[Voice]

[plays_despacito]

[There's a brief moment of dead air and then finally the sound of some shuffling and the sound of some sort of bird Pokemon in the distance before whoever's doing this nonsense finally talks.]

So, I had an old piece of mine that I finally managed to finish. Mostly I had the violin and strings bit down, added some piano to it, and then some of this technological nonsense to splice in some other voice parts and enhance the sound...

But I finally put some lyrics to it.

[There's a brief moment of pause again before he's setting this nonsense up. Whether he's actually doing the voice part or not is anyone's guess and he's not about to tell anyone if he did or not.

But once it's done he's speaking again, voice softer and somehow seeming calmer.]

I know it's not much, but found a moment of inspiration. There's another one I'm working on, but... dunno if I'm done or like it enough just yet.

Comments

[forsaintcecilia]

Woaaaaaaaaaaaah...

You've got some serious composition skills! You're really an all-in-one package!

[plays_despacito]

[He really shouldn't be letting out a bit of a laugh at that, the only sound otherwise being the sound of him plopping to sit on the ground.]

Well, I would be a rather terrible bard if I wasn't, wouldn't I? You have to be able to improvise if you lose your instrument or, heaven forbid, it breaks during a battle.

[forsaintcecilia]

Using your instrument in a battle? [Guess who's never played DnD before? This guy.] You don't actually hit things with it, do you?

[plays_despacito]

I mean, you could. But usually you carry around an actual weapon with you if you need to do that sort of thing... [Like a dagger. Or sling. Something that's easy to maneuver and hide on your person.]

But if a bard's having to actually physically attack something, then that's just piss poor group planning. We're more... supposed to buff everyone else that's doing actual fighting or whatever. I didn't really get out on adventures and missions and stuff that much before ending up here, had other... priorities.

[forsaintcecilia]

Buff... Adventures...

[Now those are terms he understands! At least a little. What kind of Japanese person hasn't played some kind of RPG in their lives?]

Oh! You're from a world that's like a video game!

[plays_despacito]

[A what now.]

... A video game? Afraid I don't know what that means. [For as weird tech level as his world is, that's not a thing for him. Unfortunately.]

[forsaintcecilia]

Oh! Um, it's like... Well, it's a mix of a story and a game that you play on a device like the one we're using. Usually there's a hero, and you guide them around an adventure, fighting monsters and using magic... Some of the stuff you just mentioned are things you do with the characters when you play a video game.

[plays_despacito]

[Heroes, huh. God, that sounds weirdly familiar to him.]

'Fraid I'm no hero, if that's what you're getting at. Didn't go out and really do much and instead babysat a weird space jellyfish from another dimension. Though I guess others went out and did that kind of shit. Some came back, some didn't.

[forsaintcecilia]

...To be honest, "weird space jellyfish from another dimension" sounds like something that'd be part of a video game too. Some of them can get really weird, since there's basically no limit to how imaginative they be.

[plays_despacito]

... I suppose that does sound a bit off, doesn't it. [The Voidfish is an odd creature to begin with, it's probably fine.]

Would, uh, said jellyfish passing along a buffing song to the entire damn plane while they try to defeat an inter-planar thing trying to destroy our plane be considering much the same? [HE NEEDS TO KNOW, FOR SCIENCE.]

[forsaintcecilia]

Yeah, that sounds pretty par for the course. Like the sort of stuff you'd do at the end of the game before you beat the final boss.

[plays_despacito]

Honestly, that... that would explain quite a bit. [He actually somewhat hates this, but he's dead so does it really matter?

Wasn't much his problem.]

I cannot actually believe this whole thing is just a ridiculous story... [He's muttering that under his breath before finally properly replying.]

Somehow, I feel staying here might be the better option. [He doesn't have to go and listen to people whining at him for inspiration. Or awful bards who shouldn't be bards whining at him for help. Being made into a god because you were Just That Awesome and Good At Your Job kind of sucks.]

[forsaintcecilia]

You're not alone on that one. I mean, my home is fine, I'd like to go back, but there's way more people who I think would like to never leave here.

I hope you all get to enjoy a nice, long stay.

[plays_despacito]

[At least here he's not required to do anything he's not really wanting to do, it's... a relief, almost.

A vacation of sorts.]

Mm, hopefully so. Seeing others I know around here would be... nice, but the emotional burden on them being away from where they should be and with everything that happened? It might be better off that they never show up here. [That's probably more cryptic than it ought to be.]

Johann, by the way.

[forsaintcecilia]

Everyone's experience is different. But I do get missing people you knew. I've been here for nearly three years and no one else from my world has ever shown up.

Hi, Johann. I'm Kazuki. I'm a musician too, I major in the trumpet.

[plays_despacito]

Three years... [That's a long time in the scheme of things, but he's doing pretty well and things are peaceful enough. So he can't... entirely complain. Hm.]

The trumpet? I'm... more versed in stringed instruments and the piano more than anything else, easier to be able to multi-task. [And you somewhat have to in his position. Or what was his position, anyway.]

Usually you only see those types of instruments in professional performance settings than anything else.

[forsaintcecilia]

Yeah, it's a long time. I find that otherworlders either are here only for a little bit, or they end up here for years. I know a couple of people that've been here longer than five years, seven years... It can definitely get up there.

Ah, yeah, there's a big difference between stringed instruments and wind instruments. And then there's a difference between woodwinds and brass too. And you're right, I've gotten a professional education. But your ability to compose on the spot is really amazing!

voice

[cometkin]

Oh Johann. That's-- wow.

[He sounds kind of choked up, actually. Wow.]

Do you have, um, one of those patratreon things? Because you should. Me and Rose would definitely want to support you on it.

voice

[plays_despacito]

[Not. What he expected. But he's at least glad that someone seems to be enjoying it.]

Ah, I do. I have... a few people that are supporting it, one in particular doing more than they really ought to... [He trails off for a moment, the usual depressed tone a little more flustered at this point.]

You really don't have to! It's... not a big deal, I guess.

Re: voice

[cometkin]

No, I'd like to! You do really great stuff. You're the best violinist I've ever heard.

[... oof. He hopes Connie doesn't feel bad if she overhears this. She's very good for a kid who plays an instrument for fun! But she's an amateur and Johann's a professional. There's a difference.]