A Musical Practice

[honokairo]

Who: The Love Live! Girls, anyone who lives at Hikawa Shrine, and anyone leaving and entering the shrine! And stalkers. There are stalkers.
What: Practice for performing on stage! Their first practice ever.
When: Sometime in the afternoon, after school is over.
Where: Hikawa Shrine, Union.
Summary: Honoka has finally managed to amass a group of people to get together as a little musical group to perform. They are going to try to practice together for the first time, and that could go any number of ways.

"Hello everyone!" She shouts once all the girls who she expected to come to practice arrive. "I wasn't sure where we could practice, but I'm so glad Rei let us come here and use the courtyard! So!"

She stands, feet at shoulder width, in front of the girls, looking determined as ever.

"We'll do some singing first! And after a little break, we'll try dancing! Someone will need to clap for us to keep time, but we can alternate who does that so everyone gets to practice dancing. And then! We can get something to eat when we're done! If there's someone you don't know, get to know them a little bit before we begin our practice!"

"Okay! Let's start!"

Comments

[cutiepanther]

[ Standing in front of the girls, Maki has had enough trying to work with them, while Nico just sits there watching them. It's so very clear to Maki just what Nico wants, she wants to sing and dance and become an idol, more so than even Maki or anyone else here. So it's just annoying to her, of all people, that Nico isn't being honest with herself or anyone else.

So she plans to fix that. And tease Nico at the same time. ]

Here, I'll teach you something I have never taught anyone else before. There's a special technique that will let you hit higher notes with barely any trouble at all. [ And so, speaking loudly enough to get Nico's attention, and talking about her known weakspot, Maki leans in to whisper to someone, Hanayo maybe, knowing it must kill Nico not to get that advice herself. ]

[nicocism]

[Of course Nico has been doing her best to give no appearance at all of paying any attention to Maki... while spending most of her time doing exactly that. So when Maki says something like that, she almost forgets herself and shouts out at her for not teaching her this earlier. She barely remembers to keep her mouth shut, just remembering to turn an ear her way... only to find Maki's whispering it. Why!

It's pretty easy to see her fuming away over where she was leaning against a tree]

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki whispers something about eating a healthy breakfast in the girl's ear, before standing up straight, a grin over her face. She's got zero poker face, she feels like she's got one up on Nico and it shows. ]

That's right that's all you have to do.

[ Pretty soon Maki's taken a step back from the other girls practicing, to take a sip of water, placed near Nico of course, picking up her bottle, and watching the other girl out of the corner of her eye to see what she does. ]

[nicocism]

[And seeing that face just... makes Nico even madder. SHE DOESN'T CARE IF MAKI'S DOING THIS ON PURPOSE, actually, no, that makes it even worse. Because now especially she can't give in to her]

S, so you're really enjoying getting to play teacher with them, huh?

[cutiepanther]

[ That's exactly what she knew would happen, it only makes Maki feel even better knowing she has Nico's attention. ...Why that makes her happy she doesn't know. ]

It's important to help people who can't afford the lessons that I got growing up. If they want to be a musical group, then they can't just pretend to sing, they have to learn.

[ Maki's just looking at Nico out of the corner of her eye still, waiting to see her response. ]

[nicocism]

Well, good for them! Though it's not like you're teaching anything that interesting...

[Yes say the opposite of what you mean, that is the cleverest ploy]

[cutiepanther]

..Are you sure you don't want to know the secret to hitting that high note?

[ There's just this giant grin on Maki's face. ]

[nicocism]

Wh-wh-why do you think I would need to hear something like that, huh!?

[BESIDES, YOU KNOW, HAVING SPENT HOURS PRACTICING WITH MAKI ABOUT THIS EXACT THING]

[cutiepanther]

You're always coming over to my house aren't you? Why else would you come over other than to learn?

[ There's no other reasons, right? ]

[nicocism]

I, I'm practicing, okay? Since you have a piano and rooms with such nice acoustics... it's not like I need you to teach me!

[This may be backfiring, Maki]

[cutiepanther]

W-Well if you don't need me to teach you then you don't have to come over all the time, right?!

[ Maki yells back at her, but she doesn't even know why. ]

[nicocism]

Well, if it's such a huge hassle for you, then maybe I won't!

[They are playing chicken and neither of them have steering wheels]

[cutiepanther]

I-It's not like I said that! If it was that big of a deal I wouldn't have done it in the first place!

[ ...Wait, which side of this is she even arguing? ]

[nicocism]

W, well, then you should teach me properly instead of whispering to those girls about things!

[cutiepanther]

I was just whispering her to see if you were trying to eavesdrop! If you want to join the group then you should just join it instead of sneaking around pretending you don't care!

[ Says Maki who hasn't really joined either because she's waiting for Honoka to ask her directly. ]

[nicocism]

I, I never said I wanted to join! I was just curious what you were up to, okay?

[Because... being interested in Maki specifically is less embarrassing?]

[cutiepanther]

Isn't it clear that you want to do exactly the same things Honoka wants? What the probably doing it with them?

[ Asks the girl who hasn't joined yet either. ]

[nicocism]

Then it wouldn't be the same thing at all!

[Re: she would not be the center of attention]

[cutiepanther]

Of course it would. You just don't know how to get along with others.

[ Says...Maki. ]

[nicocism]

Hmph, I can get along with whoever I want!

[She just... never wants to...]

[cutiepanther]

Oh?

[ Maki just grins. ]

I don't believe that. I bet you couldn't get all the way through one song dancing with everyone else, without snapping at someone.

[nicocism]

Th, that's not fair! You know someone will mess up, and I'm not about to lie and said they did great!

[Except... she does this... all the time... with her pokemon...]

[cutiepanther]

It's perfectly fair, you just can't do it. I knew you couldn't.

[ Yep, Maki won for sure! ]

[nicocism]

That's not asking me to get along, that's asking me to play dumb!

[cutiepanther]

Either way, there's no way you can do it. You're too full of yourself to get along with other people, even when they are trying their hardest.