[002].

[bonnypiperlad]

[Jamie is walking along the beach after Benny's match with a largish rectangular case that is hanging from a strap slung over one of his shoulders. He seems to be looking for something in particular and not finding it, and he sighs. It's somewhat annoying, he thinks, to have an entire beach and not one place he can actually use. He could continue to try and search for what he wants, he supposes, or...hey, that's an idea! He disappears from the Plane for a few moments. When he returns, he's carrying a decent sized rock in his arms, and grunting a little - although it's not from the weight. The rock's not so much heavy, as it is awkward and unwieldy, and it's slipping. Before he drops it altogether, he takes a moment to shift his grip to a better one, then resumes his journey. Moving away from the area where the trees have been cut down, he finds a open, windswept-looking spot.]

Aye, that'll do.

[With relief, he drops the rock and lets it fall where it may. Not coincidentally, he jumps back out of the way, as he would much prefer not to have to deal with a broken toe right at the moment. Peering at the angle, he nods, satisfied that it's fallen the way he wants it to. Removing the case from his shoulder, he sets it down on top of the rock, then flexes his fingers to loosen them up. He doesn't open it right away, however, instead kneeling down and scooping up a handful of sand. Moving his fingers apart ever so slightly, he lets the grains trickle down much like they would if they were in oh, say, an hourglass.]

There has to be some way to stop this.

Comments

[lamb_of_gold]

[Just wandering by and....what the hell?]

Jamie?

[bonnypiperlad]

[Jamie is so caught up in his own thoughts about the deathmatches that he doesn't notice Mu's arrival until he speaks. His head whips up and he looks over with a rather startled expression. The remainder of the sand falls from his hand abruptly.] Mu! Och, ye gave me a bit of a fright.

[His face doesn't show it at the moment, but he's upset by the deaths, frustrated that he can't stop them and overall quite unhappy about the whole situation. Since he can't shield, he's probably broadcasting to anyone who cares to pick them up.] What are ye doing here?

[lamb_of_gold]

Forgive me. I was simply passing by.

[bonnypiperlad]

No, it's fine. I was just thinking about... [He glances back down at the sand for a moment, frowning, then looks back up again.]

Well, the deathmatches, if ye must know.

[lamb_of_gold]

Unsurprising. I don't think anybody can ignore them at this point.

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye. I...went to see Benny's. [His jaw tightens just thinking about it, and his next words are blurted out quite abruptly.]

Could we not find some way to stop it? There's got to be something we can do.

[lamb_of_gold]

I've been meaning to speak to the man in the Cravat. Hopefully, I will get some sort of answer out of him.

[doctorsfanboy.livejournal.com]

[Damon watches Jamie curiously] What are you doing?

[bonnypiperlad]

Hey? [He looks over, puzzled for a moment, then realizes that what he was doing might look a little odd to someone who, well, isn't Jamie.] Och, ye mean the whole thing with the rock? I just didn't want to get sand in the pipes.

[Jamie opens the case, showing the currently dissembled set of bagpipes within.] I had to leave in a wee bit of a hurry, so I didn't have time to put them together.

Or did ye mean why I have the pipes with me in the first place?

[doctorsfanboy.livejournal.com]

Is that what they are? I've never seen anything quite like it. [he knows pretty much nothing about Earth instruments, Jamie]

Why are you in a hurry?

[bonnypiperlad]

Oh, that's right. You've not been to Earth, have ye? Here, I'll show ye what they look like put together.

[He starts to do so, but he's done this enough he can easily keep up a conversation at the same time.]

To answer your other question, though, I wanted to come here before the Doctor noticed what I was up to, aye? He's noticed the twins shop as it is.

[doctorsfanboy.livejournal.com]

[frowns] You mean the Doctor you travel with currently? How have you managed to keep him away from the shop?

[bonnypiperlad]

Usually by making him come look at something else. [It involves clutching and dragging, Damon. Don't ask him to get into details.]

I'd not be surprised if he went back and took a wee peek when I wasn't paying attention. I don't think he can get in, though.

[Having finished assembling the pipes, he holds them up so Damon can take a look at them.] Did ye want me to show ye what they sound like?

[oliverplus]

[watches Jamie curiously as he approaches] Hey, Jamie! Uh...what are you doing?

[bonnypiperlad]

[That's a familiar voice - and one he wasn't at all sure he'd hear again, despite everything people have told him about coming back after dying.]

Oliver? Oliver!

[Sorry, Oliver, he'll answer your question in a moment. Right now Jamie's too busy giving you a bear hug. He might be a -little- happy you're back.]

[oliverplus]

[is being slightly crushed--but laughing] Whoooa, okay! I'm happy to see you, too!

[bonnypiperlad]

[Jamie lets go fairly quickly, just to be on the safe side.]

Och, I thought I'd not see ye again!

[He catches a glimpse of the case out of the corner of his eye, though, and that causes his good mood to disappear rather quickly. He goes over, opening the case so Oliver can see inside, and finally gets around to answering his question.]

I was going to play for ye, and Benny.

[oliverplus]

Can't get rid of me that easy!

[follows Jamie over to the case, surprised to see what's inside] Bagpipes? [his surprise falters at Jamie's words, and he turns to him with quiet gratitude] That's...that's really nice of you. [smiles] You still could, you know.

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye, well...

[Jamie rubs at the back of his head for a moment.] I don't like the idea of my friends dying. The least I can do is honor ye however I can. I...I just wish I could do more.

[And he could play, couldn't he? It's a wee bit strange, thinking that he'd be playing for someone who normally wouldn't be there, but Benny hasn't come back yet, and...he still does want to play for both of them. He starts to put the pipes together.]

I think I will, if ye don't mind.

[bit_impossible]

[the Doctor nearly walks past the beach, engrossed with a device he's constructing and tinkering with, when he catches that little display. shoving the device in his pocket, he heads on over]

There is. Just close your fingers and the sand will stay in your hand.

But you're not talking about that, are you?

[bonnypiperlad]

[He looks up - and it should say something that he doesn't even pull a face at the rather obvious answer the Doctor's provided.]

No...I wasn't, Doctor.

[The Doctor may recognize that the case resting on the rock as being Jamie's bagpipe case - despite the Doctor's decided non-enthusiasm when Jamie found the pipes in the chest, he did go ahead and repair them, then found something to keep them in when not in use. Jamie glances over at the case, then back to the Doctor.]

I think ye know what I was talking about, though.

[bit_impossible]

[he thought that case looked familiar! he'll just be casually resting a hand on it to keep it closed...]

Unfortunately, I do. But you do realise that pipe music won't exactly flush Weber and any of his lot out of the Coliseum. The Americans tried that with Noriega in 1989 and looked what happened! Well, no, don't look, I never brought you there, did I? Anyway, bad example. Basically, it didn't work.

[bonnypiperlad]

[-Now- he'll pull that face, as it nicely covers his feelings on both the words and the fact he can see exactly what Ten is doing with his hand there.] Ye know perfectly well that that's not why I brought the pipes here.

[However, there's something more on his mind than just playing the pipes in remembrance, and he turns a rather entreating expression towards the Time Lord.] Could we not do something to stop them though, Doctor?

[bit_impossible]

[looks a bit sheepish for a brief moment and glances away] Yes, well... [he trails off, but he catches Jamie's expression out of the corner of his eye and turns his attention back, his own expression serious now, eyes filled with fire and determination] Ohhh, you bet there's a way. There's always a way, Jamie! Just got to find the right path.

[bonnypiperlad]

Aye. [quietly, almost to himself] But what's the path?

[He's struck by a sudden thought, then.] Doctor...did ye talk to the man in the cravat at all? The one who announced the matches to start with?