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ingrid barnes

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[Ingrid's looking uncharacteristically somber today, staring into her coffee mug as though it held the secrets of life.]

I'd always thought myself as someone who could adapt to anything. Working with the children I did, living the life I have; I thought I could handle any change. But it seems I've grown so accustomed to my routines without realizing it.

The people, places, and the things of grand significance. Those things are easy to miss when they are taken. I expected that; I was ready for that. I thought I was ready for that. But I find myself missing the small things too. The way my husband made a cup of coffee, the walk to school, reading the morning paper in the courtyard, listening to the students chatter about things that always seem so intense and important when you're young. I think I may miss those small things more than the big ones.

[She chuckles, but there's no joy in it.]

This may just be the talk of an old lady feeling her age, but indulge me so I don't feel so dramatic for this little episode. What are the things, big and small, you miss?

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Family, mostly... It's unpleasant, not having people you've known your whole life around at all.

...And it's a bit of a silly complaint, but I still haven't gotten used to how quiet the hotel is. I'm too used to the sound of waterwheels churning, I guess.

I agree.

Care to tell me what you mean by waterwheels?

Ah, my village was cut in half by a river. We had a few wheels set up along the current to help mill grains, among other things.

They were old though, and a bit squeaky. I dunno, I was so used to it I found it relaxing, I guess.

No electricity?

I can understand that. It's the same principle as those who move from the city to the country. The bustle of city life is a calming, familiar sound to them they didn't miss until it was gone.

Nope. Let me level with you - I'm really, really glad I take things at face value. Culture shock here probably woulda been pretty killer if I didn't.

Makes sense to me. We had a few people move in from Seafront a while back. Like the name implies, they've got a big body of water nearby and the loss of sound from it was distracting, apparently.

I can imagine so. Tell me, how are you dealing now that you've had some time to grow more accustom to all this? Do you have problems with understanding anything of this world?

Ah, about as good as expected, I guess? Not that I want to stick around, but after I've started to get used to fancy knicknacks like this [she taps at the phone screen, grinning] it'll be a bit hard to go back without 'em.

...Say, they don't have any devices dedicated towards music and music creation, do they?

Can't say I agree with that. I still long for the days when technology made sense.

Several things actually. Radios, those little M3Cs or whatever they're called, CDs. They've even turned instruments digital! It's all quite silly, I think.

Have technology; will adapt-things-to-it, I guess. Well, I'll be happy as long as they work like normal instruments do: that the quality of the music depends on the effort you put into it.

[A beat.] I suppose that most things follow a similar rule, in afterthought.

Same for almost everything.

Which ones do you play?

A lute, mainly. I like to dabble though. Piano, harp, drums -- nothing like the sets they have here, but still drums. I admit I'll try anything I can get my hands on, in the end.

I'm not sure how much luck you'll have with finding a lute, but piano's are rather standard in music shops. You might have to make do with a keyboard with all the shape issues.

Well, I've managed to keep mine from back home for some reason... not that I'm complaining, mind you.

I'm almost worried to ask how much a piano would be. Like ya said though: unless the hotel would let me leave it in the lobby I can't say I've got the room for one.

A lovely thing to get to keep.

A bit too much for me to swing at the moment, I'll say that. You may be able to find someplace that will let you use one for free or for a minimal fee.

Ha, well, I kinda had an inkling that was the case. The amount of time it takes our craftsmen to make a piano is heads and tails above anything else... I can only think of a handful of places that actually have one.

With the way technology is in this place, they have a bit of an easier time mass producing them. I do believe there's a restaurant around here that has one. And the school has one in the music room. I could perhaps help arrange for you to use it after hours?

Oh, I wouldn't really want to impose on you.

... That said, I can't say that it wouldn't be appreciated! It's been -- wow. Almost five years, I think.

Think nothing of it. Though I would appreciate being able to hear what you have to play.

I figured it kind of went without saying you were invited. I mean, consider that you're the one with the connections, and all.

Oh good. I would have invited myself anyway. Tell me, what kind of music do you play?

I'm so good I defy the traditional genre labels of this era~♫

...Only not really. I'm not sure what you'd call it, honestly. I guess classical, folk, traditional... something like that.

Ah, I should have known better to have asked. Music where you're from could very well be different from what I know.

I dunno if it's all that different. Even here each genre's dramatically different from the next. Sure, sometimes they've got common themes and underlying harmonics, but the styles themselves vary so much.

Very true. I had simply expected a place that had different historical circumstances and different technological advances may have different instruments and sounds, and therefore different styles.

That's a good point, but look at all of us brought to Prospero -- for the most part if we try to speak the languages from back home, there's bound to be someone who will recognize it, even if they had a different world they themselves came from.

I think what I'm trying to say is the... universe? Multiverse? Whatever you want to call it. It's lazy. That's my running theory, anyway.

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