3 May 2020, 07:45
Snakes and Song
Maybe they looked a little odd, wandering into the library with a full-sized guitar in hand, the bulky thing nearly encompassing their 11-year-old body, but looks be damned. Mars was going to figure out how to play the thing or drive everyone insane trying. In a way, it was the Ravenclaw in them, the first real deep connection they felt to the house in question.
A couple of people—mostly clad in blue robes—looked up from their books at the red-haired disturbance picking their way through the shelves. There was hardly any light here in the back, but the pale rainbow inlays still managed a faint shimmer, butterflies dancing.
Scowling at another empty row, Mars moved on the next, diving further and further into the depths of the library. There had to be something in here about muggle instruments. If there wasn't, Mars was going to file a complaint with... someone. They hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Yet another set of shelves proved to be fruitless. They probably should have asked someone at the front instead of starting on a wild goose chase, but social interaction was not a very big priority in their mind at the moment.
Sighing, Mars paused to lean against one of the shelves, setting the guitar down carefully beside them. They stared maybe unseeingly, maybe wistfully at the curving frame. When they'd promised to learn how to play it, over a year ago, they didn't think they'd end up in the middle of a magical school, far away from music teachers and normal instrument shops, only accessible by a single, hidden train or other dubious means.
It wasn't as if Mars was helpless. They were more than competent; years of drowning out the world in music proved to be decently helpful in the recognition of easy melodies or notes. It wasn't hard to fiddle around with the pluckings or frets, trying until they were successful at recreating a melody stored in their head, but it was painstaking and even a Ravenclaw can only commit so much to memory.
In reality, they wanted to play chords. Fingerstyle was nice, but Mars' vocal cords had been almost humming for some action. They didn't think they were half-bad at singing; partially natural talent and partially due to the late-night karaoke sessions they and their brothers held just to annoy the crap out of their adopted parents.
Mars smiled at the memory of it. Sir Kyron and Lady Estella weren't bad people, just not quite cut out for parenthood. They were gone often and easily irritable; a lot of the time, they solved problems by either avoiding them or throwing money. Mars let out a noiseless laugh. It was funny, they were rich but not rich, poor but not poor.
Allowing themselves a few more moments of rest, the Ravenclaw let the back of their head hit gently against the shelf behind them, expecting nothing for a couple of seconds as they knew they were a few inches away from the wall of books. However, it apparently had other plans. Mars hissed, more in surprise than pain, turning to look at the offending object. A single spine stuck out from the flush of the rest of the books, blue with gold lettering. Mars made to push it back into place when they got a good look at the words.
"A Basic Guide to Guitars: From Making to Music."
Well, wasn't that convenient? Maybe it might have been just a bit too much for comfort, but that wasn't really something Mars was bothered with. If this was a bad omen or something, they'd deal with it when it decided to stop playing games. Grinning, they pulled the book down from the shelf.
Opening it, they knew they'd hit the jackpot. The table of contents listed various topics all centered around the guitar. There was information about parts, creation, and string size. The origin of the instrument and all the history behind it. A section about tuning caught their eye; tuning, they'd realized, was particularly important. They'd probably burst enough eardrums after they'd strummed the thing after fiddling around with the knobs on the head, including their own. Surprisingly, it had been easy to tune. To Mars, a note immediately sounded wrong, and then with a little adjustment... it sounded right. It was like an uncanny 6th sense they'd assumed everyone had but it seemed the book was suggesting otherwise.
Ignoring it for the time being, Mars' eyes continued down the page. They lit up when they found what they'd been looking for. Chords. Finally.
Eagerly, they flipped the book open. The first page it landed on didn't have chord shapes. Instead, there were pictures of various inlay designs, all beautiful pale shimmering rainbows or deeper colored wood crafted into various shapes and lacquered with a clear coating. Next to one of the pictures, it read,
"Guitar inlays are most commonly made of plastic, wood, or nacre ("mother of pearl") which is the material that gives the inlays their characteristic holo shimmer. Nacre is the iridescent lining of abalone shells and has puzzled scientists for years as it is 3,000 times more break-resistant than aragonite, the material that composes building blocks."
Huh, nacre. So it was abalone like Mars had previously assumed. Well, you learn something new every day. It'd be lying if they said they weren't nerding out a bit, reading that, but hey, who could blame'em? Grinning, they kept flipping. Finally, they reached the chord pages. Various numbers arranged on gridline lines line the page, each with its own letter name. Perfect, this was exactly what they'd been looking for.
Eagerly, Mars slammed the book shut, grabbed their guitar and half-ran to check the book out. More stares followed them, but again, they couldn't be bothered. They had an instrument to learn and a promise to keep.
----
After checking the book out, blowing a fine layer of dust off the cover, and scrambling outside, Mars found themselves in the courtyard. Spotting an empty corner, far from any other witches or wizards, with a single large boulder jutting out of the grass, they strode over to it, guitar swinging at their side. They plopped down on the boulder, throwing the guitar over their knees, guiding their elbow to sit right in the dip of the body. A full-sized guitar was a bit much for an 11-year old, but they weren't complaining. With luck and a bit of good care, the guitar would last until it actually fit Mars' body.
A quick strum over the strings told Mars that it needed to be tuned. With practiced ease, they turned twisted and adjusted the knobs until the strings sounded right. Now the fun part. They propped the book open on a bent knee, peering down at the basic chord shapes.
The positions felt awkward and clunky at first, but Mars' was nothing if not stubborn, and a couple of minutes and maybe a few bruised fingers later, they could change between the easy chords with more or less fluidity. This was where the 6th sense came in handy. It was easy to match the base tone of the chord to the notes of certain songs they had loved in the muggle world. The idea was elating; finally, something they could have and keep from home.
Single strums on downbeats weren't hard; it was the strumming patterns that tripped Mars up. Before long, they'd realized it was far closer to dinner time than when they had started. Shrugging it off, Mars continued. The pattern was easy now, the strumming pattern was fine. All there was left was the vocal.
Softly, Mars started to sing, letting their vocal cords stretch and soar under the smoothness of the melody. They closed their eyes. They lost themselves in the muggle lyrics, in the proof of muggle struggles, or really, just human struggles. They lost themselves to home, to sweets and sugar, to tiny sleeping faces and lullabies. Lost to... someone's voice, someone's soft, sweet voice, familiar but unfamiliar. Strange. As Mars continued, the voice crescendoed, growing louder and louder, beautiful and complex, more and more familiar at each passing beat. Nearly, nearly it overpowered their own voice, but then...
Someone else entered the duet. Mars' eyes snapped open, fingers faltering, voice stuttering, the invisible singer lost to the wind again. The Ravenclaw took in yellow robes and a young, feminine face. Who was this?
A couple of people—mostly clad in blue robes—looked up from their books at the red-haired disturbance picking their way through the shelves. There was hardly any light here in the back, but the pale rainbow inlays still managed a faint shimmer, butterflies dancing.
Scowling at another empty row, Mars moved on the next, diving further and further into the depths of the library. There had to be something in here about muggle instruments. If there wasn't, Mars was going to file a complaint with... someone. They hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Yet another set of shelves proved to be fruitless. They probably should have asked someone at the front instead of starting on a wild goose chase, but social interaction was not a very big priority in their mind at the moment.
Sighing, Mars paused to lean against one of the shelves, setting the guitar down carefully beside them. They stared maybe unseeingly, maybe wistfully at the curving frame. When they'd promised to learn how to play it, over a year ago, they didn't think they'd end up in the middle of a magical school, far away from music teachers and normal instrument shops, only accessible by a single, hidden train or other dubious means.
It wasn't as if Mars was helpless. They were more than competent; years of drowning out the world in music proved to be decently helpful in the recognition of easy melodies or notes. It wasn't hard to fiddle around with the pluckings or frets, trying until they were successful at recreating a melody stored in their head, but it was painstaking and even a Ravenclaw can only commit so much to memory.
In reality, they wanted to play chords. Fingerstyle was nice, but Mars' vocal cords had been almost humming for some action. They didn't think they were half-bad at singing; partially natural talent and partially due to the late-night karaoke sessions they and their brothers held just to annoy the crap out of their adopted parents.
Mars smiled at the memory of it. Sir Kyron and Lady Estella weren't bad people, just not quite cut out for parenthood. They were gone often and easily irritable; a lot of the time, they solved problems by either avoiding them or throwing money. Mars let out a noiseless laugh. It was funny, they were rich but not rich, poor but not poor.
Allowing themselves a few more moments of rest, the Ravenclaw let the back of their head hit gently against the shelf behind them, expecting nothing for a couple of seconds as they knew they were a few inches away from the wall of books. However, it apparently had other plans. Mars hissed, more in surprise than pain, turning to look at the offending object. A single spine stuck out from the flush of the rest of the books, blue with gold lettering. Mars made to push it back into place when they got a good look at the words.
"A Basic Guide to Guitars: From Making to Music."
Well, wasn't that convenient? Maybe it might have been just a bit too much for comfort, but that wasn't really something Mars was bothered with. If this was a bad omen or something, they'd deal with it when it decided to stop playing games. Grinning, they pulled the book down from the shelf.
Opening it, they knew they'd hit the jackpot. The table of contents listed various topics all centered around the guitar. There was information about parts, creation, and string size. The origin of the instrument and all the history behind it. A section about tuning caught their eye; tuning, they'd realized, was particularly important. They'd probably burst enough eardrums after they'd strummed the thing after fiddling around with the knobs on the head, including their own. Surprisingly, it had been easy to tune. To Mars, a note immediately sounded wrong, and then with a little adjustment... it sounded right. It was like an uncanny 6th sense they'd assumed everyone had but it seemed the book was suggesting otherwise.
Ignoring it for the time being, Mars' eyes continued down the page. They lit up when they found what they'd been looking for. Chords. Finally.
Eagerly, they flipped the book open. The first page it landed on didn't have chord shapes. Instead, there were pictures of various inlay designs, all beautiful pale shimmering rainbows or deeper colored wood crafted into various shapes and lacquered with a clear coating. Next to one of the pictures, it read,
"Guitar inlays are most commonly made of plastic, wood, or nacre ("mother of pearl") which is the material that gives the inlays their characteristic holo shimmer. Nacre is the iridescent lining of abalone shells and has puzzled scientists for years as it is 3,000 times more break-resistant than aragonite, the material that composes building blocks."
Huh, nacre. So it was abalone like Mars had previously assumed. Well, you learn something new every day. It'd be lying if they said they weren't nerding out a bit, reading that, but hey, who could blame'em? Grinning, they kept flipping. Finally, they reached the chord pages. Various numbers arranged on gridline lines line the page, each with its own letter name. Perfect, this was exactly what they'd been looking for.
Eagerly, Mars slammed the book shut, grabbed their guitar and half-ran to check the book out. More stares followed them, but again, they couldn't be bothered. They had an instrument to learn and a promise to keep.
----
After checking the book out, blowing a fine layer of dust off the cover, and scrambling outside, Mars found themselves in the courtyard. Spotting an empty corner, far from any other witches or wizards, with a single large boulder jutting out of the grass, they strode over to it, guitar swinging at their side. They plopped down on the boulder, throwing the guitar over their knees, guiding their elbow to sit right in the dip of the body. A full-sized guitar was a bit much for an 11-year old, but they weren't complaining. With luck and a bit of good care, the guitar would last until it actually fit Mars' body.
A quick strum over the strings told Mars that it needed to be tuned. With practiced ease, they turned twisted and adjusted the knobs until the strings sounded right. Now the fun part. They propped the book open on a bent knee, peering down at the basic chord shapes.
The positions felt awkward and clunky at first, but Mars' was nothing if not stubborn, and a couple of minutes and maybe a few bruised fingers later, they could change between the easy chords with more or less fluidity. This was where the 6th sense came in handy. It was easy to match the base tone of the chord to the notes of certain songs they had loved in the muggle world. The idea was elating; finally, something they could have and keep from home.
Single strums on downbeats weren't hard; it was the strumming patterns that tripped Mars up. Before long, they'd realized it was far closer to dinner time than when they had started. Shrugging it off, Mars continued. The pattern was easy now, the strumming pattern was fine. All there was left was the vocal.
Softly, Mars started to sing, letting their vocal cords stretch and soar under the smoothness of the melody. They closed their eyes. They lost themselves in the muggle lyrics, in the proof of muggle struggles, or really, just human struggles. They lost themselves to home, to sweets and sugar, to tiny sleeping faces and lullabies. Lost to... someone's voice, someone's soft, sweet voice, familiar but unfamiliar. Strange. As Mars continued, the voice crescendoed, growing louder and louder, beautiful and complex, more and more familiar at each passing beat. Nearly, nearly it overpowered their own voice, but then...
Someone else entered the duet. Mars' eyes snapped open, fingers faltering, voice stuttering, the invisible singer lost to the wind again. The Ravenclaw took in yellow robes and a young, feminine face. Who was this?
@Phoenix Lyre
[ Home, they said. I should like to go home. ]
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
4 May 2020, 02:59
Snakes and Song
“Class dismissed,” the professor declared. “See you later, little guy,” Phoenix said to the plant they worked on in class. She grabbed her books and saying goodbye to the professor on her way out of the greenhouse. Slowly walking her way back to the castle, wanting to stay outside instead. Feeling the sun on her brown skin, she looked up at the sky. She thought for a moment that the sun was smiling at her. Birds were flying and chirping around, unbothered. Something about animals being unbothered brought happiness to Phoenix. She wishes to be like them, someday.
Phoenix had a routine which she stuck to on daily. It was simple. She woke up, eat, go to class, eat again, study and sleep. She wants to make the most out of her first year, but it is hard when school is a priority.
When she has the time in her routine, she gives herself a break. A break from the classes, the professors, and overwhelming school work. A time to relax. To let go of all her worries. Her break usually comprised her going to the outdoors. The outdoors brought peace and happiness to Phoenix. She felt like one with nature.
She has finally arrived at the castle. “Way too soon,” she mumbled to herself. Phoenix already missed the outdoors. She does not know why she yearns for it. Maybe because she has been feeling overwhelmed and stressed? Maybe it is time for a break. Phoenix decided that she should not let this bring her down. She can go to the courtyard instead. She did exactly that.
Walking through the courtyard corridor, there were not too many students. Once Phoenix walked through the arch, she felt better. There were students scattered, far away from each other. They were doing their own thing. Phoenix kept walking, hearing an angelic voice from the corner of the courtyard. Following the voice, she found someone who also looked like a first year holding a guitar that was a bit too big for them. Sitting peacefully on the boulder, strumming away and singing with their eyes closed. Phoenix recognized those lyrics. It was from a muggle song, her favorite muggle song. The first-year student sang the song so well. Phoenix stands near them. She could not help but join.
It might have been rude to join, since she never asked them. She had disturbed them. Their eyes opened, their finger lost momentum on the strings of the instrument, and voice stuttering. Phoenix felt like she was being intrusive. Which she was. Quickly scrambling for words, “I am sorry. I am sorry for interrupting you and joining you. I should have asked, but I could not help myself. You have a wonderful voice. It is still wrong of me.” Phoenix’s face becomes red from embarrassment.
Phoenix had a routine which she stuck to on daily. It was simple. She woke up, eat, go to class, eat again, study and sleep. She wants to make the most out of her first year, but it is hard when school is a priority.
When she has the time in her routine, she gives herself a break. A break from the classes, the professors, and overwhelming school work. A time to relax. To let go of all her worries. Her break usually comprised her going to the outdoors. The outdoors brought peace and happiness to Phoenix. She felt like one with nature.
She has finally arrived at the castle. “Way too soon,” she mumbled to herself. Phoenix already missed the outdoors. She does not know why she yearns for it. Maybe because she has been feeling overwhelmed and stressed? Maybe it is time for a break. Phoenix decided that she should not let this bring her down. She can go to the courtyard instead. She did exactly that.
Walking through the courtyard corridor, there were not too many students. Once Phoenix walked through the arch, she felt better. There were students scattered, far away from each other. They were doing their own thing. Phoenix kept walking, hearing an angelic voice from the corner of the courtyard. Following the voice, she found someone who also looked like a first year holding a guitar that was a bit too big for them. Sitting peacefully on the boulder, strumming away and singing with their eyes closed. Phoenix recognized those lyrics. It was from a muggle song, her favorite muggle song. The first-year student sang the song so well. Phoenix stands near them. She could not help but join.
It might have been rude to join, since she never asked them. She had disturbed them. Their eyes opened, their finger lost momentum on the strings of the instrument, and voice stuttering. Phoenix felt like she was being intrusive. Which she was. Quickly scrambling for words, “I am sorry. I am sorry for interrupting you and joining you. I should have asked, but I could not help myself. You have a wonderful voice. It is still wrong of me.” Phoenix’s face becomes red from embarrassment.
With peace and love.
STA: 5 | EVA: 6 | STR: 5 | WIS: 7 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7
5 May 2020, 02:14
Snakes and Song
Mars took in the girl with yellow robes, black hair, and a soft face. She looked exhausted, arms full books, fingers stained with dirt. Ah, so she must have come from Herbology. Or she'd been out digging around in the Forbidden Forest, who knew? Mars decided that was not the best opener.
The Hufflepuff's voice was sweet, perfectly pitched and on key. It was different than the faded voice though, warmer and hesitant, shy almost. Still pretty though and it matched well with Mars' huskier tone. A couple of leaves fell from the trees above them, littering the floor of the courtyard as she stood, eyes closed, and singing along. As Mars' fingers stalled, the girl's eyes popped open and a crimson flush spread across her face.
“I am sorry. I am sorry for interrupting you and joining you. I should have asked, but I could not help myself. You have a wonderful voice. It was still wrong of me." The words tumbled out of the blushing girl's mouth like a waterfall, almost swirling together. The blush on her face deepened as her eyes darted from place to place. Mars smiled a little at the badger. She seemed kind of lost where she stood, nervously looking around.
"Woah, woah, woah, slow down there. This isn't an auction, darling." Realizing that might make the poor girl more embarrassed, they continued on. "And it's fine, don't worry so much. Your voice is amazing as well. It's cool to have a duet partner." Or two, maybe, but Mars didn't dwell on it. The air was warm out, even for May, but a light breeze cooled Hogwarts' grounds, swishing through th Ravenclaw's hair. It was good weather to be outside and spring too, the season of new life. They shifted the guitar in their lap, realizing that the girl might be so apologetic because they had stopped playing.
"I didn't think anyone would know that song," they amended, "It's a very muggle song, and I don't think it's particularly popular there these days either." They were, in fact, curious as to where the girl had heard the song before. They'd never had extremely odd tastes, but now and again, Mars' preferred a slow, oldish song to the new, pop-ier ones. The girl still stood there, blush covering her face. Oh, right, introductions.
"I'm Mars, by the way. And you are?"
ReducioHey, let me know if I'm godmodding too much. I have a habit of describing a lot of the little actions I infer from bigger emotions or actions but if you don't like it, I can stop. Color is the third one down in the first row if you feel so inclined to use it.
@Phoenix Lyre
[ Home, they said. I should like to go home. ]
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
5 May 2020, 22:25
Snakes and Song
As the Ravenclaw student talked, Phoenix’s face was burning up. She was a hundred percent sure her face was red. She was embarrassed and a bit nervous. She took slight breaths. Playing with her fingers, hoping it would make her calm down. She tried to not think too hard about it. Embarrassing moments happen all the time, and they won’t matter at all in the future. Phoenix will soon get over this one too.
Once again, Phoenix’s face turned red when they complimented on her voice. It felt like the blush on her face will never go away. Phoenix was not much of a singer. It felt nice when someone complimented her voice. She appreciated it, and it did boast up some of her confidence.
“Yeah…” She smiled, it was nice someone else knew that song or band too. She did not want to be a fangirl on the spot about the band, it be too weird if she did. Phoenix came from a muggle family, they enjoyed “old” songs so she enjoyed them too. She also loved the early ish 2000s music.
“Mars. That is a nice name. It is nice to meet you. I am Phoenix,” extending her arm out for a handshake.
omg no you are fine!
Once again, Phoenix’s face turned red when they complimented on her voice. It felt like the blush on her face will never go away. Phoenix was not much of a singer. It felt nice when someone complimented her voice. She appreciated it, and it did boast up some of her confidence.
“Yeah…” She smiled, it was nice someone else knew that song or band too. She did not want to be a fangirl on the spot about the band, it be too weird if she did. Phoenix came from a muggle family, they enjoyed “old” songs so she enjoyed them too. She also loved the early ish 2000s music.
“Mars. That is a nice name. It is nice to meet you. I am Phoenix,” extending her arm out for a handshake.
omg no you are fine!
With peace and love.
STA: 5 | EVA: 6 | STR: 5 | WIS: 7 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7
6 May 2020, 03:23
Snakes and Song
Impossibly, the girl seemed to get redder when Mars complimented her. Ah, so she was shy and humble? Mars smiled internally.
"Yeah..." the girl acknowledged. So she must have been muggle-born or at least a half-blood and into early 2000 music. She smiled as she said this, face breaking open in an adorable way.
“Mars. That is a nice name. It is nice to meet you. I am Phoenix,” she stuck her hand out for a handshake and, after adjusting the guitar in their lap, Mars took it and firmly shook her hand.
"Well, Phoenix," they grinned, "Those books look awfully heavy. Are you going somewhere? If not—" Mars scooted over on the rock they were seated on and dusted it off. "Why don't you sit down? Like I said, I could sure use a duet partner." Waiting for Phoenix to reply, they turned back to the guitar in hand, plucking fondly at the strings. A little melody rose out of the hollowed base, swaying in the same tempo as the breeze. The grass shifted under the wind, singing its own wavy tune.
They wished there had been this much grass in the streets of Newchurch. They'd always been fascinated by nature, but living in a manor and growing up with two very aristocratic, snooty adoptive parents, there'd never been many opportunities to explore beyond the pages of a book. For God's sake, not even their muggle classrooms had had pets or anything living inside, minus the noisy kids. They couldn't wait to take Care of Magical Creatures. Sometimes, they felt as though the Forbidden Forest was calling to them, but then, that was off-limits. Sometimes, they wondered how much they cared.
Okay, great!
[ Home, they said. I should like to go home. ]
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
7 May 2020, 00:15
Snakes and Song
Mars scooted over on the rock, leaving a space for Phoenix to sit. She smiled once again, noticing that Mars’ grin. Mars is pretty and kind. She was glad that she came to the courtyard and had her embarrassing moment.
“Thanks. Nope. I do not got much to do,” Phoenix said. She dropped her books gently on the grass, trying to not let the paper in her books fall out. Ran her hand to smooth her skirt so it would not scrunch up or rise up when she sat. She sat next to Mars. Her arms felt relieved after dropping the books. They were not heavy, but it sometimes did feel like a workout. She bets that she will be ripped by the end of her seven years here. Phoenix was not that physically strong. Perhaps that is why.
The wind felt nice. A kind breeze that made today’s weather perfect. The guitar slowly being plucked at. It was almost like a movie scene, like that one scene from a muggle movie she used to watch growing up. Phoenix started to sing. At first, she sounded inaudible, but she got a bit louder. Growing the tiniest bit of confidence. Softly singing and swaying herself a little side to side.
“Thanks. Nope. I do not got much to do,” Phoenix said. She dropped her books gently on the grass, trying to not let the paper in her books fall out. Ran her hand to smooth her skirt so it would not scrunch up or rise up when she sat. She sat next to Mars. Her arms felt relieved after dropping the books. They were not heavy, but it sometimes did feel like a workout. She bets that she will be ripped by the end of her seven years here. Phoenix was not that physically strong. Perhaps that is why.
The wind felt nice. A kind breeze that made today’s weather perfect. The guitar slowly being plucked at. It was almost like a movie scene, like that one scene from a muggle movie she used to watch growing up. Phoenix started to sing. At first, she sounded inaudible, but she got a bit louder. Growing the tiniest bit of confidence. Softly singing and swaying herself a little side to side.
With peace and love.
STA: 5 | EVA: 6 | STR: 5 | WIS: 7 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7
7 May 2020, 05:55
Snakes and Song
Mars smiled as Phoenix took a seat. She dropped her books neatly on the ground, massaging her arms as she settled down. The books must have been heavy; somehow, textbooks always seemed to be double the weight they should be. She smoothed her skirt down, confirming that she had nothing else to do that day.
Gingerly, Mars began to pluck at the guitar's strings again. The little melody floated up, fingerstyle leaving no room for voice. But slowly, they transitioned to broader strums, setting the mood for an easy duet.
It was the same muggle song that Phoenix had interrupted. Mars had always thought it was such a gorgeous little tune. It was about death inherently, but not sad death. If something so morbid could turn out romantic, then that was probably the best way to describe the lyrics themselves. The melody and the chords were easy, basic ones used in most pop songs. In the minor key though, they seemed to float on the wind, a haunting voice that streamed from ear to ear, from one side of the grounds to another.
As they played, Mars could hear Phoenix slowly start to gain confidence. The honey-sweet voice grew louder over time, matching perfectly to the pitches that rang out of the guitar. For a few bars, Mars stopped singing, deciding to focus on perfecting the chord patterns. Phoenix's voice sailed high and clear, breaking against the warm air. It was nice to listen too. For a moment, it was almost as if they were sitting in the window of the Castillion manor, earbuds in, watching the rain paint the world green. Phoenix really was amazing.
As the song closed, the last bright chord held for as long as possible, supporting both voices until its final ring. A few beats after the buzz had ended, Mars let out the first breathless laugh they had had in a while.
"You're fantastic!" they told Phoenix, swiping the hair that had fallen into their eyes up and out of their eyes. Drumming their fingernails on the guitar, they paused in thought, then turned back to the Hufflepuff.
"Do you have any songs you'd like to sing?"
[ Home, they said. I should like to go home. ]
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
11 May 2020, 16:48
Snakes and Song
“You’re fantastic!” Mars told Phoenix. She smiled internally. Phoenix loved the compliments. She could hear it all day, if she was being honest. It felt nice being praised. It boasted her confidence for a temporary time period and she felt good. It was always a win.
Mars, themselves, was an excellent musician. They are talented. They played the guitar very well. It sounded like they played in a professional band. They had a heavenly voice. Mars was way too good for their age group. Phoenix would bet in the future, if Mars decided to go in the music industry. Mars will be a well-known musician.
When Mars asked Phoenix what song to sing. She did not know what song to sing. There were so many songs from both the muggle world and wizarding world. Well, she knew a lot of songs from muggles. So many genres. She had way too many favorite artists. That fascinated Phoenix, how humans can express themselves so freely. With one song, it can express how the writer is feeling and others can be able to relate. It was wonderful.
“Hm, I do not know. There are too many songs to pick from. What about you? Do you have any song you would like to sing or play?”
Mars, themselves, was an excellent musician. They are talented. They played the guitar very well. It sounded like they played in a professional band. They had a heavenly voice. Mars was way too good for their age group. Phoenix would bet in the future, if Mars decided to go in the music industry. Mars will be a well-known musician.
When Mars asked Phoenix what song to sing. She did not know what song to sing. There were so many songs from both the muggle world and wizarding world. Well, she knew a lot of songs from muggles. So many genres. She had way too many favorite artists. That fascinated Phoenix, how humans can express themselves so freely. With one song, it can express how the writer is feeling and others can be able to relate. It was wonderful.
“Hm, I do not know. There are too many songs to pick from. What about you? Do you have any song you would like to sing or play?”
With peace and love.
STA: 5 | EVA: 6 | STR: 5 | WIS: 7 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7
12 May 2020, 02:12
Snakes and Song
Mars mused at the Hufflepuff's question. That probably wasn't a question she should have asked. Mars could spend hours, days even, listing off their favorite artists and songs. But then, there were certain songs that just sounded better on the guitar than others. That would help narrow it down a bit. Certainly, no rap, though Mars didn't listen to much of that as it was.
They turned to Phoenix.
"How do you feel about Broadway?" they asked, strumming the strings of the guitar lightly. Mars had always had a slight affinity for Broadway and musicals in general. They didn't care for theatrics most of the time, preferring people to be plain and simple, whether it came off as rude or not, but there was something magical about the stage. It made people come to life. And the songs were wildly impressive too. Mars wasn't entirely sure if they could pull one off.
They ran through the lists of songs in their head. It would be nearly impossible to match the grandeur of most, but there were a couple they thought might be achievable. Something from Waitress, maybe, or one of the slower songs at the end of Wicked.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to them. Does the wizarding world have a Broadway? It seemed strange to imagine what wixes might care to put on stage. It felt as though everyday life in Hogwarts was already a fairytale, so what was the point? Telling stories of muggles? Of life with no magic? Mars snorted at the idea.
Bringing themselves out of their stupor, they decided that Waitress probably made the most sense.
"Have you ever heard of She Used to be Mine?" they questioned.
[ Home, they said. I should like to go home. ]
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
STA: 6 | EVA: 10 | STR: 3 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 10
13 May 2020, 01:36
Snakes and Song
Phoenix knew a lot about the muggle world, but Broadway was not one of them. She knew acts were performed at Broadway, but that was all she knew. The performances usually had music. She did not know any of the technical terms for theater. Phoenix never thought about looking deeper in Broadway. That have been because she did not how she felt about live acting. She always was busy with movies and television shows since she takes her time when it comes to watching television. Obviously, she is curious to learn more about Broadway. She might ask Mars later on about Broadway. It is nice to have a small amount of information on various topics. It makes one less ignorant.
Mars mentioned a song that Phoenix did not hear of. It could be another muggle song? The song title seemed nice. Probably a sad love song? One can never be too sure of the artist's intentions. It was always best to not assume. Thinking how the song would go. The song was most likely nice too, Mars had a neat taste in music.
Phoenix cleared her mind quickly, finally answering Mars' question, “I have never heard of that song! Let’s give it go!” Phoenix eager to hear and learn this unfamiliar song.
Mars mentioned a song that Phoenix did not hear of. It could be another muggle song? The song title seemed nice. Probably a sad love song? One can never be too sure of the artist's intentions. It was always best to not assume. Thinking how the song would go. The song was most likely nice too, Mars had a neat taste in music.
Phoenix cleared her mind quickly, finally answering Mars' question, “I have never heard of that song! Let’s give it go!” Phoenix eager to hear and learn this unfamiliar song.
With peace and love.
STA: 5 | EVA: 6 | STR: 5 | WIS: 7 | ARC: 5 | ACC: 7