melodiesofkupo | [Video]

...Excellent! My Lady, it's ready!

[The interior of a sparsely-decorated room flickers to life over the feed, and it's immediately apparent that the room belonged to one of the newcomers pulled fresh from the Dream Width, and someone is playing some sort of music. But as someone hoists up the slate and swings it to the right, the figure seated in the chair is currently occupied.

Ring-covered fingers are strumming the strings of something guitar-like, and the figure is rather lost in it, singing nothing in particular. This goes on for about ten seconds.]

Ahem... Lady Madhuri?

[The figure sits up a little taller with a start, eyes fluttering open. The music resumed as she continued to strum, but the smile was sheepish as her eyes turned to the screen.]

Oh. Oh! Yes, thank you. I'm sorry, my instruments seem to have been left behind in the last jump. Makes a bard's fingers itchy. This loaner suits me nicely until I pay this world's bard college a visit.

[With a flourish, she raised a hand and wiggled her fingers in greeting.]

Good afternoon. I am Madhuri, a bard and a dancer by trade. I found myself curious, so I had to cut the ribbon on this little network as it were and pose a question:

Where are you from? What's your tale? ...Of what you're comfortable sharing, of course. Perhaps this can grant the opportunity to build a little bit of a... a... ohh, what's the word- rapport! Yes. A rapport.

Tell me tales of adventure, of victories and defeats, of loves won and loves lost! Perhaps I'll create a song out of a few, and it will be a little gift. Free, of course. Unless of course you're willing to tip.

[She pulled her feathered cap from atop her head and gave it a tip.]

That's all from me. Enjoy your day. For those of you still panicking about your situation? Breathe, dear. In and out. It'll be alright. Find friends and hold them dear.

Bye-bye~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wha--

[The camera shudders and shuffles a bit once the mug's placed back down.]

Wait, I don't have foam on my face, do I?

Oh yes, just- just all over. Enough that it obscures your whole face!

...Oh, for-- MOCHA!

What.

Why'd'ja tell me to hold it like that?! it was backwards!

So she can see your drink, 'po.

grmblgrr...

[The iMog flips around. THERE'S Red's face proper, apparently in his unit's kitchen.]

Sorry 'bout that. I don't get what her deal is.

Nobody ever does, 'po.

[She's laughing. Forgive her, you two!]

It was a lovely drink, for sure. Did you make it, or is it a moogle creation?

Nah, it's something Mocha threw together-- flat white somethingoranother? S'good though. Glad to see all that money I blew on the espresso machine is payin' off.

You're welcome.

How's your moogle, anyhow? Don't think I saw it yet.

I see... oh!

He's holding the slate. Macaron, sweet Macaron, I'll take the slate back now.

[She reached out, and the camera shifted slightly. Rather than the tiefling, a rather small mog was front and center, wearing a knight's visor. He pulled a small wooden sword from his belt and pointed it toward the camera.]

Wolf! What business have you with Lady Madhuri?

[Well THAT was a left turn. And unlike the last one to call him 'Wolf,' this one didn't sound like a compliment. Ugh, were bodyguards ALWAYS like this?]

I, uh, think she makes a really good red velvet cake?

Hmph. I know how wolves work... first you eat cake, and then your fangs turn to the flesh of the baker! Your honeyed words do not sway me!

Sir Macaron...!

[Oh, great. 'dog' and 'wolf' were one thing, but was he seriously talking about eating her?]

Is there someone else there I can talk to?

It's just the two of us, I'm afraid. That's enough, Ser...

[She turned the tablet back, and Macaron settled atop her hat with a snort.]

I apologize. He's truly nice, but he's something of a guard...-mog.

And I thought Mocha got pushy. Y'ever thought about keepin' him on a leash?

[...A brief, expectant pause. Was he... No, he was serious. And definitely oblivious to the irony.]

Of course not! He's being himself. It's as I've said: He's kind to those he's comfortable with. In time, he won't be so abrasive.

[Well, until then, he can kindly keep his grit to himself. But Red's not going to press the matter. He's just going to take another sip of his flat white and mumble something into the rim of the mug. For now.]

'least you seem like you're fittin' right in here. You did say you got a lot of travel, though.

Hey, y'ever been to a place like this before?

Oh! A few, yes. I find work, I sing, I dance and I gather funding to continue my aimless pilgrimage. Then I jump to a new place whenever it suits my fancy.

It's odd, however, that I can't seem to sense any portals in this world. I ponder if they use a moon gate system, one that relies on moon phases to open doorways.

You dance? Haha! THAT'S somethin' I gotta see sometime. --Oh, and don't forget the cookin'. Or is that just somethin' new you're trying?

[Admittedly, she was starting to lose him with this talk of portals, though...]

So... does that mean you might be able to leave when the moon's just right?

I've cooked in a couple of worlds, but they tend to wish for more long-term work. I don't typically stay somewhere for more than a few months. Itchy feet, you see.

Perhaps I could! My problem is twofold, however: I was left adrift in space, which I've never done before and could cause odd effects with my magic; the second is that I'm missing my tarokka cards.

...I feel so naked without them.

Tarokka cards? Aren't those the ones with the goofy pictures that you see fortune tellers throwing around?

[That you can't get a decent game going with, either?]

Those are actually magical?

Those exact ones!

Well, yes. Of course! There is a power in divination, you know.

...But they don't really curse people who don't leave tips, right?

...I wonder, Red.

[...There's a moment's pause before he happily changes the subject.]

So you use those things to teleport? How's that work? Are you askin' them for directions?

Something like that. It's a ritual that takes a few ingredients and a little time. It's something I can't perform lightly.

I'll see if I can't procure them here and see what I can do. But this place is far too marvelous for me to be so hasty just yet!

How would you? Aren't they magic? You can't just get that kinda thing at a corner store--

[...He blinks, self-consciously biting down on the bone in his mouth.] ...swear I had this talk already.

Lotta people are gonna ask you for a ride if that happens, y'know.

I'm sure there will be. I can only take so many with me at a time, my max being four bodies total. After which, I will require some rest from the jump.

Should it work, it will be... a task... to get home the hordes of folk whom I bet will want an exit door.

You kiddin'? You'd be in and out of here for years if you tried to get 'em all. Hopefully people would be happy enough just knowin' there is a way to do it. Maybe you could teach it to some'a the wizards here.

Speakin' of, you check out those job brochures?

(no subject)

songbird_slayer - 2018-04-29 15:11 (UTC) - Expand

mech_and_mutt - 2018-04-29 20:55 (UTC) - Expand

songbird_slayer - 2018-05-02 04:02 (UTC) - Expand

mech_and_mutt - 2018-05-03 01:25 (UTC) - Expand

songbird_slayer - 2018-05-06 02:39 (UTC) - Expand