RP:Duet At The Hanging Corpse

Hanging Corpse Tavern

Raphaline finds herself in the dark city with a note clasped in her hand. She is here for a friend, and with a grin, she passes by the creatures that litter the region. She is neither nervous nor scare of them, instead, it is a different atmosphere to adapt to than that of the land of sun and light. As she spots the spooky tavern, she saddles her way in with a hell to barkeep and such. Even though she does not frequent the place, her prestige in the lands has moved through out the different places that her fiery curls are evident of who she might be. While she makes her way through the place she looks for the familiar woman, hoping she might spot her in a well lit place.

Pilar was already at the piano, though she wasn't playing yet. Her tin tip cup was placed upon the instrument, and she was sitting on the bench, sipping a drink while she waited. Upon seeing her new friend, she smiled and waved her over. Once the redhead was close, Pilar set her drink down and embraced the woman. "Raphaline, it is good to see you."

Raphaline returns the embrace with great vigor before placing space between them, her hands residing on either shoulder. "So, what song?" The bard would be singing, either with words or her voice and dancing this evening. "Play whatever you like and I shall add." She pulls away from Pilar and removes her cloak, revealing an outfit made from what look to be the lightest of fabric, something created by fairy hands and woven in the most beautiful mixture of green and gold. She moves to remove her leather boots and tosses them behind the piano before making her way out to the floor, "Who is ready for a real performance?" She shouts outward to the room, raising her hands up before she pulls out a hat and tosses it down on the ground, "Now, sit back and just watch."

Pilar wasn't expecting such... gusto from Raphaline. Now she was a little more worried about goofing up than usual. She sat back down at the bench, drained her drink, and began to play an upbeat tune with rather dreary subject: a haunted swamp infested with monsters and black magic. It was normally played on a guitar with drums and horns, but piano served just as well. Pilar was not used to such fast songs, and she occasionally hit a wrong note or missed one altogether. But, like a true performer, she just carried on.

Raphaline is not a one trick pony, so when the song is upbeat despite what they had expressed before and the story seemed more dreary she moves with the choice. She steps to the center, and with arms at her side and her head bent, she allows the first notes to chorus in the room before she lifts her head and striking eyes peer out into the tavern. Another few notes follow and then she parts her rosy lips and allows a note to flow from vocal cords and up through her throat to caress her lips. it is eerie and penetrating, a note sharp and high but entrancing at the same time. It is from this note she breaks into more, meshing with the melody in a loving embrace of piano and voice as she moves with large motions and then quick sharp motions that resemble the terrible strike of horror and death to come. She is not new to performance, and gives herself to the song.

The song had the patrons' rapt attention, something Pilar wasn't quite used to. Her focus was on hitting the notes correctly, or else she might have added her illusions to the mix. As it was, she was almost distracted from her playing by Raphaline's stellar performance. Pilar hadn't seen or heard anything like it. Could she really one day be as talented as Raph? With enough time and practice, and instruction, perhaps. She looked forward to her lessons with the bard with renewed anticipation, and finished the song with a flourish.

Raphaline continues to move as if there is no one but the music and her, and as her spirit moves her appendages to the song, she finds the song moving towards it conclusion with a flourish. She finishes with just as well deserving as movement, so when it fades, the piano, she moves to take a bow, her clothes moving as if wings and a part of her very body. The crowd is quick to cheer and bring forth coins, dropping them both in the bard's hat and the tin can as they continue to cheer on. With another bow, she moves towards Pilar with a grin, "I think you have earned quite a bit tonight, no?" She reaches up, brushing back wild curls that have chosen to fly in her face.

Pilar blinked at the relatively large amount of money she made on just one song. Wow, the things you could do with you had someone with talent backing you up. "We both did... Wow. Thank you for your wonderful singing and dancing," she said. "It's what really made this show." Pilar could hardly believe how many coins were in her cup, like for real. "Another performance or two like that, and I might just have enough for Meri's tattoo..."

Raphaline smiles, but this time, her features take on a lighter and warmer feeling. "Of course! I love to perform and if it helps you out, well, it is a bonus for me." The bard has lived a few hundred years, so her joys are few and greatly varied. "Did you have another song you wanted to play, or would you care for a performance where I just sing?" She turns to eye those in the tavern and muses over a few songs in mind.

Pilar thought for a moment. "I can't think of anything I really want to play. Maybe something slower? But not sad. Hmm..." Her library of non-flamenco songs was limited, and with an inability to read music or play on the fly, she couldn't just follow along unless Raph chose a song she was familiar with.

Raphaline turns back to Pilar, "How about you let me take this one?" She smiles before turning back to the tavern and walking out to front stage for them. The place grows quite as they wait to see what might occur next. At first the bard seems as if she is studying the room, but after a minute or two, she erupts into a note so glorious and beckoning it rings across the walls of the tavern. She has chosen a song dear to her heart. The melody echoes with such resonance about a world where war has become the center of what they know and yet, amidst the terror, there is a shinging light not of just the hero but of the people uniting together.

Pilar was glad that she knew this one, at least. The notes were deep and sonorous, low and moaning, yet triumphant as well. It wasn't an easy song to play, despite its slow tempo. but Pilar did her best. She cringed inwardly with each missed note, berating her sloppy playing. Luckily, all eyes and ears were on Raphaline and her beautiful singing. Pilar felt a little bit like her musical accompaniment was probably not even really needed, but she kept trucking on anyway.

Raphaline finishes out the song and bows to the cheers of the room before turning once more to her companion for the eveing. Grinning from ear to ear, she nudges the other woman with her elbow, "I think we deserve a break and maybe a drink?" She crooks a brow upward before turning in a flutter of cloth and red curls towards the bar counter and placing her order for a drink--tall whiskey.

Pilar sighed when the song ended, relieved. All she could think was that her part had been a disaster, and never mind the cheers of the crowd and the gold coins being tossed into the tin cup. "Yes, yes, we do," she said, grabbing her cup and following Raph to the bar. She ordered herself blood wine (what else would a vampire drink) and sat quietly.

Raphaline peeks over at the woman, watching her take a up a rather silent demeanor. "You are quite the quiet one, aren't you?" Sure she is stating quite the obvious. "Are you worried about crowds or is it something else?" The bard lifts the glass of whiskey to her lips and downs a bit of the amber liquid before setting the glass with a click, onto the counter top once more.

Pilar nodded. "Crowds, yes. It takes so much out of me to... to get up in front of people. I'm always so nervous, it's hard to focus on what I'm doing. It's so much easier when my illusions are getting the attention, not me..." She sipped her wine slowly.  She had answered that question a little too quickly, a little too easily...

Raphaline sets her cheek into her now upturned palm as she listens and studies Pilar's reaction. She nods where appropriate before speaking up once more, "But you are quite lovely when you dance, you deserve the attention you get." The bard chuckles, shaking her head, she has never known that kind of nerve, but then again she has lived so long on stage. "If you like to perform but not be seen, I am always happy to accompany you, that a way you can enjoy and not be nervous."

Pilar blushed at the compliment. "Thank you..." She was always gracious when accepting compliments, even when she didn't believe they were genuine. How could they be? She was so unworthy of them... "I'd... hate to impose on you, but... I appreciate the offer. I'll think about it, thank you." She sipped her wine again, contemplating. "You know... it would be nice to bring a bit of my culture to Hollow, through music and dance. I've noticed people seem more interested in it here. Probably because it is strange and exotic to them."