Beach
A long stretch of beach lies before you, gently sloping down to the water's edge, where equally gentle waves roll forward to kiss the shore. The far end of the beach cuts off abruptly at the tumbled ruins of a former Hold, where clinging vines cover the fallen stones, creating a seeming garden of peace and beauty. A couple of tidepools are set to the side, teeming with the varied sealife trapped within. Rocks, ranging from tiny pebbles to hefty boulders, are scattered throughout the beach, the more reasonably sized ones usually concealing a spiderclaw or two. Small sand dunes, pieces of driftwood and, of course, shells and pebbles of all sizes litter the beach, offering a sort of treasure hunt to adventurous residents.
Kristiana sits along the beach, hoping and believing that no one is around. Her legs are crossed beneath her, and her harp is--for once--out of its case. She holds the wooden instrument in her lap, plucking softly at the strings, a gentle, soft tune carrying with the wind. Gwyned and Grendel nestle in the sand nearby, and their warbles offer a bass to the tune, barely audible but felt. And... yes... Kristiana is actually singing, a soft soprano, filled with vibrato, weaves in and out of the harp and firelizard melodies, her eyes closed as the ballad drifts along the beach.
Debajirin shuffles bare feet in the sand as he strolls along the shore, occasionally weaving to walk through a tidepool or two, and despite the playful walking pattern, in a quieter mood than normal. Reflective, even. The music is heard first, and he lifts his head slightly, turning an ear towards the general direction from which it comes. Something of a smile touches his face as he starts heading towards the source. And upon seeing that the source is Kristiana, fisherman is quite in awe, circling to be, hopefully, a bit more behind her and seating himself at what he considers a safe distance, in the hope of hearing more.
Oh, boy, will she freak out when she realizes she has an audience. The firelizards, shard them, give no warning of the man's entrance, and Kristiana can hardly hear anything over the tide hitting the shore and the wind rushing over her. Her eyes remain closed, as if this will bring her closer to the movement, and she sways slightly with the music; it appears to be a solemn ballad, for her words ring of thread and riders lost, of holds protected and harpers warning. Slowly, her song pulls to an end, and she opens her eyes, looking Rukbat-ways before pondering which to sing next.
Debajirin considers making his presence known. After all, this can't be that different from someone looking over a shoulder when you're sketching or writing. But at the same time, he's quite enthralled with the harp and her voice. The decision of staying quiet is reached, and he leans back, digging his toes into the sand, and tilting his head slightly for a better view of the musician. A deep breath is drawn in slowly, and let out as quietly as he can manage, with some aspects of a sigh, and he waits anxiously for another. Now here is a new experience one can truly enjoy.
Pity the Deba when he is discovered and gets pinged upside the head with a harp. No, Kris would never do that... She worked hard on her harp! She glances down at her ever-calloused fingers before tuning the strings. "What'll it be next, boys?" she murmurs to the creatures crooning beside her who begin flapping their wings and dancing what might be a little jig. She laughs loudly, reaching out to give each of them a scratch. "All right, all right... But don't bugle too loudly. We don't want any of the fishermen to get excited and come watch." And with that, with occasional harp backup but mainly singing a capela, the former-harper breaks somewhat loudly into an upbeat sea shanty.
Debajirin starts at the mention of 'boys' until realizing she speaks to her 'lizards, and as for their reaction... He doesn't quite manage to stifle a laugh, clapping a hand over his mouth and hoping that the sound might be covered bye the wind and the waves. Though he does manage a little bit of foot tapping/toe twitching in time to the music, feeling somewhat guilty to be 'spying' but not guilty enough to stop unless he's found out. So for now he'll bob to the music, and enjoy the voice, and try not to laugh too loud at the firelizards. A misplaced chuckle could well reveal his position, and then the concert might end. And he'd resent that.
Kristiana continues along her song, the brown and blue doing their little wing-flapping, talon-tapping dance on the rock beside her as they croon loudly. It's like jazz. You ever wanted to see a firelizard do a Louis Armstrong imitation? Well, here ya go. Kristiana laughs between words as she sings along, finally finishing and sighing. "No more, you two. That's enough for tonight." A creel of object emanates from Grendel, and Kristi shakes her head. "No, really." Another creel. "Huh?" And the bartendress swiftly turns around, face crimson. "Deba!" Ha! You've been spied!
Debajirin shakes his head at the firelizards, and then taking on his a slightly disappointed look that she won't continue playing. And then upon being spotted he backpedals in the sand, scrambling to his feet, combing fingers through his hair, and trying to look casual. "Kristi. Hi. Fancy seeing you here. Really, there was this beautiful music being played..." His face flushes slightly at having been discovered, and he strains for something more to say. "It stopped though, a pity, what a nice voice it was." And now his weak little grin.
Kristiana blinks at him. Blink blink. Gulp. Grendel, the sharding devil, seems amused as he croons his evil cackle. "Shush, you," she murmurs to the brown as she quickly shoves her harp into its case, biting her lip. "Yeah, well... It's open territory, you know... so people come by... and...Happens occasionally." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, a smile finally forming. "Really? You thought it was okay? Well... yeah, thank you." Fidget fidget. "I guess my learning at the hall wasn't all for not." Or knot... Cheesy joke...
Debajirin relaxes into a less alert posture, nodding appreciatively. "I thought it was very good. I mean, I'm not a professional at judging, but I liked it... What I heard of it." He shrugs, taking a few strides to come nearer her, and wiggling his toes in the sand, a movement which manages, somehow, to involve his entire body, and then nodding again. "Learning music can't possibly be a waste though. Even if it was as bad as you said some of it was. But I think it was good. And I think the firelizards really added to the second last one. Did you use them in the hall too?"
Kristiana grins, still blushing and looking down at the sands, and nods. "Well, thank you for that. I kept saying I'd finally let you hear my singing... and... well... you finally got to." Not by her own volition, though. She grins as she watches him wiggling his toes in the sand, because her eyes happen to be looking foot-ward anyway, and then she brings her eyes to him with a raised eyebrow, smile, and shrug. "Oh, no, it's quite a joy. For me, I never feel as free as I do when I sit here and play. And I prefer it out of the hall, without masters telling me what to and not to do." She looks toward the firelizards, who are now swooping in and out of the water, and shakes her head. "No, they wouldn't let us. Said they were too distracting. Anyway... How are you today?"
Debajirin rocks back on his heels, enjoying the feel of the sand on his feet, and also a bit fidgety now. "Too bad. Imagine, if they'd let the Harpers' firelizards sing... It might have been a concert by itself. Of course, you don't want to replace the actual people, so... And yeah, not under pressure or direction, I suppose it's nice. Well, for music. I know it's good for other things." He grins at her again, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I'm well. I'd almost go so far as to say content. How about yourself?"
Kristiana laughs and shakes her head. "Some of them can't carry a tune, actually, as much as they think they can," she murmurs, sending another glance toward her faire in the waters. "And yeah... Imagine if all the harpers get replaced by animals. Firelizard choir, runners on drums. It'd be a waste, no?" And forgive the Kris for her player is weird tonight. She grins at him, quirking an eyebrow, before nodding. "I'm well, too... Relaxed now. I was upset earlier..." She blows hair off her forehead. "People keep bringing dudes into the bar to meet me... And then I had to talk with Leigh's daughter on her mother's behavior. I swear, it's not the music training in the hall that's helped me most, it's the sharding public relations."
Debajirin chuckles at the thought of runners drumming and 'lizards humming, chuckling as loudly as he wants know that he's been discovered. "Dudes? To meet you?" Red-haired one frowns slightly at this, and finds absolutely no reason to hide his displeasure. "And why would the public relations help? Was she sorta flustered, or what? You didn't try and tie her up and gag her did you? Cause that could count as some sort of public relations, really. I mean, not good public relations, but still, you're relating to the public. Or was it something else?" One again he's gotten carried away in his little imagined situations. "But it's good that you're relaxed now... Some days, I suppose, are just hard on the nerves. However, we had a good catch today..." Not that it matters, just that it popped into his head.
"Yeah, to meet me, but I told them to stop," Kristiana grumbles with a shrug, not going further before nodding. "Well, people always come in telling me about their lives and asking for advice on making them better. As if I understand life." She emits a short laugh before grinning and shake her head. "Noooo. Of course not. I don't wanna know what sort of things run through your head, Debajirin, and remind me never to go to you when I have a problem," she replies with a wink. Yeah, imagine that. Iona: Where's Kristiana? Debajirin: Oh, she has a lot going on. Iona: Went off to think about it? Debajirin: No, I have her tied up in my cot. Okeeeeeeee. Moving on. She raises an eyebrow and nods before gesturing back to her rock if he wishes to sit. "Oh, really? So you didn't have to waste time mending nets?"
Debajirin pffs. "My personal opinion is that no one understands life, really. Those who say they do pretend, and those who say they don't probably have a better grasp on it anyway." And he gives her a little pleading look. "You can talk to me if you have problems... I'll take care of you. And you probably are right in not wanting to know most of what goes on in there," he adds, grinning evilly and tapping the saide of his head with an index finger. Just any old index finger. For all he knows it's not his. He found it. Whoo, alright, staying IC... "Not much. They're all mended. Might as well do something if you're floating around and can't sleep. Mend nets. And ya. Some of the guys say we were destined to catch something worthwhile after so long with an 'unsatisfactory' amount of fish. Destiny, now there's an interesting topic..."
Kristiana nods slowly at his words, hrming. "Aye, that is true, and it varies from person to person. What might be good advice or a good idea for one won't necessarily be the same for another." She smiles at him, nodding. "Oh, I will talk to you if I have problems. I feel comfortable talking to you... though that... yeah... Keep your thoughts in your perty little head." She winks before nodding. "Well, that must be relief, so now you get to deal with pulling smelly creatures out of the water. And the rest of the hold gets to eat your work!" She offers a fake cackle before hmming. "Destiny... Is there even such a thing?"
Debajirin actually goes for the rock mentioned earlier, this thought surfacing above all the rest of those things circling around in his skull, and he sits, beaming. "Nice to know you feel comfortable with me. Makes things so much better. And yes, now I'm once again into the net-pulling. You know you haven't done that for too long when you get a decent load of fish, and yet the muscles in your shoulder and back get aching. And it's wonderful that the hold eats my work, as you put it. At least I can feel appreciated somewhat. And if not appreciated, used and abused." Grin. "I was actually pondering over the thoughts of destiny when I headed here... I know there are some people who truly believe things happen for one reason or other... I don't, really. I don't think, anyway. I've never thought that far ahead about anything, I suppose."
Kristiana plunks down on the rock, too, because she can. Elbow on her knee and chin in her palm, she turns toward him with her best listening smile. Makes one wonder if she's actually listening or daydreaming, sometimes, huh? She looks over at his shoulder and arms when he speaks of muscles, just raising an eyebrow and grinning before replying, "You should get a massage." She chuckles softly. "Oh, surely everyone appreciates you fish dudes. There are so many of you-- how could we not?!" She hmm softly, tilting her head from one side to the other. "I think it could be that way... Yet at the same time, it's too easy to change and control your destiny for that to be true, yet others might say that your changing and controling it makes it what it is meant to be."
Debajirin laughs and nods, shrugging his 'poor little aching' shoulders. So long as she's daydreaming about him his ego and he will be fine. "I'd get a massage. But I don't know anyone who gives them, and you feel sorta weird asking for them. Just moan around people with healering tendencies, you're bound to end up with one eventually. Of course by then my muscles might have siezed up and I won't be able to move my neck." He hmms in turn, chewing softly at a lower lip, a bad habit he's developing. "Well, destiny, in theory, is a never-ending cycle if you try to discuss it. Some people say it exists, others don't, but it's so hard to convince people it exists in two ways. Cause those two ways often meld into one another."
Kristiana grins at him, shaking her head. "I would volunteer, but how do I know you're not trying to look pitiful just as an excuse for a massage, and you don't really need one, huh? Or I could find you a healer. I saw one as I was heading out here... That Berlion dude. The one with the gut from too much ale and who appears to never have taken a bath or shaved." She nods sagely, eyes twinkling. "Aye, I would agree with that... Do you ever discuss this stuff with your fishermen friends, by the way? They'd probably push you overboard..."
Debajirin grins, looking all the more pitiful for her. "But I do need one. Really. If you wanna volunteer, y'know, I wouldn't mind..." And a little hopeful look is attached to this, incase it might persuade her. "And this Berlion just doesn't sound nearly as good to be with as you. He sounds almost like he looks like Feln. And that in itself is bad." Shudder, and then a little moan about his aching back and shoulders, along with an innocent grin. "I don't really talk to them about it, no. I slipped once and mentioned something to the effect. I was hit with a fish. I wish that'd never been introduced."
"All right, ya big lug, come 'ere," Kristiana replies with a chuckle, looking down at her poor harper hands with a shake of her head. She grins and shrugs. "Never know, they could be brothers. And he might be good with his hands, but, yeah, I'd advise you don't find out. I think he... um... really likes men." She coughs lightly and nods slowly before bursting out in laughter. "Oh... I'm sorry, Deba, but... You got hit with a fish? I do pity you... I like my work environment. People get so drunk they think they can be philosophical. It's amusing."
Debajirin grins all happy-like at her, scooting over on the rock to get closer, and turning his back to her. Only literally, not figuratively, he'd never do that. "Scary that there may be more than one Feln type person. It's just not right, when you get right down to it. Oh, right, yes, not going to see him then would be good. Not that I have a problem with stuff like that, really, just y'know, us hunky fishermen get flirted with so much as it is..." He strains to keep a straight face with that, but alas, bursts into laughter at that outright lie. "So I'm not the only philosophical drunk?"
Kristiana chuckles and shakes her head as she begins to knead his shoulders. "Tell me if I hurt you," she mutters before laughing and nodding. "They seem to be everywhere, those Feln-types do. See, I don't mind the healer as much as I mind Feln, because I know it won't be /my/ bum he's grabbing." She snickers lightly and shakes her head as she continues to massage gently. "Yeah, when those girls come to the beaches in their swimming suits, /they're/ the ones whistling not the other way around," she comments jokingly before shaking her head, though he can't see her anyway, so he doesn't know if she's shaking her head. Anyway, she's doing some facial or bodily expression. "No... but you're one of the few that actually makes sense, considering."
"I'll be sure to let you know... But I trust you to be nice. Well, I'll pretend to, at least." And he happily listens to her talking, and suddenly a thought falls into his head. "But wait, then... Who's bum will he be grabbing?" Debajirin had best stay away. He doesn't want his bum grabbed. Just can't see it as a good thing. "I'm proud to say I don't whistle... Besides, just any old girl in a swimsuit can't steal my attention." He turns a bit to smile at her playfully, and then goes back, so as not to interrupt this massage too much. "And good to know I make sense. Though it gets harder as the alcohol gathers, but still. I don't really need it to be philosophical. Just puts me in the mood for big discussions when I know soon I won't be able to carry them out."
Kristiana giggles, shaking her head before his question causes her to stop massaging for a brief moment. "Let's just say if you see him, walk with your back to the wall," she whispers, chuckling. "I'm proud that you say you don't whistle, too," she replies with a short laugh, grinning at him as he turns around. "But usually, when you stop making sense, I'm hardly making sense either, which makes everything.... you know... make sense."
