The Space Bar - A Virtual Tavern - Open


Cyber traveler's to the rustic charm and rugged allure of a fully immersive virtual tavern. 'The Space Bar' a cosy lil, award winning, universal, hyper realistic, virtual tavern. It is so convincing that it will have you believing that you are actually here. No sensation is exempt from this reality. And the best bit is that its always open and readily accessible from anywhere. You are always just a small step or plug away from teleporting your mind and soul to this fantastic free laid back place.

So come relax and just let all the stress and frustrations of life fade away. It doesn't matter who you are or where your from. This is a great space to meet people and kill time. Here in this virtual space you can sit back, kick up your legs, enjoying a drink, all while mingling with other real people from all aspects and corners of the verse. Anyone, anytime, from anywhere can find their way here!
And who knows just what adventures that could lead to...

The glowing neon lights signify where you are, that soft warming glow cascading across the rustic surfaces and furniture, rebounding of the smooth walls of the vibrant structure.
Everyone can find something here to suit their tastes. Be it a drink from a vast extensive range of beverages or a culinary delight to match the desire of any culture of any species. Perhaps one would like to get their groove on and blow off some steam on the hip happening dance floor or simply relax and talk business (or get in a brawl) at our comfy laid back bar. Perhaps a more proper lounge would suit your comfort. The seclusive classy upstairs also provides a more visual pleasure in the way of exotic dancers.

So please plug on in, come indulge yourself without the fear of those real world consequences. It's an easy seamless integration, just let any one of our vast array of million different devices bring the real you to the most advanced cyber experience ever imagined.

The doors are always open and your comfort will be of our main concern. So let our our ever growing team of somewhat questionable staff assist you and your needs. They will be readily available and willing to ensure your visit is a pleasurable one. We pride ourselves on offering a great atmosphere for all patrons to mingle in and enjoy.

Please remember to ensure you are comfortable and safe before linking in. If you are using one of our more portable connection devices it is important to note your immersion time as virtual food and drinks do not actually provide sustenance, this is just a trick of the system.
Thank you

-Management

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• The tavern is open for anyone seeking some free/casual short or long term roleplay. There is no specific story or plot but who knows what may develop when you spend some time with strangers.
• First timers please read the rules on the notice board below.
• Character sheets optional.
• We are always welcoming any feedback or ideas for improvements.
• Most importantly, be creative, kind to others, challenge your writing skills and have fun!

()

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"God damn!" The words were spat out in a short sharp whisper. The sweet honeyed vocalisation of agitation rolling out between soft painted luscious lips. There was blood on her hand. She didn't think that it would pass on into here...

Having just entered, a blue haired lady stood at the tavern entrance looking at her hand. It was a common gsight for first timers, examining themselves and surroundings in awe and amazement. But the realism wasn't what caught her attention.

Blood dripped down her fingers right before her face. Thick and red. She looked down at her stomach, a large patch of her pink top was stained and darkened by the fluid. "Shit!" she complained with a further huff.

With a sigh she ignored it, carrying on like there wasn't a bloody hole in her body. Casually she walked towards the bar. No point worrying about it here. Perhaps, if she was lucky, there might be someone here that was located nearby her body. She could only hope...

Taking a stool at the main counter she noticed that no one was working tonight as a blank featureless, almost creepy, android served her a drink.
She had nothing against robots. Robots that looked like robots were fine. Even robots that looked completely human didn't bother her too much. But those robots stuck somewhere in between, like a failed attempt or a bad disguise. It was the fact that they were close but not quite right that bugged her. Like someone had cheaped out on something really important.

Throwing down the last of her drink she pushed that thought aside. Twirling her hair in her wet bloody fingers she spins around on the stool and looks around the nearly bare room.

“This seems like a good place to start.” The door slid open, revealing a crouched figure, hidden by a brown cloak. The figure clutched the cloak tightly, its eyes darted around bar. It took a step inside and entered the climate controlled environment. Immediately the figure started to relax, it slouched less and slowly released the cloak from its claws. With a flamboyant flourish Ishal removed the cloak, revealing his purplish carapace armour and hide.

“I am Ishal and I am here to sample organic-”
Ishal eyes finally adjusted to the room and realised that the only two people there was an android bartender and a blue haired humanoid female. The more immediate concern was behind them. A notice board, displaying in bright neon lights “Kitchen closed.”

“Oh Grag!” he grunted and turned to go outside. As he stepped through the threshold he was greeted by the cold chill outside. He wondered briefly what to do, before realising the bartender was staring at him. Faced with the possibility of facing the cold again or waiting inside for the climate control beyond the bar…He pulled up a stool at sat near the bar. He noticed several items on the bar.

“How much for that?” He pointed at one of them. Before the android could answer he picked up the item and started chewing. “Strange texture. Synthetic, but not unappealing. What is it?”

“BAR MAT.” It buzzed. Ishal swallowed the mat reached into one of his pockets and produced a data slate and started noting this down.

“How much for more?” he said reaching for another. The android moved the mat out of the way and produced a bowl of peanuts.

“ON THE HOUSE.” The android started cleaning the surfaces of the bar. Ishal reached for the bowl and poured the entirety of the peanuts into his maw. Whilst he munched happily on the nuts he spread his awareness out across the bar. His Masters during his Prospector training taught him how to pick up the presence and emotions of other life forms. He felt only two other presences in the room currently, which was weird. The android shouldn’t have given off anything, but he was detecting a slight radiance of annoyance and disgust. However the one he expected to pick up, but could not, was the humanoid female sitting next to him. He was perplexed. It wasn’t always he found someone he couldn’t detect. He needed to study her, but without breaking the rules of social convention. Fortunately his Masters had made him take Interspecies, Non-Communities, Male to Female, conversational basics 1O1.

Rule1. Greet them verbally if possible.
“Hello -“

Rule2. Comment on their suspected species and introduce self.
“-human. I am Drone 415Q Orbix, but many find it easier to refer to me by my unique identifier, Ishal.-“

Rule3. Comment on their appearance and focus on similarities to establish a raptor.
“I too bleed when I am stabbed.” Ishal leaned in indicating the pink patch on the human’s shirt. “

Could I eat your.." Ishal checked his notes. "Bar mat?”

"I think she needs it," said a soft voice and a soft, yet oddly pointed, tap on Ishal's shoulder. "You can have this, though."

A crumpled sheet of writing-paper covered in rudimentary maps and patterns that resembled script was pushed gently into Ishal's chitinous claw. Without letting go, the woman who'd appeared from the bathroom looked up at him, smiling just a little more broadly. "And when you're done with that, I'll buy you a drink. Organics, right? Take a look at the menu, I'll wait." She released his hand and glided to Anya's side.

"You too, huh," the lady murmured idly. There was a clank and a red-brown smeared can of wound sealant appeared in front of the fashionably frustrated girl at the counter. She stood up straight- Toweringly straight- and unzipped her jacket. Despite the chill outside, it was still remarkably thick; True subzero gear.

A torn roll of skin-fusing gauze appeared on the table next to the sealant. Then an unzipped first-aid pouch. Then an injector half-full of system relaxant, then a bottle of nano-oxygenator pills.

"The bathroom's quiet, if you're shy," shrugged the too-tall woman, zipping up again, smoothly pivoting back around Ishal's shoulder. "Anything you like?"

Anya's smile had slowly shifted from simply intrigued to humorously amused as the affairs of the newcomer played out. As he sat next to her curiosity swelled inside her. She sat with a tall proper posture, and exuded soft feminine wiles. This thing was not what she was expecting or hoping for but just maybe he would do.

“-human. I am Drone 415Q Orbix, but many find it easier to refer to me by my unique identifier, Ishal.-“
"Ishal, pleasure to meet you." she replies softly in gentle tone. "My name is Sharahisha." she lies without effort or thought, daintily holding out her hand in greeting.

“I too bleed when I am stabbed.” In her eyes one might see the small laughter she holds back from her lips.
"That's good to know honey, thanks. I'll remembers that. somehow she spoke with full sincerity. Even though there eyes only caught briefly between her signalling the android for a refill.

“Could I eat your.." Anya's jaw slightly tensed and her brow furrowed as she hung in suspense of the creatures next words.
"Bar mat?”

Before she could reply another had stepped in. A tall woman heavily clothed. She gave no introduction but quickly offered aid. Perhaps from habit, nature or simply to impress. It was easy to give away and use items here in this Virtual World as you didn't really lose them in the real world.

Without realisation Anya had already calculated the total worth of this woman's medical supplies and was thoroughly impressed. While the patch of spread blood on her top looked bad, the bleeding had already stopped.
Suddenly feeling subconscious about her visible and attention drawing wound, she zips up her jacket, just managing to conceal it.

"Oh, thanks but no thanks. I don't plan on hanging around long enough for it to be an issue... I'm more worried about the real me out there. she says with a soft flick of her head to the entrance doors. She slipped in just enough of a slight sad undertone of self worry to hopefully pique curiosity and sympathy.

This is why she was here.

The woman in thermal gear looked up sharply with a slight dint in her eyebrows, something that could have been a frown but wasn't there yet. Her neck pivoted to where Anya had gestured, owl-like. "But..." She looked back at Anya. The smile was still there, mostly because it didn't know where else to go. "It feels..."

“SYZYGY NEUROKINETiCS INCORPORATED BRINGS YOU THE FINEST IN VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY TOURISM,” barked the robot automatically. “WE STRIVE TO ENSUR-”

"Just shut up for a minute," said Ayem with a finger raised, somehow making the words sound friendly. "Thanks." Without another word her legs stilted her off to the door, where she was met with the 'Premium Members Only' message after two metres of outdoor demo content. She turned on the spot, stood for a second, then marched back to exactly where she'd left off.

"But if I'm not here, then," she started, sounding utterly dazed, "where am I?" She looked up. "Hey keep. Can I get another hot chocolate? Thanks." For a moment she stared into her marshmallow-laden mug as if to press it for answers, then she looked back at Anya, then at her medical kit, then at the fingers with which she was tenderly feeling the fresh road-burn under her coat, then back at Anya again. "Sorry, I'm Ayem. I think I'm lost. Are you okay?"

Anya sighed as she rolled her eyes. A deflating breath of tired disappointment and impatient frustration. She didn't have time for this.
"On the wall over there." Anya said lively pointing behind the woman. "It explains everything." She said politely with a warm helpful smile.

There was nothing there...
A simple distraction while Anya stealthfully produced a tiny concealed gun from her waistline, arm out stretched she pointed it point blank at the back of Ayems head. "I do need help, but not from you." and with that she pulled the trigger.
"Time to wake up."

The gunshot echoed into the tavern and left a stark silence in its wake. With a small hole in the back of her head, Ayem went very, very still.

"Oh," she said, her lips moving under the gaping exit wound.

Simulations are built around the consciousness of their participants. The tavern's servers were well designed to handle barfights- when overclocked. In the quiet of low capacity, the room didn't even notice that Ayem was dead.

She swivelled to Anya a face that was smashed eye and exposed gum planted in alloy. "Okay," she said.

Then her body was replaced with an error message and was gone.



Ayem blinked awake. A high-altitude wind rushed mournfully across the skyway. Her roadburn was pressing painfully into her coat, unsealed. There was no VR equipment to be found.

Further down the road, her motorbike lay between frayed shards of impact polymer. Ayem tilted her neck, awkwardly bumping her helmet along the bitumen, watched the octane dragon twist its way over the elevated road, fixing her with mocking headlight eyes.

She stood, lightheaded and slow, pressing a knuckle into her lips. The serpent watched. Ayem unsheathed her free hand as engine-chain tendrils fell from the creature's belly.

Metal scraped. Ayem whistled.

The Kelelawar Q1-2 slammed onto the road, engines screaming.

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RE-ENTRY

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Anya awoke drearily from bleak nothingness only to find herself surrounded by the artificial lights and textures of the VR tavern.
She was hit by a powerful Déjà Vu.
A reoccurring sensation, fuzzy but looping over and over again in her mind. Nothing before this point and very little after.

Dazed she looked around the near empty room trying to regain her bearings. She couldn't remember why she had come here or even how, but she knew this place, it was familiar. Suddenly a sharp shooting pain erupted with in her torso. Shuddering in discomfort she keeled over in shock. Anya looked down to see the fabric of her pink top glisten with the dark sheen of blood as it soaked up the spilling vital fluid of an open injury.
'Shit' she curses to herself, her fingers staining with the same red as she inspected the open wound beneath the cloth. It was deep and hollow, she almost fainted as finger disappeared into it her chest. 'NOPE!' It was too much for her to handle or even contemplate. It didn't make sense. Something was wrong.
There was blood but not enough for her to bleed out and die. Something was't right and she didn't know what. So she ignored it.
Pulling her jacket over and zipping it up tight she hides her injury and more clothing and in her best efforts casually strolls to the bar and takes a much needed seat.

She seemed nonchalant, confident, assured and normal but none of this could be further from the truth. She was terrified, confused, unsure and panicking.
She needed to find help and fast. Until then she would drink to settle her nerves.

Jhin, in his typical quiet fashion, walked in. Looking around, he wondered if he could find work here. It is not as if he needed money. Its just that he is simply bored...

But then again, in his line of work, is it good to be unemployed or swarmed with work..? He often ponders that question himself. He has enough funds to live comfortably three life times over.

Sitting at the bar, idly thinking about what he would like to drink, his mind wandered.

A shimmering, blue wormhole suddenly tore open near one of the far walls of the tavern's main room. Through it, a rather primitive looking city of stone and wood sat, but a large, feminine figure suddenly blocked the view as she stepped through.

The woman was certainly something more exotic, with deep blue skin, curved horns sprouting from her head, and digitigrade legs that end in hooves. Short, black, bob cut hair framed a round face with pupil-less eyes glowing a bright white. Turn her skin red and make her eyes black, and she could pass for something demonic, but with the kind face and soothing color scheme, she looked far from evil. And there was also the matter of her weight...

To be blunt, this particular whatever-it-is was clearly used to a sedentary lifestyle, and then some. Her silvery robes kept her chest and hips covered, yet left her rounded middle completely bare. She's either in denial, or shameless, and, quite honestly, it's difficult to tell.

The look on the blue-goat-thing's face spoke volumes. "Wait, this isn't Ironforge..." She glanced behind her to the wormhole, just in time to see it snap shut. "...Right. That's the last time I buy discounted portals." She quickly turned back around and gazed about the strange tavern.

Double posted, please disregard...

Jhin was brought back to reality by the sounds of a portal opening and subsequently snapping shut. He blinked a few times and glanced over towards where the sound originated. A blue skinned female figure stepped through. In all of his years, he never thought he'd see a Draenei just wandering about. So this was refreshing.

"Ah... A Draenei...Interesting..." He whispered to himself.

Being ever so cautious, he made sure the spot close to him was empty and turned so it seems like no one was going to take the spot. However, he kept his right hand tucked in his coat, with his pistol in his hand pointed at the empty spot should the Draenei approach him and tries something unsavory. All the while this is playing out, he pondered on the thought that his previous notion of the Draenei were such that they were a conservative species. As friendly as they might be, they are usually more reserved than...her.

The draenei continued her aimless, confused gaze around the area, before stopping at Jhin, glowing, pupilless eyes fixated on him. She dropped her gaze down to his gun, then back at his masked face. Briefly, her hands went up in a gesture of innocence. "I mean you no harm, sir. I'm a Priestess of the Light. I'm just a bit...lost. Apparently." Her eyes briefly leave Jhin's face, scanning the odd folks and various tech in the area. "I must be...worlds away. I didn't even think that gnome had that power, given his--" She shook her head, her short curtain of black hair flailing about. "Might I ask where I am? Where this...ah, tavern is?"

@KillBox

If she could tell, she would see the smile underneath his mask. "I know of your people. And I mean you no harm. Its just that when one is in my line of work, one can never be too cautious. Please, have a seat. Your first drink is on me." He said as he motioned to get the bartender's attention.

"The name is Jason. Had a last name but its too complicated even for myself.." He said with a small smile and a nod.

@Pumpkinbot

Miri hesitated for a moment, before nodding politely. "Well met. I must say, that is quite a...sophisticated weapon you have there. Almost looks like naaru tech," she says, mumbling the last sentence. She quickly sits in the offered chair and folds her arms onto her lap. "Your line of work is...something along the lines of a mercenary, I take it?" She flashes a brief smile before adding, "No need to confirm or deny if you'd rather keep it close to your chest, hm?"

Maestro 01

Maestro made a noise that simulated a sigh. It had been a successful concert. The music was pumping, the fans were cheering (or making the closest sound to a cheer that they specifically could make), everything went off without a hitch. Maestro wouldn't have changed a single thing for all the credits and upgrades in the world. That being said, using your own body as the percussion, amps, synthesizer, and back up vocals while also displaying hypnotic lights and dancing tends to leave one's batteries a little low.

The music bot pressed a button on the wall, and the door to their room slid closed. That was, the door to the closet that had been refurbished to house their charging bay slid closed. They didn't mind. It had four walls and was exactly as big as it needed to be. What more could a bot ask for? As they plugged in to charge, they also plugged in to the internet. They listened to music for a couple nanoseconds, deciding to download some of the songs to later be remixed or referenced when composing their own work. The download would take a total of two, maybe three seconds. Not wanting to wait that long, they decided to take a trip to the virtual cyberspace. For most organics, this would require specialized hardware. For them, well, they was already jacked into the internet. They just had to go there. After browsing their selections for a full microsecond, they finally selected what appeared to be a bar.

Maestro appeared outside the bar. Not bothering to look around, they walked straight in. Then they looked around. There were patrons of all shapes and sizes here, some at tables, some at the bar, some on there way to a different room. They watched as those patrons slowly faded from existence, wondering how long it'd take for them to load in the other rooms. Hopefully they serve my kind, here. They let out a simulated chuckle as they confidently strode over to the bar. "Hey, what's it take for a bot to get a drink around here." They chuckled again. "See, it's funny 'cause I normally can't process food or drink, not being built for it. But here, it's all information, so it all goes down the same." Maestro explained to the closest person to them. They were in a good mode.

@Pumpkinbot

He chuckled. Underneath that, he actually was quite disturbed. How did she spot the weapon, he thought he had it concealed well enough. Did his arm give it away? Was it the way it was held? Was the the direction it was pointing? Nonetheless, she noticed, and openly commented on it.

Sure, it was just a pistol, and not Whisper, but still. Jhin had completely assumed that he had the weapon covered. He knew he was in a virtual world, but for all intents and purposes, this was his reality right now. In that case, what if he was to meet this woman in the real world? What if she is some secret agent, looking to bring him under arrest for his many crimes..?

Removing his right arm from his cloak, since his cover was broken anyways, he leaned back into the seat and seemingly relaxed. "Ah, its just an old pistol that I carry for mostly sentimental values..." As he finished his sentence, he bring the pistol out and placed it on the table. "As to your previous question, we're currently in a virtual tavern. A world that that not physically exist yet feels completely real... So, as to where you are exactly, that I cannot answer for you..." Adjusting his posture slightly, he continued "All I know is that we're all plugged into a virtual machine somewhere and that has led us here, to this bar, at this very instant."

As she commented on his profession, he chuckled and replied "Ah, well, if you put it that way, it makes it sound like I'm a criminal. I assure, I'm no such thing. I work in pest control, if you will. People have pests they want to get rid of, and they find me. I then get rid of said pests for them. Then they pay me for my services, thats all. Pest control, nothing sinister."

The bartender approached and Jhin turned away from the Draenei briefly. "I'll have the Hibiki, neat, with the slightest splash of ice cold water. And the lady, whatever she will have, please put it on my tab. Thank you." As he finished, he turned to face the woman again, waiting on her to order.

Miri lets out a rather unladylike sputter and held up her hands again.
"Oh, no no no no, I didn't mean it like that! Mercenary work doesn't have to be all banditry and highway robbery, of course! I was more thinking, you know...ah, guarding travelling merchants, or clearing out a kobold camp. The way I see it, the word 'mercenary' is...inherently neutral. It's the contracts you take that detemine whether or not you' an assassin or a knight-errant, hm?" The draenei looked over to the bartender as he approached. "Red wine, please. Whatever's cheapest. I'd rather not take advantage of a new friends' generosity, after all..." She shifts back to face Jason, arms folded on the table. "And, ah...what do you mean by...'virutal'? Some magical construct, or...?" She cants her head curiously.

@Pumpkinbot

He reached out to stop the bartender. "Ah no worries, bring out a bottle of the good stuff, I feel like we can be here for a while. Please and thank you." The bartender then went on his way.

"Oh no. I wasn't in the guarding business... I was more in the --uh-- eliminating business... long story short, got mixed up with the wrong people, got into a lot of debt and subsequently found a calling that paid well...."

He shifted his posture somewhat nervously. Why did he just basically tell her he was a killer for hire... what was he thinking...

"Ah yes. Wait, you're not familiar with virtual reality? Interesting. Ok. So, basically it's like this. We're all currently hooked up to a machine, directly into our central nervous system. That puts us here. And go ahead, punch me. I want to show you something. I'll show you how the virtual works..."