nexus_crossings | Mother always told me to never give away a story for free

Mother always told me to never give away a story for free

"Honestly, all this bare chest and he hits home right in the fabric..."

Did the demonic looking purple stranger look at all put out by the new locale? Not really, they'd been given a pamphlet that was currently tucked into their belt to be reviewed later. Their attention more focused on the bloody hole in their rather ostentatious coat, lips quirking on a frown as they fingered the damaged fabric lightly, tail twitching behind them in a clear hint of their annoyance.

Really, they're looking rather calm for someone that bloody. When they hear someone coming near they glance up with a jingle of jewelry both in skin and decorating their curved horns, red eyes brightening as their mouth spreads to a cheerfully hopeful smile.

"Well then!" They straighten, something of a showmanship in the shift from grumpy contemplation to sunny disposition but at the same time that shift didn't seem dishonest either. "Hello there darling, please tell me there's some manner of tailor to be found here? As you can likely see I'm in dire need of one."

Clearly this was some manner of weird afterlife, but Mollymauk would be dipped in Fuck No if anyone expected them to wander around with their coat in tatters.

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Ben eyes the newcomer with a measure of sympathy. He'd arrived recently dead, though not bloody - though he considered himself lucky that the several broken ribs and wounded leg he'd died with were healed when he arrived. Others weren't so lucky. This newcomer was one of the unlucky ones.

He nods in the direction of the wound, voice soft. He's surprised the stranger's so calm about such a grievous injury. Fatal, looking at circumstances. "That's an unpleasant-looking wound. I can heal it, if you like." It's a honest suggestion - he's gained enough confidence and enough of his health back that healing a wound, even a serious one, with his powers wouldn't run the risk of killing him. "My name's Ben, by the way. Ben Solo."

Molly wasn't about to go showing soft underbelly distress in a strange place, without any backup. Not that all of it was caution- the injury wasn't as bad as he recalled it being, and so while it wasn't pleasant, it wasn't nearly as alarming as he'd otherwise find it.

As it was, the stranger's offer just had a brow raising slightly, as the tiefling considered him, gaze skipping over him for hints about him even as he smiled genially. "Ben Solo? Well Ben, I'm Mollymauk Tealeaf and honestly?" He reached to grasp one of Ben's hands in his, wrapping long ringed fingers around it. "That is just such a generous offer, truly a lovely introduction to both yourself and this place and I would be delighted to take you up on that."

Ben shakes Molly's hand warmly. "Good to meet you, Molly - and I'm glad I can help. I was new here, too, once, and my circumstances weren't the best either." He then sets to work with Force healing. This is only the second time he carried it out, so he's a little nervous.

"This looks like something I can fix. I'll just need a moment and some physical contact." Ben gives Molly a nod and a smile before gently pressing a hand to the wound, putting some of his own energies into the wound to close it properly. It won't fix the bloodstain, but it'll fix the open wound, which is more of a pressing issue anyway. When he lifts his hand, he's panting a little from exertion. Not dying this time, but using that particular power always takes something out of the user. "Is that better?"

"Everyone's new at least once in their life." Molly hummed with a smile, otherwise holding still when it seemed Ben was setting to work. It wasn't a familiar magic- none of the typical trappings he was used to, and he didn't see any obvious sign of a symbol of sigil that a cleric, paladin, or druid might use.

Not that Ben struck him as a druidic type, but then one could never be too sure. And he didn't look put out by the idea of contact, just letting Ben do what he needed, watching intently, especially as he felt the familiar and ever-weird sensation of flesh knitting back together.

"Ben you are a saint, the hero of the hour," He replied with a pleased tone, a hand settling on his shoulder, both assessing and steadying in the same gesture, recognizing that exertion. "Come sit with me. You can fill me in on this lovely little burg I've found myself in and we can get a bit better acquainted."

To Ben's relief, the Force healing only winds him a little this time. He's weaker, but he's still standing and recovering quickly. Whether it's because he's grown more powerful or because he's in better health than he was when he healed Rey he doesn't know, but he's not dying this time. He can't help but smile on realizing that he's mastered yet another power.

He's not a druid, but he is a wizard of sorts, though not one who's necessarily obvious. Ben's powers are of a somewhat different nature, and he doubts Molly is familiar with the Force as an entity or Force-sensitives in general. But he's learned to think of the Force as magic, just a different strain than others wield.

Ben cringes a little at the description. No, he's not a good person - but a bad one who's trying to do better. But he does appreciate the good wishes, and it's meant well, so he doesn't say anything back. "I can do that for you. I'm guessing you haven't seen any of the pamphlets yet?" He guesses no, given how recently Molly had arrived.

Molly could argue about what makes a person 'good' for ages. That maybe it made the effort that much more pointed when it came from such a difficult angle as being supposedly bad, versus how easy it was for a do-gooder to do more good deeds.

But while he noticed the cringe, Ben didn't protest it so he wasn't about to go digging at that clearly sensitive point.

"Oh the literature?" He mused, plucking the pamphlet he'd grabbed in passing from his belt with his free hand as he turned them towards a shady little alcove where he spied an empty bench they could take over. "Grabbed one but haven't had a chance to look it over yet."

"Yes, the pamphlets. They do a good job of explaining the basics. The Nexus is a good place to live, but it can get, ah, complicated. I've lived here for about a year and I've seen far from everything. It's really quite incredible."

Ben's glad that the subject doesn't come up, and he's relieved that Molly doesn't ask him about it.

"It's not so hard to find your way around, but I'd suggest grabbing a PINpoint. There's a vending machine that gives them out not to far from here. I can provide an escort if you'd like, and I can explain a bit about this place on the way."

Molly listened, paying close attention to how Ben was speaking of the place. No real nervousness there, though there was that element of someone trying to sort how to explain something they weren't sure the other would get. So the place was apparently weird.

That suited the tiefling right down to the ground, to be honest.

"Well that sounds about perfect to me. I have a feeling there's a lot here that's going to be something to see, hm?" He smiled towards Ben, tilting his head. "I am curious about the 'complications' you mention? Sounds like this place isn't ever boring which honestly is a wonderful little delight for me, I've never been that good with the doldrums you see."

"The Nexus is always changing. Always new people and something new happening. New businesses, an incredible diversity of people, new factions setting up shop. It's certainly never boring - I made my home near the industrial quarter."

Ben isn't one for too much excitement, but he's not one for boredom, either.

"I like some healthy excitement, but I like having the opportunity to rest and relax, too. I was on my way to get a drink at the cafe before I met you. It's good to see that you're feeling better." Ben had been concerned when he saw the wound, and he considered helping Molly more important than coffee. "You're welcome to come with me. The PINpoint's on the way."

"Sounds like a place I'll like just fine then. Nothing wrong with some downtime after all, but if a place is too quiet I get a bit antsy you understand."

He wasn't one to actively cause trouble, but he had a hard time when there wasn't something to do though from what Ben was saying there was plenty to entertain an enterprising tiefling.

"Well how about this then," Molly mused with a grin. "You show me where to get one of these PINpoint things, and we'll get coffee. My treat as a thanks."

"Oh, I understand." Ben chuckles a little. He's not one for mischief. He's grown less dour than he looks, but he has friends who are more energetic. And it looks like he's managed to make another friend.

He likes the sound of Molly's plan, and smiles back. It's small and shy, but nevertheless sincere. Ben's enjoying the other's company.

"No need to thank me for the healing - it was the least I could do. We've got ourselves a trade. Follow me to the vending machine, then, it isn't far. The PINpoint will be on me."

Molly isn't terribly about mischief perse so much as enjoying his hedonistic pursuits. But then he also knew some people got fussy about that sometimes so wasn't going to go shouting about it until he knew the general mood of the place he'd wound up. Better than getting run out of town by a moral outrage mob.

Or any kind of mob, really.

"Oh but I must, you're being so kind, what with my upending your nice outing and you being so helpful." Molly insisted with a smile, laying a hand against his arm.

"Glad I was of use to you." Ben's just glad he was able to mend that ugly-looking wound.

Ben figures it's not as if he had any other plans. So he has no problem accompanying Molly deeper into town. He can't help but smile a little. Stars, Molly is endearing. And the healing seems to have been effective.

"Then let's see that you get your PINpoint first, then we can have ourselves a drink."

Give Molly an inch and he'll run away with the whole damn mile. Luckily he's generally not horrible about it, and in this case it's more goading Ben into a fun little outing and making a new friend than anything more ridiculous like Molly could occasionally be about.

This one seemed a bit skittish, so he figured he'd go easy on him this time around. There would be time for more antics once they'd gotten to know each other better.

"Yes, this PINpoint thing, you'll have to show me what they're all about because the whole thing sounds rather incomprehensible to me so far. I'm assuming this is one of those 'easier to tell about with it right there to poke at' kind of ideas though." A lot of things were, and luckily while Mollymauk might not be the most intelligent of men, he was observant so he figured he'd get the idea down fairly quickly once he'd been able to fiddle with one of the things.

When he sees the vending mchine, Ben figures he'll explain to Molly a little about PINpoints, leaning against the machine with one arm.

Ben himself is fairly intelligent, but "intelligent" is not the same as "has good common sense" or "makes good life choices". He's self-aware enough about that to not particularly trust his own judgement.

"They're easy to use, relatively speaking. Sort of like a communications device and a personal teleporter rolled up into one. Useful things." Id Molly looks closely, he'll see that Ben, rather than grab his PINpoint from under his cloak, seems to call it directly into his hand in another demonstration of whatever odd powers he has

Sometimes that self-awareness was enough to keep a person out of trouble. It was definitely a place to start, that was for certain.

The tiefling's brows lifted at the sight of the vending machine, but then Ben was talking, distracting him for the moment especially as he was talking about how useful the PINpoints were. "So like some manner of teleport and messenger spell rolled into a convenient artifact?"

He smiled wryly. "Afraid I'm not much up on 'machines' especially like this. I'm no artificer and this seems a lot different than the artifacts they cook up. You're gonna have your work cut out for you here." He did notice the oddity in Ben's manner of drawing out his PINpoint. Not the norm but not the first time Mollymauk had seen such a display. Some manner of psionics, more like than not then.

"That's pretty much right. Though I have the feeling your home culture and mine are distinctly different." Ben knows what spells are, but he doesn't think of them as what he does. It's probably a cultural thing - the Force isn't that different from other forms of magic.

In a fluid movement, he inserts money into the vending machine and plucks out a PINpoint for Molly - using his hands this time.

"Well then we can think of this as some manner of especially entertaining cultural exchange then!" Molly doesn't mind the idea, and it would certainly help him get a bit better oriented in this new place.

The money was noted- coins were a familiar enough thing, the paper more like promissory notes than anything. But the function of the artif- the vending machine was easy enough to grasp, Molly looking suitably impressed. "Are all shops like this instead? Can't say I can see any shopkeeps being thrilled by that development if so but definitely a gold star for convenience."

Ben shakes his head, but with some amusement. "No - most shops aren't like that. Mine isn't. But I'll say that it's a good thing PINpoints are, given how important and popular they are in the Nexus. They take any form of currency, given how many peoples and cultures come here."

Ben's partial to credits, but he's happy to deal in plain old gold, too. Whatever's in his hands at the time.

"Well that's good to hear, half the fun of shopping is trying to charm a discount." Also good to note the fact that they would take whatever currency. He had gold but he was also tempted to see if he could bluff someone into believing that pebbles were currency where he came from.

Ben could haggle, with the particular skillset he has, but even besides the morality of it the whole thing would cheapen his powers. Not that he doesn't mind the occasional bit of mischief. "Any kind of shops you're especially looking for? I'm wondering what you used to do back home."

"Well, the tailor to start with, then somewhere to get some drinks wouldn't go amiss, kick the blood taste out of my throat." Molly hummed, gaze flicking around the area. "As for what I am? Hedonist-turned-adventurer, funnily enough."

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Mother always told me to never give away a story for free

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