Swimming with the fishes [Maggie/Hellsmith/others]

[Deleted]

"Okay, but not too high up. I don't know how i'll respond to ascending and descending like that. Might need to take baby steps with that." Maggie stated, making a mental note to get one of those heart monitor bracelet things. It would be helpful in making sure she wasn't dying or anything and if it got too fast or too slow they could get medical help ASAP.

"Really? Anything else it can do?" Maggie questioned, looking at the hammer curiously as she looked at it, wrapping her arms around Brocks neck to keep her steady. Even with her makeshift step stool she was shorter than him and she didn't want to risk falling.

When he asked what she wanted it made from, Maggie frowned. "Um, i'm not sure. I'm not sure whats what about materials and stuff." Maggie admitted, looking around for something to stand out to her.

[Gaunt]

That's right, Maggie had a nerd power. She wouldn't be as used to supering about as he was. "Got it, I'll take it easy with you." Brock said with a wink. He just couldn't resist the chance to get in another innuendo. Hellsmith didn't know how she would take that level of flirting, but it was left wide open, who could pass that up?

Brock picked Maggie up, holding her again. She's seemed a bit unsteady on her feet, and she seemed to like displays like this. He liked them too, the closeness was nice and her reactions were downright adorable. "Can't do too much else on its own. I mean it's pretty tough, but it can't do its own magic. It just puts the magic in other things." That one he knew for sure. Hellsmith had asked his teachers about that specifically, and they'd made it clear that his inability to use magic weapons was limited to the ones he made. He could use that one perfectly, it was just limited to a utility power.

"How about ice, like an ice dagger or something? Those ones are cool, and I got enough for it." He was really fond of the ice weapons. There was just something about never-melting ice that was inherently badass.

[Deleted]

" Thanks sweetie," Maggie said with a smile, something nagging her in the back of the head that caused her to review what she said and what Brock had said. In spotting the innuendos, Maggies blush returned with vengence. Did I really say that? Did he really just say that? Maggie thought as she hid her blushing face where his neck met his shoulder.

Thankfully, he was holding her or else this wouldn't be possible due to their heigth difference. If she had been standing on the ground, her face would of been right at his chest....

Stop it! Maggie thought, her blush worsening as she worked back on calming herself the fudge down. "And you're the only one who can use it? Thats cool," Maggie said after she felt the blush go down, looking up at Brock. "An ice dagger? Hm, your right. It does sound cool," Maggie said with a grin at the pun, though she wasn't sure if he had ment it or not. "But an ice dagger sounds perfect. Thanks Brock," Maggie said, giving him another kiss before letting go and sliding out of his arms until her feet were on the floor. "Anything I can do to help?"

[Gaunt]

Aw yeah, jackpot. She was really getting in close now, right up against his neck. He could feel her breath on him. Hellsmith took a few steps away from the forge, expecting the neck kisses to begin any second, but none were forthcoming. He held her in silence for a minute, not sure what was up. Maybe she was working up the courage for it, yeah that was probably it. He would just have to wait a sec.

Or she could pull back and make with the smalltalk, that worked too. "As far as I know. Never seen anyone else actually manage it." He smiled down at her. His suggestion had been just the thing, she even thought it was cool. His ego swelled up, completely missing the pun.

Things were just getting good with another kiss when she slipped out of his arms. Brock was disappointed, but he had work to do. He stretched out, limbering up for his upcoming project. Daggers weren't too tough, they were a simple enough shape and pretty small. "Don't worry, I got it covered. I'll be back in a sec, gotta get the ice." He was only gone a minute, bringing a lump of ice back from the freezer inside. Brock set it on the anvil, taking up his hammer. "Just gotta go full power to get the best results."

There was a flash of red light, and Hellsmith stood before her in his full demonic glory. He towered over her even more than before, and his hornspan was almost as wide as his shoulders. The transformation hadn't done anything to hurt his physique, if anything it had added some muscles here and there. Oddly enough, his face was mostly unchanged. Except for the odd eyes and the subtle fangs, his features were exactly the same as before. Brock picked up the piece of ice like turning into a demon was no big deal and set to work. "It'll only be a few minutes, this is a quick one."

[Deleted]

Maggie had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes when she saw the hint of disappointment from Brock. What? Was he expecting a makeout? Maggie thought as she watched him stretch and limber up as though he was going to go for a run. She was a good girl and besides, she didn't want to accidently get dropped on a bunch of junk and scrap. No thank you.

"Do I want to know what happened to those who tried?" Maggie questioned, looking at the hammer as Brock went to go get the ice, crossing her arms. She wasn't going to be tempted by it, no way no day. She was going to have a healthy fear and respect for it and keep the heck away from it. Of course, Maggie couldn't stop looking at it until Brok arrived, bringing a lump of ice with him. At the news of him going full power, Maggie smiled brightly as she took a few steps back to give him room, excited to see him at full power.

There was a flash of red light, and there was a demon in the yard with her. He towered over her, with blood red skin and jet black hair and eyes of molten metal. Its hands and feet were like black claws and coming from its head were black horns.

Oh, and it had fangs. Did she mention that?

Maggie looked at the demon in terror and was surely about to scream when she suddenly went limp and fainted, her head narrowly missing some scrap as she hit the ground.

[Gaunt]

"It's not that bad, it just burns to the touch." Their definitions of "not that bad" were probably pretty different. He was talking about some serious skin blistering off, but for one of his endurance it was nothing major. Hellsmith was pretty jaded to violence by now.

He looked up just in time to see Maggie topple over. Hellsmith's eyes widened in shock, he hadn't known she was sick or whatever. He rushed to her side as quick as he could, but Hellsmith had never been the fastest. She was flat out on the ground well before he got to her. He wasn't really sure what to do in a situation like this. Brock scooped her up, carrying her inside.

Brock set her down on the bed, not sure of what to do. He sat down on the floor beside her, shaking her gently. "Hey, you okay?" His voice was a little deeper than it had been before in his human form. Hellsmith sat beside her, looking genuinely worried. "You need a doctor or something?"

How had this date gone so wrong? She had been all over him, and now she had just tipped over like a Jenga tower.

[Deleted]

Fainting stinks. While some fainters have the lucky/unlucky ability to hear and feel whats going on around them but not being able to respond, Maggie was one who was simply out. So when she started to come to, all she could wonder is why she was in a bed and why someone was shaking her gently. "What happ-" Maggie had started to say, turning her head towards the voice when she came to face to the deamon.

The scream that ripped itself from her throat was unsurprisingly loud as Maggie rolled away from the deamon, her mind scrambling to figure out what in the world was going on. She had just grab the pillow as though that would be able to protect her when her mind reminded her who that demon was.

Brock.

Fudge Maggie thought as she looked at the demon, adrenalin rushing through her veins. "Brock?" She questioned, studying the demons features that seemed similar to Brocks. She then, with all her might, threw the pillow at his face, her bottom lip trembling. "Mother of pearl Brock, you scared me half to death!"

[Gaunt]

Hellsmith smiled when she opened her eyes, finally relaxing a bit. She seemed to be waking up just fine, and she was even talking. That was good.

But screaming was bad. Screaming was very bad. He wasn't sure what her problem was. She lived in Jump City, a town where supers of all shapes and sizes were all over the place. She couldn't be that surprised by him, could she? Okay, a lot of people had these weird hangups about demons. He wasn't sure why, but what are you gonna do. Modern folks sure are weird.

She asked his name, and he just nodded. Had she really not recognized him? He transformed right in front of her. Maybe he wasn't the only dim one here. She was a nerd, sure, but maybe she could be a little derpy too. The pillow bounced off his face, and he just laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I told you I was gonna transform, I guess I kinda didn't explain it right." He smiled, showing a little fang. "You okay now?"

[Deleted]

"Yeah but you didn't tell me that you transform into something that looks like a demon! Oh my gosh i'm surprized I didn't have a heart attack!" Maggie stated, looking at the demon that was Brock. She was a southern girl too, where going to church is a big thing with football coming in second. So in seeing something that had looked like somethings shes been taught to fear had scared her silly.

Her head hurt, which made Maggie question if she had hit her head when she had fainted or whatever but otherwise she felt fine. "Yeah, i'm okay. You just really scared me," She said, looking at her surroundings. The inside wasn't that bad, though it did need a feminine touch. It was while she was looking around that her brain decided to reminder her of something.

That she was in his bed.

Mother of pearl! Maggie thought as she blushed, rubbing her eyes. Was this honestly happening? Really? "Sorry I screamed in your face." Maggie apologized before adding. "And for, you know, freaking out and fainting when I saw you."

[Gaunt]

Thinking back on it, Brock realized he'd completely forgotten to give any details about his true form. In fact, he hadn't even mentioned it was a true form at all. That was a serious oversight on his part. "Yeah, kinda forgot a thing or two." He laughed nervously, giving her a big smile.

This wasn't perfect. He had scared her to the point of passing out. He knew his true form was intimidating, but that was a little overboard. Lucky for him, Maggie seemed to be getting used to it. She was starting to relax, looking around the room. Everything was chill for a moment before she inexplicably turned red again. Hellsmith just did not get this girl, she seemed to blush about everything. If he didn't know better, he would have thought her apology was as much to distract herself from her random embarrassment as anything else.

"Don't worry about it. Sorry I scared you back there. I can still make that dagger, if you want." He wanted to hit himself. This whole thing had thrown him completely off his game, and now he was just sounding stilted. Brock had never been good at apologies, they seemed to not want to come out. He searched for something else to say, and thought back to something she'd said earlier. "I am sort of a demon, by the way. Like, not a fire and brimstone one though. More interdimensional." He didn't really put any importance in the words. For him it was the most natural thing in the world.

[Deleted]

Maggie gave Brock a weak smile when he laughed nervously and gave her a big smile. This second date had taken a wrong turn and Maggie couldn't help but feel guilty. She had been the one to suggest they come here and then had been okay with him demonstrating his abilities. You just had to see it, didn't ya? Maggie thought, wishing they had just stayed on the beach.

Ignorance was truly bliss.

"Its fine and only if you still want to make it," Maggie said, feeling the awkwardness in the air. So she checked herself, making sure she didn't accidently land of something and get scratched. She was good, though her shirt had gotten some dirt on it that stuck to it due to it being damp from their earlier swim. So she took it off, only wearing her swimsuit and shorts, and checked to see how dirty she had gotten it with care.

It was then that Brock decided to drop the bombshell that he was, in fact, a demon. And as though it was the most natural thing in the world it was so casual. "Oh," Maggie said quietly as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm okay. Just processing," Maggie said, trying to wrap her head around this.

That she was on a date with an interdimensional demon.

[Gaunt]

Maggie still seemed nervous about the whole thing. Brock shifted in his chair, trying to think of a way to diffuse the tension. Unfortunately, thinking wasn't his strongest skill. Hellsmith just kept on smiling, hoping it would calm her nerves. It never occurred to him that showing his fangs might not make her more comfortable.

Brock's brain started to shut down when she took her shirt off. She was just examining it more carefully, but that didn't change the fact that there was a girl taking her clothes off in his bed. Good thing he was already bright red, this form hid his blush pretty well. "Sure, it's no problem. I wanted to make you something anyway." He tried to focus, not thinking too much about the scenario. He had a dagger to make once he calmed down a bit.

She didn't seem to take it too well that he was a demon. For the second time in as many minutes, he'd forgotten that modern folks aren't usually demon fans. Well there were a few, but Maggie didn't seem edgy enough to fit the bill. "Okay." He'd composed himself enough to start working now. Hellsmith stood, stretching out again. If he'd towered over her before, it was even more obvious when she was lying down. "I'll get started on your present."

[Deleted]

Chill out, you can deal with this. Its still Brock. You'll be fine. Also, note to self: Don't kiss him when hes in this form unless its on the cheek. Those fangs look sharp! Maggie thought as she glanced at him and his smile full of fangs, working hard on simply getting used to it. At least now she wouldn't faint at the sight of him, which was an improvement, though that wasn't a promise.

Maggie became aware of Brocks gaze after she took off her shirt to brush off all the dirt. Taking off shirts on bed...Not your brightest idea Maggie thought, thankful for her swimsuit. Course if she hadn't been wearing that there would of just dealt with the dirty shirt. Ugh, muddy shirts. Lovely, Maggie thought as she looked away from Brock and back at her shirt, folding it up to deal with later.

"Thanks. And double thanks for carrying me here after fainting. Lot better than the ground," Maggie said, trying to make light of the situation. She watched as he stood up, tilting her head quite a bit due to his towering size over her. "Um, okay. I'll just wait here," Maggie said, biting her lip as she was unsure of what else to say.

[Gaunt]

Maggie still looked nervous, but she was calming down. Hellsmith figured he should give her a little space, she needed it to figure things out. "I'll be out working. You can come watch if you want." He headed to the freezer first, taking out another lump of ice. The one he'd taken originally had likely long since melted in the heat by the forge. "See you soon, sweetie."

Brock stepped back outside, wiping the water off his anvil. He had left a mess, all right. The demon sat down, hefting his hammer and getting to work. The strikes were light, gently shaping the blade. In a few minutes, he had a small dagger, a stiletto made of ice. It would suit her nicely. He dunked it into the fire, tempering the ice and making it hard as steel.

Hellsmith shifted over to the grindstone, putting the finishing touches on his new masterpiece. It was finally ready. He rifled through a pile of odds and ends, finding a piece of leather that could serve as a scabbard. A few minutes at the forge got it into the right shape. He slipped the dagger into its sheath, and returned to his human form. By the time Brock stepped back inside, he was back in his swim trunks and human again.

[Deleted]

"Okay, though I might just stay here and relax a bit. Don't want to overdo it or anything," Maggie said, watching as he went over to the freezer and took out another lump of ice. The other probably melted when he brought me in here, Maggie thought, smiling softly at the thought as she watched him leave. Daww, he carried me in here. Probably was worried when I fainted and dropped everything to bring me inside. That helped warm her up to his demonic appearance.

Maggie curled up on the bed, resting her eyes as she sorted out her thoughts. So he was an interdimensional demon with a terrifying appearance. He was still Brock underneath it all and it wasn't like he was evil. He was a good guy who was sweet and kind and hot. It was while sorting through all of this that Maggie started to doze off, utterly relaxed.

In hearing footsteps Maggie opened her eyes and looked around, a sleepy smile appearing as she saw that it was Brock back in his lovely human form again. "Hey. Done already?" Maggie asked, sitting up and stretching as she worked on waking herself up.