flightless

The sudden waving made him automatically hit the boy’s hand away, a reflex of his he was thankful for. Doing such things to garner his attention only annoyed him, the lack of manners the boy had automatically making his mood turn south. He could only hope the musician in front of him wasn’t terrible and could at least try to brighten up his day with his songs. “Do you know Moulin Rogue? The Elephant Love Medley. Sing that.” It was the only song he could thing of–or rather, songs–coming from his favourite movie (the only one he’s seen thus far and actually remembered) and butchering the song would mean automatic death. It was a good bargain, though, and a great way to pass time.

The Elephant Love Medley? That song? He can’t help but to pout at the suggestion (or rather demand). He’s seen it before, heard the song-- haven’t really memorized the lyrics but at least he knows the tune! He isn’t quite sure how he’ll be able to make an acoustic cover of it. There’s too many instruments, he doesn’t even think he can replicate the intense emotions within the instrumental with just a guitar. But he should be fine, he thinks. He’s a musical genius after all! “Er, yeah I do, but isn’t it a duet, though?” he asks, pulling his phone out, searching for the lyrics. “Can’t sing this by myself, that’d be weird.”

Reaching across, she affectionately ruffled his hair and flashed him another one of her trademark eye smiles. “Being in school here allows me to take a bit of a break from my princess duties but then here, I’m busy with school and clubs and cheerleading.” She chuckled, crossing her legs as they sat beside each other. “Auster has always been treating me right where his version of treating me right involves him babying and spoiling me. I’m forever five in his eyes, I think.” 

He nods and swats her hand away giving a playful glare. “Hey, hey, hands off the hair.” He pouts and begins to fix his hair. “It’s good that it’s sort of a break, even if you have homework, club activities... cheerleading, all that--” He pauses. “Shit I do too.” He had forgotten all about-- and to think he’d already forgotten that he had failed his last year, how stupid of him. “Help me with my homework-- please? I’ll try to convince Auster to treat you more of a lady than a toddler!”

though he didn’t say it out loud, instead wrote each step on the margins, wrote corrections next to mistakes; he made it neat, legible, a lesson he could understand, could learn from. the process was quick, weaved from quick strokes of his hand, of meetings of pencil and paper; then he slid it back to him with another smile, still faint, gentle, frail enough to fade at any second. “you have an alternative to higher education, right?” he asked, curious about his plans, about his goals, dreams, something outside of academic restrictions and their neat, suffocating construction.

He glances at the worksheet then to Marvin and pulls him into a tight embrace. “Jesus, you’re a lifesaver, Marv. If I could, I’d kiss you right on the lips right now!” He’s half kidding. “But, er.” Did he have any alternatives? What were his plans for the future? His head has been filled with music, the prospects of it-- he hadn’t thought much about his future. Does he need a degree to pursue music? Is it really needed? He doesn’t know. “Not really,” he frowns, “kinda pursuing music-- I know I’m planning to do that, but dunno much about a higher education. Y’think I need that?”

Jasper tilted her head at the stranger before nodding. “Yeah..I am.” The Grayson always tried to hide in the shadows, avoiding any unnecessary interact with her fellow peers.  She blinked a few times at the outstretched hand. Oh. Shake hands- okay. Letting out a nervous laugh before quickly shaking his hand, she pulled away as soon as possible. “O-Oh..i’m Jasper, Jasper Grayson. S-Sorry if this sounds..nosy but..why Luka? What is wrong with Lukas? I mean there is nothing wrong with Luka- I think it is a cute name but then you only just took the ‘s’ out and yeah…s-sorry for asking-” What was she even asking- By the time she was half way through the last sentence, she started mumbling and her palms were sweaty out of nervousness. Her head was hung low as an attempt to hide behind her hair when she finished. 

He pauses, allowing the silence to envelop the two before breaking out into loud, boisterous laughter. “Don’t take it seriously, I’m kidding mostly-- you are really pretty however!” Lukas is certain he had left the girl flustered even more now, but he’s certain she won’t take it to heart.... hopefully. He disregards how the girl’s hand immediately pulls out of his once they shook and merely keeps the friendly smile on his face. “Well then, nice to meet you Jasper! Weird name, but that’s cool.” He tilts his head to the side at the question. “Not nosy at all, but, ah-- if you want to call me Lukas, that’s fine. Not many do and I just think Luka sounds better.”

Letting strangers, albeit they had just introduced themselves he was still iffy about going in someone’s room (his own room being offered to strangers being a totally different thing in his mind) especially since he had already forgotten the other’s name. It started with an L, did it not? As he was ushered to sit, he crossed his legs, tapping on his knees as he watched the other prepare his guitar. The mentioned name rung a bell, but he was far too busy trying to rationalise the situation to wrack his brain to attach a face to the name. “So what are you going to play?”

He tries to catch Emrys’ attention (the guy seems to be in his own world their entire encounter), waving his hand in front of the other’s face. “Gimme a song, any song!” He exclaims, excited for the potential songs the boy could give him. He quietly congratulates himself for the idea and looks at Emrys with expectant eyes, leaning over his guitar. “I’ll cover it for you. That works, right?”

Can You Please Stop?Jebal?

Bistre eyes bored into the reflection in his bathroom mirror, a gangly young man wrapped up with a pretty bow. Fingertips reached up to tentatively straighten his headband for the zillionth time, not sure how it somehow made him more appealingly feminine, but simply accepting that it did as fact and finally walked out of the relative safety. A darting look shot to his phone, time illuminated briefly, countdown to the big reveal and possible crushing of his not substantial ego despite his propensity for jokes to the contrary ticking. Finally, a knock rang out and with the hues of his namesake stealing up high cheekbones, Phillip’s heir answered the door, eyes glued to the floor and fingers toying with the chain of a borrowed handbag. “R-ready?”

He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door, bracing himself for the inevitable, praying that maybe his sister had helped him with his makeover. The door swings open and he hears a meek voice. He looks up, speechless. Yes, Auster did look like a girl (kind of) and if you were standing a couple meters away and squinting, he’d pass for one, that was… if he weren’t tall. Very tall. Maybe a couple inches taller. Oh god, why did he agree with this? Why is he surrounded by tall people? Why? Lukas breathes in, taking a calming breath and breathes out. “Yeah, ready, just—did you get all this from Alexa?”

Eventually they got to the courtyard and thankfully luck was on their side and bestowed them with an empty table under the shade of the bigger trees. “How many successful attempts have you had with this whole serenading thing anyway?” She teased once they sat down and were able to talk properly. “I’m sure you’ve been quite the casanova since we saw each other last.”

He’d rather not dwell on the subject, or recall how all his past relationships were practically one-sided, there isn’t a point. He shakes his head, smacking his face slightly. He flashes Alexa a smile and quickly changes the topic. “So! How have you been and your princess-ly duties?” He asks, resting his chin on the palms of his hands. “Your older brother treatin’ you alright?”