Bookman's Rest [FINISH]

[Harpsdesire]

It hadn't been too hard for Dania to find the pub, which turned out to be fairly well known among Esterberry residents, and practically legendary among students in the surrounding universities. Nice atmosphere, cheap beer, good food... and according to one college-age avian, it was where all the smartest and best-looking young cards in the area hung out after class (and before study group, extracurricular lectures and open lab hours).

The rat pushed open the heavy oak door, expecting to find a typical bar. To her surprise, the large tavern was lined with wall-to-wall bookcases, richly-colored rugs covered the floor, and every possible surface was made of heavy, dark wood, all elaborately carved. That was... very Esterberry. It was also fairly crowded, although a variety of plush armchairs were still unoccupied, and the noise level was rather less than expected in a room so full of cards and all manner of intoxicating beverages. This was probably because a good percentage of the patrons were actually reading, rather than engaging in conversation with their companions.

Bookman's Rest was a pleasant place, Dania decided, as she stepped up to the massive wooden bar to place her order. She received a glass of lemonade, as it wouldn't do to start drinking before the card she was meeting had even arrived.

She selected a seat near the fire, not far from a group of students engaged in a spirited discussion (apparently about the existence or non-existence of Luminiferous Ether, whatever that was...)

Xopek was nowhere in sight, but Dania wasn't especially surprised-- she was somewhat early, since it was not nearly as hard to find the pub as she had anticipated. The rat had navigated the well-marked and logically laid out streets of Esterberry with surprising ease, considering she had been in the city for just over 24 hours.

The fire was warm, the seat comfortable, and the lemonade almost too sweet. The would-be student was quite content to sit a while and watch the comings and goings of the tavern's patrons and listen to the disjointed fragments of several odd but passionate debates.

[The Jenn]

Once a day, he is able to make himself look like a normal bound Torque, with his wings "bound" up in an image behind his back. During this time, a full half a day, he will also have a fake suit and rank on his chest: a Four of Diamonds.

Off in the corner nearest the barkeep, a quiet form blended with the backdrop of the stage set up for miniature performances in the evenings. He appeared to be a normal Torquehelm, bound at the wings, and he wore a simple black masque to blend his gold filigree markings into obscurity. If he didn't, some "smart" little Esterberry would have taken up the conversation of its appearance and his binding with him long before.

His task one street over had already been completed, and rather well. He had enjoyed his conversation with the aged Esterberry teacher - likely the professor of some of the young things here - and had helped usher the woman on to the land of the dead. She had been ready to go, and had lived a long, full life. A terribly entertaining woman. She taught pre-War literature and he had been able to discuss several volumes that she had only heard of. He remained a contemporary of most of them.

And now he sat quietly, relaxing, not feeling terribly pressed or called in any particular direction. He was called in many - his existence was such that his spirit could be in as many places at one time as it needed to be - but his physical form only inhabited a single space on the mortal plane. He enjoyed being grounded.

He also enjoyed this cranberry mixture. It tasted vaguely alcoholic and mildly carbonated, but neither of them strong enough to do more than play with the tongue at each sip.

Odd to see another Torquehelm in the primarily-Esterberry establishment. His eye had drifted towards Dania on more than one occasion, her colors a stark contrast to the pub's usual clientele. There were a few other mixes, and a Corvie-Esterberry in the corner who seemed to invite very serious debate from his comrades on the subject of physics, but no other Torquehelms.

And she looked... pleased. Contented, at the very least. Not overtly displeased with her lot in life. Interesting.

With a soft rustle of feathers, he stood and meandered his way across the floor, finding and settling himself into a seat near hers by the fire. He locked eyes with her and tilted his head slightly. Then he spoke quietly in her mind.

"Good day. Please pardon my intrusion, but I find myself mildly curious as to your presence. You appear to be enjoying yourself and I wish to make your acquaintance. My name is Rasha." He inclined his torso forward at the introduction.

[Harpsdesire]

Dania had noticed with mild surprise that she was not the only one of her realm to be in the Esterberry tavern. The avian who was also sitting alone and sipping a drink looked a touch too old to be a college student; he generally looked a little out of place. Still, Dania hadn't thought to approach the other Torque, both because of her introverted nature, and because she still expected Xopek to show up.

She smiled shyly when Rasha sat nearby. When his voice spoke into her mind, however, Dania responded with a bit less grace, blinking several times in surprise. That voice was just... weird. Almost like it entirely bypassed her ears on the way to her brain. Had his beak even moved? It was a little disconcerting, for some reason, but she told herself it was probably a trick of the acoustics and responded politely. "It's no intrusion."

She tried to muster a smile with the least possible amount of nervousness. Rasha looked more or less normal despite the small black mask that framed oddly golden eyes. "Pleased to meet you, Rasha." She said softly, "I'm Dania."

She couldn't really fathom why he was interested in her, beside perhaps that they had realm in common, but it was rather nice to have company while she waited for the slightly strange Esterberry ferret who had asked her to meet him here. She glanced toward the door once more for him, but as he was not in evidence, her purple eyes returned to Rasha's face.

[The Jenn]

Excellent - a receptive individual. Rasha had been hopeful. He really did enjoy talking to the living. Their perspective on things was quite similar to, and yet distinctly removed from, the concerns of the newly dead. And they were worlds away from the lingering departed. He dipped his beak very slightly and smiled, just around the edges.

"Dania. A pleasure. And also a lovely name. Are you aware of its meaning? It it quite interesting for a Torquehelm. More popular in years gone by, I believe. My own name labels me a gazelle in the Hisstor tongue." The last sentence dipped into an ironic tone and he cocked his head in amusement.

Waiting for someone, from the way she kept glancing to the door. A lover? A fellow? A peer? A professor? Difficult to tell in a place like this. She certainly didn't fit the general mould of the establishment, but she also didn't stick out like a Benyan or even a Morganberry would have. Everyone carried with them such a unique story.

[Harpsdesire]

"Th-thank you." That time she had been watching, and it was clear that he communicated only into her mind, responding to the words she uttered aloud. It seemed something like a club's speaking ability, but there was an obvious Diamond marking on his chest. A little disconcerting, really, but the mental 'voice' was soft and not unpleasant.

If the Esterberries surrounding her had noticed, she probably would have looked very peculiar, talking to herself in a crowded tavern. As it was, it seemed that each of them was absorbed in their own fascinating conversations, their own inimitable selves. It was sometimes a vexing thing about the scholarly realm, but suddenly Dania was glad of it.

"I haven't really thought much of it." Dania admitted, although she had a vague recollection of looking her own name up in a book once as a youngster, "I suppose it was meaningful to my parents." She shrugged a bit, but looked at Rasha curiously. It seemed he knew the derivation of the name, and perhaps he was eager to enlighten her.

"Gazelle? Curious, but perhaps it best fits if you don't take it at the most obvious interpretation." She had almost given up waiting for the pine marten with the curiously musical voice who had invited her here. It wouldn't be unheard of for an Esterberry to forget a social engagement when some interesting fact caught their eye and demanded immediate in-depth study. It was one of the things she would have to get used to if she was to fit in here.

[The Jenn]

"There are ways to suit the meaning of any name to oneself," Rasha agreed, voice light and amused. "I do tend to jump from place to place, so in that respect I am somewhat gazelle-like. Perhaps."

He sipped at his cranberry bubble-drink, enjoying the sensation on his tongue and sliding down his throat before settling the glass on a small table nearby.

"As to your own name, however... its meaning is less clear than its history. In centuries past, there was a woman by the name of Dania who settled a very famous dispute between Hearts and Diamonds. She was an arbiter of no small skill and she averted what might have been a very ugly and shadowy war between the red suits at a time when both had exceptional resources. Many people admired her for her skill and the artful way in which she used her Diamond charm and silver tongue. She soothed the Hearts, placated the Diamonds, and enjoyed a very long and successful career. The story had faded somewhat from popular culture, hence the decline of the name's previous popularity. You can find mention of her in many history books pre-dating the first War of the Wall, I'm sure."

[Harpsdesire]

The rat smiled at Rasha's explanation. Jumping like a Gazelle from one land to another-- She had met someone like that before. "So you are a traveler, then?" Dania's ears pricked forward slightly, betraying her interest. Those who traveled widely always had the best stories. "Have you spend much time in Esterberry?"

She listened to the famous Dania's story with interest, although she frowned slightly at the end of the tale. "I'm afraid I'm not very much like her." Dania admitted, "I suppose my parents had high expectations of me when I was born." Expectations that plummeted soon after, she thought. Her face took on a pensive expression, then she made an effort to smile. "I love history. I'll be sure to find her story when I'm next in the library. I take it you're a history buff as well?"

[The Jenn]

"A lifelong traveler," Rasha agreed with no small amount of irony in his smile. "I know many people in many places and make an effort to visit them all. I will, eventually, visit everyone. It's just a matter of making my way. I'm very fortunate that my work allows me a certain degree of freedom in my movements. I was until recently very detained. The Esterberry is my current stop, but it's no more frequent than any other realm. I'm more... passing through."

"As to your name, it may suit you better later in life than it does now. Fate is often a funny thing. Isn't it good for your parents to give you a name with the promise of hope? Don't let it weigh you down. It's far better to live life buoyed by hope than trodden by expectations."

Goodness, he sounded old. Chatting with that old woman had left him waxing pedantic. "I do enjoy history. I'll admit to a fondness for an older history due to familiarity, but more recent history holds the promise of unknown discoveries. I tend to be a somewhat backward individual. It's a fine balance, looking to the future while dwelling in the past."

[Harpsdesire]

Visiting everyone? That sounded strange to Dania, and she looked at Rasha with a tiny hint of discomfort, although she did not feel threatened by the avian. "I see. Well, I hope your stay this time is pleasant..." She smiled a little hesitantly, but relaxed as he continued. Rasha seemed very kind, even if he didn't mind implying things that made her nervous without remotely understanding what they meant.

"It was kind of them. They only ever meant to be good to me." She agreed, but there was sadness behind her eyes. "I suppose we all just hope for the best and do what we can, and try to trust that it ends up alright." Dania's sober tone was somewhat in contrast with her words, but she smiled at Rasha, who obviously meant very well. She did indeed feel just the tiniest bit lighter, as it seemed that in some strange way the dark bird understood that which she did not quite say. Perhaps it should not have been surprising, since he appeared to be quite fluent in subtext himself.

For some time she stayed in the tavern with Rasha, speaking of history, the past and future. He was fascinating to talk to, although he seemed to get cryptic at crucial moments now and then, as if he knew things he wouldn't dare speak of. After a time, and as they said goodnight, Dania ceased to mind that she had been stood up by the one she was supposed to meet. No, she thought, in a rare burst of superstition (or perhaps insight), she had met exactly who she was supposed to meet.