010 Omens of Crusnik

[kinship]

[A: Elementary School (OPEN)]

[What is that sound floating out over the playground at lunch? It's piano music, just basic tunes being repeated over and over again from the open window of the music room. Cain has retired there to study the books that Charles gave him, tireless in his pursuit of being the very best at whatever task was set to him.

Every time he makes a mistake, he repeats that part of the piece over and over again until it's flawless. Anyone at all is free to hear his attempts or tell him to shut up.]

[B: Around Town (OPEN)]

[Tis the season, and all that... It's Cain's first Christmas where he'll actually get to celebrate, instead of watching all the colonists exchange presents while never being part of it himself. He's been saving all the pocket money that his drone not!mother had been giving him (until she got replaced yesterday), as well as the money he got for doing odd-jobs for his friends. So now he's out and about shopping for gifts.

Do you work in any of the stores? Then this blond haired boy might just be peering over the counter with a bright smile. Are you wandering down the street aimlessly? Feel free to bump into Cain as he carries a stack of boxes too high to see over... because clearly that's just asking for trouble.]

[C: Phone (OPEN)]

[Did you order a rousing pep talk by a ten year old today, Mayfield? No... shame, because it's coming anyway.]

Christmas is coming soon... Maybe you celebrate something else in your world, or maybe you don't celebrate anything at all, but here... I think they'll have Christmas. I don't know if anything will happen, but...

Even if it does, and even if it hurts us, we can't let it break us. We have to keep our eyes forward, and we have to stick together. As long as we look out for each other, then we can change the future to whatever we want.

[D: Home (Locked to Housemates)]

[It seemed like he was the first one home, which was a little odd after the drone!Esther housewife who had always been there to welcome him in and tell him to do his homework before dinner. Which, consequently, led to the thought that there was no dinner... Astha didn't seem the type to make a meal for the family based on what he had seen, Rachel had already shown she believed cooking beneath her, and he didn't want to die so Abel was out.

Therefore, whenever anyone else gets home, they might find the youngest non-drone member of the household stood on a chair by the stove. He's pouring over one of the recipes Esther had left behind, not being allowed to go and find any more of his own, and is carefully adding things to a big bubbling pot.]

Comments

[eveningcalm]

Optimism and realism are practically antonyms. Recognizing the possibility of failure renders the looking forwards obsolete.

[kinship]

Not at all. Once you recognise the possibility of failure, it's possible to circumnavigate the pitfalls and pave a clearer way forwards.

[eveningcalm]

[A stubborn headshake.]

Not for normal people.

[kinship]

[He grins.]

Then perhaps it's best not to be normal.

[ex_seventh238]

--Oh! Um... I simplified the term, since some people would qualify anything mystical as "magic". [Except Cain is more aware than she'd have first thought.] It's actually spiritual healing based on Christian Sacraments, but it's effective even if the target isn't a believer. I've been told a few times that it's "just like magic", so in the end I thought that it'd be easier if I just call it as such. But you're right, the Church in my world doesn't think highly of thaumaturgy, although we coexist with the Mages' Association in London.

[kinship]

[So magic does actually exist in her world as well, and spiritual healing sounded more like... miracles... than he was comfortable with.]

It all sounds so fascinating, Miss Ciel. We have nothing like that at all in my world, religious magic or otherwise.

[ex_seventh238]

[oh man that's not even getting into the technicalities, "Magic" is actually something super hax that less than a handful of individuals were truly capable of in her world. What normal magi practices is more called "sorcery", there's really a huge difference, but... YEAH that'd just get confusing trying to explain in detail so ;;]

It's... a bit complicated, actually, but yes, there are magi who practice thaumaturgy, while priests draw their powers from faith through the use of Sacraments and prayers. The two are different in theory and practice, but both do generate what ordinary humans would call "magic" - "miracles" even, in some cases. Aha... Normal people don't usually know about these things, magi tend to try keeping their works secret from the rest of the world anyhow, but there's not much point in hiding our abilities in Mayfield. Whatever that could be useful should be used, you know? So I'd like to help as much as I can. If you ever get hurt or know someone who got hurt, please don't hesitate to let me know?

[kinship]

[It's a shame he doesn't know that even at this moment, Abel is letting the postman rip his kidney out of his body like an IDIOT.]

Mayfield really is a fascinating place, isn't it? There are so many different people, that it can give a lease of freedom to just about anyone, without the need to hide at all.

[If he sounds like he's speaking from experience, it's because he is.]

[ex_seventh238]

[Oh she's... been there too... and went through something similar... ...

SHE CAN STILL CHEW HIM OUT ON YOUR BEHALF if this ever gets out...]

Mm, it's really a mixed bag. [She does hum in acquiescence, recognizing the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, as faint as they may be.] A lot of horrible things happen and ultimately this is just a mink-coated prison, but it does offer some people incredible chances that they would otherwise never be able to have. Some here have already died in their worlds, and others may have a fate worse than death waiting for them once they return. It is very much like a new life, in every sense of the term.

[She takes a beat to consider bringing up the other side of the coin: this place would also be a big hindrance to people with fulfilling lives and important objectives to accomplish back home who'd love to return as soon as possible.

But taking another glance at Cain, she chooses to skip that in favor of asking him something else, her expression calm and cheerful as usual.] Have you been enjoying life here, Cain, if we don't take in account of the things that the town does?

[encored]

I didn't wish to interrupt you. [but he leaps from the window now that the piece seems to be finished, moseying over to study the piece Cain is playing from.]

You seem to be managing quite well.

[eveningcalm]

Whatever. Who are you, anyway?

[kinship]

[That was a loaded question... On the one hand, he was eternally grateful for the chance to be here. He had dreamed for so long of being free to feel the breeze on his face and interact with humans on an equal footing, instead of only breathing the recycled air of the colony where everyone knew his place. He enjoyed spending time with Abel as he was now, he can't deny that his heart had ached to be held affectionately like that for as long as they had known one another.

Yet, at the same time, he wished he had never come here. He missed the way his brother used to behave, if only because it was... familiar, it was his. And what he had learned of the future still frightened him beyond belief, even despite his determination to change it. He was destined to... die, to leave Abel all alone forever.]

...It's certainly an experience, Miss Ciel. There are a lot of good things about being here, like meeting friends like you.

[kinship]

[It's a slightly more complex piece than Charles had set him before, he's obviously pushing himself to progress.]

It's fun, I've never taken on a task like this for my own enjoyment before.

[kinship]

Cain Knightlord, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss..?

[encored]

Is that so? [Cain gets a bit of a curious sideways glance, but he doesn't seem poised to press the topic and busies himself with reaching for the practise book.]

How are you doing on your scales and notes?

[kinship]

[The notes have been written under with neat handwriting, small notations on what a semi-quaver meant and so forth.]

Much better, it looks less like gibberish now.

[encored]

[he thumbs through a few pages like this before nodding to himself, though he doesn't return the book just yet.]

And the instrument itself? How do you like the sound of it? [with talent like this, he's fairly certain Cain could learn just about anything.]

[kinship]

It's very soothing, versatile. I like it.

But then again, it's the only one I've ever tried.

[encored]

Would you like to learn others? [though honestly, there is a tiny part of him hoping that he says no, because it is frustrating as all getout to see a ten year old develop musical skills faster than he had been able to over all the decades he had to practise.]

I've only extensively studied a few Western instruments, but if I were to ever find any from my homeland here I could show you one of those as well.

[kinship]

Perhaps in time, but I would like to perfect the piano first. There's no point starting something, only to abandon it in pursuit of something else.

[He is a fast learner, but it'll be a good few months at least before he's anything close to mastering the instrument.]

[encored]

[he shrugs a shoulder in a nonchalant manner that barely betrays the mild relief he feels, and sets the book back on its stand.]

Fair enough. You may feel differently after weeks upon weeks of hearing the same sort of sound, but it isn't as though there's a lack of time to study multiple things here.

[kinship]

What other instruments would you recommend, if I did start another?

[Maybe he will, just to troll you.]

[encored]

[terrible terrible]

For you, the flute. You've enough breath to spare. [it's hard to tell if he's teasing or not...]

[kinship]

[He chuckles, not seeming to take offence even if it was serious. Two can play at this game.]

Then you must play the flute too, hm?

[encored]

[he seems more surprised by the retort than offended, arching a brow.]

A tongue to match your wit, I see. [just going to quietly file this away for later...] But no, I don't.