Sigil: T.C.o.D - [Walk-In][Modern Fantasy: Cycle 32][O/A]

[Betty Beelzeboop]

The Nine Swords <<<

As normal a place as ever, although it had undergone a few cosmetic procedures since the last time Lovi had been to the place. The Nine Swords: a humble run-of-the-mill bar and inn with little significance to it aside from some peculiar history to its name and the fact that it was the most average place in all of Sigil. Average, that is, by any standard outside of a city so driven by obscurity and chaos that 'normal' wasn't really normal at all. It was a place of relative peace and common ground, wherein people of both social classes could meet and share a space, and where conflict seemed only ever as simple as a drunken fistfight.

Lovi entered in usual attire.. that is, usual for a woman who used to get by on their looks and primitive 'talents' in a somewhat lucrative trade. She'd always been given to doing her own thing on her own damn time, but so rarely did she manage to do this with any level of success. When she walked in and saw at least three familiar faces, she simply rolled her eyes and conceded to the universe and its inexplicable course.

She waved to Tres, even smiled a bit, and absolutely avoided eye contact with Lian for the time being. Lovi was, after all, the most stubborn person that ever existed (at least by her own account).

"Whiskey," she told the bartender as she approached the counter, as though any farther interaction was too complicated for the simplicity of what she wanted.

[Lian Feaorne]

arrow The Nine Swords Tavern

Well that could have gone a lot better....

Lian shook her head in utter disappointment in herself and of the company that she had dreamed would be a fantastic thing. What a reality check this was...Lian's eyebrows furrowed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, her shoulders shaking. Slowly she lowered her forehead down to the table until it hit with a thud. She was burnt out. Social interaction after some time of being a recluse was too much. The pints of ale she had before helped make a improper lubricant but it was failing at this moment. Lian rose her head up, bringing her hood back up as she sat with a bit of a slouch, chewing on the inside of her cheek. The dwarven maid returned, refilling her pint which Lian begrudgingly picked up, paying the maid a tip before she left and brought it to her lips, tilting it back slowly.

The pint drained quickly, Lian taking it in big gulps until it was bone dry, slamming the pint on the table when she was finished with a drunken hiccup. "Myeah..."She said, confirming something. Almost like approaching a soap box, she got up on her chair, then stood up on her table. It got some attention, and then she started speaking. "Yoooooooouuu.....You scoundrels...You-you thieves, ya blighters, ya ******** said, putting her hands on her hips. If it didn't get their attention before, she was getting it now as she wobbled on the table that had awkward tilt to it. "W-whish I'm suuuuure sommovya have actually done...shickos...I'm talkin' here...So ya'll wanna claim da' shitty of Shigil do ya? Imma gonna tell ya' what...Ya' can't...Cush ya'll don't know how to Orgaminizesh...Organimi...PUSHST s**t TOGETHER...I fought in more warsh then Shigil hash sheen."She rose her voice, slurring as she pointed to the crowds, then up to the ceiling.

"Sho tell me...Who n' wut army ish going to take control...And sho those ******** in the Ladie's Ward what it meansh to organish...Organgimi...PUSSHIT TOGETHER!? Huh?! Cuz' I'm warnin' you now..."Lian said, standing erect and like a prophet. "The reward will not be as great as the risk...Sho' balansh...Must be maintained wonsh the reward 'as been shought...Er' bad shittle 'appen man..."

Lian wobbled, the table pitching forward. The elf rolled before sloppily popping back up on her feet. The hood had stayed on thankfully, Lian wobbling and starting to saunter to the bar, stopping and leaning over to look at the bartender. Grabbing the poor unfortunate dwarf, she hoisted him up by his apron, giving him a drunkenly saucy kiss before dropping him promptly and then moving for the doors.

[Tres Ecstuffuan]

The Nine Swords Tavern

Tres was relieved when Lovi entered, but he did not show it. She must have finished whatever business she needed to attend to early. The psychic warrior enjoyed her presence but restrained himself to a simple half waving gesture with his crystal left index and middle finger with a cocky smirk on his face. He then reached for his bottle of water as he casually glanced in Lian's direction. There he saw the elven woman downing a pint of what appeared to dwarven ale.

'What is she doing?', the psion wondered. She was drinking it down faster than what Tres knew was safe, even considering Lian's aged and empowered constitution. She put down the emptied pint and it was as if the drunkenness had hit her immediately. He could tell by the waver of her body during that over-emphasized hiccup. Yet Tres didn't believe it, until she decided to stand up on her chair and began shouting. Tres face palmed as a stream of expletives left the elves lips. Calling the denizens of the bar thieves and scoundrels wasn't a way to get them on her side. Tres looked around and everyone in the bar was scowling at Lian.

Tres then stood up and walked over to Lian as she was saying something about Shickos. By the time she got close she was about to go over to the bar, Tres would stand in her way and say to Lian.

"Lian, ******** are you doing?", Tres said with a legitimate look of concern on his face.

Tres glanced over to Lovi and gave her a look. He would not speak a word to the stone-lady across the bar but she would know to get ready to move.

[editing for Lian]

[Nefarious Koneko]

Stella Astrum
Model Citizen

When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime,

Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,

Pardon me sir, but as the international code of etiquette will kindly point out, “ Stella paused briefly, crossing her arms and popping her hip out, her pink hued eyes gazing uncaring at the orchish brute before her, “that persons leaving a facility have right of way. I kindly ask you to move yourself from my way.”

She stood defiantly, her eyes scanning the body, her synthetic limbs preparing for a confrontation. After the failure of the elf to come to a reasonable deal, Stella was feeling abrasive and offended. It wasn’t every day that you offered essentially the holy grail of business deals and get rejected by withering doubts. The turning down of what was essentially a gift left a bitter taste in the young girl’s mouth. That or the horrible excuse for tea. In any case, Stella did not seek to waste time and even a step back was an affront to her mind set at the moment.

“If you cannot comply, I’d hate for violence to ensue,” She added, her hand sliding back the jacket, revealing her M95 Archon bolt pistol. At the moment it was set to lethal, the default setting. At this range, her programming labeled the Orc a threat to her, and lethal force was authorized. The weapon was powerful enough to lay a grown human adult on the ground with three shots at 100 yards. The weapon was capable of firing 12 shots. Stella was an expert marksman at any range. Her eyes narrowed as she waited for the orc, her hands at her side, limbs ready to defend herself if needed.

Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,

Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.

[Betty Beelzeboop]

The Nine Swords <<<

Sufficiently served, she opened her tab and kept a remarkably confident posture despite feeling entirely awkward as her once friend went about spouting loud, drunken rantings to the bartender. She averted her eyes and pretended not to listen, but...it was remarkably difficult not to.

Poor dear.

Lovi had almost wanted to break her resolve to help the woman from making an a** of herself in public. But then again, there was very likely no solution to the problem as simple as stepping in to turn the conversation away from something that sounded like a weird doomsday prophecy. It wasn't the first time she'd seen the elven woman do as much in an intoxicated state. Some things were just to be expected. Thank the Goddess for Lovi's own reasonable constitution.

About the time the silver-haired monarch made for the door, Lovi turned from the bar as well, rotating the opposite direction to avoid eye contact. She joined Tres without bothering to ask or lead into a shaky, casual conversation on the great nothings of the world. Instead she just spoke her mind.

"It's strange," she said, "Coming here after too long away. I was usually working wen I did." She took a sip of her drink, then set the glass down with a soft click of ice against glass. She fished her pockets for her pipe, and she seemed as much 'Lovi' as she ever had. Almost as though she'd been unchanged by the events recently passed, though it most certainly had.

"Doesn't quite feel the same," she went on, "Not going to leave with some strange man.. I'll still wake up in a shitty hotel room tomorrow morning, though. I'll have that at least." She cast a glance his way and then smirked.

"And you.. you used to take me to such 'nice' places before," she joked, not really having a punchline to her casual bit of humor. It was really just her way of saying he'd changed, too. Albeit, she didn't know yet whether it was for better or far worse.

She caught that sideways glance and drained her cup as though it were as breathable as air.

She paid her tab immediately and worked her way around the crowd that had gathered to look on at the well-to-do monarch bitterly. She was poised to leave, but ready to help where it was needed, too.

[Tres Ecstuffuan]

[edit done]

[Tres Ecstuffuan]

Pengu von Scheiffe

Stella Astrum
Model Citizen

When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime,

Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,

Pardon me sir, but as the international code of etiquette will kindly point out, “ Stella paused briefly, crossing her arms and popping her hip out, her pink hued eyes gazing uncaring at the orchish brute before her, “that persons leaving a facility have right of way. I kindly ask you to move yourself from my way.”

She stood defiantly, her eyes scanning the body, her synthetic limbs preparing for a confrontation. After the failure of the elf to come to a reasonable deal, Stella was feeling abrasive and offended. It wasn’t every day that you offered essentially the holy grail of business deals and get rejected by withering doubts. The turning down of what was essentially a gift left a bitter taste in the young girl’s mouth. That or the horrible excuse for tea. In any case, Stella did not seek to waste time and even a step back was an affront to her mind set at the moment.

“If you cannot comply, I’d hate for violence to ensue,” She added, her hand sliding back the jacket, revealing her M95 Archon bolt pistol. At the moment it was set to lethal, the default setting. At this range, her programming labeled the Orc a threat to her, and lethal force was authorized. The weapon was powerful enough to lay a grown human adult on the ground with three shots at 100 yards. The weapon was capable of firing 12 shots. Stella was an expert marksman at any range. Her eyes narrowed as she waited for the orc, her hands at her side, limbs ready to defend herself if needed.

Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,

Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.

The Nine Swords Tavern

The Orc with limbs visibly augmented with heavy looking cybernetics regarded what appeared to be a young girl with a look of utter disbelief. His augmented brain worked to analyze the girl, his left eye a sphere made of some plastic looking synthetic material that was obviously different from his organic right eye began to change as switched between various forms of vision to read her physiology. If the orc was able to do so he would pick up that many of the girls limbs were similar to his but more advanced in terms of visibility.

As her hand went towards her jacket, the Orc's left hand would simply rise after he interpreted the movement as hostile. His synthetic muscles reacted explosively as soon as his computerized brain picked up evidence of hostility. The metal limb would transform into a large looking canon as he brought it up. The girl in her expertise might recognize as a melta gun; a weapon that would blast out a volley of superheated plasma. Because The Orc's hand would simply rise while the girl's hand needed to reach into a jacket to retrieve an object, it was likely that the Orc's plasma cannon would be pointed at the girl's chest before she ever was able to brandish her own bolt pistol.

If the orc succeeded in his attempt at pointing his melta-gun arm at the girls chest before she retrieved her bolt pistol, if she continued to pull out that bolt pistol then the Orc would simply fire a volley of plasma straight into her chest. If she conceded however, he would not fire. In this case the Orc would say;

"You would shoot me for being in your way?", his voice seemed to tune by some mechanical device. "You will die quickly in Sigil if you continue to act like your hot s**t."

The smaller man behind the Orc would step out from behind the Orc, and would reach down to his steam powered gauntlet, turning a nob on the gauntlet. The amount of steam released from the gauntlet would begin to increase.

[Lian Feaorne]

arrow The Nine Swords Tavern

Tres stepped in her way, Lian looking just at a wall of stomach and chest muscles under leather armor. She raised an eyebrow, looking up at him questioningly. Lian had beef with the bartender from years ago and she was going to give the rotten little dwarf a piece of her mind but she was intercepted. "Za' ******** you doin'? I'm jush asshertin' my opinion on Shigil's shtate...Issha' free plane isshin' it? S'not like other places where leadersh make err one shut up..."Lian said, giving him a poke in the chest armor with her finger. Disgruntled, she backed one or two steps and pulled back her hood. Drunkenly angry, her face was a mix of drunken and angry flush in the cheeks. "N' why should YOU care...Oh mighty frickin' leader. Yer pickin' a HELL of a time to shtep in now...Ya stringy headed jerk. Y-you shtep up fer Lovi but nooooooooooo...She hates me! I canny even talk to her without 'er running away like a big p***y..."

Lian looked over to the Amazon, glaring at her. She wasn't going to even bother anymore...Why bother? Why bother with anything. The degree of tilt her ears usually kept when irritated or joyful sunk heavily at the sides of her head. "N' now, I don't even know where I shtand wit' you...I heard your exshact thoughts on those who live in the lashies ward, Tresh when you schpoke today.... I got lumped in jush because I live there? Becaush I try to do good things to help? Becaush I couldn't help the way I lived becaush of my heritage and my kids' heritage...?"She said, bringing her bare arm up to wipe her eyes and nose which both were starting to run.

"If nothing I try worksh to 'alp people...Even I work n' try 'ard...Am I really shcum?"Lian sniffed, her mood shifting.

[Trexasle]

Terrance Vanguard

Terrance heard the female’s voice before, just was surprised to hear it. The boys leaf brown eyes, went wide, his mouth agape. He slowly turned toward the source of the voice to see Trinity, the very same drow that he remembered being killed before his very eyes by KB. She seemed to be walking with a staff, and draped in what seemed to be a How did she manage to live? How did her wounds heal? Well it wasn’t much that Terrance could ask her, for she seemed to be speak.

“Every day you survive is a day you have won. Or are you too naïve to know this, Terrance Vanguard.”

Once the young boy heard this he began to stammer. “N-No, That’s not the problem miss!” He now waved his hand widly trying to shrug off the suggestion that he didn’t feel like he won. In fact he was quite overjoyed that he and the others had managed to beat the vampire KB. It was almost like a monkey had been taken off of his back, that he was finally free from the mass amount of pain that KB had cost him, and many others. He was more than proud that they had managed to beat him. ******** he was ecstatic about it. However, almost was the key word here. He still felt guilty about everything that had happened, he wanted to fix his errors. All of them.

“Look…It’s…Well…” He paused for a second whist a sigh escaped his lips. He wasn’t used to talking to others about things, mostly because people just wouldn’t talk to him. He was a nobody essentially, just another scientist that nobody truly cares about, regardless of the many MANY breakthroughs you’d discover. The young man leaned toward a nearby wall, and began to ruffle his dreads. “What if I told you that everything that happened with KB in the first place was somehow caused by my hasty thinking.”

“Many people lost their lives back at Lovi’s brothel, and I had no right rushing to my initial fight with KB like that…I just want that monkey off of my back…And I thought beating KB would do that…I guess not however.” Terrance looked down at the ground and away from her blue eyes for a second. He wasn’t sure how the warrior drow would react, certainly he didn’t want to see her angry after she had just recovered from her injuries.

[Nefarious Koneko]

Stella Astrum
Model Citizen

When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime,

Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,

Stella’s own body was signal shielded and transmitted a false positive. To even the most advanced scanning devices, she appeared perfectly human. However, as the Orc moved to raise his arm, an apparently energy based weapon, Stella reacted violently and explosively. Her synthetic muscle driving powerfully forward. Her first reaction, was a sidestep to the forward left, her left hand travelling to deliver a powerful palm strike to where the orc’s wrist would be. IT was called the 180 degree defense, one of the baselines of all modern self defense. With her right hand planted on the Orc’s chest, she threw her body forward, in an attempt to shove him back. If successful, she would deliver enough force to knock the orc down, but would follow up with no aggressive actions, seeking to defuse the situation. If the orc attempted to dodge by side stepping, she would roll forward out of the establishment, thus attaining her original goal. Her strikes were thrown in blistering speeds, she said nothing to the orc.

Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,

Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.

[Tres Ecstuffuan]

The Nine Swords Tavern

Tres didn't take any affront to what Lian was saying, Tres knew she was drunk or at least thought she was. At this point, it didn't matter what was significant was the fact that Lian was making Tres look bad. Right now the political climate was sensitive and the slightest mistake could cause the psion to lose the popular leverage that he had gained in recent months. The psions eyes narrowed as Lian backed up in her angry huff.

Tres approached her keeping his voice down. He didn't try to physically restrain her, Lian held a great power that Tres would hate to contend with. So he would attempt to talk her down.

"Lian, I know your going through some Hard Times and I don't include you in the plutocratic filth in the ladies ward but we need to talk about this in private because right now but you are playing with a powder keg right now.

I am the only friend you have here. Do not antagonize me in this place. Because though I owe you my life, this isn't about you and I don't want you to force my hand."

[Nefarious Koneko]

Trinity Syn
Wayward Wanderer
~ ~ Age: 241 ~ ~
Activated Skills: NONE
Health: 294/294 Mana: 120/120
~~ Atk +4 ~~ Dfnc+2 ~~ Mgc+7 ~~ Adpt +5~~
Status: NONE

When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime,

Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,

Trinity outstretched her hand, ushering the bow to walk with her. She indeed seemed aged in personality. Losing ones home would do that. Trinity pondered only briefly what Terrance had said, unsurprised by his flabbergasted state of her return. She too had witness her own ‘death’. A doppleganger. An illusion spell designed to confuse the enemy, made of loose dirt and given the appearance and texture of real flesh and bone. It was a convincing display of magical prowess, one Trinity hadn’t truly expected herself capable of.

“All those drawn into war should expect death. Whether they were at the line of battle, or innocents far away from the conflict. To exist in war and not expect danger and casualties… well… people like that do not belong in war,” She said softly, pausing at a shop to purchase some obscure necklaces that caught her fancy. They were simple strands of string with brilliant azure blue gems, “And what you call rash actions. Charging into battle. We call that spirit. Spirit to show your enemies you aren’t afraid. It is one of the most admirable trait in young warriors and in time you’ll learn to control it. As for the war being your fault, fret not. Wars can hardly be blamed on a single party. Those you offended could just as easily diffused the situation. A single man can set loose the path of war, but is not the cause of it. Besides, history will be quickly written in favor of the victor. And you appear to be a victor.”

Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,

Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.

[Tres Ecstuffuan]

Pengu von Scheiffe

Stella Astrum
Model Citizen

When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime,

Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,

Stella’s own body was signal shielded and transmitted a false positive. To even the most advanced scanning devices, she appeared perfectly human. However, as the Orc moved to raise his arm, an apparently energy based weapon, Stella reacted violently and explosively. Her synthetic muscle driving powerfully forward. Her first reaction, was a sidestep to the forward left, her left hand travelling to deliver a powerful palm strike to where the orc’s wrist would be. IT was called the 180 degree defense, one of the baselines of all modern self defense. With her right hand planted on the Orc’s chest, she threw her body forward, in an attempt to shove him back. If successful, she would deliver enough force to knock the orc down, but would follow up with no aggressive actions, seeking to defuse the situation. If the orc attempted to dodge by side stepping, she would roll forward out of the establishment, thus attaining her original goal. Her strikes were thrown in blistering speeds, she said nothing to the orc.

Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,

Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.

The nine Swords Tavern

The Orc's mental processes were faster than any physical movement. His reaction speed was synthetic and made to be unerring. So while he didn't at this point in time know what Stella was, he would know as any Sigil knew to underestimate no one.

So when Stella reacted violently to the raising of the Orc's Arm by stepping forward to the left, the Orc would fire. The Orc's cannon could with that single signal to fire adjust the width at which the arm cannon released the volley of plasma.

A wave of pure reddish orange superheated energy would escape from the Orc's arm erupting in a cone shaped wave that would span out at 5 feet, plenty wide to at least catch a portion of the womans body as she came forward with the palm strike. A bright red light would erupt from this action to steal the attention from the scene Lian was making within the bar.

Because the blast would escape at a low angle due to the fact that the Orc was still raising his arm at the time of the release and due to the method with which the plasma escaped the arm, the plasma blast would not travel far and would dissipate upon hitting the enchanted wood of the Nine Swords Tavern, leaving anybody else other than Stella unlikely to be harmed by the attack.

Now if somehow Stella managed to defend or evade the blast of plasma and followed through with her palm strike, her left hand would crash into the cannon arm which was presently extremely hot due to having just released a blast of plasma but the palm strike would parry the arm to the Orc's right.

The Orc, being a master of close quarters combat, would perform the simple act of raising his right hand on guard in front of his chest, lowering his center of gravity by bending his knees and throwing his weight forward to his right into the oncoming girl. The Orc's cybernetic enhancement increased his weight vastly and would likely make him harder to put down than expected.

The Orc's steampunk friend behind him would lift up his brass gauntlet to point at the dueling pair, he would press a button on the right hand gauntlet with his left hand. Eldritch runes would glow with magical power on the gauntlet before a crackling blue sphere erupted from the gauntlet as the gauntlet hissed harshly with steam erupting from its vents. The blue sphere would expand into a neon blue net that would expand to width of 10 feet as it hurtled at bullet like speeds towards the pair. The net would pass through the Cyberpunk Orc harmlessly but if the net were to hit Stella then it would wrap around the girl and then squeeze, in an attempt to hold her tight with an ever tightening vice strong enough to contain even superhuman strength.

[Betty Beelzeboop]

The Nine Swords <<<

Of course having personal mention of her name followed by a blatant insult was enough to boil Lovi's blood just a little, but she was more level-headed now than she had been when last they had seen one another. And, despite her frustration with it, she did understand. She'd seen enough intoxicated fits of emotion to draw proper understanding for what was happening within the elven monarch right now. But then again, Lovi had almost always done these things in private.

After all, drinking alone held its own poetic merit with the added benefit of not making a fool of oneself before the rest of the world. And besides that, some words seemed utterly meaningless when they lacked the mental clarity to justify them.

She'd hoped Tres was getting through to her. But on the off-chance that everything he'd said had flown strait over her head, she decided to approach the situation from her own perspective, and her words would not be quite as gentle.

Keeping her tone low, and her voice soft so that only Lian would properly hear when she approached, the look on her face was stern, but not quite angry as one might expect.

"Lian, none of that s**t matters right now," she spoke frankly, and quickly enough that she would not be cut off by any drunken rebuttal, "Look at yourself, dammit! Stumbling, spewing slurred nonsense like damned fool.. Forget about whatever the hell you're trying to say and think about what it's actually doing. Do you think your living children want to see this? That they'd want to hear about it?"

She paused only briefly to look her in the eye and let her know that she was not about to let her continue on her tactless tirade, "What good are you to them like this? Maybe you don't give a damn about yourself, or maybe you're too selfish to care one way or another, I don't know. I don't care. But either way, I'll be damned if I'm going to let you sit here and wallow in your own pit of misery while the rest of your family.. hell, just the rest of us suffer through it. Straiten up and act like the goddamn monarch that you are. You'll be welcome to speak your opinion when you have the dignity to express it."

[Lian Feaorne]

arrow The Nine Swords Tavern

Lian would listen, but had to squint at him just to get a proper visual. On top of the three pints she had at the Nine Swords, she had one other at the meat bun stand and then four more back home. If that wasn't enough to call her plastered, then what? Lian huffed, but leaned forward and sighed with the smell of alcohol on her breath. "I know it ishn't...I've jush been sho outta tha' shircle wit' erryone, ya' know..."She said, crossing her arms. Her stomach was starting to hurt and in the back of her mind she hoped it wasn't going to come up again. Not yet.

"Then find some place to talk, Tresh, sheesh...Dun' put me on the shidelines jush yet cuz o' my shituation...N' whatever."She said, pointing to the door for them to lead the way. "Lesh Bounsh..."

Aaaaannnd then Lovi spoke. Lian's ears shot straight up and back, her eyes wandering from Tres' face over to Lovi's. It made her already short fuse shorter and she seemed to sober up pretty quickly. "Don't you DARE talk about my children, Lovi...Or me in that manner. You know exactly how it feels to lose people, but I have no outlet right now. I can't even go to my damn office without being criticized and there was the only place I could so something. I don't need that criticism from you two either..."She said, her teeth ground but she was keep her her voice as low as she could as she seethed. "If I were such the monarch everyone labeling me as instead of getting to know me, I would have dragged your a** to a single room and made you listen...I'm not a monarch, I'm not a Ladies Ward plutocrat, I'm a person just like anyone ********]

Lian put her hands in, angry but stopping before it went too far or she raised her voice too much. There was a lot to be said but Tres was right, this wasn't the place..or the time. The blood was rushing to her head so quickly that her face had turn beet red and slowly shifted into green as her stomach rebelled. "Lesh go...If you want to talk beef, lesh go somewhere elsh..."