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Sorrow filled humming filled the sky as the fog obscured the view around the pier, the Rainmaker was situated by the water, humming and singing her sadness away.
It happened again, of course it happened again, a Toon attack, one after the other after the other.
She was so tired, tired of having pies thrown her way, high voltage shocks zapping their way through her body… They wanted it to stop, so badly, but if anything, what they want most is peace.
Peace between Toons and Suits, peace for her, her co-workers and her enemies.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
For the longest time it felt like she was the only one with that sentiment, they felt like they were the only one who was making an effort for peace. Was there anyone who was like-minded? A Toon? A Suit? Were they the only morally in tune person around here?
They tried learning a few things about Toons, like the games they play, the songs they sing, the things they do.
They looked like they would have so much fun all the time, she wanted to join in on that fun too! But she couldn’t, she couldn’t do that.
Right now, this was the only time they could find peace, alone.
Whenever they tried to talk to others, try to do anything, it felt as if no one wanted to listen. Ha… if she could even muster up the courage to approach someone in the first place.
It was hard, so hard. What if she just made everyone hate her? What if everyone already hates her?
The only peace she felt was when she was alone, in the quiet, with no one to judge them.
If the quiet and the loneliness bothered her, she would just sing to fill the silence. Better than nothing right?
It felt nice to release their sorrows through tune, it was a lot more graceful and empowering compared to crying.
Her voice sifted through the air, her misery lingering in the fog. It was best to get these feelings out before she was called to be on the job again.
…
“A soft tune of despair, such a beautiful yet tragic sound.”
…
…What…?
“The sound of a siren singing their heart away, sending it toward a sullen sailor, entracing him with their voice.”
Misty turns around, all sound being cut off as she spies a rather large silhouette in the fog.
“My dear siren, your voice is something straight from a dream, one that lulls you into the best snoozefest you’ve ever had.”
“Tell me, babe, how’d we end up here?”
As the fog clears she sees a familiar cog, piano teeth, spinning records, dashing shades. It was the Master of Melody himself; Dave Brubot.
“...Me?”
Misty pointed to herself, a confused look gracing their face. She’s never really talked to Brubot before… only seen him chatting up a storm with other Suits; mostly Buck Ruffler. They had watched one of their High Roller shows once, she was on the edge of their seat during the whole show, it was so intriguing yet so overstimulating, it made her wanna curl up from all the noise and blaring music.
“Well, who else would I be referrin’ to, babe? The songbirds?”
He let out a chuckle, a distant seagull letting out a cry as he looked down at the space next to Misty.
“May I settle down here, sunshine?”
The Rainmaker looks down and then back up at the Major Player. This felt odd… it wasn’t often someone actually wanted to do something like- be around her. Only really Chip would enjoy her company, even then he had the tendency to have his schedule booked out by work.
“Uhm… sure! Yes, sure.”
Their eyes darted around awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.
“Thank ya, babe.”
He sat himself down next to Misty, his legs hanging off the pier much like her’s were. She twiddled her thumbs, avoiding eye contact as they sat together.
“What’s a pretty lady like you doin’ hummin’ a beautiful tune like that?”
Her head snapped up as she looked back at the Major Player, his gaze not leaving the fog in front of him. Her face started to warm up a little at the compliment, she’s never been called pretty before- or had someone say something she did was beautiful- or even had pet names used on her before. It felt all too intimate, it didn’t feel right.
She shook her head, still looking back at him. Was he hitting on her? What does she say? She’s never really had something like this happen to her before- at least genuinely- well she didn’t know if this time was genuine or not but…
How could she say this…? How could she… speak his language?
“Well… uh… sorry but- I don’t really ‘swing’ that way.”
She chuckles nervously at her own pun, gauging the others reaction.
Dave turned to look at her before letting out a loud accordion-esque laugh, his head reeling back.
“Oh-! Didn’t mean for it to come off like that , babe, I promise ya! I was just givin’ a genuine compliment, honest.”
“If it makes ya feel better, I don’t swing your way either.”
Her shoulders dropped, the tension leaving her body as they listened to Dave’s comment and laughter. Something about his laugh was a little scary but they could tell it was a sound of joy, it almost made her feel warm in a way. She was glad he took the pun well, when she tried to joke around with Toons it always left an awkward sense in the air.
“Oh… well, we could swing the other way… together?”
She tried to make eye contact again, looking into Dave’s sunglasses, she tried to search for eyes under there but it looked like a whole lot of nothing.
“We could! We could! We could get our toes tappin’! Our legs swingin’, just like how yours are doin’ right now!”
Misty tilts her head, looking down as she notices her legs happily kicking off the pier.
“Huh, guess I never noticed that-”
“You’ve been at it since you cracked that pun, seems to have brought some shine in your sky, hm?”
She smiles under the mask a little, shifting gaze to the fog in front of her.
“I guess it’s nice to have someone around, I haven’t sat here with anyone else before.”
Dave slightly reels back, putting a hand on his chest as he directs his gaze at Misty.
“Well, call me astonished, babe! With a voice like that, I’m surprised no one came ‘round to listen!”
The Rainmaker picks at the screws on her knuckles, letting out a flustered chuckle.
“Was it really that good…?”
“Certainly, babe!”
The Major Player flashes her a smile before it quickly softens.
“Though, your tunes are dreary and blue, your beat is slow and lackin’ a groove. I can tell what you sing comes from the heart, and baby, your heart seems to be achin’ for a fresh start.”
Misty’s posture droops a little, all of what Dave had said was true. Could he really tell that she was sad based on what she was humming?
“...Yeah, you’re right. Just haven’t been having a good day. I had some run-ins with some Toons and it didn’t end well.”
He nods in understanding, letting out a sigh.
“I catch your drift.”
She places her head in her hands for a moment, a rant bubbling up in her chest.
“It’s just-”
“I don’t know why we can’t just get along , you know! It’s- I’m so tired of being hurt- no one has sympathy for me!”
Her hands clench as her cloud hair flared up, bolts of lightning coursing through her head.
“I feel like I try so hard to make friends but it- it always ends in me getting the short end of the stick!”
“Pie in the face- an anvil on the head- getting soaked in water…”
She clutches her coat, her gaze directed on the ground.
“I’m so tired of it…”
Misty feels a pat on the back, causing her to look up and meet Dave’s gaze, he somehow looked concerned under those glasses of his.
“Lemme tell you one thing, babe.”
He rubs her shoulder reassuringly, thinking out his next words.
“Toons and Suits are like clashin’ genres, constantly yip yapping their trap on who’s the coolest cat ‘round here.”
“Y’know how defensive the crowd can get about their tastes in tune, right?”
Misty looks to the side, not really catching what Dave was trying to say. She doesn’t want to come off as stupid or dumb or oblivious, so she just pretends to agree.
“Uhm… yeah.”
“B-but I just don’t get it.”
The Major Player tilts his head in confusion.
“Don’t get what, baby doll?”
“I don’t get you…”
The Rainmaker looks down, biting their lip under their mask.
“Y’don’t get me? How so?”
She straightens out her posture a little, fiddling with her hands as she thought long and hard about what she wanted to say. She didn’t want to come off as rude- or envious- or mean- or anything! She doesn’t want Dave to… to hate her! They’ve already ruined so many things with other people but they just… want to get their feelings out so bad. It’s been bubbling up inside her like an angry storm, and no one has been willing to listen to her… until now.
“I don’t get how you’re so- so confident all the time. How you go on stage with Toons, how it’s so easy for you to… to get along with them.”
“I’ve only seen snippets of your shows- the real thing is too flashy and loud for my tastes, but even with those Toons interrupting your performance, neither of you seemed mad at each other in the end.”
“And yet… They all look at me like I’m a monster.”
She lets out a sigh, pulling her mask up even more, wanting to disappear into her coat.
“Now, that couldn’t be further than the truth, babe.”
Dave squeezes her shoulder gently, trying to ground them and prevent them from spiraling.
“An album can have songs that aren’t so groovy, but that don’t mean the composer ain’t good at makin’ funky beats. There will be songs that make your feet tap, that make your whole body move! You’ve encountered those before, right? Those Toons that ask to be your buddies? I sure have.”
It takes a moment for the weather lady to process what he had said, she thinks back to when she had fought those Toons earlier. The entire pier was obscured in fog, she couldn’t see them and they couldn’t see her either.
She heard a Toon call out, a meek and shy voice flew through the fog and passed by her auditory sensors.
“Can we be friends?”
All she could do was stare, and what was staring back was just a deep and foggy abyss. They didn’t know how much she wanted to say yes to that presence behind the fog.
But it was impossible, she couldn’t, no matter how much she wanted that.
That’s just how the world works, it never gave them what they wanted.
“...”
“I… suppose so…”
She felt him rub her shoulder again, it spread a warmth stemming from her shoulder to the rest of her body.
“We’re all fightin’ our fights. That burning fire between Toons and Suits is always gonna crackle away, no matter how sweet and serene the tunes you sing are.”
He points to himself, flashing a smile at the other.
“Of course though, my tunes are always boppin-beats for any Suit or Toon that hears it!”
Dave does a little finger gun toward Misty with his free hand, exclaiming “Wink!” out loud to make up for the fact that he doesn’t have eyes behind those glasses of his.
“Haha… I guess so. Your music is very nice, Mr. Brubot, even if some of your tracks may be a little too fast for me.”
“It’s Dave, baby. Call me Dave.”
He gives her a little playful pat on the back, a little too playful as it knocks a bit of the wind out of her.
“Oof- ok, ok! You make good music, Dave.”
She gives him a little smile under her mask, her eyes looking brighter than usual.
She rubs her shoulder as her face softens.
“I just find it crazy that you’re able to make something that both Suits and Toons can enjoy, I mean- it’s probably already obvious- but, I envy you…”
Misty flaps her hands a little to release some of the tension they’re feeling. Admitting that felt a little scary.
He shoots them a smile, adjusting his sunglasses.
“Well they don’t call me the Maestoso Maestro for nothin’, babe!”
Misty tilts her head, blinking slowly.
“The what…?”
He elbows her, letting out a chuckle.
“It just means I’m down right amazin’, sunshine.”
Dave pats her shoulder, rubbing the spot that he had elbowed. She lets out a giggle as she reaches out to hold the hand on her.
“But really, you wanna know the secret on how this musician charms his audience?”
The weather woman nods, wanting to know how he just… clicks with everyone.
“Well, not only do I make tunes for me to dance to, I compose them for the whole grand audience out there! From the smallest Toons to the biggest Suits! For everyone, baby doll!”
The musician throws his arms up dramatically to accentuate his point, slowly lowering his hands down back to his lap.
“Could we have a heart to heart for a moment, raindrop?”
He rests a hand where his heart would be, looking down at the weather woman with a soft expression.
“Oh, uh… ok. To be honest I thought that’s what we were already doing.”
She scratches the back of her head nervously.
“Just got somethin’ I wanna lay down on ya, it’s no biggie.”
He chuckles, clearing his throat as he shifts his body to face Misty, his legs no longer hanging off the pier.
She mimics him, facing Dave as she prepares for whatever this ‘heart to heart’ was going to be.
“When you’re singin’ to those Toons, tryin’ to appeal to them, tryin’ to ‘get along’ as ya put it, how much do you actually think about your audience when you’re performin’?”
Misty blinks, feeling every breath they’re taking as she thinks about what he had said.
“I… don’t know what you mean.”
Dave shakes his head lightly, the cymbal on his head making a quiet ‘tsst’ sound.
“Listenin’ to you ramble, there was a lotta I/me/myself talk, never once did ya really think about how your music felt to your audience.”
“You just assumed they hated the work you put in for no rhyme or reason. When really, they just don’t understand your kinda sound yet.”
The rainmaker leans in as she intently listens. She wants to say something, her chest is chalk full of repressed suffering she just wants to spill on the table. Toons didn’t see her, no one saw her, no one saw the good in her, she was a good person, right? She’s been trying to help…
Who is she trying to help…?
“Like I said earlier, everyone’s fightin’ their fight. That blazin’ flame can be blinding, not lettin’ us see what’s goin’ on in front of us.”
“Those Toons, they’re blind to your attempts to make peace, sunshine. Just like how you’re blind to the fact that they’re blind to you.”
She shakes her head, trying to process the sentence. Too many of the same word at once…
“What?”
Dave chuckles at her confusion, scratching his head as he thinks of a simpler way to put it.
“What I’m sayin’ is, y’can’t play the blame game on them when they’ve been taught to drown out sweet melody makers like you. For all they know they coulda thought you were gonna rain on their parade.”
The weather woman looks up and down at him trying to figure out what he means, they grit their teeth, growing a little frustrated at not being able to get what he’s saying.
“I still don’t get it, I don’t understand.”
She looks to the side, a frown hidden behind her mask.
“Don’t you want peace between us too? Despite… what others may think?”
Dave straightens up, looking down at Misty sternly.
“‘Course I do, babe! But here’s the difference between me and you, baby blue.”
“The ideal world, the way I see it, is a world where a Suit and a Toon could tango on the dance floor, without a care in the world, baby. Just their bodies swinging and their feet shufflin’ to the risin’ rhythms.”
“A world where Suit and Toon culture could mingle, and create somethin’ truly to behold, somethin’ new and excitin’, somethin’ that fills ya with that groovy feelin’ in your body. That’s the ideal world for me.”
“But from what I’m gatherin’, the ideal world to you is one where you’re the only one dancin’. Sure, it’s nice to hit those toe-tappin’ beats without bein’ interrupted, but you’re not thinkin’ about the bigger picture, sunshine.”
Misty tilts her head, adjusting the mask on her face.
“Only one dancing…?”
She wracked her brain, thinking about what this ‘bigger picture’ is.
Do you actually think about the audience when you’re performin’?
Who was she trying to help…?
…
“It’s all about intent, babe, and how others perceive that intent, how others perceive your sound and your rhythms.”
Misty looks down at the pier, avoiding eye contact.
“...and I’m guessing my intent was…”
She sighs, rubbing her arm, feeling the warmth fade.
“...to help myself.”
Dave’s expression softens as he pats her back, more gently this time.
“Right on the money, baby.”
The weather woman is still for a moment, just… thinking to herself. Was she really just being selfish? Was she simply just being guilt-trippy? Fishing for sympathy? Was that all that was? It wasn’t selfish to not want to be hurt right? She wasn’t selfish, she wasn’t… selfish…
…
That blazing flame- it blinds us, was she blind? Blind to what?
Intent- how others perceive that intent.
How did Toons perceive their intent? When they approached them, what did they see?
An enemy, they saw an enemy.
Suits and Toons saw each other as enemies, that’s how it worked.
In their eyes, they were only protecting themselves from her.
There were countless times a Toon would get their gags stolen, ink splashed in their face, knives stabbed in their back, they had the right to be afraid of Suits… the right to be afraid of her.
It probably felt horrible to be called cruel and unruly for only protecting oneself.
She wasn’t thinking about how the Toons had felt during all of this, all she did was blame them for her suffering, in hopes that they didn’t hurt her and her only .
…
“I think… I get it now.”
She fiddles with her hands nervously, her fingers jittering in the open air.
“Sorry for… ‘not thinking about my audience.’”
She jumped at the feeling of a hand in her hair as she looked up at Dave gently patting her head.
“It’s all gravy, baby. Y’didn’t realize it til now.”
He carded his hand through her hair, it felt odd, it felt like something and nothing at the same time, like solid and gas simultaneously, it was a weird yet interesting sensation, he wouldn’t say he hated it.
He tilted his head, opening his mouth to speak.
“Y’know, maybe you can teach me a thing or two, sunshine.”
The weather woman blinked, giving the musician a puzzled look.
“Teach you what?”
Dave holds a finger up, adjusting his sunglasses.
“You’ve been tryin’ to get on those Toon’s good side this whole time, right? You’d know a thing or two- or three- or four.”
He holds up a finger with each number he lists, a subtle smile forms on Misty’s face as he does so, she understands why people found this guy so charming.
“Well… I learned about some games Toons played… Have you ever heard of Pat-a-cake?”
“I heard it in passing, tell me all about it, sunshine.”
Dave flashes her a warm smile, leaning in so he could listen intently. She appreciates it, it actually felt like someone cared about what she had to say.
“It’s basically a clapping game. We sing this song and we clap along to it-”
Dave perked up, the record on his head spinning briefly, playing a few seconds of smooth jazz. Misty put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.
“I’m all about song and dance, babe! Show me the ropes!”
The weather woman raises both her hands, holding out her palms to Dave.
“Ok, first step, you clap your hands together like this.” Misty proceeds to clap her hands once, waiting for the musician to do the same.
“Got it-”
Clap
“Ok, ok. Good! Then we separate our hands, and now we’re gonna use our right hand.”
She wiggles her fingers on her right hand, giggling as Dave mimics her motion.
“Piano fingers you got, sunshine.”
She flushes slightly, clenching her right hand for a moment before opening it back up again.
“Thanks- but uhm… anyways, we take our right hands and clap them in the middle- like a high five.”
“I’m gettin’ it, hit play, babe!”
Misty and Dave each thrust their hands in between them, a clap resounding through the pier. The sound causes the two to giggle, Misty biting her lip to try and suppress her chuckle.
“Aww c’mon, raindrop, laugh it up! This is a game, remember? It’s all about havin’ a grand ol’ time.”
She lets a giggle escape her mouth, failing to hold it in.
“Ooh-! But we haven’t even started playing the real game yet…”
She retracts her hand and the Major Player does the same.
“Then you clap your hands together again, and do the same motion but with the other hand-”
Dave follows through with her instructions, the two of them clapping their hands together, filling the silence in the pier. They keep repeating the motion, Misty happily bobbing up and down as they play.
“-then we have the song- I’ll uh… sing it first and you can sing along after you hear the whole thing.”
“I gotcha-cha-cha! Lay it on me, sunshine.”
She clears her throat, paying attention to the beat of their claps.
“Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake.”
“Baker’s man-”
“Bake me a cake as fast as you can-”
“Pat it and prick it and mark it with a…”
She pauses for a beat, trying to think of the next lyric.
“...D!”
“Put it in the oven for Davey and me!”
“For Davey and me-”
“For Davey and me-”
“There will be plenty for Davey and me-!”
She giggles giddily, a wide smile under her mask as her hair softly sways in the wind.
“Ok, you can join in now!”
Dave perks up as his gaze doesn’t leave Misty’s face, readying his voice to sing a childish tune.
“Y’got it, babe!”
“On three…”
“One…”
“Two…”
“Three!”
Their hands clap together in sync, their bodies swinging to the playful beat.
“Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake.”
“Baker’s man-”
“Bake me a cake as fast as you can-”
“Pat it and prick it and mark it with a D!”
“Pat it and prick it and mark it with a M!”
“Put it in the oven for Davey and me!”
“Put it in the oven for Misty and me!”
“For Davey and me-”
“For Misty and me-”
“For Davey and me-”
“For Misty and me-”
“There will be plenty for Davey and me-!”
“There will be plenty for Misty and me~!”
Misty openly giggles between verses, their face warming up as Dave replaces a lyric with her name. It felt as if the world around her had been becoming brighter, literally, as the fog around them had started to clear up, the sunshine peeking through the clouds and hitting the surface of their metal plating.
Their voices mingle in the air, filling the space around them with a childish whimsy. Who cares if people see this as ridiculous- stupid- a waste of time- they were having fun! And that’s all that mattered. The two of them together, having fun, not just Misty, not just Dave, not individually. Together, mutually, they were happy.
They start to speed up, their movements growing faster and their singing more frantic and slurred. Misty especially constantly lisped and stifled all the words that rolled out of her mouth, but that didn’t matter, the only audience members in this show were the two of them, and no amount of slipping up could ruin their childish, merrymaking fun.
Dave felt something stir inside him, a steaming hot pot, a groove comin’ on. He couldn’t help himself, the feeling of a jig pricking at his legs as the record on his head spun, a joyful tune erupting from it.
The Major Player grabbed the Rainmaker’s hands, hoisting her up in the air as he gets carried away with their game, his feet tapping on the wooden surface of the pier as Misty stumbles in confusion.
“Ah! What’s happening-?”
“Dance with me, sunny day!”
He swings her around, catching her as she nearly falls, finagling their arms all over until they reach a steady position. Her legs shake as both her feet meet the ground, her line of vision completely fixed on the boardwalk.
“I- I don’t really know how to dance-”
The Major Player grinned at her as he let go of one her hands, placing his own under her chin so she could meet his gaze.
“You don’t needa know, you just gotta do! Fill your heart up with that skiddly-diddly-doo-!”
He takes each of her hands, the record on his head spinning freely, the pier filling up with song.
“It’s my turn to lead you, so pay attention, baby blue!”
“Go with the groove, and follow my moves, do what feels right by you, babe!”
Misty continues to look at him like a scared animal, her legs shaking like a fearful fawn. Fillers and hesitations stumbling out of her mouth.
“Uh- uhm… uh…”
…
He stops for a moment, noticing their struggle. Dave squeezes her hands, trying to give her a reassuring look.
He clears his throat, the sound of a record scratch breaking the atmosphere. The sky had grown cloudy once again as the two stood there for a moment.
“How about a change of pace?”
The vinyl on his head starts to spin again, a softer, more gentle tune starts to play as Dave holds her.
“One step back and two steps forward, y’got it, babe?”
The Major Player looks down on her, watching her give him a shaky nod. All the confirmation he needs.
The two start stepping around the pier, their feet tapping against the wooden planks as their gaze were fixed on each other. Misty’s body trembled, afraid of slipping up, afraid of ruining their duet. One step, two step, three- carefully treading, trying to follow the musical maestro’s rhythm.
Continuously, repeating motions, guiding them across the pier. The cool breeze flew by them, adding a slight shiver to their step, but that’s okay, he’s got her in his arms and that made everything alright, he could guide her through the strong winds and they would come out okay.
Slowly the two fell in sync, their beats falling in line, that swing starting to make itself known in their steps. Their moves grew more smooth, at first they were a rough pile of ingredients, then they were slowly stirred into a smooth buttery paste, combined together in an elegant dance.
Misty’s heart was put at ease, the tremble in her fingers, her breaths, her steps were quelled, slowly lulled into a state of peace by their gentle dance. The Rainmaker softly hums along to the tune the other is playing, this time it’s a happy hum, not a song dripped in sorrow. Her voice and his song perfectly coexist.
She found it, she found her peace, a peace that wasn’t achieved by being left alone.
The weather woman yelped in surprise as the musician took her for a spin, the twists and turns filling her head with a dizziness, but that dizziness wasn’t unpleasant, rather, it was a fun and erratic mind shamble that caused laughter to bubble out of Misty’s mouth in spurts.
This was it, this was peace, this was bliss, this was fun.
Maybe in a better world, the ideal world the way these two see it, they could share a moment like this with a Toon or two or three or four...
Peace for Suits and Toons, peace for their co-workers, and their enemies… a dance shared between everything and everyone.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
