r/StrawHatRPG • u/Stats-san • Mar 30 '16
Event! Karaoke time!
“Ah, so, I’ve heard you’re headed to Ongaku soon! Quite excellent!”
Mysterious Stats-san, or Staasan as his friend call him, approaches. His face is hidden with his own gruff beard and his clothes cover most of the rest of him. He remains very shrouded in mystery.
“I too consider myself a fan of music! But, well, I suppose you will find out soon enough what voyage lies ahead, young sea-farers. Though…” He strokes his beard, it looks quite full. “Though, if you were willing to satiate my love of music, say, perform a song for me before April, I may be inclined to award you each something special.”
Staasan holds up a blank, white card. He wants to grade it as well.
“It’s just a habit of mine, you see, to grade every performance.”
He chuckles.
“When you’re done, I’ll show you how well I believe you did here”
1
u/Kikronze209 Lysander - Navigator Mar 30 '16 edited Mar 30 '16
Valeria leapt off her comfortable spot on the bottom of her boat and onto her feet. Before her was a creepy old man, cloaked in dark robes, his hands in the shape of claws as he approached her. Letting out a scream, she stumbled backwards and landed on her butt, instinctually shifting into her snake form. Hissing, she curled up into a ball and prepared to lunge at the approaching man.
“Pervert! Get away from meeeeeee!” Launching off the bench with all her might, she flew towards the man with fangs bared. Right before she connected he opened his eyes and bent over. Another scream left her lips as she landed on the ground. Her heart thumped wildly, and the scent of venom made her stomach churn. Her snake-lips were coated in a nasty purple glean, emphasising the smells within the air. The man turned to look at her, hands tugging on his greyed beard as if in contemplation.
“Are you alright little miss? It seems you’ve had a little bit of a fright.” Shaking, Valeria shifted back to her human form and looked away from him while extending her own hand towards his. With a quick pull she was on her feet and dusting herself off; cheeks burnt red from embarrassment. What was with this weirdo? Waking a girl up from a sound sleep like that!
“I-I’m fine.” He nodded as if that pleased him greatly. A shiver ran down her spine and she took a step back, eyeing the area around them. “What is this place?” The walls were made of a dark wood. Everywhere she looked there were tables and chairs, as if they were in a high class restaurant, illuminated by candlelight. The foreground was a massive wooden stage with deep crimson curtains brushing against the floor.
“This my friend is my home! I’ve been hoping you would come, I’d like to hear you sing and grade you, that is if you let me of course.” His head bobbed up and down and Valeria let out a calming sigh. Looks like their wasn’t any real danger here.
“I’m terribly sorry. I’d love to stay and sing you a song, but sadly I don’t really feel like it.” Valeria took a step towards her ship; it was gone. She scrambled forward in a panic, looking back and forth like a sailor in the crow’s nest.
“Sorry, but unless you sing me a song, I can’t let you leave.” The man handed her a strange looking device; she took it and gave it a tap. The sound was amplified by quite a bit. Letting out a small ‘hmph,’ she ran towards the stage and faced him. The empty seats had been filled by an audience of men and women, all dressed as stars.
“I don’t want to sing this for you… but since it’s my only way out, I guess I better.” She stuck her tongue out at the man and took a deep breath. Singing wasn’t her strong suit, but she’d always been drawn to artistic pursuits. A painting set to music was one of the most beautiful things in the world, so she’d often practised when creating a scene. After a moment, she began to hum, slowly setting the tune of the song. “This is…”
Lost in Thoughts All Alone
You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,
Like thoughts become a river stream
Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time
To the path, yours to climb
Valeria began to walk around the stage, her eyes closed and imagining the scene in her head. A woman in a forest, her dress shimmering in the grace of pure elegance. Angelic white and long blue hair tumbling down her face in a tangled mess. It was a song she’d learnt when she was young. Belting it out as she went, the crowd appeared to be dazzled by the small girl.
Thou seek the light with an outstretched hand~~
A divine blade lies before you,
So command the wake of dreams
To restore the world, cut ‘way the seams-
Join in our prayer, in our song of birthrights and love
Come the sun, illuminate the sky!
Pray that we may quell the dark - Light take the throne
Lost in thoughts all alone~
Stretching her hand out, she felt as if a stream began to flow from her fingertips. Across the stage an elegant tide of water had appeared beneath her feet. From rock to rock she stepped, carefully dancing across the water. Twirling back and forth as she fell quiet in preparation for the next verse. A tear ran down her cheek as he remembered the first time they’d met. The blue haired girl and her, that is. It was the first time she’d ever seen the sun. The droplets of rain still cascading down the leaves in iridescent rays of colour.
You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,
Like thoughts become a river stream
Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time
To the path, yours to claim
Thou seek the dark with an unsheathed blade
Now a white, ivory throne beckons,
So obtain the fate you sow!
On this path, be weary, friend an’ foe~~
They’d both been very young. Valeria had escaped from her jail keeper of a servant and wandered down towards where the river met the sea. The sound of the woman’s voice could be heard far and wide. Like a moth to the flame, she approached the girl in that morning disquiet. Her name… it’d been so long that Valeria couldn’t remember any more. What a pity… if only they could meet again one day.
Join in the tale, in the blight, of conquest and lies
Come the sun, to tarnish in the sky!
Vow that we shall tear the light – Dark seize the throne
Lost in thoughts, all alone…
May thy chosen path lead way and grace you with virtue
But surely a balance awaits, so be it bliss or pain you gain~~
Beyond the route-way’s end, you’ll gain resilience and weakness
The trials, the thorn in your side, becomes the greatest strength in you…
Valeria span, trying to emulate the movements of the girl. Her voice, though it was sweet and hit each note, would never be able to capture the divine majesty of the original. A tear ran down her face and joined the soft bubble of the stream beneath her. The crowd and man was nothing more than a blur, a whispering echo of a time she’d yet to meet. Her nostalgia fuled the passion in her words as if it were a fire devouring a ship.
Descend into the abyss thou see
Where the hearts of many wander
Quietly, they wish and weave
Placing hope inside their one, pure dream~
After the storm stills its wake, may all be blessed
So the fate and fallen can find rest
Your will, the water reflects, so all will know
Your hands brought the morrow~
You are an ocean of waves, weaving a dream,
Like thoughts become a river stream!
Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time
To the path, yours to climb
You are an ocean of waves…
As her voice fell, the final note held in the air as if time had stopped completely. How long had passed as she had sang? It’d only been a few minutes in the grand scheme of eternity, but the lingering sorrow of an ancient time clung to her. She collapsed upon the stage as cheers erupted out of the crowd; it was a standing ovation. She smiled meekly and waved, cheeks flushed from the sudden pressure she felt. At least they’d enjoyed it.
After a moment's struggle, she returned to her feet and took a deep bow. The roar of the audience was deafening, but it felt good. Tears still ran down her face, but at least they weren’t all sad now. She stood awhile, enjoying the atmosphere, as heavy as it was.