Tale as Old As Time [Finished]

[accalia]

"Probably for the best. If the E7 has gone there's probably several more that are about to. Is there a proper storage area near the piano?"

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried shakes his head. "No, but there's a wooden box in the back parlor that I could bring over, it matches the piano nicely. I could fetch the music books from Muriel's bedroom and make a little area."

[CalamityJade]

"Lance...for fuck's sake, this is NOT the life you deserve."

[yamikuronue]

Lance pauses, halfway through the door. "I don't want this. I don't want this house, I don't want the money, I don't want Siegfried. You can have all of it. Hell, you should have all of it, with what you did for me. Just let me alone."

[accalia]

"yes, that should do it. It will be good to have another instrument again, and the piano is an absolute work of art."

[CalamityJade]

"That money was never for me...and I sure as hell ain't going to take it now. And I didn't do that because of a reward or some crap...you're family, Lance, and you know that's one of the few things I don't fuck around with."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried smiles warmly. "I thought of selling it, but I just couldn't bear to. This house... it's good Obsidian is home again. It deserves to be cherished."

Lance shakes his head. "I don't know you at all. It's not like you were around much. It was, what, six months you were living with us before... To hear Father tell, you would straighten me out, make a man out of me or some crap."

[accalia]

"it is good that you did not sell it. It's worth is beyond money... To have such a piece that has been loved and enjoyed by so many.... It is a force of brightness in this house, and now it's brighness will shine all the more."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried nods. "I hope so. It would be so good to have something nice in this house... I'd almost forgotten it could be a nice place."

[CalamityJade]

"...that was the idea. Try and beat some sense into your head. Guess he figured we were similar enough I'd know what to do." Obsidian gave a sigh. "Figures you'd be just as damn stubborn."

[accalia]

"Indeed. it will be nice"

Echo and Siegfried have reached the grand hall and Echo dives back into the guts of the piano to replace the snapped wire

[yamikuronue]

Lance shakes his head. "If beating would do it I'd be a wiser man by now," he says, a bit roughly, slipping into the playroom and starting to shut the door behind him.

Siegfried heads for the back parlor, soon returning with the aforementioned box; he removes some throw pillows that had been stored there and starts applying some polish to the exterior.

[CalamityJade]

"M..." Obsidian shook his head and headed after Lance. "Hey! We're not done yet!" He tries to follow after him.

[yamikuronue]

When he wrenches open the door, he can tell right away that this is no longer a playroom. The carpet has been replaced with a reed mat floor, and there are a series of punching bags, weights, and dummies set up. On the back wall is a display of weaponry: mostly swords, but there's an axe and a heavy hammer as well.

[accalia]

It isn't long before Echo has finished replacing the string and tuning the piano.

When he is done he sits at the bench and begins to play. The music is in a mournful minor key at first but slowly modulates to a major key that while not cheerful is definitely no longer mourning.