Scuffles and shuffles

Purgatory Tavern ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Purgatory Tavern, a popular hangout for Necromundus' longtime denizens and newcomers alike, mostly takes advantage of natural light - or the lack thereof. The sometimes wobbly tables and crooked-backed chairs are scattered throughout blue and violet shadows that are only vaguely disturbed by the llumination provided through porthole-like windows by the glowing archways in the nearby Portal Plaza.

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Miran is in her chair!

With her bag...

waiting on pie.

Augustus strolls into the bar with his tail wagging happily after him.

PIE!

Eloise steps in from the cold, shivering a bit and cranking about something. But the smell of fresh pies quickly turns her grumping in to a smile.

Augustus starts for the bar quickly, his tail wagging and his tongue running over his muzzle.

Impatient demand is the only possible explanation for the feeling radiating from the tiny velvet bag.

Miran is stroking it absently, nursing a mug of mulled wine. PIE! is the insistent image projected into her mind, and she nods. "Yes, dear, I know."

Eloise gravitates fpr her spot at the bar, sniffing the air with the obviousness of a creature without a great sense of smell. "Mm. I smell pie...blueberry?" She asks absently, sitting down.

Augustus pauses his motion and sniffs the air quickly. His eyes close and he takes a big wiff. "Yeah thats right." He says with a wag of his tail before sitting down.

"Whatever, as long as they hurry," Miran observes from somewhere inside her mug

Eloise grins, picking a fork out from behind the counter. The durable stainless steel looks tiny in her hand, and strangely threatening in her /fisted/ hand. "Indeed. give us the pie and noone gets hurt!" Eloise cackles to herself.

"Gods help me know." Augustus murmurs to himself. The lupoid scratches behind his ear and closes his eyes as his leg starts to kick.

"Know what?" Miran sets the mug down and stares at Eloise. Finally, "pft. Yeah. Like you'd ever hurt anyone." The bag chuckles...kind of

"Well, that's probably true." Eloise agrees, setting down her fork. "But I am looking forward to hot bubbly crusty pie." She pats her stomach, grinning with the excitement of a small child.

"A talking cow.. and a demon.. and a chrippy bag.. all wanting pie at the same time.. unlife is unkind at times." Augustus glances over at the bartender. "Wine please.

The pie arrives! Not blueberry- a darker berry, the gooey filling staining the plate with the crimsom glory of the old European northlands. "Ooooh," Marina sighs. "Marionberries." One slice for her, and a cubed-gloppy sort of mess that is promptly scraped into the bag (goo and all), which hummmmms happily. "More wine for me, too, please."

Eloise sniffs the slice of pie the bartender abandons before her. "Marionberries?" She asks, prodding the golden crust speculatively. "What're those?"

The wine arrives! And as soon as it does, Augustus is trying to see how much he can down in one go.

"They're from Scandinavia-" Miran begins just as the bartender growls, "Wrong! 's bogberries!" Marina pauses, bite midway to her mouth and eyes the forkful. "Oh." She pops it into her mouth anyway. "Tasteslike marionberries," she mumbles around the forkful. The bag must be happy, as it continues the odd food-processor sound it makes.

Eloise sniffs it again, peering at the crimson stain on her plate. But it smells /so/ good... she shrugs and dunks her fork in to the gooey mess and pops the load in to her mouth. Her jaw works a minute as she chews the food, and her expression blends in to one of pure delight.

"Hmm what a sureal evening." Augustus murmurs after the last of the wine has been sucked down. "Hmm wonder if a midget will show up and do the Saftey Dance soon."

"'s a safety dance?" Miran manages, around her next mouthful.

Eloise shrugs, still eating pie with careful veneration for the new glories of marionberry type things.

Augustus clears his throat and straightens his back. "We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind, because if your friends don't dance, they are no friends of mine." He sings.

Miran....stares........and almost drops her fork. "Uh....oh." cough. "I see."

Singing is nice, but this new flavor of pie is like viewing the Big Dipper in the middle of New York City, granted that might be an exagerration seeing as Eloise never visitined NYC herself...but...she could imagine, and this pie was pretty important.

Augustus stops quickly then rubs between his ears. "Quite.."

Easton arrives from Necromundus - City Center.

Easton has arrived.

Easton steps into the tavern. One quick glance at the beings already there is enough to send him continuing quickly on his way towards the gambler's den.

Marina resumes eating her pie after the singing display. She is seated in the corner with her bag, Augustus is also at the bar, and Eloise is at the end, by the den.

Eloise is /enjoying/ her pie, darnit.

"Alright.." Augustus yawns. "Hmm met another she demon today. Viviecne or some shit."

Easton heads into Gambling Den.

Easton has left.

"Oh yeah? She any fun?" Marina grins

Eloise erks an ear -as best she can- and listens in on the conversation. Pie's gone, but her drink's arrived so she settles on that for a while.

"Overly emotional." Augustus shrugs. "And she didn't let me eat her liver and she let my dindin get away."

Easton arrives from Gambling Den.

Easton has arrived.

"Your dinner? Dare I ask who you were going to nosh on today?" Miran lifts her own mug for the story.

Eloise is trying very hard to not-really-look-like-she's-listening in the corner of the bar, while Miran and Augustus talk. El's failing miserably, as her face rolls over in to a grimace.

"Couple of humans that strolled in here." Augustus replies with a yawn. "Wot wot."

Easton wanders back in from the gambler's den, counting a handful of coins. He approaches the bar, putting them down and buying a stock of food. He tries to be subtle about keeping a wary eye on Augustus as he does so, with about as much success as Eloise has with her eavesdropping.

"That new British guy?" Miran laughs, glancing over at El. "Well. Speak of the human..."

Eloise tries to look like she's not paying attention, but it's apparently very difficult. She keeps reviewing Easton from afar with curiousity and trying not to look too long at the lupoid and demon.

"Hmm thought he was Sivadian." Augustus replies before he sniffs the air and casts a glance over at Easton. "Hmm walking steak.. oh not you cow."

"Sivadian? Is this another one of your 'ooo, people live on mars' stunts?" Miran sips from her mug again as the bag chuffs.

Easton gives the ceiling a long-suffering look, turning to face Augustus. "Look, dogman. I've been giving you some thought since our little encounter earlier. I'm not willing to spend the rest of my li-death, whatsoever you wish to call it, looking over my shoulder for the likes of you. If you're hungry, there's easier meat than me. I'm tough and stringy, and I've got a sharp edge here. So stop sniffing around me like I'm a tree you want to piss on, fair?"

Eloise freezes in her corner, going completely and perfectly still. She's eyeing the situation to her right and adding up unfavorable odds...

Augustus laughs his wheezing howl laugh and wags his tail. "Oh I'll do nothing of the sort. Food is better when played with." The Lupoid then nods over at Miran and nods. "Yeah thats about right. Aint my fault you were born in some barbaric times."

"Ooo, he's much sassier than he was earlier." Miran leeeeans back in her chair, eyeing the man and Augustus. "I think you misunderstand...it is not so much about *eating* as it is...earning the kill." She flicks some piecrust towards Aug half-heartedly. "Says the man eaten by a crocodile."

Easton gives the ceiling another one of his looks. "If sassy is the word. I suppose I'm just getting a little more use to this place and its..." He glances pointedly at the lupoid. "...peculiarities."

Eloise's large ceramic mug - a bucket in all but name - sits untouched on the counter. She's eyeing

Easton openly now, with a combination of pity and suspicion.

"It was only the arm and they saved that in the end." Augustus rolls his eyes.

"Try the pie!" Marina urges. "Y'know, for the money, the steak is really much better for your health. Those crocs are...evil...." She grins.

Easton comments in his wry British accent, "I'm sure they don't want for company, then." He finally catches Eloise's gaze, returning it with two lifted eyebrows. "...an upright cow, and -I- get the weird looks."

Eloise's look of pity dissolves, replaced by pure suspicion. She rises carefully to her hooves and casts a level look at Easton. She says nothing further, except for hefting her mace in one hand and her mug in the other. She moves from her place on the drafty bar closer to the fire.

"Yes piss everyone off. That cow is actually pretty good at smashing crap. Demoness over there, has a big sword. Me, I use an axe." Augustus yawns.

"You're going to get wierd-knocked on a short trip back outside if you keep that up, Nottingham," Miran notes about the same time Augustus yawns.

Easton makes a disbelieving noise, "Oh right, yeah. Now we're all the reasonable, wounded type. You Demonesses and axe-wielding wolves always so sensitive about what others have to say? I didn't make this world, and its not my fault I've only encountered one decent-seeming person in the whole bloody place. If I thought politeness was a language you people spoke, maybe I'd try using it more."

"Decent seeming!" Eloise bristles from her massively reworked chiar - the only one she's yet to break- by the fire. "Decent seeming. Pardon, but if you're letting first impressions in a place like /this/," she gestures broadly at the ethereal setting, "guide yer actions then you deserve what's coming for ya."

"Hmm, Miran shall I do the first cut or would you rather? He talks to much and he is starting to bore me." Augustus drones as his tail goes stiff and his ears tilt forward.

With a yawn, Miran pats her little bag gently, and it begins to purr as she directs her words to Easton.

"I seem to recall being quite pleasant to you earlier." She stands. "Will you excuse me a moment, then?" And really, without waiting, heads for the door.

Miran heads into Necromundus - City Center.

Miran has left.

Miran arrives from Necromundus - City Center.

Miran has arrived.

Easton shakes his head, gesturing at Augustus. "Yes, wanting to cut on a man for talking too much. I can see I've -horribly- misjudged you. All I know is I've only been here for a few days and already I'm sick of this place. I don't understand anything, and it seems almost everyone I meet is some kind of monster bound on re-killing me." He glances to Eloise after that. "First impressions become important, when the second impression that gets made tends to be made by their teeth on your arm."

Eloise thrusts her arms out. "I'm still whole," she replies, an ugly smirk twisting her lips. "but you won't be for long. You've completely pissed two of the most powerful warriors in the vicinity, and the only healer in sight has half a mind to let you get discorprealized." She draws a deep breath. "But only half. Let me extend a polite invitation; haul ass." She rises and takes less than ten long strides to loom over Easton. Her giant hand comes up and she swipes for his collar.

Easton gacks in a loud and highly undignified fashion, attempting to dodge out of the way of the stampeding cow.

Augustus stands up straight and starts to unlash the axe that lays across his back. "Yes what an interesting day this is turning out to be."

Miran wasn't gone long, really- just out to her reindeer's sleigh. "Now, now, Nottingham...play fair. No one else has tried to eat you, mm?" As the man is hoisted into Elo's hefty grip she grins, her hands still tucked into her coat. The chirpy bag, however, is missing.

So, so close. Easton almost gets out of the way, everything but the very edge of his collar escapes El's grasp and he desperates tries to tear himself away. Being woefully ignorant of the particulars of the situation, he doesn't realize what a bad idea leaping out of the frying pan is.

"Don't!" Eloise squawk with the depths of her lungs as he snakes away from her. She tries to loop an arm around his chest and haul him back. Trying to keep an armful of largeish humanoid is harder than it looks, and its distracting her from Aug and Miran. "Stop wriggling!" She hisses.

Augustus unloops his axe and hefts it for a moment. The lupoid's ears tilt forward and he leans aganist the bar and watches the show.

"It is not as if he'll make it past the door, Eloise. You either, really...but you know reckless decorporealifing the poor thing is just a waste of good money." Miran leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, a smug smile on her face. She's pretty cocky for a five-foot petite scrap of nothing.

Easton is not so much hauled back as he is left entirely at the cow lady's mercy. Although he cries bloody murder and attempts an utterly futile struggle, he's only succeeding in further embarassing himself.

"Now we're both royally fucked. I hope you're happy." She snarls, looping the large and muscular man over her shoulder. She snatches her mace around herself and storms towards the door, not really caring that Miran is standing there. "Move, /please/." she stresses the word, but there's no feeling in it. Eloise looks for once truly angry.

Augustus hefts his axe over his shoulders and wags his tail. "Well things are looking up now aint they? Peaching fuckin evening." He then starts to stroll to those near the door.

Easton calls out from high atop Eloise, "I've been happier! But at least now I get what you're trying to do. Set me down, will you?! We might have a better chance."

"I don't recall being upset with you Eloise...put him down. Its not like we can do anything permanent anyway," Miran reasons. Sound logic, really.

"Not until we're outside of this cramped place!" Eloise shouts back to him, lunging at the door while it's still manned by only one character. "Sorry, Miran, I can't do that." Her voice comes through her clamped teeth. "Evil for evil's sake being against my nature and all." She lashes out with a powerful hoof, intending to chase Miran away and splinter the door.

"Aw come on Betsy. Really?" Augustus shakes his head and hefts his axe as he starts to follow, only picking up the pace slightly at the attempt at violence.

Easton just hands on for dear, precious life-after-death at this point. His eyes widening visably at the force of his reluctant ally's hooves.

Miran easily sidesteps the battering ram of a foot, flicking the door open as she moves. "At least it is warm in here," she mutters, preparing to follow.

"Fur is a godsend at times." Augustus rolls his eyes then starts to follow as well.

Necromundus - City Center //////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The quirky architecture of the mist-laden city of Necromundus is distinguished primarily by the absence of many right angles. Wooden-slats climb walls that are rectangular cubes, but the lines from ground to gable form rather oblong angles, giving everything from the dominant clock tower to the grand gold-domed opera house a rather unstable appearance.

Ghostly entities of many shapes and sizes can often be seen traveling the narrow, fog-shrouded streets, on their way to the Place of Choosing or preparing to resurrect after some sort of misadventure or accident beyond the great portals that lead to strange and distant realms.

A cobblestone street snakes northeast toward low hills surrounded by wrought-iron fences and tombstones, while a rutted grass path heads south toward the stinking mire known as the Rotting Bog.

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Easton arrives from Purgatory Tavern

Easton has arrived.

Eloise tumbles out the door, having been prepared to impact the door and keep going...but having missed the door as it opened. She tumbles forward on too much momentum and throws Easton away from her lest she land on him and crush the poor fellow. She tumbles to the ground and scrambles to get up.

Easton is flung far up the street by Eloise's last buck, careening through the air and sliding down the road before rolling smoothly to gain his feet. He draws his feeble short sword, turning towards the portal plaza...and stopping. With a quiet, uncharacteristic curse, he turns back around and heads back to where his bovine saviour is trying to stand.

Easton equips Short Sword.

From Purgatory Tavern, Miran yells, ""And stay out!""

Miran arrives from Purgatory Tavern

Miran has arrived.

"Get out of here, you fool!" Eloise snaps, regaining her bearings as she scrapes the cobblestones with her hooves as she struggles to her feet. "I didn't pick a fight with two of the best warriors in the city just so we can idle in front of them." She finally gets to her feet and heads for the portal plaza. "COME ON"

Augustus arrives from Purgatory Tavern

Augustus has arrived.

"You're supposed to be a warrior...running away is a poor start," Miran notes as she pokes her head out of the tavern. "I *told* you we were not going to hurt you, silly cow."

Easton, who is running back towards Eloise -from- the Portal Plaza, is almost run over by her as she sets off. He skids around in the street, almost losing his balance before running alongside her towards the plaza.

Augustus leans out of the Doorway and rolls his eyes. "Hmm my they can run."

Eloise doesn't seem to care that she was promised saftey. She's too busy fleeing, with Easton hard on her heels.

Necromundus - Portal Plaza /////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A broad circular plaza with a rough gray granite surface, surrounded by monolithic arched portals that swirl with varicolored glowing light. In the middle of the plaza stands a gurgling black stone fountain topped by obsidian ravens.

The centerpiece of the city of the dead, the Portal Plaza serves as a gateway to many realms of adventure.

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Easton arrives from Necromundus - City Center.

Easton has arrived.

Cataract - Misty Road ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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This unpaved dirt road - a glorified wagon track grown wide from years of traffic coming and going - cuts through an ancient forest of leafy green trees. Small animals can be heard scurrying through the bushy underbrush.

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Easton arrives from Necromundus - Portal Plaza.

Easton has arrived.

Easton comes flying out of the portal, landing on his back in the sweet earth of the road.

Eloise skids to a stop, breathing hard only from adrenaline. "...Smart." She says sharply, thrusting her mace into the dirt path. She glowers down at Easton for a second, before her hard glare softens in to her usual warm look. "Why on earth would you pick a fight with those two like that?" She demands, flopping down on the ground.

Easton hauls himself up to a sitting position, getting his breath back. "...tell you the truth? I don't even know. While, Augustus just happens to be a wanker. The other...I don't know. This place is just getting to me." He takes a few more hard breaths before glancing sheepishly at Eloise. "...look here old girl, I owe you an apology. I was quite unspeakably rude to you, and...well, you helped me out of a tight spot there. I'm just not used to all you...strange creatures."

"Mm," Eloise murmurs. "I see. You're /really/ new here then." She sighs. "All right, fair enough. Look here, unlife sucks but it's all we've got an' you can't get out. Now. Take Augustus for example. He eats people for fun, cuz he's so bored. Miran, the demon in there, likes to help him catch 'em. Other than that, the two are a decent sort. My name's Eloise, and I put up with them because, frankly, I have to."

Easton nods emphatically, "-Very- new. I only came here a few days ago. Everything just seems monstrous here...so I guess sometimes I see monsters where they're not. Though I have to say- Augustus eats people for fun, and Miran helps him? I don't know what they can do the rest of the time to make them decent sorts."

"They help people, usually. Augustus is the only reason I could feed myself for a while, he got me a contract with The Pack, a prestigious guild around these parts. I make potions for them." Eloise sums. "So, they aren't entirely bad. Just when they're bored or angry." She sighs.

Easton makes a skeptical noise in his throat, "I don't think much of them, still. But...thank you for helping me. And again, I am sorry to have caused you so much trouble. I am in your debt. Please let me know if I can do anything to repay your kindness, and make up for setting your...friends after you."

Eloise shakes her head. "We didn't lose our livers." Eloise smiles. "And I think the best repayment is laying low for a while and trying to keep out of trouble. There's a couple of colorful characters that have been around here a long time...and they don't appreciate sass." Eloise looks around, scanning the area. "Well, I've got to go gather some bloodleaf while pickings are ripe. I'm usually in the tavern, but now...probably not for a while." She grins, picking up herself and her mace. "I'll see you around, though, I'm sure."

Easton mutters wryly, "If you don't, look in Augustus's belly."

Eloise belts out a peal of laughter. "Ah, come on! None of that is permanent here." She grins, scuffing her hooves.

Easton stands, sheathing his sword and offering to shake hands...or hooves, or whatever Eloise has to offer in that department. "Aaron Easton. As you say, nothing permanent. Good luck to you."

Offers her own thick hand, taking care to be gentle. "And you, Aaron."