"Jamie be careful round that blue doe. Nothen good comes of being around her."
edit: 2ND PAGE IS MINE!!!!

"I know that you can take care of yourself but that wont stop me from worrying about you. And I have seen it. She hurts those around her even if she doesn't mean to. She causes problems. Then again if you want to be around her then fine. I don't own you. I'm probably not even a friend to you so you know what... never mind." He gave a faint smile before turning to leave. He had bothered her enough for one day.

I love everything about this, can't remember if I've tracked. ♥

Pffft, that accent! -grabby hands- "Oirish" So adorable!

A fawn small and frail in appearance, her pelt a dark brown walked shyly up the mini. Her long silky hair fell over one of her eyes and she shook softly, her body not used to the cold temperature. "U-U-Ummm hello..."

The little fawn shuffled on her hooves and lightly tossed her head to try and move the hair from her eyes. "May.... I sit with you?"

She curled up next to Jamie and a small smile met her lips. She looked around feeling comfortable and safe by the doe. The fawn tossed the hair from her eyes again before turning to the small doe, "So... do you have a name?" she asked quietly.

She smiled at the name. Jamie, it was a nice name. However when she asked her for her name she looked down the smile vanishing. "I.... don't h-have one. Not one that I can remember."

"W-well I d'know. I might have one but.... I can't remember." The little fawn rubbed her cheek on her front leg thinking. "I d'know what o-others call me. I-I don't talk to others much."

((As promised~ but terrible lol :'D))

When one stagnates in any given area for a number of years, their memory begins to rot. It's inevitable for anyone, no matter the age. Despite the number of dust laden memories that he had recovered; Bartleby would never truly remember every solitary event of his human life. 'Immortal' or not, his mind would still get clouded.

That said, the strange doe that often converged upon his path had not been remembered. It wasn't his fault, really, just the inevitable. Even so, her looming presence both unnerved and fascinated him. At times she would remark passing insults at him, at other times she would lend a hand of comfort.

He had been lazing in his little patch of dandelions, resting peacefully on his side. The flames upon his candles flickered languidly, a large ear flicked upwards to catch any sounds that came near.

It wasn't hard to pick out the noise of an approaching deer. For a brief second, the fire flared, and his eyes strained to see who had come without the need to move his head.

A flash of brown drifted across his peripheral vision, and he picked up the sounds of rustling.

So here she was again. Watching.

With a bit of effort, the ashen buck forced himself in a sitting position, facing to the side, but not directly at her.

"You again, Miss..." he acknowledged, bowing his head gently in a polite greeting.

The buck raised an eyebrow, letting his front legs crisscross to display his hooves. Quite pompous, wasn't he? Still, he had to admit that he always felt the need to give off a good impression. Unfortunately Miss Jamie had seen him in one of his... less stellar states, but that was all right. He focused his attention on her chin, taking a quick moment to decipher the meaning behind her words.

"Oh, there's no problem." he mumbled, quite taken aback by her rude answers and unladylike behavior. It discouraged him every time she acted this way, leaving him dumbfounded and unable to think of an adequate response.

"I was just wondering why... ah..." he fumbled, trying to think of a phrasing that would seem polite, at the very least. How could accusing someone possibly be polite?

He shifted uncomfortably, ears pressed back as tried to keep himself in check. "Why do you keep following me?" blunt, but it worked.

Better yet, did he know her?

((Bahhh<3 I'll be really slow with replies and stuff since me laptop is... out of commission... again ;; ))

As much as Bartleby loved to observe, he really couldn't do so now with company. It took an effort to keep his gaze on the doe's self, his whole body tensed. Still, he stared at her as one might stare at a piece of artwork, his eyes wide as he drank in every little action that she took. He wasn't even aware of the gesture, let alone how rude it probably was.

"A certain someone..." he repeated, a feeble attempt to probe for more. Maybe he did know her once, a long time ago. Even he would admit that there were probably more than a few individuals that he had forgotten about over his time here. "Might I ask who?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Sissy.

Was that supposed to be some kind of a passive aggressive jab? Even if it wasn't intentional, the buck couldn't help but feel insulted all the same. The fire on his melting candles turned a violent blue, if only for a brief second before dulling back. "I don't see the resemblance... really..." he muttered bitterly, keeping a stoic poker face.

While he had never been particularly good at pointing out what others around him were feeling, he could certainly tell that the doe wasn't particularly 'used' to her deer form. That only piqued his curiosity even more so.

"Pardon..." he ventured, keeping polite. God knew someone had to have some decency in a conversation... "But are you human? Or... were human?" he asked, letting his own inquisitive nature get the better of him.

If anything else, maybe it would give him a bit of a clue on who she even was.


((fuuuu ;; ♥))

Bartleby had never had particularly had much 'tact' when it came to his mannerisms and expressions. Oh yes, he knew how to sit up straight and make himself look pretty, but actually looking at people, let alone making small talk... such things had always proved to be difficult tasks. If anything else, he nearly leaned his neck in to get a closer look at her, his olive eyes wide and focused.

As she sounded out his name, his largish ears pricked up at each pronunciation as it got closer and closer to his own. At one point, he nearly opened his mouth to interject, only to pause when the doe had finally gotten it right.

'His very high highness'... that almost sounded mocking. Even so, the buck's only sign of annoyance was a slight bristling of the fur on the back of his neck. The subject of his name, his family name... that had always been a rather delicate subject for him.

But that wasn't the point! The doe DID know him! No doubt she was someone he had met at one point in his past life. He couldn't remember any 'Miss Jamie' though... but then again that didn't mean that there were some buried away memories waiting to be uncovered. For a brief second, his expression brightened at the expectation of meeting someone that he possibly knew, even if she was only an acquaintance.

And then that one word came up on the doe's lips.

"Retarded." the word was indeed offensive in more ways than one, and the buck could not help but let it simmer over his tongue. It sounded much like a distasteful hiss, his Flemish dialect adding a certain angry bite to it. Even so... he would not offer a retort, not to a lady that seemed to clearly lack a proper vocabulary. Maybe it was a fluke...

Of course, his bitterness washed away for a good moment when she confirmed that, yes, she was human. He smiled at the comment of it all being inconvenient. "True. It is a bit bothersome at first... but one must become accustomed to a lack of thumbs." he remarked, casting a short glance to his pretty hooves. He was rather vain of them... he had to admit.

It was when she mentioned her own human appearance that fragments of long lost memory had begun to kick in, if only by a little. Yes... he remembered someone like that... he had only met her briefly... but she stuck out if only for the curious appendages that were so similar to his partner's... She had been completely rude and insolent as well... even going as far as to try and break into his home.

Oh yes, he remembered now. A little bit, a small fraction, but enough to gather up on who she was.

He wasn't even stunned anymore. So many connections had been rekindled via the forest. Why shouldn't more come up? Still, he focused on her question, involuntarily crossing his eyes to examine his own unusual muzzle. "Mm... true... I'm only one of a handful of deer that carry the proper anatomy. It's no bother though... if anything I'd find having a human face on this form a bit queer." he rambled, shaking his head a bit before moving on to the more important question.

"I was human myself once. And for the record, I'd be.... grateful... if you refrained from slandering my name anymore." he answered, hoping that the request was proper to make.

He quickly averted his gaze at the sight of her reddened face, his own cheeks darkening as well. Not of embarrassment, but of shame. His ears flopped to the sides of his head, and he bowed his head submissively. "I didn't mean to lead you on like that. My apologies." and even then, he was well used to the ridicule. He had heard worse insults in his human life, much worse. Besides, if the doe looked sorry, then wasn't that all that mattered?

"I'm being honest when I say that I hadn't remembered you until now..." he attempted to explain, treading carefully. "It's nothing personal of course. I find my... my past life... a bit of a blur these days." he fumbled a bit, stumbling over his words. It was a complicated subject, and Bartleby had never been particularly good at verbalizing his thoughts in the first place.

Peculiar? He couldn't help but offer a tin smile at that. "Peculiarity is never a bad thing, Miss Jamie." he replied, almost touched. Even if she hadn't intended it, he considered her words a compliment. "It's alright... I take no offense."

Ah, and now he had to really explain himself, didn't he? That was alright. There was no harm in it.

"By 'were' I mean that I died." he begun bluntly, speaking softly, without empathy. "I was then born here, quite a while ago, complete with my own mentality and memories intact. It's quite a common circumstance, I've observed. Some deer have had past lives, others have access to here and the human world all at once, while others still here were simply born here and no where else." it almost hurt to talk so much at once, and his small voice had taken on a slightly strained edge to it.

"Refresh my memory... you can travel between worlds... can't you? I can only remember you trying to break into my house." he mused, not really implying any ill feelings towards her. If anything, he was exceptionally curious. He had never really gotten to know much about the doe beforehand to begin with. Hell, she didn't even know his name.

"Why come here?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. He wasn't as tense now, his posture slackening if only by a little.

The fawn looked proud where he was sitting beside the doe, his chest puffed out and head held high as he watched the result of their doings. "Heh, you make a great companion. We made him look pretty, yeah?" He chirped and glanced at her with golden eyes.

Bartleby nodded, lips parting in a small sigh. "Ah well... I've yet to understand how I ended up here in the first place... or how likely it is for others to come here as well." it was a shame, really. He'd been here for as long as his feeble memory could stretch, yet he could never find any explanation as to what the forest actually was, and what purpose it served. It served as an afterlife... yet it carried its own inhabitants. Perhaps it was best for one to not muse on it too much...

He noticed that Miss Jamie hadn't pressed on the details of his own demise, for which he was grateful. Not because it was a painful subject, but because he honestly couldn't remember how it had even happened in the first place. He merely smiled at her pause, though faintly so.

Beasts? Ah, that was right.

"Debit en Credit... mijn honden~" he murmured, more to himself than to her. A nostalgic grin forced his lips to curl up. "Oh... they were only doing what they were trained to do. I'd be a fool to lack security in my position at the time." he chuckled apologetically.

Needless to say, if Miss Jamie had been male, Bartleby would have been much less lenient.

He scanned the surrounding area, listening to her explanation with interest, particularly when she poked at the belt she wore. "That's not as slim of a chance as you might believe it to be. Many people seem to stumble on this place..." from dragons to fairies. "Would you mind defining 'it'?" he asked, pointing the tip of his nose to the belt looped about the doe's waist. If she had ever explained it to him, then he simply could no longer remember.

"It's fairly monotonous... to be brutally honest with you." he replied, ears ticking. "And part from the ruins and the gravestones there... there isn't really anything of value to look at." then again, Bartleby had never really been a 'naturey' type of guy. He would have sooner died than do something like camp or hike as a human.

The ashen buck laughed, actually laughed at her question. Much like his own light voice, his laughter was near musical sounding. He laughed till tears dotted the corners of his eyes. Strange, the buck hardly ever laughed. Still, the sensation seemed to help himself to loosen up a tad. His posture was more relaxed by the time he broke off his fit of giggles, his ears peacefully dangling at the sides of his head. Sniffling, he took a deep breath to compose himself.

"Ah... forgive me." he nodded his head. "It's just that... I've lived here for so long, just the thought of how absurdly time goes by here is amusing." he murmured sheepishly, regaining his semi-serious mien. "To answer your question though, I don't know. It's all a blur... really... I don't even remember how I died... just that I did."

He let his shoulders roll back in a shrug. "Suit yourself." if anyone knew about the importance of secrets, it was him. Still, he couldn't help but smile when she gave in to explain it all to him. So impatient...

Bartleby craned his neck over to take a closer look. "Fascinating..." he murmured, observing it much like a star-struck child. 'Impossible' things had always amused him.

"I have no reason to take it, but I'll promise your sake... nonetheless." he reassured her. "I have a... friend... that has capabilities similar to your belt. I could simply travel if him if I ever got the urge to do so." he explained further, if only to put her into an ease of mind. The glaring cause him to avert his eyes a tad, forcing him to focus on her hooves instead of her chin.

His eyes closed as she rambled on and on, ears ticking. "I guess if you're new here... it could be interesting..." everything about the forest had lost its appeal to him, even the ruins. Oh sure, he had been positively fascinated by the worn gravestones beforehand, and would literally spend days trying to decipher the faded text on them, but to no real avail.

He flinched sharply at the touch on his side, eyes widening as his small being broke into a small series of shivers. "Ah... spirit... well... " he stammered, head dipping down to stare at those pretty hooves of his.

Adventurous? Well... maybe, actually. The thing was, Bartleby probably would be more of a risk-taker if he had the ability to do so. Unfortunately he was so frail and sickly that travel was almost completely out of the question. He had always loved sports as a human, but could never participate in them. Perhaps that was why he had turned out so bitter...

So, at her question he seemed to physically droop, a light sigh exhaling from his lips. "Of course I do. I don't think you understand how dull this place can get after so long." he muttered distastefully. "I only come here nowadays to visit friends and appreciate the quiet atmosphere." he admitted.

His candles flared, if only for a moment. "I would love to travel! You know damn well how terrible my health was back then though... it still is... but I'm more able to do so now." he exclaimed, if only to debunk his new 'sissy' title. He wasn't a sissy! If anything, he sincerely doubted that the belted doe could survive even one week of living his life.

Still, he couldn't help but freeze as she offered the prospect of 'taking him along'. To where? The past? The future? His head spun with the possibilities, only to be pulled back when he realized that, like it or not, she wasn't fully trustworthy... she didn't even know his name...

All doubts were completely thrown to the side when she further insulted him. "No use? Listen Jamie; I'm immortal now. I've probably had more of an education than you'll ever have. I've already died countless times before. I know how to use a gun." he fixed her with a hard stare. "I'm not a wimp."

He didn't even realize that he hadn't called her by 'miss'.

It soon occurred to him how foolish his little tangent might have sounded, but it was too late now. Still, his face was flushed from embarrassment.

He sidestepped her question, mainly for the reason that he wasn't in the position to give such information away. "I just visit here these days, if that's what you're asking." he replied. It was probably best to keep those sorts of things under cover, and it wasn't like Jamie needed to know.

"I was wary of you at the time, so I never did." he shrunk back, rather ashamed of himself. Had he offended her? He hadn't meant to. Then again, Bartleby had a way with saying the wrong things at the worst times. In the end, all he had wanted was a civilized conversation.

And now the end result was a flared temper on both sides. As the doe stumbled to her hooves, he rose as well. His movements were far more fluid than hers, more experienced. He stared at her left cheek, brow knitting in a tight glare as she ranted at him.

"How in God's name did you even come to that?" his voice rose, though it was still painfully quiet. "Never once did I intend to imply that I was 'better' than you. If I did, then I apologize. Still, you... you can't blame me for trying to defend myself after you've belittled me like that!" god, it hurt to talk so much in one sitting.

"You want me to prove myself? Fine." the fire on his candles had turned a hot blue, causing for even more scalding wax to drip down his neck. He didn't care though.

For a quick moment, he almost forgot that the doe was a girl in the first place. She acted so unlike any of the others that his only response was to act differently as well.

There was a long pause, and the buck's flames merely grew brighter as he thought and glared. Eventually, the fire died down to small sparks, and the glare softened.

"...Um..." he looked around and awkwardly shifted his weight back and forth. "What exactly do you propose I should do?" he asked meekly. What was he supposed to do? Fight her? He couldn't do that.

Well... okay that was a bit rude. It was probably true though... knowing how brash this girl was. Still, it was poor observation on his part. He nearly winced at her horrendous impersonation of his voice, his eyes squinting shut. "Ah... I didn't mean to..." he murmured.

Shame turned to anger on a dime, and the buck's fur nearly bristled. "Whoever said that I couldn't defend myself?!" he hissed, eyes narrowing.

He looked to the ground, letting the tips of his hooves dig into the reddish clay and moss in the ground. "I'm not really the type for creativity..." he mumbled, not out of shame. Even Bartleby would admit that he wasn't exactly the most imaginative of individuals.

The buck instinctively stepped back at the prospect of fighting, eyes wide with the sheer though of fighting... well... a girl...

"An adventure?" the doe's smile was nearly contagious, causing for his own lips to quirk up. "That sounds far more appealing than mindless fighting... go on." she had caught his interest, needless to say.

He even trusted her, if only by a little. It wasn't much, but it had potential to grow. If anything else, he respected her for actually treating him like someone who could take care of himself. So many people had babied and coddled him... made him sick...

Was there something ominous in the doe's tone? Bartleby didn't know, nor did he care. As a human, he would have been far more reluctant in accepting her offer, being one so bent on self-preservation. But now... now that he literally had no boundaries as to what he could and couldn't do...

The only side effect was the pain, which to him was a fair trade.

Oh yes, Bartleby was a dainty sort of individual. However, he had always been one to daydream about having a more 'exciting' lifestyle. Forest life had grown to be so monotonous and mind-bending that he almost needed a change of pace to keep his sanity every once in a while.

But at this point, he merely took Jamie's challenge so that he could prove himself. What man wouldn't take offense to such insults? It was practically an invitation for him.

As she leaned closer, the buck leaned in as well, catching her words. "I'm sure." he had never been surer in his lives. What was there to lose? If he died, he'd merely come back. There were no penalties.

Perhaps it was about time he started to realize the potential of that.

"Oh, don't worry about me changing form. You turn into a deer upon coming here, no? It'd only be logical if the opposite happened for me." he reasoned, brow scrunched up in thought.

A thought occurred to him then. "Where exactly are we going?" he asked. An uneasy twinge of regret started to form in his stomach. "And... How would the thing on your belt carry two people at once?" he ventured further. It seemed like the device was only catered to handle one person at a time...

No one indeed. The entire forest seemed to have deserted itself. Then again, the pair was situated within eye's distance of the pond. Not many deer ever went there around this time. Even so, the buck lifted his largish ears upwards. He could certainly understand the need for secrecy.

"Wait though..." he watched as she punched in the coordinates. "Forgive me... but people in your world have the same ears and tails, correct?" did that mean that he would adopt those appendages too? It almost seemed surreal... what would it be like having a tail?

That was a minute problem though. If anything, it only added to the excitement. "I've always wanted to go to Ireland..." he mused, a bemused grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

He was afraid of that. Bartleby still wasn't too keen on touching her, as childish and illogical as that was. Still, it wasn't like he had much of a choice.

At that moment though, common sense set in. "Wait just a moment..." he murmured, scanning the area. There was a good sized pine tree a few feet away, much to the buck's satisfaction. Without a word, he walked towards it and reared up to knock some of the looser bark away. It didn't take much effort, as the mass of his golden hooves was more than enough to do the work for him.

A large chunk of half rotted bark peeled away, and Bartleby craned his neck down to flip it over with the tip of his muzzle. Pausing for a moment, he lifted a hoof and let the tip slowly engrave a few words. He couldn't just leave the forest (not to mention Heika's world) without leaving behind something to assure his loved ones that he was alright.

Once finished, he looked over his handiwork with a self-satisfied smile and looked to Jamie. "Sorry... I can't just leave, you know... Wait here." with that said, he bent down to pick up the bark with his teeth and half-dragged, half-carried it over to the twin god statues. Thank God they weren't that far off, but it was still tiring. He propped up the makeshift note against the front of one before trotting back.

"I'm ready now." he murmured, leaning himself to the side so that he could lift a hoof to touch the doe's belt. It was uncomfortable, yes, and he staggered slightly before gaining a proper balance.

"Huh." he had to wonder whether or not her world was... no... it couldn't be. From the way it sounded, Jamie's world seemed to have identical geographical locations to his own, just with a different species. Still, he had to wonder what he would turn up as... an excited shiver ran up his spine.

"If I was able, I would have loved to travel more in my past life..." he sighed. At least he had his chance now, just in the most unlikely of places.

He almost rolled his eyes at her teasing, but he would never do something as rude as that to a stranger.

When she asked whether or not he was ready, the opened his mouth in response, only to instantly feel himself whisk away.

His eyes shut as he felt his quadruped body morph. It wasn't a particularly painful sensation. If anything, it was more or less like someone was tugging and pulling at his arms and legs. He felt the fabric of his clothes materialize above his skin, and he felt his muzzle sink back into his face.

It didn't last long, merely a few seconds, and the it was the pleasant sound of chirping birds and rustling leaves that persuaded him to open his eyes.

Needless to say, Bartleby's human appearance had taken a drastic change since Jamie had last seen him. For one, his hair was longer. It was still that same flossy light blonde, but it trailed down to his mid-back, all tied up in a neat pony-tail. His complexion was just as frightfully pale, and he was just as rail-thin. He wore an elegant light green waist coat, with similarly colored pants to compliment his eyes. He looked... younger... than before. It was almost as if it was a form that reflected his age as a deer.

For a few seconds, the boy caught his breath. He didn't even notice that he was holding Jamie's belt in a vice grip.

He felt a slight twitch from his lower back... as well as from the top of his head.

"Ahm.... sorry..." he took away his hands and reached behind himself. He was too excited to be ashamed of himself. He grabbed his newly formed tail in his hand, feeling the unseen fur in his fingertips.

Slowly, he snaked it around his waist.

It was a golden brown, with a even darker tuft on the end. A lion's tail.

"Oh my God..." he mumbled, then raised a hand to pat at his ears. They were roundish, fluffy things, no doubt the same hue. Lion ears.

And for that moment, Bartleby was completely unaware of the silly grin on his face and the delighted giggling that spurned from his lips.

He was happy.

He hardly even caught that little jab of hers, being so entranced with his new form. Upon further inspection, he found that his tail was so long that it would have dragged against the ground had not he forced the tip to curl up. "So different species are separated by groups? Or do you all just mingle together?" he asked, letting his milky white hands smooth down his clothes.

As he became more accoustomed to his change of form, he noticed the slight weight that pressed against his chest, Grazing his fingertips over his waistcoat, his smile faded back to its usual stoic expression. Good. It was still there...

"Better?" he looked over himself, reaching back a hand to neaten up his ponytail. "Ah well... thanks. I suppose longer hair does suit me better..." the boy nodded.

The port itself was a lovely sight indeed. It had been years since Bartleby had laid eyes on a harbor, and the town that loomed before them was more than a welcome sight. He squinted at it to take a closer look, ears flattening back. "All right... and then where are we going? Might as well tell me now while we're alone." he reasoned.

It was almost like he had temporarily forgotten that Jamie was a girl in the first place. If anything else, that was probably a good thing. No doubt he'd do something foolish if she tried to upstage him again.

He followed her pace without a word, more or less stunned that he could keep up with her without much trouble. In any other circumstance he would have probably struggled to keep his breath.

His chest still throbbed after a little while, but it wasn't near as bad as it would have been once they reached the outskirts of the port itself. Perhaps he got more benefits from this new form than he thought...

So it was based on region, if only by a little. It was almost jarring to think of the sociology and the group dynamics. It was enough to make his head spin. He wondered if there were certain physical benefits to certain species. Could they have gills? Wings? The questions were endless, but kept silent. He would merely watch and observe, the bushy tuft on the end of his tail swishing back and forth.

The boy flinched at the remark, averting his eyes to look back at the nearing port. "Oh well... that was to be expected I guess..." he mumbled. He was almost too busy to absorb in all the scenery to notice her expressions.

His attention was then yanked back when Jamie mentioned getting on a ship. He pressed his lips in a fine line of annoyance. "And after we get on the ship..." he prodded, waiting for an answer that probably wouldn't be given to him. He couldn't say that he was particularly excited about getting on a ship though. He had never even set foot in a boat let alone been out at sea. Still, he wasn't about to humiliate himself by backing out.

The town itself was almost surreal in its style. Tall parapets and sandwiched buildings only some feet wide crowded around them. As soon as he saw the small knots of 'people' that were so scattered about, Bartleby made a mental note to keep his tail up from the ground.

The individuals with the grotesque muzzles and jutting talons were... a bit unsettling. It took a lot of willpower to keep himself from staring at their faces. Instead, he focused on the well-trodden pave walks. It was all a bit overwhelming. He hadn't seen a city in... decades, really.

The dock was a welcome sight indeed, for the boy had finally begun to feel the sap of energy. His legs already felt heavy, and his heart beat painfully in his chest. Still, he didn't show his discomfort, only nodding when ordered to stay put. At this point, he didn't mind being left out.

He watched as Jamie conversed with her little band of ruffians, that uneasy feeling in his gut resurfacing.

To occupy himself, Bartleby forced himself to walk out a bit to the edge of the dock. It was tall and smooth enough to wear he could sit down and not sully his clothes. He let his legs dangle over the edge, the tips of his shoes barely touching the swirling water. Instinctively, he let his tail coil around his waist and over the pier's edge, to prevent strangers from carelessly stepping on it.

The rest wouldn't last, but it was nice enough to clear the smoke from his mind. It was midday, judging by the position of the sun, and the glare that it reflected off of the ocean was enough to force his eyes to close.