Strange Magic [Dragonsong]

Zero · August 15, 2020, 08:21:18 PM

"I thought we already established my book is a total asshole." Joss huffed, knowing that at least part of this was on him. The book had showed him the ritual and he'd performed it without knowing exactly what it would do, but Calen was fucking dying in front of his eyes. The situation had created a sense of urgency, and it had done what Joss asked - it saved Calen's life.

"You were marked by the demon. Removing the demon's mark could have killed you if done incorrectly, but you would have died before I could have found the appropriate ritual." Joss was speaking a bit hollowly. "Removing it wasn't an option. So the book showed me how to...override it."

Now they both carried a new mark, a shared mark.

DragonSong · August 15, 2020, 09:00:38 PM

Almost despite himself, Calen snorted at that. He sobered quickly though, flexing his fingers against his palm and then spreading them out again a few times as he eyed the sigil.

"Hmm..." He trailed off, eyed the demon hunter sidelong, and sighed. Lowering his voice--not particularly wanting Phara to overhear--he muttered, "Look, I--I do know you saved my life. You didn't seem all that interested in gratitude, so..."

He shrugged, dropping his hand with another sigh. "Sorry I fucked up your ritual or whatever."

Zero · August 15, 2020, 09:17:23 PM

"You didn't fuck it up." Joss sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to keep looking at the sigil. It was a complicated mess. "Now instead of that demon's mark you have, well, my mark, not to put too fine a point on it. They are protection sigils though, I wasn't wrong about that."

The sigils were a matching pair. One for him and one for Calen, but they could only work together. That was just fucking great.

"Phara, I'm not sure you can help with this one." Joss chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully. There had to be a way to fix this. Could he undo whatever the hell it was he'd done? He honestly wasn't sure.

DragonSong · August 16, 2020, 08:29:14 AM

"Your mark," Calen repeated. Gods, he was just full of insights today. Rolling his eyes at himself, he shook his head and leaned back against the wall with a sharp exhale. "So what do we do?" he muttered, not really sure who he was asking.

He glanced down at his hand again, then away, frowning. "If they're a pair, that implies...they need to be together to work properly. For protection or whatever." He gave another sharp shake of his head. "But I don't need protecting, and I'm sure you don't wanna follow me around for the rest of your life," he said with a jerk of his head in Joss's direction.

Zero · August 17, 2020, 06:07:08 PM

Joss brought both hands up to rub his face tiredly. He didn't know how to fix it. At least not yet, but he would. Eventually. Fucking asshole book.

"Hell no I don't want to follow you around, not for any length of time." He had more than enough of the annoying mage already. The idea of being stuck with Calen for who even knew how long was far from appealing. It didn't seem like they'd have much of a choice, though.

"If the book showed you the ritual that did this, then it must have known this would happen." Phera spoke, looking at them both with a thoughtful expression. "It must have done this on purpose, for a reason. Maybe this is exactly what needed to happen."

Joss did not look happy. Not at all.

DragonSong · August 17, 2020, 06:17:54 PM

Calen stared at her. His jaw clenched.

It needed to happen this way... Sometimes fate just intervenes... Who can understand the gods' plan?... Even the most terrible things have a purpose...

"Bullshit."

He jerked his head around to glare at the wall, perhaps a little unreasonably irritated. He couldn't seem to help it. "Nothing needs to happen. Shit just goes sideways. "Fate" is people's way of trying to make sense of the awful, awful things that happen to and around them."

Realizing how that sounded, he winced, sighed, and added in Joss's general direction, "Not that this is awful, I didn't--" He sighed again. "That's not how I meant it. Sorry."

He hated this. Hated everything about it. But that wasn't Joss's fault, and clearly the guy had enough problems to deal with already. Even if he was a bit of an ass.

Zero · August 17, 2020, 06:30:17 PM

"No, you can say it. This fucking sucks." Joss could absolutely agree with Calen on that. This was definitely awful.

Phara tutted softly, shaking her head at them both. "To exist is for things to happen, and Joss, you should know better than your friend about fate."

Joss snorted and gritted his teeth. Fate was bullshit, but he wasn't convinced that it wasn't real. He didn't want to believe it either. His supposed "fate" was beyond grim, and frankly unbearable. So far he hadn't found a way to circumvent what destiny had been laid out for him by a stupid, short-sighted ancestor.

"Yeah. Well. Thanks for nothing. I guess." Joss turned to leave, heading for the door. "C'mon Frosty. We'll figure something out, but not here."

DragonSong · August 17, 2020, 06:40:42 PM

Calen's voice suddenly lowered to something blank, cold, and dangerous. "Lady, you don't know me. Don't think you get to decide what I do or do not know about fate."

Then Joss was turning to leave, and he shook himself, and just like that he was back to his usual, annoyingly cheerful self. "Right behind ya, Sunshine." He nodded to the healer, hefting his back again, and moved to follow Joss out. "Thanks for the help, ma'am."

Zero · August 17, 2020, 07:00:20 PM

Phara seemed completely unfazed by Calen's sudden change of tone. She simply watched them both until Joss had actually managed to open the front door and was about to step outside. "Have you heard from your mother yet?"

Joss froze, entire body tense, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he ground his teeth once more. "No. Give it up you old bat, if no one has heard from her yet, then the bitch is dead."

The demon hunter stomped out, turned, and punched the wall of the house so hard you could probably hear the strain of the bones in his hand at the contact. Joss closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing down the alley.

DragonSong · August 17, 2020, 07:18:55 PM

"...Hey."

Calen waited a few steps behind him, head cocked slightly to the side and brows drawn together just a bit. "Sunshine. You alright?"

The second the words were out of his mouth, he closed his eyes and pursed his lips. Right. That was gonna go over well.

Zero · August 17, 2020, 07:33:12 PM

"Peachy." Joss responded in a clipped tone. "Sorry about the wacko old woman, she's a good healer, but you have to ignore all the other stupid bullshit she says. I'd replace her, but finding people you can trust is...difficult."

Joss sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose - with the hand he didn't punch the wall with, that one was throbbing painfully. He'd deal with that later, though. Right now he just wanted to put distance between himself and Phara. If he didn't there was a chance he'd do something he regretted. The old woman was meddling, but harmless.

DragonSong · August 17, 2020, 07:42:39 PM

Calen watched him for a few moments longer, then sighed himself and moved forward to stand in front of him.

"Here." He reached out, watching Joss's face as he warned, "I'm gonna touch you, but just for a second, okay?"

He took Joss's injured hand carefully--he'd hit a few walls out of frustration himself, and he knew how easy it was to seriously bruise or even break your knuckles. Closing his eyes for a moment, he summoned his magic and allowed his hands to cool drastically: a living ice pack.

"Nah, I get it. She seems like a nice enough old bird, just...maybe a little nosy." He grimaced. "I also...overreacted back there. Sorry."

Zero · August 17, 2020, 08:03:03 PM

Joss stopped short when Calen was suddenly in front of him, a by now very familiar look of annoyance flashed across his face. Despite feeling more than a little aggravated by recent events, he didn't lash out at the mage. He watched Calen take his hand and felt the cold start soothing the pain.

"Nosy is one way to put it." Joss grumbled before sighing and closing his eyes. "She's useful. I'll replace her eventually. They all get replaced eventually. Good contacts just don't last forever. Also might be a very ironic person to apologize to for overreacting."

DragonSong · August 17, 2020, 08:14:57 PM

"Mm? Why's that?" The words sounded flippant enough, but he was distracted. Something Joss had said, replacing contacts...

He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize he was still cupping Joss's hand between his, the temperature of his skin growing slowly but steadily colder with every passing moment.

Suddenly his eyes lit up. "Contacts," he repeated, starting to grin. "Y'know, Sunshine, I think I might have us a lead."

Zero · August 27, 2020, 09:06:40 AM

"Wow, you really aren't even listening to me, are ya? My hand that interesting?" Joss had really thought that Calen would give some kind of reaction to that. In the very brief time they'd known each other, well the demon hunter had to admit he had a temper and was rather callous. Not that he would apologize for it, but he could recognize that he was kind of a shitty person most of the time.

"Oh yeah? Well let's go then, the sooner we fix this the better." He pulled his hand from Calen's grip, flexing his fingers gingerly. Joss hated to admit that the cooling touch had helped a little.

DragonSong · August 27, 2020, 11:39:15 AM

Calen really hadn't been listening, at least not fully, and he jerked, then gave Joss a sheepish smile for being caught out. He tried to play it off with a quick, "Well, sure. Even aside from the bitching new tattoo, you've got nice hands."

He let Joss pull his hand back easily and shoved his own into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. "Right. Right, okay. Thing is, Dain--this guy I'm thinking of--he's around, but he doesn't exactly have a base in Zantaric. I know how to get a message to him, but we might have to leave the city to actually find him."

Zero · August 27, 2020, 11:47:44 AM

"Nice hands?" Joss arched an eyebrow at Calen. That was definitely not a compliment he heard often. Or ever. Then again, his thorny demeanor didn't lend itself to earning many compliments from anyone, but still. Who complimented someone's hands?

"Of course he's not local. Why would it be that easy?" A heavy sigh escaped Joss as he ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up more than it already was. "Well it isn't like I've got something more important to do right now. I'm no stranger to traveling, so whatever. Let's find this Dain and see if he's got anything that can help."

DragonSong · August 27, 2020, 05:25:59 PM

"Excellent." Calen clapped his hands together with a bright smile, but it didn't quite manage to reach his eyes. He was still distracted, but now making more of an effort to keep his attention on the present, and the person in front of him. "Well, first step, I've gotta try to make contact. You staying somewhere? This should only take me...oh, say an hour. Ish."

Zero · August 27, 2020, 05:34:47 PM

"I had literally just gotten into town when I ran into you and your buddy last night, so no, not staying anywhere in particular. We can figure out where to stay after we make this contact, and yes we, because if you recall I get violently ill when you're too far away because of these stupid things." Joss grumpily waved his sigil-decorated palm at Calen with a sigh. Anywhere one of them went, the other was just going to have to follow.

This was going to be all kinds of irritating, but what could you do?

DragonSong · August 28, 2020, 01:51:00 PM

Ah. Right.

That.

Calen scrubbed his hands down his face, muttering curses into his palms. "Right. Right, of course. Sorry." He sighed, ran his fingers back through his hair, then nodded. "Okay then. Well...with me, I guess."

Shrugging, he turned on his heel and started off down the street once again, shoulders slightly hunched and eyes flickering about warily, though his customary smile was back it place. It didn't quite manage to reach his eyes, but it was there.