Knock On Wood (Leigo)

[Aehra]

Remaining quiet as his answers filled the room, Aehra listened carefully and catalogued his responses. She was surprised, more than she should have been, at the boy's (man's, she corrected herself) age. Reimancy, the boy had called it. She assumed that it was the word for magic using the elements, from what he'd told her, but that told her nothing of what other branches of magic might have been. Nevertheless, the ability to conjure a fire in the palm of her hand could still have been used to help others, the way her mother supposedly had; a few flames burning bright could do wonders on colder days when the Bonesnapper did naught but nip at unsuspecting ankles and necks. The man fell silent, and Aehra waited for him to continue. When it seemed that he had finished speaking, she made to reply, but he quite suddenly jumped back into the conversation with a question of his own. "S'not sudden. Wanted to get inta the University since-- since las' year, but now..." She twisted her lips. "If what y'say's true, then I don't see much point innit. Y'can't teach someone things like tha' with hypotheticals. You try tellin' a child how to throw a punch an' see how well he'll defend himself in a fight." She paused before continuing. "Y'know anyone in this city tha' could teach me? I don't have much money, but I've got a proper job now, so I could pay 'em. Unless--" Her face paled slightly at the thought that crossed her mind, and she had to refocus her breathing before she could continue. She searched Leigo's face warily for any fleck of a lie. "What your teacher's price was, it-- it weren't nothin'... I mean. He didn't make you." She took another breath. "What I mean is tha' the price was gold, weren't it? Not somethin'-- it was gold?"

[Leigo]

Blowing off long breaths, Leigo would only then realize just how obedient Onuo was lately. Were all these things too boring to intervene or was the boy actually doing a good job? Turning his attention back to the girl, he shot her a devious smile. Well aware what it was that she was searching in his face after trying her best to tiptoe around the obvious idea. “No worries – my master would’ve ever laid a hand on me. He wasn’t into boys anyway. All I had to do was strip and do a couple o’ things with his wife. Good man, but too into watching other people. A real creep, people could argue. I suppose he’d help someone like you without a second thought!” finishing prematurely, the boy couldn’t hold in the laughter. Exploding like a lunatic, he wouldn’t explain anything – simply hoping that she got the gist of it was enough. “The price is most always gold. Not quite a onetime deal. More like they will come back and ask you some unmentioned favors you clearly owe them all of a sudden.” Pausing, he gave her other words some thought “No, I don’t know anyone who would teach you magic of any kind” there were plenty that could, would was a whole other level of intricate possibilities. “Why are you so obsessed with magic? So your mother had it, big deal – my father was a great merchant and I barely know how to…” cutting himself before he could say too much, Leigo cursed his long tongue “Point is – you’re not her.” And she shouldn’t try to be. As hypocritical as that was coming from the blond, it was for the best.

[Aehra]

Aehra stared at the man in front of her as he let out a maniacal laugh. It was a cold, harsh sound, sending goosebumps up her arms. Her hands twitched, aching to reach out, although whether it was to comfort or harm was a mystery even to Aehra, and she wasn't about to take that chance. It felt as thought whatever tenuous thread of camaraderie they had found was suddenly snipped cleanly in half, and this even more than his crude suggestion was what ignited her anger. "Someone like me?" She snapped. "Think you have me pegged, d'you? Think that because I want somethin' as badly as I do, I'd have no problem spreadin' my petchin' legs for a filthy piece o' work like tha'?" You mean you wouldn't? It was her own voice that mumbled the traitorous words, and she shushed the line of thought angrily. It slithered back easily, whispering into her ear. You think you'd turn 'im down, if it was between tha' and learnin' magic? You think you're better than anyone else? Think you're better than him? Some of the anger drained from her body, and Aehra slumped back onto the floor, her hands lying limply on top of her cloak in her lap. "You never knew m'mother." Even to her own ears, the words didn't sound nearly as sharp as she'd intended them to be. She sighed, perhaps a bit dramatically. "Not that I knew her much better. But it's-- it's not about magic. Not exactly. It's just-- m'dad, he'd always talk about how giving m'mother was, yeah? And he would say 'kind' and 'magic' when he was talkin' about her, like they were somehow the same thing. So I grew up wantin' to be like her, to make m'dad happy, to make him smile. I want to be kind an' givin, like her, but I don't want to be her." She brushed her thumb across her pin again. "Can't do much to help people when all you've got is a fist an' a mean right hook. You can help people with magic, though." She looked up to meet Leigo's eyes, recalling the way he had (albeit rather grudgingly) defended her in their fight. "I've seen it with m'own eyes."

[Leigo]

She could have as many tantrums as she wanted to. Leigo wouldn’t flinch at them. He hardly took her seriously. Prone to emotional outbursts and strangely optimistic in regards to magic, Leigo didn’t want to teach her. She was much too naïve – she’d die quickly. Supposedly, he was like that at one point too, but times were different then. “I don’t know if you’d spread your legs in hopes of learning magic” a pause for him to take her measure “I’m simply saying it would be well worth it” another moment “Trust, I’ve been living with it for years now…” no explanations or apologies were ever offered when one conversed with Leigo, and she was a fool if she expected different. The boy was somewhat calm when it came to talking about her mother. All parents were sacred to him and he wouldn’t touch the memory of hers further. Her last comment left him in a dark place. Angry and unreserved when it came to the reply; boy didn’t care if someone below could hear. “You stupid child, do you seriously think that’s what magic is for? Light a few matches, lift up skirts, perhaps we should waste it in brawls too? Is that it?” giving himself some time to growl angrily, Leigo resumed “It isn’t a toy! It’s not something to be traded for kind words and a bed… It’s MAGIC!” another deep breath and he’d finish in a deep, irritated voice “It’s the single most intimate part of you…” children, he hated stupid children… But then there was that gruesome afterthought. What if he had hurt her more than he intended? Clearly one of his goals was to move her interests away from magic for the moment, but what if he really said too much? “I’m.. I didn’t mean to…” he wasn’t and he did, but she didn’t have to know that. Besides the half mutterings were a closest thing to an actual apology to part his lips for many days now.

[Aehra]

Aehra took his mumbled half-apology at face value. She took a deep, shuddering breath, silently congratulating herself for not flinching when his voice had steadily grown louder and louder until he was shouting. It had become more than perfectly clear that on that night, sitting in this room, Aehra wasn't going to learn any more about magic. At least, not without something to loosen his tongue. She made a mental note to save up enough money that she could buy some kelp beer for her next visit. Something about what he'd said, though... She simply couldn't make sense of it, let alone leave it be without further questioning. "Helpin' folks... why d'you think tha' it would be usin' magic like a toy to help people? I'm not-- don't get me wrong, Sparks--" She winced almost as soon as the nickname had slipped out, but the damage was done, and she continued on as though nothing had happened."--I get what you're sayin'. I do. Magic is serious business. You seemed ready enough to use it t'get your ring back." The last was tacked on as an afterthought, and although she hadn't meant it to sound like an accusation, she didn't want to take it back after it had slipped out. It was true enough: here he was, saying that magic was "intimate", whatever shyke that was, and yet he'd been tossin' fire around a dirty alleyway to help a girl he'd never seen before. He was a hypocrite or a liar, and neither one would have bother Aehra if she'd at least been in on it. Regardless, she wasn't going to push for more when she knew she wouldn't get it. She glanced around the dim room, finally noticing something sitting on the bed. It-- she wasn't sure how to describe it, exactly, but it certainly looked familiar. She sat silently for a moment, searching for a memory with the thing in it, eventually settling on the sight of it protruding from a man's chest, bloody and terrifying. Now, though, it sat on the scratchy inn's blanket rather peacefully. She tightened her lips, but said nothing, for fear of setting the man off again.

[Leigo]

Laughing half content half insulted, Leigo thought about casting her out if only for a moment. No need – she would probably leave soon on her own either way. Taking a moment to calm his edgy nerves, he would look at the girl as if she was something terribly amusing. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that…” pausing to find some none insulting words, he would be strangely agile in his search “Throwing that fire was wasteful, shameful even. It was the wrong way to use magic – but I was angry and did not see clearly. Anger is intimate and magic is the same, but when the two come together… well you’ve seen the results.” Not sure if he had explained anything whatsoever, boy would add in a casual tone. “That ring was worth more to me than all their lives put together, still is. Had I any other way of dealing with the situation, I would’ve done just that.” Enough, there was no reason to explain explanations. This wasn’t a trial, it was a conversation he had agreed upon – so far – and it was in his room, on his terms.

[Aehra]

Aehra huffed out a breath. This conversation was going nowhere fast, although she was quickly realizing that she had unintentionally twisted it around into some sort of passive-aggressive interrogation. Despite his hostility, he was her only hope, and coming here, she'd thought that she wasn't going to leave unless he physically grabbed her arms and threw her out of his room (and shut the door fast enough that she couldn't dart back in). Now, though, it seemed that earning his favor was going to be the only way to get detailed information out of him without wheedling and prying. Her plan to bring alcohol, however, was still looking quite nice on the back shelf of her mind. She'd have to bring it out for examination later, maybe test it out. For now, she needed to work on getting on his good side. Provided, of course, that he had a side better than this strange I-don't-completely-dislike-you gray area that she found herself in. The fact that he admitted his mistakes was encouraging, and she clung to that: he wasn't entirely prideful after all. "You never did lettim look at your ribs. Saw them kick you while you were on the ground. Have you had it looked at? Even a bit?" Somehow, she was finding herself doubting Leigo's ability (or desire) to get himself looked after. You're not his mother, she chastised herself. The man's got nearly a decade over you. Lookin' after others is well an' good when you've got the means an' the time, but you ent got even a few chimes to spare worryin' about people who won't take your help. Not helpin' him, she snapped back, jus' lookin' after an investment. That's all.

[Leigo]

The girl had gotten strangely skittish as of late. Was it something he said? Was there some unspoken social contract he failed to uphold? No – that wasn’t it, she was probably scared of him again… that would be good. She should’ve been a lot more scared as it would allow Leigo to steer the conversation as he wished with lesser effort. “I’m fine.” Not really, but “There wasn’t anything Trips could’ve done to help, so there was no point in telling him anything more. I probably wouldn’t have shown him the burned hand either, but your long tongue was there, so I did. I’m yet to be sure if that’s a good thing…” there was something strange about the wound, it was healing too slowly and smelled a bit funky. Perhaps Trips had done a bad job? Surely he could find another healer to check this for him… if he so wished of course. “And why do you think he would ever teach you magic?” Onuo wasn’t the most subtle creature in the world when he wanted something out the door (or in this case someone), but seeing as Leigo wouldn’t advocate for it silently, the familiar started speaking on its own. The Irylid had had enough of this charade. “What makes you think he’s the only one who decides?” a final question and then both the boy and the creature felt silent again. Unlike before though, Onuo was now released and a bigger, spheroid shape was flying just inches above Leigo’s shoulder. The boy could’ve said something, but he saw it fit to keep quiet for the moment.

[Aehra]

If asked later, Aehra would likely recount that she froze up, began to hyperventilate, and blacked out for a few chimes. What really happened (although she'd never admit it to anyone), was this: She screamed. Loud, high, clear, and (fortunately for everyone involved) quickly cut off by a lack of air. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard the innkeeper begin to come in their direction, and she took this as an opportunity to scramble to the still open door way and call out a hushed "Sorry-- fell ov-- over m'own-- feet" between gasps for air. She shut the door as quickly as she could and turned back to the two-- to the man-- to the whatever that was, and pressed her back to the wooden slab. Her cloak and pin had flown out of her lap in her attempt to get away, and they lay in a small heap midway between Aehra and the other two. While trying to control her breathing, Aehra eyed the thing hovering above Leigo's shoulders. When she thought she'd calmed down enough, she spoke. "Wha-- What is-- What--" So, apparently, she'd judged her own panic poorly. Aehra took in a heavy gulp of air and closed her eyes tightly, focusing on the darkness to try and calm herself. After a moment, when she (again) judged herself calm, she opened her eyes and and mouth. "What d'you mean?" Despite her panic, the strange, alien quality to the thing's voice (if it could even be called that) had made it nearly impossible not to listen to what it had said. "You mean there's some sorta council or what tha' decides if he can teach?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Aehra realized what the creature (sure, if it talked, she couldn't properly call it a 'thing') had meant. If she'd had any room for embarassment, she might have felt it. As it was, she continued to eye the duo warily. "Right. Y'meant tha' he's meant to consult you, then? You're like a matched set?"

[Leigo]

Leigo didn’t waste a second, as soon as the girl screamed; he threw a blanket over Onuo who lowered his hovering closer to the sheets and for an instant everything in the room froze. Situation resembled Onuo’s body greatly, cold and reflecting of that one terrible thing. Wondering if Aehra would stop screaming soon, the boy got his wish rather fast. Either the girl had really small lungs or she was braver than he would give her credit for. Lungs were probably a better explanation judging by shock accumulated on her face. He would listen to her mumbling for a while before raising his hands and clapping. “Congratulations” he said “although poor Greta down there will still think I’m trying to molest you or something along those lines.” And then there was that one time where he jokingly promised her to burn down the inn should any of his stuff go missing – good times. Leigo wasn’t sure she ever got the joke though. “Who is that would be a more appropriate question. He’s my brother, you see.” Starting, he figured there weren’t any particularly decisive lies on the tip of the tongue “If you two would like to get better acquainted you’ll have to get another room – this one’s mine.” Smiling at his own remark, Leigo would look at the girl again. “You’re smarter than I’d give you credit for, girl” more of a thought than anything, it was Leigo’s attempt at a compliment after being cheered up a bit. “You never did answer Onuo’s question, Aehra. There are a thousand ways to help people, why do you think magic would even be one of them? And why do you think I trust you enough to share that knowledge… do you think you deserve it?” trailing off, the boy was certain Onuo wanted to say something much like that. The added on silence of the familiar’s voice only confirmed the attitude.