I Have Been Transported In A World Where Music Is The Ultimate Power And have Chosen The Kazoo As My Instrument, Now Everyone Hates Me And I Regret My Choices Because I Should Have Put More Points Into Wisdom Or At Least Charisma!

If the Chain Mail Bikini +1 has a door chime, it will ring now as Uta trots in.

A tune accompanies her, which Gwen might recognize from the Seventh Song, heard in Alne's New Year's festival.

Except the tune is being buzzed through some... well, it might not be exactly a /kazoo/ in the modern sense, but it's kinda close: a crudely patched together membrane on a tube-like structure, probably cobbled together by some Adventurer (even though such items have been around forever in Africa... so maybe it's even a native Yamato thing?)

Despite Uta's musical prowess, it is a little bit annoying. It sounds like he kind of instrument where a Song level of 1 is not sufficient to make it sound acceptable, let alone /good/.

Uta interrupts her tune and sighs. "I regret my choices."

the chime goes off and if Uta notices it's a bell that looks like a slime, odd where did Gwen get that? As for Uta she hears the song from the New years party and she would look up. It's a bit on the early side and Ua might find Gwen at her desc near the counters working on Fashion sketches. "What the sam hill is that? Wait Uta?" Gwen will spring up and go to meet her friend "Why are you killing a Cat...."

"...Just to see what would happen...", Uta answers, tongue-in-cheek. She turns her head up to look at the chime and-

Too late. Uta is too enthralled staring at the slime chime. Her smile has grown two sizes, and she's already under it, staring. "Oooooh."

Gwen seems to be in good spirits at seeing her friend. "So what's up Uta and I see you like it." She seems to accept the very Uta Answer. "So what has you here you want to by some new clothes?" Gwen seems /very eager/ I mean one of her fav modes has just walked in after all

Uta looks very confused. "Do I?" She scratches her head. "I mean, I'm not sure, but I /have/ come here, so, uh, I wonder if that is the reason... I might, after all?." She trails off.

"Right!", she exclaims, punching her fist. "Songs! I was looking for songs!"

Gwen Says "Well it is that time of year." She grins evne more "Song what sort of songs? We have the entity of Queen done up if your looking for a copy."

"What time of the year? The time to get new clothes?", asks Uta. And seemingly realizing this for the first time, she walks over to take a look at Gwen's sketches. "Oh, Queen is fine, I'd love some of those -- but I'm mostly looking for more Lander songs. I have a fine collection," she says, "But I can always use more. See, we're trying to reactivate the Chaos Gates, not to mention decypher the Alv language, and finding more songs is the key to that..."

There is some silence.

"...I forget, are you one of the song hunters? It's..." She frown a little. "...hard to keep all that information in my head."

Gwen says "I would be very much up to help with such a project Uta, it would allow a lot better trade and tranist." Another idea comes up in he head she'll have to talk to Proteus about that. "I may have some other thing that could be of help Uta. If you all need anything for the project and i can provide? I will happily do so also do you need uniforms for the team?"

"Oh, it's... it's not a formal group. It's just people who have a common interest in sharing everything they find out," Uta hurries to explain when uniforms are offered.

But since she didn't explicitly say 'no uniforms needed', Gwen might... not get that part of the message and come up with uniforms anyway.

"We share our findings openly, but we expects everyone else who takes part to do likewise. We're a sort of... Loosely Organized Open Network of Students..." A blink. "We... we seriously need a better name. She shakes her head."

"Anyway, the whole point of the network is openness and sharing, based on a mindset of open peer review and discoveries that benefit everyone, as opposed to... alternative approaches based on secrecy and private accumulation of information." She leaves it at that. "We make sure that everyone who takes part in the project will agree to this. At least for the most part. We understand if some details will have to be kept secret, but... you know, some details."

She flicks her menu open and materializes a portable phonograph, the size of a small suitcase. "This is one of the most interesting commonly available Lander songs I've been exposed to. I'm sure you've already heard the First Song, that one is everywhere. Well, there is a variant heard in the tower... here, let me play it for you."

She activates the phonograph. A shellac cylinder begins to rotate, and as the needle runs along it, a melody fills the air...

Gwen says "Ah I see but stiull uniformes would be great...." She trails off with a wistful sigh and may still do it /anyway/ this is Gwen after all. she does however take heed to listen clearly and intently to Uta. The sketch book is set down... "I agree to your terms on this." She'll listen to the song now a she takes note of it and she thinks for a moment. She needs to buy a Phonogrpah herself...later

When the song is done, Uta removes her cylinder. While fiddling with her menu to swap cylinders, she continues, "...and this is a fascinating song that's found within forests and agricultural communities, in Zumfit and all around Eastal."

After the new cylinder shimmers into existence to replace the old one, Uta locks it in place, and a new song begins to play.

Maybe Uta forgot again (most likely), but she doesn't comment on the uniform. "Great! Welcome to the club, Gwen. I'll bring you up to speed on our findings as soon as we can!"

Gwen says "Oh really a farmer's song?" She tolts her head a little bit and seem rather itnerested. "Also my friend how much would one of those players set me back? I have been meaning to get one od them for the shop." The idea of record ads too fill her mind but even she has her limits. She will sit down and listen to the next song with intrest from that point on.

Uta is taken by surprise by that request. "Uh... I... don't know?" she says, scratching her head. "I... I don't really have the Mercantile skill. This is kind of a unique piece, and..." She thinks for some time. "You know what? I think every Song Hunter should have one. We should start into doing that. I have built this phonograph specifically in case one finds oneself in the presence of a song that is sung exactly once, and never sung again later. Like the Chim sang the 43rd song that day... I could never get them to sing it again, and... it's been nagging me since." She thinks for some time. "I should look into either distributing my plans to people, so each person can make their own, or making a small batch...", she mutters to herself.

After that she shakes her head and continues, "...I think it's okay for you to play songs in your shop, it's a nice novelty, but..." She fidgets with her fingers. "Please try to pay attention at how things go and do so responsibly. I'm trying to use this as a scientific instrument to studythe landers' unique culture, transmitted primarily through songs. We must make sure our Adventurer music does not drown out the native culture, wiping away the traditional songs. If you see that there is danger of cultural annihilation..."

There is no need to say anything further.

Given Uta's attitude, someone, at this point, might start wondering if she's is more Olympus or NWA...

Gwen says "Their music is pretty good it shouldn't be lost any culture that at least hass music or art is worth remebering, right?" She grins "I'll keep the power of queen to my own home but you know we hafve plenty of bards making new material and who knows if some Landers get inspired..."

Uta clicks her tongue, and then sighs with a smile. "I suppose you are right, I am worrying too much... a phonograph can't do worse than our Adventurer bards can." She raises an eyebrow. "The Landers seem particularly interested in this device, by the way." There is some thinking, as if she was considering her next move. She finally turns off the phonograph; the shellac cylinders stops spinning, and the whole device shimmers away in a display of light. "...okay, now we are entering a bit of a sensitive area. I will now vocalize two songs I don't have the lyrics for. Song 40 and 41. Please let me know if you hear anything about them. They... are important. And possibly dangerous. I've been keeping them a secret until recently, but I suppose it's time to start looking into them because... of reasons I will explain shortly after I clear up some things. Please have patience."

That said, she begins to vocalize a beautiful, haunting tune... song 40. No lyrics, only 'ooohs' and 'aaahs'.

Unless Gwen comments on the song, she'll segue into Song 41 once song 40 is over. Gwen might recognize the latter as the song Uta was obsessively humming during her Mujou.