The Fast and the Beautiful (Badric & Sig).

War was finally approaching, growing closer with each passing day, and that only meant one thing: Chaos.

Everything seemed to be going wild in the Bygonegrove, yokai and bandits alike making good use of the people travelling about in fear of the war, provoking groups of mercenaries and vigilantes to also come by and make matters even more violent!

Party.

But still, despite it all, remained a peaceful spot, and an alluringly strong so! Both people and yokai seemed to avoid what seemed to be a portion of the forest, marked with large trees and apples on the ground.

And in the middle of it all, coiled upon a tree, there was a giant snake...
(Xiahcoatl)

Walking casually through all the bullshit was one Baldric, after spending a fantastic afternoon with Sig he found himself wanting to stroll through the unimaginably dangerous woods of the Bygonegrove.

Of course in comparison to what is dangerous to him, it wasn't so bad at all- but I digress, it's still dangerous. And as he does exactly this.. strolling, he finds himself walking directly towards a giant serpent of flaming glory.

..What?

He stopped, sorta standing awkwardly, just staring at Xiahcoatl as he found himself absently scratching the nape of his neck in confusion. Was this a hallucination?.. He didn't recall using any of that batch but...

No. He shook his head and folded his arms in front of his chest as he tried to decide whether or not he should go closer. Give or take a couple seconds, and he had now finished his approach to the Kaor Lord.

"Uh. Hey."

He 'sort of' knew about a giant snake terrorizing people but considering it hadn't eaten him yet.

It was probably more intelligent than just some 'giant snake'.
(Baldric Renato)

There would not be 'a couple seconds' for Baldric to ponder on the situation, because as soon as he stepped into the proximity of the Kaor, its eyes turned to stare upon him.

'And who might this one be?'

A smooth, agendered tone spoke within Baldric's mind, the long body of the basilisk reaching forward from its position to move closer, its maw half-opening with its eyes staring down upon him.

'An oscuri? From New Alteros? In the army, perhaps?'

Why did it sound so... Satisfied as it made its questions?
(Xiahcoatl)

Well, it was intelligent, that was a relief, he half expected to get eaten and leave all his friends and whatever else he had in the dark on what happened to him. Man that would suck.

"Huh. Yeah, I'm going to join the Bulwark, soon-ish. You can call me Baldric."

His posture remained candid, even though a giant telepathic fire-serpent decided to get close to him.

Man, the snake was really letting off heat, the grass was non-existant in the immediate proximity of Xiahcoatl. This thing was definitely not a snake, more of a yokai that looked like a snake for convenience.

"So.. any particular reason you haven't bitten my head off yet?"

He took an understandable step back from the giant reptilian fire demon, trying not to look away from it. It might be like a reverse medusa.
(Baldric Renato)

Sig casually makes her way into Xiahcoatl's patch of the Grove, fireman-carrying a bag of two bodies. She's clearly been here more than a couple times before, and goes whistling all the way - which is a little odd when she's approaching a giant hellsnake.

With a heavy toss, she throws out both bodies out into the grass of the clearing - both fresh bandit corpses. All injuries on them are internal, aside from significant burning across the faces.

Finally, she opens her eyes to stare up to the Kaor, throwing a respectful wave!

"Good evening Xiahcoatl! I wanted to try and ask about maybe rene-"

Then, her eyes shift over and she recognizes Baldric. This is an... awkward time.

"I uh-uhm. Hi Baldric, too! I didn't think that you've... oh..."

With that, she trails off, quietly considering the odds of just bolting it and making a new life in the country.
(Sig Aysev)

'Why would this one do that? This oscuri does not look particularily tasty...' There was a certain mocking nature to the Kaor's tone, and clearly, little importance given to him.

Instead! Xiahcoatl would turn towards Sig, its head slightly twisting towards one side at her approach.

'Baldric? Does Sig know this little one?'

Oh boy.

'What did Sig want to ask about, too?'
(Xiahcoatl)

A wry smile crept across his face as he turned to Sig and placed his hands on his hips. Not entirely sure why she was so distraught, it was just a giant snake that could kill both of them with little effort at all.

Nothing crazy.

"What's up Sig."

His posture was unnaturally calm. Perhaps he was purposefully putting on a facade to hide the fact he was absolutely terrified? Then again, he seemed to never miss a beat in any situation.

From what others could tell.
(Baldric Renato)

Okay, maybe this situation isn't quite as bad as she expected! After all, Baldric looks like he's taking it pretty well. Maybe it's just a weird coincidence...?

Sig clears her throat, looking to Xiahcoatl and back to Baldric several times, before eventually deciding to try and address Xiahcoatl first.

"I uhm... yes, yes I do know this little one! We are a... thing?"

She raises two hands and makes some incredibly vague and unhelpful wiggly gesture with the two of them, before slipping them both back under her cloak.

"I don't know exactly what kind of thing but it's totally a thing and-- right, more important stuff. Uhm..."

One hand is brought back out from under her cloak, and she motions around to the two bodies and then back to Xiahcoatl.

"Wanted to ask about how one goes about renewing deals. I don't... feel right without the strength. Everything's just a little wrong. Less... focus."
(Sig Aysev)

'A... Thing?' For as intelligent as a yokai could be, it only made sense that it had little idea regarding mortal relationships. They simply went below its interest.

For now, too, the bodies are ignored, the Kaor's focus remaining on Sig.

'Sigrid might have to wait... The deal she took expired, and someone else came to take it~.' Obviously, Xiahcoatl dealt with many people, that was how it had gotten to where it was, after all.

'Someone else wanted it, and Xiahcoatl delivered. It should expire in...'

A short pause, for dramatic effect. Xiahcoatl would never forget the timing on a deal it had made.

'About a year.'

Alow chuckle came from the Kaor as it finally moved, its jaws opening wide to take both bodies within one large glomp, swallowing them whole before returning to its previous position.

'Only two remain right now.' Another pause!

'Sigrid can have speed, or she can have beauty~.'

Baldric did not seem to be getting all that attention.
(Xiahcoatl)

Xiahcoatl: and making fun plot9
For a moment a single brow rose in confusion at the yokai's offer of beauty-

"She already has beauty. But, speed... I'm interested in that..."

He moved his hands from his hips, walking away from the demon that offered shit and stood next to his 'thing', though he didn't feel like being cute in front of a giant snake for obvious reasons.

A glance is given to Sig of course.

Was she gonna grasp for beauty if she already had someone? Seems a little.. excessive..
(Baldric Renato)

"Someone... else...?"

Sig repeats after Xiahcoatl, lowly, darkly. One eye twitches while she briefly considers trying to investigate, getting this person's name - tracking them down, beating them to death with their own arm. But that'd be a little... excessive, especially after Xiahcoatl already told her everyone deserves happiness. Someone else can get a spin with strength! For now.

Her grin widens when Baldric goes for the single most obvious flirt, but hey, a compliment is a compliment. The second there's a quiet moment, she doesn't even flinch or reconsider.

"I'll take beauty."

When she looks back up to Xiahcoatl, her grin has only widened
(Sig Aysev)

'Hoh~?' There seemed to be some genuine amusement in the Kaor's tone as Sig decided on what deal she wished to take, its head twisting again, on the opposite direction.

'Sigrid will be the very first magi to take beauty. Most seem to just... Ignore the power of such things~.' If Xiahcoatl had a humanoid body, it was clear as day that it would be a truly fabulous one.

'And considering how most mortals seem to see things... Xiahcoatl imagined they would fight over it. Oh well~.'

As usual, its tail moved towards the branches of the tree, and a single apple was brought out, this one with a large, pink rune carved upon it, but it was not yet offered towards the woman.

Instead, the Kaor turned towards Baldric.

'And this one... Baldric. Why would Xiahcoatl give him speed? What can he offer in return? Sigrid has held her parts of the deal very properly, but Baldric... Xiahcoatl knows nothing of him.'
(Xiahcoatl)

"What can I do?.. I can aid you just like Sig here does. If she likes you, I like you."

He shrugs, there was no complication to it, he wanted to go fast. She wanted to be supernaturally hot, kill two birds with one stone. That sort of thing.

He glanced at Sig as if asking for a little assistance here. She knew this creature much better than he did. And even made a successful 'deal' before it seems, so! She was his trump card.

"So, Xiahcoatl, what do you say?"
(Baldric Renato)

The very first magi to take the blessing of beauty...? Sig honestly didn't expect that at all - it sounded like potentially among the strongest of them. Technically, her first deal was for 'fame' wasn't it? Xiahcoatl had just interpreted it as physical strenght. Well, yokai are weird.

She returns Baldric's look, more puzzled than anything at first, before she realizes he's probably looking for her experience.

"Personally, I feed Xiahcoatl here all the bandits I kill while out on patrol for the Bulwark. It worked pretty good for a while - especially with the blessing I had then, I just kind of snapped bones like twigs."

A confident smirk, before she looks back to Xiahcoatl again, eyes inspecting the runic apple from afar. It looked a little different from her first, but hey, she isn't an expert on runes, or temptation yokai. Probably fine.
(Sig Aysev)

'Sss... Fine. That will do. Baldric also has to keep Xiahcoatl's existence as a secret, too.' A smirk would seem to cross upon the Kaor's visage.

'Or else bad things may happen~.'

Something in the way the yokai spoke made it clear that such things would not be happening to Xiahcoatl itself...

'The conditions are the same, Sigrid. Two years~.'

And again did its tail ruffle amidst the branches, finally bringing another apple, this one carrying a green rune carved upon its pulp, and both fruits are finally offered to the pair of Neo-Alterosi.

'Enjoy~.'

The effects of Baldric's one would be rather simple: His agility, both mental and physical, would be increased, to the point where everything seemed a tad slower...

In Sig's case, though, the effect would be far less noticeable at first. It would be as if nothing had changed, yet... If one was to turn their gaze away from her, even if for just a blink, upon looking again, she would seem a tad more attractive, fact that would repeat several times, erasing scars and imperfections, and making her body gradually more akin to the ideals of beauty and fitness. She was made into a true work of art. Oh la la!

'Be happy, and indulge into your desires, mortals deserve such things, yes~.'
(Xiahcoatl)

They ate their fruits and the first thing Baldric noticed was how slow she seemed to be eating it. Did hers taste good, or something..? Wait..

Everything was rather slow and.. predictable. Like he was seeing in 200 fps.

Of course, when he looked back at Sig, his eyes narrowed, pupils dialating. Woah. Was this like.. a hallucination, or was she even more attractive than before? That's.. crazy. This snake was the real deal.

Before she could even turn to see his reaction to her changes, he was already holding an arm around her waist. It was unlikely she even realized he was doing that before she blinked.

Though.. suddenly the wind gusted rather violently as the air around him finished shifting to adjust to his sudden burst of speed.

"Woah.."
(Baldric Renato)

Sig grabs for hers, quickly ravenously consuming it! Just any power of Xiahcoatl's felt like a rush - even if, in a case like this, it's mostly in her head. Before getting the chance to inspect herself at all, or hardly even register what's happened, Baldric's got an arm around her.

One blink, as she looks to him and then to Xiahcoatl.

"...Fancy."

After just a word, she takes the chance to draw her right hand and bringing it closer to her face, pulling off the gauntlet on it. Where there used to be a nasty scar, there's... nothing. No bruises, no scars, no scratches. Just a completely flawless form.

"...Think I need to look myself over in the mirror for a while. This is... spectacular."

The grin spreads on her face, after being gone a short time out of surprise. Yes - yes this is a feeling she could get used to. A feeling of pure pride.
(Sig Aysev)

'Sigrid. Xiahcoatl has heard that some mortals sell silly trinkets and potions that do the same things... But unlike them.' A proud chuckle is given.

'Xiahcoatl can actually do it.'

No downsides, at least not apparently. No tricks. No lies. Only results, and a little price to pay~.

'And if Sig and Baldric help Xiahcoatl ascend to Imperfection...' Another chuckle, of pure expectation! The mere thought of ascending was enough to make the kaor giddy.

'Then this will all be all the better for everyone~.'

Leaning its head back to rest upon some branches, the basilisk merely watches.

'Surely, Sigrid and Baldric will help Xiahcoatl, yes? For the sake of happiness~.'
(Xiahcoatl)

"Mhmn.. Yes, I'll help you out.", he answered casually as he looked down at Sig, holding her a little closer and tighter than before. There was an unnatural grace in everything he did now, and even the slightest movements seems too fast.

"So, Sig- what about you.. you wanna keep this going?.."

He seemed a little eager but, for the most part it only exaggerated feelings he already had about her. It's not like there's anything wrong with having your cake and eating it too, right?..

Right...

"So uh.. what now?.."
(Baldric Renato)

The reactions from the fire magi - now supernaturally beautiful - are somewhat... delayed. Before responding to anything, she continues to stare at her hand, looking for any sign of even a scratch. Nothing... nothing at all.

This feeling is definitely going to get to her head soon, if it hasn't already.

After a time, she eventually looks back up to Xiahcoatl with the widest of grins, nodding quickly.

"Absolutely. I don't even have to think about it. If this is what you can do for people, while not even having reached Imperfection - I can't imagine how perfect I'll look if you... how perfect anyone could look."

She corrects herself, trying to not seem like she's quickly getting attached to this feeling. Then, she looks to Baldric and gives him another nod.

"...Yes, yes. Keep... all of this going. We should probably be going soon, and I'll make sure to bring Xiahcoatl back a dozen bodies."
(Sig Aysev)

Xiahcoatl: Haah~.
Xiahcoatl: Go, little ones.
Xiahcoatl: Enjoy what Xiahcoatl gave.
Baldric Renato: Oh, I will.
Sig Aysev: Me too!