Rolling the Dice Against a Stacked Deck

[Zero]

"Nah, not far, unless you're fall down drunk or high," Elysia thought any walk was a lot father when in that condition.

The petite bard did notice the pistol as Herrick turned his back to her for a few moments, but aside from giving it a confused and bit of a wide-eyed looks, she didn't comment. Firearms weren't exactly common, she had never actually seen one before.

"A nicer room would make a nicer time, probably, but since you're the generous one I'm gonna go with whatever you pick, seems the polite thing to do."

[DaGlobster]

They stepped out into the night air.

"Nice room it is. Probably not a good idea to stay in a place I started a fight in, anyways," he said. He gave his short stubble a stroke and glanced up to the stars before returning his eyes to his drinking buddy for the night.

"So, where're you travelling to?" he finally asked.

[Zero]

"Yeah, maybe not the best idea to stay there, shame about the work I put in there, though. Ah well, that's how the dice roll sometimes." Elysia had performed for hours, and now a lot of that work was probably for nothing.

"Anywhere, really. I don't usually plan too far ahead. Even if I try, my plans usually crumble kind of fast," Elysia chuckled at herself as she walked beside him.

"I am a beacon of trouble, I think. How about you?"

[DaGlobster]

Herrick chuckled.

"I get in so much trouble, I've done a lot of crazy shit over the years," he said. Already, the inn they came from was in sight. It seemed like things had calmed down, if only in the sense that

"Now that's some stories you can tell right there."

He looked to her, almost sizing her up.

"And you, are you usually a lone wolf?"

[Zero]

"Oh yeah, I will definitely be telling about the time I accidentally started a bar brawl and got saved by the dashing hero who bought me a drink. I am totally spinning it with a win angle," Elysia grinned as she bounded towards the door, only pausing to turn when he asked a question.

"A lone wolf? Yeah, I guess. I usually travel by myself, most bards do, I think."

[DaGlobster]

"Dashing hero. Gotta like the sound of that. Just don't keep the part where I took a chair to the back," Herrick said with a short chuckle.

As they stepped up the porch stairs to the first tavern of the night, Herrick opened the door for her, only to look inside and go tense.

It seemed the fight had gotten broken up by the city guard, of all people. It looked like a couple of patrolling guards had noticed the commotion and arrived to sort the rowdy folks out.

Bad news for Herrick, good news for Elysia, as the presence of guards might've turned off potential thieves from her things. Still, he played it cool, walking up to the innkeep and settling his tab from before, for which the man was grateful.

He turned to Elysia.

"I'll be right back, stick around here for a moment."

He went up to get his bag and rapier from his room.

[Zero]

"Aw, but that is a great part! You were protecting me and all," Elysia chirped with a cheeky grin as she slipped past him inside as he held the door. The bard nodded to the guards with a smile.

They headed for the innkeeper and she turned to him when he told her to wait. "Yeah, sure thing."

While he was gone she chatted with the innkeep about her things and her payment for what she had done earlier. Since she no longer needed the room, he agreed to pay her a small amount of coin instead, plus her belongings had been put behind the bar safe and sound after the guards broke up the brawl.

It really was turning into a winning adventure.

[DaGlobster]

Within a few minutes, Herrick was coming down. He wore a fine looking rucksack and had changed from his red tunic to a buttoned brown shirt, as the previous had stains from the bar brawl.

"You got your stuff back!" He noted, walking up to pat her elbow.

"Lucky you."

He settled up his dues with the innkeeper and approached her once again.

"All ready to go?"

[Zero]

"Yeah, really lucky. The thieves get a bit nervous when the guards show up, only reason I got me stuff back, and I got paid!" Elysia was extra pleased with the outcome.

"Born ready, let's get this adventure started," she chuckled and headed for the door with a bit of pep in her step.

[DaGlobster]

"Let's blow this place," Herrick said, striding back out into the night, losing some tension once he wasn't in the same room as city guards. That, and he seemed much more comfortable on a moonlight street than in a well-lit tavern.

"You play any other instruments?" Herrick asked, curious to learn more about his companion for the night.

[Zero]

Elysia seemed equally comfortable in either environment, the tavern and the night time street were both met with a grin and mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Well other than my lute, I have a flute and pan flute. The lute is the most popular, though." Elysia patted her bag, where the other two instruments rested in their cases. The lute was larger so that case was slung over her shoulder.

"How about you? I guess it probably isn't something most adventurers find useful, but instruments and music are fun," she smile at him as they walked.

[DaGlobster]

"I don't own any, let me preface with that," He said, looking at her sidelong.

"But my singing voice isn't bad, and I know how to play the violin. Learned when I was still a kid," he added, smiling a bit more at her.

"You were really good. Are you self-taught?"

[Zero]

"A violin? Now there's a fancy instrument. I wish I knew how to play one," Elysia hummed softly, eyeing Herrick out of the corner of her eye.

"I would say more self-started than strictly self-taught. My da got me the pan's flute when I was very little and I loved making noise with it. Eventually I learned how to combine notes into something pretty, but whenever traveling musicians would come through the city I would beg 'em to teach me something new. A lot of them taught me new songs, both to play and to sing."

[DaGlobster]

Herrick nodded as she spoke, and then chuckled at her heartwarming little story.

"Well if you want to learn, maybe I'll teach you," Herrick said, and followed that up with a chuckle.

"I ended up liking it but I didn't have much of a say. My father was insistent that I learn because it's what "proper gentlemen sharpen their minds with"", he continued. Then, he looked back to her.

"I was terrible with it then but I'm decent with it nowadays."

[Zero]

"So that proper gentleman bit, are you from a upper class family or something? Roving adventurer seems like an odd job choice for a guy from money," she quickly shook her head.

"Well if a proper gentleman was gonna teach me to play we might need a violin and more than one inebriated night to manage it," Elysia chuckled as she shot him a smirk.

[DaGlobster]

"Son of an Adelan general," Herrick said, and his face seemed to fall for a bit.

"But, uh... I left. And I'm sure I've been disowned." He put his hands on the back of his head as they walked.

"But I do have a violin in this bag. So all we need are a few more drunken nights," he said. His joy returned to him and he eyed her almost identically to how she eyed him.

[Zero]

Elysia raised her eyebrows at the idea of him being the son of an Adelan general, but made no actual comment on it.

"Well maybe if this night goes good a few more wouldn't be a terrible idea," she laughed softly.

[DaGlobster]

That earned her a smile, and he didn't say much else as he stepped back up to the entrance of the fancy tavern. He opened the door for her, motioning for her to enter.

"And what about your destination? You got a place in mind or are you just traveling about Serendipity?"