City of Sounds and Colors [open]

[Sirena of the Blue]

Being in a new place, especially a new HUMAN place, meant that there were a variety of things to take care of so one could appeal to the local tastes. It had been almost two hundred years since she'd stepped beyond the forest glen where her father's family often cavorted and sang, and longer since she'd interacted with any humans or other creatures who were still able to speak coherently after meeting her- but she was an adaptable creature, or so the Lorelei told herself. Water flows, plants grow, animals die and you can do any of those things you like, a voice in the back of her mind whispered affectionately, drawing a smile from her sweetly pink lips and a nod to no one in particular. All she needed to do was find some pretty things to decorate herself with and all would be right with the world.

The downtown shops almost seemed to glow with human energy, especially in the darker corners that the artists and craftsmen favored. Even in this 'enlightened' age it seemed that art wasn't as appreciated as the ability to speak lies, which is why the lawmakers lived in tall towers and those who brought beauty to life toiled under their poverty and addictions. Pain brought art, and that often meant to be an artist you had to suffer, so perhaps for the sake of the world it was best that the gifted were kept down for a time. If not the entire world would suffer, and then where would the fairy tales happen? Dark alleys meant places for the goblins to snatch children and princesses, and those were always the best tales.

Without noticing it she'd begun to hum to herself but there was so much beauty in her dark song that she couldn't stop it from coming free, and instead swayed in time with it, her eyes merrily dancing to all of the fantasies that wound themselves around her. Dark, dark, dark, but something beckoned her from one region and she stepped into an alley to gaze up at a stained-glass window, half-broken but shining in the light and sending a spill of red and gold across the opposite wall. Under the spray was a door, dusty and half-hanging off of its hinges, and with the song in her head speeding up to a more battle-cry tempo she stepped over and peered in through the cracks.

Suddenly there was a crackle of broken glass beneath a footstep nearby and Sirena's eyes flashed a brilliant, ocean-storm blue as she cast her gaze toward the sight, her black-blue hair reflecting the nearby colors of the broken window. Her pale skin flushed a bit in apprehension and anticipation as she slowly stood, a sweet smile crossing over her face and her large eyes almost swirling with excitement. Was there a goblin here after all, or something darker? "Come out, come out, whatever you are," she sang in a cheerful and unafraid tone with her clear English accent, completely forgetting the door behind her in her focus on that sharp, tinkling sound that filled her nerves with fire.

[Jordan Demril]

Jordan had been wandering around the streets that night, barely paying attention to his surroundings since, as usual, he was scrawling something into a notebook. Currently, the page seemed to have a few arcane symbols with footnotes around relating to construction of a spell circle.

Despite it being night, he seemed to be able to see his writing just fine, a small rune inscribed on the top of his lens helping him see in the dark when activated; one of the few spells he's perfected to work without side effects over time. Or rather, more of an enchantment than a spell. Still, it let him leave his home and pretend to have more to do than sit there and write; he could walk along the streets and do the same....

Still, he seemed to have wandered into a less occupied part of the town, a nearly abandoned, almost haunted feel to the place. A nervous frown crossed his features and he slowly closed his book and placed it in the specialized pouch on the inside of his coat, deciding it was best to be more alert for the moment, in case anyone decided to jump out at him. Not that he'd be able to do much in that case anyway, but still, he wanted to be aware of it beforehand...or something.

Of course, being the brave individual he was, and hearing footsteps and an odd humming, he panicked a bit and darted his head about, finding a door to an abandoned building nearby and quickly running inside, rather than deal with whoever was there and whatever their motives were.

As he heard the footsteps getting closer and the door creaking a bit as someone peaked inside, he stepped backwards, trying to back into the shadow, when some glass crunched beneath his feet.

"Crap...", he muttered under his breath, and then as he heard the other voice calling out, he knew he'd be found sooner or later. He stepped into the bit of light shining through the window and looked to the woman, very nervously letting out a single word, "Hello..."

[Sirena of the Blue]

It only took a moment for the sounds to sort themselves out and the dark-haired girl turned back toward the door, a wide smile on her face. Though a broken and dilapidated window the sound of a voice floated out and she pushed the door aside to get a better glimpse of the scholarly-looking man and gave him a wide smile. Young and sweet, pure as blood on driven snow, one voice giggled in a girlish tone, its voice sweetly dark. Down the rabbit hole is my kitten and he became a white knight. She could fairly smell the vellum pages and leather over the dust and muck of the alleyway. A Lorekeeper of some kind?

"Hello to you too," Sirena replied in a pleasant tone as she stepped into the darkened building, her heels making a grinding sound against the dirt and debris on the floor though her balance stayed completely steady. Rena was a creature of rough cliffs and rushing waves, and at times even the wanderer of deep forests and rocky streams; a mostly flat floor with a few imperfections was next to nothing in comparison to that sort of terrain. "I'm glad to see it's another person and not some goblin or monster lurking." There was enough tone of humor to her voice that someone may well believe she was joking, but that wasn't the case- she was just amused that there were other things that would willingly come here.

Offering out a hand politely she waited, blue eyes wells of curiosity, as she gave the man the time and space to respond as he felt most comfortable. Rena had heard stories that even some of the humans in this city were aware of the existence of other words, and not just the witches and sorcerers or those with a touch of the fae blood. The full moon was particularly interesting in some areas, or so she'd been told, and that meant lycanthropes, but this man didn't have that sort of wildness to him either. So a warlock then. Easier to win his trust; he may have information of Tal. "I'm new to this city and I'm afraid I got a bit lost. It's such an interesting city, I'm sure I'm near something of ancient importance but then the path got all turned around."

Her demeanor remained positive and cheerful despite the dust and overwhelming sense of dread in the air of this place, and she could only hope that it was enough to either pique his interest or put him at ease. The air of innocence and control this man carried was a calming balm in itself. For all that her relatives were the Lorelei, long-lived and fierce, singing and dancing with not a care of whom it may harm or what it may bring, human tastes were what kept them coming back to this world. What other creature could admire you while you hypnotized them into their deaths on the sharp stones? Purity is key to humanity, and what gives them the best ear. Therefore they are much loved by every other being for their passion and loyalty to their devotion. Biting back a giggle Sirena could only wait to see if he took her hand in greeting.

[Jordan Demril]

His weight shifted back onto his foot as she entered the room, until he got a good look t her, focusing through the magic lenses to see her form even in the dark room. A very slightly, nervous smile crept onto his lips, seeing it was just a pretty-looking woman that had entered the building, likely having just seen him run off...well, that's a great first impression right there, isn't it?

He let out a relaxed sigh, stepping forward to meet her as she spoke, "Yes, uh...sorry if I spooked you", he says in response, scratching his neck, considering he knew full well it was him that had gotten spooked, "I would hope so...I don't think there are any goblins around here.....as for monsters, I suppose that it depends how you define them, considering that some inhuman sorts would consider the-...", he had begun ranting when he then stopped himself

"But, uh, you were probably joking and not actually expecting such things, weren't you", he says, clearing his throat and taking on an embarrassed look because of his rant. Her offering her hand to him proved to be a good distraction from his nervousness though, and he quickly went and reached forward, taking her hand in a somewhat timid handshake, a slight bit of forced firmness at the end of it.

"Ancient Importance?", he asked her, raising a brow at her introduction, suddenly not thinking his own reaction to her mention of monsters was so far fetch'd. Almost reflexively, he had reached into his jacket and pulled out his notebook, though he didn't open it yet, but if she was speaking truthfully maybe it'd be something worth writing down. And maybe she herself was supernatural in some way, another magic user or something else entirely.

"Um, well, at any rate, what's your name? I'm, uh, Jordan", he says, his face still expressing that nervous but friendly grin.

[Sirena of the Blue]

With a bit of amusement Sirena let the seemingly shy man shake her hand self-consciously, though her own mood was far from shaken. Something about his demeanor put her at ease. If he was a serious threat or had any idea the damage she could do with a few notes she was a kitten. Oh, but you are kitten sometimes, one of the smaller voices reminded her with a giggle, softening her a bit more. Yes, she supposed she was, when the mood took her- but for now she needed to find Talenon, as well as a few other things she'd heard of in tales. This land was far older than the European influence it now bore, and those old and ancient things were of far more importance than they realized.

"I'm Sirena- or Rena, if you'd rather, I don't mind either way. It's a pleasure to meet you," the girl replied with a light laugh, pleased by the thought that he'd actually considered her statement about what could be dwelling in the darkness here. He tried to take it back, which was only natural, but his moment of being something other than he seemed had already come through. It was a rather nice thing to learn though; it meant he might actually be able to help more than she'd thought at first. Most humans living in this age didn't have any more sense of wonder left, or any faith in anything they weren't told to believe. That would be their downfall far sooner than they realized.

The explanation as to what exactly she was looking for would have taken far too long to puzzle out, so it was probably simplest to give the basic answers. Some of the things she hoped to find could be quite dangerous to a human, and this one had SO much potential with his shyness and literal way of thinking. It was refreshing to see someone who wasn't completely jaded. If the meek will inherit this world it's best to have one on your side, agreed a wise and raspy mental voice, and as she always had Sirena listened and obeyed. They were a part of her that she couldn't define, so how could they be anything but helpful spirits and intuition?

"I was trying to find the beauty in the darkness," she replied after a moment of thought, head unconsciously cocked and her fingers clasped in front of her in a politely ladylike fashion. "It was singing, but now it's quiet and still. If it's hiding it will come out a bit later and I'll find its trail again." There was an air of pleasant nonchalance to the way she spoke, as though nothing in the world could be seriously wrong, and hearing her voice remind her inner self that all was well had a comforting effect. She didn't lie, so if she said that it had to be true. "It distracted me from what I was looking for anyway. Why were you down here? I'm starting to think it may not be very safe." Her eyes were large and blue as she peered at him, looking a bit like a delicate doll.

[Jordan Demril]

As he pulled his hand back from her, he found himself scratching his neck again, obviously still a bit embarrassed about his reaction. He watched her curiously, noticing the random giggle and her overall chipper and calm attitude. It was fairly odd to see such an individual in a dark corner like this, so unafraid of the area and so....easygoing, maybe? It implied she was perhaps not as weak as she might seem, or if not, then she was at the very least exceedingly brave, or out of it, but the former option seemed the most likely to be possible. In other words, it would probably be best for him to tread lightly here. As if the paranoid individual really needed an excuse for that...

"Sirena...that's a very pretty name", he says to her with a meek smile, "It's nice to meet you, at any rate", he adds, sighing as he tries to recompose himself overall. She had seemed to react decently enough to his little rant, but his face has a light pink hue to it now which was slowly fading with time, if he could prevent himself from embarrassing himself further. Again, though, her reaction wasn't what was expected, just a laugh rather than an odd look or the like. But perhaps he shouldn't worry about that for now.

He listened to her explanation with a curious look on his face, head tilting ever so slightly as she spoke of beauty in the darkness, and something singing, "That do you mean by that?", he asks after that part, trying to put it together in his head. She was quickly giving off the impression of being off somehow, which would explain a lot. Musn't jump to conclusions though, he reminded himself. She might just be a bit cryptic; odd, but not crazy.

What was he doing there? Did he even have a reason? "Uh...", he said, taking a few seconds before coming up with the words, "I was really just on a walk, keeping my mind calm....and writing a bit. Nothing very big or important, and I haven't ever had troubles with anyone dangerous around here....though admittedly I'm still perhaps a tad jumpy around the area....as you saw", he explains, sighing and scratching his arm, looking aside and then back to her, shrugging.

He definitely was easing up, slowly, even if she was giving off an odd persona, but odd was easier to deal with than dangerous, and she didn't seem dangerous at all to him. That didn't mean she wasn't, but for now, it wasn't a possibility to fret over.

[Sirena of the Blue]

The question of what she meant was not something easily defined, especially to such a soft and sweet human. Better to go with the more subliminal answer, the one that everyone regardless of species or faith could understand. There were some things that she'd been told were unnecessarily frightening to those not of their family if she ever found herself among them, and being in a good mood as she was it wasn't very interesting at the moment to scare the man away. Innocent sailors were virtually non-existant, especially such finely handsome ones. Some said the first Lorelei was a human who, when betrayed by her lover, dove into the water and was saved by the Fey, then given the power to work the vengeance that lived in her heart. A touching curse and beautiful story, another voice hissed, one that she mentally shoved aside.

"I believe that every place has it's own music, and that those whose souls know what to look for can hear it," she replied after a moment of thought, a delicately-boned hand rising to sweep her dark hair back from her face a bit, her smile still in place. "In the darkest places the music is the loudest because there's so little else to drown it out, don't you think?" Another step carried her slightly closer to the human, though not so much so that most would feel uncomfortable. He'd flattered her a good deal, saying he liked her name and blushing so sweetly, and that made him something of a novelty to her. Most of the humans she saw before beginning her travels had been wild-eyed and loud, sad and quiet, or dead. The living ones were a bit more interesting.

"So you're a wanderer then?" she asked of him once he'd finished his explanation of how he'd ended up in this part of town- for it was a very dark place, of that she had no doubt. As she'd already said, those places had the best of a very particular set of songs that gave humanity some of its grace. "So am I at the moment; I came to this city because there is so very much music. I've been looking for someone and I know he loves it just as much as I do, so maybe this is where he has been hiding." Her tone stayed pleasant because she couldn't believe any other way about the situation. Tal would never abandon her, he's promised and he was her strong, honorable knight in watery armor. "But if this area is making you nervous perhaps we should leave it? It's never a good idea to ignore one's instincts." Of course there were other sounds from within this building, who knew what kind of goblins it could be hiding?