[IC] The World of War: Central Hub/Main Thread/Chen's Tavern

[LeeRoy]

Way beyond the county of this here multiverse, uncountable hands raised in unison towards the twinkling distant star that contains all that is and ever will be. Time washed through and around them as waves lap across the shore, but they stood unmoving against the tide. As all reality came, went, and returned again they stood with hands outstretched through fathomless blackness.

From their will grew three bodies. A radiant star, the perfect main sequence star. A star guaranteed to evolve into a red dwarf as its life grew distant. A small body, so much like Earth in its beauty and splendor. They placed it perfectly in a diagonal orbit around the star, with its position in the ring of life as close to Earths as you can get. As well, they placed a small moon in orbit around this planet.

This was the ideal celestial form, so close to Earth's own. A pattern that so many planets in this sequence followed, no mere coincidence. Those in power followed this same pattern to create their own worlds, so too would these nameless watchers create their own.

As they continued with their creation, they changed the dimensions of this world. Placing the star and moon in the same orbit on opposing sides. Flattening the planet into a singular plane of existence. The star and satellite became concepts rather than celestial bodies, serving the same purpose but without the material need. They served as a conceptual solar and lunar placement. This would would need an unconventional system, as it would be far too large to have it follow conventional physics.

From every world that has ever existed and ever would they took cities of immense influence and natural landmarks. This world spread over the infinity of blackness, forming a world unlike any other. Cities of basalt and citadels of marble, roads of concrete and seas of blackness.

As continents rose from the world and waters poured into the gaps of the world, creating immense oceans that crashed against the formative shores. Changing the landscape even more as nature took its course. Creating natural shores on this patchwork world with the inexorable march of time. The cities would not crumble, held aloft by these machinations of higher beings.

With the world formed, they began setting laws of nature. Removing death as a factor, allowing those who die to be born again. Anew and unharmed where they were first brought to this world. Cities could rise and fall as influence grew and waned. So too could wars wage between these warriors so great. Men of brave heart could stand against one so wicked and powerful, if only for their own glory. With every defeat your influence diminishes, with every victory your influence grows. A system of rails ran underground to every major location, it would travel instantly.

But who would live in this world, this plane of conquest.

The comparisons to Valhalla were numerous.

Only those who are worthy may stay.

The Living Legends.
The Bygone Heroes.
The Unborn Kings.

They weaved their ministrations of magic so precise and powerful that those who they brought were never drawn from their homes. Doppelgangers or the real thing, none may know. Disconnected from their own realms of existence, they were brought to this world of war.

A land of conquest and splendor for only the greatest of beings.

As time passed, a single city rose above the rest. Strangely enough it was spearheaded by Alexander the Great, oddly enough he went on to create a citadel that dwarfed any he had ever dreamed. This citadel drew other powerful men and women, around it formed a city that became the most important location in this world. By many it is considered the central hub of the world.

Its Alexandrian venues and streets with parallel rivers give it an otherworldly appearance. It is timeless in its beauty, with towers of marble concrete. A strange but beautiful creation of this world. Where marble was harvested and ground down, mixed with stone, white paint and tar. This strange off-white beauty makes these streets both sturdy and breathtaking.

As with any great city, there is a major center for commerse and trade. As well as restaurants, bars, and gentleman's clubs surrounding the trade center. As the Greats adapted to this world where language meant nothing, they came to accept this new life. Creating civilizations among their own kind. With great leaders spearheading every great citystate, there was little in the way of total war. Though constant skirmishes were wholesale, these people thriving on battle did so to entertain their violent tendencies.

As a major centralized city center, there are travelers from every corner of the world. Aliens and demigods, warlords and god emperors. Alexander's citystate became the home to so many cultures and societies. It was set to prosper eternally, and with Alexander unlikely to ever leave his seat as leader, this was the way things would remain.

This is where you come in.

Why are you here, who are you? This is for you to decide. You can leave behind the life that made you great and form anew, or live as you were before.

Conquerors have become pastors.

Heroes have become warlords.

Demons have become champions.

All stakes of life are welcome to stay the same or become anew in this.

The World of War.

[MelonHead]

Chen’s Tavern

On the outskirts of Alexandria, on the great southern high-way, one may find a blocky two-story tavern with a distinct oriental style to its architecture. The roof slightly slanted and covered in tile you might be surprised to find the rest of the structure seemingly made of painted wood, bamboo particularly. The wood had been painted painstakingly gold and red, giving the building a regal and unique visage on the path. No doubt that accounted for its popularity, for seldom did a traveller coming to the city of Alexandria fail to stop at the place, many in fact choosing it over their original destination. To discover the name of the establishment you would only have to look underneath the strange symbols above the entrance to the simple English letters below, alerting one to the fact that they had happened upon ‘Chen’s Tavern.’

The large sliding doors rarely closed and upon entering the building one would find tasteful décor. High-backed oak chairs sat next to tables of all sizes and shapes and past it all was the bar itself, a magnificent thing with every manner of alcohol sat behind it on the shelves in glistening glass bottles and sturdy kegs. In front of it lay a number of stools for the hardy or the solitary but sociable to sit. To the right of the bar a door led into a kitchen area and a cellar where stores were kept, and to the left a staircase to the rooms on offer for weary travellers. Illuminating the place were carefully hung dish lanterns of different colours that gave the room an unearthly light complimented by the scented smoke of shisha and whatever herbs the proprietor placed inside the central brazier. All in all it was an ambient and wholesome sort of tavern, one where drinks and laughs were plenty and violence was kept to a minimum.

Which was just the way Liu liked to keep it. The thick-set panda-humanoid of the race of Pandaren was the barkeep and owner of Chen’s Tavern, paradoxically. It was not in the nature of his people to name an establishment after one’s self, and indeed Liu owned much of his success to the flask he kept upon his back which had belonged to Chen. So in a sense, it made perfect sense for him to name the tavern after him, though he did get a little tired of explaining the story after a while. None-the-less, dressed in traditional garb with his kasa behind his neck, coupled with the fact that he was a humanoid Panda, he always drew some stares at first. But Liu was a hearty soul, and as long as people kept their violence outside and their purses loose the alcohol flowed freely and business was good.

Liu was the sort to ensure business would always be good.

[Starfall]

When Xiomara had been summoned to the World of War he had been expecting a crusade of endless blood and violence. He had been expecting to cross blades with champions from all across the stars from the moment he took his first step. What he had not been expecting was a land that had settled neatly into the rut that was bureaucracy.

And he had never expected to find a panda running a tavern.

But Liu was an honest man with good taste in liquor, most likely because he was not a man, and that alone put him in the budding ascendants favor. It was not an unfamiliar scene to see the grumpy avatar lumbering through the Alexandria, shoulders squared and long limbs sweeping out from side to side, shoving those lesser warriors who had been cajoled into civility by those in power like some ungainly wraith. A thick white fur cloak hung around his shoulders, hood thrown down with the face of the bear who had died to gift him eyeballing those he left behind, its skin was leathery and cracked but frozen in the same snarl it had worn the day it died. He wrote half armor as he often did, from the right pectoral all the way to the right hand he was clad in black armor while the rest of his body was adorned with simple trinkets, from a necklace fashioned out of jagged teeth to a bracelet around the left wrist bearing a stolen amulet. Some of them were worthless, most were trophies that bore some significance or another to the man in question, and just a handful were powerful magical artifacts that thrummed with unstable auras of power. If stripped of them all he wore was simple white from the loose shirt to the pants that eventually tucked themselves into a pair of rider’s boots.

‘You are my favored, you are my champion, you are my herald. Wait for your chance to strike and it shall come.’

The repeating mantra in his head was a constant companion and one he chose to ignore, stepping through the open doors of Shen’s Tavern, out of the dry sunlight and into the pleasantly multi-hued glow of the tavern. It was relatively empty given the time of day and so allowed Xio to maneuver his way towards the bar with practiced ease, dancing past the tables and patrons therein, and eventually sliding a stool out of the way. He chose not to sit for the town being and instead leaned forward, mounting his elbows on the counter top while he loosed a shout.

“Liu, show yourself, I have need of your council.” Xio’s normally beautiful face was dirtied by the dour look on his face, “Bring your liquor with you, do not ask how much, as much as you can manage and then some.” Xiomara was not a thing meant to be caged, the complacent city of Alexandria was working on his very last nerve, and now there were dark thoughts bubbling to the surface of his mind. He needed to know whether to act on them or to ignore the but first he needed to dispel the nagging voice of Vorsours. “I will need more before this night is done.”

[MelonHead]

The Pandaren’s ears perked up as he slid a glass across the counter to one of his customers. There weren’t many who would so loudly demand the barkeep’s attention, and he recognised the voice of his strangely formed regular at once. Xiomara, the swordsman with the face of a woman. Liu wasn’t one to judge, it wasn’t like he was human himself, after all.

“Calm, calm Xiomara, you will have your liquor.” Liu’s voice was accented with an inflection most resembling some eastern Asian dialects on earth. It was a kind voice, and remarkably it was not yet marked with the edge of drunkenness. Apparently the Pandaren hadn’t started sampling his own wares. “And perhaps I will even give you some good advice? Hmm?” The Pandaren gave his approximation of a smile, though it was a little too toothy to be wholly comforting. He delved into the shelves for a moment and had a think, pulling out two dusty bottles with a fiery red motif and placing them on the bar counter before his outspoken customer.

“Firedrake Whiskey, I have a feeling you will like it, Xiomara.” Then, the Panda ducked down one more time and came up with a large keg, planting it on its side on the bar with a thump and then twisting it so the spout was parallel with the counter, and equally accessible for both of them. “And something to wash it down with!” The Pandaren laughed as he flicked two tankards onto the counter, unconsciously popping the cork of his bottle with one clawed thumb. Liu was always looking for an opportunity to drink, but so few customers had the capacity to keep up with him. He poured himself and Xiomara a pint of Doom-bar ale from the keg and then raised both tankard and bottle to the man, assuming he would replicate for an informal toast. Whatever the result, after raising his drinks he’d drink a triple shot measure of the whiskey straight from the bottle and down half his tankard, setting them down with a satisfied sigh.

“Now, what is this about requiring council my friend? Perhaps if I can solve your problem you will finally pay your tab, hmm?” The Pandaren laughed, truly unconcerned about the money. He lived for companionship and fine drink, the business was just a happy means to an end.

[Enki]

Jen didn't really know where the hell she was or really how she got there. She knew one day she was blowing off going into the office to find a drink when suddenly she was here in this odd place...and trying to find a drink.

The Raven haired girl had went through the doors of the tavern to see who she could flirt with to get a girl some free drinks but instead she noticed some panda sitting next to a...girl?...guy?... Whatever the liquor was there on their table. Her small frame and low hip hugging pants showing a bit of her mid drift was all part of the act she used to hide what her true motives really where and it worked for her usually and hopefully in this world it did to as well.

With brazen moxy, or would it rather be her not giving a shit attitude Jen strolled up to the table and grabbed one of the drinks and just chugged it down without seemingly a breath taken. Slamming the empty container down on the table the girl coughs and tries to regain her composer, barely getting her obscene words out of her mouth. "Holy *coughing* Shit....What the *coughing* is that?" She looks at the panda. "You could fly a damn ship to the moon with that!" She really wasn't complaining, she had grown a high tolerance to anything normal at this point anyway and was just surprised anything gave her a kick back.

Unfortunately she wasn't exactly done, as her nature to say whatever she wants. She slides to sit next to Xiomara without as much asking if she could. "So like...you a dude or a chick?" Her comments profusely expelling out of her mouth without abandon and likely with a tone that would sound offensive.

[Starfall]

Xiomara responded with a wordless rumble. Anyone who had known the hermit for long enough would have sworn he wanted to be angry but Liu made it difficult. But that friendly smile had disarmed a world of warrior’s and was at least part of why Chen’s Tavern had become such a staple of Alexandrian life…

The other part was because of Liu’s ferocious strength but that was usually only reserved for the rowdiest drunks.

Xio traced Liu’s path with his eyes, head not moving, and when the first glass hit the counter top his fingers were already curled around it. Slender by nature Xio’s fingers were long but his hands were too large for the feminine face that he wore just as the breadth of his shoulders and the smoothness of his abdomen were. Soon the burn of Firedrake Whiskey was gliding down his throat, eliciting a burbling hiss from the man, before a half drained glass his the table top. With such technique one might think Xiomara was great with liquor but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. His sponsorship by Vorsours back on the Malsange homeworld had involved swearing off liquor, for all his vinegar and fire Xiomara was buzzed by his first glass and tipsy by the third, provided the liquor was strong enough. Combined with an amateur’s tendency to overestimate it wasn’t uncommon to find him sleeping in the alley beside Chen’s Tavern.

“It is this world,” Xiomara boomed. “We were summoned because we are champions and yet look how easily we’ve fallen into routine. This childish desire for structure, it disgusts me, but to see it from men and women who have dedicated their lives to the sword?" Xiomara shook his head sadly, uncaring of how seditious or ridiculous his words may have sounded, after all without an economy how could someone like Liu have run a tavern and supplied him with liquor? Fanatics often ignored these thoughts, “I blame that blasted Alexander, they say he’s a great warrior but I have never even seen his face, he has chained all of us to his throne. Someone needs to shake things up…”

Then there was Jen. Xiomara paid little attention to her sultry attire or attitude; this was not uncommon amongst women who liberated them with their own strength, a sort of exaggerated sexual freedom to make up for the standards placed on them before. But when she grabbed at the second glass his brows wrinkled up dangerously. “That is irrelevant. I am the Goddess chose to make me, in her own image.” When drunk Xio was erratic, not that he was yet, but his laughs were louder and his violence was vicious. But like a storm it was over shortly and he said… “Ah Liu, you know how I feel about coinage, but I promise you that when I next hunt I will save the largest carcass for you?”

Then he waggled his fiery red eyebrows as though he was actually doing the bear a favor.

[MelonHead]

Liu listened, and drank, with a thoughtful expression on his furry face. He did not take Xiomara’s questions thoughtlessly, but gave them the consideration he believed they deserved, as was his way. However, his reverie was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a dark haired woman oozing with confidence, feigned or otherwise. She grabbed a bottle of spirit off the table and downed it in one, suffering for her display of strength all the same as the drink burned down her throat.

“Hold your breath in future, hmm.” The Pandaren advised with a smile, laughing as she dropped the drink and made some choice remarks. “That was Firedrake Whisky.” He told her, and then returned to concentrating on Xiomara’s philosophical musings. They were not exactly the questions he had asked himself, by any means, but Liu had considered questions like them before. What was his role in this new world, one born of violence and populated by the bloodthirsty and the maniacal, a place of war? He drank his ale and he let the wisdom bestowed upon him by others flow through his mind, carefully deciding what he would say and how to articulate himself. After a long pause, he placed his emptied tankard before him.

“Xiomara, you have forgotten that without places such as this” he waved his arms to mean the tavern, but in general he referred to peace and civilisation “there would be nothing to fight for. It is only when a man dreams of peace that he understands the necessity of war, like in all things this place knows balance. Ying and Yang, fire and water, when we are deprived of one the other loses sensation. Would you have all struggle become meaningless?” He posed the question to provoke Xiomara to consider things for himself, even as he refilled the tankard of ale from the keg.

“As for coin, do not trouble yourself, Xiomara. Though if you could bring me one of those large boar you once spoke of you can consider your debt paid to me.” Liu licked his lips (or proxy) as he thought of the succulent meat, and downed another pint of ale.

[Enki]

The raven haired woman listened to the two babble on about great fighters this and structure that but what did she care really? She honestly had no idea why she was brought into this giant mess. She was no conqueror or fearsome fighter as far as she knew. But still she was here for a reason and it alluded her and being the detective she was it ate at her something fierce.

"Places like this are here for people to forget about all that crap for a few minutes and enjoy whatever life they have!" Jen blurts out suddenly after. "I don't know about this balance thing, but to take a few moments and just be nothing but right here and now with a drink in your hand. That is something even those rulers and kings wish for out there. Not to mention the fact they just showed up here and used to be so great."

Jen tries to take another drink from them without paying as she slides her hand slowly across the table to grab at a glass. "What this town needs is someone to show them just who they were. Ya know? Press them back into their old ways and show them they were warriors or whatever." She quickly slams down the drink letting its familiar burning sooth the back of her throat. Slamming the glass back down she looks over at the 'man' next to her and smiles.

"So...if you don't like it, go change it or something! Quit your bitching!"

[Holy Soldier]

Deleted.

[ImportantNobody]

A trail of white hair and frilly fabric circled around a seemingly teenage girl as she spun around lightly on a heel, admiring herself in a full length mirror. She soon came to a stop, satisfied that everything about her fresh new waitress uniform was in working order. It was black and white in color with the motif of a panda, including a tiny panda ear headband, as the owner of this inn was a humanoid version of one. She wouldn't look out of place at a Japanese maid cafe, with her short skirt and mid thigh level socks, and general look of adorableness. She did not wear heels, but instead had on shiny black mary jane shoes. She had no practice in heels and didn't want to start now, as it would impact her performance.

She glanced at the clock on the changing room wall. Her shift was almost ready to begin as more customers would be filing in at any moment. This would be her first day working at Chen's Tavern but she had experience waitressing before, so she wondered how things would work out in a world that would get a lot more diverse and numerous traffic. She felt the necklace underneath her apron to make sure that it was still there. No telling how unruly people might get here, especially with this being a world where only those who make themselves known through combat would generally enter. She knew Liu wouldn't allow fighting within these walls, but to enforce such a rule she might have to step up and be the one to kick them out, as part of her duties. The object on her necklace would transform into her weapon of choice; sure to give any drunken customer reason enough to cease further hostilities. Plus she was at peak level human abilities if push came to shove. All in all, she felt ready to start her day. Her briefcase with additional equipment was locked in her provided safe box, so she'd make due with what she had on her.

She styled her hair into twin tails as the last alteration to her look before heading out the door, hitting her with a wave of sounds as people drank, squabbled, and merrily conversed with one another. She spotted Liu easily, dealing with a small group of costumers from behind his counter. They looked unruly. Perhaps she'd have to flex her muscles on the first minute of her job, but she didn't want to start anything just yet and make a horrible first impression, possibly even getting herself fired by over reacting. She strolled over to his side as if to say, "I'm here and ready to start my shift, however you need me."

[Negatomsk]

Outside the tavern, the growing roar of an approaching engine heralded the coming of the surliest and least friendly recent arrival to World of War, one Random Resolution. Most grew accustomed to the world and their presence in it after their arrival, but Resolution had yet to make his peace with this place, as the core of his being, everything he had ever come to understand about how he had come to be had obliterated by his very existence here.

His connection to the Ninth Gate had been severed; he could no longer feel the constant stream of wicked souls passing beyond the threshold and into the waiting arms of the reaper, could no longer sense the presence of the demons and the damned; could no longer bask in the warmth of the Inferno's embrace, which meant that he should no longer be alive. The moment he was created Resolution had been told that he owed his life to the computer program that connected him to the Gate that existed within him, and that should that connection ever be severed or disrupted, he would die, and yet here he stood, slamming open the doors to Chen's Tavern as he stomped towards the bar. As ever he was unsure of what he was doing here, or what he was going to do here.

There were newcomers at the bar yet, but if there was one constant in this new, tumultuous existence it was that none of them would be of any help; he'd yet to encounter another computer, robot, cyborg, anyone or anything that would be of any use to him on his quest to reconnect to the Gateway inside him. Truth be told, Resolution would have had no problem with Xiomara on any other day, at any other point in his own existence... Reso found something about the overwhelmingly powerful darkness within the warrior... comforting; a tiny, soothingly evil oasis within this new and chaotic place, but until Reso figured out what was going on in his own life, he had no time to indulge in his usual curiosity for the world around him. Reso had retained his memories, but he had lost much of the knowledge the Gateway had granted him... he could no longer remember his Sin-crafted spells, could no longer access the Hard Drive 2.0 or its interstellar flight mode. Would he continue to shutdown, losing bits and pieces of his programming until he finally deactivated? Or would he -- she has a phone.

He froze for a moment in the middle of his violent stomping towards the bar, his eyes wide behind his crimson shades as he stared at Jen and the phone was playing with, having pulled it from her coat and unlocked the screen to access some silly mobile game to kill the time between not-so-stealthily stealing drinks from the panda-man bartender and the cursed, crimson-haired warrior. Reso was lost, alone and unsure of his place, his purpose in this world, but that girl and her phone would fix that.

Stomping his way over to her, he quickly snatched the phone from Jen's grip.

"Hey! That's my PHONE!"

He ignored her sudden and immediate protest as he turned away from her, marching away from the bar as his thumbs flew over the tiny digital screen. Wi-Fi -- the phone had Wi-Fi! Of course there was no signal here, but he didn't need one. He needed the phone to call himself, the only question was whether or not it was powerful enough. Blue lightning wreathed his fist, surging into the phone as the screen immediately washed over with static, the same static had begun pouring from his eyes as lightning bloomed from beneath his collar, igniting his skin.

In but an instant, Reso had awoken the Engine, his flesh burning away to expose the blazing skull beneath. Empty sockets stared down at the phone, searching for answers in the digital snow. He gnashed his teeth, shaking his head as he paced rapidly back and forth between the tables. "No, no, no, no, N-- hn? Yes... Yes, YES!" He pumped a clenched fist in the air as the phone screen cracked, flashed to black, and then exploded, spitting a final flash of electricity as the phone breathed its last. Throwing the ruined phone to the ground, he turned back to the others, his chest swelling as he somehow drew a deep breath.

"Whew. I feel a lot better now... Who's up for drinks on me?!"

[Enki]

Jen just....couldn't believe it. One of the last bits of technology she had from home was just taken from her drunken hand and abused to the point of destruction. Free drinks will not satisfy her anger, after all she already had those! Jen stands up to move to this new...thing with its weird skin and almost ghostly appearance. She reaches out and attempts to smack the bitch who just destroyed her personal property.

"You son of a...." Her aim was poor but a strange strength slightly above a normal humans would be felt from the slap if it landed anywhere near its jawline. Jen was angry, and well beyond uninhibited at this point. She was going to get a little retribution for her damaged goods even though the internet access was gone from it, it still housed her favorite game and the few videos she kept dear to her.
Her attack she felt was completely justified as she didn't give two craps about any non fighting rule in the establishment. That asshole broke her phone without an explanation. Not that one would even be good enough for her.

[Starfall]

For a moment it seemed as though Liu was beginning to make sense to Xiomara. It was a conversation well-rehearsed and destined to repeat itself until that day when the Pandaren’s wise words finally failed to soothe the savage Malsange.

“Your wisdom knows no end, Liu.” Xio rumbled after some time. In the interceding time the newest of Liu’s waitresses had made her presence known, dressed like someone’s fetish and doing a poor job at disguising her disdain, or her skill. A gaze like smoldering embers pinned her in place just long enough to become awkward and then Jen spoke, “And if we were anywhere else I might agree with you. But when I stare up at the night sky I cannot spot Malsange no matter how hard I try, nor can I make out the familiar constellations of my home, and it is not because these stars are foreign so much as it is because they do not exist.”

“Not as we know them.”

“Do you intend to carve life from a lie?” with that Xio’s gaze trailed over to Jen. Though the little woman was trying to speak to his soul the harsh edge in her words were exactly the spark needed to set the emotional firecracker that the hermit was, “You overstep your bounds woman…” the thread was pretty clear and for a moment it seemed he might act on it, mug set to the counter as the first hint of crimson began to appear at his cheeks and his feral eyes narrowed. Well that was what was going to happen until a walking electronic nightmare strode into the Tavern, outlandish from the very get go there was no way that Resolution couldn’t capture his and everyone else’s attention, but there was something distressingly familiar about that well of power once one looked past the surface.

But Xiomara and Resolution were going to get along just fine it seems. The beast snatched Jen’s Shindroid away and devoured it in a flash of power, eliciting wicked laughter from the hermit and a high pitched whine from Jen. With all the electricity crackling over Resolution’s body the little lady was as liable to hurt herself as the man but she swung, maybe there was something to her spirit yet. Inspired into action, at least for the moment, Xio rose from his seat and proceeded top thump Jen over the head with the butt of his mug, “If my rampage is to begin tonight then it will start with you.”

[MelonHead]

Liu watched the fire in Xiomara’s eyes dim for a moment, but he sighed inwardly, knowing it would not last. Then the Pandaren’s gaze was drawn to one of his new hirelings, a human woman who wanted to work as a waitress. Money was really no object to the Pandaren, but his reputation still drew in significant funds almost by default and he was rumoured to be incredibly free with it. It was unsurprising that people would want to work for him, provided they could pull themselves away from the endless conflict that marked the outside world. He nodded to her as she approached, favouring her with an already slightly weary smile as he sensed the conflict that was drawing near, almost as if he could smell it.

“Ria, was it not? Would you serve those men sitting at the far table?” He pointed to a group near one corner, though his gesture also covered an individual sitting at a table with a broken light. He wanted to get his employee out of the way if Xiomara was about to pull his usual, it always got a little fiery.

Not a moment too soon, as well, as more trouble apparently walked in. Not bad enough that Xiomara had immediately gotten off on the wrong foot with the young woman who was using some form of technology Liu was unfamiliar with, things had to escalate further. Liu tried to interject of course, to placate the situation before it was too late. But the newcomer had stolen the metal square, and then he’d destroyed it and turned into a light-show right in the middle of the tavern. Liu sighed.

“How about free drinks on me instead, hmm, the next round is on the house? I am sure he will.” Liu was interrupted by the worst possible combination of events, as the woman struck at the electrical being and Xiomara tried to bop her on the head with his mug. Liu stared in mute defeat, one clawed hand reaching around his own tankard of ale to drink it down as chaos ensued.

“Please… please take your violence outside, if you must fight.” Liu pleaded for that consolation at least, but heaven knew if he would obtain it.

[ImportantNobody]

Ria wanted to help her boss with the discomforting situation taking place before them, but orders were orders. She gave one last sideways glance at the troublemakers as she passed by, like a "I'm watching you" look, as she made her way to the dark corner table that was a staple for most inns. It held dark, brooding types quite often, in her experience. Or those who wished to remain out of the spotlight at the very least. Or perhaps they just took a convenient table without being aware of such stereotypes.

Who drew her attention the most was a rather heavy looking, hairy, hooved fellow who clearly had seen his fair share of struggles. He could probably snap her neck in an instant with his armored hands, should he desire it. He had weird irses, a trait which Ria shared, although hers were more star shaped while his were rectangular.

"May I take your orders?" She asked the group of men, looking between them. They were all tough, but none standing out as much as the goat man, or whatever he was.

[LeeRoy]

Underneath a busted lamp with an empty bottle of booze dangling from his gnarly fingertips, Dunnaman sat and observed quietly as Resolution stormed forth and robbed a woman blind. Literally standing less than a foot away from another. . .

Er. . .Woman?

Through narrowed eyes he tried to piece together the image through a haze of drunken stupidity. "A man?" He mumbled to himself with a mouth half-filled with a liquor that left an incredibly unpleasant aftertaste. He almost chewed the drink before swallowing it, his eyes settled intently on the one with a questionable gender. For another few moments he glared at Xiomara before giving up and settling on the idea that it was in fact a mystery and one that he wasn't sober enough to solve or care.

Right as he had settled him mind, he noticed the situation escaling rapidly. Jen had stood and was lashing out in frustration towards the mechanized mischief maker with a harsh slap to the face. Liu, the Bartender whom he always kept happy with the barter he brought in, sent over the new barmaid to draw her away from the gathering storm. Though if she's here she's probably strong enough to handle your average rabble rouser.

Though if they're here, they're probably not your average rabble rouser.

"Hmm."

The thought hadn't occured to him that this woman might be in genuine danger until right about now, you know, the moments after the slap. Ria spoke to him as he rose from his seat, the wooden seat squeaked in relief as his tremendous weight rose. For a moment he reached out to use Ria as a support but his hand stopped just short of her shoulder and his finger curled. He had almost forgotten how much he weighs until the sounds of the seat reminded him, good thing too, he didn't want to hurt the poor girl by dropping near a ton on her.

With a sniff and a huff, Dunnaman pushed himself out of the shaded corner noisily. Having to sit back down and scoot a few feet to get past the table without knocking it over, rising once more to an annoying protest from the seat. "Quiet you!" He muttered angrily towards the seat, speaking just loud enough for Ria to hear his words. They were so heavily accented and slurred that one might not even be able to recognize it as English. He scratched at his side for a moment, the rising and falling shook his belly a bit and it felt uncomfortable now.

Or maybe it was because he finally shifted all of his weight after an hour or so of drinking.

Probably both.

Dunnaman turned towards the Hell Machine with a swift look, his jowls shaking slightly as they caught up with the rest of his face. Both his hair and beard flowed past him in unison, waving in an unnatural fashion. Caused by no wind that was present in the room, they seemed to move totally independent of his face. "You!" Hollered the drunkard in a voice that was so booming and deep that it rattled the lantern behind him. It bumped the back of his head as it swung.

"Yes you, the metal devil! How dare you thieve in front of me?" Extending his right hand forward and widening his feet, putting his right foot down sharply and stretching his left leg way behind his body. His left arm reached down towards the weapon on his hip and removed the fasten that held it in place. "I'll show you what for! You thieving hooligan!"

Or something to that effect, what actually flowed from his mouth was drunken babbling that sort of resembled what he said, but was definitely not what he said.

Eh, whatever the case may be, it would be confusing to everyone involved either way.

[Enki]

Even with the sparking hell elemental around it seemed jen's reaction to it that ignite things inside the bar. Having gone over and successfully smacked the creature back against the wall she realized that she didn't hold back some of the residual strength from her newly acquired monster soul before somehow finding herself in his miserable existence inside some third rate hell hole. Some strange guy from the side came up and was going to sort things out when suddenly she felt a mug slap her on top of the head.

It wasn't forceful enough to knock the girl out, but it still sure hurt like the dickens and sent the girl to one knee rubbing her head. She turned her head around to see it was Xiomara holding the mug that just slogged her good. Squinting her eyes and closing her mouth from astonishment straight into pure bitch face she peers up at him.

"Alright Caitlyn....you asked for it!"

Using her legs she pushes her body up and flings her arms around to grab around Xio's waist to tackle him. Attempting to push him so his back would slam into the bar table itself, or alternatively if his footing slipped to the ground.

[Negatomsk]

Well, things had certainly gotten out of hand quickly. He'd only just managed to regain access to his own Gateway and suddenly she was trying to attack him. Reso put the Engine to sleep, reassuming his human form a moment before Jen's slap found a home on his cheek... putting him against the back wall from the force of the blow. Despite the deep and swelling bruise on his cheek, Resolution seemed none the worse for wear as he quickly sat up, blinking.

"What did I do--" All he'd done was to take the woman's phone from her and "Oh. I'm... sorry." The apology was somewhat sheepish. He hadn't been thinking properly at all when he'd nearly attacked the woman, he'd been driven by anger and desperation, and... Meanwhile a satyr was... staring at him and babbling drunkenly as well. Now whatever had been going on between Jen and Xiomara had blossomed into another confrontation, as the barbarian bopped her with his mug... and she'd turned to tackle him.

He couldn't help but feel partly responsible for what had happened but at the same time he was no one's keeper. Pushing to his feet, Reso stared at the scrambling pair of Jen and Xiomara before rubbing idly at his jaw. Yes, that one had definitely hurt... "Excuse me! Miss! I apologize for your phone, but this isn't necessary!" This wasn't what he'd intended at all, but if these two insisted on fighting for no reason -- well, for reasons of his own making -- then he'd have to step in to separate them by force.

[Starfall]

Jen struck with a wild swing and drove the metal man to the wall. Now said metal man was begging her for forgiveness, maybe it was fear and maybe it was honest regret, but his will to fight had fled as had his persistent electric aura.

Too little and too late. This was the World of War and the apologies accepted were those delivered by knuckle.

By the time Resolution began to stammer his apology Xiomara had already clubbed Jen over the head, revealing that simple glass was nowhere near strong enough to transmit the full strength of his strike, and when the deed was done the only thing left was a quickly discarded handle. Jen to her credit didn’t seem all that put off by having shards of glass stuck to her scalp, whatever enhancement she'd used had rendered her skin too thick to bleed out easily, and whirled around with fury in her eyes. Somewhere in the back of the room a too familiar goat man hollered at the top of his lung and the maid surely had death in her eyes. Heck, maybe if things became exciting enough Liu would shake off his lethargy and engage in fisticuffs, just maybe.

So Jen crashed into Xiomara with the strength of a behemoth. It was enough force to send him skidding back on his heels, but only just. They never did reach the counter as Xiomara was already in the process of sprawling by the time Jen made proper contact. The act of spreading his legs wide and lowering his abdomen simultaneously shifted his center of gravity to safety and dragged Jen out of line. There was a wicked smile on that pretty face and a smoldering fire in those red eyes as his right arm slipped around Jen’s throat while the left snagged itself in the hem of her pants. So tight there was no risk of them sliding off but they might well tear when he tugged on them. Regardless they moved a total of six or so inches before Xiomara ground them to a halt and immediately transitioned into sweeping Jen from her feet.

Even if she was strong Xiomara was too and Jen really didn’t weigh nearly enough to exceed his limit. It was easy for him to lift Jen from her feet and even easier for him to twist his hips and fling the police woman through the air towards none other than the taverns handsome owner. He even flicked his wrist near the end to send her for a spin along the way. Did he really expect the pacific ursine to drop his moral code and engage in some sort of ridiculous tag team maneuver with him?

Yes, yes he did.

[ImportantNobody]

Ria didn't care if the ruffians beat themselves up, but she wouldn't have her new workplace and boss get beat up in the struggle. She kept a watchful eye on the fighting, eyes widening when it appeared like one of them, based on body language, was about to throw the other. Her legs began to pump her forward as the distasteful woman, one of them anyways, was indeed sent twirling through the air like a rag doll...right at the worst person she could have been sent too! She knew it. These people went too far and she should have stepped in earlier despite the possible protests. Liu didn't appear to be the fighting type, being just a poor bystander panda who would give her paychecks.

"Nooooooo-" She dramatically screamed in what felt like slow motion, reaching out with her hands as she lunged forward to try and get an interception.

"-oof!" She finished as she didn't manage a graceful catch in the slightest, but was instead smashed into with the full force of momentum, a backside pressed against her face and upper body. This slowed the pair down as they traveled the remaining distance towards Liu, but added on more mass into the equation as she was helplessly caught in the crossfire, limbs twirling around in a mess of confusion.