st_igmatized: (Blaxploitation)
st_igmatized ([personal profile] st_igmatized) wrote in [community profile] strangetrip2018-05-15 12:18 am

[GP/EP] Check-in Day

It was a musical day at the Madonna Inn, both inside and out. Curnen had taken her usual place up on the roof and was singing charms to the sky to keep any wanderers from getting lost (though that part of it was not immediately obvious). Unrelated to that, Sunny was on the dance floor in the bar, summoning songs of her own with her knife to keep her moving before she went to do her shift at the library later. It was one of those days where if she thought about it too hard she’d start thinking about that empty bed in her shitty room and the person she most wanted to be there.

This of course eventually seeped into her magic. She knew better. Maybe she’d even wanted that to happen.

Because just once, between different pop hits and dance beats came a rather unexpected French love song. She sighed and rolled her eyes, but the exasperation didn’t last. Before the lyrics started up she was waltzing. By herself and not caring how it might have looked. And for those three and a half minutes, she dared let herself hope for the slimmest chance that Orlu might come through that door.

She didn’t let herself hope too hard, though. There was admitting to feeling things and there was setting yourself up for certain disappointment. She’d lived too long with disappointment to do that to herself.
st_rikingblueeyes: (Miss Gartrett)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-15 11:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Under other circumstances that might have gotten either a twitch of a smile or scolding that that was excessive, but Corbie only shook her head again, her cheek rubbing against her arm. "Ain't anything to punch."
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-16 02:41 am (UTC)(link)

Alec... was not good at this sort of thing. He was good at providing beer or sex or punching the shit out of something to distract a person from their pain. He felt like he was a complete loss here.

"...Can I fix it?" He wanted to fix it. Corbie wasn't allowed to be unhappy. It just wasn't a thing that was meant to happen.

st_rikingblueeyes: (Lonely)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-16 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
"No, I..." Corbie tried to swallow the lump, but it was futile. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she hid her face in her folded arms to hide her embarrassment. Her ears betrayed her by turning red.

"I wanna go home," she said in a tiny, muffled voice.
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-16 03:57 am (UTC)(link)

Alec actually felt his chest tighten at that and his lips pressed together. He couldn't fix that problem, not one bit. He didn't like feeling so useless. And he didn't like it when Corbie cried.

He gambled and moved around to sit beside her and put an arm around her back, though let her hide in her arm. "...I'm sorry."

st_rikingblueeyes: (Alone)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-16 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
If there was something Corbie could not resist, it was touch. At first her shoulders shifted under Alec's arm. And then she sat up enough to tuck herself against his side.

She was silent for a long moment before she said, "It's been a whole indiction." She pulled a face. "A year. What the fuck ever. Too fucking long."
Edited 2018-05-16 06:47 (UTC)
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-16 12:34 pm (UTC)(link)

Alec was a little thankful. That move could have gone one of two ways and he was glad it didn't go the way of yelling and storming off. He gave a little squeeze.

Out of most people in the Inn, Alec always thought Corbie had it together. That even though she wasn't back home, she was happy and had figured out a way to cope. This was news to him.

"Yeah... this place is a real asshole like that." He frowned slightly. "It's not as fair as people think it is."

st_rikingblueeyes: (Need some support)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-16 02:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Corbie snorted. "I don't think anybody actually thinks it's fair. We just say shit like that so we can keep going."
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-16 03:07 pm (UTC)(link)

Yeah, she was probably right. Still, he held her. He was just so bad at this part. What was he supposed to say to help Corbie?

"I'm sorry... I'm really bad at this." Better off just admitting it, really.

st_rikingblueeyes: (Prayer)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-16 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
That did get the ghost of a smile from Corbie as she put her head on his
shoulder. "That's okay. You're trying. That means more than you know."
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-17 03:41 am (UTC)(link)

Well, at least he got an almost-smile. Then he got an idea.

"Come with me? ... I'd like to show you something."

st_rikingblueeyes: (Bonny blue een)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-17 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
Corbie blinked slowly at that, though it didn't really take much thinking. She wasn't hungry, and a distraction wasn't unwelcome. Why not? She nodded. "Yeah, okay."
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-17 04:06 am (UTC)(link)

He took her hand and guided her through the hotel quietly until they came to the space where the much unused piano was. He sat down, leaving space for her on the piano bench. He quietly lifted the cover off the keys and then began to play for her.

st_rikingblueeyes: (Dreaming big)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-17 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
Corbie reflexively squeezed Alec's hand when she took it, letting him literally lead her away from that place where she'd felt so stuck. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it certainly had not been this. Of course she remembered the detail from his story, that he'd been undercover as Rachel's piano teacher, but the image of him as a musician hadn't really come together in her mind. Especially playing something so... well, soft and pretty.

She of course couldn't play at all, pianos were things rich people had. This was the first time she'd even sat on a piano bench. But that only increased her wonder and fascination as she both listened and watched his hands move across the keys. The ennui left her face to be replaced by wide-eyed wonder.

Eventually, she even smiled.
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-17 12:49 pm (UTC)(link)

When he finished, he even surprised himself on his music choice. He tended to pick harder, faster songs when he felt the need to play. He looked at Corbie and realized she was actually smiling. It pulled a smile to his own lips. "...Did you like that?" After all, Corbie could have hated music.

st_rikingblueeyes: (Bless her wicked heart)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-17 01:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Corbie turned her smile up to him. She was still more quiet and still than she was on most days, but she was still entirely sincere when she said, "Very much. That was beautiful. And nobody's ever played music just for me before."
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-17 02:42 pm (UTC)(link)

He didn't really play music for anyone, really. It might have been the first time ever in his life, actually. "Sometimes I play when I need to think." On occasion, Alec didn't go for the punching-a-thing route. It was rare, but it happened.

st_rikingblueeyes: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-17 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)

Corbie nodded. "And you do it very well. I mean, not that I've got that much experience to judge, but... I still really enjoyed it." She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-18 12:58 pm (UTC)(link)

He smiled a little at the kiss, but to Alec's credit, there was no leering involved that time. "You want me to play something else? I know a lot." Almost all the classics, actually, all stored away in his brain.

st_rikingblueeyes: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-18 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)

She didn't even need to think about that. Corbie nodded. "Would you? Please?"

st_x5_494: (Always Alright)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-19 11:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Alec took a moment to think, just a small moment, and began playing something that started off slow and picked up tempo. He knew a lot about the theory behind each composition. It had been part of his job as a 'piano teacher', but he mostly liked the music. He liked the challenge in the precision. It had been Joshua who eventually pointed out that his music changed to something entirely technical to something with actual feelings behind it. He supposed maybe now he could understand what Joshua meant.
st_rikingblueeyes: (Bless her wicked heart)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-20 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
Corbie was spellbound. Yeah she could do magic and all but her hands couldn't do anything this intricate.

When he finished, Corbie actually applauded. And bounced. Just once.
st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-20 01:56 am (UTC)(link)

Alec actually smiled. It was, perhaps, the first time he ever played and smiled from the person's reaction. "I'm glad you like it." He'd do it for her all the time if she asked him too.

He wanted to ask her if she was feeling better, but he worried it would cause her to remember she was down in the first place. Instead, he leaned over and placed a simple affectionate kiss near her temple. And when he pulled back, he paused. "...sorry." He had acted out on impulse again.

st_rikingblueeyes: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-20 06:37 am (UTC)(link)

The kiss, from someone like Alec who almost reflexively made interactions with women sexual, was a surprise. But it wasn't a bad surprise. Corbie blinked up at him for a moment, but her face softened into a smile. "No, it's fine. I think I needed that."

st_x5_494: (Default)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_x5_494 2018-05-20 06:53 am (UTC)(link)

He cleared his throat. Out of everyone at the inn, Corbie was one of the few who made him unsure of himself pretty consistently. It was like he was worried about screwing up in front of her. He didn't want her disappointment.

"It's better when you smile."

st_rikingblueeyes: (I wanna show you something)

Re: Alec/Corbie

[personal profile] st_rikingblueeyes 2018-05-20 08:08 am (UTC)(link)
"It's better when you're not posturing," Corbie countered, gently bumping her shoulder against his.

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