Monkey's Paw Tavern

[Awesome Sensei]

Do my words sound like music to your ears?

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

Ruo trudged into bars for several hours, each and every one looking for a man with bright blue hair. "Not here not here no. no. no. ********! Where are you Ty?" He screamed as he entered the last bar for a few miles. Looking around, he yelled at the bartender. "Has someone you have never seen with blue hair made a tab here recently? And never paid?" He had his wallet, for every single tab he had come past he had to pay. He was well off, after seducing women into buying him drinks, and stealing wallets from them, he was sly.

"Nothing! Alright, I do need to sit. . . That man is very powerful Venustas step back." He walked towards him, the man named Alexander Gingerback. "Would you happen to know a man named Tysulir?" He had his blades in each hand, which were hidden behind his back. He was prepared to fight, but wouldn't if he didn't have to.

He would destroy me. . . He thought to himself as he stepped forward. He wondered for a moment if that man was even human. He had so much power out of him. That hammer he held, was powerful too, stronger than everything he possessed. "s**t. . .you are powerful. But I can help you if you help me. I am the leader of the Rebele. I could use someone like you. . . "

Calling the bartender, he passed the man a beer. "IF I find Ty. . .I will challenge him. I need his help, and I have been training. . ." He didn't know why he told Alex that, but it was done, he looked around the bar once more.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪


Of course. A symphony in front of your very eyes.

 

[Durithill the Black Blade]

SPACEThe bump caused Durithill to falter in his step slightly as the other man was a bit larger than him. He refrained from saying anything though, as the man was quite obviously looking for a fight and quite obviously stronger than him. This was not the kind of situation that he liked to find himself in, so the man would kill someone else instead of him. For now, his best bet of survival would be to get out of here as quickly as possible. Of course, the short person at the door didn't seem keen to let that happen. As Durithill tried to step around him, he moved to be in Durithill's way again. A small frown crossed Durithill's face as he re-evaluated his position. There was a possibility that he could defeat this short defender of the door, but if he did then it was likely that the big guy would jump into the fight and crush him into the floor boards. Overall, it was a pretty lose-lose situation at the moment.

SPACEAs Durithill contemplated his situation, he slowly began removing his gloves and placing them into a pocket in his cloak in case a fight broke out. Although he didn't want to fight, he wasn't just going to roll over and die either. But then the door open and a man forced himself easily by the door's defender, and Durithill watched as another quite strong man simply walked into the bar. All he'd wanted was a simple meal, and now it was turning into a meeting of the gods where all the poor mortals like him were stuck between the heels of heaven and earth, simply trying to avoid getting crushed. He knew this was a bad situation to be in, but it was seeming less and less likely that either it was going to get better anytime soon or he was going to get out of it alive. No, he would have to come up with some kind of strategy. There were a lot of expendable souls in the bar tonight, plus that strange creature still up on the second floor. Perhaps he could use them to his advantage.

SPACEJust then, yet another presence forced its way through the door into the bar. It seemed like the short person was doing a very poor job guarding the door. He was only doing well enough to keep Durithill in. Still, what the new person said intrigued Durithill some. Tysulir? Would that happen to be Tysulir Lyjask, the head of Rebele? He was a fool if he could thought he could win. Still, Durithill glanced at the man with blue hair in the corner that had entered not a moment ago. He didn't seem to be an enemy of Tysulir's, and perhaps if Durithill pointed him in the right directed and he and Tysulir became allies, they might see fit to protect Durithill as well. It was only a chance, but at least it was better than doing nothing. Worst case scenario, Tysulir blasts the person who was looking for him through a wall and creates and escape route. Durithill turned and walked over to Ruo. "The threads of fate must be entwined in this place, for not moments ago a man with blue hair walked into this tavern and sits now in the corner." he said to Ruo, seating himself at the bar next to the incubus. "Could he perhaps be the man you seek?"  

[Soidie Denroth]

Finally he had made it! The city, a place where he might find true rest... but where exactly? Fleischer walked through the streets in search for that certain place. That place happened to be the Monkey's Paw. Even though he had little money, even a table to lay his head down on for an hour or two would be well enough to feel the feeling of civilization again. Fleischer usually didn't do things like this (a doctor in a bar for one), but a well deserved rest was needed. He opened the door to the ramblings inside, too damn tired to care for them, and found an empty table to sit at and tried to sleep. It was "quiet" even though the bar was not. Mumbling to himself, "I vonder what the beer is like here..." before dozing off.

 

[Doctor Corn]

If we value the pursuit of knowledge,
we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us.

╔╦═╩╝╚╩═╦╗
╚╩═╦╗╔╦═╩╝
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For an instant Alex stood stock still, eyes bulging as the newcomer called himself the leader of the rebele. Then he looked closely at the man who brazenly stated he was thirsty. "Ty? Wait......long time no see! You seem to be fine, why wouldn't you come visit me on my island?" the silver haired man said, running over and sweeping Ty up in a bear hug. He then lowered Ty to the ground, then motioned for the smaller traveler to join them. He then turned to Ruo and said "The rebele really has gone a bit awry after the event........though I may reopen Efferia to your group again. As for me joining you, I have a bit too much going on right now" the taller man said, winking at Ruo as he turned back to Ty. "Hey, could you keep an eye on this little guy for me? I need to wander the streets looking for that Creed a-hole" Alex said before turning and rushing out the door after handing both Ruo and Ty twin small black plastic cards that had only a single white eight pointed star upon it.

The free mind is not a barking dog,
to be tethered on a ten-foot chain.

 

[Hoarfrost Dirge]

“Well, looks like he finally tracked me down” Tysulir thought with a smirk as he watched Rou enter the tavern in search of him. Admiring the strength of the one before him, it seemed like Ruo was interested in recruiting more members into the Rebele even while near the middle of a conflict. While waiting for Ruo to notice him in the back, his ears perked up as he heard mention of a challenge directed at him. When the person Ruo spoke with directed some attention to Tysulir, the sapphires hidden underneath the hood began to notice a manipulative plan being weaved by the one who was helping Ruo find him.

“Yo. You haven’t gone and joined the horde debt collectors while I was away right Ruo?” He said while raising his hand in a very lazy wave to respond to being clearly noticed by this time. Before he realized it he had been picked up and was now in Alex’s bear hug. The sudden movement helped pull back the hood around Tysulir’s head to reveal that his hair had grown quite a bit in the many years along with a few new scars across his forehead.

“Things became a bit more complicated than I would have liked, sorry I didn’t contact you before.” He said taking the plastic card from Alex and smiling before looking toward this ‘little guy’ that he had just been asked to watch. Then he looked back over the room at everything else and motioned for a bar hand to get over here and begin serving him. “So, what exactly am I watching you for, ya got any tricks or something?” Ty inquired to Ruo about his challenge he already had formerly stated.  

[Evol Bear]

♫Of course I'm beautiful.♫

Quietly watching and standing back from the commotion as Ruo had instructed, Venustas was trembling. Her mind finally had a chance to process the events that had come before this. She needed to tell Ruo.

"Ruo wait. . ." Her head was swimming and didn't allow her to speak straight away. "Something happened before I came back to get you from the angels." Her heart was hammering in her chest and her eyes were beginning to sting again as she looked at him.

"Lethe made me dig up a grave. . . but inside was a child. . ." Venustas stopped, she was sobbing now, and she sat down. "Lethe devoured the child! It died! Its gone!" Her body was convulsing in her sobs. "I've failed again." Her voice was loud enough to be heard through the bar.

♫Just as an angel should be.♫

 

[Awesome Sensei]

Do my words sound like music to your ears?

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

"What are you saying? That. . .you gave him the power of the child of the two? Oh god. Byakuren was the oracle. They are forbidden to have children, for the offspring disrupts the balance of the oracle. There is only to be one at a time, but that child was a second one. it also had Origin's pure strength, and the ability. . .to create genesises. . . " He sighed, and looked around for a moment, Lethe was no longer a pest, but a huge problem.

"Not now. . .Ty, I know you are here. I am the challenger, I choose the game. I want a straight forward match, not gimmicks got it?"

Sliding his hand across a table, the bottles and soiled cards on the object fell to the ground, and broke. Placing onto it multiple bottles of whiskey, he placed multiple shot glasses, as well as a few glasses of beer. "The beer is for those of us who get thirsty watching. This will take a while. I am gonna need about twenty more bottles of the stuff. Tysulir, you are going down this time, and you will help us! If not. . .ugh. I will pay for the account back in that old bar we used to play this game at. . ." Pulling up two stools, he was prepared, the man had already been drinking, Ruo had an advantage.

"Alright old man! Be prepared to fight against the spirit of a cambion!"

Taking his first shot, he shot it down with a heartbeat, and was smiling, looking at Ty. "Hah."

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪


Of course. A symphony in front of your very eyes.

 

[kjaslkdjiehdfba]

"The chosen must once again rise." These silent, unchanged words of the past seeped through the density of the crowd but slowly dispersed. But as time elapsed tardily, a small root cracked through the floor boards. It spiraled out in the dusty air and smashed back down and staggered, but savagely clawed at the wooden floor. The brown root had small cracks covering its surface and a thick red mucous oozed out casually. But the vine became stiff and stood erect. The tip split down in four sections but as it opened, a green mist started to spew and fill the air with its fruity aroma.

The vine started to surge and pump like it carried blood but at the tip a rather thick muscular arm twirled out with a closed fist. The skin was a vibrant peach color. The muscles in the forearm were strung together like thick dense strands woven in rope. A burly laugh was uttered and the arm opened revealing only a brown shell. This shell was the protected armor of one piece of nut. Only one kind of nut, and it happened to be a walnut.

The Walnut sat patiently in the palm of the hand. It's back faced all of the men in the crowd. Its boldness was beyond measure, his coated shell glisten like pure bronze. The Walnut started to hover and it slowly turned around revealing its perfect face, full of masculinity. Men of all sorts had taken years and years to acquire this walnut's superhuman physique. The walnut gave only a smile but with this single expression it revealed he was a walnut with strange, awesome and alluring powers that many would beg for him to teach.

He looked up at a rat scurrying across the beams at the ceiling, the walnut's eyes locked on and with a small proportion of his mightiness,a green bolt of incredibility shot out and struck the rat in a mere second. The rat did not explode in an extravagant display of blood and furry guts but instead was dispersed in an evenly assortment of sugar coated walnuts. At least a thousand coated the floor.

"Yeah, I know you all are checking me out." He spoke with such great confidence, he was more then just a walnut, he was The Walnut of Fate and he alone was this world's savior and had been previous times. Fate grew a twig for an arm then muscles suddenly grew out and flexed them to enormous size. But he suddenly stopped and the arms shriveled away. "I must stop, I don't wanna give the ladies too much orgasmic pleasure." He giggled mightily. Then he spoke once more, "Now who of you foolish fools of stupidity want to challenge me in a battle of destiny?" His offer would stand only once.

But suddenly, the color scheme of the whole bar turned a shade of gray, everything became black and white. A man began running and fog followed behind him, but suddenly an evil little leprechaun that rode a squirrel for a steed jumped on the man and brutally took his head from his body and waved it around like a trophy. But then an old Walnut grew to gigantic proportion and crushed the leprechaun. But the black and white grew back into a brilliant color and the highland landscape faded away and the grimy bar scene returned to its normal state. This was a quick flashback over the billions Fate has received over his infinite time of living.  

[Doctor Corn]

۝۞۩ۻۺ

Tobias Gingerback

۝۞۩ۻۺ

~Ⱳater Ḟlows Ḿuch Ḷike Æther

The smaller traveler slumped a little when his companion rushed out of the bar, seemingly lost in a world not quite his own. He shifted, watching closely the two men as they sat at the bar. Carefully he reached into his pockets and pulled out several large golden coins of differing national background, indicating to the barkeep to show his which were accepted in this town. The portly gentleman gasped in surprise that this boy would have that much cash before pointing to two of them. With a graceful motion he flung back the hood that hid his face, allowing a mob of unruly silver hair to flow forth. He glared a little at Ruo for being so forward in his fighting plans, and at the ease they had in getting drunk. With a slightly faltering voice, he said "Mister Ty, was it? I believe that this man is hardly a good leader for you. Why do you not just return to the island and be a partner with Alexander?" he inquired, stealthily giving Ruo the middle finger behind Ty's back. While the obscene gesture was being made, the glass that Ruo held became strangely heavier somehow.

The entire world then did a somersault and fell on it's face as a strange floating walnut appeared. Very odd ripples in reality ensued, confusing all involved. This caused Tobias to not only stop flipping off Ruo but the glass ceased to be heavier. In his confusion, Tobias walked over to the walnut and examined it closer. "Oh for the love of.......I thought he was making you up! Walnut of Fate huh? I know someone that you and some Itazuki person wandered with for a time........" he trailed off, walking back past Durithill. He paused as he passed, saying "you have a scent about you that I have only smelled once. Poor cursed man." The silver haired boy then walked back toward Ty and sat down on the nearest available bar stool and drank his chocolate milk.

▁▂▃▅▆▇ ssǝppoƃ ɹǝʌʃıS ∀ ǝʞıʃ ƃuısıᴚ ʎʃʍoʃS ▇▆▅▃▂▁

۝۞۩ۻۺ

۝۞۩ۻۺ

 

[Durithill the Black Blade]

SPACEIt seemed like a lot then decided to happen at once, and Durithill simply sat by and watched the events unfold. There was no point in getting involved without a reason, after all. Of course, the thing he cared about was that the large man that had been threatening everyone evidently got bored of his venture and decided to leave. That meant it was most likely safe for now since it seemed that all Tysulir wanted to do was drink. The one who wanted to challenge him wasn't even challenging him to a real contest. A drinking contest? Talk about the most asinine way to prove your dominance. There was no skill involved in the contest at all. The one who had been drinking the most in their past would win, and that was it. It was a pointless waste of time devoted only to those who could not win any other sort of real contest, in Durithill's mind. Of course, if he were to even mention that, people would just say 'You only say that 'cause you lose!' or some other self-justifying statement.

SPACEBut then Durithill heard a voice he recognized, and turned slightly to see Venustas She was crying, which slightly surprised Durithill as he hadn't seen her as the type to be able to break down and cry so easily. Something pretty bad must have happened to shake her up. Durithill couldn't exactly make out what she was saying from where he stood due to the ambient noise in the room, but he guessed it was something that had shaken her to her core. Based on what they had talked about before, perhaps she had failed to save another little girl and murdered another man. She seemed to be accompanying the man who was challenging Tysulir, but he was rather preoccupied with his contest. The man claimed to be the head of Rebele even though Durithill had heard that position was held by Tysulir, so perhaps Venustas was now a member of Rebele as well.

SPACEAs Durithill made to head over and speak with her, a walnut suddenly appeared and the world went insane for a few moments. None of it made any sense, which soured Durithill's mood a bit since he was the type that liked to know what the hell was happening. Soon enough it ended though, and the shorter companion passed by Durithill and delivered his cryptic message. What did he mean by only smelled once? Was there another person in the world that bore the same ability as himself? Or did the boy simply have the supernatural ability to smell poison? Either way, it was worth checking out, and distracted him from his original goal of speaking to Venustus. Durithill gracefully sauntered over and seated himself casually next to Tobias, keeping Tobias between himself and Tysulir in case he got unruly as the drinking contest went on. "I am afraid you seem to have mistaken me for another." Durithill began with a casual tone, but keeping his voice low enough for only Tobias to hear. "While I may not count myself among the higher echelons of society, I am not exactly poor, and far from cursed."  

[Doctor Corn]

۝۞۩ۻۺ

Tobias Gingerback

۝۞۩ۻۺ

~Ⱳater Ḟlows Ḿuch Ḷike Æther

Tobias allowed a sly grin to cross his face as Durithill walked over and sat beside him. The scent was overpowering, and definitely familiar to him. "Why don't we introduce ourselves? You can call me Tobias, and its not poor people smell on you. That smells worse by far. I smelled it one day on Alexander's island, but was escorted from the market before I could get a look at what it was. It could have in fact been any denizen of the three planes for all I really know........but I probably could introduce you to someone who may have the answers you seek" He said in between sips of his drink. The boy then uncorked a water jug which was pulled from the recesses of his cloak and held a strange piece of bone close to it, watching the movements of all in the bar as he held the two items close together.

▁▂▃▅▆▇ ssǝppoƃ ɹǝʌʃıS ∀ ǝʞıʃ ƃuısıᴚ ʎʃʍoʃS ▇▆▅▃▂▁

۝۞۩ۻۺ

۝۞۩ۻۺ

 

[Durithill the Black Blade]

SPACEDurithill just listened silently as Tobias spoke, watching the drinking contest between Ruo and Tysulir. "My name is Durithill Tomsaruka." he said once Tobias called for introductions. Although the kid didn't give his last name, Durithill suspected it was Gingerback due to the striking physical similarity he had to the man from before claiming to be Alex Gingerback. What Durithill was curious about though was what, exactly, Tobias smelled on him. Death? Enough people had died by Durithill's hard that the smell might linger on him, however he had a feeling that Tobias would recognize the scent of death. Since he had said he didn't know what it was, Durithill assumed it wasn't death. A denizen of the three planes? Durithill hoped one was not living inside of him, but perhaps there had been a "poison" denizen that Tobias had smelled. Still, it seemed like the kid didn't even really know what he was smelling, which was a small comfort to Durithill.

SPACEThe offer presented by Tobias was intriguing though, and Durithill began thinking about it heavily. Who was this man? Was Tobias leading him into a trap? Although he doubted it, since he doubted Tobias knew who he was beforehand, it could be possible. Maybe he mistook Durithill as a noble based on the way he spoke and acted and was attempting to lure him into an ally so him, and possibly others, could try to rob him. Well, they'd be in for quite a surprise if that was there goal. "I seek the answers to all questions." Durithill said finally after a long silence. "Therefore, every man has the answers to the questions I hold. However, if you know a man who has particularly interesting answers, I am sure I could think of an interesting question or two." It was his way of accepting Tobias' offer in a way that didn't sound like he particularly cared much either way.

SPACEThe slight movement of Tobias reaching into his cloak to retrieve his flask of water caused Durithill's eyes to instinctively glance over to see what was going on. Since the kid was drinking chocolate milk, Durithill highly doubted the water was for him to chase it down with. Most likely the kid was a user of water magic, and couldn't use it unless there was a source nearby. A harder to exploit weakness than you might think, but a weakness none-the-less, and Durithill stored that piece of information unless it became relevant later. "Expecting a fight?" Durithill said casually as his eyes returned to scanning around the room for any hidden dangers. "I have no intention of drawing a blade against you." At least for now, but who knew what the future might hold. Tomorrow they could very well be enemies.  

[Doctor Corn]

۝۞۩ۻۺ

Tobias Gingerback

۝۞۩ۻۺ

~Ⱳater Ḟlows Ḿuch Ḷike Æther

Tobias seemed a little put out at Durithill's lack of trust, but gingerly placed the cap back on the flask of water and stowed it away. "Interesting questions, huh? Yet you have asked me few.......the smell is by far less potent than the one I have smelled before, so you seem to have a good amount of time before it consumes you.......assuming it would do such a thing" he said, twirling the piece of bone in one hand while shrugging at Durithill's promise of nonviolence. I would't mind seeing this poison in action thought Tobias could be marketable to the right people assuming this man could be coerced into helping me. The boy reached into his cloak, and pulled out a rectangular plastic card identical to the ones that were handed to Ruo and Ty. Handing the card to Durithill, he said "I assume you have heard of Efferia Island, since you are not poor. You said that fact yourself" he added in an undertone, a sly grin crossing his face.

▁▂▃▅▆▇ ssǝppoƃ ɹǝʌʃıS ∀ ǝʞıʃ ƃuısıᴚ ʎʃʍoʃS ▇▆▅▃▂▁

۝۞۩ۻۺ

۝۞۩ۻۺ

 

[Hoarfrost Dirge]

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“Challenge?” Tysulir said as his eyes narrowed in suspicion as Ruo stated his game. The thought that someone would think capable of beating him at drinking was fairly amusing. However, nothing of such amusment was seen on his face. The silver haired one who was in the bar with him began inquiring about him simply joining with Alexander and such. This man also, seemed to be giving off bad vibes toward his current replacement as leader of the Rebele. Before he could state a good reply to the man, he felt a sudden wave of pain running through his skull that signaled before an oncoming migraine, Ty witnessed both the arrival of the walnut, and the rest of the events that followed in silence with a flat facial expression. He walked in more silence to the barstool Ruo set aside and sat next to him and placed the first shot glass before his lips, the scent was strong and was inviting him to a long night that would soon be forgotten.

“Today I have more reason to drink than just keeping my title and financial freedom from you Ruo. You’re on.” Ty said looking into the first shot glass and poured the fluid into his mouth, not even letting the taste dance across his tongue he downed the liquid. Immediately he scooped up another glass and did the same thing, this time with his head arched back to let the drink fall straight into his gut. Today he had no intentions of taking back all of the debt he left to Ruo.

“Here’s to you for buying me enough drinks to beat you once again at your own game!” Ty shouted loudly looking at Ruo with a smirk across his face with the third glass raised in his hand as if offering a toast before he downed it. Psychological tactics were part of any good contest, and getting into the opponents head when you already plan to win only made the game more fun.

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[Soidie Denroth]

Fleischer suddenly woke up from his long needed rest by some of the random occurrences that had been going on in the bar. It had been several hours probably, but he needed to get going somewhere again. Sitting down and doing nothing was against his moral code of conduct: Resting is fine to keep the body together and restore energy lost, but too much just wastes time. That is why he rarely ever took a vacation. Fleischer got up from his back table to stretch his limbs a bit. A quick one two motion worked just fine. Fleischer picked up his things and was about to leave the bar when a certain head among the crowd caught his attention. Could it have been the man from before? Before Fleischer could stop himself, he decided he should go over and ask him about the implied job offer from before.... "Maybe I could be of zome assistance to him." but the temptation to try the beer first was too much. Fleischer walked to the bar asking the tender of it for the best beer they had,"Vhat ever is best!"