Rainbows and Shadows

Log Info

• Title: Rainbows and Shadows
• Emitter: Slixvah
• Characters: Slixvah, Crik, Culix
• Place: Lower Trades
• Time: September 2nd, 2022
• Summary: An idle perusing of making a map turns into Slix spying a bird fellow swiping a pack. She chastizes them from afar until they return it, and ends up with her own journal stolen instead! (It's given back). She converses with the crow egalrin, not learning a whole lot, but figuring out they were being quite shady. Speaking of shade, Culix pops up out of seemingly nowhere (she's just really sneeky), ribbons are exchanged, and they deal with Slix's familiar being haughty.

Lower Trades, Midday

It's an overcast day, the clouds blocking the harshness of the sun, muting the heat and making it somewhat bearable. Even moreso, the events outside the city, tensions are abated as folks look forward to finally being able to leave the place. Hence, the Trades are busy with folks geting their wagons and equipment ready for the journey home.

Despite the bustle of the streets, one figure is sitting atop an awning, taloned feet dangling over and kicking idly as they sway from side to side, humming a tune. A rust red egalrin woman, oddly dressed with a rainbow of ribbons on her wings has a journal open in front of her, and a pen scribbling away. "Doo doo doo...~" she twitters away. "Shoulda done this soona."

Hop hop. Tilt head. Stare. Hop hop. Off it goes - a cloaked figure moving amongst the people. There was an unnatural grace to the movements - and many would probably not pay much attention to the weirdly flowing fellow. It was almost as if the crowd was just a current, and he was skipping along, even when people were pressed against eachother.

Hop. Black beak raises and curiously tilts its way this way and that. Eventually, eyes settle on a figure standing nearby. Another pause. Then a hand just... reaches out and takes the hanging little satchel and withdraws his hand into his cloak. The robed figure continues to tilt his way this and that, almost as if nothing had happened. Few more steps and he hops off again.

The rainbow red egalrin on the awning had a pretty good vantage point of the area, her gaze flitting about the crowd as her pen seems to be tracing the outline of the roads and alleyways. But the odd, hopping movement draws her attention easily.

She blinks, then leeeans forward, watching. "Well well well... who's this un...?" she coos to herself, observing with amusement. A brow quirks. "Sticky fingers... tsk tsk."

A hand flits to the side, and a feather appears out of nowhere. She brings it to her beak, mutters something to it, then it vanishes in a >poof<.

Next to the hopping hopping figure, a white feather floats down, then gently falls apart in the air. A voice whispers next to them in a silk tone, "I saw that. Wanna give that back? These poor folk have had it rough, ya know?"

GAME: Slixvah casts Message. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
GAME: Crik rolls disguise: (8)+7: 15
GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (16)+11+2: 29

The fellow in the dark peers about, seeming to pay no heed to the mysterious message. Instead, the creature tilts his way this and that in sharp, jutting motions - then the black beak snaps the feather off the air. Another hop into the crowd and he gets out of sight.

Moments later, somebody climbs atop a passing cart. Face hid away in a red hood, nobody barely pays any attention to the new passanger hitching a ride on the back of a cart full of barrels and crates - not even the oruch. He seemed to be fully content watching the scenery pass by, with the new figure in raggedy brown cloak sitting by him. Even if he had black wings and particularly curious gaze.

Feathered brows pinch as the warning is paid no mind, and then- "Where did you..." she murmurs to herself, scanning the crowd nearby. Then, someone pops up onto the cart. She almost dismisses it, but seeing the beak made her double take after catching the wings. A long sigh leaves her, and the journal closes shut as she gets to her feet.

"You're slick, I'll give ya that," the voice continues next to the red hooded figure. "Wanna chat? Don't even gotta get close ta me. But ah, you /may/ wanna give back what ya snicked befo' I make a scene."

The rainbow clad egalrin woman from afar is lazily following via the rooftops, each gap between buildings closed by a hop and a flap of wings.

GAME: Crik rolls perception: (20)+11: 31
GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (1)+11: 12 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (16)+11+2: 29

The feathered fellow tilts his head this way and that. Finally, he gets back up onto his feet and gives the oruch a brief glance - goodbye friend, the black wing waves - and hops off. The oruch is left there standing with a dumb expression on his face.

Back into the crowd, the hopping motion continues. This way and that. Hop. Black tail bops up and down, and then there is walking.

Suddenly a pair of black wings stretch out from behind a man, along with an annoying caw. "Hey, what in tarnation!" The figure shouts, but off the hooded shape goes again. Slixvah though, might notice the pouch was back on the belt where it belong.

And then the cat and mouse game begins. The sneaky little egalrin moves behind a cart. Stands still. Then hops over behind a woman, walking behind her as if he were an old friend. Then a cart was approached by an grumpy old woman it seemed - all an elaborate play to get closer to Slixavh.

What he didn't realize that his cloak was completely knocked off, leaving his various things pouches, blades (are those bombs?) in plain view. It was _really_ hard not to notice the black winged approaching the ribboned egalrin.

The beribboned bird woman slows as the feathered fellow hops off, and she stops at the apex of a smithy. Hands on her hips, foot tapping against the wood as she traces their path. Her shoulder relax. Good, things were returned to their proper place.

Then they're gone again. She rubs her face. "It's like working with Tegri..." she grumbles, gaze flicking about for.

The blatantly black feathered figure is hard to /not/ notice with all of their equipment on them. She shakes her head, steps off, and her wings flare out, a rainbow of ribbons trailing behind her as she gently glides to the ground right in front of him. "Boo."

She giggles. "Open skies," she greets in a warm chirp. "What's a crow doin' slinkin' about like that, hmm?" <Auran>

The other ribboned egalrin disappears and that leaves the black feathered would-be-thief staring around him. Stare. Tilt head. Stare. Sudden poof of feathers and Crik hops back a few steps, wings spread awide. Cloak is hurried pulled back over him as he adopts a more hunched posture.

"Darkened clouds," A particularly deep and resonant voice greets Slixvah. "Guard?" He asks, then tilts his head sideways. The black eyes of his have lids going around them momentarily, before he then hops towards the side. And then again he hops to the side - eyeing Slixvah from toe to the beak.

There's a lot of robes on this rust red and white egalrin. A lot of pockets. Lots of colorful ribbons too. Visually loud. She's much less hoppy and jumpy than he. She glances up to the overcast sky, then chuckles. "I guess ya right," she hums.

She shakes her head. "Not guard, naw. But this ain't pickin' grounds. If ya wanna swipe shtuff, go east of the river. More ta get wit' people mo' deservin' of it."

GAME: Crik rolls sleight of hand: (13)+9: 22 GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (1)+11+2: 14 (EPIC FAIL)

The dark feathered elgalrin stops his hopping and instead, stretches out his dark wings towards the skies. "Borrowing." He says, with the classic Iwasn'treallystrealingreally line. A quiet click leaves his mouth. "Curious coins need a good look at."

Another tilt of his head, and he moves to hop besides Slixvah. Eyes go up and down, before he looks up at her. Black wings just flap up suddenly, knocking a feather or two.

A dark fingered hand sneaks towards her person. "She was taking notes." Then another tilt of his head, as he flaps open her journal. "Or drawing."

GAME: Culix rolls stealth: (19)+15: 34
GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (5)+11+2: 18
GAME: Crik rolls perception: (11)+11: 22

Overcast, Culix's favorite weather. People often think night time is the best time for sneaking and... it can be, but in a city? Rarely. Most places worth being in a city end up having lanterns or torches or candles, and it's easier to spot a solitary shadow by lanternlight than a face in a crowd. Overcast is better. Everything is a little grey when it's overcast. The shadows have soft edges. It's easy to become one with them, slipping in and out of peoples periphery without notice.

Culix is practicing her sneaking today, slipping into private doors on people's heels, and back out through open windows. Ducking under carriages, eavesdropping on hushed conversations.

No one seems to notice the little goblin underfoot. She might as well be a cobblestone or paper bag caught in the wind.

Slixvah tuts. "Bull-oney," she denies, blinking once as he draws close. She's wisened, stepping back away from him as he's draws close. But she's too slow. A hand goes straight for something under her first robe, making sure that- phew, those weren't taken.

The journal is actually very crude drawings of the street itself, like a map. Just a little cartography. "... you can ask, you know," she huffs, crossing her arms. "While I enjoy talkin' ta kin, do that again and I'll make you break your leg in three days," Slix glowers. "I was learnin' how ta make maps."

She's unsuspect of the gobbo snoopin about.

What's a gobbo snooping around? Tilt head.

Crik's head tilts curiously as Slixvah moves to touch something within her robe's folds. Flipping quickly through the journal without actually looking at it, he quickly holds it back to her. "I draw maps." He says, completely ignoring the threat. Eyes looking at the robe for few moments longer, then the attention returns back to her.

"Cities are complicated. The alley there was covered with bricks yesterday." The egalrin's black tail bops up and down. "A shop-owner needed more storage for their private hobby. Selling their dollhouse contraptions seems to be very lucrative business." Another step forward as he pulls his cloak more over all the things he was carrying in his person. "She has many ribbons."

Culix eventually finds herself near a pair of Elgarin- though not entirely uncommon in Alexandria, they're not the most common sight either. And so they pique the Goblin's curiosity, so she heads a bit closer to the pair to see what it is they're talking about.

And so, it is as though she appears between them, peering over the top of the Journal that Crik is holding out towards Slix, to spy at it's contents. "Not bad, but you missed a couple of things." she says then. "Like there's a manhole over there, under that stall, leads down to the sewers and basements." she says, pointing it out.

Slixvah takes the journal back. "Do you now?" A flick down to where his gaze was. Back to him. And she follows in tandem with a step backwards as he advances. "They are. Not like mountains and valleys tha' don't change all that much. Here it's got a pulse. Always shiftin'."

Her wings ruffle, making the multitude of ribbons rustle. "I have many ribbons. Do you want one?" she offers as a peace treaty.

The colorful egalrin is about to say something else, but she jumps and flails her arms, putting her hands up and adopting some kind of monk-like fighting stance (she's totally got it all wrong). "Wah-cha-cha, what the heck, where did you come from??"

"Yes," Crik croons with his deep resonant voice - then ends the sentence with a quiet click and open beak. Shuts it off a second later. "Does the ribbon have a part in the map?" Another tilt from his head. He did not seem to mind the fact she was staying very smartly away from his hands.

A pair of black wings shoot out again as Crik follows on stpe after Slixvah with the sudden appearance of Culix. Unlike her though, he simply tilts his head at Culix. Then again, who knows what he was gripping under that large dark cloak of his.

With a few hops, he settles down behind Slixvah and tilts his head at the goblin. "I hoped to keep the manhole a secret." A complete lie. His secret was the manhole by the opposing stall. Easier to tell half-truths. "White shirt is dangerous down there."

"Over there." Culix answers without missing a beat, pointing off in some random direction. She doesn't seem worried about any possible reprisal from the gesticulating Slix, but Crick gets a second glance. "Yeah, well, first thing I did once I started working for the guild is buy about thirty white shirts." she huffs. "If it's not literal shit, it's gunge or slime or blood or pus or snot or who-knows-what-else. And don't get me started on the thorns, the talons, the claws, the fangs."

She puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head sadly. "Almost seems more effort than it's worth. Maybe them wild folks have the right idea, wearing naught but a breechcloth and a snarl."

Slixvah shakes her head, disarming herself and relaxing. "Naw, ribbons ain't part of the map, they're part o'me!" She reaches behind her back, and offers him a random color that's pulled free from her robes somewhere.

She looks to Culix, then where she's pointing, then back down to her. "Yeah, I gots me some fancy magic thing to clean off. Hate goin' down there. And that does sounds fun ta be like that, but, someone might get annoyed looking at my feathered butt," she snickers.

The ribbon is taken from Slixvah's hands - but then another is offered back. It looked very bright and rainbow-y. "Thank you." Sliding into the folds of his cloaks, Crick returns his gaze back towards Culix.

"Gunk on feathers is worse than few cloaks." The crowish egalrin flaps his wings upwards and stretches them outwards - before his head tilts the other way. Culix can see his beak was back at staring Slixvah's robes. Not her feathery butt, surely. Snapping back to attention, he continues, "Work for the guild?" A brief pause. "Or the guild?"

Culix grins at Slix's comment, and she less subtly leans over and around to take a look at the aforementioned butt. "I dunno much about Elgarin, but I'm sure it's a nice butt." she assures SLix then. She turns her attention back towards the crow then, and she scratches her cheek, catching his meaning. She offers a half shrug.

"Little of both." she finally answers, just as cryptically as he asked. "Whatever's going, really."

Slixvah takes the ribbon back, her squinting at it as she taps her head for the rainbow ribboned headband to make sure it was still there. "Thank... you," she says slowly. She shoves the multihued one into a pocket.

She's not shy, a grin meets her eyes as her tail goes 'flick-flick' during observation. Hands on her hips, she chirps, "Thanks! I think it's pretty cute!"

She looks between the two. Unsure what they're talking of.

The crow's staring at the robes seems to have an effect. From within one of the folds, a teent tiny white plumed Thrush pokes it's head out and stares right back at him with a golden gaze.

The sudden appearance of a small bird from the folds gets a stare from Crik. Then he swings his head towards Culix. Then back towards the bird. Beak opening, he then bows his head quickly towards the bird, before his attention returns towards Culix. "Anything lost and recovered?" A ruffle of his feathers and a knick of his neck. "Preferably old parts of the city?"

Slixvah gets another stare, before he moves to stand towards her. He straightens slightly as his wings stretch out in grand disp- nope, down back they went again. "The ribbons flow well." A brief click from his throat. "A real tailfeather to spot in the dark."

Then that head goes back to staring at the bird peeking out.

Culix cracks a grin, and tilts her head to the side a bit, "Things are always getting lost." she offers, "But aint really the place to talk about 'em." she adds after a moment, and shrugs once more. She stuffs her hands into her back pockets- no mean feat, her pants are fairly tight- and then looks between the two of them.

She peers at the small bird- her mouth opens, to say something. It hangs open for a moment. And then she seems to think better of whatever it may have been and closes it again.

Slixvah tilts her head to the side as she glances down. A giggle leaves her, and a hand pats the bird gently atop the head. The little bird hasn't stopped staring. "Thanks," she coos to the crow. "Though me thinks me having my tail feathers towards you means I'm gonna lose a lotta pretty coppers."

The small bird is now being stared at by two people. It comes out of hiding. Perches on Slix's shoulder. Stares at both of them. It's little beak opens, and a tinny squeak comes out. "Gaze upon me."

Slixvah groans, running a hand down her face. "Oh my /gods/ we are /not/ doing this right now."

"I am eternal."

"I'm boutta eternally bonk your complex into the pocket!"

Crik looks around the street. "Lost and found. Helpful service. Should write it in a bulletin, otherwise could get wrong ideas." The egalrin crows with a sudden hack and two from his throat. "Should I find her or does she find me?"

The crow ruffles his feathers as his attention slides back towards Slixvah. Then back towards her tail. "Why copper?" Innocent question. Then his eyes slip down again. Back up. "Few platinum at least." His black beak opens and remains that way.

The little bird suddenly gets his full attention. Finally, a very old and ragged looking notebook is pulled out from his robes - it is not Slixvah's - and he flips it open in several spots. Eventually, his head tilts at the small trush. "Does not look eternal."

Culix shrugs again, "Sure we'll cross paths again if we're both working for the guild." she muses to Crik then, rocking on her heels while she stands there with her hands in her pockets.

And then the brid speaks, and she raises her brows at it. "OOo, a talking bird." she says. A beat. She looks between the two Elgarin, "You know, like, a regular sized one that is." she adds hastily.

She retrieves her hands from her pockets and fishes around her pouches, before finding- ah there it is. She retieves what looks suspiciously like a cured rat's tail from one of them, holding it out for the bird and wiggling it.

The beribboned egalrin seemed to finally be picking up on their lingo, but she doesn't comment on it. Not her place.

Slixvah blinks at the crow egalrin, then breaks into a loud, wheezing laughter. "Bwaaahahaha! Oh that's a good one! I'm glad my tail is worth a pretty price!" she winks, snickering and shaking her head.

The assessment of not being eternal makes the tiny bird fluff up in annoyance. It stares at the rat tail. Looks at Culix. Back at the tail. "Do I look like some kind of pet to you?" it chirps back, huffy. "I /am/ et-"

"Pray return to the sleeping pocket," Slix cuts off, scooping the bird up in one motion and jamming them into one of the pockets on their robe. There's a singular tweet of protest before they're silent. Slix rubs her neck. "Sorr' bout that. They's get a lil' prissy."

Crik turns his head towards Culix. His beak was open still - and then he makes a strange choking sound. His tail bopped up and down, as he tilts his head towards Slixvah.

"Should have three eyes." Another pause as he glances at his notebook. "Behavior matches." The notebook is pushed back into his cloak. Yet the rat tail was there. Crik lays flat towards the ground, beak up, and sidles in closer hoping that Culix will let him have it, instead.

"Kinda, yeah." Culix retorts to the bird, "I mean, considering you have a sleeping pocket and all." she adds after a moment. She wiggles the tail at it once more. When the birb is shoved back into said pocket, she shrugs and turns back towards where Crik had been standing. He's not there anymore. He's on the floor, at her feet.

She does a brief double take at the strange site, and then glances around. Second hand embarassment evident on her face. "Uh... sure." she says, and drops the chewy leathery treat into the waiting beak.

Slixvah just shakes her head. "Naw, lil' birdie is jus' a weird is all. They small, but they head is bigger than a grapefruit. They ain't an aboleth or whatever else ya referencin'."

The Pocket^TM wriggles in annoyance before things calm down.

Slix blinks. Cranes her head down. Her face floofs slightly as she glances to Culix before looking back down. "... you are one odd bird, and I'm one ta talk..."

She shakes her head and steps back. "Any-uh-who, I gotta split. Need ta get a bit of fix fo' the sun goes dips. Catch ya'll on the flip."

With that, she gives a little wave, waggle of the fingers, and wings unfurl to their twelve foot span before they beat once, twice, and she's off!

Crik swoops his beak up and just devours the tail in one go. Wings flap as he gets back up to his hunched pose. Then some more. And then to a full height; swallowing the tail. The crow tilts his head towards Culix and then back towards Slixvah, before he falls back down to his more hunched height; only somewhat taller than Culix. "Something wrong?" He asks.

A deep ruffle of feathers starts from around his shoulders and runs down towards the tip of his tail, before he bows his beak at Culix. His attention slips away towards the rest of the crowd - then back towards the goblin. "Shadows fall. I'll see you." And then he begins to back away with a hop - up until he is following a couple with an interested gaze. Then he's crouching besides a walking horse. Then he's not there.

-End Scene-