damned_institute | Day 36: Intercom, Evening

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Day 36: Intercom, Evening

The intercom's jingle rang out and the somewhat uninhibited movement that was going on between the main activity rooms halted as the Head Doctor made one of his usual announcements.

"Good evening everyone, and I'm very pleased to see so many of you in such high spirits after meeting with your loved ones! However, like with all good things, it can't last forever, so I ask now for nurses to escort our patients in the waiting rooms and in the main areas back to their rooms, where they will be treated with a special Sunday... steak! That's right: today, we'll be serving juicy, delicious steak with fries and cooked vegetables on the side – simple enough for everyone to like and good enough for everyone to thoroughly enjoy! (Our patients with specialized diets will receive their alternate meals, of course.) Our usual beverages are available, and for dessert, we'll be serving warm slices of apple pie.

"After all, patients, t's always wonderful to see all of you cooperating with the staff even when given so much freedom, so I'd like to personally thank and congratulate all of you for helping us, your family, and more importantly, yourselves. Hopefully, we can help you to a speedy recovery so that you can see your loved ones more often, but first... dinner! I hope to speak with you all again soon."

The intercom clicked off.

[ All room threads go in response to this post; please post your character's room number as the subject line of the initial post. Thank you!

On an added note, just wanted to clarify to players of characters who are canonly vegetarians and the like that you get to decide (within reasonable and realistic limits) what kind of diet your character gets from the staff. :3 ]

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"All right," Artemis delicately slipped one of the headphones onto Haku's ear and put the other one on himself. Opening the lid, he began to peruse the track list. Ah, Berlioz. That was a good piece to start with. He flipped through the track numbers, finding the one he wanted, and he hit the play button.

"This is what I listen to in my world."

Haku blinked, leaning closer to listen. "Oh," he breathed, watching the player closely. "Wow."

"This is how we record and store music. Large groups of people play the same part together and create this," Artemis was quiet as the piece began, as the volume was rather low at the very beginning. He slowly conducted the piece with his bandaged left hand, closing his eyes and enjoying the piece.

"It's called Hexensabbath. A witches' holiday," he translated.

Haku smiled, nodding and listening carefully to the music. It wasn't like anything he'd heard before.

"And all of your music sounds like this? Do people perform it for others? Or is it all stored on here?"

"Well, this is only one person's music. There are many different composers on this CD, and each one has a different style and voice."

He opened his eyes after a minute or so. "Groups all over the world gather together and play this music. Either for audiences or recordings. But there's nothing like being in the presence of a full orchestra playing one of these pieces. I myself played a Beethoven piano concerto in Dublin. I'll take you to a concert one day."

"That would be nice," Haku said, closing his own eyes to listen. He shifted closer, getting more comfortable on the bed without jarring the oxygen tank or tubes. "I have only ever gone to plays, but never had the chance to enjoy them."

Usually, it was for a job. Seeing something like this without having to worry about the person he was going to kill would be very nice indeed.

"It's really a grand affair. Everyone dressed in black tie--tuxedos and gowns, that is--sitting in the music hall, listening to the finest and most talented musicians work their magic. The low, clear A at the beginning, drawing the listener into the realm of musical expression."

Artemis' half-lidded gaze was growing more and more distant. "Music expresses what words cannot."

"Art does that," Haku said softly. "It's amazing really."

"It's like a language unto itself. A realm where words are superfluous. Whole ideas can be expressed in a few bars of music. It grips the heart and suddenly everything isn't as important. Suddenly the weakest man is a lion, and the ones who thought love was impossible are brought to tears of longing. It's... amazing. Realistically impossible, but amazing."

"It's interesting," Haku pointed out after listening quietly for a few moments more. "That music can still evoke the same sorts of feelings and bring similar images to mind between people like us, who don't even share a reality, let alone a language."

Artemis nodded, "I thought it would be something we could share." The boy blinked, his gaze suddenly becoming much more aware. "Though, if you don't like it, that's fine as well. I can understand if you don't."

Haku smiled and waved a hand, not wanting to risk shaking his head and dislodging the ear piece. "No, I like it. Very much. Thank you for sharing it with me Artemis. Really."

Artemis looked very pleased with himself and rested his head on Haku's shoulder, continuing to conduct the piece with his hand. "It's soothing. I usually do this right before I have to enact one of my more risky plots. So I suppose listening to this with you is just about the best preparation I could hope for."

Haku shifted to tuck his legs up beside him on the bed, magaging to fold himself comfortably on a fairly narrow stip of bedding. "I wish I could join you," he said softly, "At least for moral support."

Artemis nodded, enjoying the closeness. "I wish you could as well. But I think we both know how Zabuza-san would react to you wanting to go with me and not do whatever he has planned."

Haku wrinkled his nose. "Plans ... are not really Zabuza-san's way." He smiled as he spoke. The plans were left up to Haku usually, though he wouldn't disobey his Master should Zabuza have an idea.

"Really?" Artemis found that curious. However, he'd never actually been in the room to see how Haku and Zabuza's dynamic worked. He figured he'd rather not watch it.

"Well... then his opinion of me should be enough to detract," the boy said with a frown.

Haku laughed softly at that. "He has poor opinions of everyone. You should have heard the things he said about his old team before here. Those were people he worked with on a near daily basis."

Artemis chuckled as well. "How you manage, mankind may never know," he teased. The track changed and suddenly the opening chords of Beethoven's 5th Symphony filled the headphones. Artemis grinned to himself, obviously approving the CD's choice of music to include.

Haku blinked and made a soft sound. This was interesting. "I've never heard intruments like these before," he said after a moment. "None of these."

"Mm," Artemis agreed. "These are violins, violas, and cellos. They're European instruments, so it's no wonder you haven't encountered them. Or perhaps you have? They're instruments with four strings, about this long..." Artemis indicated with his hands. "The cellos can be as big as I am," he said with a laugh.

"Four strings?" Haku thought then shook his head slightly, careful of the ear piece. "No.... though sometimes the Kokyu has four. Usually it's only three and it's played with a bow."

"Well these are played with a bow as well," Artemis explained. "Here."

The boy reached over Haku to get his journal, tugging a little at his injury. He winced, but managed to get what he was after. "I'll draw one for you."

Haku very gently tapped artemis on the knee. "Ask me next time. I can get it for you," he said. "Or at least get out of your way."

He shifted so that he could watch what Artemis was drawing.

"Maybe I just wanted to lean over you for a bit," Artemis said with a smirk, then flopped back into his previous spot. He began to draw the basic shape of a violin.

"They're very curvy, and have four strings made of out metal. They used to be made out of catgut, but someone discovered a more humane and sanitary way of doing it. Each one is constructed according to a method or school of construction. Stradivarius, Nach Amati... there are names for the different types. Stradivariuses are the most expensive, but have the richest tone and are constructed with the highest quality in mind."

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