Zekil's Story

That was another free worker in his pocket now and one that would fit in rather nicely with all the other creatures that would come and go when they visited him for what they needed. "I will not force you to do anything you do not wish to do but know that while you are with me I tend to travel a lot. So regardless if you think it is impossible so long as you are by my side you will get to experience the world." Titus simple offered the same warm smile that concealed his true motivations. The Alchemist simply wanted someone to help him around his shop once things got back to order and the source of income would provide a bit of travel fare for his companions and anyone else who he required along the way.

"I just have one more question. A simple one really so do not fret over the answer." He quickly spoke back up when he noticed that sad smile of hers. "What exactly do you feed off of? I know you just spoke about it again and I am assuming it is not hot dogs and burgers."

Verity smiled at nothing, her lips moving soundlessly for a moment before she seemed to find a voice to answer with. "Insanity, I suppose one would call it. A deep aversion to the reality of the world and a sickening desire to pull others into their own twisted concept." Her head bent back and tilted to the side at an inhuman angle as she watched the shadows of the library. "I need someone like that or I won't be me anymore."

She began to hum softly again, her expression one of torment and pain. She shook her head slightly and returned it to a proper angle from her shoulders. She knew the truth, as always. After all, she was the truth, but she wasn't one to give it away needlessly. "Will you find them for me?" she questioned softly, her voice trembling like a strand of string vibrating to its break.

What a clever little girl she was. Possible the most stunning find of the alchemists years he has spent trying to recreate countless experiments while staying just outside the reach of the law. "Like a wailing banshee I suppose I have little choice if I wish to keep you around now do I?" Titus continued to smirk only to then glance back to the other that was in the room. It was a possibility that the young boy who had been in ears reach would need to be silenced, one fashion or another, it mattered not now though as Titus simply closed up his book and offered for his ghostly companion to follow him.

"I have happened upon a rather strange element here recently. A man calls is Sylver, not silver as in the precious mineral mind you, with a, "Y' not an "I", it seems that the substance can change the nature of things that it touches. Of course you are safe from the ill affects of it I assure you. Now what I require of you is something a bit more interesting." The sorcerer spoke as he walked past the young man only to glance down at the book he was reading just to then continue on his way. "You will have the chance to meet other people also in my shop. Granted it is a bit slow but I could use the help with organization and the display needs to be just perfect."

Verity suddenly seemed interested in the library as they moved through it, her eyes laying across every little shelf, table, and chair. A feigned interest that kept her from making eye contact or even listening to Titus' words. Her hum danced around him on a breeze, swaying back and forth before returning to her lips with a soft hiss. She pulled away from him briefly, her hand turning to mist and slipping through the bookcases before re-coalescing.

"I'll do what you wish," she replied softly, a gentle smile lighting up her features as she returned to him. "And go where you wish. However, it is for your good as well as mine I remain well fed." She bobbed her head back and forth to the tune, swaying slightly as if a breezed pushed her in several directions other than where they headed.

"Do you doubt my abilities? I know we have only been together twice now and we are already working together but I do not see what you are worrying about." Titus continued to walk ahead only to think about what he had done previously. The dark room he left that poor sod in will be empty soon as his pet would be done. "Besides think of all the opportunities you will have. I am sure you would like to see the world and then some?"

Zekil walks out of the shadow as he walks to a nearby shelf, reaching up to a high shelf as he picks up an old leather book there. He flips through it calmly, the others still in earshot as he listens to them a bit as he jots down notes once more. His wings flapp, kicking up some dust as he taps a pencil against his lip, something was still wrong with his formula...ah well he would figure it out soon, he hopes. "It isn't like it is life threatening...just an annoyance I suppose." he mutters with a sigh and a shake of his head.

An airy laugh escaped her lips, like soft tinkling bells. "I don't have doubts. The concept is almost foreign to me. What I do have plenty of is fear." Her eyes again grew sad with a flash of green. "I'm afraid of what will become of me..." she whispered, barely audible unless Titus was listening to her intently. "The world is a large place. I suppose I may enjoy my time investigating its splendors. What I know of life is limited and death has been my only outlet to travel."

Another annoyance seemed to be within the library. How in the Seven Hells did Titus not notice the other until now. When the fop fell down the step Titus gave him little pause and kept going. "Just enjoy the ride for now and I promise you that everything will be fine." He began to reassure her just to glance at the other who he had seen before to make note that the man was not following them.

"I am in the mood for a drink anyway."

Zekil blinks at the mention of drinks as he frowns, "I need to go to work he mutters as he opens a shadowy door from no where and closes it behind him, vanishing into thin air.

Zekil appears in the bar as he cleans the bar counter setting everything up as he smiles. "Bar tender here!" he calls out as he starts to clean the glasses with a whistle.

The prone ship rat lifts its groggy head, slowly inching backwards to the foot of a stool; raising a hairless hand to the seat, it manages to pull itself into leaning against the stool's silver pole.

"Another absinthe," it mumbles sloppily, resting its head on the bright red cushion and pointing to the empty reservoir glass on the bar counter.

Zekil looks at the ship rat with a smile as he nods, pouring them another glass of Absinthe. "Rough day?" the demon asks them with a tilt of his head, his wings flapping gently as he does so.

Dragging itself up onto the seat, the rat cups its hands around the glass and gives a small shrug.
"I suppose...."
It lowers its head to sip at the bright drink, while, with squinting eyes, it stares dizzily at the leather-clad, bat-winged bartender.

"Winding down," it mutters, clenching the glass between its teeth.
A finger twangs at the canopy of its umbrella hat.
"Gets crazy, most places I go."
Its ears twitch, listening to the slur blurring its voice and archaic accent.

Throwing back its head, it downs the rest of the vivid verte, then gently sets the glass back down.
It prods the cup towards the bartender, long whiskers reaching forwards in silent request for another shot.

"You?"

Zekil shrugs, "I have a rough few months...angels and demons a like. I tell ya, it is hard to find a peaceful life when your past tries to drag you back." he remarks as he hears the slurring speech, "So I can understand things getting crazy and the need to wind down. Sometimes I want to do just that...and sometimes I can find the time to do that." he as he pours the rat another shot and hands the glass back to him. "I find this a good place to do relax, as surprising as that is to hear."

The rat offers up the lipless smile of an inhuman mammal to the bartender -- ears perking upwards, whiskers sweeping forwards, eyes gleaming and muscles relaxing.
Truth be told, even though it's been in this earth's edge sea-sailing for what, to it, feels to have been at least a year, and despite the variety back at one its origins, the roof rat still receives something of a kick and a start upon hearing such strange things spoken so straightly.

"Aye," it murmurs, pulling the glass in close, eyes watching the bright fluid slosh in the low light.
It's especially difficult when one's not sure where to go from here.
"Not surprising in the least," it says with a sip and shake of the head.

Sitting here's better than sitting in the gutters -- or, for that matter, being stuck seasick in slippery sewage, unable to set sail.
Awfully specific there, the rat's thoughts spinning in its mind, wretch.
Way back when, there were dockside bars back all around those temporary bases that it would always duck into after fleeing from-- from whatever, still unsure of where else it would have gone.
Do that, then go back, and then do it all over again --history, as they say, has a way of repeating itself.
One might make it a habit, being the innocent bystander sitting quietly at the counter while the rest of the bar either erupts into madness or slowly falls into silent reprieve.
Swallowing more of the green spirit, the black rat turns its dark eyes back on the bartender.
Or do most folks learn from their mistakes and figure out how to move on?
Another shake of the head, in an attempt to dismiss the question from the mind, before breaking the silence.

"So, how's it happen with you?"
Its hand rolls the glass, swirling the remaining fluid around in a weak whirlpool.
"I'm just a simple searat, if you haven't noticed -- nothing to do with...angels and demons.
That mean you're not just a bartender, or do those over-and-unders just like to mess with ya?"

The rat straightens its spine, bones popping as it turns to glance around the room, ears pivoting still even as its check-up of the room finishes, muscles tensing and twitching reflexively for a few moments more.
Downing the drink once again, tail cracking like a whip to wrap around the barstool's pole, and then hanging its head, eyes lidding as it attempts to allow the alcohol to amble.
Three straight shots of absinthe so far and it still has nothing more than a heavy headache and light nausea...whatever happened to those rumors of it being an amazingly dangerous alcoholic substance -- where are those vivid hallucinations it's heard so much about?

The rat pushes the glass away, shaking its head.
"That'll be enough fer me."
Its fingers tap upon the countertop.
"What'll the cost be?"

Nyks sipped at his drink quietly, carefully watching the others in the bar and smiling to himself. Funny how big the universe could seem sometimes and how small at others. Not that it really mattered how big or small it was. Either way, it was still his job to protect it. He sighed, then took a long swig of the drink. Now was a time to relax. He wasn't technically working at the moment, so he decided that he'd take the time to rest. After all, he'd just finished a very taxing job. He took another long swig.

Zekil shrugs, "When I was much, much younger I went to the 'Academy' as I refer to it and trained to be solider...they found my speciality to be magic and swords so they mainly focused on that in my training." He says, "Basically if you are a demon in my plane you either die, become a soldier or researcher of some sort. I chose soldier because it meant I wouldn't be stuck in my hell." he explains. "On the mortal plane angels and my kind fought for two different reasons. Demons for darkness, evil and yada yada, angels for light, 'good' and yada yada. While I just wanted a balance, good and light can be just as bad as dark and evil if there is too much. So I left." he says with a chuckle. "Eh I prefer to be just a bartender, but nah I am also a potion maker, magic user and ex-soldier in the army." he laughs. "Gotten into some trouble here, but I am trying to be clean...just don't use the word deal around me...It is very tempting to make them." he explains as he slides the sea rat the bill. "Here you are."

He looks to the other giving a nod to him, "Need anything else?" he asks him with a tilt of his head.

Nyks smiled. "I'm good for now. Thank you." He took another sip of his drink.

Face perking at the bartender's joke, the rat pulls in the bill, leaning in close to read the writing.
"Aye, that's quite a load," it mumbles, reaching into the canopy of its umbrella hat.
"At least you're here now.
Gotta look to the future with bright eyes, as they say, else you'll turn into a blind lemming."
It gives a cursory glance to the other man as he's mentioned, before pulling out a closed fist and dropping a few copper coins, alongside a couple of birch eye beads.
"I...hope this will cover it," it says, now with the thinly laid smile more akin to the lip-stretching of a human.
It tosses a sapphire nazar amulet on the countertop, nodding to it as a tip for him.
"Thanks fer being my server."
Slowly, it is standing back up, a little bit wobbly on its feet, but none the worse for the wear -- not much yet anyhow...it is likely to be later rather than sooner that it will crash into a dead sleep or a drunken stupor.
The rat sighs, passing a hand over its face.

"Better get back to the ship before the rest of the crew does.
Can't let the blasted thing tip over just 'cause th--"
the loud entrance of several strangers sends the rat's fur on end, jumping high into the air, landing on all fours, and then scurrying off in a not-very-civilized (not to mention brave) manner.
A single kicked-down barstool is all that's left in the wake of its flight.

Nyks glanced around at the sudden commotion. He usually reserved himself to fairly quiet places, and the area had suddenly become louder than he was comfortable with. Still, he couldn't bring himself to leave. He noted everyone in the bar and decided to stand back until his help was necessary. No need to jump into a situation before it becomes a problem. Carefully watching the room, he took another sip of his drink, eyes and mind still moving.