Welcome to Gaia! ::

{{It was all in the attitude. twisted I won't say anything else since you're still watching it on AS. I was sad when the original ended, and when I first heard of FMA:B-before I knew anything really about anime-I thought it was a sequel for FMA and was like hell yea, but when I found out it was a re-telling, I was like, alright, let's see what direction they take it this time. And Ho-ly s**t Batman! I was really sad when it ended. I think for me, I understood Brotherhood better than the original. I did re-watch the original subbed and got a better understanding before I watched the rest of Brotherhood, but I still found Brotherhood better than the original. All in all, I just love Fullmetal. Period.}}

"You are looking particularly frustrated today. Did something happen to you?" James had shirked his public stealth for the comfort of a tuxedo. Seemingly on his way out of the mansion for the night, but still stopping by Zephit in his new room.

"Nah. Nothing happened. I'm alright." Zephit responded wistfully, laying on the bare floor of his mostly bare room. It was honestly much too big for a person like him to inhabit, as a whole colony of cats could probably occupy it comfortably.

"I thought you weren't the type to be dishonest. Come with me to this party tonight, and I'll loan you one of my best tuxedos." James suggested, a little distraught at his new companion's demeanor. Experience suggested that he knew what was wrong, but it also suggested not to jump the gun.

"Nah, there is somewhere else I'd rather be. I think I'll go there." Zephit ignored the comment about dishonesty, climbing off the marble floor. As he went to walk past James, he was stopped by a stern hand on his shoulder.

"Sometimes a man wonders if he earned any of what he has. Don't let that make you feel like you are being rude. If you would rather live on your own, just let me know when you find a place to stay." James squeezed his companion's shoulder a little before releasing him.

"I don't want to live alone. I just want to contribute equally." Zephit shrugged lightly and left the mansion on the walk back into town. James would normally insist that he use one of his drivers, but they were both in a state of mutual understanding. Zephit just needed some space.

"The driver informed me that you were tired. You could have at least stayed up long enough to chat with an old friend, Zephit." James was standing at the doorway of the empty guest room, a mock expression of hurt on his face. "It is rude to call for someone's company and then sleep on them."

Zephit scrambled mentally, trying to grasp how the other him might sound, as he carefully pulled on the other him's clothes. They were heavy and dark, and the cape was much fancier than the things he would like to wear. Still he swallowed, turning on his heel to face James and mustering up his best voice. "It was exhausting to be released. Then that cat's woman wouldn't stop yapping about bringing him back."

"Yes, well he definitely had a talent for making people care about him. Perhaps you should take a lesson from your feline friend. Then we won't have to bring escorts to every party we attend." James smirked, assuming that his partner had done the reasonable thing. That is, crush the soul of his body's former host and his woman along with him.

"So tell me how long you knew. How long did you play him until you could find a solution?" Zephit asked, keeping his voice steady against his anxiousness. Deep down he didn't want to believe that James was out to hurt him, so he had to hear it. Zephit had to to hear it directly.

"Oh. You don't remember?" James' expression went flat and he brought a hand up that sparked with electricity. "I told you specifically how long last night on the phone. Someone like you wouldn't forget that. Unless you were just some addled cat, right?"

". . ." Zephit went to reach into his pocket for the stone Liada gave him, but the spell was too quick. It was like trying to dodge a bolt of lightning; impossible. It struck him in the chest, threw him to the floor, and caused his every muscle to tremor. He could feel himself losing consciousness, staring up at James who was saying something to him. What was he saying? Would it matter at all?

Pouring a bit of cinnamon into her spiced mocha, Anira took a sip of her drink as she relaxed at her new favorite coffee cafe and read in the fall sunlight. Well it was getting closer to fall at least. The leaves were slowly changing color and the nights were getting colder. She was hoping to take Liada with her today but she had locked herself up in the mini lab for some reason. When Anira inquired about it Liada insisted that she was trying to get some research done and granted that much was true since she knew the fox demon was looking into the location of Hekate. But there was something in her eyes and her sad smile that Anira was put off on. But she knew better than to probe Liada about it. She would just have to try later.

She sighed and went back to her book. She was almost a few chapters from finishing it anyways....

:: as the water is getting close to boiling, she goes back to the bedroom to ask what kind of tea he wants, only to not be able to get in. confused Figuring maybe he's just getting dressed, she knocks ::
Miro doesn't know what flavor to make sweatdrop

:: waits a bit for an answer, then goes back to the kitchen after hearing his response ::

"You know it hurts me to do this, little Zephit." James laughed a little, pricking his index finger with a knife. Carefully he went to drawing runes, in blood, on the body of the unconscious vessel. The cat's friend had been clever and sealed the gem inside his body. Now it was just a matter of drawing it back out, with one elemental pull at a time. When all the runes were finished it made a six-pointed star on Zephit's chest.

"You see, I find the soul to be comprised of the four major elements. As well as the two elements of alignment. That would be fire, water, earth, and wind; light and darkness. A soul like yours is adapted to one or two primary elements, and clings to the warmth of light. The real Zephit's soul is different, and so I'll draw it out into a new container with this circle which uses all six parts." James continued to explain as he checked the fastenings on the vessel.

When he was certain that everything was in place, his hand rested in the center of the circle. A weak heartbeat could be felt under James' palm and just the slightest twinge of a second existence. Channeling each element one at a time, he drew the hand back. Choosing now to force his partner's soul through the barrier, and the body, rather than destroy the barrier first. With a little coercing it started to draw out, drawn to the new container in James' left hand.

The ritual went on like this until the "real" Zephit was contained in a diamond vial. Leaving James standing over the old vessel with a pleased expression. "Now what shall we do with you? Oh, you still have some property of ours. We'll remove that too, and just let you be somewhere."

James placed his hands flat on the vessel's chest again, curling his fingers as if to dig through his ribs. The flesh only resisted momentarily under his strength and clever applications of magic, and then his hand was gripping the sapphire gem tightly. He pulled it out slowly, as if to savor the pained expressions which triggered even from an unconscious mind. "I guess this makes it farewell, now. I'll have the driver leave you somewhere to die. Don't count me ungrateful, though. You did quite fine as my sidekick, but your soul isn't strong enough to last on its own."

*finally returns to the apartment early in the morning after having spent the night doing a lot of nothing at the club. He enters through the front, immediately noticing the tray set out by the bedroom door. Looking around, he finds Miro asleep on the couch, hugging one of her smaller pandas. Sighing, he goes over to the bedroom and picks up the tray which not only has the tea he had requested on it, but some pancakes as well and a note in Miro's handwriting that simply says: "Get better. Miro commands it!" He smiles slightly and takes the tray to the kitchen, dumping out the tea in the sink. Though the pancakes are likely stale and no good by now, he pops them in the microwave anyway. He hasn't really eaten anything all night sweatdrop , and it's doubtful they'd be completely inedible.

After eating and rinsing his plate, he picks the lock to the bedroom door and goes in to change the sheets, which he should have done last night after that dream he had sweatdrop Once he's got the dirty ones in the wash and clean ones on the bed, he goes back out to the livingroom to collect Miro and transfer her to the bedroom. She hugs her panda more tightly as he carefully slides his arms under her, but other than that she doesn't seem to stir.

He walks her over to the bedroom and lays her down on the bed, retrieving her giant panda for her afterward since she has the room for it now. However, when he tries to take away the smaller one to replace it with the large one, she clings to it more tightly, so he leans over and tucks the large panda in on the other side of her instead. While pushing himself back up, he pauses for a moment to look down at Miro's sleeping face, wondering how long she stayed up, waiting for him to come out of the bedroom and how many times she tried to check on him and ask if he was alright.

Brushing some of her hair back away from her ear, he leans closer and whispers.*
You're such a good girl, Mir...
*Being that close to her, he of course can't avoid picking up her scent. He breathes in deeply and immediately his mind is flooded with images from the dream he had yesterday.*

Take her twisted

*he closes his eyes and breathes in again, his hand finding its way to her cheek*

Go on. Do it.

*he pulls back slightly and looks at her again, eyes half lidded and his breathing a little heavier than before*

It's what you want, isn't it? Why fight it?
Just take her.

*quickly wets his lips and leans in, eyes closing as he gets closer, but he stops himself at the last moment*
.... I can't.... I can't do this to her...
Why not? stare

*moves away and stands, going around the room to gather up a few days worth of clothes*
What are you doing? stressed
*he stuffs the garments into a bag and takes down a few coins from his stash before leaving the bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind him. Finding a scrap of paper, he scrawls a quick note for Miro and tapes it to the door before leaving the apartment with his bag of clothes*