melodiesoflife | Triple Threat

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Triple Threat

WHO: Rialynn Kollmann, OPEN
WHAT: A bard's work is never done. There are dances to customize, a new house to move into, and the scariest holiday ever to completely avoid holy shit ghosts are scary you guys.
WHEN: October 1st - 18th (pick a day!)
WHERE: Aqures Ixen

1. Moving Into House A-12

One might think that a bard who regularly went on long journeys and frequently suffered from wanderlust wouldn't really have much in the way of belongings to move from one place ot another.

One would be wrong.

Sure, her room had been sparse as far as personal decor went, when she first got dropped into this world. It had been a long time since Rialynn really had a permanent place to call her own. But once she realized that she could store things here...souvenirs, books, and so many instruments, her bedroom quickly became stuffed with papers, notes, and plenty of things she didn't necessarily need but dearly loved anyway.

Back and forth she led her horse, laden with bulging saddlebags that contained her clothes and books, from her old house to her new one. She'd promised that she would try not to be messy, but she did sheepishly admit that she sometimes got carried away with her projects and forgot. K'pandolu was therefore granted full rights to nag and yell as she deemed fit if Rialynn's messes started to spill out of her room.

Every time she passed the music store, her head craned around and she stared longingly at the piano in the window that she could never save up enough money to afford.

"Someday, she whispered, brushing her fingertips on the glass as she passed. (Unaware of the shopkeep SIGHING as he came out to wash off her prints yet again.)

Keeping her long auburn hair pinned up, she worked endlessly to transport her belongings, making multiple trips back and forth.

"Hey!" she shouted as she backed into the house, very carefully dragging a cloth-wrapped cello with her, "do you want to get take out after I finish up and take a shower?" No one needed a smelly bard to share a meal.

* * * * *

2. Dance! - In the Training Hall

It took a while for her suggestion to get at least one of the rooms outfitted with mirrors, so solo trainees could study their form and ensure that they were moving in the right way. But she'd made the request not to study her fighting, but her dancing. When she wasn't getting kidnapped into a forced marriage or trading secrets with Ramza's sister, Rialynn had come across quite a few worlds with very different styles of music and dancing. One of them she'd thought to be very similar to her friend Zack's world, given how they looked and dressed, and it might even have been his world. A pity he'd gone into crystal stasis, really, there was still so much they could have learned from each other.

For now, she just had to practice the steps and moves she'd picked up from watching others. They probably thought it was weird having the bandanna-clad girl stare at them so intently, but so what? It wasn't as if she would see them again, and she liked their style very much. It was worth it.

Dancing was a lot harder to do without the right music to accompany her. She had to dance in silence in the small practice room, her leather vest cast aside and blouse untucked, since she'd liked how the tails of the long shirt flowed when her dance subjects demonstrated their skill and talent.

Her movements were sharper, fluid but jerky at the same time as she flowed from pose to pose. Occasionally her eyes flicked up to the mirror to see if it looked as smooth as it felt. Sometimes she stumbled over her feet. Sometimes she just couldn't quite get her shoulder and leg to move into different positions, and she'd drop everything to throw her head back and groan a long, long sigh of frustration.

Closing her eyes, she thought back to the music, tapping her foot to a silent rhythm in her head. Maybe a different dance...a different melody...a different style, just to give her a new challenge. Dancing didn't come as easily to her as singing did, it took a lot more practice. The Dancer job did make it easier, but...

She heard the beat.

Her shoulders twitched, hitching and falling alternatively before her head lolled to the side, her body falling into a spin. She opened her eyes and focused on her face in the mirror, arms rising as she slid to the side with a smooth roll of her hips. Another spin. Another spin. On the third revolution she jumped, kicking up one leg high as she came around and dropped to complete another spin upon her knees.

* * * * *

3. This is Hallo-NOPE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE - Around Town

No one else would have shrieked and dropped all their eggs on the ground at the ugly plastic Frankenstein display in the grocery store, but those people were not Rialynn. She slapped a hand against her pounding heart in her chest, releasing a shaky breath, then asking the grocery clerk (very red-faced) for a cloth so she could clean up the spill.

Why would people put all of these horrible things around? She'd nearly cried when she saw someone's plastic skeleton hanging from its spindly throat in a nearby tree, thinking that someone had been so cruel as to murder someone and strip their flesh before leaving the skeleton as a ghastly threat against the people who lived there.

This was not a good holiday for her.

Rialynn tried to have her chores finished by daylight, raking in leaves and buying groceries and feeding her not-at-all-fat horse. If by some misfortune she did wind up staying out after dark, she didn't just walk home. She bolted as if her life depended on it. The sooner the snow and winter holidays came, the better. She wasn't sure she could take much more of seeing demons and vampires and werewolves and mummies and evil spirits, every day, around every corner. It was just too much, especially knowing that those things really did exist in this world.

If you're unfortunate enough to startle Rialynn during this time, she apologizes profusely for throwing whatever she had in her hands straight at your head.

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Labels... they tend to simplify things so that we can understand them, but they can also be misleading since nothing is really ever so black and white.

[Lailah turns her head away for a moment before returning her gaze to Rialynn. There was no telling what this woman went through, so it was probably best if she didn't assume - or try to fix something she didn't understand.]

Sure, you can be right.

Ramza raised an eyebrow. Why would she put salt on the windows? Ramza did not think Barkeep had ever done that, so it must not be standard protocol.

"I doubt I will be alone for long. Biggs and Wedge will assign a new Hero when they appear again." It had happened for all his other roommates. There was no reason to think he would be on his own for any length of time.

Not all of them as far as she know- at least for now. But as the stasis goes, there's no way of telling- and there's been enough of them falling into it she couldn't feel entirely secure.

K'pandolu hummed, setting the last out and reaching to get the chopping board and knife. "I think most of the ingredients should be here, but… We might be a little low on flour. Could you check that?"

"Ah ha!" she pointed triumphantly at him as she jumped back. "But it's still alone! I'm justified!" she gloated, a teasing twinkle in her eyes. ...Although she still wasn't really sure why she was arguing so much against this. Spending time with him was a good thing. A great thing, actually! If it was what he really wanted, well...why not let him?

Rialynn dropped her hand back to her side with a sheepish chuckle, rubbing at her forehead. "I guess if you really want to stick with me, I don't mind. We can watch out for each other that way, can't we? And I'll probably need your help with some job-related stuff I'll be working on soon, since I asked to be a Blue Mage. I'll be going up against some pretty tough monsters if I want to get the best skills. So if it doesn't interfere with your duties too much, well...I don't know, I think it'd be more fun and a lot safer with some people I trust to go with me."

"Yeah, sure!" Rialynn agreed, and began hunting through the cupboards. It was a good thing to familiarize herself with the kitchen sooner rather than later, so while it probably took her a while to hunt down the right canister, she at least now knew where everything else in the kitchen was by the time she found it.

"Hey, what jobs are you working on, K'pandolu?" she asked, cracking open one canister. Seeing sugar, she put it back and went for the next. "Or did you finish mastering all of the ones you have already?"

He was not sure why Rialynn was so excited that he was alone at home. His roommate had turned to crystal. Ramza's expression was somber.

"I can help you when you go up against your monsters. We will need a healer, at least. The world outside of the city is more dangerous than it was, and we cannot afford to take the sort of risks we did before."

All the Heroes had been reckless, back when they turned to crystal when they fell in battle.

That stare was starting to get...a little bit uncomfortable. It made her start to feel like maybe she'd accidentally stepped on a puppy or something. She started looking around the room, clearing her throat.

But right. Monsters. "I'd appreciate that. Eventually I do plan on picking up the White Mage job." She couldn't narrate someone back to life the way she had with Ramza on a regular basis, since that would require putting her close to death herself. It wasn't the best action plan in the world. "I just wanted to finish the Dancer's job first."

"A wise plan. There is a great need for healers." And Rialynn had the compassion and bravery to serve as a support class in battle. Not many were able to go into danger without means to protect themselves.

He had probably made her uncomfortable. He smiled at her, to dispel the gloomy mood in the room. "Um...what job do you plan to pair with it?"

K'pandolu snorted, working on cutting up the vegetables she wanted for the stew. "If only I could say that I have," she said. "It would be nice to have all of that behind me. But I have one of those experience orbs, so choosing jobs isn't a worry for now. Though-" Her movements slowed for a moment, and she stared down at the vegetables, contemplating whether they were enough before returning to that thought. "It's strange. Another of those things that's familiar, but not…"

She tilted her head towards Rialynn, tone lightening. "What about yours, though?"

Smiling seemed to work its usual magic, because it was quickly mirrored on Rialynn's face. "Actually, I made a list. Wait right here!"

Rialynn darted off for her room. It wasn't long before there was a series of rustling papers, the clap of books, one mild crash, and then more paper rustling. Finally she emerged with a little book, her thumb pushed between the pages where she'd written several notes (and a few random doodles). 'White Mage' was written and circled, as was 'Blue Mage,' 'Gunner,' and 'Pirate.'

"I was hoping to keep White Mage permanently equipped, but I know I can use the really good spells along with other things if I can max out nine jobs, so...it's hard to know if I should just focus on one other job at a time while keeping White Mage at the ready, or try to get everything as soon as I can so I can work more with the Onion Knight job. That one appeals to me a lot -- I feel a lot better about my skills if I can still use a rapier, and you know...you can equip just about any weapon with an Onion Knight after a certain point."

She put the book on the table, moving aside so Ramza could get a good look at it too. "It's the last two jobs I'm having a hard time choosing. I sort of wanted to go for Gambler and Merchant just because they're not jobs you see too often, and I guess they lead to an advanced job too. But it's not one I can really see myself using, on account of how it seems to be suited for fighting other Heroes."

Lifting her head, she examined Ramza curiously for a moment. She knew he preferred being a Freelancer, but she hadn't really asked why. Maybe it had to do with the same reservations she'd had, before finally giving in and taking up the Bard job from Cid. "Hey," she said after a moment of thought. "You've never taken any Jobs upon coming here, right? Why is that?"

"Ahhhhh, I've got a long way to go," Rialynn grinned sheepishly, cracking open the flour canister and putting it on the countertop. "I woke up as a Freelancer and was leery about taking on Jobs that would let me do all of this crazy stuff. Cast spells, influence people's perceptions...I never really wanted any of that heroic stuff to apply to me, I just want to write down what everybody else does for the history books."

She took a step back, pulling off her bandanna and adjusting it so she could tie her hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of the way.

"But I don't know...I guess it seemed selfish after a while. Everyone else was fighting so hard, and with no real skills or powers of my own, my being there was starting to make me a burden. So I decided to take on a few jobs at least, so no one would get distracted trying to protect me instead of fighting the real threat." Like Ramza.

"Yeah. They had a spare guitar at the stables and I've been using that. I'm really more borrowing it than it being mine. But what if it's a song that doesn't have lyrics. How do I sing if it's something like that?"

He furrowed his brow, trying to think of what lyrics the Shin-Ra Military March would have. Probably something pretty stuffy and pompous.

"Do the Bard job powers work if I just hum really loud?"

K'pandolu paused for a moment, tilting her head towards Rialynn. "So that everyone is remembered? It's a fine aim."

She nodded, slipping some of the vegetables off the board while she worked on the next one. "I don't believe I could do that- I always wanted to contribute, to try to help. So- I think it's a good step. Are you happy with it?" She stopped fully, turning all of her attention towards Rialynn.

"Yes, that's what I was going to suggest," Rialynn nodded vigorously. "I'm not the expert, all of this magical stuff isn't something we have on my world. We're as unmagical as you can get." She glanced to the side before back to Cloud again. "But I think as long as the song can be heard, it'll have an effect on those who can actually hear it. That's why I'm taking an instrument, since running around on a battlefield can make you lose your breath, which makes it hard to sing. But if I need my hands free, singing is my next option."

She thought about it for a moment, then laughed. "I suppose you could just shout the usual 'la la la' if you want to make sure everyone can hear you. Isn't that what most people do if they can't remember the words of a song?"

"I guess so," Rialynn shrugged, hovering uselessly nearby. There was more she would have liked to help with, but the recipe wasn't familiar to her. She retreated a bit further away to lean back against the countertop. "I mean, I wouldn't say I'm unhappy. But it's more comfortable leaving the heroics to the heroes, that's for sure. I miss being able to flit from inn to inn and just tell stories to entertain people, and earn a meal. I'd rather support people like you, you're really good at this kind of work."

Ramza considered the list Rialynn handed him.

"I think it is important to work to your strengths. If Gambler or Merchant do not suit you, it seems you should focus on the jobs that do."

He pointed to the circled jobs. "Gunner with White Mage would help you keep your distance, so that the lack of physical strength would not put you at a disadvantage. And most mage classes pair well together."

He handed the list back to Rialynn. He could only make suggestions. What she chose was up to her.

"I took the Santa job when I went to the Empire...but yes, it is true that for the most part, I have not used jobs. I wanted to rely on my own power...and in my world, crystals that grant the bearer extraordinary powers draw them from...other sources. The dead...or from demons."

"Huh...that's true..." she knit her brow, leaning over the notes as he pointed out some suggestions. "I forgot you were a tactician in your world. You'd probably know a lot about this kind of thing."

She straightened when he gave her notes back to her, nodding once. Maybe she'd scrap the gambler and merchant jobs after all, or at least save them for last to focus on the others, just in case something more interesting and useful came up. She liked the Sky Pirate job since it had the possibility of granting her a personal airship. What could be more useful than that?

Of course, remembering about his past from the file he'd let her read also reminded her of the Lucavi, and what happened to people's souls if they could not be revived from their mortal injuries in time. "Oh...oh that's...that makes sense," she said, swallowing quickly. "I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking about that." And here she was, charging around the house acting all excited about it. What a dunce! "Well, for what it's worth, I think your own power is pretty great."

K'pandolu nodded, humming thoughtfully. "It… well, it is a dangerous profession, there's no denying that. But even small deeds can help people- and it's not as though I started off slaying voidsent of the highest rungs. Whichever path you choose, though- I'd like to support you too."

She glanced back at the vegetables, and nodded to herself. "But a good meal goes a long way to help support people, too. Would you like to try looking after the meat? You'll just need to make sure it's all browned- we can put the more solid vegetables in too, but I think it tastes a little better than way."

"Sure," Rialynn smiled, surging forward again now that she had an assigned task. While she may not have had a lot of experience cooking, she'd browned sausages in a pan before. The concept was very simple. "And perhaps you can tell me of one of your greatest battles?" she urged, her grin growing wider.

Ramza shrugged. "My power has become more great since I mastered the Freelancer class. It was not my intention, but it seems that everyone here is destined to use their crystals somehow, for good or for ill."

He did not mind that Rialynn was enthusiastic about her jobs. "I do not begrudge anyone else the use of their job powers. It is just...not the path I chose. That is all."

"It makes sense," she told him, then looked down at her notes again. "Hopefully no one's given you a hard time about it. I mean, I can't imagine anyone would, but..."

Ah, who was she kidding? Who in the world would want to bully Ramza of all people, especially over something like that? She didn't need to worry so much.

"Well...maybe you can help me pick out the last two, if Gambler and Merchant turn out to be not-so-great. Something that would be useful to you if we wind up in a battle together."

K'pandolu beamed back at her, moving to tidy the vegetables up a little before settling the knife and board to be cleaned up. "Of course, of course! There've been quite a few, though…" She hummed to herself, thinking. "Well- one very memorable time was clearing out the Longstop, for Brayflox- tere was all sorts of creatures bothered by goblins living there, but the biggest problem was that they'd disturbed a dragon. I'm not sure what it was doing there- there aren't that many wyrms that come to La Noscea- but it wasn't leaving without encouragement, and the goblins were…" She shook her head, and made a disapproving noise in the back of her throat. "Brayflox was good at attracting attention, but not as good at evading attacks," she said. "And Aiatar- the dragon she'd found- had poisonous breath, and a tendency to spit poison it could use to recover. So- my companions and I were used to trying to get out of the way of attacks, but it took us a little while before we worked out the trick of navigating Aiatar away from them." She shook her head, ears flicking. "I think the most important lesson I'd want to give from that would be to fight dragons somewhere other than an enclosed space, though."

Cloud chuckled at Rialynn's talk of her own world. Maybe he'd been here too long that he was looking for explanations of some of the jobs without considering they might be as alien to him as it might be to others. Just because things shared a name didn't make them the same.

"Yeah, that's a good point. I'm just not sure how I'd go about playing an instrument when I have my sword and shield or whatever I'm using." Briefly he thought about using a kazoo and then dumped that idea in the mental trash.

"Yeah, I guess I was just trying to fish around for a better idea. Let me know where you want me to put this stuff. Then I can go get my guitar and play what I have so far for you."

"You fought a dragon? Wow...!" Rialynn's eyes had lit up at the very mention. Of course, she had met a dragon just once in this world, and the thing had been terrifying. It was supposedly a friendly one at that, asking only for a crystal, but if that was considered 'friendly' then she'd hate to meet an unfriendly one.

Except there was nothing more she would have liked, and if she was going to be a proper Blue Mage, then she needed to fight one to ensure she could use its Black Meteo skill.

Whisking away the cutting board and knife to the sink (for she at least knew how to do the dishes), Rialynn's grin grew a little wider. "You, uh...ever consider fighting one of the dragons in Crystallis?" Hint hint.

Farewell, Kazoo Bard. You would have been amazing.

"Oh, um...I forget what I put in those boxes," Rialynn admitted, looking around the front room. "You can set them down anywhere, just getting them indoors is the most important thing right now."

Besides, the lure of listening to someone else play an instrument overrode any sense of responsibility she might have had. She could move things around too while she listened, so it worked out well!

"Go ahead and get your guitar, I'll be waiting!"

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Triple Threat

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Okay, let's get back on this train!

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