The Lovers, The Dreamers, and Me

[x-shinobi.livejournal.com]

Tugging at Alison's hand, Miles led her down the hallway to the music room, it being one of the first rooms Alison had shown him the day of their arrival (after the medlab, to see Lorna).

"Miles learn to play music?" he asked, a touch of awe in his eyes at the notion of being able to do anything like that, along with a heavy dose of doubt. "But... Miles not know anything about music..."

He gazed up at Alison with wide, worried eyes as she smiled down at him, chuckling lightly. "Sweetie, neither did I when I started out. I turned out ok, though," she winked at him, letting him go ahead to open the door as they reached the music room, where they were metting up with Shinobi.


Who was, as fate (and scheduling) would have it, already there. After spending most of the day at the piano, Shinobi had finally managed to get used to people occasionally coming and going, so as the door opens, his playing doesn't even faulter despite the curious look he aims in the door's direction. Alison, at least, can probably recognize what he's playing as One Angry Dwarf, assuming she listens to Ben Folds Five at all. Either he was lying when he said his playing was rusty, or (as was actually the case) he'd planted himself in front of the keys and refused to let himself leave until he was back up to his own standards.

He offers a boyishly cheerful grin towards Miles when his mind's identified him and he's pushed his well-hidden surprise at his appearance aside, pausing in his playing long enough to offer the Morlock and Alison a little wave, once they're both within view.


Miles shifts from foot to foot before slipping behind Alison as she walks closer, head leaning over to the side to shoot Shinobi curious looks every now and then, his green Tonberi firmly tucked under his arm, the little lantern waving almost cheerfully about.

"Mmmm, not too bad," Alison grins, listening to the playing as Miles shifts from side to side behind her, sneaking looks at the teenager at the piano. "Been how long since you regularly played?"


"Thank you," Shinobi replies sincerely, keeping his cheerful grin as he almost reluctantly lets his fingers fall still on the keys. "I haven't really played regularly in a couple of months, but I'd started lessons when I was eight or nine, and they were.." He trails off. How to phrase it accurately.. "..fairly rigorous."

"Your hands will be sore tomorrow," she states, because he has to have been playing for a bit to get back to this level, really. "And most of the good piano teachers tend to be that way," she offers, reaching down to tweak Miles' nose as he refuses to come out of hiding. Settling for standing by the piano, leaning against it as a green limpet attaches itself firmly to her leg, shooting the occasional suspicious look at Shinobi, Alison continues. "Course, you get the parents who expect too much too at times, and suck the joy right out of it." Blunt perhaps, but in her experience, oh so true.

Shinobi casts a brief look down towards his hands, almost as if he expects Alison's words to cause them to start aching right then, before her words earn a brief laugh from the young Mister Shaw. "Mine could suck the joy out of Christmas," he agrees, looking back up with a wry smile. "But somehow, I doubt that comes as too much of a surprise." Pausing for a moment, his gaze wanders back to Miles, and his expression softens considerably, though he doesn't speak again just yet.

"Dunno much about the Shaws," Alison shrugs, lips quirking every so slightly as Miles pauses in his waffling to stare intently at Shinobi - Miles has been much shyer around any of the men or boys in the house, she's noticed, as opposed to women. "But yeah, I know about parents that suck the joy outta stuff," she grins wryly, shaking her head at that. 'Give him a minute' she mouths at Shinobi, eyes sliding downwards briefly to look at Miles.

Nodding slightly to Alison, Shinobi returns the bulk of his attention to her, lifting one shoulder in a casual shrug. "Father isn't exactly the happy-go-lucky type, so home was never.. very much fun. Big part of why when Emma asked for a lift in Paris, I was eager to oblige." After a moment, something seems to occur to him, and he blinks, gesturing down at the bench. "Do you want to sit? I can stand for a while, I don't mind."

"I'm good," Alison chuckles, one hand swaying around to pat Miles' shoulder. "Been sitting a lot today - and I'm good at piano leaning, I'll have you know."Yeah, paternal units not being the happy go lucky types I know. Mine's a lawyer. Expected me to be one too." She paused. "Even have the law school acceptance to prove it." A wry grin.

"A *lawyer*?" Shinobi blinks owlishly up at Alison, his brow knitting together as his mind tries to translate 'pop star' to 'I object your honor'. "Nnnno, no, I can't quite see that.. though I do seem to recall a couple of pictures of you floating around in suits, so at least you would have looked good doing it if you had."

"I would have knocked that jury clean out of the water each time," she smirks, not even going into the grades she had to get to earn the acceptance, because of course no way was her father going to give her that freely. Like anything else. "Naw, I decided I wanted the music more. So left home, struck out on my own." Another pat on Miles' shoulder. "Sound familiar?"

"It does ring a few bells," he nods, smiling a touch oddly as he casts a look down to the keys. "Even if I had to be dragged away, somewhat literally.. doesn't mean I hadn't toyed with the idea more than once." Shinobi looks back up, with an almost guilty expression. "I don't really know what I want to do now that I'm out, though. I mean, I have some plans, but they all lead me back in the direction I came."

"Give yourself a bit of time to just relax and enjoy before making any plans at all, maybe?" She smiles crookedly, then grins as Miles finally takes a step forward, though only to lean on her legs as he does so - although at least now he's in full view.

"Miles, this is Shinobi," she said gently, waiting for Miles to slowly raise one hand in a silent greeting, before wrapping it firmly around the stuffed animal he was holding.


"Well, some are already made and out of my hands, but.. yeah. Yeah, relaxing might be good." Shinobi nods his head once, as if to cement this agreement in his head, before the little shift of green catches his attention and he glances back down. Smiling a little, he lifts a hand to mimic Miles' wave, bowing his head slightly. "Hi." He hesitates a moment, considering something for a moment before he hazards, "I like your toy."

Good. Alison relaxes a bit - that was what she was hoping to see, and even though he might not actually give himself much time, at least the thought is there, and he might relax now and then, now.

A judicious look greets Shinobi's statement about green animal as Miles' considers the acceptability of the compliment, before nodding slowly and lifting him up. "Marie-Ange gave Tonberi to Miles as present," he declares solemnly, observing Shinobi attentively for his reaction.


"Marie-Ange has very good taste," Shinobi replies gently, shifting on the bench slightly and letting his hands rest against his knees. He's never been particularly good with children.. not even when he *was* one. But he's trying. Struggling, but he's trying. "I'm jealous. I don't have anything nearly so nice of my own."


The comment about Marie-Ange draws a clearly approving reaction - but the last sentence earns Shinobi an almost stricken look, and Miles turns to look up at Alison with wide eyes. "It's ok baby," she murmurs reassuringly, kneeling down to gaze at him at the right level. "He just means that your Tonberi is really very special, sweetie. That's all."

"O-kay," is the hesitant response, before Miles turns to give Shinobi a tentative smile. "Miles hope Shinobi get something nice like that as present too?"


Shinobi manages to hide a slight grimace at the reaction. Oh, yes, doing a great job here, aren't you, son? Once those big blue eyes are aimed in his direction, though, he offers a slightly apologetic smile to the boy they belong to. "Thank you. I hope so, too."

There is a look of determination in Miles' eyes that seem to suggest that indeed, Shinobi will get something just as nice at Christmas, echoed by the amusement dancing in Alison's eyes as she winks at him from behind Miles.

Now is not the time to pay too much attention to the fact that a pop star just winked at you, Shinobi. Silently shaking himself, he smiles oddly, nodding to Miles and patting a free bit of bench. "You can come sit, if you want to," he offers, grinning a bit. "But it's okay if you want to stand, too."

There's a sidelong look at the piano keys, and Miles sidles a bit closer, one hand resting on the bench - but moving no closer, for now. "Miles hear Alison play guitar, but not piano, yes," the little boy opines, gaze moving from Shinobi to the piano, and back again. "Shinobi play more?"

"Sure, if you'd like me to," Shinobi replies after a moment, scootching to the side to make a little more room on the bench, just in case Miles decides he wants to sit down after all. He casts a brief look up towards Alison before looking to Miles again, smiling a bit. "D'you know who Kermit the Frog is, Miles?"

A wide eyed look greets that, and Miles shakes his head slowly, pausing only to set Tonberi down on the bench with an almost solemn look before breaking down. "Nooo... Miles not know," he says almost uncertainly, wondering if he should. Another quick look at Alison reveals that this is just a "neat new thing" and he ought to enjoy it, so Miles returns his full attention to the boy at the piano. "Shinobi explain?"

"Kermit's one of my absolute favorite people," Shinobi explains with a grin, lightly drumming his fingers against his knees. "And a very, very accomplished musician. He did a song for a movie a while back, and it was one of the first songs I learned how to play. I could play it, but.. I'm not much of a singer." He briefly glances up at Alison, smiling innocently. You, Miss Blaire, have been challenged.

Alison grins wickedly in return, waggling her eyebrows comically at Miles as he leans on the piano bench, staring in fascination as Shinobi starts the tune, and then in growing glee as Alison's voice joins the music swirling through the room.

Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection...