[Nexus] The Black Dragon's Den XIII

[Morty]

Fayyaad's tail flicks.

"Well, fair enough. I've never been a leader, but I was educated to possibly be one eventually. It's a noble thing. I'm in no real hurry to command anyone, though. Are you in a hurry, or can I get you something to take your mind of... whatever it was? All I got was that the owner is dead and you're trying to make him less so."

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Lunch Meeting]

Electra simply nods, before placing a hand on Astrana's shoulder. Raril will see several overlays pop into Electra's HUD as she uses mental "fingers" to push controls. The first is a menu labelled, "Escape Velocity", with a list of what must be destinations, since they're labelled things like "Home", "Riverside Office", and "Mallside". She selects the one labelled "MERC HQ", and a prompt pops up with buttons labelled "Transmit" and "Cancel".

"This might feel a little weird, try not to fight it." With that, she mentally presses the "Transmit" button, and the pair disappear in a beam of blue light. The sensation for Astrana is much like it was for Raril; the sense of an overwhelming white void for an instant before the world snap back into place in front of MERC HQ, just outside the dimensional lock. However, for Raril, the sensation is much different than when his body was teleported here. Electra, and Raril through her, experiences a warmth spreading from inside her chest throughout her entire body, before a fleeting glance from what seems to be almost outer space, then a slight sensation of falling before the world reappears completely. The effect is actually strangely comforting, as opposed to mildly disorienting. Perhaps Raril's soul and body can compare notes on the experience once they're reunited.

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Occultist nonsense is what it is. I'm just glad it has been taken care of, but if you want to take my mind further from it, I wouldn't mind at all. Things have been stressful at work, you know how it is, one month you don't get work at all and the next one, you get more work than you should be able to handle." Dena explains.

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad grins rakishly.

"Your wish is my command, then." He waves a goblin waiter over for two Black Shadows. "A drink, to begin with. As for later... it depends on what you want, and how much privacy there's to be had here."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

That makes Dena laugh. "You're starting to sound like Tina now." She muses. "Every come across her? Neon-lit, brown skinned human, goes by Fettina or Fetty sometimes. She'd absolutely adore you."

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad's flirtiness is replaced with a dumbfounded expression. It's not the most graceful transition.

"I know a Fetty. But he's... quite definitely a man."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

Oh. This was awkward.
Dena couldn't help but to look amused at Fayyaad's reaction however. "I told her she'd get into trouble if she kept doing that. Tina, or Fetty, is a shapeshifter. She wasn't always, not back when I first met her, but she seemed to have picked it up somewhere along the way. Now she's using it to get into bet with all sorts of people, to have sex as both a guy and a gal. I know since I've been with her male form a couple of times, she's crazy."

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad's confusion doesn't seem to be going anywhere just yet. He sets his drink down, as his tail sways slowly.

"That's... I've been there and done that, but this is still a new one. I've also had fun with... her... as Fetty. Maybe I just need to process this."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"You've done crazy before, huh?" Dena asks, still smiling. "I'm personally not into girls, so its pretty weird for me as well considering she is almost humping my leg every time we meet. I've learned to handle it though, even if prefer my guys male all the time." She giggles.

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

"There was that one time... I did some unwise things when I was younger," Fayyaad confesses. "Some unwise people, too. I don't have preferences for gender, but... this is going to get awkward the next time I meet him. Her. Hopefully we can smooth it out. Sounds like you've made an impression on her."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"You could call it that, she has a thing for 'monsters' apparently, monsters and danger, and I guess I'm both." She holds her finger in-between the jaws of one of her snakes for empathize. "But who haven't made mistakes while younger? That's a part of growing up, doing stupid ****." She takes a sip of the black shadow which has been served.

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad seems to have recovered from his initial surprise by now.

"When I met her, she was in an argument with a rather clingy lover. A towering woman, with scales. So there seems to be something to it. If I hadn't arrived, it might have turned to blows. As for mistakes, well, it's best to get them out of your system when you're young and healthy. I'll start fussing and worrying when I'm older."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Seems like a good idea, whenever 'older' happens of course, for some people it never happens, not mentally at least. Their bodies grow old, but their minds never realize it. I mean, why act your age, am I right? Experience and wisdom are for losers." She smiles.

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad wonders how old Dena is, now. But it'd be rude to ask. Maybe he'll figure it out as he goes.

"It works the other way around, too. There's this cousin of mine back home, who acts like he's seventy already. There's a balance, though. You're a worldly woman who knows her way around, and knows how to have fun."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

Dena leans to the side, resting her chin on-top of her hand, and smiles mysteriously. "Oh, am I now? You should know that there are some that are in the opinion that I have a hard time relaxing, that the harshness of this world has scarred me forever. I will admit that when I mocked wisdom and experience, I was also mocking myself as I have far too much of it. But really, as long-lived as my kin is, its impossible to not be marked by the world if you live long enough. Back in tribe, there is a myth that drow skin was once as white as snow, but as we tried to harness the great world fire down below, it burned us and marked us forever. We all becoming literary burned by the world, which I guess is a anthology for life itself if you imagine it as a great fire, and the longer you stay in it, the darker your soul becomes." She pauses, and then shakes her head. "And me telling that little story is why people claim I'm too serious." She muses.

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad's fail flick. That was... a curious way of putting it.

"I see what you mean. My people consider fire sacred. It's warmth, enlightenment and industry. But getting to close to it burns. And yet again, we can't turn away from it. So it seems inevitable."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Yeah, that's the thing. Fire also represent life, so while being in it means that you're burning, the moment it goes out, you're dead. I guess we drow are just lucky, being able to stay in the fire for so long." She replies. "Anyhow, to get less philosophical, how goes the adventuring? Found some ancient relics yet?"

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Well, apart from saving handsome men and bedding them, I've done some dungeon-delving," Fayyaad says. "I trawled through a ruined facility in search of power crystals. Which included evading massive killer-machines. It was strange. This technology seems little different from sorcery."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Not sure my tips applied to bedding handsome men, but it sounds like you've had great success with it nonetheless." Dena muses. "There never seem to be any handsome men to save in the dungeons I venture into, just monsters. But did you get any sweet loot too? That technology sounds handy."

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

"There weren't any men in that dungeon either," Fayyaad says. "I found some weapons that I don't really know how to use... an energy sword and a gun. As they call it. I've been holding on to them, although I'm not sure if I'll keep them."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Technological weapons, eh? I would actually try to show them to Electra, you know that blond lady that helped with that ritual? I think she knows a thing or two about technology like that."

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Ah, yes. She does seem the type to know more about those matters. And she's a MERC licensee, like I am. Even if I can't use those weapons, I can always sell them," Fayyaad muses. "Or trade for them with someone who does have a need of them."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Yeah, she's literary made of technology, so she should at least have a good idea what to do with it." Dena replies.

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

"What do you mean, made of technology?" This day is full of surprises for Fayyaad. "She looked like a human to me."

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"I think that's intended, but as she told me, she's a construct. A very human-like construct. You'd have to ask her the specifics though, she's pretty cool with it." Dena takes a sip, today was full of surprises indeed.

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad tilts his head.

"I believe I might. She sounds like an interesting person. The Nexus is full of those. That's why I like it," he adds with a grin.

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

Dena smiles back. "Be careful, Fayyaad, one of these days one of those persons might prove a bit too interesting. Take me for example, not to backtalk myself, but we both know that my mere gaze is lethal. That's messed up, and that's not even mentioning the snake-nest on my head. I'm open about it, but who knows what deadly secrets the next interesting person you meet hides, ever head of succubi and incubi? Sex demons that uses places like this as their hunting grounds." She gestures around the tavern.

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad drums his fingers on the bartop.

"I've heard of those, yes. Demons, and others. Would I be able to resist if I ran into one? Hard to say. Have you ever run into one?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Lunch Meeting]

"Nope, not yet. But the majority of them seem to be female anyway, and I'm safe from those. A unexpected advantage for someone like me." Dena muses. "Besides, I think they go for easier targets, why risk being turned to stone when there is plenty of game around? Who I'm really worried for is Tina, or Fetty, she is exactly the kind of person they'll go for."

[Morty]

[Lunch Meeting]

Fayyaad considers it.

"Maybe? You seem to know her better than I do. If only because you know her as, well, her. But she did seem... impressionable."