"Yeah, yeah it is." Austin assumed she was from somewhere rural on the Other Side and hadn't seen a stove before. "It's a stove. You use it too cook food in pots and pans."
He started looking around for the ingredients for hot chocolate. "I can show you, I feel like some hot chocolate anyways.
"Oh, yeah, I know about stoves. Just never used them." she fidgeted with the bandages wrapped around her hand. "What's hot chocolate?" she asked forming the words slowly with her accent.
Hemlock was clearly an experienced fighter from his reaction, but he hadn't gone for his sword. Wait. A sword?
"..What year is it Hemlock?" Jarrod asked, watching the mans hands.
Arwood frowned at the question, eyeing Jarrod closely and wondering where this was heading. If this was one of Isletas tricks, was the question a hint? He tried to think back on what had transpired on October 10 in the past, nothing came to mind.
If Isleta wasn’t involved, was this Jarrods way of testing him to see if he was an enemy? Was there any correct answer?
“October 10, 1315. Why?”
Mashka got up, the ends of her hair still curling upwards faintly, and came over to the tall one and the piano player, having heard snatches of their conversation. "What's a… demon?"
"A demon… it's a 'malevolent' being who is like a ghost, but not, if that makes sense. They come from hell."
Mashka was silent. She didn't know what any of that meant.
He showed her the definition of it.
Mashka looked curiously at it.
Arwood frowned at the question, eyeing Jarrod closely and wondering where this was heading. If this was one of Isletas tricks, was the question a hint? He tried to think back on what had transpired on October 10 in the past, nothing came to mind.
If Isleta wasn’t involved, was this Jarrods way of testing him to see if he was an enemy? Was there any correct answer?
“October 10, 1315. Why?”
"Oh good god." Jarrod said, immediately letting his guard down and starting to pace the room. "Give me a second to think."
After a good minute or so of pacing, Jarrod stopped and faced Hemlock. "Hemlock, where I come from, the year is 2020. Which means that any of us could be from any year. And from what I know of magic, that isn't possible unless we're in some sort of pocket dimension or something similar, but since that brings the multiverse into play that means we could all be from different universes which means literally everything could be different and the fact that we all speak the same language is amazing but that's a little too far when it comes to breaking the fourth wall. Wait what was I saying? I was rambling about multiverses. Oh yeah! That means that where you come from Hemlock, it could be completely different from where I'm from, which makes sense since you don't know how gods work or about the Two Sides."
Jarrod stopped, a little out of breath. "I hope you got all that because I'm not entirely sure I got it."
~~
"You see… I'm a demon. Don't panic, I have changed my ways."
"A demon?!" Felix swung around on the piano stool. "I don't think I've ever met an intelligent one. Do you have siblings that are of the more orthodox, "I love eating humans" kind? I'm not sure how all of that works because you guys are damn rare. The demons we deal with are about as smart as the local stray cats."
~~
"Oh, yeah, I know about stoves. Just never used them." she fidgeted with the bandages wrapped around her hand. "What's hot chocolate?" she asked forming the words slowly with her accent.
"Oh, my bad, I just assumed." Austin checked the pantry for cocoa and vanilla extract and was delighted to find some. "Perfect! Oh, hot chocolate is a warm drink. You'll see in a few minutes once I make it."
Austin got started on the recipe, working away. "Hot chocolate is the one recipe I bothered memorizing because I hate the premade stuff, but I'm always too lazy to turn on the light in the middle of the night to read the recipe."
Austin looked up and saw Willow fidgeting with the bandages on her hand. "Oh. What'd you do?"
"No… well… my friend ZoZo is that type of demon… but he doesn't eat humans. No demon does. It's ridiculous that you think that! And all demons are intelligent in my world. I mean, we've existed forever, ya know?" He said, chuckling
"No… well… my friend ZoZo is that type of demon… but he doesn't eat humans. No demon does. It's ridiculous that you think that! And all demons are intelligent in my world. I mean, we've existed forever, ya know?" He said, chuckling
"I'm not sure what world you're from buddy, because it feels like every other weekend I'm dealing with some monster whos face lifts up to reveal a fuck long tongue and spider fangs. Not fun. Unless you're into that I guess." Felix added.
"No… well… my friend ZoZo is that type of demon… but he doesn't eat humans. No demon does. It's ridiculous that you think that! And all demons are intelligent in my world. I mean, we've existed forever, ya know?" He said, chuckling
"I'm not sure what world you're from buddy, because it feels like every other weekend I'm dealing with some monster whos face lifts up to reveal a fuck long tongue and spider fangs. Not fun. Unless you're into that I guess." Felix added.
"I get that. But we only do that to scare off edgy teenagers and devil worshippers." He stated, laughing.
Mashka watched them curiously, her hair curling gently towards the pair of them.
"I live in some hick town, and I'm trying to build the tallest tower I can out of Jenga blocks when it gets knocked down because Austin comes running in shouting about how "23 people are dead!" and "its eating them and using them to build it's nest!". It was a real pain. Good target practice though. Last I checked, there wasn't any devil worshippers out in middle of nowhere Consequences. Maybe in Actions, but that's an Other Side city so."
"Yeah… I live in Paradox Vortex."
"I come from Mansion," Mashka said softly.
"Never heard of either." And with that, Felix went back to playing ragtime on the piano.
Mashka twirled and started dancing again, her knee-length hair flying out around her.
"Oh good god." Jarrod said, immediately letting his guard down and starting to pace the room. "Give me a second to think."
After a good minute or so of pacing, Jarrod stopped and faced Hemlock. "Hemlock, where I come from, the year is 2020. Which means that any of us could be from any year. And from what I know of magic, that isn't possible unless we're in some sort of pocket dimension or something similar, but since that brings the multiverse into play that means we could all be from different universes which means literally everything could be different and the fact that we all speak the same language is amazing but that's a little too far when it comes to breaking the fourth wall. Wait what was I saying? I was rambling about multiverses. Oh yeah! That means that where you come from Hemlock, it could be completely different from where I'm from, which makes sense since you don't know how gods work or about the Two Sides."
“Every word.” He stared at the far wall his eyebrows knitting together in deep thought. “I have had the same thoughts before.” He spoke slowly wondering what was safe to tell Jarrod and what wasn’t, “In fact, I have a friend who once lived on a place called earth but was called to Nyr for reasons we do not know or understand.” He ran a hand through his hair, falling back into the habit of talking out loud. “It is quite interesting we all understand the same language even though we are all came from different…multiverses? This means there must be some sort of magical source in which case…”
He turned slowly toward Jarrod, “In which case we were called here for a reason. 1, the house is in danger and like Mashkas mansion it can speak and think but needs our help. Or 2, there is a magical source that called us here and if that is so, what is to say others from our realms have not come too.” He splayed his hands indicating the spacious room, “the house is large and has many different rooms they could be anywhere in this house wondering about, some of which I am willing to bet are not all friendly.”
“Every word.” He stared at the far wall his eyebrows knitting together in deep thought. “I have had the same thoughts before.” He spoke slowly wondering what was safe to tell Jarrod and what wasn’t, “In fact, I have a friend who once lived on a place called earth but was called to Nyr for reasons we do not know or understand.” He ran a hand through his hair, falling back into the habit of talking out loud. “It is quite interesting we all understand the same language even though we are all came from different…multiverses? This means there must be some sort of magical source in which case…”
He turned slowly toward Jarrod, “In which case we were called here for a reason. 1, the house is in danger and like Mashkas mansion it can speak and think but needs our help. Or 2, there is a magical source that called us here and if that is so, what is to say others from our realms have not come too.” He splayed his hands indicating the spacious room, “the house is large and has many different rooms they could be anywhere in this house wondering about, some of which I am willing to bet are not all friendly.”
"You're probably right about the unfriendly rooms.. I'm a bit worried about the others." Jarrod checked his watch. "It'll be have been hour in twenty minutes or so. I'll talk with them then."
Arwood stared in interest at the strange object wrapped around Jarrod's arm, “Ye, I believe it would be wise to tell your companions your thoughts.” He opened the door and walked slowly into the silent corridor gazing closely into the dark shadows before turning his back and following the sound of the piano.
Throughout all his journeys and expeditions he had never met people like this, the strange objects and words they use. “You looked at that object on your arm just before you told the time,” Arwood pointed, “Is it some type of time-teller or something entirely different?”
Arwood stared in interest at the strange object wrapped around Jarrod's arm, “Ye, I believe it would be wise to tell your companions your thoughts.” He opened the door and walked slowly into the silent corridor gazing closely into the dark shadows before turning his back and following the sound of the piano.
Throughout all his journeys and expeditions he had never met people like this, the strange objects and words they use. “You looked at that object on your arm just before you told the time,” Arwood pointed, “Is it some type of time-teller or something entirely different?”
"Right, 1315. This is a watch, it tells me what time of day it is." Jarrod replied, following Hemlock.
"We'll meet again…" He said. He sang beautifully, and somehow it sounds like a song that came on the radio. You know what I'm talking about?
Mashka danced to it, a smile on her face, her skin glowing. Twigs burst to life beneath her feet.
"Don't know where, don't know when!"
"Right, 1315. This is a watch, it tells me what time of day it is." Jarrod replied, following Hemlock.
“Interesting, I use the sun and moon to tell time,” He smiled crookedly and entered a large ballroom, only to halt abruptly in its entrance. A very large man was standing near the piano singing a strange song, his eyes were a deep crimson. Arwood knew it was impossible for the man to be an Atui, (their kind had gone extinct years previous), but that didn’t stop his hand to rest reassuringly upon his sword pommel.
He walked inside slowly, his leather booths barely making whisper upon the hardwood floors, hoping to go unnoticed.
"Oh, my bad, I just assumed." Austin checked the pantry for cocoa and vanilla extract and was delighted to find some. "Perfect! Oh, hot chocolate is a warm drink. You'll see in a few minutes once I make it."
Austin got started on the recipe, working away. "Hot chocolate is the one recipe I bothered memorizing because I hate the premade stuff, but I'm always too lazy to turn on the light in the middle of the night to read the recipe."
Austin looked up and saw Willow fidgeting with the bandages on her hand. "Oh. What'd you do?"
"This? No, I'm not injured," she lied. "I only had one glove," that part was true. She was still mad about losing the other one. She balled up her fist to hide her fingers. "So you make this stuff a lot?"
“Interesting, I use the sun and moon to tell time,” He smiled crookedly and entered a large ballroom, only to halt abruptly in its entrance. A very large man was standing near the piano singing a strange song, his eyes were a deep crimson. Arwood knew it was impossible for the man to be an Atui, (their kind had gone extinct years previous), but that didn’t stop his hand to rest reassuringly upon his sword pommel.
He walked inside slowly, his leather booths barely making whisper upon the hardwood floors, hoping to go unnoticed.
Jarrod noticed Hemlock get quiet and followed suit, taking a look into the room. From his guess, the tall singing man was the one that had set him off. The one with crimson eyes. Jarrod then noticed that Felix was pretty much ignoring the man.
"It's alright Hemlock, he isn't hostile. At least right now. Otherwise, Felix would be at his throat." Jarrod said easing up.
~~
"This? No, I'm not injured," she lied. "I only had one glove," that part was true. She was still mad about losing the other one. She balled up her fist to hide her fingers. "So you make this stuff a lot?"
Austin gave Willow a stern look. "I know you're lying."
He sighed and gently grabbed her hand.
"My sister does the same thing whenever she gets hurt. She lies and says nothing happened because she doesn't want to worry me. It's alright. Let me take a look and make sure it's clean and all that." He said, starting to undo the bandage.
Willow jerked her hand back and kicked Austin in the shin. She stumbled backwards cradling her bandaged hand. "I'm fine." she snapped "I can manage myself."
"Oh I know we'll meet again, some sunny day!" He sang, hitting a high note perfectly
Mashka spun, twigs curling around her feet.