cultor | The Blue Note 'Residence'

[Till is all packed. With a large backpack on his back, two cans of spraypaint sticking out his pockets, and a nail tipped bat shoved carefully inside the bag, Till appears in front of Sonny from somewhere inside the depths of their little Jazz club with a smirk, while he raises his notebook up for Sonny to see.]

Come on. I've got a fun idea. You, me, and Ivan are all going out.

[The last week or so has been miserable, with what happened to Lortel. Seeing Sonny waste away some because of it really cuts at his heart, though. There's gotta be something they can do to cheer him up a bit, and he thinks including Ivan so that Sonny can get a little more comfortable with him is a good idea too.

It's time they all went out and just did something just because it's FUN. Not only because they have to survive.]

[Sunny blinks. It's not what he's expecting. He'd been expecting to lie down for another nap, practically all he's been doing for... Well. Four years or more, now...

[But Till has other ideas. He's all dressed up to venture into the city, which makes Sunny nervous. Normally he ends up outside, rather than chooses to go. The addition of Ivan doesn't encourage him, though he supposes they'll be well protected.

[At any rate, he's really not in a position to argue (ever), so...he simply stands there, pink fingers picking off skin from each other while he waits for Till to lead them out, for Ivan to arrive, whatever happens first.]

I finished putting everything on!

[ Ivan calls out to Till, who'd left him in the back with a task to complete.

In a moment, he appears looking like—like... while this is a reference he'd never understand, he looks like when Bugs Bunny tried to disguise himself from Elmer Fudd on Saturday mornings.

He's wearing a bright, bright red, full-length raincoat, the hood already placed over his head. Atop said hood, he has a women's wide-brimmed hat with a cloth bow, floral print lining the inside, his eyes hidden by reflective sunglasses just underneath. As he approaches the two he'd kept waiting, it also becomes clear that the thing in his hand is an unopened umbrella, just as much of a color mismatch to the ensemble as each other individual piece.

Ivan's new sun safety uniform, as put together by Till. ]

Well? Let's hope this works.

[ . . . . . . . . . .

Hold on one moment. Please, just hold for a moment. Till turns away quickly from Ivan, one hand lifting to his mouth, the other clutching onto Sonny's shoulder as his entire body shakes as he desperately tries hard not to burst out laughing. Oh, light, he's going to burst a gut.

He wasn't looking to make Ivan look ridiculous. He genuinely and sincerely searched for things he thought would be helpful and grabbed what he found. He still thinks this is best.

But the cool and handsome classmate he had back at Anakt- this is not a look he ever thought he'd see on him. Pffft. PFFBBFFTTT.]

[It's...

[Funny. Ivan proudly parades, Till can't keep from laughing, Sunny's shoulder is clutched. In that moment, they all feel like old friends, on the verge of having fun. Sunny doesn't laugh, and he doesn't smile - he never laughs, and he never, ever smiles, but...

[Despite everything, he feels momentarily light. He wishes Lortel could see them all getting along. Would he ever see them again if he actually woke up from this nightmare?

[Sunny gives Ivan a silent thumbs up.]

[ Till is not subtle, as very, very sincerely as he is trying to be. Sunny's total impassiveness only makes the taller boy stand out more in all of his shuddering glory, blowing partial raspberries into the back of his hand.

Ivan pokes him in the stomach with the point of his umbrella. ]

Pull yourself together, Till. ♪ You have to lead the way, you know.

[ Unbothered, refreshed. Sing-song. Yes, he knows that this is to get Sunny to go somewhere that isn't back to bed; even so, since when has Till come to him with a surprise? ]

Neither of us know what you're planning, remember?

I'm unpredictable like that.

[Till, please.

He still looks amused despite the threat of another poke. Oh man, it's been a while since he laughed like that. Glancing back up at Ivan threatens it all over again, but he tries to show mercy and get serious.]

It's nowhere crazy. It's what we do there that'll be fun. ☆

[Yes, he added the star.

At least Till thinks it will be fun. He hopes the others do too. It's not like there are lots of things to do in a destroyed city lacking electricity and running water.]

We'll be mostly inside once we arrive, so it won't be too bright.

[Till will be the light.]

[Sunny wastes the sunlight hours sleeping just as much as he wastes the nighttime hours, so really, he shouldn't be picky about being somewhere dark. That's not even to mention the months they spent in total darkness.

[But Sunny can help. He's conjured his little sun a hundred times by now. It's still about the only thing he can do of his own volition.

[Sunny waits for Till to lead the way, then...waits for Ivan to follow. He doesn't necessarily want the bug behind him, even if it would keep him safer...]

[ Actually, Ivan wanders to the front of the building first after reading what Till has to say. He needs to test the new... equipment that was so thoughtfully provided. And it takes him the longest to use a door by far.

The umbrella's tines unfurl with a classic fwoomph as he sticks it through first, then cautiously levels it over his head as he takes his first click-clacking steps into the sunlight. Right away, that same ominous feeling creeps up, like that bright yellow orb is the eye of something that might swoop down from the sky.

But his desire to flee isn't as immediately intense.

He finishes making his exit. ]

And you're sure our Sunny is going to like it?

Hopefully. [He quips through the tether with Ivan. Even as he 'speaks' he writes through it, exiting behind Ivan as he enters into the light. The unease the other feels through their bond is evident, though Ivan does a good job of visibly masking it.

It helps that he can't see his eyes through the sunglasses. Grinning at Sunny, he holds up his notebook.]

Who doesn't love a little therapeutic vandalism?

['Our Sunny,' Ivan says, and that sensation rushes up again. They're old friends. He's their Sunny.

[After that, the dread creeps in. If he belongs to someone, he's not sure he wants it to be Ivan. Their tether strangely twinges. He doesn't feel one with Till, though he wishes he did... He's such a kind person, always "speaking" with Sunny the only way Sunny can speak.

[Vandalism. How daring. Sunny feels a little thrill, something between anxiety and excitement. He has to think about it a minute... It's not like anyone is here to get them in trouble.

[Eventually, he...shrugs. Not in an uncaring way - more so a, "Whatever you say."]

[ The close timing of everything causes Ivan to realize something.

( Till in his head sharing a private word. The tug on his other, other line, like it anxiously wishes it would snap. )

He's never tried to communicate with Sunny in that way, no... not that he can remember? Would it be of use? Would it be more of the same...? While they wait for Till to take his lead, he looks at silent little Sunny curiously, watching for his reaction. ]

Hello. [ He keeps out other noise, picking out soft words and placing them in a vacuum. ] I'd uninvite myself for you. But it was Till's idea.

[ Till's ideas are important. ]

[That's okay. Till takes this as a good shrug. Sunny doesn't look distressed. He's probably just never vandalized anything before.

. . . Not that Till REALLY has. Not without getting the shit beat out of him. And he was never really given any weapons or materials TO do real vandalism with. Not without cameras and a collar around his neck to get a good picture.

He sure as hell wanted to, though. So this will be therapeutic for him, too.

Till isn't privy to their private conversation, so he simply lifts his notebook again and flashes them both a thumbs up.]

I'll lead the way.

[Follow him!]

[Ivan's words creep up their tether, into Sunny's throat instead of his ears. It makes his eyes go slightly wide, and he turns to look at Ivan as the group starts walking, Till in the lead.

[He knows how this works, how people communicate, sometimes even without their masks (in Sunny's case, a blindfold). It's when they tether that they can "talk" just like this, but Sunny...

[He still has nothing to say. No words are returned, but he reaches over and grips one of Ivan's buggish hands, only long enough to let him know he's there. He shakes his head. He doesn't want him uninvited. That would be mean...

[That's what passes through the murmur, their tether, the most. Sunny doesn't want to be mean.

[That, and...bafflingly, perhaps shockingly, some feeling of safety that only Ivan can bring, hidden beneath thin layers of fear for the same man. It makes little sense to Sunny, probably less to Ivan...

[He's sorry.]

[ Don't go...?

That's one interpretation, and the one he supposes he'll go with in honor of the togetherness Till is hoping to inspire. He lightly clenches and unclenches his hand around the lingering sensation of it being held.

They're all on the move now. That isn't the problem itself. The problem is that he's the only one who can speak out loud. And what a nuisance he'd be to try to make conversation, cause Till to have to stall again and again to write something.

So he doesn't.

He just hums a little, albeit nothing familiar. Idle melody made up on the spot. ]

[Sometimes, Till prefers using the notebook.

. . . Maybe prefers isn't the right word. His entire existence was intricately tied to his voice, though. His self-worth and his usefulness were connected in a way that decided whether he lived or died.

Even before the stage, Till wouldn't have lived long if his voice wasn't worth keeping around. Urak made it abundantly clear he would have snuffed out his life ages ago if not for his musical abilities.

There had been children before Till. He knew Urak was more than capable of disposing of him.

Now... his life is his own, though. He doesn't have to use his voice to stay alive. It's HIS to do what he wants with it, when he wants.

So why does he feel so reticent to use it ever since his injury? He uses the tether and murmur without hesitation. He even spoke normally within the dream.

Maybe it's fear...? His throat isn't as bad as it once was. His voice is slowly coming back, even if it hurts a bit and is still scratchy. What if it doesn't fully return to normal, though? Does that bother him...? Or is it a relief? He has full control over his life now.

. . . Mostly. He's still suspicious of Sleep. She's definitely fucking with all of them.

Falling down a rabbit hole of uncertainty, Till shakes it off and instead tries to focus on listening to Ivan's humming. It's soothing... his voice. It always has been. He likes listening to him sing. As they walk, Till's fingers move, notes swimming through his head as though adding a back track to the sound of Ivan's humming.

His hands fall, though, once they reach their destination. He turns around and grins, before quickly writing in his notebook.]

We're here. We don't have to go deep inside, but once through the entrance, that should block out most the light for Ivan.

[Sunny doesn't mind the quiet walk, nor Ivan's humming. It doesn't unsettle him the way it might in the dark. He moves his head just slightly back and forth as they make their way through the city streets, all the way to the station. Sunny hesitates at the entrance.

[It does look awfully dark inside...]

[ Ivan's hand settles on Till's shoulder, his hold firm for a few seconds. Stay, it says without saying.

It's so bright out here and so black in there, it looks like a divide between dimensions. However, Ivan is volunteering himself to go first. He knows where he's most comfortable. He'll head through once he's sure the others won't.

His eyes adjust quickly. Right away, he doesn't need his shaded glasses any longer and clips them to the color of the coat. A single long tunnel extends for something like fifty feet, featureless except for a set of silvery railings in the distance, implying that past them is a set of stairs heading down. He worries what may be beyond them from the stories he's heard on the Murmur.

That said, he won't doubt his senses. They say there's nothing alive here that's larger than a bug.

When he's sure, he whistles with his fingers to his lips. ]

[He hates to admit it, but if something IS lurking inside the enterance somewhere, Ivan is the best equipt to deal with it. He would be the first one to see it, too. Waiting is hard, but it doesn't take long for Ivan to signal that it's safe for them to head on in after him.

Till motions for Sunny to go next with a smile and nod in the direction of the entrance. He can tail behind him so that if anything decides to try and sneak up on them from their back, it'll have to deal with him, first.

It IS insanely dark inside. But as Till steps through the enterance himself, he holds out a hand and multiple balls of light appear to hover above it. The lights float up higher into the air, one drifting toward Sunny like a glowing torch, while two circle around Till.

Ivan probably doesn't need one- light tends to bother him, but if it seems like he needs or wants one, he'll send one his way, too. What Ivan and Sonny WILL find, a moment later, is a can of spraypaint that he tosses through the air their way. Better catch!

Till sets his bag down and fishes inside for one himself, which he sets on the ground before writing another note.]

You guys ready? We're gonna paint! Write or paint whatever you feel like in the moment! You can tell Sleep to fuck off, doodle, or paint something real. There are more colors in the bag. I found a bunch.

[He checked them all out, already, to make sure they work, too.]

[Ivan sends a signal, Till brings light. Sunny is still uneasy in the black tunnel, but he can see Till's writing clearly, as well as the colors on the spraypaint bottles. He's never used one before, never particularly suspected to, but...it's a little neat. He picks up a purple can and experimentally sprays a dot on the nearest wall. A little chill thrills through him, and he bounces once on his feet.]

[ Pretty.

The soft illumination that Till provides for them, familiar enough that it doesn't fill him with primordial fear. Even that part of his brain recognizes that the source of this light is safe.

Snatching the incoming can out of the air, he immediately begins to inspect it, almost making the amateur mistake of touching the nozzle while it's pointed at him. This is that stuff Till used to make his first "costume" for the stage, Ivan remembers. Did he toss him a blue-colored one on purpose...? It's fitting. It's what runs through his veins now.

Ivan is not an artist. At all. Seeing Sunny start to experiment however, he elects to follow his example, starting on a large shaky heart.

He'll figure out what he's brave enough to put inside of it later. ]

Edited (i forgot i was called out) 2025-10-21 02:50 (UTC)

[Ehee. He watches as Sunny experiments a little. The first time he used one he didn't really know what to do with it. He hasn't had much of an opportunity before now.

It's fun to experiment with new things though. Till has always leaned into his artistic side, too. It's the easiest way for him to express himself.

Till flashes Sunny a thumbs up. Go on-! Honestly, he's kind of curious what he might come up with. He pulls up his notebook again.]

Show me what you've got! Or if you need help, let me know. Pour it out into your art.

[Glancing to Ivan's he studies it a moment, though. A heart. Approaching, he lifts a hand to point to himself, and then at the heart. Can he work on it, too?]

[Sometimes, Till almost reminds Sunny of Kel, so enthusiastic, so encouraging, eager to help, and kind. Sunny's not sure what he'd paint to make Kel proud, and he's not sure what he'll pain to make Till proud, but he'll have to think of something. For a moment, he's quiet, rolling the can around in his hands, considering.

[He starts with a cloud.]

[ noah —

keeps himself busy. whether it's hunting or cleaning or cooking. these are patterns he's used to. in the colony, out of the colony, you have to look after each other. look out for each other. it's not simply a matter of care or concern. it's a matter of survival.

he doesn't bring up lortel. he doesn't need to. he doesn't want to. right now, he's tired of perpetual grief. ironic, considering his life. his standing. his calling.

but noah is tired. time ticks away. ]

Noah.

[Till feels bad. He can feel how the others have been grieving, recently. He is, too. He's been hoping that distraction helps a little bit, though. She would definitely be upset with them if they didn't carry on purposefully. So he lifts his sign up with a little wave to get his attention.]

Will you teach me how to prepare this?

[The food for the night. He's been trying to learn. They never had to cook back home, and the food they ate there was pretty different from what they have here. He wants to learn, but also... it's a way to talk and maybe try to bond a bit more, too.]

The Blue Note 'Residence'

"Cheer-Up"

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this is so cute sdlfskdfj crying hard

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nothing larger than a bug, huh?

LISTEN....

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( daily life )

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