Bardic Boston

[haremfaery]

"So ... Dragons don't poop. Good to know, I guess."

Teagan swiftly turned around when Malwyn used the toilet. Her face blazed. Not only was his talk TMI, his actions were too. "Yes, and you put the paper in the toilet and flush that as well. Also. We use the toilet in private and close the door. Then we wash our hands. And um, guys usually lift the seat when they pee so they don't drip on it. And then put the seat down when you're done."

Her heart fluttered when he asked her to join him in the shower.

While I really would love to ... "Malwyn, I don't shower with men I just met. I know sex isn't a big deal for you, but for most humans it is. Well, maybe now. But for me it is. I'm just not that kind of girl. I need to date a guy for awhile, get to know him. I don't have to be in love to have sex, but I do have to be 'in like.' Does that make sense?" She worked hard to look him in the face.

She pointed to the bottles on the top corner shelf in the tub. "The bottle with the green liquid is shampoo, to wash your hair. The opaque bottle next to it is conditioner for your hair. After you wash your hair, you put it on the ends of your hair, wait a few minutes, then wash it out. The jar on the bottle shelf has body scrub in it. You use that on the rough spots on your body, like your heels and elbows. The tube next to it has face wash in it. The tall bottle next to that is moisturizer. You smooth that on after you wash and then rinse it off. Be careful because it can make the tub slippery. The middle shelf is body wash. The pink one smells like flowers, the amber one smells like vanilla, the purple one smells like berries, the black one smells like chamomile and charcoal--it's good for relaxing before bed, and the yellow one smells like apricots and praline. So sniff them and see which one you like. The flowery one is probably too girly." She took a breath.

She chattered when she was nervous and Malwyn made her nervous. he didn't point out the razor. His face looked as smooth as a baby's behind. She doubted he ever needed to shave.

"I'll um, be in the other room. Holler if you need anything or have questions. You can use the towel and washcloth right here. I'm going to dig through my clothes and see if I can find something more comfortable for you. The kilt probably wasn't a good idea."

 

[a_libertine]

Malwyn cranked the water on, then started sniffing the bottles one by one ultimately settling on the floral body wash, it merely smelled less unnatural than the other options. It seemed the people of this world didn't know how to properly make a soap, though the liquid was a nice change.

The shampoo was equally unnatural smelling and he opted to use very little of it.

The shower itself though was awe inspiring. Whatever fire elemental she used, which he doubted, was very even handed with the temperature. There were no spikes or drops, just a steady stream.

He pondered what to do about a Teagan. She was clearly sexually attracted to him, or at least found him pleasing to the eye. She had an attractive rear end, and her tits looked amazing. She played instruments, sang, and generally seemed genuinely nice. He wondered how long it would take before they slept together.

Longer than he hoped, he was sure.

He finished the shower and toweled off, then hung the towel. Heading into the other room he threw up a quick illusion of a silk robe hanging off his shoulders. He found her with some articles of what he supposed passed for clothing and looked at them.

He waved at them and said, "We could always stay in and I could sing for you if it is easier. If not then I will wear whatever you want, including that will garment."

 

[haremfaery]

Teagan turned when Malwyn came out of the bathroom. Wearing a robe that was open in the front. Her cheeks went red and she turned away. "Would you mind closing your robe?" She was sure he was doing this deliberately to make her uncomfortable. Maybe it turned him on. Just her luck. She meets an elf from an alternate universe and he's a flasher.

"We could stay in, but it's quiet time after midnight. I can't disturb the other renters. We can go to the pub and play until 4am if we want. Besides, you said you wanted to see my world." And she didn't want to be alone with him all night.

"Now I have some drawstring cargo pants of mine. I think they'll fit you and they'll work with your boots and I don't think they'll fall off you. And a tee shirt ." She had spent some time going through her tee collection to find one that had a design that wouldn't require Malwyn to understand the reference. The flaming violin was also a good choice because it was large and one she wore to sleep in so it shouldn't be too tight through the shoulders for him. Especially since they were going to play music he'd need room to move.

"They'll feed us for free if we play, so we can have dinner there. How does that sound? You can get dressed while I go jump in the shower." She showed him how to select and change the music to find something to his taste while she was gone.

She stripped in the bathroom with the door closed and locked. While in the shower she debated about personal grooming. If she didn't, it might help her to say no to Malwyn's advances. But, if she didn't and said yes anyway ... then she'd just be embarrassed. She decided a trim was in order. She never shaved everything and her mons wasn't overgrown yet, so she just cleaned up around her lips. She always shaed her legs and underarms. Malwyn's skin was so smooth she wondered if he used magic to get rid of his beard and body hair. Or maybe elves didn't have any. That seemed to be a thing in a lot of stories: Elves with little or no body hair.

She wrapped a towel around her and emerged from the bathroom making a beeline for her "bedroom." She pulled the curtain across to block Malwyn's view while she got dressed.

She put on bikini panties with kittens on them, skipped wearing a bra, because she rarely did in the summer and she couldn't with the dress she was going to wear anyway. She favored Bohemian styles. The dress was short and gauzy in a paisley print of blues and greens. It had a macrame type trim along deep V-neck, straps, and across the top half of the back. She smoothed some mousse through her hair so it wouldn't air dry into a frizzy mess.

She took a breath and opened the curtain half expecting to see Malwyn with the cargo pants on his head and nothing else. But that was silly. He knew how to wear pants.

 

[a_libertine]

Malwyn looked at the clothes that Teagan had left for him and put them on. The pants were a touch big, elves being slender of frame regardless of anything else. Not that he knew what genetics were, Malwyn understood the physiological differences between humans and elves even if the physiology evaded him at times.

He turned to the complicated illusion box and focused on the channel she called news. He watched, drinking her whiskey as Teagan showered and changed. He was so engrossed in the tv that he barely registered that she cane out of the bedding area.

He glanced at her and dis a double take. His eyes found hers as he breathed out, "Breath taking."

He looked at her guitar and picked it out of the case. "Give me a few minutes and I will put better strings on."

He turned to his pack and said in elven, "Gold strings," and they appeared at the top of his pack. Pulling them out he restrung her guitar and tuned it by ear. "Here, try this and see if you don't like the sound better. Should be richer than what you are accustomed to."

 

[haremfaery]

((Just how tall _is_ Malwyn? Teagan's about 5'2"))

Teagan colored at the compliment. She wasn't vain, but she considered herself "cute." But breath-taking? Maybe women where Malwyn came from were ugly, but that was hard to believe looking at Malwyn himself. "Thanks. I clean up good." She grinned to hide her embarrassment. She picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

She thought he tuned the guitar a bit sharp. Did they use a different scale where Malwyn was from? She took the guitar from him and strummed a bit, fixed the tuning more to her liking, and almost began playing Lady Isobel and the Elfin Knight--in which the Knight plans to kill the Lady, but she turns the table son him, but she thought that was a bit too bratty of her, so she just tried out an instrumental.

"Ver-ry nice." She breathed. "I guess I need to budget gold strings for all my instruments now."

She put the guitar back in its case. "Ready to go to the pub so we can eat and play some music. You can meet my friends--but we have to cover up your ears. Your skin and hair are weird enough, but the ears--I'll find a bandanna you can wear. People will just think you're some kind of Goth. And don't show anyone your money. I'll pay for everything until we can cash in a few of your gold coins."

 

[a_libertine]

Malwyn stood and grabbed his back pack, and pouch. Hoisting up the sword he looked at Teagan, "I assume, in that you have no weapon, these are frowned upon here."

As much as it pained him, he left the short sword behind, hoping he would have no need of it. Even if he did, the dagger in his back pack should handle whatever arose, and if not, he still had plenty of magic for the day, having cast only a couple spells so far.

He followed her out the apartment, towering over her. Teagan came up to his collar bone, though he probably out weighed her by 30 pounds or so.

"Assuming they allow us to play for tips, we won't need to use your currency. Between us we will make good coin."

He would normally ponder what instrument to accompany her guitar, but he was too busy gawking at everything, spinning one way then another as each marvelous sight captured his attention. The size of the buildings held his attention a lot. While he was accustomed to the occasional monolithic structure, Boston seemed to be full of them.

As they entered the pub, Malwyn decided on the lute, it was his favorite after all. As they stepped in he looked around amazed at the sight. Neon lights were scattered around the room putting out a more vibrant light than anything but spells could do.

Off to the left was a stage with metallic sticks sticking up in certain areas. There were a couple stools and a bank of large black boxes with some manner of fabric covering the face.

He looked at her, "Now what, climb up and play?"

 

[haremfaery]

"Nope. No swords. People use other weapons like guns. You probably saw some on TV. But I'm against guns. I wouldn't have one ever. I do carry mace, but since I'll be with you, I doubt anyone would try to mug us."

Teagan put on a small cross-body bag, stuffed in her wallet then put her fiddle on her back like a backpack and grabbed her guitar. She bounced down the steps. She grinned watching Malwyn act the tourist.

"First, I introduce you to some people. What are you drinking? Coke? Whiskey? Coke AND whiskey?" She grinned again. "Here, we can dump our stuff on the side of the stage.

She waved at a large barrel-chested man behind the bar. He looked like an overgrown dwarf with a pug nose and bushy beard. "Sam, meet my friend Mal. Mal, this is Sam, the owner."

Sam came around the bar with his hand out. "Good to meet you." He cocked his head at a corner table. "Morag just got here. I'm sure the rest of your chums will be along soon. It'll be a ceilidh tonight for sure."

"Count on it. I'll have a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. And can we have a couple of burgers and fries?"

"I'll send Kimmy over as soon as it's up. As long as you play 'The Parting Glass' at some point in the night, yer drinks and food are free--within reason, now."

"Thanks!" She blew him a kiss. She grabbed Malwyn's hand and pulled him to the table in the corner where a few friends were waving at her.

There was a woman who had a resemblance to Teagan. The red hair on one side of her head was shaved, the other side was short and brushed over in spiky bangs. She looked a bit leaner than Teagan, although it was hard to tell because her pants were baggy and low on her hips. Her breasts were bound under her sleeveless tee which showed strong arms. One had a tattoo of a Celtic tree of life. There was a swagger to her that Teagan lacked. "Hey, cuz."

"Mo, this is Mal. He's new at the college. I'm showing him around. Mal, this is my cousin Morag. Our moms are sisters."

"Call me Mo, everybody does. And Dude, I'm diggin' the Albino look." When she grinned, she looked just like Teagan. She extricated her arm from around a petite blonde to shake his hand. "This is Emily. She came to hear us play."

"So Legolas is new in town?" A young man about Malwyn's height spoke up. He was about as tall as Malwyn, broader, and 100 lbs heavier. He had dark hair and bright blue eyes.

Teagan quickly looked at Malwyn to make sure his bandanna hadn't slipped, but then realized Finn was making a joke. "Nice one, Finn." She said sarcastically. "This is Mal." She had dated Finn in high school but it hadn't worked out. She liked to think they were still friends, but Finn was still a bit possessive of her and needed to be put in his place occasionally.

 

[a_libertine]

Malwyn wasn't sure why Teagan panicked at the Legolas comment Finn made, nor did he know what it meant. Taken alone as it was stated, Malwyn thought initially it meant leg of lass, and how that would have applied to Malwyn, he did not know or comprehend.

He almost asked about it, and decided against it. It occurred to him that saying less might be better in public, for now. There was an astonishing array of things he did not know, or understand, and knew instinctively that he did not even know what he did not know.

Malwyn sat at the place indicated, between Teagan and No. He considered the two relatives a moment and decided he preferred Teagan's natural charm and beauty over her cousin's more forced mannerisms.

He listened to the banter amongst the group of friends, soaking in everything he could until a plate and a beer were plopped in front if him. He looked at the slab of mystery meat between two large portions of bread and the potato wedges served with it. He bit into a potato wedge and chewed it slowly trying to decide how and why it tasted differently than he was accustomed .

He leaned over toward Teagan and whispered, "How did they prepare the potato? Cook it with butter?"

 

[haremfaery]

"Fried in oil." Teagan leaned over and spoke low. "The red is called ketchup and the white is aioli sauce. Dip the fries into them and see what you think." She picked up her burger. "This is a hamburger. It's ground beef made into a patty."

"So, you're an exchange student? Or just here for a summer class?" Finn wanted to know. He pushed a plate to the center of the table. "Help yourself to some nachos. I'm stuffed. What instrument do you play? I play bass and guitar."

Teagan was at the ready to interrupt or change the subject if Malwyn started saying something that might get him in trouble.

 

[a_libertine]

Malwyn dipped the potato wedge first in the aioli then in ketchup, then both. Both was not good, the aioli was perfect.

He shook his head at Finn, "Neither, I came to explore this wondrous...place."

He pointed at his lyre, "That is my favorite instrument, but I played a guitar today, and it may fault to my favorite."

He smiled, "Overall I play a variety of instruments, woodwind, strings and percussions."

Malwyn took a nacho chip from the plate and bit into it, with a heaping of toppings. It felt like his mouth was on fire and he all but helped, "Oh! Spicy!"

He washed it don wth his drink and said, "Those I probably should work up to."

He looked at Teagan, "When can I play?"

 

[haremfaery]

Teagan smiled. "I like the aioli better, too."

So far so good, talking about mundane things and instruments, she thought.

"What is that?" Finn asked. "You into like ancient instruments. The Medival and Baroque Societies play that kind of stuff. Rebec, sackbutt ... What?" Finn looked at Teagan. "I dated a girl who played recorder." He added by way of explanation.

"I play strings, drums, and sax." Mo piped up. "Sax and violins." Mo chuckled at her own joke. Her girlfriend poked her.

He looked at Teagan, "When can I play?"

Teagan shrugged. "Now, I guess." She really did want to hear him play again. Maybe do a few songs on your own and then I can improv with you. I'm really very good at it." She blushed a bit. She didn't brag about many things, but her musicianship was one of them.

"Let me help you get set up." She pulled a stool to the center of the small stage and positioned two microphones in front of it. One for his instrument and one for his voice if he decided to sing.

"Any questions?"

 

[a_libertine]

Malwyn took a look at the microphones and shrugged, to his mind, if her were doing this correctly he would not need them, but all societies are different. He picked up his instrument and held it softly, as if it were a lover.

He began, "This is a song from my homeland."

He hated the sound of his voice through the speakers and knew that it would not match the lyre's music at all. Improvisation being the hallmark of being good, he changed the song he had intended on playing into an instrumental using a higher note to make the punctuation that he would normally have some with his voice.

It was song about spring, the happiness and hope that the change of season brings each year. Normally a thirty to forty five minute song, he played for a little more than half of that, watching the crowd, which was harder to do with the bright lights shining in his face.

 

[haremfaery]

"His homeland? Seriously? Where's this guy from?" Finn scoffed.

"Shh." Teagan and Mo said at the same time.

Malwyn's song was sunny and bright. Teagan was filled with a sense of well being. Looking at the faces of the audience, they were, too. Even the wait staff and bartenders stopped what they were doing to listen. When it was over there was a silent pause before the place erupted in applause. Many came forward to put bills into the tip jar.

"More!"

Teagan couldn't contain herself. She bounced up to the stage and encouraged more applause. She leaned to Malwyn's ear. "Would you mind playing something with me? I can follow, I'm good at improv. Maybe start with a call and response sort of thing?" She was trying hard not to bounce on her heels, it was something she had done since childhood and where her nickname Tigger had come from, although now her friends just called her Tig.

 

[a_libertine]

Malwyn nodded, "Sure."

He thought a moment trying to decide on a song then started playing, scrapping the idea of playing a predetermined piece.

He started off slowly, playing easy bits for her to echo, and then began playing progressively more difficult pieces. Along the way my he began composing the next piece based on how well and accurately she played her part.

Once he decided on her expertise level, Malwyn kept her at that level changing three pace and timbre of the song. Hee threaded into the song a suggestion that the listeners tip the musicians and wait staff generously, using the music of the adding instead iof vocalizing it.

He glanced offer at Teagan to judge her reaction and agree seemed to be having s good time

 

[haremfaery]

Teagan tried not to be miffed when Malwyn began playing something so easy, but he rapidly added more intricacy. For a while, she had to really concentrate and then like a switch being turned on, she felt them mesh. Having played medieval music in modes, she was familiar with non-traditional chord structures. Her violin could "play between the notes" of the standard octave while the fretted guitar couldn't, although Malwyn was getting sounds out of it that she wouldn't have thought the instrument was capable of.

The audience seemed to enjoy what they were doing. She saw that the tip jar was filling rapidly. But she was playing for love of the music and Malwyn was forcing her to up her game.

She imagined each of their parts like vines twisting and turning around each other, sometimes moving together, sometimes in counterpoint. The song Barbara Allen pooped into her head--not the tune itself, but the idea of the rose and the brier growing and intertwining into a knot. Their playing seemed to be like that. Malwyn's style was so smooth and accomplished. He was definitely the rose in the song, and she was the brier. Not because she made false notes, but because she was more prickly. She had to work harder, but she found herself teasing him a little with her music. Goading him, goading herself, to play faster. Her fingers flew as she played a descant to his latest theme.

Everything slipped away and it was just Teagan and Malwyn and their music. His melodies flowed like a river, hers was like wildfire along the banks. She was transported. It was like a runner's high. It felt magical. As if their notes formed something tangible in the air around them. It was like sex, no, better than sex.