Songbirds sing for food (open)

[Kayiri]

Kayiri looked like he had been struck slightly as she brought up his family. "My apologies! I always forget, my past is a bit turbulent," Kayiri said kindheartedly. "Yes, they are here, in Endrykas, and quite well. I'm an only child, sadly. I'm currently unmarried, living with my mother and father in their Pavilion, part of the Diamond clan," Kayiri spoke hurriedly, trying to clear up any social infractions.

"And your family, what of them?" he then asked curiously. Kayiri motioned for her to follow him off of the stage, mostly because he felt Pygmy would begin again soon and he didn't want to disrupt her. He led her back to his table, gesturing to the seat across from him.

((Sorry for the long wait for a shitty post, I've been busy lately. X_X

Ah, Glayce, my apologies, I went to check if the Emeralds were the warriors, saw the Diamonds were, got carried away, and forgot to edit. I'm sorry, I've been out of it lately. Probably not giving too great a first impressions. Super duper sorry X_X))

[Glayce Lightstorm]

The short girl, Pygmy, disappeared in direction of where she had sung before, leaving the other two alone with each other. Considering the last look she gave Glayce, “friends” didn’t include her. Glayce, however, only chuckled lowly. The girl started noticing things. Perhaps it wasn’t too difficult to stand out around so many people. You immediately noticed who behaved different and had different opinions.

However, then her attention returned to Kayiri. Turbulent? That word piqued her curiosity. Why would someone call their past turbulent? What had happened? Pale grey colors sparkling with interest, she interrupted: “What does that mean, turbulent? I mean, apparently you aren’t uncomfortable with talking about it, otherwise I wouldn’t ask. Of course.” Then she rocked back on her heels, bringing space between them. Space for her to bear the fact that he visited the city with his family. So what about the turbulences? Apparently the relationship with his pavilion was fine. Suddenly something else came to Glayce’s mind, and she asked honestly and without any further considerations: “Have you come here to search for a wife then?”

When Kayiri switched to her family, she shook her head. “I have left my pavilion to gain experiences on my own. My father sent me.” In fact that wasn’t even a lie, considering the talk they had had a few days before she had left in the middle of the night. He had practically urged her to go and leave them alone … But Glayce quickly pushed the unpleasant memories aside. They were of no use, for nobody. So nobody would ever find out about them. Her secret! “Last time I checked, they were perfectly fine.” Except for the fact that someone had been missing. Naturally, she didn’t add that either. The topic hurt her inside. She wanted to talk about something else!

Her eyes sparkled, betraying her feelings, and she asked: “What does your pavilion do? I mean, the Diamonds are excellent warriors, right? What is your profession, for example?” She hoped that she could lure him into talking about himself so he didn’t ask further questions about her past.

[Kayiri]

"It was a rough ride, and it was hardly ever enjoyable, even when it appeared to smooth out," That was all she would get from Kayiri at this point in time. "I happily mention anything, it's a long story, though, and I'm in too good a mood to delve into times more morbid," he then explained, his foot tapping slightly as if he was mentally keeping tune to a piece of music.

Kayiri let out one of his hearty chuckles as she asked if he had come in search of a wife. "I don't search for anything, miss Glayce, I let life give whatever it feels like giving to me. Sometimes, I just encourage it to give me something I want more than something else," he smile warmly. His head nodded in interest as she gave the brief overview of why she was there. "Always a good thing to have, no? Allows you to form your own opinions. It changes you as a person, maybe for worse, but almost always for the better," he had a habit of having those odd philosophical bursts.

The smile grew as she mentioned the fact that Diamonds were known for their combat prowess. "We're warriors, miss Glayce, through and through. Born to fight until the last of our breath leaves our body and the embrace of the damned engulfs us, preferably at the end of a sword," he explained, nodding. "My scars, they're fresh," he then added, pointing to the jagged lines on his left arm, the scars right under his right eye to his lip. He proceeded to lift his shirt just enough to reveal the scar tissue on his left flank, where the Zith had scored it's lucky blow with the sword.

"A Zith, it stole my bow in the middle of the night, hurt my friend. She scored a lucky blow with a knife, and we followed it's blood to Din. There, we were ambushed in a cave. Three Zith awaited outside, one with the bow," at this point, his face turned slightly red. "One of the Zith, I assume he was the leader, proceeded to piss on my bow. He's so mutilated not even his mother could recognize him," the last bit was added coldly and callously. "After they injured my arm, I fought to the best of my abilities until my companions came to my aid. I took off one's hand and made another lose teeth with my torch, held in my injured arm," he moved his body into the positions he had been in when he struck those blows as he narrated it. "I also managed to fell the leader, a headless heap on the ground when I departed," Kayiri then added finally, a proud smile on his face.

"Come, we should move off the stage and gather the people for the next song, so Pygmy can hurry up and let us on!" Kayiri then declared, motioning for Glayce to follow him into the crowd.

[Dhanya]

No sooner were Glayce and Kayiri in the crowd, than they heard Pygmy singing. It was a softer start, less wild than the song before. Perhaps she was giving the crowd time to breath. They didn't hear her opening words over the thrum of the crowd.

"I never loved nobody fully, always one foot on the ground." She sang, hands gentle and palm flat on her chest, hips tipping to and fro to the beat of the music. "And by protecting my heart truly, I got lost in the sounds, I hear in my mind. All these voices... I hear in my mind, all these words... I hear in my mind all this music."

Pygmy raised her hands and walked backwards feet kicking up and eyes closed. Hel kept strumming and Pygmy's voice reached out again.

"And it breaks my heart, ah ah art, ah ah art, ah ah art!" Pygmy lilted sweetly, dreamily dancing about the stage for her chorus. "It breaks my, heart."

"And suppose I never met you, suppose we never fell in love." Love had been on her mind lately.

It wasn't so loud that Kayiri and Glayce would have been unable to continue their conversation, so long as it was quiet enough not to disturb the other patrons. There was still half a song to go before Pygmy would call Kayiri on stage, so their time was temporarily drawing to a close.

[Kayiri]

Kayiri finished speaking to one of the patrons, discovering upon turning around that Glayce had slipped away. Maybe she just wasn't one for the grandeur of his tale. No matter. Kayiri did, however, have that gut feeling he always had when he wished subconsciously to meet someone again... Of course, that would make it conscious, since it was a feeling, and the feeling was conscious, and he could register i- of to hell with it!

He continued to rally up the patrons he was familiar with, and when Pygmy finally finished her song, dashed up onto the stage and moved his hands in a dramatic motion, summoning his small entourage of followers to accompany him onto the stage.

Kayiri padded over to Pygmy, speaking to her over the crowd. "Tell me, milady, would you like for us to start off with the beginning or would you like to?" He grinned slightly, and then added sarcastically: "Gee, I hope you say us! We have a magical dance number with choreography and joint singing that we all just planned in those three chimes we were apart!" He was making fun of the plays the Drykas sometimes performed, but he didn't quite expect her to catch the reference.

[Dhanya]

While Pygmy didn't catch Kayiri's reference, she could see his mirth. It was easy to feel included in the laughter and allow herself to be part of it.

"No, no, I can begin!" She said, smiling, showing Kayiri onto the stage and introducing him to Hel.

Hel was quiet, not unusual for, though not unwelcoming. Pygmy ran Kayiri through the lyrics and reminded herself of a few. The crowd was once again becoming restless, perhaps surprised by the new addition to the stage. Pygmy hadn't invited anyone else up to sing with her before.

"This will be fun, I'll sing the first verse and you can help me with the chorus." Pygmy said, as Hel began to strum at her guitar again, playing the opening chords.

"The red sun rises,
against the blue moon,
my heart on the horizon,
I pray to see you soon,

My dear you've gone and left me,
fighting distant wars,
I will wait for you,
I will be always yours,"

Pygmy sang, swaying to the music, hands in the air. It was an old song and quite a romantic one. The sort you sang with friends at night time when there was little else to do. She launched into the chorus, turning so that Kayiri could see her invitation.

"And that red sun o'er the river,
is it an omen yet?
I throw away the tea leaves,
I refuse to bet,
because,
That red sun o'er the river,
it is less a curse than me,
and I will fight for you,
with all the powers that be."

Pygmy had always liked songs about love against the odds. It had been a good choice by Glayce.

[Kayiri]

The men whom Kayiri had brought on stage sang in varying levels of drunkenness, yet somehow managed to harmonize into a decent sounding tone as they all joined together to sing the refrain.

"Aye, that sun is all too beautiful,
but not as beautiful as thee!
but something that escapes me
is how you thinks that omens can be!
Never trust the tea leaves,
nor blind old luck!
A curse you are not,
but a blessing unto me,
I would run through the desert!
I would sail across the sea!
Just to keep you and me...
Together forever!"

Kayiri pumped a fist into the air, laughing merrily with his friends. They all danced on the stage as they awaited their next couple of lines, bumping into each other and generally trying to incite the crowd.

[Dhanya]

For all she loved to sing, she loved to sing with company more. The crowd was yelling, raucous, joining into the fray. Their song was not yet frenzy but if Kayiri's friends had any say, it wasn't far behind them. Her vocal cords were nearly sore from singing, fighting them to reach the high notes well, keeping her breathing despite the speed of the song.

"The red sun rises,
against the blue moon,
my heart on the horizon,
I pray to see you soon,

My dear I'll wait sadly,
until you return,
Each day I'll think of you,
Always I will yearn,

But
That red sun o'er the river,
it is less a power than me,
and I will pray for you,
with all that is in me."

Pygmy bowed to the crowd, then turned and bowed to Kayiri and his friends. She turned her hands to clap to them, gesturing for the rest of the tavern to do so as well, laughing all the while. She had missed performing with others and with interaction. She would need to learn more songs that others could sing to. It was joyous, even if it was chaotic. Perhaps because it was.

She jumped off the edge of the stage, landing with her seat on the edge, softening the fall with her hands. She was flushed and pleased, breathless from singing.

"Well done Kay!" She cried, taking a moment to fan herself with her hand. "That was great fun."

[Kayiri]

Kayiri's friend burst into some sort of song of their own, too caught up to realize it was over. Kayiri, however, jumped off of the stage with Pygmy, settling his lumbering form into a seat.

"Aye, fun indeed," Kayiri said, agreeing with her entirely. Kay. He hadn't heard anyone call him that in a long time. The last person...

He didn't want to think about her, not when he was in a good mood. Nevertheless, it was nice to hear the pet name again for reasons he couldn't exactly place. He stretched his arms, folding them across his chest and interweaving his fingers. A yawn managed to weasel it's way out of his lips.

"Too much to drink, at too late a time, with next to nothing in my stomach. That was probably a bad idea," Kayiri said drowsily, letting yet another hearty laugh bellow forth.

[Dhanya]

Pygmy smiled along, nodding, aware that her set was likely over for the night now that the raucous men had taken over the stage. Hel looked heartily put out.

"Come on, I'll see about getting us something to eat... Least I could do for someone who helped my act along." She said, taking Kay's hand and leading him through the crowd.

His friends never did get off the stage, not that anyone minded too well.