This! This had to be a good place to get a story! Not only to get a story, but also to tell them. That's what it was always about now a days, having a good story to tell people. Everyone seemed to have shifted a little bit in their preferences for these tales of old. At first they wanted grand adventures about heroes of Old, slaying great beasts from Hell and nightmares. They wanted to have little lessons in them sometimes, little tales that made you think and reflect about a situation they could face or had faced before. Now it was more just about the common people. It was about mostly ordinary folk doing things that were far from ordinary.
And so far finding those stories was a little more difficult. Adventurers tended to gather in odd places, odd places like taverns and smaller towns. However, this was a big city! This place had to have some people in that had a good story. Of course, this was more or less just a little bit of a ruse so he could find himself a place to get something to drink. He had been walking, flying, and there was one point when he had been slithering, for about four days now, without a decent meal, a stiff drink, and a comely lass who wanted to hear his stories.
That was the worst part about travelling. No women!
The forlorn man sighed as he walked down the streets of the city. He was a man who at least brought attention to himself where ever he went. It wasn't just the strange mismatched outfit of his, the black and white checkered pattern of his ruffled doublet and the horizontal striped lines of his trousers. It might been the odd beret hat on his head that shared the similar pattern of his doublet. It also was probably the fact that his shaggy blonde hair ended in black tips, giving him a very different look. Today he switched up his eyes though, his left was a greenish blue and his right eye was more of a dark red and brown. He thought it looked nice in contrast really!
He was a handsome bard, that was for sure, he had that boyish look about him that made people like him and trust him, but just enough maturity in his face that when he talked people would listen. For a creature that could change his look at will, he never overdid it when it came to his looks. It was all about balance and looking just handsome enough to get what you wanted, but not handsome enough to be always noticed and fawned over. Sometimes he liked a little me time after all. Though, it didn't help that he wore gaudy outfits probably.
The Tiger Cub tavern would be his stop today it would seem, as it was the first tavern in a relatively safe looking part of town that he came across. The neighbourhood wasn't bad at all really, it looked rather well to do after all. No real trash on the streets, no one passed out in gutters, the alleys looked rather tidy if he needed to make a quick get away...yeah, this place would definitely be good! He pushed open the door and headed into the nicely light place. It must have been early evening because the place had a nice amount of people in it. Not a huge crowd of course but...enough that if he decided to entertain he could.
He took a seat at the bar counter, adjusting the lute strapped to his back so it didn't smack anyone if he moved about. "Ale, or cider, or mead...something...alcoholic. Maybe ale and mead in the same mug." The man's voice was that of silk perfection. It was smooth and flowing, pleasant to the ears despite the small roughness one could catch on occasional words. With his drink promptly delivered he took a deep gulp and sighed happily. Oh yes. This was what he was missing...well...that and perhaps some companionship. He swivelled in his seat to look out over the people, seeing if any caught his eye.
"Amazing!" "Simply brilliant!" "You must come again!" "Oh won't you please?"
"I will, I will! There is no need to worry. I will be sure to return just to see your little smiling faces!" the young women said, causing the closest child to squeal and the others to giggle as she lightly pinched the little girls' cheek. In a rush they all disappeared at their mothers' callings, leaving the coins they had been given in the small change purse at her feet. The coins weren't much but they were enough. She didn't really have use for a lot of money anyway. She could eat just about anything, sleep just about anywhere, and wear just about anything if need be. That was part of her show, and who she was.
With a jingle of her bright green and blue skirt she quickly picked up the bag and her larger one before ducking further into the alley to change her clothes. It took really only a minute before she was dressed once again in her normal attire and appearance. She wore black tight pants, with matching heeled boots that ended mid-calf. She wore a black tank top and on top of that wore a dark green corset with lighter green accents. A sword and dagger, both resting in dark redwood scabbards, sat on her hip, mostly inside the bag she wore across her body, a shoulder to hip bag that held everything she owned and needed. Her features were nothing short of what she naturally looked like. Almost straight dark red hair ended at her waist, her bangs neatly trimmed to show her bright hazel green eyes, her hair now pulled back so that it was half up half down. Naturally thin and with the metabolism to keep it that way she stood 5 foot 3 without her heels , weighting less than 110 even when sopping wet. Over all she wasn't particularly breathe taking like some of the courtly women but not too bad looking either in her own opinion.
Stepping out of the alley she joined the market crowds, stopping at a stall here and there for little knick knacks or restocking on the magic supplies she needed for her small wandering act. Finally returning to the Tiger Cub tavern, a small, relatively safe looking building. She had stayed the night here before on multiple occasions, just not always in the form most people knew her by. She quickly entered the building and slid into a seat at the bar, not far from a man dressed in bright colors who was getting his drink.
"Cider please." She ordered, slipping a coin across the bar as her drink was set in front of her. Taking a sip she sighed, looking around the room. Tonight she would attempt to blend, relax, and enjoy herself before she prepared for her next show and the next town she came to.
There were many all around him that he found interesting and perhaps would be fun for a night. However, his acute senses told him a bit more. There were those here that had a smell upon them, a smell that he knew. The smell of men and women, close to them, closer than they were now. Those would be bad choices. He was honestly tired of being chased off by people when all he had done was show how miserable those people were in their current situation! He wasn't a terrible person for that was he? No...not him.
And that's when she walked in.
Now who was that? She had a look about her that spoke of confidence and bravado. She was definitely different. As she sat beside him, he could only smile, a bit of teeth showing as he eyed her carefully. Oh yes she was quite nice...and she didn't smell anyone on her...well that wasn't a sure fire thing but it was a lot safer! However...he wasn't just going to be able to talk to her. Oh no! That would be silly really. He was a bard! He was a bard, a performer, he was supposed to be incredible wasn't it?
Putting his drink down he stood up and took his lute from around his back. He strummed it a few times, getting the attention of people around him. "My friends, my friends, you are in the presence of a story teller tonight! I have come here to be graced by you fine folk, and to share with you an age old story." He started off, his lute would be his friend here, it would help to accent his story. People started to listen to him as he rolled out an extravagant story. He was making most of it up on the spot, and suspiciously one of the main characters, a fetching young lady seemed to be a lot like the girl who had sat beside him.
His story might have been a bit long, but he told it with masterful grace. Most people were listening, captivated as he spoke his story. When he broke a witty joke, people would chuckle, when he talked of action scenes where the heroes were on the brink of trouble, people held their breaths. Of course, when he paused to take himself a drink, there were audible groans as people hated him for that. By the end, when he finished with a flourishing bow, people clapped and some even cheered as the heroes overcame the great evil they were fighting.
He decided to look around for that girl again, to see if she had stayed. Now he could make a proper introduction!
Keeran, of course, had stayed. How could she not? After all it seemed that the story and music had charmed the majority of the room, so why not her? She quietly listened, sipping her drink and laughing to herself. The heroine of the bards story really was quite like her, though mostly just in her appearance in her opinion. Still she was caught up in the rooms' optimism and amazement, groaning with the man's pregnant pause to take a sip of his drink and then smiling and clapping with them as the story ended.
If only her show could have been more entertaining to the present adult crowd, then she would have answered with her own performance. But her show was something more for the children; she had no great stories or a clever instrument to play, just dances and tricks that would have never attracted the grown minds of the room without having a bored child at their side. Sure she could sing, but not well enough to attempt to serenade the room, and definitely not to serenade this crowd of rowdy tavern folk. She wasn't much of a singer, preferring to use the body language of her many forms to tell her stories and sing her songs.
So she waited, waited for him to see her again and to catch his eye, all while smiling to herself.
Just seeing the woman once more, seeing that she had stayed made him all the more happier. This was good, it meant that even after having been alone for a few days hadn't diminished his story telling powers. Actually he was almost sure that this had been one of his performances, and wondered if he should start doing this more often. Granted, when was he going to find himself with a muse like the woman who had inspired all of this anyway?
Hm, that was unfortunate but he was going to have to make due with it all wasn't he?
Not like it really mattered, as right now he spotted her. The rather attractive young lady who had made him disregard his drink to tell a story that would impress her. He meandered back over to her, having been there twice now to get himself a drink. As he collapsed onto the chair beside her, he took up his mug, raising it toward her. "And what did you think of the story? Did you like the main heroine of the story?" He asked as he took a sip from his drink before extending his other hand to her. "Orin D. Elarius at your service...any any service that you would need." His voice was pleasing to the ears as he spoke, and he of course had to wink at her to get his ah...point across. Just in case.
Keeran blushed as she set down her drink, taking his hand to shake it. "Keeran Muga Rin, and yes I did like the story and the heroine in particular." She answered, smiling. "Where did you find, or maybe how did you come up with, such a captivating story? It's been a long time since I've seen a room as captivated as this with a story. Particularly one with no overly fancy magic tricks to go with it." Keeran asked, shifting in her seat slightly so she faced Orin more.
He really was an interesting man, with handsome features and an amazing voice to the story he wove that kept the audience so involved, so attentive. This was a man who had been places, she knew that but there was an air about him that seemed whimsical, yet confident and self-assured at the same time. It was comforting in a way, and she enjoyed his presence even though he had only been actually sitting next to her for a few minutes at best, the rest of the time having been trapezing around the room with his story. But that, if nothing else, added to his charm she believed, so she continued to smile as she waited for his answer and for her hand back of course, not that she was complaining.
"Oh well, it comes naturally when you have an excellent muse. And I just found her name today too, fancy that." This was all sort of a game to Orin. It wasn't as if he was being mean of course, but it was all about flattery. There was a difference between the good flattery and the bad flattery. You had to lay it on just right, and you had to make sure that it wasn't too flattering. That would just be wrong, because it would just be insulting. You had to be smart after all! He leaned down to give her hand a kiss on the back of it before letting go of it.
"And it is a pleasure to meet you, Keeran." There was something odd about her. When they touched he had felt something...but he couldn't have put his finger on it. It wasn't bad of course! Then again it could have just been him. He wasn't used to having been in this form as of late, having had taken many other forms to get here, faster forms. "So what are you doing in this fine city? I can't seem to pick your occupation..." Nothing really gave it away. From her look, he almost would have thought thief...the tight black pants sort of...spoke volumes....as did her green corset...but that could have been anything.
"And a pleasure to meet you too Orin." Keeran answered, placing her hand in her lap carefully. The shock that had went through it just a minute ago when they first touched couldn't have been her imagination, could it? Maybe it was just her, it didn't look like he had felt anything strange at all. She quickly took another sip of her drink before answering his question.
"I'm a traveler, I used to travel and perform with a caravan, sort of a wandering carnival. I mostly wander now that I left them but I'm a performer of sorts too. I sing a little though I'm not very good, but mostly dance when I can find someone to play some music or even when I can't. Or I do little transforming tricks. It's mostly just things what would entertain children or a group around late night camp fires. Transforming into different animals and such." Keeran explained. "B-But not actually transforming into different animals and creatures, which would be rather odd wouldn't it?" she asked, covering her tracks. The last village she had traveled through hadn't been so kind of shape shifters and she wasn't so sure what Selevea's policy on them was.
"Oh no, not Orin, just Ode. A much better fit don't you think?" A wandering bard had to be remembered after all. With his extravagantly odd dress and his unusual name, along with being able to perform such wondrous tales and sing songs like an angel...he hoped he would never be forgotten where ever he went. If you were forgotten as a bard, you were forgotten by time and that was something that he didn't want.
He smiled simply as she explained her life and what she did. Another performer then! Well wasn't that a stroke of luck? She wasn't upset with him, so it didn't seem like he had been encroaching on her territory. More so when she spoke of what she usually catered to. Children and groups at night. Well, he wasn't going to be found very often around children. He liked them well enough, but he wasn't one to perform for them. His stories were usually a little more adult, but he supposed he could clean a few up. Her mention of transforming into made his eyes go wide slightly in surprise, but then he grinned when she tried to cover that up.
"Oh that would be very odd." He agreed as he winked to her...though when his eye appeared from under the lid, it was no longer a deep red and brown, but a light yellow. "Very...odd." Another wink and it was now purple. "It seems that I'm in some very...familiar company."
She couldn't help but gasp, and smile brighter then she had yet. What a stroke of luck! What were the chances that she would run into someone like her? Sure he was probabily a bit older, she was very young as far as that went, but he surely didn't look it. Well shape shifters lived for a long time usually but the chances of running into one by chance were astounding. As a plus he seemed very interested in the small back story she had given him, having listened to her intently and even happily when she explained what she did. Maybe not as happily about the crowds she usually entertained but still had listened.
"It seems that we are in good company Ode." She answered, blinking to reveal cat eyes before another blink returned her eyes to their usual shape and color. "And yes, Ode does seem to be a better fit I would think. It's a very interesting name, one to be remembered. Very important for a bard I would say." Keeran added, finishing her drink.
It had been a long time coming since Ode had actually met another shifter. She spoke of transforming into different animals, which mean she wasn't a werewolf or some other werebeast. She was an actual changeling. Not that werebeasts weren't, but she was an actual full on could change into anything shifter. He wondered how good she was at shifting, where she had come from, what her favourite non-human shape was. He knew that he had a favourite humanoid shape, which he currently was in now, and then a non-human shape that was the go to for transformations. She had to have something like that right?
Her cat eyes made him grin and nod. Oh this was fantastic. He blinked as well, his eyes returning to their normal coloration as well. "Very important, which you know well Keeran." She had a rather unusual name, which probably helped her quite a bit as well. "You know...it's sort of...crowded in here. What say you and I go for a bit of a rooftop prowl?" He asked as he stood, winking to her and extending his hand once more to help her up.
Shapeshifters and changelings weren't bound by most social laws. If they wanted to talk on a roof top, then they were more than able to get up to one after all.
"I think a rooftop prowl would be plenty of fun." She answered, taking his hand to help herself up. She slid in between people to reach the door, watching behind herself to check if Ode was following her. When she finally stepped outside she took a deep breathe, feeling her blood sing through her veins. There were so many options! Her body felt so alive as she thought about the change to come. There were so many different creatures to turn into, but her favorite form would probably work best here, even though it was out of the norm for a busy city.
Stepping out of the way of the entrance to the Tiger Cub tavern she knelt down and began to change. The first things to meld into her were her hair and bag, followed by her clothes. The black of her outfit became broken, creating thin stripes across her body as her skin began to change colors. Her hairs red color became brighter, turning into a clear pristine orange to match the color her skin turned fur was now becoming as the fur on her stomach became a brilliant shade of white. Her face elongated, her ears moving and changing shape as her feet and hands became paws and her nails elongated. Out of her fur a tattoo appeared on her right shoulder, a small dragon, as green as the corset she wore in her human form. Finally her eyes changed shape and she blinked, revealing the cat eyes she had shown Ode only a moment before. No one had even appeared to see her transformation, but it had only in all actuality taken a few seconds, maybe 10 or 15 at most. That was why this was her go-to form, no one would ever realize until it was too late if it came to that.
She was tempted to chuckle to herself as she finished her transformation. She was now the size of a young adolescent Bengal tiger, lying next to the tavern door like she belonged there. Which, she might have in all actuality. If she weren't actually a shape shifter that was. As she sat there she began to ponder what Ode might transform into. Just like her she was sure that he had a favorite form, his go to whenever he transformed. When he had said prowl she had assumed that meant cat, but maybe not. So she waited, excited yet reserved to see what he would turn into.
"Wouldn't it just though?" He replied cheekily. That was the thing about being a shapeshifter. Flirting never had to stay in one realm. It was not limited to simple human emotions and acts. As beings that could become anything, you really got to learn a lot of different ways to have fun and to flirt or charm. While some humans were intrigued by a man who could turn into a griffin and show them the skies, it always fun when that person could just come with you naturally.
Ode followed suit after the young lady, pondering just what he should become. He had used the term prowl hadn't he? That kind of denoted a feline sort of thing didn't it? He didn't particularly want to be grounded right now though. While it was fine for some people, to fly was one of the best things in the world. Yes, he felt like he could stretch his wings once more, if only to show off a little bit. He noted that there was now a young tiger near the door of the tavern. Well...that was certainly a fine form wasn't it?
But then would a bird now be suitable he wondered?
He decided to join her in a form more suited for prowling, and as he made his way over to her he stretched his arms out, which had already become large black paws. His feet had also changed into that as well, and soon he was on all fours looking decidedly like a cross between a human and some black cat. He gave a sudden shake and he was no longer human, but covered in short black fur. His eyes were a deep forest green, with slits for pupils, similar to the tiger next to him. A long tail whipped behind him, and ears poked up on his jaguar face like little focused dishes. A black jaguar. Though one would note around his eyes were white squares, like his uniform had before.
He was still Ode after all.
With a quick sort of yowl he batted at her side playfully before taking off toward the alley, intent on climbing up to the roof of the building. If there was a cat suited for such a thing, a jaguar was it.
Keeran couldn't help but let a yowl go in return as he teased her and ran off. What a form he had taken! She watched as he ran off in the form of a black jaguar. His transformation had been a wonder to watch, and though slightly different from hers it had been just as interesting to watch. She quickly stood on her paws, trying to decide where to go. Did she follow him or just go to the rooftop ahead of him?
A quick decision lead her to decide to just follow him. There was no harm in it; after all he had tagged her first. So after sliding between a group of men who were entering the Tiger Cub Keeran trotted after the jaguar, turning into the alley way not soon after he did and jumping onto the nearest crate. High ground, the advantage. She wasn't quite sure what he was going to do next but instinct urged her to take the high ground, even though the crate wasn't very high. If he was going where he had said earlier then they would be heading up word anyway. So she flicked him with her tail as she passed and continued her climb from crate to crate before finally jumping onto the roof.
She breathed deep once again as a small breeze brushed past, rustling her fur. The view wasn't amazing but it wasn't really bad either as you could see a good portion of the surrounding city. She quickly looked back over the edge of the roof to send a teasing meow sound toward Ode, a catlike smile accompanying the sound.
He had to admit, she must have been a tad younger than him. He usually took on forms of adult creatures, while she was in a bit of a younger form. Nothing wrong with that of course, shapeshifters usually had more of a mental puberty than a physical one, that came from the fact they could just look like a full grown creature after being born for a few weeks. He almost regretted having taken an older form, but that soon passed. You were only as old as you felt right? He quickly got himself into the alleyway and was preparing to jump and climb before she came barrelling in after him...so to speak.
With a slight grin as she flicked him with her tail, he decided to follow after her, but his method was a bit more...appropriate for his current form. His claws dug into the solid brick walls, slowly bringing himself toward the tiger above him. Of course she had to mock him, meowing at him and smiling a pleased catlike smile. It just made him more determined, and within seconds he had properly scaled the wall.
He playfully put a paw on her head, rubbing it back and forth between her ears quickly and messing up the bit of fur she had there. With a quick growl of playfulness at her he suddenly set off, his strong muscular form carrying him past her and vaulting to the next rooftop. The game was truly afoot now.
With a growl she watched as Ode took off again. He was such a tease! He was a flirt too, which was silly yet flattering at the same time. The short paw rub between her ears had felt nice though until he darted away with a growl. She was on her feet again in a second, following him across the roof tops. The game of tag was exciting, as was the thrill that accompanied the chase across the roof tops.
After a few more roofs she finally managed to catch his tail again, instantly dropping down from the roof top to a lower one and through a window into a stable loft full of hay. The loft was full of the stuff and she let out a sneeze before hiding in the hay. Though he could outrun her she was pretty sure she could either surprise him when he followed her through the window or sneak out behind him when he got far enough into the loft. If he didn't find her first that was. So she quickly burrowed down into the hay, completely covering herself the best she could, hoping the shadows would take care of the rest as she waited for her pursuer to arrive.
In Ode's world, every bard was a flirt. As his movements carried himself over the roof tops he just smirked at the thought of that. She was too, and she knew it. She had dressed in such a befitting manner of her profession...well...a befitting manner of two professions, but she was in the better of those ones. She was a treat to the eyes, both then and now actually, but he had preferred the form that had the really tight leather pants actually.
Well, soon enough they might themselves in a new form or two.
When he felt something upon his tail he had to quickly stop, his claws digging into the rooftop as he turned himself about quickly to see where she had dropped down. Slowly he moved to the edge, as his legs began to disappear, his snout began longer and he shrunk considerably...until he was a five foot long snake. A harmless corn snake as it were, his colours a dark brown with red circles. With a flick of his long fork like tongue he slithered down into the open window below.
Cats were good...but snakes...snakes had their own set of skills. Especially as he found his tongue leading him toward the hay. He made no noise, and had an excellently low profile as he found warmth radiating from the heat. He circled around her side instead, wriggling into the hay beside her. Then with a quick strike, he came at her, but didn't open his jaws. He simply...smacked the brunt of his nose into her side.
Keeran couldn't help but let out a slight yowling sound as she was hit, quickly jumping up and sending hay everywhere as she finally saw what had hit her. A snake. An innocent looking coral snake just sat there, staring at her. Except it, or he, wasn't innocent and she knew it. It was humorous actually, without a coral snake like the form he was currently in she would have never discovered her talent for shape shifting.
So she laughed, a very cat like laugh but a laugh indeed before changing. The two main colors of her fur mixed together and she shrunk. Her front legs turning into wings as her hind legs turned into talons. Her tail began to shrink, fur changing into feathers. She immediately shrunk, her face changing shape again until what was her snout now formed a beak. Her feathers were now a rich chocolate brown color beside for the tattoo on her should which still remained. She now stood a little ways away from the snake, preening her feathers in another one of her favorite forms.
The falcon wasn't the biggest or strongest of her animal forms by far, but it was fast and had never let her down before. She quickly lifted herself to a bale of hay nearby that she hadn't knocked down in her larger form, all the while keeping her eye on Ode. So she set about preening her feathers again, showing off her, if she said so herself, gorgeous feathers.
Caring about appearance was universal after all, no matter what animal you were. Even though she usually didn't care as much as other women she still did care. It was all build up after all. What it was build up for she couldn't be too positive as of yet but from the flirting to the chase it was all leading up to something. No matter what it lead to though they were having a grand time getting there without a doubt.
He was enjoying this little game of back and forth. It hadn't even meant to start...but it was fun. He could only adore this whole situation really. First he had gotten to tell a big long story if only to finally get a chance to talk to a young woman who happened to be a shapeshifter. Now they were out here turning into all sorts of animals to impress and play with each other. It was one of the better times he had spent in the city. One of the best perhaps! He'd have to see how the day and night went first.
He rose up, most of himself coiled underneath his form as he watched her turn into something new. A falcon then! It was only a matter of time before they started this though wasn't it? They had prowled, he had slithered, and now it was time for the two of them to fly. While he had spent a great deal of time getting here by flying, he could never say no to more! But what...what to become? What to change into? He slowly began to morph again, deciding to take on the role of a fast bird like she had done. His wings, when they sprouted, were brown with a touch of green near the body. His back was the same brown, with the tail having that flash of dark green to it. His neck was a pure soft white, and instead of a hooked bill like hers, he had a straighter, smaller bill. He gave a small whistle at her as he suddenly darted past her, his rather aerodynamic wings taking him off almost instantly.
He looked very odd in flight, his wings a tad different...but they made him all the more faster, perhaps a good reason the bird was named a swift.
Keeran had patiently watched Ode change again, barely getting to look at the bird he had changed into before he was off again. A swift, a beautiful bird, and as its name hinted the bird was obviously fast. She quickly took off, soaring out of the hay loft and into the sky after him. As she finally almost caught up to him it dawned on her, how was she going to tag him without knocking him out of the sky?
Carefully, she decided, that's how. After the whack he had given her she wasn't quite looking forward to hitting him softly or carefully but she didn't quite want to knock him out of the air either. Crashing hurt, and she didn't know if he was the same but she would be sore, or even injured, in her human form if she hurt herself to badly in any of her other forms.
Focusing back on her chase she speed up again, gaining altitude above the swift before she dived, brushing him with one of her wings before pulling up slightly making a clean landing in a big oak tree and once finding a branch big and strong enough to seat two rapidly changed back into her human form. She cracked her neck from side to side before waving at Ode, it was nice to fly and have other forms yes but nothing left more at home to her then the form she had been born into.
Changing was getting so easy again. He hadn't changed forms this many times in such a short amount of time in forever, but he was sort of enjoying it. Well not sort of, he really was enjoying it. He couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun, and had changed this many times...for his own amusement. Usually it was out of necessity that he done this...but now it was just because he could. There was nothing more freeing, more liberating than that, in his mind.
He barely paid attention to where she was as he zipped away as quick as could be. This was what was fun, this was what was great really! She was behind him he assumed, or perhaps a bit above him...but that became clear when a wing brushed against him. At this speed it had knocked him off his balance, but he quickly recovered and let out a small, shrill noise. Humph! She could have just flown in front of him and smacked his beak with a tail feather. That would have been acceptable.
He turned about to go and find her, only to see she had headed for an oak tree. Hm, what form would she take now? Squirrel perhaps? Chipmunk? Badger? The possibilities were endless, and as he came zipping over, the change was apparent. A human. Back to her old self then! She waved at him and he came rushing in, quickly transforming back into his human self as he landed upon the branch beside her. "Now that was good fun!" He exclaimed as he turned to look at her, grinning madly. Oh he had enjoyed that quite a bit!
"Wasn't it though?" Keeran answered, smiling. It wasn't often you got to change for fun. Or change so quickly. The best part was though that it had been for fun. No dire situation, no running away or fighting someone. No almost being captured or hunted down because someone thought that you'd look good on their wall. This had been simple, pure, crazy fun. Her system was still in overload as it accepted everything her body had just experienced but all she could really do was smile.
"I hope I didn't knock you too badly on the way down." She said, swinging her legs back and forth while holding onto the branch. "I don't think I did but I might be wrong." Keeran hinted, a small smirk replacing her smile. Oh yes, she knew she had hit him, she hadn't meant to hit him hard but she had hit him. She had watched him teeter in the air before righting himself. She just really wanted to see his reaction.
To be free and have naught a care in the world. The life of a shapeshifter, and the life of a bard, all summed up nicely and put into one pretty little package. However if one was talking about pretty little packages...Ode's eyes glanced over to the young woman who sat beside him on the tree branch.
"No no, I'm quite fine. Takes more than a little smack across the back to hurt me." True it may have knocked the wind out of him, messed up his flight a bit and dizzied him for a few seconds, but playing tag as birds wasn't really the smartest plan to begin with, so he could forgive her. Plus she was cute so...he had to forgive her because of that as well. "All of this has got me right back to being thirsty again. What say we head back to the Tiger Cub and get ourselves some more drinks hm? Maybe see where the night wants us to go afterwards." A bold thing to put forward, but Ode was a man of many things, and good company was hard to find...great company was harder...and company that was pretty much yourself was the hardest.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." She answered, smiling. The day had gone quite well, and even though they had only known each other for a short time she was perfectly comfortable. It might have been the fact that he was a shifter. They weren't very common after all, and it wasn't something you really told a lot of people about. Shifters in general were usually pretty nice people. Not to mention he was quite the sight for sore eyes. The though brought a slight blush to her cheeks.
"Well uh, let's get going then." Keeran added, jumping out of the tree. "Are you coming?" she called up to him, beginning to walk away and back toward the Tiger Cub tavern. "Your not going to let me beat you back, are you?" She challenged, disappearing in the direction of the tavern.
There was however the question of...did she know? He was a shapeshifter, and he was a bard. He wasn't looking for love, he wasn't looking for a long term thing, probably only as long as he was in the city. He wasn't one for such a thing, he had to travel, he had to keep on moving, the wanderlust in his blood overpowered most other feelings as it was more primal than anything. It was an almost impossible subject to broach, now that he thought about it. He wasn't a person to just...break people's hearts after all. This presented an interesting dilemma that he'd have to try and carefully approach. He didn't expect that he'd have a rather wild night with this girl, but if it went that way...he'd want her to be prepared.
"Marvellous idea." He slipped off the tree branch gracefully and landed behind her, smirking as she challenged him again. "Not on your life I'm not." Oh she was good, but he...was something else. He spun into a jump, his whole body transforming quickly into a Swift once more, and with a few flaps of his wings was off with a cry. It was the fastest way to travel really, and the easiest. He wouldn't have a need for avoidances after all, so long as he stayed a couple feet above the height of most people.
The game was on once more it seemed.
With a laugh and a jump Keeran was feathered and air born, her falcon form catching up just as they reached the Tiger Cub Tavern again. Settling on a box she was human again in just a second. Human, most humans would find someone they liked and settle down to see if there was more. That defiantly wasn't going to happen here. She liked him, that was a given, but they were both travelers. He was probably interested in a one night only. She hopefully wanted to settle down some day in the future, not next month or next year but sometime in the future. But like him she had done the same in the past, leaving people that could have been where they had been. If they weren't willing to travel with her then she had no reason to settle down and play house with them. Of course though, it was different this time. They were both travelers, she never set a real course for herself. She didn't know if he had any plans of where to go next but it would be better than anything she would have done usually.
Her next destination would have been picked out with a map pinned to a wall and a dart. So that was it, she would ask him. Before anything happened tonight. Hopefully. She would ask him over a tankard of their drinks of choice later in the night she decided. "Let's get something to drink, shall we?" She asked with a smile, heading into the tavern and reassuming her surprisingly empty bar stool as she waited for him to join her.
It was a tie, or looked like a tie. I mean really he won because he had been behind her but that wasn't something he'd gloat about. That wasn't who he was. Well it was a little bit, but he never bragged to the person who he beat! That was just poor sportsmanship after all! Something that he most assuredly was not! Not old Ode, troubadour of greatness.
Ahem, that was boasting wasn't it?
"I was thinking the same thing." The bard said after he had touched down and returned back to his charming human form. He stretched for a moment, getting the little bit of kinks out from his newly formed bones. Ah, that was much better indeed wasn't it? Sometimes it was just easier to have hands and feet and legs and arms. Much...much easier actually.
He followed after her into the tavern and took up a spot beside her on his stool, rather glad to see it was still there. The drinks however, were not. That was to be expected. "Y'still owe me for the last ones." The bar keeper glared at the two of them, and Ode just smiled sheepishly as he took out some coins and slid them toward the man. "Ahm, sorry about that...had something to take care of reaaaaal fast. Never happen again, I promise!" The bartender took the money at least and nodded ever so slightly. One couldn't even be sure if he believed them, but Ode didn't really care. "Two more now please." And they were both rewarded thankfully with two mugs of ale. Ode took one up and looked to his new friend. "To the fowls of the sky, the fish of the sea, the beasts of burden and the creatures of the forests, to all that we can become."
Keeran smiled, picking up her mug. "And to all that we can become." She echoed, taking a sip of the ale. It was warm as it slid down her throat and she enjoyed the flavor. She usually didn't let herself drink. She was quite a lightweight and she would be the first to admit it. The drink was a nice treat though. Plus how could she decline the drink that was already paid for?
"Thank you for the drink Ode." She said, taking another sip before setting the mug down. "So where are you planning on traveling next?" She asked, propping up her arm to hold up her head as she leaned on the bar. "I mean, after you finish perusing this town for its tales to add to your library that is." She added.
Now this was what it was about wasn't it? This is what people dreamed about! Some people. He did. He dreamt about finding another shape shifter and being able to enjoy a nice mug of ale with them, and then perhaps take them back to a room for some fun. It actually sort of worried him in some small way. They were both shifters so...how exactly was this going to work? Oh this raised too many questions! Maybe he was just over thinking it...which was probably it! He decided to let that go now.
"Well thank you for the inspiration and the excellent race." That had probably been the most fun, the race was...absolutely exhilarating really. It had felt really good to be alive again, to feel that alive at least. "Travelling plans? Oh you want to know how I travel?" He laughed as he reached into his pocket and took out a few small silver coins, and one gold coin. "I throw this into the air, and whichever the road the gold coin lands closest to I'll go down." He put the money away and chuckled. "Why? You thinking we could have a...business and pleasure relationship going?" Both were important after all!
A blush adorned her face as she took another sip of her drink before answering. "Maybe, personally I was shooting for the more business side of things but if you have pleasure in mind then I think you might need to persuade me tonight." She teased with a wink. Maybe this could work out, if his reaction was anything to tell by at least. He hadn't shot down the idea; actually he had brought it up himself, technically speaking of course. He was probably more interested in the pleasure side of things, but that could be dealt with later if need be. Either way joining up for now seemed like a good solution, at least to her. She would have to wait to really see how he felt about it.
"I like your method of choosing your next destination better than mine anyway; I usually put up a map and throw a dart blindfolded." Keeran explained. "I've ended up in some pretty weird places because of that method. Yours seems a lot more sensible then mine." She continued, taking another sip of her ale before setting the mug down again.
Good, a blush was good, in fact it was great actually! It meant that she still had a lot of decency and modesty. It was different, considering that he was very shameless. He had some, but he wasn't huge into modesty. There was no point of it, because to him...he really didn't have an actual form. It wasn't him who was naked then. It also helped that he was able to make it so he had nothing to be embarrassed about! Not yet anyway. "Persuade? Well I'm sure I can manage that." Persuading her wouldn't be incredibly boring, it was always a challenge to approach, and it was always fun. Win or lose, it would be really fun at least!
"That's not a bad way to do it, but at least my way will always lead me down a road." That was what counted. He'd always go down a road and go toward a new city. That was truly what was important in the end, because he'd go to a place that would have a bar, and would have a warm place for him to sleep. Hopefully. His drink was almost forgotten as he just leaned against the bar, watching her with a smile. "So what are the extent of your transformation abilities? Do you have to have seen something to turn into it, or can you just...imagine it and become it?"
Despite her wishes her blush stayed on her cheeks at his mention of persuading her, a shy smile joining it as she shifted and sat now with her hands in her lap. "A very good point." She managed about his methods of deciding his next destination. And he was right, at least he always ended up on a road of some sort unlike her on many occasions she was sure. It was nice to get off the roads without a doubt but it was kind of hard to find the place your dart might have lead you to while in the middle of a forest with trees that looked exactly the same.
"I wish it was as simple as just seeing or imagining something to be able to change into it." Keeran stated with a sigh. "I'm young, in human and shifters terms. Honestly the only way I can get forms right now is to touch the animal and absorb the DNA from skin contact. If it's something small I can just look at it and change but anything the size of or larger than a dog I need to actually touch to get enough information to actually transform. I mean, I'm working on it, but it's hard." She explained. "I'm currently working on inanimate objects though. Ones with moving pieces of course, like a clock. I don't want to kill myself after all, but still inanimate objects all the less." She described with an air of excitement.
It had been accidental after all, trying to turn into an inanimate object. She was 16 when she had first figured it out, hiding from the law not far from here, her choices were get sent to jail for stealing a bag or stay hidden. So she had hidden in the clockmakers shop, and with a brilliant stroke of genius, had shifted into a grandfather clock. They never suspected, she had her bag, and a new form of sorts, everyone won. Even the lady whose she had stolen, because then she had a reason to buy the new bag she had been ogling all morning. The memory made her smile. "And what about you? what are your specifications for transformation? Touch, sight, smell, imagine?" She asked, leaning against the bar again with an elbow up on it.
"Those are of course the only ones that I make." He told her with a charming little grin. It wasn't always like that, sometimes he might have been a little tipsy and the points he could make were...not always good ones. BUT! When you were drunk you didn't think they were bad so...always good points! Yes! That was a very good way to look at it.
While he didn't know what DNA was, he did know what it meant when she said that she had to touch something to take it's form. Aww, she was really young still wasn't she?! That was adorable. If of course age meant a whole lot to shape shifters. It was all mentality at that point, their physical forms were whatever they wanted to be. He really hadn't tried to change into many...inanimate things really. He was surprised that she had! Granted it was funny to scare people when a rock jumped at them, or a tree fell in front of them for no reason.
Ahhh, those were good times.
"Well, for me it's whatever I imagine. It used to be a bit more difficult, but it's gotten a lot easier over time. That'll happen for you too." Could he teach her? He really didn't think that he could. It was something that he just knew, and he couldn't...pass that on. Well he might be able to, but he'd have to think about it very carefully. Really he just wanted to drink and chat and travel, he didn't really want to...be a teacher. He liked being a bard.
"I'm excited for when the day finally comes where I can do that. I mean, it'll be hard work, but I want to learn as much as I can by myself. That's part of the adventure after all. Right now it's difficult, because I'm so young, but like you said, it'll get easier over time." Keeran answered.
"My dad wasn't much of a shifter unfortunately; he didn't really embrace it so I and my brother kind of had to teach ourselves the basics. We're lucky our mom took it all in stride, he never told her what he really was and it scared her to death when she watched me and Brandon playing with the dogs as dogs. She encouraged us though, she didn't know anything about it but she was a lot more supportive then our dad. Without her I wouldn't be here today." Keeran reminisced with smile and a sad look in her eyes. It wasn't a painful topic, she just really missed not being able to grow up with her family.
"So when did you decide to be a bard? Or how?" Keeran asked, changing the topic. "I mean, usually one isn't just walking down the street and just decide to become a bard for the rest of their lives." She exaggerated, "So what lead you to become a bard?" she inquired.
She was lucky wasn't she? She actually had parents. He was just...popped out into this world. It had been forever disconcerting and really he almost wished he did have parents in the traditional sense. However he got along fine without them, and despite having no guidance still grew up to be a rather respectable person. Sure his morality was fast and loose at times, but no one ever got really hurt! He wasn't the best role model in the world, but he was still pretty good. At least that's what he thought.
He did have to wonder where her parents, her family that is, had gone...But he was sure that might be a very sensitive topic and decided not to really say anything about it. The look in her eyes spoke volumes, so he really was sure that he shouldn't say anything about it. It still must have been nice to have all that love and familiarity though...
"Actually it kind of is how I got started. I needed some way to make money one day, can't remember why...might have been a pretty lady wanted a drink and I wanted to buy it for her..." He spaced out for a moment as he thought about that, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Ahem. So I started to tell stories. I just made them up...and it earned me a nice tidy sum of copper and silver. I decided to buy an instrument instead of using it on the girl, and ever since then I've been touring around, playing the lute and telling stories for people." It wasn't the best story to tell around young company, but most people appreciated the sentiment of it all. It boiled down to the fact he became a bard because of a pretty lady and his libido but oh well! People took from it what they wanted.
"That's cool, better than how I got started." Keeran answered. Getting lost from your parents at such a young age wasn't fun, and joining a gypsy caravan wasn't the greatest place to go either but it had gotten her where she was, safe and sound. Until she got kicked out that was.
"Have you ever thought of doing anything else?" Keeran asked. "I mean, not forever but just at any time thought that another job would be fun do to for a while?" She couldn't help it, she was curious. Plus they were getting to know each other, weren't they?
"Really? Because I wanted to bed a girl. Yours must be really bad." But he noticed that she didn't tell him. How interesting indeed! He'd get the story from her eventually, because he was sure that it wouldn't be as bad as his own. Still he'd have to get that story out of her...he wanted to know quite a bit about her actually. Not surprising, he really hadn't met many shape shifters and he would definitely want to hear her story. She was the child of a shapeshifter, maybe even two...so really...that was new to him!
"I've tried different jobs before. Tried to be a baker, tried to be a smith, even tried to be a soldier. They were so boring...and they wanted me up at sunrise as a soldier! And they expected me to kill people! No thank you. I like people, I like talking to them, and I like how I can set my own hours." That was the important part. None of this...'up at sunrise' nonsense that they wanted at other places. "Being a bard is where I'm supposed to be I think. I'm pretty darn good at it really, and it's incredibly fun." Ode took up his drink and enjoyed a sip from it. This was nice really...though wasn't he supposed to try and persuade her? "What about yourself though? Do you ever feel like entertaining has reached it's full potential for you?"
She couldn't help but laugh at his comment of waking up at sunrise. "Those are some rather interesting jobs; I know I couldn't be a soldier though." Keeran commented. A baker, a smith, and a soldier. Those were three pretty different life styles for sure. Bakers lead pretty quiet lives, smiths more exciting lives, soldiers maybe the most exciting if not deadliest of them all. None of them were as thrilling and exciting as being a roaming artist of any sort. Making your own hours was the best though; she had no argument about that.
"I don't think so, I mean entertaining is all I've ever really remembered. I can just feel it in my blood, like this is what I'm supposed to do, at least for now. I mean, my parents were farmers but I didn't really grow up at home for very long." Keeran explained. Maybe it would be easier to just tell him the full story. It was better than sidestepping around it like she had so far. So with a sigh she spoke again. "Would you like to just here the full story? I think it'll make more sense than the little clues I keep dropping here and there."
"We shape shifters and bards don't have the discipline for such things. It's probably because we're not used to such...restrictions." Those were for people who could only take on one form. They were shapeshifters, those who could slip into a whole other form at a whim. No, it was definitely not something that a lot of changelings wanted to be a part of. Especially someone like Ode, who was a lot of 'make love, not war, and then make more love.' It wasn't always the most exciting thing in the world, but he was alive, and he was very much happy.
"Farmers, oh man, I could understand why you'd want to get away from that." Not only was incredibly boring, but menial labour was something that humans thought a shapeshifter would be good at. Sure they could turn into something with enough muscles that the work wouldn't even be noticed, but that wasn't the point. They weren't slaves, they weren't animals, they were people, with feelings and thoughts! "Y'know," Ode lifted his drink to his lips and took a gulp. "I think that's a great idea." He grinned as he set the mug down. "Finally I get to know the mysterious origins!"
"My origins aren't quite that mysterious, promise." Keeran said, taking a sip of her drink before shifting in her seat. "Well, like I said, my dad kind of neglected the fact that he was a shape shifter. He was only 136 or so when he met my mom and didn't tell her when they got married. So my dad was about 140 when they had my brother and I was born 2 years after that. Well one morning my mom woke up and noticed that, like I said before, Brandon and I were playing with our dogs, as dogs. Brandon was 7, I was almost 5 and was just copying my big brother, my idol. Well she was not happy at first but grew to except it pretty quickly thank goodness, and even encouraged us to learn new forms, somehow bringing home all sorta of strange animals and taking us to traveling shows to see the more exotic animals. She never did quite forgive my dad from hiding that from her. It's normally something you tell a person before you get married." Keeran commented with a sigh before continuing.
"So fast forward a few years, I'm ten and in a girly girl dress phase. Lots of pink and glitter, it was disgusting. Anyway, we lived on the outside of town, and little to our families' knowledge the village children had fallen asleep without putting out their fire. The whole village caught on fire and we woke up to my parents telling us to run and they would find us later. So I did as told and ran. Except I ran the completely opposite way that everyone else had run away in. I got extremely hopelessly lost pretty quickly. I had no sense of direction when I was younger and still don't have much of one." She explained, taking another sip of her drink before continuing.
"I ended up joining a traveling caravan, mostly consisting of gypsies, but the caravan also doubled as a traveling show. So I earned my keep, I learned to sing and dance and tell stories and anything else they needed me to do really. I never told them of my talent though. After I joined they threw out an old man that they learned was a shifter and I had nowhere to go, I had no idea where my family was. So I kept my transformations a secret, for six years. Soon they had me in charge of the animals, exotic animals. And then they caught me one night. I had gone out, as a wolf and they saw me change. I was sixteen and they threw me out to the wolves, literally. So I've been traveling ever sense. I mean, it's only been two years since then but it feels like so much more." Keeran finished. "So that's about it, my mysterious origins revealed. I hope they meet your standards?" Keeran asked with a flirtatious smirk.