- Job Info:
The summer had returned to Tolgalen these past days, weeks even. Where there had been undefined cool before it was now replaced by scorching, almost tropical summer heat, the scorching sun relentlessly shining down on the continent south of Fiore. It was only morning, 9am maybe, but the heat had already reached unbearable levels. Well, for the normal folk on the island at least. Still, though, the West Fiore Trading Company, who had, through hard work, made this island their own, was doing business as usual. Even at this early hour the nearby docks were already somewhat crowded, the roads to and from the warehouses and around the HQ already filled with merchants eager to do trade with the West Fiore Trading Company.
Johann was still in bed, unusual for the Vice President of the Company who, under normal circumstances, would get up a lot earlier than this, if he would even sleep Still, the last couple of weeks had been not just stressful, they had been exhausting, the old man almost breaking through not just the incident on Shadow Island, but also the ever present whispers of Mars, demonic Lord of War, or at least that's what he made himself out to be. Not only that, the cage that Mars had been held in had been damaged by circumstance, which had prompted the awakening of the Lord of War in the first place, and ... a futile attempt by Ruvel to force the demon back into it had damaged it even further, the intricate runic seal that provided separation between the two entities, the two souls that shared a body, having been modified. It had been a little while since they had returned from the Haunted Village, and now, with the runic seal broken, Johann had not a single minute without the presence of Mars making itself known. He hadn't taken over like he had done before, perhaps it wasn't possible, or the demon lord hadn't tried, but he was an avid talker, brabbling and rambling about everything and anything whenever he could, justifying his talkativeness with having been sealed away for centuries and now enjoying the opportunity to actually enjoy freedom once again, though strictly bound to the Vice President as a vessel. A thing left Jo wondering though ... the Lord of War was surprisingly agreeable for a self proclaimed demon. Though Mars reassured more than once that he was actually demonic in nature, not that he had been freed he, well, he didn't seem evil. Not good either, but Johann had expected whispers that told of darkness, despair and destruction. While Mars seemed quite fond of the latter, he wasn't dark, though also not light, just ... acting goofy. It appeared like he had a serious side, but was mischievous and shrewd otherwise, like most demons. Perhaps the Lord of War hadn't had too much experience with these sort of things either ? It would take the Vice President a lot of insight and debate to find out, probably, so that would be an entirely different topic for another day.
In any case, Johann woke up, coming to consciousness in his same old bed, in his same old room. Nothing seemed too different initially. "Ugh", quickly rising up a bit, leaning on his elbows. He had slept for a good 12 hours, the first time in ... months maybe. Seems like it hadn't done him too much good, though. He had a headache and for some bizarre reason his joints ached. He hadn't really felt pain like this in ... well, months, certainly, ever since he first had to deal with what he referred to as awakening, though it disappeared quickly after he had sat up, leaning against the wall behind his bed and staring at the ceiling, the simple wooden interior of the barrack room only lit up by a single window. It was hot in here. Almost unbearably so. Was it really already the middle of Summer again ? It left him wondering ... how long exactly had he been with the West Fiore Trading Company already ? Almost a year, it seemed like. So much had happened. Standing up and stretching, the Vice President walked right past the square mirror on the other side of the room, out of sheer force of habit, without even taking a look at his reflection. Would he have stopped ... he would've noticed something was more than off. Heading into the small bathroom Johann sighed. It was a little cooler in here, but the heat was still noticeable. Turning up the cold water on the sink right below the other mirror here in his bathroom a familiar voice rang out, "Good morning, sleepyhead. Fiiiinally awake, hm ? Tssehehe ...". Mars seemed unnaturally happy, cheerful almost, giggling with his low, demonic voice in the back of the Vice President's head. Perhaps he was just really glad he could finally enjoy freedom outside a cage again ? Jo being honest with himself, he, too, would probably have been rather happy if he would've been the one locked inside a cage for centuries at least. Still ... it was a little suspicious, "What do you want, Mars ?". "Oh, nothing, really, tsehe, I just think that today is a beautiful day, is it not ?", followed by another chuckle of the demonic entity. Johann sighed anew, washing his hands. The cold water felt like a blessing.
The morning routine was accompanied by a continuous chuckling and giggling by Mars, which in and of itself seemed like an oddity, why he did it ? The Vice President had no idea, failing to notice that not just his outward appearance, no, his entire being had been changed completely seemingly overnight. He felt strange, but that was about it. Putting on a white jacket, a temporary solution before he would change into a suit later, he left his room, this being the first clue that something wasn't quite right with the Vice President. Normally ... he wouldn't have left his room unless he was dressed neatly and professionally, as usual, but now ... he simply felt like he couldn't be bothered. And so, the now young, silver haired male stepped out into the hallway, the Mess Hall his destination, the mark of the West Fiore Trading Company and the company pin still decorating his person.
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Word Count: 1.062
Word Count Total: 1.062 / 6.250
Last edited by Johann on 15th September 2018, 8:55 pm; edited 3 times in total