Challenge #02415-F225: Getting the Message

Depending what you listen to it can affect your mind and body drastically. example being that rush of adrenaline while listening to Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats by Billy Talent and calm mind while Nocturne from String Quartet No. 2 plays in the background. -- Anon Guest

Shayde had either been picking up outdated slanguage or she was trying to say something without the correct words. She said, "Music is mood," out of nowhere. They had been enjoying a companionable silence on a slow veet to the upper fins for a reason that was unimportant, now, and she just said, "Music is mood." No preamble, no explanation, no followup.

Rael figured this was another one of her attempts to either wind him up or loosen him up, depending on her mood at the time. This time, it was difficult to gauge. Shayde had evidently reset to 'on mission' mode, which was appearing composed and ready for the action of the day whilst -probably- internally calculating how to get on someone's last nerve. Which was all a very good reason not to comment and pretend nothing had been said.

It was a decent enough strategy, no matter how much that three-word phrase gnawed at his conscious mind. He could either figure it out or, with enough time, forget it was ever said. He would sooner submit himself to Wave of the Future for vivisection than actually engage and ask what the flakk she was talking about. That way lay endless exasperation.

Rael had had little time for music before he met the temporally displaced ambassador. Once she was an unfortunate part of his life, however, she filled her spare moments with anything musical. Rock, gospel, punk, jazz, classical... she didn't discriminate. Most of the time, she would even sing along. It was association by osmosis that gained him familiarity with all her favourites.

It was days after the confounding three words that he realised that Shayde was preferring one of her archival musics over many others.

"You're a long time gone," she crooned, "Such a long time gone..."

She'd been singing that a lot, lately. Rael double-checked to make certain that he wasn't suffering a confirmation bias.

"Do I wonder why/ Ev'ry day that I/ Think about you still/ And I always will..." Shayde seemed to be typing something unrelated to the words she was singing. So deep into what she was doing that she didn't pay attention to the multitasks. Something so bizarre that only a Human could do it.

Rael checked Shayde's personal calendar... and her baby brother's birthday was happening that Terran month.

Music is mood...

This was a song about missing a loved one. Shayde had had a close bond with her baby brother. As well as the rest of her family, of course. Humans had a cultural Thing about babies perishing. People your junior weren't allowed to perish before you, Shayde had said.

This was one of the times she was painfully reminded, and there was little he could do.

Well. There was one thing he could do.

He added an appointment to her schedule. Four days apart, because that was the minimum amount of time he could stand to do them... and put them in as Z-grade Movie Nite. One of the things she could laugh at even when everything else had her down.

He would bring the popcorn. He would keep her company. He would practice making jokes at the movies' expense. He would -he hoped- help prevent her feeling so alone.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / thesupe87]

If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!

Send me a prompt [49 remaining prompts!]

Support me on Patreon / Buy me a Ko-fi

Check out the other stuff I'm selling