When I was a child, the other boys in our neighborhood... No, that's not the proper term. In our nearest vicinity, had become my closest friends. Many children become friends with the children of friends of their parents. But mine? My mother became withdrawn after several very brief years. My father was a different novel all by himself. While he would deny it to this day as it would reveal his position as a hypocrite, considering his disgust against my role, and the opposite of that of my brother. He deplored, very vocally, my activity with the rebel groups. Farther back, as children though, he encouraged friendships with the local boys. They were from poor families who lived in such squalor that it wasn't even comparable to our own. My closest friends became Cassius and Adrian, and our realm was as magical as children as any young boys'. As we got a little older, and only a little older, there was a kind of cloud that began to hang heavier. Tension between our government and the people was strong; Apartheid efforts had hurt all kinds of relationships in the state. Racial tension was absurd; and the rebels felt that the government had no authority over them any more considering their previous choices of separation. And as the clouds set in, Cassius, Adrian, and I became mere pawns in a plot we had no idea had taken place. Cassius' father was the leader of the rebels, and I was the last on their list of uh, acquirements. And I was far more willing than I'd like to admit. But they were my friends, and my loyalty was stronger than I'd like to admit, too.

In the United States, I hadn't cared about making friends. My sisters needed help and protection, and that was my priority. Troy and I had devoted ourselves to them, although he had strayed from the obligation to pursue women, admiration, and whatever else was important to him. A familiar rift began to grow between us. And then? I had met someone who had enough hard knocks behind him that he accepted us for who we were, and I could ask for nothing more. Besides his friendship, I couldn't have cared less for the attention of others, and that only drew them to me. When I had left Georgia for the city I now live in, I had left that behind. And I must admit, I missed his loyalty. Damon reminded me so much of him, and that with little alcohol in my system it had brought me to memory. The races, the drunk nights in his garage with the friends we had pulled together much like those of my childhood... The faintest of smiles graced my lips, as if it was thinking of a prior love. Okay, maybe it was. Who cares. I loved the guy like he'd been my brother, fulfilling the place that Troy had never. I hadn't put it together until it was late in this night that Damon reminded me of him, which only made me down the rest of my drink, wink to the bartender for another, and turn my attention back to him.

"Silver stakes are actually part of the inventory of my next shipment, but I'll let you in on a secret," I started to say, my voice a slow drawl with the amusement tugging it. "For me, wood is far more effective. It listens a little better." By that, I meant that they were far easier for me to control. Wood is so natural, coming from trees. While metals were easy to manipulate, honestly, they seemed to have a mind of their own. While the darts were easy to juggle without using my hands, sometimes the darts would pop a little higher than I'd intended, nearly knicking another patron's head.

"Oops." At his offer of more obstacles, I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please. It isn't sport if it's a free, open target. I am more than happy to return the favor." With a grin, I sent all three darts for the bullseye between the mans legs, but from the back as to give him the element of surprise. I had hoped for a squeal or two as bewilderment was far more satisfying. To continue the entertainment, I pulled one of the wooded tables out to trip the man, quite literally changing the tables for Damon's turn.

"Let's give him some hurdles."

I offered the idea brightly, leaning back against the pool table to pull the cues off the wall and place them on chairs that had obligingly put themselves in my way to set the course up. To our subject, I nodded. "Well? Run along."