The Black Dragon's Den

Locales found within the main city centers; primarily Inside, Riverside, and Skyside.
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Reinholdt
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Reinholdt nods. "That's correct. It's nothing exceptional, just the loan of one of our members as sort of an internship thing. He learns about detective work, they get his unique abilities for a time, that sort of thing." Detective knowledge is always handy in HALO.

"I see..." They're unsurprisingly insulated from a lot of weather related issues, something that Vigil likely has in spades. "Well by all means, if you want to continue to experiment with her, go ahead. Geneva is certainly free to visit as well. You might also get some benefit out of the simulation room, for weather and electric device experiments." It will surely not short-circuit and go haywire like all the other times.
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Shadowcaller
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"That's good."

A pause.

"But what's HALO's policy regarding non-members? As in people unaffiliated with any organizations? Since I believe you might know the name 'Thariza', no? Or was that before your time?" They did know she had died and returned, right? "The reason I'm asking is since she has become my assistant of sort but I don't think she has any interest in joining HALO again."
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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The not-satyr sits down in the proffered chair, leaning back and leaning her hooves on the barrel she brought (showing a lot of her furry legs in the process).
"So. I'm Jay. Are you gents planning on introducing yourselves?" she asks, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
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Reinholdt
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"I'm familiar with her, yes," Reinholdt assures Ambrosia, raising an eyebrow. Not really a name he expected to hear in this context. "We don't have any particular visitor policies at this time that doesn't boil down to common sense and restricted areas. Thariza's free to come around to help you from time and again, but if she's around all the time to assist you most days of the week, then she'll probably need to join up. If you think it's going to lean towards the more frequent than not category, I can talk to her about it and see what we can't work out. Besides it wouldn't hurt for me to catch up with her anyways."
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Shadowcaller
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Keeper wrote: Jan 19, 2023 3:21 am The not-satyr sits down in the proffered chair, leaning back and leaning her hooves on the barrel she brought (showing a lot of her furry legs in the process).
"So. I'm Jay. Are you gents planning on introducing yourselves?" she asks, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
Once she asks this all satyrs all start to introduce themselves-

At the same time.

Needless to say, it's a mess as they're all trying to out-bravado one another simultaneously. While she might catch parts of a few names most of it are what sounds like pick-up phrases which the gal may or may not have already heard before.
There's a satyr that gets really close to her and she thinks that he might just have been asking her to feel his chiseled chest. But before she can do much of anything another, much larger, satyr casually deck him square in the jaw. Causing him to drop on the spot.

But rather than escalating the situation this causes the gathering of 'merry-makers' to all stop as either they're aware that they might get thrown out before they even have had a single drink or that the larger satyr might be someone higher up on their social hierarchy.
Either way, the knocked-out satyr is helped up by some of his friends as the larger one turns to her.
"What a bother." He states in a stoic tone, regarding her without as much as a smile. He seems older than the other satyrs, his fur grey, bordering at white. His physical age seemingly granting him the self-control the others in his party sorely lacks.

Yes, that's him. He's different from my reports. I guess some things do change with time. A little voice declares within 'Jay's' mind.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"I'll will talk to her about it. She doesn't even know that I'm planning to join yet so it's a discussion we need to have." The scholar takes a deeper breath through her nose. "But I suppose that's all my questions for now then. Don't suppose you had any more questions for me?"
Last edited by Shadowcaller on Jan 25, 2023 11:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Reinholdt
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Reinholdt shakes his head. "I see. Well, I think I'm good thanks." He pays for the service and stands up. "Well I look forward to seeing you around. Take care and good job again." If there's nothing else, Reinholdt will head out.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Jay smiles at the satyr. Good, he has given her a perfectly reasonable reason to turn her attention to him without raising suspicion.
"Well, thanks I s'pose. Things were moving a touch quickly there. To whom do I owe the pleasure, sir...?" she asks, leaning a bit in her seat and adjusting her wings.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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The satyr's mouth slowly curves into a smile. "My name? You're fey, you should know how precious those are. I tell you what, I'll tell you it if you allow me to buy you a drink."

A dilemma, not accepting it might turn him away but trusting drinks from him is also unwise. The mental voice remarks.

The other satyrs look disappointed to say at least but they seem to know better then try to hit on the woman that this particular satyr has shown interest in it would seem.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"Well, I gave you mine already, but if you insist." Jay snaps her fingers.
"Bartender! Rum and cola on this man!" she calls. He won't be able to mess with the drink if the bartender is the one mixing it. The real angel's blessing should keep her from getting drunk right away anyway.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"And you shouldn't have. A stranger like me? There's dangerous people out there miss, one better be careful who you hand your over to." The satyr remarks as he sits down at one of the tables. A goblin waiter soon coming over to them with what Jay ordered.
"But mine is Ywain and sadly I'm likely the best out of this bunch-" He gestures over to the tables the other satyrs are sitting around. "-which isn't saying a lot." Ywain let's out a chuckle. "Really, a girl like you must be able to get much better company than the people in here."
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"Oh, I most certainly could." says Jay, sipping at her drink.
"But I'm here for a purpose. This, mainly." She taps the cask with her hoof.
"I'm here for a contest. And the nice places to have a drink aren't going to have men who can hold their liquor for a proper contest. Interested?"
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Ywain's eyebrows shoot up and then he suddenly let's out a laugh. "A contest? I apologize for my outburst but this I have to hear. You belong to the mehet don't you?" He gestures to her and leans down, leaning on his own hand. "Since the last one of your group I met straight up punched the life out of me so I think I deserve an explanation as to why I suddenly have the honor of drinking against one. Makes a guy nervous, y'know?"
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"Because they can be so boooooring!" Jay waves her hands.
"Everyone knows satyrs can hold their liquor. And they don't respond to someone trying to have a little fun with 'oh, Jay, that's irresponsible, what if you get hungover?' Bah."

Of course mentally she's imagining a large woman with furry legs literally punching the life out of him and it's a very amusing thought.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"Really? I was always under the impression you could hold your liquor considering how, ah, big you tend to be. Not to mention, I distinctively recall this one impressive mehet that always seemed to visit the pub. Think she was working the rest of the day, as mortals do. Incidentally, she was the one that decided to knock me out. Was much younger back then, as foolhardy as these boys." He gestures towards the other satyrs.

"So you could say I deserved it." Ywain smiles. "But if you consider them so dull, why did you decide to be one? Since I can tell that wasn't always the case." He inclines his head towards Jay's wings.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"Big? We're of reasonable size. Y'all are just skinny." Jay snickers.
"I like my people. But sometimes they don't cut loose as much as they should. The ones around here are bigger on moderation. Which is good of course. Most of the time. But sometimes I like being irresponsible."
She shrugs.
"The birds are ten times worse. Being imperious got so tiring. But unlike your boys, I like getting work done some of the time. So I found something that works for me. Most of the time."
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"Most of the time? Suppose that's the best one can ever hope for." He chuckles. "I admit I feel a certain fascination with 'the birds'. Not what you're saying isn't true. But that's part of why they're so interesting to me."

He raises his glass. "Anyway, I'm not much for these kinds of challenges anymore but guess I have to defend the honor of my people now, huh?" Yawain grins. "So are we competing for something here? Since these kinds of challenges ought to have a bet don't they?"
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Jay leans forward, just a little.
”And just what exactly would you want to put up as at stakes for such a bet? I admit I wasn’t planning on making a big deal out of it aside from the sport.”
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Yawain seems to consider this for a moment with a sly smile. "What about this? If I win, I'll get to take you to town and if you win, I'll pay your tab. Either way we get to enjoy each others company, yes?"
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Jay pats the barrel with her hoof.
"Well, as long as we clarify that my tab includes the supply I brought for the occasion. It wasn't cheap." she chuckles.
"Let's see. Gotta start off a bet with some proper sportsmanship. How about a proper promise on the books?" she clears her throat for effect. "I make a promise to my opponent, Yawain, that I have not and will not tamper with the drinks. I will honor my end of the bargain and will not take advantage of him when he's drunk." she opens an eye and gives him a pointed look.
"That last one I'd like you to make for your boys, too. Of course you'll be under the table and I won't, but I'd prefer knowing that they'll keep their hands to themselves without you awake."
And this is important! Though obviously this is actually just a plot to get Yawain to say her name as the angel instructed.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Yawain smiles. "Hey now, you're actually looking at a homeowner here." He pulls up the lapels of his coat as if to emphasize that his clothes were nicer than the other satyr's who currently seemed to be engaging in a particularly loud drinking game with one another. "I would like to think I can at least afford to pay a lady's drinking tab on occasion these days."

But the next bit has him raise his eyebrows. Yet his smile soon returns. "Oh, of course. How could I forget? I likewise swear it, miss Jay. On my own essence and to all the people I've might have wronged, I swear that I will be the perfect gentleman."

He glances at the other satyrs who haven't paid any attention to them. "Now, that would include making sure these younglings behave. So you wouldn't have to worry about that. Wouldn't be gentlemanly otherwise would it now? Consider yourself under my protection this evening."
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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You said he’s a killer and worse, Shadows? He’s certainly the scariest kind, the ones who seem nice enough.
Jay, however, simply reaches up and lifts the keg onto the table.
”Well, guess it’s time, then. Get the glasses.” Jay waves a hand to the bartender to bring them something to drink out of.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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He seems to have changed, or is hiding his nature better. Either way, he must be tried in court and sentenced. It's not something we can judge on our own. Whatever you see right now it is but a tiny glimpse of a being. A flicker of a second against eternity.

"Waiter, we're having a drink-off!" Yawain calls out as the goblin who has been running round back and forth to deliver enough booze to the other satyrs stops for a second and nods before darting back to the bar.

Soon enough there's all kinds of booze being placed on their table. "So do we have any particular rules or do we just drink, hmm?"
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Jay fetches a glass of something and her keg, with the obvious intent to use it to refill the glasses once they've downed the first two rounds the goblin provided.
"We go one by one each until one gives up or hits the floor and/or table. Simple." she declares, taking the first glass in hand.
"You ready?"
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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"Or until someone surrenders, which is something I hope happens before we hurt ourselves." Yawain remarks with a chuckle as he's putting the first mug to his lip.

And if she agrees to that, they're off.

And while it doesn't seem like Yawain is pulling off any tricks, this is clearly not his first time in a drink off.
His behavior changes little despite how much alcohol he's consuming. He makes jokes and talks between their drinks. Often coming off as rather critical of the 'younglings', by which he means the other satyrs. Though while he seems to giving her all his attention he always seems to be keeping one eye at them.
Since on more than one occasion he suddenly claims he has to interrupt the competition to stop them from doing something stupid or hurtful against the other patrons.

He's very complimentary towards her. Occasionally even about her looks. But he never breaks his gentlemanly persona with anything that could be considered inappropriate. Despite the nature of their competition.

It is done. The mental voice suddenly interrupts in the middle of all this.
Justice will be done this day. There's a strange sense of relief which Jay can feel through their link. Good work. Now you just need to make yourself safe. I would suggest going home and to make no hints about inviting him in. The Laws would prevent him from entering others private spaces.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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....you remember how far away I live, right?

The plan is relatively simple at that point: the contest is not looking like it will be over any time soon, even if Jay has Shadows' help not getting drunk. So the next time Yawain gets up to peel one of his boys off of someone, he may return to find his opponent not there at all, and the door swinging.
From there, Jay just needs to break line of sight and let the mask fall away and there's just a very normal faun, walking home inebriated from one of the bars...
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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I exist in the aether. Physical distances are difficult for me to conceptualize I'm afraid. The voice responds.

And then Jay disappears out the door.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Someone that might not be expected here arrives nonetheless.

And she looks a bit different.

With A blood red baby tee under her leather jacket, skintight dark jeans and ankle length boots, and newly short red hair, Felandria ducks into the inn and heads to the bar, a satisfied smirk beginning to form in the corner of her mouth, dark purple lipstick to go with her violet eyes.

Some fresh bread and something strong enough I don’t need the whole bottle.

Fel tosses some cash on the bar and takes a seat.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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Ordinarily, the giantess might turn every head in the room when she walked into a place like this. Not only is her appearance quite striking, people tend to notice when someone twice the size of the next-largest person in the room suddenly appears.

Today, though? Their attention appears to be elsewhere. Namely, on the demoness sitting at the bar. Even if Fel doesn't know her identity, it shouldn't be hard to guess as to why; like Fel, she is quite large, albeit not to the same degree. She's also dressed in a way that understandably grabs attention; she's wearing a long, red, sideless dress, which in theory might be proper clothing, but in practice is essentially a piece of frabric draped over her front and back, barely covering her chest and pelvis in, secured only by a few stitches connecting it at the hips and shoulders. A thick black band is visible on her left thigh, at about the height one would expect if she were wearing stockings, but she seems to have elected to do without any form of footwear. A fleshy, spade-tipped tail dangles out the side and is wrapped around one of the legs of the stool, while leathery wings lie curled tensely against her back. Her skin is a dark, almost bronze sort of color, and behind the black horns growing out of her forehead, she has a full compliment of long, raven-colored hair. She's looking down plaintively at the drink in her hand; if the other glasses are any indication, she's at least seven shots in.

Most of the people here have the good sense to leave her alone. The exception appears to be an enthusiastic halfling at her side, who seems to be downright giddy at being in her presence.

"...ite is still Too Hot For Heaven, I know people give you guys shit for it because you play it all the time, but that's because it's so good, right? I guess if I couldn't pick that, I'd say probably Laid Bare is my favorite; you guys do 'hot but also emotional' really well-"

The demoness stifles a groan and upends her drink into her mouth, clapping the glass back down on the bar.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Felandria
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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The Halfling is interrupted when their chair gets pulled away from the bar, Luckily, Felandria happens to notice the Halfling in the chair she just grabbed before she sits down.

Ah, crud, I’m sorry about that.

Almost engulfed ya there, my apologies.

Thought both of these were empty.


She nods towards the empty chair next to the Halfling, to indicate her general need for multiple chairs in these scenarios.
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Re: The Black Dragon's Den

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The halfling lets out a little squeal of... something. It sounds a bit like a mix between giddiness and anxiety. "Oh my gods... it's you! Felandria! In the flesh!" He squeaks. "What are the odds I get to meet two celebrities back-to-back like this? Somebody pinch me- ow!"

The demoness withdraws her hand from the halfling's cheek and makes a vaguely dismissive gesture. "Right. Okay, Stan. Now go ahead and leave the two of us alone. We've got things to talk about. Private things."

"Eee!" The halfling's hands come up in a little gesture of excitement. "Ooh, wait until the guys hear about this!"

And with that, the halfling turns and leaves, practically skipping out the door.

"...We don't have to talk." The demoness mutters, nursing a freshly-poured shot of something that smells like a hospital. "Just thought I'd do you a favor. He was insufferable enough with one of us here."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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