the veil to the past, or the mirror of the present? modern/fantasy nsfw

You have no idea what compelled you to get to this cozy bar and grill in a small mountain town in europe, but here you were, having gotten served your favourite drink from the menu by the stag in charge without ever saying anything to him and shown to a table of similarly confused travelers.
 
and then as you had sat down and before even taking a sip everything… changed. the colors seemed to get more saturated, the other customers not on your table turned into ghostly silhouettes and you were unfortunately fairly sure you were not on drugs.
 
the barkeep had changed too, though not into a frozen silhouette but rather an ornately dressed stag, looking kind of like a monk, the glints of metal showed under the armor.
 
“sorry about that, but i figured showing you the veil was easier then dropping that bomb on you in words alone. this is a mirror of the world, one where magic exists, and where the other me is a paladin, rather than a barkeep and where i have a bunch of adventurers on call rather than a group of regular patrons that just started being a group and regulars. and where you have felt drawn because of your unique situation of existing on both sides, either through a connection to an angel or demon or being a lich that has used the tether to be alive in one world and dodge death in the other. no clue what it is for each of you specifically, and i imagine neither do you, but your others in this world recently gave up the ghost, and they still had a few things to do.  
so, wanna give yourselves a hand in return for being able to live two lives?”
 
modern:  
name: Stephan  
description: Large stag, brunette Hair, ice blue eyes, bit of a paunch, does in fact lift, two kegs at a time.  
occupation in the small town: barkeep and chef of his mini diner  
notes: you can ask him about any resident, and about the esoteric concepts of reincarnation, he’s happy to talk.  
(appearance usually takes only minor changes between the two sides. in the veil is the alter ego of the modern world.)
 
veil:  
name: Imos  
connection: connection to an Angel of Fate tethers his two sides through the veil.  
thread of fate: Paladin of Fate  
notes: Paladins of Fate gain gazes at the weave of Fate, meaning they can see possibilities, and get a short advance notice of desasters, like for example a few heroes keeling over for no discernible reason and a way to call on their others to get them back on their feet.

Modern:  
Name: Ceallagh C. ^{%(Cuidightheach)%} Grier  
Handle(s): Kelley, Cody, Grier  
Description: limber, somewhat short shark of mixed species, with dark-brown eyes, and a grey, slightly red complexion.  
Occupation: Commercial fisher, and the owner of a built-up vendor for freshwater produce at the local farmers’ market.  
Notes: Occasionally goes hunting recreationally with his own guns if asked to join, but tends to prefer fowl and rabbits over boar or deer. Has also fished in the Baltic and Mediterranean quite a few times, and even dove with a speargun near Italy once, but much rather prefers keeping to his near-home occupation. A bit of an americophile, but keeps this to himself.
 
Veil:  
Name: Cuidightheach mac Meryl Isibeal Lachlan mac Comhghán Lachlan Mael Coluim  
Handle(s): Mael Coluim (“Malcollum”), Mel, Collum  
Connection: Lich  
Thread of fate: Seanchaidhe  
Notes: Approximately a travelling bard, but in his case, more of a staunch record-keeper and collector. Dreams of one day staking a claim somewhere, hopefully within a prebuilt but abandoned stone fort, then transform it into an expansive archive formidably-defended against vandalism, as well as a book-loaning library.

@Coriolanus  
(looks good to me now that it’s finished.)

@Cerebrate  
[ ♫ ]  
Grier blinks with perplexment as the stag speaks, half-distracted by all the saturated colors intensified in his view. Merely shrugging off his confusion, the shark slams back his glass of martini, or whichever beverage it may’ve turned into, then rises from the table, admiring his own new raiments. _{^{(something like this, but minus the cables, mask, right-arm plates, gun, backpack, wrist-device, & headset.)}}
 
Turning toward Stephan, just as he finishes speaking; “…You said ‘dodge death’?”
 
He says with a raised brow and a thin grin stretching over his face, though still inspecting his own rugged ensemble.

@Coriolanus  
the paladin places a hand on his shoulder, the tocuh quickly filling him with immense discomfort, and the memory of how he died.
 
“fate has come for your soul once already, but the other you keeps it at bay… i advise you make sure you don’t turn into a two for one deal.”

@Cerebrate  
Sinks back to his chair. “Huh…” ^%’‘So at one point, I just agreed to help peel potatoes, but unfortunately, I was the potato…’’%^
 
“and I’m only what, like… some sort of, part collector, part combat-correspondent, part mercenary to said combat, in this life?”

@Coriolanus  
“you are known as a wandering chronicler, just that sometimes the hero in your book is in fact you.”

(Dropping this here for a sheet later. I still need to work out some kinks tho; I’m still at a creative loss for this as I’m still somewhat confused, but I’m very interested in this idea.)
 
Modern:  
Name: Aric  
Description: A lanky wolf standing about 185cm(or whatever “somewhat tall” would be for floofs); slim-overweight build  
Occupation: For now, just a grocery stocker  
Notes:
 
 
Veil:  
Alias: John  
Connection:  
Thread of fate:  
Notes:

@Cerebrate  
“So that’s what this is;” Unclasps a satchel flap, drawing out a tome bookmarked at the first few hundred pages. “Hey, there’s even dried blood still stained on that corner, from that time I wielded this heavy thing as a… ew… didn’t know a skull’s temple could cave in that easily… I feel as if reading through this is gonna be somewhat like awakening alot of repressed memories…”
 
“Did you say you wanted something from us, though?”

@Coriolanus  
“i did in fact not, i figured you’d need to work through the fact that you’re taking on a life in a very differently functioning world already.”

@Cerebrate  
“I guess that couple-ounces of gin I had helps with acclimating, though we can return back to our original lives, right?”
 
“…I’m also presupposing there’s not much to caveats for death, as long as it’s kept on this side,”
 
“so really, we can do whatever we want?” ^_<-<
 
He says, already rather reflexively holstering away the slightly-bloodstained tome.

@Coriolanus  
“well, kind of… you can return from the dead again… after a highly agonizing revival process that you get to relive in your sleep for a good long while, in short, don’t go dying on me again it doesn’t get less unpleasant.”

@Cerebrate  
“Now, I’d scoff at that, but it just so happens I’ve had a few bad lucid dreams recently, though I can’t tell whether or not they’re related to my other self’s prolonged death. All those grisly little details are welling back up, anyways…”
 
Runs a hand across the side of his own head and ear, expecting the flat cap he’d worn walking in but instead pushing back his hood. “Eyyyyep, there’s the culture shock… Was thinking I’d go take a walk outside at first to see what’s different, but, well,”
 
“I think I might just sit near a window… Can I have another martini as well, or whatever this world’s got that’s similar?”

@Coriolanus  
“curious little thing but most drinks are the same, barring a few alcohols that actually have amgical potions in them.”

@Cerebrate  
“Why would this world do that to…‘’
 
“I’ll take whatever doesn’t leave me stone blind, maybe water it down in a bigger glass than this teensy wine-coupe…”
 
“Does that mean though that this bar doubles as a pharmacy? Do you sell potions?‘’

@Coriolanus  
“every bar doubles as a pharmacy, except for holy water you pick that up at the temples. and yes we sell soft potions too, not everyone is up for healing ale.”

@Cerebrate  
“Two more questions, then I might take a walk just outside…” _{^{”though I wonder if there’s open container laws here…“}}
 
“One, if we want to return back to the other world, are you the only link back to it,”
 
“and two, how have things been here lately? On ‘this side’, I mean… what should we call it anyways?”

@Coriolanus  
“for the first the answer is both easier and harder than you think, but the veil as we came to call this world is always and completely overlaid in the world as you know it, meaning that the sea you fish in there is a sea here too, though perhaps home to a few more mythical creatures… in fact just about every mosnter story you have in the “modern world” is in likelihood based on what is called a folding event. when the separation was broken for one reason or another, the good news is it doesn’t mean you are currently talking to the barkeep over there, but rather you are completely dodging all perception that you exist, you can cross over and appear on the middle of a stage and no one will question it. don’t ask me the exact mechanics of it, this is more an art than a science.”
 
he takes a swig from a flask at his side himself now.
 
“as for how things have been here lately, nothing too outlandish, a bunch of mages are trying to use the veil to power up a golem in the arcanum, which in the otherworld would mean a robotics company is trying to build the first battlebot… actually yeah that may require some intervention on your behalf. the bigger thing and the reason you all are here, is that someone is trying to create a superfold, merging it all and ruling the result, needless to say there’s plenty people in the modern world that should not have magic, and MANY more people here that should not have technology.”

@Cerebrate  
“Wouldn’t that also mean no more second chances, too? If so, I’d say I’m already onboard. Inconsiderate that they’re just gonna ruin all the fun, and I’ve only just got here, no less…” ^_<-<
 
“As for that arcanum business, at the moment I haven’t got the first clue what to do, besides, I dunno…” Scratches neck. “…maybe drop this wieldable book of on their heads, and leave it at that. Would that even be legal? First-degree murder, I mean? Though, is what they’re doing with the golem legal either?”

@Coriolanus  
“they can basically research what they like, they’re gonna be bereft of their heads AFTER it starts to rampage… but it’s probably not as bad as i’m saying, in fact it has been eerily quiet in the arcanum anyways, so much so that i’d say their project killed them. but a modern electronic lock would be harder to get past than say a normal heavy wooden door, no?”

@Cerebrate  
“Breaking and entering, even if for the town’s well-being… You, are a bad influence, sir.”
 
“I’ll have a go at it.” He then gets up, pulling the corners of his collar, then plucking at his rough garments.
 
“I’ll pass by that way, maybe look through the windows on the way back… if you’ve got some kinda web of brokers feeding you all this sorta information though, I hope you can also pull favors, if I find I should break into that place, but then get arrested in the end for tresspassing.”

@Coriolanus  
“make sure you get arrested inside the veil and it will be easy, outside… well, they can’t keep you there if you’re not a criminal here, it gets a bit confusing but you have some leeway on the matter, in fact if you materialize inside there they’ll assume you belong.”

@Cerebrate  
“I kinda just mean to say I don’t want to step out of whatever legal bounds this place has, promptly ruin things for myself here, and so be branded as a miscreant on this side, but I’ll keep in mind what you said. Becoming some kinda criminal dodging between both sides doesn’t sound like a nice sort of living… anyway, which way is the arcanum though, from here?”

@Coriolanus  
he points you to the building that doesn’t belong, read the one anchored down by chains because it’s floating.
 
“and you needn’t worry, you may just be a humble fisherman, but you has been busy becoming a scholar of some renown.”

@Cerebrate  
“Huh. I wonder what that’s supposed to be back outside the Veil… I guess I’ll be right back if I see anything.”  
_{^{”Assuming I can even get up there…“}}
 
Stepping outside, the shark ambles around along the general direction given, a bit insecure and overawed by the floating structure though, and somewhat keener to see any less-intimidating differences in the Veil’s version of the mountain town.