Alynna/2012.01.03

Alynna glances across the bar, looking at Taggart again. "If it helps any, yer the first human I'd ever been attracted to." her ears lower a little bit. "Not that i'm sure it'd ever work out."

Cilan decides to set the novel she was reading aside and join the group at the bar, at her destination she asks Taggart, "Hey Tag, can I get a shot of whiskey?"

Captain perks up at the mention of whiskey.

REDACTED says softly, "Do you remember when you broke my jaw? You were going down that path. I don't want to see that ever return, although I don't mean that to sound like I am accusing you of doing that now."

Neterros blinks. "Oh, really?" The wolf immediately looks to the bartender. "Two vodkas, please!"

Taggart glances to Alynna at the mention of attraction, head tilting to the side as he regards her a moment. "Hard ta say. I've high standards. Not ta say that anythin' lower is shite, jus' that..." He frowns a bit, "I've high expectations of everyone... an'old meself even higher than that." He shrugs and nods, quite sure what he's trying to say isn't being translated properly before his attention turns to the requests of drinks. He goes about his business, pouring them out as he answers REDACTED, "I ain't nowhere near that place, REDACTED... don't worry."

Alynna starts to nod slowly, glancing at other peoples drinks now momentarily. She tries her best to not let her ears lower in response, but there is a bit of a lowering nonetheless. "It's alright. I didn't really have an expectation." she yips.

Cilan raises her glass in a short, and silent thanks to Taggart before bringing it to her lips and taking a short sip.

REDACTED nods at Taggart, taking her hand away after squeezing his. She turns to Alynna, "Give the old dog some time, as I mentioned earlier he broke my jaw before he openned up to me. Life's strange, and Tag's even stranger." Her tails are flickering around behind her, clearly teasing Taggart a bit in her choice of wording.

Alynna glances to REDACTED now, her eyes displaying a wish to have some liquor without actually having to order it. "It would not matter in the end. Its not like I would leave Aidan after all." looking like she was about to bite her own tounge through on her face. "Gods damn my own heart. Why the fuck can't I just turn it off..."

Taggart scowls just a bit at REDACTED before giving an exasperated and slightly frustrated sigh, mostly directed at his own inability to properly put thoughts and feelings into words, turning to Alynna. "I... am a selfish bastard. And I..." At Alynna's words and mention of Aidan, "Ah, see... an' then there's that." He nods and then seems to think it's best to stay quiet and not try to talk anymore.

REDACTED shifts back to lean against the bar counter, propped up on her arms. She looks at Taggart and says softly, "I am sorry for putting words in your mouth my friend, but this barrier you build is old, and rotten. At the very least you need to build anew if you do want to wall yourself off, truly. Somehow though I look at you and see your heart ache. Sori and I both want you in our lives, and Kay's life. Remember that." After that little comment, she lifts herself up, nods to everyone in the room, and heads up the stairs heading for her room in the bathhouse.

Alynna quietly murmurs under her breath. "Whatever the hardest you have here, an' leave the bottle please."

Taggart frowns softly at REDACTED's words, mulling them over for a bit before Alynna askes for a drink. He frowns a bit more, then, looking at her with brow furrowed. "You sure about that, lass? Ain't exactly yer style..."

Alynna glances across the bar and tilts her head, letting a tear roll off her face and hit the bar. "What do you think?" she yips softly.

Agata looks to Alynna with a fair bit of concern in her eyes, "Miss...I do not mean to give advice when it is unwanted..but that is a bad way to resolve anything..."

Taggart raises both of his eyebrows, then, reaching down to pour her a small glass of vodka. He doesn't leave the bottle, however, sitting down in front of her while taking up his own whiskey to sip at. "Wut's got ya twisted?" He glances to the coyote with a raised eyebrow, "How ya gunna drink wit'out hands?"

Alynna takes a full swig of the glass placed in front of her, not willing to call him on not leaving the bottle for the moment. "My heart, is what. It gets twisted all the time." Another swig is taken.

Sparhawk gives a blank look and a "Huh?" to Balina at the greeting. No coyotes around hir table, no sir! Strictly bellying up to the bar, although it involves forepaws on the root.

Taggart stares at the coyote, brow furrowing a bit further. "Call me a loon again." He smiles, warningly, flashing the large canines in obviously intimidating manner. Eyes flash back to Alynna, brow raising. "Hearts've a tendancy ta do that. Part a'bein'uman, see."

The coyote unabashedly proclaims, "You can either be a bartender or a loon, and I know which one I prefer! Loons are canadian, and don't have as good beer."

Alynna shakes her head vigorously. "Eh, screw that. Human hearts know when to turn off. Mine does not. Mine loves and doesnt give a shit. I pretty much knew this is how it would be, noone raises the bar high as yers expecting more than one to get over it..."

Loki shifts a little in place, unsure of what to do. He waves again to Balina and smiles. "Hello again Bal! I miss anything in my absence?" he asks, then looks to a face he has not seen before and offers a hand in greeting to the silvery mouse. "Hello there! The name is Loki! I am somewhat of a scientist and doctor." he says.

Taggart turns his attention to the coyote again, watching it for a moment before he turns to Sparhawk. He simply shakes his head, and pours a beer for both, however, both are in pint glasses. He looks back to Alynna and sips his whiskey again, shrugging. "Sounds ta me, as if you've already got a mate. Shouldn't ya be more focused on that rat'er than tha bar I'm puttin' up'n'wut?" He looks to Captain and shakes his head, "Sober up a bit, first."

Captain pouts. "I've only had three beers." Captain spins herself around and right side up again.

Balina shakes her head. "Not that kind of help. They went from teasing to trying to tell him he's

The coyote has a brief staring contest with the beer, then hops up onto the bar entire and laps into the excessively tall glass. Should be a while before he needs to actually make a decision, with the long pointy grinning muzzle he's got.

Alynna takes another swig of her liquor, mming softly, "You'd think, yea. If only it were soo easy. Well it is to everyone else it seems. Just not me. My heart don't work like that, and I can't make it do that, i've tried. Maybe I just oughta accept that i'm inherently a slut, thats just how i'm wired."

Loki smiles and accepts the hand. "Nice to meet you too Agata! And aerospace engineering? Such a fascinating field!" he says, then wandering over towards Balina and taking a seat. He tilts his head. "So.. erm.. what do you do now?" he asks the mouse, then looking to Balina and furrows his brow. "Ah.. really? Sounds very odd... a mind addled by nanites perhaps?"

Balina stares at Loki. No, he's really being serious. Well, one thing for that. "Hey, Taggart? Is your mind addled by nanites, by any chance? Loki wants to know."

Taggart looks up at the ceiling for a moment, as if trying to think how to word something. "I'll let ya in on a secret... I'd very much... like ta have sex with quite a few people in this room... a few of them at tha same time." Yes, he appears to be serious. "I jus' don't. Simple. Bacause... I feel... I daserve something diff'rent. I daserve one. One person who wants jus'me. Someone... that I'm special fer. An'vice-versa." He answers Balina without looking back. "Trick question."

Agata smiles faintly at Taggart, "You have admirable restraint, Mister Taggart. It is...very hard to find now..."

Alynna sips at her liquor a little more. "Noone has ever been able to explain to me why this exclusivity makes a relationship special or somehow better. Your heart still yearns for what it wants, and anyone I feel love for is already special to me." she takes another sip of her liquor. "Doesn't make any bloody sense.. to deny ones own heart."

Sparhawk is either sitting and observing silently, or talking to people in hir head. Or both. The few minutes of easy beer have expired for Eliot, and he's circling the pints trying to stick his tongue ever deeper in. The deep conversations going past his head are clearly much less important than that.

Balina finally catches on to a tiny detail from earlier. Turning to not-Doombringer, she asks, "Okay, since nobody seemed to know what I was talking about, who's your guest, Spar?"

Captain leans back on her stool, staring at the ceiling.

Sparhawk squawks, "Huh? Oh, Eliot? Haven't you met the most complicated relation available? Dreamed-up copy of Elaine, who you may have heard of, who Mister C died shortly before making real. And I thought the Matriarch made a family cobweb..."

Taggart tilts his head slightly to the side, "Has ta do with choice. Tha mind's ability to rule. Iffun ya went and did wutever ya felt like... then yer nothin' more'n'a beast. Followin' instinct. Maybe that's jus' yer way. It is gonna give ya a label, though. However, I'd say yer way is a might more common these days than it used ta be. Me own way is far gone. I'm just a sucker fer that sorta shite, I sappose." The man just shrugs, as if that's enough explanation.

Balina thinks for a few moments. "Okay, I think I caught the tail end of him previously. Did some things I'd really not discuss in mixed company, if I recall." Turning to Eliot, or at least making a reasonable guess as to where he is at the moment, she calls out, "Sorry! Thought you were someone else there."

Captain grins at Taggart. "That's exactly what I'm telling people all the time! All these people around here are just totally going native. Stripping off their clothes, screwing in the streets... nobody ever seems to remember what it means to be human!"

Loki blinks looking to Balina and then facepalms. "No... I was not talking about Taggart's mind being addled. It was the other person who shifted from critizising to being friendly." he explains, scowling a little at the still juggly cow. Sure he may have zoned out there... and.. er... well... yeah he responded late.

"Feh, humans. Coyotes are better in nearly every way!" Eliot's voice sounds a little funny, as it comes from an anteater snout. Better-adapted for human-sized glasses.

Agata smiles and nods at Taggart, "I completely agree, Mister Taggart...though everyone should be able to have their own way, of course...as long as they don't do it in public..."

Alynna finishes her drink in one last swig, preparing to respond to Taggart, but after Captain speaks and the rest of them chime in, she swings her head to him then practically shouts. "Fuck humanity, fuck your holier-than-thou dissertations. Every time you fucks try to feed me that line of bullshit about how humanity is inherently better than any animal it makes me want to vomit. Your crimes against your own kind are enough to implicate you for a thousand years, let alone the rest of nature!" She then slams her glass on the bar, embedding half of it into her paw, bleeding immediately and profusely.

Agata blinks alarmedly at the outburst, not entirely certain what to say.

Balina snickers a little at Loki, but doesn't otherwise respond. Instead, she addresses the room at large. "Humanity is over. This is the age of People, and People are exactly what they were three years ago." After a few moments, she adds, somewhat sheepishly, "...Even if almost all of them have superpowers now."

Agata sultrily squeaks, "For some people, it is disturbing to see others doing those things in public, Miss..."

Captain looks over with a scowl.

Alynna then raises a bloody paw, half the glass still in it, pointing at Captain. "I know your kind and I know your ass! If it weren't for p-day both Zephyr and RSX would have tamed the human race into mindless consuming drones until the very meaning of wealth was gone, you'd live in a world that would make George Orwell blush!"

Taggart scowls very suddenly, "Oi! Everyone upstairs but you." His eyes are still focused upon Alynna, looking quite upset.

Neterros twitches. "Orwell..."

Captain lustily murrs, "Present status as some kinda foxy wet dream not withstanding, I'll have you know I still identify as being human, and that's-"

Captain is cut off by Taggart's outburst.

Agata sultrily squeaks, "RSX is not my favorite but...Zephyr is not so bad...they are a business, but without them, many of us would be very lost..."

Balina reacts slowly to Alynna's outburst, blanches as she sees blood on the table, and, in a move she'll hate herself for later, relaxes as soon as it's clear that Alynna is the one bleeding, even if Tag is yelling. It's amazing how fast one can get up, find your things, and get to the stairs when you're in a hurry.

Captain turns around, looking to see who Taggart meant by "you."

Alynna starts to growl loudly, nearly ready to follow Captain where he was going. "You fools know nothing, what do you think nanites were going to be used for? The betterment of mankind? When was the last time humanity used ANYTHING for that?"

Sparhawk's idea of upstairs is rather different than other people, blinking out with a flash of blue. Eliot, for all being a anteater-yote two seconds before the shouting, grabs up the two pints in two hands and walks out the door.

Neterros chuckles. "Alynna, based on that, we never should've built any tools since the dawn of man, because we would eventually abuse it."

Taggart growls very suddenly, wolf-like and dominant. "Alynna!" A fist slams on the bartop, chest rumbling constantly now as people decide to argue rather than listen to him. "Iffun tha rest of ya don't get out in five seconds... yer gunna see one real pissed off wolf."

Neterros blinks, and looks over to Taggart. "O-oh... bad timing. On my part."

Agata sultrily squeaks, "prothsetic limbs, blood transfusions, vaccines, democracy, medicine in general...all for the betterment of mankind...but i think we should leave..."

Neterros nods, and stands up with Agata. "Any particular place in mind?"

Agata stands up and hurries up the stairs, quite startled by all the shouting

Neterros looks over to T'Chen. "Uh, sweetie? Bad timing. Taggart's upset." He rushes over and gives her a quick hug.

Captain slides off her stool. "I was just here for the booze. Not looking for a fight or anything." She makes her way towards the stairs, pouting.

T'Chen blinks, and hugs Net firmly. "Why?"

Captain has left.

Alynna ears lowerto their sides, turning towards Taggart, for a moment, before her attention was stolen again. "There is no profit or power in utopia," is her last words before she goes dead silent.

Loki rises slowly from his seat, frowning as Balina scurries out. He sighs, and walks over to the pair, shifting agitatedly. "Alynna. Enough." he says, quite stern compared to how he usually is. He waits to the side, observing the others. He seems quite tense, eyes observing Taggart and Alynna, and then the others to the side. He seems to relax a little when she goes silent, but remains on guard.

Neterros holds onto T'Chen, and kisses her. "I don't think it's safe here..."

Taggart turns his attention to T'Chen and Neterros, emerald eyes glaring as a bit of red starts to creep in to the edges. "Get... tha fuck... out of me pub..." Glare turns toward Loki against the wall, next, fingers clenching firmly against the edge of the bar. His nostrils are flaring and he's breathing deeply, obviously doing his best NOT to change.

Neterros grabs T'Chen and pulls her toward the door. "No time!"

Alynna's ears lay back now, stepping a few steps back away from the bar, and she seems to be cowering at this point.

Loki looks from Balina to Taggart, the dragon then doing his best to stand tall. He walks over to Alynna and puts a hand on her shoulder. "I would suggest you leave if you can." he notes, then glancing over his shoulder. "Come back and apologize later."

Alynna shakes her head slowly at Loki. "He said to stay." is her only words to him.

Taggart grits his teeth, eyes flashing back and forth between Alynna and Loki. "I told'er ta stay, Loki. You... leave." His attention refocuses upon Alynna, doing his best to keep his lips closed over his teeth and baring them at her openly.

Loki continues to stand his ground, scowling at Alynna, then to Taggart.

Loki continues to stand his ground, scowling a little at Alynna's response. "So you are going to listen to somebody that seems to intend to cause you harm?" he asks, then looking to Taggart. "Yes. I am aware of that... still... I cannot bring myself to leave while you are in such a state with another who can be harmed should you lose control."

Alynna growls softly at Loki. "If he was going to harm me, i'd already be dead." she says quite bluntly.

Taggart seems to be struggling to speak, "Loki... iffun I'd intended her harm by now... it'd have happened. You... however... are quickly raising on my list of intent to harm." Fingers clenching and splinter wood in the bartop.

Alynna takes a few steps away from Loki at this point, and decides to start plucking bits of glass out of her handpaw.

Loki thinks for a moment, regarding the wolf. He sighs, and then seems to relent. "Ok then. I shall take your word for this Taggart..." he says, then turning to walk towards the stairs. It appears to be something hard for him to do despite some good points being raised.

Taggart doesn't stop him.

Taggart does, however, turn his attention to Alynna, teeth still gritting and eyes closing for a moment as the red slowly slips away from the green. His breathing starts to normalize and the splintered wood beneath his fingers is unclenched.

Alynna stays very still at this point, some of the glass has been removed from her hand and placed, actually dropped on the floor in front of her. Her ears are laid to their sides, she is still somewhat affected by the voice he used earlier.

Taggart tilts his head very slowly to one side, cracks in his spine resounding as muscles relax and hunching of his shoulders slip away. His eyes open and he looks at her, sternly. Anger and frustration is still there, intimidation and dominance veiling it as well, but he's obviously restrained that part of him. "You... are..." He searches for a word, "Yer a bit daft, sumtimes... ain't ya?"

Alynna seems to relax just a little bit, and isn't sure whether or not to nod or shake her head. "I s'pose I have a few of my own personal traumas.. theres only so much I can take of that.. attitude. Self-righteous, superior, its like a new era of discrimination. I can respect that monogamy is what you want, but when others try to tell me, that my heart is wrong, that I am a lower creature for the way I am.."

Taggart raises both of his eyebrows at Alynna, fingers finally releasing the bartop as his attention focuses upon them, scowling slightly at a few pieces of jagged wood in his flesh. He picks a few pieces out as he speaks, "If it ain't you bein' discriminated against, it's sumone else. I built this place bacause I was bein' discriminated against. Your way won out when it came to Zephyr, so I left. I might note... ya did seem quick ta jump on tha defense. None of'em really said that YOU were wrong... jus' that they agreed with me."

Taggart adds a bit more, "Everyone's so caught up in bein' right. Like it's all black'n'white er summat. It ain't."

Alynna starts to nod slowly, "Maybe, probably you are right. In fact I may have even gotten on you for insinuating that my heart being this way, was animalistic, had everyone else not jumped in. I was never monogamous before p-day, even. This isn't something that just happened to me, and just because my heart is not exclusive, does not mean it is not loyal. I do not believe I am a slut, i've only had sex twice even since i've come to this city. Yet thats what I have to hear from people, just because I cannot shut off my heart."

Taggart shakes his head, giving a light shrug. "I never meant ta say that you weren't loyal... or that those you love weren't special ta you. People often assume... that bacause I think sumthin'... that I obviously think the opposite is true or bad. It ain't the case. I jus' meant, that fer me, monogamy is special. It's something more. That jus' ain't how it werks fer you. You get labeled a slut. I get labeled a tight-arse prude." The man shrugs and picks a few more bits of wood out with a bit of wincing, watching the muscle and flesh reknit over exposed bone.

Alynna nods and starts to smile a little bit, leaning very lightly against you, watching your body grow back, then she turns back to her own paw, picking out more shards of glass. She does react to the pain of it now, but only slightly, as if it was at the level of 'great annoyance'. "Thank you, for clarifying, but i'm sure the others meant differently. The words, the tone, the arrogance behind it... anyways. Those people haven't seen the shit I have when I worked in Sacramento, nor sat in on the meetings I have. As I said, utopia is neither profitable nor a source of power, and p-day is a blessing. I left the company, and I call them the company because they were far more joined than they are now, because I disagreed with their future."

Taggart doesn't seem to mind the leaning, but doesn't lean back as he flexes his fingers and gives another light shrug. "Eit'er way... tha people revolt. Too many wit' too many diff'rent ideas. Utopia can't bloody exist. Even a slightly universal idea of it. In destroyin' tha werld, they destroyed a lot of wutever they were tryin' ta do." The man shrugs again and wraps his newly healed fingers around the last bit of his whiskey, downing it in a gulp. "Bloody hate philosophy. Gives me a headache."

Alynna starts to nod quietly at him. "Some people are out to create utopia, and I suppose thats perfectly fine if they can accept that the chase is worthy but the goal is impossible. I try not to throw my own philosophy around too much, but sometimes, I jus' hear a little too much for these ears to take. I am sorry that I lost it there though." she glances down at her paw. "Gee. I didn't even get to finish getting drunk."

Taggart snorts gently, "This place... is fer everyone that kin' handle me rules. Spoutin' philosophy starts fights. Take Spar'n'me fer instance. Can't bloody agree on shite. But, shi gen'r'lly follows me rules, so shi's welcome. I let all sorts in'ere. People whose ways I daspise... but they follow me rules in'ere... so I let'em stay. It's a place to get away from it all. Ta simply enjoy tha relaxation. Too often tha shite comes in with'em. Me included." The man shrugs, yet again.

Alynna's ears lay back a little bit. "I probably broke some major rules, almost started a barfight but i'm not sure who was going to fight with a foxtaur with glass embedded in their left paw... I got alot to apologize for, I s'pose, though hopefully it'll be enough to make them all to you. I'm sorry about your glass." she yips softly, holding up a bloodied paw. "An yer bar.. I suppose we can't ban the discussion of such things, people would be very quiet.."

Taggart chuckles a bit, shaking his head. "No, we can't ban that shite. It'd happen anyways, more'n'likely." He shrugs... again. "Yer apology is appreciated. Jus'... don't do it again, 'er ya might end up wit' more'n'jus' broken glass in yer paw. 'sides, I break enuff of tha damned things on me own." A sigh slips from the man, a hand slipping up to brush dried hair back over his scalp. "Think it's about time fer bed, meself. You gunna be alright?"

Alynna nods a little bit, licking the rest of her paw clean after the glass is out. "This will heal faster than expected I expect, i'll just retire to my room for the night... thanks for talking to me and not killin' me, and stuff.

Taggart nods a bit to Alynna, a hand slipping to give her shoulder a friendly squeeze before he slips away from her and into the back hallway.