Just to keep the ball that UPS moving slowly, heres the introduction of a prologue I have written for the setting - its there to explain to PS vets how the planes became modernised....anyways, hope the writing style is ok....
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A man sits on the edge of a pool table in a smoky bar. His long black leather trench coat is well worn but in good shape, the mirrored sunglasses hide his eyes and the heavy combat boots tap to a slow beat only he can hear. He flicks a cigarette out of a pack of Malbolge Lights and snaps his fingers, a small orange flame flickers atop his thumb.
“So then, you’re a pool hustler back home?” His voice was smooth, thick. He takes a long, slow drag.
“Yeah, but I got bored back there. So here I am.” The other man grins as he spreads his arms wide and bows mockingly, his long unkept blonde hair falling over his face, covering his blue eyes. Throwing his head back, he returns to chalking up a cue.
“You got a name?” His voice was plain, controlled.
“Jacques Danze,” again, the wide grin, like it should mean something “What about you?”
“Xeros, just Xeros.” Another long, slow drag. Jacques glances at the watch sitting one of the edges of the table.
“That’s the usual round here. Right?” Xeros chuckles quietly as his stands, turning to face Jacques.
“Not quite, but you don’t have the right jink to wager the normal round here.” He walks pass Jacques to a low table against one of the walls with a bottle of liquior on it and snubs the cigarette out under one boot.
“Well, as long as you ain’t ripping me off or nothing. But then again, it won’t matter. I’ll get it back, and your cash too.” The grin was back again. Xeros slowly shakes his head as he pours a shot of multicoloured liquid into a glass.
“Whatever you say.” He knocks it back, then walks over to the newcomer, pulling a coin from his pockets “Rings or spires?”
“What? Oh right, yeah. Erm, rings” The coin lands on the stained green of the table.
“You win, your call.”
“You can break. Let’s see what the locals are like.” The grin drops “but before we start, I wanna make a deal with you.”
“Go on.”
“I ain’t an idiot.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Let me finish! I aint an idiot, I haven’t a clue about this place, this city. You do. I win this, you keep the cash, but you fill me in on things here, deal?”
“What if I win?”
“Erm, I don’t know, I aint got anything else on me that’s worth anything.”
“That ring, it’ll do, deal?”
“What, this old thing, sure, deal.” The newcomer takes the ring off, holds it up to Xeros, then places it next to the watch and pile of cash. The break is good.
“Your pretty good, but I’ve played better, maybe that drinks going to your head?” He was grinning again now. He was a shot up and Xeros hadn’t got one yet, things were looking good.
“Ouch, unlucky, almost had another there.” Xeros walks round the table to his shot.
“Well, then, as I cant loose on this deal, you wanna start with the Q n’ A?”
“Erm, yeah, I suppose so. Okay then, first things first, whats that drink called your knocking back?” pointing to the now half empty bottle.
“That’s a Limbos Shifter. Its fine drinking the stuff round here, your’ll only end up about town once your drunk, but outside this city,” he laughs to himself “you could end up anywhere, really anywhere, well, expect here that is.”
“What? That doesn’t make sense!”
“Not much does, but that’s magic for you.” One of the cues clatters to the floor.
“Magic! Your drinking magic!? Your crazy!” Jacques picks up his cue and just stares at Xeros.
“Well, sort of magic,” again, he laughs to himself “magic’s pretty safe these days, its not going to turn you inside out or anything else that bad.”
“But its magic, you don’t mess with magic, it almost destroyed everything!” His voice was rising.
“Ragnorok was a long time ago, its pretty safe now to use. Or drink, well, ok, its not raw magic I’m drinking, its just magical.”
“Ragnorok? What the hell is that?”
“Oh dear. First thing, shut up. Secondly, if you stay in this city, your gonna see magic, cant be helped with what passes through here. Thirdly, you don’t know what Ragnorok is?” Jacques just shakes his head slightly as he continues to just stare at Xeros.
“Right then," he sighs, "guess we'll just start from the top then.” Xeros sparks up another cigarette as he resumes his shot.
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Kal