What do you look for in a romantic partner?
[locked to Iolaus]
Groaning, Joxer got down off of the horse he'd been riding all day and most of the day before. Bow legged, he went though the motions of rubbing Pudge down and watering him, before tethering her to the tree beside Storm, Iolaus's horse. At least Pudge hadn't tried to buck him off, after the first couple of times.
After getting the fire started, Joxer settled in for a few minutes. Neither of them were cooking tonight because they hadn't taken the time to do any hunting. Day old bread and cheese wouldn't be too bad though, and if they remembered to leave the oats to soak over night, they'd have oatmeal in the morning.
Pulling over his bag, Joxer intended on pulling out his dinner when he jerked back with a curse, "There's another one!"
Looking across the fire, Iolaus raised an eyebrow, "Another what? Did one of those mice from that field yesterday get in your bag?"
"No." Pulling out the rolled up scroll, "Another one of these..." the last word hissed, he was really starting to hate seeing the mysterious scrolls, the last several times had upset him.
"Just burn it."
"And upset the Gods?"
"Joxer, you can't even say for sure it's from the Gods."
"Then how in Hades did it get in my bag Iolaus? We've been on the horses all day and I know it wasn't here this morning."
"Well then, what does it say. You might as well get it over with."
Taking a deep breath, Joxer held the scroll like it was going to explode and carefully unrolled it, then growled. A very unusual sound coming from him, "This has got to be from some one in the House of Love at least..." Tossing it over towards Iolaus, "What do you look for in a romantic partner? Why the hell do they want to know that?"
Catching the paper, "Maybe because they want to see you happy after the crap they've put you though?"
"Oh I can just see it now, Mister tall dark and handsome will finally come along, sweep me off my feet and treat me right? I don't think so. I gave up on that about the same time I nearly lost my mind last year." Standing up and kicking a nearby tree.
"Joxer, you didn't lose your mind, and you came out it a better person in the end. Maybe this is a turning point?"
"Yeah... right... look at me. A simple question and I'm a mess again. I barely keep it together most days as it is. Oh yeah, there are good ones, but lately it just feels like..."
"Like all this running around chasing a ghost is grating at your nerves and you find it hard to hold it all together. I know how you feel Joxer. It gets better." He didn't move, he knew the other man needed to get this out. Though he was surprised he could stand after that day of riding.
Sinking back down to the ground with a grown, "So I should just answer it?"
"Hey, who knows... you might even get what you ask for." Grinning and adding another log to the fire.
"Someone who will put up with me... someone who likes me, maybe even love me." Quietly, so that Iolaus only sees the moving of his lips, but doesn't hear the words, "Won't hurt me for being clumsy." Louder, "But most of all, just someone," he had a someone in mind, "anyone," Ares, "who I could love... really love in return. Not just like... but real love. The kind that makes your heart skip a beat... makes you feel like a million denars. Real."
"You know, that isn't too much to ask."
"It seems to be for me..."
"Joxer, there is a young lady waiting back near Bliss's temple who could fill all those things."
Struggling to his feet again, Joxer turned his back to the fire, but his words flowed back as he walked away, "No... she doesn't." Disappearing into the woods, not wanting to have to deal with the next round of questions that statement would bring up. He'd face them in the morning.
Groaning, Joxer got down off of the horse he'd been riding all day and most of the day before. Bow legged, he went though the motions of rubbing Pudge down and watering him, before tethering her to the tree beside Storm, Iolaus's horse. At least Pudge hadn't tried to buck him off, after the first couple of times.
After getting the fire started, Joxer settled in for a few minutes. Neither of them were cooking tonight because they hadn't taken the time to do any hunting. Day old bread and cheese wouldn't be too bad though, and if they remembered to leave the oats to soak over night, they'd have oatmeal in the morning.
Pulling over his bag, Joxer intended on pulling out his dinner when he jerked back with a curse, "There's another one!"
Looking across the fire, Iolaus raised an eyebrow, "Another what? Did one of those mice from that field yesterday get in your bag?"
"No." Pulling out the rolled up scroll, "Another one of these..." the last word hissed, he was really starting to hate seeing the mysterious scrolls, the last several times had upset him.
"Just burn it."
"And upset the Gods?"
"Joxer, you can't even say for sure it's from the Gods."
"Then how in Hades did it get in my bag Iolaus? We've been on the horses all day and I know it wasn't here this morning."
"Well then, what does it say. You might as well get it over with."
Taking a deep breath, Joxer held the scroll like it was going to explode and carefully unrolled it, then growled. A very unusual sound coming from him, "This has got to be from some one in the House of Love at least..." Tossing it over towards Iolaus, "What do you look for in a romantic partner? Why the hell do they want to know that?"
Catching the paper, "Maybe because they want to see you happy after the crap they've put you though?"
"Oh I can just see it now, Mister tall dark and handsome will finally come along, sweep me off my feet and treat me right? I don't think so. I gave up on that about the same time I nearly lost my mind last year." Standing up and kicking a nearby tree.
"Joxer, you didn't lose your mind, and you came out it a better person in the end. Maybe this is a turning point?"
"Yeah... right... look at me. A simple question and I'm a mess again. I barely keep it together most days as it is. Oh yeah, there are good ones, but lately it just feels like..."
"Like all this running around chasing a ghost is grating at your nerves and you find it hard to hold it all together. I know how you feel Joxer. It gets better." He didn't move, he knew the other man needed to get this out. Though he was surprised he could stand after that day of riding.
Sinking back down to the ground with a grown, "So I should just answer it?"
"Hey, who knows... you might even get what you ask for." Grinning and adding another log to the fire.
"Someone who will put up with me... someone who likes me, maybe even love me." Quietly, so that Iolaus only sees the moving of his lips, but doesn't hear the words, "Won't hurt me for being clumsy." Louder, "But most of all, just someone," he had a someone in mind, "anyone," Ares, "who I could love... really love in return. Not just like... but real love. The kind that makes your heart skip a beat... makes you feel like a million denars. Real."
"You know, that isn't too much to ask."
"It seems to be for me..."
"Joxer, there is a young lady waiting back near Bliss's temple who could fill all those things."
Struggling to his feet again, Joxer turned his back to the fire, but his words flowed back as he walked away, "No... she doesn't." Disappearing into the woods, not wanting to have to deal with the next round of questions that statement would bring up. He'd face them in the morning.