So Jaxen did like telling stories. Or rather, he liked to be watched telling stories, that much was obvious. In truth, it made Mik question his initial assessment. He was honest enough to admit that just because he played games with people didn't mean that he was immune. Those tricks worked for a reason. That reason being that we were all meat puppets with handles and strings and levers. And for once, he didn't mean in the fun way. No. He was realistic.
So he was prepared to doubt...and then a sense of dread came over him. It was such an alien feeling that he had a hard time recognizing it what it was at first. Just an sense like something was wrong, that somebody was crowding behind him, threatening. Now normally, in those few times he felt that, his back went up, defiance reared and he dug in his heels, ready to make someone pay dear for the any flesh they decided to take. You might kill me, but you weren't gonna walk away without something to remember me by.
Thing was, it seemed to come from Jaxen who sitting there drinking his vodka as if nothing happened. Or nothing was going on. He narrowed his eyes but before he could react, the air seemed to shiver and a massive...snake thing was standing there, looming over them. He started back for just a moment before he realized Jaxen was doing this. Somehow it was the same trick as what he did in the park. Maybe it had been all the jumping around and exertion before, cuz he sure as fuck hadn't felt this feeling then.
He closed the mouth he didn't realize had dropped open and studied the thing. It seemed solid enough- it cast a shadow- but no life stirred, no chest movements or anything. Like a dummy or something. He reached out his hand and it seemed to pass through. Not solid despite the shadow. Jaxen's words finally penetrated his brain and his gaze swung between him and it.
He wasn't even sure what to think. Snake people as big as a building, walking around?
Now you might be thinking that he was so dumbstruck by what he saw that he wasn't himself. And you, my friend, would be wrong. Because despite Jaxen's obvious reaction, he raised his left eyebrow and half smiled. "Snake women, you say? Now that could be interesting..." he mused. He loved body modding. Horned implants and forked tongues, the sexy blend of human animal definitely got him purring like a cat.
Yeah, Mik was back. The bartender screamed and Jaxen let it disappear into the light, sparkly sparkles and all, and he watched them fade. "Man, you need to show me where to meet them. I'd like to see some shit like that." He paused, thinking. Story or no- as in, the fact that Jaxen had enjoyed telling the tale didn't mean it wasn't something special he'd shared. Mik was all about information. And he had learned something wonderful.
And he realized in that moment that he liked Jaxen. Genuinely. Not in the get back to his place and fuck each other's brains out- though of course he'd like that. But he actually liked him. He didn't feel that often. So, turn about...he took another drink and started talking."You show me this world is more than it seems. I mean, yeah, magic and stuff." He leaned over and said, "And make no mistake, I'd love to learn that trick of yours." He swirled his drink, stared into it for a moment. "I want to see it. The lady behind this world is chaos. She plays no permanent favorites. All we can hope fore is to run with her a little while." He looked across the bar and she stood there, Oriena's face staring at him, curiously.
He threw back the drink, the vodka burning his throat anew in the way he loved. Then he looked at Jaxen. "Me, I want to see it all. Everything wonderful and terrible and beautiful and terrifying, do everything while I'm here. Plant a kiss on Ascendancy's lips and then smack him in the back of the head. Burn a building to the ground and watch the fire in all its glory. Sneak into the most secret place on earth, steal the biggest treasure, and then leave a note saying I was here. Have some fun at the Almaz fighting some monster. Fuck every hot girl and guy and everything beyond and between- especially a snake woman."
He looked at Jaxen for a bit. "I bet you have some stuff on your list. You game?"
So he was prepared to doubt...and then a sense of dread came over him. It was such an alien feeling that he had a hard time recognizing it what it was at first. Just an sense like something was wrong, that somebody was crowding behind him, threatening. Now normally, in those few times he felt that, his back went up, defiance reared and he dug in his heels, ready to make someone pay dear for the any flesh they decided to take. You might kill me, but you weren't gonna walk away without something to remember me by.
Thing was, it seemed to come from Jaxen who sitting there drinking his vodka as if nothing happened. Or nothing was going on. He narrowed his eyes but before he could react, the air seemed to shiver and a massive...snake thing was standing there, looming over them. He started back for just a moment before he realized Jaxen was doing this. Somehow it was the same trick as what he did in the park. Maybe it had been all the jumping around and exertion before, cuz he sure as fuck hadn't felt this feeling then.
He closed the mouth he didn't realize had dropped open and studied the thing. It seemed solid enough- it cast a shadow- but no life stirred, no chest movements or anything. Like a dummy or something. He reached out his hand and it seemed to pass through. Not solid despite the shadow. Jaxen's words finally penetrated his brain and his gaze swung between him and it.
He wasn't even sure what to think. Snake people as big as a building, walking around?
Now you might be thinking that he was so dumbstruck by what he saw that he wasn't himself. And you, my friend, would be wrong. Because despite Jaxen's obvious reaction, he raised his left eyebrow and half smiled. "Snake women, you say? Now that could be interesting..." he mused. He loved body modding. Horned implants and forked tongues, the sexy blend of human animal definitely got him purring like a cat.
Yeah, Mik was back. The bartender screamed and Jaxen let it disappear into the light, sparkly sparkles and all, and he watched them fade. "Man, you need to show me where to meet them. I'd like to see some shit like that." He paused, thinking. Story or no- as in, the fact that Jaxen had enjoyed telling the tale didn't mean it wasn't something special he'd shared. Mik was all about information. And he had learned something wonderful.
And he realized in that moment that he liked Jaxen. Genuinely. Not in the get back to his place and fuck each other's brains out- though of course he'd like that. But he actually liked him. He didn't feel that often. So, turn about...he took another drink and started talking."You show me this world is more than it seems. I mean, yeah, magic and stuff." He leaned over and said, "And make no mistake, I'd love to learn that trick of yours." He swirled his drink, stared into it for a moment. "I want to see it. The lady behind this world is chaos. She plays no permanent favorites. All we can hope fore is to run with her a little while." He looked across the bar and she stood there, Oriena's face staring at him, curiously.
He threw back the drink, the vodka burning his throat anew in the way he loved. Then he looked at Jaxen. "Me, I want to see it all. Everything wonderful and terrible and beautiful and terrifying, do everything while I'm here. Plant a kiss on Ascendancy's lips and then smack him in the back of the head. Burn a building to the ground and watch the fire in all its glory. Sneak into the most secret place on earth, steal the biggest treasure, and then leave a note saying I was here. Have some fun at the Almaz fighting some monster. Fuck every hot girl and guy and everything beyond and between- especially a snake woman."
He looked at Jaxen for a bit. "I bet you have some stuff on your list. You game?"
"Good and ill.
We're like the wind,
we blows both ways."
- Mad Sweeney, American Gods
- Mad Sweeney, American Gods