2019-08-09: A Musical Interlude
- Log: 2019-08-09: A Musical Interlude
- Cast: Ivan, Talise Gianfair
- Where: The Moonflow
- Date: August 09, 2019
- Summary: Ivan catches Talise making music, unconvincingly scolds her, and then tries to set her up with Lydia.
===============================<* The Moonflow *>=============================== The Moonflow is a large river that bisects Spira's largest island into southern and northern halves. Strange flowers called Moonlilies grow on the Moonflow's banks, attracting pyreflies that gather on its surface at night, making the water sparkle. Although a beautiful area, the weather tends to be overcast more often than not, the souls of the dead providing the most reliable source of illumination. The primary method of crossing the Moonflow is aboard a shoopuf - an elephantine creature that can swim across the expansive river. The crossing service is funded by the Temple of Yevon and is free of charge. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wcVnJQ-FN4
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
What's most striking about the Moonflow at this hour is the slow, relaxing sound of a lute.
The musical notes carry a little ways, riding the breath of the wind, dancing among the glitter of pyreflies at this hour - all of them wonders in their own right, but the song's different. In the distance, a shoopuf trundles, no doubt carrying travelers across the waterway. But it's not the source of the song.
It's on this side. And it becomes clear with a little wandering when a glint of steel catches the eye among the flowers and taller grasses.
Talise hasn't changed out of her armour yet. It's a set of polished full plate, though its make isn't familiar - it's nothing Spiran, but also nothing similar to what the Guard wear. Her long-bladed sword, sheathed, rests against her calf, her hands ungauntleted as she rests the long neck of her archlute over one shoulder and plays. The notes pluck through the air, slow - and for one of Lunar, no doubt familiar in ways that ring true even if one's never heard it before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FULmDcGqknI
She's not singing along with the music. But Lunarian song has become rarer and rarer in years recent - ever since Althena declared music to be a sin.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
As a Guardsman, Ivan doesn't get to hear a lot of music. In fact, he had an ILLEGITIMATE MUSIC BOX that he had to tuck away in secret. Well, for that reason among others. Music is nice, though. And this tune is quite soothing -- nostalgic, though he doesn't know if he's ever heard it. It's a shame the Goddess decided she hated it, or whatever. He's not sure what the story is with that -- maybe she heard a really, really bad song?
Since he's not supposed to be listening, and whoever's playing it isn't supposed to be playing it (well, according to Althena and/or the Guard, not necessarily authorities the person ascribes to), Ivan decides to sneak closer to it, climbing up a tree near the lute player to enjoy the song without anyone having to bother anyone else.
But perhaps the tune is too soothing, because having nodded off for a moment is the only explanation for Ivan managing to fall out of the tree and landing in front of the lutist.
"Ow."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
The music carries, of course. There's little to stop it. Talise closes her eyes, losing herself in a tune that tugs on the little strings that dangle from her heart - all too meaningful to her.
Until there comes the sound of branches crackling.
The music cuts off as Talise pops her eyes open and straightens up, beginning to turn - but she doesn't have to turn far. Down comes the mysterious listener, landing in front of her with a thump.
Steel armour creaks a little as Talise scoots backwards with surprise, blinking once, then twice. "I've seen a lot of things fall out of trees, but never a guy!" she exclaims.
It's not even someone she recognizes - and, fortunately, not someone in a Guard uniform. Easing her archlute to one side, the big swordswoman collects herself with a couple more blinks, blushing as she holds a hand out and leans in to check up on the young man.
"You hurt yourself there?"
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"Not really, no," says Ivan, before he has really taken stock of whether that's true or not. He gathers himself up off the ground and moves around a bit to make sure all his limbs are still working, before looking at her and pretending to notice her lute for the first time.
"Oh, that looks a lot like a musical instrument. You should be careful not to play any music with it. I don't know if you've heard of the Goddess Althena, but she doesn't like music and she's very powerful and important. So consider yourself warned. Or scolded. Or whatever."
Ivan has... not even really listened very hard to the other Guardsmen trying to enforce this kind of thing.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Talise cocks her head, but seems content to take Ivan's word for it. Leaning back, she settles back to a seat atop the rock, stretching one armoured leg a little.
When Ivan gives her that word of caution, Talise is quick to respond... by barking out a derisive laugh and waving one hand, then giving the lute a couple of sardonic plucks. "I appreciate your words of warning, but I've been playing songs since before Althena returned and I know enough about her to know she loves music. Whatever she may have said recently notwithstanding, I'm not about to stop playing just because the Goddess has lost her mind."
Talise has heard this lecture before and had a long time to think about it. The response is pretty natural for her, truth be told.
"You with the Guard?" she asks, eyes sharp as she gives Ivan a once-over. "Or just a concerned fan come for a listen?"
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"Yeah, I'm with the Guard," Ivan affirms.
As Talise insists the Goddess loves music, he gives a 'what can you do' shrug.
"Well, you know, I guess she changed her mind about it when she came back and heard what became of it while she was away. Somebody must have ruined it for everyone. But I take her edict pretty seriously. So seriously that I have totally put music out of my mind and don't even remember what it sounds like anymore, so I'll just assume that whatever noises you're making with your stringed contraption aren't music."
With this odd speech complete, one might wonder if it would have been easier for Ivan just not to mention he's in the Guard...
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
When Ivan affirms that he's with the Guard, Talise exhales through her teeth and tries not to tense up.
But how he explains himself takes her aback. Blinking quickly, she looks at the bowl of her lute, then back up to the young man again, narrowing her eyes and peering at him as if she's unable to tell if he's letting her off the hook or chastising her in some way - and yet, he mentioned his allegiance nevertheless.
"That's an interesting way to put things," she says with a touch of audible uncertainty, but she covers it with a rough smirk and gives the lute a pat. "If it makes you feel better, you can pretend I'm just tuning some piece of equipment I found on Filgaia or whatnot."
Talise pauses a moment, then cants her head. "So were you up in that tree to snoop on the crook with the instrument, or were you secretly enjoying the tunes? I won't tell Leo if you were."
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"Yes, right. Just... mysterious noise-making equipment. Is it a weapon? Who knows. It may take further investigation."
It seems like more and more people are talking about Filgaia these days, Ivan almost didn't take note of it.
So were you up in that tree to snoop on the crook with the instrument, or were you secretly enjoying the tunes?
"The first one. Definitely the first one. I've never enjoyed anything in my life." Ivan pauses, having given that answer somewhat automatically and realizing it's kind of too much information for people who don't know the things about him that he's used to using it to confirm and deny.
"But that's a seperate issue."
Honestly, this is a mess, Ivan really shouldn't try to talk to people at all probably.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
The tone of the young man's denials pull a crooked, amused little grin across Talise's face, flashing just a hint of sharper-than-normal incisors. Her eyes twinkle with barely-concealed mirth.
"Well, damn, it sounds like you're a pretty glum guy. I hope that's not the standard for the Guard. Y'know, Althena does want you to enjoy your life a bit, right?" Leaning forward, Talise cups her chin in her palm, holding a hand out with a finger raised. "Y'know if you're too grumpy, the Malevolence'll get'cha. Gotta crack a few smiles and have a giggle sometimes and all that, right? And music's great for that."
Talise winks. A little sparkle dances in the air, inexplicably.
Then she waves a hand. "So what's your name, pal?" she asks easily. "I mean, I can't just call you Mr. Doesn't Enjoy Anything." She pauses. "...Maybe Mr. Grumpy would work."
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"I think if I were going to get Malevolenced it probably would have happened already," Ivan says. If nothing else, he doesn't think it's likely he'll get more sour. At least not more sour than he was when he thought Talia had died.
"I must be exactly as unpleasant as I'm supposed to be. Don't call me Mr. Grumpy, though. Or the other thing."
Instead of giving his name, which is what would make sense at this juncture -- it takes a few tries sometimes for Ivan to realize somebody really actually wants it -- he adds, "Uh, who are you?"
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"I suppose that's true. It must be easy to rack up the purple nasties when you don't really enjoy anything." Talise's smile is just the slightest bit sassy, though not overly unfriendly. She moves the archlute from her lap and sets the bowl against the ground, the neck of it resting between her knees. "But you've gotta give me something to call you, y'know. Mr. Unpleasant doesn't seem very accurate."
She shrugs, a few armour plates rasping against one another. "My name's Talise Gianfair." She doesn't seem all that shy about hiding her names. There are not, after all, many six-foot-two half-Beastwomen with pale blonde hair and huge swords.
"And it sounds like you, young pal, are pretty down on yourself. How come? Surely the White Knight wouldn't be too happy if you moped at him like that."
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"Are you from space or from the Blue Star or anything?" he asks, wondering if, given the tallness, she may be a wayward Veruni or something. Maybe she's just tall, though. Sometimes people are just tall!
"Uh... well, I'm Ivan. I've only got the one name."
He has ALMOST trained himself out of the habit of assuming that people with multiple names come from noble families, but there's still a lingering trace of it at the back of his mind.
Talise accuses him of being down on himself, and Ivan makes a face.
"That really isn't supposed to come out like two minutes after meeting someone, so you can disregard it," he says.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Scratching at one of her cheekstripes, Talise shrugs slowly. "I mean, technically all of us come from the Blue Star originally? But no, I was born on Lunar. Somewhere out on the ocean somewhere, but yeah, on Lunar."
The height has a lot to do with Beastwoman genetics, and Talise shows a few signs that she's not human: The shallowly pointed ears, the teeth, the cheekstripes.
"Ivan, huh. Feel like I should recognize that name. And you look really familiar for some reason, too." Not rolling with Talia, however, leaves Talise unable to make the connection. She rubs one of her ears pensively before shrugging and letting the unmade link hang without fully connecting it. Her gaze returns to Ivan's, and she searches his face for a few seconds before flashing another of those wry smiles.
"You sure you want me to forget it?" she teases with a wink. "Alright, fine, I'll pretend. I'm sure you've got a few great confident-guy lines saved up that you can wow me with."
I-is she flirting with him?
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Talise tells Ivan she was born on Lunar. "Ah. Yes. Me too--I mean, not on the ocean but-- wait, how were you born on the ocean?" Ivan is off balance enough to have forgotten about boats as a concept. Or at least it doesn't enter his mind that you can be born on one.
She mentions Ivan looks familiar. "It's possible you might know someone who looks like me..." Ivan says. But he's hesitant to mention Talia so soon after perilously revealing her existence to Leo. Really, to be safest, he should be pretending she died half a year ago as far as he knows, but that's a really uncomfortable lie to tell, especially having already lived it. And a lot of people seem to know her here, anyway. This is really dangerous for Talia! At least there's still an ocean between her and Lubov.
I'm sure you've got a few great confident-guy lines saved up that you can wow me with.
"I, um." Ivan unconsciously takes a step back. "I don't know if I need to wow you. Maybe going back to kind of neutral would be okay. ...I'll try to think of a neutral guy line." Being normal is pretty elusive for Ivan so he may be thinking for a while.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"Boats exist, Ivan," Talise explains with a patient smile. "Though if you must know, I was born on an oceangoing ship."
She just met him, and he's a member of the Guard - so Talise withholds some of the juicier details. He doesn't need to know about the piracy.
That sassy little smile returns, lashes dipping slightly across her eyes as she watches Ivan react in such a flustered fashion to her simple line. "Are you sure? You're a pretty handsome guy. I'm sure if you put your mind to it, you'd come up with something suave to say that'd sweep me right off my feet." The tall woman winks playfully, that smile growing to an arch grin that shows off sharp incisors and brings her eyes to life with humour.
But it passes soon enough as she laughs, waving one hand in the air. "Come to think of it, I feel like I do know someone who looks like you. Let me see...." She scratches at the point of her chin a moment.
Then Talise gasps. "Aha! That's where I recognize you from!"
uh oh
"You're related to Lily Keil, aren't you?"
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Boats exist.
"So?" says Ivan, thinking somehow she means a boat took her to the ocean to be born until she spells it out. "Oh--right."
Then he gets flirted with -- or rather, invited to do some flirting of his own. He reddens at the compliment to his looks. "--I'm not interested in sweeping anyone off their feet right now," Ivan says hastily, waving his hands in a dismissive gesture.
"I do know someone who might want to sweep or be swept, but that would... depend on if you like women or not..." Ivan you can't just redirect a flirtatious person at someone else! ...or can you??
Aha! That's where I recognize you from!
Ivan waits. If she knows about Talia already, he doesn't have to worry about revealing her!
You're related to Lily Keil, aren't you?
Ivan's face goes blank. "...W-who?"
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
The flirting hook dangles there, just waiting for Ivan to take ahold of it... but Talise finds herself disappointed, perhaps unsurprisingly. With a little sigh, she smiles wistfully and cups her cheek in one palm, dipping her lashes and looking off into the distance. "Ah well," she murmurs, as if feigning imagining what manner of sordid encounter might've occurred.
But Ivan tries to redirect her impulses, and she moues her lips, tapping her other hand against her thigh with a little tink of nail on metal. "I definitely like women," she remarks with an easy shrug. "I date one, I'd damn sure better."
The blank reaction she gets to her assumption is met with a rueful smile. "Acquaintance I run into sometimes. Strong sorcerer. Come to think of--" Talise pauses a moment, then blinks.
"...Well, shit, of course not, you can't be related to Lily. She's from Filgaia," Talise murmurs as she squints at Ivan again. "But I know I've seen you--"
She snaps her fingers with a sudden breakthrough. "--RIGHT! You're related to that girl who broke off from the Guard--"
uh oh
"--Kourin! You look just like her, too...."
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"Oh, well if you're already with someone, then nevermind!" Ivan grumps a bit at that -- though, honestly, is setting up Lydia with someone else really a thing he wants...?? Well, that's obviously a problem for future Ivan. It just happens to be present Ivan's responsibility to force himself to deal with that later.
As Talise queues up another person he might resemble, Ivan waits with exactly the same level of anticipation as the first time -- surely she'll get it now -- he looks just like Talia--or, well, almost just like her...
/You're related to that girl who broke off from the Guard--Kourin!"/
Ivan's shoulders sag.
"I didn't realize there were so many people who looked like me."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"We're pretty open about things like that," Talise concedes, giving her hand a dismissive flip as if to chase off concerns about infidelity. "If anything she'd welcome more pals. So to speak. Besides, you're teasing me with all this talk of someone who likes a little sweeping. No holdin' out on me now, Ivan," she chides with a wag of her finger. "Keepin' secrets ain't what a pal would do!"
When did Ivan become Talise's pal? Was he granted the title in abstentia somehow?
Then she snaps her fingers as a spark of realization shoots through her. "No, wait, that's not it," she murmurs before leaning forward, resting her chin in her palm once more. Narrowing her eyes, she gives Ivan's face a searching look.
"You are related to Talia, aren't you? She's a pretty nice girl. I hope you're bein' good to her."
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Ivan agonizes with indecision for a few moments, but then words come out, unwisely enough. "...Well, there's this girl I know named Lydia. She is very cute and I think she would really enjoy being romanced if you're in the kind of relationship where you can romance other people, but if you tell her I said any of that or tried to arrange any kind of thing, I will have to set you on fire, like in real life with real fire."
He makes a little fire in his hand just to demonstrate that he's not being hyperbolic. Ivan has been -- well -- burned too many times, with regards to his secrets getting around recently.
Talise's bid to figure out who he reminds he of finally strikes true!!
"Yes!! That's right! I'm her twin!"
I hope you're bein' good to her.
He's being the worst brother ever these days to be honest what with refusing to quit being an assassin and GOING SO FAR AS TO FIGHT HER when she defended his target, but NOT ALL OF HIS SECRETS NEED TO GET BLURTED OUT TO PEOPLE HE JUST MET JUST BECAUSE THEY KINDA ASKED!!! Come on, Ivan! You can do it! Just say something generically positive and plausible!
"Enh...!" he says, with a small wince. "I'm being okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"Really, Lydia's looking for someone in her life?" Surprise shoots across Talise's face as she straightens up, pushing her hair back with one ungloved hand. "I mean, I don't disagree, Lydia's definitely a total cutie. I guess I just figured she was the kind of person who didn't like people all that much. But who'm I to judge?" She waves a hand. "Most people pine for companionship...."
When the young man flashes his flame, Talise raises one eyebrow, letting her stream of consciousness trail off. It gives way to a wry smirk. "...Trying to keep secrets from her, huh."
There's more to this than Ivan's letting on, Talise decides. She clicks her tongue, then begins to ease to her feet, picking up her lute. "Your secret's safe with me, pal," she assures as she reaches out to give Ivan a firm pat on the shoulder. "Though it sounds to me like there might be some competition for her Lydly affections."
Is Ivan being transparent again? Possibly.
In any case, now that she's on her feet, it's evident enough that Talise is tall - even taller than Lydia is. She picks up her sword, slinging both it and her lute over her shoulder. "Well, make sure you try and get that up to good. And give her my best," she asks. "She's a good sort. As for me, I oughta get back."
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Ivan isn't even surprised when Talise ALREADY KNOWS LYDIA, but he does kind of sideye the universe for it. Saves him the trouble of embarrassing himself further by trying to explain Lydia to someone else. She gets it! She knows!
...maybe she DOESN'T know Lydia, though? Maybe it's another Lydia? Because that was kind of an odd response. "Why did you think she doesn't like people?" Lydia practically introduced herself to Ivan with a long list of everyone she Liked.
Though it sounds to me like there might be some competition for her Lydly affections
Ivan folds his arms, slouching. "Maybe I'm in the kind of relationship where other people can romance one another without me," he says. Then he makes a face because he isn't sure if what he just said makes any sense but he's rather worried about the kind of sense it might have made if it did.
"Anyway, you don't have to romance her if you don't want to. Just don't tell her either way that I had anything to do with it."
And Talise prepares to set out.
"Ah... alright. Yes. I will be as good as possible. And I'll tell Talia you said hi."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"Lydia and I didn't get off to the best start," Talise admits with a rueful smile, scratching at one of her cheeks. "She was in a rough spot and I was in a rough spot, and a few things came up that we really didn't see eye to eye on. But I think she's changed a lot since then, and I have too, to be totally fair. Maybe I just don't know enough about the person she is now."
The talk of relationships evokes another of those arch smiles from Talise. "Oh, you should consider getting out there more, then. You're pretty handsome, y'know. I'm sure you'd find plenty of guys and girls happy to play with you."
From the wink she flashes Ivan, she might be one of them...?!
Sighing, she shifts her sword-belt over her shoulder. "Your secret's safe with me," she concedes before beginning to turn off.
"And take care of yourself, you hear?" she calls back, stepping towards the horizon.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Ah... a mysterious backstory?? He found someone with a troubled history with Lydia? What could that be about? Probably a lot of different things, considering how full and varied Lydia's history seems to be.
Ivan makes sort of a wince smile in response to the suggestion that many guys and girls might like to 'play' with him, especially as it comes paired with the wink. He looks as if he is Trying, but has wilted a bit.
He awkwardly waves after her as she dissappears.
"Thanks! Please do keep the secret! I really will set you on fire! Bye!"