It's Called Brand Loyalty

[westfallcorndog]

 "So, I got a question..."

Asking today is Harrowheart, who's wandering the Nexus' Downtown district puffing away at cigarettes and stopping at holiday stalls up and down the major streets. He leans over now and then to consider the merchandise on display, pensively looking over the goods with his arms folded behind his back and his hands rubbing at his chin or scratching his sideburns. But he doesn't buy anything – not yet anyway. 

"Should you change things about yourself to get what you really want outta life? Or should you always be the 'You' that comes most natural, and get whatcha get outta that?"

Comments

[lovesuwithknives]

"Did you follow me here, Outsider?!" Azwel shouts. A glowing blue shield snaps into existence to block this dark magic, but some gets through. It sends him sliding back a few feet, teeth gritted and one eye squeezed shut.

He presses the attack, charging forward, two large swords slashing out before him. Again, the blue one misses its target unaccountably and obviously, but not so much the red one, it seems.

[westfallcorndog]

Harrow would respond if he weren't, you know, under ATTACK. He takes a heavy strike to the shoulder from the red weapon and howls at the pain of his broken bones. His runeblade slices for the other man's legs as Harrow stumbles sideways.

"Fuck off!" he growls as he scrambles away, trying hard to keep a distance between himself and this madman. "I don't know you!"

His runeblade swings once more before retreating towards its wielder. If they're going to make a swift exit it's going to need to be near him.

[lovesuwithknives]

A strange answer from an Outsider... The runeblade sweeps Azwel's feet out from under him entirely, flipping him into the air. He thumps to the ground on his back, losing his breath entirely, but quickly regains his feet. He's panting as he flings a blue light spear which, again, misses completely.

The runeblade hits him a second time, spinning him round and sending him crashing to the ground again. Once more, he's quickly back on his feet.

And then it hits him. No, not the runeblade again, the fact that this individual backed up and spoke. He pauses, then, staring.

[westfallcorndog]

Whoever the hell this madman is, he's stopped his assault. And you know what? Harrowheart isn't curious enough to find out why. He's not even interested in knowing who this guy is, what his motivation is, what he thinks Harrowheart is – none of it. The only thing that's on his mind is getting the fuck out of dodge, and fast.

With a healthy distance between them now Harrowheart's hands and arms make fast work of a dark spell. A crackle of purple lightning foretells the conjuration of a door made of dark fog. The rancid smell of death pours out from the mist.

One of Harrowheart's hands summons his floating runeblade to his palm and he grips it tight, and with one last look at the man who attacked, Harrowheart steps through the portal.

The spell ends shortly, the portal closing with a rush of cold wind. The blast teeters a nearby holiday stand, which rocks, rocks, rocks as the tiny reptilian vendor tending it runs left and right in a frantic attempt to catch it before it falls. But it stabilizes!

Right before the delicate glass balls come tumbling from its front, crashing to the ground and shattering on impact.

"Oooohhhrrrgh!" The little lizard fumes. He points a claw at Azwel and shouts, "You're paying for that!"

[lovesuwithknives]

If this being is an Outsider, he's like no Outsider Azwel has ever seen. At the portal, his eyes go wide again and he steps forward, but it closes before he can get near enough.

...

CRASH!

Azwel startles and whirls, seeing the shattered glass. Then sighs and starts rummaging in his belt pouches for money.