music of the night

Accepting the strips of cloth, the Ascended listened closely as Jigano explained, rolling the bandages as he did so. Instruments and song? He was getting to like the not-so-stranger more and more. It had been a long time since he had heard the mandolin or the lapharp, and he made a mental note to ask Jigano to play when they weren't in such an apparently dire situation. He nodded and set the bandages aside at his question, waiting for more.

"Piano and violin," he said. "And song too, though I prefer to let the instruments do the talking." Music soothed the beast within him - or it had, when that beast had been the stuff of gods and angels. Quite how that translated into this new body was still a large unknown for Lucas.

He offered a flat kind of smirk at the other man's apology, shrugging his shoulders. "As am I. It was fascinating, and I fear I did not get nearly as much out of it as I might have done. I was a businessman, there. A lawman, you might say here - I worked with security and things like that. But what of you? Where are you from?"

Jigano provided more stripe of cloth as Lucas finished rolling, falling into a natural rhythm only broken when he had to reach for a second sheet. "Ah, violin," he mused, letting some few of the shadows retreat a little at the talk of pleasanter things. "I would love to hear a good violin again. We may have to see if we can find an instrument maker here. My flute and lapharp made it through the portal with me, but my mandolin was lost and I haven't had a chance to replace it yet. It sounds as if we could both use the services of a good luthier." The piano, however, might prove a bit trickier to obtain.

A flickered glance caught the smirk, but Jigano was too weary to wonder about it. He nodded understanding of the gist of Lucas' work, however. A bodyguard service, perhaps, or a mercenary company, if it was a 'business' of law enforcement. Otherwise he would have said 'guard' or 'soldier,' or perhaps the bard was simply overthinking it. The return question had him tilting his chin, distracted from further pursuit by old memories he had been growing more distant from the longer he spent in Caido... for good or for ill, or perhaps both.

"I'm from the northlands of my world, from a country called Numeria," he began, wondering how to distill an entire world into a few simple phrases. "Like and unlike here. Magic and gods are common there, but the gods were more, ah, distant than the local variety. And there is a far greater variety of intelligent races... humans being common but not necessarily a majority outside of a few enclaves." He considered commenting on the technology scattered across the landscape by the ancient Rain of Stars but... perhaps that wouldn't interest the charming blond. Their worlds sounded very different, and he didn't want to shock his companion, or make him think the bard was a liar.

"Have you been settling in here well enough, in spite of the differences from your own world?" he asked, belated courtesy as they continued to work. With Lucas' help the job would soon be complete, Jigano realized distractedly, and then he might need to find something else to occupy his hands with, as well as his mind. Cleaning the tools and instruments that had been used during Long Night, perhaps.

Their rhythm was an easy one, when they got into it, and in not too long they would have a pile of neatly rolled bandages. If LongNight continued as it had been doing, no doubt they would not go long without being needed. Jigano's almost yearning tone had Lucas pining for the music as well, the Ascended pursing his lips and nodding absently. "I'll keep my eyes peeled for one. In this bubble, there must be someone who knows the art." Unusually optimistic for Lucas, but perhaps he just missed it.

He drank in the information about where the bard was from, frustrated that he had not heard of the place. Perhaps some part of him had been keening to find a fellow otherworlder with whom he could share stories of coffee houses and poker nights... not that he hadn't obtained anything from this conversation. "Perhaps those races still exist, just... outside of this barrier we are in. As for settling in... I am not sure that there really is a way to settle, here. You can probably relate. But I have stopped looking for bridges to jump from, if that's what you mean."

They worked steadily enough that soon they would have enough bandages to have replaced what had been used by the various Long Night wounded. And Lucas' company was, almost surprisingly, a welcome distraction from the dark turn his thoughts had taken since the Long Night descended on them all, trapping them inside or skittering around within their own skulls. Music, of course, was almost guaranteed to draw him out, and he nodded as he tentatively warmed to the blond who shared one of his passions, in spite of the grey fog of exhaustion and guilt that seemed to cloud his thoughts and muffle his emotions. "Even if there's not one yet, that doesn't mean one won't arrive," he pointed out wryly, giving his fellow outlander a nod of shared experience.

The mention of other races existing outside the barrier had Jigano tilting his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he agreed slowly. "I suppose we won't know until we're out of it. Given the eagerness of no few recent arrivals to do so, I believe the next assault on the spire is due in the spring - er, Flowerbirth - once the snow has melted and there's more light to bring to bear on the situation." And on the spire's guardian which, if it really was some version of an Ascended gone wrong, might not appreciate being forced to stay out on the sun for extended periods of time. But Lucas didn't give him much time to ponder it. The bard nodded agreement that it was hard to settle, but gave a little shrug of his shoulder as he handed the last bandage to his companion and then sat back, running tired fingers through his hair. "Mostly I just... keep myself busy. I don't lack for things to do, and it keeps me from thinking about how trapped we are." The word came out on a growl as he glanced up at the stone walls around them, though it was clear he meant the barrier beyond. "I'm a wanderer by preference. Staying in one place too long... it's too easy to get... attached," he finished on a sigh, giving a little shake of his head. Oh, it was far too late for that, wasn't it? But... was it really that bad?

"If you need a bridge for other things, there's one in the ruins I can show you after this night is over," he said, glancing to the green-eyed charmer with at least an attempt at humor. "Though people seem to have a habit of jumping or falling or getting knocked off it, so then again, perhaps not..."

Lucas nodded in agreement - and if they were stuck here for the foreseeable future and it seemed as though people were going to continue to plummet into the world like raindrops, they could always hold out hope for someone with a skill in making instruments. "Flowerbirth," he repeated softly; it wasn't the first time Lucas had heard the name of this world's version of 'Spring', but he still thought it was mildly ridiculous.

"Well, let us hope that these ambitious new arrivals are worth their salt and they don't just throw themselves at the creature pointlessly." That would mean trying again and again, after all, and Lucas would get far too bored of it by then. He arched an eyebrow at Jigano's reasoning for wanting out of the barrier - wandering was one thing, but not getting attached? It was odd enough to catch the Ascended's attention. "Are you the type, then, to get attached?" he wondered aloud.

Arching an eyebrow and setting the last of the rolled strips of fabric in the pile, Lucas nodded absently. "Sure. If nothing else it gives me a suitable place to end it all dramatically, if the mood strikes me."

Jigano shared Lucas's opinion on the names of the seasons, but he found he was getting used to them the longer he was there. Proof that familiarity bred indifference, he supposed. "Your guess is as good as mine... I've only met their leader, Ronin, once or twice and, ah, I didn't get to see him really test his mettle either time." The first time the man had been struck by an arrow which was probably not his finest moment. Hunting with Sugar and Isuma had been quite a bit of fun though, and he tentatively liked the man... though he had no idea what his skills and abilities were, aside from being the head of the Monster Hunter's Guild - an organization that seemed singularly well-suited to taking on a demon.

The rather - well, extremely - personal question had the bard raising his gaze to examine Lucas with a little more lucidity, a silver brow arching slowly in surprise. "I suppose so, however much heartache it eventually ends in," he admitted, allowing himself the rare moment of vulnerability, with Long Night's shadow stretching over them all with the promise of death and worse. He had almost lost Amalia, almost lost Rory...

Had lost Isla.

"And what about yourself?" he said quietly. "You, who protect others... what is most important for you to protect?"

The comment on the bridge earned a small huff that might have been amusement, if Jigano had the strength for such. "A swift death for an Accepted... a slow and lingering one for an Ascended, I am told," he warned, though not with any real vigor behind what might have once been a joke.

Lucas absently nibbled on the inside of his lip as he heard Jigano speak in more detail about these 'ambitious newcomers', packing the information away for future contemplation. Would it be worth it, perhaps, to get in with these people? Especially given his own tasks and plans regarding the Spire, the barrier, the Voice... He glanced up as the bard continued, his candid response causing a lopsided smile to spread across Lucas's face. He'd not expected it, in truth, and that went for the gentle rebuttal as well.

What was most important for him to protect? Well, himself obviously. But that was hardly the sort of answer he thought Jigano was looking for. He exhaled softly, even if he didn't necessarily need the breath. "For me? Freedom, I think. The freedom to make choices, to make mistakes, to try new things. That is a precious commodity, in my opinion. One that this place mocks ruthlessly."

Arching an eyebrow at what he assumed was a joke about the Bone Bridge, Lucas snorted softly. "As long as it is a memorable death, I suppose that is alright."

Smiles and riddles and truths and lies... any other week Jigano would have enjoyed this conversation immensely. He settled for a weary appreciation that Lucas provided such an interesting distraction from his tired thoughts, and give the man as much time as he needed to come up with his answer. What came from that wait very nearly earned a smile, and it did earn a slow nod of agreement as fierce as the bard could manage in his current state. "All the more reason to try and bring down the barrier," he said quietly, a flicker of his old intensity underlying his words. "The warriors to make their way past the Spire's guardian, and then the scholars, perhaps, to unlock the Spire's secrets." He did not mention that the old gods might have something to say about it all, for in truth he wasn't certain. Ludo, at least, hadn't seemed concerned, and he had given Remi a mask to see outside the barrier with, and a clue to the barrier's key.

"I will be sure to compose a song for the funeral," Jigano murmured, admiration for his companion's charm warming a bubble of something akin to humor in his chest - even if it was on the grim side. "Do you have any notable accomplishments you'd like me to include? Feats of courage, orphans saved, that sort of thing?"

Jigano's reasoning seemed sound, and while Lucas liked to think of himself as both scholar and warrior, he definitely leaned towards the former right now. One of the cons of falling into this world was that he was apparently as weak as a kitten currently. "I will be watching the Spire closely, then. From afar whilst the creature still guards it, and up close once it has been dispatched." Rising to his feet and assuming that Jigano wouldn't want him for anything further now that the bandages were all prepared, Lucas thought he'd gotten more than enough fromt he conversation.

He laughed at the bard's comments, however, unable to help himself. "Oh, hundreds," he assured the other man. "Though I am sure a mind as creative as yours will be able to come up with plenty. Embellish me as much as you like, as long as it is flattering." He winked.

"As will I," Jigano agreed soberly to the 'plan,' vague as it was. "I have always been better at supporting my warrior friends than at inflicting damage myself." Not that he was entirely incapable of it. The bite wounds on Rory and Amalia were proof of that, weren't they? An unfortunate reminder of why he was out here in the dim light rolling bandages and not somewhere with more people. He didn't trust himself yet, his confidence having taken a blow and leaving him feeling lost and uncertain of his current path.

Oddly, the interlude with Lucas had given him something back rather than wearying him further. It had felt good to talk to someone so bright of mind, a reminder of what he should be capable of, and he scraped together a bit of his old masks to manage a shadow of a joke for his companion. The sound of laughter in the twilit infirmary was almost blasphemous, however, and Jigano only barely hid his wince at the blond's brash boasting. He managed a nod, if not a smile, arching a pale brow. "At the least, I can say that were a good conversationalist," he murmured. "And thank you for your help. May the rest of your Long Night be... survivable." With a final nod he pulled himself to his feet, letting the blond go his own way while the bard returned to his friends' sides.