milliways_bar | (no subject)

The scent of a scavenger is on the wind, and bits of forest rustle with its quiet passing. After a while of this, something loathsome comes out of the woods and stops at the edge of the lake, putting down the backpack it carries.

It has glistening rubbery black skin. Seems to be mostly humanoid, though it's head could be described as dog-like, while it's legs look like those of a kangaroo. It pauses for a moment to sniff the air.

The mare is upwind from the creature, and so does not catch its smell; to the creature her scent is not unlike that of a horse, but mixed with spice and other things. In a moment she'll likely see it, as she's turning in the direction of the trees.

It spots the horse-smelling thing and watches for a few moments, its face an unreadable expression (since it's damn ugly anyway). After a few moments, its shoulder shrug a little and it wades into the water, its hooflike feet splashing a little.

The mare's ears and head go up at the sight; she snorts, startled, but only watches for a while. It looks strange, aye, but who knows what creatures might live in this place...

"Excuse me," she begins politely, in the tongue of her own people.

The horse-smelling thing said something. This creature obviously wasn't expecting it. It jumps slightly and meeps, moving its hands as if to try to hide itself from sight, though there is too much of it and not enough hands for that to be effective.

It's mouth moves over its razor-sharp teeth, and it seems to be speaking, but it only emits a series of meeping noises. After that, it shakes its head and holds up a finger, indicating that perhaps the mare should wait a moment.

The mare nods. "Of course. I cry your pardon," she says, backing up a few paces to wait.

The creatures sniffs the air, trying to figure out where the resident shark is. Satisfied that it's elsewhere at the moment, it wades in further, deep enough that it can sit down and only have its head above the water.(Good things too, cause it smelled foul) It closes its eyes and after a moment, the air shimmers around it (yeah, that's magic at work, though it certainly doesn't feel like nice magic), and the creatures features meld into that of a tall, beautiful blonde woman who quickly washes the dirt (it was grave-dirt) off her skin and out of her hair.

While doing so, she looks at the unicorn, and speaks in English.

"I'm sorry. What?"

With a sigh, the mare closes her eyes and steels herself for the clicking, strange syllables of human speech.

"Your pardon. I had not meant to disturb, only to inquire what manner of creature you were."

Oddly, this human-creature thing has a strange drawl. She's from Tennessee. Still washing. Thoroughly. She does not want to smell bad.

"Oh. I'm a ghoul. And you're..."

She glances at the horn in wonder.

"A unicorn? Nice to meet you."

The mare nods. "I have not heard of 'ghouls'," she says politely. "But then, there are many things here that I had not heard of before. I am called Jah-lila, and it is good to meet you, too."

"Not a lot of people really have. A lot of people on my world understand the basic concept, but don't actually believe in them. I know I didn't, until I became one... I'm Jean."

Jah-lila cocks her head curiously. "Became one?" she asks. "Sooth, that must have been powerful magic."

She winces. Finished bathing, and now fully clean, she walks out of the lake and to her backpack unconcerned that a unicorn might see her naked (though she does briefly glance toward the bar to make sure no one more humanoid is around). Pulling out a black suit from her backpack, she begins dressing.

"Yeah. A friend of mine sought out becoming a ghoul, for power and immortality. He decided that he knew what was best for me and forced it on me. Magic on my world tends to make people go crazy, but with him, I wonder if it wasn't a chicken-or-the-egg situation."

No matter how Jah-lila turns that sentence about in her mind, it makes little sense. "I understand what it is, to want to change and become that which you were not born," she says slowly. "But to force it on another- there is no sense in that, not at all- and what is this of immortality? All things die."

"Like I said, pretty sure he was crazy before he ever used magic. And he wanted to not die. He didn't actually accomplish that. Ghouls are not immortal. They just live much longer than humans do... unless they get shot a lot, like he did."

A snort and a stamp of one hoof is Jah-lila's only response to that. "Not even the red dragons live forever," she murmurs. "I think you are right; he sounds as if he were quite mad. I am sorry that he forced this upon you unwilling."

"Thanks. I'm getting used to it, though. I would have never found Milliways if I wasn't a ghoul. Met a lot of really interesting people here."

Jah-lila turns to consider the building. "What is it like inside?" she asks. "I had seen people coming from the place, or entering in, but..."

Now dressed, she wanders up to stand next to Jah-lila, trying to think of a way to describe the bar to a unicorn.

"I'd imagine it might seem cramped to you. You can't really run anywhere, because of the walls. And there's many people in there. But I think it's nice. There's tables and booths to sit at. A bar to get drinks and food. Rooms upstairs if you want a place to store your stuff or sleep."

This is given due thought.

"Very like to the cities of humans, then, but smaller? In my youth I was captive of some of their kind. Their city was small, with narrow ways and high walls, but it seemed to please them."

"Yeah. Humans, I think, are more at odds with the environment, and want to control it. So they build walls and conveniences that make them comfortable."

"Indeed," Jah-lila murmurs. "It is unfortunate. There are those who might almost welcome them, were they but able to stand at peace with other peoples."

She shrugs.

"They fear what they don't understand... At least on my world, that's probably a good thing. But then, the walls don't really keep them any safer, either."

"No?" The mare's ears slant at this. "Then why do they bother?"

"Because what they should really be fearful of, they aren't aware of. And what they do fear and probably shouldn't, is kept out by the walls."

"Ah," says Jah-lila, nodding. "As it was with the wyverns, half a hundred generations gone, when the herd's sentries kept watch for danger from without, while none knew of the one who had slipped all unknowing into the mind of the king. I think I see."

Jah-lila's words seemed a bit out of context, but that was okay. It sortof made sense.

"Yeah. But in my case, the humans don't even know that the wyverns exist."

She nods. "I see, then. It must be a hard thing, to live in such a place."

"Not really. At least, it's not if you don't know about stuff. Then the walls protect you and everything is fine. People have their little dramas, but that's it. If you do know about the... wyverns... then it's harder, because you have to try to do something about it without everyone else finding out."

Again, Jah-lila's ears flicker. "Why should they not know? Should all your people not have the chance to defend themselves?"

"Well, people who know usually end up dead or insane pretty fast. Or like me; permanently changed. And frankly, if I tried telling most people back home about it, they'd think I was nuts and lock me up for a very long time."

"Strange," she murmurs. "Rather different from my own world, I think."

"Yeah..." She yawns.

"Tired. It's been a long trip. I need to get some sleep. Did you want me to get you anything from the bar? Some kind of food that doesn't grow out here, maybe? The bar can make almost anything."

Jah-lila shakes her head. "I fare well enough," she says, "but I thank you for the offer."

"Okay. Later."

With a wave, Jean heads inside.