Open [The Syliras Theater] Dancing in the Rain

[Lyrri Snowsong]

15th of Autumn, 513 AV

Having come south in the Spring, Lyrri hadn't seen much rain in Sylira. In fact, it never rained in the perpetual frostlands of her birth; so naturally she had wondered, is the rain as nice as it sounds?

Thus far, it was not.

The bard looked irately out at the sky; flecks of red-orange lit her primarily yellow eyes as she pulled her bright but damp cloak tightly about her, fretting- as she so often did in this weather- over her well-loved wooden flute. She had hoped to play in the Theater Square today, and that would be rather difficult with a waterlogged instrument.

She arrived to find the area in an uproar. Two equally colorful and equally damp gentleman were flailing about enthusiastically, carefree grins and encouraging eyes splattered over their faces. Some had already decided to join them; others, hidden under bags, blankets and the like, were watching with laughter and contemplating joining in.

Lyrri couldn't help but smile. Much as this sopping, all-consuming death-water was to her distaste... It did look awfully fun!

And it couldn't hurt to add a bit more music, right?

Racing to a narrowly-shielded wall of the open courtyard, the girl removed her cloak in a grand, sweeping gesture and placed it over her head and shoulders. Taking a surprisingly humble seat, she inched her flute out from a tall boot and looked at it thoughtfully. What song to play first?

[Lyrri Snowsong]

Happy.

A cheerful scene needed cheerful music, right?

With a slight bounce, Lyrri brought the instrument to her lips. She had been practicing this one for days!

The first note, albeit cautious, was full of excitement and anticipation. Lyrri almost brought her smile back, something that surely would have turned the song right away to a screeching mess. She paused. Inhaled. Blew again.

The melody was meandering but cheerful, wandering through what little Lyrri could make of the scales; she glanced up as she played, and felt a rush of happiness at the perfect sight of dancers through a window pane of water. Bright, pale green overcame the yellow, and she turned her face down again in her attempts to stifle a smile.

[Daniel Connor]

Daniel donned his cloak, pulling the hood up to shield his head from the rain. His eyes, noramly a blue grey, were devoid of all color. They looked similar to the dark clouds that loomed above the great castle. He patted his pocket, making sure that he had remembered to take his coin purse. Seeing that he had indeed remembered, he set off to Theater Square to watch the festivities that would surely be taking place. As he approached, the sounds of merriment filled his ears. He allowed himself a small grin, happy that fall was well on its way. The rain was annoying, but he maintained a love/hate relationship with Syrilan weather. It had started to grow on him as of late, enjoying how fresh the fall of water could make everything seem. Though, rain had nothing on a fine dusting of snow, which was able to make even the most run down street look pleasant and pure. Watching two men dance about, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, Daniel stood on the edge of the mass, clapping and encouraging them to continue with a shout. A sweet melody swept across his ears, that of a Vantha flute. His clapping slowed as he stood enchanted by the nostalgic notes. He looked about the square for the source of the sound, his eyes coming to rest on a young woman with black hair, with eyes of pale green. Between her body’s build and her eye color, which upon further inspection appeared to fluctuate, he deduced that she was a fellow Vantha. He approached her, his eyes flowing into a deep blue purple. Ever the showman, he praised, “That is very beautiful, and played with such skill. Tell me, which Hold to you hail from? It has been a while since I have seen one like me around.”

[Lyrri Snowsong]

"It has been a while since I have seen one like me around."

Lyrri looked up in shock, a subtle but plentiful array of colors lighting her eyes as her music trailed off quietly. There stood a cloaked man, his eyes a noticeable shade of blue-violet that seemed to shift just as hers did. She lowered her flute and smiled brightly up at the stranger- it had taken her a moment to realize he was speaking Vani.

"I'm a Snowsong, of course," she replied merrily, the lyrical language tripping slightly on her out-of-practice tongue. "Lyrri Snowsong. And you?"

"Of course. It's not every day you see another Vantha so far from Avanthal," the bard grinned. "And thank you for the compliment. I take it you recognized the tune?" Lyrri was glad to have gotten it right; it was something she had heard night after night in the Snowsong hold, one which had faded in her memory for the longest time. An amber wave of nostalgia swept through her irises. Then, her smile widened, and she motioned for the man to sit.

[Daniel Connor]

“Daniel Connor, formerly Skyglow. I had to change it, as, in my line of work, a less fluffy name is needed. Pleased to meet you!” he said, giving her a charming smile. His eyes flashed yellow, delighted to be talking in his native tongue. “Yes, I remember listening to it as a child,” he answered, the words rolling out of his mouth much akin to a bird’s song. He liked her, her smile was bright in contrast with the grey weather and served to life his mood. She gestured for him to sit, and so the mercenary reclined next to the bard, relieved to be sitting after having walked through out Syliras. “How long have you been in Syliras?” he asked, his eyes turning a forest green, “I have lived here for quite some time. I left my Hold when I entered my teen years. My parents were killed, so there was nothing for me there but sad memories. I suppose I will have to go back eventually, but I do not plan on uprooting myself any time soon. I have a life here.” He could have gone on, but he did not want to seem like he was self centered; he had been rambling. He took the time after he spoke to take in her petite features, savoring the familiarity that came with them. The coming of winter marked the exact date 20 years ago when his parents had been murdered by raiders, and he planned to raise an extra glass in their names. He blinked, the clouds in his eyes clearing.

[Lyrri Snowsong]

Lyrri couldn't help but laugh as the Vantha- Daniel- explained his name change. "Fluffy, are they?"

"Pleased to meet you, too!" A flicker of green accompanied each word; it had been too long since the girl had used her native tongue. As Daniel sat, Lyrri pulled down the cloak laying over her head and dropped it over her flute- she supposed her music could wait.

The downpour seemed to reach toward her, throwing little droplets at her newly exposed shoulders. "How long have you been in Syliras?"

The man explained his reasons for leaving; a mournful teal color washed over Lyrri's eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said lamely, glancing down as she trailed off. She had never truly experienced death, couldn't begin to imagine what it was like. What was there to say?

She looked back at him to answer the original question, noting that his eyes were clearer now. The smile returned, if a bit more melancholy. "I've only been here for less than a year," she admitted. "I left Avanthal in the Spring; I suppose I'll have to return there as well, but I want to see much more of the world first!" Lyrri had never truly thought about 'having a life here'- in fact, she couldn't picture staying in any one place for so long.

She expelled the sadder thoughts with a frantic shake of her head; things like that could wait. Her smile again widened. "So what brings you here on such a dismal day?"

[Daniel Connor]

Daniel took of his hood in a fluid motion, sweeping his hair into place with a hand. He sighed, troubled with thoughts of his parents. He felt bad for pressing his troubles on her so soon after they had met, his iris becoming streaked with a dull yellow. He was touched that she would shed a tear for him, nearly a complete stranger, except their common home. It turned out that she was relatively new to the city, only coming late spring of this year. He had been here for just over eight, slowly working up the ranks in his profession, becoming a respected colleague to some, and a feared adversary to others. Lyrri somehow managed to constantly have a genuine smile on her face, he could not do other than follow suit. He wondered how often she traveled, traveling was either dangerous or expensive, sometimes both in the harsh wilderness that was this part of Mizahar. Do you perform for a living? You are certainly good enough to, and that would allow for a lot of traveling. Tell me, when do you plan on leaving Syliras? Not for a while I hope,” Daniel asked, his eyes turning a light purple as he spoke. Daniel pondered her question. Why was he here? Same reason as everyone else, I suppose, to enjoy the festivities. Though, my priorities have changed some,” he said, giving her a charming grin, accompanied with a wink.

OOCWhat would you have this relationship become? It could amount to nothing, build a strong friendship, or develop into love.

[Lyrri Snowsong]

OOCAh, I honestly hadn't thought about it~ I suppose a friendship for now?

Also sorry for the delay, and the semi-lame post. ^^;

"I do," she answered enthusiastically. "I play at the Herald's Arms."

"Soon, I think," she continued, wondering what the changes in his eyes meant- it had been a long time since she'd tried to decipher something like that. "I suppose I'll have to wait out the winter, but I think it's about time for a change, eh?" She looked back to the festivities with a contented sigh. Another flash of green; much as Lyrri enjoyed life in Syliras, she couldn't help but be thrilled by the prospect of something new. After the dullness of the past summer, and all the time spent in a small, musty apartment, the girl couldn't wait to find a new home- she only needed to decide where it might be.

But these were only more thoughts that didn't need to be dug up at the moment. She looked back at Daniel, gave a small chuckle at his wink. "Sounds reasonable enough."

"So what do you do for a living, Skyglow?"

[Daniel Connor]

“Herald’s arms?” he mused, “Nice! That is quite of an achievement, though I would not know such things.” He always had been awed by musicians and their ability to produce wondrous sounds with their breath. He once had played a trumpet, his fathers, but had stopped when he died, keeping the horn polished and unused. He had lost most, if not all of his skills in the long years since. Daniel’s face fell when Lyrri said she would be leaving soon, his eyes turning their normal blue grey, slightly darker than normal though. She continued to say that she would be staying out the winter, and he nodded. Harsh winters were hard to travel through, though he was sure a Vantha could do it, as they were born with thick blood built for low temperatures. She inquired about his profession. Now, he was quite proud of his high standings as a mercenary, but he feared what she would think of him. He hoped that she would see his position as a valuable one and admire him for it. Melodically, he boasted, “I am a mercenary, a highly skilled one too, if I do say so myself. Not the most constant work, but it puts food on the table and gold in my purse.” On a more somber note, ”If you would like to know how I came into this situation, I shall tell the tale. But I warn you, it is not the most pleasant of stories.”

OOCNo problem! Sorry this did not come out yesterday, I was swamped

[Lyrri Snowsong]

OOCNo worries! I've been feeling particularly slow... ^^;

Lyrri gave yet another broad grin; she had never thought of working at the Herald as a real accomplishment, but she had never been one to turn down any praise. And wasn't it just a bit fantastic that she had come so far in such short time outside of Avanthal? She certainly thought so, and she refused to question it beyond that.

His eyes darkened as the bard spoke of leaving Syliras. Was that... Sadness? Her face took on a more melancholy air. Why would someone like him be concerned with an absolute stranger? She supposed it was because she was a Vantha; still, she wished she could give better news.

As always, she was immediately distracted. "A mercenary," she repeated, nearly forgetting all that came before in her fascination. "I would love to hear, if it's not too much trouble!" Lyrri bounced excitedly, practically oblivious to Daniel's dark inflection. Mercenaries had the best stories!

He's awfully proud of it, too, she noticed cheerfully. He's funny- certainly interesting!

"What sort of work do you do, anyway?"