Private Dinner (vladspellbinder, Private)

[Armony]

The mare nodded in acknowledgement of his short story, which didn't really explain to her why she detected some unease in his smile. Whitetail Wood, from her own experience, was a fairly harmless place, nothing at all like the Everfree Forest on the other side of Ponyville. She shrugged off the question though, feeling as though she already had enough to ask him about once they were settled in for some music. For now, though, the musician pressed on, into the woods, the branches and leaves making up a sort of roof that blocked out the quickly fading sunset from view, plunging them mostly into darkness. It was at this point that Storm stopped for just a moment to create a light fixed on her horn, allowing them to see. [colour=#009acd]"It's not too far from here, but we'll need to stick close together. I'd really hate to be the mare who has to explain how she lost her coltfriend in the woods."[/colour]

[vladspellbinder]

He gives a light chuckle and a wide smile.

[colour=#b22222]"No, no, that would be bad. Almost as bad as being the stallion that got lost from his marefriend."[/colour] He shifts a bit closer, still enough to be poliet about it but within that circle of 'personal space' you didn;t let stranger in. He watching his hoofing more so than the woods around them or her, especially while going down an inclin, no matter how shallow it was.

[Armony]

Stormsong lead the way through the woods for about ten more minutes, occasionally pointing out a stump, fallen branch, or other oddity that Sam would need to avoid if they hoped to make it unharmed by the elements. Being accustomed to taking this path already, she knew where most of the more permanent natural waste was, and often pointed those out before they even came within the radius of her light spell. Once they reached the end of the "path". as it were, instead of the trees gradually thinning into nothing, there simply stopped being trees, and the near-perfect circle that made up the clearing the musician called her theatre came into view.

[colour=#009acd]"Beautiful, isn't it?"[/colour] The mare smiled over at her date, wondering just what he would think of the place. She made her way into the center of the clearing and began unpacking her saddlebags. She spread out a picnic cover, which she laid out water and snacks on for the both of them, and then carefully removed each instrument she had brought with her and placed them in a line in the grass. Whilst her date was getting situated, she gave a quick inspection to each instrument, playing through several scales to make sure their sound would be spot on for the performance. And even though she couldn't see it through the branches and trees above, she was almost certain that a mass of storm clouds was moving in, just on schedule for a little nighttime rain and thunder.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam looks around the clearing, giving a low whistle as he did so.

[colour=#b22222]"This is very nice Stormsong, I'm surpuried more ponies don't come out here. Sure it's a little out of the way but that doesn't stop many... ."[/colour] He settles down onto the cover, watching her and seeing just what instruments she brought along for this.

[Armony]

Hoping that she'd thought of everything, the blue mare continued to unpack, sorting her instruments into families. Since saddlebags were rather difficult to pack with, she'd only brought along some of her smallest instruments, and had forced herself to bring as few as possible. An ocarina, a trumpet, and a flute comprised the wind instruments she'd packed. Not just any old flute, but her very first instrument, and the one she'd been playing when she earned her cutie mark. It was special, and any performance she gave, no matter how small, had to use it just once. For strings, she'd simply brought along a violin; most stringed instruments were far too large to be brought along on a trip down here anyways.

Percussion was another thing entirely. Sure, she had small drums and such she could bring along, but she'd planned something a little different, something special, for tonight. The cymbals she pulled out of her bag certainly counted as percussion, but she was also going to have some help, of the winged variety. [colour=#009acd]"I think some ponies are just afraid of straying from the marked paths through the wood. I don't think most of them realize that this place isn't nearly as dangerous as Everfree."[/colour]

[vladspellbinder]

[colour=#B22222]"Even the paths can be dangrious if you're not careful."[/colour] [colour=#000000]He mumbles a little, thinking back to the last time he had been in the woods but gives a light shake of his head, looking over what she brought. [/colour][colour=#B22222]"So, what kind of performance did you have planned for tonight?"[/colour]

[Armony]

[colour=#009acd]"Well, I sort of planned to do a little bit of a mixed performance, maybe even a little show-offy"[/colour] Stormsong admitted, not having heard his mumbled comment during her inspection of each of her instruments. [colour=#009acd]"I figured I would start out with something slow to warm myself up a bit, do a few songs with multiple instruments, move into some more technically difficult pieces, and finish up with... something special."[/colour] She had almost spoiled the surprise, catching herself at just the last minute before letting slip that she had, in fact, written a song she had never performed, just for tonight. The sheets for the piece were still in the bottom of her saddlebags, since she was certain Sam wouldn't be digging through those during the performance. If he did happen to read it, well... the lyrics would speak volumes about this part of the date that had yet to be expressed; volumes that she wanted to express in her own, creative way.

[vladspellbinder]

He nods but then gives a light tilt of his head at the last part and raises his left eye brow a little.[colour=#b22222] "Something...special? I take it it's also something secret from how you're avoiding saying anything specific about it." [/colour][colour=#000000]He gives a light smile, curling his fore legs under his barrel and shifting some so as to be more comfortable for the show.[/colour]

[Armony]

Stormsong returned her date's smile somewhat timidly, simply nodding in response rather than answering his question vocally. With what she felt to be an embarassment to herself now totally complete, the musician picked up her flute and began her performance just as the rain began to fall. The canopy of tree leaves kept the two dry, and with the rain bearing down on it, added an atmospheric element to the song that the blue mare couldn't have attained with any instrument. As she played through the slow melodies of her introduction piece, she made a mental note to thank her pegasus friend up in the clouds above for a job well done.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam just sits, listens and watches, ears flicking every so often and after a bit he'd close his eyes and just listen to the music and the sounds of rain. Stormsong, true to her name, was able to mix the flute in time with the percussion *thought: Hah! Brilliant!* of the water on the leaves. He was very eager to see, err, hear what else she had planned for the night if this was only just the start of the evening.

[Armony]

The mare finished her first piece after a few minutes and took a small pause, getting her mental composure better prepared for what was to come. Using a quick bit of magic, she arranged her instruments in a tight circle around where she stood, to make it a bit easier than drawing each from a line during a performance. Stormsong then took a deep breath, savoring the scent of rain and forest coming together, before continuing on with the next piece.

Igniting her horn once again, the musician transferred her flute into her telekinesis and continued playing from where the first piece had left off, using magically compressed air to control the notes being played. Then, very slowly and carefully, she picked up her violin in her front hooves, standing upright on her hind legs, and added its distinct sound into the piece. At this point, she closed her eyes, realizing that concentration was going to be the most important part of not making any mistakes, only hoping that Sam realized a distraction could bring a premature end to the whole concert.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam opened his eyes again at the pause, watching her switch instruments and gives a small little gasp at the magical flute bit. That took real talent and then above that she started playing the violin as well. On her back hooves! That sort of balance was normally reserved for a larger instrument to lean against. He just watches in awe for a moment before closing his eyes once more, titling his ears and shifting gently to hear better.

This wasn't a visual show, she wanted him to hear her music so he would do his best to listen and stay quite so as not to interrupt.

The night air was crisp and the light rain clean and fresh. Taking a slow breath in and relaxing to be able to focus more on the music. This was certainly more than he had expected when she asked him out for dinner!

[Armony]

Confidence growing with each successive note that played out through the woods, Stormsong began to pick up the tempo with her next piece, a more fierce instrumental intended to get the hearts of her listeners racing. She never really knew if anypony became immersed in her music to that point, but her pulse was certainly picking up, and that was what mattered right now. The woods, the rain, even Sam; everything faded to the back of her mind as she became one with the music, the notes seeming to flow from her just as much as her movements seemed to flow from the music. In this state, even if some foreign sound interrupted, the musician was focussed so narrowly that she likely wouldn't even take notice.

[vladspellbinder]

Though not really that into music, at least any more so than most ponies (the Music of Harmony a core part of every pony's life after all) he could fell that Stormsong was putting her heart and soul into this performance, giving it her all. It was quite the experience, nothing like he'd ever heard before and with the upswing in tempo and passion couldn't help but smile. It was making him wish he had paid more attention to his lessons, so that he could join her in something she so obviously loved.

Taking in the cool night air he felt his nose itching. Oh. No, not, not now! Raising a hoof up to his nose he holds back the sneeze, letting out his breath. And promptly sneezing anyways. Guess it's a good thing Stormsong moved past the point where she would have lost her stream had she been interrupted... .

[Armony]

Continuing on unperturbed, the only indication the musician gave of noticing that anything had happened was a twitch of her ears, more an unconscious reaction than anything else. On a conscious level, she was completely unaware that Sam had sneezed, her mind being entirely focussed on the creation of beautiful music. As she polished off her most recent choice, she paused once again, letting out a sigh of relief that she had gone this far without messing up. Perhaps something would go perfectly tonight after all, she could bring herself to hope before striking up a new piece. In keeping with her personal demands to impress with every new experience tonight, she tensed up her diaphragm, and brought her singing voice into the mix of instruments.

[colour=#009acd]"Once upon a time, in a far away land,

There lived a mare upon a sandy strand,

Whose heart was pure as the ocean blue,

She was the kindest pony you ever knew.

Loved by all she was, and never a day,

Would pass where the sentiment would sway,

But one, above all, held her in high regard,

Each time he beheld her, his eyes were starred.

To afraid was he, to say how he felt,

On his own, with his heartache he dealt,

Always he tried, to have her eye caught,

But it felt like for nothing, all was fought.

Then one day, as if by the hoof of fate,

On one of his nightly walks did he stop his gait,

To see upon the shore, the mare's home ablaze

Set off did he at a gallop, unable to believe his gaze.

Knowing not fear, he pressed into the flame,

Not even able to call out her name!

He stumbled upon her, helpless and weak,

To safety he carried her, fast as a lightning streak.

From that night on, the two of them were together,

Enjoying their days, no matter the weather,

Joined they would be, in harmony forever,

A lovely couple they made, two birds of a feather!"[/colour]

[vladspellbinder]

Sam sat and listened to her song. Not being a poet (again, barring musical numbers brought on my the Music of Harmony) he would have never come up with something like this. It was a little obvious it was still a work in progress, their cadence and rhyme needed a bit more smiting, but it was something much much better than what he could have done and was quite the joy to listen too, making his eyes a little misty. Oh maybe that was just the sneeze. He was rather sure it was the song.

Wipeing his eyes and sits up, waiting to see if there was more. He had the feeling that she had more planned for some reason.

[Armony]

Upon finishing her song, Stormsong carefully returned her violin to the ground, and then to a stance on all four hooves, taking just a moment to savor the release of extra tension in her hind legs. With everything going so well, she couldn't help but to let a smile cross her face, her happiness at such a smooth performance nearly being palpable in the clearing. Taking a quick look around, she could see that Sam's face had gotten a little wet during the performance... somehow. She knew the rain never reached this far into the clearing without heavy winds, and the air was almost perfectly still. Had he simply taken a drink and spilled on himself, or was he crying at her performance? And if he was crying... was it because of that last song, or was he regretting wasting his time with her silly musical performance? Regardless, she was determined to finish out her planned setlist, now that she was more than halfway through it.

Adjusting for the next piece, Stormsong picked up the trumpet, and levitated her cymbals into the air as well, the metal looking as if it were quivering in anticipation under the influence of her magic. Leading into the song with her trumpet, she began slowly, setting a darker, more sorrowful tone than her previous pieces. Over the course of the lengthy score, the mare changed the tone several times, going from sad, to angry, to a rather long, faster-paced segment, and finally ended on a bright and proud tune. Though without words, it was another piece intended to express a story - the story of an oppressed race, rising up and gaining their freedom.

[vladspellbinder]

The extra symbolism was lost on Sam, but he could still enjoy the music. Her bridges could use a little work, but, again, this was still a work in progress and probably her first time playing it for another pony. And he wasn't really the one to give proper musical criticism. He couldn't carry a tune in a magically enchanted bucket. But if she asked he'd give her his honest opinion on everything she's played so far tonight.

But for now he stays silent, watching and listening, not wanting to interrupt her performance. He's just glad the sneeze didn't do so.

[Armony]

Finishing the last note of her epic, Stormsong heaved a sigh out, knowing that she'd managed to play a few wrong notes during one of the bridges. She was able to recover without letting it be too obvious that the song was supposed to have gone slightly differently, but it made the whole section sound sloppy compared to what was on her sheet music back at home for it. The musician allowed all of her instruments to float gently back to the ground, the light from her horn fading out as she pressed her hooves into the ground, trying to stop Same from seeing that she had started shaking from frustration and nerves. She sighed again, shaking her silvery mane a bit and picking the flute back up, getting ready to get back into the performance. For this one, instead of combining simpler melodies from multiple instruments, Storm concentrated completely on the one in her hooves, playing a very fast, technically complex piece.

[vladspellbinder]

Gave a short amount of applause, at first stamping his hooves on the ground but it was too soft to really make noise so he claps his fore-hooves together instead. Then she shifts to go back into her performance so he quiets down again, letting her continue with as few distractions as possible.

He tried to keep up with the music but it was a bit too fast for his ears really. Still, very emotional and good.

[Armony]

Almost over, the musician thought to herself through the final notes, trying desperately to soothe her overactive nerves before the final song. Getting through that monster of a piece before it had helped bring her confidence back up, but she still felt like she was on thin ice in the middle of this storm. Moving gingerly, Stormsong set her flute on the ground, and at the same time, picked up her ocarina with a levitation spell. After taking a deep breath, she began playing yet another slow tune, a simple melody written only to compliment the emotion of the lyrics.

[colour=#009acd]"I never thought ooooooon that day we met,

That off my hooooooooves, I would be swept,

Yet here I aaaaaaaam, starting to fret,

All these nights Iiiiii've just barely slept,

Can it be thaaaaat this is the one,

Toward which my liiiiife's been leading me?

Can I stay strooooong, or will i run?

How can I eeeeeeever make him see?"[/colour]

After the first verse, she altered the melody, slightly picking up the tempo.

[colour=#009acd]"My spirit tells me to be brave,

My nature tells me to run away.

Under this pressure, I might cave,

Without him my life may feel astray!

Clarity of thought might betray,

These feelings, oh how can I express?

A song, my art, here now I pray

That my talent may relieve this stress!

Never have I felt this way before,

All alone, that's what I used to want,

But this emotion, down to my core,

My whole mind it certainly does daunt!

For better or for worse, I must know,

Is this real, or just my head above?

Will this night end in sweet bliss, or woe?

Will he share with me thing called... loooooove?"[/colour]

After finishing the last notes, Stormsong dropped the ocarina and flopped down on the grass, completely exhausted from such a long performance, and with several tears rolling steadily from her eyes and into the dirt below. She had put everything into that song this last week, trying to make it perfect. And now... everything was up to fate, she felt.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam listens, not really caring for the carried lines in the first bit, but he was paying more attention to what was being sung instead of how after the first few lines. Each line was making him a little more and more nervous. He wasn't a dumb pony, but he'd be the first to admit that he could be a little dense at times, especially when it came to more emotional things. But even he could pick up on the meaning behind the lyrics and each verse just led him further down that line of thinking until the very finaly one.

[colour=#a52a2a]"Umm, w-well th-that was ver-very nice Stormsong. I, I don't know wh-what to say, really, lovely and, and heartfelt. I, I think it could become really popular you know?"[/colour] Maybe he could play it off like he didn't fully unstand that she was singing it to him and not just for him. But he was a horrible liar, and his constant stuttering and nibbling on his lower lip would probably give it away.

[Armony]

Lying on the grass with her eyes shut, Stormsong could almost believe that she was out her in the clearing all alone, with the rain still pattering gently on the leafy canopy above. Everything about the environment, now that there was no music to distract her from it, was so soothing that she just couldn't cry for long, and instead she looked up to see what her date's reaction was. The musician could tell instantly from the stuttering in his speech that he'd at least gotten the intent of that last song, but for some reason he didn't want to let that on.

The mare opened her mouth to pointedly tell him that that last song had been her surprise, and she'd made it just for him, but she stopped. He already understood that, and it really wasn't going to solve the underlying issue of why he didn't seem to want to acknowledge her music. Did it turn out to be a really bad song? Had she messed up while she was performing it? Storm could usually hear when she messed up one of her own compositions, but this was a brand new song that she'd never done before. Or maybe... was it because he didn't want to put her through the disappointment of being rejected, after putting so much of herself into that piece?

She had to know now. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him and sighed, [colour=#009acd]"Thank you. I, uh... well, that was my surprise for you... I... I wrote it... just for you..."[/colour] As she continued, fresh tears began rolling down her cheecks, afraid of what he would have to say in response to her, [colour=#009acd]"I... I... I hoped... I'm sorry..."[/colour] She just couldn't bring herself to finish her thoughts, and substituted burying her face between her front legs for actually trying to speak what was on her mind.

[vladspellbinder]

Sam flinches a little, his ears flicking back. Yep, that was as he thought. Curse it all the Tartarus. And now she was hiding away behind her legs. At least she didn't go running off crying into the forest. Now how best to go about this... .

He stands, moving closer and sitting down again in front of her, reaching out to gently push against her forelegs.

[colour=#b22222]"H-hey, just, just give me a moment to talk OK? Please?"[/colour] He'd wait for her to peak back out again to make sure he had her attention.[colour=#b22222] "I really did like the song but I won't lie, it could use some work. It's obvious this is your first time playing it but it's still very good! It just needs a bit more polish is all. And I'm really, really honored you wrote it just for me! I mean, it's not everyday you get a song wrote for you right? The thing is Stormsong I... I don't know if I love you or not. Wait, let me finish. You're an awesome mare. You're funny, cute, intelligent, a great cook, beautiful, a talented musician and graceful, at least when your not running to buildings." [/colour][colour=#000000]He gives a weak grin, trying to lighten the mood some.[/colour][colour=#b22222] "But we've just meet each other. I do feel something for you, and I am certainly attracted to you, anypony would be, but to say that I love you would be a lie, and you deserve better than that. Bu-but I really want to be able to tell you that, to give us a try."[/colour] He lets out a sigh, glad he was able to get though all that without too much stuttering or rambling.

[Armony]

Stormsong felt a gentle pressure against her forelegs and raised her head enough to peer over her hooves at Sam, trying her best to keep from crying even more, listening carefully to what he had to say. As she suspected, the song didn't go over as smoothly as she'd hoped to begin with. She knew it would be a little rough for her standards with such a short time to write it, but for it to be picked up by somepony who claimed not to know music too well, she would certainly have to rewrite the song some other time. The musician started to think over the notes, but forced herself to stay with reality to hear the rest of what she was sure was about to be criticism.

Of course, the mare couldn't help but smile a bit at the compliments he gave to her next, even blushing when told she was cute and graceful. Storm chuckled and wiped her eyes on her forehooves at the mention of running into buildings from their first date, feeling that she might still have a chance now. After he finished, she held back the urge to do anything other than simply responding with "I'd really like to give us a try too... and I get what you're saying, about us not knowing each other for too long... I guess I may have gotten a little carried away... I'm sorry, for putting something like this on you so soon, I... I should have known better..."