In the darkness I will meet my Creators

[arlathvhen]

WHO: Bardlings and Leliana, Beleth and YOU.
WHAT: Beleth and Araceli meet their bard teacher and have a jam session on the roof, then Beleth can be found practicing elsewhere.
WHEN: Beginning of Drakonis
WHERE: Skyhold roof, then the barn
NOTES: Discussions of violence at some point probably.

Bard lessons

Beleth doesn't consider herself to have really met Araceli, just like you wouldn't consider yourself acquainted with someone that you have only seen in a nightmare. That is what that entire journey to and from Antiva seemed to be, as far as she was concerned. One long running nightmare, and one that Beleth was still recovering from. But still, she knows a little of the other woman, enough to be both excited and nervous about their introduction, and their lessons together. Korrin's dating her, so she can't be that bad.

But Beleth is pretty sure she'll be better than the Dalish at this, and that Beleth will spend these lessons being mitigated to second place. At least Zevran had said that she was his favorite.

Of course, now that position has been shuffled down six places, since the arrival of the young Crows. But it's not like Beleth cares or anything.

Meeting on the roof had seemed like a perfectly logical idea to Beleth. It was spacious, quiet, and they wouldn't be interrupted. It was a place of peace, one that she was happy to use for lessons. So Beleth tied the lute to her back, and scaled up the walls to the roof. Once seated, she pulled the lute out, carefully tuning it as she anxiously waited for the other two to arrival.

Open: The barn

The sounds of a lute being quietly plucked at can be heard throughout the barn, and anyone trying to find the source just needs to head upstairs. Tucked away on a block of hay, Beleth sits and in intense concentration, attempts to play. Attempting may be the key word here. The plucking is amateurish, hesitant, and often starts over from the top, repeating the same couple stanzas over and over, until the notes are no longer strung along like a child's attempt at beading.

Occasionally, she attempts to sing along, but the music falters whenever she gets distracted with the song. Usually, she only gets out a handful of words. Oh fiercest fighter-- And then gives up and goes back to the notes.

Her face is a mask of concentration, and whenever she stumbles over notes, her eyebrows knit in a scowl. But, despite that, she's actually...quite happy. Concentrating on the music, pouring out her frustrations into writing songs and putting notes to them, it made her feel better. It gave her some manner of control, and it gave her something to distract her mind. It gave her the ability to make something beautiful.

--Or something that will be beautiful, eventually, she's sure. She sighs as she mangles the timing of another handful of notes. Stupid rests.

Comments

[el_tybs]

Sam chuckles lightly. "You know, to be honest, the whole mask thing kind of weirds me out. I mean regular masks are fine, I get masquerades or trying to hide your identity. The way that Orlesians do it though?" They kind of wore them all the time it seemed. Maybe it was just because he was Ferelden, but he still couldn't quite follow it.

"So your mask has to be rememorable, neutral, but stylish then?"

[arlathvhen]

"Everyone has masks that they wear, Sam." Beleth replies quietly, with a little shrug. "As often as the Orlesians wear theirs. The Orlesians just wear their masks so everyone can see them. They say that when you do that, it's easier to not wear any kind of mask around the people who are important to you." She pauses thoughtfully, strumming her lute. "...I don't know if that actually works, but that's what they claim. Of course, Orlesians are Orlesians. Nevertheless, I want to pursue a field that is heavily Orlesian by nature, so I need to adapt."

When Sam lists off the qualities she needs in a mask, she laughs sheepishly, and nods. "Yes. Can you see why I'm still looking? I'll find one eventually, though. I'm sure of it."

[el_tybs]

"That's the reason? I was thinking it was a status thing, or just a way to disconnect themselves from others to make it easier to say things." Regardless of the reason it was still weird. Not so much in Beleth's case for the line of work she wanted to do, but for everyone in general? Weird.

"Well it's a mask. You can have one designed or created can't you?" Sometimes it was just easier to make what you envisioned than hoping to find it.