[Nexus] The Black Dragon's Den XIII

[CosmicHobbit]

Raising his eyebrows, Chaos says, "That's...that's an intense question. Not really, I guess? I just try to make the world a better place." Chaos seems uncomfortable with the idea he may be wrong, that he may deserve everything everybody does against him. He quickly changes the subject, saying, "Hey, do you guys know if they're hosting a knife fight tonight?"

[Reinholdt]

Getting deep. Reinholdt solemnly ponders Nadas' question. There were certainly some merits to his suggested answer. It'd take longer than one drink to fully explore the idea though.

Rein shrugs. "Don't know. Knife fights aren't my scene. Unnecessary violence. There are much more peaceful ways to be entertained." Like drinking. Or making out. "You try to make the world better? How so? Tell me more." Charity work has always been one of Rein's driving motivations given certain interpretations. And he's curious as to what Chaos Crane considers a better world.

[CosmicHobbit]

Chaos says, "Imagine a world, where nobody contracts any disease, because they're already immune to them. They may get hurt, but the wound quickly closes. They might have no tangible food, but they will never go hungry because they are able to use photosynthesis. You may develop depression, but your chemical hormones would be balanced in a day." He swallows the rest of his Cold Shadow in one gulp. Getting a bit excited there, Chaos. "Noone would ever have to deal with physical pain again. The best part? Everyone keeps their emotions, or maybe even gains new ones, instead of it happening like in The Giver. Life would be exquisite. No pain other than emotional pain to stop you from making your dreams reality." He smiles before adding, "And frankly, if you let emotional pain stop you, you don't deserve to make your dream come true. I never let it stop me."

[Recaiden]

"This is an upstanding peaceful establishment, and there are definitely no basement knife fights starting in half an hour." What kind of bar does Chaos think this is?
And there's something really unsettling about him preaching a world without pain and death seconds after hoping to see the pit fights. Really not living the dream there, Professor. Then again, he did just drink that whole drink in one go - maybe he's just a vicious drunk.
"Sounds like a nice world. I've been there, basically. Until near everybody got killed by wizard horses." Speaking of which, Nadas finds he's reached the bottom of his bottle. He'll need another one, and waves a bartender over. "So don't get cocky. First you gotta make your dream come true, which is still ahead of you, and then you've gotta hold onto it."

[CosmicHobbit]

Eyebrows furrowed, Chaos mutters, "Wizard horses...?" but then seems to physically wave it away. "I have full confidence that I can make it come true. I've already made quite large breakthroughs. As for holding onto it, I also believe I will be able to do that." He chuckles. "Look at me. Discussing work when I came here specifically to unwind after a stressful day doing work." When the bartender comes over, Chaos orders a Hearth Brew Mead, as well as scribbling something on a piece of paper, sort of furtively, and giving it to the bartender, saying, "A compliment for whoever makes these drinks." The paper says to put a Doze Pill in Nadas' drink. That is, if Recaiden is okay with that.

[bc56]

The door swings open. In steps a strange diminutive creature. It appears to be made from the twisted roots and branches of a small, dead tree. Its glowing red eyes are set behind thick-lensed metal goggles, which are connected into its head. The metal runs down its spine to a thing like a backpack fused to its back, and from there it reinforces the creature's legs and arms. There is something clearly not right about it, some unnatural symmetry in its appearance which might make someone who stares at it too long uneasy. It holds the door open for someone behind it. "My master has arrived! Prepare a meal!" The person following behind is an older human, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, walking with a cane and wearing a monocle. He chuckles. "Save the pomp and circumstance for another time, Ormizh. We're here to eat, not to demand tribute." He orders whiskey and fresh fish, and the monster orders water and a steak.

[Reinholdt]

"A world without physical pain?" Reinholdt finally removes the hand he ducked under his jacket to 'rub his side', pulling out a holdout pistol with it and spinning the weapon rapidly around his finger. "Sounds like true hell." For a split second the weapon almost looks like it'll level out facing Chaos Crane, but the moment passes and it ends up facing straight downwards before Reinholdt pulls the trigger. The gun goes off with a bang accompanied by a grunt of pain and a sharp intake of air as the bullet penetrates Reinholdt's upper thigh before embedding into the floor.

Before the shock can settle, the treasure hunter segways the aftermath with a deep, rich laugh and an askew grin. "Pain. Pain is the only reminder we have that we're alive! It's an evolutionary blessing sent by the gods to warn us of danger, to ensure our survival!" Sweat beads on the fey's forehead as Rein digs the still hot muzzle of the gun into the bleeding open wound, wiggling it around a little and causing the blood to squelch gruesomely under the pressure. "Pain proliferates life! Despise it if you must, but do not rebuke it. Embrace it."

With a shiver, Reinholdt ceases his demonstration and starts ripping his own clothes to make a bandage. He's already going to have to pay Raril extra for damages. No point in bleeding all over the place too. Well more than he already has.

[CosmicHobbit]

In the moment where it looked like the pistol will point at him, Chaos flinched. He has experience with guns, and he'd rather not start a fight tonight. After it points down, Chaos felt a bit of relief, which quickly turned to horror when Reinholdt shot himself. All these emotions flashed across his face.

After the whole thing is done, with wide eyes, Chaos simply says, "Okay. Yeah. If you say so." The look on his face says two things: that he's scared, and that he thinks Reinholdt is off his rocker.

Nonetheless, he pulls out a roll of medical bandages and offers it to Reinholdt. "Like I said, sometimes people try to kill me. So, I always pack these."

[Recaiden]

That's fine by me. But I'm not sure Nadas can be put to sleep. And at the moment at least, he isn't drinking the drugged wine.
He's leaping up from his seat and drawing his sword and holding it warily at guard.

Okay, okay, Reinholdt was just shooting himself to make a point, nothing to worry about here. Other than how completely deranged that was.
"Okay, that was awesome. But just pain? How about pleasure, struggle, learning, all that stuff?"
His eyes flick over to Chaos. Is he just going to act like that didn't happen and all it needs is a band-aid? Oh, no. He's scared. Had the professor even imagined anyone like this?

[Reinholdt]

Reinholdt rotates his hand in a circle, flecks of blood flicking off the barrel of the gun. "Yes, yes, it's all intertwined. Circle of life, blah blah blah. But he wasn't talking about taking away any of those things." Pain was the subject! It's value had to be defended. "But if you're struggling to learn about the pleasure of pain, I can give you lessons on all that stuff in one of the back rooms."

Rein places the gun in lap for cleaning later and accepts the offered bandages. "Well it won't be as grizzled looking, but thanks." He uses some of his drink to clean and bandage the wound speedily, having treated wounds far too many times in the past. He has to admit, there's some fortitude to the Crane. They both look terrified, yet they're still here.

[CosmicHobbit]

Chaos flinches again when Reinholdt spins the gun to get blood off. His jaw tightens a little at the use of the words "circle of life", but quickly goes back to normal. He clears his throat and says, "I believe I mispoke earlier. All wounds would hurt, but close up quickly. What I meant to say was that there would be no chronic pain. I agree with you that the temporary pain we experience in the moment of a wound is there for a reason. How else would we know not to pull on the cat's tail, or touch the burners on the stove?" He realizes that some of Reinholdts blood has landed on his face. Not much, just a droplet or two. Taking out a cloth, he wipes off the blood and puts the cloth back in his suit. He smiles and says, "No, I don't believe a lesson will be necessary. You know, every time I come here to relax, some crazy **** happens." Remember your manners Crane.

[bc56]

The newcomers can't help but stare at the person who just shot himself in the leg, their meals forgotten for now.

[Recaiden]

Nadas lowers his sword and returns it to its sheath with a sigh.
"I wouldn't say I'm struggling. But I could probably do with a lesson from an expert such as yourself." He would have agreed to most things that hinted at getting Rein alone, actually.
Nadas snatches up the drugged wine and takes a sip.

[Reinholdt]

The newcomers get a surreptitious wink from Reinholdt, but nothing further. Can't react to everyone who stares after all. You'd think the bargoers never saw someone get shot before.

"I have extremely mixed feelings on pulling the cat's tail," Reinholdt admits. It's complicated. His joviality falls to the wayside and he narrows his eyes to the size of mere slits as he stares intensely at Chaos Crane, leaning forward every so slightly and lowers his tone to deathly serious. "Who are calling crazy?" He starts caressing his gun slowly in case he needs to use it again.

Lingering just long enough to see Chaos' face, he leans back again laughing, and putting the pistol away under his jacket. "Admit it. You come here because you love the crazy. That's why the Nexus has bars at all."

Rein turns to Nadas. "Yes, I get it. No one ever needs lessons they think they have it all fig- wait, what?" An acceptance of his offer was highly unexpected. It'd be normal to turn him down. But those very few who didn't were among the most interesting Reinholdt has met. Though sometimes evil. Gotta keep an eye out for that. "Ah, well, um, hmm." The fey scratches the back of his head, not prepared for this turn of events. That's what happens when you act wildly chaotic. You get unusual results.

"Alright. Let's go to a back room then." He'll just figure out where to go with it once he's in there. Standing with most weight on his uninjured leg, Rein pushes a large amount of cash to the bartender to cover the drinks and the cleanup and the back room rental. He smiles and nods to Chaos Crane. "Good day sir."

[CosmicHobbit]

Chaos' face was a mask of terror. He really did not want to get on the bad side of the guy who shot himself in the leg. Afterwards, face turning to relief, Chaos gives a short bark of a laugh before saying, "You know, I do love the crazy. Otherwise I coudn't have my name be Chaos, could I?"

Smiling, Chaos nods. "Good day to you too."

Chaos turns his head toward the newcomers and grins, saying, "My mom used to say, 'it's impolite to stare'. However, I don't believe she took into account people who shoot themselves in the legs."

[bc56]

"Indeed, but sometimes you can't help it, especially when someone gets shot in the leg. I'm professor Marty Barron, and this is my assistant, Ormizh." Prof. Barron indicates the monster beside him, who has gone back to eating, with occasional furtive glances at Reinholdt.

[CosmicHobbit]

"Chaos Crane. i don't have an assistant. Or anybody helping me at all, for that matter." He holds out his hand for both of them to shake.

[bc56]

Prof. Barron takes the hand and shakes it. He gestures toward where Reinholdt went. "What was that about?"

Ormizh boredly eats its food.

[CosmicHobbit]

"Well," Chaos starts, "for you to know that, you have to know what I do. I am a genetic engineer, and I want to remove all chronic physical and mental pain from the world without removing anything else. Reinholdt over there, he thinks that I shouldn't be messing with pain. To prove his point that pain is integral to life, he shot his own leg, then burned the skin there, then, excuse my french, he ****ing laughed at it." Chaos takes a sip of his Hearth Brew Mead, grimacing.

[Recaiden]

"I don't have it all figured out. Not even close."
Nadas stands up and pushes off the bar. Huh. Seems like Reinholdt was just asking that rhetorically, but he's too polite to admit that? How...normal. And he still can't tell where this is going to go. A further demonstration of self-marksmanship? A torture-sex thing? Really just the philosophy of suffering? That's the trouble with crazy exceptional people like Rein; they could do anything.

"Later Chaos. Good luck!"

He looks back to the fey, smirking.
"Why don't you tell me the arguments in favor of pulling the cat's tail?"

[bc56]

"Some people are like that. Others are like you, and still others are like me. I think your idea would work, but few will readily accept it. Do you have any particular technique you use? I take an interest in this sort of thing." Prof. Barron moves to sit nearer to Chaos.

[Reinholdt]

Did Chaos Crane name himself? What kind of scientist actually encourages chaos anyways? The scientific method is pretty rigorous and lawful. It takes great discipline to study and put in effort to accomplish scientific feats. Hmm. Questions for another time.

In the meantime, Reinholdt leads Nadas to one of the back rooms, locking the door behind them. Out of habit mostly. "Well," Rein tilts his head thinking. "The cat certainly enjoys it more than he lets on. And it's fluffy and soft." Those are good reasons right? How can one resist the fluffy and soft?

[CosmicHobbit]

"Bye! Thanks!"

Chaos thinks how he wants to apprach this, then says,"If there's a way to hurt somebody, then there's a race that's immune to that, but still feels the pain for a second. That's my rule of thumb in the Nexus. So, I am slowly taking the DNA of all of the races to create the perfect race, one which is immune to all physical and mental pain, as well as having other nifty things such as nightvision, or regeneration just in case something manages to actually wound one of this race." He takes another sip of his Hearth Brew Mead, then, deciding he really needs to relax, asks a bartender if they sell Dwarven Cigars. (Should I just assume they have it?)

[bc56]

"I could help with that. I too am a scientist by trade, specializing in the creation of life from nonliving material. I dabble in cybernetics and cloning. Here's my card." He hands over a rectangle of white cardboard. Printed on it in plain black lettering are the words:

Professor Marty Barron

Mad Scientist
Lightning Tower, Thunderheads, Skyside

No task too creepy. Reasonable prices.

Generic Telephone Number

[Recaiden]

The thing to do is not to grab Reinholdt's tail. He does have a tail, doesn't he? But that doesn't matter, because this is about pain. Not petting fluffy things.

"So most people think they know it all already? Bet they're just not interested. But pain's part of life, something you at least have to be ready for." Nadas pats the handle of his sword and leans against the wall next to the now-locked door. "Are you just really lucky, treasure hunter?" he muses.

"You know, maybe that can wait. What do you know about my family?"

[CosmicHobbit]

Taking the rectangle, Chaos says, "Well, if you can clone people you already know how to handle DNA. Maybe I could teach you the art of puttin one creatures DNA into a different creature." Chaos thinks for a minute then says, "That came out weird, but you know what I mean." He looks at the rectangle before saying, "Never met somebody who is actually okay with being called a mad scientist, let alone someone who actually prefers it be used."

[bc56]

"It's a respectable title where I come from. It shows that you have a mastery of bending the laws of nature to your will." The professor sighs in recollection. "I was one of the greatest."

[CosmicHobbit]

Chaos chuckles and says, "Where I come from, mad scientist is an insult which essentially insinuates that you are mentally ill. As for being one of the greatest, I was chased out of where I come from specifically because I was the best. They took one look at goats that produced honey instead of goat's milk, or kittens who glow like jellyfish, and denounced me as an evil fiend." Chaos takes a drink of his Hearth Brew Mead before saying, "But, enough of that dark conversation. Are you here for a reason, or just to unwind? I, personally, am here for the latter." At this point Chaos' player is just going to assume they have cigars, and say that Chaos buys one, which he lights while listening to Prof. Barron.

[bc56]

"I'm actually here to celebrate recent accomplishments." Prof. Barron jerks his head towards Ormizh, who is pretending not to pay attention. "He's technically a joint project, but he is my greatest achievement. That's why I left. I didn't think I could achieve any further greatness in that universe, there was nothing left to challenge me. Here, I am a nobody, but I have room to grow again."

[CosmicHobbit]

"I think that there will always be a challenge in the Nexus, what with the immense power some creatures have. As for being a nobody, I don't think that'll last long if you make living creatures." He takes a puff of his cigar, then says, "You say he's a joint project. Who did you work with? Also, if you don't mind my asking, is he sentient?"