milliways_bar | (no subject)

Naraht pauses in her search for ill patrons at the noise? She instinctively clutches the back of a chair for balance.

"What in space is that?"

They creep stealthily, because really there aren't very many ways to creep that are worth actually attempting other than stealthily, behind Naraht. There's nothing wrong with getting a little practice in, eh?

Lovely random woman
We've come to sing your song
Because it is a Wednesday,
Lovely random woman...
The Union sanctioned this whole day
To be used for fun and games
Lovely lovely lovely random woman.
And we'll follow you round
And we'll make lots of noise
And you'll get a bad headache
And throw things at us
And we'll dodge very well
And you'll try it again
And it won't do much good
Lovely lovely lovely random woman...

People (as well as medieval instruments) aren't supposed to have a built in fade in and out. However, the Minstrels are hardly normal people.

Naraht spins around at the first verse.

Well, she tries to spin around. The rapid movement is too much for her still-developing balance skills and she winds up falling on her butt with a loud THUD and winds up listening to the rest of the song from the floor.

"Ouch," she says ruefully, then looks up at the Minstrels with narrowed eyes.

"Be glad my fine motor control is terrible," she says. "Or else I would throw things at you."

The strum of indiscernable medieval string instrument most certainly wasn't a cackle.

No, never.

Naraht sighs and climbs to her feet.

"If you must provide a musical accompanyment, may I request something slightly more modern? Do you know any Klingon opera?"

A discordant note.

They look at her distastefully.

Robin, were he here, would be running. This, however, isn't an indication of much.

She sighs and goes about hunting for sick patrons.

"Well, there's no accounting for taste."

Sheemie eyes the minstrels curiously.

The minstrels eye back.

They, however, do so with ~~more cowbell~~ funny hats and medieval instruments.

They remind him vaguely of Gilead, in a way.

They shake their instruments at him in warning. They will minstrel if provoked.

Though Sheemie's being relatively unprovoking.

He blinks at them, confused.

They stop shaking...a little.

A careful twang of a lute.

He sits down and watches them expectantly.

Another twang...and a jingle.

A long melodious progression of notes?

Music! He listens, smiling.

A soft twang.

The Minstrels are confused. A smile?

Sheemie really, really isn't picky. He's genuinely enjoying it.

They look left.

Then right.

Then proceed to drag Sheemie into a corner...and play a sonata. Quietly.

How do they do this with limited numbers and even more limited musical ~~talents~~ numbers is unclear, but it's really better not to question it.

*Alanna leans against a wall, eating an apple and trying to keep Myles on her shoulder. It's not that his balance is that bad, it's just that she keeps hearing the oddest noises and turning her head.

She's a bit unsettled.

And almost afraid.

Odd, that.*

A twang.

Footsteps.

A jingle that seems to echo in a space too large for such a thing.

A few notes played on a stringed instrument, sweet but ending in discordance.

*Alanna straightens, nostrils flaring as she glances around the room.

The noise reminds her vaguely of the din of big court dinners, just before everyone grows quiet and settles in for the evening's entertainment.

Myles would lurch drunkenly back to his seat.

And then? The ballads would start.

She twitches a bit.

It might be silly, but she always prefers hiding elsewhere when the music starts.*

Smart girl.

Is that the ominous howl of a wolf?

No. It is, however, a badly maintained woodwind of some sort.

Which one is really scarier, if you think about it?

Another jingle.

The sound of someone breathing in.

*Alanna shivers. Annoyed at herself, she rubs the back of her neck and moves closer to the stairs, always keeping her back to the wall.

A low howl. The Royal Forest in Winter.

Scowling, she decides to stop being silly and leaps out in front of the stair well... only to scare a patron coming back from the bathroom. Apologizing, she flushes and resumes her search for whatever is causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up with that infernal noise.

A breath.*

I hear you. *Alanna whispers.* Show yourself!

Lovely Sir Alanna
Who jumps at bells and pipes
Afraid of her own shadow
Lovely, brave Alanna...
We won't come out from the dark
Cause you'll hit us with a sword.
And that really hurts,
Sir Alanna.
And you'll twist our spleens
And you'll kick all our shins
And you'll perpendicular line our poor ears
And you'll eat out our gizzards
And comment on our haircuts...
Scary scary scary Sir Alanna...

*Alanna's eye twitches as she looks behind Bar and under tables.*

I will find you. Don't think I won't. *She growls.* And when I do, I'm going to shove that lute or whatever other instrument you are mangling where... well, somewhere they don't talk about at polite court gatherings.

*She stops and considers the words.* I am not afraid of my own shadow. However... you didn't say I was ten feet tall... *She smiles. It's slightly frightening.* You may live.

So he's enjoying his... oh.. maybe third, maybe fourth round of scotch, when Rogi hears an odd noise. Something jingling? Nah... must be nothing.

It's his first day so he's completely ignorant of Milli-weirdness.

Creeping.

Creeping...with the utter silence of someone about to sing.

Rogi half-turned. He could farsense, but was never very good at it. He continues drinking his scotch. He might softly humming, he might not be.

Another twang.

Relatively new patron
We haven't seen here you.
You seem to be enjoying your drink
Relatively new patron.
We recommend you try the shrimp
And check out the evening meals.
Relatively odd and new patron.
The Atlantean is really quite nice
And the lake area is good real estate
And the couches are comfy and good for sore bums
Relatively odd and new patron.

"Eh, bien." Rogi salutes the ministrels. Strange entertainment, this bar had everything.

"Not bad." That could be partially the drink talking, that could be partly Rogi. He also starts singing something. Funny... "My Way" didn't traditionally have French lyrics mixed in. Some rather crude French lyrics...