CAA RP All-Stars

[goldenspines]

GMs are the illustrious Peanut and the kind-hearted Jaden.


Have fun and play safe! ^__^

[Peanut]

A strange stench assaults your nostrils as you awaken in a city that you've never seen before. In the dim light, you see a van, driving away and realize that your prized possessions that you had on your person are no longer with you. For some of you you aren't sure what's more amazing, the fact that the individual stole your clothing or the fact that they managed to replace it with cheap tourist shirts. It doesn't take you long to realize that everything you have has been stolen. The only bystanders you see are several individuals around you who also seem to be waking up in the same predicament as yourself. Some of them you recognize others you don't, however something in your gut tells you that these individuals are the ones you're going to be spending quite a bit of time with for however long it takes to get out of this mess. Looking around you see that you are in an alleyway with two tall sky scrapers reaching up to the sky. A couple of cars drive by on a nearby street but they do not have wheels, and instead are floating along rather quickly. You do not see any people around though besides those who are waking up with you in this alley way though that seems to be because its the middle of the night. Either way, you do not know where you are and now your stuff is gone. Great way to start a day isn't it.

*Sinclair Gardenshed and Peanut*

*Peanut awakens with a gasp just in time to see the van driving away. It doesn't take long for him to realize something is up. It probably has something to do with the "I <3 NewOpolis" shirt he was now wearing. It didn't take long for him to realize what had happened and he sighed. Whoever did this, wasn't going to be happy. Peanut was basically a god of Chaos by this point. He could annihilate people just by sneezing. A petty thief who took advantage of him while he was unconscious would be no problem for him. He noticed an individual in a tacky shirt standing up an staring off in the distance. Poor sap, he clearly had had his clothing stolen as well.*

Sinclair Gardenshed: They took my van.

*Peanut stood up and joined the guy.*

Peanut: Well there are worst things to have taken. *he said gesturing to his clothing*

*Sinclair eyed over Peanut's new outfit. Peanut could tell he was a cyborg but not like any kind he'd seen in Temuopolis or the Imperium. If anything he looked a bit dated but at the same time sleeker in terms of the build of his enhancements.*

Sinclair: Nice shirt.

*Apparently he also had terrible taste in clothing because every bit of those two words told Peanut he was being sincere.*

Peanut: Thanks...I guess.

Sinclair: Oh well, you can't take it with you.

*Peanut blinked. The man had just had a van stolen. A particularly nice looking van that seemed to be used for deliveries or something like that. In fact it was probably related to his job which meant that he might loose his job because of this.*

Peanut: Who are you?

Sinclair: *extending his hand for a handshake* Sinclair Gardenshed, expert in Corporate Espionage and Security.

Peanut: *taking his hand* Peanut. That van looked important...

Sinclair: It was. I had several million worth of weapons in there.

*Peanut shook his head in shock but then realized he shouldn't be surprised. The man did just confess to being in Corporate Espionage so it really wasn't that weird for him to have tons of weapons sitting in his car.*

Sinclair: I don't need it though. Besides, it doesn't seem like they took anything too important.

*Too imporant. Suddenly Peanut thought of something and began to frantically search around him. It was gone!*

Peanut: No...no no no no NOOOOOOO!!!!

Sinclair: You alright kid?

Peanut: The book! Its gone, they took the book!

Sinclair: Look I might not know much about literature but I'm pretty sure a book isn't anything that you should be freaking out over.

*He didn't understand. Peanut was the holder of the Grimoire of Disorder, a book with the power to bend the entire will of Chaos to that of its reader. If they read so much as a page from it the results could be disastrous for everyone involved. However, Peanut realized very quickly this probably wasn't the type of information you share with a random stranger you just met. Being a creature of Chaos meant you were the stuff of nightmares in your true form and that somewhat ruins your social life when you've just met someone for the first time.*

Peanut: Its...more important then you could imagine. I have to get that book back!

*Peanut began to run after the van only to be stopped by Sinclair.*

Sinclair: Calm down bucko, no use rushing off after something that's going to move faster then you.

*In truth, the van couldn't move faster then Peanut. All of Peanut's being had been honed into an incredibly powerful fighting machine and, really, there wasn't anything much quicker then him these days. However, again, revealing his abilities to a random stranger might not be the best of ideas at this point.*

Sinclair: You need to stay calm and come up with a plan. Don't go rushing off into situation you don't know.

*Sinclair was right of course. For anyone else, rushing off into this situation was probably not a good idea. Peanut, however, was not anyone else so he broke his hold and ran to the end of the alley way. Unfortunately, the van was gone. Sinclair approached behind him.*

Sinclair: I told you you couldn't catch something that moves faster then you. Look, this book, probably not worth risking your life for. You should just let it go, I mean the chances of finding it now that thieves have taken it is one in a million...give or take a few thousand. Its not worth the confrontation you are going to have to deal with.

*Sinclair reached into his shirt pocket and then froze. He patted around his person and including the top of his head.*

Sinclair: Son of a--

Peanut: What?

Sinclair: They took my glasses. Those were my favorite pair! Oh. Oh its on now!

Peanut: Glasses? Really?

Sinclair: You don't get it. Those sunglasses were the best pair in the world. They've been with me through everything! Nobody touches those glasses except for me.

Peanut: What's your plan then?

Sinclair: Come on, there's some more people back there who seem to be waking up, I get the feeling they'll want to help us set things straight.

[Davidizer13]

"Strey? Where'd you go?"

"Down the hall to the right, dearie. Mind the gap, though! There's loose bricks everywhere."

"So what did you find? Anything good?"

"I can't tell, bring me that other torch. It's made of wood, feels hollow, curvy, maybe a Kousan chest?"

"Look, there's a little seam there. Try this pick, maybe that'll get it open."

"Hmm, couldn't hurt trying. ...And sure enough, there it is! But what is it? Rather pretty, isn't it?"

"Hold on a minute, shouldn't you figure out what it is before you touc-"

---

They were in a heap on the ground, with the smell of singed hair hanging in the air. Mellara was the first to wake up; glancing around, she jerked to her knees in surprise. The dark corridors of the ruin they were exploring had disappeared; they were in a hallway? An alley? They were surrounded by dark, smooth stone; the sky was dark, but it was light, lit with a strange orange glow from all around.

Streyvash groaned and rolled over onto his back. "Well. That was interesting!" he said in a distant voice.

"Strey, something's wrong," whispered Mellara. "We're...we're not where we used to be."

Strey sat up, then dreamily glanced around. "So we aren't... Where are we then?"

"If only I knew. I've never seen anything like this before, anywhere we've gone."

"And sure enough," said Strey, "I don't think I have either... Well, until we figure out what to do, we still have our-" He reached for his satchel, only to find nothing there. "Oh. Dearie, you didn't take my bag while I was asleep, did you?"

"...Oh no. Mine's missing too," she said, checking herself, "and so's my bow. And my wedding bracelet's gone, look, yours too!"

Strey rubbed at his wrist, and got to his feet. "Hmm, so it is. Well, let's just see if they haven't fallen off and rolled away and-" He noticed that there were people lying on the ground, humans in strange clothing. Two of them were standing nearby, speaking to each other in hushed tones as they watched over the scene. "Stay out of sight, Mel, I'll take care of this."

"Don't do anything stupid, I won't be able to back you up this time."

"Just like in Brentis, remember?" He flashed a quick smile to Mel, then turned on his heel and called out. "Beg pardon, sirs, would you happen know where we are? I seem to be lost..." Behind a trash can, Mellara rubbed her eyes, standing at alert and ready to run, hoping Strey could talk his way out of this. It was going to be a long night.

[USSRGirl]

- Temuoplis, 2012 -

Chairwoman Temulin sat in the upper wing of her palace, eating a bowl of rice she'd stolen from a starving peasant. She was eating peasant feed because lately the glorious Motherland had been, well, unglorious.

A side business was in order. Flipping through a worn book of old contacts, she jabbed a finger at the name Baptista. Yes, he would be a good candidate. But what for remained a mystery.

In the meantime, there was a new power rising in the west, one Sinclair Gardenshed. She would study this new threat and hope it proved more of a threat than the homeless person she'd studied last week.

[samurai10]

Jackie woke with a start, and her hand flew to where her sword usually was. Gone. She checked her gun. Also gone. And her other sword... gone! All gone! She looked down at her pants. They weren't her khakis. They were jeans. Somebody had taken off with her khakis, which had all her money, and all the papers she needed for being a mercenary. Even her gang vest and blue shirt were gone, replaced by a pink shirt that said, "I <3 NewOpolis". She cursed and thought, I swear, once I find the punks who stole everything that I had, they are going to regret it.

She had been in the middle of a mission for one of her political clients, when a cloth drenched in chloroform had been put over her nose and mouth. If he knows anything about this, I'm gonna kill him too, thought Jackie.

A voice brought her out of her angry reverie. "Beg pardon sirs, would you happen to know where we are? I seem to be lost...."

She crawled to the end of the tiny alley that she was in and peeked out. The alley she was in opened into another, bigger alley. A woman crouched behind a trashcan, while a man had approached two other men and was talking to them. All were dressed similarly, and one of the men had a shirt that said the exact same thing as hers. Luckily for him, it wasn't pink. She lay down and put her head on her hand where she could still see everyone. This will be interesting, she thought to herself.

[Jingo Jaden]

Chapter 1 - The destiny of evil.

An old man, scarred by his past, with a confused mind, was mumbling in a dark corner. As if it was incantations of a sort while holding a crucifix. His teeth were gently grinning against themselves as it had become a habit, his face, wrinkled and scornful, as if pain had never given him due rest. His hands, gently trembling, as his voice grew louder.

" Lord, let me be your instrument. Let me bring unto you those who are destined your way and show them the light, even if life itself is to fade."

He was wearing his last good cloak. A souvenir from a time past that had very much defined his life. Yet, he had little strength left, save for that which mattered the most dear to him. While he could recall segments of his past, his mind become too disoriented when attempting to go into detail, all he could remember was strife, scorn, hate and violence. Yet, he was a man of God. And as such he had a duty to fulfill, even if it was gritty and miserable. For visions had plagued him these last few days, and a terrible feeling had rose up inside him, the feeling of a sense of despair with the loss of those close to oneself, be them friends or enemies. He started slowly walking towards a closed door that lead to a dark room, a room, where there was much suffering. *

" Ouch.... it hurts so much." You could hear a child say.

" I... I feel so faint, it is as if I was already dead." A young girl said.

" There has been nothing, but pain and suffering......" A rather old man said.

The tall, shadowy figure of Baptista walked towards a young man, his arm seemed blackened, as if it had been burned. Baptista, let out a cold smile as he made his way towards the child as he said. " Do not worry, little lamb, soon this shall all be over."

He pulled up a knife as the child closed their eyes, and in one rapid movement, it was all over.

He had cut the bandage off, and the child proceeded to hug the old man close with his arm now freed. Whimpering. " T.. thank you Baptista."

Baptista, embraced by the child, turned on the nearby light. And was soon surrounded by more children. Children who might have been wounded, but who light up like a fire when close to him. Barely having the sense to not overwhelm the poor man, yet, he put on a brave smile. " Desist dear child desist, your love is too much for this old soul to carry." He said with a laugh. He then was allowed to rise and look around. Many of the older men hospitalized here gave brave smiles his way, some were clearly on their way out of this life, but Baptista tended to these men as if they were himself. Or even with a care that was greater than this. He then raised his voice.

" I am glad to see you all in such high spirits... I, I apologize, but it has been hard to find the needed medical equipment for all, I have already put my own kit into the effort, yet more is needed. However you need not worry, for God, will surely provide. I am truly the most blessed man in the world, for you, part of this holy family, are my rock. I depend far more on you than you do on me, and I thank you, for giving me purpose. " He said this, and slowly left the room.

*Waking up near his temporary quarter, a humble house which had been converted into a chapel of sorts, Batpista, a very old man, who had a shuffled, short walk due to injuries sustained in the past, rose up and could not seem to find his old robes, but rather, a pacman t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Yet, in recent times, he was not known to be the most selective type. He let out a yawn and changed into his new clothes, which subsequently made him look like a character from a modern Clint Eastwood movie, before walking to the nearby window and greeting the sun. His skin was very pale, yet he allowed himself to smile for this one breif moment, before he could went out into the hallway, there, he was greeted by a four-legged furry friend, a Saint Bernard dog, which alike him was aging. He petted it.*

" I wonder, what little rascal must have taken my other good robes these times. No doubt just a prank from one of these dear little kids. You should keep a better eye out." He said teasingly towards the dog, whom barked in return. Baptists then looked over the main altar before he said to himself. " I better get on with today's sermon, the topic will be...... How God's family spans the entire world, and how welcoming it is for all who seek to be a part."

[Peanut]

*Sinclair and Peanut*

*Sinclair eyed over Strey.*

Sinclair: I wasn't aware the renaissance fair was in town. What are you supposed to be, a pixie?

*Peanut glared at Sinclair, recognizing that he had no clue what he was talking about.*

Peanut: We are about as lost as you are.

Sinclair: I wouldn't go that far...

*Peanut jabbed Sinclair in the ribs with his elbow, insulting the random elves probably wasn't a good idea at the moment.*

Peanut: We were just discussing this very fact actually well that and the fact that certain precious items of ours have been stolen.

*Peanut suddenly had a hunch that this individual might be in the same predicament he and Sinclair were in. So it might not be a bad idea to include them in what was coming next.*

Peanut: You wouldn't happen to be missing anything, precious now would you?

[Wolfsong]

Remus slowly came to himself, feeling somewhat dizzy. He couldn't figure out what had happened. One minute he had been on an adventure, next thing he knew...no, he didn't know. All he knew was that he was in some strange world...in strange clothes...a van was driving away...and all his stuff was gone.
What a way for a great adventure to end...and rebegin.
"Well, no point moaning," he decided. "Might as well get up and get moving." He took stock of the area around him, and realized he wasn't the only one. There were a couple others, some already talking with each other. He also noticed a woman hiding behind a trash can, out of sight of the others, but in his view. He then glanced over at the others, three men who appeared to have just started talking. He considered a moment, then walked toward them.
"Hello," he said, trying to sound like he was completely in control and not a bit nervous. "I don't suppose any of you could explain to me where I am? I...took an odd road, and am not sure precisely where I am."

[Peanut]

*Peanut and Sinclair*

*Sinclair stared at Remus for a good ten seconds. Each second that past, his stare seemed to look further and further through him.*

Sinclair: *whispering* Don't travel down that road. Vilima kutoa kwa bima.

*He continued to stare through Remus as Peanut gave him a gaze that said "What the?" Then turned back to Remus.*

Peanut: We were just trying to figure that out ourselves. Do you happen to be missing anything belonging to you?

[USSRGirl]

A quiet cackling comes from Baptista's sock drawer. Spitting a pair of stockings - with rather upsetting hello kitty print - out of her mouth, Temulin replaces his best robes and sneaks away. This would be the start of her new side business.

In the pocket there is a note reading:

xxxx Call me. - Mr. Wiggly xxxx

[Wolfsong]

"Pretty much everything," he replied. "Even my clothes..." he looked down at himself, once more marveling at the horrible work done on the bright blue tee-shirt he now wore with the big "I <3 NewOpolis" on it. He shook his head. "Unbelievable. Why, did you guys lose your stuff too?"

[Peanut]

*Sinclair and Peanut*

Sinclair: Thieves picked us clean while we were unconscious.

Peanut: *mumbling to himself* Because if I had been conscious I would have snapped their necks...

Sinclair: Were talking about hunting the guy or guys who did this and getting our stuff back. You interested?

Peanut: Are we even sure we can get our stuff back?

Sinclair: Judging by the hour of night, I doubt any pawn stores are open. If he has a deal with someone already, he might be able to drop the stuff off tonight but even then, it needs to be cataloged and priced before it goes on the market. That can take up to a week given the current trends of Black Market's these days.

*Peanut stared at Sinclair. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about however, he seemed to be assuming that this was his world. Based on what Peanut saw before he blacked out and the individual standing in front of him who seemed to be ripped straight from a Fantasy MMO, everyone in this alley way was likely not from this world at all. Therefore, there was no telling how things operate here. Either way, he didn't have any other ideas so Sinclair's suggestion seemed like the best course of action to take right now.*

Peanut: Let's see check the other individuals in this alley way and see if they want in as well.

Sinclair: Sure, we'll need every set of eyes we can find to hunt these guys down. I'm Sinclair by the way *Sinclair extended his hand to Remus.*

Peanut: And I'm Peanut. *Peanut extended his hand to Strey since it would be awkward to try and shake the same hand Sinclair was shaking.*

[Wolfsong]

"I'm Remus," he said, taking the extended hand. "And I would be glad to join you. If there's one thing I learned, its best having people with you, when you go on trips like these."
He smiled faintly to himself. Oh how well did he know it.

[Davidizer13]

"Peanut, is it? I am Streyvash Halisan, member of the Okeanus tribe!" he announced, giving Peanut's hand a vigorous shake. "Come on out, Mel, it's perfectly all right!" Mel pulled up to her feet and gave a quick bow. "That's my wife, Mellara a-Tertiare, she'll be accompanying us, if you don't mind."

"I fail to see how everything's all right," muttered Mellara. "We're strangers in a strange country, we're wearing...these" - she scratched at her collar - "what are these made of, anyway?"

"No idea! Just consider it another adventure, eh, Mel?"

"I'd prefer this adventure if we had a way to get home by its end. Tell me, sirs," she said, eyeing Peanut and Sinclair. "You seem to know of where we are better than we, so would you know how we could get home?"

[samurai10]

Jackie listened in on the conversation. Apparently everybody in the alley had been robbed of everything they had even their clothes. Just like her. She rolled over on her back and giggled. "How interesting."

The guys made their introduction. One was Peanut, another was Sinclair, another was Remus, and another was Streyvash. She took note of the names, but wasn't looking when they introduced themselves, so she didn't know which was which. She shrugged. She didn't care.

One of the guys introduced his wife, Mellara. She said, "We're strangers in a strange country, we're wearing these....what are these made of, anyway?"

"No idea!" replied her husband. "Just consider it another adventure, eh, Mel?"

"I'd prefer this adventure if we had a way to get home by its end. Tell me sirs, you seem to know of where we are better than we, so would you know how we could get home?"

Jackie said, "I don't know how you'd get home, since I've no clue where your home is, but I do know that this T-shirts are made of cotton." She giggled, got up, and went to the group. "Hey, look, we're wearing matching T-shirts!" She laughed. "Whoever dressed us obviously has no fashion sense. Tight jeans? Really?" Extending her hand out to whoever would like to take it, she said, "Jackie's the name, survival's the game. How 'bout yourselves?"

[Wolfsong]

Remus took the extended hand, hiding his surprise pretty well.
"Just Remus from...well that doesn't matter. I agree about the tee-shirts. Awful, aren't they?"

[Jingo Jaden]

Baptista look rather shocked at his drawer. " I... I suppose I should thank the lord I have something.... What's this.... Call me........"

Baptista picked up a rather old phone and dialed the number. " H... hello?"

[Peanut]

*Sinclair and Peanut*

Sinclair: Oh come on, those T-shirts aren't that bad. I think they look kind of nice.

Peanut: It doesn't surprise me that you like these Sinclair...at all...I'm Peanut by the way and I am about as confused as you are as to where we are.

Sinclair: I don't recognize it either, but I have an idea of where we should look. Any seedy bar in any town will be sure to give us the information we need.

Peanut: Sure, why not, I could use some entertainment and I'm sure a bar full of a rough assortment of characters getting hammered will provide it. You all coming?

[samurai10]

Jackie grinned at Remus and shook his hand heartily. Just as she withdrew her hand, another guy cut in.

"Oh come on, those T-shirts aren't that bad. I think they look kind of nice."

Jackie raised her eyebrow. This guy has as bad a fashion sense as the people who took off with our clothes, she thought.

"It doesn't surprise me that you like these, Sinclair... At all. I'm Peanut by the way, and I am about as confused as you are as to where we are," said another guy. Alright, so he's Peanut, he's Sinclair, and he's Remus. So those two must be Streyvash and Mellara, she thought.

"I don't recognize it either, but I have an idea of where we should look. Any seedy bar in any town will be sure to give us the information we need," said Sinclair.

"Sure why not, I could use some entertainment and I'm sure a bar full of a rough assortment of characters getting hammered will provide it. You all coming?" said Peanut.

Jackie took one look at herself and said, "I'll come with you to the bar, but I won't go inside. I look like a teenager in these stupid clothes. If I had my regular clothes I'd go inside but as is..." she shrugged. "I don't want to have to start a bar fight to protect my dignity."

[Wolfsong]

Remus laughed harshly. "A bar? Sheesh, most of my worst memories come from those. No, I'll come along, but gosh I'm not going to like it." He turned to Jackie, saying, "You might actually want to come in. The outside could be just as dangerous as the inside. I'd watch your back, if you like."

[USSRGirl]

~Wiggly~

A rather chipper, buttery male voice answers.

"Baptista! A pleasure to finally meet you. I've been so lonely." There's an eerie sense of someone smiling on the other end. "I hear you're looking for a husband named Wiggly. And well, my name happens to be Wiggly. I was given your contact information by the Temuoplis Dating Service and will shortly be billing you their monthly fee. Well, I don't want to be too forward on a first call so I'll leave in a mysterious fashion. Juts remember; if you get stuck in the game, I'll be here to help you whether you want me there or not. ;D Like a very disturbing NPC. Toodles!"

[Jingo Jaden]

[quote="USSRGirl (post: 1589242)"]~Wiggly~

A rather chipper, buttery male voice answers.

"Baptista! A pleasure to finally meet you. I've been so lonely." There's an eerie sense of someone smiling on the other end. "I hear you're looking for a husband named Wiggly. And well, my name happens to be Wiggly. I was given your contact information by the Temuoplis Dating Service and will shortly be billing you their monthly fee. Well, I don't want to be too forward on a first call so I'll leave in a mysterious fashion. Juts remember]


Baptista shook his head rather rapidly. " Wait, what kind of business model is that? Bill the person who got sought up? I don't have that kind of money even, we try to live rather isolated here, and what we have go to medication for the poor!"

He then beat his chest rather proudly. " Besides.... we live.... in America. We enjoy the degree of freedom that's been offered us, freedom from the red, freedom from persecution, freedom from bills.... err... I mean, freedom from those sources which seek to undermine our economic values. Regardless, I shall not pay because I cannot pay nor have I sought a service, and I've not really been looking for anything, I am afraid my eyesight is rather poor. That being said I am afraid I must decline your help, but Godspeed wiggly, Godspeed." He then hung up.

[samurai10]

Jackie winced as Remus laughed. His laugh was harsh and grating. "A bar? Sheesh, most of my worst memories come from those. No, I'll come along, but gosh I'm not going to like it." He turned to her. "You might actually want to come in. The outside could be just as dangerous as the inside. I'd watch your back, if you like."

"I am perfectly capable of watching my own back, thank you very much," replied Jackie. "How do you think I got all these scars?" she asked, holding one arm up. She realized that it was pretty dark in the alley so she said, "Oh wait, it's dark, hold on." She walked out of the alley where there was more light, and held up her arm again. "I just don't like getting in fights with drunken idiots. They've no clue what they're doing, and the stench!" Jackie made a noise of disgust. "So it's settled. We'll come, but you're doing the info gathering."

[Wolfsong]

"If anything, I'd think you would appreciate that they don't know what they're doing, or you might have more scars." He was a little stunned, but he was doing his best to hide it. Where had she gotten those? "Or worse. But whatever. Sure, I'll help gather info."

[Peanut]

(OOC: Time to find us a Seedy Bar via Sinclai'r Espionage skill. D20+5=19. Success)

*Sinclair and Peanut*

Sinclair: I'm perfectly fine with that. Now then, let's get going.

*Sinclair walks out of the alley and then begins to head in a random direction. He proceeds to lead the group down each sketchy street he comes across leading them deeper and deeper into the unpleasant underbelly of the city. It becomes pretty obvious to everyone in the group that they are not in a particularly safe part of town. Though, for the type of bar Sinclair is looking for, this is probably a good thing. Eventually the reach Smoky's, a bar that fits the very description of seedy. There were two big windows in the front that were boarded up and it was clear that there was no glass in them. The door was off its hinges and leaned up next to one of the windows. Inside, boisterous talking and laughter could be overheard even though it was late in the night. A sign hung next to the door on a nail that had been driven into the wall, cracking the pale green paint. It read "No fights in 7 days."*

Sinclair: Now this is my kind of bar!

Peanut: If you're coming with Sinclair and me, feel free to follow, if not stay here and wait for us to come out.

*Peanut and Sinclair walk towards the door to the bar.*

[Davidizer13]

"Only one thing to do," said Mellara, gazing through the window at the reddish light visible within, flickering as the shadows of patrons milled about. "Are you thirsty, love?"

"That depends, are you? Bet I can still drink you under the table, even in a, uh...wherever this is. Even off of Sepparia!"

"You remember that old dive back in Valari? With the raspberry wine?"

"Oh, do I ever," Strey said, with a nudge to Mel's ribs. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and started towards the door. "I almost had you that time, but old Danforth stepped in and cut us off, said we were overdue and... why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just realized: we're the only ones around here I've seen who have the..." She poked at his ears, flicking the pointy tips back and forth. "Think anyone will notice? Or care?"

Strey stroked his head. "Hmmmm... I don't think we've got anything that we could use to disguise them. We shouldn't be the strangest looking people in there, I surmise, and besides, would you really think they'd notice us when we're going in with this bunch?" he whispered.

"Fair enough," Mel said. "But if things change, you'd better have a plan to get us out; gods know I'm coming up with one right now..."

Stealth roll: d18+0= 18

"Just trust me, we'll be fine." said Strey, gently pulling her into the bar.

Inside, the bar was controlled chaos, with loud electronic music pouring from speakers, and patrons excitedly chatting amongst themselves. They slipped into two stools at the side of the bar, the flashing lights scattering against the many bottles of spirits behind the counter. Strey tapped on the bar to signal the tender - it wasn't made of wood or stone, or anything he was familiar with; it was hard, solid, maybe a little bit of give in it (of course, that could have just been the layers of spilled drinks that it had been marinating in for years). He didn't seem to notice, like they weren't even there; Strey knocked harder.

"How are we gonna pay for this?" Mel shouted into Streyvash's ear.

"I don't know, I was hoping one of our friends back there could deal with it," he replied, waving his hand back towards the door.

"I'm not so sure they'll want to, once we're done..."

[Wolfsong]

Remus glanced around, then followed slowly into the bar. Seemed a noisy place, which brought back not so fond memories. He hoped they'd be able to get what they wanted and leave quickly.

[Peanut]

*Strey and Mellaria*

*Strey hears someone clearing his throat from behind the bar but cannot see who it is. Leaning over a bit, he notices a midget dressed like a bar tender standing behind the bar looking rather impatient.*

Midget Tender: What'll you two be having?

*Peanut and Sinclair*

*Peanut and Sinclair walked up to another tender behind the bar who was busy cleaning glasses. Peanut had been looking around the bar and was somewhat surprised by how orderly it was. He hadn't seen one fight or sign of a fight yet. In fact it was sort of weird how orderly everything was. All of the patrons seemed to be quite content with not causing any trouble even when someone spilled a drink on them or something. It was beyond bizarre. Sinclair didn't seem to notice any of this at all and promptly sat down in front of the tender.*

Bar Tender: What'll it be for you two today?

*Peanut realized something and leaned over to whisper somewhat loudly in Sinclair's ear*

Peanut: Don't we need to pay for information?

Sinclair: Only in the movies. *back to the Bar Tender* I'd like to ask you a question. Recently my friends and I lost a...van of sorts. Its a bit old, about the right size to make deliveries in and its driven by a male whose wearing the coolest pair of Orange Aviator sunglasses you've ever seen.

*The Bar Tender cleaned out his glass and thought for a moment*

Bar Tender: Nope, haven't seen any van like it.

Sinclair: Is there anything else you can tell us?

Bar Tender: Not unless you buy a drink.

Peanut: We're not interested in drinks...

Bar Tender: We have a somewhat strict "No money no information policy" *The bar tender pointed to a conviently located sign that said just that* I've already bent this for you two but anything else, well, no drink no info. Especially for a group of tourists who aren't smart enough to stay out of this district of Newopolis.

*Peanut blood began to boil a little. These shirts were going to be the death of any street cred he could have.*

Sinclair: Fine, give us whatever he's having *Sinclair pointed towards a large man at the end of the bar. The Bar Tender looked over at him and then nodded back at Sinclair.*

Peanut: How are we going to pay for this?

Sinclair: I'll worry about that when the tab comes, in the mean time lets relax and enjoy ourselves.

[USSRGirl]

~Wiggly~

It had been a week since the call.

That fateful call.

Bills continue to come to Baptista's doorstep and pile up, all of them stubbornly unpaid. One day amdist the past due notices, a single red rose landed in Baptista's door slot.

It carried only a name: "Wiggly xoxoxo"

Coincidentally, Baptista's cat was also lying outside and appeared to have been strangled.

[Jingo Jaden]

~Wiggly~

It had been a week since the call.

That fateful call.

Bills continue to come to Baptista's doorstep and pile up, all of them stubbornly unpaid. One day amdist the past due notices, a single red rose landed in Baptista's door slot.

It carried only a name: "Wiggly xoxoxo"

Coincidentally, Baptista's cat was also lying outside and appeared to have been strangled.

Bapista picked up the rose and note. "This is highly irregular, and why strangle a cat? I did not even know I had a cat! Oh lord have mercy, how my memory seems to go it's own ways some times..... But these bills are just an insult! I never ordered anything and while I knew the world would get more communistic given time, this is one aspect of it I refuse to accept."

*He fumbled in his pockets until he found a small lighter, and promptly tossed it onto the bills, which erupted into a fairly sizable flame, before long it was all over, and the bills were eradicated.