticed Darius quickened his pace, dashing through the trees with Ellis fluttering close behind. What is it now? Lifting her crimson skirt off the ground, she moved a little faster to catch up to them, but not by too much. Running? Please. Not unless she absolutely had to. Ellis was easy to see, emitting that glow of hers up ahead. All she had to do was follow. No need to get sweaty or trip and break her face. Using her power over plants, the trees and brambles retreated, eventually leading her to a peaceful grove nestled against a river. Looking at Darius when he mentioned the children, she gave reluctant nod of her head. "...I will keep that in mind then." and with that, she headed over near the water where she spotted a beautiful group of blue and pink hibiscus flowers. "Another lovely find!" she said, kneeling down to carefully pluck up the roots and all of one of the pretty blossoms. "I will be sure to preserve the seeds. Hopefully, they will grow well back home in my garden." leaning in, she took in the smell of its nectar and sighed. As much as Faye loved nature and its magic, to her dismay, it was not her only calling. Instead, she was more fluent with the destructive curse of fire, one she tried to always keep in check. The powers of life and destruction, it was the representation of her inner turmoil. "If I were to draw a picture, 'twould be of these beauties." Faye brushed the delicate silken petals with her fingertips.

[Drake Pathos]

Entering into the grove, Darius saw how Faye reacted to the flowers blossoming across. He smiled when he pictured the home it could be, and how beautiful it would be with cultivated flowers and his beautiful little wisp by his side. It was a glorious thought, one that gave him a warmth in his heart to cast away the pent up anger. He could live in solitude, protecting others by estranging himself but living with Ellis at the least so he wouldn't be without happiness. Even if it was truly just himself with himself, the lack of knowledge was enough to keep him content. The truth sets things free, most definitely, and that includes happiness. Darius looked over to Faye, and noticed that there was a sense of dislocation. She peered over to them when they had their moments, and she was clearly excluded from something. Darius knew what it was like to feel in such a manner, often feeling the black sheep of society for his loud mouth and fiery nature. He angered a smith while trying to help, he assisted bandits when a whole city abandoned him, and it all let him burn a city down. You don't let a kid stay to his own thoughts, it only cultivates destruction and misery.

For him? He was in a euphoric moment of not giving a shit, and would forget about what he has done for the moment of bliss he was giving himself. Ellis flew around the grove to get a better view, somehow setting nothing aflame. Darius twiddled his thumbs mentally and stayed around Faye. "Oi, flowers are beaut's but wha's' up with that foot out the door? No need to keep quiet 'round me. I'm a good ear, and plus I've had some crazy shit happen so don't leave me to yelling. No one likes m'yellin'." Darius used a mockingly somber tone with his last bit of words, mixing it in with his cockney accent that fluently melded into his words. Something he picked up through his days as a young boy, even though he knew how to speak proper. In fact, no one expects him to be the brain he is. But no one expects a punk to be a right-well engineer. Then again, there's a reason he's lonely: he's a bastard. Masks are good for appearances, but his mask has a burning consequence that has afflicted him since orphanage.

Darius can be a beam of light in a group or the person that stands on the outside for eternity. Only those on his level of tolerance and weirdness could understand accept him, otherwise he was a point of criticism and negative assumption. Didn't harm his morale immediately, but it might have been a cause for his numerous mistakes. Depending on what's underneath all the prissy speech of hers, Faye could prove to be someone who could understand her, and so he just walked in circles until she responded, but dwelled out loud on a question. "How do you see fire?" "Don't expect an answer from me." Ellis giggled, but realized the question was serious as she saw Darius look off into the distance.

[Faye]

This young man's manner of speech was, intriguing to say the least. That accent was like nothing she had ever heard, and she was still trying to wrap her head around what he was actually trying to say. What kind of world did he come from, and did everyone talk as he did? It was almost like he was trying to beat around the bush, words and all, which was a pet peeve of Faye's. The sorceress much preferred getting whatever needed to be said out in the open and done with, not place layer upon layer on a single word to give it a hundred different meanings. Sure, she admired the poetry one could weave with words; it was something she practiced often, but they had purpose, and with a little thought could be comprehended. Darius was just so different. Hearing him speak of her silence, Faye was roused from her thoughts. Her crimson skirt spread around her like a rose as she sat down on the grass.

"One can watch the hummingbird drink of the bloom's nectar for years and never truly know anything. They may see and know the process from their observations, but a true understanding will never be had without the bird's personal experience. How does the hummingbird feel? Does it think or is it simply instinct? We make assumptions, theories, on what we might believe is the correct answer, diluted by our own humanity, but in reality, we still know nothing. We choose only to believe in the lies and theories to heighten our own ego." Faye had revealed only a little behind the curtain, lowering her guard but a fraction to give Darius insight. "I am much the same with people." Although the maiden had studied and watched humans to great extent, interaction had never been her forte. Faye showed confidence in her communication skills, but there was one difference. There was no connection. Human or not, she had been isolated from her own people for so long that she no longer felt as one. This was what made her an awkward person to deal with. This is what gave her that superiority complex, or was it really even that? Maybe it was just a lie to keep her from drowning in her own despair that she would always be an outsider.

"Fire." she repeated the word softly at Darius' next question. "Fire is the life that saves us from the harshness of the sadistic winter, the doubts that plague us each day. Fire is demanding, the demon that burns within our souls, fighting to be free, encouraging our reckless acts for change. Fire is destruction, devouring every essence of green that is the forest of hearts, but from those ashes, we grow stronger and more beautiful than ever before. That is the meaning of fire." she said softly, meeting his gaze as she offered one of the flowers to him.

[Drake Pathos]

Darius saw something deeper in Faye, and decided to crouch near her, Ellis keeping a smiling but feeling slight jealously on the inside. She fluttered away, but couldn't keep away for long due to the connection she held with the boy. She wanted to give the two a moment, as she innately knew that Darius had gone through much strife in his own life. It needed explanation at times, for it could be assumed nothing weighed on the boy. No, he had many anchors strung around his heart. Many things binding it, keeping a string threaded to many places. Despair, loyalty, honor, obligation, so many things tried putting strings on him. But in the end...the fiery boy clipped them. For there were no strings on him, or so he would continue to tell himself. His sudden desire for Ellis and the desire for a cause has led him to find affection in another for once and to find that he would become a very radical person. Darius had to step beyond the idea of whether or not there were strings on him, he would just have to do. Looking down at his hands, he felt heat surge through his body. She was likely trying to tell him he didn't understand. "I don't watch. I don't sit by and watch. I am a hunter and I prey on what I want. A beast, lady. But in a world of bears, you could call me a cursed man to be amongst them. Not all beasts are the savage bears spread across. Sometimes they are much more than that. I've seen more than the average beast."

As he gently took the flower from Faye, Darius remembered his younger days when he would run to and fro places on business with the bandits. He'd steal, he'd threaten. In fact, he wasn't just an accomplice of the bandits. No, in truth he was one of them for a short while. He took what he wanted, but it wasn't for a cause. No, it was him seeing a life style that was free and didn't let the letters N or O bind them to inaction. Sometimes people needed to overcome that barrier, it just took age to know the right times. Whatever the bandits did was birthed from improper timing and the lack of morals. Darius wouldn't deprive himself of the right to taking action into his own hands when he felt it was needed, even if he had to break his own moral rules. However, he still had yet to learn exactly when to act. "Besides, it isn't the hummingbird satiating their hunger. It's the fuckin' lion's mind you must be mindful of. Articulate. Altering to the will of nature. Adapting. Adoring the sight of their prey and savoring their appearance." He put a hand towards Faye, but not in the monstrous way men normally put their hands towards women. No, he wanted to lock gazes for true purpose. Someone couldn't peer into the hearts of others truly without direct sight into their windows.

"Faye. I've done something terrible, but it is small in comparison what I am prepared to do. That is why I ask if you see fire in a certain way. Because fire is so much more than what you deem it. I bring ash to everywhere I stand, yet I refuse its nature here. I let it breath life into me, and I let its patterns flutter through the air. There are messages in the fire, you just need to know how to read them. Fire is passion. Fire isn't just a sentinel or a devil on the shoulder, fire is its own being. You don't command fire, as it is your heart and soul and love and hate. It is everything within you and you are everything within it as fuel. You must drive fire in a direction or it will burst into wilderness and consume everything around you. And I don't know if anyone sees it...All they see is a boy who spews it everywhere -- and they have a damn good reason to believe that. But as you said....we all know nothing. Not until you touch it, feel it, EMBRACE IT!" Darius used his other hand and swung it into the air, releasing darting sprites of flame that manifested into various animals. An eagle orbited around several dangling vines before changing orbits. A deer hopped along the air, a horse dashing in elongated orbits. A rabbit nervously took its springy step through the grove and a featureless fairy flew throughout. The wisps of fire eventually died, but none of it brought flame to the grove in a harmful manner. "I let my heart and mind connect and then I bond with the fire within. We are no longer two, for we have become one. Let the fire within you fuse to your heart and unleash it upon the worlds."

Darius sprang to his feet, spinning back around and offering a hand to the sorceress. The flower was still in hand. "Have you ever taken a risk? I'd like to make this home but I must seize opportunity before the reapers come. And I need to know if you'll take the risk of a dance because as a boy, there are joys I have been deprived. Don't think me the foolish punk you'll see me in public. When someone hears a meaning, they must look for the second and be wary of the third. Sometimes a fourth hides in the shadows and it is not always the same silly affection encompassing these things. Intention is a finicky thing, but lass, I can assure you my intention is pure to one meaning and that is joy." Darius smiled while Ellis stared from afar, sitting on a rose without burning it. She wouldn't say anything because his happiness was the prime directive. He created her for his joy, and right now he wanted to engage someone in an interaction that lacked the ignorance of most or the violence of those annoyed.

[Faye]

Tilting her head in an inquisitive manner, Faye listened curiously to the redhead, and found herself interested in what he had to say the longer he spoke. To think that he wasn't just speaking gibberish she could hardly make sense of was surprising and even more so that what he said... well, it definitely struck a cord with the sorceress. Perhaps, he wasn't such buffoon after all. Yes, it all had to be a front to conceal himself in plain sight. A clever and befitting mask, she had to admit. He certainly fooled her. The young man had made some good points that she could not ignore.

Faye was well acquainted with lions, or ones that thought themselves as such. Lame hogs was a more befitting names. Overconfident bigots were usually the ones to cause her trouble back home, and although they were a great annoyance, she usually managed to get out of the situations smoothly. A sprinkle of clever words, complete apathy, a lot of patience, and a subtle hint of malice was enough to eventually trick them out of her way. Everything was handled peacefully. Why was it a good system? Because in the end, the bullying was done out of fear. The woman was no pushover, and always stood her ground without harming them. Oh sure, maybe a scarp here and there, but nothing serious. As much as she wanted to burn them to cinders, she resisted, raising her head with pride and continuing on her way. The last thing she would do was stoop to their level. No, she was much better that, better than them. Wasting magic on fools would be an insult to the arcane. Her harassers had yet to force her to take real action. Fortunately, they were wise enough not to provoke her true wrath.

"A bear, hm?" the sorceress tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I tend to think of myself more of a fox, really. Elegant and sly. I give myself more than one option. With an ear to the ground, I observe before I act, and try to see more than what appears on the surface. 'Tis easier to already know who the potential lions are rather than jumping right into the fray and finding out the hard way." she said, arranging the hibiscus blossom neatly around her locks. "And what exactly do you want, Darius? There must be more to what you are saying." when he touched her shoulder, she flinched, her muscles tensing at the contact for a brief moment before finally relaxing.  

The redhead's fiery display made her smile, one she quickly tried to conceal behind her hand. His fire really was so much like her own, taking the shape of animals, breathing life into them as she could, and filling them with her emotion. For once, she didn't feel so alone. They were so different and yet, so alike at the same time. Curling her fingers, Faye created a string of her violet fire, dragging it across her palm. If he was going to be an artist and show off, she wouldn't refuse the chance to do the same. Like a glass maker, she began to give it form, plucking here and there until it had a tiny flaming body. Drawing a finger down its spine, a pair of shimmering wings and a tail was made. Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, her little creation came to life, it's gem like eyes fluttering open. The violet fire dragon stared up at Darius, letting out a small roar before it took flight.

"I do what what must be done. What I believe is right. Naturally, that comes with risks." she said, stroking he head of the flaming purple drake curled up in her palm. It soon fizzled out, returning back to her body where it belonged. "What are you proposing?"

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