Threads and Shadows

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Revision as of 21:29, 9 June 2023 by Rune (talk | contribs) (Created page with "<div style="padding:5px; background-color:#e7eaea;"> ==Log Info== *'''Title''': Threads and Shadows *'''Characters''': Rune, Slixvah, '''GM''': Riptide (Briefly) *'''Place''': TaRaCe Bathhouse *'''Summary''': Rune seeks out Slixvah for help with disguises to act against Blue Moon Ale, but the two end up delving into matters of the rogue's shadow powers and her strange connection to the Fey. </div> ::The TarRaCe, Late Morning The patrons within t...")
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Log Info

  • Title: Threads and Shadows
  • Place: TaRaCe Bathhouse
  • Summary: Rune seeks out Slixvah for help with disguises to act against Blue Moon Ale, but the two end up delving into matters of the rogue's shadow powers and her strange connection to the Fey.
The TarRaCe, Late Morning

The patrons within the TarRaCe on this day take their time to leave the establishment as the breakfast menu is coming to a close, most not wanting to delve into the humid outdoors where a seablown fog has swept over the streets. Staff reminds those leaving that brunch this weekend will have a heavy special, the Bulette Bowl, chock full of-

"-Full of all the protein for your muscle building needs!" the bartender calls out to a leaving table. "I am also legally required to tell you there is no metal in the bowl!"

Some leaving gobbos groan in disappointment.

The bartender is that of a human woman in a red vest and black slacks, their white collared shirt free of any stains despite the profession. Rusty red hair falls over her shoulders as she sports a tired, yet still peppy, smile as she cracks her knuckles to get the bar cleaned up.

GAME: Slixvah rolls disguise+10: (6)+9+10: 25
GAME: Rune rolls perception: (8)+16: 24
GAME: Rune rolls bluff: (18)+11: 29

Rune is on a mission, though not anything strictly official by guild definition. This has lead her to searching for a particular individual throughout known locations that they frequent. In this case, it has brought Rune to the TarRaCe. With her recent travels to Am'shere, she has been absent from the establishment for quite a while.

Passing the group of Gobbos on her way in, Rune casts a quick look around, looking for any obvious signs of her quarry. When not so much as a feather is spotted, she heads towards the bar. "Good day." She offers, sidling up to a seat and settling herself in. "What's the special for the day?" She makes out as if it were simply regular conversation of a patron, without any other intentions.

"Has Slixvah been around this morning?" She asks, casually. "Was hoping to have a word with her."


The bartender, facing away to rearrange the shelves, gives a little wave over the shoulder without looking as she's greeted. "Mornin'!" she coos. "Well, breakfast is pretty much over. Tho' for lunch, the special we got is Spicy Stew Showdown. Sublime spices, specialty slices of salmon, and savory swede!"

She pivots on the spot, like a dramatic turn in a play. Sky blue eyes squinting at Rune as a lopsided grin is plastered on her face. That of which only ticks up further. "Ah, looking for that bird? Everyone always asks for her. Let me go find her for ya."

She ducks under the bar, out of sight.

Then simply stands back up and leans against it. "I've searched high and low, and I cannot find her. I heard she works at the TarRaCe though, usually as the bartender." She cheekily smiles.


"I'll take that, if it's ready. If not, whatever is on hand. It's a rare thing that on the menu that isn't good." Rune may also be a bit biased. Anything tastes good against the flavors of travel rations. She may have just had enough of hard-tack for a while.

The dramatic display from the bar tender has her raising an eyebrow, blue eyes following them as they duck under the bar and then stand back up. Her expression goes dead-pan for a moment, and then the corner of her lip quirks up. "Is that so?"

She taps a finger on the bar, "Well, if that's the case, could you pass along that I might have need of her disguise skills. I've got a plan that could use use that sort of help. You know, the sort of skills that can make someone appear like another race entirely." Her brow raises again.



The bartender grins, "Sure thing, one Spicy Stew Showdown comin' right up!" She turns, puts a hand up to shield her mouth as she seemingly whispers off to the side before leaning on her forearms, watching Rune go through the mental connections.

Her brows raise. "Her disguise skills? Sneaky beaky Ru-Ru, gettin' inta a lil' skullduggery, eh?" she coos, a familiar accent bleeding into her tune. "Now normally a little wink and some confidence is enough ta make things work, but if ya cute charms ain't gonna cut it... what'chu needin' ta look like? Or ya need pointers? Or.. me? Both?" she throws out several questions, probing as she all but stop beating around the bush.


"Of course. Sometimes you have to get into a little bit of underhanded shenanigans." The familiar nickname draws a fuller smile to Rune's lips as she leans forward a little, looking amused. "The point is to make it harder for certain people to track down that it is /me/ involved in causing them problems." She gives a look around, as if being cautious, "The person working with me has magic that can neatly handle that problem. I don't have any of those sort of fun powers." Her fingers waggle towards the Egalrin turned human.

Then, she outright asks, turning to look at the beverages offered by the bar, "The TarRaCe doesn't happen to serve Blue Moon Ale, does it?" It also seems to be Rune's way of guaging just how much information Slixvah might have on that particular situation.


Human-Slix crosses her arms on the bartop, fingers drumming on her arm. "Hrmm... person workin' wit' ya can do it... means ya can take second role or be an aid so less talkin' on ya..."

She looks over, as if making sure the both of them were alone. The stew is placed on the far end of the bar, and a flick of the wrist makes a spectral hand slide it all the way down to the two of them. A spicy, curry laced aroma hits from the viscous stew. Compared to Am'shere spices though, its mild. "So lemme tell ya a lil' secret. I do possess the capability of shapeshiftin' inta different peoples. But! I don' actually do half the magic. See, I gots this robe, and this little ribbon, theys magic. The latter makes me look like this. It's an illusion, if ya poke me, ya'd feel feathers. The former, however, actually turns me inta somethin'. And lets me know how ta talk the language."

She grins. "The hardest part, tho' is /actin'/. Ya gotta get in the shoes of whatever ya pretendin' ta be."

The bartender tilts her head to the side jerkily. A motion that's certainly egalrin. "... no. We don't. Why do you ask?"


"Right. That's my hope, anyways. Let them lead the way with honeyed words and then all I have to do is offer a bit of back up to make them more believable." Her blue eyes do give another glance around, making it obvious that Rune isn't quite giving away everything, just incase there is anyone listening. Even if there is no one else nearby, she still seems to be worried over that.

As the food is pushed over by means of magic, Rune digs into it with her usual appreciation. It's not nearly as spicy as what she's been eating in Am'shere as of late, but the flavor is still appreciated with a 'mmm' of sound as she listens to Slixvah explain how some of her capabilities work. "I don't have any sort of magic items, but I do have a kit that helps a little. So I was hoping you might have some suggestions, or possibly be able to look me over after I do it and make adjustments?"

Her lip quirks, "The acting I might be able to manage." Though Rune often wears her heart on her sleeve, she does have some skill with obfuscating her true self and true intentions.

That little motion of the head has Rune lowering her voice to a whisper, "That's who we're acting against. It's a company run by werewolves and headed up by the asshole who smashed up Cor'lana and Telamon's home." She taps a spoon on the edge of the stew bowl. "Trying to make sure they get a bad reputation and cut off that revenue stream."


Human Slix warmly hums as the food is taken with gusto, the bartender producing a cloth to dry out a pile of glasses next to her as she listens. "Oh? Want me ta doll ya up?" she teases. "I can certainly do tha'. Been practicin' a lot on m'self when I've been pickin' somethin' featherless. Do gotta ask, what are ya pretendin' ta be? Race wise. Fo' me, I always gotta pretend. But fo' ya, it may jus' be as easy as wearin' a cute hat. Th' hardest part tho' is actually not th' actin'. Ya gotta read up on some history of whatever ya pretendin' ta be. Lots of little things people take fo' granted tips people off."

She leans in some at the whisper, Slix preening her nails idly. She frowns. "... rude. And short sighted of them ta smash up stuff. Hrm... ya want ta ruin their reputation." A finger rises. "One way is ya could plant rumors they owned and profits go ta Charn. Not a lot of folks 'round 'ere like stuff goin' there. Another is a bit more... direct."

She raises another finger. "Could break into they brewery, find their vats, dump somethin' like... I dunno... medicinal laxatives into it and then escape. Spread rumors that the brew is making people sick. Then it actually makes people sick."

The not-egalrin taps her cheek. Stops. A wide, cheeky grin spreading across her lips. "... you could pose as a buyer, and you want to inspect the process before selling it. Let ya lead do the talkin', while ya do the sabotagin'."


"Why do my friends always seem to take it as a challenge to try to pretty me up as much as possible." Likely, this isn't the first time Rune has been teased about it. Asphodel had even threatened to put her in some elaborate outfit at some future social event, but so far Rune has managed to dodge that fate. "But yes, anything that would help make it a little less obvious who I am. The biggest part will be covering the tattoos, but I think the makeup I have can handle that."

"Human is easy enough. They're common, and I have a fair amount of experience with them." She smirks, "But I would have to hide my ears for that."

The other suggestions of how to deal with the brewery are met with a curious look, even as Rune shovels more of the stew into her mouth and seems to consider it. "We've got another team working to push them out of business, favoring a different ale instead. Between the rumors and that competition, it should have a significant impact. But..." She taps the bowl again, "We may have to do something more direct, eventually."


Not-Slixvah throws a lopsided grin. "'cause ya'd be reall' flippin' cute, Ruru! Well, not that ya ain't right now, but a different cute!" the bartender exclaims, giggling as she reaches out to pat Rune's hand. "We get some blue eyeliner, curl ya hair, black lipstick mayhaps, silver caps for ya ear tips, gurl, you'd be stylin'!"

A sigh escapes her as she settles down. "A hat, honestly anything. It's too hot outside, maybe just a simple cap will do. The less obvious the thing, the less attention ya draw to it."

She listens to the other plans being formed, giving small little nod-nods along the way. "Do th' rumors first. Make 'em desperate ta try somethin' new. Direct action ta get a tour of the facility. Strike subtly. Leave no trace. Can do a ton if ya get a tour. Fuss up ledgers, spoil the vats, sabotage warehouse shelves so it all tumbles down later," she provides. "Though, one thing you yourself, Ruru, need ta keep in mind if ya goin' in under guise."

She leans in, eyes half lidded. "Somethin' off wit'cha. I worry if any magics used it might appear... odd. Last time I gave ya a spell, it looked.. wrong."


A faint blush of color rises on Rune's cheeks at the compliment, and she lets out a puff of breath that blows a few dyed strands of hair out of her face. "Yeah, well, enough people tell you something you have to start accepting it, right?" Wherever Rune had grown up, it's clear that half-sil weren't nearly as well accepted there as in Alexandria.

"How about this, you help me with the disguise stuff, and I'll loop you in with the next steps. You've got a good head for these sort of things." She smirks, "If we have to do any sneaking around, that I can handle."

And then not-Slixvah is leaning forward and Rune's brows furrow. "Oh, that..." Apparently, Rune is not as oblivious as she might seem to the strange shadowy effect that seems to cling to her at times, especially when she is trying to go unnoticed. Something that most certainly had interacted with the witch's spell. "Most of the time it doesn't really show itself, unless I'm standing in deep shadow or I'm trying to go unnoticed."

She catches her lower lip between her teeth, seeming pensive, then adds, "After effect of dying and coming back, I think. At least that's my best guess. Harkashan calls it an Aspect and suggested I talk to Telamon about it." She lifts her shoulders in a slight shrug. "I'm not sure why it did that with your spell, but maybe just a reaction to witch magic?"


Not-Slix smiles, a cheeky sort of thing. "We're our own harshest critics, hon. I wouldn't see yaself short! /I/ think you are, and if /I'm/ wrong, then we've got a lot of problems!" she laughs, her ego on full display.

She raps the metal bartop twice with her knuckles. "Deal. Hit me up when you ready. I'll do what I can ta help. Maybe can slip some longer lastin' mojo on ya ta make it more believable."

The disguised witch inclines her head, listening attentively. "... heard of it befo'. They hard ta pin down, 'cause they manifest in so many different ways, but..." she blinks. The death and return is news to her. ".. oh Ruru," she softly coos, expression relaxing as she reaches out to pat the half-sil's head. "Poor sweetie. It was right odd ta see. All my mojo did at that time was jus' let ya see all things. Maybe... th' Aspect latched onta it? 'cause it sorta kinda was a tie between the ethereal and reality. Ain't gonna lie, I am /super/ curious 'bout this, I love me some weird magic," she smiles birghtly.


"Grow up in the Mythwood. Half-breeds aren't always looked upon so fondly by our pure-blood cousins." Even so, Rune still retains that smile, seeming heartened by the comments.

And then they wander into the discussion of the strange 'magic' that lingers around Rune. There is some measure of surprise, perhaps because she'd been so open with most people about her experiences in the realms beyond, but it seems Slixvah is one of those who didn't have that information. "Oh. It's a long story. Needless to say, I stepped between Harkashan and a Charneth spell. Saved his life and ended up dead as a result. That was a little over a year ago."

Leaving out some of the specifics, Rune focuses on the strange ability that had developed in the aftermath. "It's possible. There's been a lot of strangeness after I came back. Nightmares, shadows seeming to cling to me, Fey taking notice of my tattoos. I can't be sure what is all associated with what."


"Shame. They're really missing out," Slix winks back before abating on all the compliments. There's a 'click' like a clacking of a tongue as she listens. "Well shoot. Brave of ya ta do that fo' lava-boy, but dang..."

She trails off, opting to listen with interest. A hand raises, a finger seemingly curling around nothing in the air absentmindedly. "Nightmares. Shade. Fey. Tattoos," she rattles off. Sky blue eyes flit over Rune's markings on her arm before settling on the rogue herself. "I would ask about the nightmares, bu' that's prett' personal, so I ain't..."

The not-egalrin takes a breath. "Witchcraft is an odd sort of magic," she says, seemingly out of nowhere. "It's uncharted territory. There is no formula, no rules. The knowledge is esoteric, connections to be made that are maddening. It's why the craft is so eerie. It's the unexplainable comin' to reality. But one thing that is very true in my line of work is tha' meanin' and feelin' are tangible."

She gestures to the tattoos. "Say for instance tha' sick tat is jus' that. A sick tat. But ta me, th' emotions of it, the why, the skill poured into it, the thoughts, the feelings all around it. That is tangible. Your experiences wit' death, the emotions runnin' off of that. Connectin' ta nightmares. Fey thrive off emotions, probably takin' notice of that. Maybe focusin' on the tattoo because it's an anchor ta somethin' reall' important ta ya. A conduit, perhaps. For this aspect."

She leans back, laughing. "Sorry, didn' mean ta prattle on."


Sometimes, life has those split-second decisions which change things forever. Throwing herself in the way in order to save Harkashan had been one of them, and Rune had been living the after-effects for a long time. "I don't regret my choice. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Leaving it at that, there is a curiosity on the 'rules' of witchcraft and just how they might interact with her own strange connections. "The tattoo is a copy of one that my mother had. What I didn't realize when I had it inked was that /her/ tattoo wasn't just a design, but some kind of symbol of a connection she had to a Fey being. One I'm still trying to track down." Rune explains, "They're called the Golden Fate, and they seem to be waiting for me, somewhere that the sands in the hour glass are still."

Rune shifts her weight, one hand moving over to lightly touch on the patterns visible across her forearm. "From what I understand, it was particularly difficult bringing me back. I don't know too many specifics, only that I have some lingering after effects. The nightmares, sensitivity to cold, and possibly this strange shadow aspect. It all seems wrapped up in that."

Then, as Slixvah is apologizing, Rune shakes her head, "You're fine. I like listening to other people talk. My mother was a storyteller, so I'm pretty used to list listening." She smiles with some nostalgia.


Slixvah quirks her head to the side, reading Rune for a moment before an understanding smile crosses her face. "I understand. We go above and beyond for those we care 'bout." Her lips quirk to a tease. "By the by. Are you two a thing? You two are prett' cute."

The disguised bartender hums, drumming her fingers on the metal bar as she traces the lines of the markings with her gaze. "Fey have strong symbology. In patterns and what not, especially those tha' have meaning to it. Maybe since ya th' one wit' it now, it goes to this... Golden Fate."

Slix's brows furrow. "... difficult ta bring back. Golden Fate. Sands in an hourglass. Can represent life-"

She jolts upright, eyes wide. "Waitin' for ya where th' sands in th' hourglass stand still. Hourglass stopping. Dying. Do you have to be /dying/ to talk to them? Or do they have a deal with Vardama, the goddess of Death to skirt the Death Singer's bounds? Both?


"Something like that." Rune replies with her usual vagueness. Makari social bonds are very different from those of humans. "He considers me his Cihuaa, his mate." She explains, "Though, Makari relationship bonds are a bit less formal than with other races. I think we both have a roster of folks who flirt with us on the regular." She smirks.

And there goes Slixvah trying to sort out the connections. "I really hope it doesn't require dying, or nearly dying, to make that contact." The idea definitely unsettles Rune, her expression faltering as she pushes her bowl forward, possibly put off eating further from that prospect alone.

"I think there may be some sort of connection to the Sky-singer." Rune adds, "My mother's necklace took on a strange glow when in the presence of the Goddess, and it's the same necklace that lead me to Am'shere in the first place and seems somehow connected to all of this."


Slixvah's brows shoot up at that. "... Cihuaa. He must care for ya deeply then, that ain't used lightly," she says before her lips quirk to a more lopsided smirk. She wipes at the bar idly, humming to herself, "Me too. I think our rosters may have overlap in places. I too am a bit less formal. Take that as you will~"

The bartender shifts the pushed bowl back down the way, letting that task set aside as she was focused on the half sil instead for this serious topic. She squints. "Sky-Singer..." she whispers, looking down at the necklace. The tattoos. "This all sounds... familiar. Norn are like... fey creatures tha' have golden thread and shears. Tyin' stuff together. This... Golden Fate wit' ya mother is tied wit' ya too. Can't run from fate. But you see, fate is funny. It's all woven together but the strands are so complicated that one fate is seemingly just a ripple of a larger thread..."

She leans back, studies Rune hard. And raises a hand. "... may I try somethin', Ruru? Maybe I can... see where those threads go.." she requests, fingers curling down. Ethereal, white strings subtly pull into reality on her fingers.


"He does." Rune confirms with a nod of her head, "And the feeling is very much mutual." Beyond that, the rogue doesn't delve further into the matter. Relationships are strange.

Instead, it is the focus on the topic of her tattoos and their connection to the Fey that she settles on. "I've heard that word before. Norn. They're agents of fate, right?" There is still a lot about the Fey that Rune doesn't understand, and she has leaned on the knowledge of so many others to try to wrap her head around it.

The flicker of white strings draws her eye, watching the way they seem attached to Slixvah's fingers. "I'm not planning on running from anything. My mother set me on this path when I was just a kid, and it seems that there are multiple hands at play to make sure I follow it." She seems to ponder the question, and then gives a nod of her head, "Feel free to take a bash at it. I trust you."


"Good. You two are good for each other," the bartender hums about that before rolling her shoulders. Slix gives a serious incline of her head, winding the threads on her hand tighter as she pulls out a curvy looking dagger from seemingly no where. "Yeah, they are agents of Fate. But, just observing, nothing serious, well, maybe a little bit of short-term luck, but... here goes."

"Etl em ese htwa noncta eb esne," she chants, her sky blue eyes filming over in a murky hue before diffusing to a soft cerulean hue. The dagger twirls in her fingers before it's held backwards, the string is tugged. Rune able to feel a brief sensation like she found a silver coin on the ground.

And the witch drags the flat of the dagger across the ethereal thread, playing the string like a phantom violin. The sensation feeling like the coin is rolling away, stopping, and rolling away.

Slixvah's attention solely settled on Rune, watching where any of those vibrating tugs may lead in the ethereal.

GAME: Slixvah casts See Invisibility. Caster Level: 7 DC: 17
<OOC> Slixvah uses Hex: Fortune on Rune.
GAME: Slixvah rolls spellcraft: (14)+15: 29

That might be putting it lightly. For Slixvah, when she 'plays' her strings, she hears something back, a sound that isn't so much heard as much as it's felt in the ears, somehow, in a way that makes sense and it doesn't make sense at all. And it's not from her strings but--

There are golden strings. Slixvah can see them as plain as day in the way that magic sometimes makes itself apparent with esoteric means. They seem to pool together from the center of Rune's back, but they point up into the air, trailing off into nowhere. But they are not connected to her hands, not connects to her limbs, not connected to her head. She is not so much a marionette as much as she could be considered suspended by them.

But then the vision fades, and for Slixvah, Rune is simply Rune again.


As someone who does not come by magic naturally, it has always felt strange to have magic placed upon her. Like wearing a shirt that is a little too tight in places. It makes her sit up just a little straighter and spurs a bit of self-consciousness.

The strange feeling that accompanies the playing of those strings causes Rune to look around, then back to Slixvah with some measure of confusion.

And then, her face scrunches slightly with a look of discomfort. She arches forward a little, like someone trying to get rid of an ache that they can't quite reach. The scar has always felt strange, but in that instant it seems to draw her attention more-so than normal.

Then, the sensation passes and the rogue rolls her shoulders. "That... felt really weird." She murmurs.


Slix's glowing eyes widen as she 'plays' her strings. Jaw ajar as her 'bow' continues its singular note. Her attention trails to the back of Rune "Ceiwen, you seein' this shit?" she twitters to herself in awe. <Auran>

She shakes her head, releasing the thread as she tosses the dagger down onto the bartop. "I'm sorry tha' felt weird, honey. But you... you really should..." She clears her throat. "Eth imn'sd eey hswso namyw pldeinsosr," she chants briskly. As she does so, an ethereal white thread sloughs off her arm, up her shoulder, off her neck, and terminates out of her temple. The witch reaches up, yanks it out, and winds the thread into a ball before holding it out to Rune. "Touch it. See what I saw."

Poking the ball of thread makes it spring up like a wound coil, snaking up Rune's arm before it finds its way up to her head and vanishes by phasing through her temple. It's an odd sensation, like an intense feeling of deja vu. But as the last of the ethereal thread vanishes, she see a scene play out before her.

--- 

"Feel free to take a bash at it. I trust you." Rune can see herself say, across the bar. At the edges of the memory's vision, there's little wafting strands. Familiar ethereal strings. They bundle and ball up as the owner of the memory casts their spell to see, a rush of power as the strands become oh so clear now. They waft from Slix's arms. A bundle is grabbed that go towards Rune. And the knife is used as a bow.

And same sensations and perceptions from before of the witch's little test reveal themselves to the half-sil.

--- 

Slixvah shakes her head. "Somethin' connectin' ya. Boundin' ya to the Golden Fate. Perhaps it intercepted when ya died. Or when ya came back, it was the best way to ya. Shit. That is both really freakin' cool lookin' and spooky as fuck."

GAME: Slixvah casts Share Memory. Caster Level: 7 DC: 17

"I am not seeing this shit." Rune responds in the common tongue, but apparently she actually knows a bit of the Egalrin language. Brows furrowed, the half-sil seems to follow Slixvah's reaction, seemingly looking on as an outsider to the effect of the spell.

And then, a white thread is being offered out towards her. There is a breath or two of hesitation before she reaches out and touches it, and then a wide-eyed second of panic as it makes way up along her arm. Thankfully, the effect of the spell seizes hold and has her eyes glaze over slightly as she witnesses a replay of the witch's experience.

It's also damn strange to see yourself in third person.

It leaves Rune a bit unbalanced as she returns to herself, giving a shake of her head as she flexes her fingers and seems to be testing that she is, indeed, still in her own body. "I... don't know if I'm ever going to get used to your magic." Probably not.

Taking a deep breath, she rests one hand against her own temple, expression thoughtful. "The scar is pretty strange, too. So I imagine some sort of power was involved. The Skysinger, the Golden Fate, maybe both. Whomever is tugging the strings, I have to believe there's a point to it all, otherwise I wouldn't be here, right?"


Slixvah looks up briefly. Murmuring softly in her native, whistling tongue. "Odd, ain't it, beautiful sky?" <Auran>

She shakes her head, chuckling. "Sorry. Jus' idle prayer," she excuses before waiting patiently for Rune to process the spell's effects. She softly smiles, reaching out to put a hand on Rune's forearm. "Good. Don't get used ta it, makes it fun," she lightly coos before pulling back. "Scar? Hrm. Perhaps the Golden Fate, through the Skysinger, tugged at the threads of fate ta make a different outcome. Perhaps ya weren't meant ta die, and that was their way of gettin' ya back."

A small nod. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here. And I'd have one friend less ta tease," she lightly jokes despite the somber undertone.


"Very odd." Rune replies, shifting her weight to stand up from the bar stool and stretch herself. Anything to do with her scar always felt strange, and movement seemed to dull some of the effect. "I guess... it's more questions I'll have to ask the Golden Fate, if I can ever manage to find them."

When she swings her arms back down to her sides, Rune reaches over and rubs over the tattooed skin on her arm, seeming thoughtful. "It's possible, but I'd hate to think that Harkashan should have died in my place." That is a fate that she would not accept. "I struggled a lot to accept someone or something wanting me back in the world for whatever purposes, but... I've resigned myself that this is the path I'm on."

Her lip quirks a little again, that hint of her good humor returning, "That would be the real shame, huh? Not being able to tease me relentlessly?"


The human-guised Slixvah smiles wide. "Let me kno' if ya need a hand. I love the esoteric and unexplainable. Sorta my shtick, ya dig?"

A sage expression crosses her features. "Going and coming back ain't fo' th' faint of heart. Tha's fo' sure. It can leave scars. Mental, physical, spiritual. But look at it this way sugar. Thi' path? The fun thing about roads is they split and spin and twist and curve and double back and fork. This path ain't linear, and I am /so/ curious how ya gonna pave it."

Her eyes glint as the smile reaches them fully. "Be a real damn shame. A travesty. Travesty!" she places a hand over her forehead, feigning illness. "Who can could I possibly tease 'bout puttin' makeup on them and donning them in cute dresses! The horror! I cannot do such a thing ta Aelwyn, blue isn't even his color! Despair! Remiss!" she dramatically falls against the bartop.

From the shelves, a tiny little white plumed thrush peeks out from behind a bottle, apparently having had their nap disturbed. "Unmesi. Calm yourself."

"Never!" she declares, grinning before pulling herself off the bar. "Anywho darlin', baths were just cleaned if ya wanna get the heebie jeebies out. My shift is over in ten."


"Well, I'll be meeting with some Fey in Am'shere about the Golden Fate not long from now. I was originally just visiting to gather some things to try to appease them with. Candy, honey, blood." She ticks these off on her fingers. "The elders think that they might have some information on how to find the where the Golden Fate dwells."

There is some comfort in Slixvah's words, enough to make it feel like it isn't quite a slog along a single path, but one that she may very well be able to forge, herself. Her decisions matter, don't they?

"And yes, we'll arrange for you to check my disguise before I head out to slander a local business." A hand lifts to cover Rune's mouth as she stiffles a laugh, "Aww, I think it would be fun. Aelwyn would probably look cute in a dress." Maybe, just maybe she enjoys teasing the fire-dancer as well.

There is a peek towards the thrush, a curious cant of her head, and then... she is being offered a trip to the baths. "Twist my arm, why don't you? I haven't had a proper bath since I left."


Slixvah bows her head. "Hmm. Interestin'... maybe... hm. If... you want me ta tag along, I may be able ta provide some insights. I ain't a fey expert, but I speak they tongue and am more than a bit knowledgeable of double speak they like to do."

She flashes a thumbs up. "Excellent. I can let ya borrow a magic thingy or two ta help wit' it if need be. Just hit me up."

"Right!?" she smacks a hand on the bar, grinning. "It'd be really cute! But it'd have to be fire proof tho'. And bite proof. And tail proof. Aelwyn-proof. It'd have to be Aelwyn-proof."

The thrush just gives their master a glare before hopping back behind a bottle and settling down to fall asleep. "Don't mind Fiadh. They're still grumpy from the manor things." She smiles warmly, "Gimmie ten and I'll join ya. I have /so/ much tea ta spill."