A Deal is a Deal

Log Info

• Title: A Deal is a Deal
• Emitter: Aelwyn
• Characters: Aelwyn, Slixvah
• Place: Northern Banks of Tornmawr
• Time: August 2nd, 2022
• Summary: Aelwyn seeks out Slixvah for a trade agreement. After showing Aelwyn some recent developments, and some back and forth, she agrees to help out with a distraction plan. Her price? One favor. No way that can go wrong. But, a deal's a deal.

The weather. Always the weather, the beginning of most stories. In this case, hazy and hot and full of sun's glare. The city seems to have been doomed to forever face the hot wrath of the orb in the sky.

The Tornmawr river was an ally in the fight though, and plenty of people were taking advantage of it. Even that ruddy shade of a figure in the distance did not mind the bit of moisture after walking in the glare of the sun for so long, the sith-makar's scales shimmering a touch.

Claws digging into the ground, the red-fashioned draconian, Aelwyn, keeps picking at the stiff chewing stick. He was told it was good for his teeth. He was easily told many things. "Hrnh." He rumbles from his chest, glancing around the bank. "Sure she would be here." The draconian grunts, eyes trying to adjust to the brightness.

The hot weather makes it easy for most to seek shade. And finding a certain egalrin woman has always been a die roll, as she never is in more than one spot for overlong. Though, when people seek her out...

A red and white feathered egalrin woman is sitting under the bridge, hiding from the sun's heat as she has a beribboned wing pulled in front of her, a giddy expression on her visage. "Oooohoho..." she giggles, petting at some feathers growing in where there was none before.

... she shows up.

Aelwyn doesn't gamble. Or rather, he is extremely bad at it, since he considers staring at his opponent to concede the main point of such activities.

The red maned sith-makar snapas his head in attention, looking towards the many-ribboned figure in the shade. Straightening, he rolls his shoulders. "She is hard to find." He calls out, then bows his head. "Ribbon." He greets, simply enough. "The sun seems to have lifted the spirits."

Slix all but hugs her wing protectively as she's called out for greeting. "Huh? Oh, yo, what's good, Cutie?" she coos, rocking from side to side, eyes crinkling in a smile. "You could say that! Look! Look!"

Popping up to her feet, her wing spar extends forward as she points at the spaces between the ribbons. Small, yet dense, dense feathers are starting to grow there. "Do you know what these mean, Aelwyn? I... I-I'm gonna get ta fly soon!" she breaks into a giggle fit, her mood exuberant.

Aelwyn looks at the wings, and there's a moment of tension when she mentions flying. Teeth exposed, a low grump... but then he quietly exhales and simply 'grins' at her. Maybe. It looks exactly like a grimace. "Is that so?" He asks, walking closer. He stares at the feathers growing out, eyes narrowing and dilating as they get used to the darkness again.

"Hmmh." Finally, the sith-makar lets out. "Then perhaps she won't be needing these anymore." He adds with a tilt of his head, holding out more red ribbons. No, they were red feathers; fashioned into ribbon like shapes.

Slixvah tilts her head to the side, arms wrapped around her spare wing. Though, she blinks, eyes growing wide. ".. C... Cutie..!" she gasps out, reaching to inspect the ribbon-feathers closer.

The wing she was hugging is briskly replaced with a ruddy scaled makari, a fluffy embrace with both arms and wings. "D'awww... you're so sweet! I love 'em!" she happily chirps, rocking him side to side.

Aelwyn's eyes widen as Slixvah moves up and hugs him instead. It was obvious that was not the reaction he was expecting. "Hmmh, wings do feel nice against scales." He tilts his head with a wide toothed grin and flicks his tongue out, a scaled hand sliding around her.

Yet, sad news. Those clawed fingers flics the ribbons up in the air a bit, and he leans away from her a touch. "This one came looking for a trade. Perhaps she has a bit of time to listen?"

With a moment of pause, the sith-makar gazed at her with his orange eyes. Finally, the Dragoon adds with a toothy smile, "She'll have the ribbons."

Slixvah hums back, snickering in a tease, "Yeah, they do." She holds the embrace before a beat before he leans back, and she releases him. The proposition quirks her brows high, but she shifts her weight to one leg and rests a hand on her hip. "Oooh, a trade?" she echoes, smoothing her crown feathers back and tilting her head up at him. "Aight, I'm lisenin'. I woulda listened without the bribe regardless but you've got my attention, sugar."

Sky blue eyes fail to drift away from his gaze.

Aelwyn's fingers ruffle her ribbons when she peels back. "Hmmh, but a trade is more appreciated, is it not?" He rumbles. His orange eyes seemed to gleam with a bit of fire. It was just the glare of the sun. With a twist of his hand, the ribbons fold over his fingers and he holds them out to her. "This one has a task." The Dragoon explains. "But little help is needed."

A step is taken closer and he leans in closer, eyes pinning hers down. "How well does she play dress-up?"

The ribbons flutter about from the wind under the bridge, her turning slightly and folding her wings so they drift off to one side. "I suppose, yeah," she shrugs, eyeing the offered feathered ribbons before she looks up.

And he's a lot closer. The little feathers on her face fluff up some, but her eyes crinkle in a cocky grin. "I'd dare say-"

Her form ripples, and before Aelwyn is a middle aged human woman. "-I'm pretty good-"

An half-oruch man with matching voice, "-at playin' around-"

A smol gobber that's not much more than a pile of clothes. "-and dressin' up ta-"

One last waver of her form, and it returns back to her beribboned self, "-What'evs the situation needs."

Her head tilts up, and she's smug. "This fo' business or pleasure?"

Aelwyn's eyes try to keep up with the changes - he knew Slixvah was good with disguises, but it was one thing entirely to see it up close. His tongue slowly snakes out from between his teeth, and he leans in closer with a tilt of his hips. "Could be both." Then, he had to ask. "She truly turns to another one?" A tilt of head from the sith-makar. "Little exciting, is it?" Toothy grin.

The draconian flexes his fingers and the ribbons are folded over her shoulders. "This one needs a distraction. Something is misplaced, but someone stands in the way."

Slixvah giggles, her gently punching Aelwyn in the chest playfully. "I try ta not mix the two but I can make exceptions," she coos before crossing her arms and raising a questioning brow. One that still didn't erase the smug smirk on her face. "I gots some mojo to turn into somethin' else truly fo' a little bit. But all those were tricks o' the eye." She sticks her tongue out at him. "A little exciting, yes."

She hums happily as the red feather ribbons adorn her shoulders, Slix swaying from side to side. "A distraction...? I can be /very/ distracting," she purrs. "What'cha need? And what I'm gettin' in return?"

Aelwyn's own mvoements mirror hers, as he slides in closer to her. But still, his distance away. Instead, he seemed to respond to her movements with a little bit of dance of his own. "Hmmh, one with many tricks." The draconian rumbles. "One always wonders how far they go." His sharp teeth flash out, and his forked tongue slips out - tips going up and down, slowly gesturing in the air.

"This one needs to get into a ship to find something that was lost, but the long pier is always blocked with eyes." The sith-makar explains, and he reaches out to try and run his fingers out along her ribboned wings - up towards her shoulder. "A quiet distraction."

Waiting a few moments, he finally growls from his throat. "What does Ribbon want in return?"

Slixvah flicks a hand out, as if it would help elucidate her point. "Business? If someone deserve it and it helps folks, I'm all about it. Pleasure? Dinner first. Then we'll see how far that goes," she laughs, watching the forked tongue bob about.

She hums quietly, letting the hand run over wing and shoulder. "Somethin's on a ship, you need it. What are you gettin' off the ship?" she inquires further. Her gaze half lids. "... Ohoho, you came ta me wit' a proposition and a trade, and you're offering /me/ a blank ledger?" she snickers. "What do you have to offer?"

A pause. "... yourself does not count," she snorts.

Aelwyn steps aside from her finally at last, turning his side at her as he puts his hand on his hip. "This one does not count?" He grins, tail flicking behind him. "I was an attraction in my troupe, Ribbon. Plenty of coin for a performance." He rumbles in sultry amusement, tongue flicking about. Arms crossing over his chest, he looks back at her. "She always starts with the dinner?" A moment of pause. "Perhaps a point worth remembering."

As for her question about what's in the box, he rolls his shoulders. "This was tasked to find it. It seems to be in the hands of a local band of misfits." He hmmhs at her blank ledger, grinning right back at her. "What has she written in her ledger?" Crossing his arms, he tilts his head. "It is her business, after all."

Slixvah eyes him, her eyes squinting in amusement. "You are an attraction," she chirps, reaching out to run a hand over his arm before stepping towards him. "Dinner to start most of the time. Flirtin' back and forth like this is a hell of a lot of fun, but I like ta make sure we click a little first before any sort of performance."

She reaches up, and boops him one the nose. "No coin involved with that." A laugh.

Now to business. She grinds her beak in thought, pacing a bit. "Hmm... Ah-" she snaps her fingers. Turns around to him, and points. Mischief all in her eyes. "You. Flutter. Will be in debt to me for exactly one favor of my choosing."

She puts her hands on her hips akimbo, and leans forward, haughty and smug. "A deep price to pay: one that has no true monetary value~"

Aelwyn's tail coils around in the sand, staying still as she slides her hand over his arm. It was still quite hot, kissed by the heat from the sun; and obviously had quite a bit of power in it. The sith-makar rolls his head over towards her, then takes a step towards her side, head besides hers. "She always take her performers from the street out for a dinner first before their act?" The draconian's lips twist into a grin. "One would think there are easier ways to click." His lips and jaws split wider - and then he makes a quiet snap with his teeth.

Turning to face her once again, he slides his hand over his satchel. "A favor?" The Dragoon asks, actually sounding a bit confused. "What kind of favor would Ribbon wish from a Flutter?"

Slixvah doesn't turn as he saddles up beside her. Though a wing drapes around his shoulder, almost pulling him to a conspiratorial whisper. "If by performers, ya mean, 'people I find interesting and wanna have some fun', yes. I do."

A glance to quietly snapping maw, and she just laughs, reaching up to playfully push his face away. "Flutter always teasing, I see. All performance, no time to get ready for the show," she snickers.

Her eyes gleam in amusement. "That's the fun part, Cutie. You don't know what the favor is 'til I call upon it. Welcome to the bad part of handin' me a blank ledger: I'm gonna fill it with somethin' way more valuable than gold."

She holds a hand out. "One distraction to get ya on a boat and out for one favor. Deal?"

"The trick is to always be ready, Ribbon. Life is a display," The Dragoon rumbles right back at her, still grinning as she pushes him away. Ah, but that wing did feel quite nice, even with all the ribbons on it. Or because of the ribbons. Rolling his shoulders, he moves to look at her with a more serious expression.

Her offer makes him pause, and he obviously thinks on it for a moment. "Hmmh, she drives a hard bargain." Aelwyn responds, twisting his lips, but finally he nods his head. "As long as the favor is in good taste and does not involve the sewers." He reaches out with his hand, holding it out for a shake.

Whatever he was promised, had be quite valuable.

Slix holds a hand over heart, and holds the other up like she was taking an oath. "I promise it won't involve sewers, and it'll be in good taste," she swears before the hand falls down into Aelwyn's open palm.

The ribbons on her arm twirl around both of their grasping hands. "Deal."

She tugs him closer. "Speaking of taste, hypothetically speaking, what does Flutter like to eat?" she questions with a smirk. "Once this biz is all sorted, we can celebrate with dinner."

The Dragoon is very glad that got sorted out. Especially the sewers part. Aelwyn bows his head as he returns the grasp with his clawed fingers. "Gratitu-" He begins and then he is tugged closer, his hand still clutching hers. Unexpected, but soon his grin returns to his face. "This one eats many things," He responds, "Ones with sweet taste and left a-quiver are a favorite." The draconian's tail touches Slixvah's side. "Little hot things. Spicy, and something to bite onto."

The sith-makar tilts his head back. "And her? How should she be spoiled?"

Slixvah raises a brow slowly, a small laugh leaving her. "Hmmm... if you're wanting sweet, we'll leave the heat out for starters," she croons as she gives the hand a squeeze. The brush of the tail catches her off guard with a tiny jump, befre she recovers by grabbing it.

"I for one," she elucidates, pointing the tip of the tail at its owner with a grin on her face. "Like a good drink, and tasty baked goods like breads and pastries. So I can find us a spot easy peasy."

She drops the tail, and pokes him on the chest with a digit. "/After/ this business is done. Got it? Then we can spoil ourselves."

The tail wriggles as if trapped - but then it moves to slide against its captor.

Aelwyn lets out a disappointed hiss, pushing his chest against that poking digit. "And here this one thought he was doing the bartering." He rumbles at her with amused look on his face. His tail slides on the ground, seeming to be also disappointed in the state of situation.

Rolling his shoulders, the Dragoon lets out a bit of an exhale. "Few nights from now in TarRaCe, and this one will take her there." The draconian says, and bows his head. "Peace on the nest." He wishes, then begins to walk away - but he pointedly turns around on his step and lets his warm scaled side brush across her wings. "And may her feathers grow strong." He adds with a flick of his tail. The draconian walks away with a slow roll of his hips, back into the sunshine.

Slixvah laughs, shaking her head. "You spend all your time on fire, sounds like you need ta get dunked in th' cool river," she jests, jabbing a thumb towards the waters nearby. The offered plans get her to perk up, and she crosses her arms. "Aight, Cutie, I'll hold ya to that."

She gives a little wave with a waggle of the fingers and watches him go. But alas, just one more offering. She blinks, and her expression softens. "Thanks. Open skies, Flutter."

One more wave to him as he goes. A bird in her pocket flutters out and lands on her shoulder. "Weal this time around."

"Appears to be so..~" Slixvah happily sighs.

The golden eyed bird affixes her with a glare. "This will have consequences."

Sky blues return the glare. "How many years have I done this, and how many times have you told me?"

The familiar looks away. "Something is coming. I can sense it. Just... keep your wits, Unmesi."

"Don't worry, baby doll, I got nothin' but that."

The little bird just tuts.

-End Scene-