My name is Warren, and somehow we haven't talked to one another yet. I've been assigned your warden for this month, and while I'm happy to respect your wishes on this? I'm up for meeting and talking a little. Would you be up for that?
You can come to my cabin if you want to. It's on the fifth level, the one
with a curtain of kelp instead of a door. [Ulla can't read the cabin
numbers and doesn't care enough to ask. Why bother, when her door is a
distinctive enough landmark?]
Or fruit. There isn't any fruit where I come from. It's grown too cold.
[But she liked it, during the brief period she spent on land in
human form, and here on the Barge]
[When he comes, the water level in the cabin will be halfway between
high tide and low, with a steep rocky beach of black sand for Kepler to
pick his way down. Ulla sprawls at the water's edge, her eel's tail in the
water and her upper body on shore as she flips through a book of sheet
music, singing or humming softly. Notable nearby is a modified wheelchair,
for when she gets tired of slithering but doesn't want to take human
form.]
[ Kepler will come by, his shoes left outside the door and his pants rolled up a little. Over his shoulder, his guitar bobs as he picks his way down with a small basket on one arm. ]
Ulla smiles when she sees the instrument. "Hello, Warren. I'd never heard a
guitar before I came here."
She's more interested in that than the food, though she'll take whatever is
in the basket. If she must have a warden, better to have one who comes
bearing music.
"Well," he says, "I do play other instruments? But. This one travels best, I think."
And he'll offer a bright smile as he puts down the basket and opens it up to place an artfully arranged sashimi platter down on one side, and a similarly ornate fruit plate on the other.
"Double Trouble was teaching me to play piano. That isn't portable at all."
Ulla agrees. She's still missing Trouble at least a little, and annoyed
with herself for growing attached to anyone.
"I'd like to hear it." She appreciates the food and will gladly eat it, but
as (almost) always, Ulla is hungrier for music.
He nods and he doesn't hesitate in pulling the guitar into his arms.
It takes him a moment of consideration before he frowns, puts his fingers to the strings, frowns again, and makes a couple of adjustments on the pegs. A strum or two, adjusted now until the pitch is right.
And then he starts in on something fluttering and complex as his eyes slip closed. It's obvious he's not really playing a specific song so much as letting the music lead him places, what sounds right to his ear, where it wants to go. There's a faint smile on, as he enjoys this kind of thing, enjoys the play of it. It's been a while since he's pulled out an instrument, what with everything going on. He'd been a little delighted when he realized who his pairing was this month, the one who'd asked about music.
Here, at least, he could offer her a song if nothing else.
Ulla lays aside her book and pulls herself a little closer to the platters.
The food is good, though even raw fish is strange to her without the
ever-present taste of salt on her tongue.
Far more of her attention is devoted to the music, which she loves. She's
heard stringed instruments before, both in Söndermane and from Lark here,
but she's never heard this style of playing.
She listens, rapt, until he draws to a close. She's transparently delighted
when she tells him, "Thank you."
He offers her a short bow of his head as he pulls his fingers away. He'll sling his guitar behind him for the moment before he reaches for a piece of fruit for himself.
"You're very welcome. It's been a while since I would play? Up in the gazebo? But I noticed you asking about music. So I thought you might appreciate it."
"Human instruments are the best part of being trapped here," she tells him
matter-of-factly. "They don't work underwater, so I'd only heard any of
them during the short time I spent on land."
"My people," if they even count as her people anymore; the people she came
from, at any rate, "are all singers, and I'm a composer."
"I'd like to learn. Thank you." Teaching her music probably isn't going
to make her open up, unless he happens to play the perfect song
someday, the way Lark managed to. But she'll take it, gladly.
She nods, reaching for the fruit platter again and taking a piece of mango.
"I've never tried a lot of these fruits," she tells him. "They're good."
Even before the storm that changed its climate, Sondermane was never
tropical. The novelty is nice sometimes, though she misses her frigid
ocean home, lonely as it was. Open sea to swim in, as opposed to the
confines of this ship that wasn't built with people like her in mind.
“Thank you,” he says with an easy dip of his head her way, “I can give you the names for any of them you like in particular.”
He’ll take a piece himself as well, pop it into his mouth without ceremony. He chews it and swallows it until he gestures towards her with one hand.
“Did you have any questions? About me. About… how I think, where I’m from. Species or world or…”. He waves the hand a little to reference any of it. “Or anything you need.”
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after the announcement of pairings
My name is Warren, and somehow we haven't talked to one another yet. I've been assigned your warden for this month, and while I'm happy to respect your wishes on this? I'm up for meeting and talking a little. Would you be up for that?
Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Re: after the announcement of pairings
You can come to my cabin if you want to. It's on the fifth level, the one with a curtain of kelp instead of a door. [Ulla can't read the cabin numbers and doesn't care enough to ask. Why bother, when her door is a distinctive enough landmark?]
Re: after the announcement of pairings
Is there any kind of drink or food you enjoy? I'd be happy to bring something for the two of us to enjoy while we talk.
Re: after the announcement of pairings
Fish.
Or fruit. There isn't any fruit where I come from. It's grown too cold. [But she liked it, during the brief period she spent on land in human form, and here on the Barge]
Re: after the announcement of pairings
And I will bring some fruit as well.
Re: after the announcement of pairings
Raw if it's fresh.
Thank you.
Re: after the announcement of pairings
Re: after the announcement of pairings
Tonight is fine, or tomorrow afternoon.
Re: after the announcement of pairings
I'll come by in a couple of hours. Does that work for you?
Re: after the announcement of pairings
I'm not going anywhere.
[When he comes, the water level in the cabin will be halfway between high tide and low, with a steep rocky beach of black sand for Kepler to pick his way down. Ulla sprawls at the water's edge, her eel's tail in the water and her upper body on shore as she flips through a book of sheet music, singing or humming softly. Notable nearby is a modified wheelchair, for when she gets tired of slithering but doesn't want to take human form.]
no subject
Ulla? Warren.
no subject
Ulla smiles when she sees the instrument. "Hello, Warren. I'd never heard a guitar before I came here."
She's more interested in that than the food, though she'll take whatever is in the basket. If she must have a warden, better to have one who comes bearing music.
no subject
And he'll offer a bright smile as he puts down the basket and opens it up to place an artfully arranged sashimi platter down on one side, and a similarly ornate fruit plate on the other.
Then he'll find a seat.
"I can play while you eat. If you like."
no subject
"Double Trouble was teaching me to play piano. That isn't portable at all." Ulla agrees. She's still missing Trouble at least a little, and annoyed with herself for growing attached to anyone.
"I'd like to hear it." She appreciates the food and will gladly eat it, but as (almost) always, Ulla is hungrier for music.
no subject
It takes him a moment of consideration before he frowns, puts his fingers to the strings, frowns again, and makes a couple of adjustments on the pegs. A strum or two, adjusted now until the pitch is right.
And then he starts in on something fluttering and complex as his eyes slip closed. It's obvious he's not really playing a specific song so much as letting the music lead him places, what sounds right to his ear, where it wants to go. There's a faint smile on, as he enjoys this kind of thing, enjoys the play of it. It's been a while since he's pulled out an instrument, what with everything going on. He'd been a little delighted when he realized who his pairing was this month, the one who'd asked about music.
Here, at least, he could offer her a song if nothing else.
no subject
Ulla lays aside her book and pulls herself a little closer to the platters. The food is good, though even raw fish is strange to her without the ever-present taste of salt on her tongue.
Far more of her attention is devoted to the music, which she loves. She's heard stringed instruments before, both in Söndermane and from Lark here, but she's never heard this style of playing.
She listens, rapt, until he draws to a close. She's transparently delighted when she tells him, "Thank you."
no subject
"You're very welcome. It's been a while since I would play? Up in the gazebo? But I noticed you asking about music. So I thought you might appreciate it."
no subject
"Human instruments are the best part of being trapped here," she tells him matter-of-factly. "They don't work underwater, so I'd only heard any of them during the short time I spent on land."
"My people," if they even count as her people anymore; the people she came from, at any rate, "are all singers, and I'm a composer."
no subject
Due where it's due, after all.
"I know a few instruments. And I'm happy to play them for an interested audience." He tilts his head towards the neck of the guitar over his shoulder.
"I'm assuming you've got your own instruments? For under the water?"
no subject
"Not really. Nothing like these. Most of our music is purely vocal." Ulla is fascinated with human instruments for a reason.
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He shrugs.
“And I can probably figure out the ones I don’t. If you’re really jonesing.”
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"I'd like to learn. Thank you." Teaching her music probably isn't going to make her open up, unless he happens to play the perfect song someday, the way Lark managed to. But she'll take it, gladly.
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“Then we’ll start lessons with… guitar?” He gestures to the instrument over his shoulder. “Once you’re done eating.”
He gives her a crooked sort of smile.
“I’d say the food can wait? But. It won’t taste as good later. And the guitar’s not going anywhere.”
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She nods, reaching for the fruit platter again and taking a piece of mango.
"I've never tried a lot of these fruits," she tells him. "They're good." Even before the storm that changed its climate, Sondermane was never tropical. The novelty is nice sometimes, though she misses her frigid ocean home, lonely as it was. Open sea to swim in, as opposed to the confines of this ship that wasn't built with people like her in mind.
no subject
He’ll take a piece himself as well, pop it into his mouth without ceremony. He chews it and swallows it until he gestures towards her with one hand.
“Did you have any questions? About me. About… how I think, where I’m from. Species or world or…”. He waves the hand a little to reference any of it. “Or anything you need.”
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