healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2020-09-05 10:34 pm
healingbonds) wrote2020-09-05 10:34 pm
Ballad of the Dreaming Pilot | Chapter 10
Chapter 9 << | index
Rustica: I composed a song in the distant past. It was a beautiful piano piece: a single performance would captivate all who listened, and brought them all happiness.
Everyone loved this favorite song of mine. They enjoyed my performance from the bottom of their hearts, and some even begged me for the sheet music so they could perform it themselves.
But nobody could perform this song. For I had created a song that only wizards could play.
Benjamin: A song that only wizards could play....?
Rustica: Yes. It was a very difficult song: you would need at least three arms to perform it. That was why everyone gave up on it.
But then a young man appeared before me. He knew that there was no way for him to perform this song, but he refused to give up.
After an unimaginable amount of practice, he learned how to play the piano at incredible speed, and he put on a perfect performance right before my eyes.
Chloe: That’s amazing....!
Rustica looks at Chloe and smiles sorrowfully before closing his eyes.
Rustica: And that performance was his last.
For he had broken his precious fingers for this one song, and he could never play the piano again.
Chloe: .....!
Rustica: That was why I set the sheet music on fire. For it had fulfilled its role.
Akira: ....What role does sheet music have?
Shylock: Responsibility.
All art bears a sense of responsibility. Even if I created a bottomless cocktail that could make any man drunk, I would not offer it inexhaustibly.
For my job is to make sure my guests enjoy their wine. It would be meaningless if they were swallowed by drunkenness and ceased to enjoy themselves.
Benjamin: ..........
Mister Benjamin takes Murr’s blueprint out of his bag and gazes at it like an old letter.
Benjamin: Maybe that military aircraft had gone beyond its role too.
I’ve done something terrible to it. The poor thing — it was a ship that could have ridden upon better winds; it could have sailed to the other side of the world.
(Rustle)
Mister Benjamin pulls a match out of his pocket and sets the blueprint on fire. The fire spreads across the page, turning it to ashes.
Chloe: ...Murr, is this all right?
Murr: It’s fine! The ideas in that blueprint were so old that they were getting moldy. I can draft an even better blueprint now!
Shylock: Looks like you have no intention of taking any responsibility for your talent, even after tearing up the entire world.
Murr: That’s because flying ships are filled with dreams!
✦✧☾✧✦
Benjamin: You should be able to fly from here without getting caught by the military. ...Hm? What’s wrong, Arty?
Arthur: Benjamin. I need to apologize to you about one last thing. These three wizards and I.....
Are not Western wizards.
Benjamin: ..........
Ahaha!
Riquet: H-he laughed!
Cain: You’re not mad at us? Even though we lied to you?
Benjamin: You make it seem like it’s the end of the world. I don’t think anyone could get mad at you.
I thought you four were weird all along — you listen too hard to what other people are saying to be Western wizards.
Arthur: I see..... I’m still so inexperienced. I need to work even harder.
Akira: (That answer is a dead giveaway that he’s not a Western wizard.....)
Arthur: We are actually wizards of Central Country. My name is Arthur.
Cain: I’m Cain.
Riquet: I am Riquet.
Oz: ......Oz.
Murr: And we’re all real Western wizards!
Benjamin: Yeah, that I can tell. You’re definitely a bunch of crazy Western wizards.
Rustica: Oh my, he praised us.
Chloe: Was that really praise?
Shylock: It’s the highest praise one can offer.
Murr: That was fun — next time, we should become Central wizards!
Oz: No.
We burst into laughter. Mister Benjamin, the wizards, and I — we’re all laughing in the same way.
Benjamin: You guys really helped me out this time. Thank you. ....Also, Chloe.
When you said "we couldn’t save your ship" — thank you for treasuring my ship like a living being.
Chloe: ....! Of course.
Akira: Mister Benjamin. If you ever run into trouble in Western Country from here on out, please feel free to rely on the magic headquarters. We’ll be glad to help you.
Benjamin: Yeah. I’ll ask for help if anything comes up. But spare me the handbells next time, okay?
Benjamin’s monologue: Then, the Sage and the eight wizards disappear with magic in an instant.
The sky through which the ship sailed and the wizards rode their brooms is now the color of dusk. I gaze up from the dirty alleyway — and my face breaks out into a smile.
Benjamin: .....I guess they weren’t all looks after all.
Benjamin’s monologue: I’d always dreamed of flying. Like birds, like wizards. We humans have neither wings nor magic.
We dream because we have nothing; we can’t give up, and that’s how we obtained knowledge. The ship may have sunk to the bottom of the ocean, but it still had a chance to know the skies. And even a wizard agreed — that flying ships are filled with dreams.
That’s why I’m sure we’ll fly many times again. We’ll fly more gracefully tomorrow. Even if we have neither wings nor magic.
Chapter 9 << | index
Rustica: I composed a song in the distant past. It was a beautiful piano piece: a single performance would captivate all who listened, and brought them all happiness.
Everyone loved this favorite song of mine. They enjoyed my performance from the bottom of their hearts, and some even begged me for the sheet music so they could perform it themselves.
But nobody could perform this song. For I had created a song that only wizards could play.
Benjamin: A song that only wizards could play....?
Rustica: Yes. It was a very difficult song: you would need at least three arms to perform it. That was why everyone gave up on it.
But then a young man appeared before me. He knew that there was no way for him to perform this song, but he refused to give up.
After an unimaginable amount of practice, he learned how to play the piano at incredible speed, and he put on a perfect performance right before my eyes.
Chloe: That’s amazing....!
Rustica looks at Chloe and smiles sorrowfully before closing his eyes.
Rustica: And that performance was his last.
For he had broken his precious fingers for this one song, and he could never play the piano again.
Chloe: .....!
Rustica: That was why I set the sheet music on fire. For it had fulfilled its role.
Akira: ....What role does sheet music have?
Shylock: Responsibility.
All art bears a sense of responsibility. Even if I created a bottomless cocktail that could make any man drunk, I would not offer it inexhaustibly.
For my job is to make sure my guests enjoy their wine. It would be meaningless if they were swallowed by drunkenness and ceased to enjoy themselves.
Benjamin: ..........
Mister Benjamin takes Murr’s blueprint out of his bag and gazes at it like an old letter.
Benjamin: Maybe that military aircraft had gone beyond its role too.
I’ve done something terrible to it. The poor thing — it was a ship that could have ridden upon better winds; it could have sailed to the other side of the world.
(Rustle)
Mister Benjamin pulls a match out of his pocket and sets the blueprint on fire. The fire spreads across the page, turning it to ashes.
Chloe: ...Murr, is this all right?
Murr: It’s fine! The ideas in that blueprint were so old that they were getting moldy. I can draft an even better blueprint now!
Shylock: Looks like you have no intention of taking any responsibility for your talent, even after tearing up the entire world.
Murr: That’s because flying ships are filled with dreams!
✦✧☾✧✦
Benjamin: You should be able to fly from here without getting caught by the military. ...Hm? What’s wrong, Arty?
Arthur: Benjamin. I need to apologize to you about one last thing. These three wizards and I.....
Are not Western wizards.
Benjamin: ..........
Ahaha!
Riquet: H-he laughed!
Cain: You’re not mad at us? Even though we lied to you?
Benjamin: You make it seem like it’s the end of the world. I don’t think anyone could get mad at you.
I thought you four were weird all along — you listen too hard to what other people are saying to be Western wizards.
Arthur: I see..... I’m still so inexperienced. I need to work even harder.
Akira: (That answer is a dead giveaway that he’s not a Western wizard.....)
Arthur: We are actually wizards of Central Country. My name is Arthur.
Cain: I’m Cain.
Riquet: I am Riquet.
Oz: ......Oz.
Murr: And we’re all real Western wizards!
Benjamin: Yeah, that I can tell. You’re definitely a bunch of crazy Western wizards.
Rustica: Oh my, he praised us.
Chloe: Was that really praise?
Shylock: It’s the highest praise one can offer.
Murr: That was fun — next time, we should become Central wizards!
Oz: No.
We burst into laughter. Mister Benjamin, the wizards, and I — we’re all laughing in the same way.
Benjamin: You guys really helped me out this time. Thank you. ....Also, Chloe.
When you said "we couldn’t save your ship" — thank you for treasuring my ship like a living being.
Chloe: ....! Of course.
Akira: Mister Benjamin. If you ever run into trouble in Western Country from here on out, please feel free to rely on the magic headquarters. We’ll be glad to help you.
Benjamin: Yeah. I’ll ask for help if anything comes up. But spare me the handbells next time, okay?
Benjamin’s monologue: Then, the Sage and the eight wizards disappear with magic in an instant.
The sky through which the ship sailed and the wizards rode their brooms is now the color of dusk. I gaze up from the dirty alleyway — and my face breaks out into a smile.
Benjamin: .....I guess they weren’t all looks after all.
Benjamin’s monologue: I’d always dreamed of flying. Like birds, like wizards. We humans have neither wings nor magic.
We dream because we have nothing; we can’t give up, and that’s how we obtained knowledge. The ship may have sunk to the bottom of the ocean, but it still had a chance to know the skies. And even a wizard agreed — that flying ships are filled with dreams.
That’s why I’m sure we’ll fly many times again. We’ll fly more gracefully tomorrow. Even if we have neither wings nor magic.
Chapter 9 << | index