Enjoying the Sunset (07-12-2011) [Open for all]

Dominique nodded in agreement with Axel; "A gentle tune will fit perfectly with the atmosphere, but you don't have to do it if you don't want to of course."

After hearing Dominique and Axel say that he could play if he wished, Tobias smiled as he readied his harmonica to play, looking back to Dominique upon hearing her say he didn't need to play if he didn't have to. " Ah it's no bother Nique, besides, I haven't had a chance to play in a few days, been dying to do so" he said with a chuckle as he then looked to Axel. " Soft and easy, you got it man" he added as he raised the harmonica to his mouth. After a few practice notes, Tobias began to play, the soft, dulcet, almost bluesy tones of his harmonica carrying on the night air as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes locked on the horizon as he continued to play his song for Axel and Dominique.

Axel didn't say anything but just listened to the music that came flowing out of Tobias' harmonica.
"Sounds like you have another someone for play the music during your performance," he said to Dominique after a while. That reminded him: "have you set up a practise yet?"
Mean as it was, he was rather eager to see his brother find out he wasn't the musical genius he considered himself to be and that he would have to do a lot of practising before he'd be as good on the piano as a year back - a year back, the last time he touched a piano.

Like Axel Dominique didn't say anything while Tobias played on his harmonica, listening to the gentle tune while looking at the red stripe in the sky that slowly turned into a dark blue. The tune fitted nicely with their settings, making her relax a little more into her seat.
She looked over to Axel when he said that she had another musician to play music during her performance and chuckled. But when he asked her if she had set up a practise yet she shook her head; "I'm still looking for good sheet music, got a few of my friends on it as well. So I hope I'll have something soon."
She then realised that Tobias probably didn't understood what they where talking about; "Oh Tobias, have you already heared about the 'Welcome Party' that Mrs. Nellis is planning to hold for us just before school starts. There is also the possibility to perfrom during the party for those that want to."

As Tobias continued to play, his gaze soon returned to Axel and and Dominique, their discussion piquing his interest as he continued to listen to them talk and play away. It wasn't till Dominique told him about the upcoming party that he came to a stop, raising an eyebrow as he shifted in his seat. " I must admit Nique, this is the first I'm hearing of it, which is quite a feat, given Mrs Nellis chatty nature" he said with a smile and a chuckle. "Sounds interesting enough though, especially the performing part, could be fun." he said as he looked to the two of them.

"Though I'm not sure if I'll go up for it. Playing in front of crowds bigger that three to four people seems to cause me to lock up." he soon added with a chuckle as he looked back to his harmonica. After a few seconds, he looked back to Dominique and Axel. "Would I be correct in the assumption then Nique that you will be performing something for this party ?" he asked, a look of interest on his face as he waited for Dominique's answer. "And yourself Axel, will you be performing ?" he soon added.

"Maybe you can peform in Dominique's act then," Axel suggested, finally able to tare his eyes away from the beautiful view up ahead and looking sideways to the other two, "she's going to do a belly dancing act and two others are going to do the music for it. You could be the 3rd?"

When he was asked if he was going to perform in any way he shrugged; "well, mrs Nellis did ask me but I'm not sure yet."

Dominique nodded when Axel proposed to Tobias that he could preform with her act, if he didn't wanted to go alone.
"I'm still looking for sheet music, like I said before but if you want you can come to the first practice to see if everything works out," she told him if he wanted to join in, when Axel then said that he wasn't sure whether to preform or not she looked confused at him, "I thought you where going to tell a 1001 nights kinda story."
And talking about 1001 nights the sky above and around them was starting to look a lot like one of those 1001 nights.

Upon hearing Axel and Dominique suggest that he help perform music duties on Dominique's belly dancing performance, Tobias chuckled. "Hmm, maybe, still unsure if I want to perform just now. Thank you for the offer though" he said with a smile as he looked back to Dominique. "Any idea on when the first practice will occur ? Incase I change my mind" he said, hoping Dominique wouldn't mind this inquiry. Hearing her comments to Axel, Tobias soon shifted his gaze from Dominique to Axel, a look of interest still on his face as he did so. "Oh, were you thinking of doing a dramatic reading or something like that ? That would be cool" he said with a smile before shifting his gaze to the night sky above, the sight of the emerging stars causing him to recline in his seat a little bit.

"Well something like that," Axel said a little embaressed, "I like reading and writing stories and when people found out I was kinda pulled in to read some of my work as an act. But euhhm, well I'm guessing you understand me when I say.... I don't really like standing on a stage with everyone watching me."
Then, as Dominique medled he blushed a little and replied: "well yeah, I'll try to make some kind of story that sortof works as an opening to your act like I said but..." His blush got bigger and he didn't say any more.

Dominique shook her head when Tobias asked her if she knew when the first practise would be; "Sorry don't know yet. I first need to find good sheet music, but I can let you know when I do if you want."
She felt a little bad when Axel started blushing and seemed to be a little uncomfortable, but she was also very curious when he stopped midsentence.
"But what?" she asked with a warm smile at Axel.

"Ah of course" Tobias said with a chuckle as he continued to listen to Dominique talk about the practice and her lack of sheet music. After she had finished speaking and had offered to let him know when the practice was going to take place, Tobias, after a few seconds of thinking, nodded. "Thanks Nique, I'd like that" he said with a smile as he looked to her, soon shifting his gaze back to Axel as he talked again.

"Oh I know the feeling man, you aren't alone in that respect. Still though, I don't think anyone will force you to get up on stage if you don't want to" he said with a friendly smile. Like Dominique, Tobias' interest was soon piqued when Axel stopped midsentence during his explanation of what he was writing for the show. Shifting in his seat, Tobias looked to Axel, waiting to hear what he said.

"But..." Axel didn't really want to finish his sentence but as Dominique asked - not to mention Tobias' curious look - he didn't have much of a choise; "I just want it to be really good. To actually make sense as an opening for your act." He hessitated a little while before he continued: "what I have up to now is something about a princess."

He took a deep breath: "the princess of the land of the golden sand. And not only was she royalty but she was also the prettiest woman in all the lands. She was so beautiful that it was whispered she was a reincarnation of Qetesh, the ((Egyptian)) Godess of Beauty.
A tradition of the land of the golden sand was the ceremonial dance the princess would perform for the Gods every new moon. The ritual performed by this exceptional beauty of royal blood and diety soul, every new moon loyally again, pleased the gods and in return they would protect the land of the golden sand and it's inhabitants..."

Axel stopped storytelling there and looked sideways at Tobias and Dominique. "That's the beginning," he said with a shy smile, "I guess you can see how it fits in with your act huh?" he added to Dominique.

Dominique listened closely to the small introduction of Axel's story. Not capable of stopping herself from blushing a little when he said that the beautiful princess danced for the gods. Uncapable of not assuming that he had thought her playing the part of the princess during her preformance. It wasn't the case that she was assuming that Axel thought of her as the prettiest of all the lands, but still, it was kinda flattering.
"I can't wait to hear the rest of it," she honestly told him, "and yeah I can see how it fits with my act."

Listening to Axel's introduction, Tobias soon found himself enthralled in the tale, this becoming more apparent on his face as Axel wen't on. Upon finishing, Tobias shook his head, snapping himself out of the trance that was induced by Axel's summary of his story. " Wow " he said to himself as he soon returned his gaze to Axel. " Dude, if you don't mind me saying....that was awesome" he said with a friendly smile as he kept his gaze on Axel. "I may not perform at the show, but I'd definetly come to hear how that story ends" he soon added as he leaned back in his chair.

As he did so, despite the darkening sky above, Tobias caught sight of Dominique's blush, a small smile appearing on his face as he soon looked back to Axel, catching sight of his shy smile as he did so. " ...Would you rather I left you two to enjoy this beautiful view yourself ?" he added in a slightly joking tone as he looked between the two of them. "Lord knows I wouldn't wish to intrude..." he said, his smile growing as he looked between Dominique and Axel, waiting for their answers.

Axel was pleased to hear Dominique and Tobias liked the beginning of his story. On the other hand, it wasn't the beginning that bothered him so much - that was the part he was satisfied about himself - it was the next part that he couldn't get right. 'But for now I'll just stick to being happy the first part has been aproved of I suppose,' he said to himself in mind.

Then Tobias suddenly brought up something... something... well... let's not lie and say Axel hadn't considered it in any way. But neither had he seen it as an actual realistic future.
"Intrude?" he eachoed, nervously chuckling as his face turned the same collor as a ripe tomato, his eyes avoiding direct contact with Dominique's. "Intrude what, what are you talking about?"

Dominique hadn't seen that one coming. Tobias asking them if they wanted to be left alone, her blush went from a gentle pink to a crimson red and she turned her head towards the skyline. Pretending to look at the stars that had shown themselves.
A part of her did like the idea of sharing the senery with only Axel but neither did she wanted to be rude to Tobias nor did she wanted to push Axel into something he might not want. Though she could hear from his unsteady voice he was caught off guard by the question as well, she didn't knew if that was just his shyness or if it was something more. So when the blush had mostly faded from her cheeks she looked back at Tobias and answered kindly; "You shouldn't leave unless you want to of course."

Dominique and Axel's reactions only further increased the size of Tobias' smile, his gaze shifting between the two as they both spoke. Upon both of them finishing, Tobias took to his feet and dusted himself off, taking one last look at the darkening sky above as he did so, the cool night air rushing through his hair as he looked up. " Well guys, as much as I love staring into that big, old sea of stars above us....I think I'm going to call it a night." he said with a smile as he made his way towards the terrace door, turning back to them as he reached it.

"I was hoping to go explore more of Penrose tomorrow anyway, without having to worry about the rain. Besides, it's not like I won't have another chance to do this again" he said with a smile as he opened the door, pocketing his harmonica as he held the door open. " Axel, Nique, it was a pleasure meeting you both and thank you for allowing me to join you on this beautiful evening. I'll see ya around" he said with a smile and a wink as he made his way through the door to the terrace, closing it behind him before walking down the hallway to his room.

Blushing from to tip of his nose to the sole of his feet, Axel watched Tobias leave without interrupting. There was more than one reason for this.
One of those was that he felt way too caught red-handed already and realised there was nothing he could say that would make him look less guilty. So by speaking up and/or trying to convince Tobias to stay he'd only be making a bigger fool out of himself.
And then of course there was the 2nd and very obvious reason of him secretly liking the thought of being alone with Dominique.

So all he ended up doing was blush and wave at Tobias leaving; "see ya Tobias. Nice meeting you."

Much like Axel Dominique didn't knew how to react without either giving Axel the wrong signal or without it being to obvious that in all honesty she didn't really mind Tobias' departure.
So she just gave him wave as well when he had reached the door; "It was nice meeting you Tobias, good night."

Now they where alone with only the stars and the sickle shaped moon to provide light. A shiver passed through Dominique, now that it was completely dark the temperature had dropped quite a bit. Unfolding the blanket on her lap she drapped it around her shoulders before realising that Axel didn't have a blanket or something a like.
"Aren't you cold?" she asked him unsure of what she would do if he where to say yes.

Was he cold? Actually he wasn't really all that cold but... he looked at Dominique and the blanket she was under. He wouldn't mind sharing that with her in a way but in another way he did.

He really liked the idea of sharing a blanket with the beautiful Dominique, gazing up at those 1000s and 1000s of stars in the cool night sky.
What he liked less was the idea of sharing the fact that he wanted to share a blanket.
He knew that if he'd say he was cold and stayd put, instead of getting up and returning with a sweater on, Dominique would know he just said he was cold to be allowed to crawl under her sheets. So naturally he couldn't do that.

"Actually I am a little cold," his mouth asked though, ignoring every little piece of good advice he'd just given hmself. He already got up but didn't immediatly leave. If she wouldn't ask anything he'd go get a sweater.. if not...

As Axel got up shortly after saying that he was a little cold Dominique wasn't sure if he was going to leave to get a blanket or a sweater or if he was just going to go inside. A part of her really wanted to speak up and say that he didn't have to go inside and that they could share her blanket. But the less impulsive part of her just remained quiet. It wasn't until he had almost left the terrace that she said something.
"We can share my blanket if you want," what part of her brain had given her impulsive side the all clear to speak up?

Axel'd already given up the hope of Dominique calling him back when her voice sounded through the cool night air, and he couldn't fight off the smile that automatically spead over his face.
"Really? Ok, thanks," he said in reply making his way back and sitting down next to her. Deciding it would look a bit rude if he just grabbed some of the blanket he waited for her to hand him some. "D'you think we'll fit under it, the both of us?" he asked.

At the sight of Axel's smile when he walked back to her causing her to smile and blush a little, already busy with making sure that the blanket was positioned so that they could both fit under it.
"I think so," she nodded but then her blush increased a little as she added, "if we sit close enough..."
She handed him a part of the blanket that would hopefully be enough to pull around his back and shoulder so that he could keep himself warm as well.

Axel took the blanket and pulled it around him but it only just didn't make it, so he sat a little closer - as close as possible - to Dominique.
"Ok," he said with a blush and an awkward smile,"I'm good, what about you?"
His eyes as well as his blush grew when he turned his head to look at Dominique while she anwsered that question, and he found their faces less than a nose-lenght apart.

Dominique bit her lower lip a little when she felt Axel's arm touching hers, they where so close now and she liked it. When he said that he was good she smiled a little and turned to look at him when he asked her how she was. Like him she blushed quite a bit when she noticed just how close they really where, being dumbstruck for a few moments.
"...I'm fine," she answered uncapable of turning her head away but unsure what to do now.