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Post by Shilo Wallace on Jan 18, 2012 23:19:39 GMT -5
Shilo at last straightened up, after watching Puck do the same, completely unaware of the fact that both the Largo brothers had been looking her over the entire time. Pavi had had a bit more difficulty concealing it, however, as he'd had to bite his lip to keep from staring too hard in his mother and Vittoria's presence. Thankfully, the tutor had done all he felt was appropriate as far as stretching was concerned, as he next moved to sit at the stool behind the piano. He motioned for her to stand beside him, to which she silently complied. She knew that she should at least make an effort, as there was no telling what sort of job they'd force her to do if she couldn't sing.
Puck spread his fingers over the keys, doodling a little with the chords as he made himself comfortable with the instrument. Smirking a little, he looked up at the girl, giving her an encouraging nod as he continued for a moment or two more. "Alright. Well, let's get right into it, then," Puck as last said, pausing in his playing and giving the girl a crooked grin. "I'm gonna play a note, and you sing it back to me on an 'ahh,' okay?"
Suddenly, Shilo felt a small rush of panic fill her stomach; she'd never sang in front of anyone, not even her father. Only in the confines of her room, listening to Blind Mag on the television, had she dared to even try. She loved singing, and thought that maybe she had the smallest chance of having actual talent...but the fact that she'd be doing it in front of people was finally hitting her.
Puck must have seen the fear in her eyes, because his smirk softened a bit, giving way to a more understanding expression. "Hey, don't sweat it. Pretend it's just you and me, alright?" He said, speaking more quietly and looking directly into the girl's eyes. Shilo looked back for a few moments, before at last taking a deep breath, and nodded quickly.
Puck hit a key. "Ahh..."
"A little louder, please?" Up a half step.
"Ahh..."
"Better. A little louder, kid." Up two steps.
"Ahh." Up two more steps. "Louder. Really belt it."
"AHHHH."
Puck paused, looking up at the girl in surprise. Now that, he hadn't expected. The girl actually had some talent. "Nice...very nice. You keep on pitch and have a good vibrato but we're gonna have to work on getting you louder. Largos?" Puck tilted his head away from the piano, glancing at the family to see what they thought.
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Lucretzia Largo
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"We-a gladly feast on-a those who would-a subdue us."
Posts: 140
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Post by Lucretzia Largo on Jan 19, 2012 0:20:56 GMT -5
"With-a enough time, and-a practice." Lucretzia said looking at the girl. "She'll-a be good enough for-a the opera. Not-a near as-a good as-a Mag was, but well enough...in her-a own way."
Lucretzia knew what she was talking about, both her father and her mother had been patrons of the opera. And growing up she had been surround by musicians, opera singers, composers, writers, and critics. And quite a bit of it had worn off on the woman. "As-a for her style," She glanced at Shiloh up and down critical with a raised eyebrow as if to say 'If you can call that a style', "She'll-a have to-a see a stylist, hair dresser, and-a" She looked at Shiloh dead in the eyes for her next line.
"Personal lessons with-a me for-a her public behavior. After-a all we-a can't have her making gigantic faux pause during interviews or-a on the-a red carpet, now-a can we?"
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Post by Puck Goodfellow on Jan 19, 2012 12:29:23 GMT -5
Shilo's eyes widened slightly at Puck's words. She'd expected to be turned out right then and there, and told to go put on a Gentern uniform or something, but…he actually thought that she had a chance at singing? Lucretzia's remarks, however, set her back just a bit, and made her feel more than a little nervous. Apparently, talent wasn't enough to keep her around as the newest singer for GeneCo.
"If you don't mind, Shilo, I'd like to hear you sing this song I have here with me," Puck asked, grabbing her attention and holding out a copy of sheet music towards the girl. Shilo, not knowing how to read sheet music of course, blanched at the sight, but Puck gave a reassuring chuckle, nodding for her to take it.
"I know that your listening resources were…a bit limited at best, but I also know that you watched the opera quite often," Puck explained, the first bit of information having been acquired from articles about just how limited the girl's entire life had been, and the second bit coming from the night he'd first met her.
"This song is fairly easy to follow along with, so don't worry about the musical notes just yet," Puck explained, setting up his own copy of music at the piano's music stand. "You may have heard it before. It's called "Utopia," by an older band called Within Temptation. Blind Mag got a lot of her early influences from them."
Shilo's eyes gave just the tiniest hint of light at the mention of her idol(and godmother), and she nodded almost enthusiastically at Puck's words. "Yes, I heard this before. Didn't she cover this one a few times?"
Puck raised an eyebrow, his grin growing just a little at her reaction. "Yes, I believe she did," he nodded. "I can tell you were a fan."
Shilo nodded quickly, blushed just a little. "Um…yeah. I was a really big fan of Mag's," she replied, her voice quieting just a little as she spoke. Puck's smile faded just a little, and he nodded.
"Me too…me too," he said, sighing a little as he began to play the first few notes. Nodding at Shilo when it was her turn to begin, he couldn't help but grin just a little when her voice started nervously singing out the first couple notes, then growing a little more in confidence as she went along.
"The burning desire to live and roam free," Shilo sang, closing her eyes until the rest of the room started to disappear, and the song seemed to fill her senses completely. "It shines in the dark and it grows within me. You're holding my hand, but you don't understand; so where I am going, you won't be in the end."
"I'm dreaming in colors, of getting the chance," Puck followed after her, singing the male part of the song as he played. "Of dreaming, of trying…the perfect romance. The search of the door, to open your mind. In search of the cure of mankind.
"Help us we're drowning," they sang together now. "So closed up inside. Why does it rain, rain, rain, down on Utopia? Why does it have to kill the ideal of who we are? Why does it rain, rain, rain down on Utopia? How will the lights die down, telling us who we are? Why does it rain?"
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Post by Amber Sweet on Jan 19, 2012 13:57:37 GMT -5
"She'll more than do," Amber said simply as Shiloh ended her song. It wasn't so much as Shiloh was "good" or "talented", which she was. But even if she wasn't they could just alter her voice with computers and vocal software, as they had done with Amber in the past.
"But like, Mama said she still has a long, long, way to go in they style and social interaction department." Amber was already cringing thinking how very little social interaction Shiloh had probably had and how paparazzi swarming her would possibly send the girl into a panic attack.
"However I'd say she'd maybe be ready for her public debut in three months time." Amber turned to Shiloh and then asked "Think you can do that, kid?"
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Post by Vittoria Largo on Jan 19, 2012 18:42:20 GMT -5
Vittoria stared blankly at Shiloh, her eyes not leaving the girl for one second. She barely even blinked when staring at the girl while she sang, Vittoria tried to take in everything she could about the girl. Like a leopard eyeing up a wounded baby gazelle, but who was unable to strike because it was in the middle of a herd. All she needed was a little patience.
"Good." Was all she said when Puck asked how she did, her eye contact breaking from Shiloh for a moment to look at Puck. Giving the man a tiny smile, as to not appear to wrapped up in Shiloh. That was true as far as Vittoria was concerned, Shiloh did have a good voice. "But-a her stage presence, I'd-a rank a zero. It-s-a just not about-a sounding good it's-a also about-a the, oh what's-a the word....energy? The-a energy you-a project. You have-a to entertain them with-a yourself as-a well as-a your voice. Which-a sadly...you do-a not have a droplet of."
Vittoria couldn't help but smirk a little. She had at least that against the Wallace girl. Even though Vittoria was shy (or rather that's what she had everyone believe) and quiet (rather she didn't like talking to 'lesser people.') she herself exuded an air of elegant confidence as well as innocence combined with intelligence.
And that was something no one could teach, it was something you were born with. You either have it or you don't.
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Luigi Largo
Full Member
Luigi don't take shit from no one.
Posts: 181
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Post by Luigi Largo on Jan 19, 2012 21:47:13 GMT -5
"I didn't think she was that bad." Luigi muttered when Vittoria finished. True she did give off a naive and innocent air, but that was part of her charm. At least in Luigi's eyes.
"Maybe that's what's so...refreshing about her? That she's not really good with people and she's shy. She'd be a fresh and new type of opera star. One who's more down to earth and of the people, hell we could bill her as a Cinderella act. Born into nothing and then GeneCo 'discovered' her at the Opera and now she's with us. It could work right?"
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Post by Puck Goodfellow on Jan 19, 2012 23:24:47 GMT -5
"Personally I agree with Luigi," Puck said, with a small shrug. If only because he seems the least rude out of all of you, for once, he inwardly thought to himself, though he kept this particular opinion to himself. "I mean, sure, she could definitely benefit from a little improvement with her social skills, but I like the idea of a different sort of performer. It would definitely set her apart from the rest."
Shilo listened in silence as her future was being planned around her, feeling very much like a doll being put on display. The remarks from Vittoria and Lucretzia made her feel rather put off, and the idea of being a "discovery" of GeneCo flat out disgusted her. But it seemed she had little choice in the matter, regardless of what she actually thought about the situation.
Need to improve my social skills. Yeah, seventeen years of being locked in a room will do that to you, she thought bitterly to herself, worried to know just what that would mean. At Amber's question, however, she looked up suddenly, and nodded. Just nod and do what they tell you. That's all you can do for now, at least until you can find a way out of here.
"I'm-a sorry, but...I believe that-a Vittoria has a point as-a well," Pavi interjected after a few moments. "She's-a gonna to have to do more than just-a sit there looking cute-a with a pretty voice. I mean...look at-a Amber," Pavi motioned towards his sister with a bit of an apologetic expression. "I'm-a sorry, sorella...but-a the daughter of-a GeneCo didn't get put in-a the magazines for-a being 'innocent.' Neither did-a Mag. Maybe we can-a build on-a Luigi's idea, with a little more...exploitable twist?"
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Post by Amber Sweet on Jan 19, 2012 23:56:29 GMT -5
Amber nodded a bit listening to Puck and her siblings. They all had good points. For starters a new type of opera star would grab peoples attention, but that attention would soon wane if they found her to innocent and that would turn into boredom. And then they'd have go somewher else for entertainment.
"Alright," She said turning to face Pavi and the rest of her family "Any suggestions? If we are to play up her 'innocence' angle then we'd better do it so it's intresting and stays intresting. That is until she gets better in the singing department, then we can think of something else."
"We'll." Lucretzia said after a while of thinking. "Shiloh could-a be given ettiqutte lessons. Maybe-a act-a like a Victorian lady? After all-a she already has the-a 'Gothic Lolita' style why-a not give her-a the public persona to-a match? Shy, quiet, innocence plus-a elegance and-a 'old fashioned' manners to-a boot? Give-a her a bit of-a nostalgic pre-plague twist? What-a a Victorian girl would-a be if she-a were living today."
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Post by Puck Goodfellow on Jan 21, 2012 0:10:07 GMT -5
Puck nodded carefully at Lucretzia's suggestion, keeping his expression emotionless as he could. He didn't want to seem like he disagreed with anything they said, as it wouldn't bode well for himself to argue with them about something that didn't really concern him outside of the way that he would wind up tutoring the girl.
But he couldn't help but feel that the way they were sitting here deciding Shilo's future; how she would act, what she would look like, and what she would sing, all while she sat there in silence, probably too scared to speak out, like he was. And, while the ideas weren't half bad, and seemed to even peak her interest just a little, that didn't make it right.
But then again, this was the Largo family. Since when did anything that they did have to be "right"?
"I like it," Puck said, nodding after Lucretzia finished. He glanced at Shilo, to see her reaction to what had been said, but as usual, the girl's face was expressionless. They'd definitely have to work on that, he thought to himself. "It had edge, and it definitely sets her apart from the rest. But...there's something a little irrelevant that I think needs to be laid on the table right now before any decisions are made."
Sighing, Puck pressed his hands against his knees, thinking carefully about what he was going to say. "I know that this might seem like a touchy subject, and forgive me if I'm stepping outta line here...but I know that there's one thing that's gonna show up at some point down the line. And that's the fact that she's not Mag."
Puck let his words hang in the air for a moment, glancing up at Shilo, who'd actually turned rather sharply at what he said, looking rather uncertain as to just what he was getting at. He glanced next at the Largos, and continued quickly, "Not that that's a bad thing, of course. But I think we all know that she's going to be compared to Mag every time she gets up on that stage, no matter what she's doing. So, I think what we really need to focus on right now is making her act as different from Mag as we can without the public disliking it. Which is why I rather like your mother's idea."
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Post by Vittoria Largo on Jan 22, 2012 0:38:53 GMT -5
"Damn right she's not Mag." Luigi muttered under his breath adjusting the watch on his wrist. Frowning a bit as he thought of the dead opera singer. Mag had been, for lack of a better word, perfect. Or at least Luigi always thought so. Blind Mag had been the only one Luigi really respected besides his father, because she feared nothing. Because she was more than just a pretty face unlike most of the women that ran around GeneCo. "Sure Shiloh's cute but she could, never ever be the woman Mag was."
Vittoria bored about how everyone was talking about Shiloh was watching the lights above Puck and Shiloh. Concentrating more on the dust swirling in the air. It didn't matter to her if Shiloh was accepted by the public or what her public image would be.
She hoped Shiloh failed, and failed hard. Just so the older woman would get kicked out of their Tower and out of their lives.
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Post by Shilo Wallace on Jan 23, 2012 14:44:58 GMT -5
Pavi glanced towards his brother, raising an eyebrow but said nothing himself about what Puck had said. Luigi's reaction confused him slightly, as Pavi had no idea what sort of feelings Luigi had had for Mag. He'd never been very observant of other peoples' feelings, after all, and even his own brother wasn't much of an exception to that.
Shilo frowned to herself, knowing that what Puck said was true. She knew she could never live up to Mag, and she didn't intend to, seeing as how she didn't even want to do this in the first place, she But...if she was going to sing(as she apparently was now, without question), then she intended to damn well try.
"In you is a world of promise..." Mag's words floated back to her, and she looked up suddenly, feeling a little more confident to hear them again. Mag had wanted her to reach her full potential, and to go on and do what she couldn't do. She more than likely had meant to stay away from GeneCo in that sense...but Shilo would take it as open to interpretation.
"I know I can't do that," she spoke up suddenly, faltering when she felt Puck and Pavi's eyes fall on her. "I mean...I know that I could never live up to Mag. I could try the Victorian thing, if that's what you want. But I won't be doing anything...'exploitable,' or degrading," she said, surprised at the own firmness in her tone. She glanced at Pavi as she said this, then back at Puck, who's eyes had widened slightly at her sudden change in attitude.
"I will respect my father's name, and I won't do anything that he would be uncomfortable with me doing," Shilo said, frowning slightly at her own words. Well, aside from going outside and actually interacting with people, anyway... "If I have to do this...then I want it to be something I'm proud of."
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Post by Vittoria Largo on Jan 23, 2012 21:11:04 GMT -5
"To-a late." Vittoria muttered out of the corner of her mouth a bit annoyed and amused at the same time at Shiloh's standing up for herself. She gave the girl a scathing look and a sadistic smirk.
"I-a higly doubt that-a your father would-a approved of-a you selling Zydrate in-a back alleyways, sleeping in-a dumpters with-a drug dealers more than-a half your-a age and-a dealing out-a drugs to-a zydrate addicted scalpel sluts. Compared to-a that..."
Vittoria trailed off her point having been made quite well.
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Luigi Largo
Full Member
Luigi don't take shit from no one.
Posts: 181
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Post by Luigi Largo on Feb 2, 2012 22:57:11 GMT -5
"Vittoria shut the fuck up!" Luigi shot at his youngest sister in response to her teasing. Though what she said was true, for the most part, that was still way out of line. Even for him.
"I'm-a just being honest." Vittoria said rolling her eyes. Giving a dismissive gesture to the angry Luigi "Last time I-a checked that-a wasn't a crime, fratello." Luigi scowled at Vittoria wanting to smack her across her smug little face, but had to restrain himself (for now) because his mother was there.
"Well lay off!" Luigi barked. Though it wasn't his place of intrest about what went on in the GeneCo opera department he still didn't like seeing Vittoira mouth off to anyone.
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Post by Pavi Largo on Feb 2, 2012 23:15:08 GMT -5
Pavi narrowed his eyes at Vittoria, but said nothing, simply pushing her aside gently by the shoulder as he took a few steps over towards the piano. He leaned against its surface, meeting eyes with Puck, who merely gave him a shrug. Both were equally surprised at the girl's standing up for herself, but Pavi found it more perplexing than anything else. While he didn't want to admit it, Vittoria had a point...though something told him that the type of thing that Shilo was talking about would have upset Nathan just a little more than the Zydrate dealing, scapel sluts, or any of that.
"Considering that-a your father never let-a you out of-a your bedroom, that might-a be a little hard to respect, tesora," Pavi smirked at Shilo, who was glaring irritably at Vittoria. Cutting her off before she could say anything, Pavi lifted her chin in his fingers, smiling coyly at her and locking eyes with the startled girl.
"But I-a think I understand what-a you mean," Pavi chuckled, still retaining that same coy look despite the obvious discomfort in Shilo's eyes. "Nothing too...provocative, no? Well, I think-a we can agree with-a that...for-a now."
Shilo pulled away suddenly, looking at the other with a distrustful, disgusted glare. Pavi ignored this, turning back to Puck nonchalantly. "Well, we can-a worry about-a her image later. Didn't you say you wanted to-a test her-a dancing ability as-a well? We can't-a decide anything until-a we know whether she moves like a fish out of-a water on-a stage, now can-a we?"
Puck nodded quickly at this, unsure of how exactly to react to what was laid in front of him. "Uh...sure. I'll play something simple, I guess...a waltz. Anyone wanna be her dance partner?"
Not Pavi, Shilo silently prayed. PLEASE not Pavi...
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Post by Vittoria Largo on Feb 2, 2012 23:34:20 GMT -5
"I'll-a be." Vittoria said, walking over and gently bumping Pavi out of the way with one of her hips. So she was standing where he he once was. "For-a starters I've-a been taking dance since I was-a four, Nonna insisted on-a it. So-a I don't need to-a be told what-a to do."
Vittoria volunteered mostly to keep both of her brothers as far from the girl as possible. And to make it appear that she was trying to "make up" for her earlier ruder comment to the girl. "Plus I would-a be able to correct her-a mistakes easier since I-a have first hand knowledge of-a dance."
She looked at Shiloh, they were about the same height. Vittoria just a little taller in her heels. The younger girl held out her hand for the older to take. "Since I'm-a the one with-a the most experience in this subject, I will-a be leading. Something the-a male usually does."
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