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Post by Neotelenta on Oct 27, 2023 15:23:42 GMT
"Uh...Yeah, I've only played the left-hand part like one or two times, but only by itself. And I didn't get very far into it. I'm almost completely foreign to the notes." Felix says, slightly embarrassed.
"But no, I actually don't have any hand or wrist pain. I was probably tight from nervousness." Felix says, glancing at the cameras. "What's the warm-up exercise?"
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Oct 27, 2023 17:18:47 GMT
"Hey, hey, I know it's tougher having someone watching you," Lyric says in a comforting tone, placing a gentle hand on Felix's shoulder, "I know this isn't the ideal place or situation to do this, but if you keep practicing and eventually nail it, that's gotta impress some of the audience. Besides, you're letting someone help you for a change, and that has to count for something."
They then clasp their hands and nod, beginning to demonstrate the technique as they explain, "Okay, so you start by shaking out your wrists like you've just washed your hands and are shaking the water off of them. You probably want to do this every now and then; I hear it helps prevent repetitive stress injury as long as you're careful about it. Next, take your left thumb, loosely grasp it with a couple fingers of your right hand, and gently pull on it. Do this with the rest of the fingers on your left hand, and then your right hand. When you're done, curl and uncurl your fingers and see if you feel a bit more limbered up.
"Now, take a deep breath and try the right hand part once again. We can work on the left-hand part next time--if you'd like to continue this--and only once you're confident with both parts will we start putting them together. What do you think?"
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Post by Neotelenta on Oct 27, 2023 21:42:51 GMT
Felix takes a deep breathe and he exhales a burden or two. "Yeah, you're right. I've gone this far without minding what they think. I'll pretend they're not there. They've already seen worse." Felix says as he performs the exercises. He noticeably loosens up.
"Yeah, let's do that."
Felix follows Lyric's advice and he slowly but surely improves every time he plays the melody again. Time passes. How much time? I actually don't know, but this becomes a rhythm.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Oct 28, 2023 5:21:16 GMT
Lyric becomes more and more gleeful as Felix improves. Each time he makes mistakes, she notes them and reviews them with Felix, having him practice the specific hand motions if he's having significant trouble.
"You've certainly made a lot of progress!" Lyric compliments after about an hour. "Unless there's something you'd really like to work on right now, what do you say we wrap up for the day? Being a piano teacher has given me quite the appetite! You wanna grab a bite to eat with me?"
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Post by Neotelenta on Oct 28, 2023 13:01:36 GMT
"I think that's a good idea. I'll let the lessons sink in overnight and we'll try some more tomorrow, maybe? Or whenever we're available again. I don't know when Bogota is going to have us go on this Disneyland trip." Felix smiles and nods.
"Sure, let's get something to eat. Do you want anything in particular? I'll see what we have in stock in the kitchen." Felix will get up and begin cleaning up the sheet music and helping put things away as needed.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Oct 28, 2023 21:21:19 GMT
"No, nothing I'm craving," Lyric admits as they help clean up, grabbing their guitar on the way out. "Let's see if anything stands out when we get there."
As the two make their way toward the kitchen, Lyric decides to strike up a conversation again. They ask, "So, since you've taken up the role of caretaker of the group, how does everyone else seem to be doing? I know I'm not the only one you talk to on the regular." She lets out a jovial chuckle.
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Post by Neotelenta on Oct 29, 2023 1:01:26 GMT
Felix chuckles. "Ah, yeah. Rebecca seems to be keeping her cards close to her hand, but seems confident that if anyone tried to kill her, it would be nearly impossible. Cole-Brandon seems a bit sad, but is otherwise okay? I'm wary of him, though. Raphael is doing okay, but she's worried about everything going on. As for everyone else, I'm not sure, but they seem to be holding up as good as anyone else."
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Oct 29, 2023 3:48:01 GMT
Lyric listens to Felix's explanation, nodding along. "Yeah, that all checks out from what I thought. In truth, I would've liked to get tighter with a few more people by this point, but opportunities to talk to them alone have been scarce. I do worry about Colby too. He seems . . . incredibly volatile. Seems like he's either all the way off or all the way on. I really want Raphy to make it out of here. She's been through so much and deserves a chance to solve whatever it is she's trying to solve. Then again, it's not like there's anyone I wish ill of. Hey, have you made any progress on figuring out what's up with this sadistic game? I haven't managed to find any cracks or seams to chip away at."
They're almost to the kitchen by now, but no closer to figuring out what they're going to eat.
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Post by Neotelenta on Oct 29, 2023 17:11:38 GMT
Felix nods. "Yeah...I...I haven't gotten anything yet, honestly. I'm still cracking away at that laptop that was found in the cat cafe, but that might just be a plant that Bogota put there for such an occasion. Y'know, gives the audience a mystery to fawn over. But we'll see." Felix shrugs as they continue to the kitchen.
"You know, nothing special comes to mind for lunch. What kind of sandwiches do you like? I was thinking of just making myself a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato. Maybe some seasonings. There's plenty of ingredients for anything, though."
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Oct 30, 2023 4:22:16 GMT
"I see . . . It was weird that it was kinda just left out in the open like that," Lyric comments with a sigh, "We can count on Bogota to be careless, but he's just the guy we get to direct all the outrage at. Whoever else is on this 'production staff' clearly has it a lot better together, though clearly the bar isn't very high."
"You know, I agree; a simple turkey sandwich doesn't sound too bad right now, with some lettuce, tomato, salt, pepper, and mayonnaise. Are there any condiments you can't stand, or any that make a sandwich ten times better for you?"
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Post by Neotelenta on Oct 30, 2023 16:13:31 GMT
"I wouldn't be surprised if Bogota was just set up as a figurehead who's just as helpless as we are. If the laptop was a mistake, they would've already claimed it back by now, I'm sure." Felix shrugs.
"Anyways, mustard and garlic salt make things taste fantastic. I'm okay with most everything else except for hot sauce." he grins as the two reach the kitchen.
Felix begins happily assembling a very hearty sandwich for himself with plenty of turkey and his favorite condiments. "Oh, right. I should let everyone know that it's a 'help yourself' kind of lunch today." Felix says before using his walkie talkie to let people know that. For the sake of simplicity, the repercussions and responses won't be roleplayed.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Oct 30, 2023 22:16:17 GMT
Lyric nods and frowns a little at Felix's assertion that the laptop being left out was intentional, and thus would not help them break out of the game; merely solve yet another mystery the organizers of this game want the players to solve.
"I spent some time in Ava's company a few weeks ago," Lyric responds as the two of them step through into the kitchen, "She made us some wraps for lunch and combined Dijon mustard with spicy mayo. It was probably near the upper end of my spice tolerance, but it was pretty good. Perhaps this time I'll take a page from you and use garlic salt instead of regular salt, and maybe forgo the pepper. I echo your sentiment about hot sauce." Lyric chuckles as they begin procuring the ingredients the two of them will need for the sandwiches.
Like Felix, Lyric loads up their sandwich with plenty of meat before adding lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and garlic salt. As the sandwich assembly finishes up, Lyric smiles as the pair's creations. "Almost looks too good to eat!" She jokes.
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Post by Neotelenta on Oct 31, 2023 14:01:44 GMT
"Oh, no. Don't say stuff like that. I'll actually feel guilty." Felix chuckles. "I hate food that looks more like art than actual food. No, this is a bona fide Scooby-Doo and the mystery gang kind of sandwich. It would be an insult to not eat it." Felix jokes back as he lifts his sandwich a bit.
"Cheers." he says, raising it a bit before taking a bite. It's delicious.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Oct 31, 2023 20:48:59 GMT
"Hmhm, that's fair," Lyric states, preparing to chow down on her own generously-proportioned sandwich, "To people who create food art, I'd simply say, 'Okay, cool, but couldn't you have made it out of something more permanent?' I mean, I like dishes that have an impressive presentation as much as the next girl, but it's gonna end up in the same place anyway!"
Lyric echoes Felix's 'cheers' before beginning to savor her creation. Unless Felix chooses to break the silence, Lyric won't say a word until they're done. At least it's clear from their mannerisms that they're really enjoying their food.
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Post by Neotelenta on Nov 1, 2023 14:51:12 GMT
"Exactly!" Felix says in-between bites. "Like, props to the skills needed to make art, but now no-one wants to eat it, and even if they did, now the art's gone! Wouldn't you want it to stick around longer to make a lasting impression? I mean..." Felix sighs in exasperation. "Oh well. I'm sure there's a reasoning that I just don't understand yet. Otherwise they wouldn't do it so much." he takes another bite of his sandwich.
As the two finish their sandwiches, Felix nods. "That actually hit the spot really nicely. Thanks for hanging out with me. Despite how often I cook, I haven't actually planned to eat with someone. It's usually just on accident. So this was nice. I should probably get back to work on that laptop, that said. I'll let you know what I find, alright? And presuming we aren't going anywhere, I look forward to piano practice tomorrow." Felix smiles lightly.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Nov 2, 2023 4:29:00 GMT
"Hm, I guess nothing lasts forever," Lyric begins after Felix finishes his mini-rant, "But the idea of ephemeral art has never really occurred to me. Maybe there is some appeal in how . . . temporary it is, and that only in that moment can you truly savor it." They barely make it five seconds before they start to guffaw at their own words. "Nah, still pretty preposterous, if you ask me."
They both finish their lunch and Felix delivers his parting speech. Lyric responds, "Yes, that was a pleasant meal! It was indeed very nice sharing this moment with you, Felix. And the lesson earlier, of course. Speaking of, are you okay with daily lessons? I don't want you to burn out on this by overdoing it. Anyway, I don't want to keep you much longer, but I have one more thing to ask: How do you feel about . . . hugs?" Lyric gives him a warm smile as she stands from the table.
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Post by Neotelenta on Nov 2, 2023 14:13:01 GMT
"Having daily lessons would be helpful, but I should definitely clarify that if that's too much, I'm willing to learn at whatever pace you're willing to teach me at." Felix nods.
"Hugs? I think they're alright." Felix smiles as he stands up as well. He telegraphs that he's going to give a hug before going over and giving her a tight but warm hug.
"I'll catch you later, alright?" Felix will let go of the hug and give a two-fingered salute before probably wandering off to go crack into the laptop some more as advertised.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Nov 3, 2023 5:17:54 GMT
"Let's give daily lessons a try for now! We'll only slow down if you start to think it turns out to be too often for you," Lyric suggests, giving Felix a thumbs-up.
"Oh . . . okay!" Lyric gasps a bit, figuring she'd be the one delivering the hug. Still, they lean forward and accept the warm embrace. It feels amazing, especially knowing Felix accepted so enthusiastically. As they pull away, Lyric is beaming.
"Yeah, I'll see you around," Lyric responds to the parting, returning the two-fingered salute. She heads off, back to the piano bar to finally practice her guitar, though now that they know the stuff is there, they make a note to hone their piano skills as well. Snippets of the last few hours replay in Lyric's head. This day has done a good job of distracting her from their current situation and she hopes things continue like this for a bit. That would be nice.
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