"No."
"Please~ I promise, it's just a weapons store~"
"My answer is still no." Volibear said with a hint of steel in his tone as he took his seat by the door, next to Flame. Sadly Kirche rarely took 'no' for an answer. Second strongest mage in her year, yet I'd choose fighting Tabitha any day...
"I'll get you a treat once we are done. Something good, like a cow bone."
Well that's just insulting.. "I. Am. Not. A. Dog." The miniature familiar glared up at the dark-skinned teen, or at least tried to. In his tiny form, he lacked the teeth and muscle to make it anything more than a rather childish pout. "Regardless. I know nothing about blades. My opinion wouldn't help."
"Tabitha~"
Tabitha just shrugged. Not my problem.
"Oh you are so mean to me~" Kirche sighed in a final attempt to guilt Tabitha into agreeing with her. "Fine, fine. We'll find Darling's sword by ourselves."
Volibear snorted as the two mages went into the dingy weapons shop, leaving the two familiars to talk, sleep, whatever it is they do in their spare time.
"..."
"No. I'm not talking to you." Volibear shot back, turning his nose up at the Salamander.
"..."
"I don't care what Kirche told you to do, you abandoned me to that She-Devil and her insidious clutches..." The small bear suppressed a shiver at the memories. Tonight, I am finding Marteau and I am getting wasted. The familiar resigned himself to the age-old solution of manhandling bad memories into the back of a person's psyche. Drinking them into oblivion with copious amounts of alcohol.
He'd have preferred to visit a therapist, but the possibility of finding anyone qualified to deal with his trauma in this place seemed like it'd be nothing short of a miracle. Bottoms up is the only way...
"..."
"Again. Comrades. We are comrades in this. Comrades do not throw each other to the wolves because their master orders it."
"..."
"So what if you aren't a soldier! We are all warriors in this war called life! We stand by each other's side in the face of adversity..."
"..."
"Now you are just making up excuses..."
"..."
"Please. It is the infatuation between cubs.. and I won that fight! Not the blue cub.."
"..."
"No, it doesn't matter. I just believe that a warrior should get the respect they deserve for their accomplishments."
"..."
"... Why would I be jealous?"
"..."
"Listen here, you over grown lizard. I am a respected elder of the Ursine-"
"..."
"The Ursine are a proud race of warriors, known for our ferocity and tenacity on the battlefield-."
"..."
"I know you haven't heard of us, that's because I'm from another dimension-"
"..."
"I am -not- going to sit here and argue the complexities of inter-dimensional travel."
"..."
"Why? Cause I am a simple shaman. I listen and aid the spirits. If I needed to know how to travel between space and time, they'd have told me."
"..."
"Because, I do not care for that kind of power. So long as my clan prospers, and the little cub is safe, I am content."
"..."
"We have a saying among the Ursine. No matter how sharp your teeth, and strong your jaw, always take small bites when eating. Even the greatest warrior can choke on an unexpected bit of fat."
"..."
"No, I didn't make up the saying, it was from the ancestors. The shaman Fel-"
"..."
"Now you are just being rude."
"..."
"No. Insults I can deal with, but to shame the name of one of the greatest Ursine shaman's demands either an apology. Spoken, or paid in blood."
"..."
"Your blood, you overgrown lizard... what would I do with someone else's blood.."
"..."
"...We are not having this discussion Flame."
"..."
I never thought I'd miss Kirche.
"No."
"..."
"No, means no."
"..."
"I do not care if your master would approve.."
"..."
"You're a terrible influence.. or your master is.."
"..."
"You would pin the blame on her."
"..."
"Doesn't matter. I'm still telling her about how you threw her under the carriage."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"And we are back!" Kirche kicked the door open, a brown package held in her arms as she looked at the scene before her. Volibear and Flame rolling around in the dirt, the former trying to get a firm grip on the latter's fire-breathing throat.
"Trouble?" Tabitha asked, unable to see the squabbling familiars with her friend blocking the exit.
"Um..." The Germanian noble wasn't quiet sure if she should say yes or no as Flame finally pinned Volibear to the ground, snapping at his nose with his beak.
Too long. Tabitha gently pushed her friend aside to watch Volibear flipped his position, straddling Flame's chest before punching the back talking iguana in his stupid face. Curious..
"Should we stop them?" Kirche asked as Volibear got a face full of fire, doing little more than singeing the tips of his fur and adding a bit more haste to Volibear's soft punches.
"Yes." Tabitha nodded as she waved her stave for a simple levitation spell, grabbing Volibear by the collar as he struggled to get one last hit on his red rival.
Flame for his part seemed to grin for his 'victory' before getting a reprimanding smack to the back of his head. Kirche didn't know who started the fight, so she was going to just assume they both did.
Tabitha turned Volibear around to face her, raising an eyebrow at her familiar's actions. Volibear just stared back. In his mind, he wasn't at fault. It was the damn komodo dragon knock off...
"So Cutey..." Kirche started once Flame looked like he was going to behave, specifically like he wasn't going to start shooting flaming spit balls at the floating fuzzball. "Would you like to explain what happened while we were inside?"
"The dragon hatchling insulted my honor..." Volibear mumbled under his breath.
"Sorry Cutey, I didn't hear you." Kirche smiled at the floating familiar, looking him in the eyes while Tabitha hung back to listen.
"Flame may have insinuated that my father was a throw rug and my mother a pillow after I chewed him out for leaving me alone with the She-Devil."
Kirche blinked before turning her attention to her familiar. If a Salamander could ever look guilty, now was the time. "Is this true Flame?"
Flame simply coughed and sent out a short burst of flames. "..."
"I see. Flame. You are to apologize to Cutey for being rude." Kirche stared down her familiar as he blew another bit of smoke before giving a short nod.
"..."
"Gecko wannabe." Volibear growled back under his breath at the 'apology'.
"..."
"Want to go for a second round you red-legged-" Volibear started before a swift rap to the head from Tabitha's stave shut him up. Master and Familiar exchanged eye contact for a few brief seconds before Volibear sighed in defeat.
"Good~ Now, Volibear please apologize for hitting Flame."
"I am not a cub that needs to be mothered... and I am not apologizing to this-... to Flame."
"Apologize, or we are going back to the tailors next Void day." Kirche threatened. He isn't a cub, but if he's going to act like one, I'll treat him like one.
"I sincerely apologize for my actions, please forgive me, oh great and brilliant Flame. I am at your mercy." Please don't bring me back to the She-Devil.. ever. The word's couldn't leave Volibear's mouth fast enough.
Tabitha and Kirche both nodded, hoping that this would be the only time their familiar's fought. Sadly they were mistake. The carriage ride back to the academy consisted of one-sided, or so it appeared to the mages that couldn't speak fire gecko, bickering between Flame and Volibear, with the last words out of Volibear's mouth before he disappeared to the kitchen being along the lines of a water spirit cursing an 'overgrown garden snake with a god-complex.