Trog's Tavern CLIII

[MossyMeow]

"Oh I dunno. Thousands? Millions? Some proclaim there are infinite dimensions." Reinholdt laps at his rum for a moment.

"All I know is that there's at least more than..." There's quick mental math by the cat, "one hundred and seventy two."

Mosswillow shakes her head, resigned. "I guess I'd better give up hope of ever returning home, then," she says, a note of sadness in her voice.

[bc56]

A thin young man enters the tavern. He's dressed in jeans and a navy blue, long sleeved t-shirt, and his brown hair is neatly combed. He looks oddly bulky, like he's wearing something else under his clothes. He orders a burger and fries, with a request to make it quick. He then pulls back his sleeve to reveal a high-tech glove on his left hand, which displays several holographic symbols, which he pores over while he waits for his food.

[Purple Eagle]

The cowboy catches sight of the thin young man and watches him fiddle with his device. His interest grows enough that he eventually addresses the young man. "Howdy, partner. Ezra Flynn, detective. That there's quite the interesting gadget. Why not just make it handheld, though?" He asks in his friendly southern drawl.

[Reinholdt]

Mosswillow shakes her head, resigned. "I guess I'd better give up hope of ever returning home, then," she says, a note of sadness in her voice.

Rein frowns. "Now, I heard you were a warrior. You're surely not going to give up hope based on the words of a drunken stranger in a bar, are you?" His tail flicks deftly from one side to the other, unsure if he sounds irritated or encouraging.

"There are always ways back home. You'll just have to work at it. Acceptance is its own strength, but so is perseverance."

[MossyMeow]

Rein frowns. "Now, I heard you were a warrior. You're surely not going to give up hope based on the words of a drunken stranger in a bar, are you?" His tail flicks deftly from one side to the other, unsure if he sounds irritated or encouraging.

"There are always ways back home. You'll just have to work at it. Acceptance is its own strength, but so is perseverance."

Mosswillow bashfully licks her paw and runs it over her ears. "You're right, of course. I suppose. But..." She sighs wistfully. "I don't know anything about this place." She gestures to the counter. "I'm not even entirely sure what a bar is!"

[Arkhosia]

[Back in the Saddle]

To be fair, it's unlikely even Caelynn would've expected it. It wasn't something she'd have thought herself doing when she first arrived in the Nexus all those years ago, that's for sure.

"Not a wide variety, my work beforehand was mainly treating humans and gene-modded variants, but I've learned quite a bit about elves and dwarves and orcs and such lately. Although angels... well, let's just say I've yet to have one walk into my clinic," Caelynn responds, quirking an eyebrow. But "I'm sorry to hear that, it must not have been a pleasant surprise. My own pregnancy certainly wasn't."

[bc56]

The man closes his hand, dropping the hologram and reaches out to shake the cowboy's hand. "Jason Fisher. I'm an inventor of sorts." It's probably for the best he doesn't talk about his actual profession. "If it were handheld, it would be harder to carry. This leaves the hands free for other things."

[Fendrick]

A friendly looking rat-man stumbles happily into the bar.

'Ah, home at last! How I have missed this place!' he exclaims, more to himself than to anyone in particular.

Fendrick is less a rat man, and more simply an oversized biscuit-coloured rat. He is approximately the size of a human, with a squishy belly and rolls of fur. He is wearing a tweed waistcoat with green silk lining. On his right paw, he wears a jasper ring.

He has a strong smell of those favoured British biscuits, custard creams. A sweet, lovely smell. Like smelling a hug, or something like that. In fact, those around Fendrick might even get the urge to hug him; he looks so soft and cuddly.

But do not be fooled; he may swish his pink, fuzzy tail cutely as he heads towards the bar. But he has sharp claws, sharp reflexes. And is surprisingly agile given his squishy nature.

Fendrick arrives at the bar, and requests, 'A glass of milk, please. I have been away a long time and am terribly thirsty.'

He will then plonk himself on a bar stool, and have a look around, see if anything catches his eye.

[Reinholdt]

Mosswillow bashfully licks her paw and runs it over her ears. "You're right, of course. I suppose. But..." She sighs wistfully. "I don't know anything about this place." She gestures to the counter. "I'm not even entirely sure what a bar is!"

"Oof." Reinholdt winces, the small blue cat trying not to be distracted by the delicious looking ratman that walked in. "That bad, huh? Well hopefully you're a quick study. As for a bar, it's a place where people go to drink alcohol and socialize."

"Do you know what alcohol is?"

[Zefir]

Spoiler

Show

Even befor the door opens people might here the noise of metal clasching on metal. As the door opens a tall man in a full plate armor enters the tavern. He looks around taking all the guests into account and sizing them for any major thread. Since non of his enemies was present the man heads over to the bar, taking off his fancy looking helm he pulls out a mug and a waterskin.

"Gimme your best beer." he says, dropping a few gold coins on the table. "If it's good fill my waterskin with as much as these coins can afford."

A friendly looking rat-man stumbles happily into the bar.

'Ah, home at last! How I have missed this place!' he exclaims, more to himself than to anyone in particular.

Fendrick is less a rat man, and more simply an oversized biscuit-coloured rat. He is approximately the size of a human, with a squishy belly and rolls of fur. He is wearing a tweed waistcoat with green silk lining. On his right paw, he wears a jasper ring.

He has a strong smell of those favoured British biscuits, custard creams. A sweet, lovely smell. Like smelling a hug, or something like that. In fact, those around Fendrick might even get the urge to hug him; he looks so soft and cuddly.

But do not be fooled; he may swish his pink, fuzzy tail cutely as he heads towards the bar. But he has sharp claws, sharp reflexes. And is surprisingly agile given his squishy nature.

Fendrick arrives at the bar, and requests, 'A glass of milk, please. I have been away a long time and am terribly thirsty.'

He will then plonk himself on a bar stool, and have a look around, see if anything catches his eye.

A man, still waiting for his waterskin to be returned, sits next to the rat at the bar. He got less feeling to hug it, due to some rather bad experience with his kind.

"I was told to be patient around here." he suddendly speaks up. "Didn't belive them when they said I might met some creatures that only tried to kill me at home. Just tell me: Are you a wererat or what are you exactly?"

[Fendrick]

A man, still waiting for his waterskin to be returned, sits next to the rat at the bar. He got less feeling to hug it, due to some rather bad experience with his kind.

"I was told to be patient around here." he suddendly speaks up. "Didn't belive them when they said I might met some creatures that only tried to kill me at home. Just tell me: Are you a wererat or what are you exactly?"

Fendrick strokes his whiskers with his paw, frowning at the man's question.

'Oh, uh, I mean no harm. I am not a wererat. I used to be a pet rat, belonging to a wizard. The wizard got lonely, and cast a spell upon me to make me as clever and the same size as a human. I was meant to be his companion, but then... well, we fell out. He wanted to cast more spells upon me and I said no, basically.'

Fendrick sighs, thinking back to when he was just a pet rat in a cage.

'Anyway, I don't mean to go blabbing on about how I ended up the way I am. I'm actually rather grateful. The spell has extended my lifespan to that of a human, too. So I want to make the most of it. My name is Fendrick, by the way.'

Fendrick smiles at the man, trying to be super friendly and trying to put the man at ease.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Back in the Saddle]

"I learned I had it by- by uh-" Ithuriel pauses. This was not a smart thing to bring up.

It's not a smart thing to keep talking about.

But you can't just sit there silently either! The silence is oppressive, isn't it? Like walls closing in, and she's waiting for you to finish what you're saying and-

"It, um, it wasn't that long ago. And there isn't- there isn't a-"

No, no, too much. You can't say it.

Quick! Subject change! Now! "Not many angels around I guess. So what was your most unusual patient?" Needless to say, Ithuriel's voice is very uneven, and she's very pointedly not looking at Caelynn right now.

This is going well, isn't it?

[MossyMeow]

"Oof." Reinholdt winces, the small blue cat trying not to be distracted by the delicious looking ratman that walked in. "That bad, huh? Well hopefully you're a quick study. As for a bar, it's a place where people go to drink alcohol and socialize."

"Do you know what alcohol is?"

"Let me guess," Mosswillow says. She gestures towards Reinholdt's rum. "It's whatever that is."

[Reinholdt]

Reinholdt nods a little. "Well, yes. But there are many different types of alcoholic beverages. They all work mostly the same though. Taste awful, feel good." There's a few that actually taste good admittedly.

"Do you have any cash or currency? How about a place to sleep?"

[Zefir]

Spoiler

Show

Fendrick strokes his whiskers with his paw, frowning at the man's question.

'Oh, uh, I mean no harm. I am not a wererat. I used to be a pet rat, belonging to a wizard. The wizard got lonely, and cast a spell upon me to make me as clever and the same size as a human. I was meant to be his companion, but then... well, we fell out. He wanted to cast more spells upon me and I said no, basically.'

Fendrick sighs, thinking back to when he was just a pet rat in a cage.

'Anyway, I don't mean to go blabbing on about how I ended up the way I am. I'm actually rather grateful. The spell has extended my lifespan to that of a human, too. So I want to make the most of it. My name is Fendrick, by the way.'

Fendrick smiles at the man, trying to be super friendly and trying to put the man at ease.

"Huh," the man replies. "Those spellcaster never get bored I guess. Hope he didn't turn into a world dominating mastermind who creates his own army out of pets."

He shakes his hands like this wasn't a joke. He takes the glass with beer and drinks half of it in one turn before he puts it back down.

"You don't have to worry pal. I was told to keep calm when I am here. If you give me no reason to harm you I got no reason to swing my Earthbreaker. My name is Eon, nice to meet you.
So, what are you going to do with that extra years then?"

[MossyMeow]

Reinholdt nods a little. "Well, yes. But there are many different types of alcoholic beverages. They all work mostly the same though. Taste awful, feel good." There's a few that actually taste good admittedly.

"Do you have any cash or currency? How about a place to sleep?"

Mosswillow flicks her tail proudly. "I can sleep anywhere," she announces smugly. "But what's cash? Or currency, for that matter?"

[Purple Eagle]

[Ezra and Jason's Table]

Ezra shakes Jason's hand with his gloved one, and resumes sitting down. "Ah, that does make a lotta sense. Where I'm from, it's mostly handheld." He takes a sip of his blood liquer. "Pardon me, Jason, but I can't help but notice that bulk under your clothes. Might that be armour? And don't let this here teeth frighten you, I ain't fixin' to bite anyone. Might you be a warrior/inventor type, like Iron Man? That'd be mighty interestin'. I do some huntin' myself of rogue vampires..." He says, smiling at his own joke, then shuts up to drink some more and give Jason a chance to respond.

Sure he could have just not mentioned it, but he figures it's better to be direct, get Jason more at ease with him. He might be hiding it because of his vampiric nature.

[Reinholdt]

Mosswillow flicks her tail proudly. "I can sleep anywhere," she announces smugly. "But what's cash? Or currency, for that matter?"

"The way you pay for your milk." Reinholdt points at the drink in front of Mosswillow. "When you're done, the people who gave you that are going to want something in return. Money in particular." Reinholdt paws a gold coin and drops it on the bar to slide over to Mosswillow and show her.

[MossyMeow]

"The way you pay for your milk." Reinholdt points at the drink in front of Mosswillow. "When you're done, the people who gave you that are going to want something in return. Money in particular." Reinholdt paws a gold coin and drops it on the bar to slide over to Mosswillow and show her.

Her tail swishes nervously. "And how do you get this...currency, exactly?" She sniffs the coin curiously. "Do I...hunt for it?"

[Reinholdt]

Reinholdt thinks for a moment. A bit of a quandary that. "Well you can have that one for free to pay for the milk. But how to get more? Usually by performing a job or by selling something. Sometimes jobs include hunting. So yeah, you could hunt something somebody wants dead and get money that way. Or just normal hunting and sell the meat and skin. If you're interested in pursuing that, you should consider talking to MERC or checking out the Hunting Grounds."

[Fendrick]

"Huh," the man replies. "Those spellcaster never get bored I guess. Hope he didn't turn into a world dominating mastermind who creates his own army out of pets."

He shakes his hands like this wasn't a joke. He takes the glass with beer and drinks half of it in one turn before he puts it back down.

"You don't have to worry pal. I was told to keep calm when I am here. If you give me no reason to harm you I got no reason to swing my Earthbreaker. My name is Eon, nice to meet you.
So, what are you going to do with that extra years then?"

'Ha, I ran away. I uh, I hope he hasn't become an evil mastermind! Thanks, Eon. Nice to meet you too. I just want to adventure and explore new places. I spent too long in a tiny cage, so I'm trying to appreciate my freedom and make the most of the opportunity I have been given - even if it was through the wizard's bad intentions.'

Fendrick's tail swishes slightly from side to side as he speaks. His eyes are bright, and his demeanour suggests he really does enjoy meeting new people and exploring new places.

[Rebonack]

Oh hey, what's this?

Is that a Zee?

Why, it is!

She's busy taking down Spooktober decorations and stuffing them into a series of cardboard boxes while humming Thanksmas songs. It is, after all, getting close to that time of year! But for now? For now they're stuck in that intermediary period between Spooktober and Thanksmas! The languishing doldrums of the holiday season! That time where people get grumpy because Thanksmas decorations have been put up WAY TOO EARLY!

Zee is pondering that deep, abiding dilemma.

Put up the Thanksmas decorations now?

Or give it a little more time?

If she puts them up NOW then what if Magtok comes in here and humbugs at her? That would be pretty terrible. But if she put them up later and left the tavern undecorated, someone might get thrown off by the lack of building cheer! Truly life is full of difficult decisions.

All this Zee ponders while staring at the bright orange, grinning plastic bat-holding owl-like statue she just pulled off the counter.

"What do you think, awful tacky ghost-bodied strixoid? Should I start putting up the Thanksmas stuff right away? I know Kara really enjoyed all the decorating and she has some home-made ornaments she wants to hang everywhere," she asks.

The awful strixoid statue doesn't reply, as it is an inanimate object.

[bc56]

What does one say if they're accused of being a superhero?
If it's true, they can always own up to it.
Jason reaches into his pocket and pulls out an ID card. "I wouldn't consider myself a warrior, but I suppose it fits. I'm with NERD."

[Chaotic Bob]

Karaglen is Over There.
Not Over There by the squabbling lizardmen gamblers, flinging a set of irregularly numbered dice and betting various portions of their dining bill.
She's Over There, at that table by the bar, on her back in a chair with her legs dangling off on one end and her head and arms dangling off the other end.

Currently, she's back in her elven form, in a rather plainly formed blue dress dotted with little iridescent crystals.
She's staring at herself (upside down, apparently?) in a little handheld mirror with a determined expression on her face.

Periodically, her expression screws up in concentration a bit and subtle details of her features shift around a little bit.
"No...that's not quite it either..."
Notably, her hair seems to become white these days, rather than her old metallic silver.

The kid's been at this for awhile now, but that's probably a good thing in some regards.
It's stymied the overwhelming tide of Thanksmas decorations that she has been ceaselessly crafting.

[Rebonack]

Being Over There is good.

It means Kara isn't getting into trouble (not that she would intentionally get into trouble). Or more likely, having trouble find her.

You never know when some unruly random encounter might decide to make waves!

Zee gives a little, "Hmm," and places the anomalous strixoid into the box with the rest of the Spooktober decorations. Now filled nearly to overflowing with all manner of plastic spookys, ghosts, creepy crawlies, and bats, she places it on the counter and peers over at her daughter.

"Hey Kara? Could you grab another empty box from under the counter for me?" she asks.

Under the Counter.

That's always an adventure.

There's WAY more stuff down there than has any business being able to fit. It's where most of the non-food supplies go, after all. Zee tries to keep it mostly organized, but chaotic nonsense like impossible storage spaces often times resist any attempt to reign them into a sensible degree of order. Hopefully one of the empty boxes marked 'Spooktober Decorations' is near the front where Zee left it.

Also?

This will give Kara a break from her most recent obsession. Trying to make her appearance match her own personal vision of what 'Zee and Raril's daughter' should look like.

[Chaotic Bob]

Yes..."recent obsession".
Karaglen definitely hasn't been sneakily drawing ideas about this almost since her rebirth.
She definitely isn't actively working on it now just because she's practiced enough with her new shaping magics to feel confident in getting it right. Eventually.

"Yep! One empty box coming right up, mom!"
Away goes the mirror, leaving her paused at a state with a face...similar but not quite like a slightly darker version of Zee's general features.
Kinda.
It's a work in progress.

One that doesn't really matter right now anyway, since she always prefers to go natural when it comes to the Counter Depths. Easier to fit under there when you're a dog-sized lizard.
And safer, generally.

Her elf features fall away into the silver-scaled shape of a rather young silver dragon, who carefully sets the mirror up on the tabletop before slithering off the chair and quickly scampering off behind the counter to go do as her parent bade.

[Earl of Purple]

Currently lurking under the table and looking for something- anything, really- to eat is a mouse. It's quite a large mouse, with brown fur and large black eyes. It's also very unusual, in that it's not really a mouse at all. It's a fragment of unbound soul, possessing a dead mouse and making it live again, whilst trying to sample other, larger souls to learn how they work and what they can do and grow itself. Thus far, it has gills hidden in the fur of its neck and its eyes possess the ability to see through darkness, which is far more useful- at least, thus far- than the gills.

[MossyMeow]

Reinholdt thinks for a moment. A bit of a quandary that. "Well you can have that one for free to pay for the milk. But how to get more? Usually by performing a job or by selling something. Sometimes jobs include hunting. So yeah, you could hunt something somebody wants dead and get money that way. Or just normal hunting and sell the meat and skin. If you're interested in pursuing that, you should consider talking to MERC or checking out the Hunting Grounds."

"Th-thank you," Mosswillow stammers, feeling bashful and grateful in equal measure. "For everything. For the...currency...for the advice...for everything!" Reaching over, she softly licks Reinholdt's ear.

[Reinholdt]

"Ah! Um, yeah. Happy to help." Rein's ear twitches a little as he instinctively tilts his head towards her. Wow. How long has it been since he's been licked? He's been away from other cats for far too long. "A-anyways, good luck. And if you need anything else I live at a place called HALO. You can find it at the big lake. A lot of good fish there too."

[Rebonack]

The Counter Depths.

Who knows what wonders and horrors await down there?

Like...

A weird looking large mouse, probably? The mouse likely isn't psychic.

That's far from the least strange thing down there. Mysterious objects left behind by customers. Hoseki's crowbar (or maybe Hoseki the crowbar, Hoseki was weird). Very quickly wood gives way to stonework, dangling cages affixed to chains, prison cells, pools of strangely sparkling water, and-

A plastic skeleton propped up against a cardboard box.

The side of the box reads 'Spooktober Decorations'.

Should Kara get close to the skeleton, a rasping laugh will sound from it in gasping, dusty huff.

"Keh keh keh... a living face... thirsty. I'm so thirsty. Bring me wine and I will give you my treasure, fair traveler."

The plastic skeleton decoration gestures at the empty cardboard box it's leaning against.