Not Quite Hitting The Right Notes

Writers: Leigh M-F., Miriah
Date Posted: 1st May 2013

Characters: Paetri, A'kua
Description: Music leads to a clash in mindsets
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 6

To be honest, this was probably Aluka's favorite time of day: When the sun was setting, the air was cooler, and he had some time to himself. Candidacy offered its participants precious little of that. It could grate on the nerves, but that was the price. And it was still a ton better than that backwater hold he couldn't think of without getting
absolutely filthy in language, which was why he tried not to speak of it aloud. There was not enough soap on Pern to wash his mouth out.

His habit of profanity was one his music teacher had certainly not approved of. Aluka had gotten demerits every time even a mild curse had shown up in his compositions. And when he sang with an accent. And when he tried to stray too far from traditional music. (At least he did appreciate songs that told a story.) Now Aluka could focus on
composing what HE wanted to compose, and he liked harder beats and faster rhythms. The song he was working on now wasn't that fast or hard, but his teacher still wouldn't have approved.

The redhead tuned the strings, leaned back against the Weyr wall, and began strumming. At the right moment, he started singing, imagining the story like it was happening before him. "The Holder's Guards are all sleeping,
Watch-fires burning through the night;
There's a threat of rain on the dark horizon,
The moons are waning and the stars barely have light.

He climbs up through the darkness,
No weapons but his surprise:
The greatest thief in all of Lemos
Enters the room where a sleeping heiress lies.

'All of your Marks,
Your pretty necklace;
This is my work on such a night.
The storm's coming over the forest:
I'll be gone right before the morning.'

He was gentle as the night wind,
As no one had been before,
And the ring she wore for her bridegroom
Slipped from her finger and fell to the floor.

'Take me with you, take me with you,
Before my lonely life is set!
I've been promised to another,
To a man I've barely even met!'

She begged 'Take me to another life,
Take me for a thieving wife!
Take me where the wind blows,
Take me where the red wine flows,
Take me through the dangers, take me to a life of crime,
Take me to the stars, take me to the moons
While we still have time!'"

Drawn to the music, Paetri had walked towards Aluka and had paused to listen. She didn't really know the other boy, but at noticed him when he had entered the Candidate barracks some time before; she just had never spoken to him. Not musically inclined herself, she couldn't help but enjoy the chords he played, but then paused when she actually began to listen to the lyrics. Her eyes widened as a flush took over her cheeks. Was he singing about what she thought? Her jaw dropped open. She'd never heard a song like that!

Halfway into the bridge, Aluka stopped and looked at his notes. Something was missing. The music was fine, no doubt there; in fact, it was great. But perhaps the lyrics should be expanded on. Maybe he should include something from the heiress' point of view. Who wouldn't be frightened of a famous thief climbing into their window? But on the other hand, she also begged him to take her away, so maybe here was an
instant sexual attraction? Or was he just a convenient way out?

He leaned his head back, thinking, only then noticing he had an audience at the corner of his eye. Aluka looked, finding one of the Candidate girls there. "Oh. Hallo," he greeted, at a loss of what else to say.

Eyes still wide, Paetri nodded slowly. "Hello." She licked her lower lip for a moment and shifted on her feet before the question burst out of her. "What was that song?" Her cheeks flushed. "I've..I've never heard anything like it." She glanced around. "They actually let you sing that sort of thing here? Openly?"

Aluka motioned to how big the Weyr was. "I can sing pretty loud, but I'm not botherin' anyone doin' it or doin' harm, and 's not like this's a stuffy, closed-minded Hold," he said without any trace of sarcasm for once. Besides, those questions had been rather innocent. "So didja like whatcha heard?"

"I'm from a hold." Paetri was defensive for a moment before continuing on, lightly stroking her braid between her fingers. "I liked the melody." A blush brightened her cheeks. "But the words...they were a bit...uhm...unexpected. And..." she searched for the right word to describe what she had heard without being rude. "Well...lewd."

Aluka snorted, which became a snicker, and then a laugh. That was so cute! Not only were the questions innocent, this girl was too. "That wasn' lewd in the least," he corrected. "Lewd is out-and-out describin' where the fingers and lips and parts are goin'. I only implied what was goin' on." He gave Paetri a roguish grin. "Wanna demonstration?" he said in a tone that clearly meant he was teasing.

He hadn't just said that...had he? Paetri's eyes bulged nearly out of her sockets as her jaw dropped in utter shock. After all of her time here at the weyr, she'd never heard someone speak like that in front of her or even proposition her, even if it was teasing! Sputtering, Paetri's face lit up in a blush that ran down to her shoulders. She
wasn't even able to find an answer for that, it was just..."I..uh..er.." She found herself tugging on her braid, winding her through her hands like it was some sort of lifeline. When she was finally able to speak it came out as an undignified squeak. "What?"

The entire reaction made Aluka laugh even harder. Oh, she was a holder girl, all right. "I'm kiddin' with ya," he chortled. "Look, c'mere. Siddown," he said, patting the rock next to him, and leaned against the Weyr wall again. "I don' bite, I promise."

She wasn't too certain about that. Hanging back, there was a flash of irritation as he continued to laugh at her. Her arms crossed over her meager bosom and stared at the rock for a long moment before turning back to him and her nose wrinkled. "As long as you don't sing like that while I'm sitting....and stop laughing at me." Primly, she sat,
but kept a good distance between the two of them and settled her skirts.

Ancients, she was just too adorable. "I'm from a Hold too, see," he said, picking random chords. "I can say with authority they're pretty stuffy places, and so're most of the people in 'em. I couldn' express myself like I wanted back where I came from, but I can here. So why not have fun with it?"

She stared at the boy for a long moment. With the blush riding high on her cheeks, she blurted the only thing that came to mind. "And you express yourself by talking about what goes on in the bedchambers?" Her eyes widened at herself and she covered her mouth, her next words muffled by her palm. "Sorry about that! Forget I asked!"

Aluka lost it and laughed almost hysterically for a few moments before getting himself under control. "No!" he exclaimed. "Goodness, you're hung up on that, aren'tcha?" That was also said teasingly. "Naw, don' be sorry. I sing 'bout other stuff too, like sailin' and freedom, heartbreak, happiness, how wonderful the world is, and people. I could even sing 'bout singin'. Try list'nin' to the story, huh? It's not just sex; it's a no-good thief and a woman unwillin' to submit to somethin' that would make her unhappy. Wouldn' ya do just 'bout anythin' to escape a fate ya didn' want?" If she was at the Weyr, it was possible, he reasoned. A lot of women saw the Weyr as freedom, and the chance to Impress, naturally.

His laughter stung and Paetri stood up, put her hands on her meager hips and glared at him. "It's not that funny." She sniffed and crossed her arms defensively. "It's not nice to laugh at people like that." Her head lifted a little and she stood uncomfortably but continued. "And what good would that do to her besides branding her as worthless
and shaming her family? Its selfish of that woman to do that and stupid; sometimes you can't have what makes you happy and you have to content yourself with what you _do_ have."

Aluka became very still. Then he shifted to cross his arms atop his gitar, and gave Paetri a long, piercing stare. "Then why are you here?" he asked slowly and deliberately. "Why didn't you content yourself with what you had at your precious, stuffy little Hold?"

At that question, her irritation dissipated and her stance faltered; she had to look away. Her hold wasn't 'precious' to her, and she had few actual happy memories of her home. But she had been raised to do her duty to her family; it had been her that was the disappointment, not them. Looking down, she spoke softly. "I was Searched."

Ha. His question had nailed her somewhere uncomfortable, judging by that reaction. The resulting smugness cooled him off. "Everyone's got just as much right to _refuse_ Search as they do to accept," he said, reverting to his natural accent and softening his tone slightly. "But 'steada stayin' with a family that I bet woulda married ya off without
any concern for whatcha wanted, ya took the better deal. So why's it okay for YA to get outta an unfair situation, but it's not okay for a fictional woman to do it?" He repositioned his hands on the strings, playing an ascending arpeggio that almost sounded like another question. "Izzit the sex thing that makes ya so uncomfortable?"

"They tried." Her voice was soft, ashamed. "No one would have me." She took a slow breath. "So it was accept the Search or be a burden on my family." Her chin lifted, though her lower lip trembled. "But I would have married, if they had found anyone. For them." She stared at the young man for a long moment. "You're a boy. You have always had options..." The next question made her even more uncomfortable, just like he had noticed. "I don't want to talk about it. Excuse me." Holding herself tightly, she spun around to walk away.

Poor girl. She was obviously the result of her upbringing; that is, brainwashed to the point of having no self esteem, probably beaten into submission, and had never believed she deserved anything good for herself. Ancients, there were too many women like her. Aluka felt a wash of pity, and decided to soften up a little more. "Lemme tell ya somethin' 'fore ya storm off thinkin' your way's the only way of thinkin', huh? I'm a bastard. No one wanted me, either. Never cared, but I still did the right thing and took the better deal. Just like ya did the right thing."

She stopped and turned to look at him, hands tight on her arms. "I wasn't storming." But she listened and as she did, her face softened. "Your birth wasn't your fault....but I hope that you're right."

The redhead grinned, dark eyes dancing. "Yours wasn' your fault either. And 'course I'm right. You're here, ain'tcha?" he replied, and tuned the A string slightly before playing a reel meant for a Gather. Hopefully it would cheer Paetri up.

Paetri had no reply to that and the music failed to move her this time. "Excuse me." She drew her braid over her shoulder and walked away, eager to find her cot and find some time to herself.

Aluka's hands slowed as he watched the girl leave. He almost called out to her, but her defeated body language made him viciously play a deep note that sounded like an angry curse instead. "I feckin' hate my gender," he said darkly, and drove his head back into the Weyr wall. The pain didn't make him feel much better, but at the moment, he couldn't, for once, think of words foul enough to express himself in any other way.

Last updated on the June 17th 2013

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Not Quite Hitting The Right Notes