It was midday by the time Dameon, his hair matted with sweat and his face sporting a two-day set of stubble, hung the "Open for Business" sign up in the front window of he and his brother's new office on the southeast end of the Firebird Compound, just north of the Red Dragon.
He was wearing only a pair of black canvas pants, and a sleeveless red tunic. His feet bore a pair of soft leather work boots, and his cloak was conspicuously absent from his person. It was apparent by the looks of him that his past 36 hours was spent working on this project.
"And there we are, Psy. The 'Firebird Hunters' are now ready to take on jobs. I think the past day-and-a-'alf of work was worth it, don't you?" Dameon smiled, sighing contentedly as he declared the finality of their labors.
Jonas, creeping out of the back store room, in his usual gray tunic and black pants, minus his blue cloak, ruffled a hand through his dirty brown hair as he nodded in agreement, a slow grin playing across his lips.
"It's certainly nice to be done with all of that," Jonas began, "I was beginning to think this office would never come together."
"All it takes is some elbow grease, mate." Dameon beemed with pride as he opened the door and let himself out onto the road.
He turned back to view the sign above the door, which read in big bold letters "Firebird Hunters," with the words "Mercenaries for Hire" in smaller letters underneath. To the left of the text was a large symbol bearing resemblance to a ruby-colored bird with encircling wings.
"And at least now we'll be getting paid for some of our duties. The last few scuffles we've been in left us with little more than rubble over our heads or a few nice lacerations." Jonas giggled at his own words, shaking his head. "I just hope we don't get hired to go after any of our friends."
"Not likely, Psy," Dameon interjected, "because we don't keep friends with criminals and ne'er-do-wells, which are the only sort we will be taking jobs to collect. And I'm fairly certain at this point that no one would expect us to take a job that fails justice."
"Because being vigilantes is legal," Jonas couldn't resist quipping.
"Ahh, but Psy," Dameon grinned, "we're back 'ome now. You keep forgetting that things are a little different 'ere than in some of the other locales we found ourselves 'vacationing' in over the past few years."
"Point taken," Jonas conceded. "Now, can we get some sleep? I'm exhausted. Oh, and happy birthday, by the way."
"Eh wot?" Dameon blinked, looking Jonas over. "Is it the seventeenth?!"
"Yeah. I thought that's why you were so hell-bent on getting shop opened today. So you'd have more than one thing to celebrate." Jonas grinned folding his arms over his chest.
"I 'ad no idea! What with the whole bit with Sera, us running around with all of Jupiter's bloody clues, and that whole thing with Ness, Kira and Yuki, it completely slipped my mind." Dameon pouted a bit, pursing his lips. "I'm entirely too spent today to go 'ave a bloody birthday party. Besides, everyone's going to be getting 'ammered because of that other 'oliday my birthday falls on."
"Yeah, you've never really bothered having a birthday party. So, what do you want to do?" Jonas tilted his head, offering a slight yawn.
"Sleep, mate. It's just a day. I'm twenty-five, big bloody deal. What would I do to celebrate? Drink a bunch of liquor?" Dameon chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry, but a birthday party wouldn't really be much different than any other day for me."
"I guess that's true... well, I'm going home and sleeping." And with that, Jonas snapped his fingers, his figure disappearing within an ensuing cloud of blue smoke, which cleared seconds later to leave nothing behind.
"Sleep would be good..." Dameon mused to himself, looking back up at the big sign above the door. "Hm. 'Appy birthday to me." He smiled, turning to start the walk down the road, to Firebird Manor around the corner, pleased with the best gift he could have thought to get himself.
He was wearing only a pair of black canvas pants, and a sleeveless red tunic. His feet bore a pair of soft leather work boots, and his cloak was conspicuously absent from his person. It was apparent by the looks of him that his past 36 hours was spent working on this project.
"And there we are, Psy. The 'Firebird Hunters' are now ready to take on jobs. I think the past day-and-a-'alf of work was worth it, don't you?" Dameon smiled, sighing contentedly as he declared the finality of their labors.
Jonas, creeping out of the back store room, in his usual gray tunic and black pants, minus his blue cloak, ruffled a hand through his dirty brown hair as he nodded in agreement, a slow grin playing across his lips.
"It's certainly nice to be done with all of that," Jonas began, "I was beginning to think this office would never come together."
"All it takes is some elbow grease, mate." Dameon beemed with pride as he opened the door and let himself out onto the road.
He turned back to view the sign above the door, which read in big bold letters "Firebird Hunters," with the words "Mercenaries for Hire" in smaller letters underneath. To the left of the text was a large symbol bearing resemblance to a ruby-colored bird with encircling wings.
"And at least now we'll be getting paid for some of our duties. The last few scuffles we've been in left us with little more than rubble over our heads or a few nice lacerations." Jonas giggled at his own words, shaking his head. "I just hope we don't get hired to go after any of our friends."
"Not likely, Psy," Dameon interjected, "because we don't keep friends with criminals and ne'er-do-wells, which are the only sort we will be taking jobs to collect. And I'm fairly certain at this point that no one would expect us to take a job that fails justice."
"Because being vigilantes is legal," Jonas couldn't resist quipping.
"Ahh, but Psy," Dameon grinned, "we're back 'ome now. You keep forgetting that things are a little different 'ere than in some of the other locales we found ourselves 'vacationing' in over the past few years."
"Point taken," Jonas conceded. "Now, can we get some sleep? I'm exhausted. Oh, and happy birthday, by the way."
"Eh wot?" Dameon blinked, looking Jonas over. "Is it the seventeenth?!"
"Yeah. I thought that's why you were so hell-bent on getting shop opened today. So you'd have more than one thing to celebrate." Jonas grinned folding his arms over his chest.
"I 'ad no idea! What with the whole bit with Sera, us running around with all of Jupiter's bloody clues, and that whole thing with Ness, Kira and Yuki, it completely slipped my mind." Dameon pouted a bit, pursing his lips. "I'm entirely too spent today to go 'ave a bloody birthday party. Besides, everyone's going to be getting 'ammered because of that other 'oliday my birthday falls on."
"Yeah, you've never really bothered having a birthday party. So, what do you want to do?" Jonas tilted his head, offering a slight yawn.
"Sleep, mate. It's just a day. I'm twenty-five, big bloody deal. What would I do to celebrate? Drink a bunch of liquor?" Dameon chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry, but a birthday party wouldn't really be much different than any other day for me."
"I guess that's true... well, I'm going home and sleeping." And with that, Jonas snapped his fingers, his figure disappearing within an ensuing cloud of blue smoke, which cleared seconds later to leave nothing behind.
"Sleep would be good..." Dameon mused to himself, looking back up at the big sign above the door. "Hm. 'Appy birthday to me." He smiled, turning to start the walk down the road, to Firebird Manor around the corner, pleased with the best gift he could have thought to get himself.