Happy Birthday Sis

Log Info

• Title: Happy Birthday Sis
• Emitter: Zofija
• Characters: Slixvah, Zofija
• Place: Temple of Vardama
• Time: March 24th, 2022
• Summary:

Alexandrian Mountain Road and Vardaman Temple, midnight.

Though it often had more business at night than most temples, the temple dedicated to Vardama, far off from the main temple district, saw much less activity at this hour. Petitioners and mourners returning home to sleep, with only a small handful lingering around for emergencies and other matters. A skeleton crew to mind the skeletons, as it were. The open flames of braziers and torches set around the area cast a flickering light across the basalt temple grounds.

There was one person who was making the journey to the temple at this time however, a somewhat broad figure with a long, rough cloak pulled tightly around to ward off the chill in the air as they ascended the many steps leading up to the place. Under one arm was a box, and under the other, was a large clay pot, filled with bright yellow flowers. Reaching the altar, cleared out earlier of the days offerings, she gingerly set down the flowerpot, nudging it a bit so it would be in position to get the most sun when it rose.

The arvek-nar looked around, finding the area empty for the time being, before she sat down behind the altar, mostly hidden to the outside, and resting one arm on her knee.

"You probably thought I was going to forget, didn't you." The hobgoblin chuckled to herself. "You always were worried I wouldn't be around for your birthday, but I always managed it, no matter what."

Isn't the saying the early bird gets the worm?

Usually, yes. Though a restless night sometimes requires a midnight stroll, which sometimes ends up being a midnight glide.

But what's a midnight jaunt without a little bit of poking around? The city was safe, supposedly, and the road up to the noble's district certainly should be one of the safest around. Though, it still was odd spying a cloaked figure move towards the temple from the distance. And this bird was a nosey one.

She takes one of her robes and flips it around, the inside of it a dark maroon to meld against the mountain rock as she ambles behind them a distance.

Then... what was that? She squints in the dark, the brazier's not helping much. Egalrin have splendid sight, but none for the shade. And the figure ducks behind the altar? She grinds her beak a bit.

The mutters an incantation, plucks free a feather, and raises it above her head as she stride forward. The feather sheds a pale, soft white light.

She only just catches the last bit of the words, her head tilting to the side. She wasn't wasn't positive on who it was, so she clears her throat and says with a bit more firmness than her usual sunny self, "Now now, shug, I best not hope we're doing anything fishy with them there altar. Funny thing, did you know Eglarin can screech up to a hundred and sixty decibels"

GAME: Slixvah casts Light. Caster Level: 2 DC: 13

"Sorry I wasn't able to get you much before. Well-" Zofija continues quietly from behind the altar where she was sitting, only to freeze up when the re was a sudden light appearing, and someone speaking to her. "Easy, I'm not defacing the temple or any shit like that. Just wanted to be alone. No need to cause any alarm." They call back, taking a moment to process things. "Wait, that you Slix? You'd know I'm not up to anything, I hope."

Slixvah grows closer, only to stop as she's just to draw around the corner of the altar. Now the lit feather sheds light on the flowers, and she finds herself digging a hole quite rapidly. "Oh! Muscles!" she chirps in surprise, stepping back some. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, didn't know that was you up here. Saw some sussy lookin' folk sliding in here at the dead of night."

She turns some, looking back to the road. "I'll leave ya be, hon. I know a place like this is best for that."

She knows how to read a room. "'less you want me here."

"It's cold out." The arvek-nar grunts, though she does pull off her hood and shake out her hair, after her arm disappeared beneath for a moment to rub back and forth. The box was set down beside her, and smelled of something sweet. "Don't worry about it, I'd be suspicious of someone pulling something like that too."

"Seriously, don't worry about it. I don't want to bother my drinking buddy with things. It's just, well, shit. This is the first time I haven't been able to celebrate sis's birthday in some way."

Slix cocks her head to the side, her slowly tucking the feather back into the rest atop her head so that she'd have a little night light. "Muscles, dear, cupcake," she hums, drawing closer to lean against the altar. "Life can't have rainbows without a lil' rain, ya dig?"

Take initiative, she strides on up, swooping by Zofi to curl a large wing around the Nar. "Tell me about her, sugar. I wanna know."

Zofi stops to shake her head, only to find herself pulled into a hug. The Arvek-nar stops, and sighs, putting one arm around Slivah.

"It's more than a bit of rain, Slix. Feels like bunch of shit I did was meaningless, really." She sighs.

"Kat was, she was great. Younger sister, by a couple years." She begins. "Mom died when I was still young, and dad was maimed during the liberation of Blar. So, it was mostly me looking out for her and my brother. It was hard, but she never let things get her down, you know? Always had hopes for the future, and I wanted to do my damndest to make that future the reality for all of them."

The side hug is like a warm blanket being draped over the shoulders, now coupled with an arm around the Nar. Slix doesn't say anything, her quietly humming and nodding along as she watches the pot of flowers.

She absorbs all that. Then intones, "Kat sounds like a cool sis, muscles."

Her spare wing gestures towards the box. "That her favorite snack?" she guesses, throwing out more hooks to pull open the closed off Nar more.

"She is. She uh, she was." Zofi nods, stopping to sniff and wipe at her eyes again as they were close to crying again. "They don't like freeloaders in Blar. Military pay is barely enough to keep yourself fed and the like, let alone anyone else. But it's still one of the better options. So having to take care of my dad and two siblings on my own, well it was stretched to breaking on more than one occasion. Kat joined up when she was able, just to take some of the strain off."

When Slixvah inquired about the box, Zofija chuckled sadly and opened it up to show her, with a simple, round chocolate cake inside. "Nah, it's just kind of pathetic really. Never was able to get her anything really for her birthday side from what I could find or make for her really. Always felt like shit about that, even if she'd never complain. But I saw the bakeries in some spots of the city, and I always thought she deserved one of those cakes for her birthday."

"I was saving up enough spare coin to surprise her, but now she isn't even around for it."

Slix gives a soft sigh, her rubbing Zofija's back. "Blar didn't look like the easy sorta place to live, no. Strong of ya'll to make do with what ya'll had. And strong of her to try and help ya'll," she softly says as her eyes slide from the flowers to the box.

She quietly laughs, and shakes her head. "It ain't pathetic, muscles. I'm sure she loved what you made regardless of it. Hell shug, she knew how hard it was for ya, and you were already going outta your way."

Her spare hand pulls her veil down, Slix looking up to the basalt temple they were around. "She might not be 'roud, this is true. But who says we can't share a slice with her? Got the altar here, I see a table. Got a pretty lil' flower for the center piece," she gestures out some, tone somber, yet light.

"No, it's not an easy place to live. Especially not when it was still in the middle of a civil war trying to gain freedom, and that's after the whole 'vampire cults running the place and planning mass sacrifice' thing." Zofi sighs. "If things weren't so bad, or if I made a bit more coin, she never would have felt like she needed to join."

"I wish I could have done more, anything, to stop it from happening, you know? And I've still got to keep at it. There's not much time to stop and mourn."

The cavalier stops and chuckles just a bit. "It's why I came out here, I guess. I thought, maybe something can reach her out here. Maybe help me feel a bit better. You're welcome to have some if you want, She can't eat all of it."

Slix rubs her neck. "Yeah, not a right easy place to live, though-" She levels her gaze on Zofi, her wing giving a little all-round squeeze. "That's a lotta 'ifs' to get bogged down on, honey. That's like me sayin' if I didn't learn to do what I did, I'd not get ran outta home. If I didn't rescue a hurt bird, I'd still be welcomed in the Aerie. Lotta 'ifs'. Need to focus more on the 'whens'."

"Which is, exactly that. Not much you coulda done, you said it yourself. You were already breaking, stretch so thin like a piece-a noodle." A pause. "Buuuuut, there is time to stop and mourn. Always is. Mournin's how you heal, babe. Can't leave a wound covered up all the time, gotta let it air out so it won't fester."

She giggles, a little trill in her throat. "I'd love to have some, sugar. Cut 'er a slice, leave it 'ere for 'er. Give 'er a chat like she's sittin' right 'cross the dinner table."

Which, she takes that on her own wind, Slix looking across the altar like someone's there. "Hey Kat, you know your sis's got a thing for buff Nar chicks?" she giggles in a tease.

"I could have done more. Found some more jobs, ate less, _something_." Zofi sighs. "And I would have done it in a heartbeat."

"Course, I'll join you." Zofi nods finally, reaching to grab the altar edge and pull herself up. She set the cake down on the cleared out altar, already beginning to be covered that early in the day now. She pulled a large knife out of her jacket, and worked on cutting a few pieces, which she set down on two plates, one pushed to the Egalrin with an accompanying fork, and one further on to the Altar. "I only brought two plates. I wasn't expecting any other guests." Zofi chuckled weakly, picking up the third slice in her hand.

Slixvah's teasing made her stop and chuckle again, and scratch at one of her long ears. "No, she didn't. Never told her, never really came up. Always more important things to talk about when we met up." She said, before stopping, and shaking her head. "Always figured if someone was going to continue the family, it was going to be you or Wil. So, hopefully dad's not too disappointed in me for that." she continued, chuckling a bit sadly. "He's doing alright by the way, still keeping an eye out for him. Making sure he has all the books and supplies he needs."

"You did what you could," Slix intones, this time more firmly before letting it go.

The egalrin keeps Zofi wrapped in a wing, but she leans forward on the altar as she rests her elbows on the edge of it. "Thanks hon," she coos, pulling the plate closer to herself and picking up the forth. "You're too kind. I woulda ate it like a gremlin with no remorse."

She tilts her head to the side, then quietly giggles. "I don't think your dad's got a thing to worry 'bout, hon. What he needin' all the books for, though?"

She leans over towards the empty spot at the altar, a hand covering her beak from Zofija as she stage whispers, "Between you and me, I say she's got good taste."

"I mean, yeah, he does, what with the whole fact that two ladies don't give any grandchildren." Zofi grumbles. "And I don't want him to think that everything he and mom did was for nothing themselves. Anyways, yeah."

"Because, Wil's got the brains and aptitude to learn magic. And, don't want him to have to join up himself. Not a lot of options for learning in Blar though, so need to pay for all the stuff he'll need, and well, what with Rune being so messed up, gotta find a good place for him to learn. Know he's wanted to for the longest time."

The arvek-nar grumbles and scratches at her ear again. "Come one, she doesn't need to hear about that."

Slixvah chuffs. "Muscles, I know how the birds and bees work, and I'm half of that tale." Though, she doesn't pluck that thread, and moves on.

"Way you made it sound as if your dad needed all the books and the like. Though, if you want..." She gets a smile in her eyes. "... next time I'm in Blar with ya, I could have a lil' chat with Wil. I learned some magic tricks during my time."

The bird giggles, monching on some of her cake and humming delightfully. "Then tell her a story! Somethin' she'd like! Think fast, or I'm gonna embarrass the hell outta ya!"

"Yeah, I know." Zofi sighs. "No, not for my dad. He's just helping out, how he can. Though that's pretty hard with only one arm working to any degree. Doesn't stop him from working himself, where he can."

"You'd do that, Slix? You don't have to but, I think he'd appreciate it, probably. You're a good person, you know that?"

"I'm, I'm not sure I've got stories to tell at the moment. Anything about Blar doesn't feel right at the moment, and I was telling Ashlee about the time that one griffon got stuck in a bell tower, could tell you about that."

Slixvah pats Zofija on the shoulder. "I'm sure him helping where he can eases his mind."

The fortune teller hums. "Course I would. You're a good dahling, wouldn't hurt to have a little chat with him." She pretends to flick some nonexistent hair over her shoulder. "Darn right I know that."

She gives a little huff. "Then tell her about Alexandria, sugar blossom. Or you could do that one. Or talk about the people you've met outside of Blar. The possibilities are endless, truly."

"Yeah, I think it does." Zofi nods, with the tiniest smile before she takes a bite of cake. "Alexandria is, well it's certainly different. There's so many different places openly trading that you can get all sorts of interesting stuff here, like this cake. Chocolate is expensive, but it's made in more tropical areas and imported here, and I'd say it was worth it. Clothing styles too, people wander around in some many different styles of dress that you wouldn't believe. There's even sith-makar here! You know, lizardfolk? Apparently there's a portal out to the jungles where they're from here, and so a bunch of them do trade and business here."

"It's a bit of a chaotic mess, to be honest, and it's not without flaws. But there's plenty of work to be had, and people to meet. You would probably like it here." She continues, relaxing just a touch.

Slixvah bobs her head along with Zofija, humming happily. "Oh yes, the Sith-Makari! Never seen so many at once. They are so pretty! Saw one the other day, nearly blinded me from how shiny they were!" she giggles.

She takes another bite of cake, just finishing hers up as she coos, "Oh absolutely, tons of work! I've seen muscles here wear at least three different hats for jobs! Mercenary work, bit of labor, even running a cook stand! Next I'm gonna find her on the docks, sorting fish!"