PM to join Soft Music, And a Heavy Heart. (Garland)

[Cyrene Everwind]

Date: 5th Winter 516AV

Time: 7:47PM

Description "Cyrene" Thoughts Isur Tukant Others

Cyrene sat towards the back of the rearing stallion her eyes gazing wistfully out the window to her right. Leth’s ever present light hanging low tonight, closer than usual. So close that she almost wanted to reach out and touch the light. However that wasn’t likely to happen Instead she just let her hands stay on the edge of the table and around the handle of the mug. Her hair loose and hanging down to her waist. The pure driven white standing out like the fresh snow that hadn’t come to Syliras this year. Her horns interlaced as usual into that spiralling crown that sat atop her head, drinking in the light like the darkest of winter nights.

Garbed in a soft red dress, her long boots stocking and under garments she was quite the sight to behold, especially within the glinting and flickering light of the hearth. As much as she glanced out of the window she wasn’t completely oblivious to the almost animalistic stares that flew in her direction. A tavern full of predators all looking for their opportunity to pounce. She’d long since been well enough learned how to deal with them. A sharp almost scathing look was all it took to cut down the younger men who didn’t have the confidence. The older more self-assured gents she often found a need to physically tell them no.

And then there were the brutes who thought she was their property. Once or twice there she’d had to show them just how well she could use her hands. And just how hard she could hit in this form too. She lifted the glass of wine slowly up to her lips taking a simple sip of the fruity concoction. The alcohol hitting the back of her throat. A familiar comforting feeling yet not even close to as strong as she’d of liked. Her lips then parted once again as the soft music of her voice flowed out in a gentle fashion.
“It's always a nightmare, it's never a dream.
The promise we made to kill the days between.
It's been so long.
Feels like needles in my heart.
So long.
I can feel it tearing me apart.”

A small tune that flowed out of her as she sat staring longingly at leth wanting to be back as she always had. She didn’t care who heard, nor who in the tavern had suddenly turned their gaze away in a little bit of shame for understanding their actions now.

[Garland]

Yesterday was hectic, today was rather normal. A patrol here, give directions there, train for a few bells.

It was utterly boring, he would have rather had another stint as being Quinlain's apprentice for the day. Garland walked into the Rearing stallion and walked over to the bar.

Garland wore nothing but his normal clothes, his old leather jacket and trousers. He was unremarkable and indistinguishable from the locals in the tavern singing and drinking away the night.

"Kev! An Ale would be so kind." Garland called out, the retired one-handed knight handed him a mug of ale as it was Garland's preferred drink. Ever since he'd become a father, he'd cut down on the drink and only one or two times had he overindulged himself and those were few and far between.

Garland thought about the events of the day before, most about Quinlain, he was utterly terrified by her, but by the time he was about to leave, he felt something strange about her, like she had been in that place called 'Suva' before.

Did she know something he didn't, probably, but he wasn't about to pry, she seemed very distraught about it.

"Hey, beautiful, that seat looks uncomfortable, why don't you sit on my lap instead?" A man, tall and lean, smelled of drink, vomit and fish walked up to a lovely Ethaefal lady siting by the window.

Garland gripped the mug of ale tightly and listened.

The tall man leaned on the table and stared below the Ethaefal's face. "My oh my, those are quite a sight."

Garland tipped the mug of ale slowly down his gullet, like a countdown to what was about to happen, Kevith just stared at Garland, hoping he wouldn't use one of the barstool this time.

Garland placed the mug down on the counter and stood up, he walked up behind the man and tapped his shoulder.

Left foot... tense... twist... punch...

Garland placed his left foot forward, quickly, and tensed his body, with one right punch across the face the man twisted and blacked out with one punch. The man had friends and they rushed at Garland.

Garland saw this coming and even in the cramped spaces of the tavern, Garland parried with ease and threw a heavy gut punch, sending the man reeling back from the impact. Garland then proceeded to grab the man's head and kneed his face in, knocking that man out.

Another came rushed at Garland, and this one was slow, Garland dodged to the side and grabbed the man's arm, bent the arm backwards, making the much bigger man cry out in pain. The man went down to one knee and just screamed.

Garland heard a snap and let go, the man's arm now limp and broken, he cried out in pain, rolling on the floor. "Leave before I do something worse." Garland then looked to another one, holding a barstool and was ready to attack.

The man dropped the piece of furniture and picked up his fallen colleagues. Garland then turned to the Ethaefal, his dark look was gone and his usual jolly grin returned. "Sorry, I hope I didn't ruin your drink with that little fiasco."

Garland bowed and went over to the bar, and ordered another ale.

[Cyrene Everwind]

Description "Cyrene" Thoughts Isur Tukant Others

Cyrene slipped her eyes from the window after a few moments only to see some drunken lout standing almost quite literally over her as she sat there. Breath a mix of un-pleasantries most foul but still far more rotund than the average fisher. At least that’s what she got from the smell of half dead fish on his breath. The vulgar comment was one that she couldn’t help but sigh at.
“I’m quite sure that I’d find less there to work with than a famer in a barren field.” She spoke with a small and very cutting smile almost tilting her head asif to say politely as possible “Petch off”. Again her voice flowed out lightly and with that melodic tune even with her curt words.

“Quite the master of observation aren’t you.” She spoke with that one again as he commented about her well defined chest. “Though let’s be honest here. I’m fairly certain you’d pass out if you ever saw a real pair.” Her words seemingly weren’t working on the drunken patron and just as she was about to gear herself up for having to deal with the complete moron with her bare hands as usual. Reaching her hands up behind her neck to pull her hair over her shoulder to start the events, there came that unmissable Sound of authoritative boots on wood. Quite likely either a good Samaritan or a Knight of Syliras.

Ah the white knights of Syliras. Those that offered their help in return for what they deemed their rights. She shook her head as the harasser went quite literally spinning. In the wake of his spinning spiral she caught sight of her “would be white knight’s” face. And it was one that she recognized. A young squire that she’d met the day previous Garland.

The follow up of the quite literal clearing of the trash, was swift and easily rectified. Especially with the way the last of them simply dropped the bar stool and sped off like lightning out the door. She couldn’t help but feel a small smirk curl at the edge of her lips as she braced her head lightly on her index finger and thumb of her right hand. Her eyes appraising the man before her in a new light.

“No harm, no foul. I could have dealt with them myself but the assistance is appreciated. And I do think with your actions you’ve at the very least earned yourself a seat.” She lightly and gracefully extended her and across to the empty seat opposite her. Before picking up and taking another sip of the wine. “After all you’ve saved a lady having to take the trash out herself.” That soft playing smile still on her features as she slowly turned her eyes back out the window.

And when he returned to take the offer as most who’d often received the offer to sit with a woman rarely passed it up.
“So, I’m going to assume that the Knights taught you how to fight in that manner? Or was that a skill attained prior to your acceptance with them?” Her eyes never leaving the sight of leth as she spoke. And then again almost absent minded she began to sign again ever so lightly.
“I had everything
Opportunities for eternity
And I could belong to the night~”

[Garland]

Garland took the ale he had ordered and took the beautiful lady's offer. He sat down in front of her and desperately tried not to look down her face.

He was a man, and he didn't have Alex's willpower and chivalry, he casts his gaze down and quickly looked away.

"Where I learned to fight? The knights don't usually teach me how to beat people with my bare fists. I've learned that on my own, I've been at every brawl in Syliras, well those when I was caught in the middle." Garland took a drink from his ale.

Garland listened to her singing, it was quite lovely, he was almost mesmerized by it. "You have a lovely singing voice, a perfect match to a lovely lady such as yourself."

"I have no doubt you could have taken care of those drunks without much trouble, but I was wondering why you're drinking alone. I would have assumed you were here with someone." Garland looked down from her face, not just looking at her chest, but specifically her dress.

"You don't seem the Rearing Stallion type. You seem more like the White Swan patron." Garland noted and took another sip of his ale. "I noticed you kept looking out the window before, are you waiting for someone?"

[Cyrene Everwind]

Description "Cyrene" Thoughts Isur Tukant Others

As she fully expected he took the seat opposite her. A small thin smile formed on her lips, though his noticeable droop in his eyesight wasn’t missed. She simply shook her head lightly, and spoke with a small word.
“You don’t need to be so swift to turn your eyes away. If I didn’t want people to look I wouldn’t have worn something which accentuated what I’ve got.” She lifted her left hand lightly and ran the tip of her index finger and the lengthened nail lightly around the edge of the wine glass before her. Half now looking out the window and half looking at Garland.

“Been in almost every brawl in Syliras have you? I suppose that would teach one how to take care of themselves right quick wouldn’t it?” Again her words flowed like a small melody, almost like she was attempting to draw his attention in. “It’s just a voice. What people ascertain from it is what makes it seem lovely. Or at least that what I’ve been lead to believe. Sadness, anger, love, joy, regret. All things that can be garnered from the tone of one’s voice. It’s something I remember well, and I just let it bleed into my singing. Though I’m sorry if it is a bit of a problem.” She spoke with a light almost drawing word.

“It’s nice to see someone who doesn’t doubt what I can do for a change.” She spoke with that small thin smile growing just a tad bigger. “They see the thin, graceful Ethaefel and fail to realize that I might know more than I let on.” She watched his eyes run over her form as she garnered he was more interested in the dress at that particular moment than what lie beneath.
“As for me drinking alone. It’s mostly because everyone I used to know in this city is either dead, or has too much work to do.” She closed her eyes and sighed softly with a small wistful edge to it.

“As for being a certain type, it’s bad to judge a book by its cover.” She spoke with a knowing tint to that soft smile now glancing back out of the window once more. And upwards towards Leth. “Waiting for someone…Yes. I’ve been waiting a long time for a specific someone to even talk to me once more." She lifted the glass at her hands and took another sip of its content.

“Though in all honesty I don’t really expect to hear from him again. But there’s still that little piece of me that says I will. Have you ever had that feeling Garland?” She turned her eyes to let them sit upon him, that soft mysterious moonlight colour that radiated from them seemed to be focused squarely on Garlands eyes, letting him know she knew more than she was letting on.

[Garland]

"I'm guess we're all waiting for that someone, huh?" Garland didn't know much about Ethaefals but he did know they were already dead, or at the very least already died once.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." Garland looked down into his mug and gave a soft chuckle. "Normally I would say 'I've been waiting for you all my life.' But I have someone else in my mind right now."

Garland took a swig of his ale and looked over to the Etheafal. "I'm Garland, by the way. I never got your name."

Garland was by nature, a wild man, unpredictable to some, completely predictable to others, but when around beautiful woman with a captivating voice, he seemed to fall for them instantly, but his infatuation was always temporary, there was one that captured his heart and broke it quickly.

There were others that just stomped on the remains, but Garland's optimism was almost never ending, even if it was a bit grim. "There's this woman I met yesterday, she was absolutely terrifying, but... I could see that before I left she seemed... sad, would be the closest thing I could think of describing how she reacted."

Garland thought about Quinlain, he would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a bit guilty about upsetting her, but he didn't really have time to find her in the forge yet. "I guess I'm waiting for her right now, just to say sorry, but I would reckon she would hit me with her hammer if I said it. To put it simply..." Garland paused, trying to think of a word that described Quinlain away from the other girls he had meet.

"She was different, and I like that, even if I was shyking my pants every time she swung her hammer." Garland took another swig of his ale and placed on the table. "Listen to me, rambling on about some other girl when there's much friendlier one right in front of me. I apologize."

[Cyrene Everwind]

Description "Cyrene" Thoughts Isur Tukant Others

She nodded lightly as Garland spoke but she wasn’t waiting for that someone.
“It’s perfectly fine. Everyone has something that they wait for or remember losing.” She spoke as she took another sip this time leaning back into the chair and extending herself fully. Her horn “crown” drinking in the fire and moonlight as she shifted lightly. Though she couldn’t help but find herself chuckle at the words. “Garland you’ve no Idea how much, nor how often I’ve heard advances like that. Had you come out with that I would have simply just walked off.”

She didn’t offer her name back to him just yet letting him think about what it could be, instead she simply said lightly. “A name is a thing you earn. Something you have to take great lengths to protect.” She rolled her head to the side and glanced out of the window once more towards the light of leth. He began to talk about a woman he’d met the other day, Cyrene almost began to tune it out but at the word terrifying stopped and held on a moment. Speaking about how she herself had acted before Garland had left her presence. He let the smile fall from her features almost looking at him with an even piercing tone like she was about to attack him.

Again she held herself back when he saw that usual optimism start to break slightly. He was waiting for her here to say sorry to her? She damned near laughed at that but instead let the smile play on her lips a little wider. “Oh don’t be so hard on yourself I’m sure you didn’t know that you struck a nerve. It’s why you have to edge around the situation lightly. Whenever you’re dealing with a woman. Especially as one as tarrying as the one you mentioned seems.” She paused a moment letting him continue on and apologize.

“Oh you’re a particularly strange one. Garland.” She chuckled lightly even the laughter having that strangely melodious tone to it. “I do believe you’ve earnt my name." She smiled as she leant in a touch closer letting her dress shift ever so slightly to accentuate her figure a little more as she spoke softly almost inviting him to Listen. “Cyrene Everwind, thoug you’d probably recognize me as Quinlain.” She leant back into her seat once more picking up the glass again and sipping the content with a small glinting look in her eye towards Garland.

“Good to know that I’m terrifying in my other form. But please don’t go spreading that information around it’s a little hard to contain once it’s out. Last time it got out I had to leave Syliras for fifty years to let the rumours and requests die out and off.” She spoke running her left hands fingers along the shoulder of her right arm which had been carefully positioned to be hidden, letting the Black gnosis shimmer with a multitude of colour, and let garland see the pattern.

[Garland]

Garland leaned in, his eyes subconsciously kept going down her face and to her chest. He berated himself for it, but she was quite beautiful, and he was captivated by her, he could listen to her talk all day.

Garland just smiled, not really believing this Cyrene. "She already has a reputation that there are people that are taking her name." Garland took another drink from his mug and smiled, he thought this was some sort of joke.

Garland would know that Ethaefals had different bodies, having met one before, but Quinlain and Cyrene were just... the opposites of each other, they couldn't be farther from each other.

Garland decided to play along. "Right, 'Quinlain' how much did I pay you when you fixed my armor?" Garland started quizzing Cyrene, and he was sure she would get it wrong.

Garland ordered another ale and turned to Cyrene. "Would you like some more wine? My treat."

Garland took his order and took another sip of his drink. Garland had finally noticed the gnosis mark on her arm. "Oh... So you two worship the same god?" Garland is that stupid right now.

Garland watched her gnosis glow, he didn't really know much about gods and gnosis and simply assumed every gnosis was in the same place on every follower of the god.

[Cyrene Everwind]

Description "Cyrene" Thoughts Isur Tukant Others

She could understand his disbelief of her words. Even with his stolen glances she could tell that he was nervous for a different reason. “I do sadly. I’ve seen a few items floating about the city with my signature marking them and it’s a shoddy copy of some of the things I’ve made in the past.” She spoke with a small sigh nursing the wine in the glass in front of her again her finger slowly circling the edge of the glass. Though his attempt at the line of questioning was rather amusing.

“You paid me nothing.” She spoke with a calm word again in that almost hypnotically melodious tone. “Instead you ran around for me whilst I crafted myself a new hammer and file. I would go into the details but it’s a little much for a light drink. And to add to that I wouldn’t expect a man of your stature to be so easily able to hide himself when he’s stood in the nude in the middle of the iron works.” She smiled lightly as she swirled the content around the glass. “As for offer of another glass I’d love to partake.” She held that light almost enchanting smile.

“I’m beginning to see why you didn’t stop disrobing after removing your armour.” Her words a light joking tone as she spoke, again with another glance out of the window she finished the remnants of her glass. “As for the mark itself…It’s the only thing that can mark me as the same person in both forms. Cyrene Everwind, and Quinlain Forgeheart.” Her eyes held that shimmering moonlight as she twisted in her chair once more letting the small split in the side of the dress which allowed her to walk easily show the shimmering opalescent shine of the skin of her legs.

Another small tonue escaped her as she tilted her head back a little and locked eyes with the moon once more.
“Now there's no question this girl is well acquainted
With suffering in a world that's left her tainted~”
Almost like she was over the course of a melody in her mind putting together a way to convey to Leth himself how she’d come to be so cold and uncaring as her human form and that she sell held the faintest spark of hope that she’d one day be able to return.

[Garland]

Garland paused a bit, it was possible that Quinlain was Cyrene but, it was still difficult for him to wrap his head around it.

In fact, it was nearly impossible to wrap his head around it. Cyrene and Quinlain were just the opposites, Cyrene was flirty, seductive even, and she could make Garland's head spin with one word.

A memory flashed in his mind of the day previous.

"Strip!"

That was the word that could make Garland's head spin, but it wouldn't work on him unless it was Quinlain that said the word in her usual demanding tone. Quinlain could make Garland do anything within reason, and stripping down in a public area was within reason.

Garland gave an embarrassed chuckle when she joked about his nudeness. Garland looked over to a barmaid and ordered another glass of wine. "Well, I still have my doubts, but I'll give you the benefit of them, Ms... Everwind Forgeheart."

Garland couldn't help his eyes from being drawn downwards to her dress, he forced himself off them half-afraid of being rude, half-afraid if in the morning Quinlain comes knocking and punches his head through a brick wall.

Garland listened to the words of the small tune she was singing, beautiful as it was, there was a bit of melancholy to it. "You've been in this world for a long time now, haven't you? It's rude for someone to ask a girl's age."

Garland took another drink and let his eyes wander out the window. "The moon sure is beautiful tonight, now that the fog from last Fall is gone."