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"Don't worry about it..." Rae smiled and slipped her shades back on, glancing over her shoulder to see if Maxi had managed to scare up a sever yet.

Some days Rave just wished she could make people forget the things she said when she didn't want to talk about them... it was such a bother to try not to lie. sweatdrop

Rave blinked and pushed the shades back up like a shiny hair band at his request, wondering if Morrow had caught on to the fact that she was very bad at keeping her emotions out of her eyes sweatdrop "Okay dear..." Perhaps he was just immune to the slightly dizzy feeling that a lot of people seemed to experience looking into those chaotic eyes for very long xp

So instead she put one arm around his neck and snuggled in against him so she could rest her cheek on his shoulder. "It still doesn't feel quite real to have you back."

"Not right now... if this is a dream then I don't want to wake up just yet." sweatdrop She chuckled softly, rolling her eyes to look up at him with a little smile. "I like dreaming lately, I almost never have nightmares anymore... unless I eat someone who really doesn't agree with me."

Dreams were the best time to get in touch with Nocturne of course, and since she was head over heels for the dark little god her subconscious tended to think of sleep as a safe time. "Yes, if you are a dream then I prefer to wake up after we both do something to release the tension!" wink

"Um... just their energy, I'm not big on solid foods anymore. They are still entertaining and tasty at times, but they don't provide enough energy to sustain the magic I burn through." Oh this could get bad... very bad. This was usually where the Vampire hunters popped out and tried to stake her, or her friends got a lot of distance between them sweatdrop

"Munin left a void, a vacuum that had to be filled... and I only kill people by accident these days, they rarely even end up in the hospital most of the Time!" She kept her head on his shoulder in hopes that he wouldn't dump her on the floor, but she was tense now, ready to fall, or run if she had to. Being honest was such a bother most days stare

Rae relaxed again with a little sigh, quite releaved that he didn't freak out on her. Some days, being herself was harder than others. "I just try not to hide what I am anymore.. I may still kind of look human, but I'm not, I never was and never will be! That was what I had to show Maxi... To be yourself is all that you can be..."

"Be yourself..." John echoed.

He wished he could understand that...but what if you didn't like yourself? What if you didn't like what you became when you surrendered yourself to yourself.

That's what John had tried to do. Be himself.

The thing that he was didn't gel with society. What he was, what he had been all this time, was not something you hug and hold, what you reassure with soft words. He had touched on it in Durem, years and years ago...but in the last three years he had revelled in it, tore away this charismatic shell he was wearing right now to reveal the monster lurking inside...

Maybe that was why he was afraid of Max - would her strike John down once he found out three truth?

((EDIT))

Snap.

John almost jumped out off hiss seat as Maximos appeared out of nowhere over again. "Dont do that, you b-b*****d!" John cried, his voice betraying him for a moment before he controlled himself. "What took you so long? And what fire?"

Max smiled, and nodded in an almost care-free manner. As if he were discussing the weather or a new book. He popped open his menu, and held it with one hand will swirling his drink around inside the small glass with the other.

"It started a few years back near the docks. I was having a drink with a friend, it was an accident, something spilled, no one ways paying attention and suddenly there was a fire. The bar didnt make it." He turned the menu page, shook his head and laughed a bit to himself.

"It happened twice here in Latent, during Heaven or Hell, costing the Crimson Hawk two separate bars, and numerous times after that. Its never intentional, but nearest I can tell, its like a weird twist of fate." With a triumphant nod, Maximos put down his menu. A nervous looking server was approaching with shakey hands, and an uneven smile. She looked at Raven, Tomm, and finally Maximos as the Shadow said.

"If I have a drink with friends, in Latent, before the night is done something awful will happen. Usually a fire. I think we should be okay, I'm taking things slowly." And then Max knocked back the shot and slapped the small glass down. It wasnt as though he wanted to, or even tried. And it was always bars, never clubs or diners. But somehow, something seemed to always go wrong. It had made him somewhat infamous. The waitress looked as if someone had just stepped on her grave. Max laughed. "Why do you think they're all so afraid?"

And then he turned to frightened woman and said, "I'll have two of these large hamburgers, like in this picture." Just as care free, he turned back to Tomorrow and Raven. "How about you two?"

There had been something about some tavern burning down... wasn't it supposed to be a stage though? Rave wasn't sure anymore, and didn't really care since now it was obvious that if she wanted a fire she was going to have to be the one to start it xp

"Potato skins, an extra side of sour cream.." She looked up at the waitress with a scowl. "No bacon bits... those two can eat all the animals they like but there had better not be any on my plate!"

She finished it off with a little smile in an attempt to be polite as she handed the menu back to the girl and glanced from Max to Morrow again. "Aren't we tempting fate by just trying to act like ordinary people?"