His eyes sharpened with a tight smile at the tiefling's answer. Was he admitting to being a charlatan, or did he know the true sorcery? Hard to say, but Joon-gi was nothing if not patient.
He'd have his answer, in time. And he would savor the challenge of unraveling the mystery of the tiefling's motives.
"It's nice to meet a fellow practitioner," he said mildly. "Please, enjoy the show."
The coin continued to dance across his knuckles, but his eyes were focused on Zhulong's face as the tiefling lowered his hood once more. His gaze locked onto those piercing yellow eyes, watching the way they tracked the coin's movement as he flourished it from one hand to the other. It multiplied into two coins, then four, each of them flitting across his palms and between his fingers in a complicated dance of spinning silver.
There was no magic. None whatsoever. Just multiple coins secreted away in his sleeves and years of practice under his belt. He could easily do this routine blindfolded, if he wished, but that would rob him of the opportunity to study this stranger further.
And study him he would. Appraise him, as one might a marble bust put on display in a private collection. He watched as Zhulong raised his hands to adjust his braid, taking note of the thick, black claws on each of his fingertips as they carded through his hair. Potential weapons, perhaps, but they would pose little threat to the likes of him.
After all, it's rather difficult to kill that which is already dead.
Joon-gi's hands passed across his face, briefly obscuring his view of the tiefling. The coins were quickly palmed with a flourish as he exposed empty hands for inspection. He smiled as Zhulong clapped with appreciation, thinking that he had managed to outwit his opponent.
But Joon-gi had gotten so caught up in his own display of skill that he hadn't noticed the tiefling's tail had slithered up to touch his right arm. He flinched at the unexpected touch, brows arching briefly in a look of surprise.
"Clever. Very clever." With a laugh, he flourished the coin once more and flicked it across the table, where it landed in front of Zhulong. "Keep it. You should always keep a bit of silver close at hand in these parts. To ward off evil."
A bit of Barovian superstition, but one with a degree of practicality. It was a well-known fact that lycanthropes have a strong aversion to silver-forged weapons, and Joon-gi kept a pair of leather gloves studded with silver in case he ever crossed paths with their kind.
He settled back in his seat and made another show of sipping at his beer. "I wouldn't say I know everything, but I know quite a bit about this land and its people. I'll gladly tell you anything you wish to know. Hell, I'll even give you a discount on my going fee because I like you so much."
A joke. Mostly. Rumors, gossip, and hearsay would all be offered free of charge. Anything more substantial than that may require an equal exchange of information in return.
Speaking of which: "You said before that you know a few magic tricks yourself. Care to show me one?"
no subject
His eyes sharpened with a tight smile at the tiefling's answer. Was he admitting to being a charlatan, or did he know the true sorcery? Hard to say, but Joon-gi was nothing if not patient.
He'd have his answer, in time. And he would savor the challenge of unraveling the mystery of the tiefling's motives.
"It's nice to meet a fellow practitioner," he said mildly. "Please, enjoy the show."
The coin continued to dance across his knuckles, but his eyes were focused on Zhulong's face as the tiefling lowered his hood once more. His gaze locked onto those piercing yellow eyes, watching the way they tracked the coin's movement as he flourished it from one hand to the other. It multiplied into two coins, then four, each of them flitting across his palms and between his fingers in a complicated dance of spinning silver.
There was no magic. None whatsoever. Just multiple coins secreted away in his sleeves and years of practice under his belt. He could easily do this routine blindfolded, if he wished, but that would rob him of the opportunity to study this stranger further.
And study him he would. Appraise him, as one might a marble bust put on display in a private collection. He watched as Zhulong raised his hands to adjust his braid, taking note of the thick, black claws on each of his fingertips as they carded through his hair. Potential weapons, perhaps, but they would pose little threat to the likes of him.
After all, it's rather difficult to kill that which is already dead.
Joon-gi's hands passed across his face, briefly obscuring his view of the tiefling. The coins were quickly palmed with a flourish as he exposed empty hands for inspection. He smiled as Zhulong clapped with appreciation, thinking that he had managed to outwit his opponent.
But Joon-gi had gotten so caught up in his own display of skill that he hadn't noticed the tiefling's tail had slithered up to touch his right arm. He flinched at the unexpected touch, brows arching briefly in a look of surprise.
"Clever. Very clever." With a laugh, he flourished the coin once more and flicked it across the table, where it landed in front of Zhulong. "Keep it. You should always keep a bit of silver close at hand in these parts. To ward off evil."
A bit of Barovian superstition, but one with a degree of practicality. It was a well-known fact that lycanthropes have a strong aversion to silver-forged weapons, and Joon-gi kept a pair of leather gloves studded with silver in case he ever crossed paths with their kind.
He settled back in his seat and made another show of sipping at his beer. "I wouldn't say I know everything, but I know quite a bit about this land and its people. I'll gladly tell you anything you wish to know. Hell, I'll even give you a discount on my going fee because I like you so much."
A joke. Mostly. Rumors, gossip, and hearsay would all be offered free of charge. Anything more substantial than that may require an equal exchange of information in return.
Speaking of which: "You said before that you know a few magic tricks yourself. Care to show me one?"