Just Another Heist (Tsumiko/Open)

The Nobody caught the woman's eyes roaming over him, perhaps sizing him up to see if he really had the threads of a musician. Or maybe she was checking him out? He kind of wished that she was... Raziel bit down on the inside of his cheek the moment that thought crossed his mind. That is not what is happening here, and never will. This is just a simple session between friends. his words sat firm in his head and those thoughts recoiled into the recesses of his mind.

He kneeled down, fumbling with the buckles on his guitar case to distract himself. The instrument he had brought was one that he treasured. It had also been one of his first steals, but he would keep that information to himself. When he had found it, the poor thing had been sitting against a wall covered in dust. It's owner hadn't even touched it and probably wouldn't miss it anyways. It brought joy to Raziel and his friends and that's what mattered. Gently, he set the white guitar on his lap, tracing the intricate cresting waves designed on the body. It was a nervous habit he made before he played, hoping for good luck.

While she went down the hall, he studied the sheet music until she returned with a crystal orb. It reminded him of the ones she had given him, but these were lifeless. They must have been empty vessel for music. Raziel nodded, finding it hard not to smile when she did. Kaden had that same affect on people too. He wished that he could be that comfortable around people. "Yeah. I'll give it a shot." he positioned the paper on the coffee table, and gave the guitar a few test strokes. Once he was confident with how everything sounded, he began the first line. His fingers moved swiftly from one cord to the next, easily adjusting from one note to the next to coax out the next beautiful sound. He glanced up at Tsumi briefly as he played. It was a lovely song and coming upon the parts that were familiar to him, he smiled a little. That must have been his contribution.

Raziel nodded, feeling a little nervous to actually do the recording. What if messed up and did something stupid. It'd be there for years to come unless the evidence was destroyed. He knew he should't have been thinking of something so ridiculous, but it was just in his nature to doubt himself. As Tsumiko returned with a familiar instrument, he nodded, trying to hide the sheepish grin trying to take form on his face. "Yeah. Let's give it a shot." he took a deep breath and waited for Tsumiko to begin, taking quick note of the small changes she had made to the song.

For a moment, Raziel forgot that he was supposed to start playing soon. When he was listening to the music sphere at home, time didn't seem to have any meaning and the same could be said here. Voice or instrument, Tsumiko definitely drew attention--almost hypnotically so. Not to mention, he was more than a little self conscious. He'd heard the woman singing many times from the sphere and he was convinced he would never hold a light to her. Tsumiko's talents were on what he considered a heavenly level. There was no other way he could explain it. Well, there wasn't much he could do about it now. Just do the same thing you do in front of the guild. The Nobody took the cue from the songstress and began to sing along with her as best as he could as he continued to strum the guitar. Raziel's voice flowed upon the notes, smooth and clear, but with a little something obviously lacking deep down. Like Fayt had observed, it was his confidence that held him back from letting his words transform into the true beauty they could be. Regardless, it was still in his blood to carry a song well at least. Even if he wasn't aware of it.

When they finished, Raziel let out a little sigh himself, but one more of relief than content. That wasn't half as bad as he thought it would be. His fingers and voice had held out for the entire song without any trouble. Everything went decent enough, and he didn't feel like he made any mistakes. Tsumiko had been flawless just as he had expected from listening to the music sphere she had given him. He hoped his singing alongside her didn't dull down the song. Her hand touched the top of his head, and he winced slightly at the motion. I guess she just saw him as a kid. That was natural, he guessed. She was a mom after all and he didn't exactly give off the image of the most mature adult. Most people compared him more to a cute puppy than someone his age.

Hearing the compliment, his face began to heat up. "Huh? I-I don't know. It wasn't much compared to you. Umm I hope I didn't lower the quality that much." he accepted the sphere, holding it gently between his hands. "Yeah, I'll give it a listen." he willed the musical orb to play and it the song they had just finished filled the room once more.

The cheek pinch... he was not expecting that, nor did he really know how to react to it. No one had ever done that to him before. It was obviously a sign of affection, not to mention a bit awkward. This was something you'd do to a little kid. Dang it! Now his face was going to get twice as red. A groan was building up in his throat, but he managed to push it down and let out a nervous chuckle instead. Once he was freed, he rubbed his cheek, hoping by some miracle some of the redness would fade. Maybe in time his blushing at every little thing would stop in time. Until such a time came, he would have to deal with it.

Raziel focused back on the sphere, taking in the music that he and Tsumiko had just finished. He listened intently to his part, silently criticizing himself on what he could have done better. When the song ended, he was pleased to hear the woman's approval, giving her a nod. Next time, he promised himself that he would do better. If only he could get some confidence built up. The Nobody wasn't unaware of what his problem. Getting around it was the issue. Anxiety hardly left without a fight.

"The others? Oh, right." he drummed his fingers gently against the orb. "I kept one and had to give the other away. It was hard to choose between them. I really wanted to keep them both." he remembered being back in his apartment, looking from one music sphere to the other. It took him an entire day to decide which one to hand over to Yumi, and even then he was reluctant. It had to be done. There was no way he could explain how he went out on a job and came back with nothing. They would know something was up, and how could he not give those who had taken him in their due? They were the ones who taught him how the world worked. He trusted them. Thankfully, since he was technically off the clock, this music sphere was his to keep. "That's how it goes..."