As Luck Would Have It

Log Info

• Title: As Luck Would Have It
• Emitter: Slixvah
• Characters: Slixvah, Zofija
• Place: Fernwood Pub
• Time: April 24th, 2022
• Summary: It's an odd time at the Fernwood. The night is going smoothly. Too smoothly. No one bumps into each other, spills don't stain any clothing, any many other manner of lucky circumstances. Slixvah is busy trying to relax from her influence as Zofija joins her at the bar. The former gets into her cups as she explains the reason for her nomadic tendencies, as well as how out of whack it's slowly been getting. She shows off her minor polymorphing abilities to Zofija before reverting to her true self, and ends up getting carried out of the establishment once a roving band of bards play a free musical for the lively tavern.

Fernwood Pub, Evening

It's an odd night at the Fernwood Pub. Not out of the ordinary, of course. Life in such a city is never ordinary. But on this grey day, things were... normal?

No, not normal. Too normal. Smooth? Smooth. Too smooth.

Food comes out right on time. Drinks weren't over-frothed. No one runs into each other on the way in or out. A spilled drink doesn't sully any clothes. The place is almost of out ale, and the shipment got here in just in time for restocking.

It's not outright mentioned, but the talk in the pub circles the drain about how nice the day has been thus far.

A rust red and white plumed Egalrin woman rests at the end of the bar, trying to keep herself relaxed as she nurses a drink. A copper piece twirls between her fingers before she just flicks it backwards behind her off her thumb.

It flies and lands right into the barkeep's pocket.

Zofija was wandering out on the streets of the colosseum district after one of her many, many jobs, without much in the ways of any plans for the evening.

That was at least, until they came across a small pile of silver coins, likely fallen from a hole in someone's coin pouch or similar. After looking around, the arvek-nar didn't find anyone out near the area, so she pocketed the coin.

And right outside of the pub, too! If someone came looking, she could always pay them back later. But for now, there was free time to enjoy a few drinks, for free at that. The Arvek-nar pushed open the door and strode inside, finding an stool near where the egalrin was sitting. "Evening Slix, what brings you out here? Good to see you, course, and it's a nice night. Got any plans?" The Arvek-nar asks, doffing her hat and setting it into her lap.

Slix perks up at seeing her friend enter the establishment. She was sort of lingering around for her anyways. A ribboned wing raises in a wave, it just missing someone passing by her with a serving plate full of a four course meal. "Heya Muscles!" she chirps out, eyes crinkling slightly in a smile. "Oh, you know, just relaxin'. Gettin' used to some new arcane mojo Fiadh and I figured out."

She tilts her head to the side. "... as for plans... well... sort of, sugar. Tryin' ta stop bein' so, well, influential. Give it a beat or ten and you'll catch what I mean. How you doin'?"

The arvek-nar sighs and stretches in her seat, which stops just short of hitting the passing server as well. "No fun drinking alone for the sake of it, so good thing I'm here. Learned some more new things? Hope Fiadh is doing alright, last I saw they were smoking from their beak from the last ones."

"I think I know what you're on about, given there isn't a hint of a stain on the countertop. You want me to get you a drink with the coin I found in a bush outside, or not?" She asks, raising one brow.

Slix chuckles. "Fiadh's good. The birds outside have been quite a nuisance as of late."

"I wish they would learn to shut their beaks," a tinny, muffled voice comes from one of the shawls.

She pats the spot on her clothes before nodding once. "Yeah, new mojo, shug. And... one I think /you'd/ like!" she winks. "Had to get my legs working first before I show it to you."

She glances to the countertop, but her brows raise high. "You found... coin outside? How lucky of you," she mentions without a hint of surprise. "Sure, I won't say no to some freebies."

A plate of bread sticks is slid over to the two of them. "Had some extras," the barkeep says before slinking off.

"They're bothering them? I didn't even know that was a thing that birds did." Zofi snorts, chuckling quietly and shaking her head. "Or are they just being noisy? I know Fiadh does seem to sleep a lot."

"New magic does sound fun." She continues. "What's that about working legs though? Meet up with that one you met here the other day again?"

The arvek-nar continues to chuckl and reach for a breadstick, taking a bite before she spoke again. "Then that's settled, I'll keep it for myself. Unless that was some reverse psychology, in which case, and you wanted me to keep it in the first place, which, well, that's awfully confusing. But you said yourself, you wanted to be less influential."

"It's mating season for most birds," Slixvah points out, factual. "Fiadh is irritable during it. They just want to sleep. She does a lot of work for me, so she deserves all the sleepie weepies she can get," she gushes down at her shawl.

"Do not start," the tinny voice replies.

The fortune teller giggles. "Sorry baby doll."

Her attention turns to Zofija once more, her chuckling in a muffled manner. "Ah, nothin' like that sugar. Wish that were the case. Naw. Just figured out, well... gimmie a hot second to gather myself with this here wonderful courage and pint of vigor and I'll give ya a peek."

She shakes her head. "Keep it. It just happened up you. I didn't give ya nothin'. I like I didn't give us these here bread sticks."

A beat. She looks up to the ceiling. "Hey! Just 'cause I'm a bird doesn't mean I need breadcrumbs!" she shakes her fist to the gods.

"Lot of people sleep with earmuffs on. Can you get earmuffs for a bird? At the very least, Fiadh would probably look even cuter with them on." The Arvek-nar continues to chuckle. "Well, now I'm real curious though what you have in mind. Should be interesting, hard for magic to not be and all that."

"It's not what I mean, it's just, you're trying to make things less influential, and I'm not sure what I mean. Could have been I'm not thinking about it proper to begin with. I'll get you a drink, that's fine. What's wrong with bread sticks though? Maybe they got them for Fiadh, if not you. Or would you rather something else to eat?"

Slixvah blinks, and she slaps a palm onto the counter. "Zofi that's a BRILLIANT idea!" she grins as much as a beak can. "Oh she'd look SO adorable!"

She settles back down on her chair. "Oh, just teasing the heavens for giving me breadsticks. You know, feeding spare bread to birds? Thought they were playin a joke on me is all." A little breath leaves her. "It's hard ta explain, sugar. Jus' look around."

The whole pub was working like a well oiled machine. Lots of near misses of people bumping into each other, someone entering right as another leaves, missing a door slamming into a face. Fallen food is surprisingly caught out of a fluke, a spilled drink drops right on top of a cleaning rag.

"Tryin' ta keep that from happening. I can make it stop for a bit, but its tiring."

She blinks, then smiles. "Ah, right. Well. Let's get crackin' shall we?" A deep inhale, and she throws a hood over her head, covering herself completely. "Eltl em hwat I wnta, hwat I lrleay wnta," she chants to herself on a beat, bobbing from side to side as her hands draw little patterns in the air.

There's a gale that brushes by just Slixvah that rattles her clothes and ribbons, obscuring what little one could see of her being.

Then it stops. And drops away.

Before Zofija is a slim, pale human woman of moderate height, the ribbons instead adorn her her arms with one tied around her head. A veritable wreathe of flowing white and red hair encircles her shoulders, and a bright, winning smile crinkles her sky blue eyes amongst her soft face. "Tadaaa~!"

"I'm not sure if the lack of response is agreement, or being absolutely appalled by the idea. I hope in agreement at my genius." Zofija laughs. "Yeah, I figured something was afoot. But it's not a bad thing, and if it's less tiring on you, all the better. I don't mind in the slightest. The bread sticks are just a bonus. Maybe lion birds are different, but Screech's diet is mostly meat. And I mean a lot of it, kind of eats into a lot of my earnings."

Zofi watches as the magic takes place, and the wind blows everything around. Thankfully the hat blown out of her lap manages to land back on her head, though it obscures her eyesight even further until she can tilt it back up.

"Ah, that's why you thought I'd like it." The Arvek-nar chuckles. "I can finally see you smiling like you normally seem to be doing, so that's real cool! Handy to be able to disguise yourself like that, isn't it?"

The human Slix cracks a lopsided smile. Man, she's already so expressive as an Egalrin, this is something else. "Oh I bet, hon. Screech eats up a lot!" Sounds like her words a a touch slurred, like her lips are numb.

Now that gets a grin to plaster on her lips and a sparkle in her bright eyes. "Oh for sure. Could make myself a Nar too, if we ever go to Blar again. Even been, working on my blabbering just in case!" <Goblin-talk>

She leans back. "But, I wanna get a Nar down first before I try that."

A pause.

"No that wasn't an offer," she laughs.

"Yeah, it just gets a bit much when you're buying a quarter of a cow every week or something." Zofija sighs. "Worth it though, you just get used to it."

"That hairs really cool looking, but it defeats the prupose for the purpose of a disguise." The arvek-nar offers. "That's good though! Just need to work on your speech, must not be used to the lips like that, despite how quick you are to be smiling. Even decent speaking for talking like a hobgoblin or gobber, too."

The cavalier, looks, and snorts. "No, you're talking about looking like one, not that. Still, if you need a frame of reference, you could do an awful lot worse than me. Hells, you've seen me in the baths before, so it wouldn't be that hard."

"I'm glad Fiadh doesn't need to eat anything," Slix snickers before nodding sharply, perking up. "Thanks! I like it like that. I could change it, yeah, but I wanna still feel like me, ya dig? Though, yeah, lips are weird. Gotta use 'em instead of my second voice box which I miss /oh so dearly/ when like this. I was sputtering over everyone last time I tried this."

She winks. "'preciated. Figured might as well pick up a bit o' the slang since I'm more than likely gonna be back around there." She tries to thumb her beak, but misses entirely, and she pouts for a beat before giggling. "Ey, yeah. Could use you for reference. Though, Prolly gonna be a lot slimmer. There can only be one Muscles!"

"Well, you're right, I guess. It's still you, but, I don't think I could ever think of Slix as anything but a white and red Egalrin, if that makes sense." Zofi chuckles. "But if you're just trying to look different and not like a disguise, that makes sense. Lips are weird I guess if you aren't used to them, what with how you form words and the like with them. you've got the advantage where people can't read what you're saying normally too, but they aren't all bad. Should try kissing someone sometime." The arvek-nar chuckles.

"Well, there's not that much slang I know of, and I'm not the best representation of arvek-nar culture. People are pretty blunt there, respect authority and the like, things like that."

The arvek-nar grunts, and shrugs her shoulders before waving for a drink that was already coming her way despite not ordering yet. "Yeah, guess so. And you wouldn't be able to beat anyone in an arm wrestling contest if they asked, which would raise a lot of questions."

Slixvah quietly laughs, taking a drink properly from her ale. "Yeah, it do, shug. Everything changes 'bout me, just want a lil' bit of me around." A breadstick is munched on, though she coughs a bit, fighting through a snicker. "Ain't got people linin' up ta kiss me right now-"

Someone nearby steps up, and before they even open their mouth to volunteer as tribute, Slix places a hand out to her side and shoves them away via the face.

"-hush. You know what I mean. Unless, you're offering." She sticks her tongue out at Zofija, a joke.

"Don't worry shug, ain't gonna try none of that. Unless someone wants ta' arm wrestle someone. I'm a weak babe! Except, well, unless they wanna go against my feathers. Er, hair?"

One strand of rust red hair rises and gives a little wave.

"Fair enough. I'm not changing myself around, so I don't have any concerns like that." Zofija nods, grabbing the drink that was offered and taking a long sip which was interrupted by a sputtering into the mug.

"Well, I guess not. That's alright, wouldn't feel right." The Arvek-nar chuckles. "I'm just saying if you look like some muscular 'nar lass in Blar, people are going to try and stir shit, so, best to avoid that situation to begin with."

Zofija blinks, and continues laughing. "Guess it still works with hair like feathers. That's good to know. Never did ask about that, since I don't think it's something a lot of Egalrin can do."

Slixvah gives a smirking, sly grin. She reaches out to lightly punch the Nar on the shoulder. "I getcha, just mussin' with ya, Muscles."

She nods once sharply. "Yeah! It does work! Pretty neat, though I like usin' m'wing feathers ta do it."

Her smile softens some. "Ah... yeah, other Eglarin can't do what I do. Parta the mojo I got. It's a lil' weird, but its strong as any punch. Stronger, even."

The arvek-nar chuckles and returns a pat on Slixvah's shoulder. "That's what I'm talking about, with a punch like that, you couldn't pass for someone looking like me. That's okay though. Like I said, the world could do with more Arvek-nar being a bit more slight." She muses. "Well, there you go, anyone challenges you to an arm wrestling contest, you ask if you can do it with your hair or feathers, and catch them completely off guard. Just maybe don't go making bets around that."

The bartender from before came back over, this time with a few more drinks. "Some group made an order and paid for their drinks, but they had to leave suddenly. Best not to let the drinks go to waste."

Slixvah grins and gives a wink. "Ah, give ya a sight for a more slim Nar? That'll be fun. Though ah, I think I'll keep that trick close to me, better ta let people get surprised by it. Rather seem slight and demure then give 'em tha surprise when they least expect it!"

New drinks slide over, and her smile widens. "Aww, thanks sugar! What a night, huh?" she chirps, raising the drink and downing it in a few gulp to quickly replace it.

A little sigh. "Though, Muscles, learned some new tricks. Heal people betta', stop some poison. Seems like, however, the luck stuff's getting more wild. Gotta tamper that down. Some how..."

"It would be nice, yeah. Or maybe that would just be weird again." Zofija mumbles, finding a pleasant excuse to be quiet in the form of free beer when the bartender was leaving. "Yeah, it is a nice night. With how lucky things are, I'm a bit surprised Ashlee hasn't shown up at this point."

"Healing magic is always handy, and you never know if someone might get poisoned by something dangerous. I don't think they're poisonous, but found some weird ogre like burrowing creatures on a farm nearby. They're reinforcing the tunnels they came in so we can check them out, since one of the children went missing not long ago."

"Is it more wild? It's not nearly this lucky, you're saying?" Zofija asks.

Slixvah warmly smiles. "I'll stop pullin' your leg, shug. Sorry 'bout that. But yeah, you right. Surprised she ain't shown."

She tilts her head to the side briskly. Not unlike herself when she's a bird. "... now that's right odd. Hmm... might see if I can help out with that."

She rubs at her face, a tinge of red in her features now from the drinks. "Yeah it's... a bit wild right now. It's why I... move around so much. Gonna have to leave here tonight, else it's going to get really, really bad. Like, might get some inquisitors around to investigate."

"Apparently, whatever it was, they tend to stay further underground. But this one was sneaking up into the fields at night to steal cows to eat them. Was even wearing fresh cow hides." The Arvek-nar sighs. "Would appreciate the help, if you can spare it. Always good to have a witch or wizard around."

"I don't see that much of a big deal with it, but you do you, Slix, if you feel you gotta lay low, not gonna hold that against you. I just think it's nice, not like you're really hurting anyone with it really."

Slix's brows knit together, and she looks a bit disturbed by the idea of fresh, untreated hides. "Ugh. Yeah, uh, maybe I can lend a hand with that. Sounds right gnarly."

Once more, she shakes her head and runs a hand through her hair. "I know I ain't, but like... removes the randomness in life that life needs, yeah? And with the demon stuff, weird stuff might get checked out. Not hurtin' anyone but... it's inconvient sometimes."

She shoves an empty mug off the counter. It clatters to the ground, bounces oddly on the handle, and twirls through the air until it lands in a dirty dishes bin. She gestures towards that. "See?"

"Looks like you saved the waitress some trouble to me." Zofi shrugs. "And nice and convenient. Doesn't seem like anyone's unhappy either, it's a nice smooth night at the pub, people are happy, there's less to clean up. Some people need to leave well enough alone. And what's an inquisitor going to do? Show up and find someone gifted magic from the gods just being around, and that's a bad thing? Sounds like they should have better things to do."

"I guess I get what you mean about the randomness though. Sometimes you need a bit of bad with the good."

Slixvah brings another mug up to her mouth, her pulling her hood over her head as she does so. "Can have nothin' but good intention, Zofija, but still people going to try and pry out what's making thing not normal. It's the way it is. But I suppose for this night, it's alright."

She snaps her fingers, and another gale rustles her clothes. The ribbons calm down behind her as a familiar seat of wings peek from behind her shoulders. Her mug pulls away, beak wet from it being dunked in the brew. And some feathers poke out from behind the hood. "And that, Muscles, is what I'm worried about. If there's so much good happening, there's gotta be a bad to balance it out," she murmurs.

"Back to normal. That's good, I think I'm used to you being an egalrin." Zofi chuckles. "Wonder if that person from before still wants to kiss you?"

The arvek-nar sighs, and shakes her head after that though. "Hey Slix, it doesn't have to be like that. Something good happening doesn't mean bad has to be part of it. That kind of thinking is what makes a lot of people crazy, and feeling like they don't deserve anything good. It isn't hurting anyone far as I can see with this."

Slix's visage is harder to read as an Eglarin, but there's a slight wince in her face that's covered up by another pull on her mug. This time just dunking her whole beak in to drink. Glug. Glug. "Probably not, most don't," she mentions softly before pivoting to the new topic.

The mug is set down, and she reaches to the side for nothing, but a random rag falls out of no where as she picks it up to wipe her beak off. "As far as you can see. But what happens when I leave, shug? Will the luck whip lash so Tarien can have a laugh? I know well what my presence induces, and I may not look it, or talk it, but I'm rather well familiar with the greater cosmological alignment of reality and the delicate balance that the world's mana hangs in. A push one way yields a shove in the other. There is good gods, there are bad. I can push luck for weal, or take it away for woe," she elaborates. A sky blue eye rests on the Nar. "And I make a lotta weal."

"Well, weirdo is missing out." Zofi grunts, pulling the egalrin into a brief hug for a moment. "If they don't want to hang out with you just cause you look different, their loss."

"But magic isn't a balance, otherwise the world would be swarming with undead because of all the positive energy clerics are working with. Just because you can manipulate it both ways doesn't mean one forces the other." The Arvek-nar sighs. "Maybe in excess things can get shoved one way, but you're not going to invite bad luck with what you're doing."

Slixvah readily takes the hug, a wing unfolding to return it. "Thanks shug," she softly sighs, holding it for a moment longer before-

She just ends up staying close, a wing wrapped around Zofija like a warm down blanket. Slix tilts her head to the side one way, then another. "Yeah, mojo is like that. Maybe you're right. Prolly worryin' about nothin'."

It was at this point, a merry band of bards from the theatre district stumble in. "Alright! Our performance was stellar tonight gals and gents! And as such, by his good graces we're on a bar crawl!"

One of them strums a power chord on a lyre.

"A bard crawl! Kick it!"

A sudden ensemble of energetic music floods the tavern, kicking up the liveliness a knock.

Slixvah chuckles, but drops her head until it thuds against the bartop. "... and then something like that happens and it makes it impossible to sleep..."

Zofija hugs the egalrin back when they didn't leave, and the Arvek-nar just sighs. "Least I can do. you're my friend, yeah? Can't see you putting yourself or what you do down like that, I know it isn't true."

"Ah, they're not bad musicians." Zofi chuckles. "But that's relative to how you're feeling at the moment. You think they'd get in the way of sleeping upstairs?"

Slixvah, starting to get in her cups, nods slowly as she leans against the Nar. "Yeah... I appreciate ya, sugar. This bird is happy go lucky, but that ain't all the time."

She casts a glance back to the ensemble playing with full heart. "... yeah... I think they will be. Could..."

The drinks were really hitting now. "... could you carry me ta another inn? If that's cool? I.. don't think I can walk. Shouldn'ta chugged that other one..."

"Can't be all the time, like you can't hold things back all the time. It's tiring, and sometimes you just gotta rest and recover." Zofi chuckles. "But is that so? I'm starting to think you just keep calling me muscles to flatter me enough to go along with these things. Don't mind though, course. Just let me make me pay for my drink, and hop on my back. My own legs are working just fine, so It'll be fine. What happened, anyways? Were you not used to humanoid legs, and ended up tripping over them? You said they were hurting for some reason."

"Oi. I've been callin' you Muscles since day one..." This wasn't the first time Slix had to be carried out, and just like many times before, she's quite light for her size. Once the cavalier gets her drinks in order, she slips out of her chair, already half hanging on as she hangs onto Zofija's back with her wings wrapped around the Nar. "Human legs don't got talons to grip the ground..." she slurs, resting her head on the Nar's shoulder as she closes her eyes.

She holds out a grey taloned, bird-like foot in front of Zofi. It clenches a few times in demonstration. "Toesies are weird. And lips. And... one voice box. And... no wings... and.. other stuf.."

She's getting drunker as she talks. "... thanks muscles."

"And I think one of the first things I offered to you was to carry you home if you ever needed. And I won't lie, it does worry me a little seeing you drinking so much you need someone to carry you home." The Arvek-nar chuckles, hoisting up the egalrin's legs as she turned for the door. "It's not all that bad. You can whistle, which is fun, and having your feet flat helps with stability, like when you're carrying a drunk egalrin back home." She continues to laugh, finding the exit nice and clear with no one getting in the way, with many moving to sit around the bards off to one side. "Just part of being a hobgoblin or what have you really."

Clear of the pub, and out into the night air, the Arvek-nar continued on her way, looking for one of the more quiet inns to drop the drunk witch off at.

-End Scene-