<div class="floatleft">(http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1476/654184a6aa5e57fc67fb1a3.jpg)</div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 30pt;"><strong>J</strong><span class="bbc_u"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 20pt;">OHN</span></span> <strong>F</strong><span class="bbc_u"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 20pt;">ALDON</span></span></span> (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=141932.msg6385799#msg6385799)               </div><div style="text-align: right;"><em>The Blue Iguana</em> {<strong>Location</strong>}                  <br/><em>Clive</em> {<strong>Tagging</strong>}                     </div><br/><div style="text-align: right;"><strong><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">&lt;+————————————————:</span></strong>               </div><br/><br/>John felt no offense at the comment.  It might’ve even amused him, to some degree, if he wasn’t currently trying to ignore the incessant whispering to his ear.  His right hand balled into a fist and he cast a quick glance in the opposite direction, going very still for a moment.  Though his expression otherwise went utterly unchanged, his left eyelid twitched, as if some emotion had attempted to show through but was strained by some invisible force behind his mask.  He flinched as Clive walked past him, the movement forcing him to withdraw from his detachment.  His gaze locked on Clive, then, the man’s form becoming a roving corpse in the instant he ‘came to’; his eyes were sunken and his flesh was grayed with deep decay.  He could see burn-marks around his neck, bruising left by a coarse rope and careless hands.  He mumbled to himself as he watched Clive go, the vision fading just as quickly as it’d come.<br/><br/><em>Shit</em>, he was already drifting.<br/><br/>He rolled his shoulders and forced himself to look away, closing his eyes and attempting to focus himself into serenity.  His mind was terribly reluctant, however.  Alcohol would do nothing to sate his mind’s need for terrifying creations, but sleep certainly would; to a point, anyway.<br/><br/>He ran a hand firmly over his mouth and heaved a deep sigh, opening his eyes just in time to catch the bartender handing him a drink.  He took it with some measure of disbelief, but didn’t hesitate to guzzle it like water; it didn’t matter what it was, so long as it put him under.  John was quiet until his mug was finished, then finally returned his attention to Clive’s words, his exhausted gaze settling on the man’s without fear, shame, or guilt.<br/><br/>“I have no respect for men who haven’t earned it.”<br/><br/>As always, his tone was absolutely flat; the comment could’ve been taken many ways, but how it was meant was something left up to speculation.  He fondled the mug with deep-settled anxiety, turning to look back over his shoulder toward the bar.  One drink would hardly do him in, and with a taste, he was tempted to just steal the rest of what he needed.<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: left;">               <strong><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">:————————————————+&gt;</span></strong></div>