Hey, guys! Welcome back to Becoming a Guardian! Thankfully, starting school didn't prevent me from updating!
...yet.
Ah well, it may happen eventually, but it's not the end of the world. Anyway, before we do anything else, let's take care of reviews!
Thanks SO much to gilleanfryingpan (You like Set it Off too? That's awesome! Hope you enjoyed the concert!), PuertoRicanBelle, AllShallFade777 (Well, I figured that since Jack spends a lot of time around humans, even if they can't see him, he'd be a lot more up to date on pop culture than the others would be. Not to mention the fact that I headcanon Jamie as a video game nerd along with being a canon cryptid nerd, so Jack could have found out through him XD), RoronoaLily, and sparklehannah!
With that done, let's get on with the chapter!
~ Music ~
Sometimes I wonder about the other Guardians. Before, they never really struck me as the familial type, especially considering that it was fairly rare to see them all together at once outside of battle. Now that I'm here, however, they (namely North) seem to be working harder than ever to bring us all into a weird sort of family by using some...interesting methods.
Methods like holding a random karaoke night.
Not even kidding.
To tell the truth, I actually do like music quite a bit. Through 300 years alone, it was always the best way to break the silence. And yes, I'll admit...I do have a habit of singing to myself sometimes. But I never planned to do it in front of someone else—I've never heard myself recorded or anything, so I don't even know if I'm decent at it. Maybe I sound alright to me, but I could be completely tone-deaf, for all I know.
To avoid potential embarrassment, I've tried to escape several times by this point...which is why I'm now tied to a chair with a dreamsand rope. Though, I suppose Bunny is too. I guess for once, we're on the same page.
The other three Guardians that actually use their voices have all already gone, and the results have been good across the board. Tooth's actually a great singer, North is surprisingly decent (though all he's been singing is Christmas songs), and though you can tell Bunny would rather be literally anywhere else, he's still got a pretty good voice. Sandy, meanwhile, acts as the DJ and controls all of the music. Not gonna lie, he looks pretty happy over there with shades and headphones on.
Which is pretty much a direct contrast to how I'm feeling.
Why is that? Because North has just suggested that I be the next one to get up and sing something since I haven't yet, and all of the others are agreeing with him.
...please kill me now.
Not gonna lie, I never thought I'd actually miss being invisible, but here we are. Knowing it'll be useless, I don't bother to struggle when North literally picks me up and puts me in front of the microphone, but I still wish I could somehow teleport away. Gotta love stage fright.
"Don't worry, Jack," North says when he sees my uncomfortable expression. "You will do fine. It will be fun!"
Fun. Riiiiiight...
"Listen Frostbite," Bunny grumbles. "If I had ta sing, so do ya. Go ahead and get it over with."
Tooth smiles at me as Sandy gives me a thumbs-up. "I'm sure you have a great voice, Jack!" she says reassuringly.
I'm not quite as sure, but hey, guess we'll see.
Alright, I just need to get through this...most songs are only a couple of minutes long, so it shouldn't be too bad. I just need to pick something that's more on the...mellow side. A sad song, maybe. They're usually easier to sing...I don't want to embarrass myself after all; Bunny'll never let me hear the end of it. So yes, a calm, possibly sad, non-strenuous song...I think I've got one.
I go over to Sandy and whisper my choice to him. He nods and finds the music for it, and the moment I get back to the microphone, it begins to play. I take a deep breath, waiting for the cue for vocals to come in.
Here goes nothing.
"Hello, hello,
Anybody out there...?
'Cause I don't hear a sound...
Alone, alone,
I don't really know where the world is,
But I miss it now..."
So far so good...
"I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name,
Like a fool at the top of my lungs...
And sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright,
But it's never enough...
'Cause my echo, echo,
Is the only voice coming back,
Shadow, shadow,
Is the only friend that I have..."
You know, this song is remarkably fitting when it comes to my whole situation. Would you believe me if I told you I didn't even intend that?
"Listen, listen,
I would take a whisper if,
That's all you had to give...
But it isn't, is it?
You could come and save me and,
Try to chase the crazy right out of my head..."
I'm pretty sure my eyes have been closed for literally the entirety of this.
"I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name,
Like a fool at the top of my lungs...
And sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright,
But it's never enough...
'Cause my echo, echo,
Is the only voice coming back,
Shadow, shadow,
Is the only friend that I have..."
Now for the more powerful part of the song...still not too strenuous, but I'd better raise my voice a little to match...
"I don't wanna be an island!
I just wanna feel alive and–
Get to see your face again...
I don't wanna be an island!
I just wanna feel alive and–
Get to see your face again...
But 'til then..."
Dear God when will this end?
"Just my echo...my shadow...
You're my only friend and I'm–!
I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name,
Like a fool at the top of my lungs...
And sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright–
But it's never enough...!
'Cause my echo, echo...
Oh my shadow, shadow..."
Almost done...
"Hello, hello...
Anybody out there...?"
...and that's that. The music fades out, and before I know it, I'm finished. Now...time to see if I made a fool of myself or not. I open my eyes to see all four of the others staring at me in...awe? Shock? I'm honestly not sure.
I awkwardly clear my throat and say. "So, um...how'd I do?"
This seems to break the spell, and oddly enough, they all start clapping. Well I mean, Bunny's still tied up, so he kind of can't clap, but I have to say that even he looks relatively impressed.
I...guess I did well?
"Jack, that was amazing!" Tooth exclaims, beaming. "I didn't know you could sing like that!"
North nods in agreement. "Excellent performance!" Sandy seems to be of the same mind, as he comes over and pats me on the back with a grin.
Even Bunny chuckles and nods, saying, "Can't lie, mate, ya might be annoyin' as hell, but ya've got a good voice on ya."
...okay at first I thought the other three might just be saying those things to be nice, but if even BUNNY is willing to compliment me, then...I guess it's legit.
I feel myself start blush a little and I turn my head slightly to obscure the blue coloring on my face (yes, I blush blue, it's a winter spirit thing, don't question it). I can honestly say that I haven't really gotten praise like this for something before, so...I'm not entirely sure what to do with it.
So instead of reacting, I just get a drink of water because my throat is literally bone-dry from nerves.
Once I've calmed down enough to lower the risk of my entire body and mind malfunctioning on me, the Guardians pull me into conversation again. "So, Jack..." North says with a smile. "We are continuing with little music night...will you sing more?"
I pause, mulling it over. It kind of surprises me how not averse to the idea I am now. Singing one song wasn't so bad, and I get the feeling I'd have more fun if I just went along with the others and didn't worry about embarrassment. Fun is kind of my thing, of course, so...
I give a grin and nod. "I'm in."
Hope you all enjoyed! By the way, the song used was Echo, by Jason Walker. Great song, I definitely recommend giving it a listen! With that, I'll see you all next week for the next chapter!
'Til then, Sapphire316, out.