hadriel | seventh; video + open to action (let's skip the charades, you're seeing right through me anyway)

[Nick has been notably absent from her usual post at Delight's bar for the past several weeks, but today, as she turns the video camera of her phone on herself, the familiar sight of shelves of multicolored bottles lined up behind her indicate her location. That's right - she's back, and she is smiling as she holds up a tambourine and gives it a good shake. If you've met Nick even once, you'll know that she is made of sharp edges and not someone who smiles easily.]

Hey ... I dunno who left this here for me, but I wanted to say thanks. This is ... this is really great.

[The fact that she is openly addressing Hadriel with her thanks is perhaps a testament to how significant this particular item is for her, since gratitude doesn't come easily for Nick, either. Then again, if you know her well enough, you may notice something different about her entire demeanor - something softer, something warmer, something much less feral and hostile.]

Oh, and one more thing ... [She sets the tambourine down on the counter in front of her and gestures to the bar around her.] Thanks for not letting this place burn down while I was out ... "sick." Everyone knows this place is a shithole, and we only got so many not-shitty things here. Delight's bar is prob'ly the best one. Gotta hang on to what we've got, right?

[She grins again as she reaches over to cut the feed and get back to work. Perhaps you're there to place an order with her for something to drink?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah ... yeah, I know that one. Learned it when I was a kid.

[Nick smiles, like bringing up a fond memory, and quietly breaks into song:]

Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?

[Her singing voice is much like her speaking voice - rough from years of chainsmoking, like whiskey-soaked gravel, mostly untrained but still on key. She laughs quietly, breaking eye contact with the camera.]

Only bit of French I know. They taught us that and a couple other songs in different languages when we were in second grade, put on a little choir concert for the parents. My dad was thrilled.

Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines, ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.

[ Hannah smiles back at Nick. ]

It's a popular kid's song. I'm not sure why we sang it all the time... I think I just thought it was pretty.

[ She still does, really. ]

Maybe 'cause it's French. My ex used to say that French was the most romantic-sounding language on the planet.

Not Italian? [ She laughs a little, shrugging. ] Maybe it's just Italians who're supposed to be romantic.

[ They're both nice-sounding languages to her, and romantic locations for sure. ]

I don't think kids are usually thinking about how romantic a song is, though.

Yeah, I dunno. [Nick shrugs.] She used to live in Europe, so I guess she would've been the expert. I lived in exactly two places - well, three, if you count Vancouver, before I got here. I dunno if that really counts, though, I was mostly just visiting.

Wait, really? That's cool. My family has a house up in Alberta.

[ It's also where the Bad Thing happened, but that's not a story for now. Or ever. ]

seventh; video + open to action (let's skip the charades, you're seeing right through me anyway)

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