chrisisofaith | IC Contact

Don't know that I need more.

[Chest on his...he probably shouldn't have said that, but he was already feeling a touch lighter for the drinks and the comfort from all his associations were already there and-

Honestly, fuck it. This was the most 'at home' he'd felt. One off-color joke wasn't going to hurt. It probably wasn't even noticed.

By the time he's out of his head, Bull's asking another question, but he doesn't have to think hard, at least.]

Malik Kallian. Sailor and procurements for the temple. Walked into my brothel one day and wanted to buy my time, but I wasn't for sale. Didn't do that kind of work there, so he bought my time as a Companion. Told me stories, showed me new things. It was a very improper trick to be learnt. So, of course, I loved it and learned it as quickly as I could.

[Bull finds Chris pulling himself back and smiles more at him. Especially when he shares the story of how he learned that trick. It makes him chuckle and he nods.]

I like him already.

[He's never met him of course but that sounds right up his alley.]

Did you get to spend some more time with him after that?

You probably would.

[Chris didn't know Bull very well, but he was personable and so was Kallian, he could imagine they'd be tossing back drinks and laughing within minutes of saying hello.

The question puts a slightly more wistful look on his face.]

Yeah...he spent from nightfall to daybreak with me that night. Same night after and the night after that. A whole week of nights, him talking and me listening at first, but then the other way too. Last night was the best night.

[The night Chris- Crystal had asked for permission to have Kallian's company. A night of quiet touches and then serious conversations about revelations to be had. Him finding her trying on his clothes while she thought he slept. His gentle coaxing, a blade to help with hair down to her lower back and he'd never felt so light after that.

His expression didn't change but he sat up from where he'd been leaning and shook his head.]

Course, as these things go, he set sail day after that with promises to return and never did. Found elsewhere to be or elsewise found a watery rest, but he taught me a lot about a lot of things.

Edited 2020-12-23 00:29 (UTC)

Those are the most interesting people you'll have in your life. Where they leave a strong impression and teach you something important about yourself. Sometimes they'll stay with you, sometimes they won't.

[He chuckles a bit. So far it's seeming like this guy has some details he's leaving off. Bull's pretty sure it has to do with the gender thing but he's not going to address it. Chris is a guy and that makes him a guy. Doesn't matter what's under his clothes for Bull.

Being raised Qunari gives him a very different take on things at times. A lot of the time.]

And you never know. Life isn't over. You might seem him again.

Yeah. Probably. One way or another.

[The best part of being a Death Cleric was the assurance that there was something past life anyway. Even if Kallian died or Chris died or both, hopefully he'd at least get a chance to ask his friend what happened. As long as he'd been happy, that would be all that mattered.

Their new drinks arrived and Chris took up his as he nodded to Bull.]

Your turn. Dealer's choice: eye or fingers, what happened?

Lost the eye because I was at a tavern where some guys were harassing someone who is now one of my boys just because he'd been born a woman and tried to hide that so he could fight. When they tried to make an example of him, I took the flail meant for him to the face.

[He makes a popping sound.]

Gone went the eye. Krem's my right hand man now.

[He down plays the heroics of that a good bit because that's never been his focus. It's not a big deal to him. Bull saw someone who needed him and he stepped in. Simple as that.

Taking a drink of the thing been given to him, he hisses at the nice burn before talking again.]

Now the fingers are a fun story. [He chuckles and gives a grin.]

So if you want that story I can give you that one too.

[Chris winces for the popping sound, his imagination wasn't terrible and he could visualize it all too well. He'd seen what a flail could do to a man, even if he'd never felt it himself. Still, the heroics weren't lost on him even with only that.

A man didn't have to step in for that. Chris hadn't faced much of that himself, but he'd never been caught and by the time it even came up in a bigger arena, he'd had plenty of people who would have stepped in. Chris had been lucky. Sounded like Krem had been lucky as well.]

That was good of you. I'm sure he appreciates it.

[He took his own drink but gestured for Bull to continue, he coughed as the drink went down, but managed to keep from choking on the burn. Good.]

If you're offering, I'm listening.

Yeah. Way he tells the story makes me sound like some hero which I'm not. I just saw Aqun-Athlok, like you, and wanted those assholes to stop.

[Bull doesn't view himself as a hero. Doesn't matter the tall tales he might tell sometimes he's not a hero. Just a mercenary who was in the right place at the right time.]

Alright. So we had this job where we had to take out this group of bandits. They were really getting in the way of some trade routes and people didn't want to involve soldiers. What do you do when you don't want soldiers? You get mercenaries.

My boys and I went out there and the leader was this big guy all round and fat. Fast though. A lot like how pigs are even when you have them well fed on a farm. Well my boys had the rest taken care of but this guy was mine. He got a few good hits in but that was when I really felt my blood pumping.

[He downs his glass and hisses at how good that liquor is. Then he raises his arms up like he's wielding a huge weapon and swings through the air.]

I went to cut his head off and he ducked and gave a swing of his own. Felt some pain but I was too busy roaring as I gave a huge spin. Looked like a damn tornado as I took his head off.

Later Krem came to look at my injuries and saw the tips of my fingers were gone. We had a laugh until I made him groan when I told him that I guess I wouldn't be strumming any exotic organs anytime soon.

[Bull laughs again at his own sex joke.]

Now I've got these two gone for good.

['Aqun-Athlok' is far nicer term than some of the ones he's thought. It's not his to use, but he'll remember it for as long as he can.

He's an attentive audience as he sips on the drink and listens to Bull's story, though he grins for the sex joke even as he tries to hide it behind his glass.]

That sounds damn impressive. It's funny, you reminded me of my friend cause of the height and the horns and laid-back attitude, but the way you fight sounds similar too. He carries a great big sword and when he goes into a fight, he harnesses his anger and rage into being stronger. Sometimes that means taking hits he barely feels cause he's too busy using that anger.

Dunno...sounded similar. If he ever showed here, I'd pay money to see the two of you spar.

Anger huh? That's probably closer to a Berserker actually. I'm what we call a Reaver. I take pain and injuries inflicted on me and turn that into power I need to fight. Dangerous way of doing it because you're literally letting yourself bleed out to be stronger but it works for me.

Really?

[He's...definitely fascinated with that idea. And just drunk enough now that there's no chance at hiding it. That sounded ideal, in a way...how much better might he be in a fist fight if he could turn the hits landed on him into more strength? Could he turn his pain into more pain when he cast inflict wounds and flexed necrotic magic through his enemy's veins? Fighters and clerics had enough overlap, perhaps...]

You must annoy the shit out of your healers, though.

[Because, on the opposite side of that, if Chris were the one needing to watch Amnos or even Iron Bull to make sure they didn't fall, extra injuries wouldn't make him happy.]

[That makes him burst out laughing, throwing his head back as he does.]

Damn right I do! Usually they have to use this magic that revives you in battle. Gets you back up on your feet. My boss had a good mage around in battle with us usually and they'd have me back up in no time. Otherwise I just pop some potions if I really needed that pick me up.

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