Trog's Tavern CLIV

[bc56]

"If your enemy ever invites you somewhere, it's a trap." Common advice for superheroes. But it applies here too. Jade continues, "Can I at least buy you a drink or something? You look really stressed."

[Rebonack]

[Previous Night Party Planning]

Wing hugs!

Those are objectively the best.

"No, I think that'll do," Zee replies with a slow nod. "I'll start hunting around for a venue and putting out word of the music festival. See if I can't find some people to do the catering. Feel free to call me with any ideas, okay? We'll get this rolling and possibly rocking, it'll be great."

Maybe even the greatest?

That remains to be seen.

"You take care of yourself, okay Lil'?"

She always does, in Zee's experience.

A beat.

"Oh, wait, actually," she says with a start, reaching into her pocket and producing a note with some measurements written on it. "A new outfit for the poor girl who got robbed. I'll be paying for it. A nice set of robes, silk preferably. Do you think you can handle that?"

Zee is one hundred percent sure Lillith can handle it.

[WindStruck]

[Jade]

Solstice shakes her head. "N-no... I shall manage..."

If the conversation is pretty much over, Solstice will continue trying to canvas other people at the bar to see if they know anything about these other types of Fae, in exchange for some other information.

Once she feels she has tried sufficiently enough, heads back to her room.

[Rebonack]

Once Solstice slinks back up stairs Zee will wave Jade over.

"So, she can't accept gifts," she'll clarify for the out of costume super hero. "I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing or a faerie thing or both. But anything she gets she has to exchange something for or made herself. Goods, services, valuable information, whatever. Everything has to be paid for."

At which Zee will frown a little.

"It makes helping her... hard. But I think it's worth doing."

The barmaid glances up at the stairs.

"She gets... I don't know if offended is the right word. But offering stuff to her for free bugs her," Zee says. "I'm fortunate that I get a little bit of insight into motivations most of the time otherwise I would have been pretty mystified by how she acts, too. Think of it like super-capitalist elves. Everything has to be bought and sold. Everything has a price."

Jade will get an apologetic smile.

"So I guess maybe don't take it personally?"

[bc56]

"Ah, I get it." Jade isn't familiar with anyone like that already, but it makes sense. "I'd bet if she accepted a gift, she'd owe an unspecified debt to the giver. She doesn't want anyone to have that kind of power over her. I wonder if it's just a matter of phrasing? If I say a gift is an exchange, does it still count as a gift?" She of course takes the engineer's approach to the concept and immediately tries to find loopholes.

[Rebonack]

Zee gives a nod in reply.

"Yeah, that's more or less the impression I got. That's why I had to frame going after this thief as hiring her to help me punish someone who had wronged Trog's by robbing a guest. You know, like the tavern's reputation is on the line. Which it is, really. If people hear that guests are getting burglarized and nothing comes of it then no one is going to want to stay here," Zee explains.

She pauses her for a moment, suddenly really interested in a little chip in the finish of the bartop.

"It felt like kind of a failing on my part. Solstice was under my roof. Under my hospitality. And I didn't notice what was going down. I still sleep, is the thing. For basically the same reason anyone else does. Body mostly shuts down and repairs itself. You know, normal rest and recuperation things. So this all happened while I wasn't aware of what was going on."

And she's kicking herself over it.

"Nothing like this has ever really happened before? I think most people just know better than to mess with Trog's. So now I really need to make sure this dumb goblin gets what's coming to her so other lowlifes know not to picking on the tavern guests."

It's pretty clear she isn't very happy about all of this.

[bc56]

"But..." Jade's now confused. "Can't you be doing different things at different times at the same time? I don't think I've ever seen the bar without you, no matter how late I come in." Jade occasionally pops in sometime in the early, early morning, after a successful night of heroism. "Anyway, what can you tell me about this Larza character?"

[Rebonack]

"Yes, but not different things at the same time," Zee clarifies. "Only things at different times. Hehe... though I guess being able to do things at different times really isn't that much of a super power. Everyone can do that."

Even you can do that, Jade!

Zee is just a little more aware of it than most people in the Nexus.

"Honestly I already feel bad about missing it. I'm not perfect or flawless. I have a few neat tricks up my sleeve, but I still miss things."

She gives a sigh, glancing back toward the stairs.

"I try to remind myself. I can't save everyone. But I can save someone. Helps keep me sane. Too many people get lost sometimes."

Sounds like a very super hero attitude.

You can't always save everyone, but darn it you're going to try!

"You ever hear the story of the child, the old man, and the starfish?"

[bc56]

Jade nods along to Zee's heroic sentiments. "No, I haven't heard that story." Every world has its own stories. Except that one about the Banished King. Every world has that one.

[Rebonack]

Man that weird Banished King story.

Zee is one hundred percent sure there's something funky up with that but she hasn't found any leads yet.

"The story goes that an old many was walking along the sea one day. There had been a violent storm the night before and the beach was littered with hundreds of thousands of starfish all slowly baking in the sun. The many was filled with a sense of pity. Such a shame that all these starfish were going to die. As he walked he saw a little girl in the distance, picking up starfish one by one and hurling them into the waves. At first he was moved by her compassion, but that gave way to a contempt. 'Child,' he said. 'There are so many starfish; you can't possibly save them all. You won't make a difference.' The child look at him, picked up a starfish and held it for him to see. 'It'll make a difference to this one,' she said, and then threw it into the sea."

A few moments of silence follows.

"That's what being a hero is, I think. Knowing that you can't make everything perfect. But still knowing you can make a difference. Even if it's just a difference to one person."

[bc56]

"I think you're right. As long as we can help one person, we've made a difference." Jade believes in being a hero for its own sake, not for rewards or fame. You can't put a price on doing the right thing.

[Artemis97]

[Previous Night Party Planning]

Wing hugs!

Those are objectively the best.

"No, I think that'll do," Zee replies with a slow nod. "I'll start hunting around for a venue and putting out word of the music festival. See if I can't find some people to do the catering. Feel free to call me with any ideas, okay? We'll get this rolling and possibly rocking, it'll be great."

Maybe even the greatest?

That remains to be seen.

"You take care of yourself, okay Lil'?"

She always does, in Zee's experience.

A beat.

"Oh, wait, actually," she says with a start, reaching into her pocket and producing a note with some measurements written on it. "A new outfit for the poor girl who got robbed. I'll be paying for it. A nice set of robes, silk preferably. Do you think you can handle that?"

Zee is one hundred percent sure Lillith can handle it.

Lillith takes the note and looks it over. She smiles up at Zee, looking so much like Raril in that moment. "Of course I can handle it. We'll discuss a price later." Zee will probably get the sense Lillith will lowball her. Call it a family discount. "I'll have this ready in a jiff. Top priority." Poor girl didn't have any other clothes, her other jobs could wait. The fiend turns to exit the tavern, waving. "I'll be at my shop if you want to drop by later to pick it up? Or should I bring it back here?" She pauses, waiting for an answer.

[Zefir]

You know, fox cola's kind of an acquired taste. Rather bitter. But Honeysuckle won't comment besides a smile.
"CeeFour. Well, it's easy to say, right?" She giggles along with him. "Got brothers C1-2-3?"
And for the questions, she nods and flicks a tail.
"Yeah, haven't known 'em long. Jade seemed busy-busy, so couldn't stick around." But that's alright. She'll meet up with them later, in that Silly Plots scene.
"Know a lot of folks, but sometimes you go a long way without meeting up." You know, how given other players, deadtime, apocalypsoi, etc. you have to take friendship where you can get it.

Zefer/C4 is drinking it pure with ice. I think that is on the rocks?

"I got brothers, but not with those names. Sherman, Rafale or Yamato are just some of them. " Looking things up you might see that those are names from Tanks, battleships and battle airplanes. His parents got an odd liking to those things. 'Ancient' warweapons do they call it in Zefirs world. Not a suprise knowing that now everyone can do magic.

"Jade Is his name?" he then has to supress to laugth. He still thinks about this whole curse thing it is rather funny "Sorry, ehh HER name. I had to overhear part of the conversation she had befor. I am not sure if I should think it is tragic or just funny."

[Rebonack]

[Previous Night Party Planning]

"Thanks, Lil'. You're a lifesaver," Zee replies with a smile. "I'll swing by the shop. We can talk details on what we've got lined up for the music festival then, too. A little less likely that Raril might just happen to swing by there."

Or at least that seems to be the case to her.

"I'll nose around at Market Street. See if any of the street musicians are interested."

Then comes the goodbye waving!


[Talk of Heroing]

"Yeah. I guess I've had to learn that you won't ever be perfect. You can't save everyone. All you can do is your best. If you keep second guessing yourself over those you couldn't save you're going to go crazy," Zee says with a sigh.

It sounds like this is a subject that she's got personal experience with.

[bc56]

Jade nods. "I hear the creep stole Solstice's clothes. Is there any way I could get her some new ones without exchanging them for something?" Jade just wants to help. "And I'm going to help stop this. I'm not going to let some creep steal clothes from one of my friends."

[Reinholdt]

A naked catboy walks into Trog's. Oh no, wait. Only half-naked. The blue eared catboy still wears a pair of red shorts and a lovely collar. After a long day of work, he likes to relax at a bar with a cold glass of Nuka-Cola. And while it is true Tellysandra has provided him with ample beverages at his place of employment, it does make it hard to meet new friends. So today he's chosen here to place his order. Which he does first as he sits down.

[Earl of Purple]

There's a table in the corner. On the table is a box. It's a steel box, about a metre long by sixty centimetres wide, with a lid hinged at one end and with a gap for a padlock, though there isn't one at the moment. It's also covered in warning symbols and signs.

[Recaiden]

Zefer/C4 is drinking it pure with ice. I think that is on the rocks?

"I got brothers, but not with those names. Sherman, Rafale or Yamato are just some of them. " Looking things up you might see that those are names from Tanks, battleships and battle airplanes. His parents got an odd liking to those things. 'Ancient' warweapons do they call it in Zefirs world. Not a suprise knowing that now everyone can do magic.

"Jade Is his name?" he then has to supress to laugth. He still thinks about this whole curse thing it is rather funny "Sorry, ehh HER name. I had to overhear part of the conversation she had befor. I am not sure if I should think it is tragic or just funny."

"Big family, huh?"
Sadly, Honeysuckle isn't up to date on ancient war weapons, so she doesn't understand the connection of the names.

"Yeah, going by Jade now. Think she'll be alright with it, so no tragedy."

[Reinholdt]

There's a table in the corner. On the table is a box. It's a steel box, about a metre long by sixty centimetres wide, with a lid hinged at one end and with a gap for a padlock, though there isn't one at the moment. It's also covered in warning symbols and signs.

Oh! Some poor person forgot their box. Butler will head over to the table and look around for the owner. He doesn't immediately see one. Maybe they left their identification inside. It's much easier to tell whose box it is if you know what's in the box. The catboy personally expects that the box belongs to an avid sticker collector, given how many of them are on the outside of the box.

But he'll open it up just to check and be sure. There are many kinds of avid sticker collectors after all.

[Zefir]

"Big family, huh?"
Sadly, Honeysuckle isn't up to date on ancient war weapons, so she doesn't understand the connection of the names.

"Yeah, going by Jade now. Think she'll be alright with it, so no tragedy."

Zefir chuckels.

"So it's funny? I mean the curse seems to be just a few weeks old or so and she gave in?" he shrugs "Just saying 'he' might have allways wanted to be a she. But I guess thats not my problem."

After a small pause he speaks up again.

"Oh yeah, big family. last time I saw them I got 12 brothers.No idea why they are going for that many."

[Holy-hunter]

If sorrow could manifest and had form, well it just entered Trogs tavern.
Gloom followed the grief laden creature, crushing down on his slouched shoulders as he meekly passed the buildings portal, greeted by the tedious welcome of an old well used door, a long, sad, drawn out ’creak’ announcing his arrival.

Long dark hair, wet and mattered, draped over his down turned face. Beneath that a mattered beard twist in all directions, one that had not been tendered for days. His clothes were simple, dirty and hung loosely over the thin trembling frame concealed beneath.
His movements were weak, like a man who had walked longer than one should without rest.

The shadows of the tavern, through mystery or illusion, seemed to be reaching out towards him. Drawn to he who emanated with a sense of despair, they welcomed him with cold embrace, chilling his skin and near vicinity. His grief seemed to extend beyond the confines of his own mind and body. It hung in the air around him. Invisible tendrils both hostile and contagious that sought to infect any that should near.

He seemed not to have the strength to walk on his own, yet he did. The wooden floor boards complaining of his presence. Foot after foot, they groaned in reply to his every little step despite him holding very little weight.
Ignoring all commotion of the tavern around him and those that he past, either following the shadows or guided by them, the man found the most glum corner of the whole tavern and took a seat, alone.

He almost instantly faded from both site and memory. A no one, a nothing. Too bland to recall, too displeasing to approach. If left unattended, hours would pass without service ever coming to or finding him.

[Rebonack]

Zee frowns at the forlorn funk settling over the tavern when that damp hobo-looking guy came in. Now, granted, damp hobo-looking guys come into the tavern all the time. After all, due to Trog's 'pay what you can' policy it means plenty of the City's less fortunate drop by now and again to fill their belly with a warm something prepared with love. This, however?

This is something different.

Your average hobo isn't dogged by a gloomy sense of depression. Usually they just have a normal dog. Or sometimes a talking dog.

This guy?

This guy has some serious bad vibes going on.

No, like, evil vibes or anything. Just really unfortunate ones.

And so, the perfectly normal human barmaid approaches with a serving tray. She looks... well. Like the archetype fantasy barmaid! Exactly what that appears as is going to be heavily observer dependent. It's always kind of fun listening to people argue about what Zee looks like. With a smile, she sets the tray down on the newcomer's table.

"Hiya! Welcome to Trog's Tavern! Can I interest you in our fine soup of the day with a side of bread and cheese?"

Her face darkens, shadows falling across it.

"The cheese tastes like despaaaaaair."

It's true.

The minifridge is connected to the paraelemental plain of cheese and the last thing Zee pulled out was some delice de bourgogne, just with way less delight than usual and way more sorrow.

[Holy-hunter]

Below the downturned heavy sunken, shadowed eyes, segmented by the tendrils of thick tangled hair, thin wiry dry lips press together and are slowly forced into a semblance of a smile.
It fools no one and this feign of happiness, so obvious, holds the opposite effect.

“_{soup and bread thankyou}” he replies in the softest of whispers, his voice dry with a slight croak as if he’s just about to break.

His head tilts back ever so slightly so he can view the tray before him but still he makes no eye contact with the barmaid.

“_{you must be very kind, can I further trouble you for a room tonight?}” his voice but a whisper somehow hints of youth and wisdom both. His feet shuffle nervously with anticipation beneath the table.

[bc56]

Something is spat out into the tavern.
Literally spat. A toothy, amorphous maw appears at one of the windows and spits out a strange creature. Something like a huge wasp, blue with red whorls across its body, feathery antennae on its head, and hard elytra on its back, and silvery metal implants along its limbs and ringing its torso. It's clad in a loose-fitting garment of white silk soaked in saliva, holding a barbed whip which looks almost alive, and has a small plastic device clipped to the base of one of its antennae. As it falls, it seems to catch itself on nothing, floating a few inches above the ground, before bewilderedly getting to its feet.

[Rebonack]

Zee's smile, on the other hand, is about as diametrically opposite as possible.

Sincere, energetic, and infectious. This isn't some customer service mask; its her love for people shining through.

She's here to help people, and that's what she's going to do one way or the other. It matters little to her how gloomy they are.

The tray, thus, is set before the newcomer.

"A room? Sure! I'll grab a key for you, okay? Enjoy the meal and if you need anything else just let me know, okay?"

Then she leans down, intent on meeting his gaze.

"I'm here for you. Everyone at Trog's is, okay? You remember that."

Then she's off to grab that key when-

-one one else arrives?

Via wormhole.

Apparently.

"Uh, wow! That was quite the entrance!" Zee says brightly to the insectoid newcomer. "Welcome to Trog's Tavern! Is there anything I can help you with?"

[bc56]

"Human! What have you done with me!" The wasp buzzes her elytra and clicks her mandibles, but her voice comes from the device on her antenna. She brandishes her whip angrily, cracking it in midair. "Put me back at once!"

[Earl of Purple]

Inside the box there's quite a bit of packing material, and a note attached to the box's lid. If Butler notices and reads the note, it does have the name of the owner. The bottom part of the note is torn, however; as though part of it has been deliberately removed.

Spoiler: Note

Show

This box and its contents are property of the Charnockian Society of Friends.

This box contains:
Concealed Vest of Deflection, faulty.
Poisoner's Fork (silver)
Mad Mary's Fork (garden, bloodstained)
Webley Mk. VI (adapted) & thirteen bullets (cursed)
Ring of Luck

The rest of the note has been ripped away, some traces suggesting there was more on the list.

Alternately, Butler could have a rummage and see what he can find; the largest item amidst the packing materials is a bulletproof vest, one designed to be discrete and worn under clothes. It's also painted with a variety of runes, but there's no clue as to who owns it on the item.

[Reinholdt]

[Lost and Found]

Butler does not rummage through the contents! There's no need to after all. The note very clearly says who this box belongs to and is exceptionally helpful in that manner.

Not that he's heard of the Charnockian Society of Friends, but they sound nice. Friends is right there in the name after all. Maybe they operate out of Skyside? There's a lot of society functions in Skyside, or so Tellysandra mentions from time to time.

Butler will close the box after reading the half of the note. "Excuse me, but is anyone here from the Charnockian Society of Friends or know where they could be found, sirs and ma'ams?" Butler calls out to no one in particular.

[Rebonack]

"I- nothing?" Zee responds, flinching away from the snapping whip. "You just got spit out of a literal worm-hole. Do I look like the sort of person who tells fleshy, mouthy spatial anomalies what to do?"

Honestly she's completely baffled here.

Why would this bug person think she had anything at all to do with their arrival?

She was just heading back behind the counter to get some brownies out of the oven before they burn.

"ACK! The brownies!"

Zee hurries behind the counter, whip or no whip, to rescue the brownies before they get too crispy.

No one wants hard brownies!

Though, granted, brownie things are tasty.

Just not what she's trying to make right now.

"I haven't heard of those people before, Butler," Zee class out as she pulls open the over, only to make a noise of dismay! The brownies cooked too long! Blast! "But there have been lots of new societies and organizations popping up lately. They sound nice! Except for the poisoned fork part. Poisoned forks aren't great. Being poisoned and being a fork are pretty at odds with each other."

Typically things that you want to eat with a fork and you want poisoned are different things.

"Unless it's a fork for detecting poison?"

[bc56]

"Of course it was you! You appear to be in charge here and one does not simply travel across the galaxy without intervention..." The wasp buzzes angrily. Then Zee runs for the brownies. With a flick of her wrist, the wasp sends the barbed tip of her whip slashing through the air in front of the barmaid. "I'm not done talking to you! Explain yourself before I cut the explanation out of you!"