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As the noon sun filters through her dorm room window, the sound that fills Wonder’s ears is that of her pen mindlessly being rolled across her desk. She sits up, leaning against the back of her chair with her head looking up toward the ceiling. And as she mindlessly spins, her mind once again brings forth the events that transpired over the last hour or so.
It started off being like a regular Saturday would. Wake up, get ready, and grab some cereal from the kitchen. The orchestra practice has been canceled this week due to the conductor catching a cold, but there was still plenty for Wonder to do. Perks of being a uni student!
Just as she finished brushing her hair, Wonder noticed her phone light up. A notification covered up the delighted faces of her second family. Well, everyone’s except Poppy’s, Ginger’s, and Van’s, as they took up the lower half of the screen. Wonder can’t help but smile for a moment as she remembers the story behind the picture; it was taken in the aftermath of the first show after she officially became a part of the troupe.
The icon of the notification brought Wonder’s attention right to it. It was her daily horoscope… ‘Today is the day when the difficult becomes easy’
With her face all lit up, Wonder immediately crossed out all her plans for the day in her head, and replaced them with ‘get cake. have a household morning.’
Wonder absolutely adored her first-year dorm mates, and she wouldn’t exchange them for anyone else in the world. For some, that adoration was purely platonic, while for others, it was… a bit more complicated. That was something Wonder still had to work through!! But for now, while Wonder herself loved her household and got on with everyone great… the household didn’t love one another nearly as much.
Quickly into the term, Rain and Rolo got into a massive argument after an abandoned building exploration ended in a hospital trip, and it wasn’t looking like they would be on speaking terms anytime soon. There was a period of time when Nala and Shrike had a bit of a relationship crisis, but that all worked out well!!(?) Following that, during a dorm gaming session, Nala and Rain had a bit of a conflict of interest on whether to spare or kill the final boss and since then weren’t on talking terms either. Shrike and Rolo had a misunderstanding, and so did Shrike and Sartia, but both of those seemed to be on a path to resolution? And, most recently, Sartia saw Rain’s pet serpent, Ifrit, and freaked out due to having been bitten by a snake before. In fact, she was very close to calling the porters, but was convinced out of it. So they weren’t really on good terms either.
In summary, it was all a big mess. But hey, what was the mess for if not to clean it up!! And it seemed like the stars were smiling in Wonder’s favour today!!
With this positive attitude in mind and a spring in her step, Wonder headed out of her dorm to catch the bus heading to town. It’s not long before the doors open again, with Wonder carrying two full bags of shopping into their shared kitchen. It was a bit difficult to carry all that shopping up the stairs, but time waited for no one!
Putting on a playlist in the background, Wonder began to unpack and set out everything she bought. A couple of bottles of fizzy drinks, a pack of cupcakes, some cookies, and two cakes. Oh, she had some pink-tinted drink glasses, she had to bring them out as well! Unfortunately, Wonder only had two plates up here, but everyone could just get out their own!
Looking over the setup from the kitchen entrance, Wonder couldn’t help but hop in excitement. It was perfect! With everything ready, she began to knock on each door in the hallway, telling everyone to meet her in the kitchen in 5 minutes. She even managed to catch Rain and Shrike in their rooms. The app was right, this was indeed the day!!
One by one, everyone started trickling into the kitchen, giving her a quick greeting before looking at the table, puzzled.
“Emm.. Wonder, is there some kind of special occasion?” Nala asked, her voice a perfect reflection of the confusion painted on her face “What’s all this for?”
“Wellll… let’s just call it ‘a little term celebration’, as a break from the stress of work piling up and things. I was in town today, saw all of these, and thought ‘hmm, I got paid like yesterday, why not spend it’?” Wonder saw Nala’s eyebrow immediately raise at hearing the tiefling’s questionable monetary decisions, but there was also an amused smile forming on her face. Especially as Shrike’s excitement started to match Wonder’s own.
It seemed to be going smoothly at first, with everyone taking a seat and taking a bit of food. There was even some small talk starting up.
But then cracks began to show. Shrike had to leave as she had made plans with Aeri. And with Shrike gone, Wonder noticed she was the only one making any kind of talk.
While Wonder was chatting to Rolo, Nala made an off-hand comment about not having stepped on some injured bee in the garden. This led to her and Rain having yet another heated exchange about the game. And with an excuse muttered under her breath, Nala ended up leaving next.
Rain then began to tell Wonder a story about Ifrit, which freaked Sartia out and she left as well. That meant only Wonder, Rain and Rolo remained in the kitchen, making the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. It’s unsurprising that Rain took his leave soon after as well.
Looking down, Wonder clutched the fabric of her skirt as she’s trying to keep her emotions at bay. Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. And now she couldn’t even keep her emotions in check, making Rolo concerned as well.
Taking a few deep breaths in, Wonder forced herself to smile and excused herself as well. She knew that the speed she left at was anything but natural, not even letting Rolo have a word in as she closed the door to her dorm with a bit more force than she intended. She would need to apologize to him later, it wasn’t fair on him… it wasn’t fair on any of them actually.
Letting out a sigh, Wonder stops spinning and returns to resting her arms and head on top of her desk. A tear begins to fall down Wonder’s cheek. Then a second one. Then a third. She buries her head in her arms. It seems that the evening is going to be spent on alone study after all.
The screen of her phone lights up once again, making the tiefling look up. Seeing the faces of her troupe again, she is reminded of words that Elthalion told her after a particularly bad practice session.
“It’s ok to express your frustrations, to cry and be sad. But if you can repurpose that pent-up energy into making something new, that will make you feel a whole lot better.”
There was no way Wonder would be able to study after a fiasco like this. Her mind immediately springs up a place she could go to, where she could create. A small, sad chuckle escapes her as she grabs her flute case and leaves her dorm. It seemed that she would be making a visit to the orchestra building today after all.
━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━
The concert hall was much more intimidating when there were no students warming up on the stage. The echo produced with each step was almost deafening. Rows upon rows of seats bathed in shadow, all facing the dazzling stage. As Wonder gets closer to the stage, more and more specs of dust make themselves visible, frozen in their dance under the spotlight.
Placing her case down, Wonder kneels to open the latches of her case to reveal her pink-tinted flute. She takes it out with the same delicacy as if she was handling the most fragile of glass sculptures. Wonder’s love for the flute couldn’t be put into words; the instrument has been in her life since young, the melodies it produced growing and evolving just like she has been. Taking away her flute would be like taking away her ability to speak a language, for she saw it as a way to express herself in a way that nothing else could replicate.
Standing back up again, Wonder’s eyes fall over the sea of empty seats spread out before her. A lot of people would be intimidated by this sight, the sense of grandeur, and elegance it held. But to Wonder, this view was her dream, her happy place. Knowing that this many people would come to give attention to a performance she partook in filled her with determination to get better, and excitement to try new things.
She wasn’t immune to performance jitters every once in a while, but in those situations, she always remembered the claps and cheers she received after her first performance. Seeing the audience happy and amazed by what they’ve just witnessed: that was her drive.
Placing the flute up to her lips, Wonder begins with a soft yet long air blow into the instrument. A melancholic note, yet one that allowed her time to think about what the follow-up should be. She closes her eyes and lets her heart pick the course of the melody.
Soon enough, a song begins to take shape. Everything is played in low notes, comprised of quick bridges connecting slow, extended parts. It wasn’t a melody that should ever be played in front of any audience - it was too rough, inconsistent, and messy. But it reflected exactly how Wonder was feeling, and putting those feelings into song bought her solace.
As Wonder can feel the melody coming to its natural conclusion, there is a sense of regret welling inside her. She couldn’t make the song rise in triumph, just like she couldn’t help her friends to talk things out. Wonder closes her eyes, putting everything she can into those last few notes, making them as loud as she possibly could in a last-ditch effort… but she couldn’t do it by herself. She needed others.
.
:
The trumpet. An amplifier that always stands out whenever it is being played. Usually sounds when the song is at its highest point, or during the song’s build-up. One that encourages fun and brings out the best in people.
The percussion. The heart of the performance, the one that maintains the underlying beat of the melody. Guardian angel, watching everyone’s backs and helping them get back on track with a smile if they get lost.
The clarinet. The instrument that is able to reach a wide range of sound, down-to-earth yet with a hint of whimsy. Reliable and rational, one that never forgets its roots but is also determined to explore different paths to find the one that’s theirs.
The cello. The instrument that’s rooted in its identity and role, but not defined in it. It can be both grounded or wild, but in both roles, it’s always elegant and confident. It doesn't bend under anyone’s will which is so admirable.
The violin. A flexible instrument, known for its magnificence and grace but also able to play soft and delicate sounds. A fragile heart full of love and care, one that’s sometimes afraid to show it but is slowly opening up to others.
All these instruments, one by one, not letting the lone flute fall to its defeated conclusion but lifting it higher to achieve the melody’s full potential. There is a pause before the triumphant blast of sound fills the entire hall. The song wasn’t perfect, arranged, or practiced… but, to Wonder, it was carried out perfectly.
Only when the melody comes to its true, satisfying conclusion, does Wonder finally realize. What she thought was just a figment of her imagination was… actually happening in reality. There is a moment of hesitance, fear of this hopeful bubble being popped by the reality needle, but in a burst of bravery, she turns around. To face all of her friends.
Wonder was an optimist, but she wasn’t as naive as some might think. She knew this wasn’t planned, and she was certain this temporary truce would dissolve even before they left the building. But in the moment, seeing all her friends come off the finished song rush, Wonder’s smile was outshining the spotlight.
A new memory has been made, one that reinforced Wonder’s arduous resolve of having hope. And thanks to her friends… the difficult has become easy.