theattic | THE SANDBOX

That happened indeed. That was the first time Adrian had ever been forced to experience something like that, and hopefully was also the last. He didn't really meet anyone much that seemed like they wanted to be there, and even fewer people he had any interest talking to at all. The demon guy, though...he'd been a trip. Seeing as how it seemed like he split the joint as soon as they were let loose, though, he figured that was probably the last he'd see of him.

Still, he had a little while in this town yet before shipping off elsewhere. It had been a while since he'd spent so much time in a city in the first place, more used to spending his nights under the stars anymore. Well, he'd probably sleep on the roof of someone's house somewhere that evening, so it wouldn't be all that different.

Imagine his surprise when he rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of a familiar face that was currently being stuffed to the brim with french fries. He grinned to himself as he changed courses and started in Roman's direction, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"Oi, give yourself time t'breathe why don'tcha?"

Roman promptly choked when he tried to return the greeting along with a happy wave. Excuse him for a moment. He coughed and thumped his chest with his fist before wheezing out a thin stream of smoke.

"Whhkk-kkhhh--hahah, sorry! They're only good straight outta th' grease! Hey, stranger!"

Adrian grinned, reaching out to pluck one of Roman's fries out of the basket, raising a brow as he turned it over in his fingers. "No kidding? I'm surprised you ain't put blisters on your tongue by now." He could tell just by touch that they were far too hot for any sane person to be eating, but for him they might as well have gone cold.

Adrian was able to make a clean getaway with the fry. Roman was good at sharing.

"Nah, c-comes with the territory!" Once his windpipe was empty he flashed the moth man another grin. "I win a lot of bets. Soooo, how'd it gooo?"

He wondered if his new friend had had better luck than him.

"Well I didn't get kicked out, so I guess it went as good as it could've," came his reply before he popped the fry into his mouth, having no problem talking around it as he continued. "But otherwise, didn't find anybody my type. I'm guessin' you didn't either, else I'd be steppin' in on a date right now."

"You'd be guessin' right." He looked up at the much smaller actual moths bumping against the fastfood sign. "Did find somebody who needed a math tutor so, take what you c-can get, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess. A win somewhere still counts as a win." He hadn't really had any services to offer, so most of his own dates had been pretty stilted and awkward at best. "What are you gonna do now, then? You live around here?"

"Well, after I make a few bucks off that guy who can't divide to safe his life, maybe shuffle off to the lower states. I live wherever I am." He let go of the fry basket and let it hang in the air next to him as he waved his hands dramatically to paint a picture with his words. "I'm a lone drifter, mysterious, handsome, drawn t-to the roads and wherever else my services are needed."

"Woah there, slick. I asked if you lived around here, not for the start of a romance novel," he snickered, taking advantage of his distracted hands to steal another fry. "Guess we're the same that way, then. I don't really got anywhere either, but I don't usually stay in towns."

"Aw, c'mon, I'm just gettin' started!" He finally reclaimed his fries That did get his attention though. "You lost too? You c-clean up nice for a street urchin."

"I dunno about lost. I'll find my way soon enough," he said, though he really didn't intend to settle down any time soon. He thought he had a few years back, but it really hadn't lasted very long. "Towns like these are usually too crowded for me anyway, but it's interesting enough."

"This is nothin'! You should try the big cities!" He waved his arms around again. "A sucker on every c-corner, it's good living! What do you do to get by? You busk or just lighten' folks' pockets?"

Nosy demon is nosy.

"Uuuh...latter, usually," he replied in an undertone, glancing off to the side. "Usually nick stuff off thieves that pass through where I usually stay, though. Makes it easier for me anyways, since I don't gotta go out so far."

Roman thoughtfully munched on the last few fries.

"Do what you gotta do, man. Hey, are you hungry? I got a scratch-off t-ticket on this box for an extra thing of fries."

"Well, I sure as hell won't pass up free ones, if you're offering," came his reply as he pushed his hands back into his pockets again.

He pulled the ticket out of his pocket and forked it over. "They probably won't give you the super fresh ones anyway. I just happened to get here at just the right t-time. I also have perfect timing, did I mention that?"

Please think I'm cool, bug dude.

That got a laugh out of Adrian as he stepped over to hand the ticket to the vendor, turning his attention back to Roman as he waited for them to bring the fries out. "You're just full'a surprises, ain't you?"

You have no idea.

Roman just grinned and sat back on his tail again, thrilled to have finally mastered that trick.

"Hey, once we're outta range of flammable stuff, you oughtta show me that fire t-trick of yours again! I've heard of that whole moths and the flame jazz, but you take the c-cake. Is it hard to do?"

"Eh, not really. Kindof hard to get the hang of when I was a kid, but I managed to get through it without burning my house down," he said as he took the new basket of fries from the counter once it was brought over. His brothers and sisters before him all had. All of his sisters seemed to be able to master it a lot faster than the boys, though, and Adrian himself was always a little impatient when it came to learning. He just wanted results.

"Well I'm jealous. I haven't been doing it for long at all." Once Adrian had his fries, he hopped to his hooves and waved for the pyromancer to follow him. Night finished falling and the roads were awash with yellow streetlights and bouncing reflections from shop windows. A basketball game echoed and roared from somewhere.

"What's a guy do with a power like that? Make metal sculptures? C-create those really fancy blown glass horses?"

"Sure, if you want to," he answered with a shrug as he followed Roman down the sidewalk, tossing one of the fries over his head to catch in his mouth. "My old man was pretty decent at that sorta thing. Made a lot of stuff mom used 'round the house." It was good for all of them, especially since they hadn't had a whole lot growing up.

What a strange answer.

"Why don't you?" Roman was totally planning on making/selling a super cool TRASH DRAGON once he was good enough with his fire to focus it for any length of time. He eyed the fry as it flew in its graceful arc up and then down into oblivion. "Nice! Betcha c-can't do it five times in a row!"

"Don't usually got the stuff to. I do it sometimes, though, when I got it," he shook his head a little at Roman's request, sneering. "Tch. Alright, watch me."

And so he resumed tossing the fries into the air to catch as they came down, successfully downing three before the fourth bounced off his nose with an eloquent hiss of 'ow, shit'.

Roman burst out laughing and was quick to stoop down and snatch up the fry straight off the sidewalk before eating it.

"Too baaad!"

He made a face at that but said nothing. Five second rule, and all that.

"Alright, so where are you takin' me, anyway?"

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