Logs:Right Treatment

Right Treatment
Dramatis Personae AJ, Ford	2024-05-19 "Please. I am nothing if not a gentleman."
Location '<XAV> Music Room - Xs Second Floor'
Wide and spacious, seating in this soundproofed room comes largely on the sweep of gentle risers that afford the teacher an easy view of all the budding performers, and add another dimension to the acoustics of the room. Instruments of all types are carefully stored around the room, and a grand piano, immaculately upkept, takes the position of prize near the back. In a nod to the eclectic studies of the students, digital mixing equipment and turntables rub shoulders with the classical instruments. Music stands sit in front of most of the seats, and the only windows look out out over the side of the school grounds. The sound of a piano filled the empty space of the music room. AJ qas seated in don't of the black glossy piano, playing comple chords s she swaye to-ans-thrp withdrew motion. Hervpice ramg out with the music, projecting itself into the amplifies walls, contained within the space as Azj delivered a performance to no audience qy all. Well, an audience of one, who came into the space as well. Ford is walking into the music room, consulting the daily schedule that he keeps on his phone. He wears a pair of straight fit jeans with beaded appliques in the shape of a clawed hand on his hip, a relaxed fit button-up shirt and a wool knit beanie. While he does not interrupt AJ, he does circle the piano so that he is visible to her at least, and watches with some interest while she delivers the performance. AJ does feel someone circling her like a vulture but she keeps playing,finishing up her song. Todst she's dresses in a loose t-shift for the mutant metal band Red Light District painted with a pair ofolive-green cargo pants, her beat-up converse with scrawled sharpie hearts, Kanji and lyrics covering the white rubber. Her chipped black nails banged a c-sharp chord to try and playfully startled Ford before she spun on her butt on the bench, lifting her legs so she now sat cross-legged. Sup?" She asked,putting her elbows on her knees. Ford leans a very small amount of weight against the back of the piano, though he does start at the sudden bang. "That was a nice song, but that outro there," he mimes banging his fists on something, "could really use some touch ups. Are you practicing for something? You're in acapella, right? I thought the whole point of that was to avoid the musical instruments." He knocks his knuckles on the top of the piano a couple of times. "My guy, it's like they say,: expect the unexpected!" She raises a hand up and motions to the room to emphasize her point. "Anyways, did you need rhe piano to practice or something?" "Do they say that about music rooms?" wonders Ford as he looks up at where AJ is gesturing. He snaps his fingers a few times and adds, "If you want to freestyle, there's something unexpected in that. And yeah, I was going to practice, though seems you were making better use of it." "D'aww heck! Mr. Popularity is giving 'lil ol' me a comment!" She teased with a giggle and turned back to the piano, beginning out qn assortment of chords in random order, "freestyling" as qas suggested by Ford. "Prom's coming up! Got a date yet ornate you goingstag?" She sang the word, fitting it to an F + C chord. "Mr. Popularity, huh? It's a small school, I'll talk to anyone here, really, unless they are ultra jerks," says Ford, with the casual lift of his shoulder. He looks down towards the keys and presses one of them with a 'plink'. "I'm gonna go with Natsumi. I'm looking forward to it, she's pretty cute." "Oh, picked my bwqtiw hm? What about Nahida? Rumors were claiming that you were going ro ask her since apparently you two are nominated for King and Queen!" AJ relratedvtgd circulating gossip. "Not that I believe a dangcword but hey, all rumors start from a tiny nugget of truth!" "Seems kind of irregular for them to not choose a senior, but if an exception were made," Ford grins confidently, "Then I'm sure that it would be in my favour! But no, Nahida is going to go with Quentin, maybe the rumour mill hasn't caught up to the times. The newspaper's been short an editor, and I so miss a good gossip column, but sounds like Natsumi's going to be getting that going again." "Oh, neat! You better treat Natsumi right, otherwise both of us are gonna have to have a strong word qith you!" She warned, clearly only half-jokibg. . "I'm going with Leondias personally!" She chirped happily, switching the subject but staying with the theme. "Please. I am nothing if not a gentleman," says Ford, his head bowed slightly in acknowledgement of this unshakeable truth. "But I'm sure that she can handle herself." His head swivels at hearing AJ's prom date, though, eyebrow quirked up. "How old is that guy, anyways? He looks. Thirty-ish? Maybe save your warning for him." "He's seventeen," she sniffs, "And we're going as friends so don't worry! For the moment I'm still on the market," She grins and stops playing, leaning back on her palms to teasingly with k at the boy. "Careful there, or else your bestie will think that you're angling to steal her date," says Ford, waggling a finger in a chiding gesture. "I'm pretty sure that's bad form." He rests his finger on one of the keys towards the end of the piano, though doesn't press it. "If there was anyone you were angling to take to the dance, who do you think that'd be?" "Honestly it was Leo, but anyone who'd ask me I guess!" AJ admits as she hovers a hand across the pure white and endless black of the keys before softly playing a G chord. "Which has never happened so I'm going to just cruise through content that Leondias just said 'yes'!" "You wanted him to ask you? I guess if your type is boys who look like thirty-five year old men..." Ford trails off and then shrugs, "So why are you just going as friends, then? Did he give you the whole 'little sister' routine?" He withdraws his hand from the key when AJ continues hitting chords, plus it allows him to put the flying quotation marks around little sister. "Mt type are boys who are kind and considerate of others and their plights. He can't help the way he looks just as much ad I can't help the way I do!" AJ played with a lock of her hair. "He turns eighteen next month, so it's just better if we wait 'till I'm eighteen too in order to try and be not-friends. Or we'll find other people in the mean time!" "That's a very general kind of type," says Ford, cupping his chin in his hand thoughtfully. "Most people care about others and their plights, broadly speaking. That's why charities and philanthropy exist. Bonds of fraternity that hold society together! So that seems like a minimum pass." He pauses a moment more and decides, "You could still date him, though. It's not that big of an age gap, and since you're fine with him looking forty anyways, what's the big deal?" AJ sighs and rolls her eyes. "Okay maybe he's also super muscular and has that southern drawl too. He also had gone out of his way to talk to me and be kind to me when I used to shut down interactions with others." AJ offered a little cheeky grim at her sort-of friend; "You know I was going to ask you if he Saud 'no' but I bet you'd have made a terrible dance partner anyway," She grinned and stood up from the bench. "Unless you wanna prove me wrong?" "Tsk, tsk, tsk," says Ford, ticking his finger back and forth with each tsk, an amused smile on his lips. "I really should be the one issuing the warning to you, about treating your bestie right. If you were worried about performance on the dance floor, not sure you'd be going with Mr. giant two left feet." He rests his hand on the top of the piano, leaning in slightly, "But if you really want to cut in, then you'll have to do so on the dance floor proper." AJ stood up, crossing her arms and cooked her hip with a grin. "Oh please, like I'd do that to Nat! Anyways, I'm about to pack up but I wanted to ask if you were trying out for a role in that production of Hadestown they're putting on next semester. It's this whole musical based on the romance of Orpheus and Eurydice. I'm gonna try out for Eurydice and Persephone myself," AJ smiles confidently. "Ah, Orpheus, the man who can't look back. And yet..." Ford shrugs and shifts in to sit down at the piano bench now that AJ has vacated it. "Do you think I'd make a better Orpheus?" He starts to play his scales, and looks past his shoulder towards AJ, "Or Hades?" "Mm, you're not really the doubtful type. Plus, you got that whole silver spoon and silver tongue thing going on so,I'd say Hades. Just you don't have a Persephone and if she's out there I hope she actually gets through that stubborn one-track noggin' 'a yours?" AJ playfully poked his head with all of the gentleness she could. Ford tilts his head lightly as if AJ's playful poke had effectively pushed it into that position. "I'm not sure which one track you think is the one I am sticking to, but I am sure that if I have a Persephone out there, she'll find her way to me. All that I need to do is make sure I stand out." "Well you're a mutant and a Tepublican, so you already do!" She laughs at her quip and grabs her bag. "See you at Acapella this week?" "So long as I see you at the Young Republicans meet," says Ford, tipping a wink towards AJ and focusing now on his scales.