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Character Cantina II

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KillerClowns Since: Jan, 2001
#176: Sep 14th 2011 at 2:45:19 PM

As Kokabiel sat with Ian and Pandora again, he said, "that was very strange. That healing magic the tavern owner used... where did she draw the life force from? It wasn't herself... but I didn't trace any lines of power to any sacrifices either. In my experience, the universe is not especially fond of letting such debts pass." Looking at Ian and Pandora with an expression of academic curiosity, he asked, "have you ever seen healing magic work like that? Healing, without transferring the damage to somebody else, I mean. I suppose for such a minor transaction, an animal would have done, but I didn't even sense that. Where did the power come from?"

draconiansuperior The Draconic Superior from Home, doing stuff Since: May, 2011
The Draconic Superior
#177: Sep 14th 2011 at 3:07:14 PM

Pandora pondered at Kokabiel's question, "Well, in my village, we have witch doctors, who draw healing magic from the elements of nature itself, it's not hard to do, it's just hard to learn."

Ian looked at the old man with interest, "What do you mean, healing someone, but damaging another?"

KillerClowns Since: Jan, 2001
#178: Sep 14th 2011 at 3:15:37 PM

Kokabiel sighed and explained. "Magic... or rather, magic I know it, is a deal between the mortal and the immortal. A business contract. Unfortunately, the immortal do not have 'life' per se, so the price must be paid by another, preferably of similar physiology to the one being healed. Wounds are transferred from somebody you care about to somebody you don't... and, of course, the immortal being in question takes a..." he hesitated, looking for the proper term, "transaction fee, if you will. The recipient of the damage will come out worse than the one being healed... but again, if you don't care about them, that's probably a mere annoyance."

edited 14th Sep '11 3:21:31 PM by KillerClowns

TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#179: Sep 14th 2011 at 3:20:48 PM

Okay, thought Xavier, we're getting somewhere. "Do you speak English?" he asked the lizard. "Or, for that matter, anything at all? Because this is going to be a bit hard if you can't talk. I'm not good enough at mental magic to try and contact you with telepathy. Although I could get you a pencil and paper or something. I just really want to know your interest in me."

draconiansuperior The Draconic Superior from Home, doing stuff Since: May, 2011
The Draconic Superior
#180: Sep 14th 2011 at 3:34:48 PM

[Table 8]

Ian pondered Kokabiel's answer, "Interesting, not certainly a humane way of doing things, but it seems effective, then again we kill people en massa, we aren't the ones to talk," Ian drank his soda as he wondered what to say next. "One of our teammates uses magic, though he got through a contract with his Succubus," He took another slow sip, "I mean, the magic in our universe, if we are indeed in a different universe, is erratic, to sat the least, and magic isn't even that widely known, except for the people who know it of course."

Gault Laugh and grow dank! from beyond the kingdom Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: P.S. I love you
Laugh and grow dank!
#181: Sep 14th 2011 at 3:36:44 PM

It nodded sheepishly. “… Y-yes.” Its voice was a low, quiet rasp. “Yes, I can speak.” It grabbed the hood of its outfit and pulled it off its head, revealing a sleek, gaunt head that tapered to a snout. The muscles at the back of its neck stood out clearly, as did its large round eyes. And it looked filthy. Both Xavier and Wesley could see that the dullness of its scales was due to the fact that its skin was covered in mud.

“It’s nothing, I was just-“ she looked away. A grey membrane slid across its eyes, moistening them.

yey
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#182: Sep 14th 2011 at 3:43:06 PM

Xavier mentally breathed out a sigh of relief. At least this conversation wouldn't entirely be him miming out stuff and/or talking to someone who was silent and feeling like an idiot.

But on the other hand, she (her voice sounded female) was clearly distressed about something, and he couldn't make out what. He was a bit hesitant to keep talking, in case he made it worse somehow.

"What's wrong?" asked his mouth before his brain was finished thinking. "You've been standing on the edge, trying to be invisible, and not talking. That's not a good sign in anyone. Do I look threatening to you?"

Gault Laugh and grow dank! from beyond the kingdom Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: P.S. I love you
Laugh and grow dank!
#183: Sep 14th 2011 at 3:53:41 PM

“H-no, nononono!” it replied, the words tumbling out as if it thought for him to think that was the last thing it wanted. “It’s not you, you’re-“It’s eyes moved to Wesley, who was staring at it with an odd sort of look on his face. Like he wasn’t sure what to make of what he was seeing.

“You…” it made a sort of face that was reminiscent of cringing, then fell silent again as if not sure how to continue, dropping her head onto the table with a quiet thud. She brought it back up again, saying “You’re- it’s just that you’re… something familiar.” By its voice alone it seemed scared. It ‘blinked’ again, nicitating membrane sliding over the eyes.

yey
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#184: Sep 14th 2011 at 4:22:15 PM

"You... recognize me, in a way?" asked Xavier, baffled. "Or at least something like me? How? I've never seen anyth- anybody like you, and I don't think any other chimera has taken to dimension-hopping."

He paused, thinking. Okay. I can vaguely see how she might know me. We're both reptiles, but I've got wings. There could be stories or something in her world of other lizards that have wings. Maybe they're higher beings or something. Now, what kinds of human myths have beings wi-

"I'm not a god, am I?" he blurted out. "I don't want to be a god!"

edited 14th Sep '11 5:18:14 PM by TeraChimera

Night The future of warfare in UC. from Jaburo Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
The future of warfare in UC.
#185: Sep 14th 2011 at 4:25:05 PM

"A cage?" Samuel's lips quirked upward, but the smile didn't come. "No, not a cage, really." A long, thoughtful pause. "Maybe, if you mean in a metaphorical sense. To wear it accrues certain duties and responsibilities. But I chose it at least."

Samuel shrugged. "It's armor, really. It's supposed to protect me. It worked well enough the first...fourteen years," that statement must seem odd, Samuel can be no older than thirty, "but nothing is perfect. That's why I'd look flashy if I took it off. Things changed, after the first failure. A lot of them."

Nous restons ici.
Gault Laugh and grow dank! from beyond the kingdom Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: P.S. I love you
Laugh and grow dank!
#186: Sep 14th 2011 at 4:31:58 PM

A silence stretched between the two. It was filled with awkwardness.

It canted its head to the side, perplexed, then blinked two more times. Then it composed itself and extended a hand. A Human gesture. “My name is Saliha. And don’t worry, no. You don’t look like a god.”

It’s tail uncoiled from around it’s ankle under the table.

yey
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#187: Sep 14th 2011 at 4:37:01 PM

Xavier shook her hand. "Well, good. Now, could you tell me a bit more? You've been so quiet and vague, I didn't really have much to go by. Although I did do a rather huge jump to conclusions."

Stupid, stupid, stupid. How did I get to that? It's so extreme. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. But at least she's being a bit more open now. Maybe she'll actually talk now, rather than quietly stammering generalities.

Gault Laugh and grow dank! from beyond the kingdom Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: P.S. I love you
Laugh and grow dank!
#188: Sep 14th 2011 at 4:43:13 PM

After a moment of consideration, Saliha continued. “Yes. I wanted to talk to you because you are something familiar. I don’t know. I don’t have wings, but I have a tail and we look sort of like each-other so…” it trailed off. It raised its gaze to meet his, then sort of flinched. It’s eyes then began to roam indistinctly. Little did Xavier know that they were roaming over his wings and body.

Underneath the table, its tail twitched.

Across from all this, Wesley continued to sit and watch, similarly unaware of just what was going on.

edited 14th Sep '11 4:43:20 PM by Gault

yey
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#189: Sep 14th 2011 at 5:17:48 PM

"So, let me see if I've got this straight," said Xavier. "You're interested in me because I look almost, but not quite, like you, not because of any stories or myths or anything." He shuffled his wings in contemplation. "That makes sense. Stranger things have happened, especially in this place.

"Could you tell me about yourself a little? It'd be nice to get to know you a bit."

Gault Laugh and grow dank! from beyond the kingdom Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: P.S. I love you
Laugh and grow dank!
#190: Sep 14th 2011 at 5:23:34 PM

Saliha looked to be eager, but then spotted Wesley sitting across from it. He seemed to be staring. Instead of shying away or trying to hide itself, it faced in his direction and stared right back. Up to the point where the atmosphere was beginning to get uncomfortable. It wasn’t difficult to figure out the source of its new-found confidence. It evidently thought that Xavier would protect it given the fact that he seemed friendly enough. It scooted a bit closer to him on its chair, tail winding its way behind them and inadvertently bumping into his. Saliha seemed not to notice.

yey
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#191: Sep 14th 2011 at 5:56:32 PM

Xavier jumped a little and instinctively twitched his tail away from Saliha's. "Um, why are you staring at Wesley?" he asked. "He's not going to hurt you. Like I said, violence isn't allowed here. Or did you suddenly decide to have a staring contest with him? And you're, um, getting a little close."

Crap crap crap. If she hates Wesley, this won't turn out good. And she might... maybe... probably... Last time, there was that one girl. I can't be that attractive.

At least she's not human.

Gault Laugh and grow dank! from beyond the kingdom Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: P.S. I love you
Laugh and grow dank!
#192: Sep 14th 2011 at 6:06:18 PM

Saliha broke eye contact with Wesley and began looking instead at Xavier. It said simply, “I’m worth money.” And then resumed its staring contest. To his credit, Wesley looked down and said, “I’m not interested in turning you in. You don’t have to worry about me alright?”

It canted its head in contemplation and after a few seconds nodded, seeming satisfied. “Okay. That’s good…” It’s tail began to weave around behind the two until it found his again, this time winding lightly around it. Wesley was of course oblivious to the source of Xavier’s mounting discomfort, but noticed that his friend was looking awkward. “Are you this unused to being around women, Xavier?” he teased.

yey
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#193: Sep 14th 2011 at 6:13:40 PM

"Not so much 'unused' as 'haven't been around in a really long time'," he said. He kind of enjoyed the pressure on his tail. "I don't know if I ever told you this, but chimeras can live for about five thousand years, and I haven't had any serious romance in a few decades, so this was more unexpected then anything. No offense," he said to Saliha, "and I don't mind."

He chuckled a little. "But Vincent... hoo boy, if he was here, there'd be enough awkward here that you could bottle it. He has absolutely zero interest in women, romance, or sex, period."

Gault Laugh and grow dank! from beyond the kingdom Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: P.S. I love you
Laugh and grow dank!
#194: Sep 14th 2011 at 6:37:04 PM

Saliha’s tail twitched slightly in surprise, jerking Xavier’s to which it was attached, realizing she had done so and dipping her head in mild embarrassment. She didn’t quite know what to think of such forward discussion of intimacy. In fact, she had assumed Wesley had been joking, though Xavier had seemed to have taken it seriously. Still, she would have been lying had she said she objected. It was just as well that reptiles couldn’t blush.

It was at that moment that she suddenly realized just how muddy she was, and pulled her tail back in horror. Flustered, she reached behind him and tried to brush the dirt off his clothes where her tail had brushed up against, stammering apologies.

edited 14th Sep '11 6:37:47 PM by Gault

yey
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#195: Sep 14th 2011 at 6:44:43 PM

Saliha pulled away from Xavier, stammering something about dirt and brushing it off his clothes. "No, no, that's fine," he said. "I get my clothes dirty a lot. My job, if you scale everything down and make it sound uninteresting, is basically digging in the dirt."

He waited until his clothes were somewhat clean before saying, "You know, you still haven't told me about you. Why're you dirty? Where do you come from? And so on and so forth."

Gault Laugh and grow dank! from beyond the kingdom Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: P.S. I love you
Laugh and grow dank!
#196: Sep 14th 2011 at 6:52:19 PM

Saliha finished up and placed her hands back up on the tabletop. They were noticeably sullied. In all honesty she had probably just made things worse. Dropping her head in a gesture of shame, she answered Xavier’s question. “I’ve been running. Had to get away from men who were looking for me. Men like him.” She pointed a finger at Wesley who was just sitting there, leaning back in his chair, smirking slightly and witnessing the whole affair with avid fascination.

She scratched behind her neck with one hand, wondering if there were any baths in this building.

edited 14th Sep '11 8:35:21 PM by Gault

yey
OhSoIntoCats from The Sand Wastes Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#197: Sep 14th 2011 at 6:54:39 PM

"It must be a cage," said Lafayette, "Cages act like that..." He didn't really understand why the things Samuel said were "wrong." Lafayette was only a few years old in the way the Old Ones counted — but was several million years old in human years. He was still trying to wrap his head around human ways of counting, and tense was only something he forced himself into when he spoke. Fourteen years, whatever Samuel meant, were rather meaningless to him, as were metaphors, duties, and responsibilities.

"Can you take it off?" asked Lafayette, "I don't like it."

by cage Lafayette means Faraday Cage. >>;

Night The future of warfare in UC. from Jaburo Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
The future of warfare in UC.
#198: Sep 14th 2011 at 7:57:34 PM

Samuel paused and mentally reevaluated this. "Yes. I could take it off. A moment." The Jacket dropped; simply faded out. In its place, a uniform that looked identical except for being made of actual fabric rather than the energy-absorbent material. A deliberate subterfuge.

It probably would have looked human, at first glance. Most of the materials used in his reconstruction weren't that conductive, the armoring on the torso, neck, head, and the replacement of bones with stronger materials. But the motors at the joints would stand out; the power sources for them too. Optics for eyes. Some computer gear, not much, for coordination, processing, storage. None of it was obvious on the surface; crude cyborgs frightened people, made them uncomfortable. All of the additions were sufficiently hardened unless Lafayette meant to damage it he was unlikely unless he tried deliberately. "I probably look like a walking collection of appliances to you, without the Jacket."

Nous restons ici.
KillerClowns Since: Jan, 2001
#199: Sep 14th 2011 at 7:57:59 PM

"Magic," Kokabiel said, "is always erratic, isn't it? It is the gash in the universe where Unreason flows into the clockwork mechanisms of Reason. It is the defiance of the sentient mind in the face of entropy, that ancient evil that is built into reality." He sighed, and said, "I ask you a question I am very fond of asking those I meet. Tell me, would you, or would you not, stand with Hell against Oblivion?"

OhSoIntoCats from The Sand Wastes Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#200: Sep 14th 2011 at 8:25:05 PM

"Ah— ah— ah!"

Lafayette had no words for what he saw. He stared dumbly, but his mouth and his brain were doing things that were quite different — he flooded Samuel immediately with data, information in binary and a counting system understood only to himself and the other Old Ones — to all others it seemed random. His brain worked frantically and he didn't even try to force his thoughts into a human tongue. He thought that Samuel would be able to understand. It said something along the lines of I found you in so many relieved tones.

To anyone near him, the air would have seemed charged, and anyone unfortunate enough to have credit cards or cell phones around him would find them erased.


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