The Multi-Dimensional OC Bar

"It may. I don't know. I just know your name, and your rank. I did some research into the officers during one of my cases. You were on that list." She giggled and leaned closer to him. "I may not be able to see you, but I can hear you."

"I see..." He muses. He stops himself hastily. "I mean, not that I meant any offense..." He gestures at Divine Retribution's scarred eyes. "I wasn't trying to... really, I'm not... actually... never mind." He slumps back into his chair and, noticing his still half-full mug of cider on the table, lifts it with his telekinesis and takes a large gulp.

Divine cocked her head. "I took no offence." She turned her head slightly. "You know, you should let that mare relax. She's straining." She relaxed and sighed. "So, Ician, would you like to know how I got these scars?"

"Huh?" Ician blinks. "Gah! How could I forget?" He turns to Harmony. "Go ahead, play anything you want. But don't forget the cue for dramatic music if I ever need it."

Harmony stares at him, a bemused expression on her face. Wordlessly, she shakes her head, and, sliding the bow across her violin, begins to play a soft tune. Her horn flares ever brighter, and the covering cloth of a nearby electronic keyboard piano slips gracefully to the floor. Keys, awash with a blue glow, move up and down in harmonic synchronisation.

A tune wafts up into the peaceful air of the bar.

Ician nods his approval, and, turning back to Divine Retribution, smiles gratefully. "Thank you for the timely reminder. Now, as for your question..." He hesitates. "I wouldn't want you to share anything you're not comfortable with."

"I'm quite comfortable sharing it. Truth be told, not many ponies want to listen to a blind mare." She chuckled. "Not that I mind. My father, you must understand, was never a good stallion. He may have been born bad, or raised it. I don't care. On my sixteenth birthday, my sweet sixteen, he got drunk. Again. And then he got angry, so angry. So he, as you do, cut my eyes open. He died that night, and so did the mare I was. This is all I am now." She smiled as her ears perked up. "Such amazing music..."

Ician flinches. "Oh... oh my. That sounds terrible. To be a victim of such cruel, pointless violence..." For a moment, his eyes glaze over. "Tragedy..."

Then, like a whip, he snaps back to reality. "That's quite a..." He trails off. "Wait, what do you mean, 'as I do'?"

She went deadly quiet. "Well, it is just a turn of phrase... But a poorly chosen one, given your line of work. You've interrogated ponies before? Isn't that the term you use? Interrogate I mean, instead of torture." She cocked her head, ears twitching. "You have a snake on you?"

"I do indeed have a snake on me." Smiling, he lifts his right forehoof out from under his cloak, revealing the lime-green serpent coiled around it. Slithering forward, it touches Divine Retribution's hoof tentatively with its harmless nose.

The smile disappears. "And quite frankly, my interrogations have never involved any physical injuries. I may have threatened violence, but never dealt it unto another." He pauses. "Yet."

She moaned in happiness and let it slide over her leg. "Ah, that's nice. I love snakes. They're beautiful, and so calm." She frowned slightly and cocked her head gently. "Fear is as dangerous as any knife. But I'm sorry. I never meant to cause offence." Nuzzling the snake's snout, she purred. "What's her name?"

"Fear is an intangible danger. But, like a sword, it takes an expert to wield it with precision." Ician stops, then adds apologetically, "Sorry, I suppose you know too much of fear already. And, of course, no offense taken."

Readopting his smile, he pats the snake on its head gently. "Its name is Theria."

Letting the snake go where it wanted, she smiled. "That's a wonderful name. Where did you come up with it?" She smiled as her drink arrived, a glass of clear liquid. She sipped it whilst she waited for his response.

At this moment, the door opened again and Arianwyn stepped in. "Ah, it would seem we have someone new here... two new ponies, woah." She says as she walks to the counter and orders some beer.

Divine's ears perked up, but she didn't turn her head, her scars hidden. "Hello there. And you are?" She sipped the liquid again.

Ician looks away from Divine Retribution. "Just... from someone I knew, once."

Smiling at Arianwyn, he says, "Ah, welcome back, Arianwyn. I trust the trip went well?"

Divine chuckled and cocked her head. "Someone precious, obviously... A marefriend, sister or mother most likely. You'll find it a lot harder to hide the truth from me than most Ician."

"Pretty much. Frost is hidden in the lake just outside Canterlot to not cause too much panic." Arianwyn says and looks at the blind mare. "The name is, as Ician said, Arianwyn.

Ician nods to Arianwyn. "Glad to hear that everything went fine."

He turns to Divine Retribution. "Now, now, whoever said I was trying to hide anything? You've shared a story with me, it is only fair that I give you one of my own." He sips his cider. "Of course, there's nothing wrong with being a little vague, here and there..."

Aranwyn finally gets her order and takes it to the table. "I trust you warned the officers about the dragon?" She asks Ician.

She turned to Arianwyn. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Divine Retribution." Turning back to Ician, she frowned. "I would like to hear this story. However, I am going to be honest, I hate vagurities. They make cases so much harder."

"Of course. I made a side trip on the way to the Canterlot Musician's Guild." Gesturing at Harmony, playing away in the corner, he added, "And in case you haven't noticed from the music, I've finally found a musician willing to play here."

He smiles at Divine Retribution. "Very well. My experience with military politics, however, has left me with a tendency to be vague wherever possible, so please feel free to seek clarification if you deem it necessary."

"Good," Arianwyn says. "Want to test if we're at the same universe now?"

Divine nods quietly. "Begin whenever you're ready."

"In a minute, perhaps." Ician says to Arianwyn. "I am, after all, about to begin a rather... how should I say this... lengthy tale. Of course, if this test of yours isn't going to take too long..."

Divine sighed and relaxed, purring as she finished her drink.

"... Well," Ician says, "perhaps I'll let you think it over, for a while." He turns back to Divine Retribution. "So, before I begin my story... let me ask you: do you know what therianthropy is?"