milliways_bar | (no subject)

Ben. Pepsi.

Guitar, book of tablatures, smile. "Ako-chan. How are you?" Why yes, he plays too, thanks to Hedwig making him learn.

Devious woman.

The deviousness is standard issue. Never mind the twang from her startled fingers.

Sneaky Ben is quiet.

"I'm well Ben-sempai. And yourself?"

"I am okay. Been busy looking for a place near where college will be, had not a chance to practice in a few weeks." He indicates his guitar.

"Did I scare you?" The light step is learned, from swordfighting practice and from walking the hallways of the nursing facility he volunteers at.

"Just startled me, that's all," says Ako as she tries to put the rhythm back together from her stumble.

"I haven't been practicing as much as I should either. It's good to play again though."

"Nice. What type of music you play?" He rests down guitar and book, smiling.

Nope, not going to just invite himself to play with her, Ako probably has her own ideas about it, neh?

"Pop, mostly," says Ako as she give up and nudges her book over so Ben can see better, "See?"

He does, looking it over, nodding. "I do rock, mostly, but I have tried with all kinds of music... exercising, trying new things." Then he chuckles low. "I should let you go back to your practice, sorry."

"It's not a problem," says Ako, "Mostly I play this because I have some idea what the end result should sound like. I'm not comfortable just playing from the notes."

"I mean, you were practicing and I interrupted?" Ben offers her book back, smiling.

"If I didn't want people to talk to me, this would be a very bad place to practice. Right Ben-sempai?"

Being in a bar full of people and all.

"What kind of songs did you bring?"

"Hmm, some classic, some pop and some rock. I pick stuff mostly at random to try, experiment different songs..." Really exercising his skill, it seems.

Dedicated Ben is dedicated.

Ako's gaze flits between Ben's tablature and Ben.

"We could try and play together?" she finally says.

Bass guitar is not a solo instrument.

Oh, look at the bright smile. "I would like that. A lot." Ben will take a set, then. "Hmm, pick something for us to try?"

"How about this, Ben-sempai?"

He looks at her suggestion and nods. "I like it. Nice and not too complicated." Ben quickly tuns his guitar and is ready to go.

Ako spends the time on fingering practice. When Ben's ready Ako starts with a series of toe taps to set the beat and away they go.

Ben is better than he gives himself credit for: the song is rather new, and the few slips are quickly noted and picked by him, correcting himself.

He does not risk singing yet, not until he does the music right first.

Thank goodness it's not the Britney Spears version. Neither of them is ready for that arrangement, let alone the costuming.

Ako is signing, quietly, under her breath, to try and keep from speeding up. At best they'd finish at the wrong tempo, at worst her fingers would end up braided around each other from trying to change cords.

Ben would refuse to play the Spear Brit version on general principle.

If the first try does not go so well, they can just try again. Even, perhaps, sing together?

The second time is always better than the first if you learn anything from the practice.

By the end of the first time through, Ako's getting the rhythm, more or less. If Ben hits the first note, she'll keep going otherwise the music will trickle away in a few bars.

More confident now, Ben will try again, and this time even try singing along, smiling to Ako. This is actually a bit new for him, play and sing along with a friend, and he is enjoying himself.

Chords, chords, watch the progressions, thinks Ako, Don't speed up! Chords!

"I love rock and roll."

"I love rock n roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n roll
So come an take your time an dance with me"

Chords chords, watch and follow, it is not that hard...

Ako's able to be high strung enough to vibrate in a stiff breeze. It's a thing.

But it's the second time through and she's finding her center.

"He smiled so I got up an' asked for his name
That don't matter, he said,
'Cause it's all the same"

Okay, this is a very embarrassing moment: Ben goes on singing, and probably Ako is singing along with him?

When they hit a certain verse... "Said can I take you home where we can be alone..."

How long until they stop and notice? Or with luck they move on without noticing the weirdness?