The area immediately at the bottom of the stairs was simply a small cavern with a guard station.

Sets of keys hang on several hooks on the wall. Beside them hang more lanterns...

A young woman wearing silver and green clothing is talking to a guy who obviously seems to be a guard (in brown and gray).

"...on some other adventure, or perhaps down in the city..." she's saying to the guard, as Lance and his mother arrive at the foot of the stairs...

---

"...on some other adventure, or perhaps down in the city..." Ballad says, just as a fantastically-striking blonde woman emerges from the nearby stairwell with a lantern of her own. Right behind her is a guy of about 30 or so, wearing jeans, a red t-shirt with a red and gold flannel over it, work boots, and a leather backpack. He's wearing a sword and dagger at his belt, too, Ballad notices...

  "...wow, that's a bit of a hike down..."  the man stops mid-sentence, seeing that they've reached the bottom and now had company.

  "Oh, hello there.  Hope we're not interrupting?" he asks pleasantly, addressing both the young woman and the guard.  He has an easy, husky kind of voice.

https://www.bing.com/images/se...dex=3&ajaxhist=0
This message was last edited by the player at 03:18, Thu 28 May 2020.

The young woman at the bottom of the stairs chatting with a guard, lantern held casually in one hand, Ballad is — dressed in graceful (borrowed) silvery tunic, dramatically flared at the hips; a black belt, and black boots, and forest green britches (leggings?). Her silvery-gold hair is braided and pinned with combs of some black stone or black pearl, she’s wearing a necklace of stone and silver; quite elphin, except there’s a liveliness — a readiness, see, to be wholly in the moment — not usually associated with the starlight she's probably related to.

She turns to meet the pair who come down the stairs, curiously. And Ballad’s eyes widen because they are the most beautiful people she has ever seen in person, dear Unicorn, what what what, maybe they'll just stand still for a moment, eh? One of them she knows for Flora (from her Dad’s cards or from reputation), and the other must be one of Flora’s children mentioned by her uncle earlier.

Cue: the flash of a smile, lopsided and dazzle-bright. Gallant! "How could you interrupt when it's such a pleasure to be surprised by you? You must be my Aunt Flora! How do you do? Uncle Random said you were looking after one of your children, so you" (and here she's obviously addressing Lance again instead of Flora as before) "must be...?" Ballad sounds really very warm.

Gods, they're pretty.

  "Um, uh...Lance, I'm Lance." the man stammers, then recovers with a big genuine smile, "Flora was just giving me the grand tour." <i> Gods, she's beautiful too!  Wait, did she just say Aunt Flora?  Wait, that means she's...a cousin?  Damn!  Are all the beautiful women I meet related to me??!!</i>

  "And what is your name, or do angels not have them?"  Lance asks, taking a half step closer, hoping to catch the scent of his cousin's perfume.  He imagines it's something wonderful.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:46, Thu 28 May 2020.

If Lance imagined the romance of vaguely herbaceous soap and lantern smoke, then he imagined aright, as far as 'scent' goes.

Ballad laughs at that line. Easygoing, goodnatured. There’s a sharp dimple in one cheek. “Suppose it depends on which angels in what shadow. But I'm Ballad verch Julian by Yvaine, Princess of Arden and Amber, at your service.”