World Tree MUSH

     Macbeth is the third planet in the Lylat System and is known as the most mineral-rich world orbiting the twin stars. Despite the fact a freak geological event in the past caused the core to collapse and shrink, up to the point that the planet is now considered hollow, it still supports life and is, for the most part, geologically sound. A number of mining companies operate from Macbeth and those workers all very much enjoy their off-time. A number of towns are built up just by the employees that live and work there and, like so many other population samples, a hefty percentage enjoy cheap booze, dim lights, loud music, and lively company. 

     One such town houses a bar called the Cheap and Easy, otherwise affectionately known as the C&E, which is about as industrial-themed and dive as dive bars get. Built up inside what was once a shipping warehouse, there is a ton of space. A lengthy counter lines the right side as one walks in for a good fifty feet and the personnel that work behind it also have access to the rudimentary sound system rigged up. About three-fourths of the way in, on the left side, is a bare-bones metal spiral staircase leading up to another floor. The upper area serves as more of a private smoking lounge. All the way to the back, an exit leads out to a yard where yet another small bar is set up that simply serves bottles and containers rather than the spirits and draughts and cocktails of the main serving counter within. 

     The population present are all those who are more physically-inclined, whose jobs require fitness and elbow grease, while the acts of such mining can often take a toll on those who do so for a living. The music is loud, but not deafening, and makes a comparable equivalent in selection ranging from rock to heavy metal and sometimes, rarely, blues. The people seated at the bar, at tables, standing around and talking, or those above lounging and smoking and drinking all have one thing in common: they aren't Human. The bipedal folk seem to be animal-people; whether wolf or cat or reptile or pig or dog or fox or other various flavors of design, not a single human sits amongst them. They may appear grungy, many relaxing directly after a shift at work, and the floor itself reflects this cleanliness detail. It is not disgustingly filthy, but neither is pristine. One should normally not feel as touching something will dirty them. Any dirt or dust that collects or sticks can, for the most part, be brushed away.

With the cry of a raven that echoed in the night, a raven crafted of darkness appeared in the middle of the parking lot, spreading its wings... only to disappear as it seemed to spin in on itself. Left in its wake is a single, dark cloaked figure, a young girl? Except... She appeared to be... Human. Very human. Judging by her... Well. Everything. she shuddered as she sat on her knees, her hands clasped around her upper arms as she shivered. That had been... unpleasant. Shifting, randomly, through dimensions like that often is.

Slowly, her eyes looked up and... Maybe it was good she arrived in the darkness. Whereever she was, it seemed... different than her home. Grungier. And the buildings, the... things. She saw. Were strange. The vehicles. They looked like she'd heard. Strange. Large. Automobiles, she believed they were called? And well... Slowly her eyes focusedo n the building. It was... large. But it might have people. She moved her hood back, and slowly, made her way inside.

As the door opened, her eyes widened and... It was obvious that what she saw was NOT what she expected to see. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "A-animals?" she asked. And then covered her mouth, before lifting her hood over her head, her cheeks burning. Oh crud crud crud crud. Try to... not draw attention to herself. Try to walk, casually, up to the bar and... Wait, this is a bar. What did you order at a bar?! She'd never been to a bar, she'd just read about them! In books! And not like... this! Was she in wonderland? Well, the animals didn't seem... That.... mythical. They just seemed like people. Only.... furrier. Slowly she made her way to the bar and sat down, her eyes lowered.

Crud muffins... What was she supposed to order?! Maybe the bar tender would ignore her... Of course... if... she was asked, she'd merely gulp and... "A glass of... milk... please..." she'd mumble.

Of all the bars in all the world... Well... How bad could it possibly be?

     The place seems lively, at least, despite its dim interior and strange inhabitants. The song changes over to something new and one might imagine it to be a popular piece for recognition of it brings about a number of cheers scattered amongst those gathered. There are several working behind the counter to accommodate the numbers of workers stopping by the popular watering hole. 

     The bartender that steps up to the hooded figure and lightly leans in over the counter to better hear an order after a well-practiced, "Getcha?" appears to be a hound of some sort. The fingers that touch against the countertop, however, are not organic. In fact, the dog's entire right arm is mechanical. He nods at the order and doesn't seem to think anything of it, turning away to go fetch exactly that, and if anything out of place is noticed about the stranger, well, nothing is said. 

     The barkeep picks up two glasses and puts them down, reaches over to snatch up a scoop and gives it a little twirl with those robotic fingers before digging into a a container of cubed ice with the very distinct sound that accompanies such. The scoop is lifted and only part of the metal tool's contents are deposited into one of those glasses. The remaining ice and the scoop itself is dropped unceremoniously back into the ice bucket. 

     Swinging about to pull the door open to a cooler, a perfectly viable jug of milk is withdrawn and the lid popped open as the closing cooler door bumps twice with its rubber padding. This milk is poured into the second glass, three-fourths full, before the milk is also put away with an identical thump-bump from the cooler door. The milk glass is picked up and slid down into the glass with ice in it, the duo of containers are picked up, and the returning hound plops a coaster down before setting the glass(es) upon it. 

     He points with his left hand, with a finger he was born with, and says, "Keeps it cool, can get warm in here." He also leans in again as before and ask, "Can I get a name? 'll make a tab for ya."

Raven gulped as she stared at the milk. "T-thank... thank you..." she managed to choke out. She stared at the milk cup and then, slowly, began to drink from it. It wasn't goat milk, but it wasn't too bad. "Raven..." she mumbled softly. "I'm umm... Raven. Hi..." she said sheepishly. O... kay then. They were nice, at least. She didn't get much attention. That was good, meant she didn't draw any ire. And... despite how odd it may seem, she felt oddly comfortable.

Sure, she was the only human here. Well. Human-ish. But despite that, it was her humanity, NOT her demonity, which made her stand out. She wasn't some strange, foreign monster pretending to be human. She was just a human. She idly wondered about the milk, namely... How was she going to pay for it? Well, she had some rupees. They were shiny, sparkly, they'd cover it. Probably. Maybe? She wasn't going to worry about.

"Get a lot of... off-dimensioners here?" she asked, relaxing a little. "And... anywhere a healer could get some work?"

Sure, she was harrassing the guy. But hey. She had heard about the outside world through books, it was only natural she'd suspect 'bug the bartender for information' was perfectly valid. And it probably was, anyway. "Cause. Um. I'm looking. And... a healer. If that wasn't clear." She was also not exactly the most... socially... capable person.

On the up side, this place DIDN'T seem to have roaming wave of destruction going around so.... that was nice. Relaxing, even. She smiled up at the guy. He even seemed friendly... a little.

     "Yeah, okay. Gotcha, Raven, 'll-" The dog blinked twice and leans in one more time to get a proper earful of what is said. "Uh. Yeah, I mean, we get all kinds ever since those wormhole things opened up, but not too many around here unless they look to do trading with ores and gems and-" 

     Somebody steps up to the bar to the left of where Raven sits and leans in casually, resting upon an arm, to cut off the bartender. "Hey, sorry to butt in, but I really need another double." The individual is also a canine of some sort, but is notably more wild and rugged in appearance. Could be a wolf. The hand not pressed against the slightly damp countertop is lifted as the new stranger gestures with a thumb and forefinger signifying a small amount. "Won't take but just a wee bit of time." 

     The lupine figure turns his head to regard the stranger; what his profile hides, a full-stare reveals: he wears a black eye patch over his left eye and scars half-hidden by his gray fur stick out from beneath that eye-covering. A grin slowly spreads across the guy's grizzled face, teeth exposed, with the corners of his mouth turning upward on his muzzle. "Did I overhear something about people from other dimensions?" 

     The bartender, a dog who would probably not be quite so caught off guard with such questions were it not such a busy part of the evening, gives a quick gesture to the wolf before turning away to fill that order. This consists of pulling a draught from one of the taps and the result is a dark brown color. It's not pale or golden, at all, much like many other popular brews.

Raven nodded. Well, she had ores and gems! well. Rupees. Those were... like... gems? She figured they counted as them. Close enough. She nodded. And then the bartender was interrupted. She glanced to the guy and... her first instinct was 'dog'. However, there was... something else. Her eyes narrowed under the hood. Not really a dog. Something... bigger. Tougher? Wolf? Wait, did it really matter? Dogs were basically domesticated wolves, so did that mean that dogs were... or maybe this was an alternate dimension... The wolf might notice her tapping her index finger on the air, as if she was mentally doing calculations. She struggled to grasp what exactly this universe WAS. It had to have humans, otherwise there wouldn't be dogs. But what if dogs were domesticated meta wolves? What if the dogs were at one point a servant class and... What if they still WERE a servant class? After all, it was serving her, didn't ask many questions and--

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a question. "H-huh? Oh. Yes. Me," she said. "I'm a healer from another dimension. Raven, of Azarath," Well, that was TECHNICALLY true. She left out the other parts of her resume. She eyes his drink for a moment. She wondered if it was some kind of special canine brew, or a... And once again she was tapping on the air, mentally constructing theories and plans and... trying to understand this world more. As if she could uncover all of its secrets in the span of a single afternoon.

     That initial moment stretches on for a bit and the one-eyed wolf watches this display, including the gesture, while he flashes his toothiest smile. Thankfully, however, it doesn't reach any real point of awkwardness. The bartender returns and hands over the brew with a damp slide across the smooth counter. The chilled glass is met with a firm hand and a nod. "Thanks, Greg. What say I pay for the stranger's first drink? Good ol' Macbeth welcome." 

     Distracted by the beverage delivery, the rugged fellow turns his attention back to Raven in time for a confirmation and introduction. "Oh, what, you?" asks he with a bit of playful mockery. "Not from around here? Ha ha ha, color me surprised." This wolf person even gives a bright-eyed surprise-face with this statement. 

     "Well, welcome to Lylat, pumpkin," chimes he with an accompanying chime of a hard sharp nail against the glass in his hand. A curious shift of his right eye moves over the figure, the clothing, and the drink order of this 'Raven' in his own bit of mental mathematics. "Wolf O'Donnell. You can call me Wolf." Does that mean he lives up to his name by default? 

     "This your first impression of the place? The system? ...probably just the planet, mm? About all you'll find to heal around here are sore feet, pinched fingers, and dusty lungs." The weight of that full glass mug is lifted with one hand and the tall solidly-built lupine drains some of the brown through the headiness. It's definitely not beef stock. 

     "However, there is an Infirmary in town." Setting the glass back down, this Wolf gestures with a hand in a direction. "Head about two blocks that way. Probably closed for the day, but you can check in tomorrow. There's a pretty cheap place for overnight lodgings just down the road -- this isn't exactly a tourist stop, so that's a plus. Well. Relatively speaking, eh kitten?" The scar-eyed guy reaches up to brush the back of his hand over his muzzle to remove some of the dampness left behind.

Raven blinked a few times and stared up at him, cocking her head to the side. She felt... a bit mocked. Underestimated. Insulted? Nahhhhh. Surely he didn't mean anything like that from it. Though she couldn't help blushing a little as she realized she had kind of stated the obvious. She took her milk(now paid for!) in her hands and took another sip. It was warming fast, true to the tenders words. But... she didn't mind a bit of warm milk.

"Ly... lat," she mumbled softly. "There are truly some interesting looking places here..." By here, she meant the vines en masse. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Wolf. I'm imagining you're a native here... cupcake." What? If HE was going to call her food names, she'd return the favor. So maybe she had just a hint of sass to her. Or would that be back talk?

"The system, I... think. I suppose it is possible this is another... place in hyrule, but the technology here seems far more in line with that... ship I saw, than Hyrule. And even then, the technology seems far more advanced." Her eyes glanced to the bartender's hand, for a moment. "A lot more impressive."

She glanced back to Wolf. "About two blocks... I'll... look into them, in the morning, then. And lodgings... I have my own accomidations I can make. I've been making due up to now, and I've been fine." Well, there was that one time that... nah. Probably fine. Finally...

 She lowered her own glass, about halfway, and... didn't notice she had a milk mustache. "Sore feet, pinched fingers and dusty lungs... So this seems a far more gentle dimension, at least... That's... good. I was beginning to think everywhere I went, there would be division, and war..." Then her eyes glanced to wolf and... "What... if you don't mind me asking, is it you're drinking?" She was a little curious.

     There is plenty enough room between the seat spacing at the bar to allow for people to stand in like Wolf is doing without bumping elbows. That is exactly what he continues doing. The bartender, whose service is no longer required by Raven or Wolf, wanders off to serve other customers. Blue collar workers can drink a lot! 

     O'Donnell is called 'cupcake', however, and this immediately causes him to laugh. It's not an overly loud laugh, but it's much more than a simple chuckle. Wolf is genuinely amused. He manages to reply to the suspicion of his being native in saying, "I am," despite his mirth. 

     "Can't say I've heard of a High Rule before," he comments in conversation while nursing on that drink. At one point he even uses a clawtip to poke at the head of the 'double' to make it go down just a bit more. "Hey, that's your choice on looking into it; I'm just tossing it out there. I don't want to see people sleeping on the streets." 

     The banter swings in the direction of a lack of war and strife and Wolf, well, he can only silently chuckle with a shake of his head at this. He doesn't say as much, but he knows all too well: give it five years, at least, and some new threat will rear its head that the Cornerian Alliance cannot handle alone and then people get hired to help. 

     "Yeah, about that..." he starts, as if going to explain the whole war and peace situation, but completely shifts subject, "It's a double ale, dark, about...ten percent alcohol. Grainy, but smooth, but you have to drink it cold. You, uh, finish up your drink and let me know if you want one." What? He doesn't know how old Raven is, but even if he did...he was a notorious space pirate by her age. He was already drinking, so who is he to judge?

Raven relaxed a bit at that laugh, a small smile on her lips. He... was friendly. And there was more to it. He was... difficult to read. In a different ways than some she met. She swirled her drink a little, staring at the creamy drink. She wondered what animal it came from. Cows? Did they have pet cows here? Or maybe it was... And then she blanched a little as she imagined it coming out of cow PEOPLE. That made her shudder and she lowered her glass a little and stared into it. "So... err. The milk. Where exactly does it come from?" She REALLY should have asked that before she started drinking it.

"Hyrule is an interesting place. Hellish, awful. But the people there are... fighting. It's nice, in its own way. There's a lingering aura of hope, there. And don't worry, if I really required sleep, I'd travel to a proper dimension to rest," she said. "Or I suppose just... travel somewhere difficult for others to find me..." she mumbled softly.

Then her eyes shifted back to the drink. "Double... ale? Ten percent? Is... that a lot? I've only ever had wine before. The Azarathian monks made it from the grapes grown in the western orchard. She swirled her milk again, staring into it. There it was again. That stupid, foolish longing to go home. To be with her family. But Azar was gone. Nothing she did, or said, or wanted, could change that. Her destiny could not be changed. Her fate could not be changed. All she could do was try to... stop the results. Delay them. Reduce them... "You know what? Why not? I'll try it. Ten percent doesn't sound that bad." Oh my gosh she was clueless.

     "What, just milk?" 

     Wolf O'Donnell leans in against the bartop a lot more while allowing one foot to cross the other in supporting the angular posture adopted. What with the spiked leather shoulder armor and spiky metal kneeplates, thick boots, and muscle-shirt worn, this wolf guy has what some people might call a 'tough-guy' or 'biker' image. The scars around his eye, on his face and arms, and bits missing from the edge of his right ear certainly do nothing to prove that image or stereotype wrong. It might be amusing to see such a person as he furrow his brow at such a question. 

     "They have a lot of cattle farming over on Katina. That's...a different planet, by the way. Most of the milk we get is harvested from cattle on Katina and Corneria." The fears central to such a question go completely unnoticed by the lupine. "It's fresh. It should be. What, does it taste bad?" It's not the same taste as cow's milk, but it is mild and not particularly potent and has gentle aromatic qualities. It shouldn't be too offensive, but everyone's tastes differ. 

     Hyrule? Azarathian? Wolf certainly hasn't heard of any of these places or peoples, but the information is still filed away as pieces to a puzzle that may or may not ever be built upon. "Well, in my experience, most wine is around twelve percent, but ceremonial wines can be as low as five and more potent wines can be as high as, oh, say, twenty-five percent. But wine isn't really my specialty. You get a shot of strong liquor, now, and you're looking at, mm, at least forty percent. But you'll easily get a nice throat warmth from about twenty and up." 

     Wolf lifts his mug to point it out in example. "This is pretty smooth stuff, though, so even at only ten percent you can get hit hard by it if you drink it too fast -- if you aren't used to it -- which can be easy to do by accident since you want to drink it cold and this shoe box of a warehouse can't stay cool when the weather gets warm." He turns suddenly and yells out, "Somebody open up some more windows already!" 

     A single drunken person calls out in return, "Yeah!" And that's the end of that. Nobody moves to do anything and, truth be told, Wolf didn't exactly expect anybody to do so. 

     "But, sure, yeah. I'll buy you that round, but that's it. No more freebies from Papa Wolf, kiddo."

Raven let out a sigh of relief, shaking her head. "It tastes fine. Not too different from the milk back home. I just had a baseless concern, but if it comes from herd animals, there is no need for me to worry," she said. Then... Paused as she looked up. Then back to the wolf. Then around at the different animals. Were there even cow people? Did they see themselves as related to them? Were there animal versions and people versions of every animal? Were-- She shook her head, clearing it before drinking down the rest of her milk. Guhhhhh. It was all so very confusing, this multi-verse... thing.

Then he started explaining the different types of wines and alcohol contents and she just... got more and more confused, listening. Finally, she settled on a course of action. "I'll drink it slow, then. And I thank you, for your generosity." She said, and then put her hands together, and politely bowed her head, just a bit. Well, she was a monk.

 She then glanced to the windows. "If you so desire..." Her eyes glowed black, as did her hand as she gestured up. Black light enveloped the handle of each window in the room, opening them up, assuming they weren't locked. Her eyes then turned back to normal white... It was odd how the eyes seemed to glow from under the cloak, though. Now he might be able to guess why.

"So... Wolf. Why are you here? Do you suffer from... dirty lung, did you call it?" she asked as she eyed him. "Or do you make it your duty to help all newcomers to your dimension? If so, I appreciate your aid."

     While not a reality-shattering thing, the act of opening up the majority of windows in the converted warehouse does draw the attention of some people. Wolf, in fact, doesn't exactly catch on at first until somebody loudly says something about something using the word 'window'. He looks from window to Raven to other window and back again. Gears turn in his head, but, perhaps strangely, he doesn't point it out. He doesn't ask about it. He doesn't make a scene out of it. 

     O'Donnell just observes the event. More puzzle pieces. 

     "No, no, kitten. I'm not one of the miners. I'm here to do trading." Wolf tips his glass up to drain a majority of the volume of ale still left. He's used to it. He's a big guy. He doesn't have to drink slow. "I mean, you're welcome and all. But, well, I'll just give it to you straight. I'm a mercenary and I run a group of like-minded individuals that aren't afraid to get our hands dirty, and, well..." 

     He shakes his head as he adds, "There are some people that don't appreciate our business." Wolf promptly shrugs and gives another toothy smile. It's a bar. People tell all kinds of stories in them. Tall tales, even. Is that all it is? 

     "How's that sound?"

Raven listened to his words, and then nodded. "That makes sense. And I don't see anything wrong with that. Personally, I'm a pacifist, so I could not do work like that. But I know of a few who have taken such a road in life. And... The tenno do as well. And while I cannot speak for most of them, Ash seemed well and kind enough." She said firmly. "You seem well and kind enough. I see no reason to hold your profession against you, puppy." Well, he kept calling her kitten, she couldn't let it go unchallenged too much. She might seem a puishover.

"And people are always hating one thing or another, for any number of reasons. I imagine you'd get a reputation in your line of work, like it or not," she said before nudging away her empty glass.

"So, what exactly do you trade? I must admit, trading is a line of work I'd never even considered. I'd love to hear more about it."

     Reaching over to rap his knuckles upon the smooth wooden counter, Wolf softly whistles. It's not enough to disrupt conversation, but it's enough to be heard despite that chatter and the music. "Hey, Greg!" he calls out and holds up a hand with two fingers showing. He even mouths the word 'two' as if to make a point about it before hoisting up his mostly empty mug. 

     "Ash of the Tenno is pretty dangerous," Wolf remarks, then quips, "But he's an incorrigible show-off. Still, he has the ability to be where he needs to be when he needs to be there. Which is good. He's done work for me." After all, it's 'for' if they are Wolf's contracts and 'with' if it actually involves Wolf. Ash clearly gets around. 

     Wolf O'Donnell takes the moment to straighten his posture, standing tall, and rolls his shoulders back together wit ha light pop from his upper spine. "Nggh." With nobody taking the seat nearby, he decides to claim it for himself and can swivel it enough to have a proper conversation as is needed. 

     "Well, this is Macbeth. It's a mining planet. Mining towns like this one are all over. Some are owned by private companies, but not as many as before the Great War. There are also towns built up that are purely industrial. A lot of military tech is produced here on-world, but not just. There's still plenty of tech rolling out for civilians and outlaws. Most of what I trade here are liquid assets that can easily be fenced into the open market. Ores, gems, precious metals. I don't usually oversee every trading trip, but I like to drop in to check on my contacts from time to time, and, uh, well..." 

     Wolf offers a sweep of the hand toward the two pints delivered. "Have a cold one in the process. Honestly, though, if trading goods is something you're looking into, and you decide you like it, let me know. I could always use a good mover."

Raven nodded. "He made that impression. Ordis seems nice. He was... not too pleased when I accidentally teleported onto his ship. Ash managed to calm him down before I blew anything, at least." she eyed the drink and sniffered it. Then, slowly... she brought it to her lips and let some drift down, into her mouth. Not sipping it, but only letting it flow slightly. She lowered the glass quickly a moment later, closing her eyes and shuddering. It was... unique. Not bad. But unique. "It's... i-interesting," she said.

"Ash and I played Komi. He... seems nice. He meditates. I always thought that was just something the monks did." She then glanced back to him. "Macbeth? As in the play? I've read the play myself, but never seen it. That's... a rather interesting name for a planet, considering Macbeth is supposedly cursed. Though I imagine those... stories don't come here, do they?"

She nodded at the idea. "Why... not? Though I'm not sure I'd be as useful as Ash. I could likely be faster, but I can only teleport so many things at a time. And only to places I, personally, have been. Otherwise I... well..." She glanced to the windows. "Otherwise, it ends up with me appearing Azarath knows where," she mumbled. "I wonder how far i ended up shifting this time..."

     Wolf says or does nothing to influence the first experience of the brown ale. Grainy, but not very bitter, so it might feel like a thicker flavor while still having a smoother mouth-feel. The alcohol taste is general very clear, yet not a kick in the teeth. Complex? Yes. Cheap? No. 

     Finishing off the last of his previous mug, Wolf actually chokes on it when some goes down the wrong pipe at hearing that she wound up on Ash's ship somehow. He heavily thunks the pint glass down onto the bar, empty save for some dripping foam, and lifts his other hand to his face as he coughs and laughs at the same time. "That's...cffffh...funny. I wish I could have seen that." 

     The cyclopean lupine reaches over to snag a bar napkin to wipe his mouth, his whiskers, his hands, and lastly some of the dampness from the counter. "Mmh. Yeah, uh, I don't know anything about plays, but I have a friend named Panther that's all into that kind of stuff. He's also into the whole wine thing." 

     "Well, hey, sure, I mean, sounds like you do a lot of travel. Doesn't mean you have to actually ship stuff around. Just having a keen eye for business is useful if you go dimension hopping. You know, you get somewhere, you look around, you watch the people, you ask yourself 'what do they need that I can help provide'. When you work with partners, it makes it easier." 

     Wolf picks up his new mug of booze and draws on the side of it with a fingertip in the beading condensation. Is that...a fox? 

     "So, hypothetically, if you were to find people somewhere and they needed to get their hands on, eh, titanium or helium-3? Do you have any? Let's so not. But, hey, you know that guy who does trading. Turns out he has material to trade. You hook them up together and you, you'd get a finder's fee. That's money just for introducing business partners to each other."

Raven glanced back to him. Oh dear. She hoped she didn't almost kill him. He seemed nice. For a moment, the story of the wolf in sheep's clothing pops into her head, but she ignores it. "Yeah. It was definitely an experience. Back at Azerath, the most advanced things we had were... wagons. And things like that. I mean, I'd heard of cars and planes, but only in the books I read. Seeing his... ordis? It was a unique experience. One I doubt I will ever forget." She gave a wistful sigh. She would have liked to stay longer, to have played more games. To learn more about these 'tenno'. He kind of reminded her of the monks. Minus the whole... tossing her into limbo, thing. Or trying to. Or being dead. He was nice. Kind. Meditated. Was weird... creepy... Her brow furrowed at that though.

"Panther? Let me guess, he's a panther? I'm sure I'll be surprised," she said in a calm, docile tone. Then... "Ordis said that the last person on the ship hadn't been human. I imagine it was you, then? I think Ash will be pleased to know I managed to run into one of his compatriots."

"What... do people need?" she asked, blinking a few times. She just stared at him, as she seemed to be struggling to process all this. Finally... "And there is profit to be found in this? But it's so... simple. What's the catch?" She paused. "I take it... if I was to work under you, in this manner, I would merely relay to you who the are, where to find them, and what they need. Correct? And get a portion of this... finder's fee?" Well, she seemed interested at least. She took her drink and took another drink of it. She didn't shudder.... quite as bad this time. And it did burn, just a little She didn't feel she'd drink another one, but this wasn't so bad.

     "No, no, I haven't been on Ash's ship. But he seems to get around a lot, so it could have been anybody." 

     Wolf O'Donnell turns with a swivel on the stool to directly face where Raven sits. He may not be human, but his age might be showing nonetheless. "Really, honestly, it's as simple as that. It helps to know what supplies are available for trade, but even keeping mental notes makes it easier to come back later with a trade deal." 

     Resting the bottom of his chilled mug on a thigh, the mercenary gestures with his free hand as he explains, "Say you have a village that really needs fuel; they aren't too advanced, so they use impure coal, but they have an abundance of metal ore that is too expensive for them to process to be able to use it in industry." 

     "On the other hand, we have an industrial powerhouse of a city that can always use more raw materials and ore processing and refining isn't a problem, but they don't have raw resources to trade, only money. Well, money isn't worth the same from one place to another." 

     "So, hey, you broker a deal, because you have a surplus of coal, but you don't sell it to the city, because they likely have a supply already and can't trade goods in return, so you won't get a good price. You trade coal to the village for the ore they won't be able to use for a few decades, trade the ore to the city for money that you can turn around and invest back into the city for services, rather than goods." 

     "It's called the transfer of liquid assets, and sometimes it's a gamble, but trading isn't always between two people. When it comes to trade goods, such as materials, technologies, food and produce, well... It can get complicated. So, yes, to answer your question, it's that simple because Finder's help find those puzzle pieces that help these larger deals go down. Often all it takes is paying attention." Wolf raises his glass to drain more of the beer and mutes a bit of a belch behind a fist. 

     "A lot of people simply don't."

Raven listened, staring at her drink. She swirled it a bit... And then idly wondered WHY she swirled it. She read it in a book, right? But why did THEY swirl it? Was it to cool it down? But wouldn't it make it more... No. Focus. Fo-cus. His words all made sense. He set up the deals, so he reaped some of the profits. Basically, he invested his time, to help multiple people achieve their end goals. The goals might not all be the same. Heck, he might even end up scamming people. The miners can't know how valuable their ore WILL be. So isn't it kind of wicked in its own way?

No, she figured THAT line of thinking was kind of naive. She took the rest of her drink, downing it and cringing. She then turned to look him in the eye. And stared at him. He didn't... she couldn't see into his mind much. He was strong willed. But... That was good. In its own way. COmforting in a way. It meant she didn't have to fear his touch. He wouldn't blare in her head like Anna did.

"Then... I think we can make a deal, if you like." She offered her hand. "Information for payment, yes? Though... I will need a way to contact you. The monks were... rather... compact and we lack long range communication the rest of the world does. Is there a place I could go to deliver this needed information and acquire my payment?" Her cheeks were beginning to get a little redder from the alcohol and she couldn't deny she was feeling a little... light headed and nauseous. She wondered if that was wise to drink. Was booze good to drink on a stomach that only had wild fruit and some milk in it?

     Making eye-contact with Wolf and locking it for any amount of time is something many people are afraid to do. That right eye of his, a natural purple color, doesn't give much insight into the workings of the mind deeper in that skull behind it. Making eye contact only serves to draw in apparent attention. O'Donnell makes eye-contact. He says nothing about it. 

     "I can appreciate you being a thinker and considering a job that requires being a thinker and a watcher, but, out of respect for business, it's good to think about the idea for at least one night before coming to a decision." 

     Without turning his head to look away, Wolf reaches over to put his half-drank ale upon the bar. "Furthermore, it's best to use a neutral middle-man until you get your feet truly wet. Do you have a way to contact Ash? I think he'd be the best option for now. Plus, he does have the means to ship some things around for limited-time business opportunities and I know for a fact he even uses depots like the one in this very town." In fact, he met Ash in this very bar. 

     Slowly, the space merc extends his hand. "If you are willing to consider the idea, and would be willing to work with people like Ash and myself simply by keeping an open mind and open eyes in your travels, I'll agree to compensate you fairly for every business deal of mine that goes through completely that you had a hand in putting together simply through supplying information. No contracts necessary. I have plenty of employees already. What I need are business associates with self-motivation." 

     "I can shake on that. What about you?"

Raven felt a bit of unease from that eye. It was rare she could... Look into someone's eye, and see nothing but... an eye. Very rare. But then...

She was the child of a demon, if anyone was getting the raw end, he was, not her. She took the hand and shook on it. "Of course. That sounds more than fair. I... will work something out with Ash," she said before getting to her feet and letting him go. She walked a bit away as darkness began to wrap around her feet as she planned.

"I will think on it tonight. If I decide to accept it... I will give Ash my first delivery. Please accept that as my acceptance of your kind offer. And thank you for the drinks." As she walked, the darkness seeped around her, like a liquid mist, thicker than pea soup at her feet, but dissipating as it flowed off her. She'd step out of the door and...

Once it closed, there was the sound of a raven's caw and, if he went outside to look, there'd be nothing by a few wisps of smoke. No sign that the girl was ever there.

Well, if nothing else, she seemed to have a flair for theatrics. That might be useful.

     Outside of the C&E, just down the street, an older miner sitting on the side of the street watches the scene unfold just as he lowers a flask from his mouth. The rabbit blinks twice to try to get some focus and stares really hard before looking back at his flask, back to the smoky spot, back to his flask...and then tosses it over his shoulder with a bewildered drunken expression.