Day 01: Concerto de Requiem; [gathering of music and dance]

Bordered by a ring of decorated banners, a large stage was built. No seats or such were around, nor were they needed. The people came to enjoy the show of talented bards from all over who've gathered. Men and women clapped and danced along with the festive music. The Concerto de Requiem is regarded as one of the highlights of the fair, full of festivity and song. All are welcome to come in and those who truly appreciate it may choose to make a donation. Food vendors have even taken up shop here.

Everyone of course is waiting in anticipation of Requiem Trumpeter, a renowned young songstress who started the traveling music group and the Concerto de Requiem. Her voice is renowned to be beautiful and elegant, famed all around.

As the festivities continued on, the many gather musicians continue to play, giving amusement to the people until Requiem comes on stage.

Concern.

That was the main emotion the hooded individual was feeling.

Their charge was missing --- disappeared in a moment of distraction. The charge might have said something to the hooded person, but said individual had obviously had their attention elsewhere.

Annoyance.

Another emotion frolicking around inside the roving person.

This always seemed to happen. One moment: the hooded person would be dealing with something of importance. Once the distraction was dealt with, the charge would be missing. Off to perform some crazy or reckless stunt that could get them both in trouble. Now the hooded figure had to roam through a Festival in search of their charge.

The only positive to the situation was the enchanted dagger wasn't heating up. As strong as their charge was --- they still needed more battle experience before the Guardian was satisfied.

Now the Hooded Protector only had to deal with the throng of masses and the cacophony of miscellaneous instruments.

It was probably a good thing the Figure's ears weren't sensitive enough to be pained by it. Though, they probably would have been excited and happy to be here --- in another lifetime.

"Where are you, Gwyn?" the monotonously soft tone of the Robed, yet Armored Individual escaped from soft lips, their volume making such a question hard to make out in such a din.

Meanwhile, on an area nearby, an Enkidu made his way through the people with amusement in his face. He suspected the clamour to be intense, but this was still far more than what he expected, but broody, he was not.

Goibniu had heard of the Unanimity Fair in the past, and in recent years he found himself too occupied to attend. But it was this year when he found enough free time and motivation to go and enjoy what it had to offer. This year, the fair was taking place in Estermount, but the travelling was not something he minded, after all, he felt it was worth it.

Many of the shows it had in store were pretty interesting, but he'd eventually find himself attending to the Concerto de Requiem, a choice he definitely did not regret. Everyone was so happy and cheerful!

Well, maybe not everyone.

As he walked through the mounds of people, he eventually came to grace a strange, hooded figure. He wouldn't have paid any mind, if it wasn't for the fact that, right at that moment, he heard whispering coming from it. Confused, Goibniu turned to the figure and asked "Excuse me, have you perhaps said something?" He asked, hoping that the stranger would be able to hear him over the noise surrounding them.

The Robed Individual paused their musing for a moment.

Concern and annoyance abated in turn for Confusion to rear its head.

The Robed One's head turned in the direction of the noise source to allow their steel-grey eyes to investigate the sound of someone speaking to them. The source was tall --- probably a foot difference between the two of them. Reddish Orange hair --- that was certainly interesting, then again --- so was the gray hair the Hooded One wore short. The Source of the voice was quite masculine to the Short One's androgyny --- small button nose and soft jaw line made the Robed One look boyish. The horns of the Source was a dead give away for Enkidu heritage, the Robed One didn't care much though. The pistol is what gained the most notice.

Pistols were rare in Aldmerrow. Most firearms were the musket or rifle variety, if not eschewed for bow and arrow.

"Do you need something, Stranger?" the monotonous and soft tone came from the Gray-haired Boy's(?) lips a bit louder than it had before.

Tourmaline stood in the crowd, listening to the musicians play. She'd developed a rather useful, and magically cheap, spell that filtered out white noise, and increased any kind of music going on in the area. Unfortunately, it only drowned out, as mentioned, white noise-- if her ears were able to discern what was being said, then she would hear it.

Tourmaline had arrived a day early for the festival, because she knew from experience that customs was just about the worst thing when you were an Atoned Walpurgi. She recalled the conversation with the customs agent.

"Do I look like a Moira to you? I gave you my medium already-- which I'd like back now, I know enough about the process to know you've finished inspecting it. I told all the spells I have currently running. I'm a researcher for heaven's sake, do I look like I could take anyone down?"

"Your clip turns into two different weapons."

She'd shrugged. "I travel through dangerous areas occasionally, sue me. I am not going in there without my medium, though. You'll also notice that my papers say I cooperated fully with my Atonement. Gimme a break, man."

After a few exchanges with a couple of the inner Expiates to keep an eye on her, Tourmaline was given her clip and allowed access.


Now, she was keeping a steady eye out for anyone from her hometown. The Expiate might know she was an Atoned Walpurgi, but nobody else had to, and confronting an old friend or relative would be more than awkward. Fortunately for her, she made it to the concert without incident.

However, IN the area where the musicians were playing, there were a few people talking. Tourmaline, irked, tried to catch their eyes a few times, but didn't manage it. It was then that she noticed a familiar face, one of the talkers; she walked up to him. He'd been a kind fellow, albeit an Expiate. Greeting him, she said, "Hey, it's... Goibniu, right?"

Sam stared at the Enkidu with his usual stoic expression. "It is quite something," He commented softly before turning to see a new arrival appearing from the crowd. It was an interruption that didn't even make the Androgynous Individual flinch. It was a fair after all. Some more extroverted individuals would probably jump on meeting new people.

Still, Sam couldn't wonder what attracted them to him.

The new arrival was a slightly taller female with black hair and rather --- common in appearance. Sam was slightly jealous. Having a common appearance normally made infiltration much easier and the silverish-gray of his did not lend well to such tasks. Sam decied to merely nod his head in greeting before turning back to the possibly identified Goibinu.

"You probably heard me muttering about finding my younger sister," Sam answered the Enkidu finally. "She seems to have wandered off while I wasn't looking. Could either of you tell me if you have seen a Blonde that is slightly taller than me wielding a sword almost as tall as she stands? She also wears rather --- frilly attire."

Goibniu would comment on Sam's apparent lack of enthusiams due to the stoic look on his face, but he didn't exactly mind, since his eyes were still set on his surroundings, and the bombastic energy surrouding them. However, his attention would be diverted towards another person that came to them, and in particular, called him out.

[color:3b45=#fe0]"Huh? Oh, greetings Madam Cardona! Fancy meeting you here, came to take in the wondrous tunes of the Concerto?" He asked, before Sam spoke up about his missing sister. [color:3b45=#fe0]"Mmh... My apologies lad, I haven't seen hide nor hair of such an individual. Where do you suspect she might have gone to?"

Tourmaline hadn't seen such a person, and let the stranger know. "I'm afraid not, though maybe she went to the fighting contest going on? If she's carrying a big sword on her back, anyway." Tourmaline hadn't really paid any attention to anything but the concert, so she wasn't sure EXACTLY what time the fighting arena thing was going to happen, just that it was.

Turning to Goibniu for a moment, she said "Yeah. I'm an amateur musician myself, but I can't compete with that." She gestured in the direction of the stage. "I did come up with a nice spell, though, that drowns out white noise, like the noises of crowds." Drawing her hair back from her ear, Tourmaline allowed the Cartic marks surrounding her ear to be shown.

Turning back to the stranger, she said, "I'm Tourmaline Cardona, by the way-- Cartic Mage, researcher. Good to meet you." Thinking on the dilemma for a moment, Tourmaline came up with a solution. "You know, I could probably cast a spell that pointed the way to your sister... I'd need something of hers, though, and if she's explicitly hiding, I won't be able to find her, not with my amateur level of expertise. I need approval to cast a spell, though."

Turning to Goibniu, Tourmaline said, "I think if you're watching, it should be fine? As long as the officers here know who you are."