☈ strike #18 (video/...action?)

[thestormishere]

ARIES
- You'll get 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' stuck in your head for the next week.
- You will find a turtle in your laundry.
- Just go sleep on the couch tonight. You don't want to know why.
- Hide it, no one saw!

[ Like everyone else, Lightning wasn't really sure what to think about the odd message that showed up at the front of her journal recently, but it's fairly late in the evening before she makes an appearance on there too-- publicly, without even any filters in place to exclude certain people! An unusual decision perhaps, but... here she is anyway, looking as mildly annoyed as ever as she brushes hair from her face and frowns deeply. Her words are clipped and serious. ]

A few things.

Anyone care to explain the reasoning - if any - of this experiment? [ A beat. ] Actually, I'd just like to know if there's a pattern between the words listed at the top and the sort of guidelines everyone's getting beneath them. Is there anyone looking into this?

[ No, she doesn't understand the concept of a zodiac or the point of astrological horoscopes, shut up. Something like that is a little difficult when nobody else from your world has seen stars or even the real sun in five centuries, you know!

But in any case. ]

Second, does anyone have information on something that's called... [ Another slight pause, this one perhaps a bit embarrassed? Naaaah. ] 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia'?

... Third, this creature...

[ And here is where she leans aside slightly, rustling in what's apparently an 'off-screen' cardboard box a moment before she lifts this handsome beastie up- just long enough for the journal to capture the slow, cautious paddle of its legs in the air, as well as the pink-haired woman's dubious expression as she stares at it.

Then-- nothing, save for a soft sigh. Even though something's obviously eating at her about this, apparently that's all she can think of to say on the matter before giving up and just setting her journal aside to wait for any responses.

Also, to continue moping on the couch, with roughly half a dozen blankets around her. ]

Comments

[voice]

[winged_moon]

It's a turtle!

[voice]

[thestormishere]

[ Looooong pause. You might say the silence is audible in itself, even, because while usually that would mean she hasn't gotten around to picking up her journal again or whatever-- no, she's there, and she's judging you, Yukito. ]

Does this animal look like it can swim to you?

[voice]

[winged_moon]

[Here's another pause, but it's because he's confused.]

Does it matter if it can swim?

...oh! Did you find it in water somewhere?

[voice]

[thestormishere]

... No. [ Thankfully, she found it before it got the chance to go swimming with her underthings in the washer! ] And yeah, that pretty much makes all the difference?

[ Confusing, isn't she? Not that she cares right now- he should totally know this already! ]

[Voice]

[derek-bliss.livejournal.com]

'The Devil went Down to Georgia' is a song from my world about an...evil entity trying to make a bet with a musician where the musician will be sure to lose and have to give his soul to the Devil. The musician manages to beat the devil with superioir skill, though.

...I can play it if you really want me to.

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

... I see.

[ She can't decide if that sounds stupider than what she was imagining from the scant eight syllables of the thing's lyrics she's already got a hold of: the title. ]

I already knew it's a song. I just-- don't know the words.

[Voice]

[derek-bliss.livejournal.com]

Easy enough to write them for you.

[And with that, Derek changes to text]

The devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind 'cos he was way behind and he was willin' to make a deal.
When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot.
And the devil jumped upon a hickory stump and said: "Boy let me tell you what:
"I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too.
"And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you.
"Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due:
"I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul, 'cos I think I'm better than you."
The boy said: "My name's Johnny and it might be a sin,
"But I'll take your bet, your gonna regret, 'cos I'm the best that's ever been."

Johnny you rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard.
'Cos hells broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards.
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold.
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul.

The devil opened up his case and he said: "I'll start this show."
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
And he pulled the bow across his strings and it made an evil hiss.
Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this.
When the devil finished, Johnny said: "Well you're pretty good ol' son.
"But sit down in that chair, right there, and let me show you how its done."

Fire on the mountain, run boys, run.
The devil's in the house of the risin' sun.
Chicken in the bread pan, pickin' out dough.
"Granny, does your dog bite?"
"No, child, no."

The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat.
He laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet.
Johnny said: "Devil just come on back if you ever want to try again.
"I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been."

And he played fire on the mountain, run boys, run.
The devil's in the house of the risin' sun.
Chicken in the bread pan, now they're pickin' out dough.
"Granny, will your dog bite?"
"No, child, no."

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

[ There's a bit of silence even after he's finished writing, while Lightning reads through the words once more in full. In her opinion? Utterly bizarre... although at least now she's got assistance in avoiding the repetition of the same damn brief line over and over and over-- the journal said it would be a week. It had better just be a week...! ]

Thanks... I think.

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

[As much as Robert is busy with... various baking things, an appearance of a chelonian tends to grab his attention.

So have a bright-eyed, more confident - and much dirtier - scientist peering over at your journal, Lightning.]

... A testudine...? H-How did that happen, Sergeant Farron...?

[He doesn't sound quite as awkward as usual, either!]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

[ Robert. You are weird. ]

... 'Testudine?'

[ Funny... that doesn't sound like tortoise or turtle. ]

[Voice]

[semper_cogitans]

It is the... s-scientific name for the order that encompasses turtles and tortoises...

[In other words, it's a general-purpose term. Though he would not have identified this particular individual as a turtle. There's a pretty clear difference!]

[Voice]

[thestormishere]

[ There isn't really much of an answer from Lightning for that right off, though perhaps if Robert listens particularly close he might catch a soft "Right" muttered in exasperation under her breath. By now she's pretty acclimated to the eclectic variation in viewpoints and such of the other residents... so she doesn't even think twice about the fact that she has very little idea what the heck he means there before just disregarding it for the moment. ]

This one is a tortoise.

[ He knows, Lightning, he knows. But. It had to be said. ]

[dun-measure-up.livejournal.com]

Fire's on the mountain, run boy, run. Ain't right without a fiddle, and no, I don't play, Sugar. Even if I am from Georgia, myself.

...you looking at keeping the turtle, by chance?

[thestormishere]

... Come again?

[ Lightning's never really been one for suffering that kind of attitude from those talking to her-- at least not for long. As such, the derision is pretty apparent in her heavy, slow tone.

Still, she can't help but add on a beat later: ]

It's not a turtle.

[dun-measure-up.livejournal.com]

[He has no idea why, but really, how rude!]

Lyrics to the song you asked about, Sugar. Music's done mostly with a fiddle, the song's all about the fiddling.

Reptile, with a shell. You keeping it?

[thestormishere]

[ Sometimes it seems even the best of politeness isn't enough to please her, honestly. Heaven help you if you get off on the wrong foot to begin with. ]

I haven't heard it. [ DESPITE IT PLAYING CEASELESSLY IN HER HEAD. ]

... Doubt it.

[Action]

[wingenvy]

[Zack's watching from the doorway, puzzled for a while. Lightning on the couch... blankets all over... humming... and...

...What the hell is in the box...?

Okay, wandering over now. This is suspiciously weird.]

What's with the turtle?

[Action]

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning looks up sharply when he nears, shoulders tensing as her hands close and tighten on the cover of her journal. If it were entirely up to her, no, she wouldn't make him like the dozenth person she's corrected so far, and yet... ]

It's a tortoise, not a turtle.

[Action]

[wingenvy]

...Uh, okay. Is there supposed to be a difference? [Because it sure looks like a turtle to him.]

video;

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

[ And here's Hubert in all too casual clothes, including a short-sleeved shirt as he considers her first question. There's only so much he can offer when he's incapable of reading anything. ]

The guidelines may have something to do with astrological horoscopes. However, I have no way of confirming this without cross references.

video;

[thestormishere]

[ She doesn't know Hubert well enough to know if that's 'normal' or not, though she is not quuiite as stand-offish as she's been before towards him. Problem is... conversation's once more about something she doesn't know anything about- ]

'Astrological horoscopes?'

[ A-wha-wha-what, now? It's a wonder she's able to parrot that back without trouble, really. ]

video;

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

[ How to put this . . . He decides that it's more important to point out the loose connection than to sweat the details too much just this once. ]

Signs based on interpretations of the relationship between astrological phenomena and the human world. They're believed to be major determinants of specific personality traits. There are twelve signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ Sometime while Light is moping on the couch, Aerith is going to sit on part of it. She is also going to start distracting the tortoise with bits of lettuce, placing them out in a little trail to get it moving along the floor. It's cute to watch, okay. ]

[thestormishere]

[ And Lightning just watches, after a minute or two pulling her knees up to her chest and folding arms up over and around them. Face remains as serious as ever, though. ]

... What are you trying to do?

[ Well okay, she can sort of tell already... but why? ]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[ 1: getting Light to stop moping so much. And hey, if she is paying more attention to Aerith and tortoise antics, it's at least a partial success?

2: ]

Training him for a race with a hare.

[ ... No that's not it, she's just messin' with Light. It's really that the guy needs to eat anyway and this is an entertaining way to do it she would love those silly pointless youtube clips of pets. ]