Ticket to Wonderland

"Sure You want to know this. Everyone with a Weapon in Mind asks for Range and Power Output." Doc Strange replied, as Jessica´s Brows sank down in Concernment. Her Friend was seriously worried about something - thus she could tell easily by just looking at him. Doc Strange however - even observing himself - realized an astonishing Body Response; he had enough Reasons for getting pale - but this didn´t happen, because his natural Uneasiness near unknown Females was a Reason to blush immediately. So these sometimes embarassing Reactions were negotiating each other - saving his Version of a Poker Face as he continued: "At Home our Scientists now slowly realize - there is Magic existent. Here the Magicians realize, that there is another Kind of Power - the Science and in her Tracks: Technology. Now I come along telling You, who actually is threatening my Security and my Way of Life - and everyone surrounding us now - even Politics is Science. And I am interested in... everything."
He looked deep into these fascinating feline Eyes of... `Mrs. Nekovna´ and continued: "Politics however work on every World in the same Way - especially with Humans involved. Here we have a ruling Elite of High-Class-Mages whose Speciality is to hold enormous Beings at Bay through a technomagical Construct called the Isolon Eye. Now You come along asking for a Weapon, capable of doing something roughly similar - in a smaller Scale - but it does the same Job they do. This could be seen as `subversive Destabilization of the ruling Establishment´, which means I have to be aware of some bad Guys with long Knifes and evil Mood in my own House - or even on the Way home, if this goes public - and in a City like this - it certainly would. I am sure, You can follow me - and don´t play dumb - Your Face Symmetry is not that of a naive Moron, Mrs... I am temptated to call You Mrs. Nekovna - but I think You have another Name... ?"
Finally he lights himself a Cigarette (with slightly shaking Hands) and asked this mysterious Neko: "So what should I answer to someone, who is a Menace to me and my Friends - just by asking for a now yet  fictional Super Weapon - to be sure I can live on in Peace, like i did before? If I say no - I am sure, someone like You has Ways to get what he wants - or should I say yes - and perhaps ruin everything I have achieved this far?"
Jessica´s Brows sank even deeper, looking at the white haired Neko.

Yup, this guy's definitely on the ball, might as well drop the act. Winona's sweet smile shifted into a more relaxed expression and she leant over closer.

"You can call me 'Mousetrap." She said. "Kinda risky business you know, bringing something like that to a world such as this, Felarya is crawling with predators and I don't just mean the of the carnivorous kind. Surely you were aware that was inevitable that your gadget would cacth the eye of those of an devious disposition?"

"It is always the same Misdoing - You have some Ideas for making Life easier - or to enhance it with some Progress - and then shady Guys think to misuse it as a Weapon. Like the nuclear Fission - a little and random Laboratory Experiment - and the End Result can eradicate an entire World." he released a deep smoky Breath - and then asked her: "It is possible, that something like a War can occur for such Technology - hm... You even have a Codename. Maybe it is good to know someone like You."
There he sat - looking awfully young and fragile - almost like an Elven Boy - but between his unpointed Ears runned a vast Intellect at High Speed like a huge Calculation Machine. He thinked again: "Let´s imagine it... let´s say, I can build a Prototype - I just have to change the Arrangement of the Agnitite-Magnatron-Coils and make it transportable - like Sort of a..."
"Bazooka?" Jessica suggested and Doc Strange nodded: "Exactly. Now - as You said it would spread around, attract unwanted Attention - perhaps YOU can look after some Bad Guys while I am working... Would this work out for You?"
"I can open up my Ears, too!" the Barkeeper said and mentioned: "By the Way - the `Cyber-Arm´ You gave my Daughter works perfectly - just like a normal Arm! And she´s strong now!"
"Of Course she is - She now has an entire HEXALAN-Endoskeleton which is prepared for her overwhelming Power. She had to train it, because this left Arm is heavier than a normal one - and much stronger."
"Yes - she is nearly as strong as I am!" Jessica smiled and the Barkeeper said: "So Your Debt - and thus of Your friends will be on my House - I have to thank You!"  
While Doc Strange now definitively blushed, Dylan brought the mysterious Coat-Woman her ordered Drink, an 1-Liter-Mug of fresh Milk: "So - here You are. Feel welcome and at Home - if You can."

Taihaku reached out to receive the large mug, surprised by its size, though it didn't show on her face. Dylan would be able to see that her hand was covered in white fur dotted with black circles, like a thick glove. If she was observant, however, she'd be able to see how realistic the fur was, and even a healthy shine to it.

"Thank you very much," she said, still without much tone in her voice. She then took a light sip of the milk.

`Weird - but I bet, she´s totally cuddly...´ Dylan thought, while going back to the Bar, seeing a somewhat disarranged Table in the other Corner of the Room. So she went over and shoved the huge and massive Oak Table back into Position - with one Hand. Then she arranged the Chairs around it, cleaned and polished the Plate - and went on. This Table, like her own she was sitting at - If Taihaku would be asked to estimate it´s Weight, she would think of nearly 200 Kilos - to prevent it from being broken or misusing it as a Weapon during a Brawl in this Tavern.
But this Girl - seemed not to care.
"Did I miss something?" Dylan asked, as she arrived at the Bar - and her Father nodded: "Yeah - some more Drinks to serve - over there!"
"Sheesh..."

Taihaku didn't bother weighing the table, but she noted the waitress' strength nonetheless. If she didn't get a good job at this bar, maybe she'd get a good sparring partner, she thought.

She blew some cooling air on her mug before taking another sip. Anyone who happened to be watching might notice her misty breath, or perhaps someone would be able to sense her slight use of magic.

Xin had, admittedly, zoned out a little bit when Winona showed up. Well, not necessarily zoned out - more like zoned in. She’d been watching the neko pretty closely, but oddly enough, the agent hadn’t seemed to notice her at all. Maybe she was friendly? Or maybe she was playing friendly? The latter seemed more likely, as the guy that had been playing weird music came up and pointed out a bunch of scientific stuff, making Winona change her personality a lot… and she called herself ‘Mousetrap’. That made the neera more than a little uneasy.

But, there were questions to be answered. Like what was going on.

“Bazookas? Unwanted attention? Bad guys?” The tiny piped up. “I can look! And I have ears!” Xin declared proudly, and somewhat helpfully. Neeras were handy watchers, though, by nature.

"And You seem to have Access to mighty arcane Powers as well - You are literally radiating this Way." Doc Strange mentioned, looking at Xin. He smiled: "Okay - let us look for some able Participants shielding me, working on a `Super Weapon´. Where You are now, You are safe. Jessica easily can swallow whole big Micrats - but she also can easily turn one´s Inside out, if he wants to do this with You - or another Neera..."
"I can do this too - uhm... this inside-out-Thingie..." Dylan mentioned and her Father replied: "Our Guests will turn OUR Insides out, if they will not get their Drinks pretty soon!"
"Sheesh..."
"She can do this? Really?" he whispered to Doc Strange and the Scientist shrug his Shoulders: "Technically she is able to do much more..."
"Yes, she can. I have showed her many MMA-Moves - she learns quick!" Jessica mentioned.
"You did?" Strange asked and the Barkeeper wondered: "What´s this MMA-Stuff?"
"My weponless Fighting Style - Mixed Martial Arts. As a Girl - especially as a Girl looking like Dylan does You have to be carefully - and capable of handling Guys without any Manners." Jessica proudly explained and Doc Strange nodded: "I agree - a Lot of Problems could be solved with good and proper Education."
Thus said, Jessica smiled with even more Pride - and even more sharp Teeth, it seemed.

Winona heared a Neera speak up, her head sharply turned and her eyes laid upon the little creautre, Her eyes widened and stared intently for a few beats, not breathing a single word while a catlike grin spread across her face.

Winona reluctantly drew her attention back to the Doctor.

"So Cybernetic arm, Miniaturization Applicance and now menction of a weaponized version?" She asked. "Sounds like your quite serious business in the world of innovation. I presume you must have funding for this kind of thing? Even the richest person would find it hard to fund these things out of his own pocket. Because if you do have backing from someone higher up, then I woulden't want to inconvenience them with devious shenanigans given that they could possibly afford to get me back with disproportionate retribution."

She pulled a premade Catnip blunt from her pocket along with a lighter, she stuck the blunt in her mouth and then lit it with the lighter.

"But indeed not all preying eyes are as rational as I." She then said. "I surpose I could assist in that little issue as long as I know it's worth my while."

"It´s quite simple: Imagine a Businessman - a Trader of... some rare Things having Trouble of a Kind. He asks me to help - I do - and he pays me with something he trades in, what for him is quite simple. So You can get a wide Variety of Things You need. You see - I have no Secrets so far. I have some others." Doc Strange declared. He continued: "Then there is Scrap - and some Stuff from the Bazars, seeming mostly useless to others. You can build quite an astonishing Amount of needful Things out of Scratch - if You know how to do it. And because of my Home World I know a wide Range of Gadgets You cannot even imagine - because You don´t know about them. Like this one..."
The wild haired Scientist showed the Neko his John-Lennon-Glasses: "Try them on - You will see some... `enlightening´ Details about the People surrounding You."

"The more that I see the less that I know for sure." Winona said, planting the Glasses over her eyes.

She then glanced around the room, waiting for the glasses to come into effect.

Obviously the dark Glasses did make everything a little bit more dark at first - but Winona could see that... everyone glowed. Most of the People here glowed dark blue - like Doc Strange (who glowed a bit brighter) and Jessica. The Barkeeper glowed the same Way and his Daughter seemed to be one-armed. But on Jessica´s Shoulder is something like a Flashlight - and a somewhat hidden bright Glow came from a Corner in this Room. By other Guests however were only Body Parts glowing bright - or something they carry with them in their Pockets.
"What You can see now is pure Life Force." Doc Strange explained. Making a surrounding Geisture he continued: "You can see that even the Ground is glowing in a very dark blue Colour. Now, the bright Colour - this clear light Blue shows You who or what is... `magic´. Because arcane Powers in this World rely on Life Force. Magic is the concentrated Form of it, which can be put into Action by a trained Mind. This Land is living by Magic, You can say - it explains Things and Beings, that on other Places would just be impossible to exist. And the Tensor Generator works on manipulating this Glowing and so the living Matter radiating it - the particular Aura of everything alive. And because this Aura is usually bigger than the Creature it surrounds - the Clothes will be manipulated in the same Way."
Doc Strange smiles: "Science is nothing more than `learning the Maths´. But in this Land it works also on Imagination. And so do I. Many Things I build here won´t work on other Worlds. Imagination and the countless Variations in Combination of different Things here make Projects possible which yet may sound absolutely phantastic."
He taked a deep Breath of his Gigarette, slightly relaxing: "So You see - never see something as what it is, You know that already, it´s known to anyone and mostly it is boring. See something in it You can make of it; and You get a World full of Wonders and Miracles - even here, in a Land full of those."

"You created a pair of glasses that gives the wearer something akin to predator sense!" Winona grinned, taking off the glasses and examining them in her hand. "Something like this will have great applications in this kind of world."

"That is why I made it - the Glasses are coated with microscopic Dust of a psychoreactive Mineral. Useless Stuff isn´t my Style. Let´s say it this Way - in our World are Stories to be heared about a famous Spy - James Bond, who uses Lots of specially designed Stuff to get his Work done. Let´s presume You would be Mrs. Bond - I still can be the Innovator - Your Mr. Q." Doc Strange said. Then he thought a bit - then smiled: "Q - would be MY Codename."
"This is so weird - but also very cool!" Jessica wondered - but shook her Head: "But forget about me being Mrs. Moneypenny!"
Then Doc Strange played the James-Bond-Theme, looking to Winona: "Now - what will be YOUR Answer?"

(It always throws me off when people make references to real-world things in Felarya. >_<; Not that it's bad, but they never seem to fit together in my mind...)

Taihaku looked up from her now three-fourths full mug of chilled milk and looked toward the people gathered at the bar. She noticed one of them - a white-haired neko, now wearing shaded-lensed spectacles - seemed to be looking directly back at her for a moment before continuing to scan the room. Taihaku paid it little mind; she often garnered prolonged looks from people in public places due to her clothing, so she was used to being stared at.

As that neko removed the glasses, Taihaku took another sip of her milk, waiting to see if anyone would enter the bar looking for able-bodied workers or such.

After a few Minutes Dylan came along again with her now empty Tablet - and asked her Guest: "You seem to wait for something - perhaps I can help You?"

"Never heard of this Bond character, but I gather you are offering your services as a unoffical Quartermaster?" Winona asked. "Well I guess it woulden't hurt to give it try, at least on a trial basis to start out."

"Terrific!" he replied and suggested: "From Your Words I presume You are planning some Sort of Expedition. So I think, we would need something like a Team. Thus would be a great Opportunity to learn about each other."
Then he offered an Idea: "I would like to invite You to my Home - I even have some Guest Rooms. So You can learn about us, see how I work, how I do Things - and of Course what Things I usually do. Perhaps this will help our Credibility along."
Then he cleared his Throat, finally blushing: "At first: my Home is... special."
"I´ll say!" Jessica nodded and he continued: "It is a Workshop, Sort of a Museum and a full fledged Laboratory. And finally I have some... Subtenants - small ones."
"Like her"! Jessica pointed at Xin and Doc Strange nodded: "I can estimate Your usual Behaviour a bit - don´t even think about it. I have shown them effective Ways to get rid of lifethreatening Menaces - and I don´t want to find someone dead in my House the next Morning, just because he couldn´t control himself. You will learn: To kill a huge Being - You have not necessarily to be huge as well."
At least the Scientist and Psychologist managed to get a Grip on his Uneasiness - came close to Winona´s Face and whispered: "And then I can see - even You have something nearly resembling a Heart - and there is a big and awfully hurting Dent in it. Perhaps this Dent is the main Reason to ask me for a Tensor Gun..."
Doc Strange leaned back, smoked a bit his Cigarette and looked around: "Well... let´s see... I´m not used to hire some `Mercenaries´. But our Team should be a bit bigger, thus I´m sure..."

Taihaku looked up at Dylan, her steely eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Sure, the waitress meant well, but she was also disturbing her surveillance of the tavern's patrons.

"I appreciate the offer but--" she began to say, then stopped. She could have sworn she'd heard a word she'd been listening for. She placed her mug on the table - a little too forcefully, as it made a noticeable "clack" noise - and stood from her seat, her gaze darting about the room. If someone was looking for a mercenary, she had to introduce herself before someone else snatched the opportunity! But who was it? Who was looking for a mercenary?!

"H-hey! What´s up?" Dylan was deterred, some People around stopped their Conversation, looked back to this... Coat person and even Jessica stood up - with a serious Expression on her Face. Trouble - right now? Hopefully not...
"Remember: No Windows!" the Baarkeeper exhorted her and she nodded: "Okay."
Winona however remembered this Person in the Corner of the Guest Room - this was this light blue Being, she saw through the Glasses earlier. And Doc Strange thought: `Man - this seems to get worse every second!´

Persephone didn't have any real "night vision" by any quantifiable standard the way something like a dwarf or an owl would, but years of living in outer space searching out tiny pinpoints of light on a black background had honed her skills at discerning shapes in darkness - so when Taihaku stood up abruptly it let just enough light creep onto her face that Persephone instantly recognized her. Someone she knew from a previous quest was here!
She made sure in her standard fashion to give no indication whatsoever that she had noticed anything right that second, but she did shift her focus to Taihaku and whatever it was she was about to do, and polish off the last teaspoon of her drink in preparation to follow her.

Taihaku looked about at all the faces looking in her direction, and began to settle back into her seat slowly.

"I aplo-- gi-- ...apologize...I was simply...taken by surprise by something..." she said sheepishly, her voice quieting toward the end of the sentence. Her face reddened visibly, and she pulled her hood lower over her face to attempt to hide it.

"Jeez - what´s up with this Inuit-Guy?" Jessica asked, slightly worried and the Barkeeper said concerned: "If this... `Sealhunter´ collapses here in his Coat from Overheating..."
Dylan returned to the Bar and mourned: "We sure have some Weirdos here, I can tell!"
Doc Strange looked at her, as if he was estimating something - and asked her Father: "Mind if I - hm... `rent´ her for some Time?"
Flabbergasted the Barkeeper stared at him: "WHAT?!"
"Nono... not what You think - but I thought maybe she would have F... Fun wit a little... Change?" he stuttered, while Dylan looked at him with big Eyes and Jessica was nearly bursting, not top laugh out loud.
The Barman thinked. This took some Time - then he said: "Okay. But if You die in this... Whatever it is You all are planning - if You die, Dylan - I will never change a Word with You!"
"I wasn´t expecting less." Doc Strange commented laconical - but then his Face nearly vanished between Dylan´s Breasts as she hugged him enthusiastically: "YAAAY! I´m finally gonna see something of the World!"
"Hey! If You crush him, You have to eat him - wait, this was something different..." Jessica tried to interrupt, before her Friend was going to finally faint with a deep red Face. So Dylan released him - still smiling - and went behind the Bar, saying: "Don´t go away - I´ll be back soon, okay?"
"The... next Time I will not go anywhere, I fear..." Doc Strange gasped and Jessica smiled broadly: "I think she likes You somehow - can´t possibly imagine why..."
Then Dylan came back - in an obviously adventurous Mood: "NOW we can go!"

http://abload.de/image.php?img=shiva5s7lud.jpg

"Yeah - take her with You." the Barman said: "This is embarrassing!"
He asked his hopeful Daughter: "Wait - isn´t this MY Saber?!"
"Yes - I have trained - You don´t need it anymore, do You?" she looked at him.
"Trained - who trained You, if i may ask?"
"Gramps!" she smiled - and now the Barman vanished in the Kitchen: "Hey, Pa! What the Hell... ?"

Xin felt her blood run cold when the neko looked at her for a long, tense moment. Alright, that basically ruled out the possibility that ‘Mousetrap’ was friendly, or even pretending to be friendly. Xin had just been temporarily ignored… and then was ignored again as the neko got her act back together. The neera relaxed, again and focused on the conversation… though she frowned slightly when it turned out Jessica, who was kind of her protector at this rate, failed to notice the hungry look Xin had received. That made her neera’s sixth sense set off every alarm it could reach in her head.

However, nothing but the throwing about of technical terms and myths happened… until everyone was invited to this doctor guy’s place. Including the neko. But Jessica also went out of her way to point Xin out, and the doc said there were other… ‘subtenants’ there. Other tinies? Xin brightened up, looking at the huge, mutant girl’s face beside her. “There are? Really?” She asked, eyes wide.

Then hugs were exchanged between cyborg humans and doctors, someone in a coat made a bit of a disturbance in a corner, and Xin shifted a bit. “Uh… let’s get going!” She chipped in.

Jessica looked at Xin and sayed: "Yes, there are some - the Roof is divided in many small Stories, so they have lots of Room they can customize as they want. Because we think they are just as we are - only smaller."
"I don´t get this Neera-hunting-Stuff either - because they haven´t done anything to me or anyone I know - so I let them be. You Yourself wouldn´t like to be hunted all the Time, do You?" tha Barman said.
"Nice said." Doc Strange commented and Dylan asked: "So - how about searching for Adventurers we can trust?"
"Oh - how would You detect someone You can trust?" Doc Strange asked.
"Good Question."
"If You have found an Answer, please let me know..."