[-----LOG TAKEN FROM JILLIAN'S PERSPECTIVE-----]


Viorar - Inn: Riddel Hotel
A grand hall extends about one hundred feet down the way, decorated with
large golden marble pillars that support the weight of the rest of the
building. The ceiling employs coffering, with the sunken panels above
forming squares with random floral patterns. The carpet, displaying a gaudy
red and black tesselation that matches the black walls and red windowsill,
is in pristine shape. A large elevator stands at the east end of the
building while on the west side is a long countertop with various
receptionists standing by.

Gforte stretches mightily before rolling his shoulder and looking around the rather plush room. He had gone shopping that morning, due to... problems he had during sleeping. Along with his new clothes, a set of odd looking parts sit before them, some still in plastic wrapping, some with rust covering.

Jillian strolls into the lobby of the Inn not long after, electing to close the door behind her as she does. Aside from her standard dark apparel, she also dons a shabby-looking gray wool cloak, hood pulled up, as though intent on the reclusiveness it provides. Once inside, however, she pulls the hood down and starts to head up the stairs... but stops, realizing Gforte was right there. She turned in response to this, perhaps a bit amused. "Ah, well then. I wasn't too certain how long you slept during the morning hours. I suppose I'll have to cut my idle time short, thereupon." Jillian seems in an oddly-chipper mood, despite being cloaked up.

Gforte raises an eyebrow at Jillian as she enters, and shakes his head after she finishes talking. "'Thereupon'? Who in the hell says that anymore? Whatever. Sit, we've got some shit to talk about before we start on the quest." Gforte motions to the other chair at the table, and then proceeds to turn his attention back to the parts before him. One widget gets examined and placed, while another gets attached to yet a third.

Though her first reaction is to roll her eyes as his crudeness, Jillian instead opts to take it in stride, due in part to that fact that she ought to be used to it by now. At any rate, she takes up a seat as requestion, perching on the edge of the seat and drawing the chair itself back a little from the table. She places her elbows on the table, and then her chin in her hands, looking at Gforte intently. "Just was well, considering what I've managed to find. But please, continue."

Gforte looks Jillian over for a moment before shrugging. "Like the cloak by the way. Very 17th century Batman." The pieces of tech before him are assembled as he talks, either directly screwed together or brutalized with a screwdriver before components within components are reassembled to join the collective. "First things first. I'm going to ask you something that you'll probably deflect." He looks straight at Jillian for this question. "Do you know what will happen if the shards are assembled? Just a straight answer. No 'Mana-whatever says this' or 'A really bad thing'. Yes or no."

Jillian shakes her head, which is to say, wiggles her face around between the fingers on her hands. "I don't, no. And for your earlier remark, it's the cheapest thing to throwing a blanket over my head I could find. Some people are spooked by my tail, I needed a means to keep it out of sight at the time." She pauses, blinking maybe once. "Next?"

Gforte studies her for a moment before nodding and turning his attention to the project before him. "Tell me your greatest fear. The thing that would make you the most terrified to be placed in or to run across." His demeanor is relaxed as he asks his question, slouched in his chair and working on his little project, but his voice carries an almost urgent edge in it.

Jillian looks at Gforte for quite a few moments; it isn't clear whether she was trying to determine whether or not to take him seriously, or consider the question itself in a threatening manner. Whatever she decided, she eventually responded, not really looking disheveled by it. "When a lot of people are afraid of you, it's difficult to actually be afraid of things, yourself. I could take the easy way out and say 'death', but that's cheating." She considers for a moment longer, lifting her head up and lowering her arms. "Honestly? It's hard to answer that question. I'm but one half of a whole, so what I 'have' and 'do not have' may differ from time to time. But, that's a rambling you don't want to hear." Jillian shrugs, sitting up straight.

You say 'I have lots of little fears. They mainly revolve around other people. People I know, people I don't know. What they're capable of, what they can do. The harm they can cause. That which I can't prevent from happening. So I suppose I could say... helplessness? Maybe that fits.'

Gforte gives Jillian a look while she answers, mostly studying her face and posture as she talks before returning to his work. "Age? Hobbies? Sexual preference?" The rest of his questions have not the importance of his previous ones, and he spends more time tinkering with the object before him. It seems to be some kind of plate with curved panels above it.

Jillian raises an eyebrow, slouching slightly in her chair. "You know, if you're having a sudden crisis of trust, you can just come out and say it. Not all of these questions you're answering me are going to have as straightforward an answer as you'd like. Not all questions are black and white."

Gforte looks at Jillian flatly. "Jillian, I am on a quest that could literally save or end the world, depending on how it works out and if I succeed. I want to know more about who I am travelling with than "She's hot. She doesn't have sex. And she dissapears at random times". Understand?"

Jillian allows herself a small, coy grin. Enough to allow one of her fangs to become prominent. "Since we're on the topic of honest, I'll correct you in stating that I -am- promiscuous, but I'm -not- an open harlot about it. You won't see me capturing men in the dead of night to sneak in 'quickies' in dark alleyways while their wives slumber peacefully at home. Just because my ambitions and motivations differ from my more-devious kin does not make me an entirely-different specie."

Jillian leans forward slightly, crossing one of her legs over the other. "I disappear at random times because of who I am, and where I need to go when called. As I said, I am not my own mistress. I answer to a higher calling. This is just how it works, sometimes."

Gforte rolls his eye. "Yeah sure, you're promiscuous and travelling with the hottest son of a bitch world ending champion, and you haven't laid me yet. I'll believe it when hell freezes over." He examines the plate for a moment longer, before sighing and massaging the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. I'm paranoid and have trust issues with women. Long story, not sure you'd want to hear it or believe it."

Gforte begins working on a different portion of the device, snapping together parts at a quicker pace than last time. "Ask some questions Jill. If you have any or care. I need to know about who I'm travelling with, you probably need to know the same."

Jillian considers this for a moment. She didn't really NEED to, actually. She wasn't here for him, specifically; she was here for what he might do. Or not do. And what happens as a result. But he did touch on something... "Rewind a little bit. That story you claimed might be too long; did it involve a single person? Or merely women as a whole?"

Jillian uncrosses her legs, developing a more attentive posture.

Gforte gives Jillian a Look this time, before sighing again. "Single person, but it... things happened. They were bad and then an unrelated thing happened. Then everything got worse. I wasn't always this paranoid, I wasn't always this much of an asshole. And I know that." He holds up the widget he's working on, which is starting to come together and look far too similar to a pistol before he mumbles. "That's what makes it worse."

Jillian actually smiles, a legitimate and sincere expression. "Well, without pressing further for the details, at least I have something to go on for rationale now, other than 'He's just a complete jerk for no real reason.' I appreciate that much out of you, at the very least." She reclines somewhat, standing her chair on its back two legs.

You say 'To be honest, that kind of answered a lot for me. Or at least, a lot of what I wanted to know.'

Gforte shrugs, and pushes a delicate looking electronic circuit board into place in the 'gun' before brandishing it to the side, spinning it, and setting it down on the table. "Just don't blame me if I suddenly spring the story on you, eh?" He gives Jillian a half-smile before turning his attention back to the plate. "This. I can't even get past the halfway point with the materials we have here. Which means it's about time we head to the hanger. Still wanna come?"

Jillian looks thoughtful for a moment, but then promptly pushes her chair back, rising up from it. "I'll go, yes. And about what I mentioned earlier, when I first sat down; I found the remaining shards. Or, three of them, at least; I'd thought all four would be there in one place, but it seems someone claimed one of them. I haven't picked up on who or where, yet."

Gforte stands, and nods at Jillian. "Figured someone else would be on it. World ending artifacts just don't go unopposed while someone collects them. Probably our immortal 'friend' stirring up some trouble. Or entertainment." Gforte stashes the plate-device in his jacket very carefully, apparentally having a special pocket inside for it. "Right. Let's go home then, eh?"