KLONK.

Ow! Right in the head! That hurt!

(The Duke does not lose any HP, but takes -1 toward his next roll.)

Then, The Duke notices someone else in the hallway-- a human, wearing impressive fancy robes. Hasn't The Duke seen him before somewhere? Oh yeah-- he rode up with some more supplies from The Ziggurat, and then after dropping them off, said he had to go back and look something up again, and now he's back. Whatever.

The vending machine pulls out another soda can to hit The Duke with again...

---

Orleon remembers the extremely large fellow from the first time he encountered the Ziggurat's Cloister-finding expedition. Excellent, he's found them again!

But that vending machine seems to be giving the big man trouble. Hmmm...

"Hey you have to give them properly. Throwing them makes them spill out of the can."

The Duke steps close to the robot planing to take the can before its being fired and drinking it as fast as possible to be ready for the next one. It would be a real big shame to waste more soda.

Alyn was surprised at the Duke's calmness. He watched again to see what would happen.

He also could swear he sensed another mind beyond the vending-robot. But for now, he wanted to wait and see what Duke would do next. If things escalated, then maybe he'd utilize some electrokinesis or something. Or accidentally blow them all up. You never really knew with Alyn.

Orleon looked at this thing called a vending machine. He searched his thoughts for the some knowledge of this ancient artifact. Surely there was something in there that could come to their benefit.

OOC: If necessary Orleon will roll to figure out the machine in question.

(Yeah, roll. Your Insightful stat is +2, so roll 2d6+2.)

11:59, Today: Orleon Templeton rolled 6 using 2d6+2 ((2,2)).

OOC: Ugh

Orleon looks at the back of the machine... moves around and looks at the front of it, at what items it seems to offer...

The vending machine seems to notice Orleon.

"FREE BEVERAGES FOR VISITORS... FREE BEVERAGES FOR VISITORS..."

KLONK.

Owww! Beverage, right to the head!

(Orleon loses 1 health level, and is now Somewhat Wounded.)

Seeing some random newcomer screwed by the vicissitudes of fate, Ajakstu calls out, "Yes, that's how it feels!"

https://youtu.be/qAeVlwRuP6Q

Orleon growns, damming this world of chaos that surrounds him.

The Duke recognizing the man that brought that nice little cooler with food that has never left the Dukes side ever after gives the man a smile but as the vending machine launches his cans at the Dukes bestestes of friends FOERS gets angry and on the Dukes head the implants sparkle and in his vision the vending machine turns into an enemy and enemies need destruction. As the thing is distracted by Orleon the Duke yells at it and steps in to lift the infernal machine up and shake against the wall till nothing pours out of it no more yelling as he does so.

"NOBODY HURTS MY FRIENDS YOU BLOODY TIN CAN!!! I ASKED YOU POLITELY TO GIVE THOSE CANS PROPERLY!!!!"

ooc: 7 on a forceful with a -1

The Duke shakes the soda machine, and shakes it and shakes it and shakes it, and all the cans of soda inside of it.

...BOOOOOMMMMMMMM.

All the carbonated soda cans explode at once, as does the vending machine. The Duke and Orleon are wet and sticky now.

(The Duke takes 1 new damage, but that particular vending machine is permanently defeated.)

Ajakstu snickers at the sight.

Seeing that The Duke is distracted he goes over to the candy machines to see if he can get any out for himself, and also to see if they ever accepted payment, because that would certainly mean they held treasure within!

It seems to Ajakstu's expert opinion that there is some treasure in the machines-- probably coins-- but not much.

But they'll give him free candy bars, and a few other treats. And there are several slightly-dented cans of soda lying around.

Alyn was eating a candy bar he had gotten before, putting pieces into his mouth like nibbling on popcorn, as he watched the show. It was probably a good thing that he didn't get involved. He may have accidentally blew them up or something as much as he could have just shut the thing down.

He went over to the vending machines with Ajak and got a few more snack packs and bars to put into his backpack, as well as a few cans of soda for later. He then turned to the Duke and headed over.

"Oh poor Dukie, you're all wet and stuff! I think I saw some rags and water stations back closer to the beds and I bet they even have a shower or something around here too." Alyn said.

He then clearly noticed Orleon's presence. His eyes flickered once visibly as he considered probing the man right on the spot, but decided against it and to play nice.

"You there. Yes you, in the robes and stuff. Do you work here? I really need to get my software drivers and stuff. The customer service in this place is atrocious as well, by the way. I mean come on the vending machines attacked my friend without even having some catchy jingle or elevator music playing. I mean I expect a bit more class from an on-the-fritz robot in a place like this." he said firmly. Possibly seriously.

"I'm not saying Rake CAN'T or WON'T eat new guy's eyes," Ajakstu said as he set to work on the largest or shiniest candy machine.


18:20, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 5,2.  Jigger the coin mechanism!

The Duke licks his fingers  and gives a big grin to Orlean and then rushes over to give the scrawny scholar a massive hug that might potentially take ones breath away not only because of how tight it is.

"What did you bring this time?"

He totally ignores that droning voice thats talking about a shower.

Ajakstu is able to get four coins out of the machine before two get permanently stuck, putting an end to that.

"Infernal machine," Orleon says looking at the traitorous device as he rubs his head.

Ajakstu scowls at the coins, trying to determine if they are legal tender in any realm he knows of in this age.

He glances at The Duke's new best friend. "Good to see the moths, Rat Breath, and Gas Bag have our backs."

Then he steps back, pondering. "Shower you say? Nothing bad EVER happens if one person wanders off to get cleaned up."

Alyn shrugs.

"True Jak, but this is the DUKE we're talking about. I'm pretty sure that whatever trope monster or other thing that would normally do something bad to him while he was showering would instead be the one who ended up getting preyed upon." he replied.

Also, the thought of the Duke naked in a shower alone was enough to give him pause, and it probably would terrify even the things that normally go bump in the night as well. There were normal people, and then the monsters that preyed upon them, and then there was the Duke.

He turned back to face Orleon.

"Um...I'm serious though. You had better start talking, weird robe-dude, before I stop being friendly. Do you work here or something, or are you a traveler passing through as well?"

"Perhaps he is the valet? Butler?" Ajasktu offered with deep sincerity.

Though Orleon's thoughts of an infernal machine are quickly squeezed out like paste from a tube by Duke's bear hug.

The Duke eyes his travel companions Orleon still in a solid hug dangling like a doll as he turns around his tone having a little edge.

"If you do not stop threatening my friend i have to punch you. He is the one that brought me my cooler. He is my bestestest friend in the world! Surely he is bringing more as he returned to the Ziggurat."

Though the Duke has soda dripping down his entire body and he smells super sweet he seems really protective about his friend and holds him really tight. (Is that nice man turning a little blue there?)

"What Dukie?" Alyn said casually and curiously.

"Do you actually know this guy? Is he from the Ziggurat too? Why didn't you just say so? Hell why didn't HE just say so?!" Alyn said with a roll of his eyes.

Alyn then grinned as he got an evil idea.

"So Dukie? Is he going to be your new pet, who you'll hug and squeeze and love all the time?" he asked.

The Duke grins hugging the poor sod till his air becomes a rare commodity in his lungs.

"He is my bestestes of friends. He gave me my cooler!! I am sure he is bringing ner supplies again."

To prove his point he releases poor Orleon for a second and shows the cooler which is now filled to overflowing its small cooler motor whining to keep any semblance of cold inside and he was also looking quite expectantly to his bestested of friends.