An evening in Gridania[Closed]

[Felix Sideris]

Nodded at Alex, "They offer rooms here.. But if you want somewhere a little more peaceful, there should be an inn just outside of town. Follow the road west." He nodded again as his eyes trailed off and visually confirmed his directions in his mind.

 

Felix looked over to the approaching man, nodding. "I'm happy to play, as long as it isn't a bother." He said jokingly, "Sadly I only know a few songs."

[sanguineFenrir]

Kevaraan looked about before replying to Felix. His voice was neither rich nor tinny, but it had a slight accent (reminiscent of Britain)... one that would give off the air of one cultured and well-mannered. His voice might prove to be mildly disconcerting if those observing expected a sound more aligned with his race; his speech was precise like cut glass, lacking the hissing sound some Miqo'te were known for.

 

"Oh, no. Your music was the reason I bothered to stop in this tavern at all. It was quite relaxing, and I suppose I'm in need of such things. I have no musical aptitude myself."

 

He extended a long-fingered hand, nodding. "My name is Kevaraan, by the way. Felix; did I hear that right?"

[K'nahli]

Alex's glance followed in-synch with the young musician's as he indicated the direction of another inn a little outside of the village. Turning back to face the man, he offered a subtle nod in gratitude as he turned his back and proceeded towards the doorway once again.

 

After having taken a few steps, he halted and slowly tilted his head towards the ceiling in thought as he slowly groomed both hands through his sleek, black hair. He allowed both arms to fall loosely back down by his sides as he held the position for a brief moment longer before fishing through one of his pockets. He slowly retracted his hand which was now clutching a small, silken coin pouch.

 

"Here..." he spoke aloud to the man without turning to face him, tossing the coin pouch over his shoulder, causing it to land on the table nearby.

 

"I enjoyed the few songs that you did know" he continued, turning his head to glance over his right shoulder before advancing towards the doorway. Though it contributed to compacting his headache, he would have otherwise enjoyed the musician's charisma and talent on a normal day. That and he was appreciative to one the one person who managed to not piss him off that day.

[Felix Sideris]

Felix nodded, shaking his hand firmly. "Thats right, Felix. It's a pleasure." He said with a friendly tone, "I'm glad to know someone enjoys my music. Although I must retire soon myself. Never was much of a night owl." Felix said with a smirk. He began putting his satchel belt back on, and the beautifully crafted pan-pipe was placed in a leather case, which was then placed in his pack.

 

"Was there anything else I could help you with?" Felix stopped what he was doing, turning to face the man.

 

Felix looked at the coin pouch and bowed his head, smiling. "That isn't necessary.. thank you very much. I'm glad I could be of some help. Enjoy your night, may it bring you peace."

[sanguineFenrir]

Kevaraan attempted to make another attempt at a partial, tooth-concealing smile: a gesture that obviously did not come easily to him. The metal ring in his lower lip followed the curve of his mouth before he spoke again.

 

"I enjoy the night myself, but by the looks of me, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Though I suppose that my body's internal clock is disturbed due to all the traveling I do. Or did. So, I might as well go try to lie down soon." His tone contained a hint of unease, or past annoyance, although it didn't seem to be directed at the bard.

 

"Before you depart, can I ask you something? Have you ever considered playing at Mih Ketto's amphitheatre, here in the city? It's been a while since I've seen one, but they have had festivals in the past there, of varying sizes. It's also a nice place to think when one seeks quiet... or a muse. The birds make for a pleasant accompaniment most of the time.

[Felix Sideris]

Laughed, shaking his head. "Oh no, I just do this as a pass-time. These are just a few songs someone taught me. I'm certainly no bard." He smiled, canting his head, "I'll leave the theater to the professionals." Felix bowed his head after that, accepting the compliment regardless.

 

"Well, then.. If that is all," He spoke softly as he slung his quiver over his back, along with his pack and bow and then pulled his hood up to conceal most of his face. "I'll be heading to bed."

[sanguineFenrir]

"I'd argue that you certainly have the potential to stand alongside the actors and bards on the theatre stage, if you wished. Of course, there's always simple pleasure in practicing a skill for entertainment, or its own sake," Kevaraan replied. 

 

He turned to watch Felix leave. "Of course. Farewell then; perhaps we'll meet in the future." He bowed as Felix pulled his hood back up.

 

Sighing softly to himself as his new acquaintance left the building, Kevaraan looked about for any of the others that had approached Felix prior, not bothering to seat himself again.

[FreelanceWizard]

 

 

((Shows me for getting some food, and then the thread exploded . ))

 

 

 

L'yhta listened to Felix's music, closing her eyes and smiling dreamily as she let it carry her to far-off worlds, though perhaps that was simply the effect of being a Seeker of the Sun in Gridania at night. Nevertheless, she laced her fingers together on the table and rested her chin on them while her tail lazily rested on the floor. Apparently, not even the commotion or Felix leaving was enough to break her reverie.

 

Something, however, caught part of her mind and caused her left ear to perk up. She blinked a few times, glancing around, and frowned. "I really need to get more sleep before coming out here... hey, where'd Felix the Flute Master get to?" she asked, initially to the air around her. She then glanced up at the other miqo'te. "Oh! Hi! What'd I miss?"

[sanguineFenrir]

Kevaraan spotted the other Miqo'te dozing off, head on table. She awoke as he approached, understandably a little confused.

 

"Hello, there. I'm sorry, but Felix left just a short while ago to turn in for the night," Kevaraan explained. "Aside from the music, there was a minor little squabble--which I'm surprised you slept through. But, I wouldn't worry too much--the dispute was broken up rather quickly and all parties went on their way."

 

He nodded in greeting. "Don't feel too bad at drifting off like that. It's a problem I deal with quite often nowadays, myself."

 

The dying light of the hearth made Kevaraan's pale skin stand out more in what little light there was. All this talking had given him some energy to go off of, and he was glad to have someone else to speak to, staff notwithstanding.

[FreelanceWizard]

"Oh!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head and her tail out into the aisle. "I'm kind of surprised I dozed through that, too! Maybe this ale's a bit stronger than I gave it credit for," she noted, tapping a finger on the side of the stein.

 

"So, this squabble... was it a brouhaha? A kerfuffle? I certainly hope nobody got hurt, at least not unless they had it comin'," she notes, a teasing tone sneaking into her mezzo-soprano voice.

[sanguineFenrir]

"I.... wouldn't know," Kevaraan replied, his gaze going to the stein for a moment before returning to L'yhta. "And I didn't see the entire fight, but it seems like someone got too drunk and crossed someone else. It was likely accidental. I don't think anyone was injured, but it came close."

 

He sat down in the chair opposite her. "My name's Kevaraan--you are...?"

[FreelanceWizard]

The miqo'te woman offers her hand. "I'm L'yhta. It's great to meet you!" she says, smiling as her tail lazily drifts up and to the side in greeting.

 

The smile then fades a bit. "A good bar tussle can be fun sometimes, but it sounds like this was a lot more angry and a lot less a good-natured brawl. That's no good at all." She downs some of her now warmer ale and adds, "Are you from around here? Did I pick a tavern in the bad part of town? I mean, it's not like any part of Gridania even really looks like a bad part..."

[sanguineFenrir]

Kevaraan firmly shakes L'yhta's hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, L'yhta."

 

He shifted about in the chair, gazing off at the wall a moment in thought. "Yes, I'm not one to judge, but I was concerned it might have some painful consequences. I almost left."

 

"About Gridania... Yes, I grew up in this area, and lived in the city or thereabouts until I was about eight cycles. We traveled a lot after that, though. Between the city-states, back and forth. It's my first time back in....quite a few years, I suppose."

 

The deliberate pauses allowed the wistfulness, and perhaps a slight fear, in his pale green eyes to reach the forefront.

 

"All the same, I don't think the city would change that much. No place is perfect, but it's my opinion that most would be correct in asserting things like that don't happen here. Or it could be a tavern thing--I never spend time in them. Haven't really, since I was waiting for my father to finish his business as a kid."

 

His eyes half-closed, although he still seemed to be attentive to his new companion. "What brings you to our beautiful sylvan city, then?"

[FreelanceWizard]

"Really? Sounds like someone needs to go on a tavern crawl!" she proclaimed with a devious grin. "But really, I don't want to pry into your private affairs and such. But if you don't spend time in taverns, it's a little weird for you to be her talking with me, right?"

 

After a pause, she replied to his question. "Now me, I'm here working on my Conjury -- meditating to hear the elements," she said, with the same rapid cadence of speech. "I can't be a superriffically stupendifying sorcerer without their support! Or, I mean, I was doing that, then I got hungry, then I ended up here," she recounted.

[sanguineFenrir]

Kevaraan managed a bit of a grimace at the idea of spending more time in a more crowded tavern. "When you put it that way, it is a bit strange."

 

He continued to stare, those pale eyes alert and wide open, looking mildly dumbstruck. He found himself noting her brevity. "Simple enough, and I'm guilty of having wandered in here thanks to a simple thing as well. The music, that is. I've already eaten.

 

"I've been studying at that guild myself--and all the rest in Gridania, as odd as it is to admit. I can't seem to settle--don't really want to, but I've always appreciated Conjury as an art. Great things are possible by way of the Aether; it's fascinating."

[FreelanceWizard]

"Oh, yes, it most definitely is!" she replied, her ears perking up and her light violet eyes wide with excitement -- more excitement than usual, at any rate. "The arts of Aether are like painting a picture or singing a song with reality itself! Being able to hear and be a part of everything... there's just nothing like it. You should definitely stick with your magical studies," she noted with an assured nod.

[sanguineFenrir]

Kevaraan nodded, chuckling softly. "It seems we have an opinion in common then. The sense of unity you speak about is something I'm quite familiar with, although I tap into it more through meditation these days. When I'm not studying."

 

He picked up the mug he had brought to the table, gazing down into it before deciding to drain the last dregs of juice from it. "In the wake of an event like this... "Calamity," the Aether's peace is something everyone could benefit from. I feel a sort of sadness for those in the world that don't or can't appreciate the experience..."

 

He paused, looking up briefly. "I didn't mean to wax poetical, there. Your enthusiasm is contagious; how are your studies going?"

[FreelanceWizard]

L'yhta leaned forward and nodded as Kevaraan spoke. "Oh, no, please do wax on," she replied with a smile. "I think it'd help a lot for people to feel the pulse of the world, how tiny we are -- it's really humbling, I think? It puts saving the world and being Most Excellent into a totally different light."

 

She took a long drink of her ale, then continued, "So! My studies are going great. I had some really great teachers -- um -- until recently." Her tail and ears drooped a bit for a brief moment. "But the Conjurers at the Fane are also great, if a little stodgy now and then.

 

"And you? You said you couldn't decide what to do -- what do you dabble in doing, hmm?"

[sanguineFenrir]

Kevaraan rested his cheek against his palm as he spoke. "We're all a part of the world, however brief or mundane our stays upon it are. We all contribute to the flow of life, which is why I understand why the conjurers respect it as they do. It's a shame the larger meaning of this network is lost when people decide to argue over land and gil. Spilling blood over simple metal..."

 

He sighed. "I don't aim to save the world from such things, but merely to experience it just as it is. But I do believe in striving for this Excellence you mention, on a personal level and in my dealings with others."

 

He raised an eyebrow riddled with five metal rings when L'yhta mentioned her teachers, but simply nodded curtly. "It's good to hear you're doing well. As for myself... The traveling we did, sometimes on a twice-moonly basis, meant I couldn't commit to any one study. I talked to the guilds' instructors and watched people train when I was younger, but most of the time I did a lot of reading, and meandered about the cities. Gridania's disciplines are probably the ones I'm most familiar with, even if my education in them wasn't formal: my father taught me how to hunt, and my mother made sure I knew from a young age what conjury and alchemy were."

 

He looked away briefly. "From my childhood, it seems I was destined to sample but not partake. That might change a bit now that I've returned here... I've sought membership with the guilds of my home officially, since it seems I won't be traveling as often. I'm still... re-familiarizing myself with everything, if that makes sense..."

 

He smirked to himself. "I was at the Conjurers' Guild myself a few days ago. Apparently my mother was quite the student in her heyday, and my instructor not-so-subtly wishes for me to commit to a... deeper level of study. So I understand what you mean about their temperament."

[FreelanceWizard]

L'yhta laughed and nodded quickly. "Oh, yes, they're very formal and very interested in people with talent." She grinned before adding, "I can't really blame them, because it's a religious obligation, almost, to them and from what I've heard it's -- keeping the elementals happy, I mean -- important to keeping Gridania safe.

 

"It's still funny sometimes, though, at least to me."

 

She lifted her stein to her lips, quirked a brow as she suddenly noticed it was empty, then set it to one side and waved towards the barkeep. "Have you thought about Arcana or Thaumaturgy at all? I mean, if magical talent runs in your family, you might want to try your hand at all the Disciplines of Magic. I mean, I'm not recruiting for those guilds or anything."

[sanguineFenrir]

"I've tried to read some books on the other two schools, yes," Kevaraan replied. "Mostly general purpose tomes; I'm sure they aren't the official texts apprentices use. As you know, I'm very interested in the Aether, so I would love to see what the other two schools offer."

 

He gestured to the approaching barmaid for another half-glass, and she poured the smooth golden elixir into his mug. After a short draught, he continued.

 

"I haven't seen much of Thaumaturgy, because most of my days in Ul'dah were spent foraging for desert flora and reading at the library. We spent far more time in Limsa Lominsa, though: I didn't get to study, but I knew one of the apprentices at the guild quite well..."

 

It had seemed like Kevaraan was about to finish the sentence, but he trailed off and seemed to gaze off to L'yhta's side for a few seconds. His long ears both switched, shaking like leaves, and his hands seemed to shiver. After a few long seconds, he brought a clammy hand to his forehead and laid it there. He bade the wild gaze in his eyes, almost fearful, to disappear as he hid behind the mug--slowly snapping out of whatever reverie.

[Felix Sideris]

The bar had mostly cleared out aside from a few remaining gentlemen sitting at a table, who just ordered their last round, and the two Miqo'te conversing. After cleaning up the various tables and chairs, the Miqo'te siblings locked up the ale for the night and began to close up. 

 

The Miqo'te woman sat down upon the bar and bounced her legs gently, her brother went off upstairs to the private quarters. It was closing time, one in the morning, although she didn't have the heart to ask anyone to leave. Today, the tavern made quite a profit, and she wasn't tired. 

 

The fireplace had gone out, only smoldering with the occasional crack of coal. It was fairly dark now, only a few candles lit around the customers to keep them comfortable.

[FreelanceWizard]

L'yhta blinked at her companion's sudden reaction. "Uh, I'm sorry for dredging up bad memories. I'm even more sorry that they're around Limsa Lominsa," she added as she looked around the room -- and arched a brow. "Where'd everyone go? It looks like they're closing up..." she noted, her tail drooping to the floor.

 

"I don't want to be a bother for them. Maybe we can meet up some other time? I'll be around the city for a while."

[sanguineFenrir]

Kevaraan looked over at her, still blinking as his ears straightened out. "No, it's no fault of yours. I don't quite know what came over me, but I've the mind to suspect it wasn't a bad memory. I hope, at least."

 

He rose and walked over to the bar with the mug, leaving it on the counter for the staff. He continued to speak as he tried to wipe the inside of the container out.

 

"The location can't be helped. Although it does bother me for another reason: Limsa was where my family and I were staying right before the battle at Carteneau..."

 

With his hands behind his back, he strode back to her. "Yes, I think we unintentionally overstayed our welcome... at the expense of good talk, that is. I'm staying at the Carline Canopy's inn, but I can walk you back to wherever you're staying, if you like."

[sanguineFenrir]

((My faulty left mouse button caused a duplicate of the above post, and I can't delete it myself even after ticking the box. This is the second time this has happened, even though there's a system in place to stop duplicate replies.))