|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:58 pm
As the final bell rang to let out classes, a winged figure sat near the door, examining the faces in the throngs leaving school.
Casia was looking for Carlisle, but she hadn't seen him all day. Sure, she had never really paid him much mind before the gym class he had tried to teach her how to waltz, but this didn't change the fact that he was an unusually dressed kid with a glowing thing attached to his head. Even if she hadn't been looking, he could only be so elusive.
This brought up the fact that he might not actually be here, or perhaps that he hadn't wanted to take part in her lesson after all and was now fastidiously avoiding her. Worriedly, the siren glanced at the crowd again. She had no right to be annoyed, she reminded herself, she hadn't even given him a chance to respond to the offer when she had made it. But her siren side, the part underneath the rest of her that grabbed at things to be indignant at and took full advantage of them, was thinking about how she had even brought a 'CD player' just to teach him, even though she didn't really know how to use it and was still somewhat afraid of it exploding at the touch. She had actually tried and now here she was, standing near the door as the last few students trickled through and feeling a bit foolish.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:17 pm
He approached the school warily, ears ringing and headache nearing migraine proportions. Carlisle had only just woken up, in fact, and it showed- his hair clung damply to his face and he had shadows under his eyes as he approached the winged girl. Both his aunt, his mother, and Eight, who was the only one who seemed to know what was going on, had recommended he stay home. This did not go over well with the boy, who had taken offense and started to walk to the portal to the Liberty Center on his own. Then his uncle had taken pity on him and picked him up, driving him to the school.
Now he smiled and bowed, a bit unsteadily, to the blonde girl standing near the door. "Sorry I'm late," he said, "and for not being around. I've been a little sick." Straightening, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his black slacks just for something to do as he looked around. Now why had he mentioned being sick? It wasn't something you talked about around girls, especially not friend-girls who were going out of their way to share something like music with you. "Do you think I missed a lot," he tried, eyes alighting on the CD player.
Beetles. For once, he managed to keep an expression off his face though the result was a vague, purposeless smile. Well, he'd ask questions if he could, but if not he'd be happy just to listen to someone for a while. Everyone had been really very silent around him of late...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:32 pm
Casia's brown eyes widened in alarm as Carlisle approached her, annoyance partially evaporating and leaving a vaguely guilty feeling. He hadn't been avoiding her at all, in fact from the look of him he had gone out of his way just to be there for the lesson. His face had the look of someone who should be at home under the covers, not going off for musical education with some chick he barely knew.
She wondered if it was contagious, and then felt even guiltier. That was not the first thought that came to good peoples' minds, so she shook her head and asked "You gonna be okay?" aloud. "We can do this later, no big deal." It wouldn't be that hard to smuggle the music out of Jane's house again, and it had the added bonus of putting off the dreaded moment where she would actually have to try to turn on the CD player. She had only cone it once before and that had been due to a mixture of dumb luck and random button mashing.
As for his next question, the siren flashed the boy a weak smile. "Just the bit where you grew up without music for most of your life?" she suggested. "That's why we're here today."
Well, that and her desire to rope him into teaching her how to waltz again. In the end, Casia had decided that something structured like learning a dance was something she wanted in her life, something where she could know the next step. Carlisle was the only source she could see to acquire that knowledge. But that was a different story entirely, and until he either denied or embraced the idea, she couldn't afford to be too nice to him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:03 pm
As if detecting the question, he removed his hands from his pockets and held up both of them. "Yeah, I'm going to be fine. It's not contagious," he said, smiling in a nervous fashion; "Not unless you're unlucky like me, I guess. It's kind of..." A laugh- not his, nor one audible to Casia -accompanied that, and he didn't realize it was only in his mind until he'd started to speak.
"Wha-- Sorry," he said. "No, I'm okay-" And then the laughter. He ignored it, this time, and smiled at what he could hear of her comment. "-No, I play piano, remember? Not entirely-" His voice trailed off for a moment, listening to something else. "-Music... less..."
He mounted the rest of the steps to disguise the shaking of his head and lowered his hands. It didn't clear anything out, nor make it easier to hear her, but it certainly made him feel better mentally. At some point he was going to go find Luka or someone and learn how to make them shut up, because the people in his head seemed to find him and his predicament extremely hilarious and it was very distracting. Trying to play it cool (difficult, since he was blushing again) he tucked his hands back into his pockets and asked, "The Beatles, right?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:37 am
The siren looked at him doubtfully but shrugged. If he said he was okay, then she wouldn't ask questions. After all, she was repaying a favour with this lesson, and she supposed he could do what he wanted when he wanted. However, he was definitely acting a little strange, and though it was probably just the sickness, part of Casia stayed alert as he walked up towards her.
To get them back on track, she seized the piano comment. "Well, practically musicless." she amended hastily. A piano was all well and good, but having just piano was like eating just grapes. It'd stop you from feeling hungry but it wouldn't actually satisfy. However, the siren grudgingly admitted it was a good starting point. Half dead was better than all dead, right?
She looked very carefully as he tucked his hands into his pockets because now there was a blush creeping across his cheeks, a suspicious sort of blush that the siren couldn't find a reason for in their previous conversation, review it though she did. Biting her lip, she said "Yeah..." and reached into the bag at her feet. She didn't know what Carlisle acted like when not instructing young girls to dance, but there were a few strange, jangling notes in his conversation that made her feel uneasy, like she was missing out on a joke everyone else got. She shook her head, she was probably letting her imagination run wild was all. But something still felt wrong. Looking up at him once more, she added "I was thinking Tell Me Why would be a good song to start with. You know, 'Tell me why-y-y-y you cried, and why you li-i-ied to me?'"
It was not a subtle hint at all, Casia convinced herself. It was just an innocent suggestion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:23 pm
He grinned at that; practically musicless, whatever that meant, didn't seem bad. Carlisle was happy with what he had, including transsexual piano instructors, and the lack of beetles. The lack of beetles was very, very helpful, he figured. So he kept grinning, ignoring laughter and one particularly indignant if horrified voice in the back of his head. This was a time to be good, not a time to hide in his room and stare blankly at walls!
It occurred to him (or did it? hard to tell) that Casia was going to think he was tremendously two-faced. This made him a little sad.
"So," he said, in response to her yeah. It was an attempt to forget the two-faced thought. He tilted his head a little, then, without a thought about it, began to repeat something he heard, "That's a good so-" but then he broke off, looking confused. A nervous smile, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
Seeking to distract from that mistake- why would he repeat something a voice in his head was saying? -Carlisle asked, "So how -" a tiny, almost unnoticeable break in his question "-are we going to listen? That bag doesn't look big enough to hold a record player." He'd meant to say phonograph. That was weird.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:44 pm
Casia gave him another long stare as Carlisle continued to cut himself off. "Um, so you've..." Shaking her head, she dug back into the bag again. Carlisle had said he didn't listen to much music, and he hadn't actually finished the sentence, so she was probably leaping to conclusions. However, it still felt like she was missing something and it made her itch uncomfortably. Carlisle was starting to remind her vaguely of Antony, wherever his mind was, it wasn't quite on the siren in front of him.
"I couldn't sneak out the record player." she admitted embarrassedly at his next question. "Instead I snagged this." The siren pulled Jane's grody old CD player and a Beatles CD she had found in a dusty rack from the bag. Though it was different from the plan and both objects were pretty foreign to her besides the Beatles connection, they hadn't been difficult to get ahold of. The mail carrier's house was full of sound systems and CDs, speeches and songs, all filed away neatly in their proper places and ready for use.
No, the hard part would be making everything work and luckily the siren had a plan for this. Holding out the CD and player to Carlisle gingerly, she flashed him a brief grin. "So, you wanna do the honours?" If she acted like she knew how and was just being generous she would barely have to touch it and would be able to enjoy the added bonus of making it seem like a significant gesture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:11 pm
He smiled, listening as attentively as he could. Then she pulled out a CD player and his expression went sort of blank but the smile came back fairly soon. "That's cool," he said, deciding not to mention that he probably shouldn't touch it. He'd touched a phone back at home and it had promptly imploded under his hands, emitting smoke and a small amount of sparks. It had been rather frightening, though his aunt hadn't seemed too shocked. Carlisle had never been very good with electronics.
Carlisle figured she probably wouldn't be happy if her CD player got broken, so he shrugged as nonchalantly as he could and then sat a little heavily on the steps. "That's probably not a good idea," he said, "I'm really sorry?"
Honestly, he would prefer to be teaching waltzing. That was all physical work, with some explanations for the odder parts, and he could probably (probably!) do that in his sleep. Carlisle hadn't tried yet, but he thought he could. Likely. He rested his heels on a few steps down, looking out at the grass; "I'll give it a go, though," he said, feeling rather guilty though hopefully it didn't go into his voice. It wasn't nice to offer to do something when he knew it wouldn't turn out well, it was just that it seemed like Casia wanted him to do it, so he would give it a go.
He wondered if the CD player had cost very much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 6:03 pm
Casia nodded encouragingly and gave him a pleased smile, but inside she was ecstatic. She was getting away with it!
He was still acting weird though. She faltered slightly, why wasn't it a good idea? Maybe he didn't know how CD players worked either? But it was better to let him fumble about with the thing than to try to do it herself. She was teaching the lesson, she needed to command respect. Convincing herself that he was wrong and whatever reason made it a bad idea didn't change it secretly being good one, she passed him the device. The sooner they got the lesson going, the sooner she could nonchalantly bring up waltzing, and though she had no way to repay them if they kept going with those, maybe he'd want more culture lessons or something. Maybe she'd end up teaching him to Madison.
Anyway, whatever was going on and whatever was going to happen later, at least right now he was paying more attention to her. Still acting a little weird, yeah, but she could deal with that. Just so long as she had his undivided attention. Reaching into the bag again, she pulled out the proper CD and handed that to him too, opening the case first and feeling secretly justified. She may not know how to open a CD player, but she sure as anything knew how to open a case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:07 pm
He hardly had a moment to separate his own thoughts from the horde in his mind, and the confusion must have shown clearly on his face even before Carlisle's fingers came into contact with the CD player. And as he closed his hands around it, a solitary spark flew and for a moment, there was ghostly gray smoke. The real fireworks started when he gingerly pressed the release on the side of the small machine.
It sparked. Multiple times. Black smoke issued from its innards. He dropped the player in surprise and winced when it clattered to the ground, rolling on its edges for a few moments before coming to a complete stop. Coughing for a moment, he tucked his face into his elbow until he felt he could speak clearly. His headache sucked. "Sorry," he said, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to. I'll pay for a new one or for it to get fixed, I didn't mean to break it."
Carlisle glanced at her, some kind of mix of fear and consternation in the look on his face. Then, jerkily, he offered her the CD gingerly. "At least I- didn't... drop this?" A somewhat pained smile. Why was he such an idiot?
Questions for another day. "I'm really, really sorry."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:30 pm
Casia gave a musical shriek and jolted as the CD player shot sparks. She knew it couldn't be trusted! Feeling a defiant sort of victory for being right all along and also a nagging worry that Jane would be mad at her, she took the still-intact disc back from Carlisle. "It's okay, fine, copacetic!" she assured him hurriedly. She hadn't liked the machine much anyway, give her a record player any day. "... What about you? Are you all right?" the siren asked concernedly. People first, then the wretched machine. "It's never done that before." Granted, she had only ever used it once, but it still hadn't.
An awkward pause. What did you say after someone blew up your CD player? Quickly, the siren wracked her brain, no way to play a compact disc without one, but maybe...
"Well, it won't really be as groovy, but if you want, I can sing you one of their songs." she offered sheepishly. "We can give you the real deal later, yeah?" She searched her memory for a song she'd like to sing that would be a good gateway into Beatles education, choosing was the hardest part.
Technically, he had already heard her sing some, but she had been dying of embarrassment at the time, so surely it didn't count. The siren bit her lip thoughtfully. "I can sing I Saw Her Standing There?" It mentioned dancing and Carlisle danced, for lack of a more obvious reason. Not to mention, the more the siren brought up dancing, the easier it would be to ask aloud, and Casia gave him room to agree or decline, anxiously shuffling her feet a bit as she waited.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:49 pm
Gosh, even her screams were like music. Carlisle zoned for a moment, listening to something- echoes of the sound inside his head, or something, perhaps, he didn't know. It was vague. The myriad had receded. For a moment, his head was all to himself. Then it was back and Carlisle decided that it had just been shock at the admittedly spectacular failure of the CD player that had shocked them to silence. No way could it be the hypnotic qualities of a siren's voice; he wouldn't have thought of it even if he had known that Casia was a siren, just because he was that kind of guy. Belatedly, he put out one hand on her arm to stop her from jolting herself into falling.
"Are you sure," he queried, happily relinquishing the disc even though he knew he couldn't wipe data off something that was not electronic in and of itself. It had sounded a little like these Beatles were really important to her. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm sorry."
Carlisle set his head in his hands again and watched her over a fence of his fingers. "That would be nice," he agreed, being careful to not seem too eager although only an idiot would miss the widening of his eyes with interest. And later meant that they would meet up again, after gym class. He liked Casia; she was nice. Perhaps they were friends.
He smiled and said, "That sounds good. I don't know any of the songs." Despite saying earlier that Tell Me Why was a good song, he seemed completely earnest, even leaning forward a little on his elbows. Carlisle wondered why she seemed so anxious and tilted his head a little. He almost asked what was wrong, but someone spoke in the back of his mind and his eyes flicked up to one corner for the barest moment as if to look for something he'd barely seen.
Putting a smile back on his face, Carlisle tried to seem encouraging.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:50 pm
Casia could barely hide her grin, secretly pleased with the opportunity to show off. She hadn't missed his eyes widening, and though she wasn't the most perceptive girl at times, there were some signals everyone knew. No matter how distant Carlisle had been acting before, he was definitely paying attention now, and the part of her that seemed constantly desperate for attention was thrilled. "Well, if you really want me to." she said, carefully measuring the right amount of modest reluctance into her tone.
Still, even if she wanted attention, the somewhat skittish siren felt her insides lurch as she thought about the possibility her singing could attract other peoples' attention. She wasn't sure she could handle more than one person listening, and even though there weren't that many people around, she worried about it. Thus, Casia scooched in closer to the boy next to her, singing as softly as the energetic song would allow.
"Well, she was just seventeen,
And you know what I mean,
And the way she looked
Was way beyond compare.
So how could I dance with another,
Oooo, when I saw her standing there?
Well, she looked at me
and I, I could see,
That before too long,
I'd fall in love with her.
She wouldn't dance with another,
Oooo, when I saw her standing there!"
She paused as the lyrics caught up to her. The next lines were romantic, and she glanced over at Carlisle hesitantly. That was the WRONG IDEA, especially considering that during their last gym class together he had spent most of their time holding her so close to him she had practically been standing on him. She could get teased for that kind of thing! Wings fluttering uncertainly, she shook her head. Most Beatles songs were about, well... About that, that lovey stuff. She'd have to learn to sing it eventually. Anyway, people listened to love songs all the time! There was nothing too weird about singing one to promote Beatles education and it was practically a crime to leave a Beatles song unfinished when one was singing it to introduce someone to them. Anyway, Carlisle probably wouldn't tease her, he seemed too nice for that. Casia gulped for a breath to stall, but she continued singing.
"Well, my heart went boom,
When I crossed that room,
And I held her hand in mine.
Oh, we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long
I fell in love with her.
Now I'll never dance with another,
Oooo, when I saw her standing there.
Well my heart went boom,
When I crossed that room,
And I held her hand in mine.
Oh we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight.
And before too long
I fell in love with her.
Now I'll never dance with another,
Oooo, when I saw her standing there!
Oooo, since I saw her standing there!
Yeah, well, since I saw her standing there."
She felt better after she finished. Beatles songs were as comfortable and familiar to her as a second skin, it was hard to do anything but enjoy them. Anyway, the clock boy looked sort of like a chick, which made it easier. Singing stuff with love in it to really boyish boys was bad and got you teased possibly forever but singing it to him might not even really count. "And that's the Beatles!" she announced grandly. "Well, at least their early stuff." It hadn't been that bad, she decided. She could maybe handle singing about romance as long as it was just Carlisle listening. It was safe as singing to Shiraz or Devakanya, and if no one had heard and no one knew, then she wouldn't have anyone ragging on her the next day. "What do you think?" she asked proudly, swallowing her fears.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 3:54 am
He listened attentively, lowering his hands to rest them on his knees and feeling rather pleased with himself that she seemed very much less anxious now that he'd agreed. Of course he would have anyway, but it was nice to not have that grating feeling that he was ignoring something he shouldn't. For a moment, right after she started singing, he wondered why she always sang so softly; he was of the opinion that hers was the sort of voice that no one should be shy about sharing. He knew he liked it, anyway.
Now, Carlisle was no musical expert. Actually he was far from it, his experiences with the sounds and notes limited to piano lessons at home and the music classes at school- not exactly the biggest repertoire, and such. Perhaps that made it a wonderful thing that he was listening to Casia with such a blank slate; it seemed to him that the voice and the song combined were such perfect complements that the song became secondary to the quiet singing. If he thought for a moment about the actual meaning of the words that were sung, it didn't show. Not an eyelash was blinked at the romantic lyrics even though the corner of his mouth quirked upwards a minute amount.
(The voices were quiet. Carlisle didn't notice.)
"Wow," he said when she had finished her song. He didn't quite know what to say; in actuality, he liked her voice much better than the song but she probably didn't want to hear that. "I think you're a really good singer," he continued, matter-of-fact and smiling like complimenting someone was a commonplace thing. Which, for Carlisle, it was, but that was besides the point. "And it was a very good... song. Do you mean they have many more songs?"
He paused, and then he said, "I think it's wonderful." Carlisle was talking about her voice. She really did sing very well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 4:35 pm
A pleased grin danced hesitantly around Casia's lips as Carlisle told her what he thought. Despite her reservations, the siren was a sucker for flattery, and nothing was quite as flattering as a double compliment, one for her favourite band and one for her. "Thanks." she said quickly, adding "It'll sound better when you hear the real stuff." The Beatles just weren't the same when a girl sang their songs, and no matter how much Casia adored them, she really didn't feel like she could do them justice. Their voices brought up nostalgic feelings and crowded moments in her mind, feelings she could release with her singing, but only they could evoke them quite as vividly, all those hours at Anna's house laughing and playing, and all those uncertain moments the lyrics had pulled her back from.
Not that it would mean anything to Carlisle. Casia shook her head, the point of the Beatles was, at least to her, to pull your own meaning from it. Anyway, she had other business to address, namely the waltzing lessons, and now that she knew he liked the singing, she had a bargaining chip. "So, uh... I guess that's all." she said, kicking her feet out and leaning back in an attempt to be casual. "I have to let you hear their actual music anyway, so since you liked it, maybe we could meet up after school again some time." She nodded slowly and then strove to look like she had a coincidental epiphany. "Oh! And since we'll probably have time after I'm done teaching you, maybe we can waltz again or something? You know, to pass the time." She couldn't meet Carlisle's face as she suggested it, but her wings gave a tellingly hopeful flutter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
