Scenario #3: Follow Me

Follow me to a distant land, this mountain high
Where all the music that we always kept inside will fill the sky
Singing in the silence where the heart is free
While the world goes on turning and turning
Turning and falling

IC details: A certain Bard has decided to amuse himself in an unconventional way. What will happen to those who hear his music?

OOC Event details:
Please gather at the Three Mage Gate in Horutoto ruins, and feel free to bring a job that's not your normal, be it one that was an "old way of life" or a path that, RP-wise, you've always been curious about but never taken.

If you plan to go, please send me a /tell so I know if people are interested. While Avi and I have been talking about this for a little while, both our schedules have been off and notice for the event is going out a lot later than I expected. If I don't get enough interest by 1-1:30pm EST, I will postpone this til another day.

Directions: Enter Lily Tower in East Sarutabaruta (J-7) and head through Beetle's Burrow to Rose Tower. Gobs and Beetles in the Burrow are still EP to 99's, so Sneak/Invisible is suggested unless you want to fight your way. For those who aren't familiar with the towers, here is some maps – in the first tower, head through the Cracked Wall marked as B, on the second map head through the Cracked Wall marked as C, and continue down the corridor to the Gate.

Note: if enough people (who are able to) show, I would also like to do the Moon Reading fight at the end.

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He was a man in his prime with clean, strong, pleasing facial features and deep brown hair that fell smoothly to his shoulders. His eyes were a rich brown that, curiously revealed in the meadhouse's flickering lamp-light, contained streaks of gold and both cheeks were tattooed with a double line that ran straight from just under his eyes to his jaw. With his features, combined with the pristine white-leather coat, it was plain to see why the female patrons were nearly hanging off of him. But while he seemed to be joying the company of the fawning flock, gracing them with smiles, pretty compliments, and witty banter, his attention was wholly on a young man who was sitting in the far corner with a surly look on his face, intently writing on a piece of paper.

Perhaps he had been staring too much, as the young man began to show increasing signs of agitation until, crumpling the paper and stuffing it into his pocket, he stormed over and with an expression and tone that sent the women fleeing, got into the dark-haired man's face.

"What?" He demanded, slamming his hands onto the table. "You've been staring at me for the past two hours. Either spit it out or stop it."

"My apologies" The dark-haired man smiled charmingly. "May I buy you a drink?"

The young man snorted and backed off. "Yeah, no. I don't swing that way." Without a backwards glance, he stormed out of the meadhouse.

Long after the young man had left, and long after the women had returned to his side, the dark-haired man continued to stare at where the younger man had gone; a strange, pleased smile still gracing his lips.

Sitting high above the city, in a terrace in Ru'Lude Gardens, the dark-haired man idly toyed with an ivory flute in his hands.

"A more suitable stage, I have not seen in many a year. And so many potential actors, all with souls that burn so brightly. But the script itself… I have not been able to choose what it will treat upon! How can I pick a cast if I've yet to decide on the script!"

He sighed and shook his head as he leaned back. As he stared up at the sky, he blinked. "… Perhaps I'm getting too old for this." He chuckled slightly. "I must be, if I'm over thinking this so completely. All these stars are so talented; perhaps for once I should let them decide their lines and roles!"

He stood and raised the flute to his lips, then paused and smiled. "A comedy or tragedy, an epic or a romance… I wonder what they will make?"

He took a breath, and the melody from the flute began to slowly drift through the gardens, down into the city below, and carried by the wind beyond. Delicate and enticing, lulling those who heard its notes to sleep…

So alike in presence and action, height and build, they were often mistaken to be siblings. They were of average height and possessed a lean, flat-muscled physique; as they walked down the stone corridor, they moved like hunting felines. The only difference was their footfalls; he moved silently, while she seemed to be going out of her way to click the heels of her boots loudly against the stones.

Her skin was dusky pale, with dark brown hair that just barely brushed her shoulders and equally dark brown eyes spattered with flecks of gold. Her cheeks were tattooed, with a pair of parallel lines running diagonally from just under her eyes to her jawline, just under her ears. Clothed in a red and black harness, close-fitting leather trousers, knee-high red boots, and a red and black chapeau with a splendid white plume, she radiated tensions as she strode along with her hand tightly grasping the hilt of the black rapier at her hip.

"I don't see why we have to go down here, Blue."

Despite the lean muscles that were hinted under his strange, exotic ensemble of blue heavily trimmed with gold, the part of his face not hidden by his veil hinted at an unusually delicate, almost feminine facial structure. His alabaster skin showed no signs of flaws, and his eyes, one sky blue and the other sea green, seemed to stare with unusual focus. Gloriously long red hair flowed down his back and nearly to his waist, and a curved scimitar graced both his hips.

"It's a warm-up, Red. You're out of shape, and you've lost your focus."

Red snorted as she picked up her pace. "Thanks, jerk. 'Out of shape', my ass…"

"– Is big." Blue noted clinically. Red whirled to face Blue as she half-drew her rapier, and he tilted his head back a little. "Is that what you really want, Red? If it is, I'll happily oblige you."

With a sigh, Red let the rapier slide back in its scabbard. "… No, it’s not…" She turned and continued down the corridor. "… I just want to get this over and move onto someplace… nicer."

"… Nicer? Nicer?" Blue's eyebrows shot up. "Damn, you really have gone soft."

She stopped abruptly, but didn't turn around. Instead she held her breath and closed her eyes for several long moments. "Maybe I have." Red's voice was carefully hushed as she finally opened her eyes, her hand gripping her rapier again. "But at least my senses haven't gone dull."

Blue echoed the motion, his own hands going to his scimitars. "What is it?"

"The reason why I didn't want to come here." Red raised her free hand, looking as if she were trying to catch snowflakes in her palm. "There's a lot of expended mana in the air."

"That's normal in here."

Red rolled her eyes. "Mana in the air, yes. But expended mana? You know that's not normal."

Blue frowned. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I wasn't sure until just now. Something felt off when we first got here, but I couldn't pinpoint it. But now that I'm closer–"

Blue held up a hand, silencing Red, and he frowned. In absolute silence, he stalked past Red and pressed his back against the wall before peering around a corner. "… We're not alone down here."

"Gobs?" Red joined him; her steps now just as silent as his.

"Not unless they've been taking speech lessons." Blue pulled back. "Can't see anyone; they must be ahead at the Gate." His frown deepened. "… Did you see any signs of people when we came in?"

Red shook her head. "There wasn't any prints in the dust at the entrance; no-one's been in here for awhile."

"That's what I thought, too." Blue was quiet. "There's a few voices. Can't tell how many because of the echoes…"

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