Music for Alvadas [Open]

[Sam Mentes]

Winter 38th, 511 AV

It was amazing how different the world was with illusions all around Sam. It was difficult for her to make her way around the city, and the fear of getting forever lost in an endless city made her fearful. Today, however, she had work to do. No time for meaningless paranoia. In her left hand she held her fiddle, sealed in its protected case, and in her right was a small bag of copper mizas. Her dull brown hair was brushed as neat as possible, but it was already beginning to go astray. Her green eyes were looking around, locking on a particularly popular area where many people seemed to be going by, and headed over there.

She stood by the wall of a building, unsure of its purpose or even if it was occupied. No matter, she carefully took her violin and bow out of its case and placed the case on the ground. Sam tossed in the bag of copper mizas to make it appear that people were already tipping her. With another look around, she noticed that very few people were looking at her or even acknowledging her. It was going to be another slow day.

As Sam placed the fiddle against her chin, she closed her eyes and whispered a quiet prayer to the god Rhaus. Unless a person had cat-like hearing, nobody would hear the soft words spoken. It was mostly to give her a sense of hope, a hope that people would stop and listen even if they didn't tip her. A tip would still be appreciated though. After all, she didn't do this for nothing. She lifted the bow up to the violin and began to play.

It was a soft, soothing, cheerful melody that played out of her fiddle. There were no undertones, no hidden meanings, but simply something to perk up one's spirit. It was with full heart that Sam played this, with her body moving along with the violin and focused attention on playing the perfect notes. There was no music, no boundaries on what would happen next. Most of the songs she played were made up on the spot, perhaps a mix of two songs she had copied from her grandfather or a twist on an old song she had heard. Unfortunately, nobody had yet to pay attention with only a few heads turned and no person even bothering to drop in a copper miza or two. She had not noticed yet, however, and continued to play as if she was a famous violinist receiving millions of gold mizas by the hour.

[Bob Barton]

Amazing? Maybe to some but to Bob it was a complete and utter waste of time blindly navigating around Alvadas just to find "a tavern! A petching tavern where I can kill some time!" like he shouted into the air wildly before going over to his dog which was already used to his sudden outbursts beside him gently asking in a quick change of heart "don't you think so Jinsen?" He really spoiled his dog too much sometimes when he is not being stern with it. Today thankfully was one of those times that it can enjoy giving it a chance to pick up the faint sound of a violin being played further away detectable only by animals with their superior capabilities. When the dog perked up to enjoy the music Bob looked to the same direction asking "what is it now?" The last time Jinsen got interested with something in the streets of Alvadas, Bob ended up swimming in garbage and having a rather awkward meeting with an old friend after so long. The circumstances could always have been better for him especially when there were others then too.

Bob got up holding firmly to the leash promising Jinsen that "it won't happen a second time. Agreed?" Waiting patiently until the dog stopped trying to run off on its own and looked back for its master to move Bob happily said "good that you know. Lead the way Jinsen" walking down the streets behind it. Somehow, somewhere their agreement was lost in translation and Jinsen began veering towards some of the trash heaps. "Not this time!" Bob said as he tugged the leash while he ran towards the other wall. Away from the smell of garbage which somehow has been very tempting to him lately. He was in the front already but still Jinsen was holding him back behind and allowing the stench to catch up to him. It was all so nice but "no!" Bob shut his eyes since he could not allow himself to release Jinsen to shut his nose but it only heightened the effect of what his nose picked up making it stronger as it tried to pull him to where Jinsen was and it was not because of concern for the dog.

Unable to even comprehend what would happen next Bob tried his best to stop himself from smelling the garbage, but breathing through his mouth taking deep breaths while repeating "no...no...no..." to remind himself that he was a human and not a dog like Jinsen. It worked for him, for as long as he did not use his nose to breath but it was oversight which prevented him from realizing that. So when he resumed back to normal and sniffed the scent of garbage again he cried "no!" in a panic and started to think about other nice smelling things to distract him from what was happening but his choice was bad and it was food. It got him hungry and looking at the the garbage pile with desire. Another failure but this time what he did was enough for him to fight off the temptation long enough to force his dog along as he ran down the street. "If this keeps up it is going to be the last time I am taking you around me you know that?" he asked the dog. He tried to dissuade it from doing things that he did not approve of various times by trying to take away the things it liked but it has not been working out too well.

When Bob finally ran down quick enough to out run the smell he found what it was that got his dogs attention initially muttering quietly to himself about how "I didn't know that Jinsen liked music." Bob slowly walked down to see how the girl was like. He met plenty of people like her during his time in Syliras who were trying to make a living off the streets and strangers, he was even one of those people for a time when his luck was down. In a rare moment he reached into his pocket and fished out about four silvers dropping them near her. "Dogs don't lie and Jinsen seems to like your music. So why is it that you are wasting your talents here?" There were better places that a performer can go to even if Alvadas was oversaturated with artists. The girl should go to those places since "it seems to me that you aren't too experienced in drawing in a crowd." Not everyone can be as privileged as Bob to get some lessons from a veteran who taught him a lot of those useful skills even if the reason he was taught it was nothing to be boasted about and he is not really that good at it himself either. At least it was better than nothing.

[Sam Mentes]

No one had stopped by yet. It was this fact that brought a sad spell upon Sam as she played, the tune of the song shifting to a more depressing state. It was not usual for Sam to deal with something as simple as a poor turnout. She was not used to being out on her own. To many, this would be no big deal, but at that exact moment it felt as if someone had just stabbed her in the chest. The song shifted into a more depressing tune and her music began to turn sloppy. No one had stopped by yet.

As Sam continued to play, she could hear rather loud footsteps and the faint voice of a man yelling at someone or something. Maybe the person was coming towards to listen to her music? The childish hope made her continue with a straight posture and a mature look. The music began to sound louder, more joyous, cleaner. A copper miza or two was in her future.

When a rather... short man came up with silver mizas and a shaggy dog, there was a tinge of disappointment in her heart. One person... one person only. Oh well, a crowd could come later. What was interesting was how short the man was. He didn't look like he was a child but more like ten years her elder. So why was he so short? It was just plain curiosity of something she didn't know, something that her family never bothered to tell her. Sam didn't want to say anything, though, because she didn't want to scare him off. Four silver mizas! Wow! And his compliment, if you could call it that, was nice as well, yet he seemed a little gruff. As if he didn't belong here but in a seedy bar. The last part of the "compliment" stung her a bit as well, and made her stop to comment.

Lowering her fiddle, she looked down at the midget. "Well, you stopped to listen, didn't you?" She didn't mean to sound so mean, but it just slipped. It was if she was talking to her siblings again, fighting over the last piece of pie.

[Bob Barton]

If just some girl on the streets thought that she can give Bob the lip while looking down on him even after he gave the coins that was expected, he will do the same. Figuratively speaking of course. It was not as if Bob looked down on the practice of trying to get money from passerbys, having relied on it at one point of his life but there was nothing else he could comment about in retaliation. Nothing but..."it was Jinsen who stopped to listen. I normally give the good performers more" out of courtesy to the family, or those he considered to be which helped him back in Syliras "but as you know, dogs don't have money." This dog as it would seem was no longer interested in the girl after she stopped playing, pulling along its master to continue on with its walk. Bob took a step to follow Jinsen as he asked "what if I had continued walking? Would you say the same?" and then stopping to look the girl in the eye "would you have played until the end?" That was one of the weaknesses because "Jinsen gave the mizas for a full song" just as anyone else would do.

Bob pulled back on the leash as he gave the command to his dog to "stay" as he continued on with his critism. "You are not going to disappoint it are you?" he asked while he tried to pull Jinsen closer. "If I was able to play an instrument then I would play for Jinsen instead of relying on other...people..." Bob said smiling again in a manner which patronized the girl. Was it a challenge? It might have been but there was no point because there was no proper way to prove his claim but it was enough for him to send a message. A message that if she does not act nicely she should not expect people to be spectators just as Bob failing to make "Jinsen! Stay!' while he kept trying to pull back its leash until it would stop moving.

[Sam Mentes]

Was this a challenge? While she was a bit of a “dumb country girl” stereotype, she could recognize undertones when it came to a challenge. Her siblings made sure of that, or else she probably would have gotten shoved into the mud many more times as a child. To an experienced busker, they would shrug and continue to play their songs, but Sam was not one. This was taken as a smack to the face, as if he was insulting her. Only later would she realize it wasn’t. Either way, she had to perform if she wanted more money out of him, and the dog was cute enough that it should stay.
“Alright, I understand... “ Again with the attitude. Why was she so upset today? Well, it was better than her past response. Her behavior to this stranger reflected a different perspective on people, something that would have to change or she’d be hung in seconds.
Lifting the fiddle up to her chin, she began to play again. Sam kept a careful eye on him, waiting to see what would happen. What if the dog wasn’t even interested anymore? Her audience would be history. What if nobody else came? She’d be poor for life. These thoughts rolled through her mind when she played, and it became obvious as the quality of her music lessened as she played on. It wasn’t intentional, really, but her behavior was slightly condescending towards the man.

[Bob Barton]

This was a challenge but definitely a lot better than Bob suddenly putting on a performance of his own on the very same streets. But he was a lot better now, if he really needed the money he would have headed over to somewhere like the Ionu's Wager for a gamble instead of demeaning himself for handouts. That did not mean that he cannot give some tips to the next generation. Bob was quite pleased when the girl submitted and continued to play with his criticisms like those experienced buskers he knew back in Syliras and for that, he listened on. It was the least he could do. Jinsen on the other hand already lost interest and wanted to leave but Bob held firm on the leash giving it a short and quick jerk every now and then. The dog should know what it means since it was what Bob did so many times while he was trying to teach the dog how to stay even if now it was not accompanied with the verbal command.

But for what Bob did not teach the dog, he would have to improvise. After he was done continuously jerking the rope for the dog finally get the idea what it should stick around he was able to listen to the song for what it was. A piece that betrayed the disturbed thoughts that the performer had in her and Bob believed that it was his appearance that made her this way just like how it happens to everyone else who did not know him too well, that his sharp, piercing tongue is only used for the truth to those who he found would be able to use well enough. A twinge of conscience which never failed to make him feel bad everytime if the situation was bad enough got him to try and make some amends when he told her that "Jinsen is not going to like a song like this. What happened to the songs that you have been playing earlier? Try and remember that." even if what he just said could be interpreted as the complete opposite.

To make her try and realize just how much her attitude was capable of turning off her much wanted coin, Bob gradually released his firm grip on Jinsen's leash making it a whole lot tense until the dog started to notice it. With the non verbal command no longer in effect Jinsen started to prepare to leave after testing for Bob's reactions when it started to stand up and try to walk away again. When Bob opened his mouth it was not to tell the dog to stay anymore but to alert the girl that "it looks like Jinsen is about to leave. I told you that the dogs were honest with their feelings" with a sigh in case she was too lost in her own emotions to notice what was going on.

If she took the hint and resumed the joyous songs that she was playing earlier when she knew that there was spectators coming, Bob will grasp the leash firmly again and give a short and quick tug to get Jinsen to stop one more time but he does not really know just how long that he would be able to keep this up. While Jinsen was his dog and he trained it himself it did not mean that he had full control over it to do whatever he wanted when he wanted it. Sometimes it just does whatever it wanted to since it has its own desires. Bob tried his best to keep his dog under control though with the leash as tense as possible so that it would know that it cannot go any further while he tried to accumulate some djed into his mouth. As smart as dogs were there were times that Bob could not completely express or speak what he wanted to it and this was just another way to do it at times.

Allowing the happy tune to carry him along as more djed traveled to his mouth, Bob with his eyes shut and swaying body would appear to be enjoying the music but all it was is just for him to work with what he wanted. When finally he opened his eyes and mouth he would tell Jinsen to "show her how you feel about her playing." The encouraging words which should have been more for the girl would bring a quick flash from part of the accumulated djed for the dog instead. One which showed a performing monkey that Bob once saw back in Syliras dancing to the tune of its own busker. The remaining djed which exited his mouth after when he told Jinsen to "go on" was hopefully to get an emotional response when whatever calm and exciting feelings Bob heard while enjoying the song himself was copied and sent to the dog to feel the same hopefully to imitate the vision that it saw and dance around according to the tune.