ic Extra Credits (IC)

[Thevshi]

Beaudrie Opera House
Theater District, Freedom City, New Jersey
Tuesday November 12, 2024. 10:20 AM

 

A couple of weeks ago Headmistress Summers had spoken with a few her students about an opportunity to assist a field trip for several of the youth attending the Nicholson School to attend a performance by the Freedom Youth Philharmonic for several area elementary schools. Michael Adon, Sarah Thatcher and Jack Davydov had volunteered. Earlier that morning, the trio had been transported over to the Nicholson campus in nearby Port Regal, where they had met the teacher leading the field trip (Ms. Houston) and the group of forty some students that were attending the performance.

 

They had then loaded onto a school bus and made the trip over to the Theater District in downtown Freedom City. The level of excitement for the students varied considerably, ranging from very excited for many of the younger students (those nine or ten years old) to a more resigned indifference with the teens in the group.

 

The area around the Beaudrie Opera House had been rather chaotic, with more than a dozen school buses all dropping off loads of elementary school students to attend the performance. Michael, Sarah and Jack had managed to help keep all the Nicholson students together and guide them into the building, making a stop by the restrooms for any that needed to use them, before heading off to find the groups seats in large venue. 

 

It was perhaps even more chaotic inside the building than out, as hundreds of students were gathered, many chatting away as they waited for the performance to begin, teachers and other chaperones keeping an eye on them and making one last headcount to ensure everyone was present. Sarah found herself sitting near some of the thirteen and fourteen year old students, many of whom were focused on their cellphones or otherwise looking around for distractions. One of the older girls looked particular bored and restless, Sarah thought she recalled her being introduced as Victoria. 

 

Jack was seated among some of the ten-year-olds, his gentle nature having won them over on the bus ride, despite his imposing height and frame. Among the group were two twin girls, Madison and Mary who seemed very excited to see the performance.

 

Backstage…..

 

Lynn Conners stood among the other members of the Freedom Youth Philharmonic as they waited for the que to take the stage. The blonde sixteen-year-old was wearing a long black evening dress with sleeves that went to her elbows. She was holding her violin and bow in her hands (her sheet music already out on a music stand by her chair) as she took a deep breath to try to steady the many emotions she was feeling. 

 

Although she had been part of the youth orchestra for a couple of years back in her timeline, it felt so very different here. For one thing, all of the other performers were unknown to her, as this timeline’s versions of any that she had known in her timeline being six years younger, and thus not yet in the orchestra (if they were even learning classical music here). Even the conductor was different in this timeline. As if that were not enough, there was also the fact that Lynn had managed to gain a spot in the orchestra outside the normal tryout process (in no small part due to her adopted family’s support of the orchestra over the years). 

 

The blonde girl let out a sigh as she opened her eyes again but did not focus on anything in particular as she continued to wait to go out to her seat…..
 

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

Michael was excited to be picked to chaperone some younger kids, but while Sarah and Jack had easily formed connections with the younger kids, it was a bit harder for Michael; the truth was, he was always acting a bit older than his own age, which made it more difficult for kids just a little younger than him to associate with him; he could easily come across as a bit uptight or too much like their teachers instead of a slightly younger, maybe more pliable chaperone. He was still dashing in the Claremont uniform; with just a little addition of a little blue button on his jacket to represent the Claremont Squad he was on. Michael did have a lot of pride in his Claremont schooling and his squad, so he tried to at least represent them a little. He definitely looked like someone chaperoning kids, even if he was wearing a school uniform, just due to how he was acting and looked. While Jack was managing the ten year olds and Sarah was handling the thirteen and fourteens, Michael had taken a spot amongst the ones between those two, helping the teachers and other chaperones as he could. He was relying on his enhanced hearing a lot at this moment to keep track of the kids; with so much going on, he was sorting information as he took it in, and making sure to keep a check on specifically the Nicholson students to confirm they weren't getting away anywhere.

 

For now, he'd taken a seat next to the aisle to make sure everyone was reasonably corralled as he waited for the music to start, flipping through the playbook in between glances to make sure every kid was still accounted for. He knew some of these little ones had powers, or at least he was pretty sure, so he needed to make sure they weren't doing anything too out there with their powers. If it came down to it, he was pretty sure he could wrangle any unruly teenagers- even if he was just a teenager himself-, but he also knew from Lawrence there were a few who might have quite a bit of weight to them, so he was mostly hoping for a performance that was exceptional, but not too loud  to enjoy the orchestra and show he could be trusted with responsibility. Getting a little time off from school was nice, but it wasn't his biggest priority; after all, Michael was one of those weird guys who liked being in school, unlike some of his friends

 

He offered Jack and Sarah a little thumbs up when they caught his gaze, as always exuding the absolute confidence that only Michael Adon could have- on the outside at least-, and hoping to give them some of that boundless confidence with the simple gesture of 'We've got this, no worries, yeah?'

 

Calm, cool, and collected. At least on the outside.

Edited November 14 by Poncho

[Spacefurry]

Seraphim

 

Sarah had to admit, she liked the school’s uniform. She thought she looked cute in it.

 

Being the fourth child of five, Sarah was use to dealing with younger kids. She was always stuck with helping her mother with the youngest as her older siblings conveniently had ‘other things to do’.

 

Even still, this was more then she was expecting.

But she had agreed to this and she wasn’t going to let the school or the headmistress down.

 

She returned Michael’s thumbs up with nearly a genuine smile.

 

She supposed she had it a little easier with the young teens, even though technically she was only a couple years their senior. They were more interested in the phones than in running amok. One of the girls, Veronica? No, Victoria. Yes, that was it.

Victoria seemed restless.

 

Sarah leaned closer to the girl.

“Hey there.”

She said in a lowered voice and gave Victoria a friendly smile.

“Is everything alright? Can I get you water or something?”

She offered.

Edited November 20 by Spacefurry

[Jack]

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat, tugging at the collar of his button-up shirt that clung to his muscular frame like a straight jacket. He longed for the comfort and ease of his usual sleeveless hoodie and basketball shorts that allowed his body to breathe. Even the dress shoes squeezed painfully as he shifted restlessly, the stiff leather nothing like the comfortable sandals he usually wore

 

 He wiggled his toes, trying to get some relief, but it was no use. This uniform was a prison, trapping him in its starched, constricting layers. With a soft Russian curse muttered under his breath, Jack resigned himself to enduring this sartorial torment, dreaming of the moment he could shed these clothes and feel like himself again.

 

He caught Michael's thumbs up and returned it with a grin. At least his small charges were making the formal attire worthwhile. The group of ten-year-olds had latched onto him during the bus ride, seemingly unbothered by his towering frame and muscled build. Now they clustered around him in the theater seats, trading jokes and giggling.

 

"And then penguin say 'Is not fish, is ice cream!'" Jack finished his joke, his thick Russian accent making the punchline even funnier to the kids.

 

The bear spirit inside him purred with satisfaction. Perhaps the children sensed his protective nature on some primal level, recognizing him as a guardian rather than a threat. Whatever the reason, they remained well-behaved despite their excitement.

 

Madison and Mary, the twins, practically vibrated in their seats next to him. Their matching braids bounced as they craned their necks to peer at the still-empty stage.

 

"Vhy you so excited for music?" Jack asked them softly. "You play instruments too, da?"

 

 

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

The kids among whom Michael had chosen to sit were seeming to finally start settling down, either taking a que from Michael’s calm demeanor, or a couple quick words from Ms. Houston. Once things seemed to be in order, the Nicholson teacher made her way over to sit at the end of their section, taking the other side of the ten-year-olds from Jack. Throughout the theater, the chaos was starting to subside as the numerous students were seated and brought under some semblance of control by their teachers.

 

Madison and Mary shook their heads in unison. "Maddy plays piano." Mary stated, to which her twin replied, "and Mary plays the flute."

 

A short ways down the row, Victoria looked up from her phone at Sarah, giving a rather dismissive shrug of her shoulders. "Just been looking to see if I could find any new stories about Forever Boy's exploits." The teen replied. "Haven't seen anything in a few days." She looked over towards the stage, filled with chairs where the youth orchestra would soon be sitting. "Not expecting much from this. I bet Forever Boy would never allow himself to have to sit through something boring like this."

 

At that moment, the teenage orchestra members made their way out onto the stage, moving to their places in the half circle set out around the conductor’s stand. As Lynn moved over to her seat (the outer most seat in the second row on the left, when facing the stage), she looked out at the seats filled with elementary and middle school children. Although unable to pick out faces, the blonde sixteen-year-old knew some of her classmates were out there, accompanying students from the Nicholson School to the performance.

 

Taking her seat, Lynn took a moment to check her sheet music on the stand in front of her and then brough her violin up to under her chin as her eyes looked up to the girl that was the current first chair violinist. After the older girl bowed to the crowd, she had turned back to face the others and brough up her violin and began to play an A note, to which the rest of the orchestra followed suit, tuning their own instruments to the same note. Once that was finished the older girl took her seat as well.

 

Moments later the conductor strode out onto stage, dressed in a tuxedo with tails. Coming to a stop at center stage, he turned towards the audience, giving a slight bow before activating the microphone he was wearing. "Good morning, and welcome to this special performance of the Freedom Youth Philharmonic, I am the conductor, Howard Walters. As we are nearing the beginning of the holiday season, the group before you will be starting a series of performances here in Beaudire Opera House. We are very pleased to be able to offer this opportunity for all of you to hear several of the pieces that will be performed."

 

"The young musicians before you have all worked very hard over the last several months, first to qualify for a spot on the orchestra, and then to prepare these pieces such that they were ready to be performed in front of an audience. The majority of our musicians have lived much of their lives in Freedom City and come up through many of the schools in attendance today, so are especially proud to be able to perform for you today."

 

With the short speech complete, the conductor turned and climbed up onto the small podium at the center of the half circle of musicians. Looking out over the orchestra, he raised his hands and baton, the teenagers before him all bringing their instruments up to the ready. The was a brief pause, and then the performance began with the rather upbeat tune of I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major-General.

 

Of the pieces the orchestra was performing this morning, this was one of Lynn's favorites, filled with tempo changes and some complex bow work. The blonde teen focused on her sheet music and the sound of the rest of the orchestra as she played, enjoying the opportunity to focus on something at normal speeds that required her full concentration….
 

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

If everyone was clapping when the Orchestra and the Conductor came out, Michael joined them, paying attention as Lynn walked across but taking the time to examine each of the performers in turn; he wasn't afraid to use his speed and enhanced senses to look at each of the people in turn; he had utmost respect for people who put in the absolute best of their effort and got rewarded with recognition, so he was acknowledging them; and if he happened to see them again at a later day, he could bring this up to them.

 

When the music started, he kept his hearing heightened but let his brain slow down; he was picking out each individual musician and their instrument and listening to them with his enhanced hearing, trying to pick out each from the overall music. He still listened to the entire piece, but he was trying to find something to speak about to each individual member if he needed to. He wasn't much of a musician, but he could tell when the big instruments- Cellos?- were in charge to start with before the smaller ones like Lynn's violin and others started to take over. It was sort of a call and response thing, it seemed like. After a bit of the performance, he found himself mumbling the lyrics under his breath, trying to keep pace with the musicians; he refused to sing, as always, and he didn't want to disrupt the children's enjoyment or anything, so he sat and watched with his chin in his hand as the music kept playing. It was definitely fun to be here.