Elaina Lehane

The music boomed over the speakers as the night went on. The later crowd had started getting rowdier and it was hard to hear over their shouts and laughing. Robin turned towards Elaina and gave her full attention to the woman as she spoke. “Well, I’m sure we’ll have some infamous stars here in no time, New Naraya is still pretty young.” She said with a wink. 

“Oh god, I would have been out the door before he even started singing, by the time his feet hit the stage.” Robin laughed. She ran her hand through her hair and tucked a few strands behind her ear. “I definitely wouldn’t be up there myself. I love music but I’m more of a listener.” She said cringing. Her singing voice was not ideal.

Robin nodded as she listened. “That sounds like a deal, and I think I wouldn’t feel as bad about being a picky eater.” She said before taking a sip off her drink and placing it on the bar. Robin sat her hands in her lap and leaned forward. “Am I crazy if I ask if you want to get out of here? What time does that place close?” She called over the music, tilting her head.

" I’m not sure I want that to happen, but then again I’d have more people to interview” she laughed.  “ My job would be forever secure.. hm I guess it already is secure. There are always news as long as someone is alive to do something.” But big news sold better. She was mostly about doing important things and less about fluff pieces but if you wanted to reach a broader demographic you had to compromise in some cases.  “ Not everyone can or has to do everything Imagine if everyone was on stage, then noone would listen to me.” she laughed and then winked at Robin. “ Do you at least sing in the shower, or when you drive somewhere?” 

Robin raised a brow at her question. “Breakfast for Dinner?” She asked, bringing her hand up to her chin. She was tempted to ask Elainia if she would like to join her for a meal now. “Well, I think breakfast is a type of food, not a type of day food.” She said with reason. “What are your thoughts?” Robin asked back, tilting her drink in Elaina’s direction. 

Robin chuckled at Elaina’s faux journalist movements. “Don’t worry, I have better tales of victory and woe; but I’ll save those for another time.” She said with a wink. Rob took a sip of their drink, crossing their legs at the knee as they leaned back on the back rest. “So, with a band as big as yours do you have any crazy stories?” She asked.

“I mean, I feel like you’ve had opportunities to get yourself into some real shenanigans.” Robin added. She knew traveling musicians in the old days would get sometimes exaggerated reputations and she felt like New Naraya hadn’t been around long enough to have any big new celebrities. 

“ There is a lovely place that sells waffles, pancakes, french toast and everything else you can imagine in different varieties. It’s amazing. You get a laminated menu with a pencil and then you check everything you want. Like, waffles with peanutbutter or Pancakes with everything and then you hand it off and then you get what you wanted. “ Of course the menu thing was a gimmick, there was no reason you couldn’t order everything but this way they also had a handy list to use while cooking. 

Robin studied Elaina as she spoke, her intriguing eyes pulling Robin in even more. “You’ll hear from me then.” Robin replied with a raised brow. “What kind of food do you like?” She asked before taking a sip of her drink. 

“Oh boy.” Robin sucked air in through her teeth, thinking of a story to share with Elaina. “Well, Miss, this would be off the record.” She said, leaning in closer as if to share an secret. “Well, when I was just a young girl we held tournaments for the knights. I attended with my father every year, always wanting to be part of the fun but knowing it was dangerous. I had watched as men and women died on the track, but that wouldn’t stop me.” Robin began.

“I was far too young to enter, so I dressed as a man - women were allowed and encouraged to join, but in my mind I thought I might get away with looking older as a young man rather than stuffing my suit.” Robin motined with her hands to her chest, a chuckled leaving her lips. 

“I wore a beard of soot and an outfit borrowed from a dear friend. I made it through the archery course, one on one sword melee, and had finally made my way to the jousting rounds when I was found out. Leave it to me to take the joust through my stomach.” Robin laughed to herself. “They were surprised with what they found when they lifted my shirt to heal my wound.” Robin added.

“It was all fun and games, but they were not very happy about it and I was banned from even watching for five years until I was old enough to join.” She ended the story. “That bit me in the ass.” Robin shrugged.

“ Alright, this is going to be a very, very important question. Because it is a test of your character. What is your opinion on eating breakfast food for dinner?” she asked her with a seriousness that wasn’t necessarily fitting towards the question. 

“ Shoot, there goes the cover story.” she grinned and pretended to put an imaginary notebook and pencil down.  What they told her did remind her a little of what she had witnessed during her upbringing. The rough tournaments that weren’t designed so that every participant would survive. If only they had TV back then. 

She couldn’t help but laugh when they mentioned the fake beard, as she could only imagine how bad it must’ve looked. But when it came to the part where they got hurt Elaine visible flinched. It sounded painful and it made her frown, but overall it was a very good story. 

Robin rose a brow in thought. “Sometimes, at least for me, if something is important enough, or something that I truly want, I tell myself that I am not the fear. I am not afraid, I am only experiencing the fear momentarily.” Robin replied. “It’s definitely gotten me in trouble, though.” She chuckled while reaching for her drink.

“I’ve never had that pleasure, but I would take the chance if ever an occasion arose.” She smirked, nodding her head. Robin took a sip of her drink. “That sounds delicious.” She said, looking up from the drink to her new acquaintance, Robins eyes settling on hers.

Robin watched as Elaina slid the card across the table, her head tilted and resting on her palm as the counter supported her elbow. “Professional.”Rob said. “I should have been calling you Miss, or M’am this whole time.” Robin slightly teased. “I generally opt for the paper, I know I should be used to the technology by now, but there’s just something so comfortable about reading the paper with breakfast, or while sitting in a coffee shop.” Robin said. She bit her lip as Elaina scrawled her number on the back of the card. She was excited, hoping her next words wouldn’t come on too strong.

“Is this in case I have any questions, or in case I want to ask you to dinner?” Robin said, holding the card between her fingers. She flipped it back and forth looking at either side a couple of times before sliding it into her leather jacket. 

“You’re right, nothing is close by anymore.” Robin agreed, shaking her head. She missed the expanse of the old world. She missed her home, the people - some of the people at least. Robin noticed how carefully Elaina chose her words and decided to not push further in that particular direction. They had just met, and of course they would have plenty of time to get to know each other. “Dangerous.” She said, raising a brow. “I knew you were badass.” She said with a wink.

Elaina reached for her new drink when it was offered to her and took a sip from it that made her purr a little. Then she looked back at Robin. “ It’s like that thing where you’re supposed to do a ‘thing that scares you’ every day. You just power through? But now you have to tell me one story where it got you intro trouble.” she grinned as she hoped there would be a fun story in it and not just a sad one. 

“Brave is a word that you may use to describe me.” She chuckled as she nodded her thanks at the bartender. Her drink swirl in her glass as her mind drifted back to the days of the war, as her mind often does when memories are sparked. Those were the days when she was hailed as a Knight. “Bravery’s just another word for fools courage, my father would always say.” Rob rubbed her eyes, urging herself to not think such thoughts while sitting at a bar with a beautiful songstress. “He said that the best thing is to be afraid of the outcome, but to do it anyway.”

“A Hurricane? What, might I ask, is in that?” Rob queried, tilting her head. 

She leaned forward, her short hair falling from its place behind her ear. “A Journalist and an Editor, huh?” She raised her brows. “Impressive. Have I come across any of your work?” She asked before taking a sip of her drink, the bitter liquid making it’s way to her empty stomach. “I can see it, very studious.” Her eyes wandered from Elaina’s eyes down to her own drink.

Rob chuckled as she listened to the woman describe her home. “Were you born close by?” She asked, her elbow resting on the bar top.

Elaina listened intently and nodded. “ I think it’s a very good thing for parents to discourage their children to get themselves into dangerous situations. And war is rather dangerous I hear.” she mused. Though she could tell how much pride Robin took in some parts of her past. “ But I never understood that saying about being afraid of something and doing it anyway. I mean.. I guess it might make you more cautious, but for me fear is more about... freezing up? In that context at least.” she half shrugged. 

When she was asked about the drink she grinned “ Well, it’s two kinds of rum, lemon, orange, syrup. It makes you feel like you’re lying on the deck of a ship surrounded by pirates.”

That was the time to pull out her business card. She slid the simplicstic yet neat pieace of paper over to Robin, which stated that Elaina worked for the ‘Narayan times’ “ Depends on if you read our paper, or our blog.” she grinned and then quickly took the car back, turned it around and scribbled her private phone number on it before she gave it back. She was that kind of smooth

The Auction was  the social event of the month, which naturally meant that the Narayan Times would need to attend as well.  Sadly, most of it would probably be about gossip but if something interested was to happen Elaina was sure to cover it. 

The first few rounds of Items had already been sold and now there was a intermission where everyone could get something to eat and drink and Elaine stood there on one side of the room with a drink in her hand, looking around for a good target for a good conversation, or maybe for some gossip.

“I guess that’s true, you seem to know what you’re talking about.” Robin wiggled an eyebrow at the woman. This peaked her interest, the history nerd in her loved others points of view. “Do you like history?” She asked, her head tilting. “They are frightfully long, but there’s some entertaining tales in there if you read long enough.” She offered her opinion on the collection, giving Elaina a smirk and a shake of her head.

“Yes, I know it’s a strange one. I guess I’m not most people.” Robin shrugged, balancing her drink on her knee, the holes in her jeans allowing the condensation to drip onto her skin. “Transparent.” Robin said aloud, a smile on her lips. The winter fae slightly cooled her drink, using her magic just so to keep her beverage chilled. She had enough of a connection left with winter, but with the bloom of spring and summer coming around the corner she knew it would be a while until she could actually use it again.

“I know what you mean.” She looked at Elaina. “Had you ever been to the Winter Court?” She asked in a hushed tone, leaning in slightly so that only Elaina could hear her. “I know it’s not one that many dare venture, but it was gorgeous, the ice that covered the rooftops, the ice that lay over the lakes, the icicles that hang off even our own rain gutters here remind me of home. Other than white and black, transparent was the next thing you’d see.” Robin shared before taking a sip of her scotch.

“ I wouldn’t go THAT far. -  no wait! I know what I’m talking about. I can definitely give you a reading list you can only enjoy while drunk.” Researching was an interesting thing to do. It was tedious and could be boring, but when you were able to find that one thing you needed to find, that one piece of proof made you feel better than almost anything else in the world. 

“Hmmmm depends on the history. And who’s telling it.” she laughed. “ Reading the accounts of why the Elves split up is a rollercoaster. Whatever view you read makes you go ‘ Yes! They are totally right! The other ones have it wrong!’ until you read the other side again.” 

Rob raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Elaina. “Thank you.” She replied, leaning back into the chair. Robin picked her glass up and swirled the scotch inside. “I had to decide between rereading The Complete Collection of New Narayan Factions, or coming out for a drink.” She answered honestly. 

“That’s a good question.” She bit her bottom lip, looking down into her glass. “If I really had to choose one, it would have to be orange.” Robin nodded to herself in thought. “Not just any orange though.” She defended her answer. “The orange that sets against the ocean, right at sunset. The orange that slowly turns sherbert the further your eyes wander up to find the parted clouds.” Robin said, looking up at Elaina.

“What about you?” She asked, her hand coming up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Color, not the reason you’re out.” Robin winked playfully, obvious that Elaina was there with her band. She leaned forward on the bar, reaching for a maraschino cherry to pop into her mouth.

“ You’re doing it wrong, it’s one of those books you read while having a drink,” she said with a laugh. “ I’ve read it last year or so.” she wasn’t too big into history, but as an editor, she had to know about politics and since the Council Members rarely changed, you couldn’t do politics without history. Though most of her work was referencing more than actually reading entire books. 

@winters-thorn​

Robin took the evening off, finding herself nursing her second drink of the evening at the bar. She promised herself that she would not to spend the night alone, going over her history lecture and watching tv. At least they have a good band tonight. She thought to herself as she listened to the singers melodic voice. Robin tried to get a seat closer to the stage but had been fought out by some rowdy groupies, so she thought this might be a little more comfortable. 

She looked up at the stage when music ended and when she turned back a slim woman sat next to her. Robin watched as the bartender sat out the woman’s order without any hesitation, her mouth dipping up on one side in reaction to the cute dramatisation. What she wasn’t expecting was for the woman to notice her, or to introduce herself nonetheless. 

“I-uh.” Robin stammered momentarily. She sat her drink on the bar and turned slightly in her seat, her elbow resting on the back of the stool. “Sorry- I’m Robin.” She introduced herself casually. 

“Hi.” She said, noticing Elainas piercing eyes.

“ You don’t have to be sorry, Robin is a very pretty name.” she teased her a little, hoping to break the tension instead of just making Robin uncomfortable. 

Elaina performed at the very popular 12 Steps Down, a bar that was just big enough to warrant a small stage where people could perform, though it wasn’t big enough for a real concert.  But since 31 Pieces of Silver, her band, was only 3 people including her, it was just big enough to get all of them on it without the fear of injury.

They played for about an hour and once they played their last song, Elaina went down and over to the bar to get something to drink. She wasn’t a celebrity, but she was popular in the 12 Steps on the ground that she sang there every other week. 

When she sat down Sabine automatically put a glass with lemonade in front of her, since that was her ‘usual’ after singing and she took a sip.  “ Ah!” she overdramatised for Sabine with a wink and then decided to be the social butterfly she was, so she turned to the person that was sitting next to her on their own barstool and smiled.

“ Hi, I'm Elaina.”