Strange Magic [Dragonsong]

Zero · February 26, 2019, 10:41:52 AM

"Some people would be more somber, contemplating their mortality, and thinking about how not to put themselves in a position to need to cheat death again?" Made sense to Joss, at any rate. "What did you do to piss that demon off anyway?"

The thing had sure seemed to want Calen dead, so there must have been something more than just a random attack.

DragonSong · February 26, 2019, 12:38:05 PM

Calen shrugged again. "I didn't do jack shit. I got hired to help a guy with the job, and we crossed that demon, apparently. I killed another one of the suckers, but I guess that guy took exception to that?"

He glanced back at Joss with a small frown. "Are demons particularly...familial? A lot of loyalty amongst themselves?"

Zero · February 26, 2019, 12:43:48 PM

"Hm." It was a noncommittal sound, to be sure. Helping a guy do a job and killing another demon didn't sound like nothing to Joss. Not that he sided with the demon in any way. All of the hellspawn deserved to be eradicated.

"Depends on the demon, and their motivation doesn't have to make sense to mortals. Revenge doesn't have to be about love or caring. If you killed a related demon they could take it as an insult to their power and strength, make them want to destroy you to prove something." He shrugged his shoulders as he looked around the empty room and helped himself to a table.

DragonSong · February 27, 2019, 03:40:28 PM

Sliding in across from the demon hunter, Calen shrugged and propped an elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand. "Well, great. So possibly that thing is gonna come after me again?"

Zero · February 28, 2019, 04:39:28 PM

"Anything's possible, Frosty. Maybe it learned its lesson, maybe not. Couldn't tell you with reliable certainty. Do I look like a fortuneteller?" Joss shrugged again and folded his arms in front of him on the table, rubbing his left palm against his sleeve unconsciously. "All I care about is breakfast. Potential future demon attacks that may or may not happen really aren't that interesting at the moment. When there's an actual threat then maybe I might pay attention."

DragonSong · February 28, 2019, 05:15:25 PM

"Frosty" smirked and shrugged. "Well, if I know this place, an imminent threat might not be too far off--"

"Uhg."

Calen beamed and swiveled around in his chair. "Hey there, Maria! Been a while, love, how've you been?"

The innkeeper scowled at him and made a rude gesture in his direction. "You two planning on actually paying this time?" she demanded.

Zero · February 28, 2019, 05:47:15 PM

Joss smirked at the sound of annoyance that was directed at them, especially since it was far more directed at Calen, including the rude gesture. He had to wonder just how many times the mage had taken advantage of the hospitality around here without giving some proper compensation.

As amusing as watching the other man get told off would be...Joss was hungry and wanted to actually eat.

He knocked a knuckle against the tabletop and a metal clink responded, a moment later he flicked something small, round, and flat at Maria. Gold flashed through the air before the coin landed near her feet.

"I'm starving, lady. Do I smell bacon? I'll take...a lot. Of everything. There's more coins like that too, if that's what it takes to get some breakfast around here."

DragonSong · March 01, 2019, 11:44:26 AM

Maria's scowl stayed in place, and she kicked the coin back toward them. "I don't fetch, boy," she growled. "Just make sure you've got proper payment before you leave." She turned to head back into the kitchen.

Calen whistled softly and shook his head as he rose to collect the coin, flipping it back toward Joss's side of the table. "Lucky," he noted with a crooked smile. "If she liked me less, she'd have flayed you for that."

Zero · March 10, 2019, 06:18:03 AM

Well that went differently than Joss hoped. What kind of service was this? He huffed slightly and fixed Calen with a scowl. "You mean people actually like you? That's kind of shocking."

DragonSong · March 31, 2019, 12:03:36 PM

"Hey!" Calen pressed a hand over his heart, frowning dramatically. "I am very likable. Not my fault you've got a major stick up your ass."

Zero · March 31, 2019, 12:37:01 PM

"You're about as likable as that stick you claim I got." Joss huffed, glaring at Calen before turning his head to the side and scowling across the room. "Is she going to feed us or should we find breakfast somewhere else?"

DragonSong · April 03, 2019, 07:12:40 AM

"Naw, she'll bring us food." He gestured to one of the many empty tables, waiting only a moment before he took a seat. "She's just...a bit prickly. 'Specially when it comes to money. Her old job, she had customers throw her coins like it was nothing, like she was nothing...I expect it stuck with her."

He'd been frowning slightly, but shook his head when he realized what he was doing and leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head. "She's a good sort though, underneath it all."

Zero · May 03, 2019, 05:27:30 PM

"I'm sure she just loves me, then." He had tossed money at her, but he wasn't sure if he should care what some random woman he didn't really know thought about him. The demon hunter wasn't one to think about what might be considered rude.

Joss looked at Calen across the table, frowning pensively before turning to look around the room with a sigh. He wanted food, but he was also really wishing to be somewhere else by this point.

"So you're feeling better, and now that I don't think you're going to die, I'm thinking after food I should probably scram. Playing babysitter or nurse or whatever is already old." Calen was fine now, there was no reason to stick around the mage longer than necessary.

DragonSong · May 04, 2019, 02:19:20 PM

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Right." Calen blinked, then shook his head lightly. Somehow, without him really noticing, he realized he'd gotten used to Joss's company, had forgotten that the demon slayer was a transitory presence.

Stupid thing to do, really.

He smiled quickly though and tilted his head. "Well, hey, I owe you one now. You ever need a favor, just look me up."

Zero · May 04, 2019, 02:46:36 PM

"Ha, yeah. Maybe." Joss wasn't convinced that he could possibly need anything from the bubbly mage, but having someone owe you a favor could be useful once in a while. "Either way, I'm going to stay for breakfast, so..."

Man he sucked at small talk, but he doubted Calen would allow them to sit in awkward silence either.

DragonSong · May 05, 2019, 05:38:29 PM

"Ah, so free food really is the way to just about anyone's heart!" Calen proclaimed triumphantly. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow dramatically. "I wonder how I should use this knowledge... Shall I better the world, or use it for my own selfish gain?"

Zero · May 05, 2019, 05:40:50 PM

"It's not free food, I was planning on paying for it, remember? Seems to be implied you're the one with all the freebies." The woman had asked accusingly if they were paying this time, after all.

DragonSong · May 13, 2019, 10:53:50 AM

"I've got a tab, there's a difference," Calen protested mildly. "And Maria knows I'm good for it-- I always pay up eventually."

Zero · May 13, 2019, 01:02:49 PM

"Eventually." Joss snorted softly and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest with a tired sigh. "I don't know about you, but I don't feel all that rested after last night. Not used to waking up next to someone that's as cold as ice and almost dead."

DragonSong · May 16, 2019, 07:25:50 AM

"Hey now." Calen put a hand to his heart and pulled a dramatically hurt look, pouting at him. "I'll admit I wasn't on top of my game last night, but I've never before had complaints about someone waking up next to me."