Myshuno! 2012 - piece 9
Title: More than that.
Prompt: Robert courting Emmi. (penguingirl03)
Rating: U.
Spoiler rating: 8/10.
Summary: Robert arrives to take Emmi to the theatre.
Notes: I've put quite a high spoiler rating on this, since a version of this scene will appear in a future chapter, and it also refers to some of the events in Emmi's tale, even if it is obliquely. Also, you'll notice that there's no mention of a chaperone in this part of the scene. Emmi wouldn't think of one, and Robert is from a place where they aren't common place. As for the other person in the scene, well she hasn't had chance to insist on tagging along yet.
Word Count: 986.
Robert grimaced as he adjusted his tie. He really hated wearing the thing, but when he had agreed to take part in the exchange programme, one of the areas both his simself and the simself in charge of Regalton had been most insistent on, was his mode of dress. Gone was his favourite striped shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and open at the neck, and in its place was a navy three piece suit, complete with the hated tie. At first he had told himself, it was just for three years, and then he could go home and wear whatever he wanted, but then he had met her and now he wasn’t sure he wanted to go back to Antarctica after all.
He was almost at the large white house on the edge of town, and he could hear the sound of music floating out of the open window to the drawing room. Unable to help himself, he stopped to listen. His parents had dragged him and his siblings along to countless concerts when they were growing up, but he had never heard anyone play the way Emina Legacy did. It was as if she were at one with the music; it flowed from her and she could make the same melody sound delightfully happy, or desperately sad, dependant on her mood. Today, the tune she was playing was upbeat and bouncy, and he took that to be a good sign that she was looking forward to their date.
Adjusting his tie again, he made his way to the front door, and pulled the doorbell. The door was answered by a willowy brunette who glared at him with frighteningly bright blue eyes, magnified by the thick glasses she wore. “Yes?” her tone was clipped as she spoke.
“Hi, I’m here to pick up Em… Miss Legacy.” Robert gave her what he hoped was a winning smile.
The girl’s gaze grew more ferocious. “Is she expecting you?”
Robert’s smile faltered. “Yes, we’re going to the theatre.”
“She made no mention of it to me. Wait here,” she stepped side only to let him in, before slamming the door and heading to the drawing room. He heard the other girl say “Emmi. Emmi. Emmi!” loudly and then the music grew softer as Emmi stopped playing. “Yes Peggy?”
“There is a gentleman here to see you. He says you are going to the theatre with him. Are you?”
There was a long pause and Robert felt his heart sink. She had been distracted when he had made the offer, had she forgotten it?
“I am going to the theatre yes,” replied Emmi eventually and Robert breathed a sigh of relief. “I am going with a friend of Cousin Mickey’s and Cousin Zane’s, as a thank you for his kindness, but that is not until five o’clock tonight.”
Robert heard the other girl, Peggy, sigh. “Emmi, it is five o’clock.”
“Oh. Are you sure? I thought it was only three.”
“No, it’s five.”
“Oh.”
“Why do you feel you have to go to the theatre with him? You don’t want to be beholden to him,” disapproval and something else dripped from her voice as she spoke.
“I will not be beholden to him; he is not like that. And,” she paused, “he is the one who found me and took me to Zane and Mickey. I want to thank him for that.”
Peggy snorted. “See, you are already beholden to him.”
“I am not. I am going because I want to, not because I feel I have to. Excuse me.”
Emmi entered the hall and stood there, her hands clasped tightly together. “Good evening Mr Penguino.”
Robert smiled. “Good evening Miss Legacy.”
“I am sorry, I was playing, and I lost track of the time. Is there time for me to change? Or should we reschedule?”
“The play does not start for nearly an hour. There is plenty of time.” Robert sought to reassure her.
Emmi gave a fleeting smile, and Robert felt his heart skip a beat. “That is a relief. I will not keep you waiting,” she promised before heading to the staircase.
As he turned back from watching her skip up the stairs, he came face to face with Peggy who was watching him closely. “What do you want from her Mr Penguino?”
Robert met her gaze. “Nothing,” he replied simply.
“I do not believe you. Every man that comes here to take her out wants something from her.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Peggy snorted. “Very well. Why then do you want to take the musical prodigy Emina Legacy to the theatre?”
Robert looked steadily at her. Something about the question bothered him, and it wasn't just him wondering how he was going to answer it. Did he say that he thought Emmi was utterly beautiful? That the way she played the piano reached out and touched his soul? That seeing her distressed on the street that day had broken his heart even though he didn’t know her, and since then he had wanted, desperately to make her happy? That he wanted to get to know the person behind the musical talent? Actually, yes, that was what was bothering him about Peggy's question. “I don’t want to take the musical prodigy Emina Legacy to the theatre,” he said, “I want to take Emmi Legacy.”
“There is no difference,” said Peggy dismissively.
“Yes there is,” replied Robert. “Emmi is more than just her talent, and I want to get to know that person, not the porcelain doll who sits at a piano.”
Peggy’s face suddenly split into a huge smile, and she looked far less threatening. “Good answer Mr Penguino. Maybe you are different to the others after all. Please excuse me, I really should go and assist Emmi with her dressing.”
Robert watched her go with the distinct impression that he had just passed an important test.
Prompt: Robert courting Emmi. (penguingirl03)
Rating: U.
Spoiler rating: 8/10.
Summary: Robert arrives to take Emmi to the theatre.
Notes: I've put quite a high spoiler rating on this, since a version of this scene will appear in a future chapter, and it also refers to some of the events in Emmi's tale, even if it is obliquely. Also, you'll notice that there's no mention of a chaperone in this part of the scene. Emmi wouldn't think of one, and Robert is from a place where they aren't common place. As for the other person in the scene, well she hasn't had chance to insist on tagging along yet.
Word Count: 986.
Robert grimaced as he adjusted his tie. He really hated wearing the thing, but when he had agreed to take part in the exchange programme, one of the areas both his simself and the simself in charge of Regalton had been most insistent on, was his mode of dress. Gone was his favourite striped shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and open at the neck, and in its place was a navy three piece suit, complete with the hated tie. At first he had told himself, it was just for three years, and then he could go home and wear whatever he wanted, but then he had met her and now he wasn’t sure he wanted to go back to Antarctica after all.
He was almost at the large white house on the edge of town, and he could hear the sound of music floating out of the open window to the drawing room. Unable to help himself, he stopped to listen. His parents had dragged him and his siblings along to countless concerts when they were growing up, but he had never heard anyone play the way Emina Legacy did. It was as if she were at one with the music; it flowed from her and she could make the same melody sound delightfully happy, or desperately sad, dependant on her mood. Today, the tune she was playing was upbeat and bouncy, and he took that to be a good sign that she was looking forward to their date.
Adjusting his tie again, he made his way to the front door, and pulled the doorbell. The door was answered by a willowy brunette who glared at him with frighteningly bright blue eyes, magnified by the thick glasses she wore. “Yes?” her tone was clipped as she spoke.
“Hi, I’m here to pick up Em… Miss Legacy.” Robert gave her what he hoped was a winning smile.
The girl’s gaze grew more ferocious. “Is she expecting you?”
Robert’s smile faltered. “Yes, we’re going to the theatre.”
“She made no mention of it to me. Wait here,” she stepped side only to let him in, before slamming the door and heading to the drawing room. He heard the other girl say “Emmi. Emmi. Emmi!” loudly and then the music grew softer as Emmi stopped playing. “Yes Peggy?”
“There is a gentleman here to see you. He says you are going to the theatre with him. Are you?”
There was a long pause and Robert felt his heart sink. She had been distracted when he had made the offer, had she forgotten it?
“I am going to the theatre yes,” replied Emmi eventually and Robert breathed a sigh of relief. “I am going with a friend of Cousin Mickey’s and Cousin Zane’s, as a thank you for his kindness, but that is not until five o’clock tonight.”
Robert heard the other girl, Peggy, sigh. “Emmi, it is five o’clock.”
“Oh. Are you sure? I thought it was only three.”
“No, it’s five.”
“Oh.”
“Why do you feel you have to go to the theatre with him? You don’t want to be beholden to him,” disapproval and something else dripped from her voice as she spoke.
“I will not be beholden to him; he is not like that. And,” she paused, “he is the one who found me and took me to Zane and Mickey. I want to thank him for that.”
Peggy snorted. “See, you are already beholden to him.”
“I am not. I am going because I want to, not because I feel I have to. Excuse me.”
Emmi entered the hall and stood there, her hands clasped tightly together. “Good evening Mr Penguino.”
Robert smiled. “Good evening Miss Legacy.”
“I am sorry, I was playing, and I lost track of the time. Is there time for me to change? Or should we reschedule?”
“The play does not start for nearly an hour. There is plenty of time.” Robert sought to reassure her.
Emmi gave a fleeting smile, and Robert felt his heart skip a beat. “That is a relief. I will not keep you waiting,” she promised before heading to the staircase.
As he turned back from watching her skip up the stairs, he came face to face with Peggy who was watching him closely. “What do you want from her Mr Penguino?”
Robert met her gaze. “Nothing,” he replied simply.
“I do not believe you. Every man that comes here to take her out wants something from her.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Peggy snorted. “Very well. Why then do you want to take the musical prodigy Emina Legacy to the theatre?”
Robert looked steadily at her. Something about the question bothered him, and it wasn't just him wondering how he was going to answer it. Did he say that he thought Emmi was utterly beautiful? That the way she played the piano reached out and touched his soul? That seeing her distressed on the street that day had broken his heart even though he didn’t know her, and since then he had wanted, desperately to make her happy? That he wanted to get to know the person behind the musical talent? Actually, yes, that was what was bothering him about Peggy's question. “I don’t want to take the musical prodigy Emina Legacy to the theatre,” he said, “I want to take Emmi Legacy.”
“There is no difference,” said Peggy dismissively.
“Yes there is,” replied Robert. “Emmi is more than just her talent, and I want to get to know that person, not the porcelain doll who sits at a piano.”
Peggy’s face suddenly split into a huge smile, and she looked far less threatening. “Good answer Mr Penguino. Maybe you are different to the others after all. Please excuse me, I really should go and assist Emmi with her dressing.”
Robert watched her go with the distinct impression that he had just passed an important test.