Two's Company

[MadEmperor]

"You're far too vibrant to live in seclusion," he answered, his mushy thoughts bleeding into his words before he could stop himself.

He coughed and studied a very interesting leaf. "Well, you know what I mean."

Gods, how was it that he could express honest emotions in song but never outside of it? Not without feeling awkward and embarrassed, anyway. Perhaps it was because he was raised to not show weakness, or perhaps he was just afraid that people wouldn't like the real Thrax.

[DragonSong]

That actually brought a blush immediately to the surface of her cheeks. She cleared her throat and glanced away, ears flicking back toward her skull in embarrassment.

"Thanks," she mumbled; she wasn't any better at genuine emotion than Thrax was.

But she took a breath and gave it a shot.

"...That's another one on my list." She cut her eyes up to him briefly before looking away again. "You don't see me as, like...this lovely, exotic prize to conquer. I'm so used to people just seeing the way I look—just human enough to be appealing, but also something like a pretty pet. You—you see me."

Yup. Too much sincerity. So she tossed her hair and added with forced lighthearted, "Not that I don't appreciate you noticing the pretty parts, too."

[MadEmperor]

"Oh, I notice, alright." Thrax grinned appreciatively. "All day, every day."

He sighed. "But I guess we should get to work before we spend all day flirting."

[DragonSong]

She chuckled and nodded. "Right. C'mon, the trapping supplies are in the shed. we can each make two snares and set them up, should only take an hour or so."


It had been a long time since Tobin had set her to placing snares, and Hana was learning that it was not exactly one of those skills that one just picked back up after years of leaving it to gather dust. So it was a bit more than an hour later by the time she placed her last one and was starting back toward the cottage.

"I know, I know, I don't wanna hear it," she grumbled as she came into the clearing. "I am so out of practice with this stuff.

[MadEmperor]

Thrax had really only finished moments earlier, so he couldn't judge. Having been tapped at an early age to be a shaman, trapping wasn't something he was ever taught, and gnolls generally thought traps were a coward's way to hunt anyway. Only through trying to survive on his own did he teach himself, but that was before he discovered he could survive much more comfortably by performing and bounty hunting.

"You and me both," he grinned. "I don't often have reason to use traps when I'm perfectly capable of chasing down my own prey."

[DragonSong]

"See, I'd rather just pay for mine," Hana laughed lightly. She took his arm once she was close enough and tucked herself against his side. "Ready to face the grouchy music?"

"I can hear you," Tobin called through the open window of the cottage. She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out in the direction of his voice.

[MadEmperor]

"And what a unique and breathtaking sound it is!" Thrax laughed. "Truly, the angels must be jealous of his gift."

With an all-too-self-amused spring in his step, he led the way back inside to get glowered at for his smart mouth. It was totally worth it.

[DragonSong]

"Hrrrmph," Tobin said by way of greeting to Thrax, paired with a glare over the top of his spectacles. "You two get the snares set, then?"

"Yes, Tobin," Hana huffed, rolling her eyes yet again. "I know better than to come back here with a job undone."

He nodded once. "Good. I'll have dinner ready in a few minutes."

That made her nose--metaphorically--and her ears--literally--twitch. "Wait, you're cooking?"

He glared at her from the kitchen. "What do you think I'm doing in here?"

She raised her hands innocently. "Alright, alright! I'm just surprised--you hate cooking, you always made me do it."

"Well, special occasion I suppose, innit?" he grumbled, stirring the savory-smelling contents of a large pot. "Not often you come to visit these days."

Her expression softened and she let go of Thrax's arm to sidle up next to the man who'd raised her and kiss the top of his head. "Thanks, Tobbs. I'll...try to be better about it."

"Ah, none of that." He waved her off. "I don't care when you're here. Just...figured I'd make dinner for it."

[MadEmperor]

"And she tells me I have a gooey center," Thrax commented playfully.

Before the old man could deny the observation, the bard sniffed the air and said, "Rabbit... root vegetables... cabbage... and... oregano? Smells good."

[DragonSong]

"Good nose," Tobin commented distractedly. "Heard that about hyenas once. Didn't know it extended to gnolls."

"Now, when were you just hearing random information about hyenas?" Hana laughed as she plopped into a chair at the table.

Tobin scoffed. "I didn't always live out here, you know that. Used to be a naturalist in one of the Arcan universities."

Hana blinked. "You never told me that."

"Sure I did."

"No, you said you used to live in Arca—you never told me you were a professor!"

[MadEmperor]

"Yeah, we have the crazy bite strength too," he managed to say before the topic moved on.

"That would certainly explain why he lives alone in the woods." He smirked. The few professors he'd met at the Randy Peach always had horror stories about how academia really worked. "Was it fool students or backstabbing peers?"

[DragonSong]

"Bit of both," Tobin answered with a shrug. "Mostly just got sick of all the people."

"You? Sick of people?" Hana fake gasped. "I don't believe it."

Tobin turned to glare at her as she started ladling out bowls of rabbit stew. "You, lass, have got too much sass for your own good."

She shrugged. "It's a talent, really."

[MadEmperor]

Thrax chuckled as he took a seat next to her. "A talent we share, I'm sure you've noticed."

"It keeps us entertained, at the very least." He grinned, giving her an affectionate shoulder bump. "Isn't that right, my partner in metaphorical crime?"

[DragonSong]

Hana quirked an eyebrow and mouthed, Metaphorical? She was fairly sure at least twenty percent of the shenanigans they got up to could be classified as varying degrees of illegal.

Not that she would say that out loud in front of Tobin; the hermit might know that already, but she wasn't going to say it.

"Two of you are a right menace," Tobin grumbled, sliding bowls of stew in front of them. "Can't tell if it's lucky or unlucky you found each other."

[MadEmperor]

"I mean, we mostly do good things!" Thrax protested. "We took down a demon and didn't even get paid for it. Granted, we barely knew each other then."

He didn't know if she wanted to tell Tobin that they got some manner of justice for her family. Their good deeds weren't exactly selfless, but they were good nonetheless.

"What I'm trying to say is we make each other better people. At least, I think so."

[DragonSong]

Hana smiled at him. "I think so too."

Tobin rolled his eyes at them, but didn't say anything about it as he tucked into his meal. "So. How long are you two planning to stay?"

"A few days," Hana put forward a little hesitantly with a glance in Thrax's direction. They hadn't really set any hard plans.

[MadEmperor]

"We heard there was fresh treasure to be had in Essyrn, so we thought we'd try our luck as treasure hunters. Assuming it isn't all gone by the time we get there," Thrax answered between bites. "So we won't be messing up your carefully crafted solitude too long."

[DragonSong]

"Good." Tobin nodded, shoveled in a mouthful of soup, then huffed, "Though I suppose you could rest up here for a while. Essyrn is...a long way."

Hana smiled lopsided at him and nodded, "We appreciate the offer, Tobbs. We thought we might recoup here for a day or so, then see if we can't get more information from one of the universities."

[MadEmperor]

"I think I might become the first Gnoll to ever set foot in one," Thrax chuckled.

He scratched his ear as a thought occurred to him. "You know... maybe I could learn a thing or two about Stormsong while we're at it. Where better to try, right?"

[DragonSong]

"Definitely worth a try!" Hana agreed with a nod.

Tobin glowered at his stew, but offered grudgingly, "I might have some old colleagues who are still teaching. If you give my name around Kia's Court, someone should point you in the right direction."