Jack smiled at Cinder and after the armed man had finished speaking Jack offered his own hand in return for the one he had been unable to take earlier; You can call me Jack

   Only to be interupted again at this point by a thump, a crash and splash, and a wail of Horror.

Sweetheart, it wasn't advice, it was a wishful suggestion. She gave the irritating Cinder another smile, then took in the ensuing scene.

With a disgusted shake of her head, she gave the dwarf a wide girth and headed for the door.

[To Porch]

He holds up his gloved right hand and extends his left to shake Jack's hand.  "Think I did call ya Jack.  Course, I call lots of people Jack, lucky coincidence.  So what you be rabbit man?"

The piss-drenched dwarf twitched a bit and muttered "What ... what the hell just happened. And why do i feel like i just got run over by a train? Does anyone else smell pee? Oh dammit ...." he said, as his words sputtered in the urine puddle considering he was face down in it. The dwarf then moved up onto his knees to better view his surroundings.

   Jack grins and says; "Yep" turning and helping his friend Beaker up out of the Puddle with his belt. Jack could hear muttered rabbit like cussing under Beakers breath, Jack didn't even smile remembering the hoots of laughter years ago a when he was still a kid falling off a fence into the hog pen at Grandpa Bucks farm. When Beaker was up Jack sniffed the belt carefully hoping Beaker wouldn't notice, He didn't.

   Jack turned back Cinder, to give Beaker some privacy, put the belt on and continued; "Mostly just a simple Farmer, raise rabbits and vegetables."

   "My friend there is one of my farm hands; we had a kind of industrial accident, the Kids." Gesturing toward Beaker; "pretty much saved my life, I've had to be kind of careful around most people though it don't stop me from scrapping now and again.  Very carefully not looking at the recovering Dwarf."

Spelling anf format
This message was last edited by the player at 18:39, Mon 08 Mar 2010.

   Standing up Beaker looked at the clothes he had on  they were a mess an stunk to high heaven, Beaker very quickly took them off looking at this point like nothing more then a very large rabbit.

   Boss you mind if I go home and clean up. Jack glanced at him with a tilt of an eyebrow one of those 'you going to be alright looks'.  Yah, I, I'll be fine -

   You want me to send someone when I get back.  At Jacks startled look Beaker hurried to explain; you know with this places special properties I think some of us might like to visit.

   Beaker started to walk to the door, but as he walked by the still prone Dwarf, he grinned and dropped the soaked bundle on his head.

  <<<porch]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:58, Mon 08 Mar 2010.

"Farmer eh... yeah I heard of dem.  We even gots some in an enclave outside o' town, dey supply much food."  He again pulls out a cigarette from a pack out of his jacket pocket.  He peels off his glove, showing a hand encased in a low blue flame.  He lights the cigarette from his thumb.  "Cinder, I be Magi."

After sitting on his knees a moment, Hagarth blindly got up and walked towards the door, accidentally bumpind into cinder on his way. Due to the fact that Hagarth was completely drenched in his own urine, there is a good chance some of that would have got on cinder. Regardless, he made his way outside, bewildered and disoriented.

Easily stepping out of the way of the stumbling dwarf, Cinder laughs at the diminutive fellow as he exits.  "Fraggin idiot."  His laughter is half aimed at the dwarf and half at Max, who would have to deal with him out there.

   Jack watches the obnoxious little person walk out the door; Magi? You are a caster or ... user of magic?

    Jack continued to watch the door obviously thinking that the porch was now a much less nice place to be.  That little guy has one hard head.

Max was right; Jasa had no patience for the antics of the dwarf.  But, finding that the inn did indeed take care of altercations, she simply made a soft, tching sound, and turned to follow Max outside.  "Hey, Jack.  If you're coming, we're leaving."  Let the little dwarf pester other people.

>>To Porch<<

From the porch*
The flower-scented dwarf strolled right up to Cinder and leaned up against a footstool that was near the blonde man. He glanced around a bit, trying to look as cool as he possibly could. "So ah ... Cinder me boy ... a litte bird told me you're having some trouble with women. And this little bird, see, was hoping i'd well ... i'd 'show you the ropes' if you will." the stubby little dwarf said, with a fake chuckle.

He looks down at the midget with utter contempt.  "Hot blonde gatinha... yeah she just tryin to set ya up liu kou shui de biao zi he hou zi de ben er zi. (Translation - You stupid son of a whore and a monkey.)  She knows if ya annoy me too much I will pop yur blinkers and set ya on fire.  Let me make this clear ta even one as stupid as ya."  He exhibits a middle finger to the little fellow, the fire that encompasses that hand flaring so heat can be felt 10 feet away.  "Frag off runt."

Turning from the man he looks back at Jack.  "Yeah, I be magi, wizzer, mage, wizard.  Fire be me favorite sphere."

Only smiling at Cinders' insults, Hag looked at him as if he were a wee child. "Look, i know you're shy in front of your friend here ... and i understand, ye see. Believe it or not, i was once just like you ... all wimpy and bad with women. But then i started drinking alchohol and sitting around on the couch. Thats what these human women are into, y'see." hagarth said, using his hands to demonstrate everything he said. After finishing this, Hagarth pulled out a few gold coins and said, "Here laddy, go buy yourself a fine stein of ale. See the key is to be completely and utterly drunken when ye meet women, y'understand, 'cause these human women respect a man with barely a hint o' control over he wits."  Looking up at cinder, he expected a thankful reply from his 'pupil'.

He takes the coins and drops them in his pocket.  Gold was worth a fortune in his world.  These few coins could buy food and ammo for a year.  "Tell ya what, lets go out and see which of us kin win the heart of that fair maiden Max.  I be sportin, so ya go first."

Hagarth looked at Cinder, and said, "Look pal ... she has the hots for me. It wouldnt be fair to you, first off. Second, it wouldn't be smart to mess with the master if you know what i mean. I practically taught you everything you know! But, just to teach you a lesson, I accept your challenge.". Hag then walked out towards the deck, jesturing for Cinder to follow.

    Jack watching the antics of the Dwarf, replied to Cinder; We didn't use to have much actual magic going on. There were legends of course, but lately some persons just seem to develop the ability to cast spells. and well other strange things happening.

    Got to go help the lady; Jack walked to the bar putting down a three hundred dollar bill.  I'll need a room when I get back, I'm expecting a friend, I don't know for sure if he'll arrive here or where I'm going. If he comes here let him use my room, OK.

    [To porch>>>

Moving towards the door, he has to smile, this time it is genuine.  "Well maybe I kin not compete with ya, but we shud make a bet anyhow.  Ifn ya can stick with her till it be consumated, I give ya this gun.  Ifn ya leave her before the deed be done, ya give me 20 gold coins.  Izit a deal?"  He pulls out a well cared for heavy caliber automatic, showing it to the runt before putting it back.

Hagarth nods, a devious (yet somehow pathetically stupid) smile strewn across his face.

[to porch]

With a bit of a laugh, he exits the tavern.

<<<To Porch>>>

Shara steps inside, blinks, and frowns as she looks around. This isn't the Broken Lute, she thinks, taking in the expanse and clientele with a raised eyebrow. She'd left her shop for a moment - avoiding a group of rather pushy drow mafia toadies - and gone to get a drink and some peace and quiet. And now, she was here.

Much nicer than the Lute, she thinks, stepping lightly inside and smiling to herself. Hopefully I can afford what's on tap.

She sidles up to the bar, and puts a silver on the countertop. "What'll this get me?" She asks, a no-nonsense voice with an accent that marks her as from the mean streets.

"It'll cover a meal with a drink or two," says the tender with a bit of gruffness about him.

She grins, showing teeth with slight points. "Set me up, then," she says, setting another silver on the bar, next to the first.

Aramendel is just sitting by his lonesome for the most part, with most of the recent entertainment going outside recently. Like a child he spins on his barstool and then stops facing the counter. "Try Cookie's kabobs, they are delicious," he says to the newcomer with a smile.

Shara turns and raises an eyebrow at the enthusiastic co-customer of the bar, and returns his grin. "Sounds good - but what's in 'em? Goat? Chicken?"

"I'm not sure, I think venison, but it could be another type of meat that I do not know. Parker enjoyed them so I just trusted his word and partook."

He took a sip from the glass in front of the vacant chair next to him, grimaced a bit, then took another sip from his own glass.

"So miss, what brings you here?"

"I'd say curiosity," she says wryly, "But that's a bit cliche. Truth be told, this isn't where I expected I'd be... But here I am, no doubt from magic or somesuch. Might as well enjoy my stay here, seeing as it seems so pleasant compared to my usual kip." She tilts her head. "An' you?"

"Oh me," says the elf, a little abashed. "Its a little complicated. Lets see, think I came here to find someone, to be found, make friends and get away from the world. Right now though, I guess I'm just waiting for some friends. And it is pleasant, at least when there is no fighting going on. Some of the patrons get a little narrow minded, and I admit I have been too at times, and arguments erupt. Sometimes it leads to scuffles outside the doors. No fighting inside though."

"No fighting?" That sent her eyebrows practically into her hairline. What kind of place is this, that there's no fighting in a tavern? Downright unnatural, that is. She looks around, taking in the clientele with a bit more curiosity than before. "Surely, there's at least a brawl or two late in the evening?"

"It's not for the lack of desire. There are many here that wished to fight flat out. There was this man inside a golem that wanted to fight an elf from the stars the instant that they saw each other. Such a fight may have torn the whole place down.  Master Parker was attacked as well, by a firestick, erm, what was the name again, pistol. Its just that the tavern doesn't let you fight and if you are the aggressor you will feel the attack upon yourself instead."

"So where do you hail from?"

"Huh," Shara sits back, thinking on the fact that harm is transferred back on the aggressor. Powerful magic is in this place. Warren would kill to be here, studying this. Thoughts of him made her sigh a little; I'd kill to have him here now. Him, or Valeth and his roguish charm.

She shakes herself and smiles as she is asked a question. "A city called Grimholme. And grim indeed it is, sir. It's a city where all from ev'ry world and plane can meet and mingle, and partake in the fair corruption the city offers." She grins, and it's hard to tell if she's being serious or not.

Aramendel cocks his head in a bit of curiosity. "You act as if I wouldn't believe you, but it is where we stand. Granted your plane is probably is a little easier to find to an astral traveler than this, but the concept is the same. Its been such a jaunting experience here in the day that I have been, I could only imagine what it must be like living in an open world like that.  What do you normally do there?"

She blinks; she'd expected to shock him, perhaps even a little. But he was barely ruffled.

"Well, I..." She has to take a second to gather herself. "I worked as a healer, of sorts. Made potions, poultices, lucky charms, that sort of thing. Useful trade. But truth be told, it's getting a little cramped in the city, there." She picks up the drink from the bar, and stretches back into space. "I was looking for a little breathing space. Looks like I found it. Heh." She sips at the drink, intending to continue speaking, but damn! She'd never had ale so cold, so fine. She eded up forgoing conversation to drink, and near empty the whole flagon.

"An' what about you?" She asks, putting down the flagon before she seems too rude. "How have you come to be here? I'm Shara, by the way." She offers her hand to shake.

"Aramendel Elkiir,"  he replies, as he stands up and gives a slight bow. "Well Shara, I first came here nearly a tenday ago. I fell asleep in a strangely quiet wood and I woke up at the door." He shrugged and returned to his seat.
 Sleepwaking seemed to become an issue with him but that was an issue to examine at a later time.

"I left and returned by following the path in the wood out, and the same path back. It is most odd, for others that have passed through it did not notice any changes. Well, save for one person."

The ranger's gaze drifts away from Shara to the window where the other patrons here gathering. Even when it seems he isn't paying attention, he keeps talking. "There is something about this place. I don't think anyone finds it completely by accident."

Shara frowns slightly. "You think I was summoned here, by a spell or something? Because I stepped through that door thinking I was stepping into a tavern back home..." She looks over her shoulder, following his gaze, before looking back to him.

"You know, as far as company goes, Aramendel, for an elf you're not too bad."

Now that was a weird comment that caught him off guard causing him to fall silent for a bit. For one he was glad that she knew what he was an elf, and not a Vulcan, or what ever else others thought he was.

"Well, thank you, I guess. You are quite nice too. But I take it there is a little bit of hostility with my kin?"

"Eeh." She shrugs as she picks up her second drink. "Depends. But generally, where I come from? Long life only serves to make elves nothing more than selfish bastards." She shrugs. "You don't seem like that type, though... so there'll be no harsh words from me. 'Sides, this place serves good drinks." She grins. "I think I can be civil here."

"You must deal with the highs more than any." There is an audible slur of disgust when he says 'high'.  "They tend to be that way more than any. I've fought beside too many, and I know that we all bleed the same color. To look down on another race for no reason, it just comes from stupid isolation for too long and corrupted values passed on. I admit though that I do have fun with stereotypes." With a puzzled look he gives her another once over, focusing more on her nose and eyes. "There is something different about you," he finally says. "I can't put my finger on it. You walk like an elf, or at least a half blood, but no that isn't it. If I may ask, you aren't a human, are you?"

On hearing the elf's disparaging comments about the 'highs', she wisely decides to keep quiet about the other elvish communities. The less said of them, the better. But she grins at Aramendel's comments about stereotypes. Lord and Lady, he's quite the charmer.

"Half elf is right," she says with a wry grin, "But I'm also half cat. Well, cat-person. There was some kind of magical influence in the way our world grew, I'm told: beasts that could walk and talk like men, and without needing the phases of the moon to do so." She stretches, then takes another ull at her drink, then adds, "You seem to be a good sort, so I'm going to let you know right now that 'kitty' isn't an acceptable nickname, and I don't appreciate offers of milk or fish. I'm not an animal. Stereotypes annoy me just as much as they do you, it seems."

The elf coughs a bit on his drink when she says that she is part cat. He tenses up and lets out a nervous laugh. "Cat, huh? You don't think like them I hope. I don't think you do but this could all be a facade. An' don't worry, I won't call you such, mewmer." He laughs a little trying to release the tension in his words.

"Ah-ah," she levels a finger at him, "Careful. I told you, I don't like being called 'kitty'. In any language." But she grins. His reaction had been priceless. "Facade? You wound me, sir. Therefore, I shall endeavour to ignore you, and get on with enjoying these wonderful drinks and this meal." She swivels to face the plate of kababs and her refilled flagon, grinning too much to feign that she was insulted.

"Well, miss, next time be more specific. And a challenging endeavor that will be," he jokes. Taking little bits of his bread roll, he throws them at her and whistles nonchalantly whenever she looks over.

Child! She thinks, half-amused and half-something else. But then, how else were boys supposed to get the attention of girls they liked? Pulling their hair, stealing their things and playing keep-away, and throwing rocks... or bits of bread.

She finishes her meal as quickly as she can, and makes sure the rest of her money's worth of drinks will be held for her. Brushing a few crumbs from her hair, she turns back to the elf. "Alright, fine. You have my attention. I feel like a walk, and wonder if you'd like to accompany me."

With Yana on her way home, and everyone else outside, it was getting lonely in the bar. If Shara was going to leave, it would just be him once again, and that weird guy that went into the side room.

"Well, if you would like the company, I will join you. I'm just going to warn you, those woods are not typical. It can be dangerous if you aren't careful."

"Dangerous?" She grins. "I'd like to see a bunch of trees and piles of grass that could rival my hometown for that title." She slides down from her chair, and stands waiting for the elf to walk with her. "What could be so dangerous about it?"

The elf shakes his head in disagreement. His childish demeanor changes almost instantly. A harder, sage-like tone takes the place of his childishness. "No the woods are more than that. There is something to them. It is like a collection of spirits making one whole. There is no malice or benevolence in them, but the way the plane is it is easy for all to access it. You may find ghosts from your past around you if you are not careful. That is just my experience." He rises up and tightens his weapon sashes. Out of habit he reaches for the knife he keeps on his ankle but realizes its still not there. "Others have come back from the woods a little worse for wear as well, though I do not know what they found."

"Ah," she says, nodding. "Haunted. Well, that makes more sense." She pauses, thoughtful. "I was going to ask if it would be alright to look for herbs while we were there, but if it's a haunted forest, it's likely that whatever herbs there are will do more harm than good."

"No, no," he says putting a hand up to squelch the thought. "Haunted implies that the spirits are bound to the place. No, the ghosts I speak of are part of follow the person. There are herbs, I know of at least one place that has them. Mostly though you will find plants like holly, sage, or bloodweed. Plants tied to faiths, but I'm sure what you need can be found if you look hard enough."

Arriving form his long nap up stairs Michela took a deep wiff of the air and smelled another feline. "Well well well. Looks like I got family here or someone like me," said Micheal as he spotted the cat like person near another person.

"Well I'll be burned by drake. It is another cat person like me. Hello there," said Micheal as he went up to the cat like person and held out his hand to shake hers.

Shara nods thoughtfully at Aramendel's descriptions of the plants and the nature of hauntings. "Any way to avoid said ghosts following us around?"

At being approached and addressed as a 'catperson like me', Shara takes a moment to blink, and stare at the hand offered to her. "I'm not 'There'. I'm Shara." She gives a sly smile, and takes the proffered hand. "And you?"

"Micheal. Micheal Rufus. Or Archon as my fellow gladiators call me," said Micheal as he shaked Shara's hand with a big grin on his face and his fiery white mane grew more fierce as if he was excited. "So were do you hail from Shara?," asked Micheal as he was curious and yet intrigued by Shara. In his mind Micheal thought he was the only cat like person in the world. Apparently he was wrong though.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:06, Thu 25 Mar 2010.

Well, the mane was interesting. Not even the males of her mother's race had those. Perhaps a result of city living, where no-one was king? Did that make this one here a 'king' among his kind? Curious. Intriguiging.

She glanced to Aramendel, not wishing to think he was being excluded simply because she was speaking to someone new. "I am from Grimholme," she tells Michael. "Big, ugly city. My new aquaintence and I were about to go explore the forest that surrounds this place. Curiosity has got the better of me, and I must admit I'm not certain whether or not this place is a dream."

"Really. Well I'km form a little place called earth actually. It is dull and boring," said Micheal.

"Sounds like it," Shara says, given Michael's bland description.

She looks back to the elf. "Well, shall we away? I'm curious to see what ghosts I have following me around."

"Sounds like you are going to be having fun mind if I join you?," asked Micheal.

"I don't see why not," said the ranger, mainly out of indifference. "Same advice carries over though. Keep a clear mind, and I hope you are not looking for trouble. I have taken enough abuse as of late."

"Have no fear my friendI won't bite unless I have a good enough reason and even then I never bite but I claw," said Michgeal with a little chuckle as he patted his sword that was still sheathed.

"Not to mention I don't like covering Crimson Hearth in blood too much," said Micheal.

"Cats. . . why does it have to be cats. . . " he mumble to himself.

Shara grins at the elf's muttering, and slips her arm through his. "Aww, what's the matter? More of a dog person, are you?" She laughs and tweaks the tip of one of his ears. "Remember, I don't like being called a 'cat'..." There's a slight edge to her words, despite the pleasant tone.

He gives her a weird look as she slips the arm around his. Was it customary where she was from, he didn't want to be insulting. Was she flirting? He was terrible at this and had no clue how to respond so he just froze after she flicked his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. He was just glad that Yana had gone home, because she probably would have stabbed the halfblood once she turned her back.

"Umm, well actually, a bird person, would be a better answer. But its more than that. Never have I spoken to a dog or a hawk who was plotting the attack or death of their owner if they ever stopped serving them."

"I'm allowed to do that?" She perks up, grinning. "Well, you learn something new every day." She glances over to Michael. "Coming?"

"Oh yeah," said Micheal as he walked and stood by Shara's side. Micheal wasn't sure what it was but something about Shara kind of turned Micheal on. "So the forrest huh?," asked Micheal as he let his eyes wander checking Shara out. Micheal was originally human so he did have human feelings. Even though he had the mind of an animal he still was somewhat human.

She nods, absently. "I need a little proof this place isn't just a dream... And I'm a healer, so I'm curious about the plants that grow here."

The elf shrugged. "My word probably means little but its no dream, though I felt the same way getting here."

He was a little uncomfortable with having Shara wrapped around his arm. He had a girlfriend, making it doubly so. Still, he had no clue how to release himself without offending her, or insinuating anything. So there he stood.

Having the unconcious feline ability to know when people wer less likely to want her presence around, Shara remains somewhat attatched to the elf. "Lead on, sir, seeing as you know this place better than I."

"Well, okay, but first," he says trying to wiggle to put his hand on his belt. "Before we go out I just want to make sure you can protect yourself should something happen. I will do my best to keep nearby, but the woods have a mind of their own and I would not put it past it to separate travelers at in opportune times."

She shrugs, a good deal more nonchalant than she should be. "I've a knife or two, and a few lucky charms. I know a couple of cantrips, too: protection spells, mostly."

"Well since you asked I can hold my own," said Micheal as he drew out Crimson Hearth. "I also come with fiery healing abilities and power to well burn those I don't like. I have speed, strength, and senses of a lion too," said Micheal.

When the sword was drawn, Aramendel felt a shiver down his back spawning from his own sword. It was still a new sensation that he was still getting accustomed to, and he was not sure if it was the blade detecting a threat, or if it stemmed from his own uneasiness around Rufus, or the catpeople in general.

"We, well then," he said with a stutter. "Off to the forest we go." He then started to the door, dragging the feline woman with him.

Shara beams, glancing once over her shoulder to see if Michael is coming, then steps outside.

You know, it would be just my luck if  ended up walking on Grimholme's streets as soon as I did... This place is too good to be real.

"Yeah with my luck I could wind up back at prison with those mad scientist," said Micheal as he followed Shara with ease after sheathing Crimson Hearth.

<From the Porch>

"Is there still enough left over from what I paid to get another drink?" She asks the bartender, as she and Jon slip back inside. "Also, would it be possible to get my drink in a waterskin or something, so I can have it on the road?"

He shrugs in a noncommittal way.  "Sure, no problem."  He pulls out what at first appears to be a clear glass bottle, but as his set it in front it crushes in slightly in his hand.

Chandra enteres the bar, she has no idea how she got here I suppose that's what you get when you get lost in Sigil she thinks to yourself. She walks up to the bar trying not to make notice of herself "E-excuse me sir, could I please have a glass of red whine ? I can pay" she addreses the barkeep, she's looking down at the counter the whole time.

"Aye."  The man pulls out a flagon and fills it with a deep rich red wine.  "We take almost any kind of coin here.  Ifn ya need a meal as well, the kitchen is always open."  The man chews on a large hand rolled cigar, the tip unlit.

Having snuck in without much incident, Max slid on to a bar stool, ordering the sweet, thick juice like drink she'd gotten earlier from Cinder and glanced around.  It looked quiet.  She almost missed Hag.

<--- From Porch

Jon took a spot at the bar next to Shara and dug out the wad of rubles he'd appropriated from his former guard.

"A flask of vodka to go." he said, pulling off a few of the bills.

Filling a mug with the sickly sweet juice, and then handing Ski a small glass bottle of Vodka, he takes the offered money and leans back against the wall.

Chandra gives a large gold coin to the bar keep  "thank you sir" she takes a long pause before mustering the courage to ask "excuse me if you don't mind, what is this place ?"

He doesn't seem surprised at all by the question.  "It's the Wolf's Head Tavern.  The crossroads of all worlds."

Shara seems fascinated by the bottle that flexes but does not break. She bows slightly to the bartender as she and Ski takes their drinks.

"How fascinating!" She pokes the 'glass' at certain points, watching it crinkle and bend. "This is quite a marvelous material. I hope I may be allowed to keep it once the drink is gone." She grins at Ski, then looks to his drink. "And what did you get, sir?"

Max smiled at herself listening to the conversations around her and sipped her drink.  A crossroads.... there were stories in her place and time about crossroads....

Jon grinned a little.  Partially at being called 'sir', and partially at how she was fascinated by the plastic bottle.

"Some vodka.  It burns, but it'll do the job.  And call me Jon, please." he sid, suddenly remembering that they hadn't introduced themselves.

"Shara. Shara Catseye." She gives a wry grin.

Chandra was starting to look around, there seemed to be people of many different races there and some of them were wearing strange garbes. No one reacted on her apperance, not even a dirty glance, she smiled and sat herself a little closer to Max, she seemed to be sitting alone

With movement, Max glanced to her side. Seeing Chandra, the girl seemed nervous, it was probably good Hag was hunting. Max gave what she thought was a polite nod, the girl looked young.  Which reminded her that she herself was not getting younger. She needed to head back soon. Soon... after her drink.

Jon grinned a bit.

'Catseye.  Figures, especially in this place.'

"Jonathan Boyarski, but everyone calls me Jon.  Or Ski."

The woman had aknowlaged her, what to do now ? She figured she'd just jump into it "Quel andune" no, not in elvish you stupid girl "Hello" One couldn't see her blushing under her dark skin

She grins back at him. "Well, which would you prefer? Jon? Ski? Or maybe even Jon-ski?" She laughs.

"Jon is fine.  Ski is sorta more formal.  No need for that here, Shara." Jon said with a grin as he tucked the small bottle into the breast pocket of his clothes.

Max swallowed her smirk. Hey. She said to the nervous girl and considered shifting away, but felt bad.  Bad? That was a new one for her.  Maybe the bartender had slipped something into the drink?  She frowned at the drink, glancing at the bar tender. No, it was more likily fire boy early.  First the dwarf and now the girl? This was turning into a bad trend. She'd even been nice to the witch....  She glanced suspiciously toward the door, then back to the girl.

Welcome to the Tavern. She offered thinking it sounded completely lame and this was why she wasn't friendly. It made you sound stupid.

"you are wearing strange garbs" Chandra blurs out. No, no, that's not the way to greet people "I mean you are quite fair" she looks down into her wine glass and says "I won't be offended if you don't want to talk to me"

<<<From Porch>>>

He comes in and moves over to Max, again smiling as he sits down next to her.  "Eh truta, how was the huntin trip?  Kill anything?"

Glancing over at the dark skinned girl he smiles over at her.  "Eh ghatina."

Max had smiled at the girl, the smile turning a bit colder with Cinder's arrival. Not yet. She answered him pointedly, and turned back to Chandra, Ah, yeah. It's okay.  I'm pretty sure we don't come from the same place.  I'm Max. She was speaking extra nice to the girl, trying to turn her back on Cinder.

He chuckles slightly under his breath.  "Yeah... sure.  Come talk ta me when ya be done.  I been readin up.  Studyin entomology."  He gets up, tilting his hat to the newcomer and throwing her a wink as he walks past and up to the bar.

Chandra was a bit perplexed at the man approaching them, she hadn't been called beautiful before, and as she smiled at him as he was leaving, it was clear that she was charmed by him.

"Alright, then, Jon," she tucks the bending-but-not-breaking-glass bottle into her pack and links her arm through his. "Let's return to the porch, gather up the elf and the other guy, and then see what kind of ghosts haunt these forests." She laughs, a light coming into her eyes at the challenge.

Max's eyes narrowed watching Cinder go. He was perplexing. She noticed Chandra and a smirk that has half annoyed and half amused crossed her face.  His name's Cinder. Max told the girl, not sure what more to say and not wanting to get into a lenghty discussion about the man.  Where are you from?

"I was born in Mirwell in the country of Dekoreth of the natural world. I have wandered the world and reasonly I ended up in Sigil, the city of Doors, wich I was told was the crossroads of all worlds, then I stumbled trough a portal and ended up here" Wow this conversation thing is going great she smiled
"Where are you from ?"

Max listened, but she didn't understand half of what the girl said.  She was certain, however, that their worlds were quite different.  I'm from a place called Aruru.  I opened a door, and got here too. She smirked.  Of course her door had been in a high rise glass building and she was ducking gunshot not exploring, but...whatever.

This is a safe place.  No fighting here. Inside the Tavern. Max added in part trying to be helpful, but in part too because her mind had now traveled back to her world. And the food's really good.... They've rooms to rent upstairs too, if your tired. She added still feeling self conscious and like she sounded dense.

"To my experience when people say there will be no fighting they want to disarm you, to take you down easily that is" She stated it as fact it didn't seem like she was too worried. "What is your world like ?"

Jon scratched his chin.

"That sounds like a good time.  Just gimme a minute."

He turned back to the bartender and sorted through his wad of Russian cash, deciding he had enough.

"Hey man, you got any ammo back there?  Some 9x18 makarov?" he asked.

He shakes his head in the negative.  "Nah, we don't sell no weapons or ammo.  It would kinda defeat the purpose of this place."

"Yeah, I figured."

'Sixteen rounds in an underpowered pistol.  Well it could be worse; I could still be cuffed....." he thought as he turned back to Shara

"Alright well, let's go meet the other then." he said with a grin.

Looking at Ski, Cinder allows his duster to open, showing the butts of four pistols and an SMG, two massive sandle wood gripped revolvers in cross draw holsters on his hips, an automatic in a holster in the front, a sleek looking pistol of an unknown type in a shoulder holster under the right shoulder and a large SMG under the left shoulder. "I might have somethin ta trade.  What ya got there?"

"Marakov; Soviet-issue.  9x18mm.  That, a spare clip, and a nightstick.  Just tryin' to get ammo for it.  I don't have time to learn a new platform.  I've used one of these before, so I'm familiar with it." he said, looking with a bit of curiousity at the man's armament.

He looks at the pistol for a few seconds in silence.  "I aint seen one of those before.  Trade ya."  He pulls a pistol from the small of his back, a compact semi auto.  He sets it on the bar next to him.  "Glock 19, 9x19mm, 15 round clips.  Simple enough a child can use it.  I got two spare clips loaded with hollow point rounds."

Jon smirked a bit.

"Deal.  I carried a Glock 30 for a while.  Not all that different." he said, setting the Russian weapon and the spare mag on the bar.
"The pistol's got one in the tube."

Max chuckled at the girl, The place is... got protections on it. She answered a bit distracted by Cinder and Jon. My world? She looked back to the girl, as the others business was concluding. My world is like that. She tossed her head in their direction.  Lots of guns and the highest bidder, fastest mover or biggest gun wins. She smiled.

Chandra had given up trying to litsen to the mens conversation, she could make nothing out of it. "Gunns ? I appologise, but I do not believe I have heard about that" She couldn't make much out of the other things the woman was saying ether about protection and bidders, but she diddn't tell her that

Max looked at the girl, but no words came. For a second she considered if Chandra was teasing, but she didn't appear to be. It's a weapon. She said finally. A deadly weapon. One best for you to avoid.

Shara watches the exchange between the two 'warriors' - though their weapons are strange and foreign, there is no doubt in the way they carry themselves that both men have seen combat many times over - examining the 'glock' thing that Jon just traded his weapon for.

He slides the glock to Ski, and takes the Russian gun.  "I got a dozen 9 millie Glocks back home, but aint never seen one of these before.  N that one be loaded.  Ya know all three safeties?" He ejects the round and the clip, examining the ammo and noting the difference in size from the standard 9mm of his land.  When Ski picks up the Glock he can see it is hardly new, but is well maintained and in perfect working order.

From a pocket on the pants he pulls out two clips, and sets them onto the bar.  "Fair nuff brodi."  Setting the pistol on the bar, he offer his ungloved left hand to the young insurgent.

"Yeah, they're all internal 'cept for the trigger safety.  Won't punch as hard as a .45, but it'll do well enough 'til i can get my hands on a longarm.  Thanks." he said, stashing the two mags and testing the weight of the pistol.

He dropped the mag and cleared it, checking the action.  Satisfied, he reloaded it and tucked it into his belt for lack of a better place.  He saw Cinder looking over the rounds.

"Yeah, standard 9 mil ammo for the west is 9x19, but Soviets, being their usual selves, had to change things up just to make things difficult."

Chandra looks over at the man called Cinder and his companions and the object they were handeling "Like that ?" she asked Max "it does not look dangerous, but then again a wizards wand doesn't ether"

Max followed her eyes. Yeah. Exactly. How to explain? For a second she considered reaching for the small of her back under her jacket, but did not. They are different sizes, metal objects that shoot other metal objects very fast.  The other metal objects, bullets can rip things apart worse and quicker than an animal. She offered, wondering if that would help explain things to the girl and why she was being so nice.  She glared suspiciously at Cinder again for a moment, then the drink.  But decided it was more likily because she was away from home.

"I think I understand, like a crossbow of metall, only not." since the wamon was carriyng a weapon, Chandra drew the most natural conclution "I can't figure you out, are you a warrior or perhaps a mercrenary ?" She realised that she might be prying so she gave Max an apologizing look and silenced herself

Max laughed. What's the difference? She asked amused.  Solidier, terroist, freedom fighter, assisin, warrior, mercinary... isn't it all the same, really? The smile stayed. If you're asking can I kill you, or any one else here, She glanced around the room, where was Hag? the answer is yes. She gave a nonchalant shrug as if she were discussing the weather.

"Well, a solider is usually forced to fight for king or country, a terrorist are willing to hurt the innocent to get trough something he believes in, an assassin keeps to the shadows and..." Chandra starts to answer Max, she pauses "Oh it's one of those questions you are not supposed to answer". It amazed Chandra that Max would just declare her prowess like that, one would think she'd want to keep her skills secret
This message was last edited by the player at 09:51, Thu 13 May 2010.

Jon snorted.

"The difference is in what they hope to gain and what they stand to loose." Jon said, eyeing Max and Chandra.

When Ski doesn't take his offered hand, he only shrugs slightly and turns back to look at Max and her new "friend."  At Max's last comment he has to smile.  He was sure that she could kill anyone in the room, even him... maybe... most likely they would kill each other, but he might be able to take her out first.

"Yeah Vespidi, ya cud kill almost anyone here."  His tone a mixture of amusement and challenge.  He moves over and sits down next to her.  "Good thing we be chummers ehh?"

Max laughed.  You think so? Not in my world. She answered Chandra, clearly not thinking it true of any world really, her attention shifting to Jon. To him she nodded, this was a distinction she could agree with. Of course it too came with complications that she might have raised, had not the other sat down next to her.

Yeah. I suppose it is a good thing for you. She smiled sweetly at Cinder. Chandra, meet Cinder. She introduced the other, As you saw, Cinder has guns. A warning? A mere statement of fact? Her tone indicated nothing, her actual meaning and implications of her words ambiguous.

"Hello Cinder" she shifts a bit un comfortably "Are you from the same world as Max?"

Seeing as Jon was taking an interest in the two women at the bar, Shara started to do so as well. But in an off-hand manner, silently observing and weighing up whether she should join in conversation; she has a kind of 'what's in this for me' outlook.

Jon had so irked by being called the same as an assassin or mercenary, that had almost forgotten that he'd come in with someone else; that he'd come in just to get a drink and leave.  He turned back to Shara and smirked sheepishly.

"Sorry.  We outta get going, right?"

He gives a smile and nod.  "Eh Chandra."  Glancing at Max he lets out a small huff of laughter and looks back to Chandra.  "Nah, I aint from no powder puff world like me chummer Max ere.  Where I be from, people be tough."

With Cinder's words Max laughed, grinned, shook her head and took a healthy pull on the straw of her fruit drink. I'm sure they taste bad too. Max snickered.  You've not been to worlds like ours, I'd bet. She smiled at Chandra.

"No, your world seems strange to me." it was even confusing to litsen to them some times "If you don't mind me asking are your worlds populated only by humans ?"

His smile is broad and a bit mischevious.  "What makes ya think we both be human?"  He leans back, taking a pull on his mug.  "My world be havin humans, mutants, ghouls, super mutants and some critters that I gots no clue what ta call em."

"You don't have to follow me if you don't want," she says, eyeing the little dark-skinned elf with mistrust hidden behind a polite smile. "I mean, you did just arrive. We both did, really. But I've a mind to explore. If you want to stay, that's your choice." She glances towards the door, indicating her own choice.

"I am truly sorry if I offended you mister Cinder, you just look human" she looks down, a bit embarrast "I do not think I have heard of mutants"

Max grinned. I think you might've just met one. Her tone teasing.  She wasn't sure of Cinder was human or mutant in his world.  The distinction was made in her world too, but as she was not human, she never paid much attention. Thinking about Chandra, with a chuckle, she added, Or maybe you just met two.  But I guess I don't consider myself mutant or human. She shrugged. Thank the mother. She muttered after that under her breath.

"No offense Chandra.  I be human."  He cocks a thumb at Max.  "I wuz talkin about me chummer ere Max."  He takes another long pull on the mug, draining it.  "And it just be Cinder, don't be addin no mister to it, just Cinder."

He holds up his gloved right hand to catch the attention of one of the waitresses.  "Get me another of these hon."

Looking back at Chandra, he again smiles. "What yur world be like Chandra?"

"My world is complicated, threre is so many different people and races fighting for their place in the world" She sighs "I am probably not the best person to explain how things works" she looks down again, she's self concious about her general lack of education

Max had taken no offense at the elboration that she was no human. It was, actually, something she was rather proud of.  Bah, don't be silly, girl.  Your world, you can explain it just fine.  She took a sip. So what are you? She asked, it never entering her mind that that might not be a polite or acceptible question.

"short answer, I am an elf. Long answer, I am half moon elf, half drow and raised by humans" Chandra smiled, it was nice to talk to someone who didn't have all the prejudice against her darker heritage.

He had understood what an elf was, that puke Aramendel was one of those, and he did see the resemblance.  The skin color was the big difference.  "Anyone else be hungry?  They gots good food here."  When the waitress brings him the refill, he orders a plate of the roast beef, holding her attention to see if either of the others at his table wanted anything.

Max frowned listening to Chandra.  Cake. She said to the waitress Cinder had called over and waiting for the girl to respond and the waitress to leave before she went on.

What's... drow? She asked with a frown.  She knew elf and human and various others.  Not a moon elf, but whatever.  That was a detail that did not seem particularly relavent.  Maybe Chandra's world like hers had limited sun.  Or maybe the girl couldn't afford it.

"A drow is an elf, sort of. In the times when the world was young the elves was one race created by Colleron, the god of art, magic and the wild. But Lolth the demon goddess of spiders convinced a group of elves to follow her ways and rise up against Colleron. They were beaten and Colleron crused them so that they could no longer stand beinng in the sun. The Drow lives under the ground, they are known and feared for their evil and perverse ways and they are pretty much counted as a separate race from the other elvs, sun, moon and woodelves" Chandra doesn't order any food "I am not a sage, there is much more to the story, but I guess this is the short version of the story"

With the waitress gone, he turns back to Chandra and her explanation.  "The half drow thing... is that why you not be lookin like elf boy out on the porch?"

Before he could even finish crossing the threshold of the bar, Aramendel froze in the doorway and just leaned on the frame. He then caught his face in his palm and just laughed a bit.

"I have a name, you know," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh, good! There you are." Shara grins at Aramendel. "Sorry, were you bored without us? Heh. Well, we have our drinks and are ready to explore the forest. Unless you've changed your mind."

"I didn't see the elf at the porch, but I would suspect my drow heritage would stand out from him, drow have dark skin, red eyes and white hair. I have never actually seen one in real life. I got my black hair from my mother, never met her ether" Chandra replied to Cinder. Then she fell quiet she had just poured her life story out an it was so easy.

Glancing over at the elven ranger he shrugs.  "Didn't remember mew."  A glance at the other dark skinned woman has to make him smile before looking back at his table companions.  "Max be a gun for hire, I be... I be me.  So what ya do Chandra?"

"I pursue money" she simply answeres "I had no place in my world and thereby no goal, so I made one for myself. It has lead me to interesting places and in the end it is about the journey" She presents Cinder with a genuine smile
This message was last edited by the player at 19:59, Sun 16 May 2010.

"Money be a good pursuit." He leans back in his chair studying the girl.  "How duz ya try and make it bao bei."

He had hit a damn good score the last time he had been here.  A couple of those gold coins had been enough to clear all of his debts and set him up in a nicer place than he had ever seen.  He had bought new clothes, gear and even a couple of weapons.  The best of everything he got though were the books... he had spent more money on those books than on everything else combined, but they were worth it, knowledge lost to all but a few.

"People hires me, sometimes as an escourt or body guard, most often for my scouting skills. When I don't have work I make someting for myself, tried to steal tressure from a dragon once, didn't work that well." she would have shown Cinder the deep gashes on her back, but for some reason that seemed ion appropriate "what do you do for a living?"

Max had been following the conversation with mild amusement,with a nod she muttered, Hire me too. focusing on her drink.

But now she stare stopped at Cinder.  This was a question, she too wanted an answer too and was very pleased it had come from Chandra and not herself. Don't scare the girl, now. She teased to hopefully annoy the man.  Clearly the girl would not scare easily.

His smile turns wolfish.  "I be magi.  I hire out ta do any number of things: bodyguard, ripper doc, trouble shooter, recovery specialist.  Anything that be needin done  and be payin well."

"I'm willing to still go," he says to Shara, "but am in no rush, so feel free to enjoy the company now."
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:38, Mon 17 May 2010.

Scouting? Max said after a moment.  Is that how you got here? She wondered aloud looking at Chandra after a quick glance at Cinder.  Anything paying well? She questioned with an amused smirk.

"No my scouting did not get me here, I was trying to get from Sigil back to my homeworld, someone stole my key, I tought managed to steal it back, but it seemed I picked another key" She fighes up a round stone with strange glowing markings on it from her poach "sometimes work pays well" Chandra actually has very little concept of the value of money, she doesn't really care

His smile to Max is almost warm.  "Almost anything.  I only be turnin down a few jobs.  Once, I even saved an old bastard's life.  Extended it long past when 'e should ave died.  Recently, I be studying Entomology, and da life cycles a bugs."

When the waitress returns with with the plate of food and the cake, Cinder starts in on the plate with some gusto.  "So ya be a thief?"  He holds up a hand to forestall any protest.  "I done my share of aquisitions."

Shara glances over to the drow, and the conversation she isn't a part of. "Nah," she tells Aramendel with a grin, "No need for that. Ghosts sound more interesting anyway. We can come back and have drinks and a good meal and chat with the locals when we're done." She links arms with Jon. " What about you? You want to stay, or go?"

Although clearly pleased to see the cake, there is something in Cinder's words that seems to almost have rattled Max.  She looked at him oddly, then set to the cake without a word.  Looking up only to give him a glare and the girl a roll of her eyes as Cinder chose the word 'thief'.  Even Max knew that was not polite, she waited to see what Chandra's reaction was going to be.

Chandra hed never seen herself as a thief, but she wasn't very ofended "Thief, I guess stealing makes me a thief, though I think for someone it wouldn't hurt to loose a few posessions"

With a nod, he continues to eat his plate of food.  He hadn't meant anything by the term 'thief.'  In his world people took what they could.  It was why the gangs were so damn powerful... people banding together.  "Ya sure ya don't need somethin ta eat.  It's shiney and I'll treat ya on this one.  I came inta a good deal of scratch last time I wuz ere."

"That is very kind of you, but money is not the issue, I ate this morning" Chandra replies to Cinder
This message was last edited by the player at 21:57, Wed 19 May 2010.

Jon tensed slightly, instinctively, at Shara's touch, but covered it well, turning and giving her a smirk.

"Screw it, let's go.  I'm not sure I got anything that can fight a ghost though."

Thanks to me. Max snickered at Cinder's words.  Then smiled at Chandra, Are you sure? The food is good here.  This morning was a long time ago.

"Thanks in part ta you."  He smiles mirthfully for second before turning serious.  "But I earned it.  Aint no one else in my entire world cuda done what I did."

He returns to his plate, starting to eat again.  Looking at Chandra he smiles.  "There be many who could stand to loose a few possesions.  Doesn't mean they be happy bout it."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:40, Thu 20 May 2010.

"Yes it does smell good, however I have been burned before. When I first started making some gold for myself I started eating much, but when I couldn't find any work and thus no gold I had to eat less and went hungry all the time. A former monk helped me train myself to only eat one meal a day, so that when I can't afford to buy much food I won't feel hugry" Chandra replies to Max, she smiles, in her oppinion it is one of the smartest skills she has.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:44, Thu 20 May 2010.

Cinder did have skills that Max barely understood and were very impressive, but she wasn't about to acknowledge that openly.  However her relief of a subject change when Chandra started to speak was short lived.

The girls words, though she understood them, she simply couldn't accept. Granted she understood having times when one didn't have food, but those were circumstances which simply required you to find a way to change them.  They were temporary and one must take their pleasures when one could. Life was short and could at any time be made shorter.

Food was one of those necessaities that was also a pleasure.  If the food was good, that was, but no, even if the food was just okay it was needed and pleasurable. To train yourself not to eat seemed... sad and the trainer criminal.

Oh, was all Max said, and found herself at a complete loss for where to go next.  I don't like monks. She announced.  She'd never met a monk, but anyone who trained not to eat, it was a safe statement.

Chandra was a bit surprised by Maxs' sudden decleration that she did not like monks "Why do you not like monks ? Have you had a bad encounter with any ?"

In reply to Cinder she says "No I suppose people don't appreciate when I steal from them, but people don't appreciate being cheated out of payment for their services ether" she simply replies "In my world I don't get anything for free"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:07, Thu 20 May 2010.

He looks from Max to Chandra and "What be a monk?"  Truth was, religion was not something he had ever even looked at.  There was some in his world, but not what it had been in the past.

Ski stayed with Shara, although he did turn and give a nod to Mason, remembering the man from the last time he'd been to the tavern.

What are monks ? it was a strnage question Chandra wasn't actually sure what a monk was "Well the monk I knew was called Benjamin, he told me that he grew up in a secret monestary devoted to Bahamut, where he learned to controll the energy in her body to perform amazing feats. He tought me a little about his methods, like running on water" She missed Benjamin

I know monks are connected to religion... Max added with a shrug. I know that I don't like anyone who doesn't like to eat.  She took a sip. And I don't much like water all that much either. She said with a frown.

"Oh I like to eat, I just don't like to be hungry when I can't eat" Chandra was surprised at how interested Max was in her eating habits "Why do you not like water ?"

Max looked at the girl oddly. It's wet. It weighs you down. Can drown you. She answered, as if it were perfectly obvious.  Why would any one like water? The idea was truly puzzling.

"Perhaps you should learn to run over it" Chandra smiles at Max I made a joke she's qoute proud of herself

At Chandra's joke he has to laugh, but not for the reason the young elf thinks.  "I be sure if Max wanted ta, she wud just fly right over that."  Looking back at the elven girl, he tilts his head slightly.  "What kinda control you gots over yur body?  Cuz I don't care what that monk says, yur body needs fuel, the more ya do, the more fuel it needs.  When I go all out, I kud eat 5 meals a day like this."  He gestures down at what remains of the ample plate of food.

Max chuckled, Cinder taking the words from her thoughts and therefore she felt no need to reply.  Instead she waited for Chandra's response.  It was her experience too, that action required energy and energy was food.

"I use my mind to absorb energy from my suroundings and direct it where I want it to go. By borrowing the power of the earth and the elemental winds I can shatter stone and catch arrows with my bare hands. I still need a little, fuel, as you call it to keep my bodily functions going" Wait did I just reveal my powers without even a second tought ? she pauses before she keeps talking "It just occured to me that you have asked me a lot of questions, you are getting to know me, but you have hardy told me anything about yourselves"

"I be magi."  He says, like that is enough of an explanation.

"Well, let's find out," she says with a keen grin.

<To the Porch>

"Like a mage or wizard ? what is your possition in your world then?" Chandra knows how proud wizards are of their status, especially human wizards

"I be a street mage.  I learn on me own and me place be whatever I carve out." He holds up his gloved right hand and looks at Max for a second to give her a chance to back up.  A moment later the glove is gone, consumed in fire and a the heat can be felt several feet back.  The hand is still visible underneath and appears unhurt.  "Fire be my more spectacular sphere."

Jon smirked.

"Yeah, let's." he said as he followed her out.

---> To the Porch

Max was actually grateful to Cinder both for speaking up allowing her to not, and for the warning.  She shrunk back immediately, the thing she liked less than water was smoke and flame.  And what could she say to the girl... who was she, what was she... She didn't like divulging that information and typically when she did, humans tried to kill her.  It really wasn't a good idea.

So she merely watched, keeping her mouth full of cake.

Chandra looked at cinder with awe "you are skilled, but why then are you not a part of a wizards guild or something ?" It was hard for her to grasp that a wizard might be less interested in status and power

He had heard of guilds, they were much like the gangs from his understanding.  He shakes his head.  "Ain't no guilds where I be from."  He doesn't say that he is a ranking member of the gang 'Acid Dogs,' that is none of her concern.  "There ain't nuff street magi where I from to form a group wit any real power."

The heat from his hand dies down, but does not go out.  It is a low orange flame that emanates forth.  Another glove is pulled from his pocket and slips over his burning hand.

Max relaxed a little with Cinder's hand gloved.  She had trouble imagining him a member of any group.  No guilds where I'm from either... but then no magic either. She shruged. Well, at least nothing that's called magic, not any more. Science had explained almost everything.

Aramendel sighs as he lets the others pass by and follows them out. He didn't really want to go, but he did not want to let others just go wandering in the dangerous woods without a guide. He didn't know what it held for them, but e wasn't sure if they could deal with what he had seen already.

>> Porch >>

No magic ? she could not picture it "I have a hard time picturing a world without magic, why is there no more magic in your world ?" she looks like a child discovering something entierly new and facinating

Max shrugged.  I dunno.  History says there were times when people believed in magic, but that was long, long LONG ago.  Our world even had different name then. There was an... She frowned trying to remember.  History never interested her much.  There was an Enlightenment.  Humans realized that they were being silly in their beliefs and since then... well... She shrugged again and finished eating.

I guess there was another time when people started to believe, but it was short lived.  The scientists finally started sharing more information and there was nothing that was unexplained and needed 'magic' to do it.  Now the word is just used more as a joke.

Magic was no joke to him, but he isn't upset by Max's assessment.  He had read books about the history of his world and there was a time when there was no magic there as well... but after the cataclisim, everything changed.  "Kin yur scientist expain what I kin do?  How bout da butterfly witch or da hag?"  He holds up his ungloved hand.  Fire was his most spectacular sphere, but by no means his most powerful or the most dangerous.

Might if they tried. Had the opportunity. Max shrugged. I'm sure there's some kind of explanation, but... I don't care about it. She leaned back in her chair, a casual sign of relaxation that conveniently distanced herself from the fire.

Science had never much interested her.  She accepted things had reasons, but the why's or the how's were not really all that important to her.

With the flame covered up again he leans forward.  Looking back and forth between the two women, he holds out his left hand (the one without the flames) palm up.  "Let me see your hand an I'll show you somethin else."  Which person he was talking to wasn't particularly clear and his hand is in the middle of the table, equal distance to both of them.

Chandra is a bit reluctant, but she holds up her left hand with a pusseles look on her face

Yeah right, like Max was going to him her hand.  She merely looked at the two of him and shook her head.  What magic now, Fireboy? She said with a little laugh.

He takes Chandra's hand in his, holding it with just his finger tips.  His touch is cool and there is no sensation, but he closes his eyes in concentration.  "Fire may be the flashiest sphere ghatina, but flesh is much stronger.  Wit but a touch I kin do almost anything.  I kin..."  the skin tone on her hand changes to match that of the elf from the porch, "adjust the pigmentation of yur skin, or heal old injuries."  A couple of small scars on her hand disappear, smoothed out completely.

He opens his eyes and looks at her hand.  The pigmentation changes back and he releases it.  "I kin heal any injury or sickness I've ever seen."  He grins at her.  "I kin remove an arm without pain or fire every pain receptor in yur body."

He looks at Max.  "I be Magi, and dat be magic me chummer, no way a white coat kin explain that but."  He smiles broadly at Chandra and nods.  "Thanks ghatina."

Chandra flinches when Cinder touches her, she almost pulls away. "Whoa !" she getts really spooked when her skin suddently changes colour. She settels down and looks at her missing scares "You removed all my scares, thankyou" it sounds more like comment on an observation then actual gratitude.

Max yawned.  Perhaps it was magic that Cinder did.  Or perhaps the scientists of her world could explain it.  The fact was, she didn't care.  I don't scar. She shrugged. Nothing grows back either... The comment was more of an after thought, her mind else where.

He gives the barest shrug as if the feat mattered as little to him as it seemed to ta her.  "Nah Max, ya aint got time ta scar."

He looks over at Chandra though his head cocked slightly to the side.  "Duz ya mind me askin about elves?  Wat kina life span duz you ave?"

"I don't mind at all. The natural lifespan of an elf is about 700 years, though it is not unheard of for elves to become over 1000 years old" Chandra replies to Cinder "Why do you ask ?"

He smiles a bit as he looks over at the elf.  "I could feel it on you.  Jus cudn't tell how long it was."

He drains the ale and orders another.  He could set his body to metabolize alcohol almost as fast as he could drink it, but where was the fun in that.

"You could feel what on me ?" chandra asks Cinder

He gives the barest shrug.  "When I checked ta see if ya were sick, I felt yur metabolizim, yur long life span.  It felt... odd.  Tres legal."  (Translation - Very cool)

Max gave a slight involuntary shudder.  Who wanted to be old?  It made absolutely no sense to her.  In fact she found the whole idea of it to be, well, replusive.  Best to keep quiet and let these two odd ones 'converse.'

">This might sound strange, but to be honest I actually have a hard time seeing myself live that long." she seems to fall into deep toughts

The chuckle is small and without mirth.  "Where I be from half da people don't make it outta their teens.  An lead poisoning be a 'natural cause of death.'  I kin understand yer feelins."

Max really didn't understand all this talk about ageing.  Really, one was born, they lived, they died, sometimes even of 'natural causes' though rarely.  Who cared????  She rather doubted anyone in the room was going to die of old age. She humphed to herself.

Chandra hears Max's "humph" and asks "is something bothering you Max ?"

No. She said caustiously, then added, Dying of old age seems a bit... unrealistic.  But who wants to be old? Better to live fast and die in motion. She shrugged.

He grins slightly at Max's reaction and smiles over at Chandra.  "Never mind her.  She just be different than anyone else ya ever met."

Max grinned then. Well, I take THAT as a compliment.  Even from you, fire boy. She laughed.

"Everybody is different, peasant to gods, we all have our fears and desires, light and darkness. So don't think you're so damn special" Chandra quotes, looking at no one in particular "Benjamin would always say that to me" She missed the monk.

Max chuckled at Chandra's words.  She was very confident that she was not like anyone else currently at the tavern.  Likewise, she didn't really have fears...or desires for that matter.  Though she did have likes and dislikes, perhaps that could apply.

What's a peasent? She frowned.

Chandra raises an eyebrow at Max "A peasant is a small time farmer or provider of other foods or gods"

oooh. Max frowned.  There was that word again, 'farmer'.  It certainly seemed like in these other worlds 'farmers' were prevlelent and good things.  She didn't understand.  Farmer, like family were evil in her world.  Insults if ever there was.

Interesting... She puzzled.

You don't have food without them? The thought just occured to her.

Farmers in his world were people of power and influence.  They owned and operated the glass houses and owned the land that the animals grazed upon.  They had to be strong to hold it and all had a small army of armed men on hand to deal with the muties and would be thieves.  "Ya know Chandra, for one who claims to be an orphan, it sure sounds like ya had a pa."

"Well, many people would not have food if it weren't for farmers " She replies to Max. "I met Benjamin when I was around 16 years old, I trawled with him and and his comrades for a while, until they got to a point where I couldn't follow. He was the first person that cared for me, without being paid that is she says to Cinder

He only nods, his parents had died in a battle with the muties when he was young.  Growing up on the streets had been hard until he joined the Acid Dogs.  "Why couldn't ya follow them Chandra."  His voice holds no recrimination and the usual touch of sarcasim is gone.

"Well, they were going to the Faywild, the native plane of the elves, to the Eladrin summer court and the Eladrin doesn't appreciate drow too much. It would be bad for them to be assosiated with me. In any case, all of them were all too powerfull in their respective craft, I would have been a liability in their fight against the formorians" for a second she shivers visibly, it feels strange to her to just tell everything like that, but it is nice to.

Max shook her head, she was totally confused.  No family was good.  The whole concepts of family and famers...these were bad, evil things.  Never one to be stopped because she didn't understand, Max puzzled.

 A "pa" is related to "family" no? So Benjamin this monk, this was your "pa"? Your trainer?  But he couldn't train you more because had to go fight others that didn't like you?" She asked trying to make sense out of things.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:07, Fri 25 June 2010.

"Sorry, It's strange to talk with people outside your own cosmology" Cosmology that's a big word "Let me start from the beguining. In my world there is many sentient races, humans, tieflings, dragonborn, dwarves, gnomes, just to mention a few. Amongst them is the elves, also known as the eladrin and the dark elves known as drow. To make the story short, At the dawn if time the elves were one race. A faction of the elves betrayed their own race, following the evil goddess Lolth they tried to murder the Elven god king Colleron, their attempt failed and they were named Drow after the elven word dhaerow, wich means traitor. Drow are feared and hated all over my world, and rightly so, but none loathes the drow more then the eladrin." She pauses and takes a sip of the while, there was so much more she could tell
"Anyway the situation with Benjamin and his companions was that they were working for the eladrin court, when I met them they were hunting down an artifact to help the eladrin in their battles against the formorians, big ugly troll like monsters that are also enemies of the elves. I couldn't come with them because even though I am technically half eladrin myself, my drow heritage is just so much more prominent, it would most likely get them in trouble to openly assosiate with me" she remembered how sad she was about it at the time, now her heritage didn't bother her so much
This message was last edited by the player at 09:59, Fri 25 June 2010.

He just stares at Chandra with a blank look on his face.  He was a smart guy, but he understood almost nothing of what she was saying, but there were a few things.  "So these Eladrin wud be considerin a half drow orphan more of a threat than these Fomorian's?  What is it that be markin ya as a half drow?"

"I don't think they'd conceider me a threat, but it would make people look bad to be associated with me" Chandra replies to cinder, she has accepted that fact a long time ago but tearing up the old wounds still hurts a little "As for what markes me as a half drow is my hair, pure blooded drow have white or silvery hair, but more importantly I don't have the connection that other eladin share with each other, they have some sort of bond that makes them able to feel each others precence. I addition I carry the taint of Lolth that all drow possess"

Max was totally confused.  Most of what the two said went right over her head.  Though she begrudgingly had to admit she had a bit more respect for Cinder, as he seemed to understand.

She followed the conversation back and forth, picking out the pieces here and there that she could understand and trying to peice them together.

Taint...  what the hell.  Once again, the worlds these people came from were so incredibly different from his own.  Things were simple in his own world.  Muties and Super Muties were bad, and humans were bad.  Easy enough to deal with.

"Sounds tough to be a half breed where ya be from.  Do those of other races suffer from da same prejudices?"

"I'm not sure if I would call it prejudice, the drow are a perverted evil race. Anyway, there is a lot of half breeds in my world, mostly human and something or other. Humans seems to be willing to mate with just about anything, no offence to humans of course" Chandra explains "Are there not several races where you come from ?" she asks Cinder and Max

Max blinked.  She was very confused now Drows were evil, Chandra was Drow.  But she didn't say she was evil. But then she was only half Drow, so did that make her half evil?

I'm not human, but I had noticed this trend you speak of... Max nodded. I don't think there is this prejudice in my world.  Race matters little.  What matters is money.  As long as you have money, you have respect. She said it as if this were as natural as breathing.

"I'm sorry, you told me you weren't human, but it's just you look so..." she thinks, what races look human? "are you a doppelganger ? or a lycran ? um or a kalashtar ?" she is getting more and more curious about the woman

Max blinked.  She looked at Cinder for help.  Then back to Chandra. A what? She asked.  I'm Vespidi. She offered.

"What is a Vespidi ?" Chandra asks

He leans back a bit.  "It be a type of were creature.  Probably different than any ya be used ta."  Taking another quick drink of his beer he only shakes his head.  "Where I be from, there be humans, muties and super muties.  I suppose muties and super muties were once human, but that wuz a long time ago.  Some muties look human, but the super muties be bout 10 foot tall an green.  No mistakin them fur anything but what they be.  An they eat anything."

Hmm, sounds familiar, Chandra thinks for a few seconds "hmmm..10 feet tall, green and eat anything. We have those, we call them trolls, though I don't think they used to be human, I think they're some kind of fungus"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:24, Wed 07 July 2010.

Max looked at Max, torn between grateful and confused.  He at least seemed to understand the girl.  I can change what I look like. She offered, but was just as happy the odd conversation seemed to be going on.  It got her thinking though, she'd not really met anyone who didn't know what Vespidi was.  In some in envoked fear, in others loathing, but...

Your worlds are odd. She commented thinking of giant green humans. I've never seen anything like that.

"I find your world to be strange" Chandra replies to Max's statement "Anyway, how does your shape shifting work ? can you take the form of animals, or humanoids, or anything ? can you do it at will or only in certain situations?" finally the strange woman is willing to tell something about herself, so Chandra figures she'll just ask away and get as many answers as possible
This message was last edited by the player at 21:42, Wed 07 July 2010.

Max shrugged.  She supposed her world would seem strange to others.  The Tavern's forest had initially seemed strange to her.  All things were strange until they were no longer.

She frowned at Chandra's next question, her head tipping to one side.  This young one certainly made her think.  I'm Vespidi. She answered and blinked. Then thought for a moment trying to make sense of what the other was asking, peicing it together with what she knew of others and other's worlds.  She'd never thought of her self as a 'shape shifter.' She stretched or tucked in.  She'd seen others who mutated, but ... was that what this one thought?

My family name is Dolichovespula.  I can expand my form at any time, we all can... but it's easier to be compacted, like this. She looked down at her self.

If not, clothing becomes a problem, because it's made for humans who are smaller and more... packed in.  Not that I mind, pressed in like this in a lot of ways is safer, even if it means I can't move in all the ways possible. She went on matter of factly.

He leans in to Chandra and says softly so it doesn't carry beyond the table. 

He does look at Max, curious about how large she got.  "Dis form, do ya choose it or duz yur human form come pre determined."

Max blinked.  She hoped Cinder's words meant something to Chandra, as they meant nothing to her, not really.  What? She frowned. I... I don't understand.  She truly had no idea what he was asking her.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:54, Thu 08 July 2010.

     D'Artagnan eases thru the door, looking for the bar or anyone passing by serving beers...
This message was last edited by the player at 13:58, Tue 13 July 2010.

Hey mister, you be looking like you want something.  Can I help you? she smiled at the new comer.

Looking at Max he smiles winningly.  "Do ya get ta choose wat yur human form be lookin like?"

Noooo. She answered Cinder with disdain, as if that were a most absurd question. You look like what you look like.  Do you get to choose what you look like? She asked snidely.

His smile broadens and his voice doesn't change.  "Yeah... corse I do."  He hair instantly starts to darken and the structure of his face changes, broadening out slightly and softening out.

Max pulled back, startled.  It took a fair amount to throw her, but this had. That is just horribly creepy. Her voice was hoarse.  Is everyone where you come from able to...to do...that? She asked her eyes wide and she tentatively reached out, poking Cinder's hair.

His laugh is genuine as she touches his hair.  "Just me ghatina, just me."  His hand presses down flat on the table for a few seconds and his hair and face slowly change back.  When the change is done, he drains the mug of beer.  "Fire and Flesh ghatina, they be me strongest spheres."

She frowned again, now that he was back looking like himself.  She leaned in to inspect, as if looking for some kind of trick and poked his hair again.  That is very strange.  Even for here. She commented, still studying him skeptically.  I knew you were strange, but... this is more so. She squinted at him.

He has to finally laugh at Max's reaction to what was a minor display of magic.  He surprises himself a bit by not reacting violently to her touch, but the situation was just too damn funny.  He does get up though, adjusting the high tech SMG under his arm. "What ya think Chandra, duz that be freaky?"

"I wish I could do that" Chandra replies to Cinder "I have never seen that kind of shapeshifting with my own eyes before, I've only seen humanoid to animal transforamtions"

Kyle sat in the corner nursing a mildly pungent drink. All these shape-changers in one place was making him a little antsy. He saw several auras fluctuate, and decided he couldn't ignore the magical activity much longer. He crossed over to the group and tapped his glass.

"Does anyone want a drink?" he asked them all, in a shy voice.

Picking up the pitcher and refilling his mug, he looks at the newcomer.  "Gots me a drink a ready."  He sits easily back down in his chair and looks up at the young man.  "So what you be one of da Eladrin?"

Kyle's pointy ears twitch at the word. "I...I wouldn't say I'm one of them. Or, rather, they wouldn't count me as one of them."

He shakes his head and speaks a little louder this time. "Seriously, anyone? Another round on me?" He begins to wave meekly for the nearest barmaid.

Chandra looks down at her glass, it is almost empty "I could have a new glass I suppose" she mutters. She looks at the new elf, the fact that he knew the term 'Eladrin' might suggest that he was from the same plane of excistence as her "But you are a moon'elf, no ?" she asks shyly

Kyle shakes his head. "I'm not...um, I mean was part of a small kingdom of fair folk. Maybe they were related to these moon elves, way back in the bloodline."

"Seeing all you shape-changers in one place, well, it seemed familiar. Seemed like home. It's what drew me to the Tavern."

He turns to the dark-skinned elf. "Moon elf...is that what you are? I'm Shady Kyle..."

Chandra was a bit disapointed, it didn't seem like the newcomer was from her world after all "My name is Chandra" she introduces herself "I'm only half moon-elf and half dark-elf, and I'm not a shapechaner. I was just asking, because in my world elves with dark hair and fair skin such as yourself are referred to as moon-elves" it was so weird having to explain things she had always taken forgranted that people knew "Shady Kyle, that's a perculiar name if you don't mind me saying"

Kyle nods. "Uh...it's sorta like a nickname. All exiles get 'em, but I'm pretty used to it now. Chandra's...it's a nice name." Kyle hands her a new full glass that he takes from a nearby waitress.

He glances away quickly, looking at the man with the cigarette. "So, what else can you do? The hair thing was pretty neat..."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:20, Fri 23 July 2010.

His smile is still there, but it fades from his eyes a bit.  "I aint no shape changer.  I be magi.  An I kin do plenty a things."  He wasn't a trained monkey to do tricks on demand.  Most of the things he had developed over the years were not very nice.

Akatash enters the Tavern. A gray blueish man, his hair is white with a feint hint of silver. His eats are pointy and a bit long. Dressed in a robe, with tears and stitches, looks old. The man himself fits the clothes as it looks like he's almost a walking corpse, starved for a long period of time. His red eyes peers over the place. he have a somewhat confused look in his face with his whereabouts. In his arm lies a fluffy cute bunny, and looks very misplaced in the style of the man.

"interesting"

With a glance first at the newcomer then at Chandra, he turns fully to the dusky skinned elf.  Always preferring to be blunt, his face is blank as he looks up and down the elf and takes a quick pull from his mug.  "So ya be one of dem Drow?"

Chandra turns around and flinches when she spots the dark elf, it's pretty clear that she's a bit scared of him

Akatash looks at Cinder, with a sly grin "Yes. I am a Drow." Strange to confirm what elven race he belong to, strange as the place he have arrived to. Chandra gets his focus of attention.

The Bunny looks up at Akatash "Scratch me" The bunny looks surprised by it's own words "I can talk..." Akatash breaks eye contact with the elf, looking down at his pet, raising a eyebrow "What magic is this, or rather who did this?"

   (( From under table>>>
   Suddenly a startled looking Rabbits head popped around a chair and looked out from under an empty table.  The Rabbit dressed in rather flamboyant clothes, though he has fur a light gray color which is the dullest part of his "look".   His poet style shirt is bright blue, a green velvet vest trimmed with beadwork and cross-stitch. Behind the legs of the chair you see the bottoms of his paisley bellbottoms. Loops of beads fall against the wooden chair as the Rabbit makes the universal hands to face gesture with actual furred hands.

   "Sorry about that Sir, it kind of just happens.  I thought I'd cause less trouble in here."

The drow have a rather annoyed look on his face "It's fine" He scratches the bunny on his arm on a spot back of his ear. "ooooh, that's good..." The bunny looks at the dressed rabbit " How does it happen? does it happen a lot? Is it permanent?"

   Now looking at the bunny, We don't actually know we used to be like you until the accident we all got really sick.  The Boss almost died but he got better too and now this happens to rabbits who get to close to us.

   I'm really sorry its temporary we have tried everything to make it last, you have to be within two to four man lengths to have this happen. My name is Jazz by the way, I'm the Bosses Toymaker.

He turns his back on the Drow and looks down at Chandra before sitting down and saying something in a low voice.    As he sits he looks over at the one who called himself Shady Kyle and points at an empty seat.  "Park yur ass if ya like." 

Kyle sits quietly and gives an appreciative nod to the man. He is a bit distracted by the large rabbit popping up elsewhere in the room, but he turns his attention to Chandra.

"Do you know him?" he asks Chandra, pointing to the other drow. "Um, not to be racially insensitive. Er...I would never insinuate that all dark elves know each other..." With a defeated sigh, Kyle gave up talking and tried his hardest not to offend anyone.

"N...no, I do not know him, this is the first time I have ever seen another dark elf, except for myself, but I'm only half drow, so yes...um..." she realises that she is babling and shuts up.

Kyle's eyes widen. "Wow...that must be hard, right? You're alone. I'm sorry." He looks a bit sad. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make up hurtful subjects."

He takes a large gulp of his drink, then clears his throat. "I'm not good at speaking to others, so I don't do it often."

He taps his finger on the table. "W-would you like to go over and talk to him? I'd go over with you if you want." Turning to the cigarette man, he asks "It might be a good thing for her, to introduce herself, don't you think?"

He shrugs a bit at Shady Kyle's question.  "Me name be Cinder by the way.  I be good at dealin wit people."  He turns to look back at the drow and speaks up in a loud voice.  "So ya be one of a race of betrayers and evil slitches.  Ya be a standard demo of yur people?"  He was unconcerned with upsetting the drow, and the elf's appearance definitely gives him a slightly sinister appearance.

"Oh..." the bunny had a sad look on it's face. "My owner calls me Bunny, not the most original name." Akatash studies the situation and the dressed rabbit. His train of thoughts are interrupted by Cinder's loud question. "Evil?" his grin shows somewhat excitement for the question. "My People have their fair history, and some are recorded on me. But I am only a humble servant of my beloved god." Akatash's right eye are slightly brighter red then the other, it almost have a devilish shine to it "I left my people for the salvation of the world" He was still standing still, now looking at his bunny, giving it a stern look waiting to see if it was done talking. The bunny was quiet, seemed to be thinking on something heavy lying on Akatash's arm.

Turning back to the people at his table he shrugs.  "See told ya I wuz good wit dealin wit people."  He peels back the glove off his right hand, revealing a hand burning with a low white flame.  He uses his thumb to light a cigarette pulled from a pack produced from his jacket pocket.  "No fraggin worries."  After an initial inhalation, the glove goes back on.

Kyle nodded to Cinder. "Are the drow really like that?" he asked meekly. "Well, I'm sure you're not like them," he assured Chandra.

"Sometimes its good not to be like other people. Where I come from, everyone's always doing what everyone else does. Trooping Fairies, they proudly call themselves. But some don't fit. They're the Solitary Fairies. And I'm one of those..." he explained with a happy look.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:09, Wed 28 July 2010.

The laugh is full of mirth.  "Solitary Fairy huh?"  He has only taken a couple of drags off the cigarette, but holds it out for a second and the whole thing seems to flare up and only a very fine powder falls the ground.  "The only fairies that be around in me world are da gays."

scratching his chin he looks over to the table where the human was sitting. Walking over hes eyes was fixated on the dark elf. "May I sit?"
The bunny flinches as the Drow moves ripping him off what thoughts he was thinking about "H-Hey!"

Kyle laughed at Cinder, then looked at the drow. He gave a friendly wave, and looked at Chandra to gauge her response.

Chandra nods at Akatash, then she turns back to Cinder "What are gays ?" she asks

Max had found the whole thing odd, but at least the focus was off her and that was a relief.  She sat, having now ordered another sweet drink, sipping it, allowing herself to float on the heady feeling the necter created.

She was content to say nothing, but watch these stranger ones.

He has to laugh a bit at Chandra's question.  "They be boys who like boys or girls who like girls."  He shrugs, he has plenty of gay friends.  Standards of behavior are very different after the war.  He had read enough books to know this.  He looks at the drow who looks much like any cram addict from his Lost Vegas... never trust an addict.

"Oh" Chandra pauses "I don't understand" she adds after thinking about it "I mean not the picking a mate of same sex thing, people do that in my world too, but why are they called faeries ?"

Akatash grins as he finds a stool and sits next to them, he looked at Chandra, not so much of her question but more studying her. Petting the bunny it remains quiet before it burst out "Mating with same sex sounds weird..." Akatash snorted "said the one humping anything, living or inanimate" "Oh yeah..."  The Drow ordered some water

   Jazz relaxes a small bit turns and drags out a back pack and the carved walking stick topped with a wooden flower.  Walks to the bar climbs, .. really climbs on a stool and waves to the Bartender.

Kyle considers the scene. "It's been a long time since I've encountered a speaking rabbit," the fairy notes. "Don't get me wrong--they're common in the old kingdom, but I haven't seen one in so long..."

"Mine don't usually talk, all thanks to him" Akatash points at the Rabbit Jazz. "Temporarily he said" He looks at the fairy silently

"Never liked talkin food.  Makes me feel like one of da super mutants."

He gives a small shrug and drains his mug.

"I-I'll refill that for you, Mr. Cinder," Kyle insists politely. "I'm getting up, does anyone need anything from the bar?" He looks at the newcomers to the table. "It's on me. Really, I insist..."

Akatash grins wickedly, looking like he's seeming to order the most expensive drink in the Tavern. "Water, please." He looks at his pet "Maybe a bowl for my creature"

Max was definately drowsy from all the sweet that she'd drunk.  And it was getting warm.  Mmmmm. She answered, swaying a bit as she stood.  I think I need air... She steadied herself and looked to the door, calculating her walk.

"M-maybe you need some c-cold water?" Kyle humbly offered the wobbly-footed girl. "When you come back to the table, I'll have a full glass waiting for you..." He gave an encouraging nod. "I'm sure you'll be fine..."

He gives Max a rougish smile.  "Ifn ya need elp ghatina, I kin cover yur pretty backside." She was the greatest threat to him in this place, but the truth was he liked her... and she had helped him make a sh@# load of money.  He doesn't get up though, preferring to stay where he was for now.

Max gave Kyle a smile, like one would a cute puppy. Thanks. She said, her tone reasonable.  Water was not her favorite, but the offer was sweet.  She started to take a step toward the door when Cinder spoke. For a second, she turned to him instead.  Her smile still present, but turned icy.  You can kiss it too, Fireboy. Max voice dripped with the sweetness she'd just consumed.  And with that she turned back and headed out, appearing far more steady than she was.

Like she'd need Cinder's help, she rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of the idea, though he wasn't all that bad.  And she would, strongly, prefer to have him on her side in a fight.  But he still did make her a little ...nervous.

Gnomish wonderlust had brought the little Oracle to leave the familiar and yet again seek something new. And now she had found a new tavern, this was worth investigating.

The door was not gnomesized, and so she had to wait until the door opened to let someone in or out, but it wasnt a problem while she was curious about what was inside. Of course, if it got to long, there were other ways to remove wooden obstructions....

As Max walks out the door, Cinder leans over and turns his head side ways to watch her walk.  He has to laugh a bit.  "Don't be worrin bout her.  She be avin a high metabolism.  She burn through that drink pretty damn fast."

As Max left the tavern, the gnome dashed her way in, and looked around the large-person sized room. It seemed they didnt know about little folk here... but she was used to that. She moved to the bar, standing on tip-toe to try and see over the bar.

"Hello. I would like a glass of Wine" She said, her voice high pitched but firm.

"Woah, didn't see you down there little guy. Might want to get ye' some stilts or somethin. Here's house special for the wait." In a pewter goblet he pours a deep burgundy and sets it close to the gnome.

Kyle walks up to the bar beside the gnome. "A refill for M-Mr. Cinder, please. Water for the gentleman drow, and a bowl for the gentleman's creature. OH! And a water for the lady...erm, she'll be right back."

Shady Kyle looked around the bar, biting his lip nervously. He pulled out a small plain sack, roughly-sewn but bearing some form of Royal Seal. He spills a few shimmering coins onto the bar and slides them towards the barkeep. "This should cover everything," he insists with an eager nod.

Kyle noticed the little gnome a bit too late. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir. If I'd been thinking, I woulda paid for yours too. That was real stupid of me." He pulled another gold coin from the purse and tucked it away into his cloak. "This is for the next one. Th-there's a bunch of us, um, just sitting over there, if you'd like to join." Kyle pointed out Cinder, Chandra, and the others.

She didnt point out she was a woman to the barkeep, after all he had given her an excellent wine. Instead, she paid him, and then she heard the big one speaking to her, indicating he would have paid for her drink too, had he seen her. Though he called her sir as well. She found that rediculous, and so she spoke up "Are all big folk so blind they cant tell a woman when they see one?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:30, Sun 22 Aug 2010.

   Jazz turned from farther down the Bar nursing his Bloody Ann.  At least they expect you to talk.  Taking a sip he sighed in happyness; They do good mixed drinks here though.

"Well, gal, its hard to tell when all I can see is the top of ye' head."

"Uh, I'm very sorry too sir--er, miss!" Kyle stammered. "Where I come from, gnomes are pretty much one gender, but I'm so sorry to have offended you!"

She snorts "Just cos the men are the ones lookin' for a fight, doesnt mean we women dont exist. What ya think Gnomes do, hatch outta eggs, or just split in two? Generally, thats at the swords of big folks like yerself, not cos thats how we breed" Honestly, only men in her race? Big folk had such amusing notions...

She glanced over the group of big folk he had indicated, shrugged "I came here looking for new things, and I've never seen a dark skinned Elf, so that qualifies. If I'm still welcome to join, despite being something that doesnt exist....?" The final question was with a teasing tone and a mischevious sparkle in her eyes. For all her brusque manner, she loved to tease.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:27, Thu 26 Aug 2010.

"Oh! Heh heh--yes, you can join us, of course..."

Kyle could tell the gnome was playing with him, and nodded happily. "I'm Kyle. And before coming there are all sorts of things I haven't seen. So, I think I understand you. You want to have a n-new experience, yes?"

Aric nodded, following Kyle to the group. "Yeah we are a curious race, we cant stay in one place too long either - we get restless after a few years. For the men, there is always an army recruiting. Easiest way to see new things for them. For girls, its much harder. Most fund their exploration as bards and things, I cant sing, but I do have other talents." she smiles, turns her hand palm up curls her fingers like they are holding a globe, then twitches her fingers, and a ball of fire appeared there. She held it a moment, gazing at it like a favourite pet, then shook it out, opening her hand to show not even burnt.

"Smokes!" Kyle whispered with a grin. "You should definitely come over to the table!" he added, pulling away from the little gnome. He carried a tray full of all the drinks that everyone had requested back over to the table and set it down, hoping that the gnome would follow him.

"I-I think I got everyone their, um, stuff," he said, passing out mugs and glasses.

Akatash follow the conversation people had with the Gnome, Gnomes was common in his world, no biggie. But she seemed like a fun person when she demonstrated her talent. Accepting his drink and the bowl for his bunny he smirks and nods. Taking a sip he sighs delightedly. "Mmm, water. Wine for the Gods"

Akatash's Bunny instantly jumps to the water bowl to drink "I should had hands too, I feel like drinking more properly now..."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Thu 26 Aug 2010.

He watches the gnome's trick and has to give a small shake of his head.  Another pyromancer...  He takes the glass from the faerie and drains it in a single gulp.  "Thanks, me chummer."

He holds up a hand to the waitress' attention, holding up the empty mug.  "Get me a pitcher a da same."

Looking down at the approaching gnome he kicks his feet up on the table and leans back.  "Eh pint, what be yur name?"

Aric stood on tiptoes to put her goblet on the table, gazing at the chair as she tried to work out the best way to get up onto it.

"I'm Aric" She answered Cinder's question, frowning, placing her hands on the seat and test hopping upwards.

"The major problem with being in places where only big people are - no proper-sized seats..."

With a smile showing perfect white teeth, he leans over, offering the gnome a hand to climb up on her seat.  "Need a hand little ghatina?"

Aric assumed the word Cinders used for her was a local word for gnome or something, shrugged, and accepted the boost with a greatful smile.

He leans back looking at those around the table before focusing on the gnome.  "So what, ya be a pyromancer aff pint?"

"More, or less then that. I'm a kinda cleric, but with more then one god. And the fire thing, thats sign of their blessing. If I go against their will... it might fizzle out, or burn me, or something. Dunno, never been tempted to try. She shrugged again,and stretched to grab her drink.

"Hmm," Kyle murmured with quiet consideration. "That's an interesting magic. So, do your gods all have the same guidelines for you to follow? Do they ever conflict? Because I know, er, from experience, that when more than one being is in a place of power, there is gonna be, um, conflict..."

She nods "There are conflicts, but generally, the Gods don't speak to me directly. I try to make sure when I have to pick between, I go for the God thats not going to have be doing the opposite of my nature... if you understand what I mean by that. Its not fun, being chosen like this. I'm just glad that Asmodeus is more for contracts with me then me going out and enslaving people." she shuddered. As she said, her race was driven to explore and wander, and slavery was so completely the opposite of that.

"Asmodeus?" Akatash's eyes glinted in curiosity "Do tell" he smiled before he took a sip of his drink.

   Jazz who had been listening, shuddered.  Turning; "How can you, ... No you are saying you only serve one at a time is that right.  Even so how can you deal with more then one diety, us rabbits well, the ones like me, our lives are so completely bound up with just one."

   Looking around; That one you said, Asm...  Uhm. Well, that one you said I thought he wasn't very nice, that he plays games with his contracts.  Uhm, like a ..., Super-villian Lawyer or something.

She nods at the Dark ELf "Asmodeus, he who penned the contract of creation, Ruler of the Pits of Hell. God of Tyranny, Slavery, Pride, and Contracts.

He is shown as a large, flame-enshrouded man with red skin, cloven hooves and horns. He is often shown wielding a contract or a flaming mace.

The other god who I owe my gifts to is Sarenrae, The Dawnflower, The Everlight, The Healing Flame. Goddess of the Sun, Redemption, Honesty, Healing.

Sarenrae manifests as a bronze angelic beauty, with golden hair composed of flowing flame. From one hand emits a holy light which trickles down like liquid luminescence, whereas the other holds a scimitar emblazoned with radiant fire. Her holy light provides healing and sustenance, while the scimitar creates gusts of winds that remove disease and fear."

She turns to the bunny and responds to the bunny's question  "Well, I was born to serve them both... so I do, but in conflicts of interests, I must do what is in my nature, and that lends itself to Sarenrae's will most if the time. It isnt easy, and because of this, I suffer Asmodeus's wrath in the form of a spirit that's compelled to haunt me. She never does harm, but... well, floating things out of my reach is one of it's favourite tricks."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:46, Sat 04 Sept 2010.

"Interesting deity this Asmodeus" Akatash had a short wicked grin before his face turned cold as stone. "Serving two deities, also fascinating" he looked down at his bunny, Their eyes met.

The bunny remained quiet and returned to it's bowl of water, Akatash petted it on it's back

He can only shake his head at the turn of the conversation.  He had no fraggin clue what these scrags were talking about.  He had heard of the Jesus Man and his old man, God.  But few people in his world followed their ways and he only knew one that gained any real power from it.

"I gots no fraggin clue what ya be yammerin bout." 

Kyle looked at Cinder. "I, too, am confused, yet I-I'll admit: I am intrigued. This is why I came to the tavern...to learn about others, to not be so isolated." He turned to Aric. "I think you've opened my eyes, miss!"

  Jazz put down his drink slipped partway down the stool grabbed the drink and wandered out on to the porch.

Porch >>>

Kell wakes up from his long nap, standing up a bit to test his ankle and stretch out his legs.  Feeling that his ankle is much better, he signals a barmaiden for some bread and cheese with some ale.

Bringing what he'd request, the woman set the bread, cheese and ale before Kell.  She offered a tired smile and then headed to her next stop.

Kell noticed the tired smile on the barmaiden, and taps her on the shoulder.  "For your troubles, m'lady," Kell says as he puts a silver coin in her hand.

The door slams up and a short dark skinned, dark haired elf enters carrying a woman in her arms, the woman is passed out. Chandra located a free table and tried to sit down the unconchious woman in a chair. "Miss? hello ? can you hear me ?" the elf tries her best to wake up the woman, medical care was never one of her strong skills.

She would slowly start to wake up and looks at Chandra and screams and trys to back out of her chair. Instead she falls over the chair on the floor. She still trys to back." i am dead. why am I in hell. i have  been very good girl" She makes cross in front of her and closed her eyes. She was now speaking in latin as she prays.

"Um what ?" Chandra erupts dumbfounded, after a pause she says "If the stories I have been told are to believe I doubt very much that we a re in hell, now why would you think that?"

--> From the porch

Following the dark-skinned elf inside, he stands nearby.  "Trust me, you're still alive, as far as I can tell.  A bit shaken up, but still alive."

 She was praying in latin and closing her eyes. She looks towards Jonathan"  if i am alive then why is demon talking to me" She glanced at Chandra.

Jon follows her quick glance, and shrugs.  "She's just an elf with dark skin, as far as I can tell."

 Looks towards the dark being in fear and looks towards Jonathan" A What?" She looked more confused. She was wearing very lovely green corseted dress.The top of her breast rose and fell with each breath she took.

Caught a bit off guard by the question, Jonathan stumbled on his words for a moment before managing to get something out.  "An elf... they're another race of people, like Dwarves, Gnomes, or... or Orcs."  The last race is spoken with obvious distaste.  "Are you... familiar with any of those?"

Shakes her head  towards Jonathan for a moment" no I am not and what are they. more demons" She makes another cross  in front of her. She  starts praying in latin.

Jonathan sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.  Oi... this girl's starting to sound like the Scarlet Crusade...  He looks back to her, and tries again.  "They're not demons.  Look at it this way: if everything unfamiliar defaulted to being a "demon", you'd never experience anything new... good OR bad."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:45, Wed 05 Jan 2011.

 Looks at Jonathan for a moment. She was still be frighten of what the hell she ended up at. She was very shelter girl"I I.." She touched her chest as all this was over whelming and she was having trouble breathing.

Chandra is a bit dumbfounded by the girls reaction, she is more than used to being accused of being evil because of her drow heritage but a demon? This place lies beyond the known multiverse, things might be very different in one of the other planes of existence. Like those strange 'guns' that I were told to be  weapons she thinks to herself. She notices that the girl has problems with breathing and draws the conclusion that it is caused by the strange torturing device that she is wearing,"Sit still a bit, I'll help you" she detaches one of the shuriken from her belt and proceeds to quickly use it to rip open the lace on the corset

When the dark creature came near her and then proceed to rip open the lace on her corset she let out scream and trys to fight off Chandra. She was blushing bright red and holding her corset on so it did not fall and she did not fall out of her dress.

Chandra backs off "Relax, I have removed the device so that you may breathe properly" Never having had any interaction with nobility or other people that might use such fine clothes she has no idea what she just did "may I ask how you got yourself into such a thing ?"

" You ruin my dress and my corset. how dare you put your hands on me" She looks towards chandra not really sure what the nine hells she was." Proper young ladies wear them"

Jon buried his face in one hand for a moment.  "Hold on now, she was just trying to help - fashion it might be where you're from, it can't possibly be easy to breathe in that thing.  She thought you were having trouble breathing, and figured that was the cause.  Just calm down."  He often found himself playing mediator when he wasn't directly involved in an argument.

He was never really sure why, it just ended up getting him frustrated more often than not when one or both sides refused to listen to reason.

 Looks towards Jonathan for a moment and looks towards her outfit and  trys to keep it closed" yes yes but one could losen up the  lace in the back. now i have nothing wear"

Taking on a much more casual expression, he crossed his arms across his chest and raised one eyebrow.  "And how is someone who's never seen one before supposed to know that?  From the sounds of it, she believed it to be some sort of torture device - and for some reason, I get the feeling there are people where YOU come from who feel the same."

After a moment, and a glance toward the dark Elf, he added, "Though I do think we apologize for the dress."

Chandra blushes, her cheeks turns purple "I am sorry milady, I just can't believe that someone would wear that voluntarily" she hesitates a bit before she pulls out a silken robe from her bag, it is white and adorned with golden embroideries of phoenixes, it looks much more expensive than the rag tag clothes the elf is wearing "you can use this till we can find a way to fix that terrible dress" she hands over the ceremonial robe, a gift of her dead master
This message was last edited by the player at 19:51, Sun 09 Jan 2011.

Sighs a bit" there is no way to fix it. It ruin but appolgy is accepted" She looks at the robe for a moment and takes it and puts it on  and covers herself up. and it is not terrible dress."

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to insult your dress, I'm just a bit set back by the device" she holds her tongue when it comes to how insanely foolish she finds the garment  "So, you're talking to me, I guess you've come around to the fact that I'm not a demon. Is it true that there is no elves, dwarves or other civilised races but humans where you come from ?" she asks

" I am  knocked out cold and your figment of my Imagnation. Or I am just going Insane. so I have accepted that. that my father sent me away because i am insane" She nods her head as she was explaining that mostly for herself." I am from France. daughter to Lord"

"you are hard to reason with, but do humour me, even if you think that I am only a figment of your imagination, do tell me about your world" Chandra prompts, she are genuinely curious.

" Well  figment I French nobelity. there is a king and queen and there no such things like your self or  creauters or demons. if someone belives in such thing they burn at the stake"

Coming out of the back room, another lit cigarette hanging from his lips, he can only shake his head.  "What the frag is all the damn screaming about?"

Jon raised an eyebrow at the "burn at the stake" remark.  "What, you mean like, set them on fire?"  He let out a small chuckle.  "Where I come from, that tends to be more the monsters and the wizards' style.  Must be a fairly peaceful place where you come from.  Must be nice not to have to worry about some new evil trying to take over or destroy the world ever damn year."  He sighs a bit, idly scratching at his chest slightly.

"Though I do have to say, you're not going crazy.  You're not dreaming this - at least, assuming I'm not, anyway.  Whatever this "Wolf's Head Tavern" is, it's real.  You're just... well, it sounds like you're gonna have a harder time adjusting to all this than most others.  It sounds like it's taught pretty strictly that all this sort of stuff isn't real in... France, did you say?"

Kyle gave a high-pitched laugh from his seat in the corner. "France?" he repeated the man's words. "Never heard of the like. So...it's a place where they send you away from merely being insane, then? How strange. Why is insanity such a crime?"

 She was getting overwhelmed by people or things talking to her" because  being insane is  curse by god" She looks towards Kyle. She would then looks towards the the dark creature." we have beutiful art work and the dresses are beutiful. I personally love my country I was on to see my soon to be husband when I was attacked on the rode and ended up here or my head was hit hard and I am still with my captors"

Jonathan raised an eyebrow.  "You were attacked?  Did your husband-to-be know you were coming?  Because depending on when things happened, he might be worried about you."  Finally taking a seat, he thought for a moment.  "You said a minute ago that your father sent you away... why?"