The Roost

[Holy-hunter]

Arlen nods to the newcomer, his lips pressed tightly shut.
With a light bow he carefully pulls out a chair next to Veggmaleri and motions for Raquel to take the seat.

His eyes dart to the very scary and angry Nicole.
Nope seemed ok...

"Names Arlen" he says softly with a smile, eyes admiring Raquel's small violin.
-his glance nervously quickly darts back to Nicole-

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel takes a seat and boggles at the efreet beside her. Catching herself staring, she quickly averts her eyes. "Sorry." She blushes, embarassed.

Raquel turns to look at what Arlen is so scared of and looks straight at Nicole. What she sees scares her, and she turns back to Arlen. "D-don't look!" She blurts out.

Her shade of red deepens. That's no way to start a conversation, Raquel! What to do, what to do...

Hey, he liked her violin! She starts playing a small but beautiful tune softly. Music calms her down.

It might calm Arlen down as well. She looks at him and smiles, unwittingly casting a small illusion that'll help calm him down.

[The Alexandrian]

Spooky, scary Nicole sends shivers down your spine!

Nicole's To Do List:
Terrorize Children
Buy Milk
Stab Wenomir

Her mother would be proud.

"And I just wanted you not to scream in my face."

Nicole irascibly retorts as she seats herself once more. That kid needs to learn a lesson or two about respect. Maybe his well-mannered dryad girlfriend will teach him one of these days.

"You may tell your especially exuberant boyfriend that MERC's Riverside Office is located in scenic *insert location of Merc's Riverside Office here*. They might hire you two to work for them, if you pass their membership test and don't mind gettin' your hands dirty."

"If they won't hire you and your friend, GLoG will probably provide you with three square meals per day and a room in one of their rustic, wooden cabins if you ask politely."

Veggmaleri might get the distinct impression that Nicole has taken a shine to her because she's quiet, courteous, and respectful.

"Here."

Nicole soundlessly fishes a couple of gold coins out of her pocket and attempts to slide them over to Veggmaleri.

"That should pay for a trip to Riverside and GLoG. Just keep your friend quiet until you two depart and its all your's."

Bribery! Its not generosity, its bribery! Nicole isn't a good person; she's evil!

Hey! Someone Nicole didn't notice before is sitting over yonder, and she's...

"Oh hai there, Rochelle. I thought you were stranded in space for two hundred years and dubbed yourself Agony when you returned. Glad to see you're okay."

"..."

"You are okay, right?"

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel frowns. Luckily she doesn't burst into tears this time, or maybe it's that she's too tired to cry. Like a certain lady said: 'People'll keep asking.'

"I'm Raquel, not Rochelle." She responds, looking at the now-calm Nicole. Why in the world would someone want to call themselves Agony? Is she trying to be goth or something? "I'm not a psycho killer, I'm a violinist."

Even the voice is the same! The tone, however, is not. This Raquel sounds much more... nice.

Look at the font. THE FONT

[Holy-hunter]

....

Arlen clearly didn't follow that whole conversation. Since the 'girlfriend' remark his face had been growing red and his actions flustered as he tries to find the right words.
Looking back and forth he stutters some babble before slapping the table grabbing everyone's attention and setting Nicole straight.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

[Mee]

Whenever Naku returns, Nicole will happily take her up on her offer of Ibuprofen .

Naku blinks, finally having returned triumphantly! She looks very lost as to what just happened. Stuff seems to have been a thing at places to people. Yelling happened. Psycho Violinists happened. New people came in, but seem to have settled in.

So Naku just offers Nicole a small bottle of Ibuprofen. "Go ahead and keep the bottle." It's one of those small bottles, and is about half full of the glorious pain-relieving pills. Naku has plenty more bottles of the stuff in her room, too.

"Um. Welcome, everyone? Does anyone need anything?" She asks to the room, still kinda lost as to what and where is going on.

[Holy-hunter]

"Oh hai" Arlen says startled, spinning on the spot he turns to Naku as he re-finds his composure.

"Oh your grumpy lady friend was just telling me about MERC and GLOB, what sorta work do MERC do and what's so good about GLOB's square food?"
Arlen asks a bit confused, but happy and feeling a little safer now Naku is back.

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel stands up to curtsy at Naku. "Hi!" She smiles at Naku, managing to make an innocent smile look like a very nervous innocent smile. "May I have some soup, please?" The fox-eyed elf gives Naku a once over (while trying to be discreet about it!) when she suddenly remembered the bite she'd seen in Someplace Else.

"Y-you! Ahem, I mean... hello again?"

[Mee]

"Oh hai" Arlen says startled, spinning on the spot he turns to Naku as he re-finds his composure.

"Oh your grumpy lady friend was just telling me about MERC and GLOB, what sorta work do MERC do and what's so good about GLOB's square food?"
Arlen asks a bit confused, but happy and feeling a little safer now Naku is back.

"Heyooo!" Naku replies sweetly.

Raquel stands up to curtsy at Naku. "Hi!" She smiles at Naku, managing to make an innocent smile look like a very nervous innocent smile. "May I have some soup, please?" The fox-eyed elf gives Naku a once over (while trying to be discreet about it!) when she suddenly remembered the bite she'd seen in Someplace Else.

"Y-you! Ahem, I mean... hello again?"

"Hmm?" Naku asks, turning from Arlen. "Soup! Yes! Of course! I'll be right back with it." She says with a bit of a bow, before heading back to behind the counter to go bug Aiden for food.

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel turns away, feeling silly. Of course it was a dream, she's never met this girl before. Yes, it was a dream.

A very vivid dream.

The part-kitsune elf girl looks at Arlen and smiles. "So... wanna see something cool?" She doesn't wait for an answer before attempting to make it look to Arlen like their table is liquefying. She has a high affinity for illusions due to her kitsune blood (that she knows nothing about).

[Holy-hunter]

The part-kitsune elf girl looks at Arlen and smiles. "So... wanna see something cool?" She doesn't wait for an answer before attempting to make it look to Arlen like their table is liquefying. She has a high affinity for illusions due to her kitsune blood (that she knows nothing about).

It's an odd thing, the things that amuse Arlen. Even odder is his interpretation of other peoples actions...

"Oh yea!" He says excitedly springing up with an eager energy, he had that gleam of a challenge in his eye. (This was one of those misinterpretation situations)

"Well check this out!" He shouts in reply forgetting to keep quiet.
Arlen had a bit of magic power but often tackled challenges head on with brute force. This was one of those cases.

Grinning ear to ear he takes a few steps towards the illusioned table and leaps into the air, his fist glows with soft divine flames as he holds it high in the air above his head. He lets out a grunt, as he comes down, so too does his fist,
'THWACK'
The table cracks and splinters into two as he drives his hand down hard, crashing through the middle.

Arlen stands over the mess a bit dumbfounded, gazing at the rubble around him while tending his sore red hand.

"Huh, it looked softer then that... Haha I guess I win though" he says with a laugh looking up at Raquel and scratching his head.

.....
"You got anything else?"

[Cyber Punk]

Unluckily for Arlen, he didn't account for the timid girl's reaction. Her eyes go wide, her hands go up to shield her glasses and she moves away from Arlen.

Is everyone in the Nexus so mindbendingly powerful?

She yells the first thing that comes to her mind. "HELP! D-Don't hurt me!" She starts to get up, her scared eyes on Arlen as she backs away.

Another table should do nicely.

[Holy-hunter]

"Huh, what?.. no, no, no"
Arlen quickly frantically tries to calm the girl, speaking gently and softly waving his hands and shaking his head.

He tries to slowly reach out to her like one would a timid animal.
"I'm so sorry, I would never hurt you, I just thought...."
"Please don't be scared"

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel realizes she was just about to suck her thumb and stops, her eyes looking warily at Arlen, then at his outstretched hand.

He doesn't appear to be attacking her, so she slowly inches forward and touches his arm, her eyes on his.

[Zefir]

The door of this cafe opens and closes. It looks like none has entered through it. Well none of proper size. If you stand up you see a small green stuff animal lizar walking up the floor. he got a big monolce, that's obviously to big for him, on the nose. After all they are in the blue zone. The high society of inside. The royal-stuff-animal-lizardheads for one of the tabletop table. as he is close, he dissapears for a short moment, walking up the tabels leg and walking upside down to the tabels edge to get on top of the table. Yes be so small makes it a long way to get on a table. As he is on top he watches over the pawns on, as he reaches a General like looking pawn he salutes. Then he heads for the tables edge, waving with his little paws to get the attention of the next waitress.

[Holy-hunter]

Arlen sighs in relief.
"I'm a good guy, I don't hurt innocent people."
He says puffing out his chest. He still held a certain pround smugness in regards to the 'everyone's so powerful' comment, not that he saw breaking a table as a great feat.

He swiftly takes a seat near the broken table,
1, to not further intimidate Raquel.
2, to asses the damage and try repair it.

As he looks at the two halves of the table laying before him in two seperate peaks, he digs through his clothing and pulls out a small pouch.
With an intense concentration and focus on his face he begins reciting a string of strange words that seem to fall awkwardly off his tongue. No repetition is quite the same.
But despite his faulty recital, with one hand hovering over the table while the other sprinkles a light dust from the pouch, there is a definite glow of magic.
A soft wind ruffles his hair, the dust sparkles as it floats around instead of falling and the table groans...

As it
.......
Does nothing.
The chipped mug however looks brand new.

"Damnit! Arlen curses as he runs out of dust.

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel sighs in relief. "T-that's good!" At ease once again, she gets up and sits down and looks at Arlen as he does his thing, actually laughing when Arlen fails to do his thing. "Sorry... whee-hee-hee-hee!"

"Here, lemme try." She focuses intensely on the table, and nothing happens. Nothing she wants to happen, anyway, as the chips briefly turn into a plush toy.

If only she could warp reality already! "Fiddlesticks! It didn't work!"

Don't look left, Raquel! Don't... ah, she's looked left.

CUTE STUFFED TOY!

"Awww, isn't he cute?" She squeals and rushes over to pick Mr. C up.

[Devixer]

Hearing the noise of a table breaking, followed by a girl creaming, is more than enough to bring Aiden out from his constant shelter called "the kitchen" and he looks around until he sees the scene of the crime. He sighs and taps the countertop with his fingers. "So you know this isn't Trog's where you can break things willy-nilly, right?"

[Holy-hunter]

"Sorry" Arlen apologises ashamedly, bowing his head before he drops to the ground and awkwardly tries to pick the two halves up and unsuccessfully balance them against each other.

"It was all melting a moment ago" he exclaims finally giving up on fixing it.

"I'm sorry sir I'll pay you for it"

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel curtsies at Aiden. "I'm sorry, it was my fault. I cast an illusion and Arlen became scary and we've made up now andandand... I'm sorry." She curtsies again and focuses on Mr. C once again, the look on her face betraying excitement at seeing a living plush toy.

She always wished her stuffed toys could talk.

[Mee]

The door of this cafe opens and closes. It looks like none has entered through it. Well none of proper size. If you stand up you see a small green stuff animal lizar walking up the floor. he got a big monolce, that's obviously to big for him, on the nose. After all they are in the blue zone. The high society of inside. The royal-stuff-animal-lizardheads for one of the tabletop table. as he is close, he dissapears for a short moment, walking up the tabels leg and walking upside down to the tabels edge to get on top of the table. Yes be so small makes it a long way to get on a table. As he is on top he watches over the pawns on, as he reaches a General like looking pawn he salutes. Then he heads for the tables edge, waving with his little paws to get the attention of the next waitress.

"Irasshaimase!" Naku welcomes the newcomer, bowing to him. She's still dressed up in her outfit, except that she has purple hair that's back in a ponytail, blood red eyes, and vampire fangs. She also just came back from getting a bowl of soup that had been requested.

Then she sees the table, and sighs. "Oh Dark." She delivers the soup, then heads over to the scene of commotion.

Grinning ear to ear he takes a few steps towards the illusioned table and leaps into the air, his fist glows with soft divine flames as he holds it high in the air above his head. He lets out a grunt, as he comes down, so too does his fist,
'THWACK'
The table cracks and splinters into two as he drives his hand down hard, crashing through the middle.

Hearing the noise of a table breaking, followed by a girl screaming, is more than enough to bring Aiden out from his constant shelter called "the kitchen" and he looks around until he sees the scene of the crime. He sighs and taps the countertop with his fingers. "So you know this isn't Trog's where you can break things willy-nilly, right?"

"I'm sorry sir I'll pay you for it"

"As Aiden said," Naku says, coming over and crossing her arms in front of her. "this is not Trog's. We can't magically fix stuff. If you want to go talk with Aiden about either paying for a new table, oooor something I think we could do," throughout this bit, Naku knelt to take a better look at the table. "Is if you want to come back later, either Aiden or I could show you how to fix a table. That would be a lot cheaper to us both, and I think we have leftover construction materials. In the meantime though, I'll just do something to hold it together. You two should go talk."
With that, Naku crawls under the table and flops onto her back.
She does some stuff to the table, like lift up the two halves, and run a pair of fingers down the seam of the break, afterwards, the table seems to be holding itself together. There's still a very obvious crack on the surface, though.

[Arkhosia]

"Irasshaimase!" Naku welcomes the newcomer, bowing to him. She's still dressed up in her outfit, except that she has purple hair that's back in a ponytail, blood red eyes, and vampire fangs. She also just came back from getting a bowl of soup that had been requested.

Then she sees the table, and sighs. "Oh Dark." She delivers the soup, then heads over to the scene of commotion.







"As Aiden said," Naku says, coming over and crossing her arms in front of her. "this is not Trog's. We can't magically fix stuff. If you want to go talk with Aiden about either paying for a new table, oooor something I think we could do," throughout this bit, Naku knelt to take a better look at the table. "Is if you want to come back later, either Aiden or I could show you how to fix a table. That would be a lot cheaper to us both, and I think we have leftover construction materials. In the meantime though, I'll just do something to hold it together. You two should go talk."
With that, Naku crawls under the table and flops onto her back.
She does some stuff to the table, like lift up the two halves, and run a pair of fingers down the seam of the break, afterwards, the table seems to be holding itself together. There's still a very obvious crack on the surface, though.

A familiar snow-haired woman walks by and puts a role of duct tape on the table center.
ducttape holds the universe together.
swhe comments

[Zefir]

Mr. C isn't able to greet naku, because someone is picking him up.
"Ahhhhhhhhh" cries the little creature as his monocle falls on th table. "Help! Kidnapping! Help!" he shouts out waving with his paws for help

[Holy-hunter]

Arlen grumbles to himself, looking down at his hand as he walks away from Naku and the table, slowly towards Aiden.
"I almost had it"

He calls out to Aiden before he can go out back again.
"Miss Naku said you might be able to teach me how to fix the table myself? That works out well as I don't really have much money...

I'll be happy to fix it along with any others if you taught me how. Sorry for the trouble I caused."

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel drops the soup on Mr. C's table with one hand and picks up the monocle. "Calm down, you cute little thing!" The Rochelle look-alike but not act-alike (unless maybe with cute stuff ) puts the monocle on Mr. C's head and sits.

"I'm not going to hurt you, cute thing!" She puts him down and adjusts her glasses with one hand while petting his head with the other.

Then she takes a spoon of the soup.

Is... is this heaven? "Woow! Wanna have some, cute thing?"

[Zefir]

"You were picking me up, AGAINST my will, while I was trying to order something from the maid. What would you expect if that happens to you?" Mr C says. His voice is loud and clear and people around should hear him, especially when he shouts some words. The monocle has falen off again, since MrC barly looked out for it. She is after all pciking him without his permission.

[Cyber Punk]

"Oh, calm down, you." Raquel smiles at Mr C. "Alright, I'm sorry... but you're just soooo cu~ute!"

"Let's start over." Raquel adjusts her glasses. "I'm Raquel Hawkins. Do you have a name? Or do I call you Mr Cuddles?"

[Zefir]

"No, no, no." he starts. "Your not getting off so easy. We, the living stuff animals have rights too. Just cause we look like toys doesn't mean you can treat us."

Suddendly MrC stands on a podium, wearing a suit adn some of the pawns on the table are lined up in front like spectators.

"We are alive . We have Feelings and with that we have rights." A cheering noise appears. "Until now our rights have been ignored. I say nows the last straw." Cheers "I say we should go to the pedestrian area (because the streets are dangerouse for us small creatures) and get a voice in the local gouverment. WHAT DO YOU SAY?"

Silence, then all is back to normal again.

"Urgh, as I thought I stand alone. Well my name is Mr.C and no it's not standing for 'Cuddles'"

[Holy-hunter]

Arlen watches Mr C's theatrics before walking over to inspect the little green thing with a range of pondering 'hmms' as he tilts his head around.

Finally he gives him a gentle poke.
"Are you a magical creature?" He asks inquisitively.

[Cyber Punk]

Raquel smiles and claps.

It says a lot if she's more comfortable with stuffed animals than with people, not that she notices or minds.

"I say YEAH!" Then she collapses into a fit of giggles. "I'll just pretend it stands for Cuddles, then, Mr. C!"

"No, seriously. I can be your voice. I work to make the world a nicer place, and to help the little guys! And, because I apparently have an evil twin who's a really horrible person, but the other things too!"