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!"

"They are pretty interesting to look at." Zofija chuckles. "Must be nice having a hide like that, and all those scales. Like having a gambeson under your armor, but you can still put one on over them."

"Yeah, lots of work, and people pay a lot better here. I can't do much stable work here with the adventurer's guild, so I've been finding things I can do for a bit of time. With how well guild work pays out, it works for the best."

"Yeah, I could probably run a fish stand. You know, it took a while, but I'm a decent butcher. Never could afford much in the way of meat from the shops, but Whenever I caught fish, it was a good chance to learn. And roasted fish was always a treat."

"I'm, happy still that I was able to do better as the years went on. Just wish you were around to enjoy it for longer, Kat."

Slixvah hums, looking off to the sky and swaying from side to side. "And so many muscles..." she idly muses. If she had lips, it's clear she'd be grinning.

She bobs her head. "Yes they do, hon. Pay pretty well. Eyes near bulged out when I saw that payout from a couple-a guild jobs. Wew. Though, makes sense, super risky work and the like."

The Egalrin listens quietly, eyeing another piece of cake before going for another slice. Waiting a beat after Zofi was done speaking with the departed Kat before asking: "What did she look like?"

Zofi stops and chuckles, taking the knife back to the cake and slicing another piece for the not nearly as gluttonous white bird. "Best when it isn't stale anyways." The arvek-nar chuckles. "Yeah, it does pay well, that's why it's kind of good here. I was able to send out a lot extra to dad and Wil back home, but haven't got any letter back yet though. I checked in last time I was in Blar though, and they're doing alright. Miss you just as much as I do, though." She continues for a moment, though she stopped at the question. "More like my mother, not that that's particularly helpful to you Slix. Darker skin, more brown, and her hair is black. A lot taller than me, too. Sometimes felt like she got all the height despite being the little sister. Not surprised they ended up wanting her in the cavalry, too."

Slixvah hums warmly, her making a soft bird note in her throat as she got her new slice. "We could go check on them if we're back in Blar, sugar."

She turns to looks at Zofija, her tilting her head to the side. She reaches out, pausing for a beat if the Nar wanted to pull away, and holds the cavalier's cheek. She gently pushes her face one way, then the other before patting said cheek softly and pulling back. "I can see it. That's lovely. I know sure well how siblings steal height. Some absolutely took some from me. And I took some from them!"

She giggles. "Hey Kat, what were your favorite things to do?"

"Of course, I wouldn't even think of going back without checking in on them. It wouldn't feel right, and I've to make sure Wil is keeping up with studies, which he was." Zofi chuckles. "Even if I can't understand half the stuff he's going on about."

And then the egalrin was pushing her face around. The Arvek-nar huffs. "That was just an excuse to prod my face around, wasn't it." Zofi grumbles. "Not sure what you mean. You can't steal height and take it from them. Unless you mean one of your siblings is exceptionally short or something."

The plate and fork are silent. Zofi sighs. "She liked reading. Something practical to take your mind off of things, that's what we always said. Not much practical in those crimson pen books, other than amusement though, which has a place. Lot of history books and the like. Math and engineering things. We were thinking, you probably heard me mention it back at the pub, if you can remember with how much you were drinking, that it would be amazing if we could save up enough gold to get dad one of those artifice powered wheelchairs for moving around, or build one for him."

Slixvah chirps, "I can absolutely go with you next time to make sure Wil is gettin' it, honey."

Which, she then giggles. "Maybe a little, ya got a cute face. But, you know what I mean! Some siblings are way too tall, and they lord it over you! Took all your height! I got a lotta brothers and sisters, and some are a full head and a half taller than me!"

She noms on more of the cake, her propping her head up on a hand to listen to Zofija. "Mmmm, yeah I remember that convo, shug. Sounds like a smart girlie. I bet she coulda figured out how to work it."

"Appreciate it again for the offer, Slix." Zofi sighs. "Thanks, I haven't managed to get my nose broken yet, and I'm proud of that. That must be weird, having that many siblings."

Weirder for so many to not stand up for their sister when she was getting driven out, but she doesn't say that.

"Yeah, she was smart. Between all of us, it seemed possible, especially when Wil finished with school. Surprised you can remember anything from that night though. Honestly, she's the one talking about my love for muscular lasses, when she's talking like she is now, and was talking that night." The Arvek-nar snorts.

"Not as weird as having just two!" Slix quips back easily, her snickering and polishing off her slice of cake as her wing gives a little squeeze in the hug.

She hums some, tapping the tip of her beak. "Could still be a possibility. Who knows? World's gotta lotta surprises for ya."

She blinks, then gestures broadly at Zofija while talking right at 'Kat' as she squawks. "Hey! You seein' this! Throwin' me under the wagon like I'm some cheap date! The audacity! The bluntless!"

She pauses for a moment to look for another word.

She then just sighs and cackles. "And the validity of it because good /heavens/ I'm down bad."

"I guess it is a bit weird." Zofi chuckles. "Not that I'm going to complain, I probably wouldn't have managed if there was another mouth to feed. And of course I know that! That's why I don't want to get it broken, you realize how lucky that is? Imagine getting into as many bar fights as I have and still having a mostly recognizeable face."

"And you're not a cheap date Slix, heavens knows you drink a lot for a lightweight." Zofi snorts. "I'm not throwing you under the bus, all I'm saying is that she's quick to embarass me, and to my sister at that! When really it's just a bunch of projection. Honestly Slix, maybe you should find some nice lad or lass to settle down with if it's that bad."

"Better keep wearing a helmet when you go out just so you don't bust it! Though, if it does snap, I can fix it right pretty, shug. Settin' a beak ain't too different from a nose," Slixvah hums.

But then, she just snorts and shakes her head. "/Someone's/ gotta tell Kat about their sister! What I'm a chatty bird! And- woah woah woah now, it's not project sugar!"

Pause. "Okay maybe a LITTLE BIT. But I like more than just muscly folk! I am an /appreciator/ of the body thank you kindly!"

But, at that, she just shrugs her spare wing. "Honey, I got decades and decades to figure that one out. More fun to play around, live free. Still figuring me out, ya know?"

Zofi shakes her head. "I like being able to see what's coming, and I can't drink in a helmet, that's just ridiculous."

"Yeah, I appreciate it, you're the one getting me to talk more and all that."

"It definitely was though." The Arvek-nar snorts. "And it was more like you appreciate d them having a body."

"I know, I know, just saying, if you're down bad as you say, stable relationship is a good fix for that. But you're right, you've got time to not worry about that. Must be nice, being so free."

Slix shrugs her shoulders. "Could get a helmet that does the fancy magic jumbo that makes it invisible! See out of it! Show that un-broken nose off! And you got a lot to say, just gotta say it. And I'll do that for ya anyways."

The bird sputters. "I appreciate many bodies!"

She's quiet for a beat, then chirps once, "We'll chat 'bout that another time, right now it's Kat Vogt's birthday, and I don't think chatting about my sex life is the best of things. So-!"

She looks to Zofi, grinning in her eyes. "Embarrassing Kat stories! Embarrassing Kat stories!"

She jabs a finger at where 'Kat' would be. "Your turn to blush!"

"Yeah, talk about it another time." Zofija nods. "And well, don't worry about it. She's probably happy to just see me having time to make friends and things like that. Wasn't much time for it, and she was always telling me to get out more."

"You want embarassing stories? Yeah, I suppose there's some good ones. Plenty, what with the fact that we basically had to raise each other." The Arvek-nar grins. "Katrine, Kat's just the short of it. There was this one time, when we were trying to preserve some vegetables one year. Only problem is, when we were preparing the brine, she got something mixed up. Wrong ingredient added, and the whole thing was bubbling over in this massive foam. She was trying to stop it, and the bowl got pulled onto her head, making her look like a snowman or something. She was so embarassed when I came back and had to clean up the kitchen, but I wasn't even mad about it, I was laughing too hard."

"Well, you got one friend here!" Slixvah coos, wrapping an arm around Zofija and smiling bright in the avian's blue eyes. She stage whispers in jest to Kat, "She saved my ass after a botched teleport and she hasn't been able to get rid of me since."

The fortune teller leans forward, an elbow resting on the altar as she listens with rapt attention. There's a blink, and she giggles merrily at the snafu. "Oh goodness, poor bab! Sounds like a change of clothes! I bet she smelled like pickles for weeks after that!"

"Yeah, I guess I've got a friend. Not a drinking buddy." Zofi chuckles. "Don't worry,the teleport wasn't that bad. Everyone was fine. You never met Screech, but by the gods you must have gotten sick of me talking about them in my letters."

"Luckily, Kat's smart enough to not try it all out once without testing it first. So we still had plenty left to pickle with. And it was alright! I think the kitchen was cleaner after I finished scrubbing and mopping it all away."

"Someone told her once that she needed to be careful not to get into a pickle, and by the gods, I don't think I ever saw her get so red. That's why I want her to know I wasn't bothered by it." She chuckles loudly.

Slixvah giggles, nodding and leaning against Zofija as she talks about pickle business. "Oh no, pickle Kat!" she trills. "Don't worry honey, I think she knows it was just a small, funny thing to laugh about. Though I don't think she ever would get tired of reading about Screech. They're really cool."

She hides a yawn by preening her wing, and she rests her head on Zofija's shoulder. "Alright birthday girl, your turn. Zofi! Kat's being shy! Tell me something about Kat embarrassing the hell out of you!"

Resting like this, one more tale might make the bird drift off to sleep. It is late, after all .

"Then why did she get so embarassed by the mere thought of it? I was around for the comment, after all." The arvek-nar chuckles. Then she stops, and rubs one of her ears. "Times she embarassed me? There's probably way more of those, honestly. Where to even begin?"

There was a lot to talk about, honestly. From what it sounded like, the arvek-nar messed up a lot taking care of everyone, but she did her best to fix things always. And there were a lot of stories to tell growing up, even after the egalrin had fallen asleep, and the cake was all but gone save for the singular slice left on the altar.