A Cake Walks Into the Bar

[Finn]

60 Frost 120
The Crown and Lion, Low-City

The Crown and Lion was nothing fancy, but it was home. It was literally home. Finn had been renting a room upstairs for a couple of years now, and so he could almost always count on a spot in the taproom to play whenever he wanted. It wasn't the best money, but he wasn't the best minstrel. This was the Low-City and the people were plain folks. They didn't have a lot of coin to spare, but they spared him some coin whenever he played because he was a fixture now. When he took a break to eat, to have a drink, or to use the privy, someone would greet him by name or ask him how his studies at the Academy were going. There was some teasing, usually, about getting too big for his britches, but the underlying feeling was one of pride. He was a villager, but he had been in the Low-City his whole adult life and he had played these people's requests, gotten drunk with several of them on occasion, and knew enough about a lot of their lives to ask friendly questions as well.

All right, they didn't knock on the privy door to say hello, but sometimes on his way to or from it. This wasn't that sort of establishment.

They were proud that one of "them" had been accepted to the Academy to study, and that the Great House Zatrian was footing the bill. They figured he must have slept or charmed his way into that. He wasn't sure whether to be offended or flattered. But he had been quick to tell them that the nobles were only paying for his education, not his living expenses, and so nothing really had changed except he didn't have much in the way of free time. He was at the Academy, he was at a venue performing, or he was sleeping. Not so much sleeping, really. There was always work to be done and he hadn't needed quite so many candles before he had to burn the midnight oil writing and composing.

But for now, there was a lull. People were conversating and he was just toying with an ambling melody on his lute. It was just something he was working on, and it worked as background music. This place wouldn't get rowdy until later if it got rowdy at all.

[Hikami]

Company: Patrons & Finn | Thoughts: This is nice | Mood: Relaxed
60th of Frost, Year 120, A.o.S
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Today wasnt one that was normal for Hyoga. Normally he'd be out and about scouring the Warrens for ample monsters to slay in battle. Today however was different, as he found himself in one of the taverns in the city, The Crown and Lion to be exact. Upon entering the establishment, the Avialae nodded to the barmaid who pointed to where an open spot was, on the rare chances they were full, and informed him that the bard would be playing soon.

Raising a brow, the Kathar looked in the direction of where the musician was and smile as he realized it was Finn. Ordering a drink he brought it over to where he was sitting, and got comfortable, looking around at the decor of the place. Sitting the drink in front of him, he made mental notes of the place and the patrons that seemed to come in here.

Listening to the music being strummed in the background, Hyoga took a sip and began to relax a bit. "Instruments are powerful things, one can convey several emotions and feelings with them. Even the most angelic of notes can convey an overwhelming sense of power." he mused to himself, downing his 1st cup of booze. The stuff was good, not as strong as he was used to, which was why he knew he would still be coherent after more cups of it.

At any rate, he was still enjoying himself all the same. More importantly, he was interested to hear Finn play. He wondered if Finn was going to sing the song he made for him, but anything would be nice to hear in this atmosphere. It was nice sometimes to just go out and enjoy the ambiance rather than being neck-deep in battle, though Hyo loves the thrill of a fight more. This however was something felt he could get used to.

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"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Finn]

Finn should have been paying more attention. After all, he was being paid to play. But he had been teasing the melody for a while now and he wanted to try to set the words he had written to it. If it didn't work, he was just going to call it a poem and leave it without music, never to be heard or, likely read. The melody was simple. His voice was quiet as he began to sing, though there was a throbbing intensity to it for all that it was controlled in volume and rhythm.

"There's a story I could tell when the cold wind starts to blow
Like a whisper in the night from a friend that you know
It says, "keep holding on to my body below.
Forsake me not. Don't ever leave me alone."

There was a time when the sun gave its life to the trees
And the air, it smelled sweeter for the honey and the bees
The ocean rolled salty and wild and free
The fruit swelled and ripened and burst with their seeds

But what starts with desire can turn into need
The chest gets all tight like it's got some disease
What burns in the fire just ends up as coals
What floats on the water can sink like a stone

Now I want to believe every word that you say
I want you to need me to not go away
Have trust in the nighttime and faith in the day
To walk on the water, be never afraid

Can you bear it upon you? My love has gone under
Above all the stars have forgotten to glow
But if you keep holding on to my body below you
I'll warm you and keep you from feeling alone"

His eyes had been closed throughout the song and nobody really reacted to the end of it because his fingers kept plucking strings and strumming them. Perhaps the melody had just worked its way into their ears and was something unremarkable now. Or perhaps they were all gathered around the bar and only the newest addition to the small crowd was really paying attention. He was such a fixture there, few remarked upon him except when he was up at the bar for a refreshment or they were really feeling the music that night, and nobody was drunk enough for that yet. These were plain folk, but he liked them.

While his lute kept singing, his voice fell silent. It had felt good, though not quite right yet. He would have to let it go for a while and let it simmer in some corner of his mind for a while before he became aware of what he needed to do to perfect it.. With a sigh, his eyes opened and then they blinked because there was a familiar giant sitting there watching him. He hit a sour note before recovering — the music, at least, but not his aplomb.

"Oh. Hyoga. Hullo." He smiled. He flushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were there. I was a little caught up in my own thinking. Sorry... that song's not finished yet. I shouldn't be playing it in public until it is." He paused. Of course, he had told Hyoga where he lived and how he played there often, but it had been almost two months since the last time he had seen him, walking wobbly-kneed away from the Velvet Cabaret after their Warren march. Well, Hyoga had been a terror for the monsters. Finn had just tried to hurry the ladies to safety. But Hyoga had been complimentary all the same, so much so that Finn had thought he was flirting with him, but then they had gone home separately and he hadn't heard from him, but now...

"It's good to see you."

[Hikami]

Company: Patrons & Finn | Thoughts: This is nice | Mood: Relaxed
60th of Frost, Year 120, A.o.S
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As he sat there, Finn began to sing, and it was astounding to the Kathar. Finn had a pretty voice, which contrasted that rugged exterior of his, which surprised him. Hyo wasn't expecting Finn to sound angelic but he liked it, and it was odd for him to feel like way toward a man when it came to singing.

But music had that effect on him, as his father used to sing songs into the night to help Hyoga sleep growing up. It was the one piece of affection his father could show him, the scars of his past running too deep for much else. When the song was over, Finn seemed surprised to see him, and it made the Kathar smirk. It was intriguing to him to watch other people blush around him. Hyo didn't really have to do much but be himself and people got flustered, well some not all.

Finn apologized for the song he had been composing about Hyoga not being finished and Hyo shook his head. "Dont worry your angelic little voice about it Finn. I'm sure it'll be great once it's ready, and I'll enjoy every minute of it when you sing it to me." he tease, giving Finn a playful smile.

"So how long have you been doing this, playing music? Does it make you happy to sing for others?" he questioned, eyes of interesting looking into Finn. The Avialae was genuinely curious as to what made Finn want to sing for other people. He could only imagine the response, formulating his own reasons as to why the human did it but wanted to hear it from his mouth.

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"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Finn]

"Hardly angelic," he said wryly, but he dipped a nod in acceptance. Compliments were always fraught, but he was trying to be more graceful about it. "Thank you."

His fingers continued to pull variations on the melody out of the strings of his lute, trying to find that just so sound that gave him a just so feeling when he played it. In the meantime, though, he could talk. The proprietor didn't mind at all if he socialized with the patrons so long as the music continued and they were happy. And here, at least, at the Crown and Lion, Finn could do no wrong. Well, he could if he tried but he had a great deal of rope with which to hang himself after all the time he had spent playing and entertaining audiences there.

"Music is... the only thing that makes sense to me," he admitted. "And I enjoy it whether there is an audience or not, but there is something an audience brings to the experience. If I'm playing just for myself in my room, it might be meditative if I want to think about something or cathartic if I want to feel about something, but if I don't have an audience, then I'm not communicating anything to anyone. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I enjoy meeting people who dabble, too, and just play for themselves in the privacy of their homes. And I have to practice every day whether or not I'm working, so... a fair amount of my music is only for my own ears. I haven't tired of listening, so that gives me hope that other people might enjoy listening, as well.

"I see you found some new clothes." He grinned, recalling how losing them in the Warrens hadn't bothered Hyoga a whit. Finn admired that and wished he had that level of confidence.

[Hikami]

Company: Patrons & Finn | Thoughts: This is nice | Mood: Relaxed
60th of Frost, Year 120, A.o.S
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Hyo smiled, finding Finn's modesty to be infectious. Hyo could appreciate his passion for what one likes to do, and in Finn's case, it was music. Hyo's passions revolved around fighting and having a good time, but more so fighting.

"I can respect that." he admitted, taking a swing of his drink, smiling at Finn as he continued. "I feel the same about fighting. Its in my blood. My father was able to fight, thrusted into combat from birth, and I was the same. Its honestly all I know now, the thrills of battle. Its honestly the one true pleasure in my life."

He explained, flashing a smile as he settled back in his chair. He didn't really think there was anything else that could bring him joy besides combat. "Its the best way I know I'm alive. Besides I find I can't slack now, I have much to do and if my skills become rusty well, I wouldn't be able to fulfill my promise."

Not wanting to dwell on his past at all he called for another drink, downing it rather quickly. "So tell me Finn, all this singing and no play make you a dull boy? I'm sure there's something that is fun for you besides singing for random people" he asked, licking the stray liquor from his lips.

This ambiance was nice and all, but he wanted more. Adjusting his jacket, he looked at Finn when he asked about it. "This old thing, its nice I guess, definitely draws people attention that's for sure." he chuckled, calling for another drink.

"So do you have another song to sing, or can I steal you away from here for some real fun?"

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"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Finn]

Finn nodded thoughtfully as he listened, his fingers plucking a melody out of the air to keep the common room's mood how the proprietor liked it. He liked hearing peoples' stories, both because he was interested in people and because it helped him learn how to tell stories, which was certainly a part of music. And he understood intellectually what Hyoga was saying, though his own story was quite the opposite — he wasn't at all following in his parents' footsteps. If he was, he would have been at the forge or raising children. Neither of those things were bad, but they didn't make his soul sing.

Then again, his blood didn't come with a pair of magical wings. He could see how that might change things. Talon certainly felt the weight of his bloodline; if Hyoga's wasn't quite so prestigious, it was still higher than Finn's own.

He laughed at the questions.

"When I'm not watching you rescue people from the Warrens or playing for my supper, I'm at the Academy learning... well, lots of things. In order to write and perform better." As for the offer to spring him out of prison, he glanced around the room rather than offer a rejoinder. He was just taking stock of things, really.

"Well, I'm working, but I'm open to suggestions." It wasn't nearly as late as he usually played when he played, but the room was doing just fine and would continue to if he left. He might make a bit less money, but money wasn't everything. He was so glad that he was making enough that he could even think that, too. "I mean, what's on the table here...? Because as much as I would love to spar with you so I could get better at holding my own in a fight, I don't know that sharp blades after drinking is a wise decision, at least for me."

[Hikami]

Company: Patrons & Finn | Thoughts: This is nice | Mood: Relaxed
60th of Frost, Year 120, A.o.S
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Finn was starting to be someone Hyo found interesting. He was not like other capable fighters Hyo had met before. This one held a softness to him, something that was a stark contrast to him, and he liked that about Finn. He chuckled when Finn mentioned watching Hyo rescue others, which was something he knew from their last encounter. It was apparent that Finn had been checking him out, which even if Hyo never intended for it, it was gonna happen.

He rolled his neck as he thought about what exactly he wanted to do besides sit and listen to music, not that he minded Finn's music. "Well..." he began, licking his lips as he took a sip from the drink that was brought over. "There is a numeral amount of things that we can do. Besides, I haven't consumed enough to where it will impare me."

He was teasing Finn with every word. "We can spar, hand to hand. We can go for a fly around the city. We can go for a swim. Hell, we can go and get shit-faced if you want. Or...or we can go somewhere private and you sing me a special song." he teased, his words laced in a flirtatious tone. "You'll have to forgive me, but all this ambiance is nice, but I would like some excitement, and I still have some energy to expend before I call it a night."

He was telling the truth about that, but wanted to see what Finn had in mind. "Unless you have something in mind we can do to have fun."

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"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Finn]

Finn laughed. Hyoga's humor was playful and his cheer infectious. He liked that about him. There was an answering ripple in his fingering of the lute, an answer to his voice, perhaps. He might have flushed a little at the flirting, though, to be honest, the idea of tumbling with a brawny Avialae was a bit intimidating. They were all seemed so imposing and invincible. Of course, the two he knew at all were the Shinsei and Hyoga; though both were deadly in battle, neither seemed the type to hurt a person for enjoyment's sake.

"I would love to take you up on the flight offer, but perhaps we ought to wait until summer. I'm not impervious to cold like you. Same goes for swimming. I only tend to go when I'm visiting my family, but splashing around in the lake is always fun. Hopefully, your wings won't drag you down." He laughed and again, his lute accompanied the sound.

"Why don't you wait here for a minute while I talk to the owner, stow my lute in my room, and then we can go see how impervious you are to copious amounts of drink?"

Finn was curious to see what sort of place was more Hyoga's style. They had shared a drink after their dive into the Warrens, but they had merely been looking for someplace close. The minstrel could understand wanting to party harder somewhere else. The taproom of the Crown and Lion was sedate. He loved it because it was comfortable and relaxed, because the people there loved having him and hearing his music, but the partying was better elsewhere to be sure.

With a smile, he stood and walked over to where the proprietor was chatting with some regulars. He might have spun the truth a little loosely, saying the Avialae was looking to party. Perhaps imagining Hyoga like a bull in a china shop, the proprietor was just fine with letting Finn call it quits a bit early. The minstrel had played all the way over, all during the brief conversation, and continued to play as he wandered up the stairs to his room, where he deposited his lute and bundled himself up in his winter clothes to go out for a night on the town.

It was just a few minutes, as promised, before he was standing beside Hyoga again. While the Avialae was seated, at least, Finn towered above him. Fists at his hips, he smiled down at him.

"Arise, young warrior. Adventure awaits."

[Hikami]

Company: Patrons & Finn | Thoughts: Time for some real fun! | Mood: Buzzed, Excited
60th of Frost, Year 120, A.o.S
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He couldn't help but chuckle as the booze were finally starting to hit him in just the right way, but not hard enough to disorient him but definitely enough to make him feel good. He was glad that Finn was at least open to the ideas of them doing what Hyo had suggested.

A wide grin formed on Hyo's face when Finn got up to go talk to the owner. Hyo was excited to have a night out on the town with a good friend. Calling over to the barkeep, he ordered two more drinks, and when they arrived he downed them both, allowing the waitress to collect his glasses. He was ready to get out of there and on to more stimulating things, as the peace of the place was starting to bore him.

When Finn returned, he smiled as he stood, draping his arm over Finn the two left the Coin and Lion Inn, and out into the Cool streets. "You wont regret this I promise Finn." he assured, pulling the human male in close to keep him warm with his own body heat. "Our first stop is up ahead, I hear you can get into a good ole brawl here."

There was an obvious excitement in his tone as the two approached the tavern, hearing sounds of merriment and drunken debauchery as they closed the distance. "See I told you its gonna be fun. Let get in there before all the good spots are taken, who knows may even get you laid tonight. All that playing the lute and no fun makes Finn a dull boy." he teased, messing up Finn's hair as they entered the tavern, a welcoming cheer echoing aloud as the door closed behind them.

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"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"