[22:38] [ Malak's Hole in the Wall has a very fitting name. It is sandwiched between a pair of two-story buildings, which seem to be mostly occupied by apartments, although one has stairs leading down to what claims to be a weapon shop. Malak's is also a two story building, but it somehow seems older than those around it. ] [22:40] [ Inside there is, not surprisingly, a bar, as well as a very few round tables made to seat up to six people. There are two doors leading to back rooms, and one set of wooden stairs leading up to a hall that runs out of sight. ] [22:42] [ If one cares to look at the architecture, they could guess that the place was a house sometime before it became a bar. As it is, there are three people getting drunk at the bar, two more getting drunk at one of the tables, and another table is host to a game of what appears to be Suntran Ratscrew, to be judged by the way the players occasionally slam their hands down on the table all at once. ] [22:43] [ So, this is what the place looks like when Ada strolls in. And you can start anytime. ^_~ ] [22:45] (Ratscrew, rock!) [22:46] * Ada takes a look around, then wanders to the bar. She looks... rather miserable, actually, and sits with a distant look on her face. [22:46] (I take it that the guy isn't out there just yet. ;P) [22:47] ( Not just yet, no. ;P ) [22:53] * Ada snaps out of it and waves the bartender over. [22:54] The bartender raises an eyebrow and wanders over. "What'll it be... ma'am?" You can tell that he almost said 'whiskers', but he apparently thought better of it. [22:55] * Ada eyes the bartender. "Mead, if you would." [22:55] (Good for him.) [22:56] The bartender nods sagely and goes and pours a tall mug of mead. He places it in front of Ada silently. [22:58] * Ada sighs and starts drinking out of said mug. [22:59] * Ada tries not to gag and just concentrates on being miserable. [23:03] * Ada finishes it off and pushes it aside. She puts her chin on her hand. [23:04] * Ada gestures for a refill. [23:05] The bartender looks surprised, but offers Ada a refil. [23:06] * Ada snaps out of her little dazeworld to nod at the bartender, then goes back to getting thoroughly drunk. Given the bartender's reaction, that shouldn't be long from now. [23:08] * Fyril walks in slowly, and heads over to the bar, sitting two seats down from Ada. He nods at the bartender. [23:08] The bartender walks over to Fyril. "And what can I get for you, young sir?" [23:11] * Fyril tilts his head, and looks at the bartender. "Just a lemonade. I don't feel like drinking." [23:12] The bartender looks at Fyril as if he'd asked for a glass of turkey, but mixes a glass of lemonade for Fyril anyway. [23:14] * Ada sets the mug down and suppresses a hiccup. She puts her chin on both hands, this time. [23:14] * Fyril looks at the bartender curiously, and takes the drink. He looks up and down the bar at the other patrons. [23:15] The other patrons do not look back. [23:17] * Fyril sips at it, and looks down at the bar quietly. [23:17] * Ada doesn't look back at Fyril. She's entirely too out of it. [23:17] The sound of boards creeking slightly under weight comes from above, accompanied by booted footsteps. A human male comes down the stairs, wearing a well-tailored outfit all of grey. You can see that some of the patrons here are actually making a conscious effort of not noticing him. [23:19] * Ada tilts her head one way, then the other, then the one way, then she takes a look at him. [23:19] * Fyril carefully drinks the lemonade, making a face at it, but keeping his eyes on the table. [23:21] The man catches Ada's look and looks back. He gives a genuine- seeming smile and walks over to stand next to Ada. "Why, good afternoon, my lady. I don't believe I've seen you here before." [23:22] * Ada smiles shakily. "First time," she says, grabbing the mug and downing the rest of it. [23:24] The man nods. "I see. Well, this isn't the best place in town, really. Wouldn't reccomend it, least of all to a pretty young lady such as yourself." [23:25] * Ada blinks blearily at the man. "Don' care." She sets the mug down. "'f it's not, what're you doin' here?" [23:27] The man manages to maintain his smile. "Oh, I'm just resting my feet here. The proprieter owes me a favor." The bartender sneers at this remark. The man glances over Ada briefly, and then says "Y'know, I know a better place uptown, if you'd perhaps like to join me there." [23:29] * Ada 's eyes light up at this, and she ignores the bartender. "Better? Y'mean better than th' ass who left me?" [23:30] "Oh, much better." [23:32] * Ada goes straight from delighted to looking like she's about to burst into tears. "He- he..." She shakes her head. "Who needs 'im." [23:35] "Certainly not you. And if he would be so surpassingly stupid as to leave a pretty girl like yourself, he's clearly not worth crying over." [23:36] * Ada blushes, then nods. She fumbles at her purse, trying to count out the right amount of money for her drinks. [23:36] ( Ada succeeds! ) [23:36] (I rock. ^_^_v) [23:36] * Ada sets the money on the counter, then blinks up at the man. "Don' need 'im, right?" [23:38] "Gods no. You're too good for him." [23:39] * Ada nods as she considers this. Then she smiles slowly, and a predatory gleam enters her eyes. "How 'bout *you*?" [23:41] The man smiles back. "Oh, I'll be very good to you. Don't worry on that count." [23:42] * Ada squeals and practically pounces on the man. "Y'mean it? Y'won't leave me like 'im, right?" [23:43] "Of course not, lovely." [23:46] * Ada sighs. "Lovely," she repeats. [23:50] The man nods his head towards the door. "So whaddya' say?" [23:52] * Ada kisses the man rather deeply, then murmurs, "Sure." [23:53] The man kisses back, and takes Ada by the arm. "Excellent. Let's go, then... oh, but I seem to have been too caught up in your beauty to ask; what is your name?" [23:55] * Ada leans on the man. "Ada," she replies quietly. "No 'nother name. Long story." [23:57] The man nods. "Mine is Mario, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Ada." He leads Ada out of the bar and into the street. [23:59] * Ada is led out of Malak's Hole In the Wall! Go her. [00:00] ( Fyril, if you're following, you'll need a Stealth roll. Roll it in the main channel. ) [00:00] (Which is what?) [00:00] (2d6-4, for you.) [00:03] ( Alright. Now, a mind/vision roll from both of you. That's 2d6-6 for you, Fyril. ) [00:03] ( Ada, you don't have to make one if you're opting to remain cheerfully oblivious. ) [00:04] (Oh, well. I made it, but I'm also opting to remain cheerfully oblivious. ^^ So if sacrificing that means I get the vision check, then no.) [00:05] ( n/m. You both make it, so you both notice a small flying reptile, maybe the size of a cat, that seems to be following you as you make your way, oddly enough, back towards the Angry Porcupine. ) [00:06] * Ada doesn't react much to the fact that she's being led back to the Angry Porcupine. She just keeps leaning on... er... Mario. [00:06] * Fyril waits a couple of minutes, then looks up at the bartender, puts down enough money to cover the drink he has and another one, and gestures to the bartender. [00:07] The bartender eyes the money, shrugs, and thanks Fyril, wishing him a pleasant evening. [00:08] * Fyril smiles softly to himself, and looks over towards the stairs that lead up to our man Mario's room. [00:12] Ada is led up to the door of the Angry Porcupine. If she'd be so kind as to make her presence known in the main channel? ^_~ [00:19] * Fyril puts down his glass, and very casually scans the area by the stairs. [00:19] There is nobody by the stairs. [00:21] * Fyril pushes himself away from the bar, and walks a path that leaves him halfway between the door and the stairs. He then turns and sneaks quickly over to the stairs, climbing them warily. [00:23] Fyril manages to climb the stairs without them creaking much. [00:24] * Fyril stops at the top, and looks back down to see if anyone noticed anything. [00:26] Nobody ain't been not noticin' nothin'. [00:27] * Fyril steps quietly over to the appropriate door for Mario's room, and examines it, looking for traps of any variety. [00:29] Fyril sees none. Nothing obvious, nothing magic. Although there's an inexplicable tingle at the back of his mind that's bugging him for attention. [00:31] * Fyril shivers slightly, and looks around the floor again carefully. [00:34] Fyril sees something curious; patterns and strange markings carved within a circle on the floor. Bits of wax are there, as well, as if there had been candles burning there at one time. [00:35] * Fyril steps over next to it and examines it more closely, careful not to step on it or get into it. [00:36] Fyril can't make out the markings at all. This doesn't look anything like any magic he's known. [00:37] * Fyril frowns, bites his lip, and leans down more, trying to tell how old it is. [00:39] Very recent. Like, yesterday, maybe the day before. [00:43] * Fyril furrows his brow, and looks from the circle to the door and back, trying to gauge the distance. [00:44] About two feet from the door to the edge of the circle, three to it's center. The room isn't very big. [00:50] * Fyril blows out a breath, and looks back to the door again. He goes over to it, and looks at the doorknob to see how it's locked. [00:51] The doorknob is not locked, nor can it be. In the shape it's in, it's amazing it even keeps the door closed. [00:55] * Fyril looks from the circle to the door, and grimaces. He pulls out his dagger, and gingerly moves to touch the door with the very tip of it. [00:56] Suddenly.... nothing happens! [00:58] * Fyril blows out a breath, and carefully moves the dagger down to the doorknob. [00:59] Same thing here. [01:01] * Fyril moves carefully down, covers his hand in some cloth from the bottom of his shirt, and, with one eye on the circle, warily opens the door. [01:02] The knob turns, and the door opens. [01:03] * Fyril straightens up, and surveys the room from outside. [01:06] The room has another circle in it; this one has different marks in it. It still has candles around the edges, too, although they're not burning. [01:08] * Fyril looks at the circle thoughtfully, then looks over the rest of the room. [01:09] There is a whetstone out, along with no less than one dozen daggers of various sizes. The daggers all seem to be of excellent craftmanship. [01:10] There is no journal with an entry saying "Dear Journal; today I killed a man for lots of money." [01:13] * Fyril concentrates, and tries to feel if there's any of the normal weird feeling created by Great Weapon pieces. [01:13] There sure isn't. [01:15] * Fyril pouts, and looks longingly at the pretty weapons. [01:16] * Fyril gives the room another quick once over to see if there's anything else interesting around. [01:19] The only other thing of any note is a collection of small clawmarks on the windowsil. [01:21] * Fyril furrows his brow at those, and shrugs, muttering something about sick lizards to himself under his breath. [01:22] * Fyril gives the circle one last very close look, trying to memorize it, then slinks back down the stairs quietly, and out the door.