Note: Please don't take offense if I pick on any character(s). But I think you all can take it in good humor.
Chapter 3: Getting on the same note
The same morning at the Katsuragi Residence…
Bang! Twang! BUMBABUM! THUMP! GROWL! Crack! Splinter! SMASH! EEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA….EEEEEEEEEEEEKKK! STOMP STOMP SLAP!
Asuka practicing guitar in the basement. Rei casually observed the intonation of Asuka's "notes." Sounded more like the drums to Rei.
Outside, a bird sang beautifully. Unfortunately, it could not be captured and made to work (by Misato), or else it would have undoubtedly been chosen as lead singer.
One floor up, Shinji let the reverb from his cello echo through the room after pulling off a lush, 12-second bass string bow-stroke.
Misato stood there with her mouth wide open. "Wow, Shinji! That was amazing! You never missed a note! OR a beat! You'll be an awesome bassist in our band!"
Shinji dropped his bow.
"Uh, bassist?"
Misato gave him a queer look.
"Of course? What'd you expect?"
"Uh……………..cello player?"
"NO, no, Ritsuko will be covering the cello for you. You need a more uptight, hip, get-freaky electro-static down-low-in-your-face sound. That's the Bass. Ok?"
"Ok…"
Spineless as USUAL, thought Misato.
LAZY AND BOSSY, as USUAL, thought Shinji.
Misato had initially volunteered for the bass, citing her reason as something about low sounds attracting men. But when she learned that she'd have to cut her nails to be able to press the frets down, her enthusiasm dropped at an exponential rate. Shinji knew it was only a matter of time before she handed down this "enormous responsibility" to someone else. Oh, well, Shinji thought. The bass would come pretty easy. A Cello was just an unfretted, upright bass. And since bass and guitar were relatives, he could get tips from Asuka as well. That is, if Asuka had anything of value to give.
Putting down his Cello, Shinji walked towards the basement, trying to find Asuka. Fortunately for him, she was in the final stages of her "Frightening Tempest of Frustration," and she regarded Shinji with a neutral look when he appeared from the stairs.
"Shinji, can you help me with this? How do you hold it?"
"Sure. Can you hand me the guitar?"
"No no! Come over here and show me."
Shinji sat down at the seat adjacent Asuka and beckoned for the guitar.
"You put it in your lap-" Shinji was stopped short as Asuka moved BOTH herself and the guitar into his lap.
"And hold it like this?"
Shinji turned the color of his lap-companion's hair. Which way did one hold a guitar, anyway?
"SHINJI!"
"Wha-what…"
"What was that!??"
"I dunno.."
"Your lap is hot!"
"S-sorry…"
She tossed her hair.
"Geez…now I need a cold glass of ice water!!"
"Oh-ok….Can you…stand up?"
"OH." Asuka stood up, then preened. "Sorry about that."
Shinji ran for the stairs.
---
Two hours later…
"Asuka! You're tone-deaf!"
"I am not! Misato, which fret is C?"
Misato groaned. "Look, if you had a little drink, it'd all be a great deal easier."
"I am not drinking your filthy beer!"
"All I'm saying is, like the art of drunken boxing, the art of drunken instrumentalism also once existed as a form of entertainment and, well, art. *BURP!* Using alcohol as the catalyst for the emotional pathways of the soul, an artist could, in the deep haze of a beer-induced buzz, let rip the craziest riffs ever conceived! Like this! *bURP burp burp burp burp…BURP BURP!* *FART*"
"Very funny, Misato…"
Asuka stared at Misato. Misato stared back.
Misato peered more closely at Asuka, then whipped her head around.
"SHINJI!"
Shinji looked out from his room.
"I'm sweating…"
"Are you hot again?" Shinji asked.
"When am I not?"
"You want water?"
Misato grinned. "Yes, honey."
"Ok…"
Chapter 3: Getting on the same note
The same morning at the Katsuragi Residence…
Bang! Twang! BUMBABUM! THUMP! GROWL! Crack! Splinter! SMASH! EEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA….EEEEEEEEEEEEKKK! STOMP STOMP SLAP!
Asuka practicing guitar in the basement. Rei casually observed the intonation of Asuka's "notes." Sounded more like the drums to Rei.
Outside, a bird sang beautifully. Unfortunately, it could not be captured and made to work (by Misato), or else it would have undoubtedly been chosen as lead singer.
One floor up, Shinji let the reverb from his cello echo through the room after pulling off a lush, 12-second bass string bow-stroke.
Misato stood there with her mouth wide open. "Wow, Shinji! That was amazing! You never missed a note! OR a beat! You'll be an awesome bassist in our band!"
Shinji dropped his bow.
"Uh, bassist?"
Misato gave him a queer look.
"Of course? What'd you expect?"
"Uh……………..cello player?"
"NO, no, Ritsuko will be covering the cello for you. You need a more uptight, hip, get-freaky electro-static down-low-in-your-face sound. That's the Bass. Ok?"
"Ok…"
Spineless as USUAL, thought Misato.
LAZY AND BOSSY, as USUAL, thought Shinji.
Misato had initially volunteered for the bass, citing her reason as something about low sounds attracting men. But when she learned that she'd have to cut her nails to be able to press the frets down, her enthusiasm dropped at an exponential rate. Shinji knew it was only a matter of time before she handed down this "enormous responsibility" to someone else. Oh, well, Shinji thought. The bass would come pretty easy. A Cello was just an unfretted, upright bass. And since bass and guitar were relatives, he could get tips from Asuka as well. That is, if Asuka had anything of value to give.
Putting down his Cello, Shinji walked towards the basement, trying to find Asuka. Fortunately for him, she was in the final stages of her "Frightening Tempest of Frustration," and she regarded Shinji with a neutral look when he appeared from the stairs.
"Shinji, can you help me with this? How do you hold it?"
"Sure. Can you hand me the guitar?"
"No no! Come over here and show me."
Shinji sat down at the seat adjacent Asuka and beckoned for the guitar.
"You put it in your lap-" Shinji was stopped short as Asuka moved BOTH herself and the guitar into his lap.
"And hold it like this?"
Shinji turned the color of his lap-companion's hair. Which way did one hold a guitar, anyway?
"SHINJI!"
"Wha-what…"
"What was that!??"
"I dunno.."
"Your lap is hot!"
"S-sorry…"
She tossed her hair.
"Geez…now I need a cold glass of ice water!!"
"Oh-ok….Can you…stand up?"
"OH." Asuka stood up, then preened. "Sorry about that."
Shinji ran for the stairs.
---
Two hours later…
"Asuka! You're tone-deaf!"
"I am not! Misato, which fret is C?"
Misato groaned. "Look, if you had a little drink, it'd all be a great deal easier."
"I am not drinking your filthy beer!"
"All I'm saying is, like the art of drunken boxing, the art of drunken instrumentalism also once existed as a form of entertainment and, well, art. *BURP!* Using alcohol as the catalyst for the emotional pathways of the soul, an artist could, in the deep haze of a beer-induced buzz, let rip the craziest riffs ever conceived! Like this! *bURP burp burp burp burp…BURP BURP!* *FART*"
"Very funny, Misato…"
Asuka stared at Misato. Misato stared back.
Misato peered more closely at Asuka, then whipped her head around.
"SHINJI!"
Shinji looked out from his room.
"I'm sweating…"
"Are you hot again?" Shinji asked.
"When am I not?"
"You want water?"
Misato grinned. "Yes, honey."
"Ok…"