Noticin' the days hurrying by; when you're in love, my how they fly

[crimeatthetime]

Adrian is in a clean, quiet, out-of-the-way little music store and luthier. It's well-lit and and rigidly tidy, every surface polished, instruments carefully displayed, tidily organized racks of music arranged according to genre and alphabetized as well. The Muse who owns the place emerges from the back and eyeballs Adrian with suspicion. She

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[feelmymusic]

Sakura is also visiting Heartstrings today. She needs a second violin for auditions since the fiberglass one has been getting frowny faces. Nevermind that she's still better than nearly everyone else, it's beginning to be an issue. Her usual luthier doesn't currently have anything in that clicks for her, so he recommended that she try this place.

Sakura opens the door to the sound of beautiful guitar music, so she slips inside and just basks. When the song ends, she'll do things like say hello and explore the shop.

[crimeatthetime]

It's Recuerdos de la Alhambra, a personal challenge and a workout for his hand. He goes slower than he would like, but the piece is familiar and he doesn't make as many mistakes as he thought he would.

The luthier leans on her counter, eyes closed, ignoring the bell on the door until he's finished. "God, that sound. That... What do you want? Any particular problems that need addressing?"

Adrian runs his fingers over the strings. "Just take care of her. Make her feel beautiful."

The woman holds her hands out and cradles his guitar more delicately than she would a child. (She doesn't LIKE children.) "You got it. A Hauser."

[feelmymusic]

Now that the beautiful playing has (unfortunately) stopped, Sakura moves towards the counter slowly. Not slowly as in reluctantly, but slowly as in she's trying to see everything on her way there. She's not quite in kid-in-a-candy-store mode, but she's close.

She likes the way the Luthier handles the instrument, and she's rather hoping that the store isn't about to close for the day. She knows that look. That's the look of a woman in love with an instrument.

It's also why she's still reluctant to actually say anything.

[crimeatthetime]

"Oh--another thing."

The woman looks up at him, a slight scowl on her face. Yes, this is his guitar, yes, he is a customer, but he's also keeping her from working on it, god. "What?"

"Cellos. I'm looking for someone who deals in them. High-quality, hand-crafted--I'm talking the finest you can find in the city."

Curiousity; Helena (yes, apparently her name is Helena) has it. "I can look into it."

Adrian drums on the counter with both hands, grinning--and oh. He recognizes this person. 'This person' being Sakura. "Ah--hi."

Well, that's not awkward.

[feelmymusic]

"Hey, Adrian." Sakura is semi-immune to awkward when she's in a music shop. She'd managed to recognize him before he spotted her, which she's rather proud of. She's not so good with faces. Now if she ever hears him play again, odds are good that she'll know the sound instantly.

She shifts her attention to Helena before there's any chance of the luthier sneaking away to have time with the instrument. "Sorry to interupt, but Mr. Markovich recommended your shop to me for a violin. He said he'd call over to let you know." Since that was three days ago, Sakura's hoping her visit isn't a surprise.

[crimeatthetime]

"Uh. Right. Yeah, he did--hang on, I'm just going to take this back."

Helena sets the guitar very reluctantly into its case and snaps it shut, vanishing into the back.

She'll return. Really she will.

"Hello," he says again. Derp. Then, "You play?"

Well... That explains her reaction to his injury.

[feelmymusic]

Well, if Helena is a little slow returning, it won't mess up Sakura's plans all that much. She's perfectly ready for this to take a few hours.

"Yeah. Violin's my favorite, but I dabble in pretty much anything I can get my hands on." Someday she will find an accordion, but that day will not be today. "You might want to check out Markovich and Sons for a cello. I didn't look all that closely for quality, but I know they had one in a few days ago."

[crimeatthetime]

"Really?" He smiles, a little. "Guitar is my one and only--I can play a bit of piano, some violin if you don't mind making your ears bleed."

He makes a mental note of the name and leans his back against the counter. "I might end up importing one. It's for a friend."

A very good, very talented friend. He grins. "I'd like to have her pick it herself, but I might have to just research and show her pictures of her options."

He loves doing this--the hunting, the narrowing down sources, the checking on quality through third-party associates. He loves instruments, loves dealing in them, and it's not something he's had a lot of time to think about since coming to Chicago.

[feelmymusic]

"My dad encouraged me to try a few different things when I was a kid. I couldn't play the violin in a marching band, you know? My band teachers encouraged me more. And doing the music school thing, I would have had to learn piano if I hadn't known it already. It's useful, knowing how everything works. It helps with composing and arranging." And also, it's fun!

"Is she staying at the Conrad? I chatted a little with someone on the journals who plays the cello, but I haven't managed to meet her yet." Sakura doesn't use the music room much since there's a park right across the street.

[crimeatthetime]

"I learned from a friend. At camp." A fellow refugee at the French pseudo-concentration camp, anyway. "It is useful. I know more about the sound and build of instruments--how they're played, I suppose--than I know about playing them myself." He shrugs and goes to inspect the ranks of instruments hanging on the walls. Violins here, guitars there, mostly stringed instruments with a few woodwinds mixed in.

"She is, for now." He's not sure what Dusty wants to do, what with... well Parent Issues and all. "Absolutely brilliant on the cello. I've never heard anyone better, and that's saying... well. A lot more than it would for some people."

[feelmymusic]

"She is?" Sakura's eyes light up. After hearing Adrian play, she's quite willing to accept his judgement of someone's skill level. "If I don't manage to run into her soon, I may pester you for an introduction."

Sakura also shifts over to look at the violins, ignoring the way her bow carrying case bumps against her back. She will get to play with these lovely ladies, but she's going to pretend that she's patient about it.

"You know, there's enough musicians in the Conrad that we could probably organize a concert series or something. We could keep it casual and do a show maybe... once every few weeks?"

[crimeatthetime]

"Young, maybe a little raw, but she's talented, and with an angel's lifespan--if the girl keeps at it, she'll be a maestro." Yes, he's fiercely proud of Dusty for multiple reasons.

As far as concerts go-- "That's something you'd be better off talking to Rachel or Dusty about. I'm more... private performances." He shrugs.

[feelmymusic]

"Now that is something I'm jealous of. The lifespan. All the rest of it just seems like a bother, but the idea of having centuries to perfect your art...." She trails off looking a little wistful. Sakura is good, extremely good, but she always wants to be better.

"Rachel... I've seen a few Rachels on the journals lately. Which one?"

[crimeatthetime]

"Don't be." He brushes his fingers over one of the instruments. "You live as long as we do and you tend to collect at least a few tragedies."

His smile returns immediately at the mention of Rachel's name. "Conway. Stunning redhead, lives in the Conrad as well."

[feelmymusic]

"Living makes you collect tragedies," she corrects him. "But happiness as well. If you live that long, you should get more of both."

"Redhead." She nods. "Okay, I can look for a redhead." And speaking of happy topics, Sakura will stick with those. "Which one is the cello player? Dusty or Rachel?"

[crimeatthetime]

There's a difference, he thinks, between tragedy and sorrow, but--well. Human is human. Some angels and demons don't mind it, watching the world turn out from under them, and it has its perks, but in the end they all end up on their backs and alone. How many of them actually live long enough to see their lives end naturally?

Adrian sighs and drops his hand. His smile, while still present is small and a little sad. "Dusty. Rachel plays piano. Did I mention she plays piano?"

Annd the smile spreads again. "Haven't had a chance to hear her yet."