[IC] Play a duet with the character above you 🎵

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do..." Prim sang to herself in a high-pitched, slightly out of tune voice as she waddled through the park, waving her arms back and forth. Suddenly, she spotted Rochester sitting by herself, and, as she watched with curiosity, the little girl's steps slowed down until she stopped in place. 

Was that woman lonely? Prim asked herself; if so, it was up to Prim to cheer her up! She approached the bench where Rochester was sitting, and knelt down next to it, using her hands to support her head. Then, with a smile, she continued singing: "I'm half-crazy, all for the love of you..."

"Hey, hey, lady, you know this song?" She tilted her head ever so slightly, finally starting a conversation. "Are you lonely? Singing cheers me up when I'm lonely. Do you want to sing? Like this..." She continued humming that melody, tilting her head to the sides.

It'd been a long time, since their last playing musical instrument, uhm, well, actually, not that long. Even moving into world balancing occupation, Michael is a musician after all.  

"Not sure that my things can suit the picky chicky music taste or not. But even I messed up, don't laugh or I will die of embarrassment, okay kiddos?" Making a good mirror of humility, although Michael doesn't sounds like he would messed up, sure of himself as ever.

Snowstorm is dancing its rhyme out there, so the kindergarten's children will be stuck in here, at least until the tomorrow. The babysitter called, Michael came to help. Back to the reality, what are they doing? Oh yes, keep the place calm and safe, indoor camping, with a warm cozy fireplace, jam toast, warm milk, some blankets and pillows are pretending as tent. Children's behavior, and if you wonder, Michael have his milk and "tent" too, I'm a child now.

"The sun is bright, our shirts are clean, we're sitting up above the sea.

Come on and share this jam with me!"

And what kind of camping without music? As he started, moving his fingers through the guitar strings, let the music notes flew to every corners, kids start to sing and clap along. A short brown haired kid catch his attention, she have a voice, a nice one, and she seems like enjoy the music, somehow Michael can imagine the kid grows into a confident, queenlike music conducter... Just like him when he was young, both have potentials.

"Peach or plum or strawberry, any kind is fine, you see.

Come on and share this jam with me!"

But first, enjoy the most heavenly children orchestra! They have warmth, music and of course, Michael. No one allowed to disturb his performance, even a snowstorm.

Being a siren princess, it was common for Ennette to perform frequently for people. Sometimes it was in parks, sometimes in concert halls, it always drew in a crowd. Some people earnestly enjoyed her music, while others, well, wanted to know what a princess with a fraction of siren blood (and the daughter of the Loser King, no less) sounded like.
Her final notes rang out until it was swallowed by silence. Ennette opened her eyes and smiled at the applause. "Thank you! I'd love to do one more song for you, if that's okay?" she asked while gazing around. Some were appreciative, though plenty were bored. She wasn't new to this, she knew classical music had that effect on people, but she also new the remedy. "Actually, I'll need help from the audience for this one!" Yup, people were perking up now! Ennette's smile widened as she scanned around, only for her eyes to land on Johnson. He looked annoyed, like he was forced here for appearances maybe-- that was the only way she could explain someone so irritated by music coming to listen to it.
"You!"
Practically dragging Johnson onstage, Ennette beamed at him. "Don't worry! I'll sing the first part, you sing the other part! It'll be easy! Ready?"

"La, la, la, la, laaa!"

"Lo, lo, lo, lo, looo!"

"[Insert lyrics here]"

Whether Johnson was a good or bad singer, Liszt was able to mask any mistakes. When the music was over, the audience clapped and cheered. "You're such a good singer!" Ennette praised the aristocrat. "You followed along pretty well, too! It was a pleasure playing with you, thank you for having the courage to come up here! If you'd ever like, I'd love to play with you again sometime! There's a hospice I perform at every week, and I think they'd enjoy a duet from us!"

Ennette exhaled slowly. Her heart was beating like crazy! She watched the crowd gradually diminish when Sunni popped up besides her, causing her to jump slightly. "Oh! Ah, thank you so much!" she breathed, the hand over her heart rising to her blushing cheek. "I was so nervous! I'm glad everyone enjoyed it, though I think you saved me many times with your talented playing!" It was true-- Not that she needed saving, but that he was a talented player. There were plenty of times she thought she'd stop singing with how much she kept trying to hear his tranquil melodies.
The princess grew quiet as Sunni suggested future performances and even... even exchanging phone numbers. Where he smiled, she stared in stupefied silence. Exchange phone numbers. It echoed throughout her head over and over, analyzing and reanalyzing until she was certain she hadn't imagined this. And that smile! Oh!! He was so dashing! So rugged! So mysterious! And... And he wanted her number?! He wanted to perform with her again?! Be still, her heart...!
"Yes!" she practically squealed. Whoo, better wind that down to not sound so desperate! Clearing her throat, she put on a more refined expression and said, "I would like that very much, thank you." Excellent save!

In all his time as a musician, all ten or so years of it-- not once did he ever have a female lead singer. In his band, the original home his heart had grown to known, their singer was had been a male. In the gigs he performed in, where he played as backup or with other bands, again, the one who screamed vocals out had always been male. Why that was, he couldn't say. Both tones of voice, feminine and masculine, had their perks. Both could sound beautiful or sound horrible. Both could touch notes never thought to be reachable and both could fail. Maybe it was the fact that female lead singers usually strayed on their own paths, or maybe it was that girls, unfortunately, weren't welcomed as often in male dominated bands. Regardless, he couldn't say he cared. All that mattered was embracing the music and having fun, which luckily, Ennette was heavily involved in.

As he plucked and strummed the guitar, individuals gathered on the pillows of seats along the shore of the beach. But as the girl stepped to the microphone and chimed out, her harmony seemed to lock everyone into a trance, holding them there like they were a collection. His music seemed to be the initial setup, but her voice? Now that was purer than sweet sugar stirred into the most expensive brew of tea. It was like the ocean had finally met the sky, and in its joy, gave a gift of voice to someone to speak out elegance for it. Her tone wasn't too high, nor too low. It wasn't too vicious, or too sweet. It was average-- but if average had been loaded up with golden, shimmering wings of flight and a halo to go with it. 

Her melody lasted for about three minutes, and when she was finished, the people were enriched. Several compliments came in both their direction, his playing and her voice. Somehow they worked together, strangely enough. Which was odd, he thought. She looked like she came from a place of high standing, where Gucci was considered low-tier and you were only 'rich' if your daddy had a kingdom. As for him? He had bags under his eyes, his jacket was torn on its zipper edges and he smelled like grandpa had one too many cigars in the night. Everyone knew he was stuck to the streets for life.

"Nice voice." As their performance dissembled, he slipped past her, careful not to knock the guitar's hard body into her. She was just barely bigger than it, after all. "Can't say I've seen you around here ever." What a stupid line. "But if you ever want to work together, come up with a few songs..." He trailed off, tilting his head slightly to the left while giving a somewhat shy, distant smile. "Maybe we could trade numbers or something."

Cliff thoroughly enjoyed himself some heavy metal from time to time, besides, that's what his band plays, right?
It surely didn't help that some bozo really had the audacity to play some lame-ass country music using the jukebox, and let me tell you that it was playing nonstop. After one country song ended, another one played right after. Who the hell wastes their money on this? Satan? Cliff will not stand by as everyone else in the bar suffered.
Finally, once the last god-forsaken country song stopped playing, he skipped past all of the tables until he made his way towards the all holy jukebox. Flipping a quarter out of his leather jacket, he knew just what would get everyone energized.

Oh my God, there's probably children in here.

Cliff plopped his ass down at the bar as a cheeky little bastard grin formed on his face. There were three types of people listening to this -
Those who enjoyed it
Those who absolutely hated it
and.. oh fuck, not again.

Cliff cocked his head to the side and made eye-to-eye contact with Brown. The grin on his face slowly turned into a grimace of sorts, slurping on his 90th drink of the night. Probably, anyway. Either way, he was absolutely blasted like most of the people in the joint, there's no denying that. "Great, fancy as shit seein' you here, eh? You like the music?" Obviously making fun of her, 'cause even Cliff knew Brown would probably be disgusted by this genre of song. Maybe. He chuckled lightly and placed a cigarette between his lips, "Come on. I'm sure your ninny ass can have some fun for at least a few minutes. The lyrics are easy as fuck, sing with me and I might reconsider beating your ass."

Killing is my business, and business is good? Cliff repeated the line to himself and attempted to make Brown join him in it. He gestured his hand for her to sing,
"Come on, it repeats. Easy peasy. Killing is my business, and business is good! But, I get it if a deaf fuckin' haggie like yourself can't handle this real music."

RIPS OUT HAIR

I DIDNT SEE YOU REVIVED THIS, a short follow up for rochesto;

Blou had seated herself on Xander’s shoulder. Her nails deeply dug into the man’s clothing and skin. As the , slightly chunky, bird tried to keep her balance. With some success. Blou stared as her owner and the older lady were discussing things. Politics no doubt.
Blou hated politics. She cared little about ‘leidsman’ this and ‘aristocrat’ that. Besides, she was even too tired to listen. It was way past her bedtime, but when Xander made it clear he was headed out to somewhere, the dodo had insisted that he take her with him. Look where it got you Blou.
Her beady eyes stared at the different glass works in the lab as she rocked back and forth not to fall asleep. Every time the lady started to talk, Blou’s interest peaked. She got a funny voice. One that old ladies had.
“Blou, Blou is a prettier bird,” Blou said. Mimicking the ladies voice perfectly. It grabbed the attention of her owner. He frowned and apologized (of course) to the other party. Xander’s warm hand softly rubbed her beak.
“She’s a songbird.. Sort of,” Xander said. A sorry tone in his voice. “You know how companions are,” he said. Making with his other hand a gesture at Spot on Rochester’s shoulder.
Blou cared little about that little snail. Like she stated: ‘she was a prettier bird.’
“She mimics all kinds of tones,” Xander said. Slowly removing his hand from her hardened beak. “I think she likes your voice.. You should try to hum something,” pause. “If you like of course madam.”
Whatever sound Rochester made next, got directly copied. Blou’s beady eyes focussed on the researcher's face. Oh did she like that old lady voice! It had some cracks in it and sometimes it agitated. Maybe if she hummed, the lady would hum back! Blou loved playing that game with her owner.

Xander tried to stir the conversation away. His focus lay on the different papers in his hand.
“What I’m trying to say is, ma’am,” he talked over Blou’s humming. Rude!
“Nathaniel tries to use Salvador as a scapegoat in all this. And while.. You live outside Drakenburg, I was wondering if he could stay a few days here? With the two of you madam. I haven’t discuss it with his Leidsman-”
“-Leidsman, leidsman” Blou intervened.
“Yet,” Xander continued. As if nothing happened. “But it’s maybe the best for him to.. Lay low for a while, just until the next scandal pops up.” There was this sternness in his voice that Blou hardly recognized as her owner.

Rochester’s reaction was partly mimicked again, but with this hopeful humming sound in the end as Blou still wanted to sing with this human.
“I promise you that he can work around the lab,” Xander said. “My friend, and if I remember his words correctly, your former pupil M.Pourife looks after him from time to time. We tried to disguise Salvador as one of his pupils to keep him out of public view but.. With little success I’m afraid, ma’am.”
“Little success-” Blou whistled. “I destroyed a bridge!” she said in Salvador’s voice.
Xander shook his head. Rubbed her beak again as he apologized yet again to the other party. “I’m sorry for my bird, she’s just tired from the journey to here.”
His hand gently rubbed the feathered head of Blou who let out an almost purring sound.
“I beg you. Please take him in as your newest pupil. Just for a week. I don’t want Nathaniel to send another Half to the public slaughter. Just because it fits his agenda.”

--
SDFJSDFJKL IM LOSING IT ABOUT THAT MEEM

Tortellini had possibly found the source of the singing she was hearing, and it was definitely not her owner. Her exploration session had lead her into a building that had more of a ramshackle appearance. While she hobbled down the hall, she glanced around and stared into each room, contemplating on doing even more exploring. However, her focus was mainly on the woman's singing.

She continued to hobble along, eventually catching a glance of some long, green hair from across the room. The feline slinked through the large clowder of cats that occupied the space, eventually arriving behind Diluvi. Tortellini threw her head back, staring at the former peacemaker intently. Eventually, the feline began to interject with the woman's song:

"Yang! Yang! Yang! Ya-ang, yang!"

Tortellini had finally gained Diluvi's attention. She is now ready for her reward.