Trog's Tavern CLIV

[WindStruck]

An arrow to point the way home... Hmm. Solstice hadn't thought of that before. She should definitely save at least one arrow, or more just in case, if they ever helped her find a way back home.

Solstice looked back up toward Zee and nodded appreciatively toward her, though their eyes still did not quite meet. She could have easily answered the first question. Though her cautious Fae tendency caused her to err more on the side of giving less information about herself than absolutely necessary. And after all, choosing either of the three questions was equally valid.

As for the second and third question, she really didn't know. She could only hazard some guesses for the second question, which would almost certainly be wrong, and as for if she believed she could go back, she wasn't certain. She really hoped she could return home, but after speaking to Billie, that threw everything into doubt.

"I will answer the second question. And the answer is, unfortunately.. I do not know." Huh. They really were easy questions all around, weren't they?

Extending her arm, Solstice offers the arrow she held. "I will accept your bargain: one of my arrows in exchange for the use of this room and its amenities for three days. Starting once you accept the arrow."

Later, when Zee examines the arrow in the future, she finds that it is of exceptional make. Like Solstice's appearance it is, perfect. Almost too perfect. The wood grains and striations are almost perfectly placed and yet.. not. The look is done so rather appealingly. Perhaps what an ideal arrow shaft made of wood should look like - and perfectly straight.

Similarly, the feather on the tail end is either dyed crimson or perhaps it was simply naturally that color. Much like the wood, the little hairs and fibers on the feather seem far more perfect and orderly than normal without a flaw in their appearance whatsoever. Even brushing the feather against something repeatedly doesn't seem to mess it up, unless she was trying to, intentionally.

The tip of the arrow is forged from some kind of silvery alloy. It's not iron or steel, that is for sure, nor is it silver... It seems just as strong as hardened steel, however, and perhaps stronger. And it is most definitely lighter. The arrow tip is razor-sharp and would easily cut a normal human's skin accidentally if they were not careful. Three such edges come to a wickedly-sharp point. And the backs of the head have just enough of a barb and bluntness to stay firmly and painfully stuck in the victim once struck.

Overall the arrow is quite remarkable for its quality, its perfection, and yet, slight lack of perfection. It is like an ideal arrow in just about every way. Closer scrutiny under fine magical detection or scientific methods, such as using microscopes or scanners may prove to yield additional information. However: If the arrow ever comes into contact with iron, or even any metal with non-negligible iron content, it begins to disintegrate from the point of contact. Soon, the dust it fell apart into simply seems to evaporate and disappear forever, too.

[Rebonack]

Oh yeah Message.

Message doesn't like her, near as Zee can tell. She isn't one hundred percent sure WHY this is the case but she is fairly certain it has to do with the whole empyrean thing.

All points considered, not trusting an empyrean isn't a terrible plan.

"That sounds like a great idea. I had mine at the temple of Inari but they're a little..."

Not around?

These days.

Zee shrugs.

"I'll be there for it. Do you know when the wedding is going to happen?"

Meanwhile!

"I accept," Zee replies, taking the arrow in two outstretched hands. "And the key is yours for three days."

In the same smooth motion the bronze key with room number attached on a little wooden tag is given to Solstice.

"I look forward to seeing how your story unfolds. I believe you'll find the City and the lands surrounding it fascinating. Be curious. But be cautious. The Nexus holds wonders and terrors in equal parts."

But most importantly it has smoothies. Everyone should get a smoothy now and again!

The arrow is then stuffed into Zee's apron pocket, which it should absolutely be unable to fit in and yet here we are.

"Feel free to speak with me downstairs if you have any further questions. I'm sure we can arrange more mutually beneficial exchanges in the future. Enjoy your stay at Trog's Tavern."

And with that she'll be off! Plenty of hungry tavern patrons to attend to, after all.

[bc56]

"Not, uh, exactly. It'll be soon. We're still, uh, planning." There's so much to do! Sekhmet needs to arrange a cake, and a good way to give Prumathe his present without him suspecting anything and send invitations and maybe get some security in case her mother's minions or demonhunters show up. Of course she's getting flustered.

[WindStruck]

[Upstairs and forgot tags last time]

Solstice nodded to Zee with a small smile. This interaction... the conversations, the trades.. they went pleasingly well and fairly in her opinion. Speaking with and bargaining with Zee again didn't seem to be something that she would dread.

For now, as Zee left downstairs to tend to other patrons of the tavern below, Solstice cautiously entered her room to check it out. She was very careful not to accidentally bump anything as she slowly walked about, her footsteps light and silent like a cat's. She gave every object in the room she noticed a cursory glance at least, starting with the bed. Curiously looking it over, it seemed like an ordinary bed. Not quite ordinary for a Sidhe such as herself as it seemed somewhat lacking, but at least it was one. Solstice sat down a bit noting its mediocrity and stiffness.. she probably wouldn't feel too comfortable here...

She stood up and wandered toward the mirror, gazing into it. A near-perfect reflection of herself. Though something seemed off about the mirror... Solstice reached a finger out to gently touch it with some subtle Fae magicks. As if on cue, the mirror rippled and shimmered slightly, though something was still off. It seemed there was something beyond the mirror, yet Solstice implicitly knew it was not a way to her home. It was somewhere or something.. different.

Letting the mirror subside, she moved on to the desk, looking it over before testing out the drawers. One of them contained a book that was riddled with holes like swiss cheese: "The Holey Bibble". She picked up the book and briefly skimmed through its pages. The mention of a Raptor was in just about every page, at least once. Also one page mentioned something about fruit bats and orangutans. Seemed like a bunch of gibberish to her.

Frowning, Solstice put the book back and headed towards the bathroom. One of the strange objects she passed, a DVR for the TV, seemed to glitch out as the time displayed on it flickered and began displaying nonsense instead, though Solstice didn't notice this. The bathroom was.. rather small in Solstice's opinion. Though the first object she recognized was the bathtub. All the other apparatuses related to it were strange, aside from the curtain, which also made sense. It took a while for Solstice to realize that the sink was in fact a convenient basin. Manipulating the handles caused water to pour out of the faucet. This fascinated her a bit.

Thankfully, all the various knobs and fittings were of polished chrome, brass, or even aluminum. It took a bit of study before Solstice determined the aluminum shelves were not iron and therefore safe for touching. Seemed like pretty much every material in this room was safe, thankfully. Conveniently, it was just what she needed. Aside from the toilet. She didn't really know what that was for. And the bed.. she wished it was much fluffier and softer. A dozen or so more pillows would have been nice, too...

Overall, having inspected her room and found it.. satisfactory. It might not be the most comfortable or pretty place, but it seemed it was at least a safe place, with friendly staff here that could bargain and assist most effectively. Solstice nodded to herself and decided to leave for now. There was still much to do, though she didn't know what, but at the very least, much to learn and discover. She wanted to believe it was possible to return home, though she supposed it wouldn't be easy. She would have to find a way to stay afloat and make her way in this new world for now, without becoming swamped in debt. And perhaps, she would need to gain enough wealth and influence to be able to create or purchase a way home, if it came to that...

Solstice tested the brass key on the door, locking and unlocking it a few times before locking the door one last time and placing the key in her satchel. She meandered downstairs, into the main tavern, though she only glanced around briefly before continuing on out. There was still much of nexus to explore!

>>>Moving over to Inside

[Rebonack]

"I don't think you're going to need to worry about security much," Zee admits. "This will be at Message's temple so you've got her. And I'll be there, too. I'm pretty sure between the two of us we would be able to encourage any party crashers to go make trouble somewhere else."

Good points.

When you have a goddess and a whatever the heck Zee is watching your back then you should be okay, right?

Probably.

"Not to good with CAKES though. Unless you consider brownies to be cakes. I guess they're sort of cakes? Really little square ones. Or sheet cakes cut into little squares. But it's more dense and... hmm..."

Do brownies count as cakes?

Zee honestly isn't as up to date on her pastry taxonomy as she would like.

Maybe she should look into that further...

[bc56]

"Aaaah!" Sekhmet seems startled. "Please don't read my mind like that!" Sekhmet didn't say any of that about wedding prep aloud. "No, uh, I don't think brownies are cakes. I'll, uh, find another baker." Also Sekhmet suspects Zee puts some sort of eldritch secret ingredient in them.

[5a Violista]

"But...but," Obsidian protests, "how am I supposed to know if you're taking advantage of me or not if I haven't done any research first?!!?"

And even worse!
Now Zee is threatening to bring up skeletal blackbirds! Those sound so good! She's never tried those! And now she's imagining chasing down skeletal blackbirds flying around!
How dare she! Zee's obviously trying to make Obsidian hungry, and Obsidian was cautioned not to buy food when hungry!

"Um. I...um..." Her willpower is melting in the face of Zee's negotiation strategies, however. Obsidian does her best to stand resolute against it, however, and straightens up. "No, I've never had pie," she says, wiping the saliva away from her lip. "It always looks gross and dead so. I dunno. Never looked appetizing." There, by talking about things that look dead she's able to hold on to her willpower. Maybe there's a chance she can still decimate and conquer these negotiations.

[Rebonack]

"I don't really have any control over it," Zee replies to Sekhmet with a frown. "I could... maybe just not bring it up? It's hard for me to tell the difference between things that are spoken aloud and the other impressions I get sometimes."

Obviously Zee can't see text color. That makes it easier to get things confused.

She's about to explain that her brownies have completely mundane, wholesome ingredients but then she realized THAT wasn't spoken aloud either.

Ugh.

This is so hard sometimes.

"There are a lot of really great bakers over at Carousel Court," Zee suggests. "I guess since equestrians don't eat meat they need other caloric dense foods, so they eat tons of sweets."

No wonder they're such sweet hearts.

Their dentists must make a killing.

Meanwhile!

"You can say, 'Hey Zee, you aren't taking advantage of me are you?' and if I'm not then I'll say 'no'," Zee explains.

Come on Obsidian this is super simple stuff.

"People like me can't lie easily. And if we do it's pretty unpleasant for us and really obvious to everyone else."

Yeah but...

But what if she's lying about THAT!?

"That looks like a REALLY heavy basket of apples you have," Zee points out. "I'm pretty sure you could have whatever you wanted to eat that we've got here. Maybe even three or four meals."

[bc56]

"But, uh, won't those be made of, uh, pony food?" Sekhmet doesn't really understand. But ponies are nice in her limited experience. Not that she's met any on screen. She doesn't realize Geneva counts.

[5a Violista]

"Okay. That makes sense, I guess," Obsidian says. People like her, like humans? Or is she referring to people in taverns? Maybe both? But that can't be true because sometimes humans can be dragon slayers and sometimes dragon slayers are in taverns. But maybe dragon slayers don't count as humans. Yeah, that makes sense, too.

She lifts up the basket back to the counter.

Anyway...it seems like negotiations are back on? "Three or four..." That's about what she had figured earlier. Well, she was hoping for three or four llamas, but that's basically the same number as three or four meals, right? One llama is one meal? Makes sense, too, since they both have one.

"So. Um."
Obsidian pushes the basket closer to Zee. "Okay."

[Recaiden]

Zefir is looking at the door as the elf girl comes in. he snorts, since he seems to be annoyed about something. It's not clear what it is, but he turns away to face Honeysuckle again.

"Maybe, but you are right. I'm not here to think about them. I rather want to forget about them." he then shrugs, but did i read that right Honeysuckle can't really see him?
"Having someone else to talk to is kinda nice. Would you mind staying in contact with me? I only got one other friend in thei world so far who is not working with me." he says with a sight as he reminds himself of the guys he works with again. He shakes hi head to forget that thought and waits for Honeysuckle reply.

Right. Honeysuckle dopes notice that he moves, but the nuances of the shrug or Zefir's facial expression are completely inaccessible.
"Heh, sure, you seem alright. Got a phone?" Honeysuckle will report a phone number that leads to a phone number she'll probably answer sometimes at least.
"Nothing wrong with friends at work, though. Was a friend got my newest job at their place, right?" It's a virtuous friend->work->friends cycle sometimes.

[Rebonack]

"Cake is pony food," Zee points out. "They don't just eat hay and oats and stuff. They eat most food that humans eat, too. Just not meat."

No doubt actual equestrians would probably be kind of offended by the suggestion that they only eat horse things.

Do humans only eat ape things?

Of course not.

And Geneva is only half-pony but Zee doesn't know her soooooo!

"One way or the other, there are plenty of bakeries in the City. I'm sure you'll find a great one."

Meanwhile!

The basket is pushed.

"Okay," Zee agrees as she takes the basket and lifts it up and-

-makes a show of being surprised by how heavy it is.

"Wow, this is WAY heavier that a basket of apples. I can feel the bottom sagging. What have you got under here, a bunch of rocks?" she asks.

And then starts digging through the apples to find out what's under them all even though she is already aware of the truth. Sometimes it is best to let people come clean on their own.

[bc56]

"I'm sure I, uh, will." And it will be off screen too, so no need to actually decide where she gets it. "Thanks for, uh, agreeing to this. Thanks for being a, uh, friend. I, uh, should probably go. I have to prepare some more."

[5a Violista]

"No!" Obsidian says. "There...there's no rocks."
It's not rocks.
It's just...rocklike things. Just pure gold.
Besides, aren't there some apples called golden apples or something? Golden delish? Something? Golden Smith?

"You're totally exaggerating," Obsidian claims. It's not that heavy.
There is chunks of gold mixed in the basket with the apples. (Not to mention, the gold stuffed into the core-section of the apples.)

...
Obsidian hopes Zee doesn't really notice. Somehow.

[5a Violista]

June still isn't used to all her new senses. Being able to see way too much of everything around is weird. Even things that she can't directly see. Plus, seeing spirits and ghosts here and there. Not to mention...well, everything else. Split attention in two places, getting ready for work, etc etc. If there's too much going on, it still sometimes gives her a headache. This is why she prefers sleeping, to be honest.

She comes in to the tavern.

June looks pretty androgynous. Her body type, her red hair, her voice, everything. Doesn't help that she's wearing masculine clothes, too. Okay, what's going to happen this time in Trog's Tavern? she wonders as she enters. She should actually eat something here, this time. Much less confusing than at the Black Dragon's Den where June already currently is.

She sees the muscles.
And the kilt.
Mostly the muscles.
"Huh."
...
Oh! Maybe this could help her with her...fourth/fifth goal? Maybe?

June walks up to the muscled man.
"Hi," she says. She breaks the ice with, "You come around here often?"

[5a Violista]

...
How often do saints cry?
June tries to decide this in order to understand the answer. It's not often, right? So he's saying 'sometimes'?

June nods, claiming to understand. "I see," June says.

Um.
...?
Maybe? talking with him was a mistake? No, it's not. Well. "Um...yes. I invoke it," she says, not really understanding which sound the universal sound is.

[Rebonack]

"I hope you have a nice time getting ready for the wedding," Zee says to Sekhmet. "And make sure that you give yourself some time to relax. Preparations like these can be really stressful."

And as for the young dragon...

Given that there's gold just mixed in with the apples it doesn't take Zee long to find it.

Or the apples with obvious cuts in them where things have been stuffed inside.

Zee raises an eyebrow.

"No, no rocks. Just really dense metal," she obverses. "Why did you stuff these apples full of gold, Obsidian?"

Huh?

Why did you do it?

Were you trying to scam Zee? That's not very nice, Obsidian.

Meanwhile!

A VERY LOUD person enters the tavern!

"Oh hello again!" Zee says to the person who insists that they have been here before but Zee is pretty sure she hasn't ever seen them before. It's like Lazra. These people who insist they have a history but only started existing, like, a few hours ago.

"Finest tea, okay?" she retorts, pondering what the fellow means by that.

Fine is a weird word.

Fine as in pretty okay.

Fine as in luxurious.

Fine as in very small.

Fine as in taking your money for a breach of the law.

By the context Zee is pretty sure he means the second one but this guy is super weird so who knows?

She begins boiling some water to prepare a pot of Oni brand black tea, which is what the tavern carries.

[Zefir]

Right. Honeysuckle dopes notice that he moves, but the nuances of the shrug or Zefir's facial expression are completely inaccessible.
"Heh, sure, you seem alright. Got a phone?" Honeysuckle will report a phone number that leads to a phone number she'll probably answer sometimes at least.
"Nothing wrong with friends at work, though. Was a friend got my newest job at their place, right?" It's a virtuous friend->work->friends cycle sometimes.

Zefir will take the number. He has to get another phone befor he can add it somewhere, maybe he can use the phone he uses for Adir.

"Yeah, guess you are right, but those i work with won't be my friends not for now."

Zefir is now a bit struggeling. He has nothing to say anymore. kinda awakward now.

[Rebonack]

Huh.

The tavern stopped.

Zee glances around at the other patrons. Including the trolls that are playing darts.

A single dart hangs in mid-air, mere inches from the face of another troll.

"Yep. This is some zu wardo stuff," she quickly concludes. Though her attention is caught just as fast by the glowing form now hovering above the LARGE and LOUD person.

Geeze.

He even looks loud.

Saying someone is really shiny counts as visually loud, right?

"I'm a barmaid, not a spirit," Zee clarifies. "This is my true form. Any form I take is true. If you mean what I look like when I'm all unfolded then heck no I'm huge I would break the tavern."

This guy, Zee suspects, is a large ham.

[bc56]

"Thanks! See you soon!" Sekhmet finishes her coffee, gets up, and leaves. She has so much to do.

[Rebonack]

Wow.

This guy is REALLY glowing aggressively.

Zee pulls some shades out of her pocket and puts them on. Not so much due to discomfort as due to it being a great visual gag.

"You know you don't have to yell, right? I'm standing right here," Zee points out as the monk continues to bellow. She thinks this statement is pretty true, as far as statements go.

Does it count as truth?

Or no?

Does this guy want to discuss philosophy or something?

Honestly she has no idea he's pretty obtuse.

And then chi things! Wow, chi. Has Zee ever met anyone who uses chi specifically? I mean, at least a few have used interchangeable forms. Lots of worlds run on vitalism and other faerie nonsense. But Zee's pretty sure they always called it something else instead. So that's one more box to tick for his mysticism bingo card! Today has been a pretty productive day on that front.

Zee, being an empyrean, is wholly without chi, ki, prana, chakra, soul, spirit, orgone, life force, mana, or whatever else you want to call it.

"No I'm not?" the barmaid replies somewhat hesitantly while being thoroughly uncompelled. "I'm not kidding. When I'm all unfolded I'm big enough to wear this tavern like a hat. One of those comically tiny hats you wear at a jaunty angle. I would squash people. It isn't happening."

[Recaiden]

"Yeah, rough." Zefir's work situation is very sad.
But they're not going to dwell on it.

"This is the part where you get another round of drinks to celebrate your new friend." Honeysuckle suggests, grinning.

[5a Violista]

"What? Um," Obsidian says.
She obviously needs to think of something.
"Um. They're, um. They're Gold Apples," she then claims. "Obviously. Haven't you ever heard of gold apples?"

Meanwhile, she looks over her shoulder, trying to map out an escape route.


[I]

June notices that the muscle wizard notices something, but...she isn't entirely sure what he noticed. Something about her. Not sure what, exactly. Was it...? Maybe?

"I'm June," she declares. Is she supposed to return the bow? Not entirely sure, she bows back at a much smaller incline. "Well, I have more names, but...June is probably enough."

[Rebonack]

Zee sort of...

Glances at the frozen tavern again as the guy begins... what?

Praying?

No, he isn't praying. Not exactly. Focusing? That isn't quite right, either. He's definitely doing something.

Not that the something he's doing is having any real impact on her. But! At least he isn't yelling anymo-

Oh wait, no.

He just started yelling again.

Haha, just kidding!

"Alright, that's okay. Anyone who hasn't been around the Nexus or who isn't from a world within the Eternal Game probably wouldn't be familiar with my kind. It's no big deal! Just... could you maybe cut the yelling out?" she requests. Though she has the uncanny feeling that the yelling isn't going to stop any time soon. Sometimes monks just have to yell. It's the way things are. "I'm a seraphim. From the Empyrean. Which... probably doesn't mean anything to you? What set you off on me, anyway? I shouldn't ping as anything weird. Unless it was the lack of pinging?"

Meanwhile!

Zee sighs.

And laughs.

Closes here eyes and gives her head a little shake.

"Obsidian, you know gold is generally considered more valuable than apples, right?" she says. "Where did you get all this gold from? Have you been raiding tombs or something?"

Tomb raiding can be a great source of loot.

After all, those dead jerks aren't using it anymore.

[5a Violista]

Meanwhile!

Obsidian isn't really listening that much, because she's too trying to figure out what's the fastest way out. The door or the window? Over that table, under that one, or go around that chair?

So, her attention's divided when she says, "Don't you know that apples are sold by weight?" she says. "So obviously I sepnt a lot on these."

She takes a step back, and watches Zee, waiting for the perfect moment to bolt.
"And, um, no, I got paid," she says. "At Vigil. For being a dragon. And to not talk about it."


I

Oh, people staring through people.
...
That's something June hopes she has gotten used to. Still kind-of weird, though.

She watches his motions he makes. She doesn't know what they mean. So she just watches blankly.

Then, she has a sudden thought!
"Oh! Um!" she says. She bites her lip, and runs her hand through her hair, trying to decide how she should say this. This Guru guy does seem like he might know. And this is something that she's been looking for since the last time she was in Trog's Tavern, so this is pretty serendipitous. "So actually, I've been looking around - going to libraries and asking people - if they know some kind of martial art that helps resist mind control," she says. "You look like you might know more about that than most of the other people I asked, so...um...you heard of something like that?"

[Rebonack]

For a time Zee studies Obsidian.

She wants to run.

She thinks she's in trouble.

She's wrong. But she seems to be wrong about many things. Mostly while believing shes right. That is, as it happens, a common problem.

"Obsidian I can still get a meal for you if you want. This is actually worth more than just a basket of apples. The gold is valuable," Zee tires explaining for the second time. "And if you got paid at VIGIL for not talking about being at VIGIL aren't you talking about it right now?"

Uh oh.

Did Obsidian break her contract?

Are they going to send someone after her now for telling Zee about it?

Meanwhile!

Wow this guy is really something else isn't he?

"Okay yeah so you're the sort of person who thinks someone isn't because they aren't bound to the Dreamheart; because they don't have any spiritual existence. Yeah? This isn't the first time I've run into that attitude. Usually held by people who think they've got answers and understand the way of things," Zee says. Her tone isn't dismissive or condescending in the least. Really, it is a completely understandable way of comprehending the world.

If this world with its rude form is all that you know, that is. That, and the seething primordial chaos that roils below it.

"Name myself? So, like, formally? I guess I can do that," Zee replies, again a bit hesitant. She gives a little cough and-

Unfolds.

Just a little.

She is something like a tree, roots running deep. Towering. Unyielding.
She is something like a dragon, awesome in power. Majestic. Terrifying.
She is something like a hind, graceful in motion. Wild. Serene.
She is full of eyes around and within. Pits of cosmic darkness ringed in stellar fire; the forges of creation.

"I am the Blade of Self Turned Inward, the Ember that Blazes Brightest in Adversity, the Tale of All Living in Perseverance, the Burning Desire to Endure. I am Yezekiel, who is Bound Together in Strength."

Hopefully that counts as naming herself. It's hard to guess with this guy.

[5a Violista]

Of course Obsidian's right. She's a dragon! Why wouldn't she be right?

Unfortunately, Zee didn't turn around so Obsidian didn't have a chance to flee yet. "It's, um." She doesn't know what to say about Zee's assertion about gold. Gold is clearly dead and largely useless, so it's obvious that Zee is exaggerating about its value. Sure, people sometimes use gold money to buy things but that's only because of the pictures on it. Art has value, so that's why.

She glances back to make sure the escape route is still there...no! A dwarf just sat in the way!

"Um. Maybe? I dunno," she says. She wasn't really paying attention to exactly what was said.



[I]

June does notice that. It's not a matter of being particularly observant - normally, she would be, but sensory overload happens pretty easily in such a crowded place like this and she's still not used to that yet - she does notice the symmetry and efficiency of movements, but it will take a few moments for her to notice the significance and power in them.

She breathes in. "Um, not really, I guess," she says. What does it mean? Well...mind control protection that can be stripped away isn't really all that useful, she thinks, and besides she kind-of already has that, a little? "It means it would normally be effective except when it's needed most?" is her guess. She pauses to think about it. "So what would you recommend, then?"

[Rebonack]

Those darn dwarves, always sitting in inopportune places.

"Okay. So. How many meals do YOU think this payment is worth, Obsidian?" Zee asks. "That's how things work at Trog's, you know that right? You order a meal and then you pay what you think it's worth. So."

She scoots the basket of apples (and gold) back toward Obsidian.

"You said you wanted a llama but we haven't got any of those. We do have some other things, though. You tried sheep last time. Do you want to try pig this time?"

Maybe if she walks the young dragon through the steps she won't try to bolt the moment Zee turns around.

Who knows!

We'll just have to wait and find out.

Meanwhile!

Oh geeze.

Tail-eating internally conflicting sophistry. The very height of faerie nonsense.

This monk is definitely Dreamheart aligned, or something like it, Yezekiel concludes. Philosophies of the impossible are sort of their whole deal. It should have been pretty obvious when he opened by trying to manipulate her via non-things. But that's okay. No reason to hold it against him. Plenty of mortals cling to the idea that souls and other impossible whimsies are important. The things that aren't don't drive them, in the end. The ideas do. And ideas are very much a part of Yezekiel. Core to what she is. An idea can still change the world, even if it's nonsense.

She quickly folds back in on herself, unwilling to remain exposed for long even in this state of maybe frozen time?

"Uh, not I to you too, Mister Guru Mandhati?" the seraphim who is also a completely normal human barmaid replies. That sure is a phrase, isn't it? It implies respect. Gratitude. Reverence. Adoration to the divine aspect, even. Not that she has any soul, divine or otherwise. But it's only natural for everyone to assume others fall into one of their home cosmology's boxes. Zee's been around the Nexus long enough that she does her best to avoid boxing people, but it's hard. She was already doing it! It's only natural for people to comprehend in terms they're familiar with.

So.

Anyway.

All that cosmic nonsense aside, Zee gets down to the important questions.

"So do you like anything in your tea? Milk? Sugar? Honey?"

[Rebonack]

Zee makes a point of including honey in the tea she already gave the guru.

That's fine.

Time is an illusion.

Tea time, doubly so.

"Hah, well, that's a story. It involved getting blown up," Zee replies with a laugh. She isn't sure is this guy really wants an explanation of how apotheosis works, though.

Maybe he does, though?

He seems like the sort that would be interesting in metaphysical ruminations.

"But I guess the short of it is when I became like this all fictions were burned from me by the Searing Light of Truth," she says, offering a non-committal shrug. "That includes things like chi."

Then she raises a hand in anticipation of objections.

"Fictional from the perspective of the Empyrean. I know it's real to you. The MOST real, even. I mean, I'm sitting here chatting with your spirit floating around outside your body while it's down there having tea and speaking koans at June. This is where I... I guess I kind of break with the philosophy of most people like me. Most other empyreans think you folks are falsehoods, that you aren't real. But I don't think you're falsehoods. A fiction and a falsehood are two very different things. One is a lie. The other is a vision of what could be; a different sort of real."

Zee gives a nervous laugh and wrings her fingers a bit.

"Moooost other empyreans I've met think I'm crazy. But hey! At least I'm crazy in good company, right?"

She sure thinks so.

"Oh, I'm not bound here. I can log out any time I want. It's just a pain since then I'm totally gone from everywhere and everywhen I'm at all at once. POOF! It's a huge hassle picking up where I left off."

[5a Violista]

"Um." Obsidian looks back at the basket.
She thinks.
How much is it really worth?
...
She doesn't know.
"...I was hoping for three llamas," she says. "Maybe four." She looks more closely at the basket. "....but everything in this basket is all gross and dead or dying so maybe it's only worth one, tops." Except for the apple seeds, those are still kind-of alive but unless they get planted then they'll die. "...maybe half of one."

But!
Then, with the option of pig on the table, the girl quickly pushes the basket back. She changed her mind! "Like, pigs, with funny noses and weird tails? It's worth a pig! Like, a whole pig! An undead pig! Maybe even a big pig!"

Eating a pig sounds like it tastes good.
She can't leave until she gets one.



[I] - June

June observes.

"...Oh. I think I get it," she says. "It's like...actually just learning it is only part of it, right?" June asks for confirmation, to make sure she got it. "Like...it's incomplete? Useless? Without understanding chi. I mean, I understand."

She thinks she understands now. "I've practiced another martial art before," she says, as demonstration that she gets it an experience sort of way and not just a cerebral way. "Um. But it didn't really use chi or whatever. There was something called axé, it might be different." Since June knows what axé is but doesn't really know what chi is. But...Without being a part of the music and culture and rhythm and so on, it's just fighting - not the same."