(Untitled)

[pattersongs]

Busy, busy, busy, busy, busy- that's how things stand on board the Normandy. Mordin hasn't had time to seek the Bar out lately. Today he'd been planning on working through the latest set of data on cybernetic muscle enhancements when he found himself here. Well, no harm in that, right? He can get a drink, take a brief break, return to work with

Comments

[notamagician]

Penn has been meeting lots of strange creatures lately. This one definitely takes the taco, though.

He doesn't understand anything on the board, until he gets down to the bottom.

"Johnny's in the basement mixing up the medicine, I'm on the pavement, thinking 'bout the government, the man in the trench coat, badge out, laid off, says he's got a bad cough, wants to get paid off."

He's not exactly in tune, but it's Dylan. Tune hardly matters, Penn figures.

[pattersongs]

It's close enough. Mordin is listening intently, nodding along in time with the general tune. He'll start humming once he's got a good enough grasp of the piece.

[notamagician]

Penn goes through the whole song, a bit fast and without really pausing at the breaks (or to breathe, it seems like), tapping his fingers against the bar in time.

[pattersongs]

By the end of it Mordin is looking very cheerful indeed. "Well done," he says in a slightly reedy tenor. "Very well done, sir. Most assuredly worthy of the discount. What can I get for you?"

[a_mere_child]

"Define 'patter song,'" remarks Alyx as she hefts herself onto a stool.

[pattersongs]

"Generally accepted definition is 'a piece of music often but not always intended for comedic effect, featuring moderately to extremely fast tempo and rapid succession of rhythmic patterns where each syllable corresponds to one note'," Mordin says. "Best-known human example probably the body of work of Gilbert and Sullivan."

[a_mere_child]

"Oh...kayyyyy." Alyx is silent for a long moment, digesting this. "Are you familiar with 'They Might Be Giants'?"

[pattersongs]

"Afraid not," Mordin admits. "Willing to listen, however."

[md_donighal]

The man in the gray suit is curious about any drink that requires a waiver; it must be on a par with Atlantean. Before he tries for the discount, though, he has a question for the bartender. "Are you sufficiently familiar with the genre of Earth music known as 'rap' to say whether it's included in the set of patter-songs? If so, is it?"

[pattersongs]

"Mmm... not a genre with which I can claim acquaintance," Mordin admits. "Willing to listen to sample to make that determination, however."

[md_donighal]

"Thank you for your indulgence." He gestures, and trumpet music plays from nowhere. Just as the beat kicks in and the whinnying starts, his suit morphs into a red-and-gold tracksuit.

"Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin
I came to win, battle me? That's a sin
I won't tear the sack up, punk you better back up
Try and play the role and yeah, the whole crew will act up..."

If Mordin doesn't stop him sooner, he'll get through the first verse before he takes a break. The most surprising bit may be on the line "If you got the feeling, jump across the ceiling", on which he suits action to words, jumping onto a nearby piece of ceiling and dancing there like a white Lionel Richie, dropping back to the floor on the words "I came to get down, I came to get down".

[pattersongs]

... you know, you just don't see that in his universe's biotics. Such a shame.

Mordin's almost going to have to start applauding long before the performance is over. Congratulations, Donighal, there is now a very real chance that the Normandy is going to be stuck with a rapping space newt in its science lab.

[killitwith_fire]

"So, what's a patter song?" Music is kinda interesting, and so is the drinks list.

[pattersongs]

"Generally accepted definition is 'a piece of music often but not always intended for comedic effect, featuring moderately to extremely fast tempo and rapid succession of rhythmic patterns where each syllable corresponds to one note'," Mordin says. "Prime example would be 'Modern Major General' of Gilbert and Sullivan fame."

[killitwith_fire]

"...Right. Not in my skill-set then." He's not bothered by it. "Tell me about the Ryncol?"

[pattersongs]

"Krogan beverage. Designed for reptilian species with redundant nervous system and cellular regeneration. Passes through other species like liquefied ground glass, sets off radiological alarms after consumption," Mordin says. "Rather interesting shade of green."

[first_runihura]

Tarik was approaching the Bar to get himself a pot of At'tay when he saw Mordin. Okay, no freaking out. Not all aliens have to be bloodthirsty enemies, he has seen proof of that in here. Then, of course, he sees the sign and Milliways's brand of surrealism catches up with him.

"Fine, I'll take the bait. What is a patter song?"

[pattersongs]

"Generally accepted definition is 'a piece of music often but not always intended for comedic effect, featuring moderately to extremely fast tempo and rapid succession of rhythmic patterns where each syllable corresponds to one note'," Mordin says. "Best-known human example probably the body of work of Gilbert and Sullivan."

It should be noted that Mordin has been characterized by those who have met him as being similar to a hamster on coffee. He's fast.

[first_runihura]

Some of the people Tarik has led during battle chatter faster than that in battle-code, so he manages to catch most if not all of Mordin's definition.

"Hm... We don't specially love quick-paced music where I come from, but there is something..." He grins a bit, a sharp little smile born from a memory of long years ago. He clears his throat and attempts an a capella version of Night Boat to Cairo. He isn't specially good as a singer, but he seems to be enjoying himself.

[pattersongs]

Mordin tilts his head curiously, listens, and then smiles. At the end of the song he says, "Will do nicely. Always interested in the works of other cultures. What can I get for you?"