To Fill the Air With Music [Open]

[Niabi]

23 Summer, 511 A.V.

Today’s a new day, isn’t it? Time to make the most of it!

The small, yellow bow that adorned her pastel black hair bobbed up and down as she made her way through the crowd, her honeydew-yellow eyes scanning the streets carefully. She seemed to continuously trip over her own black skirt, readjusting it along with her short-sleeved, creme-colored tunic every time with a sheepish smile. In her hands, she cradled a well-loved wooden flute, a small tin can dangling on one end.

Perhaps today…

Looking to a street that passed by the nearest store, she raised her brows. Uncommon for that area of the city to be so under-swarmed at this time of day. Surely there would be some people that needed to head that way to reach the University? Or perhaps to go into the shop itself? No matter! She’d perform elsewhere. Not a terrible ordeal. She allowed herself to be swept away with the crowd, still looking for a suitable spot to play her flute.

To offer music to a nearly empty street corner. Madness! Someone has to hear my flute…

Searching further, she noticed a rather busy street corner close to the Kelp Bar. Her nose twitched at the disgusting smell of rotting fish, but the smile never left her face. Perhaps that busy street corner held just that bit of opportunity that she needed to make a coin or two. It didn’t take long for Niabi to skitter to the street corner, brushing her long hair behind her shoulders, poised and ready to play a tune.

She smiled and gave the small tin cup that dangled on the end of her flute a decisive nod before raising the flute to her lips. Even if she didn’t make anything again today, she would still have the satisfaction of offering music to an otherwise dull city. Who knew? Perhaps she’d find someone who harbored a similar, unconditional love for music like herself.

[Herb]

Herb was wondering round the streets in his typical sort of amazement, never quite sure why the world needed to be quite so big....he was very small after all. While on his walk, careful not to be stepped on, although he stood one foot tall, people still seemed unaware of this giant clay statue moving about them, then something caught his attention...now what was this odd thing he could hear. He put on his determinded face ( which to be honest didn't look much different from any of his other faces, atleast to the rest of the world, but for Herb this face meant he would not rest till he found out what this strange noise was ) Getting closer now he could just make out a strange and odd looking being standing on a street corner, holding something to her lips...curiously he walked up towards this figure and sat down just to the side of her, almost bobbing to the strange noise that came out of it.

[Niabi]

Here we go…

The moment the intro to her beginning song had been birthed, the melody carrying on the wind, her mind was focused on the song and nothing else. Her expressions continuously reflected the theme of the song, eyebrows raising and her eyes sparkling and dancing from behind the flute the higher and more peppy the song became. The albeit quiet but bouncy song poured from the flute, her hips swaying along with the beat.

A lull in the song, as if she were ready to stop. Then, without warning, a riveting, powerful song rushed from the flute, her head dipping and raising as if to start some sort of dance to go along with it, her eyes closing to the world. She tapped a foot here and there as if to encourage her audience—if she even had one—to dance along with her. She felt the out-of-sync vibration of the tin cup scraping lightly on the flute as she moved about and opened her eyes again to see just who was paying attention.

No one?

It seemed as if the crowd around her merely paid her a collective, passing glance before going about their business once more. They didn’t care to at least enjoy the music she offered? That was all right. Perhaps there were others who were listening.

Keeping in time with the song, she turned her body left and right to steal a glance at the crowd on either side of her. It seemed as if they were all tending to their business as though she’d never begun playing the flute at all.

As the song finished, she pulled the flute momentarily from her lips to rest. She looked down, meaning to take a seat on the street corner. It was now that she noticed the foot-tall clay statue bobbing its head left and right. The smile on her face grew as she rested on her knees, getting a closer look at it. Perhaps someone had left it for her instead of giving her coins?

She raised a hand to it to gently turn its head with her index and middle fingers, to see just what was making it move. Such a fascinating piece of work! Is it a work of magic?

[Herb]

As this odd looking giant moved her hand towards him, he took a step back and looked up, a curious look passed over his face and he raised a finger into the air trying to motion for this being to wait and then proceeded to have a rummage in his little bag drapped over his shoulder. Moments later he had a small three inch long piece of wood in his hand, raising it to his mouth and blew with all his might into it. This went on for some minutes, inhaling and blowing into this stick, and repeating until he finally gave up and looked at the being with a sad look. ' I think my sticks broken, it dosn't seem to make any sort of noise like yours does. ' With failed reluctance he sat down looking up at this new face then back to his stick.

[Niabi]

Pulling her hand away from the moving statue in surprise, a small gasp escaped her. Despite the sudden movements of the statue, the smile remained on her face. By the sound of it, there was a small group of people watching the pair on the street corner, the kind sound of chuckling and the low murmurings of intrigue trickling through the air.

As the little statue produced a small stick of his own, the smile on Niabi’s face broadened. Ah! This statue likes music, too? She placed her hands in her lap, one on the other, waiting patiently for the statue to play. It didn’t take long, however, for Niabi to realize that the stick was just that—merely a stick.

The strange being spoke, as well. It seemed rather disappointed with being unable to play anything on the little stick he’d procured from its shoulder bag.

The smile transitioned from that of excitement and anticipation to a warm kindness. Although she was surrounded by those who spoke Common more often now, she still had a terrible habit of slipping back into speaking Varni, her voice melodic and flowing. “Hm~? It’s possibly your instrument of choice, my little friend.”

She handed her own flute out to him, tilting her head. “Feel free to use my own~! See if it works, yes?”

[Herb]

Herb looks at the strange wooden stick, gently taking it from her hands, and while gently inspecting it. Lifting it up, simply make him look funny, this small little statue lifting up a large metal stick that was probably as long as he was. Putting it to his mouth, he blew into it with all his air and to his startled amazement a horrid noise came out of it, enough to cause him to almost drop it, though luckily for him he managed to keep a hold of it. ' But it doesn't sound anything like what you did, but it does make more noise then mine. It must be broken, think I could fix it to make some noise of it's own? ' Offer's the wooden stick back to her with a huge smile on his small squarish head, looking around at the various onlookers and gave a curt hearty wave at them. ' Maybe you should make some more of that noise, those nice people over there watching us may come listen! '

Edited to correct descriptions

[Niabi]

She smiles brightly at the sound that cried out like an agitated goose from the flute. The sound of chuckling rippled through the air for a moment as the statue went on to speculate about the flute’s functionality. “Oh, it’s not broken, my friend~. I think you just need a flute that fits you, is all.”

Thanking the small being as it returned her wooden flute to her, she followed its gaze to the small gathering of people, standing just a few feet away from the pair. It was a small group of about five people, their eyes alight with what looked to be curiosity and amusement.

Without a second thought, she set the tin can at her feet and offered the small crowd a curtsy before raising the flute to her lips once more. Niabi held her pose for a moment, attempting to gain more of the group’s attention, making them wonder when she would begin. Then, without warning, an upbeat, fast-paced song resonated from the flute, her fingers deftly moving up and down the flute with incredible ease. She’d closed her eyes to the world after a moment, but could hear the encouraging, rhythmic claps of the small group that stood before her.

When the song ended, she pulled the flute away from her lips with a bright smile, quietly thanking the group as they offered her a round of applause before bidding their farewells and continuing on their way. She stole a glance down at the tin can once they’d departed. She spoke in her sing-song voice yet again, more to herself, picking up the can. “Still empty~? No matter. At least they enjoyed the music.”

She turned her attention back to the statue, bending down to its level. She speaks once more, resting the flute in her lap. “It’s none too often I come across another with an interest in music. What is your name, friend~?”

(OOC: Oh! The flute is wooden, just for reference. :3 )

[Herb]

' Erm name...oh yes my friend always used to call me Herb, so thats what I decided I should be called... My name in Herb. Might I ask after what other people call you? I don't think giant lady would be too appropriate 'He says letting a great big smile spread over his face. Standing up he ushers for some more playing, where he stands up in front of you, and waits patiently for your response. ' This is the first time I've ever heard of a noise maker before...sorry a...music maker was it you called it? '

[Niabi]

Her laugh was bright and contagious as Herb asked what to call her. Such a friendly individual! Holding out her hand to Herb, her laughter dwindled down to quiet chuckles. “My name is Niabi~. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, dear Herb.”

She raised her brows at his next inquiry, cradling her wooden flute in her free hand. She used her fingers to slowly turn the flute in her hands as she spoke. “This~? This is a flute, my friend! A very nice instrument, isn’t it~?” Taking a seat on the street corner once again, she put the flute to her lips and played a flowing ballad. However, it seemed as though halfway through, there was a lull in the song, then a strange transition into a similar-sounding song.

After a moment, she pulled the flute from her lips, a sheepish smile crossing her face. Perhaps Herb wouldn’t notice that she’d forgotten the song she was playing halfway through. No matter. As long as it was pleasant to the ears, it shouldn’t matter too much. Looking back down at Herb, her smile grew from sheepish to amused in a short amount of time. “I take it you enjoy the flute, then~? It’s such a pleasure to meet someone so interested in musical craft!”

[Herb]

' Oh its not something I've heard before, a strange sort of noise that you just feel like...moving too ' He replies as he starts to move and bounce to the spirited tune, unaware to him was that another group of people had seemed to stop what they were doing, and stand watching this strange little statue dance to the music. Bouncing low, then swirling round himself letting his arms flow freely of his bodies weight slightly stretching outwards, moving freely like water would travel down a rapids, the fluidity of his moves seemed to shock Herb probably the most as the look on his face while doing so was of surprised excitement. Entirely forgetting everything around him except for the tune that almost felt like it floated round him, it was what he danced around, not just heard the music but almost felt the music force him one way then the other. Giggles and laughter erupted from the now growing crowd in the street, fingers from young children much taller then himself pointed at him, hushed whispers from parents unsure quite what to make of it. Others looked around for the sign of a puppeteer or even a magic user controlling him, yet others still mostly the young children not put off by this strange sight joined in, Herb oblivious to any of this simply accepted these new beings as part of the music and moved accordingly.