Open [The Syliras Theater] Dancing in the Rain

[Daniel Connor]

Daniel built up his bravado, about to weave a story of high caliber. “Well, I got set on this path at age 16, when gangs would beat me and I would be stolen from daily. It was a dark time in my life where there was not much happiness to be found. A mage took me in and taught me how to fight using the magic of Flux. The ganks began to fear me, as I started to get less bruises and dish out more broken bones. They eventually decided it would be in their best interest to recruit me, earning their respect and this ink,” he pulled up his cloak sleeve, revealing a snake’s head on his muscular forearm, its body trailing of towards his chest. Continuing, “At age 19 I left them, traveling to Syliras,” he made a sweeping motion of his arms, “Where I found that the only valuable skills I still possessed were ones of being a Mercenary. They were not the right types of combat for being a knight, though I bet I could beat any no master knight in Syliras one on one, provided they were using a sword or spear.” Having finished his tale, Daniel smiled warmly at her. At her next question, he thought of how much to reveal to her. Deciding to be truthful, he said, “I assist anyone in need of assistance. It is usually protection jobs. Or more offensive things, like debt collection or...more serious punishments that would not be carried out by this town’s knights.”

[Lyrri Snowsong]

He was a Vantha if she'd ever seen one, a man who told tales with an innate sense of purpose. Sure, his skills could do with some refining, but Lyrri, an amateur storyteller herself, certainly wasn't one to judge. She listened intensely, a barrage of questions skidding through her head. Where in Avanthal did you run into these gangs? Why wouldn't they let up? What was the mage's name? Is it fun to break bones? Look at that tattoo! She tried to limit herself to the most intriguing ones, so as not to ruin the story. First: "How does Flux magic... Erm... Work?"

At the next claim, she smiled. Daniel knew how to tell a story; he also seemed to be almost as full of himself as her. She wondered if it was a trait naturally gained by her people, born performers as they were, or if it was a happy coincidence. Regardless, this makes it all the more fun, she decided, and continued with another question.

"And what types of combat are those?"

Finally he answered the bard's initial question. She eyed him intently, yellow irises flecked with pale purples and an odd amber light. She shouldn't ask; it was probably a dark road to travel down, and surely the mercenary didn't want to answer something like that. And yet...

"Do you kill?"

[Daniel Connor]

Daniel smiled at her first question, glad she had asked about his magic. He picked up a stone from the ground and placed it between his palms. He looked to see if they were under the gaze of any guards of the city, then, satisfied that they were not paying any attention to him, he furrowed his brow in concentration. He felt his energy flow out of his legs and lower torso and into his arms, which seem to glow, but it could have just as easily be a trick of the light. He grunted as he forced his arms together, crushing the bit of masonry into small pebbles. Opening his palm, he explained, “That was Flux. I transfered my Djid flow from my lower body into my arms, making me be able to crush this bit of stone here. It can be dangerous though, for example using it in a heat of rage might make my muscles explode.” He let out a chuckle, even though he was not kidding about the consequences that could occur. “Being a knight requires weapon skills, like with swords and a bow. They think unarmed is pointless, but after a certain level, you become a weapon. And with flux I can bend swords and dent armor.” He was happy that she seemed to be entertained by his storytelling abilities, even out of practice as he was. His eyes turned the color that seemed to convey the feeling of a warm hearth surprisingly well. Daniel froze at her final question, asked in a soft voice. Emotions breached his thick, hardened mask, the faces of those that had died to his hand flashing in front of him. He had never wanted to kill, and did so only out of necessity. But if you put aside reasoning, yes, he was a killer. His eyes were full of shame as he bowed his head and murmured, “Yes, I do kill,” he looked up at her, his eyes glistening uncharacteristically, “I try to avoid it whenever I can, but…” He trailed off, his eyes flicking between a brick red and an icy blue.

OOCGood question! I hope she will not think badly of him.

[Lyrri Snowsong]

OOCAww, I think it'll be okay~

Also sorry for the slowness (again)!! Deadlines... >_>

The bard was entranced even before the magic began. As if it were expected, Daniel picked up a stone and held it between his palms. He looked about secretively, then fixated on the object with a look of deep concentration. For a while Lyrri only blankly watched his furrowed brow, unsure of what was happening behind his eyes- then...

Was he glowing?

Yes, he was definitely glowing!

Her eyes grew wider, sparking with lime green. She watched wordlessly, mouth slightly agape, as the Vantha man began to crush the bit of rock with what seemed like brute force. Finally it was reduced to rubble, and he met Lyrri's shocked gaze with an explanation.

"Flux," she repeated as if turning the word over in her head. The girl had known what Flux was in that it was magic, it existed, and other people knew about it; she had never seen something like that! She stared off into space, processing the magical feat she had just witnessed. Djed flow... Able to crush... Muscles explode. And, after an oddly long pause, she finally burst out:

"That's incredible!"

Lyrri grinned delightedly as Daniel launched into her next question, eyes full of a comfortable, welcoming light. Of course, the Skyglow had fair points to support his unarmed training. Weapons were useful in most situations, but that didn't mean hand-to-hand was entirely useless, right? In fact, it was rather important, in her not-so-humble opinion.

Still. "You're awfully sure of yourself," she said jokingly. "What happens if I come after you with a crossbow? It'll be hard to break it to splinters with a bolt in your knee, eh?"

And now the serious question. The one she probably shouldn't have asked. The Snowsong's face grew solemn, expression questioning but still strangely mournful of the answer that was sure to come. Most tended to assume that murder was part of any mercenary's job; she didn't wish to assign any stereotypes, but it struck her as an inevitability. Still, she could tell that Daniel was a good man. Not just because he was a Vantha; he was kind in his own right. Hence, she was unsurprised at his answer; but she couldn't help but be surprised at the level of emotion he attempted to conceal.

Lyrri stared at the mixing blues and reds in the man's eyes for only a moment before placing a hopefully-consolatory hand on his arm. "I understand," she offered, eyes filling with ultramarine accompanied again by that strange amber light. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

Yet, there was that strange voice that she had shoved to the back of her mind, the one that just loved to cause trouble. She couldn't help but wonder if it was right; couldn't help but wonder if it was forgivable, no matter the victim or the assailant. She wondered what she believed in. She wondered if she could be sure of something like that. She wondered...

Yet another thought for another time, eh?

[Daniel Connor]

Daniel’s heart warmed at Lyrri’s praise of his display of strength, and he cracked a smile at her. Rubbing his sore palms, one did not crush a rock unscathed, he thanked her, glad that she had enjoyed the small show he had put on. He growled playfully when she teased him, his eyes once again turning the color of a warm hearth. There was nothing like being in company who knows what Vantha eyes ment, one that did not stare at their color array like he was not there. ”No,” he chuckled, “A cross bow would not be good for one of my skills to fight against, but what if you miss? That is where things get interesting,” he countered, his eyes twinkling. After Daniel admitted to his crimes of morality, he felt a comforting hand on his arm, the contact causing warmth to blossom across his flesh. He looked up to find his gaze focused on her eyes, now taking on a deep blue that seemed to radiate amber. They showed true sorrow for what he had been through. Her empathy touched him, he smiled sadly, putting a comforting arm around her. Rain dribbled down into the square, small streams of water flowed around the two Vantha. Deep thoughts swirled around in his head; whether he had chosen the right path, what would his parents think of him now, and would they be ashamed? The familiar drumming was soothing to him, serving to relax him and to take his mind off the past. He stretched contentedly with a sigh, flexing his fingers in addition to the arms. He nudged her after they spent a minute in contented silence. “Bright side of my trade is that I get to have all of the cool weaponry,” he teased with a wink, suggesting that her crossbow had nothing on him. Holding up his right arm, he twitched his middle finger. With a small click, a blade sprung out of his sleeve, still attached to his gauntlet. It gleamed a faint red; poison. He turned his hand over to show, on the top of his wrist, a similar mechanism that shot small darts. He also showed her small studs on each gauntlet where a flat piece of metal or blades could attach, making his punches all the more deadly. ”What do you think? A nice piece of gadgetry, non?

OOCAlways the deadlines . Where would you like to go with this?

[Lyrri Snowsong]

OOCYeahhh. Going back to school in two days, so all of the things I procrastinated on are catching up. ^^; And what do you mean?

Lyrri gave a loud, careless laugh at his counter. "Could be, but I can keep a distance from you as long as I like. Especially on horseback, I can just shoot until I run out of bolts. How will you make things interesting if you can't catch me?" Her smile was lax, her eyes light. It was a rare occasion when she could talk to someone like Daniel, and she would enjoy it as much as possible.

When she attempted to comfort the man, he showed sad blue eyes that reflected a shade not unlike hers. He put an arm around her and she stiffened, an instinct that quickly softened with her smile. Sighing, she leaned forward and let herself sink into the rhythm of the rain, the drums, the laughter surrounding the two Vanthas. No, this really wasn't the time to worry.

After a moment he spoke, brought out his small, hardly noticeable weapons, compacted into fascinating little gadgets. He winked as if to say, do you still think you're going to get a second shot with that bow? The bard grinned broadly.

"Awfully pretty," she conceded, staring hard at the dainty mechanism that fired darts and comparing it to the crossbows she had grown up seeing; then she looked up at Daniel yet again, eyes filled with both curious delight and challenging skepticism. "Do you know how to use them?"

[Daniel Connor]

Lyrri produced a musical peal of laughter at Daniel’s playful teasing, he thought he could listen to that sound for eternity and still enjoy hearing it. ”Hmm, so you need a horse’s help to stand a chance?” he jested, returning her lazy smile with an equally lackadaisical one of his own. He was glad when she relaxed into him after a moment of tension, he knew how hard it was to fight instincts that have been drilled into you for years. They sat in a contented silence, perfectly satisfied to absorb the merriment that went on around them. He started to hum the tune she had been playing in a bass tone, reverberating in his chest. It was stuck in his head now, and probably would stay there for quite some time. Daniel’s eyes glinted with glee, his face full of mock hurt, ”Of course I know how to use them, I am not just a pretty face,” he gave her a grin, then continued, ”As for how it does what it does, I am afraid I am not the expert on this sort of stuff. All I know is when you press the button on the bottom, a dart shoots out of the top. Pretty simple.” He loaded an unpoisoned dart with a soft click, pointed his wrist at the wood door frame. He hit the button and it slammed into the edge with a thud. It was close to where he was aiming, but not exactly. But she would not know that. He quickly pulled the dart out, twisting it left and right, and replaced it in his pocket. ”Fun right?”

OOCI ment like what do you want to do in this thread before the end?

[Lyrri Snowsong]

OOCI've been gone for an entire week!! D:

I'm so sorry I disappeared on you. >_>

And I'm sorry for the weak post.

But hey, as far as social threads go, I think we could actually wrap this one up pretty soon~

Lyrri chuckled lightly, giving Daniel a playful look that said don't question me, I'll make you pay. "Of course not," she insisted, her language now floating from her lips as easily as her breath. "I'm just wondering how you could possibly stop me. I think by now I'd have killed you, making your little gadgets mine for the taking."

She matched the Vantha's grin, then watched carefully as he loaded the small dart into its proper place, aimed, and shot it into the wood with a gratifying thunk. the bard's smile widened.

"Of course it's fun," she said with a flash of green in her eyes. "You'll have to let me try it sometime!"

The rain lightened for a moment; yet again, she looked out on the merriment, now beginning to wind down but still just as heartwarming. Her eyes quickly ran to her cloak, protecting the Avanthal flute as best it could. She felt for it quickly, gave a small smile as her fingers ran over the strong, old wood, and finally looked back to her friend. "Should I play a bit more?"

[Daniel Connor]

Daniel hopped to his feet, looking from the slowly shrinking crowd of people to Lyrri. His legs were a bit stiff from sitting for too long on the hard ground, but it had been worth it to be in such company. His face fell when he realized soon he would have to switch back to the clunky language of common, though lyrical accent would remain with him. “Well, if not you, who else is going to deliver notes like honey onto these good people?” he asked her with a wink, his tone full of praise. Soon, as promised, sweet melodies were drifting through the air in theater square. It felt like he stood next to her for hours, watching people throw tips at her feet, eyes glistening as they were enchanted by the music. Daniel suddenly became aware of how long he had spent with Lyrri, time he would not have rather spent doing anything else, though he still had to make his living and keep his house. He needed to catch up on a few jobs, money did not collect itself after all, and the contractors were getting impatient. ”Lyrri, I have enjoyed our day together, but like all good things, it must come to an end. I would love to see you again sometime. I frequent the Rearing Stallion, you can find me there if you need me. And hey, “ he said with a grin, ”If you ever have a problem with someone, you know who to call. Though, I bet you can handle your self just fine.” He pulled her into a strong embrace, sad to be leaving her. He said goodbye one last time, waved, and started on the lonely walk back to his apartment.

OOCYay, you are alive! I thought that you might have left Mizahar, people do that. It is common in Syliras, unfortunately. Good thread!

[Perplexity]

Riddled with Rewards!

Lyrri

Musical Instrument: Flute	+1 XP
Socialization	+5 XP
Interrogation	+2 XP
Observation	+2 XP

Lores :

• Flute: Happy Song In the Dismal Rain
  
• Social Nuance: Home Sweet Home
  
• Daniel: Skyglow Vantha
  
• Flux: The Magic of Strength

Daniel

Observation	+1 XP
Socialization	+5 XP
Rhetoric	+2 XP
Flux	+1 XP

Lores :

• Observational Insight: A Vantha In The Crowd
  
• Lyrri: Snowsong Vantha
  
• Remembering The Past
  
• Flux: Strengthening Arms With Flux

Notes :

A nice social interaction thread. PM me with comments, questions or concerns.