Eighth little lie ♰ There's a dance in the garden in the middle of the night

[beingdifferent]

[AUDIO]
[Congratulations, Barge, this morning you get something besides a regular voice broadcast. Today, you get music, the flowing notes of a recital played on the art room piano. The player is very competent, making only the most minor of mistakes - two missed notes, both of which stick in her memory like red flags to be noted the next time she plays. The piece itself is played from adagio to presto in different parts, lasting nearly six minutes, and when it's finished there's a heavy, exhausted yet satisfied sigh.]

That was Chopin's "Fantasie" Impromptu in c-sharp minor. I hope you liked it, it's taken me some time! But after how difficult it's been recently I thought some of you might appreciate it. [Plus she's very pleased with herself; you can hear the quiet pride in her voice.] I've been working on it for awhile, but now that I've learnt it I need a new piece to study. Can anyone think of a good one?

Not too difficult, please. There are some that I just can't play yet.

[SPAM]
[Esther is everywhere and nowhere lately, creeping through the ship like the proverbial mouse. After the other Barge she just doesn't want to face the people she was close to there, but it's a small ship and she can't avoid everyone forever no matter how awkward or saddening the meeting might be.

And she has to approach others for some things: to be let into the CES to chase leaves and roll in the grass, to give her time and supplies in the art room, to take her shift in the kitchen. For all these encounters she wears her bravest face and puts her best foot forward, praying that nothing gets too awkward.]

Comments

spam; CW: fire from here on out, violence, murder

[fire_punk]

[Kevin's on his way to the deck when he smells the smoke. And hears Ellie. He comes running over.

His face turns white when he sees the fire. It's too much like when Dad died. He runs into the room and pushes the mattress off but he can't bring himself to touch the man under it.]

Get him out!

spam; CW: fire from here on out, violence, murder

[neuropathy]

[ Plus one to the general rabble summoned by yelling, which is less that Nathan happens to be passing by and more he has approximately five thousand senses dedicated to responding to events containing fire, violence, and murder. They're good for compensation.

Arriving in media res, as it were, means he has a handful of seconds to assess the situation - Ellie isn't big enough to drag a body ('a body' - this is a human being and he never forgets that, but at the same time that's the way his brain works: in bodies and evidence and clean euphemism too weak not to skew bloody) on her own, although Kevin might be, and someone still has to put out the fire before it can start spreading.

If he gets burned he's not going to feel it (and smoke inhalation presents a more significant problem anyway, in a space that was enclosed this long); there are times when that's a perk. He ducks into the room, more or less weaves around both Ellie and Kevin, and hooks his arms under Bond's to shuffle him - dead weight is exactly what it is - around his shoulders. ]

I got this. [ His voice adjusts; quiet and calm, a strain of urgency bolting the lower register. ] Lemme get 'im somewhere safe, you two see if you can put this out.

spam; CW: fire from here on out, violence, murder

[inhell]

[ She goes for Bond - big enough or not, she's certainly not going to stand by and not try - but Nathan gets there first.

Okay. Put it out. Put it out with what? She doesn't see a big red extinguisher anywhere, and the sink's on the other side of the blaze.

Most of it's on the mattress, though, so - ]

Flip it over! [ The inhale to say this gets her a lungful of smoke, and she's coughing, then, as she moves to help him. If the mattress lands fire-side-down, it might be enough to smother itself. Then there's the frame to worry about. ]

spam; CW: fire from here on out, violence, murder

[fire_punk]

[Kevin nods, shoving the mattress so it falls onto the other side. He feels for the flames on the frame, feeling them respond and bend to his will. He pulls them down and closer together as if they're from a large ball of paper that he's set on fire.]