[Melody Newton]

[attr="class","nikki98"]

[attr="class","nikki99"]

I NEED TO COME DOWN

[attr="class","nikki100"]

[attr="class","nikki101"]SEEMS LIKE THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD WENT AND LOST ITS MIND

[attr="class","nikki102"]AND ALL MY CHILDHOOD HEROES HAVE FALLEN OFF OR DIED

[attr="class","nikki109"]"I guess."

Sure it had been easy to move out at the time, she'd been too busy glowering at her father and debating leaving scorch marks on the carpet to consider how much she might miss it. Home was all too associated with her father; a room she was confined to when she misbehaved, an office she wasn't allowed to enter and a kitchen table her father always ate the same breakfast at every day.

"I don't miss home."

It was probably an unnecessary comment, considering her clearly recalcitrant nature. That and her bitter and angry tone. After all, it was pretty clear to her that Professor Lane's arrival here had been a choice on his part, not that she hadn't already thought that. Being reminded of it just made it worse, that was all. She shrugged, then let herself fall back against the window, leaning her shoulders into it.

He was still playing, and it was annoying her, like he was paying more attention to the music than to her. Not wanting to seem like she wanted his attention, she didn't say anything. Just staring blankly at his fingers on the keys, not really seeing them, as the sound of the piano filled the almost empty room.

Her father had a piano in the house, but even when she'd been taking lessons regularly she hadn't used it, at least not when he was around. It wasn't his, not really, it had always been her mothers. This piano might not be the same, but it was still a reminder of that physical memory.

"Are you going to work here then?"

She frowned, looking down as she realised her eyes were shifting.

[attr="class","nikki103"]281

[attr="class","nikki103"]Alistair Lane

[attr="class","nikki103"]Eau de Resistance

NOTES

Totally not bitter...

PHARAOH LEAP.

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[Deleted]

[attr="class","ohlove"]

[attr="class","lacking"]

[attr="class","eyes"]
✎ tag: Melody Newton

※ wearing: Here

✉ notes: Give and take.

both were silent.

the air in my lungs, my hands on the keys.

He didn't believe her for a second, but he wasn't about to argue or judge. Who would he be to do something like that? He told himself he didn't miss home either; not the old porch out front where they'd drink lemonade together, not the tiny kitchen where they'd bump into one another trying to help out, not his foster parents - most of all his foster father - , not the pictures on the walls that paid tribute... Telling himself he didn't miss it made it easier. Or, he thought it did. Like her, probably.

That train of thought was quickly tossed aside the moment it started to make his chest feel tight, instead focusing on the "home" that was the university and his small, suburban ranch-style house in a quieter neighborhood at he edge of the city. "I'll miss my students the most," he admitted out loud, an honest frown tugging down on one side of his mouth with an expression of misfortune in his eyes. "It's hard to know if I'd be doing more right by coming here or staying there. The last thing I want to do is... I don't know, leave them without a good source I suppose. I'm sure the board won't have an issue finding someone more qualified than I was."

"Just hope they..." he sighed, feeling suddenly very silly and a little ashamed at mentioning something so passionate that he kept close to his chest. The pace of the song slowed to a stop momentarily and his eyes looked beyond the top of the piano; nearly through it to the floor somewhere at the end of the room by Melody's side. "-I hope they find someone that doesn't just treat it as 'work'." Someone that loved the music, someone that loved sharing the music. His lips pursed into a straight line, but after a breath he'd set his attention back to the slow, soft blues that followed no score. "It's a tough spot. If I do, any advice from a veteran?" he inquired, lifting an eyebrow and looking over to her attentively while the notes continued on.

[newclass=.ohlove]width:480px;padding:15px;border:1px solid #d4d4d4;background: #6c9d73; /* Old breakowsers */ background: -moz-linear-gradient(90deg, #6c9d73 0%, #6c9d73 100%); /* FF3.6-15 */background: -webkit-linear-gradient(-85 deg, #6c9d73 0%, #6c9d73 100%); /* Chrome10-25,Safari5.1-6 */background: linear-gradient(-275deg, #6c9d73 0%, #6c9d73 100%)[/newclass][googlefont=Oswald][googlefont=Open Sans][googlefont=Roboto][newclass=.lacking]width: 420px; height: 0px; background-color: rgba(40,40,40,0.4); overflow: hidden; -moz-transition: 3s all; -webkit-transition: 3s all; -o-transition: 3s all; transition: 1s all;[/newclass][newclass=.ohlove:hover .lacking]width: 400px; height: 180px; padding: 10px;;[/newclass][newclass=.ohlove:hover .eyes]transition:1s;margin-top:0px;[/newclass][newclass=.eyes]background-color:#1f1f1f;opacity:.8;font-family:calibri; font-size: 9px; text-transform: uppercase;color:#ffffff;padding:20px;margin-top:400px;width:360px; height: 140px; transition:1.5s; letter-spacing: 1px; text-align: justify;[/newclass]

[Melody Newton]

[attr="class","nikki98"]

[attr="class","nikki99"]

I NEED TO COME DOWN

[attr="class","nikki100"]

[attr="class","nikki101"]SEEMS LIKE THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD WENT AND LOST ITS MIND

[attr="class","nikki102"]AND ALL MY CHILDHOOD HEROES HAVE FALLEN OFF OR DIED

[attr="class","nikki109"]He was asking her advice?

She glared at him uncertainly, trying to work out whether the question was genuine, or simply an attempt to 'get her on side' as many teachers were wont to try. Somehow it didn't feel like the shallow manipulation she normally associated with teachers, but something more honest. Maybe he was a really good liar, or maybe he was just that honest.

Hesitantly, and still with an undeniable hint of suspicion in her tone, she said "I dunno, have a car? This place is like 20 miles from the nearest town, which sucks. You don't realise how boring the same few buildings are until you don't have a chance to leave them."

She shrugged, "It's a bit like prison really, at least if you started working here you could just quit if you wanted to."

Maybe it wouldn't feel so bad if leaving was an option. She was sure she could leave if she really wanted to, either by simply walking the 20 miles to the nearest town or doing something so heinous as to get herself expelled immediately. But that would mean going back home, back to her father, and she wasn't ready to do that yet either.

She started walking towards the door. "I've only been here like a few months anyway, all of us have, it's not like any of us know what it's really like. There's still buildings they haven't opened, new ones with work still going on inside."

Melody shrugged and gestured at the baby grand, "Maybe they're building a concert hall to tempt you here." She paused before she left the room, "Where is it you teach now?"

[attr="class","nikki103"]278

[attr="class","nikki103"]Alistair Lane

[attr="class","nikki103"]Eau de Resistance

NOTES

Like a prison

PHARAOH LEAP.

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[Deleted]

[attr="class","ohlove"]

[attr="class","lacking"]

[attr="class","eyes"]
✎ tag: Melody Newton

※ wearing: Here

✉ notes: Give and take.

both were silent.

the air in my lungs, my hands on the keys.

"I do," he gave a nod. It wasn't an unreasonable question, there were plenty of major cities nearby where public transportation was the main form of getting to-and-from. He wagered half the population (or maybe more) in most of the metro areas didn't even own a car. "Ohhh, I'm not sure I'd mind that very much... I'm not too adventurous," he exhaled through his nose. Why did it feel embarrassing to admit that? As she walked by him towards the door, he turned sideways on the piano bench to follow her with his eyes, hands folding loosely between his legs in his lap.

"Prison?" he smirked. "I doubt prison has this nice of a view. It's more open air than I'm used to, anyway. Just a city person, then?" he wagered. Alistair understood that. As shut-in as he was, the city was what he was used to and really all he'd known. His foster parents had lived in a suburb away from the main downtown areas but it was still plenty populated. He wasn't honestly sure how to adjust to something this much on the opposite side of the spectrum, but it certainly couldn't be bad for him. It was calming.

"Concert hall? As nice as that sounds, I'm not sure if that would sway me one way or the other," a single chuckle lifted his chest. If there was one thing he wasn't, it was materialistic. Concert halls were a perk, he adored touring the different ones when he traveled with the school's orchestra, but he wasn't bothered by the thought of not having one. Most of his lessons were one-on-ones or in a lecture hall anyway. "Hm? Oh," he huffed at himself, scratching at the back of his neck. It probably sounded horrible to admit, or at least awkward. A major university to some small, private, experimental institute for high school ages. "UCLA. Been in the city my whole life. I don't know if the thought of leaving it bothers me. Probably why I'm so unsure, I guess," his eyes drifted somewhere off to the side of her, an idle hand having lifted slowly to the keys beside him at some point during his response to idly press a quiet note or two while contemplating.

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[Melody Newton]

[attr="class","nikki98"]

[attr="class","nikki99"]

I NEED TO COME DOWN

[attr="class","nikki100"]

[attr="class","nikki101"]SEEMS LIKE THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD WENT AND LOST ITS MIND

[attr="class","nikki102"]AND ALL MY CHILDHOOD HEROES HAVE FALLEN OFF OR DIED

[attr="class","nikki109"]Melody rolled her eyes. It was clearly easier when you were an adult. Maybe it was the car thing. Or maybe it was the respect. Not that it seemed to matter much to Professor Lane. Staying in the same city for his whole life? No wonder he wasn't worried about moving to a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere, he'd never been anywhere else. Not that she had.

"I've never even left San Francisco, other than this place obviously."

Maybe she would have done, if her mother hadn't died. Her dad didn't travel much, she'd seen the recordings of his old lectures so she knew he used to, but he didn't anymore. Not since her mom died. That meant that she couldn't travel either. Getting on the plane to come here had been the first time she'd actually been on a plane. It should have been a lot more exciting that it had been.

Her eyes flicked to his fingers as he paused briefly to press a few keys, constructing a tune without even thinking. She frowned. He did it without even thinking, perhaps because he felt uncomfortable talking about moving.

She leaned against the wall, hands by her sides, nestled in the pockets of her hoodie. Puffing out her cheeks, she momentarily let the air escape between pursed lips, before speaking again. "Can't believe you're moving from UCLA to some shitty little school for problem kids."

She looked him up and down, quite obviously, and without any shame. It was clear she was looking for something, but when said something failed to materialise she simply asked the question.

"I guess you have a power then?"

It didn't really make sense to her otherwise.

[attr="class","nikki103"]286

[attr="class","nikki103"]Alistair Lane

[attr="class","nikki103"]Eau de Resistance

NOTES

You're a freak too?

PHARAOH LEAP.

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[Deleted]

[attr="class","ohlove"]

[attr="class","lacking"]

[attr="class","eyes"]
✎ tag: Melody Newton

※ wearing: Here

✉ notes: Understanding.

both were silent.

the air in my lungs, my hands on the keys.

"I've never even left San Francisco, other than this place obviously." An empathetic and half-ashamed smile showed on his face, the free hand in his lap reaching up to scratch at the trimmed hair along the side of his jaw. "I've hardly got anything to one-up you with there as far as living. Stuck near the city for... pretty much ever, I suppose. Suburbs don't really count. I travel with the orchestra sometimes during tours, but never for more than a few days in one place." His hand dropped back down and the one along the keys slowed to a stop, slightly more comfortable as he found some ironic humor in their conversation.

"Well, the good news is that the weather is pretty terrible just about everywhere. So you're not missing out on that much," a moment lasted where his smirk widened in her direction, "Though it doesn't seem too bad up here so far. The air's clean," Alistair gave a nod, the thoughts of all the separate scents just in his first few moments here causing his hand to play a few, calm notes with eyes drifting to look at nothing in particular. It was only when she talked down about her own school and, more importantly, own situation that he focused back to her again.

His expression wrinkled, taken-aback. "You and I seem to have two very different definitions of 'problem'," he huffed a single chuckle out to make light of her honestly rather saddening statement. "Besides... it's a beautiful campus," the hand played a phrase, "the board members I've met are more than proud to work here," another, eyes looking away from her and instead back across the room to the windows, "and the students I've met haven't been a problem at all." It was true. Even in her harsh entrance, he was still finding himself enjoying their conversation. She was old for her age and, as colorfully blunt as she was, she was honest. 

"I guess you have a power then?" Alistair blinked, turning his head sharply back to her with a surprised and focused expression. He'd not quite meant to wander off somewhere halfway into a daydream. "Ah-," he blinked, thinking for a moment with his hand stalling on the piano, "No." A few shakes of his head and a note played that bade him to continue the directionless melody. "No, they just-... knew I was a big advocate for spreading music education. They reached out to me." At least that bit wasn't a lie. No one involved in the school knew. As far as they knew, he was just Professor Lane, music nerd. He planned to keep it that way.

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[Melody Newton]

[attr="class","nikki98"]

[attr="class","nikki99"]

I NEED TO COME DOWN

[attr="class","nikki100"]

[attr="class","nikki101"]SEEMS LIKE THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD WENT AND LOST ITS MIND

[attr="class","nikki102"]AND ALL MY CHILDHOOD HEROES HAVE FALLEN OFF OR DIED

[attr="class","nikki109"]So he didn't have a power. To be fair, Melody didn't even know if all of the teacher's had powers. There were one or two that had demonstrated abilities, but on the whole it didn't seem to come up a lot. There were rumours that some students had individual lessons or training sessions regarding their powers, but Melody didn't know anyone that had actually had one. Or at least no one who had told her about it.

"Huh."

It changed her opinion of him a little. He wouldn't understand what it was to be a metahuman, and if he was coming here for such a ridiculous reason then he probably wouldn't understand a lot of the students that were here. They all had powers, and a lot of them had problems linked to those powers as well. Melody might not have issues because of her abilities, but she had issues, she had abilities, therefore she had ended up here. Add to that the fact that a lot of the students were here on scholarships, funded by the government, and he was already starting to lose a connection with these kids before they'd started, most of them would never have even seen a grand piano, let alone played on.

Her body language closed up a little bit more. Her hands were still in her pockets but they pushed closer together in front of her, pulling her shoulders forwards and shrinking her stance somewhat. It didn't help that he kept drifting off into some other world.

Eventually she removed a hand from her pocket, raising it and jerking a thumb towards the door. "Well uh… I'm gonna go… Good luck with the job I guess?"

[attr="class","nikki103"]283

[attr="class","nikki103"]Alistair Lane

[attr="class","nikki103"]Eau de Resistance

NOTES

You aren't 'down with the kids'.

PHARAOH LEAP.

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[NoSuchThing]

Alistair Lane

[Alistair Lane]

[attr="class","ohlove"]

[attr="class","lacking"]

[attr="class","eyes"]
✎ tag: Melody Newton

※ wearing: Here

✉ notes: Admittance.

both were silent.

the air in my lungs, my hands on the keys.

Her change was practically immediately noticeable. They'd gotten into a somewhat comfortable rhythm and had started talking openly; two strangers in an unfamiliar room. He was making a connection. Now, it seemed she was keen to cut it, having judged his answer much more harshly than he would've imagined one might. "Is that bad?" he wished he could've shoved his foot in his mouth before the words escaped, but they were out there. He already knew the answer - obvious from her posture - and had no idea why he'd asked it aloud.

It took a second of watching her fumble to figure out a way to bail before he realized that the connection he'd made had been built entirely upon trust; a trust he'd lied himself out of. To her, he wasn't something she could relate to. All that work for nothing. How hypocritical of him to hide his truth for fear of repercussion and judgement while he preached so much of the opposite to this young soul he'd only just met. What kind of a teacher could he possibly be when he lied through his teeth? To them, to himself?

Spineless.
Coward.

"Well uh… I'm gonna go… Good luck with the job I guess?" As she took a step back, he swore her words alone had made the air heavier and brought a lump in his throat. It was a heavy and uncomfortable guilt. "I can't take it," he spoke after her, shaking his head and lifting a hand to rub a long and slow ways down his face before it dropped to his lap and left a half-hysterical and half-sorrowed expression. A humorless chuckle left him and then a heavy sigh. "Not after uh-, after this," the same hand motioned between them, loosely flopping to point to the connection between Melody and himself. "Guess I'm not ready. Think that's the issue," he admitted to himself aloud, lips pressing together and nodding once or twice before turning his head to look over at her while his hands found themselves between his knees, flat and rubbing nervous palms together.

"I lied."

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[Melody Newton]

Eclipse All my childhood heroes have fallen off or died + Alistair Lane

Melody had turned halfway towards the door when he spoke again. "I can't take it." Not that she cared. It hardly even slowed her rotation. "I lied." She stopped at that. Slowly she swivelled back towards him. He looked nervous, like a teenager that has been caught out by their too-strict parent. She finds herself momentarily empathic, after all, she has been in that exact situation many times before. Normally she was the one rubbing nervous sweat from her palms. Or, as was rather more likely, staring her father down defiantly. Melody recognises more about that look though, that expression, worried that others might be afraid, or angry. She's seen it on her own face in the mirror moments after she burned a hole in her wardrobe, on the faces of other students here at the school. "Why? Why would you lie about that when everyone here already is one?"

© seadra of gs