Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived The Penance Tavern

Lobos

The Big Bad Wolf
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The sight that greets you is rather fitting for the underground demesne of the Undermarket, a match to the flickering sign out front. Dimly lit, well worn tables and chair seem almost haphazardly strewn around the room. The furniture shows signs of being in more than a few brawls; pits, gouges, and scratches mar the aged wood. Light comes from sconces lit with various colored flames, casting their fitful glows over the mismatched decor. Almost seedy, the tavern atmosphere reads, but more, a strangeness fills the air.

A wraith, by name of Molk, serves drinks at the counter, glowing emerald hands appearing to mix drinks, serve, and take payment, while the rest of him remains unseen but for flickering glimpses of a hulking figure. The odd patron gets tossed out without mercy, by nothing more than gleaming crimson hands, courtesy of the wraith bouncer named Tholk. Brothers in employment, they maintain the three rules etched on a rough sign prominent on the back wall. Looking further into the room, bits of graffiti marks the wall, the symbol of an inhuman skull backed by unusual crossbones prominent among them. Above, a balcony office is visible, soot stained glass allowing sight to the wooden shades behind, a few odd knicknacks and weapons mounted to the wall visible. At the back corners of the room are short hallways leading to the restrooms, dim, damp waterclosets completing the picture.

Rules of the Penance
1. No killing.
2. House gets 10% of any betting pot.
3. Failure to render payment for drinks is punishable by decapitation kitchen and toilet duties.

Welcome to the Penance Tavern.
 
Striding into the Penance, it's owner sighed heavily, his usual composure tattered and frayed from the challenges of dealing with the folk of the Undermarket. Events were moving, and moving very fast on the above all over Valore. Too fast for his usual contacts in the rat's nest outside his doors to be reliable in any useful means. Running a hand through his snow-hued mane, he squinted around the homey, shabby room of his tavern before heading for the bar.

An emerald hand flared into being behind it as it began to raise a bottle, but Jegun merely aimed a penetrating stare at the seemingly empty air. The bottle fell, and another hand scooped a dusty bottle off the higher shelves, drawing out a shot-glass instead. Wordlessly pouring filling it with murky, greenish-brown liquor, a gentle shove slid it to the man's waiting hand before he rocked it back to slap the empty glass on the marred counter.

"Shit." He muttered, shaking his head as the alcohol burned like flaming acid down his throat. Staring at the inside of his eyelids for a moment, he opened his icy eyes to stare blankly at the back shelves for a moment before allowing his thoughts to move again. "There's so much shit going on topside, Mok, that not even the gossip down here is keeping up."

"The regulars have been bitching about that here, Jegun. 'Gettin' last weeks news yesterday, what a fuckah', among others." The outline of an arm leaned on the working side of the bar as the wraith's guttural voice sounded from empty air. "And now I'm wondering why you're still here."

The man raised a brow. "I've been out running my ass off for the past three days, I just got in."

"The Undermarket, boss." Jegun glared at the air. "You know as well as I do us rats are just digging through the garbage, and if news down here is late, that means the shit's hitting the fan hard up top."

"I should hit you, but you're right, you green bastard." Sighing as he looked at the empty shot, before sliding it back. Glancing around, he scowled. "Where's Ruin?"

"Out, last I knew. Maybe up, too."

"Impatient bastard."
 
Since the chaos had begun, Jegun and the rest of the Judicarius had taken off to help try to figure out things and possibly get some sort of handle on the chaos, she had taken the chance to leave and get er own affairs tied away. Including something she had yet to inform Jegun of. She was tired, sore, beaten down spiritually. Her personal quest to take out the people who had put a price on each members' head had taken a lot out of her to take them down, especially with the meager assassin helping. She had no idea if the woman was dead or alive. Last she knew they split opposite ways to disperse the fight a little to allow them to take the people down one by one by luring them into traps or situations they couldn't handle. She knew Jegun would most likely be furious with her if she knew that was why she disappeared, that was if he had even realized she had disappeared.

She had changed her looks to try to conceal her identity without using her magic. Glamour or doing a shape change of any sort would have given her away too easily. So she had gone to the strenuous length to physically change her style, appearance, and personality some. Despite the job being over, she had seemed to unconsciously accept how she now looked, so she had not changed it. She raised her head as she came within sight of The Penance. Home. Was the only word or thought that she could muster in her tired mind. She had fed recently, she had quit fighting her thirst even, to earn a rank in the people's trust before destroying them all. She had gone undercover to measure her opponents. She paused outside the front door, hand raised midair almost to the knob. What will Jegun think? Will he accept who I have become? Will he even recognize me anymore? She wondered and began to withdraw her hand. After a moment of gutless hesitation she placed her hand on the door and went in.

Those in the tavern would be see a woman standing 5'7", a pair of size 18 black flare legs stretchy jean size, a satin shirt the color of the night sky with a low cut vneck shirt that showed some measure of her now size 38 D cleavage with two tie straps that tied the form fitting baby doll style top on her, one around her neck the other was lacing up the back, black leather fingerless glove donned her frail hands, black mid thigh high black leather boots with a 1/4" heel donned her feet, her amber colored skin was visibly smooth as silk, curly copper hair cascaded down her form unhindered and free, a set of familiar emerald eyes with silver flecks stared into the tavern scanning it. The woman was not visibly armed except a single short sword on her hip with a fairly adorned black scabbard with various intricate silver details decorating it. The hilt of the sword was plain black high quality wrap, but the butt of the hilt was to be measured, a milky white stone in the shape of a orb with an intricate silver caging that almost seemed like it was designed to look like vines, from a distance that is what exactly the looker would believe. She wore shades of green and turquoise eyes shadow, dark teal eye liner, and lastly her luscious lips were painted a dark purplish-blue color. Her usual 18" sterling silver chain still dangling its pentagram from her neck though.

She walked in, despite noticing Jegun. She wanted to know if he knew her enough, knew her enough to know this was her, at least this was now who she was. She was mentally hardened from her ordeal. Her eyes foretold of that new mark within her spirit.
 
Turning to grab his gear to venture from the Undermarket, Jegun's gaze swept across the room, sliding over those nursing beers at their tables, at the smoker in the far corner lighting something that was definitely not a cigarette, and the woman walking-

He froze, two sets of instincts suddenly flaring with the force of a raging storm. The appearance had changed, but there was no mistaking it. Lylend. The woman had crashed into his world some time back, yet managed to find a place within his world within the short time they'd spent together. In the wake of chaos, they'd gone their separate ways, but he recalled the eyes as easily as he could pick out his swords from the mess of his assorted gear from over the years. And he could no more deny the elemental's sudden focus within him that he could the relief that crashed over him seeing her walk so casually into the tavern hale and whole.

Hearing a quiet chuckle behind him, he glanced to see those emerald hands already pouring a familiar crimson drink into a martini glass. Smartass wraith. I was thinking about other things, so this time doesn't count.

Leaning back on the bar, he merely raised a hand to receive the bottle he knew was coming. Jegun raised his voice, directing it to the woman. "Mok never forgets a customer, Lylend. And I don't ever forget someone I've bled for. For walking back in here like that, first one's on the house."

"For doing so without saying a word, I still have your tab from before you left." Cracking a crooked, wry smile, his gaze to the vampire was challenging, but warm all the same.
 
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"I figured he wouldn't have forgotten me." Her voice was soft and silky as it once was, but there was distance as if she were there physically but her voice coming from somewhere somewhat distant. "I recall you bled for me a couple of times, including one that bound us in blood in a sense. I had to be sure, you knew me for me, not just who I was." She explained without even so much as looking his way as she spoke, she continued, "Tab? A debt for the blood given or shed? Or debt of mine for the drinks we shared together and apart?" She inquired, her tone was icy at best, but somehow remained in its silky allure.

It was now that she looked to Jegun for the first time since she entered, she gave him her undivided attention. She walked over to the bar next to him, taking the glass she knew Mok had poured for her. She grabbed the cup, toasting Mok with a nod of gratitude before throwing her head back, her copper curls rolling over her now more prominent curves, drinking deep before casually placing it empty upon the counter. She once would sip on that glass, such disdain for the need for the blood within that glass, trying to use the wine mixed with it to mask the taste, that reminder of the accursed thing she hated for destroying her family. But here, 580 years later, she had finally accepted who she was, all of it. The week of her 580th birthday she had decided it was time to go home, not to her aunt or her mortal bloodline, but the only place she had felt as if she was loved, cared for, or belonged, The Penance.

"So, you realized it was me." She said softly, now leaning against the bar in such a way that pushed her chest to be more prominent in her top, it was not her intention to do this, it was just a product of how she was comfortable leaning against the bar as she spoke to Jegun, looking forward to Mok and not towards him.

She could speak with Kyriel, but the fact that she hadn't when she loved that creature almost as much as the one he shared their soul. Kyriel would be able to speak with her if he tried, but her mind as to what was going on, several new harder walls were in place to keep all from the depths of her mind, including Jegun and Kyriel.
 
"It's hard to forget you, even when the you has changed." Jegun's reply was equally soft, gazing lazily out at the interior of the room. "I'm sure you had your reasons."

'As do I. It's just good to see you again.' The familiar growl of the elemental spoke as expected within her mind, the symbiotic resident within the man addressing her as he usually reserved for only the Judicarius lord. Neither of them were strangers to redefining their identities, the road to their current relationship of the two souls within one body one that had necessitated many significant alterations to both their perceptions and their personas. Neither of them had any room to judge, after all.

Finally, he turned to view Lylend directly, slowly panning his gaze to take in her full appearance more carefully, noting the change of carriage, the poise. The option to ask what had happened during her absence never crossed his mind, it wasn't really important to him. Merely raising a brow as he took a drink of his own, he shrugged before speaking again. "I'm assuming whatever it was, it's settled now?"

Mok offered the wine-bottle up, leaving it near Lylend as his hands drifted towards other duties on his side of the bar.
 
"It is nice to know you two...three..." As she looked to Mok leaving the bottle, then continues softly. "have not forgotten me." A soft, but seeming distant smile dawned her lips.

It is good to hear you in my head again Kyriel. I have missed you, Jegun, Mok and the rest of Judicarius very much. But I am home now. She replied to him mentally. She turned to face Jegun, looking up into his face. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I had my reasons...they were worth the price I paid for my family. We need not be concerned. What is done is done. I came home now. That is all that matters to me. Where is everyone else? I expected our family to be here." She said to him, a lilt of her old voice and personality on the edge of her voice and eyes as she stared up to Jegun.

She longed to kiss the man before her, but would he still have her, like this. "Mok, can you manage a birthday cake?" She asked over her shoulder toward the wraith.

Kyriel, this is for you and me. Was my leaving hard for him? I left and took care of the ones who put the price on our heads. I had to go under cover to do so. Do you think he will still have me in his life now that I have finally accepting being what I am, a vampire? She focused her mind specifically on Kyriel, hoping Jegun wouldn't catch the conversation. She was sure he would be furious if he knew what danger she had put herself in, leaving him out of it and asking no one but the assassin who came for their heads and failed to help her.
 
"Adam's out somewhere." The man replied, rolling his eyes. He knew there was more to it than that, sighing heavily as his face sobered. "Zach and Xiv are gone. Last I saw Zach, he was hammering on something back through a tear in the air before it closed unexpectedly, and Xivalai just walked. Gone."

"After that, I've been keeping Adam around to help me try and figure out what's been going on through the word around the Undermarket, but I think he realized what I've been feeling for a few weeks." As the spoke, emerald hands and a shadowed figure offered a slight bow before slipping into the kitchen, the noises of cabinets being rifled through wafting from within.

Jegun started, however, hearing Kyriel's reply to an unheard question. 'You ask this of Jegun? Lylend, this man has habitually stuck his neck under countless blades for the sake of keeping those close from risking their lives, dirtying their hands over his entire life. Was it hard? Of course it was, but to rail against it would not be in his nature. For once, you stood in his place. Dammit Lylend, you've only made his respect all the stronger!'

At first puzzled, then giving a questioning smile as he slid one hand around her waist, Jegun chuckled. "I'm only hearing half of this conversation, but you've done something that's got that grizzled old wolf going. What's this about a birthday cake?"
 
I see. Thank you Kyriel. I was...I had my doubts. I have fully accepted who I am, cursed nature and all. I had to be sure that he would still have me. I was unsure about how to ask him. She explained thoughtfully to Kyriel through her mind. She smiled for the first time in a long while, genuinely smiling to Jegun as he placed a hand around her waist.

Her face softened, her eyes down cast to the bar. Gone. The word seemed to echo in her mind, but she also remembers the last time she heard that word. Lylend they're gone! You can't do anything to stop that! Let them go, for your sake! Your mother wouldn't want this for you! You know her! You know that in your Heart! She heard the pleading voice of her aunt the day she woke to realize her family was dead and tried, injured and weak to go avenge them and make funeral preparations for them. That day was the first event that had shaken her world to its core, but it wasn't the last memorable day she heard those words. Lylend its over, the mortal life you had is gone now! You must let that go! Her aunt's voice echoed again, an image in her head of her Aunt trying to overpower and force her newly turned vampiric niece from searching out the bastard responsible a note clenched in her hand that had read, I was pleased to see the woman you became Lylend, 'I look forward to you stalking the shadows and finding me.' Words written by the Vampire who had slaughtered her parents and then had turned her 10 years later. She was sickened by the man's perversion of thought back then. She looked back to Jegun.

"I turn 580 today." She explained softly. "I know for a vampire time eventually and dates like this may seem pointless, but today was my mortal birthday. I celebrate it every year some how. A reminder, so I never forget who I loved and lost. So I always have their memory." She explained, feeling a little silly about the sentiment that would be typically quite unusual for a vampire, considering most vampires were all too happy to leave behind their former lives and the pain attached to them quickly. "I know it seems an odd sentiment, but yea, I always celebrate it, reminds me of my mother and father." She explained, a nip of sorrow in that small statement.
 
"Nothing wrong with that," the man mused. "Sometime, it's good to hold onto aspects of mortality. It reminds you that you still have the same heart as mortals do."

Jegun sighed as the smell of baking wafted from the tavern's kitchen, offering the vampire a gentle kiss on the cheek as he extricated himself. "Give me a moment to get some things from my office. Before you came in, I'd finally decided to go poke my head into Westeria City to see what in the hells has been going on, but I'm not going as lightly armed as I am."

"You're welcome to join me, if you want." He cracked a crooked smile as he started to head across the main room. "After the cake, of course."
 
"You, know the cake wasn't necessary, I was teasing and trying to lighten the situation. But I cannot deny Mok his hard work on my birthday cake. I can't wait to see what he has for me. Wish Adam was here for it though. I have missed my friend." She says softly as she watches him walk away.

She smiles softly, feeling home as she leaned back against the bar, throwing back another drink of the wine. She was upset to hear that Zack and Xivalia were gone, but was it wrong she was happy it wasn't her friend Adam. The hulking man humored her in conversation even though he never humored her in a dance. She closed her eyes smiling ear to ear, remembering that night with the Judicarius.

"Adam." She whispered softly as she smiled, happy to know she may see her friend again.

She didn't love Adam, her heart was for Jegun. But she felt like Adam was a close friend somehow and maybe even like an older brother. Someone passing by as she spoke his name might misunderstand her expression of bliss thinking of the day he politely turned down her request for a dance as a love affair unspoken of in secret, but it wasn't the case. That night was the last me she had truly felt happy.

She was going to take Jegun up on the offer to go for a walk through the city to see what had become of it in all the chaos.
 
After closing his office door behind him, the man paused, chuckling at the unexpected visit before casting an appraising eye about the dim room. Measuring, he began to collect loose items from various hooks and drawers, replacing a mundane 9mm pistol from a holster with a much larger, unusual looking revolver. Hanging on the wall, he snared a thin, flat folding blade, sliding it into an inner pocket of his jacket, before taking a few sheathed daggers from a half-open drawer, pausing to strap one to each ankle before pulling the leg of his jeans over it, attaching a third to the underside of his right wrist. Casting a final glance about, he shrugged off his coat before pulling a pair of sheathed sabers into a harness that he wore around his torso, sliding on the jacket and adjusting using a mirror to ensure the hilts protruded for easy access. Nodding to himself, he exited, feeling much more natural equipped as he was as he descended back into the main room.

Striding across the room once more, he smiled at Lylend as he scooped up his drink to take a swig, chuckling at the smells of a cake baking filling the room. "Well, all that's left is waiting for Mok to unveil the fruits of his baking."

He laughed, feeling lighter than he had in weeks.
 
She opened her eyes at the sound of familiar steps heading her way. She smiled warmly to Jegun. It was good to see him, the fact he accepted her change made her feels a million times lighter than she had.

"Indeed, I look forward to what he has in store for me." She giggled softly. "So has Kyriel ben behaving himself? And for another...have you my love?" She said giving him a false look of 'aww what did you do' and smirking playfully.
 
"Define behaving?" The man and elemental laughed as one, casting a glance at the room, noting the lighter atmosphere. It brought a crooked smirk to his face.

The Penance was not a mere building, but in many ways a magical construct tied to his own fate. As long as he remained hale, it would reconstitute. It changed to his moods, reacted to his thoughts. The regulars were even noticing, the normally moody conversation of late breaking up, casual banter passing around the room, even the occasional grunting laugh. Smirking, he glanced at the vampire, just shaking his head.

"You're a downright handful sometimes, you know?" The playful tone in his voice made it clear he intended no barb.
 
"Not razing and burning, freezing people or civilizations to a pulp. Not driving people completely insane. That kind of behaving." She smirked. "I know." She teased back and stuck her tongue out playfully.

"So, you think when we go out we might run into Adam?" She asked casually.

She felt the changes in the penance. She was happy to make it lighter in the atmosphere for the patrons as well as the man before her. She smiled to herself, as her mind drifted to more intimate moments between them.

So, Kyriel...did you miss me? She teased playfully.
 
"It's possible. Not sure what he's up to, myself." He leaned back against the counter, stretching before rising and rolling his shoulders. "From what Mok says, he headed out before I got back from ruffling feathers down here."

'But of course I did, young lady.' The man just shook his head with a chuckle as the conversation with the elemental started again, enjoying light banter with Lylend as they waited for the wraith to finish his culinary efforts.




A little while later, a substantially large tray with an equally massive dish on it made it's way out of the kitchen, the scent of a freshly baked cake, generously smeared with black and red swirled icing came with it. Heads turned at the sight, a full yard in length and width, rising six inches high. A chorus of laughter sounded, as virtually coating the top of the cake was hundreds of candles, burning with flames of various colors, some leaving trails of smoke that animated into miniscule animal shapes that pursued the monstrous cake. Placing it on the counter, Mok stepped back.

Jegun merely looked on with a grin.
 
Lylend caught scent of the approaching cake before she saw it. She turned around eyes closed, inhaling the smell of cake. As she opened her eyes and saw the glorious cake Mok had made her mouth opened in shock, awe, and admiration for the beautiful cake! She was at a loss for words at his work. Her hand slowly rose to cover her mouth and tear of delight and joy welled in her beautiful eyes. She blinked in sheer awe, the tears falling down her cheeks. She stepped forward to look at the marvelous baked art before her. There was no way she could eat that all, hopefully Mok didn't mind her inviting to share her birthday cake with people.

"Mok......" She uncovered her mouth, her lip quivering slightly as she spoke. "It is the most beautiful cake I have ever seen in my 580 years. Thank you!" She choked on the last word as she began to softly sob, tears of joy.

She had not felt happy on her birthday since she was mortal.564 years since she had felt this kind of joy on her birthday!

"I am so...sorry guys!" She whimpered, dabbing her sleeve on her eyes to dry them. "I have not enjoy or been happy on my birthday for 564 years. Not since I was mortal. Thank you Mok!" She dabbed her eyes again. "I can't finish this alone Mok, I am gonna need help." She said warmly, smiling happily.

I feel so loved Kyriel. I feel, Home. For the first time in 563 years, I feel home. She sent to Kyriel.
 
Randin Kaye stood behind the counter at Penance Tavern and polished the bar top with a dish rag - the primordial bartending chore. It'd been a slow evening. Two souls inhabited the tavern, one of which was already snoring at his table next to a half-full glass of Caldonian Red. The other stood off in a corner, murmuring something into a cell phone.

Randin sagged at his post, fighting the urge to slump over the counter. God, he wanted another customer. At least then he'd have someone to keep him awake. The young bartender hadn't managed much sleep last night. Nor the night before, for that matter. His "weekly" forays into the ruins of Westeria City were becoming more and more frequent, leaving Randin sorely sapped of some much needed rest. If he was lucky, he snuck a few hours of shut eye in the storage room before his shift.

Granted, he was proud of the work he'd been doing around the city. Over the past month he'd escorted countless refugees and stragglers to safe zones and had mapped nearly a third of the city, all while dodging the bloodthirsty gangs and monsters which now haunted the streets of the former TNG capital. He was helping people. Saving lives. Surely that was worth a few missed hours in the sack...?

Groaning, Randin glanced over his shoulder and looked longingly at the pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen. He was fine. Just needed some caffeine to finish his shift and he'd be right as rain.
 
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Alie walked in standing her full 5’7” proudly with her gooseberry green eyes scanning the room a look of half interest in them. She brushed a stray strand of her light grey hair was pulled back in a ponytail her black bangs fell to her shoulders freely. She tucked both bangs behind her ear, before stepping forward, a soft sway to her strong legged stride a soft swish from her black flare leg jeans as her thighs brushed with each sway of her partially criss-cross stride, the sound of her black combat boots with its 2 inch platform heel making a soft thud. A dark blue v-neck t-shirt hugged her curvy form. A sterling silver chain necklace with a tiger’s eye crystal dangling upon her chest and silver dangling earrings with matching small tiger's eye stones dangling from 3 different length sterling silver chains.

She walked passed the sleeping man a look of disinterest obvious on her face, not even changing as her eyes grazed briefly on the man on the cellphone. She looked to the barkeep, studying him a bit more than the others as she took her seat on a barstool.

"Any good rum in this place?" She asked softly, a brow raised as she looked to him, one of her bangs falling back over her face, framing her cat-like features.
 
Randin perked the moment Alie entered the bar. He did his best to look 'busy', straightening his posture and hastening the pace of his table-polishing to a more Miyagi-style 'wax on/wax off'. A customer - just what he'd wanted. An attractive customer to boot. Pretty girls were a rare sight around Penance, at least recently. He did his best not to eye her as she sauntered across the room, mustering all the willpower that an inexperienced 19 year old boy could levy. She didn't quite meet his eye in her heels, but she came close.

The bartender nodded to her as she took her seat. "Rum?" he mused. "Hm. Well we've got Morgan and Fortuna." Popular brands - also the cheapest. "If you're looking for something a bit more exotic, I think we've got a blend from Hafirjan in the back. Nebandu. That'll kick'ya in the gut." He grinned, his cobalt eyes glinting. "Or... if yer'feeling especially brave, I could pour you a shot of Black Tonic. It's distilled by witch doctors in the mid-Astral isles. Some say they use black magic to brew it." He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. "...not that I think the FDA would ever clear it, if that were the case. Nonetheless, it's damn strong stuff."
 
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