((Alain D'Mourir visits Izira Nyte at her home, The Forgotten Layers Inn, to invite her to the opening of his bar, The Silver Mark. Played out originally in IM.))

~

In spite of the rather awkward farewell... a week passes, and Alain returns to the Forgotten Layers. Usual shoulder-holstered revolver, though this time the detective is dressed a little more noir, in a grey suit (trench coat instead of jacket) and fedora, a blue shirt, and a black tie. He doffs his hat as he enters and takes a look around.

The setting is much the same as before, low lights and a mostly empty inn. Mostly? but not completely. The feline is currently no where to be found, nor are the ravens in their cage. Izira sat on the tender's stool behind the bar, several books spread out around her. She was making notes in a blank book, as she read and translated with two other books opened. The rest, stacked or opened and set aside, were other books of reference. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, a few thing curls framing her face and falling against her neck. Though her entire outfit could not be seen, the top was a white wrap, a lower v-neck, cinching at the waist and ending at her hips. She also wore a skirt of crimson and black boots. But that was not the most notable thing in the inn today... Far to the right, at a table as far away as he could be sat a customer. The man, if you would call him that, was huge. Truly he was no human and could not be mistaken as one. His large head that of a bull, his body covered in a thick layer of black fur. Though he dressed like a traveling salesman of high means. His back was more or less turned away from the woman behind the bar, only able to see her out of the corner of his eye. Before him was a large cup of tea from his homeland and a tome he seemed to find quite interesting.

The minotaur gets a lingering glance, but no double-take - he hasn't seen many, but he's seen one before. He finds a place to hang up his coat and hat and walks to the bar, smiling just a touch. "Is the coffee hot?" He can't help but notice she's dressed prettily, but he doesn't mention it.

Looking up, perhaps she should pay better attention... but with already having one customer in here, she figured she was set for the month. The look of surprise must be about having another customer and not the fact that she's seeing the detective again after what happened. She set the ink pen down, giving him a smile as she abandoned her notes and stood to serve him. "Of course, Detective." Getting a black mug, she filled it with black coffee for him... setting it down across from her and out of the way of books.

He sits, thanking her quietly, taking a slow sip. He's silent for a few more moments, and then moves his hand over the bar. "...I have something for you." Turning the hand over, opening it slowly while he explains."It was sad, and sweet, and... Well. I thought you'd enjoy it." It's a music box. "Maybe you can play it for me someday, on your piano."

For a moment Izira forgot to breathe. But then she smiled, appreciation and pain mingling in her eyes. Taking the music box in hand, her voice was soft, "That's very thoughtful of you, Alain. Thank you." Bringing the box closer, she opened it to hear the tune it played... almost nervously.

He nods faintly, sipping his coffee again... It's hard to understand his reasoning here with this gift, though his desire to make things right for others is a fair guess. The music is sad and sweet, vaguely Slavic or at least Old European in sound... but one of the sad songs that soothes rather than twists the heart. It's written faintly on his face, but he finds it soothing also.

Her body visibly relaxed. It was a beautiful song, indeed. More so.. it was not the song she feared would be playing. And the tune from this box played over the gentle memory of the one from long ago, she let thoughts of it and the giver slip away. Somehow she found her voice, "It's beautiful."

"Of course it is... I have impeccable taste..." He's joking, clearly, but his tone is still gentle. Grin touching his lips slowly. "I don't know of anyone in RhyDin who makes them... but they drift in and out of the antique stores, one at a time."

"Then I thank you again for the find. I will keep it in my study." A nod as she still held it in her hands, slowly closing the lid.

He glances once more at the customer, and then back at her. Adjusting his lean on the bar. "How've you been, Izira?"

She followed the glance as the customer, lips thinning into a line. Far away he seemed to sense it as an ear twitch in annoyance. Back to Alain she replied, "I've been studying." Sure, he asked how she had been not what she's been doing... but the 'what' was a safer answer.

"Find anything interesting?"

"Much can be interesting with the eager mind." She offered a smile, looking down to the book... her eyes skimmed over the translation 'The Binding Ceremony' and she moved to close the journal that was the translation of the original. She had gone back to make corrections and notes here and there.

His eyes flicker to the paper, but he doesn't get to see much. "I'm sure yours is very eager..." He takes another sip of his coffee. There's a lot on his mind, as always... but he opts for the least pressing thing. "I told you I'm opening a bar soon, didn't I?"

"I believe you mentioned it, on a walk? Jean was fairly distracting company." Her expression still friendly, but it seemed guarded as well.

"He's quite the playboy," he agrees with a soft chuckle. "We open on Thursday evening. I'd like it if you stopped by, if you're in town."

"I will keep your invitation in mind." A glance back towards the minotaur. "Would you like to come with me while I put this somewhere safe or do you have pressing matters to attend to?" Asked as she held the music box in hand.

He follows her eyes, and looks back at her again. "I can come along."

A nod. the music box was set down a moment as the books were taken from the bar top and put into a safe box under the counter. She picked it up again, indicating to Alain to follow her as she went towards the door behind the bar that led to the kitchen. The kitchen itself was remarkable, a chef's dream. More so when there was cooking occurring, but for now it was spotlessly clean... a few baskets of veggies and fruits hanging about.

He follows her, looking around the kitchen, the little lift in his eyebrows indicating he's impressed. He snatches an apple, goes to bite, and then gestures with it, a silent, May I?

A nod. She led him through another doorway, the leading to a short hall. Dark wood walls, light wood flooring covered in a red carpet. She stopped at another door, opening it and stepping to her study. Another room to be impressed by? The wooden floor ran into the two large rooms, with high ceilings. In the first room a large desk sat, this room and the room to the left divided by only a slight inclination to the walls and ceilings and a fire place centered between the two . Both rooms were lined with shelves. Bisecting every now and then by floor to ceiling windows. This first room holding various items of interest (one of the another music box, place high and far away) and some books.. while the room to the right was full of books where there wasn't large windows. There perched a large couch, a love seat and two arm chairs around a short table. Before the fire on the study's side laid a black bearskin rug. Another door was open to the left just a crack.. and through it the impression of a bedroom. Izira moved to the desk, setting the new music box upon it.

He looks around slowly. "I like what you've done with the place," he half-mutters. Eyes linger on the music box, and linger a little longer on the bearskin rug... leaning just a little to get a closer look. Certainly able to appreciate such an impressive predator. He drifts towards the books, examining the titles.

While some titles would be in languages he perhaps could not understand, there were a few that were not. Most the volumes seemed to deal with magic, though there were also guides for business and fiction and non-fiction alike. Izira had a lot of time on her hands, and she spent it mostly reading. A little quirk of a smile, "If I didn't do anything with the place I really would have been wasting my time here."

He lingers on one of the business volumes - he's technically a businessman now, after all. "You bought this place?" Looking over at her.

"It seems to think so." A faint smirk. She moved around the desk, opening a drawer and producing a deed, speaking as she did so. "Technically I stumbled into the place. You should have seen it then. Near death with no one to care for it... It was a while after I started working on the place that I found this... but it's legal." Truth enough, the deed said the inn belonged to her, though in truth she sometimes thought it was more her that belonged to the inn.

"An inn that writes its own contracts... Think it's haunted by a lawyer?" He looks around at the walls and ceiling suspiciously.

She laughed softly. Putting the contract away, then staying on the opposite side of the desk from him... taking a moment to look over the items on the walls herself, she knew where the other music box was at... and did not look there.

"Maybe you can give me pointers on keeping my bar afloat... I don't keep any rooms to rent out, but it's still the same mechanics." Tapping the business book some, idly.

"You can borrow anything you want." Gesturing to the books. "Not sure how well I'd do to give you pointers, don't really have many customers to speak of."

He grins. "Yeah... I've got people working for me at the Silver Mark, so I've got to make sure it turns a profit." Rubbing at the back of his neck some, well aware of the fact they are alone in her study - feeling the tension acutely. "Fortunately, I've had a lot of cash coming in lately from other contracts."

"Do I owe you anything else? I know you said that we would be even with me helping you out... but... I don't want to short you." Izira seemed to be feeling the tension as well, but it was another kind. A worry. A feeling that had been crawling over her skin since he produced the music box. At the same time she wanted to keep talking to him, she wanted him to go and leave her to her loneliness, which she'd gotten used to.. in a way. The room was warming up and it was probably Izira's fault.

He shakes his head slowly. "No... you paid fairly for the terms of the contract. Cash isn't a problem right now, anyway." He notices it getting warmer, though it doesn't occur to him why. He undoes one of his shirt buttons. "I should be going." Holding up the book."Mind if I borrow this?"

"As I said, take whatever you please, Alain." She only slightly moved from behind the desk, looking away and straightening the music box at the corner.

"Thanks. I'll see you later, Izira - hopefully Thursday night." He moves towards the door, looks back once, and leaves.

She wonders a moment if he will find his way out, but then again.. it was a simple route. She moves back to the desk, falling into the large chair. Eyes going to the music box on the desk to the one on her shelf. Her expression of pain loss into the air. In the main room of the inn the minotaur is gone, money left on his table along with the empty cup.