< Ex Pulp Oteki Mini 1 | Ex Pulp Preludes
ST The party was just getting into full swing when Oteki arrived. Like most of Verity's parties, this one is actually being thrown by one of his many friends. In this case, a rather stunning goddess of sugar. Divinities of various sorts dance around on a floor of polished rock candy while spun-sugar statues decorate the vast hall.
ST Everything in the hall is, in some form, a type of sugar. Sugarcane of unusual size makes up the furniture and walls, the tapestries are made from sugared threads colored with various flavors and dyes. All the food is candies and sweets. Even the drinks are mostly sugar. The few mortal-beings attending are going to have to get their teeth replaced.
ST After being greeted by Verity and the Sugar Goddess, Lady Gudyvia, Oteki is directed to the reason for his attendance: a Southern god of volcanoes. Or some such thing.
Oteki wanders in the general direction of his quarry, schmoozing with various stuffy high-profile deities, and more importantly their mistresses, managing to look completely at home while nevertheless being utterly out of place, being that the black trousers and deep purple hawaiian shirt he considers "formal clothing" kind of sticks out like a sore thumb.
ST Verity and Lady Gudy don't seem to mind Oteki's outlandish dress. Lady Gudy herself is wearing a grass skirt made from sugarcane leaves and a bikini-style chest-garment made of pure sugar rendered in a light peach color. Verity keeps sampling the sugar.
Xeth looks much like an Anklok Dragon King, aside from the fact he has enormous, feathered wings of bright colors, that are, along with the rest of him, laced with magma and edged with various dark metals, which occasionally melt into the magma and reform elsewhere.
Oteki idly wonders momentarily if one's teeth can rot through osmosis, before snatching a hopefully-not-horrifically-sugary drink in a champagne flute from atop a passing tray, and casually sauntering toward the colorfully-smoldering god.
Xeth is obviously enjoying himself, and takes a moment to caramelize a frilly sugar thing before popping it into his fanged mouth.
ST A flotilla of floating sherbet balls move past Xeth and Oteki, doing rounds of the hall. The melon-sized magical sweets range in color from bright red to a deep purple and shining gold. A few gods and, more often, lesser mortal-type servants snatch one of the flying treats as they move past.
Oteki sips the dring, grimacing momentarily at the flavored syrup within, before knocking it back in one prodigious gulp and swiftly depositing the empty glass on another passing tray. "So," he begins when he reaches Xeth, "sweet party, huh?"
Xeth grins, and looks at the newcomer, noting the interesting dress with some surprise. "Ahaha, yes, sweet is an apt description. How do you know Verity?"
Oteki expertly acquires another drink, this one a different color, and hopefully somewhat less... thick. He glances in the general direction of Verity, and grins. "We share a few business partners, and a vice or two. Mutual enlightened self-interest, you could call it." he explains. "He tells me you're having some trouble with commandeered worshippers of some kind."
Xeth "Ahh..so that would make you... Oteki, hmm." He does not look entirely thrilled by this prospect.
Oteki takes a hearty gulp of his new drink. "That would make me me, yeah." he confirms, and gives a half-bow. "Oteki Shriwaan, Bureau of Destiny, Endings Division, Office of Unexplained Finalities."
ST The new drink is some sort of highly sugared fruit-based drink. The amount of sugar obscures the identity of the fruit, though Oteki thinks it may have been a berry of some kind...
Oteki cringes a little and peers at his drink for a moment, before swallowing it back with a jerk of his head. "There's probably a "resplendent" or "auspicious" or something in there, but I never keep track of those."
Xeth gives him somewhat of a bow in return, "Ahhh, I suppose it is a pleasure to meet you then. I am Xethlixocoatlculbialik, Lord of the Magma Forge." He takes a delicate sip of an extremely sweet, fermented beverage, steam rising from it lightly as he touches it, and waves at the flask near him. "Try this," he adds, running his hand along the metal surface. "It's best warm."
ST Oteki recognizes a supply of fermented honey not far away and guesses that may be as close as he gets to a real drink around here
Oteki takes the proffered flask in hand, and pours a generous amount into his preexisting glass, before handing it back. "So," he begins, raising his voice a little so that he might continue to be heard as he wanders away to acquire a shimmering glass bottle of fermented honey mead. "do you have a preferred short-form version of your name, Lord Xethlixocoatlculbia... lik?" he asks, taking a sip from his glass. "Because that's gonna get ha
Oteki get harder as the night goes on."
Xeth smirks, "Ah, yes. I suppose you could call me Lord Xethlix
Oteki weaves through the crowd of mingling gods and the occasional wandering server, reappearing near Xeth to reveal that he seems to have pilfered a decent selection of hors d'oeuvres. "Gotcha." he confirms with a grin, picking over the small plate he has acquired. "Who would have thought you could candy-coat prawns..."
Xeth chuckles, "Lady Gudyvia can candy coat anything, whether it be food or words."
Oteki peers off into the distance for a moment, with a grin. "Sounds like my kind of lady." he notes quietly. "In any case, you wanna tell me the nature of the issue you brought up with Verity? I can have my secretary looking into it before morning."
Xeth crunches on an hors d'oeuvre frowning. "It seems some of my worshippers have been... stolen. By a mysterious person who seems to lie outside of fate. This is not only illegal, but highly irritating."
Oteki quirks an eyebrow. "I can see how it would be." he replies with a frown. "I'll look into it, definetly. Premature un-fated termination of the existence of a cult. That's a new one for me."
Oteki suddenly gives his plate of hors d'oeuvres an odd look. "Note to self. Candied bacon is surprisingly good."
Xeth grunts, "It is unacceptable. What will you do to stop it?"
Oteki chews thoughtfully, and then swallows. "I'll have my secretary look into the matter, determine the specific time and place in the Loom that your worshippers wandered off their predetermined destinies, and then investigate. Followed most likely by an epic battle scene, a rescued maiden, and the return of your lost worshippers. Statistically, that's how this sort of thing tends to work out once I'm involved."
Xeth looks at him doubtfully, "Is that your payment? A maiden?"
Oteki shrugs. "Not really. It just seems to happen more often than not." he replies. "Not that I complain." he adds hastily, before pausing momentarily. "As for payment, Iunno. In addition to southern volcanic activity, you're something of a forgecraft deity, right?"
Xeth laughs, "Something? I am more than that. I can make the finest metals, and shape them as I wish."
Oteki laughs in response. "Well then maybe you can help me out with something. See, in my particular line of work, I end up spending a lot of time in some... less than desirable locales, namely things like Shadowlands." he explains. "And sometimes, I find interesting things while I'm there."
Oteki pauses to chew on some sort of... well it looks like a lima bean, only it has the consistency of a jawbreaker. "Recently, I was investigating a case of several herds of yeddim disappearing in an unforseen manner into the Black Chase, and I ran into... well, I think it's Starmetal."
Xeth "Hmm. I see."
Oteki ponders. "Well, I guess I know that it's Starmetal. It's just not... normal Starmetal. I did some research, conducted a few tests, and with the help of some of my coworkers, I've come to the conclusion that the time it spent in the Shadowland have... altered the metal."
Xeth begins to look interested. "Oh? In what way?"
Oteki takes a long drink. "I guess the easiest way of explaining it is by saying that it's... bad Starmetal. Normally, even in its unrefined form, the metal tends to have a... smoothing effect on the destinies around it. This specimen seems to be doing the opposite. Obviously you can see why none of my colleagues are willing to go near the stuff. But I find it... very interesting."
Xeth "Fascinating... I would be willing to help you investigate this."
Oteki "Glad to hear it. See, I think, and so far my research seems to support it, that if properly channeled into the correct geometries, one could forge a blade from this ingot of "hexsteel", as I call it, which would turn that inauspicious fateweaving to the wielder's advantage. And something like that might be useful in my line of work."
Oteki "I need to research it further, though. I'm not a craftsman by any means."
Xeth "If you assist me
Xeth "I will assist you with this Hexsteel, and its forging
Oteki nods. "Sounds like a bargain. I'll start right in on your case... just as soon as I find the Lady Gudyvia and get her to tell me how to make these maple-candied bacon balls."
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