RP between Ave and Degu
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Degu — 10/28/2020
Harpur limped from the tavern and along the street towards the bridge along the canal. He hoped silently that the dim light cast by the streetlamps weren't enough to illuminate his limp. He crossed the bridge with some difficulty on the steps but then walked tall once he was across it, heading towards the middle-class homes. He was a man who knew what he liked because they didn't have to walk far from the tavern or the barracks to reach his home, a decent abode but nothing substantial. A little tipsy from his drinking he fumbled with the key in the lock before hobbling in "Welcome t' my home, make y'self comfortable...." he said it slyly as they entered through the archway into the living room.
There, high above the fireplace was the head of a silver dragon with its jaws opened wide in an eternal, silent roar. Its icy eyes were still, made of glass and its four horns curled off to either side. Along the wall were many other heads with golden labels. 3 demons, 2 werewolves, a minotaur and what seemed to be some kind of monstrous horse. One could see why he had a house with high ceilings. There were empty plaques too, and others that had trophies from creatures that were too humanoid to look good on a wall. There were a few fae weapons upon the wall, chests on the mantle that had teeth in them. He had quite a collection of death. Harpur puffed his chest out proudly as he headed for the kitchen to find the ales, calling back "What do you think? Impressive, hm? I've got quite a collection of claws too, I keep those in the cellar though. The dragon claws I mostly sold off along with the wretched beast's bones... once I was done with them anyway..."
Ave — 10/28/2020
One thing Harpur did not know about Jax is that he is, essentially, a sociopath, or at least had some sociopathic tendencies. Justice was served if it was a slight against himself, or, people that mattered to him. He killed with no conscience, and disregarded the feelings of others. There was only one other he gave a damn about. And maybe a few certain animal companions. Ten years spent in their presence does give a man like Jax a semblance of a conscience, if his companion cared to remind him that he possessed one, that is.
So when Jax strode up and inside Harpur’s abode and saw that silver dragon’s head, his first thought burst from his mouth without any control over it. “HA. Serves you right, you treasure-stealing lizard.” Jax was not overly fond of other dragons. As a classic red dragon himself, he only ever cared about... himself. Other reds like him had the habit of stealing, or fighting over hoards. It was the way of things. Jax never had the pleasure of owning a hoard, or at least not long-term... but he knew what it was like to be in the midst of other dragons that wanted his shit. Looking at you, Enfield.
[3:18 AM]
Once Jax was able to work out what kind of hell he stepped into, however, it did send an icy chill up his spine. That silver dragon warned that his head could be up there. Well, thank goodness for the damn curse, then, right? No accidental shifting here. Would lead to awkward questions.
“A most impressive display. I don’t collect heads, myself. I prefer to take my foe’s most treasured belonging as my reward. Then again, I don’t have your skill in... um...” Jax was snapping his fingers, trying to remember the word ‘taxidermy’. “A fine hunter to have killed these.” He jabbed a thumb at them all, and yes, even poor ol’ Silver. “Aside from existing, what did this old bastard do? Nasty piece of work, I imagine, especially if it made it up on your wall.” Jax took interest in the weapons, and inspected them critically. He wished he thought to bring Bite to show off, but he was in no mood to waste time piece-tying it for the tavern. Some taverns likely didn’t allow weapons at all.
Degu — 10/28/2020
Harpur seemed delighted to hear Jaxamir's jab towards the dead beast. He laughed deeply "Oh you like them?" He grinned as he got three bottles between his fingers on each hand "That's the bastard that burned my face." he said with a nod towards the dragon "Caustic fire. He regretted it...made a good meal after the battle too. I ate that bastard for days. Ever tried a dragon steak?" he proclaimed proudly, seemingly convinced he'd found something rare in Jaxamir... a like-minded human, potentially his first real friend in a long time.. ever since his order had been disbanded and every last man and woman scattered to the wind it'd become much harder to find men like himself to talk to.
He made his way to the couch and set down the beers, grunting in pain and kneeling to put logs and tinder into the fire before lighting it up to get some warmth going through the chilly living room. "He was bothering a town, threatening farmers and taking livestock. I was asked to put a stop to it and I did, gladly. The dragons to the north push their luck every single day, it's only a matter of time before I end up with another head on my wall."
Ave — 10/28/2020
Jax, you fucking moron, don’t you see the hot, boiling water you’re in?! Being a brute of raw strength who never had to worry about his own safety, he didn’t think much of it. In fact, he was a little too much at ease around this dragon murderer. “I imagine dragon meat lasts for a good long while,” he joked, thinking of himself on a spit. Humorously, he imagined it to be a pretty big spit. He chortled. The hell is wrong with him? It’s not that he actually liked the thought, or wanted it to happen.
“Dragon steak. No, I wouldn’t go that far Captain,” he said nonchalantly, not the LEAST bit perturbed that this human was eating his own kind. To be fair, Jax thought, ’Well damn, if they managed to get caught and get eaten, then that spoke volumes about their own strength. Weaklings, all of them. They deserved this.’ For good measure, he decided to keep the fact that he is a dragon to himself. To even boast about it, as he does to others, might provoke the hunter to pounce.
“The north, eh?” Now Jax knew where the other dragons lived. He took up his beer, raising it up to Harpur in thanks. He sat on the nearest chair, looking perfectly at ease. “Seems like perfectly normal grounds to take him down. Not that I think you need the excuse.” The ominous words Harpur said about another dragon head on the wall was the first time Jax felt a little sick to his stomach.
“If you need a partner and have good coin, let me know. I’ve grown restless for a good hunt.” Just not me, he could not help but think in that instance. As long as Harpur never found out, the ‘Captain’ of the guard, then he will not have to worry about a target on his back. And having good standing with the captain would reap benefits in the future. Hmm... he saw nothing wrong with this picture. What could go wrong?
Once settled, Jax decided to get into his tale. “Demons swept through our lands like a plague, squatting in homes and eating food that wasn’t theirs, taking over our jobs... the neighboring islands suffered them, too. So King Raâm decided to give them an ultimatum: leave, or die. The demons chose death. And thus marked the beginnings of a fierce and long battle for several years. It got so bad that we sought them at the source: the underworld. I led the charge with many fellows who fell around me. They say the war ended that day, but I know as long as there is one demon alive still, the war goes on.” Of course, this all came from another country. Another world...
Degu — 10/29/2020
Harpur bellowed with laughter "It does last a while. I'm a strong believer in eating what you kill...except the uh" he waved the neck of his bottle at the werewolves on the wall with a frown. "Makes you stronger."
"Aye, the north. Penmoor Isle they call it, swarming with the vermin. A volcano covered in dragon shit" he snorted derisively and took heavy gulps from his ale, tilting his head backwards just to get more down his gullet. He turned to cross one leg on the other comfortably on the couch, leaning back lazily. "Its been a while since I heard an offer like that" he smirked "I'll be sure to let you know if any rogue beasts appear and the guard are too chicken shit to deal with it. They're going soft with all this coddling from the king." he rumbled grumpily.
The tale of the war came as he'd hoped it would. He leaned forwards to listen more closely "Hold up" he scooted to the edge of the couch to squint "You led a charge into the underworld?!" Even Harpur felt small next to such a claim, suddenly feeling like none of his kills could compare to that. "Y' full of shit! no" he grinned and shook his head in disbelief.
Ave — 10/29/2020
“Good. Leave nothing behind, except a memory. I’ll drink to that.” And so he did. His eyes drew up to the werewolves. “No kidding? You seem to know a lot about magical beasts.” A short beat as he gave the heads another glimpse. “Does Thornmouth have a king?” Truth be told, Jax was not one for politics, but he also was unaware of royalty, if there were any. Concepts like that were not unheard of where he came from, but this was an alien world he and the Vaidya stumbled into. It was always smart to understand it, but he felt that if he proved to be too naive, then he might start receiving awkward questions.
Penmoor Isle. Jax will have to remember that. Smirking, the ex-Knight gave Harpur a swift nod. “Excellent. Put my ass to work. Let’s show these lazy imbeciles what it means to be brave.”
There was a reason Jax led the charge, and that reason is largely why the King was so eager to use his precious dragon for all his wars. Jax remembered every battle he ever fought in, remembered every fearful eye that lost their light as he tore them to pieces. His rumination was cut short by Harpur’s laugh. Jax did not join in, but said quietly, “Yes.” He took up his beer to his lips and sipped it quietly, casting a dark gaze to the walls.
Degu — 10/30/2020
Harpur carried on drinking, seeming not to have any intention of slowing down. He was getting drunk tonight because tomorrow he didn't need to wake up, not early anyway. "Oh you are new then, hm" he chuckled as Jax asked about the king "Better brush up on your local lore before you get y' ass beaten. Aye, there's a king...." a sigh "and a queen. ... Fae, the marriage is..." he gestured lazily in a circle with the bottle in his hand "part of a peace treaty. she walks all over the city with her demands, though." He seemed perturbed by it.
The change in mood caught him off guard "Y' were tellin' the truth? ...well shit, Jaxamir... can't say I've ever done anything so bold as marching into the underworld...i've charged into the dens of dragons but it seems small by comparison. Listen.. whatever happened in that underworld y' come out a stronger man." he raised his beer in a toast "dwell only on your success tonight, friend. We'll drink to your bravery."
Ave — 10/30/2020
“Mm.” Jax was a little more reserved in his drinking, but only because he wanted to be able to walk out of here without stumbling. Speaking of, he knew it must have been getting late. Normally he didn’t care how late he stayed anywhere, but he wanted to be in good standing with this captain, and show... ugh. Good manners.
“They can try, but it’ll be the worse decision they’ll ever make in their life.” Jax chortled. “This peace treaty sounds damn convenient. Sounds like everything here hangs on that balance.”
Jax smirked, glad to know Harpur appreciated his extraordinary feats. “Yes. Easy enough to do.” He raised his drink. “To bravery.” He downed the rest of the beer. “It’s getting late, and I have somewhere to be soon. Harpur... it has been an honor to drink with the captain of the guard and to be invited into his home.” Jax rose up so Harpur did not have to, and offered his hand. “Next drink is on me. This is goodnight and farewell... for now.”
Degu — 10/30/2020
Harpur seemed disappointed when his new found friend seemed to want to leave, he'd had grand ideas of getting wasted and passing out after having alcohol induced philosophical discussions. He remembered it all from when he was younger but he supposed those days might be gone, perhaps. He rose up "Aye, if y must. Well Jaxamir its been a pleasure" he slammed a fist roughly into the other mans bicep in a painful but friendly fashion.
With that same limp he'd head to the door to see Jaxamir off "Don't be a stranger, Y' can usually find me in the tavern in an evenin'." and with that he'd wave the fellow off, returning to his couch to drink alone and enjoy what he could of the rest of the evening.
Harpur limped from the tavern and along the street towards the bridge along the canal. He hoped silently that the dim light cast by the streetlamps weren't enough to illuminate his limp. He crossed the bridge with some difficulty on the steps but then walked tall once he was across it, heading towards the middle-class homes. He was a man who knew what he liked because they didn't have to walk far from the tavern or the barracks to reach his home, a decent abode but nothing substantial. A little tipsy from his drinking he fumbled with the key in the lock before hobbling in "Welcome t' my home, make y'self comfortable...." he said it slyly as they entered through the archway into the living room.
There, high above the fireplace was the head of a silver dragon with its jaws opened wide in an eternal, silent roar. Its icy eyes were still, made of glass and its four horns curled off to either side. Along the wall were many other heads with golden labels. 3 demons, 2 werewolves, a minotaur and what seemed to be some kind of monstrous horse. One could see why he had a house with high ceilings. There were empty plaques too, and others that had trophies from creatures that were too humanoid to look good on a wall. There were a few fae weapons upon the wall, chests on the mantle that had teeth in them. He had quite a collection of death. Harpur puffed his chest out proudly as he headed for the kitchen to find the ales, calling back "What do you think? Impressive, hm? I've got quite a collection of claws too, I keep those in the cellar though. The dragon claws I mostly sold off along with the wretched beast's bones... once I was done with them anyway..."
Ave — 10/28/2020
One thing Harpur did not know about Jax is that he is, essentially, a sociopath, or at least had some sociopathic tendencies. Justice was served if it was a slight against himself, or, people that mattered to him. He killed with no conscience, and disregarded the feelings of others. There was only one other he gave a damn about. And maybe a few certain animal companions. Ten years spent in their presence does give a man like Jax a semblance of a conscience, if his companion cared to remind him that he possessed one, that is.
So when Jax strode up and inside Harpur’s abode and saw that silver dragon’s head, his first thought burst from his mouth without any control over it. “HA. Serves you right, you treasure-stealing lizard.” Jax was not overly fond of other dragons. As a classic red dragon himself, he only ever cared about... himself. Other reds like him had the habit of stealing, or fighting over hoards. It was the way of things. Jax never had the pleasure of owning a hoard, or at least not long-term... but he knew what it was like to be in the midst of other dragons that wanted his shit. Looking at you, Enfield.
[3:18 AM]
Once Jax was able to work out what kind of hell he stepped into, however, it did send an icy chill up his spine. That silver dragon warned that his head could be up there. Well, thank goodness for the damn curse, then, right? No accidental shifting here. Would lead to awkward questions.
“A most impressive display. I don’t collect heads, myself. I prefer to take my foe’s most treasured belonging as my reward. Then again, I don’t have your skill in... um...” Jax was snapping his fingers, trying to remember the word ‘taxidermy’. “A fine hunter to have killed these.” He jabbed a thumb at them all, and yes, even poor ol’ Silver. “Aside from existing, what did this old bastard do? Nasty piece of work, I imagine, especially if it made it up on your wall.” Jax took interest in the weapons, and inspected them critically. He wished he thought to bring Bite to show off, but he was in no mood to waste time piece-tying it for the tavern. Some taverns likely didn’t allow weapons at all.
Degu — 10/28/2020
Harpur seemed delighted to hear Jaxamir's jab towards the dead beast. He laughed deeply "Oh you like them?" He grinned as he got three bottles between his fingers on each hand "That's the bastard that burned my face." he said with a nod towards the dragon "Caustic fire. He regretted it...made a good meal after the battle too. I ate that bastard for days. Ever tried a dragon steak?" he proclaimed proudly, seemingly convinced he'd found something rare in Jaxamir... a like-minded human, potentially his first real friend in a long time.. ever since his order had been disbanded and every last man and woman scattered to the wind it'd become much harder to find men like himself to talk to.
He made his way to the couch and set down the beers, grunting in pain and kneeling to put logs and tinder into the fire before lighting it up to get some warmth going through the chilly living room. "He was bothering a town, threatening farmers and taking livestock. I was asked to put a stop to it and I did, gladly. The dragons to the north push their luck every single day, it's only a matter of time before I end up with another head on my wall."
Ave — 10/28/2020
Jax, you fucking moron, don’t you see the hot, boiling water you’re in?! Being a brute of raw strength who never had to worry about his own safety, he didn’t think much of it. In fact, he was a little too much at ease around this dragon murderer. “I imagine dragon meat lasts for a good long while,” he joked, thinking of himself on a spit. Humorously, he imagined it to be a pretty big spit. He chortled. The hell is wrong with him? It’s not that he actually liked the thought, or wanted it to happen.
“Dragon steak. No, I wouldn’t go that far Captain,” he said nonchalantly, not the LEAST bit perturbed that this human was eating his own kind. To be fair, Jax thought, ’Well damn, if they managed to get caught and get eaten, then that spoke volumes about their own strength. Weaklings, all of them. They deserved this.’ For good measure, he decided to keep the fact that he is a dragon to himself. To even boast about it, as he does to others, might provoke the hunter to pounce.
“The north, eh?” Now Jax knew where the other dragons lived. He took up his beer, raising it up to Harpur in thanks. He sat on the nearest chair, looking perfectly at ease. “Seems like perfectly normal grounds to take him down. Not that I think you need the excuse.” The ominous words Harpur said about another dragon head on the wall was the first time Jax felt a little sick to his stomach.
“If you need a partner and have good coin, let me know. I’ve grown restless for a good hunt.” Just not me, he could not help but think in that instance. As long as Harpur never found out, the ‘Captain’ of the guard, then he will not have to worry about a target on his back. And having good standing with the captain would reap benefits in the future. Hmm... he saw nothing wrong with this picture. What could go wrong?
Once settled, Jax decided to get into his tale. “Demons swept through our lands like a plague, squatting in homes and eating food that wasn’t theirs, taking over our jobs... the neighboring islands suffered them, too. So King Raâm decided to give them an ultimatum: leave, or die. The demons chose death. And thus marked the beginnings of a fierce and long battle for several years. It got so bad that we sought them at the source: the underworld. I led the charge with many fellows who fell around me. They say the war ended that day, but I know as long as there is one demon alive still, the war goes on.” Of course, this all came from another country. Another world...
Degu — 10/29/2020
Harpur bellowed with laughter "It does last a while. I'm a strong believer in eating what you kill...except the uh" he waved the neck of his bottle at the werewolves on the wall with a frown. "Makes you stronger."
"Aye, the north. Penmoor Isle they call it, swarming with the vermin. A volcano covered in dragon shit" he snorted derisively and took heavy gulps from his ale, tilting his head backwards just to get more down his gullet. He turned to cross one leg on the other comfortably on the couch, leaning back lazily. "Its been a while since I heard an offer like that" he smirked "I'll be sure to let you know if any rogue beasts appear and the guard are too chicken shit to deal with it. They're going soft with all this coddling from the king." he rumbled grumpily.
The tale of the war came as he'd hoped it would. He leaned forwards to listen more closely "Hold up" he scooted to the edge of the couch to squint "You led a charge into the underworld?!" Even Harpur felt small next to such a claim, suddenly feeling like none of his kills could compare to that. "Y' full of shit! no" he grinned and shook his head in disbelief.
Ave — 10/29/2020
“Good. Leave nothing behind, except a memory. I’ll drink to that.” And so he did. His eyes drew up to the werewolves. “No kidding? You seem to know a lot about magical beasts.” A short beat as he gave the heads another glimpse. “Does Thornmouth have a king?” Truth be told, Jax was not one for politics, but he also was unaware of royalty, if there were any. Concepts like that were not unheard of where he came from, but this was an alien world he and the Vaidya stumbled into. It was always smart to understand it, but he felt that if he proved to be too naive, then he might start receiving awkward questions.
Penmoor Isle. Jax will have to remember that. Smirking, the ex-Knight gave Harpur a swift nod. “Excellent. Put my ass to work. Let’s show these lazy imbeciles what it means to be brave.”
There was a reason Jax led the charge, and that reason is largely why the King was so eager to use his precious dragon for all his wars. Jax remembered every battle he ever fought in, remembered every fearful eye that lost their light as he tore them to pieces. His rumination was cut short by Harpur’s laugh. Jax did not join in, but said quietly, “Yes.” He took up his beer to his lips and sipped it quietly, casting a dark gaze to the walls.
Degu — 10/30/2020
Harpur carried on drinking, seeming not to have any intention of slowing down. He was getting drunk tonight because tomorrow he didn't need to wake up, not early anyway. "Oh you are new then, hm" he chuckled as Jax asked about the king "Better brush up on your local lore before you get y' ass beaten. Aye, there's a king...." a sigh "and a queen. ... Fae, the marriage is..." he gestured lazily in a circle with the bottle in his hand "part of a peace treaty. she walks all over the city with her demands, though." He seemed perturbed by it.
The change in mood caught him off guard "Y' were tellin' the truth? ...well shit, Jaxamir... can't say I've ever done anything so bold as marching into the underworld...i've charged into the dens of dragons but it seems small by comparison. Listen.. whatever happened in that underworld y' come out a stronger man." he raised his beer in a toast "dwell only on your success tonight, friend. We'll drink to your bravery."
Ave — 10/30/2020
“Mm.” Jax was a little more reserved in his drinking, but only because he wanted to be able to walk out of here without stumbling. Speaking of, he knew it must have been getting late. Normally he didn’t care how late he stayed anywhere, but he wanted to be in good standing with this captain, and show... ugh. Good manners.
“They can try, but it’ll be the worse decision they’ll ever make in their life.” Jax chortled. “This peace treaty sounds damn convenient. Sounds like everything here hangs on that balance.”
Jax smirked, glad to know Harpur appreciated his extraordinary feats. “Yes. Easy enough to do.” He raised his drink. “To bravery.” He downed the rest of the beer. “It’s getting late, and I have somewhere to be soon. Harpur... it has been an honor to drink with the captain of the guard and to be invited into his home.” Jax rose up so Harpur did not have to, and offered his hand. “Next drink is on me. This is goodnight and farewell... for now.”
Degu — 10/30/2020
Harpur seemed disappointed when his new found friend seemed to want to leave, he'd had grand ideas of getting wasted and passing out after having alcohol induced philosophical discussions. He remembered it all from when he was younger but he supposed those days might be gone, perhaps. He rose up "Aye, if y must. Well Jaxamir its been a pleasure" he slammed a fist roughly into the other mans bicep in a painful but friendly fashion.
With that same limp he'd head to the door to see Jaxamir off "Don't be a stranger, Y' can usually find me in the tavern in an evenin'." and with that he'd wave the fellow off, returning to his couch to drink alone and enjoy what he could of the rest of the evening.
