video | un: druidic

[arrowroot]

[It's evening on the 23rd when this goes up, starting with the camera view being shifted around a bit before whoever is holding it settles it overlooking a quiet part of Greatmoon Groves. The sun is casting gold and red across the scene, reflecting off the flame-colored hair of the young woman who steps in front of it holding a green violin in one hand and bow in the other.

She doesn't bother with an immediate introduction, instead putting the bow to the strings and giving it a few testing notes before starting a somewhat melancholy but high energy song. She plays through to the end and lets the last note linger before letting out a breath of obvious nerves and returns to her communicator to pick it back up.

It takes a moment for her to adjust properly, being too close at first but eventually pulling away so she can give a proper wave and awkward smile, freckled cheeks tinted pink.]

Ah, hello Lunatia. I'm Illyana Ackermann. I arrived here last month, and...

[A pause, attempting to funnel some of her nervous energy into staying something coherent and not rambly.]

And I've been hearing amazing new music since I got here, so I wanted to try and play something. That is, I should say, new to me. I'm mostly used to tavern bands and talent guilds, and most human music in the Kryta region is more what you'd expect drunken soldiers to loudly sing along with. There's also Charr metal...

[Don't ask.

Or do.

She pauses and tucks some errant hairs back behind her ear, looking off into the distance.]

I didn't do so well when I first arrived here. I was upset and foolishly took it out on myself. Drinking too much, hangovers well into the night. Thought I was better off under blankets in the dark than trying to make the best of an unusual situation. I'm sure I'm not the first one to do something like that, or the last.

[Off screen she's idly running a finger up and down one of the strings, making a soft but inadvertently haunting noise.]

I've made some friends here somehow in spite of my best efforts to become an unwashed undesirable hermit, so I'm going to swallow my pride and actually put myself out there. Playing was always more of a hobby for me and came second to anything else that was going on in my life, but there's no time like the present I suppose to become more serious about it. It's not like I have much else to do here. I'm curious about whoever else might be interested in music here, or even interested in lessons. I play a few other instruments, though violin is my strongest skill.

Sorry this was so long, but thank you for listening if you stayed this long.

[... how does one end these things?

Another wave?

... okay, she's just going to awkwardly shut it off.

She'll be in the park probably until dark if anyone wants to find her there continuing to play on the bench she sat at.]

Comments

video

[spiria]

[ There's a familiar face, and she's applauding the small concert! ]

That was wonderful! You're very talented!

[arrowroot]

[Hello!

Ana laughs a bit sheepishly at the applause.]

Thank you...

[spiria]

You're welcome! I don't really play any instruments myself, but I guess I wouldn't be opposed to trying to learn? I could use more hobbies outside of work.

[arrowroot]

[A student already!]

I would be more than happy to teach! It's not a common instrument where I'm from but I think that's all the more reason people should learn to appreciate it.

[spiria]

It's a really lovely sounding instrument. I'm sure it's taken you a really long time to get that good at it.

[ Well, here she really has nothing but time ... When she's not working. ]

action

[irondaddy]

( He'd seen the network post, of course, device pinging with the new entry from those he'd "followed", but he had already been in the Groves and could hear the first notes of another song drifting through the branches beginning to bud with new life, following their sound. It isn't hard to find that bright head of hair or the motions of a violinist plying at the strings, bow gliding gracefully back and forth as well-worn fingers control the notes.

Whenever she looks up next, she'll find she has an audience, standing in his usual parade rest with his hands clasped behind his back, blue eyes soft as he listens, smile waxing and waning as the song rises up in tempo to something jaunty and eases back to the more melancholy undertones. Then, as if replying to her post: )

Perfectly beautiful. ( Her or the song? Probably both. ) Unfortunately I'll be relegated to the theater seating; I don't play any instruments, myself.

( Not even a bit of piano. What sort of high society rich person is he? An awful one, that's what. )

[arrowroot]

[She had assumed he would see the post sooner or later, and as it wasn't purposely directed at him there would either be a response on it eventually or it would be brought up in conversation at a later date. Because of that she actually startles a bit at seeing him in person, but it's a pleasant surprise even if getting caught in her improvisation does make her cheeks go a darker red.

His comment doesn't help the blush any.]

James! I didn't know you were out here, too.

[She laughs nervously and tucks ths instrument in the case at her side, leaving it open for the moment as she stands and goes to hug him.]

Well I guess I know who's going to be front row at all my shows then.

[She's joking, unless someone offers her that sort of work from this, of course.]

[irondaddy]

( Her embarrassment is something he's growing accustomed to for as cute as he finds it, freckles blending into the deepening color of her cheeks, but her laugh is nervous as she sets the violin aside and trots over to him for an embrace.

He's more than happy to oblige with a laugh of his own under his breath, face tipping down to see the mess of red curls at his chest to accompany the slip of her arms about his middle, good hand smoothing down her back fondly. )

I accompanied a friend to a tea shop she likes; she's still quite new here and doesn't seem to like venturing out alone and risking the embarrassment of being lost. Her tastes are considerably finer than my own, so her plans to go to a list of five art galleries after— well. I told her I'd stay in the area until she was finished, and she could message me.

( He could stomach it now and again, but not so many in a row and not so often, surely. He also seems to make no move to let her go; he's never the one to end an embrace early. Let someone get their fill, if they choose to hug someone like him. He certainly doesn't get them very often. People don't make habits of hugging the General of the Atlas Military. )

Save me a ticket, will you? I'll pay good money, I promise you that.

[arrowroot]

[Ana's life for the past four years has been so focused on her work that she only ever let herself enjoy the occasional fling. Rarely did anything move beyond that, even when a genuine connection was formed. She would be back out on the field not long after, time passing and those nights becoming little more than distant memories.

In a way, as someone who had jumped into the deep end of a relationship at such a young age only to break it off literal months from marriage, this was all entirely new to her. The bashfulness she kept exhibiting would wear off eventually but for now he would be privy to a lot of those red-cheeked moments.]

You'd be the first one with a ticket, trust me.

[A warm smile up at him, green eyes bright with affection. She was certainly enamored with him already, but falling fast and hard was a habit that wouldn't go away that easily.]

I can't say I'm much for galleries either. They're also so... stuffy. And too quiet.

[irondaddy]

( James himself is more than happy to not put a name to these things with any haste; not for lack of caring, of course, but... He's never budgeted himself for a relationship. Years and years ago, perhaps, he might have thought it possible— he had been wrong even then, and he realized as much. Once the accident had happened and they'd skyrocketed him in rank and responsibility, then it was really beyond his grasp. No one deserved to have a ball of stress at their side with a body destined to break down again in some near future. Someone with his entire country at the center of his heart instead of the one he loves.

But this place is different. His life had come to a screeching halt and he had to learn how to... be a normal man, here. And he's always loved people. Their stories and their backgrounds and what made them unique. His Ace-Ops were proof of that. Having Faunus in such high-ranking positions was still incredibly controversial, but all he'd seen was skill and loyalty. He'd always reward loyalty without discrimination. The sad part is that he is also quite the romantic at heart, now that he has the wherewithal to stretch his legs in it.

Which is to say: he's going to scoop her right up in a little twirl, bite-sized as she is, in response to the way his chest puffs to her smile and the brightness of those pretty green eyes. Is that his real weakness...? She's certainly not the first of his fondest acquaintances here to have such green eyes. Then he's craning down to bump his brow to hers. )

They're supposed to be quiet, yes. Stuffy, however— not the intention. I much prefer the open air.

( Are they swaying? They're swaying. He's totally dancing with her, however simply, right here in the walkway under the leaves. )

Video, UN: Bardicuncertainty

[have_hat_will_travel]

[The response opens up to Pidonus, holding a lute.]

It seems only fair to hear a bit of my work in turn.

[And then... She begins to play. Her work has a certain forlorn tone to it, as if its own purpose were missing.]

I adapted this from an old bardic standard of my world. I'm technically not sure how I knew it, meaning it was something I had practiced before I was who I am now.

[arrowroot]

[Ana listens politely, tapping her foot and swaying a bit. There is a sadness to it, yes, but it's still catchy.]

I was wondering if I would ever get to hear you play. That was lovely.

[have_hat_will_travel]

I try to keep in practice... It's soothing, somehow.

I want to say it was a major thing for me before everything. Not that I can remember, but...

[arrowroot]

Some part of you seems to remember at least. Some memories are strong enough for that, I think.

[She's seen it happen with the ghosts that linger in Tyria rather than moving on to the Mists, often driven by their last living moments.]

[have_hat_will_travel]

... My queen preserved the skills my past self had in the transformation. So the question is how much of it is just that and my world's context, and how much really is some echo of her.

Video

[iminthebook]

That is very beautiful music.

And as someone who has just arrived, ah, yes. I know this feeling.

[ he spreads his hands, confused still by everything really. ]

[arrowroot]

[Confused by Everything would be the title track of an album if she ever made one.

Or maybe the whole album name.

Are any of them really sure what's going on here with absolute certainty? Doubtful.]

Thank you. I assumed I wasn't alone feeling like that, but it's nice to have confirmation.

[iminthebook]

[ He would be singing backup lyrics, for sure, on that track/album. So often... ]

I mean, I felt like that half the time back home, so this is not new, but at least its a new familiar thing.

[ ...or something like that. ]

[arrowroot]

Really?

[She was almost painfully in tune with what was happening in her world, to the point of constantly fighting the desire to jump in and play hero now days.

Her mind is 25 but her body feels like it's 50 (and not a good 50) some days from all the "heroic" things she's done in the past for the sake of Tyria.]

[iminthebook]

Yep. My world was chaos wrapped in enigmas, wrapped in people being sneaky assholes.

[ And he is not kidding at all. ]

voice

[spellspeak]

While I don't play instruments I do SING. I've considered branching out but the need has never really arose given the type of performance I usually DO.

[And he doesn't think he would have trouble learning given the ease that he picks up most things with, but he's just focused on other things.]

[arrowroot]

Oh? And what sort of performance is that?

[spellspeak]

Singing and dancING. I'm an idol, so while we do have music we generally aren't playing on STAGE.

[arrowroot]

[What an interesting inflection. She's never heard anything quite like it before.]

Idol... ? I have a feeling that word means something different than what I'm used to.

[spellspeak]

That seems to be comMON... I haven't come across many people who seem to come from a place where the meaning is the same as that of HOME.

An "idol" is a type of entertainER. Typically one is expected to be able to be a multi-talented perforMER, with acting and music being the most common caREERS.