open RP: music is infectious. No, really.

[c_macaulay]

Having been unknowingly infected with a self-replicating spell by the mischievous Simkin, Camilla went about her day quite as she always would. Since she'd heard inexplicable music in Simkin's presence it didn't seem to her strange that she should continue to hear it now. And because she happened to be in a fairly pleasant mood at the moment, the

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[rated_ec10]

Preston had been spending a lot of time familiarizing himself with the school. On this particular trip, he was surprised to see someone familiar and waved to Camilla.

[c_macaulay]

Camilla stopped to say a brief hello. She remembered Preston from his Sorting; she'd liked him a good deal, and was glad to see he seemed to be getting his bearings.

A couple of quick pleasantries and she was on her way -- unknowingly having transmitted to Preston the gift of song that Simkin had given her. It was contagious. It did not rid Camilla herself of the music, so she didn't notice anything change at all.

[johnryder]

Ryder, ambling through the hallway on his way back from the library, stopped and looked at Camilla, eyes narrowing as though trying to figure something out. Hogwarts was screwy enough that almost nothing should seem weird, but he'd never run across someone surrounded by music before.

"Uh, what's with the theme music?" he asked, grinning crookedly. "You do that on purpose?"

[c_macaulay]

"Theme music? It's not mine. Simkin made the hallways musical, I think." Camilla hadn't yet realised the music was only following her at present, because, of course, she heard it wherever she went.

[johnryder]

Ryder didn't know who this Simkin was, but since he hadn't heard anything until he'd run into her, Ryder doubted it was the hallways themselves. "If you say so," he said. "Who picks the music?" He could do with some Led Zepplin, himself.

[c_macaulay]

"I don't think anyone is, right now. It's become rather abstract."

Camilla cueing Led Zeppelin music would be extremely unlikely. Once the spell attached to Ryder, on the other hand ...

"It doesn't bother you, does it? I like it, now that it's not so thumpy as it started out. Anyway I'm glad I ran into you. You've been well, I hope?" Camilla inquired. She didn't even know if a demon of Ryder's type could get sick at all. The query was a mere courtesy. "Have you seen Susan lately?"

[tomowildcat]

Contrary to popular belief, Tomo does not run everywhere like a mini-freight train. Were that the case, she'd have broken her neck on the moving staircases months ago.

It must be one of those rare moments, since Tomo is walking down the hallway at merely a brisk pace when she passes Camilla - and stops, looking around for the source of the sudden music. She looks behind the nearest suit of armor. Nothing. She pulls its helmet off, and peers inside the empty suit and helmet before putting the helmet back on askew. The blonde lady isn't holding a wand that Tomo can see.

It's a definite mystery, that's for sure. "What's with the music?" she asks curiously, looking up at the empty ceiling. As if addressing an invisible audience, she adds, louder, "Hey! Is there a ghost orchestra up there now?" After all, she'd heard there were ghosts as well as zombies!

[c_macaulay]

Camilla had to laugh at the girl's suggestion -- more than audible even over the music. "No, I think the hallways are enchanted to make music today," she said. As it happened, Camilla was wrong about that, but since she heard music everywhere she went, and since she hadn't been outdoors yet, she assumed it was true.

[tomowildcat]

"Huh! This is the first time I've heard any music," Tomo observes, still peering at the ceiling thoughtfully, closing one eye as if that'll help her see the invisible musicians for a minute. "And I've been exploring all day!" Exploring, getting herself totally lost once again, for Tomo they were one and the same. "Maybe someone enchanted part of the hallway. Dunno why they would do that!" She walked along the wall for a bit, tapping her knuckles against it. "Maybe there's a secret door here or something!"

What this has to do with musical accompaniment is anyone's guess. But Tomo's on the case!

[c_macaulay]

Hmm. "Really? That's funny, ever since I talked to Simkin earlier I've been hearing music everywhere I go. He also turned a handkerchief into a small elephant but it's gone now." Thank God. "Where all have you been exploring?"

[wh0_kill3d_m3]

On their way to the library, Laura's treecat had leapt from her shoulder and raced ahead, attracted by - well, Laura wasn't sure what. So she was making her way in the same direction, taking care to peer in each doorway, when she saw a woman's figure up ahead and heard the faint strains of music.

"Hello? Miss?" She waved. "Have you seen a really big gray cat come this way, by any chance?"

[c_macaulay]

Camilla turned. Her own soundtrack rose in inquisitive counterpoint with the trill of a piccolo. "Hi. I haven't seen any cats today. Did you lose one?"

[wh0_kill3d_m3]

"I did. He ran on ahead of me, and boyoboy can that cat move."

She looked around the walls and ceiling. "I thought maybe it was your music he was after - I know he loves our windchimes. Is this a charm of yours? It's really neat."

[c_macaulay]

"No, Simkin made the hallways musical." That was Camilla's story and she was sticking to it. "I don't know how, really. I don't think his magic is the same as Hogwarts magic. And it's an odd sort of spell. Mostly I just hear one kind of music, but then sometimes there are two songs playing at once, like now. He needs to work the bugs out if he's going to do this again."

Actually the spell was doing exactly what it was supposed to do. Camilla just didn't know it.