barring emergencies

[the_very_best]

Bella's not sure where she has wandered. She thought she was about to walk into a shop, but this appears to be an unattended bar. With none of the windows associated with the shop she thought she was entering. It could be an elaborate psychic assault of some kind, but it doesn't feel very... assault-y... and she was in the middle of a town and doesn't think any humans want to sic their 'mon on her. It's strange. She approaches the bar, looking around warily, hand hovering near her belt.

with Max (Benedict)

with Earth and Lightning (kappa)

with Ann and Sabrina (kuuskytkolme)

Comments

[the_very_best]

"Yeah, violence between 'mon. Civilized people don't attack squishy humans."

[can_i_help]

"Well, if we lived in a world that only has civilized people, that would be fine and dandy. Unfortunately Utopia means 'no place'."

[the_very_best]

"You might have to save your puns for a time when we aren't apparently under some kind of magic translation effect."

[can_i_help]

"Okay, how about 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.'? The world is not perfect, and sometimes violence is the only answer."

[the_very_best]

"Okay, but you are literally a random person I met in a bar. I don't know anything about what you've got going on at home. I might come through myself and have a look around and see if I could do helpful things if I could rely on the door to let me go home when I wanted, but I can't."

[can_i_help]

"Aaaargh! I hate people like you!"

[can_i_stay]

"Look, Bella, is there any way we could convince you? Sabrina has a mean temper, but she really does have everyone's best interests in mind."

[the_very_best]

"You hate people who don't give deadly weapons to screaming strangers in magic bars? What the hell kind of people do you like? I'm not feeling very convinced right now! I mean, maybe Bar can give me a course in your world's history and current events and you can lay out a plan besides - what the hell does 'enforce equality' even mean - but I can't afford to stay here forever, I can't collect on my allowance or win tournaments while time's paused, and I might have other things to do with my runway than that specific possible thing I could maybe do with access to a magic bar."

[can_i_help]

"Oh, so you don't like shouting? Okay then, how about this?"

Sabrina's fist is coming towards Bella's face before Ann can stop her.

[the_very_best]

"Dusk!" exclaims Bella, and Dusk leaps out of her arms and kicks Sabrina's approaching fist hard enough to break a finger, then lands on the floor; Bella has fallen backwards in her own attempt to dodge and has her hand on her belt.

[teleia]

A door to one side of the bar bursts open and an exquisitely beautiful blonde woman in a tank top and slacks flies out at high and steady speed, stops in midair between Dusk and Sabrina, catches Sabrina's wrist in uninjurious but unyielding force, and scoops up Dusk by the scruff of the neck.

"That's more than enough," she says. "You, is this creature yours?" she asks Bella.

[the_very_best]

"He's mine. I can put him away if you'll stop her from hitting me."

[can_i_help]

"Ow, my hand! Let go, that hurts!"

[can_i_stay]

"You idiot, what was that? I just said you have people's best interests in mind, and you immediately made me a liar!"

[teleia]

"I'll let you go when you're in a holding cell to cool off," the Security woman tells Sabrina. "You, put your creature away."

[the_very_best]

Bella opens up Dusk's ball and calls him back out of the woman's hand.

[can_i_stay]

"Can't we just go home?"

[teleia]

"The door's gone," says the Security lady. "You couldn't go home anyway. I'm giving your friend six hours subjective in the cell and then she can be on her way; you can do whatever you like as long as it doesn't involve picking fights in the main bar." Her feet touch the ground briefly and she takes off again, flying at a sedate walking distance towards the door whence she came with Sabrina's wrist still in her grip.

[can_i_stay]

Ann looks at Bella pleadingly.

"Look, Bella, I'm really sorry about that. I had no idea she was going to do that, she hasn't hit anyone in two years."

[the_very_best]

"What a thrilling track record," mutters Bella, getting up. "It clearly doesn't matter if I want to press charges, though, and six hours isn't bad."

[can_i_stay]

"I'm still really really sorry, but I think I need to check if they'll let me talk her out of doing more stupid things. She doesn't usually stay angry this. Umm... Explosively for long, but just to make sure. Also, she's my sister and oldest friend, I don't want to leave her alone in an unfamiliar place, I hope you understand?"

[the_very_best]

"I won't keep you."

[can_i_stay]

"Thank you, and sorry again."

Ann goes to the direction Sabrina was dragged into.

[teleia]

Sabrina has been stashed in a cell with a transparent front wall. The lady who put her there is sitting behind a desk with a fashion magazine. "You can keep her company unless that causes some kind of problem," says Security Lady.

[can_i_stay]

"No problem, I can behave myself. Can she hear me through the wall?"