obeir | WTL Inbox

[ The praise embarrasses him, but in a good way if his smile is any indication. ] I've enjoyed doing it. The music's very memorable. [ And it's plainly obvious how much Royce enjoys the music, too, which is what makes the effort well worth it. After what happened on the space station and with the Norfinbury flashback (he has a feeling it wasn't an isolated incident), he figures Royce can probably use more pleasant things to keep his mind occupied with. ]

I wasn't sure if you'd want the songs from the credits...

[ But he transcribed those, too. Because he likes the song in particular, he demonstrates with the fully arranged Into the West. One he's played quite a bit already; he doesn't need to pause to fix the sheet music this time. ]

Do you have a favourite?

[ Royce is happy enough to listen to that arrangement, too. It's beautiful, and Royce is already finding he can't wait to be able to do this himself. Not that he hates K playing music for him, because he definitely doesn't. He just thinks it maybe feels different to actually play the music and lose yourself in it. K's right, whether Royce realizes it or not - he needs distractions from the horrific memories of snow. ]

I like that one. [ Royce says, as K's winding down. ] But - the music that plays when they're in the Shire is my favorite.

[ He shifts, and rubs at the back of his neck, almost embarrassed. ] It's in the background of a few of Sam and Frodo's talks. It's a good song.

I really like that theme. [ With a nod, K shuffles through the sheet music to find the pages he'd simply titled "Hobbits / The Shire" (two versions — the simplified melody with a basic bass line, and the fully arranged version) and sets them up on the music stand. After collecting the rest of the pages and his coffee, he gets up from the bench. ]

You should practise sight reading with the first version. [ The simplest one that only requires one key press per hand at any given time. Beginner stuff, but it still sounds nice. ] That'll be easier. Or you can skip right to the full version, if you're feeling brave. [ His tone's a little teasing, but he won't discourage Royce from trying. He might also notice an addition to K's piano — a strip of opaque tape running the length of the keyboard, above the keys, helpfully labelling each one. ]

[ That's his cue, it appears. He stands up, moving over to the piano. ]

Hm, I'll try the first version. Not trying to embarrass myself too badly. [ Royce says, moving over to sit down on the bench. ] Sight reading. I assume that means which letter goes with which key and... symbol.

[ Maybe he's a little more nervous about this part. He's not terrible at reading, but he is a little slower than most people just because his education came way, way late in his life. He doesn't struggle, necessarily, he just has a harder time picking up written languages, and he hopes that isn't the case for music.

He sits down at the bench, a bit apprehensive. ]

You'll have to show me, because this looks like a page full of dwarvish. [ Royce tries for a joke, glancing at K wryly. ]

[ K knows the feeling. ]

Yes. Once you can sight read music relatively well, you can play pretty much anything off a page.

[ Setting his coffee aside, he obliges by writing in the margins next to each stave what each horizontal line and space represent: E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F for the treble clef; G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A for the bass clef. He also briefly explains flats, sharps, and naturals in a way that's hopefully easy to understand (the song in question uses a couple), along with ledger lines, of which there's only a few in the song so he goes ahead and individually labels them on the sheet music as well. ]

Your right hand always plays this. [ Pointing to the treble stave, then demonstrating the correct hand position on the keys. ] Your left hand, this. [ Repeating it with the bass stave. ] It can get more complicated with some music, but that's all you need to know to play this.

Along with proper fingering. [ A pause. Yes, he knows how it sounds. ] What works for me may not work for you, so I'll have to see you play it first. [ Because Royce has smaller hands; what constitutes a comfortable reach for him will be different. ]

Don't expect much. I've barely touched one piano, and that was yours.

[ But he was watching everything that K was showing him - he's dedicated to making this work. It makes sense, and K is good at explaining, which is good because it's a lot to take in all at once. Carefully, Royce sets his coffee down and makes his way to the piano, pausing. ]

Can I sit?

[ Because it's K's stuff, and he wants to make sure he has permission, when it comes to this. ]

[ Stepping aside, he gestures for Royce to have a seat. He does appreciate the courtesy of being asked. ] You don't need to downplay yourself like that. You'll get better with practise.

[ Most likely. And even if he doesn't, it's not as though K's going to discourage him from continuing to try. ]

[ Royce sits, and runs his fingers over the keys, not pressing them, but just - getting a sense for them. ]

Practice makes perfect. [ Royce says dutifully. Arcadius was a big fan of that one. ] Where do I start with this?

[ Figuring Royce might not appreciate being touched, rather than moving his hands for him, K reaches over to show where he should position his hands for the beginning. ]

Sheet music's read from left to right. Start at the top of the first page. [ Each page is also numbered. ]

[ Royce appreciates the caution - not that he doesn't trust K at this point, since he's well on his way after the station incident, but he gets jumpy. Watching K's hands, Royce nods a bit and places his hands on the keys.

He squints at the first page of music - if the notes are labeled with the right corresponding key, he'll very slowly and carefully plunk his way through the first line. ]

[ It may be slow going, but the Shire melody is easily recognisable within just a few notes. Good job Royce, you're playing actual music. For the moment K's just quiet, more interested in Royce's reaction than he is in correcting any of the (pretty minor) mistakes. ]

[ He looks excited! Or - well, excited for Royce. It's subdued and doesn't quite make it to his face, necessarily, but he's relaxed and seems to be happy that he can hear actual music instead of discordant piano sounds. He has a lot of trouble with the sections where he has to press multiple keys at the same time, but he makes his way through the song.

And when he finishes his first slow, unsteady playthrough, he actually smiles. ]

That was good. [ It may sound like token praise, but it's very much genuine; K's just never effusive about anything. ] Don't be afraid to use all of your fingers. Once you've figured out a fingering pattern that's comfortable, try and stick with it each time.

[ So he definitely won't be winning any teaching awards here. But he suspects Royce isn't the type who takes well to rigid instruction or having every single flaw pointed out to him — plus this is supposed to be fun. So that's how K approaches it. ]

[ Royce can tell what genuine looks like on K, he thinks. He's pretty good at that in general. ]

Yeah. Okay, right. [ He says, nodding. He glances over the keys again - and keeps trying. He'll run through it a few times, and through one of them, he asks: ]

How are you doing, K? [ After everything. ]

[ As Royce plays through the song a few more times, K eventually goes to take a seat and finishes off the coffee while it's still hot. It really was a thoughtful gesture, bringing him one. He wants to do something similar for Royce later.

The question is met with a look of uncertainty.

Since the events aboard the space station and with Madame, the Chariot Unit, and the town meeting especially, he's been left feeling... out of sorts. It takes him a few moments to find a way of articulating his feeling of isolation despite being surrounded by people. ]

I feel more out of place here than I did before. [ Is what he settles on. If it were almost anyone else asking, they'd have gotten a politely evasive answer instead. ] And I've been worried. [ About you goes unsaid, but it's clear in the look he's giving Royce. ]

[ Royce gives him a look. ]

I've been worried too. [ He says, tapping the keys absently. ] For precisely that reason. I worried the Chariot and that whole experience would leave you unsettled.

[ He plays the first few notes again. He's just casually going to brush past the concern for himself - he's fine. Totally. ]

Would talking through it help? Or am I being too nosy?

You're not being nosy. [ But where does he begin with something like this, the fact he's always been an outcast even among other outcasts? Humans and other androids alike despise him. Not even the CyberLife resistance members had been willing to help him in his darkest hour, when Connor had vanished (courtesy of that very same resistance) and K was nearly killed by the RK900 that was hunting him.

The space station business served as an unpleasant reminder of everything. Would talking about it help, or just end up making them both feel worse? And he isn't letting Royce off that easily, either. ]

Does talking about what happened in Norfinbury help you?

[ Royce plays a few notes, almost idly. He's mulling that over, because it's a tricky question. Talking, being vulnerable... it doesn't always help. It makes him feel worse, half the time, and he never knows which half he'll end up with.

Outcast among outcasts - he knows something about that, though. ]

Sometimes. [ He settles on. ] Not always. Sometimes, I'd rather do anything but think about what happened.

[ That reminds him. ]

I saw the notes on the board. Dr. Watson informing everyone about how you and Alfie wished for the memories. [ It's obvious from his tone that he's bothered by this — because he's seen what the memories are doing to Royce and Alfie, and could tell from Royce's responses that he wasn't pleased. ]

You're both technically his patients, aren't you? A doctor should know better. [ Than to publicly discuss his patients' personal matters like that. Even if the laws of his world wouldn't apply here. ] I've considered asking the doctors here for help with some things, but it's too difficult to trust any.

[ He pauses in playing, jaw working slightly. Yeah, he's not exactly happy about the whole bulletin board thing. He's sure not everybody read the string of notes with John's sharing on it, but still. He should've torn it down. ]

John is not always great about keeping things private, especially if he thinks it'll get him the upper hand. Usually he means to help people with the information he collects, but intent is not always reality. [ Royce plays a few more notes a bit aggressively. ] I think Stephen Strange is at least better at confidentiality. Better than House.

[ A beat. ] Help with what? If I can ask.

[ Right, House is apparently a doctor as well — easy to forget that. K can't imagine ever going to him for help with anything. Dr. Strange he isn't sure of either; he's been abrasive too, in a different way. Why are all human doctors like this? ]

My tracking implant. Maybe. [ The one he'd briefly mentioned before, that Renart's encouraged him to have the doctors here remove for him. Except he's mostly sure it's somewhere in the vicinity of his brainstem, and he hardly wants anyone poking around the area. Maybe not even Zephyr. ]

And when Zephyr first brought me here I was recovering from a skull fracture. [ Courtesy of the RK900. He tries not to think about that part. ] I've had chronic headaches ever since. I'm not sure they're related... but maybe it wouldn't hurt to confirm it healed properly.

[ If he felt he could trust any of the doctors, that is. ]

[ !!! ]

You were recovering from a skull fracture? [ Excuse you. Royce forgets about the piano for a second. ] I know nothing about medicine, but the chronic headaches are likely not a coincidence. [ He watches K for a long moment. ] Would you feel more at ease with any doctors if I accompanied you? I can make sure they don't try anything.

[ It's a bit more complicated than that; he's convinced the headaches are psychosomatic. But how to explain that to someone who's probably never heard the term? ]

I don't think the headaches are caused by something physical. They're worse when I act contrary to my programming. Ignoring the compulsion to help humans, to obey. After changing Madame's directives to give her free will... [ That had been a particularly bad one, but well worth it. Royce's offer is met with a surprised look quickly followed by an amused smile. ] You don't trust them either?

[ It would make him feel better not having to deal with any of the doctors alone, which is sort of embarrassing to admit. ]

[ Oh. Huh. He guesses that makes sense... but still. ]

You should still make sure the fracture didn't do anything permanent. [ Royce says, a bit fussily. And then, as far as doctors go: ] I don't like doctors in general. I don't like being poked at and I don't always trust them to be completely unbiased, because people rarely are.

[ A beat. Sourly, admitting this like he doesn't want to: ] Granted, I've been poisoned by several in the past. So perhaps I am not unbiased, either.

[ K's experience with doctors thus far has been largely dehumanising, between the procedures performed on him without his consent (because consent is for people, not things), and his handler stating she was only allowing him proper medical treatment because it was cheaper than replacing him.

So Royce isn't the only one who's biased. And the Meadous doctors haven't exactly inspired much faith. The glimpse into Royce's experience has K frowning and giving him a concerned look of his own. ] To what end? Was that in Norfinbury?

[ Because it might make a twisted kind of sense then, with everything else he knows about the place. ]

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