Flashback The Evening Busker (Yuri)

[Autumn Wilde]

42nd of Summer, 513 AV

It wasn't an unusual night, people dressed up nice and filed their way into The Lightshow Theater to see the Evening show. Autumn had auditioned to be a part of the show, but didn't make it. This didn't make her mad, but it didn't stop her from occasionally sitting on the street just outside the theater, playing her gea'tar and busking for money.

Her day usually started with a quick breakfast that her Grandma made for her, stopping by the Kelp Bar to say hi to her lifelong friend Amalia that worked there, and then making her way to Key Notes in the University for her classes.

Today went just like that. Autumn thoroughly enjoyed her gea'tar classes, taught by the teacher Buford, and learning busking and singing from the teacher Ixia. She would be finished with her classes in just two seasons, and then she would make her way to Syliras. This had always been her plan.

But for now, she sat outside on a blanket, with no coat on, revealing her tattoos, as the sun set over the mountains. It was the middle of Summer, so the air was warm. She had just gotten the new hourglass tattoo on her arm, so it was a little itchy, but she ignored it. This was the third tattoo added to her collection, the others were one large one covering her entire back and one on her right arm.

She smiled at passing locals in fancy cloths as she played away on her gea'tar and sang, leaving the case opened for if people chose to leave a miza here and there. Most often she would get a few copper from a person, occasionally a silver, and on very rare occasions a gold one. The gold mizas usually came by those that shopped in the West Street market.

The people that were coming in for the show were a mixture of wealthy and the not-so wealthy. Woman with their faces painted exaggeratedly, their hair in a ridiculous up-do. Autumn never liked having long hair. It got in the way and she always had to worry about it. Plus, her hair was much too thick to try to deal with. So she had chopped it off and had her Grandma cut it whenever it got too long.

The reason she busked wasn't to pay for her classes at the University, Grandma had enough money for that, which Autumn vowed to pay her back for. It was merely for practice. Ixia suggested that whenever she was not in classes, she should find a new spot in the city to sing and try to busk in. She was told the Lightshow theater was always a good place to go, but only during the evening shows.

So she sat on her blanket and sang her lively tunes. The case did not have very many mizas in it this night. Only sporting a few copper-rimmed coins, no silver yet. But it was still early, she would just have to be patient as she always was.

Autumn Wilde

[Yuri Lehrer]

The young and fresh-faced mercenary Yuri Lehrer was wandering around the city of Zeltiva, because he had finished his obligations to his employer, and was looking for something to occupy his time until he decided to head back to his campsite up in the Mirahil Pass, as such, he wondered where the myriad of different people were heading. He gently got the attention of one of the passersby, asking where they were going, they replied by saying that there was a show on at the Lightshow Theatre, it piqued Yuri’s curiosity to hear that there was an evening show at a theatre, he wasn’t really used to musical performances happening indoors, preferring to listen to the occasional Busker or Musician, as he loved music, yet he hadn’t learnt how to play an instrument yet.

As he walked towards the theatre, Yuri considered what it would be like to learn how to play an instrument, and which instrument he would learn, as there were so many to choose from, like the flutes, which produced a pleasant melody whenever he had heard them played, or the string instruments which looked difficult to play, yet sounded really nice in the hands of someone who was capable. These thoughts caused the young man to hum a wordless tune which came to his mind from his childhood, as he approached the theatre in his rather plain clothes and cloak, sword always handy in case trouble ever found its way to himself or those around him, he thought he heard the melody of a string instrument.

Stopping momentarily, he considered whether it was just the memory of an instrument playing to accompany his tune, or whether someone was actually playing an instrument nearby, closing his eyes, he tried to ascertain the truth of the mysterious melody, but couldn’t, so he opened his eyes and began looking around for someone who was playing an instrument. His search was a short one, as a few moments later, and a few corners turned, he located the musician, sitting on a blanket, playing a string instrument he hadn’t seen before, Yuri also noted that the musician was female, and had a couple of tattoos on her arms, and a smile on her face as more people passed her by. Yuri stood to the side of the musician, close enough to hear the melody, but far away enough that he shouldn’t be noticed until he wanted to be, he closed his eyes once more, listening to the melody, and concentrating on it so hard that he barely noticed anything else around him, as though he was getting lost to the music.

He continued to listen for several minutes until the melody changed, and he found himself humming along to the tune after a few seconds, before he stopped himself, and walked over towards the busker, pulling out a gold rimmed miza and placing it into the case near her, listening to her sing while he did so, barely stopping himself from continuing to hum the tune. When he stood back up he complimented the busker “That is an amazing talent you have there… miss, I am glad that I have been able to hear it tonight, I believe that it has made my day. Where did you learn to play that… instrument?” Adding a question on to the end in hopes that she might answer, before realising he hadn’t introduced himself. “Ah… I do apologise, I forgot to introduce myself, I am Yuri Lehrer. Might I know your name?”