Marguerite Blakeney is clearly beyond scruples (blazeinhereyes) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-06-01 15:50:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, laura kinney (wolverine), marguerite blakeney |
Who: Marguerite and Laura
What: Musical plot!
When: First week of June
Where: Local cafe
Warnings: Low
Status: Log | Complete
For someone who made a career out of performing in musicals, Marguerite had to admit that the latest Orange County happenings was rather amusing to her. There were some horrible singers, but she always had felt that there was something about music that could speak to things that normal words could not. She also was sometimes responding in music as well just because.
For now, she was currently waiting for Laura for their weekly coffee date, looking over audition notices. Her work was never truly done. When she wasn’t performing or in rehearsals, she was volunteering or doing assignments for Natasha. However she wasn’t needed at either volunteer location and no current assignments and there was a breadth of audition notices to go over.
While this wasn’t Laura’s first experience with OC shenanigans, this was really the first time it was kind of silly. She’d already witnessed an entire musical act in the middle of the street about a newspaper blowing in the wind. It made her grin ear from ear as she sat down in front of Marguerite, though she was only a little sad at wondering what it would be like to have her ex sing. She had been a disney princess. “Either I’m hallucinating or I just walked through a musical number.”
Looking up from the notations she was making, Marguerite grinned in amusement.
“It looks like we’re living in a musical. Someone earlier was singing about needing more tea. It was quite amusing.”
Of course she found it amusing. Having gone through Orange County shenanigans for a while, she would always take the more amusing ones over the ones that usually took place with the panic and trauma.
“I don’t know if I want to start singing,” Laura admitted. But if she did, something joyful and fun. Life was painful enough and she was trying to move forward and not backslide.
Marguerite nodded some.
“I sing for a living so it would not be so weird for me. Sometimes we can find it easier to put things into lyrics than normal conversation.”
True, that probably had to do with the times songs were used for monologues and internal thoughts in shows, but there was a reason music was universal, even as there were so many different styles of it.
“Is it? I’d think that would be harder. Since music has to have a specific cadence and rhythm to it. I’d think that would be harder.” Laura wasn’t without either of those things, but it was easier with movement than it was with words. Words and Laura didn’t always mix well.
“There are songs for seemingly every situation though. So if you can’t find something to say, there is undoubtedly a song somewhere that has already said it.” Shrugging, Marguerite took a sip of her coffee, “I also do musical theatre where songs are used for voicing inner thoughts so that could have something to do with my view on things.”
What? Marguerite was self aware and knew that her life and career would influence how she saw the use of music.
That was actually really interesting to Laura and she was grateful that she’d gone along with the idea of getting to know her. “I’m better with.. Dancing and movement. Reading people that way. Words aren’t always true.”
Marguerite paused in thought, then nodded. She could see that, but she also knew that you couldn’t always even trust a person’s actions.
“True. But what if a person does something not because they want to, but they are forced to though the force may not be apparent? Even if words are not always true, actions are not always done strictly by choice. In a way, it’s why we need both.”
After all, a lot of miscommunication came from people not bothering to talk to one another and assumptions being made that way as well.
Laura nodded. That was something she really understood. “That has happened to me, more times than I want to think about. “
Losing control of her life had been her story, and so had taking control of it.
“It’s a very…. Well, it’s one of those times where I don’t think there are words to explain what it is.” Blackmail, blackmail and more blackmail. Marguerite’s dreams didn’t deal with things where magic, mind control, or more fantastical elements were in play. But human cruelness and blackmail? Fear and desperation? Those were all too real and could lead to being forced into situations you would never have been in or done in normal circumstances.
Laura couldn’t think of anything to say. She understood. Words weren’t always enough, and without having a telepath around there was nothing to do but sit in silent affirmation.
She sipped at her coffee. “Life isn’t always fair, not everyone can take control of their own, but I’m glad I’ve been able to.”
Somewhere nearby, someone strummed a guitar to a very specific beat, and Laura belted out, "This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud"
Sometimes silent affirmation was all that was needed. For all of her energy and interacting with people, being able to sit in silence and understand? It was something Marguerite did actually appreciate despite what most people might think.
“No, it isn’t but sometimes even when it seems otherwise, the only thing we have is our ability to take some semblance of control.” Even if it meant owning actions taken, knowing why if you even had that.
And oh, singing was happening. Well, Marguerite could respond in kind. She doubted Laura would be really happy about being hit with the music thing so Marguerite had no problem joining in to give her a sense of not being singled out.
“And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me”
Laura was relieved when Marguerite started to sing. And as embarrassing as this was, Laura found herself really, really getting into it, going so far as to get up and dance around.
"It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
It's my life"
Somehow, the songs really seemed to work together.
It helped being able to read people to know that the act would be appreciated. It was probably another reason why Natasha had tapped her for being one of her spies along with her ability to assume any given role. The songs did work together though and Marguerite already had another song in mind for replying thanks to one of the audition notices she’d been going over. Okay, so what if the character she’d be auditioning for wasn’t in the song, it still fit. Because living life your own way? Well, you had to seize that time, and seize the day.
“Now is the time to seize the day
Stare down the odds and seize the day
Minute by minute that's how you win it
We will find a way
But let us seize the day
Courage cannot erase our fear
Courage is when we face our fear
Tell those with power safe in their tower
We will not obey!
So let us seize the day.”
That song was enough to move Laura to tears, and her mood shifted a little bit. She pressed a hand to her chest and sang.
”Used to be a big old monkey riding on my back
Though it was my lord and master
Well, I took care of that
Nobody gonna pull me under
Nobody gonna drag me down
Nobody gonna steal my thunder
Nobody jerkin' me around
No, no, no
Used to have a big old rockpile to grind
Now I'm standing at the top
I call the mountain "mine"
Admittedly Marguerite hadn’t expected the shift though she did note that she had chosen the first part of the song, and thus the slower one which clearly had spoken to something in Laura.
“Live free and beauty surrounds you
The world still astounds you
Each time you look at a star
Stay free, where no walls divide you
You're free as the roaring tide
So there's no need to hide
“I like that one,” Laura said, snapping out of whatever had possessed her. She stopped dancing, hands dropping to her sides and felt a little dizzy. Maybe she needed to sing and dance more often. It was fun and kind of exhausting, but in a good way.
And back to speaking. At least no one in the cafe seemed to put much thought into the random dueling songs that had taken place, then again they were used to Orange County and it wasn’t like there had been all that many patrons at the moment. Though Marguerite did notice the familiar look of dizziness and got Laura to the table and motioned for water and so she could get her coffee order.
“So do I. Then again, I’m a fan of Kerry Ellis and it’s one of the songs she collaborated on with Brian May.”
“I’ll need to look it up.” It spoke to her, but so had the other two that Marguerite had sung. “You weren’t affected were you. You just...joined in? Thank you.”
“I did. I was prepared to use choreography to get us onto the roof and go into Seize the Day choreography if necessary.” Space issues and all, smiling some she nodded, “You’re welcome though.”
Laura grinned. What Marguerite had just suggested sounded like a great idea. “Want to do that anyway?”
Laughing some, Marguerite nodded, “Let’s.”