[Orb] | GHB 18

[somewhatpointy]

[The video feed opens to show what appears to be a back corner of a tavern that is likely not the most reputable establishment in this or any other world. Judging by the sound of the surrounding noise, there's a fight going on elsewhere in the tavern. Ryo's sitting at a table in that back corner, and he doesn't really seem to care about the noise.]

So, that sword stuck in the stone...did anyone actually--

[Whatever Ryo was about to ask is cut off by a drunken brawl raucously crashing across his table. He should probably think about going somewhere nicer in the future. Before he can do anything other than look a bit ticked off, one of the men who slammed into the table drunkenly rolls to his feet.]

Hey! Hey! It's one 'o them heroes what's supposed t' be stoppin' them thorns!

[The guy's clearly had too many drinks to be thinking straight. He's now giving Ryo an aggressive prod to the chest.]

But he's just sittin' here on his bum like the rest 'o us! Huh? You got somethin' t' say t' that, hero boy?

[Good job, random townsperson. Of all the heroes you could have chosen to tick off, you've irritated the guy this place has pegged as a berserker. Ryo wastes no time in letting the drunk guy have it with a punch to the face, and now the drunk guy's equally drunk friends are a little upset. Looks like this could turn nasty, and Ryo has forgotten that he's got an audience on the Orb.]

Comments

[shadow_sage]

You might consider something blunt. The leg of a table, for instance.

[somewhatpointy]

That's...not going to be as readily available if anyone surprises me...

[shadow_sage]

Then I'll stop distracting you, and I'll be there shortly.

[Her orb goes dark as she breaks the connection]

[somewhatpointy]

[When Liara gets there, she'll find no obvious sign of Ryo, but she will find an angry bug-man snarling and growling at several of the more drunken and belligerent patrons of the bar. He's got his wrist claws extended and is looking kind of like he might be in a stabby mood...

...but at least he's holding a broken table leg! At least he kind of listened.]

[shadow_sage]

[Liara only takes a moment to consider the scene. Despite te sword at her side, she stands back, and raises a hand. Without significant gentleness or care, she sweeps a good section of the crowd aside with a field of blue energy, sending them all tumbling through tables and eachother. Thrusting her hand forward, she smashes one of the upturned tables into the wall, breaking it into pieces and making quite a racket.]

I think it's time you all went home.

[Only then does she draw the sword, but more as a reminder than a direct threat. The blue glow still surrounding her took care of that.]

[somewhatpointy]

[Between the crazed bug-man and the glowing blue energy and the smashing of things and that sword, the vast majority of the tavern's patrons decide to get the heck out of there. The only ones that are hanging around are either unconscious or too drunk to have any idea what's going on.

Gills's attention is firmly on Liara, and he's not lowered his table leg. Ryo has trouble controlling himself in this form, and the part of his brain that goes feral isn't entirely convinced she's not a threat.]

[shadow_sage]

[Liara stands implacable as everyone flees, or close enough. She doesn't even look at Gills as she slides the sword back into the scabbard. The glow doesn't go away, though, as she turns to him and crosses her arms. A slow breath, as her eyes take him in, and then she settles her gaze on the table leg. The biggest problem with convincing him she's not a threat will likely be convincing her he isn't.]

You turn.

[somewhatpointy]

[Uncertainly, Gills drops the table leg. He's still growling a little bit, but he's nowhere near as hostile as he could be about this.]

[shadow_sage]

Can you speak?

[Keeping a close watch on Gills, Liara begins to move through the room, slowly, checking the people who are laying on the floor, trying to find Ryo.]

[somewhatpointy]

[He's calming down a bit, and his wrist claws retract.]

Yeah.

[Now he's looking around the room as well, trying to figure out what Liara's searching for. Some other threat? Another fight?]

[shadow_sage]

[She stops after a minute, turning to Gills and putting a hand on her hip.]

Good. What the hell happened here?

[somewhatpointy]

[At this point, Gills has calmed down enough to transform back into Ryo...which looks like he's glowing an ever-so-slight green glow and sort of melting back into human shape.]

Too many of them tried to rush me at the same time. Bad idea.

[shadow_sage]

[It is too her credit that all Liara does at the transformation is take a step back. She studies Ryo for a moment, and then let out a heavy breath.]

Was the table leg actually necessary?

[She shakes her head and looks around.]

Do you want another drink, or shall we take a walk?

[somewhatpointy]

Hey, at least I didn't stab anyone.

[He glances around the area.]

Taking a walk's probably a good idea.

[shadow_sage]

Well. That's something. Shall we?

[She shakes her head and turns toward the door before looking over at him.]

Do you...does that happen often? That...change?

[somewhatpointy]

Becoming Gills? Often enough.

[He shrugs and attempts to look unconcerned as he follows.]

At least I can control it now, for the most part.

I suck. I'm sorry.

[shadow_sage]

[Liara crosses her arms.]

Well, at least now I know it's you in there.

[With a sigh, she turns and starts to walk again.]

You wanted to know about the sword. And, I would guess, whatever it was that was guarding it?

It's okay!

[somewhatpointy]

Probably wouldn't have mattered if you didn't know it was me...I can be kind of hard to kill.

[Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, came back anyway...]

Yeah, that's right. You know something?

[shadow_sage]

[She smiles, and speaks in a teasing tone of voice.]

I don't know. You didn't look that tough.

[Resting her hand on hilt of the sword, she glances at him.]

I'm not sure I know anything more than you do. The...voice...was purposefully vague on most details, I think.

[somewhatpointy]

That was just because I wasn't really that mad. Just irritated. Wasn't even using my tentacles.

[He'll shake his head.]

It gave me something, actually.

[He'll pull out the gold coin he found himself holding after failing to pull the sword from the stone. It's covered with odd runes and things.]

It also said I should be looking towards the mountains.

[shadow_sage]

Maybe, but you still fit inside the bar.

May I look at it? I promise to return it.

[She held out her hand, head tilted to the side.]

Can you read anything written on it? And what's in the mountains?

[somewhatpointy]

You've got a point there.

[He'll hand the coin over.]

Go ahead. I haven't been able to make heads or tails of it.

[That was a horrible, horrible joke, and he knows it.]

I'm not sure what's supposed to be in the mountains, either. That's just where it told me to go.

[shadow_sage]

Mmm.

[She rolled it between her fingers, before lifting it to study the markings. She frowned.]

Hmmm. I should make a rubbing of this, and see if it is in any of the books I've been studying. Maybe we'll get lucky.

[She shook her head.]

We'll have to add the mountains to the list of places we don't have enough people to look into.

[somewhatpointy]

Any sort of information--or a lead--would be almost too much to hope for at this point.

[Ryo kind of makes a face.]

I'll probably head out there eventually. Not like I've got anything better to do. At least I've already got a horse.

[shadow_sage]

It only takes one thread to start tracing the pattern.

[She sighs.]

Did the voice give you any idea what to look for at all? Or where?

[As she asked, Liara rested her hand absently on the hilt of her sword. With something of a start, she stopped walking and turned towards him.]

Would you like to see the sword? I should have asked earlier.