Trog's Tavern: Roman Numerals Are Dumb

[Thursday Violist]

Trogs

"That's the spirit!" Mogzoku exclaims energetically. "Just how badly do they treat you, anyways?"

"It's not that they treat me badly, per se," Venus says, before quickly adding a correction: "Well, most of them, I mean. One of them did shoot at me, and one of them is constantly trying to guilt trip me for 'not doing enough'..." which is actually very effective. A bullet is a deterrant, but a guilt trip makes someone keep on coming back for more.

Venus sighs.
"I mean, the main problem is that they're all somehow convinced that I'm a goddess when really all I am is the lady who moved into a long-abandoned church and cleaned it up. Sure," She blows a loose strand of hair out of her face, [color]"plants bloom spontaneously around me, and, sure, someone could argue that I can do quasi-miraclulous things, but, like, I'm pretty obviously not a goddess, right?"[/color] she asks Mogzoku, seeking his confirmation.

Her clothes are just magicked from a leaf, plants grow livelier where she goes and sometimes spontaneously appear, she can spontaneously make a spring of holy water burst from the ground, and she lives in a church building.
...
Probably not a goddess.

"I mean," she adds, to drive her point home, "they should be praying to a real goddess, not some...magic nature lady who doesn't even have a clue how anything magic works." And she only answers their prayers because she would feel incredibly guilty if she didn't answer them, and she already feels guilty enough for getting prayed at. Getting prayed at and not doing anything? She would be the worst!

[Keeper]

"Spirits within. No. I'm psychic. Okay. We're doing this."
The biker will feel a strange sensation as Codebreaker attempts to connect with their mind. His mental voice is a little different from his real one, but it is unmistakably not a real sound.
I have NO idea how you could explain away actual telepathy, but feel free to try if you want.
He'll also very lightly probe the biker's mind, just looking for a name. He'll back off if he gets any images that seem personal. Usually a person's name sits at the top of their thoughts and is pretty easy to pull up.

[quillpleasant]

"Well card tricks are definitely the kind of thing she was into, but yeah, I'm thinking that's a dead end." It's not like Lenny actually thought the biker would have any info, but it's still a little frustrating to be making such little progress after so long. They sigh, running a hand through their shaggy hair.

Oblivious to Codebreaker's mental probing, they peer at the photo again. "Wait, so mummy man is your dad? Huh. Well a bandaged criminal on a bike is probably more memorable than a random kid, so if he's in these parts I'm sure someone's seen him around." They do their best at a reassuring smile, which comes off a little less due to the overly sharp canines. "I know how much it sucks to be missing a family member. I hope you find him soon."

[Hraithre]

The biker frowns and touches their ear when Codebreaker does his trick. Though he might've noticed they got more alert already when they mentioned "spirits".

"Ventriliquism. Duh", they reply to his query, "throwing one's voice is an ols trick." Silently, they're wondering if they need another trick and that one might as well call them Alice, because they've somehow stumbled into Wonderland. That's not their real name - their real name is buried under such surface thoughts. Apparently, because someone told them to keep it close to their chest. Names have power, after all.

But that also means the card they used to pay is not their own - ordinarily such cards have name and signature of the owner on them.

As for Lenny: "Yeah, he's my father. Supposedly. At least, no other candidate has stepped up", the biker says, waving their hand flippantly, "Would be nice to find him soon, yeah, but I'm not in a hurry. I mean, he's only been missing for my whole life, what's a few weeks or months more?"

[Zefir]

The young boy takes the flyer, but befor he can look at it he heares the others talk about dimensions.

"I'm sure we have different dimensions . After all I couldn't explain this.." and he points at the bikers. " Their outfit is uncommon in this world. He " Points at codebreaker "Would fit right inty my homwdimension, but then I don't think i can be of help here. I'm not good at tailing, I just use magic and a bit alchemi and it souinds like thats not of use here."

[Keeper]

"Aw hell, Alice. I'm fat, not fae." Codebreaker shakes his head and lets the matter drop.

A little purple mote of light appears from inside a pin on his shirt and floats around his head.
"No it's fine, b. Don't worry about it."

[quillpleasant]

"Well, the photos sure help. You could always hang up some missing posters around, see if anyone has any information." That's not an option for Lenny, since the only picture he has is a memory. He smirks at the biker's dismissiveness.

"Sure sure, but you never know. Family is important, and it can disappear in an instant. I think I'd give anything for a few weeks with my dad. Hell, even a few minutes."

Glancing over at the young man, Lenny shakes his head disparagingly. "Diverse fashion choices and species don't equal other dimensions, kid. It's a fun theory, but it's not real. Now werewolves, we're real. That's proveable.""

[Hraithre]

The biker raises an eyebrow when Codebreaker calls them "Alice". But the rest of his comment flies over their head, his choice of words confusing them.

The biker's about to ask about the mote of light, when Lenny distracta them. "Oh hey, a missing poster is a decent idea. Hey, barkeep! Put this on a bulleting board! Those are still a thing, right?" They grab one of the photocopies and wave it at Zee.

[Reinholdt]

It's a pretty rare occurrence that a beautiful nymph in a catsuit drops by. Ilpholin's not a big tavern goer in general. But Raril hasn't been into Black Dragon's Den in the few times she checked and she does know that Zee works here. She still finds it a little silly that they work at competing taverns, but whatever makes them happy. Hopefully Zee is in today.

In the meanwhile, Ilpholin takes a seat and appears to peruses the menu thoughtfully, but her mind is a million miles away.

[Keeper]

”Lots of things that people think aren’t provable are shockingly provable. Kyrie got smited in the face by his patron god a couple years back.” Codebreaker mentions probably more casually than he should.
The little purple mote continues to bob around in the space between Codebreaker’s head and the others’ around him.

[Zefir]

"Well, the photos sure help. You could always hang up some missing posters around, see if anyone has any information." That's not an option for Lenny, since the only picture he has is a memory. He smirks at the biker's dismissiveness.

"Sure sure, but you never know. Family is important, and it can disappear in an instant. I think I'd give anything for a few weeks with my dad. Hell, even a few minutes."

Glancing over at the young man, Lenny shakes his head disparagingly. "Diverse fashion choices and species don't equal other dimensions, kid. It's a fun theory, but it's not real. Now werewolves, we're real. That's proveable.""

"I don't get your point." the boy say and swings over the bar with a heavy noise as he lands.
"I have traveled with portals befor which don't travel through dimensions and the way this happened was different. Also I am here, I am real, I am from another dimension. So in your logic, other dimensions are prooven."

[quillpleasant]

Lenny nods approvingly at the biker. "You'll wanna put some information on the poster, not just a picture. So people know what it is. And a way to contact you is good." She thinks for a moment. "Oh yeah, I recently learned that portable phones are a thing- do you have one of those? That could be helpful for this."

Then she's a bit distracted by the youth's insistence on dimensions. "Kid, you could just be making all that up. I never went through any portal to get here, and I haven't seen anything like that. I believe in what I can see, nothing more, nothing less."

[Hraithre]

"Yes, yes, those are a given", the biker replies to Lenny's suggestions, "someone hand me a pen." They snap their fingers, expecting someone to pick up the cue.

[Keeper]

Codebreaker reaches into a pocket and pulls out a tiny notebook with a pen attached. He removes the pen from the loop and holds it up to the biker without quite offering it.
"You want to try being nice about it? A little 'hey Codebreaker can I please borrow your pen?'" he asks with a look.

[[brackets lover]]

"It's not that they treat me badly, per se," Venus says, before quickly adding a correction: "Well, most of them, I mean. One of them did shoot at me, and one of them is constantly trying to guilt trip me for 'not doing enough'..." which is actually very effective. A bullet is a deterrant, but a guilt trip makes someone keep on coming back for more.

Venus sighs.
"I mean, the main problem is that they're all somehow convinced that I'm a goddess when really all I am is the lady who moved into a long-abandoned church and cleaned it up. Sure," She blows a loose strand of hair out of her face, [color]"plants bloom spontaneously around me, and, sure, someone could argue that I can do quasi-miraclulous things, but, like, I'm pretty obviously not a goddess, right?"[/color] she asks Mogzoku, seeking his confirmation.

Her clothes are just magicked from a leaf, plants grow livelier where she goes and sometimes spontaneously appear, she can spontaneously make a spring of holy water burst from the ground, and she lives in a church building.
...
Probably not a goddess.

"I mean," she adds, to drive her point home, "they should be praying to a real goddess, not some...magic nature lady who doesn't even have a clue how anything magic works." And she only answers their prayers because she would feel incredibly guilty if she didn't answer them, and she already feels guilty enough for getting prayed at. Getting prayed at and not doing anything? She would be the worst!

Mogzoku tilts his head curiously as Venus continues on, listening closely to her every word. "That really does sound like a very confusing situation. Though, I can see how they can make that mistake, kupo," he says cheekily, winking at her.

[Zefir]

Lenny nods approvingly at the biker. "You'll wanna put some information on the poster, not just a picture. So people know what it is. And a way to contact you is good." She thinks for a moment. "Oh yeah, I recently learned that portable phones are a thing- do you have one of those? That could be helpful for this."

Then she's a bit distracted by the youth's insistence on dimensions. "Kid, you could just be making all that up. I never went through any portal to get here, and I haven't seen anything like that. I believe in what I can see, nothing more, nothing less."

"Well that's some way to think, but okay." He says. Obviously giving up on her.
"But following this statement you don't belive in air? Because I don't think we can see air in any way, at last not directly"

[quillpleasant]

Lenny glares at the boy for a moment, then lets out a chuckle. "Okay, touche. I guess I should have said I believe in what I can sense. I can't see your voice, but I still know you're talking."

They sniff the air. "And I can smell just about everything. I can smell your scent going out the door and down the road. But I've never sensed another dimension before."

[Hraithre]

The biker stops and stares at Codebreaker for a moment, then holds out their hand. "May I have that pen, please?", they ask in exaggeratedly sugary voice.

[Zefir]

Lenny glares at the boy for a moment, then lets out a chuckle. "Okay, touche. I guess I should have said I believe in what I can sense. I can't see your voice, but I still know you're talking."

They sniff the air. "And I can smell just about everything. I can smell your scent going out the door and down the road. But I've never sensed another dimension before."

That might not be the case. Sure the boys smell likly appears at the door and a step outside as he had looked back, but since he just popped up in the nexus, through the Trog's seventh door, his smell never passed the street.

"Really? That is strange. The road i saw when i was at the door was unknown to me. Could there be someone with the same smell as me?" he asks Lenny in a curiouse voice. He's not an expert in tht term, but common knowledge say that people have their own smell. Two people having exactly the same is rare.

[Keeper]

Codebreaker looks at the biker with an unimpressed expression as he holds a hand up to the side. A cheap, slightly stained pen with a missing cap sitting on an unoccupied table nearby flies to his hand, which he offers to her.
”No but you can have this one.” he drawls in a similarly exaggerated manner.

[Zefir]

[Cybergroup]

The weather outside is bad and seems to go worst. It looks like it is raining cats and dogs outside followed by lightning every now and then. The next Lightning is overshadowed by a strange sound like it ripped through a building. It takes some time befor the door to the tavern opens and four figures enter the building.

All four look like they come from a cyberpunk world.
The first one , a tall slim guy got a mechanical eye, arm and leg.
The second one has a visor for eyes and his hands replaced.
The third one got his whole torso modified.
And the last one is a beatifull woman with replaced lefs and a doll like face.

All four take a look around befor they take a table. The tall guy speaks up first.
"You all know the drill." he says "We aren't at our home world so don't apply any rules as common." his mechanical eye wanders through his group waiting for a confirmation.
"We need to find her and identify if she manipulated the people around here. Last time took to many casualities. Strengthen yourself and then ask around. Anything can be of use."

The others nod and check the menu. The tall guy heads for the bar, ordering as he turns to anyone there.
"Excuse me, but is anyone familiar with this place?"

[Hraithre]

The biker looks at the tattered pen with narrowed eyes. "Thank you", they say as they pick up the pen, testing it on the edge of one of the papers to see that it still works. "Nice magic trick", they add with a tone dripping with sarcasm.

[Keeper]

The little purple mote bobs up and down excitedly.
"b thanks you for the compliment, since that power comes from him. He doesn't get sarcasm, cute little kid."
Codebreaker smiles, poking at the tiny spirit mote with a look of genuine pride on his face.

[quillpleasant]

That might not be the case. Sure the boys smell likly appears at the door and a step outside as he had looked back, but since he just popped up in the nexus, through the Trog's seventh door, his smell never passed the street.

"Really? That is strange. The road i saw when i was at the door was unknown to me. Could there be someone with the same smell as me?" he asks Lenny in a curiouse voice. He's not an expert in tht term, but common knowledge say that people have their own smell. Two people having exactly the same is rare.

Although Lenny's sense of smell is indeed keen, they hadn't actually bothered to check in this case, merely assuming the boy to have come here by conventional means. Now they sniff the air, then shrug.

"I mean, I was being flippant. But yeah, now I can see that you just appeared. Weird. Can you teleport or something?" They're aware this isn't exactly helping their credibility, but then again, they also don't really care what people think.

Lenny also watches the pen exchange with amusement. This kind of petty antagonism is very fun.

[Zefir]

The pen exchange doesn't seem to bother the boy. The only strange thing thtere is the pen itself. His world is on a level where you ned a flask of ink, coal or magic, but the pen here seems to have neither as far as he can see.

"I don't have any means of teleportation." he replies "I would require to reach a Level 5 connection to my bound for that. I don't have that."

[Earl of Purple]

► SHOW SPOILER

[Cybergroup]

The weather outside is bad and seems to go worst. It looks like it is raining cats and dogs outside followed by lightning every now and then. The next Lightning is overshadowed by a strange sound like it ripped through a building. It takes some time befor the door to the tavern opens and four figures enter the building.

All four look like they come from a cyberpunk world.
The first one , a tall slim guy got a mechanical eye, arm and leg.
The second one has a visor for eyes and his hands replaced.
The third one got his whole torso modified.
And the last one is a beatifull woman with replaced lefs and a doll like face.

All four take a look around befor they take a table. The tall guy speaks up first.
"You all know the drill." he says "We aren't at our home world so don't apply any rules as common." his mechanical eye wanders through his group waiting for a confirmation.
"We need to find her and identify if she manipulated the people around here. Last time took to many casualities. Strengthen yourself and then ask around. Anything can be of use."

The others nod and check the menu. The tall guy heads for the bar, ordering as he turns to anyone there.
"Excuse me, but is anyone familiar with this place?"

There is a chap at the bar who will respond to the tall guy with the mechanical eye, arm and leg. He's a grey-skinned human with red eyes and white hair, a Keldon, wearing bronze lamellar armour and a matching helmet. He's armed with two weapons, an Orsimer sword and a Dwemer axe both hanging from his waist. He's also wearing a modern rucksack over the armour, with a bulky old camera strapped to the outside of it. His lamellar has been damaged recently and not repaired, and he looksa bit battered. "This is Trog's Tavern, the city of Inside, in the Nexus. You look to be competent fellows; I can point you at a dungeon. It's tricky, it killed my previous group, but we didn't have the technology you guys do. Mostly we just hit things with swords."

[quillpleasant]

Lenny raises an eyebrow at the boy in confusion. "Level five whatsit? I have no clue what you're talking about, dude." Some sort of weird mysticism that goes completely over their head.

"What's your name, anyway? Oh, and yours," they say, nodding at the biker and the wolfman, "If you're willing to share. I'll go first, most people call me Lenny." It's not their real name, but who actually shares that anyway?

[Zefir]

"Where I am from everyone has a heritage to a creature. Something like Dragon, Bear, Wolf and so on. The closer the connection the more abilities. It get's a lot more complex because not all grand magic. I could tell you, but I have the feeling that this is not of intresst for you." the boy says

"Sylas Skyfire, the name."


[Cybergroup]

The man looks at the guy who replied. Some words flash through the mechanical eye likly an information about something he just heared.

"We aren't adventures to be true, but I will think about it." after all he might need a coin or two in case people here fokus to much on wealth. "We do search someone and we know she went to this place. Maybe you have seen her? Young, people would say cute and she got an eye for technologie?"

[Earl of Purple]

Cybergroup

"Well, I'm... not really the right person to ask if a girl's cute or not, y'know. Do you have a better idea of what she looks like? Is she human, what colour's her hair, skin, whatever, her height... That kind of thing. Young girl with an eye for technology.... That's a masked supervillain in Skyside who's young and uses technology, her civilian identity might be who you're looking for, but I don't know anything else about iWear than that." And iWear probably isn't the person the cyber group is looking for, besides.

[Hraithre]

The biker nods as others introduce themselves. "Lenny. Sylas. Nice to meet you", they say, "as for me? You heard the wolfman. You can call me Alice, because apparently I've stumbled into Wonderland." Alice finishes writing down their contact info on the copies and looks around for Zee.