Multiple Settings The Helldiver- An RP to sit back and relax at a weird bar [Open]

[Breadman]

"Uh, boss." Precilla approached the bottle that was pointed out by the knight. "Was this here before?" She plucked the bottle from the rack and held it in her hand.

"Let's have a look." Lucy walked over and inspected the bottle. Familiar shape of any vodka bottle. Nobody ordered this. Nobody from the regulars drinks this either. She glanced to the knight and then back to her employee with a neutral expression."He put it here." The demon pointed to their patron with a thumb. "Felt a shift in the bar a second ago, so now I know why. Nothing troublesome." She then handed it over to Precilla "Serve him the whole thing. As long as its paid for, its all good." With a quick step, she returns to her previous spot, letting Precilla do her job.

"If you say so." The bartender muttered to herself as she grabbed a glass to go along with the bottle and walked over to serve the drink to the knight. "Your...blood?"

Harry stood by after he served Kell his drink in case there would be need for anything else. He didn't have much to say, other than let the patrons talk among themselves.

Fella speaks through some kind of mental thing. I don't know anything about all that.

"Must be shy." He chimed in "Technically, I'm doing the same. On account of lacking a jawbone you see." He pointed towards his head with a bony finger. Under the scarf adorned with symbols, anyone could see that he did in fact lack a critical part. "But mine is a product of magic projecting my thoughts as if I'm talking rather than beaming them directly to people's heads."

 

[FloofWhispers]

"Uh, boss." Precilla approached the bottle that was pointed out by the knight. "Was this here before?" She plucked the bottle from the rack and held it in her hand.

"Let's have a look." Lucy walked over and inspected the bottle. Familiar shape of any vodka bottle. Nobody ordered this. Nobody from the regulars drinks this either. She glanced to the knight and then back to her employee with a neutral expression."He put it here." The demon pointed to their patron with a thumb. "Felt a shift in the bar a second ago, so now I know why. Nothing troublesome." She then handed it over to Precilla "Serve him the whole thing. As long as its paid for, its all good." With a quick step, she returns to her previous spot, letting Precilla do her job.

"If you say so." The bartender muttered to herself as she grabbed a glass to go along with the bottle and walked over to serve the drink to the knight. "Your...blood?"

Harry stood by after he served Kell his drink in case there would be need for anything else. He didn't have much to say, other than let the patrons talk among themselves.

"Must be shy." He chimed in "Technically, I'm doing the same. On account of lacking a jawbone you see." He pointed towards his head with a bony finger. Under the scarf adorned with symbols, anyone could see that he did in fact lack a critical part. "But mine is a product of magic projecting my thoughts as if I'm talking rather than beaming them directly to people's heads."

?

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The knight takes the shot of vodka and hands the bartender a bag of cathonian coin. He then tilts his head toward the ceiling and pours the liquid through the eye slots of his helmet. A deep rumble, like a sigh, engulfs the bar, but it quickly dissipates, with a sound like a small burp coming from the knight. His stiffened body relaxed and he bowed to the bartender politely.​

 

[StarskiTM]

The Figure's demeanor changed, moving away from any other person or entity and sat by themselves.
Taking out their notebook they began writing.
Putting their hood farther down they take off their mask and lean down to hide themselves and get a better view of what they were writing, speeding up as well.

 

[StarskiTM]

The Figure has still not finished

 

[StarskiTM]

The Figure is done.
They get up and walk into the corner of the bar.

 

[PixelSymphony]

"Hrrrnn" The faceless creature made a noise as one hand rested on his chin and two others formed an arc while he 'looked' at his drink "It has never occurred to me. Cinnamon. Could very well work wonders with the taste of these souls. Depending on their sins, they can be spicy in on themselves, but maybe for the lesser bastards..." He thought some more about the subject. There was definitely something to it.

"Sometimes it's the simplest thing that works the best. You know, the KISS principle and all that?" She gave a playful shrug. "So tell me Xithy, what's your day to day look like? I can't imagine folks are coming into your office asking about health insurance and retirement plans... right? What DOES Demonic Resources consist of? Anything I just try and convince the boss to add to our compensation package?" she tagged on with a grin.

So she's from her own mortal plane? And formerly of a religious sect? Amriel looked utterly surprised by the revelation, especially considering the horns jutting from the top of Val's head. The only explanation he could come up with was that she had to be a half demon. Or quarter demon. Or some portion of demon. Demons ventured often to the mortal planes to have a bit of fun now and then. Maybe that's what her infernal ancestor had done?

But she said she was part of a religious sect. "Was? What happened?" he soon asked, before taking a drink of his scotch. Burned just right going down. Good stuff.

Val sighed, a heavy sigh that spoke to the gravity of the subject at hand. "That," she spoke slowly, "is a complicated subject. I could tell you it was due to 'differences of faith', but that's so cursory as to almost be a lie. Which trust me, I'd spin if I wanted to but, I dunno, there's something about you that gets me talkin'." She brought a chair from the back wall and sat down behind the bar with it, drawing a knee up close to her to hold tight. "I was a member of a very, ah, unforgiving portion of the church. The kind you really don't want knocking at your door, if you know what I mean. At first everything made sense; we were the holy flame that held at bay the intruding darkness and burned away impurity, but over time things started to get... murkier." Her normal energetic manner went silent and she stared off into a corner, unwilling to return the gaze of anyone who looked.

 

[Breadman]

"What do I do?" The demon was unprepared for that question. Nobody had bothered to ask him that before. Not even the other demons he's worked with. "To tell you the truth its a chaotic mess I tug on from day to day. Likely by design given how Smaragt runs his own Hell." He reached for his drink again and took a swing "No there's not retirement plans or insurance packages. We'd be running in the red if we did. Yesterday I had to reassign new heads of the different crime families in the Omerta district. "Xrithin started to count the duties with his fingers. "Had to evaluate the new hires for chaotic agents to be let loose. Then we kept the trials to replace Jazuzu to the same pace as they've been so far. (We are not finding a replacement for him anytime soon.) Recruiting for new members to fill the ranks in the armies from the new souls that came in that day..." The list would go on and on for a while. The demonic entity focused on his own woes to notice that Val had checked out due to a question from another patron.

"Hey, new girl." Harry quietly 'spoke' to Val. He hadn't heard the whole story she gave. He had wandered by close enough to hear the last sentence or two while grabbing a bottle. That and her look was enough to tip him off. "You doing good?"

 

[Jaw Breakcore]

A swirling portal crackles open, a man sent flying through it and crashes into one of the tables, knocking over condiment bottles and breaking season shakers. His head is thrown back from the impact with a grunt, his hair of snakes raising their heads and hissing as he sucks in a quick breath between his teeth.
"Sigillum!" The man's sharp hands thrust out towards the portal, its shape fizzle at the edges as they pinch to meet in the middle and finally dissipates.
His arm drops to his side, and he takes in deep gasps, the oddly colored violet snakes curling around his face. His brows pinch beneath the bandages wrapped around his eyes, his long robe torn and scratches along his bare arms. He jerks his head to the side, leaning near a snake.

"What was that?" Now he can hear is over the ringing, the low jazz playing in the room he had landed in.
He grunts, his hand dips to cup his ribs as his opposite hand dances around the tables edge and grasps it with shaky fingers. He pushes himself to a stand with a grunt, the serpents' tongues flicking in the air. He swallows.

"What else can you see?" His voice was above a whisper, a snake curling near his ear. "A pub?"
It explained the table and the music, his bare feet press flat against the flooring, scooting carefully along and stops when he bumps the plastic container of sauce. He scoots his other foot, his grip on the table vice and sharp as he takes a step forward. A low hiss makes him stop walking, his foot hovering over the shattered glass of the seasoning and he steps into a clean area of floor.

"Do one of you see my cane?"
He grits his sharp teeth, it was halfway across the room, ducked beneath a stool at the bar.

 

[Infab]

"I was a member of a very, ah, unforgiving portion of the church. The kind you really don't want knocking at your door, if you know what I mean. At first everything made sense; we were the holy flame that held at bay the intruding darkness and burned away impurity, but over time things started to get... murkier."

"Ahhh..." responded the angel with a slight nod, his gaze shifting to the drink on the bar before him. "...Yes, I've seen organizations and groups like that. Even my version of Heaven has a group like that, founded by the High Archangel, Gabriel. He claims he did it in honor of the former High Archangel, Michael, but I think deep down... he did it out of this need for total control. Everything has to be his way, fitting his vision of how Heaven is supposed to run... and the other Archangels agree with him. And the Divine One hasn't said a word, not since the incident with between the Lightbringer and Michael... and Michael hasn't been seen since, either."

He took another drink of his scotch after a moment, before shifting back on topic. "...Most religious orders have their dark secrets that eventually come to light, if they're not up front and obvious about it. Corruption, temptation, sometimes just outright evil things which have been twisted around to suit needs. And they don't care if it hurts people, or if it strays far from the path of the light. Only their vision of what is right matters. Sometimes it takes members rebelling to fix things. Sometimes divine intervention. The final option being the complete destruction of the order in question."

"...I'm glad you were able to get out of such a group. Not everyone is as lucky to make it out alive. I know two people that went as far as faking their deaths to get out of things they didn't want to be part of." said Amriel, eventually smiling. He went to say something else, but was interrupted by Kelly's jovial tone. "Ammy! Fancy seeing you here, angel boy." said the demon, grinning as he poked his head up next to Amriel. The angel cut him a look, eventually sighing as he looked back to Val.

 

[PixelSymphony]

"Hey, new girl." Harry quietly 'spoke' to Val. He hadn't heard the whole story she gave. He had wandered by close enough to hear the last sentence or two while grabbing a bottle. That and her look was enough to tip him off. "You doing good?"

Val's eyes shot towards the skeleton and for a moment, he saw an expression that Val never come close to expressing in the vicinity of the Helldiver.

Fear.

Then just as quickly it faded, as her eyes refocused and recognition flashed across her face. "Oh, hey Harry," Val muttered lamely, "y-yeah, I'm fine, it's just... some bad memories, you know? A few drinks and I'll be fine." As if to force her point, she began to head for the back shelves to reach for a bottle of whiskey, pouring it straight into a glass as Amriel spoke.

"Ahhh..." responded the angel with a slight nod, his gaze shifting to the drink on the bar before him. "...Yes, I've seen organizations and groups like that. Even my version of Heaven has a group like that, founded by the High Archangel, Gabriel. He claims he did it in honor of the former High Archangel, Michael, but I think deep down... he did it out of this need for total control. Everything has to be his way, fitting his vision of how Heaven is supposed to run... and the other Archangels agree with him. And the Divine One hasn't said a word, not since the incident with between the Lightbringer and Michael... and Michael hasn't been seen since, either."

He took another drink of his scotch after a moment, before shifting back on topic. "...Most religious orders have their dark secrets that eventually come to light, if they're not up front and obvious about it. Corruption, temptation, sometimes just outright evil things which have been twisted around to suit needs. And they don't care if it hurts people, or if it strays far from the path of the light. Only their vision of what is right matters. Sometimes it takes members rebelling to fix things. Sometimes divine intervention. The final option being the complete destruction of the order in question."

The demoness nodded in response. "Spoken like a true expert on the subject. If you hadn't said this was a topic you've had to deal with in your own realm, I'd have thought you were surveilling me." She trailed off and her eyes fell to her drink, her fingers delicately tapping upon the surface of the glass in an anxious staccato. "It always starts so easy you know? One moment you're researching an ancient undocumented religious tome, and the next you're-"

A swirling portal crackles open, a man sent flying through it and crashes into one of the tables, knocking over condiment bottles and breaking season shakers. His head is thrown back from the impact with a grunt, his hair of snakes raising their heads and hissing as he sucks in a quick breath between his teeth.
"Sigillum!" The man's sharp hands thrust out towards the portal, its shape fizzle at the edges as they pinch to meet in the middle and finally dissipates.
His arm drops to his side, and he takes in deep gasps, the oddly colored violet snakes curling around his face. His brows pinch beneath the bandages wrapped around his eyes, his long robe torn and scratches along his bare arms. He jerks his head to the side, leaning near a snake.

"What was that?" Now he can hear is over the ringing, the low jazz playing in the room he had landed in.
He grunts, his hand dips to cup his ribs as his opposite hand dances around the tables edge and grasps it with shaky fingers. He pushes himself to a stand with a grunt, the serpents' tongues flicking in the air. He swallows.

"What else can you see?" His voice was above a whisper, a snake curling near his ear. "A pub?"
It explained the table and the music, his bare feet press flat against the flooring, scooting carefully along and stops when he bumps the plastic container of sauce. He scoots his other foot, his grip on the table vice and sharp as he takes a step forward. A low hiss makes him stop walking, his foot hovering over the shattered glass of the seasoning and he steps into a clean area of floor.

"Do one of you see my cane?"

The sound of the table being smashed into smithereens triggered an immediate response in Val, and in the blink of an eye she had leapt over the bar, the folds of her cape skirt flaring out like the wings of a bat as she bore down on the newcomer in rapid, silent steps. He hand flashed up as she drew near, some how now clutching the fruit knife from earlier, but as she beheld the clearly less-than-aggressive nature of the old man she was left to skid to an awkward halt. "O-oh. Oh my, I'm terribly sorry, sir," she stammered out, the lemon-scented blade clattering to the floor as her deathgrip on it relaxed. "I thought you were..."

Her pale skin flushed bright red as she suddenly seemed unable to complete the sentence. "Uh, r-right, welcome to the Helldiver. Um, please, let me assist you; I'll go get your cane." Quickly stepping over to where it had wedged itself, she extricated the walking implement and returned it to the blindfolded patron. "Here you are sir, please, come have a seat at our bar. I'll get you something to drink." Post haste she scooted herself back behind the large oak counter as if expecting it to be able to shield her embarrassment, and began to heat a kettle to a boil.

"...I'm glad you were able to get out of such a group. Not everyone is as lucky to make it out alive. I know two people that went as far as faking their deaths to get out of things they didn't want to be part of." said Amriel, eventually smiling. He went to say something else, but was interrupted by Kelly's jovial tone. "Ammy! Fancy seeing you here, angel boy." said the demon, grinning as he poked his head up next to Amriel. The angel cut him a look, eventually sighing as he looked back to Val.

Val's lips turned downward and her shoulders nearly fell to the floor as she was overcome with the full weight of the world. As she glanced over at her untouched glass of whiskey, then out towards the bar floor where the discarded knife lay, she breathed a heavy sigh. "I'm starting to think I never truly did..."

 

[Jaw Breakcore]

Val's eyes shot towards the skeleton and for a moment, he saw an expression that Val never come close to expressing in the vicinity of the Helldiver.

Fear.

Then just as quickly it faded, as her eyes refocused and recognition flashed across her face. "Oh, hey Harry," Val muttered lamely, "y-yeah, I'm fine, it's just... some bad memories, you know? A few drinks and I'll be fine." As if to force her point, she began to head for the back shelves to reach for a bottle of whiskey, pouring it straight into a glass as Amriel spoke.



The demoness nodded in response. "Spoken like a true expert on the subject. If you hadn't said this was a topic you've had to deal with in your own realm, I'd have thought you were surveilling me." She trailed off and her eyes fell to her drink, her fingers delicately tapping upon the surface of the glass in an anxious staccato. "It always starts so easy you know? One moment you're researching an ancient undocumented religious tome, and the next you're-"

The sound of the table being smashed into smithereens triggered an immediate response in Val, and in the blink of an eye she had leapt over the bar, the folds of her cape skirt flaring out like the wings of a bat as she bore down on the newcomer in rapid, silent steps. He hand flashed up as she drew near, some how now clutching the fruit knife from earlier, but as she beheld the clearly less-than-aggressive nature of the old man she was left to skid to an awkward halt. "O-oh. Oh my, I'm terribly sorry, sir," she stammered out, the lemon-scented blade clattering to the floor as her deathgrip on it relaxed. "I thought you were..."

Her pale skin flushed bright red as she suddenly seemed unable to complete the sentence. "Uh, r-right, welcome to the Helldiver. Um, please, let me assist you; I'll go get your cane." Quickly stepping over to where it had wedged itself, she extricated the walking implement and returned it to the blindfolded patron. "Here you are sir, please, come have a seat at our bar. I'll get you something to drink." Post haste she scooted herself back behind the large oak counter as if expecting it to be able to shield her embarrassment, and began to heat a kettle to a boil.



Val's lips turned downward and her shoulders nearly fell to the floor as she was overcome with the full weight of the world. As she glanced over at her untouched glass of whiskey, then out towards the bar floor where the discarded knife lay, she breathed a heavy sigh. "I'm starting to think I never truly did..."

The coils of snake hair swerved towards the demoness' direction, a choir of threatened hisses as they snap their wide jaws at her. The man puts distances between them, using the curve of the splintered table as a guide. He's quick to raise his palm, a swirling energy weaving between his fingers and illuminates his dark cloak. But his beating heart within his ears was all in vain, because whoever the women was not much of a threat. He tilts his head towards the sound of the clattering weapon, some sort of blade he can tell from the metal skidding the flooring.
He opens his mouth but is suddenly bombarded by bumbling apologies and something quickly places in his open hand. The serpents' glances at each other as he gropes the familiar textured wood of his cane and slowly thumbs the bumpy indents of braille.
"Uhm..."
It's all he could say, a quick sniff as the women retreated, he had only caught half of what she had blurted out.

He tilts his ear to one of his snakes, mumbling above a whisper. "Is it safe?"
He grunts at whatever response he had heard, tapping his cane against the floor as he carefully makes his way to the bar. He pats down the edge of a stool, rotating it and taking a seat with a huff. Then rests the cane next to the swiveling chair and slowly leans forward on his scaly elbows, the serpents once again flicking their tongues to the open air.

"Thank you...?"

 

[Breadman]

"Right." Harry nodded and gave her an aproving point "You looked a bit out of it for a second is all." He glanced back to the bar to make sure the people he was serving were still waiting for their drinks and not too annoyed that he had to leave "Give me a thug on the collar if you need me for anything. I don't mind." He turned on his heel with the bottles in hand and walked back.

He passed their boss on his way as she came to inspect the minor incident with the portal. Didn't seem to be much of an issue given the recent portal shenanigans the bar has had. Jazz and Orlo were certainly not in a hurry to do anything either. The new gentleman was seemingly blind judging by the cane and mannerism.

"Can't imagine that you liked the bumpy introduction to the bar." She spoke to get his attention "But portals are not the most reliable ways to enter the place." She made a note that Val was already ready to take his order, even if seemingly a bit distracted by their angelic client.

 

[Jaw Breakcore]

"Right." Harry nodded and gave her an aproving point "You looked a bit out of it for a second is all." He glanced back to the bar to make sure the people he was serving were still waiting for their drinks and not too annoyed that he had to leave "Give me a thug on the collar if you need me for anything. I don't mind." He turned on his heel with the bottles in hand and walked back.

He passed their boss on his way as she came to inspect the minor incident with the portal. Didn't seem to be much of an issue given the recent portal shenanigans the bar has had. Jazz and Orlo were certainly not in a hurry to do anything either. The new gentleman was seemingly blind judging by the cane and mannerism.

"Can't imagine that you liked the bumpy introduction to the bar." She spoke to get his attention "But portals are not the most reliable ways to enter the place." She made a note that Val was already ready to take his order, even if seemingly a bit distracted by their angelic client.

He faces whoever was speaking to him and grunts. "I've certainly had worse."
He adjusts his hood, allowing the snakes further back of his head to be uncover and curl into the air. The man rubs along the scraps of his arms as he spoke.
"That was my first time making a portal."
...
"I will no longer be making portals." He rubs with more vigor.
The snakes' glance at each other once more, before enveloping his face and lightly flicking their tongues against his sharp cheekbones.
"Oh! You stop that!" He waves around his sharp hands, the serpents scattering about, looking in opposite directions.
He huffs, propping his elbow and holding his head in his palm. "Damn serpents and their kisses... I do not need to be coddled!"
His frown was practically sculpted into his face.

 

[Infab]

The rapid movement of Val caught both Amriel and Kelly by surprise, both watching her sail over the bar towards the newcomer. But when things were settled peacefully, they watched her quickly slip back behind the bar to prepare a drink for the man. Kelly softly clapped, while Amriel simply blinked a few times. His eyes wide as he glanced between her and Kelly.

He then looked to the knife she had dropped, before looking to Kelly again. "Could you... you know?" he asked politely, to which Kelly responded with a simple bow. The demon left his side, strolling across the bar to where the knife lay.

As Kelly retrieved the cutting utensil, Amriel returned his attention to Val. "Quite the remarkable reflexes you have. They remind me of our more tactically inclined enforcement angels." he stated.

He soon, however, noticed her expression. And the sigh. The sigh. That bothered him the most. "...I imagine you spent a good chunk of your life with that organization, and devoted yourself to the cause. Parts of it you still carry with you... like a sort of burden or curse." he said softly, "But... life goes on, right? You're here now. You have a new life. New people around you. Something new to devote yourself to. And in time, those things you still carry will fade away. Growing lighter.... Most of them, anyway."

His gaze had travelled down to his hands as they rested on the bar, towards a ring on his finger. Silver, with beautiful golden engravings. He was rotating it around his finger, spinning it ever so slowly. Untill, however, he realized what he was doing. Then he stopped, and simply downed the rest of the drink in the glass before him.

"...Could I have another?" he asked, nervously smiling as he slid the glass forward.

 

[PixelSymphony]

"Right." Harry nodded and gave her an aproving point "You looked a bit out of it for a second is all." He glanced back to the bar to make sure the people he was serving were still waiting for their drinks and not too annoyed that he had to leave "Give me a thug on the collar if you need me for anything. I don't mind."

The flustered demongirl nodded, and gave a shaky thumbs up. "Thanks boneman. I appreciate it, honest."

"Thank you...?"

Val did not immediately respond, still mired in a quicksand pool of embarrassment. As the kettle she'd filled came to a boil, she focused herself on beginning to brew what appeared to be a cup of tea. Dried, smoked leaves filled a small perforated metal ball, followed by spiced and other flavorings that she picked more out of instinct than any particular formulation. Dunked into a freshly poured cup of steaming water, the tea leaves quickly effused their flavors into the surrounding liquid, bringing a earthy scent to the otherwise alcohol-permeated environment, and after a few moments she brought the whole assembly to the bar proper, offering it over to the sorcerer. "Ah, oh, you're welcome," she eked out, finally processing what he'd said, "Um, complements of the house, while you ponder our drink selection. I hope you find it enjoyable?"

She cleared her throat and and wiped the small motes of sweat beading from her face with a nearby towel before continuing. "Ah, my apologies, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Val, and you're at the Helldiver, a bar for, well, all sorts as you can see." She gestured both to the staff and to the variety of clientele. "Apologies again for the harsh greeting; I, ah, got a little spooked by your entrance. Anyway, we have quite a selection here at the bar, so pick your poison Mr...?" She left the sentence as an open question, her brows raised as did her voice as she awaited the patron to fill in the necessary details.

As Kelly retrieved the cutting utensil, Amriel returned his attention to Val. "Quite the remarkable reflexes you have. They remind me of our more tactically inclined enforcement angels." he stated.

He soon, however, noticed her expression. And the sigh. The sigh. That bothered him the most. "...I imagine you spent a good chunk of your life with that organization, and devoted yourself to the cause. Parts of it you still carry with you... like a sort of burden or curse." he said softly, "But... life goes on, right? You're here now. You have a new life. New people around you. Something new to devote yourself to. And in time, those things you still carry will fade away. Growing lighter.... Most of them, anyway."

His gaze had travelled down to his hands as they rested on the bar, towards a ring on his finger. Silver, with beautiful golden engravings. He was rotating it around his finger, spinning it ever so slowly. Untill, however, he realized what he was doing. Then he stopped, and simply downed the rest of the drink in the glass before him.

"...Could I have another?" he asked, nervously smiling as he slid the glass forward.

Returning back to the angel sheepishly, she took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "Sorry for that just then. Guess old habits die hard..." She listened as the archangel spoke, nodding along in knowing agreement, then responded in kind. "Life does go on, yes, but it seems like it's one step forward, two steps back at every turn, you know? Sure, it's a new life, a new group of people but... well to put it bluntly, this ain't my first attempt at such."

She sighed again, and shook off any further remarks with a raised hand. "Right, this is getting too real; drinks first, melancholy later." She filled Amriel's glass to the top with the same bottle she'd used for her own glass, then raised hers in a toast. "To fucked up pasts." She clinked rims then took a healthy drink before setting it down.

As the male demon returned to the bar, kitchen implement-cum-melee weapon in hand, Val finally greeted him. "Oh, hey Kelly," she said with a nod of recognizance, "I can take that." She reached out for the fruit knife and tossed it into the sink to be washed at a future date. "How's things? Oh um, wait, you want me to get you anything?"

 

[Jaw Breakcore]

The flustered demongirl nodded, and gave a shaky thumbs up. "Thanks boneman. I appreciate it, honest."



Val did not immediately respond, still mired in a quicksand pool of embarrassment. As the kettle she'd filled came to a boil, she focused herself on beginning to brew what appeared to be a cup of tea. Dried, smoked leaves filled a small perforated metal ball, followed by spiced and other flavorings that she picked more out of instinct than any particular formulation. Dunked into a freshly poured cup of steaming water, the tea leaves quickly effused their flavors into the surrounding liquid, bringing a earthy scent to the otherwise alcohol-permeated environment, and after a few moments she brought the whole assembly to the bar proper, offering it over to the sorcerer. "Ah, oh, you're welcome," she eked out, finally processing what he'd said, "Um, complements of the house, while you ponder our drink selection. I hope you find it enjoyable?"

She cleared her throat and and wiped the small motes of sweat beading from her face with a nearby towel before continuing. "Ah, my apologies, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Val, and you're at the Helldiver, a bar for, well, all sorts as you can see." She gestured both to the staff and to the variety of clientele. "Apologies again for the harsh greeting; I, ah, got a little spooked by your entrance. Anyway, we have quite a selection here at the bar, so pick your poison Mr...?" She left the sentence as an open question, her brows raised as did her voice as she awaited the patron to fill in the necessary details.




Returning back to the angel sheepishly, she took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "Sorry for that just then. Guess old habits die hard..." She listened as the archangel spoke, nodding along in knowing agreement, then responded in kind. "Life does go on, yes, but it seems like it's one step forward, two steps back at every turn, you know? Sure, it's a new life, a new group of people but... well to put it bluntly, this ain't my first attempt at such."

She sighed again, and shook off any further remarks with a raised hand. "Right, this is getting too real; drinks first, melancholy later." She filled Amriel's glass to the top with the same bottle she'd used for her own glass, then raised hers in a toast. "To fucked up pasts." She clinked rims then took a healthy drink before setting it down.

As the male demon returned to the bar, kitchen implement-cum-melee weapon in hand, Val finally greeted him. "Oh, hey Kelly," she said with a nod of recognizance, "I can take that." She reached out for the fruit knife and tossed it into the sink to be washed at a future date. "How's things? Oh um, wait, you want me to get you anything?"

The snakes peek down at the assembly, flicking their tongues at the new smell. The medusa sat back, his fingers pressing over the counter until it finds its way to the steaming cup. He grasps it, pulling it close to his chest and blowing on it a few times, then raises it for the serpents to take sips.
He holds it in one hand, the opposite giving her a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Harsh greetings are familiar. I'm not many folks favorite."

The skin around his snake nostrils wrinkle as he gestures towards his bandaged face, a low hissing laugh leaving his throat. "No, I cannot see."
His legs fold as he sets down the cup with a soft clink and folds his arms.

"As for my name..." He scratches his jaw. "It is long forgotten. But most of the God's refer to me as 'The Serpent's son'..."
The snakes hiss and widen their jaws at the mention of 'gods'.

"But the demigod nickname would be a lot more casual so call me... 'Ignoble'."
One strand of his living hair curls around his ear.

'Ignoble' heaves a sigh. "Wine, though I guess you would better know it as non-alcoholic grape juice."

His face is suddenly ingulfed in the mass of purple beast, he waves his hands.
"No, I'm not getting twenty different drinks, shut it! Shut up!"

 

[Sir loin of beef]

a portal opens and the dark wizard zodan steps through, his clothes tattered and wrecked, "DAMNIT! DAMNIT! DAMNIT!!!!" the wizard yelled in a furious rage

 

[Breadman]

Jazz popped his neck, letting the pressure trapped in the muscles free. Besides the calls to do something here and there, its an uneventful evening. Nobody to throw out just normal people. The front door of the bar opened to let another customer through. Jazz fixed his tie and turned around to greet for a patdown and froze in place. The natural mean look on the bouncer's face contorted to surprise and confusion. His jaw loosely hanging.

"...Jay?" He asked looking down at their latest patron.

"Hey big guy." The short demon answered. "Its been a minute." A smile formed on their face. Pinkish skin, short-cut dark green hair, piercing on the ear and lip, the eyes being the trademark golden sheen that every one of Lucy's relatives sported, but the horns were normal ones. The outfit was nearly the same as Jazz saw them last. Leather jacket with an unkown to the bouncer band shirt underneath. Jeans and boots to complete the look the kid was chasing. They did get rid of the mohawk at least. That just looked silly on them.

"You went missing about a century after us." Jazz finally cracked a smile and placed a palm on Jay's shoulder "Your old man was calling us for a while asking where we hid you." He cackled "Speaking off, come say hi to your sister, huh?"

"That's the plan." Jay answered with a slight sigh of relief "I need a drink, you think she'll spot me?"

"She'll do more than that." The bouncer moved his hand behind Jay's back to give a push for the bar. "Boss." He called out to get her attention.

"Ignoble...I got to remember that if you're going to be a regular here." Lucy responded to the patron at the bar before her attention was diverted to Jazz and she nearly dropped the glass she held. "I...Excuse me, please." She made a pleading motion to those at the bar and directly hopped over it. "Jeyroficus you little devil, where have you been hiding?" She asked in a stern voice as she walked over to them. She stopped and placed one hand on her hip, waiting for an answer. "Do you know how much father was worried about another of his progeny up and leaving. He was up and down all over searching for you." A brief pause and her lips curled into a wicked smile and she leaned in "Call me next time, so I can help with it." She waved with her other hand "Come give me a hug."

"Nice to see you too, sis." Jay gave his big sister the hug she wanted and stepped back a few seconds later "Yeah sorry for the disappearing act. I have a good reason for it, I swear."

"Oh none of that. You don't need to excuse yourself to me." She made a half turn and pointed to the bar. "Least of all to piss him off. Come on, lets introduce you to the staff." They walked over to the bar where Lucy took the spot she previously was occupying "Listen for just a few seconds everyone." Harry, Precila and Orlo stopped what they were doing to listen in "My missing sibling, Jay has come out of hiding and had come for a visit." Xrithin stopped his own rambling to pay attention. "So know they have access to the top shelf refreshments and the other perks of our Helldiver club membership since I'll be sponsoring it. Alright, back to whatever you were doing. Don't leave our patrons wanting." She turned briefly to the faceless horror at the bar, leaned forward and said with no change in tone "And if father finds out from you where Jay is, I will skin you alive and eat your soul, got me?"

"Lucifaria, I'm not stupid." He responded, rather indignant. "I'm not giving up what I got here to brownnose to your father." Xrithin finished his glass "Besides, why give up on knowing what's happening in wherever Jay's been?"

"Good to hear, because I was thinking about what to do if he were to find out. Wouldn't want to drop another curse on you or something now." Jay joked as he sat among them. "Don't mind me though, the only remarkable thing I have is that I'm related to Lucy. I just want a drink."

 

[Infab]

"To fucked up pasts."

"Amen." responded the angel, lifting his own glass and clinking it against Val's before taking a drink. He simply listened, though, when she directed her attention to Kelly who had returned with the knife.

"How's things? Oh um, wait, you want me to get you anything?"

"A Cosmo, please." he said, a smile appearing on his face. "Everything's fine. Kass is working on some orders back at the shop. I'm here for the sports! Always love to swing by and watch the games. Mostly for the men, but still." He chuckled afterwards, glancing to Amriel before looking about. Soon, both their attention were drawn to the two other patrons that had appeared. One was new, the other familiar. To Kelly at least. Then, yet another guest arrived. One with far more importance.

"Lucy's brother?" said Kelly, surprised as they overheard Lucy introducing him to the bar's staff. "My my, quite a surprise! Never thought I'd get to meet any other members of her family! Not without going to her version of Hell, of course."

 

[PixelSymphony]

The snakes peek down at the assembly, flicking their tongues at the new smell. The medusa sat back, his fingers pressing over the counter until it finds its way to the steaming cup. He grasps it, pulling it close to his chest and blowing on it a few times, then raises it for the serpents to take sips.
He holds it in one hand, the opposite giving her a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Harsh greetings are familiar. I'm not many folks favorite."

The skin around his snake nostrils wrinkle as he gestures towards his bandaged face, a low hissing laugh leaving his throat. "No, I cannot see."
His legs fold as he sets down the cup with a soft clink and folds his arms.

"As for my name..." He scratches his jaw. "It is long forgotten. But most of the God's refer to me as 'The Serpent's son'..."
The snakes hiss and widen their jaws at the mention of 'gods'.

"But the demigod nickname would be a lot more casual so call me... 'Ignoble'."
One strand of his living hair curls around his ear.

'Ignoble' heaves a sigh. "Wine, though I guess you would better know it as non-alcoholic grape juice."

His face is suddenly ingulfed in the mass of purple beast, he waves his hands.
"No, I'm not getting twenty different drinks, shut it! Shut up!"

Val nodded, still a little off-kilter, before moving to the back shelf. "R-right then, Ignoble, one glass of- wait did you say non alcoholic?" A genuine look of befuddlement plastered itself upon her face as she considered the order. "Ah... huh, I don't think I've ever actually had anybody order grape juice. Lemme check the refrigerator?" Sure enough, the small refrigerator under the counter failed to contain any of the fruit drink, as there simply weren't that many mixed drinks that called for it. "Ah, hang on a sec, lemme check with the owner."

She raised a hand to the side of her face to call out "HEY LUCY, we got any grape juice?"

"Amen." responded the angel, lifting his own glass and clinking it against Val's before taking a drink. He simply listened, though, when she directed her attention to Kelly who had returned with the knife.



"A Cosmo, please." he said, a smile appearing on his face. "Everything's fine. Kass is working on some orders back at the shop. I'm here for the sports! Always love to swing by and watch the games. Mostly for the men, but still." He chuckled afterwards, glancing to Amriel before looking about. Soon, both their attention were drawn to the two other patrons that had appeared. One was new, the other familiar. To Kelly at least. Then, yet another guest arrived. One with far more importance.

"Lucy's brother?" said Kelly, surprised as they overheard Lucy introducing him to the bar's staff. "My my, quite a surprise! Never thought I'd get to meet any other members of her family! Not without going to her version of Hell, of course."

"Okay, that at least I can manage. One sec." Val perused the selection of bottles along the back before snatching up a clear-glass bottle of vodka citron, pouring a measure of it into a shaker. Triple sec, lime juice and cranberry juice quickly followed, with two massive cubes of ice just behind. The top of the shaker was fitted and sealed, and with a careful motion, Val began to agitate the drink aloft, the fruit flavors magnifying in the action of the motion. With a karate chop-like smack, she popped the two halves of the shaker open and carefully strained the now-chilled mix from its inside, the dull red drink pouring downwards into a martini glass. With a quick pull of a zester, she twirled a lemon peel into a spiral, garnishing the drink before sliding it over. "Enjoy~"

It was then that she caught what Kelly had said, and her eyes quickly swung over to see the new denizen at the bar. "Woah, oh, yikes, okay. Well, welcome then. Uh, you said you wanted a drink?"

 

[Breadman]

HEY LUCY, we got any grape juice?

"Behind you on the third shelf, Val." Lucy leaned on the bar as she watched her bartender work her magic for Kelly. "Don't mind that it says wrath grapes on the label. If its not fermented, it wont have any serious trouble....I think." She turned around to face Jay again as she wondered about that. Her sibling in the meantime was taking in the scenery for a bit. "Jay." Lucy finally snapped him back into reality. "You going to order? Don't keep her waiting." Lucy nodded her head towards Val to signal its time to get that drink.

"Yeah, sure. Bloody merry is a classic, right?" A friendly smile formed on Jay's face "How about with actual blood this time? Haven't had the Backstabber special in a while."

"Only been back for 3 minutes and Jay wants to drink the thickest bastard blood there is." Xithrin chuckled. One pair of his hands arching almost in delight. Its like he missed having this master around. Wouldn't surprise Lucy. He was always the least demonic of the bunch. Outright so at least. "One for me as well. I haven't had that in ages."

"Dad cut you off from the river of blood or something?" Jay asked as he pulled the barstool closer. "Damn, its really been a while."

"He's always been a cheap bastard for the help. Speaking of, let me introduce you to some people." Lucy pointed to her employees one by one. "Val, Henry and Precilla. Our wonderful staff. Orlo you will meet shortly when he tags out with Jazz. Our janitor is somewhere cleaning something, his name is Liubo, you'll know him when you see him." She then motioned to Kelly "This is Kelly, a friend and his angel buddy who's becoming a regular, Amriel." She glanced back to her brother "Now how about you? Come on, baby demon. Where have you been all this time?"

"You're gonna call me that in front of everyone, sis?" Jay's smile went away momentarily, obviously embarrassed by the nickname Lucy had for him.

"Punitive damages for making me worry about you for all these years." Her elbows rested on the bar as she got closer. "Now, spill."

​

"Well, like you and Jazz, I decided to call it quits." Jay started and already he looked unsure where this story would go "Couldn't take it anymore. Felt like I was suffocating every day. Its Hell, but you know, we're the rulers right? Didn't make sense. So I packed up some things, broke into the garage and..."

"You're the one who stole the Diablo?" Xitrin interrupted. The demon's tone betrayed his dismay.

"Yeah..." Jay rubbed the back of his neck a little bit nervously "I decided if I was gonna go, mind as well make it in style. So I took the gas guzzler and kinda turned the whole thing into a Mad max movie." Xrithin was already holding his head in the free pair of hands. Lucy on the other hand was barely containing her laughter looking at him. Whatever damage Jay did must have been legendary. "Turns out the speed demons don't like dad one bit and were more than happy to help." He turned quickly to the bartender. "Hey, Val right? Is the drink coming along well?"

 

[PixelSymphony]

Well Lucy may have said not to worry, but as Val took hold of the purple bottle, the violent shaking from within quickly made it become a cause for such. "Uh boss, remind me again; does worker's comp cover having one of these go off on you? I feel like I'm about to pull the pin out of a grenade here." Regardless a drink order was a drink order, so with forced bravery she took hold of the lid and unscrewed it. Thankfully nothing more eventful than a a bit of a hiss came forth, and so she got on with pouring the juice into a glass with a set of ice cubes. "Here you are sir, one glass of definitely-not-concerning grape juice. Let me know if you get any sudden urges to commit social reform."

Closing the container quickly and returning it to the shelf, she turned to where Jay and Xitrin were chatting, their back and forth banter easing her own anxiety at serving Lucy's kid brother. This quickly turned to surprise as the scion of hell asked for a special request in his drink; despite her heritage and her repertoire of drinks with "blood" in the title, she hadn't actually made that many mixes with blood in them. "Um, sure," she responded with a mote of uncertainty, first to Jay and then with a nod to Xithrin as he ordered the same, "let me those going for you." Various ingredients and garnishes made their way to the countertop as she mulled over how exactly she was going to put this together. Should just be as easy as replacing the tomato juice with blood, right? Or is that gonna make the consistency too weird? Alcohol's gonna desiccate the cells, and might make the mouthfeel weird... maybe better keep some of the tomato in to keep things at least vaguely isotonic... welp, here goes nothing.

Since Xitrin and Jay had ordered the same drink, she would simply make a double order to make sure it came out consistent between them. Several dashes of garlic salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce were added to the waiting basin of a shaker, followed by large pours of vodka, tomato juice, and vodka, and, from an ornate flask located on the toppest of top shelves, thick, dark blood. Val was no priestess, but even she could tell the vibes from this gruesome liquid were less than wholesome. No wonder this is considered high end stuff in the depths of hell. Two large cubes of ice finished the mix, the latter crushed before being tossed in, and the top to the shaker was carefully fitted. Then, with a far greater degree of caution than normal given both the contents and the recipients of the drink, she hefted the shaker aloft and began sloshing the mix to and fro in a rhythm that permeated the bar, like a set of very wet maracas.

Several seconds later, Val set the shaker down and popped the top off with a sudden whack, then searched through the barware for the particular strainer she wanted to use. Normally she'd just use the space between the two halves of the shaker to keep the ice from coming out, but for the split pour she wanted to perform, a dual slot strainer was mandated. Thankfully Lucy kept both parts of the bar well stocked, and with a metallic twang of its spring, Val quickly fitted the device and began her technique. Through the two slots and down the awaiting flanges on each side of the strainer, a dark red liquid streamed into two glasses with three ice cubes apiece, filling the vessels to just below their rims (much to Val's relief). She popped a celery stalk into each and, with a smile, slid the filled glasses to Jay and Xitrhin. "All right here you two are, the Backstabber Mary special. I couldn't tell you exactly what crime this particular individual committed, but I can definitely tell you it was bad."

Her ears perked up at something Jay had mentioned. "Wait did you say the speed demons don't get along with the ruler of hell?" She appeared to look off into the distance, introspectively. "I guess it really does run in the blood..."

 

[Breadman]

"I'm sure Lucy already told you how badly dad runs our Hell." He took a sip from the drink Val prepared "Oh shit, this is strong." The young demon exclaimed. "Where was I? Right. Speed demons. They work around the clock making the fastest and meanest vehicles for dad's army. The Diablo was an especially mean one." He paused to drink again. "Zero to a hundred in 5 seconds if you put it in gear. One of those snarling grills. Bellows black smoke like a factory and goes through fuel like a wandered in the desert through water. The engineer that made it got his very life force bound to the engine so as a result it makes angry noises when you put the keys in, step on the pedal or just about anything. All the good stuff."

"And you took it for a joy ride." Xintrin added, his head still in one pair of hands while the other took the drink for him to nurse. "And the speed demons helped you why?"

"Well, that car was there for centuries and nobody was driving it." Jay shrugged as he looked at Val and Lucy "Their head guy gets his soul bound to that thing and nobody takes it out for a spin? Can't have that. On top of that they're building slow vehicles that get used instead. I can understand why they were angry about the whole thing."

"So where's the car now, Little Demon?" Lucy asked "You said there was a big chase."

"Yeah, it was great!" Jay's face lit up "Through the Blasted fields and Murder canyon. Lots of wrecks and collisions. At one point one of dad's lieutenants brought a giant truck that with a crane on it meant to grab the Diablo and I swear, the thing just started steering itself away from the claw. I was hearing angry snarls as it hit the brakes for a second and it 'chewed' off the truck's tires. Seatbelts are a must with that thing. Finally, we punched through a demon gate and well...I lost the car somewhere."

"YOU WHAT?" Xitrin 'looked' in disbelief "Oh this is bad."

"I'm sure we can get the Plumbers or someone to take a look." Lucy tried to calm him down. Why a centuries old issue was causing him stress was beyond her. "I'm sure a demon car out of its Hell is something they can track down." She then looked to Jay again. "That explains how you made your exit, but it can't be all that you've been up to."

"Hey, I'm not going to be the only one talking here." Jay answered with a raised finger. "I think I should get to know some of the others a bit if I'm going to be a regular." He looked around a bit "Right, I can guess by your look that you're probably a lust demon?" Jay squinted with one eye towards Kelly. "Incubus probably unless your system works differently." He next looked to Val "You mentioned something in the blood in regards to the speed demons, so I'm guessing you're at least part speed demon." He took the glass to drink again "Even if you didn't say it, I'd probably make the same guess because I've rarely seen anyone move that quick when mixing drinks."

 

[PixelSymphony]

Val nodded in response to Jay's assessment of her lineage. "Guilty as charged. 'Val' is actually short for Val'sharra, which is in turn short for 'Valeria de Sharra'. Long story short, I'm like the great-great-great-great-you-get-the-idead-daughter of the archdemoness of speed Sharra." She paused cleaning up her counter space for a second as a wrinkle made its way onto her face. "At least, I think that's the case. In truth it's more complicated than that; I... actually grew up in an orphanage run by the Sisters of Mercy of the Septerran Church of the Creator. I know, it's a mouthful. I didn't learn about my lineage until later on in life when-"

The petite bartender seemed to pause, hesitation gripping hold of her as the next few words came out strained. "-a divinity scan run by the Order of the Inquisition revealed 'demonic taint'. Needless to say, they're not exactly my best friends these days, and are a large part of why I left home." Her eyes unfocused for a moment, and a few unpleasant memories replayed themselves in her mind before she gathered up the willpower to push them back. Her stark tresses bobbled back and forth as she shook her head, a hand coming up to massage her temples. "Right, sorry about that. Anyway yeah since then I've just been hopping from bar to bar, trying to make ends meet and keep my head down. Thankfully your sister was kind enough to extend a hand when I came in one day looking for a job, and since then I've been mixing drinks here at the Helldiver. She's a good one you know; make sure you say hi to her more often okay? Take it from me, you don't want to lose contact with family."

"Speaking of which," Val continued, bringing the bottles she'd taken for the drinks back to the shelves behind the bar, "Hey, boss. If you don't want to owe the Plumbers a favor for finding the car, I, ah, can take a look into that for you." Her hands nervously clasped each other, a finger rubbing the back of the other hand as her gaze sought any direction that wasn't direct eye contact with Lucy. "I-If you'd like, of course. I just, um... have some experience in finding stuff that's gone missing..."

 

[Breadman]

Jay leaned back a bit in his stool as Val told her story, one hand up to his chin as he listened to her. He was rather impressed that Lucy managed to get someone from an arch-demon lineage to work for her. More impressive it was done no-strings attached. The rumors were true then. She's really become a big softie. He looked at her for a second before turning his attention to the other patrons at the bar. He did make a comment and didn't want to be rude and just abandon them.

Hey, boss. If you don't want to owe the Plumbers a favor for finding the car, I, ah, can take a look into that for you. I-If you'd like, of course. I just, um... have some experience in finding stuff that's gone missing...

"Really now?" Lucy now looked at Val with some interest. One hand was resting on the bar as she leaned over it. "Your skillset grows by the hour. I think I got something for you." She then looked to her bouncer "Jazz, how long has it been since your last outing?"

"Been a few weeks, why?" He didn't suspect a thing. Probably wasn't listening. "Can probably go make a run somewhere if its urgent."

"Well since Jay took the Diablo from dad and lost it..." Jazz caught on finally and he stared into a dot on the opposite side of the bar. Lucy clapped once to get his full attention. "I think you should go look for it and take Val with you since she's offering to lend a hand."

"I don't know. She's still new."

"And that's why she should go with you for an expedition."

"Alright." The wrath demon almost sounded resigned "Give me a list of things to look for. We'll look for the car next expedition time."

"Wonderful." Lucy however sounded very pleased with herself.

"For the record Val." He scooted over closer to the bar. "I'm fine taking you on a trip. I'm not fine with finding an angry demon car as the first one." He pointed behind him demonstrably "Should start you off easy, right?"