07: The First Arrivals!

"It just play's music and it's a muggle invention." siad Nadine thinking her now absoulty mad for thinking it was something much more amazing then that because it was only a music player. Everyone loved music it was the best thing in the universe.



[Vooldemort anit sexy! He looks like a friggin snake-man!]

((OOC: Urandis is, the person who plays him uses Bradd Pitt as the avatar))

"It plays music? But where are the musicians?" On Eard they could store sound in crystals, but they were generally huge. A connection formed in her mind, and she started to think about the diplomats from the Empire of Ollia Prime, they had technology like this.

She mentioned it without thinking "Its like the Ancient Artefacts in museums"

"We use chips that contain information and shrink them so they are able to fit into such a small thing." explained Nadine relising that she was doing alot of explain today over such simple things.

Adele wasn't so fussed on the cafe side of things, but she did so love the bar. And during the extensive awards periods that Tally went through at the whim of the creator - she'd learnt to find the nearest bar and transplant herself there for the duration of the season. This year would be no different, she was sure. Though a busy person (HoM professor, policewoman and yes - ruler of her own personal continent) she still managed to find the time for these things. She was going to give up policing anyway.

Seemed policework and the boyfriend weren't all that compatible.

She slipped into a comfy looking chair close enough to the bar that she wouldn't get repetitive stress disorder from continually walking up and down for drinks, and slapped a fistful of golden fifty dollar notes across the bar. That would be enough for the hour, and she knew the ATM in the corner would keep her supplied with enough cash to make the rest of the night.

Two other occupants of the room caught her eye, if only briefly. It was the unusual qualities of the one asking about the mp3 player that attracted her somewhat difficult to get attention. She was no stranger to interdimensional travellers - her own mother was one, from the Limwuuian Islands, and she herself had travelled from the concealed island of L'Arindelle. Voldemort... and she heard his name from time to time... was not a problem there. In securing themselves a hideout from the witch trials and muggles of an unkind nature - they'd also sealed themselves away from the darkness of the modern magical world.

And yet, Adele sighed. And yet she was almost a permanent resident of the outside world. Why? The technology was good. She rather enjoyed civilisation in modern life, she loved her job. The archaic way of doing things back home was amusing, but not a lifestyle. Swords and cloaks were all very romantic - but not entirely practical. She wished people wouldn't get so uppity when she (Kendr'aellra, as they did call her) chose to wear denim jeans and singlet tops rather than heavy dresses and excessive amounts of silver jewellery.

She had the best of both worlds. Or the worst - depending on the mood she was in. At least she didn't look a total fool calling an mp3 player a stone, but she also understood the confusing magics of the sealed islands, and how it changed one's perspective of how life should be. She wondered where in particular Lox was from. General curiosity, but not enough to make her walk up and ask.

Instead, she took her drink - a spirit known only to the L'Arine (and it was fortunate that the bartender was one of her countrymen) and would have been quite illegal if any outsiders actually got around to testing it. This stuff ate through steel. It was the only drink that ever got Adele drunk. She swilled it a moment, and took a sip.

There would be many more days of this to come.

"Chips?" Lox asked, clearly confused, glancing down at her plate and then at the mp3 player "Does that mean that your magic stone is edible? What stops you from eating it?"

It was at this time that Viacu decided to join her. Anoriquaen mages all had spirit guardians visible only to them. Well, not entirely, the susseptable or those from obscure magical lines could see them. They were the soul of someone who passed on and didn't lead a very pios life. The gods of Eard deemed that its far more cruel to make them do things over and over again until they get it right, than to send them to any hell.

Viacu was an adulteror in his previous life, from the far northern reaches, where technology was more common than magic.

'You don't eat it, you spoon. Its full of crystals and electricity! Not potatoes fried in oil' His voice was filled with loathing. He clearly didn't enjoy this job.

She scowled at him, or rather at the space over her shoulder. A practice which often got her strange looks.

"There are chips which are deep fat fried potatoes which you are eating. Then there are electronic mirco-chips which hold electricity and information." explianed Nadine still wonder what type off freak she was and wondered who in there life scowled at themselves because that was just plain wierd. She also wondered why on earth does Aisling post such blooming tiny post's compared to everyone else because it made her feel insignificat and tiny and didn't have much off a personality and was very dull at that and remembered the only exciting thing that happened to her was a candle tipping over and her in a fire while her best friend Sadie had a way more intersting life and that Aisling liked her much more then herself which made her jealous because she was made at the same time as Sadie which just was completely wrong.

'Haha, now she thinks you're strange'

'Go away!' Lox replied to her guardian using telepathy 'Go back to wherever you were perving'

'That would be your memories... why you WERE an early bloomer, weren't you...'

'I mean it... you are two more quips away from being re-assigned'

'Oh boo frikkety hoo-'

Whilst this was going on, she was silently prodding at her chips with a fork. Realising too late that she had drifted off into an argument with 'he who pervs' once again.

"Oh, now I see, they are like a Jhunon Engine but without the magic," Or the five billion gredenco price tag "Ingenieous! And you have magic too?"

"Remarkable..."

Nadine just looked at the girl thinking her very strange and wondered what had happened to her other best friend Harry who Aisling made fly away as she was a vampire. She didn't think Aisling liked her much as she got rid off her quickly and made Harry go high off drugs and tried to kill everyone. She would have to try and find her one day like wise Sadie and wondered how much more depressed she was now and wondered who all thoose coloured hair family freaks where that she had created and basically taken over the whole blooming school.

Sitting to the side, Adele wondered just where this pair of freaks had come from. She wasn't exactly the most warm and welcoming person, generally very mistrustful of anyone new, or from a place that was new to her. She kept her mouth shut and observed for a while, as the discussion on electronic music continued. There was something suddenly preoccupied about Lox that caused Adele to watch more.. and a slight flicker that gave her the vague impression that there was someone else close by. She wasn't sure exactly what, but if it was those bloody howler ghosts again, she was going to strangle somebody. The downside, of course, of coming from such a backwards sort of a land was that you knew these things were real - modern ignorance didn't work if your people hadn't moved beyond whacking each other with long pieces of steel.

'It's muggle technology.' she finally spoke up, and her voice was directed at Lox. 'They don't have the resources we do, they use a thing called electricity to make their magic. It's a form of energy - kind of like real magic, but much more limited.'.

Ah yes. If it wasn't for Adele DeVylissea herself - Muggle Studies Professor extroadinaire. She couldn't think of a subject she hadn't taught at least semi-seriously. History was her main major, but she'd dabbled in Muggle Studies, Musiciary and Ancient Runes. She had more degrees and diplomas than she cared to count, but they meant nothing to her. It was sorcery that she failed at, to the point where her abilities and responsibilities had been suspended for improper use.

But... how could one really say that making Nick obedient for once was improper use? She'd thought it was a brilliant idea.

Sighing as she often had cause to do these days, she flicked her royal blue eyes over towards the other girl, and raised a pencil-thin eyebrow. There was a darkness that hung about that one, she wasn't sure if it was bitterness or simply a quiet sort. She didn't care either way, it wasn't her problem - though she felt it her place to comment.

'For goodness sake, girl.' she said, as her mother had always said to her. 'Anyone would think you were modelling for an ad campaign on how awful Hell really is... and if that's the case, you've got it all wrong. You really need a few more flames and possibly a red suit. Brighten up, or I'll shove a lightbulb where the sun doesn't reach.'.

(Apologies for Adele. She's... interesting.)

She was unflustered when the other woman adressed her so directly. If there was one advantage to Eard, it was that you didn't shock that quickly after spending a few months in one of the cities.

"OOOOH, So your 'muggle' is like a 'human'," with the emphasis she put on the word, it was clear that she wasn't a member of the illustrious human race. Nor was the next colourful character to enter the bar.

Nitis Ghosani had visitied Eard only once. She had found it not to her liking, the only place which really interested her was the Empire of Ollia Prime, and that had recently suffered from a nuclear meltdown, plunging most of central Eard into a permenant winter.

She was also not human. She was an elemental spirit from the forest world of Pons Sotis. And usually she was found aboard a Space Ship. The voice had directed her to come here, too. Now that she was done modifying the hotel room so that it was to her liking (a girl simply can't feel at home until she has a Hyper Flux generator to power her myriad of toys), she had come to find Lox.

Nitis had fire red hair, and an odd greenish complexion which could be mistaken for a tan in poor light. She had ears the shape of oak leaves, and was wearing a tight and entirely inappropriate outfit. Though her world had a different view of what was good for wearing in public. This dress covered what humans and mages considered to be reproductive areas, even though her species grew their young in pots. It was however as tight as a second skin.

"Lox, there you are, who are you tormenting now?"

"I'm not tormenting anyone. We were just discussing 'muggles', apparently they are like 'humans'" Lox beamed happily up at Nitis. Though when she saw the expression on her companion's face, she frowned and asked plainly "What?"

"Uhm, Lox, I think Muggles are Humans. Infact, I think most of the people on this planet ARE humans"

"But they have magic..." Lox trailed off, clearly confused. Humans with magic were very rare in Anoriquae. They were heard of in Aerisca, but Anoriquaens thought that Aeriscans were generally immoral and odd.

'In a sense, yes.' Adele sighed, and set her drink down for the moment. She was sure she'd need a few more before she got the concepts through the mind of this (and the word she wanted to use, was "twerp", but she had learnt from years of teaching that emotional and physical abuse wasn't always the best method) young lady. Muggles, humans... what was the difference, really?

Adele herself was human. Theoretically, anyway. Her father had been human, and a wizard. Her mother was an entirely different story. She wasn't sure that a woman who could live for so many thousands of years and abandon child after child actually classified as "human". A sorceress she was, and given to over-dramatics of the worst kind. A little something Adele tried to keep to herself, anyway. It explained her inability to work some of the more advanced wizard magicks - but allowed her a whole world of possibilities for the sorceraic arts. It was a lot more draining, though. Wands took the brunt of wizardry, but there was no buffer between her mind and the pure energy that came from sorcery. Having refused to learn her mother's craft for years, she wasn't overly good at it either.

There was only one thing Adele knew for certain she was good at, and as a newcomer arrived in a drastically tight and skimpy outfit, she began to wonder if she was about to be outdone there. Her mind casually clocked up a rough price, what could be expected for the mere looks, and she was moderately impressed with the estimate.

'Two types of people,' Adele said casually. 'You've got muggles - with no magic. Regular humans, a pretty bland lot in all - but supposedly able to entertain themselves. Then you've got the wizard types. Human by definition, but with the ability to harness magic and use it for their own purposes. Seem to think they're above the muggles for some reason - and yet they're probably the worst for trying to kill each other in their sleep.'.

She couldn't say she was overly fond of either as a race. She'd had some awful experiences with both sides, and classed herself as outside of it all. Not that she honestly thought her countrymen and herself were in any way more superior - she just failed to see how either could claim superiority when both had been just as eager to screw her over.

And yet... wasn't it the same from home? She was pretty sure that being locked in dungeons for merely existing, and waking up each morning to expect a knife at one's throat counted as being screwed over.

Truth be told, Adele wasn't a big fan of people. Statistics said with those ratios, it was probably Adele herself that was the problem - and not the rest of the world. But this was not a thought likely to occur to the bitter, sarcastic woman by the bar. She was far more content to drink away her anger at life in general, and return the favour by screwing over as many people as she could.

((Sorry, but I just have to join in on the fun))

Marcus walked in carrying no weapons of anykind, unless of course his body could be counted as one....It was. He had jars Anti-Matter on his belt even though they were labeled as, "Liquid Explosives, Keep away."

He wondered if anyone here liked bombs, extremely lethal bombs.