Orpheus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
themuseabandonsyou) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
deercountry2022-01-07 06:26 pm
themuseabandonsyou) wrote in deercountry2022-01-07 06:26 pm
[003] And the walls kept tumbling down
Who: Orpheus (themuseabandonsyou)
What: January Catch-all
When: January
Where: Crenshaw, The Red, one of Trench's parks
Warnings: burns, discussion of organ theft, forced honesty effects, memory loss/loss of sense of self, disorientation, possibly more as marked in thread headers
I. Gray clouds roll over the hills bringing darkness from above ( cw: burns, discussion of organ theft ) ( closed to Eurydice )
themuseabandonsyou)What: January Catch-all
When: January
Where: Crenshaw, The Red, one of Trench's parks
Warnings: burns, discussion of organ theft, forced honesty effects, memory loss/loss of sense of self, disorientation, possibly more as marked in thread headers
I. Gray clouds roll over the hills bringing darkness from above ( cw: burns, discussion of organ theft ) ( closed to Eurydice )
- Orpheus comes stumbling in the front door a little over an hour after he ran out. It had been abrupt and frantic when he went, snatching up one of his spare sets of guitar strings and wordlessly sprinting down the street towards a plume of smoke in the distance - whether Eurydice had been there to see him go, he'd been too distracted to tell, too focused on the problem at hand. But she's here, now, as he returns, smelling of burning cloth and worse.
One of his pant legs is seared off up to the knee, still smoldering slightly, and the exposed skin of his calf is - not looking good. He was still able to put weight on it long enough to get home, which is promising, but as he makes it through the threshhold he collapses sideways, leaning heavily against the wall and sliding down it awkwardly into a crumpled heap on the floor.
"I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it." He repeats it to himself quietly, over and over again. His shoulders shake as he puts his face in his hands, breathing hard between the pain and apparent distress.
- It's not the first time Orpheus has seen the gigantic gemstone octopus that decorates the Red's entrance - he spent a great deal of time there on his first day, even, trying to figure out how to find Eurydice, and even after that he passes by it regularly on his way to find work in Cellar Door. But there is a certain sense of awe that comes with actually walking through the betentacled doors, having been invited in. Something about it feels like a massive weight has been lifted from his shoulders, and he blinks in wide-eyed surprise at the luxury of the club that lies within. It's like nothing he's ever seen before, save for in photos, and he stands there for a long moment just taking it all in until someone jostles him out of the way.
II-A. Watching
- Despite Orpheus being, well, himself, it actually doesn't occur to him to get on stage at first. He watches the other acts with enthusiastic attention, whistling and clapping for his friends and strangers alike, but whenever the call goes up for the next performer, he looks... torn. Fidgeting with the strap of the guitar on his back, he frowns, glancing around him, then back at the stage with almost an almost hungry look. He wants to go. He doesn't want to go. Even feeling more relaxed here than he has in days, all the ostentation around him, the high-class of the setting and his own feeling out of place in it combine into the sort of pressure to do well that he's rarely felt before. Usually all he does is play for friends, but this? Even if the audience is mostly other Sleepers, this feels different.
- Sooner or later, though, someone convinces Orpheus to take the stage, to swallow his reservations and just go, and ultimately he's grateful for it. He strides up to the spotlight and slides his guitar around in front of him, taking a deep breath, and begins to play a lively, rousing song, the crackling glow of campfire-light cast all around him as he sings.
"It's only for need to pay the bills
That a man goes to work in the mine, in the mill
For what does he trade the sunshine?
For a couple of nickels and dimes
But up on top a man can breathe
When he's livin' it, livin' it up
With friends and family to meet his needs
Livin' it up on top
Won't make anyone a millionaire
We're livin' it, livin' it up
But what we have, we have to share
Give me a lyre and a campfire
And an open field at night
Give me the sky that you can't buy
Or sell at any price
And I'll give you a song for free
'Cause that's how life ought to be
So that's how I'm livin' it
Livin' it, livin' it up
Livin' it up on top"
- And when he comes back down, it's like all his worries have washed away. He practically bounds off the stage, face flushed and grinning, making a beeline for the first person he recognizes or maybe just whoever catches his eye.
"How was that?" he asks, earnest, eyes shining. "I've been - I couldn't fix things with my music before, so I was worried I was losing it, but that - it sounded all right, didn't it?"
There's a beat, then his brow furrows slightly, a look of confusion on his face. What did he just say?
- The man standing out in the middle of one of Trench's few, scattered parks looks a lot like Orpheus. He's older, though - it's hard to tell how much, but clearly well past his 20s, and looking even older than he probably is for the stress lines on his face, speckled with old, faded little scars from stray sparks kicked up while welding. He seems exhausted, too, like every movement he's forcing himself not to just collapse on the spot. None of Orpheus's puppy-like exuberance shines through in this man, bundled against the cold like he's even less accustomed to it than usual in layers upon layers and just silently putting one foot in front of the other, except -
The sun starts to peek through the clouds, a lone shaft of sunlight falling on one of the trees, and he raises his head from where he'd been staring at the ground to look - and his eyes grow wide with childlike wonder. He doesn't move towards it. He doesn't dare breathe, for fear that any slight change could take this sight away from him. A tear runs down his face all the same. It's been so long.
no subject
That snaps her out of the easy silence, and she's getting to her feet with a start before taking a quick look around. This is... somewhere between Willful Machine and Cellar Door, she's rather sure, which one's lamp is closer to where they are again? Wait no, that's not important; they should just get to somewhere warm for now so that he can finish his letter first, the rest can come after. Any shop will do then, ideally one like a café? But Willful Machine had booths and stalls more than buildings, and even if they find someplace with a roof and walls, the shopkeepers may not take kindly to what's essentially loitering as neither of them would be doing any shopping. Cellar Door establishments are much more lax in contrast; no one looks twice at people coming in and out of anywhere, everyone is quite literally there to just relax and have a good time. Having done enough looking around to know that much despite her short tenure in the city so far, the logical conclusion is clear.
...She'll have to quash her personal aversion to entering Cellar Door businesses in general, and just hope that she can quickly find someplace decent for them to duck out from the cold in.
"Let's head someplace indoors first. I think I see people coming and going over there..." Turning towards the side of the park lined with noticeably nicer-looking buildings, she starts leading the way to... a salon of some sort, judging by the sign. Exactly what is difficult to tell, the window panes are obstructed by thick curtains dyed in dark purple. Seems like they'll have to step in to find out, unless he catches sight of another place he feels more inclined in checking out?
no subject
As it is, any of these salons and bars and cafes seems just as fine as the next, to him, and he simply takes note of the name, writing it down on his Omni, before looking to his companion and stepping inside. It is much warmer inside, thankfully, but dimmer too with all the curtains drawn and the lights turned low, and well-dressed citizens gather in high-backed chairs and in booths over tea, discussing serious-sounding matters in low murmurs. Orpheus, for his part, looks rather out of place in his grease-stained overalls, but the host just sighs and leads them to a quiet corner, away from the rest.
"I've never been in a place like this before?" he says, voice hushed in keeping with the close, almost oppressive atmosphere of the salon. "At least, I don't think I have. It seems nice?"
He doesn't sound sure of that. He's not lying, but there's a very real sense of being an intruder here, which he seems fairly nervous about.
no subject
"That's plenty enough, thank you. Please, carry on as if we aren't here."
Her tone is soft and friendly, but that was more than just a polite suggestion; she caught the host's gaze, and that should theoretically be enough to secure their peace for a while. Sitting down with him by a curtains-draped windowsill that functionally serves just as well as any bench, they're also decently well hidden away from anywhere that sees foot traffic thanks to the wall corner nearby. Once settled, she turns her attention back onto him.
"People come here to talk and exchange ideas with each other, but I do confess I'm not terribly familiar with this kind of place myself. Anyway, we're not in anyone's way back here like this, so don't worry about the details!" She smiles encouragingly as she straightens herself a little, being mindful of also keeping her voice low while staying attentive to their surroundings. There shouldn't be any reason for anyone to approach them either, but if it does happen, then she'll just have to convince another bystander to leave them alone again.
"Besides, the sooner you get word to Eurydice, the sooner you'll see each other again. Is there enough lighting for you to see? Or anything else I can help with? If so, please do let me know!" She's not one for doing things halfway, and seems quite ready to stick by his side until she sees him safely reunited with his wife. After all, he looked so happy just a few minutes ago, so no sense getting nervous about where they are when he could be redoubling his efforts in working towards that, right?
no subject
It takes him a little bit to finish, but when he does he manages to intuit that he's supposed to touch his fingertips to the word Send that appears at the bottom of the screen without help, at least. What isn't intuitive is how the letter seems to simply disappear into nothing after he does so, though. He glances around, confused, as if searching for some sign of it traveling through the air.
"How will it find her?" he asks, glancing back over at the girl accompanying him. "The letter, I mean. Will I know when it does?"
It feels like a question he should know the answer to, but he's too worried about it not to ask. And this girl has been so kind, anyway. Surely she won't mind if he asks something that should be obvious?
no subject
"It must sound cheesy and hard to believe, and for that, I'm sorry, but... magic, quite literally!" Blood magic to be precise, and she's not sure if she should really be relieved that she doesn't have to explain digital transmissions made possible through electricity to someone hailing very likely from Antiquity Greece. "With any luck, your wife will see your message very soon, and she'll reply to you the moment she does. You do get notified from your Omni when someone sends you something, I could send you a word from mine right now as an example. Would you like to see for yourself how that works?"
It's the least that she can offer, along with a sheepish and apologetic smile for the truthful but also unhelpful explanation. She did catch sight of his username when he pulled open his own profile, maybe it'll quell some of his potential worries if he sees firsthand how quickly texts get sent and received?
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"That's incredible," he says, quietly, sounding more than a little awed by the thought. "Could you, though? Send me something, so I can see how it works?"
He's curious, and there's also the matter of wanting to be distracted from the return of his case of nerves from earlier, now over what will happen when Eurydice sees his message. He's... pretty sure it will be fine? But he's having a hard time remembering how they got separated, and how long it's been, and even putting all of that aside the wait is agonizing. Having something to take his mind off of it for a moment is probably a good thing.
no subject
Chirping back brightly, she withdraws her own Omni and quickly brings up the texting interface. Pretty sure she caught "lyreplayer", so no need to look through the directory, just putting that in the 'TO' field should suffice. As for the content, he'll see her input a series of little drawn pictorial icons instead of any text, because why not use emojis if there's an opportunity?
"🎵🎶👋😊"
Aand send. The reception should be instant, a notification letting him know that he's received a new message from someone by the display name of 'caripan'. She watches him expectantly as she briefly wonders what he may ask next, she can only hope she'd be able to answer adequately.
"Did you get it, Orpheus?"
no subject
"Oh!" he says, glancing between her and the message. "Caripan - is that you?" And then he realizes - "I forgot to ask your name! I'm so sorry."
In his defense he'd sort of forgotten that most people had names to begin with, and then he'd gotten so caught up in the excitement of remembering his own and his wife's. But he still feels bad about having gotten so distracted as to have forgotten his manners entirely.
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"But since you've remembered some very important things and we're no longer outside, this is a good time for proper introductions. It's nice to meet you, Orpheus!"
Delivered with an exceptionally sunny smile, if that could help with getting him to leave any further (and wholly unnecessary) want to apologize behind?
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"Ciel," he repeats, to make sure he's got it right. "It's nice to meet you, too. And, thank you again, for all of this."
Chances are he would've found the Omni in his pocket eventually with or without help, but whether he would've figured out how to use it or been able to find Eurydice through it is another story entirely. Certainly it would've taken him longer, and he would've probably spent that time out in the cold without Ciel to nudge him indoors.
All that said, he does finally look at her message properly, blinking in surprise.
"Oh! You can send little pictures, too?"
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"Please, don't mention it. I hope you recover the rest of your memories soon, truly."
With any luck, he'll be safe and sound with his wife back in their home in Trench before long. ...Actually, can she take a second passenger with her if she were to use her own lamp to hasten the process for them? He doesn't look like he could be carrying his, but the size and shape of someone's lamp can vary, too. Maybe something to ask him in a bit?
"Yes, they're called emoticons and are a cute and colorful way to communicate, in my opinion. There's all sorts too as you can see, like various facial expressions, hand gestures, hobbies, animals, plants, foods... The list is quite big, it's fun just browsing through them too." Explaining them is easy, but hmm, now that he's taken interest...
"Do they remind you of anything you may have seen before, Orpheus?"
A long shot, maybe, but anything can trigger a memory.
no subject
It's interesting. He remembers some things from the surface fairly well - Lady Persephone was kind enough to provide him with what glimpses of her domain she could, when she could sneak them to him. Spring flowers, autumn leaves, the moon and stars. But for all her power, all she could really give were just that - glimpses. And maybe these little pictures are even less than that, but here, so far from the heat and neon-bright of the Underground...
He chews his lower lip and picks out a selection that he sends to Ciel.
💐🌸💮🌹🌺🌻🌼🌷
"Flowers," he says, looking up. "I remember fields of flowers. And I remember giving one to Eurydice, the first time I saw her. Or..." He frowns, concentrating. "It was winter, so there weren't any real ones. I made one out of paper for her, but when I sang to her, it became real. I'd never done anything like that before, but for her, it felt like the most natural thing in the world."