Log Date: 9/30/98 Log Cast: Cardain, Pallando, Tajan, Shenner, Troy, Ariani (NPC), Aerilaya, Morganna, Folemb Log Intro: An unexpected second encounter with Jessalyn Valios has quite brightened Shenner's existence. Although she still is anxiously awaiting further aid from Luke Skywalker about the nightmares that have been plaguing her, Shenner's been trying hard not to focus on them, and Jessalyn has provided a surprising balm of her own to Shen's spirits by giving her a gift -- a fine new harp-like instrument called a namdhi, the playing of which Shen has immediately begun trying to learn. It's touched the young musician enough that she's ready to look far more kindly upon the interest of Troy McTavish in learning music at her hand, and even in the jibes of the scarred woman Morganna who'd alerted her to Paul Nighman's presence on Caspar.... ---------- You walk into Fountain Square. Fountain Square - Plaxton City The huge buildings in the background threaten to take over this small patch of green that is the center of Plaxton City. A stone fountain -still in place from another time- sits in the center of the square. It depicts a young woman looking into the sky. water flares around her and bursts into a star pattern ten feet above her head. The inscription at the base of the fountain is written in the aging language of a more romantic time. 'Farewell, for all journeyers that leave this place shall always return to call it home.' Wandering the square throughout the day are Caspar Marines; some off-duty and enjoying their downtime while on-duty commandos in full armor and uniform keep watch over the area. Despite the commandos' aggresive appearance, they are viewed with admiration and respect from most of the citizens, some of them even joking and talking with families. The afternoon sky above is cloudy with patches of clear spots allowing you to see the sky behind them. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Aerilaya => Pallando => IGNews Terminal - Caspar => Mail Terminal: Caspar -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ndbar leads to The Sandbar. outh leads to South Mergansar Ave. - Plaxton City. ast leads to East Blake St. - Plaxton City. orth leads to North Mergansar Ave. - Plaxton City. est leads to West Blake St. - Plaxton City. Cardain walks into the square from the east. Cardain has arrived. Cardain walks to the south. Cardain has left. Pallando thinks back, "I was on duty last night, Sergent Webb has us up listening to some lecture. I am going through basic training right now for the Caspian navy." Tajan enters the square from the west. Tajan has arrived. Tajan walks to the south. Tajan has left. Shenner wanders through the square, heading for the Sandbar, a tote bag slung off her shoulder. She's whistling as she goes, softly. You enter the Sandbar. The Sandbar A large circular room creates the main part of Caspar's infamous SandBar. Dark wood paneled walls adorned with all sorts of paraphanalia set the relaxed athmosphere of the bar. Photographs and holovids are pinned randomly around, seemingly with no order at all. Posters from years past hang proudly, displaying obscure bits of Plaxton's recent history. Several windows made from a deep blue glass allow light in from outside, while still keeping the appearance of the bar rather dark. Along one curved wall a marble bar stands proudly, where Ariani busies herself making drinks and cleaning occational spots of the bar. There is an abundant amount of seating in here. You notice quite a few booths and tables, as well as a loft which protrudes out over the bar. A popular local band plays smooth jazz in the background. ----For help with tables, type "PLACE HELP" ----For help with drinks, type "BAR HELP" -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Troy => Ariani => Emma -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- leads to Fountain Square - Plaxton City. Ariani says, "Welcome to the SandBar, what can I get ya?" Troy sits at the end of the Bar looking rather Glum, especialy for him. ".... ah, it's you, kid," Ariani goes on, blinking twice at the young redhead. "You're in a little late, aren't you?" "Been researchin' in the university library," Shenner says steadily, coming in and slinging her tote bag up onto the bar. It hits with a soft *thud*, though Shen takes care to set it down gently. "Lookin' for books on harps. "Oh yeah," Ariani says brightly. "Any luck? No wait, hold on--" She pauses, calling down the bar to Troy, "You okay down there, pal? Need anything else?" Shenner blinks, following Ariani's gaze down to the other end of the bar. Troy waves a hand to say yeah to Ariani..and sips at his coffee..seeming in thought. The bartender ambles down to the customer, duly responding to the beckon; Shenner, a bit curious, carefully slides her tote bag along and then occupies a seat about three hops down from the man. "More coffee?" asks Ariani kindly. Troy shruggs and then nods "Aye...its better then that bottle of whiskey i'm look'n ta take on..." then seeing Shenner he gives her a slight smile and a nod "Hello there again." Ariani nods her sage bartender nod, turning to fetch a fresh pot of coffee, while Shenner leans against the bar, supporting herself on one slender elbow. "What bantha stepped on you?" she inquires, eyebrows a bit arched. Cardain enters the Sandbar. Cardain has arrived. Cardain dissapears among the patrons. Troy smiles slightly at the bard "its a long story...lets just say its somebodies birth day.." he says frowning.."So how goes your research." Behind the bar, Ariani brings over the fresh coffee pot, leaning over to replenish Troy's cup for him, and Shenner can be seen to smirk slightly. But not entirely without sympathy. "Birthdays're overrated," she declares, and then goes on, "I got a new thing to study. Friend o' mine gave me a new instrument so I'm readin' up on what world it came from." Troy smiles slightly "yeah birthdays suck especialy for the dead..." then his eyes brows lifting "ohhh wich instrument.." "Birthdays ain't exactly firelight and roses for the living either, buddy," says Shenner, smirking a bit more. She turns around to prop her other elbow on the bar along with the first. "And I got a namdhi." "Can you play the thing yet, kid?" puts in Ariani, returning to taking inventory on the stock on the lower shelves. To that, Shenner grins crookedly. "I'm workin' on it," she tells the older woman. Then to Troy, she adds, "It's uh, a kinda harp." Troy smiles slightly enjoying the slight sarcasm in Shens voice "A harp should be easy enough to play..." gives her a slight wry smile. The redheaded musician says with straightforward pride, "It ain't too different from the guitar at least as far as tunin' up the string goes, but I been havin' to dig a bit to find out what sort of musical customs they had on Mikkla. Wanna play the thing like the creator wanted it played." Troy smiles in understanding "i get where your coming from. Its like the Bag Pipes, i play...there are certain things yeah have ta do or else your just playing your not creating....." takes a sip of his Coffee and lights a Cigar. Shenner blinks, dark red eyebrows going higher. "Bag pipes?" she echoes. "What the kark're bag pipes?" Behind the bar, Ariani chuckles lowly. "There she goes again," the bartender mutters. Troy almost snorts his coffee...and then replies "There, a very old instrument....very traditional." laughs as he puffs on his Cigar "I guess most people describe the sounds as cats getting killed but ta me, its music to my ears.." "What'd I say?" demands Shen, peering at the man as he nearly inhales his own beverage. Ariani snickers, leans over the bar again and puts in, "Don't mind her, pal, you're only the third person this week to introduce her to a brand new instrument." Shenner grumbles, "Well, so, I'm curious. Sue me." Shenner adds to Troy, "What world's traditions?" Troy laughs at Ariani..and then at Shenner's grumbling "well it could be worse...she could be making us listen to her, as she learned.." and he shakes his head "Its not a worlds tradition..its a familiy thing.." his frown then reappers. "Oh." Shenner's own expression goes rather dark for a moment, before she abruptly does a 180 on the topic, plunging off with, "So anyway. You still wantin' me to teach you flute, or what?" Troy his eyebrows lifting "AYe...lass, i would love ta learn.." his smile almost fully returning. "yeah want anything for it.." "Well, you said you'd teach me that fiddle thing, but I don't mind tellin' ya right now, pal," says Shenner, "I ain't convinced I know anything you don't know already. I mean, hells, this makes what, three instruments you know how to play already? If you already got the basic notes down and how to make noise with the thing, anything on top o' that is a matter of what songs you know and style and skill." Troy smiles "The flute was the last of the instuments i was learning...i only know a few of the basic notes...." then shruggs "What i lack is style....or more importantly the custom of it.." and shruggs "Like the fiddle, i'm pretty sure, you could play it already...you already play many stringed insturments, there all basicaly the same, they just very in where the notes and style of it." Shenner huhs, and abruptly hops up onto the bar, dangling her feet off the side. Ariani doesn't seem to mind -- the place is still fairly uncrowded -- and so the young musician goes on thoughtfully, "Well, I ain't never touched nothin' that you need a bow to play. I'll hafta check that out. S'pose you better tell me first of all what you _do_ know if you want me to have a clue about where to start with this." Troy smiles and reaches down into his boot and pulls out his flute "Well i really only knows the basics..."holds his hands on the insturment "I can play simple tunes...but if it requires more then the basics i can not keep up...And i reckon that i probably don't hold it right either." The redheaded girl hrmms, peering down musingly at the flute from her vantage point on the bartop. "Well," she begins, "there's a coupla different ways to hold a flute, but it kinda depends on what kinda flute it is. You got a mouthhole on the side, there, you hold it sideways, usually. All the ones I've ever seen, you hold to the right, though I know some flutes out there are built for holding to the left, just kinda depends on what race's flutes you're dealin' with. Some flutes you hold vertical, they got a different kinda mouthhole, you blow on them kinda like you blow across a brandy bottle." Troy nods "AYe...so what ever floats your ship in other words.." then smiles thinking of a brandy bottle...and says good idea "Hey Ariani, can i get a bottle of some Brandy..." "Name your planet," says the bartender, gesturing at the assorted varities of brandy she stocks. "Well, at least whatever plays your flute." Shenner peers over at Troy's instrument some more, and goes on, "That one looks like what I'm used to, anyway. Hold it out to the right, blow across the side...?" Troy smiles at the bartender "Tatooine..."then turns to Shen "Aye...i understand..."then holding the instrument towards her he says "Show me.." Ariani hrmms, hefts up a small bottle of liquid which does a good job of hinting at desert sands in its color; the label proclaims that had been brought in from Anchorhead on that world, and then pours out a measure of it for Troy's sampling. Shenner, in the meantime, accepts the flute, peering over it and its carved surface with the appreciative eye of an artist, and she sits up a bit straighter on the bartop. "Easier to get the breath you need if you sit up straight," she observes as she lifts the flute to her mouth, holding it out to her right, held almost perpendicular to her slender frame. Troy takes a sip of the Beverage...closing his eyes...(there seems to be a tear in his eye)..he then smiles and nods for a re-fill, he then turns to watch Shenner "Aye...." he simple states Shenner's fingertips settle into place over the wooden flute's six holes, and experimentally, she blows a tone through it, covering all six holes. Then she goes up the scale, lifting a finger at a time, the tones going progressively higher. Then she remarks, "Okay. C major. How much do ya know about scales and keys and stuff?" Troy shruggs slightly "Was never really Taught that...was only taught some simple tunes is all..." Shenner grins a bit, but it's a gentler kind of grin than her usual crooked gruff ones; a bit more confident, too, as if she's getting into a comfortable element. "Okay, that at least gives me a clue here, pal. Whatcha have here," and she gestures with her left hand at the flute in her right, "is a flute in the key of C major, at least if you're goin' by the standard musical systems used in most human cultures I know about. C means its base note" -- and she pauses to play it, all fingers on the holes -- "is the note C." Troy hearing the note he kants an ear to the side so he can hear the note better "Ah....yes.." Shen lowers the flute a bit again, and then says steadily, "Okay, so... everything I'm gonna tell you is based on usual human cultures' musical systems, so that oughtta do ya, just so's you know that if you go pokin' into some other race's musical theory, you should be prepared to toss eveyrthing out the window. But _anyway_...." As she speaks, Ariani can be seen to give the girl a rather surprised and impressed look; this kind of lecturing out of Shen doesn't seem familiar to the bartender. "You got your seven basic notes, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. You take those seven notes, and you can keep goin' higher and higher, but you just keep usin' the same names, just higher notes. With me?" Aerilaya enters the Sandbar. Aerilaya has arrived. Troy smile and nods "Aye..." and you can see his finger movign slighly mimicking your own. Morganna enters the Sandbar. Morganna has arrived. "Cool," says Shen, secure in her place on the bartop. Ariani, however, spies a few more customers coming in, and waves the girl down off her perch; Shen blinks, then slips off, closing the remaining distance between her and Troy and taking the stool next to him at his end of the bar, to give him a better view of what she's doing. "Okay. Your flute here does all seven of these notes, it just starts with C at the bottom instead of A. So if you do a scale, you're gonna get a C scale. LIke this." And she plays the scale again. Troy watches Shen do the scale and nods in understanding, his hands mimick the movement... "You wanna try it?" asks Shenner, holding out the little flute. The scarred Ambassador is aloe, she steps into the bar, letting some of the dying afternoon sunlight in before it's banished by the closing door. She pauses, glances around, and then heads towards the bar. She narrows her eye in curoiosity as she catches sight of Shenner, and.. her pupil? Morganna finds a stool on the bar, close to the pair, and she watches them, waiting for Ariani to approach. Ariani does, indeed, move over to Morganna, her expression amiably neutral, for the woman's order. Morganna turns towards Ariani, prying her eyes from Shenner and Troy. The Ambassador seems to be in a slightly more amiable mood than usual, but she's still a long way from being truly likeable, "I'll have a caf please, black." "You got it. Got a fresh pot, as of about ten minutes ago." Ariani turns to pour some of it up, into a clean mug. Troy watches Shenn closely as she teaches him more about the smiple instrument... The C scale introduced, Shen goes on, still holding the flute, "Now, this guy can go up into the next octave too, I think, like this..." She plays the same scale she'd done before, starting with all fingers down and lifting them one at a time -- except this time all her notes are higher than the set of notes she'd done previously. Troy his head twiching to the side..but still watching..(and mimiking) he nods "Aye..i've done that before..just did not know how or why.." The high notes cut through Morganna's soul as though it was butter and Shenner's music was a hot knife... or is it Troy's minickry? Morganna rubs the ear closest to to the pair and grumbles something quietly to herself, but she is the kinder, gentler Morganna, and resistst the temptation to tie them both up with the damn flute. She tosses some credits to Ariani, "Thank you." the woman says as politely as she can. Shenner is sitting mostly facing Troy, and thus, more or less misses Morganna's reaction. "You're welcome," the bartender says, brows quirked. "Anything else I can getcha?" In the meantime, Shenner ahs to the man beside her, and considers. Then she says, sounding a bit more gruff -- and a bit more like her apparently normal self, "Okay, well, you get your higher notes by tightening up the muscles around your mouth a little. It's... gah, I ain't sure how to explain it." But she plays the base C, holding it for a second or two, and then plays an octave up for a second or two more; around her lips, there's a sublte tightening as she hits the higher note. Troy looking kinda funny as he mimics Shen's mouth movements..."Aye..i see what yeah mean.." The girl hands the flute over again. "Here. Any questions yet?" She glances over her shoulder, not having missed Morganna's prsence entirely -- she'd heard the woman's voice. And apparently, Morganna's presence makes her slightly nervous. Troy smile and takes back his FLute "Nay, i'm a quick learner..." he then notices the ambasador "Hello Abasador...." he nods simply towards her. Shenner can be seen to blink. .oO (Ambassador?) is written across her face, though she doesn't actually _say_ that. "I, uh, I'll tell ya bout 'accidentals later," she says, waving at Ariani in a swift attempt to distract herself. "Hey, 'Ani, gimme a cider, will ya?" "Sure thing, kid." The bartender steps over to do as Shenner requests. The Ambassador stares into her black coffee for a long time, it doesn't look like she's had that much sleep lately, she isn't entirely alert. She takes a long sip, and frowns, "I'm fine.." She finally turns towards Shenner and Troy, a predatory grin snaking over her features, "GOod evening, I see you're getting some.. 'music' lessons.." Ah, morganna, as sweet as an Alderaanian puckerberry. Troy laughs slightly at Mor's statment "More like a fill in the blanks lesson..So hows the empire these days...take over any new planets latly." said jockingly..not trying to get under Morganna's skin...almost playfull. Having heard Morganna called by her title several times, Ariani looks unfazed, and merely hands Shenner the cider she wants, smelling fragrantly of fermented apples. Shen, in the meantime, glances over at Morganna, sits up a bit straighter, and says gruffly, "He wanted to know a bit more 'bout that flute." She goes oddly still for a moment as Troy chimes in his own commentary, and then turns her attention to nursing that cider. The scarred ambassador laughs and locks her eyes on Shenner, as she speaks to Troy. The girl's surprise appears to have intrigued her somehow, "We haven't taken over any planets lately, but we do take requests you know.." joking about the empire doesn't get under Morganna's skin, you have to get a little more Personal. In an almost condescending tone, Morganna speaks to Shenner, tome for her to get under someone's skin, "Aw, don't you like me.. Shenner.. that's your name, right?" her voice could send a chill through most people. Shenner swings her green gaze back to Morganna, deliberately blandly, deliberately cool. "I don't _know_ you," she replies. Ariani, momentarily between customers, leans against the shelves behind her and crosses her arms before her, keeping an eye on the bar at large and waiting for the next person to signal her. For a moment, the woman grins a sort of 'you tell 'er, kid' grin at Shenner, before valiantly wiping all traces of a partial expression off her face. Morganna raises an eyebrow, and extends a hand towards Shenner, "Very well, let me introduce myself, I'm Ambassador Morganna Tazecks, the imperial representative for this sector." she takes this whole cold, bland thing in her stride, her voice deliberately chirpy, "Pleasure to finally meet you.." Troy yawning slightly he says to SHen "Well i must be off..that brandy hit the spot..." giving a slight bow "Till next time.." gets up and heads to the door. Troy walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically. Troy has left. "Later, pal," Shenner says sidelong to Troy, her gaze still on Morganna. Then, her face still kept steady of expression, she takes the offered hand in a firm grip, shaking it. She rather doubts the Ambassador is pleased to see her at all, but manages to keep _that_ out of her expression -- well, at least, mostly. There _is_ a slight sardonic curl at one edge of her mouth. "And yeah, I'm Shenner." The ambassador's grip is probably a little /too/ firm as she shakes the girl's hand, squeezing a litte tightly before the release. Lifting the cup of Caf to her lips, Morganna takes a long sip, "I prefer the music you make without the band, but you know.." the woman pauses, getting a deliciously evil look on her face, "I think you and nighman would make a great team." out of the corner of her metallic eye, Morganna watches for Shen's reaction. The too-tight grip on her slim young hand doesn't seem to bother Shenner; however, the dropped name clearly strikes her on some level, a strong surge of unease flashing across her face before she shifts on her stool, planting her gaze off somewhere to the left of the bartender -- who has, herself, lifted an eyebrow at the exchange. "Yeah?" she answers in a tone with is credibly non-committal -- or would be, at any rate, if it didn't have an abrupt rasp to it. Cardain , finished with what he is doing leaves the bar, making a small veer around the bar. Cardain comes out of the crowd. Cardain walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically. Cardain has left. Morganna inclines her head slowly, and takes another long sip of the caf. "Yes." the ambassador says softly, losing some of the cold edge, "The first time I ever sw you, was when you and him were on the beach together, about a year ago.. I didn't know it was you, or him, until I heard your music.. I wanted to destroy you for creating such beauty.." now comes the strange chill to her voice. Shenner's green eyes go very, very dark, and she keeps her gaze pointed at the row of bottles she's facing; it's a look Ariani seems to recognize, and the older woman busies herself with her interrupted task of inventory while keeping a surreptitious eye on the musician. Shen's only reply, after a moment or two, is to say absently over her cider, "Oh yeah. I remember now." Now she has her prey cornered, or so she thinks. Morganna tries to hide the glee from her face, but it shows through a sparkle in her eye, for once, her memory has served her well, "So, why do you bristle when people mention his name?" she scratches her chin and flares her nostrils, "I don't know if anything else was happening, but you two would have made a disgustingly adorable couple.." Folemb enters the Sandbar. Folemb has arrived. Folemb enters the in he wears new clothes but they have blood on them and he is a qwrinkled mess. Shen, still not looking at the woman sitting near her at the bar, slugs down a substantial swallow of her apple cider. Thusly fortified, she drawls to Morganna, "Who's bristlin'?" Folemb sits down at the bar. Folemb says, "Shen." Folemb says, "Get me something strong... something VERY strong.. and whatever it is make it a double." Folemb looks ezausted. The ambassador nods her head slowly, "You're good at building walls, like myself.. one day, they'll come crashing down and you'll be a mess.." some wisdom from this scarred menace? "Better to fight your demons.. but then, I don't really know what the situation is anyway.. but.." her voice sounds curious, "Why don't you play together? Hell, if it can move /me/.." she leaves the sentence unfinished. Folemb says, "What a mess it is up there." Folemb shakes his head in sorrow. Folemb looks at Shen... oblivious of her conversation with the Queen of the Imperials. _You are, kid,_ thinks Ariani, eying the young musician, but moving to fill Folemb's order anyway. Shenner flicks a look at the incoming young man only long enough to indicate that she actually is aware of his entrance; far more of her attention appears to rest upon that apparently extremely fascinating array of Velgarth brandy bottles over there. To Morganna, she says darkly, "I'll take it under advisement." Morganna smirks and shakes her head slowly, under normal circumstances, the ambassador would tug at the little piece of wool at the base of Shenner's mind, and pull and pull until the contents became unravelled (Metaphorically, of course, Morganna not being one of those nasty force people). "Which, the demons? Or playing together..?" Shenner turns her head, and smiles narrowly at the Ambassador. "If I happen to bump into him again," she clarifies in edgedly casual tones, "I'll pass your suggestion on." As for demons, well, the redheaded girl doesn't seem inclined to go there. The cogs inside Morganna's head begin to turn and click, she chuckles at a thought and raises her caf yto her lips, "With all my influence, I could probably arrange that you run into eachother..." the words reek of arrogance, but Morganna's tone is almost playful, "I'd love to see the reunion." Shenner abruptly drinks down the rest of her cider. Then, with deliberately lazy motions, she stands, handing the mug over to Ariani, who is doing a very good job of pretending she's not scrutinizing her young friend's face. And finally she turns to Morganna and says gruffly, "No thanks." With that, she reaches for her tote bag still resting upon the bartop. The ambassador finishes her caf, and holds up her cup towards Ariani, "Can I have a refill please?" Moranna's eyes rest on the mirror behind the bar, and she appraises her own scarred face, "No thanks? I offer to make a reunion, and you turn it down? Oh, there must be something deep there.." she grins evilly... "But, I don't feel like poor Ariani here having to clean up any bottles you might toss at my head..." "No thanks," says Shenner, slinging the tote bag into place on her shoulder, the words delivered this time with a suspiciously stoic reserve. Without another word, she starts heading for the door, her only parting shot directed to the bartender: "Tell Rekkie I'll be back when the others are here to play tonight, will ya?" Shenner, with that, stalks out into the square. [End log.]