Sorry the posting schedule is still kinda wonky. I have a lot of stressful family stuff going on again. Drowning myself in some reggae now while I have the chance.
Zami set his arms atop his knees as he watched Jazax dump different ingredients into Dargon's cooking pot, which they'd found behind the inn's counter. He watched the goblin for a moment longer, perking an eyebrow at the strange ingredients, before he grew bored. Looking over his shoulder across the inn, he saw the table where Syrise and Khail were busy playing a round of cards together. Past them, Mythene was watching out of the entrance with her arms crossed. Zami felt himself smile slightly as he noted how beautiful she was in the moonlight, before shaking his head slightly and turning back to Jazax.
"Hey, mon," He spoke up after a moment, "Why go through all da trouble of dis?"
Jazax looked up at him flatly, his eyes looking much larger due to his goggles.
"You know why," He mumbled, barely audible.
"I just mean…" Zami paused to shrug slightly, "Why not just stay here wit her while we go back?"
"And have that old guy third-wheeling the whole time?" Jazax scoffed.
"Ya mean Khail? We could bring him to Darnassus," Zami suggested, "Da night elves ain't so suspicious of da tauren, seems like."
Jazax lifted his head again, pushing his goggles up, then he glanced over to where Khail and Syrise were sitting together. He scowled and tugged his goggles back down with a brisk snap.
"Y'know, if Syrise comes to Darnassus too, den Khail's gonna come wit us also," Zami pointed out.
"Yeah, well, I'd rather at least be there," Jazax muttered, "Make sure they don't get any alone time."
Zami cocked his head to the side, his dreadlocks hitting the side of his face.
"What? Ya jealous?" Zami snorted, "Of Khail?"
"Who's jealous?" Jazax huffed, glaring up at Zami, "I'm just… concerned, as her friend."
"About what?" Zami asked with a grin, "Dat he's gonna beat her at cards again?"
Jazax didn't respond, turning back to fixate on his potion for a minute. Zami sighed, reaching out to poke Jazax in the shoulder.
"Can I give ya some advice, mon?"
"Oh, advice on women from the guy who's never even had a girlfriend?" Jazax grumbled, "This should be good."
"Ya should just talk to her," Zami said with a shrug, ignoring the bait.
He had plenty of experience with such from all his little brothers, after all. And in many ways, Jazax did feel a lot like a brother. A little brother, even if he was ten years older than him. Jazax just had that youthful air about him, and it wasn't just because he was shorter. Most people were shorter than Zami, after all.
"Talk to who?" Jazax scoffed, "Syrise? Nah, she's too busy hangin' on that old guy's every word."
"Oh, come on. Ya just-"
"Y'know what she did when we saw each other again for the first time since Darkshore? A whole month?" Jazax furrowed his brow, glaring into the potion's bubbling contents, "She said hi to that other guy first."
"Well, yeah," Zami rubbed his head, "But dat's cause Khail spoke to her before ya did, mon."
"Well, I didn't know what to say," Jazax muttered, glancing aside, "I ain't exactly good with words and stuff. You know that."
"And so does Syrise," Zami shrugged, "I dunno why ya gettin' so hung up on who she said hi to first. She still said hi to ya right after. She stole ya chair, remember?"
"That ain't the point," Jazax grumbled, pausing to sprinkle some crushed herbs into the potion.
"So what is, den?"
"I ain't a priority to her."
"I don't really think dat a few seconds difference matters," Zami shrugged.
Jazax was quiet for a moment before moving his goggles back up onto his forehead.
"...A few seconds is all I got, Zami," He sighed quietly, glancing over towards Syrise at the table again.
"Huh?" Zami cocked his head to the side.
"C'mon, don't act like you ain't thought the same thing with Mythene," Jazax frowned, "Don't you get it?"
Zami shrugged, making Jazax sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"They're elves, buddy," Jazax said as he lowered his hand, "And we ain't."
"Uh, yeah?" Zami blinked, still not catching his drift.
"Which means they're both gonna live for hundreds more years," Jazax frowned again, "And the two of us are already one foot in the grave."
"Oh… Ya mean… dat," Zami mumbled, rubbing his neck awkwardly.
That wasn't really something he liked thinking about much. Especially when he thought about the fact that he'd already screwed up more than once. If not for his deal with Bwonsamdi, he wouldn't even be here now.
"It's no wonder she'd prefer an old guy," Jazax spoke up, breaking Zami from his thoughts, "They probably have a lot more in common."
Zami sighed and shook his head tiredly.
"I think ya seeing things, Jaz," He said as he looked over towards Syrise and Khail, "I'm pretty sure dose two are just friends."
"Yeah, and so are you and Mythene," Jazax quipped.
Zami frowned slightly, but pressed on regardless.
"But they barely known each other a month," He shrugged, "And he's old enough to be her dad… I mean, I think?"
Jazax just sighed again, dropping a severed ear into the potion.
"I guess you're right," He shrugged.
"Yeah, and plus he keeps beatin' her at cards," Zami pointed out, "And y'know Syrise hates to lose."
Jazax chuckled, nodding a little.
"Yeah, that's true. She does hate losing."
Jazax looked down to the potion for a minute before shrugging slightly.
"Maybe I just expected her to, I dunno, miss me?"
"Who said I didn't?"
Both Zami and Jazax jumped in surprise, looking up to see Syrise leaning over the counter above them.
"Uhh…" Zami rubbed his neck, "How long ya been dere, Syrise?"
"Long enough to hear you guys think Khail wins every game," She grumbled bitterly, before propping her chin up with her hand, "Anyway, you mind if I steal Jazzy for a minute, Z?"
"Huh?" Jazax looked up, eyebrow perked.
"Oh, sure, take him," Zami shrugged nonchalantly, "He's gettin' kinda annoying anyway."
"Hey!" Jazax scowled over at him, "What's that-"
"Great, thanks," Syrise interrupted, as she reached down and grabbed Jazax by the arm, "I have something important to talk to you about."
Zami watched Syrise yank Jazax over the counter and drag him off.
"Ya two have fun," He grinned, turning back towards the potion.
His smile fell upon realizing that meant he had to watch it now. And he knew absolutely nothing about alchemy.
