Playground of the Omniverse IC

"Master Funk, you bastard..." Alec murmurs as he recalls his defeat to Chad, not too long ago. He is on a ship making its way to  the Omniverse. "Never would I have thought that I would lose to a mere human like you" Alec thought to himself. "I admit you are strong Master Funk," Alec grins "and you have intrigued me... However, I can't let you live. You are a threat to me."

"5 minutes until arrival" the computer beeped. "I have had some of my own followers spy on the organization and made copies of the blue prints on their light speed travel machine." Alec continued his train of thought. "However, their experiment was flawed and was blasted into some unknown dimension. All I had to do was fix the minor flaw those fools overlooked and trace its coordinates to his destination... I will find you, Master Funk" Alec chuckles as the ship is about to make its landing.

As soon as the ship lands Alec steps outside to find himself in an alley filled with trash. He scans the area and finds Chad's wrecked landing pod. "There's no body." Alec thought "He survived the crash... good!" he smirks. "Now where could he have gone?" Upon further inspection Alec notices some rubble, bodies and holes on the brick walls. "It seems there has been a fight here. He most likely went inside." Alec walks out of the alley ignoring any civilian walking around him or staring at him if there is any.

Before he enters the bar Alec listens in on a nearby conversation...

"I thought for sure I was going to see The Smile! I thought for sure! I thought-- I thought I was never going to--!" Alec heard the feminine voice along with hysteric sobbing. "Hm? What could this be?" Alec turned his body curious as to what is going on and begins walking towards the direction of the noise. The closer he came to the door the clearer he could hear the voices. "Was this all a part of your business?" asked a male voice bitterly. "Maybe one these people could entertain me a bit..." Alec thought to himself as he grins and walks in on the conversation.

It was again the fire-haired man that reacted to his presence first. From beneath the fog that billowed from the ground numerous black tendrils shot up and seized Tyros, restricting all his movement. The Story Master loosed a bit of a grunt when the tendrils tightened around his torso.

The fire-haired man turned to the top hatted man and threatened him with more of the tendrils that sprang up and loitered menacingly behind his top hat, all of which were the same pitch color as his flesh. He spoke,

“Now, since you obviously can’t handle this intruder,” He muttered, “I’m going to take care of this. Make a move against me, I’ll put you in the same position.” He said to the man in the top hat with a smile. “Not to be vile; just a… precaution. This man has something that I need…”

After he spoke thus, the flame-haired man walked towards him. Tyros tried to force his way out of the shadowy clutches but to no avail. The fiery shadow of a being closed its eyes and threw forth its hand an instant later and it fell upon Tyros’ chest and the amulet hanging over it. The fire-haired man pulled at his shirt and tore the fabric that rested over the still glowing amulet.

“THAT WAS MY FAVORITE SHIRT!!!” Tyros was now furious and the fog grew heavier and rose to waist height. Curiosity quickly consumed his attention however, when the being then proceeded to try crush the amulet in it’s hand.

The flame-haired one spoke, clearly distressed, “No… It can’t be…” It opened its hand freeing the amulet but it was not the same.Instead there were three spheres that the amulet’s place on the chain, one red, one green, one blue…

The being’s reaction was peculiar to Tyros. It looked back and forth from the new amulet to its sword. Then he said plainly,“... How…”

The flame haired being’s demeanor changed suddenly.

“HOW!!!!” His scream carried such force that it shook the entire room that they were in. He continued in feverish tone, “HOW DO YOU KNOW HIM!!” It probably would have thrown him from where he stood if he were not restrained. Tyros was feeling something strange. The scream felt as though it permeated his very soul. This was the closest thing he had ever come to fearing anything. The last thing the being yelled made no sense to him, “HOW DO YOU KNOW BILIXOR!!”

Tyros was fully unsure of how best to respond but he thought he might do well to tell the flame haired one how he came to acquire the amulet. The fog faded as he was distracted from his anger by his curiosity. What did this being have to do with this stone set in the amulet? Had it created the stone? And what did the being do to cause it’s shape to morph? Could the being teach him its secrets? Would it take the amulet from him? He had to know!

He said with a curious, but polite, grin, “May I tell you a story?”

Old Boar’s Inn; Booth
[Kresnik/Alec]

The bard would chuckle nervously as he stroked his chin, shrugging offhandedly as he replied to the smoldering hunter, “Nah, mate. The Smile is just an urban myth - a legend. But ah…” The elf looked longingly back to the table before refocusing back on the weeping maid. “Now, shh, shh…” A gentle hand would (gingerly) pat the gore covered head of the waitress, comforting noises coming from his mouth as he continued to speak, “You’re all and well now. You’re fine… you’re fi—“ Just then, a manshark burst through the doorframe, giant fists balled tightly as he looked frantically about. Suddenly, his beady eyes locked onto the small waitress and he barreled over (almost toppling over both Kresnik and his companion) as his big voice cried out into the almost empty inn, “DEEDEE! Deedee, are you hurt?” His gaze shifted angrily over to Kresnik and back to hers, “Did they cover you in this? Did they do this to yo-“
“No Brucey, I’m fine! Just… No, I’m fine. These guys saved me!”

The small girl’s smile beamed towards hunter and bard before she continued, “There’s was this bad man, but this one,” She pointed to Kresnik with a small hand, “made him go boom and, and…” Her joy turned to instant sadness as she began to cry again. Bruce, anger all lost at the sudden outburst, scooped up the girl and began to pat her on the back, talking softly to her, “Don’t cry, Deedee… You’re safe now…”

Bruce began walking towards the bar, calling over his hunching shoulders as he did, “Sit down, gents. I’ll get you whatever you want for free!”

The bard, who had been quietly plucking and tuning his strings at this point (while taking note at the sudden appearance of a strange looking man who sniffed… something off the floor), suddenly perked as a grin came across his face, “Thanks, mate! Just bring them over to the booth over there, aye?” Bruce lifted a giant biceped arm in a quick gesture of departure and affirmation as the elf pushed one of Kresnik’s shoulders in a light playful manner before he began to limp back to the their original seating, “Common, mate! I need to finish my story!”




The Lows; ???
Halcyon/Gerald/TSM

None would be more surprised than Gerald when The Story Master returned back to his home. The odd man often prided himself on the fact if he "took out the house trash," the trash would forever be gone. However, this time, for a reason unknown, it had not. A mouth hung widely open as Tyros reappeared under a waxed mustache as tea nearly spilt from a nearly dropped teacup.

However, Gerald quickly recovered as he craftily, smugly sipped his tea after commenting on the manner, "But of course! Like I said, old chap, 'tis bad manners to--"

His gloating was cut off by Halcyon as the chaotic god insulted Gerald and made clear his intentions. Halcyon's words were stinging, insulting. So much, that Gerald actually propped up his legs in the most outrageous manner, air blowing out from his mouth, causing the mustache to actually wildly flap about for a moment as he muttered darkly into his teacup, "Bad form, old chap, threatening a king in his own bloody castle..." As the chaotic god examined his new plaything, the thief would slurp his tea purposefully loudly, an unhidden stink eye being cast both at his "guest" and newly formed partner (though more so at the man that was wrapped in shadows).

Oddly, Gerald would show very little emotion through the entire ordeal, except for one quirked eyebrow at Halcyon's sudden rage about a chap named "Bilixor." But as The Story Master opened his mouth, Gerald rose, taking swift steps towards the amulet holder, immediately cutting him off at the proposition of telling a story.

"No, you may not, sir." Gerald's face hardened at the gentlemanly word, eyes becoming as bright as chiseled gems, mouth as firm as an iron hand. "Instead, you may tell me why you are here, in my home, uninvited and why I shouldn't take you to worse places than the edge of the world." By the end, Gerald had walked a half circle around The Story Master, pacing with his cane as his sneakered feet made the full path. At his last emphasized phrase, Gerald would suddenly unveil his cane's true nature - a sword, its keen blade's point resting on the space between Tyros's eyes...

If Halcyon made move, either in words or actions, consequences would be dire, or so would say the terrible look that the chaotic god would receive upon moving offensively against Gerald.

[Kresnik]

Kresnik listened to the elf, who shrugged away the topic about "the Smile" in a manner that did not sit well with the dhampir. Near his wits' end, Kresnik was about to show the elf a new display of his magic; however, he stopped himself as swiftly as the idea had came to him as he watched him try to comfort the maid. In the midst of it all, the door practically exploded, and Kresnik brought one hand up as he turned to meet the new foe, alit with an eldritch flame of the sickliest hue of green. The manshark barreled in, and Kresnik swiftly moved out of his way by a hair's breadth. He watched the display, lowering his hand as the magic vanished. This creature was alien to him, but he was still prepared to shed its blood all over the inn at a moment's notice. This entity spoke to the young maid in a casual manner, despite the ire and worry and cynicism.

When the beast calmed at the young girl's explanation, Kresnik let out a sigh of relief. I grow weary of all this fighting... he thought, exhaustion bordering at the crevices of his psyche. Weariness threatened him, too, but he shook away the feeling as if it were merely an insect upon his hand. The manshark, Bruce, lumbered his way towards the bar, suggesting that they sit and have a drink; a way of gratitude, and perhaps as a way to make amends for his reasonable outburst. The elf was quick to reply; which wasn't surprising to the dhampir as he soon learned of the elf's love for alcohol.

The dhampir saw, from the corner of his vision, someone walk into the inn. Kresnik simply let it go, too tired to bother to act upon his paranoia. Unexpectedly, the elf thumped Kresnik on the shoulder in a playful manner, which he cast Locien a stern glare. "And perhaps after your story, we can return to the legendary Smile." The night hunter replied coldly, still sour from the events that had transpired since arriving to the city.

Alec walks in trying not to draw too much suspicion upon himself. “Nah, mate. The Smile is just an urban myth - a legend. But ah…” Alec overheard until the man talking was interrupted by some shark man bursting in the room and tending to the maid covered in blood.

As the group was distracted by the commotion, Alec noticed something on the floor. It was Chad's smoke bomb that Ganti dropped from the previous bar fight. Alec kneels down and tries to trace Chad's scent but to no avail. Chad's scent was mixed with someone else's who touched it earlier, making it harder to track him. With a grunt Alec puts the bomb in his pocket and stands up. "A legend, huh?" Alec thought to himself slightly amused. "Let's see where this is going." Alec continues to listen on the conversation from a distance with the aid of his super natural hearing abilities.

After the Sharks scandal died down, the elf continued “Common, mate! I need to finish my story!”, but then a man replied coldly, "And perhaps after your story, we can return to the legendary Smile." It was the same cold voice Alec heard earlier before walking in. The man had silver white hair, purple eyes, and dark clothing. "Quite an interesting looking fellow..." Alec observed. "In a world full of beasts, he looks more human than anybody else, other than myself... but just like me, he doesn't look like a human either." Chad gives off a light smirk. "Maybe he can 'entertain' me later, but for now, lets see what this elf have to say about 'The Smile'".

Pullo Half-human took in the bar as he began to wander down the hallway. Bruce was tending to the bar with his gun out, the ever present drug dealing Ewok was unconscious in a heap on the floor and he couldn't spot Missile anywhere in the giant melee. The boar not being there was good since it meant he didn't have to put on a show if he didn't want to and with his head still spinning he wasn't sure he was up to the task; also their wasn't anything particularly inspiring or metal about his desire for cantaloupe so coming up with a song might be difficult. Hopefully Bruce would be okay with him helping himself to a bottle or two for the road since he couldn't spot Missile and he doubted the inn had a large supply of cantaloupe so he intended to walk out the door hoping to stumble upon a solution.

He was almost to the stairs when he heard Missile calling out to him, solving half of his problems for him. The half-elf excitedly back flipped down the hall to greet her and colours blurred and trailed off in front of his eyes till he lost track of which way was up. In his intoxicated state he almost stumbled but managed to recover into embracing his girlfriend with an enthusiastic hug. The bard was still pretty fucked up on whatever he had taken last night but it was comforting to here ramble on about things he would have struggled to follow under the best of circumstances. He accepted the heart with a smile and hoped she would lead him to breakfast.

Old Boar’s Inn; Booth
[Kresnik/Alec]


Kresnik’s comment would only pull a nervous, humored chuckle from the elf as he slumped back into the booth. “Well, mate, I think we might have bigger problems that The Smile… Like i said, I dragged you along because I have a… well, a proposition.” This would be the most serious Kresnik had ever seen his bard companion; hopefully it would be enough to draw attention from the sell-sword now.

“You see, the woman you turned to giblets…” The bard indicated with a jingling nod towards the red stain that was now all over the inn’s floor, “She was just a smaller piece of the bigger picture. There are many cults here, but the one’s that matter… they are quite the power mongers…” The elf stated with a small laugh, but the faint sign of humor turned to a grim line as another song slowly began to play on his instrument. “She was a part of one of them.”

“A line of witches, all claiming lines back to the early days of this city. At first, they’ve been ignored, but slowly grew to power. Not here, but with the…”

The bard would halt mid sentence, a rare annoyed look coming over his face as he looked out from the booth and directly at an oddly (futuristically) dressed man. Alec had gotten too close, and now, he would pay the price for creeping too close.

“Uh, mate.” The elf would look the man up and down with a half smile, “What’cha doing?”

[Kresnik]

The dhampir slumped into the booth while listening to the elf. He knew the elf wasn't going to get into detail about the Smile. Not yet, anyway. Kresnik had a sinking suspicion that the rumor was more than just a rumor; it was the current news, the darkest plague that had already began drowning the city and all the inhabitants within, turning them into cowards and monsters. Such things were not uncommon in his own world, where rumors of suspicious killings and macabre acts were upon the lips of every bar patron and in the eyes of those who wished to hide within the safety of their own homes. Kresnik, however, knew that there was a lot more to the Smile than the elf was letting on.

If I die because of his cowardice, I'm going to haunt him... the Hunter thought gloomily. Even more so, Kresnik's eyes became a lit with an inner flame of familiarity, rage, and fear at the mere mention of witches. Not just individuals, but an entire series of covens! "Witches?" Kresnik asked, intrigued at the simple thought of slaughtering them. The woman he killed was a witch, so the elf said, and she was a part of a coven. Paranoia and calm, both two different elements, warred within him. Kresnik's mind raced with a constant flow of information; how witches came to be, what they truly wanted, who they cavort with, and so on. Covens, growing in power... he thought with much chagrin. Are they mingling with dark gods? Devils? Or, perhaps, with the dead gods? What do they want? A vessel to prolong their youth? A living sacrifice that could potentially tear a rift in realities, resurrecting the lost gods? Kresnik felt despair and dread, something he had not felt in over a century.

However, his musings were disrupted by the man that he had seen moments ago. The elf, apparently, was distracted by the man as well. Upon closer inspection of the new arrival, Kresnik felt uneasy around the man. He possessed powers unimaginable, and even the hum of magic surrounded him like a translucent cloak. This man's presence, his domineering existence, was practically tangible to the battle-hardened dhampir. Kresnik knew that this man would pose as a potential threat to him in the future, but he stayed his hand.

"It is impolite to eavesdrop," Kresnik sighed nonchalantly, tapping his left index finger onto the table. Kresnik's eyes locked onto the man's, his own stare unblinking and calculating. "What do you want?"

“Uh, mate, what’cha doing?” the elf took notice of Alec. "It's impolite to eavesdrop, what do you want?" The white haired man added. Alec turned to face both of them. "I'm sorry," Alec said "I couldn't help but become intrigued by your marvelous story of witches and what not..." Alec looks around the room smeared with blood and gore. "By the way," Alec smiled "I do enjoy the 'decor' in this place, it reminds me of the many places I have conquered." Alec chuckles at his own cynical observation. He approaches the two strangers and grabs a seat next to them. He sits down, leaning back on his chair, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his knuckles. "I was on a hunt for this 'pesky' man, but that can wait a little longer. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold..." He glances at the man in black and can obviously tell he is not amused by his presence. He looks back at the elf and continues. "Time traveling can be quite exhausting and boring." Alec stretches his body. "But of course, I don't think you two would know anything about it." Alec then rests his body in his original position "Some 'entertainment' would be nice to have around here, and right now your story has peaked my interest." Alec stares at the elf with a peculiar smile. "So please, continue your story..."

Halcyons eye twitched. “A… Story?” Halcyon muttered. “You do not know to whom you speak.” He said, reaching out and placing his hand on the mans chest. His partner had started talking but Halcyon ignored him. Grabbing the three gems, he tore them off the chain. In his fist, they melted into shadow which climbed up his arm, then re-materialized on a chain of shadow around his neck. Halcyon closed his eyes and recessed into his mind. This man wasn’t from Invot, clearly. So he must have met Bilixor elsewhere. But where? The stupid sorcerer was in Invot all his life before Fitz killed-

That was it. Fitz didn’t kill him. He sent him to another dimension. Stupid, stupid, stupid…

And this man had an interesting air about him. His obvious courage stood out, and control of the fog that had appeared with his arrival piqued his curiosity. He had potential to be yet another of his pawns in his game.

Flicking his hand in the air, Halcyon released the man from his shadowy bonds, and opened his eyes. Gerald had, from somewhere, procured a sword and was pointing it at the mysterious man. Halcyon turned around and walked over to the table, where his empty cup sat. Grabbing the kettle, Halcyon poured himself tea, dropping a cube of sugar in and stirring it. “Old chap,” Halcyon spoke to Gerald as he picked up the saucer and sipped quietly from the teacup, “I’d prefer it if you didn’t kill this man.”

=======

Ganti and Gaudete left the room and made their way down the hall towards the bar. “Ganti, who is this dude you were talking about?” Gaudete asked from her small blue ball of light. Ganti shrugged her shoulders. “I dunno really. He dresses funny. He owes me 60% of whatever we make on this little trip,” She chuckled at this, “And he knew Fitz” Gaudete sighed. “Ganti, you can’t go hiring yourself out to random people. Thats how you make enemies.” Ganti smiled underneath her facemask, “That’s what makes it exciting.” As she entered the bar, she noticed the big fish dude that had grabbed her before. “Hey! Its Big Fish dude! I know him too!” Ganti dashed off into the crowd in an attempt to reach the sharkman. Gaudete shook her hypothetical head and bobbed off after her. “Hey!” Ganti shouted as he reached him, “Hey dude! Its me, the girl you had picked up by the head before? Hey! Umm, where did the weird rude guy go? I want to start our little journey! Oh and you might want to talked to Maddy. She seemed kinda upset when she left me…”

Old Boar’s Inn; Lobby
[Kresnik/Alec]
The bard's expression would turn to one of annoyance, an eyebrow raised. However, this apparent irritated manner would only flash for a moment before the bard's mouth turned to a full blown smile, one gloved hand holding the neck of his instrunment as another reached for the half empty tankard of alchohol, "What's more to tell, mate? She's just a witch, like the so many others that wander The Lows', following some powerless god in the prusuit of a bigger and better tomorrow." With this, the elf would down the strong drink in one giant gulp, smacking his lips in satisfaction as he nodded his head towards Alec, "So tell me, friend. What's your story?"



???; Gerald's Home
[Halcyon/Gerald/TSM]

"Let him live, old chap?" Gerald's stone hard gaze went from The Story Master to the tea-sipping god, his face becoming alarmingly calm, "Let him live?" The normally cheerful demeanor was completely gone from Gerald's voice as he spoke in haughty, almost mocking voice, "Next you'll be saying I should make tea for this man, and fluffing up a pillow for him, wot?" Gerald's blade had twisted only slightly as he made a outraged gesture flip of his gloved hand, causing blood to be drawn on Tyros's nose. "And why, pray tell, old chap, would I want to let this man, live?"

"So tell me, friend. What's your story?" After a moment of pause Alec's smile faded and he leaned back on his chair. "Powerless god, you say?" Alec looks back at the bard, "I take it you are not a man of faith? Its all right really, I can't blame you... I didn't properly introduce myself, the name's Alec Drop Bass." Alec let out a smile and continued, "I was once like you, believing that god was just a myth, a legend, a fiction of the mind for the powerless... that is until I became God." As Alec said this Alec gave the bard a cold menacing gaze and the room became dark and cold, lights and fire began to flicker. "Sitting before you is the most powerful life form the universe has ever seen. There is nothing that I can't do. I have conquered planets and galaxies. I have done the unimaginable. My powers will grow without limit. I am the answer to evolution. I can't be killed, I will never die. I will bring perfection to the Universe and reign as the New God..." After a moment of pause, light came back to the room and warmth returned to the air. "If I were you, I would be very careful when you talk about 'god'."

After Alec made his grand introduction, his tone of voice became more casual, "I came here in search of one man. He has ruined my plans and now I want revenge... but that can wait." Alec lets out a grin. "Right now, I am interested in you." Alec turns his attention to the Dhampir. "I can tell you are pretty strong. Are you responsible for all of 'this'?" Alec looks around the room hinting at the blood covering the room.

Old Boar’s Inn; Lobby
[Kresnik/Alec]

Alec's subtle display of power and growling monologue was impressive. Frightening, even. However, the elf could only chuckle as he downed the last of his booze, commenting with alcohol laced words as he did, "Quite the ambitious dream, mate. But uh..," the bard would look down to the bottom of his tankard, attempting to spot any last drops of his elixir with one eye as his smooth voice continued to speak, "If I could have a piece for every time I heard that from a powerful man, I wouldn't be needing to play this." A hand strummed the strings of his cittern, a wry smile directed towards Alec.

Kresnik's companion began to pluck the strings of his instrument, slumping into a half reclining, half sitting position as Alec began speaking of a man he was in pursuit of, apparently losing interest the futuristic demigod's needs... at least until Alec spoke of needing Kresnik. The elf nearly toppled over as he attempted to sit up straight from his pose, knocking over the two empty tankards in the process and nearly smacking Kresnik upside the head in the process. "Hold-aholda-aholda up, mate." The elf would wag a drunken finger directly to Alec before swiftly turning his attention over to the monster hunter, finger and arm following the half circle turn towards Kresnik as hurried words spilled from the bard's mouth, "The witch you killed - unlike most witches and their cults, she was not part of some ragtag-hoping-to-become-powerful-someday-coven." The elf would closer, almost nose to nose with Kresnik as he whispered almost excitedly, "Oh no, mate. She's a part of the real deal."

[Kresnik]

The dhampir listened to the banter of the bard and the new arrival, taking in the gravity of the new situation. The elf obviously disliked the man; however, the man would often look Kresnik's way, as though intrigued by him, to which the half-breed thought it was a possibility that he wouldn't notice the elf's disliking of him. Or, perhaps the man simply didn't care about the elf's presence as much as he did Kresnik's. The night hunter folded his arms and simply watched, listened, and analyzed. Kresnik felt some satisfaction, and even dread, when Alec displayed a mere pittance of his power as he went on about his godhood. The dhampir kept his own face stoic, his own eyes showing raw apathy. When the two finished their banter, Kresnik understood one crucial thing...

"Elf, you're beginning to beat a dead horse..." Kresnik observed, obviously tired and irritated by the elf's poor display for story-telling. "You ought to get to the point, straight and narrow." The dhampir sighed, staring at Alec Drop Bass with a glare that would normally make anyone's blood run cold. "And you... your boasts and display of power are of little significance to me. Gods, to me, are merely powerful men who foolishly believe they can live forever. Where I am from, men like you and the gods that you dream of, die as often as the passing of the seasons. There is only one certainty, one truism that will never be disproved: Everything dies." Kresnik rose to his feet and walked to the open space between the room and the table. "I have little to no interest in your curiosity towards me." He sighed, once again too weary to even indulge Alec Drop Bass.

Kresnik turned slightly to glare at the elf. "I'll beat you to the point, bard. You want me to take care of this particular coven of witches? Were I to guess, you made an enemy out of them and you're fearing for your life. The witch that I killed," Kresnik's eyes shifted to the gore. "Twice..."--he murmured with a morbid chuckle--"she was either here for your capture, or... she was going to kill you. Whatever you did, it was on a grand scale and to them personally." Kresnik turned away and mused for a second. "Did I miss anything else?" He added, an air of arrogance lacing his words.

Old Boar’s Inn; Lobby
[Kresnik/Alec]

The elf would press his lips together, tilting his head back as he leaned backward, once more plucking the strings of his cittern, this time, in the D scale. "Yes... and no, mate." His left leg would cross over his raise right, creating a perfect triangle to look through as the scale continued upward, "If you want it straight forward, I can't give you that with... certain people around..." The bard would look through his peep hole, eyebrows raised towards Alec.

"Unless," The elf would suddenly roll up awkwardly, a grunt (followed by a small burp) as his glazed eyes looked towards Alec, "You have experience dealing with the like of these lovely, dangerous creatures..." A sly smile slowly began to creep on feminine chin as elf awaited a responded from the self-proclaimed god...

After the Elf's drunken interruption, the dhampir finally spoke, "Elf, you're beginning to beat a dead horse... You ought to get to the point, straight and narrow." He the turned his attention to Alec, "And you... your boasts and display of power are of little significance to me. Gods, to me, are merely powerful men who foolishly believe they can live forever. Where I am from, men like you and the gods that you dream of, die as often as the passing of the seasons. There is only one certainty, one truism that will never be disproved: Everything dies." Kresnik rose to his feet and walked to the open space between the room and the table. "I have little to no interest in your curiosity towards me."

"No interest or too scared?" Alec taunted the dhampir remaining in his seat. "Maybe the men and gods from where you are from are weak, and it serves them well to die. There is no room for the weak anywhere, all they do is hold everybody back." Alec turns his head to look at Kresnik, "You are right that it is foolish to believe that one will live forever, but I am not just anyone. Trust me, I wouldn't make such a statement if I wasn't sure of myself..." Alec then let out a chuckle and said in a cold voice, "I will even let you cut my head off- Or better yet, I will cut off my own head if you just say the word..."

The Dhampir sighed, seeming uninterested in Alec, and turned his attention to the Elf, "I'll beat you to the point, bard. You want me to take care of this particular coven of witches? Were I to guess, you made an enemy out of them and you're fearing for your life. The witch that I killed, twice..."--he murmured with a morbid chuckle--"she was either here for your capture, or she was going to kill you. Whatever you did, it was on a grand scale and to them personally... Did I miss anything else?"

"Yes... and no, mate." The Elf replied "If you want it straight forward, I can't give you that with... certain people around..." making a clear reference to Alec. "Unless, you have experience dealing with the like of these lovely, dangerous creatures..." The bard shifted his attention to Alec.

"I told you I have conquered planets and galaxies," Alec answers, "what makes you think I wouldn't have experience? These witches have peaked my interest..."

A bizarre noise took Missile's attention - the sound of a weapon unknown, maybe a Storm Trooper had crossed into the Playground and was firing off while drunk? - and she frowned. What sort of bar fight was going on now? She peered over Pullo's shoulder as he made his way down to her, drunk as a moose on rotting fruit. The diclonius stretched her vectors out, ready to steady the half-elf if he stumbled or fell. She stared as blood splattered against the visible ceiling with flaps of skin and bits of viscera following. "... Wow, hell of a party," she muttered. Laughter, words floated on the air that she just barely made out in the sudden silence - Aaahaha - you think you've killed me, wizard?--Hmmhmmhmmhmm--You'll see, demon. You'll see that death is merely an ill--hack!-illusion!

Crunching metal made her wince some, simply hating the noise it imparted. The rest of the voices, no longer shouting, were incomprehensible from the second floor hallway as far back as she was. She simply shook her head, wrapping her arms around the bard as he hugged her tight. "Haha, you missed me." She kissed him on the cheek, giggling, and she smiled as he took the heart from her hands. ... That sounded bizarrely metaphorical, she'd need to write that down, she thought. But she couldn't resist smiling back, her heart doing a sort of bizarre flip-flop; every other humanoid being ever could go fuck itself, but damn her! She'd do anything to see that smile of his. "Let's get you something to eat so you can sober up enough for me to tell you all about it! It was so fucking gross, would've taken me forever to wash up if the Boar hadn't introduced me to - Oh! Oh, my, god, I met someone from an alternate version of my world!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "But food first." She paused. "... That's if the bar's still open." She wrapped an arm around his waist, a vector over his shoulder and front to help steady him, and walked him down the hall and staircase.

The empty floor astounded her - she wasn't sure she'd ever see the Inn so bare. Her bare feet squished in the mess that had splattered across the room and she wrinkled her nose. "...ugh, sloppy work," she muttered. She peered around the room, spotting Bruce speaking to a pair of people and a small trio sitting in a booth. Their words were more audible now, as well.

"And you... your boasts and display of power are of little significance to me. Gods, to me, are merely powerful men who foolishly believe they can live forever. Where I am from, men like you and the gods that you dream of, die as often as the passing of the seasons. There is only one certainty, one truism that will never be disproved: Everything dies."

Without much prompting (or context, really), Missile cupped a hand against her mouth and hollered across the room, "Amen to that!" before half-hauling her boyfriend to an empty section of the bar that was mostly clear of gore and mess. She sat him down and climbed onto the stool next to him, propping him up some with her vectors to keep him steady. Given Bruce was busy, she didn't want to bother him right away. Besides... whatever was going on across the room was somewhat interesting. She stretched her arms across the counter with a wide yawn, catching another part of the conversation from another of the small party.

"No interest or too scared? Maybe the men and gods from where you are from are weak, and it serves them well to die. There is no room for the weak anywhere, all they do is hold everybody back. You are right that it is foolish to believe that one will live forever, but I am not just anyone. Trust me, I wouldn't make such a statement if I wasn't sure of myself... I will even let you cut my head off- Or better yet, I will cut off my own head if you just say the word..."

Missile's eye twitched slightly, agitated by such talk. Everything was killable - you simply had to know how to accomplish it. However, now was not such a time for those thoughts - her own stomach was growling rather violently. She quietly muttered to herself, "Saru mo ki kara ochiru," and dismissed the idea of ripping the self-proclaimed god to shreds.

Old Boar’s Inn; Bar
Missile/Pullo

As Missile and her drunken lover sat at the bar, they would find Bruce filling up three large tankards, muttering darkly and deeply. However, his mood slightly lightened as he saw the love birds take their seats at the bar. He wouldn’t say a word at first, jutting his large mouthed chin towards Pullo and Missile in greeting as he topped off the last of the large glasses. He would walk towards the bar’s exit, calling gruffly over his shoulder as he did, “Be with you two in a minute!”


Old Boar’s Inn; Booth
[Kresnik/Alec]

The elf would blow stray strands of hair that had somehow managed their way out of his cap in front of his eyes. “Galaxies and planets, mate. But have you ever seen any thing with magic, or hexes, or curses, or toads and flies?” The bard’s face couldn’t hide his mirth much longer, which melted away a serious face with each mentioned items.

However, any response would be interrupted by the elf as he slid off the table, a giant grin on his face as a playful wink was cast in Alec’s general direction, “Looks like the booze is here, mates!” In a quick, hobbling fashion, the elf would scrape a few golden coins off the ground (which had still be left by the crowd due to “bard off” performance), and rattled them in his hand as Bruce’s hulking frame made its way towards the thirsty bard. “Thanks, mate!” the jester capped elf would say cheerfully as he swapped gold for drink.

Beer spilling from the sides of any topped off tankard, the bard made his way back to the booth, placing the newly acquired loot, “Sees I’ve had a change of heart, mate.” The elf winked, hopping back on top of the table as he slid a tankard towards the demigod, beckoning towards Kresnik as the elf continued, “Be glad to have you along. But first, a toast, aye?” The elf raised his tankard to the roof, calling out as he did, “To new friends, aye?”


Old Boar’s Inn; Bar
Missile/Pullo

Bruce stomped his way back around the bar and placed his massive forearm on the black stone counter, leaning against the sturdy structure, propping up his massive head as beady eyes shifted from couple to the distant booth. “I dunno about that lot…” He would sigh before refocusing his attentions on Missile, “Now, what can I get you love birds?”

“Looks like the booze is here, mates!” the Elf announced as the drinks came in. “Sees I’ve had a change of heart, mate.” The elf continued “Be glad to have you along. But first, a toast: To new friends, aye?”

"Tch! Whatever." Alec responded reluctantly crossing his arms to the new "friendship". As the elf drank his fill, Alec's attention was caught by a couple sitting from a distance. The woman made no effort to be subtle judging by the way she shouted across the room earlier. And even if she did, there was no way Alec would not have noticed her coming in with that man with his supernatural senses. In fact, Alec even heard the comment she made in Japanese, but Alec couldn't understand Japanese but he could tell by the tone of her voice she was not happy with his statement he made earlier. Alec could hear the conversation going on across the room, but he wasn't interested in the conversation. It was just some naive young couple in love... however Alec was interested in the woman that came in with a man who appears to be her boyfriend. She had horns on her head but the appearance of a human. "Just like this man in front of me, she also seems to be the one of the few who resembles a human yet she doesn't seem quite human." Alec thought to himself as he gave her a cold stare. "She seems to be some kind of mutant..." Alec pondered as he kept observing the woman. "Maybe she can 'entertain' me later..." Alec thought with a smirk as he shifted his attention back to the elf and dhampir.

“Let him live, old chap? Let him live?” Halcyon heard his partner say, in a particular tone of voice that did not please Halcyon. “Next you'll be saying I should make tea for this man, and fluffing up a pillow for him, wot? And why, pray tell, old chap, would I want to let this man, live?" Halcyon chuckled at the mortals frustration with him. Setting his empty cup on the table, he turned to Gerald and Tyros and began to slowly walk forward. “Ahhhh, I have angered you. I must apologize for my outburst. It is indeed improper to insult a king in his castle.” As he reached the pair, he put a finger up to the tip of Gerald's blade. “You see, good man,” Halcyon ran his finger up and down the blade as he spoke, “This man had something that was taken from me a long time ago; these three stones.” Halcyon rested his finger on the tip of the blade once more and dabbed Tyros’ blood off the saber. “My better half seemingly destroyed the theif, a sorcerer called Bilixor, and the stones. However, their appearance once more suggests my enemy lives.” Halcyon brought his finger up to his mouth and licked Tyros blood off. “And I thirst for revenge.” He said in a low cruel voice. Turning towards his patron, he continued. “This man is the key to Bilixor's head.” Putting a hand once more on the blade, he slowly pushed it downward away from Tyros head. “I’m sure you can understand my desire. Now, this revenge does not need to be immediate; please, let us continue our conversation. I just need this mans information, and I can acquire it later. Maybe your employer could use another pawn,” Halcyon shrugged, “ But our ‘guest’ will not interrupt us,” turning towards Tyros he cast a dark, vile glare.

“Will you?”

[Kresnik]
The dhampir glanced towards the woman at the bar, hearing her comment in an alien language. "Such a colorful place..." he muttered, intrigued by the world's many exotic people and influence. Kresnik glanced at the two men at the booth and kept his dastardly scowl. "To new friends?" Kresnik asked sardonically, nearly snorting. "Cheer if you like, elf, but I do not make friends with clientele." With a scornful gleam in his eyes, the half-vampire glared at the demigod. "Now, when will you start getting to the point? I really wish to get this done and over with." Kresnik said, directing the question towards the elf as he kept his hate-filled eyes upon Alec.

Old Boar’s Inn; Booth
[Kresnik/Alec]

The hatted jester would begin to drink the booze, as if he had completely been unaware of either dark partys’ remarks about the invitation of friendship. Kresnik’s pressing urgency would be meant with a single forefinger would be raised, begging for one moment as the elf chugged greedily at the tankard’s innards, foam spilling from the edges of its belly. The sigh would be impressive, in four or five large gulps, the contents had been drained completely, finished with a great big belch and a satisfied smack of the lips. “Ahhh, yes! Right then!” The wooden cup smashed onto the table top. “If you insist…”

With a spin of his legs, he would smoothly seat himself back into the booth, facing across from Kresnik, fingers interlacing as the silver tongue issued forth these words, “Simply, mate, I am in a bit of a pickle.” The hand separated, weighing two options. “On one hand, who am I to disrupt a cult of ancient religion, bound into the very being of this land and its people. These witches are just that, all before he came into being and turned things all tipsy turvy.” The other hand raised, “But on the other, they are extremely dangerous. And with the whole thing with the end of all walls…” His voice drifted off, staring into the bottom of the tankard.

However, he jolted back to reality, casually casting the drinking container aside. “But none of this matters, since now I’m stuck with the problem you created. Namely, that of which you killed one of their sisters.”

[Kresnik]

The dhampir turned to the elf as he spoke, listening intently. He caught several of the elf's emphases on certain matters, especially that of an unknown entity. The Smile? He wondered, his interest in the entity growing. It was not a coincidence that he was fixated on the enigma; there was something too particular about it. Not a mere coincidence... the young girl, the undead cyborg, and even the witch. All of whom were a part of a bigger plot; all of whom seem to have been targeting the bard... or the inn itself. However, Kresnik could not focus on the puzzle at hand, for there were still too many pieces of it missing.

With a sigh, the Hunter pushed the Smile from his mind. He had only one objective to focus on: the witches. With a sardonic smile and an arch brow, he retorted quickly to the elf's accusation, "a problem that I created? Don't you mean your blind vanity that threw us into this mess?"

Kresnik returned to his seat and lounged there comfortably, relieved that the verbal dance was finished. "Nevertheless," he began. "What interest did that witch, or perhaps the coven itself, have in you?" Kresnik's icy stare returned as he kept his focus on the bard, the professionalism in his voice telling pages of his dealings in the underbelly of society; and perhaps with the aristocratic company that came with it.

“Ahhh, yes! Right then!” The Elf said after gulping down his drink “If you insist…” Focusing on Kresnik the Elf continued, “Simply, mate, I am in a bit of a pickle. On one hand, who am I to disrupt a cult of ancient religion, bound into the very being of this land and its people. These witches are just that, all before he came into being and turned things all tipsy turvy. But on the other, they are extremely dangerous. And with the whole thing with the end of all walls…” The Elf grabs a tankard and takes another drink. “But none of this matters, since now I’m stuck with the problem you created. Namely, that of which you killed one of their sisters.”

After a moment of pause and thought the Dhampir responded, "A problem that I created? Don't you mean your blind vanity that threw us into this mess? Nevertheless, what interest did that witch, or perhaps the coven itself, have in you?"

"For once we agree on something." Alec added still looking at the Elf. He leans a little closer supporting himself on his elbows. "I hate to break it to you," Alec started sarcastically "But you don't seem like one to... whats the right word?..." Alec pondered mockingly "'Captivate' people's interest... I am willing to bet you did a little bit of research, found something here and there, and then something went missing, and that something didn't belong to you. And now they are here after it." As Alec finished he sits back on his chair. "If not that then you have some valuable dirt on them, hm?"

Old Boar’s Inn; Booth
[Kresnik/Alec]

The bard raised a finger, mouth opening to respond to the dhampir. However, he was cut off by the demigod,

"For once we agree on something. I hate to break it to you, but you don't seem like one to... whats the right word?... 'Captivate' people's interest..."

The finger lowered slowly, his jestered head slowly turning, as if a machine had taken over his head. "Well," the elf would reply with a small smile, voice darkening as he continued to speak, "Perhaps if I'm that boring, perhaps you should," For Alec, the world would expand and contract rapidly as the elf looked into his eyes. Or was it the elf? The image before him would become contorted, a being of fire, teeth, and devilry before the demigod. Alec would collapse from his chair as the last word of the elf's sentence finished, "Sleep."

However, for Kresnik, the elf would appear to conducting a normal (although spitefilled) conversation with Kresnik, resuming his assumed position, "I am not vain, mate. I am a drunkard, a lover, and scoundrel, but definitely not vain." The pointing hand would scoop up the final tankard, taking a long draft from it before continuing, "And that witch was a friend of an..." Both bound hands would juggle invisible balls as the elf attempted to find a word, "associate of mine. Let's just say some witches have a craving from a male member after their seclusion period... and mistake 'We should do this again sometime' for 'I want to be your slave." Another swig of alcohol. "Regardless, what would have resulted in a minor curse of some sort, or maybe just a slap has now become something entirely different... mainly because of that." The elf grandly gestured towards the explosion of blood and guts on the inn's floor and ceiling. "That, mate, is going to get you, into a very particular pickle with the most powerful coven in The Crossroads."

The tankard was drained and this time gently placed on the table's surface. Leaning to one side, hand propping up the elven head, the bard finished, "Look - this is getting serious. Very serious. To be honest, I dragged you in here because I wanted to offer you a position as my bodyguard. The last rove outside the city walls was too close - much too close. You looked like you knew what you were doing at the gate, and I figured, 'Why the hell not?' But now, this can become mutual - I know a great deal outside these walls. Trust me, I've been roaming them for quite some time now. Even if you decide not to, this coven will find you, and they will kill you. Greater names than yours have fallen to their spells and craft." The elf shrugged, "It'll be a win-win."

A bound hand extended across the table, "Partners?"

====

???
[Alec]

While the demigod's body had fallen from the physical world, his adventures had only begun in his psyche. Lying on the ground, as if thrown there like a child's forgotten play thing, Alec would awaken to his worst nightmares...