First time at the Last Stop [D1, MM]

[Quinn Largo]

Somehow, totally inexplicably, Quinn had missed this town on her way to the forest. But she was here now, curious at least, to see if she could find out a thing or two here. Maybe about her vision. Or maybe someone could help her find herself some crystals... stranger things *had* just happened, after all.

With her confident smirk locked in place, Quinn found her way to the biggest and most inviting building in the place, and stepped inside.

[Honorordeath]

"Come in stranger," Aislea shouted from behind the counter and through a door into some back room.

Between them, at the bar, were a few of the regulars. An older man with graying hair and another, younger man, who seemed to be rather antsy all the time. Beside the younger man sat a Nautolan with a firearm on his hip. The two of them spoke at a reasonable volume but excitedly about some adventure or another.

"We don't bite!"

[Quinn Largo]

She walked in further, and sat down at the bar... next to the group. It was *always* a good idea to listen in on the conversations of people... especially when some of them were armed. Armed people usually had the best leads to throw out casually without regard for the kid that might overhear.

[Honorordeath]

Aislea continued sifting through crates to try and find what it was she was looking for. Cold air crept out from the open door and covered the floor in its chill. Meanwhile the young man was not one to be stopped by a new arrival, "So you're really gonna do it, huh? Going into that forest is tantamount to suicide you know. Never seen a soul come back outta there alone and alive," he boasted.

"That's a lie Dek," Aislea called out from the fridge, "we seen plenty come back out so long as they listened to my words of warning."

"That's what I mean Ai, they go in with your advice its like they goin' in with you hanging over your shoulder."

"Then you're never gonna be getting in there alone now, are ya?" she replied and Dek shifted his attention to the newcomer at the table. "Hey, kid, you uh.. this ain't really the place for a kid, you know?"

[Quinn Largo]

She listened to them go back and forth about the dangers for a bit, slightly bemused by all the concern they seemed to have. And then attention shifted to her.

"Huh? Well I just came from the forest... though I could use a drink."

[Honorordeath]

Dek laughed and slapped a hand onto the Nautolan's shoulder, "You hear that.. friend, this kid gone and says the silliest things don't she?"

"I believe she is-" Dek interrupted the Nautolan, "Hey! Ai! get a load of this, the kid says she came from the forest and could use a drink!"

While Dek laughed boisterously Aislea stepped out from the back with a couple bottles and set them down on the counter. Shifting her palms outward she leaned into the counter and nodded in Quinn's direction. "So, what is it kid. You say you came from the forest. Doesn't strike me as true on the count that the Duskeen Forest is filled with all sorta nasty critters that're bound to gobble a kid like you up without a thought."

[Quinn Largo]

She frowned at them mocking her. She wasn't lying, after all.

"I didn't see any nasty critters. Just a chirping big ferret with a glowing tail. But it was friendly. Maybe I got lucky."

Well, if they weren't going to believe her anyway, she might as well tell them the truth.

[Honorordeath]

"Lucky sounds just right little one," Aislea said with a broad grin. "Forgive Dek here but you've gotta understand that professionals have gone into those woods there and never come back out to see the light of day again. That story of some kinda ferret with a glowing tail-" Dek burst into laughter "- ain't gonna be convincing folks that you know what you're talking about. No one ever that's come out of there has seen anything like what you're describing. I would know too, anyone who goes in comes back right out and tells me everything they've gone and found."

"Nothin' I don't know about that forest 'cause folks know who to trust to warn others with. So if what you say is true then you've found yourself something special that no one else has gone and seen."

[Quinn Largo]

"Well, it's the truth. I swear. Brought me to this small lake with a bunch of glowing plants in it."

She wasn't sure why she cared that these random locals believed her.

I'm telling the truth! Difficulty?: 3eP+1eA 2 successes, 4 advantage
(charm)

[Honorordeath]

"I believe you!" shouted the Nautolan over Dek's laughter. Surprising everyone sat around the counter but Aislea fell right into step as she said, "Now, I'm not going and saying that what she's seen wasn't what she saw. Just that this little adventure of yours," she looked back to Quinn, "isn't something I've ever heard before. You understand?"

"My brother," spoke the Nautolan once more, "he came here some years ago and described to me a forest of incredible wonders with a guardian spirit who would protect the wanderers of the forest."

Aislea laughed, "Don't go believing any of that rubbish. Now, I believe that deep in there there's some sights to see, but a guardian spirit that'll come out to protect you? Hogwash. There ain't nothing in there that's gonna stop a manka cat from tearing you in two, or whatever else is in there, should one of those beasties get a mind for it."

[Quinn Largo]

"Some times, things just work out. For those with the right intentions. But if you don't believe, then you don't believe. All I know is what happened."

She wasn't going to spend the rest of the morning trying to convince them.

"Anyway. It was all really pretty, with the lights and stuff? I was wondering if maybe they were any other places like that on Noventa. You know maybe like, real pretty vistas, or ooh, I heard about these luminous crystal caverns on Galzez. You know, stuff like that. You know of any places like that?"

[Honorordeath]

"Plenty of pretty sights to be found kid," Aislea said, grabbing a dish rag with a spare hand and starting to work on the counter a little. A nod to the Nautolan and Dek gave the two permission to help themselves to the bottles she brought out just before. "Noventa is a big planet, got a lot going on with her. Lotta folk come here for the Forest but you shouldn't go in there anymore. Place is dangerous and you never know what you're gonna be running into out there."

"But," she gave emphasis to it with a pause before she continued, "You've got Mount Hamankarn down south that still flows to this day. Again, not a place a kid should be going to. If you really wanna be doing anything take a speeder outside of Noventa City and take a look out by the Rak'sla khi ki Salna. Mountains are gorgeous even on a bad day."

[Quinn Largo]

"I'm not a kid, I can take care of myself. Sooo.... what are these mountains? What's special about them?"

[Honorordeath]

"What are you getting at kid? They're mountains, they're beautiful and pull the attention of a whole mess of adventure seekers in their day," Aislea said, raising her brow as she examined the kid a bit more closely. Wondering for herself if this was how she was when she was younger.

[Quinn Largo]

"Why do adventurers go there then if they're just pretty mountains?"

[Honorordeath]

"Maybe you're too young to understand kid but those adventuring types like a challenge, and you're not gonna find much more of a challenge than to try and best a mountain. It's hard work rewarded with sights that you'd never see anywhere else, but you'd have to ask someone more inclined to such treks than me. It's not my thing, just what I've heard from those passin' through."

"Maybe our friend here can enlighten you on what it's like?" she asked, looking to the Nautolan who appeared surprised by the attention.

[Quinn Largo]

She looked toward the alien, expectantly.

[Honorordeath]

"I-I-I.. uh, I've never been to those mountains before, but uh, I've gone to other mountains! On other planets. There's always something hidden up in them that's sometimes interesting to find but really, like Miss Griche here said it's all about the adventure. That feeling, that rush you feel when you've beaten something that difficult. Overcome the obstacles of the mountain and really challenged yourself against the environment. It's uh... why I'm here to see this forest. I've never gone into something like it before and I have heard such wild stories about it, how suddenly it becomes so dark and only then do you find all that plant life that is so different from other parts of the galaxy."

"I.. I could take you up to the mountain sometime though, maybe? I-if you would like. I think that would make Miss Griche here a little less worried about your safety and then I can have some company. You know.. if you like."

[Quinn Largo]

"Thanks, I'll consider that."

She wasn't really sure a stammering Nautolan who hadn't even visited these mountains in particular was going to be much help, but she figured it was best to keep her options open.

"So," she turned to the woman again. "That's the Rak...sla kin mountains you mentioned, right? What about that other one you mentioned?"

[Honorordeath]

"It's a famous mountain around these parts, volcano really, known a bit for the constant lava flow it has," Aislea took over the conversation once more. "What's a young girl like you looking for out in the dangerous parts of the galaxy?"