November 27th. 20:07. The sun has gone down and there's a light sprinkle of snow in the air, but Adrasteia is still teeming with life. Unlike Freedom Falls, there's a constant rotation of trucks managing the snow build up on the streets. Each emblazoned with the Torthus-Cross logo. A T that intersects a C. Both letters are surrounded by a circle with three lines. It's a logo that's repeated all throughout the city. On guard posts. On
#Adrasteia – November 18, 2017
holographic banners advertising local businesses. But none of those are nearly as eye catching as the Torthus-Cross building at the center of Adrasteia. Taking up an entire block of its own, the imposing tower is visible from anywhere in the city. The Enforcers, much like Cross' company, also have a staggering presence. They patrol the streets in their black and matte grey hardsuits. Some sport armbands of various colors. A choice few seem to
have even been allowed to further decorate their armor with graffiti. But they don't seem oppressive. The opposite, actually. The local civilians engage with the Enforcers regularly and seemingly without fear, calling them by their first names.
The Soul of the Waning Blossom is a small tavern near the edge of revitalized Adrasteia, where old meets new. Lodged between two abandoned, empty storefronts, it's an established hangout for a lot of the old timers in Adrasteia if rumors are to be believed. A holographic sign of neon pinks, purples, light blues and oranges reflects off of the small dune of snow alongside the street that has accumulated from the plows. The sign depicts an
orange circle that sprouts more and more petals of different colors until it's become an almost unbearable canvas of colors before looping back to the circle. A second, much less intrusive sign sits in the window beside the door. "Rooms 200c/night". Despite the potentially tacky marketing, 'The Blossom' - as it's known locally- provides a nice reprieve from the cold outside. And, true to the rumors, it seems to be a pretty popular spot in
spite of the less-than-stellar presentation. The establishment isn't very large. There's a number of stools lining a bar to the right of the entry, but nearly all of them are occupied. Numerous patrons at the bar are wearing Enforcer gear. Behind the bar is a bright pink hanar, each of his many limbs preparing or delivering drinks, multi-tasking at a pace that would drive most people crazy. A slight glow emanates from him each time he
addresses one of his many regulars. Along the wall are a handful of booths. A few are occupied, but there's a couple of empty ones. Most notable among the patrons is a man who looks to be about thirty in one of the booths. He's seated alone with a large, brimmed hat. Boots up on the table as he shuffles a deck of brightly glowing orange holographic cards from one hand to the other. A long, warm coat is draped over the back of his seat. A close
runner up is the larger-than-life krogan at the bar in heavy Enforcer armor. Down his right arm a brick wall has been painstakingly painted.
Dawn comes walking up the sidewalk towards The Blossom, having been dropped off by the vehicle she hitched a ride with further towards the outskirts of town. She's wearing a sleek winter coat that reaches her knees, flaring out at the waist. Relatively thin considering the weather, she's opted to bring the quarian cloak acquired at the spaceport with her. A violet affair with intricate silver embroidery and a fluffy white lining,
likely synthetic. She's wearing fingerless black gloves, and well-fitted black boots over tight-fitting pants slightly lighter in nuance. Half-hidden under her cloak is a large duffel back, a small backpack and satchel, all very full. She stops outside the entrance to the inn, readjusting the straps of the bags against her shoulders and taking the time to study the imposing sight of the Torthus-Cross building further into the
city. Her gaze wanders up the length of the tower, a thoughtful look on her face, but eventually she tears her attention away from the building and heads through the doors to The Blossom after a quick glance at the signage.
Dawn is immediately greeted by the roar of krogan laughter. There's music playing, but the place is so loud that it mostly bleeds into the background. Few pay any attention to the new arrival aside from the card shuffling man at the booth. His gaze lingers, studying her before pulling his attention back to the cards in his hand. Cleanliness doesn't seem to be the place's finest trait. A lingering stickiness coats the establishment's floor. The
krogan at the bar is sitting on a wide, reinforced barstool that looks more like a barrel than a stool. And still it looks as though it could buckle at any moment beneath his impressive girth. The bartender's pink hue turns nearly glassy blue with glow as one of his many tendrils delivers a large mug to the krogan's meaty hand. Whatever words were exchanges are lost amidst the sea of voices filling the room.
Dawn 's gaze wanders across the room, the attention of the man with the cards not going unnoticed, although she makes sure not to linger. She doesn't seem to mind the atmosphere of the place, making her way over towards the bar after taking in the room and the people in it. The hanar behind the counter causes a slight hint of surprise in her expression. She waits for the hanar's attention, shrugging one shoulder to get one of the
It doesn't take long before the hanar takes notice of Dawn and floats over to her end of the bar. Back behind the counter, a tall fish tank can be seen stretching from one end of the bar to the other filled with numerous mindfish. "What might this one do for you." it greets, two tentacles perched at the edge of the counter as two others reach back behind it for a pair of bottles off of the shelf above the fish tank.
Dawn tosses a credit chit onto the bar counter. It clatters a couple of times before stopping. "I need a room." she says, not seeming entirely sure where to rest her gaze while addressing the hanar. "That should cover a week." she adds with a nod to the chit.
The hanar gives off a bright glow with each melodic word. "This one appreciates your business." it says, another tentacle rising up from beneath the counter to slide the credit chit away. "And is there something else it can do for you?" the hanar continues, the two tentacles in the back pouring two separate drinks as it addresses Dawn. With all of the motion and independent movement, it's difficult to keep track of what all it's doing, but the
tentacle with the credit chit slides it over to the terminal to ensure the funds are there. "A drink, perhaps?" Another loud, obnoxious laugh sounds out from the krogan at the other end of the bar and he makes to slap the man next to him- a human- on the back jovially, which just about knocks him off his stool.
Dawn seems a little distracted by the constant motions of its many arms, but to the question she shakes her head. "Room first." she says, shifting her stance and causing the many, seemingly heavy, bags to move in the process, perhaps to make a point. The loud krogan laughter causes her gaze to shoot briefly in that direction, but her attention soon returns to the hanar, awaiting a room code or key.
The hanar remains silent, seemingly not having expected her to refuse its offer for a drink. And it becomes painfully obvious that it's just biding for time until it can ensure the chit contains the requires funds. Eventually, the bright, bioluminescent glow reappears. "Of course." it says. Another tentacle rises up to the counter, dropping a small, grey device onto the table. "Your key will expire in one-hundred-and-seventy-five hours. Should
you require further lodging, this one would advice advanced warning to avoid complications." it says politely. "Your room is through that door. First on your right-hand side." it explains with a sweep of a tentacle towards the back. At the back of the room, beyond a row of booths, the room tapers into a short, narrow hallway. A door is at the end of the hall and a second against one of the hallway walls. The one against the hallway wall has a
holographic sign that reads 'Restroom', constantly shifting between a multitude of popular languages. "Enjoy your stay."
Dawn nods, offering a curt "Thanks." before picking up the key and shooting a glance towards the hallway before heading off after another readjustment of her bags. She heads past the booths and into the corridor, eager to offload her cumbersome baggage.