Umbra Noctis - Tavern/Club RP

"Got'cha." Phoenix replied and took the jugs, placing them on the counter outside, next to the crisp bowl, where Greg was already masticating his way through them.

At the point where the woman had grabbed the other, Quill had briefly raised a hand an orb of energy forming there. As the trouble was over, she resumed serving the newcomer.

Hawk watched the exchange, his mind going into overdrive calculating what exactly was going on. "I-I'm Hawk." He hesitantly extended a hand. "And.. It's just your presence which is making me nervous. Currently." Sparkly? How is that racist? In which case, what race is she? What on Earth is going on? And what wouldn't I give to have seen that readout.

"And..." He swallowed, wondering whether this odd woman would take offence at the request for an explanation. "Sparkles? Like, fantasy wizard sparkles?"

((Nik hasn't posted in a while. I guess he's busy? ))

"A pleasure. Most call me Master Acheron, or Lady Katarina," the woman, Katarina, replied, taking Hawk's hand and shaking it firmly. She chuckled, then added, "I see. So it is something about my overall persona. I must carry an intimidating aura."
At the question, she glanced toward the staircase that Eizo had ascended a few moments prior. "Ah, yes. That whelp's statement. I'm sure it was meant purely to start trouble, though someone of her age should think twice before starting trouble with me. I do believe she was cracking a racist joke in reference to some literary flop about Celtic faeries. 'Tis unimportant, just aggravating." Kat's fist clenched for a moment, but relaxed soon after. Her expression had never revealed any annoyance; it seemed that she relied heavily on her syntax and intonation to denote what she was feeling. And it currently implied that she wished to pursue the subject no further.

"The past events notwithstanding, I do find myself curious as to what you are, my feathered friend. Not human, not bird, but something in between. And I see another of similar physical appearance; I deduce that you are somehow related. Maybe not by blood, but by incident, law, or similar background. Am I not close in my guesses?" Katarina inquired, glancing towards Phoenix at one point.

Sorano had let out a sigh of relief once Kat had released Eizo's shirt. She had thought a fight would have been imminent, though she was quite grateful that everything turned out peacefully. She went about her clerk duties, nodding an "All's well" to Telu as the cook brought out cups and ice, then helped herself to a glass of punch.

"I also assume the gray one is not a part of what ties you and the red-orange one, though she is also of similar appearance in that she is something between human and bird," Kat added, indicating Telu.

((Dunno.))

"Katarina Acheron?" He tried to formulate the names together in his mind, knowing that he'd probably screwed something up with the transcribing. His hand was cool to the touch and smooth.

"If it's a jibe at a imaginary character, then it's not racism, it's plain stupidity, isn't it?" Never particularly good at body language and tone of voice in the first place, Hawk blundered along his line of thought, only to have it interrupted by the old, oft-repeated question of "What the hell are you?" but on kinder terms.

"We've both been... created. It's a touchy subject... Well, not touchy, but it brings up bad memories. I'm not sure about the other..." He turned around to look for her, not having expected another avian around.


Phoenix served herself a glass of Coke from one of the bar's dispensers, then nudged the cook, and waved the glass in the direction of Katarina.

Kat nodded, indicating that he had gotten it correct. She shrugged in response to the second question, but nothing further would be said by her about the subject.

"I see. I assume by splicing or similar. I understand if you desire not to continue on this particular subject, though I do find genetic splicing by itself to be a fascinating application," she said, taking her glasses off for the moment to clean them with a microfiber cloth and lens cleaner. Kat kept her eyes down and nearly closed out of habit as she wiped the dark lenses clean, only fully opening her eyes again once the sunglasses were back on her face.

Telu, when nudged by Phoenix, looked up and then over in the direction indicated.
"Hm? Oh! Oh no, I don't come from the same place as these two youngsters," she laughed. "I've always been this way, if'n you mean the lookin' like I'm a person in a bird suit." Katarina nodded her understanding again.

"I see, then. By the way, a glass of merlot would be lovely," Kat added.

Hawk looked at her with an expression of distrust. "I'm not fond of scientists, seeing as they're the one's who screwed me up in the first place." He got up, and walked over to the bar, and waited for Phoenix to pour the drink, and a juice with ice for himself, then picked up both glasses and walked back to the table, setting Kat's drink in front of her and sitting down, stretching and rubbing his neck where he'd cricked it earlier.

"May I ask what brings you here? And why you're used to making people feel uneasy?"

"I can understand your distrust," the woman said, taking a sip of the merlot once Hawk had brought the glass. She swirled it around a little as she continued to speak. "However, the way I see it, it's best used to improve something. Some call it playing God, I call it speeding the advance. My scientists, for example, focus mainly on how another organism does something, and how to apply it to something that my corporation does or needs. Regeneration was one of our primary focuses recently. We're still trying to perfect it for our applications," Kat explained, taking another drink and setting the glass down.

"What brings me here is the need to establish a point where I can be found by my kin. Wandering about in the forest as we used to in the olden days is rather... How do you say... Heathen. Then again, walking about in the skin of something we're not is an ability long since evolved out. As to why I'm used to making people feel uneasy, wouldn't you be the same way if you had unnatural irises like mine?" With that question, Kat lowered her glasses and held Hawk in a calm stare. There was no question about it; her irises were crimson.

One thing that had not "evolved out", as Katarina had put it, was the entrancing gaze that could cloud the mind and cause a target to bend to her will. Or, if she preferred, keep them immobilized. Whether Hawk was affected or not depended on his mental strength against Kat's ancient abilities.

He snorted. "Well, guess what? I was the by-product of someone speeding up evolution. Too bad I'm a slave to this place because of it." Hawk looked rather angry at the return of his memories, and although he heard her next question, his preoccupation afforded him no help against her stare, and as he was turning away from the eerie pupils, he got entranced, and turned to stare back with his own pair of gold-irised eyes.

Phoenix, however had both been listening carefully, and had picked up on the words from "skin of something" onwards, and promptly walked over. "Excuse me. Would you rephrase that?" Although her words were polite, her tone was not, and having recognised a mental attack of some sort, she was having to concentrate very hard to not immolate this strange woman for her suspicious words and manner.

"Well, then rest assured that my corporation makes no such advances as what created you and your female friend. We only wish to advance our own. My condolences to you for what human scientists have forced you to become," Kat said, her neutral look turning into a smile as Hawk turned to face her. Her peripheral vision caught the sight of Phoenix walking towards her, and she addressed the fiery-plumaged avian without breaking eye contact.
"Rephrase what, my fire-feathered lady? Is there something I said in particular that you would like me to say differently?" she asked, using the power of her gaze to get Hawk to reveal any weaponry he had on him. She, of course, meant no ill will, but she wouldn't say so aloud.

He smiled back, depositing three throwing knives, a razor-edged, diamond-shaped piece of metal on a necklace, a coil of wire so fine it could almost cut without and feeling whatsoever and a small black bead on the table in front of him.

Phoenix looked at Hawk, frowning as she saw him lay out the items he would normally never even admit to having. "What was that about walking around in the skin of something you're not? And what have you done to him?" Unable to fully contain the anger that was flowing in her even at the best of times, a fireball materialised around her fist, crackling hungrily up her arm, a tracery of fire following her veins.

"Ah, that bit. Perhaps a better way to describe it would be shape-shifting. In times of old, my kin and I would walk the forest and soar the skies as creatures we are not. Arrange those from left to right based on how deadly you are with them," Kat explained, directing the last statement to Hawk. "And trust me, I have done nothing to your friend Hawk. Nothing that will last longer than what I..." She cut her words short as the sound and sight of the flames distracted her. Her expression became one of warning. "I don't recommend you attack me. For I can turn your own against you," she said, waving a hand towards Hawk and silently issuing a command to ready the knives. This was mostly for show and to back up her claim.

Sorano became alarmed, as did Telu, though the cook held Sorano back as the Felix made to stop the conflict.
"Don't get involved, dear. Your powers aren't on par with theirs," the Trogon warned. Sorano glanced at the cook worriedly, then back to the three, staying back.

"I'd rather not have anyone harmed here, young firebird," Kat iterated, standing in preparation to move.

He obediently followed her orders and placed the knives in front of him with the cord to the right of those, the diamond steel to the left of the knives and the small black bead placed reverentially and carefully as far right as he can reach.
He readied the knives as per her command, the three streamlined daggers floating off the table, and aiming at Phoenix.

She looked at the knives, and then to Kat. She clamped her other hand around her upper arm, and squeezed, stopping the fire from growing, but not lessening it. "You haven't done nothing else he wouldn't have laid those out. I've never even knew that bead existed before. And you don't want anyone hurt, yet you... mesmerize my friend with no valid reason for doing so, or so it seems. Not really a recipe for avoiding conflict."

Hawk_v3 wrote:

"Will a fruit juice do? And our rooms aren't very expensive. Unless you ask for the penthouse one of course."

"With pleasure and thanks."

Then, waiting for the drink, she watches the scene discretly, not trying to get involved. She doesn't know these people who just entered, but she already believe those are not the kind you mess with lightly. The only sure thing is, if the fight start, she already know she will have to pray the goddess for her life, as they seems pretty strong in both groups.

But in a sense, what have been told here intrigued her. The Phoenix person... she wasn't natural, and she isn't alone in that case. It is in complete contradiction with what she always believed: everything that exist is natural, be it fire that consume everything or water that grant life. This intriguing statement got her curiosity and she forgot about the "discrete part" in the end.

(Sorry, the only reliable thing in the universe is the unreliability of what you take for granted.)

"Call it a trick of the trade. Or a racial skill, if you prefer," Kat said, carefully picking up the diamond-shaped object and inspecting it. She set it back down after a couple moments. "What you say is true. I have not done nothing. I merely asked him to show me what weapons he had on his person, and to align them on the basis of how fatal they are when he uses them. As for the knives floating in midair there, that's my response to the threat of your fire," she explained.

"I would say we are at an impasse. Should one of us attack the other, the second will launch a retaliatory attack. Either way, one or both of us end up getting hurt or killed," Katarina continued, sipping at the merlot in her glass and swirling the liquid around once more. "Assuming that your self-preservation instincts are as strong as mine, I would say... Stalemate. The move is yours, young firebird," Acheron said, gesturing towards Phoenix with a small wave of the hand.

Sorano, eager to do something to keep herself from interfering, would jump on the task of getting the fruit drink for the girl that the robed woman, Quill, was taking care of.
"Sorry, I just really needed something to do," she apologized, directing it to Quill. She poured a glass of the fruit punch and placed it on the counter by the girl. "You said you wanted a room?" the blue-clothed young lady asked, this time addressing the girl. "I'll get your room key." Sorano turned and opened a drawer, pulling out an old-fashioned key with a tag tied to its handle. The tag read "Room 3".
"You'll be in room 3, which is just up the stairs; The numbers are on the doors." Sorano smiled in as friendly a manner as she could, given the situation at the table nearby.

Quill watched, a smile just visible in her hood. "Nevermind." She turned to the newcomer. " It's nice to see you, I'm Quill. And who're you?"

"I'm not asking what you have done, I'm asking what you've done to his will." Phoenix grimaced slightly, clamping down harder around her upper arm, as the flames threatened to grow larger, in a desperate attempt to keep her temper under control.

She realised that she couldn't keep her temper covered, and pointed at the fireplace, dumping all her anger into it, flash-burning the logs in the fireplace almost instantly, and heating the irons and stone up to a rosy red glow.

She sat down in a seat some distance away. "I make my move, and demonstrate my skill." There was a pinging noise as the fireplace cooled, small flakes of stone and metal drifting or peeling off as it cooled. "Now, would you release my friend. Before my temper bubbles over again, and I don't bother with the safety valve."

Sorano jumped when Phoenix unleashed the fire, but Katarina remained calm as ever. She'd become quite masterful at keeping her emotions close to the vest over the years.

"What I've done is simply an entrancement. It's an easy trick for someone of my status among my own, and not all that difficult for me to break," Kat explained, having Hawk put the knives back down and put all the weaponry away before breaking eye contact and putting her sunglasses back on with a toothy grin. A keen eye would catch the sight of a canine tooth longer than that of a normal human, but it would be milliseconds before Kat's lips would once again take on a knowing smile, hiding her teeth.

The entrancement would begin to wear off rather quickly once Kat's gaze was no longer connected to Hawk's. The effects of Acheron's stare caused a target to be only vaguely aware of what had transpired while under her control. He would be able to remember his actions, though the 'why did I do that' questions could only be answered by Katarina.

"Trust me, there has been no damage done," Kat said assuringly.

Phoenix watched Kat intently, and managed to nod, her temper settling back down. "Ah. I can start to place a name to the feelings, now. Hatred of fire, odd pupils..." She thought for a bit, then looked around the room.

"Hmph. There's too much artificial light around. Anyone mind me opening the curtains for some nice bright natural light?"

Hawk looked around groggily. "Uuhhh.... I hope I just dozed off, otherwise I think I have some 'splaining to do. Mostly for illogical conduct. And what damage?" He looked around.

A muscle under Katarina's eye twitched behind the glasses. "Wouldn't the sunlight bleach the fabrics in the room?" she said. She was feeling a little edgy; the sun would gradually drain her of her strength. She hated when that happened. However, she didn't want them to really latch on to her identity. "If it wouldn't, it would certainly ruin the atmosphere." Kat stay put in her chair, trying to show as little concern towards the subject of sunlight as possible.

Sorano shrugged, indicating that she didn't mind. Hawk's question would go unanswered as Kat drank the rest of the merlot in her glass. Will the firebird actually do it? If she does... I need to keep myself under control. It's not like I haven't walked out in the sun before...

Phoenix looked at Kat. "Nah, that's only extended periods of time in the sun. And modern dyes are very good in the sunlight now. And if the atmosphere in here is meant to be dark and gloomy, then we should put on some Goth music, really. Maybe try and slit our wrists to the beat. Of course, it isn't considering the amount of light in here already, but it's such a waste of electricity, and ends up affecting the eyes."

She walked past Kat, intending to throw open the big, cream coloured drapes and bathe the room in the near-direct sunlight from the Sun outside.

Hawk looked at her and Kat in puzzlement, and hit the side of his head a few times, trying to remove the fog from his mind.

"Hmm. Don't confuse two genres. But if you must have the light, then you may as well," Kat replied coolly. She would stand up and approach the bar, taking her glass with her. She requested the bottle of wine to refill the glass, and turned to look in a direction opposite the window. She grimaced a bit, pushing the sunglasses up on her nose, and took a drink.

Setting the glass on the counter, Kat then put her hands in her pockets and migrated to a corner of the room that would not be as directly hit by the sun. The pace at which she moved, however, would give Phoenix plenty of time to open the curtains.

She threw the drapes open, Hawk clutching his eyes with a yelp as his still slightly fuddled brain caught direct sunlight.

"I know the difference between the genres, I was trying to make a joke." She turned around, heading for the juices, but also keeping an eye on Kat, wondering how badly she would react, and extending little mental attacks in her direction, probing her for any thoughts as subtly as possible.

The light would catch Kat just as she was about to make it out of the cone of direct light. She flinched, turned her face away from the window, and put up an arm to block the sun from her eyes, hesitating for a moment with a slight hiss. It would take a pretty sharp pair of ears to catch the hiss, however. Kat hated sunlight, but she hated even more to make a show of it, as contrary to her love of melodramatics and theatrics as it was. She resumed her pace and stood near a wall to the side of the window, where a smaller amount of light reached.

"Mental probes do little for you against me," Kat said, in response to subtle pokes she felt in her consciousness. "I long ago learned how to block them. For that I thank my late former master."

"Gotcha." Phoenix's one word of triumph seemed to dismiss the probes' failures, and she grinned at Kat. "Now, just to cement it, what do you think of Twilight?"

Hawk looked up, aware and back to normal, the truth having become fairly clear to him as well.

The muscle under Kat's eye twitched again. "A lovely time of day, though I vastly prefer the night. But if you're in reference to a literary flop, then I must tell you that I think it's the saddest piece of so-called literature to be printed in the modern world. The day that faeries were mistaken for vampires was the day I lost all faith in humanity. Or what little I had left. Vampire literature and vampiric lore belong underground, out of the mainstream. I refuse to respect any female that fantasizes about a creature that would break into their room to watch them sleep when he should know better. The so-called 'vampires' are no more than addle-brained, ill-disciplined pixies with a blood fetish.

"We are a far more noble race than that... Damnit..." Kat cut herself off at soon as she realized that she had said 'we' instead of just 'vampires'. She rarely slipped like that, but her pride was a blindfold when it came to her own culture. Damn my foolish pride! Elder Acheron warned me of that, but I still haven't fully learned that lesson! I'm not nosferatu until I learn to keep my mouth shut... she chided herself. Running her gloved hand through her hair, she awaited the certain burst that would erupt forth, other fist clenched tightly in her pocket.

Hawk, Phoenix, Quill, and Greg looked at Kat.

Hawk spoke first. "I only have one real concern here. Does anyone here need to wear a steel choker?"

Kat looked up, a little confused. Most places had run the gamut from 'poser' to "DIE!", but there was no such cacophony here. It was rather a relief.

"You could, but it wouldn't matter much. I don't take unless I'm hunting. I just find it rather surprising that there's no anti-vampire or sickeningly pro-vampire sentiments."