Trog's Tavern CCLII

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Fayyaad's Room]

Electra nods.

"The basic shells, yes, but these others might have a different attack mode that concentrates the power down in a more focused manner. I'd have to know exactly what they do to to confirm that, but it never hurts to have a trump card you can fall back on, or something that makes a big, flashy scene that you can then use to cover a tactical retreat. It's all in how you use it, really."

[Morty]

[Fayyaad's Room]

"I'd have to think about combining it with my pyromancy," Fayyaad says. "It's worth a try, anyway. We should probably pick a... secluded place for testing this. So we don't blow a hole in something important."

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Fayyaad's Room]

Electra's smile grows a bit wider.

"No worries on that; I've found a secluded place out in the woods where no one ever bothers to go to keep myself in practice with my own weapons. We can try it out there."

[Morty]

[Fayyaad's Room]

"Really. If we go now, I suppose we should skip the drinks. Testing this weapon seems like something best done sober," Fayyaad observes.

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Fayyaad's Room]

Electra nods again, and stands.

"Indeed, mixing the two would be inadvisable. If you want to go now, we can, otherwise, if you'd rather get a drink, we can go another day." Her smile returns. "I don't mind, either way."

[Morty]

[Fayyaad's Room]

"We can always go now, and have a drink in celebration later," Fayyaad says. "Let me just change into something more appropriate."

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Fayyaad's Room]

"Sounds like a plan," Electra says, grinning and stretching her arms abover her head, but otherwise not moving. A bit of eye candy never hurt anyone, after all, and she wouldn't mind getting another look at that booty before they go.

[Morty]

[Fayyaad's Room]

Fayyaad changes into a more fitting pair of trousers, a long shirt and a vest. He doesn't seem to mind what Electra sees in the process. Once he's done, he takes the gun and ammo and extends a hand to her.

"Lead the way."

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Fayyaad's Room]

Electra takes his hand and smiles.

"Be calm." All the warning she gives before they teleport away in a bright blue beam. They'll find themselves in a forest in Outside when they reappear.

[Murkus]

Ilpholin holds up her hands in defeat. "All right. You know her better than I do." Which is a bit of a shame. Sakura seems like she'd be fun to know.

"I didn't think to ask Wenomir when I was over there. There were other priorities. I mean, we could just ask Cessie to mention me when she sees Harnetta next." Ilpholin hadn't expected this to turn into a full search party. She was just popping in to check.

The nymph frowns upon mention of the Wall. "Ugh. That propaganda spewing, troll generation machine is still around?" Ilpholin was smeared pretty bad on the Wall by a lot of statements she considers to be flagrantly untrue. Rubbing the back of her head, she continues. "I can't deny it would be effective. We can use it, but it will be under your name." She pokes a finger lightly into Adir's chest.

"We can change that. You two seemed really friendly at lunch. I'm sure you'd be besties," Adir says, bobbing his head in a lackadaisical nod.

"Other priorities? You guys didn't hook up or something, right?" Adir jests, grinning even more broadly. "But yeah, that works too. I'll see about putting something up on the big billboard tomorrow. Weren't you gonna get me home?"

[Green Elf]

The assassin shakes his hand and says "We have a deal then. Give me any information on the target you have, and I'll get the job done." He looks at the business card and then sends him an encrypted email concerning depositing the money.

The money is sent in advance, as well as instructions. A picture is included of a 50 year old looking man that is 6 feet tall, is rather muscular, and has lots of hair, including a very big braided beard.

TARGET:James Black
LOCATION: Tempest Spaceport- Mechanics and repair shop in Port Area 6
SECURITY: Multiple roaming guards from local guilds, especially at the watchtower. Guards have Kevlar vests and ballistic helmets, armed with a G36 with laser and ACOG attachments and a Baretta PX4 Storm Full.
NOTE: Inside of shop is visible for a few feet from the watchtower.

[Reinholdt]

"No one can top Mister Squiggles for besties." Just can't be done. Presumably.

"We did in fact hook up." Ilpholin says, staring at Adir with a completely serious face. So serious. Super ser- ok, Ilpholin grinned a little, depending on how funny Adir's face is. "As professionals. Demon hunting and all." Someone's got to take care of those.

Ilpholin moves to slip her arm around Adir's waist. "This way Mister Frescot. Your professional escort awaits." She'll start to lead him outside to walk him home.

[8BitNinja]

The money is sent in advance, as well as instructions. A picture is included of a 50 year old looking man that is 6 feet tall, is rather muscular, and has lots of hair, including a very big braided beard.

TARGET:James Black
LOCATION: Tempest Spaceport- Mechanics and repair shop in Port Area 6
SECURITY: Multiple roaming guards from local guilds, especially at the watchtower. Guards have Kevlar vests and ballistic helmets, armed with a G36 with laser and ACOG attachments and a Baretta PX4 Storm Full.
NOTE: Inside of shop is visible for a few feet from the watchtower.

The assassin looks at the information and leaves the building.

[Chaotic Bob]

A mirror lurks near the edge of the bar, a mirror that used to lead to the Temple of Inari's and perhaps still does.

Today, it also appears to be sweating blood from its reflective surface, growing droplets of scarlet that fall as they grow heavy. They slide to the base of the mirror and along its edges, pathing towards the floor and there to the wall.
The droplets become rivulets become a pool.

It grows, silently and steadily.

[Recaiden]

A mirror lurks near the edge of the bar, a mirror that used to lead to the Temple of Inari's and perhaps still does.

Today, it also appears to be sweating blood from its reflective surface, growing droplets of scarlet that fall as they grow heavy. They slide to the base of the mirror and along its edges, pathing towards the floor and there to the wall.
The droplets become rivulets become a pool.

It grows, silently and steadily.

And here comes one of the bar's staff with a mop and bucket! Often the best solution for supernatural horror is good-old-fashioned cleaning supplies!

[Chaotic Bob]

In many cases it sure is.

Perhaps not when the blood clings to both the mop and the floor. Or when it appears to gain enough density to begin crushing said mop in its grip.

Or when it starts spreading further outwards in a spiderweb pattern, a quiet growl of voice emanating from somewhere in its depths.

[Recaiden]

Oh, yes. That's better left for the patrons to deal with. The mirror-blood can have the mop.

[Peppered]

J looks startled. "Wait, there are Pokemon here? Wait, of course there are. I need to adjust to being here. The wizard that I was created by used to travel to other worlds all the time. He told me about one where there were Pokemon."

Then J sighs, looking sad. "Of course, the worlds were always random. I'll probably never see him again, unless somehow he were to come here."

"One thing I've learnt is that there's pretty much everything here. Including an entire community in the city that don't visit the streets often, instead living and commuting across the rooftops. They have a market atop the block of flats where I live. There's humans, but also harpies, bird-people, weird white-skinned chaps with tentacle beards, elves, faeries, shapeshifting birds, giant birds, bat-people, and other stuff. If you can get the stuff you need, maybe they'll buy stuff from you. But, uh, I've been told they don't all value money, so..." I also don't know when I'm going to get around to hosting it. I've got several other things in the pipeline that need sorting first.

"J, you never know with the Nexus," says Kea, "your friend may wind up here at some point. Or you may find a way back. But while your here, enjoy it! Not sure why enjoying requires alchemy. That's too much thinking." Kea does indeed seem like someone who would probably rather squash problems with her sword than approach them logically. At least she's friendly. "And whats a poke-a-mon? That thing?" She points at the Bellsprout, not rudely but genuinely curious, "looks like it's having trouble balancing. How is it even alive?"

((I'm a little surprised that the Nexus doesn't already have a store thread or somesuch. Or have I just not found it?))

[Chaotic Bob]

And so the mop it takes, destroys, and consumes.

It is pulled into the depths of the blood puddle and disappears forever.
The spider web pattern the blood creates on the floor begins to lift itself up from the ground and tangle together, threading together into something vaguely humanoid shaped.
And large.
While it starts off scarcely bigger the initial blood puddle, the threads of blood continue to spread upwards and outwards, towards something roughly the size and shape of an ogre.

There it stands for a moment, twitching spasmodically and appearing to expand/contract in a vaguely breathing-like pattern.

[Murkus]

"No one can top Mister Squiggles for besties." Just can't be done. Presumably.

"We did in fact hook up." Ilpholin says, staring at Adir with a completely serious face. So serious. Super ser- ok, Ilpholin grinned a little, depending on how funny Adir's face is. "As professionals. Demon hunting and all." Someone's got to take care of those.

Ilpholin moves to slip her arm around Adir's waist. "This way Mister Frescot. Your professional escort awaits." She'll start to lead him outside to walk him home.

Adir crosses his eyes and makes his best idiot face, either pretending to blow a fuse or feigning that he's dumb enough to believe her. It's a little funny. It breaks up in giggles regardless, however.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot that was Wendy's whole deal. Good for you two," Adir says, maybe just a bit woozily now. He puts his arm around Ilphy and leans into her as they stagger out the door toward home. "Thanks, Ilpholin." At the escort bit, he can't help but emit another laugh. It echoes into the night in their wake, rather fittingly.

[Fenric]

Well... now here's a thing.

It's short, and gangly, with arms and legs that would be at home on any of a variety of wading birds. Overlarge, slit-pupilled eyes peer out from under a ragged mop of brown hair. It's blunt, almost snakelike muzzle is capped off by a single bizzare large tooth right in the middle. It's body tapers down smoothly to a long, blunt-tipped tail. To call the tunic this creature wears "sackcloth" is an affront to hard-working transporters of goods all over the multiverse. And it smells of marsh and outdoors.

It brings a decidedly greenish, somewhat bent coin of dubious provenance up to the bar counter and requests

Clam juice, please?

[Recaiden]

The barmaid smiles. A hint of the outdoors in all this city.
"You know, in all the time this place has been open, no one's ever wanted the clam juice before." It's not very popular in Future!Trog's either.

The clam opener is ordinarily locked in a vault deep within the kitchens. But purely by coincidence, today it was taken out for inventorying. So it isn't long before the drink is provided.

She barely spares the emerging blood-ogre a glance. Do you think it would like Ichor Liquor? Or is that too much like cannibalism? If you're all blood, does that make you more or less sensitive to blood alcohol changes? Questions, questions.

[Fenric]

The little creature (barely making 4 feet tall to the tips of its ears) takes the glass with a practically reverent expression and gulps the fragrant fluid down. It expresses its gratitude, though the large tooth makes pronouncing certain sounds... difficult...

Zat's the bestest juice I ever have had! Zank you, zank you! Um...

a tilt of the head

Zere's more? So if I found another coin, I could have more?

[Recaiden]

"You're welcome, little guy."

Now what does that question say about the person asking it?

"Yeah, as long as we have clams around, you can get it here. You really like them that much?"
She's not sure if recommending it buy clam juice by-the bottle at MagMart would be safe.

[Fenric]

It's saying "Frederick, eldest son of the Comtessa de Moyens, lost more spare change in the wash last week than this little guy has had in his entire life".

Clams iz good, yes. Not as good as oysters, no... but ze right person has to give you an oyster or it just makes you sad. But I finded an oyster pebble yesterday after I eated a oyster from ze ... uh ... place ... and I heared zat big people like zose!

[Recaiden]

"We call them 'pearls'."
The bartender leans over to get a better look at the diminutive clam-eater.
"Why would it make you sad?"

[Fenric]

The little guy fishes in the depths of a pouch tied around his waist with a string, and extracts an impeccably spherical, glorious black pearl easily seven millimeters across with a perfect sheen

Well... oysters iz... like... um...

he shakes his head

I know. Iz just hard... Iz buying yourself a rose, yah? Iz somezing you get someone you love. We live on ze coast, oysters live in ze deeper water. If someone gets you an oyster, zhen zey really meant it.

He looks at the pearl

I finded an oyster-stone. Can I have food?

[Recaiden]

"Oh, I see."
She looks over the pearl. Look at that. So perfectly round and shining.
"Yes, you can get plenty of food for that."

An order is placed, and before long he'll have a plateful of clams. And a muffin.

[Fenric]

The little creature bounces with glee

OOOHH! Soo many clams! Is perfectest! Zhank you, zhank you, sopretty lady!

he sniffs at the muffin then tries to discreetly set it aside as wheat products don't really agree with their digestion.

[Recaiden]

Even a common pearl is worth a fair number of clams, and this is not such a common treasure.
"Of course. What brings you here to our city?"