smash_logs | no one else around and a shimmer takes my eye. ( open )

Entry tags:

no one else around and a shimmer takes my eye. ( open )

Who: Clear (

kuragekasa ) & anyone else willing to bug him.
What: A discovery is made, and it just might benefit anyone in the area.
Where: Main building; an old, untouched music classroom.
When: August 21st - 25th, please list the day and time in the subject line!
Warnings: Depends on who shows up, but Clear himself doesn't have anything explicit going on. ~~His eccentricities, however, make him a walking warning in itself.~~

He wasn't going to stop until he found him.

Clear puttered about, gas mask gripped tightly around his face, as per usual. Eyes darted for any flash of blue, any hint of electronic music muffled by headphones, any sign of energetic, hazel eyes... but he came out fruitless. He was nowhere to be seen, and it always made his heart sink like a stone at the end of every day. It always soared back to the sky by the next day, however, as his determination flared like gasoline fueling a tiny flame. He was never going to give up, not until he saw his Aoba-san once again.

Towards the end of one fateful day, he took to looking into one last group of classrooms, some empty, some recently utilized. One of the final ones at the corner of the hallway, however, caught his eye, just as he was about to retire for a spell.

Music 101, it said. It mustn't be occupied at this time. Not only that, but he was also sure he didn't see Music 101 listed in his class schedule. Either this was an optional enrollment class, or the class was no longer held. His answer came to him in a flash as he swung the door open, noting how dusty and rickety every chair and desk was. Every instrument hadn't been used in some time, some that required repairs never having been tended to before the prior teacher had dropped out.

One, however, still seemed to be in good enough shape, coincidentally one of his favorites:

A piano. A decrepit, formerly glossy, black piano stood in the corner of the room, its edges laced with cobwebs. His lips parted, excitement filled his being, and he barged right in, neglecting to shut the door behind him. It'd been so long since he'd touched one of these, since just before his grandfather had passed away, so he was likely to be rusty... but he didn't care. He loved the piano. Adored it. It was a fun instrument and playing it came naturally to him, to his long, slender, and nimble fingers. He had to play it now. It called to him.

A rush of thrill overcame him, accompanied by a thread of bravery, one that prompted him to remove the gas mask from his head with very little thought. Aoba-san... said his face wasn't strange, and he was going to be here for a very long while, to be sure. He needed to do this for Aoba-san, for himself.

Maybe, just right now, showing every single piece of him was okay.

He sat, perfectly postured in front of the ebony and ivory keys, and his fingertips danced along the surface with such ease. A simple, cute melody poured from the piano's strings, and from his lips came the words to a song, one of the first he'd learned how to play on the piano apart from a different version of his Jellyfish song. He gave his heart and soul with his song, exposing himself in his most transparent and fluid way, much like the jellyfish he loved so much. He was missing a couple of keys, causing the song to sound off at times, but other than that, his skill hadn't left him.

It was something like this that made him almost feel like he was... home.

Like he belonged.

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Zelda hadn't actually heard music coming out of that classroom in quite some time. Sure, there were students (and faculty, she's sure) who played instruments, but they always seemed to utilize private practice rooms, something she was guilty of herself. Sheik, of course, preferred to play the harp on rooftops at night, but the princess kept respectable hours and practiced indoors as she was taught.

When she walked down the hallway and heard a piano melody coming from the classroom, Zelda couldn't help but stop and investigate. She'd incidentally been on the way to do some practicing of her won, and she carried her lyre in its case, strapped over her back.

It would be rude, of course, to interrupt the song, but perhaps peeking her head inside the door couldn't hurt. At the very least, she wanted to compliment this strange individual on his playing.

It was a good thing his left eye was still as sharp as an eagle's, for if it wasn't for that, he wouldn't have noticed her peeking her head in. Normally, he wouldn't even mind, but with his mask no longer present on his face, he froze, anxiety bubbling beneath his surface. He wanted so much to be brave - no, he needed to - but he couldn't help the feeling of self-consciousness striking him in the instant he saw the strange woman watching him.

If it was someone like Aoba-san, Koujaku, or hell, even Noiz or Mink, he wouldn't have felt nervous, not like this, but he was. It looked like he still needed to build some courage, but... hadn't he improved? He had.

He would keep on improving.

Clear swallowed the lump in his throat that he hardly recalled was there, his song having halted at the sight of Zelda, and he gave a smile, one that maintained a slightly worried weight behind it.

"Hello...!"

Here was hoping that she wouldn't find his face to be odd.

"So sorry, I didn't mean to disturb."

Zelda went from peeking inside the doorway to standing in it--only polite, after all. She was, technically, an intruder. Perhaps Clear didn't want to be bothered, but he seemed cheerful enough. Any abnormalities were overlooked, because, quite frankly, Zelda had seen much stranger things at this school.

"You're very talented. Are you a new student?"

If anything could possibly make his cheeks start to burn, it's something like that. For one, she hadn't even made a remark about his face. Secondly, she didn't even seem to be staring at him. Thirdly, she complimented his piano talents! How could that not lift his spirits?

His smile was still a tad anxious, but it was less so than before, the slight tension in his shoulders beginning to unravel. Clear had only then noticed that she had something strapped along her back. Was that an instrument, too? A violin, maybe? No, actually, the shape wasn't quite like a violin. What was it?

"Aah, you haven't disturbed me at all," he informed her, his fingers no longer touching the keys. "I am a new student, yes. Did you come here to play, too~?"

It sounded so child-like, that question coupled with his light, airy voice.

Edited 2013-08-23 00:46 (UTC)

Oh goodness he was adorable.

Now that he'd enganged in conversation, Zelda felt better about taking a few steps inside the room. She still kept her distance, of course (he seemed the nervous type), but he appeared to be friendly enough.

"I was going to one of the practice rooms, actually. Sadly, this room doesn't get much use when we don't have a music teacher."

Which was fairly often.

"I play the harp. And the ocarina, but the former is what I've brought with me."

To think Clear was friendly enough was facing an understatement. He lifted himself from his stool, his expression gradually getting brighter as he'd realized that she wasn't going to care about his face. His self-consciousness started slipping away, all while he started to approach, ushering her inside.

"Of course! Ah- please, feel free to practice with me, miss." He kindly gestured for her to step further into the room, a spring in his step that he was lacking just moments ago. "I would love to hear your playing. Maybe we could even make a duet together when you're done~! Can you sing?"

That was a nice idea, really. He'd heard a harp on only a few occasions, but he already knew it was just a lovely instrument. Its strings along with the vibrant sounds of the piano were likely to be an unforgettable match.

He... couldn't say he'd ever heard of an ocarina before, though. He hurriedly asked one more question before she had a chance to respond.

"Uwa- And what is an ocarina? Oh, and I should know your name, as well, miss!"

Okay, one more question and a request.

"An ocarina is...well, it's sort of like a round whistle. Or a recorder. A bit simpler than a flute."

With the invitation, she entered the room fully and began to unpack her instrument. "It's a bit more elegant than I'm describing." Zelda laughed a little and offers a smile with the hope it will set Clear more at ease.

"My name is Zelda," she said finally, extending a hand in greeting. "And I could try and sing, if you like."

A round whistle? Well, if it's more 'elegant', then maybe it is more like a round recorder then. It sounded more sophisticated than the average whistle, after all.

"Ah, Zelda-san," he spoke, noting how lovely her name was, how well it rolled off of the tongue. "I am Clear," he stated simply, bowing instinctively with all due respect intended. "It is a pleasure! It really is. Um..."

Oh.

Clear straightened himself back up, reaching out to grab her hand and give it a gentle shake. He was so used to bowing, frankly, that he hadn't accustomed to very many other methods of greeting someone formally. Was this okay? Hopefully it was.

"But yes, I would like to hear you sing. I am sure you sound very cool!" So cool.

"The pleasure is all mine," she smiled.

Once they had successfully completed their handshake, Zelda pulled up a chair next to him, removing her harp from its case and setting it on her lap.

Giggling a little at his choice of words, she drew her fingers up the strings in a warm-up arpeggio.

"I suppose I could, then. What songs do you know?"

"I know plenty. Let's see... Hmm hmmm hmm..."

Clear shuffled a hand through one of his coat pockets, pulling out, first and foremost, his umbrella. He shook his head in response to his discovery, switching it over to his other pocket. "No, that isn't it."

Again, he dug inside, managing to locate an adorable jellyfish plush inside. Yet again, to the other pocket it went. "Nooo, that's not it either."

Then, finally, he located a stapled-together bundle of papers, each one listing different songs, all with each sheet music or little notes and scribbles alongside each one. "Here! You could try this one, Zelda-san," he told her, handing her a particular sheet of paper with this song attached.

Wait, just how big were those pockets?!

"Hm..."

She studied the sheet music carefully, half-immersed in reading the notes, half-watching Clear, and his apparently gigantic pockets.

Ah, well. She'd seen stranger things.

"I don't know it, no, but I'm sure I could play it. Let's try without the singing, first. Just so I can get a feel for the tune."

"Yes, I understand that! But... please excuse me."

Even if it might have been too distracting to do what he did next, Clear hadn't even thought that it could be problematic. Despite it all, he grabbed a nearby chair and sat it near her, resting there with his hands on his cheeks like a curious child.

"I'm ready now~!"

With cheeks squishier than a jellyfish's cutie-pie head.

"Very well--on three."

She gave the count, estimating the speed to the best of her ability, and began to strum, tentatively humming the melody. It was shaky and unpracticed, as sight reading wasn't necessarily her strong point, but it sounded nice enough, especially for her first try.

"Feel free to join in, if you like."

Tension was building in the school. Things usually flew over Henry's head, but chaos was something he could feel, and he loved it. That was something familiar to him amidst a sea of things he didn't understand in this city, but wasn't the world the same way? Nothing was familiar to him except chaos.

When he heard a soft song drifting through the hallways paired by such a pure voice, Henry quietly drifted toward it with childish curiosity. What compelled somebody to sing right now? Henry didn't know how to feel about it, but it sounded nice.

So with practiced stealth, Henry stepped into the music room to stare ahead at the person at the piano who sang so earnestly. The dark mage didn't want to interrupt him, so he stayed quiet. He watched his fingers tap each key with the view he had from behind, his eyes flitting from side to side. He wanted to hum, but he didn't know the tune.

Once Clear finished his song, Henry clapped with a silly grin on his face.

To say the clapping startled him was an understatement, really. Moments like these made Clear question how close his pneumatic motor was to a human heart, because he sure felt the sensation of his heart jumping into his throat. He had to inwardly chant to himself, his mind telling him over and over again that it was okay now. His face was like any other face. He just had to hide it from Toue. That's all.

He took a shaky breath in, and upon its release, he felt far more stable. He gave an earnest smile despite his anxiety, cupping his hands gently over his lap. This person seemed quite chipper, and that was always something that helped to put his mind at ease. There were so many friendly people in this world, after all. They weren't all bad.

"Hello," he spoke politely, greeting him warmly. Pink optics focused on him, just a little more dedicated in searching for any signs of disgust or uncertainty. Old paranoia never ceased to fail. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I thought it would be a nice time to play the piano! ♫ Did you like it?"

His expression gained the slightest glimmer of hope. If his song reached out to him in a positive light, then that was sure to make him feel even better.

"You have a pretty voice," commented Henry, smiling all the while. (One would be quick to notice that his expression never seems to change, unfortunately. Genuine as he may be at the moment, a smile is all he wears.) "Yup, I like it. Are you a music teacher or something?"

That was a quick assumption, but he didn't know him otherwise. It was a school, right?

There's nothing wrong with more and more smiles! (He may or may not regret thinking that later.) The fact that he thought he was a music teacher, though... Wow. That must have meant that he really liked his singing and playing, huh? That meant he thought he was an expert, even.

Clear felt his cheeks begin to heat up, his smile nothing short of modest. He stood, sliding his hands into his coat pockets once more.

"No, I'm not... but I am very flattered that you think my voice is pretty. Truly."

Curiously, he approached him, eyeing him with less apprehension and more curiosity in his gaze. His mind was beginning to trail away from the subject of his face, which was a very good sign in itself.

"I am Clear," he told him, bending his body in a small, polite bow. "It is very nice to meet you~"

Henry stared at him.

"You don't look very clear to me."

"Eh...? Oh," Clear sounded, shaking his head, all while his lips parted and accomplished nothing but making him look like a guppy. "No, I am not clear. I am Clear!"

Very descriptive. Very helpful.

That didn't solve anything for him. Henry tilted his head. "I know, you just said that. I still don't see through you."

Henry stopped for a moment and observed Clear a little closer. No, he didn't seem to be magical like he was, so he couldn't be trying to demonstrate a spell. Henry laughed aloud at his mistake. "Oh! You're Clear, haha~ I understand now," he said, rubbing a finger across his cheek. "I'm Henry. Nice to meetcha."

He didn't bow, and he didn't hold out his hand or anything. He just stood there with his smile.

"It is a pleasure! And Henry is a nice name," he told him, not minding that he wasn't reacting any more than he did. He still seemed very nice, regardless of everything. It didn't take far too much to get on Clear's good side, admittedly, even if only for a time.

"Did you come here to practice? I was playing the piano," he stated, gesturing to the instrument in question, "buuut I could let you play, too, if you'd like! It would be rude not to share. So rude."

Besides, he must have been here for a reason, right? It couldn't be just because of his singing!

Henry looked at the piano. "I dunno, I'd probably play a terrible, terrible song," he remarked. "I've never even touched a piano, so that's why." He let his gaze wander the room at all of the practice instruments the school had to offer, but Henry had never produced a note of music from any of them.

"No, I'm not here to practice. I just heard somebody singing~" He pointed a finger at Clear. "And it was you~!"

"Everyone has to start somewhere," Clear asserted, still just as perky as ever. His expression practically matched Henry's, to be perfectly honest. They looked like twins in terms of their obnoxious cheeriness. "Therefore, it may not be the best, but it would be an excellent start. Isn't that how anyone learns?"

At least, that was what he gathered. In his case, he was just manufactured with the ability to handle music with impeccable efficiency.

"So, if you would like, you can try! I won't judge you, I promise." His eyes were almost pleading at this point. He wanted to hear him play pianoooo.

Considering the idea of trying out the piano, letting his fingers drift along those keys in the same manner as Clear's own... Henry shrugged. "Okay, I'll try. But, but, I'm gonna be awful at it, just you watch. Ahaha!"

With that, Henry skipped over to the piano and dropped into the seat, his cape billowing about him. He looked over his shoulder at Clear.

"Do I just hit these keys and it makes music?" asked Henry, examining everything on the piano up close. He dipped his head under the keyboard to see if there was anything else - which there was - but he decided not to ask on it. Then, with an experimental finger pointed straight out, Henry tapped a single key - to which one single note was played. Music.

"Yes! Well, basically," he told him, knowing that it wasn't just a matter of poking at keys, but he had to let him practice with the easiest parts first. That was how it always worked, right? Starting slow and building up from there. Rushing into things was never any good.

Then, Henry pressed a key.

Clear probably shouldn't have been so excitable about just one note of sound, but he was, bouncing off of his heels and slapping his palms over his cheeks. Such a nice sound, and Henry made it! How magical.

"Seeeeee?" He had the goofiest grin in the world on his face. Yes, in the world. "You've done it!" He clapped his hands then, applauding him for something as simple as pressing one key. "Yaaay~!"

LET'S SAYYYY August 23rd, afternoon.

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August 25th, evening

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