[Sodium_noir] Killing Time at Harlequins

[Substitute Storyteller]

Elizabeth, Giger Harlequin
Tremere, Ravnos 
Club Harlequin
 
> The room begins to applaud the singer, a ripple of
> encore's and even a few thrown flowers. 

Giger rises from his seat just as many others do to
praise the exquisite stylings of the singer. 
Elizabeth, however, is a bit less demonstrative, and
chooses to simply applaud while still remaining in her
seat.  
 
> The Mortals probably didn't notice, or they thought
>it exotic, but Giger could tell a Dead man when he
>saw one no matter how dark they had been in life.
> The harlequin, for he could be no other, looks
> around the room with a broad and infectious smile.

Giger assesses the man.  So this was the notorious
Harlequin.  He wasn't exactly hard to spot, was he? 
And he was very adept at toeing the thin line of the
Masquerade.  Then again, most Ravnos were not aligned
with the Camarilla, so they worry about the
Traditions...much.  

> Despite her pain, she plays along. A consummate
> performer. One hand on her hip she lips a finger to
> her lips and taps them, pretending to think. 

While Giger focuses simply upon the play between
Ringmaster and Songstress, Elizabeth studies the
emotions.  The flamboyant man was acting, playing to
the audience, but the woman was hiding her emotions.
And doing it well. 

> The Harlequin lifts the Fiddle to his throat and the
> band begin to play. He joins them with his own
> playing, a sad lamentation with a painful melody. As
> she begins to sing, her voice is equally tinged with
> the sadness of the song.

Giger listens intently to the song.  He'd never heard
it before.  Was it translated from some other
language?  It lacked the rhyming structure of most
songs, but despite it, the songstress was performing
it so beautifully, he was certain that any Toreador in
the room would be instantly enchanted.  
 
> What you wear is bright silk satin
> That no needle can pierce.
> My beloved cannot sleep without me.

> She raises her hands above her head and begins to
> dance from the hips. Her head sways and her fingers
> click.

Elizabeth listens to the song.  It was a sad lament,
reminding her of the ballads from the times when she
was mortal.  Her ears separate the violin from the
singer and the other instruments, and she focused her
attention upon it, for that more than the song, was
calling to her.  

> As the song comes to an end, the Harlequin stops
> before Giger and Elizabeth. The final mournful notes
> played as he looks directly into the English
> Tremere's eyes, full of amused arrogance. 

The song stops, and Giger is suddenly aware that the
Harlequin had made his way to their table, and that he
was serenading his fellow Apprentice.  He was not sure
he entirely liked the way the Harlequin was looking at
her, the way a predator looks at his prey.    

There is no fear in Elizabeth eyes as she meets the
Harlequin's gaze.  Perhaps, though, she should be
afraid.  

Giger looks up from the table, which held very little:
 a nearly full glass of red wine and a half empty
glass of Guiness in a non-stereotypical arrangement,
for the beer was by the woman, and the wine by the
man.  In the end, it is Giger that speaks first.  "You
must be the famous Harlequin?"  

[Tag] 



	
		
__________________________________ 
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 
http://mail.yahoo.com