melodiesoflife | Anytime throughout the month of December!

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Anytime throughout the month of December!

[A - Aqures Ixen
Johnny spends a lot of time out in Aqures Ixen playing music to trying to get tips by busking, and Christmas season is the best season for this. It can be tough to play a guitar when your hands are cold, but it's worth it as folks are feeling more generous this time of year. Normally he tries to play more local songs since they get him better attention and tips, but every once in awhile he can't help but stick in something from home. And what a better time to play an Earth Christmas song while getting to do his best Lemmy impersonation?

Maybe this one won't get him as much money, but he sure looks like he's having fun trying to rock out as hard as one can on an acoustic guitar.]

[B - Christmas Markets
Johnny's never been a good at gifts, or so he feels anyway. Right now he's wandering around various shops and stalls looking very put out. He could probably use some help. Dare you?]

[C - Trano Goldsaucia
While he signed up to be a bodyguard against the Calamity creatures, Johnny didn't realize how tough the monsters here were. Taking on a Calamity Ochu by himself was probably a bad idea, even with two maxed out Jobs. Right now he's losing due to the Poison it's inflicted on him more than anything. If you're out in the cold trying to get earn some monster-hunting money, maybe you can step in.]

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Hey! Hey you.

[Two seconds ago, Johnny was peacefully shopping. Now that those days are over, there's suddenly seven feet of Wendigo calling out at him, clawed finger extended and pointing straight at him.]

You're a demon, aren't you?

[He means no ill will, but his social skills are lacking and maybe he should have done this discreetly. Whoops, too late.]

[Johnny is obviously not happy about any of this. Especially the public spectacle being made out of this in the middle of the market. He glowers at Dylas.]

Half demon. What's it to you?

[Dylas lower his hand. They're attracting a few stares, and Dylas clicks his tongue, a soft 'tch' sound.

And then nothing.]

I haven't gotten that far yet.

[Johnny's confused, giving Dylas a suspicious look. Is this guy for real?]

What? Well, you got that fact confirmed, so good for you, I guess. Whatever that gets you.

[He's going to go back to looking at the stalls. Gift shopping is hard enough without the distraction.]

[Don't strain that neck while giving him a suspicious look, Johnny. Dylas looks surprisingly calm for someone who'd just been yelling a few seconds ago.]

So...did they fix you, too? I don't need to eat flesh anymore, so...you don't have to eat souls anymore.

[Johnny stops and turns to Dylas, after stopping to think on this for a moment. Did he her that right?]

Huh? Who said I ever had to eat souls? I said I was half demon, didn't I?

[But Johnny had been fixed of one of his demon problems, in a way. He never liked his Charm powers. The Initiative in Exsilium fixed the power so it wouldn't go off on its own; Crystallis just sealed it away. He was relieved by that. But they also sealed away his strength behind his Limit Break. Remembering this makes him back off.]

They... they flipped the switch on my demon powers, I guess ya can say. But I'm not regular demon, so don't go thinkin' I am, okay?

Isn't that what all demons eat?

[He's starting to doubt Johnny comes from the peninsula, at any rate. He hadn't had high hopes that he had. Strangely enough, Dylas feels more relieved to know Johnny isn't from Ryslig, and he visibly relaxes when Johnny starts to chew him out.]

No. Never mind. You're not one of the demons or half-demons from where I've been. That's...that's all I wanted to find out.

The one I knew liked baked goods 'n cocktails.

[Not that Lukas was an exemplary demon by any means, though.]

No, I'm probably not. The universe is big 'n weird. Where I come from, they collect souls, but don't eat 'em, far as I know. Not that I know much about it. Don't go thinking that cuz I'm a demon that I can answer any questions about 'em. I was raised by humans.

[It wasn't even until he got to Crystallis that he learned who his father actually was.]

I...see. When you said you were 'half-demon', I thought maybe you weren't finished transforming yet.

[Wow, this is awkward, isn't it? Dylas rubs the back of his neck, choosing not to make eye contact. So, this demon isn't a 'monster,' he seems to just be a normal demon...something...whatever.]

The only monsters from where I've been used to be human. And when humans finish becoming demons, they start to eat souls.

I don't transform. I've always had the pleasure of lookin' like this.

[Johnny cast a glance to the people working the stalls and walking past. He still gets a lot of strange looks from people, but nothing like he used to get back home.]

I think I get a pass here cuz 'a being a Hero. Otherwise, I dunno.

[They look at Dylas funny sometimes, too, but he also killed a few natives way back when. He can't tell why they stare sometimes.]

Yeah. Obviously. I don't know why I compared you to the other demons, I'm...sorry, I guess. I don't know what I'm doing.

[Johnny looks over at Dylas for a moment, his expression softening a bit.]

It's... whatever. I'm sure you get a lotta shit around here too, so I'm probably just preachin' to the choir.

I mostly come out at night. I usually don't have to bother with the stares.

[He's coming across like a real charmer, isn't he? A creepy wendigo who only comes out when he'd look his scariest.]

That's why I've never seen you before.

At night. Wish I was that smart. [He's just too stubborn.]

I don't even know if this world has actually got demons. Like actual ones, not just stories. They definitely don't have ones like me, anyway.

[He's not going to say "I'm nocturnal" because why not let Johnny think that he's smart?]

The world I came from didn't have demons, either, except for legends. It was the world I went to after that was fucking with demons and every other kind of creature.

[It takes Johnny a moment, but he furrows his brow in thought while looking at Dylas.]

Wait, you said where you came from didn't have 'em? I thought you were one, considerin', uh, everything.

Have you ever heard of a Wendigo?

[Please tell him that Johnny's seen Wendigo or one of those other horrible movies about shapeshifting deer cannibals. Dylas just looks sort of tired at having to identify himself as one, but at least it would explain his fangs. They don't fit in his mouth, he has an overbite.]

[As a connoisseur of horror movies, Johnny has definitely heard of a wendigo. But since he heard of it through movies, he's probably doesn't know the correct history on them.]

Oh? Yeah, I have. That's what you are then? Guess that explains some things. [Fangs, horns... sounds like what he knows, anyway.]

Is it, I dunno, rude or somethin' to ask a guy how he got to be a wendigo when he didn't start out as one? Is it like some sorta vampire thing?

[So he has. Dylas' ears droop at hearing that. He knows what rumors of wendigo come with. There's a reason behind his fangs, a certain diet he doesn't really want to talk about. He rubs his neck, choosing not to make eye contact.]

Nope. A goddess sucked me out of my world and attempted to turn all of her kidnapping victims into monsters for her war. Looks like it's permanent.

[Luckily for Dylas, Johnny knows better than to trust the movies for being truthful to legends. Hearing that a deity is responsible for Dylas's problems, Johnny can deeply relate.]

Fuckin' gods. Guess they like to fuck with people no matter where ya go. Have ya looked into finding a way to reverse it?

[It probably means dealing with other gods though, which isn't fun.]

[That's a fun conversation they can avoid having, then. Dylas is grateful, even if he's going to wonder if anyone who recognizes the term knows what he's been capable of or not.

As he's asked a question, his ears droop. He rubs his neck, then he slowly shakes his head. His arms are just a few inches too long, but at least he looks more normal wearing clothes.]

It's a pain in the ass to talk about. I don't think it's the right thing to do. I'll just leave it at that.

[He's hurt people in this body. Innocent people have died for him, family trees altered. Why should he get to reverse it? He'll carry his sins, thanks.]

[That's a surprise. But Johnny shrugs.]

If you say so, man. I know if I ever had a chance to somehow become fully human, I'd take it in a heartbeat. But since I was born like this, that ain't really an option.

[But Pinocchio here will continue to hope that someday he can become a real boy.]

Fully human, huh. I haven't been fully human for more years than I can count. Time kind of flew for a while there.

[It's hard to tell time when you're a horse monster.]

...I hurt people in this body, and they can't go back to being anything. It's...it's nothing you have to concern yourself with, alright?

[But changing back feels almost like admitting he didn't do anything wrong. He's convinced he deserves this.]

[Oh. He gets it now, but he still doesn't agree with it.]

I guess not. But someone else forced it on you, right? So I think ya got a right to goin' back to normal too. But hey, it ain't my choice.

You're right. It isn't your choice.

[And there's a stern 'mind your own business' tone to his words there. He doesn't like what Johnny's selling, like he's being corrected for his own morals (even though he's just denying himself a happy ending).]

You don't really seem like a demon or half-demon to me. You sound pretty...nice.

Anytime throughout the month of December!

B.

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cw: this just got weird

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