RP:Orion Lights The Skies
Summary: On a ordinary eternal night in Vailkrin, a bard leaving Venturil for the first time makes his way to the Hanging Corpse Tavern. There, Orion meets the undead, yet eccentric Kanna, and the famed Countess of Vailkrin Quintessa Dragana. As the bard makes idle melodies on the wood of the bar or with cutlery, the women realize Orion has an innate gift for bardic magic. The man is stunned to realize this and departs for his hometown to acquire an instrument to channel his newfound abilities with.
Hanging Corpse Tavern
This once-timber tavern has been rebuilt in sturdily vitrified blackstone and imbued with powerful protective magics that prevent occult fire and several other potentially harmful spells being cast within its walls. No effort has been spared to make what might otherwise be a bleak interior comfortable. The bar is made of polished stone with an oaken inlay, the space behind filled with a bustle of attractive barmaids, sundry barrels and a dazzling array of coloured bottles that glint in the light cast by a large wrought-iron chandelier suspended from the ceiling overhead. Here, the one-eyed Steadman stands, ready to take orders for food or drink. Beyond the bar, stout tables are firmly bolted to the floor, though the high-backed chairs are freestanding. The hearth is a true feature, seeming to be cast from black lava into the shape of a colossal, laughing goblin's head, its maw gaping wide and deep, usually containing a merrily crackling fire. A delicious scent of roasting meats drifts in from the kitchens and a winding staircase leads to rooms upstairs. To the south are set cellar doors, usually kept locked unless a special event is taking place, and up the stairs are various rooms for rent. The walls are hung with thick, richly woven tapestries depicting persons and events in the history of Vailkrin and the vampiric race. There's also a notice-board near the entrance, where one may leave messages. Unobtrusive but ever-present are the security staff, staunch fighters ever ready to toss troublemakers out.
Orion makes his way to the closest vacant stool at the bar, "Menu please!" The man of his mid-twenties..ish..along with a full and well maintained beard makes himself comfortable on his seat as his call for a menu seems to go unnoticed, "Alright.." Fresh from Cenril, the man looks about the new tavern. New to him, anyways. As he takes in his surroundings, he mindlessly starts tapping the bartop with a closed fist for some bass and an open hand to replicate a snare sound. He starts to quietly whistle a peaceful tone as well. Orion focuses on the board in the back of the tavern to try and sneak a peak of any posts. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the bard, the glassware behind the bar starts to slowly float in the air, bouncing about to the beat and tune of his quiet song.
Kanna Tsuji needed to find a beat. All of her songwriting had gone just so stale in her extended stay in the manor. And so, she found herself wandering the streets of Vailkrin aimlessly until she happened again at the tavern. Looking over the day's specials, she coos over today's special: Dragon blood! Without her enchantment active, the bard's grey-blue skin and sage-silver hair sticks out amongst the vampires. She opens her discolored lips to order, then decides against it. Would that be weird to drink that when she has a dragon nephew? Well, she'd rather not find out. "Elven blood please!" She chirps to Steadmen. Without even realising, she's soon bobbing her head in time with the beat resonating in the bar. "Oh it's opening time, down on fascination street, so let's cut the conversation, and get out for a bit..." She half-sings and half-whispers to herself as she awaits the treat.
Orion moved his focus from the board to any who share the bartop with him. Each patron received a glance before moving on to the next. Kanna was no one special. She was passed over easily until he caught ear of her order. "Elven blood?!" was his only thought. The beat he was gently creating on the bar slowed as did his whistling. It even dropped an octave. As the glassware continued floating just out of Orion's eyesight, they seemed to drop down a few inches towards the ground yet continued to 'dance' in the air. Steadmen reaches for a glass bouncing in the air while cursing out the entire establishment. Orion's gaze lingered on Kanna until the barkeep's voice increased in volume. The bard looked at Steadmen struggling to catch the floating glasses. However, Kanna's order still lingered on his mind as the slowed beat continues.
Kanna seems not to notice the correlation between the tempo and the unusual floating glasses. Rather, she seems to take it to be a game as she laughs softly between verses. A glass is taken from mid-air, and she looks through it around the bar. An eye as blue as a summer sky peers through at the other bard. The other patrons seem not to take note of the exchange, or simply do not seem to care. Steadmen seems unimpressed at the magic show, though, and snatches the glass from Kanna's hand. Keeping up with the lowered beat, she adds, "Because I feel it all fading and paling, and I'm begging to drag you down with me, to kick the last nail in." She shoots the living man a flirtatious smile. Too bad she had her food delivered now. Or, no wait, that was probably a good thing. A cup of something deep red is shoved in her face by the now irate barkeep. "Why, thank you!" She beams. The cup is held up to the elf eared man in a 'cheers!' motion, seemingly oblivious that he heard her order.
Orion notices Kanna's giggling. The glasses drop once again as the whistle is halted due to a smile forming across his face. Before they can shatter on the floor below, his whistling resumes and jumps up an octave just as Steadmen tries to snag another glass causing them to jump further in the air. Another miss for Steadmen. The drumming beat with his hands resumes at the original tempo. For now, people watching will suffice. Outside, thunder rumbles and shakes the entire tavern as Orion hits the bartop just a bit harder. It's the best beat. All is good and well until Kanna makes the cheering motion to the bard. Elven blood, remember? Well. At least it's not his, right? The drumming and whistling suddenly stops as Orion directs his words to Kanna, "Hey there." The thunder outside stops. The glasses drop to the floor immediately. They shatter and bounce around, catching the half elf by surprise. Orion slightly jumps at the sudden noise. Lightning strikes and cracks right outside the tavern doors as Orion tenses up from the noise. This startles him once more. A follow up lightning strike hits again, lighting up the entire tavern. The second sudden boom shakes the tavern even more than the first. Orion finally relaxes just a tad to force a smile to Kanna, "Yikes.."
Kanna watches the glasses nearly fall to the floor as the barkeep finally lets out a curse, and rise again when the whistling resumes. "Ah!" Content with the impromptu music session and the entertaining magic show, she continues the song out. "Yeah, I like you in that, like how I like you to scream!" She throws her head back dramatically in time with the beat, and to the crackle of thunder. Odd, surely the usual night sky had been crystal clear when she walked in. "But if you open your mouth, then I can't be responsible for quite what goes in or to care what comes out." The bard is smiling ear to cannibalistic ear as she returns the greeting. "Well, hi!" She looks down as the glass shatters, seemingly unphased by the bits of pointy shrapnel in her dress. It wasn't as if it could hurt her, at least. The lightning, however, stops just short of the protective walls and shakes the entire tavern. The cup of blood jumps from her hands and disappears with a much less impressive shatter. Her brows initially knit together with disappointment, then raise in surprise as she turns to the curious stranger. "Is the thunder part of the show?"
Orion winces as the ghoul loses her cup of bloodwine. He shuffles around in a pocket for the rest of his gold while he replies to Kanna's question, "Hm? I..thought that was normal for a city like this.." A few coins are produced and he taps the coins twice against the bartop to gain the attention of Steadmen. Once again, lightning strikes outside after each tap. Poor Orion. He jumps yet again then turns towards the doors leading outside, "Stop that!" He turns back to Kanna shaking his head, "Let me buy you another drink.." He chuckles softly then leans over the bartop to the employees cleaning up the mess of glass he caused, "Another drink for my friend here when you're done, yeah?" He settles back in his stool as he returns his attention to Kanna. Offering her a hand, he introduces himself, "Orion."
Kanna winces slightly as the repeated lightning strikes temporarily deafen her. "Normal?" She asks a bit too loudly. "No way, no way, it like never rains here! That would totally ruin the blood fountain." She says as if she just proclaimed that taking a fish out of water would kill it. The offer of a drink is given a sweet smile. "Aren't you sweet, and I don't even look human today!" She teases, taking his hand. Her pale hand is ice cold in his, though she'd never be able to tell. "Kanna. Now, howsabout we see if there's anything suitable for the living on this menu?"
Orion gave Kanna a gentle hand shake before sliding those offered coins towards Steadmen before he ventured down the bar to complete the order. "I don't know how to reply to that, to be honest. You look fine to me.." He pauses for a short moment, "Not fine as in take you home tonight..I mean..I would but that's not why I'm here..But I would.." The half elf suddenly shuts his mouth, "I'm sorry..I.." Orion looks about the tavern. Having just ran into the Titan of Winter outside and having him suggest that the man is in the wrong neighborhood had Orion suddenly on edge as he realizes he is of the minority here. He deeply sighs, "I'm..still interested in food or a drink." Orion might have a full beard but it was easy to tell that he was blushing..hard.
Kanna tilts her head down, letting her long curls spill onto the polished countertop. The whole while that Orion stumbles over his words, her smile only grows wider and wider. “You are just so cute!” Kanna says outright. “Why, I could just eat you up.” Oh no. Oh, Sven, Hind, and Lore, no. “Too bad I’ve recently eaten.” A replacement drink is placed onto the counter, and the bardess trades a few gold pieces to Steadmen, who answers her whisper with a nod. A shuffle here, a fire incantation there, and a plate of sausage suitable for mortal consumption is revealed. “Don’t be shy, now. I visited here once when I was human. At least… I think I did? Doesn’t matter, the point is that you’re not going to get jumped here. Vailkrin is surprisingly very safe for a city of blood-drinkers.” With that said, she finally gets a sip of her elven blood.
Quintessa enters the tavern looking a little frazzled and in a daze, but not in a bad way. The usual cloud of doom and gloom that hangs over her is gone, and an almost friendly smile remains plastered on her face even as she reads the tavern board as was her typical ritual. “Evening, Stedman,” the changeling says, a strangely cheerful tune in her feminine voice, “Dark ale, please.” A few coins find their way onto the table, brought out from the front of her protected black dress before she slides into a barstool to await her order. Idly, without looking around the tavern, Quintessa hums the tune of the chorus of her favorite sound, something allowing the phrase ‘love sick’ escape her pale lips as she playfully drums on the bar top.
Orion 's grin fades quickly at the ghoul's joke. At least he hoped it was a joke. "Oh..I thought you might have just been at a Siren's surprise show.." The bard squints at Kanna. Oh. Yep. She's undead alright. Don't make this awkward. "Do you like The Sound of Sirens?" Without waiting for an answer he starts fangirling. "I don't remember the name of the song because no offense to Khitti, but I just listen to the music. My favorite song is the one with with crazy drum fill in it that's goes like.." Orion taps his index fingers on the bartop rapidly. Thunder rolls once again. The bard is too caught up in the moment to make the connection. He finishes the solo replication by a quick soft tap to the newly acquired plate of food placed in front of him to symbolize hitting a drum cymbal. Lightning flashes far enough away to light the room without the expected boom, "Oh. Thank you! I'm starving." He quickly cuts a piece off of the sausage and pokes through it with a fork. He looks back up to Kanna, "How did you..die? Un-die?" The ghoul's assuring words made him at least a little more comfortable to eat in the presence of ghouls and vampires alike. So he does.
Kanna looks up at the thunder rumbling through again when the bard tries to make small-talk, the bloody drink painting her lips red for a moment before she licks it away. “Oh, I adore the Sirens! My favorite is actually one of their ballads, but I’m probably biased because I play ballads all the time.” She gushes, thinking back to the last concert she slipped out to see. The familiar voice jolts her attention back and her eyes light up. “Tessie!” She coos, hopping waggling her fingers from across the bar at her. Returning to Orion, she tilts her head one way, then another as she considers the question. “Hm. You know, I used to remember it like it was yesterday. I think I was at a party, and then, there was a flower?” In her minds eye, she sees simply an icy blue rose, then another time where she hears a surprisingly gentle voice, ‘I will not leave you. That I promise you.’ With a clap of thunder, the moment is gone, leaving the bardess confused. With her condition worsening, the memory would also fade away into nothingness soon enough. “Well, no matter. If this is your first trip to Vailkrin, then where were you before? Did you always make strange things happen when you make a beat?”
Quintessa takes the dark ale that is slid before her and she sucks the foam off the top, her mismatched eyes flickering up at the sound of thunder. “Hmm?” That was strange, the weather looked fine a moment ago. Quintessa has just wiped her mouth when the familiar voice of the cutest bard in Lithrydel catches her attention and her off-colored gaze quickly shifts to look across the bar at her. “Kanna?” The changeling smiles sheepishly, wiggling her fingers back before she spots the young lad that joined her and her smile slowly fades away. “I hope you’re staying out of trouble.” Quintessa gives a knowing look to Streadman who only shrugs in response. Blowing the bit of hair that hangs between her eyes out of her face, the countess of the Dark Forest rises from her spot at the bar to saunter over to meet them. “And who is this handsome foreigner?” Quintessa places one hand on her hip as she holds her drink with the other, sizing up Orion with a mischievous smile upon her face. “Vailkrin is safer these days, it’s true, as long as you are hanging around the right company.” Sapphire and topaz eyes shift back to Kanna, wondering if she was planning on eating this man tonight or not.
Orion chews his cut up piece of food with his mouth closed as he listens to Kanna. Manners are important. Without a full mouth he tilts his head, "You play ballads? On piano? You look like a piano type of girl." Quintessa's entrance and Kanna's reaction earns Tessa a polite smile. Orion slightly frowns at the ghoul's quick explanation. Deciding to not prod any farther he continues the conversation, "I'm from Venturil, out west. I never really had the need to venture too far away from there. Figured it was about time to start seeing the world." He's a little confused at this point, "I'm not sure what you mean..I study music but that's about it.." Quintessa has entered the chat!! Orion takes another bite of his food while she exchanges a few words with the ghoul. He places the fork down then offers his hand, "Orion..Tessie, is it?" The bard smirks.
Kanna finishes her drink and laces her fingers together, using it to prop her head up. "Isn't he cute?" Kanna adds as introductions are had. The dark fae and the ghoul exchange a silent conversation of head tilts and eyebrow raises to each other, a secret language they've come up with when Kanna occasionally gets to pick out her meals. The result of the conversation? Kanna is letting the man live! Side-eying the man again, she gives a curious hum. "I prefer to sing them, but I do have a three-stringed lute and a thirteen-stringed zither back at home. I think I know one or two songs on piano, though." She trails off before leaning forward. "Hey, look at the window and drum your fingers on the bar again. I wanna see something. Pretty please?"
Quintessa takes a long drink of her ale, eyes flicking back and forth between the two before setting her ale upon the table in front of an empty seat and slides in to sit with them. “Er, yes, it’s Quintessa Dragana, Countess of the Dark Forest and Shield of the East. If you came from Venturil then you no doubt passed my fortress on the way here, though, I must admit you choose an interesting city to visit.” The changeling looks at Kanna, exchanging the coded glances they had constructed prior and raising a brow at what she learns about the ghoul’s intentions. “He -is- rather cute.” Opting to stay quiet and listen, she watches Orion, waiting to see if the lad would honor Kanna’s request or not.
Orion blushes once again but at Kanna's words and not his own. That blush turns into a chuckle and a head shake as the women convey their facial expressions back and forth. Ah screw it. He'll oblige the ghoul. He turns in his stool just a bit and starts slowly drumming on the edge of the bartop, "Okay but what are we looking for?" Thunder rolls once again but in the distance. The sound barely tunes out the ambient crowd noise in the building. However, as Orion stares out the window while drumming, he accidentally hits his dinner plate which pushes into an empty beer mug. As this happens, lightning strikes in the distance once again. Orion stops the drumming, ceasing the thunder. The bard looks to his new acquaintances, "This is a built in feature, right? Of the tavern?" No. You idiot. The half elf quickly snags up the knife he was using for dinner and flips the mug upside down. Orien bites at his lip as he thinks of a rhythm then gets to work. Light taps to the glass with his knife brighten the sky as he increases the amount of force dealt. A quick drum roll with his fingers draws in the thunder again. "What the Daedria.." Orien pauses once more to let the thunder subside. Then he's back at it. Hard and fast rhythmic drum rolls are mixed in with the knife riding the upside down beer mug. Thunder and lightning reacting accordingly. The tavern shakes but the lightning remained far away. Orien's jaw drops at the realization that he's creating this, not the tavern. Suddenly he stops and drops the knife onto the floor. "Wei.." A lightning bolt crashes just outside of the window, nearly blowing the windows out of place as the knife collides with the tavern floor, "..rd."
Kanna stares at the lightning that brightens the skies outside the tavern, then at the mysterious bard. “What in Daedria’s name indeed.” She nods in respect for one of the only two Ascendi worth praying to for her. As he plays the infectious beat, she rises from her barstool, bobbing to the beat slightly as the melody takes over for a short while, “Ooh, so just pull on your hair! Just pull on your pout! And let's move to the beat like we know that it's over. If you slip going under, slip over my shoulder! So just pull on your face! Just pull on your feet! And let's hit opening time, down on Fascination Street!” The half-elf finishes the melody as the cutlery hits the floor and she claps her hands together. “Oh, it's been so long since I’ve had any real fun with music. You’d make a fantastic musician, Mister Orion!” Kanna beams, clasping her pale hands together. Steadman grumbles and comes around the bar to pick up any mess made.
Quintessa watches carefully, her maleficent aura expanding outward to consume the area around the table invisibly to detect any magic in the air. Sensing the slight tugging on the weave, distorting and bending the nature of reality to its whims, she allows a smirk to appear on her pale complexion. “...Yes, fascinating indeed.” her cool voice chimes in before she finishes what remained in her mug. “You certainly have talent, Mister Orion. Given enough practice you might be able to command the forces of nature more precisely.” A pale finger traces around the edge of her glass, the motion creating a slight ring before she brings her finger up to her mouth. “You should get to know Kanna better, perhaps you can learn something from her- but here, take this…” Quintessa removes a talisman from her pocket and places it on the table before him. “It’s a gris-gris. She can get a little rough sometimes but this amulet will protect you. You’ll be glad later.”
Orion looks from the window to Kanna then Quintessa, "I..Uh." He takes the gris-gris and quietly thanks the changeling before speaking to both of them directly, "I..Yes. I don't know what to say..Just..Wow..I'll be in touch for sure. This was..Wow." Flabbergasted much? The bard takes a deep breath in then out, "It was a pleasure meeting both of you. I'm going to head back to the city and collect some books. I'll be back very soon!" He slips off of his stool and starts to make his way to the door as his brain starts turning, "I need a stringed instrument..I have an idea.." He seems to start talking to himself after waving to his newly found friends. Outside of the tavern Orion can be seen rubbing his boot in the scorch mark left by the lightning. He may have said, "So many ideas.." before heading towards Cenril to scope out the library if he can find it.