Calm Before the Storm (for Lanania)
- Thread starter Carolinia
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Even with the moderate crowd surrounding her, Ezelkia could easily make out the colorful duo of a blue jay and a redheaded woodpecker chatting together at a table for two. As she approached, both of them, rather attracyive, she couldn't help but notice, turned and smiled politely. "Hey! Love seeing a new face working here!" The woodpecker chimed. "Poor Mack's been needing help since forever. Glad to see he finally buckled and recruited someone!"
"That might just be the very best thing for him. I think we could all use a little time away from home, 'specially during this time of year. Too many storms." The woodpecker yawned, throwing back a sip of her drink and throwing an arm around her friend. "Anyways, thanks a millie for the drinks. I'm paying for her. You and Mack can split the change." She explained, sliding four coins towards her.
Mack was close to falling asleep when Ezelkia returned, his head laying in his palm and his eyes halfway shut. He snapped back into an active position when she arrived, a bit flustered. "Wha? Oh... oh! Good! That's Ria and Ani for you. Lovely couple of birds, aren't they? We like to close at midnight, and right now it's... midnight ten? Would you look at that. Well, technically we were supposed to close ten minutes ago, but I don't want to look like a buzzkill by shutting people down." He said, laughing nervously with yet another yawn.
Mack sized her up, as if the offer might've been some ruse. Realizing that she was serious, his eyes went wide in gratitude as he threw himself toward her in a clumsy hug. "Oh I know I shouldn't... but I really have got to get some sleep. You are an angel. You know that? Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm gonna drag my carcass up the stairs and get some sleep. Don't set any fires or anything while I'm away."
"Bless you Ezelkia, bless you." Mack kept muttering off and on while clambering towards and up the stairs. Just like that, she was alone behind the counter, the once-distant crash of thunder rumbling nearby. The bar's regulars, including Ria and Ani, knew the system well enough to recognize that the tavern was closing and packed up in due time. Only an uneventful half hour of bussing tables and watching the tavern die down later, and the only patron in sight was a boozed-up lizard morph passed out drunk in a barstool.
It took a few seconds of poking before, with a drowsy snort, he snapped violently upright, accidentally throwing himself backwards and onto the floor in a clattering heap. The man took one look at Ezelkia and struggled to replace his clumsiness with coolness. Needless to say, he was failing badly. "Gragh- oh! I must still be dreaming! Wouldn't make sense to see an angel standing over me otherwise." He slurred.
The man didn't seem too disappointed with the distinction. He gratefully took her hand, and with a great heave, he was back on his feet, albeit swaying on an incredibly wobbly stance. "Course it is! So sorry to stall you ma'am. Just let this crazy old lizard on his way and I'll be out of your hair in an instant." He promised, fishing a cane from the inner swathe of his trenchcoat before limping towards the door. The back door, that was. He still seemed too drunk to find the way out on his own.
The man pivoted in a dizzy 180, shaking his head as if he could shed his cockeyed disposition as easy as that. "Argh! Stupid me. Now listen, I don't have a penny on me after last night, but I can offer you something better if you just lend me your shoulder for as far as the door."
With a twinkle in his eye, the lizard morph flung his arms outwards, revealing his wares of dozens of tiny potion bottles in the wings of his trenchcoat, and also showing off a tight-fitting, debonair suit underneath. "Well I'm just so glad you asked! Don't overthink. Instead, grab a drink, from Bertram's Bottles of Wonder!" He proudly proclaimed, fishing in the collection of potions and settling on a fiery orange one. "Lend me your shoulder so I can walk right, and I'll treat you to a love potion on the house."
"Love potion indeed! In fact, it's a two for one deal. One for you and one for your partner. To get you two snuggled up like two birds of a feather!" Bertram grinned, holding out two of the bottles in front of him. After a contemplative moment, his smile faded. "Oh who am I kidding? You don't want a love potion. I can see it on your face. Maybe you're more of a Valor potion type? Or Finesse? Maybe Poison for your sword?"
"I am, but I'm not half the alchemist my old teacher was. Not that there's anything wrong with these mixes here, of course! Ever since our shop closed, business hasn't been booming, you understand. So, do a drunken fool of a reptile a favor sometime by spreading word of Bertram, the traveling potion seller? Thank you for your arm, by the way. Been a long time since I've felt helped, least of all by strangers."
Giddy with gratitude, Bertram clapped his hands and laughed, switching out the love potions for a shimmery blue one before shifting his weight back onto his cane. "Well, it's been fun, but I suppose I can't eat up too much of your time with fumbling around and embarrassing myself. I'd say this is well earned. Now have yourself a great... hold it. The bar's closed? What's that little pointy-eared bloke out the window gunning it towards us for? I wasn't passed out til morning, was I?!"
Out the window, the all-too-familiar shape of a chubby red fox was huffing it on foot towards the bar's entrance. He seemed frantic, with no trace of his gang behind him, and as he got closer, Ezelkia could see a fresh black eye forming on Tito's face.
Out the window, the all-too-familiar shape of a chubby red fox was huffing it on foot towards the bar's entrance. He seemed frantic, with no trace of his gang behind him, and as he got closer, Ezelkia could see a fresh black eye forming on Tito's face.
"Ehh. You seem better trained to understand what's going on here. Also, if I spend another minute on my feet, I may actually pass back out. Thanks for the arm, ma'am, I'm truly charmed and I hope to see you again. Enjoy your potion!" Bertram said, before limping out the door and away with the aid of his cane.
The gang wasn't anywhere behind him, but that didn't stop Tito from checking over his shoulder every few seconds as he ran. He made it to the bar as a panting, exhausted mess, not yet noticing Ezelkia in the window. If she didn't present herself, maybe he'd go away, but since he came all the way out to the bar, he definitely has business with her.
The gang wasn't anywhere behind him, but that didn't stop Tito from checking over his shoulder every few seconds as he ran. He made it to the bar as a panting, exhausted mess, not yet noticing Ezelkia in the window. If she didn't present herself, maybe he'd go away, but since he came all the way out to the bar, he definitely has business with her.