Rescue the Roosters Part 2

XXX -- Space for mission info.


Homura listened as the man, Arthur-- his senior to the guild, explain how they were going to round about the chickens and roosters. It was a simple job and no magic would even be needed. Still, that was not the problem at all. Sure using magic made things difficult as it wasn't part of his own, but tied to another person inside of him. A hedonistic, impulsive god of destruction who would love any chance to get free and cause chaos. Keeping 'calm' wasn't easily done either.

To make matters more awkward to him, Homura watched as the knight walked over to the chickens all calm and kindly and picked one up. Despite the chicken frailing about a bit, it didn't resist strictly all while the man spoke calmly to the animal.

Again-- I'm going to puke, Asura replied inside Homura's head.

A sigh escaped Homura as he witnessed how it gone. "Again-- its not that simple. I have some... problems that make being calm difficult. Neither the time or place to talk about that crap." he said bitterly. "I'll try to hear them right and carefully as possible but I make no promises."

His tone was grudging as he moved and reached another end of the group of animals. He gently approached them and as he did, his 'simmering' emotion definitely made them a bit more cautious. At most, they began to move away from Homura-- and towards the direction, they were meant to be heard.

All the while he kept his emotion as calm as possible-- and also try to keep Asura's bloodlust down. The demon within wanted to shout or spook the chickens-- just for the hell of it. Just for a meager entertainment. As he did this, he just grudgingly tolerated the boring task and the need to keep his emotions in check.

It made him wonder just how much this guy knew about him. Probably little to none if he expected Homura to heard animals. NOt the best use of his skill or temperment.

WC: 341

Arthur furrowed his brow at the other man's statements. He could understand that, but not particularly know from experience. Sure, knowing demon slayer magic made him a little antsy around the undead and other dark demonic creatures, but nowhere near having problems with control and staying calm or whatever. But the man clearly didn't wanna talk about it right yet and so Arthur would open that can of worms another time. It was sad though, to know that the man was suffering with some type of mental affliction and feeling at the same time that he could not talk about it. When the other man promised to give it a good effort, a genuine smile grew across Arthur's face. Albeit somewhat nervously, nervous for the chickens that is, Arthur watched the other man nudge them in the right direction with Homura's aura of intention. Animals were always the type of creatures who could detect changing in magical signature, which is why pets like cats and dogs were popular in general.

"Thank you so much for trying. It's probably not that easy from what you're describing, but genuine efforts are the way to improvement. It starts little and works its way up from there. No promises are needed, just your honest efforts. I'm sure you'll do fine."

Watching proudly as he crossed his arms, the Paladin wondered what exactly could be causing the man's strife. Could it be some type of trauma disease? Arthur was very experienced treating soldiers who suffered from it, knew that they sometimes had triggers and generally had a hard time staying calm at any time at all. It must have been hell, Arthur though, to never have a moment's reprieve without the incessant feeling of being in danger, of fight or flight. The man could have the worrying disease too, that was definitely most related to being unable to stay calm. He could just have a fear of chickens for all that could cause a general state of unease and inability to stay calm. With a pleased expression, Arthur watched as the man completed his task of herding the chicken back into the coop. It was somewhat comedic, watching a brooding tempestuous man doing work with livestock, but damn if it wasn't his muse for medicine. This is what Arthur thrived for, personal development for the better.

"Alrighty! I think that just about wraps it up in terms of the actual job request. So, how are you finding the guild? Make any friends or anything like that? When I first came here, I was a little shy at first but I found a few coworkers to do jobs with and then my connections grew from there. And we don't have to talk about your problems with staying calm if you don't wanna. And if you're looking for a way to safely release your control, I'm always down to spar."

WC: 483 TWC: 824

The mage, Arthur was a bit more understanding that Homura gave him credit for. At least his approach was working. Using his simmering aura of frustration to urge the chickens in the right direction. For the time being, Asura was quiet and didn't give him a bit of trouble for the rest of the job. His best guess, he was keeping to himself or asleep. It made the rest of the job better to control and move the animals where they had to go. He left the more particular parts of it to Arthur.

Within a half-hour, the job was complete as Homura felt a bit more relieved it was done. They soon collected the confirmation and pay from the older lady, and that made things ease up on Homura. However, he quickly reaffirmed his composure. Any slip would give Asura an opening to take control if he was not careful.

He soon was distracted by Arthur talking to him, breaking the wall of silence Homura had constructed up himself. He certainly was a talker. He started to try and break the ice and ask more about him. Homura figured 'business first before pleasure' kind of deal ran with him, and was glad someone did think that way.

He shrugged as he turned to the paladin. "Guild's fine. A decent place to be. But let's just say its not always safe to be around me," he explained, though a bit cryptically.

The offer for a sparring fight was actually an appealing offer, but for now Asura was quiet. To provike the fight further or use magic would spur on the risk of it all. "Maybe another time. If we're done here, I'd like to get going. Maybe find some spot for a drink. I definitely can use one." he explained and began to make his way to leave via the road.

WC: 312

It seemed as though Homura thought of himself to be a danger to others. This was a problem, when combined with the fact that the man had admitted his self-control problems not too long ago. With this in mind, it definitely seemed like Arthur had a lot on his plate to get into with the man. Arthur wasn't one to shy from a challenge, however, nor give up on anybody he was treating. Arthur caught that thought and considered it. Why had he believed his guildmate to be some kind of patient? The answer was rather simple, though, in nature, as the Paladin just wanted to help his fellow guildy in having a more enjoyable life. He would take care of mental health issues just as seriously as he'd heal the injury of an accomplice. And that's all that there was to it. Nothing more, nothing less. The pay received by both of them was very good considering it was coming from an older farming couple. Normally, Arthur would help these people for free, but they had offered them money and he had just spent quite a bit recently on equipment and the likes and so he was feeling the need for a few more jewels to pad his pockets nicely. The man's curt response worried him, though, as if there was more to the story. However, that could come later, as prying too hard at glass would cause it to shatter.

Arthur was genuinely surprised when the man turned down his invitation to spar. He seemed like the type of man who'd enjoy a little friendly competition, but that was not particularly relevant if he was dealing with control issues. Perhaps Homura was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold back in a fight? Arthur would have definitely worried about that if not for his potent ability to regenerate both himself and the people around him. Healing magic was definitely useful in that regard, allowing him to take risks that others would be averse to. Smiling at the request for a drink, Arthur genuinely nodded. That sounded like a refreshing end to their day's job. A good beer was also a great chance to socialize with the guy and to just learn more about him in general. Following the fiery man, Arthur asked.

"So, what type of magic do you use? I'm well-versed in the art of healing and combat support. I have my own squadron of soldiers to command within DI, we go on missions together quite often. Might as well start getting to know each other if we're going out for a drink. I know a great bar in town, it's called 'The Sailor's Scuttle' believe it or not. It's an interesting name for a place, but not that unusual considering its in the port town not too far from here."

Arthur could feel the sunlight fading as the sun slowly set over the distant sea-covered horizon. This was a natural side-effect of his slayer magic, as it allowed him to sense the ray's intensity and thus guess what time of day it was with startling accuracy. It never worked in the darkest hours of the night, but it was an interesting tool to have for sure. From the hard day at work, Arthur found himself rather hungry. Not wanting to wait until proper food, Arthur decided to quell his hunger by snacking on sunlight. Grabbing some fading sunlight out of the sky and solidifying it into a golden mass, Arthur munched down on the magic and wiped his face. It wasn't particularly bad, but not as well-flavored as noon light.

"Oh jeez, I'm also an Ascendant Demon Slayer, I was lucky enough to learn it during my teachings at this pretty neat monastery. From what i've gathered about the magic, it was designed to be used in the vanquishment of all that was profane, demons, undead, etc. I don't actually do much of said crusading unless they're quite nasty."

WC: 663, TWC: 1799/5000

Did he say he wanted to drink alone? No-- he didn't and that was his downfall. Clearly the Paladin didn't take a hint or Homura was not the type to be too forward about it. Instead, the paladin held back no desire to leave him alone. Lovely...

He soon caught up as Homra walked away but he was quick and started talking to him. A grumble escaped Homura at the urge to be alone faded as this guy sure was persistent to get to know him. The issue was his story was a downer even in the best of cases. Further, he insisted on a place in the port town that had good drinks to order from. Either way, this guy was determined to stick to him like a fly on a horse's ass.

"You are a persistent pest, aren't you?" he came outright and said what was on his mind-- better that than let his frustrations build inside him. If he did, Asura would sure get a kick out of it and use it to arrest control from him. Still, all he heard from the demon-god was just mild laughter at Homura's desire to push the paladin away and failing. "Alright, alright... Fine. I'll go with you. "

Asura didn't comment on the magic used-- or at least not till they reached the bar. Night had fallen by then and he finally had a cold glass of rum in his hand as he took his first shot of it, enjoying the kick-- feeling as if it literally kicked Asura back from his head. "Demon slayer, huh? How ironic..." Homura commented as he sat in the bar seat beside him. "Look don't take it personally, you and I likely wouldn't get along. The reason being, my magic is a bit of a hazard... " Even still, he wasn't willing to just open up and let it out.

Either out of fear or stubbornness, Homura kept tight-lipped as to why he was like this. Even as a hot young barteder woman walked around the bar around him, causing his gaze to glance at her butt every now and again-- he still was uncertain to just open up. Now that he knew he was dealing with a demon slayer, that made things even worse. Even Homura wasn't sure what he was anymore-- god or demon now thanks to Asura's influence.

Arthur would have to somehow assure Homura he was accepted no matter his problems...

WC: 413

It would take a lot more than simply calling Arthur a pest for him to be truly put off from helping the man. His most patients were usually the ones who resisted the most. It wasn't nearly as easy to cure mental ailments as physical wounds, because the patient did not usually resist physical treatment if they were actively hurting. Though, in his experience as an expert resident of medbays for injured knights and mages, the brain could usually disguise its active hurt in blanks and layers of rationalization and explanation disguised as self-esteem or even doubt. At least Homura in his dislike of conversation and general socialization was honest. Regardless of the man's toxic words and insults, at the end of the day the two of them were still going to the bar together. As far as he was confused, this was a total victory. It was a lot easier to unwind with the use of alcohol than anything else really. While probably a bit unethical, it let his patients open up just a bit easier.

The bar was as nice as remembered it. The people were friendly and the food was surprisingly good. Ale having been served, Arthur sipped at the golden beverage as bubbles formed on his upper lip. Wiping them off, he raised his eyebrows at the mage's words. What was ironic about having demon slayer magic? Thinking about the statement in its objective nature, one of the conclusions was that the guy was somehow demonic? It was definitely a possibility that his magic was somehow related to that, given his apparent inability to control himself and that his magic was a threat as he described it. It would also generally explain why the man didnt't want to explain or open himself up, probably because the guy was somewhat related to the dark arts and Arthur was a natural extinguisher of them.

"You don't really seem to see this how I do, huh? I think you underestimate how similar the two of us really are. Different motivations probably, but same vices and methods." Arthur said as he caught the man checking out the waitress walking past their table. Raising an eyebrow at the man, he chuckled before speaking once more. "Yeah, definitely the same vices. You're thinking the exact same thing as me, but that's not the point. Are you unable to control your magic, or does it control you?" Arthur licked another coating of beer foam off his upper lip.

Calling out for a beer, Arthur smiled and waved at the woman. "I'll get a refill, if you don't mind of course." While there was nothing explicitly flirty about his exact words, the way he spoke reeked of a saccharine tone that could belong to nothing else but flirtation. "Y'know, I can guarantee that I'll be able to help you. They wouldn't assign me a platoon if I wasn't somewhat trustworthy. And I'll give you a tip, sometimes the best way to take control back over you life is to -seize it by your hands- and force yourself to face the reality that at the end of the day you are the one who allows your body to do things. That may help, that may not. And what is the worst that could happen with your magic, destroying a bit of property? Even the most sane of mages don't really care about that stuff. Are you really that different?"

WC: 574 TWC: 2786/5000

Despite every attempt t o push the paladin away, Homura couldn't help but appreciate his kander. He did in fact care and wanted to get to know Homura better-- for better or worse. Homura bottomed his rum with a final gulp and slammed the glass to the bar. While not intentionally, it did make a clank. With a silent gesture to the waitress, he made another order. "One more, darling. " he asked.

After a moment to ponder Arthur's words, he tapped his finger to the bar -- which grew faster as his own temperament slipped.

Aw, don't tell me your shy around men, are you kid? Bahahaha! Not me. I wouldn't mind getting close to knock him flat on his ass.

The comment pushed Homura a bit-- even if he was the only one to hear it. With a deep breath, he turned to face the paladin. "Alright! I'll tell you. Listen carefully. My 'magic'" he explained with same quotations, "isn't some self produced effort. It comes from a single being. My magic comes from an ancient and violent demon-god that possessed my body when I was a kid. "

The die was cast and now clear why. Homura wasn't some person who had some form of disorder or issue of mere self-control. He was possessed, which had its own share of risks.

"The god is called Asura, and he is a greedy, wrathful, blood-thirsty and deranged being. Every now and then, he tends to fight for control over my body for a chance to interact and have his way with those around me. Even now I hear him." he explained.

A grunt came from Asura inside his head. Now that is just rude, Asura replied with a mock-wounded tone.

Homura ignored the comment and continued. "I am barely able to manifest my powers without him getting rain on my body and mind. But when he does, he almost always does some form of chaos and harm to others. So tell me, does that sound like something to be safe around?" Homra asked, glare at the paladin.

Despite the harsh tone-- the waitress brought over the next drink and Homera took it. He gave another sip of it. "In all reality, it is very similar to one would call a 'god-slayer' magic. However, this god literally takes over me if I drop my guard. Now you know." he explained, taking another sip of his drink.

WC: 408

All things considered, that definitely explained quite a bit about the man sitting before him. If anything could push a man to his mental limits, it would definitely be an ancient demon-god inhabiting one's body. It was an unexpected turn, though, as Arthur had just assumed the guy was talking about take over magic and he was just bad it it. But nope, the man had a violent demon living inside of him. Part of Arthur was fighting the urge to exorcise the thing, but that probably wasn't a good idea if it was the source of the man's magic. To be stripped without would leave the man's soul damaged beyond repair. Magic tended to bond to one's soul in that way, coating themselves in each other not unlike mixing two liquids together. If the demon's magic was removed from Homura, it was inexplicably leave the man's soul damaged, which was something he wanted to avoid in general. While Arthur was definitely in the business of vanquishing demons and exorcising unlucky folks, he wasn't in the business of hurting their souls in any way shape or form presented to him. The whole thing about him getting possessed as a kid, though, was just another reason for Arthur to try and help the guy come to terms with his self-control and his powers.

Arthur had never heard of the demon god Asura, and so he took a quick mental note of it so he could ask Helios later for guidance on the subject. Greedy, wrathful, blood-thirsty, and deranged? It was obvious now why the man was so afraid, he would be too if he had something like that cooped up inside of him. It was just so incredibly sad that Homura had to go around worrying about himself killing people or just raining destruction down on his surroundings. It did sound exactly like a demonic posession though, from what he had learned at the monestary. The only thing that was different about this possession, though, is that the victim developed magical powers because of that. In all of his years slaying the profane, he had never heard tell of an incident such as that. To be in constant fear, fighting for control? Unimaginable.

"Damn, that's rough. I can't imagine having to fight for control over my own mind, let alone my own body. I know a lot about demons and their kind, so if you ever need any help in that regard just let me know, okay? And you said you were unable to use your magic without the demon threatening to take control? I think the way to get over that would just be willpower training, which we could work on."

It seemed, though, that Homura was getting a little frustrated. It was understandable of course, given his apparent anti-social tendencies. And Arthur had to admit, if not for his profficiency in healing magic, he probably wouldn't be so inclined on helping the poor guy. Because for him, Arthur was not worried about being injured or dying because Homura lost control.

"No, I agree, that does not sound safe for yourself or the people around you. If you're to continue being a member of Dies Irae, I'm going to help you get control of this thing. I don't want them to toss you out because of collateral damage, this place will be really good for you so I think you need it. And god slayer magic, huh? Some type of derivative of it? That should be interesting, given my own ability set. I wonder how our magic would get along and interact with each other. I appreciate you being open and honest with me, It takes a lot to open up like that with what amounts to be a stranger."

Arthur took another sip at his beer.

"Hey, did you wanna order some food?"

Arthur flagged down the waitress and put in his order.

"I'll have some fish and chips, please. Extra gravy and dressing."

WC: 666, TWC: 3860

A sigh escaped Homura as he listened to Arthur. It was nice he understood. Take Over magic was a simple enough concept to grasp, but he was well aware of how problematic it was that if one's magic was tied to another being which now was inside you. While he didn't want sympathy-- he appreciated the fact he didn't go running or attacking him. He was better understanding than he thought. He finished his drink again, and put the glass down-- gently this time. "Thanks. Though in truth, I won't lie in saying that it wasn't a completely forced position. At the time, I was almost killed. HE made me a deal to survive. So dying in the middle of a warzone or be a demon-god's vessel. The former seemed like a stupid option." he said as he realized now he was growing hungry. Just normal hunger and not Asura's constant hunger for carnage.

Either way, his bond to Asura was at best-- symbiotic. Asura revived him when he was on the verge of death in exchange for inhabiting his body. And because of that, he was given magic power to it as well. Normally he would have had to study and train for it, but he was given the ability to use it freely, requiring more practice to use it than study as most mages would.

"I can use fragments or partial transformations from Asura, varying on form-- without losing control most of the time. However, he will either cause full transformations or if I resort to them-- he could take over. And that is when things get ugly. Still, a fire god's power is nothing to take lightly-- hense the fried chicken concern. " he explained in detail.

With Arthur talking how likely their magic would work well together-- Homura scoffed at that. "Not well I bet. You're a demon slayer, and my god slayer magic comes from a demonic god. No matter how you slice it it's like trying to douse a fire with kerosine. " he replied.

Ahahah! Now that'd be funny to see! I should try that sometime! Asura bellowed in his head.

Homura grasped his head lightly as if to try and cover his ears-- but naturally, it would be to no avail. "Oh, shut up, you idiot." His grumble would no doubt be heard by Arthur, but as soon as he calmed down-- Homura looked at him apologetically. "Sorry... Didn't mean you."

At the mention of food, Asura looked at the waitress with a smile. "A double hamburger please with ketchup, and peppers please." he asked.

As his order was placed, he continued. "I can't say I joined Dies Irae without reason. At least here, my 'destructive nature' can at least be done to some better purpose than just destruction alone-- like a certain idiot in my head." he commented.

WC: 479

That was, in general, just a little bit different than Arthur had expected. Most demonic posessions were not consensual in nature. Although, given how Homura described the matter, he doubted it was entirely consensual either. Demons were opportunistic beings, and so of course the monster waited for the prime time to strike up a deal, contract, whatever it was that the malevolent being had agreed to do with Homura. It made him sick to know that the guy was having to deal with all of those thoughts and impulses because of an unruly demon. Arthur had to agree though that the deal was probably the better option, a long as it came with no other strings attached such as condemnation to hell. Definitely not the type of thing that was worth temporary extensions of life. Although, if that was not the case, the paladin probably would have agreed to the same type of thing. In all honesty, if he was on deaths door, he'd probably do everything within his power to not actually die and face the dark loneliness of the void. He wondered what the afterlife would truly be like. Would he be met with Helios and reside among the cosmos with him? Or would he be sent to the fields of asphodel to eternally wander in purgatory. The thought made him shiver, no more existential thoughts or conundrums, it really tended to ruin the appetite.

"Fair point, actually, anything is better than dying. Can't really disagree with you there."

As Homura described to him how he wielded his magic, Arthur was genuinely interested and invested in the conversation. It hadn't occured to him that take overs could come from beings like demons, and while it was certainly possible, it didn't seem like it was particularly the safest option. All in all though, it definitely seemed as if the man had access to some pretty powerful magic if what he was saying was true. And it made sense that the man was afraid of the demon taking over, because that's what they intended to do whenever entering a body such as his. Especially when using takeover, that was pretty much an invitation saying 'here come take this body for a little bit, kay?'. Helping the man use his powers and not harm anybody would probably end up being a lot harder than the paladin previously thought. But once again, he would never just give up on a patient like that, it would be the last thing he did before retiring as a mage. If he had the power to heal people, he'd do it in any way he knew how.

"I definitely see your concern though, about the fried chicken bit. Partial takeovers are probably a lot better for you to use, although I'd have to do more research into your affliction to be sure. And I agree, a fire god's power is not to be trifled with, my own god has taught me that lesson. In fact, my own bond with the solar god, Helios, has been thrumming nervously for some time now. I think I understand why. I'm guessing demons and gods don't get along very well, but we as their avatars do not seem to be fighting, I think that's a pretty good sign don't you?"

Twiddling his thumbs, Arthur raised another eyebrow in surprise as he was told to shut up alongside being called an idiot. Interesting choice of expression, but Arthur's amusement quickly faded into a frown as he realized it was probably the demon speaking into Homura's mind. He wondered what type of influence was being whispered into his ear. Knowing the types of demons of this world, however, it was probably nothing good. And unfortunately, if it was a demon god of fire, it probably was not whispering things into Homura's ear that would bring him into the type of situation he would prefer. On the lighter side of things, at least it seemed as if the man in front of him had an appetite. Most people did not take well when possessed by a demon. Loss of appetite, headaches, and nausea were all common symptoms of possession, alongside the other tell-tales signs such as spinning heads, black eyes, etc. Although, it was probably a good thing that the man was doing none of these things. Likely, it meant that it was not a more religiously focused demon that explicitly wanted to devour the soul of its victim. All of these things were good signs, so Homura's prognosis wasn't too grim actually. It also seemed as if he wasn't afraid of telling the demon what was on his mind, as Homura had clearly just called the parasite an idiot. Arthur smiled at this, finding Homura's general brashness to be rather amusing.

"You're entirely right that your destructive nature can serve a better purpose. This guild was the right choice for you, and I'm sure of it because we and my guildmates can help train you so that you can control your powers, and hopefully be able to aid you with your more soul-bound issues. And destruction is not bad by itself, as destruction can be harnessed to fight for good or whatever it is you seek to accomplish. We can help you do that so long as it remains legal and positive. One could also say that magic itself is just purely destructive, because while my light may heal and protect, it can easily destroy to an even stronger degree."

WC: 918 TWC: 5257