"I...my...con...aeth...air..."

"You're a memory adept. Try remembering how breathing feels." Chandra's heel dug deeper into his chest. He saw Adeli propped up on her elbow, clearly enjoying the situation. "In fact," muttered the Firebrand, digging her heel even deeper into his chest cavity. "Try remembering what emotions are, you little bitch."

"I... better...wi...real...air..."

"Let him go, Chandra." said Adeli, pulling the drawer of the bedside table open and taking out a Swiss army knife. "Let's see if he's any good with words."

"What, are you going to cut them off?"

"Depends on him." said Adeli nonchalantly, as if she were used to hacking balls off. The Firebrand narrowed her eyes and removed her heel, but not before stomping on Jace's crotch. "I wanted to do that." muttered the teen. Chandra shrugged. "So, Beleren. Make me pity you enough to keep your balls." said Adeli, poking her fingertip with the knife. Jace gasped for air. "We're waiting."

"Give me...a damn...minute..."

"Well, every minute makes this knife sharper so..."


Jace woke up on his usual place on the sofa, his upper body covered with either scratches or burns. Whatever unharmed skin that was left was unbelievably itchy. He heard a meow and turned his head as much as he could in its direction. "Hello Ceros."

"Meow."

"They spared me this time, I see." The cat tilted his head to one side. "Or have they?" Ceros yawned, then trotted off to the kitchen. Jace sighed and sent a phantasm around the house. No sign of the two girls' energy anywhere. "And they've just left me here." He caught sight of a small can and a note on the coffee table. He could only reach out just enough to pick up the note.

Off to go card-hunting. Feed Ceros. - A & C

"Dammit."


"I think you went a little too far with him last night, Chandra." mused Adeli while walking around the mall. They'd just gotten two fresh booster packs and information on the next prerelease. "I didn't go that far," muttered the planeswalker. "He's still alive isn't he?"

"Barely."

"Whatever." They stopped in front of Neutralgrounds. "If it's not here, I swear we'll go home after." said the teen.

"You're really going out of your way to find one card. And didn't we find the damn thing back at that Courtside place?"

"They're selling it for a bit more than I'd like, Nalaar. I'm just seeing if they'll sell it cheaper here."

"Funny, I don't remember you being this responsible with your funds." said the Firebrand, following Adeli into the store. The teen made a beeline for the counter as Chandra stood back to watch the current group playing. It looked different to her for a second, and she figured it must have been a different game. "That Magic?" she asked the pale and pasty one. "Well yeah -"

"My face is up here."

"-yes ma'am."

"Looks different."

"That's because we're playing EDH." volunteered another pale one, this time with what Adeli called "glasses". "It's a more social format."

"Format?"

"Yeah, you can play more cards in EDH unless they're restricted." Chandra nodded. This game was apparently more than it looked like. "Well, then what's this supposed to do?" she asked the one next to her. He had darker skin than the rest, and bigger eyes that suggested a deer about to be hit by an arrow. He nervously looked back down at his cards. "Sorry about him, he doesn't really speak to women." the one in glasses said.

"He doesn't speak to women? What about his mother?"

"He speaks to her, but sometimes he wishes he couldn't." The pale and pasty one slapped down a card and the planeswalker instantly recognized it. "Is that an Omniscience?" Pasty One nodded vigorously. "Free casting for me, it's great for my deck."

"Huh." Chandra walked over to Adeli at the counter. The teen in question was staring brokenly at her booster pack. "You bought another one or you opened one." said the Firebrand. Adeli nodded, eyes a little watery. Chandra looked the cards over.

"All Swamps. That's sad."

"I know."

"Did you buy this new one?"

"Nome. I opened the two." Chandra winced. Adeli had a binder stocked full of land cards back at home. And she'd splurged how much? "Nevermind, that's how life is. I'll try again when I get more money." They walked back past the trio playing cards. "Hey hot stuff, don't say you're going now." called the pasty one before the one with glasses could silence him. "What did you call me?" Chandra asked, little spots of flame starting to glow on her ponytail. "Nothing, ma'am." replied the pasty one.

"You know what, I think I'll teach you some manners." She turned to Adeli. "Oh no, Chandra, please. I don't have an ADH deck."

"It'll be fine. He looks like he can take on an Extended." The one in glasses pinched the bridge of his nose. "What, aren't you guys going to help me out? We're a team!" said the pasty one, pulling out another deck box. "We? Seriously, right now you are you and you are in some deep shit." replied Glasses. His deer-eyed friend nodded. Adeli sighed and handed Chandra her black-red Vampire and sat down to watch.


"What do you say?" asked Chandra as they walked into the house. Adeli sighed. "Thank you."

"Thank you for what? I can't hear you."

"I said-"

"THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK!" yelled a voice from the sofa. Adeli laughed and dragged Chandra into the kitchen to help make dinner, putting the Omniscience Chandra won on the coffee table.


I. Am. Delighted. I made new Magic-playing friends yesterday and they taught me about the EDH thing. It sounds like fun, though I'll have to hunt around for a good Commander. Maybe something blue-green-black. XD