So, a polar bear in black metal armor walks into a Bar...

[panser_bjorn]

(OOM: Of how Iorek Byrnison took a wrong turn to the End of the Universe. Warning: Very mild spoilers for Northern Lights. No, really, I kept the post small so the spoilers are minimal. )

He just stepped through what looked like a stone arch, half of it natural and the other half made from carefully-hewn masonry. For a moment a corridor of the same

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[alorn_bear]

"Okay," says the blond man in the blue clothes, who's sitting at one of the tables with a better view of the place. "You're new here."

They don't have bears like that at home, neither on Gara nor on the version of Earth where Belar currently lives. He'd know.

[panser_bjorn]

The Panserbjorn looks towards Belar and nods slowly. "I am."

No sense in denying it, is there? His dark eyes regard the human without any apparent expression, but with an undeniable intensity. He's down on all fours currently, so his head is more or less level with an average man's.

[alorn_bear]

Human isn't precisely the right term, but Belar is using the form and shape of a human just now. He generally does, around here. The gods of his world don't incinerate mortals with their true shape, but that's no reason to be a show-off in a public place, is how he sees it.

"All right, then," Belar says, coming to his feet to make the conversation easier. "My name's Belar. Welcome to Milliways. You're at the end of the Universe, and you're not dead or hallucinating. I can promise you that, for sure."

[panser_bjorn]

"Belar" He nods slowly. "I am Iorek Byrnison" A slow look over the Bar finally brings his gaze to the observation window. For a moment, a brief spark of interest lights up in his dark eyes, but then he returns them to Belar and his impassiveness returns. "And the corridor that brought me here seems to have disappeared. Do you know anything about that, Belar?"

The information about his current location doesn't seem to have any utility whatsoever at the moment, so he has just filed it away for further pondering, and turned to more practical matters.

[alorn_bear]

"I didn't cause it," says Belar, "but it's a type of magic that has to do with the nature of this place. When the entrance that brought you here vanishes, they call it being Bound. It'll eventually open up again, and you can go home then. No time at all passes at home as long as your door's gone, so if you've come in from a battle, you'd better keep an ear open when you go back."

[panser_bjorn]

"The fighting is over, for now." There seems to be a hint of grim satisfaction underneath the neutral tone, though.

"Bound." He doesn't seem to like the word one bit. His head turns from one side to the other. "As long as what you said is true, and the corridor comes back..." He doesn't seem to be specially happy, but neither about to blow up, which is a good thing, considering the mayhem such an animal could cause if bent on it.

[alorn_bear]

"It will," says Belar. "I only know of one person whose door ever didn't come back for her, and she was a human I had to help. If yours doesn't return, I'll see to it you get home myself."

He doesn't miracle much out of Bar, except for those people who count as his own. But the bear is Belar's totem animal, and the polar bear's always been his favorite bear form other thant he short-faced bear, and as such he has the power to act on a polar bear's behalf if he wants to.

[panser_bjorn]

The huge bullet-shaped head bows in response. "Thank you for your concern, Belar. I... My people may need me back home. I am willing to wait for some time, but if the door doesn't return, I would be grateful for any help you could give." It sounds sincere. Not happy about it, he has been indebted once, and didn't like it one bit. But if it's what it takes to go back to his people...

[alorn_bear]

"You're welcome," says Belar. "Now, if you're anything like the bears we have back home, you'd probably be a lot happier outside. Do you swim in fresh water? We've got a lake."

[panser_bjorn]

"I was outside a while ago. With a soldier, one Lieutenand Muldoon. But thanks for the information all the same. Belar. This place is turning out to be surprisingly friendly."

For a human drinking-place. The unexpressed feeling is there, hard to pin down unless you can read it directly off his mind. He isn't trusting of humans as a group, and even less of their 'bars'

[alorn_bear]

"We do our best," Belar says. "Did Muldoon tell you the rules?"

[panser_bjorn]

"The rules?" A pause, and he turns a serious-looking face (Though isn't his face always like that? Well, so far it has) towards Belar "No, I don't think so. He mentioned something about the first drink, but since I don't want anything to do with drinking spirits, I did not pay much attention."

[alorn_bear]

Belar nods. "They're simple enough," he says. "The first rule is no violence in the Bar. You can have a duel out back, if both parties consent. The second rule is no old business in the Bar. They don't mean commerce. They mean grudges and duties and jurisdictions from home don't extend here. If your mortal enemy walked through the door, you wouldn't be allowed to start trouble with him, or him with you. And the third rule mostly applies to humans, since they need to be told not to mate or go naked in public sometimes."

[panser_bjorn]

"If my mortal enemy walked through the door, I would be surprised and possibly unsettled, too, since he is dead." There's no satisfaction there, just a matter-of-factly statement. But he is a Panserbjorn, and these are the kind of rules that his kind can acknowledge. Simple, to the point, understandable.

"Thank you for explaining them. They sound quite reasonable." He looks around once again, slowly. The calm that surrounds him has a slightly disturbing quality. Maybe it's the way it clashes with the faint hint of repressed violence from his body language. It's not like he is about to lash out, but certainly feels like a deep, frightening amount of savage anger and capacity for slaughter was being consciously and willfully contained.

[alorn_bear]

"Yeah, about that," says Belar. "It's not entirely unusual for the dead to appear here, before they go on to their final destination. You should be aware of that too."

[panser_bjorn]

"The dead..." He falls silent, thinking. Not of Iofur Raknisson, though he was a most bitter rival in life, but of another one, the only other Panserbjorn to fall before him. If only...

"Thank you for your help, Belar. I would like to be alone now for a while. I have... Things to think about." And not the least what will happen if the door back to his world takes too long to reappear.