Drowning in the Siren's Song -II

Chapter 4

Percy literally had no idea where to start. 

There were no street buskers nearby he could reference, so he had no idea if there were any rules or regulations or customs to the act. He had swaggered in with confidence, ready to sing money out of several pockets, but now that he had to, he was stumped. 

He wandered here and there for a 'good' spot, searching for a public space where there was a lot of foot traffic. And once he found such a place, he'd combed his hair, fluffed Keria's feathers and pocketed Riptide in preparation (He didn't want anyone else thinking he'd stolen the ring). Once his appearance was taken care of, he set forward a simple round-brimmed hat, leaving it face up in anticipation.

He had realized that nature spirits everywhere had similar tendencies. He used to receive money in the reserve, and now he had awoken to a dirty brown hat the day before. Of course he wasn't complaining, but it was alarming still. 

But since he was batting on their team, there was nothing he could say. Not to mention that the ones benefitting always kept smiling. 

He took a moment to calm his nerves, shaking out his hands and stretching his neck. He was very assured till then, but as he saw more and more people passing by, he stared to waver. His trauma also stated acting up, making him notice all the men more and more vividly. 

However, Percy was extremely proficient in dealing with situations where he had to suppress his emotions. Due to his 'sireness', he was adept as anything to do with handling emotions.
And so, even though it wasn't a piece of cake, Percy took a deep breath and began singing.

A scarf fluttered in the wind as it ran away from its owner, it's bright colors flashing in the sun. The owner didn't even notice as she stared the child who seemed like he was shining. Her scarf must've been expensive, but she was still there, hand hovering over her purse, too occupied by his song to even bring out any bills.

Everyone nearby stopped their conversations to listen. Dogs stopped barking and the subtle gurgling of the water also seemed muted. He had no mic to elevate his voice, nor speakers with background music, and yet his song was complete.

Percy had closed his eyes. It was the only way he could've started singing. He had no idea of the crowd that had formed and the one which was still growing. His ears were filled with the satisfaction of singing, and he was deaf to the hustle of the people as they strained to come closer, listen louder. 

It was an understatement to say that his busking was a success. Once the passerby's got ahold of themselves, cash and coins filled the hat. Someone put newspaper under the hat, allowing the hat to overflow with generosity.

It was hard to judge whether the people were just kind or if Percy's singing had forced the money out of them.
Because there was a lot of it.
A lot. 

And there was only one of the two who noticed the fortune. While Percy was completely immersed in the song, Keria was shivering on his shoulder. Her eyes gleamed ferociously as they reflected the shine on the coins. She had the appearance of a cute little birdy, but all the 'cute little birdy' was doing was following the hands of the people reaching for their pockets. 

If she could act like she wanted, she would've been cackling with mad laughter. Poor Percy was oblivious to Keria's crazed greed, happy with simply singing his heart out. He'd chosen one of his favorite folk songs, a happy tune, and was enjoying it with every ounce of his being. 

And the people could see that. They could see him genuinely enjoying the song, smiling along and swaying gently. The pure charm it gave was much more impactful than his singing. 

If it was his singing which left them breathless, it was him enjoying himself that made them tap their feet and smile. It was so contagious. The silence of awe left the audience as they started clapping along and cheering. 

It was the roar coming from them which made Percy aware of the attention he'd received. He was shocked, but he didn't falter. The only time he stopped was when the song ended with a massive round of applause. 

Keria finally could let out her voice, cheering more for the money than for Percy, but still adding another layer to the chaos he'd created. 

Now that Percy had stopped singing, his confidence shook a little. The trance he was in had been lifted and he was slowly realizing that he was cornered by a circle of people. 

His first busking was a success, but it didn't really feel like much as he shrunk into himself, feeling the weight of a hundred eyes.