[Red Diamond Tavern] Playing the Part (Open)

[Erik Larou]

"I could never do that, tether myself down to a single city." Erik admitted, letting the topic slide back into the periphery of the conversation. At some point he would try and get a few more details out of Atyvn, but this was neither the place nor the time. He cocked a curious eyebrow at the request for his water, but while he was curious as to why the vantha couldn't have just ordered his own glass, he simply nodded and pushed the glass a little closer. "Help yourself, I was finished anyway." He shrugged, stretching his arms slightly. There was something familiar about the hunter sitting across from him, though Erik was certain this was the first time they had met. Even though he wasn't the best at reading people, not by a long shot, there was something about him that stood out to the fiddler that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Erik shook his head as he caught himself staring, turning his gaze to his feline companion. TJ was fast asleep, purring contentedly. In some ways he envied his small friend. No matter where they went, the cat seemed to be at ease, whether they were on the road or simply sitting at a table in a tavern. For Erik, comfort only seemed to come in the form of notes drifting through the air, mingling with the sounds of laughter, or the distant roar of thunder coupled with the constant patter of rain. His gaze shifted back towards the glass of water and the distorted reflection of the room within.

[Atyvn]

Atyvn held back a burst of rudeness, something that rarely ever came up, with ease. He wanted to just look at the man and say 'It isn't by choice, you know.' He couldn't leave Avanthal without any companions to travel with and on top of the fact he wasn't the best fighter around. He had no outside knowledge of the world outside Avanthal except what the rare traveler told him or books. Books being the way he found out about Ionu and illusionism. He shook the thoughts with a quiet sigh and he took the cup, a smile reappearing on his lips even though his almost constantly changing eyes told a close observer otherwise. He pushed a few wild strands of hair out of his face and raised his hand above the glass. Using his gnosis and what ice was left in the glass, he froze the water solid and handed the cup back to Erik. "That answer your question?" he said, a cheerful smirk working its way onto his face. He enjoyed his gift from his queen; it had proved useful in many situations throughout his life. He thanked her a few times on giving him the snowflake on his hand and he couldn't remember when he didn't have her blessing or even when he got it. He just assumed he received it at birth.

[Erik Larou]

Erik watched as the water in the glass froze before his very eyes. He accepted the cup, immediately turning it over in an attempt to foil whatever trick the hunter had used. After a few good shakes the ice came sliding out, landing with a dull thud on the table. "I must admit, I'm impressed. That would be a very skill on the road; you wouldn't believe how quickly waterskins heat up." He stated, picking up the ice and slipping it back in the glass. His gaze shifter back to the man's face, though something was off. His eyes didn't seem to want to stay with anyone color for more than a moment; there was more going on than met the eye. The musician had an inkling of what might be the problem, but couldn't be sure. It had been a while since he had last used the special skill the old woman had taught him years ago, but it wasn't something you could forget how to do. Admittedly he was still relatively unskilled at hypnotism, but given the close proximity, it wouldn't be too hard. He kept his gaze locked on the vatha's shifting eyes with a look that could easily be mistaken for amusement. First step, lay the foundation; Atvyn seemed to be in a good mood if his smirk was any sign, which was a step in the right direction. Erik slowly extended his sphere of influence towards him, carrying with it a feeling of comfort with just a hint of trust. There was no way of guaranteeing that the implanted emotions wouldn't be crushed within seconds, but he had to hope that it would open the hunter up to a small suggestion. "You look like you wanted to say something." He quietly stated, his look shifting from amusement to sympathy, his words carrying the subtle whispers of a hypnotic suggestion. "If you are worried I will be offended, don't be. As much as I've traveled, I'm fairly certain I've heard it all". He was sure that he had struck a nerve when he mentioned leaving the city earlier, hopefully this would help him get to the bottom of it. He brought his hand up to cover his mouth as he coughed, allowing himself to drop eye contact. Small specks of blood dotted his palm as he pulled it away, quickly wiping them off on his pants beneath the table so as to avoid drawing suspicion.

[Atyvn]

Atyvn smiled weakly at his new friend's comment. Except there has to be ice already there for me to make more ice... he thought, thinking better to keep the friendly, yet still a stranger, man in the dark about the extents of the gnosis of Morwen if he didn't know already. He narrowed his eyes a little at the man studying, unsure if he had picked up on his underlying emotions about the topic from before. Erik seemed to be one that could catch the subtle things when another didn't want them to be noticed. Damn my eyes, blessing of wonder and my ancestry, but a curse of truth at the same time. he thought being a bit agitated at himself. And what was the man so amused about? His eyes turned to a dark and cold blue, though not particularly a negative look. "I..." he started, unsure of how to take in the man's words. “I’ve always wanted to travel from here. Not the world but..." He blinked slowly and shook his head slightly. Something wasn't right. Though, something inside him wanted to finish his answer to the fiddler. This was just weird though. The man asked a simple, prying question and he trusted him now with a lengthy answer? No, something was up. But he was never one to jump to conclusions, not like he had any to jump to anyway. That sound of coughing, that sound of coughing up blood, sounded vaguely similar to that unforgotten day. That day that surely would plague him forever. That day where he took the one pure joy in his life and the man he had cared for more than anything in the beaten and torn world. A rush of thoughts and emotions of his father made his mind cut itself off from any subtle suggestions. But he threw away the silence to motion towards his new friend in an attempt to help with whatever was wrong. "Are you alright?" he said, half extending his arm towards Erik.

[Cheshire]

. Character: Erik Larou Experience: Instrument (Violin) +2, Storytelling +1, Interrogation +2, Hypnosis +1 Lore: Tuning a Violin, Morwen's Gnosis (Basic) Ledger: -2 GM for dinner Character: Atyvn Experience: Interrogation +2, Storytelling +1 Lore: Showing off your Gnosis, Being Hypnotised Ledger: -2 SM for dinner Additional Note: Great thread guys. It's too bad Erik disappeared. Hopefully he will return! PM me with concerns.