[Nexus] The Black Dragon's Den IX

[Morty]

Dipsnig leans back in his chair. If he's going to teleport, not much they can do to stop him. If he can't teleport, well, they just need to wait for the forcefield to disappear, which it will - after all, if he could keep it up indefinetly, he wouldn't be trying to chase them out.

[Shadowcaller]

"Yes, I imagine so. Once we gotten something to eat I think we should get moving again. This city got some very interesting scenery. It's far larger then any city I have ever seen. Even larger then Hestopia itself." She observes thoughtfully. "Even my father would be very impressed by it's ingenuity. There must be a lot of problems with having such a large city after all."

[Halae]

Jakus just keeps waiting too. This is going to end somewhere after all.

[Slii Arhem]

Furt is starting to doze off, or at least seems to be. He still has one eye open and glued to the halfling though.

[Hattish Thing]

Marciano presses the button and teleports to Louv're Labs. However, the teleport could be traced by magic.

[Morty]

Dipsnig shakes his head. Moron. Alright guys, I have a plan. First, he doesn't seem to have realized that a wolf can track his scent. We'll need to pick up some samples from where he sat so CB can synthesize it. Second, we'll need to stake out here and Trog's so he can't get in either of these places without us knowing.

[Hattish Thing]

Well, if the wold sniffs around he'll find Marciano's scent. And, a notepad. It must've fallen out of Marciano's pocket! There's a circle around a piece of torn map. The circle is around a mind. Next to it s written, Crystals. Ask Magtok. Done. Rot. Done. Heading now.

[Reinholdt]

"Yes, I imagine so. Once we gotten something to eat I think we should get moving again. This city got some very interesting scenery. It's far larger then any city I have ever seen. Even larger then Hestopia itself." She observes thoughtfully. "Even my father would be very impressed by it's ingenuity. There must be a lot of problems with having such a large city after all."

"Well now, no need to rush things." Harnel says. If they run through and see everything too quickly, she might leave sooner!

He picks up a menu and idly looks it over.
"I've heard they have plagues of problems within the city, but it's not as bad as it used to be." They used to be worse!

[Lady Serpentine]

If Lellienthil chooses to return to the table she started the evening at, she will note that the scroll has been unrolled, revealing a rather complex map. The keys are also still present, though they haven't done anything interesting like the scroll has.

Lellienth does indeed sit back down at the same table she was at earlier, and spots the map. Though she doesn't look at it closely just yet; instead, she takes the time to write a note to Erin, and pin it to the table with a small dagger.

If I'm not here when you get back, it's most likely due to some sort of spell on the scroll/map on the table we were at when we came in.

--Lellienth

P.S: If anyone takes this before the intended recipient has read it, I will personally hunt them down and put out their eyes with a branding iron.

Once that's done, though, she goes to pick up the map and pore over it, apparently quite interested in what it's for or to, and anything else that can be gleaned from it.

[Earl of Purple]

The map shows the interior of a ruined prison and the route to access it from the Black Dragon's Den. The prison is in Outside/Random Plots (whichever you prefer) and the map marks where the keys should be used. Most interestingly, however, is that it shows Lellienth as an 'L' at the Black Dragon's Den, and that L will move along the route depending on where the ex-Lolthite priestess is.

[Lady Serpentine]

Lellienth, after some testing of this effect by walking a bit outside of the BDD and returning, grins, going to pocket the keys, before sitting back down to wait for Erin to return.

Random Plots, as it tends to not bury things as quickly, would likely be the best choice.

[Shadowcaller]

"Plagues? What kind of plagues?" Alt-Cessie asks with a raised eyebrow. "That sounds quite serious. How bad did it 'se to be' exactly?"

[Reinholdt]

"Oh. I was, umm, speaking metaphorically, but there was a few undead attacks, and alien attacks, and other things on the city in the past. No actual plagues though."

[kitcatk8]

((I deleted this earlier when I thought there would be no bites, so here is Yusa's entrance under a spoiler once more!))

Spoiler

Show

Where better to find a dragon than an inn named after them?

The logic wasn't exactly concrete, but it was all Yusa had in that moment.

Upon entrance from the street, she took a moment to scan those within eyeshot.

She appeared remarkably normal and humanoid compared to what tended to wander the Nexus. Yusa was taller than the average woman at 5 foot 11 inches, and looked relatively young, early 20's. It didn't look like she'd tanned a day in her life, or if she tried, she'd probably just turn red. With irises the color of an icy glacier, they tended to carry fire behind their gaze despite the hue. Her hair was long, sleek, and black -true black, with blue/white highlights rather than red. The only oddity of her appearance were the two locks of silver framing either side of her face. She might have just dyed them. They could be some form of hip and trendy goth expression. The silver crescents, as long as her other black strands, looked like hair. What might argue against their being a fashion choice was the way they acted when manipulated. If she pulled the rest of her locks back into a ponytail or braid, they fell insistently forward. They were stubborn.

Yusa wore a flowing, midnight blue dress spun from spider's silk. It hugged the right places, but didn't show an obscene amount of skin, though there was a high slit up the side for movement's sake. Her shoulders were bare. The haltered top covered her upper chest and collarbone. In the dim Inn, it appeared almost black. On her feet were a pair of flat, strappy sandals which tied at mid-calf.

Despite these things, despite that she knew she looked good, her expression was guarded and business-like. She had a mission.

"Oh. I was, umm, speaking metaphorically, but there was a few undead attacks, and alien attacks, and other things on the city in the past. No actual plagues though."

She'd been about to turn around and walk back out with an irritated (and quiet) growl when the couple had walked in.

They smelled...different.

Nostrils flaring, Yusa watched them approach the bar and order a few virgin drinks.

Things were unconventional here in the Nexus. She had known they would be. What she hadn't anticipated was how different. She had an innate ability to sense them, to detect the fire in their blood. But different worlds bred different dragons, and she was still training her nose and sight. It was stronger from the female than the male.

Yusa didn't look threatening as she stepped over to the bar herself. She was, after all, just a woman, barely past her teens, unarmed, and humanoid. Smoothing her hair back (silver crescents still falling insistently forward) she then leaned an elbow on the bar.

Now, how best to interject into their conver--

"So, you two a thing?" She spoke on top of whatever the two of them were talking about and motioned with single, short nods between Cessie and Harnel.

Blunt. To the point. That's our Yusa.

[Chaotic Bob]

Reviline slides into the Den, swishing around a drink that she probably got from Trog's.
Which is probably an odd thing to do, but the woman doesn't seem to care much.

Instead, she's busily not noticing a little milky sphere fall out of her bag and slide across to a dark corner.
She moves on over in a different direction, to take a rest at a table.

[Shadowcaller]

Cessie is about to reply to Harnel when Yusa interrupts her. "I- what?" She looks somewhat embarrassed. "We are not. We're just friends which I assume you have a good reason for interrupting with a line like that?" Her nostrils flare a bit in annoyance.

[Reinholdt]

Harnel wants to blurt out yes, yes they are. But manages with some difficulty to swallow the words and keep quiet. He stares at Yusa though, mildly annoyed.

[kitcatk8]

Yusa's icy irises glinted as she glanced first to the male, then the female when she finished speaking. Leaning back, she pressed her spine to the bar table and rest her elbows on the counter, but kept her gaze on the two of them. It was an unconsciously provocative stance. She wasn't trying to seduce anyone. It was just part of who she was. Half, to be exact. Yusa's mother would have been proud.

But Yusa's mother was far from her thoughts at that point.

The demoness ignored her question entirely, but spoke her own thoughts with a knowing purr. "Then why are you blushing?" Which wasn't to say Cessie actually was blushing, but Yusa enjoyed provoking. She was astute enough to detect the embarrassment in Cessie's startled reply. What Yusa focused on next was the heat in Cessie's face, attempting to detect the blush she accused her of.

[Shadowcaller]

While there might be a fiant blush there the mage quickly recovers and straightens her back, staring back coldly at the demoness. "I'm not." She replies in a icy tone. "So I suggest you state your business or leave us alone."

[Reinholdt]

Harnel sips from his drink to hide the faint smile on his lips. Not that he'd show Cessie that, but the idea of her blushing at this is heartwarmingly amusing, even if understandable.

[kitcatk8]

Yusa smiled, but it wasn't a warm expression. Not in the way individuals normally think of 'warm' anyway. It was lovely, it was compelling, it was self-satisfied. Maybe even inviting. But certainly not sweet.

"Just making new friends." Which wasn't true at all. She shrugged, and it was a fluid motion. "There's no need to sound so defensive. I was only pointing out what everyone else in this place can clearly see with their eyes closed." The demoness glanced once more up at the male-half to their couple. "You usually let her do all the talking for you?"

[Reinholdt]

"Actually we just met a few hours ago. If I have something to say, I'll say it." Harnel clarifies as he lowers his drink to speak.

[Shadowcaller]

"I'm afraid you're not making any friends by being rude miss." Cessie tells Yusa with clear irritation in her voice. "So unless you are going to do something else then suggest I'm affectionate with someone I just met hours ago, I'd suggest you leave us alone... please."

[kitcatk8]

The demoness let out a low whistle and put her hands up next to her ribs as if to say, I surrender. "No rudeness meant, my goodness." Yusa's gaze glided over to Harnel. "You picked a good one." It wasn't insulting. It was more amused. Using one of her hands to push her hair back, Yusa curled her hand at the back of her neck, a habit she'd picked up from her father but would never admit to.

"I'll give it to you straight since you seem to react to my small talk with some..." she considered the best word for a moment, "...hostility. I'm new here. I was sent to do a job. You appeared to be the right sort which may be able to help me out with it. I don't do this everyday." Yusa gestured outward, meaning she didn't just come up and talk to strangers on a regular basis. "But I'll be honest, I'm being tested on my abilities and I don't exactly like the pressure."

[Reinholdt]

"I didn't pick anything." Well that's just a lie. He outright wished for Cessie. >>

But she seemed to have some sort of quest and this does pique Harnel's interests.
"What sort of job?"

[Shadowcaller]

"So now you're asking for our help all of sudden?" Cessie asks with a raised eyebrow. "What help do you need exactly? And why should we help you?"

[kitcatk8]

Yusa opened her mouth, about to answer Harnel when Cessie asked her three questions in succession. The demoness blinked, looked at Cessie, then appeared to reconsider and shifted her gaze once more to Harnel. "It's complicated." Cessie again. "Not yet. The sort that involves your particular talents. And because you're bored and curious enough?" She held out her hands, still leaning against the bar counter. "...Did I get them all?"

[Shadowcaller]

Cessie can get like that, whatever incarnation of her you are talking to. <.<

"You did." She replies simply. "So what does this mission involve? As the stories go, missions picked up from a mysterious stranger in a tavern usually involve killing something, or descending into other peoples homes to steal their belongings." Neither that really interested her.

[Reinholdt]

"You may want to consider uncomplicating it for us simple folk." Harnel says, starting to get annoyed again at the run-around. She should just lay what she wants out there already.

[LadyOfWar]

With great effort a small creature pushes the door open just a crack with its front feet and then scuttles inside before the big hinged thing can slam shut on the creature's long tail.

Looking quite pleased with itself just for getting in here, the little beastie hops along the floor. It's slightly horse-shaped head swings from side to side and its long tongue flicks in and out, tasting the air.

One NPC woman almost steps on it, but it dodges nimbly. When she looks down the sight of the adorable line of fluff-like scales ridging its back and its tiny leathery wings makes her smile. The critter flutters its wings and squeaks, just to draw her attention and make her smile more.

Then it is off again, off to investigate the bar and all the folk, PC and NPC alike, inside.

The critter:

Spoiler

Show