The Skeleton Bard

Pier 39 - Afternoon to Evening...ish

"Min Gud! This place looks positively fantastic!", Tatterhood exclaimed as she stared out at the crowds milling about the pier.

Pier 39 was undoubtedly one of San Francisco's biggest tourist attractions.

Located at the northern edge of the city, Pier 39 is filled with a multitude of delicious restaurants, interesting shops and various activities from mirror mazes to aquariums to arcades.

If one were to go deeper into the Pier's interior, they could find a marvelous two story tall carousel and the famous K-dock, a popular resting spot for the local sea lions.

The fact that the pier was in eyeshot of Angel Island, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge was the cherry on top of the tourist sundae.

In essence, Pier 39 was the perfect place for families, tourists and those who want to/need to hide in plain sight.

"Yeah I guess this place is kinda nice...I don't come here often though", RJ told Tatterhood, "too many tourists".

"Ah. The old native blues huh?", she asked as she suddenly grabbed RJ's arm and held it close to her, (un)subtly placing his arm in a rather conspicuous spot.

"Has it become more appealing now that the wonderful me is by your side?", she asked with a cheeky grin.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean...can we please focus?", RJ managed to stammer while blushing to be as red as a beetroot. Tatterhood for her part looked positively pleased at RJ's befuddlement.

"...You're not going to let go of my arm are you"?

"No~".

Using his free arm, RJ took out his phone and activated the [Grimmemoria] app. A GPS cartoony style map screen showing Pier 39 appeared. As RJ began to tap around on the map, he found the symbol representing the storied.

"Looks like whatever manifested is further in".

"Oh? Looks like we get to enjoy a little date walk then", Tatterhood teased.

RJ mildly grimmaced at the teasing, but bit his tongue as he led the way.

Evidently, the two did look like a rather cute couple from an outsiders' perspective. The amount of heads turning their way probably didn't help them blend in at all.

As they got closer and closer to the storied's location, RJ figured he might as well strike up a conversation.

"Hey Tatterhood"?

"Oh please, call me Tat".

"Okay...Tat. I thought you couldn't change unless someone asks you questions. How are you in this form, now?", RJ asked.

"Oh ho? You have been paying attention to little ole me? How sweet~", she said in a sing-song way, "Don't you recall my story? I choose the way I look, I don't always need someone to question me. I only do that when I need something...special".

"Like a giant murder spear?", RJ asked with a raised brow.

"Like a giant murder spear", she repeated in agreement, "and I say, do you that? It sounds a bit like a guitar being played in the Spanish style".

"Guitar? We're in a tourist attraction, I wouldn't be surprised some places were playing music to attract customers or that some buskers are playing nearby", RJ concluded.

"Music so fine it's causing people to physically freeze up?", Tatterhood said while pointing forward.

"Huh? Oh...that can't be good".

Seeing a large group of people at a tourist destination, crowding around a performer, isn't weird.

Seeing a large group of people cry due to the beauty of a performer's music, also isn't weird.

Seeing a large group of people crowding around an empty bench, frozen mid-walk with tears falling down their eyes in the middle of Pier with everyone else somehow not acknowledging their existence, is very weird.

Not needing to be prompted this time around, RJ took out his phone and pointed the [Mage Eye] camera directly at the crowd.

The screen display soon revealed that hanging above the crowd's head was a wavy aurora of musical notes and lights. The source of these notes was a hazy figure sitting on the empty bench. Tapping on the hazy figure, the haze on the screen melted away to reveal a skeleton playing guitar in a mariachi outfit.

{Name: Skeleton Bard}

{Classification: Undead}

{Attribute: Yin, Darkness}

{Rarity: Uncommon}

{Description: The undead have a rather negative reputation across the cultural landscape, skeletons even more so. Widely regarded as the weakest type of undead overall, they have been normally relegated as cannon fodder for stronger type of monsters and sorcers. In recent times however, skeletons have seen more of a renaissance in terms of story usage. In particular, people have entertained the idea of skeletons being able to learn and grow spiritually and mentally due to their lack of past memories like ghosts and static bodies unlike rotting and mutating zombies. The skeleton bard is the result of a skeleton manifesting and learning how to channel the magical power of music. This one happened to learn the Mexican musical stylings of mariachi}.

"Huh...I am getting flashbacks to a lot of stuff...", RJ commented as his memory went back to a certain one eye skeleton and a jawless knight skeleton...and several animated movies.

"Either way, I think now it's my turn to deal with it", Tatterhood said as she rushed torward the skeleton.

Her form began to shimmer as she got closer and closer to the skeletal bard.

_________________________________________

"I may not remember my name..."

"But at least I remember your face..."

{Incoming}.

"Que? Ah!", the skeleton exclaimed as he narrowly avoided a giant wooden spoon flying towards his face. At this moment, the musical aura he was producing suddenly stopped. The crowd that he had inadvertently gathered suddenly began moving again, not recalling what had just happened to them or why their eyes felt teary.

"Oy, amigo! Can't we talk about this"?!