[SE] Trivia Night

I have never feared the storm

After fighting gourds, Sah figured that he should make his way over to King's End and visit New Haven. As he meandered, a cozy-looking restaurant caught his eye. The menu was decorated with childishly drawn ghosts but the options sounded appealing. Chucking to himself, the hybrid entered and got a table.

it was just as Sah's drink arrived that a man appeared in a brightly colored suit decorated with skulls. Placing a box down in the center of the restaurant, he stood up and waved his arms. 'Attention, attention! Welcome, guests. Tonight, we have a game for you! Why should you play? Well, you and your partner will eat for free!'

There was a cheer from some of the tables, and the man nodded energetically before continuing, 'Yes! Yes! Now, we'll be playing trivia. And here's the kicker! We're playing in teams, and the first person you lock eyes with is your partner! Ready? Set? Find them!'

The Wild Thunder's eyes widened, and he turned, accidentally meeting the eyes of a young woman at the table adjacent to him. He vaguely recognized her, so perhaps they'd me in passing at some point. But he certainly didn't know her name. Offering a warm smile, Sah stuck out this hand. "I'm Sah. Do you want to give this a shot?"

Sohalia

Sah

New Haven was a bustling little town. Soh had been once before - last season, when she had helped Lena hunt down a dragoon's missing dragon. Back then, she hadn't had the chance to explore much. Now, though - now, she had come to explore.

She'd spent the day wandering the streets, going into this shop and that, and considering what a nice little place this had turned out to be. She'd have to congratulate Sunjata next time she saw him. There was so much more to King's End than there had been before, and it was exciting to see it all coming together.

Eventually, Soh found herself in a little restaurant that seemed nice enough, though she hadn't anticipated a game of trivia with her dinner. Fortunately, it seemed they'd be playing in teams, and though the thought of pairing up with a random partner had her nervous, she had to admit that it would increase her odds of winning.

She locked eyes with a man who looked vaguely familiar, though she couldn't quite place where she might have seen him before. Before she could decide whether to stay or go, he'd approached and offered his hand. Well, she'd seem rude if she left now. So she smiled shyly and took the offered hand. "Sure. I'm Sohalia. It's nice to meet you, Sah."

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

"Good to meet you, Sohalia." Sah wasn't sure about this game either, but it sounded like a fun way to pass the time and get to know the town's residents more. After their handshake, he reached over and pulled his chair closer so that he and Sohalia could talk. There was the sound of murmuring and other chairs moving as the teams were formed.

When it fell silent, the suited man clapped his hands. 'Wonderful! Wonderful!' A waiter wheeled a board over and handed the man a quill before returning to the shadows. The man grinned and, after sweeping the restaurant with a twinkling eye, wrote down numbers. Afterward, more waiters and waitresses seemed to materialize out of nowhere and placed numbered cards on each team's table. Sah raised a brow as he and Sohalia were assigned the number 3.

'Time to start! Question 1! Why do some people consider black cats unlucky?'

Sah turned to Sohalia with a confused expression, "There are people that think black cats are unlucky?" That sounded ridiculous. Would they also think that he was unlucky for having black fur in his wolf shift?

Sah

Chairs scraped against the floor as things were hastily rearranged until all of the patrons had paired off. Looking around, it was easy to tell who had paired with someone they knew, and who had met someone as a result of the game. Soh was nervous, but she supposed that she was as safe as anywhere else. After all, even if Sah wanted to harm her, he'd be hard pressed to do so in the middle of a crowded restaurant.

The game began before they had much opportunity to socialize, and at the first question, Soh locked eyes with Sah again, her mind going blank. She knew of the superstition, but she'd never set much store by it, personally - and she couldn't even begin to imagine the reasoning behind it. "I've never understood why," she said, wincing apologetically. "Is it just the color, do you think? Black is associated with darkness and death for some people."

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

If Sah could hear Soh's wariness, he'd be horrified. The thought of harming the woman in front of him had never crossed his mind. Her answer though seemed logical enough. "Maybe. We can try it." Before he could ask if Soh wanted to submit that answer, a pair at another table raised their hand and, when called on, gave their answer, 'They're believed to be the familiars of witches! Or witches in disguise!' The trivia master spun in a circle, clapping happily. 'Correct! A point to table 8! I would have also accepted that cat siths are black!'

The man spun in yet another circle before pointing at the ceiling dramatically. A cloud moved, sending starlight down upon him through the window. He seemed pleased at the dramatic flair it gave him. 'Next question! What is the name for the spirits of heartbroken lovers who were left at the altar?'

Sah's brow furrowed as he turned to Sohalia, "That's basically saying any Attuned with a black cat shift could be a witch." His jaw ticked, "Can't say I like that superstition." Letting out a 'tsk' he ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh, "But I'm fairly certain that the answer to the second question is 'villi'. They're the spirits that show up near tombs in threes. The ones that appear at night in King's End. What do you think?"

Sah

The correct answer to the trivia question took Soh a little by surprise - and by Sah's response, she gathered that he didn't like it any more than she did. "It does seem a bit close-minded, doesn't it?" she murmured. "But I guess that's true for a lot of superstitions, isn't it?" Superstitious people had always seemed a bit... strange. They seemed to be so set in their beliefs that they weren't willing to consider logic. She sometimes wondered why that was.

But the game was moving on, and Soh was more than happy to defer to Sah for the answer to the second question, especially since his answer rang a bell. "Alright," she agreed with an encouraging smile. "That sounds familiar. Let's give it a try." And with that, she raised her hand to signal they were ready to answer.

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah nodded, glad that his new acquaintance was in agreement. "True. I always wonder where they originated from." Some superstitions seemed so convoluted and bizarre. Almost like walking down a trail and finding one of those completely out-of-context signs that make you question just what had occurred to make its creation necessary.

After their brief discussion, their answer was set and Sohalia raised her hand. Seeing her in his peripheral vision, the trivia master did a series of spins before pausing to pint at the Attuned, 'Yes! Table 3: what is your answer?! The front pocket of his colorful suit lit up, displaying a question mark. Sah eyed the piece of fabric with a pinched brow. It had to be illusion magic, right? That would also explain why the man seemed to always have a spotlight on him.

Sah

Yes! Table 3: what is your answer?

Soh noted the question mark that lit up on the front pocket of the trivia master's suit, tilting her head slightly to one side, curiosity clear on her face. But now was not the time for questions; it was the time for answers. "The answer is 'villi,'" she said with a smile that she hoped was confident, just in time for the trivia master to clap his hands enthusiastically.

Correct! he shouted. Points to Table 3!

Sohalia grinned at Sah. "Great job!" she whispered. Then, because she couldn't help herself: "D'you reckon his suit is magic?" There was no judgment in her voice, only an intense curiosity. Having not been around many Abandoned, much less when they were using magic, she was most intrigued to see more.

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah's eyes trailed after the trivia master as he skipped away. It became apparent as the man passed that he was wearing concerningly high heels. That had to be magic too, right? Surely, he'd have fallen by now with his dancing. At Sohalia's question, the Wild Thunder nodded and returned her grin, "My best guess is illusion magic. But it could also be the clothing that's magical."

The trivia master continued on with round after round, each table racking up points. Sah and Sohalia's table was currently tied with two others. Alright, two more questions, my lovely participants! What do we make for Ludo's special Festival of Lights?

Sah let out a quiet snort of laughter, recalling a few festivals. "The correct answer is likely the lanterns, but I've seen puppets and food fights too."

Sah

Soh's eyes snagged on the trivia master's heels and she smothered a giggle. Altogether, the man cut quite the figure, and she was quite impressed by either his magic or his ability to dance in such absurd shoes. Or maybe it was both.

Regardless, the trivia game continued on, and Soh settled into Sah's presence as the game wore on, chatting with her table partner between each question. Eventually, they came to the last two questions, one of which was fairly straightforward. "Food fights?" she asked with a grin. "You'll have to tell me about that. I'd say let's go with lanterns."

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah let out a quiet laugh, "Sure. I'd be happy to." He was finding that he was enjoying Sohalia's company. She seemed to be a gentle and bright soul. Nodding at her agreement, the Wild Thunder raised his hand.

Skipping over and doing a twirl on one leg, the trivia master appeared in a shower of sparks. Definitely Magic. "Table 3!" Barely restraining a laugh, Sah managed to answer, "Lanterns."

"Ccooorreccttt!" Spinning away yet again the man posed dramatically in the center of the restaurant. Are you all ready for our final question? This one is worth two points! If tables 3, 7, or 12 get this, they win!" Clearing his throat he took a breath before asking, "Which of the heralds has Ludo notoriously impersonated?"

Sah found himself stumped as he glanced at Sohalia with a pinched brow. "I don't think I've ever heard that story. But Safrin and Ludo have had tensions in the past." And present. "Do you know?" He could hear most of the tables whispering furiously around them and Sah assumed that many were in the same boat. No wonder it was worth double points.

Sah

The trivia master was certainly a sight to behold as he sashayed over to their table, giving a twirl and showering them in harmless sparks. Soh resisted the urge to laugh, but she did share a delighted grin with her tablemate. After all, how fun was this?!

With their answer given, and the final question offered, Sohalia screwed up her face in concentration. She wished that she could think of anything to contribute to their guess, but she wasn't particularly familiar with the gods and their rivalries. "Well, if it's a herald, we have a fifty-fifty shot, right?" she asked. "After all, Ludo wouldn't impersonate itself, so it has to be Safrin or Frey." She made a face. "Sorry, I feel so useless! I'm not very up to date on the gods, I'm afraid. I know the basics, but that's about it."

Sohalia

I have never feared the storm

Sah shook his head gently, "Don't apologize. Most of my knowledge comes from being a follower of Safrin. I don't know much about the others." Except that Ludo had a nasty habit of hurting his loved ones. Gods, he hoped that neither of his kids became followers of the spooky herald.

"If neither of us knows, let's just go with Safrin. If Ludo likes tricks, I imagine pretending to be here gets a stronger reaction than if it pretends to be Frey." When Sohalia gave her agreement, Sah raised his hand but table 7 beat him to it. The trivia master appeared at their side in a burst of glitter. Yes! Table 7! You're answer?' The person with their hand raised called out, 'Safrin!' There was a brief pause, the trivia master letting the tension build before he let out a cheer and spun in a circle. 'Correct! Table 7 wins! Congratulations and thank you to all who played tonight!' With a final bow, the man and his colorful suit vanished into thin air amidst a round of applause.

The Wild Thunder politely clapped as the trivia master vanished, before turning to Sohalia with a warm smile, "Well. We didn't win, but it was nice being on a team with you." The impromptu game had been surprisingly fun. The trivia master must have had some form of magic item or ability. Illusions, lights, teleportation. So many grand gestures had been pulled.

Sah

With no better answer to offer, Soh agreed that Safrin should be theirs. Unfortunately, in their deliberations, they took too long and another table beat them to the punch. Soh joined her new companion in clapping politely, though she looked faintly disappointed that they had lost not because they were wrong, but because they were simply too slow.

"It's been fun," Soh agreed as the trivia master vanished, taking a sip of the drink that she'd all but forgotten during the game. Sah seemed like a nice enough person, and she hadn't so many friends that she would turn a new one down. "I'm rarely in King's End these days, but if you ever come to Torchline, I'd be more than happy to play trivia again."

Sohalia