like a vagabond through the distance [OPEN]

[circumitus]

Who: Rey and You!
What: Awful harmonica playing + dealing with the aftermath of a certain visitor flavor.
When: All over the month of November.
Warnings: Rey can't play instruments for shit and I'm sorry not really sorry okok.
Also the second prompt will likely have some triggering themes of trauma and torture and whatever. I'll update if necessary.

---

I. Harmonica Song (Far As the Road Goes, I'll Go the Road)

Music is a gift. People find comfort in it during dire times. Much like the instrument itself, the breathy notes of the harmonica has a nostalgic quality to Rey's ears.

Unfortunately for everyone else within a twenty-foot vicinity of her, she is both tone-deaf and can't play for shit.

Somehow, her brother always made it look easier. Her tune doesn't sound nearly like the scenes of old movies she's seen before, with the weary prisoner playing melancholy tunes reminding him of home or the bad-ass cowboy on an epic pursuit for revenge. It sounds more akin to a wailing cat being strangled to death.

And you've got front-row seats to the worst performance you've probably ever seen before in your life. Like it or hate it (let's not kid ourselves here -- you'll hate it), the player doesn't care. She doesn't even believe that this harmonica fell out of the Door and into Firo's possession for a reason. If anything, she doesn't believe in fate, or destiny, or whatever and never has. Because it's seriously doubtful that providence would throw such a terrible instrument at Rey's feet to deliver you a beautiful presentation of unrealized talent torture.

Truth is, she's just bored. That's all there is to it. Patrols are boring. Sitting in bars by her lonesome is boring. Everything is boring.

If music is one of the many spices of life, then Rey's delivery is its antithesis of a flavor most foul.

But that's just like, my opinion.

II. First Spiral Neighborhood (But Now We Move a Different Way)

Despite the relief efforts of easing some stress and paranoia, Rey's occasional excursions offer no respite. When she heads home, her bearing is heavy, and she hasn't slept in some time. Not when she sees the same face every time she closes her eyes, before a flash of red and visions of blood and pain hurls her awake.

Better to be restless than being shaken up in the middle of the night in sweat and panic. Most of the time, she can't even hide that she's more dazed than usual lately. IV's presence may be gone. The lingering memories of her atrocities and the scar near Rey's own heart, however, remains.

She stops before she enters her house, slowly taking a step back. A hand comes up over her chest, the mark from the rebar mercifully hidden beneath the cloth of her shirt.

Without even realizing it, she's gone pale again. What more, she's been standing still for a while, just staring at the door to her own home. This place where she should feel safe.

Yet, at any point, she can be taken back. And the worrying reminder will never leave, no matter how comfortable she gets.

IV is gone. But like the plant, her untreated poison festers.

III. Choose Your Own Adventure (Freedom is the Way I Live)

[ooc: Have some other non-event stuff you want to do with Rey? Hit me up via any one of your preferred contact methods!]

Comments

i.

[skelebro]

Far as harmonica-players go, he's, uh...he's heard better. He's played better, and he doesn't even have lips. Still, don't mean he can't appreciate it when someone tries. Sans settles down to sit on top of the roof of the building just above her to listen to the kazoo-like wheezing of someone desperately trying to play an instrument they really, honestly, truly just suck at. He can appreciate the determination to try regardless, though. For what it's worth.

When the performance is over, he claps, 'cause that's what you're meant to do after performances.

"Nice embouchure," he says, which is absurd seeing as it weren't really any kinda good embouchure at all, and he knows that because he has fantastic embouchure for a skeleton. Despite, uh, not having lips or a tongue. But eh, details.

[circumitus]

Somewhere along her bored wanderings and marching song, the last thing Rey expects is an ovation. She just stops, lowering the harmonica from her mouth to look up at the skeleton on the rooftop overhead. Then she arches a brow at his contradictory praise.

"Your hearing must be as bad as your tan," she says wryly.

That's no way to say thank you, Rey. Come on.

[skelebro]

Please, he's got a whole mess of experience with sunning himself in an underground cave without any sun or skin to be tanned whatsoever. It's all about the sight gag.

"Eh. I've heard worse." That ain't even a lie, honestly. He's heard plenty worse. Lots of monsters Underground, they got plenty of enthusiasm but not necessarily a sense of skill to match it. That's all he's sayin'.

I.

[infinite1up]

Rey isn't the only one who's bored. Sato's been thinking on ways to solve this problem, though, and one of them involves watching the comings and goings from the City Guard HQ as part of the plan. So when Rey happens along, he's pleasantly sitting on the step of an empty building, idly playing a bit of Ms. Pac-man on his phone to pass the time.

Of course, he can hear the horrible sound a mile away, he just didn't realize it was her until she came into sight.

He waves pleasantly, not bothering to get up. "I didn't realize it was you, Rey! I thought Fear was bringing some kind of musical terror to us this week!," he calls out cheerfully as soon as she stops.

[circumitus]

When Rey comes into view of Sato, she isn't even holding the harmonica in her hands. Rather, she's left the instrument in her mouth, playing off the same, horrid notes that would shock a howler monkey into cardiac arrest.

Her pace slows to a halt at the greeting many people would take offense by. Rey, however, simply picks the harmonica out before sending him a wry look, holding the instrument in hand.

"Just thought it might be worth taking initiative this time," she retorts, hardly offended by the criticism.

[infinite1up]

"You should make sure to ask him for a favour if you're going to do his job for him," Sato says, mildly amused and really only half joking. He doesn't think much of a the guy, and figures he'd probably accept it.

He still doesn't bother to get up, leaning back against the wall. Although he's missing his usual machete, he's still armed: this time with a morning star of all things hanging off his belt alongside the usual pistol, and the rifle he traded for nowhere to be seen.

i.

[raptorcious]

Diego tries very hard to just ignore the grating sounds floating in his apartment from outside. The problem is that with sensitive hearing, there's really only so much ignoring that he can attempt before he can't take it any longer. Diego tosses aside the pillow he was pressing to his ear in an attempt to drown out the sound, gets up, and leaves his apartment to march outside. Unfortunately, that means he needs to get closer and thus the sound gets louder, but he needs his peace and quiet.

He stops in front of her, arms folded in front of his chest, and glares.

"Get lost."

[circumitus]

Look, no hands! Or fucks! Rey isn't even holding the harmonica, but just left the instrument in her mouth. So when her pace comes to a quick halt in front of the stranger, she huffs, and a grating tune follows.

Her arms cross, almost mimicking his posture as she doesn't move.

It's like she's waiting or something. Hard to tell, with her blank expression.

[raptorcious]

Diego's lip twitches at her huff, almost as if he's about to show her a fang with a snarl but stopped himself short. He manages to maintain himself at a baseline of visible aggravation, of course. Diego's spent far too much time rubbing elbows with high society at this point to let something like this get under his skin so deeply that he completely loses his composure, but he appreciates nothing she's doing right now.

"Well? Are you deaf or just stupid?"

1

[alltozero]

Wowie! That's the worst sound Asriel has ever heard!

He actually came hurrying over because it sort of sounded like maybe someone had stepped on a Woshua and it was hollering in agony. When he stumbles onto the scene, however, it's not a monster wailing and shrieking. It's just... a human? With a harmonica?

(A humanica?)

Oh. Well, at least nobody's dying! Asriel bites his lip and tries not to look too much like he was rushing to the site of a disaster or anything. Just... passing through, not mistaking any creative endeavours for torture! Ha ha! As you do!

"Gosh," he offers, looking for something nice to say, "you sure are trying hard!"

[circumitus]

"Not really," Rey admits.

For the time being, she's decided to take a break from walking, sitting on one of the crates by one of the various unrestored structures in the city. Mostly she has been playing random tunes every now and then to pass the time, since it isn't as if she's out of breath from her patrol/wandering.

Eh. Le shrug.

[alltozero]

Oh. He was wrong. Maybe she was playing bad on purpose, to be funny? He's... he isn't sure. Humans can be kind of hard to predict, sometimes. (He's pretty sure, at least, she's a human. She's got the same furless skin Chara and Frisk have, except for the mane up top.

"Um," he offers, helpfully, clacking his claws together and trying not to look awkward. "Is this your first time playing that? Not that it sounds bad, I'm just curious."

also, i

[publickenemy]

[ She's told that the wildlife around these parts is dangerous. Monster like. Of course, when you live in the Commonwealth, it's something you get used to. Diamond City is one of the safest, largest Settlements there is but she's Seen Some Shit on her travels, in her work.

And by what she's hearing, she's ran into some trouble. In her first week, exploring the city. It'd have to happen, this was Piper - after all.

No, wait. Not a monster. She relaxes a little. But only a little because that is awful. She doesn't even care that the musician is right in front of her. ]

... if I ever wondered what a deathclaw trying to play an instrument sounded like I have a pretty good idea of it now.

[circumitus]

[For the most part, Rey has been disregarding the passing commentaries of critics everywhere. She isn't looking for anyone's approval or anything, and it's actually a little entertaining to see the occasional dramatic response.

[It isn't what Piper says that gets her to stop, however. Not exactly. She would have loved to continue her all out assault on the musically inclined, but something she says catches Rey's interest fast.]

Wait, you actually know what those things are called? Big horned bastards that're more inclined to make minced meat out of you?

[Nope, she isn't going to even address the criticism towards her musical talent. Uh, "talent", more like it.]

[publickenemy]

Of course I know what they're called. Not as common as a feral ghoul in the Commonwealth but way more deadly. They're not called deathclaws without reason.

[ To emphasize her point, she holds her hands up, fingers making a poor imitation of a claw. She's been fortunate enough to never see one too up close, or be far off enough to basically run like hell away from it. But you hear the stories of some poor settlers meeting their match with them or raider gangs setting up in the wrong spot.

Piper gives the woman a curious look. ]

So... are you from the Commonwealth, or somewhere else in the wasteland?

CLOSED to Sato (Silent Hill Zone; pre-Fadeout Event)

[circumitus]

It should probably come as no surprise that Rey often lacks in foresight. The first time she agreed to come to the Silent Hill Zone was one thing; that was a mere evaluation. She doesn't have the same excuse this time, other than to perhaps save face. And even that is hardly justified, when she doesn't have any reason to prove herself to someone like Sato.

Yet, here she is. Late at night, on what should have been one of her patrols, but instead has taken a different tour than her usual route. Rey doesn't arrive heavily armed, either. She has both pistol and masergun in separate holsters on either sides of her belt, along with some knives hidden in her boot and sheathed in one of the many tech pockets of her cargo pants. The only reason she appears to be under-packing is because she no longer has the sniper rifle from Lilith's deal.

While she waits, she leans against a lightpost, sliding out the magazine from the pistol to double-check her supply, before pushing it back in. Eventually, Sato will come around. He never has struck her to be the type to stand up an excursion that promises violence.

And Rey doesn't back down from a mission. Not without reason, anyway.

Rather than occupying her boredom with the raucous noise of the harmonica, she is humming a somewhat appropriate tune.

[infinite1up]

True to Rey's expectations, it isn't long until Sato appears around the corner, with a lighter step than many might expect. His pistol is in its usual place, along with the machete and a couple knives. But he seems to have left the rifle at home today, eschewing it in favor of a crossbow nabbed from the armory, already resting neatly in his hands and a quiver of bolts hanging off his belt. With the darkness in mind, he's already 'modded' it a little, with a flashlight taped to the underside.

Really, the idea to go out again started as more of a deflection from what he had actually been up to, but it's no lie that he's getting bored of monster hunting on his own, and Rey's been an interesting enough companion that he figured this could be both productive and entertaining.

"Good evening, Rey," he greets, as pleasant as ever. "Ready for another taste of Fog Hell?"

[circumitus]

The humming stops as soon as company comes near. She grips the gun she already has out, just in case she needs to draw aim, but it isn't long before Sato announces his presence. While that should be reason alone to be on guard, Rey slides the pistol into the belt holster instead, resting her hand on her waist just over it.

Just in case.

Rey arches a brow.

"Not going to let go of that name now, are you?" She straightens her posture from the lamppost, dismissing the subject with a shake of her head. "Never mind. Am ready."

Was born ready, she would have jokingly said to her brother. It seems like such a long time ago that they were together, him helping her to 'recuperate' and--

No. There's no use in getting wrapped up in the past now.

CLOSED to Nick Valentine (Bar; post-Fadeout Event)

[circumitus]

Shotglasses and liquor aren't objects in a scene that seldom accompanies Rey. After her patrol routes, she is found at one of the two bars on occasion. Only this time she isn't lurking at Delight's establishment, supplied with more reliable goods instead of bottles containing questionable substances. Places more likely to gather fellow patrons hasn't been high on Rey's lists of good times, finding herself slipping back into old habits of finding solitude in the past few weeks. Just not for the reasons that one would be so quick to assume.

Despite IV's presence having come and gone, sleep has still been a scarce event. Eating may as well have choking, for how well she has been able to keep it down. She has never been sick before. Not physically. But she knows the symptoms to understand that this is something else. It isn't a bug that goes away within a day or two, or a flu that requires rest and medicine. This is a whole different beast that's more insidious and long-lived.

Lucky for her, drinking doesn't involve much choking, though her selections could do with some improvement. For one, she doesn't have to pick a dusty old bar supplying mystery fluids that could just as easily liquefy her internal organs as they could get her drunk. She was already two bottles down and still going strong, though. Might as well finish what she's started.

Filling up another glass with some strange, green drink, Rey lifts it up in the air in a mock cheers towards the empty space behind the bar counter.

"Here's to another shit day in cave paradise," she says before downing the shot in one, leaving a burning sensation all down her throat into her stomach.

She may or may not have been making similar toasts to the empty space for some time, one of which may have also involved a horrible drunken rendition of "Ding-dong, the bitch is dead. Which old bitch? The robot bitch is dead -- again!" by the time the door opens.

[synthedick]

Having heard Rey's 'singing' from outside, Nick waits outside the door, trying to figure out just what he's going to say when he goes in there. He tracked her all the way out here, limping his way through town, and even with all that time, he's still got nothing. Something needs to be said, though; despite the demon outbreak and the havoc it caused, including a few days where he suddenly had to run the Guard, Nick isn't blind to how Rey has been since IV's appearance in town. He can't blame her, not given what he heard about their history, what the woman did to her. He didn't exactly help either, having kept the other synthetic's presence in the city quiet as he tried to protect Rey from her.

He can't do that, and he knows it. The decisions he makes in her best interest aren't always the right ones -- not for her, anyway -- but this family is a two-way street, and he has to be willing to accommodate her as much as she does him.

He sighs and pushes the door open, his cane thudding on the floor as he crosses the lonely bar and wordlessly takes the stool next to Rey.

[circumitus]

If this were normal alcohol, Rey would only be on the first stretch of inebriation.

Of course, whatever it is she downed is far from normal, and certainly not from her world.

Grabbing the clear bottle of green liquid, she starts to pour herself another shot when she spots movement out the corner of her eye. She flinches, remembering that she didn't bring any weapons with her to the bar (for good reason -- drunk and violence never mixed well with Rey), and nearly brings up her other fist.

Until she sees who it is. Then it takes every ounce of effort in her being to wind down the tense muscles in her hearing. Isn't drinking supposed to help with that?

"Shit, Nick. If I didn't know any better, I'd have almost decked you in the face right now," she says, a sad attempt at humor while trying to mask how much she's been drinking on her own so far.

II

[foundafamily]

While she's lingering outside the door, Firo jogs down the street to catch her. "Hey, Rey! I've gotta talk to you. About a mutual acquaintance."

If he were speaking to another mobster, those few words would say a lot to get them on the same track. But Rey isn't one of them, he recalls, so he clarifies once he's stopped a few feet away, "That crazy lady who went after Muscovy. You know her?"

[circumitus]

'Mutual acquaintance' could mean anyone. There are a lot of them that they share, from housemates to friends to the more unsavory types.

Something tells her that this isn't the case, though. An intuitive assumption that proves to be all too true when Firo finishes that thought. Rey freezes, all color suddenly drained from her face as she just stands there, gaping at the door rather than looking to Firo.

"Is Muscovy okay?"

There are other questions, but that's just the first concern that springs to mind.

26th, briefly after Nick calls him

[muscovy]

Muscovy doesn't knock at the door; he simply lets himself in, a pot in his hands that holds some soup (after all, Nick was talking about her worrying herself sick, which sounds like she's having sick feelings and soup helps with those. Though at this point he should be able to give her hugs, too) and only calls out once he's inside.

Rey should be the only one home, so...

"Hello?"

[circumitus]

When the door opens, Rey is sitting in the living area, nestled on the couch. She has more of a slouch than usual, her complexion pallid with the sole exception of darkness around her eyes. Although she has her phone in hand, she's mostly just flipping through screens rather than paying attention to the words in front of her.

At first she assumes it's Nick coming through the door, until Muscovy speaks up. Rey's head snaps towards the entry, blinking once before hauling herself off the couch, onto her feet. Unsteady, but her stance manageable.

"Muscovy?" She stares at him for a moment. "Is something wrong?"

It seems more likely in her mind that he is here because he needs something. Not that that 'something' is her.