[22th of Fall] Let it burn (Aria + Open)

[Mathieu]

Time stamp: 22th of Fall Location: Courtyard of the Sky Shhhh. That weird cat. He didn't know really why, but it was hard not to think about his yesterday's encounter. Mathieu wasn't one to dwell on past events, but he caught himself thinking - even merely thinking about it was strange to him - about that Kelvic. How much did the rest of the goat sell for? What was she going to buy with the money? Why did he even care? By the gods he hated when his mind played tricks on him. He slowly inhaled and lifted his arms. The show was about to begin. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the art of Fire weaving. If you would please stand back and by no mean try to get near me during the show. It is for your own safety, he loudly called in his habitual monotonous and almost cold tone. Gah, speeches. He had never been good with them. Usually a crowd would just begin to gather when his show was on the way, hypnotic fiery juggling doing all the work. His words were never one to be interesting to listen to - he didn't choose his trade so he could quip and sputter nonsense all day long. She seemed really interested by fire, this one. Would she come to watch the show? Shhh, since when did he become sentimental about the customers. They were here to enjoy the spectacle and to produce the money he needed to live. Let us begin than, he said, grabbing a bottle of paraffin on the ground next to all his tools of trade. He would usually have everything in his cart, but Wind Reach was just not adapted to that. His horse had been left in the stables and his cart not far from it. He took a sip of deadly poison - should he swallow it everything would be over - and lit a torch. Last time he pulled a trick with his hand only. Last time his hand almost went useless from the mistake. Coordination, he would need to work more on this. A second too soon nothing happens, a second too late you would have wished nothing happened. Raising the torch toward the sky, Mathieu spat the liquid toward the fire, igniting the strange fluid into a wild inferno. As the flame went up into a huge fireball the whole vicinity had instantly gone boiling hot, the crowd gasped and took a step back as it usually did. Some of them wore awestruck expression on their faces while others feared what had just transpired. But Mathieu didn't care, his gaze locked on the destructive element that was the core of his show. He felt it like every other time he breathed fire instead of air, as if his face would melt down, as if staring into the sun itself. So painful, yet so clean and pure. He would not close his eyes at the sight, lest his eyeballs would burn away, staring at this magnificent state of art that was such infernal fireball. In a matter of seconds was the fury over, bringing 'Oh' and 'Ah" all over the place. Yet although his lungs anguished for air he would not dare breathing yet for that would be his downfall, his death. All the oxygen around him had been burnt away and he wasn't keen on getting poisoned with carbon dioxide - though he knew not a thing about it specifically, it was just that his mentor died this way. He would usually go and get his weapons now. He would usually light them and start his terrifying yet hypnotic dance. But he caught himself looking at the crowd. Was she watching the show? Was she enjoying it?

[Aidara]

Drawn by the sheer size of the crowd that had gathered, Aidara approached eagerly. Smiles and polite touches of the shoulder were offered as the slender woman squeezed her way into the crowd. "Excuse me, sir, I can't see. Would you mind if I stepped in front of you for a better view? I assure you, you'll be able to see over the top of my head." Her voice was light and sweet, accompanied by her most disarming and winsome smile. Of course, as she expected, the man moved out of the way. Aidara let her hand linger on his arm as she thanked him once more, face turned upwards as her green eyes locked with the strangers. A wink. She didn't miss the way his eyes traveled over the length of her body, head to toes and back up again. She smiled, amused. He was handsome, perhaps she should ask for his name before the crowd dispersed. Turning her attention away from the friendly stranger, Addy searched for what had drawn such a crowd. Her gaze fell on one man in particular. He stood facing the mass of people, alone. He was saying something, but his words where carried away by the wind before they reached her. Was there going to be a fight? Green eyes darted around in search of an opponent. Seeing no one that particularly stuck out, Addy's gaze lingered over the faces that comprised the crowd instead. No...The expectation was there, they were defiantly waiting for something, but the gleam that peoples eyes took up when they were waiting for bloodshed was missing. There wasn't going to be a fight. "Excuse me, handsome, but wha-" She had turned back to the man who let her by, about to ask what exactly was going on when the gathered people gasped as one. Whirling back around,her green eyes were owlishly big in anticipation of something intense..only to see this lone man taking a swig from his flask. What was so shocking about that..? Was he going to get super intoxicated? Clearly, people were too easily amused these days. Turning to go, the friendly stranger put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her and spinning her back around, pointing. "Look, sweetheart." Aidara turned back just in time to see the torch the lone man was holding burst into huge flames. This time, her gasp mingled with the crowd, her hands coming together to cover her mouth in shock. Amazing! A fire weaver! Intensely glad that she stopped to look, Aidara bounced in excitement as she watched the man manipulate the flame, utterly focused on the show.

[Sairque]

Oh food, how I love thee, Sai thought to her fresh roll as she gutted it. The soft, deliciously warm center was ripped out unceremoniously and popped into her appreciatively salivating mouth. Yes, she groaned in response to the pure happiness that settled into her taste buds.

The slender flight leader was headed back to her rooms from the kitchens. The only reason she had any idea that there was an event being held in the Courtyard was because she walked right by it on her way home. With no pressing business to attend to, the crowd looked appealing. Rather, she was appealed by the thought of whatever entertainment was drawing the crowd. And since she was very short, she would need to get to the inner ring of that crowd in order to partake of the entertainment.

Sai kinda wandered around the outskirts for a bit until she managed to spot a little path she could worm her way through to the very front. No one seemed to mind the slight jostling she gave them, it was a perk of having a well known face. Twice as well known as she would have been otherwise, due to the identical twin she had running around making her life easy by associating good feelings with their features. Actually, it only worked to their advantage until the people got to know either of them decently well. Sai wore a lot of white with green and was about 142.9 times more reserved and austere. Addy wore green with white and was about 142.9 times more well liked by the general population of their lovely town. Though she didn't know it, Addy was just to her left, six or seven people down.

Her sharp yellow eyes focused on the man. She had missed his welcoming/warning speech, but watched him appear to drink something. The faces next to her were lit with anticipation, so she withheld judgement. Then the torch flared to life and then he was spewing stuff and then there was a big fireball and then Sai was shielding her eyes and sweating and furiously trying to get Catabasis' attention.

Make sure all riders and Eagles know to avoid flying over the Courtyard on their way to their aeries, she requested/ordered telepathically. He was confused, having been napping, but perked up. Some guy is doing some fire spewing, the heat is pretty intense, I don't want any birds to get singed when the heat rises. Did you know about this? He replied in the negative. Okay, I'll be up in a while. I'm gonna watch. He didn't really care.

A mental shrug and she finished off the last bite of her roll, waiting for the next feat.

[Sira]

Sira had recently returned from her hunting duties and was quickly making her way to the courtyard. On her flight back in to Wind Reach she had spotted the crowd forming below, and curiosity getting the best of her hastened to join the onlookers. It wasn't every day she got to watch an outsider put on a show, and she wasn't about to miss a second of it.

"Out of my way!" She shouted to a slow moving drudge pushing a cart of some sort, nearly running into him as she darted past. She could hear the man saying something and knew the show was beginning, but hopefully she wouldn't miss the opening act. Sira burst out onto the scene just as the man spit a fireball into the air and stood staring, jaw hanging open. "A magic show?" She whispered out loud to no one in particular, her eyes still wide with wonder. "A magic show!!! Amazing! Do it again!"

Sira started pushing her way through the crowd, eager to get her way to the front, squeezing between people and sometimes gently shoving, our outright pushing them aside when they wouldn't move. Sira had never seen magic in action, and wasn't about to miss what was probably her one opportunity. She was almost to the front of the crowd and had just slipped past the last man in her way only to find another fiery-haired woman in her bath. She nearly pushed her aside too when she suddenly recognized all to late who the shouting woman was, one of the flight leaders, and a woman she definitely didn't want on her bad side. Stopping short, but having already made contact, she jumped back a step.

"Oh! Flightleader ..Sairque!? Um... I didn't mean to, well, I was just in a hurry to get up here. Are you enjoying the show?" Sira wasn't sure if Sairque was one of the many Endal who disliked her, or if she would be lucky for a change and find her to be one of the ones who just ignored her, but either way she hoped the woman didn't notice the near shove-aside she gave her.

[Aria]

Aria Heard the commotion in the courtyard and decided to venture out. having great hearing was a blessing. She always knew when something was going on. As she stepped into the courtyard from an alleyway, she saw a massive fireball rise above the crowd. At the sight of it, her heart warmed slightly. It's Mathieu, it has to be. She thought to herself. She strode into the crowd, shoving through with strength incongruous with someone or her slight build. She came up behind a hunter that she knew by face, though not by name, and one of the flight leaders she had seen around. From the sounds of the conversation, it appeared that the hunter, who she believed was a Kelvic as well, had run into the flightleader. She walked up to the pair "how long has this been going on?" Aria inquired of either of them

[Mathieu]

The crowd was now getting bigger by the seconds, it was getting impossible for him to try and identify anyone in it - not to mention he had a very bad memory when it came down to people. The opening had brought more attention than he had expected and he couldn't afford to wait more, he had to keep them entertained and bemused lest he would go hungry tonight. Hopefully both for him and his crowd, it was only the beginning. Fire breathing was not his specialty. Turning away from the crowd he picked up two strange tools from the ground, each looking like a crescent moon with a handle linking it's two extremities. It was said to be an exotic thing once used as a weapon in a faraway land - Guillotine was its name. Those were his mentor's, and he had never seen any on other occasions than his Fire Weaving sessions. Mathieu let himself smile a little. Outlandish tools, bizarre ones... Anything out of ordinary would keep the crowd in wonder - and that, he had once learned, was the most important point in order to keep a full belly and live a decent life. Swords? Everyone had seen one before. But guillotine? He was pretty sure many would leave with their mind filled with wonder and questions. So that was it. Tonight's menu was set. Entrée was going to be the guillotines. Main dish, flaming chains with a little bit of fire pois. And keeping the best for last, his twin-scythe would close the spectacle for dessert. The weapons were all covered in a strange, gooey substance already so he would loose no time in switching between them. This mysterious matter that kept his show alive, only taught from Fire weaver to fire weaver, which burned in bright flames while giving off very little heat and blaze on the grass without risking a wildfire. And it was time to light the guillotines. Two bright flames soon covered the foreign weapons as Mathieu started to dance with them, making wide arcs with his arms and wrists, drawing circular patterns lighting the evening's air. He wasn't particularly proficient with these weapons - any soldier would just understand that it was merely a showcase and not some kind of efficient way of fighting. Mathieu was aiming for an artistic render and nothing else. Spinning again and again, turning left stepping right, the Fire Weaver was soon dancing as if in trance, always aiming for an ever bettering artistic style. There was always room for improvement.

[Aidara]

It wasn't long before Aidara began getting jostled by those who had once let her through so easily. Once the mysterious man had begun his more complex tricks, the crowd became more and more intrigued. Being so small of stature and lacking her sister's natural authoritative body language, Addy found it hard to keep her spot in the front, as it had become a most coveted position. Despite putting on her best Sairque impression (which was actually impressivly accurate), drawing her shoulders back and sticking her nose up in the air while ordering those pushing her to stop it now, it was little too late. Slowly but surely, Addy was pressed on by the crowd and unceremoniously shuffled to the back by those bigger and stronger than her. The dashing stranger that had helped her once before was no where to be seen. Stamping her foot like a petulant child, her face reminiscent of a thunderstorm, Addy brooded at the back of the crowd, her frown deepening with each Ooooh, Ahhhh and gasp uttered at the spectacle she could not see. Always resorceful, however, it didn't take long until the woman was peering around for another alternative. She was going to see this show. Her gaze latched onto a wall that partially enclosed the part of the courtyard they were in. It started at about waist height and gently sloped upwards until the top was a half-dozen hands over the tallest crowed members head. Perfect. Breaking into a trot Addy made her way around the crowd. Wow, had it grown since she'd joined. Reaching the wall, she easily pulled herself up onto the ledge and wasted no time as she scampered back towards the performer. She was now slightly behind him, but at least she could see. The wind tugged at her hair, blowing red locks into her face as she settled down to watch, knees tucking up to her chest, her arms wrapping around them as her chin rested on top.

[Sairque]

"What is this, a giant convention?" Sai asked rhetorically, frowning when she turned to find the Wind Eagle kelvic standing over her, trying to back away, only to be cut off mid step by the behemoth girl with silvery black hair. Both of whom were trying to speak, one with stuttering respect, and the other with haughty demand. Eyes like chips of yellow diamond regarded both of them for a moment. What a pair to have been accosted by.

The first girl, the one having asked if she was enjoying the entertainment, Sai recognized clearly. It was Sira. It was a headache waiting to happen. The flight leader had just bonded to Catabasis when Sira was born, so was privy to many arguments over her status in their society. A Wind Eagle, but not. Most in Wind Reach recognized that Wing Eagles were reincarnated Inarta. So what exactly had happened with Sira? Was she sharing herself with a spirit? Maybe only when she was in Eagle form? Was she, as often declared, an abomination? A blip in the natural occurrence of things and in need of erasure? A clear line, with many bridges, had been drawn over the years, and while people stepped from one side to the other, Sai remained stalwart with her opinion. So far, Sira hadn't proved her wrong. Perhaps this was a good time to have a conversation with the girl about it. Especially when the girl had so kindly volunteered herself by placing a forceful and deliberate hand on her earlier. Yeah, any rider worth their salt would be able to distinguish between the brushing of a crowd and the jostling of someone wanting to send the rider sprawling.

The second girl, standing several inches taller than Sira and towering over Sai by about a foot, was someone that the flight leader had heard little of. In fact, she didn't even know her name, race, or where she came from. It was she who Sai addressed first. "I'm not sure, but I believe the show just started," she responded cooly, gauging the girl. It was better to be unknown by Sai than to be known as an outsider. After a few seconds of studying her, Sai turned back to the show.

Mathieu was just turning toward them, holding odd semi-circle blades in his hands. If he lacked the flair that generally accompanied street performers, not that Sairque, or any in Skyinarta really had much experience with performers, he made up for it in his act. A good thing, really, that he was spending little time interacting with the crowd, the volatile Inarta had little patience for such trivial things. Like the three women, most of the crowd had started chatting while the performer switched tools but quieted when he lit the odd little round blades on fire.

Sairque reached out and caught Sira by the wrist long enough to pull her to her side without looking, maybe to just prevent her escape. "I've never seen anything like this," as though the flight leader hadn't waited over a minute to answer the girls question. And not even with a direct response, at that. "It's beautiful." A factual statement of appreciation, not some breathy awe-filled murmuring. The man was dancing, rather well, for someone that was whisking streams of fire around his body. Naturally, the more dangerous his moves, the more 'ooh's' and 'aah's' they received from her. And she did appreciate any acrobatic/tumbling moves as well, if he had any of those.

The tall girl, obviously, could see over their heads, not that it was a concern of Sairque.

[Sira]

Sira relaxed a bit when the flight leader didn't acknowledge her offense, instead directing her attention to the stranger behind her. Seeing the crisis averted she turned her attention back to the performer. The man was in the process of setting alight a pair of crescent blades and Sira was momentarily disappointed that it wasn't real magic he was performing. Her disappointment quickly faded, however, when he began his performance, and she jumped slightly when her trance was interrupted by a hand on her wrist.

Realizing it was the flight leader, perhaps finally deciding to deal with her, she was a tad bit worried. Angering one of her superiors could mean bad things for her, and she didn't want that. So it was with great relief that she responded to Sairque's statement. "Yes... very beautiful. The man is definitely a skilled dancer, that's for sure." Sira's keen eyes remained focused on the blades, watching the mans every twist and turn with the unique weapons, finding herself wondering where he learned to move like that.

[Aria]

Aria turned to watch the performance. She had never seen him do anymore than a single fireball. His swirling movements were almost hypnotic, and she was blessed with such greater detail, than most everyone else in the crowd, except maybe the kelvic standing next to her. She shoved through the crowd a bit to get closer to the front. She was firm, but not brutal as she walked through the crowd, and she eventually got up near the front to watch the twirling, semi acrobatic dance. The light of the ire enraptured her, she almost wanted to get closer, but she knew that would probably not be her safest choice. She was content to watch for now.