You enter the underground lounge of Vault Ventures, checking to see if there's any more contracts to be had.  The secretary, Itap, whom you're familiar with asks you to have a seat until everyone has arrived, Victor wants to see you and the rest himself.  You haven't seen Victor since you were hired almost two years ago, always getting contracts from Itap.  He's an older Dwarf with a great reputation as an honest and fair employer and agent, though he still speaks with the twang of his dirt farmer past.

She offers you a beer while you wait, which as you know she brews (inside herself) it's not the best, having a bit of a metallic taste, but it's clean and not skunky.  The brewing gives the place a nice smell and keeps it warm.

The lounge is a good size, easily able to accommodate a large family, and filled with various well preserved ancient, and new lounge chairs showing a moderate amount of wealth.

(OOC: You can talk and relax here in character until everyone's ready.)

Veryn gladly takes a beer, he's never been one to turn down free stuff. He inspects the lounge as he waits for others to arrive. Instead of immediately taking a seat he looks over the paintings along the walls and the small aquarium set against the back wall. This place always seemed a little classier than it needed to be to Veryn.

After walking around, he takes a seat and sips his beer as he waits for others to fill the room so they can get their job and be on their way.

Vitik skitters into the lounge, his leg claws tapping on the hard floor.  "I not eat anyone." he announces his typical greeting to Itap, and the others in the room.  He nods to the human setting in the chair. "I am Bob."

Veryn nods in response and says to the skittering creature "Hello Bob, I am Veryn. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I not eat Veryn."  The insect-man says, but its not quite obvious if he was speaking to the human reassuringly, or trying to remind himself.   He slides a chair nearby out of the way, squatting on the floor in its place.  "You wait for Victor?" he asks. "I wait for Victor."

Veryn can't help but smile at the insect's behavior and replies "I not eat Bob. I am also waiting for Victor. Hopefully our comrades will join us soon."

The gentleman enters the lounge, dressed in the manner of the Ancients in a suit fit for a proper Victorian.

”Good Evening, Dr. Darien Mason of Holy Order of Scientists (Reformed) at your service!”

He smiles to the secretary. ”So nice to see you again my dear! Perhaps I can find a cup of tea?”

iTap says in her inflection-less robotic voice "I WILL BREW TEA." she turns and opens a serving cabinet, retrieves and shoves a teabag in her rectangular mouth, then gathers an ancient stained tea-cup and saucer for it with a particularly out of style roosters painted them and waits.

Veryn instinctively winces at the robot’s behavior. The mere thought of a teabag down his throat is enough to turn him off his beer, and he sets it on the table.

After a few minutes iTap whistles then pours fresh made tea into the cup she was holding from her left spigot. "EN-JOY THE TEA DOC-TOR." she says.

He accepts the teacup gracefully, pinky raised.

"Thank you, my dear!"

He sits carefully in an empty chair as he waits for the tea to cool, savoring the odor carried by the steam.

A few more minutes pass and iTap says "WOULD YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO SOME MUSIC?"  then without waiting for an answer starts playing EDM and singing "BEEP BOOP BOOP"

He taps his foot gently as he sips his tea.

"Ah, a classic! Reminds me of my college days."

He chuckles and almost blushes remembering that challenge between the Gibbering Fiends and the Psychotropic Avengers, and that little prank he pulled with the liquid nitrogen and concentrated Ultralemonite Thirstaid powder.

Black Angus walks through the door. He's a tall, athletic human male with long black hair. His armor and weapons clank as he moves, but that's inaudible at the moment.

He pauses, tilts his head at the music, nods once in approval, then continues in to the bar.

"Got anything stronger than that belly beer, iTap?"

iTap replies "BZZZ ER-ROR. IN-STALL DIS-TIL-LING MOD-ULE." to the beat of the music.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:11, Wed 05 Feb 2020.

In reply to DM.Justisaur (msg # 15):

The Scientist furrows his brow as he lowers his teacup.

"Hmm. I don't seem to recall those lyrics. Is this a mashup?"

Bob sat, the music harsh to his ears.   "Is Victor ready soon?" he asks of no one in particular. It didn't appear he enjoyed throbbing rhythms at all.

He snaps his fingers in recognition.

"OF COURSE! DISTILLING MODULE with BUZZ ERROR! I saw them in concert at the Horse & Exile! I even had a few rounds with them in the basement at the afterparty!"

Angus rolls his eyes. No whiskey or vodka today. "Guess a belly beer will do then. Better than the water or mutie-milk."

iTap pours a beer for Black Angus.

Shortly thereafter Victor Livingstien, a slick well dressed middle aged dwarf with oiled short black curly hair and beard balding on top confidently saunters out from the far carved oak double doors, with a couple scrolls tucked under one arm.

(iTap: unce unce unce)

He says nodding at each of you "Peace all." he brings the scrolls to one of the larger tables and spreads them out. It's quite noticeable that the table is normal table height for him.  One scroll is covered in mostly green and yellow splotches with regular grey and white lines, light blue rectangles, and dark blue boxy shapes, the other is covered in tiny precise writing.

(iTap: unce unce unce)

His face changes to a wince as he looks toward iTap.  "iTap mute." (the EDM stops) He lets out a sigh of relief and mutters while shaking his head "robots"

He sits in one of the smaller chairs fit for his size near the table, and motions everyone to gather around.  "Before we get started on the contract I have for you, for the benefit of the others here, each of you has worked for me and are trusted contractors.  You'll be working together now.  If you haven't already, please give your names and a bit about yourselves so that we all might get better acquainted."

Veryn sighs as the Dwarf looks among the group expectantly and moves over the short table, taking a seat on the floor and looking over the map and page of notes. While sitting down he says "The name's Veryn. Pleasure to meet y'all. I make my living here being sneaky."

"I am Bob.  I don't eat you." The insect-man begins.  "I kill things. With knives.  I kill things with knives, not kill things with knives. With knives I kill things that need killed."  He clarifies.  "and sometimes I eat them."

He steps forward. "For the benefit of the new comers, I'll reintroduce myself. I am Dr. Darien James Mason of the Holy Order of Scientists (Reformed), ready to assist!”