Go. She called to the group.  With the witch and the farmer, they would be fine.  She looked back to those now on the porch and a scoff at the new arrival.

Aubria? She called, thinking this was going to be another first. Would you mind another cleaning spell before you go....I'd... owe you one. The words stung in her throat as she cast a glance between girl and dwarf.  She needed to get out of this place soon, given it's negative effects on her.

Turning at the sound of her name, Aubria raised an eyebrow questioningly when Max asked for the favor. "I'll be right back," she said softly to Jack and Jasha, walking over to the blonde woman. "Alright, but I'll hold you to your promise, k, chica?"

She flipped her short brown hair out of her face before pulling out the satchel containing the cleaning powder. "Hold still so I don't get any in your nose," she told the dwarf sternly, as if he were a child being given a punishment. She flung the powder onto him and whispered the words; again the spell worked and left the dwarf as clean as marble. "Oh, and here." She tossed a small white object into the dwarf's mouth. "To clean your breath; chew and swallow it."

Her task complete there, she nodded in farewell to the others still at the porch, then strode back to Jasha and Jack. "Well, that was easy," she said with a smirk.

Jethro watched the little spectacle of the newcomer and gave a smile. "Hiya, kiddo, Not where or who you were looking for I assume?"

Max gave a nod to Aubria, then added with a bit of a smirk. I always keep my deals and bets. A glance to the dwarf, certainly led proof of that, even when it was not exactly in her best interest.

With little hesitation, Max entered the tavern, returning moments later two plates of food in hand and appropriate utensils.  One, looking more appealing, she handed wordlessly to Cinder.  The other she brought to the dwarf, bending down to be closer to his height.

You should eat this slowly. It was mild, inoffensive food, mushy looking bowl of cereal. Do you know how to use a spoon? She asked with straight forward seriousness.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:16, Tue 16 Mar 2010.

The dwarf looked more surprised at Max's query than offended. "You're kidding, right? A spoon? A spoon is as difficult to operate as a rock is soft, lady ... but thankee for the grub." said Hag, as he ripped the bowl, and spoon, out of Max's hand. He began eating with the polar opposite of manners, still sitting on the floor.

With a grunt, Max ripped the bowl and the spoon back from the dwarf.  You want food, you need to eat right.  Like this. She demonstrated without actually allowing her lips to touch the spoon.  You think you can do that or do I have to tie you up and feed you? She challenged, a deadly serious glare at the dwarf.

Mitch turned in response to Jethro. "Definitely not in Kansas anymore," he said. "Call me Mitch." He held out his hand to shake. The leather glove would feel hot to the touch. "So... ah, just so we're clear - what exactly is this place?" He eyed the dwarf a bit warily. He felt a little like he just stepped into Lord of the Rings or something.

The dwarf looked at Max with a sort of playful distain. "Just gimme the bowl, I'll eat right." he said, as he continued to eat as he was, possibly without realising he was doing anything wrong in the first place.

With a glance to the new arrival who seemed a bit lost, her attention shifted to focus on the dwarf.  Taking the bowl and spoon from him. Apparently not. She snapped. Look. She ordered and modeled the behavior again, then took the dwarfs hand and guided him as to how to hold the bowl and spoon the food into his mouth.

Flipping his hat up to clear his eyes,  he met the new guy eye to eye, something he was obviously trying not to do with the rest of the crowd. It was accompanied by a smirk that blossomed into a chuckle.

"You know Mitch," he said taking the kid's hand, "I said the same thing when I first got here."

He points up to the sign dangling above his head. "As for here, its called the Wolf's Head, but that probably means little. I guess just think of it as everywhere and no where at once, if that makes any sense."

Hagarth barely put up with Maxs' attempt to civilise him, and followed the charade with a discontented growl, proceeded by the perfect (mocking) reproduction of the feat that Max had just shown him; using a spoon properly. "Oye, just go eat with your boyfriend over there ... the one that smells like a firepit, and is probably going to choke on his cigarette any minute now. Even I know not to smoke whilst eating. And I can eat perfectly well on my own, but I appreciate the ... company." the Dwarf said, in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

Giving a bit of a smile as he takes the food.  "Shiney truta."  He starts to eat quickly.  Looking up at the bar maid.  He swallows a mouthful of food  and starts to talk.  "Yeah, bring out a pitcher of that beer and a few glasses.  Make that two pitchers and another plate of this and a cake."

Mitch laughed. "Well, in that case, it's probably safe to assume that time itself works independently, and no matter how much time passes here, it won't affect the passage of time in our own worlds. If I were to head back to my own dimension now, a few seconds, days, or possibly years could have passed." He shrugged. "Not much I can do about that, now can I?

"'Sides, I need a break from saving the world. And this place has incredible scenery. He winked at whatever female was (un?)lucky enough to make eye contact with him at that moment.

"In that case, my fair lady," he said to the bar maid, "If you accept the almighty American dollar, I'll pitch in for that beer."

"Which way?  The winds may only guide us," she smiled gently, and started away from the porch for the forest beyond the clearing.  She hadn't ignored Aubria, it was just a matter of she didn't quite know how to respond.

>>To The Dark Forest<<

Aubria followed Ja'sh'a, broom over her shoulder as she walked.

>>To the Dark Forest>>

Mitch plunked himself down on a chair and tipped it back dangerously. "Ladies, I may start taking offence if you all leave me like this."

Clearly if they heard his words, they choose to ignore him. Mitch shrugged and fished a cigarette out of his pocket. He stared at the end, and it began to glow. He took a long drag from it.

"So, where y'all from?" he asked, deliberately drawing out the 'y'all'.

The dwarf looked up at the man, who also smoked. Gross. "I'm from the great dwarf city of Ordongrim. I can see the ladies dont seem to be takin' a liking to you ... if you want some advice, I'd be willin' to 'elp. Apparently you need it." Said the dwarf, taking another huge bite from his mush. He was possibly the least likely person to give advice on women, but the dwarf was obviously not playing with a full deck. Hagarth must have looked pathetic sitting in the dust eating babyfood and being taught how to use a spoon by a beautiful woman, but he didnt mind. Hagarth was as low as they come, so he wasnt affected much by degrading situations (mostly because he doesnt realise he is in them).

"Dey wuz plannin on leavin fore you showed up.  No need ta take offense pyromancer."  He has finished the plate of beef in a matter of minutes and when the serving woman brings the other plate and beer out, he pulls out a handful of the plastic cred chips, dropping them on her tray.

Looking at Max, he grins.  "Ya not be goin?"

"I might take your advice at that, Dwarf." He smirked. "Seems to be working for you."

He turned to Cinder. "And my abilities aren't magic parsay. Simply a trick gene combined with a few chemicals. Purely scientific."

He paused. "Although, there are some schools of thought that hold the opinion that Magic is simply another form of science, and that all knowleage is one and the same. Have a conversation with an Elf or two that I know, and your head'll be spinning with the comparisons between Abracadabra and E equals MC squared."

She'd ignored the early comments as the dwarf was eating in a semi civilized manner.  But now, with a swift, but not harmful, slap on the back of the dwarf's head, Max replied, You're not in a position to give anyone advice about anything, Hogworth.  But it seemed he was healthy enough and in as much of his right state of mind as he had one.

Max now stood, giving Mitch a disdainful look, she answered Cinder, They can manage themselves.  They have the witch.  I thought there might be need for more ...dwarf-sitting. She folded her arms over her chest.  You look better.

Hagarth responded to Max's slap with a look of submissive anger, only to look back at his mush and mutter, " Damn woman ... slappin' me upside the 'ead like she thinks i'm but a child ... 'specially infronta' men like that ... who the hell she think she is ...". The dwarf quickly finished the remainder of his mush, and he got up and walked over next to Max. However much he disliked her parental attitude, he did enjoy her company. Besides, she fed him and she saved him from whatever was wrong in his head. And for that, Hagarth admired Max ... however much he'd hate to admit it. "Oh yeah, and my name be Hagarth. Get it rite 'afore I force me hand. I dont like hittin' women, but if it needs to be done, it needs to be done." Hag said, trying to keep a misguided sense of dominance over the group.

He swallowed the hastily chewed food in his mouth and was getting ready to respond to Max at the pyromancer mutant when Hagrid spoke up.  He chokes back a laugh.  "I wud say I wud like ta see that, but I just burnt a lot of power fixin yur noggin and wudn't want her breakin it so soon."  He pours himself a glass of the beer, taking a quick pull.  "Course I wudn't be stoppin her."

He does turn to the pyromancer, giving a nod.  "So you be a mutant.  I done seen plenty of dem.  Most just be physical, but some be havin... powers."

"Yeah, sorta. Only the technical term is meta-human. Mutant sounds too much like the X-men." Mitch chuckled a little, wondering if this guy even had any idea who the comic book heroes were. "Most people with the meta-gene do have some sort of abilities in this regard. One chick I know has super strength and can fly. This other guy can absorb electric energy and use it for a bunch of things. Some can teleport, or affect electromagentic fields..." Mitch trailed off. He muttered something under his breath. Smart-ass know it all, thinks he controls the world.

Max swallowed her smirk at Hagarth.  She glanced at Mitch.  Great another one who plays with fire.  Why was she here?  She should just go home.  She glanced down to Hag.  Why in the name of nature did she like the creature?  Maybe it was her head that needed fixing.

Ya still hungry? She asked the dwarf, then leaned low to whisper to him,

Jethro's thoughts were a bit on parallel with Max's, though neither knew it for sure. It seemed a bit of a gathering of pyros was in the making and he too was a bit confused as to why he stuck around.

Better than the alternatives, he thought to himself. So he just concerned himself with those around.

"Why is it," he spoke up with a pondering tone, "that there are so many who play with fire, yet very few who work with water? A hydromancer, if you will. Now those would be some interesting abilities." He spoke to no one, and for the most part it looked like he was just talking to himself.