Trog's Tavern CLV

[Morty]

"If you were living there, maybe it was starting to feel like your home at that point?" Ithuriel asks, "Or maybe you're just a good person and cared about people being treated poorly? Everything I've seen suggests you're a good sort." It's perhaps a little foolishly optimistic of her to perceive things that way, but then she is an angel of redemption. She's meant to try and draw out the good in people.

Sometimes she even manages it.

"Could be. Could be any of those things." Michalson sighs again. "At any rate, I was never much of a basher, but I did what I could. I had the worms-" He pauses, realising what it sounds like to someone not from Sigil. "-that is, I was clever and I knew a lot about dazzle. They trusted me enough to let me in on their secret weapon, the Rites of Interdiction. Which you've seen me do. That's when I learned how."

[Holy-hunter]

The psycho analysis.
The assumption and reflection.
The accuracy!
__________________But most of all it was the pity....


Anger flashed across Raeh’s face and tore her from reason. She lashed out, a loud thud echoing out as she slammed her dagger into the table, the blade tip piercing deep into the wooden surface. Her eyes, intense and burning with hate, bore into Reuma. “Don’t pretend to know me!” She hissed in a cruel harsh whisper, dripping with malice and jealousy.

“I am not beyond help I simply don’t need it. Only the weak rely on the aid of others. You simple naive little animal, think you can just run and hide, or rely on others and everything will be alright?“

Her voice evolved into a condescending scoff, her words aimed deliberate to wound, using what little insight she had claimed. The sudden wave of frustration and anger alleviating as she tried to hide it with a nonchalant smile and shrug.
”Well at least you will make a pretty corpse.“

Her eyes turned to the tavern to find more staring back at hers, she glared at any who stared and then signalled over a waiter.
”I find myself to have built up a thirst, I think I need a drink. Make it something strong.”

”One for my deer friend too.” she forced a taunting fake smile to follow that regrettable pun, refusing now to back down from the path she was on or show remorse for her actions. Committing to her outburst and cruelty.

Silence takes her after that as she looks everywhere but at Reuma, a faint shade of shame tinting her aura but hidden expertly from her face.

[5a Violista]

Carmen sighs. "It's not the same," she says: a pity drink isn't the same as when someone buys you something with the intent of getting you drunk. "It's okay, you don't have to buy me anything. Spending money just because you can is weird."

She sips from her llamonade. "So you make potions?" Carmen asks, figuring as long as they're sitting next to each other they might as well have a nice conversation. "What kind of potions do you make? Are they like, specialty potions? Or cosmetic ones? Or just magic ones? You good at making them?"

[Zefir]

"Being a mercenary isn't something I aspire to, but it pays the bills for now." Olvisin shrugs. "I don't really have any particular plans. I just came to Trog's to eat something and have a drink."

"Well, I'd like to return the favor." Demion says. "We could go somewhere. Maybe some kind of event or so. or shoppin? I'm not irm with all the possibilities around here ."

[Demon Prince]

Carmen sighs. "It's not the same," she says: a pity drink isn't the same as when someone buys you something with the intent of getting you drunk. "It's okay, you don't have to buy me anything. Spending money just because you can is weird."

"Well, it's not just because I can." Valentina says. "I need someone to show me around here--things I should know, or avoid, or...like that!" She continues "I figure I should buy that person a drink for their trouble, at least."

She sips from her llamonade. "So you make potions?" Carmen asks, figuring as long as they're sitting next to each other they might as well have a nice conversation. "What kind of potions do you make? Are they like, specialty potions? Or cosmetic ones? Or just magic ones? You good at making them?"

"Oh, they're mostly for healing." Valentina answers. "I used to work at a potion shop, so...it comes in handy."

She adds, shifting the focus of the conversation a little bit. "Where do you work at? Is it around here?"

[5a Violista]

Carmen considers that. It's still not quite the same, but if this person needs help, then she has no choice but to help out, and it would be rude to turn down a gift. "Okay. In that case..." Carmen looks over the menu. "You can get me a salad, then."

She takes a deep breath in preparation to answer everything. "Well, actually, I just got out of prison, so I'm probably not the best person to explain everything, but I'll try. Um... there's lots of weird people around so if you start a fight, make sure you have a way out in mind. Also, this city is so big and has pretty much everything in it, I think a day hasn't gone by where I haven't seen something I never imagined before." Decent enough introduction of an explanation, she thinks.

Carmen rubs the back of her head and laughs, a little. "I actually don't have a job yet. So far, just...couch-surfing, y'know?" Couch-surfing is a pretty tactful way to say it, she thinks. "Probably need a job eventually, but there's honestly not much that I'm good at that I can make money from. Not much of a market for people wanting their memories erased, after all."

[Demon Prince]

Carmen considers that. It's still not quite the same, but if this person needs help, then she has no choice but to help out, and it would be rude to turn down a gift. "Okay. In that case..." Carmen looks over the menu. "You can get me a salad, then."

"Sure!" Valentina agrees, looking for the salad on the menu. The titles instantly struck her as a little much (I mean, Court of Stars?), but she supposed if a place could get goods from another world, it'd be good advertising to mention it. She waited for a server to notice them once she'd found what she was looking for, and asked for the salad and a bamhacon for herself.

She takes a deep breath in preparation to answer everything. "Well, actually, I just got out of prison, so I'm probably not the best person to explain everything, but I'll try. Um... there's lots of weird people around so if you start a fight, make sure you have a way out in mind. Also, this city is so big and has pretty much everything in it, I think a day hasn't gone by where I haven't seen something I never imagined before." Decent enough introduction of an explanation, she thinks.

After telling the necessary people to get a salad for the elf (she guessed elves really were like that), and ordering bamhacon for herself, Valentina's voice dropped just a little bit.

"Well, that's...good to know." She says. "I probably can't even imagine all the stuff they could pull off here with the portals."

She adds "...sorry to hear that. About the prison I mean. If you don't mind me asking, what was it for?"

Carmen rubs the back of her head and laughs, a little. "I actually don't have a job yet. So far, just...couch-surfing, y'know?" Couch-surfing is a pretty tactful way to say it, she thinks. "Probably need a job eventually, but there's honestly not much that I'm good at that I can make money from. Not much of a market for people wanting their memories erased, after all."

"...wait, you know how to erase memories?" Valentina asks. "That's...really powerful. I'm impressed.".

[Earl of Purple]

A child enters the tavern. They look a little lost. They're human, about eight or nine years old, with sunburnt skin and short blonde hair, or possibly blond hair. They wear a black rubbery raincoat, with a rip in the back and a pair of battered jeans, with mismatched sandals on their feet. They'll look around a little nervously, but... there's something odd about them. Actually, several things odd about them, but most notable is despite the fact they're looking around, their eyes are closed. Another is the way they hold themselves and move, they almost seem to scuttle to get out of the way, moving oddly fast. Another is their biology, if anyone here has the senses needed to sense that.

[Jon talks a lot]

A large man, in full plate and with a greatsword at his side, stumbles into the tavern. On the left hand side of his shoulder plate, there are multiple indents shaped like large almost giant sized fists, and his sword sheath is coated in blood. As he stumbles towards the nearest table, he sees the child, reaches into a purse, and throws a gold coin towards him. Not paying attention to if the kid's reaction, he sits down at a table and promptly falls asleep.

[Earl of Purple]

The child (?) flinches away as the coin is thrown at them, before staring at it as it hits the ground nearby, crouching down and tilting their head to one side and examining it. They pick it up and hold it close to their face, where... they very cautiously bite it. Not with their mouth; their right eye opens, revealing a small mouth with sharp teeth which extends out and bites it, before retracting back into its head and closing. Since it's unlikely the coin is chocolate in gold foil, they put it in a pocket to examine more thoroughly later. It turns to face the now-sleeping figure, and looks around before stalking over and creeping under the table.

[Jon talks a lot]

An hour or so later, the man wakes up, looking a little less beat up and tired, but still definitely worse for wear. He asks for some cheap booze, pays for it, then chugs it. He is about to go back to sleep when he realizes that child from earlier is under the table. He, quietly, says My name is Andirion, what's yours? Do you need anything?

[5a Violista]

"Sure!" Valentina agrees, looking for the salad on the menu. The titles instantly struck her as a little much (I mean, Court of Stars?), but she supposed if a place could get goods from another world, it'd be good advertising to mention it. She waited for a server to notice them once she'd found what she was looking for, and asked for the salad and a bamhacon for herself.



After telling the necessary people to get a salad for the elf (she guessed elves really were like that), and ordering bamhacon for herself, Valentina's voice dropped just a little bit.

"Well, that's...good to know." She says. "I probably can't even imagine all the stuff they could pull off here with the portals."

She adds "...sorry to hear that. About the prison I mean. If you don't mind me asking, what was it for?"



"...wait, you know how to erase memories?" Valentina asks. "That's...really powerful. I'm impressed.".

Carmen doesn't immediately start eating the salad when it arrives (there's someone to talk with right here!), but she does start idly mixing it around with her fork.

"Got thrown in the dungeon and forgotten probably because of some dumb reason. Not really sure. Bunch of paladins set up some ambush." She stabs a leaf with her fork and raises it upwards so she can twist it in a circle. "Could've just been wrong-place-wrong-time, but honestly I think it's more likely that I got the wrong person mad at me and they set me up."
Carmen sighs, and then shrugs.
"Oh well. Can't do anything about it now."

Carmen lowers the fork again to the plate. "So, yeah. Erasing memories. Yeah, I learned how to do it. Not just that, but adding memories too. It's much more excite, doing that."

[Earl of Purple]

The child under the table recoils slightly when the man awakens, skittering back as far from him as possible, so long as it remains mostly hidden under there. It doesn't reply verbally, tilting its head to one side and considering a moment before shaking its head slowly, and... a little unsurely? It's hard to tell, given their rather static expression, but it almost feels like it's mimicking the gesture rather than denying it needs anything for considered reasons. It keeps its 'eyes' and mouth closed, and doesn't give a name either. Perhaps they're mute?

[Jon talks a lot]

Andirion stares at the child for a long moment, then sighs, and says You are safe with me. You don't have to be afraid.. He reaches into his pack, and pulls out a Romanesque wax tablet and stylus. He considers, for a second, then whispers If you can't speak, can you write?

[Demon Prince]

Carmen doesn't immediately start eating the salad when it arrives (there's someone to talk with right here!), but she does start idly mixing it around with her fork.

"Got thrown in the dungeon and forgotten probably because of some dumb reason. Not really sure. Bunch of paladins set up some ambush." She stabs a leaf with her fork and raises it upwards so she can twist it in a circle. "Could've just been wrong-place-wrong-time, but honestly I think it's more likely that I got the wrong person mad at me and they set me up."
Carmen sighs, and then shrugs.
"Oh well. Can't do anything about it now."

Valentina took a second to understand the significance of what Carmen was saying, but once it dawned on her, she felt pity for the elf. She didn't know if she was really innocent or not, but she was willing to give the elf the benefit of the doubt, after that.

"You must have been in there forever...I'm sorry." She realizes how little that meant, so she adds "If you ever find out who did that to you, you can tell me." She hopes Carmen gets the meaning.

Carmen lowers the fork again to the plate. "So, yeah. Erasing memories. Yeah, I learned how to do it. Not just that, but adding memories too. It's much more excite, doing that."

Valentina looks at her food as she thought. "There's definitely people who'd want memories added--even erased, for some people." She says. "Not to pressure you or anything--just thinking, you know?"

[Earl of Purple]

The child tilts its head at the wax tablet, reaching out and taking it cautiously before leaning in to sniff it. It turns away from Andirion and investigates both tablet and stylus, trying to hide what it does next.

It opens what should be its mouth, exposing an eye with a pale pink iris, and holding the tablet and stylus away from itself into the light, rather than the shade under the table, examines the objects briefly. The eye closes and they're brought close to its face, where its left eyelid open, revealing the mouth beyond once more, and extended to take a bite. It apparently doesn't like the taste of the wax, and the mouth recoils and the thing hisses. It notes the softness of the material, however, and experiments with the stylus. When it turns back around, there's a small mark in one corner of the wax, a mostly circular shape not made by the stylus scratching the wax, but by something else, lots of small, sharp, irregular objects all entering the wax at once; teeth, perhaps, but more like a cookie cutter shark's teeth than a human's. More notably, however, is a crude drawing. There's a rectangle on one side, with circles* inside it. There's more rectangles and squares, but they don't have anything inside. A line has been drawn from a circle* out of that rectangle, and then between various other widely-spaced rectangles before sharply turning down a narrower space between other rectangles, making more turns before ending with a circle.

*If Andirion sat at a table which is not circular, these are not circles, but rather squares, triangles or hexagons; whatever shape the top of the table the 'child' hides under is.

[5a Violista]

"It's okay," Carmen says. "I've...well, I've edited out most of the time in there....long story." She pauses, trying to decide if she should say that long story or not. "Well, long-story-short, normally can't easily do it to myself but this time it worked because my only way out of there was copy my memories over to someone else and then died and got cloned and, well...anyway. Long story."

She shrugs, and sets down the fork. "Pretty sure who did it. But haven't seen her in so long and honestly would be pretty happy if I never saw her again." Setting down her fork was necessary to avoid waving leaves and things around again.

With her hands free, she runs her hand back through her hair and tosses it to the side. She was trying to convey some sort of emotion, but realizes it didn't really give off the intended feeling. Ugh! She's so out of practice at social interactions that don't involve pushing herself onto someone, that it's pretty frustrating! How is she supposed to be coy and everything else? She can't remember! So, she sighs. "Sure," she finally says, "but, like...are they willing to pay? What if they decide they didn't like it afterwards and come after me? Or what if someone else doesn't like it? Besides, I'm not really sure I'm one that's good at advertising for a business or anything. Would have to come up with lots of fine-print or rules or something, too, and that seems like a huge hassle for something they might regret and/or hate me for afterwards." And, believe her, some of the last couple people whose memory she altered got mad at her.
...
Granted, that's probably because she didn't ask for permission.

[Jon talks a lot]

Andirion looks at the drawing for quite some time, then sighs, not knowing what to make of it, and orders quite a lot of food. He sets some bacon on a plate next to the child and a glass of water as well. And waits to see what the child does with it, while at the same time making constant reassurements* the kid is safe in the hobgoblin tongue, the tongue of man, and in the tongue of the angels, watching if any of those languages garner a reaction.


*simple stuff like you are safe, but I didn't feel like saying it all.

[Aurora Alchemi]

Reuma's eyes flash gently as the knife comes down, a keen moment of tension held in those orbs, the the horns betraying that there was no fear at the angry reaction. "Pretend? I would never..." came the muttered and low response, half hidden in the mask. The glimmer of knowledge continues behind the mask, the soft flick of the long ears betraying the attention of the meek healer. The words stream in, intended to wound, clearly, but somehow they land softer. Instead, those deep pools of bark and hazel seem to peel at Raeh's condescending bravado, as a surgeon might examine a stubborn tumor. The healer was quiet through the speech.

Then, the arrival of a bowl of fragrant stew breaks the silence, and Reuma's gaze turns to it. "I suppose a drink would be alright, but I'll not have much of it if it's alcoholic. I'm sorry if that disappoints you." Slowly Reuma draws down her hood, and unties the mask, pulling it away. Curls of hair float softly down where they sit free from tight crown braids, falling over the scarred face of the Lyrri. A long burn covers one cheek, and prominent scars, as if from the claws of a war beast, cut almost into one eye, severing both cheek and brow. Then, the low voice, still mellow and mild. "It would not be the first time I disappointed someone who expected me to become a corpse from how I live."

Reuma's eyes glance up softly, not shying from looking over the half-elf. "But, I'm sure you have felt the same. To live so recklessly, so free of friends, such pain comes with it's own share of people who wish you dead. Is that why you are looking for fighters? For those who can kill?" In one hand, a spoonful of stew is raised to the Lyrri's mouth, while the other glitters with a soft green and brown glow, fingers drawing softly up the knife for a moment, as the wood grain of the table seems to reknit itself together, slowly rejecting the knife as the table... regrows? Heals? However it looks, Reuma guides the knife down to the table softly, in no way making an attempt to take it, simply repairing the damage done in anger. "I do have the power to help many kill, this is true. I choose otherwise, at least for now." The last sentence hangs in the air with a slightly sinister tone, as if hinting at thoughts afoul, even in the quiet fawn.

[Gnrlshrimp]

"Hmm." Ithuriel leans forward, frowning. "Michalson, you know I can be a bit reckless and impatient on the job, right? Kinda true in person too. As fascinating as it is learning more about you, if you want my help with something, then just say it. What can I do to help?" She smiles softly, her wings glowing faintly. "Helping's sorta my unofficial job, but it means more to help a friend. So, seriously, whatever you need, just let me know."

[Earl of Purple]

Well, given the shapes in the first rectangle match the shape of the tables in Trog's, and the line starts at one roughly positioned where Andirion's table is, if the line goes through the nearest door.

The 'child' grabs the bacon and turns so Andirion can't see at it tries to eat it, though it doesn't take more than a bite before tossing it aside. It doesn't react to the hobgoblin or human languages, but dives out from under the table and dashes across the floor until it reaches another table and hides behind that at the words in the angelic tongue.

[Jon talks a lot]

Andirion looks at the child running off, sees the abandoned bacon and says Well ****, children like candy right then goes to the bar and gets whatever resembles a chocolate bar in the nexus, and slowly walks over to the kid, and, without speaking or anything hands the candy bar to the child.

[Ironsmith]

[That hole in the wall]

A loud *crash* heralds the arrival of a shuttle vehicle of some kind, which vaguely resembles a passenger jet scaled down to about the size of a dump truck. Predictably, a mass of metal that size traveling at subsonic speeds puts a large hole in the wall, scattering broken bricks all over the nearby patrons.

Fortunately, nobody seems to be seriously hurt, either inside the vehicle or the tavern. The first of the passengers, Eun, stumbled out of the shuttle, coughing loudly into her fist. Still dazed and disoriented, she found the tavern was too much for her; the sight, the sounds, the smells, they'd all contribute to her already-overtaxed senses. Without a word, she bolts for the patio door, getting outside to some relatively fresh air.

The other four passengers (Miranda, Klaus, Vlad, and Rose) were able to extract themselves more methodically from the wreckage. After initially being greeted by a room full of surprised faces, Miranda pulls her team into a huddle to discuss the situation.

"Well, it looks like we aren't exactly in Kansas anymore." Miranda mumbles to her coworkers. "All right. Here's what we're going to do. Vlad, see if you can fix the ship. I'd rather we not stay around here any longer than we have to."

"I agree. The sooner we can get to Terah, the better."

Miranda nods. "Klaus, you're on integration. Figure out what passes for normal around here, in case we need to stick around."

Klaus nods and says nothing. They likely weren't going to go unnoticed after this, but it couldn't hurt to get familiar with the locals.

"Rose, cover for us."

Rose grabs her Hotbox from her hip and holds it over her head. "Hey! Hey! Who ordered the pizza?!"

Miranda sighs a little to herself. Admittedly, she'd given Rose a tall order, but her solution looked just ridiculous. '"Right. I'm going to go find the owner; we owe some poor soul a new wall."

"What about Eun?" Vlad asks.

"She'll need a minute to calm down, I think. When she comes back, she's going to help you get our shuttle fixed."

With that, the team goes their separate ways. Rose and Klaus will be skimming the tables, trying to pick up information on their new surroundings. Vlad will be near the hole, busily fiddling with the broken ship. Miranda will be heading for the bar to ask about the owner. And Eun will be outside on the patio, in the throes of a panic attack.

[Holy-hunter]

Raeh suddenly didn’t want to hold the lyrri’s eyes anymore and looked away under her scrutinising gaze. ”Ha, You not wanting to get drunk doesn’t disappoint me.” Raeh says as the food and drinks arrive to their table.
”I learnt a long time ago to keep my expectations low to avoid such disappointment.” her voice resonated with a sad truthfulness as she took her drink and deliberately gulped deeply.

”and besides, I like a bit of a challenge.” her last words, soft, slow and playful were followed with a cryptically seductive glare and a little bounce from her eyebrows.


As Reuma removed the hood from her head and her hands found the ties of her mask, slowly making to pull it down, Raeh’s lips twisted into a cruel sardonic smile, her eyes glimmering with an eager anticipation. On the tip of her sharp tongue danced flirtatious witticisms, back-handed compliments and plenty of well rehearsed sarcastic retorts, all of which waited ready on a baited breath.
But no such thing ever left her mouth.

With a sudden gulp she swallowed those words and the breath they were on, her eyes confronted by the loud burns and scars taking the place where she instead expected a soft perfect complexion of sheltered innocence. Raeh couldn’t help but study them for a moment.

Reuma’s following words were partially lost on the half elf as Raeh once again was forced to reassess her opinion and conclusions of the creature before her.

”I don’t like your questions ok. I’m not worried about anyone who might want me dead, I’m looking for killers because I want something else dead. I’m trying to get something back and I need people who can survive the trip. Don’t try to pretend you understand either or I swear I’ll slap you.”

Raeh seemed to possess a magic of her own, one of making her drink disappear. Soon after it arrived she was already signalling the barkeep to refill her empty mug, it having found its way to her mouth between near every breath. She sighed as she waited, once again looking out over the tavern in silent scrutiny.

[Morty]

"Hmm." Ithuriel leans forward, frowning. "Michalson, you know I can be a bit reckless and impatient on the job, right? Kinda true in person too. As fascinating as it is learning more about you, if you want my help with something, then just say it. What can I do to help?" She smiles softly, her wings glowing faintly. "Helping's sorta my unofficial job, but it means more to help a friend. So, seriously, whatever you need, just let me know."

Michalson pauses, unsure of what to say. Sincere emotion isn't something he's good with. He's used to keeping people at an arm's length. Ever since then.

"I appreciate it. I really do. But... all of it already happened. There's nothing to be done. That's the bastard of it. All I can do is wonder if I was wrong, or if everyone else was wrong or... something else."

[Earl of Purple]

The 'child', with its eyes closed still, backs away from Andirion as he approaches, offering a chocolate bar. This particular 'child' ignores it, keeping their face on Andirion's. They're crouched near the far edge of the table, one hand resting on the underside of the table and the other on one of their knees.

[Morty]

"Well, I'd like to return the favor." Demion says. "We could go somewhere. Maybe some kind of event or so. or shoppin? I'm not irm with all the possibilities around here ."

Olvisin's ears pull back slightly in surprise.

"I wasn't really planning on going anywhere today and I don't know what- whoa!"

Olvisin turns around to face the hole where a wall used to be and a shuttle is now. That's not something that happens every day, not even in Trog's.

[Ironsmith]

By sheer coincidence, Rose decided to pick the goblin out of the crowd as a point of focus. She made her way over to the table and kicked away a few scattered bricks, clearing a space to sit down. "Sorry about that." She says with a small smile. "We usually don't crash places like this so literally." Rose sets her Hotbox on the table and pretends to read over the interface. "I'm here with a delivery for a mister Jonson. Extra large pepperoni and sausage. I don't suppose either of you know him?"

The name and what she was doing there were both total fabrications, of course, but she figured even a place like this (wherever it was) still had enough in common with her home that "pizza delivery" would not be a foreign concept. At worst, walking in and acting like she was here on purpose would go a long way toward making herself and her comrades look much less suspicious. An accident in the parking lot would be noteworthy, but not entirely out of the ordinary, at least not when compared to the alternatives.

[Zefir]

Demion nods to the Goblin, having the feeling he was a bit to bold, but there is no time thinking futher about it, because at the same moment as she faces the hole he looks at it too. His hands hold up to protect his face. He needs a moment to get them down again.
"Is that normal here?" he says, but won't get an answer now as Rose comes over. His expression is much confused at her request.
"You are a five person delivery service for pizza?" he asks. Obviously not buying it.

[Ironsmith]

"You know, I'm glad you asked." Rose nods toward Demion, her fingers tapping on her Hotbox. "If we were just a pizza delivery service, you're right, five people would be a little excessive. But our boss has this idea that, as much as the actual pizza, people will pay top dollar for the experience of getting a pizza, and most delivery services are a little lacking in that department. You call the store, and a dude shows up half an hour or so later to give you a cardboard box with your pie in it. Guy's there for, what, fifteen seconds?" She makes a faux-disgusted expression, sticking her tongue out a little and scruching up her eyebrows. "That's not exactly top-quality customer service. So we make it a lot more personal; instead of some random delivery driver just dropping off a pizza, your good friend Rose-" she taps her chest, indicating that she's talking about herself, "comes over and makes it for you, and maybe brings a few friends of her own along. Fresh food and friendly company, all rolled into one." She pauses a moment to let that information sink in. "This is the first time we've ever been called to a public place, though. Our usual demographic is homebound seniors."