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Fal-der-al and All That Jazz; [TM][P] Teo
Topic Started: Fri Jul 5, 2013 6:56 pm (368 Views)
Shan Orison
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The main road through the Debon Plains wasn't a grand paved affair like the Green Road or a spooky mucky strip like what was left of a path in the marshes. It was a utilitarian road, the most traveled place between the fields, now sprouting green with the new season's crops, made of dirt or, after a good rainstorm, mud, with deep carriage wheel ruts that guided a wagon of goods as much as the ox or horse pulling it. Besides the people that lived on the plains, the farmers that worked the fields and provided much of Imythess with their daily bread, few traveled through besides the occasional merchant or wayward wanderer.

For those folks, and for the purpose of providing a place to drink for the local farmers, there were various traveler's taverns about a day's ride apart. None of them made much in the way of revenue, but they stayed open due to need and lack of competition for hot meals and hopefully clean beds.

The one Shan stopped at had a hand carved wooden sign in desperate need of repainting someday. There was a picture of a rodent, obviously dead from its prone position and its legs up in the air. One little, dead paw held a huge mug of foaming ale. Beneath the rather macabre imagery were the words "Dead Drunk Rat Inn." Not the most appetizing name, but with the alternative being to sleep in a field or beg a local farmer for a stay in the hayloft, the owner knew they could call it whatever they damn well pleased.

Besides, Shan's logic considered. A dead rat is a good rat if you're a farmer.

After a long day walking along the road, having to spend the previous night in the field since night came when he was in between inns, he looked forward to a nice rest indoors with a warm fire and without the very earth leeching the heat from his bones. Camping was well and good, but nothing beat a roof overhead. Granted, he knew he'd have to jump through more than a few hoops to manage it, but he was confident he and his fiddle could manage. He took a deep breath and pushed open the thick oak door of the inn.

If you want, Teo could already be playing inside when Shan walks in, or they could end up entering together, or whatever else strikes your fancy. =D
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Teo
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The Dead Drunk Rat Inn was surprisingly well maintained on the inside. Teo hadn't quite expected anything nice, considering its location, name and (especially!) rough facade, but the innkeeper, a jovial, red-cheeked man named Niall, made sure that everything was kept tidy enough. The ale was okay; the food smelled awfully nice; there were a surprising number of customers hanging about the place. All in all, it seemed a good place to settle down with a pint for the night, especially since he was fairly sure that he'd be able to pay for it solely with the money that he earned from performing there.

He tested a few of the strings on his harp while he waited for his first mug of ale. The tones were clear, though a few were a little off-pitch; Teo adjusted them methodically. A few of the patrons had stolen glances at him, obviously wondering if he was going to perform. Niall had given him the okay to do so whenever; he'd even cleared off a little performance space so that he could sit and play if he wanted to. Some farmer's daughter brought him his ale, and he gulped some down to help him prepare. He grabbed his flute case and harp, stood and made his way to the edge of the room.

As he took his flute from his case, he noticed a young man walking through the door of the inn; a musician, judging by the fiddle case. Teo gave the man an acknowledging grin and launched into a stomping, rhythmic dancing-thing. The room quieted some as he began; this was probably because of the loud noise as much as the somewhat silly way he was loping about. And then he began to play.

The song was simple, if catchy. The quick rhythm of his dance was nothing compared to the finger-killing speed that playing the song required. To make up for this, the entirety of the song was just endless permutations of the same six notes, some of which were repeated, some of which were not. It was the kind of song that usually inspired a crowd to dancing, but this may have been because of the way the player himself danced around like a complete fool every time he played it. A couple of the younger folks in the crowd grinned as the song went on, but no one seemed to want to dance. When the song ended, he got a smattering of applause, but that was it.

Oh, one of those nights, huh? I need a drink. He took another big gulp from his ale as soon as the thought occurred to him, and he put the flute away in favor of his harp. Maybe some harping and singing will catch their ears.
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Shan Orison
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Ah, dammit, his second thoughts moaned. Someone already beat us here.

Indeed, another musician, this one laden with several instruments, was already setting up in a cleared performance area with a flute. It was rare for two traveling musicians to cross paths, especially in a remote area such as this, but unfortunately Shan had to yield the floor to the minstrel already here. He sighed, resigned, and found himself an out of the way table in the back. He knew already from the usual prices charged at these places that he didn't have enough coin for a room, but he hoped he could at least get something warm to eat before heading out again.

"What'll you have, love?" A server said as she sailed over to him, grinning broadly enough he suspected she thought him richer than he was.

"Um, hi, what will...hang on," He dug in his pockets until he retrieved a small gathering of copper coins. "What can I get for this, meal wise?"

She sniffed, downgrading him in her mind from big spender to just a poor traveler, but at least one willing to pay up front. "Can get you some stew an' an ale."

"That sounds perfect. Thank you," She sniffed again, but took his coin gently, waiting until she was walking back to the bar to check them for authenticity. Shan sat back, soon received his meal of boiled vegetables and beef in broth with a slice of thick barley bread. Glad to be off his feet a bit, he settled in to play the rare role of audience as the other wandering minstrel began his performance.

And performance it was. He wasn't content to sit on his laurels and trill a little tune. He danced with his jig, taking advantage of all the space he cleared. On the street or in a bigger city, this likely would have gone over well. However, it sounded like, except for the smattering of young ones in the audience, they were here to relax and have a drink. There was a round of polite clapping, indicating they liked the music well enough but were still cool to the hyperactive musician himself. Shan clapped as well; the man was good. He was disappointed he'd lost his chance to play, but at least he wasn't being shut out by someone with a deaf ear.

The musician himself looked a bit irked at the quiet reception. He hid it well, but the huge swig from his mug didn't seemed to be caused from just thirst. He turned and put his flute away, retrieving a harp from another case. Shan sipped at his ale, which was thankfully not something akin to horse piss. Well, well, skilled at multiple instruments? Let's see how the crowd takes your next act then, and how you take their reaction?
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Teo
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As he absentmindedly tested his strings again, he noticed that the other musician was watching him. Hm. If I were a nice person, I'd let him come up and do a set. Ah, but he's eating. Not like he's missing much anyway, I suppose. Mentally, he perused his collection of music. He wasn't in much of a singing mood at the moment, but the only pieces worth playing on a harp that wasn't a floor harp had very important vocal elements. Since his was not a double-strung instrument, he didn't have too much room to play complex music, but he could manage. He laid the harp flat on his lap while being careful not to obstruct any of the strings. Let's see how this song is received, then.

He plucked a couple of the strings in rapid succession and let their combined voices ring in the air for a moment before humming quietly, harmonizing. The song he was getting ready to play had no lyrics, though the vocals were a key component of the song; the singer sang a countermelody with no words, only hums and aahs. The effect was somewhat haunting, if strange. Teo found it absolutely charming and practiced it frequently when alone. This was the first time he'd be performing it in front of an audience, but he felt confident enough in his familiarity with the piece that he knew it wouldn't be a problem. He strummed again.

Again, the actual notes that were being played were simple; in this case, the music didn't stick to one octave, but it was by no means a hard piece to play on the harp. All of the finesse of the song was contained in the vocals, which Teo shimmied into almost effortlessly. There was something sad but intimate about the way he sang it; he knew this because it was how he felt as he voiced it, and he could almost sense that feeling pooling in the air. His voice, all legato, complemented the staccato harp well, though his voice wasn't particularly notable. But, given the right song...

And because he often used this song when practicing his spells, or because the mood was just right just then, or because of some factor that Teo was unable to quantify or qualify, he felt the familiar pulse of mana rising in his chest. Ah, good. I was hoping so. And as he sang, he released just a little bit of magic into one of the strings of his harp. It was something tiny that he knew the audience wouldn't notice unless he angled the harp toward them, but it was something that made him smile. The string began to glow with a faint bluish light that pulsed slightly when he strummed it. He tried not to grin too broadly and finished up the song: he sang a single long note and struck a couple of quick notes on the harp that almost always signaled the end of a piece.

That song earned him a little more applause, but Teo was putting his harp away and didn't listen too closely to the audience's reaction. Instead, he walked over to where the other musician was sitting with his stew and ale and quietly asked the barmaid for a bowl of stew before sitting down there. "Hey, there. Sorry if I'm intruding. I saw the case and couldn't help but recognize a kindred spirit. My name's Teo. How's the stew?"
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Shan Orison
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"Warm, filling, and tastes like beef. Hard to go wrong with that," Shan said with a smile. He hadn't expected the first musician, Teo, to take note of him, let alone come over and chat. It made sense in hindsight, though.

Not like this is a huge place, his common sense laid out. The fiddle case on your back you slough around marks you as another musician, and with the lukewarm at best reaction he's been getting, he might as well take a break to collect himself and rethink his strategy.

Because that's what a lot of barding came down to: strategy on par with politics or a battlefield. Granted, there was far less at stake, but coin enough for food and shelter and a few other essentials was definitely worth taking time out to consider the best plan to extract the maximum amount of money with the least amount of guff. The serving girl came by and dropped off an ale and stew for Teo.

"I'm Shan," said Shan, extending his hand for a handshake. "You play rather well, and on more than one instrument at that. Didn't expect to see a fellow musician on the road at all, especially not one that well versed." Shan spoke casually, but he kept his eye on Teo, especially the right one. Teo, besides being a skilled bard out in an area where music was the sort of thing shared between friends rather than played professionally, was something that happened while Teo was playing his last set. It'd only lasted a moment, and Shan doubted any of the other patrons took note of it, but one of the strings of his harp glowed, for just a moment, before it was plucked and the glow faded.

That would have been odd enough, but what made Shan sit up and pay attention were the other energies that grew and popped like a soap bubble, invisible to the bare eye and nearly impossible to detect even if one had a means to discern the magical energies that suffused every thing and every person around them. One needed familiarity with not just magic, but a very situational, very quiet, very subtle kind of mana. Shan knew that mana well. He'd learned to manipulate it long before he knew it existed and only grew from there. He might not have a doctorate in mana from the Striberg academy of magic, but he was able to see mana through his artificial, if perfectly identical to his left, right eye. The combination of knowing how to use that mana and being able to see it when he did call it forth meant he knew it when he saw it, and he expected to see it when a musician played. There was always a trace amount in any performance.

But Teo did more than just play music and cause this quiet, indiscernible mana to appear, he called forth even more of it. He didn't cause it to do more than make a string glow and resonate with a bit more strength than it did before or afterward, but it was a lot more than even a concert musician could create without pushing themselves and their music just a bit farther into an entirely new spectrum. It wasn't much, no one but himself and possibly Teo noticed it, but it was there.

Teo was beginning to blossom into a Muse.

"Too bad the room doesn't seem ready for that level of play," Shan lamented, gazing back around the room at the tired farmers relaxing, a few traveling merchants getting a meal will not being jostled on a wagon, and the few families out for a meal they didn't have to cook or clean up themselves. "I think you started off a bit too strongly, to be honest. Everyone needs to warm up to the idea of someone playing music first, I think. Bards are a bit scare down this way, so they probably aren't used to nightly entertainment."
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Teo
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Teo chuckled at Shan's description of the stew; I guess that he's right. Can't go wrong with that. When the serving girl dropped off his portion, he smiled at her warmly and drank down a spoonful of the broth. Yup. He's right. It definitely beats the dried, salted stuff.

"Good to meet you, Shan," he said as he shook the proffered hand. "Thanks for the compliments. I'm actually not all that great at playing more than a couple of songs, haha. But put on a confident face and people buy it, usually. Yes, I wasn't expecting to run into another musician out here, either, but it's always nice to run into one." He grinned at Shan before elaborating; "It's interesting to see how people play audiences. I'm not usually this far from bigger towns, so I think I was sorely unprepared. That first song I played, the one on the flute? Kills the Cascadians. Absolutely kills them. The Tarasians, too. They eat it up, jig and all. But yeah, it was a bit too strong for these guys. I think that, when I get back up there, I'll do a couple of flute numbers that aren't so... Bouncy."

Either that, or some of those repetitive songs about branches in trees and trees in holes and holes in the ground. But that might be too bouncy for them, too. Maybe I should let this guy take a turn. He wasn't sure that it would be good etiquette, though, unless he wasn't planning on playing anymore that evening, so he decided to let that idea go. He finished off his stew quickly, happy to eat something that felt wholesome.

"I've been playing for around ten years, though. Mostly harp, but I've had that flute for two years. I've been thinking about trying my hand at the fiddle; I had the chance to play one a few months back, and it's a pretty charming instrument, but for the sake of mobility, I'd have to get rid of my other instruments, and I'm not quite ready for that." He eyed Shan's fiddle case for a moment before returning his gaze to the musician. "How long have you been playing? If you don't mind me asking."

Not that it matters. Kids these days seem to pick up a mandolin and bam! Sudden musical genius strikes. The thought made him gulp down his ale. Like I need that type of competition. Smiling to himself, he began to think about what he'd play next.
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Shan Orison
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"I was seven when I started," Shan said after swallowing another bite. That was real, off a cow beef in there. Since he cooked for himself a lot on long stretches of road, he didn't have a lot of meat in his meals that wasn't dried out or salted. That would require hunting skills he'd never developed. Fresh cooked beef, even in a stew, was damn satisfying. "Most of that was learning on my own, though, so it took me awhile to get to a point where I could play something that didn't make your ears bleed. Violin isn't very forgiving of poor technique. Decided to travel and become a bard about a year ago." He chuckled. "I have to admit, I improved immensely once my playing was tied to my getting a meal."

Shan kept watching Teo as he spoke, mostly with his right eye. There weren't any more signs of Muse abilities, which suggested it was just beginning to germinate in him and had yet to sprout. From the sound of his playing, Teo was certainly skilled enough to become a Muse, but whether that ability would blossom, as it had in him, or remain a seed in fertile soil, he couldn't say. At least, he couldn't if Teo didn't have any training.

"So, hey, which way are you traveling on the road, anyway?" Shan asked. "Best to see right now if this is going to happen tomorrow night or not, considering the road we're on." It didn't matter to Shan which way Teo was heading. Shan would be "coincidentally" heading that way, as well. He'd yet to initiate training with someone, but he had a plan set up in his head.

And we all know how well THOSE turn out, his inner critic giggled, waiting for the inevitable loose thread to start unraveling Shan's plot.
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Teo
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"Seven, huh? Sounds about right. I think that all good musicians start out young. Or, at least, good enough to play for a crowd; I was around that age when I started out on the harp, and I don't want to sound conceited. I'm impressed that you managed to teach yourself violin. I've heard a bad violinist once or twice, and you're right - bad technique means bad music there!" Teo chuckled into his mug as he took a swig. "But I definitely understand what you mean about how your music improves when your survival depends on it."

As he spoke, he noticed that Shan was giving him a weird look. It was subtle, as if he were focusing overmuch, but it gave Teo a slight case of the willies. Do I... Do I have something on my face or something? At the thought, his hand automatically reached up to swipe at his mouth. Maybe he's just hard of seeing or something. Or maybe he's secretly mad that I haven't offered him a turn at playing?

Then, Shan asked spontaneously about his traveling plans. "Uh, I. I'm heading north, for Taras. Stopping there a few weeks before heading farther north. And, uh, what's happening tomorrow? I think I missed something." Perplexity and alcohol slurred Teo's voice a little bit, so he took a moment before continuing, "Speaking of missing something, I think the patrons are getting restless. Would you like to play, or shall I? I'm okay either way."

Then, he glanced at the mentioned patrons and winced. They weren't quite restless, but Teo himself was feeling a little antsy. Yeah, I think that some music would be nice. It'd be good to play, and it'd be good to hear a good violinist for once, so... Yeah, I guess I am good either way. Though, unless I want to sleep outside, I don't have enough money for more ale. Bah.
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Shan Orison
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"I'm headed that way, too," Shan said, quietly altering his own plans. It wasn't as though they were more than "wander around and play music," and it helped he was actually on his way to Taras himself. "Which means we'll be having this conversation again and again, since there's only one inn a day on this road, roughly. So we can be having this conversation all the way to Taras, about who gets rights to play in the inn and who gets to sleep outside, or..."

Shan sipped his drink again and grinned. "We could team up. I think we're both good enough to pull off a few duets. You can play tonight. You've already have claims here, and I've at least gotten a hot meal tonight, but tomorrow, might be less aggravation and far more profit if we played together. We could even travel together, if you don't mind."

Shan leaned back, relaxing, letting Teo ponder over the offer without pushing him to answer right away. And he was right, the room was glancing back at them, giving them far more interest then two travelers should warrant. They'd gotten used to the idea that music would be playing tonight, and now they were wondering why it wasn't starting again.

"Best to start with something slow and ease into something with a faster tempo," Shan advised. "You know you've got them when they start shouting requests. Now get up there and earn that bed."

ooc: I'm sorry this is so late and so short, Teo.
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Teo
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Huh. Travel together, huh? When's the last time I actually traveled with someone? He looked more closely at Shan. What if this guy is going to, like, lure me into the middle of the Plains and kill me? He was looking at me so strangely earlier. But... I mean, looking at him, he doesn't seem like he's all that. I could probably take him. Hm. But, I mean, what he's saying makes sense, if he really is going to Taras, too.

After a beat, he replied, "Yeah, okay, that makes sense. We can talk more about it after I'm done playing, if you plan on sticking around. I've not played a duet in... Gods. Ages. I've not traveled with another bard." He was awkward for a second. "I, uh, think it's a good idea, though. Duets tend to be more impressive than solos, if the players are good. And there's some security in travelling with a partner." Usually.

Then he stood and stretched a little bit. Doing so seemed to relieve some of the tension in the room; as he stood, people who had been looking at him looked away and assumed a slightly more casual stance, and several people took a swig of ale in unison. Hah. Guess they liked my act more than I thought.

"Oh, and thanks for the advice. I guess the last couple of things I played were too different to feel like they were consistent with one another. I just was hoping for a good reaction, haha. I'll definitely start out slow." And he had a good song to start with, too. It was a harp song -- again, fairly simple because of the restrictions of the instrument, but one that most people knew the melody of, and it was good and steady, not too showy. He pulled the harp out of its case again, grinned at Shan, and walked up to the makeshift stage.

"All right, ale break's good and done," he joked loudly to the room. Since he'd been drinking throughout the show, too, most of the audience cracked a smile, and a couple of people even laughed. He grinned back and sat down, harp in hand. He strummed a couple of low, resonant notes and began his song -- a love song in which the singer lists all of the various wonderful qualities of the subject. It was received well enough.



OOC: Sorry this is so late, Shan. ;)
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Shan Orison
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Shan blinked, stretched, and yawned, tangling himself up more in his bedroll as he awoke. The previous night looked to be a success, overall. He got a good meal, he met another bard, and Teo, after taking a bit of his advice, soon had the room engaged in his performance. He didn't make much in the way of coin, but he was offered a free room for the night. This morning, Shan thought as he scratched his chest, the two minstrels planned to try traveling together. Shan's stated reason was that, since it was such a long and sparse road, they'd do better cooperating rather than competing on their journey.

In truth, Shan noticed a hint of blooming talent in Teo, something that only someone like him would see. He hoped that he could help Teo even more by showing him how to nurture that magic to grow.

First, though, he thought as he packed up his bedroll, tent, and other belongings into the impossible space of his pack, he'd see if he could get two hot meals made for him in a row. Also, he realized as he pushed open the door to the tavern after traveling the short distance to its door, it'd be best to make sure Teo actually wanted to travel with him still.

Well, worst case scenario, his internal critic said, he snuck away in the middle of the night to avoid you entirely.
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Teo
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Morning always comes too soon, Teo thought to himself as he lay in the tiny room given to him in exchange for his performance. His mind was fuzzy from the excess of drink he'd had the night before, and he felt like he'd not slept at all. The sun was too persistent to stick around in the room, though, and he knew from past experience that it'd be better to get some food in him than not. Although he had precious few coins left in his possession, he knew he had just enough to get him a meager breakfast.

After packing up his things -- which, thankfully, didn't amount to much at all -- he left the room and sat down in the dining area. The place was deserted, compared to the previous evening, but the innkeeper was there to take his mumbled order, and Teo half-collapsed into a bench in his hurry to get off of his bumbling legs. Soon afterward, he was brought a scone and a cup of strong, hot tea, and he set about restoring himself to a condition fit for travel.

As he ate, the front door opened to reveal Shan, whom Teo'd forgotten about completely. Ah. Right. I said I'd travel with him. Shan didn't seem to be the worse for wear despite sleeping outside. Teo feebly waved a hand at Shan, inviting him to sit at the table. The tea had helped Teo feel more human, so he even managed a smile.

"'Lo, Shan," he said. "Good t'see you." Teo looked down at his plate -- he'd eaten most of his scone, but there was a solid eighth of it left over. "Uh, scone?" He offered.
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Shan Orison
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"Nah, I'm good," Shan said, though a look of indecision lingered in his eyes. "I have some trail rations." He settle back in the seat, his monetary funds too low to justify joining Teo in a hot breakfast, and he felt tacky eating his own food in the establishment.

"So now that you slept on it, are you still interested in traveling together still?" he asked. "We'll probably need to share a room, but I can help negotiate for some meals at the other inns, two of us means we can take turns and keep the room entertained while taking breaks. We can even practice something for duets. Most minstrels travel solo, so us playing together can help our novelty factor.

"Though, um, of course, if you changed your mind about it, I understand," he quickly added, not wanting to sound too pushy. "I just thought it'd work out better for both of us, like I said."
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