[center][h3][color=d8bfd8]Nero – Balsam Village[/color][/h3][/center]

A sharp breath of relief escaped Nero as he lowered his arms, barely enough to be heard but perhaps enough to betray him.  His ploy served him still.  Oftentimes, when it seemed that a confrontation was in order, Nero challenged his opponent to make the first move, making himself seem as vulnerable as he could and thereby making it look every inch a trap.  He didn't know what other wizard expected when he played this trick, but for the most part they balked when it came to delivering the first strike.  While Nero would have been glad to vent a little by cursing Shujin, contempt hurt less than magic, and the genie, though unafraid of injury to himself, didn't like it.  Already this morning the same ruse had spared him a beatdown at the hands of Joshua. Still, the way Shujin dismissed him this time hurt him a little.  [color=d8bfd8]“Ego?”[/color] Nero whispered as his composed himself, thinking about how Shujin had brashly taken Nero's hypothesis as a slight before hypocritically stating that he had no quarrel with him.  [color=d8bfd8]“No.  That wasn't ego.”[/color]  One upside of acknowledging some of his faults, Nero felt, was that people shouldn't try and assign false ones, but that looked like an uncommon sentiment.

Prince's departure with Lazarus signaled that it was time to go.  Strangely silent for one usually so talkative, Nero lagged behind with an attitude of indolence, his purple cloak pulled around him.  It took him by surprise when Trinity appeared by his side, prompting the dark mage to steel himself for another round of insults.  An even greater astonishment awaited him, however, when the minstrel offered words of gratitude.  For a moment, Nero could not keep his jaw from dropping, and when he caught himself he turned a stunned expression into one of genuine happiness—perhaps the first genuine emotion he had felt in hours.  [color=d8bfd8]“I...I don't know what to say.  Er, maybe the Time Lord is, but some of us haven't shown off our magic yet, so there's no way he or anyone watching us knows our full potential.  But, uh...hey, thanks for the thanks.  Most people don't bother lookin' past my hecklin'.  You know, I'm not really all crazy, just...a little unwell.  I know right now you can't tell, but if ya stick around, you'll see a different side a' me.”[/color]  Sheepish, Nero rubbed the back of his head again.  As much as he wanted to be telling the truth, he knew those reassuring words could be empty.  [i]Can't even tell if I mean what I say.  Good grief.[/i]  He found himself sitting beside her on the train car again, and listened for a moment in silence at the notes of her tiny harp.  [color=d8bfd8]“That's pretty neato.  Hey, do you have any wishes?”[/color]