Misc RH OC Scraps

[LOCKE + JEMMA] Transfixed

Locke was floating around the halls of Rainbow High, as she usually did, when she heard an ethereal melody. The soft strains of a harp reverberated through the walls. Locke, curious, crossed through several rooms, following the sound so she could hear it better, finally her head popped into the right room. It was a solitary music practice room. By this time classes were out; but music focuses often had to practice outside of class time. This student was beautiful, as much as the music she made, and Locke couldn't help but stare at her. Her long red hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back. It covered one of her eyes. Her slender arms moved gracefully across the strings of her instrument, as if the motion was as natural as breathing. Satisfied that she had found something interesting, Locke settled levitating by the ceiling rafters and simply listened.

The student finished the piece she had been playing, switched her sheet music, and began a new song. This one was much quieter, gentler, which frustrated Locke. She floated closer so she could still hear it. This time she settled on the floor a few feet away in front of the harp. Now that she was close, she could see that the student was frowning and looked nervous. Locke wondered why. She seemed to be performing well. The gentle song eventually finished too. When the student went to switch her sheet music again, her hands were shaking.

"Ah! Can't play if you're shaking like that, take a break if you need it," Locke exclaimed. She often said what she thought. After all, only Ebony could hear her, and she wasn't even around that often. This student didn't show any signs of having heard her either, she began playing another song, but she wavered, and got a few of the notes wrong. Locke wondered why. She floated closer to the girl. When she was a few inches from her face, the girl stopped playing. Her eyes flickered up to meet Locke's.

Locke flinched and flew up to the rafters. She laughed to herself. "Stupid, it was just a coincidence. No way she can see me."

"Um," the student said, her voice so frail that it seemed in danger of disappearing completely, "is there a reason you're watching me..?" There was no mistake, she was looking right at Locke, up at the ceiling where she was nestled. 

Locke began floating back down while she explained herself frantically. "Gee, sorry! I didn't know you could see me. Most people can't! I was just around, you know, your playing was really good, I just wanted to listen, you know? But you got kinda waver-y on that last song, shaking and all, what's up with that?"

"Well, you were staring at me..."

"One person was staring at you! Big whoop! You wanna be a musician, a performer, and you've got stage fright from little old me?" Locke shook their head. 

The girl fiddled with a crystal necklace she had around her neck. "I didn't know if you were going to hurt me." 

For once, Locke couldn't think of anything to say. She'd never really thought about it from a human's perspective, but seeing ghosts must be frightening. Locke didn't hang out with other ghosts much. They were a sullen and obsessive bunch, often set on things like revenge or violence or spreading misery. It had gotten so used to Ebony and her roommates liking to see it, that it hadn't considered other possible reactions.

Finally, Locke said "Sorry. I'm not! I was just staring because it was really beautiful— your music, I mean— and I wanted to hear it as best as I could! But I can leave!" 

"I guess, it's fine if you stay..." the girl hesitated. "Do you have a name?"

"It's Locke!" They were glad she hadn't actually told them to leave. 

She smiled a bit, the corners of her mouth just barely rising. "I'm Jemma. Then, Locke, do you have a favorite song?"

Locke felt a bit foolish saying this, but it was the truth. "The one you were playing when I came in, two songs ago. I don't know the title." 

Jemma began playing the melody again. Locke made sure to stay out of her face this time. They floated about five feet away. They tried not to stare at Jemma while she played. Easier said than done.