asgardeventide | Voice; 2

Entry tags:

Voice; 2

Okay, time to lighten the mood.

[Because after all this shit that's happened, she needs to smile. She needs something, anything, to take her mind off all of this and for a second, remember that being alive is good, and right.

And maybe to remember a simpler time.]

I've got this book of puns, right? Well, back in the day, it kinda used to be my thing. And I figure you guys could use this. Or groan, whatever.

Here goes.

A clown held the door open for me the other day.
I thought it was a nice jester.

The butcher backed up into the meat grinder.
He got a little behind in his work.

Yesterday I accidentally swallowed some food coloring.
The doctor says I'm okay, but I feel like I've dyed a little inside.

Pffft.

The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

[That one actually makes her laugh out loud.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ellie gives that little nod again, that bit of understanding, the small agreement not to discuss it.]

The shantier the better. Lay it on me.

[ A pleased grin. He's sure this'll brighten anyone's mood. ] We used 'em while we worked aboard our ships, helped with the dull days. [ He briefly leans forward in the feed to emphasize, eager. ] I taught this one to me whole crew, they loved it.

[ He starts humming it, brandishing his hands like a conductor: ]

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me,
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho,
We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack,
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho
Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack,
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho,

Yo ho – [ Still motioning, the pirate gestures towards her – ]

Edited (Added a verse!) 2014-02-22 09:42 (UTC)

[Ellie leans in too, grinning, conspiratorial, attracted as young people are to the rebellious nature and freedom of such things. She starts nodding her head along with the verse, and by the end, she's ready to sing along with him.]

-yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!

[ Jack continues the song, his grin wider. ]

We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho,
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho,

We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads,
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

[ He motions towards her again -- ]

[Ellie starts jumping in at 'drink up me 'earties, yo ho', and puts a little bit of volume and heart into it with him. She's got a good voice, clear and strong, actually in tune. By the end of it, she's laughing, and it looks like she's forgotten all about whatever was bothering her.]

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!

[ With the song finished, Jack laughs too. ]

Wonderful. You did magnificent, lass. Truly.

I can teach you another, if you'd like. Now or later. I've all sorts.

Okay, okay, one more.

[Jack, you miracle worker.]

This one's a fantastic one too, I guarantee it'll stick in your head for days.

[ He clears his throat, pauses, then starts out strong: ]

Oh, we're homeward bound for the girls of the town,
Goodbye, fare thee well, goodbye, fare thee well,
So stamp up my hearties, and heave her around,
Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound!

We're a fine flashy packet and bound for to go,
Goodbye, fare thee well, goodbye, fare thee well,
With the girls on the towrope we can not say no,
Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound!

[ And now that she's most likely learned the repeated lines, Jack will wait for her to fill them in: ]

We'll meet them fly girls and we'll ring the old bell,
(Goodbye, fare thee well, goodbye, fare thee well,)
With the girls that we meet there we'll raise bloody hell.
(Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound!)

Edited (whops formatting) 2014-02-26 22:55 (UTC)

[Jack is right. Ellie's a quick study, and the refrains and repeats are easy enough to pick up -- soon they're singing back and forth, almost in a duet.]

[ He'll do that for the rest of it, pausing for her to fill in her parts before continuing: ]

And one to another you'll hear them all say,
(Goodbye, fare thee well, goodbye, fare thee well,)
Here comes Jack with his fourteen months pay,
(Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound)

I'll tell my old woman when I get back home,
(Goodbye, fare thee well, goodbye, fare thee well,)
Them flash girls on Lime Street won't leave me alone,
(Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound!)

We're homeward bound And I'll have you to know!
(Goodbye, fare thee well, goodbye, fare thee well,)
It's over the water to England we'll goooo!
(Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound!)

[ He stretches out the last of his lines, grinning, waiting for her to finish the song off. Once she does, Jack claps his hands together, still smiling wide. ] Beautiful.

[It leaves her breathless, cheeks flushed, heart pounding in a way that she hasn't felt in quite a long time. It leaves her laughing and looking not one minute more than how old she actually is.]

Too fucking cool, Jack.

That's it. That's what I wanted to see.

[ Jack is beaming. It felt good, to do something familiar and comforting in a place where everything was foreign, strange. Not to mention she was a fantastic participant. ]

A song'll always do you right, no matter the sharp winds or the heavy rain.

Sea shanty's the best shanty.

[She's still laughing a little, eyes bright.]

I'm gonna have to remember those, Jack.

Thank you.

[ He chuckles. ]

That it is.

I count on it. [ He points at the feed, giving her a pseudo-serious look. ] Practice 'em both. Next time, we'll sing the whole songs together, like a shanty should rightly be.

Sure thing.

[She points right on back, beaming.]

Next time, you and me.

So -- how are you adjusting to life on land?

Swimmingly.

[ Okay no but really. ]

Still have yet to get me land legs. [ He misses the sea. A lot. He won't say it, but it's clear on his face.]

[Snorting, she shakes her head.]

... what's it like? Living on a boat all the time? Ship. I meant ship.

[ A touch of a smile when she corrects herself. The question gets a chuckle. ]

Honestly? Wet. Unendingly wet. The saltwater is everywhere, all the time, endlessly, and when it dries on you [ he shakes his head, beads rattling in his dreads ] good luck, you may as well have sandpaper strapped inside your pants. Food's not bad, if you pick out the weevils -- there's a trick to that, you know, if you have a hot drink on hand -- and you don't mind breaking your teeth on month-old biscuits. The sun's blazing hot, the crew stinks to high hell, and the food's run low while port's another couple weeks out.

[ He lifts a finger. ] That's the tough of it. The best of it? [ His expression becomes a tad more wistful. ] Seeing the sun rise above an infinite, endless expanse of blue ocean. The fresh sea air on your face, every morning, every waking moment. At night, nothing but the sound of waves on the hull and the creak of the ship. The crew, your men, all thick as brothers as we are, singing and dancing during the dull days. Most of all, the freedom to live an' do as you please, anywhere you want to.

There's nothing better in the world, lass.

That's a view I'd pay to see.

[The rest of it sounds like heaven. Even the weevil bit, she can get behind that. Not having to scavenge and steal every day, hunt and come up empty-handed.]

It actually doesn't sound too bad, Jack.

[ He breathes out a quiet chuckle. ]

It's not too bad at all. [ And now it's gone.

Jack waves a hand towards her. ] What's this world of yours like, then, eh? Tell me about it. [ He's sort of gained by now that she's from a different time period, and that interests him. ]

Aw, you don't wanna hear about that...

[Ellie tries to laugh it off, waving a hand, ends up shrugging at him.]

There was sort of a pandemic that wiped out most of population before I was born. Everybody lives in Quarantine Zones.

It's really not that pretty, sorry.

[ Well, that quiets him. So much for distracting himself from his own self-pity-party. ]

Blimey. I'm sorry, lass.

[Ellie gives a shrug, more uncomfortable than sad. There's a reason she doesn't like talking about her home, and it's more out of how sadly people look at her than because she feels deprived. Her world's a shithole, but she doesn't feel sad about it. It just is.]

Don't worry about it, Jack. I don't.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Voice; 2

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;