Beginnings [OPEN]

[jasonwright]

It's a shitty way to start your day--waking up stiff, cold, and wet from a morning drizzle. Jason blinks, groans, and rubs his eyes, trying to quickly adjust to the blinding sun. As soon as he's awake, Alfredo is on his lap, soaking wet but happy all the same. The dog licks some dirt off his face while Jason chuckles. "No, Alfredo. I'm not food." 

He sits up, stripping off his jacket and stuffing it into his backpack as he speaks to Alfredo. "Think we could spring for some coffee today? It'd be nice to have something hot." He reaches down to pat the dog's head as he wags his tail, a gesture Jason takes as a push toward coffee. He double checks his wallet and grins. "Coffee it is then."

The new town is easy enough to navigate and pretty soon, he's found what appears to be a coffee shop. Quill. Looks like any other small town coffee shop he's visited, but he's pleasantly surprised when he steps inside after tethering Alfredo to a bike rack outside. It looks like a nice place he can stow away during a rainy day. 

He orders coffee, black, and a muffin, going back outside to sit on the curb next to Alfredo. As he sips the coffee, humming happily, he holds out the muffin for the dog to nibble on. 

Comments

[jasonwright]

His jaw drops a little. $200 a day?? "You're serious? Um, I'm on the boat in the mornings. Then I'm helping Eli rebuild his community garden. But I have afternoons and weekends free."

[asharpertongue]

"Is that not enough? You're right - that's a bit low. How about two fifty? And yes - afternoons will work fine. better for most of my people because they tend to work nights."

[jasonwright]

Oh God, he's going to have a heart attack. "No! It's too much. I usually just get paid a meal. I just...can't even imagine that kimd of money."

[asharpertongue]

Lara frowned at him. "Well that's just ridiculous. It's hard work. You should get paid a decent wage. My people will be happy not to have to do the work themselves." She smiled. "Don't worry. It's much less than I would be paying for a true contractor. And it won't be easy work. Some of the damage is quite extensive."

[jasonwright]

He relaxes a little. He never charged much for his work, but she's right. It's difficult, exhausting, sweaty work and someone has to do it. "Okay. Deal. Just point me where to start."

[asharpertongue]

Lara smiles, pleased that he's not going to fight her over some stupid point of honour or something equally as daft. "Here." She writes her address on their receipt and hands it over. "That's my place. I have a couple of things that need doing." She grins. "Test your skills."

[jasonwright]

He's just not going to think about the money right now. He's going to focus on the work. Jason takes the address, tucking it safely into his pocket. "Alright. How's tomorrow evening?"

[asharpertongue]

"Perfect." She nods. A thought occurs to her and she cocks her head at him. "You're a witch, yes?"

[jasonwright]

Jason startles at her question. "What?"

[asharpertongue]

She smiles and looks around. Seeing no one close by she changes her hand, scales shimmering up to the surface and nails lengthening. "You're among friends." She pulls her hand back and winks. "Just have to make sure there aren't any...prejudices."

[jasonwright]

Well he's certainly never seen that magic trick from a witch. "You're not. So what are you? If I can ask." He rubs the back of his head. "I might be. I just can't do anything. Kinda why I'm in this situation in the first place. So no worries, I couldn't do anything even if I wanted. Only prejudice I hold is against people who aren't accepting."

[asharpertongue]

She smiles at him and huffs a laugh. "Well...the name of the place is Siren Cove, I can grow scales at will and I have a lovely singing voice."

[jasonwright]

"Straight out of a book. Don't know why I never thought sirens would exist."

[asharpertongue]

She laughed, genuinely pleased with his attitude. "As a witch, you should have known better. No vampires though. Or werewolves. Yet."

[jasonwright]

"Yet," he repeats with a slight grin. "Alright, so this town obviously has more like you and more like myself, correct?"

[asharpertongue]

She nods. "Yes. Some practicing, some not."

[jasonwright]

"Gotta say, all my travelling, this is the first time I've run across a town of magic," he grins.

[asharpertongue]

"We're a special case." She smiled. "Been this way for a couple of hundred years now. And it's mostly harmonious."

[jasonwright]

"Interesting." He raises an eyebrow. "Mostly harmonious? I take it this might have something to do with the...hydra Eli told me about?"

[asharpertongue]

"Amongst other things." She made a face. "It's an old town with old families and old feuds. None of which i'll scare off a newcomer with." She winks at him.

[jasonwright]

He grins back at her. "Nothing I haven't heard before traveling around. Just with more yelling and less magic."

[asharpertongue]

She chuckled. "Well that's very level head of you. I'll reserve judgement til you see something you can't explain."

[jasonwright]

"I won't pretend like I won't be surprised or taken off guard but you see a lot of unexplainable things moving around from place to place," he grins.

[asharpertongue]

She cocks her head. "Oh? Tell me something unexplained then. I like mysteries."

[jasonwright]

He rubs the back of his neck, feeling bad about speaking ill of anyone. But this is how their world is. "Like how does this world even function? You see a lot being a handyman. It's like being a fly on the wall. How the hell men who treat their families like crap run this world is the biggest mystery of all to me."