queenoflogs | it was crazy [open]

Entry tags:

it was crazy [open]

Characters: Jill Half-a-Prayer and whoever finds her
Date: January 19th, afternoon
Summary: Jill's still adjusting to being alive again, near the center of the Gardens. Interact with her?
Warnings: None I can think of.

Jill still didn't know what to think of this Gardens, or the voices that she heard speak to her when she had spoken to them. She had watched the video logs, read the written words, and still felt as mystified as ever. This Queen, she had yet to show her face, and the people felt caged. It was the leader's duty to take those concerns and form them towards the better, and none of that happened. Again, power led to abuse. Yet there was a thin line of hope, if she was simply confused. Mad people were easier to work with than pompous ones.

She stretched out beneath the tree, looking over at the claw. She could still remember the pain of having it chopped off, no anesthetic for a criminal. The way they whipped her in public, the people silent in respect. The gunshot sound. Yet she breathed. She felt no scars on her back. Whatever had pulled her from the brink of death had also taken the courtesy of healing her wounds. And they'd given a nod to her self-image; if the claw had been replaced with an arm, she doubted she could have used it anymore. It was too much part of herself.

Shutting her eyes, she took long deep breaths, which turned into humming, then soft singing. Was she...happy? No. But calm.

"...So Cally flew high/On umbrella wings/Kissed his love good-bye/Sailed into the sky/And flew into the land of Horrible Things..."

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Xion stumbled out from the mouth of a cave, breathing hard. She sat down immediately on the grass outside, letting her Keyblade disappear. The monsters didn't seem eager to follow her outside, which was a relief. They weren't anything like the Heartless she was used to fighting--her weapon did very little, especially because it was difficult to get close to them. She'd finished a few off with magic, but it had drained her strength quickly.

She'd finally given up on being stubborn after a few hours, and retreated. So far, no sign of the friend she was looking for. She was hungry, thirsty, tired, and her arm stung where a creature's claw had slashed her. Now that she was feeling calmer, she attempted casting a Cure spell. The green light at her fingertips flickered briefly, then vanished; it had done nothing more than stop the bleeding. She was too exhausted to manage a stronger healing. Plus, she felt dizzy...best to just rest for a while.

The girl glanced around; this was a different place from where she'd entered the caves. She recognized it vaguely from her previous forays around the Gardens, so it should be easy enough to find her way back to where she'd come from. She fingered the tear in the sleeve of her coat ruefully. She couldn't just get another one. She should have been more careful.

As she got to her feet again, her frantic heartbeat finally slowed to a normal rate, she heard a sound. Faint, but unmistakable, the sound of singing. The voice was an unfamiliar one, and she hesitated a moment before following it curiously. Peering around a tree, her hood drawn up to hide her face, she spotted the singer.

Jill let the song end, and concentrated on the sun falling down on her. Her usual cloak was shrugged off to the side, since she wasn't expecting to be found, revealing her actual form instead of it being hidden like it normally was. She had discarded the idea of wearing some of the new clothes she'd found, instead keeping her old ones for now.

She didn't start singing again, just lay there, trying to piece together what she did know for now. What was happening back in New Crobuzon? Did they care? Did her legend die with her? And who was that filthy bastard who told the militia where to find her? If her comrades were true, they'd make him or her pay dearly. There was no reason to sell her out. If it was death or giving up, you chose death. That much was understood in her ranks. You died with pride, died a hero, rather than betray.

The girl watched in silence for a few moments, taking in the strange shape of the woman's arm with only a few blinks. She'd seen monsters and talking furniture; it was difficult to surprise her anymore.

Slowly, she realized she was waiting for the song to continue, and drew back a little. Other people weren't around for her entertainment, she told herself with a bit of shame. But she'd never heard singing before coming here, to the Gardens, and it was hard not to keep wanting more.

Stranger still that here she was falling into old habits again, sneaking around when she didn't need to. She didn't have to hide here. She'd made friends. Being a little adventurous couldn't hurt, could it? But approaching people in person was different than speaking to them through a mirror, and the last person she'd done it to had gotten angry...

Xion shook her head a little. There was nothing to lose by trying, either. She stepped out from behind the tree nervously, clearing her throat.

"Um--" what was the polite thing to say again? "...excuse me."

"Hm?" Jill swiftly turned towards the voice, sitting up. She mentally chided herself for allowing her guard to slip; just because it looked peaceful didn't mean it was. But this girl seemed harmless. Cloaked, with a hood. Interesting that she'd run into another one. Unarmed, it appeared, though she knew firsthand how cloaks could hide them. Her size wasn't factored in, the smaller ones could be the fiercest fighters.

It was her hesitation that convinced Jill that she meant nothing ill. She wasn't annoyed, merely interested. This voice and this figure hadn't been on anything she'd reviewed.

"Hello."

"Hello," she answered awkwardly. Part of her realized she was intruding...but it was a bit too late by now. She clasped her hands to her chest self-consciously.

"You were singing...right?"

It's alright, child, I won't bite.

She nodded. "Do you know that song?" Was she possibly from Bas-Lag? That would be strange, but possible.

Xion shook her head, staying put for the moment.

"No. I mean...I don't really know any songs. I never heard anyone sing before I got here."

She doesn't sound sad, but curious under that nervousness.

Jill shifts somewhat-if the girl wants to sit down, she can. "That's a shame." She doesn't smile, but she's sincere. "Seems to be a lot of musical people around, so you can remedy that."

She watches that movement, realizing it's an invitation of sorts...but she's still unsure, so she finally lowers herself to the ground across from Jill instead. It felt strange to stand while the other person was sitting.

"I like listening. It's..."

She's not quite sure how to describe it.

"It's nice. It makes me kind of sleepy sometimes." She pauses, then leans forward a little. "Can I ask you a question about it?"

Jill supported herself on her hand, nodding at the girl's explanation.

"Sure. Ask what you like."

Then she remembers what she's forgetting. "I'm Jill, by the way."

"Jill." She nodded back.

"Why do people sing? Is it just because it sounds nice? Or is there another reason?"

"It depends on the people," she answered slowly, thinking back to the many times she heard people sing. "To express emotion's pretty common, a way of translating your thoughts to song. Others sing to while away time while they work-a lot of songs of a country normally come from its workers and the songs they sing to give themselves motivation. Still others sing because that's what they really want to do with their lives, perform and such. And then there's just singing because you feel like doing it, without a reason clear cut in your mind."

Xion listened with fascination, her posture and mouth showing it though her face was still obscured. Nobodies never did these kinds of things...probably because it sounded more and more like "singing" was connected to emotion. At the same time it made her feel small. There was so much to learn, so much she still didn't understand about the world, how people lived. It was exciting and frightening.

"I think I understand now. Thank you."

She shifted a bit, hesitating again, before asking:

"Do you think I could learn how?"

She nodded. "You've got a voice, there's no reason you couldn't. Pick a song you like, and then just try to imitate the sounds. Even if you can't get the key exactly, it'll be fine." Jill shrugged. "Mind if I ask your name?"

"I'm Xion." There was a hint of timid embarrassment in her already quiet voice; the soft "sh" sound of that first syllable of her name almost lost. She'd started to pick up that people considered it rude if you didn't introduce yourself right away. But this woman didn't seem upset, at least. And she was answering all the questions patiently.

"Xion", she repeated, nodding again. Xion wore a black cloak. She didn't think it was rude, if she hadn't remembered she would have gone the whole conversation without introducing herself. She could ask as many questions as she wanted, Jill had time.

Just imitate the sounds. She could do that. She thought of what the red-haired girl--Giselle--had sang, but she couldn't remember all of it. Maybe she could ask the next time she saw her.

But something Jill had just said sounded familiar. She sat up a bit.

"What do you mean by 'key'?"

"The key is the pitch of the song. There's lots of them, you could sing it higher or lower depending on how you choose. They call it a key after a piano, I guess."

She absorbs this new information eagerly as always. If there's one thing that makes her happy besides ice cream, it's learning new things. She's burning to pester Jill with more questions--what's a piano? She's imagining a ring full of actual metal keys, which is a bit far from reality.

She digs in her pocket, and pulls one out--golden, about the length of her palm, the teeth in the shape of a crown, the top a filigreed heart.

"Like this?"

Jill almost smiles at that, taking in the intricate key. It's beautiful, unlike any key she's ever seen, but not the key she's talking about.

"That's definitely one type of key..." she acknowledged. "Wonder what it unlocks."

"I didn't know there were different kinds." She turns it over in her fingers. "It was supposed to be a sign that my best friend was safe. I guess it turned out to be true."

"There's several. Pitches, keys for unlocking things, a key as in something to help you understand...strange how a few letters have so much meaning on them." She nodded. "I bet they're looking for you."

She had no idea the word had so many meanings, but somehow they fit. She nods in agreement.

"They found their way here somehow. Or the Queen brought them--I'm not sure. But either way, I'm just grateful to be able to see them again."

A small smile appeared on her face, only half reaching her eyes. "Then you're one of the lucky ones. Maybe with your friend you'll find the way out of here."

She hesitantly mirrors that smile, but it's a bit too tired-looking for such a small girl.

"That would be nice. But I won't get my hopes up...I'll be happy if I can just help them get home."

"I'm sure if you can get them home, you can get home as well."

She's quiet for a moment, before her voice takes on a wistful tone.

"I don't really have anywhere to go back to, so...I'll probably stay here."

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it was crazy [open]

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