Hearing his name announced by the large man immediately brought Julian’s attention back up to him, comedically after being addressed as a ‘bookworm’ Julian shyly averted his gaze for a moment and fixes his glasses.
‘So he is a Daemon…’ Julian thought to himself, he didn’t need a mirror to know that his face had gone pale, and he was fighting every single nerve in his body to not run. Not like he’d get far anyway.
As Barnaby repeated the same phrase as before, Julian took another step back, as if the words themself were coming at him.
He stared up at the large man, eyeing his jarring teeth and eye. The only real features he could see on the man aside from a suit? Maybe? Honestly Julian was a little fascinated by Barnaby’s appearance, he wasn’t like any other daemon they’d met before. I mean he hadn’t tried mauling him. Yet.
“W- what do I w- want…” Julian repeated, taking a deep breath. Such a trivial question that at first Julian thought nothing of it, but now…
For a moment you could see something enter Julian’s mind, but just as quickly as it surfaced it was pushed away as he shook his head.
“N- no, no.” He mumbles to himself at first. “I- I don’t- want anything, I- I just- I just want to go. Away.” Julian adds, his arms picking up to hold himself again, only to stop and straighten at his sides. He didn’t want to make himself seem any more vulnerable than he already was.
A low hum escaped the entity as he thought. Looking Julian over, it was clear he knew almost exactly what he was dealing with. At least Barnaby thought so.
He leaned back in his seat, drawing a pained creak from the wood of it. It wouldn’t give out. Hasn’t in decades now. Barnaby kept his gaze on the small lad, thinking on what best to do. It was new having someone show up who wasn’t demanding anything. The opposite in fact.
“There’s nothin’ in this big wide world ya want, huh? Maybe a little bulk on that twig of a body. Maybe some guts so you’re not so skittish. Maybe someone of particular interest.” The entity couldn’t manipulate minds in any other way than fear so things like love weren’t on his doable list. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t at least lie about it. “I can send ya away, sure, but I doubt ya want to end up in the bay somewhere. Gotta be very specific, y’know? Can’t read minds here.”
It wasn’t exactly taunting but it may as well sound like it. Barnaby did want something from this kid on one hand and on the other, he could care less.