Music Break (Cade)

[Amber Ignis]

Now that Amber had moved off campus, she really had no business being in the student lounge. It was a place where mainly on-campus students hung out, but she had a break in her schedule, noticed that nobody occupied the lounge, and decided to spend her free time playing some music and watching some television.

If someone had been sitting in here, she may have second-guessed coming in. Regardless of how confident she played off, Amber actually preferred to be alone. She was the kind of girl who liked to make deep and lasting connections with someone. Chances were, she wouldn’t run into a person like that randomly sitting in the student lounge. Hammel was full of students, with barely any who peaked Amber’s interest on a profound level.

Honestly though, Amber was probably a little biased. Growing up, she really didn’t have to worry about making friends, because her best friend slept one room away from her her entire life. Jonas. Twin brother turned best friend turned radio silent. Amber’s inability to make good friends at Hammel probably stemmed from her inability to put her broken relationship with her brother behind her. Her therapist and her parents insisted that one day he would come around if she just left it be, but she was unconvinced. She texted him almost every day, but barely ever found a response. If she stopped obsessing over him, maybe she could move on and find someone new to spend time with.

Amber sat down on the comfy couch in front of the television and turned it on to flip through the channels. After a bit of surfing, she settled on an episode of Law and Order: SVU. Without fail, one channel was always bound to be playing an SVU marathon. Luckily, she caught the episode during the opening credits. She quickly took her guitar out of its case and began picking along with the iconic theme song. Once when she was drunk with her brother, she taught herself the song in an attempt to make him laugh. It worked. She wondered if it would work now.

In the middle of amusing herself by playing the theme song, she heard the door behind her open. Instinct caused her to turn around and see who had entered her previously empty space. She recognized the boy from a few classes, but she never spoke to him. Amber remembered that she thought he might be just as quiet as her. “Hey.” She greeted out of politeness. “Jade? Right?” She thought she got it right, but she wasn’t sure.

She figured if she was going to be in the company of someone, it was probably better it was another person airing on the side of introversion.

[Cade Maddox]

Get out there! Ethan Hunt, one of Cade's favorite action hero characters, had yelled this to him in a raised, but not mean voice. The characters, Cade felt, must've been having meetings in the back of his mind. Which meant that his mind was probably plotting against him. He didn't mind being alone, at least that's what he told himself everyday. Maybe part of him did mind, and the characters were trying to tell him? Now that he thought about it...what was him and what was his imagination? Did it matter?

Existential questions such as life, the universe, women, and whether he was insane because of his power, gave him headaches. (Though he loved living, space was cool, women were beautiful angels, and he loved his characters like family)

For one of the few times in awhile, Cade woke up, actually said hi to his roomates (the shock was noticeable), took his time to get ready, and went to classes on times and focused. Not a single character in sight. He actually rose his hand if he knew the answer (which was only a couple of times; but it saved him from being called on for even harder ones that no one knew). For once, the world was alive with sensation for him.

Then again maybe that was because he tried to talk to his characters the night before, and the Genie told him that that was the last time anyone would talk to him for a bit. Try as he could, he couldn't bring anyone out. His power had never malfunctioned like that before.

So for once, he got a normal night's sleep. And then, no distractions, no worries. Got the dreaded classes over with and that was that. Why couldn't he relax? Oh yeah, because was heading to the student lounge, a place he never went, because he was going insane from not talking to anybody.

As he opened the door, he was struck by the sound of a very familiar theme from years of watching TV, but played...not badly, but differently. The source was a girl he vaguely recognized, playing it on guitar. With a forced smile, he walked over and tried to take a seat in a nearby chair, but he knew that wasn't going to give him a good angle of her (the only person in here) or the TV (which would be his only way out if the conversation went south).

Instead, he just touched the chair for no real reason, and absent-mindedly corrected her, "It's uh...Cade." Not really feeling comfortable meeting her eyes, he looked to the TV, as he sat on the couch, not really next to her, more of tightly on the opposite end.

Searching for something to say as he finally looked at her before looking at the guitar, he asked, "So...you play guitar?" Socially amazing. Never before seen tact and confidence.

[Sorry for taking so long! Should be relatively quick to reply now!]

[Amber Ignis]

Amber waited for him to respond to her greeting. It took a moment. Amber thought that maybe he hadn't heard her. She had turned around to address him as soon as he opened the door, but it wasn't until he walked in, awkwardly stroked the chair near her, and walked around a little more before he finally answered her while finding a seat on the same couch as her.

Cade. Right. Amber felt sort of embarrassed for getting it wrong. She hoped he didn't think she was some sort of bitch or something. Amber knew that if someone called her by the wrong name, she would instantly freak out - but that was the pyro's little temper at work. Oh the joys of ability side effects!

The pair awkwardly sat next to each other in silence while the commercial break played. Amber was the first to break the silence. "I'm Amber, by the way." She doubted he even cared since she butchered his name so badly. She figured that was maybe why he wasn't trying to continue their conversation. But after a few more seconds of the awkward tension in the air, Cade spoke again.

His question made her laugh immediately. "Guitar? Is that what this thing is?" The question seemed obvious. You just heard me play, but...no...I don't play guitar.[i/] Even Amber's thoughts held a hint of sarcasm. She hoped Cade understood that she was just joking. He seemed a little...scattered. Maybe social interactions weren't his strong suit. "Sorry, just a bit of...sarcasm." Now Amber's awkwardness got the best of her. "Do you play?"

[that's okay! Take your time]

[Cade Maddox]

Was her name Ember or Amber? Not wanting to make the same mistake she did, he decided he'd let her offer her name if she wanted to offer it and not make an issue. All he could remember about her was she did fire stuff (and he only remembered it becase she had red hair and that wasn't very common). Of course he had to try to socialize with someone who could quite literally burn him. Good timing, Cade, good timing.

"Oh, Amber, yeah, I thought I remembered your name but I wasn't sure," Cade said before pausing and looking at the TV again. It helped to have that there, if worst came to worst after all. He had probably seen whatever the episode was already, but there was a chance he hadn't.

Cade immediately felt embarassed as she laughed at his question. He bit his lip, and he knew his cheeks got ever so slightly redder, "Yeah, I just...I thought I heard you playing, but...and then people have powers and stuff..." Cade was at a loss. This wasn't his element. This was a room (that ever-increasingly felt smaller) and he was constricted, and right now he'd rather be dancing on the stage and not here an-

He immediately snapped back to her attention when she apologized for the sarcasm and asked if he played, "Guitar, no." With great interest and the most enthusiasm he had had since he had come in, he replied, "I wish I did though. Just never had one. I can play the piano though!"

It was something to talk about, and let the Lord damn his soul before he'd give up a chance at maybe meeting another musical person outside of the actual musical and drama clubs. He refused to get involved with those. It wasn't because he was afraid he was truly bad and wanted to go on thinking he was good...it was just...he...he...

[Amber Ignis]

Amber felt a little bit uneasy talking to Cade. She was good at hiding it, but deep down she felt she was making him feel uncomfortable. She noticed it first when he entered the room and sauntered a bit before sitting. She noticed it again when she tried out her sarcasm. Amber knew all too well that some people either hated or didn't understand sarcasm. Cade seemed to be the latter while stumbling through an explanation of why he would ask if she played.

Luckily Amber was good at reading the social cues and she explained herself before moving on with the conversation. The unease settled when Cade started talking about his music. A piano player. Amber felt a jolt of envy surge through her body. She would give anything to play piano. It seemed so much more soothing than guitar.

The difference in Cade was slightly remarkable. The awkward boy didn't disappear, but Amber really noticed a change. She understood it all too well- the power of music was immeasurable. She could talk about it for days. "Piano! You're so lucky. I'd give up guitar for piano any day." She strummed a little more, but she wasn't paying much attention anymore. "Do you sing, too?"

Amber would almost always rather be alone than around people, but at the same time once she got talking with someone interesting, she loved the company. Cade was most certainly interesting. He was cute, sweet, super awkward, but they also seemed to have a lot in common.

[Cade Maddox]

Cade wasn't relaxing a ton, but the room wasn't crashing in anymore, and he didn't need to look at the TV to escape. Now it was him, a couch, and a girl with a guitar. He could either face that he was here, and talk to her, or he needed to go. Mentally taking a deep breath (a much smaller one was taken in real life), he decided to stay. "Believe me, a guitar gets you in far more places than a piano. More movable at least..." Cade would love the portability a guitar would bring. He wouldn't have to leave his room to play music. Then it would just be dancing and food he'd have to leave for. Oh and classes...but who cared about those...really?

"Yes...I sing..." He spoke slowly, almost afraid she'd ask him to sing. He didn't intentionally sing for others...ever...he had barely been able to tolerate his fear of playing piano in front of the occasional person who would come by while he played. When he was younger he'd just stare awkwardly until they were gone. Unsure of what else to say, he awkwardly shifted in place. He thought they were getting somewhere, but he wasn't really sure.

In the discomfort of the moment, he decided to remove his jacket and hang it on the arm of his side of the couch, hoping it would relax him slightly. This left him in a white t-shirt (with almost non-existant sleeves) and black cargo pants. If Cade were thinking on a high-enough level, he'd likely realize how much of his personality that exemplified. Black and white. What you see is what you get. Or rather...that's what he thought others saw him as. Crossing his arm, flexing slightly, he asked, "Do...uh...do you sing?"

[Sorry for the delay again! I'm horrible, >.<]