Umbra Noctis - Tavern/Club RP

Acheron stood and watched him for a moment, nodding when he stammered out his reply. Though, when he drew the weapons out, she narrowed her eyes a bit and began to slip into a defensive stance. Her hand was hovering over her rapier hilt, ready to unsheathe the blade and knock the gun from his hand if any attack was tried. But she relaxed as he handed the weapons to her. She took off her cloak, folding it up and setting it on the ground before taking the weaponry and setting them on top of the material.

"Please kneel. You're a little too tall for me to perform it with both of us standing," Kat said, chuckling a bit and setting her hand on his shoulder. She would not force him to come to his knees; that was a move reserved for prey that fought. He had to do it of his own accord. "Don't worry. I won't make it hurt."


Sorano turned to Phoenix, setting the mop in the bucket. "Very well. I just don't want anything to dry there," she said, half-frowning.

He did so after a short pause, working out how to kneel in such a way that his legs wouldn't drop off if this took a while. His digitigrade legs folded unusually as he knelt in front of her, still looking at her. "Do you need to know anything about me before you... Begin?"

Phoenix smiled. "I note we have Coca Cola behind the bar, so even if it dries on we can get it out."

"Not necessarily. If you desire to tell me a few things that are peculiar to you as a being, then feel free. I must admit my curiosity as to whether yours will be more human or more animal. I generally hold a lower opinion on animal blood, but most terrestrial animals have a muddy taste to theirs that I prefer not to take of," Acheron explained. She brought herself down to about his eye level, though staying just high enough to perform the little 'ritual'.

"Now, before I begin, I need to you prod my shoulder if you start feeling faint. That will tell me I need to stop. I also need you to fluff your feathers. Keeps the mess to a minimum. Tell me when you're ready," she said, waiting for him to give her the go-ahead.


Sorano tilted her head, then agreed. "That's true. I forgot about that." She then turned to face the door suddenly. There was a spike that she and any other magic-oriented being in the place would be able to sense, even if faintly.

"I-I might talk about my blood and me more later... I-If you'll excuse me, talking to me about it now might... Change my mind for this...

Your opinion would interest me, though..."

He nods at her instructions, puts a hand on her shoulder with his talons lying gently on her skin and as his own touch, lays his head sideways, sweating slightly with fear, though still exposing his neck to her.


Phoenix looked puzzled at Sorano's reaction. "Something wrong out, there?"

Katarina nodded understandingly. "I'll be able to tell afterwards. But here, don't stretch the muscles so much. Makes it hurt. If you'll allow me to make it easier on you," she said, bringing her hand to the side of his face and gently pushing him to a less-tense position. "There, that way the muscles aren't up as a barrier. Now, take a deep breath and let it out slowly."

After he had done so, she leaned forward and brushed the feathers out of her way. "Remember, stay relaxed. It's like getting a shot," she warned, glancing up towards his eyes before puncturing his skin with her fangs. The taste was definitely interesting, she had to admit. The drain was slow and careful, so as to not freak him out. She waited for the prod to the shoulder.


Sorano shook her head. "Not really wrong, per se, but there's something out there. Magic-affliated. I can feel it, and it's about a half-mile away, coming in our direction," she said, slowly turning her head so as to triangulate a position. But her youth made this difficult, so she would be unable to get an exact location.

He obeyed her, relaxing his muscles, though they tensed reflexively when she bit him, and his expression was a bit... odd, though he kept watching her. He didn't prod her for a while, feeling absolutely fine, though the suction was weird, but then his senses went very quickly downhill, and rather than prodding he more unintentionally dug with all his talons into her shoulder, though not breaking skin, as everything went strange. Luckily for him, she would stop just in time for him to pass out instead of die. And thus, he collapsed onto her, out for the count.

Phoenix blinked and chuckled. "Oh? Can you tell if it's a mage or someone with magical items or another dragon, or what?"

Kat stopped as his talons dug into her shoulder, her tongue briefly going over the puncture wounds to stop the bloodflow. She leaned back, a little caught off-guard as he collapsed onto her. She shook her head and chuckled, getting up and laying him down on the ground. She picked up his weapons and placed them back on him, pocketing what she couldn't find a holster for and then putting her cloak back on. "Always happens to the first timers," she said, crouching down to pick him up. She put his arm around the back of her neck, her arms under his back and knees. She would then head back to the inn, pausing to resituate the limp anthropomorph every now and again.


"Feels human," Sorano replied. "Doesn't have the same feel as another dragon would, but I'm a little confused. There's a faint distinction between two auras. One feels... like an artifact of some sort."

It would be a good hour before Acheron would make it back to the inn. By this time, Telu would have had Sorano and Phoenix help her serve the food. There was ham and turkey, a platter of cold cuts and cheeses and a matching one for crackers. Pitchers of drinks were out as well. Kat would enter probably just as Phoenix was either entering or exiting the kitchen.

Phoenix was actually walking into the kitchen, and thus didn't see Katarina enter. "Telu! Greg wants to know if we've got any potatoes to go with the ham, and some apple sauce." She picked up a platter of food, and headed towards the main room again.

Her answer to Sorano's statement had simply been that they'd find out when the being was closer, and sge had cleaned the mud and blood from the floor, though was still expecting the axe to clean itself.

"Weapon? ... Oh, you want me to hands out my wife to you? Ahahah... Sorry, I think she is not interested!"
His laugh can be heard from about anywhere in tavern, but is stopped by a small electrical shock from the axe.
"Oh... ok, I shut up!!! What now?"
At the same time, Phoenix can feel something... it's like being ashamed, but she can say it's not herself. It's more like something or someone is causing this.
"... Yeah, yeah, she says she is sorry, but she needs to drain as much nutriments from blood she can. And don't ask me what nutriments means, if it's insulting, that's not me!"
Another small shock.
"What do you mean by 'something's coming'? I cannot feel it. Is that what you two are talking about?"

---

Maybelle and Kryl crosses each other's path in the stairs, the girl going to the kitchen while the man is heading upstair to Jeffen's room. Then she stumbles onto the group in the hall when she started, too, to feel the closing presence. It was like the strange weapon in the ogre's hand, but stronger. However, as interesting all of this is, she had to see Telu to arrange her a way to stay here enough time to study all of these stanges events. She goes to the kitchen, but still have her head turned over the feeling.

Phoenix just shrugged and continued serving. "In which case, your axe will have to go somewhere where it won't put other guests off, understand?

And it might be, ye-" Her sentence was cut off by the sight of Katarina and she stared at the woman for a short while, trying to come down off the cloud of incandescent rage.

She slowly puts the tray down, and tells the ogre that food is available, then resumes staring at Kat, waiting for her to offer something she can yell at. Just one word.

A relieving feeling is sent to Phoenix.
"Well, she thanks you for your kindness. I suppose asking for a bath before lunchtime would be appropriate? if that's not asking for too much..."
He have a quick glance at both Katarina and Phoenix, not quite understanding what's between them and shrugs at this.

((Read back a bit for what Katarina's holding. <v<))

"Baths are in your rooms upstairs, seeing as you've rented one."

((I got it, never said Chuck would understand himself, however))

"'K birdgirl. Just... don't start a fight without me. Would be unfair."
He leaves, with a dirt tray following him.

((Oops. #'v'#))

Phoenix glanced at the axe and muttered. "On who, you or her?"

"Both, obviously. The more the merrier!" he shouts from the stairs.

Kat looked from Phoenix to her unconscious companion. Remembering the fiery bird's control over flames, she casually, if warily, went and laid Hawk down on a couch before offering a rebuttal to the glare Phoenix was giving her. Putting her palms up, she began to say, "What you think happened did not. But if you wish to take a shot or two at me, let's go outside so we don't catch the building on fire." The last thing she wanted was to be responsible for a house fire.

Whether Phoenix interrupted her or not, Kat would move back towards the door. If she was uninterrupted, she would add, "He's breathing. Check for yourself if you won't take my word for it." The vampire showed no fear, her features as calm as though she were dealing with casual business.
Sorano, getting nervous herself with the onslaught of magic feelings and auras, tried to focus on only the approaching aura. One she recognized as Fenza's, another as Quill's, another as Chuck's axe. But then there was that one... no.. Two unknown auras, that she wanted to figure out. It was rapidly approaching, whatever it or they were.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Telu turned her head to face whoever entered, seeing that it was Maybelle. "Well hello, dearie. What brings ya back here? Needin' to see me for somethin'?" the motherly anthro bird asked, a kind smile on her beak.

Phoenix made no motion to attack her but did follow her out the door. "I would do, if I was sure that you weren't trustable, but I ask for the truth, please. And where are you planning on going?"

"I don't plan on going anywhere, my young master of the inferno," Kat replied, once sure that Phoenix wasn't going to chuck a fireball or two at her. "Your medic friend, self-sacrificial creature he seems to be, offered to slake my thirst to protect the rest of you. From people searching for, 'pockets of weird,' as he put it," she explained, putting her hands in her pockets and drawing out the implant that she hadn't put back in its place. "Here, this is his. He should be up before too long. He'll need food, water, and rest." Kat extended her hand and waited for Phoenix to do the same before placing the metal piece into the bird's hand. "He'll be dizzy at worst. It happens to all first-timers."

From down the road, a cloaked and hooded figure with a scythe across their back strode closer to the inn. The figure paused and regarded the gates once close enough, pondering the two creatures out front. A steady pace brought the figure closer to the inn, causing Katarina to lean back curiously and back up, as the persona walked right in between herself and Phoenix. It gave her a good look at the scythe: An ebony handle with two grip-handles in the middle and halfway down the bottom half of the wood, and a decorative-yet-functional blade that slightly resembled a stylized dragon's wing.

Inside, Sorano looked up. The source of the two auras had arrived, if not entered yet.

She took it and sighed, talking rhetorically. "Ah, that idiot... Why'd he do it?"
A morbid side of her made her add "How's he taste?"

She frowned as the newcomer walks between them, but says nothing.

Kat's ears picked up the second question, which was in all likelihood not meant to be heard. "Do you really want the answer to that question?" she chuckled, hiding her laughter behind her hand. "I did expect you to stop that person, though, considering the fact they're bearing a scythe and for all intents and purposes resemble the Grim Reaper," Acheron said, starting to walk back into the inn. "I trust that there's no ill will between us, yes?" she added, pausing and extending her hand one more time as a gesture of goodwill.

The newcomer entered the inn, looking around for a moment before picking up on something. Whatever it was, it drew the persona close to Hawk, where, if he was still unconscious or awake but groggy, the individual would investigate his neck and note the two puncture holes Kat had left.

Sorano, being the only one on duty and in sight of the newcomer, called out, "Hey! You need to check that weapon in with me!" She would approach the cloaked figure, who would look up at her and tilt its head to the side in a slightly superior manner. A new wave of magical energy would make Sorano pause in her tracks. There was a dark turn to it.

Phoenix shook her hand. "Well... Go on, then. What does he taste like?

And why didn't Miss Immortal stop it, then?"

She walked in calmly, but at the look at Sorano, and the slightly hostile response stood beside her. "Do as she says, please." Her voice had the 'only asking once' edge to it, signal of her ever rising temper hitting safety valve #1.

Hawk was still unaware, but asleep now, a better sign.

"The only real way I can describe it is to liken it to champagne. Earth-based creatures taste muddy, humans are like red wine. Something with avian and human in it can really only be described as a champagne. Bubbly and quick to hit the brain," she said, stepping inside and holding the door. "The reason I didn't stop it is because I'm not the inn's proprietor or anything related to such. I am but a patron," Acheron replied, grinning a bit and waiting for Phoenix to enter before taking any step further.

"This place is a magnet for drama and strange folk, isn't it?" Kat muttered, standing back and watching Sorano and Phoenix confront the scythe-bearer. The figure raised its hand, holding up one finger for the 'just a moment' gesture. It bent back over Hawk and once again looked at the puncture wounds. There was a slight spike in mana discharge, something that Sorano would be able to sense.

"What did you just do?" the Felix demanded. The figure released an audible sigh and turned around, right hand on hip. A voice emanated from the hood; it was female.

"Can't you let a hemocryomancer at least do a bit of the good magic she knows concerning blood? Sheesh!"

"Champagne? Huh... Weird.

Ah, right." She coughs.

When the new arrival leant over Hawk and complained about being allowed blood Phoenix sighed, a heat haze shimmering around her, valve #2.

"Ask the last person who used him as a source if you're allowed any." She frowned. "But if so, only this once. You'll have to ask him yourself if you want more from him another time. Don't take any from anyone by force, or I'll incinerate you. Clear?"

She muttered, loud enough for Katarina to hear. "First the vamp, then the axe, now a blood mage crying out for blood."

There was a burst of laughter from the blood mage. "Oh no! You've got me all wrong, Miss Pyromancer Bird," she said between chuckles. "I healed him from the inside. I said good magic, if you were listening," she pointed out, lowering her hood to reveal a friendly looking face, with a hint of a hidden dark side shimmering in her grey eyes. "Just because I'm a blood mage don't mean I'm a vampiric psycho." She grinned and then saw Kat, who perked an eyebrow as she leaned back on the bar counter. "Nothing against you, 'course," she added, nodding to the vampiress. She had analyzed Katarina very quickly before she spoke.

"Would you please hand me that scythe? We don't permit large weapons like that to be on anyone's person while they're in the building," Sorano urged, stepping a bit further from Phoenix as the heat haze emerged. "For your sake, just hand it over. She's not kidding," the Felix warned, indicating the fiery anthropomorph. The blood mage gestured for everyone to scoot back, waiting until she had enough space around her to remove the scythe in a very showy fashion. Pulling it from her back, she displayed a few of her dancelike movements before turning it around and handing it to Sorano handle first.

"Careful, she's a heavy weapon on the business end. No harm done, see, Miss Pyromancer?"

"You're even more of a mental case than I am, hemomancer," Acheron pointed out, taking off her cloak and folding it. The mage flashed a toothy smile.
"So they tell me. The mental case bit, anyhow. You must be quite a bit off your rocker, vampire lady. All that aside, they call me Blood Mage Kilgore. But you all can call me Soren Kilgore, or just Soren," the mage said, walking past Phoenix and giving her a wide enough berth to avoid the heat haze. "You're building up a lotta heat, miss," she added, extending a hand from under her cloak and playing with water molecules in the air, freezing them around Phoenix for but a moment before they sublimated.

"And yet, because you are a blood mage, not everything you do is good. Miss Quill knows a nasty one called "Blood to Water" so I have no doubt you know it."
She listened to the newcomer talk to the vampire
"So, what did you do to that customer?"

At the massive showy display, which instantly got the bird's nerves and temper up, and then the comment about her heat, she sighed. "Not unexpected, but not needed. You yourself seem a tad cool, maybe I should rectify that? Ten thousand degrees enough, do you think?"