This thread is permanently archived
(Setting) Zeph's Rarities & Mystic Services
| > A sign next to the counter advertises the "Mystic Items and Arts" available for purchase. The young man, evidently named "Zeph", is sitting with an arm hanging over the chair back and is reading some old Manga as he watches for potential customers.
| >A smallish lady enters the store, her blonde head adorned with a large captain's hat and her lithe body covered by a large military dress coat, an armband covers her left arm, it reads LEADER or DANCHOU
>She simply walks and explores the storefront for now
| >a boy with brown hair walks in
>he is wearing a blue jacket and an...interesting looking headset
>followed by a girl with black and white hair
>she is wearing....oh dear...she seems to be wearing one of those ahegao hoodies with matching skirt and thigh highs
| >Zeph looks up from his book and greets the "potential customers". He notices the girl's hoodie and glances down at his manga. He quickly stows it beneath the counter.
Zeph-"Welcome to the one and only Zeph's Rarities and Mystic Services! We got stuff here from beyond Glitch City, like way beyond, out in the middle of nowhere. We had a pretty tough time getting it all in, lemme tell ya. Anyways, I have things for sale over here..."
>He gestures over to the items on the counter. ...
| >...
"And we also have this deck of *mysterious cards* that come from an alchemist's tomb! With these I can read anyone's fortune, for a price.
>He holds up a deck of red and black-backed cards. He's got a smile that shows he's in a good mood right now.
>(Roll a d20 or 2 d6's to see what you find amidst the assorted "relics")
| >>6463d4
>Zeph scratches the back his head at the question.
"Uh, yeah. I like to read those old ones you can find on the net."
>Looking through the trinkets, one in particular stands out: a caramic or porcelain lighter rimmed with gold. The side is inked in blue, depicting a peacock with a sun in it's mouth. A paper tag lists it as costing 6K Newyen, much higher than the average pocket lighter.
| >>565901
"OoooOOOooo"
>she leans slightly closer, perhaps, juuuuussstt perhaps, causing a bitle of dat jiggle
"Six thousand for a lighter?!?"
>the boy recoils
"Meh, ive bought worse"
>he brings it over to the counter
| >>6463d4
>Zeph points to the white lighter.
"That one I got off of a homeless guy in Sandrift City. It shoots blue fire if you twist the wheel too fast. Not sure if it's supposed to, but it's super awesome lookin' anyways, amiright?"
>He eyes the boy more closely.
"Not sure if you're old enough to handle a smoke though. Not that I care *that* much, but Aurum would'nt like me selling minors cigarette lighters."
| >>e9f1e9
>He backs away a little at the girl's sudden movement. He quickly turns his attention to the boy.
"That'll be 6 thousand Newyen. If any cops asks, it doesn't shoot fire, and it wasn't bought from me, alrighty?"
>Zeph look back at the girl.
"Uh, anything I can get you, or are ya set?"
| >>565904
(Oops, it seems we posted at the same time)
"Ahhh, that explains the pricing"
>the boy then stutters at that part about his age not knowing weather to take it asa compliment or an insult
"Do i really look that young..?
Oh well i suppose i am to confirm my age"
>he then takes out some stuff from his jacket
>a military ID card, a civilian ID card, a ID for staff of a local university, a carry permit for small arms, the gun said permit is for
| >wait wat gun?!
"Isss that enough? I dont smoke, but i like to carry a lighter around, never know when you'll need it right?"
>>565906
"Uhhhh nooo imm just waiting for Cassius"
>she tilts her head and leans half an inch closer
>sweet baby jesus those things can bring tears to the eyes of flatties everywhere...
| >Zeph waves his hand at the ID.
"Seein as I don't have a license to sell all this stuff anyways, I don't need to know. I just don't wanna be yelled at by my "partner in crime"."
>Zeph looks a little flustered by the girl's, uh, confidence.
| (This is still OP, I just keep changing ip's. Also, I may take a few minutes to reply at times. Just thought I'd let someone know that I'm not taking over this thread :P)
| >A man in full military kit enter the store. The patch on his arms has a embelm of a Wolf and letters that read "NDSEC". His rifle slinged over his shoulder and his pistol holstered by his side.
"Good day, Sir"
>He said carelessly while he browse the shelves
(Got a 9)
| >>565916
"Alright then"
>he takes back all that stuff
>then places down a cred stick
"Whats this about a partner if i may ask?"
>she leans even closer, a curious look on her face
>your gaze drifts down ever so slightly and..
>perhaps, just perhaps, you a bit of her bra
| >>6e64b1
>One object in particular sticks out above the others, a slender glass bottle with a glass cap. Inside swirls a dark-colored fluid that looks like dim amber in liquid form. A tag reads: "Umberium, $$200". Zeph looks at the bottle and notes it's price.
"That one is gunna be one thousand Newyen."
| >>7a0973
>Zeph hesitates a bit at the question.
"She, uh, keeps me outta trouble she says. We've been travelling together for a while now. Aurum's her name, she's actually in the back of the truck right now."
| >>566096
"Ahhh, i see.
Well, dont let me interrupt your lovers elope.
Although now i feel like saying that to her to see what happens."
>he shakes his head and shrugs
"Meh, anyway, thanks "
"Ooh ooh lets go see what those people on that corner were doing"
"Alright Alright"
>the duo leave
>or rather, the girl practically drags out the boy
>the boy having the "meh, just another Saturday" face as she does so
| >>566095
>The man look astonished
"A thousand for a bottle of liquid? What is this, liquid diamond?"
| >>9838b6
"It's made from some root, apparently. It has the potency to knock someone clean out if you take a sip. Found that out the hard way, thinkin' it was some kinda wine."
>Zeph grimaces at the memory.
"Tastes like water though, so I guess it's some kinda drug for spies or bounty hunters to use.
| >A moderately tall, blond teenager walks up to the hovertruck. He chews on an unlit cigarette with his cold blue eyes unfocused. His bright, toxic yellow business suit is almost painful to look at.
>Reflexively, he picks up the first thing that his hand grabs and takes a look at it. Then blinks, and looks again, his eyes now focused and sharp.
(6 on d20)
| >>da3814
>You pick up a metal object about a foot long, like a white pipe. The edge of it has a slit that glows when you pick it up. The slit projects a holoscreen above the metal bar, showing a bunch of information about the surroundings including a basic radar map and heat signitures. A couple of blips on the screen show the location of Zeph, yourself, and the nearby pedestrians. A price tag says "3000 Newyen".
| >>566120
>The man sigh and pulls out his cred stick
"I will take one"
>He then quietly whisper to himself
"I will need to find some work soon"
| >>91dcc7
>Zeph looks up at the man and takes the credstick.
"The juice is all yours, just don't swig it if you appreciate being concious."
>He pauses for a second.
"So you're looking for a job? You look like the kinda guy who does bounty hunting."
| >>566798
"Yeah I do bounty hunting, got some work for me?"
>The man pour the substance into a canteen, lebel the canteen "Do not drink", then put it away in his Assault Backpack
| >>566801
"Sorta. Do ya think you can help me and my friend with something? We can pay, of course. It's just that it's not about killing anyone. Instead we are looking for someone."
>Zeph reaches into his pocket and procures a paper playing card. It's a Queen of Clubs with blue marker all over it. The markings read "Serpent Repents".
"Do ya think you could help us find the bottom of this? It'd mean a lot to Aurum."
| >>566802
>The man examine the card
"Interesting, unfortunately I do not excels in these matters as I'm just an ex-PMC. But I may know who can help you. I will leave you his contact and you can let him clear this out for you"
| >>566865
>Zeph slips the card back underneath his purple robe.
"That'd be real helpful! Before you go, mind if I read your fortune? It's supposed to give you good luck most of the time."
>He picks up the deck of red and black-backed cards from the counter. The backs have the image of two masks facing opposite directions.
| > An azure-haired woman shows visible interest in the trinkets and relics, after gazing them from afar. She approaches the truck, quietly scanning through the strange items as she mind the conversation happening. One item caught her attention, letting her put her eyes longer than she should've been.
(2 on the d20!)
| >>566688
>The boy looks at the item this way and that, then smirks and walks up to Zeph, extracting a card from his chest pocket to hand over for payment.
"I'll take this one, it can prove fun."
| >>567064
>A silver gleam catches your eye. A cardboard box with rows of little bullets lies open. A sticker on the side lists the price as 2K Newyen. The box is unmarked except for simple blocked letters saying "Techstopper Ionized Rounds". Zeph points to the ammo box.
"Those shots are great for killing anything electronic. They ionize on impact to overload the target and fry circuits and stuff. They fit any standard handgun or pistol, too. I think there's about 60 rounds in there"
| >>567068
"Sure thing. It's supposed to be able to find specters and cursed zones too, if you're into that kinda thing."
>Zeph takes the card and transfers the credits before handing the card back. He looks at the boy's eyes.
"You look like you're searching for something. I'm sure this locator will come in handy for you."
| >>567132
"My, that is certainly interesting. I'm not sure if I can make a perfect use out of it. These hands can never hold a firearm properly!"
> Her giggle came expectedly. Her eyes were still set on the ammo, seemingly having a good idea on their use.
"Hm. What other items do you have? I will peruse the store more, if your policy allows for it, of course."
| >>567210
"Go ahead and look around some more."
>He says with a smile.
>(You can roll again if you'd like)
| >>567242
(19 on the d20.)
"Say, where have you amassed these items?"
> The woman browses through several other items, landing her attention to one in particular.
"Hm. This has captured my interest. What is this?"
| >>567238
>Zeph pushes out a stool and gestures to the man to sit down in front of a clear spot on the counter. He shuffles the deck by fanning the cards into two smaller decks and shifting them together in one fluid motion.
"I'll begin by finding your alignment."
>He flips over the top two cards and lays them next to each other. One depicts a bow and arrow, the other a lighting bolt.
"Hm..."
>The edges of the cards have triangles that point to parts of the adjacent cards.
(cont...)
| >>567245
>You find your gaze resting on a row of small glass phials. They are filled with what appears to be dull-colored gold dust. A tag says they contain stardust from the heavens. The price listed is 1K Newyen apiece, or 5K for all six.
>(...)
| >>567245
>(...)
>Zeph glances over from his cards.
"Those have the dust from comets. They were found in a laboratory from the Steampunk era. Some sort of lifeform lay dormant in the dust that's supposed to come alive if you inject it into your blood, establishing a symbiosis with it. It's for preventing just about any organic disease for a few days."
| >>567246
>Zeph ponders over the upturned cards.
"You have a strong connection with the Thunderbolt I see. You are quick to strike, but vigilant like a hunter watching it's traps."
>His voice becomes much more thought-out and steady as he speaks.
"You are known for your speed and impulse to fight..."
>Finding the man's alignment as "The Thunderbolt", he flips over the next two cards and places them underneath the first, making a 2x2 grid.
>(cont...)
| >>567248
"Alchemy. Something my followers practiced; it's within my realm of interest."
> She smiled with a spark of curiosity. Her left eye glows a bright blue, as though scanning the small bottles.
"Perhaps alchemy would not be the correct word. A summon contract? No, that would be magic—"
> Before she trails off, she takes out a credstick denoting enough value to buy half of the stock available.
"—Regardless, you have my interest and my money."
| >>567251
>The two new cards depict a book and a person holding a staff with a ring of gold coins around them.
"The Tome says you are to learn something important regarding your past sometime very soon... And the Seven Coins say your near future also contain a great deal of good fortune."
>Zeph looks up at the man smiling.
"It looks like your outlook is gunna be very fortunate! It's a good thing I saw into your future just now. You can bet money on a sudden stroke of good luck!"
| >>567253
>Shuffling the cards back into the deck, Zeph looks up at the blue-haired woman.
"They are pretty interesting. I'd have more in stock, but we had to trade like twelve phials for a pass to get through the Concrete Curtain in New Beijing. I have a feeling what's in that dust is not from this planet. These cards sometimes tell me about 'foreign visitors' nearby."
>He takes the credstick and hands over 3 phials.
"Maybe I should sell the rest of them to a lab..."
| >>567255
"How often do you traverse the world? These items don't come to you, that is a certainty — these are collections, after all."
> She handles the phials carefully, taking it with her free hand as she takes one to assess them better.
"Stardust or not, this would have helped in past few centuries. I'm sure their use will be appreciated then."
| >>567254
"Interesting. Alright then, I appreciate it."
>The man write down a contact information for Zeph
"I will take my leave then"
| >>567257
"Well, my friend is lookin' for someone, and I'm keepin' her company. We end up in a lot of interesting places. Like, this one time, our car broke down and we had to spend a week at a TartarusTech supply depot in the middle of the desert. I pick up a lotta stuff during our travels, and I try to sell it when I can."
>Zeph picks at a tassle of his robe.
"An old woman taught me how to read fortunes with a special deck of cards, so I make cash that way too. What about you?"
| >>567259
"Have a good one, then! And thanks for the tip. I'll check him out."
>Zeph waves goodbye to the man as he leaves.
| >>567281
> The woman's eye glow at the mention of fortune telling. Her lips curl trying to hold a certain expression.
"Arcana, was it?"
> She digs through her pocket; she takes out is a withered, singed cards with various illustrations drawn on them. She smoothly shuffles them, pulls three, then reveals them.
"The Judgment stands atop The Devil, to give rise to The Fool."
> She smiled, and her eye returned to a normal brightness again.
"Sorry, that was for someone else—"
| >>567135
>The eldritch abyss, more ancient than the planet itself, in the boys eyes stares back for a second, before he walks away with a smile on his face.
| >>567342
"Oh yeah, I remember her talking about Arcana and such. These cards are similar. They are like puzzle pieces that interlock when you put them next to each other."
>He draws the top card from his deck and holds it up. It has a picture of skull in front of a door.
"See? This one is The Skull. It means death. The little triangles on the edges interact with the markings on the edges of the other cards to tell me things."
| >>567471
"Marvelous. I had expected that they would develop another means of reading fate."
> Her face brightens with curiosity, it envelops her expression whole.
"—Though, I hadn't expected it to consume time this long. Does the deck owns a name? I take that every arcane tool would like to possess a name of their own."
| >>567481
"Yeah. They're named after the guy who discovered it. His last name was Abscalt, so the deck is called an Abscaltian deck."
>He fans and shuffles the deck after putting the card back.
"From what the old woman told me, there aren't that many decks left. They are made from the pages of some really old book, which is where they get their power. I suppose they are kinda special, then."
>He looks at the woman with curiosity.
"Where did you learn about fortune reading?"
| >>567495
"Abscaltian—… I will remember that name."
> She smiles and nods while her eyes wander the trinkets of the truck again, at least before answering the posed question.
"I was there when it was formed—"
> She chuckles before she could finish her sentence.
"—Is what I would say. I… may have forgotten, it was a long time ago. One of my sisters often weave threads to see past the present. The cards were a lesser form of her talent."
| >>567504
>Zeph's eyes widen a bit.
"Wow, you're related to someone who started the whole 'seeing the future' thing? That's amazing... Oh, I almost forgot. Since you seem to know what you are doing more than me, do you think you could help me out?"
>He reaches into his robe and pulls out a playing card. It's a Queen of Clubs with the words "Serpent Repents" written in blue ink.
"Do you have any idea what this means? We're looking for someone, and this is supposed to be a hint."
| "—Ah, what a bliss to see a familiar card."
> Her eye glows to see the card and the text it carries. Without a swirl of pause, she nodded.
"The Arcana does not carry this card, but my follower has taught me its use; a lady donning black, a ruling figure, one that can lead a path astray."
> She focuses on the text, scanning it with her eye again.
"A religion belittling mine once focused on serpents as a figure of trickery; of jealousy; and of sin. A repenting serpent—… Hm."
| >>567544
"We got as far as figuring out that it is probably referencing a location. The card was found in Glitch City, so we've been asking around for what might be a 'serpent-like' place. Aurum already checked the cathedral in Highrise, but there wasn't anything there."
>Zeph examines the card again for the hundredth time.
"Maybe it has to do with the Queen of Clubs bit..."
| "I may be well with humans, but my geographical knowledge is—… well, poor."
> She closes her eye, letting it power off from its blue light, then immediately returned to her opinion after a short hum.
"A serpent. It can't be ⚕, no?"
> Her words were jumbled, and very much so at the end.
"Sorry, would you mind if I photograph the card? I make no exact promises, but you have caught me as an indirect accomplice here."
| >>567579
"Sure, go ahead. Just don't show it around too much. I have a feeling there is someone out there who doesn't want us to find this person."
>He hold up the card and shows it clearly to the woman.
| >>567585
"I have no one to show it to. You can be assured I will handle what danger may flood me."
> She opens her flip phone and captures the card in its whole. The phone flashes a light and audibly performed a fake shutter noise.
"All's done. What an interesting little piece—… say, what is your reason for curiosity? For sure, you must be seeking a form of reward from it. Not materialistic ones, perhaps — but a reward nonetheless."
| >>567586
>Zeph puts the card back into his robe.
"My friend Aurum is looking for her 'father', actually. Not really her father, though, 'cause she's a Lilim. I mean the person who made her. She found about his location but was never able to get there until a few years ago. When she did get there, it was just an empty apartment with this card there. Then the Neon District went down, and that's when I ran into her. we escaped together and have been searching ever since."
| >>567588
"Does Aurum remember anything about her father? Any particular details for which I can use when searching? Finding a missing person in Glitch City is a matter of luck; of chance."
> The woman stuffs the phone back to her suit's pocket as it clatters with the many coins she stores inside.
"I'm neither a detective, nor do I have many contacts, but I will be a helping eye. I may not be of too much use in this case."
| >>567589
"Only that the man was wearing a black lab coat all the time. At least, whenever she was around. Most of her memories about that time are of her in a laboratory where she carried boxes and kept checklists. Her memory of that time is pretty spotty, and a bunch of the data has been corrupted and sin't accessible anymore."
>He stands up from his stool.
"Well, an extra eye can be a huge help, especially eyes like yours."
>He hands the woman a note with his contact into.
| >>567591
"I'm glad my eyes can be of use—"
> She receives the note, glancing at it for a brief moment before returning to Zeph.
"A black-coated man. I can't say there is a few of them; no, it would be wrong if there is only a handful with that description."
> The woman frowns, though not to anyone in particular.
"—I will attempt my best for Aurum. Though, for now I have a Master to attend to."
> She politely nods, signalling her cue to part ways.
| >>567595
>Zeph gives a short wave in farewell before sitting back down on his stool behind the counter.
| >>567697
"My, how could I forget — my name is Uni. You would need the name for us to meet again, after all."
> She nods once more before waving.
"Farewell, and blessed your journey be."
> The woman walks away shortly after, her footsteps inaudible mere seconds later.
This thread is permanently archived
| >Located on the curb of a main street near some similar popups selling food or sweets, this hovertruck is parked with a bright red awning extended over the side. Under the awning is a wide counter covered in various pieces of jewelry, tech, and apparel for sale, all seeming to be Oriental or Eastern in origin. Behind the counter sits a lanky young man with spiky blond hair and wearing a long purple coat lined with gold tassles.