[Open] .2nd Fantasy Impromptu.

[sakedrinking]

There would be a new sound in the castle this morning. A certain recent arrival had managed to make her first wish at the fountain, and gotten it the very next day, much to her joy.

So out in the room just past the old bridge, the lyrical strains of an acoustic guitar could be heard, followed by a voice singing in Japanese to the bubbly song.

Join? Interrupt? Listen from a distance?

What do you do?

Comments

[returntothesea]

Oh, music ...

It was a sound she was familiar with, and one that she very much enjoyed. She had never heard this song before, but it definitely sounded nice ... so nice, in fact, that she couldn't help but move a little closer to listen a little better.

Here, Haku, have a fourteen year old girl standing somewhere to the side, listening to your song.

[last_lombax]

Now this was new. With large ears twitching, Ratchet followed the noise to it's source and stopped when he found it. The armored creature leaned against the wall, listening contently to the music. He wasn't going to interrupt such a nice performance. He couldn't understand any of the words but it didn't matter. Music was music and it was already better than most of the stuff he usually listened to on the radio back home.

[sakedrinking]

Haku finished the song with a faint smile, listening as the last cords rang out through the large chamber. But the smile faded quickly, replaced by a distant look and a sad sigh. It was nice to have her guitar again, but it didn't help just how homesick she was already feeling.

She plucked at a few strings absently, considering starting another song just to fill the silence, but she finally picked up on the fact that she wasn't alone. She turned around and smiled awkwardly, bowing as much as she could with the guitar still in her arms.

"H-hello..."

[sakedrinking]

The last chords echoed through the large chamber, Haku finishing the song with a flourish. Silence settled over the area again quickly, though, earning a faint sigh from Haku. It really wasn't the same as back home, even if the guitar was a very welcome gift from the fountain. If anything she was glad that her new friends had informed her that the fountain could even do that.

Absently she sat back down on the steps and idly tugged at the cords thoughtfully, trying to decide if she wanted to start another song, unaware that she was being watched.

[last_lombax]

Ratchet stood there for a moment, watching the girl tugging at the cords before stepping further into the room and clapped his hands.

"You're pretty good, you know. You going to play another?"

[sakedrinking]

Haku whirled around and just about jumped out of her skin with a yelp, feet stumbling backwards away from the strange creature until her heel caught an uneven stone and sent her sprawling to the ground with a squeak.

[last_lombax]

"Whoa! Are you okay?!" Ratchet ran over to Haku and held out his hand to her. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

[sakedrinking]

"E-eh... w-what... wh... who are you?" Haku asked fearfully, wanting to believe that he was telling the truth but too frightened to think clearly. She looked at his hand, but didn't take it, red eyes wide.

[last_lombax]

"My name is Ratchet and I'm a Lombax. Come on, let me help you up."

[returntothesea]

Caught! She froze for a moment, but eased right back up as she heard the girl's greeting. She bowed politely in return, obviously a little awkward, herself.

Polka stepped a little closer.

"Hello ..."

She offered an awkward smile of her own.

"That song you were playing was lovely."

[sakedrinking]

She didn't know what a Lombax was, but he didn't look threatening, even with how different he was.

Hesitantly, she reached up and took his hand gently, allowing him to pull her up to a standing position with her guitar still tucked under one arm.

"T... thank you, Ratchet-san..."

[sakedrinking]

"Thank you..." Haku replied softly, offering the shy girl a smile. She could understand just how she felt, being quite reserved herself.

"Are you new here? I... just got her a few days ago myself..."

[returntothesea]

Polka nodded, stopping nearby so that she could be at least somewhat conversational.

"Some part of me still thinks this place is just a dream I'm having," she commented, a sheepish expression crossing her face as she continued.

"I know it must be real, though. It feels too real."

[last_lombax]

"Um...you're welcome but my name is Ratchet. Not Ratchetsan."

[sakedrinking]

Haku sat down on the steps that led down to the lower level of the chamber, motioning for Polka to come join her while she gave an understanding nod.

"I know how you feel... it really is hard to believe this place is real sometimes... but at least we're not here alone?"

[sakedrinking]

"Ah... a-ano... sorry, 'san' is an honorific. A title. It's... it's like..."

What did Quatre say it was similar to?

"Like saying 'Mister Ratchet' in English."

[returntothesea]

Polka took that invitation, already feeling some relief in the fact that she was able to connect so easily with this girl. Good, she'd made a friend in this new place!

She sat down and began smoothing out the skirt of her dress, nodding in response to what she had said.

"That's true. I still have to wonder why a place like this would gather so many people to it, though ..."

[sakedrinking]

Haku looked at the dress curiously, admiring how beautiful and intricate it was. It reminded her vaguely of the dresses the girls in Harajuku would wear, with all the layers and the ruffles, but there was something more... old fashioned about the one the blonde girl wore.

"I have no idea... I don't even think I could begin guessing," she answered after a moment with a slow shake of her head.

[returntothesea]

"Me neither," she responded rather quickly, finishing with her dress and clasping her hands atop it as she looked to Haku with a small smile.

"I guess it's just one of those things we'll have to find out for ourselves, right?"

[sakedrinking]

"Eheh... I guess we don't have a choice, do we?"

Haku smiled sheepishly, realizing finally that she hadn't properly introduced herself.

"Ah... sorry, I'm Haku Yowane. It's nice to meet you, Miss."

[returntothesea]

Oh, right, introductions ... they didn't even know each other's names, did they? Polka laughed a little bit, though not at her. At herself.

She then smiled again and nodded, holding out a hand to her politely.

"I'm Polka. It's nice to meet you, too, Haku."

[last_lombax]

"Oh, I see. Well you can just call me Ratchet, that's fine." Ratchet shrugged and smiled at her.

[sakedrinking]

"Really?" Haku blinked. It seemed... improper, given how she had been instructed for so much of her existence. But... if some one requested to be called something else, it would have been just as rude to ignore it.

"Alright then, Ratchet."

[sakedrinking]

"Polka?" Haku echoed, clapping her hands together with a bright smile. "That is such a beautiful name!"

[returntothesea]

Of all the things Polka was expecting, that was not one of them. She blinked a few times in confusion.

"A-Ah, you ... you really think that?"