ic Clef Notes (IC)

[Thevshi]

Claremont Academy

Freedom City, New Jersey

Wednesday March 27, 2024. 7:08 AM

 

The buzz about Bernadette O'Connell's band, Multiplicity, had been growing over the course of the school year at Claremont. Back in the Fall, it had mainly been students that had listened to her band’s recordings online, or rumors about the redheaded Senior going out at least one night a week to perform at various venues around the city. Then the band had performed at the Freedom League's holiday party, and things only increased from there when Bernadette's roommate, Neko, began helping the band with marketing and their internet presence.

 

Almost two weeks ago the band had performed at Freedom City's underage night club, the Midnight Hour, which had allowed many Claremont students to attend (with Bernadette providing free tickets to those interested). But the big topic making its way through the school right now was how late last week and over the weekend, Bernadette and her band (along with Neko) had traveled to Tokyo to perform!

 

It was little surprise that the attractive redhead was very rarely alone on campus, and with her busy schedule of school, practicing and performing with her band, and, according to another rumor, being involved in a supergroup with some recent Claremont graduates, it was even harder. But, one other fairly well-known thing about Bernadette, was that she was often up very early most mornings to go to either the gym or the athletic fields to workout/train, a habit from her time as a lacrosse player before her powers emerged and prevented her from taking part in competitive sports. While she was often joined by some of the school's other "jock" types, there were days where it would just be her (if one did not count her duplicates).

 

Today was one such day.

 

Bernadette and about half a dozen of her duplicates were up on the school’s athletic fields at the north end of campus, running around with lacrosse sticks, passing a ball and shooting on a goal set up in the center of the field. They were all dressed identically, black sweatpants and a light grey hoodie.

[Thunder King]

Ryan had more or less always been a morning person. The orphanage seldom gave him time to sleep in on weekdays, and Claremont did nothing to change his habits. Usually, he found himself practicing his guitar somewhere, but this morning he fancied a walk.

 

The morning air was cool, but that suited him just fine. He wore a light jacket over a band t-shirt, and jeans. He was glad that he got a stipend from the school. He owned new clothes for the first time in years, and he was comfortable. They actually fit him like they should.

 

He spotted Bernadette and her duplicates, and considered talking to her. She was very kind, he knew, but also very cute. He was pretty sure she had a boyfriend, which was actually perfect. He could talk to her and not have any expectations at all.

 

"Good morning." He said, hopefully not sounding like an idiot.

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

As Ryan called out, all of the redheads out on the field turned their heads a moment, but only one stopped what she was doing, lowering her lacrosse stick as she turned to face the younger teen, the others continuing with what they were doing. "Top o' the mornin' Ryan." That Bernadette called out in her distinctive Irish accent as she started walking his direction, swinging her lacrosse stick up so that it rested across her shoulders and behind her neck and hooking her free arm over it as well to keep it in place.

 

While Bernadette was generally very friendly and cheerful, since the events during the return trip from the visit to Fiji, she had been known to be a bit more irritable and short tempered than normal. The group that the redhead had been with had ended up in a situation no less dangerous than the one Ryan's group had faced, finding themselves in the middle of the 1993 Terminus Invasion. But whatever the case, she seemed to be in a good mood at the moment, as she had a bright smile as she drew closer.

"You are up bright an' early this mornin'." She added, coming to a stop a short distance away.

[Thunder King]

"I usually am." He shrugged. "Back home I'm usually expected to be up early. I rarely sleep late." He said 'back home' like he actually had one. He was only a couple years away from getting out of it, but Bernadette didn't need to know his troubles.

 

"I had a good time at your show, by the way. Your band pretty good."

 

"I play guitar." he added...and winced. She might know that, and if she did, it was pointless to remind her. If she didn't know, it made no sense to tell her. He hoped she didn't see him wince.

 

He hated how bad he was at this.

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette gave a small nod as Ryan mentioned having a habit of getting up early as she let go of her lacrosse stick and then lowered it, so the net was resting on the ground. "Well, worse habit ta have." She commented before smiling at his mentioning the show at the Midnight Hour. "Glad ta hear. We have been puttin' in lots o' work over the last several months." She replied.

 

As he awkwardly mentioned playing guitar, the redhead gave him another smile. "I recall seein' you with one during the Fiji trip. You gotten involved with the music department here? Certainly helped me along when I came ta Claremont."

[Thunder King]

"Not, really, no. Mostly just play it on my own. I practice a lot, but I've never done a show or anything. Or played with a band...I'm not sure I'd want to join a music department or anything."

 

He chuckled. "I mean I'm not bad, probably better than most. Definitely better than any newbie. I'm definitely not as good as Uncle Charlie. Now he could play." 

 

He took a deep breath. He should not look this nervous. He probably looked really nervous, too. He calmed himself down. She wasn't going to tear his head off.

 

"Music has always been a, a me thing, if that makes sense. Where I grew up, it was one way I could express myself, one way I could get on without worrying about dealing with other people. I really want to be successful with it, mind, I just...like jamming by myself."

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette gave Ryan a reassuring smile as he talked about the importance of music to him. The older teen seemed very much at ease talking with him, but then she did not seem to lack for self confidence. "Shoor, I can understand that. Music is different things ta different people." The redhead replied. "But even if you are doin' it just fer yourself, sometimes it is good ta have input from others, who see or hear things we don,' an' can encourage or push us when needed." She added.

 

"You should think about gettin' involved here. Doesn' mean you ever have ta be part o' any performance or anythin,' just a chance ta be around others with similar interests. Sides, if you don' Michael will likely continually hound you until you join some club…or a dozen."

[Thunder King]

"I might get involved. Honestly, I should. I never really learned to trust other people or make friends, and I'm starting to get better with it.  Maybe I will try to join the music club." He shrugged. "Sounds fun."

 

"It's weird. My dream is to, you know, be a famous musician, but I've rarely played for other people. I need to get past that."

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette was quiet as Ryan mentioned not having learned to trust people or making friends. The redhead did not know a lot about his background, and was not the type to pry into things others did not really want to talk about, but there must be something there very different than her own experiences before her powers developed. "Well, if your goin' ta learn ta start trustin' people, this is the place ta do so. You never know when you could be countin' on some in a life or death situation. I mean, you already have had ta do that."

 

When he mentioned his dream of someday being a musician, the Irish teen grinned slightly. "There is more than one way ta reach a goal like that, but sooner or later, in any o’ them, your goin' ta need ta perform fer others, even if it is just those helpin' ya record."

"But seriously, Summer was a Senior when I started here, an’ we met in the music program. We stayed in touch after she graduated, so when she wanted ta enter a music competition in Boston over last summer break, she reached out ta me. That was what made us decide ta start our band, an' it has been a wonderful time. A lot o' work, but I wouldn' change a thing."

[Thunder King]

"You make some good points. See, um, I'm an orphan. And there's a lot of people with a lot of personal problems in places like that. Trust is hard to get, friendship even harder. But I totally understand what you mean. I'm already making friends. It's mostly just nerves, honestly. I am pretty good at the guitar. I practice nearly as often as I do with my sword." 

 

"Thank you so much for the talk, though."

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette was quiet as Ryan talked a bit about his background, revealing that he was an orphan. "I'm sorry." She said, giving him a sincere and sympathetic smile. "It is not really all that uncommon here. One o' my best friends that graduated last year is an orphan. It seems your class has several as well. But I'm shoor not all have the exact same experience." The redhead added.

 

"But again, this is the time ta start tryin' things outside yer comfort zone. You never know which o' the connections you make here will be the most impactful, or long lastin'."