PM to join The Strings That Bind

[Litani]

Timestamp: 12 Summer, 513

Of the things that Litani was beginning to love best about Riverfall, its acoustics were absolutely among the top few. On the second tier, every balcony and courtyard seemed to have its own view of the Suvan, its own garden, its own soaring and vaulted ceilings that were open-air and yet somehow seemed to echo sound as if created to broadcast music to serenade the sea below. Standing on the terrace of the Pearl House where she'd found temporary lodging, looking out over the water and hearing the way her voice played off the walls of the domed structure, Litani made a decision.

It had taken her several days to find exactly what she was looking for, but then, Riverfall was not the bustling metropolis that Syliras had been. And there had been no way conceivable that she could transport her instrument from the house of her mentor to her new home, across miles and miles of unforgiving wilderness and grassland. Not without an exorbitant expense. Instead, she had left the beautiful, masterwork pedal harp in safe keeping against the day when she might return to reclaim it and pick up where she'd left off. Until then... this would have to do. And it would do well.

The golden-haired Konti sat now in the gardens of the Pearl House, nestled before a slender, pale-wooded triple harp that was big enough to have to rest on the ground but not so large as to be immovable by her hand. For all that, however, it was still a formidable sight - this was not an instrument that one held in one's lap, or commanded without a thought. Rather, she used the strength of her right shoulder to balance it and its frame moved gently with her every time her reach extended across the strings. Its triangular shape was perfectly cut, allowing her long arms to reach every note but also settling into her body's frame without overly causing strain. Although this detail would probably be lost unless one knew what one was looking for, the instrument was indeed a triple harp, strung with 3 sets of strings and lacking levers or pedals, giving the instrument a kind of makeshift flexibility in pitch and tone that compromised range slightly in exchange for ease of transport and simplicity of operation.

Unfortunately, it also meant that the harper would have to learn her instrument all over again.

Be that as it may, Litani's nimble fingers picked their way over the trio of string sets and she sat with her eyes closed, just listening... feeling. The series of notes that tripped free of her hands was not a musical piece, not as such, but rather a musician introducing herself to an old friend. It was a private, yet public, undertaking, for she appeared as lost in concentration as was possible to be, yet there she sat on the terrace, able to be seen and heard by any who passed by. It did not seem to matter. Only the conversation between herself and the harp was in her mind now, and all else was, for once, and mercifully... quiet.

[Souris Blanche]

The mouse sat there, her ears wide and open and listening to the deep strings that played, the higher ones that pierced her small bodice. Her eyes had slowly closed before this, though. Only a few bits after the woman had begun playing. It seemed the instrument itself was newer to the blonde, but the whole concept was the same. She must have a harp where she comes from, Souris had thought. But that was before she had closed her eyes.

Now her eyes were closed, and instead, she was observing with her ears. It was a lovely noise that many could enjoy. She hadn't yet met anyone who didn't love the sound of the instrument. Or maybe she had, she just hadn't asked if they liked instruments. But she couldn't even imagine...

Finally, Souris' eyes opened, and she watched the fingers strum the strings. Her fingers made the instrument look easy to play, but everyone, unless ignorant, knew instruments weren't easy to play as a whole.

Her eyes then lingered onto the...was she a Konti..?'s face. She seemed to be feeling her own music, more than anyone else could even try to feel her music. This made Souris happy. Just by watching, she knew the woman loved doing what she was doing. Souris let out a little, happy squeak. Oh how lovely!

Souris scurried up to the harp, her little nose twitching and her forepaws itching to touch a string. She knew she couldn't be seen, not yet. She was too small, and the konti was too into her music to have noticed her. But Souris wanted to learn! She wanted to do this, too! She squeaked, louder. Trying to get as loud as her little squeaks could carry. She didn't want to startle the woman by changing. She knew it would, if she just showed up naked woman next to her harp. Souris' little fingers started trying hard to pluck the instrument's strings... but they were so heavy!

[Litani]

If the musician were aware that she was being watched, she appeared not to notice. For a time, at least. Litani's fingers quickened briefly, dancing over the full scale and eliciting a beautiful cascade of sound that drowned the first mouse-squeak accompaniment attempt, though surely it was not purposefully done. Her eyes opened then and the Konti smiled at her instrument, pleased with what she heard and satisfied with the tuning at last. And then, just as she lightly pressed her hands to the strings to still them -- *TWING!*

Blinking, Litani looked down at the soundboard of the instrument, the place where strings meet the lower wooden part of the frame. There, nestled near the ground and reaching eagerly for a string was the body of a tiny mouse. At first, she was so surprised that she nearly flinched - this was certainly not usual behavior for a mouse! And nor was this a place where one might generally think to find a wild mouse. Not a field, not a kitchen, not even a closet full of old clothes and just waiting to be made into a nest for dozens of baby mice. No, this was an open-aired terrace in broad daylight and yet there it was. A tiny, curious mouse.

In spite of herself, the woman laughed and shook her head faintly in amusement. She tilted her countenance then and looked down at the creature, giving a bright smile to the fact that such a delicate thing would feel her safe enough to approach without fear. She watched Souris just as curiously as she herself was watched moments before, saying in a soft voice that she hoped would not startle the animal, "Do mice know how to play the harp, little one..?"

[Souris Blanche]

At first Souris was scared that the blonde woman would be angry that little Souris had intruded on her jam session with her harp. But Souris couldn't help it. It sounded so pretty. She wanted to sound pretty, too. She never sounded pretty. What with her mouse voice and the high squeaky pitches she hit, mouse form or not.
She looked up at the woman, cringing. It seemed a shock to the lady that Souris was even there. Souris looked around, wondering what was so strange. Why was she looking at me like that?
Then, Litani laughed. She's laughing! Souris thought the obvious. Why? Why is she laughing? Am I funny looking to her? She's grinning, now. Souris felt like maybe the woman wasn't laughing at her... because she was grinning so warmly. Souris grinned back. In a weird, mouse way. Her little cheeks puffed up and her eyes because smaller than beads, and her nose scrunched up. She'd been told her mouse grins were sweet and cute. That was a vain thing to think about, but she wanted the woman to smile again.
Whens she asked if mice knew how to play the harp, Souris' eyes widened. She shook her head vigorously, saying, no, no! But since Souris was still a human's counterpart, she acted like a human at times. She took her mousey fingers and pointed at the woman, then at the harp. Then, the mouse herself started to pluck again. Asking, play? teach me? play?

[Litani]

Laughing softly, beautifully, with the weight of delicious loveliness on her soul, the Konti flushed in appreciation and happiness as she realized that the creature before her was not merely a mouse, but more... intelligent, thoughtful, expressive! This must be a Kelvic. Else, some other denizen of Riverfall of which I know not but... no. It must be! With a graciousness about her expression and body, Litani twitched an eyebrow softly and smiled down at Souris, nodding her agreement to what she understood of their exchange.

"The big sounds are here," she said gently, reaching out with her long arms and plucking a pair of the longest strings, farthest from her reach. They strummed in a deep, resonating way that the tiny mouse could no doubt feel through her entire body, like notes of bass humming through her bones. As if she knew that this might be discomfiting, the harper stilled the strings with the flat of her hand and then brought them closer to herself, plucking at the shortest of them. "The tiny sounds are here!" With a warm smile, she trickled her fingers across those delicate notes that were out of Souris' immediate reach, causing a sound like a musical stream falling upon the stones beneath their feet.

Having done, Litani sat back for a moment and folded her hands on her lap. "I am no master," she said softly, almost affectionately, to the wild creature before her. "But I know that the lovely fingers of a mouse might be a little... limiting?" She arched an eyebrow then, in questioning - if she was wrong, this was just some strange occurrence with a small animal that would never betray her confidence. But if she was right, then she was communicating with a being of much greater intelligence than first presented itself. "If I'm talking with a Kelvic, little one, then I know you cannot shift just now... but perhaps later? " She chuckled a little and went on, "The harp is a delicate thing, a beautiful thing. A thing that takes patience, though!" She shifted her tone then, moving into gratitude and pleasantness, "I'm so glad that you enjoyed listening! Would you like to learn more?"

[Souris Blanche]

Big sounds... Souris echoed in a squeak, her small little body trying to run over to the string to pluck it. It felt like an earthquake for the small creature, and she could hardly scurry without falling over. It made her giggle little hiccups, and she raced back and forth from the two strings presented to her. It was like a race, and she panted a little after she made up her own little tune.
do do do da da daaa she started singing the tune as she played it.

When the woman pointed out the fact that it must be very hard for her small little mouse fingers to play the harp, Souris looked at her little mouse palms and wiggled her little pink fingers. Maybe it would be easier to change. It's not like her clothes were too far away. She always made sure they were nearby.

She listened to the rest of what the woman had to say, and then smiled. She knows I'm a Kelvic! How? Souris thought to herself, in the little childish voice that she thought with. Why couldn't Souris change now? She didn't understand why, what the meaning of that was. When she got thanked for listening, she squeaked loudly, no! no! Thank [i]you!"

Not but a minute later, the mouse scurried off. This took a little bit of time to get to where her clothing was. And she hoped the woman didn't think she was leaving permanently, for she wasn't. She was just going to change. She had already learned that not many people were okay with the nudity that came with changing, so she tried to do it away from them.

After changing, and slipping on her clothes, she would rush back to where she remembered the woman. "Hello?" she stuttered, her mind racing faster than her words could manage. "Learn, more, yes!" she breathed a bit heavier. Even though the distance wasn't far for her in human form, it was quite a distance as a mouse and she was still tired from that run.

"I'm Souris!" she squeaked.

[Litani]

The harper chuckled softly as the mouse skittered off; she shook her head at herself for how she found herself reacting, so pleasant and open and calm. Life was so very different here than in Syliras... Open, clean air instead of stone. Acceptance and warmth instead of suspicion and mistrust. Life, instead of death.

She was reflecting on all these things, letting her hands traipse carelessly over the strings, when she heard the footfalls of Souris returning. Again, a low laugh. I was right...! Litani looked up, palming her hair back from one side of her face as she turned to face the Kelvic. "I thought so," she said in her smooth, kind contralto. "Welcome back. My name is Litani." She inclined her head softly then, moving to a subtle half-bow as she sat at her harp. The sunlight on the terrace caused her tiny scales to shimmer just a little, playing at the edges of her hair line and coursing along the lengths of her arms - Konti. "Have you ever played an instrument before, Souris?" As she spoke, she gestured invitingly with one hand, encouraging Souris to join her if she so wished. For the time being, Litani sat with her hands folded in her lap and she seemed politely, sincerely interested in the woman before her.

[Souris Blanche]

When the Kelvic returned, it looked as though the woman were very accomplished. Proud of herself, even. What did she discover? Souris wanted to know. But she didn't have time, because the woman spoke! She thought so what? Oh, oh? Litani, was it? Litani, then!

"Hi Litani! I'm Souris!" but she'd already said that. She blushed, her red cheeks a contrast from the rest of her skin and hair.

"Er no, no, never played an instrument other than this one." She sat close to the instrument, still using her elongated nails as if still a mouse, to pluck. "Not that I really am playing this instrument, at all." a small frowned forced it's way upon Souris' features. "How do you play so well? Who taught you so much of this harp that you can do that?" he eyes browsed the strings of the instrument, playing the lightest, up to the lowest, and back again, slowly, and then faster to where they all seemed to be at the same time, playing.

"Can you teach me more?" she squeaked.

//short response is short. .-.

[Litani]

Litani laughed softly, shaking her head the slightest bit. Inherently, she had to understand -- this was a mouse Kelvic, she would be like no other as she learned -- yet the reality of Souris' energy was both slightly overwhelming and oddly charming. The Konti watched patiently for a few short moments, stilling her own inner thoughts. She is half herself, and half the animal... whatever she looks like now. Remember.

She took a breath to speak, then, and her hands came up to either side of the harp, quieting the strings. With the weight of her fingers on them, the strings would not resonate nearly so well as when they were free, no matter how they were plucked. It was her way, subtly, of calming the charge-forward into rushing knowledge. "The art of the harp is both in movement... and in knowing how to wait," she said, her voice soft and encouraging. "The first lesson is placement."

Having said, she rose gracefully to a full 5'10 - tall for a Konti - and stepped aside to gesture that Souris might take her place in her low-backed chair. "The weight of the instrument is an important thing, if you truly mean to learn to play... It will feel foreign to you, and awkward at first. Clumsy, even. But in time, that will fade. Would you like to try?" She wore a kind smile then, welcoming but not insisting.

[Souris Blanche]

Souris almost immediately caught on to the fact that, there was an offering for her to sit in the chair. This she did, and as she did so, she couldn't help but pluck a few chords.

She stopped as soon as she heard, "learning how to wait". She bit her lip, mumbling a "sorry". It seemed the whole concept was on the calming down, the forcing herself not to rush into it. But she almost always rushed things. She would rush in to get a scrap she saw fall from a plate, rush to introduce herself, rush to change into a human, rush to have the first words of greeting. Rushing, rushing, rushing. She couldn't rush here. But that would be hard.

"Awkward?" she mumbled. "Clumsy?" she couldn't imagine being either, with this instrument. She could only think of how elegant and perfectly placed Litani's fingers had been. How could anyone be anything but, with this instrument? She supposed she'd have to figure out the hard way.

"Of course I'd like to try..." being a Kelvic and, fitting all the right stereotypes, she wasn't much for the hands on, prolonged effort that came with learning an instrument. Already her eagerness to become the next musically gifted organism was fading, but she smiled back at the woman.