Mother always told me to never give away a story for free

[tieflingtarot]

"Honestly, all this bare chest and he hits home right in the fabric..."

Did the demonic looking purple stranger look at all put out by the new locale? Not really, they'd been given a pamphlet that was currently tucked into their belt to be reviewed later. Their attention more focused on the bloody hole in their rather ostentatious coat, lips quirking on a frown as they fingered the damaged fabric lightly, tail twitching behind them in a clear hint of their annoyance.

Really, they're looking rather calm for someone that bloody. When they hear someone coming near they glance up with a jingle of jewelry both in skin and decorating their curved horns, red eyes brightening as their mouth spreads to a cheerfully hopeful smile.

"Well then!" They straighten, something of a showmanship in the shift from grumpy contemplation to sunny disposition but at the same time that shift didn't seem dishonest either. "Hello there darling, please tell me there's some manner of tailor to be found here? As you can likely see I'm in dire need of one."

Clearly this was some manner of weird afterlife, but Mollymauk would be dipped in Fuck No if anyone expected them to wander around with their coat in tatters.

Comments

[hesperussword]

Beelzebub almost laughed at the idea. "Your clothes and body say otherwise."

He motioned vaguely toward the scarring and tattered portion of his coat. War isn't so put aside by words when it is so obvious someone is into scuffles or full out battles as the case may be. Gazing down at the shorter horned being his lips purse into a disappointed and put out expression.

"A skilled craftsman could replicate this in leather but most don't think it can be and don't try." He almost rolled his eyes at the concept. A master smith and leatherworker himself, he couldn't bear the notion that everything had to be fabric and leather was clunky and constricting.

"It is already a war casualty. Mending will not renew the strength in the weaving." Beelzebub might look like a giant barbarian but he had some skill and this wasn't quite outside his knowledge, especially with the brothers who chose to visit most often.

[tieflingtarot]

"Aye they do, don't they?" He admitted with a wry huff, red gaze skipping down to an arm and the scars crisscrossing it with a faint frown, though it washed away quickly enough. Especially at the comment Bee had following, attention caught. The man looked like he knew his battles for certain, every inch had the air of a capable warrior but something of his tone spoke of a more specific knowledge than just a patron of a skilled craftsman.

"You sound as if you're speaking from experience there," Molly noted, head tilting faintly with a glitter of gold and silver from the sway of chains and baubles in the daylight. "And honestly if I'm to be finding myself in these situations, your idea would lessen the amount of times I'm being skewered which is an incredibly attractive option..."

He might be listening, Bee. Just maybe. If only because a glaive through the chest sucks and he would rather not repeat such a situation.

[hesperussword]

"You carry more than I do." Which was true of most shorter lived beings but there was humor to be found in saying it, a jest that only the angel understood at the moment.

He noticed the change in tone and watched the other being trying to pinpoint what it was. His own creation didn't have demons but the description of demonic might fit this one. Not that he had room to judge that as a Fallen Angel, which were supposed to be demonic in their own right.

"I've been the craftsman of a king for... longer than people can imagine." Even Beelzebub had to pause and consider when he started making things for the other angels. It was long before the Fall for sure. "No matter the material, a gaping opening toward your opponent won't help lessen these scars."

His solid black eyes had settled on the scars he could see on the front of the body. An open coat surely wasn't going to make that happen less.

[tieflingtarot]

"I get that a lot." Molly admitted with a laugh. "Mostly from strong, burly sorts like you that look like they could toss me overhand."

If he had the sensitivity to feel it, he'd certainly sense the infernal about Molly. Mortal to be sure, but there was definitely demonic blood there.

"Well that would explain the confidence in your assessment, as well as the shade flung towards others." Not that it bugged Molly in the least. Confidence in one's work was certainly a selling point. "And I can't say I'd be adverse to a better option, but unfortunately the opening is otherwise necessary given my fighting proclivities..."

He grimaced lightly as he fingered the edge of his coat, debating something before continuing, spaded tail flicking behind him not unlike an uneasy feline. "It's not entirely about my vanity to want to peacock about like this. It's a sort of armor in itself. Not the sort towards swords or blades as I'm certain you can see, but other things I think I'd rather not poke too deeply into."

There. Enough truth that a potential craftsman might see where the necessity to keep aesthetics in the forefront as much as practicality, but not so much as to flay him open emotionally in front of someone.

[hesperussword]

"I can toss anything overhand." He mentions with more than a little pride. "Maybe you should start asking them for training?"

Infernal doesn't mean quite the same for Beelzebub as there isn't anything that would be considered typically infernal in his creation. Though, he can sense something that he might place as mildly angelic or maybe a god blessing. Obviously, more than normal mortal.

"I am war. Armor is within my influence." And as a fallen angel abundance of confidence was a given, for most anyway. "If your fighting proclivities open you to attack you may want new proclivities."

Not that Beelzebub should be saying anything since he is currently completely shirtless. That is beside the point. There's a brief moment where he thinks of Mammon and his fancy coats and refusing to wear armor, though as an angel he had other benefits that made it less foolish to go into battle without armor.

"Vanity chose the original form of your blessed item. It could have been more protective from the beginning." The term blessed used very lightly here but he has a suspicion that some form of magic is on this coat or it is a relic, though the nature would take more concentration on the item than he is giving it currently.

[tieflingtarot]

"You might not be wrong there. I'm not sure how much it can be changed though- my blood spilled is what fuels my magic." He had no clue really. Could he change tracks? It wasn't unheard of for someone to cross train in such a manner... "You can see where that might mean a bit more exposure comes in handy, for all it becomes a tempting target."

The stranger might be shirtless, but he also looks a lot stronger than Mollymauk did. He was fairly certain that he other might be more fond of offence as defense, with the strength and skill to back it up.

"I am, at my heart of hearts, a creature of vanity, it's true." He admitted with a huff of a laugh. "But if you've a suggestion for a leatherworker who could perhaps indulge my need for ostentation as well as protection, or might be somehow convinced to take a job yourself, I find myself all ears."

Hilariously enough, for all Molly's love of it, the coat was just that. Fabric and thread, no special blessings or enchantments there. He just really liked his coat. But at the same time if this was some manner of avatar of War come to side-eye Mollymauk for his idiocy well, the chance to get such a person's advice for how to fix the problem wasn't one he was going to ignore.

[hesperussword]

"Other people have to stab you for you to be effective?" This sounded like a curse to Beelzebub. Was this another person God, or some similar being, had done something to in order to weaken them? It wouldn't be outside the angel's experience.

Despite being war, Beelzebub was more defensive though he did love to spar. He wasn't one to seek out fights for no reason like some did.

"The same is true of my brothers and sisters." The angel admits easily. "You're unlikely to find anyone with more experience than I do with armor and leather working."

He wasn't even being vain. This was a realistic idea of the situation given the age of an angel compared to others around him. Beelzebub was also notable for pointing out others being an idiot. It was his alignment with punishing hubris, occasionally, that drew him in but in this case he was merely being practical.

[tieflingtarot]

"Luckily not- blood drawn, though it tends not to need much and I can typically draw it myself." He wished he knew why he'd chosen that path. What the hell had he been about before he'd been Mollymauk that this was the most effective sort of fighting style to pick? Hell, maybe it was a curse. Not like he'd know one way or the other.

"Well, I'd be nuts not to want to hire you then," Molly hummed, tilting his head. "If you take gold, or if not are willing to work out some manner of trade?" If this guy was even a quarter as skilled as he was claiming, the tiefling was fairly certain his help would be pricey but at the same time Mollymauk did enjoy continued living.

[hesperussword]

The whole practice didn't make much sense to him. His only experience with cutting practices was Moloch. Molly and Moloch couldn't be farther apart if they tried as far as Beelzebub could fathom so far.

"If you have a grade of ore or refined gold that can be used for jewelry." The angels didn't deal in metals as money, except Mammon perhaps. Barter was the usual. "Animal feed, exotic plants or animals, relics, or other items may be a viable trade or portion of trade."

He's willing to work on a mixed payment system. The price would be dependent on the intricacy of the work. Between the three at the forge; Beelzebub, Mammon, and Azazael, anything could be accomplished.

[tieflingtarot]

Molly would be entirely happy if he could continue the rest of his life without having to draw on that power. He would, he wasn't about to just let awful things happen if he had a way to fight back, but otherwise would be happy to just keep his sword skills sharp and see about other options now that he apparently had the time.

"Gold I can do." Molly mused, palming a gold coin up between a pair of fingers, tilting it Beezlebub's way for him to take and inspect if he'd like. "The banks back home are real fussy so each coin'll be a third of an ounce and they're gold right through of a good quality. Was travelling fairly light when I showed up here so not much else to trade just yet, but won't take me long to get that sorted either."

Molly didn't mind trades that weren't coin, for all that was the easiest one right now. But then he wasn't scared to roll up his sleeves and sort out other options. He was...

Well okay he wasn't that smart, but he was an adaptable, observant bastard. It had served him well before, he was sure it would serve him just fine in this new place.

[hesperussword]

Beelzebub wasn't bothered by the lack of gold at the moment. War can very easily find a warrior, even if he slung magic, when he wanted though he didn't think Molly would cheat him.

"I can start work and you can bring the gold when you're fitted." It was an easy solution to the lack of gold currently. "I'll only need a day or two."