#guitarshipping

   He wanted to make her a guitar that she could duel with. Something one of a kind, just like her, and would put her on the world’s stage, she wouldn’t have to play second to her cousin with something like this and Yuga was going to make it possible: a token of friendship, proof that she had never hurt his – or any of their other friends’ – feelings despite being secretive around them and the like. It was a perfect idea and sentiment and Yuga was going to ensure that it was just as perfect in execution. So, he holed up in his Lab to make it happen. Time was precious and it was going to be a huge project, no room for error like with a couple of his other Roads.

   Yet with such motivation behind him, Yuga found that everything just fit first try. He wasn’t fiddling around with screws over and over again, trying to get them to cooperate, they were just going in, round and round with gliding ease. Even as he worked up a sweat, perspiration rolling down his nose and off the tip of it, he didn’t find himself distracted at all. 

   He wiped it off, smearing grease in its wake and then continuing on without interruption. It was like an inventor’s nirvana. He found himself standing up, hunching over all the bits and pieces that would assemble as a Duelling Guitar once he got so far, he was just so excited to see the smile on Romin’s face, to hear her gratitude. He knew that she would love this Road of his and that kept him going, kept him on his feet in what was like a blissful dream to him.

   As more compartments and bits and bobs of his Road, gradually becoming the invention that he could see so clearly in his mind’s eye and in his schematics, Yuga was reminded of people dancing in mosh pits. He thought of their bodies in motion, raging hard to the neo hair metal music that they adored as performed by RoaRomin with Romin as lead guitar. 

   Yuga wasn’t sure why this image stuck out to him as he made sure that his various elements to his overall Road fit together like they should but watching the various gears spin, cleaning out the ones and refining any that grinded and whirred erroneously, but it was like a vicious dance, like at the front of the stage, shoulder to shoulder, causing a stench and a howl. He was even building to the pace of the RoaRomin song that he played on his tinkered radio. (Road-io?). It was kind of lewd, but that close proximity, the way the metal bits and pieces spun and moved and even groaned, it really did remind Yuga of that rock star and fan experience.

   The sights and the sounds were well-wrought, proof of how hard Yuga was working, becoming his latest and greatest Road.  The neck of the guitar could properly be called a neck now. The body was half recognisable as the body of a guitar, too, but Yuga’s own ached. There were twinges and twangs, like taut guitar strings, across his shoulder blades and down his back. He had been holding on his tools with clenched fists, red marks appeared on his palms. His arms were overworked and were going to beyond sore tomorrow morning but that was tomorrow. 

   Yuga had to focus on the now and the thought of Romin receiving her gift got him through this dull bout that dragged him back, slowed him down. The flash of her teeth and the flip of her fuchsia-coloured hair, a glimpse of her blue eyes and the sharpness of her cheekbones all coming together with a grateful smile, that was more than enough to reinvigorate Yuga as he got over the half-way hump of inventing.

   Yuga slid his hand down the neck of the guitar, the metal had cooled since the last time he had touched it but he was still reminded of the temperature of Romin’s hands, however briefly. And though he didn’t know how to carry a note or play a chord, he did test it. He was a good little inventor, after all, everything had to be quality tested no matter how erratic that quality was but this was his master piece so there were no immediate eccentricities with the Duelling Guitar. 

   As he played, Yuga could feel some inner spark for music that he’d never had before, so long as he channeled that crush of his that he had on Romin, pretending to be just like her for a lick. It was time well spent, after all, he had to make sure his gift was in perfect working order, that the proportions wouldn’t be out for a natural hold on it and so on and so forth. He smiled to himself as he very badly played a chorus of a RoaRomin song on it. It didn’t sound anywhere near right but Yuga was certain that he didn’t have it wrong, it just needed to be played by Romin, of course.

   With that, Yuga was satisfied and with more than a minute to spare. He couldn’t be prouder of his Road, he just knew that it was going to look so good slung across Romin’s front as she jammed on it. It had a sleek look to it, the red and white would absolutely compliment the darker colour palette of Romin’s usual clothes but was not so bright as to clash with the vivacity of her pinkie-coloured hair. 

   All the slots and compartments opened and closed on their cues, she could play her favourite song on this Road and summon her ace monster Prima Guitarna in the same breath. She could even grab a snack from it, too, if she was hungry. Actually, speaking of, that was the only finishing touch that Yuga could think of. The snack compartment needed a snack and so, he would hit up the closest vending machine with care to get Romin a chocolate bar. Yuga was willing to bet something filled with nougat and caramel would be the right hit for Romin’s taste buds.