A swift, steady rhythm of footfalls punctuated by the occasional splash heralded the approach of another would-be patron. Eleni sped along the rain-slicked street, one hand holding her hood down so the storm's whipping winds wouldn't blow it off, the other bent beneath her cloak, carrying some parcel beneath it in an attempt to keep it dry. Though several neighborhoods separated The Rusty Shield and the manor where she and her guardian rented rooms Eleni made the trip at least once a week to pick up an order of her surrogate mother's favorite dish. Of course the trip was usually much more pleasant when it wasn't overtaken by a torrential rainstorm at the halfway point.<br/><br/>Finally she made it to the tavern, her run coming to a clumsy stop just before the doors, the wet cobblestones nearly sending her skidding straight through. A small, russet red owl fluttered out from beneath her cloak once they were beneath the eaves and few up to perch on the exposed end of a rafter, hooting balefully at the soaked wizard. "Oh hush, you ungrateful ball of pillow stuffing. If I hear another peep you can just fly home."<br/><br/>After reaching up to pat her hair, checking to be sure it was still pinned in place, the aasimar girl slipped quietly into the tavern. Bright green eyes darted nervously around the room, taking a mental inventory of everyone she could see. A few regulars and a handful of new faces. She made note of a haughty looking stranger with an exotic weapon sitting alone and and an intimidating woman with the obvious hallmarks of the tiefling race talking with a familiar figure. She was surprised, to say the least, to see not one but two other planetouched in the tavern but was careful not to let her gaze linger. She remembered quite clearly how much she'd hated being gawked at as a child, and felt a small pang of guilt at the relative ease with which she could pass for human. The atmosphere felt a bit more tense than usual, but she wasn't about to head back out into the storm. She crossed over to the bar, eyes pausing for a moment on the gyrating curves of the table dancer before flicking away just as quickly, a bright blush rising on her cheeks.<br/><br/>"A-anything warm would be lovely, thanks," Eleni said before the smiling barmaid who approached her had time to speak. She hopped gingerly up onto a vacant stool, stashing her cloak beneath it. Her clothing was rather damn and clung to her body in a few embarrassing spots, her attempts to smooth it out only seeming to make things worse. She frowned a little, hoping the warm air would dry her robes out before too long. "An order of Mother's usual too, but um...it can wait a bit. I...I think I'll stick around and hope the storm lets up a little..."