Something More Than Sounds ~ Finodborn (Samheen 20th, TT)

[Twilight]

Ginny, dressed in pale yellow, was approaching her office from the opposite direction when Finodborn and Tseh rounded the corner at the top of the hallway. She wore a deep frown and was obviously preoccupied, paying little attention to her surroundings, until she was nearly at her door. Then the woman looked up and spotted Finodborn, and her expression immediately changed to one of a welcoming smile.

“Good Tradetide, Finodborn,” the little woman called out. “What excellent timing,” she added, opening the door to her office. Although her tone was pleasant, it was somewhat restrained from its customary cheerfulness.

The room, brightly illuminated with natural light from the high bank of windows, was spared the heat of direct sunlight that would have made it unbearably hot. Still, it was at least as warm as outside, and it lacked the freshening breeze, although today it was more windy than breezy outside.

[Finodborn]

Finodborn had noticed he had grown quite sensitive to the mood of other people, even when they didn't display it as overtly as Ginny did now. He had hence assessed Ginny's state of mind in a flicker, and her smile, obviously intended to mask something that was bothering her, didn't have much effect on him.

Therefore, Finodborn didn't enter her cabinet just yet. "Do I come at a bad time, mistress, I mean, Ginny? It is no problem for me to come back later if this is not a good time for you."
He had well noted her remark about excellent timing. People seemed to make slips of the tongue quite regularly; describing the situation so demonstratively incorrect that they could have told the truth just as well.

Finodborn wondered whether this was the case right now, and if so, he certainly wouldn't start his first lesson in such a context.

OOC: For the introductory paragraph, I have presumed Finodborn's skills in aura perception and empathy suffice to allow such a description. If you disagree, I'll edit

[Twilight]

((OOC: That is fine. Sorry that this is so brief.))

“Oh!” Ginny replied, sounding surprised. “No, it’s fine. I didn’t realize my mood was so obvious,” she said, almost apologetically. “But, please, come in. I should explain something to you.”

The blond curls bounced, as the woman gestured for Finodborn to precede her into the room. A thoughtful look filled her blue eyes, as if Ginny were considering what she was going to say. She gestured to a chair, as she closed the door and then moved to take a seat in one of the others herself.

[Finodborn]

OOC: no prob brevitas is my favorite style figure

IC: "Perhaps it wasn't. But I thought I saw worry etched in your face," he replied, following her into the office.

Without further ado, he took the designated seat and shut up until she would tell him about what was on her mind. Maybe Tseh was a problem after all? Or perhaps something was wrong with her other student?

He didn't smile, or look overly welcoming. He always hated it when people did that whenever he needed to say something unpleasant. Instead of indicating you're fine with whatever the following news is going to be, you imply with it that you do not feel comfortable at all; hence you force yourself to look enthralled.

[Twilight]

((OOC: Uhoh! *eyes the length of the following post*))

Ginny made herself comfortable, absentmindedly adjusting her skirt with her fingers to keep it from creasing. She seemed vaguely annoyed, but obviously not with Finodborn or his unseen friend. Yet it seemed from her thoughtful expression that it must involve one, the other, or both in some way.

“I’ve just had a… discussion with a colleague,” the woman began, her tone even, but her blue eyes betraying her annoyance. “It seems that Mikeal, another voice coach here at the college, has heard about you. Mikeal Xandor is a gifted tenor, who is far better suited to performance than… well, it would be best for all if he focused on performing,” Ginny redirected herself, but perhaps not quickly enough for Finodborn to catch the implications of her trail of thought.

“In any case, he is impressed with what he has heard about you, most particularly that you reside in the Palace as a guest, if I don’t miss my guess,” Ginny declared in a tone that suggested that this would be well in keeping with the tenor’s character. “It seems that he requested to take over your training; an action that is quite without precedent,” she shook her head, sending golden curls dancing, and then she sighed heavily.

Suddenly, she stood up, began to pace and muttered vehemently, “Of all the self-serving, underhanded, arrogant…” Then Ginny stopped in both mid-step and mid-tirade, and took a deep, slow breath.

Turning back to Finodborn, she rolled her eyes at her own outburst. “I apologise, Finodborn. Mikeal can be extremely frustrating to deal with.” Ginny sighed and returned to her seat.

“At this point, his request has not been granted and any changes would only come as a result of a request by either you or me. Still, I am not foolish enough to believe that Mikeal is ready to give up this.”

[Finodborn]

Finodbron listened to the tutor's story with growing surprise. He briefly considered all the information, and then replied: "I don't think I understand, really. How come this man has heard of me in the first place? I am not what one would call a boastful character, am I? But that he knows of my residence too... You must have told him yourself, then? Why, if I may ask?"

"Moreover, I don't understand why he wants to teach me, all of a sudden. Since he hasn't heard me sing, he cannot have any but the wrong reasons. If he thinks he can acquire prestige or something through my good relations at the court, he is mistaken, for I don't have any such relations."

"Finally, if there is not any hierarchic structure that allows him to decide on this change, I do not understand why you are worried, based on the information you've given me. There's not a hair on my confused head that would consider requesting any change at all. So why exactly are you worried then? What might he do?"

[Twilight]

Ginny’s golden curls bounced as she shook her head. “I didn’t tell him. He’s been browsing the student records. Claims to have been looking for a misplaced record for one of his students.” Her tone suggested that she doubted the truth of that excuse.

Curls bobbed once again, this time in agreement with Finodborn’s second assessment, and the woman replied, “Yes, I’m sure he’s assuming that you must have influence at the Palace. Generally, he prefers adoring young female students,” Ginny commented dryly.

Once more the curls bobbed. “I am not so much worried as annoyed. His behaviour is unprofessional, in my opinion, despite his ‘reasonable explanations’ and ‘polite offer of assistance’. Yes, I am annoyed to be sure,” Ginny explained, the truth of her statements snapping in her blue eyes.

“As to what he might do,” she went on, with a shrug of one shoulder. “I suspect he’ll attempt to garner your favour, to woo you into becoming his student.” The curls bounced and she sighed heavily. “I dislike speaking ill of a fellow instructor, but there you have it.”

[Finodborn]

Something strange is going on, Tseh. I am very certain I haven't told the clerk that I have lodgings in the Palace. So either this Ginny isn't to be trusted, for she has just told a blatant lie, or this College has spies to check out the background of their students. Why, for crying out loud?

He tried to erase his frown with a friendly smile. "Perhaps you will soon discover I can sing only one song; maybe you will be glad to get rid of me then. Moreover, it would be an excellent way of fooling your colleague, who'd end up with an uninfluential contact." The quip was nothing more than an attempt to divert the topic of discussion.

"At current, I think he would have to come up with very convincing arguments to make me even consider, so I suggest we don't worry about it for now?"

And should I try to find out what scheming is taking place behind my back, or should I just ignore it?

[Twilight]

Tseh considered Finodborn’s concern. You could ask her how the clerk found out, she suggested. The little fae evidently preferred the direct approach when it came to communicating. I think it is better to see the danger coming than to have it sneak up on you, she declared philosophically, her mind images illustrating her point with images of prey and predator.

“Yes, you are right,” Ginnie agreed, trying to reclaim her pleasant smile. “There is no point in dwelling on it. Shall we begin then?” Her tone was pleasant, but clearly she remained annoyed about the situation, as she still held herself rather stiffly.

[Finodborn]

He found it too late to return to the issue of his residence at this point in the conversation; if he were to use the direct approach Tseh suggested, he would address it later on. True, Tseh. But it may be an advantage that 'they' don't know that we know. He in turn tried to summon the image of a scorpion; by the time the mouse usually realises the scorpion has a tail, it is mostly too late.

"Yes, Ginny; let music take our minds of unpleasant colleagues." He smiled, a trifle nervous about his first lesson in the Bardic College.

[Twilight]

Ginny had a beautiful voice, but, as Finodborn soon discovered, her true gift was for teaching. Although they focused on the most basic of lessons, working on tone and pitch of individual notes on a basic scale, she was able to draw the young Bard’s attention to nuances of the voice and processes of his body in producing each note that he had never considered before. It was exhilarating, inspiring and exhausting work.

Tseh quickly removed herself to a chair, as Finodborn began to work. Having her on his shoulder would have hampered his ability to follow Ginny’s directions, as she led him through warm-up exercises and then into the lesson. The fae was silent during the lesson, leaving the Adhiel’s mind free to focus completely on Ginny. Perhaps the Faerie was likewise focused.

“Have you a place where you feel comfortable practicing vocal exercises, Finodborn,” Ginny asked as they were nearing the end of his first lesson a couple of marks later. “Residents don’t have to worry about disturbing their neighbours within the College. It’s expected,” the little woman jested.

[Finodborn]

Finodborn had noted before that capable teachers, whatever their field, always had the puzzling ability to explain incredibly complex issues and concepts by means of seemingly ridiculous procedures.

A true master never lectured about the importance of whether the cat that had supplied the gut for your strings had been fed milk of ordinary cows, or only calfs; whether it was the music itself that mattered, or the concept behiiiind it (where Finodborn never managed to find it; whether the music of the royal jet set nowadays was more influenced by tetrimodal sequences of Amun Rah than by the converging inaudible bass lines that were so popular in Roque. Such talks was for snobs and other half-musicians who had to hide their incapability behind difficult words.

Instead, they would normally teach you about listening. The fact that Ginny more or less skipped that stage, flattered him. Rarely had he got this far with a teacher.
Moreover she had interesting things to say about basic mechanisms that were easy to apply and that would influence his overall capabilities remarkably if he did so. He tried to engrave everything she said into his memory for ever.

"I am not sure, Ginny. The Palace Gardens are incredible; they're be a bit more like my beloved home than the crowdy streets and huge buildings here. But I am not sure whether singing is really allowed there. So far, I've had no complaints, but I haven't been here for long. I will certainly let you know when it becomes a problem.
May I conclude by thanking you for this truly enlightening class? I have learned much in merely a few burns."

[Guest]

"I'm sure the Gardens must be a wonderful place to practices." Ginny nodded serenely, a smile evident upon her face, her distress considerably lessened from the calming effects of tutelage, perhaps. "I think that it will be most satisfactory, and should anyone complain, I'm sure we can arrange something else, yes?"

At his compliment, Ginny blushed slightly, eyes lowering demurely to the floor before again rising to meet Finodborn's with that delighted smile once again. "You may thank me, Finodborn, but a tutor is only so good as her student is willing to push himself. You are truly impressive, whatever you might think of yourself." A sparkle in her eyes, and the smoothness of her aura, revealed that she was not merely saying things to flatter Fin, but was rather making an honest assessment.

The fae swirled a little bit, settling once again upon Finodborn's shoulder, perhaps just as exhilirated as both teacher and student were about the lesson. You did very good were the only words that Tseh spoke, settling herself more comfortably into position.

"I hope to see you again soon," added Ginny with a nod, rising to her feet and toying idly with her hair- offering a wave to her student.

[Finodborn]

Finodborn wasn't sure whether he agreed entirely with Ginny's idea about the quality of a tutor. He did know the praise was welcome, for somebody who could know had complimented him on the skill which was the most, maybe only, valuable thing he had left. Moreover, he saw she meant it, and Tseh agreed too.

"I'm certain you will, Mistress." The way she played with her hair emphasized her nonchalant attractiveness. He bowed formally for her, only realizing it could appear as a deliberate contrast to her informal greeting when he was half way. He smiled, and left the cabinet of his tutor, planning to stroll around town a bit.

OOC: Not sure how to continue this...

[Maeve]

Skilled!