Closed Songs of a Stranger [Zach]

[Dev'Ania]

29th of Spring, 519 AV

Dev’Ania brushed past the tables of people as she returned to the bar. Tonight, like most other nights, was quite busy at the Scholar’s Demise. Dev tiredly slouched onto the bartop with a thud, panting to catch her breath. Since getting to work, she had been on her feet the entire time, going from the bar to the tables.

“Only a little longer to go,” Dev said to herself as she stood straight. She grabbed a platter of bread and cheese and began walking it over to the table who ordered it. The man who ordered the food - a mid-aged man on the more heavier side - sat, showing his impatience by the pout on his face and the shaking of his head.

“It took you long enough.” The man clearly had one too many drinks today. The Konti rolled her eyes in annoyance, trying to cover it up. Just as she began to walk away, he called back. “And I’ll have another pitcher of ale.”

She looked at the man as if to say ‘no’, but could only manage to give a nod and walk away. Hurrying back to the bar, she requested the man’s order. “Can I have a pitcher of ale for the man in the back, please.”

The blonde woman took a seat on an empty stool and threw her head into her arms. Tired was not the word to describe what she felt. Since late last night, she had been working non-stop. She performed until her voice needed to rest. Now, she waited tables and cleaned to give her voice a break, not wanting to lose it. Yet, although she didn't lose her voice, she felt like she was losing her mind. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or the troublesome drunks. Whatever it was, she was just waiting to leave. She had only been here so long because the other barmaid had not shown up.

Aleah fulfilled Dev’s request before moving on to the next. Dev’Ania brought the pitcher over to the drunken man, trying to be extra careful in not spilling any with all the people dancing to the lutist playing.

Arriving at the man’s table, she began to place the pitcher on the table when -

“You bloody whore!” Her efforts had failed. A dancing patron had unintentionally bumped into her, causing ale to splash onto the drunk man. “What a fool you are! Look at what you have done!” The now standing man was furious. He was only a few inches taller than Dev’Ania but was still a bit intimidating to her.

“I'm - I’m sorry, sir. It was an accident.” Dev’s apologies to the man didn’t seem to be working. As he got closer and closer, Dev back away.

“Ah, yeah? Well, you’re gonna wish you hadn’t spilled that ale on me!”

The blood rushing through Dev'Ania's veins had begun to boil. She could feel the build up of tears forming in her eyes as she tried to hold them back. She didn't want to cry in front of this man. That would just make the situation worst. So she continued to take the insults of the drunk.

[Zach Grasswind]

"Speech"

It was not often these days that Zach could be found in the Scholar’s Demise. Ever since he had been accepted into the folds of the Hunter’s Guild, the Drykas usually headed there when he was after a drink or something to eat. Today though he had wanted some different scenery, having had a frustrating and unfruitful hunt out in the woods. The rains had wound up into a downpour, forcing the animals into dens and nests, and one sodden hunter to abandon his efforts and trudge his miserable way back to the city. While he was sure his fellow hunters would lament with him - for they were all having the same rotten luck at the moment - Zach just wanted to forget the whole rotten day.

He had stopped by his room at the Solar Wind Apartments to change out of his muddy boots and sodden clothes. He had been out in the rains for so long that the wet had seeped right through to his skin. He’d pulled on a simple, forest green shirt and headed back outside, not bothering to put on the cloak that was creating a small puddle on his floor. Mercifully the rains had eased to a barely perceptible drizzle, and Zach made his way across the Plaza to enter the tavern that was, unsurprisingly, already filled with patrons.

He wound his way across the floor, narrowly avoiding being stepped on by a few dancers, and settled himself in the first empty stool he could find at the bar. Zach ordered an ale from Aleah, the one bartender he recognised, flicking the coins to her as she plunked the drink before him. He took a long sip, shoulders slumping as he finally relaxed, and turned in his seat to watch the other patrons enjoying the evening.

Chimes passed, and patrons filtered in and out of the tavern. Tonight appeared to be a particularly busy night, and Zach tried and failed a few times to catch Aleah’s eye to order a second drink. The other barmaid had been rushing around too and eventually the hunter gave up, figuring that it was probably about time he headed back anyway.

He stood to leave and had taken a few steps across the room, when a shout rose from his left. The Drykas turned to see the commotion and his eyes fell on a patron berating one of the barmaids. A frown worked its way over his brow as the poor woman started to stammer an apology. There was barely a splash on the drunken man’s trouser and the set of the barmaids shoulders told him that she was intimidated by him, a notion confirmed when she took a step back.

Impulsiveness had always been one of Zach’s downfalls, and before he had given himself the time to process what he was about to do, the Drykas strode across the room to put himself in between the man and the barmaid. Brow furrowed in distaste, he looked the drunk directly in the eye before speaking. “Did you not hear her? She said it was an accident.”

The man snorted. “I don’t care, barmaids shouldn’t be so clumsy. She’s ruined my trousers!”
Zach let silence build between them, never breaking eye contact with the man. Despite his impulsiveness, he was not one for brawling, his rashness tending towards ridiculous stunts like attempting to leap onto the back of a moving horse. However he had committed to it now, and Zach set his shoulders before speaking. “She barely splashed you. What are you going to do? Hurt her? Then they can kick you out and nobody will have to listen to you mouthing off like an ass.” Hesitation flickered behind the man’s eyes, much to Zach’s satisfaction. Truthfully, he had no idea what he was doing, aside from trying to imitate some of the arguments he had heard before when people had had one too many drinks.

Zach lowered his voice, as he knew that always sounded more intimidating. “Like she said, it was an accident. So I suggest you sit down and be quiet.” Still he stared the man down, faking as much bravado as he could. The hunter was a fraction taller than the man, and better built thanks to his profession. The drunk patron seemed to realise this, and slowly sunk back into his chair, shooting the barmaid a nasty scowl as he did so.

The Drykas quickly turned around to look down at the woman before the patron could change his mind. She was a Konti, the delicate scales tracing her forehead a familiar sight to him after his frequent visits to Riverfall with Endrykas. She had a remarkably pretty face, with wide eyes that looked to be shimmering with the start of tears. “Are you okay?”

He reached out slowly to place a hand on her arm, meaning to steer her gently away from the still grumbling patron behind them. Zach was not the best at dealing with people who were upset, so he sincerely hoped that she wouldn’t actually cry. He did know that people often ‘needed some air’ when they were upset, a statement frequently uttered by his little sister back home. “Do you need to go outside?” The hunter would accompany her if she wished, especially as the patron had yet to leave and he wouldn’t want the man to try anything outside of the tavern.

[Dev'Ania]

It seemed as if everyone was watching as Dev’Ania was being berated by the man, yet no one did anything. Perhaps they were afraid of the man. Or maybe they were just being selfish bystanders. Whatever the reason, Dev just wished someone would help her. She felt a feeling of helplessness and anger. Today wasn’t a good day to begin with, but now this man felt entitled to make it worst. She knew she should be defending herself, but she knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to do so at her place of work. So she bottled it all up, taking the man’s insults as he threw them at her.

Just as Dev’Ania was going to give up with the man, someone stepped in to defend the Konti. A blonde-haired man stepped in front of Dev, facing the man. He stood between Dev and the drunk, blocking the path between them.

Now, the atmosphere in the tavern had died down and it seemed as if everyone was focused on the commotion. Eyes from all around the room were on them, with the exception of a few who were used to seeing fights happen in the tavern and were no longer fazed by them.

Dev stood, stared her harasser down as she was being defended by the other man in front of her. The stranger blocking Dev’Ania was taller and better built than the drunken man. Dev’Ania knew he could easily take on the drunk in a fight, and so did the drunk. The stranger’s voice had become slightly intimidating, causing the drunk to start calming down and sitting back into his chair. Finally, the drunken patron was off Dev’s back. Though, she still didn’t feel safe from him. A man like that holds grudges, and Dev could tell he still was angry at her.

With the drunk suppressed, Dev’s “hero” turned to face her, allowing her to see his face. Suddenly her feeling of helplessness and sadness washed away as she stared into his deep blue eyes.

“Yes, I am…” Dev’Ania paused in her response, shooting a glance to the drunk man glaring at her, “I-I will be okay.” As the stranger placed his hand on Dev’s shoulder, she lowered her head and wiped a single tear that escaped her eye. “Some fresh air sounds wonderful.” Dev’Ania made her towards the exit, stopping by the bar to drop off her apron and pick up her belongings. Her shift was long over, so she was free to leave when she pleased, and now seemed to be a good time to head out.

Dev’Ania exited the tavern, taking a deep breath of the dewy nighttime air. She directed her attention to the stranger. “I can’t thank you enough for defending me in there. I really appreciate it.” A smile spread across the Konti’s face. “I’m Dev’Ania, but most people call me Dev. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Her hand extended to the man.

[Zach Grasswind]

"Speech"

Zach nodded at the Konti as she assured him that she would be fine. He didn’t miss the tear that rolled down her pale cheek, though was relieved that it seemed to be the only one. He wasn’t sure if he could deal with a sobbing woman at the moment, especially as his nerves were still jangling from confronting the drunken patron.

The Drykas smiled as she accepted his offer of accompaniment outside, and he moved to wait for her by the door of the Tavern. His eyes fell on the patron once more, and he could see the man watching the waitress. Zach’s gaze narrowed and the patron seemed to sense it, for he glanced over his shoulder to notice the hunter still lurking by the door, quickly returning his attention to the platter on his table.

He opened the Tavern door as the Konti returned, having switched out her apron, and then stepped out behind her into the cool air of the Lhavit evening. Zach turned to the Konti once the door was securely shut once more, and he smiled again at her words. He glanced down at the hand she offered him noting the delicate webbing between her fingers. Zach took it in his own, his rough hunters hand practically enveloping it completely. “Dev.” The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly as his smile widened. “It’s good to meet you too. I’m Zach. And think nothing of it, he shouldn’t have been able to get away with it.”

He let her hand go and moved aside to let a couple of patrons into the Tavern. Lhavit was still lively at this time, people milling about the various peaks to their favourite night-time spots. Zach gestured to the area before them, as if to say ‘after you’. Once the woman had started to walk, he would fall into step beside her, relieved to be leaving the Tavern situation behind.

He flicked his gaze to her as they went. “So, when did you start working for the Scholar? I don’t remember seeing you there before.” Zach used to frequent the Tavern after his hunting trips, and he knew that he would have recognised the Konti if he had seen her previously.

After a few more chimes of walking, the Drykas realised he had no idea where they were going. It appeared they were heading back across the Plaza, in the general direction of the Sundial Circle and Alheas Park. He hadn’t thought much ahead of getting the woman away from the patron, and now he was walking beside her he wondered what she expected him to do. Glancing sidelong at her, he posed a question that he hoped wouldn’t come off as presumptive, or rude. “Did you want me to walk you home? …Or maybe somewhere else?” The hunter was in no hurry to be back at the Apartments, and a walk with lovely new company would be a welcome extension to his evening. Zach would certainly accompany her to wherever she wanted to go, if anything as a comfort since he could tell that the confrontation in the Tavern had unnerved her a little.

[Dev'Ania]

The city, as always, was very alive with people. The cool breeze of the evening air wisped Dev’s hair around, covering parts of her face. She began to walk down the path as she took the blonde hair out of her face. The moon overhead shone down on the busy peak, adding to the lights of the city. The lights reflected off the young Konti’s scales, making them even more noticeable.

Dev’Ania couldn’t express the appreciation she had for what Zach did. If he had not helped her, she would not have known how to handle the situation. The least she could do was to express her gratitude by having a pleasant conversation under the night sky.

“This only my first season at the tavern. I am actually a fortune-teller. This job is to help me raise the funds for my own shop.” Dev’Ania couldn’t help but smile broadly. Having her own fortune-telling shop was one of her biggest dreams and it was close to coming true. “Maybe you can stop by when it is open some time.” She directed her grin to the man walking next to her.

Dev’Ania continued to stride next to Zach for a few chimes, approaching Surya Plaza and the Solar Wind. If the Konti was honest, she was kinda liking this stranger she had just met. The past few days, Dev had been a bit lonely, only having the company of Ember. Zach’s company was truly delightful.

“Oh! You didn’t have to walk all the way home with me. I’m sorry!” She had gotten so caught up with talking to Zach that she never even asked if he had somewhere to be. “I hope that I haven’t taken up your time, but if you don’t mind, I wouldn’t be against just having a leisurely walk.”

The busy plaza was full of Lhavitians as it was each night. The glow of lights, emitting from the surrounding building, illuminated the plaza. Scattered performers were surrounded by crowds of onlookers.

Abruptly, a bright flash of lightning lit up the night sky. Those who saw the flash knew what was to come. A few ticks later, a loud roar of thunder shook the peak. This time, it caught the attention of everyone. While some people were startled, Dev wasn’t. She was used to the gloomy weather of the season.

“Well, it looks like it is going to rain soon.”

[Zach Grasswind]

"Speech"

As the pair walked, Zach repeatedly flicked his gaze between the Konti and the path ahead of him. As she lifted her hand to brush her pale hair out of her face, he noticed the shimmer of her scales again. The moonlight filtering down on the duo had drawn out the iridescent colour of the scales and they accentuated her delicate features in a way that he couldn’t help but sneak glances at.

He listened carefully as she answered his questions, stepping a little closer to her side in order to hear her over the passing streams of Lhavitians. His brow rose as she revealed her true trade. A fortune teller? The idea of such a thing intrigued the Drykas. He didn’t miss her beaming smile, and he returned it with one of his own. “Maybe I will!” She seemed genuinely excited about it and Zach was keen to know more, though he reserved his questions for now.

The Solar Wind apartments came into view ahead, though Zach only noticed them through her exclamation. He glanced from her to the building and let out a surprised chuckle. “Well, this part of the walk was honestly not even out of my way. I live here too.” He grinned. “Funny we’ve never bumped into each other before.”

The night air was warm, though a cool breeze occasionally wound its way past them, and the moonlight reflecting off the still damp pathways cast a cosy aura over the city. Zach slid his eyes back to Dev’Ania before speaking again. “A leisurely walk sounds like a great idea to me.”

He turned to step in beside the Konti again and the pair headed off once more in the direction of the Park. The flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder went mostly ignored by the Drykas. He was well used to being rained on by now and had accepted that being damp was just his normal state these days. Dev didn’t seem to worried either, and Zach made a noise of agreement at her comment.

The entrance to the Alheas Park soon appeared before the pair, and Zach let Dev choose which meandering path she wished to take before stepping after her. A glace to the sky told him that the rain was holding off for the time being, though the thunder still growled across the Peaks. The hunter shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked, turning to the Konti as he decided that it was a better time to pose any questions to her. “So, I’ve never met a fortune teller before. How do you do it?” He smiled. “I mean, how does it work, I don’t expect you to tell me all the secrets of your trade!”

Somewhere in the Park, a person was playing some music, the sounds filtering through the humid air towards the pair. “Do you know where your shop will be? So I know where to find you for my future, you see.” He smiled again, eyes holding the bright blues of her own. Zach was never usually one to ask so many questions, but the Konti intrigued him.

ooc :

Sorry for such a long delay with my reply. Hopefully you saw my scrap about it.

[Dev'Ania]

As the pair approached the entrance to the Alheas park, Dev’Ania couldn’t help but notice how pretty it was with the moon and stars casting a soft, white light on the flora. The nightly animals could be heard rustling in the bushes and trees around the park. Occasionally, the figure of a bird could be seen flying overhead, followed by the sound of them calling out.

“Nature is a beautiful thing,” Dev spoke her thought as they walked through the park. As they walked on the weathered dirt path, Dev ran her webbed fingers across the tall grass, illuminated by the flowing djed in shades of blue. The Konti couldn’t help but be entranced in the peacefulness of the park, compared to the loudness of the plaza.

He attention was quickly pulled back to Zach as he asked her about her work. She chuckled at his curiosity. She had heard this question many times before. ‘How does it work?’ ‘How do you do it?’ ‘Is it true?’ How do I know this is real?’ By now, she had an answer for questions like these.

“Think of fortune-telling as an art. There are different forms of it and people do different ways. I usually use cards, which is the most common. I am able to communicate with the cards and interpret the spread of cards given from the reading. I also have the mark of divination that I can use wh-” The Konti stopped talking realizing how complicated she was making it. Once she got talking about something she was passionate about, she tended to keep rambling on about it.

“And now I’m rambling. How silly of me. Hopefully, I didn’t make it sound too complicated.” She giggled to herself. “My shop is going to be by the entrance to Shinyama Peak. I would definitely love for you to visit it some time. I only have a few more things to put in order to have it set up, but it will be open at the beginning of next season.

A loud roar of thunder shook the surrounding trees. Dev shook, startled by the sudden loud sound coming from above. Usually, a bolt of lightning would warn her before the loud noise, but she had not been paying attention to watch for one. Taken aback by the roar felt through her body, Dev’Ania moved jumped closer to Zach.

After realizing how frightened she had been over the thunder, the Konti started to feel a little embarrassed. She crossed her arms and looked to the path ahead of them, feeling her cheeks begin to flush with red. Something about Zach just made the Konti’s blush and butterflies flutter in her stomach.

Dev looked up at the sky as droplets of rain began to slowly fall, one after the other, onto her face. A slight smile spread across her face, for rain was her favorite type of weather.

ooc :

Yes, I did see your scrap. It is really no problem at all! Life likes to take up our time haha.

[Zach Grasswind]

"Speech"

A small smile wound over Zach’s mouth at Dev’Ania’s idle comment. Though it was a thought spoken aloud, he chose to acknowledge it, as the Konti was entirely correct. “It is. Back home we depend on the land and all that lives and grows there. You won’t meet a group of people who agree with you more.” His smile grew as he directed it at her now.

He cast his eyes around the park, the brightest of the flowers standing out even in the dim light. While the nature here was cultivated and perfectly maintained, he still felt drawn to it. Not quite so much as the forest now, but still. It was a place he often came to wander to escape the sometimes oppressive nature he occasionally felt when surrounded by the buildings of Lhavit.

As they walked, he flicked his gaze between Dev’Ania and the path ahead, to show her that he was listening attentively to her answer to his question. While her words answered his question, they also caused more to pop into his mind. He had seen people with card decks before, always beautifully illustrated. He supposed the ‘communication’ was the trick of the trade, for Zach knew that if he were to look at the cards himself he would just see some pretty pictures. And then there was her mention of a Mark. While ‘divination’ was not something he had heard of before, the Drykas knew of Gnosis Marks, gifts from the Gods and Goddesses. He could only assume that the Konti was referring to something like that.

Zach chuckled. “Feel free to carry on! It’s nice to see someone so excited about their trade.” He smiled at her again and nodded. “Then I will come by to see you open. I’m sure you will have a number of interested customers!”

The hunter glanced at the sky as a mighty roar of thunder tore through the air. Dev’Ania practically leapt onto him in surprise, but the Drykas barely blinked. On the grasslands storms were a regular occurrence, something that was just part of his old life. He moved to place a hand on her arm, but the Konti had quickly stepped away again, so he let his hand drop back to his side.

He noticed her smile when the first drops of rain began to fall. “You enjoy the rain?” He didn’t know a lot about Konti, but the delicate scales that traced her skin and the webbing between her fingers led him to believe that she was attuned to water more than most people. He didn’t stop walking, though he did pull up the collar of his shirt in an attempt to stop too much water running down the back of his neck.

The pair rounded a corner and the music they had heard from back at the gate grew louder. There was a violin player sheltering under a tree, playing a calm but somewhat cheerful tune. Zach turned to Dev’Ania, pausing in his steps. “Did you want to stay out here, or would you like to find somewhere to shelter?” Either way, the Drykas didn’t mind. Rain never hurt anyone and he was more than used to being soaked these days.

[Dev'Ania]

As the pair walked through the park and back toward the streets of the city, it began to lightly rain down on the peak. “I love the rain. It may just be because I am a Konti, but I still feel like it is more than that. The feeling it gives your skin - making soft and refreshed - it makes me feel...alive.” Being in the water reminded Dev of when she lived in Mura with her family, surrounded by those who were just like her.

Walking further down the path, the sound of music intensified. The pair had made their way back to the populous plaza. Undeterred by the rain, there was a throng of people enjoying the night’s festivities. They danced to the music in pairs, or by themselves, to the cheerful tune played by the violinist.

Dev’s face lit up. “Let’s stay out here! I mean, if you don’t mind, of course. I am enjoying the lively night with you.” A smile beamed across the young Konti’s face. Her pale blonde hair had become very damp and clung to her face. She began to move gently to the music, tapping her toes on the pavement. The cold rain blew with the night time breeze.

“Care to join me, Zach? Come on, as thanks for you helping me forget about what happened earlier.” Dev’Ania held out her hand to Zach, swaying into the crowd whether Zach took her hand or not. What could be better than both of Dev’s favorite things - water and music - being mixed together?

The blonde woman wasn't the best dancer, but she did her best. She knew her dancing wasn’t very attractive, but she didn't care. All she cared about was having fun and enjoying herself. In this moment, all she wanted to do was to dance in the rain.

[Zach Grasswind]

"Speech"

The rain was not heavy, but it was the kind of gentle, fine rain that soaked you through just as quickly. Soon enough the pair were drenched, much like the people bustling past them, all in a hurry to seek shelter. Zach’s hair darkened as it absorbed the water and he blinked as it dripped water into his eyes.

He smiled at Dev’Ania’s response to his query, her answer confirming his suspicion about the Konti race. He wondered what it was like where she was from, if there was more water than land, if it rained a lot there. He could certainly agree with her last statement that was for sure. While the rain itself didn’t make the Drykas feel alive, it made the land come alive. And it was that sense of life from everything that surrounded them that made the hunter’s blood sing.

As they reached the Plaza, the sense of hurriedness from the citizens melted into a feeling of excitement. The air buzzed with the energy of people throwing caution to the rain and dancing in spite of it. Watching them, Zach imagined they must feel how Dev had described to him.

Sure enough, when he looked over at the blonde, her face held an expression of pure joy. He could practically feel her twitching with the need to join in, and the sound of the gentle tapping of her feet, splashing a little on the rain-soaked ground made its way to his ears.

He paused at her question, eyes never leaving the Konti as she swayed into the crowd of people. Zach was definitely not a dancer. Though the Drykas certainly threw parties that people danced at, his version of dancing had been stamping and clapping along from the edge while spectating. While he was deliberating on whether he should join in or not, the violinist started up a new song, a lively tune that was met with much clapping and a new surge of energy from the dancers.

Zach briefly flicked his eyes to the musician, and then back to where Dev’Ania was happily swaying and splashing in the crowd. The Drykas ran a hand through his hair to sluice it back a little so that it stopped dripping down his face so much and then stepped forward after the Konti. When he reached Dev, Zach held out his hand to her with a smile. “I warn you now, I have never danced before in my life!”

His dance was an awkward sort of bobbing from foot to foot, mostly in time with the music. He tried to imitate the dancing that Dev’Ania and others were doing, though quickly stopped, feeling more than a little ridiculous. Zach mostly just watched the Konti in front of him, while swaying from side-to-side. Despite feeling completely out of place, the joy on Dev’Ania’s face and the energy of the crowd was infectious, and the hunter had to admit it was a little bit fun. Feeling daring, he lifted the hand that held Dev’s and twirled her under their arms.

After some time, in which Zach concluded that he would probably never be able to dance properly though it was admittedly fun to try, the violinist wound the music down. Everyone was soaking wet now, and as a thunderclap roared overhead the crowd started to disperse. The Drykas wound his way over to the edge of the open Plaza with Dev’Ania, glancing up at the sky as a chill started to creep in to replace the dissipating energy. Zach grinned at the Konti.

“I apologise if I stood on your toes at all! You’re a good dancer.” He reached up to brush hair out of his eyes again. “Would you like me to walk you back home?” He wondered briefly how comical it would be if she declined, since they both apparently had rooms at the Solar Winds. Zach held his arm out for Dev’Ania, a polite gesture he had seen people do before, and waited for her to lead them back.