Realistic or Modern Summoning Trouble [Closed]

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(Our Keurig has passed away. T_T)

Esme wasn't sure what to label his skills regarding potions and balms, it's not like he studied chemistry. It sounded more like 'alternative medicine' or something. The kind of stuff that crazy people who refused to go to the doctor used. However, she kept that comment to herself, seeing as they constantly seemed to have communication issues where he took things very seriously, from people who had no idea of the world he was from.

"Do I dare to even ask how old you actually are? Or is that a social 'no-no' like it can be over here? I don't even know if I want to know your age, to you I am probably a toddler or something," she sighed. "As for what I am studying, my major is Journalism with a minor in Anthropology. Probably sounds weird, but basically I want to try and get a job at a place like National Geographic. Get paid to travel the world. Liz - if you by chance want to know so maybe you can have a conversation - is a business major. Honestly, it's not something she has an interest in, but her parents are pushing her towards that in hopes she'll take over the family business. By the way, 'crafting scents' here would probably fall under perfume, but people who create perfume are basically chemists. And if all else fails regarding getting you a job, you could always be a busker."

 

[Tarmagon]

"No, it is not a taboo on my world," Kyle replied. "After a certain point it does become rather meaningless. Let me think for a moment."

Kyle and Esme walked along in silence for a minute while Kyle did some mental math. Eventually he came up with a number, but he wasn't certain Esme was going to believe him.

"I was born in the year you would reckon two thousand B.C.," he said finally. "Assuming that everything switched over at your A.D., that would make me four of your millenia old. Journalism, that is your communications, yes?"

Kyle continued to speak, completely oblivious to the look Esme was bestowing upon him.

"I do not know a lot about business per se," he said. "I generally let one of our people, usually the supply quartermaster, take care of selling the products I make. If she is willing to speak with me, it would be good to learn how things are handled on this world. As to my music, I misdoubt that music from my world would translate well here. Well, at least if what assaulted my ears last night is now the standard."

Kyle's stomach chose that moment to let out a loud grumble, and his cheeks colored slightly.

"My metabolism runs quite a bit higher when I have to perform, alternate exertions," he said apologetically. "The energy has to come from somewhere, and unless I have a lot of time to prepare, it generally comes from me. Is your choice of eatery close by?"

Fable
(I pray to Caffeina that you find another altar to the Blessed Bean. And I wanted to give Esme a chance to react to his age.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(Had to get a new one. Somehow water managed to get into where the circuit board was. >_>; -sigh- And because I didn't want to wait 3 days, I overpaid to get one the day it broke. T_T)

"I was born in the year you would reckon two thousand B.C., assuming that everything switched over at your A.D., that would make me four of your millennia old. Journalism, that is your communications, yes?"

Esme staggered for a moment - well not really staggered, more like misstep - when she heard Kyle say his age. Four thousand years old? She really was a toddler in comparison to his age. She'd probably barely live to be three-quarters of a century. But, his age really did explain his mastery of many subjects.

"I do not know a lot about business per se. I generally let one of our people, usually the supply quartermaster, take care of selling the products I make. If she is willing to speak with me, it would be good to learn how things are handled on this world. As to my music, I misdoubt that music from my world would translate well here. Well, at least if what assaulted my ears last night is now the standard."

"Y-Yeah, it's a type of communications, but communications these days covers a wide-variety of degrees. As far as business goes, your guess is as good as mine. I know basic things from working in retail when I was in high school, inventory, stocking, cashier work and such. As far as the difference in what is and isn't music, you'd probably still find an audience. I mean, Hick Hop is a thing and I don't understand the appeal myself. Somehow it got traction and became an actual music genre. Let's just leave it at as far as creative content, anything seems to go. I heard about an artist that - actually, you know what I am not even going to tell you the crazy things people have done under the label of 'art.'"

She heard Kyle's stomach rumble loudly and quirked a brow at him with slight amusement. At least she knew why he was able to consume vast quantities of food. "It's not that much farther. Unless you are so hungry you want to rush. I do have to ask you though, are you up for a bit of a food competition? The place were are going to has a challenge. I think you might be able to shock a few people and get yourself a free meal if it works out."

 

[Tarmagon]

"It's not that much farther. Unless you are so hungry you want to rush. I do have to ask you though, are you up for a bit of a food competition? The place were are going to has a challenge. I think you might be able to shock a few people and get yourself a free meal if it works out."

"As long as we do not tarry," Kyle replied, "I should be fine."

As if in protest his stomach rumbled again, though less violently.

"Well, not fine," he amended. "But I will have enough self control not to eat like a ravener. I'm afraid that the amount I need to consume might raise eyebrows though."

Pausing to think back over Esme's words, Kyle found himself a bit confused.

"How can eating be a challenge?" he asked. "Has the chef found some vile concoction that makes a dish completely unpalatable? Despite the promise of a possible free meal, there are some things that would make the eventual prize undesireable. Could you perhaps tell me more about this supposed challenge?"

Fable
(Sorry it's short, but Kyle has questions. Hungry demon is, intrigued and nervous.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(Nah, it's fine if it's short for conversational bursts like this.)

Esme smirked at Kyle's reaction to his stomach that growled once again to state its need for sustenance. Hopefully he wouldn't always need to eat so much food since it currently was not in her budget to feed a demon with a bottomless pit for a stomach.

"How can eating be a challenge? Has the chef found some vile concoction that makes a dish completely unpalatable? Despite the promise of a possible free meal, there are some things that would make the eventual prize undesireable. Could you perhaps tell me more about this supposed challenge?"

"Well, it's not that they try to make the food taste bad and see if you can tolerate eating it without puking. They just make the food very spicy using one of the hottest peppers than has been cultivated. The hottest pepper on record some people believe could possibly cause death. The pepper this place uses isn't that one though, as killing customers would obviously not be the best business move. They use ghost peppers, so the wings are very spicy, but not likely to cause you any harm, rather just severe burning discomfort in your mouth. If you manage to eat the Ghost Wings in a certain period of time, you don't have to pay for your meal. I don't think anyone has beat the challenge yet either. Oh, we're almost there."

Esme pointed at the wing restaurant in the distance called 'Willie's Wild Wings' . It was a decent since red brick building with some seating outside for the times they were busy. The large glass windows had various deals from their menu written with colorful liquid chalk.

"If you don't want to try the challenge, that's fine. I figured if you like spicy things, eating insanely spicy hot wings wouldn't faze you."

 

[Tarmagon]

"Ah?" Kyle said, a look of anticipation growing on his face. "Spicy. Hmm. Oh, ghost peppers. Okay. Heat. Scoville units? Hmm. I rather thought those jalapeno slices on the nachos were tasty, if a trifle weak. I assume that these ghost wings will be substantially more spicy? Um, higher up the scoville scale?"

At Esme's nod, Kyle grinned widely.

"Excellent!" he said. "I didn't think I would find anything like villiax on this world, but this is starting to sound most promising."

Kyle paused, taking in Esme's expression and chuckled.

"Don't worry," he said, still grinning. "It's not something I require to survive or anything like that. It's just that I do occasionally like my food to have substantial...kick? It seems that my body craves it, afterwards. It seems to help me recover my strength, and blunts my need for more food. I have a theory that there is a clinthyr, you would say vitamin or mineral that my body depletes when I use my power, and as such, I crave food high in this substance after a Working. It sounds as though this establishment will meet my needs most handily."

Kyle's steps took on a certain eagerness as they approached the building, and he opened the door for Esme with a slight bow.

"After you m'lady."

Fable
(Excited demon is looking forward to this! One million scoville units will only affect him like 400K units affect a regular person, so he'll break a mild sweat, but will absolutely love them.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(Guests have left~ Also mild take over for Kyle to get his fewd.)

"Don't worry. It's not something I require to survive or anything like that. It's just that I do occasionally like my food to have substantial...kick? It seems that my body craves it, afterwards. It seems to help me recover my strength, and blunts my need for more food. I have a theory that there is a clinthyr, you would say vitamin or mineral that my body depletes when I use my power, and as such, I crave food high in this substance after a Working. It sounds as though this establishment will meet my needs most handily."

Esme's brows furrowed as Kyle spoke in what she thought was rather excited considering how his demeanor usually was. Who knew that he'd have a thing for spicy foods. She personally wouldn't dare eat something that spicy.

"So, spice recharges your magical battery then? Well, you could always just buy the peppers themselves if you really wanted since I'd rather you didn't eat all my pepper. Not like it's expensive, I just wouldn't want to have to keep buying it."

She stepped past the threshold and into the restaurant. Inside it was decorated with various vintage items; old license plates, advertisements, and other paraphernalia. A hostess greeted them with a smile, asked how many, then once she got an answer led Esme and Kyle to a small booth. Within a minute the waitress - Jennifer - for the section they were in approached; order pad in hand and pen ready to jot down their order.

Esme ordered herself just a glass of water and some honey barbecue wings. Kyle ordered his own drink as well as the 'Ghost Wings.' At his request, the waitress asked him if he was really sure if wanted to order it as most people can barely finish the first bite. Kyle reassured the waitress and she explained the rules of the Ghost Wings Challenge. He had thirty minutes to finish the entire meal. Ordering milk meant he was giving up since it'd be the only thing that could sooth the capsaicin burn. However, he could drink water. If he stopped eating for longer than five minutes, he would be considered forfeiting the challenge as well. He had to eat all ten wings. Once she had finished with the rules, she informed them that she was going to put in their order and would return with their drinks.

A short wait later, Jennifer returned with their order. She set down their food and Esme's nose wrinkled at the scent of the Ghost Pepper wings. She could even smell the spice. Jennifer wished Kyle luck and then took a cow bell out of her small apron and rang it loudly, announcing to everyone that Kyle was attempting the challenge. This caused most to pause and look in their direction, some cheered and wished Kyle good luck, some laughed, some - who had probably tried the challenge themselves - shuddered.

 

[Tarmagon]

The interior of the restaurant was oddly decorated, but Kyle barely noticed, since the place smelled wonderful. He and Esme were directed to a booth, where a young woman named Jennifer took their order. Jennifer looked at him askance as he requested the 'Ghost Wings', looking worried as she explained the heat of the dish made most people unable to eat it. Despite Kyle's reassurance that he did indeed know what he was requesting, Jennifer seemed reluctant to place the order, but she dutifully explained the 'rules of the challenge' then left to place their order. Esme didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, so they sat in companionable silence, sipping their drinks as they waited for their food.

Jennifer returned a while later, bearing a plate for each of them. Kyle could see Esme's nose wrinkle as the smell of his wings hit her, but his mouth had started to water. They smelled delicious, and he wanted nothing more than to dig in, but Jennifer seemed to want to make a production of his receiving his order, ringing a rather loud bell and announcing Kyle's intentions to 'take up the ghost wing challenge'. Several of the diners gave him good wishes, while some seemed distressed at his prospects, at least if their shudders were any indications. Once all the ceremony seemed satisfied, Jennifer made a show of starting a small timepiece, a stopwatch, and telling him his time had begun.

Picking up one of the wings, Kyle passed it under his nose, savoring the smell of the potent spices.

"That ain't gonna help!" a voice called from another table.

"Why ever would it not?" Kyle asked as he popped the morsel into his mouth, extracting the meat from the bone in one bite. The combination of spices and peppers hit his palate and he sighed in bliss. The exquisite burn of the peppers satisfied a need that the anemic spices in other foods just couldn't meet. Setting aside the bare bones, Kyle helped himself to another wing, oblivious to the disbelieving stares of the other diners and Esme's strange combination of amused and disbelieving. Far, far too soon the plate of wings was reduced to a pile of stripped bones, and Kyle found himself licking his fingers as he had not in years, trying to get every bit of the delicious sauce off of them. Picking up his napkin, Kyle swiped the light sheen of sweat from his brow and finally looked up. He was surrounded by a ring of silent people, many of them with their mouths agape.

"Umm. Yes?" he asked, looking around. Their waitress, Jennifer started and clicked her stopwatch, then looked at the face of it. She stared at the watch for a moment, then showed it to a large man in a white shirt, who stared at it, then transferred his gaze to Kyle.

"Five minutes," the man said. "You ate an order of ghost wings in five minutes. Are your tastebuds dead or something? Did you eat one of those miracle berry things before coming in here?"

"Miracle berry?" Kyle asked, confused. "I have not heard of such a thing, and why would I wish to eat one? And no, my tastebuds are not dead. Those wings were absolutely delicious, though I could have done with some more of them."

The man rocked back on his heels, his face both pleased and shocked.

"More?" he asked. "You want more?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Kyle said. "I am given to understand that these were at no charge due to me meeting the challenge, but I would be happy to pay for a couple more orders, especially if they are as good as these were."

"Two more..." the man's voice trailed off, then he shook himself. "No, no trouble. And they're on the house. Hell, your friends is on the house too as long as you let us put your picture up on the wall over there."

The man pointed to a board hung on the wall, divided down the middle and labelled 'Wall of Fame/Shame'. There were many pictures on the 'shame' side, and none on the 'fame' side.

"I would be honored," Kyle said, excited at the prospect of more wings. As the crowd dispersed, some shaking their heads and muttering to themselves, Kyle turned his attention to Esme.

"Thank you," he said. "These are exactly what I needed..."

He broke off, trying to make sense of Esme's expression.

Fable
(Spice loving demon is in HEAVEN!)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(Kyle probably now as a favorite establishment to eat at, hahaha.)

"That ain't gonna help!" a voice called from another table.

Esme nearly choked on her drink as she laughed. It wasn't surprising that Kyle's ambition to do the challenge would get people making jokes, after all, not a single person yet had managed to actually finish the ghost wings. They all probably thought he was going to be yet another person who was too cocky for his own good, and wanted to watch him 'burn.' When she watched him put the first wing in his mouth, she held her breath for a moment. This was a completely different spice level than that of household black pepper. However, he seemed to really enjoy the heat. Within five minutes he had devoured all the wings. Jennifer was stunned and Kyle had to snap her back to reality, causing her to stop the timer.

The entire restaurant was silent. Everyone had stopped eating. Esme hadn't even started eating her own order yet. She laughed and shook her head as Kyle requested more, causing murmurs of disbelief. She took a bite of her own very non-spicy wings. He'd impressed the man in the white shirt - who she believed was the owner - so much that he even had her order included as part of the free meal. He also was very pleased to see Kyle enjoyed the wings. The man - Jeff he introduced himself - laughed heartily and said he'd be back with a camera and the next order of Ghost Wings. Jennifer asked if they needed anything else to let her know as she went over to another table full of college guys. Esme really hoped they weren't going to try the challenge after watching Kyle.

"Thank you," Kyle said. "These are exactly what I needed..."

"I honestly thought you would only be able to handle a single order," she laughed, "Not order more, but hey, I get a free meal now too. I still wouldn't eat an inhuman amount though, they might think you're some professional food competition-type person. So after you finish those next two orders, we should leave. If you're still hungry, there are other places I can think of that serve spicy food you'd probably like. Nothing as hot as that though probably."

She took a few more bites of her own food, licking some of the sweet sauce off of her own fingers considering eating wings was a fairly messy affair. Jennifer returned with the two additional orders Kyle had asked for and Jeff was right behind her with a Polaroid camera. Esme quickly explained Kyle needed to look at the camera and offer a smile. She was tempted to joke it would steal his soul, but she didn't want to accidentally trigger another sensitive subject that might be in connection, or even a possibility where he was from.

"Figured I'd get your picture with the wings since you're eating more, doubt anyone has as strong of a stomach as you do. Say ghost wings," Jeff said, waiting for Kyle to smile at the camera. Once Kyle obliged and Jeff snapped the picture. He shook Kyle's hand enthusiastically then left them to finish their meal. The picture was pinned to the board under 'Fame.'

"You'll probably be the only person under the Fame section for a while," she commented.

 

[Tarmagon]

Kyle smiled into the camera as it flashed, then spat out a small square of paper. The man, Jeff, waved the paper about for a moment, and Kyle was surprised to see his own image slowly appear on the paper. Photograph his new knowledge informed him. Similar to a mystically captured image, but based in chemistry. Fascinating. He watched Jeff attach the photo to the 'fame' side of the board, then returned his attention to his wings.

"You'll probably be the only person under the Fame section for a while," Esme said between bites of her own food.

"I'm not so sure," Kyle replied. "Though I will admit that if most people find jalapenos to be spicy, these 'ghost wings' would be nearly inedible. That is a shame, because whomever came up with this recipe has managed to blend the spices into a truly delicious medley. Before I return home, I simply must find out if he, or she, is willing to share the fruits of their labor. I know many people who would greatly enjoy these."

Returning his attention to the wings, Kyle took his time, savoring the complex blending of flavor and heat. Somehow, his slow consumption seemed to impress the people casting surreptitious glances his way more than his initial onslaught had. He could only wonder.

"So," he said to Esme some time later, when the rest of the wings had been reduced to bare bones. "Do we have more errands to run? And I shall not need to visit another eatery. These wings have quite satisfied the cravings my body had. From here on out my appetite should return to normal, though I make no promises if I must undertake yet another major Working."

Pausing to think about the challenges still ahead of him, Kyle felt a momentary tension tighten his shoulders, but he forced himself to relax. Address the things he could in the moment, and the future would be what it would be. Perhaps he should see to his own relaxation. Ever since arriving on this world, he had been dancing to the tune it played. Esme's comment about music rose in his mind, and he came to a decision.

"If you perhaps know of a store, or another pawn shop that specializes in instruments that are not too expensive, I could acquire a guitar," he said, allowing just a hint of longing into his voice. "I have found that music calms me, and if I am to endure an evening of LIz's displeasure, I think that calm would be advantageous to us both, yes?"

Fable
(Oh, he'll eat anything spicy. This might be his favorite though.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(Gonna try and post. If it's lacking I apologize. X3)

"I'm not so sure," Kyle replied. "Though I will admit that if most people find jalapenos to be spicy, these 'ghost wings' would be nearly inedible. That is a shame, because whomever came up with this recipe has managed to blend the spices into a truly delicious medley. Before I return home, I simply must find out if he, or she, is willing to share the fruits of their labor. I know many people who would greatly enjoy these."

"I don't know if they would share that recipe with you. Most places keep that sort of thing as secret as possible to lure in customers, since they'd be the only place to obtain the food they want. You could always ask though, or you could just try and figure it out yourself if you have some cooking skills. Maybe you could make your own sauce."

"So," Kyle said to Esme some time later, when the rest of the wings had been reduced to bare bones. "Do we have more errands to run? And I shall not need to visit another eatery. These wings have quite satisfied the cravings my body had. From here on out my appetite should return to normal, though I make no promises if I must undertake yet another major Working. If you perhaps know of a store, or another pawn shop that specializes in instruments that are not too expensive, I could acquire a guitar," he said, allowing just a hint of longing into his voice. "I have found that music calms me, and if I am to endure an evening of LIz's displeasure, I think that calm would be advantageous to us both, yes?"

"I don't really have anything else to do myself. Thankfully before you arrived I managed to complete any classwork I needed to get done, otherwise I probably would have been screwed. I usually try to take care of that as quickly as I can. Now, as far as a pawn shop with instruments, we obviously can't go back to the place where we sold the earrings. I doubt that guy wants to see either of us ever again. Uhm," she paused to wipe her hands and then retrieved her phone. She tapped away on the screen to do a search for nearby pawn shops. There was one a few miles away that they could get to with little problem, though she had no idea what inventory it had.

"Honestly, I think most pawn shops just have electric guitars and I am not going to have my landlord yell at me for that. However, if you want an acoustic one we can go to this 'Ultimate Pawn' store. Worse case, there is always a Guitar Center store or something. Maybe even a thrift store. And all I can say is that I hope whatever you consider music doesn't agitate Liz, which by the way I am curious about what music is where you're from. You've only heard club music, so maybe I should let you listen to something I have on my phone's playlist."

She took out a tangle of white wires that were her earbuds and set about untangling them. It took about a minute, but she was successful without much of a struggle. She directed Kyle to put a single earbud in each ear. As he did so, she scrolled through her playlist wondering what exactly she could introduce him to musically. She smiled as she found one and pressed play. Bohemian Rhapsody began to play through the earbuds and Esme watched fro Kyle's reaction to the song.

 

[Tarmagon]

Kyle decided not to mention that they very well could return to the original pawnshop, and wouldn't be recognized. They would also be treated far more fairly than they had initially, but he didn't recall seeing anything but what his imparted knowledge identified as electric guitars. Definitely not what he wished to acquire.

"Acoustic... yes, that is the type of instrument I seek.," he said. "And it need not be in the most perfect of condition, so long as all the parts are intact. I can encourage it to remember."

He paused, trying to find the words to compare the 'music' he had been exposed to in the club to what he was used to. He very much doubted that Esme or Liz would find great enjoyment in the flowing melodies that he preferred, but he hoped they wouldn't run screaming. He just wasn't sure what had happened to the orchestral pieces he had heard in the past, but surely they couldn't be completely gone.

Esme said something about a 'playlist' and began to wrestle with a tangled mass of white cords. In a minute or so, she had transformed the tangle into a single cord that split into two, each end topped with a small bulb. Earbuds, his internal narrator supplied. Esme directed him to place one into each ear as she attached the single end to her phone and fiddled with the screen for a moment.

"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality."

Kyle cocked his head to one side, intrigued by the harmony. This wasn't quite the same as what he had heard last night.

"Mama, just killed a man."

Frowning at the lyrics, Kyle wondered why so many of the songs he had heard seemed to revolve around violence. Even this one, with its marvelous harmonies and progressions seemed to revel in its own violence. Just when he was certain that this was nothing more than a tragic ballad, the tone changed drastically.

"I see a little silhouetto of a man. Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango? Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me! Galileo Galileo, Galileo Galileo, Galileo figaro magnifico."

Kyle could feel one edge of his mouth turning up as the absurdity of the lyrics registered. The music was also much closer to some works he had heard on his last visit, though obviously being produced by far different instruments than he was used to. Again the tempo and the timbre of the music changed, then reprised back to the original theme to close.

"That was, different," he said as he removed the earbuds and handed them back to Esme. "The harmony and musicality were excellent, though the subject matter was perhaps a trifle dark. But once I became aware that this was actually a deep insight into the nature of existence, I found it much more enjoyable. Thank you. Perhaps there is yet hope that I might find music familiar to me. That was much closer than what I heard last night."

Fable
(Not quite what he's used to, but much better than club music.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(Kyle will probably think rap is written by insane people, lol.)

Esme's lips were very minimally up in a smile. It wasn't a smirk or even a full smile, at least it wasn't until she saw his own lips turn up after a small moment of frowning. She'd yet to meet a person who didn't like this song. She was sure there was someone out there that didn't, but she'd yet to encounter such a person. So, he didn't mind classic rock like this, thankfully. She might introduce him to the Pandora App, so that once he found something he liked, the algorithm would help by suggesting similar songs he might like.

"That was, different," Kyle said as he removed the earbuds and handed them back to Esme. "The harmony and musicality were excellent, though the subject matter was perhaps a trifle dark. But once I became aware that this was actually a deep insight into the nature of existence, I found it much more enjoyable. Thank you. Perhaps there is yet hope that I might find music familiar to me. That was much closer than what I heard last night."

Esme took to earbuds and shoved them into her purse along with her phone, there they were sure to become a tangled mess once again within seconds. "Getting a little deep there," she joked. "I honestly just like the song, though there are some songs I really do like the lyrics. Anyway, let's get going."

Since they didn't have to pay for their meal, no bill ever came, though Esme did go over to Jennifer to give her a tip. Just because they didn't pay for their meal didn't mean they shouldn't pay for the service. Jennifer thanked Esme with a smile and said she hoped to see both of them back soon. With that she led Kyle out of the restaurant back into the bustle of the city. She took a moment to recall where the bus stop was since it'd been a while since she'd been over this way. Once she remembered the direction, she began walking.

"Is there anything else you want to do if we have time? Or is getting the guitar the only thing you want? If not, after we get the guitar we can head back to the apartment... well.. actually.. probably need to go to the grocery store."

 

[Tarmagon]

"No, I can't think of anything I need to do," Kyle replied as they walked along. "Grocery store... ah, the market. Yes, that would be good. It will give me a chance to contribute back for your generosity so far. If I promise not to employ excessively hot spices, would you mind if I took a swing at cooking?"

The look Esme gave him was a bit concerned perhaps, but she nodded slowly. He smiled reassurringly, then turned his attention back to the task of navigating in Esme's wake. Despite the distance, it took only a single bus to get to 'Ultimate Pawn'. Esme made moving through the city seem so easy, but Kyle was quite certain that without the mystic link to the place where he entered this world, he would be totally lost. Time would change that of course, but for now he was still dependant on Esme's good will, and to a lesser extent, Liz's.

His musings were cut off as the 'Ultimate Pawn' store came into view. It was quite a bit larger than the first place Esme had taken him, and as they entered through a pair of large doors that swung open as they approached, it was obviously laid out much differently. A glance at the case containing jewelry revealed that everything he could see was properly labeled, so the owner was at least more honest than the last person had been.

"Welcome to Ultimate Pawn," a cheery voice called from around a large case. A moment later a young man wearing a nametag that identified him as 'Chad' appeared. "Is there anything I can help you find?"

"I am seeking an acoustic guitar," Kyle replied, glancing around but not seeing any instruments.

"Certainly," Chad said. "If you would follow me?"

Chad led Esme and Kyle towards the rear of the store, then through a swinging door. The room they found themselves was packed with various instruments, arranged in groups. Some Kyle recognised, some were only identifiable by the knowledge imparted to him by Esme.

"Please, look around." Chad said. "If you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them, or to find someone who can."

With that, Chad returned to the main room, leaving Kyle and Esme alone with the plethora of instruments. As Esme poked around, examining different items, Kyle began to walk down the guitars racked against one wall, trying to identify one that would suit him. They were so similar, and yet subtly different from what he was used to. Nothing caught his attention, though he did take a few down from their racks, only to return them with a shake of his head, and he began to despair of finding anything.

"Despite the selection, I do not think I will find anything Esme," Kyle said. "Nothing is..." he broke off as he spotted a battered looking instrument tucked into a corner, nearly hidden by newer, shinier guitars. Kyle carefully extracted it and looked it over. The guitar had seen a hard life, the laquer nearly worn completely away in places, and when he plucked experimentally at the strings, twelve of them, they jangled dischordantly. It seemed, sad to him somehow. Even the tag dangling from the neck seemed old and worn. As Kyle was examining the old price tag, Chad returned.

"Oh, I thought we had removed that one," he said, taking int he guitar Kyle was holding. "It's really not usable anymore. The pegs are shot, and there's a crack in the back of the sound board."

"That's quite alright," Kyle said. "I have the time to spend on repairs. This price seems a bit high for an instrument with such issues however."

Chad glanced at the tag, then shook his head. "That should have been changed years ago. Considering the amount of work you're going to have to put into it if you take it, we could let you have it for fifty dollars."

"Twenty five," Kyle countered. "You admitted that you were going to remove it, so anything is more than you would have gotten."

"Fourty and we'll throw in a case," Chad returned. "We could write it off as a loss for that much credit on our taxes."

"Done," Kyle said after a moments thought. It only took a few minutes to complete the transaction, and Kyle and Esme found themselves outside the pawn shop, Kyle carrying a case nearly as battered as the guitar inside. "Store next?"

Fable
(Sorry if it's disjointed. Horrid day today. Hope yours was better.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(Just mostly worried filled, my prediction regarding the flooding came true, with a bit of worse news in that a family member had to be evacuated from her home and is now stuck without her clothes or medication where the red cross set up. Sorry for the typos as well, tried to get this done so you wouldn't have to wait longer. GoT night~)

Esme really wasn't sure she wanted a spice loving guy cooking food, however, he had said he wouldn't use anything excessively spicy. It probably wouldn't kill her to let him cook something, though she wasn't really a fan of spicy-anything. She'd deal with that when the time came and they were at the grocery store. For now, they were on a quest to get Kyle a guitar. The pawn shop was much more impressive than the one she had brought him to the first time, so hopefully he'd be able to find something that would work.

She idly plucked a few of the strings of the guitars as Kyle wandered and examined what the pawn shop had in stock. She'd once tried to learn how to play the guitar and got fed up after about a week of trying. She ended up giving her guitar as a gift to Liz's younger brother. She glanced back towards Kyle curiously to see if he had found anything, though his expression read of disappointment. She wasn't sure what was wrong with the ones he'd already inspected. When he paused and then reached for a battered guitar that would have be better off as firewood, she rolled her eyes somewhat. Of course he would want that one. He seemed to like old broken things, perhaps because it was more familiar than new things; who knew.

She overheard him negotiating with Chad and made it look easy. She'd always been a terrible negotiator, it's probably why she decided to not become a lawyer. To blunt and a terrible negotiator, not really the makings of a good lawyer at all.

"If that's all you wanted, then yeah, the grocery store next. You don't need any replacement strings or a guitar pick do you? Probably should grab them here... or wait, let me guess, you're just going to make them yourself somehow," she said, clearly implying the 'somehow' being magic-based procurement.

Another bus ride and a short walk later they were at the grocery store. Since she had no intention of taking a large quantity of food back home, she grabbed a small hand-held basket. They would be stuck carrying everything till they got back to the apartment, so it'd be a terrible idea to buy a ton of stuff anyway. She curiously watched Kyle's reaction since this type of food supply didn't exist during the time he was last here. She casually mad her way over to the produce section of the store and began inspecting some selection of grapes.

"I'm sure everything here has a different name where you're from," she commented as she grabbed a smallish bag of black seedless grapes and placed them into the basket. She tried to recall what was currently in the pantry and fridge at the apartment, they really didn't have much considered they were both poor college students. Honestly, she'd probably end up grabbing a package of instant ramen this trip just to be safe, a familiar go-to item.

"So, you clean, play guitar, and and cook. Whatever you do, avoid Tinder," she tried to joke, though it honestly was probably something Kyle wouldn't get until he really started using his phone. Which hopefully would be something Liz would do.

 

[Tarmagon]

Kyle did his best to keep his face carefully neutral, but he was quite certain that some of his wonder at the sheer variety of foodstuffs available in this one place was visible. Unfortunately, most of it was in the modern packaging that he still couldn't interpret properly. The produce section was familiar territory at least, though he was curious how some of the more exotic items...oh, airplanes, trains, and freight trucks. He was familiar with magic transport on a small scale, and freight wagons pulled by nyimirach, not with jet engines and internal combustion engines. He should have realized the implications of mass transit as applied to food transportation. That explained much as to how this huge city survived with no sign of arable land save a few windows boxes and carefully placed trees. Everything the city needed was freighted in on a daily basis. He shuddered to think what a disruption to this supply system would mean to the inhabitants of the city, especially since he was now an inhabitant of said city. Esme seemed to take it all in stride however, so major disruptions must be few and far between.

"So, you clean, play guitar, and and cook. Whatever you do, avoid Tinder," Esme said, her tone humorous.

"I rather doubt I shall have to start a fire in the near future," Kyle replied, confused by the remark. "Why should I require tinder? And yes, much of our foodstuffs are quite similar, but named differently. Thanks to your Gifting, I should have no trouble translating my memories into your nomenclature, though I doubt that I will be able to name the dishes I prepare until you or Liz taste them and decide what they are called here, or until I taste something that I know from, home."

He had nearly said 'my world' but they were in a public place, and he was trying to be more careful in his word choices. Turning his attention to the produce arrayed around him, he began to compare his memories to his new knowledge. Dirna...green onions. Yes, there in an open fronted case with leafy greens, both in plastic bags, and loose. A small bundle joined Esme's q'alla, grapes, in the small basket, then he gestured for Esme to lead on. As they wandered through the grocers, Esme occasionally picked up items that Kyle wasn't sure were actually edible, but she seemed to know what she was purchasing, so he concentrated on identifying the items he required. By the time they entered the checkout line, Kyle was certain that he had properly identified everything, even if some of the containers were nothing he was familiar with. Cniri essence, chicken stock, in what looked like a type of paper box. How odd. And plastic. Goddess, these humans loved their plastic. Plastic bags, plastic boxes, even meats sealed behind skins made of plastic. How could one make a proper choice as to the quality of the meat if one couldn't examine it properly? Oh well.

"When in Rome," he muttered under his breath as they waited patiently waited for their turn to pay for their selections. That particular human expression he understood. Reviewing his selections, and the price tags that had been associated with each item, he quickly totaled the cost of his items mentally, then added another ten percent for tax and possible errors. Pulling out his wallet, he extracted some bills and handed them to Esme.

"No sense in paying separately," he said. "That should cover my items and the tax upon them. Will you have time to dine before you have to leave for work this evening?"

Fable
(I hope everything goes well for your family in the flood zone. Well, as well as it can being in a shelter and all. If you need to take time off I completely understand. There's no way I couldn't help but worry if I had family down there. Whatever your choice, I'm here and will remain so. Wishing you and yours the best possible outcome.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(I'm trying not to worry too much since there really isn't anything I can do. Lol and just as I was going to type a reply, the staff are having me draw silly things. X3 We did an exchange for fun of non-srs art.)

"I rather doubt I shall have to start a fire in the near future," Kyle replied, confused by the remark. "Why should I require tinder? And yes, much of our foodstuffs are quite similar, but named differently. Thanks to your Gifting, I should have no trouble translating my memories into your nomenclature, though I doubt that I will be able to name the dishes I prepare until you or Liz taste them and decide what they are called here, or until I taste something that I know from, home."

Esm's body shivered for a moment as she tried desperately not to laugh. Her eyes watered slightly before she finally burst into a small fit of laughter, taking at least a full minute to calm herself down. She wiped the tears from her eyes and decided to just... let Liz explain the phone app to him because right now, if she tried she'd not managed to get through it. She'd probably keep on giggling when recalling he thought she meant by the word 'tinder.' She wondered what his response would be then.

"Just, please don't poison us... I mean like food poisoning," Esme said after she finally managed to talk like a normal person once again. "We honestly don't cook very much, not really much time between school and work. If you want to cook, just be warned Liz and I are a bit picky when it comes to food. Luckily Liz is no longer trying to be a vegan. That... was a nightmare."

She continued her shopping, grabbing a variety of bagged snacks, ramen, and other quick types of meals. At the check out she took Kyle's offered money to cover the cost of the items he wanted. Honestly, she hoped he was actually going to cook and not voodoo up anything since Liz wouldn't probably touch it if she witnessed that.

"I should have some time to eat before work, I don't have to go in until 7:30 so a decent amount of time."

---

They returned to the apartment, Liz was seated on the futon watching some reality TV show about psychics and snacking on a small bag of chips. She glanced at Kyle as they entered and then to the items they had returned with. She kept whatever comments she wanted to say to herself and went back to watching the two women on the TV screaming about something.

"Liz, Kyle's offered to cook tonight," Esme announced, trying to open a dialogue between Kyle and Liz, "I have a small favor, well, request for you. Could you teach him about using his phone?"

"Seriously? He doesn't know how to use it?"

"Nope, not really. You uhm," she struggled to keep herself from laughing, "might have to explain Tinder to him as well. He kind of thought I meant something else."

Liz nearly choked and got a strange flabbergasted look. She looked at Kyle and shook her head with a small laugh of pity, "Of course you'd tell the guy from another world about that app."

"I said it as a joke! He just... didn't get it."

 

[Tarmagon]

Kyle listened to the dialogue between Liz and Esme with half an ear. He still didn't understand why material used to start a fire was so humorous to the two ladies, but perhaps he would find out later.

"What Esme says is quite true," Kyle said, addressing Liz directly, keeping his voice even. "While I understand the concept of the cell phone, I have absolutely zero experience with them, save for that rather disastrous event with Esme's. I would be grateful if you could teach me the proper operation of this device."

Holding up his phone, Kyle gestured at the currently quiescent device.

"I know that I can use this to contact Esme, and that it can do more things than just allow me to speak to people, but I fear that learning by trial and error is not the best way to learn to use it. Meanwhile, Esme must work tonight, and I must acquaint myself properly with your kitchen if I am to have the evening meal done in time for her to eat at her leisure. I have procured enough ingredients to feed us all in the hopes that you will join us."

Leaving the two women to their own devices, Kyle made his way into the kitchen and began to acquaint himself with the functioning of the various devices. The stove produced heat to varying levels depending on where its dials were set. Useful that. Rather than try and fathom the mysteries of the microwave, Kyle decided that the stove would suffice for his needs this day. If he could find the proper cultures, perhaps he could attempt to make a fresh bread. The oven built into the bottom of the stove could surely hold an even temperature for proper baking. Several minutes rummaging turned up the various knives, cooking vessels, and other kitchen implements he would require, and Kyle set to work, humming happily as he went about the familiar task. His father had been scandalized when he had discovered Kyle in the Keep kitchens, eagerly learning all the cooks would teach him, but his mother had pointed out that learning to cook for himself wouldn't hurt Kyle in any way, and the cooks would never talk, so he was allowed to remain.

His trip down memory lane had carried Kyle through opening all of the limited spice containers the kitchen contained, and sniffing to identify their contents. Yes, those would do nicely. This dish depended on a delicate hand, and he rather thought Esme would be surprised by it, since the flavors were light and delicate while all she had seen him eat so far were heavily spiced dishes. The new words for the techniques and foodstuffs drifted through his mind as he worked, and he paid them no attention save to assign them properly. Chicken finely diced and sauteed. Peas blanched. Stock heated just so. Onions chopped and divided.

"Ladies, if you could join me?" he called out nearly forty five minutes later as he sprinkled finely chopped parsley over the top of his creation. Three gently steaming mounds of creamy rice graced three spotless plates, shot through with peas and small bits of chicken. "I'm not sure what you call this dish on this world, if you even make it, but I think you will find it palatable."

Fable
(It's a risotto with peas and sauteed chicken cooked into it. I actually make this at home, and do a pretty good job at it.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(I was thinking perhaps we can do a time skip to get to the point where Esme goes to her mother after your post, if you wanted.)

"What Esme says is quite true," Kyle said, addressing Liz directly, keeping his voice even. "While I understand the concept of the cell phone, I have absolutely zero experience with them, save for that rather disastrous event with Esme's. I would be grateful if you could teach me the proper operation of this device."

Liz quirked a brow at Kyle's admittance to his lack of understanding his new phone.

"I know that I can use this to contact Esme, and that it can do more things than just allow me to speak to people, but I fear that learning by trial and error is not the best way to learn to use it. Meanwhile, Esme must work tonight, and I must acquaint myself properly with your kitchen if I am to have the evening meal done in time for her to eat at her leisure. I have procured enough ingredients to feed us all in the hopes that you will join us."

Liz's gaze followed after Kyle as he went into the kitchen, clearly going through everything as she heard him rustling about. She looked back at Esme and sighed - well, more like a soft groan before she spoke, "I'll try and teach him the basics then, but I am not going to try to explain internet society because who the hell actually gets that themselves? By the way, how long is he going to be staying here with us? I get the whole 'until the contract finishes' stuff. I'm asking about during that time, is he going to be living in our apartment with us until then? The landlord will get pretty pissy about that y'know. However... I did happen to overhear that a tenant is moving out fairly soon, and it's a single."

"As much as that would be convenient, he doesn't have a job to pay for rent," Esme countered.

"Well, their lease isn't ending right now, he has time to get a job."

"We'll just have to see and hope the landlord isn't too nosy about our business."

Esme moved to sit on the futon with Liz, however she didn't really watch the show Liz currently had on. She was thinking about how she had to schedule her time so that the next weekend she could go visit her mother. The sooner she did it the better since waiting for too long would only cause Esme more stress.

"Ladies, if you could join me?" Kyle called out as he sprinkled finely chopped parsley over the top of his creation. "I'm not sure what you call this dish on this world, if you even make it, but I think you will find it palatable."

While Kyle had been cooking, Liz had commented under her breath that it smelt edible at least, which had caused Esme to laugh. Looking at what he had prepared, it appeared he was actually very skilled cooking-wise, at least compared to two poor college students. Esme stretched out her limbs and lifted herself up from the futon. She looked at the prepared food, but wasn't exactly sure what it would technically be called here. She wasn't exactly interested in cooking enough to learn the names of dishes she didn't commonly eat.

She thanked Kyle and grabbed a plate and a fork, and moved to sit down at the tiny round table that only had two chairs; after all, it had only been Liz and Esme in this apartment. She didn't really hesitate and took a quick, but small bite just in case her taste buds rejected the flavor. A thoughtful chew and swallow, and she smiled at Kyle, "Pretty good, and super glad I'm not dying from spice."

Liz joined after witnessing Esme take a bite, giving a mild 'thanks' as she also grabbed a plate and sat down to eat. Though she didn't comment about the food, she clearly did enjoy it as she continued to eat it after the first bite. When they had all finished eating, Liz had offered to do the dishes since Kyle had cooked and Esme needed to go to work. Esme changed into a dark outfit for work and checked that she had everything she needed in her purse before turning to Kyle.

"I won't be able to answer my personal phone at work, so if there is an emergency, you'll need to call the club office phone, the number is stuck on the fridge."

With that, Esme left for the evening, leaving Liz and Kyle alone together (oxymoron). Thankfully work was uneventful, though she really didn't care much for Gideon or his friends. She at least was able to handle herself around them, unlike Becky, who was a bit of a pushover and could get easily flustered. By the time Esme got home it was 2:30 am and she was exhausted. She entered the apartment with wide yawn.

 

[Tarmagon]

Liz suprised Kyle by offering to take care of the dishes. He was more suprised that Liz was going to help him learn how to use his phone. He had noticed her initial hesitation in tasting the dinner her had made, and he hadn't missed the slight trepedation she displayed as Esme went to get ready for work. Esme reappeared, dressed in her dark clothes, and departed after admonishing him to call the club number in case of emergency. Kyle could tell by the noises coming form the kitchen that Liz was finishing up, so he moved to sit in a chair facing the futon, leaving it for Liz.

"Okay," Liz said in a brusque manner as she stepped into the living room. "Let's get this over with. Show me your phone."

Kyle sighed internally, but kept his expression neutral as he passed his phone over to Liz. He had hoped he would be able to try and bridge the rift between them, but it seemed that was not to be.

"Basic model," Liz said. "It's got all the features you'll need though. Decent choice. Hunh. Esme gave you her number already. Her choice. Not hooked up to the Wi-Fi. Alright. Watch how I do this."

For the next hour Liz proceeded to introduce Kyle to the features of his smart phone. He learned how to connect to open networks, how to text, and how to lock his phone against someone else making use of it. GPS features, emergency calls, applications... Kyle's mind swam as connections were made between his theoretical knowledge and actual practice. Throughout her lesson Liz kept her voice dispassionate, but Kyle couldn't help but notice how she leaned as far away from him as she could while still staying close enough to demonstrate on her own phone and watch what he did on his.

"That should do it," Liz said as she closed the app she had been demonstrating. Kyle now understood why Esme had made her Tinder comment, though he was sorely puzzled how an app could be a good medium for meeting a prospective mate. Maybe he would come to understand if he remained here long enough, but he quite honestly wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Thank you," Kyle replied, letting his gratitude show. "At least I won't dial 911 by accident now."

"Esme asked, I delivered." Liz replied. "She also mentioned that you wanted to know how humanity views your kind. I'll tell you, but I want your promise, for what it's worth, that you won't go all black and scary on me."

"I promise that I shall not assume my battle form," Kyle said. "Though if you doubt my word, why do you bother to ask?"

"Because while your kind are all liars, if you are forced to give your word, you have to abide by it." Liz replied. "I'm going to assume that since you've given your word, you now have to keep it."

"I...see," Kyle said slowly. "That information is only partially, and not even the largest part of it, accurate. In fact."

"Nope," Liza cut him off. "Not interested right now. Now is for me to tell you what humanity 'knows' about demons, not for you to tell me what you want me to believe."

"Very well," Kyle replied, his voice level. "I hope that at some point in the future you will be more receptive to what I have to say, but for now I shall bide my time and listen. Please, proceed."

Proceed she did, much to Kyle's dismay. Where in the nether worlds had humans gotten such a twisted view of his kind. Oh, there were evil members of his race, and some embodied the very characteristics that humans now seemed to apply to all of his kind, but to assume that all... It was lunacy. The longer he listened, the more Kyle wondered that Esme hadn't run screaming when he first appeared here, and the more certain he was that he and Liz could never reconcile. Liz spoke with a surety that proclaimed generations of belief. When she told him about demons being protrayed in horror films and the satanic association most people made with demons, he just had to interrupt.

"Excuse me," he said, confusion in his voice. "Who, or what, is this 'Satan' you keep referring to?"

Liz had rolled her eyes at his question, then launched into an explaination of religion, and some of the more mainstream faiths. Kyle shuddered at the information, and resolved not to ask any more questions of Liz. The matter of fact way she delivered information that he knew to be completely wrong, and assuming it to be completely accurate stung. Stung more because she wasn't open to anything he could say to refute it.

"That should cover all of the high points," Liz said several hours later. "And since that covers all Esme asked me to do, I'm going to bed." Liz rose from the futon and headed for her room, but paused before going through the door.

"You may have a different view on things," she said. "And maybe, if you prove you're not what all human knowledge says you are, maybe I'll be able to listen. Not now though, and probably not for a long time. I don't know you. I don't trust you. I don't trust your intentions towards Esme. I want you gone... But, you kept your word, and you didn't poison us with your cooking, so I'm going to tolerate you. Maybe, one day..."

Liz left the sentence hanging, and entered her room, shutting the door behind her. Kyle watched her go, and finally let his face relax from the neutral mask he had maintained while Liz was speaking. Anger and depair warred across his face as he left himself feel what he couldn't while Liz was present. They thought... Liz thought... he couldn't even bring himself to finish the thoughts inhis own mind. Never, ever could he... It wasn't... He felt wonder once more that Esme was trying to help him adjust, and he understood why she seemed so... he couldn't think of a proper word. Reluctant, disbelieving, fearful? Nothing seemed to fit.

Rising, he noticed the battered guitar case still sitting near the door. Gathering it up, he moved to the futon Liz had so recently vacated. Opening the case, he took out the equally battered guitar and looked it over as his mind roiled, turning LIz's words over and over. The guitar was indeed in sad shape, lacquer worn, pegs loose beyond all tuning, and the crack in the sound board ran the entire length of the instrument. He could feel the melancholy radiating from the old instrument. It knew it was worn out, but it still wanted to make music, that was its purpose.

"Remember," Kyle whispered to the instrument, letting his power wash gently through it. "Remember your heyday. Remember the hands that have held you, the music that you made together."

As he spoke, he let his hands drift over the entire guitar, and under his gentle touch, it remembered. The worn spots in the lacquer filled in, going from dull and lifeless to a golden sheen that reflected the light in a rainbow pattern. The crack closed as the wood remembered how it had been when it was first made. The pegs expanded, returning to their original shapes. Even the strings lost the patina of age, becoming bright and new once more. Slowly the sad and battered instrument became the magnificent creation it had been when it was first made. The case received the same treatment, the cracked and battered leather regaining the supple sheen of new, the brass fittings glimmering once more.

"Now my lady," Kyle said. "Let us try our voice."

Playing softly so as not to disturb Liz, Kyle began to pour out all of his pent up emotion into music. All of his fear, pain, and doubt came forth in the dischordant strains of 'Warrior's Lament' and "Prayer for the Fallen'. His lonliness manifested as 'The Path' and 'Winter's Kiss'. He wasn't sure how long he played, but finally his fingers began to pluck out the etherial melody of 'Shadow Lover' A slight noise tried to intrude, but Kyle was lost in the music. Only when the final chord, rife with longing but also promising peace, floated away did he look up.

"Oh. Hello Esme. How long have you been standing there?"

Fable
(I'm not fully happy with this, but I'm not going to keep trying and trying while you wait and wait.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(It's a lovely post. You captured Liz spot-on. :3 )

Esme had paused and listened outside of the apartment. She had actually half-expected to hear Liz and Kyle having a spat of some kind after being left alone for hours without her to intervene. Instead, she heard the sound of very faint music from what she assumed was the guitar had purchased earlier. She shrugged to herself and opened the apartment door and entered the living room with Kyle still strumming away as if nothing else existed. She leaned against the wall of the small hallway and just observed him for a moment since he didn't seem to take note of her presence.

The music was unfamiliar to her, so it was probably something that was composed from a musician from his world. It wasn't terrible and he played very well, so that was a relief since she wasn't having to listen to someone playing off-key notes. Only when he finished playing did he finally react to her return.

"Not very long. I see you survived being alone with Liz for a long period of time. I hope your time with her was somewhat educational, though if I have to guess off the music you were playing that I heard, your mood is probably not the best," she replied as she stopped leaning on the wall. She moved to go into her bedroom to drop off her things before making her way back into the kitchen. She got herself a small glass of ice water before returning to the living room the sit down and relax on the futon, clearly a bit tired after a long night of work. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, a small yawn escaping from her.

"Liz texted me after she was done playing the role of being your tutor regarding this mortal realm of ours. A fairly long text I might add. She struggled to find something to complain about since you didn't verbally attack her or get triggered by something she said in a dramatic manner. So, this is me giving you a 'thank you' for not getting riled up by whatever she informed you about."

She opened her eyes and took a sip of her drink and then looked over at Kyle, "I'm guessing what you were playing was something from where your from. Is everything so.. sad sounding? I mean, I wasn't expecting the cantina music from Star Wars or anything - shit, wait, you've never seen Star Wars. Forget that comment. Anyway, I am going to go take a shower and then crash, night."

Esme got up, taking her glass of water with her, and she retreated to the sanctuary of her bedroom. She took as quick of a shower as she could before changing into her clothes and crawling into her bed. She was honestly too tired to really worried about things Kyle could do to Liz or herself while they slept. She fell asleep rather easily after a long and stressful work shift.

----

When Esme had to return to her normal life - school and work - she didn't have much time to assist Kyle with his adjustment to their world. However, she gave him permission to use her laptop, though she did warn him that should she find some upsetting browser history, she'd make him regret his life choices. With that, she spent most of her days at her university and her evenings at work. The same was for Liz, though her schedule was a bit different, leaving her at home with more free time than Esme had to spare.

During the week Esme had managed to work out her schedule so that she could visit her mother. Her boss hadn't been expecting her to call in her favor so quickly, but she pressed on him that it would be better for everyone if she just got it over with. She'd double checked with her syllabus and professors that she wasn't going to miss any important information or events - like an exam - while she was gone. She was giving herself four days - Friday through Monday - to deal with her mother. Esme had considered leaving Kyle with Liz, but any time the idea was mentioned, both parties didn't agree, so ultimately Kyle was tagging along.

On Thursday evening, Esme was going down a checklist and packing a small duffle bag for the trip with everything she would need; toiletries, clothes, some unfinished assignments, laptop, chargers for the devices she was bringing, and so on. She had considered bringing the grimoire with her, but she didn't feel safe traveling with it. So, it would remain behind. After double checking her list, she went into the living room to check on Kyle. She had tossed him a duffle bag to use as well and told him to pack what he felt he needed.

"The train leaves early, so if you forget something we are not coming back to the apartment to get it," Esme warned. Liz was currently at work and wouldn't be home till a bit after midnight, leaving Esme and Kyle alone in the apartment. Esme pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest as a thought came to her.

"I doubt my mom is going to let to sleep in the house, now that I think about it..."

 

[Tarmagon]

Esme had resumed her normal life once the weekend had passed leaving Kyle somewhat at loose ends. She had given him permission to use her laptop, and he had divided his time between learning what he could about the local job market, and searching the humans YouTube for different examples of their music. He sometimes wondered what Esme thought when she reviewed his history every evening. Piano Guys, VanHalen, Dragonforce, Mannheim Steamroller, and great gods where did the humans come up with these names? Classical he understood. Jazz was interesting, but not his cup of tea. Kyle was surpised to find himself gravitating towards what humans called Classic Rock and Metal, though once again why humans named things the way they did eluded him. He had also dicovered a love of the humans folk music, which was very like some of the music from his land.

A regular job had so far eluded him, though he had done some work for one of the horse drawn carriage companies that plied their trade in the local park. One of the horses had thrown a shoe, and the driver had been in a panic because his regular farrier was on vacation. Kyle had volunteered to fix the problem, and the driver had been desperate enough to allow Kyle to use his workshop. Kyle had quickly filed down the split edges of the poor animals hoof, then reshaped one of the stock shoes to fit the animal better than the thrown shoe had. The owner, a huge wall of a man named Greg, had come in and demanded to know what was going on, but watching the mare stand calmly while Kyle applied the new shoe had quieted his objections. Greg had asked is Kyle could repair tack, and when Kyle had indicated he could, had offered him a days work under the table fixing the broken items their regular smith had not had time to fix. Kyle had bent to with a will, and the end of the day saw all of the broken tack repaired, and Kyle with a couple of hundred more dollars than he had begun the day with.

"Come back next Thursday," Greg had said. "Jack gets back then, and I want him to give your work a checkout. He lieks what he sees, we can see about making this a regular gig. Works?"

"Indeed," Kyle had replied. "I'll be here."

Now though, they were preparing to leave for Esme's visit with her mother. Despite her unsubtle hints, neither Kyle nor Liz had wanted him to stay behind while Esme traipsed off to her rendevous with her mother, so Kyle would be accompanying her. Esme had given him a duffle bag to carry his items in, but then she had paused after warning him to pack everything, since they would not be returning for several days.

"I doubt my mom is going to let to sleep in the house, now that I think about it..."

"Well, what is the area like where she resides?" Kyle asked. "Is there one of your hotels nearby? If she lives in the country, are there any houses near? If there is enough woodland about, I am quite capable of setting myself up a small camp for a few days. I would require a few more tools than I currently possess, but I am quite certain that acquiring the, would not take more than an hour or so."

Fable
(Boyscout demon is woodscrafty.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
()

"Well, what is the area like where she resides?" Kyle asked. "Is there one of your hotels nearby? If she lives in the country, are there any houses near? If there is enough woodland about, I am quite capable of setting myself up a small camp for a few days. I would require a few more tools than I currently possess, but I am quite certain that acquiring the, would not take more than an hour or so."

"The house is a bit south of Salem in Corvallis. And no, not Salem, Massachusetts. Salem, Oregon," she commented since there would just be way too much irony if her family had roots in where the Salem witch trials occurred. There really isn't much actually around where my mom is, it's pretty rural. I mean, you probably could get a room someplace there, but since I have to rent a car and drive from Salem to Corvallis, and like hell I am going to let you drive when you don't have any driving experience."

Esme sighed at herself as she was seriously considering his offer of him camping outside. Her mother wasn't going to let a stranger - a male stranger - crash on her couch, even if Esme claimed he was a friend. She'd always pretty pretty strict about certain things. It had been a hard trial of her teenage life when she started dating when it came to dealing with her mother. Honestly, Esme herself would prefer camping to staying at her mom's place.

"As far as camping goes, we'll see when we get there. I might even camp with you, gotta live up to my 'rebellious' nature and all as her child," Esme joked. "If camping does become a thing, we can just get the items there. Or I can see if I can dig stuff out of storage at my mom's place that can be used. It probably won't be the same type of camping that you're familiar with though. We've sort of... modernized it quite a bit. Sleeping bags, nylon tents, fire-starters; anything that makes camping more convenient. I'll be honest, the moment you tell her that you're tagging along for some book, she's going to think you're some kind of creep because it's honestly an abnormal reason."

 

[Tarmagon]

Kyle wasn't certain about this modern equipment Esme was talking about, but he rather doubted that it could be worse than being left to fend for himself with nothing more than a single blade and the clothes on his back. He was sure that if these modern devices didn't live up to his expectations, he could make do. As for Esme's mother, well...

"I'm not sure that you need to bring up the book," he said after a moments thought. "You may mention that we met through your friend Liz if you wish. And as for my accompanying you...Hmm. You could always say that I was uncomfortable in the city, quite true, and that you're just letting me tag along for a chance to 'rough it' while you deal with your mother. You are an adult, yes? And if pressed you can always say that it is not her concern."

Kyle could tell Esme was dubious, but he really didn't care what yarn she spun to her mother. He was glad that he had found the cloaking artifact however. Unless Esme's mother actually cast a charm of Seeing, there would be nothing to mark him as from another world. Of course, if he actually did anything magical, it would immediately be obvious that he had Power, but probably not that he was not native to this world. Then again, who knew. Things were always changing. One thing he was sure of, Esme's mother had to be a witch, and if she had not set the Sealing upon her daughter, she had been complicit in it. Either act was, undefendable, and Kyle was looking forward to the time when he could have a long and very pointed discussion about mucking around with spells that one didn't understand with her. For now though.

"No matter the tale we decide upon, I shall be quite ready to depart when you are." he said with a lopsided grin. "I have rather less to pack than most I am certain. Indeed, all that I own would fit within this one pack and my guitar case.

Fable
(Advancement is at your discretion. Kyle has actually ridden something like a train before, just powered by magic, so he's kind of familiar with it.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon
(My replies are probably going to be more spaced out, X3 The life of a displaced person freeloading in limbo. They might also be a bit shorter since I need to get back into the RP swing of things, lol. AKA I've lost my place a bit. >_>; )

"I'm not sure that you need to bring up the book," Kyle said after a moments thought. "You may mention that we met through your friend Liz if you wish. And as for my accompanying you...Hmm. You could always say that I was uncomfortable in the city, quite true, and that you're just letting me tag along for a chance to 'rough it' while you deal with your mother. You are an adult, yes? And if pressed you can always say that it is not her concern."

Esme sighed, she'd always sucked when it came to lying to her mother. That or her mother was just really good at detecting with she lied. Either way, she'd have to spin something as close to the truth as possible while keeping out other details.

"Yes, I am an adult, but that doesn't mean my mother isn't going to be nosy about my personal business. Your parents don't pester you in that way? Cause here, parents haven only really gotten worse as far as always being involved in their offspring's lives. If I was to tell her it was none of her business, well, let's just say it wouldn't end very well."

"No matter the tale we decide upon, I shall be quite ready to depart when you are." Kyle said with a lopsided grin. "I have rather less to pack than most I am certain. Indeed, all that I own would fit within this one pack and my guitar case."

"Believe me, traveling light would be something I suggest for a quick escape plan should my mother try to insist I stay longer. I really, really dislike going back to my hometown. My mom is still pissed at me for avoiding going to college there. Anyway, let's just get going."

With a last check to make sure she had her keys, phone, and phone charger, they left the apartment. Instead of taking a long and multiple stop bus ride, Esme had opted to just get a taxi come pick them up and take them to the train station. It made the travel time much shorter and less stressful with them having to carry the little luggage they were bringing. The driver took their things and helped load them into the trunk of the bright yellow vehicle before setting off.

They made it to the train station in a timely manner, giving them plenty of time to go through the minimal security check. The train did arrive shortly after they did, so there was a bit of time as the train was cleaned and restocked with whatever was needed; such as snacks and drinks they sold. Once they allowed passengers on the train, Esme moved to board quickly since it meant getting to sit on cushioned seats rather than hard benches. It would be a few hours before they would arrive to the first stop towards their destination.

"I think the estimated time for this is about 5 hours. If you get thirsty of hungry, there is a dinner car in the back," she said, pointing in the direction where it should be. She found there seats and seated herself before taking on her phone. She texted her mother to inform her she was on the train and would be there later in the day. There was a chime as her mother replied, trying to glean more information about Kyle as Esme had done as much as she could to avoid giving too much information. She'd only told her mother a 'friend' was tagging along and his name.