Wednesday Social (Part 9)

The sun was beginning to settle now on the warehouse district. The hubub of the day dying down to bare murmurs and the occasional person wandering the street did so with a purposeful gate. Only one person seemed content to linger, wandering the shadowed streets without any sense of urgency at all. The tall Mul'niessa stood out, not only by the virtue of his race but by virtue of purpose. His dark clothes emphasized the darkness of his skin, the rings of silver and diamonds that glittered on his ears brought attention to them as well so that he walked in an air of twinkling light and shadows. Far behind him was a group of five men, their eyes sharp on the figure of the shadow elf as he walked along. It was clear from the weight of their gaze that they meant nothing good by stalking some distance behind him. However he didn't seem to notice, keeping that rolling graceful stride as he turned down an alleyway.

And not far off, enjoying an ice cream cone, a bronze-skinned woman in simple sleeveless blue robes and her light brunette hair braided and pulled up into a bun held in place by one small stick of wood in the center. Chloe is just meandering along the warehouse district, it's a bit quieter here, contemplating as she munches away with small nibbles on the cold dessert, until she notices the group tagging along behind the dark skinned fellow. They also follow him into the alley, so nonchalantly, she follows along a good ten paces behind them, still licking her ice cream cone.

Aya emerges from the Adventurers' Guild, beginning her evening somewhat early. In this instance, it may be an attempt to obtain better contracts before they are taken by others. If the expression on her face is any indication, she may not have proven successful.

As the men round the alleyway the Mul'niessa man stops in his tracks, casually looking over his back and then smiling warmly at them. "Can I help you gentlemen?" Almost in unison they look at one another, suddenly uncertain. Then they gain courage from the presence of their comrades and one of them speaks up.

"Yea, you can stand still there and let us pummel on ya!"

It's clearly not the most carefully crafted threat, but the Mul'niessa man doesn't seem perturbed at all. Instead his smile widens into a threatening grin. "I will have to decline your invitation." With that he speaks a few arcane words and thick red flames start to gather together in his hand.

GAME: Chloe rolls perform/wind: (13)+8: 21

Aya glances over at the ...conversation, one brow arching. She makes her way in that direction; possibly to assist, possibly for a better view of the potential entertainment.

GAME: Daechir rolls 1d20: (2): 2
GAME: Daechir rolls Will: (18)+4: 22

One of the men, the one that had spoken up in fact turns away from his thoughts of violence and toward the sound of music. His gaze become limpid, his stance lack as he stares at her like she's a dream come true. Beside him one of his companions shakes him, but the others don't even notice, rushing toward the Mul'niessa who shrugs and snaps his fingers. Instantly the whole alleyway between him and the elvish girl grows dark. The men make terrified noises in the magical shadow that just appeared.

Yelrona is inspecting the burned-out husk of a nearby warehouse that had caught fire the night before when the sound of music catches her attention. Curious, she makes her way towards the source of it. She arrives to see Chloe playing, Aya standing nearby, and an alley plunged into unnatural darkness that she, not unreasonably, assumes Aya has something to do with. She wanders casually in the monk's direction.

"Oh..." Aya isn't startled by the darkness. Quite the opposite. The corners of her lips curl upwards and she vanishes from her current location to re-coalesce within the shadows. The most convenient and pleasant view possible.

GAME: Chloe casts Chord of Shards. Caster Level: 1 DC: 15

As the brunette Priestess continues to play a small glass orb begins to form in the air before her, and as the music reaches a crescendo, she lets out a final short but sharp note that cracks the sphere and sends several crystalline shards out in a cone towards the darkness where the ruffians had been occupying before the darkness sucked up the last vestiges of the afternoon sun between the warehouses in the alleyway. As she finishes her performance she spins the flute about the fingers of her left hand and then takes two steps back from the edge of the darkness, to notice Yelrona! She lifts up her right hand, showing the Symbol of Eluna held in the center of her palm by the network of wrapped linen and leather, and waves at the other Sil.

GAME: Daechir rolls 1d20: (13): 13
GAME: Daechir rolls Reflex: (20)+3: 23 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Chloe rolls 2d6: (5): 5
GAME: Aya rolls reflex: (1)+12: 13 (EPIC FAIL)

Yelrona is a bit taken aback to see Aya vanish, while Chloe does... something interesting... to the darkness. Suspecting that there's a very quiet fight going on... and being somewhat primed for that these days... she draws her bow and waits attentively.

With several between herself and the sudden shower of sharp sharps, Aya is far from concerned. Alas, that is when Daechir deftly ducks, barring a path for a peck of pointed projectiles to penetrate her person.

There is the sound of screams from within the darkness, and then a moment later Daed pops out, actually several feet above Chloe's feet as he'd used the walls of the alleyway to climb out of reach of the ruffians and also to evade her spell. He lands behind the flutist in silence and arches a dark eyebrow at her. "Were you trying to help me? That is a very dangerous spell to shoot into the dark."

Daed's sudden appearance, and the screams from the dark, do nothing to reassure Rona. She moves quickly -- quite a bit faster than normal -- towards Chloe and Daed. "What's going on?" she asks.

GAME: Chloe rolls perform/wind: (16)+8: 24 GAME: Chloe casts Summon Minor Monster. Caster Level: 1 DC: 15 GAME: Chloe rolls 1d3: (2): 2

Rather than answer, Chloe smiles gently and brings the flute back up to her lips. She starts slow, but the melody quickly transforms into trilling notes that climb the scale. As she does this, several shapes begin to form fluttering about in the air between her and the darkness, then the excitable squeak of bats as the pair of winged creatures swoop into the darkness and begin harassing the ruffians.

Aya appears in Chloe's immediate vicinity, disintegrating wisps of shadow in her wake. Several shards still protrude from her wrappings, amidst small flecks of red stain. Her eyes are nearly as red as she glares at Chloe and reaches up to plug one or more openings of her flute with one hand.

Daechir immediately notes the injuries on Aya and moves toward her gently. "How badly hurt are you?" There are more screams from inside the darkness that shows no sign of evaporating anytime soon.

Yelrona blinks at Aya's bloody arrival, focuses her attention more intently on the shadowy alley, and then blinks again as Aya seems more focused on the Seer (who is surprisingly bardic) than whatever attacked her. Then she remembers what Daed said, and puts two and two together. "...do you need healing?"

There was music, and screaming, and the chirp of bats, and then there was just screaming as the end of the detailed silver flute is covered by Aya's palm. Chloe pulls the instrument from her lips and pouts a little before she reaches out gingerly with her right hand, placing it on Aya's forearm and a suddenly bright white light glows from her palm, a sudden burst as it presses against the edges of the darkness and the other part of the alley for several feet is lit up in the white light. As the positive energy travels over even the ruffians in the darkness, wounds heal up as blood dries.

GAME: Chloe rolls 1d6: (1): 1

Aya blinks at the sudden flash of light and lowers her hand. "Do not do that again..." Her glare is less, though she still seems annoyed. To Yelrona, she waves a hand dismissively. "I am fine."

Daechir nods and seems to relax slightly at Aya's words. The screams have died off in the alleyway, and a few men crawl out of the darkness only to run away as quickly as they can after reaching the light. The others presumably are nursing their wounds, or went the other way. "Just some men who seemed less than welcoming." Daechir watches those fleeing with displeasure in his red eyes before he dismisses them. "I appreciate the help."

Chloe tucks the silver flute back into the folds of her robes along her chest and nods lightly, then turns her head to look at the splat mess of her discarded ice cream cone, then looks up to Daechir, "You can thank me by getting me more ice cream." She nods gently with a light smile on her lips before glancing between Aya and Yelrona, a slight shrug given in response to the warning, "Sorry, I didn't see you go in there."

Yelrona laughs. "Well, considering who they messed with, they're lucky they got away intact." Regarding the fleeing scoundrels, she adds "I don't think they're from this neighborhood. If they're smart they won't come back."

When the doors to the Adventurer's Guild swing open next for some officious looking clerk, a rather loud music can be heard rolling out of it. Sounds like some gathering likely-bards, or at least musicians, is playing within.

Daechir ignores Chloe's suggestion of more icecream, but flashes a smile that is all teeth at Yelrona's suggestion that the men were lucky to make it out in one piece. "I think that they will regret it enough when they wake up tomorrow."

"For their sake, I hope they are smart..." Aya plucks bits from her clothing and brushes them clear. She steps back from Chloe and glances towards the sounds of more music.

Yelrona nods. "I expect they regret it now." Then she tilts her head to one side, intrigued by the music from the Guildhouse: apparently Chloe wasn't the only performer in the area. "Friends of yours?" she asks her countrywoman, before heading towards the door, curiously.

"The wouldn't have left any other way in my presence." Chloe comments with an incredulous look at Yelrona before shaking her head. Then her attention is grabbed by music drifting down the alleyway and without a second thought the young half-Sil is caught up in the mechanications of the big city, bounding off to return to the street and find the source of the commotion. As the door closes to the Guild and the music is dampened once more, Chloe glances back the way she came, motions with a large wave that she should be followed, then disappears from the mouth of the alleyway as she goes to enter the Guild's hall.

Daechir is less interested than the others, but seeing their interest he follows in their wake. Yelrona opens the Guildhouse door and walks in, curious.

Once inside the Guild entry way, the sound of the music becomes way more apparent. It's a jaunty Rosalian tune, being played by a handful of musicians who are working to the (un)amusement of the Guild Clerks and those there on official business.

Astaren is making his way into the adventurers guild and heading straight for the job board. He does pause at the sound of music, then continues on to the board. Where he starts to look things over thoughtfully.

GAME: Chloe rolls perform/wind: (10)+8: 18

Chloe walks in a bit so she's not in the way and then stands, watching the movement of official business beside the merriment of performance. After listening for a little she pulls her flute back out of her robes, the delicate engravings glinting in the sunlight coming through the windows in the early evening and begins to play along with the other performers.

GAME: Yelrona rolls perform/percussion: (19)+2: 21

Yelrona appreciates the music and begins to drum cheerily on a nearby wall with her gloved hands, providing a back-beat for Chloe and the others.

Aya just recently exited the Guild, but now ventures back inside. There were no interesting contracts, but that was then. There may well be new ones, if only to rid the Guild of undesired buskers.

Daechir stares at the line of performers, clearly uncertain what to make of them, particularly once the others start to join in. So he shrugs and leans against a wall to watch the performance.

"How long before they have their instruments removed, do you think?" Aya arches a brow as she inquires of Daechir on the over-under.

Yelrona considers the question, and the room. "I give them fifteen minutes, tops. Less," she adds with a smirk, "if they start casting spells with them."

Astaren glances over from the job board, "They could be bards, may not be kicked out at all. Nothing wrong with a little music." shrugging his shoulders and then goes back to looking at the board, "Sigh, nothing interesting..."

Chloe gives a sidelong glance at Yelrona at her comment but continues following along with the beat of the music being played, her flute trilling as her fingers dance across the silver.

GAME: Chloe rolls perform/wind: (20)+8: 28

"They're here with permission for now. Lenience, at least," adds a tired looking, heavily scarred, three fingered Oruch who looks like he has an increasingly bad head ache from the increasing percussion Yelrona has added into.

Daechir nods to the orc. "So they may be here for some time yet."

"OK, I'll bite," Rona asks the Oruch. "Why does the Guild have a performing orchestra tonight?"

Constantin arrives, having followed the music. He's smiling, happy -- and some of it is even good, too. He doffs his plumed hat, looking around. "So, what's the happy occasion?"

Aya nods to Yelrona then asks the oruch, "Are they here for any particular reason?"

Chloe continues playing along with the entertainers, shifting her weight to lean a shoulder against the wall, as she sticks near Yelrona and the others that had arrived in their sortee. As Constantin speaks up her honey-brown eyes turn to regard him and then she shrugs a shoulder gently as her fingers shift across the small engraved flute to continue producing soft melodic notes intermixed with sharper trills.

The three fingered Oruch remains in line. He's one of those fellas with business to do, you know.

"No idea, your royal Mul'ness," he tells Aya. "Just know that they're out of Rosalia, said something about touring the region before they broke into the music," he lets out a weary sigh. "It should be a god damn Oruch opera," he complains. 

The musical interlude's pace is accelerating however and it would appear that they can play AND dance. Talented humans.

Morgan comes in the area with a little dragon following her "I dont have any of that in the guild, but if I do he can use all he needs." The psudodragon flys off." She takes a look around and notices some people she knows and gives them a wave.

Yelrona says "hah blar eee eee waugh waugh grnd eee grr rar eee kah rar kah blar waugh blek rar rar" <unknown>

Constantin glances back at the doorway -- pseudodrago... and it flies off. He gives Morgan a wave, though, then turns back to watch the music, foot tapping.

Yelrona has a bad feeling about this, but goes along with it anyway. She pulls a couple of drumsticks out of her pack and begins drumming along with the band more seriously.

Morgan gives Constantin a wave in returns and joins his side "So what’s new, oh I used the lovely flowers you gave me to season some bath salts. I have not touched the whiskey yet."

"Everybody Dies When THey Were In Town Last Week is a /classic/," replies Three Fingers to Yelrona. That's the actual title, of course.

"Saw it, loved it."

He replies to Yelrona in trade, apparently conversant in it enough that he doesn't feel the need to swap for the time being.

Meanwhile, music is continuing to blare ever louder, ever faster.

Astaren jumps at the sight of a psudodragon, 'chip... oh not you." looking happy that his psudodragon is not around. Then glances to the dancing and backs away a moment, "The hairs on my neck..." pondering and then waving to Morgan.

Yelrona shrugs. Or, well, she doesn't shrug, exactly, as her arms are occupied cheerfully with drumming on some poor clerk's desk. But she looks like she's thinking about drumming. "No idea, honestly. Just an impromptu concert, it seems."

GAME: Chloe rolls perform/wind: (20)+8: 28

Chloe is not that talented, dancing and playing would result in a tripped priestess or a dropped flute, neither of which seems appealing. So she stays leaned up against the wall, keeping perfect pace with the rest of the performers as the tempo rises and the notes become more demanding.

The musicians don't seem to mind the additional accompaniment. In fact, a couple of them briefly stop what they're doing to cheer Yelrona and Chloe on in their efforts, inviting them with waveing hands to come join them.

Morgan nods "Well this is a good place for music and not many will be anoyed by it."

GAME: Constantin rolls perform/dance: (15)+3: 18

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that Rona both suspects that something is a bad idea, and is compelled to go along with it anyway. The thing about living for such long lifespans is, if you start being cautious in your first couple of centuries, you'll end up paralyzed by your 500th birthday. So she accepts the musicians' invitations, then begins to really get into it.

Constantin starts dancing, because why not? There's music, there's a good beat, it's called Everybody Dies When They Were In Town Last Week! What's not to like? He steps lively, then looks around for victi-- partners.

A certain priest of Althea, attracted by the sound of music and dancing, wanders into the area from the direction of the hospital, where he was doubtless finishing up an evening of work. Only to find that there is, in fact, music and dancing.

Noticing the attention, Chloe stops her playing with color flooding her cheeks. She gently bows her head and hand in acknowledgement, but she stays where she is, returning to playing along from her own little corner of the Hall.

GAME: Chloe rolls perform/wind: (13)+8: 21

Yelrona adds to the Oruch, "They're holding auditions now for 'Aktuh and Maylota'."

Astaren is still standing by the job board, watching the players and dancers. he shakes his head slowly as he sighs, "never could keep a beat." moving over to find someplace to sit.

Vaalyun makes his way towards the Guild and the band, clapping quietly along with the beat. His skills certainly aren't in making music - he gets by in the Temple only because the other Altheans are chanting too and drown out his discordant notes.

Like some of the others Daechir simply doesn't know what to do, aside from clapping his hands in time to the rhythm, and moving a bit further away from the source of the music itself.

Yelrona nods to Vaalyun as the priest arrives. She would wave, but she's busy drumming.

Constantin makes his rounds, dancing, as people turn away. He looks for potential partners, spinning through the crowd.

GAME: Chloe rolls perform/wind: (13)+8: 21

The brunette priestess of Eluna begins to shift her playing away from the music being produced at large, turning it more into a melodic yet melancholy tune that clashes and yet somehow compliments the preppier, faster paced song performed by the others. Layering the music together as she lets her eyes close and her mind drifts away.

With a few murmured words the sound of twinkling bells is added to the sound of the music and Daechir pulls away from the wall, joining Constantin with a little nod of his head. "If you do not mind me as a partner."

Constantin aims weaponized dimples at Daechir, and pulls him into the dance. "Absolutely not -- let's go!"

Meanwhile, the party is happily continuing. Why, even some of the dour and grim clerks are having to give in to the allure of fancy Rosalian music!

Daechir smiles a small smile as he is pulled into the dance, listening to the music that he is now helping create. It's clear that he is not a professional dancer by any means, but he has a natural fluidic grace that comes through as he moves his body in time to the music.

Constantin keeps dancing, twirling, and generally being a lovely dance partner. He looks at Daechir, "Shall we pull more in?"

With his bad leg, Vaalyun isn't going to be dancing - and he resists any attempt to get him to do so - but he does cheer on the others. Maybe he can find a triangle or something to play along. That would be about his speed.

Chloe brings her melody to a sickly sweet ending, the twinned notes on her flute slowing dying to obscurity as they are swallowed by the more joyous music playing just a little deeper inside the hall. Quietly she pulls the flute from her lips and tucks it away into her robes. She turns to those that had followed her in and see them otherwise engaged, so instead she steps to the door and makes her retreat into the evening silently as the sun begins to dip below the western horizon, headed for the temple district to find lodgings at the Temple for the night.

Daechir makes an amused noise and smiles. "I think that everyone who is going to dance is. You only just convinced me to dance by dancing alone."

Constantin sighs. "They're missing out." And he keeps dancing, because that's what you do -- keep dancing.

More people DO join in. The extra music is helping, what, for as long as it lasts. Sooner or later, the impromptu dance party DOES have to break up.

That's life, though.

-End-