neliteist // 14

[technophiling]

A: Mayfield High School, music room, after school

[Every so often, Estonia has taken to taking over the music room after school, closing the door and baring it with a chair so he has some time to himself. He never takes long, just long enough to sit at the piano and let his hands move over the keys, playing familiar melodies from home and wishing he wasn't the only one humming along. Even for him, who took care never to show too many feelings at all, if he could, it was getting painful to pass by national holidays without any of his people around. He had his friends and Ukraine, of course, but they could never be the same.

Today he plays a slow but steady sort of tune, a folk song when done properly. He hasn't locked the door, for a change.]

B: 1333 Benny Road

[Depressed Baltics congregating at Lithuania's house is a thing now. Today it's Estonia ringing the doorbell for his old companion, arms free of any of the usual things -- books or notes or pets -- he has with him.]

C: the bowling alley

[He's only here because being droned doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Congratulations, bowlers, you have the most disgruntled looking nerd ever handling things for you tonight. Not even a lecture on his "attitude" from his drone boss will do much to fix anything.]

Comments

A

[mightyfineprint]

[Mag was going to use the music room after the end of classes today. True, she could do it at home but the music room acoustics were so much better than the laundry room.

She wasn't expecting to hear such lovely piano playing coming from it. She pauses in the doorway, eyes closed and her cane resting at her side, just listening to Estonia play.]

[technophiling]

[When the piece is finished, Estonia allows himself a moment of silence before that creeping feeling of someone watching him gets too much to ignore and he turns around, looking more worried than the average person should.]

[mightyfineprint]

[Don't worry, Estonia, she's blind. No judgement for that worry here.]

I'm sorry, I didn't meant to interrupt.

[technophiling]

No, that's fine. I was just leaving, anyway.

[There's rustling as he stands and pushes in the bench at the piano, then grabs his bag to swing it over his shoulder.]

Sorry if you were waiting to use the space.

[mightyfineprint]

It's alright. I was just going to practice my scales. [She enters the room, wrapping her hand around the handle of her cane and giving the floor and experimental tap.]

It was a beautiful song you were playing.

[technophiling]

Ah... Thank you. It's a popular one at choral festivals, back home.

[mightyfineprint]

It was very nice. Eastern European?

[technophiling]

Yes. Estonian.

[mightyfineprint]

I had a feeling. I had an assistant once, back home, from Estonia. Your accents are very similar.

[technophiling]

Oh, wonderful. It's the best place to be from, really.

[mightyfineprint]

She thought the same thing. She was very proud of her heritage. I lost count of how many times she tried to convince me to go on tour there.

[technophiling]

Did you ever, by chance?