The Artist

“You know I’m always up for a bit of exhibitionism,” Nemo shouted mockingly above the pounding of the music that he’d summoned; a phrase which would likely earn him an even more interesting reputation than that which already circled his name throughout the offices of aurors and secretaries alike. He smirked, and continued without will his provocative dancing. He could see no particular method of freeing himself from the curse that had been cast upon him, nor a way to persuade Collins to free him from his control, but Nemo was in no hurry. Though he was beginning to experience beneath the flesh of the side of his stomach the rough stabbing sensation that often accompanied his dancing over a long period of time, he was certain that he had only just tapped into his supply of endurance. Who would have thought that training to become an auror would have prepared Nemo for such extraordinary circumstances?

“You wouldn’t happen to have your flask on you?”Nemo inquired. It had been an assumption on his part, that Collins even possessed a flask - let alone that he kept it on his person – but it was in the nature of Nemo’s dependence on alcohol that led him to believe at times that everyone found it as important as he to forever have a supply of alcohol on hand. And it just happened to be that portion of the evening when his longing for a drink became most unbearable. “Throw it here, would you?” he begged, once more without proof of the existence of said item.

As he spoke, Nemo unintentionally dipped towards the floor. He had not considered the possibility that his particular style of dancing would have allowed him to come closely in contact with his wand, which lay just to his left amongst broken glass. The thought elected a grin from Nemo, having come to the conclusion that he had been presented with an opportunity. With a quick snatch, he seized the wand.

And as he rose slowly, sliding his hands upward along his siloutte until they had extended above his head again, he tilted his wand with the hope that his impeccable aim had not been subtracted from with the introduction of Tarantallegra, but had remained intact. Without much thought as to what spell he’d cast, he sent the Jelly-Brain Jinx in Collins’ direction.

‘Twas his only immediate goal: to hit his mark.

Jake stared up at Omara, trying to hide the smirk that had appeared on his lips. Though he wasn't one to drink much, there were a few times when he did, so he did carry around the exact object that the man had asked for. He felt his hand twitch as it started to reach up into his now sleeveless jacket for the flask. But as he managed to keep it down, Jake raised an eyebrow as he got an idea. "No." he said smoothly, clearly lying. "I haven't got it on me .. sorry." he tried to hide the smirk that would clearly give him away if Omara saw it. Still he was sure, the way he'd said he didn't have it already gave him away, oh well no matter.

It was really that he didn't trust the man with alcohol that made Jake not want to give it to him. Knowing how he was, it made him uncertain of whether or not he would try to do something regrettable if he had possession of the alcohol. He wasn't going to take the chance that was for sure, unless he did something that made him give it to him. He really hoped that he didn't do that ... It was a good thing that Omara couldn't read minds.

Jake looked back up at the man to find his wand in his hand. Immediately back on alert, he waited for a spell to be cast from it. Although he was momentarily distracted by a laugh that was caught in his throat, which he was determined to hold back, as he watched the man continue to dance. The nineteen year old bit his lip tightly, letting out a small snicker that was but a small piece of the laughter he held back. He really needed to stop getting distracted by small things ... he just really had to stop.

Unfortunately for him, being distracted caused his defenses to drop and he hadn't even seen the spell cast toward him because of the laughter he tried so hard to keep back. When he managed to look back up, it was too late. "Shi -" was all he managed to say before the spell made contact with him. He took a step back and let his wand fall from his hand. All he did now was stare up at Omara with a blank expression on his face.

It was the briefest of moments: that in which Collins' wand fell from his hand as Nemo was successful in his spellwork. And it was one which Nemo had no intention of allowing to pass him by; particularly after having obtained the knowledge (Aladdin never had been a particularly skilled liar, though Nemo guessed his blatant fib may have been intentional) that there was alcohol to be gained from their miniature duel of hexes and wits.

"Finite Incantatem," Nemo uttered with a practiced flourish of his wand towards himself, limiting the counter-charm to the area that he alone occupied, and alas an end was put to his questionable dancing. Though, admittedly, the auror had thoroughly enjoyed himself during the time in which he had remained at the will of Collins' spell.

With a wide gesture of his weapon, Nemo swept from the floor beneath him the collection of glass shards that Collins had gathered, and he fell with a swing of body to sit upon the window's broken sill, dangling his legs over the makeshift ledge with a victorious grin. "Aladdin, my main man!" He called across the atrium, "I am going to return your brain from mush and you are going to hand me that flask of yours, alright? I won fair and square. If you try and bolt..." Nemo humorously warned his friend.

And with a halfhearted flick of his fingers he repeated, "Finite Incantatem."

Though his position made it seem like he was still looking up at Omara, Jake's eyes wandered around the atrium, looking at everything around him. He saw little things he hadn't seen before, it's amazing what you miss when your mind is focused on something specific. Now that he wasn't focused on anything, or rather that he couldn't focus on anything for long, he found himself finding so many things he normally wouldn't have seen. A weird grin spread on his lips and he half heard what Omara said to him.

As his grasp on reality and his focus began to come back, Jake shook his head and looked up at Omara. "Not cool!" he said. "That was horrible." the nineteen year old added, holding his head for a moment to make sure the he was back to normal. Once he was sure he was, he finally grasped onto the man's words from before he ended the spell and Jake made a sound between a groan and a sigh. "Damn, fine. You win." he said.

"But -" he grinned. "If you want this." he took a flask out of his coat pocket and made sure it was in his view. "You have to cone get it yourself. I'm not taking it up there to you." he crossed his arms.

Ah, there was promise!

"Whoop!" Nemo cheered as he rested his palms flat at either side of himself along the windowsill. "Sure, I'll come get it," He agreed, and with an abrupt forward thrust of his arms, Nemo pushed himself from the ledge and began in a rapid free-fall towards the polished atrium floor. His limbs were a tangled web as his body convulsive in a desperate attempt to gain purchase in the whirlwind that spun around him.

"Wah-hahooo!" He screamed.

Okay, so he knew that Nemo would come down quickly to get the flask. But he hadn't counted on him basically throwing himself from the window sill to get it. Damn, alcohol had some deadly powers. He blinked for a moment and felt around for his wand. Jake began to panic when he couldn't find it on himself, and he looked on the floor.

He'd forgotten he'd dropped it whenbhe was hit with Omara's spell. Quickly picking it up, Jake pointed it as the falling man and said, "Aresto Momentum!" Hoping that it would be enough to keep him for getting hurt. "The things you do for this." Jake said, approaching the man and holding the flask op for him to see again.

With a simple slash of his wand through the air, Aladdin had pulled from Nemo his stomach, followed shortly by the remainder of his inner workings as the speed at which he fell decreased at an unforgiving rate. "Merlin," Nemo heaved a breath as he came to rest upon his back with his limbs strewn across the atrium floor, as though he had been draped gently across the shoe-scuffed surface, as opposed to having leapt from the next level. "I'm gonna hurl," He admitted, staring upward at the sill from which he'd fallen. "That was awesome," Nemo added with excited, stumbling laughter.

His right arm shot upward in an expression of expectancy as he called, "Aladdin!" And with a sweeping gesture of his open palm he snatched the flask from his companion. "You think I jumped from that window for this?" He inquired whilst unscrewing the flask's cap. "I could have just 'accio'ed the thing to me - aha!" Nemo cheered when he was reunited with his vice at last and he took a generous swig from Collins' supply.

Only when he'd had his fill of the drink did he conclude his previous statement, "Nah," He tossed the emptied flask carelessly towards the other as he climbed to his feat, "I just wanted to see if you could actually stop me." Nemo shot Collins a mocking wink and righted his tangled jacket.