#what if i said i have been listening to FOB's new single on repeat since yesterday

[explodingstarlight]

the emo trinity is alive, well, and prospering in 2023

[onceuponaprime]

Narcissus and Strings 

Part 3 / Part 1 / Part 2

Cor finally gets his chapter, has yet to play music, and is motivated by spite.  These parts are getting longer as I go...

(and question- would ya’ll want this on ao3? i’ve been a bit unsure since it is such a short thing but if it makes it easier to read i’ll do it)

Cor almost hoped he would be late, not exactly eager to attend the concert or socialize at the end of it. He could already hear the haughty gloating. Traffic damn near granted his wish, but alas the concert hall came into view and while he was late he had definitely arrived before anything important happened. Damnit. He parked in the underground garage in a space that was much too close to the entrance for being so late and got out of the car. Pink petals caught his eye as he reached into the passenger seat to grab the bouquet, and he glanced at the rose propped up haphazardly in the cupholder. A smile broke through his sour mood almost instantly, and he left the car with a near skip in his step as almost ran to make it in time, almost forgetting to lock the car behind him as he went before slipping the fob into his pocket, careful not to jostle the flowers in his arms too much.

By the time he made it up the steps he was breathing hard, casting a dismissive wave at Clarus as he passed through the entrance. The head of security didn’t bother to say anything, just tapped his watch and gave him that look that made Cor feel like he was a teenager again, and unlike his encounter with the owner of Glauca’s it was definitely not in the good way.

“It’s about to start,” Clarus chided as Cor handed his ticket to Jared and cast Clarus a dry look in retort.

“I’m here aren’t I?” The head of security just shook his head and Cor took his thicket back from Jared, seat number already memorized from the night before, and slipped into the auditorium.

Overhead the lights were already dimmed, and he made his way carefully down the stairs to his assigned seat where Monica was already waiting, looking for him over the back of her chair and waving him over once she caught sight of him.

“Where have you been?” She whispered when he sat down beside her.

“I thought you decided not to show,” Dustin added from Monica’s other side, not bothering to look up from the program in his hand.

“Traffic,” he muttered. “And I picked up the flowers.”

“Oh,” she took them carefully when he handed them out to her, “I thought you might have forgot.”

“You know when you ask I always come through,” he replied, but before the conversation could go any further the house lights darkened as those for the stage became almost blinding under the sudden fluorescents. The general white and gold of the suits made the Trans Imperial Orchestra almost glow, only broken by the occasional red and black worn by the lead of each instrument group and the conductor. They wasted no time launching into the commanding motions and sounds they were known for and Cor simply sat back and watched.

It was easy to lose himself to the music, for as much as he may have disliked most of the players he was not so proud to admit that they were toe to toe in fame with the Crown Symphonic for a reason. Cor was content to close his eyes and merely listen for the most part, until the strings of the last song faded slowly and a hush fell upon the stage. The reason why they were there had finally come. Every light on stage winked out save one, and Loqi Tummelt made his soloist debut. Prodigy, that's what Tummelt was, a prodigy to rival the immortalized talents of Cor Leonis himself. A thought that usually made Cor scoff, but not today. He’d heard Tummelt play with his orchestra a handful of times, but this was the first time he realized the true talent beneath the smartmouth brashness of the young man who had vowed to one day surpass him. For the first time Cor saw the very real possibility of that, and pride reared it's ugly head. But there was something lacking in the young man’s performance, something Cor couldn’t quite place. To call it passion would be an insult to his fellow musician however obnoxious he was, but it was the only word Cor could think of, and it was perhaps the only thing that separated them as violinists.

Even as the young man on stage followed up his solo with a grand flourish of fast notes and dramatic bow movement, Cor vowed to make his title as hard to surpass as possible, and when those arms spread wide as he finished to outstanding applause Cor clapped with the rest.

When the house lights went up he made to stand and slip away, but Monica caught his sleeve and gave him an exasperated look.

“Just five minutes, Cor. We say congratulations, wonderful concert give the flowers, and-” she paused, staring at the flowers in her arm with an almost dumbfounded expression. With the lights up she could finally see that they were in fact not what she’d asked him to get. “this isn’t a congratulatory bouquet, Cor,” she finished, looking between him and the flowers with growing confusion.

“Yes it is, ordered custom just for the new soloist.”

“So I’m correct in thinking this is the rudest bouquet I’ve ever seen,” Dustin said from Monica’s other side and Cor nodded. Monica didn’t share in their quiet amusement as they waited for the people around them to trickle out of the nearby seats until only the other attending members of their orchestra remained.

“You got a custom order from Glauca’s on the same day?”

“Yes, is that so surprising?” Monica said nothing, but the knowing smile she had on her face made Cor think he was missing something.

“Well if we’re all done discussing flowers I suggest we get this over with,” Dustin said, glancing at his watch. “Unless you’d like to spend more time than necessary patting the Imperials on the back.”

Almost the moment they stepped backstage Tummelt threw his arms up and greeted them loudly, well he greeted Cor anyway.

“Cor The Immortal!” Every eye of the orchestra was on them in an instant as the unfortunate man of the hour approached them with a smug grin on his face.

“Tummelt,” he replied, cold and dry.

“Come to praise my performance? I’m catching up to you quick aren't I, old man?” Cor’s brow twitched in response, a sharp retort ready on his tongue but Monica was there in an instant, holding out the bouquet with a friendly smile.

“We got you these, to congratulate your soloist promotion. You played beautifully tonight.” Tummelt practically preened under the praise, his taunts to Cor forgotten for now.

A few more agonizing minutes passed before they were able to slip away, and by the time they were in the Concert Hall’s familiar entrance again Cor wanted nothing more than to go home and down a glass of scotch. Maybe two.

“See that wasn’t so bad,” Monica said.

“Easy for you to say, you’re not the one he called old.”

“He’s what, twenty? Everyone’s old when you’re that age,” Dustin replied. “In fact I distinctly remember another violinist who called anyone over twenty old beck in the day, some audacious little prodigy, oh what was his name…” Cor shot him a withering look.

“Alright you’ve made your point, I’m just glad it's over.”

“And on that note I need to be heading home, I’ll see you both at rehearsal tomorrow. Drive safe.” Dustin parted with them outside, lucky enough or early enough to have snagged a ground level parking space, leaving him and Monica to trek all the way to his own vehicle in comfortable silence.  

“Thanks for driving me home, can’t believe my car’s still at the shop.”

“I told you anytime, Monica,” he assured as they rounded the corner into the right row.

“All things considered I’m amazed you got to park this close,” Monica said when they reached the car.

“Lucky me,” Cor muttered as he unlocked the car and slipped into the driver’s seat as Monica got in opposite him.

“Oh, what's this?” He looked over as he started the car, watching Monica bring the rose up to her nose.

“It’s from Glauca’s.” A plain reply, but he was more focused on getting out of the parking garage than anything else.

“You bought a single rose at Glauca’s?” Monica’s confusion was plain in her voice.

“No, it was a bonus with the order, something they do for new customers,” he repeated, remembering those soft eyes briefly as he drove them out onto the street. Monica snorted and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye with a raised brow. “What?”

“Nothing, Cor, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Traffic was too steady for him to press for more, all his focus on the road, but he’d get answers somehow. Maybe he’d just have to stop by the little flower shop again, he needed a plant in his home anyway.