Castle meets Asmodean and they discuss music and life in the Bar.

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

Castle enters the Bar and orders an omelette and some coffee, glancing warily around for any sign of a few certain people he's trying very hard to avoid.

He might be a little on edge. Probably best not to sneak up on him or anything.

Comments

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

This is one of those more interesting denizens of the bar that Chris was mentioning.

A tall, dark, and handsome man wearing an immaculate and well-tailored black suit walks slowly towards Castle with his harp in hand. He pauses and studies Castle with a tilt of his head. His voice is cool and dry.

"Good afternoon, my lord."

Castle may immediately notice that any attempt to read the bard's face and eyes for signals is doomed for failure. Those dark eyes are keeping their secrets.

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

Interesting, indeed.

Castle regards the bard with a slight frown, entirely unsure what to make of him. "Uh, hi."

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

The bard nodded. He calmly brushed aside some of his dark hair that was falling in front of his pale face. The bard gestures to his harp. A graceful maneuver, though the grace was more apt to be called deadly than genteel by the observant.

"Would you care for some music?"

His voice still that same tone of cool, and dry.

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

"Music?"

This all feels rather surreal. One of those weird things about the Bar that I have to get used to, I guess, he thinks.

"Uh, sure. Why not?"

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean nodded. That same cool voice, those same unreadable dark eyes.

"Very well then."

The bard began to play a very simple melody, a child's lullaby, in fact. Though simple a terrible sadness filled it. This was the kind of lullaby that would be sung over the cradle of a child who had died when the rain did not permit a visit to the gravesite. The memory of that child, so very long ago, made Asmodean's face contort as he played the melody. Near the end of the piece, the bard began to sing, a touch out of key, and slightly behind the beat mimicking that parent of oh-so long ago.

The bard glanced up at Castle as he finished.

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

That...was not what Castle had been expecting. Not in the least.

Pure sadness isn't that familiar of an emotion to him. He's mostly familiar with anger; whatever sadness he feels is always inextricably mixed with rage. But there's nothing to be angry about here. The sadness is unadulterated.

It scares him a little bit. He has no idea what to do.

"That was, uh..." It startles him to realize that his voice sounds a little choked. It's horribly embarrassing. "Man, is something bothering you right now?"

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean tilts his head and furrows his brow slightly as if surprised by the question.

"No, my lord, why do you ask?"

Same dark eyes.

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

"Never mind," mutters Castle, shaking his head.

As scary as that music had been, he'd liked it. Far be it from him to explain why, but he had.

"What's that song called?"

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean considered. Again that expressionless gaze gives away so very little.

"It is simply called the Lullaby, not one of my most creatively titled works, but a favorite nonetheless."

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

"It's...nice." And ordinarily, he isn't even much of a music person. "Is all your music like that?"

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean shook his head.

"No, many of the pieces are very intricate, and quite difficult by comparison."

He paused.

"They also have more interesting titles."

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

"Like what?" he asks curiously.

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean thought for a moment.

"Often thought of as my best piece, the March of Death, has long been a personal favorite."

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

Sounds cheery. "Yeah, maybe I could hear that one some other time?"

He realizes that this is the second conversation he's had here where no introductions have been made. "I'm Lee Castle, by the way." He extends a hand.

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

The bard reaches out with one of his faintly delicate, and very cold hands. The grip is surprisingly firm.

"A pleasure meeting Lord Lee."

He paused.

"I am called Jasin Natael."

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

The 'Lord Lee' thing is a tad strange, but Castle passes it off as a weird Bar thing and doesn't comment. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Natael."

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean nodded calmly, before giving a graceful (again, a deadly grace) bow.

"The pleasure is mine."

His voice is still very calm. His eyes still the same.

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

The impassiveness of the bard's features is intriguing, though it weirds him out a little. He's never met anyone like this guy before. It occurs to him that the bard might not be human.

"Where are you from?"

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean considered.

"I am from Shorelle by the sea during the Second Age."

He paused.

"None of which are in existence at the moment."

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

"...Oh." None of which he's heard of, anyway. "I'm sorry."

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

He shook his head. A touch of nostalgia glints in his eyes as he talks of his childhood home.

"No apology necessary, they have been gone for a long time now, at least to most people."

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

"So...you've been here a long time?"

He wonders if this is why the bard's music is so sad.

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean considered.

"For what time is worth here, I have been here for around five months."

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

That's only a little longer than most of the other people he knows who are Bound here. "You ever wish you could leave?"

[forsaken-bard.livejournal.com]

Asmodean thought and shrugged slightly.

"I may be able to leave, but I have no desire to."

[not-a-redshirt.livejournal.com]

One of those people Audrey was talking about, he supposes. He'll probably come to see things from Asmodean's point of view sooner or later, but for now it's a little strange.

"Yeah, I guess this place isn't so bad. Could definitely be worse."