Cheers Darlin' [M][DragonSong]

[Lowen Thorn]

"Meow," he said in a flat, sarcastic tone.

He tried to let his new wardrobe cloak him the best it could, occasionally trying to slip off with each gust of shit wind or turn of a shit corner. He really hated this place, and his only friend was someone he hired to be so. Of course, they weren't friends. He definitely wasn't her friend, at least. She, on the other hand, was the most conversation he's had in what felt like ages.

It only took about fifteen minutes or so to reach the small house at the edge of the village once he knew where he was at. He'd be shocked if he didn't walk into an empty house, not that he had much belongings in his current position anyway.

"Make yourself at home," he said as he swung the door opening.

Everything seemed to be present and accounted for on first glance.

[DragonSong]

Jynx snapped a hand out to keep him from stepping over the threshold, head tilted and eyes narrowed warily. "Wait," she murmured.

She could have checked the room herself--but hell, the guy already knew she was a demonlord, or should have at least guessed. May as well do this the easy way then.

Holding her hand out, she Summoned quietly, "Tiameth, come to me."

In a soft pop of inter-dimensional tension snapping and a puff of the scent of brimstone, the smallish, fox-like creature appeared in the air above her left shoulder, wings flapping quickly. Jynx nodded to the room and muttered, "Take a look, make sure we're alone."

The demon gave a quick bark of understanding and fluttering into the room, making her way around the perimeter.

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah shouldn't be surprised by anything any longer, but he was. He stopped dead in his tracks and a chill went down his spine as the the little pocket fox was summoned from nothing. His eye brows were raised as the little demon or whatever the hell it was patrolled his house.

No one ever booby-trapped it before, he's not sure why they would now. He was too easy of a target to go through all of that trouble.

[DragonSong]

The thief watched Tiameth circle the room, squeaking at a few random objects. But the demon returned to her quickly enough, chirping an all-clear, and she allowed herself to relax slightly.

"Good girl," she praised the creature, giving her a quick scratch before whispering, "Return through the Veil."

Tiameth disappeared as easily as she came, with a flutter of wings and the scent of sulfur.

"Alright, place is safe." Jynx stood to the side and nodded inward. "Grab what you need quick-like."

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah nodded and moved himself into the open room. His house watching much to look at. It was barely a house at all. More like an open hut than anything else, which a few modern luxuries like a wooden front door.

He took a bag from a chest in the corner of the room, and quickly started filing extra pairs of clothes into it. More clothes than would probably be necessary, but he wasn't entirely sure how long they would be out.

Then he turned to the kitchen area, a side of the room where he had his stash of food, and tossed fruit, vegetables, and any other type of road snack he thought they could benefit from.

He gave the space one more look around. If he could help it at all, he would never have to come back to this.

"I'm ready."

[DragonSong]

"Good." Jynx looked him over, that calculating glint back in her eyes. It was gone in a handful of seconds and she snapped her gaze back to meet his. "So. You remember any landmarks about where these people attacked you?"

He'd said "outside of town", but that really didn't narrow things down much.

[Lowen Thorn]

"A little," he replied. He stepped out the door, expecting her to follow, and closed it shut once she was out. She would lead from here if he could at all help it.

"Like I said we were on the outside of town, but not knowing my way around and being swindled the way I was, I really couldn't tell you where exactly. It all happened so fast. I remember there being a rather large, hallow cave.. near the mountains that border the village. That help?"

[DragonSong]

"It's a start." Jynx set off quickly down the street, drawing her own hood up to cover her telltale hair and cast most of face in shadow, which would hide the scar from most casual passerby. "It's not likely that they're still there, but if we're lucky they'll have left some trace. When exactly did you say this happened?"

[Lowen Thorn]

"Oh, um.. three months. No." He was nearly served for dinner three months ago. "Six or seven months ago at the very latest, I would say. They're probably long gone by now, but I wouldn't doubt it if there was something there, or someone left behind. I don't think they were necessarily trying to hide there whereabouts from me after, they just knew I wouldn't come after them."

"I'm such a fucking wuss," he muttered under his breath with a clenched fist.

[DragonSong]

"Yeah, you are. But don't worry." Jynx patted his shoulder as she walked beside him, lips quirked into a slanted smile. "Anywhere but here, I betcha that's endearing. Probably means you're a good person or something. Now c'mon."

She quickened her pace slightly, ducking through the side streets that would more quickly bring them to the edge of the city.

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah bit his tongue in response to her agreement. She didn't have to agree with him, after all.

"That's how I was raised," he said, following her closely and keeping his head low. "I was raised to be kind, to always be a gentleman, and to help others in need if it at all in my power."

[DragonSong]

"Aw. That's sweet."

Jynx grabbed his arm and pulled him into a small alleyway, pressing him up against the wall as her eyes darted back and forth over the street they'd just vacated. A smallish group of laughing, shouting young men and woman staggered by, evidently drunk though it wasn't even noon yet.

Looking back to Noah, Jynx quirked an eyebrow and noted softly once they'd passed, "It's also what's eventually going to get you killed."

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah let her pin him while the strangers had passed by, but as soon as they were clear he shoved slightly away from her. "Probably," was his simple response.

He wasn't one to lose his temper much, but this Jynx woman had a knack for doing so - not only once, but twice now. Perhaps more. He couldn't be sure. It had been a whirlwind of emotions since he met her. Was hiring her the right thing to do? Was it really worth the trouble? The only option he really saw was killing himself, and he was too much of a coward to do that.

[DragonSong]

She'd been moving to leave the alley, but something in his tone stopped her. She glanced back at him, one eyebrow arched upward.

"Are you mad at me?" She sounded positively delighted by the prospect, crooked smile quirking at her lips.

[Lowen Thorn]

"No. Why would I be?"

The look on his face said otherwise, but that couldn't be helped. "Should we continue now?"

[DragonSong]

"You are!"

Jynx laughed, evidently tickled by the idea of inciting his anger. She nodded at him, grinning, and stepped back out onto the street. "Good. That's good. Hold onto that."

[Lowen Thorn]

Noah's face burned hot. He was irritated that he was so easy to read. He really needed to work on that. He wasn't sure what would kill him first, this town or his emotions. Or both. Before she could step full back into the street, he grabbed her wrist and forced her back into the alley. "I will," he hissed, trying his best attempt at being intimidating.

In order to further prove that he meant business now, he did the unthinkable. Brows narrowed, eyes on fire, lips tight, he leaned quickly and abruptly and kissed her on the lips. How would that prove any point? He didn't know. The element of surprise he supposed, plus he just wanted to do it.

Take what you want, right? Seemed like the Zantaric standard.

"We're burning daylight," he then said before letting go of her and stepping into the streets.

[DragonSong]

Panic. Sheer, blinding panic. Jynx froze against the wall, taking a breath to calm herself before she could follow him out into the street.

Little too close to home there, Jess?

She gritted her teeth. "Shut. Up."

Another breath, then she followed him out onto the street, swinging her arm around his shoulders companionably. "Alright, I see what you're going for, and I suppose I applaud the spirit of the thing." Her grip on his shoulder tightened, nails digging into his arm. "But if you ever touch me like that again without my permission, I'll castrate you. We clear?"

[Lowen Thorn]

He didn't mind the woman's nails biting into his skin. It wasn't his first time in the company of a woman, or the first time submitted to pain. Somehow he found those two typically went hand-in-hand together. Instead, he looked at her innocently, really feeling his confidence now. "Crystal," he replied simply but giving her a slight frown. "Are you mad at me?"

Take that, Jynx.

[DragonSong]

"Oh, sweetling. I'm not mad at you."

That was even true. Mostly.

She pulled her arm from around him and quickened her pace slightly. "I want you to stop seeing me as a woman because that seems to be your main problem, but I'm not mad at you."