[Nexus] Trog's Tavern CCXXXVI

[Lost_Deep]

A smile crosses the 1:1 dealer's face. The push of a mind against a greater force. The discovery of the full reaches of the human psyche, the call to arms.

A unrelenting stubbornness. Shaky, but slowly solidifying. Once again, a reminder for the other, stronger, races out there.

You can crush a human. You can cut a human. You can bruise, bash, beat, batter, lacerate, eviscerate, mangle, maul, and do most anything you want to a human. Even in the mind, most humans will let you warp, shift, blend, overwrite, erase, and apply.

But every once in a while...

For every hundred humans you beat down, there is one that will stand and take it. One that will take it to the face and ask you if that's all you got. One that will stand up to you and tell you that you smell funny. One that refuses to do what it's mind is telling it to do.

One human to remind you that humans don't take that kind of threat to their species. One human to stand in the gap and say no. And then punch you in the face.

And that's why humans are awesome.

And *that* is entertaining.

[Mr. Moon]

Jeany's voice screams out in the hive-mind, a single voice among millions whimpering in the crowd. And at her conviction, the hive mind falls into a silence.
For a moment, the silence is complete and total as the Hive Mind in it's many parts observe Jeany.

And then there is rage.

The hive tyrant lashes out, grabbing Jeany in one of it's claws by her neck. It swings her around, slamming her against the wall. It's scythe-bladed tail slashes forward, embedding itself in the wall right next to her head as the hive tyrant looms in, his many-toothed snarl too close to her face.

You impertinent child! The Hive Mind snarls in it's infinite voice. You should count yourself lucky that we suffer your thoughtless individuality! You dare to defy a direct command from the Hive Mind? Look at you! Pathetic! You actually want to be one of them, don't you? We assure you, love, if it were not for your exceptional and desirable traits this unit would have devoured you already! The hive tyrant stands, lifting the girl again and tossing her over to the corpses on the floor. We order you to consume your kill.

((Godmodding approved by Rebo.))

[Rebonack]

There comes a bone-snapping *CRUNCH* as Jeany is slammed into the wall, managing to draw a short whimper from her, but little more. She mentally cowers as the voices reverberate inside her mind. Cowers as they claw at her psyche.

And then she gets tossed like a rag-doll.

Right on top of the corpse.

She tumbles off, one of her arms bending into a wholly unnatural position as she does so. Jeany gasps through gritted teeth, casting a glance down at her arm as her body begins to shift again. Colors returning to their default as her armor expands-

-and her arm snaps back into position.

Eessh... Another wince. Looks like that hurt. It also looks like she just shrugged off the active camouflage of the Lictors and assumed high-speed regeneration in its place. Seems she's limited in the number and types of traits she can express at once.

But still...

We order you to consume your kill.

She gasps when the command hits her, pounding into her brain like a jack-hammer. Without so much as a thought her claws dig into the Marine's chest wound and rends out a hunk of still sizzling meat.

Jeany just kneels there.

Staring at it.

...

The mirror to Inari's is right behind her.

...

"Go to hell."

And then she spews a bolt of bio-plasma at the corpse in front of her, the blast of energy exploding violently and hurling her bodily back through the rather smallish portal.

Cosmo looks displeased.

He's going to have quite the mess to clean up.

[Mr. Moon]

The hive tyrant stands over Jeany, looming above her. It is waiting, watching, daring her not to eat.
A dare that the little jeanstealer seems to take, however. The Hive Mind recoils in shock as Jeany escapes. The hive tyrant takes two lumbering, too-fast steps after her, but it is too late.
She's gone.
And she managed to destroy the food in her escape.
What a waste.

The hive tyrant throws back its head and lets out a primal, ear-splitting scream. Its tail thrashes around behind it, destroying chairs, tables, and the odd patron.

And suddenly, it turns. Ducking through the door, the hive tyrant exits the tavern and is gone.

[Lost_Deep]

Clap clap clap clap. Clap for Jeany. She's pretty cool.

The entertainment now done, the 1:1 dealer goes back to solitaire. Fwip fwip fwip.

She wonders if things like that happen often around here.

[VampireRot]

She did enough to help him/her be an accomplice to murder. That's a fair bit! Not having reinforcement that it was the right thing to do afterwards and staring at the bodies did help in dealing with that magic though. A bit. There is a part of him/her that thinks they still deserved it and that worries her!

<"I'll be sure to drop in for catnip and salmon some time."> Reinholdt says. Doubt she means it, but she says it.

She jumps and hides a little more when the big old kraKOOM goes off though. Loud noises of death rays were scary!

Akila nods, and looks like she's going to reply when LOUD SCARY NOISES happen. The cat crouches closer to the ground and flattens her ears, then shoots a furious glare in the direction of the leaving tyranids. She quickly straightens out her fur and calms down and turns back to the other cat.

<"You do that, it'll be nice. I'm going to go now, this place is too loud.">

Unless Reinholdt has anything more to say, Akila will leave the tavern as well.

[TechnoScrabble]

Riley looks around cautiously, then slinks forward to look at the SPESS MEHREENS. If nobody stops him and the guns look to be worth something, he'll gather them up in a bundle, tape them together, and take them back to his table.

[Reinholdt]

Reinholdt says goodbye politely to Akila.
Now that things have calmed down and loud scary noises weren't happening, maybe things could be enjoyed in peace.

Except, you know, the whole mood being shattered.
Reinholdt sighs, shifts back into catgirl form and goes to get a room for the night.

[Rebonack]

Derpa guns are stolen! Loaded with highly inflammatory DERP! rounds.

They're powerful weapons and they would probably break a normal human's arm if fired without, say, mounting it on a turret first.

Biiiig guns.

Big enough for SPESS MEHREENS!

He could probably try selling them to Erin's.

Not like anyone would be able to beat her prices of 'virtually free'.

...

....

Yeah.

That's about it.

The dead MEHREENS have been cleaned up at least. All fed to the dumpster mimic out back.

[lord pringle]

[Fferrir's head]
You want to know about me?

[FireFox]

Ally peaks her head in the door and then cautiously walks in when she doesn't see any obvious scary monsters.

[Devixer]

Ashley follows the thief into the tavern. "Well, that was fun. Let's throw back a few." She walks to the bar, ordering a Scotch.

[FireFox]

Sounds good to me. Perhaps out of the desire to conserve her remaining coins, Ally just orders a mug of ale.

[Devixer]

Ashley actually doesn't let her pay, getting enough coins for the ale. "It's my treat, alright?"

[FireFox]

Ally gives the illusionist a confused look. You bought the drinks the last time, when we both got drunk. You don't need to do it again.

[Devixer]

Ashley looks a little sheepish, putting her money back in her bag of holding. "Sorry. I actually kinda wanted to pay."

[FireFox]

Don't worry about me. I can still charm free drinks out of guys with a broken arm. Heck, it'll probably be easier. Ally winks.

[Devixer]

Ashley returns the wink, grinning a little. "It'd be really easy. One set of doe eyes and you've got a free drink."

[FireFox]

Ally's voice suddenly drops somewhere between a honeyed drawl and a seductive purr as she leans in towards Ashley. Why hello there, handsome... I would be ever so grateful if you could buy me a drink. I don't have any money and there's not much I can do with this broken arm... But I can do enough, if you get what I mean. Then she giggles and slips back into her regular tone. Something like that.

[Devixer]

Ashley, in response, leans back a little, keeping that small smile on her face. "I think you almost charmed a drink out of me again, Ally." She chuckles. "I need to learn how to do that."

[FireFox]

Aw, you're cute enough to make it work, Ash. The thief sips from her mug. The trick is to pick the right mark, preferably someone rich, drunk, and alone, and be confident. And when all else fails, just get close enough to cut their purse or pick their pockets.

[Devixer]

Ashley giggles, blushing a little. "I'm not that cute." She listens to the thief's explanation. "I can do all of that, except be confident. I've always had problems with that."

[FireFox]

Ally gives her a vulpine grin. So you're not confident and you don't know how to look like it? Isn't your whole style of magic about making things appear like they're not?

[Devixer]

Ashley frowns a little, looking down at her scotch. "That's not really how my magic works." She looks a little pathetic right now.

[FireFox]

Hm... Then I guess it's a good thing you have me to look after you! The thief tries to put a comforting arm around the illusionist.

[Devixer]

Ashley smiles a little, and leans a little towards the thief as she puts an arm around her. "Yeah, that's a pretty good thing."

[LOTRfan]

A leprechaun runs into the bar, breathing heavily. He seems quite shaken. He walks up nervously to the bar and asks for twelve drinks. As soon as they arrive, he starts downing them like crazy.

[Reinholdt]

Female Fez Hat kitty Reinholdt, who really should just get another name, comes down the stairs and takes a seat at a table, ordering breakfast and taking a look around.

[ThirdEmperor]

Sitting on the bar is a small rabbit, a mini-lop to be precise, with chestnut fur and almost half it's right ear missing, chewed off by some unknown predator. The rabbit appears to be sleeping, lying on it's back and occasionally kicking at the air as it dreams. More unusual is the fact that there's a burnt out cigarette stub between the rabbit's teeth, and a holster holding a colt army special revolver around it's waist.

[Reinholdt]

Fez Hat Reinholdt watches the rabbit in its sleep. "Hmm... a small furry and cuddly animal, likely with psychological issues stemming from their past injuries, an addiction to drugs, and an affinity for firearms. That's... kind of unique actually."
Of course, she's not going to wake the rabbit up. That'd just be rude.