The Gray Goose

[Exarch the Slayer of Man]

History of The Goose:

The Gray Goose is a bar, one of the only structures that exists the same as it did before the calamity, at least mostly. The Gray Goose is ran by a old gentleman named Arthur Naruus, a brewer who worked long sleepless nights to maintain his shoddy old shack on the border of Hops Town. The Grey Goose and Arthur suffered a huge hit when the calamity happened, it was off the beaten path so many people were unaware but the madness was bad for business, soon they were out of funds and nothing was left to keep the bar afloat. But the last day he wanted to hold onto his dream of running this bar a group appeared of questionable intent and offered an ultimatum, help them kill the traveler who was going to visit this bar, and they would help keep it afloat or don't and accept it as a lost dream. Handily he agreed and before he knew it this was happening all the time, the bar found more traction with criminals and people alike, for a business all publicity is good publicity. Soon even at times of struggle The Grey Goose became the most prosperous it had ever been, a deep basement or to what is now referred to as a VIP lounge was eventually carved out for the special guests, and normal folk stayed on the ground floor. The Gray Goose was a great place for friends to get away, and for friends to make "friends" disappear.

"Ahh, The Gray Goose never seems to lose it's shine." Exarch thinks to himself as he hummed the Funeral March skipping along the dirt path, his Machete jingles loosely from his hips as he approached the establishment. Exarch stretched and yawned before he walked in greeted by cool air filled with mindless chatter. Exarch immediately walked to the front and got his usual from Arthur, a gin and tonic, while simultaneously skittered around the corner of the bar. The crowd seemed to be devoid of anything but normal folk drinking their lives away or reminiscing of that one time when everything made more sense. Exarch however would not be indulging in such trivial pursuits, he was here for only one reason, and that was to claim his prize. Back in the day this job would of been a big deal for him, but arson plus the murder of three officials on their way to some nonsense party was just a normal day on the job now, hardly worth the amount of pay he was being given.
Exarch always made a point to be early even in his younger years when he would show up bludgeoned and abused, not only because it made him more credible but more importantly it gave him some much needed rest from the constant pressure of doing work. The pause in his life didn't bother him much due to his favorite past time being people watching. He loved judging people as they walked in, and the few fevered and deranged looks people give him when they recognize him, it is all invigorating.
He left his table open sitting on the side that faced the wall so that no one can walk up behind him. This corner is where he made most of his deals now in days, whether they were killing abusive fathers, too ambitious politicians, or cannibals on the side of the road Exarch did not judge but he preferred to do his jobs in public instead of the filth downstairs. In the VIP Lounge was his family and his domain, he preferred to keep his work separate from his home life. Exarch leaned back in the chair letting it lift off the ground before kicking his feet on the table, a smug smile on his face as he waited. The only thing that made his presence known was the constant whistle, in the brief silences of the crowd.

[ExplodingIce]

Tally's ears perked at the whistle. A noise that took her back so many years. She was sitting at the end of the bar opposite where Exarch had been. Hed walked in and not even noticed her, though, that was her specialty after all. She was drinking a hard cider that Arthur made special for her. She was young and the taste of alcohol was still too offputting for her, so he made a special brew for her that was sweet and tasted of apples,but she was a seasoned drinker and was only slightly buzzed. Enough to take the edge off, but not enough to cloud her senses.

A lull in the crowd and the whistle floated over the top. She stood and approached him, knowing full well she couldnt sneak up on him from behind. Instead she went for full misdirection. The true failing of people was there ability to overlook things in plain sight. Tally slid from group to group seamlessly, laughing at jokes, dancing in groups, raising her glass in celebration. It took longer to get your target his way, but sure enough she was in front of his table in no time. Time to see if he noticed.

"Howdy stranger. Havent seen you in a right bit. No calls, no papers? Like you fell in a pitch and forgot all bout me. Wagga." She pretended to be angry, but sat down and bumped the table to mess with his balance.

[Exarch the Slayer of Man]

"Psh, I would literally kill for the ability to call someone it's so hard to track people on the fucking landlines. This running around trying to finish contracts is almost more tedious than gouging the eyes out of untrained children." His chuckle turned to a light-hearted laugh while he simultaneously glanced at the door briefly before re-adjusting his attention solely to Tally, barely maintaining his balance on the table. "Just a warning, my clients are edgy with me, they might go piss themselves if they see me chatting to a different friend." Exarch never stopped smiling and when he spoke it didn't seem like he wanted her to leave, just an observation as he transfers the conversation seamlessly out of topic.

His curiosity visibly flowed through his entire body like a twitch ending at his hands as he cracked his knuckles resting both hands on the table as some form of gentleman's agreement, his eyes casually glancing upwards to the door whenever anyone enters. "Got any juicy information? always a glutton for anti- I guess what I am really asking, what brings you to the Goose?" Exarch volume lowered slightly so that their sounds dampened with the crowd as his calmness dipped into his maddening curiosity in the form of jittery raps on the table.

[ExplodingIce]

"Youre telling me. Last job I had tracked this boony for over a week trying to find his piss hut cuz the lil blighter flits like a fucking skip beetle. Finally found him caught up in a bit of a doozy and showed him my pearlies. Tasted like gully dirt." She muttered and picked at her teeth, the memory causing her discomfort. The topic of clients got her back on track though. "Well I aint here to fuck spiders am I? Course I know a bobble. I know a bit o bobbles. But im back at the watering hole for a bev and maybe a rouser with an old pal." She chuckled and flicked his knuckles. "Why, you looking to put a shine in your pocket? I could do with a few extra clinkers."

[Exarch the Slayer of Man]

Exarch couldn't help but to laugh when Tally finished, "Tally, I forgot how painfully exotic your accent was." He seemed to have to pause for a second to absorb all of the information he just said and translate it to something that made sense in his head. "So you've been following me?" He said sarcastically in reference to her looking for an old pal. "I am actually looking for a few extra clinkers as you would but more for someone else than for me, I have a job and I may need a few additional hands and I was wondering if you would join me." At this point the door opened and someone who was dressed in rich garb came in eyeing everyone around him panicked in fear, he seemed to be stumbling towards the corner where the two of them reside. "Tally, I expect that these people are betraying me and planning to try and kill me outside, I am just going to have them pull my prizes inside, I would like you to sneak around and see if I'm right, if you are up to it I'll give you half of what I make on this gig." He smiles and whispers fiercely under his breath to Tally before waving down the strange pedestrian. "Heyyoo I'm over here just having a bev with a friend, come join us."

The bar seemed to grow slightly more silent when Exarch called out, most knew him well. The cloaked figure increased his pace and walked towards them hesitantly, he seemed unarmed and didn't have anything of value with him which was a problem for Exarch.

[TazDevil]

"Oi mate. Its not like im following you specifically. But hey, we do get to a bit of fun when we meet up." Tally chuckled and threw back the rest of her drink. With the entrance of the new comers Tally listened to Exarchs explanation with a barely repressed grin. "Oh id love to help you out pal. You know how i love a late night snack. Dont keep a pretty girl waiting." She laughed and headed for the bar where she rapped on the wood to get Arthur's attention. "Let me out to powder my nose." She said, not really asking a question. She knew hed let her out through his hidden side door. She took her time and casually wandered the Goose a few times, making sure to keep her senses alert for the sounds of Exarch coming out.

[Exarch the Slayer of Man]

“I trust our arrangement is settled then, Exarch.” The robed man huffed as he cautiously sat at the table. “I do good work Ernie, you don’t need to hide your face here everyone knows you are a monster just like the rest of us.” The comment ran cold as his hands both balled into tight fists. “Either way, your friends are nice and toasty and had to make a stop before the party, so where’s my stuff?” Exarch talks loudly and proudly almost like he is addressing the people as Ernie pulls out a small pistol and puts it on the table in between them. Exarch picks the pistol up as if to inspect it carefully turning on and off the safety, checking for bullets before pointing it straight at Ernie’s forehead. “Tsk Tsk Ernie, I asked for two pistols ten bullets and five slaves, where are my six bullets second pistol and all five of my food trained slaves?” Exarch’s silliness drained immediately with all of the blood in Ernie’s skin causing him to go white with fear. “Exarch, the rest of it is outside.” Without putting down the pistol he smiles “Oh goodie, let’s go get it then shall we?” Ernie quickly gets up from his seat as Exarch leads the man forward, gun pressed to the back of his neck. “Let us go get acquainted shall we?”


Outside of the goose there was obviously something at least interesting happening. A single white van found it’s way all of the way out to the bar off the beaten road, and a few particular men were hiding outside around it a mixture of crossbows and other old style ranged weapons, they seemed to be in the midst waiting for an ambush. The robed fellow that came to greet them earlier walked out of the door with his hands on his head, a gun peeked its way out of the door just barely as he began walking slowly towards the van. “I swear if it’s not all in there I will keep you alive just long enough for me to murder your entire family so that I can harvest their organs and sew them all back together as a fleshy golem to murder you with.” Exarch calls cheerfully to his robed companion encouraging him back towards the van, Exarch never moving from his position at the goose as Ernie treads silently and slowly away, taking only brief glances at his companions waiting in the woods.

[TazDevil]

Tally watched Exarch walk his friend out, gun to his head and smiled. How subtle. She wasnt terribly concerned with the men she could see. It was the ones the hooded boy glanced at as he walked. She followed the path of his gaze to the woods and shook her head. "Rookie mistake. Never look at your backup. Especially if theyre supposed to be hidden." She sighed and took off to take care of the pests. As she ran she partially transformed her face and neck, feeling the muscles in her jaw and neck turn rock hard and her teeth sharpen to razor points. While Tally couldnt see herself, she knew how she looked. A monster that appeared to be grinning and grimacing at the same time, the lips pulled back just enough to reveal the living storm of teeth. She caught the first one by surprise and nearly sheared his head off with the first bite. Tally barely felt his neck bones as she yanked and relieved him of his dead weight. Oh wouldnt Exarchs friend be in for a fun surprise when his backup never arrived? Im sure hed have a giggle over it while Exarch disemboweled him.

[Exarch the Slayer of Man]

As soon as Tally made contact two shots were fired. Bang… the first making impact with the fleshy temple of one of the unsuspecting ambushers, his pinkish-red brain matter burst out following the bullet as the lifeless corpse dropped twitching in the forest. Bang… a cry of agony immediately followed the second one as a burst of scarlet red flowered out of Ernie’s robe where his leg should be, he crumpled to the ground screaming as his mind tried to assess his state of being while entering hysteria.
 “Ernie.. Ernie.. Ernie, why would you try and betray me like that?” Exarch grinned widely swapping the pistol to his non-dominant hand, his machete making a sickening screech as it is drawn. “Y-You’re a fucking psycho!” Ernie screamed at the top of his lungs as he desperately tried to squirm away clutching his leg.  The maniacal fiend approached his wounded prey like a lion in the Savanna and swung one of his legs into the injured gazelle’s side flipping him over onto his back to face him. “Why would you do this? I just wanted my stu-.” Exarch coo'd spinning his machete but the biting voice of his victim cut him off. 
“Y-y-your stuff is in the car, I brought people because you are known for k-killing your clients you fucking asshole.” He was barely audible through the huffing of his pain.“Oh, my bad. I guess I may have had ulterior motives, I also wanted your van.” Exarch shrugged and stomped on his chest to hear another satisfying groan. “Oooh, I’ll take that” He said cheerfully swinging his machete in a large arc chopping into his wrist taking his hand with the keys in it the howl that followed acted as a mortal symphony driving anyone else away from the scene. “I’m on my way to my next gig, there should be a loyal meal or two in the back, as a thank you for helping me out and a promise of more riches if you want to join.” He lightly skips down the dirt road towards his new ride, A large dog wagon remade to carry slaves and run on solar. The van had exactly what was promised, the other pistol, 10 bullets, slaves gagged and bound in the back, and a sweet rock CD in the radio socket.

[TazDevil]

"Oi mate you in some funny business." Tally chuckled as she walked out of the trees, licking her fingers clean of the hot,sticky blood that painted most of her upper half crimson. "What kind of mayhem you got in store for a pretty lady? These shrimps were a good nibble but I need a real meal." She chuckled and pulled her shirt off,holding it above her mouth and wringing out the excess blood into her mouth. There was so much blood that even her underclothes were red with blood but it was more about the fact that her shirt was heavy with the blood. She pulled it back over her head and hopped in,kicking her feet up on the dash. "Where we going pal? Better be somewhere fun."

[Exarch the Slayer of Man]

"Unfortunately not yet, I need to drop his hand off on someone's doorstep and go collect some weapons and ammunition from our local black market, but after that I figured we could go stir up some trouble like old times ya know?" He chimes happily reminiscing about the past before he takes a pause. "This is missing something." Exarch sits upright and makes his way out of the van to it's side and begins drawing with the back side of the hand, lightly toned blood turned to art as a jagged skull. "Ahh much better." He chimes happily. "Now Tally, I'll need you on your best behavior for our black market run, unfortunately we cannot kill these folks like Ernie." The engine revs and with a lurch they are moving, "I'm kind of in the mood for some freelancing, perhaps some mercy killing of high officials, their titles must be so heavy on their bones." He lets out a chuckle laughing at himself as the first song turns on warming the mood, their cargo tosses loudly in the back as Exarch swerves onto the main road heading towards the Terra Complex.



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Sheep: Plot continues http://www.lumoslegion.com/t140-up-high-and-down-under?tt=1

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