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Xavier performs for an evening at the Singing Badger.

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Brunnhold's college town, located inside the university grounds.

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Xavier Zhirune
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: Not all that glitters be ging. Some 'f it's me.
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Wed Jun 19, 2019 2:55 pm

The Singing Badger
in the EARLY EVENING of the 27th of VORTAS, 2718

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Xavier Zhirune was not one to suffer from a case of the nerves. They didn't feel butterflies when they were about to perform, save for perhaps a handful of times in their life, if only because they knew where they belonged and it was center stage. Had they been more nervous to invite Juniper Feldspar, Tailor, to hear them play at the Singing Badger than to know they'd be playing their beautiful black oud in front of a bunch of half-wasted galdori students? Yes. A little. Maybe.

Sssh. They weren't going to clockin' admit that out loud, ye chen.

And, by Imaan's eternal grace, what wonders that tailor had worked! Uh, in fabric and thread, of course. Well. A bit between the sheets, too, oes, but the pale musician had not felt so beautiful and so properly dressed in seasons, years. They also hadn't really enjoyed themselves so thoroughly in the shopping and waiting process probably in their entire short life.

Colorless hair crowned their alabaster face in a series of intricate braids, and their eyes were outlined in glittery mauve and violet, fading at the edges in a smokey effect that somehow managed to draw the perfect amount of attention to their mauve-stained lips. They were wearing new trousers of black fabric like the velvety Autumn night sky, a stripe of incandescent ribbon running up each willowy leg accentuating just how much like a snug, perfect glove the new pants fit, tucked as they were into travel-worn but carefully cleaned knee-high boots. Instead of their usual layers and in typical Gioran defiance of what the Anaxi people considered the Vortas chill, Xavier wore a billowy blouse of pale pink silk as if dyed by the color of their flustered blushes, more unbuttoned than buttoned, the scandalously and purposefully plunging ruffled, laced neckline was complimented by a collection of sparkling necklaces and various bangles, rivaled only by their bejeweled fingers and glitter-lacquered nails, hardly hiding their translucent skin beneath it all. A violet scarf had been fashioned into a belt, the wick always one for a dramatic flair when it came to fashion, if not simply bending all the rules of propriety and gender for the sake of aesthetic perfection.

The Singing Badger's proprietor, one grey-haired, burly badger of a wick named Jeoffrey Nicks, had eagerly invited the pale musician to the small, slightly cramped stage after hearing them busk in the streets of the Stacks just two mornings before, and the albino wick couldn't help but invite Juniper to join them, whispering their eager request against one delightfully delicate ear while curled so comfortably in the adorable tailor's bed they'd yet to be refused to share.

Thankfully, the ginger tsat had agreed, though to say that Xavier hadn't been a little shy about such an invitation would have been a godsbedamned lie. They'd certainly enjoyed each other's company and the albino wick had already appreciated and enjoyed Juniper's professional talents as well as his personal ones, but for some reason, for the musician to return the offer, even if the other wick had heard them sing and heard them play within the quiet confines of their humble home, Xav was loath to ruin a good thing by getting too personal themselves. The man's acceptance had, obviously, thus far been glorious, but the willowy Gioran had simply not given voice to the doubts and worries that always nagged at the back of their mind because, honestly, why ruin a good thing?

They'd left Feldspar Tailoring a half an hour earlier than their invited guest and whoever Juniper desired to bring with him so they could meet the other musicians who'd be playing for the evening, to have one quiet drink, and to settle backstage for their turn to play after a trio of Yellow Eye wicks opened the musical entertainment for the evening with a cello, a mandolin, and a violin in a few very well-composed, very rousing folk songs from the Northern Tors.

Xavier snuck violet-eyed peeks out into the crowd from behind a very old, very in need of replacement velvet curtain on the very tiny, barely off-the ground stage tucked next to the impressive bar of the Singing Badger. While outside the establishment was a cute bronze statue of the popular student pub's namesake, the inside was a humble, comfortable place with a dizzying selection of imported beers and well-worn leather seats. Jeoffrey claimed to have international connections, and Xav suspected that simply meant he paid his taxes to Silas Hawke.

Whatever the case, the spiced, honeyed mead from Hesse was amazing and the pale musician had no complaints, having watched young galdori and a handful of wicks and humans filter in from their waiting spot, oud freshly waxed and waiting next to them just off-stage. Restless fingers toyed with ruffles and bangles, tucked braids one more time, and the albino wick felt the flutter of genuine anxiety against their ribs, the thrill of sharing more of themselves with someone whose company they'd come to more than just casually enjoy over the past mere handful of days both terrifying and oh so exciting.

It was wrong, of course, to lead anyone on with such needful companionship, but it also felt far too good to just stop, especially because their clothes weren't even all finished ... yet. This was just another distraction, really, but it was a well-deserved rest for one freckled wick who deserved a night out for all of his hard work. Oes, all of it.

⟡ ☾° ⟡

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Cecelia Driscoll
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Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:35 pm

The Stacks Brunnhold
on the 27th of Vortas, 2718 Early Evening
Cecelia sighed as she looked through her clothing anxiously. Tonight, Juniper was dragging her to a pub to hear a friend of his and, though Cecelia wouldn't have admitted, she was nervous as all hell.

The midnight-skinned woman hadn't gone into a pub as customer in the entire time that she had lived in Brunnhold. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that this pub was right by the university, which meant that it would be full of gollies who would judge her for simply existing. No matter how well she dressed – and she knew she'd look fabulous in the clothing that Juniper had made her – she would be judged as a lesser person simply because she was human. And that was not something she wanted to deal with.

She had tried to beg off, but Juniper had brushed off her every excuse. The red-headed wick had insisted that she actually relax for once. He was her best friend and he knew that she worked her ass off. Her job challenged her and then, when she got off work, taking care of Lia was often just as much work as her actual paid job. Cecelia loved the girl to death, but even the few hours she got with the toddler in the morning and between picking her up from the babysitter and bedtime was often tiring. Lia was as stubborn as Cecelia was, which made for some epic tantrums. She was also curious as Cecelia had been as a child, which meant she wanted to know everything about everything and she wanted to know it now.

Tonight, Lia would stay with the babysitter. It wasn't something that Cecelia would have done, but Juniper had insisted that he pay for the overnight stay when he realized that taking care of Lia was the last roadblock in getting Cecelia out for a night on the town. Sure, Sednai would have happily taken care of the rambunctious toddler, but Sednai sometimes had to work overtime cleaning houses, so Cecelia didn't want to impose on her roommate. When Juniper had shrugged and asked if the babysitter would watch Lia overnight, Cecelia knew she had lost the battle

A sense of… strangeness settled in Cecelia's breast as she pondered her clothing options in front of small dresser that held the entirety of her wardrobe, along with Galiya's and Sednai's clothing. The strangeness wasn't just because she was getting ready to go out to a pub full of gollies. She also felt strange because this was the first time in nearly 2 years that she had gone out to someplace besides work as a separate person from her daughter.

After a few minutes, the ebony-skinned woman settled on a caramel-colored long-sleeved shirt with soft ivory flowers on it. She picked out her best pair of black slacks and a creamy velvet headscarf. She quickly got dressed and left the house that she shared with Sednai and headed to Juniper's shop.

The walk was a quiet one, though things got louder as she made her way towards the business section of town. She appreciated the noise, as it gave her a distraction from the swirl of thoughts going around in her head. Would Lia be okay spending the night away from her mother? Would the gollies mock her or bully her? Would the performer be horrid, making her lie to her friend for the first time when he asked what she thought of them?

Finally, she found herself behind Juniper's shop. She knocked on the door loudly, then entered. "I'm here, Jun. Ready to go when you are!"
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Juniper Feldspar
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Mon Jul 01, 2019 8:48 am

Feldspar Tailoring / The Singing Badger
☙ 27th of Vortas, 2718; early evening ❧
The little tailor sighed frustratedly, head thumping back against the wood-panelled cupboard. Juniper was sat on the floor next to his bed, wardrobe door ajar above him, the age spotted glass on its inner surface reflecting the mess currently strewn across a room that was usually so spotlessly tidy. A rainbow of cravats spilled across one of the chairs and onto the floor, the table was covered in shirts and discarded waistcoats littered the bed. Some of the spilled garments, admittedly, were Xavier’s- they weren’t the tidiest of wicks- but the majority were the result of the flurry of indecision that had gripped the ginger tsat since he had ushered the musician on their way some half an hour before (after helping them with their own wardrobe choices and assuring them that they looked divine).

It had been.... Longer than he could remember since this had been a problem. Longer than he could remember since he’d worried about the way he looked to someone else. Someone important.

That nasty little voice in the back of his mind had been as active as ever this past few days, but somehow he’d been able to drown it out when Xavier was around. They were a breath of fresh air, and this whirlwind of a week had filled a hole he’d been desperately ignoring for over a year. Even longer...

But now they mattered, and…

...and what makes you think that anything you wear would make them want to look at you…

“...no…” he murmured to himself, eyes screwed shut, trying desperately to ignore it.

The sensible part of him reasoned that the hedonistic musician wouldn’t deign to spend so much time in his bed if they deemed him unattractive, but…

A knock on the back door, echoing up the stairwell to his apartment, jolted the tailor out of his miserable reverie as he recognised his friend’s voice.

Cecelia. She needed this evening, she really did, she worked herself to the bone providing for her girl, and she had never failed to be there for him when he needed an extra pair of hands or a comforting ear.

Taking a deep breath, Juniper scrambled to his feet, tucking in the shirt that he currently wore- silvergrey silk, with the loose sleeves he favoured that buttoned tight to the wrists- and called down to his friend.

"Sorry Cee- be with you in just a moment!"

For her, he could put aside his worry.

Most of it.

After a couple of minutes of flurried activity, the wick was trotting down the stairs, coat over his arm, trying not to strangle himself as he tied his lavender cravat, tucking it neatly into a black velvet waistcoat embroidered in violet flowers.

Miranda had opened one lazy eye as he stroked her crest before leaving the apartment- they were going to a busy tavern, and he knew she would not appreciate the hustle and bustle. Better to leave her napping.

Swooping through the workroom, swirling his coat round his shoulders to pull it on, Juniper greeted his friend with a kiss on the cheek before ushering her out of the back door to lock up behind them.

Finally on their way, he smiled at the woman as she matched his pace, offering her his arm.


"With the amount of persuading I had to do to get you to come out, I half expected you to send word that something had come up." He bit his lip, going serious for a moment.

The man hadn't quite explained the full nature of his sudden friendship with Xavier… but Cee seemed to have picked up on something in the way he spoke of them when he invited her because the woman had looked at him in that amused yet intrigued way she seemed to have mastered.

"Thank you. Genuinely. I… I know Xav's not here for long, but I still hope you like them. And if you find you're not enjoying yourself, let me know and we can go somewhere else."

He squeezed her hand familiarly, very aware of the environment they were walking into.

Soon enough, they were greeted with the sight of their destination's namesake rearing jovially outside its doors. Juniper held the door open for Cecelia, and was struck by the hubbub that spilled out- music, laughter and conversation tumbling out to greet them where they stood in the street.

“After you!”

The nerves hit him again as he walked in behind her, but what calmed him down were the musicians already performing- the shape of their music, their energy, was so very homely and full of joy that despite the boisterous golly students and the unfamiliar surroundings, he could breathe.

“See if you can find us a table, Cee- what would you like to drink?”

His tone was bright, smiling with the anticipation of an enjoyable evening ahead.


...don't you ever stop being dandy, showing me you're handsome...
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Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa
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: "For Gods' sake, just call me Rina."
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Wed Jul 17, 2019 10:24 am

The Singing Badger The Stacks
on the 27th of Vortas, 2718 Early Evening
Rina held a cake carefully in her lap as the carriage rolled over the cobblestone streets of the Stacks, towards The Singing Badger. "Do you think she'll like it, Essie?" the copper-skinned girl asked as she chewed her bottom lip nervously. It was her friend Cosette's birthday and Rina had specially commissioned the cake. Of course, she had to guess at what type of cake the girl would want – any amount of asking around would have eventually gotten back to her.

"For the 20th time, love, she'll adore it," the passive said, her voice full of gentle frustration. She was used to Rina's anxiety, but they both knew that, sometimes, constantly having to reassure her partner wore on her nerves. "You know how much she likes chocolate and berries – a double chocolate cake with triple berry frosting will knock her off her feet. And look at those sugar flowers!" she said encouragingly. "They're adorable!"

Rina let out a shaky sigh. "You're right. I just… Gods, I really put my foot in it when I suggested she pursue the Latterson boy. But how was I to know that his family has been feuding with hers for all of her life and they wouldn't approve of the match, even though Cosette is clearly smitten?"

Essie shrugged. "How were you to know, indeed? You have enough to focus on with your family's position and your studies. Besides, let's be quite honest while we're alone – we both know that her family's not nearly powerful enough for most people to care about a feud over whether the Latterson's horse impregnated Cosette's favorite horse and ruined the mare's bloodline or not. You can't keep up on all the gossip in Anaxas."

"Oh, Hulali's tits, Essie!" Rina gasped. "Don't say that where anyone can hear it!"

Essie laughed. "It's just you and me here. But you know I'm right."

"Well, yes," the ebony-haired girl said, "But let's not risk putting another wedge in my relationship with Cosette."

Estella smiled and patted Rina's arm. "She'll love the cake. Everyone will be on their best behavior. You look fabulous. Nobody's going to mock you at the tavern. Did I hit all the big anxiety buttons?"

Rina gave Estella a shaky smile and then leaned over and kissed her lightly. "As always, dear."

The carriage rolled to a stop in front of The Singing Badger, and Rina tucked her anxiety away for the night. Rina always struggled when she went out for a night on the town. People were cruel and seeing someone in a wheelchair often lead to at least a few snide whispers and snickers. But Cosette loved The Singing Badger, and Rina wanted to make sure the girl's 20th birthday was one to remember. She reminded herself that Estella was there, and the passive would keep an eye on her and whisk her away if she got too overwhelmed. Everyone knew that Rina's fatigue and pain was unpredictable, so Rina could always use that as an excuse to leave.

Once the ramp was down, Estella pushed Rina out as Rina held on to the precious cake tightly. When the two of them entered the tavern, Rina let out a sigh of relief. Barclay had ensured that there were a couple of tables to the side of the tavern had been moved so that they were compatible with her wheelchair, and the trays of snacks they had ordered was already laid out. He stood silently by the tables, giving Rina an encouraging smile as Estella took the cake and ran it back to the kitchen to be brought out as a surprise.

"Nobody's shown up yet?" Rina asked as she rolled herself over to a spot by the wall.

"You're early, my lady, so just Louise," Barclay dryly chuckled. "She had to run and powder her nose."

"Oh, good. Did she bring the present?"

"Of course. The jewelry is exquisite if I do say so myself," Barclay said as he handed Rina a necklace box.

Rina opened the box and smiled brightly. "Oh, it's gorgeous!" she said as she ran her fingers over it. It was a ruby necklace, with the gemstones cut to look like roses and set in silver. "Cosette will adore it!"

"I'll adore what?" a cheerful voice said.

Rina snapped the jewelry box shut and shoved it under her blanket. "Cosette! Happy birthday, darling," she said as the petite blonde bent down to kiss Rina's cheeks. "Please, sit down and help yourself!" she said, waving at the table. "Louise is here, but the other three should be here soon."

"Oh, Ree, you really went all out, didn't you?" Cosette said, her voice surprised as she sat down next to Rina.

"Anything for you, dear," Rina said cheerfully.

The other members of their party arrived shortly after that, and the group started chatting and gossiping as they dove into the best pub food that the tavern had to offer. Soon, entertainment started, though the group didn't pay much attention it. Rina smiled at a dark-skinned human woman who sat down at the next table over. "I love the head scarf. That fabric looks wonderful against your skin!" she said cheerfully, before turning back to her group. Just because the woman was human didn't mean that the galdori couldn't appreciate a well-chosen fabric.
Last edited by Aeinsa Zahaarina Salifa on Mon Oct 14, 2019 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Xavier Zhirune
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: Not all that glitters be ging. Some 'f it's me.
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Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:13 pm

The Singing Badger
in the EARLY EVENING of the 27th of VORTAS, 2718

The albino wick had managed to ploy Juniper from his comfortable—ne, cozy—little shop for this performance only by convincing the adorable tailor to bring some friends, only by making it a social outing instead of something that might have otherwise resembled a date.

Did they worry that the freckled tsat wouldn't show? Mayhaps a little. Mayhaps they considered just how much agony they'd gone through begging his help for an outfit that they could only imagine that the handsome creature might have fussed just as much. Their excitement about meeting friends of their new, uh, well, friend was real, however, and the lithe musician genuinely looked forward to socializing with new people when they were the sorts who appreciated what they appreciated, after all.

They chanced one last glance out into the crowd of mostly galdori youths who'd gathered in the pub, violet gaze searching for the one familiar face, grinning from behind the old curtain once they spotted the only person they'd been looking for. They watched him walk in with someone else, listening as the music on stage began to reach its inevitable end with the kind of eager anticipation they always felt before performing.

They'd asked the band to stay, however, aware that they were traveling alone and enjoying the opportunity to work with other musicians. They were alright, perhaps not the most skilled accompaniment to the talented Gioran, but they weren't bad, either, especially because a few of their instruments complimented the deep, warm tones of their oud. They'd only flown over the Northern Tors once or twice, but they'd been to plenty of Yellow Eye cajoas in their travels.

The purple-haired young woman with her mandolin glanced toward the back of the stage, smiling and waving at Xavier once one of her hands were free from strumming, once she'd bowed to the applauding audience. It was never quite clear if the galdori gathered beyond the small stage were actually appreciative of the talents of their lessers or if they were just putting on a show of their own. Xavier always assumed the latter but never let it get in the way of their performance. There was ne a point in letting a bunch of stuck-up jent tell them how they should feel about anything in life, let alone their own talents.

Stepping onto the stage with a flourish when invited, the graceful, luminous creature was all demure smiles and fanciful bows, bejeweled fingers waggling in the direction of Juniper's table without even a hint of shame. The albino wick winked, resisting the mischievous urge to blow a scandalous kiss. This wasn't the audience for such stage play. This was hardly an audience for anything other than a conservative set of songs and a few more smiles, Xavier aware that their choice of clothing and the way they'd worn their hair and just a touch of glitter was most likely so horribly confusing for the supposedly well-educated masses of a genderbound Kingdom of Anaxas.

Benny.

Someone needed to make them uncomfortable.

At least the willowy Gioran did it all while looking pretty, too.

Their oud was polished black wood, dark like the night sky and inlaid with mother-of-pearl lunar and celestial accents. It contrasted gloriously with the pale lacquer of their nails and the translucence of their skin. They took their place among the other tekaa, more toward the front, waving a hand for the guttered, curious crowd to settle, waving a hand in introduction before they let their lithe fingers find their places on their instrument.

Kohl-lined eyelids fluttered and Xavier began to play. Quiet at first, the deep tones of their notes were decidedly Gioran—rich and slow in tempo, building with a disciplined, measured slowness. Their first few pieces contained no singing, no vocals at all, but as they progressed through the melody, the Yellow Eye that shared the stage improvised and joined the song, one instrument at a time, reading the skillful queues in both the pale musician's body language as well as in their sounds.

Haunting and etherial, reminiscent of echo casting and yet full of an emotion that most Giorans refused to express, it was easy for the albino wick to disappear into their own playing, to glance out over the faces below them and not see them, to let their glamour ebb and flow with the notes they plucked and strummed.

Eventually, as their second song faded and they began to build up a faster tempo for their third, the willowy creature began to sing in the language of a homeland that didn't want them, the vowel-filled tongue of Gior exotic and beautiful when put to music in the enviable tenor of Xavier's graceful voice. The song was surely a tragedy, full of a swift-flowing sadness like the depths of the Arova as it spilled into the Harbor, like the rushing of some waterfall hidden deep underground in Gioran mountains, like losing something dear.

⟡ ☾° ⟡
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Cecelia Driscoll
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Mon Oct 14, 2019 11:41 am

The Singing Badger Brunnhold
on the 27th of Vortas, 2718 Early Evening
Cecelia couldn't help but grin at Juniper's obvious nervousness. He looked alive in a way Cecelia hadn't seen him before. She could tell that, whoever this person was, they had captured his heart. But she knew her friend -- if she brought it up, he would be embarrassed and would try to convince her she was wrong. So, instead of gently teasing him, she kept her observation to herself.

Cecelia bit her lip for a split moment as she walked into the tavern and saw the number of gollies present. Sure, there were a few people who obviously weren't gollies, but it was clear that this was mainly a golly establishment. But she had promised Juniper she would listen to his friend's performance, so she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders as she followed Juniper into the tavern, even though part of her was tempted to run.

"Mm. I'll take the usual. First Light with lemon," Cecelia said cheerfully when her friend asked her what she wanted to drink. The drink had a place in her heart before she met Juniper, but the fact that it was the drink she gave him when she met him at Stolley's all those months ago had just made it dearer to her heart. If there was perhaps a touch of nervousness underneath the cheerfulness, it was a nervousness that only someone who knew her well would pick up.

She wove her way through the tables, giving a respectful nod to the gollies who bothered to look at her, while the wicks and humans who looked at her got a gentle smile. The dark-skinned woman picked a seat by a group of golly students. One of the girls was in a wheelchair, which surprised Cecelia. She would have assumed that any gollies who were unfortunate enough to be crippled would be hidden away by their families, considered stains on the family name. Look how they treated their passives.

Then the girl complimented her headscarf. Cecelia blinked and reached up to touch it gently, a bit confused by the golly's friendliness. She gave the golly a smile that was equally shy, grateful, and nervous. Was there some ulterior motive here?

Cecelia decided she could figure it out later. She waved Juniper over and sat down just as a pale woman... no, man came onto the stage. Cecelia could tell instantly that this was the mysterious person that Juniper had been talking about. Juniper was so clearly enraptured by him simply coming out on stage that it was, quite frankly, adorable. Then the man started singing and Cecelia understood part of the reason why Juniper was so enraptured.

Cecelia hadn't been out to see a singer since Aldwin had died, but her husband had taken her out a few times while he was alive and this mysterious person was much better than any singer had ever seen. When a song with vocals finally came in, the words weren't in a language she was familiar with, but they didn't have to be. She appreciated the music and the man's voice and just enjoyed herself.
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