flickerflash | [Accidental Video]

[Accidental Video]

[Katie's been living in the woods for the last few weeks; it shows in the tangles of her dirty hair and the thinness of her face. Not that anyone can see those right now, because right now, Katie is slinking through the forest toward the northern edge of the village as a grubby kitten. She hasn't gone into the village since she found Helios for the second time. There doesn't seem much point, and it's easier, that way, to fight the nervosa without the creature unwittingly involving the more sensitive villagers into nightmares. Mostly, she can keep the upper hand.

Some nights are a little worse than others. She's let it go on too long.

Katie is so tired. And worried. And sick of being away from human contact, and wondering why she should bother trying to avoid them anyway.

And hungry.

She's trying to ignore that last part.

It's very easy to let herself into a house full of pirates, because she is a ninja. Eternally at war with you lot, she is. It's just a matter of scaling the side of house #6 and opening her own private door through the brick wall. It swings shut behind her, no harm done.

This was Brook's room. He's no longer here, of course, just like Sigmund and Edward and Svala, all gone. Katie is so, so tired of people leaving. Brook left twice. It's not very fair. She wonders what she would do if she saw him on the street again today. He rather deserves to be hurt just as much, she thinks. (But that's not fair either, and really the only reason she's snuck into his room like this is she misses him. Brook was her first friend here. He carried an orchestra with him wherever he walked. It was marvellous...)

Jack's still here.

Jack hasn't left. But if she stays in the attic, he'll get involved, and not in a good way. And Norrington-- well. If she stays, she'll kill him. Or he'll kill her. That's the way of such conflict. It feels like a betrayal, really. She's just not sure who's doing the betraying. (And then, of course, these are silly notions altogether, and some days she wonders what on earth she's thinking. Today is not one of those days.)

Katie-the-kitten winds her way around the legs of Brook's bed (is it still too short for him?) and through the adjoining door into the music room. All the instruments are still here. No skeleton, but you know. These were precious to him.

Maybe she should break them.

She changes, human hands reaching out for the guitar. She could smash it on the ground, lots of little pieces, spell out welcome home in chips of wood and warping strings. From there, she knows, she won't stop. Sanji would be so disappointed. But he wouldn't hurt her, would he? Because Sanji's--

Sanji feeds her fish all the time, and he knows her. And he didn't run away. He's still here.

It's not fair. She's not being fair.

Her hand hovers over the neck of the guitar, and then fingers close gently and she pulls the instrument into her lap instead as she sits down.

She knows how to play. She had a guitar at home. Still has, in the attic. It's a child's guitar, nothing like this one. This one's a little too big for her to handle properly. She plays, anyway. Bink's Sake, for Brook; he taught her to play it, but she's heard it since the very day she arrived in Luceti. Maybe when she's done, she can just pretend he congratulates her on a job well done.

She doesn't intend to be overheard. But her much-battered journal is at hand, and in taking the guitar she's let it fall to the floor. At least it won't pick up her image. Just the music.]

[Accidental Video]

[The journal switches on to show...nothing. Well. Some carpet and what might be a music stand by a window, and a whole pile of sheet music off to one side. Nobody is visible, but someone can be heard tuning a guitar. It hasn't been played in a while. Poor thing.

When the guitarist switches to playing, it's clumsily picked out by rusty fingers, but the music itself is probably highly recognisable by a handful of people. The piece gets more fluid the longer she plays, until a couple of minutes into the song, when her fretwork first slows, and then trails off completely.

When she starts again, it's this piece instead, played through to the end.]

...twice more. [The voice is young and distant and distinctly Irish, and she giggles.] D'you think he'd come?

[And she starts playing again. Faster.]

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If that's what you'd like to do. [Vivi had kind of assumed Katie would feel more comfortable in the privacy of the music room, but obviously there's no problem if she'd prefer to eat at the table.] I'll leave it up to you.

[She's been spotted and has to clean up. There doesn't seem much point in locking herself away.

...besides, Katie does like Vivi. She can't not like someone with blue hair.]

I have excellent table manners. I'll meet you there.

[And she heads for the bathroom.]

All right then.

[Vivi nods acknowledgement and follows Katie out the door, heading for the stairs. Once she's safely made it downstairs, she set Katie's plate and the glass of milk down at the kitchen table. Then, as she waits for the girl to appear, she fetches herself a brownie and some milk as well. She'd eaten earlier with the crew, but a snack won't hurt.]

[By the time Katie comes down, she has scrubbed her face and hands clean and borrowed a hairbrush from the bathroom to at least get some of the tangles out of her hair. Then she heads down for the kitchen cautiously, eyeing the table in a way that seems to suggest she might be worried Vivi is having second thoughts or something.]

Here I am.

[Vivi smiles brightly from her place at the table, motioning for Katie to come and sit. The girl is looking noticeably more presentable now, but the relative gauntness of her face and the state of her clothes stand out even more as a result. This is clearly the result of more than just a day or two's hard playing outside. It's not a topic she'll broach yet, though; if Vivi's line of thinking is right, Katie must be hungry, and she doesn't want to risk making her skittish before she gets a hot meal in her.]

Go ahead, Katie-chan. Is it still warm enough? I can stick it back in the oven if it's cooled down too much.

Mm... it's just right. [Though she says that without having tried the meal... but the way Katie's gaze fastens on that plate when she sees it again is probably a good indicator that she's not going to care how hot or cold it is. She slides into the chair and reaches out with a hand, fingers hovering over the trout before she blinks, sits back, and picks up the knife and fork instead. Proper manners, Katie.

She still eats it rather fast.]

[Vivi watches somewhat anxiously as Katie begins to bolt down her meal--the fact that it's fish makes it seem a little dangerous, though it's unlikely Sanji left many bones when he prepared it.]

No need to eat so quickly. There's even more if you want... [She takes a delicate bite of her own brownie.]

[Katie slows down somewhat, even darting Vivi an apologetic smile.] I didn't want it to escape.

[A amused smile tugs at the corner of Vivi's mouth.] Very wise, but I think you've thoroughly crippled it at this point. I doubt it could outrun either of us anymore.

Then it's better not to draw out its suffering. [But nevertheless, she eats at a far more courteous pace.] Did you have this for dinner last night?

[Vivi nods.] Sanji-san made it. And as I recall, you're a fan of fish, aren't you?

Fish is a fan of me. It knows a girl with excellent taste.

[That earns her an amused giggle.] Clearly.

[Vivi takes another bite of brownie, chewing slowly as she watches Katie eat. In a way, maybe it's stalling, but she really doesn't want to interupt Katie's apparently much-needed meal with the question she knows she has to ask.]

[Katie favours Vivi with a quick smile, then goes back to finishing her meal. She sets the knife and fork down politely on the plate when she's done.] Thank you for your hospitality.

[Better than mice, you know. Much.]

[Her own brownie long since finished, Vivi laces her fingers together primly, trying to sift back through her memory to who it is that's taking care of Katie. She remembers the girl mentioning Jack Sparrow, a fact that sticks out in her mind because it took her by surprise, but she's not sure if he's actually her guardian or just a friend.]

It's no trouble at all, Katie-chan. Are you sure you don't want seconds? There's plenty.

[She starts to shake her head-- she really is quite full-- then considers.]

...could I take some of the trout with me when I go? Would that be all right?

Certainly! I'll pack it up for you.

[And it's as she rises, gathering a large plastic container from the cupboard, that she decides she can delay no more. She keeps her voice casual as she works. Right now, it as if she's just making idle conversation.]

Katie-chan. Who is it you stay with again?

Captain Jack Sparrow. Up in his attic. It's quite fun. I get to draw all over the walls. You should see my drawings some day.

[Ah, so it was Jack Sparrow after all. Vivi doesn't keep tabs on the pirate, though she's certain she would have heard if he'd been sent back home. So either he's been kidnapped, or is just an incredibly lax--and frankly probably unsuitable--guardian. Maybe she shouldn't be surprised by that. Then again, she hardly knows the man, so perhaps she's being unfair, assuming the worst. She needs to find out for sure what's going on here.]

[Still, she keeps her expression pleasant; her tone light.] Oh? That sounds lovely. I'd love to see your artwork! In fact, I could even walk over with you once you're done here.

[That's what she was afraid of. Katie shakes her head.] Oh, I'm not going straight home from here. I'm meeting a friend to help him search for his fiddle.

[...well, it was worth a shot. Time now to try a more direct approach.]

[She finishes filling the container with the last of the leftovers; three more large filets resting on a bed of wild rice.] And how long has it been since you've been home, Katie-chan? [Snapping the lid home, she turns to face Katie, her expression concerned, but not accusing. She may be wrong about this, too, but she thinks not. It's clear from the state of the girl that she's been going without regular meals recently, and from the state of her clothes and her pre-washed grubbiness, Vivi would guess she hasn't been in the shelter of a house for at least a few days either.]

[This seems more delicate now; most of the cards have been laid out on the table, at least from Vivi's side. Still, she doesn't want to scare the girl; she wants to help her. She holds out the plastic container of food, trying to make it clear with her body language that Katie isn't in trouble.]

Well, I'm not sure. [Katie blinks, taking in the concern. She makes an effort to be polite about it and not hostile-- hospitality carries its own weight with her kind.]

I think it must have been... more than one year, less than two. It's hard to say.

[Vivi's brow furrows, Katie's answer taking her by surprise. She doesn't know the extent to which Katie and the simple truth do not get along, either, so she only assumes the girl misinterpreted her question.] I meant--not your real home, but where you stay with Captain Sparrow.

Do you need somewhere else to stay? [She jostles the container of fish and rice a little to draw attention to it, since Katie's made no move to take it.]

[Vivi's actually right. Katie deliberately misinterpreted her question.] Oh, that home. [She reaches out cautiously for the container as if suspecting it's a trap.] I was only there yesterday. I have stayed out a little too long, I suppose.

I'm comfortable staying there, but thank you.

[Only yesterday? That doesn't seem very likely either, but maybe if there's been no one there to look after her...]

Then is Captain Sparrow all right? [Not, you know, kidnapped or anything?]

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