Second Scratch

[moveslikestrider]

[Dave appears on the plane in a burst of red light while flickers of green fire chase themselves all over the area and fade. He waits, tugging his hood down and equipping a pair of red headphones. Their cord leads to the gear Turntables he's pulled out, with the laptop screen floating between them.

And starts to play music, a heavy bass drum echoing across the plane. He sways to it, first to the left and then to the right, before he reaches over and twists his fingers over a knob. The first whispers of a violin join with the drum, sounding like discord at first but he tames it, fading out the drum just enough to meld the two. To it he adds in a guitar the kind that's impossible to play with just two hands, then a piano.

He keeps all of them low at first then makes the sounds seem to dance together, flickering in and out and going silent all together. Then they rise seeming to ascend with bursts of static like flames and the drum evening out, matching the rest, the violin's desperate wail settling into a light tone ringing out. He plays the tune a few more seconds before he flash-steps and everything goes silent.

All over the plane, he appears and whisks away in whispers of time or simply speed in general. Each time he plays the music just a little. For a guy with shades on his face he looks like he's searching for something.]

Comments

[foundmyarms.livejournal.com]

[Well then! As soon as John hears that music, he can guess at who is playing it. He looks around until he sees the now-familiar red cloak and clothes, and then he smiles widely.]

Hi Dave!

[moveslikestrider]

[Dave pauses his flashing in and out to walk over to John, his Timetop put away so he doesn't blare his best bro's eardrums out.] Yo. What's up?

[foundmyarms.livejournal.com]

Nothing much, I was just exploring the plane. What are you doing?

[Well, he can tell Dave is playing loud music everywhere-- thanks for saving his eardrums by the way-- but he's wondering why Dave is doing it.]

[moveslikestrider]

Heard about what's going on yet? [Dave counters, rather than answer the question.]

[foundmyarms.livejournal.com]

I heard that some people are having nightmares, is that what you're talking about?

[moveslikestrider]

...What's this about nightmares. [His attention, you have it.]

[foundmyarms.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure! I haven't been having nightmares, but someone else here asked if I had been, and he made it sound like nightmares were a normal thing. I think his name was Director, or Doctor, or something like that. It was a weird name that isn't normally a name.

[moveslikestrider]

Oh him. I'm not sure what he's talking about. [He shrugs and stuffs his hands into his pockets.] I mean the disappearances.

[lamb_of_gold]

[After the first few minutes of hearing the noise flick in and out, closer, then farther away, Mu finally gets curious.

There's no pattern to the music's location that he can discern, but he can faintly feel the thrumming of an increasingly familiar power, and so it's this he follows. Eventually, he comes across Dave, just as the latter flashes into place.]

Favoured by Euterpe as well, hm?

[Mu's voice is still somewhat raspy and thin-sounding, and Dave may note some faded bruises around his neck]

[moveslikestrider]

[Dave pauses, cutting the music off as he trots over to Mu. He's heard enough of Mu's voice to know that isn't his usual.]

All Striders are, you're looking a bit mussed up there Mu.

[lamb_of_gold]

There was a scuffle at home. It's fine now. [Thus far, the biggest understatement of the year.]

[moveslikestrider]

My ass it was a scuffle, you sound like hell, dude.

[lamb_of_gold]

But it is over.

Is there a reason for you wanderlust today?

[moveslikestrider]

Are you sure it is?

[He straightens up at that, coolkid serious.] Heard about the disappearances?

[lamb_of_gold]

Yes.

And yes, though there have been no new developments in my world lately. Have you noticed any?

[moveslikestrider]

Nothing in my world, only disappearance was a dude who is likely doing something creepy somewhere.

Know Patricia?

[lamb_of_gold]

The Detective Inspector, yes. She is trying to solve this, isn't she?

[moveslikestrider]

Yeah, she is. I figured I'd find out what everyone else knew about it.

[lamb_of_gold]

Some of those who vanished were found dead some time later, and without their left hands. I went to the shop, but unfortunately, I didn't learn anything that wasn't already known.

[moveslikestrider]

How many of us have pestered that creepy fucker?

[lamb_of_gold]

Given his reaction, no small few, but I do not know an exact number.

[moveslikestrider]

We just have to find a way to make that dude crack and lose his shit.

...

What about the hooded lady?

[lamb_of_gold]

Perhaps he already has.

She rarely brings any good with her. Moreover, I don't recall any point at which she was at all helpful.

[moveslikestrider]

You think he's doing whatever behind this's dirty work?

Can't hurt to give her a prod.

[lamb_of_gold]

No, but I think he knows far more than he's telling us.

The last time she decided to give us some assistance was suggesting we resort to killing each other to solve something this place had done.

[moveslikestrider]

Yeah no shit. He's the smug greedy bastard taking our money and running with it. That much was obvious, bro.

...Well this place just keeps on being classy, what the fuck.

[lamb_of_gold]

All this to say, while I'm sure he knows something, I don't think he is the one responsible.

[The sarcasm gets a little chuckle.] Of course.

[moveslikestrider]

He's just some omni-presence of a douchebag who knows what's up but don't feel like sharing unless it benefits him.

[He stuffs his hands into his pockets feeling a flare of annoyance.] And we don't have a snarky seer to get the truth out of him.

[lamb_of_gold]

I wonder if one even could force the truth from him.

[moveslikestrider]

By word strife, maybe. Who knows what makes the dude tick. Not like he hits the singles bar for anything. Just stays behind that desk like it's part of him. Bowevil ain't getting out of his hole.

[lamb_of_gold]

And yet he's starved for company, or at least desires it. If something is keeping him in the shop, then perhaps something is likewise keeping his lips sealed.

Or perhaps I am overthinking this, and the correct assumption about him is that he's simply being as absolutely obtuse as possible for his own amusement.

[moveslikestrider]

There's always ways around that shit you know, you just have to find the right way to cheat it.

nah, you're not overthinking it. Sounds too much like home bs I thought I got away from is all.

[spacewich.livejournal.com]

[Jade recognizes those sweet, sick beats--]

Dave!!! [:D It's so good to finally see him again!!]

[moveslikestrider]

[Just the girl he was looking for. Dave strides over to her, taking in her new dog ears and smirks.]

Sup Jade, and what's with the furry additions?

[spacewich.livejournal.com]

Huh? [Her ears twitch, seemingly reminding her that they exist.] Remember when Bec prototyped himself with the kernel sprite?? And then I prototyped my dead dream self?

Well, now I have both of their powers since waking up god tier! [:)] Woof!

[moveslikestrider]

So you hit Dogtier, that's awesome. [He'd never thought about how Proto-typing a dreamself to a kernelsprite could be potentially like that.

...

Wow, he skipped out on being a feathery asshole. That was cool though, Spriteman was ok.]

So you're basically like Jack in nigh omnipotence?

[jokerofthelord.livejournal.com]

[Gabriel raises and eyebrow at the kid and his actions. That was some interesting music. In a whole new level, and it got Gabriel interested.]

Impressive, kid. You've got some flashy tunes there.

[moveslikestrider]

[He pauses, cranking the music lower so it doesn't kill the stranger's eardrums.]

Comes with being a roof ninja, we bring it and drop it like its hot. Sup.

[jokerofthelord.livejournal.com]

Roof ninja, huh. [Gabriel snorts. In any other case, he'd show a kid like this how it is to be a real ninja, but this particular one seems a bit different.]

Last time I checked ninjas sneak around in silence, while you're about to start a techno party. [Flashes a grin.] It got me interested!

[moveslikestrider]

That's because I'm on break from sneak patrol, dude on a mission coming through. Said fuck that shit got things to get to. Namely tracking down a couple people.

They recognize mixed tunes so I cranked something out right fast.

[He straightens up though, drawing out the Timetop. The music continues on and he sets it back to the drum, adding in a grinding of gears and static like popping flames. The heavy bass drum as the center this time, his fingers fly over the controls.

The drum swells and faint notes of other types of drums give the sense of the notes seeming to roll one after the other.]

Like that.