[Puzzle 017]

[hisapprentice]

[Things in the village continue to move at molasses speeds, ever since the draft ended. Without school to keep him occupied, and with (shock and dismay) a wholly diminished interest in all things puzzle, what with all the sadness and walking on eggshells going on all over the place, he's been...practicing his violin, actually. No one in the house came after him pounding on the door, so it must not be that bad.

It was better, sometimes, than thinking about all the strangers who appeared (from the draft, he learned later) bloody and beaten up, or his friends, coming back with darkness in their eyes.

His plans for this day are tame, and come in two flavors:

In the morning he's at the stables, tending to the horses with the kind of affectionate banter and bounce in his step that he doesn't have many close friends to share with anymore. It's not so bad. Animals are, um, people too. But anyone else there might catch him whistling or seeming to talk to himself.

After lunch (Luke always has a long generous lunch - today he eats at Seventh Heaven) he heads into the school to the music room, balances the open journal on a spare music stand, and pulls his violin and bow out of their case to prepare and tune them.]

So, er. [It doesn't usually bother him to talk to the village but...this is a little different.] You know...I think maybe it's better if I don't say anything first.

[And, after one last, soft check of his pitch, Luke shuts his eyes and starts to play a song whose sheet music he found in the library months ago. It isn't very long, but he goes through it thrice: the first time quietly, too afraid to mess up to really play, and then twice after that. It's a little slow and a little sad but he doesn't feel sad when it's over.]

That's that, then. [Projected confidence or not, he's blushing pretty red on his end of the journal.] I sort of thought, um, that maybe somebody could use a little music.

[[ooc: shh shh pretend it's a violin in the track not a cello...]]

Comments

i had tooooo

[amonglions]

Not bad, kid.

[Booker likes music enough to verbally say so.]

well yes

[hisapprentice]

Oh! Uh, yes, thanks. I had...rather a lot of time to practice.

[Well this is already embarrassing.]

[amonglions]

Oh were we not....supposed to hear that?

[He can pick up on verbal cues.]

[hisapprentice]

No, you were! [He covers his enjoyment of the praise best with some hat fidgeting.] It was...it probably could be a lot better, that's all.

{Voice}

[strikeoflightning]

Thank you for the gift. {What else can she call it? She spent the entirety of the piece leaning against a wall and closing her eyes.} I had forgotten the effect of music.

{Voice}

[hisapprentice]

Sure! [Ahaha, it hasn't stopped being embarrassing yet, but the point was to do something nice for people and so far it sounds like it worked.] Not everyone likes puzzles, but I think music is good for anybody.

{Voice}

[strikeoflightning]

Puzzles are a way of life in Luceti. {Usually with deadly consequences.} Music, however, is scarce. It asks nothing in return for what it gives.

Voice

[takesyoubytheheart]

[applause!]

Aw, that was great!

Voice

[hisapprentice]

[Is every response going to be like this? He might burn up from the embarrassment of praise!]

Thanks. I thought if I picked something complicated...it wouldn't go so well.

Voice

[takesyoubytheheart]

It sounded like it came straight from yer heart. That's what made it amazin'!

[Written]

[whiskytraitorfirefight]

[It's short piece, but very lovely. Ginia closes her eyes as she listens, savoring the music.]

That's a lovely song. Thank you for playing.

[Written]

[hisapprentice]

You're welcome, ma'am.

[Luke would tip his hat but it's hard to do that to written words.]

[Written]

[whiskytraitorfirefight]

Have you been playing long?

[Voice]

[foundafamily]

[He could just wait to say it until Luke gets home, but Firo decides to respond anyway.]

Is that what you've been practicin'? It sounds really good. I mean, as far as I can tell.

[Firo's about as bad with music as he is with puzzles; it's one of the subjects that he won't even pretend to know about.]

[Voice]

[hisapprentice]

Mmhmm. [One benefit to spending so much time practicing is that he's had fewer arguments with Firo.]

Thanks. It's not very long, though, I wonder if there ought to be more of it somewhere.

[Voice]

[foundafamily]

Can't you just make up more?

[Action]

[niceguypose]

[While at the stables, suddenly Rock Lee.]

Luke-kun! Do you think that I could beat any of these horses in a youthly race?

[Action]

[hisapprentice]

[SUDDENLY ROCK LEE Luke almost knocks over his bucket of feed.]

I-I think it's hard for anybody to win a race against a horse!

[Action]

[niceguypose]

Then I want to do it! That can be my new challenge, while I continue to try to learn how to fly!

[Action]

[of_sablier]

[Naturally, the sound of the violin lures Jack down the hall to the music room, where he pauses outside the doorway to listen to the rest of the piece. It's lovely, and he'd like to say so, but he'll save his praise until Luke is finished-- interrupting is rude, after all.

Once Luke reaches the end of the piece, Jack will wait a few moments to allow him to speak over the journals before he enters the room, beaming.]

That was marvelous! You see? I told you that you could do it if you put your mind to it.

[Action]

[hisapprentice]

[Luke is surprised enough to jump, upsetting the music stand and spilling his few sheets onto the floor. At least he didn't drop any part of the violin.]

You scared me!

[Action]

[of_sablier]

I did?

[Now he looks apologetic as the sheets of music see-saw through the air and down to the floor.]

And here I was trying not to...

[action]

[ofwesternwinds]

[Someone else has recently returned to volunteering at the stables, and it's while gathering his things, he comes across a certain sound. When he looks out, it's a familiar face. Not only that, but he's whistling some sort of tune.]

Not bad. [He smiles.] I hadn't know you could whistle.

[action]

[hisapprentice]

[Luke turns around with a ready smile. It's been a while since he's seen Rudy at all.]

Sure. Can't everyone?

[[ooc: NO LUKE SOME OF US REALLY STRUGGLE FOR EVEN TINY WHISTLES]]

[action]

[ofwesternwinds]

[He'd been back working at the stables for a while now. Although it has been some time since they've last talked!]

Still, you really carry a good tune there. Not everyone can do that. [There's a sheepish laugh as he raises a hand to the back of his head.] Sure took me a while at first anyway.

[[ooc: INCLUDING THIS ONE.]]