A Fateful Coffee Run (Medeia)

-Capital Crocus, 9:06 P.M.-

Dressed in a lavender t-shirt and black skirt with black thighhigh stockings and white tennis shoes, Diana was in her new form under the alias "Jane Wesson" and walking through the quiet city streets... or as quiet as a city like Capital Crocus could get. In any case there were not too many people around and there was enough space on the sidewalk for her to walk unimpeded by fellow pedestrians. In her right hand was a to-go cup of double espresso from Capital Coffee and it was three-quarters full.

Diana had went out for a late-night coffee run while disguised as Jane and no one had suspected that the blue-eyed blonde standing before them was Diana Winchester, not even her longtime acquaintance Jasmine DuClare, an employee of Capital Coffee and the employee who had served her. The blonde mage had acquired the ability to change into her new appearance shortly after her return from the space station her Infinite Improbability Chronometer had taken her to. Diana did not know how exactly she had gotten the form, but the new look was perfect for fooling longtime acquaintances... she would use it whenever she wanted to travel the city in peace without having to deal with anyone. Being able to change between appearances at will without requiring any special tools was a handy skill that Diana would make frequent use of in the days to come.

While on the space station Diana had thought about her family and how disconnected she felt from the rest of the world. One of the only people she felt any real connection to was Aliarey Casidy, a fellow Guildless mage and longtime friend of hers. The other was her older sister Lucia, but they had not seen each other in years and part of Diana did not want to see her again because she was afraid of what Lucia would say if they ever met. The younger Winchester was afraid that her sister might be able to see through her facade and see that she was just an empty shell who was good at pretending to be human.

As Diana walked past a tall office building of some sort she took a drink of her coffee and passed by one of the few other people she had seen, a black-haired young woman with brown eyes wearing a pink jacket over a gray tank top and gray sweatpants with white tennis shoes. The blonde thought for a moment that she had encountered her acquaintance Amber, but that was not the case because Amber's eyes were not brown. Diana took another drink of her coffee and mused for a moment about the quality of the beverage, which was as high as it had been since she started patronizing that establishment.

Tonight was a good night so far. The weather was noticeably cool but not cold, there was not a single cloud in the clear night sky, and there were few pedestrians on the streets; all of those factors combined to make for an enjoyable evening for the blonde. When she eventually got home she would go to sleep, wake up, and look for a job so that she could earn the money needed to support herself and save up for a trip to Crescent Island. Once upon a time Diana had wished that she could go there on a vacation with Lucia, but now she was more inclined to either go by herself or go with Aliarey as her guest.

As she walked Diana found herself thinking about what might have been had her family not died from drinking poisoned wine at a family banquet over four years ago. Maybe she and Lucia would have remained close instead of becoming estranged, but that was not a given. Perhaps they would have drifted apart anyway due to Diana getting older and wanting to leave the family home to make a life for herself away from their abusive mother. Another possibility was that both Winchesters might have decided to become freelance mages; perhaps they would have even worked together from time to time. Still another possibility was that some of the other Winchester sisters who wanted to travel the world might have joined forces with Lucia and Diana to form a team.

There was no telling how things could have gone had almost all of the Winchester family not died on that night.

Diana's Face and Hairstyle as Jane Wesson:

[Post Word Count: 738]
[Diana's Word Count: 738]

There was another brooding mage wandering the streets that night, an incredibly familiar person to anyone who was aware of what was going on in the magical world. Medeia made no effort to hide her appearance and her outfit was rather eye opening compared to those who she passed. Normally, her gaze would constantly be on the move, eyeing up potential guests for the evening and beyond but as it so happened, she was in the mood. Instead, her lavender eyes focused only forwards, musing about her last couple of encounters with her fellow mages. There was a time where it had been so easy for her to be able to extract information from those she captured but now? It was all so difficult. Was she losing her touch? Was her heart not in anymore? Just what was going on?

Her thoughts were primarily focused upon Lucia, the last mage that she had spent an evening with. She had been such a rarity, a mage who had not been corrupted by the darkness that all mages of power were forced to face at one point or another. There was only so far that a wielder of magic could go before having to abandon something in order to grow further. Yet, the legal mage had seemed to have been able to negotiate that hurdle without any issue. Perhaps Medeia had underestimated the resolve of those who walked a different path from her. Lucia was one of the sweetest mages that she had ever met and honestly, Medeia felt nothing in the way of frustration towards her for refusing to reveal much to her. The Warlord had declined to push the matter and that was partly what bemused her. In the end, a smile crossed her face though, musing that Lucia had a unique charm that had managed to bewitch the dark mage.

There were a few people about and more than once did she hear the sudden increase in footstep speed as they looked at her. They knew who she was and that alone was enough for them to move just a tad faster. It was a pleasant feeling in a way, knowing that she could inflict such anxiousness from her presence alone. Not once did anyone try to stop her from visiting the capital now and Medeia believed she knew why. They knew what could happen if they tried to engage her in the middle of the city and the dark haired woman was more than capable of turning the place to dust if she wished. So, there appeared to be some kind of accord. No one bothered her and in return, she did not bother the establishment. For tonight at least.

Her attention was drawn to a scent that both amused and caused her to inwardly cringe at the same time. She knew what it was straight away and the eyes of the Warlord rose to find it coming from a cup held by a lovely looking blonde woman who was heading in her direction. For a moment, she thought that she might have wandered into an acquaintance by mistake but as it was, this woman was new to her. She seemed to be in a world of her own too and for a second or two, Medeia was not sure whether to engage her in conversation or not. Was she asking for another awkward and frustrating night by doing so?

In the end, she decided to, chuckling slightly. “Another coffee drinker, huh? I seem to find them wherever I go these days.”

(594 Words)
(1332 TWC)

Diana was busy pondering how things might have went had her family survived the night that had claimed their lives and she was particularly focused on Lucia, the one who had held the family together through effort and sheer force of will. Diana wondered how her older sister's life would have went if she had not had any of the poisoned wine. Perhaps Lucia would have left the family home to finally start living a life without an abusive mother and two spoiled younger siblings terrorizing the less fortunate younger siblings. Or Lucia might have stayed in Bellum to care for the home she had been raised in and the deceased Winchesters who were now interred in the family crypt on the property.

Lucia had been forced to be the de facto mother of the Winchester family since the real one was either too busy getting drunk or being drunk in her room. She had obviously not been ready for the multiple demands made on her, but the oldest Winchester child had risen to the occasion, if only because no one else would. Lucius and Melody were too focused on terrorizing their younger siblings to care about such trivial things like "responsibility" and "keeping a household running" and their father George was either busy at work or busy getting drunk at home, so Lucia had had to shoulder the burden ever since she was old enough to cook, clean, fold laundry, and do the numerous other chores necessary to take care of the family. According to the woman herself she had been working at that thankless task ever since she was ten years old.

Diana wondered if any of her other older siblings would have stepped up to the plate if Lucia had left the family home to start her life. She could instantly scratch Lucius and Melody off the list... as Mother's Favorites they saw doing anything that helped others as beneath them. Perhaps Gloria would have stepped in to fill the void because she had been helping Lucia ever since she was old enough to do so. The two sisters worked together to provide meals for the family and Gloria had been taught by the blonde how to clean, sew, provide basic first aid, and perform other essential tasks. While she would probably have not been as good as Lucia due to not having as much experience as the latter, the petite brunette was the most likely candidate for the blonde's replacement.

The youngest Winchester sister took a drink from her cup of coffee and the moment she lowered it she heard another female voice coming from in front of her. Diana saw the source and was momentarily surprised by who was speaking to her, but it did not show on her face. Standing in front of her was none other than Medeia, the Warlord Of Lust.

"Medeia." "Jane" calmly greeted the Warlord, letting the latter know that the blonde knew exactly who she was dealing with. Diana wanted to point her towards the mall so she could buy some less revealing clothes, but Medeia might take offense to such a remark and take it out on Capital Crocus' citizens, so the blonde kept her mouth shut. Instead she focused on the boldness of the other mage.

"You are a bold one to come here as you are." Jane calmly commented on the Warlord's audacity, which went far beyond just wearing a revealing outfit in public. Medeia was one of the most notorious Dark mages alive and she had sashayed into Capital Crocus like she owned the place. It was likely that no one expected her to be so audacious as to walk in a large city in broad moonlight without a disguise, a move which was likely a reason why the Warlord had gotten this far without encountering any opposition. Medeia was living proof of the phrase "Fortune favors the bold."

Undaunted by the infamous mage, the blonde took a drink from her coffee as she waited for Medeia to reply to her.

[Post Word Count: 676]
[Diana's Word Count: 1,414]
[Total Word Count: 2,008]

Raising an eyebrow in response to the woman, Medeia would push her thoughts to one side and focus more intently on the blonde girl before her. She was bold to speak to her in such a way and the Warlord was intrigued. Just who was this person who spoke to her in such a casual fashion? It was worth finding out and the dark haired took a step forward so that she was fairly close to the other woman. Not close enough to invade her personal space as such but enough to show that this individual had her undivided attention.

“If anyone is overly bold, it would be you for speaking to me in such a way.” She uttered, a slight amused glint in her lavender coloured eyed gaze. “You are the first person tonight who has so much as uttered a word to me although I understand the reasons why they would not dare to. My reputation precedes me, it would seem.” She was not threatening or anything like that with her tone being so calm and tranquil that it might have almost matched the tone of the woman she was talking to.

Taking a closer look at the blonde, Medeia would rack her brains in an attempt to try to remember her but in the end, she had to admit that this woman was new to her. The Warlord had come across her fair share of blondes, especially lately and for a moment or two, she mused that maybe she had come across someone who she could link to one of them. The witch was always searching for connections but for tonight at least, it seemed that she had hit a wall in that regard.

“You seem to know a fair amount about me but I do not know anything about you.” She asked after a moment or two. “Who might you be?”

The angel was curious enough to ask and already this woman was beginning to interest her. There was a calmness about her that intrigued the dark mage and she could not help wondering about just what move this woman might make if things turned awry. Was her calmness just a facade or was there more to her that met the eye? Medeia wished to know and the only way to discover was by prying a little deeper into the mind of the woman before her. Just who was she.

(404 Words)
(2412 TWC)

"You speak the truth. Your reputation is something people cannot ignore." Jane said calmly while ignoring the Warlord getting close to her but not quite close enough to alarm her. Diana glanced at the other mage and noticed that the latter was acting like she was failing to recognize her, which meant that the alternate form was doing its job of concealing her real identity. She just wanted to be left alone, but right now that did not seem likely to happen, not while Medeia was trying to figure out who she was. Diana was not in any hurry to enlighten her either.

If Medeia learned her real identity there was no telling what would happen to her. Maybe the Warlord wanted to kill Diana to remove her as a potential threat to her plans, but there was little point in that because the blonde was no threat to the Warlord. Diana was content with her life as an ordinary Guildless mage and had no intention of going after the infamous Dark mage... unless the latter tried to hurt Lucia, tried to hurt Aliarey, or tried to hurt innocent people. Those three actions would compel Diana to become aggressive in defense of the few things in the world she cared about.

When Medeia asked for a name Diana did not skip a beat because she already had one ready to go.

"Jane Wesson." Jane calmly replied with her name. She had named her alias long before using it tonight, so she could quickly offer it to anyone who cared to ask. The blonde did not see why Medeia needed it, but the former just wanted to get on with this so she might get to finish her coffee in peace. However, she had doubts that it would be as easy as having a conversation before parting ways. Interacting with a Warlord seldom went well for the object of their attention and she wondered what exactly Medeia was after.

Everyone had something they wanted and Diana was trying to figure out what the Warlord hoped to get out of this meeting. Whatever it was the blonde doubted that it would bode well for her. Maintaining the same calm that she had started the unexpected and unwanted interaction with, Jane took another drink of coffee while waiting for Medeia to speak again.

[Post Word Count: 390]
[Diana's Word Count: 1,804]
[Total Word Count: 2,802]

It was natural for other people to react to her presence, whether it be with fear, anxiety or anger but there was not much of that coming from the blonde woman before her. How strange. This individual seemed perfectly fine with having the Warlord in her close proximity without a care in the world. Why was that? Was she used to encountering dark mages such as herself? Was she so arrogant that she believed that she could overcome the Errings Rising Guildmaster? They were the questions that reverberated around Medeia’s mind for the moment and as usual, once questions started to form, it would not be long before she pursued the answers. This woman, Jane, had a different vibe about her than the others that she met recently, which was enough to arouse her interest.

“Jane Wesson, hmm?” The witch answered, once again racking her brains for any sign of recognition, to no avail. When it came to mages, especially powerful ones, Medeia was rather keen on keeping tabs, whether it be through the delightful Sorcerers Magazine or her spies, so to find herself encountering someone she was unfamiliar with was rather rare. How did she know that this woman was a mage? All mages had an aura and for a woman of Medeia’s caliber, it was almost impossible to hide it from her. There was something here and not weak either. This woman might have been talking as though she was simply a run of the mill girl but the witch was slowly but surely becoming suspicious of that.

“It is true that most have some kind of reaction when encountering me but I must confess that you are awfully calm about it.” She mused, uttering her previous thoughts aloud. “I cannot detect much from your tone of voice at all. Has anyone ever told you that there is an eerie calm about you?” It was not meant as an insult as such, more just stating something that the blonde probably already knew. “It seems as though you are almost as cold as ice. It intrigues me, as it is incredibly rare that those I meet do not either run for their lives or threaten me.”

(367 Words)
(3169 TWC)

Jane was not sure what Medeia was getting at with the question but kept her composure. Maybe she was banking on the blonde feeling guilt about using an alias and dropping the illusion to give her real name and show her real appearance before resuming the conversation. If that was the case Medeia would be hoping in vain. The blonde had lived a double life for so long that she was used to it... even after leaving her previous violent and morally corrosive occupation behind she had not abandoned the habits of being emotionally distant and keeping to herself. They kept her alive and would keep her alive for the foreseeable future.

Jane took a drink from her coffee as she considered her response to the Warlord's remarks about how composed she was.

The blonde supposed that Medeia was used to people running in terror and hoping that the Warlord did not feel like giving chase, suffering an intense and obvious panic attack, or screaming and begging for their lives. She also supposed that Medeia wished for her to do the same. Diana was not going to give her the satisfaction, but it was not out of spite. Diana just did not feel very much emotionally and could not put on the show the Dark mage might be expecting.

"I have been told that before, Medeia." Jane replied in a steady voice bereft of sarcasm. Her statement was true. She had been informed of that character trait more than once and she had long ago accepted that. However, the blonde had a good justification for behaving the way she did... she tended to travel to the Cursed Lands frequently and the threats that called that area home did not show mercy to anyone, especially people who could not keep their fear under control.

"Why does that interest you?" Jane made a sincere inquiry. She really did not get why being able to stay calm made her special, but she supposed that the Warlord was used to drawing stronger emotional responses than the one the latter was currently getting. Diana got the impression that Medeia liked to get strong emotional responses in order to feed her ego and feel the rush that came with asserting dominance over others without having to lift a finger by letting her reputation do the work for her.

[Post Word Count: 392]
[Diana's Word Count: 2,196]
[Total Word Count: 3,561]

“It is a rare occurrence and that is enough to interest me.” The angel replied simply, gazing at the blonde woman with a look that could have melted lead with its intensity. She was trying to get a read on the woman before her but it was proving incredibly difficult, as though the individual before her was made from stone. There was nothing stemming from her besides that eerie calm and Medeia pondered what she must have gone through in order to develop such a strong constitution. It aroused her intrigue, as well as increased her suspicions. An unknown mage of strength, wandering the world without there being any knowledge of her? It sounded far-fetched to her and Medeia was considering whether she should offer one of her famous deals. For now though, she refrained from doing so.

She was also trying to get a hint as to the strength of the woman, trying to pick up on the minute fluctuations in her magical aura but again, it was rock solid. This mage was strong mentally, stronger than most and Medeia again just had to wonder what was going on in that head. Was Jane going to attack her for daring to walk the streets of the Capital? She seemed cold enough to be able to do such a thing without remorse and Medeia pondered if perhaps this woman was one who had walked a more similar part to her own. Jane almost behaved like a professional, one who was motivated by something other than just blind loyalty.

In the end, she actually asked Jane precisely what she had been thinking about, attempting to perhaps discover something simply from how the woman responded. “So, here I am, a Warlord walking the streets of the Capital. What do you intend to do about it? Are you going to try and force me out? Reason with me? I confess that it is hard to read much from you.” Her tone remained casual enough, neither sounding intimidating or threatening, she was just trying to gauge something from the blonde coffee drinker.

(348 Words)
(3909 TWC)

Jane survived the withering glare with ease and looked at the other mage with the same calm expression she always wore. If Medeia thought she was going to get what she wanted just by trying to look intimidating she would soon learn otherwise. The blonde had been through a lot worse than being in the presence of a Warlord... some members of her family had viewed her with undisguised contempt and had physically abused her for years on end, so someone glaring at her did not affect her at all. She took another drink of her coffee and mentally noted that the cup was half full before turning her attention back to the Warlord.

Jane let the first statement go unanswered because she really did not have a good answer for it. Medeia had given an acceptable response and nothing else needed to be said on that subject. The blonde focused on the question that had been put to her, which sounded something like a challenge. Even though the Warlord's tone was not one indicating the gauntlet had been thrown down the phrasing made it sound like the other mage was daring the blonde to do something about her presence. If that was the case Diana did not take the bait.

Diana supposed that by asking the question the Warlord might have been concerned about facing someone who was close to her power level. She also suspected that Medeia might have started the conversation with an aggressive tone if she had perceived that the blonde was unable to stand up to her. Diana was thankful that she was nearly as strong as the Warlord because she was better able to stand up to the latter... in theory, anyway.

"Unless you threaten the city or its people or attack me first I see no need for us to fight." Jane calmly replied to the Warlord's question. If Medeia saw that statement as a threat that was her choice, but the blonde was being truthful. Diana had changed a lot from her earlier days when she was still involved in her previous trade; in the past she might have tried to take on the Warlord, especially if there was a bounty on the latter's head. Nowadays she would only act aggressively towards Medeia if the latter threatened to destroy a city, threatened to kill its people, or threw the first punch.

After giving her answer Jane waited to see how Medeia would react to what she was told.

[Post Word Count: 416]
[Diana's Word Count: 2,612]
[Total Word Count: 4,325]

“You are wiser than many that I have met.” Medeia replied with a small smile. “I have no doubt that you are formidable and from what I can detect from your magical aura, we are not that different in terms of strength. A confrontation between us would result in tragedy for the people of this city and I am willing to consider that a fact. I would rather not have that occur here so if you are willing to play nice then so will I.” That did not mean that she was going to simply walk away from the blonde woman though. No, she was far too curious for that.

There was something about this woman that was familiar to the Warlord although she could not quite put her finger on what. The ease with which this woman spoke to her just rang a bell from somewhere. She did not recognise anything in the woman’s appearance that reminded her of anyone although her hair colour was certainly one that Medeia had come across rather a lot lately. It amused her somewhat but she believed that maybe fate was helping her out in some way. After all, she did adore blondes above all others.

Curious about just how much this woman knew of her, Medeia would proceed to ask. “Are you aware of what tends to happen when I come across someone that I take an interest in? I have no idea how well versed you are into my methods but I do have a reputation.” She was starting to probe a little deeper at this point, attempting to get something from the incredibly closed woman. It truly was like she was a block of ice and if Medeia did not know better, she would have guessed that Jane was more machine than human.

For a moment, she would then look the woman over in what might have seemed to be a sizing up kind of way. The truth was that she was actually admiring her somewhat, finding Jane to be rather attractive. Her eyes would then fall upon the coffee cup and that sent another bolt of remembrance to her mind. The last woman she had flown off with had been rather fond of the strong stuff too.

(378 Words)
(4703 TWC)

Flattery would get Medeia nowhere with Jane, but she kept quiet and let the Warlord talk. The blonde did not want a fight in the city unless it could not be avoided and so far it sounded like it could be avoided. She doubted that Medeia was as averse to property damage as she claimed to be, but she kept that to herself so that the city remained intact and its citizens remained alive. The safety of Capital Crocus and its people were Diana's priorities and if she could achieve those objectives without violence she would do her best to make them happen.

Jane took another swig of coffee and maintained eye contact with Medeia while waiting for something to happen. The blonde was not sure what to expect from the other mage since she had no experience in combat against someone of Medeia's strength and had no idea what kind of magic the Warlord could use. In fact Diana could not recall the last time she had ever fought another mage. Try as she might she just could not remember the occasion... maybe it was in the Cursed Lands somewhere a year or two ago. Setting that subject aside, she focused on Medeia again in time to hear the question that had been asked of her.

"I have no idea what occurs when you find someone who interests you, Medeia." Jane calmly and truthfully replied to the question. It sounded more than a little ominous, but the blonde had little choice but to take the bait if she wanted to maintain the tenuous peace that currently existed between the two powerful mages. While Medeia was a formidable mage with an equally formidable reputation, Diana had participated in the border clash between Bellum and Pergrande that had preceded the Ishgar Symposium and had also successfully defended a village in her home country from a Viking raiding party during the most recent phase of the war between Bellum and Pergrande, so she had some experience fighting against tough opponents. Even before participating in those two important events the blonde had fought against zombies, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, cultists, and other enemies over the course of several years and numerous jobs in order to gain the power she wielded, so she was able and willing to fight if Medeia decided at some point that she no longer wanted the encounter to be a peaceful one.

[Post Word Count: 402]
[Diana's Word Count: 3,014]
[Total Word Count: 5,105]

Judging from the answer given, Medeia felt it was safe to assume that her activities were still somewhat shrouded in mystery. She was not upset by that or anything and in truth, it would make her future encounters more entertaining. The Warlord mused that it was unlikely that any of her guests would particularly wish to speak of their meetings with her anyway. Not because they were overly violent but due to the personal touch that Medeia always tended to give such affairs. The witch did not take her fellow mages solely because of her desire for them and there was always something else that she wished to gain as well. Insight. The more she knew of her fellow mages, the better prepared she would be. Medeia had learned so much from her previous close encounters, each one given her a window into the human mind and psyche.

“I make them an offer. They either accompany me for a while or things turn rather unpleasant although I suppose in the end, the result tends to be the same.” She eventually replied with a slight shrug. “It comes down to a matter of pride, I suppose. Some try to fight me off because of it which never bodes too well for them. I had an encounter with another beautiful blonde woman in Hargeon which ended up going down that path. I am pretty certain that if she had her time again, she would have chosen to simply go with me willingly.”

Pausing for a moment, she would once again glance over Jane and then add. “You are an intelligent woman so I assume you know where this is going. My interest has been captured by you and sooner or later, I will make the same offer to you as I have so many other mages.” There was no real menace in her voice and if anything, it was rather a matter of fact tone. Medeia knew herself all too well and she had her particular routines about such things. She wanted to know what made this woman tick and judging from what she knew already, it would not be an easy feat. Jane would be a challenge.

That sense of familiarity was still there though and white her slayer senses could still not make a connection at that point, Medeia could not help but feel slightly suspicious. “I cannot help but feel that we have met before somewhere. There is something about you that rings a bell.”

(416 Words)
(5521 TWC)

Jane would have probably struggled not to laugh at Medeia's statement about pride if the blonde were the type to laugh because the Warlord speaking about pride was a pretty good joke.

Medeia had strolled into Capital Crocus in broad moonlight wearing an outfit best described as "distinctive" and likely took delight in scaring off or intimidating the city's citizens just by appearing before them. If she were the humble sort she would have probably disguised herself and worn clothing that was much more modest than the outfit she was currently wearing. As it stood the idea of the Warlord of Lust talking about someone else's pride was more than a little hypocritical, but Diana kept that to herself to avoid causing a catastrophe.

Diana suspected that the mention of the young woman in Hargeon Town was missing a lot of background information and that that omission was no accident. She also suspected that the deliberate omission was done to make Medeia look benevolent and the other person look like foolish for opposing her. Again Diana kept those beliefs to herself and drank more of her coffee as the Warlord mentioned that the offer a number of other "fortunate" people had received was going to be inevitably pitched to her. The blonde had a feeling that she was not going to get to go home tonight, not unless she was willing to fight the Dark mage and risk property damage and loss of innocent life in the process. That was not something she wanted to do, not unless the terms of Medeia's offer were too onerous for her to bear or she believed that she had a good chance of defeating the Warlord.

Jane appeared calm as she took another drink from her half-full coffee cup. On the inside she was not looking forward to hearing what the "offer" involved, but she did not have a lot of choice. Since the handwriting was on the wall she might as ask about it and get it over with.

"What is this offer?" Jane calmly asked Medeia while maintaining eye contact. She did not bother replying to the statement about the possibility of the two mages having encountered each other in the past. They had never met before tonight and to Diana the remark was just verbal filler... the blonde's interest was focused solely on the terms of the "offer" that would come her way sooner or later.

[Post Word Count: 406]
[Diana's Word Count: 3,420]
[Total Word Count: 5,927]

“You come back to my place and spend the night as my guest.” Medeia replied, not beating around the bush with Jane this time around. She had the feeling that the woman before her preferred a more direct line of speech and so she decided to simply follow through with her hunch. The Warlord again did not attempt to sound threatening and maintained a casual tone with the blonde mage. Up until now, Medeia had been uncertain as to whether she wished to truly get involved with another mage for the time being but Jane was such an unusual character that she had eventually felt compelled to do so. “Do not worry. I will not do anything untoward to you and you can make your own terms if you wish for how our evening pans out. If you have a significant other then I will make sure to keep my compliments to a minimum.” She was being considerate in own way, attempting to adapt from her previous experiences.

She was intrigued by the blonde and while Jane seemed to lack the sweetness of Lucia or the ego of Leona, there was something about this woman’s calmness that attracted Medeia’s attention. There was something almost unnatural about this particular blonde and the dark haired witch wished to know the cause. It could have been simply due to the fact that Jane had been in many dangerous situations in the past and had learned not to crack under pressure but somehow…Medeia thought otherwise. The coffee drinker was entirely too calm, as though she was unable to express anything. What could have caused that?

Glancing over the woman again, the angel would decide to step forward briefly, ending up rather close to Jane. She was searching for something. A reaction, any reaction, a sign that the blonde was truly human rather than a machine. Medeia was not expecting a strike or anything like that but maybe just a flicker of anger or discomfort in Jane’s distinctive eyes. There was a second reason too, as Medeia was again attempting to figure out the sensation she was feeling regarding this woman. Her instincts were rarely wrong about such things and she desired a reason for her familiarity.

(372 Words)
(6299 TWC)

The offer had been laid at Jane's feet and as she had suspected she did not care much for it. However, she had been granted the freedom to set terms of her own and she was going to use it. Diana appreciated how Medeia had decided to skip the lengthy speeches and cut to the chase since the former preferred others to be direct with her, but that still did not make the choice she had to make any more appealing because she did not want to spend the night with the Warlord no matter how pleasantly the offer was phrased. She had a feeling that Medeia was going to do whatever she wanted to her guest regardless of any terms the blonde set.

Jane took another drink of her beverage as she thought the matter over.

No matter how she looked at it there was only one real choice to make and that was to submit. Diana had become fond of Capital Crocus and did not want her home to suffer nor its people to be hurt, not even the obnoxious blonde named Francesca Corlone. As much as Diana detested the entitled and obnoxious young woman she did not deserve to be killed by a Warlord.

Diana was also not very confident in her chances of defeating Medeia. While she was almost as strong as the Dark mage she had never fought anyone on the Warlord's level. The blonde's magic was focused around doing damage at range with the purpose of going for a quick win before her opponent could get any momentum, but Medeia was likely tough enough to withstand Diana's opening shots and retaliate with some powerful spells of her own. Furthermore, to the best of her knowledge Medeia had not attacked or killed anyone on her way into the city, so the blonde currently had no reason to do battle with the other mage.

"I will go with you, Medeia. Just do not attack the city or harm anyone. Also, once we are finished I am to be brought back to the outskirts of Capital Crocus alive and unharmed in any way. Those are my terms." Jane agreed to the offer and set the terms on which she would not budge. She noticed the Warlord get a little closer to her that the former was comfortable with but did not flinch or show any other kind of reaction because she was not going to be intimidated by such a gesture. After everything she had been through in her childhood, adolescence, and adulthood Medeia would have to try a lot harder than that to terrify the blonde.

After that Jane took another drink of coffee and lifted up the cup to take a look inside before shaking it a bit. It was now empty. That was probably for the best because she did not expect Medeia to take long to claim her prize.

At least Diana was not going to leave any of her coffee to go to waste.

[Post Word Count: 502]
[Diana's Word Count: 3,922]
[Total Word Count: 6,801]

Pleased with the answer she was given, Medeia would nod in response. “Those terms are acceptable to me and as you say, I will bring you back here unharmed once our time together is done. You have my word, such as it is. The decision you have made is most definitely the right one and I truthfully did not wish to cause any chaos this day. There is one last detail that you need to know about before we set off and it is one that I unfortunately cannot barter with you on.”

Taking a brief moment to make sure there was no one else about, Medeia would then produce a coil of purple coloured rope which she would catch with her right hand. “I am going to have to make it so you are unable to figure out where I live. So, I will bind you with this and take you with me using my powers of flight. There is no reason to fear, as I have done this many times before and not once has there been any harm caused to my guests. You will be perfectly safe with me and should you struggle with a fear of heights then I can make it so that you sleep for the entire trip.” She had no idea how Jane would respond to her methods but the Warlord was as unmoving on it as the blonde appeared to be with the terms she had laid out.

Given the lack of reaction to having entered Jane’s personal space, Medeia began to muse about just what would manage to penetrate the woman’s shell. When encountering Leona, it had been a somewhat similar situation and the angel had been forced to try a variety of different tactics to eventually break through. With Jane though, the angel pondered if perhaps she would have to delve a bit deeper and resort to tactics that she did not generally use. She had them in her arsenal but the Warlord was somewhat reluctant to pull them out, as the risks were considerable. Curious she was but the angel did not wish to break the woman before her, as that would achieve nothing. For the time being, she would remain cordial and see how things went.

Continuing from her previous point, she would add. “You can understand why I have to take such measures as having a guest as strong as you knowing my base of operations could cause quite an issue later.”

Considering the guests she had looked after, her base would probably be permanently attacked if it was well known.

(434 Words)
(7235 TWC)

Once Jane had laid out her terms Medeia quickly accepted them without protest, something which surprised the blonde. That swift acceptance meant Jane had gotten everything she wanted without a fuss, opening the door for Medeia to set down a few terms of her own that she outright stated could not be amended in any way. Jane watched the Warlord produce purple rope and felt a twinge of distress about the fact that it was produced so quickly, but her dismay did not show on her face.

Jane then listened to the Dark mage describe exactly what was going to happen before she would be carried off to the latter's abode. Diana did not get why exactly rope was needed because she had already stated that she was not going to fight Medeia, but the bargain had already been struck and she was not going to get cold feet now. Diana did not buy the whole spiel about the precautions needed to guarantee the security of the Warlord's home... there was probably another reason for them, but she was not inclined to try to figure out what they were, not when she was soon going to be tied up with rope.

Stalling for a little time with which to prepare herself for the inevitable unpleasantness, Jane looked for the closest trash can she could throw her empty cup into and found one roughly a meter to the right on the corner of the street: it was a circular trash can with no lid and a trash bag already lining its interior. She turned to face it, then threw the cup towards the target. The discarded drinking vessel landed precisely in the center of the can. Once that was done Jane faced Medeia again and finished the mental preparations for what was going to come next.

"Do what you must." Jane calmly stated. She did not bother addressing all of the previous points because they were not important to her. She just wanted to get on with this and be taken out of Capital Crocus so that the city and its people would be spared Medeia's attention.

[Post Word Count: 356]
[Diana's Word Count: 4,278]
[Total Word Count: 7,591]

The encounter was almost going too well in some respects and Medeia could not help but wonder just how long that would last. Jane was a tough customer from a mental standpoint and the Warlord knew that in order to try and break through her shields, she was going to need quite the hammer, so to speak. Gentleness, so far, did not seem to be doing an awful lot and already the angel was getting the idea that perhaps she could find herself in the same position with this woman, as she had with Lucia. In fairness to her previous guest though, there did not seem an awful lot for her to hide. The gentle woman had been honest and was one of the sweetest mages that Medeia had met, which had been so surprising, given her power.

Now that she had permission, the dark haired woman would quietly approach Jane and gently turn her around so that her back was facing the witch. There was nothing in her touch on a sensual level and Medeia gave no physical or verbal sign that she was enjoying what she was doing. The truth was that she was but over time, she had learned to rein in such feelings, for a while anyway. Once the blonde woman was in position, she would softly pull the woman’s hands behind her and start to tie them, her ropework as efficient as ever. Her knots would be tight enough but not enough to hurt Jane and considering how soft Medeia’s unique form of rope was, it would not chafe too much either.

“Let me know if it is too tight.” The Warlord would utter as she went about her work, intending to bind both Jane’s hands and feet in due course. Other measures would also be taken but the dark mage did not mention them at that point. Even though she had the woman’s word, Medeia was still slightly on guard, just in case her latest guest decided to try and pull something. She did not seem like the type to try it and appeared to be sensible but stranger things had happened in the past.

(361 Words)
(7952 TWC)

Jane thought that she had adequately prepared herself for what Medeia was going to do to her, but the reality was quite different. The blonde felt her skin crawl the moment she was gently turned around and it crawled again when her captor moved her hands behind her back. In both cases Medeia might be able to feel Jane's discomfort if she were paying enough attention to the latter's body language; her discomfort manifested as momentary tension in her arms that was quickly dismissed by force of will. Diana had perfected a poker face, but no matter how hard she tried she could never eliminate her strong dislike of being touched no matter how gentle the contact was.

That discomfort was amplified when the rope was applied to her wrists. Jane had to do everything she could not to pull away from Medeia and risk causing a calamity by appearing to go back on their bargain. She managed to resist the impulse to get away from the discomfort, but just barely. Her resistance to that urge manifested as a slight tremor in both her hands that Medeia might be able to feel if she was observant enough to notice it.

Despite her discomfort with the situation Diana was somewhat surprised that Medeia was moving her around with as much care as she was. The blonde had expected the Warlord to cast off any sense of restraint once she had gotten Jane's agreement, but the dark-haired mage was behaving in a way the blonde had not anticipated. The Warlord was being surprisingly gentle as if she genuinely cared about the blonde's well-being, but Diana supposed that might be because the worst was yet to come and she did not want Jane to start having second thoughts or possibly even pull away and start fighting back.

Diana was going to do no such thing. Once the surprise of a short-range attack wore off Medeia would likely go after her with full force and Capital Crocus would suffer for it. She hated being touched and she hated being tied up even more, but Diana had given her word and she was not going to break it.

"I am fine, Medeia." Jane replied calmly and laconically. She just wanted to get on with this before her self-control faltered and her discomfort became too obvious to hide.

[Post Word Count: 392]
[Diana's Word Count: 4,670]
[Total Word Count: 8,344]

In any other circumstance, Medeia would have believed Jane but those few moments of discomfort that the blonde revealed through her body language were enough to cast doubt. The angel had felt the tremors and tension, which caused her eyes to narrow slightly with suspicion. It was only natural for someone to twitch when being tied but to respond in such a way to simply being touched? That was rather more unusual and it quickly caused the cogs to start turning in Medeia’s mind. At last, a momentary breach in the blonde woman’s armour and one the dark mage pondered for a bit about just how to use it to her advantage. Should she simply be honest and ask?

While she pondered, Medeia would continue with her work, making certain the woman’s bindings were firm enough to hold her for the journey. Soon enough, she would drop to her knees and wrap more of her rope around the woman’s legs. It was probably not needed, given how reasonable Jane had been so far but after her previous twitching, Medeia felt that it would be wise just to be sure. She fought off the temptation to touch her guests legs, not wanting to cause her any more potential distress and focused solely on what she was doing.

Soon enough, she would be finished and with a brief pull, Medeia would be satisfied with her bindings. Jane would find it rather difficult to escape if she wished to and even if she did try and make an unlikely move, the witch would be on high alert. A nervous guest was an unpredictable one and now that she had seen a moment of action from her latest one, Medeia would not forget it.

She did eventually feel the need to ask the blonde about her twitching though and asked. “Are you certain? If you are uncomfortable then you can just go ahead and tell me. There is no shame in revealing such a thing, especially as I am going to need to add a couple more forms of restraint to you. If that is going to make you panic then you should tell me beforehand.”

As she spoke, she fished for a pair of clothes from a small pouch attached to her outfit. This time, she had come prepared, ironic since she had not actually planned on capturing anyone tonight.

(397 Words)
(8741 TWC)

When Medeia let Jane know that she had noticed the blonde's behavior the latter knew that there was no way she could keep the truth hidden long enough to be taken to the Warlord's abode. It was time to just tell Medeia part of the reason for her distress. She knew that the ropes binding her were not going to be removed because of the dark-haired mage's need for security and the fact that that term was set in stone due to their deal, but Diana was not looking to alter the deal. She was simply going to state what was bothering her and hope that speaking up did not backfire on her.

"I am not afraid of heights, so I have no need for any special accommodations there." Jane calmly informed Medeia that heights were not a problem for her. Her word choice had not been the best for the situation because it might have sounded like she was telling the Warlord what to do, but the direct approach was the best way to let her captor know that no concession needed to be made on that matter. Diana was also trying to stall for a little more time so that she could come up with a way to properly explain the cause of her distress, but she did not need to keep Medeia waiting too long. After a few more seconds of thought she felt like she had delayed as long as she could get away with and had still come up with nothing, so she decided to just go ahead and tell the truth.

"The ropes are making me uncomfortable, Medeia." Jane calmly stated the truth.

"Earlier you stated that there was no negotiating that term and that was not my intent in bringing up the rope. However, if you tie them no tighter than you already have I will be able to bear being bound a lot easier." Jane finished her explanation and stated exactly what would ameliorate her situation. She was aware that mentioning the problem might have the opposite effect because she no longer had any bargaining power and thus Medeia could do as she pleased, but it was better to take the risk and mention the issue now while she could. Perhaps the Warlord was in a pleasant mood and would at least take into consideration what she had been told.

[Post Word Count: 398]
[Diana's Word Count: 5,068]
[Total Word Count: 9,139]

Listening to Jane’s answer, Medeia would pause for a few moments while she figured out her next move. She had no reason to believe that the blonde was lying or bending the truth nor did she think that Jane was trying to get out of being tied. It sounded perfectly genuine and judging from her previous reaction, it seemed to be the truth. The Warlord was not going to untie Jane because it simply was part of the deal that she be restrained for the journey but at the very least, the angel made no effort to tighten the blonde’s bindings any further. They would be tight enough to do the job but no more than that, holding the woman’s arms and legs where Medeia wanted them.

“I appreciate the honesty and in return, I will not tighten them any further.” She eventually answered, satisfied with her ropework. “I will refrain from prying into the reason why you feel so uncomfortable as well in order to make the situation easier for you. That being said, I will have to bind you a touch more, even if it is not rope that I will be using to do it. As I mentioned, I cannot have you knowing my home location which leads me to either needing to either bind your eyes or making it so that you will be unconscious for the trip. You will not be harmed if I perform the latter but you will have no memory of what happens during it either. Normally, I would do both but since you feel so uncomfortable, I will perform just one. The choice is yours.”

Feeling the need to speak further, Medeia would move around so that she was in front of the woman, clothes still in her left hand if needed. “Once we reach my home, you will find yourself still in ropes, as much for my safety as your own. Some people do not react well to waking up in such a state and given your…unease, I am concerned that you may act rashly on instinct. I will untie you afterwards but at first, at least, you will be in the same state.”

On another day, Jane might just find herself waking to find some of her clothes missing too but Medeia did not feel as though that was necessary. Embarrassing the woman was not her goal and for some reason, she seemed rather sensitive to the feelings of this woman in particular.

(414 Words)
(9553 TWC)

Jane was thankful that Medeia had been in the mood to grant that request because her discomfort was genuine. She could not stand the feel of rope on her skin and just being bound like she was brought back bad memories of her older sister Melody and her mother Elizabeth and how they used to tie her up before abusing her. Melody was fond of threatening to decapitate her favorite childhood doll with scissors or threatening to deliberately give her a bad haircut while Elizabeth enjoyed forcing Diana's head underwater in a bathtub until the latter nearly drowned before pulling her out, sometimes repeating the process three or four times before stopping. Thanks to numerous past abuses Diana absolutely hated rope... she could not stand to see it and she could not stand to even touch it regardless of whether it was tied around her or not.

"While I have no issue with my eyes being covered, I would prefer to be rendered unconscious for the trip." Jane calmly made her preference known. Being given a choice in the matter was an unexpected but welcome gift. If she were unconscious she could hide her dislike of being touched just a little bit longer and if she were really lucky she might even be able to avoid discussing it entirely. That might be wishful thinking, but Diana would see how things developed once she actually reached where she was being taken.

Diana did not buy the reasoning for being left tied up once she reached her destination because if she did not start a fight when she was first touched by Medeia she was not going to fight at all. She suspected that perhaps the Warlord had deceived others by pretending to submit to them only to hit them with a surprise attack, so the dark-haired mage might be wary of the same trick being used against her. At any rate the blonde kept that opinion to herself because her safety was not the only thing on the line. The safety of Capital Crocus and its citizens were on the line as well.

"Do what you must." Jane calmly stated in response to what she had been told about remaining bound until Medeia saw fit to untie her. At least the ropes would not be made any tighter than they already were and that concession went a ways towards making her situation more bearable. Diana did not understand why Medeia was being so pleasant towards her, but she would gladly take that over the alternative.

[Post Word Count: 424]
[Diana's Word Count: 5,492]
[Total Word Count: 9,977]

Acknowledging Jane’s choice with a nod, Medeia would offer one last piece of information before carrying out her spell. “Very well. If that is what you wish then I will put you into a slumber until we arrive at my home. I do it through a song which will cause you to doze off after a short period. Do not worry. It does not hurt and it will feel as though you are just falling asleep normally. When you wake, there should not be any after effects so there is nothing to worry about on that score either. Now, just relax and let my song wash over you.”

Approaching the woman, Medeia would start to do as she had said, summoning the power of her magic into her vocal chords before starting to sing, releasing a purple sound wave which would approach the blonde woman. As the Warlord had claimed, there would be no pain and all Jane would likely feel is a sensation similar to that of drinking a warm glass of milk before sleeping, causing a wave of drowsiness to overcome her senses. The reason why the angel had closed the gap a bit would be obvious or at least the witch hoped so. To catch the woman once she had drifted off. The dark mage had no intention of allowing the woman to fall flat on her face, after all. She did not deserve that.

There was a great deal to discover about this woman and that was a fact that Medeia truly believed. Jane’s eerie way of behaving was so peculiar and the Warlord just refused to accept that it was simply the woman’s normal way of acting. Something was wrong, deep inside and the dark haired woman could not help but feel her desire to know stir inside her. She had not had much luck in recent times with her previous attempts but perhaps she would have more luck tonight. As usual, she would try a softer approach first but if Medeia had learned anything from her last couple of encounters, it was that there had been times where she had been a little too soft, a surprising notion for a Warlord indeed. Was she losing her edge a bit? An amusing notion and one that if she were not singing, would have made her smile.

(391 Words)
(10368 TWC)

"All right." Jane calmly replied to everything Medeia had told her and prepared to be sent to sleep. When the dark-haired mage started to sing to her the drowsiness happened exactly as it was described to Jane. The blonde soon lost consciousness and would be completely unaware of what happened to her afterward.

-An unknown location-

When she finally regained consciousness Diana had no idea where she was, but that did not stop her from looking around the room she was in to search for her captor. She quickly got the impression that the room cost a lot of money to furnish because none of the furniture looked like it was from a big box store. Every piece looked like it was made by a skilled hand because as far as she could tell there were no scuff marks on anything and the craftsmanship was flawless. Diana looked around a bit longer and soon noticed that the room's dominant color was purple.

As a fan of the color ever since childhood Diana was impressed by how tastefully the color was used. She was no interior decorator, but she suspected that the color was hard to make the dominant color of a space without carefully balancing its use and somehow that feat was achieved to make a purple room that was actually appealing instead of painful to look at. In between the tasteful furniture and the skilled use of her favorite color the blonde was impressed with the quality of the decor. However, there was something important missing.

Where was Medeia?

[Post Word Count: 260]
[Diana's Word Count: 5,752]
[Total Word Count: 10,628]