15 October 2002

The Worlds' End Bar(#250RFJ)

This is a large spacious bar dimly lit by small oil lamps burning at each table, their smoke disappearing up into the rafters above. Around the edges of the room are booths, and a few tables are scattered in the middle of the scuffed hardwood floor. A long bar with a brass-edged wooden top dominates one wall, with a row of stools placed in front of it. Behind the bar is an old mirror, slightly marred with water stains; a bartender stands behind the bar serving drinks, while another server wanders the floor handling the booths and tables.

A steep staircase against one wall leads up to a balcony facing the bar, just big enough for one large table. In the opposite corner from the staircase is a short hallway leading to the restrooms. The dusty corner under the staircase is glowing oddly, but none of the locals seem to much notice. To the left of the bar is a door leading out, with a sturdy coatrack in the corner next to it. Contents: Ryker Brandon Tristan Norman Tina Jack Pattern Lens Meryl Obvious exits: Door Dusty Corner

Lisle appears, not in the way of trump at all, her arms above her head as if warding off something. That something being a bird, diving too near her ear, even as she walks. She seems breathless.

Brandon is looking towards the bar, and notes Lisle. "You ok?" he questions.

Jack goes to stand from his table, "Lise?" A dagger is in his hand ready to be thrown.

Ryker glances at Lisle.

The bird, a lean and undersized falcon, swoops past Lisle's head, wings spread wide. It rises above, alighting upon the rafters over the bar.

Brandon stands, eyes pointed up at the bird. One arm moves towards his blade yet he dosn't draw it just yet.

Lisle nearly walks into a table, chin up, wild blues eyes lifting to track the bird. She walks toward the bar, at a steadier pace, nothing touching her frozen elegance. "I'm fine," she claims. Wary.

Gail appears suddenly.

Gail's teeth glide over her bottom lip as she looks around, cautious.

Jack slips the dagger away and he asks Lise, "Want me to charm it?"

Ryker merely observes.

Tristan squints up above his head, toward the falcon, lips set in a scowl. "Yer bird shits on m'head, I'm gon' be right put out, missie."

Lisle says, "Hello Ryker," calmly, but still a little breathless. A lean, pock-faced man with a steely squint and uncharismatic air. His hair is graying and dirty, hanging limply under a wide-brimmed hat. He's clad in worn duster, over travel-stained brown pants and a once-white button-up shirt. Boots with spurs cover his feet. A gunfighter's revolver is holstered at his belt.

Brandon pushes his sword back into a locked place, and sits down.

Lisle glances, vague, at Tristan.

Brandon nods to Gail, with a soft smile as he takes a drink.

Lisle then glances at Jack, "You might try, but its just a bird."

Darcy appears suddenly.

The falcon flaps its wings, before folding them under. It shrieks, once.

Lisle claims, "It is not my bird."

Lisle reaches for the glass of wine the bartender hands her.

Brandon hmmns, "Who's bird is it?"

Tina looks up at the bird, then back at Lisle, considering.

Gail lifts a hand to fingerwave shyly to Brandon. Her eyes rest on Jack, Ryker, and Lisle, considering. Busy there, so she strides toward the bar. "Hey Meryl, Brandon, Tina..."

Gail's addresses stop on Tristan but she smiles, "And, you."

Darcy slides her trump into a large slit concealed by the folds of her skirt before looking about pensively.

Gail sits down at the bar.

Ryker greets, "Lisle."

Tristan jerks his six-gun from his side holster, thumbing back the hammer. "Ain' nobody's, now." His right eye narrows, as he lifts his revolver, taking aim.

Meryl says "Evenin', gail."

Norman pours a shot and offers it to the bird, "Birdie want a drink?"

Brandon flinches as Tristan draws his gun, but dosn't attempt to stop him.

Jack says to Lisle, "Was it attacking you?" He looks to Tristan, "No need to shoot the bird. I'll get rid of it."

Lisle stands from the bar as tristan takes out his gun. She steps back, and back and back, hip into a chair.

Gail's brows shoot up and she reflexively leans away from Tristan. "Um."

Tina tells Tristan, "There is hardly enough meat on the fowl to make a right meal..." Trying to be persuasive.

Darcy looks up at Ryker and the young adult with him. She approaches the foot of the stairs calling quietly. "Ryker. Have you time to speak with me?"

Lisle's wine spills when she moves toward Ryker and Jack's table, eyes on the bird.

Brandon smiles, towards Darcy with a nod.

The falcon spreads its wings again, shrieking; angrily? A shot erupts from Tristan's six-shooter, taking the raptor's head clean off. Its body flies back, landing behind the bar.

Feathers trail in the falcon's descent, floating.

Tina edges out of her seat, watching the bird fall. Looking relievd that it landed behind the bar instead of on her head.

Norman shrugs and tosses the shot back.

Brandon ducks, nonchalantly to make sure the bird doesn't hit him. Doesn't make a point of it, in fact he makes a point not to make a point.

Ryker notes Darcy. Mildly, "My my ... aren't we quick to respond."

You go over to join Ryker.

You sit down at the table on the far wall.

Tina catches one of the feather's out of the air, examining it.

Gail's lip curls in innnocent disgust, unable to look anywhere but the decapitated, falling bird.

Meryl covers the top of her snifter.

Jack looks at Tristan and shakes his head sadly, as one would a two year old. He looks to Lisle quickly, "Lisle...," then lowers his voice.

At your table, Ryker assures Jack, "Fine deal, I can't argue."

At your table, Ryker says "Suits me fine."

Tristan spits on the floor, then holsters his revolver.

Ryker slides the sword and scabbard before him across the table to Jack.

Lisle sits right next to Ryker, and scoots the chair closer to him. She watches the bird descend. Easier? Thoughtful surely.

At your table, Jack nods, "Just let me know, I'll get them to you." He looks to Lisle and tries to meet her eyes.

Brandon stands, nodding to the bar. "I should be going." he waves to Jack Ryker and Darcy over on the other side as he pulls out his trumps.

Ryker waves over a server, ignoring Darcy a second so he can order a tankard of dark ale.

Gail blinks at the bar's mirror after the last feather falls, staring blankly at her own reflection.

Brandon moves forward and vanishes, leaving behind a rapidly fading afterimage.

Darcy turns her head at the shot and wrinkles her nose in a show of posh distaste. Her attention is drawn back up to Ryker. "I responded as soon as I recieved word. I cannot be held responsible that Scott's ventures into foolishness fall at inconvienant times." she remains where she is, calm and seemingly infinately patient. Compared to her typical temperment, anyway.

Lisle looks from the bird, to her tablemates.

At your table, Lisle looks at Jack. "Probably just a bird.'

Jack takes up the snow white sword and scabbard, the guard done in a snowflake design and attaches it to his side.

Gail's ears perk and her head swings back toward Darcy's voice. "What happened to Scott? Is he at the trial?"

Jack hops up from the table and makes his way to the bar. He hops over it and bends to examine the bird.

Jack stands and leaves the table on the far wall.

Jack has departed.

Jack sits down at the bar.

Darcy's gaze travels to Gail. "No."

Gail's cheeks color at the short answer and she turns back to the bar, discomfort creeping into her usually sure demeanor.

Tristan lifts his shotglass to his lips, then falters for an instant. His fingers lose their grip, then glass falling back to the bar, cracking and spilling.

Ryker grunts, looking fully unconcerned. Nods towards a table, "Grab a seat, Darcy. I'll be over in a minute."

Gail stares at Tristan, startled.

At your table, Lisle says, "I'm alright," to you, but adds, "I think the bird followed me."

Ryker turns his attention on Lisle.

Lisle says something to Ryker, but as if she's jumpy, she sits up straight to glance at Tristan.

Ryker returns it to Tristan right after.

Darcy inclines her head. "Thank you." she turns and settles smoothly into a seat at a table. She spends some small time carefully arranging her drinks as she awaits the attention of one of the servers.

Darcy sits down at the table near the staircase.

At your table, Ryker says "Really. Any guess as to its purpose?"

Darcy orders a glass of Pinot Noir. The bartender hands it to a server who takes it to table near the staircase and sets it before her.

Tina looks from the feather over to Tristan.

Tristan's eyes widen, then narrow, twitchily.

At your table, Lisle says, "I hope it is nothing." But she has the look of obsessive interest and worry that might suggest otherwise.

At your table, Ryker shrugs, enjoying a few deep swallows of his ale. "Makes two of us."

At your table, Ryker says "Doubt there's much insight I could offer, unfortunately."

At your table, Ryker suggests, "Could just be a plain old pissed off bird."

Tristan's lips stretch back from his yellow teeth, right eye moving spasmodically. He shakes his head, then shakes it again.

At your table, Lisle turns to look aot you. "I'm going to assume the worst, I think. In which case, it has some interest in me."

Lisle turns back to Ryker, missing Tristan's twitching.

Gail watches Tristan like he's possessed and tries to look anywhere but. Jack seems a nice alternative.

Tina reaches over for the bottle of whiskey in front of Tristan, still on her feet.

Darcy sips her wine and watches what she can see of the room through a pensive gaze.

Merylflinches, for some reason. Delayed reaction?

At your table, Lisle says, "But its dead now."

Tina's movements cautious. Attention fully on Tristan and giving no response to any questions asked of her.

Jack stands up and goes to look at Lisle, but looks at Tristan and his eyes narrow. He moves down the bar to stand infront of Tristan, "Is all well?"

Norman looks at Tina and the bottle, "What is that stuff?"

Ryker talks with Lisle, looks at Tristin.

At your table, Ryker merely grunts his agreement with the obvious.

Tristan's hand creeps up the side of his face, to pull off his hat. He turns to head to the extreme left, then the extreme right. His back straightens. "Very well, thank you," he replies to the concerned parties. "Very well."

At your table, Lisle has not touched her wine. But she stands up. A soulful voice lingers, "I should at least go examine that bird." Like she doesn't wan tto.

Gail seems somehow smaller and turns her attention to the reflection in the bar's mirror. She focuses on the far wall table.

Lisle stands up, leaving an untouched wine glass. She seems resigned.

Tina slides the bottle of whiskey away from Tristan and towards herself. "Jack, come here for a moment, hm?"

Meryl mutters to herself, "Beck... call."

Tina's fingers curled neatly around the neck of the liquor bottle.

Jack nods to Tristan and then moves down a few spaces to stand infront of Tina, "yes?"

Gail watches Lisle for a moment, then blinks at Tina and Jack.

Gail stands up on the stool supports enough to reach for a ready glass of ice water behind the bar, and slides it down the bar. It stops before Tristano, expertly. -o

Tristan flexes the fingers of both hands, rolling his shoulders. Once he's comfortable, he settles onto a stool.

Jack senses "Lisle seems a little pale, a little concerned."

Ryker just looks on. Disinterested, he rises from his table and walks towards Darcy's, tankard in hand.

You stand and leave the table on the far wall.

Lisle walks from Ryker's table, to the bar. She's looking for the bird, not at the others.

Ryker stands and leaves the table on the far wall.

Tina's movement is fluid, and abrupt. The bottle of whiskey lifted, thumb over the opening to keep the liquid from sloshing out as she swings it down towards Tristan's head. While a smooth movement, it is far from weak.

You sit down at the bar.

Darcy idly watches Ryker's approach, expression bland.

Gail's brows shoot up at Tina's gesture, "Jesus!"

Norman looks startled, "No. Not the whiskey."

Lisle uses sorcery on the dead bird carcass.

You declare your message to possessors of BSOR.

Ryker's attention jerks to the bar, his squint soon replaced with a small smile. Takes a seat.

Ryker sits down at the table near the staircase.

Tristan squints toward Tina, just in time for the bottle to come crashing down along his receded hairline. His head snaps to the side, glass shattering, cutting jagged lines across his brow. The whiskey the pours over him may wash some of the glass away, but it doesn't make it any less painful. "Damnation, girl!" he howls.

Jack says, "Talk about getting a headache from hard drinks."

Lisle straightens rapidly from looking at the bird to look at the source of the disturbance; Tina and Tristan.

Merylsays, simply, "Ow...."

Tina frowns. "Damn." She tosses the neck of the broken bottle away and swings a heavy fist at the man.

Gail looks heartbreakingly confused. She can but stare at Tina and Tristan.

Tristan's chin connects solidly with Tina's fist. It lifts him up and off his stool, tumbling it, but not nearly so well as it tumbles him. He hits bar, wall, then floor.

Lisle's hand rests on the bar as her eyes watch the progress of Tristan's bones and muscle on the bar, then the wall, then the floor. Her expression is benign, bland, or would be but for a keeness in over-bright eyes.

Tina's fingers close into fists as she stalks over towards Tristan. Oddly, her grimace is more one of saddness than anger. Crouching quickly, she reaches to grab the man by his hair, as if to slam his head against the floor.

At the bar, Jack says to Tina, "Nice left." He looks to Lise, "You okay?"

Meryl says "And the gun was never drawn. That's a first...."

Tristan stands and leaves the bar.

Tristan has departed.

Tina stands and leaves the bar.

Tina has departed.

Gail squeaks in a tiny voice, "Tina...you need help?"

Logrus Lens sits down at the bar.

Logrus Lens joins you.

Tina makes no attempt to return any comment to those addressing her, intent upon the one-sided fight.

Tristan's hand fumbles toward his pistol, skinning it, but without time to aim. His head comes up, then down with a sickening crunch. One slam against the floor and he's done.

Lisle stands by the bar, hand resting there, looking at Tristan and Tina. "That hardly seems fair," voice a little choked up, concerned. Too interested?

At the bar, Lisle says to Jack, more lowly, "I am alright," voice too smooth, too calm.

Ryker suggests, "Fairness is for sandboxes."

Santiago appears suddenly.

Lisle inclines her head graciously at Ryker.

Tina releasese his hair and pulls up one of his eyelids, peering into it. The other hand drops to his neck, checking for a pulse. Finally, she comments loud enough for all to hear. "Damn bastard was never nice or kind a moment. Why should he be now?"

Tina's words carry no malice, just a hint of regret.

Meryl drawls, "Didn't know you two were married...."

Gail stares wide-eyed at Tina and Tristano, troubled. Her hands tremble against the edge of the bar.

At the bar, Jack says simply to Lisle, "You may not be injured, but something is amiss." He tries to meet her eye.

Lisle stands at the bar, a hand resting there. A dead bird is near her.

At the bar, Lisle isn't looking at Jack, her fine blue eyes, Eric-blue, seem sharp and fixed on Tristan and Tina.

Tristan lies on the floor, face down, blood pooling from his broken nose.

Santiago considers the room. In his hand, a wooden practice blade, being used as a cane. He considers the room with a gracious smile.

Lisle is looking at Tina and Tristan, an air of obsession, besieged by interest. Her mouth is drawn in a straight and tremulous line, jewels of her armor gleaming.

Jack produces a trump and says to Lisle, "I'll need to talk to you soon, like as soon as this is resolved. Ok?"

Lisle doesn't even reply, she is so fixed.

Meryl rubs the bridge of her nose, eyes closed.

Norman holds up two fingers to the barkeep, who brings two bottles of rum over.

Tina remains on bended knee at Tristan's side. She goes to remove his gun. Looking towards the staircase. "Ryker. Got a way for me to get quickly to Erotic City?" Calm, cool. calculating.

I don't recognize that name.

Santiago offers a respectful half salute in the direction of Ryker before heading towards the bar "Gail!" he exclaims, then, to Tina, considering the unconcious man "Don't be telling me you be finding someone else already? And here I am thinking we be having something." he says.

Ryker looks back to Tina. "Ah, right ... I mentioned getting that for you, didn't I." He reaches beneath his armor, nodding for her to come over.

Lisle's hand comes to her forehead. She finally asks Tina, "That gentleman there. He is unwell, certainly, and yet you seem concerned." Her voice echoes nobility, an Earth-like accent to well-bred Thari.

At the bar, Gail sighs disheartenedly, "Bye Jack."

Gail tries to smile at Santiago, but it doesn't quite work.

At the bar, Jack says, "Bye all. I must, of course, leave. Just when things were getting intresting."

Ryker pulls some trumps from his armor, offering over to Tina.

Jack looks to the trump in his hand and disappears in a rainbow of sparkles.

Jack moves forward and vanishes, leaving behind a rapidly fading afterimage.

At the bar, Meryl says "Of course."

Lisle leaves the bar, giving a cursory glance at Santiago.

You stand and leave the bar.

Tina stuffs the pistol in the back of her pants. A hand held up and she speaks, "Gail. Later." Fingers twisting through Tristan's hair she drags the man towards where Ryker is, to accept the trumps. To Lisle, she says. "Oddly, I consider this man a friend. He is not right." Her nose twitches, "Something smells funny. You do not just /begin/ acting friendly."

Tina shows no emotion through her words and dragging of the man.

Santiago flicks a grin to Lisle as she passes.

Lisle keeps a table between herself, Ryker, Tina, and Tristan's limp form. When she looks at him, there is the faint drawing of brows into lines of distaste. Her voice is softer. "Not right how?"

Seeing as Tristan has no hair, Tina's nails dig into his scalp to provide a good grip.

Meryl sets her snifter down. very carefully.

Gail makes a disgusted face and finally is able to turn her riveted gaze away from Tina and Tristano.

Santiago pads over towards the bar.

Ryker picks up his conversation with Darcy. No big deal.

Santiago sits down at the bar.

Tristan , for the record, smells a little funny. Old sweat, horse, and whiskey.

Lisle must smell Tristan, the way she wrinkles her nose.

Gail turns her gaze up from the floor enough to spy Santiago.

Tina stuffs two of the trumps into her sleeve, reserving one. This one she looks at after a brief glance down at Tristan.

Santiago leans his stick against the bar.

Norman stands and leaves the bar.

Lisle lets her hand rest on the back of a chair, posture ramrod straight.

Norman grabs his bottles and heads out the door.

Gail shivers uncomfortably, babbling at Santiago.

Tina moves forward and vanishes, leaving behind a rapidly fading afterimage.

Norman opens the door and leaves the bar.

Gail smiles quietly at Santiago, like a little sis. She opens one of her hands, showing him her palm.

Lisle stands there staring at the place recently vacated by Tina and Tristan. She might be concentrating.

Gail's hand curls into a ladylike 'bird' for Santiago and her grin goes crooked; also sibling-like.

Lisle straightens, shoulders squaring, stiff as iron.

Lisle finds a card in the pocket of her coat.

Lisle, with a grim face, studies the card.

Meryl stands and leaves the bar.

Merylwalks, fairly deliberately, for the door.

As you stare at the image before you, it slowly becomes more real.

Main Hall

The cathedral-like vaulted ceilings of this 40 by 100 yard chamber are Barely visible in the light provided by the by the torches which are spaced evenly along the wall in wrought iron sockets. A spiral staircase of the same material and similar design rises up in the center of the room, away from the mosaics which consist entirely of black and white tiles set in dizzying abstract patterns. In the center of each of the nearly bare walls is an exit. To the south is the guarded iron gate leading into Amber City. To the East are the guarded steel double doors which lead to the Great Hall. To the west are more double doors made of a rich, golden, burnished wood. To the north is a single, unguarded, wooden grey door.

(OOC: Please read all of the +lhelp before playing in Castle Amber, or even before exploring. Thank you.)

Obvious exits:

Chapel Amber City Spiral Staircase Lower Halls Yellow Room Great Hall