The Alkemist ~the RP~

[ByakoAssailant]

Byako Random Event

a troop of little clockwork plushies began marching in single file through the alkemists back door to the front door each carrying a potion ingredient
"Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano Ano"
 

[Rowen McNeill]

Rowen was sitting at the bar, reading a book, and listening to the soundtrack to Curtains. This, in and of itself, was not odd.

What was odd was the young man's outfit.

The largest piece was a roman centurian's top (complete with 'skirt'), over which he wore a chainmail vest, which peeked out from under an iron brestplate. The armor looked worn, dinged and even rusted in some places, as did the simple helmet on his head. Each of his shoulders sported a small gold shield with the letters "AM" over "CW" within the confines of the sheild borders. He was wearing brown slacks, and black boots which came up to his knees. The soles seemed to have just about had it with existance.

The book in his hands was 'The Amazing Maruice And His Educated Rodents' by some fellow named Terry Pratchett.

What were you expecting? 'Where's My Cow?'  

[silentdraconis]

Uncomfortable in the long silence that followed her question, Die pulled her hand back self-consciously and stepped back. She got the distinct impression that she'd done something and wrong and he wanted her miles away. Ad since there wasn't anything she could do, and he didn't need (nor did she think he particularly wanted) her hanging around failing to be helpful, she left, turning and hopping off the back edge of the roof where she could spread her wings to slow her fall, and not have anyone looking up her skirt. She would check later to make sure her maps and things were replaced where they belonged... after Era was gone from the rooftop.
She re-entered the Alkemist through the door in the kitchen that was usually reserved for deliveries, and made her way back to the front. It was only after she sat down next to Rowenand reached for a book that she noticed two things.
One: Rowen was wearing armor. Armor that involved a 'skirt';
and Two: There was a parade of Clockwork Kenton Plushies stringing through her establishment. her green eyes got very wide, and in true Rabid fashion she said, "Ano..."  

[Rowen McNeill]

Rowen seemed not to notice Die as she entered, nor did the clockwork plushies distract him from his reading. What did get his attention, however, was her voice.

Momentarily distracted, he looked up and around- making note of the plushies, and of the woman. With a shrug, he turned back to his book. Only a simple "Hey Die" showed that he had, in fact, noticed her.

And then he turned another page.  

[silentdraconis]

Moments that could have been days (or was it months?) later, Die walked in the door of her own establishment. The only thing that made this worthy of note was that she hadn't ever really left.
It was one of those things that was best not to think about lest the Universe catch on.
She navigated to the bar ( afeat that astounded her) and flopped rather undramatically on a stool behind the bar. It didn't move or say anything, which she considered a large bonus to her situation.
Unfortunately, that also meant she lacked her navigator and comic relief. She hadn't thought it would be true, but she was actually missing Era.
...and, she felt obliged to admit reluctantly to herself, Sock. The pair kept the place lively, at least, they did so when they were around.

She stretched her wings as far as they would go at their reduced size (approximately 3.35 feet in either direction) and sighed. Finding things without her Finder was much more difficult than she had remembered, and required a great deal more flying than she had done in a while...
She looked around for Rowen and wondered if he would even still be there. Her supply of books wasn't so large it would keep him forever (though her library seemed to have the uncanny knack of spawning whatever books were desired... even when Die was sure she hadn't possessed a particular volume moments before. She tried not to think about it.)  

[Rowen McNeill]

"DON'T EAT MY SOUL!" Rowen jumped up suddenly, and looked around desperately, not noticing Die until his eyes passed over her three times. When he finally did notice her, the young man just stared.

He was standing behind the bar, dressed like a Film Noir detective, the pervading color being brown with green wherever it managed not to ruin the look.

After a moment he swallowed, straightened his tie, re-set his hat, and nodded once to her. "Hello... Must have... Fallen asleep... Heh..." His wings were close, somehow managing not to knock anything over.  

[silentdraconis]

Die started to grin but switched it for a broad smile, barely remembering to keep her teeth unobtrusively behind her lips. "I'm glad you're still here! I've got news!" She walked over to the bar and leaned on it. "I purchased a Diner earlier this month, and it seems that I got a little more than I bargained for... I've taken care of one loose end, temporarily at least, but there's a lot more I have to account for. Aah... and you've never been inducted." she looked annoyed with herself. "Right, well, lets take care of that now. Left hand in the air, right hand over your heart, and repeat after me.
'I hereby swear to uphold and represent all that is 'oh dear'-evoking and red-tie-wearing in this fair city.'" She paused to let him quote and continued.
"'I solemnly vow to ensure and better the appreciation of great art and good Role Playing throughout the population of Byako, accompanied by an appreciation of video games, video game music, Japanese, and Irish people.'" Another pause.
"'By these things do I solemnly swear, in the continuation of our work and fandom at The Alkemist Fan Club.'
Yare yare!." The last didn't seem to be art of what he had to quote, more of an excalamation in line with 'Huzzah!' She looked pleased.  

[Rowen McNeill]

Rowen blinked at her, just staring as she gri- smiled, barely catching something about a diner. His hands found their expected positions with no apparently knowledge of their owner, and when she paused for him to repeat, there was another pause just long enough for him to realize what was expected.

"I hereby swear to uphold and represent all that is 'oh dear'-evoking and red-tie-wearing in this fair city." There seemed to be more emphasis on the 'oh dear' in his recitation.

"I solemnly vow to ensure and better the appreciation of great art and good Role Playing throughout the population of Byako," up to this point he seemed pretty much dazed, like a dog that had just run into a stop sign pole that it still didn't see, "accompanied by an appreciation of video games, video game music, Japanese, and Irish people." At some point during the last part he came-too, and was actually smiling. Now THERE was something he understood.

"By these things I do solemnly swear, in the continuation of our work and fandom at The Alkemist Fan Club. Yare yare!"

There was a long pause.

"Wait, WHAT?!"  

[silentdraconis]

Die blinked at him. "Wait what, what?" She inquired briefly confused. She seemed to shrug it off almost immediately without really giving him time to respond, and leaned over the bar to rummage in the darkness. "Anyway, this Diner thing is apparently bigger than I thought, so I'll need your help with it. Since Era's gone, too, I'll have to shut the club down for a bit." While she was talking, she withdrew a stack of unruly papers in various colors and headed for the stars. "Come on, I'll show you your office."  

[Rowen McNeill]

Rowen's brain was having trouble keeping up, but he did manage to catch one bit.

"Shut it down... but all my stuff's here!" In passing, he noticed his reflection, and glanced down at his spats. "And some stuff that isn't mine..."

It never occurred to him to not follow her. Or to not bother trying to respond to most of what she said.

"My... office...?"  

[silentdraconis]

"Not permanently. Just for today--we've got a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time. And yes, your office. You've been here about as long as Era was, and you don't claw the furniture. Now, hold this-" she extended the pile of papers at him and didn't bother to make sure he had a good grip on them before letting go and turning back to the door at the very top of the stairs. She pulled an unusual key and inserted it in the lock.
The door swung open and she offered to take the papers back from him.  

[Rowen McNeill]

"Who's Era?" The only noteworthy action of Rowen's during this time was his ability to fail at taking the papers from her, while still managing to gather them back up and hand them to her when she reached. Before handing them back though, he blinked at the interior office, (he hadn't yet noticed the tree on the door, do to his regathering the papers).

"Cool... Looks like something out of a film noir... book." He frowned at this sentence, then shrugged. No doubt she knew what he meant.

He stepped in, and suddenly his clothes changed to a black suit, black shoes, black tie, white shirt, black short-brimmed hat, and sunglasses. He walked into the desk before taking off the sunglasses, and regarding them with a confused expression.  

[silentdraconis]

"Used to be my Guide around Byako. He vanished recently." She frowned for a moment, dropping the pile of papers on one of the tables outside the offices. "Hope he's okay. I'm not missing any bottles, so he didn't raid the bar before he left." She shook her head and swept the papers that were littering the table into a tidy stack.
"Anyway, That's your office, as you've discovered. Out here is where I do most of the paperwork for the Rabids--hasn't been much activity lately. My office is next door to yours. You're welcome to poke around, but do try to be quick. As I said, we've quite a bit to do, and not much time to do it in."
She cleared off another of the long tables and took the papers gathered from it and from the first, and took them into the room she had designated as her own. She filed them quickly, with the speed and efficiency of someone who has a lot of practice in a chore that they don't like.  

[Rowen McNeill]

"Guide around where?" A pigeon flew into his office window with a loud THUNK, slid down off the glass, and then apparently took flight again. It left smears where it's wings and tail had been, and some tufts of chest feathers in the center. "Oh. Right."

He looked around distractedly, the sounds of expedient filing in the background getting very little attention. He was giving the chair a test-run when he became of another energy signature in the building.

The young man frowned, looked around the office, and sighed. It wasn't like he had anything important to do, but the chair was so comfy...

With a groan, Rowen got up and wandered out of the room, shutting the door behind him, and still managing not to see the tree painted on it. He went over to Die's door, and knocked a little 'dun-dun-un-dun-dun--dun-dun' on the door frame.

"Die? I think theres somebody downstairs..."

There was somebody downstairs. A somebody at the bar, dressed in a navy corduroy suit and matching hat. The person was sitting on Rowen's stool, reading a book titled "Crompton Divided", by somebody named Robert Scheckley.

The person was tapping one foot to some kind of beat, and it echoed around the room. Of this, the somebody appeared to be unaware.