ArchivedLogs:Preludes

Preludes
Dramatis Personae Lia, Jack
In Absentia	27 February 2015 '
Location <XS> Music Room – FL2
Wide and spacious, seating in this soundproofed room comes largely on the sweep of gentle risers that afford the teacher an easy view of all the budding performers, and add another dimension to the acoustics of the room. Instruments of all types are carefully stored around the room, and a grand piano, immaculately upkept, takes the position of prize near the back. In a nod to the eclectic studies of the students, digital mixing equipment and turntables rub shoulders with the classical instruments. Music stands sit in front of most of the seats, and the only windows look out out over the side of the school grounds. The music room is a lovely place to play, especially quiet and empty in the after-dinner hours on a Friday. The sound always rebounds from the specialised walls...but there is a certain additional clarity in all the still openness. Nothing but music. Lia's fingers work their way steadily down the keys, trying to maintain staccato eighth notes through Bach's Prelude in C Minor (BWV 999) arranged for piano as opposed to the original lute. The girl's eyes are closed, having practiced the short piece of music enough to no longer need to focus much on the sheet in front of her. Her dark hair is loose, save for a small amethyst flowered clip holding it back from her face on the left. She wears a violet cardigan with glints of sequin designs here and there over a black camisole, flowing purple ombre skirt covering all but the very bottoms of her space-dyed purple socks (which in turn cover lined black leggings) and a pair of ankle boots. Her expression remains fairly placid, except for a twitch about the nose or lips here and there when her fingers don't produce quite the sound she intended from the instrument in front of her. Jack had been headed back to his room when he noticed the door to the music room was cracked and he heard the music coming from within. Curious, he ducks inside and looks around. When he spots Lia at the piano, Jack perks up. Dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt with the Nightwing logo on it, and a red zip-up hoodie he's got unzipped, Jack quietly makes his way further into the room. Finding a spot to lean, he enjoys the music and waits for Lia to finish the piece. It is not a long wait for such a little prelude. Fortunately, Lia pauses, looking thoughtful as she flexes and extends her fingers a few inches above the keys. Something in the feel of the room has shifted enough to cause her to turn instead of launching into the piece for yet another run, wide chocolate-brown eyes searching the space over her shoulder. “Oh!” Her dark little brows lift in tandem. “Hello.” "Hi, Lia," Jack greets, lifting an empty sleeve to wave. "Sorry if I interrupted. I just heard the music and wanted to come listen," he explains, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was really nice," the invisible one adds. "No, no interruption. It is a very short piece. Even shorter if you play it fast." Lia turns herself about on the seat rather than continuing to talk over her shoulder. "It does not specify a tempo. I have been trying different things now that I can play it more than very slow. It has a prettiness when it is slow. Sort of melancholic. /Very/ slow it is just dreary. But it has more personality when it is faster. A little frenzied. Though it is hard not to go too far and it is just frenetic and then crazy and then nonsense." Her hands move in front of her, subconsciously, through some of the motions of playing at increasing speeds, then flutter off to the sides at the 'nonsense'. "What was it?" Jack's curious still. He listens as Lia explains, watching her play an imaginary piano. "It did sound a little sad. But it kind of felt like it might be getting not sad, if that makes any sense at all," he says a little awkwardly. “Bach. Prelude in C Minor. It is not a very creative title,” Lia adds apologetically after giving what is unlikely a very helpful name. Her lips curl into a smile at Jack's awkwardness. “It does have a very /decisive/ ending. Regardless of the tempo. Well, except if you do it very /very/ fast, then it is kind of confusing.” "Well, at least the title is direct. Helps keep it from being confused with other ones I guess," Jack chuckles. The name wasn't helpful but Jack didn't really know classical music anyway. "Most songs get really confusing if you play them too fast though," he adds. "Have you been playing in here for long?" “Hm, not actually! If you are being very specific, you have to give a number to keep from confusing it with all the other Preludes in C Minor.” Lia giggles at this. “I think it is just the /simplest/ way to call a thing.” She looks thoughtful at the question. “Oh, I do not know. Maybe for a while.” The girl does not wear a watch, perhaps not keeping the best track of time. "Really? What number was that one?" Jack pauses a beat. "Are there a lot?" he adds, already surprised by this news about the music. "That's cool. Did you find a speed you like to play it on more than others?" “999, by the most commonly used numbering system,” Lia supplies readily. It takes her longer to think about the other query. “In general? Yes. Just for Bach...at least one that comes to mind. 847. It is a longer and more challenging piece. I have not practiced it.” She nods at this last. “/Allegro moderato/. It has that...little bit of urgency in it but not too far.” Her head tilts a bit, a slow smile coming along with a realisation. “Do you play an instrument?” "Wow," Jack's head tilts to the side slowly. "One guy came up with that many different songs? I didn't even think you could make that many different ones with just a piano," he replies. Of course he doesn't know much about music so he's probably getting things wrong. "I'm sure you could play it well. The one you were just playing sounds like you were doing really well," he says. When asked if he plays, Jack shakes his head. "No, not really. I mean they made us learn the Recorder when I was a kid in school but I never learned anything else. I wanted to get a guitar when I was like 12 but my father said it would be a waste of time so..." he shrugs. "I do sort of know how to play one short thing little thing on a piano though," he admits. "I imagine he was very busy. There are over a thousand... But he did not write just-piano things. You can play songs that were written for one thing on another, too." Lia nods again. "I apologise...I did not mean to ramble in technical things and become confusing. It was just where my head was staying at the time." Her brows dip, a small frown at the continuation of Jack's story. "Why would playing music be a waste of time?" "That makes sense but wouldn't they not always sound as good? I don't know a lot about music but some instruments are really different," Jack says. "It's okay. You were talking about something you like," he says. "I don't know," he sighs. "My father was an asshole." "They sound different. But that is not bad. The song I was playing was written for a lute. Different." Another simple nod from Lia answers Jack's reassurance. "That is silly. People are always going to do things that they enjoy, for recreation if nothing else. It seems that playing an instrument is more productive than many other forms of recreation." She lifts her hand this time, fisting it to circle over her heart in a signed 'sorry', "...if your father was mean. I did not intend for you to have to think of bad things." "A lute?" Jack sounds a little confused. "That's like a guitar thing, right?" he asks, glancing around the room as if he thinks one might be there. "It was pretty silly but," he shrugs. "It's okay, Lia. It's not your fault." Lia ruminates on this a moment before responding. “It is kind of a similar shape to a guitar, yes. It is not a thing I play, though. So I could not play that song without its being adapted to another instrument.” A short nod is given at the last. “Okay.” Nodding, Jack shifts his weight a little. "Do you play anything besides the piano?" he asks. There's a pause as Jack considers something. "Have you been hearing any of the stories about a creature in the hallways?" “Nooot really. I sing, too. And I have picked up other things now and then just to play with them. Piano I knew already when I tried one, though. I think I must have known it from before.” Lia nods, this time an affirmative at the question. “Yes. There are always stories and creatures.” Jack nods as well, humming a little. "You have?" he wasn't expecting that. "Do you know anything about the story? Like where it started?" he asks. "Since I'm pretty sure I ran into it and it was -not- friendly at all." “It is hard to say. Most monster stories come from people trying to scare other people. Or from people being scared on their own. Or from /other/ monster stories.” Lia's head tilts slightly at this news. “Are you hurt?” Jack shakes his head. "No, I was too fast for it too catch. I got to the elevator before it could grab me," he says. "But it really seemed like it wanted to get its claws on me." "Hm. I am glad you are not hurt. That is a very ineffective monster, if it is a monster and unfriendly. I think, if there were an actual unfriendly monster around, then Professor Xavier would know about it and would do something to keep people from getting hurt. He senses all the mind-things. /Pretty/ much he is like the Great and Power Oz, but not fake," Lia informs quite matter-of-factly. "I think maybe it is an illusion or something like that. That would look scary but not be very effective as a monster, you know." "I'm not sure what it was. I tried to stop it with my powers but it just put itself back together," Jack sighs. "Don't know if Professor Xavier knew about it but he should soon. I mean I told my advisor about it so she'll probably tell him and the other teachers." "There have been stories for awhile. It seems like if there /were/ a real dangerous monster, he would know." Lia seems very assured by this. "I would not worry too much. If it is a real monster, it is not a very good one. And if it is not, it is probably a student trying to scare people. Hailey would make monsters if she could, I am sure. It was the first thing she wanted to do when she met me. Use her shadows and my dolls to scare people." She lowers her voice slightly, perhaps more secretive. "Also, she is often not very nice." "Hopefully you're right, Lia," Jack replies as he stretches his neck. "Just be careful if you're in the hallway at night though, okay? It'd be bad if you got hurt," he says, hoping the creature doesn't actually hurt anyone. Especially not people he considers friends. When Lia mentions Hailey, Jack gives a quiet laugh. "Yeah, I met her down in the gym. She wasn't nice at all." "I do not often go out late. If I want to be out of my room after curfew, I just send a doll. I cannot be hurt that way," Lia assures. Sometimes it is convenient to go places without one's body. "She is my roommate. She gets very fussy that I like to be awake during the morning time. Or if I want to have the window open or any sun in the room. Also she picks me up when I am small even though I asked her not to." Her nose crinkles, lips scrunching slightly with displeasure. "Mostly I just do not use my room during the daytime anymore." Jack gives an unseen frown as Lia tells him about being roommates with Hailey. He's becoming less and less a fan of the shadow teleporter. "Man, Shane was definitely right about her from the sound of it," he says. "It's too bad you and your roommate don't get along. Have you asked about getting transferred to another room?" “Oh...no. It is my room and it is her room and most people have roommates.” Lia shrugs slightly at this. “I spend a lot of time outside, if it is nice. And in the conservatory, if it is not. There is more sun and fresh air that way than with a window, anyhow. I also like my space under my bed, with the sheets over it. I usually stay there and study or read or use my computer when it is in-the-room time, with my reading lamp. Or I sleep. A lot of the time once it is late she goes off places.” "Yeah, I've got a roommate too," Jack nods. "I can't wait till it gets nicer and warmer out. This place looks nice in the winter and I bet it'll look even greater when its all green," he says, glancing out the window. He pauses as something registers though and glances at Lia. "You have a blanket fort under your bed?" “See? Roommates are a thing,” Lia reiterates, gesturing with a flat palm. There it is. “The gardens are /very/ nice. And the forest is all full of leaves and bugs and birds and squirrels and deer...” It could be this list would have run for quite some time if the girl didn't think to cut it short. “The beds can loft! All the beds. I put the bed up high and there are walls on two sides, and a sheet on the long side, and all of my scarves on the short side. There is a beanbag and a whiteboard and a reading lamp and all of my stuffed animals. It is a good space.” Her teeth press into her lower lip, creating little blanched indentations in the flesh. “When I was in the rooms, it was a safe space. To be under the bed with the sheets all over the sides.” Jack nods. "Yeah, Anole is my roommate," Jack remarks. "I've never seen an actual deer in real life before. I wonder if I'll get to see one when things warm up," Jack muses aloud. His attention returns to Lia quickly though. "Wow, I didn't know the beds could do that. I mean I didn't really pay attention to them more than how much I enjoy actually sleeping in a bed and not some alley or abandoned building," he chuckles. "It sounds like you've got things set up great." "Oh, that is nice. Anole is very friendly and smart. Also, he changes colours and climbs things and he can pick things up with his /tongue/. It is very-super-long and sticky! We do astronomy club and theatre club together. He is being Jack. With the beanstalk. In the musical." Lia looks a little surprised that Jack has not seen a deer. "You...were never in the rooms, right? You have always lived out here? You should join the hiking and nature club. I did that last term; it was fun. You will see /so/ many deer." "He is pretty cool," Jack remarks quietly. He wishes he and his roommate got along better too, still thinking Anole doesn't like having a roommate at all. "Well, I can't wait to see you both in the musical," he smiles even if its unseen. "I wonder if that's the same Jack that jumped over the candlestick. I know I wasn't that Jack," he jokes. "No, I've never been in those rooms. The place I lived before I came here didn't have any deer though," he explains. "Maybe I'll sign up for that club when it gets warm." Lia nods fervent agreement with Jack's assessment of Anole. “Really cool. You will have to wait for the musical until after exams. But it is not very long, just a week.” The girl's expression goes distant again, thinking. “There are a lot of Jacks in fairy tales. I don't think any of them were invisible, though. You get to be another Jack altogether.” She chuckles softly. “It was a very good club /last term/. I am not in it this term. It is a bit too cold and icy for hiking.” "A week isn't that bad a wait," Jack replies. He pauses a moment as he gets an idea and he files it away. "Yeah, I'm a whole new Jack. Though I think I could escape a giant if I had to," he laughs a bit. "Hopefully it'll be just as good next term," he says. Jack falls quiet a moment before pushing off the wall. "I should probably get going back to my room so I can finish my homework." “Oh, yes. Homework is a good thing to do when it is dark. It means you are more likely to have free time during the light hours. And there is so much studying for do for exams!” Lia also slides off of her bench. “Have a good night, Jack.” "You have a good night too, Lia," Jack replies, pulling his backpack back on. He offers a quick wave before heading back out into the hall.