[center][hr][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/241008/b97e9972b825bd92d2d8cee5ddb4048d.png[/img][hr][hr][/center] [center]* * *[/center] [center][sub]Interacting with: Anyone in the Eye of the Beholder[/sub][/center] [color=lightgray]The small Aurelian village’s tavern was especially lively this evening. A group of recruits from the local guard-force had just finished their probation and had come for a small celebration. It had quickly turned into a full-fledged party and most of the village had crammed themselves into the relatively small building. Aldrick wouldn’t have it any other way. He loved these nights more than anything else in the world. Nights where no one questioned his appearance, where alcohol flowed like water and where he could play his heart out without a second thought. It certainly helped that he hadn’t properly fed in weeks and a crowd like this would sustain him for the foreseeable future. His violin sang as if it had a mind of it’s own and the crowd danced like it was the end of the world. Pure merriment and joy. As the night began to slow, Aldrick put down the fiddle and retrieved his lute. His songs became slower as the crowds grew smaller, still filled with his usual hope and joy. Occasionally the barkeep would bring him a drink, no doubt bought by one of the patrons as a tip. [i]Aldrick did not accept gold for his performances.[/i] The crowd’s [i]emotion[/i] was more than enough for the Blight-Born. [center]* * *[/center] Unlike the presumed nobles that had travelled this route before him, Aldrick did not have the benefit of a horse drawn carriage for the days-long trek from Aurelia to Dawnhaven. Footstep after aching footstep, the musician carried himself through the forests and hills before him and camped the nights with nothing more than a bedroll and something that could barely be called a tent. Truthfully he wasn’t even sure that he was going to finish the journey alive given that the snowstorm seemed to worsen each day he awoke. It was only the promise of a campfire in the evenings joined by the absolute serenity of silence that the calms of the storm afforded him. The snow dampened any echoes and made the outdoor acoustics absolutely incredible. The hours on the road were also spent either singing to himself or playing a soft violin tune when the weather permitted. It was one of the few ways he could keep himself sane for the otherwise very lonely and quiet trip. The storm had clearly dissuaded any scheming bandits from their usual antics, which was partially a shame because the bard was very much out of practice with his sword. As Dawnhaven finally came into view, the bard let out a foggy sigh of relief. At last, my destination. A few moments later, he was safe within the village. A realization came to him however, that he had no idea where he’d been resting his head each night. [color=6A0891][i]I suppose that the worst case scenario is that I spend a few nights in my bedroll…[/i][/color] he pondered. [color=6A0891][i]It also wouldn’t be the first time I’ve slept on the tavern floor.[/i][/color] A smirk came to his face, brief memories of many nights of celebration and revelry entering his mind. [color=6A0891][i]There’s also the possibility of exchanging performances for room and board…[/i][/color] [color=6A0891][i]Either way, a solution is always in sight.[/i][/color] The bard continue to make his way through town, drawing a few wary looks occasionally from the common rabble but nothing he hadn’t seen many times before. Not nearly as frequently, he would notice a more inquisitive look as if someone was trying to recognize him. It had been a few good years since his...murder? His death, demise, accident? Whatever the title, though some people knew that the famous-made-infamous Aldrick Corveaux was alive and well, he suspected that most people inside of the Capitols were clueless that anything had happened to him. To most, it would have likely seemed as if he was yet another name that had come and gone, that he had risen to fame and fallen from it just as quickly. Not that it mattered anymore. [color=6A0891][i]This is a new start. A chance to fix my mistakes and a chance to bring smiles to people’s faces once more. I will not dwell on the past.[/i][/color] A smile spread across his face as a crowd came into view. [color=6A0891][i]So this is why the streets are so empty.[/i][/color] As he observed silently from a distance, it crossed his mind that one of the guards had mentioned something about a feast. This must have been exactly that. And what better time for song and dance than a feast? [center]* * *[/center] Aldrick stepped inside the tavern right behind an all too-familiar looking head of dark hair, his eye’s lingering on the back of Nyla’s head for just a moment before shaking the feeling away. There was no way that was actually her. It had been too long. Pushing the thought completely from his mind, the bard slipped through the crowd and into one of the few remaining empty spaces in the tavern. As he found the spot he would call his stage, Aldrick slid a chair over from the nearest table—receiving a dirty look from it’s occupants—before unslinging his lute from it’s place upon his back. He then let his pack slide from his shoulder before retrieving his violin from within. Finally, he also retrieved a small drum with a makeshift foot-pedal which he strategically placed on the floor. With a deep breath, Aldrick raised his violin up and tucked it beneath his chin as he’d done a thousand times before. [color=6A0891][i]This is it. This is how I make an unforgettable first impression.[/i][/color] And with that thought floating in his mind, he raised his bow to the strings and placed his foot on the kick-drum’s pedal. [color=6A0891][i]Deep breath, eyes closed. You’ve done this more times than you can count.[/i][/color] [color=6A0891][i]Something light-hearted, lets remind them what the Corveaux name stands for. [url=https://youtu.be/T7MOhtlbYjc?si=MzNFWkMTcOgzUUht]Let’s make this a real party.[/url][/i][/color] The sound of a violin and a subtly-strong kick drum would fill the tavern over the voices of it’s occupants as Aldrick lost himself in the music. His hand guided the bow across the instruments fine strings with a masterful level of precision, only faltering for a heartbeat as the bard blew a lock of hair from his face. His passion slowly built as he progressed through the song, building slowly and steadily in volume. And as he hit the apex [3-minute mark in the song], his eyes shot open with a stunning yellow glow to them as he gazed across the faces before him. Any observers may have sworn that they could see a burst of faint fire around him. A warm, hearty smile grew across his face as he swayed into the music. By the goddesses did this feel good.[/color]