Meet The Landers: Acra

    With the campaign to retake Shibuya finally underway, Miyako has found herself energized once again. Right now, things are in 'waiting' mode, so she's back in Fort Ouph rather than out in the field. She's been gathering supplies, busking, and trying to relax. The latter task has left her more restless than anything else - a thorough failure to relax - and digging into her research into the ancient past of the land.

    At this moment in particular, she's just left a meeting over tea with an old gaffer, an elderly Lander with tales to spin that were old when he was a child. Exactly the kind of thing she was looking for. Leaving a handful of gifts for him in trade for the tales, she emerges into the sunlight with a smile on her lips as she looks around, debating where to go next.

As Miyako steps outside, she does so to the sight of a younger looking woman with an 'elderly attitude' seated at one of the fountains of Fort Ouph. Settled on the edge, she is listening to a chorus of Landers, singing one of the various songs that are well known within these lands. One of the 42 songs.

She's got a little piece of cloth on her lap, and she appears to be eating something that the Adventurers call a 'Sandwich'. Taking her time to consume it with one hand, while taking notes to the music itself. Occassionally, she lifts up what looks like a tuning fork, tapping it to the edge of the fountain, and listening to it and the chorus itself, before making notes again.

    Miyako stands and watches for a long moment, simply taking in the sound of the song, comparing it to her memory of the piece and silently singing along in her head. Ordinarily, she'd be content to simply stand there until they're done.

    Something about the woman with the sandwhich, however, catches her attention. She'd swear she'd seen the woman before, but couldn't quite put a name to her.

    A few moments more pass, then she gives in to her curiosity. A fellow musical researcher is certainly something to interest her, after all. So she walks over, making sure to keep clear of the tuning fork so as not to interfere with it, and settles to a seat.

As Miyako sits down, the woman with the tuning fork at first seems to ignore her. Continueing to listen to the song as it hits its end, and finishes making her notes. She carefully puts the tuning fork in a piece of cloth, wrapping it up and methodically starts putting it back into a leather case. She's very slow in everything she does, taking her time with it all.

It isn't until it's all put away, and she's lifted the leather bag onto her lap with both hands, that she turns towards Miyako and asks; "How may I, Arca, be of assistance?" Landers often use their names within the first sentence when they meet an Adventurer for the first time, and this one seems no different in that.

And with that name, Miyako might recall that Arca is one of the Four Council Members of the Eastal Free League.

    Miyako does indeed recognize the name when she hears it, and her smile widens just a touch. "Good day to you, Milady," she offers, warmly and only slightly formally. "I had actually intended to ask if you desired any assistance, or perhaps someone to bounce ideas off of." She smiles lightly and gestures at the bag with a slight wave of a hand. "Or perhaps, at least, to share your observations?"

The woman considers Miyako for a moment. There's not a lot of people who put this kind of interest in music. "No, I do not require any assistance." The woman answer Miyako in that kind of bitter old lady kind of tone, giving her a bit of a look. She begins to rise for a moment, considering something, before she turns.

"When measuring the energy released during one of the fourty-two songs, based on the frequency of musical notes, seems inconsistent with what is expected from the standard sonic vibrations." She then declares to Miyako. "There appears to be something else to the songs of our people. For the longest time, we didn't question the fourty-two songs we are most familiar with. But with you Adventurers having arrived, bringing your own songs... those songs do not seem to have this kind of energy."

    Miyako nods. "Our songs are just ... words and music. Powerful emotionally, in some cases," and yes, she's teared up a time or three for some songs. "But nothing as ... magical... as what happens around the Forty-Two." She pauses, musing on the topic for a moment. "I've wondered sometimes, if it's the Alvish language that does it, or if there's something else... something about the way they're performed, by such large groups, maybe. Almost ritualistic, wouldn't you think?"

Acra touches a spot to her nose as if she were pushing up a pair of lenses, only to realize belatedly that she's not wearing her reading glasses at the moment. "Perhaps." She simply answers at first. "But I'm not sure if the order of operations are correct on that." She then adds, as she glances away to another crowd that is just casually humming one of the songs. It's such a constant in the lives of a Lander, and most of them have never noticed because it's simply part of their culture to sing. Always working, singing on occassion, filling the world with a sense of life. Why would they not wish to be part of that? "Yet the strangest thing is that this world has more than fourty-two songs. It's just that they are not sung by us Landers." Arca points out. "And there are three that are more powerful than any - the last three songs of the sequence." The woman mumbles and steps away again. "I must depart. This is something I need to look into deeper myself. I do not have the kind of gear here I need to research this matter." She points out.

    Miyako nods, considering it as she listens. "I was a little surprised to learn that myself," she admits. "I had thought the number forty-two had to be of importance - it had some significance in the world we come from - so I did not look beyond it until confronted with the reality."

    The Spriggan nods as Arca announces her departure. "I would be pleased to assist you in your research, if you would have me. I still await results from my own little experiment." Her smile widens just a touch, once again. "I must admit to some curiosity as to what you might have uncovered."

The woman considers Miyako for just a moment, before shaking her head. "No, it would be better if you researched things on your own. As a Lander, I have certain pre-conceived notions that you do not possess." She answers the Spriggan. "I recommend you focus on your own thing for the time being."

And with that, she wanders off for the time being.