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First Impressions [DragonSong]

Started by Arocraes, March 25, 2016, 08:14:36 AM

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Arocraes

Arocraes wiped his brow, transferring the sweat to his hand. The shine from the sun on this particularly hot day caused the sweat to glisten, accentuating his tattoos. Arocraes sighed, "I should really start wearing white" he said to himself as he walked through the market area of the town, searching for food to bring along with him back to the inn.

It was very crowded--or at least it seemed that way to Arocraes. He always hated them and tried to avoid them all together, and he would get easily nervous when within one. His eyes frantically searched for any fruits that looked appealing as his hands shook and sweating intensified in conjunction with the sun's heat radiating from above. He was rather uncomfortable, but he would only remain in town for one more day before setting off for Thanatos.

His father had sent him to Adela in search of a material called "black iron" that his family specialized in crafting. Arocraes was dedicated to his craft, and gathered an impressive amount that he stored away in the inn he was staying at. He was not sure if he wanted to return home just yet and continue his usual mundane daily routine, however. But I sure as hell don't want to be here right now he thought to himself, referring to the marketplace as he quickly purchased a couple of oranges and began swiftly moving towards the inn with his head done and his paces heavy.

DragonSong

"Take to waves now and know that you're free. Turn your back on the land, face the sea..."

It seemed an appropriate song for a port town. Tara picked notes out lightly on her lyre, perched on an empty barrel that smelled like it had very recently held fish. Her pack was at her side, a small tin cup placed on the ground in front of her with a few coppers glinting in the bottom. She almost had enough to rent a room at the inn she'd parked herself nearby at this point.

Tossing her hair- strewn with silver and green ribbons today- over one shoulder and closed her eyes, allowing just a hint of magic to slip into her voice. It wasn't enough to really be with anyone, but it helped her song carry, weaving its way through the noisy crowds to draw listeners closer.

Arocraes

As Arocraes marched on ahead, his steps began to drag forward slower and slower as the notes from a nearby song entered through his ears. He stopped momentarily, listening to the intonation and cadence of the voice, as it reminded of him of his mother, a talented musician. He continue walking forward in the direction of the source of the song, his thoughts now remembering times he spent practicing and learning how to play music with his mother. He became a capable singer, but not nearly as talented as the owner of voice that was currently singing.

When he arrived at the source, he stood beside two men as they admired and gawked over a bard sitting on top of a barrel. Arocraes closed his eyes and crossed his arms, following the lyrics and harmonizing with the woman in his head. As the minutes went by, other people would draw near and watch for a short time before leaving. Arocraes, however, was enchanted and relaxed. I should probably start heading back Arocraes thought after a while, I need to get ready. He was leaving for Thanatos the day after next, and needed to find a suitable way to carry all the black iron he gathered on board the ship.

Arocraes pulled out loose change from his pocket and headed for the tin can the bard set in front of her. He looked at her face before crouching down and placing the coins in the can. "You're quite talented" he said as he stood up again. As he turned around to walk back to the inn, the heel of his foot knocked over the tin can, spilling all of the money the bard had possessed in it. Arocraes turned around swiftly to apologize and pick up what he had spilled, however the metal armor cover his left arm was on a trajectory to hit the lyre the bard was playing.

DragonSong

Tara was absorbed in her music, but she had been wandering on her own enough to keep an eye on the crowd even as she played and sang. Most of the listeners just drifted by, but one- a young man- lingered.

She smiled at him when he dropped a few coins in her little cup, nodding appreciatively while she picked a few chords out on her lyre, repeating them a few times so she could murmur, "Thank you."

Then things seemed to spiral, the stranger's foot knocking over her cup creating a sort of domino effect. She yelped and jumped off the barrel, whirling out of the way and curving protectively around her lyre when he whipped around.

"Oh!" She lost her footing and stumbled, throwing a hand out to catch herself and landing heavily on her knees. "Damnit," she hissed, wincing.

Arocraes

"I'm so sorry!" Arocraes shouted nervously. "Here let me help you" he said as he kneeled down to gather the coins that fell out of the tin can and return them to its owner. Arocraes held the tin can in his hand as he brought it forward in front of the woman. "Here" he said with a half smile, feeling guilty about what transpired. "Please don't kill me" he joked, trying to make light of the situation.

DragonSong

"Fine, it's fine," Tara muttered, trying to wave his apology off. She counted the coins in the tin cup he handed back to her quickly, instinctively wary.

She snorted softly, straightening up and tucking the tin away in her back, swinging her lyre over her shoulder. "I'm not gonna kill you, boy," she said, rolling her eyes and holding her hand out to help him up.

Arocraes

Arocraes nervously giggled as he took her hand and used her as a support. "I guess I'm lucky then" he continued even though his joke didn't go over well. He opened his mouth to continue talking, wanting to ask where she learned how to play and sing, but was afraid she would grow to be even more annoyed.

Arocraes scratched his head as he looked at the ground, beginning to sweat even more now. He wiped his brow, covering his tattoos with his sweat again. "Well have a good day miss" he said as he turned around and clutched the grip of his katana, heading towards the inn filled with embarrassment.

DragonSong

"Yeah. Um...good day," Tara murmured, watching him walk away. She finished gathering up her things and tipped the coins she'd earned since noon onto her palm, counting quickly. Should be enough for a night or two at a relatively cheap inn.

The nearest one happened to be the inn that unfortunately clumsy young man had headed off toward. She shrugged mentally and slipped inside. Oh well, what were the chances of running into him again, really?

Arocraes

Arocraes entered the inn, pulling out an orange he purchased earlier and lightly waving at the innkeeper. He headed straight for his room, taking off his armor piece and placing his sheathed katana across his bed. He sat down and reflected on the day, trying to avoid thinking about the incident with the bard woman with unsuccessful results, cringing just at the thought of it.

Arocraes headed downstairs to the bar, where he sat on a stool and ordered cheap ale. Arocraes took a sip of the drink. By Inima this is disgusting he thought to himself as he took another sip and rested his head on the table before him. He began to hum one of the songs sung by the bard from earlier. It was a song about the sea that Arocraes had recognized, but could not remember all the lyrics. He began to sing softly, adding his own twist to the song, adding ragas and high notes. The song helped relax him, as he grew more anxious waiting to go home.

DragonSong

Nursing a drink at the bar, Tara suddenly paused. Her ears almost literally perked up and she glanced around.

Oh you have got to be kidding me. An incredulous sort of smile twitched at her lips. The kid had a good voice. "Hey." She flagged the bartender down and nodded at the young man resting his head on the bar. "Give him a mug of ale- real ale, not this cheap stuff- on me."

The man scowled a bit but nodded as he poured a new mug and slid it in front of the stranger. "From her," he said gruffly, jerking his head toward Tara.

Arocraes

Arocraes rose up and grabbed the drink. He looked at the woman as he took a sip. He was slightly buzzed already, but he could recognize the woman was the bard from earlier. He sighed as he continued to drink, noticing that the drink she bought him tasted much better than the one he purchased.

With heavy eyes Arocraes ran his hand through his hair, shifting his attention towards the woman. "Why did you do that?" he questioned her, referring to the drink she bought him. 

DragonSong

She gave him a crooked smile and shifted a seat closer. "Heard you," she said simply with a shrug. "You're not half bad, kid. You had training?"

Of course she was curious, but she normally wouldn't have bothered interacting with a stranger so boldly. If she was being honest, Tara knew it was because she'd had a rather long week and she was looking to unwind. Plus the boy was cute, she had to admit.

Arocraes

Arocraes slightly blushed. He couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or the woman causing him to feel embarrassed. Perhaps both.

"My mother" he said to her. "She was a Maoin, so she taught me a lot about art in general." He now shifted his whole body towards her, giving her full attention. "What about you, where did you learn?" he asked as he rested his arm on the table and leaned on it, looking directly at her face with a straight face.

DragonSong

Tara shrugged, eyes glinting a bit. "A few people. Gypsies, mostly." She took a sip of her drink, quiet for a moment, then mused allowed, "Maoin...you're Thanati then?"

He certainly looked it, but she hadn't wanted to assume.

Arocraes

Arocraes backed away from the mug and straightened his back. "Aye, I am" he responded and his thoughts returned to his upcoming voyage. Though his journey to Serendipity and Adela turned out to be quite the excitement for Arocraes, he was tired and hoped for a normal trip where he could just rest.

"I grew up in Suna, my father and I are blacksmiths" he said as he opened up more to the woman. "Are you from around here?" Arocraes analyzed the woman. He thought she was pretty from the moment he heard her sing, before even actually seeing her. His attraction for her only grew when he did manage to see her face. He blushed a little, before forcing himself to start thinking about something else. I'll never even see her again after this he thought assuredly.

DragonSong

"Not really." Tara smiled, purposefully mysterious. "I'm Serenian, but I'm from all over, really. Don't stay in one place to long."

She leaned her elbow on the bar, propping her chin in her hand as she looked at him. "Never been to Thanatos though. You like your home?"

Arocraes

"It can be vibrant and lovely but also dull and boring" Arocraes tried to explain. "I think you would like it there though" he said with a smile, "I don't think I got your name." Arocraes motioned the bartender to get him another drink. As he signaled him, Arocraes noticed two tall and strong men entering the inn, heading straight upstairs. He paid no more attention to them, as he thought they were simply just more patrons.

DragonSong

Her smile grew a little more playful. "Well now, why would I tell you that?" she asked with an arched eyebrow. "Doesn't do to just go handing out your name to strangers, love. You should know better." she tsked at him, shaking her head and mock frowning.

Her eyes flicked to the newcomers and she tensed a bit, then relaxed when they didn't seem inclined to linger in the taproom. Maybe she'd pick a different inn to stay at after all...

Shaking her head, she smirked at the boy and leaned back in her seat a bit. "You seem pretty harmless though. Name's Tara. You?"

Arocraes

"How do you know I'm harmless?" Arocraes teased. "I'm Arocraes, nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out to shake her's. Tara he thought I can't tell if she's telling the truth or not. Though Arocraes was naive by nature, he was a little bit wary of the woman.

Arocraes grew tired, but was still very much curious about the woman. "So what are your plans now?"

DragonSong

She chuckeld softly at that, giving him a quick look up and down. "Isn't that cute," she murmured at his little bravado, almost to herself. She took his hand and shook once.

"Why do you want to know?" Tara shot back in answer to his question, giving him an arch look.

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