trans_9 | [Backdated to during the Survialist plot]

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[Backdated to during the Survialist plot]

Kleptomania (from Greek: κλέπτειν, kleptein, "to steal", and μανία, "mania"). The irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value.

Well...not always trivial. In fact Jinx preferred they not be that way. But ever since she was a child she found it difficult not to simply take things she had a fondness for. Sparkly things, shiny things, soft comfortable or brightly colored things. So being a thief came naturally to her.

But she wouldn't classify herself as a Kleptomanic. No no. She believed that she was more controlled then that. She had a stronger will.

She also was incredibly greedy.

So when she found a warehouse stocked to the gills with with a wide assortment of items it was impossible to ignore. So many useful things, or things that could potentially be useful. And food! So much food that she hadn't had to eat the slop that Stacy provided in a good long time.

But after awhile the owner of the warehouse became aware of her presence, and had begun systematically upgrading security around the warehouse. Booby traps, locks. Even trying to change locations. But that just enticed the pink haired thief more. How could she resist driving him nuts? And once she found out that it was Howard who owned the warehouse it became a game to her.

And so while Howard and Diana were both away on mission Jinx decided now was the perfect time to restock her supplies and thwart whatever new trick he had devised to keep her out. The last one had been his friend who appeared to be made out of stone, but when Jinx arrived he'd been passed out drunk.

A bit of hex magic popped the lock on the door and she slid in silently eager to see what treasure awaited her tonight.

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If there is one thing that people rarely describe Crematia, it is "patient". But it's true: in dragon standards, she may be hasty, but to lesser beings, she has the patience of a saint. If there is such a thing of a patron saint of torture, but that's neither here or there. The point is: Crematia has a lot of time on her hands. She can go for days, even week or months without food or water, her plots for domination require decades of preparation.

There's a thief here and Crematia does not abide well to thievery - unless it is from herself, of course.

Besides, Jinx isn't the only one who is greedy. The avarice of red dragons are legendary. This warehouse? It's her's now.

So when Jinx enters, she will see a woman in black, leaning against a hip. "Hello."

Jinx blinked and grinned sheepishly with a look like a child who's hand was caught in the cookie jar.

"Oh hey...your window's open. Just thought you should know." She winked cheekily.

"Girl, I have lived for six thousand years. I know a bad lie when I see one. The window is fine."

She arched her neck, looking down at the pink-haired girl through her nose.

"I suppose I can be merciful and just let you leave. But I am not in the mood for mercy. I never am."

"A thousand years? Funny I would have guessed mid twenties. You have GOT to tell me what kind of lotion you use." She straightened up and ran through the list of exits and entrances that she could remember from her previous visits.

"I find that mercy is over rated." She added with a chuckle. Because ticking off the mysterious haughty guardian is a great idea. Really.

"That's too bad," Crematia remarks, straightening her form. "Those who don't have the best screams."

She lets out a hiss of words, calling upon the magical might within her. A cone of fire sears from her fingertips at the intruder.

Jinx held back a yelp and performed a graceful cartwheel out of the way landing ontop of some more crates while the ones she had been on previously took the worst of the flames.

"Careful! Some of it might be flammable!" She shouted apparently more concerned about the damage then her own safety. She took off dashing and slipped down to the floor vanishing behind some more junk piles.

"Funny, I find myself not caring." But even so, she snapped her fingers again and the fire went out. She followed the girl, her steps a leisurely stride. Another spell, and there's a flash of impossible light, intended for temporally dazzlement and confusion.

"Well then you're a very bad guard dog!" Jinx shouted from her cover.

And then the light flashed. It was so bright that even when she closed her eyes it seemed to burn through her eyelids. Spots danced in her vision in pastel colors and she immediately set to crawling desperate to put some more distance between them till she could see again. She closed her eyes tight so she could focus on sounds and the feel of where she was going. Some things had been moved since the last few times she'd been by to steal and it was throwing off her internal navigator.

"A dog?" She scoffed.

"No. I am a hired mercenary now. A dragon guarding treasure."

She takes longer strides now, going over the boxes.

"There you are."

Jinx gave a sheepish grin and a weak little wave with her fingertips.

"I wouldn't exactly call this warehouse full of junk treasure. But there's this really big emerald I saw deeper into the city. That seems more Dragonworthy if you ask me."

Her vision was still blurry but coming back into focus, bracing herself to spring out of the way the moment a move was made. She didn't know just how strong this supposed dragon was, but she didn't want to find out.

She narrows her eyes, annoyed.

"You know little of dragons, girl. One emerald, one gem. You think that would persuade me to leave this warehouse?"

Another spell, this time a cone of ice from her fingers.

Jinx performed a rather skilled backflip up the side of the container so her feet caught on the upper ledge and propelled her up the rest of the way. "Two things. One? I hate the cold." And to punctuate that she shoved off the container toppling it over at her incredibly attractive and deadly foe.

"And Two?" She landed deftly on another box which wobbled under her threatening to spill it's contents onto the floor. "It's an emerald the size of a cow. A really fat cow. Actually probably more like two cows lashed together."

Normally, shiny, valuable things would have distracted Crematia - after all, what use is a dragon's hoard without actual valuables? But she is no foolish thief with an hankering for trinkets - she knows a lie when she sees one, and more importantly, what is inside this warehouse will be more useful to Crematia than a gem that supposing exist on a thief's say so.

Quickly she teleported out of the way of the fallen container, the contents of the box spilling all over the floor.

"And why would I trust the word of a thief?"

"Because I value my life more then a gem that's too big for me to carry?" She offered scanning around her waiting for Crematia to appear again so she could dodge once more.

"And I value what's in this warehouse slightly more then said big shiny gem. Practical things." She shrugged as if she was casual. "Most fun I'd get out of that gem right now would be polishing it and admiring my reflection."

Actually she really liked that idea.

And there is Crematia, next to the toppled crate. Well, in a sense. It is an illusion, and the real Crematia is invisible, lurking ever closer to Jinx. The illusion fold her arms, clearly annoyed. "You dare to suggest that I'm some brainless cat distracted by the superficial and the useless?

Girl, I will say this once: get out of this warehouse and out of my sight, and I might not tell my employer of your transgressions."

Jinx folded her arms and gave Crematia a thoroughly annoyed look. "Has anyone ever told you you take things WAY too personally?" This was a rapidly losing fight. Could her pride really allow her to just walk away?

"Your employer isn't the one to worry about. Stacy and her Warden are the ones who will be deciding what's more important to punish. A thief, or someone who slaughtered the thief."

Crematia laughs, but it is no laugh a human can make. It is a dragon's laugh, filled with sulfur and fire and destruction and cruelty. "Slaughter? No, no, slaughter is for my enemies. You do not earn the title of being my enemy."

Ever closer know . . .

Jinx had taken a moment to peek inside on of the crates "Hair spray? Why on Earth would there be an entire crate of hair spray?" Howard didn't even have that much hair to begin with.

Turning her attention back to Crematia, "I suppose I'm greatful for having not earned it. All things considered I'd rather keep you on my good side. Too bad that sharply conflicts with my desire to take things that aren't mine."

Close enough. Crematia sat down and inscribed an arcane mark on the ground, using a strange smelling writing utensil. The black ink slid across the floor created a a symbol of pain.

With a gesture, she dismiss the illusion and her invisibility. As the fake Crematia disappear from view, she can only smirk behind Jinx's back, intending of scaring her to trigger the arcane mark.

Jinx's eyes narrowed, she didn't like the looks of that mark whatever it meant. And then her opponent simply vanished.

"I'm gonna feel really bad walking out of here without ANYTHING to show for how much trouble you're becoming." She spoke carefully moving along the crates now avoiding the floor as best she could and trying to steer a wide path around the rune. She hadn't yet noticed Crematia's new location.

The trick to the rune is that the thief has to be tricked into stepping away from it, triggering the symbol. Really, all Crematia has to do is to change back to her dragon form - but then she will destroy the building and everything in it with her massive size.

So she has to go for the hard way. She dismisses her invisibility and glares at the woman before her. "Don't you know what I am? I am a dragon. We are always trouble."

Jinx wished she had a snappy retort handy, but the minute she activated the trap pain exploded inside her skull. Her skin felt like it was being peeled off and knives were digging into her bones. She fell to the ground screaming out the air in her lungs with tears burning in her eyes. She had expected pain, but nothing quiet so intense all at once. She could barely open her blurry eyes to see Crematia become visible again.

"As I said, I am a hired mercenary," Crematia said, approaching the pitiful form that is the thief. "I really ought to break your bones and burn your flesh for your transgressions - it is what I do to my enemies, after all. But it is like I said earlier: you are no enemy of mine."

She crotched over, gleeful of the girl's screams and obvious pain.

"I am going to let you be like this for a while. After that, you can go, but only if you never speak of this incident, and I won't have to hunt you down again."

After all, a dead body - or a missing person - will attract attention, and in such a small space here, Crematia cannot afford to be reckless. Not while she is essentially trapped and imprisoned, when she out to be dead.

But Crematia will kill Jinx if she dares to cross her again. That is what proper dragons do.

As her body began to acclimate to the pain, it didn't make it any easier to deal with, but her mind was spinning slower and processing her words. All she had to do was give up now and she could crawl home with her tail between her legs. Shamed but alive.

Unfortunately, for how logically and precise she tried to be, she was selfish, stubborn, and at the moment, pissed. Her eyes flashed hot pink right in the middle of a fresh wave of pain and screams. Tears in her eyes glistening with hot pink as boxes began to explode all around them sending their contents flying.

Towers of supplies began to tumble towards them with splinters of wood and cans of alien fruits scattering through the air.

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[Backdated to during the Survialist plot]

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I am so sorry for the slow I actually thought I tagged this

No problem!

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oh god i am so sorry for the slow!

pft hee hee, no worries

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