Practice keeps her face from betraying her, staying exactly as it was without even a flicker. Sometimes it would be easier if people knew, but at the same time, it allows her the element of surprise, and it gives her the upper hand; people take her as they find her. They don't know about the last year of her life running around in the royal guard, being a bard without the masks and the music. People treat you differently when they know you work for the nobility, and anyway, what's there to say that she would be believed anyway? She could have picked it up in plenty of places at home too, just like someone could in Thedas, learning all the things to say and do. It's safer to keep it hidden for as long as possible, confined to the three that know it outside of her.
"I understand," is what she says instead of anything else that she might if she were someone else, if she didn't know how to weigh all the pros and cons, if she didn't know how the game is played. "We worked very hard to make sure we didn't have war. We're taught about it, about what it did. One country still feels what happened to it even now, and that is always our reminder. My father taught me to play the hand you're dealt."
If she tells herself that enough times, she'll believe it in everything, she won't be afraid of the same thing happening to her that happened to Sina, or never going home, or everyone forgetting her if she does make it back, or any of the things she's ever imagined since coming to Thedas.
"Something like that, she has scouts, spies, agents. Eyes and ears - she can't be everywhere or it would compromise her, so we can all go where she can't." Same as Leandra only it's not the same little group all the time, there are so many of them from so many backgrounds, and right now Araceli's one of her only actual students but being a bard puts people around you at risk, Leliana said as much to her, so she's not about to go painting targets on backs if she doesn't have to. Not when people already have them courtesy of the rifts. Unexpectedly she laughs so hard she snorts, shaking her head. "Apeshit? I like that. That's a good way of putting it, it has fire and spirit in it."
Sometimes you need all Araceli's pretty words and tactics like calming down angry Vashoth mage girlfriends set to explode over certain abomination revelation declarations, and sometimes you just need honesty. It all depends on the moment and the audience. "I can certainly speak to the Nightingale if you'd like? She might be able to present options or terms that aren't the Seekers, and a way to phrase it so that even she would agree to it, considering that Galadriel and this Obi-Wan have complicated issues." There's a hardness that enters her tone, not quite like the cheerful Araceli, more like the guard that doesn't really see the light of day outside of her and Korrin's room when they're having serious discussions about the mage council and how to get things done but there are innocent people who could get caught in the crossfire, and if they do then she'll be furious with all parties involved. But she knows how these games are played. Step around the obstacles and go to someone who knows the situation better, phrase it just so and offer to make introductions.
She's making a new life for herself here, she can do no less than offer to help them one last time with this.
"Korrin won't punch anyone or she'll be sleeping on the floor." Or outside the door. Since Araceli can lock them both out the room then let herself in through the window and if she wants to hold a grudge then she damn well can. "Of course, this is one from home since I'm so tired of that woman in the tavern playing the same terrible songs over and over and over again." With a small nervous smile, she clears her throat and plucks a few chords before she begins to play
no subject
"I understand," is what she says instead of anything else that she might if she were someone else, if she didn't know how to weigh all the pros and cons, if she didn't know how the game is played. "We worked very hard to make sure we didn't have war. We're taught about it, about what it did. One country still feels what happened to it even now, and that is always our reminder. My father taught me to play the hand you're dealt."
If she tells herself that enough times, she'll believe it in everything, she won't be afraid of the same thing happening to her that happened to Sina, or never going home, or everyone forgetting her if she does make it back, or any of the things she's ever imagined since coming to Thedas.
"Something like that, she has scouts, spies, agents. Eyes and ears - she can't be everywhere or it would compromise her, so we can all go where she can't." Same as Leandra only it's not the same little group all the time, there are so many of them from so many backgrounds, and right now Araceli's one of her only actual students but being a bard puts people around you at risk, Leliana said as much to her, so she's not about to go painting targets on backs if she doesn't have to. Not when people already have them courtesy of the rifts. Unexpectedly she laughs so hard she snorts, shaking her head. "Apeshit? I like that. That's a good way of putting it, it has fire and spirit in it."
Sometimes you need all Araceli's pretty words and tactics like calming down angry Vashoth mage girlfriends set to explode over certain abomination revelation declarations, and sometimes you just need honesty. It all depends on the moment and the audience. "I can certainly speak to the Nightingale if you'd like? She might be able to present options or terms that aren't the Seekers, and a way to phrase it so that even she would agree to it, considering that Galadriel and this Obi-Wan have complicated issues." There's a hardness that enters her tone, not quite like the cheerful Araceli, more like the guard that doesn't really see the light of day outside of her and Korrin's room when they're having serious discussions about the mage council and how to get things done but there are innocent people who could get caught in the crossfire, and if they do then she'll be furious with all parties involved. But she knows how these games are played. Step around the obstacles and go to someone who knows the situation better, phrase it just so and offer to make introductions.
She's making a new life for herself here, she can do no less than offer to help them one last time with this.
"Korrin won't punch anyone or she'll be sleeping on the floor." Or outside the door. Since Araceli can lock them both out the room then let herself in through the window and if she wants to hold a grudge then she damn well can. "Of course, this is one from home since I'm so tired of that woman in the tavern playing the same terrible songs over and over and over again." With a small nervous smile, she clears her throat and plucks a few chords before she begins to play