well we are too young, and they are too old comp

@Asteria Kurokawa

The moment Asteria asked him what songs they should cover, he nearly fell right out of his seat. He cleared his throat, stretching his shirt out for her to see, the faded font with a mighty big smile.

"The Strokes!" He squealed, "they've got some good songs ta cover, can be a bit hard, but that's sort of what makes it fun, yunno?" He got the napkin, shoving it in his pocket for safe keeping. "We could also cover some ovver songs, like... well, actual punk rock? Sex Pistols, Minor Threat, Ramones-- maybeh some Hole, yunno that band? Bikini Kill, too... we've gotta see how good ya are at screamin'."

"All that aside, it won't be that hard ta find songs ta cover. Me dad usually plays by ear, but I learned how ta read music -- you know how, right? If not, I can teach ya how ta read frets and all." He cleared his throat, straightening out his back. There were other things to be discussed, because Asteria didn't seem to carry much interest in anything but the guitar.

"Okay, so... I kind ov have ta have an idea - don't need ta lie about it, by e' way, but how are ya around crowds? I know yer real outgoin', but that doesn't necessarily mean much when yer on stage and can't really directly interact wiv these people." He knew he was fine, out in crowds, but he had to look out for his only other bandmate.

There was that split second as she worried her seat might fall over, that she might spill onto the floor, as the result of her own ill-timed kick. The falling feeling in her stomach began, but was instantly alleviated as her hands gripped the counter, steadying herself and her chair, and her focus turned again to Gem's list of people to cover

Oh. Screaming. Huh. Somehow, the thought had never crossed her mind. She was never one for loud displays, generally resorting for violent sobbing or quiet fuming - but she could scream, right? It was supposed to be as easy as breathing. As he continued on she nodded, quietly, finger tracing the rim of her still full glass. "Yeah, I- I don't know how to read music. I do want to learn though," she insisted.

"And crowds? Yeah, I can handle crowds. People are like- it's a case by case thing y'know, you constantly have to judge where you stand with them when you're talking and all that. Crowds are fine. I can do crowds. They're just big masses. It's less personal, I think? I oughta' be fine."

As she said that, her head rested in one hand and she stared out, not at some specific point, but into the vague nothing of the bar mirror, back at herself, so small in this space. Glancing over at Gem, she continued to talk, having latched onto the throwaway line at the beginning of his question.

"So what sort of idea did you have?"

@Gem Stuart

@interacting w/ @Asteria Kurokawa

Gem nodded, making little bullet points in his head -- Asteria was good/probably okay with crowds, the only thing that worried him was the fact she'd mentioned it being less personal. No one ever started off with big crowds, so... it would have to be personal every once in a while, but- ugh, he'd address it later. Idea. What was his idea?

"Oh yeah!" He looked around, sort of racking his brain for the right way to explain it. "Okay, so. Screaming, that's a real hard thing ta do. I need you to.... uh," He pursed his lips, unsure if it was to preserve his dignity or prevent himself from giggling. "Scream. Into yer pillow. When ya think it sounds right, put it in a Howler an' send it ta me. Make it as loud as ya want, ya know I won't judge ya. If it makes you feel any better, I'll do e' same." He nudged her elbow, taking a rather (accidental) large gulp of his butterbeer. He was painful to swallow, not to mention the fact it sent him into an embarrassing fit of coughing. He swore he could feel the kerplunk of liquid in his stomach. Shooting his bandmate a sheepish grin, he wiped right under his nose, where some of the disgustingly sweet liquid had dripped out of. Gross.

"We can pretend that didn't joost happen, right?"

She nodded, knowing that if she opened her mouth to reply, she might start giggling. But the whole display was charming, a reminder of their age - they were kids, and were entitled to a certain level of silliness. As serious as they were, as she felt about this whole thing, they were still who they were, and well, wasn't that why this would work so well? She reached out, ruffling his hair sightly, the highest form of endearment she possessed. "Mention what?" she said, a joking tone rising in her voice, "I saw nothing."There was still a certain strangeness to showing fondness for this like this. It wasn't that she wasn't used to it but she always felt the need to wait, to judge the limits of the other. To assume was to sew new problems into the garden of her life. She preferred certainty, offered through truths and actions. 

As for the Howler, well, she could do that for sure. And the screaming into her pillow, beyond just being a useful way to practice, could be a good way to vent out her emotions. Everyone needed that from time to  time, an outlet, a way of dealing with things. 

"Yeah, I can send you a Howler. I hope you have a good private place to open it though. With any luck, it'll be loud."

She shrugged as she said this, reaching out for her close-to-empty glass. Another childish wish came to mind: the glass was still too large and she yearned for a straw, still ungainly sure, but easier. That might have saved her from some embarrassment later, at the very least. The glass, slippery from condensation and slipped butterbeer slid its way out of her hands, toppling onto the floor, the remainder of its contents slopping across the floor. It was with a breath of relief that she realized that the glass wasn't broken, only dinged up. She dove to the floor, grabbing a napkin to sop up the mess. Looking up her bandmate, she laughed.

"Uh- can we also pretend this didn't happen?" 

@Gem Stuart

interacting w/ @Asteria Kurokawa

Gem breathed a little exhale out his nose, something semblant to a laugh. He watched Asteria while she spoke, mostly her face, but when he briefly glanced at the glass slip out of her hand, his eyes widened and he moved to try and grab it -

no luck. It spilled all over the floor, making a few of the patrons nearby it hop away, groan like it was some huge inconvenience to them. He would've moved to help, but it didn't seem so hard - that, and his friend had looked up with a sheepish beam, mirroring what he said just a minute ago. He blinked back, turning his head away from the mess, attempting not to smile and failing miserably.

"I don't know wot yer talkin' about. Ya must be goin' crazy if ya think I saw anythin'." He turned back to face her, hopping off his barstool to help out, taking a few from goblin that happened to be sitting next to them. He crouched down, patting at anywhere seemed too shiny. He was smiling the whole time, in spite of the fact that he knew his hands would be all sticky later - if there was one thing Gem hated, it was getting his hands all sticky, it made stuff seem gross, everything got stuck in there, your own fingers got stuck together, random hairs, dirt... the thought made him want to heave.

"Butterbeer is a bit... sweet, isn't it," He huffed, standing up from the mess, tossing the napkins on the counter. "I can't drink more than one, really. It's... I guess, something ov an acquired taste?"

She grimaced in reply, hands fidgeting with the still wet napkins she held. Eugh - she'd have to wash her hands later, but that was a problem for her future self. "I thought I was the only one who thought it was, well, too much. Like sure, I've never had it before, but you ordered it like it was normal, so," and with that she gave a faint shrug. A question tugged at the back of her mind, but the precise phrasing would not come easy, so it hovered, a faint butterfly flitting through her thoughts. 

She pulled herself up, feeling for the first time the spots where loose liquid that had seeped into the fabric of her jeans and filed a note to wash them into the back of her mind. The door had opened at that point, letting in a blast of cold autumn air and she shivered, pulling on her cardigan, wrapping it more firmly around her. Looking over at her friend she paused, her question that had been half forming blossoming into a full thought. "Wizards... tend to like sweet things don't they?" Her mind fell to mental images of Hogwarts feasts, the candies laid out in stores from her few trips to Diagon Alley, the cart of candy pushed down the train. It was strange. "It's all a bit, uh- saccharine. A bit too much." Her hands picked at the lint of her cardigan, the ghost of a chill still lingering. 

@Gem Stuart

@Asteria Kurokawa

"You'd never had butterbeer?" Gem asked, sort of just something that slipped out. Of course she hadn't, you slag! He shook his head, fixing the sleeves of his sweater so they weren't folded all awkwardly under his shirt. He was ready to leave, and he was sure his friend was sharing that mindset.

"Yeh, they really do, don't they? Maybe cos it's easy ta fix yer teeth up wiv an easy spell... never have ta worry about the side effects of sugar if you've got magic," He exhaled, sliding himself off of his seat, knocking his knee against the counter on the way down. He smiled at Asteria, nodding his head over at the door as if to silently indicate they should probably head on out. No point in leaving her by herself, not if they were headed to the same place.

"Cold weather's quite ridiculous, innit?" He sighed, holding the door open for her. Not even fully outside, and his warm exhales already had a wisp of breath condensate following him. It'd be a lie if he said that he didn't find it amusing, which was apparent since he kept on doing it over and over again until he'd had his fill. Once they both made it outside, he continued a short conversation to keep them occupied. Maybe overkill, since they were both tired, but... it would be weird if he didn't, sort of, so he spoke about the Strokes, told her all the stuff she didn't need to know at all.

It was quite cozy, knowing he'd have the Overbearing Friend With Useless Knowledge medal. It helped him sleep at night.

@Gem Stuart 

"Nope, never had it in my life," she replied, grinning over at him. "And that must be convenient, never really having to fuss with dentists." Score one for magic: finally something useful she could find in it. 

Following his lead to the door, she continued to smile, her hand fingering the notebook in the packet of her jeans. In response to the comment about weather she, causing, cocking her head to one side and she wrapped her scarf more tightly around her neck. "I don't know..." she trailed off. "I think cold weather is- it's refreshing. Sun and heat, they're nice in concept, but they leave you sluggish. Cold on the other hand - it makes you alert, ready for anything." She shrugged at that, watching the wisps of breath that followed as she spoke. Cold had always stuck with her, left her sharper, more ready for what came her way. It was easier to make choices in the winter, with the threat of snow at your back at all times. 

Following behind Gem out into the street, she let the cold and conversation wash over her, nodding when seemed appropriate in the conversation, eyes wide and watching. Hearing other people talk about what they were passionate about, well that meant the world to Asteria.  It was with a lighter heart that she made her way back to Hogwarts, an excited strut in her step and for once, her cheeks were flushed not because of embarrassment, but simply the cold. 

Asteria leaves the thread.