Music Browsing {Loren}

[ara]

Demonic Music. So the name seemed a bit sketchy to Ara, but hey, she didn't judge the music store for that. She was actually quite fond of the place, and spent quite a bit of her free time here, even if she didn't often buy things. The little angel adored music and was certainly a musician at heart, even if she didn't make that her job or anything. She sang all the time though, and had even learned how to play the guitar and piano during her hundred and fifteen years. She hummed to herself as she wandered the store and all its amazing equipment. She was always amazed by how much the store had to offer, always finding something to entertain herself with for a few hours while she browsed. She was still in her looking stage though trying to find something to do. There was just so much she could go do practically anything. It was annoying at times, but she always managed to find something to do, even if that ended up being multiple things.

And multiple things is exactly what happened to the brunette girl. She ended up wandering into the keyboard section of the store and she poked around for a moment before she sat at one and started playing. A little bit of one song, then another. She was fairly talented, but she really didn't show off her instrumental skills all that often, she had always preferred vocals. And that was what made her get up after about thirty minutes. She wanted to sing. So she headed over to the mic area and found herself a corner and sang into a mic, smiling happily, though she wasn't used to having her voice amplified. It was a neat feeling, but she still couldn't say she did that often. She normally just sang in the park or somewhere where she couldn't use mics, and that suited her just fine. People could hear her and she didn't have to make a big deal out of it. She did like letting people hear her voice, it was nice to bring joy to people when she sang for them, She knew she was good, but she didn't flaunt it, not in a vain way, that was. She just used her voice to make her and those around her happy. That wasn't a crime.

Ara finally put her mic up after a few songs earning a bit of applause from a few people that stopped to listen and she thanked then kindly before continuing on her way. She was actually headed for the exit so she could go home, or head elsewhere to find something to do, maybe make another friend or two, but she passed by the acoustic room. She stopped and smiled, her head turning in that direction. All thoughts of leaving now forgotten, she opened the door and let it close with a soft click behind her. She closed her eyes and breathed in. Yes this was a great room. She started pulling guitars down and strumming them, testing to see how in tune they were, as they were often used in the store they could get out of tune pretty easily. She finally found one that made her grey eyes light up. It was a beautiful guitar with mother of pearl inlays of angel wings and mother of pearl swirled leaf designs up the neck. She gasped and took it down loving the feel of it. Her current guitar was starting to get a little worse for wear, maybe she should buy this one? Ara loved the idea, but before she left, she pulled up one of the chairs in the room and started to play a song. She started singing along with a happy smile, she didn't even notice when someone walked in near the beginning of the song.

((Song))

[LOREN ALEXANDER ASTOR]

[style=height: 50px; font-family: 'Sacramento', cursive; font-size:30px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: salmon; text-transform: lowercase; text-align: center; padding-top: 20px;]its hard not to wander

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There were a couple of places Loren considered he ‘lived’. One was the outdoors. Just anywhere. There had been more than one occasion where he ended up staying the night in a meadow because he hadn’t wanted to return back to his house. Other times, he lived here. Loren wished with all of his might that he had some type of musical talent. It wasn’t as if the man was a terrible singer. He could match a pitch perfectly, but it wasn’t as if it was the type of voice someone would stop to stare and listen to. It was amateur vocals. Sad, but true. Never in a million years would the man go in front of a crowd and sing either. He would sing within a crowd. In fact, that generally bothered people considering he sang without any music. It would be more out loud to himself, mumbling the lyrics in a tune while perhaps lightly skipping with his step. A song always stuck in his head. The only way to get the song out of his head was listening to the whole thing.

Still, it didn’t keep him from strolling over here. He still loved music. Music had been one of the elements to help him get by through the hardest and darkest parts of his life. Something that came so subtly and sweet. Even the darkest of songs made him feel better, for whatever reasons. For a faerie, emotion was everything. It was his center. Every emotion he could feel and sense through the atmosphere as well as give off a sense of emotions to others if he wanted to. He even heard rumors of some faeries that were able to control emotions. That rumor he wasn’t sure of. If someone was able to do that, it was likely that someone in the Astor family would have discovered how to do it. They were powerful after all, even with the death of their highest leader. Hunter no doubt. Loren shook his head. No need to concentrate on that now.

Most of the time, he liked all the others around here trying out instruments. If Loren could learn an instrument, he would. He did attempt it once, but he just wasn’t cut out for it. Maybe he would someday turn into some type of musical contractor. Although the thought of perhaps having to sit in an office all day bore him. He would get restless- start to show it in his motions and make others think he was irritated. No, that wouldn’t be the best plan at the least. In his small wanderings, he heard something. A beautiful voice going through the speakers. Sometimes people got ahold of those mics and bad sounds would come out (though he couldn’t really judge considering his own lack of musical talent, but he did appreciate the boldness they must have had). This was a wonderful voice though. One that made him about drop the book he was holding. He looked up, as if there was going to be a source there to tell him where it came from. The only bad part about having two levels- and he didn’t know where the mics were since they hadn’t interested him in the past.

Loren used fast walking to zoom through the store and look around. There was a small group of people that were now departing. Okay, he was close. He hadn’t been the only one wanting to watch the small performance live. Except within the small crowd, he couldn’t make out which one it was. They were now all moving on. He sighed, crossing his arms as he made reference to the place in case this happened again. Ah well- onto the guitars. One of his favorites. One could make music with just a guitar and a voice. Well- one could make music with anything really. Still, it had to be one of the most admirable perhaps besides the piano. He walked softly through, seeing he wasn’t alone there, but he left her be. Loren was generally very social, but his mind was focused on the beautiful creations in front of him. How they were able to be created was beyond him.

That’s when the voice came again. Closer with a guitar this time. Loren looked around and saw the only person that was near him, now in her own small room. Slowly, a smile formed on his face, listening to the lyrics. Did he know this song? The man knew plenty of songs, and he was excellent at getting the lyrics quickly along with the melody. Leaning on the doorway, he smiled at her, admiring her pure talent, ”Well you’re just talented all around, aren’t you?” He asked rhetorically, meaning it pleasantly, ”Is that your own song?” Looking at the guitar she had in her hands. Huh, it fit somehow. The designs. The flow.

ari/rose • <33333 such a pretty song • 814 words

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thanks stark

[ara]

'Well you’re just talented all around, aren't you? Is that your own song?'

Ara was just finishing up the vocals of the song when she heard the voice. She kept strumming as she looked up and she smiled at the guy leaning in the doorway, giving him a little shrug. The compliment was certainly welcome; she liked getting compliments, as it was a pleasure to know her talents were appreciated. And she knew he wasn't being mean, his tone wasn't cruel or sarcastic. "Gratzi, I try," she thanked him in her natural language, Italian. The little angel then placed her palm over the strings to silence the instrument and shook her head. "The song isn't mine though. I've never written a song. It's called Reasons Why by Nickel Creek if you want to look it up. I can only do so much of it alone. It's really pretty, and since it's Bluegrass not many people know about them."

She ran a finger over the mother of peal wings on the guitar, suddenly itching to go out and fly, but that could wait, she was making anew friend. She shifted and leaned over to place the guitar on the floor leaned up against the stool she was sitting on then she stood brushing a strand of brown hair away from her face. She took a step towards him and held out her hand. "I'm Araceli Ricci," she introduced herself with a smile. "Fellow music lover huh?" She figured he was, why else would he be here, unless he happened to be shopping for a gift for someone or something like that, but music lover seemed more probable. And she was always happy to have a new music buddy, especially since she loved singing so much.

To be honest, it was shocking Ara had never bothered to write a song. She could play guitar, piano, sing, she could easily have come up with a song and put it out there for the world to see. But then again, since she was immortal, and she was stuck as a teenager It would be incredibly difficult if she ended up becoming a success and being famous. So it was more likely if she were to do that she would keep it to herself, sing it for her friends, that sort of thing. But she hadn't even done that. Maybe it was the whole Guardian Angel thing, since she had her job to do and such she didn't have the time, though that was hardly a reason. She just... never had.

[LOREN ALEXANDER ASTOR]

[style=height: 50px; font-family: 'Sacramento', cursive; font-size:30px; letter-spacing: 2px; color: salmon; text-transform: lowercase; text-align: center; padding-top: 20px;]its hard not to wander

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Loren wasn’t good with languages or accents. Some were able to tell by just looking, but he had gotten into the habit of just looking at people like they were all people. Nothing of a specific origin. It wasn’t as if the man traveled either (although that would be one thing he’d love to try if only traveling outside of the city limits for an Astor was a little dangerous, especially under the circumstances they were all dealing with right now). There hadn’t been a specific class on ‘if the person looks like this, they must be this’. If there had, he hadn’t known. One thing he regretted from high school (well there was a bunch but perhaps for another time) was not paying attention as much as he should have. Perhaps if he focused more on school work, he wouldn’t have had so many…. Problems. And he would have learned something. It was amazing how many things he looked at that he probably would have learned in school.

When she spoke in the language he did, he wasn’t going to sit there and try to guess. Maybe he’d hear it somewhere else and still not know the answer. No, unacceptable. ”What language is that?” He asked, hoping that he didn’t sound like a complete and total moron. While he was comfortable with asking the question, Loren was full of insecurities. He was confident enough in himself to care less what other people thought as long as he moved on. If he sat there and let his mind linger on one topic, it was all over. It was one of the reasons that Loren didn’t really stop and think about things very often. Didn’t sit with his hand propped under his chin in deep thought or anything. At least, he tried not to do things like that. For some, that cleared the head. For him, that just clogged it up.

That’s why it was so familiar sounding. He couldn’t say that he knew the song, but he was open to just about every type there was, and it was impossible to know every single song ever created by every band. Though he was certain he heard it at least once before. He was very good at that. ”It sounds beautiful.” He told her with a sideways smile, partly amazed and partly envious by her clear talents even if it wasn’t her own written song. If he had the ability, he was sure that he wouldn’t be writing anything either. It’d just be a bunch of things on a piece of paper combined of a bunch of different songs. A mix. ”I’ll look them up when I get back to my computer.” Reasons why. Nickleback- no, no, not Nickleback. Nickle… Nickle Creek. It was amazing the details he’d remember from something like this, but dinner the previous day. Nothing.

She put away her guitar and his hands went forward, ”No, no, no, you don’t have to put that away…” But it was already down and his sentence drown itself out as he continued and heard her name. Whoa, official. Loren was always really cautious about using his first and last name. To certain people, the name Astor wasn’t so friendly. In fact, to some, it was nothing but pure hatred for his family considering they were all on the dark side. Their new head- Jayne- was certain to make sure that stayed the way it did. For the strength of the family. Loren had to be the lightest dark side he knew of. It was ridiculous. ”My name is Loren. Loren… uh, Astor.” Really just gambling that this sweet looking woman didn’t have any feuds with the family.

At her next comment, he gave her a shy grin, running a hand through his hair almost nervously. He didn’t know why he did that. It wasn’t like he exactly had long enough hair for this. ”Oh yeah. I mean, music… is pretty unbeatable.” Understatement. Music helped saved his life. Literally. Actually, he thought. Literally did save his life considering the woman that saved him was in some part of music business or something. He wish he knew more about her.

ari/rose • <33333 such a pretty song • 698 words

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thanks stark