THE MOMENT
"Voidsilk?" Mick asked. He studied the brawny, pale man seated at his bar. He had a tattoo of a bat skull atop his bald head and he wore a dark, heavy leather duster. It wasn't the type of item most people knew existed. It was a mystical cloth used in various magical workings; very few of which were good as far as Mick knew. He'd never seen this man before; but, he would be more worried if any of his acquaintances asked about it. Mick eyed the otherwise empty bar, then leaned forward. "That all depends on what you're wanting to use it for," he said.
"I'm trying to get a suit made...," he replied. "...for my upcoming wedding.
"What!?" Mick asked. He could tell the mean was speaking the truth. Somehow, that was more concerning. "It's a powerful dark artifact... and you want to turn it into a suit??"
"It's a pretty special occasion," the man shrugged. "Besides. Just because you've decided it's a dark artifact doesn't mean it is." It was the first time Mick was exposed to that particular truth.
"But.. it's created by Satan himself...," Mick countered. The man erupted with deep, hearty chuckle.
"If it were, it'd be easier to get my hands on some," he said. And Mick was once again amazed that he was telling the truth.
"You know him??!" Mick asked. He was all at once terrified and morbidly curious. This stranger seemed to have a lot going.
"Not personally," he shrugged. "But I've got some connections if I need them," he added honestly.
"Who... what are you??" Mick asked. He could always tell when someone spoke honestly. Luckily, that also carried over into social interactions. He knew when someone was being fake. Everything about this stranger seemed honest so far. Even if he was asking about voidsilk and was familiar with Hell's employees.
"Sorry," the man grinned. He extended his hand over the bar. "Name's Ruin," he said.
"Mick," he shook Ruin's hand.
"I'm a vampire, and I'm from an alternate universe," Ruin said. "Just passing through trying to get a lead." Everything he said was true. Mick's interest spiked.
"An... alternate universe?" he asked. Ruin nodded. "Can I see a different universe?"
"Sure," Ruin shrugged. "I don't see why not." He reached into his duster and pulled out a transparent glass card. "About that voidsilk...," Ruin asked as he positioned the card between both his hands. Then, he started to pull and stretched out the glass.
"Oh, sure!" Mick reached for a pen and a pad and scribbled an address on it. By the time he handed Ruin the slip of paper, Ruin had two glass cards and gave him one.
"This is a node. It's like a smartphone for the multiverse. Follow the tutorial and you'll be set," Ruin said.
"Thank you!" Mick replied. He gestured at the address in Ruin's hand. "They've got some military-grade defenses there; you're going to want to be extra careful."
"It'll be fine," Ruin said. Just when Mick thought Ruin's casual honesty couldn't surprise him anymore, he said one more thing as he stood up from the stool to leave. When Mick first started getting a grip on his powers he learned there was a difference between what the person believed; and the actual truth. Ruin wasn't just being overconfident. He spoke a truth that left Mick wondering what kinds of people he'd meet in the Multiverse. "Nothing and no one on this Earth can hurt me."