aterat | Loud seal is loud

Entry tags:

Loud seal is loud

Who; Caelan and you!
What; Open log
Where; Assorted Locations! (Red Building Common Space, Red Building his Apartment, Market, Gullwings Office, and the Harbour/Shore)
When; Throughout August, vaguely specified on each prompt.
Warnings; No, but I will edit if anything comes up!

Common Space - Early August

The common space was generally one that Caelan frequented since his arrival, a social creature by nature and necessity to keep himself occupied 90% of the time. He saw it as a good opportunity to get to know his neighbours without actively having to seek them out, to watch them moving in and out of the building and go about their days.

Today found the selkie draped comfortably over one of the chairs, a new violin settled comfortably in his hands as he worked at tuning the new instrument to his liking. Occasionally he’d draw the bow across the stings, testing them out before he resumed what he was doing with the odd thoughtful hum, pleased or disappointed depending on the results.

Still, his mood is clearly good today. Caelan is often smiling, often pleasant company and quick to laugh; but today there’s something about it that it feels far more genuine than it has been. He’d been a few weeks without both an instrument or his usual sense of purpose, but things were decidedly starting to look up what with the morning’s surprise left outside his door.

Market - All through the month!

There was one more musician that could be heard in the market these days. Dressed up, all shiny in his usual accessories and finery, hair pulled back into glittering pins.

Caelan had take to joining in the street performers when they didn’t mind his presence, or setting himself up on an empty corner or near the fountain square when the mood struck. The life and the surrounding energy tended to inspire, and people seemed to like the songs he brought with him from home. Some were familiar enough to those who knew the classical world well, while others had a certain life and rough edge that was more the music of the common folk.

If you were lucky, polite, or simply caught his interest, he would even be inspired take requests. “What’ll it be? Ye look to be in the mood for a particular sound, or are ye just going to stand there gawking?” He spoke up with a grin, cheeks lifted in utter delight and relaxed amusement.

Gullwings Office - Early to Mid!

Caelan still wasn’t entirely sure how this had happened (beyond the obvious, of course). This wasn’t his usual gig, nor was it his usual crowd.

Here he was though, meandering around the Gullwings office like he belonged there. Checking out the furnishings (he had to hand it to Yuna, the place was nice), stopping to chat with whoever happened to be there that day, looking at his desk and wondering what on earth he was going to do with it.

That last thing wasn’t entirely difficult, he’d already shoved some blank sheet music in a drawer to amuse himself on slow days when he didn’t have anything to do. There was also the matter of copying and detailing the maps and blueprints that the directory had given him so Yuna could store the originals away for safe keeping.

He was hoping to at least be able to add to them, to include some rough outlines of the sewers paths between their access points as he and Yuna made a trip down to explore them.

Until then, he was quite available to get to know the group a little better. Getting a feel for personalities, trying to glimpse how they operated, and looking for anything to suggest he might not be able to trust someone.

Harbour/Shoreline - For Holly. Let the Spider-Man meme commence! - Anytime in August, probably late evening after all the respectable people have gone home for the day.

There was a lot about the harbour district that disturbed Caelan for obvious reasons, but he had also found there were quite a few things about it to appreciate.

Once the sun had been down for a few hours the amount of people travelling the docks lessened considerably, which meant a little more privacy for him to do one of the things (aside from his music or thieving) that he did best. Fishing. It was going to save him quite a bit of money, unless he felt like eating something at a restaurant in the company of others.

These waters appeared to be very well stocked with fish, so as long as he didn’t go so far as to be near the reefs where some particularly large and nasty creatures dwelt, he could fish to his content. Feed up, and perhaps even bring some fish home for those who had endeared themselves enough to him to bring back a decent sized catch of fish or crustaceans depending on their tastes.

Tonight was no exception, his clothes folded neatly behind some rocks as he donned his more natural attire to enjoy that other half of his soul. So, as the moon rose higher in the sky, there was a form swimming around in the waters. Diving here, coming up there, a soft song carried over the breeze occasionally, and sometimes a splash could be heard as the being caught something in its grasp.

It’s 3AM, oops. - ... Probably all through the month unless someone does something about it. Sorry Red Building.

Caelan had a very irregular sleep schedule, he stayed up late and slept in just as late. Should he get that shifted now that he was in another world and joining a group for exploring and helping out around the city?

Yes, yes he should.

Would he actually do that?

Probably not.

So the selkie tended to keep very odd hours. Thus far that hadn’t really been obvious aside from the later hour that he left his dorm room during the day (Around 11:30 every day like clockwork). Once Caelan had an instrument, that might have been a different story depending on the person and their ability to ignore noise at strange hours.

Sometime around three in the morning, the red building would be treated to the sounds of a violin being played. The piece was strange in tone, energy fluctuating at random, it was honestly the kind of song one might have been warned off of following if it was heard near the caves of their local beach or along the river beds of the forests they lived near. Fae music, intended to be played by theirs ands alone and rarely heard by humans.

Caelan was feeling homesick, whether he’d admit it to anyone or not. On nights where he felt just a touch too disconnected from his life, he could be found playing the music his best friend had taught him or working on his own compositions. Sheet music spread across the table, and a bottle of whiskey sitting open next to that.

If you’re curious enough, or annoyed enough, knock at his door. He’d be happy to have the company, and he’d be happy to share the alcohol.

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“Would you trust me with such a well guarded secret?” He responded with a laugh, “After all, names are important things to be giving away, you never know what one might do with it.” Caelan is teasing of course, selkie had little use for names or playing games with them unlike some other fae creatures. Not that Nida would know that, of course.

"It's not like names have power. They just are," Nida offers with a roll of his shoulder. In the end, though, he smiles.

"Nomura. Nida Nomura."

Caelan hummed a little, a suspicious sound though he doesn’t argue the point. Were they in his own world he’d suggest reconsidering that stance on names. He smiled instead, leaning forward in his seat as he adjusted his old on the violin though didn’t stop playing, “Nida Nomura...” He tried the name out, before nodding.

“It Suits you, would you prefer the formality of Mr. Nomura then? I would hate to be rude and continue to presume a familiarity there might not be.” He’s teasing of course.

"Mister Nomura is dead," Nida sighs and leans back more comfortably on his chair.

He doesn't hold it against Caelan. The guy won't really know what sorta land mine that was.

"Nida. Just Nida."

Ah, now there was a touchy subject. He could be considered informed on the matter though, Caelan was a brat, but he wasn’t an asshole (without reason). “I see...” It’d be like if someone had brought up his dead mother, some things needn’t be dredged up in his opinion.

So instead of bringing all that up, he rolled with it, “Just Nida it is then.” He responded with a smile, shifting from one piece to another as one came to an end. “And if you want a look at sheet music from my world, the closest you’ll get is on the table there.” Because he’d been composing in his spare time, the music shop had blank sheet music to purchase even if they hadn’t had any of the instruments he knew how to play. How Raimon had gotten his hands on one was a bit of a mystery, but Caelan wouldn’t complain.

Nida nodded and moved to look over the sheet music. Seemed pretty basic to him.

"How long have you been playing? And better yet. How long have you been of the opinion that playing in the middle of the night is the best choice?"

Caelan watched the man’s face for hints of surprise or confusion, and was delighted to see none of that. Good, that made things much easier to start.

Then Nida had to go and ask the questions that Caelan really got bored of answering. Why did humans always want to know that? What was time to a being with conditional immortality? He supposed he couldn’t blame them, they did live such short lives... They had less time to do everything, so mastery was measured by the amount of time put into a skill. “Oh, I would say awhile for both? Been playing for years now, and a few years shorter than that for playing in the middle of the night. Like I said, my group tended to be a little more nocturnal than most folks.”

"I don't mind that you're nocturnal. Usually true of me as well. But you know, sleep is sorta valuable," Nida points out. And come on, have some pity for hte roommate who can't get earplugs.

He raised a brow at that, “Ah, I think I see what you're getting at now.”

Finally, he got it. To be fair to the selkie, he’d never had to share a wall with someone before. Nor did most fae care about them man sleep schedule, least of all one who spent most of his time frustrating specific humans. “So you’re saying you’d like it if I could keep it down once the sun goes down, am I right?” Lowering the bow from string, he pointed to the window slightly at the darkened outdoors.

Ah, but does he? Nida smiles and shakes his head. And it's amusing to hear it.

"Oh no, not once the sun goes down. I'm not often back then. I'm thinking, uh, more like one to five in the morning? Just a four hour break? I'm not always home then, or sleeping then. Though I'm awake now, so by all means."

Play on.

“No?” He responded with a grin, thinking on the suggested shift in his schedule. Nida was lucky, if Caelan hadn’t taken a liking to him, he might have only made things worse. The fae could be a bit petty when given a reason to be... Instead, he nodded a moment later. “I suppose that is a fair and sensible suggestion, I could attempt to find something a little quieter to do in that four hour timespan.”

The answer to that should be to actually try sleeping at that hour, but they’d see about that...

And if he was being given permission to keep playing for the moment? He will. The bow is drawn back to the strings again, something new but still at least appropriately toned for the late hour. “Of course, I hope you can forgive me if I sometimes fail to keep to the schedule. Sometimes I lose track of time, I’m sure you understand.” He’d say he was only human, but that was a touch too silly a joke to make. Not to mention a flat out lie.

Oh, Nida's not expecting sleeping to happen in that time. That would be silly. Sleep is for the weak. But being considerate doesn't hurt people. Usually.

"People often lose track of time, and I was never really fond of the concept of it myself. But there are times where one must unfortunately conform to societal norms."

They weren't often in his opinion, but they happened.

“Even those that aren’t really your own, I suppose.” He responded with a little wry grin. Human societal norms were almost a game to him at this point, to conform, blend and pass as though he belonged among them. Sometimes it was fun, other times it was dull as anything. “And here we are, new world, new norms to conform to.”

"New norms to learn," Nida agrees, rolling his eyes. "I hate learning. It takes too much time. Or enough that I don't like to invest it."

But he will. He knows he's supposed to learn it. TO be better at hiding.

“Sometimes it’s alright... Sometimes it’s boring though, not sure what it’ll be like here.” Well, aside from the first obvious one. Living in the a building with neighbours was definitely... not ideal. Not when you were surrounded by humans and received such obvious reminders that he wasn’t in his own world and was so cut off from the people he was used to being around. Specifically those he could be his proper self around...

He’d have to treat this like any other job though, conform and blend. Pass as human as possible until something happened and he couldn’t, then figure it out from there.

... Hopefully.

He finally settled into another song, this one definitely was not of the same caliber as the ones he’d been composing on the pages Nida had looked over. Something the selkie had learned by ear from someone far more skilled with music, a piece that was somehow... more. One would almost say there was power behind it, and there would have been had the original composer been playing it. “Well however long we’re here, we’ll have to muddle through it, yeah?”

"I've gotten far too good at muddling through it," Nida sighs, shaking his head. He prayed this would be the end of the line for him. Sure, he might not go home, but he didn't want to travel any more.

At last Nida lay back in Caelan's bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I think, on my world, you'd be lauded for your skill."

“No such thing as too good, if I’m being honest.” Caelan certainly had been bitten before, let himself be foolish a time or two where blending in was concerned. “Suppose we’ll find out if fitting in will mean muddling along or something with a little more finesse soon enough though.”

Don’t mind the grin that crossed his face, brow raising a little. He’s definitely pleased by the assessment of his talents. “Yeah? Consider me flattered.” He chuckled a little, a soft sound as he was still more focused on his music. It was interesting to think that something that was little more than a hobby most days might be valued more in other worlds. “I do play a few other instruments, but this’d be my favourite I think. Not sure how handy it’ll be here, but we’ll see.”

"Music is supposed to be for music's sake. Though you are soothing Siren. She wishes she could play with you."

The spirit stirs at the mention of her name. And he closes his eyes, enjoying the way her music echoes in his mind and harmonizes with what he's hearing.

It was easy to forget that Nida had a spirit tagging along inside him, even knowing how his magic worked it had slipped his mind a bit. He smiled lightly though, “Well I’m glad that she’s enjoying it. I’d be happy for the accompaniment as well, so the thought is certainly appreciated.”

It was a pity she probably couldn’t... “I’m actually to having a couple more performing with me, not much of a solo act.” As fun as it was to show off sometimes, he did prefer the sound of a group over one solitary musician. “The street performers here are quite good though, and they don’t mind a fellow jumping in once in a while.”

It was good to see Nida relaxing though... That was, after all, the intent behind the song choice.

"Her powers... She plays music. She just plays music," Nida smiles. "Calls the sea, and plays music, and it shapes the world."

He misses it, calling her.

It's not that easy, at all. Here he can't bring her out, and she's eating at him. But he loves her anyway. Loves her so much.

"You make me feel closer to her. How weird is that?"

“She sounds like my kind of spirit then, I think I’d get along with her.” He mused out loud, wondering what her music would sound like. Music from a spirit from another world... Definitely something he wished he had the chance to hear.

Caelan was silent for a moment, the question wasn’t hard to answer. On the contrary, he had a feeling it might not be weird at all if one considered what Nida had just described properly. A musically inclined spirit that called the sea? Considering the way his own magic worked, and how closely he was tied to the sea... The fact that the sea called him back... Probably had a lot to do with it.

He almost wanted to tell Nida, but it wasn’t so simple... Instead, Caelan resumed is game of pretending. “I don’t know, At first glance it could be weird...? But it also might not be, if she’s as tied to the sea as you said and the magic you pulled from me is water based. Plus I’m a musician. Might make more sense than we think.”

She was his kind of spirit too, even with the whole water aspect. He was more wind, but he did both things anyway.

"Perhaps it's that simple," Nida agrees. Even when he feels it in her, an amusement that he's trying to pin it down.

“Sometimes things are as simple as they seem, after all. Even in a place as complicated as this.” He responded with a little grin, watching Nida from his seat. The more he learned about him and his ride-along spirit, the more intrigued the selkie was.

Maybe it was a little mean to keep masking the truth, but it was an unfortunate necessity for now.

Oh, the truths Nida kept masked were more than on parity with what Caelan hid. No, this was just the way things worked.

"Things are never simple, Caelan. If there is one fact that I've ever learned, it's that whatever seems simple is likely a hundred times more complicated than you knew."

“Yeah? Well... Maybe it’s not simple.” He left the chair behind finally, comfortably wandering a little while he played. He’s thinking, musing over the subject. The questions he would like to ask were many, but unfortunately they would have to wait.

“But the simple explanation is all I find myself capable of coming up with for the time being.” The only one he’s willing to entertain for the moment, but Caelan chuckled a moment later. “If it is complicated, at least it doesn’t seem to be a bad thing if both Siren and yourself are enjoying yourselves. I know I am, you’re both an excellent audience.”

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