Late Night Gossip

Log Info

• Title: Late Night Gossip
• Emitter: Slixvah
• Characters: Slixvah, Zofija, Irshya, Robert
• Place: TarRaCe Bathhouse
• Time: March 29th, 2022
• Summary: Slixvah is having a birdbath at the Bathhouse, being generally lazy and bereft of her array of ribbons. Zofija arrives after selling fish all day, and they chat a bit about recent outings, mostly involving the Nar. Irshya comes in sleepily, trying to finish up cleaning as Robert arrives looking to ease some overworked smithing muscles. They speak of food, other egalrin, and the now asleep proprietress before they split off.

The TarRaCe - Bathhouse, Evening

It's a lazy day at the bathhouse. And one such soul that was taking full advantage at that quiet was that of a white feathered egalrin woman. Sprawled out lazily in the common pool with wings spread wide, Slixvah hums a soft birdsong to herself as she relaxes from yet another long glide.

The tarrace bathhouse, it was incredible how inexpensive they were to avail the use of. The copper cost easily covered the costs of the warm waters and freshly laundered towels, so who was Zofija to turn up the chance?

Specially when they smelled faintly of fish, from what could be discerned as she came out of the changing room. The towel she grabbed was tossed aside, and she slid down to the edge of the pool, looking to where the Egalrin was sprawled. "Well, was wondering what the noise was in the pool, someone was enjoying themselves." She chuckles.

Slix cracks an eye open as she turns over to spy who entered, and she lets out a happy chirp. "Oh hey muscles!" she coos. "It's just lil' ol' me! It's always so lovely in here."

She takes a whiff of the air. ".. aha! I called it! Dock work!"

"It pays well, you know." Zofi grunts. "Specially if you already know how to scale and gut a fish. I'm no fish monger, but I know enough to be trusted to do it for customers."

"Never been here before, but I figured I should so I don't run into anyone smelling like that. Least I can trust you not to judge me too harshly."

"Don't think I've seen you without all your ribbons before." She notes once she's in the water and dunked her hair. "Kinda strange in a way."

Slix raises a hand and snaps a finger. "Never said it paid bad, shug."

She coasts over, looking more like a wet chicken with all her feathers stuck together as she rights herself. "Eh, I smell terrible after coasting around all day, can't blame ya. It's a right nice place!"

The Egalrin shifts a bit, preening her wings for a moment. Really, without all the getup she looked.... normal. Perhaps a bit bland. Though that didn't mar her sunny expression. "It /does/ look weird, don't it! Oh! How'd you're little date go with skully?" she asks.

"That, came out wrong. You don't look weird, I mean, just used to you being all dressed up." Zofi sighs, realizing what she said. "It's different though, being sweaty and all that, and the like."

"You and I both know that wasn't really a date, Slix." She chuckles, shaking her head. "Moment I realized she invited her friends over for it, I don't think it was even considered, or the like. Still, it was nice. I like getting to know her. And uh, thanks for helping me have some time to talk with her, luckily Braelnoir didn't come back before Ashlee was gone, to wonder why she didn't have a seat anymore."

"Bah, no harm no fowl," Slix snickers, lightly punching the Nar on the arm. "I getcha."

She sighs, leaning back and putting a hand over her forehead. "Yeah, I know. Was tryin' ta steer in that direction. Glad you got some one on one time though. Was my plan," she winks.

The sound of something clattering along the ground can be heard some distance away, and after a few moments, the source of it arrives. A broom, being dragged by the resident pool shark. She seems half asleep. The bucket in her hand barely hangs on, and she simply lets it drop to the ground. The broom is dunked in the bucket, and she begins to scrub at the tiling of the floor.

"Yeah, and I appreciate it. She's not the easiest to talk to, but that doesn't mean bad to talk to." Zofi smiles. "Though, hard to get a handle on. What she's thinking, what she thinks of me, that sort of thing. So I need to get to know her better more, you know?"

Her head turns to the noise and she blinks. "You sure you should be doing that right now miss?" She calls out and over. "If you need someone to clean up so you can get some shuteye, I'm available."

Bob enters from the main room, soaked through his shirt and cupping his shoulder. His thinning, dark hair sits matted to his scalp and the dark-red scalp shows through in places. The older man's leather apron is still on but secured only by the belt, the bib dangling forward and bouncing as he walks.

The Cerenzan has an eye for the massage tables which is made all-the-more obvious when he stops, sighs as smile, and rests a hand over his heart when he notes one of the tables open. He's sore. He's in love. He's on a mission.

Slixvah gives a knowing nod. "I understand honey."

Her attention pulls back to the noise, then she snickers. "Hey saw tooth! You good?"

She spies Robert,her waving a wing, the fortune teller looking more like a wet chicken than a fancy bird. "Hey handsome! I know what ya see, I can vet it! it's a blast!"

The Gobbo perks up a little bit at the voices she hears, and she blinks blearily at Zofija, shaking her head. "No. Irshya will do it. It is her job and duty. She is just tired."

Her mood improves slightly on Slixvah's nickname for her. She grins then, showing off her array of shark-like teeth. "Irshya is good. How are you both?", she wonders of the two ladies.

Robert's arrival has her sigh. Setting the broom aside, she shuffles over to the massage table. They're all open, this late at night. "Irshya welcomes you to the Tarrace. You uhm... are looking for a massage?", she wonders of the much taller Human.

"I know how to clean, and it wouldn't even cost that much." Zofi chuckles. "It's good though! Water is nice and warm, and it's incredibly well priced. Almost wonder how you turn a profit, really."

She catches the man who was heading for the massage tables, and the arvek-nar chuckles. "Well, judging by the gleam in his eye, probably. You really need to ease up on the work if you're looking forward to getting a massage that bad old man."

"...a soak would be fine," Bob answers after the briefest pause, putting on a warm smile for the gobber after glancing at the 'nar. "I lost track of time at the forge so I don't mind putting it off until tomorrow." He'd already taken off the belt and folded the apron up, then untucked his shirt with his free hand.

The big man's grin sprouts and he looks over, only wincing mildly as his head turns to espy Slixvah in the pool. "You keep calling me that and you'll drive my lawyer mad with jealousy," he laughs. "Good evening, miss Slixvah. Miss Zofija."

Finally turning back to Irshya, he raises the hand holding his apron a little higher in greeting. "Miss Irshya?" He overheard. "I'm Robert Ilife but you can call me Rob. Or Bob. Just don't call me 'late for dinner.'" He doesn't finish speaking before he laughs at his own joke.

Slixvah chirps, "I'm good, saw tooth! Though, you look too sleepy for your own good."

The bird cackles, smiling up at Robert. "Hon, I can shoot Blueberry a half second of dreamy eyes and he'd go crazy already. Heya hon. Good to see you're doing well.'

Irshya gestures dismissively with her hand at Zofija. "No, thank you though. It would not do to have guests cleaning." She chuckles and shrugs. "Irshya has her ways."

Turning to Robert, the Gobbo shakes her head. "Irshya is fine, no need for miss. Irshya is pleased to meet you, Bob." She gestures to the table. "Irshya can do a modest back massage. Your shoulder is stiff and sore?"

"The only time I call people late for dinner is when I'm slow about cooking." Zofi chuckles. "Fine then, keep your secrets, and your housework. Though it is a bad look for the proprietress to look out of sorts, it puts patrons at ill ease and all that."

"Blueberry? You talking about Tegri? I wouldn't be surprised if you could say nothing and have Egalrin swooning over you, Slix." The arvek-nar teases.

"If it's really not a problem," Bob says, torn between an aching shoulder and not wanting to put people out. "... I'd forgotten how tricky mithral is to work with. Kept getting it too hot or hitting it too hard..."

The Cerenzan walks over to the closest table, tossing his apron under it and then pulling his shirt over his head. It's remarkable how much lighter his dark-red skin is under the shirt; it's almost pink in shade from his neck to his biceps and down his back. He pauses to look down at Irshya and smiles, "I think I can make this a bit easier..."

Bob crouches, producing a tiny box with an oversized, key-shaped crank. It ratches as he twists it thrice. It issues an off-key set of notes and green lightning dances across the artificer before he's left much, much smaller. Practically goblin-sized.

"... should be easier," he offers in a higher voice, grinning again and dropping the junk from the fadget atop his piled shirt.

"It does him good being on the hook," he chirps back at Slixvah and Zofi, climbing onto the table. "It'll build character."

Slixvah raises a feathered brow at Irshya. "You needing more hands around here? I know someone who's good at a decent number of stuff!" she hums, nodding towards the Nar.

She giggles, which only grows to light and bright laugh at the version of Robert. "Oh that's a great trick, Robby Bobby. Though, thank ya muscles. I agree with ya Rob. Tegri needs a bit of pressure and push, he's flighty like a hummingbird. He's cute, I'll give him that, but I'll leave him on the hook so he'll have something to work towards. I just .. hope he don't get over his head and get it cracked in half..."

The Gobbo blinks at Zofi, huffing as she fusses with her hair. "Irshya isn't looking out of sorts. Just tired. And there's hardly anyone else here, besides you. Irshya doubts the old, drunk men would even remember."

She stares at Robert as he shrinks down, her head canted slightly. "Irshya was going to stand on your back and use her feet. But this can work." The table has multiple settings, and the Gobbo fusses with them until she's able to reach the mini-Bob.

"Whom?", the pool shark wonders of Slixvah. "Irshya might be able to help out."

"Well, don't toy with them too hard. Last thing you want is a lawyer thinking you're trying to slight them." Zofi snorts. "I hope so too, he doesn't seem like a bad guy, just, I felt bad when he got knocked out in the bar not knowing what he was getting into."

She blinks when she sees the display of artifice, and brings her hands above water to clap. "Well, that's an interesting trick. Artifice can do some interesting stuff, huh?"

"And she was talking about me, I know plenty of odd jobs, so I'm happy to help out if you ever need, as long as the pay is fair. I helped Robert out moving into his new place, and I make some excellent bean fritters."

Bob's eyes had gone closed as soon as Irshya began her kneading, his breathing slow and through his nose. "... he made it this far on his own," the older man observes, pulling one eyeball half-open. "And now I'll make sure nothing happens to him that he can't handle. He's a smart kid... when he stops to think."

Zofi earns a grin and what he can managed as a nod with his face set into the chair. "All sorts. 'Life, death, and all of the mysteries of the Weave harnessed and mastered by ancient Kulthus.'" He pauses and sighs, "... but not really. And if you reference the wrong book you might want to dig up your dead pup and turn him into an abomination. Gotta be caref..?"

The massage has ended and the snoring has begun. Head pulls his face away from the chair and turns, looking back over his shoulder at Irshya. "Oh... you silly girl, I said I'd wait..."

Slixvah shrugs. "If he thinks I'm trying to slight him, then he's denser than I thought. I just want him to unwind and slow his roll is all. And yes, the fritters were great!"

"Integrity C. Truefeather. The C stands for 'chaos', as that man is everywhere," she answers the gobbo. "Good guy, just...a lot to handle sometimes. Had to get onto him the other day for pissing people off."

She points at mini-Bob. "You see it too? He's a sharp bird! Damn near made choke at some brilliant insight the other day. If he could slow down a bit... heavens, he'd be super clever."

She looks over at irshya and chuckles,her sliding over in the waters.Long,ribbon like feathers snake out from her wings, carefully lift the gobbo with ease, and places her on one of the padded tables. "Poor thing..." she coos.

"Some smart folk are like that really." Zofi shrugs. "They don't stop to think when they should, because they're thinking of something else. and it comes back to bite them. Me? I just like to come across as someone dumb as a sack of bricks usually, so I can astound them with some insight they weren't expecting."

"I know, taint of Kulthos is nast business. And I knew she was working too hard for her own good." Zofi sighs. "Get her some sleep, and I'll finish cleaning up here. Much as she doesn't want me doing that, it still needs to be done."

"Pride like that... you'll hurt her feelings if you clean up in her stead. It'll keep until tomorrow," Robert suggests as he sits up. "My Yetta was the same way," he explains with a grin before bending over and collecting his things.

"I'm going to jump into the gents and see about some heat," the Cerenzan explains, heading towards the changing rooms to strip. "You ladies have a lovely evening; it's always a pleasure."

Slixvah ensemble of feathers wave in a flowing motion. "Later, hon! Good seeing you!"

She turns to zofi, "He's right. And! He's got a right idea. Let's head to the ladies side?"

"You would think I knew enough about stubborn ladies not wanting help." Zofi sighs. "Yeah, I came here to relax, and not smell like the docks, so I'll keep enjoying the place. I'm not even expecting her to pay me when she wakes up even, she just needs some damned rest."

"You have a good day too Robert. That sounds like a good idea Slix, I'll join you there."

The Arvek-nar stretches and waves Robert off, and she stops to pick up a towl to tuck in the gobbo like a makeshift blanket before she joins Slixvah on the other side.

-End Scene-