Tale as Old As Time [Finished]

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried shuts and locks the door behind him, keeping an eye out to see where Echo might need help next. He won't admit it, but he's curious about what's in that case... The best way to find things out is to hang around being helpful.

[accalia]

Echo does not appear to notice that Siegfried is following him as he returns to the kitchen.

After entering the kitchen Echo places the car on the table and opens it reverently. Inside in a next of faded red velvet is a guitar. The wood is old and marbled with fresh and will maintained polish.

The design is unusual, matching no known makers designs. When Echo lifts it out of the case to tune it he reveals a signature on the back. With a dedication it reads: May our love last forever, Sylphia

As Echo tunes it softly a rich and mellow sound emerges from the instrument.

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried hesitates in the doorway. Maybe this will be okay, he reasons to himself. It was Lance himself who was learning the guitar, so it won't remind him of Muriel the way a piano would. And gods above, he wanted to hear music in this house again. Once, there was music, and laughter, and the windows were all open to admit the sun, and the rooms were all kept clean and well-used rather than being shut away... once it felt like people lived here rather than camping in an abandoned house.

[accalia]

Echo notices Siegfried's hesitation and speaks

"Is it a bad thing that this one brought this here? You seem apprehensive, so this one wonders."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried shakes his head. "I was just thinking about how long it's been since I heard a guitar in person. The Young Master used to play."

[accalia]

Echo smiles at Siegfrieds words

"A musical family then. Excellent."

The guitar now tuned Echo begins to play a song, the music builds slowly, a plaintive, sad tun in the chord of G minor, but with undertones of hope and joy played in A major. Echo does not sing but lifts his voice in wordless harmony with the music.

Never very loud, but extremely emotional the song is over quickly, cut off seemingly before its time. Tears gather in Echo's eyes but do not fall.

"Sylphia...."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried silently moves to put on the kettle again. Tea solves all ills, he figures.Ultimately, he feels rather helpless: he doesn't know Echo well enough to help the man with his grief, and while he knows Lance well enough, Lance wants no comfort whatsoever. All he can do is keep things running, keep food on the table, keep tea flowing as needed.

Unbeknownst to him, Lance himself waits just outside the door to the dining area, having crept down the stairs to listen to the guitar. He perches on a chair, hugging his knees, raging against the unfairness of it all. Why? Why did Mu have to die? Why couldn't it have been him instead? He didn't have the balls to kill himself; despite his best efforts, he was stronger, faster, and better than the criminals he fought at night, so none of them had managed to kill him. Maybe he should leave clues, he thinks, morosely. If they knew his weaknesses, maybe they'd manage it. But he knows well enough he never will. Dying would be the easy way out of the torment he deserves.

[accalia]

Echo recovers a bit when Siegfried starts making tea and begins to play again.

This time he plays a haunting dirge in a minor key, but slowly a martial theme works its way into the song, eventually the martial theme displaces the dirge which becomes just a background echo to the main theme. And again after a while a jubilant theme begins to worm its way into the melody. A note that says 'It's okay, it's all going to be okay". When the jubilant theme has pushed both the dirge and the martial theme to the side, but not completely removed them the song ends, just as Siegfried places a mug of tea in front of Echo.

"I wonder if the young master will understand that one... should he hear it anyway...."

[yamikuronue]

Lance hugs his knees to his chest, letting the grief wash over him as the opening notes promise a dirge. Muriel, his heart cries, lonesome as a wolf howling at the moon a million miles from any of its former pack. Mother.

As the martial theme picks up, his heart beats in time, his anger fading back in. It's not fair, he rages, pacing as though the wolf were caged on concrete, ready to kill anyone and anything if it could only get free, could only return to a life long since forgotten.

The jubilation... almost, Lance surrenders to it. Almost, he starts to feel soothed. But as he starts to shift position, the tugging on his chest where his scars are reminds him what he is: no longer even a man, but a broken, useless thing, a monster. His anger flares up greatly as he rejects the comfort, the false, lying comfort, the idea that anything will ever be okay again. He rises, ready to storm in there and punish those lying charlatans for trying to deceive him.

"If only," says Siegfried, sadly. As though cold water were dashed over Lance's head, he sits again, stunned and remorseful. How could he have wanted to hurt Siegfried? His only friend, not that he deserved a friend. Someone who depended on him, who cared for him, who would never hurt him or lie to him. The metaphorical wolf lays on the concrete of his cage, whimpering, ears flat back against his head. He's been behaving terribly ever since that healer came, he knows. He can't help it. If everyone would just go away and leave him alone, leave him to suffer in peace...

"Perhaps someday he'll feel up to entertaining guests again," adds Siegfried, though his tone makes it clear that he doubts this will be the case -- but that he can't help hoping.

[accalia]

"Time may tell. Time may tell."

Echo pauses and sips deeply of the tea

"Do you play? would you like to try a bit? This one finds it very therapeutic to play. one can let out one's emotions and process them properly when playing."

[yamikuronue]

"Oh, no, not me. I was learning Piano, but I never got good enough to move on to another instrument."

Lance's fingers twitch. It's been maybe seven, eight years since he's held a guitar -- at first, he found it therapeutic, but then he'd broken his guitar, and he hadn't bothered to replace it.

[accalia]

"Piano? Sylphia when she was..."

Echo stops sharply and stays very still for a long moment.

"Apologies, It has been a long time since this one has had a chance to play duet. Perhaps one could spend some time tuning the piano after such a long time dormant so that a duet could be played tomorrow?"

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried hesitates. "I wasn't much beyond chopsticks, to be honest, and... I wouldn't want to hurt the Young Master, reminding him. I do my best not to remind him of his losses, onerous as the burden might be."

As he says that, something twitches in Siegfried's face; a twinge of remorse followed by vindication flows through him, as though he's not sure if he should have said that but oh well, too late now. Lance bows his head. He hadn't thought of how his commands might have hurt Siegfried, and yet... well, how could they not? This house was cold and dead, a monument to a family long buried.

[accalia]

"This one understands. It is a shame of course, this one was hoping for some duet work after fifty long years.... but this one would not wish pain put on another to lift this one's pain. This one will not mention it again then."

Echo finishes the mug of tea and carefully packed the guitar away for now.

"The shadows begin to grow... Might this one assist in preparing the evening meal?"

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried assents as Lance steals away, slipping back up the stairs. Once he is well and truly gone, Siegfried pauses to turn to Echo.

"I apologize for not informing you sooner, but the Young Master was eavesdropping on that conversation. I hope you are not too distressed by this."