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[the_old_bean]

Bertie is in an excellent mood.

For one thing, Jeeves has worked a bloody miracle, and his latest matrimonial scare has been most satisfactorily resolved in a way that didn't involve Bertie ending up at, or indeed anywhere near, a nuptial altar.

For another thing, he's discovered the piano.

This may or may not be good news for the other patrons of Milliways. Either way, there's a Wooster, dressed for dinner, sitting at the piano, playing rather enthusiastically. He's no Cab Calloway, but he does his best.

He could, perhaps, use a little help with the call and response bits.



tiny-and-arguably-musical!tag: Bertram Wilberforce Wooster

Comments

[gotaheadstart.livejournal.com]

The sound of a piano catches Cuddy's attention, and she looks up to see the man she now knows as Bertie (not House) sitting in front of the keys.

For one thing, he's playing a much more jovial tune than House would ever attempt, and the smile on Bertie's face is completely uncharacteristic of his doppelganger.

She approaches the piano after making sure none of her belongings will disappear from her seat, resting her elbows against the top and watching him with a faint smile.

[the_old_bean]

"Ah, Miss Cuddie," Bertie says, stopping the song and looking up from his music with a smile. "Good to see you again."

[gotaheadstart.livejournal.com]

"How are you doing?" she asks, motioning towards the piano. "Oh, and please, don't stop on my account."

[the_old_bean]

"I'm bally well perfect," Bertie says, fingers tickling at the keys again. "I've had a marvelous day.

"How about you? Everything peachy keen at the sickhouse?"

[gotaheadstart.livejournal.com]

"If by peachy you mean 'disaster' and by keen you mean 'chaotic', then yes, I guess it would be peachy keen indeed."

Cuddy grins slightly. Okay, so she might be exaggerating, but it's only the middle of the day. There's still time for things to spiral out of control.

[the_old_bean]

"Sounds like a bloody mess," Bertie says, frowning. "Anything I could do to help?"

[gotaheadstart.livejournal.com]

"For starters," Cuddy says, "you can keep playing. It's a good distraction."

[a1enzo]

Enzo's mood, on the other hand, has been in a gradual but steady decline over the past few weeks. It's extremely downcast he looks as he wanders over to listen to the piano with furrowed brow.

He doesn't know what a 'hoochie-coocher' is either.

[the_old_bean]

Bertie sees him approaching and finishes the verse he's on before addressing him.

"Ah...Enzo, wasn't it? Would you mind lending me a hand here? Or a vocal chord, rather?"

[a1enzo]

"Huh? What do you need?"

[the_old_bean]

"Well, you see," Bertie starts, absently plinking out the melody. "It's a sort of...call and response. And I can call just fine, but if I'm responding as well..." He hoodie-hoodie-hoos himself as a demonstration.

"Doesn't quite work, you see."

[a1enzo]

"Oh. Yeah, I guess not."

[the_old_bean]

"But if you would be so kind as to cover the responses for me, we could make quite a duet of it," Bertie says.

It seems perfectly logical to him.

[fiery_ring]

There's a grubby young girl and a chimpanzee dancing to the music.

[the_old_bean]

Bertie has seen stranger things in his life, but not many. Still, they seem to be enjoying themselves, so he continues playing, becoming, perhaps, a bit more enthusiastic.

He finishes with a very big, "Minnie had a heart as big as a whaaaaaaaaale."

[fiery_ring]

Carlotta laughs, and does a couple of somersaults over to him. She's a lot younger than last tiem they met, but he may recognise her.

"That was wizard!"

The chimp follows, climbing up onto the piano.

[the_old_bean]

Ooh, more slang for his growing vocabulary!

"Oh...was it? Well...thank you, young miss. You're clearly a woman of remarkably refined taste and all that."

He doesn't recognize her. He tends not to take too much notice of children unless they've been horrible to him.

[fiery_ring]

"It was jolly." Carlotta says, grinning at him. "Do you play a lot?"

[the_old_bean]

"Oh, every so often," Bertie says. "Usually when I've heard a cracking new one down at the Drones."

He eyes her furry companion. "Do you dance with monkeys often?"

[2woolongdatadog.livejournal.com]

Yes! Someone will do the "Hoodie hoodie hoodie hoos" and other response bits for Bertie! Although it sounds more like "Arrr aroo aroo aroo" because that someone is a dog. But a dog with above-average musical sensibility.

[the_old_bean]

Bertie looks around for his accompanist and does a bit of a double-take when he discovers who it is.

"Well...hello, there, Fido."

[2woolongdatadog.livejournal.com]

"Arf!" Ein says, wagging his tail in spite of the fact that he is most definitely not named Fido. And Bertie should, in fact, know his proper name, since they've met before. (http://community.livejournal.com/milliways_bar/21162235.html) Granted, that was a while ago.

Ein trots up next to where Bertie's sitting. "Arf! Arf!" He moves his front paws up and down, miming playing on a piano. Maybe he wants Bertie to play more music?

[the_old_bean]

Children and dogs are two things Bertie doesn't pay much attention to or remember for very long. Hence his complete lack of recognition here.

"Ah, a canine after my own heart," Bertie says, amused. He starts the song again from the top. (He's still not sure what a hoochie-coocher is.)

[2woolongdatadog.livejournal.com]

Ein has an idea - he knows the "hoochie coochie" is a less-than-respectable dance of some kind - but it's not like he could explain that to Bertie.

When Bertie gets up to the next call-and-response bit, Ein obliges him with "Arr aroo aroo aroo" again.

It's possible Bertie could get Ein to perform other musical tricks, especially if there's food and/or petting in it for the dog (hint hint).

[the_old_bean]

Bertie is very impressed with Ein's musical talent, but it hasn't occurred to him to try and get him to do more.

He's not exactly a dog person.