Players:
Summary: Kenta presents Lucas with an offer to think about.
Date: June 19, 2020
Couldn't Sleep
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Music Room
The music room has four levels of tiers that each sit one row in a semi circle. On the floor in the semi circle is grand piano. There is a large closet on either side of the room, one filled with string instruments and the other filled with various wind and brass instruments. There are a few guitars in the back of the room next to a large variety of percussion instruments. All the instruments here are for the students to use provided they take care of them and clean any necessary parts after they use it. The room is sound proof, so once the door is closed, the music being played will not interrupt the other classrooms.
It's late at night in the music room and what Kenta is doing up this late, it's not certain. The door is closed and he's just playing up a storm in the music room. Nothing soft just a lot of hard fast rifts, fingers moving quickly down the fret board and Kenta moving around the room fairly animated. The room smells a bit like cigarette smoke but more like Febreeze as it's not hard to guess that he's been hiding his smoking habit as he plays. Anyone watching Kenta play right know would be able to tell there's a lot of talent, and emotion, he's putting into his music at this moment.
Lucas slowly opens the door. He's wearing a pair of flannel sleepy pants, his white gloves, and is shirtless. He looks tired, and his hair is kind of a mess like he was sleeping, or at least trying. He furrows his brow a little, and sighs, taking a seat near the back of the room to just listen.
This isn't really the kind of music for people just walking up, or maybe it is with the loud style being like coffee for the ear drums. He doesn't notice Lucas at first and after several minutes of having his foot on a chair and just looking down at the guitar he plays, he eventually moves his position and spots the blond Southerner. He abruptly stops and grins. "Lucas, what are you doing up this late?"
Lucas shrugs, "Ah couldn't sleep." He purses his lips a moment, thinking, and then relaxes, not saying whatever he was thinking. "My heads sorta racin'." He sighs, and slumps in the chair just a little. "What was you playin'?"
Kenta turns off the amp and puts his electric guitar down and goes to sit next to Lucas. "I couldn't sleep either. And I don't have a clue what I was playing. I was just letting the music guide me, ever do that? Just let yourself play without thinking?" Kenta asks as he takes out a cigarette and lights it before offering Lucas on. "So what's on your noggin Lucas?"
Lucas shrugs, "Not really," he answers about playing that way. "To be honest, my guitar playin's not THAT good yet." He eyes the smoke a moment, then smiles and takes it. He sighs again, "Ah dunnow. Thinkin' about my maw. Thinkin' about the future. Worryin' about where to go next. Tryin' to figure out what the Hellfire Club is." He shrugs, "Ah reckon there's prolly more, but that's what Ah got for now."
"Just try it sometime, when you're alone, see what happens." Kenta says leaning back. He nods as he listens. "Hellfire Club?" He asks before he nods. "Well the future, where to go next…I had an offer for ya. I know you graduated but I don't really see you as ready to leave here yet. Not against you or saying that you need more time here just, that you don't really wanna so I had a job offer for you. How would you like to be a teachers aide of sorts?"
Lucas nods, "Yeah, Ah never heard of 'em neither." He tilts his head a little, "Me? A teacher's aid?" He shakes his head, "Ah dunnow… Ah ain't exactly no model student or nothin'…"
"Well, you'd be a teachers aid to me Lucas. Help me with running the music classes." Kenta explains as he smokes a bit more. "You'd be able to stay here, probably get your own room, keep up your training, maybe get better use of your hands and keep up with your music lessons. Just gotta help me with teaching is all. Or…if you like, I can help you get into a music school. I'd give you a badass recommendation."
Lucas sighs, and nods a little. He scrunches his brow, takes a slow drag off the cigarette, and then asks, "Can Ah think about it?"
"Of course Lucas, just throwing out some ideas." Kenta says with a smile. "Really don't rush your future." He says patting him on the shoulder. "So what about your Mom?" He asks curiously since Lucas says that was on his mind.
Lucas shakes his head a little, "Nothin' really. Just… She…" He furrows his brow, and leans forward, his elbows on his knees. "It's stupid. Ah don't know why it even matters. Just, she wanted to see me. On graduation day, in the gown with the diploma." He shakes his head a little, "She doesn't know Ah'm here."
Kenta nods as he listens, his black eyes just watching the blond. "Nothing stupid about that Lucas. Nothing at all." He says softly and with a lot of care in his voice. Kenta has really grown to like Lucas. "There's nothing stupid about family, ever. How about this, we go get you in a robe and hat and we take pictures, all the pictures you want, and we can send them to your Mom. I think she'd be happy to have that."
Lucas shakes his head, "It's okay. Ah couldn't afford it on the allowance. Besides, it still wouldn't help with the diploma." He scowls a little, "Ah just wish it was all better, ya know? Or over. Or something, Ah just… Ah'm just tired." He looks away a moment, and then stands, finishing the cigarette. "Ah should get back to the dorm." He scratches the back of his head, putting the cigarette out and looking around for some place to dispose of it.
"I'll take care of that." Kenta says with a grin as he looks at Lucas. "You'll get a diploma from here, but don't worry, we'll get it done. It's for your Mom, it's worth it. Just know that you do have people here who are willing to help you if you need it." He does feel bad for Lucas, it can't be easy going what he's going through. The shorter man puts an arm around Lucas and pulls him close. "Things are tough Lucas, I'm sorry. You're a good kid no matter how much you try to be a trouble maker." He says before letting him go. "Go back to bed and think about my offer. I'd love to have you working along side me."
Lucas is a little stiff as he's hugged, it's not something he's had in some time, so he's a little uncomfortable but not unwelcoming. He just nods, and then slips out the door.