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    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 5th March 2021, 9:04 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    It had been quite some time since Mercury had been to the Neutral Grounds. In fact, she had only been here one time before, which was when she got her starter iLac that she used as a basis for building her own phone here in Earthland. The Xocili had spent a bit of time wandering around while she had been in the area, of course, particularly since she hadn’t been on the planet that long the last time. The Neutral Grounds had been interesting, but not nearly as interesting as the rest of the continent and its magic boasting citizens. However, this seemed to be where her current target was frequenting most of his time.

    It had not taken her long at all to immerse herself deep into the lacrinet once she’d arrived on the planet, and it had proven a useful and valuable tool in information gathering. When she wasn’t doing guild work, Dagger Corp work, or being beaten to a pulp by Vandrad in training, she spent most of her free time pouring through the endless web of digital data, sifting and organizing it for anything of use or interest. She was a community member of a number of forums, and while a lot of them typically fed her little more than wild and hilariously unvetted theories and bullshit, every once in a while there was a golden nugget of curiosity.

    At the moment, the nugget was a Jirian. One of the sites she visited rather often had a thread that had caught her attention right away, showing crude photos of a piece of alien weapon tech that the original poster claimed had belonged to a “bug looking dude” that had visited his store in the hopes of having the weapon repaired or updated. The man had no knowledge on how to fix it, of course, but after unsuccessfully attempting to buy it from the alien he had taken to the internet with offers to pay an impressive amount of money to anyone who could… acquire it. Equal parts intrigued and suspicious, Mercury had wasted no time in tracing the poster’s I.P. address and locating where he was based out of. From there, it was a quick trip through the lacrinet to confirm his identity, where he lived, where he worked, how much money was in his bank accounts, the answers to all his password security questions… honestly, Earthlanders were just awful at protecting themselves from digital threats.

    But, it had been enough. The post was up for a day or two at most before Mercury managed to hack into the site and scrub the thread completely, including all traces of it that had been shared around the lacrinet save for one. There would surely be a lot of frustrated nerds and mercenaries that wondered where in the world the images and information had gone, but the Silver Wolf ace had no intention of letting anyone else get in her way. Whoever this person was, she wanted to run into them alive, and the more people that were hounding him the more complicated and annoying it would be to try and catch up with him herself. However, if she left at least one lead open to follow, that would allow her to contain, control, and monitor the situation much more easily. Plus, it meant that someone else would be doing all the tedious dirty work for her. All she had to do was keep an eye on the person that was hunting the alien down, and once he was ready to make his move, she would make hers.

    Thankfully, knowing what her target looked like wasn’t difficult. Once she had found out what shop the poster worked in, she was able to remotely hack her way into their security footage and look back through the videos until she found the Jirian plain as day strolling into the store and speaking with the people behind the counter, even letting them inspect his weapon. Mercury rolled her eyes at what she perceived to be a rookie mistake… but then again, not everyone outside of Earthland had the luxury of being able to blend in with the natives like she did. Anywhere he went, he was bound to stand out, so she supposed she couldn’t really fault him for not bothering to hide what he was. There was no sound in the feed, so she didn’t know his name or what kind of conversation took place, but it was enough to know what he looked like and that helped. A few keyword searches later was all it took to find several other mentions of people running into a man fitting his description somewhat frequently in Neutral Grounds, and boom, here she was.

    The question that remained, and the one that nagged her the most, was wondering why he was here. While Earthland certainly boasted a fair number of sentient creatures that didn’t look like humans, they were all still natives, not aliens. But the Jirian… he didn’t belong here any more than Mercury did, and there was no reason she could think of that a member of his race would even be interested in this obscure little rock floating around so far from his home world. She needed to know if he was a threat or not, and that meant scoping him out a little closer. It also meant sitting around for long periods of time waiting for the mercenary to hurry up and go after him. Her game plan was all set, and frankly if Serilda or Mythal ever found out about it they both would probably have strongly worded opinions on what she was about to do. Then again, if they ever found out about some of the shit she’d pulled with Monica recently, this would probably look pretty respectable in comparison.

    Finally, the day had come, though Mercury had needed to pull a few strings herself to lure the target and the bait into the same area at the same time. She lingered in Neutral Grounds for some time until she finally managed to spot him from afar, taking some of the still frames from her optic lenses and “posting” them in a place where the would be mercenary would seemingly stumble across them and be tipped off that his quarry was back in town. After that, all she had to do was sit back and wait, keeping an eye on the Jirian from an unsuspecting distance with her sensors, and waiting for the bait to show up and start trying to tail him, which would create her opening to step in...

    WORDS: 1104 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 5th March 2021, 9:39 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    Surprisingly, the Neutral Grounds was awfully… quiet.

    Not to say that the stares and whispers were prevalent everywhere he went. Hosrius had grown so accustomed to the humans muttering and watching after him like an animal in a zoo that it didn’t even faze him. The more times he came into town for supplies, the less he heard from the world around him. People adjusted and after the first batch of thugs had tried to rob him, rumor had spread that he was not to be trifled with. Still, anyone that ever met him and talked with him would say that he was kind and courteous, full of manners that were rare to find. Soon enough, he had developed a sort of pattern, though it was hard to tell if that was intentional or merely by circumstance.

    Perhaps it was just because the city had adopted him so well that he didn’t hear as many concerned muttering or feel eyes on the back of his school, or at least not as many. His wrist device continually acted as a motion detector, keeping track of everyone around him and alerting him if there was anything that could be considered hazardous. A few people were armed, of course, but there was a significant difference between having a weapon and preparing to brandish it. And ever since the first time he’d been attacked, he hadn’t any need to be concerned.

    Rather than simply grab the supplies he needed and head back home, the Jirian decided to take a little detour and treat himself. Down a long alley, tucked between a jewelry shop and what looked like an adult novelty store was a bar that he had discovered one evening while searching for a place to eat. Hosrius had been through and around the galaxy enough to know that the hole-in-the-wall places usually had the best drinks and the best food, though he’d yet to partake in any liquor -- apparently that was reserved for the next time he saw Saffron. But there was another advantage to places like the bar; the seedy places in the universe usually were rife with people that had information. And perhaps if he hung around long enough and became acquainted with the owners and the regulars, he may earn himself some leads on his target.

    He walked in the door, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the shadowed bar as he walked in from the light. Eyes turned towards him, the patrons taking a moment to study him and, for the ones that hadn’t seen him before, to stare in shock at the alien creature. Taking a moment to look over the faces and recognizing a few familiar ones, he walked over to a corner booth and sat himself down. Releasing a sigh of relief to be off his feet, the Jirian reached into his jacket and pulled out a small book, placing it on the table just as the waitress came over. Luckily she was one that had helped him before and the shock value had worn off. Judy, was her name.

    “Hey there Hosrius,”[/color] she said with a smirk. She was a middle aged woman but still quite attractive; half of her head shaved down to her scalp with several tattoos painted on the flesh of her head and neck. She tossed him a menu and planted a hand on her hip. “You here to scare away some of my customers?”

    “Not at all, Judy. After all, you didn’t close shop and run away, now did you?” the Jirian asked back.

    “Nah; I’ve seen scarier shit than you in my kitchen. What’ll ya have?”

    “My usual, if you don’t mind.”

    “Cuppa’ tea and the roast. Someday I’ll get ya to buy my booze and really give me somethin’ to charge ya for,” she said with a scoffing laugh as she walked away. The Jirian watched her for a moment before giving a small shake of his head and opening up his book. If he didn’t know better, he’d say that she was flirting with him.

    He had barely gotten a page into his book when the door opened. He paid it little mind, licking his fingers and turning the page to continue reading. Unfortunately, he barely got a sentence in before a boot came up and planted itself on the edge of his table, causing the wood to creak. The Jirian raised a brow and turned his attention towards the perpetrator; a nasty looking human who looked to be more muscle than body, meaning his brain was most likely drowning in his oversized, shaved head. He sneered down at Hosrius with a cocky look on his face. The Jirian sized him up quickly and he didn’t need his armband to tell him that the man had his hand on some kind of firearm.

    “Hey there bug face. I’ve been looking for you for some time. Rumor is you got yourself a pretty sweet gun. I was hoping I could convince you to part ways with it,” the man said softly, leaning his weight further in so that the table creaked even louder.

    “As you can see, I don’t have any kind of firearm with me, sir. Even if I did, I think I would sooner shoot myself with it than hand it over to a bully,” the Jirian said evenly.

    The man growled. “I ain’t going to ask you twice. Either you tell me where it is or I make you tell me. Guess which one I’m hoping for…”

    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 925 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 6th March 2021, 9:58 am

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Monitoring the Jirian wasn’t too difficult once she had spotted him. Mercury barely needed to spend half a breath in marking his location on her sensors and causing him to stand out among the rest of the crowds in her radars. From there, she didn’t even really need to follow him, certainly not within eyesight. As long as she kept generally close to the area, she would know where he was and what direction he was heading. It also meant that she was able to keep an eye on the other blips that represented the rest of the people around him until she noticed one of them moving in an odd pattern, casing and tailing him. That had to be her bait. The game was officially afoot. Smirking with pride to herself, she downed the rest of her coffee and put down the copy of the magazine that she’d been pretending to read so she could continue to follow the pair from afar, the final cog in what was quickly becoming a convoy of espionage.

    After they turned down an alley where there appeared to be a bar of some sort, the Jirian went inside and the mercenary followed after only a minute or two later. Certain that there was no one else nearby that was close enough to see, she took off her jacket and tossed it into a nearby dumpster, revealing the attire she’d been wearing beneath the oversized garment: a Rune Knight uniform, black and pressed, bearing the insignia of a sergeant in the combat branch. Her x-ray vision kicked on so she could see through the walls of the bar, her extra sensitive hearing honing in on the conversation and listening in on it. The mercenary certainly wasn’t being coy, but then again she hadn’t picked him for his smarts. The real reason she’d selected him was because of his rap sheet. He had a number of warrants out for him, most of them minor but a couple of them were more serious. It would give her the perfect opening to utilize her chosen cover.

    She waited until the appropriate moment, after the criminal had started to confront the Jirian openly about wanting his weapon. The alien claimed not to have it, being very collected and calm in the face of hostility, as well as a bit sassy. His pursuer didn’t appreciate the humor, though Mercury certainly did, and she continued to listen from just outside the building until the criminal started boasting threats and gearing things toward a fight. As curious as she was to watch the Jirian in action, it was her cue. Pushing the door open with all the authority of a lawman, Mercury strode into the room that was already rife with tension and stopped just past the door to take a quick scan of the room and its occupants, all of whom had managed to rip their eyes off of the two men to look at her. Her own gaze settled upon the back of the criminal and the Jirian -- making sure to do a double take upon the alien like he would probably expect, staring at him in bewilderment for a moment before seeming to force herself to pry her eyes off of him and onto her quarry.

    “Everything alright here, gentlemen?” she asked, her tone rife with that of a cop that definitely knew that there was some kind of situation but wanted to be condescending about it toward the suspect.

    The criminal growled again and slowly took his foot off the table and turned lightly toward her, though his hand was still hovering over his firearm and trying to be subtle about it. It was not subtle. “Yes, ma’am. Everythin’s just peachy.” He tried to give her a smile that really did not give the effect he was probably going for.

    Mercury just stared at him, her gaze narrowing as she studied him momentarily. Then, a small, knowing smirk tugged on one side of her lip. “Gee, I’m real glad to hear that, Carson. I was just so concerned, you know? With all those warrants you have out for you, it sure does seem like you just don’t have any respect for the law nor the citizens that abide by it. Arson, vandalism, theft -- both petty and grand, murder, tax evasion… Oh, and that parking ticket you still need to pay from like a decade ago. Man, the interest on that must be baffling.”

    Carson had frozen the moment Mercury had said his name, his eyes going wide at the realization that this seeming Rune Knight knew who he was. Mercury practically sauntered into the room as she talked, walking closer to the pair with deliberate confidence that matched the smirk on her face until she could lean casually upon the same table where they gathered, right up in the criminal’s personal space. “You should be more careful. A Rune Knight walks into a fine establishment like this, and sees you loomin’ over someone minding their own business, and well… we’re gonna get ideas, you know? Cause golly, it sure does look like you’re trying to add some more paperwork to my day, and I ain’t a fan of paperwork.”

    “So the way I see it, bud, you’ve got two options. The first is you surrender peacefully. The second is you decide to pick a fight with someone your own size, and get yourself spanked in front of all these lovely people like the naughty little bad guy you are.” The reality of his situation quickly started to dawn on him with the understanding that he wasn’t going to be able to just walk away from the situation and try again later. He’d already been caught, and that meant that the cop was going to try and arrest him. There would be no talking his way out of this. Slowly, her smirk turned into a smug little grin.

    “Guess which one I’m hoping for…”

    WORDS: 998/2102 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    Last edited by Mercury Arseneault on 6th March 2021, 5:58 pm; edited 1 time in total


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 6th March 2021, 3:11 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    So much for avoiding an issue.

    Hosrius could already tell that he was going to be dealing with a rambunctious and confident bounty hunter that wouldn’t just let the issue go. His tea hadn’t even arrived and he’d barely made a dent in the book he was reading before the large man came in and demanded the attention of not only the bar but the alien. Through nearly disinterested eyes, Hosrius stared up at the snarling man, sure in his strength and ability to beat up the “bug faced” creature. Well, it seemed another attempting thief was going to be knocked down on his ass and shown the error of his ways. The Jirian was already pre planning his attack, strategizing his path to a dimly lit and quiet plot between alleyways only a block or so from the bar. But before he could make a suggestion to the man, disarming the situation further, the door to the bar opened again. Normally this would attract a simple glance, especially during such an intense standoff as this when the situation could explode at any moment. But the sight of a Rune Knight garment caused several of the patrons to freeze up.

    Hosrius glanced over the man’s shoulder to see the officer of the Earthland law; an attractive woman with hair as vibrant and colorful as lavender. Her gaze scoured over the faces of the bar before they fell on him, widening in surprise at the sight of him. Once again, nothing new but this raised a concerning factor. He’d dealt with the law long enough to know that most members of such organizations did not take kindly to people -- or aliens, in his case -- that looked different. No doubt this woman would falsely assume that he was the one causing an issue and would harp up some excuse to take him in. He had no intention of spending any amount of time behind bars or in cuffs but he also didn’t want to put any further complications on his job. This was a complication he wasn’t looking forward to talking himself out of.

    The officer strode over and asked if everything was alright, her attention turning to the bounty hunter. She knew something wasn’t right, that much was obvious but in a surprising twist, her attention seemed to sharpen on the man rather than Hosrius. The Jirian had been in the game long enough to know when someone was eyeing their intentional quarry, even casually, and the Rune Knight seemed to have it out for his bully. The man played the innocent, stating that things were just fine in hopes of driving the officer away. Hosrius remained quiet, now more curious than concerned as he quickly realized he was merely a third party to the exchange. The female Rune Knight eyed the hunter before her amusement washed over her face, calling the man by his name of Carson. She ran down a list of outstanding warrants that the hunter had on his name, playfully stating that she was concerned for the people that he did harm by breaking the law.

    Carson looked terrified, as he hadn’t been expecting anyone to know who he was. The Rune Knight didn’t give him much time to catch his breath or think of an escape either -- she insisted he take better care, as one might get the wrong impression when they came in and saw him trying to be intimidating, especially a member of the Rune Knights. She insisted that she disliked paperwork and he looked like he was trying to put more work on her shoulders. So she gave him an easy ultimatum; either he could surrender there and now without issue or he could attempt to start a fight and it was clear she was going to be the one that would handle him -- easily she insisted as well. She was smug as all get out as well; her confidence was brimming with such intensity that even Hosrius couldn’t help the tiniest of smirks. Then she said something that made him more curious; the exact phrasing that Carson had used on him only a few moments ago and yet, she hadn’t been in the building at the point, had she? Neutrality remained on his face still, even as Judy meandered over to the table, her own amused grin on her face as she gently placed the cup of tea on the table for the Jirian.

    “My suggestion? Don’t do nothin’ stupid,” she told Carson with a sarcastically genuine tone. The bounty hunter looked like he was starting to sneer at her, even as he turned to look at Hosrius. There sat the Jirian, cup of tea in hand, gently sipping at it as he stared back at Carson. There was a moment of silent consideration before the bounty hunter took his hand off of his gun and held both arms up, cleanly surrendering without issue.

    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 822/1747 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 6th March 2021, 5:58 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    “Good advice,” Mercury replied after the woman came over, easily setting a cup of tea in front of the Jirian even as she suggested Carson not do anything stupid. Clearly, she was getting as much amusement out of this as Mercury seemed to be, which was no surprise. Chances were if this man had been allowed to confront the alien as he wished, the bar would have been turned upside down in the resulting fight, causing a lot of damage that Mercury was now saving them by intervening. Granted, she would have been the cause of the damage in the first place as she had been the one to put Carson on the Jirian’s tail to begin with, but semantics. “True wisdom at its finest.”

    Mercury nodded her approval to the waitress, and then turned her face up to the much taller criminal, smiling politely and with all the surety of a woman that knew she held the winning cards in the proverbial poker game they were partaking in. Carson did not like the woman’s tone and turned to give both her and the alien a dirty look, but the wind in his sails seemed to deflate at the sight of the Jirian sitting there happily enjoying his tea and the show that came along with it. After giving it some thought, he reluctantly pulled his hand away from his gun and put his hands in the air to surrender.

    Geeze, call my bluff why don’t you, Mercury thought to herself as she suddenly found herself with a captive prisoner that she had to find a way to deal with. This thought didn’t reflect upon her face, of course. “There’s a smart lad,” she merely said, raising a hand with a single finger out and twirling it in a circle, indicating for him to turn around. She stood back up to her feet as he did so, pulling a set of cuffs that were hanging from her belt. Before she pulled his hands down, she slipped the gun out of its holster and set it on the table beside her where it would be harder for him to reach. Then, with a little cooperation from him, she pulled his arms down one at a time and cuffed him by the wrists behind his back. The cuffs were enchanted to suppress any magical abilities he might have, so once he was in the shackles she wasn’t too worried about him trying to pull any fast ones on her. Not that she had been worried about that in the first place.

    She pulled her iLac out of one of the pouches attached to her belt and put it to her ear, calling in for back up with the Knights to come and pick her prisoner up. Luckily, the lacrinet had more than enough information that she could passably use some of the Knight’s jargon, and there were so many Knights that none of them hardly knew everyone, so she wasn’t worried about not being recognized. By the time they figured out she wasn’t actually a cop, the day likely would be long over and she’d be far gone. Adding insult to injury, Mercury frisked him right then and there, easily pulling out a couple of knives he had stashed on his body as well as a few thin slivers of metal that he’d likely planned on using to get out of the cuffs later. Mercury playfully tsk’d her disapproval each time she found something knew, setting it all on the table next to the gun until he was devoid of any assets.

    As she sat him down on the floor where he didn’t have anything close enough to do anything with, Mercury turned to the Jirian. “I’ll need to get a statement from you, if you don’t mind,” she asked him professionally. Assuming he was amenable to cooperating with her, she took a seat at the table with him, Catching Judy’s eye as she pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, Mercury politely inquired, “I don’t suppose you’d mind bringing me a cup of coffee, miss? I’d be exceptionally grateful.”

    With that in motion, Mercury made herself comfortable with her notepad and turned back to the Jirian with a playful but still professional smile. “I’ll need to start with some of the basics: Name, age or date of birth, and any contact information you may have in case we need to reach out to you again, like a home address or iLac number. If you have any form of identification on you, I’ll need to see it. And I apologize if this is rude, but I need to be thorough; I’ll also need to know what your race or species is. After that, I’ll start with you just telling me in your own words what transpired between you and my unlucky buddy over here.”

    WORDS: 814/2916 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 6th March 2021, 7:40 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    Well who knew? A drink and a show. Hosrius certainly hadn’t expected to be treated to such a delightful bit of theater of good guy, bad guy and yet it had come to him all the same. Frankly he shouldn’t have been surprised; how many times had his presence drawn the attention of interested parties and how often that brought official enforcers of the law was beyond him. But he knew for a fact that it was a decent amount of times. Unlike other times though, this particular officer was far more interested in the actual criminal than the alien that he was hunting -- in fact, it was almost humorously interested. Judy returned to hand him his tea, making a snide comment to Carson as she passed, which earned the praises from the Rune Knight. And after a moment of consideration, the brigand decided to give himself up, which was wholly surprising to Hosrius. He expected more of a fight or at least some kind of contesting of the arrest. But nonetheless, the Rune Knight had him assume the position, disarmed his firearm and put him in cuffs. Then he got to witness the man get patted down, revealing several other weapons that he’d been hiding as well as some nifty lockpicks to help him escape.

    After he was secure, she took out her mobile magical device and reached out to get another unit to come and secure him. Once that was done, he was sat down on the floor like a child that had just been punished as the Rune Knight turned her attention to him, insisting that he had to give a statement. That was hardly surprising and he gave her nod as he took another sip from his tea before placing the cup down on the table. She waved down Judy and asked for a cup of coffee for herself, which was met with a raised thumbs up from the waitress. Now with that all sorted out, the woman sat herself in the booth and whipped out a notepad so that she could take notes. She listed out the basic requirements; name, age, contact information -- the run of the mill questions that all officers focused on.

    “Hosrius Camnus,” he said easily. “Six hundred and thirty seven years old. As for a means of communicating with me, I can provide that for you in a moment. As you can imagine, I don’t exactly call Earthland my home,” he casually joked as he tapped a finger on his forearm. His armband blinked to life, the orange ‘gauntlet’ device covering the entirety of his arm. He pressed a few keys even as the Rune Knight asked for a form of identification. She also wished to know his race, which was hardly surprising. “Here we are. I imagine this will be the first time you’ve seen this form of ID but I hope it is acceptable.” The monitor on his armband twisted itself around to face her, revealing his official bounty hunting licence. It listed the information he’d already told her, as well the iLac number he’d attached to it. It also listed him as Jirian for his race and Jira as his home planet.

    Once she’d taken his information down in her notebook, he would turn the screen around and minimize it back into the band itself. “As for the events, it’s not very exciting, I must admit. You came in shortly before it would have evolved into such. I was coming here for a cup of tea and the bar’s famous roast when this gentlemen came in, making demands of me. I had recently come into town in search of a repairman for one of my weapons and it seemed the shopkeeper was so interested in the weapon that he put out a notice to anyone willing to get their hands dirty. It seemed this ‘Carson’ felt the odds were in his favor.”

    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 654/2401 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 10th March 2021, 6:19 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Hosrius Camnus.

    Mercury wasted no time in cramming the Jirian’s name into her databases and putting it through a diligent and deep search, digging through every bit of data she’d been able to glean in the past outside of more than just Earthland. Even for her computerized brain, it was a search that would take some time to yield any decent results. He was several hundred years old, which wasn’t very long for his species. With a tap on his forearm, he brought up an advanced piece of tech that quickly caught Mercury’s eye and interest, an orange glow appearing around the limb as he brought up his galactic bounty hunting license as means of showing I.D. Mercury made a casual show out of copying the information down even though she didn’t really need to. By the time she finished doing so, Judy returned to the table with a fresh cup of coffee and a small tray of the usual accompaniments.

    “Ah, you are a life saver!” she informed the woman with genuine gratitude, briefly laser focused on the mug as the Xocili slid it closer to herself and took a couple small pouches of creamer to pour into the liquid. Listening to Hosrius’s brief tale, she stirred the content with a spoon to mix it up and took a gentle sip before pulling the pad back to appear to take notes again. He went over details that she already knew, the lavender haired mage putting most of her focus on pulling up files related to Hosrius’ exploits in the galaxy. At least, the stuff that was public knowledge. He certainly was a bounty hunter with a rather impressive track record. There wasn’t a whole lot known about him outside of his work that she could get her hands on, but that was to be expected. Mercury had traveled to a fair few galaxies in the universe, but similarly to Earthland not all of them had galactic knowledge she could steal.

    They talked for a few minutes, with Mercury asking most of the expected questions that would come from a statement such as this to get all the details about everything. Sometime during that time, a pair of actual Rune Knights appeared in the same uniform she wore, one a private and one a sergeant. Excusing herself, she stood and greeted the officers, explaining the situation briefly. After confirming that she would file her report once she finished collecting statements, the pair hauled Carson up and out of sight, presumably to the nearest holding cell. Then, she returned to Hosrius, appearing to dig for more information about the shop keeper that he’d seen and the apparent hit he’d put out on Hosrius as an attempt to get his weapon. Mercury didn’t particularly care about that, especially because she already had all the information, but it would be a giant red flag for a Rune Knight to hear about something like that and not try to look into, and right now she was looking to play the part and get him comfortable in the presented view of her.

    “Well, it certainly seems like you’ve had your hands full, recently,” she admitted once her official line of questioning had run out, folding the notepad back up and tucking it away. “I’ll see what I can do to look into the matter. With any luck, maybe I can at least put a stop to the constant harassment and thugs popping up at random to try and pull fast ones on you.” leaning back and getting more comfortable in her seat with the coffee in her hand, he body posture made it apparent that whatever conversation followed between them was going to be casual and off the record, more the curiosity of a human apparent toward what Hosrius likely assumed was her first encounter with a non-Earthland native. Mercury eyed him briefly, emerald eyes taking him in studiously. “So. Bounty hunting, eh? I have to admit, that sounds pretty exciting. I'd love to hear more about that, if you don't mind feeding my curiosity. I assume you’re here for work and not some kind of obscure vacation out in the space sticks. This a solo gig or you work with a team of some kind?”

    WORDS: 711/3627 | @TAGGED
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 11th March 2021, 2:43 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    Well this was certainly going in a direction that Hosrius was not expecting. Here he thought he was about to get into a tussle with both a bounty seeker and an official of the law. Instead, the former was now in handcuffs, forced to sit on the ground and the attractive Rune Knight was now getting his statement for the purpose of her report, treating him as the provoked party. It was true, of course, but it was not a position he was used to being in. Nonetheless, it meant he wasn’t endangering his hunt nor painting a target on his back; both benefits to his day and his time on Earthland. The Rune Knight listened to his answers with sharp focus and noted the provided information on a pad for her records. She was genuinely interested in getting the story straight and continued the conversation. As they conversed in an oddly but welcome friendly manner, two other Rune Knights arrived. She dismissed herself long enough from the table to explain what had happened to her comrades and handing over Carson to their possession. Then she returned, digging deeper to the original source of his woes.

    Once she had finished her questions, she put away her notepad and admitted that he’d had quite the run recently. He chuckled. “Hardly the worst. There are some planets that if you look different, they shoot first and ask questions later,” he told her casually as he sipped his tea. She informed him that she would do what she could to investigate the issue further, hoping that with a bit of digging, she would be able to stop any further harassment coming his way. He gave her a nod of appreciation. “Thank you. I would hate to rub the authorities the wrong way by causing any unneeded complications, though perhaps I wouldn’t mind too much, depending.” Hosrius said the words so simply and calmly that a more dense person may have missed it as a flirtation. It was enough to brush off but it was also an opening; something in Hosrius’ gut told him that this Rune Knight was not the conservative type and perhaps would be open to a little harmless friendly banter.

    And it seemed his instincts were right. Rather than get up once more and dismiss herself from his presence, as other officers were wont to do, she made herself more comfortable. She’d slipped out of the authoritative position and was now simply herself, her curiosity as a human taking over after the duties of her position had been filled. He could hardly blame her -- he was an alien lifeform and she was uniquely situated to get to learn more about him. In her shoes, he would have done the same, though he wondered if that was more professional courtesy than anything else. He met her studious gaze equally, one of the first human women to truly appeal to him beyond just exterior looks. She continued the conversation by bringing up his position as a bounty hunter, remarking that it seemed like quite the adventurous lifestyle. She seemed interested in wanting to learn more about it; perhaps stories of past jobs as well as other details. He chuckled once more. “Why not? Earthland is such a lovely place full of beautiful sights. Why not vacation here?” Besides the fact that it was on the edge of the galaxy and lacked any and all interaction with the universal community. Then again, some beings may enjoy the solitude. “I’ve always worked solo -- most within my cabal do. While a team can provide better assistance, most targets don’t require more than one or two people. Though I can say I am not the only bounty hunter on the planet.”

    He took a sip from his tea as he collected his words in his head. “Ours is a complicated business. We’re indebted to our bosses and completing jobs clears away that debt. So you can imagine having to split the profits of a job means less is being scrubbed from your ledger. And the amount of bounty hunter on bounty hunter violence can get pretty outrageous if one’s freedom is on the line.” The Jirian glanced at her curiously. “I don’t believe I caught your name, officer. I’d love to know it, if I ever need to call upon your Rune Knights in an official capacity.” Another harmless flirtation that was layered with levels. He was simply dabbling, seeing if she was as amenable as she seemed.

    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 752/3153 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 12th March 2021, 8:17 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    The Jirian assured her that he had been in far worse situations, advising that he had been on a number of planets where the habit of the locals had been to shoot at the alien before doing a whole lot to vet the validity of his presence. And in all honesty, Mercury was sure that there were quite a number of Rune Knights like that on Earthland, too. Likewise, she had also been on a few planet that were similarly discriminatory, where the only reason she had flown so well under the radar was because she blended in with the locals -- after all, humanity hardly held the monopoly on their physiology, as the Xocili was clearly an example of. But, he expressed he was grateful for the effort she led him to believe that she would put into taking care of the hunting issue that she had already handled for him. The appreciation was followed by a comment about not wanting to rub authorities the wrong way, or at least not outside of other circumstances.

    Whether or not he meant it that way, there was a slight shift in Mercury’s body language as she perked up with interest just a bit in reaction to the subtle, yet not so subtle, flirtation, one of her thin brows raising ever so slightly up onto her forehead. Her lips tugged into the barest of smirks. “Well, you know, not all of us mind being given a hard time. Think of it as… job security.” Her tone was as even and calm as his own had been, but if he was paying close enough attention he wouldn’t miss the mischief in her eyes that would betray her own innuendo.

    She expressed her interest in hearing more about him on a personal level, playfully inquiring as to his reason for being here as clearly it wasn’t for any sort of vacation. He chuckled, but gently rebutted the commentary, calling Earthland a place of lovely sights perfect enough to relax in. From here, he informed her that he generally worked on his own, though he was a member of a cabal. According to Hosrius, it didn’t benefit most of them to work with anyone else because splitting the profits meant there was less money to pay toward their debts they owed to their bosses. She did note that there was another bounty hunter running around the planet, which more than piqued her interest. She was going to have to find a way to get information on that person, too. But for now, Mercury was content to hear what he had to say about his own experiences, which was honestly starting to sound less and less like a job and more like a half step above slavery.

    He admitted that there was a fair amount of violence between cabal members as they often fought to get as big of a share as possible for the jobs. Mercury was giving him a sober nod of understanding for his explanation when he turned a curious glance to her as though a thought had just dawned upon him. She had been wondering how long it would take him to realize that she hadn’t given him a name, having been through this same song and dance a hundred times over in circumstances that varied in their details but lined up in the overall method of approach. Once more by the look in her eyes it was clear that she did not miss the layers of implication in his tone, her emerald gaze locked on him with a welcome understanding. More than ready to answer such a question, she smiled at him. “Of course, how rude of me. I was so focused before I didn’t even realize.” Leaning forward, Mercury offered him a handshake from over the table. “Moira Decker. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Camnus. Please feel free to call upon me for whatever you may need -- official or otherwise.”

    The clasping of her hand on his lasted just a split second longer than was normal before she gently pulled it back, the light smirk on her lips staying in place throughout the brief exchange. Once more lounging back casually in her chair, she pulled her cup of coffee back toward her and regarded him once more with a genuinely interested look. “Your experiences with bounty hunting seem much more… indentured… than I typically assumed such jobs are. Sounds a bit lonely, if I’m being honest. And with that kind of cut throat environment, I think I’d be worried that my boss wouldn’t be honest with me on how much debt I had left. You don’t have to answer this from your own experience if that’s too personal for you to share, but I am curious how exactly one finds themselves indebted to these… cabal bosses? To such a degree…”

    WORDS: 813/4440 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 13th March 2021, 1:06 am



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    Hosrius had been looking for some kind of change in her body language or facial features, depending on how his flirtatious comment came across. And it was safe to say that she did not find the comment unflattering or unwelcome. In fact, she seemed to lift, if only slightly, in interest and was quick to reply to him, letting him know that not all officers were afraid of a hard time being thrown their way. She viewed it as a form of job security but the layers beyond the words were there as well, subtle and casual more than he had been. He returned her slight smirk as his eyes met hers, finding playful impish fire alight and kindling in her gaze. So he had been right then -- this Rune Knight was far more liberal than others he might have run into. What luck, though he wondered of the dangers to trying to seduce an office of the law. Then again, danger made it that much more fun, didn’t it?

    He gave her a brief explanation and overview of how the bounty hunting business worked, or at least his circle of it. It was not a happy explanation of course but one in his position would find themselves hard pressed to paint their occupation with such light and carefree enthusiasm. Grubar might have been able to pull it off but the Scengar was far more violence-prone than others. He quite casually put the attention back on her, now asking her name, as she hadn’t come right out with it upon entering the building. She apologized for the slip of the mind and then offered her hand across the table, introducing herself as Moira Decker. She even insisted that he call upon her if he were to need anything -- be it officially or not. How interesting. “An enchanting name. Believe me, the pleasure is all mine. And consider your offer taken; I’ll be sure to get your contact information before you leave.”

    His hand remained on hers for as long as it held and he was quite aware that it lingered just a hair longer than an official, proper handshake should. He had to admit that he was surprised to find a human so accommodating, considering the run-ins he’d experienced so far. But he was not unwelcome, not in the least. She spoke of his profession, admitting that she found the entire ordeal quite lonely as well as treacherous. She wondered how bosses could be held responsible in keeping honest with their numbers before she shifted to an actual question, wondering how one found themselves at the beck and call of the bounty hunter leads. Hosrius nodded. “Usually the first question I get asked, though you worded it much nicer than most. Most others go with ‘So you’re some kind of slave then’. The answer is… complicated. There are lots of different reasons that one might find themselves under contract; they could owe a great amount of money and it’s their only chance to clean the slate without losing limbs. Or they could be sold into it by a slaver and can work towards their own freedom for the fee of their original purchase. There’s even a few who were born into it, inheriting family debts and being trained practically from birth to fulfill their violent duty.”

    “For me, I was given a choice. Either take up as a bounty hunter and work off my debt or face a war tribunal to face insubordination charges. Considering any kind of trial I faced would result in my immediate execution, I decided to take the offer. Granted, my employer painted the occupation as a walking death sentence to the tribunal so that’s why it was considered in the first place. And it can get lonely. I’ve grown accustomed to it though. I have plenty of literature to read, calibrations to make on my ship and weapons and beautiful officers of the law to get to know.” He flashed her a small smirk again as he sipped his tea. “A woman with your charisma and panache for excellent timing could do well as a bounty hunter, if you ever wanted to jump off planet. I’d be happy to show you the ropes if you were ever interested.”

    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 713/3866 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 21st March 2021, 7:08 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Mercury could already tell that she was going to get into a bit of trouble with this guy. He was flirty and playful, which was already bad enough. Add to the mix his career as a mercenary, which certainly meant that he had his own ways of getting information on people, and that made him dangerous. Though perhaps, not to her. It had not taken long for her to pull up all the information she had available on the Jirian from her past dalliances outside of Earthland. There wasn’t much, and next to none of it was anything persona, but between the items she found and the verification of his bounty hunting license, it was more than enough to confirm that he really was who he said he was, which meant that he had not been sent here for her.

    Of course, knowing that he wasn’t necessarily a threat to her didn’t stop her from having questions. Mercury was a curious woman by nature, as well as a nosy one. She enjoyed learning things about people, unraveling their mysteries, piecing together all their secrets and histories. It was both a pastime that interested her as well as a means of survival. Knowledge was what allowed her to almost always be one step ahead, and given her experience she had learned a long time ago that there was no such thing as useless information. So, she asked him a bit about how he became a mercenary, or at least how most people found themselves indebted into the business. With a gentle nod, he informed that such was usually the first question he got, though she had phrased it more mindfully than others in the past, outright calling him a slave. In a way she could see how people might think that, but given how intimately familiar she was with the subject, Mercury knew quite well that the term did not apply in this case. After all, Hosrius had an end in sight, a light at the end of the tunnel that was his eventual freedom.

    Mercury did not.

    The Jirian explained that the answer was a bit complicated as it varied for everyone, but most people found themselves in the business simply because they owed someone a great deal of money. Many others started as actual slaves that were sold into the business, yet generously offered a chance to buy their freedom. Yet even more unlucky individuals knew nothing but the life of a bounty hunter, having inherited the debts from the sins of their parents. Mercury briefly wondered if any such scenarios applied to him, but before she could begin to speculate Horius opened up about his own experience. He explained how he had angered and disrespected some authoritative individuals in his life before, to the point where he had been presented with an ultimatum: Become an indentured bounty hunter, or stand trail for insubordination. He had picked the former, which had turned out to be the safer venture, despite how those who had condemned him believed he would die before ever repaying his debt.

    He admitted that it did get lonely at times, as she had said, but that was something he had grown used to. There were plenty of hobbies and interests he had picked up in the name of passing time and keeping himself occupied outside of the job, which apparently included the occasional run in with attractive officers. Mercury gave him a flirty little smirk over her coffee as she drank from the cup, emerald eyes dancing with interest even as he sipped his own tea and carried on. According to him, she would make a good bounty hunter herself, or at least he felt so given the little he had seen of her so far. If only he knew how right his assessment was. “Bounty hunting out in space, eh?” she asked, turning her head up toward the ceiling in consideration. “Can’t say that’s not tempting. I do love a good chase, and there’s nothing more satisfying than putting someone in a set of handcuffs.”

    She’d let that imagery sit for a moment before giving a soft, lamenting sigh. “Sadly, it’s not that easy to just pull up your roots and go. I certainly wouldn’t mind swapping a few trade skills with you sometime though, seeing what we could both learn from one another. If that happens to involve a little rope, well…” She shrugged lightly, giving him another little smirk.

    A gentle buzz on her iLac drew her attention away, picking up the device to glance at it, though it was really just a show. Mercury could only do so much interrogating right now before it would start to seem suspicious. She needed a natural exit to pull her away, and thus had wirelessly instructed her phone to go off. “Well, handsome, I hate to cut this short, but looks like duty is calling. I gotta get back to my shift. Lots of paperwork to do oh our dear friend Carson.” Placing some jewel on the table to cover her drink and a small tip, she wrote her number down on a corner of her notebook and ripped it off, handing it to him with a coy look. “Just in case you remember anything I should add to my report. Or in case you find yourself looking for company sometime after eight tonight.”

    She gave him a small wink before standing to her feet. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Hosrius. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.” And with that, she strolled out the door as coolly and confidently as she had arrived. Her mind was already configuring the outcomes of the interaction, wondering if she had sold enough for him to actually invite her out that night. She would be able to ask him a lot more questions with a lot less suspicion if he was the one to initiate the next meeting, and with any luck she had been captivating enough that he wouldn’t notice -- at least, not right away -- that she hadn’t interviewed any of the other people in the room that had been witnesses to his interaction with Carson. Only time would tell. She would just have to wait, and luckily Mercury was an extremely patient woman.

    WORDS: 1052/5492 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 21st March 2021, 8:17 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    Hosrius had a streak of being honest, almost to a fault. Sure, there were parts of his occupation that required that he lie and be dishonest with others, so as to gain information or to infiltrate some kind of organization. And he was good at it -- there was no denying how masterful he could weave deception. Yet when he didn’t need to be dealing out fibs, he didn’t. He was mostly an open book about his life and his journeys, willing to talk to anyone about them if they approached him the right way. A beautiful woman certainly had the upper hand in opening him up though and as Mercury was quickly finding out, she fit the bill. He didn’t go into too much detail about the reasoning of his being condemned to bounty hunting but that was mostly because it was overly complicated and filled with details that could very well go over her head. Boring an attractive woman who was earnestly interested in you was a quick way to lose any kind of points.

    He remarked that, given her capabilities, she could shoot for a position as a bounty hunter. Her ability to crack down on a fugitive with almost gleeful humor and sass would certainly get her recognized worlds over. She gave it some thought, earnestly taking his recommendation into consideration. She enjoyed the chase that came with hunting down criminals and she admitted that she enjoyed putting others in cuffs. It was a slight bit of flirtatious commentary that earned her a slight smirk from the Jirian before she lamented the fact that leaving so recklessly was not as easy as one might think. But she did seem genuinely interested in trading some knowledge with him and seeing what they could learn from one another. She left that bit of conversation with a tease of, once again, binding someone up. He hadn’t expected such outright imagery and obvious innuendos but he couldn’t deny he was enjoying them. “Understandable. I do have quite a bit of knowledge I’m willing to share. There are certainly some intergalactic takedowns you might enjoy for your other perps. So long as you don’t mind a little close contact and a bit of… stretching.”

    That was about all he had time to get out before her device buzzed, alerting her to a message. She looked at it and then admitted that she had to get back to work, as paperwork on her recently acquired collar was calling her, almost literally. She dropped some money on the table for Judy before she scribbled in her notebook and ripped it out, handing it to him. As he took it in hand, she told him it was in consideration of any more information he happened to remember that could be useful in a report. But then she added on that he was available that evening after eight, she was open to providing some company. She gave him a wink as she got to her feet. “Well, imagine that, it looks like my schedule is wide open all of a sudden,” he said with a smirk of his own. “Pleasure was all mine, Officer Decker.” And then, without attempting to hide it, he gave her a once over as she left.

    Yet something stuck out. As the door closed behind her, the Jirian’s eyes narrowed in curiosity. Given the event that had transpired and how seriously she had taken the situation, one would think that she would have gotten some quotes from other witnesses. He’d dealt with enough criminal investigations to know that information was key and getting quotes from all of the witnesses helped fill out a report. Yet she had only focused in on him… how interesting. She wasn’t new at her job he assumed, given how easily she had conducted her interrogation of Carson. Maybe the fact that he was an alien had just held her interest and made her forgo proper protocol? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Rather than think about it too much, he shrugged it away and focused back on his book.

    Of course, all of that came flooding back in his head once he returned to his ship. He’d decided that, if he was going to go into a more informal setting with Moira, he should look up some basic information about her. Standard protocol usually for Hosrius and she was easy enough to find. He scribbled down some notes for himself to keep in mind and continued to scroll. But then something happened; after some browsing, he finally came across an image. He had expected to find the attractive woman he’d spoken to not that much earlier. Instead, he found the image of an entirely different woman. She lacked all of the familiar features, a complete stranger against the woman he had met.

    So that begged the question; who was the fake Moira?

    Perhaps she was Carson’s partner, working an angle to have Hosrius take his guard down. Or maybe she was another mercenary trying to cash in on getting the bounty. Maybe she was even working for his target, attempting to figure out how much information he had and how close on the trail he was? There were a lot of possibilities and nothing provided a solid answer to minimize the options. That meant he had to consider them all viable. His curiosity was piqued though and he couldn't deny that the deception made the fake Moira that much more attractive, in a very dangerous way. Decided to play the game, he sent her a message, asking if she’d be interested in joining him for a drink that evening in the Neutral Grounds. He knew of another, much nicer restaurant that had some excellent coffee. It also happened to be on the outskirts of the city and was fairly unpopulated. A perfect place to plan a trap, if that was what she was doing. If anything, it should prove entertaining.

    Once the time came, he made his way over to the restaurant and set himself up at the bar. Another cup of tea was purchased but rather than reading a book, Hosrius chose to watch people. He did it as casually as he could, looking genuinely interested in the few people that were dining. In truth, he was watching all over, keeping an eye out for anyone or anything that seemed suspicious.

    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 1067/4933 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 4th April 2021, 1:33 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Her initial interview with Hosrius had not lasted very long, but Mercury was already more than satisfied with what she had turned up. There wasn’t so much as a hint of discrepancy in the files she had been able to pull up on the Jirian, and as such she knew that he was exactly what he said he was, and he was not there for anything to do with her. Of course, she was also interested in learning more about the others. He had mentioned that he wasn’t the only intergalactic bounty hunter on the planet, so of course the naturally curious woman was eager to look into any others as well. However, if they were people that he recognized as being part of the same system he was in then she was sure they were equally as unaware of and disinterested in her presence.

    At the end of the day, that meant that she was free to simply interact with Hosrius as she wished. Thankfully, ever since Vandrad had been promoted to an ace of Fairy Tail, she had found herself with a bit more free time as he suddenly had other duties he needed to tend to within the guild from time to time, things she couldn’t assist with. That meant she had an evening off. All she needed to do was pass some time until Hosrius hopefully reached out to confirm a meet up later that night. He didn’t send her an invite immediately, which was no surprise. The smart ones never messaged right away, if only out of fear that they would look desperate or something. It was a couple hours later that she received the message, inviting her to a different place in the neutral grounds that he claimed had excellent coffee. Careful not to play things too recklessly, she waited a good half an hour or so before replying, confirming the location and time and a simple, standard note about looking forward to seeing him again in less formal circumstances.

    The Xocili spent the rest of the afternoon at Silver Wolf getting some research work done and shooting the shit with a few of the Scholar members before she decided it was time to get going. It was still a little early for her coffee date, but a lifetime of being honed into a spy had built up habits that she probably would never be able to break even if she wanted to, including never going to a new place with a near stranger without scoping the location out first. Mercury preferred to get a read on a situation well in advance so she knew what she was walking into, so she made her way into the area plenty early. Finding a secluded spot on a rooftop out of the view of the people running about the city, she released a few tiny drones and sent them out to get the lay of the area, particularly the restaurant.

    What she found was… curious. The joint was toward the edge of town, and there was very little around it outside of a few other buildings and a small number of locals wandering about their daily lives. She couldn’t help but keep coming back to the thought that if she were going to set up an ambush somewhere, this would be the perfect place. That got her thinking. Had he already figured out she was a fraud? It was entirely possible. He’d certainly had the time, presuming that he probably had fairly decent resources. She had hoped that by merely giving him a couple hours to meet up again, rather than a couple days, that he would be too busy or preoccupied with his other hunt to look into her right away. Mercury had chosen an identity of an actual Rune Knight, one that didn’t have a lot of public face, in an effort to hold a curious researcher at bay a bit longer, but that didn’t mean that it would be very hard to discover the truth, not if he had made a halfway decent search into the other woman’s history with the Rune Knights. This was a trap. This had to be a trap.

    And yet, that made the prospect of going in to meet him again all the more exciting. There was a deep, shit eating smirk on her face as she carefully guided the drones to strategic locations and docked them there, controlling them wirelessly through her internal remote systems. As always, her drones were tiny enough that it was highly unlikely anyone would see them unless they specifically had some kind of ability or technology meant to detect such things -- and even then, they would be at a great disadvantage as her tech generally was far more advanced than what they had to work with, making it all the more difficult to trace. Once she essentially had eyes in various spots in a wide swath around the building and its surrounding location, as well as a couple inside the restaurant that she managed to sneak in when another customer opened the door, Mercury continued to sit back and wait for her date to arrive.

    When he got there, she observed as he went inside and ordered himself a cup of tea at the bar before sitting back and waiting patiently. She studied him only for a couple minutes, and had to admit that he didn’t appear to be too on edge. Yes he was watching people, but he did not seem to be shifting or glancing about with any sense of nervousness or suspicion. That didn’t mean anything, of course. If he made a living out of bounty hunting, then he was probably more than adept at remaining calm and collected in the face of adversity, something he had already proven earlier that day. Still, she saw no other movement around the building, either from potential accomplices nor from him. Once she had accepted that she would learn nothing more from watching from the shadows, she made her way down to the ground and strolled over to the restaurant.

    Mercury had changed out of her stolen police uniform, of course. Much more casual than before, she was sporting a loose pair of camel colored pants that hugged low on her hips with a simple pair of black and white tennis shoes. A forest green button up shirt with long sleeved mostly covered her upper torso, though the shirt was tied up at the midriff and the top few buttons were free, giving a modest view of her cleavage and the gear shaped tattoos that ran up one side of her neck and shoulder. The long sleeves were rolled up comfortably past her elbows, and there was a dark purple beanie on her head that was a deep contrast to the light lavender color of her hair. She had put on just a little bit of makeup to enhance her physical features, enough to be classy and flattering without coming off like she was trying too hard. Pausing just past the doorway, she panned her emerald gaze around only briefly before spotting Hosrius at the bar where the oversized alien stood out like a sore thumb.

    Smirking at him playfully, she casually made her way over to him. “You know, we’ve really got to stop meeting like this. People are going to talk.”

    WORDS: 1232 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 4th April 2021, 2:51 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    Hosrius had done very little in terms of actually scheming when it came to setting up the meet. Unlike Mercury, he relied more on his present attentiveness and experience to get him through most tough situations. But he didn’t leave everything up to luck; he deployed a stealth satellite that he, really, had been meaning to launch for some time but kept forgetting. It took a little bit of time for it to break into the atmosphere and deploy itself but once it was active, his computer alerted him. He plugged in the coordinates and relayed the transmission to his armband. With a live presentation of the restaurant right before his fingertips, he observed it on his way over, watching to see if anyone inside looked like they were setting up for an attack. Infrared let him know exactly where everyone was at any particular moment. Granted, he had no way of checking that once he was at the bar, as he saw no reason to bring his eyeglass. He managed to watch up until he was a block away and when he verified that nothing looked suspicious, he hid the armband and continued on his way.

    Once he was at the bar and settled, there was the undeniable feeling of being watched. Hosrius had worked on several planets where all eyes wound up plastered to him in suspicion, concern and disgust so it wasn’t anything new. Frankly he managed to hit all of the emotes in the room within the first couple of minutes. But there was a distinct difference between that feeling of staring and the other, more studious one. As if he was being observed from afar, carefully noted and considered beyond just being an alien. It only took him a few moments to accept that, clearly, the fake Moira was watching him. No doubt she had picked up on the design of the bar and figured he may have been planning a trap as well. That or she was observing to make sure her own plot was going according to plan. It was all very exciting and even before he saw her, an amused smirk was twisted on his face as he sipped from his tea and casually looked about the room.

    When she did arrive, she came in looking as unofficial as possible -- a task that he couldn’t help but appreciate. Though he was a man that enjoyed seeing a woman in uniform, there was something alluring about a woman that was in clothing that she was comfortable in. And fake Moira was more than fine showing off her body a little, what with her midriff showing and her shirt unbuttoned enough to give a modest view of her cleavage. As for him, he’d dressed a bit more comfortably than the armor he’d brought earlier in the day. He’d found a zipped up sweater that managed to fit him, though it required a bit of stretching and was a little tight around his chest and arms. The sleeves were also rolled up, near the elbows and he’d discarded the use of gloves, showing off his three-fingered hands. A simple pair of tight blue casual pants covered his legs and he opted to go without shoes, revealing his two-pronged feet to any that opted to look down.

    She teased him as she approached, remarking that they had to find better circumstances in which to meet, as people were liable to chatter about them. “Oh I imagine people are already talking -- though that may just be because I’m here. I usually wind up being the topic of most people’s conversations wherever I go,” he quipped back as he stood up and pulled out the stool he had saved for her. “I’m happy you kept your night open. Here I was worried I would have to compete to steal you away and I would have felt so bad for the otherside, after losing so badly.” Hosrius showcased the tiniest bit of bravado, giving her a playful and cheeky grin as he sat himself back down. “Whatever the lady wants is on me,” he told the bartender as he came over to see what his new patron would want.

    Once she had ordered, he turned to look at her. “I’ve only been here a handful of times but they have excellent service, so long as you don’t mind people staring at the two of us.”


    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 736 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 4th April 2021, 4:47 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    He certainly cleaned up well. Considering that the line regarding such things had been long since crossed in their last meeting earlier that day, Mercury didn’t bother hiding the wandering of her eyes as she took in the sight of his somewhat tight fitting sweater. In the process, she did a quick scan of his person, both with infrared and with x-ray scans, which revealed that he wasn’t armed with any surprises that she’d otherwise be unable to see. Interesting. He picked right off of her verbal cue, playfully remarking about how people were probably already talking, though it was entirely probably that was just because of him in general. And he was all too right. The Xocili could already hear a number of people around them whispering. Many of them had already been looking his direction and making general comments when she came in, but they had only increased since she made her way over and made it clear to those observing that she had come with the purpose of being in the strange alien’s company. My, how those whispers would increase if they knew that she wasn’t human, either. As it was the conversations were already running the gambit of suspicion to concern to scandal from the bits and snippets that she was catching with her sensitive hearing.

    She took the seat with her thanks as he pulled a stool out for her, then chuckled when he voiced how pleased he was that he had managed to secure some of her time, claiming he’d been worried about having to compete for it and put any such opposition to shame. “Well, your buddy Carson certainly tried. Not directly, mind you. He’s enjoying a nice, all inclusive stay at the local garrison for a couple days before getting shipped off to HQ in Era. However, by the time I was able to start working on my report it was quite the impressive bit of paperwork. He had a number of warrants out. For a while, I thought I was gonna wind up staying at the station overnight myself.”

    The barkeep swung by to inquire about an order, and before she could say anything Hosrius spoke up to inform the man that whatever she ordered was to be charged to his tab. “Well, aren’t you sweet?” Mercury smiled at him in appreciation before turning back to the man behind the counter. “I hear you have a rather impressive selection of coffee to feed my addiction. Surprise me with a dark roast of some kind? Regular is fine. No sugar, but I’ll take some creamer, please.”

    Once the man was off to get her beverage, the two were alone to talk once more and Hosrius wasted no time in striking up casual conversation again, informing her that he had only been to this place a handful of times but it was enough to commend their service, provided she didn’t mind having a few eyes on her. “Oh, I’m quite sure they’re more focused on you than on me, anyway,” the lavender haired woman replied with a smirk, shifting a bit on the stool so she could lean on the counter with one elbow and face him a bit more fully. “But if you’ve been here a few times and are still willing to come back then that says enough to me about the service. I imagine you get harassed a fair bit wherever you go. Not everyone around here is so close minded and judgemental. It’s not like humans are the only species, or even necessarily the most predominant one, around here… but, people are still people: stupid and fearful and judgemental of the things they don’t recognize or understand.”

    She shrugged, seemingly willing to accept the fallacies of her own species, though in truth it was a statement that really was not bound by one’s genetic origins. A person was smart, but people were dumb, panicky, and often times as dangerous as animals. The bartender came back with a steaming mug of joe and a small bowl filled with creamer packs, and Mercury’s eyes lit up in very genuine eagerness as she pulled back from the counter a bit to make room for the cup. Thanking the man, she gave the aroma a deep sniff and a small, “Mmm…” of appreciation hummed its way from her throat to her lips as she reached for a packet or two of the creamer and poured them inside. “Well, it’s not every day I run into someone not native to the planet. Don’t suppose you’d be open to quenching a woman’s curiosity and telling me a bit more about yourself?” Mercury stirred the creamer in gently with a spoon, her eyes darting up to him in interest. “Got any family? Maybe a long lost wife or a jilted ex-lover I need to be wary of?” Her smirk deepened and she gave him a teasing look before lifting the mug to her lips and taking a gentle sip after blowing a bit of the steam away.

    WORDS: 841/2073 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 4th April 2021, 5:44 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    As she sat down and got comfortable, he quipped about stealing her away from previous plans. She was quick to inform him that Carson, the mercenary that had attempted to hassle him, had attempted to keep her time, though not directly. Apparently all of his paperwork had become even more inclusive as she discovered how many warrants he truly had out for him so it took her some time to file it all correctly. She sold the story with such mastery that he was almost inclined to believe her, easily listening in and showing a sincere interest in her story. “The more a man is wanted, the more filing the arresting officer needs to complete. It’s a cruel bit of irony when it comes to taking public menaces off of the street. I imagine that’s the least fun you have on the job; sitting and typing up every single detail. Or is that something that ‘magic’ can take care of as well? The whole notion of supernatural abilities is a bit new to me and I’m still on the curve of learning.” It was an honest statement -- he’d only been there a few months, at most, so understanding magic was still fresh and raw. He’d certainly seen plenty of similar abilities on other planets but not quite like what was present on Earthland. “Nevertheless, I’m glad you were able to escape for a little bit.”

    Whether this was a trap or not, Hosrius did not forget his manners. He’d invited her out so it was on him to pay for whatever she ordered. If she was scheming and unleashed a plot against him, then at least he would give her a good impression before things went sour. He informed the bartender that her drink was on her tab and she turned to order a coffee, based on the glowing review he’d given her earlier on the place. As the man nodded and wandered off, they were left to talk to one another and he cautioned her about the perceived staring that would certainly accompany the evening. She said that she imagined it was more focused on him rather than her anyways and he chuckled, nodding along with the statement. Even he could hear the muttering from the minimal crowd around them, the talking increased by the fact that a human female had come to meet him on what most people may have assumed was a date of some kind. She continued, remarking on how he was most likely harassed most places he went and stated that not everyone was as conservative. She recognized that humans weren’t the only intelligent species on Earthland, or clearly in the universe, but people as a group weren’t the most wise. That trait wasn’t shared just by humanity but she was right; large groups of people, as a body, generally were open to fear and misconception rather than a single person.

    It was a deeply philosophical stance from one so young looking and human. Then again, she was still the most calm human he had met since he’d arrived on Earthland, save for Saffron. But that’s about where the comparisons came to an end; he knew Saffron had told him the truth, having gone and verified her existence and all. This fake Moira had deceived not only him but a criminal as well, perhaps for the sole purpose of getting to the Jirian. It was a tactic he was impressed and was even a bit flattered by. “People are afraid of what they don’t know. Strange and unusual is terrifying at face value. It’s a close-minded way of looking at things but it is, unfortunately, a universal trait. Luckily, I’ve had hundreds of years to get over any kind of cynicism I may have had when I was younger,” he remarked with a chuckle before taking a sip from his tea once more.

    Her coffee arrived a few moments after that, the fake Rune Knight authentically overjoyed at the sight. She turned to take a deep inhale from the cup, sounding her appreciation before she started depositing creamer into the dark, steaming liquid. She spoke up, commenting once more on the unique opportunity to meet someone from off world. She asked if he’d be amenable to some questions, mostly about himself. “A gentleman is always open to quenching a woman’s curiosities,” he stated simply as he placed the tea back on the bar and looked over at her, a devious twinkle in his gaze. She turned her attention to his family or possibly an ex-lover or spouse that she should be concerned about? He chuckled. “A few lovers over the course of a few planets but nothing serious. I’m very upfront about the fact that I don’t remain on planets long and any liaisons are temporary, no matter how fun and interactive they may be. Both of my parents passed long ago… I have a brother and sister but it has been centuries since I’ve seen them. Part of my conviction was that I have no interaction with people from my past, though that hardly stops me from bending the rules.”

    “I’ve had one consistent… I suppose ‘friend’ is the word one could use to describe him. He’s more of a professional rival who occasionally winds up becoming my partner. Overall he’s a decent Scengar, which I know you have no idea what that means. He’s basically one giant… I think the word is dinosaur. It’s hard to explain.” He shook his head as he chuckled, reaching over to take his tea and gently swirl it about the cup. “And how about you? When you’re not saving aliens from the wicked criminals of your planet, do you have a family to go home to? Perhaps your own lover or husband that I can undermine for the sake of wooing you?”


    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 975/1711 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 5th April 2021, 5:01 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Mercury grinned at him as he touched on the paperwork and wondered if magic at least helped her out with that. Like she had done upon first arriving on Earthland, magic was taking a bit for him to fully grasp. “I suppose there are probably some magics out there that can help with stuff like that. No two magics are exactly alike as far as I’ve ever been able to tell, and I’ve seen some weird shit that you would be flabbergasted to learn is a form of magic. But for me, no I still have to type out everything by hand. Thankfully, I’m pretty decent when it comes to technology so typing out reports is one of my strong suits.”

    It wasn’t a complete lie. Sure she didn’t do reports for the Rune Knights, but outside of that she had an awful lot that she needed to do for Silver Wolf in that regard and oftentimes she didn’t have the luxury of just formulating the documents in her head. They chatted a bit about the general reactions he typically got from natives when he was on a strange new world, the Jirian agreeing with her assessment about groups of people being more easily spooked and judgemental toward new things. It had perhaps bothered him once upon a time to be greeted with such suspicion and hostility everywhere he went, but after a few hundred years he had learned to simply stop caring about it. People were people, and there was nothing he could do to change that, so it seemed he had simply taken to going about his own way and minding his own business until otherwise forced into a scene.

    As Mercury stirred the white liquid into her coffee, the bittersweet aroma tantilizing her nose like crazy, she inquired if she could probe him with a bit more curiosities. Unsurprisingly, he was more than amenable, even stating that it was only gentlemanly to quench her thirst -- yet another not so subtle innuendo between them, and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last. She asked him a bit about his family, making a teasing comment about potential lovers to be on the lookout for, and it drew a small laugh from him. He admitted he’d had the odd romantic tangle here and there over the years, but given that he was constantly moving from planet to planet he had never really had anything serious. He’d always had to be pretty up front about not being able to stay in one place for too long, which meant he’d been able to play around from time to time but never really form anything lasting with anyone, at least romantically. His parents had died some time ago, and while he still had living siblings the circumstances of his punishment forbade him from ever speaking to them again, nor anyone else that he knew once upon a time.

    The Xocili frowned thoughtfully, thinking that was a bit of an extreme punishment, but did not interrupt as he continued, quietly sipping from her drink. Hosrius admitted to having a friend of sorts, more a rival than anything else, that he was at least friendly with. A Scengar. Mercury of course knew exactly what a Scengar was, as she had run into a few in the past. They were overall an extremely violent bunch that thrived on warfare and confrontation, whether it be against outsiders or one another. They weren’t necessarily unfriendly -- they just got a kick out of beating the living shit out of one another. But of course, she couldn’t give away that she knew what he was discussing, so Mercury allowed her brows to furrow slightly in amusement and curiosity as Hosrius described the other man. “A dinosaur?” she repeated, tilting her head briefly toward the ceiling as though envisioning her best interpretation of what he’d detailed. “I’m not sure if that sounds more terrifying or badass.”

    She chuckled to herself, taking another sip of the delicious brew as he turned the question back around on her. At the mention of potential lovers on her end that he might have to consider distracting her form, she snorted lightly into the cup, having to put a little honest effort into keeping herself from choking on the liquid in laughter. “As much as I appreciate your eagerness to play the part of homewrecker, I am quite single,” she told him, smirking up at him playfully before carrying on with a bit of honesty on her part. The real Moira didn’t exactly have a love life to speak of, at least not anything that was available with a bit of researching, so she could really answer that kind of question however she wanted. “Commitment ain’t exactly my thing. I enjoy having the freedom to play around without strings, and honestly my work is, more often than not, too involved to leave much time or energy for anything more than that. Maybe someday.”

    Mercury shrugged. “As far as family, my parents are still alive and well, enjoying retirement in Oshibana. Got a couple older brothers that are both married with kiddos of their own. I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like, but we make time for special occasions: birthdays, holidays, the usual.” That part of her answer was, of course, tailored to the truth of the real Moira. The Xocili wasn’t convinced just yet that this wasn’t some kind trap, and until it was established with certainty that he knew she wasn’t who she had told him she was, she was going to continue to play the part -- if only to see if he would continue to press and test her on it.

    Taking another drink from the mug with an appreciative hum, Mercury once more shifted a bit in her seat to give him his full and undivided attention, a simple but effective method of body language that she liked to use when she was working to deflect conversation away from herself and onto her present company. Most of the time, the people she cased and spent time with were far too caught up in the attention to notice, but there were a few that were able to read such things and play around them, sometimes even masterfully. Gren was one such recent example, and Mercury had a suspicion that Hosrius was about to be another. Still, that didn’t make her interest any less authentic as she gently spoke up. “So, am I allowed to ask about the conviction? Is that too much of the wrong kind of hot and heavy for a first date? Sorry, I am just awful at small talk. Tend to go right for the meat and gravy of meeting new people. It just strikes me as a bit intense that they would forbid you from seeing what’s left of your family ever again, particularly given the apparent longevity of your race. You had said something earlier about like… insubordination or something? Complete and utter banishment seems a steep payment for something that sounds so petty on the surface.”

    WORDS: 1186/3259 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 5th April 2021, 5:58 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    As he had supposed, there were most likely all sorts of magics in the world that could have helped with filing, though based on her words she didn’t seem to possess them. She went on to say that no magic were alike, each unique in its fashion and she had seen some very interesting and shocking forms of magical power. All of that was to say that she still had to type her report out by hand, a feat that wasn’t too challenging and even seemed to be something she excelled at. As someone who hadn’t gotten a chance to see magic up close and personally, beyond that of a necromancer summoning ghosts, his genuine curiosity was piqued. “Well, if  you don’t mind me asking, what kind of magic do you have? I’d love to see it for myself someday, when we’re not stuck in a portion of the planet where magic doesn’t seem to work.”

    Their conversation carried on, touching upon the familiarity of people distrusting foreign bodies and entities. It was a notion they both understood, seemingly personally. It wasn’t that humans lacked the ability to recognize their own ridiculous ways of viewing the world but it was a deeply maintained observation, coming from one who looked quite young. Nonetheless, he was happy to agree with her, understanding that it was simply easier to stay out of the way unless brought into the issue. Luckily, he usually was able to avoid confrontations but given that Earthland wasn’t a part of the intergalactic community, he imagined he would face more than a few instances of aggressive instigators getting in his face.

    She wanted to know more about him, namely about his family and teasingly about his former flames. He was happy to report that he was single and seemed set on remaining so, given his occupation. He had living siblings but given the restrictions of his condemnation, he hadn’t seen them in quite some time. He then touched upon Grubar, explaining very little about the odd friendship he had with the towering alien. He did his best to put it into terms that she would understand, finding a comparison that he’d read about from her planet. She did her best to try and imagine it and admitted that she wasn’t sure if that was more scary or awesome. “He likes to think of himself as quite the thug and to his credit, he has the look. Most people are more willing to run away from him than me so I guess it’s safe to say I’m the better looking of us both,” he quipped at his friend’s expense, chuckling.

    He turned the inquiries on her, wanting to know more about the Moira in front of him, or at least this version of her. It was hardly a test, though he supposed it was a way of following through on that as well. He admitted that if she was married or committed that he wasn’t against bending and breaking some rules and she cheekily remarked about her appreciation for him to liven things up before she stated she was single. Apparently she was very much like him; commitment wasn’t in the cards and she enjoyed being able to move about freely, without restrictions and strings. Given her profession, it made sense that any idea of a firm, solid love life was a bit of a challenge. He nodded and raised his tea to her. “To those that can have their cake and eat it too… I believe that’s the phrase you humans use. Though I am not quite a fan of real cake, if I’m being honest.” It was an odd, bumbling cheers but it got his point across.

    She continued, talking a bit about ‘her’ family that resided in Oshibana. All of the facts matched up with the real Moira, which was hardly surprising. The true pros didn’t take a person’s identity and not perform their research to truly sell the role. And to her credit, the fake Moira spoke with such genuine confidence that it was almost believable. They each took a moment to enjoy their drinks before she once more turned to him, giving him her undivided attention. It was a slight move that was meant to reel him in, to have him get lost in the fact that she wanted to know all about him. It was genius really; a tactic that true workers practiced and mastered to direct the focus off of them. Bounty hunters, spies, prostitutes, politicians, a fair number of occupations required the ability to draw another person’s attention into a singular direction, like a river flowing down in a single path.

    And she was good too -- she turned her attention to his punishment, the very reason that had put him into the life of a bounty hunter and brought him here. She admitted that she wasn’t sure if that was too involved for a first date, stating that she was terrible with small talk. She liked to dive right in and honestly, he was pretty sure that was true -- at least wanting to know the deeper, inner workings. If she considered herself bad at small talk, he had several people he could think to introduce her to so that she got a better opinion of herself -- Grubar included. She admitted that the punishment seemed severe, considering the charge that he had been convicted of. He nodded softly, deciding to fall into the trap of the focus, so as not to seem too suspicious. “Usually most women wait until after they got me into bed to ask that question but I feel like that’s because they’re worried I’ll get offended. No worries though; I’m sure we can find something else to talk about if we get that far,” he said with another cheeky twinkle in his eye. “To cut a very long and involved story short, I was in command of a small fleet of ships. It was my shot at proving I was upper officer material. I was ordered to glass a village that was supposedly filled with insurgents. Instead I found it was filled with innocent villagers who weren’t even involved in our conflict. My superiors still insisted I take it out, a show of faith and commitment to the organization. And I did destroy the village… after I evacuated the natives to a different spot on the planet. I was found out and took full custody of the blame.”

    Hosrius gave a small shake of his head. “The ironic part is, several members of the tribunal wound up becoming targets eventually. They were all crooked, that much I understood and I was more than happy to bring to light just how corrupt they were. But unfortunately judgements do not get overturned; you work out your sentence until it is paid. Then the debt is gone and you are no longer considered an outcast. Admittedly not the greatest system in the galaxy but I’m in no position to change that.”

    He took another sip from his tea and took a moment to just enjoy it. “So… it’s safe to call this a first date then? Here I was, hoping I wasn’t being too presumptive in thinking that I was taking a beautiful woman out for a date. Usually it takes me a few months before I manage to convince anyone to go out with me. A new record, I suppose.”


    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 1239/2950 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 11th April 2021, 5:14 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    He asked what kind of magic she used, and it was once again a question that she could answer honestly. Or well, as honestly as she ever did.  Mythal and Serilda were typically pretty good at keeping the abilities of their Knights more or less a secret, not the type to show the hands of their army, though there obviously wasn’t much they could do in that regard when it came to more notable members of the militia, up to and including themselves. Still, the real Moira wasn’t much of a public figure, ergo no one really knew a whole lot about what her magic actually was. This left Mercury free to respond in regard to herself, though the knowledge of what magic she did have still wasn’t something she passed around, even if there were a small handful of people that now knew she was capable of manifesting magic rather than just utilizing enchanted items.

    “Well, I’d happily show you my magic, except I don’t have any.” Mercury shrugged, the lie rolling as smoothly off her tongue as the simple shrug of her shoulders, words she’d said so many times that she could sell it to near about anyone that didn’t have some kind of ability like she did to actively pick up on when people were lying. “I’ll occasionally use some items that were imbued with magic by someone else, but my strengths lie almost entirely here-” She raised her hands up, giving her fingers a meaningful wiggle before lifting one up further to tap her temple. “-and here. And with my gun, I suppose, but I made that myself so I feel like that counts under the asset of my hands.”

    She winked at him with a smirk. “Anyway, to put it simply I’m more of an engineer than a mage. You’re more than welcome to take a look at some of the stuff I’ve made, I suppose, but I don’t have any of that here. Seemed rude to bring my gun to a nice little outing like this.”

    Hosrius expanded a bit on his Scengar pal, who liked to carry himself as a brute. To be fair, he probably was. Mercury knew what Scengar looked like, and it was certainly a fitting term, and not just for their looks. He playfully commented on how people were always more likely to run away from his ally than from himself, which Hosrius could only assume meant he was the more handsome between the two of them. Mercury chuckled along with him. “Well, if I happen to run into him I’ll make sure to take a good look so I can confirm that for you.”

    He made his toast, earning another small laugh from the woman who gently clanked her coffee mug against his tea cup. “Well, real cake isn’t for everyone. I enjoy it, personally, but it’s definitely heavy on the sugar. If you haven’t gotten the chance to yet, you should give cheesecake a try. It’s completely different, and much better in my opinion.” She took a sip from her coffee to complete his toast and answered his questions with a mixture of truths and fibs before effortlessly diverting the attention away from herself and back onto him. He admitted with a mischievous smirk that most women were usually too afraid to pull that question out until after they’d gotten what they wanted out of him, though that didn’t seem to put him off at all. Hosrius just stated simply that they could find something else to discuss after a sexual liaison, should it come to that between them, leaving Mercury with a small, impish grin on her face.

    From there, he wove the tale about how he had been sentenced for essentially refusing to follow bad orders. Or at least, refusing to follow them to a tee. He was discovered almost immediately upon utilizing the loophole he’d made for himself, and even though his actions had led to the exposure of a number of corrupt leaders, the truth had come too little too late to save him from banishment. He still had to serve his sentence, and nothing in the universe was going to change that for him. Mercury gave him a sober nod, genuinely appreciating the story. “Sad to say, it’s rare if not impossible to find someone in a position of authority that isn’t some level of crook. But, it seems like the sentence was worth it to you. That, or you’ve had long enough to make peace with it. For what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing. Not everyone is brave enough to stand up to their superiors.”

    There was a brief, comfortable silence as the two enjoyed their glasses before Hosrius inquired about her words regarding their little outing being a first date, having hoped he wasn’t being presumptuous about assuming that a pretty woman electing to spend time with him meant she was interested in him more than just platonically. The Jirian admitted it usually took him a few months to get a date at various planets, presumably because it took some women a while to get past the “alien” factor. Mercury laughed lightly. “What can I say? I’m adventurous. Besides, it only took about five minutes of talking to you to confirm that you are vastly more interesting than most of the people I deal with on a daily basis, and I don’t mean racially -- though I suppose I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t part of it.” She shrugged. Of course an alien was going to be interesting, but there was more to it than that. He was charming, flirty, humorous, collected… most everything about him had intrigued her, as was evidenced by the fact that she was even here when all she’d intended on doing before was vetting him to ensure he wasn’t a threat to her before disappearing again.

    Flicking her emerald eyes to him once more, she lifted her cup up to her lips, looking at him teasingly over the rim without drinking right away. “Play your cards right, Ace, and maybe we’ll see what other records of yours we can break tonight.” She casually took another drink.

    WORDS: 1037/4296 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    Last edited by Mercury Arseneault on 11th April 2021, 6:22 pm; edited 1 time in total


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
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    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
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    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 11th April 2021, 5:59 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    So the fake Moira was an engineer. Hosrius didn’t know if the real Moira had kind of engineering capabilities; that wasn’t something that he could have easily found out in the short amount of time he had. No, it seemed that the woman in front of him was being open and honest about herself rather than playing towards the part she had assumed. It didn’t necessarily mean that the deception was over but it was clear that the fake Moira believed he was in a comfortable enough position to open up a bit about her own abilities. To the Jirian, that was fine -- if anything, it meant that he was learning more about the woman that had intrigued him in the first place. A name was only a name after all.

    Whether she was doing that to lower his guard or not, that was still out with the jury. But until he caught on to any kind of plot, he decided to continue forward as if there wasn’t one. No point in jumping at phantoms. “So they can imbue items with magic as well? That’s fairly impressive… and a bit scary. I know a lot of people that would pay lots of credits to acquire such power. But that’s neither her nor there, though I am greatly interested in seeing just how talented you are with your hands, if that truly is where your skills lie.” He gave her a cheeky smirk as he casually tossed out another double entendre. “In addition, you might be just the woman I need. The whole reason we even met was due to my looking for someone who could help me with repairs for my weapon. I’m handy but generally my focus is on bigger weapons; ones that are attached to ships.”

    He took a brief moment to tease Grubar, despite his presence being absent and the fake Moira informed him that if she ever met the other mercenary, she would have to inspect him for herself. He chuckled softly. “Oh I’m sure you will. Grubar has a way of drawing a lot of attention to himself. Law enforcement gets to know him very well on most if not all planets he goes to.” Whether that first meeting would be the violent type, who could tell. But the Scengar’s track record for getting in trouble with the law was pristine in the worst way and he doubted that Earthland would be the planet to break his streak. At the very least, he was giving his friend an opportunity ahead of time to have someone on the law enforcement side who knew who and what he was.

    He regaled her with the story of how he’d wound up in his current situation, cutting out the fat from the meaty tale and giving her the facts as straight as possible. It wasn’t a pleasant story but then again, that was easily deduced by the fact that he’d explained earlier that his occupation was more punishment than choice. She admitted that it was hardly a surprise to learn some of the people that had damned him to his position had eventually wound up as targets and she assumed that it had worked out for him or he’d, at least, had the time to relieve himself of the anguish. She also told him that she felt he had done the right thing, as most people would simply follow orders and never disobey their superiors. “Insurrection among the members of my race is taboo, as it is believed that you’re not only betraying your unit and group but the planet as a whole. We’ve suffered attempted invasions before and it was only through the unity of our entire world that we managed to survive and become a stalwart member of the galactic community. As such, loyalty is the highest and most required virtue.” He paused as his eyes trailed to the side slightly, lost in thought. “I was angry, for a time. My family understood why I had done what I’d done but my friends turned against me like everyone else. The idea that I could be tossed out like garbage, only to be welcomed back as if nothing had happened after my sentence was over not only didn’t make sense but infuriated me. Alas, I grew past it. I can’t say that I’ll go back home but it will be a relief to be able to make my own choices and go where I want.”

    Hosrius was talking as if he’d already successfully captured his bounty, a moment of pride that bordered on arrogance. But his track record of captures and kills was pristine and despite other bounty hunter’s attempts to get in his way or steal the target out from under him, he’d always come out on top. At this point, he simply accepted that there was a good chance he was going to succeed while others failed. It helped that he spoke of it with careful modesty, his ego unwilling to swell despite a record that should rightfully make him a legend. As he refocused himself and took part in the moment of peaceful silence between them, he managed to finish his tea and deposited the cup on the bar. He turned his attention to her remark on their meeting being a ‘date’, making light of the word as if it was something to be more amused over than take seriously.

    To her credit, she stated that she was the adventurous type, as well as the fact that he was apparently more interesting than others she interacted with during the day. She stated that it wasn’t just his racial differences, though there was that and it was hardly worth denying. “That is fair. I’ll admit, you’re only one of two humans that has been so bold as to approach and converse with me without freezing up. On a serious note, it takes more people I encounter on other planets some time to warm up to me and I to them. So it’s refreshing to meet someone so open-minded and conversational. The bonus is that she’s a beautiful woman, so who can complain about that?”

    At the mention of record, she turned a flirty gaze to him and stated that if he continued to do well, there was a chance he could break ‘other’ records, which was about as coy as a naked Scengar racing down the street. He smirked and chuckled softly. “Well I usually keep my A game until the second date; build upon first impressions and all that. I suppose I’ll just have to try a little harder then. So long as you think you are up to meet the challenge.” He gave her his own naughty little look before he leaned back slightly. “So tell me, as I’ve never had a chance to ask an officer before -- what made you want to join the Rune Knights? Was it some event or was it the drive and desire to protect the innocent?”

    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 1168/4118 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 11th April 2021, 7:56 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    “Asking me to handle your gun already, eh?” Mercury smirked at him, her eyes dancing. “Are you sure that’s wise? For all you know, I’m one of the people trying to steal it. Maybe I’m just here to lure you in with my womanly wiles to get you to drop your guard.” She spun casually in her seat with a devious smirk until she could lean back against the bar comfortably, one elbow propping her up while the other arm raised her cup to her lips for a drink. “Teasing aside, I’d love to take a look at your weapon, though. Not sure if I’ll be able to do anything for it, but won’t really know until I try, I suppose.”

    Her patience paid off when it came to getting more information about one of the other potential bounty hunters on the planet. Chatting about the Scengar briefly yielded the name Grubar, which Mercury immediately tossed into her databanks, searching the name along with a few other key words to see what came up. She got results pretty quickly, and humorously enough a lot of it was a number of galactic arrest records, which lined up with her date’s commentary on his history with law enforcers. There were lots of mug shots accompanying them, and he looked pretty damn pleased with himself in most of them. Outside of that, it was most of the same as what she’d found on the Jirian: He was definitely an official bounty hunter, and while his record wasn’t as consistent as Hosrius’, he was still nominally successful, it seemed.

    Mercury laughed. “Well, he may want to tread a little more lightly, here. I can’t say that he’ll be discriminated against for being what he is necessarily; there’s a lot of intelligent species native to earth, and not all of them are human. That being said, the Knights are run by two of the most powerful mages alive, and they are not the type of people that think the ground pounding work is beneath them. They’re fair people, don’t get me wrong, but they are not the kind of people whose bad side you wanna be on. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’m fairly sure the director could crack the planet in half with his fist if he tried, and the field marshal… well, we’ll just say I’ve only seen her lose her cool and get angry once… and I would rather not repeat the experience.”

    It was professional advice for both of them really, and probably the best they could hope to get in dealing with Earthland. Mercury had complete faith that Mythal and Serilda would ensure that both Hosrius and Grubar would be treated fairly in their custody, as they took their integrity and responsibilities seriously. That being said, she was also quite sure that neither of them would hesitate to deal with a proven threat to their people. And what were a couple aliens in comparison to gods, demons, and nephilim?

    Horius opened up a bit more about his culture and the reason why insubordination was taken so seriously. According to him, there had been attempted invasions of his homeworld in the past, and the only reason they had survived and maintained their freedoms was because the entire planet had come together under a united banner of loyalty that became a paramount virtue in their society ever since. After a moment of thought, his words softened a little and he admitted that at first he had been quite angry over the sentence. While his family had understood, the people he’d thought were his friends had not, and they had all turned their backs on him without hesitation. He simply couldn’t wrap his head around the concept of people thinking of him as an enemy of the state only to turn around after his time had been served and supposedly welcome him back with open arms. And Mercury had to admit, the entire concept was a bit ludicrous and unrealistic. But after enough time, he had gotten over it. Hosrius admitted he would probably never return home, but the knowledge that he could some day, should he so choose, was enough for him.

    “Sounds like there wouldn’t be much left there for you anyway. Your ‘friends’ sound like grade A assholes… but at least it sounds like your family will be waiting for you once you’re free to talk to them again. That’s more important, if you ask me.”

    Once that conversation had moved on to less weighty things, the Jirian informed her that there had only been one other human so far that hadn’t blanched at the first sight of him. Usually it took him a lot longer to establish a respect and rapport with the natives on most planets, and he was finding himself pleasantly surprised that Earthland was breaking the mold in that department, if only with a couple people. By his own admission, it helped that she was beautiful. Mercury grinned. “Certainly not me. I never turn down the chance to talk to a good looking woman. And luckily for you, I know a lot of them that are just as adventurous and open minded as I am. If my best friend were here right now, she’d have already talked us both out of our clothes. And if she was being patient, she’d have waited until after we left the restaurant.”

    Monica certainly wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty in public. In fact, she was a pretty bad influence on Mercury in that regard, not that the Xocili made any effort to resist the temptation. Hosrius chuckled at her rather open suggestion that they might very well spend a bit more intimate time with one another later, explaining that he usually waited until the second date before trying to woo a woman out of her pants, but given as she was basically giving him the green light he’d be sure to step up his game. Presuming, of course, that she was up for it. Her smirk turned sly, perhaps even a bit on the dangerous side, as she gave him a look that had just a hint of knowingness to it. “Trust me, handsome. I love few things more than a good challenge.”

    Was there an implication to her words, perhaps some kind of subtle acknowledgement of the game of subterfuge they were playing together? It was possible. It was also entirely possible that she was just a woman that was always seeking some kind of next big thrill and enjoyed flirting with danger, which is certainly what Horius was probably used to most people outside of his species treating him as. Her performance earlier with Carson certainly would lend credence to that theory. Still, it would be interesting to see how he reacted to the statement, if only so she could try to confirm some of her own theories about what he may or may not have put together about the woman he’d thought he’d met.

    It was convenient, in that regard, that his next question to her was asking why she had chosen to join up with the Rune Knights. Mercury hadn’t necessarily prepared an answer in advance for this question, but at this point she was so good at adlibbing that she didn’t really need to have one. The best lies were the ones that were laced with truth, after all, so all she really needed to do was stick with what would seem more honest for herself rather than crafting some complicated story. “Would you think less of me if I admitted it was just because every other career option sounded like it would get infuriatingly dull after a while?” She gave him a wry smirk, taking a strategic sip of her coffee to buy herself a second or two to formulate the rest of her answer.

    “I won’t pretend I’m the most compassionate person in the world. Protecting people that can’t protect themselves is certainly nice, and there’s a certain level of satisfaction that comes from it, of course. But at the end of the day, I like the danger. Most other options seem mundane in comparison. Plus, having access to the Knight’s resources is nothing to scoff at. But at the end of the day, it was the only job that sounded like it would keep my interest.”

    WORDS: 1398/5694 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 13th April 2021, 10:00 am



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    At his offer to let her see and perhaps work on his firearm, she was quick to tease him about it, settling into another quip that was surely an innuendo. But she followed it up with a semi-serious question, about whether it was smart to let her get her hands on it? After all, it was entirely possible that she was putting up a front and was actually part of the number that wanted to steal it from him. She admitted it could be as simple as she was trying to distract him with her wiles so that his guard would falter. He chuckled softly. “That is entirely possible but that only makes it more fun, doesn’t it? The thrill of the danger, the intrigue, the possibility of deception and having to work your way out of it? One might argue it’s the best aphrodisiac.” He was playing with her just as much as she was with him, giving her a wry smirk before she revealed that she was simply teasing. She would love to see the weapon but admitted that she wasn’t sure just how much she could do with it. “Experimentation is always the best means of getting to a result.” He let loose his own little double entendre.

    As he explained a bit more about Grubar, the fake Moira insisted that the Scengar should take care of how he acts on Earthland. She wasn’t sure just how far discrimination would cause issues but it seemed that the Rune Knights were controlled and operated by two of the more powerful people on the planet. He made a mental note to research the Knights a bit more when he returned to his ship, now more than a little curious about them. She enlightened him further in more specific means, talking separately about the director and the field marshal. It was a decent amount of professional advice that seemed to not only be passed along but taken to heart for himself. It was curious that, for a woman pretending to be a Rune Knight, she had a decent idea of each one of the people in charge. It seemed almost personal, as if she knew them outside of their placement within the organization. Maybe that was why she was so comfortable impersonating a Rune Knight; she had a close connection that opened up the possibility of exposure. It made sense, even if he didn’t have real evidence to back it up.

    After his short monologue about his views and beliefs behind his banishment, the fake Moira remarked that his decision to not return home was probably smart. As she saw it, based on his own words, his friends didn’t seem very reliable or loyal. If anything, it was a good thing he had family that hadn’t turned against him. He nodded. “My brother and sister never wavered once. Unfortunately it has brought them misery -- enough so that they had to settle off the world but they seem happier for it. I’m glad for them and am looking forward to finally being able to see them without crowding inside of an alley or a pitch black bar.”

    Hosrius paid his respects to her ability to just approach him without issue, admitting that only one other person had done so. At his comment about her looks, she admitted that even she wouldn’y shy away from talking to a good looking woman. As if that wasn’t surprising enough, she went on to explain that she knew a fair amount of women that were adventurous and open minded like her, her insinuation hard to miss. Her best friend, as she put it, would have already attempted to talk them into stripping, be it at the bar or after they had departed, depending on how she was inclined. The Jirian’s brow rose slightly. “Well I guess that you’re the lady to know then, aren’t you?” he quipped amusingly. Still, while he didn’t regard sex as a terribly important factor in his life, he wasn’t going to deny that if the opportunity arose to partake more than once, he couldn’t see himself turning it down.

    They shared a bit of flirty banter over the possibility of breaking records and his comment about rising to meet a challenge. It was hard to tell if it was merely meant to be charming and flirtatious on the face of things or if it carried some deeper, underlying meaning. She seemed quite layered with her words, despite playing it off that she was simply trying to break the ice and tease him. She seemed genuine in her interest and there was no doubting that he’d encountered that almost everywhere he went. As an alien species visiting a new world, he was treated with caution, concern and intrigue. And there were always men and women that were enamored with the idea of playing with that dangerous mystery, especially once they learned what he did. “Oh I don’t doubt it. You seem quite willing to rise and meet a challenge head on, no matter what it entails.” It was an idle comment that one might make to compliment their date. But, considering the situation they were in, it certainly seemed like it could carry more weight than just that, even if his tone didn’t betray that much.

    He turned his attention to her choice of career, curious to what had drawn her into the policing force for the country. She asked him if he’d think less of her for admitting that she honestly just wanted something more thrilling and the Rune Knights seemed like the best option. “Not at all,” he said with a laugh, truly amused by the statement. She continued on after taking a sip from her drink, stating that she wasn’t what one would call the queen of compassion. She didn’t turn down the opportunity to protect innocent people, as it did fulfill some kind of internal satisfaction. But she really had come to her decision based on the danger, the thrill of the chase and the hunt. She didn’t seem to like the idea of being bored and safe, in addition to having the mass of resources that came from being an officer of the law. In the end, she needed something that would stimulate her and he nodded with her comment.

    “You do seem like a woman in need of vigorous stimulation,” he started out, giving her a wry smirk before he continued. “So many people enjoy feeling safe, both in their livelihoods and their occupations, that it’s refreshing to come across someone that enjoys the challenge. Rather than settle in and simply exist, you choose to continually put yourself to the test with the world around you, based on situations that come from enforcing the law. Trust me, I know exactly how you feel. Impersonating a law enforcement officer was some of the most fun I’d ever had as well and I’ve had to do it several times before.” He turned to face the bar and tapped his clawed finger on the wooden surface. The barkeep turned towards him with interest. “Another tea, if you wouldn’t mind. And perhaps another coffee for the lady,” he said, offering Mercury the opportunity to get herself another drink.


    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS: 200 to finish up the A rank. 1009 carried over 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 18th April 2021, 1:14 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    Apparently, the fallout of his actions and the subsequent hearing for it had heavily impacted not just himself, but his family as well. His siblings had chosen to stay by his side, and while it was surely admirable, it had caused them to be alienated almost as much as he had, to the point where they had practically been forced into self exile in order to escape the constant persecution. That being said, Hosrius claimed that it had been a good change for his family, and that they had been thriving on their own, away from their toxic homeland. Still, that didn’t mean they could break the rules of his punishment willy nilly. They still had to meet in secret in order to protect themselves until the time came where they no longer had to hide any more. “I can imagine. Must be a real pain in the ass to have to keep a constant eye over you shoulder just to get in some fleeting time with your loved ones.”

    Mercury explained a little bit in teasing fashion about her connection to the people of the Lusty Titans and how there were a lot of women she knew that, like her, would not shy away from the Jirian in any sense of the word. In fact, he would probably be pretty popular if he visited the guild, and she insinuated that rather openly, causing him to raise a curious brow in her direction. At the mention of her clearly being the woman to know, Mercury’s lips parted in a teeth baring, shit eating grin. “I have my connections,” she quipped innocently, though there was nothing innocent about the pleased expression on her face. The look only heightened with the continued banter between them.

    Finally, he got around to asking her about why she had supposedly joined the Knights. Mercury couldn’t tell much just yet if he was trying to subtly interrogate her to validate the authenticity of her identity -- or lack thereof -- or if he was just genuinely curious to get to know the woman before him that he believed to be a cop. She answered the inquiry with a simple fib that played enough truth to her nature to be believable, the words rolling from her lips as easily as the coffee she drank. Hosrius appreciated the response, letting out a laugh and assuring her that he wouldn’t think less of her for the less than respectable admission.

    She gave her explanation and he affirmed it, commenting on our she did seem the type of woman to need constant stimulation -- a comment that earned him another sly grin. He conjectured about how there were plenty of people out there that were set on living safe comfortable, boring lives, and how refreshing it was to have met someone that wasn’t interested in all that. As he put it, she clearly liked to keep testing and challenging herself against her environment, something that working with law enforcement would enable her to do on a near daily basis. He even admitted being able to personally understand the position she was in, as he’d had to impersonate officers of the law a number of times, which he claimed was some of the most fun he’d ever had.

    And there it was. Even though Mercury had the training and experience to keep a straight and innocent face, she legitimately could not help the deep, knowing, almost dangerous smirk that impressed itself upon her lips. Furthermore, she made no effort to hide the look from him, instead flicking her gaze sidelong at him with a slightly narrowed focus that would all but confirm the subject they had been dancing around: That she wasn’t a Rune Knight, and Hosrius knew she wasn’t one. So that then begged the question as to whether or not this was a trap of some kind for her, and oh she was all too delighted by the idea that it might be. She tsk’d him lightly with her tongue in playful disapproval. “Impersonating an officer of the law? That’s a serious offense, you know.”

    Hosrius ordered them both another round of drinks. Mercury continued to eye him briefly before turning back around to accept the refill of her coffee. She added some creamer to it like before, giving the fresh glass a good stirring as she ran the scenarios in her head, trying to decide what to do next. There was no doubt in her mind that his comment had been purposefully hand crafted for their conversation, to see if she would catch on to what he had sussed out. Now, Mercury was left to wonder what course of action would be more exciting: continuing the charade and seeing how long they could continue to tiptoe and verbally slip around one another, or to simply acknowledge the elephant in the room and tread right into even more open, potentially more dangerous, territory.

    “So, I have to ask.” Mercury set her spoon down on her napkin again, shifting once more in her seat to give him her undivided attention. She didn’t appear upset in any fashion. Actually, if anything, she looked a bit more excited, with a bit more anticipation toward what the evening might hold. “What’s the plan, here, ace? You gonna keep tiptoeing around these safe topics all night? Or are you going to ask me the questions you really want to ask..?” With her little smirk on her lips, she kept her eyes on him as she gently blew the steam away from her cup and took a sip.

    WORDS: 933/933 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



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    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 220
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Xavier Clarent 18th April 2021, 2:33 pm



    Hosrius Camnus "The Dark Angel"
    Job Log #9747

    Now having connections on a foreign planet was a useful resource, even if it was for more amusing and playful reasons as Mercury was hinting towards. But it was obvious that this woman had done her research and her homework and had now formed valleys of information in which she could receive and deposit. She was, arguably, one of the people that Hosrius usually went out of her way to know, as she had an ear to the ground. She provided pivotal and useful intel for the right price and for a bounty hunter, she was almost as important as his weapons. Funny how he’d managed to come across her without even meaning to -- a most fortunate happenstance.

    His question was a genuine one, though perhaps slightly skewed. He was interested in why she had chosen the Rune Knights and specifically Moira as a cover. And by her own admission, it was for the thrill of the life, the break of the inundated bore that could and did come from other occupations. He understood that, to a point, though after so many years hunting bounties, he did wonder what it was like to experience a hum-drum, slow paced kind of existence.  He remarked about her need for stimulation, earning a grin from his date as he continued. It wasn’t until he casually, almost forgetably, remarked about how he’d been forced to take on the impersonation of a law officer and how it had wound up becoming some of the more interesting, entertaining experiences.

    It was the true break of the game they had been playing, through only a slight parting of the curtains to see beyond the mirage. It was bait cast out to the water, in an attempt to see if she was willing to break through the veil or keep up the ruse. Considering how she was, or how he believed she was, he doubted it was going to be anything dramatic. Plenty of other times he’d given up the clue and his target had blown into a slew of mindless drivel to try and distract and avert blame. Others had decided to throw away the disguise completely and turned it into a confrontation, usually containing weapons and gunfire. But Mercury’s only tell, if one could call it that, was to give him a deep, dark smirk that had read his words and taken them for their true meaning. It was the crack in the glass and it was clear that the deception was over and there was no point in trying to hide it. In fact, she almost seemed to revel in it. Her look was dangerous and bemused and he couldn’t help a slightly similar glance in her direction. She idly, teasingly remarked that pretending to be a police officer was a serious crime, a doubled edged jab at both his admittance and her cover being revealed. “Well sometimes the punishment can be just as fun as the impersonation,” he shot back almost as quickly, keeping his gaze locked with hers.

    He ordered himself another cup of tea and more coffee for her, to which she silently agreed to. There was an ominous and tense silence that could have choked lesser people unused to these kinds of playful but not less dangerous confrontations. He leaned back against the bar slightly, holding his tea in one hand and stirring it gently with a spoon held in his other. He watched her carefully though still casually, openly curious to how she was going to proceed from that moment forward. She took the time to stir in some cream for her coffee as she mulled over her prospects of conversation before she finally put the utensil down, stating that she simply had to ask a question. As she turned to face him, there was a ripe excitement on her face that shouldn’t have aroused him as much as it did but there was no point in pretending it didn’t. Thank whatever human genius was born and inventive for the loose pants they had created. She asked him his next step was, wanting to know if he planned on continuing to dance around the safety topics that one might generally approach on a date or if he was going to eventually dive into the thick, juicy meat that he truly wished to get to. “Oh, here I thought we were just having a nice, casual date that may or may not result in us rolling around naked later on,” he quipped with a smirk. “Just because I may have gotten onto your game doesn’t mean that I don’t see us getting there, though I suppose that depends on if you’re here to steal my weapon or attack me. Of course, that might be just as fun.”

    Hosrius took a sip from his tea. “I suppose I’m just curious as to why a beautiful woman such as yourself took an interest in me. I noticed how well timed your entry into the bar was earlier and how well you picked up Carson’s remark to me, despite there being both a space of time and several inches of wood and stone between the two of you. I tossed it away as just good hearing until later, when I wanted to learn more about you. Glowing reviews of upstanding dedication to the Rune Knights, regarded as one of the most loyal and inspirational among their ranks. Moira even spends a lot of time giving part in the community. All very… I suppose the word would be, goody-goody? That seemed very unlike the sassy, dangerous woman I had met but who was I to judge? That is, at least, until I happened upon a picture of Moira. Ironically it was one of the last articles I stumbled across before I was going to call it quits. Funny how those things turn out.” The Jirian let out a small chuckle. “I don’t think I would have enjoyed the company of the real Moira nearly as much as I’m enjoying yours. And I would like that to continue, albeit without the need for secrets. So all I really need to know is my previous two inquiries -- are you here to steal my gun? Or are you here to kill me?”


    TAG: @Mercury Arseneault @name WORDS:  1044/2053 000 NOTES: bleh


    MEL @ WW


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Mercury Arseneault
    Mercury Arseneault

    Quality Badge Level 1- Quality Badge Level 2- Quality Badge Level 3- Player 
    Lineage : Gold Rush
    Position : None
    Posts : 690
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Experience : 7,126,000

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Gunblade Master
    Second Skill: Mecha Primordial Slayer
    Third Skill:

    Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar Empty Re: Two Aliens Walk Into a Bar

    Post by Mercury Arseneault 19th April 2021, 5:21 pm

    Mercury Banner
    Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects
    and discovering other peoples' weaknesses.
    The tension was crazy, but stars above if Mercury wasn’t thoroughly enjoying herself. This was her favorite kind of game, and while her expressions were somewhat muted there was no mistaking just how much this entire interaction was thrilling her, particularly now that there was a lingering anticipation of danger in the air. She calmly asked him if he planned on continuing his cherry picked line of innocent questioning to cater to the lie she had fabricated, or if he planned on actually getting to the meat of what he actually wanted to know, giving him a look over her coffee as she waited for him to respond. When he did speak up, she was delighted by the ease with which he continued teasing, talking about how he clearly hadn’t thought more about their interaction beyond them simply being two horny strangers looking for some engaging company and a little strange. And to his credit, he followed up the tease by admitting that he still wasn’t opposed to the evening reaching that point, it all just depended on why she was there.

    Mercury waited patiently, giving him the time to talk his thoughts out. Hosrius admitted his curiosity over why she had taken an interest in him. He also mused over the seeming coincidence in how smoothly she had gotten herself involved in the confrontation with Carson. He told her how he had decided to do some research into her -- or at least, the woman she had claimed to be -- only to find a series of glowing reviews that didn’t quite add up for the sassy, confident woman he had met. In the end, it was only when he stumbled upon Moira’s photograph after nearly calling his search quits that he was able to confirm that he’d been tricked. It was a revelation that he readily admitted to with an amused chuckle, more entertained than upset. After all, by his own words, he felt like he wouldn’t have gotten along with the real Moira this swimmingly. He did want to continue the evening, but not under false pretenses, and as such he started with asking her to confirm whether her reasons for approaching him had been related to either stealing his gun or killing him.

    The entire time, she kept her emerald gaze steadily on him, her expression a constant, sly smirk but her face otherwise not betraying her thoughts. “Might I remind you: You’re the one who picked a perfect ambush spot for a date. If anyone here should be worried about getting attacked it should be me. Though, somehow I get the impression that if I was here to kill you, that wouldn’t make you any less interested.” Her smirk deepened as she took another sip of her coffee. Then, after only another moment or two of unreadable contemplation, she finally spoke up. “I’m not here to kill you, nor to steal your weapon… though I admit to having great interest in the firearm. In fact, it was that posting trying to hire people to steal it from you that first put you on my radar. Don’t worry about that, by the way. After I found the posting and took down all the information, I traced it back to its source and removed every copy of it. I can’t guarantee others won’t run into you and decide to try their luck at random, but as far as the posting is concerned, it was never there to begin with.”

    She left the ‘how’ unanswered for that particular bit, not willing to give away all of her secrets. And to be fair, she had a feeling he would only be more aroused by the growing mystery. Yet, she was still at an impasse, because if she wasn’t there to rob or kill him, then why was she there? Mercury had her reasons, of course, but she couldn’t get into them. Not in detail, anyway. He would probably sense a lie at this point. He was far too keen, and there was no way she was going to be able to outright lie to him without him picking up on it or at least suspecting it. But she supposed she could generalize the truth a bit, and while it would be obvious that she wasn’t telling him everything he would hopefully realize at the very least that she was not attempting to mislead him.

    Swirling her coffee in her glass a bit, she finally broke eye contact briefly to calmly set the mug down on the counter. “I don’t mean you any harm, and I never did. Truth be told, I was actually making sure you weren’t here for me. You are not the first alien I’ve met, and… well, we’ll just say that I would not be surprised to discover someone just like you coming here to pay me a little visit.”

    Leaving it open ended as to the reasons why an intergalactic bounty hunter might be searching for her, she glanced up at him again, her posture a bit more sober yet still not lacking in its cockiness and playfulness. “Mercury, by the way,” the Xocili told him, finally giving him her real name. Resigning herself to the truth, she carried on with a bit more explanation. “My original plan actually wasn’t to see you again, funny enough. I did orchestrate Carson being able to track you down, but that was just to give me the opportunity to ask you some questions without raising suspicion. All I really wanted was just to confirm you weren’t a threat to me, which I figured out pretty quickly after we started talking. But, you are a charming son of a bitch, and I guess I couldn’t help myself. My hope was that by scheduling something tonight you wouldn’t have enough time to look into me, that we’d have some fun and see where the night went, and then by the time you figured it out you’d probably never see me again anyway. Clearly, I underestimated you.”

    She didn’t seem disappointed by that, at least, flashing him a teasing glance. “As you deduced, I’m not a Rune Knight. I’m actually second in command of a guild called Silver Wolf. We focus on things like treasure hunting, research and development of magical artifacts, that kind of thing. My main focus is managing what essentially is our engineering department. I also manage the IT department of a local technological manufacturing company. So, while I don’t have access to Rune Knight resources, I do have access to resources that are even more top of the line. So to be honest, if anyone here is going to be able to help you with your weapon, it would probably be me. Lucky you.”

    Mercury grinned at him. “Anyway, my interest in you now is just that: interest. We clicked, so I threw caution to the wind and here we are.”

    WORDS: 1154/2087 | @hosriuscamnus
    Serilda Sinclair



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