Hello, everyone! after dealing with real life and the other nonsense of living, panny and i have decided to bring back war of change. give a round of applause. we’ve worked through all of the information and hopefully improved coherency and cohesion; however, tell us if we missed something. eventually, we’ll announce an event to celebrate the re-opening, so look out for information on that. -RAIDNE, THE HEAD ADMIN
From the moonless night, screams of terror and fear resound, spreading across the world and infecting the masses; however, those sleepless nights occurred years ago. A new era began with the fires of war, and with no end in sight, the residents of Selene Isle trudge through life, basking in the momentary peace. Despite their prayers for continued monotony and peace, a storm brews, stirred to life by the continued presence of Rapture and Wraith. And as we set our sights on the seemingly peace laden isle, we must ask: how shall this tale end?
As the years passed, the number of true pairs increased; however, they continued to live in the shadows, catering to the whims of the mundane. Seven Moons kept watch over them all, instructing them and assisting them, but for many, the attitudes and ideals of the organization were smoldering, suffocating. With Seven Moons and the mundanes, they could not grasp the freedom, the power dangling before their eyes. In the beginning, rebellion was a dream, a fantasy, a figment—developed by the repressed and carried forward due to the nature of humanity. No one expected the call to sound, and no one expected the call to be answered. However, it happened.
For the most part, today had been like any other for Ellis, at least so far. It was still early and the blonde was out for his morning jog through the park, his shoulder length hair tied back in a ponytail and he wore shorts and a plain T-shirt, not too concerned with his appearance at the moment. Later when he had work he definitely would be, but for now he wasn’t worried about it. At some point he began to feel something, like an annoying nag in the back of his mind that wouldn’t leave him alone. But he ignored it as best as he could, thinking that it was probably nothing.
Thinking that it might just be him getting dehydrated since he had been going for a while, he ended up stopping at a drinking fountain and took a few large gulps of water. He used some of it to rinse his face off and slick what hair had escaped the hair tie before he moved to take a seat on a nearby bench for a short rest. Eli panted lightly as he fiddled with the ear bud so he could hear his music a bit better, and he probably would have played with his glasses too if he was wearing them, instead having in his contacts.
Unfortunately, that feeling just kept getting worse instead of better even as his breathing calmed down and his body relaxed, Ellis really not understanding what was going on. It would probably just go away with time… At least, he hoped it would as he bent over to retie his shoelaces as a distraction. Even in the middle of a workout he was feeling restless after he stopped moving, figuring he’d probably have to jog for a bit longer before muscles stopped feeling so jittery.
Another relationship ending in failure that was weighing heavily on his mind in the early hours of the morning. He typically didn't have much of a reaction to these things, which was probably due to him never really getting emotionally attached to those he dated. This one was different, however, only because they didn't just leave calmly and quietly but with a lot of anger that had been pent up. It wasn't every day that people just blew up on him and it showed in the bags that formed under his eyes. He was used to being the one that blew up because he was temperamental but someone had ended up calling him every name in the book that they could think of. That same word sticking in his mind as he had been told over and over again as well as been branded with. Thoughtless.
It frustrated him to no end that that word apparently fit him perfectly as a label. It was hard to look as yourself from the eyes of those around you. He was still in denial that he could possibly be thoughtless because he knew he wasn't. He had been fired with that excuse probably no more than a year ago. He hardly got any sleep as he mulled over the possibility that everyone was right about him. He excused his early rise as needing to get up anyway because he had to go to work today but that wasn't until much later. The word played over in his head again and again and it left him feeling bitter and quite irked. That was when he had decided to just go on his jog and maybe that would help get it out of his mind.
Lysander had at least been right about assuming that his job would help put it out of his mind and as he ran letting himself fall in beat to the music playing in his ears. It wasn't long before he was needing a break. He found a bench without a problem as he had ran through the park in the mornings enough to know it by now and took a chug of water from the bottle he had been carrying. That was when he noticed a bit of a pang and also took notice that he had sat down next to someone. He glanced over scooting in the opposite direction of the male as he felt another pang. He wasn't really sure what it was all about and he almost felt like love at first site but that didn't sound right to him at all. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked away to avoid meeting the eye contact of the blonde stranger and stood up from where he had once been sitting.
"U-uh...sorry about that. I'll go find another bench to sit on..." Lysander said but his body wasn't moving almost like it was forbidding him from leaving the spot where he was standing.
Ellis had been looking down at his shoes when he felt the bench shifting ever so slightly when another sat down next to him, having missed the sounds from the music playing in his ears. When he did look up, he found himself unable to tear his blue orbs away from the dark haired man. He almost seemed to be in a trance, only snapping out of it when he saw the other’s lips moving but couldn’t hear what was said. “Ah, sorry, what was that?” The British accent in his voice was fading since he had moved away from his homeland a few years ago, but it was definitely still noticeable.
The blonde pulled the buds out of his ears so he could actually hear, pausing the music on his iPod as well. “Do I know you?” Ellis stood up as well when he asked that, pocketing his device before tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear. Unintentionally he revealed the word ‘Thoughtless’ along his left forearm when he was moving his hair, not even thinking about it since he never bothered hiding his true name. “We should go and get some coffee, yeah?” The suggestion sounded so natural and confident as he smiled, not seeming to care that he was speaking to an absolute stranger.
“Oh, I’m Ellis, by the way, in case we haven’t met… I do feel like I know you though, weird right?” The blonde chuckled lightly, so easily putting on the charm. It was second nature to him nowadays, at least that was how it felt.
It came to his attention that the blonde hadn't been paying him any mind whatsoever. It didn't matter that he felt awkward just standing there when he said that he would go find another bench. The fact that he hadn't been heard was actually a good thing and he did praise to the heavens that he hadn't been. He wasn't sure how he would explain what he had said and the fact that he hadn't moved an inch. The blonde still wanted to know what he had said with the slightest hint of a British accent in his voice.
That was a slightly attractive even if it was a slight one and even if he too did have a small accent as well. The blonde was respectful enough to pull the ear buds that had been snuggled within his ears out to listen to the answer to his next question. He had spaced out and hadn't bothered answering the first question. It would be better if he didn't answer the first one. All he could manage to do in response was to shake his head 'no' because that was all he could manage. He felt like he was stuck in a daze as his eyes remained on the blonde.
If he hadn't been paying so much attention then he might have missed the brand on his forearm but at the same time he was sure he was seeing things. There was no way that after searching for his partner that he would have been able to find them that fast. His eyes must have been playing tricks on him since he didn't get much sleep as well as what time it was. He was lead away from this thought though as the blonde said they should go get some coffee like it was the most casual thing to say in the world and the smile didn't at all help.
"E-eh? Uh...I don't like coffee." Lysander stuttered in response to the blonde looking away so he couldn't see that his cheeks might have gotten a little heated.
It was after this general question that the stranger introduced himself as Ellis. He was positive that he didn't know anyone with that name so it was all the more proof that he didn't know him. He could almost understand his sentiments on feeling like he knew him. It was kind of weird since he didn't remember ever meeting him. The fact that he had just saw the thoughtless brand had left his mind almost completely. His feeling had been slightly different since he felt like he had just been struck with love at first sight. It was still there pinging away in his chest but he pushed the thought down and away from his mind. He couldn't really handle that right now not at all.
"I'm Lysander. Oh, well, I guess I can kind of understand what you mean. Maybe a little." Lysander said shifting his eyes back to look at Ellis again.
“Oh? Then how about smoothies?” Ellis didn’t skip a beat, his charming smile transitioning to a mischievous smirk when he spotted the red tint in this familiar stranger’s cheeks. “And no need to be so flustered, it’s not like I asked ya to shag or anything… Though if you want to get rid of those ears and tail, I wouldn’t mind helping out,” the blonde teased as if they were already knew each other, having no qualms with invading Lysander’s personal bubble and massaging one of the animal ears. He stood far too close than what was appropriate as well, his body pressing ever so slightly against the other’s.
“Just kidding,” he chuckled as he pulled back, a smirk still plastered across his face. “So, Lysander, was it? Mind if we cut our workouts off a bit early?” The fighter asked casually as if he hadn’t just done anything wrong, wrapping his arm over his new friend’s shoulder and leading them off towards his favorite smoothie place, having been completely serious with his request. It wasn’t uncommon for Ellis to act like this, but it felt particularly natural with this man. He didn’t know why, but he wasn’t really thinking about it deeply enough to question it.
“So what do ya have against coffee anyway?” Just more small talk, really. Ellis just felt the urge to know this guy better, and he really wasn’t one to ignore his gut instincts. He had been accused many times of just doing whatever popped into his head, along with people calling him thoughtless because of it. Not that he cared all that much, since he generally didn’t let the words of others affect him much.
There was no doubt about it that the man before him was a smooth talker. He didn't bat an eyelash or give it any second thoughts as to what to say next. He was asked his opinion on the two of them getting smoothies instead of coffee. He didn't really have anything against getting a smoothie and he was just ready to easily accept the invitation. It was weird how easily he had put his trust into this blonde he had met just a second or two ago.
"I..uh..guess that's fine." Lysander responded to his question without even thinking about it.
Lys probably just sounded like he was really indecisive since he didn't give a more confident answer than what he had. He wasn't really sure what to think to his reaction to Ellis who was now setting about teasing him as if they had known each other for years. He knew that it wasn't true but it really did feel like it was true. He found himself freezing when he pointed out that he didn't need to be flustered since he hadn't asked him to shag. He tilted his head slightly as a reaction to the sentence but soon his cheeks were heating up a lot more visibly this time. He wasn't really sure how to respond to what had just been said to him and the massage of his ear as well as the close quarters of the two sent a shiver down his spine. He couldn't really understand the shiver as he was pretty sure that he didn't hate it or find it creepy; it felt as if he liked it.
Oh, but the blonde had only been kidding. That was right no one that forward in speaking would ever be interested in him anyway. He was the one that always approached the people he ended up dating. He shifted his gaze away from Ellis due to his hidden embarrassment about liking how close they had been. There was no need to get excited over anything especially since he had just gotten dumped the night before because he was thoughtless. That sounded really silly when he was thinking about plenty right now. The blonde was close once again as he wrapped an arm over his shoulders and started to lead him towards who knows where after asking if he cared if they cut their workouts short. He couldn't figure out if he was trying to flirt with him or if he was just naturally this way. He could only manage to nod his head yes in response even though it seemed like he wasn't going to get much say in the matter.
Now the newly met stranger was trying to make small talk with him. He seemed to be curious about just what he didn't like about coffee. The only real reason he could come up with was because he didn't like bitter things. There was a way to flavor it to not taste so bitter but he didn't like it at all. All he could think of when he drank it even after putting the creamer and sugar into was how bitter it would taste if he was drinking it black. There was other ways that he managed to get his self in gear to get ready in the morning. His preferred method was drinking a can of Kickstart but he didn't have one with him and he was going to get a smoothie because the other guy wanted to go.
"I don't like how bitter it tastes. Its always there even when I put sugar and creamer in it." Lysander said without a second thought just as he pulled the sleeve up on his right arm and started to absentmindedly scratch at it, which was where his own thoughtless brand was located.
“Good! There’s a place not too far from here that’s pretty damn good,” Ellis smiled wide, traces of his smirk lifting near completely. Acting friendly like this was so natural to him, even if it wasn’t truly genuine. Still the mischievous glint was in his eye though, especially when Lysander’s blush darkened. It was adorable he thought, but wouldn’t admit aloud. “Honestly I’m surprised you’re not used to this sort of thing,” he teased further as he moved his hand back up to massage one of the animal ears again before returning to the shoulder.
When the other claimed not to like coffee because it was bitter, he chuckled and shook his head a little. “You’re kinda… Thoughtless?” The blonde trailed off when he glanced towards the movement on the other’s arm and read the word temporarily displayed there. Without any warning he stopped and moved to spin the dark haired one towards him and grabbed the arm and pushed the shirt sleeve up to get a better look. “No fuckin’ way,” he sounded so bewildered, blue eyes going wide and his grin returning full force after his initial shock.
Acting without warning once more, he promptly tackled Lysander off the sidewalk and onto the grass, clinging to the other as his arms wrapped around the dark haired one’s chest. “I’ve been looking for you for about three years, now,” he admitted as he let go of his almost bone-crushing grip to sit up on Lysander’s lap, either not noticing or not caring about their position. He basically shoved his left forearm into the other’s face where his own true name was located, identical to the other’s. “I didn’t think I’d be paired with a kid though,” Ellis chuckled with a grin as he yanked on one of those ears again lightly and playfully.
Just what was he getting himself into. That was the question going through his mind right now. He wasn't really sure but he was definitely letting himself caught up with the blonde's enthusiasm. They were off to the smoothie joint that he apparently liked a lot since he claimed that they were pretty good. He didn't know exactly know why he was fine with this but he just was. He merely grit his teeth when he went about massaging one of his ears again but before he could smack the other's hand away it was resting at his shoulder again. Sure he was used to those kinds of things; kind of.
"S-stop doing that!" Lysander managed to grumble out before he found himself looking away from the stranger.
A pout came to his face when Ellis called him thoughtless over just not liking coffee for it being bitter. He was just about to grumble something else about how that didn't at all make sense when he was spun towards him and his arm was being grabbed. "Tch! What are you--" He was interrupted once again as the blonde spoke after taking a good long stare at where his thoughtless brand was on his arm. He was almost locked in a trance as he noticed how bewildered the blonde looked but then that smile was back on his face. It almost made him look like he was up to no good.
One would probably assume that with how he was tackled off of the sidewalk onto the ground. Another blush albeit much darker than the last fell upon his face when Ellis had done so hugging him quite tightly. He was still completely confused as he claimed that he had been looking for him for about three years now. He didn't seem to understand at all what he had meant obviously forgetting about how he had seen the same name as his own on the other's arm. The reminder of that came in the form of said forearm being shoved into his face so he could see the name that was branded to it. Oh yeah that was right. He was thoughtless too. That meant that he had found his partner after so many years of wandering around Selene Isle wondering who it would be. He never pictured the guy who was sitting on his lap teasing him about his ears as being the one who would be his partner and fighter. That was right this guy was insulting that he still had ears by calling him a kid.
"T-that doesn't mean anything! I'm twenty-one!" Lysander shouted in protest to the comment as well as swatting at the older male's hand. "I just haven't found the right person yet...that's all..." He continued in a lower tone of voice almost like he was depressed about that fact.
Ellis snickered at Lysander’s initial outburst, but his amusement faltered when the dark haired one continued on. The right person? He hadn’t found one either, truthfully- so far all of his partners had been clients. There hadn’t been anything special about when he lost his ears and tail, or any of the times after either. Quickly he shook the thoughts off though, as he didn’t like to linger on them. “What kind of person are you waiting for, then?” The blonde’s smirk returned full force as he leaned down to hover over the other, his face only a couple inches from the other’s as he propped himself up with his elbow above Lysander’s head.
“We should definitely hang out more though, since we’re partners now. Hmm, what’s your favorite food? And what drink? Alcoholic, I mean… You do drink, right? Oh, how about your birthday? Do you have a job? Where do you live? What kind of music is your favorite?” Ellis spat out questions in rapid succession, the hand that wasn’t holding him up tracing random patterns along Lysander’s side as he continued acting as if he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was having fun teasing the other, but he did seriously want to know more about his sacrifice as well.
“Oh, you should probably know that I’m not really too good at all that spell battle stuff, too. I’ve only had a few sparing matches really, and I can assure you I have no natural talent for the stuff. It’s a lot easier to rely on fist fights and traditional weapons, y’know?” The blonde just kept rambling on, before he even gave the other a chance to answer his previous questions. He kept speaking a lot quicker than he normally did as well, clearly excited by all of this and not finding their position or his teasing awkward in the least.
The dark haired male started to pout again when he heard the snicker fall from the blonde's lips. He wasn't sure what had been so funny about what he had said. He hadn't told a joke so what did Ellis find so funny about what he had said but he didn't bother to ask about it. He thought he saw the amusement flicker out of his eyes but that was when he was asked what kind of person he was waiting for. He diverted his eyes as he didn't know what to say to answer the question. He didn't really know what he was looking for but he just knew that he hadn't found them. It could also be pointed out that most of his relationships make it that long.
"I...i dunno." Lysander finally stuttered out still avoiding eye contact.
The way that Ellis was leaning over him was not making him in the least be comfortable. That was when he was assaulted by several other questions that were a lot less serious than the one before. There was no way that he would find himself stuttering along with any of them if only he had time to think about it. There was still the matter that the blonde was leaning over him with his face merely inches from his own and now he was tracing his fingers along his side. It tickled a little but it felt differently too. He couldn't really explain it in his mind at the moment as it was too confusing.
"Uhh. That's a lot of questions." Lysander said sounding like he was put into an awkward situation. "Um. Pizza. Oh uh. I dunno...y-yes. U-uh, June 14th. Yes, I do. L-live!? U-uh in an apartment. I..i'm not picky..." He answered all the questions thought he ended up stuttering near the end he had managed.
He hadn't really been given much of a chance to take a breath before the blonde was talking away again. How did he manage to speak so fast? It wasn't human there was no way that it was. He claimed he wasn't very good at the spell battles and that he had only been able to practice a little bit. Lys found himself shrugging his shoulders a bit because it didn't really matter to him. The blonde seemed to get into fist fights a lot with how he said that it was easier to rely on them and traditional weapons. Well at least his partner wasn't a pacifist.
"That's fine. Oh what about yourself? Uh I mean for all those questions you asked me about me." Lysander asked since he felt it was only fair for him to answer them too besides he was curious about his partner.
Ellis simply nodded when Lysander mentioned it being a lot of questions, knowing well that was the case. Still he was happy to get his answers though, the wide smile across his face making that much obvious. He seemed amused by the other’s awkwardness and embarrassment as well, the blonde having no shame or problem with keeping up his provocative position. “Me? Hmm, let’s see,” he mused aloud as he thought about it for a moment, hand trailing up Lysander’s side until his fingers could twirl black locks playfully. Honestly he was surprised that this guy was letting him do this, but he certainly wasn’t about to complain.
“My favorite food is pretty much any seafood, then drink would be coke and rum, my birthday’s November sixth, I work nights, I mostly just bounce around and live with friends, and I mostly listen to EDM,” Ellis answered the questions as quick as he had rattled them off, still as energetic as ever. Silently he wondered how far he could take this teasing as well, since the other had made no move to stop him so far. “You sure you don’t have a certain type you’re looking for?” The blonde asked again out of the blue, not seeming to want to let that answer remain so uncertain.
“Maybe a cute shy girl, like the librarian sort. Or someone who’s all dark and mysterious… Or perhaps someone who simply drives you insane,” his voice dropped lower, whispering into Lysander’s normal ear so his hot breath could ghost over the sensitive flesh. At the same time his fingertips caressed the dark haired one’s neck, his touch light and barely even there. Ellis definitely knew how to tease, after how much practice he had with it.
For the most part, today had been like any other for Ellis, at least so far. It was still early and the blonde was out for his morning jog through the park, his shoulder length hair tied back in a ponytail and he wore shorts and a plain T-shirt, not too concerned with his appearance at the moment. Later when he had work he definitely would be, but for now he wasn’t worried about it. At some point he began to feel something, like an annoying nag in the back of his mind that wouldn’t leave him alone. But he ignored it as best as he could, thinking that it was probably nothing.
