flickerflash: (you don't get to see my face)
flickerflash ([personal profile] flickerflash) wrote2012-09-21 11:49 pm

[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.]

keepsmehonest: ([happy] happy)

[video]

[personal profile] keepsmehonest 2012-09-21 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's the music that attracts his attention. Always the music. It doesn't matter how well it's played or how poorly. There's still magic in the sound of someone losing themselves in a tune.

In this case, though, it does help that Geordie recognizes the piece. "King of the Fairies," a tune he's played on his fiddle more times than he can count. His fingers itch to join in but without an instrument, he's stuck with song.]


Up the airy mountain, through the rushy glen
We daren't go a-hunting for fear of little men.
Wee folk, good folk, trooping all together
Green jacket, red cap and white owl's feather.
fierybluebird: (looking forward to the future)

[Video]

[personal profile] fierybluebird 2012-09-21 09:07 pm (UTC)(link)
It's been ages since I heard this song. [Aside from... Ace.]

What is this, Shanks catnip?
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (At peace - halfway there)

[Voice] Holy crap. Did not think I'd find that link.

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2012-09-21 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[Vash does indeed recognize that song and even knows how to play it. He's never stopped practicing with the harmonica Brook had shown him how to play. He takes it out of his pocket and starts playing along with the guitarist. Picking up with her pacing easily enough.]
Edited 2012-09-21 22:42 (UTC)
alabastajewel: (listening)

[Action]

[personal profile] alabastajewel 2012-09-22 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[The song drifting down from the music music room is so faint that at first Vivi doesn't notice it. It's not until she begins unconsciously humming "Bink's Sake" that she realizes something prompted it. She stops, listening carefully, and sure enough, she can catch snatches of song, muffled, but unquestionably there. This was a common enough occurrence when Brook was still with them, but he'd gone home what seems so long ago now.]

[An excited flutter of hope stirs in her chest, and she turns to the stairs, cocking her head to listen. Yes, the music is definitely coming from up there. It must be the music room. She mounts the stairs quickly, not quite running up them. It's a little louder up here; she can see the music room's door is open just a crack, though the soundproofing in the room still swallows much of the sound. Doubt retreats, and Vivi feels certain she knows who she'll find as her hand slips over the door knob. She's already calling his name as she pulls open the door.]
Brook-sa--!

[Oh. No. The sight that greets her couldn't be more different from an eight-foot skeleton with an afro: a little girl, and one it takes Vivi a moment to recognize after having her hopes pulled out from under her like that.]

O-oh. Katie-chan. I didn't...
fourteen: (fearful → I'm pleased to meet you)

[video]

[personal profile] fourteen 2012-09-22 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
... that song ...

[ She says the words rather without meaning to. But they stir so much emotion in her that she can't help it. It's been a very long time since she heard that song, so long it takes her a moment to piece together why it's so familiar and so nostalgic. ]

That's ... how do you know that song? The first one.
concasse: all unmarked icons were made by me; other icons were edited but still credit original creator (neutral↠ what we can do)

[video]

[personal profile] concasse 2012-09-23 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Who... is playing Bink's Sake? Being preoccupied at the restaurant, Sanji doesn't get the pleasure of finding anyone sneaking around Brook's room, but he stops what he's doing and listens quietly until the song finishes and a familiar voice speaks.

Or he thinks it's familiar. Definitely not the accent he's used to hearing, but he chances a guess anyway]


Katie-chan?
fourteen: (loss → it started to pour.)

[video]

[personal profile] fourteen 2012-09-23 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
... Brook? You knew Brook?
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Just smile and nod)

[Voice]

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2012-09-23 01:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[Eventually Vash slows to a stop when he hears the guitar stop.] You play very well.
keepsmehonest: ([happy] pleased)

[video]

[personal profile] keepsmehonest 2012-09-23 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[He smiles when she begins to sing with him, happy his intrusion isn't minded.]

High up on the hill top the old king sits
He's now so old and grey he's nearly lost his wits
He's rising with the music on the cold starry night
To sup with the queen of the gay north light.
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Damn I look good!)

[Voice]

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2012-09-24 05:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Katie? Is that you? [But she starts to play again. Not knowing this song, he listens quietly waiting for her to finish.]
keepsmehonest: ([happy] amused)

[video]

[personal profile] keepsmehonest 2012-09-24 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's a little strange to be called a boy by a girl who looks much younger than him but he's encountered stranger personalities since coming here.]

I'm a fiddler by trade. Irish and Celtic tunes tend to be my favorites, though I'll happily learn any song taught to me.
concasse: all unmarked icons were made by me; other icons were edited but still credit original creator (neutral↠ hottest eyebrow ever)

[video]

[personal profile] concasse 2012-09-24 07:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sanji has no reason to do anything but smile, though it's slow-moving and a little unsure. She just... told the truth, and he isn't sure how to read that.

There's a pause on his own end before he decides to just move forward and play the fool.]


Aaah, I thought that was you~! I had no idea you knew how to play the guitar, either. [Or knew Bink's Sake for that matter, but he guesses that's what happens when a pirate skeleton musician is one of your best friends]

Brook would be pretty damn impressed.
fierybluebird: (Shanks is annoying)

[Video]

[personal profile] fierybluebird 2012-09-25 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[No worries, he doesn't mind.]

An annoying pirate emperor. That's his favorite song.
fierybluebird: (thinking)

[Video]

[personal profile] fierybluebird 2012-09-26 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
No, he's got red hair.

[And then some random bullshit :|] Because he dyes it in strawberry jam. [... Just to make Shanks deal with that someday. :|]

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