Remi Lucien Fitzroy

[Remi Lucien Fitzroy]

REMI LUCIEN FITZROY

....the mask

Your Name: Remi, please and thank you <3
Where did you find us?: Kai Su directed me here. However, I’ve seen the ad for this site numerous times on Proboards Support, and I’ve often toyed with the idea of joining. It’s only just now that I’ve decided to go through with it.
How long have you been roleplaying?:Sacre bleu… Perhaps… mn… let me see… six years now.
Password: [admin edit!]

...basic character information

Birth Name: Remi Lucien Fitzroy
Nickname: None.
Gender: Male
Age: Sixteen years of age.
Grade: Sophomore, tenth grade.
Birth date: January 22nd
Program: Bachelor of Arts
Major: Philosophy
Major Explanation: Throughout the history of our world, the lion has been a symbol of courage, wisdom, determination and love. Though there’s nothing ferocious or loving about the study of philosophy, it takes a thoughtful, courageous, wise individual to raise the questions of our reality that might, in fact, frighten others. Questions like “is our reality shared by others or merely created by the facilities of our mind” or “if a tree falls and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound”. Questions that stir thought and provoke our minds into action. Remi has a thirst for knowledge and a curiosity that won’t be quenched by simple one-word answers, and the passion of his breed that pushes him on to pursue this major.
Animal Identity: African Lion

...personality

Likes:(at least 10)

• {{QUESTIONS}}_{there‘s nothing I love more than a thought-provoking riddle or question - push my imagination to its limits, give me something to ponder.}
  
• {{GAMES}}_{nothing like red rover or go fish, but something that takes effort and thought; a game of cat and mouse is always enjoyable.}
  
• {{BOOKS}}_{there is no such thing as having too much knowledge - reading provides insight into the inner-workings of other’s minds.}
  
• {{CONFRONTATION&DEBATES}}_{a battle of intelligent minds is always an excellent to pass time - and a battle of strength is always enticing.}
  
• {{ALWAYS|FIRST|PLACE}}_{while winning isn‘t supposed to be everything, it is.}
  
• {{THE|CHASE}}_{hard work brings forth value - if you‘re given everything on a silver platter, you don‘t appreciate it.}
  
• {{JUSTICE|SERVED}}_{when people get what the deserve, I can‘t help but smile}
  
• {{UNITY}}_{everyone wants to belong; unity gives you strength and loyalty.}
  
• {{INDEPENDENCE}} _{being able to stand on your own two- er, four paws is really important - if you can‘t stand on your own, no one will want you around.}
  
• {{BEAUTY}}_{they say not to judge a book by it‘s cover, but I can‘t deny a pretty face.}
  

Dislikes: (at least 10)

• {{THE|MEDIORCE}}_{anyone who is less than what they can become just rubs me the wrong way.}
  
• {{WEAKNESS}}_{those who are weak deserve nothing but suffering.}
  
• {{STUPIDITY}}_{intelligence is important - idiocy is far too common.}
  
• {{GETTING|IT|WRONG}}_{failing isn‘t something I like to make a habit of - I despise it.}
  
• {{LAZINESS}}_{effort is everything; to be lazy is to give up and to give up is to lose purpose.}
  
• {{TOO|EASY}}_{without a challenge, I‘ll never get any better.}
  
• {{INDIFFERENCE;LACK|OF|PASSION}}_{what‘s the point of living if you don‘t feel?.}
  
• {{MISPLACED|DISHONESTY}}_{there‘s a correct way to lie, and a proper time - but people who over use the power of a lie will become trapped in a web of their own doing.}
  
• {{FLIES}}_{nasty little things.}
  
• {{INTOLERANCE}}_{our differences bring us together.}
  
• {{MIRROR|IMAGE}}_{those who refuse to be individuals.}
  
• {{UGLINESS}}_{no one has to know.}
  

Fears: (At least 3)

• {{MEANINGLESS}}_{a life without a purpose is no life at all - I will have a purpose.}
  
• {{CHANGE}}_{when it‘s not in my favor, I could do without it.}
  
• {{FAILING}}_{the thought of messing up or being wrong makes me sick.}
  
• {{LOSS}}_{my family and friends are important - I would be devastated to lose them.}
  

Strengths: (At least 3)

• {{INTELLIGENCE}}_{no puzzle is too hard for me.}
  
• {{LOYALTY}}_{there is no price too great to pay for a friend.}
  
• {{PERSEVERANCE}}_{no matter what, I will succeed.}
  

Weaknesses: (At least 3)

• {{EXHAUSTED|EFFORT}}_{never… I don’t know when to give up.}
  
• {{EMOTIONS}}_{sometimes they get the best of me.}
  
• {{AGGRESSION}}_{anger can be a dangerous thing - and when my temper flares, I have a hard time controlling myself.}
  

Overall: [400 words minimum]

STUDIOUS;;HARDWORKING

For as long as Remi has been alive and breathing, he has been determined to succeed. When he was young, it would be something as simple as climbing up onto the counter to get into the cabinets (even though he wasn’t supposed to). But with age, his goals grew past the little tot daydreams of an extra cookie after dinnertime. He craved to learn more about the world around him and he yearned to be the best of the best. Book after book, homework problem after homework problem, he’s determined to excel and come out on top. In everything that he does, he’ll give his all. No matter how small the task.

PASSIONATE;;LOYAL

As most of his kind (y‘know… lions), Remi is very loyal to those he‘s befriended and to his own family. They all hold a special place in his heart, and he values them above all material possessions, as materialistic as he can be at times. There‘s not a single thing he wouldn‘t do for the ones he loves. If he were to find a mate, he would surely give his life for them - if not risk everything for them.

And with that loyalty lies a deep, intense sort of passion that seems to be rare to find in the hearts of modern commoners. When Remi loves something, or someone, he loves with all of his heart, all of his soul. Because of this, he often gets hurt. Most of his kind doesn’t behave this way when it comes to a mate - in fact, most of his kind would, perhaps, mate with several different lions at a time. But Remi, considering the way that he was raised, could never behave in such a way. In this case of nature versus nurture, nurture comes out in first place.

AGGRESSIVE;;SHORT FUSE

Though it‘s something he‘s not particularly proud of, Remi has a tendency to let his anger get the better of him. He doesn‘t mean to let things get so out of hand. But, sometimes he just can‘t help himself. The way someone will look at him, or even just a ill-placed comment will be enough to set him off. And his aggression, his anger, is something that should be, and has been, feared. He’s not afraid to knock a few heads around, when he loses his temper. And he’s far too hard-headed and stubborn to apologize for it afterwards. No matter how many toes he’s stepped on.

COURAGEOUS;;RASH

There isn’t a whole lot that Remi is afraid of - that is, physical, tangible things. Other animals hardly ever frighten him. But that’s to be expected from a creature dubbed as “king of the jungle”, isn’t it? Nothing could ever harm him: not when he’s paired with thick, sharp pearly whites and a set of razor-sharp, intimidating claws. His animal form is simply designed to kill, and because of that, there’s nothing he thinks can truly harm him. Of course, sometimes this will lead him to become over-confident or over-estimate his abilities. It might also make him seem pretty cocky - which would be a fair assumption to make.

Because of the fact that he doesn’t fear much of anything, Remi tends to act without thinking rather often. And sometimes - especially when unpredictability goes hand and hand with his aggression - this will get him into some serious trouble, as it has a number of times over the span of his life. He tries to slow it down and take deep breaths, stop himself from doing anything stupid too quickly. But his effort is almost always in vain.

But…. There is something… that Remi fears. Things like death, solitude, and failure are all valid fears for Remi. The kinds of things that he can’t fight away with a loud, furious roar or a swipe of his claws. The kinds of things that won’t run from him when he narrows his eyes and bares his fangs. The kinds of things that leave him powerless and weak. Those are the only things he truly fears.

POLITE;;PROPER

Remi does his very best to keep his manners up to par. He offers a kind smile and firm handshake upon meeting someone new, and nearly always speaks in proper English. Though he has slip-ups, like most of us do, he does a fairly decent job of it. Some may seem to be overjoyed by this behavior and others may seem to be a bit put-off by it. He doesn’t really realize that in speaking and acting this way, he sometimes comes off as stuck up or snobbish. Not that he would really care if someone were to tell him that he was.

CONFIDENTLY;;INSECURE

All right, Remi‘s not exactly insecure. It‘s already been stressed in the paragraphs above that he‘s very confident - and kind of hard-headed because of it. However, Remi strives for a sense of approval from the ones he loves. Whether or not he‘ll admit to that is an entirely different story altogether. So because of this, he‘s a bit insecure around his family and friends - because their input means a lot to him. Say he did something his mother or father didn‘t approve of: while his stubborn, hot-headed side would be determined to insist that he‘s right and they‘re wrong, a small voice in his head would sound. What if they‘re right? It would nag. What if you don‘t know what you‘re doing? What if you‘re wrong? And he wouldn‘t be able to silence it.

...appearance

x x

Celebrity Play By: Yahiro of the Japanese band XodiacK for the human, Nyack of the San Diego Lion Camp for the lion~

Appearance: [400 words minimum]

Just looking at Remi, you would think it would be evident that a lion would rest inside of him. What with the way his golden-brown, coarse hair puffs up and out like a mane - or the way that sections of dark, dark brown are hidden beneath the lighter tresses. Or maybe even if one were to notice that predatory gleam in his blue-grey eyes, they would know that somewhere, deep down, a beast was waiting to burst free.

However, for “the king of the jungle”, Remi is actually quite small. In his human form, he comes to about 5’6’’ - though it must be pointed out that his hair probably adds about two inches to the full height - and he only weighs about 135 pounds. He’s thin, lean and only slightly muscular. There’s no doubt about it - if another stronger, older male of his kind tried to overpower him in human form, he would absolutely succeed. Upon the pale, soft flesh of his back rests a birthmark, as dark as his hair. It follows his spine, and ends right at the start of his tailbone.

For such a small, scrawny kind of guy, Remi has a whole lot of personality. It’s evident in the way the he acts - but also in the way that he dresses. He has a sense of fashion that’s derived from years and years of gawking at gothic and Victorian fashion in the books upon his family’s shelves, but with a modern twist. Dark clothes with fashionable lace and ribbon, ties, even dark nails and make up. It’s his own form of personal expression - his own kind of artist’s blank canvas - since he’s no good with a paintbrush or a pencil. But this doesn’t mean that he dresses entirely like a woman - no, not at all. You won’t find him wearing a dress or a skirt or a belly shirt. He’s no cross dresser, not that he minds cross dressers. He just simply won’t take being mistaken for one.

As a lion, Remi is just as lean as he is as a human. He comes in weighing about 215 pounds and is about seven and a half feet in length from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. He’s also fairly shorter than most lions, of course, he’s still young - so standing at just under three feet at the shoulder isn’t necessarily all that much smaller than your average lion.

Like most male lions around Remi’s age, he has the beginnings of a mane sprouting form his great head and flowing down the back of his neck, stopping just past his shoulders. The fur of his mane is thick and coarse, like horse hair, and it’s mainly the same tawny shade as the rest of his large body - except for the lower half, which is a dark, dark brown. The tuft of fur at the end of his tail matches this dark color, as does the light stripe down his back, which most lions adorn. His paws are large (his claws able to extend about 2 inches away from each big toe), his legs are thick with rippling muscles and his head his large - two shining, round grey eyes nestled beneath the white markings on his furry lion brows. He’s majestic and beautiful, as all lions are. Truly, he is a classic example of a fine African Lion specimen. [/size]

...history

Parents: {{Biological Father: Shimane Hideki | Biological Mother: Shimane Megumi}} {{Adoptive Father: Christian Fitzroy | Adoptive Mother: Emily Fitzroy}}

Siblings: {{None}}

[400 words minimum]


the beginning (birth - adoption)

It was a cold winter’s night. The end of January had finally started to approach, and a very pregnant Shimane Megumi, couldn’t have dreaded it much more than she already had for the past nine months. The pains in her lower stomach, the wetness pooling around her feet… it was evident that the time had come. But she wanted no part of it. She had never wanted to be pregnant; she had never wanted the burden that a child brings. There was still so much living left to do - she was hardly old enough to be a devoted mother. The idea of having a drooling, slobbering baby cradled in her arms sent a wreck of emotions coursing down her veins. Each and every bone in her body screamed with disgust at the thought. If it hadn’t been for the father, the boy she’d had a short fling with all those months ago, the boy she had been forced to marry, she would have had the pregnancy terminated. And right now, in this moment, she found that she would have given anything to go back and rid herself of the child, once and for all.

But no, Hideki was beside her, whispering fervently, “Come, let’s go. It’s time. He’s finally coming into the world.” He was ushering her through the door before she could even fully react. Before she could beg to have the damned, wretched demon in her uterus destroyed. Exterminated. Like the little pest that it was. But Hideki would have none of it. He wouldn’t listen.

Hours of excruciating pain went on, unending. It was as though she were being spilt in half, as though Satan was slathering thick, scalding wax all over her insides, letting her burn and torturing her. She hollered and bellowed and screeched with every push. And yet, Hideki stayed by her side, loyal and faithful as he was - bless him.

When all the work was done, and there was no pushing left for Megumi to do, a baby boy was presented before them. He gave not even a single cry. The only sound that he gave was the soft grunt of satisfaction when he was placed into his father’s strong arms. And for a moment, everything was silent. Hideki couldn’t hear the sounds of the medical equipment or the faint clicking of the nurse’s shoes. All he could see, was the soft tuft of hair upon the boy’s head - and a dark, brown birthmark that winded down his child’s back that was all too familiar. It was then that he knew: his son was special, but his son was not a mere human. He was the same as Hideki was. He was truly a lion as well as human.

Hideki felt such pride, gazing down at his beautiful, healthy baby boy. But it was only to last so long. He had agreed to an adoption. A closed adoption. He would never see his son again; it wasn’t permitted. Yet, the smile remained glued to his lips. There was nothing man could do to stop an eventual reunion between him and his rightful place as the boy’s father. He was a loyal, caring father by nature. Had it been anyone else’s son and he wouldn’t have given a flying shitake mushroom about them, but… but this was his son. A member of his pride by nature. And he wouldn’t be gone out of his life forever, he hoped.

All too soon, the baby was whisked from his father’s arms. It was a terrible, heart wrenching feeling to watch his boy part from him and his mother, but wasn’t a grief that was shared by Megumi. She heaved a relieved sigh as Hideki collapsed on the chair next to her bed, and was soon fast asleep.

The baby boy was greeted by his adoptive parents in the nursery of the hospital - or rather, through the glass outside of it. He was put on a display, like a tasty cake in a baker’s window, and bundled up like a pastry with a soft pink filling. As his new parents watched him writhe and coo in his cradle among the other hundreds of babies, they exchanged looks of joy and held each other close. Christian and Emily Fitzroy had been wanting to have a baby of their own for as long as they had been married. The two tried over and over again to have a child, but all of their efforts were fruitless. When it was finally determined that Emily was infertile, they sought to adopt. But it took a lot of time for the paperwork to process, and even longer to be approved.

And now, after years of turmoil and endless waiting, they finally had their prize. They had traveled all the way to Japan from Paris, France, just to collect their baby boy, and take him home. Where they felt he truly belonged.

Emily was the first to hold him of the pair. Her round, deep hazel eyes watched over the baby with a strong kind of fondness while Christian stood next to her silently, awaiting his turn. They chatted quietly amongst themselves, giggling and chuckling at every cute sneeze and toe wiggle that escaped the child. Before long, Emily rocked the baby in her arms and smiled up at Christian. “Remi… that’s what we’ll call him…”

“After my father?” Christian blinked at her and watched her closely.

“Yes. And Lucien, after yours. Remi Lucien Fitzroy.”

And so, the baby boy had a name. And a secret. That even he himself was a stranger to.

the early years (adoption - 10 years of age)

There was never a boy who had been more loved by his family than Remi Fitzroy. He was never left alone or neglected, nor was he abused. Emily and Christian, true and kind people to the very cores of their warm hearts, gave him everything that they possibly could. He was well fed, nicely clothed, and - well - it would probably be a bit of an understatement to say that he was far more fortunate than most other children, since his adoptive parents were very well off. But there was never a moment that Remi was particularly spoiled or felt any kind of entitlement to the kinds of things that he received from his parents. They taught him to be thankful for all that he had and only to ask for something when he needed it.

These years of his life were filled with trips to outdoor cafes and supermarkets, along with hours of cooking in kitchen with his mother. She stressed the importance of patience when preparing a meal and throughout life, and she showed him the significance of family. She also helped Remi to understand that rushing things, especially eating a meal that was carefully prepared or that took a lot of time to make, was hardly appropriate and rude, and that he such behavior would not be permitted. Not to mention that Emily, a proud Brit, was able to teach Remi to speak English. And with her guidance, as well as Christian’s firm discipline, he grew to be a polite, well mannered child.

Well, for the most part.

He was a bit energetic and loud, as most children can be. And mixed with a fair bit of curiosity, well, it was a recipe for disaster, at times. From climbing up into trees and getting stuck to falling into lakes and thrashing about until he reached shore, Remi was the epiphany of a rascal - and his playfulness didn’t die down for years. Still, it remains part of who he is.

nights of paris (11 years of age - 14 years of age)[/I]

As Remi got older, he began to explore the city he had started to love so dearly. He adored the people, the way everything was always changing and so exciting. It fit perfectly with the sense of adventure that he couldn’t suppress, no matter how hard he tried. He spent countless days wandering the town and watching the city with a romantic gleam in his eyes. Motorcycles and cars, bikes and mopeds, people laughing and walking, dancing and singing. You could see it all in Paris.

And it was in Paris that Remi met his first love - not a romantic love, per say, but a love that was shared as a very special bond between friends. He first saw the boy one of the bakeries in Paris, a smaller boy clutching onto his hand for dear life. He was struggling to order a loaf of baguette from the man at the counter, an exhausted expression upon his face. Being raised as he was, Remi stepped forward and ordered for the boy.

Immediately, they forged a friendship. Remi soon found that the boy’s name was Aoi Park, and the smaller boy with him had been his little brother, Choi Park. He had never been sure of Choi’s Age, but he knew that Aoi was 12 years old at the time that they had met, a whole year older than him! The three got along splendidly, however, Remi and Aoi were as closer than brothers for the summer that the Park family stayed in France.

They kept in touch through email and snail-mail, but couldn’t afford to make phone calls to each other because of the long distance. And every year, Aoi and Choi would return to France in the summer. Remi would teach the two French and, in return, they would school him in Chinese - which, he thought, was actually much harder than French. He admired them both and loved them dearly.

The last time he saw either one of them was the summer of his 14th year of life. He bid them farewell, unaware of the dark times he would be facing following the setting of the summer sun.

run away and never return (15 years of age - present time)

Life, it seemed, couldn’t get better for Remi Lucien Fitzroy. He had a family he loved, a best friend he adored (even if he lived all the way in China), and an education to be proud of. Nothing could stop him; nothing could get him down.

Until his fifteen birthday.

He awoke and felt a great pain radiating in his muscles, coiling and restricting along his bones. It was like being smoldered by giant, scorching embers while being doused with waters from the depths of the Alaskan waters. He didn’t understand; he couldn’t stop it! The pain consumed him and swallowed him whole for hours that seemed to stretch into infinity, and he lay in bed, completely paralyzed and powerless to the chaos that had unleashed itself upon his body.

And then, darkness overcame him. Silence befell his mind, and he was left as nightfall’s captive.

Hours later and sleep left him. He stirred and carefully got to his aching feet, his heavy eyelids prying from his eyes. Surrounding him was a very unfamiliar place that he had never seen: it was a long, grass-filled pasture, lit by the silver light of the moon. Not a single tree stood in the wake of the grasses and not a single soul. At least, so Remi thought. It wasn’t until his panicked gaze flicked over the place again that he witnessed a creature he’d only laid eyes on in picture books and videos: a lion. It stood before him, its great, strong jaw hanging open to reveal fang upon fang, it’s large pink tongue rolling slightly with each heavy breath.

Remi stared in disbelief, feeling his eyes widening. He was frozen to the spot as the great beast stared at him. Its tail flicked behind its body and it shook out its thick, dark mane before tilting back its head and letting out a low, soft grunt.

Immediately, terror striking him into action, Remi tried to turn and run, but his feet felt large and awkward beneath him and he staggered to the ground clumsily. “Wh-what! Why can’t I--?” His eyes darted down to his feet and he felt his heart falter. Dear god, there were paws! Paws were his hands and feet used to be! Big, fat, furry paws! He couldn’t believe it! He had to be dreaming!

“Finally, you know the truth…” A deep, rumbling voice sounded from behind him, practically making the earth beneath his fur-covered body quake. “You are not who you think you are, Remi Fitzroy. The life you have lived is only an illusion… it is only… part of who you are.”

Shock, fear, agony… all of it was coursing through the young lion’s trembling body at once. He couldn’t push it away, he couldn’t even manage to get to his feet… err… paws.
Once Remi had finally calmed down, the lion explained to him that he was a shifter. Generation after generation of his family had inherited the trait and now, he had inherited it too. But surprisingly, that wasn’t the most shocking thing that Remi was to learn. This lion… was his father. His real, biological father. He didn’t want to believe it, but what choice did he have? The proof of what the lion, Hideki, was saying was right in Remi’s very own paws, in his very own body. He was a lion. Or part of him was, anyways.

“What do I do?” He asked his father, “What can I do?”

The larger lion watched his son with a soft eyes before taking a step forward, his forehead pressing to his son’s affectionately. By instinct, Remi nuzzled him back. “You must leave here at once. I’ve got everything set up for you. You’re going to be leaving with me to America at once. There’s a school there, in Hawaii. They can teach you how to use this power, and there are others like you there. You won’t have to hide anything.”

“N-no! I can’t!” Remi stepped away, his tail swishing and the tassel brushing over the dry grass beneath his body. “Mother and Father… they love me! I can’t do that to them. I-!”

“Hush now!” Hideki snarled and Remi shrank away, his body pressing to the eart. “We’re running out of time. The sun is about to rise. You have no choice, son! These people don’t understand our kind and they’re not permitted to know about it! I’ve had this plan prepared since you were born! It’s your destiny!”

And so, it was. Remi boarded the plane with his father, some hours later, after he finally managed to phase back. He left everything behind, everything he loved, everything he knew. The next time that his feet would touch the ground he would be a new person, a new Remi Fitzoy. And his adoptive mother and father would believe him to be dead.

The following year, he enrolled into this academy, and this is where he’s been ever since.
[/size]

...connecting human to animal

[One Paragraph Minimum (Can be point form)]

The similarities that Remi Fitzroy shares with his animal form are both skin-deep and intangible. First , the most obvious of all, would be his thick, coarse, mane-like hair. Even in his human form, brushing your hand against it would be like taking a handful of horse hair. It’s hell to style, so he doesn’t really do much to it, besides brush it. It does what it wants, whether it stands up straight or puffs outwards and away from his head. Even its coloring is similar to the shade of his mane. It’s a lighter, reddish-tawny color at the top, and bits of dark brown peak from underneath the upper tresses, just as it does when he’s a lion.

There’s also Remi’s birthmark to consider - the one that he and his father both share. It’s a straight, dark brown line that starts at the back of his neck and goes all the way down to his lower back, just above his tailbone. It’s identical to the mark that rests on his spine as a lion.

One of the least obvious similarities shared between this human and his beast form would be the passion, affection and love shared between pride-members. Remi, by nature, is very protective of his friends and family, and would go to the ends of the earth to protect them. He loves them with everything in his soul and loves them unconditionally. Of course, there’s also the amount of competition between male lions to think of. See, male lions are always competing to be the best, to be at the top - and to stay there. It could mean losing their pride, or even their lives, if they don’t. Remi, like his fellow lions, is never truly happy unless he’s on top, and stays there. He’s very competitive and will not rest until he reaches first place. There’s nothing more he hates than losing.

Upon maturity, male lions will leave their own prides in search of a new one. Sometimes these males will be on the hunt for a long while - and sometimes, they’ll pair up with another male - forming a strong bond with them. Together they’ll search until they’re able to find a pride, and together they’ll work to chase off that pride’s male leaders and take it over as their own. Remi and Hideki may not be in search of their own pride, however, they are very much like these nomadic males. Especially Remi. He left his adoptive family - his pride - upon the maturity of his inherited genetic trait. And now, he’s set off on his own, without his father and in a brand new school. He’s growing up and looking for friends - or even pride members.

Clearly, it makes sense for Remi to be a lion.

...literacy

RP Sample[/i]

Though the news had come to him hours ago, Jordan Van Alan – the Head Scarlet - was still in shock. How? How was it possible? How had Danny flitted from prison so easily? He’d been driving home from visiting Jake’s grave, when on the radio news, he’d heard those four horrific words. “Danny Porrello has escaped…” If they had given any details on just how the man had crept under the noses of the hundreds of security guards, Jordan hadn’t managed to catch it. He’d gone into a state of panic. His mind frozen, body numb. What could he do? What was there to do? Danny could be anywhere. Following him, plotting to kill him. To take his revenge. Paranoid and panicked as Jordan was, he’d had to pull over on the side of the road and talk himself down from having a neurotic fit.

Moments later he’d reached for his phone and called the two people he knew he could always depend on. Nikki and Die. They were his wings, his guardians, his assassins. But moreover, they were his very best and most trusted friends. His brothers; his family. They were to meet in the deepest chamber of the old abandoned powder factory. Jordan would tell them, then, once they'd met up... that Danny was on the loose again (as he hadn't had the heart to tell them over the phone). Together, they would have to devise a plan to send Danny to where he belonged. And this time, it wouldn’t be jail. It would be the depths of hell. There was no letting him slip through the cracks this time. Danny Porrello would be killed – even if Jordan himself had to send the bullet crashing through his skull.

So now, caught in the midst of the unforgiving abyss of the pitch black, midnight darkness, Jordan waited patiently for his friends to arrive. All right, perhaps not so patiently. His back was pressed firmly against the worn and torn wall of the chamber and his hand was fidgeting anxiously with his lighter inside of his jeans pocket. At each creak and groan of the old building shifting, he jumped. Always assuming the worst. An image of Danny swimming through the dark craftily flashed before his mind’s eyes. He could see it perfectly. As if it was really happening. Danny dancing around him silently, a silver revolver in his hand and a knife in the other. He’d whisper mockingly, “Hey Jordy… ready to play a little game? I’ll give you a three second head start to run for your life. If you’re not outta my sight by then, I’ll send this bullet into your heart.” A shiver of absolute terror ran down Jordan’s spine.

Why, oh why, were Nikki and Die late?

Didn’t they know him by now?

Didn’t they realize that every second Jordan stood alone in this dump that he grew more and more anxious? That a new imaginary antagonist was tugging at his sleeves and plotting his death with each minute that ticked away?

His icy blue eyes closed slowly and he took a deep breath. Steady Jordan. Steady. Don’t let yourself get worked up. Danny isn’t here. He’s not here. Die and Nikki will be here any minute now. And we can figure out where to go from here. Just don’t panic.

That’s right.

Don’t panic.

[/size]
[/font]