H130, Day 221, 1 AP [Wraith, Hilathic, Open]

[Uathach Blackmantle]

The Peak hour passed, and the clocktowers chimed out the first hour for the waning half of the day. Uathach and her son sought shelter from the afternoon traffic and oily grey drizzle inside Chirper's; a restaurant, inn, and playhouse renowned for it's fine fare, spacious rooms, and it's open-door policy, which make it the best place to be, this side of the Festhall.

Wraith smiles pleasantly up at the bariaur doorman as she makes her way inside. "Excuse me, cutter, I'm expecting to meet a friend of mine here about now. He's a small tiefling, has red eyes, greenish skin and beard, and scales. He's not hard to miss. If you see him, could you please inform him that myself and my son will be in the dinning room. Thankyou." She asks of the doorman, before moving on, past the soaring brass eagle, to the cloak room.

Checking in her cloak, her dagger, and her surgical knife, she leads Aerin away into the spacious common room, up to the oblong bar. The boy, clearly amazed by everything he sees, gazes about the huge room and the myriad of patrons in wide-eyed wonder. Clutching Wraith's hand and his tridrone doll tight, he clings close to her, almost hiding behind her skirts as first a hulking bariaur, then a pair of black abishai brush past them, almost close enough for the mute child to touch.

Hoisting Aerin up onto her slender hip, Wraith wends her way through to the crowd, and approaches the bar between a sullen githzarai soldier, and an earth prince quietly enjoying his beer. She signals to the nearest barman. "Excuse me, cutter, I would like to reserve the private dining room for myself, my son, and a friend of mine, if it's available during the lunch hour." She inquires politely, and shifts Aerin's weight to her other hip.

[hilathic]

(Has Wraith and Aerin been seated yet?)

[Uathach Blackmantle]

[Not yet. I'm waiting to see if there was anything Stix wanted to add here first, although I'm sure Hilathic could drop in any time he liked. ]

[hilathic]

(assuming you have been seated)

Stepping into Chirper's with just a small pouch and one hand and a harmonica in the other, Hilathic greets the Bariaur at the door. "Good Day. I am to meet a friend and her boy here. I wonder if they have arrived yet?"

[Uathach Blackmantle]

While she waits to be seated, either in the private dining room, or directed to a vacant table, Wraith sets Aerin down on the stool, and brushes back his hair. The boy was getting too heavy for her to carry him for long.

"I hope Hal won't take too much longer." She murmurs as her eyes scan the sea of flaces. Little did she know her fiendling beneficiary was here already...

[Uathach Blackmantle]

ooc @ Hilathic: I wonder if we should continue this while we wait for the other threads to start moving again. Because I have some ideas in mind if you wanted to give this a kick start too.

[Uathach Blackmantle]

Drumming her nails on the polished bar top, Wraith heaves a restless sigh. Where was he? Her thoughts of requesting the private room forgotten - the lunch hour here was particularly busy today - Wraith collects Aerin into her arms, and abandons her seat.

It was just as well. No sooner than vacating her position at the bar, a sweaty scarred orc barges past her, nearly knocking her over, and bellows to get the barman's attention.

Setting Aerin down on his feet again, Wraith leads the little boy away into the crowd. Searching the busy common room while keeping an eye on the mute child walking beside her, she shuffles past the bariaur doorman and Hilathic, without even seeing either of them. Her mind is drawn elsewhere.

Her linen skirts swish around her boots with each movement, occasionally catching on her heel before she stops to lift the hem away.

It's quite an attractive dress she wears in favour of her grim attire. Cut in a style to flatter her slim figure, it reveals only a hint of her breasts; just enough to tease the eye. The folds of her wimple caress her neck and jaw, framing her beautiful face and blue hair; save for a few stray wisps.

Perhaps that was the essence of Wraith's allure and beauty; her near virginal modesty. She never tried to flaunt what she'd flourished into. Quite the contrary, she succeeded in hiding it, from herself and others. Or maybe it was her work, her frailty and her ever present burden that's hidden her loveliness for so long.

Deep down Wraith knew she suppressed herself because of shame... and because whenever she looked at herself in the mirror, she saw only the wasted tiefling girl staring back at her.

It was only a matter of time before her light would shine through once more.

[hilathic]

Looking down on Hilathic, the Doorman's look of recognition looks almost like a sneer. "Ya, the basher and her boy took a seat over there near the bar, while they waited for a private room for the three of you to open."

Not seeing Wraith and Aerin pass by the doorman because of his tremendous size, Hilathic stands on his tip toes to see where the Bariuar is pointing. Seeing only an Orc in the area where Wraith should be, Hilathic decides to make his way through the crowd.

Aerin seeing Hilathic from under the bariaur begins to pull on his mothers dress to get her attention...

[Uathach Blackmantle]

Stopping again to peer through the crowd, Wraith almost considers collecting her cloak and leaving, when she felt Aerin tug insistently on her hand. Bending down to the boy's level, she tucks a stray lock of red hair behind his pointed ear, and adjusts his woollen cap.

"What is it, Aerin?" She asks gently. Again the boy tugs mutely on her hand, and points over her shoulder. Frowning in perplexity, Wraith glances where her son points. Seeing no one there but the press of bodies, she turns back to her son.

The boy seemed frustrated because his mother didn't understand what he was trying to communicate to her. Again he tugs on her hand, pointing into the crowd and grunts in response. His lips move, trying to form into words, but only a helpless squeaking comes out instead.

"Aerin? What is it?" Wraith echoes, studying her son's face. If only the poor boy could talk and tell her what he'd seen. He didn't look afraid. In fact he looked excited, animated. A silly grin tugged at his lips, and his eyes were bright. Clearly he'd seen something he liked and he wanted her to see too.

Smiling gently, Wraith rises to her feet, and glances that way again. Maybe he'd seen the glass spheres in the dining room, and he wanted a closer look. She had to admit the exhibits here were quite fascinating.

And there, wandering through the crowd, seeming quite lost himself, was Hilathic.

"Hal?" Wraith calls out. Laughing excitedly, Aerin breaks free from Wraith and dashes through the crowd.

"Aerin! Get back here." She cries and lurches after him. Though she was quite swift of foot, she carried a heavy weight. Aerin's smaller size gave him the advantage and he wove deftly through the crowd, squeezing through smaller gaps as she stumbled along behind him. "Aerin! Please... watch where you're going!"

[hilathic]

Crashing into Hilathic's legs and wrapping his arms tightly to him, Aerin smiles up to Hilathic. Reaching for Aerin, Hilathic picks him up with some great effort and holds him to his hip. "Where you trying to leave without me Aerin?" Hilathic asks in a playful manor.

Aerin points his way back to the crowd where his mother is trying to make his way to the pair. Setting Aerin down and holding his hand, they make their way back over to Wraith.

[Uathach Blackmantle]

Wraith blushes deeply. Anyone who was watching them might've thought Hilathic was Aerin's father, and she didn't know how that made her feel. Though she makes no gesture to take her son back just yet. Aerin was happy, truly happy, for the first time in days and that was reason enough to let him stay by Hal's side.

Staring down at her hands to hide her blush, and fiddling uneasily with the neck of her dress, Wraith murmurs; "So where to now? If we stay here, we could be waiting a while." She gestures at the bar. "I should've remembered Chirper's gets a little busy around this time of day." Shrugging her thin shoulders, she tugs on her lower lip and the plain metal stud protruding from her flesh.

"I thought about hiring the private dining room for us. It would've been nice to talk in private without all the bustle and the noise, but... I really can't remain for long." Her blush deepens, staining her pale cheeks. "Initiate Xanathis is expecting me at the Mortuary by the dinner hour." Wraith's stomach gurgles in protest. She lowers her hand to it and sighs. Would she even have time to eat? She couldn't afford to be late again...

[hilathic]

With Aerin hanging from Hilathic's arms trying to swing back and forth with his feet rocking him from heel to toe, Hilathic thinks for a moment as he scans the room. Hilathic's keen vision spies a set of table toward the back of the room that are now vacant. "There is a spot back there if we hurry we may be able to them."

[Uathach Blackmantle]

Wraith covers her mouth to stifle a giggle, and almost considers reprimanding her son for his behaviour. But he was just behaving like any other normal child. If only he could be so open with her...

Sighing, she smiles and nods. "Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea. Better than heading out into the rain again." She plucks idly at the neck of her dress as though she wanted to say more, but decided against it. She may come across as vain, and she wasn't like that at all.

Taking Aerin by his other hand, Wraith follows Hilathic into the dining room, pointing out the displays in the glass spheres as they pass first the eyewing, then a massive feline carved entirely from black minerals. "I wonder who's performing in the Seawind Theatre today?" She murmurs both as a casual afterthought, and to keep her mind distracted. It was better than thinking about how much Aerin preferred Hilathic's company over hers.

[hilathic]

Hilathic and Wraith half dragging Aerin to the table as he swung back and forth on there arms where forced to take a table near a group of Giff. Their smell of grease, oil and sweet was over powered by smell of something roasting in the near by kitchen luckily.

Pulling his Modren doll from who knows where Aerin begins to swing him back and forth in the same manor he was swinging between his mother and Hilathic.

"It's good to see you are feeling better Aerin. Are you ready to talk to us yet?" Hilathic asks the still mute Aerin.

Shaking his head no and looking to the wall behind them, Hilathic follows Aerin's eyes to see what the boy was looking at. There on the wall was a Dart board with 6 darts stuck into it.

"You like Darts, Aerin?" Again the boy shock his head know this time with reserved excitement. "Well then after we have lunch I could show you. Darts is the one thing my mother and I ever really did together. Perhaps your mother will play with us as well?"

Hilathic is interrupted by the arrival of their waitress, she is an exquisite creature, with long flowing black hair braided into a not at the shoulders. Ebony skin as black as coal and eyes that sparkled like gypsum. Not knowing what type of creature she was Hilathic paused and stared for probably a moment to long. Breaking his gaze to look back to Aerin and Wraith he could see they where having the same type of reaction and realized the waitress must have some sort of fascination ability. Something that would be very handy for gaining extra tips in a place like Chriper's. Waiting politely for Wraith to order first, Hilathic watches Aerin play with his doll.

[Uathach Blackmantle]

Wraith shakes her head momentarily as though awakening from a dream, and gazes at the waitress. "I would suggest some absinthe, but now is not the time or place. There's a certain ritual to how it's prepared and served... perhaps another time, cutter." She smiles politely at the waitress, and glances at Hilathic. She's blushing again. "Besides I must be back at the Mortuary soon... and I'll need my wits about me." She tucks a stray lock of hair back into the folds of her wimple, and fiddles uneasily with the copper pin.

Following Hilathic's gaze, she notices Aerin playing with his doll again, and smiles wistfully. Pulling the boy close and kissing his forehead, she tries to show him other ways the doll can move, mimicking the actions of a live tridrone. Until he pulls away and retreats back into his own little world.

Wraith flinches as though struck, and lets her hands fall onto the table before her.

Again her stomach gurgles in protest. Wraith winces. She was saved by the pain in her gut at least. "Whatever is the house special, nothing too exotic, preferably fish, a sweet wine from Olympus, goats milk for my son," She almost told Hilathic to order on Aerin's behalf, but the boy might take that as a sign of rejection, and she certainly wasn't trying to cast him aside. She was just... a little upset right now. Wasn't every mother allowed to hurt and grieve?

[ooc: I modified this today because the last two paragraphs seemed superfluous and I didn't like how they were written.]

[Uathach Blackmantle]

Wraith shakes her head again, and smiles at the exotic waitress. "And a hearty beef or lamb stew with herbed bread and butter for my son, please." Pushing her chair in further, she unfolds her napkin and spreads it across her lap, then does the same for Aerin; tucking it into the collar of his doublet instead. The boy squirms in his seat, making a face at her, and resumes playing with his doll.

After the waitress has taken her order, and waits for Hilathic to order his meal, Wraith glances over her shoulder at the dart board. "Actually, cutter, a game of darts after lunch would be quite nice. I don't know if I would be any good at it... but I'm willing to give it a try." She says with a delighted smile that lights up her eyes.

[hilathic]

"Why do we not ask Aerin what he would like?" Turning a smile to Aerin, Aerin returns the smile with a beaming grin of his own. "Would you like some stew for lunch Aerin?" Seeing the negative look on Aerin's face, Hilathic tries something else.

"A steak then? Maybe one from a dragon, still dripping in gooey bloo..." Seeing Aerin's sudden look of horror Hal realized he had gone the wrong way with this, "Well I am going to have a soup and salad for lunch. Maybe a light desert after words." Aerin's face brightened substantially and he nodded his agreement to Hilathic as he turn to Wraith, smile brimming from ear to ear. He had choosen what he would eat and he was proud of that.

"There we have it! Two garden salads, and two vegetable soup please if you have it. To drink we will have apple juice? Is that ok Aerin? Yes! Excellent. Also if we could a loaf of bread for the table. Thank you."

[Uathach Blackmantle]

Watching the waitress walk off after taking their orders, Wraith folds her hands in front of her. Occassionally she fiddles with the scooped neckline of her bodice as she takes in her surroundings, and smiles at Hilathic.

It truly was very sweet of him to take over where Aerin was concerned. He had an instant rapport with the boy. And though she couldn't help but feel little envious of that, she was glad for Hilathic's presence in their life. All boys needed a father figure or male role-model, just as girls needed a mother they could look up to.

Wraith long ago came to terms with the fact that there were some things she couldn't provide for her son.

Reaching across the table, Wraith pats Hilathic's hand gently. "Thankyou, for doing that for me, otherwise I would've ended up ordering Aerin the wrong meal." She says with a nervous laugh, and gently squeezes his fingers. "You have a real way with children, I can see that. Or maybe it's just that Aerin trusts you." She shrugs.

Then laying her hand upon Aerin's shoulder, the boy wriggles away from her, pulling a mock disgusted face, and scoots closer to Hilathic.

Wraith sighs, but it's more of a wistful sigh than a sad one. She'd forced back any pain she was feeling for the sake of enjoying this time together, with her boy and their benefactor. Like anyone else would.

Wraith turns away then, letting her gaze drift over the busy dining room until it falls upon the display cases, and the obsidian tiger watching with vague interest. The exotic creature returns to crunching on one of the many bones littering the huge glass sphere. She glances at the windows then, and the grey light streaked by oily rain.

"Hilathic, I don't mean to be a burden, but I was wondering if you could do me a favour, since my son clearly trusts you." She begins, turning to look at him again. "Could you take him out to a show tonight, and then back home? I have to return to the Mortuary in a few hours and I'll be working quite late. But I haven't had time to find a nursemaid for him yet." She felt bad admitting that. But so much had been on her mind lately... It was difficult keeping up with everything.

[hilathic]

"Ofcourse, I was actually planing to ask something very similar. I had some shopping to do and I was hoping Aerin could join me. A show afterwards would be a fantastic idea. I hear there is a show about 3 little halflings and a bid bad orc, playing at the theater tonight."

[Uathach Blackmantle]

"Excellent. Here, at the Seawind Theatre? Or a bit closer to home?" Wraith asks in a pleasant tone, scarcely able to keep the smile off her face. She glances over her shoulder to see if the waitress would soon return with their drinks, and flags down another passing waitress to order herself some dessert for after her meal. She turns back to Hilathic.

"Speaking of the theatre, when I was younger, my adopted mother took me to the opera at the Civic Festhall. It was her birthday, and as usual father wasn't around. Neither was his accountant." A shudder passes through her body at the mere mentioning of the word, and the memory of the man attached to it. "Her sickness had gone into recession, so she was in higher spirits and full of more energy than I'd seen in, well, years. So it was a special occassion for both of us.

I remember it was a most moving tale about two star-crossed lovers from the Prime, Rauna and Sirius. He was her Sun, and she was as the Moon to him. Their love was said to outshine the Heavans, so much so that it drew the wrath of a vengeful god. To complicate matters, Rauna's father detested Sirius, claiming he was a blackguard, intent on despoiling his daughter's honor. He forbade their union. But Rauna disobeyed him and ran away to elope with her beloved.

Fate wasn't so forgiving. They found a priest sympathetic to their plight, but they were destined to be torn apart.

That night, after they'd lain together under the stars, Sirius received a message from his King; the kingdom was overrun my a menacing horde of fiends, and he was chosen to lead his men into battle. By the time Rauna received this news, it was already too late. Her beloved had ridden off to die.

Rauna remained there in the grove, and took her own life, swearing with her last breath if she couldn't have him in life, they would be together again in death. Sirius was slain in battle as she'd predicted, though for his heroic deeds his spirit rose into the heavans to become the sun.

It was Rauna's sin that damned them.

The Goddess took pity on Rauna, merging her spirit with the Moon. But the God whose wrath she'd invoked ensured they would be parted forever. And as sure as the Sun's orbit never coincided with the moon, so Sirius' arms never would warm her." Wraith smiles wistfully.

"Truthfully, Hal, though music has always been in my blood, that story inspired me to become a bard. It was so beautifully performed and written, I wanted to create works that were just as moving and memorable... And I believe I have. I just haven't made a name for myself yet." She adds with a shrug and a laugh.