((Ruby Forrester continued from Life is like a broken record))
For as long as she could remember, Ruby had always liked her house.
It wasn't anything special or unique. If anything, it was actually rather small in comparison to some of her friends' homes. Just a simple two-story house with a small garden, no garage and a front lawn that could do with a little trimming here and there. Sometimes Ruby wasn't entirely sure why she liked it in the first place. Nostalgia probably played a big factor in it, seeing as she'd lived there since she was three years old, so the idea of living anywhere else felt odd to her. But for the most part, she suspected that the main reason was that it was right near the coast of Lake Washington. Ever since she was a child, there was something about the lake that made her feel relaxed and calm whenever she gazed at it. Something about it that made her want to just sit down and watch it for hours on end, allowing her to think more clearly about things that had been troubling her beforehand. For example, seeing as her bedroom window was placed so that she could look out at the lake whenever she wanted to, whenever she was suffering from a particularly bad case of writer's block she'd just take a minute to gaze at the lake in order to get her thoughts straight and continue.
Tonight though, she wasn't interested in gazing at any lakes. After all, currently there were other things on her mind. Since her parents were out having some romantic meal, and her brother was at some party one of his classmates invited him to, she more-or-less had the house all to herself for the evening. Well, almost all to herself. Once she had finished her shift at her dad's store, she and Regan decided to head back to her place, stopping only once en route so that Regan may pick up an amp. Once they had arrived, they had to wait a bit for her brother to finish his game of League of Legends before he went to his friend's place, after which they finally had the house all to themselves. So of course, seeing as they were finally alone for a good few hours, they decided to do what most young couples do in that situation...
Specifically, they both curled up on the sofa together to watch one of the many Jackie Chan movies that Regan had brought with her. Police Story to be exact, not that it really mattered. To Ruby, most Jackie Chan movies seemed to be too similar to differentiate them from one another. Innocent hero flung into a dangerous situation, daring stunts, a handful of fistfights and bad dubbing. Not that there was anything wrong with that, of course, and she couldn't deny that the actor never failed to surprise her. Besides, even if they were watching something that was truly godawful, the important thing was that she had Regan all to herself tonight. The fact that the movie they were watching was actually pretty good was just a bonus.
For the most part, they simply laid back and watched the movie, occasionally grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl Ruby had prepared in advance. Sometimes they would chat a little during the less interesting scenes. On two occasions they even made out a little. But generally speaking, they were content to just enjoy watching Jackie beat up a roomful of bad guys before going on to do some insane stunt that would get most people killed if they were to ever really try it. Although, according to Regan most of them WERE the real thing, and it wasn't until the blooper reel at the end that Ruby actually believed her.
"Well, I'll be damned. So he really DID do that after all. Sorry I doubted you earlier..."
She turned to face Regan and smiled, leaning forward to quickly peck her girlfriend on the lips before resting her head again. After a few more minutes or just laying back in each other's arms, she checked the living room clock to see what time it was.
"Hmm, I think we might have time for one more movie..." she said, getting up from the sofa and making her way towards the coffee table were Regan's DVDs were laid out in a heap. After rummaging through them for a while, she eventually picked out Kung Fu Hustle and the John Wayne movie Regan found and showed them to her girlfriend.
"So, which of these would you prefer?" she asked, and after remembering the amp that Regan insisted on bringing with her she decided to add "...Unless, there was anything else you had in mind? I think we still have a good hour or so until my parents show up."
Serenade with an Electric Guitar
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- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
((Regan Flagg continued from Life is like a broken record))
For as long as she could remember, she really liked Ruby's house. Particularly because it wasn't Regan's house. Which meant her parents didn't live there. Which would be weird if they did, you know? But anyway, besides the obvious benefits of hanging out with Ruby, it allowed her a place she could more or less be herself. No Flagg parents meant that she didn't have to be as careful. Not to say that she threw caution to the wind once she left home, but here, there felt like that added layer of security. A small part of her suspected that, even if Ruby's parents did catch them, they wouldn't pass it along. It was a small thing, but it did wonders to put her at ease. Okay, yes, the house itself was pretty nice. And yeah, sure, the view of Lake Washington was nice, too. Speaking objectively, no, it probably wasn't nicer than her own house. But, still no Flagg parents. That counted for a lot. Plus Ruby, which counted for even more.
Another nice thing about the house: tonight they had it to themselves. Ruby's parents were presumably still tied up with whatever it was that required Ruby to run the shop. She felt like Ruby had actually told her what was up, but damned if she could remember. The right answer felt like treasure hunting, but that probably wasn't it. Auction hunting? Something hunting. Good Will Hunting. Yeah, that was probably it. Whatever they were hunting, it freed up the house for Ruby and Regan to share some quality time together. And, it just so happened that Regan had in her possession some twenty new DVD's, along with her guitar and a spiffy mini amp. So, what to do, what to do? Her initial idea had been to play the soundtrack to the movie, but she dismissed that as ridiculous. Besides, Ruby's idea to cuddle up on the couch and actually watch the movie was much better. Considering her large collection, they were a little spoiled for choice. Since Regan had already seen most of the movies, she let Ruby pick.
Which was how they ended up watching Police Story. Because who didn't love kung fu movies? No one, that's who. Everyone liked watching Asian people beat each other up. Or however you'd phrase it so it didn't sound sort of racist. However you phrased it, Jackie Chan was awesome. And Police Story was one of his best movies, second only to, perhaps, Supercop or Crime Story. Or maybe Super Crime Police. Crime Cop. Super Cop Crime. Okay, now she just realized that all of his movies used, like, the same five words. Rumble in the Bronx, which used different words and was an awesome movie. Actually, now that she thought about it, she might have that one in her pile. She could go and dig it out and convince Ruby to start over, or she could point out that Jackie Chan did all his own stunts every time something stupendous happened on screen. Decisions, decisions.
"He actually did that in real life."
"That too."
"Twenty stuntmen ended up in the hospital from that scene."
"He actually almost broke his spine in that stunt."
"Same thing happened there. Except, you know, from falling through glass this time.
Suffice to say, Ruby didn't believe her. Because, come on, what actor would really slide down eight floor on a pole for a stunt? Or fall through some glass for a good shot? What sane man would do all that for the sake of a movie? Jackie Chan, that's who.
"Well, I'll be damned. So he really DID do that after all. Sorry I doubted you earlier..."
Vindication! Being proven right certainly improved her movie watching experience. Well, yeah, watching it with Ruby was great too, but vindication! She was perfectly content to lie on the couch with Ruby for a few more moments, savoring the glow of being unambiguously right about something besides music. She was more than happy to lie there with Ruby, up until the moment Ruby climbed to her feet and pondered what to do next. Regan sat up and stretched, arching her back and she held her arms out to the side. She looked up at the movies she'd picked and grumbled to herself, momentarily torn with indecision. On one hand, she really did want to show Ruby Kung Fu Hustle. On the other, she really wanted to play for her girlfriend. After all, why else would she have grabbed the amp? If they just watched another movie, she'd feel really silly for bringing it. God forbid she look silly. Well, that decided it. She climbed to her feet and dashed across the room to the wall where her guitar leaned.
While she unzipped the case and carefully removed her most prized possession, she laid on some charming boasts. "What else I have in mind is to serenade you. Straight up sing you a ballad. Get charming up in here." She stood with the guitar in hands, the sling thrown over her shoulder, a broad grin on her face. "Girl, you don't even know how charming I'm about to get. Like, so charming." She scurried past Ruby to the amp sitting next to the movies, careful not to whack her with the neck of the guitar as she passed. "Just...need to make sure it's all tuned up. Should be." She looked up at Ruby while she occasionally plucked a chord and fiddled with the tuning pegs, whipping the guitar into shape with a practiced hand. "Any requests?"
For as long as she could remember, she really liked Ruby's house. Particularly because it wasn't Regan's house. Which meant her parents didn't live there. Which would be weird if they did, you know? But anyway, besides the obvious benefits of hanging out with Ruby, it allowed her a place she could more or less be herself. No Flagg parents meant that she didn't have to be as careful. Not to say that she threw caution to the wind once she left home, but here, there felt like that added layer of security. A small part of her suspected that, even if Ruby's parents did catch them, they wouldn't pass it along. It was a small thing, but it did wonders to put her at ease. Okay, yes, the house itself was pretty nice. And yeah, sure, the view of Lake Washington was nice, too. Speaking objectively, no, it probably wasn't nicer than her own house. But, still no Flagg parents. That counted for a lot. Plus Ruby, which counted for even more.
Another nice thing about the house: tonight they had it to themselves. Ruby's parents were presumably still tied up with whatever it was that required Ruby to run the shop. She felt like Ruby had actually told her what was up, but damned if she could remember. The right answer felt like treasure hunting, but that probably wasn't it. Auction hunting? Something hunting. Good Will Hunting. Yeah, that was probably it. Whatever they were hunting, it freed up the house for Ruby and Regan to share some quality time together. And, it just so happened that Regan had in her possession some twenty new DVD's, along with her guitar and a spiffy mini amp. So, what to do, what to do? Her initial idea had been to play the soundtrack to the movie, but she dismissed that as ridiculous. Besides, Ruby's idea to cuddle up on the couch and actually watch the movie was much better. Considering her large collection, they were a little spoiled for choice. Since Regan had already seen most of the movies, she let Ruby pick.
Which was how they ended up watching Police Story. Because who didn't love kung fu movies? No one, that's who. Everyone liked watching Asian people beat each other up. Or however you'd phrase it so it didn't sound sort of racist. However you phrased it, Jackie Chan was awesome. And Police Story was one of his best movies, second only to, perhaps, Supercop or Crime Story. Or maybe Super Crime Police. Crime Cop. Super Cop Crime. Okay, now she just realized that all of his movies used, like, the same five words. Rumble in the Bronx, which used different words and was an awesome movie. Actually, now that she thought about it, she might have that one in her pile. She could go and dig it out and convince Ruby to start over, or she could point out that Jackie Chan did all his own stunts every time something stupendous happened on screen. Decisions, decisions.
"He actually did that in real life."
"That too."
"Twenty stuntmen ended up in the hospital from that scene."
"He actually almost broke his spine in that stunt."
"Same thing happened there. Except, you know, from falling through glass this time.
Suffice to say, Ruby didn't believe her. Because, come on, what actor would really slide down eight floor on a pole for a stunt? Or fall through some glass for a good shot? What sane man would do all that for the sake of a movie? Jackie Chan, that's who.
"Well, I'll be damned. So he really DID do that after all. Sorry I doubted you earlier..."
Vindication! Being proven right certainly improved her movie watching experience. Well, yeah, watching it with Ruby was great too, but vindication! She was perfectly content to lie on the couch with Ruby for a few more moments, savoring the glow of being unambiguously right about something besides music. She was more than happy to lie there with Ruby, up until the moment Ruby climbed to her feet and pondered what to do next. Regan sat up and stretched, arching her back and she held her arms out to the side. She looked up at the movies she'd picked and grumbled to herself, momentarily torn with indecision. On one hand, she really did want to show Ruby Kung Fu Hustle. On the other, she really wanted to play for her girlfriend. After all, why else would she have grabbed the amp? If they just watched another movie, she'd feel really silly for bringing it. God forbid she look silly. Well, that decided it. She climbed to her feet and dashed across the room to the wall where her guitar leaned.
While she unzipped the case and carefully removed her most prized possession, she laid on some charming boasts. "What else I have in mind is to serenade you. Straight up sing you a ballad. Get charming up in here." She stood with the guitar in hands, the sling thrown over her shoulder, a broad grin on her face. "Girl, you don't even know how charming I'm about to get. Like, so charming." She scurried past Ruby to the amp sitting next to the movies, careful not to whack her with the neck of the guitar as she passed. "Just...need to make sure it's all tuned up. Should be." She looked up at Ruby while she occasionally plucked a chord and fiddled with the tuning pegs, whipping the guitar into shape with a practiced hand. "Any requests?"
Just as Ruby suspected, Regan intended to serenade her. Cool.
After all, why else would she have wanted to go through the trouble of bringing that amp along with her? Well, come to think of it, there were one or two that came to mind. For example, whilst she had always preferred lazier creative outputs such as writing, a part of her had always wanted to learn how to play the electric guitar. Probably something to do with her father's influence. So naturally, seeing as her best friend turned partner happened to play the guitar, sometimes she would give her lessons on how to use it. Admittedly, she was still a beginner, but she was far better now than she was a few years ago.
In any case, the thought that her girlfriend was offering to play a song just for her made Ruby feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world. How many people were lucky enough to have a girlfriend (or boyfriend) who could perform a serenade? Play, probably a lot now that she really thought about it, but that didn't stop her feeling any less special for having one who could. Heck, the fact that Regan was offering to do one rather than be requested to do one was probably unique in itself. And if it wasn't, Ruby didn't want to know.
"Any requests?"
Requests eh? Hmm... Whilst a number of choices did cross Ruby's mind, there were a few factors that stopped her from going with any of them. Did Regan even know how to play them? Would she mind if she chose a song that was usually sung by a guy? Would it even sound good as a serenade to begin with? In the end, despite a fair number of decent songs crossing her mind, she couldn't decide on any of them.
So instead, she simply shrugged. "I don't know, anything will do if you're the one playing it... Surprise me." she said, her lips forming a cheeky grin.
A few seconds later, another thought struck her. "Anything except THAT song. You know the one. She-or-shall-not-be-named by the Kaiser Chiefs? I think I can quite happily live the rest of my life without ever hearing that song again."
After all, why else would she have wanted to go through the trouble of bringing that amp along with her? Well, come to think of it, there were one or two that came to mind. For example, whilst she had always preferred lazier creative outputs such as writing, a part of her had always wanted to learn how to play the electric guitar. Probably something to do with her father's influence. So naturally, seeing as her best friend turned partner happened to play the guitar, sometimes she would give her lessons on how to use it. Admittedly, she was still a beginner, but she was far better now than she was a few years ago.
In any case, the thought that her girlfriend was offering to play a song just for her made Ruby feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world. How many people were lucky enough to have a girlfriend (or boyfriend) who could perform a serenade? Play, probably a lot now that she really thought about it, but that didn't stop her feeling any less special for having one who could. Heck, the fact that Regan was offering to do one rather than be requested to do one was probably unique in itself. And if it wasn't, Ruby didn't want to know.
"Any requests?"
Requests eh? Hmm... Whilst a number of choices did cross Ruby's mind, there were a few factors that stopped her from going with any of them. Did Regan even know how to play them? Would she mind if she chose a song that was usually sung by a guy? Would it even sound good as a serenade to begin with? In the end, despite a fair number of decent songs crossing her mind, she couldn't decide on any of them.
So instead, she simply shrugged. "I don't know, anything will do if you're the one playing it... Surprise me." she said, her lips forming a cheeky grin.
A few seconds later, another thought struck her. "Anything except THAT song. You know the one. She-or-shall-not-be-named by the Kaiser Chiefs? I think I can quite happily live the rest of my life without ever hearing that song again."
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- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
So, this was happening. Like, totally and really happening. You'd think it wouldn't be as big a deal, but, to be honest, Regan was kind of nervous. And when she said kind of nervous, she meant really nervous. Which was crazy. Why would she be nervous playing guitar? It was, like, all she did! Make random non sequiturs, read comics, play guitar. And it was definitely more the last one than the first two. Okay, yes, it probably had something to do with playing for Ruby. She was dense, but not that dense. But, c'mon, like Ruby'd say anything if she screwed. Depending on how she screwed upm it was possible Ruby wouldn't even notice. Or maybe she was being too pessimistic. After all, she was a pretty awesome guitar player. Maybe, and this might be too braggy, a totally wicked guitar player. After all, she wasn't an amateur or anything. She knew how to play. It was just, this was different from band practice. Yeah, she didn't want to look bad in front of her friends, but that was still a different horse color thing. This was Ruby. It was much more important that she impressed Ruby. It wasn't like she expected Ruby to laugh at her or anything, but that didn't do much for her nerves.
Still, as nervous as she suddenly felt, it wasn't allowed to distract her. While she finished tuning her guitar, she flashed Ruby a grin. "Got it, I'll pick another Kaiser Chiefs song then. After all, I know how much of a fan you are. I'll just, you know, try to think of something else from them. I'll get back to you."
Of course, she'd already picked out a song. Nerves aside, she'd been wanting to play for Ruby for some time. Besides even that, she was a near-expert at her chosen song. Well, expert was an exaggeration, but she was really good at it. Good enough that she probably wouldn't screw it up, at any rate. All the same, she whispered a quick prayer as she adjusted her grip on the guitar and flashed Ruby a nervous smile. "Just bear with me, okay? I was a lot less anxious when I was practicing in my bedroom. If you could look, I dunno, stunned, that would be great. Stunned, or awed by your love for me or in admiration of my playing. I'm not picky."
So, as good a time as any to start, right? No, that was bad, now would be a good time to start. No, now. Okay, false-starts aside, now would be a good time to start. When she finally strummed the D chord and started playing, everything fell into place. Of course she could do this. She'd played this song a thousand times, and this one wouldn't be any different. Ruby would be impressed, Regan would show off her guitar prowess, and everyone would be happy.
"Hello
I've waited here for you,
Everlong
Tonight I throw myself into
And out of the red
Out of her head she sang"
When you came down to it, it wasn't a very complicated song. In fact, it rarely ventured beyond the D, B, or G chords. Honestly, that suited Regan fine. While her initial nervousness had all but vanished once she'd actually started playing, a simpler song was still probably a safer bet. Her finger moved back to the D chord as she reached the second verse, risking a glance up at Ruby as she continued.
"Come down
And waste away with me
Down with me
Slow how
You wanted it to be
I'm over my head
Out of her head she sang"
The tempo picked up as she reached the chorus, and her finger finally moved to A for a change of pace.
"And I wonder
when I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang
Breathe out
So I can breathe you in
Hold you in
And now
I know you've always been
Out of your head
Out of my head I sang
And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang
And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when"
She was out of breath by the time she finished, but she felt full of excited energy. It felt like it had gone well. No, screw that, she felt awesome. Initial fears? Unfounded. She'd nailed it. Like, totally. A broad and happy smile spread across her face as she beamed at Ruby, waiting with almost frantic expectation to hear that she liked the performance. The guitarist looked away from a brief moment to turn off the amp before looking back. "So, I was good, right? Did you like it? It was awesome, right? You were totally blown away? Like, completely touched by how awesome and romantic and good that was, right? Right? "
Still, as nervous as she suddenly felt, it wasn't allowed to distract her. While she finished tuning her guitar, she flashed Ruby a grin. "Got it, I'll pick another Kaiser Chiefs song then. After all, I know how much of a fan you are. I'll just, you know, try to think of something else from them. I'll get back to you."
Of course, she'd already picked out a song. Nerves aside, she'd been wanting to play for Ruby for some time. Besides even that, she was a near-expert at her chosen song. Well, expert was an exaggeration, but she was really good at it. Good enough that she probably wouldn't screw it up, at any rate. All the same, she whispered a quick prayer as she adjusted her grip on the guitar and flashed Ruby a nervous smile. "Just bear with me, okay? I was a lot less anxious when I was practicing in my bedroom. If you could look, I dunno, stunned, that would be great. Stunned, or awed by your love for me or in admiration of my playing. I'm not picky."
So, as good a time as any to start, right? No, that was bad, now would be a good time to start. No, now. Okay, false-starts aside, now would be a good time to start. When she finally strummed the D chord and started playing, everything fell into place. Of course she could do this. She'd played this song a thousand times, and this one wouldn't be any different. Ruby would be impressed, Regan would show off her guitar prowess, and everyone would be happy.
"Hello
I've waited here for you,
Everlong
Tonight I throw myself into
And out of the red
Out of her head she sang"
When you came down to it, it wasn't a very complicated song. In fact, it rarely ventured beyond the D, B, or G chords. Honestly, that suited Regan fine. While her initial nervousness had all but vanished once she'd actually started playing, a simpler song was still probably a safer bet. Her finger moved back to the D chord as she reached the second verse, risking a glance up at Ruby as she continued.
"Come down
And waste away with me
Down with me
Slow how
You wanted it to be
I'm over my head
Out of her head she sang"
The tempo picked up as she reached the chorus, and her finger finally moved to A for a change of pace.
"And I wonder
when I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang
Breathe out
So I can breathe you in
Hold you in
And now
I know you've always been
Out of your head
Out of my head I sang
And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang
And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when"
She was out of breath by the time she finished, but she felt full of excited energy. It felt like it had gone well. No, screw that, she felt awesome. Initial fears? Unfounded. She'd nailed it. Like, totally. A broad and happy smile spread across her face as she beamed at Ruby, waiting with almost frantic expectation to hear that she liked the performance. The guitarist looked away from a brief moment to turn off the amp before looking back. "So, I was good, right? Did you like it? It was awesome, right? You were totally blown away? Like, completely touched by how awesome and romantic and good that was, right? Right? "
Ruby sat back down on the sofa as Regan made some final adjustments to her guitar, eagerly waiting to see what song was going to be played for her.
Of course, she would't of minded if Regan picked something that wasn't by the Kaiser Chiefs. Sure, she was quite the fan of them, but knowing Regan there were plenty of bands she could pick from. Nirvana? Red Hot Chilli Peppers? Hell, she could even go for something really obscure if she wanted to, given all the albums Regan owned. That said, Ruby was certain that she would at least pick something that she would have heard of. The only question was what that something would be. Come to think of it, a part of her wanted to suggest that Regan played one of her own songs, but in the end she decided against that. Regan looked as though she already had a song in mind, and she didn't want to throw her off by suggesting something at the very last second.
Still, at the very least she could try to calm her girlfriend's nerves...
"Relax Regan, I'm not going to chew you out if you get a chord wrong or something." she said, chuckling to herself. "Besides, even if you misplayed every chord of an especially bad Nickelback song, I'd still think you sounded fantastic."
Well, hopefully that worked. Did Regan like Nickelback? Now that Ruby thought about it she honestly hadn't a clue...
In any case, the moment Regan started playing, Ruby knew that she was about to be in for something special. It took a while for her to recognise the song, but once Regan started singing the lyrics she quickly figured it out. Heh, should have known Regan would go for a Foo Fighters song, what with her blue Gibson and all. And Everlong was definitely one of their best.
And even if it wasn't, Regan was making it sound all the better. She exactly wasn't sure why that was the case. Maybe she was just being biased, or maybe she just liked listening to a girl singing it instead of a guy. Whatever the reason, Ruby found herself getting really into it really quickly, especially whenever Regan started singing the chorus. As much as Ruby wanted to just listen to Regan play, whenever she began to sing the chorus the red-haired young woman just couldn't help but sing along.
"If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang"
By the time Regan had finished, Ruby was genuinely stunned by what she had just listened to. Sure, she was expecting it to be good, but admittedly she hadn't expected it to be THAT good. Even if Regan wasn't her girlfriend, or even her friend-friend, she would have been very impressed by what she had just heard. The fact that her partner had sung it specifically for her just made it all the more special. And deep down, Ruby knew that by the time that she and Regan were old and grey, she would still remember that song as one of the best moments of her teenage years.
And she knew just how to let Regan know this...
"Hmm, I don't know. Let me think about it for a second..." Ruby teased, pausing for a moment or two before suddenly jumping from her sofa and wrapping her arms around Regan, planting the deepest and most passionate kiss she had given her girlfriend all day. No tongue, or groping or anything like that. Just a good old fashioned smooch on the lips.
Ten or so seconds of contact later, their lips parted so that Ruby can look into Regan's eyes, her smile widening as she held her partner close.
"...I think that about sums it up." said Ruby softly, resting her head on Regan's shoulder.
If Regan's singing was the best moment of the night, this was easily the second best thus far. Nothing too complicated or over-the-top, just a nice romantic little hug, one that nevertheless felt more special than any of the others they had shared that day.
"I really do love you, you know that?" she whispered into Regan's ear, giving her a small peck on the cheek before her head returned to Regan's shoulder.
Yep, tonight was certainly making up for what was an otherwise underwhelming day.
Of course, she would't of minded if Regan picked something that wasn't by the Kaiser Chiefs. Sure, she was quite the fan of them, but knowing Regan there were plenty of bands she could pick from. Nirvana? Red Hot Chilli Peppers? Hell, she could even go for something really obscure if she wanted to, given all the albums Regan owned. That said, Ruby was certain that she would at least pick something that she would have heard of. The only question was what that something would be. Come to think of it, a part of her wanted to suggest that Regan played one of her own songs, but in the end she decided against that. Regan looked as though she already had a song in mind, and she didn't want to throw her off by suggesting something at the very last second.
Still, at the very least she could try to calm her girlfriend's nerves...
"Relax Regan, I'm not going to chew you out if you get a chord wrong or something." she said, chuckling to herself. "Besides, even if you misplayed every chord of an especially bad Nickelback song, I'd still think you sounded fantastic."
Well, hopefully that worked. Did Regan like Nickelback? Now that Ruby thought about it she honestly hadn't a clue...
In any case, the moment Regan started playing, Ruby knew that she was about to be in for something special. It took a while for her to recognise the song, but once Regan started singing the lyrics she quickly figured it out. Heh, should have known Regan would go for a Foo Fighters song, what with her blue Gibson and all. And Everlong was definitely one of their best.
And even if it wasn't, Regan was making it sound all the better. She exactly wasn't sure why that was the case. Maybe she was just being biased, or maybe she just liked listening to a girl singing it instead of a guy. Whatever the reason, Ruby found herself getting really into it really quickly, especially whenever Regan started singing the chorus. As much as Ruby wanted to just listen to Regan play, whenever she began to sing the chorus the red-haired young woman just couldn't help but sing along.
"If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang"
By the time Regan had finished, Ruby was genuinely stunned by what she had just listened to. Sure, she was expecting it to be good, but admittedly she hadn't expected it to be THAT good. Even if Regan wasn't her girlfriend, or even her friend-friend, she would have been very impressed by what she had just heard. The fact that her partner had sung it specifically for her just made it all the more special. And deep down, Ruby knew that by the time that she and Regan were old and grey, she would still remember that song as one of the best moments of her teenage years.
And she knew just how to let Regan know this...
"Hmm, I don't know. Let me think about it for a second..." Ruby teased, pausing for a moment or two before suddenly jumping from her sofa and wrapping her arms around Regan, planting the deepest and most passionate kiss she had given her girlfriend all day. No tongue, or groping or anything like that. Just a good old fashioned smooch on the lips.
Ten or so seconds of contact later, their lips parted so that Ruby can look into Regan's eyes, her smile widening as she held her partner close.
"...I think that about sums it up." said Ruby softly, resting her head on Regan's shoulder.
If Regan's singing was the best moment of the night, this was easily the second best thus far. Nothing too complicated or over-the-top, just a nice romantic little hug, one that nevertheless felt more special than any of the others they had shared that day.
"I really do love you, you know that?" she whispered into Regan's ear, giving her a small peck on the cheek before her head returned to Regan's shoulder.
Yep, tonight was certainly making up for what was an otherwise underwhelming day.
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Okay, being completely and totally honest, there were a few seconds where Regan found herself doubting. Like, when Ruby didn't immediately jump in with the praise, there was a little bit of self-consciousness. Well, yeah, sure, she thought she did a good job with the song, but maybe she was just tone deaf. Wasn't it a thing where a person hears their own voice differently than how it actually sounds? Like, a person can only hear how they really sound is a from a recording. Maybe that was the case here. Not the recording thing, but sounding better to herself than she actually did. Normally, she wasn't really a self-conscious person. Maybe it had something to do with a similar deficit in self-awareness. It was just Ruby that managed to bring out that quality. Again, it wasn't from fear of judgement, or anything like. For Ruby, things needed to be perfect.
Those few seconds that ticked by while Ruby picked the proper response felt like an eternity. Yeah, sure, Ruby said she wouldn't go angry critic or anything, but that didn't do much to quite that loud and irrational part of her head that insisted a critique was right around the corner. The time before Ruby replied wasn't nearly as long as it felt, but it was enough time for Regan to start a mumbled apology that was cut short by a loving pounce/kiss combo.
Okay, yeah, this was probably always more likely than the other thing. Maybe she over-exaggerated.
Feeling both relieved and suddenly confident in her performance, Regan shifted her hands away from the guitar to hold Ruby close. Of course, her Gibson wasn't really designed to be jumped on by girls as cute as Ruby, so that meant some more tuning in store later. Still, at that particular moment, Regan couldn't make herself care about that. Just, priorities, you know? For the moment, she was just enjoying a job well done and a girlfriend suitably impressed. And of course, returning the kiss was a priority too. Arguably, a more important one than her guitar. Well, not that arguably.
When Ruby did break the kiss, Regan just smiled. "...I think that about sums it up." Ruby said as she cozied up to the guitarist. Regan moved away from her long enough to slide the guitar strap over her shoulder and set her instrument next to the couch, away from the foot-path of anyone who might for whatever reason get off the couch. While she was making sure she wouldn't accidentally step on her instrument, which really would be something she'd do, she asked, "Is there any sort of comparison chart for that? Like, I get that I was good, breath-taking even, but how good exactly? I mean, that was an awesome kiss. So, would that be like, four thumbs up? Seven stars out of five?" As she settled back onto the couch and next to Ruby, she shrugged. "I'll assume it means seven thumbs and four stars, or some combination of those things."
Snuggling up with her girlfriend, she felt too lazily contented to ramble at the moment. Reciprocating an 'I love you' was a different matter, of course. "I love you, too. I mean, how many people do you think I play Everlong for? I mean, besides my mom, by uncle, my other bff, my mistress, my joke teacher, my preacher..." Looking over at Ruby wasn't necessary to know that to the joke landed and it was time to move on. "I'm kidding. I mean, yeah, we haven't sound-proofed my walls yet, so my mom's heard me play, but I didn't play it for her. No way, I've been saving this one for you." She paused for a second before adding, as an afterthought, "Actually, she's probably sick of hearing it, since I practice it so often. I mean, all the time. I wanted this to be perfect." She looked down at Ruby hopefully."It was perfect, right? Like, on a scaled of one thumb to ten, it'd be like, eleven stars, right?"
Those few seconds that ticked by while Ruby picked the proper response felt like an eternity. Yeah, sure, Ruby said she wouldn't go angry critic or anything, but that didn't do much to quite that loud and irrational part of her head that insisted a critique was right around the corner. The time before Ruby replied wasn't nearly as long as it felt, but it was enough time for Regan to start a mumbled apology that was cut short by a loving pounce/kiss combo.
Okay, yeah, this was probably always more likely than the other thing. Maybe she over-exaggerated.
Feeling both relieved and suddenly confident in her performance, Regan shifted her hands away from the guitar to hold Ruby close. Of course, her Gibson wasn't really designed to be jumped on by girls as cute as Ruby, so that meant some more tuning in store later. Still, at that particular moment, Regan couldn't make herself care about that. Just, priorities, you know? For the moment, she was just enjoying a job well done and a girlfriend suitably impressed. And of course, returning the kiss was a priority too. Arguably, a more important one than her guitar. Well, not that arguably.
When Ruby did break the kiss, Regan just smiled. "...I think that about sums it up." Ruby said as she cozied up to the guitarist. Regan moved away from her long enough to slide the guitar strap over her shoulder and set her instrument next to the couch, away from the foot-path of anyone who might for whatever reason get off the couch. While she was making sure she wouldn't accidentally step on her instrument, which really would be something she'd do, she asked, "Is there any sort of comparison chart for that? Like, I get that I was good, breath-taking even, but how good exactly? I mean, that was an awesome kiss. So, would that be like, four thumbs up? Seven stars out of five?" As she settled back onto the couch and next to Ruby, she shrugged. "I'll assume it means seven thumbs and four stars, or some combination of those things."
Snuggling up with her girlfriend, she felt too lazily contented to ramble at the moment. Reciprocating an 'I love you' was a different matter, of course. "I love you, too. I mean, how many people do you think I play Everlong for? I mean, besides my mom, by uncle, my other bff, my mistress, my joke teacher, my preacher..." Looking over at Ruby wasn't necessary to know that to the joke landed and it was time to move on. "I'm kidding. I mean, yeah, we haven't sound-proofed my walls yet, so my mom's heard me play, but I didn't play it for her. No way, I've been saving this one for you." She paused for a second before adding, as an afterthought, "Actually, she's probably sick of hearing it, since I practice it so often. I mean, all the time. I wanted this to be perfect." She looked down at Ruby hopefully."It was perfect, right? Like, on a scaled of one thumb to ten, it'd be like, eleven stars, right?"
Ruby shook her head. "Nah. I'd say, more like twelve." she replied, a smile on her face as she caressed Regan's hair.
"Really though, you did a fantastic job, and I'm not just saying that because you're my girlfriend. You know how bad I am when it comes to keeping those kind of thoughts to myself..."
Which was true, of course. Well, to an extent anyway. Whilst Ruby was well known for her brutal honesty, often telling people exactly what she thought of them with little to no sugar-coating, when it came to Regan she tended to tone it down a lot to avoid hurting her feelings. Not that she'd ever outright lie to her girlfriend or anything, seeing as even thinking about it made her feel guilty, but she would never be nearly as blunt as she was with most people.
"...Besides, like I said, even if you had messed up every chord or something I'd still feel flattered that you'd play a song just for me. More than flattered, really. A part of me wants to say I feel honoured, but I'm not really sure if that's... I dunno, what I'm trying to say is, the fact that you did such a great job is just the icing on the cake. The fact that you even tried in the first place is what really matters. Heck, even then I didn't fall for you in the first place because you were such a good musician, although don't get me wrong it certainly helped."
Ruby chuckled to herself. "Sorry, I'm beginning to ramble... Point is, I'm just happy to have someone like you in my life, that's all."
She smiled, closing her eyes and slowly leaning her head forward to plant a tender kiss on Regan's lips, one which lasted a good five seconds or so before she finally broke it. She smiled again, her eyes still gazing into Regan's as she leant forward and gave her another quick kiss before lying back, holding her girlfriend close to her as the two snuggled up on the couch.
Times like this Ruby really wished they had more than twenty minutes or so to spare until her parents showed up.
"Really though, you did a fantastic job, and I'm not just saying that because you're my girlfriend. You know how bad I am when it comes to keeping those kind of thoughts to myself..."
Which was true, of course. Well, to an extent anyway. Whilst Ruby was well known for her brutal honesty, often telling people exactly what she thought of them with little to no sugar-coating, when it came to Regan she tended to tone it down a lot to avoid hurting her feelings. Not that she'd ever outright lie to her girlfriend or anything, seeing as even thinking about it made her feel guilty, but she would never be nearly as blunt as she was with most people.
"...Besides, like I said, even if you had messed up every chord or something I'd still feel flattered that you'd play a song just for me. More than flattered, really. A part of me wants to say I feel honoured, but I'm not really sure if that's... I dunno, what I'm trying to say is, the fact that you did such a great job is just the icing on the cake. The fact that you even tried in the first place is what really matters. Heck, even then I didn't fall for you in the first place because you were such a good musician, although don't get me wrong it certainly helped."
Ruby chuckled to herself. "Sorry, I'm beginning to ramble... Point is, I'm just happy to have someone like you in my life, that's all."
She smiled, closing her eyes and slowly leaning her head forward to plant a tender kiss on Regan's lips, one which lasted a good five seconds or so before she finally broke it. She smiled again, her eyes still gazing into Regan's as she leant forward and gave her another quick kiss before lying back, holding her girlfriend close to her as the two snuggled up on the couch.
Times like this Ruby really wished they had more than twenty minutes or so to spare until her parents showed up.
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- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
Regan shook her head, heaving an exaggerated sigh. "12, huh? Still seems low. Maybe let's round it up, call it an even 30? I know, I know, I"m selling myself short. But I wouldn't want you to think I have an ego or something." She paused, giving it further consideration. "Maybe 50. Yeah, let's leave it at 60." After a quick glance at Ruby for approval, she nodded. "You got it. 70, and not one number higher." Gratified with her joke/lighthearted self-praise, which maybe might have ran a little longer than it should have, Regan let the joke die.
"Really, I'm just glad you liked it." Which would Ruby would go on to affirm, much to Regan's delight. Poor self-esteem was never something that could be attributed to Regan, but some well-earned praise was always nice. Especially when it came from Ruby. If anything, the volume of praise was surprising. Surprising, but definitely not unwelcome. She flashed Ruby another grin as her praise came to it's eventual stop. "No, by all means, keeping going. Hearing this from you is making my day, so don't stop now. You could mention that I'm Keith Richards-esque, if you want to bring out the big guns. Maybe Hendrix-esque, if you're going to get daring." She winked. "By all means, get daring! Anyway, I'm just kidding. Sort of. Feel free to compare me to Dave Grohl, by the way."
She snuggled closer to Ruby after the kiss was broken, resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. When she spoke again, her voice was tinged with a soft purr of contentment. "I liked making you happy. Besides my perfect sense of humor, my guitar-playing is the best way to do that. I figure a song that I play only for you would be the perfect way to show my affection." She looked up at Ruby, her voice lowered as if she was sharing a secret. "I'm quite fond of you, I'll have you know." She nodded sagely, as if that said everything that could possibly need to be said. With that secret shared, she settled back against Ruby's shoulder, a satisfied smile on her face.
That lasted for all of 30 seconds before she looked back up at Ruby, her eyebrow arched. "I can play another song for you, if you want. Freebird, maybe? Okay, confession: I don't know Freebird, but I maybe something else? Possibly that one song about the gemstone?" She tapped her chin, the universal symbol for 'deep in thought'. "What's it called again? Diamond? Sapphire? I want to say it starts with an R, but I can't be sure. It's on the tip of my tongue here. Like I should know it. Like it shares a name with something really, really important in my life. Catwoman isn't named after a precious gem, so that cant be it." Sh snaps her fingers in sudden realization. "That's it! Freebid! I'll play you Freebird!"
"Really, I'm just glad you liked it." Which would Ruby would go on to affirm, much to Regan's delight. Poor self-esteem was never something that could be attributed to Regan, but some well-earned praise was always nice. Especially when it came from Ruby. If anything, the volume of praise was surprising. Surprising, but definitely not unwelcome. She flashed Ruby another grin as her praise came to it's eventual stop. "No, by all means, keeping going. Hearing this from you is making my day, so don't stop now. You could mention that I'm Keith Richards-esque, if you want to bring out the big guns. Maybe Hendrix-esque, if you're going to get daring." She winked. "By all means, get daring! Anyway, I'm just kidding. Sort of. Feel free to compare me to Dave Grohl, by the way."
She snuggled closer to Ruby after the kiss was broken, resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. When she spoke again, her voice was tinged with a soft purr of contentment. "I liked making you happy. Besides my perfect sense of humor, my guitar-playing is the best way to do that. I figure a song that I play only for you would be the perfect way to show my affection." She looked up at Ruby, her voice lowered as if she was sharing a secret. "I'm quite fond of you, I'll have you know." She nodded sagely, as if that said everything that could possibly need to be said. With that secret shared, she settled back against Ruby's shoulder, a satisfied smile on her face.
That lasted for all of 30 seconds before she looked back up at Ruby, her eyebrow arched. "I can play another song for you, if you want. Freebird, maybe? Okay, confession: I don't know Freebird, but I maybe something else? Possibly that one song about the gemstone?" She tapped her chin, the universal symbol for 'deep in thought'. "What's it called again? Diamond? Sapphire? I want to say it starts with an R, but I can't be sure. It's on the tip of my tongue here. Like I should know it. Like it shares a name with something really, really important in my life. Catwoman isn't named after a precious gem, so that cant be it." Sh snaps her fingers in sudden realization. "That's it! Freebid! I'll play you Freebird!"