milliways_bar | (no subject)

The door opens, and outside, it's dark, and raining. The view, to those who can see through the gloom, and the veritable sheets of water, looks like a street in roughly medieval Japan.

Those with a little more history under their belt might even be able to pinpoint it as Heian-era. But only those with intimate knowledge of the location and era would be able to recognise a street in Heian-kyo.

A (relatively) tall man, made taller by the hat on his head ducks through the door, in out of the rain. In addition to the tall hat, he's wearing the distinctive - if currently somewhat damp - white robes of an onmyouji.

The door clicks shut behind him as he steps in, and he freezes.

"By all the gods and spirits... Where am I?"

((ooc: Please note - Hao is a mind-reader. Not a full-blown telepath, but he can hear thoughts. He has no control over this - i.e., he cannot choose to not read minds. He does it all the time, and if someone doesn't have some sort of mental defence of their own, he's liable to pick up what they're thinking.

If you have any questions or whatnot, please feel free to ping me on AIM at Azremodehar.

Additionally, if your pup is dead, please ping me before you tag. Please. Thank you! :D))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hao pushes a damp strand of long hair out of his face before looking for the source of the voice.

"What do you mean by that, boy?"

It does feel strange, very, very strange.

"Uhm... it's the end of all timelines and universes?"

He's trying to remember what Ray told him, really. It's just that the little guy tends to glaze over after philiotic gateways and nexuses.

"It's kind complicated, but you just kind of came to a magic bar at the end of everything that ever existed."

"Everything? Truly? The end of all karma?"

"Yeh..Uhm..there's a a spell that loops keeping everyone in here safe from it.." Tyler, sits up a little bit more. "And there's someone called the Landlord who brings people here from different worlds. Really randomly."

"...Really now," he asks softly, after a pause. "Such power... It's amazing."

He can't help but wonder what this 'Landlord' is - shaman, spirit, something else?

I hope he doesn't ask what the Landlord is, no one's ever SEEN that guy face to face...

"Uhm...there's a few rules of the bar, there's just 3 and they're really easy to follow."

Hao isn't planning on asking, especially not now.

"And what are they?" he asks.

"Well the first rule is no violence in the Bar. The second rule relates to the first, you can't act on any grudges in the Bar, no fighting or tampering with someone's food." Basically a be excellent unto each other, and no one breaks that one with a bear god on security staff... "And the third rule is that you can't have adult hanky panky in the Bar proper area. There's rooms you can rent upstairs for that."

Hao files away that thought about the bear god; the people to the north are particularly respectful of the bear. It occurs to him that there might be a connection.

Hao nods.

"And these same rule apply to all? Regardless of creed or station?"

"Regardless of creed, station, species, material form, organic, digital, living or dead status. We get the ghosts of people here sometimes."

Hao's eyes narrow thoughtfully.

"Really. And all here can see them?" he asks.

"I think it's an effect of the Bar, they're given bodies like the ones they had when they were alive." If they want them...Enzo did say there was a little ghost boy out by the lake who either didn't want one or didn't get one...

Uhm... oh shoot. I'm being rude. ...do I bow? Or shake hands?

Tyler found himself wishing he had paid a little more attention in class.

Fortunately for Tyler, as far as Hao's concerned, children aren't responsible for their own lack of manners, up to a certain age.

But the bar itself could create Oversouls? He wonders if it is a function of the place, or the spirit he sensed in the counter over there, or even this Landlord...

It would make him a powerful shaman indeed, he thinks.

"Uhm...you want anything Mister? The first order is free." He says. "Ms. Bar is sentient and she can get nearly anything."

"Mmm, I can tell," Hao replies. "Some tea, perhaps."

The little boy waves at a rat walking upright and speaks carefully.

"Uhm..he'd like some tea please, and could I have a cocoa?"

Hao peers curiously at the rat.

"It does not seem to be an ordinary rat," he muses. "More like an awakened spirit, but... Hm."

"They're waiters, and understand whatever language you speak, even if they can't speak it themselves." He smiles. "I'm Tyler...sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier."

"Asakura Hao," he replies, inclining his head slightly.

oh! So it was bowing, Tyler does the same.

"Pleased to meet you, sir."

Hao smiles faintly.

"And you, Tyler."

Respect and manners both are appreciated, and by both his thoughts and actions, Tyler has, so far, shown himself to be a cut above most children Hao has met recently.

Strange-looking, to be sure, but golden hair was not completely unknown to him.

"This might sound like a strange question, but can you see the door you came in from?"

The question-- He has to admit, is both strange, and a little alarming, and so he turns to look.

The door is there.

"Yes," he replies. "Why do you ask?"

"Because when the Door disappears on you, it's called getting Bound. You can visit other people's worlds during that, but you can't go back to your own until it reappears and opens again." Tyler replies explaining. "Sometimes it only lasts a few days, sometimes months. It happens differently to different people."

Hao nods slowly.

"I will remember that. Thank you, Tyler."

For all that he's confident that it will never happen to him.