Damien, You Son of a BEECH!!!

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick stormed through the halls on his way to the Media Director's office. The Brit had a nit to pick with the one and only Damien Kross for seducing Sam. She had told him what had happened and he had called him the skirt-chaser.

What a hypocrite! Nick thought.

It never crossed his mind that it might have been Jester that was playing the bad guy here. Kate had told him Damien had a split personality, but over all the drama that was going on, it had slipped his mind and he treated Damien and Jester as a single entity, which was true if he were talking about them inhabiting the same body and mind.

He arrived at the door and knocked rather loudly as to call forth the Director no matter what he was doing at the moment. If Nick had a qualm, then he was going to settle it here and now. If Damien was in his office that was...

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"How many okarins does it take to hogie a morflark? Finbar!"

My laugh would be suppressed, an attempt to not bother the busy editors around me. I had finished all my work on this week's Whammy early, leaving me with some spare time... So, naturally, I watched some of my favorite Teen Titans episode. Oh Starfire, how you make me chuckle so... Hehe... Finbar...

Then, a loud knock came. With a sigh, I paused the video, told the crew to keep working, and I went to the door. I opened it and found myself face to face with none other than Nick Constantine.

Awesome! I'd been meaning to speak with him.

"Nick! Dude, come on in. I'm just watching some Teen Titans. Whatcha need bro?" I said, welcoming him into my abode. For now, it completely escaped me that both times he met me, Jester was in control. This would be... amusing.

[Nicolas Constantine]

The door opened to a rather cheery Damien Kross. The look on his face was that of mirth, but not the crazy psychotic mirth Nick had known him to wear. This... this was more of a "I just watched an episode of Teen Titans with Mad Mod in it" type of mirth.

"Nick! Dude, come on in. I'm just watching some Teen Titans. Whatcha need bro?"[/i]

Nick had a dumbfounded look on his face. Dude? Teen Titans? Bro? Finbar?

"Uh... What...? I mean, what have you been doing with Sam?"

He got straight to the point as he entered the Media Director's office even though he was a bit confused at what the reason for this complete overhaul of personality meant.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

OoOoOoOo, he wanted to talk about THAT. Yeah, this would be a fun afternoon. Good thing I started microwaving water for tea.

"Well my Ducky-" I would begin in a Mad Mod voice. "-as I'm sure you know, Sam is my apprentice, and the three of us had a very... unfavorable run-in." I opened the microwave, poured the water into two small cups I had in the cupboard, and let two tea packets float in them. "Well, whether you've heard it or not, I've had a very advanced state of MPD- multiple personality disorder- and only recently have I overcome it." I smiled. "Hence, the cruel Damien you met in the gym..." I frowned.

"But as far as Sam and I go, we got a little carried away during a training session, we kissed each other, blah blah..." I shrugged. "Two teenagers getting a little out of hand. It's great that you're concerned. If you weren't, you'd be a shitty friend." I smiled. "So, you take sugar in your tea?"

[Nicolas Constantine]

Oh. Well that explained everything.

Nick just stood there, looking at Damien for a good minute. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't remembered what Kate had told him at that exact moment. That was something rather strange, but the people at this school were rather strange in general. Including Nick.

"Yes, lots of sugar, please."

Ooh, this guy is good... Bribing an Englishman with tea...

Nick had seemed to forgotten the reason he had come in here- oh right.

"So you're telling me that the reason you were a bastard, was because it's your alter ego who's an asshole?"

He knew about it, but what better than to get it straight from the horse's mouth.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"Pfft, he was mooooore than an asshole." I said as I added lots of sugar to each tea. Good to know he took it just as I did. "He was... Uh, quite unsavory... Let's just say I'm glad to have him gone."

I gave the cup of tea to Nick. "Careful, it's hot." A dumb warning obviously, with all the steam coming from the drink. "So Nick, how've you been since our last run in...? We never REALLY got to know each other..." I shrugged, knowing it was the truth.

Now, a new chapter could begin. I could actually get to know people as me... not some charade. Not that beast that used to live inside me. I could be normal...

Well, as normal as a jester can be.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick took the tea with a nod of thanks.

"Well to be perfectly honest, I've been quite shitty thanks to Sam being turned against me for hating yo- your alter ego. Other then the constant girl chasing, that's the only thing that's been tearing at my mind. And frankly, I'd like to settle all of that."

He took a sip of his tea.

Ooh, he was too good... You win this time, Damien Kross!

"Ugh... Sam hates me right now... and if you talk to that "buddy" of yours, tell him I'm going to kick his ass the next time I see him."

Nick was about to take another sip but then jolted up to add to his rant immediately.

"No offense to you, of course."

[Damien Kross, Jester]

I waved a dismissive hand.

"No worries." I took a sip. "As far as Sam goes, I can talk to her for you if ya want. I don't want Jester to be the cause of a good friendship coming to an end..."

I walked over to a large cabinet in the room and opened it, continuing to talk while I looked through boxes with one hand. "Sam's a smart girl... She'll come around. Good friends can look past bullshit." I found it. "So, how about some-

-Stratego?" I said, pulling out the board game. I ran the class and never gave a shit what people did when they finished working- hell, I cleared out the editing room once so a young couple could have a quicky before Geometry- so, I kept boardgames in the room.

Stratego and tea ftw.

[Nicolas Constantine]

"Well, I kind of want to see her figure it out on her own... But I don't know how long that will take, and I miss her, you know?"

"Sam's a smart girl... She'll come around. Good friends can look past bullshit."

Nick sighed.

"Yeah, you're right..."

"So, how about some-"[/i] he pulled out a long box. "-Stratego?"

If there was an Epic Win against a Brit, this is definitely it.

"Um, sure?"

Nick wasn't doing anything, and Damien was in the clear, so why not play Stratego while sipping tea?

[Damien Kross, Jester]

With a wide grin, I would set up Stratego while Mad Mod continued in the background. I chose to play red, as always, forcing the blue pieces onto my opponent with glee. My mind was developed through strategy games, be it using complex Chess tactics or battlefield strategies in Starcraft. I had a feeling this would be an easy match, but then again, Nick was always full of surprises.

"So, Nick, if you don't mind me asking, just as friendly conversation." I began, making the first move. "Do you have something for Sam?" I smiled. "A little bit of interest in her? I'm sure you get my meaning." I clarified, just in case he was an idiot.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick grabbed the pieces from Damien and began to set them up in the way he was used to playing. He has his strategy all set up and Damien went first while asking him his question.

"Hm? No not really. I thought I did at first, but there just weren't any sparks. Friends only, which is actually nice for once."

Nick moved one of his pieces, passing the turn to Damien.

"That's why I was so devastated when you turned her against me... I mean your other persona. You know..."

Nick would make his move after Damien finished with his.

"What about you? Why are you so interested in her? She seems a bit too innocent for you." he said with a sly grin.