[network] @ketximq; video; Day 147; Charlie Wants to Rule the World [open]

[mightyratslayer]

[Charlie accidentally turns on the video a few moments before he's ready, so the feed opens up with a lot of fumbling as he tries to get the tablet set up at a decent angle. It super doesn't work -- only half of his face makes it into the shot (not the good half, either) and the camera keeps refocusing as he ducks in and out of the frame. Also he's upside down.

But Charlie has found a piano and he is the most excited he's ever been.]

Hey! Hi, everybody! Check this out. [He slams down on a chord and the tablet topples forward onto his hands. There's a lot of swearing and a cacophony of off-key notes, until eventually he sets the tablet up again, this time just propped up on the seat next to him. His audience can see more of him, but now his face is completely out of the shot. Whatever. Visuals aren't important, anyway.]

Okay, there we go. So yeah! [He goes back to playing, this time just noodling around with some improv.] Just wanted to check in with you guys real quick. Some of you guys were all checkin' up on me and stuff, and I know I kinda bailed on the clinic crowd back there, but uhhh, I'm doing fine! All good here. I can't remember who all I said I'd touch base with after, like, y'know, all that shit, so this is the catch-all. Special thanks to Watson and Watson's doctor pals for doing whatever you did with my face, and special sorry to Charles because I ditched him a little bit. No hard feelings, bro.

[With that, he launches into "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and is about as dorkily animated as the guy in the video. He spent a good while messing around on his own before he even thought about recording anything, so this song is supposed to be for cheering people up a little bit after all the crazy shit lately... But Charlie forgets about the video almost immediately. He even sings a little bit, which he definitely would not do if he remembered that people might be watching. The song ends and he sits around for a moment like he's trying to figure out what he was going to do next. He stands up, remembers the tablet too late, and doesn't manage to catch it before it clatters onto the floor. The video ends.]

Comments

audio; @LELRIC

[armoured]

[He doesn't recognise the song, or even really the man playing it, but it's a pleasant distraction from the cold. He's been trudging through the snow all day looking for new clues and fording new paths in the entrance area, mind fixed on the problems that have been building up.

At least this is a way to not wallow in self pity for a while, he is determined to pull himself out of that however possible. The youthful voice is preceded by a very tinny sounding applause.]

That was really good, I've only ever heard House play the piano here before now.

[mightyratslayer]

[Charlie's a bit surprised that anyone responded to him. Even though he put it up on the network, he didn't actually expect people to be watching. Cool! Well, mostly cool! Now he's a little embarrassed. Having an audience, especially an audience that isn't booing him, is a new and strange experience.]

Oh, thanks, man! Yeah, House was the guy who told me where to find this one. I dunno, thought it'd be nice to have some fun for a change. Liven the place up, y'know?

[armoured]

Definitely!

[Don't be embarrassed, new friend! Al is a very generous listener, and he sounds like a kid so who could be intimidated by playing in front of a kid?]

There's so much here that's hard and sad to deal with, a little fun and music can remind people why they keep fighting.

@zachtastic; video

[majorlazer]

[Zach, well. He just claps, when it ends, grinning a little. He's glad to see Charlie seems to be doing okay, even with the mangling and the pain he must be in, still.]

Good to see you're doing good - no idea you could do that, dude!

[Zach is not a musical person. Seriously, he can throw a football. That's where his talents end.]

[mightyratslayer]

[Charlie shrugs and doodles around with one hand as he responds.] Yeah, man. It's no big thing. Piano just makes sense to me, dude. Like, I get 'em, y'know?

[majorlazer]

[Zach chuckles, shaking his head.] Nah, man, I wouldn't know, music's like. Super foreign to me. So it's super fucking cool!

@makeme; audio

[coyoteking]

[Charles was going to interrupt, but instead he just listens. The song's kind of nice, and what lyrics he can hear of it are... interesting, but not in a bad way. It has the sort of vibe a lot of the music back home has, maybe even the good kind. Okay fine, he likes it. It's a decent soundtrack for stomping through hours of snow.

He waits a minute to see if Charlie will play something else, then responds.]

Right, no hard feelings, man. [They probably needed a break from each other anyway, if all the arguing was any indication.] Looks like you're doing fine, but if you need anything, hit me up.

[mightyratslayer]

Cool, cool. You know it, man. [He plays it off like it's no big deal, but secretly he's super relieved that Charles is okay, too. Charlie hadn't even realized he felt guilty about anything until Charles' message popped up.]

Hey, do you got music where you're from? Are you, like, allowed to have music during wars? [He thinks hard about that for a second. Maybe music is okay. There's that whole Christmas War thing that people talk about sometimes and Jingle Bells still exists, so... But he's also never heard any songs from Germany and he's pretty sure Philly was in a war with them at some point.]

[coyoteking]

[What the hell kinds of questions are these, bro?]

Well, yeah, of course we have music. [He's not offended, just confused. Didn't like, cave people even have music?] And we're not like, at war anymore. That whole thing kinda ended before I was even born.

We don't have this music though. Like not this song. I don't think.

@duster, audio

[bywolves]

[ Royce actually kind of likes this. He likes pianos. They're pretty sounding and kind of soothing, and while he doesn't smile while listening to this, it makes climbing through the split tunnels a little more bearable.

When Charlie finishes, Royce speaks up. ] Did you write that?

[mightyratslayer]

[Charlie is crazy tempted to claim credit, and almost does before he remembers who he's talking to. He and Duster are in Cahoots, and Cahootsmen don't lie to each other about dumb things.]

Nah, not me. You don't got Tears for Fears where you're from?

evening; audio; @zd

[swatsflies]

[ It's not until the evening when he can actually sit down to play anything. He did try to juggle walking through the snow and playing the guitar and his group probably have the songs stuck in their head by now.

First he plays part of Charlie's song back at him and then he clips on a capo as he switches songs to something he learned in Snowhell. ]

[mightyratslayer]

[By the time Zell replies, Charlie's already in another building for the night. He really wanted to just bunk in the school for the night so he could keep playing, but he's heard that's a bad idea.]

Whoa! You got a guitar? Sweet, dude. Where'd you find that?

@Spoiler ; video

[spoileralert]

Hey, I know that one!

[ She starts in on the third line, singing along. Music is fresher in her mind that it was when she first arrived here, and she definitely wants to contribute to the network's musical collection at some point.

Her voice isn't amazing, but she's on key and keeps good tempo. Enjoy, Norfinbury. ]

[mightyratslayer]

[Oh, cool! Another person with good taste in music. And someone else who can sing, too. Charlie makes a mental note to keep her in mind for his next musical.]

Hey, you got a nice voice. What's your name? I'm Charlie.

@kingdomkey ; audio

[seekthelight]

Hey you're really good, Charlie!

[Hey frand hey~ He's glad to hear you're doing better and he's not going to pester you or anything.


Okay maybe later but not right now.]

I'm glad to hear you're doing better, too!

[mightyratslayer]

Oh, thanks, pal. Yeah, see? Told you you didn't need to worry. [He gives Sora a Look, but he's mostly joking.] You still doing alright too?

voice @Enoch

[warriorscribe]

[Enoch lacks the context to know the song or any of the requests following. But music is soothing, after everything else, and he's relieved to see one of the victims of that attack is doing well.]

There's never anything quite as affecting as music, is there? That was very well done, thank you. Many of us likely needed that.

[mightyratslayer]

[What!! This guy is so nice.]

Thanks, bro! Happy to help, y'know? Are you a musician too?

@hsiaoke; video

[heavensreader]

[Oh, it looks like this poor fellow can definitely hear again! Kesara is pleased and excited. She appears on the tablet grinning, holding up her notebook. She'd enjoyed this game last time, and this way he'll definitely recognise her.

On the notebook page is a reasonably good sketch of the British Army badge - the crowned lion looks a little silly - and next to it a bugle and a question mark. She hopes he knows any good marching songs.]

[mightyratslayer]

[Ahh!! Tadpole! Cool! He lights up, happy to see her again too. And, check this out, she's still down with communicating via secret code.

Oh boy, though. The difficulty of their pictionary/charades game as gone up since they last played. He's... not really sure what she's asking. There's like, a cat, maybe, with a crown... Cat king? Holy shit, can she (mostly) read his username? Whoa. This kid knows what's up.

Hmm... It looks kinda like one of those fancy government crests. Like the military, maybe? He plays what he can remember of Anchors Aweigh, which is just a little bit of the right hand melody.

He shrugs, not sure if that's what she was asking for. But then he unzips his coat just enough to reveal the Ruptured Duck patch on the jacket he brought from home. They match! Kind of!]

Audio | @Rdua

[blessedmaiden]

[Well, isn't this a somehow splendid way to break the silence for someone who travels alone? Rydia can't recognize the song, obviously, but she's appreciating it and its happy tone, it's... refreshing.]

You'd make a fine bard, you know?

[mightyratslayer]

Oh, hey! Thanks. I think? What's a bard?

@joacin; text; stylishly late

[haillenarte]

Oh —
Charlie, wasn't it?

[not that they were ever introduced, but, you know, the whole eye incident and all. names were stated!!]

My, you are an excellent musician, are you not?
Is that piece of your composition or is it a popular tune in your world?

[mightyratslayer]

Oh, hey man. Thanks! Yeah, like, I wish I wrote it. [Francel is like, the third or fourth person to ask about that. Charlie's flattered that so many people are willing to give him credit.] You like music too?