Sotto voce: music, In very soft tones. Used chiefly as a direction.

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Sotto Voce

– Isuzu the Bard doesn't really like to sing all that much.

Within the Guild of Log Horizon, a Bard sings a song. No, that might not be completely true, for Bards usually only play music, many kinds of music. There weren't many who actually weaved their voices into their melodies.

This Bard was no exception on regular days, but she was whenever she deemed the occasion worthy enough. In truth, Isuzu the Bard didn't really like to sing all that much. She'd always loved music, had a passion for it, but had had an awful voice. She'd taken both piano lessons and tried to play the guitar, but her music was always off tune and ear-splitting – if her instructor was to be believed.

She hadn't stopped trying, not for a good while. Her big brother had formed a band when she'd still been a little kid, and she wanted to join him for ages. Big brother had almost never been home those days, before the Apocalypse had happened, because his job as a musician kept him busy in this place or that. Still, Isuzu wished he'd call more often.

Every call ended with the same line:

"I'll see you soon," it was a promise they both made to each other, or at least in Isuzu's mind it was. He promised he'd visit soon, which they both knew he probably wouldn't have time to do in the end, and Isuzu promised to join him soon, which was also false because of her total lack of talent but Brother had long ago stopped trying to correct her and just chortled in amusement from the other end of the line.

Isuzu the Bard, before she had even become a Bard had loved music and singing, though she never let anyone hear her sing. Her father had once heard her singing while washing the dishes in the kitchen, and he'd thought she'd dropped a few plates when the refrain of the up-beet song came.

Suffice to say, Isuzu made sure no one was in hearing range when she sang after that. People would tease her endlessly if they heard her, and she was already embarrassed about the fact that she couldn't play a single instrument when her Brother could play three (and sing).

It was for this reason Isuzu had decided to become a Bard in Elder Tale. When she was little and her Brother was still living with the rest of the family, they'd played a ton of video games and her Brother had even allowed her to play some MMOs with his friends.

About two years since her Brother moved out, Isuzu found the game of Elder Tale, and tried to get her Brother to play as well so they could at least still do something together despite the distance between them.

He hadn't been interested (though he had been amused by her choice of avatar), but Isuzu kept playing the game regardless. There were other people she could play with besides her Brother.

Now, when there was no Brother to impress, she could ironically sing like a mermaid. It was unfair, true, but she had other people who would listen to her now.

Still, Isuzu the Bard didn't like to sing – to play instruments, yes, but singing was a completely different story.

But there were those special instances that Isuzu deemed appropriate to let her voice flow, half-expecting people to start running for the hills.

She'd sung to Shiroe in a sign of gratitude when he was stressed, and Akatsuki would sometimes hang around to listen as well. Naotsugu too, if the song was up-beat and cheerful enough for his taste.

She'd sung lullabies to Serara a few times, when the girl was particularly distressed or had a nightmare about Susukino.

She'd even sung to Rudy once. It had been a clear night and Rudy had been brooding all day and it took all of Isuzu's self-control not to punch him for it. Didn't he realize how worried he was making Minori and the others? Even Toya had noticed something was off.

But of course, none of them had said anything, and they'd all left it to her to solve the problem. How typical.

"What's the matter?"

Rudy had only blinked dubiously "Noting,"

"Liar."

"Why would I lie to you, Miss Isuzu?"

The debate had lasted a good while, until the Bard was frustrated enough to begin attempting to beat some sense into the Sorcerer and Rudy had given in with a sigh and told her what was wrong.

The words were soft and hideous "What if I don't belong?" and she'd punched him for real that time for his sheer stupidity.

"Who told you that?! Of course you do!"

"But..." he tried to protest meekly, but Isuzu had had enough of his pity-party. "In fact, you're so important to this Guild I'm going to sing a song in your honor." she huffed, cutting off whatever he was going to say. She took a breath and opened her mouth.

And then she sang. She sang loud and clear atop the roof, just beneath the starts in the heart of the Adventurer's City, sitting side-by-side with a former People of the Land. After she finished, Rudy had smiled a genuine, sincere smile. She'd felt proud of herself.

"That was really beautiful," Rudy had whispered from where he was leaning on her shoulder, she had made no move to remove him.

She had only sung on special occasions.

Isuzu had only ever held one concert.

It had been summer and they had all sat around the bonfire eating curry. The adults were having a bit of sake and at some point a slightly more than tipsy Naotsugu had shouted that he wanted to hear a song. Isuzu had tried to dissuade him, and maybe she would have superseded, if Nyanta hadn't intervened.

"Yes, it would be quite nice, wouldn't it? What do you say, Miss Isuzu? We'd all like to hear you." And one thing led to another and soon all her teammates were practically bullying her into singing for them.

Isuzu had sighed, but for some reason didn't have the will to deny them. Besides, if their ears started to bleed, it was their own fault.

She'd taken out her hand-held harp and began playing the first thing that came to mind, which was actually a variant of the opening song of Elder Tale, just much more calming and with her original lyrics. It was her song, in a way.

The fire had crackled and she'd been smiling, and it hadn't seemed all that important that she couldn't really sing.

From that moment on, Isuzu the Bard still didn't like to sing. She didn't do it often and the instances when she did were so rare that she could remember every single one as clearly as a new-composed melody. She loved those moments more than anything else in the world.