A Lullaby to Conjure With

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Home for barely a day, but how could she say no when Cayl told her about the shindig? Besides, a party where she didn't feel the need to scope out her next home yet? That was worthwhile. So she threw a hug around Drezzie and pecked him on the ear, pressing a bag of sweets on him from the trip. She asks the newborn's name, and asks if she can sit up on bar and dedicate a lullaby to the new parents.

One booted foot is settled delicately on the edge of a stool as she plants a seat on a cleared bit of bartop and settles the deep violet folds of her skirt. There's no amplification needed in a space this intimate. It's hard to describe what happens, but other performers can recognize it. One moment, you're just part of the crowd. You blend right in. Then you turn on whatever it is that lets you light up a stage, that almost visibly broadcasts an energy into the crowd that says 'look here, watch and appreciate. Take everything I'm giving and send it back a dozenfold in appreciation and I'll turn it into incandescence.'

After a long sip of something purporting to be tea, Dhel looks up and scans across the room--not like she's looking for anyone, but catching any eye and keeping it with a shift of her smile. With a shake of her head that jangles her earpiec, she lifts the rough tumbler. "A toast to the new parents! And a lullaby for the new youngling that they may get a smidge of sleep between now and next year! This is one I learned long ago, comes from a dessert world of fierce monsters that still love their hatchlings and sing to 'em."

They're locals, they've mostly heard her before. There's nothing particularly special about the tune, but it's sung sweetly and slow, with a 3/4 pulse a parent might sway to rocking an infant to sleep.

When she's done, she looks around. "Any requests? It's a party after all, and I'm not on a clock."

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https://skinnywhitechick.bandcamp.com/t ... es-lullaby

May your dreams be all of sun
and heated sand, and sky
when you wake may all your singing
help your heart to fly

May you never be closed in an amber cage
with an amber lock and key
may you roar and sing beneath the sun
and the shade of the Upas tree

bear your tiny teeth, my child
the sun will fall in love with you
and teach you how to sting and roar
and sing and kill, as fathers do.

turn your prayer to sky and sand
no matter where you fall
may the desert echoes teach you
all their secret songs

[Meiyokashi]

"My sister used to sing like that to me when I was younger," a young, somewhat rough feminine voice chirps up. Hands settling on the bar-top nearby. With a smile young Petra pushes herself up onto one of the unoccupied barstools that is a bit too close for standards of giving space for the performance. Crossing one leg over the other she leaned onto her hand, elbow firmly placed for support on the edge of the bar.

"You got a really pretty voice-" with gusto she gives no pause- "What's your favorite song? Something that fits for here?" she says with a smirk, glancing off toward the others whom make up the audience. "Guess though it ain't that strange to sing anything here," she chuckles lightly to herself.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Dhel leans in toward Petra, who she's barely older than and still somehow thinks of as a kid. "Did she? My da said he had it from a teacher a long while back." This close, her eyes and smile can be just for Petra, her nearest and currently most enthusiastic audience. "But yeah, most anything goes here."

"My favorite's usually the one that'll get the most credits free of other people's pockets and into mine, hmm? But that's not on tap tonight." Sitting back to full, she thinks. "Hmmm...I think..." she glances around, checking the crowd. This time looking for someone, or at least a type. Not that Wookies were common around here but... "I think Three Drunken Wookies is going to get a few more festive cups into hands, and I don't see any to take offense, so...."

It was definitely a drinking tune, rough and well known enough to join in on. As she sings, Dhel's gaze and motions work the crowd, catching an eye here, lifting her near-empty cup to indicate someone with a verse to elicit knowing laughter and back slaps from their companions...

"There were three drunken Wookies
Comin' in from a wild fight
Been drunk from Monday morning
Nor stopped till Saturday night
When Saturday night would come me friends,
They wouldn’t then go out
And these three drunken Wookies,
They pushed the jug about."

"There’s Trufflite and Meatvine,
There’s this casserole here!" She nodded to a newcomer and their covered dish.

"There’s all sorts of dainties,
No scarcity was there
There’s forty quarts of beer, my friends!" She raise her cup to a cheer

"And blossom wine? They fairly drunk them out!
And these three drunken Wookies,
They pushed the jug about."

"Then in comes our friend Drezzie," A lift of her cup to their host to prompt a cheer.

"And he's looking for his pay!" A hand dips to her pocket to pull it out, all sad and empty.

"I've a bill for eleventy credits
That you lot have got to pay!
They haven't got those credits
But still they wouldn't go out."

Pause..."And are _you_ gonna toss out three very drunk Wookies?" She gestures to a fellow leaning at the bar. "Maybe you then? ...No? Well...maaaybe there's another solution." After a small sip from her cup, she launches back into the tune.

"Well where are your bowcasters?
Your blasters, charged and fine?
They've all been swallowed up, my friends
In mugs of endless wine."

There's a few more verses of prized gear and even some dignity stripped away to pay for the epic bender. Dhel picks up on a few possessions in the crowd to highlight, shifting the verses to suit the crowd.

With the last one, she lifts her cup and enjoys the attention for a few moments more before lowering it, and slipping from the bar, letting the glow of performance slip from her like a comfortable coat dropping to the floor. Grinning at Petra, she adds. "Thanks, haven't sung that one in a while. How've you and yours been this past bit? Just got back in town."

[Petra]

"Like that but not- that," she muttered softly, quickly. Though as Dhel continued and spoke of credits as a driving force she sunk against the bar a little. Looking out across it she started scanning along all the liquor options available here. Not that most of them really meant much to her, though there were a few she recognized well enough. Tapping her feet against the ring underneath the stool, shifting the rhythm of her taps to the beat she imagined when Dhel started singing.

"Everyone's fine?" she shrugged. Running a finger along the top of the bar she finds all the little indentations left from standard wear and maybe even a fight or two once, all moments of history now. "Things don't really change here so.."

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

"I know not much shifts, but I've been away a whole month. Any new faces that aren't newborns around maybe?" She waves over a cup of whatever's on tap since she's pretty sure Drezzie's not serving everyone swamp gas for this celebration. Leaning closer, she tips her head to rest against Petra's shoulder, rolling eyes up as far as she can in a bid for eye contact. "Find any new faces for yourself maaaaybe? There has to be some kind of gossip or why did I bust my literal tail working to get passage back to this place?"

[Petra]

"Beats me," she says with that harshness to her. Still, though Petra didn't look to meet Dhel's eye, Dhel could see there was a little immediate regret surfacing in Petra's given the tone. Glancing down at her hands she rubbed her thumb against the side of her index finger. "Everything moves slow around here," she says with a lower tone, more reserved. "And, not interested in new faces anyway. Most of 'em are pretty boring."

"Everyone's always so concerned with kriff that doesn't matter," she sighs, flicking the nail of her thumb against her finger.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

"Yeah...like politics," Dhel says flippantly, sitting back up. "But fiiine. Any not so new faces you're interested in? _you_ came and sat by _me_ after all."

"And." She lifts her glass to take a long sip, pleased to find it inoffensive and kinda...malty? "You haven't even asked what the heck I was doing for the past month. Gonna think you're just hanging out to bask in my glory."

"Which is fine, there's plenty to go around. But I gotta know these things or I'm just going to keep pestering you with words all night, when you just want to lean on the bar and soak up some secondhand elegance." Even seated, Dhel was short; snout about even with Petra's shoulder when she lifted it to assume a haughty air.

[Petra]

"I-" she tenses up a moment. Holding like that for a second before a smile creeps across her lips and she waits till Dhel's hand is steady again before pushing her shoulder lightly. "First off, Kriff off," she teased, laughing a little with it. "Second, I don't need any of your glory, okay? Not my style of glory and you know that," she said, shifting on the stool a little as to give Dhel just a generally better idea of what she looked like. Street kid as she was, she looked and often acted the part.

"So- no, no faces I'm interested in. Been busy with Mara and everyone but even that's been so sloooooow," she groaned, shaking her head. Turned already she shifted her hands down to rest on the barstool between her legs. "So, how about instead of talking about this boring place you tell me all about what you've been doing wherever it is you got away to and why you didn't save yourself from this kriffin' planet and stay there," she chuckled, smiling with the assertion.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

"Well first," she grins. "All of you are apparently a bad influence, according to the cutie traveling on her family's money that I left with. That probably goes double for Mara." With a highly visible roll of her eyes she adds, "and reaaaaly, I guess you do look like kind of the scruffy end of a broom these days, but still, saying I could turn out well if away from the 'disreputable elements' of friends and family was kinda rude. 'Specially as part of a the clumsiest proposal eeeever."

Shifting to face Petra, one leg crossed over the other to let the skirts drape down the stool, she grins, leaving that point for a tangent. "I mean, she's out here on the rough end of the universe trying to 'find herself'. Obviously she's looking to cultivate some bad influences herself, right? And she picked me up. But I think that was more about finding fur on skin delightful." The grin turns wicked before she settles back, almost prim as she sips her drink.

[Petra]

"Hey!" she returns on the comment toward her person, chuckling a bit as she settles in with learning more.As Dhel continues on however Petra's expression seems to shift inward again, thoughtfully so. Inward even more so by the end of it. Looking up halfway through the sip Petra waited the moment for Dhel to finish and, "Hey Dhel."

"You ever.. I dunno. Like, are you happy doing what you're doing now?" she asked, looking up at her. Petra's demeanor shifted away from the somewhat playfulness it held before and back to something that was a bit more earnest and serious. All the whole the sounds of the party around them continued on. With the crowd of onlookers Dhel had amassed prior having all shifted off and away by now, even the stragglers that were still holding out hope by keeping nearby.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Now it's Dhel's turn to look away, uncomfortable. "Peeetra...I'm still space-lagged and you wanna get all deep thoughts on me?" Turning, she flops melodramatically across the bar, arms stretched entirely across, face buried between them for a long few moments. With a sigh, she shifts to rest one long ear along her bicep, looking at the redheaded teen. "I mean...I don't hate it, beats a lot of other ways to make do. Sure I'd like a lapful of credits to just set up house with and never worry about where to sleep again."

A small smile curls the edge of her lips. It'd be a snarl if her eyes weren't so thoughtful, and the fur along her forearms weren't rippling like grass in a summer breeze. "Everyone's a friend when I'm singing, and these places are usually pretty cheery. Other performers are beautiful. It's a nice place to be...most of the time."

She sits up. "Besides, what else am I gonna do? Go help build spaceships or something?" A shake of her head chases that thought away before an answer can bother. Head tilted, hands on her knees, she leans in, nose to nose almost."What's up? Really? You're full of rough notes."

[Korvin Hikarrin]

One of Dhel's fans was hanging close after most had dispersed, Korvin Hikarrin's usual cocky smile unseen by Petra. Although he was a common face around Restaurant Alley, the glimmer of bar lights on his golden face tattoos might make him more noticeable than Dhel was likely to recall from the few other times he'd been in one of her audiences.

Korvin stepped forward when Dhel flopped, having heard none of their conversation but curious to jump in anyway. "Another winning performance, Dhel," Korvin said with a touch of adoration. Glancing sideways at Petra and spying her seriousness, his smile flashed to concern. "Er, I was going to ask if you're ready for another drink. But if I need to step back... Or maybe I can get something for you first...?" He half-smiled, half-raised an eyebrow at Petra, the overall effect probably more ridiculous than anything else.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Dhel rests a hand on Petra's forearm as she turns to face the newcomer with her face lighting up in a grin. "Know a good drink for space-lag?" She tips her head toward Petra with a squeeze of her arm, "or maybe just the house hooch." Trying to recall if she'd caught his name before...probably...She was sure it would come to her in a minute. "You and Petra met yet? Been gone a bit, so I'm not up on all the socials yet!" Buy a moment...

[Korvin Hikarrin]

"Hmm, not sure," Korvin says, turning up his smile. The pleasant glow of his golden eyes doesn't fully offset his words sounding like a pick up line: "Petra looks like she might be too nice a girl to hang out with bike racers like me." His smile reaches full power as he introduces himself, "Korvin. Korvin Hikarrin."

[Petra]

"You could-" but the sentence was cut short with the arrival of Korvin. Holding onto that particular rising note and stifling it with obscurity. Keeping her gaze forward through most of the interaction she finds herself a toothpick on the bar to play with. Sticking the tip of it into the counter to blunt it down before flipping it over and bending it against the bar.

"Too busy living 'round here to hang out with that kinda money," she bends it to the point of the thing flicking out of her hand and off into the bar. Glancing down at Dhel a moment before glancing elsewhere. With a softer, more private voice. "Sorry, Dhel, just.." she pauses, parses, "just distracted or something," she shifts a little to get off the stool but doesn't without Dhel letting her go.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

"You race?!" Dhel's attention appears firmly piqued. "What're your colors? I've gotten to see a race or three, but never had anyone much to cheer on, you know?"

Her grip, never tight so much as some attempt to be comforting, loosens. "Well you could hang around some now, obviously," she says with her very much normal level of cheer. New company is plenty distracting, you know." There's a question to her tone.

[Petra]

Waiting for the grip to be loosened less out of a need to be able to leave, but to be able to leave without being rude, she gives a little half smile when the opportunity is presented. Slipping off the stool she looks between Korvin and Dhel a moment. Granting a parting, "Not really my thing," she says, looking to Dhel and giving a little shrug.

Shoving her hands in her pockets she walked off into the crowds and ducked under an arm someone was using to lean against a nearby wall while flirting to slip away quickly out of sight. Though the awkward glances of her passing through folks and their conversations could be tracked for a couple more seconds if effort was given toward it.

[Korvin Hikarrin]

"Hey, any..." his slightly smarmy voice trails off as Petra opts to leave and he watches her go. Probably without covering very well where exactly his eyes went. Once she was out of easy sight, though, he turned to Dhel.

"Your friend gonna be all right?" He points a thumb over his shoulder. "Like, I hope I didn't..." He vaguely waves his hands at the space that had been between Dhel and Petra.

"And if you, and she, wanna come see me race sometime..." Korvin's smile returns at full force.

[Dhelih Dotaivi]

Dhel watches the girl go. "She's...growing up I think, is all." If that sounds pensive, there's little of it in the flash of her smile as she returns her focus to her new companion. "You've got to still remember what 17 or so is like, hmm? It's a rough time, getting over that space from kid to ...well, not a kid anymore." She pats Petra's seat. "She'll find her place. I think yours can be right here while you tell me what drink you think suits the evening and tell me when your next race is."

[Korvin Hikarrin]

Korvin, happy for the attention, lets Petra slip from his mind for now. He slides onto the stool before Dhel and speaks animatedly.

"I can't wait to get another race in! I was on kind of a hot streak two months ago, and then my folks sent me on this trip -- educational, or whatever -- so it's been a while. I bet Ruby is ready to run again. Oh, Ruby's my bike, of course," he adds a little absently. "A beautiful red, like you'd guess," he says with great satisfaction.