b u o n e ~ f e s t e

[sharktrash]

Who: Priders! (Basically if you (or your friend, or your dog) has had a positive interaction with anyone from MANTICORE, consider yourself invited, dragged along or sent in someone else's place. And even if you haven't been invited it's totally fine to notice something's going on and show up or  randomly come across this and stay!)
What: Genos and Squalo throw a Solstice dinner party. Italian food for everyone!
When: December 21?ish (forward-dated a bit so it doesn't fall right before irl holidays)
Where: MANTICORE penthouse
Warnings: MANTICORE Squalo, Carnies, language, minors getting drunk, substance abuse, someone might decide to bone, idk.


[ Fuck the creepy shit, MANTICORE are aggressively throwing a Solstice party! Because why not, and who has the patience to wait until New Years? ]

[ There are locations/prompts in toplevels, but feel free to start your own as well. Generic timeline of the night would be: cooking, dinner, socializing with games and booze and possibly other things, and  a movie marathon into the wee hours of the morning for the ones interested.  ]

Comments

Aramat Drawdes/Tamara Seward

[scalpedsociety]

[Guess who's got her hands on one of the old instruments (we will say cello) and playing solstice carols and making her Cello sing? She is. Feel free to join her... or challenge her.]

CELLO!MOM AND CELLO!SON FREE CONCERT COME SEE ALL

[sharktrash]

[ Squalo's current genre might be about as far away from carols as possible, but that doesn't mean he can't play them. In fact, he's participated in many classical holiday concerts back in the day, and re-arranged them to be less classical and more rock in later years. This is easy. ]

[ And the chance to instrument-duet with his old teacher is just too tempting. ]

[ So it'll only be a few minutes before he's getting a second cello from his bedroom and making his way to her, taking a seat next to hers, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. ]

Gotten rusty?

[ Just teasing. ]

[scalpedsociety]

[And Tamara's smile just grows at this.]

No. Have you played any real music recently? [Just teasing.]

Just like old times... We Three Kings? Or Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle?

[sharktrash]

I only play real music.

[ He sits more comfortably and draws his bow across the strings experimentally, quickly reaching up to fix the string that's gotten slightly out of tune. ]

Astro del Ciel and Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle sound good. Lead or follow?

[scalpedsociety]

We'll take turns. You lead Astro del Ciel.

[sharktrash]

Fair enough.

[ He flips his hair over his shoulder and starts. The painfully familiar melody starts off quiet, gentle, but gradually rings a bit louder - just like it's supposed to, but of course he'll also make sure that it's not boring. Which means that he's stuffing extra bits of a different melody between the bars to make it more lively - almost like a decorative ornament spreading on an empty wall. It's a favorite trick of his; playing two parts at once. ]

[scalpedsociety]

[Tamara follows him, but not like a amateur would. Her playing darts in between the melodies, her own notes seeking to complement what he's playing. In many ways, it's like human dancing. The best partners bring out the best in each other as well as follow flawlessly.

What comes out of the performance would make paying classical customer weep and smile in awe.]

[sharktrash]

[ And so it has, probably. Though he was a kid with spiky blond duckbutt hair and a massive attitude back then. (So not all that different). ]

[ It's five, maybe seven minutes, because nobody said he can't make it longer -- just enough time to express his version of the old classic -- but eventually it's done. He lets the last note on his cello fade into silence slowly, gradually, as if it was floating out into eternity, his eyes closed -- and then he's grinning and looking at his teacher. ]

Heh. Guess you can still keep up!

[scalpedsociety]

Why was I your teacher, Little Shark? [They didn't give her the title of 'genius' first for nothing.]

Sublime, as expected.

[sharktrash]

Because I was meant to surpass you~?

[ So modest. ]

Of course. Whenever you're ready~

[scalpedsociety]

[She mostly responds to that with a look. But she gets straight to Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle.

It sounds tiny and very meek for the most minute or so, but then it soars, the melodies at once keeping to the song and almost sounding like another part of it is singing the carol with the cello. It's a lovely cover, with little flourishes of her own here and there that don't detract from the song.

It's Squalo's choice to decide what accompanies it.]

let's class up this joint

[variaboss]

[ Solstice carols. Well, it's not like they don't know all of them. Being stuck at the mall while they played on an endless loop had been pretty educational. But there were other, older Solstice songs they could be singing. Things more traditional.

He comes over to the woman with her Cello. ]

Mind if I join you for a carol or two? Do you know Vaga Luna.

[ This version is about the Solstice moon bringing two lovers together or something. ]

of course~

[scalpedsociety]

[Tamara prefers the traditional ones. They are the the things you learn in a classical education and are often called to play them at Solstice recitals. She'll only play the newer ones if asked, either way they would sound much than those canned things they play in the Mall.

She's surprised a little by Xanxus, but is relieved that he somewhat looks a little better than when she last saw him. At his request she smiles.]

Of course I do.

[If she rejects this, she won't get a chance to hear that voice, she's not going to pass this opportunity up.]

not here

[sharktrash]

[ *that panties-dropping voice ]

sure...

[scalpedsociety]

[She's not even gonna argue here... More like panties disintegrater, actually. It's not fair.]

okay fine listening from behind a corner

[sharktrash]

[ forever unfair ]

u creeper

[scalpedsociety]

[Mutual mother/son thirst]

*art enthusiast

[sharktrash]

[ tbh ]

[variaboss]

[ooc: the song is sung to this and the rewritten lyrics are in Italian, idicated by the italics.]

[ Well, this might not be the lyrics that she's used to. Xanxus has changed them a little. He needed to put this down. The feeling he had. That feeling of a young boy eager to go and see the one person in the world that mattered to him and only got to see her on Christmas Day. A memory that lingered more and more as the date grew closer. But he's certain she's professional enough not to falter if the words aren't exactly what she expected. ]

Good. Then let me just slide on over here and we can begin.

[ He puts a light hand upon her shoulder, perhaps for support since he still has some difficulty standing for long periods of time. Then he begins. Waiting for the musical intro to fill the room with his rich, booming baritone. The rich sounds of Italian filling the room with operatic warmth ]

one single moon, on one single night
These hopes of the year,
waiting for the singular moment
when we can be together again

the moon, she watches
as I finally get to see her
go tell her, she I care for
that I will be there soon.

[scalpedsociety]

[Tamara is pretty sure those aren't the lyrics to Vaga Luna but she doesn't mention it or mess up the music backing him. The melody doesn't change. Merely folds around that voice of his, providing it with support much like her shoulder.

It's beautiful and sounds like it was sung from the heart. It's really doesn't matter if it's the original lyrics or not. During the final notes, she closes her eyes and lets herself bask in the combined effort of her music and his voice.]

[variaboss]

Tell her I wanted all year long,
for this one moment with her,
I can't wait to see her soon
to tell her all she has missed.

tell her how much I have missed her
I count the hours until I can see her,
That hope, this season, this one moment
is all I ever wish for.

[ Those are indeed not the lyrics and he's rather glad that Tamara is such a professional. Even if she had stopped playing, he would have continued acapella. He's glad he doesn't have to. She plays beautifully. Her soulful notes lending just the right amount of emotion and weight to his words.

He trails off and listens to her finish the last strains of the song and smiles down at her. There's a softness to those now crimson eyes. ]

Do you want to do another, Tamara? We can always do one of your choosing this time. I'm certain I can sing whatever you wish to play.

[scalpedsociety]

[Tamara leans against the cello with a peaceful smile on her face.]

It's not really a Solstice song, but I think you know Gia mi dicon venal. You probably have done Scarpia before.

[Plus the the benefit of hearing that voice again. It's... breathtaking.]

[variaboss]

[ His fingertips play a little with a bit of hair at her neck where his hands are resting. ]

Of course I have. Will you be my lovely Tosca then? Or were you simply hoping for his part of the aria? Because I wouldn't mind it. Being bribed by you. Unlike Scarpia, my ruthlessness is only exceeded by my lack of morals.

[scalpedsociety]

[Her eyelids lower, and the tone is her voice is still playful but with a little... husk in it.]

Oh no, I couldn't possibly keep up with you. I was taught to play these things, not sing them.

But whatever could you be bribed with?

[So suggestive.]

[variaboss]

[ He steps slowly around her, his hand sliding over the woman's shoulders until he is standing right in front of her. He executes a gallant kneel and takes her hand to try to place a kiss to her knuckles. He then will look up at her, look at her with those brilliant crimson eyes. ]

Perhaps a kiss. Perhaps a smile. Or maybe a song with me. I'll sing you yours, but I want to hear it. You sung to me once over the phone. I want to hear you again, Tamara.