[Nexus] Trog's Tavern CCXLIII

[Murkus]

Originally Posted by The Bushranger

p=13612727

Sharon giggles, shaking her head.
"Not a native, actually. Just...been here a very, very long time, that's all."

"Do you still like it here?" Percival asks, apparently having thought about this himself.

[Jivundus]

Originally Posted by Morty

Last I checked, they 'ad a base on a mountain, west of here. Cold as Stygia, lots o' snow. Guess they like it that way. Michalson shrugs.

"Well then, I guess I'd best go there and find meself some bodies fer hire." Nalhriir says as he drains the bottle. "Believe well, cutter. Perhaps we'll find each other again."

With that the planar stands and mutters a few words, moving his hands in a peculiar fashion. A glowing portal appears in front of him, and he steps through it.


Only to reappear instantly. Nalhriir seems surprised and he mumbles a few choice oaths, "Guess I'll have t' do it the normal way, then." and stalks out of the tavern's doors into the wide world of Nexus.

[Chas the mage]

Originally Posted by LOTRfan

The Warforged would wince if he was physically able to. He knows what it is like to be viewed as a monster. Of course, being a machine designed for war, that was sort of expected from some people. Humans seem to have a much tougher time coping with that. "Surely not everyone saw you as a monster? You seem to be a very nice man." It's funny, really; people seem to judge and stereotype people based off of the color of a uniform.

((Sorry, I posted in the other thread by mistake))

"Most everyone, at least there." He pauses, and shoves the butt of yet another cigarette into the ashtray. "I ended up hanging out with the shadier types after that, they tended to be more accepting. Some were rather malicious, but being from the army that's not a big problem or anything - When I came here people were more accepting for sure." He looks around, at the assortment of people in the Tavern, and makes a broad gesture towards them. "When I first left, I was a mess of scars and prosthetic limbs. Through the help of mages and doctors and people of that likeness, I've become a normal person - at least on the surface. I see in a ways the detest they had for me, but I know that the viewpoint of the government and the viewpoint of the individuals forced to fight for them aren't necessarily the same thing; for me at the time I was in the army it was all too true, with their stealing me from birth and brainwashing." He reaches for another cigarette, but stops himself with a sigh; and downs the last couple sips of his beer. He shakes his head, and for once, he doesn't ask for a refill.

((no problem))

[The Bushranger]

Originally Posted by Murkus

"Do you still like it here?" Percival asks, apparently having thought about this himself.

"I do," Sharon confirms with a nod. "I have...friends here. People I care about."

[LOTRfan]

Originally Posted by Chas the mage

"Most everyone, at least there." He pauses, and shoves the butt of yet another cigarette into the ashtray. "I ended up hanging out with the shadier types after that, they tended to be more accepting. Some were rather malicious, but being from the army that's not a big problem or anything - When I came here people were more accepting for sure." He looks around, at the assortment of people in the Tavern, and makes a broad gesture towards them. "When I first left, I was a mess of scars and prosthetic limbs. Through the help of mages and doctors and people of that likeness, I've become a normal person - at least on the surface. I see in a ways the detest they had for me, but I know that the viewpoint of the government and the viewpoint of the individuals forced to fight for them aren't necessarily the same thing; for me at the time I was in the army it was all too true, with their stealing me from birth and brainwashing." He reaches for another cigarette, but stops himself with a sigh; and downs the last couple sips of his beer. He shakes his head, and for once, he doesn't ask for a refill.

((no problem))

The Warforged feels a lot of sympathy for him. In a way, they are very much alike; soldiers trained from "birth." At this point, the dog is fast asleep, so the living construct places him in its bag, the little critter's head sticking out. "Do you like it here better?"

[FireFox]

Originally Posted by FireFox

I don't know if I was making an offer so much as stating a fact, darling. But I have many talents; if you had a job that required any of them and were willing to cut me in, I'd be interested. Ally shrugs, a vulpine smirk on her lips. Only thing that's ever made me sleep past dawn's been satisfied exhaustion. I'd try that before drugging me.

Ally is still here, talking to the witch.

[Rotting Baron]

Ashley looks around the tavern again and notices Ally talking to someone. She smacks herself for not seeing her before, but stays in her booth. She doesn't want to interrupt whatever might be going on.

[C'nor]

Originally Posted by FireFox

Ally is still here, talking to the witch.

"Perhaps that would be a better choice, then, if we go that route. It's not as though I carry anything I can't replace, and making you angry at me if you turn out to be the first one up probably wouldn't be the best idea," Lynette replies with a shrug, apparently rather enjoying their conversation. It's been a while since she's had someone she can talk to like this; Lily's the only other person she really feels comfortable around, and while she's nice enough, she's no thief, and talking to her about such things would probably mess up the fragile friendship they have. "As for jobs, what talents do you have, exactly? I happen to know you can cut purses rather well, and I assume that your other abilities are of a similar nature, but 'skills useful for thieving' is a rather broad category, so I can't really say if anything you could do would be of use to me right now without knowing more."

[Earl of Purple]

Cowboy's Table

"Don't worry about the fish; she's still connected to my bloodstream and nervous system. She's not going to suffocate, because suffocation is when blood can't get to the brain more than anything else, and the blood I'm oxygenating through my lungs is still reaching its brain. And I can make her open and close her mouth, too." The pike is too large to be male; female fish are nearly always larger than the males. As she says the last, the fish-hand opens and closes its mouth. Its eyes seem to say that it wishes there was something it could close its mouth around.

[orb_of_blood]

Cowboy's table

Isla flinches away at the cowboy's slightly frustrated exclamation, raising her hands over her face as though expecting to be struck. It's impossible to express how relieved she is when he does nothing of the sort.

Peeking through her fingers, she says “I don't think it really matters, Ben. No-one was hurt and the morph is temporary.” Still, if he needs luck, then hanging around Isla is probably a good idea. If she likes someone, her luck can help them too. After all, it'd be unlucky if your friend dies, or is wounded, or ill, or broke, or etc.

"But it's good that it's not gonna die on you." Does she understand any of what Gertrude just said? No, but she understood at least the 'not dieing' part. "That'd be icky." Even as is she edges away from it slightly.

A slight pause as she stares at the fish. Then, "so! What did you want, Ben, Madame? I won't know how many to coins to look for until you tell me that."

[Mahonri Violist]

Cowboy's Table

Hmm. Tough question - what should he ask for? On the one hand, he's rather thirsty.
Being stuck in a small village in backwater India does that to you sometimes.
On the other hand, he hasn't finished his previous job, so that means he shouldn't get drunk. Wine won't do, because that's too weak, so his only choice is something non-alcoholic. "Just something soft and cheap," he suggests, because, if it costs less, it'll be a lot easier to find enough spare change.
"But, if you can't find anything, water's fine."

It's a good thing that Benjamin was too overcome by the defeat of a staring contest against a fish that he didn't manage to notice Isla flinching away. So, I guess that's a positive outlook.

"Although..." mentions the cowboy. "Madame, your arm is looking rather hungry."

[Earl of Purple]

Cowboy's Table

"I shall have a glass of pineapple juice, please. And perhaps a plate of raw fish, that would also be nice. Thank you." Gertrude smiles as she speaks, her hand casually stroking the fish-arm's scaly side.

[orb_of_blood]

Cowboy's table

Can't find anything? Isla's luck scoffs at that!

Every coin that anyone has dropped while fumbling drunkenly with wallets, every coin that fell from a person's pockets during a rumble, every coin that has ever been misplaced and lost in the layers of dust on the tavern floor is Isla's to find.

Isla doesn't even need to look particularly hard. The coins had been left untouched and hidden by dust until she has need of them. All it takes is her need, and her luck causes a gust of wind to blow through the tavern and uncover the coins. It's mere minutes before she has a handful, and no crawling around on dusty floors required!

It's like magic. So much like it, that it actually is magic.

As luck would have it, and damn, is luck ever favoring Isla, she managed to pick up the exact right amount for what she needs.

And if that wasn't enough for a few minutes, then as luck would have it, she's picked out exactly the 'soft and cheap' drink Benjamin would have wanted most, and hands it to him with a shy smile before placing the other drink in front of Gertrude and scurrying back to the bar to bring back the plate of meat.

Wow.

[Mahonri Violist]

Cowboy's Table, just right next to the entrance

Benjamin would make a joke right now, but he's too astonished that she managed to find so much loose change on the ground to think up of one.

He looks at Isla and claps slowly, as she gives him some sweet lemonade. "Wow. I mean, wow."

"Oh, and you've got a bit of dust right there," he teases, pointing to somewhere on her face where there's obviously no dust. (His smile gives away that he's joking.)

"That's a whole lot better than a metal detector that I had once."

[Chas the mage]

Originally Posted by LOTRfan

The Warforged feels a lot of sympathy for him. In a way, they are very much alike; soldiers trained from "birth." At this point, the dog is fast asleep, so the living construct places him in its bag, the little critter's head sticking out. "Do you like it here better?"

"Yes," he replies with a slow nod. "I sometimes miss the Empire, but I'm sure it'd have no splendor to me anymore, since the blinders of brainwashing have been removed. The city was large, with high stone walls, laser turrets upon the top, a gigantic castle and the largest cathedral; all monuments to the Emperor's vanity."

[Murkus]

Originally Posted by The Bushranger

"I do," Sharon confirms with a nod. "I have...friends here. People I care about."

"Any family?" Percy continues, taking the most obvious route in this conversation.

[The Bushranger]

"...not really. Sort-of. It's awkward," Sharon says, looking down into her drink.

[Murkus]

"Too awkward to talk about?" Percival asks, smiling a little more gently. He props one elbow on the bar, swishing his drink in his free hand. The tall German glances up toward the bar. "I could always bore you with drunk uncles and my eccentric mother, but I'm fairly certain they're no longer with us."

[FireFox]

Originally Posted by C'nor

"Perhaps that would be a better choice, then, if we go that route. It's not as though I carry anything I can't replace, and making you angry at me if you turn out to be the first one up probably wouldn't be the best idea," Lynette replies with a shrug, apparently rather enjoying their conversation. It's been a while since she's had someone she can talk to like this; Lily's the only other person she really feels comfortable around, and while she's nice enough, she's no thief, and talking to her about such things would probably mess up the fragile friendship they have. "As for jobs, what talents do you have, exactly? I happen to know you can cut purses rather well, and I assume that your other abilities are of a similar nature, but 'skills useful for thieving' is a rather broad category, so I can't really say if anything you could do would be of use to me right now without knowing more."

I'm a sharp foist and file, of course. Ally leans back on her stool, slipping into thieves cant with proud braggadocio. I'm an expert crackswoman and second story girl, having done the odd job as a glazier, jumper, and darksman budge. And me name mi' as well be Kate, seeing how I'm such a rum dubber. You'll find no be'er gilt as can work a charm, screw, or betty with my fingers' skill. She winks flirtatiously at Lynette, completely unaware of Ashley's presence. I'm also an ole hand at the counterfeit crank game and ha'been contracted by jarkmen to do hard jobs, ones they couldn't themselves, see.

To translate into modern english, Ally claims to be an experienced pickpocket and burglar, as well as very skilled at opening locks, which she considers herself to be the best at. She also claims to be an excellent con artist and such a good forger that professional forgers turn to her do jobs they can't. I'm not sure Lynette knows thieves cant, but if she doesn't, Ally will let her know what she means.

[Mr. Moon]

When Moon Called makes her way back to Trog's from the MagCave, she's so lost in her thoughts that she fails to notice someone peal himself off the wall beside the door and fall into step behind her. A full minute passes before, in frustration, he increases his pace, walks out in front of her, stops and turns to face her. Moon Called nearly walks into him, lifting her gaze in confusion, and then surprise.

"What are you doing out here?" asks Sevran Kannadre, frowning down at his general as he crosses his arms over his chest.
"I could ask you the same thing," Moon says, feeling defensive all of a sudden.

There's a silence as the two Sabertooths stare at each other, stubbornly waiting for the other to speak up. While they're both dressed in street clothes, Sevran has the advantage of having his long-sword on his hip. Moon has only her knife. And yet despite this intense awareness of each other's weaponry, there is no refection of this in their posture. Neither so much as glances at the other's weapon.

Finally, Moon breaks the silence. Any outsider listening in on their conversation would be quite unlikely be able to understand, as they switch to their native tongue. <""What is it?">
<"You didn't say where you were going. You didn't even say you were leaving.">
<"I wasn't aware I needed to. Thought we were all adults here.">
<"Really? Because you're not acting like it.">
Moon Called sighs and moves to push past Sevran, but he stops her with a firm hand on her shoulder.
<"Keska-">
<"What?">
Sevran sighs. <"Keska... We're worried about you.">
This turn of conversation catches Moon Called off-guard. She blinks, mouth half-open but whatever she was going to say dead on her lips.
With another sigh, Sevran continues. <"You've been acting weird since Mallod died. We've all noticed it.">
Moon Called is silent again, although this is a much different silence. She doesn't meet Sevran's gaze, instead choosing to stare out over his shoulder. <"I just... She was so young.">

Suddenly, Sevran's arms are around her and he's pulling her out from the floor towards a table alcove in the corner and Moon Called realizes she's crying.

[The Bushranger]

Originally Posted by Murkus

"Too awkward to talk about?" Percival asks, smiling a little more gently. He props one elbow on the bar, swishing his drink in his free hand. The tall German glances up toward the bar. "I could always bore you with drunk uncles and my eccentric mother, but I'm fairly certain they're no longer with us."

"It's complicated," Sharon allows, then smiles softly. "I'm sorry to hear that. Unless they were the s-sort better off that way of course."

[orb_of_blood]

[The Cowboy's Table]

Isla blushes and wipes at her face with the back of her hand. Obviously, she doesn't understand that he's joking.

“I-I'm just good at finding things,” she mumbles, “anything really. Baubles, gold sometimes, even people. Like, a g-girl in my Hold went missing once. When she didn't turn up after a while, they came to me and I found her within a day. The gn-gnolls had dragged her off and killed her during one of their raids.”

She curls up in the nearest chair, and shudders thinking back on it. The raids had been frighteningly common. The men in her Hold had taken to wearing swords everywhere they went. Benjamin kinda reminds her of them, what with his guns. “You've never actually killed anyone, h-have you?” Not the most polite question, but in her Hold the men boast about their kills openly, and it always kinda scared her.

[Mahonri Violist]

[The Cowboy's Table]

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he comments about the girl who died.

In regards to the question about his kills, he seems less cheery and less jovial. He looks down at the drink in his hand. "Just once," he says in a tone of voice that seems like bitter memories are eating at him.

"It was probably the worst day of my life. Every day I wish that I could just 'rewind' my life, to before that happened."

He starts to tell a short story about what happened, with little details. "A long time ago...I had a best friend. She was always happy and nice and optimistic. But I didn't like her husband." He looks a little ashamed of this fact. "Or, rather, I didn't like the way he treated her. He treated her like she was a slave, like a dog, like trash. Every single time I saw him..."

That's odd! A cowboy's talking about his backstory. That's the weirdest thing ever!

He looks up again at Isla. Anger and pain are in his face...something that hasn't occurred since his entry in Nexus. "I was just...so angry. I couldn't stand living another minute with him treating her that way. So, I challenged him to a duel. I expected to lose...but it didn't happen." He looks down again. "By the time my head cleared up...he was dead, and she was crying."

He takes a deep breath. "Years later, she forgave me, but we never were friends again."

[orb_of_blood]

The Cowboy's Table

"...Oh." Not the answer she'd been expecting.

At least that rules out the possibility of him being a mercenary. That's always a good possibility to rule out.

Isla's never been much good at giving comfort. The men in her Hold don't accept it well and she'd been slapped (or would have been slapped if not for her luck) for trying to calm her brother when his lover was enslaved by the gnolls.

Still, she is kind-hearted, and gives it a shot anyways. The anger in his eyes had been enough. "Well, you changed her life by doing that. Perhaps she couldn't accept what you did, but it meant he could never hurt her again. It may be that she's better off this way." And it may not. What does Isla know?

Well, she knows that in her Hold women pretty much are slaves. She's beginning to respect Benjamin for thinking otherwise.

[Mahonri Violist]

The Cowboy's Table

Why did I just tell that story? First time I've ever told it.
The cowboy Benjamin shakes his head. "I don't know. I don't know what she thinks; she's so complicate." Women in general are complicated, he mentally adds.

"Hopefully, now that I'm miles away from her, she'll be able to finally forget it all." Just seeing him brought her unpleasant memories.

"After all, I am rather far from home. And I don't even know how to get back to India from here, let alone getting home."

[Rotting Baron]

Ashley occasionally glances at Ally and Lynette as they converse. She can't catch any of the words easily, but some of the visual flirting makes her a little nervous and more than a little jealous. She orders a tall mug of ale.

[Murkus]

Originally Posted by The Bushranger

"It's complicated," Sharon allows, then smiles softly. "I'm sorry to hear that. Unless they were the s-sort better off that way of course."

Percival furrows his brow, eyes widening slightly, and asks, "What could you possibly mean by that?" He sounds ever so mildly offended, and more than a little confused.

[The Bushranger]

"Well, w-when you said they were no longer with us, I t-thought..." Sharon stammers, suddenly looking quite nervous.

[Reinholdt]

Standing over in the dark corner is the Mysterious Hooded Figure still. MHF to be honest, doesn't look to be much bigger than a halfling. Seems kinda small for the job.



All the same, the MHF stares at you. Yes, even you, despite you being behind a pillar and in another room. MHF is just that good at staring.

[Murkus]

Originally Posted by The Bushranger

"Well, w-when you said they were no longer with us, I t-thought..." Sharon stammers, suddenly looking quite nervous.

"No. Better off that way. What did you mean?" Percival asks, whatever anger he experienced apparently subsiding.