At that, Schao couldn't help himself. He suddenly laughed. A warm sound that one could compare to that of a warm bed in the dead of winter. "Oh Spark! I knew you'd be one of my favorites! I never did like fawns!" he said happily and stepped back to let her walk by. "I'm not the god of love you see, so I had to make sure you weren't like the other mortal females that so unkindly oggle me as if I were some kind of potential mate. It's repulsive. Of course, you were touched by the god of knowledge, that already made you different from almost everyone else but you are not as emotionally unstable! You are full of wit and intellegence, I knew that already, but it is good to know you are also, practically I assume, not totally, emotionless. I am honored to work with you and I believe Kazban made a perfect decision." He nodded his head approvingly.

"Sir if you would excuse while your advances have double my heart rate and sped up my red blood. If you do not mean it I ask you to discontinue these playful advances. While I thank you for the many compliment you have paid me and while I appreciate them I do not like to be woo'd so casually. My attractions are my concern and none of yours. If we lose I will die in any matter and if we kill the opposers then well I don't know what will happen but then no one does." Spark says blushign brightly only half of it embarresment, the rest anger.she holds her books tightly to her face. She walks past with a small swirl of her long skirts into the kitchen and fixing herself a snack.

Eva sat watching them a look of confusion on her face. "Ok, what?" she said trying to figure out what their conversation had just been about.

Schao gave Eva a calm smile. "I was just complimenting dearest Spark and she was thanking me and asking me to stop unless I was going to be serious," he explained before turning to the kitchen doorway and watching Spark with a closed lips smile. "I am serious in all I say, Miss Spark, and for the most part, honest. I really do enjoy the person you are and I really am glad I get to work with you out of trillions of other women. You are much more withstandable for this god-" he pointed to himself "-than even some of the gods and nearly every other female creation on Earth, and not to add this as insult, more truth, I also like you more than almost all the men as well."

"Oh.." said Eva sounding uninterested. "Don't mind me, carry on."

"Schao's!! I am mortal and it is most assuredly forbidden in all rules even in matters of god's! Please dissist in flattery and false hope! No man is honest enough for a woman of My stature and my understanding. I prefur it if you would from now on keep your distance sir. I do not nor would I ever imagine in thinking of anything do to with my co-workers, or my boss or a god to witch is immortal that counters my mortal-hood." Spark says not turning around blushing further and a lot less from anger.

"You want me to leave?" said Eva feeling slightly in the way of this conversation.

"No. this conversation has been assuredly terminated and it need not be perturbed or even pushed further." Spark says pulling her bread out of the microwave with the butter melted into it. she takes her books and her plate and walks back into the living room.

Eva watches her then busies herself with tying her hair back into a ponytail."So when do we start bettering our skills?" she said looking up at Spark and Schao.

Schao made a slightly disgusted face as he returned to the living room door way so he could still talk to both of them. "Don't flatter yourself madam. I have no intentions of trying to 'be with you'. If that is your dominant thought to a compliment, then I would appreciate it if you would at least redirect to a new one when talking to me or I could, if you prefer, result to spouting nothing but insults when conversing with you. I only mean to compliment you as a person, not as a potential companion. I have no interest in you that way," he said in a disgusted tone that matched his face. He relax by the end though and turned his now calm expression to Eva. "We will start when you are ready."

"Well i'm ready when you are, nothing else to do round here..." Eva said whilst looking at Schao.

Spark sits reading and writing. pulling out a different smaller book and writes something down in it. Put's it away and continues to read. and writing some small tidbits. she was severely unhappy and so concentrated harder. picked up more. and started to really get into information gathering. Ignoring everything that was happening around her. a scowl on her face.

"And now I've upset her," Schao said with a dissapointed look at Spark. He turned back to Eva. "Let's go then," he said as if giving in to something he didn't really want to do and walked to the back door and out into the back yard.

Spark then wrote in the smaller leather bound book once more. She scowls at the door then inhales and exhales evenly and deeply twice. eating ehr snack and moving everything to her bedroom. Where she lays down. she had yet to sleep once in the house even though she had been there nearly three days and two nights.

Eva jumped up and followed him outside. "So what are we going to do here anyway?" she said looking at Schao.

"You can't lift heavy things, so this is the perfect time to practice use and not extent," Schao said he he walks about the slightly kept yard, following the fence. "So, you are going to practice what I told you you should have done." He stopped at a certain place and touched the wood until a hole the size of a golf ball formed as if from sped up termites. He did it to a total of five boards, the holes at various heights before returning to her. Use your good arm and direct a piece of rock the size of an eyeball through the holes. Weave it," he said.

Eva nodded then concentrated on finding a small rock. The first time she tried to get it through the hole it missed causing her to swear loudly. The second time she managed to get it through the hole but she was so happy with her self she lost concentration causing the rock to fall. "Getting better.." she said looking hopefully at Schao.

Schao just frowned at ther, giving neither a yes or a no. Instead, he offered, "You look at it like threading a needle. See it more as hunting when your target is far away."

Eva nodded then closed her eyes whilst taking a deep breath. When she opened them the small stone was already in the air. "Ok I can do this.." she whispered to herself. She visualised in her head what she wanted to achieve and slowly the stone began to move. It picked up pace and within seconds had flown through the first hole, then the second and so on until it had been through all five. Eva cheered happily smiling at Schao. "How was that?"

"Better," Schao noted and looked at her as he had been watching her work. "Now, isn't it easier to shoot the bird than crush it with a boulder?"

Eva smiled and nodded. "Ok i'll admit, I was wrong you were right,are you glad that I said that?"

"I'm glad you're learning," Schao said and turned, placing a hand on her head as he passed. "Keep practicing, and try it faster this time.." His hand slid off her head as he went inside. "I'm going to get my drink. I have a feeling with you, I'll need it."

Eva nodded and turned back to the fence. Every so often the sounds of her cheers filled the house as she managed to get the stone through all five holes and at a fast speed as well.

Schao returned, bottle of wine and glass in hand. He poured hismelf a glass before he set the bottle on a nearby patio table and watched her as he sipped it. "Let me just say, if I count right, you would have killed 20 men by now with a quarter of the strength you used last time."

"Ok..I get it, I screwed up, but I was stupid, i'm different now, i'm ready to kill that guy now.." Eva said. "And I can't wait too, that piece of shit ripped my shoulder open, which I had to have Elson stitch close, which I can tell you is one of the most painful things i've ever experienced. Even though I think I did break his arm.." she said smugly. "When do I get to kill him?"

Schao smirked and sauntered in front of her. His body stood a good six inches higher than hers and it almost arched into her. His half lidded eyes locked down on hers and his hand came up to lace into her hair lightly behind her ear. "When you are ready..." his voice wispered down to her from his gently smiling lips, his breath laced lightly with the fine white wine. He didn't appear drunk though. "And you aren't. Not yet."

"When will I be ready?" Eva said looking up into Schao's eyes blushing slightly.

Schao just smiled at her pityingly. "You would not understand. Don't worry, when you are, you will know, and not out of egotism." His fingers left her hair and he took a drink from his wine as he stepped again into the grass. He looked around, then looked at Eva. "I want you to gather all the small rocks and bits of free dirt in the yard. Pile them here." He pointed to the ground about two feet from his left foot before walking back to her.

Eva nodded. "You want it done with my powers or am I going to have to go searching in the dirt?" She smiled at him folding her arms lightly.

"Search," Schao said as if it was obvious, pausing by her before continueing to chair by his bottle of wine. He sat down, one ankle up resting on his other knee and the hand holding his wine's arm's elbow resting on the table as he watched her.

Eva rolled her eyes but started walking round the yard in search of rocks and pieces of dirt. She held the back of her short skirt with one hand as she bent over and picked up rocks up with the other.

"Ladies squat, they do not bend," Schao called to her. He hoped the girl had dignity and would take his advice. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable as he watched her. He was simply observing.

Eva laughed to herself but took his advice. After collecting all the rocks and dirt she set them down where Schao told her to. "Now what?"

Schao just shrugged. "That's up to you. I'm really not supposed to teach you or anything. I'm just here to observe and offer suggestion." His expression darkened, but not at her, more at someone who wasn't there. "I am not allowed to interfere," he said distastefully and took another drink of wine.

"You must have had an idea of what you wanted me to do, I won't tell anyone, if thats what you worried about..." Eva said.

Schao shook his head. "That is not what I am worried about," he said seriously. "They are watching and it doesn't matter if you sew your lips together and never tell so much as an ant. They'll know. Yes, I do have ideas for you, but I am not your teacher. I'm not allowed to be," he said, then muttered. "Nor do I want to be..." His voice raised again. "Just practice whatever you want, but down't upset your shoulder."

Eva nodded. "Well can I finish it at this for today, my shoulder's aching and I have a feeling that it's bleeding again..." she said peering over her shoulder to look at the wound. She touched her fingers against it lightly bringing them back spots of blood over them. "Yeah, it's bleeding...." she said looking at Schao.

Schao nodded understandingly and motioned to the back door with his free hand. "That is your choice," he said, allowing her to leave.

"Thanks..." Eva said as she walked to the back door and disappeared inside. She walked to the sink and soaked a cloth then held it over the wound biting her lip to stop herself crying because of the pain.

Elson had come downstairs, and was getting a drink when he heard voices in the backyard. He was getting ready to walk to the backdoor and see what was going on when Eva walked in. Seeing her back bloody he knew that she had ripped the stitches so he went and leaned against the counter next to the sink. "You're bleeding.... Would you like me to fix you up?"

Eva looked at him, eyes slightly red from the few tears that had managed to escape, and nodded. "Yes please..."

He immediatly formed a pair of scissors and a knife from the chains around his wrists. "You shouldn't over work your shoulder, and before you say anything, I can tell you did."

Eva smiled and took the bloody cloth away from the wound. "I was just training a little..kinda forgot about the stitches until my shoulder began to burn with pain."

Elson shook his head as he made some threads stand up off his chains and plucked them carefully, "Really, you need to take it easy... I'm not always going to be around to patch you up." He picked out the old stitches with a pair of tweezers he quickly formed as he talked. "What kind of training was it anyways?"

Eva winced as he took the old stitches out. "Schao had me weaving these little rocks in and out of five little holes and then I had to go in search of rocks in the yard...very tiring stuff..." she said jokingly.

"I believe it." He finished taking the old out, fused the tweezers back into his chains, and began on restitching. "You should take it easy. If you keep breaking these stitches you're never going to heal." He did a couple stitches before talking again, "Also, I'm going to bandage this up for you when I'm done stitching."

"Thanks, your my own personal doctor now aren't you, bet you love that..." Eva said smiling.

Elson smiled, "Maybe, but a doctor likes it more when their patients get hurt less." He finished the last stitch and began the bandaging. "And as far as personal... I'm helping, don't push your luck." He said the last with a smile, and his tone was joking. It seemed that the girl wasn't so bad once you got to know her. "Oh, and anytime you take a shower or do anything else that you need me to fix your bandages, just come tell me."

Eva nodded laughing. "No your not my personal doctor at all.." She straightened up and looked at the bandaging. "Perfect, thank you very much Elson, it doesn't hurt so much now..." She walked to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of juice. Eva handed one to Elson then took a drink from her own.

Elson took the bottle out of her hand and nodded in thanks. "So, our very... slick... visitor wants you to train huh?" He had heard a male voice outside that was smooth as velvet, which left only one person in mind. "You know, Schao."

"Yeah he wants me to train, or everyone to train I think, he creeps me out a little but I try not to show it..." Eva said before taking another drink.

Elson took a drink while he thought about what he was about to ask. "Maybe we should train then?" He knocked an unruly strand of hair back behind his ear. "We'll have to wait a little bit of course, but I have a really good idea for an excersize that will help us both."

"Really? What is it?" Eva said moving round so she stood beside him, looking up into his face.

"Well, you need to train with your ability, and I need to train with mine. So I was thinking that maybe we could train out in the backyard twice a week, all day long." He touched her hurt shoulder lightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to remind her it was wounded. "But you'll have to follow my directions and let that heal first." He flashed a smile, "I won't tell you the actual excersize until you let that heal though." His smile turned mischevious. "What'ya say?"

Eva smiled. "Ok...you got a deal."

Elson nodded, "Good, but remember, not until you heal, so take it easy on that shoulder for awhile, ok?"

"Ok..doctor..." Eva said as she stood up straight. "You want something to eat?"

---

Spark wakes up and rubs her eyes. Her glasses were on the bedstand. Her hair was out of the normal pony tail braid. She walks downstair and into the kitchen. everyting was blury that was farther away so she was moving rather skillfully. she opens the Freezer closes it opens it again then reaches over to the other handle closes the freezer and opens the fridge. then pretty much sticks her head inside it before grabbing water. she hadn't seen Elson abd Eva. all she knew was her headache and her annoyance at leaving her glasses up the stairs. But she didn't squint and she was actually very pretty.

Elson watched Spark mildly amused for a moment before answering Eva, "Actually, I'm extremely hungry, and food would be great, if it's not too much trouble."

Eva smiled and nodded. "For all the help you've given me, it's the least I can do. What would you like, i'll make anything you want, your wish is my command..." she said giving a small bow to Elson and laughing.

"Enjoy your food you two, I will take Miss Spark to dinner if she will accompany me of course," Schao said from the doorway to the kitchen. "I promise, I only wish to speak of business."

Eva slowly moved closer to Elson. She knew that this man was one of them and she should trust him after all the tips he gave her earlier but she still felt creeped out by him.

"Dinner?" spark looks at the bigger blurry spot in the tide of blurriness. "Take me up the stairs to my bedroom to get my classes and I shall consider it." spark then says setting down the drink she had just picked up.

"Carry or lead?" was all Schao said as he went over to Spark, took her left hand with his and placed his right on her back to gently but comfortingly lead her to her bedroom.

Spark was tense and stiff as soon as he took her hand. It wasn't only him though. She usually did it to everyone. Just more so with Schaos. she slips on several steps being unable to see them straight.

Schao sighed sharply. He was not a patient god. He deftly lifted Spark into his arms and carried her to her room. He set her down outside her room, retrieved her glasses, took her hand when he returned, and set them in her palm.

Spark frowns putting them on. "What patience you have must be gone or nearly so." She says walking past him and putting on socks and shoes and then grabbing a coat. "Are you coming sir?" she asks in a very clipped tone wlaking down the stairs already past him.

"What chaos does patience reap?" Schao asked curtly as he followed her down the stairs and outside. There was, shockingly, a new two-door car parked outside that hadn't been there before. It looked like it was meant for illegal street racing and looked new, expensive, and well planned out. It had accents and marks of dark reds and purples on a base color of black. Schao went to the passenger's side and opened the door, holding it open for Spark.

"Patiences rewards all who obtain it and use it wisely." Spark says rolling ehr eyes but sitting down in the bucket seat and buckling in.

Schao closed her door and went to his own side. He started the car toward the restaurant he wanted to take her to. "Instilling confusion has always rewarded me far more, and the faster the pace, the quicker mortals panic."

"Our lives are far shorter then we tend to beleive. and we kill ourselves off on our own." Spark says knowing for a fact that that was true.

Schao nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "Yes, humans do kill each other, but that doesn't mean they do it of their own free will. There are so many forces acting apon them that they aren't even aware of.."

"Yes... like Stupidity." Spark says dryly.

Schao frowned slightly. "Not.. quite what I meant... I mean... When a fight breaks out in a club, would anyone have suspected a god residing down the street five blocks away had slipped a cab driver a hint about some famous movie star having an affair with a man who was in there but two hours ago? And then that man was called apon to pick up and drive the owner of the club from his flat to the club? And then on the way the gossipy cab driver told the owner of the tidbit of information? Then the owner went into the club, saw the female star and a man RESEMBLING the description the cab driver had said talking to each other, told a bouncer to get rid of the guy, the guy turned out to be an escort the star had hired at the bar the god had been at and the guy had been told to watch out for the ex-boyfriend of the star matching the bouncer's description, they fought, everyone joined in, and soon the police are called, three people shot and six wounded. Who would suspect the man from the bar five blocks away?"

"and what if that same cab driver runs over the look alike and started the entire thing that way?" Spark says looking straight.

Schao smirked. "Well that's a different story entirely," he said with a glance in her direction. He stopped the car at a chinese restaurant called Choy's and got out of the car, walking over to Spark's side to hold the door open for her.

Spark steps put frowning softly. She walks to the door and holds it open for him then. she hated men getting her doors. She felt rather useless when they did. though she knew the entire history behind it, but it still made her feel useless.

---

Elson was slightly put off, "Umm, how about whatever the chef decides?"

Eva turned her attention back to Elson and smiled. "Ok...now I suck at cooking so don't sue me if you get food poisoning.." she said laughing and walking to the fridge. She pulled things out. Within 20 minutes she set a plate of food down in front of Elson. "Barbeque chicken fajita's, a speciality of mine if I do say so..." She sat down pulling her own plate to her then lifted the fajita taking a bite.

He took the first bite, then the second, and a was about to take his third, "It's good. thanks." He took the third bite and smiled before he chewed.

Eva smiled then continued eating. "So why are you here anyway? what's your power?" she said looking up at him curiously.

"I'm here becuase Schao told me to come here, though I didn't know that was his name at the time." He put down his for and allowed his hand to become consumed in fire before he allowed it to go out, then he lifted his other hand and made a small fireball dance back and forth between the palms of his hands. "That's my power, fire."

"Thats so cool...your definately someone not to be messed with..." Eva said watching him amazed.

Elson shook his head, "It's really not that good. For instance, it wouldn't do anything to you while you're encased in earth, and it won't do anything to that bitch that got the drop on me. I'd rather use my chains anyways." He held up his right arm and melded the chains into a guantlet. "These, are my toys."

Eva stretched out her hand and touched the gauntlets. "what do you mean it wouldn't do anything to the bitch, they're probably weaker than us right?"

Elson shook his head, "It's a grave mistake to think like that. We don't know anything about them, and they don't know anything about us, so the safest thing we can assume is that we can't assume anything. As for the bitch, I watched her summon her trident, and it came out of water, so I know that she is water. Fire doesn't do anything to water." He made the gaunlet morph back into chains and took another bite of his food.

"But you could kill her before she summons the trident, burn the bitch, you know before she can get it...cause without it whats the worst she can do, soak you a little?" Eva said smiling.

Elson shook his head, "You're doing it again..."

"What?" said Eva looking at him.

"Underestimating. How am I to know that the bitch hasn't been secretly practicing this her entire life. What if she can summon enough water to drown me where i stand? What good will my fire do then?" Elson smiled again.

Eva smiled. "Sorry...well if we practice hard then we can get really powerful right?"

Elson nodded, "Yup, that's why, after your shoulder heals, we are going to train, both in hand to hand and in using our powers."

Eva nodded. "Then you can show that girl and I can show that guy what happens when they mess with us..." she said smiling.

Elson took the last bite, nodding as he chewed, and then he swallowed, "Pretty much."

Eva stood up taking the plates after she had finished and set them in the sink. "But they may also be training so they may be more powerful as well. See i'm not underestimating anymore..." she said smiling and walking back to Elson.

He nodded, "That's good." He brushed a strand of hair behind his head, "I need to go take a shower. I'll talk to you later and thanks again for the food."

Eva nodded looking at Elson. "I'm just gonna wash up here, then I might get a shower myself..."

---

Schao frowned at Spark, but nodded his head in understanding before going inside and getting them a table near the back of the chinese restaurant. He sat when showed his seat and picked up his menu while the waitor waited for their orders.

"Water and General Tso's Chicken is all." Spark says not looking at her menu. she then sits down and leans back taking a deep breathing and letting the tension run out of her body from her neck down to her feet. in a flow. She then opens her eyes again and looks at Schao before pushing her glasses up onto the bridge of her nose better.

Schao made his own order and waited until the waitor had left before looking at Spark seriously. "Now, I was being serious when I told you I wanted to talk business," he said. "I don't think the others will take what I have to say to heart enough. I think you will."

"I take everything seriously sir. What business do you wish to indulge your confidences in me?" Spark asks sitting properly in the chair though looking very relaxed about it.

"The others," Schao began with a tenseness in his voice. "don't understand the vastness of the situation they have found themselves in. They aren't battling the accidents- well.. they are, but it's more than that. They are fighting a war of the gods."

"They beleive what they have and who they are as well as who they battle of are no importance... and the one. Our 'leader' doesn't care about the others enough to give them proper leadership or to take responsibility of the actions they do. Like a mouse against the trap. They all beleive me to be far to serious about this. They do not realise it is life or Death. Death if they do not defeat them by inaction and Death by their hands. the only option of life is to kill them and yet even then we will lose. is that not correct in my assumptions Sir?" Spark says softly. she was looking directly at Schao now. no embarresment no anger. She was gaining knowledge, information.

Schao frowned lightly at her. "Not.. quite," he said carefully, then explained. "I don't know who you assume is your leader, but you don't honestly have one. You need to work together. No, they don't understand the extent of the situation into which they have been thrust, but I knew that already. You all need to work together or else our cause is doomed."

"I try and I have already said as much. Try teaching a monkey to be a man. it will not work let me tell you this. they only appreciate help if it is at the absolute nessecary and no other excuse will due." Spark nods.

"I know humans, Spark. They are more apt to fight one another out of hate than necessity. If both are present, that is simply a bonus. I don't ask that you try and push them in the right direction. No, my job for you is much simpler."

"I am an informat... what other job would the gods assign me?" Spark asks curious.

"Unity, and nothing but," Schao explained simply. He paused when their food arrived and took a sip of his drink before he continued explaining. "I don't need to you to get them to fight for the cause I have told you. I just need you to convince them to work as a single strong force, like an arrow, rather than darts. Do you understand?"

"I understand it will take time and be difficult and that more then Ren Might catch hint of my subtle hints towards unity." Spark says looking down deep in thought. she pulls out a small spiral note pad and writes several things down on one page tears it out read's it and then put's it in her pocket putting the notepad hidden away once more.

"Ren doesn't.. quite.. understand what she's into," Schao said with a frown. "And I'd like to keep it that way. They others are not to know the extent of the situation...."

"If you like. They don't pay me half their attention anyways." Spark nods. then goes quiet as their food was brought in.

Schao looked at her surprised. "Well they should! You're the only one who knows anything about the enemy without being harmed!"

"Thats the problem right there." Spark says highly amused that it shocked him. "I haven't fought them. I haven't seen them. I haven't earned my right to be listened to." She says shrugging lightly.

"You have as much right to be listened to as the others, including Ren," Schao said with a frown and took a bite of his food.

"Not in their eyes I do not." spark says starting on her own meal now as well.

The god shrugged easily. "They are blind."

"They see what they wish to see. They warp reality to fit their own storie. and they are very ignorant." Spark shrugs correcting him in a none gently subtle way.

"I couldn't agree more," Schao said nodding and returned to eating his food in silence.

Spark finished her food first. took out her leather bound book wrote something in it and put it away again.

"You take so many notes," Schao commented as he too finished his food and wiped his mouth politely with his cloth napkin.

"Yes." Spark says napkin on the table hands in her lap.

"What have you been taking notes on with me?" he asked nonthreatenly as he set his napkin down and sat back in his chair to regard her silently.

"I have not yet watched you enough to have gathereed enough correct information to make a log or mention of you." Spark says curtly. "I merely wrote the address and the resturant and my rating of my meal."

Schao just shook his head a little. "I hadn't said that the notes were about me, I asked what notes you had taken on with me, meaning what you were writing about while you were with me," he responded. "There is no need to take everything so... offensively with me. I am not self centered and I am not interested in human women, so please stop assuming I mean the worst with my words." He gave her a gentle smile to show it was just a request and he wasn't mad and he wasn't trying to tell her what to do, just asking something of her and hoping she would grant his small request, but leaving it open if she didn't want to.

"I cannot tell you what my writing pertains to at any given time. My mind doesn't work like other's does. What I write is what appears on the pages of my papers. and what thoughts stay sheltered within my mind transform into those thoughts that later become words and words into notes. I hadn't questions your... manhood nor your preferences or tastes. I hadn't taken it offencively I merely gave you the truth as I saw you needed it. perhaps I have misjudged your perception of things human and in the human and mortal range of thought. I take the truth in everyone's words. not the emotion." Spark says. she had said the entire thing softly, and respectfully for once. she had gone slow for her. so he would understand.

"You are very intellegent, Spark," Schao said calmly. "But not very effective. I hope you can do the task I have given you..." He sighed and stood, picking up the bill the waitor and left and motioned for Spark to follow as he paid and headed to his car.

"you have never seen me truelly at work. to quick to judge. Quick to anger... I am starting to realize why the god's chose you to come to us poor lowly mortals." Spark gives a soft mysterious smile. She stands by the car a moment before openign the door and sitting in buckling her seat belt.

"I'm actually a rather calm god," Schao told her as he took his own seat and pulled out of the restaurant and headed back home. "Contrary to my job.. I am not allowed to help you," he said, giving her a glance. "But oh how I wish I could... I can offer suggestion, but it up to a human to decide who they choose to follow..." He gave a stiff sigh. "I don't presume to know alot about humans. I know what riles them up an makes their blood boil.. In majority of course. I know how to start wars and burn buildings, but galaxies know that I am no psychic to anything else..."

"It is often the point where one being does not recognize itself for most of it's true self. And I do appreciate you trying to be human and polite. I'm afraid our aquantences cannot take your subtle hints and ques. Most of them will not understand until you give them a sure direction to go. Even then most of them will fight it. you may make wars destroy villages and townships cause totaly and complete havoc upon this mortal world. But it would accomplish nothing. If you give them suggestions on using their abilities they will listen. perhaps. But for working as a team they will not. and it will take some time." Spark sighs softly looking out the window.

"Then we will surely fail if the pace they learn is not quickened," Schao said softly and the rest of the drive was spent in silence.

Spark opens her own door once he stopped the car in the driveway. "Thank you for the advice... the truth and the meal." She bows her head walking inside the house stopping immediatly. Smelling the burnt deadness of the radio. Seeing Elson with fairly wet hair. Ren halfway out the kitchen and the smell of soap detergent.

---

Elson nodded, "I'll try to leave you some hot water. My hair takes forever to wash though." He smiled at Eva as he walked from the room and went upstairs to get some clothes. He chose his black ripped sleeved shirt with the red Disorder emblem and a pair of baggy black cargo jeans that were frayed on the bottom. After his shirt and pants were laying on the bed he grabbed a pair of boxers and some socks along with a towel and washcloth and headed to the bathroom.

Eva smiled then filled the sink with water. She turned the radio on loudly then started singing at the top of her voice along to the music as she washed the dishes.

"Rest. My. Ass." A rather livid looking Ren stood in the kitchen doorway giving the glare that scared Lucifer to Eva. She turned it to the radio and emediately the thing shorted out, a couple of sparks falling in the water of the sink and smoke came up from the now musicless but slightly crackling sterio. Ren's eyes moved back to Eva, apparently wishing her to an early grave.

The shower felt good. His hair took forever to wash as usual but it was something that had to be done. He might cut it someday, but it defenitly wouldn't be anytime soon. After he finished with his hair he scrubbed his body and was tempted to linger and relax in the water for a little while before he remembered that he had told Eva he would leave some hot water. Five minutes later he was dressed and had his hair fairly dried out and was on his way downstairs.

Spark opens her own door once Schao stopped the car in the driveway. "Thank you for the advice... the truth and the meal." She bows her head walking inside the house stopping immediatly. Smelling the burnt deadness of the radio. Seeing Elson with fairly wet hair. Ren halfway out the kitchen and the smell of soap detergent.

Elson got to the bottom of the stairs at about the same time Spark walked in and saw Ren standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking thouroughly murderous. After nodding to Spark he turned to Ren, "What's that smell?"

Eva turned to Ren angrily. "What did you do that for? I was listening to that!"

"I have had ZERO sleep for the past WEEK! Do you have ANY idea how LOUD YOU ARE?!" Ren growled and one of the plated by the sink cracked and the light to the kitchen shorted out. "I was ordered to sleep and I will! Don't make me hurt you...."


Elson thought that maybe he should interven for everyone's sake so he stepped to Ren's side, keeping a respectable distance. "Hey, take it easy. We'll keep it down so you can rest. She was just getting ready to go takea shower anyways. OK?" Ren was extremely mad, so he stood relaxed, ready to move in case he pushed her over the edge and she turned on him.

"I think... I shall finish the dishes... PLease Ren retire and I'm sure Eva would like to get cleansed now and Elson can fix the light. We'll all be sure to try and tone it down for you Ren." Spark says stepping in smoothly as well. already slightly moving in to make everyone work around and with each other.

Elson smiled hoping to take some tension away as he formed his chain into a screwdrive, "Yah, I can do that, I've got all the right tools."

Eva didn't move. She continued to glare at Ren whilst folding her arms. "Did you just threaten me?"

"Yes, I did," Ren replied to Eva acidly, but seemed to relax a bit. She still looked feral. "Why can't you just work with the team instead of thinking you're a one man show? You're not. You're actually pathetic compared to any of us. You'll die if you reject us and although I don't really care if that's your fate, and I'd even like to make it an agonizingly slow, long, painful life for you, you have to work with us and not against us, even with the small things." She looked back at Spark and Elson with something odd in her expression that dissappeared quickly. A look of gratitude. She wasn't used to that feeling yet. "I'm going back to bed.." she said wearily and as she walked past Elson and Spark, there was a muttered 'thank you' and she was gone upstairs.

Well, my head's still intact, i'm not dead, and I believe we even got a thank you as she walked by... Elson gave Spark a smile and then proceded into the kitchen and approached Eva. "Hey, there's plenty of hot water left. Go take a shower and relax, we'll take care of everything down here. And don't let Ren get to you, be respectful and give her her room and you'll get along."

"Please go take your shower for the moment Eva... Ren is tired and I would like to speak with Elson on a certain matter." Spark says softly walking over to the sink rolling up her sleeves and beginging to wash the dishes once more.

Elson didn't think he heard her right, so he decided to ask. "Ren wants to talk to me?"

"No Elson I want to talk to you. Just me while you clean up and I wash the dishes." Spark says

"Oh," He chuckled slightly, "Thought I heard you wrong."

"Respect her Elson, I don't think so. I was prepared to work as a team, but the way she just spoke to me, i'll never be a part of her team. She just better stay away from me." Eva said then walked from the kitchen and up into the bathroom, slamming the door to make a little more noise. She locked it and got into the shower.

Elson shook his head slightly at Eva's words. She won't make it if she keeps up like that... He pushed the thought from his mind and began picking up the room and talking to Spark. "So what's it you want to talk about?"

"Eva." Spark says finished washing and starting to rinse all the dishes. "Her Ego is so far inflated she cannot see what good others can accomplish. IF she does not work with our side she may as well die. Elson, Ren is very tempermental and controlling. She also needs her space from everything. Eva wants attention and to be in everyones way so they notice her. You and I on the other hand will take orders if it will benifit us. Thus we are not problematic to the orders received. Nor is Ren if we play within her rules. Do you understand?" Spark asks done rinsing and starting to dry. She spoke softly the entire time and never once looked at him.

Elson nodded as he cleaned up the mess, "Sure do. That's why I've been talking to her, trying to break her of it. Even if she is only one person, we still might need her sooner or later."

Eva who had forgotten something from the kitchen heard every word they spoke. She crept away from the door then ran up to her room locking the door.

Spark Sighs softly putting them away. "She's strong... and she has a strong power. She just needs to learn control and patience... otherwise... well... things might not go so well our way. And it would be wise to listen to Ren and give her space. Good day." Spark says walking out into the library to read once more.

Elson nodded as she left and finished picking up parts of the radio and throwing them away. Then he turned to the light. He removed the bulb and put another one and went and flicked the switch but got nothing. "Damn... she really did a number." Forming parts of his chains into a screwdriver and a file then removed the light's metal cover to get a look at the wiring. He found it totally fried. ".... crap...." Elson walked to the library to talk to Spark. "Hey, can that book show me how to rewrie a ceiling light?"

Eva sat on the edge of her bed staring at the floor. Why am I such a bitch? she thought. But she knew why, growing up with no parents to control her, discovering her powers at a young age and scaring people into giving her whatever she wanted. She sighed as she stood up and pulled a thick jumper on, then walked to her door and unlocked it. She slowly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen fetching a bottle of water from the fridge. she sat at the table lost in thought.

"No. I will not have it so abused but I do have a wiring manual... you may borrow." Spark rolls her eyes with a small smile at his idiocy. She digs around in her personal bag and pulls out a very large how to wire manual book. easily sixe inches thick. It was a volume certainly. "Look in the index for elecrtical circuts should be around pages ooohh I'd say 200 to 240 between those..." Spark says off handedly.

Elson looked slightly shocked for a moment, but suddenly he laughed, "You are a piece of work. Thank you though." He walked over to Spark and held out his hand for the book. "Guess I should get to reading huh?"

Eva rested her head in her arms, a few tears falling from her eyes. So many people have tried to be my friends over the years and i've just pushed them away, i've been such a bitch to everyone, no wonder they all hate me.... She knew she had to change but she knew it wasn't going to be easy. She stood up and wiped her face then slowly walked to the library. She stood in the doorway and looked at both spark and Elson. "I'm sorry to interrupt but I need to ask you's a favour..." She bit her lip and looked at the floor. "I want to change, I want to stop being a bitch. I don't want to...to die. I just wondered if you guys would help me learn control and patience..." she said reciting Sparks words. "I heard what you guys said about me, and I don't want you's to be sorry, it's made me realise that my life has been a disaster so far, i've never had a real friend, I was spoilt. I'm ready to change, I promise. Can you help me?"

Elson glanced over to Eva before looking back to Spark. He would help of course, but he had no idea what to say to her sudden change.

Eva shook her head. "I'm sorry...forget what I said..." she turned and walked into the living room and sat down.

"You have just failed at Patience congradulations." spark says with a small simple smile. "Patience and control are things to learn and work hard at. You must not give up when you think you've done something wrong. you ask for our help. And in the silence of the thought's to arrive you simply choose to beleive that we would say no. Eva I beleive I will help you. but first you will assits Elson with the reading and the wires Ren fried." Spark says finished speaking she begins reading once more.

Elson nodded, "That's a good idea, it'll get done quicker if you read to me while I'm doing whatever it says. Come on." He picked up the book Spark had laid aside and handed it to Eva as he took her hand and pulled her into the kitchen. "OK, everything's removed, I just need to know how everything goes back in..." He scratched his head for a second, "I think Spark said page 200."

Eva flicked through to page 200. "Ok here goes." She read a few paragraphs from the page then looked up at Elson. "That any use?"

Elson was still messing with the parts she had been talking about then he looked down and nodded, "Yeah, this actually isn't very hard." He gave her a smile and they got back to work, finishing the job in forty five minutes. "Well that wasn't all that hard, thanks a ton." As he talked he finished putting the cover back on and inserted a bulb again. "Now, if you would, flick the switch and see if we did any good."

Eva smiled and walked towards the switch. "Fingers crossed." she said then turned the light switch.

The light flicked on, bringing a smile to Elson's face. "Go team! We got it."

Eva cheered. "See I can be part of the team when I want to be!"

"If you would have more care and be much quiter. Ren sleeps and I study. One small victory doesn't mean you have won the war. I suggest you practice your powers. Much as you did with Schao the other day. It would be pruductive, in the least." Spark says a book in her arms.

"Oh me and Elson are going to practice, but only when i've healed." Eva said showing her stitches to Spark. "I won't get very fair with these splitting every so often, will I..."

"you could sits down and focus moving one rock through a few obstacles without moving to break any stitches. but it is up to you. I could lend you some books to read if you are of the reading type. If not I know there is a television." Spark nods her head.

Eva stood thinking for a second. "Have you anything by Jane Austen? Like Pride and Prejudice, it's one of my favourites." She smiled slightly. "I like the classic novels..."

"Yes. I have many fairytales as well... the true fairy tales byt the original authers." Spark nods.

"Pride and Prejudice will be fine." Eva said smiling. "Have you ever read it?"

"I own it. Of course I have read it. Come along." Spark says wlaking back to the Library and pulling out the book.

Eva smiled at Elson and gave a little wave. "I think they're separating us, we're too noisey together...I feel like a little kid again!" she laughed and followed Spark. "I bet this was a surprise to you, me, the annoying loud one wanting to read." Eva said smiling to Spark.

"No not really. It would amaze me more if Elson came in and asked for the playright to the phantom of the Opera or any number of others." Sparks smiles a little and hands Eva the book pushing up her glasses.

Eva burst out laughing whilst taking the book. She opens it at the first page then looks up at Spark. "Don't you ever get bored of reading? I hope i'm not being rude but every time i've seen you, you've had your nose in a book."

"Oh no! books are facinating! why would I ever want to stop? I can learn so much from them! take the dictionary for example. no plot no daring doo's but the words you learn! simply marvelous!" Spark smiles widely. she was happy to talk about ehr books.

"Oh...fascinating..." Eva said smiling. "Well have you ever watched the movies that have been made from books, it would be like reading but in a whole new way....but you get to have popcorn!"

"I don't care much for movies..." Spark says looking down going quite and stops smiling so much.

"Oh well, theres plenty of people out there that don't like movies. So tell me, whats your favourite book?" Eva said sitting down and setting the book on her lap.

"I don't have a favorite... I like all books. but the one that intrigues me is the one that I can summon. If I ask it the right Questions it will give me the answers I wish to know." Spark smiles.

"You can summon a book that tells you stuff, thats pretty cool...why kinda things does it tell you?" Eva said looking fascinated.

"It told me what god touched you... your powers... it told me Elsons name and his god... It tell's me anything I want it to really. All I have to do is ask it a question." Spark smiles.

"What if you asked it who was going to survive this thing, would it tell you?" Eva said smiling weakly.

"I would have to be far mroe specific... and it gives more information... type things... it's not a magic eight ball." Spark frowns. " I wouldn't ask anyways. you need to train and learn. we all need to learn to get along somewhat."

"But isn't it the least bit tempting to know that you have the power to find out what the outcome of this could be, you could save one of our lives...." Eva said folding her arms.

"No. because you see the future is always changing. It'll never be the same answer twice. So I'd rather not ask." Spark shrugs.

"Do you think we're capable of winning, because so far, both me and Elson have been beaten by these people....are they more powerful than us?" Eva said looking at Spark.

"I think it's pretty even right now... I think you both got away with damadge done and damadge received. I think... they are having more internal dynamic problems then we are at the moment. I think perhaps one or two of them is more powerful yes. But that is why you all need to train... and I need to learn more about things... about all things. each of you... myself.. and the gods' will." Spark sighs softly. "And you need to learn patience. It will come and things will happen until they do. Train and take care of your body."

A thought suddenly struck Eva. "That book can tell you anything, if you word it properly right, well why don't you try asking it stuff about our opponents...like whats the name of the girl who beat Elson, or the guy with the dagger..."

"His name is Chance... and he was touched by the god of Destiny. He has vision of the future. Also He can call upon the Sword and Sheild of Destiny. But... apparently he is not yet skilled enough to call the sword and could only get a dagger. I have not yet asked of the girl Elson fought. No one asked or gave me the proper description of her or her powers." Spark says.

"Why don't you ask Elson....i'm sure he'd love to find out more about this girl, so he could figure out how to kill her." Eva said.

"He can ask me whenever he wishes... So Far I beleive I have nine of the well I'm not sure how many gods there are... I haven't asked yet..." Spark frowns.

"Can you tell me a bit about mine?" Eva said looking at Spark.

"What would you like to know?" Spark asks with a small mysterious smile.

"I wanna know why they picked me, why couldn't they have let me have been a normal teenage girl, whats so special about me?" Eva said quickly.

"Thats a universal question. I cannot ask that." Spark says. "I am sorry Eva but you've got to answer those on your own."

"Oh..." said Eva. "How about when will our next fight be?"

"there will be no definite answer... it is best to wait." Spark says.

Eva smiled whilst standing. "It'll help me practice my patience, all this waiting. I'm going to go and lie down for a while maybe read a bit as well. Thank you for the book and the chat, I enjoyed it." She smiled one last time then left the room walking up the stairs into her own room. She crawled in underneath her blankets and read a few chapters of the book before falling into a deep sleep, the book falling to the floor.

Elson walked into the room from the kitchen after cleaning up. "I think she's really set on being "part of the team", don't you?"

"Perhaps. She's more like a young puppy. excited about everyone and everything thing even when she's pissing in your laundry basket." Spark says writing something in her notebook putting it away and pulling out the old tome once more.

Elson chuckled at her anology as he walked from the room, figuring he should leave Spark to her books, deciding he would go do a bit of training himself.

---

Eva woke suddenly after having a very vivid dream. She rubbed her eyes and yawned then stood up. She changed quickly into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt then left her room singing quietly to herself. She settled herself in the living room, looking round it rather bored. 

"Why do you lounge about as if you have nothing to do?" came Schao's smooth voice from the doorway. He was leaning against the frame with an expression one might expect from a very young boy of about five, innocently curious.

"Well I do have nothing to do..." Eva replied looking up at him.

"Can you find nothing to do?" he asked, his expression unchanging and his voice as calm and placid as before.

Eva looked round the room then shook her head. "Nothing...and anything I do is probably too loud for little miss temper tantrum upstairs...." she said rolling her eyes.

"And you have to stay here.... why?" he pressed slowly, seeming slightly chastising now, but just as calm.

"Where do you suggest I go?" Eva said asking him curiously with a smile on her face.

Schao looked off as if uninterested. "Well I'm sure I don't know, Eva... What I find fun and what you find fun I'm almost positive is different... Go, anywhere. You don't have to stay here. If you have orders, they'll get to you, doesn't matter where you are." His dangerous but serene eyes slid to meet hers. "Go, take a stroll. Do whatever strikes your fancy."

Eva stood up. "Yeah I think I will go for a walk....thanks for the idea!" She grabbed her jacket. "You wanna come?" she said thinking it would be rude if she didn't ask.

He raised an eyebrow at her at first, then shrugged easily. He moved and held the door open for her to go first.

"Thanks..." Eva said whilst pulling her jacket on as she walked out the door. She waited for him outside the door.

He closed the door quietly, not bothering to lock it and headed to the sidewalk as if he already knew where he was going. He moved with a proper cofidence that was powerful but not arrogant. "Where would you like to try?" he asked as they walked.

"I don't ever walk to anywhere particular, I just go anywhere"" Eva said smiling. "Why is there somewhere that you would like to go to? We could go dancing!" she said looking at him.

He looked at her a moment before smiling and shaking his head. "Feel free, but I'd rather not right now myself," he said gently and looked ahead again. "And no, I suppose there is no particular place I would like to go right now. I am, for once, perfectly content, for now, to be right where I am." He smiled serenely.

"Ok we'll keep walking. so...." Eva said awkwardly.

He chuckled softly. "You may ask questions, you know. I am not going to send you to the eternal inferno just for asking something of me. My temper is nothing like that of my protegé."

"Can you answer me some questions that Spark couldn't?" Eva said looking up at him.

He gave her a frown, but answered honestly with a nod. "Yes, I can. But there are also a great many things that Spark can answer that I cannot."

"Ok...firstly I wanna know why me? Why was I given these powers?" Eva said quickly.

Schao thought a moment before answering. "Because my family can not settle our... dissagreement on our own. My dear cousin Tirok chose you to fight in his place, since we ourselves can not fight one another. For some reason, he prefers you above all others, and it is best not to question a gift from a god."

"Gift...yeah right..." muttered Eva."Are we all going to die because of this even if we win the battle, will the gods want their powers back, cos I don't want to die....not soon anyway..."

He shook his head. "No, you will not all die. Some of you will survive the battle, try to be at ease. As for the rest..." Here he paused, unsure of how to answer. Finally, he just said, "You will see in time." He looked at her with almost concerned eyes. "Yes, a gift. You should enjoy it while you can, you will not always have it."

"I am just frightened....something that usually doesn't happen to me. I feel like a vunerable little child again, not being able to control whats happening with my life. And do you know the terrible thing is, if I did die, no one would miss me, because i've been so nasty to everyone..." A single tear slid down Eva's cheek but she quickly wipe it away.

"This may be the wrong time to tell you this, but what do you mean it's that way again? It's never not been that way, Eva. No one really has control over his or her life, just like you never have. This will play out as the design designates them to. As for being missed... Well, if I were mortal and had but the short time to live of only about 100 years, I would still do as I wished and enjoy it, because its far more fun to rely on oneself and cause no one pain with your absense, then feel loss on everyone's part with your death.. If that made any sense to you." Schao looked at her as if to see if she knew what he ment, but his eyes didn't linger before looking foreward again. He obviously didn't need an answer, giving one was her own choice.

"I suppose your right." Eva smiled again. "Your not a bad person to talk to.."

Schao nodded politely. "I thank you. You are not bad yourself. Better than some others I have spoken with..." He made a disgusted but dignified face at the memory of some rather unpleasant humans he had had the displeasure of speaking with. His expression relaxed in a moment though. "Is there anything else on your mind?" he asked kindly, glancing at her.

Eva thought for a moment then a wicked smile crossed her face. "How long do I have to put up with Ren before I can hit her, you know one little punch..."

Schao looked at her with something akin to surprise before he looked foreward again. "Well you could do that anytime.. If you can manage it, that is. As long as none of you incompacitate one another or kill each other, feel free to swing to your hearts' content. I don't suggest it though... Why do you dislike her so much?" he asked as a curious after though, looking at Eva with the same innocent expression he had when he had first shown up.

"From the first time we met we didn't get on. The way she thinks shes superior to everyone just makes me so mad, thinking she can boss me about. Maybe i'll trip her and make out as if it was an accident..." Eva said looking thoughtful. She smiled innocently at Schao.

His expression became confused. A cute sight on his handsome features. "What makes you think she thinks like that?"

Eva giggled. "Oh I don't know, just the way she acts....she was really nasty to me because I accidently woke her up, and I mean it was accident, I wasn't being mean. She called me pathetic and she wished me to have a very slow painful death....not the easiest person to work with..."

Schao nodded along thoughtfully. "I see... Ren has been in this.. game.. longer than any of you. She has seen things you have yet to see.. She's can be an unpleasant person, yes, but that is only because she is used to being on her own and wants this over with. She is tired.. of all this fighting to be sure.. As I'm sure you will come to be to, and would be if you had been here as long as her. Ren wants to get things done as quickly as possible, but also correctly. She will utilize what she has, but she'll help to where she can. You'll see. She's like a tool that is happy to wait on the shelf until she's needed as long as whatever is being made gets made. She'll be happy when this is over..." He lowered his eyes to the ground and was silent a moment before speaking again. "Ren is like you Eva... in that she doesn't want her powers. She didn't.. She has been forced to enjoy something that she wouldn't have otherwise..." He laughed humorlessly. "If I had chosen anyone else though, they would go insane.. I, too, want this battle over, but I want to win so we can't rush it. Try to understand her before you condemn her, ok, Eva?" He looked at her with pleading eyes. He needed her cooperation.

"I suppose I could give it one more go with her...i'll be nice to her..." Eva said. "Thats a promise..."

His face relaxed and he nodded gratefully before once more looking ahead. "Good. I'm glad you'll try to be nice, but if that doesn't work, settle for considerate and patient, all right?" It wasn't a request.

"Ok...dad.." Eva laughed.

Schao made an unpleasant face. "Uh, please do not belittle me so by likening me to a human," he said lightly but with disgust in his voice at the thought of such a comparison.

"It was a joke, you know ha ha....you have jokes where you come from?" Eva asked looking at him.

He shook his head. "No, they all come from here. Jokes are statements in the human language that are intended to amuse other humans. The gods have no need for such a thing, though we know some." He shrugged and sighed. "Some of us will come to Earth to converse with humans. I do not enjoy such activities in choice with certain other activities.. As I have said, my sense of fun and your sense of fun I'm sure are very different."

"Ok, so what do you do for fun?" Eva asked.

He raised a slightly surprised eyebrow at her before calming again. "I happen to enjoy my job very much," he answered with a smirk at the memories he could recall.

"There has got to be something apart from your job that you do for fun!" said Eva whilst smiling.

He smiled at her as if at a small excited child. He nodded. "Yes, I also enjoy what Ren now does. I do, on occasion, take to clubbing, as you would call it."

"Really? I thought you were gonna say chess or something!" Eva laughed loudly. "Well come on then, lets go to a club!!"

"Why in all the heavens would I enjoy chess?" Schao asking wonderingly as he turned at the corner and headed down the street, now with purpose. There was a decent enough club close by. They could go there.

Eva chuckled. "Oh no reason...now I hope you can dance, cos I am awesome!" she said laughing slightly.

Schao chuckled wonderingly at the much younger girl by him and shook his head. "I told you, I don't dance," he said as they arrived at the club and he held the door for her, the music hitting them with a strong pulsing beat as soon as the door was opened.

"Your going to dance even if I have to make you!" Eva said whilst laughing. "I can be very forceful when I wanna be!"

"I highly doubt that makes a difference," Schao called over the music and gave her a smile before letting the door close behind them. He slipped over to the bar and ordered a drink.

"Suit yourself....join me if you change your mind..." Eva said before slipping off into the crowd of dancers. Before long she appeared again and walked up to Schao. She ordered a drink then sat down. "Still don't wanna dance?"

"Nope," Schao said in an uncharacteristically informal tone. He was lounging on one of the sofa's with some reddish brown iced drink in his hand and he toasted her with it before taking a drink. After a satisfied sigh, he smiled at her. "Having fun then, Eva?"

Eva shrugged. "I much more enjoy it if you danced." she smiled. "I won't stop asking....."

"And I won't stop turning you down," he replied as his playful eyes looked into hers and he smiled into his glass as he took another drink. "Why do you want me to dance?" he asked conversationally as he relaxed back into the cushions.

"Because its fun! And it helps you meet new people...and you might meet someone you like..." Eva said smiling.

"I honestly have no desire to meet more humans. I have met too many as it is," he said with a gentle smile and downed the rest of his drink and sat the empty glass on the low table before him.

"Thats a nice thing to say..." Eva said but she smiled anyway.

Schao laughed. "Trust me," he said mirthly. "The idea of meeting new people becomes far less attractive after millenia of seeing them evolve. No offence to you anyone in particular, but your species is not the best on the planet, only the most concious, and even that does not help them see or realize anything. For example, if you look around you will see at least one girl eyeing me up. She does not know that a simple kiss from me could leave her mentally retarded, deathly ill, or a carrier of some plague to others. She doesn't want to know. She wants me because I am male and I look as I do. That is why I am glad to not truly have this form." He smiled at Eva charmingly.

"That'll really happen if someone kisses you...ok remind me not to kiss you..." Eva said smiling.

He frowned at her seriously. "I do not want you thinking this means I want you to, I don't, but there is no need to lie to you or not tell you the truth. You were touched by a god, that means the worst I could do to you would give you minor bad luck for a week or so. Hardly anything to worry about, but I'd much rather you want to avoid it and thus, not attempt to gain my affection. I would be most pleased if you didn't want it at all."

"I was joking again, sorry. Your a friend, thats all...." Eva said seriously.

Schao nodded, thanking her but he already knew what she had meant. He turned back to watch the people on the dance floor. "Have you ever looked, I mean really looked at your species?" he asked philosophically, his eyes roaming the dark masses that moved to the dull thumping of the bass of the music.

"We're not that bad!" Eva replied. "Yeah we have a lot of flaws but who wants to be perfect, not me..."

He sighed. "The accidents.. those are the people you are against in this battle.. believe that your flaws are what make your species perfect. I say it is what makes you unique and specified, yes, but not perfect... If we win, well... nothing will change.. here.." He became quiet and thoughtful, looking but not really seeing the dancers.

"Is that not a good thing...you wouldn't want humans to become aware of your existance would you, it would be better if nothing changed I think...." Eva said to him.

He closed his eyes tightly. "You don't understand. Nothing will change here, where it matters to you. What you are chosen for matters to us, the gods and goddesses. What happens to us depends-" He made a choked sound and cough before sighing again and opening his eyes with a bitter smile. "It would seem you're not allowed to know that... Look, Eva, all I can say is what you are doing is very very important, more so than you can possibly know. I promise you though, if you live through this, no matter which side wins, nothing will change here." He looked at her with his dark eyes for a moment before laying his head back and closing his eyes.

"Your not going to die if we don't win are you?" Eva asked looking worried.

His eyes opened and he looked at her with such agony it was breath taking to come from the god of chaos. "If only it were so simple," he said with a small shake of his head. "I will not die, as you think of it. I just won't.. be.. anymore..." He sighed and lay his head back down. "It's complicated...."

"So your existance depends on the outcome of this fight...wow, pressure or what..." Eva said quietly.

He smiled bitterly again. "'The God of Chaos' will always exist, but he won't be me if we lose this war.. Our laws are strict and secret, so I can tell you exactly how it works. I can tell you, though, that if we lose, I will cease to be."

"Well then i'll make sure we win....who would I talk to if we didn't...." Eva said smiling.

His smile softened and he opened his eyes slightly to look at her. "Thank you Eva.. I can't ask more than that you try."

"I'm going to train really hard now....those people won't know what hit them..." Eva said to him.

He nodded sharply. "That's the spirit!" he said with more enthusiasm than his body showed. He did, however, smile then and chuckle softly.

Eva laughed. "We will win, you will see."

"Oh, I hope so Eva. I truly truly do...." He became silent again, his mouth set in a light frown, and a moment later he stood and walked into the crowd of moving bodies, just moving among them, but it didn't take long for him to dissappear from sight.

Eva watched him leave a confused expression on her face. "Where is he going?" she said as she stood and followed him into the crowd.

Schao had somehow managed to find a boy who wore what could only be described a punk clothes. The other boy, obviously a ganster, was speaking with the chaos god and seemed to be getting more and more annoyed by the second before he was in a fury. Schao had remained calm, if anything a slightly worried look on his handsome face. The other boy yelled something about 'I'll show him' or some such nonsense and stormed off, Schao smirking at his back as he did.

Eva appeared behind him. "Whats going on?" she said folding her arms.

Still smirking and eyes dancing with merriment, Schao placed a finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet before pointing with the same finger at where the boy had gone. He was getting in a heated arguement with another boy, who was yelling right back. Suddenly, the first struck the second with a hard blow and they started going at it as if to kill each other, within a 12 foot radius they gained attention before the bouncers managed to get them to take it outside. Schao pouted at that part.
"I wish that had lasted longer," he said sadly, still staring in the direction the fight had been.

Eva gave a wicked little smile. "Wish I could start a fight like that, but all I could do is turn this place to rubble..." she said pouting slightly.

Schao grinned at her. "So could I, among other things. I could turn this place into a roman candle, a riot, or even an all out brawl if it struck my fancy."

"Oh do something else then!" Eva said excitedly.

He smiled gently. "Allright," he conceded and held up a finger. "But only one more." He led her over to the bar and pointed to a bottle under the counter. "Watch," he wispered close to her ear. As he did, the shadow seemed to move out from under the bottle he had indicated and it fell over, leaking some of the liquid onto the floor. The bar tender, not noticing, turned and stepped right to it, slipped, caught himself on the bar but had leaned over in the process and was now obviously to close to a girl's noticable cleavage. The girl's date went furious in a second and slammed his fist into the tender's face and effectively knocked him out. Another tender saw it and called a bouncer to take the man out, who fought back until three bouncers finally managed to make him leave, upset girl in tow, while the second tender at the bar called someone from the back to take his co-worker to the hospital.

Eva giggled and wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "You are a genious...."

He smiled at her enjoyment. He liked that she liked what he did. "That little thing?" he said easily. "That's nothing. Now, the Bubonic Plague, that was genius. The Holocaust, Hiroshima and Nagisaki, the Huns of early Europe, those were all genius..."

"Did you cause them?" Eva said sounding amazed.

Schao chuckled, placing a finger to his lips in a 'quiet' motion.

Eva chuckled. "Our little secret..." she whispered.

He nodded and removed his hand, ordering a drink for himself and a different one for Eva and toasted her before taking a long drink. "I've done many things in my reign, but not all of them... Example, the seven plagues of Egypt?" He shook his head, playing with his drink slighly with both hands on the cup. "Not me. I've only been at this since.. Just before the rise of Rome under Julius Caesar." He said the last with a bit of thought, paused, then nodded, securing what he said as correct.

"Wow your old..." Eva said smiling as she took a sip of her drink.

Schao looked slightly offended. "Not as old as some of my family, I assure you. I'm one of the youngest of the gods," he said, frowning and took another drink. "I'm lucky to still retain the age that I died.. at least in looks when I come to Earth. I have only slightly altered." He looked at her and his red eyes boiled like melted rubies, sparkling in the lights of the club. His dark hair fell slightly to his expressive eyes and his now obivous Italian angular features were both serious and soft, sharp and yet handsome and shadows flicked against them in a dangerous but alluring way.

"Sorry another joke...i'll try and stop..." Eva said looking at him.

He chuckled. "You don't have to stop, Eva. I get your jokes, I know you aren't serious. I just don't laugh alot.. That's all." He turned back to his drink.

"I laugh too much..." Eva said taking another drink.

"One can never laugh too much. Joy is a wonderful thing." He suddenly frowned in disgust. "Well, in some cases. I would much rather cause a drought in the savanna for my own enjoyment then burst a water line so wild animals there would have a new drinking place."

"Have you ever wanted to do anything, please don't think i'm being rude, but anything nice?" Eva said looking at him.

Schao was silent a moment as he took the time to think on the question. At length, he nodded. "When I was alive... I was nice.. in the sense that you mean... And I am nice now, just not to what you would consider nice people... And if you saw things from my point of view... well, I'm sure you'd understand and enjoy it as well.." His last words came out in a soft dangerous voice and an evil smile was playing at his lips.

"Yeah..." Eva said finishing her drink. "You wanna head back to the house now...i'm kinda hungry."

He shook his head. "I'll have to decline. I need to get back. I've.. been here way too long..." He looked around nervously.

"Here as in, this town or here as in this earth?" Eva said quietly.

"Earth," he replied and met her eyes just before a hand laid on his shoulder. He looked quickly at the hand and followed it to a man who was smiling softly. Schao sighed and nodded, standing. "Be careful," he told Eva with one last look before he and the other man walked away and out of the club.

"Wait..." Eva said running after them. "I want to say goodbye."

Schao paused just outside the door and looked at her with an odd expression before looking at the other man for confirmation. The other nodded, still wearing that small kind smile and stood aside to let them talk while Schao waited, watching Eva approach.

"I just wanted to say goodbye properly. I'm gonna miss talking to you." Eva said. She quickly hugged him. What the hell.. she thought and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Be good!" she said stepping back and folding her arms.

Schao froze at the attention and raised an eyebrow at her when she was done. "...You too," he managed, still staring at her oddly. "I'll.. come back whenever I can.." he said before touching his cheek and turning away quickly to hurry after the other man. They turned the corner and were gone.

"You better!" Eva called after him then turned and began walking back to the house. She walked into the living room and removed her jacket then sat down. "I wonder if I should go and tell Ren?" she whispered.

"Tell me what?" Ren had been going to the kitchen but at Eva's words she checked with her first. The girl was looking a bit thinner than usual, but her facial features had relaxed slightly to show she was in one of her better moods. She had an open expression and leaned against the doorway to support her slight frame.

"Oh hi...." Eva said looking at Ren. "Well I thought you should be the first to know that Schao has gone....in a bit of a hurry as well...."

---

Elson sat in his room, his radio turned down to where he could barely hear it, a tatoo magazine laying open on his chest. His eyes were closed and he was snoring softly as his chest fell and rose slowly.

---

Spark stands and stretches out. cracking her back and popping her shoulders. She then walks past both girls into the kitchen puts the kettle on the stove and begins making herself a sandwich.

---

Ren ignored Spark as the other girl came downstairs. Not to be rude, more so to simply not interrupt whatever the other may be getting ready to do. She hated when people interrupted her, at most times, but not all, why would she do it to others? "His cousin probably came for him," Ren said calmly, looking away slightly. "He'll do that from time to time... Leave, that is.. He usually comes back, even if it takes awhile. Don't worry.. ok?" She looked at Eva and her eyes looked tired, lowered, but as keen as ever.

Eva nodded then remembered what Schao had said about being nice to her. "Do you want something to eat?"

Ren shook her head. "No. Thank you. I'm fine. Do help yourself to whatever we have. If we don't have it, the big red jar in the kitchen? Money in it. Take what you need and get whatever you want from town. I'm not used to having so many people in this house so we probably don't have much food left anyway.. Not right now... I'll get more sometime..." She had difted off slightly by the end and was talking almost to herself with her last words. She shook her head and raised her eyes from where they had slid to the floor to Eva again. "Do you need anything yourself?"

Eva shook her head. "If you want i'll go do some food shopping, and get anything anyone needs..."

Ren shook her head again. "No. You need to practice your abilities as much as you can as often as you can. It'll do us the most good in the long run," she said as her eyes hardened slightly, but she was not being hostile, just firm.

Eva nodded. "Me and Schao talked, I told him that I would train really hard and that we would win this thing, and I think we will."

The other girl nodded this time. "That was nice of you but did you only say it to placate him?"

"No..." Eva said shaking her head. "I would never do that.."

"Good," Ren said firmly, with an approving nod. "Then you should do good on your word. Either for worry of my wrath or his, don't upset him." It was not a threat. Contrary to what it seemed, Ren was not a threatening person. She was wrathful, yes, blunt, absolutely, but she did not threaten often. This was just her way of warning Eva that something bad would happen if the god of chaos was upset, but it was not a promise, just a statement. With a final nod, she went to the kitchen to talk with Spark. "I'm getting food today. I'm sure you've noticed we're running on low here because of so many new people. Will you need me to get anything specific for you while I'm out?" she asked the other girl, standing in the kitchen, appearance looking tired in all but her posture and voice.

Eva watched her leave then stood up. She walked slowly up the stairs then stopped outside Elson's room. She gave a loud knock then stood back. "Elson i'm ready to train when you are!" she called through the door.

---

Sparks turns and looks thoughtful. "I could make you a list of items usable to idiots in cooking as well as mildly advanced. Would that be profitable?" Spark asks putting away items now. she had made one toasted bread sandwich and one regular. and cut both of them into fours on a plate. "Do you need more rest? I could make the list and take one of the others with me to do it. I read your powers take quite a bit out of you even with enough proper sleep, so it would be no trouble at all. My talent is at this point rather useless." Spark says noticing Rens slightly wavering eyesight and her drooped posture.

---

Elson thudded to the floor at the sound of the loud knock, his magazine fluttering to the ground beside him. After a quick look in a mirror and a quick rake of his hand through his hair he answered the door and found Eva standing there. "Hey, what's up?"

Eva smiled. "Didn't you hear me? I said i'm ready to train when you are, no point wasting time...."

Elson smiled and nodded, "Of course. I already got an idea that should help both of us." He motioned downstairs, "We need to go downstairs."

Eva nodded and walked down the stairs waiting at the bottom for Elson.

Elson walked back into his room and grabbed a couple things before returning tothe hallway, closing his door, and joining Eva at the bottom of the steps. "OK. We are going to train your powers a little first, then mine, then back to yours and so on." He walked through the kitchen to the back door, motioning for her to follow.

Eva followed him quickly, nodding as he spoke.

Elson walked outside ignoring the fence and scraggly grass. "OK. Now, use your power to pick up rocks and fling them at me. I am going to do whatever to not get hit. This way we both get practice. OK?"

Eva nodded. She closed her eyes for a few seconds then opened them as a few small stones lifted from the ground and hurtled towards Elson.

The stones were coming in, slightly spread out and fast. He had formed up his guantlets as they were lifting from the ground and he easily knocked away the first one with his right hand as he dodged to the right to avoid the second, and catching the third one in his other hand. He smiled at Eva, "OK. I want you to try and hurt me. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, but I want you to want to hurt me." He motioned towards her. "Try again." He dropped into his stance, allowing the chains hooked to his pants to mold around his shins and extend his guantlets further up his arms.

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On to What? Practice?--->

Back to The Accidents Rp

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The Other's Hideout

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