Event 1: Gods and Monsters

[letsplayamod]

[Time is a bit difficult to measure in this place. The storms that rage beyond your safe barrier, overtaking the horizon with their shifting lights and shadows, aren't doing it any favors. If you were to ask Athena, she'd say it's been about a week since your arrival. And since then... there's been scant signs of things improving.

Today, you wake up to quiet. No drone of distant winds. Not even birdsong breaches your bedrooms. Like a inhaled breath, the world seems to have paused.

And then, it exhales. The ground under your feet trembles and shakes. Dirt flies. Rocks shower down from the direction of the cliffs.

There, like an open wound stabbed into the earth, was a large crack where there wasn't before, spilling out an oppressive red light. Stranger still, some larger rocks are floating over the opening itself.

...Investigate?]

Comments

[rockymountaindie]

Yeah. 'pparently if I do good, I get ice cream.

hi just passing by keep going on after this

[cannotunravel]

[Speaking of that, she just comes by, plopping some strawberry and vanilla ice cream mixed together in a cup for Alex]

Well done today.

[And aafter giving Quark a nod, she leaves.

Nobody can say she's not giving payment]

🥺🥺🥺

[rockymountaindie]

...Oh.

[ OH 🥺 ]

She actually gave me ice cream.

[ he's only had misane for six days but if anything happened to her etc etc ]

[latinumsbetter]

[Quark blinks as Misane passes by, dropping off Alex's payment]

...you know, I was going to ask why you let her pay you in ice cream, but from the looks of it, you're pretty happy with that arrangement.

[definitely teasing him again]

[rockymountaindie]

[ He rolls his eyes. ]

It's not like we really had an economy like...four days ago, when we made the agreement. Still pretty much don't.

[latinumsbetter]

Hey, it's just getting going. [the corner of his mouth quirks] I've got everybody paying for their drinks with tokens already, so I'd say it's well on its way.

[rockymountaindie]

[ Alex shrugs. ]

Fair. You clearly know more about it than me.

[latinumsbetter]

I sure do. I'd be a disappointing Ferengi if I didn't know how to start up an economy. It's the backbone of a society, after all. [he straightens a little] Rule of Acquisition number eleven: if there's a resource to be spent and traded, an economy can be created!

[rockymountaindie]

Pff. Wow. Rules of... Your whole race knows about this stuff? You're all...money-minded?

[latinumsbetter]

Of course we are! Nothing's more important to Ferengi than profit and negotiation. If you have to resort to fighting to get what you want, then that's a major failing.

[rockymountaindie]

That must be why she scoped you out then. To handle all the...economic, commerce stuff.

[ Not anything they had to deal with today. ]

[latinumsbetter]

That's what I thought. She was pretty impressed by my contract negotiation.

[he pauses, though]

Though I don't know why she didn't make me the God of Commerce instead.

[rockymountaindie]

I mean... I get it.

[latinumsbetter]

[Quark blinks at that]

You do?

[rockymountaindie]

Yeah. Look around you, man.

[ Alex gestures mildly with one hand. They're surely not the only ones at the bar right now, after all. ]

You did this.

[latinumsbetter]

[...ah. Well, yes, of course, he knows, but...knowing is one thing. Having it acknowedged is another altogether, especialy so sincerely. It throws him, for a moment, at which point he's quickly defaulting to his normal posturing]

I, ah, sure did! I mean, come on. I've been running a bar for years and years, now. Someone was going to have to give all you sadsacks something to do other than sit around every night.

[rockymountaindie]

[ That's the thing about Alex. He can be shockingly, simply earnest, despite it all. ]

And something to keep you from crawlin' the walls like a centipede.

[ And also he can be a little shit. ]

[latinumsbetter]

Like a what now? [what's that]

[rockymountaindie]

Centipede. Little bug with [ mimes with his fingers ] like a shitload of legs.

[latinumsbetter]

[quark considers that]

...huh. Sounds alright, I guess. My brother'd probably like 'em. I'm more of a grub guy myself, but I'd be willing to try it.

[rockymountaindie]

[ ...squints. ]

What like. For fuckin' eating?

[latinumsbetter]

Yeah, what else?

[rockymountaindie]

[ His nose scrunches up. Look, Manoluv is one thing, but- ]

Ew. That's the kinda stuff that...like, kids in school'd dare each other to eat.

[latinumsbetter]

I've seen some of the stuff you hyu-mons eat, you don't have much of a leg to stand on. [dryly]

[rockymountaindie]

Coming from the guy who eats snail steak.