Ayaka was kind enough to hear her out and return with an introduction of her own. To Lumi’s surprise, the name had cemented her as another Joyan. It has been a feeling lately that she’s been coming across more of them since the war and since she’s grown a fondness for them, she was happy to meet another. Perhaps she would be able to learn more about the woman in time and her thoughts and feelings about her home. Any information was a nice addition to piecing together Benimaru’s old lands. But as content as Lumi was to meet her, she was disgusted and filled with disdain for the two rats that scuttered by. Cutting into an otherwise nice introduction. Lumi was surprised Ayaka didn’t glance down at them let alone stomp those two out. She was intriguing in her reserved nature. Ayaka’s distaste for them was written quite clearly on her features and dress, so it was indeed her choice to refrain at this moment.
Lumikki wouldn’t move an inch either, and though she could see them in her perifial vision, she never bothered to glance at them. She already knew she didn’t have to. Two of her birds went into a dive and snatched the rats up. Disappearing somewhere up above to enjoy their meal. Good, Lumi would think to herself, at least the rats have a purpose. They were insufferable otherwise but handy for sating her birds.
” Ye sure ya want ta waste yer whole says speaking to the masses one at a time? To be frank, many of ‘em are daft. But besides that, it’ll eat up a lot of yer time.” She looked up at the sky as she spoke. It was looking cloudy since she woke up, it had made her want to leave her bed even less but now it was looking like it’ll start to rain soon. Lumi sighed, she didn’t mind being wet and cold per se but she wasn’t in the mood to look at wet rats today or suffer their stench longer than she’d like.
” Tell ya what, I don’t hate the idea of talkin' to ‘em. But perhaps we could meet with the building owners and staff to talk it over. Make ‘em adhere to ya rules and maybe up the cost of the work if we find they don’t. Saves ya some time and annoying encounters so we could enjoy a nice bath when we get back home.”Lumi could notice some of the rats in the dark alley just nearby. The darkness couldn’t hide them from her and with any little bit of moment they had become noticeable. She sighed deeply again, using her magic to push them out of the shadows with just a small wave of her hand. It always unsettled her just how many of the rodents were around. Usually, wherever Lumi had tended to hang out the most, many of her flock would occupy. They ate whatever rats were around and sparred her from seeing them, but here in the residential area. They were still a menace.
The rats revealed from the shadows were quickly picked off by her birds. The magic of the Demon had slowed them down to make them easy pickings.
Lumi was brought back by Ayaka’s words, and it seemed the rain had truly come. She clapped her hands to will her dark frost to shield them from the rain as they walked toward the building. More and more rats began to take their chances, scuttering around again. Whatever revealed themselves, her birds ate. Even the one’s crushed beneath her guild mate’s boot. Meanwhile, the two exchanged small talk and it was nice.
“I originally come from Fjallgard, a city commonly populated by the Dwarven folk in Iceberg. Their ilk isn’t usually the type to travel, me Uncle Brone being one of the exceptions. Not too many people point it out though so I tend to forget. I’m glad ya find it charming,” she tried to hide her blush. She didn’t expect a complaint and not from someone as pretty as her.
” Yer name tells me yer Joyan. A fasinating place ta hail from. Yer quite lovely as well lass, ye carry yerself quite strongly.” The pair entered the building to be met with a musty smell. The aroma of many things with age contained in this space had hit them both at once. Some telling of decay, some things better gone.
” Ay, we came to answer the quest! Rid ya of yer rodents and all!” Lumikki would exclaim. But no one would answer her and despite the lack of response the building was far from silent.
She ran her hands through her hair as a gesture of her frustration. Bad enough to feel contained within these walls, another to be ignored despite being here for a favor and the place wrecking and molding all around you.
The small Demon took charge for the moment, walking down the hall where she figured the landlord to be. Just at the end to the right as it would be most times, all these buildings were designed the same. She knocked on the door loud and obnoxiously. Without rest or breaks between the knocks to emphasize how she wanted them to answer at that very moment. Finally, the pair could hear the lock turning, and Lumi would halt her barrage. An old man would answer, he was aged but not so frail. It Must have been hard of hearing though or maybe he was already losing his mind as he still didn’t understand why they were there.
“ Yesssss girl? Did you really have to pound on my door like that? It would behoove you to have more patience for your elders sweetheart.” The old man groaned at the small Demon.
”It would behoove ya to have an aid around if ye can’t take ta greeting yer guests. Especially ones here to do ya a service, sweetheart.” Her eyes were flashing purple as she spoke,
” Listen mate, appearances don’t always denote an elder and I hardly have the patience to spare. Ya want the rats gone or not?!” The hallway was already dimmly lit but the light seemed as if it was waning just a little bit more. One of the lamps that was sitting on a nearby and keeping the way lit fkickered for a moment.
Lumikki wasn’t always the angry type but a mix of her annoyance at the man and the task at hand had set her off. She figured the more she pressed, the faster they could get paid and leave.
As if to prove the point of her urgency, another rat could be heard scratching within the walls. She sighed while banging really hard on the wall. The rats dying cry could be heard soon after.
”Gross…I just wanna go back home….”The man observing it all just turned to look toward the soundd and then back to her. “Yea, it would be nice to get started on dealing with that, huh?”
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