• Open • [Cally's] Let me Sing to you the Songs of my People

[Kalortah]

46th of Zi'da Arc 718

It was night, and the coldness of the coming darkness rushed like a north wind through the streets. It was an oddity, to one who was accustomed to two seasons really, a wet season, and a dry season. Both warm in the jungle. There were of course stretches of time when unseasonable cold visited the city of Slaves, but those episodes were few. Here, at this time in Scalvoris, it was quite colder than he was used to.

The wind currents and waves of sound coalesced on the brisk space of the open air as he made his way through the streets. He was dressed in his favorite outfit for performances.

The clothes were well tailored to his small frame, and cut in such a way to accomodate for his folded wings. A green silk robe with lion fur fringe, and the bones of the kill decorating the robe in the form of buttons and clasps. A golden sash, finely embroidered with thread of silver wound it's way from his right shoulder to his left hip. A scarf of the same material was wrapped around his neck, the free cloth hanging down from his neck to his chest. A cloth-of-gold satin belt cinched the robe at his waist, allowing that it should wrap to his frame without appearing too frumpy. Finally, a velvet mantle of the deepest red velvet fell over his shoulders, fringed by the many-colored feathers of jungle birds.

His eyes followed the air and sound to a place that promised to be warm, judging by the way the air expanded around it. To be sure, as he entered Cally's, he found it to be pleasantly dry and warm inside. Without waiting for anyone to introduce themselves, he adjusted the shoulder strap of his drum, and began to hum as pleasantly as he could to prepare his voice for the singing that would soon commence. The humming was punctuated at points by the rhythm of his hand on his drum, which disrupted the sound waves of his voice in a way that painted a rough picture to his eyes. It was satisfying to him at least, even if not to the patrons. But their opinion wasn't important.

The singing would commence in but a moment.

((OOC: I'll leave this open for a while, to give people a chance to pop in if they'd like. In any event, this'll be his singing job thread.))

[Korva]

*Speaking Rakahi
*Speaking Common
The air was beginning to really feel like Vhalar, the waters taking on the chill enough to make them choppy, and even as used to the waters as she was Korva was done with the constant rocking. Granted, the moment the Biqaj legs hit the shore from more than a few minutes she wanted to be back on her boat. A grumbling stomach kept her moving, the other sailors promise of good food at a small restaurant and at a fair price.

And it was a nice enough place. If you were into that sort of thing. The part that let the most comfortable was the fact that there was such an assortment of people. It gave it more of a tavern feel but with better decor and food, homey even for Korva dressed like a vagabond with enough coin to grab the soup of the day seated as close the fire as she could get. The Biqaj had only kicked up her feet when the color walked in. There was no other way to describe them. Dressed as if they were to meet an Immortal the bird-like human swept into the eatery as if they owned it, planting themselves, drum out in a manner that was almost obnoxious. But the humming could’ve been melodic if it wasn’t for the drum beats actually seeming to throw off the sound. It was something different. The Biqaj thought it would eventually grate on the ears with the semi-abruptness of the drums mixed with the hum.

“Oy! Ya sing? Just hum?” Korva finally called in rough Common, “Requests?”

A few other patrons murmured in agreement, some more jovial ones calling out requests while others moved to tables farther away for more peace and quiet.

**Borrowed this template from free to use

[Kalortah]

The crowd gathered at the tavern was far from satisfactory, as expected. He wasn't playing to a flock of his own people, afterall. But he hadn't thought or dared to imagine the odors emanating off of those folk. The smell of rotting fish and sailors defecating over the rails of a ship. It reminded him far too much of his voyage from Athart. Even so, as he pounded his drum rhythmically, he was able to maintain his composure. Music was one of the few things that could tame his temper, and he would not have his visage sullied by a pack of rowdy ground-walkers and fishermen.

So as he was about to open his mouth to actually sing, it stung a little when they actually spoke to him...

His voice caught in his throat before he could let out a noise. Kalortah then turned to the one who'd asked him a question. "Request?" He knew the word, though it was rare that he heard a creature that ought to be a slave utter it. "Yes, I request Silence." Really, the nerve of that little minnow of a Biqaj. If this were Athart, she'd have been ushered into the slave pens by the time she dropped a foot to the pier.

So saying, he cleared his throat to prepare to begin his heavenly vocals.

Then one of the rowdier sailors chimed in with a 'Request'. "Hoy! Ya know Bully Boy Roam Let's hear that one!" More sailors tapped their tables at that. Kalortah would have gone red in the face had he been a lesser being, unable to control his temper.

He tapped his drum, and began humming a bit, trying to clear his head of these fool chatterings. He could scarcely remember what he was going to sing now. Those damned fisher idiots would need to shut up, or they wouldn't be getting any song at all!

[Korva]

*Speaking Rakahi
*Speaking Common

Even though she’d asked the question she hadn’t expected the response, and in Common to boot it surprised her because she’d thought he would sound more like a bird. It made her curious, what other surprises did the strange being have. She’d never seen his sort on her waves, U’frek kept his kind to the waters. Swirling colors of curiosity, hunger, and surprise zipped across her eyes as she raised her hands in surrender, he’d tried to hid it well but the curt response spoke of annoyance. A peace offering she gave a smile, softening her voice, “No silence,” Korva replied without heat, just fact, arm waving lazily, “Food place, people talk, enjoy. Is fun, relax birds, sing song.”

To the other sailor she called back easily in Rakahi, “Someone fancy as this one ain’t gonna know Bully Boy! Gotta have more class, salt for brains.” Korva laughed, “Ya think we’re in a tavern or something?”

“Don’t see ya making better suggestions!”

“Cause he ain’t even played nothing yet!” A warm bowl being slid in front of the Biqaj, quieting her and a few others as food was strategically served, either to give the bird-like human a chance to sing or to shut up the more vocal patrons from bothering the quieter ones. The steam rising up from it warmed her face, eager hands grabbing the sides to drink broth directly from the bowl. If she had thought she was cold before the tingle of soup sent pin pricks of painful warmth through her chest.

If the bird began to sing the Biqaj was eager to hear what but who knew if they’d offended the brightly colored man or not. Fancy looking or not someone would have to tell him one day that unless it was the street, music usually was overridden by patrons, happy and wanting to be apart of the music whether it was a tavern or a nice restaurant.

**Borrowed this template from free to use

[Kalortah]

OOC

Sorry I took a while!

The apefish continued to babble, with the female trying to cozy up to Kalortah, as if they were equals! He might have been offended, had he not found her manner so intriguingly quaint. To think a slave might act in such a way! It was amusing at least. He harumphed lightly at her name for him, Birds. He would have groaned aloud, but that was not becoming of an Avriel of his breeding. Not that he had to, or even wanted to impress any of these drudgers.

The rest of the apefish might have been belching for all the sense they were making, with that guttural language of theirs. How he would've liked to open them up right then, and see how silver the apefish could bleed. Only he hated the color of silver, and didn't want to stink up his robes. So he would leave them in peace.

There was silence for a moment, and Kalortah took that opportunity to gather his wits, and sang in a slow, lingering, and haunting voice. The words he sang were in his native language of Lorien.

"Spiraling down, the goldfish sank,
'Neath the hull of the 'Thunderbeak'.

Where he would breathe autumn rain,
Had he gills and mouth to speak.

In darkness 'neath water cold,
His silver blood froze in heart.

The fish, abandoned and old,
met its end on teeth of Shark."

Kalortah had more to sing, but between catches of phrase liked to beat his drum a bit to fill the silence. It also helped jog his mental process so he could adlib a bit more.

His lyrical style wasn't meant to be literal or anything other than rhyming a bit, but he wasn't yet there as a song writer. He'd only get there with practice, so he drummed a bit more as he tried to think of the next few lines.

[Korva]

*Speaking Rakahi
*Speaking Common

OOC

Never a problem, I post slow as molasses myself!

It was like a funeral. Or something out of a taverns night of horror stories. Rather than something light or airy like she’d expected of the bird-like man, it was eerie, sluggish, sticking to her ears like salt on her skin. Perhaps the strangest part of it was the song itself, she could understand none of the words. Not Common certainly but maybe she’d kept her ears closed too long for she’d never heard this language. Never seen a bird man either.

The restaurant was divided, as with any music, some enjoyed it, some looked as though they’d rather be deaf, and some cared not a wit. Korva cared. In fact, the Biqaj woman enjoyed the strangers voice but his song felt too sad, like deep frozen waters, a feeling she was tired of being in. Still, it was pretty. The breaks were too strange and sudden for her, the drums rhythm in between words startling her each time with its’ newness.

It’s probably why she decided to hum along, a few others doing the same in an attempt to fill the gaps of lyrics the bird-man was leaving. But once her soup was gone, her focus totally on the bird-man she couldn’t help but try to fill the silence, her own voice rough, too low and worn from shouting for her to sound truly pleasant.

“Ain’t need a map,
Just take a nap,
U’frek seas ‘ll take ya all the way home,”

A short interrupting, silly verse that made her smile in a slow, self satisfied way. And while she’d thought she’d been quiet enough not to interrupt the bards performance, a few chuckles at nearby tables said she hadn’t been quiet enough. If she was lucky she hadn’t offended birds. But judging by the fact that she had attracted attention, and the birds earlier reaction that was highly unlikely, an apology was already ready at the tip of her tongue, eyes wide in surprise at actually being heard.

**Borrowed this template from free to use

[Kalortah]

I... It sang. Over his song. It sang, he was sure of that. He could sense the utter disruption of his sounds through the air currents in the tavern. His eyes could perceive every breath these apefish took, along with his own. So it took little effort to notice that she was either singing, or talking under her breath. And he was sure she had sung!

The avriel flushed at that. An unexpected reaction. He was on the verge of going berserk, but held his temper in. Instead, he took it out on his drum, in an epic drum solo.

Thump, a bump a thump a bump a thump thump thump!

He beat his drum to try and clear the air currents of even the memory of her apefish lyric. Thump. It took a few bits, but eventually he drummed out his frustration.

Finally having recovered his temper, he adjusted the drum strap on his shoulder, and shook his head out of his reverie. Where was he? Going to sing another song. Hmm, perhaps in a break or so he would resume his performance. In the meantime, his stomach rumbled. He wanted some food. So he nodded, bowing to the crowd gracefully. Then he went over to a corner table that wasn't too crowded or near other patrons, and would wait for the waitress to arrive.

While waiting to be served, he unstrapped his drum, which took some doing with his wings in the way. He snarled a bit as his feathers got a bit caught on the leather. That done, he plopped it down in the seat next to him. From time to time, while waiting for the waitress, he'd shoot glances toward the female apefish. They weren't outright hostile glares. His scarlet eyes held a bit of intrigue, truth be told. She was a strange thing, that he wanted to study. While he wasn't the sort to carouse with lesser species, he always had a soft spot for people who could hold a tune. And judging by the way her voice had carried over the air currents, she was definitely within that category.

[Korva]

*Speaking Rakahi
*Speaking Common

The red of his face made her nervous thought she tried to keep her eyes and expression peaceable. The angry beat of the drums making her gaze slid to her bowl, the faster the Biqaj ate, the faster she could apologize or flee but the choice was made for her before she could pick one. The bird had stopped playing, bowing as if he’d done them all a great favor, for some the silence was a favor so it worked matched regardless. That however, was not the problem for Korva, it was the constant red eyes on her.

U’freks balls if those eyes didn’t look annoyed. Maybe it just the color that made her think so but when they finally locked gazes. Her chance to flee had long since passed, passed the moment he had sat. There wasn’t even food in the bowl for her to pretend she was doing anything other than staring back. Damn it all, she’d have to apologize. Like an errant child her gaze skittered to her table. Faint scoldings tumbling through her head about manners and apologies. Keeping peace with the land—or air people—in this case. Never sink a ship you might need to sail later, her ma had always said. It made the Biqaj wiggle in her seat but she plopped coin down for her food, stood, and like the adult she was wandered over to birds.

Up close he beautiful. In a strange, beast-like way. The feathers itched to be touched, her eyes swirling with colorful curiosity, only dimmed by the faint contrition in her expression. There was even a deep set bit of worry as Korvas eyes took note of the way the clothe draped too loosely over his form. “Am sorry. Was…happy ya sing, sang with ya…not on…”

The Biqaj struggled to find the right words but she couldn’t think of them. Only thing she could think of was to offer to pay for his food as an apology that would make them even, keeping her out of his debt.

“I pay, yer food. As sorry.” She placed a few coins on the table, “Is good singing, Birds.”

**Borrowed this template from free to use

[Kalortah]

The minnow... arrived at his table. The minnow... spoke to the glorious avriel. His bloodline linked back to the very first of the avriel, who'd rebelled against the Immortals and spurned their creator. A proud race of warriors, artists, and kings. Yet here was a ship rat, a minnow, a fishape, trying to speak to him. To dare to speak to him. It was a testament to his discipline that he did not fly into a rage and scourge the skin from her face right then and there. He sat silently sipping from a small bowl of soup that'd been provided to him from a nearby waitress.

He took a few more sips, until it was drained, "Sorry?" Kalortah let out a melodic laugh, but there was little mirth in it. It was a cruel, jagged laughter for all it's beauty. Every exhalation seemed design to barb into the minnow's ego in some way. How she took it, however, was another matter. Kalortah wouldn't be around to find out.

"I not notice! You sang, minnow the apefish? Hah! I hear guttural blubber. Same as the rest of these apefish around here." So saying, Kalortah rose to his feet, and cast down a few coppers and silver nels on the table, to pay for his own meal.

"Fair evening, Minnow. Don't let the cold find you. I must retire." He waved nonchalantly toward her, and then departed from the tavern with a harumph. The door swung violently as he pushed his way out, walking the streets back to his rented residence.

OOC

Heya, let me know in chat or in pm what you'd like for knowledges (I think we're entitled to 9-10 after your next post), and I'll submit a request for review. It was a pleasure writing with you. This was fun.

[Korva]

*Speaking Rakahi
*Speaking Common

The laugh startled her, eyes searching for errant birds but only finding the bird humanoid in front of her. By now Korva shouldn't be surprised by the bird man being, well, bird like but it was strange to her. He was nothing she'd ever seen, not to mention his posh accent, and hoity toity tone made it even harder to understand what he was talking about. Of one thing she was sure, he was insulting her or trying to. Minnow was no more an insult than cuttlefish or bilge rat to her and her kind, it made her blink blankly though to hear the words slipping from his lips so strangely. Distantly she wondered if he ate minnows.

It was only when he threw his own coin down that she scrambled to reply but found herself only staring in confusion as he wished her well, shifting from hot to cold like a badly warmed bath. While the Biqaj was used to letting things roll off her back, she had to admit, this bird man was confusing her. It made her own response unsure, the hesitation as he strode away giving the break a server needed to catch her.

"Miss, you were short--"

"Fek--I mean--uh, ya, here ya go just take it from the pile. I gotta catch 'im a'fore ee's gone! Sorry 'bout that! Oye! Wait! Birds!" But even as she trailed out the door after him, after apologetically paying for her food, he was long gone. A slight pout formed on her lips. Ah well, it wasn't meant to be but she'd wanted to ask if he did eat fish. Shoving a loose strand of hair from her face the Biqaj woman wandered away from the tavern like she hadn't just burst out frantically, strolling casually toward the docks and other 'ape fish' with a grin. Wouldn't that be an interesting name to go by? Sounded like something dangerous, Korvas mind already spinning tales to go with the pseudo name.

**Borrowed this template from free to use