A Small Concert For You Rafa D'Spacito Locked

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Interacting With: @Lizzie Verdine
Mentioning: Flash Holmwood • Lydia Cooper • Opeila Seilun

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[font=Segoe Print]Lizzie was right. Good performances were hard to come by.

Small treasures they were, rare as a diamond, and even more difficult to produce. Which was strange, unsettling – so many good voices presided the school, a well of musical talent that was teeming with possibility and loathe from running dry on the worst of days. Everyone held the ability within them, a chance to make an impact on someone, be it through words, the notes stricken on the piano, and yet, it was as if the students of Hogwarts simply… didn’t know how to tap into it. After all, performance was far more than just singing. It was emotion, body language, portrayal of the joy you felt inside – or perhaps it was sadness, anger, passion. The adjective could change, but the representation of it never did. Performance was power, impacting of the strongest of people. A good performance was, in the way that it was rare, worth far more than diamonds, and more powerful than any weapon one might stoop to wreak on someone.

It was slightly disheartening, to know that such a special art was stolen away from the manifold students of Hogwarts. However, that wasn’t to say that they were nonexistent. In the midst of the school, there were those he’d met that held the gift of performance. Flash Holmwood had a beautiful voice and an even more intriguing taste in music. Lydia was angelic, a veela if he’d ever seen one, and her voice matched her mannerisms. Ariana, his own cousin, was a real prodigy on the piano, her performances carrying stark emotion. Their performances were rare, yet the talent existed in their actions, a solace to the weary senses of the Captain – there was hope yet for the musicians of Hogwarts. And, though he wouldn’t stoop to brag, he too wasn’t horrible in the art of performance. It was a shame, that more students didn’t share the talents so few of them maintained. Or perhaps they did, and he had yet to meet them.

The day was dull in the eyes of the Young Captain, the events full of dreary and meaningful hours. Truth be told, the child had been a prisoner of his own mind ever since the cataclysmic event of the ball, his actions doomed to the subtle anxiety that plagued his mind, the walls of fire and pained friends burning in fire forever tattooed in his thoughts, never to leave. The feeling was strange, unusual in the way that it gripped his lungs, constricting his breath and leaving him teeming on the edge of discomfort. The anxiety followed him everywhere he went like an ominous raincloud, like it was now, his typical grass-stained sneakers squeaking upon the polished wax floors of the Grand Staircases. Light shined through the windows of the great school, and yet, there was nothing peaceful, relieving about it. Was there a relief from the stress? A way to escape the clutches of anxiety that gripped his livelihood?

Perhaps there was. The sounds of the piano’s notes now flew through the air, flurries of sound stealing away the ill feeling that dwelled in the mind of the Young Captain. The notes of an oddly familiar song, to be specific – had he heard the merry tune before? Perhaps. He couldn’t identify the origin of such a melody, only let it reverberate about in his mind, his footsteps carrying him forward so that he could properly dismiss the distress he now felt. Careful footsteps echoing across the pavement floor, the boy silently maneuvered towards the Rehearsal Room, leaning against the closed door, back towards the wood. Who was behind such notes? They were quite lovely, deep and rich, a voice flooding through the door along with the tune – he hadn’t heard this voice before. Unfamiliar as it was intriguing, he couldn’t help but continue leaning against the door, resting his head against the wooden frame as the noise enveloped his livelihood in a strange sort of peace. It was quite lovely, relaxing. He would stay forever, listening to the performances of the mysterious girl voice.

Then, finally, the music stopped, as did the lovely singing. A real shame. The constrictor of the boy’s emotions was only returning now, tightening its grip on his livelihood, leaving his knees weak and his heart beating faster, hands clenching into fists as to give his senses alleviation. God, this was horrible. Why did she stop? Couldn’t she just keep on performing, or something? Perhaps he should ask her.

Adjusting his stance, he allowed his own weight to push the door open, looking around. His eyes caught that of a familiar face – had he seen her before? At the ball, perhaps? Somewhere else? That didn’t matter. Coughing into his fist, he put on a smile, a great feigning of his true emotions. “Hey, um,” he muttered, “You stopped.” He was fumbling, God. “I mean, uhmmm,” rubbing his neck, his face turning a shade of red, “you were playing really well there! Why stop?” That was better, in a way. It was strange, uncomfortable the way he was moving – why was it so hard, this time around? “I mean, good performances are hard to come by. You were, erm, performing greatly. I just – “ Why was he saying all of this, completely irrelevant stuff? It was embarrassing, truly, to the point where he wanted to strangle himself. Deciding to put an end to his own misery, he bowed his head. “Jesus,” he muttered to himself. “Here, I’m really sorry. My name’s Rafa. Hey,” he blew out his mouth, “I’ll just leave, if you’re done here. Or if you aren’t.” The strangling option only became more appealing with time, it seemed. God, anxiety sucked. “Would hate to… ruin your session, here…” [/font]

interacting with @Rafael D'Spacito
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The sound of the door opening startled Lizzie. She jumped a bit and her hands flew off the piano. Her heart beat was racing. For some reason she felt like she had been caught doing something wrong but it was perfectly fine to play a piano alone. She was defiantly not breaking any laws to her knowledge.

She turned towards the voice and put on a smile. She didn’t want to make the wrong impression to someone that literally had just eavesdropped on her. Lizzie straightened her back slightly while relaxing. She had seen a boy (probably another first year) standing there all red in the face. It was a very funny sight to see.

She was not familiar with his face. It was probably because the apprising musician had tried to keep to herself for all of the first-year. Just so she could focus on finding the right people to converse with. It had obviously worked because she hadn’t gotten into any drama. Which she would have loved to have seen and been in. It would have differently brought her social status up. Maybe not for the best but at least people would know her name.

“I stopped? Oh, I thought that I was squawking the rhythm of señorita after I finished that lovely melodic melody.” She laughed and shook her head, “I’m sorry. I mean the song has to come to an end at one point.” She stood up and walked towards him a little bit. Sometimes when Lizzie was trying to lighten the mood is sounded like she was being sarcastic and rude. When that wasn’t even the case.

He was obviously getting uncomfortable in the situation. The Ravenclaw laughed again. Something seemed odd about him. It felt as if it wasn’t how he normally acted. It could just be that after the Ball everyone had changed a bit. Even Lizzie. She literally did grab a chair and try to hit a mosp. She even went into the Forest after the Ball. She obviously had to have changed.

The blonde shook her head slightly, “Rafa? That doesn’t sound like a name that suits you. Is it a nickname? If it isn’t I can completely respect that.” She grinned. After hearing him using his nickname she knew who he was. A guy who flirted with everyone (or that is what she was told by gossipers, they normally always twisted the truth though). He probably wasn't even that bad of a person. It was just made to seem that way. “I’ve heard of you. Did you come here to traumatize me or something?”

Lizzie moved some hair out of her face, "I'm Lizzie. Lizzie Verdine. The best Ravenclaw you will ever meet." The blonde laughed and grimaced. She was trying to flatter herself. She did like doing that when situations got a bit awkward. It was either she complimented herself and make it look like she was narsassisic or she wcould go around bumbling on about how she could sing two and a half octaves. “You know I could play something else for you. I’m not a one-time thing.” She gestured her hands towards a guitar and then moved to look at the piano.

She was a jack of many traits. Lots of people thought she couldn’t even hold a pick let alone a full sized classical guitar. It was a surprise when people found out she could do chords on the piano with such small hands. It was all because of her small bone structure. She had always been one of the smallest people in her neighborhood and it wasn’t a surprise to see she was not of the average height at Hogwarts either.

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word count : 617

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Interacting With: @Lizzie Verdine
Mentioning: N/A

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[font=Segoe Print] “I stopped? Oh, I thought that I was squawking the rhythm of señorita after I finished that lovely melodic melody.”

At the sound of the girl’s statement, Rafael visibly blanched, his face turning the color of a sheet as his shoulders hiked up – he facepalmed, taking a moment to rub his eyes as he considered the girl’s words. Had she been singing? Was it that he simply hadn’t heard her? God, anxiety was the fucking worst, evident with every moment that ticked on. What was this new monster, squeezing his heart into pieces, riddling his mind with second thoughts and embarrassingly awkward statements? He couldn’t know, only loathe the creature for flipping his tendencies upside-down, leaving him bare in his own emotions. He was losing face, and in front of a bloody girl no less, god. The boy had to be losing his touch. This was horrible. However, that wasn’t to say that all was lost. He was goddamn motherfucking Rafael D’Spacito, he was better than this! The least he could do, was utter a coherent sentence. And that was what he was going to do. Coughing into his fist, he thread a hand through his head, chuckling nervously at his own antics as his lips started moving. “Must not have heard you, then,” he told her, almost apologetically. “You’ll have to forgive me. I have this… horrible headache. Can’t think clearly.” A lie, but there was no way she would know this, no tells on his features, nor indications that he was being less than honest. Well, not yet. “Though, I highly doubt you were squawking anything. Your voice – what I heard of it – was quite lovely, I’ll admit it out loud. Quite the lovely performance, audibly, in the least.” He offered her one of his charming smiles, slowly walking up to the piano as to put his dominant hand on the black polished wood, biting his lip as his brow furrowed in thought. Well, that’s all that his brain was going to allow him to say at the moment. A shame, but he’d work with it.

However, the girl would throw him a lot more to work with in a moment, suddenly speaking of nicknames, his infamous reputation. A small grin played at the ends of his lips as he listened to her speak, wincing in the slightest, as if pleasantly put off by her comments. When she was finished speaking, he would continue in his own monologue, allowing his wry grin to grow in the slightest as he snickered at her views. “Rafa’s a nickname, yeah,” he responded. “Short for Rafael, but I’m sure you could have figured that out, if you haven’t already.” Then, continuing on, “Got a reputation, have I, now? Well, I assure you, the people who attract my anger deserve it in full. Now, why would I want to traumatize you?” A friendly, joking remark to match her own, evident by the wiggling of his eyebrows, now smug look. “Anyways, I can… leave..” he jutted his chin backwards, at the door, “if I make you uncomfortable. If you’re intimidated. Though, I’d hate to miss out on an encore.”

Then, upon hearing her introduction, he smiled widely, a look of genuine happiness. “Nice to meet you, Lizzie,” he said kindly, his eyes moving to follow her hand – she played the guitar, too? How interesting! “You could?” he asked, in answer to her final statement. “That would be positively lovely!” An honest statement, he was more than thrilled to hear her perform. From what he’d seen, she was quite skilled in the art of music, so no one could really blame him for being intrigued. What was she capable of? He didn’t know. But what he did know, was that she had captivated his attention. It was only a matter of time before his mind was blown. [/font]

interacting with @Rafael D'Spacito
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"I can't possibly think of anything but forgiving you. Not after you gave me such a lovely compliment." She returned a smile to him walking back towards the piano. The excuse of a headache was plausible but it flew past Lizzie's head like a hawk. Someone wanting to hurt her could walk up to the girl and tell her that she would be getting a record deal and she would totally believe them. Her father used to always tell her she was to gullible and naive but she never listened. It really was only one of her downfalls and regrets.

On the other hand, it was also pretty useful. Naivety made her look like a sweet girl. Nothing bad going threw her mind. That was completely wrong because Lizzie loved to push peoples buttons and plan evil schemes. It was one of the only things that she actually did that people didn’t laugh at. It made her feel a bit more superior for once in her life.

“Rafa’s a nickname, yeah,” he responded. “Short for Rafael, but I’m sure you could have figured that out, if you haven’t already.” He was definatly changing personas quickly. One minute it was all shy and stuttering and the next he was being cocky and charming. Lizzie chuckled. I never imagined myself talking to someone who had as much ego as me.

She turned to Rafael and grinned wider, "Yes, I did figure it out but don't go around expecting me to know everything because I'm a Ravenclaw." She laughed. Lizzie defiantly and no idea why she was put in Ravenclaw. She in no way was smart or intelligent. Sometimes she had to convince fellow housemates to prop the door open and if that didn't work she would have to wait for a person kind enough to let her in. "Rafa sounds like a basic name everyone uses for you. I don't want to be another person on the sidelines." She brought her hand to her chin and thought. What nickname could she use that people normally wouldn't think of to use but it would fit well with his name. She quickly smirked, "Roo. Roofa. That's a nice nickname. You remind me of that little kangaroo in Winnie the pooh. I don't know why. It's cute though." She winked at him slightly.

"Oh, yes you've got a really good reputation." She said nodding her head slightly while slightly closing her eyes and smirking more, "Hey. As long as I'm in your good books I'm fine." She laughed. She didn't want to face his wrath. She had heard it could be quite scary and Lizzie was normally a tough person.

She quickly nodded her head. "I won't pass up an opportunity to show my skills." She grinned and grabbed the closest guitar. She just needed to chose a good song that wouldn't put a label on her style of music but she wanted to show off what she loved and could do.

"Okay, I've got a song." She smiled while placing her fingers on the frets, "I have changed a few of the words if you don't mind. Just so it corresponds to the right gender." Slowly she started to pluck and strum the cords of the song she absolutely had been wanting to play to someone for ages but had never got the chance to.

'Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away.
Now it looks as though they're here to stay.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.'

Even if it was an old song, it was still relevant to many peoples lives. She smiled and slightly swayed to the lyrics. It was quite a powerful song to her.

'Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be.
There's a shadow hanging over me.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

Why he had to go?
I don't know, he wouldn't say.
I said something wrong.
Now I long for yesterday.'

She looked around the room for something to focus on. She didn't want to look straight into Rafael's eyes. it would have gotten very awkward. Her eyes flickered around to just find anything but she had no luck. Eventually, Lizzie decided just to look at her own feet while she continued.

'Yesterday love was such an easy game to play.
Now I need a place to hide away.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Why he had to go?
I don't know, she wouldn't say.
I said something wrong.
Now I long for yesterday'

The Ravenclaw slightly smiled at herself. She was getting into the song but it was defiantly was unfortunate that it was so short. Obviously, it was a good song but it wouldn't have been the same if Paul McCartney had decided to make it the normal length.

'Yesterday love was such an easy game to play.
Now I need a place to hide away.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.'

She quickly stopped and looked up straight into the boys eyes. The exact opposite of what she wanted to do. Lizzie waited her his reaction in hopes of him liking it and not being a total disaster. She had defiantly heard a few wrong notes sung but it didn't matter if he hadn't heard them.

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word count : 871 [with quotes]

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Interacting With: @Lizzie Verdine
Mentioning: N/A
Hex Color: #800000

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"I can't possibly think of anything but forgiving you. Not after you gave me such a lovely compliment."

That Rafa charm, back at it again. The young man could do nothing to recognize the girl’s alleged ‘naivety’, his attention honed in on the sweet relief he now felt going through his chest – it seemed as if his excuse was plausible enough to pass for reality. And thankfully so, the Captain couldn’t do for another embarrassing encounter. Sure, he knew he wasn’t the sanest person, that wasn’t a secret, but all in the same, it wasn’t anything the young man regretted about himself. There was nothing wrong with emotional color. But that didn’t matter now. She was making another joke, one the child admittingly found quite amusing – he couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her ‘Ravenclaw’ insinuation, a bright grin on his face. “Fine, then,” he conceded with a chuckle. Looking down, he nodded almost wryly, before looking up cheerfully. “I’ll be careful to keep my assumptions to myself. But I should warn you – just because I’m a Gryffindor, doesn’t make me the bravest person in the world. So, don’t go around, joking about ghouls and hags in our midsts.” A small joke, nodding towards the subtle hints hidden about the school – there would be no sighs of honesty in his voice, only a laughing air, happy gaze. He couldn’t help but admit the girl’s company was quite admirable, as he was rather enjoying conversing with her.

It would be about that time, that he would properly assess the girl’s nickname offer – it was definitely unique, he would have to conclude. But hey. ‘Roo’ certainly had a ring to it, a ring that the young Captain was growing rather fond of the more he threw it about his thoughts. Huh. Nodding slowly, as if working out a business deal in his head, he would speak, sharing his feelings for the title – “As long as it’s ‘cute’, I suppose I don’t mind too much,” he joked with a grin. “’Roo.’ Yeah, I like it. And you came up with that on the spot?” He gave her impressed glance, complete with a raised eyebrow and subtle smirk. “Impressive. You’d best be careful, though,” looking down, the child managed to kick some dust into the air with his shoe in one swift movement. “I might have to give you a nickname as well.” An idle threat, in no way to be offensive. Would she like a nickname?

He would nod with a few chuckles at her next words, eyes widening when she grasped at a guitar nearby. Wow, talented much? His grin settled into a small smile as he set himself down on a nearby chair, turning it as so the backrest was in the front, arms draped about then as he set his chin on the end. “It’s no problem,” he would voice thoughtfully at the indication that she’d changed words. “Rather creative, actually.” People did that? Well, he might have to try that sometime. But that wasn’t relevant, not now that Lizzie’s smooth voice was filling the musty air of the Rehearsal Room – the boy closed his eyes, laying his head down on his arms as he silently listened to her vocals. Wow, her voice was beautiful, he could listen to that all day. The song she’d chosen, as well, seemed to compliment her voice almost perfectly. She just… seemed to hit all the notes perfectly. Matched with the plucking of the guitar – wow. That was the only word that the young Captain could process as he listened to her performance, a small smile on his face, his foot tapping with the beat. It was almost as if he were drowning in the notes, lost in the pretty notes sung by the performer before him…

And, just like that, it was over.

The song was goddamn motherfucking over. Rafael had effectively been transported from audible heaven back to the world of global warming and dead old ladies in the Headmaster’s Office. Ugh. However, despite the distress of being returned to reality, the remnants of the girl’s voice still tickled his mind – he looked up, opening his eyes as a smile erupted upon his features. “Wow,” he remarked in awe. “That was beautiful.” He couldn’t help but grin like an idiot, his eyes bright with the joy he felt. “I – I mean, I just don’t know what to say.” Then, a lightbulb sounding off in his head, “Encore! You have more songs in your repertoire?” It was far from an order, more of another offer to practice her music in front of him. “I mean – you’re quite a spectacular performer, is all. Might have to take me a few notes…”

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@Rafael D'Spacito

Lizzie nervously laughed and placed the guitar to the side standing up quickly. She already knew not all Gryffindors where brave. Take that girl that called her a stalker in the library for example. She was not brave at all. Jumping to conclusions is normally the trait of a person who was too nervous or they have insecurities about something. A confident and brave person would not do that at all. Lizzie liked to think herself of brave though. She had stood up for herself and she hadn't been the one who had a fixed mind set. She defiantly had more Gryffindor qualities than an actual Gryffindor. To be honest, she didn't even fit in Ravenclaw. All she ever did was make the worst decisions and loose her wand. What kind of bird would do that? "Ha, I'm sure a lot of Gryffindors would just love to hear what I got up to a few weeks ago then." She smirked. Even though she could honestly not remember what had happened in the first it was still a tale to tell and she didn't want to pass up a chance to annoy some kids who would go on any adventure they can.

The girl attentively waited for the response on his nickname. It was so scary as she saw the thoughts flick across his eyes. A grin instantly was plastered on her face as he approved of it and nodded his head. "Oh thank goodness you like it." She put a hand to her chest and sighed, "I have no idea what I would have done if you did not like it." She winked slightly and went silent as he continued to to say that he could possibly give her a nickname, "Me? A nickname?" Lizzie thought about it for a while as i floating in her small compact brain and then stated, "I've never really had once since my full name is already a nickname of Elizabeth. I'm sure I could get used to one." She nodded her head smiling again as the amazing thought of a special nickname for her would be amazing.

Lizzie laughed quickly and shook her head slightly, "It's not that creative. It's really only so the words fit with my gender." She grinned very widely and nodded her head then. Most of the songs she did like to sing we about girls written by boys and it wouldn't be very helpful if she was trying to woo a male if she was singing about a girl. What kind of person would do that other than someone who can't be bothered to even slightly change something. A not very romantic person. That's who.

After the song had finished she had defiantly been out of breath. Singing a lot at a young age for her was probably not a good idea. Her small fragile body defiantly could not take the amount of lung capacity she actually needed to be able to sing those songs that hardly any adults could even do properly. Obviously, it was a talent she could do it but Lizzie did not want to try flaunt it off like she always did. Sometimes it was best to ease it into the conversation other than burst in with a spurt of information and completely make the other person very bored.

She closed her eyes and let out a small breath, "Beautiful? Oh, I know that." She smirked and moved one of the pieces of hair behind her ear, "I am really fabulous, aren't I?" She let out a chuckle and grinned again. Always being sarcastic and confident at the same time was Lizzie's middle name. She knew that she was good but didn't want to seem… narcissistic in front of others.

"Encore? I know I'm good but I don't have endless amount of music up my sleeve." She laughed again. It obviously was a good day for her. Lizzie did not laugh that much unless it was in the presence of one of her best friend or someone she had found mutual ground with. "I'm thinking if you need tips. You have to show me something that you can do."

"You should show me your talent." Lizzie smirked and placed her hands on her hips. If she wanted to try give him tips and show songs on how to get those tips she at least needed to hear how good he was. "So what do you say? You give me a small song and I'll help you?"