Robert Frobisher (sincerely_rf) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-08-24 21:25:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, pansy malfoy, robert frobisher |
Who: Robert and Pansy
When: Circa August 15
Where: Baxter Bakery
What: Random Encounter
Rating/Warning: Low/None
Status: Complete.
Pansy headed to the bakery, wondering if her brother was performing tonight. She knew that the redheaded shop owner had different musicians and whatnot come in sometimes to perform, so she thought she’d check it out. She didn’t know Draco’s schedule. After being in Zuko’s body for a week, she was content to let Draco and Zuko have a little time to themselves before seeking them out again, anyway.
She headed into the cafe, bought a sparkling coffee drink, (Sparkling? wtf?) and wandered toward where the piano was to see who was playing.
Playing at the bakery was a nice way to clear Robert’s head. His dreams were taking their toll on him, and he was obsessing over finishing his masterpiece just as his dream self was. Over the last couple of weeks following being kicked out of his house, he’d thrown himself almost dangerously into his music. But it was nice to forget all of that for a bit if he could.
He just finished up a little set and nodded to the polite spattering of applause, then reached over to grab a sip of a sugary drink sitting nearby.
Pansy was one of those applauding. She stepped forward. “That was brilliant.” She said, leaning against the table near the piano. She didn’t want to get too close to it with her sparkling drink, just in case. “You’re amazing.”
...of course, she wasn’t hitting on him. She was simply appreciating the music.
“I know,” Robert said, smiling in a bright way that made it hard to tell if he was joking or being serious. He put down his own mug and shrugged a bit. “It’s really the only thing I’m good at, but I happen to very good at it, so I suppose that’s all right. But thank you.”
“Hey, at least you’ve got the one thing,” Pansy said, and it was obvious that she was being friendly and playful. “I don’t even have that. How long have you been playing?”
“Oh, gosh, years,” he told her, almost with a slight air of indifference. “My parents started me on it in hopes to teach me some discipline. Turns out I took to it more than they’d hoped. C’est la vie.”
“More than they’d hoped?” Pansy urged him on, settling into a seat next to the piano so she could talk to him. She was a nosey sort, maybe, but never in a malicious way. This was making friends, not digging for dirt.
Robert didn’t mind. He loved talking about himself. It was a guilty pastime. “Yes, I think they were hoping I’d end up being a lawyer or a banker or something hideously dull. But I’d much rather compose music for the rest of my life. I’d be perfectly happy that way.”
“Do you do a lot of composing? I mean, professionally?” Draco did a lot of songwriting, but he wasn’t making that much money on it yet. Not that that really mattered to Pansy and Draco, they had trust funds that would take care of them until the day they died.
“Not really.” The way Robert said it, it was as if it was the most terrible thing to ever happen. “I’ve got a lot of pieces I’ve written, and one masterpiece I’m working on, but so far no one’s paid me for any of them. It’s awful, really.”
“That’s absolutely horrible.” Pansy said, agreeing with him. It was hard to tell if she was seriously agreeing with him, or mocking. Though, she wasn’t being malicious. “Go on, then. Play something you’ve written?”
“Well, if you insist,” he said, all too pleased for the chance to show off. He looked momentarily thoughtful, then took another sip of his latte before setting his fingers to the keys.
Pansy sat and listened in silence, thinking how beautiful the music was. She shook her head a little toward the end. “That’s just amazing. You make amazing music. My brother does, too, and I just... I’m in awe.”
For the first time in the conversation, Robert looked genuinely flattered. He knew he was very talented, it was true, but his music as of late seemed more personal than usual, and the good criticism was appreciated.
“Thank you. Truthfully, a lot of it is inspired by those crazy dreams. But I’m very glad you enjoy it. That piece is called All Boundaries Are Conventions.” Then he paused. “Your brother makes music?”
“Boundaries are Conventions.” She repeated after him, giving a nod and a smile. “I like it. It really fits.” She said, then shifted in her chair. “Yeah! My brother Draco? Draco Malfoy. He’s a musician. He plays here sometimes, that’s why I came in to check it out.”
“Oh!” Robert grinned, looking instantly excited. “You’re Draco’s sister! I’ve heard an awful lot about you, it’s about time we’ve met, I think. I think he’s wonderful. He and I are thinking of writing something together some time.”
Pansy was a little surprised when Robert looked excited, then blushed and grinned when he realized who she was. “Yeah? Really? That’s great!” She said, beaming now. “I’m Pansy. Pansy Malfoy. It’s great to meet you… Any friend of my brother’s is a friend of mine.”
“How wonderful. I do love making new friends. You’re never around when I pop by, I was sort of starting to wonder if he’d made you up,” Robert teased.
Pansy laughed. “Well, I don’t live there anymore. I’m with my boyfriend now, but it’s not far from there. Besides, I can do this fancy trick where I just sort of… disappear and reappear at will.” She gave him a wink. “Draco doesn’t seem the Norman Bates type, does he?”
“Draco wishes he could be the Norman Bates type,” Robert said primly. “And by that, I mean just Anthony Perkins, who is, without a doubt, the true love of my life.”
Pansy gave a laugh. “You are certainly both one of a kind.” She said, nodding and nearly clapping her hands. “And I’m sure you’d have a long and happy life together.”
“Likely.” He looked pleased. “Anyway, it’s been truly lovely meeting you, but I’ve got a lesson to give I can’t be late for. I play here all the time, though, so maybe we can talk again. Or go for coffee for real or something. I’m on the Net, so you can just get a hold of me quite easily.”
“Oh, yeah, totally. Don’t let me keep you.” Pansy gave him a bright smile. “I’ll come back and visit again, or find you there. We can go invade my brother’s place and play Nintendo games and drink cheap wine.” Sounded like the perfect night to Pansy. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Now that sounds like something I can get behind.” He laughed as he packed up his bag, then gave Pansy a slight bow. “Until next time, then.” And with a wave, he headed out.