hugtopia_logs | They took the credit for your second symphony [Open]

♥ Who: Shinji Ikari (

hedgehogsdilemma) and YOU!
♥ Where: Rawna's temple + Around
♥ When: Early Nalom
♥ What: Sweet jams? Sweet jams. Plus general month catchall for whatever other Shinji-shenanigans there are to be had.
♥ Rating: Probably? Just PG? Will update accordingly if anything changes.

Hello Cello
It's a nice, early morning at Rawna's temple, and Shinji's arrived to get a head-start on helping tidy up from last month's festivities. That... had been his plan, anyway! Shortly after arriving, one of the robots flags him down to unload a package off on to him. A surprisingly big package. For him? That's. Huh. Maybe he can put off work for a little while to figure out what this is about.

That 'little while' plan takes a longer turn when he opens it up and sees what's waiting for him inside.

While he's still fairly sure he's mostly alone in the temple, Shinji finds a quiet spot to sit with his newly reacquired cello, at first deciding to simply test it out, make sure it's still in tune, that sort of thing. As such, a few choice notes can be heard floating through the temple as he tunes the strings, subtle adjustments being made to each one and each note as he goes. With that much out of the way... maybe some scales are in order. You know, just to make sure he remembers them. Nothing particularly complicated to be playing or hearing, but possibly an interesting change of pace from the kinds of music the robots have been playing at the parties and gatherings so far.

Walking Fast, Faces Pass
Despite his enthusiasm for getting some cursory playing in, he isn't really here for public performances, though it might be a little hard to keep such a large instrument, in its case or otherwise, discreet while he's attempting the journey back to the housing area with it. Outside of being just Fairly Large and Noticeable, he hasn't had to travel busy sidewalks with it in -

. . .

a real long time. He does his best to stay out of the way of anyone else, but there's definitely the chance that someone's getting bumped into with the cello during his journey.

"Ah, sorry-!"

Wildcard
[These prompts not your fancy, but wanna thread with this kid anyway? Slide me a PM or message over at

sandshrew and we can figure something else out wink wonk]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"--Oh! Shinji!" Exclaiming his name has he bumps into her with the cello, she quickly reaches for his upper arm to steady him. Hopefully, he'll be able to keep a hold of the instrument in the meantime. "Are you alright?

"Oh!" He hadn't been expecting to bump into anyone familiar on his journey, but here we are...! He does stumble a little trying to catch his balance, but even as she reaches out to help steady him, Shinji straightens up a little extra, as if to tighten up his personal space bubble and keep himself from accidentally hitting anyone else.

"I'm fine, are you okay...?"

It seems that he's steady enough, and so she lets go. With a nod, she affirms that she's fine, her eyes dropping to him, then to the case he carries.

"You're... a lot stronger than you look!" she remarks with an impressed smile. "Have you been carrying that all on your own?"

As her hand draws back, he seems to relax just a little bit. Still trying to keep himself out of the way, but maybe not quite as tense as a moment ago.

"Ah... it's really not that heavy." He didn't mean to trick her into thinking he's particularly strong, or anything. Sorry, Pyra, he remains an unimpressively scrawny kid. "Just kind of big. I can manage it on my own."

"Oh...?" Well, if he says he can manage its weight, she'll believe him! "How far do you live from here? I can at least get the door to your townhouse for you, if you'd like."

But if he actually doesn't need her assistance, then she has littke reason to be here.... especially if no hand-holding is going to happen.

His eyes widen very slightly at the offer. It isn't an unreasonable one, by any means, but it's still a little surprising to have it presented in the first place.

"I don't think I could ask you to go that far out of your way for me."

Whether he lives far from here or not, surely she has something she's out and about for besides helping whoever might run into her, he figures.

"It really is no trouble at all." Her reply comes with a friendly smile as well as a shake of her head. Out of her way? No way! "I'd love to hear more about your music, too."

A good way to make the offer all the more appealing is right there in that last comment - let it be some kind of trade-off. A mutually beneficial offer. That's a little easier to swallow, even if just talking about music seems somewhat less helpful than what Pyra's suggesting.

"I guess I could tell you about it..." He's not, like, an expert on music, but being a musician and general fan, he might know enough to be satisfactory. "Um, it isn't too far from here, where I live, so it probably won't take up too much of your time."

At that, she giggles lightly. Won't take up too much of her time? Airily, she replies, "You say that as if it is a bother to learn more about you."

And so the two set off down the road to his residence. Fortunately for the both of them, the weather is fair and steady, making their route easier. "So! Were you just coming back from playing somewhere?"

It just doesn't seem like something that would be very interesting, in his opinion! But he also knows when to keep those kinds of thoughts unsaid, so any rebuttal he has will stay in his own head.

"Not exactly. I just picked it up at the temple, and I made sure it was tuned, but I didn't really play it much."

Oh-- then, that must mean he received it as a gift from the local gods! her lips part in a gasp, half in awe, half in excitement for him. "Shinji... Is this instrument the same one you have in your own homeworld...?

"Probably," he regards the case with a quick, almost gentle look. It would be pretty easy to substitute one instrument with another of the same kind, but... "I'm pretty sure it's the same one. It feels like it is, anyway."

"And what sort of music do you play? Classical...? Folk? Or---" She lifts a hand, tapping the slight-left side of her chest, as if it could indicate her heart. "Somewhere from your heart?"

She's cheesy, so sue her--

That was pretty cheesy, but there's something genuine enough about it that Shinji can't help but find it just a little charming. Embarrassing, but charming.

"Mostly classical," it's the kind of instrument it was written for, after all! "Sometimes I'd try and figure out other kinds of music on it, songs I'd listen to, things like that, but I don't really know anything about actually composing music."

"You... play them all by heart? Without sheet music?"

"It's more like from memory, and by ear, I'd think."

You play something enough times, and you don't really need the sheet music every time anymore. But. Yeah, she gets it, more or less.

"I've been playing for a long time, so there are a few pieces I know well enough to not always need the sheet music."

It's not everyday you meet a musician-- and one so young, at that-- who is able to play songs upon the cello either by ear or from memory. Her eyes widen; she's impressed.

He's only one of two musicians she's met in this entire place, too.

"That truly is incredible, Shinji... and I haven't heard you actually play yet."

He exhales softly, feeling a little weighed down from the genuine admiration already.

"I don't really think I'm that good, and I don't know how much I can really improve here without a teacher," maybe... he'll have to consider researching the kinds of music Havenwell has available? Or, at the very least, see what kind of options there could be for getting books of music from his own world - if a cello can be brought over, why not something like that? Something for him to think about later. "But... if you're interested in hearing, I could try playing something simple for you."

Hearing the sigh, her smile relaxes.

“I wouldn’t mind hearing a song... whenever you’re not busy.”

She’s only here to open the door for him, but if he has nothing else to do in the meantime, she won’t refuse the offer.

She jests softly, “I’m afraid that I won’t have any bouquet to give you after the performance, however, unless you like artificial flowers.”

It might come as a surprise to hear that Shinji doesn't often have a whole lot going on - right now is not much of an exception.

"I'm definitely not good enough to be getting flowers," spoken like he does pick up on the fact that it's a gentle tease, but also oh no please do not do that. "If anything, it'd be a nice way to thank you for the help." You know. The help of opening a door. The thoughtfulness of it all is appreciated.

They took the credit for your second symphony [Open]

Walking fast

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