Solo [The Bolt Hole] The Party Life (Job Thread)

[Skyler Thatch]

47th of Winter, 518 AV

The streets were silent as Skyler made her way to The Bolt Holes newest location. Tonight, it was located in Baroque Bay, and Skyler couldn’t have been more excited and nervous at the same time. Partially because she had never actually been to Baroque Bay, but mostly because she had always wanted to see the Bolt Hole in action. She first heard the name while listening in on people who came to her father. The stories they told! Skyler could only use her imagination as they talked about their experience. The smells in the air, the feel of the atmosphere. But the biggest thing she looked forward to was the music. She had been told it was different than the music one heard from a regular old musician or bard in the pubs. One even described it as having its own soul. The young Kelvic wanted to know what this meant, why it was so different than what she had heard. She never imagined her first time there would be as musician for the party. Finally, she arrived at the place she was directed to. She walked towards the entrance excitedly, but a hand shot out right before she stepped inside, and gently pushed her back. Skyler looked over and then up at the rather giant of a man. “Whoa there.” He said rather gruffly. “One silver miza.” He held out his beefy hand to Skyler. She looked up at the bouncer, honestly confused. “But...I thought the musician got paid. Not that they had to pay.” The bouncer furrowed his brow before his features softened slightly and he chuckled. “Oh. You’re the new musician.” He stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. Skyler perked up immediately and bounded through the door.

The kelvic stopped a couple feet inside, looking around. It was way more than Skyler could have imagined. She sniffed the air. Even as a human, Skylers nose could smell so many different things, most of which she couldn’t readily identify. She looked around at the different people, all of which looked happy and carefree. They were dancing and drinking and laughing, their minds obviously only focused on relaxing and having a good time. Skyler couldn’t help but smile just seeing others enjoy themselves. But of course, the thing that drew her in the most was the music. The kelvic closed her eyes and just listened. It was something from another world entirely. Voices and instruments alike were forged together to make the most amazing sound that had ever graced Skylers ears. She was so lost in the music that she hadn’t realized she was being spoken to. To be fair, even if she wasn’t lost in the music, she still might have had a hard time hearing them.

Skyler felt a tap on her shoulder. She finally opened her eyes to see a young woman standing in front of her. “Are you Skyler?” She said loudly. Skyler nodded vigorously and smiled. The woman raised her finger and beckoned the kelvic to follow. As the moved through the crowd, Skyler got a better view of the instruments and people the music was coming from. Big war drums were placed all around the edge of the dance floor, their players creating the beat to which the dancers swayed to. There were also kettle drums placed around the floor, people giving them space to play as they played the rhythm. On a very small stage stood a few people playing different instruments and singing. Not a single musician or singer looked as if they were working. They were part of the atmosphere and yet they still were enjoying the party.

They eventually stopped at a kettle with no one playing it. The woman pulled out a pair of sticks from the bag she carried and handed them to Skyler. Skylers eyes widened as she stared at them. Could this really be happening? She grabbed the sticks and glanced at the woman before tentatively stepping in front of the drum. Her heart pounded as she looked around the party. The woman looked at her expectantly, waiting. Skyler closed her eyes, listening to the music. As if she knew what was expected of her. Finally, she brought up one of the sticks and tapped rather lightly on the beat. The woman raised an eyebrow. Gathering her courage, Skyler raised the sticks again and brought them down in a rhythmic pattern, a little harder than before. The woman smiled slightly, seeming satisfied. Skylers heart soared as she began playing even harder than before, feeling the music seem to move her arms. Though she was definitely not perfect, it almost felt effortless to play with the music, with other people who shared her love for the sounds they could produce.

[Skyler Thatch]

The last notes of the song rang out as applause echoed around the room. Skylers cheek began to hurt from the smile she couldn’t seem to wipe off her face. But that didn’t matter. The happiness in the air was almost tangible, and Skyler was feeding off of it. Feelings were infectious to the young kelvic, and the joy she felt was overwhelming. So much so that she almost seemed to bounce in place, not able to be still. And the praise for from the people around her only fueled her more. Skyler felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked around to find the lady from before, grinning and beckoning her to follow. The two weaves in and out of the crowd, finally making their way to a slightly secluded table. They sat down across from one another, Skylers leg bouncing from the excitement still coursing through her veins. ”I was a bit worried when we decided to take a chance on you. They said you seemed like a natural fit. But out there is way different than in here. And to be honest, you didn’t seem like our type.” She began, gesturing to the partygoers. Another song had started up, this time a bit slower. ”But....you definitely belong here. “ Skyler somehow grinned even wider. “Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me.” Skyler said. Indeed, she did understand what the woman was talking about. Though she had been excited for the opportunity, she was still afraid she wouldn’t measure up.

”Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely room for improvement. But with the proper training and practice, I think you could be a great asset to The Bolt Hole.” The lady said, causing Skyler to beam. It had been a long time since she allowed herself to feel pride for her accomplishments. She had almost forgotten what that emotion was like. As the two spoke of rules and expectations, Skyler watched those around the room. Different races from across Mizahar were there, dancing and enjoying the night. The kelvic noticed that in some areas, people sat around some unknown object. The air around them seemed thick, and occasionally, smoke was seen coming out of their mouths. It was the strangest thing Skyler had ever seen. She had seen people smoke on the streets, but somehow this seemed different. The scent coming from that direction also seemed strange. She was cautiously curious, but decided not to investigate the strange object that night. She turned her attention back to the lady, who was now standing. ”I want to see you again before he nights up, so please do not leave until I find you. Have fun!” she exclaimed, then just like that, she disappeared into the crowd. Skyler grinned again and made her way back to the drums she was at before. As she walked, some tried to grab her hand, while others danced extremely close to her. Skyler tried to politely decline as she walked. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the attention, or that she wasn’t excited to meet new people. She just couldn’t dance. She wasn’t extremely horrible, but her feet tended to be her enemy. Skyler had been known to fall on her butt a number of times while attempting to dance, so she usually tried to avoid the activity.

She got to the drums and smiled once more. She ran her hand over the drum, feeling the small ridges over the stretched material. Though she wasn’t as familiar with this instrument, it felt like it was apart of her. Like she was meant to play it. Every thud, every tap. It all felt natural. The song had ended to the sound of applause as Skyler took the drum sticks in her hand. She looked up at the other musicians, and after nodding towards them to confirm she was ready, she brought down the stick once again, this time in rhythm with the bagpipes that were now playing on stage. It was a strange instrument to say the least, and didn’t sound like it should fit this scene. Yet somehow it did. As she played, Skyler became lost in the song. Though there were no words to it, it somehow told a story. That’s what she loved about music. No matter what was producing the music, a voice or an instrument, it always had the potential to move you. To reach deep within you and touch your soul. The very essence of your being. Skyler had seen it move people to tears. Create peace in times of tension. She had even heard stories of music bringing people together, rallying them in times of war. Music was a powerful thing, and Skyler wanted to harness that power. To use it to help and heal lost or hurting hearts. She had seen first hand how a simple melody could calm a worried mind, and she knew that was only the beginning. Here she could hone her skills, and use them to maybe heal a hurting land.