Work Text:
Rui learns 4 mallets
"Let's go, Tsukasa" Rui says joyfully as they walk towards the band room.
"Ha ha ha!" he replies. "I'm ready for the first day of band camp"
They grin at each other before going their seperate ways because they are different sections.
Rui walks into the room that front ensemble will be practicing in with awe. There are so many instruments here.
"Rui" a random college aged man says. "You're on marimba"
"Ok!" Rui says excitedly going to examine it. It's much larger than the xylophone he was used to.
They look around as everyone seems to already know each other. The trip from Japan had been long so he missed the first few days of camp.
A horrendously loud cymbal crash rings from behind Rui. He jumps in surprise. They turn to see who caused it.
A boy, definitely younger smiles back. His glasses look stupid.
"Did you like my techniques" the boy asks
Rui stares at the boy. He doesn't feel like answering so he says something in Japanese despite knowing english in hopes the random boy will leave him alone.
To his horror the strange boy doesn't.
Eventually the college kid gathers everyone to their instruments to start. They go through some stretches. This nice girl named Joyce leads them through it.
Before they start warm ups the college boy pulls Rui aside.
The boy attempts a smile "cone-e-chi-wa" he says.
Rui smiles awkwardly. Ignoring the God awful pronunciation and attempt at Japanese.
"My names miles. It's nice to meet you Rui." the boy, miles, says with a smile. "Your hair is...." he pauses. "Certainly interesting."
"Thanks?" Rui responds unsure of what's happening. He hopes Tsukasa is having at least a bit of a better time.
Tsukasa
Tsukasa hums a tune to himself as he assembles his trumpet. It was the only gift he ever got from his father. That means he has to cherish it. Similar to his relationship with Rui.
"Hey!" an energetic person walks up to him. "I'm Anton, what's your name?"
Tsukasa grins. He loves attention. "My name is Tsukasa Tenma! And I am I world future star!"
The anton kid looks at him odd. "Soup-cost-a?"
"Tsukasa" Tsukasa corrects without his grin faultering. "What instrument do you play?"
The anton kid looks proud of himself. "Flute!"
"Oh like emu!"
"Whos eh-mew?"
Tsukasa looks foundly off in the distance. "She's a friend from Japan"
"Woah! You're from Japan?!" the anton kid lights up. "Do you like anime then?"
Tsukasas face goes blank. "I don't really have time for that. My job keeps me busy"
Anton looks at Tsukasa in curiosity.
"What's your job?" the other asks
Tsukasa grins. "I preform at an amusement park!"
Anton looks at him confused. "I didn't know you could do that"
"Well-" tsukasa gets cut off
"Anton! Get your ass over here! Were about to start!" some random person yells.
Anton gives tsukasa an apologetic look before dashing off.
Camren, the person leading the trumpet section, walks up to Tsukasa.
"Hey, we're about to start"
Tsukasa grins and grabs his trumpet before walking over to everyone else.
He has a feeling today's going to be great.
Rui
"Alright" miles says leading Rui over to the marimba. "Before you start, you need to learn 4 mallet technique"
Rui stops to imagine that. "Four mallets?" logically very possible. They can work with this.
"Now we typically Stevens technique. Which starts with one mallet on your outside 2 fingers." he demonstrates for Rui.
With mild struggle he manages to get the mallets in the right position.
Miles smiles. "great. Now rest the second one on your middle finger and wrap you other fingers around it"
Rui follows the instructions almost without struggle.
"Wow." they say. "That feels a lot different"
"Wait until the blisters start!" Tyler, a senior, calls out with a smile.
Rui stiffens. "Blisters?"
"Yep."
The loud kid from before chimes in. "I would NEVER get blisters"
Tyler gives him a look before turning back to Rui.
"Well, congrats, Rui" Tyler grins.
Rui takes a glance at their music. It's filled to the brim with complicated rhythms and even worse chords. He's got a long way to go.
Tsukasa
Tsukasa scans the cafeteria before spotting Rui and sitting down next to him.
"Oh hey, Tsukasa," Rui says with a smile.
He grins at Rui. "How was your practice? Mine was amazing! I met so many people!"
"Oh wow," Rui comments. "Same for me but this one kid was really loud and annoying."
"That's too bad-" Tsukasa watches as Rui takes the lettuce off their sandwich and places it on top of Tsukasa's. "Rui." he scolds.
Rui pretends like nothing happened. Just eating their sandwich like normal. Classic Rui.
Tsukasa groans. Eventually he turns back to Rui.
"Didn't you learn a new technique or something yesterday?" He asks. As a trumpet player, they didn't really have any new instruments and their techniques to tackle.
Rui brightens up. "Oh yeah, it was 4 mallet technique. It's what I'll have to do for marimba. Except all of the other year 4s are much better than me." he looks away sheepishly.
"Hey," he places a reassuring hand on Rui's shoulder. "They've all been at it much longer than you. No ones judging you for not being amazing at it first try."
"RUI! TSUKASA!" Tyler yells suddenly appearing in the cafeteria. "ESHAAN IS DEAD"
Tsukasa stands up in shock. "HOW?" he exasperates.
Tyler looks away mournfully. "He kept causing every game to get rained out so somebody hit him with a car."
"A silver Lexus with the license plate of "[insert license plate #]"?" miles asks, though a groupme text.
Tsukasa is shocked. Who could've done such a thing and why does miles seem to know who did.