Cold Weather & Hot Cider

              The TarRaCe, Evening

The weather is still unrelenting. Freezing sleet and sideways rending gales force those inside to stay there, or to seek shelter so they didn't become a frozen popsicle.

As such, the TarRaCe was full of a number of lazy patrons waiting out the weather, or those steeling themselves to make a mad dash out of there. The bartender: a human woman in a red vest and slacks is busy making hot drinks in preparation for those about to brave the storm.

Kira isn't waiting out the weather nor preparing to leave. Instead, she is only just arriving. The door is opened and closed swiftly to not let too much of the weather in, though some horizontal sleet does slip by. Kira then stands near the door, but out of the way of it, to just, well, drip some. Her cloak is rather sodden and slushy and robes and breeches below aren't really much better. Most outerware assumes the wet is falling, not flying.

Patch had been stowing some things in the back room, her appearance being from the door next to the bar. She'd been here to set up early, but now it's the waiting time for patrons to trickle in and settle before a show. The cold of the front door isn't much noticed, but it being opened does draw a glance towards Kira as she enters with their soaked clothing.

"It's going to be one of those days." Patch remarks, turning to try and find a place to put in an order at the bar. A small smile flashed to the familiar face behind the counter. "Will be good for business."

The bartender keeps an eye on those moving in, humming a soft tune to herself and making idle conversation with the them. "Hey! Come on in! Don't crowd the front and get warm!" she calls out.

She looks over to Patch stepping into the main room. "Yeeeah. Gonna have ta make sure th' fireplace is stoked well," she coos, affording a moment to give a side hug before resuming. "Will be fo' sure. Thankfully Rish-Rish keeps th' place well stocked."

"Oh! Sorry..." Kira assumes the call is at her and now peels the sodden cloak over her head to hang it up near the door. That way she isn't dripping everywhere (as much) and not loitering at the front. She then heads for the counter, offering a bright, if apologetic, smile. "I think there might be alot of soup and hot drinks tonight..."

"That she does, even if she mostly pays in drink and food." Patch muses to Not-Slixvah from where she stands. "Do you mined fixing me a mulled wine? I need something to drag my head out of the tomes." she muses, an eye cast back to Kira from over her shoulder as Kira draws near. "I can imagine it would. I am tempted myself, but I will have to save it for after the show later." she muses.

"It's been a couple of weeks since I last played." Patch admits, sighing. "Things have kept me rather occupied, and I fear I might be out of practice." this spoken more to Not-Slixvah. "We'll see what happens, yeah?"

The well dressed bartender softly laughs at Kira. "Bah, it's alright, no worries, shug! You want anything? It's dreadfully chilly, especially if ya've been givin' food out all day!"

Not-Slixah glances to Patch, a grin on her face. "Totally. I mean hey, at least a pay gets turned inta food anyways!" A thumbs up is flasshed, a mug is grabbed, and she gest to work fixing that drink. "Eh, ya play in different ways. Don't have ta be music. I have faith you'll hit ya stride!"

"I play in different ways? That's true." Patch's words amused at Slixvah's observation, grinning as she watches the woman fix at her drink. "I could dance, but I am saving that occasion until we know what's going on in that damn hill." she notes, winking to the bartender.

"Honestly, it's good that progress is finally happening, but if it means anything? We'll see." Patch's words a bit cryptic. "Like toinight. We'll see." speaking of the crowd.

Kira looks to Patch and her smile widens more. "Oh, you play music? That's wonderful! Everyone can use more light in their lives, and pleasant distraction. More with the weather being how it is." She looks to the bartender after with her comment and her smile turns more .. bashful? "The cold isn't so bad, for me, but being wet isn't very comfortable. Except maybe for the baths here. They are very nice."

Not-Slix slides over Patch's warm drink, the mug scraping against the bartop. "Yep yep! But ah, what'cha mean? Dancin' on th' hill? That Point stuff?" She squints a bit. Then gives a slow nod. "I see, I see. Well I'd like ta know what's good when ya got a chance."

The bartender grins towards Kira. "She totally does! And she's right great at it too, Kira. It's totally not, being wet and cold, so take a load off! What can I get ya?"

"I look forward to listening," Kira assures with no small eagerness before she ponders what she wants. Besides being not wet. "Hmm. Hot cider? That sounds good for now. Thank you." Then she looks over the tender a little more. "Have you worked here since the TarRaCe opened? I haven't been here in a long while, so I apologize that I've forgotten." She seems to know Kira, though, which only makes Kira feel all the more guilty.

GAME: Slixvah rolls disguise+10: (5)+9+10: 24

"I gotcha boo," the bartender hums warmly, dipping down to grab another mug as its shoved under the spigot of a heated cask. The question makes her quirk a brow, and a smile spread across her face. "I'ma somewhat new hire! But I do have a familiar face, some might say, Kira."

She slides the drink over with a wink, "It's a fun place to work, lot of pepole ta see and learn from!"

"Thank you!" Kira accepts the mug, though just wraps her hands around it for the moment. To warm them, or judge the temperature of the drink, or maybe a bit of both. Meanwhile there is nodding. "It's great to see it like this. I didn't know if it would still be here..." Now she's peering a bit, trying to place the alleged familiar face. "I am very sorry, but what is your name, again? Maybe I need the cider more than I realized..." She even hazards a tentative sip, in case that might get brain juices going.

The bartender bobs her head, reaching up to push the wreath of red hair to one side. A grin cracks her face. "Oh, we've met once before," she coos. "Workin' here gets me right good practice ta be different folk too!"

Sky blue eyes glimmer. "Slixvah Unmesi, nice ta meet you again, sugar. I helped ya pass out soup in the festival grounds da other day befo' the storm got here."

"Oh! Yes, thank you for helping!" Kira comments and nods; polite tone and gesture of realization. Though it may be apparent there is more polite than actual epiphany. At least until her reflexive nodding suddenly halts. Her lone blue eye shifts from hair to vest and back, flicking between all the red. After a moment, she awkardly tries to confirm, "... Feathers?" It's not that she doesn't know that shapeshifting and the like exist, in theory, and she certainly knows that magic exists, but she is most used to taking people at, well, face value. And it's the face she didn't remember.

Not-Slix lets Kira take her time, a stupid grin on her face. Once the realization hits, her grin turns into an open mouthed smile. Her form wavers, morphing and shimmering until it vanishes. Revealing that of a rust red and white feathered egalrin woman with her beak open, wings spread wide and rainbow of ribbons dangling freely in the warm bar air. "Ding ding ding! Ya'd be correct! Free drink!" she deeply, joyously laughs before her form shimmers again to reclaim back to the sharp dressed human woman.

Even if the smile made Kira comfortable that she wasn't completely off, the brief shimmer of form still gives her a bit of a start. Not unpleasant, but surprised... even if she probably shouldn't be. "Oh my!" she looses a little laugh. "That is quite a trick. For fun, I hope? Your feathers and ribbons are lovely, so I don't think you should hide them too often."

She takes a new sip from her drink before the last part registers and she pauses to pull out some coins for it. "Thank you for the reminder, and, please, give the free one to someone who couldn't pay."

Bartender Slixvah snickers. "Thanks, hon! I really appreciate tha' compliment! Oh trust me, it's mostly fo' fun! I do like bein' myself, but it's really fun ta be otha things. Ya learn a lot! Can do mo' than just not make it an illusion."

A brow is raised, but she shrugs, taking the coin and setting it aside. "Aight! I'll put it in tha' pay-it-forward tab!"

Kira beams back a wide smile. "It must be very exciting to be other things, but I'm glad you are still mostly being yourself. I wouldn't know how to be anything but me..." she admits with more pulls on the cider. "Even if I could be other things, I would be very, very lost."

Not-Slix puts her work aside, both hands smacking the bartop as she leans down with an energized grin. "But tha's the thing, Kira. Bein' lost just mean's ya got somethin' ta find, somethin' ta figure out!"

She rises. "You learn so much about ya'self and others just bein' somethin' else fo' a time. Take a walk in someone else's shoes, ya dig? I love bein' me, wouldn't eva change it, but man ya learn some fun quirks 'bout others!"

Kira savors her latest sip as she muls over that. "Hmm. I guess I never really thought of it that way? I do meet many people, of many varieties, and learned things about them, but not like that... You're right, it would be a very ... personal lesson, being like that person."

Human Slix shrugs. "Eh, ya get over the personal lesson pretty fast. Honestly, ya kinda get more wrapped up in figuring out things like: how do I use two voice boxes? How do I use this tail? Long ears keep smacking into stuff and won't stop wiggling. Not to mention having different legs! First time I was a human, I couldn't walk at all!"

She picks up her cleaning rag and slings it over her shoulder. "Trust me, tons of fun. Ya learn a lot, as well as some quirks of some people. Like, man, I didn't realize how /cold/ ya softskins get!"

Kira may not have thought of it on that scale at all, judging from her "Oh. Oh!" Her cheeks color. "I thought you meant being another person, like... me being you or the other way. Not a completely different..." Her words trail off. "I guess you being me would be that, too. I couldn't even imagine having a tail, or long ears, or feathers!"

At the softskin comment, she shrugs. "We're just used to it, and to wearing clothes? The Makari like the cold even less, I think. They're used to being hot, and scales don't keep you very warm."

Slixvah snorts, her waving a hand off. "Comes with the territory, regardless, being a different person has its own set of personal challenges, like personal identity and the like. Thankfully I'm too full of myself ta get it fussed up."

She laughs. "It's great fun. Even just for a little bit. And yeah, I've learned! I gotta make sure I got enough ta wear fo' whatever I'm gonna turn inta!"

She bobs her head, snickering. "Totally, I got super cold being a Makari. I don't think I could handle the chill like that."

Kira finishes of the last of her cider before it gets to be too cool. "I don't think you're too full of yourself, or you wouldn't try being other things," she suggests with a warm smile. "Thank you for the drink, and the conversation. I don't want to keep you from serving others, and I shouldn't stay too long. There is always more to do." Maybe a bit oddly, she sounds rather eager at that prospect, rather than forlorn.

The bartender winks towards Kira. "Oh sugar, ya just don't know me enough yet!"

She snaps a finger gun towards the woman. "You are super duper very welcome, hon. Appreciate ya consideration, and ya time!"

She snorts. "There's always more ta do, but ensure ya take care of yaself. Get a warm bath! Get the chill out. And chill out! Ha!"