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Post by Low Key on Sept 13, 2014 21:04:06 GMT -5
The sun was just kissing the horizon and the sky was a beautiful shade of red as Low Key walked alone along the beach. Twilight was his favorite time of the day: not to hot in the summer, not to cold in the winter, nor was it too bright or too dark. The balance of temperate and light was just perfect for his senses. All of this was enhanced by the presence of the nearby beach, the sharp scent of salt in the air and the caressing crash of the waves appeasing his other senses. It was at times like this Low Key loved to simply walk around or just sit on a log and watch the sea. While he was no stranger to the coast having lived in Manehattan most of his life, it wasn't the same. Back there, the beaches were crowded, dirty, and the sound of the waves was drowned out by all the sounds of the city. Around here, it got so quiet around this time that he had never felt so relaxed outside of his home. Unlike all of those other times, however, Low Key had more than just his signature crimson turtleneck and black leather jacket. Strapped across his back was a soft guitar case. It was exceptionally large for one of its size and was made out of black cloth. Every so often, he would stop and fidget with the straps until they were again in a comfortable position. After a few minutes of walking, he comes upon his favorite piece of driftwood, a large log that he had been using to avoid sitting in the sand. As he took a seat, he levitated the guitar case off and laid it down at an angle, leaning against the log in order to get as little sand as possible on it. He unzips it and opens it up, revealing an absolutely beautiful six-string acoustic bass guitar. It was a work of art, this acoustic bass: Hollow mahogany body, maple neck and head, rosewood fretboard, abalone fret inlays shaped like his cutie mark, and chrome machineheads polished to the nth degree. It was a birthday present from his parents, who never told him just how much it cost to get such a beautiful custom guitar made for him. He always felt guilty about that, but he knew better than to look a gift cow in the mouth. Low Key levitates it over into his lap and slips the sling over his shoulder. His magic encompasses the knobs and he tunes up the strings by ear. Finally, his magic summons a pair of astral hands, one near the bass of the neck and the other at the top. He takes one look out at the sea and begins to play. |
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"I like my spices how I like my life - Spicy and exotic"
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Post by Niara on Sept 16, 2014 15:14:50 GMT -5
--- Niara had finished up for the day, cleaning up her stand and had just made her sleeping tent ready when she just didn't feel like sleeping. She used to go early to sleep but she had been staying up longer for the past few days. She didn't know what to do so she simply decided for a stroll on the beach.
Silent, uninterrupted and slow waves crushed onto the sand as she walked just far enough from it to not get her hooves wet. The sun was colored so beautifully and her own clothes made a prettier color in the light as well. And just as she was walking peacefully, she heard a soothing melody that sounded like a serene call and it made her drawn to it.
Sitting on a log, she saw a figure of a pony sitting there faced to the sea playing it's bass guitar. It sounded like a lullaby she had heard before. Walking slowly and silently, she walked towards it and sat down a few feet away from it facing it's back so it wouldn't notice her. She couldn't risk the music to stop so she kept as quiet as she could while watching. A smile formed across her face while watching.
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Post by Low Key on Sept 16, 2014 16:34:42 GMT -5
After finishing the song, Low Key sits there for a few minutes in silence, basking in the afterglow of the song and listening to the waves crashing along the beach. Listening to classical music was never something he found entirely enjoyable, but playing it was something else. Without words, the composer's job was simply to convey what they were feeling through their sound, a feat that was harder than it looked. Low Key never could figure out how they knew what progression of notes would cause what emotion; it was all an enigmatic genius that he respected highly.
As much as he loved rock, it could only convey so many emotions. Joy, anger, frustration, confusion, lust, and a few others were what rock gave him, but classical gave him one thing that rock could never give: solace. It gave him an inner peace that allowed him to really think and truly let go of the outside world.
As he rearranged the strap cradling the guitar, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Turning around, Low Key comes face to face with a very elegantly clothed Saddle Arabian mare. Caught by surprise, he gasps and nearly falls off of the log. After composing himself, he begins to blush in embarrassment as he says, "Oh, um, h-hello. I didn't see you there."
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Junior Member
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"I like my spices how I like my life - Spicy and exotic"
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Post by Niara on Sept 17, 2014 2:17:58 GMT -5
--- The sound of the bass was so soothing that it almost made her more sleepy. She liked classical music when she heard it but she weren't used to it so all songs and melodies where either new or a famous melody that everypony knew. Niara let out a silent sigh when the music finished and closed her eyes for a small moment, opening them in surprise when she heard a gasp. She looked over at the pony who turned out to be a stallion. She looked surprised at him as he looked surprised at her and she noticed he was blushing, of embarrassment she assumed after he almost fell off the log.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, I was just listening to you play and I didn't want to interrupt you" she said and gave a warm smile as she walked closer to see him better in the red twilight light. "You played very beautifully" she complimented and looked at the guitar, her cheeks became rosy.
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Post by Low Key on Sept 17, 2014 2:57:40 GMT -5
"Oh, um, thank you." He sat up straighter on the log and did his best to turn and face her, "I'm not used to playing before an audience, but I'm trying to get my confidence up." He turns and looks back at his guitar still cradled in his lap, as if he expected it to have grown legs and walked off, "This is my first time playing outside, actually. I don't know of many other ponies around here that walk around the beaches at this time." He looks back at her and observes her various piercings and shawls, "But you're not from around here, are you?"
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Junior Member
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"I like my spices how I like my life - Spicy and exotic"
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Post by Niara on Sept 17, 2014 13:51:49 GMT -5
--- She looked at him as he spoke and gave a small nod, he played like a professional in her opinion but seemed like a stallion who wouldn't just jump right on stage for a concert. She weren't really a stage pony herself and had always been a bit scared to have too much attention. Not like she had really experienced it thou, she had never preformed anything on stage.
Niara blinks for a moment as his question and then chuckles. "No, I have travelled here from Saddle Arabia" she said and smiled again, she saw that he gave that kind of studying look like most ponies did when they first met her since her outfit weren't the most common to be seen around. "I've had some trouble sleeping lately and tonight as well so I had to do something with the time instead of waiting to fall asleep.. That melody was very soothing, I felt more sleepy" she said with a giggle. He seemed liked a nice pony, a bit shy maybe too. She hadn't been able to actually talk to others outside of the customer questions of what they would like from her spice stand, so it was nice to just talk.
"Let me introduce myself, my name is Niara" she said and reached our her accessorized hoof towards him with a warm smile as a greeting.
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Post by Low Key on Sept 17, 2014 15:28:52 GMT -5
Niara? Low Key silently mused at how beautiful a name it was, it just rolled off the tongue. As for her ethnicity, he was also slightly enthused that his hunch had been correct. She certainly looked like she had traveled a long way, and the sun-baked look about her was quite attractive. Low Key reached out and shook her hoof with a moderately-tight grip, "It's good to meet you, Niara. My name is Low Key, and I'm not really from around here, either. My home town is up north in Manehattan. This place is certainly a lot quieter..." He looks out towards the sea. The sun was now starting to dip below the horizon, but it wasn't quite night yet. "...and much less stressful." He looks back at his guitar and says, "I can another song, if that's alright." His horn lights up and the astral hands rematerialize as he begins to play another slow song. |
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Junior Member
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"I like my spices how I like my life - Spicy and exotic"
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Post by Niara on Sept 17, 2014 16:58:00 GMT -5
--- She smiled. "It's nice to meet you too"
Niara smiles and listened about his hometown Manehatten, she had been there once for three days but it didn't really suit her. The market was too small and for such a big crowd but her spices didn't sell that well there. She didn't like big cities, even thou Canterlot was a great success when she stayed there for a week when traveling.
She followed his eyes and looked at the sun, the colors even more calm and beautiful now as it was resting above the horizon and just waiting to set. The mare quickly looked back at Low Key as he put his guitar up again and started playing. "Please, go ahead" she said to his question and made herself comfortable and ready to listen. As the melody started, she sat down in front of him and watched him quietly. She knew she had heard this melody before and it was one of the most beautiful pieces she knew about. Her face showed a mixture of admiration and sleepiness plus some impression in one expression. Her eyes twinkled, it had been a long time since she had been watching someone play for her.
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Post by Low Key on Sept 17, 2014 17:59:50 GMT -5
As Low Key played, he sometimes spared a few glances towards Niara. He had never played a private concert before, neither had he actually played anything resembling a concert. At first, it was a little nerve-wracking, the feeling of having somepony watching you, listening to every little mistake you make and judging you silently. Then he spared a glance at her eyes and could see that she was far from being judgmental. He couldn't be that good, could he? Surely there were better bassists out there who could play many times better than him.
With a few blinks, he cleared those thoughts from his mind as he instead tried to figure out the expression on her face. He couldn't tell whether it was admiration or interest that sparkled in her eyes, but it was certainly something other judgment. He was slowly becoming more and more relaxed with her presence, and a grin crept across his face. His embarrassment from before dissipated, yet his blush still stayed behind for some reason.
When he finally finished the song, Low Key look back to Niara, forcing himself to keep eye contact for longer than a second. The result was a deep and thorough analysis of her irises in the fading dusk light, which came to him rather easily. Dark brown brought up thoughts of the earth and travel, something that she must indeed have to done to be here instead of her homeland. Yet, a rolling stone gathers no moss - does she feel connection? How does she feel about where she has found herself?
Finally, Low Key breaks the silence and speaks up, "So, um, how did you like that one?"
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Junior Member
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"I like my spices how I like my life - Spicy and exotic"
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Post by Niara on Sept 18, 2014 1:25:49 GMT -5
--- The way he played was so enchanting to watch and she could clearly see that he was experienced with the guitar. She didn't want the melody to end but at the end it did and their eyes met. She weren't able to see them clearly before now, the deep blue color could be compared to her fathers blue eyes. They bared warmth and a twinkle of wisdom and experience, they where almost a melody of their own.
"It was very beautiful, you truly are talented with the bass guitar" she said and smiled, still holding their eye contact as she spoke. There was something about him that seemed so interesting and special that she couldn't put her hoof on. But there was no doubt she liked it.
"Who wrote this piece?" she asked, curious of his relationship to classical music. Niara was used to other melodies with higher speed and a bit louder, almost like party music with a saddle arabian touch to it.
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Post by Low Key on Sept 18, 2014 1:42:06 GMT -5
"Well, that depends," Low Key says, enthused that she wants to talk about music. "The original classical version was written by Beethooven, but this version for bass guitar I found in a book."
On the topic of music, Low Key's demeanor brightens up and he lapses into a minor lecture, "The thing that I love about classical music is just how expressive it is. It might not be easy to hear when listening to it, but playing it, you really get a respect for it. This particular piece, titled "Sonata quasi una fantasia", had special instructions for the player. Beethooven had said that it was meant to played with the utmost delicacy, and it is only when you play it in that style that you can truly feel the emotion he wanted you to experience."
Low Key sniffed and blinked rapidly, as if he was desperately trying to hold back tears, "For such an unhappy stallion, this song is especially fragile and vulnerable. I guess that makes this song all that more special to know that even somepony as unpleasant as Beethooven still had feelings."
As he finishes with his lecture, he glances over at Niara and blushes, giving her a nervous smile, "I'm sorry, I kind of gush when the topic turns to music and I maybe get a little poetic. Sorry."
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Junior Member
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"I like my spices how I like my life - Spicy and exotic"
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Post by Niara on Sept 18, 2014 1:54:06 GMT -5
--- Niara was smiling while Low Key explained and talked about his feelings to music, her eyes turned glossy as well when she noticed how much emotion he put into this piece and how he felt about classical music. She hadn't seen anypony with such empathy and it almost brought her in tears.
She wiped her eyes a bit and chuckled, she wasn't the type to cry over beautiful music but something just hit her in the heart. "No need to apologize, I understand you perfectly. I'm not really used to the classical music myself. In my hometown, music was there to cheer up ponies and have everything a party, I haven't really heard any emotional side of it and when I do I feel like I can.. relate.. It might sound stupid, but it's the only thing I have right now that can catch my emotions" she said and looked back at him with a smile. The sun was about to set and the last rays of the sun made her eyes twinkle more now when they where teary. She didn't know why or how it had affected her like this, but it felt good.
All the time when she was little, the closest thing she had to a sad song was a lullaby her father used to sing for her when she was going to sleep, and a melody from the north she had learned on the piano.
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Post by Low Key on Sept 18, 2014 2:16:58 GMT -5
Low Key's face lit up and he gave Niara a beaming smile. For the longest time, he never felt anypony would be able to understand how he felt about music. It made him feel so much better to know that there were ponies who thought just like him.
For the first time that night, he fully drank in the sight before him. Her jewelry and clothing made him most inquisitive - he didn't know much about Saddle Arabian culture and it only made him all the more curious to hear her talk about her homeland. Her tan fur brought up images of desert sands and gave the rest of her body a certain sleekness. As a gentle breeze came in from the sea, Low Key's breath caught in his throat as Niara's hair swayed with it. He was always a fool for long hair, it made mares look even more feminine. Even the way she chuckled had an enchanting grace to it, and the class that she demonstrated knocked the wind out of him. It would have been foolish of him to deny that he had feelings for her, and he could hear Midnight's voice still ringing in his head telling him not to hide his feelings.
Low Key spares a look at the sun just as it dips below the horizon. The astral hands disappear and his begins to put his guitar back into its case. As he does so, he looks back at Niara and says, "It's getting late. We should go before it gets too dark." Then another thought occurs to him, and he gathers up what courage he has to say it, "Do you live around here? If so, could I, um, w-walk you home?"
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Junior Member
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"I like my spices how I like my life - Spicy and exotic"
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Post by Niara on Sept 18, 2014 3:47:25 GMT -5
--- Niara watched as he put away his guitar, a soft smile rested on her face as she studied him. She couldn't deny that he was a handsome stallion, well built with bright hooves that she found quite charming. His coat had such a nice color it was nice to just look at it, his cutiemark simple and looked like something music related. Stallions she had been introduced to before where tall, dark and had a cocky smile on their face. Maybe a mustache as well which she didn't find attractive. They acted to bossy and like they where kings, almost a bit too dominant. But Low Key was different. A bit shy, careful, almost a bit fragile but at the right times. And when their eyes met again, she knew she felt a spark tickling in her belly. 'walk me home? Nopony has ever asked me that.. what should I say?'. "That would be lovely" her cheeks turned rosy.
"I-I live in a tent at the marketplace, it's not that big but it's enough for me. I'm going to get myself some pillows tomorrow and maybe another blanket since the nights are a bit more chilly here" she said and smiled, blushing red on her cheeks. Her ears also turned a bit red on the tips when she was blushing.
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Post by Low Key on Sept 18, 2014 4:06:14 GMT -5
"You live in a tent?" Low Key asked, a look of concern on his face. He had never been homeless before, but living in Manehattan had dealt with quite a few of them. It was never something he wanted to experience, neither was it something he would let his loved ones experience if he could help it. He considered asking her if she wanted to sleep in his apartment, but hesitated. That sounded a little bit creepy, especially since they just met less than an hour ago. Still, if he could show this mare just a small amount of kindness, even for one night, then he would be happy.
Slinging the bass over his shoulder, he gathered up what strength he had and stammered out, "I-If you w-want, you could a-always stay at my place. I mean, y-you can have the bed and there's a couch in the living room, but that's o-only if you want to. I m-mean, I know w-we just met, l-like, thirty minutes ago, b-but I w-would feel more comfortable if you had a warm place to s-stay." His eyes shifted nervously, almost expecting her to yell and scream at him about how big of a pervert he was being.
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