[ P ] My Lady Luck

W

hiskey and wine, drops of luxury upon his tongue, and only the finest samples at that—such delights were rare, of course, as supply met demand, and who earning an honest living could afford such extravagance?

Not Pan.

He chuckled and grinned, showing off the silver in his coat that belied his age, the wheel of time that would always churn, spinning overhead without a care for mortal suffering.

Still, Pan did not suffer through life—he enjoyed every minute of it. He devoted his life to the art of chasing after happiness, and sometimes he partook in the more immediate pleasure in life. Other times, he was patient, willing to bide his time, and he did so with no struggle at all.

So he saluted Lady Luck, brandishing his fangs in her favor, relishing her touch and compassion whenever she deemed him worthy of accepting it. He supposed he was a fortunate man.

@Calliope

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

he small purse held in Calliope’s jaws mocked her relentlessly. It was not her own but rather belonged to some poor woman who had been foolish enough to carry it around with her. The woman had been too caught up in the affections of another to notice a sly vagabond like herself any mind. In a flash of teeth, the purse had been removed from its owner’s side and safely secured in her grasp.

There was a joy at first, but now as the girl moved slowly forward through the lingering crowd, all she could ponder was the shame of her actions. ’But now I can eat…’ She thought, letting out a sigh as she swallowed her pride. Honest work was hard to come by when you were barely an adult and even harder when nobody knew who you were. Life in the Highlands had been much easier, at least in the physical sense. There was no worry about where her next meal would come from or where she’d lay her head to rest. Things were simpler there and for a moment the bastard found herself missing home.

Lost in her thoughts, Calliope nearly collided headfirst into a male standing in her path. By the looks of it, he was pissed off, but for what she couldn’t understand as his words had fallen upon silent ears. She looked up at him sheepishly before quickly spotting a woman standing behind him. ’Oh Calli, you numpty,’ The same woman from before… The one whose purse still hung from her teeth. Well, this ought to be interesting.

In a quick scuffle, the fiery-hued girl was on the move, swiftly pivoting on her paws so that she was running in the opposite direction of the two. Though young, she had training on her side and effectively managed her way through the crowd, weaving through the others like trees in a forest. Calliope could hear the male close behind, swearing at her and willing her to stop, but she wouldn’t listen. Stopping now meant giving up and giving up surely wouldn’t lead to anything good.

”Aye, mister! I really am sorry, I swear!” Her words came out rushed and frantic as she struggled to catch her breath, her accent coming off much stronger than usual. After another couple of moments of rapid chase, Calliope managed to squeeze herself between a small gap in the rocky cliff side and gain a swift escape. The man was not pleased and stood there, blocking the exit and cursing at the girl for a short while before finally giving up and returning from where he came. It was a victory, surely, but the girl couldn’t feel anything except the pounding of her heart in her chest.

Slowly, she creeped out from the hidey-hole, peering this way and that for any other sign of danger. Calliope giggled softly to herself as she set the pouch down at her feet. ”I’m fair puckled!” She jested with herself. Though the moment was ultimately terrifying, she had to admit there was a fair sense of excitement to it all.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

@Pan

A

nother day, another adventure, another agitated man who seemed to have no better thing to do than to chase after a young street urchin. Pan watched with mild amusement, wondering if he ought to intervene—he would, of course, if the man thought to harm the child. Coarse as he could be, he was not in the business of hurting children or those who could otherwise not protect themselves.

The girl was clever, he noted, hiding in a place where the man could not force her out of, and Pan chuckled to himself, wishing him luck in finding his dinner due to the pilfering. As he stormed off, Pan lifted himself from his resting position, deciding to approach the little thief—those who wandered these streets often did not have family or friends. “Ye may be out o' breath, but ye'll be out o' many other things if ye botch another heist,” he said, stopping a distance from here as not to frighten her off.

Pan studied her with his good eye, letting out a shallow breath. She was in good shape, if not a little thin, and her gaze was a bright one, vibrant and verdant like the spring season. Clearly, she had the will to fight. “If ye wish t' make it out o' this life breathin’, ye best be quicker on yer feet t’ evade thugs like that one. They catch ye, 'n they won't be friendly about it. Give ye a good thrashin'.” There was a warning in his aged voice, but there was also levity.

He wondered if she could see it, despite his scarred body and blind eye—why any child with half a brain of sense would scatter now.

@Calliope

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

C

alliope’s moment of victory was short-lived as another voice soon boomed through the area, causing the girl to jolt forward in surprise. She turned then to face the source of the noise, only to find herself peering upon another male, though this one was a bit older and appeared to be missing an eye. “Ye may be out o' breath, but ye'll be out o' many other things if ye botch another heist.” He had commented, though the girl could hardly focus on much else besides his accent.

The stranger continued on then, pointing out her poor attempt at a robbery along with the fact that should it have gone bad, she’d be in a much worse position now. Calliope knew he was right, but the defiant side of her was strong and made her crinkle her nose in disagreement. ”Aye meester, eye didn’t ask for yer opinion now did eye?” The girl raised an eyebrow question as she attempted to stand her ground, puffing out her chest and standing as tall as she could muster. ”Eye can take care of meself, good thrashin’ or nay. Been doin’ jus fine on me own, ya know. Don’t need no lessons from an ol’ man like yerself.” Though she meant no ill will by her words, Calliope couldn’t help but fell a bit targeted by this man. What exactly did he want from her anyway?

@Pan

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

“Y

e don’t ‘ave t’ ask fer any opinion t’ voice it,” Pan said, amusement written in his good eye. “Fer meself, I find me a giver. I like t’ provide—if ye has a riddle, ol’ Pan Salvatore has an answer fer ye, right o’ wrong.”

She was not quite a girl anymore, upon closer inspection—why this was a young woman, though likely still a fawn to the world. Pan had seen enough in his years, collected experiences and encounters to rival that of many. This lass knew only enough to survive, and survive she did, though she was small and thin.

“Could be wrong, but I would think ye’d rather not ‘ave a good thrashin’, if ye had the choice,” Pan said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Seems t’ be the more reasonable route t’ take, says I.”

Still, she might have her preferences. Perhaps she was a masochist for all Pan knew.

He liked the youth. They were malleable, of course, and most people of his persuasion, insofar as his career of choice, would hire children specifically because they were useful. Pan agreed that they had their uses, but he also understood that loyalty fraught only from a mutually beneficial agreement was fragile. As soon as one no longer had the advantage of partnering with the other, those alliances quickly crumbled.

Pan much preferred to earn his loyalties. “Ever had a teacher?” he said. “Someone t’ show ye how things be done ‘round here?”

@Calliope

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

W

ith slightly pinned ears, Calliope examined the man standing before her. He was rugged, clearly aged in his days, and had certainly seen a few battles. His color was much darker than herself and with the ever ominous blind eye, he certainly was a mystery. ”Giver o’ nay, just because ye can voice yer opinion, should ye? A soft giggle escaped past her lips and she could feel herself loosening up, becoming more comfortable with this stranger’s presence.

”Ay now, Panny fan, ye don’t knowr what eye can handle,” There was a glint of mischief in her eye, a taunting glance to see just how far this male was willing to joke with a girl like her. Since her departure from the Highlands, almost all that had come across her path were those who wouldn’t give her a second glance, wouldn’t pay her any piece of attention. But now, Calliope found herself in the presence of someone asking to be… Her teacher?

The bastard narrowed her eyes questioningly at the man as she took a step forward to get a better glance at him. Slowly, she circled him though she made sure to keep some distance still. ”A teacher, ye say?” Her ear flickered idly in thought as she paused. ”Eye’ve had many teachers in me days. Fightin’. Healin’. Cookin’. Manners even, if ye can believe it.” Calliope grinned as she exposed a part of her past, hunting to the fact that there was perhaps more than lay on the surface or at first glance. ”What says ye have anythin’ to teach?”

@Pan

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

A

h, so she was a sprightly one, full of sass and spunk. Pan liked seeing that in those of the female persuasion—self-assurance was an attractive trait to him in more ways than one. He enjoyed women who could stand up for themselves, those who could crack a joke and match him in a battle of wits. He also took pride in seeing younger girls confident and brazen. This was how it ought to be, the ladies being just as much of a match to their male counterparts.

“Depends on the opinion, poppet,” Pan said, taking a few steps to the right, keeping the girl in sight of his good eye. He watched her, not in a manipulative sort of way, but with a curious glint in his expression; he wanted to see what she was capable of, what she had to say. “Yer opinion had better get ye wha’ ye want, says I.”

“Aye, ye be right. Haven’t seen ye act to ye full potential… yet.” He continued a few steps, assessing the situation—he took in the position of the sun and the direction of the wind, the feel of the pebbles beneath his feet. In his time, he had learned to use his environment to his advantage. In a very subtle motion, he flicked a pebble toward a group of travelers, the passersby causing a small ruckus among the ground about who could have possibly made the blow. A distraction.

Pan then acted, quicker on his paws than most would give a grizzled man credit for, and he hid the stolen purse behind him as he sat down on the sand, stretching his body as if her were merely sunbathing. “So ye ‘ave a five star education,” he said, continuing their conversation. “Better than most, I dare say.”

“Wha’ says tha’, ye ask?” Pan turned over onto his back, slipping his front paw through the purse string and presenting it to her. “Ye be missin’ somethin’, poppet?” If she wished to learn the art of thievery, she met the right man. He was nothing to look at, and he even played the physical part of the bandit well, but he was also quite clever, having developed his tricks and scenarios, harboring a whole repertoire of strategy.

@Calliope

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

here was a brief moment when Calliope thought her comment was too much. Would this old man take kindly to her banter and play along, or did she just dig herself into a hole? Calliope warrily watched him for a moment, making herself ready to turn and run at a moment’s notice. She may not know much, but she sure as hell knew she could outrun this gimpy fool if it came down to it.

​​“Aye, ye be right. Haven’t seen ye act to ye full potential… yet.” Her eyes narrows questionly in his direction. Her tongue itched to snap back, to look him right in the eye and demand an explanation, though she was sure he’d be more than happy to give it. Calliope resisted her urge, or more clearly, she was distracted from it. There was a sudden commotion from behind her, yelling and bickering amongst a group of travelers standing nearby on the beach. Her whole body swiveled to face the threat, her ears pinning in uncertainty. Every inch of her body said to run, to hide, to make like the wind and go the opposite direction. But they weren’t coming for her… Wait, they weren’t?

Calliope stood there dumbfounded for a moment as the situation processed and swirled in her brain. She was okay. A flicker of embarrassment covered her features as she turned to face her companion, but was quickly wiped away at the sight of her purse dangling just in front of her eyes. ”Ye be missin’ someth’, poppet?” No way… there was no way. The girl frantically for a moment, eyeing the sand feverishly in the spot she had last left her precious belonging. Only, it wasn’t there. ”Aye, meester! Ye stealin’ from me now?” Her emerald gaze flickered back to Pan curiously before she swiftly lunged forward in an attempt to snatch the bag from his grip. ”Thas not ‘ery kind of ye! Now eye say ye give that back, ya ‘ear?” She couldn’t believe it. She’d been tricked.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

@Pan