Measure 21.
[video]
First Movement - Borginia
Machi's memories are describes with music rather than dialogue. The piano is always first and foremost in the arrangement. It stars out with a deceptively simple melody.
He plays a piano in a dusty room once used for choir rehearsals. A bright blue butterfly lands on the window. He laughs: tinkling piano.
A nun in a starched habit enters the room and drags him out by the ear. He's dragged to stand at the end of a line of orphans, all dressed in raggedy clothes. Some of them make faces and laugh at him.
A middle-aged woman in furs asks Machi to step forward. She asks him to turn around, examines him, yanks his chin up to look at his face. Even looks at his teeth. She asks him some questions, then moves on to look at another child.
Machi stares out the window at another butterfly flitting past.
~~~
The melody takes on a more blues tone. Machi's staring at his nine-year-old self in the mirror in a dingy bathroom. He's trying to cover up a black eye with make up and having no luck. He glances over his shoulder - someone's calling him. Distressed, he glances around. His hand closes over a pair of sunglasses someone left. He puts them on and goes out to the stage. He plays the piano for a hungry crowd.
~~~
The blues song becomes more like a torch song - soft and sensitive, full of sadness. Machi is carrying a tray of drinks, passing them out to the rest of the performers back stage. He has to hand the woman in the blue robe her wine carefully. She doesn't look at him when he does. She doesn't even really seem aware of his presence.
He sits nearby in his usual corner. He pours himself a shot of gin and downs it with a flinch. When he goes to pour another, the woman closes her hand over his wrist, stopping him. Shaking his head no.
He looks at her. It's Lamiroir, his siren.
~~~
A lullaby. Machi's kneeling at Lamiroir's feet, his head on her lap. She runs her fingers through his hair.
~~~
The lullaby continues as they they rehearse. Just as Lamiroir steps to the mic to sing, she collapses, holding her head. Machi bolts to her side, holding her gently. She smiles at him, looking through him with her sightless eyes. Machi smooths the hair from her brow.
~~~
Birds sing. It's a beautiful day in the mountain somewhere, and Machi is climbing a tree. There are a few close scrapes, but he finds his prize in the highest branches. A bright blue and pink cocoon nestled between twigs and leaves. He tucks it into his shirt and carefully makes his way down.
~~~
Second Movement - USA
The music is rock-inspired, reminiscent of the Gavinners. They step off the plane and there are flashes in their faces. Machi holds tightly to Lamiroir's arm, guiding her through the crowd. They make it into the limousine, where tall and bearded Mr. LeTouse waits.
Machi pulls off his sunglasses just for a moment. He wants to see the lights of the city, and the tinted windows assure that he won't be seen.
Mr. LeTouse takes his sunglasses and puts them back on Machi's face with a shake of his head.
He has to keep them on, even in private.
~~~
And things get rather creepy then. Machi sees flashes - on stage - a fire - a small device - and in his dressing room there's blood everywhere. Mr. LeTouse is laying in it. The music is frantic, almost atonal. He climbs up a ladder and into the ceiling duct. He runs until he can't breathe or see. He hides.
~~~
The music grows more quiet again. A simple and tragic ballad. Machi wakes up on a platform high above the stage, Mr. LeTouse's body next to him. A detective lady seems sad to make the arrest, but Machi holds out his wrists. He doesn't struggle. He lets them take him away.
~~~
In court, Daryan Crescend is on the stand. Everyone's weary. His theme is arrogant, but still beautiful in its own way. Mr. Justice is there, picking apart Daryan's words with emotions ranging from satisfaction to stress. Finally, Mr. Justice points to Machi.
Time to confess to the real crimes.
Daryan sweats. Begs. Yells. Machi stares at his hands in his laps. He makes fists.
~~~
In the juvenile detention center, the boys tease him and push him around. He's almost immune to the shoves and punches, none of them serious enough to get much attention. Alone in his room after lights out, he conducts some kind of rock adagio, electric guitar with symphonic strings. No one but him sees how his hands move to count out time and cue imaginary instruments.
~~~
Final Movement - The City
It's a rather sweet tune, simple, like the Beatles, as he stands and waits on that carousel for Klavier Gavin. The man smiles at him and takes him to his apartment. Machi plops down in front of the keyboard and doesn't want to move, even to sleep.
Hours later, he's tangled up in blankets under the keyboard. He wakes when he realizes he's being stirred. Klavier's picking him up, tucks him in at the couch so he doesn't sleep on the floor. Sleepily content, Machi closes his eyes again.
~~~
Machi sits by himself in one corner of Lux's, listening to a man with green-black hair play the saxophone. He drinks black coffee and smiles just a little bit, behind the lip of the cut. The music is jazz, of course.
~~~
Klavier Gavin is not well. He's frozen in bed, staring at the ceiling, sweating. Machi places a cool cloth on his head, feeds him ice. He's vaguely aware of the other people who come in and flutter - a dark-haired girl, and Klavier's friend Mr. Edgeworth. When Klavier is taken away to the hospital, Machi just stands there and watches. He's paralyzed himself.
~~~
Visiting Klavier is quite a sad melody. Machi smooths hair out of his face and looks over to Mr. Edgeworth, who is looking rather tired and angry all at once. Machi decides he's in the way, slips out into the dark night with hands in his pockets. It's a lonely tune as he stares at the carousel, worrying about his friend.
A hip-hop beat suddenly enters the song as a boy in his boxers falls out of the sky and knocks Machi to the ground. Machi's sunglasses are knocked clear off his face, his elbow scraped. He's frightened, even tearful at first as the older boy, Wocky Kitaki, yells and yammers.
But Wocky quickly realizes he's upset Machi, and asks Machi a question. Machi points to his scraped elbow, sniffling.
Wocky smiles and offers his hand up. Machi takes it. The melody seems complete, somehow, like this. More upbeat.
~~~
Machi sits at Klavier's keyboard, composing. He calls Wocky over with a grin, and puts his arms around him. His little sprinkle of laughter is the same piano flourish as the butterfly brought earlier. He's very happy like this. Sunlight pours through the windows. Machi smiles.
The memories end on this good note.
First Movement - Borginia
Machi's memories are describes with music rather than dialogue. The piano is always first and foremost in the arrangement. It stars out with a deceptively simple melody.
He plays a piano in a dusty room once used for choir rehearsals. A bright blue butterfly lands on the window. He laughs: tinkling piano.
A nun in a starched habit enters the room and drags him out by the ear. He's dragged to stand at the end of a line of orphans, all dressed in raggedy clothes. Some of them make faces and laugh at him.
A middle-aged woman in furs asks Machi to step forward. She asks him to turn around, examines him, yanks his chin up to look at his face. Even looks at his teeth. She asks him some questions, then moves on to look at another child.
Machi stares out the window at another butterfly flitting past.
~~~
The melody takes on a more blues tone. Machi's staring at his nine-year-old self in the mirror in a dingy bathroom. He's trying to cover up a black eye with make up and having no luck. He glances over his shoulder - someone's calling him. Distressed, he glances around. His hand closes over a pair of sunglasses someone left. He puts them on and goes out to the stage. He plays the piano for a hungry crowd.
~~~
The blues song becomes more like a torch song - soft and sensitive, full of sadness. Machi is carrying a tray of drinks, passing them out to the rest of the performers back stage. He has to hand the woman in the blue robe her wine carefully. She doesn't look at him when he does. She doesn't even really seem aware of his presence.
He sits nearby in his usual corner. He pours himself a shot of gin and downs it with a flinch. When he goes to pour another, the woman closes her hand over his wrist, stopping him. Shaking his head no.
He looks at her. It's Lamiroir, his siren.
~~~
A lullaby. Machi's kneeling at Lamiroir's feet, his head on her lap. She runs her fingers through his hair.
~~~
The lullaby continues as they they rehearse. Just as Lamiroir steps to the mic to sing, she collapses, holding her head. Machi bolts to her side, holding her gently. She smiles at him, looking through him with her sightless eyes. Machi smooths the hair from her brow.
~~~
Birds sing. It's a beautiful day in the mountain somewhere, and Machi is climbing a tree. There are a few close scrapes, but he finds his prize in the highest branches. A bright blue and pink cocoon nestled between twigs and leaves. He tucks it into his shirt and carefully makes his way down.
~~~
Second Movement - USA
The music is rock-inspired, reminiscent of the Gavinners. They step off the plane and there are flashes in their faces. Machi holds tightly to Lamiroir's arm, guiding her through the crowd. They make it into the limousine, where tall and bearded Mr. LeTouse waits.
Machi pulls off his sunglasses just for a moment. He wants to see the lights of the city, and the tinted windows assure that he won't be seen.
Mr. LeTouse takes his sunglasses and puts them back on Machi's face with a shake of his head.
He has to keep them on, even in private.
~~~
And things get rather creepy then. Machi sees flashes - on stage - a fire - a small device - and in his dressing room there's blood everywhere. Mr. LeTouse is laying in it. The music is frantic, almost atonal. He climbs up a ladder and into the ceiling duct. He runs until he can't breathe or see. He hides.
~~~
The music grows more quiet again. A simple and tragic ballad. Machi wakes up on a platform high above the stage, Mr. LeTouse's body next to him. A detective lady seems sad to make the arrest, but Machi holds out his wrists. He doesn't struggle. He lets them take him away.
~~~
In court, Daryan Crescend is on the stand. Everyone's weary. His theme is arrogant, but still beautiful in its own way. Mr. Justice is there, picking apart Daryan's words with emotions ranging from satisfaction to stress. Finally, Mr. Justice points to Machi.
Time to confess to the real crimes.
Daryan sweats. Begs. Yells. Machi stares at his hands in his laps. He makes fists.
~~~
In the juvenile detention center, the boys tease him and push him around. He's almost immune to the shoves and punches, none of them serious enough to get much attention. Alone in his room after lights out, he conducts some kind of rock adagio, electric guitar with symphonic strings. No one but him sees how his hands move to count out time and cue imaginary instruments.
~~~
Final Movement - The City
It's a rather sweet tune, simple, like the Beatles, as he stands and waits on that carousel for Klavier Gavin. The man smiles at him and takes him to his apartment. Machi plops down in front of the keyboard and doesn't want to move, even to sleep.
Hours later, he's tangled up in blankets under the keyboard. He wakes when he realizes he's being stirred. Klavier's picking him up, tucks him in at the couch so he doesn't sleep on the floor. Sleepily content, Machi closes his eyes again.
~~~
Machi sits by himself in one corner of Lux's, listening to a man with green-black hair play the saxophone. He drinks black coffee and smiles just a little bit, behind the lip of the cut. The music is jazz, of course.
~~~
Klavier Gavin is not well. He's frozen in bed, staring at the ceiling, sweating. Machi places a cool cloth on his head, feeds him ice. He's vaguely aware of the other people who come in and flutter - a dark-haired girl, and Klavier's friend Mr. Edgeworth. When Klavier is taken away to the hospital, Machi just stands there and watches. He's paralyzed himself.
~~~
Visiting Klavier is quite a sad melody. Machi smooths hair out of his face and looks over to Mr. Edgeworth, who is looking rather tired and angry all at once. Machi decides he's in the way, slips out into the dark night with hands in his pockets. It's a lonely tune as he stares at the carousel, worrying about his friend.
A hip-hop beat suddenly enters the song as a boy in his boxers falls out of the sky and knocks Machi to the ground. Machi's sunglasses are knocked clear off his face, his elbow scraped. He's frightened, even tearful at first as the older boy, Wocky Kitaki, yells and yammers.
But Wocky quickly realizes he's upset Machi, and asks Machi a question. Machi points to his scraped elbow, sniffling.
Wocky smiles and offers his hand up. Machi takes it. The melody seems complete, somehow, like this. More upbeat.
~~~
Machi sits at Klavier's keyboard, composing. He calls Wocky over with a grin, and puts his arms around him. His little sprinkle of laughter is the same piano flourish as the butterfly brought earlier. He's very happy like this. Sunlight pours through the windows. Machi smiles.
The memories end on this good note.