Tangled Kerfuffle
A04: Theatre District
A chilly night after a beautiful day sees Alexandria's theater-goers dressed warmly. There are carriages depositing the social elite while the common-folk line up for admission to the show halls.
Hanging back in the shadows of the manicured trees, Ga'Elian watches the commotion, quietly humming an ancient Sildanyari tune from ages past.
A certain blue-haired sildanyar is making through the theater district slowly, looking around at the people who walk together with a sort of wistfulness. Shizin stops here and there to people-gaze. Observing them in the same way that children move through the market district during the holiday season. Full of hopeful longing. Shizin's hands are tucked in the folds of blue robes, lavender eyes thoughtful. It is clear that the elf totally missess spotting Ga'Elian - likely due to the other elf being tucked into such a dark corner - as Shizin walks by.
Morgan comes walking in from the west with a little drgon flying around her "Yes you horibal lizard you can have it." said in a slight anoyed voice as it flys away. She gives Elian a hello wave and makes her way to him.
Click. Tapclick. Roshani tugs at the corners of her longcoat, a clawed gauntlet running across the bleached hide of the opposite arm. After some difficulty and frequently stopping people for directions, she made her way to the Theatre district. She lingers at the outskirts at first, soaking up the atmosphere and the presence of this new territory. The clack of carriage wheels. The murmur of people jostling together. Tap tap click. She emerges from her street corner, using the gnarled staff to feel her way down the street carefully.
Ga'Elian waves to Morgan. As she draws near to him, it becomes clear that he is actually nestled in the branches of the tree. Still the three small stones flying endlessly around his head are somewhat eye-catching. He drops a bundle of griffon feathers to Morgan when she gets close enough, but speaks not, instead taking to song in what is now a carrying voice and a light, playful melody that sounds almost more like fae laughter than serious music, "Shizin, oh blue-haired soul of passion, come hither and brighten this starlit night with the beauty of thy countenance!" <mynsandraal>
Shizin hears the sound of Ga'Elian's voice and stops, eager eyes already falling upon the elf and Morgan as well. Immediately the sildanyar makes to join up with them, a warm smile on pale lips when suddenly...
The rhythmic tap-tapping of wood against stone becomes for a second much softer, and when the gnarled staff rises once more it is in a tangle of long hair that causes Shizin to let out a surprised noise right beside the person who's staff was now tangled in hair long enough to reach the ground. Shizin takes in a deep breath so as to not shout again, blushing furiously at having done so once already and turns - unwisely - to see what is caught up in that perhaps too-long hair. The elf is brought nearly to the knees by the way that suddenly that same hair is suddenly wrapped around the cane but this time manages to make no noise.
Morgan eyes grow wide as she looks at the feathers that she puts in her haversack. She then says "svern svern vur mojka." in a hollowed voice as she lifts up in the air to toss a apple to the flying griffon in thanks.
Ga'Elian blows a double-toot on his hunting horn and hops down from the tree, rushing to help sort out the ball of elf and blind-woman. The griffon releases a sky-rending shriek then lands beside the kerfuffle.
Roshani comes to a dead stop as her walking staff becomes suddenly and mysteriously entangled. There is a horrible and awkward silence that seems to stretch entirely too long, her face completely expressionless. Her white eyes widen just slightly at the squeek, then narrow. In a greatly "offended" voice, the young woman grips the staff with both hands. "Halt brigand!" She looks to one side, then the other. "It's a terrible night indeed when a poor and defenseless young maiden cannot walk the streets of an unfamiliar city alone without her staff being kidnapped in such a fashion." she puts a hand to her head, as if to swoon, and unintentionally(?) yanks the staff in the opposite direction in the process, making things worse. Even more so when she moves to place her 'aggressor' between her and the shrieking creature and it's thunderous impact.
The elf falls to the ground; already halfway there by virtue of the unwise turn only a few seconds ago. The rough jerk causes Shizin to try and bow the head being so cruely bound, but the line between head and staff is taunt now and the elf can not. As Ga'Elian approches he will undoubtably notice Shizin's blazing flush and the way that the sildanyar has the lower lip caught between teeth to keep from making any further noise. Perhaps Shizin could have stopped this entire thing by merely speaking up, but it's clear that this is not going to happen.
A wee bundle of furs moves along, blown back and forth slightly by the wind. The face is revealed by one of the lights, a goblin. She comes to a halt beside the two tangled up people, drawn there by the skreeee of the griffon. She eyes the elf and woman in distress, the flushed expressions all around... and begins to giggle. And cannot stop. The more Choler looks, the more she giggles, holding her sides. "How... how did... bwahahahaha... how did yo..."
Morgan was having fun playing with the griffon untill she hears some comtion down bellow. Sighs and starts to fly down to see what is going on now.
Ga'Elian pulls a gold ring off his finger and reaches into the kerfuffle. He says, "This ought to do the trick," and slips the ring onto Shizin's finger.
Roshani's expression shifts to chagrin at the lack of reaction. She quickly shifts the staff to the clawed hand, snapping her fingers two or three times and listening for the response. She practically rolls her eyes at whatever it is that she heard. "Oh." She swoons again but this time, oddly, doesn't move the staff more than she needs to. In fact, she takes a step forwards to allow some slack between staff and silent elf as she addresses an onlooker. "It's the latest style in the Theatre district. They did say it would keep you stitched up in knots, I just never took them as being so.. literal."
Shizin looks gratefully at Ga'Elian, and the moment that the ring goes on Shizin is suddenly freed of the cane. The elf pulls the long hair away from the staff with embarassment before giving Ga'Elian a warm hug as thanks. It takes only a moment for Shizin to return the ring, still flushed the elf nods to Ga'Elian. "Thank you." It is a quiet thing, meant only for the other elf's ears before Shizin turns somewhat affrontedly toward the one who bound up the long tresses attached to the sildanyar's head... and says nothing impolite at all. Instead the elf bows to Roshani. "I am sorry."
With a lit cigar in his mouth, Foxx wanders his way into the theatre district and.....actually stands still for a moment, as he takes the cigar out of his mouth. "Well ain't this a fahne how do ya do?" He says looking about.
Choler continues to giggle, and moves closer, crouching as she begins to work out the trick of the blue hair. "So... hehehe... so uhm, is this how you catch your men?", the Goblin addresses the Veyshanti woman. "Or did uh.. Elf here catch you?" The Gobbo eyes Ga'Elian a moment, and the griffon, and then Ga'Elian again.
Morgan is floating in the air near where the Elian is helping with the evil staff of hair messing. "Is that a ring of fredom of movement?"
Ga'Elian nods. "It is. Very handy, no?"
"I'd be sorry too. In fact, I'd be down-right smarting and wishing quite fervently for someone to punch straight in the mouth." Roshani smiles in a concillatory fashion, gesturing to Choler. "Will they do? After all, if you stand on their foot-- they WOULD be quite a catch." Her attention moves slightly to Ga'Elian. She purses her lips slightly as if trying to remember, then brightens. She nods gratefully towards him.
Azteg has a lit pipe in between super sharp teeth, puffing away and exhaling. He has a hat shoved down on his head and his gear flops around a little bit as he moves along the streets. He lifts a hand to Morgan and Ga'Elian and the others he recognizes as the little Gobber begins to eat up the distance, sweet and spicy smoke exhaled from the bowl portion of his pipe.
Shizin blinks at Roshani and shakes that long hair back and forth in a definate 'no' pattern. It seems to be more instinctive than informitive as Shizin has noticed Roshani's clouded eyes and guessed at the purpose of the offending cane. Shyly Shizin smiles at Ga'Elian. "I need one." The elf motions toward the ring in question. Then suddenly there's a light laugh from Shizin, a sound so sweet as to be musical in nature. Cautiously Shizin takes another step away from Roshani; subtly.
The Gobbo in furs blinks at Roshani, looking confused. "You wish to punch me in the face?", she wonders, looking as if she does not quite know how to handle this information. She glances at Shizin, and says to Roshani. "He's a Dawn elf, with quite the head of dark blue hair. He's a keeper if he knows how to make a woman happy." Choler looks to Shizin then. "Do you know how to make a woman happy? She just might keep you, then." She sniffs then and blinks, looking at the pipe smoking Goblin coming their way. The Gobbo slowly makes her way behind Roshani.
Foxx sniffs as well, and looks over towards the gobber that is approaching. "Well now. Never thought ah'd see such a tiny chimney." he then chuckles before he looks to Choler. "Ah wouldn't worry too much about that Gobber dere." He says putting the cigar back in his mouth. ""e's 'armless unless you've done som'tin wrong."
Roshani tucks her staff tightly against her chest. She doesn't want to look startled, but it leaks around the edges of her demeanor of cheerful sarcasm every time that Morgan speaks. She loosens her grip when the tension between the rest of the group seems unbroken. "I think such a thing gets a poor reputation. After all, how is one ever to punch above one's weight otherwise?" She sighs, nodding towards Foxx. "But perhaps we can delay such a conversation for another day. I heard of the competing playhouses here in the district and had to experience it for myself. I'm new to the city and.. my feet, or rather the rest of me, goes places that it rather shouldn't."
It is perhaps - given Shizin's own discomfort - not surprising that the sildanyar notices Roshani's demeanor. The elf steps closer rather than further away, then closer still. "Allow me to escort you." The words carry easily in the night air, marking the elf male where nothing else suggests a gender. Shizin places one hand on the hand on the staff; lightly so as to not startle. "Please."
Azteg exhales a blast of sweet/spicy smoke, the smoke swirling around his little head as he approaches the group. "Friend Elf, Ga'Elian. Such a fine evening to meet you. And others." His accent is all hard 'K', Polish style Hobgoblin accent, that city state of Blar, despite his Gobber nature. Now closer, he does have martial gear about him; that holy symbol clasp that Fox noticed, bandoleer with spare ammunition and gunpowder, pistol in a crossdraw holster, warhammer, shield, other gear as arranged around his body including a pouch with one of those complex Goblin style knives that also function as a shovel, spade, knife, spoon, axe, so on.
The Gobbo whispers to Roshani then, though, loud enough to be heard by others. "He wants to escort you. Probably to somewhere where you two can be alone." She nods and offers a thumbs up to Shizin. Looking to Foxx, she cants her head slightly. Then Azteg speaks and the Gobbo goes back to hiding behind Roshani.
"Oh. Perhaps that would be best. I do find myself in need of aid from time to time." She nods to him with tenative grace when they place a hand on the staff. Perhaps spurred on by the Gobber behind her or perhaps by her own tendancies -- There is a book of mischievious thoughts that flicker across Roshani's plainly open face. Being this close gives one a preview of coming attractions and the option of just letting her faceplant for her sins. She takes a tentative half step forwards and then falls, stubbing her leather boot on the roadway as she topples in a swoon.
Foxx simply looks down at Roshani as she falls over. "Ain't you a klutz." He says rather bluntly before he looks to Azteg. "Enginebreaker. Wha brings you 'ere to this neck o' the woods?"
Shizin immediately acts, catching Roshani before any damage can be done. It is done with enough grace that it almost looks like a dance move, the elf's fingers curling around Roshani's body and pulling close this other body so that they are together rather than with one of them rolling around on the ground. Then with gentleness Shizin settles Roshani on foot once more with just a glance toward Foxx's unkind comment that earns nothing more than that singular look. "Come, I will lead you."
"Heresy, His will and sheer happenstance, friend, perhaps not in that order," says the pipe smoking Gobber to the big man, peering up at him underneath his hat, shoving the hat back. "Worry not, no particular mission brings me here, this evening. Just walking off a large plate for dinner, yes? A walk helps the constitution before evening meditations and prayers, yes?"
The be-furred Goblin's eyes widen as the Veyshanti begins to fall, but holds herself still as the blue-haired Elf reacts. Blinking a few moments, she giggles then, grinning toothily. She reaches up to path Roshani on the shoulder. "You'll have to tell me all about it later.", she says in a scratchy, conspiratorial voice. She eyes Azteg then. "Sure a walk can help, when yer not being blown all over the darn street." Choler stretches and pulls her hood back over her head, and turns, heading further into the theatre distric."
Roshani turns her face away, hair shrouding her face as she struggles to control her victorious expression. When deposited back on her feet, her smile melts into something a little more sincere as she listens to the conversations going on around them. She squeezes his hand. "Thank you." That at least, seems genuine. "Lead on." She pats the Goblin's hand before they withdraw, chuckling softly.
Strike emerges from one of the playhouses with a vaguely introverted cast to her features, her staff carrying it's usual cadence as a walking stick as she rejoins the foot traffic of the main thoroughfair, just in time for a distinctive train of blue hair to draw the eye. Her attention alights upon her brief acquaintance of some nights ago just as he takes to dancing with the dark haired woman. She notes the goblins about the pair, but doesn't have enough to make a solid conjecture upon, but, nonetheless finds her feet taking her closer.
"Don' feel bad, shorty. I've been here a while for no particular reason at all." Foxx says with a chuckle and watches as the elves withdraw. "Such low tolerance fer tha truth. Ah well." he says as he toses down his cigar and stamps it out. he also has a pistol at his hip, but he's wearing a full body cloak....and a hat. he looks over at the Mul-blood on her way over. "Howdy." he says to Strike.
"Such is the way of life and fate, my tall well covered friend," says the short Gobber - Azteg, as he puffs on his pipe and glances up at Fox with a sharp flash of teeth that are all too sharp. "Good evenin', yes?" he adds to Strike.
Strike catches the man's greeting as her original landmark absconds with the dark haired one to build... companionship or somesuch. She appraises both males as their greetings come her way, and with a dip of her head, she decides to take the man's word "Howdy," for a spin, and then, to the Gobber, "It is that." she concedes amicably enough.
Azteg flicks his gaze at the other two, sketching a bow to Strike and offering a smile. He takes a last few puffs of his pipe before tapping it out into the street, grinding the embers into the dirt and rapping it against the edge of his palm. "Ah. MMMm. I believe I see some work down the street. Good sir, ma'am, evening, yes?" he asks as he trundles off.