and I wish you all the love in the world

[number_unlucky]

Comments

[not_a_svengali]

The soft strains of familiar notes piano drew Juliet into the rec room. She knew that song, if only because Fleetwood Mac had had an embarrassingly large part to play in her thirteen-year-old self's CD collection. Still, it was nice to hear, in a melancholy sort of way.

She leaned against the doorframe to listen, trying not to disturb the woman concentrating on the keys.

[number_unlucky]

I didn't hear anything for a moment or two, focusing hard on the music, which wasn't that hard if I tried. Frowning, I bit into my lip, fingers slipping a little on the refrain. "Shit," I murmured, and looked up for a second with a sigh.

[not_a_svengali]

"Overthinking?" Juliet offered from the doorway. "I mean, I took piano for all of two weeks in fourth grade and it didn't exactly end well, but Fleetwood Mac tends to have that effect on me."

She shrugged as she stepped into the room. "It was pretty, though. How long have you been playing?"

[number_unlucky]

"More like out of practice," I said, and quirked a slight smile at the woman--I didn't recognize her but she wasn't freaking out, so she might be newish but not that new. People out of nowhere were starting to be a trend. "I played for about eight years when I was a kid, and I just started again a few months back."

[mayko_tran]

Mayko always enjoys a good conversation with Remy, but when she finds her at the piano today she doesn't interrupt. She doesn't sing, either, but she doesn't interrupt until the music fades off.

"I haven't heard that in ages," she admits.

[number_unlucky]

I laughed just a little, self-consciously, and tucked my hair back behind my ears as I turned to greet Mayko. "Neither have I," I said. "But the bookshelf kept giving me copies, and I just ended up embracing the insanity."

Literally, on a certain level.

[mayko_tran]

"Once the bookshelf gets something in its head, it's a hard thing to dissuade it," she says, sparing a moment to give it a dirty look. She's been on the reciving end herself more than enough times. "Not that I even know where you'd find its head."

[number_unlucky]

"It's probably kept somewhere that we can't get at it," I supplied, "and it does it as a safety precaution or it knows it'd be dead by now."

I paused, then grinned wryly at her. "And we're talking about a goddamn bookshelf...what has my life come to?"

[missingthekeep]

Sean doesn't recognize the song, but he does recognize the woman playing it and he's not sure whether he would have expected it of her or not.

"Ye're nae so bad at that," he offers from a little ways away when she trails off somewhat. It's not quite his bag, musically, but definitely not bad.

[number_unlucky]

It was the sort-of Southie guy, the one who I'd met when I was stoned on my porch. Hopefully this was giving him a slightly better impression. "I was pretty out of practice until recently," I said. "I can get by, I guess...but thanks."

[missingthekeep]

"S'nae a problem." Sean nods at that, crossing his arms. "Aye, same here. Learned ta play when I was a boy, but didnae have the occasion ta practice much in years 'til I got here." Where there's nothing but occasion.

[number_unlucky]

"There's a class," I explained, or tried to. "At the school. So I thought why not, I've got a lot of free time." Free time to go to the beach and nearly get blown up, but yeah. "You want to try?"

[unit_girl]

Hearing someone playing the piano drew Jo into the rec room. For a moment she was disappointed it wasn't Sean trying something new, but was just as happy to listen to the woman who was playing. Although she walks closer to the piano, she doesn't go that close because she considers how much she wouldn't want someone to do that to her.

At least until the woman stops and she leans on the side of the piano. "You're really good at that."

[number_unlucky]

"I'm not that good," I protested, looking up over the piano at the young British woman who had come into the room. "I've just gotten back into it after a long, long time. When I was a kid I was a little better...or maybe I just remember being better."

Less stiff, anyway.

[unit_girl]

"You're better than I am and I've been having lessons." Jo smiled at her. "But I was terrible at it as a child, I hated having to learn the piano. What made you start playing again now?"

[number_unlucky]

"I'm taking some at the school," I said. "So I have some practice." Like hell I was going to say exactly why I was doing it to all and sundry, though. "Just needed something to do, something to focus on so that I'm not wasting all the time I'm not working. Keep the brain sharp."

Close to the truth, anyway.

[beentodamascus]

Adam didn't have a bad voice. He wasn't te kind of bloke who was constantly singing to himself, but, when he realised the words to what Remy was playing, he couldn't quite help himself.

"And the songbirds keep singing like they know the score, and I love you, I love you, I love you...like never before." He crossed the room and leaned one elbow on the piano.

"What? You couldn't find anything a bit happier, Hadley?"

[number_unlucky]

It took a second, but I recognized the voice. Personally, I thought the song suited the accent it was written for, like his, but the Eva Cassidy drag queen would have kicked my ass for saying it.

"Blame it on the bookshelf, Carter," I said, slightly mortified at being caught, for no particular reason. "It's the supplier, I just do its bidding."

[beentodamascus]

"Don't believe you do anything's bidding quietly, Hadley," teased Adam, still leaning against the piano, chin on the back of her hand, looking down at her.

"You're good, though."

[number_unlucky]

"I can occasionally be quiet, and I did work for Greg House, which is startlingly enough, weirder shit than the bookshelf," I pointed out, and mentally tried to will the blushing away. I could play the piano, why did I care if my friends knew it?

"I'm out of practice, is what I am."