Lately, Nicki had taken to sitting on the rooftops, particularly of old shops that were abandoned or had closed hours before. It could -sometimes- be at least mildly effective in hushing his relentlessly noisy thoughts. Tonight he sat above an old closed down shoe shop, thinking and playing his violin on and off. His pale complexion was evidence of his fast and yet he had no appetite. 

Memory: Festé, aged 32 (Almost 2 years ago).

A month ago the household was put out of it’s misery at long last. Though I find it bitterly ironic that being put out of the continuous misery of apprehension has thrown us all into the misery of grief. Alas, the Count hath dearly departed and yet I cannot mourn him. I wish so much to grieve and yet there is no doubt a melancholy fool is naught but contemptuous in the surrounding gaze of my colleagues and those above me. I continue to jest as always, though my wit turns sour in my mouth and my merry songs melt away into ballads on the page. If I cannot openly mourn my dear Master, what more can I do than mourn in my private and seek solace within a glass ?? I received a beating from a foreign Duke the other day after supposedly humiliating him in front of his guests. I was singing for him at a celebratory dinner when my mind inadvertently turned to tender thoughts regarding the loss of my dear Master and thus momentarily lost my composure. It was brief enough to go unnoticed, however, it was enough to loose my place in the song. In between the sharp strikes of a cane, he told me that my recommendation to him was no more than work of fiction. Though that wouldn’t happened if the Count were still here. The dear Count…the world already seems a little more frightening without him in it. My dearest Master, to have and to hold, departed this day, one month ago.

[[ Gah, I'm sorry for leaving you hanging on the thread we have but I'll reply as soon as my Raven muse comes back! <3 ]]

The first thought that came to his mind when he saw the stranger was that something was... off about him. The second thought was what the hell was someone doing here? How did he even find this isolated village at the end of such a dense and dangerous forest? 

"...Can I help you?"