NaJu Word Count: 691
Adi, you fool. You fool! Really, you walk into one of the most famous performance centers in Riverfall and expect everything to go well. Guess what, vagik-you’ve got the eyes of everyone in the White Crane on you right now.
The young Vantha took a moment to think of the circumstances that led her here. A lack of money and a need to find it had overwhelmed her with the thought of venues around the city where she could possibly perform in. The White Crane was a musician’s tavern, not a place for storytellers to perform, and if Adi had just realized that before barging into the place and asking loudly who was in charge, then she wouldn’t be in this situation. Unfortunately-borderline idiotically-she hadn’t stopped to think before she acted and instead ran her mouth.
Running your mouth like that is going to get you into nothing but trouble.
The thought came to her unbidden, and it was her mother’s voice who’d spoken it in her head, not her own. Wincing, the woman realized the words came from her past-an incident with her mother seasons ago in public meant Adi could never go see her mother’s friends again. Some stories, she’d learned that day, were best left untold.
Before the Skyglow could make a hasty retreat from the White Crane, a man behind the bar took pity on her and beckoned her over. ”What’s your name, sweetie?” he asked when she noticed him and sat down on a stool in front of him. Immediately, Adi leaned away from the man. ”Not something you’re going to have the privilege of knowing if you keep calling me ‘sweetie’,” she hissed through clenched teeth. He looked wounded at her retort, as if she’d just slapped him. The Vantha realized that was rude of her. Sheepishly, she looked down at her feet.
”I’m sorry about that. I just don’t like being called sweetie. My name’s Adi, usually Skyglow, but today it’s Adi Foot-In-Mouth. Need to do more research before I burst into places and ask to meet the owner!” she apologized to the man, chuckling at the end of her sentence. He smiled, softening up a bit, and introduced himself as Tellar Verak. He was the bartender of the White Crane, and he asked her what she was doing there with a smirk. Before she answered, Adi was determined to get a drink-after all, when one was at a tavern, they might as well take advantage of their facilities. She slid four copper mizas across the table for a mug of ale, which Tellar promptly served her. Taking a swig, Adi ran through the tale in her head.
She’d woken up as normally as ever, gotten dressed, and headed out for the day. She needed to work that day, as money was something hard to obtain by sitting around without actually putting in the effort for the mizas that everyone needed to survive. She’d stopped at the Kulkukan tavern with the intent of seeing if she could storytell later that day, but Adi found a distraction in an Akalak who bought her a mug of ale. Naturally, she’d joined him at the table. This was a move she regretted, because immediately after Adi took a few swigs of the beverage, he’d grabbed her hand, intent on taking her out of the common area. Disgusted, the Vantha woman stormed away before she had had a chance to speak with the owner of the tavern about telling a tale later.
This whole story she told to Tellar, who was amused by her woes. He explained to her that the White Crane was not the place for her to earn some money. With a smile, Adi took another deep gulp of the ale in her mug, leaving it about half full. ”I know,” she’d replied. ”But it’s always nice to tell a story and have a drink. I appreciate your time.”
Sliding another copper miza over the counter and draining her mug, Adi stood up and left the White Crane. Her next stop was the Kulk, where she would work out an arrangement to storytell there later.
Adi, you fool. You fool! Really, you walk into one of the most famous performance centers in Riverfall and expect everything to go well. Guess what, vagik-you’ve got the eyes of everyone in the White Crane on you right now.
The young Vantha took a moment to think of the circumstances that led her here. A lack of money and a need to find it had overwhelmed her with the thought of venues around the city where she could possibly perform in. The White Crane was a musician’s tavern, not a place for storytellers to perform, and if Adi had just realized that before barging into the place and asking loudly who was in charge, then she wouldn’t be in this situation. Unfortunately-borderline idiotically-she hadn’t stopped to think before she acted and instead ran her mouth.
Running your mouth like that is going to get you into nothing but trouble.
The thought came to her unbidden, and it was her mother’s voice who’d spoken it in her head, not her own. Wincing, the woman realized the words came from her past-an incident with her mother seasons ago in public meant Adi could never go see her mother’s friends again. Some stories, she’d learned that day, were best left untold.
Before the Skyglow could make a hasty retreat from the White Crane, a man behind the bar took pity on her and beckoned her over. ”What’s your name, sweetie?” he asked when she noticed him and sat down on a stool in front of him. Immediately, Adi leaned away from the man. ”Not something you’re going to have the privilege of knowing if you keep calling me ‘sweetie’,” she hissed through clenched teeth. He looked wounded at her retort, as if she’d just slapped him. The Vantha realized that was rude of her. Sheepishly, she looked down at her feet.
”I’m sorry about that. I just don’t like being called sweetie. My name’s Adi, usually Skyglow, but today it’s Adi Foot-In-Mouth. Need to do more research before I burst into places and ask to meet the owner!” she apologized to the man, chuckling at the end of her sentence. He smiled, softening up a bit, and introduced himself as Tellar Verak. He was the bartender of the White Crane, and he asked her what she was doing there with a smirk. Before she answered, Adi was determined to get a drink-after all, when one was at a tavern, they might as well take advantage of their facilities. She slid four copper mizas across the table for a mug of ale, which Tellar promptly served her. Taking a swig, Adi ran through the tale in her head.
She’d woken up as normally as ever, gotten dressed, and headed out for the day. She needed to work that day, as money was something hard to obtain by sitting around without actually putting in the effort for the mizas that everyone needed to survive. She’d stopped at the Kulkukan tavern with the intent of seeing if she could storytell later that day, but Adi found a distraction in an Akalak who bought her a mug of ale. Naturally, she’d joined him at the table. This was a move she regretted, because immediately after Adi took a few swigs of the beverage, he’d grabbed her hand, intent on taking her out of the common area. Disgusted, the Vantha woman stormed away before she had had a chance to speak with the owner of the tavern about telling a tale later.
This whole story she told to Tellar, who was amused by her woes. He explained to her that the White Crane was not the place for her to earn some money. With a smile, Adi took another deep gulp of the ale in her mug, leaving it about half full. ”I know,” she’d replied. ”But it’s always nice to tell a story and have a drink. I appreciate your time.”
Sliding another copper miza over the counter and draining her mug, Adi stood up and left the White Crane. Her next stop was the Kulk, where she would work out an arrangement to storytell there later.
