Video | un: holyknightfan123

[greatestfall]

[The feed opens to that sound of frantic splashing and the sound of the ocean.]

[Loud rapid-fire meows begin right at the source of the video. In view is the farther shores and a large grand piano anchored in the shallows like it had somehow washed up. Behind it is a harried teenager who looks like he's trying to figure out how to drag it out of the water.]

I'm trying, but it's sunk into the damned sand. If the bloody tide rolls in who knows what will happen to the piano case! Have you got the Omni on? I-

[A very pleased, affirmative Mrrooaahhhh!]

Shit!

[He rushes around the piano, slips and face plants into the water before he makes for a dash towards the feed. After a moment it focuses on his face.]

[He clears his throat with some dignity despite that he is drenched in sand and salt water and has a crab climbing up his shoulder. He looks like he's about to make a very formal address before he sighs in frustration.]

Oh, to hell with it. I need some help on the farther shores.

[He swipes the crab off his shoulder before it snatches his ear.]

My piano just washed up and I'd sooner eat calamari than leave it to rot. I can't offer any coin, obviously, but I'm willing to negotiate other services in return. Whatever it fucking takes.

Comments

[schoolingfish]

Not completely. The piano I saw was floating.

[...it might be a completely different piano, too. There was a lot of weird furniture type stuff floating when Luca arrived, and he wasn't paying much attention to the details of the piano.]

I don't know, but it definitely could be!

[greatestfall]

[Even if that is not his piano that is still one of the saddest things he's ever heard. What did that piano do to deserve such a fate? Nothing. Fucking nothing!!]

In the ocean? Fucking dreadful.

[Truly a travesty.]

I suppose the sort of mad nonsense we can do with our blood would leave something like that less than miraculous.

[schoolingfish]

Oh. Is the ocean bad for pianos? It's the first one I ever saw. It startled me at first because it made a lot of noise when I tried to help someone climb on top of it, but then he let me know it was a musical instrument.

[greatestfall]

[Well, there is a lot to unpack here. So much so that it stuns Elliot into silence, which is very, VERY hard to do, so, congrats, kid.]

[Even commoners knew what pianos were??? Was it possible to be so far removed from society that one misses such a thing? Or worse, is the boy from a land that had no pianos???? He simply does not want to think about that.]

It's awful for them! The water can ruin all the finish. The wood could risk rotting, gathering mold, or expanding and cracking. The water can also destroy the glue used to hold everything together, and once you break the tension on a piano, it is extremely difficult to get it put back right, again.

The less damage mine takes, the better. I am not exactly in possession of servants or the money it might take to pay a specialty repairman.

[schoolingfish]

Oh. Well...I guess that's why I don't see too many pianos floating in the ocean, then.

It probably wasn't yours. That was like...a month ago when I first showed up. From what you've said, if it was in the water all that time I don't think there'd be much piano left.

If it does need repairs, though, they do barter here. I've gotten by pretty well on just catching enough fish to pay for things I want.

[greatestfall]

Its for very good reason.

[But he does look relieved that this piano was probably different from the one this kid saw. He will settle down a little.]

Yes, I've been learning the system. I've gotten a lot with collecting nice shells off the beach.