Duet
by Zandrellia - zandrellia@excite.com
Usagi has a school project where she has to sing but
she also needs a male counter part. Who will it be
and what will happen?
***
Mamoru placed the accompaniment tape in his stero and
hit rewind. While he waited for it to finish he began
to sift through the papers on his coffee table in search
of his lyric notes he had made earlier.
Usagi was on the phone with her mother. "I know I
promised but it's raining again already!" Mamoru glanced
at the window to see that indeed, it was raining again.
He frowned as lightning struck about six miles from his
apartment building and went into the kitchen to get
some candles, just in case.
The blonde who was lounging on the couch with the phone
to her ear sat upright instantly and stared wide eyed
at the flash of light. "It's a thunderstorm mama! Please
don't make me go out in that! ..Ok.. I'll be home
tomorrow. No, no promises, I just will. I love you too.
Give daddy a kiss for me and tell him I'm ok. Bye."
She set the phone down and slid to the far side of the
couch trying to get as far from the window as she could.
Mamoru came back with four large white candles with rose
petals in them. Setting them down on the table he picked
up his notes and began to pace.
"From what I could tell the actual quality of the singer
individually doesn't matter much with this song. The
harmony and timing are what make it work. So that's what
we will work on first. Harmony and timing." He stopped
as the stero clicked, indicating that the tape was wound.
Turning towards Usagi he smiled and she stared up at him
over her knees.
She was huddled as far as she could be in the corner of
the couch with her sock feet set up on the edge of the
cushion she sat on. Her arms were wrapped around her legs
and her chin sat on her knees. She was so adoreable
sometimes.
"Now, the most important part of harmony and timing is
listening. A musician must listen to two important
factors at all times, regardless if they are singing,
playing, or conducting. First they must listen to the
music to keep the beat and feel for the song. It's useful
to keep track of the music so you know when to come in,
but it isn't practical because sometimes the music can
be behind a step or two. We're working with a
pre-recorded background so that shouldn't be a problem.
The second and most important factor in listening is
listening to your partners. Someone who is playing an
instrument listens to their partners and plays WITH them,
not against. If the people next to them are falling
behind or even wrong they compensate by following them
and playing a little louder to try an bring their partner
back on track. The same will go when we sing. If I get
off track or begin singing completely off the wall lyrics,
don't act like it's wrong. Just keep going. If YOU do
something wrong, don't act like it's wrong. The audience
will be less likely to see mistakes if you don't make
them obvious. Are you ready to try to sing the lyrics?"
She glanced up at him and blinked. "By myself?" He
nodded and she sighed. "I suppose I can give it a try."
He hit play on the stereo and Usagi waited for her
entrace. She went into the lyrics rather brokenly but
after a while she smoothed out into a nice Soprano in
second. Things were really working and then.. the power
went out.
The room was dark with exception to the faint light
coming from the window at the front of the room. Mamoru
went to the table and fumbled for the matchbox. Finding
it he lit one of the matches and then proceeded to light
the candles.
He glanced up to see Usagi shiver visibly in fright and
he stood and sat beside her on the couch. He traced the
back of his left hand over her cheek and smiled. "Do you
have any idea how beautiful you are?"
Her hands came up and she held his to her. Shaking her
head gently she gazed into his eyes and he could see
that emotion from this morning there again. "No.. tell
me."
Leaning in closer to her, but not breaking eye contact
he inhaled her scent for a moment. She smelled like the
warm love you smell in old mom and pop stores that have
been open for ages, like cinnamon and cream. "So
beautiful that every time you step into a room everyone
is blessed with instant happiness."
Her face colored slightly and in the flickering candle
light it appeared as an orange tinge on her cheeks. The
pale blue depths of her eyes darted around his face for
a moment and then rested their gaze on his own eyes
contently. "So beautiful that nothing you do could ever
be wrong simply because it was you who did it."
She smiled slightly and her eyes once again adverted from
his and lowered. -So modest at times.. such a lady who
grew from within a child.- "So amazingly beautiful that I
couldn't help but fall in love with you."
Her eyes flew to his and darkened remarkably but he took
a chance and leaned forward, caressing her lips with
his. It was only a gentle kiss, nothing serious that
demanded anything. He began to pull back but she stopped
him by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling
him back to her.
They kissed for what seemed like eternities or seconds,
it's always easy to jumble such trvialties such as time
up in moments such as this, but soon Mamoru found himself
staring down at Usagi who suddenly seemed so much smaller
than before. Her lips were moist and plump and he could
see them shiver with her ragged breaths.
-I love you Mamoru.- She wanted to say it.. it would have
been the appropriate time to say it.. but she didn't.
Something inside of her told her to wait. She was so
young and after today she knew how easy it would be for
any man to try to take advantage of her. Not that she
thought Mamoru would be like that but.. she had to give
him the chance to change his mind.
Pushing away gently she turned and picked up the lyrics.
"We still have to work on this."
His eyes reflected pain towards her but he nodded and
lifted his own lyrics. They spent the majority of the
night singing, adjusting their harmony, and perfecting
the music which spoke more than words.
***End Part Fifteen***
by Zandrellia - zandrellia@excite.com
Usagi has a school project where she has to sing but
she also needs a male counter part. Who will it be
and what will happen?
***
Mamoru placed the accompaniment tape in his stero and
hit rewind. While he waited for it to finish he began
to sift through the papers on his coffee table in search
of his lyric notes he had made earlier.
Usagi was on the phone with her mother. "I know I
promised but it's raining again already!" Mamoru glanced
at the window to see that indeed, it was raining again.
He frowned as lightning struck about six miles from his
apartment building and went into the kitchen to get
some candles, just in case.
The blonde who was lounging on the couch with the phone
to her ear sat upright instantly and stared wide eyed
at the flash of light. "It's a thunderstorm mama! Please
don't make me go out in that! ..Ok.. I'll be home
tomorrow. No, no promises, I just will. I love you too.
Give daddy a kiss for me and tell him I'm ok. Bye."
She set the phone down and slid to the far side of the
couch trying to get as far from the window as she could.
Mamoru came back with four large white candles with rose
petals in them. Setting them down on the table he picked
up his notes and began to pace.
"From what I could tell the actual quality of the singer
individually doesn't matter much with this song. The
harmony and timing are what make it work. So that's what
we will work on first. Harmony and timing." He stopped
as the stero clicked, indicating that the tape was wound.
Turning towards Usagi he smiled and she stared up at him
over her knees.
She was huddled as far as she could be in the corner of
the couch with her sock feet set up on the edge of the
cushion she sat on. Her arms were wrapped around her legs
and her chin sat on her knees. She was so adoreable
sometimes.
"Now, the most important part of harmony and timing is
listening. A musician must listen to two important
factors at all times, regardless if they are singing,
playing, or conducting. First they must listen to the
music to keep the beat and feel for the song. It's useful
to keep track of the music so you know when to come in,
but it isn't practical because sometimes the music can
be behind a step or two. We're working with a
pre-recorded background so that shouldn't be a problem.
The second and most important factor in listening is
listening to your partners. Someone who is playing an
instrument listens to their partners and plays WITH them,
not against. If the people next to them are falling
behind or even wrong they compensate by following them
and playing a little louder to try an bring their partner
back on track. The same will go when we sing. If I get
off track or begin singing completely off the wall lyrics,
don't act like it's wrong. Just keep going. If YOU do
something wrong, don't act like it's wrong. The audience
will be less likely to see mistakes if you don't make
them obvious. Are you ready to try to sing the lyrics?"
She glanced up at him and blinked. "By myself?" He
nodded and she sighed. "I suppose I can give it a try."
He hit play on the stereo and Usagi waited for her
entrace. She went into the lyrics rather brokenly but
after a while she smoothed out into a nice Soprano in
second. Things were really working and then.. the power
went out.
The room was dark with exception to the faint light
coming from the window at the front of the room. Mamoru
went to the table and fumbled for the matchbox. Finding
it he lit one of the matches and then proceeded to light
the candles.
He glanced up to see Usagi shiver visibly in fright and
he stood and sat beside her on the couch. He traced the
back of his left hand over her cheek and smiled. "Do you
have any idea how beautiful you are?"
Her hands came up and she held his to her. Shaking her
head gently she gazed into his eyes and he could see
that emotion from this morning there again. "No.. tell
me."
Leaning in closer to her, but not breaking eye contact
he inhaled her scent for a moment. She smelled like the
warm love you smell in old mom and pop stores that have
been open for ages, like cinnamon and cream. "So
beautiful that every time you step into a room everyone
is blessed with instant happiness."
Her face colored slightly and in the flickering candle
light it appeared as an orange tinge on her cheeks. The
pale blue depths of her eyes darted around his face for
a moment and then rested their gaze on his own eyes
contently. "So beautiful that nothing you do could ever
be wrong simply because it was you who did it."
She smiled slightly and her eyes once again adverted from
his and lowered. -So modest at times.. such a lady who
grew from within a child.- "So amazingly beautiful that I
couldn't help but fall in love with you."
Her eyes flew to his and darkened remarkably but he took
a chance and leaned forward, caressing her lips with
his. It was only a gentle kiss, nothing serious that
demanded anything. He began to pull back but she stopped
him by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling
him back to her.
They kissed for what seemed like eternities or seconds,
it's always easy to jumble such trvialties such as time
up in moments such as this, but soon Mamoru found himself
staring down at Usagi who suddenly seemed so much smaller
than before. Her lips were moist and plump and he could
see them shiver with her ragged breaths.
-I love you Mamoru.- She wanted to say it.. it would have
been the appropriate time to say it.. but she didn't.
Something inside of her told her to wait. She was so
young and after today she knew how easy it would be for
any man to try to take advantage of her. Not that she
thought Mamoru would be like that but.. she had to give
him the chance to change his mind.
Pushing away gently she turned and picked up the lyrics.
"We still have to work on this."
His eyes reflected pain towards her but he nodded and
lifted his own lyrics. They spent the majority of the
night singing, adjusting their harmony, and perfecting
the music which spoke more than words.
***End Part Fifteen***