Music Lessons at Mugen Academy [Invite Only]

Finally, class was over. Although... Colin really didn't mind school these days. Having his two digimon partners by his side had really made him feel more 'at home' in school, being happier and enjoying the friendly banter between them. Both Bellamy and Luke were in their Holosuit forms of course, the two taking on appearances of 13-year old boys so that they could walk around in full view, but of course, it only changed their appearances, their personalities were the same.

"Vote Bellamy for the School Council!" Bellamy shouted as he walked down the crowded corridor, the purple haired boy holding out a wad of fliers, immediately cornering anyone who caught his eye and attempted to charm them into giving him their support.

"Bellamy, nobody's paying attention" Luke told his brother quietly.

"Hah, as if!" Bellamy said. He spotted a couple of girls that were giving nervous smiles at him, he charged over to them. "If you vote for me, I promise to convince the principal to get a better stocked student lounge! And also why wouldn't you vote for such an attractive specimen such as me?" he posed, sparkling a little with bishiness.

"Um... we just want to go home, thanks" one of the girls said. Colin decided that was enough, taking hold of Bellamy's arm and pulling him away from them.

"Don't forget to vote, ladies!" he called back. There was then a vibration in Colin's pocket. He took it out and realized it was his D-Terminal.

"Ah, it's Mitsuko and Patamon" Colin said, his partners reading the message over his shoulder. "Seems they've come good on the offer to play with you, eh, Luke?" he asked his partner.

"Heh, nice" Luke said, his blue eyes lighting up eagerly. "Come on, let's go!"

"Ugh, it's an hour away, can't we have somethin' to eat first?" Bellamy asked. Supposing that was true, the three visited the cafeteria, having some afternoon snacks and campaigning for the student council on some fellow stragglers. Colin was sure to send back an affirmation that he'd see Mitsuko in the auditorium.

Finally, the three of them headed toward the auditorium, opening the door to see who was in here.

"Ahh, I love the smell of polished violins in the morning" Luke said.

"It's the afternoon, featherbutt" Bellamy corrected him. Luke rolled his eyes.

"Yeah I knew that" he muttered. "Mitsuko, Pata, are you here?" he called.

Luke smiled when he heard the reply. So then, they were up for a musical afternoon after all! He saw Patamon fly out from behind a curtain and seem to stare with shock at him. "Well... as fabulous as my fine white butt is, I'm good enough at hygeine to keep the fleas out of it" he said, folding his arms.

The subject of holosuits seemed to intrigue Patamon. "Yeah, well, it's good enough for us to get by in class, so that's all that matters I guess" Bellamy said, smiling. "I mean, we've been enrolled in Colin's class and all that, it's been great"

The three of them were happy to see Mitsuko again. "Heh yeah, good to see you too" Colin said to the older teen. "We've had loads of adventures in the digital world. Bellamy and Luke can evolve to Perfect now" he couldn't hold back that little bit of information.

"Heh, yep, it's fun, but wow... all these instruments" Luke said, looking around the room. Pianos, wind instruments, string instruments, brass, it was simply so beautiful. "So this is how you humans make music".

Luke had of course been familiar with the notion of musical instruments, but seeing it all with his own eyes, the tools they used to make tunes. Few things had made him as excited as this.

"Heh, looks like Lukey's in some kind of mental haze" Bellamy said. Curious, the holosuited Impmon walked over to a piano, pressing a few keys to see what happened. The sounds they made were interesting. Okay... he was beginning to see what his brother saw with music.

Luke meanwhile paid attention to Mitsuko as she offered to teach him how to play instruments. She picked up her own violin. "Well... I guess I'll start with what I'm used to" the holosuited Elecmon said, walking over to the Guitar section and picked up an Acoustic instrument. He strummed the strings for a moment, giving a satisfied exhale as they sounded just like how he remembered. He put the leather harness over his shoulder and walked over to the auditorium.

"Jesmon Christ Mode, this place is beautiful" Luke exclaimed, looking around the magnificent music room. His brother and partner agreed fervently. Luke's blue eyes flashed around as he registered the instruments, imagining the sounds they would make if they were all played together. His heartrate increased with excitement as he realized what he would soon be listening to.

Colin and Bellamy meanwhile thought that this was a good opportunity for Luke to shine in his own light, so through their love for him, they sat in the audience stands, hoping he would excel. Luke meanwhile stood in the middle of the room, looking unsurely at Mitsuko.

"Okay, so... what should we start with?" he asked her, curiously.

"Ah really? That's awesome" Colin complimented Mitsuko. "Is it true that Patamons evolve into angel digimon?" he was a little curious to see what the result would be. For his partners, Bellamy seemed to turn into a wizard, then a mobster. And Luke appeared to be some kind of red Pooka in both his higher forms.

Bellamy raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't object to Patamon nestling on his head. "Just make sure you clean it up after ya finish" he said. Having human hair was kind of odd, Bellamy was used to it being all over his body. But the hair he had still was very important to his looks.

"Ahh, don't be too hasty on that" Bellamy said to Patamon, giving a smirk (even if he couldn't see it). "Back when Luke and I were solo independent digimon, Luke could play in a pub and we'd get free meals and board every night".

Luke remembered it too. He wasn't as much as a braggard as Bellamy though, so he merely kept a smile on his face and he'd see how he'd go. He strummed his guitar, and was surprised to see it was much easier to handle with fingers instead of claws.

"Ahh, so it's true that music sounds better on Earth" he remarked wistfully. He read the sheet music that Mitsuko prepared, liking what he saw. He practiced on getting the notes right and when prompted, prepared to play.

When the music started, Luke didn't know how he could ever stop. It just felt so natural for him, knowing what the next note would be, how it flowed so well. Where the right time came for a bit of his own flair and what parts needed to be played as they were written. As he played, memories rushed back of nights in taverns, Bellamy sitting in the corner, watching him with adoration, other pub patrons doing the same with the scents of their complimentary warm meals wafting in from the kitchen.

Yes it wasn't perfect, but, those nights with Bellamy, in the days before he had met Colin, they had made him so happy. So much so that it was probably how he and the Impmon ended up becoming twins - bonded through their past together.

Colin could tell that there was more to Luke's playing than just doing it for fun. It seemed to be a part of him. And it was something that Colin could feel proud of in his partner.

"Whew, that was just awesome!" Luke exclaimed, putting the violin down, smiling at Mitsuko. "Thanks for playing that".

"Hey, don't talk like that yet, you just started!" Bellamy complained. "Go on, do another!"

"Heh, okay then" Luke said, turning through the pages of the book. He found a song that he really wanted to try out. "Ooh, Mitsuko, can we try this one?" he asked the girl, pointing to 'Stand By Me'. The lyrics kind of stood out to him. Like... it sounded like something he'd like to sing with his partner and brother.

---

(OOC: Maybe this is something they could play next? )

As they played the song, Luke immediately felt like he had made the right choice. Memories again circled through his head. The day he had first met Bellamy, when he had turned from bully to best friend. When they went on adventures together. When they had become mercenaries and ventured to Earth for the first time, encountering Bellamy's old gang and bringing them back to justice. When they had fallen to an ambush and Luke had almost drowned in a frozen lake, Bellamy almost dying too attempting to save him. When they were both killed by another of Bellamy's old gang enforcers, coming back to life as twins.

When they had first seen Colin as he stepped off the Trailmon into their world, and he had accepted them. And all the moments afterward as the three of them lived together. Luke's eyes began to water a little as he played, each note telling words they had shared in happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, despair, caring, the lot. To him, Colin wasn't just a partner. He was family as much to him as Bellamy was.

The song had seemingly made a number on the both of them, Mitsuko looked a bit teary as she played too. And as they played the final few notes, Luke felt the connection as well, like she had gone through an emotional journey in her life too.

It seemed that Mitsuko needed a break. "Okay. Heh, that was lovely" Luke said, looking back at the music book. But... somehow it didn't feel that right, he felt like he should get something sorted with his partner first. As Mitsuko left the room, Patamon at the door, Luke crossed the room to his partner. Both he and Bellamy had utmost amazed looks at their faces, both of them astonished at the beautiful song that had just played.

"Hey, uh, Colin?" Luke said, walking up to his partner. "I know, uh, we don't talk about this much... we mostly act like we're friends that like hanging out together, right?"

"Yeah...?" Colin asked, wondering where Luke was coming from with this.

"I, er, just wanna say... well" he scratched the back of his head as the words didn't come out like he wanted them. "I think of you as much more than a friend, Colin" he admitted, blushing a bit. Colin's brown eyes widened with surprise for a moment. "I mean, you've done so much for us".

"...have I really?" Colin asked, not really getting where he was coming from with this. "All I've really done is followed you guys around and helped you evolve, right?"

"Nah, you've done more than that" Bellamy said, grinning at him. "You've supported us, you've given us a home, you've cared for us, you've helped us get strong enough to protect each other and those we care about" he turned to his brother. "That right, Luke?"

"Yeah" Luke said, nodding. "And, uh, that's why I picked that song. I really do want you to keep on sticking by us, Colin, and we'll stick by you too" he chuckled. "Even if you turn into an adult in a few years, we still wanna be around you, and I hope you want us to be around too".

Colin was slightly speechless here. He was deeply touched by these words, so soon after hearing this beautiful song. And he could tell that Luke and Bellamy were definitely not messing around. They really wanted this. And how could he deny them that?

"Of course, guys" he said, quietly. "I want you guys to keep on being around. I don't think... I've ever had friends as good as you two"

"I think this calls for a hug now!" Bellamy said. "Don't worry, we'll flick the holosuits off so it doesn't feel weird for ya, hehe".

For a few moments, the Impmon and Elecmon flicked to their natural forms. The two of them hugged Colin who chuckled as he put his arms around them, petting their soft fur. When enough time had elapsed, they withdrew, all their eyes a bit teary.

"Luke, can ya pick a more upbeat song this time?" Bellamy asked his brother. "I think we could try out somethin' to get the mood up".

Luke returned to his holosuit form and flicked through the music book. There he found something that should make Bellamy and Colin happy. Hopefully Mitsuko too, when she came back.

"Hmm... hold on a sec" Luke said, putting the acoustic guitar away, then picked an electric guitar off the rack, plugging it into the speaker, testing it out for a moment. He set the music on a rack in front of him.

"Hey, Bellamy..." Luke said, giving a grin, his blue eyes glinting a bit, one slightly brighter than the other. He gave a strum of the cord as he prepared to play a song. "...do you wanna have a bad time?"

"Oh my god" Bellamy said, staring. "Are... are you really gonna..." he grinned. "Yes. Luke. Do it"

Colin was wondering what this song was going to be. "Hmm. I might check if Mitsuko's okay, she's been a little while" he looked over at the door, seeing that Patamon was still trying to get in. "Oh geez, is she okay?" he suddenly felt bad for not noticing earlier. "Mitsuko, are you alright?" Colin asked, walking up to the door next to Patamon.

---

Next song... Bad times: incoming

Colin could hear from Mitsuko's voice cracking that it seemed the song they had played was a little too much. Hence he found it agreeable that Luke was going to play something more upbeat. It seemed to excite Bellamy after all.

By now the twins had kind of caught on that Mitsuko had been a little upset. They glanced at each other with mutual sympathy for Mitsuko. They understood how sometimes people had gone through a lot of crap, how sometimes they lost their friends and loved ones.

While they didn't know exactly what was up with Mitsuko, they didn't ask to know what happened as she came back into the room, both of them recognizing that memories like that were hard. Bellamy for one would never tell anyone what it was like seeing Luke disintegrate into data in front of him, while Luke had the same memory of seeing Bellamy get grievously injured in their last battle as independent digimon. They also both recognized that humans view death differently to digimon. For them, it was the final end, and both of them respected that fact.

"It's fine" Colin said as Mitsuko apologized for worrying them. She asked to join Luke.

"Of course you can" he said, showing her the song he intended on playing. He was eager to get started.

Bellamy meanwhile looked a bit awkward as Patamon seemed to be quite upset at his hair 'resetting' with his holosuit. "Uh, sorry bout that" he said. "Yeesh, propeller-ears, it's just hair, you can get the nest how it is back in a minute". Bellamy wasn't sure if Patamon was seriously upset.

"Oh Bellamy, how cruel of you" Colin said, jokingly. Bellamy shot him a warning look as though to say 'Don't you start too, pal'.

"Anyways..." Luke said, thinking they might be ready. "Let's start. One... two..."

He strummed the beginning cord, ready for Mitsuko to join in. Now this was something he would hopefully find enjoyable, bobbing his knees to the beat in a rhythm.

Bellamy gave an exasperated sigh as Patamon began to cry. "Ugh, there's probably a reason why Luke's better with kids than I am" he said, sighing, shaking his head. "Hey come on, you ain't gonna think it's the end of the world just because of a freakin' hair thing are ya?" he asked, honestly wondering if it was even worth going out of his way to make it up to Patamon if he was going to be so freakin' sensitive over such a little thing.

"I'm sorry alright?" Bellamy said, backing off, starting to be a bit unhappy at seeing this display. At least the song got his mood up a bit. While Luke would've immediately coddled over Patamon, Bellamy was not used to such babyish behaviour, and would rather just buddy-up with people rather than put up with crying over insignificant things.

Colin didn't think much of it either. Even if he was the 'baby' of his family, he learned long ago that crying didn't get him everything he wanted anymore. They both hoped that Patamon would calm down soon.

Luke meanwhile scratched his head at Mitsuko's question. "Heh, well, just heard it over the interwebs pretty often" he explained. "Bellamy seems to like it".

"Heh, yep" Bellamy said, giving a thumbs up of approval at the song. "Say, how 'bout another one?"

"Sure, but it's Mitsuko's turn to pick one" Luke said. "But yeah, a break sounds good" he accepted the offer of water and drank.

"I wouldn't mind one too" Colin added. Already he was very impressed with this show, and it even made him kind of interested in taking up learning how to play music too. But not today of course. Today was his partner's time to start to play.

Bellamy's eyes widened when he realized he was tricked. This shock quickly turned to anger. How could Patamon do such a thing? "Dude, that wasn't cool" he said, genuinely displeased. Bellamy was used to people only crying if they were genuinely upset.

Colin meanwhile didn't really react with anything other than a chuckle. He didn't mind tricks like that, and seeing that Bellamy was tricked as such was kind of satisfying, considering the amount of tricks the Impmon liked to play with those around him.

Colin was a little surprised when Mitsuko asked him to help her choose a song. "Er... okay" Colin said, unsurely as he approached, accepting the water. He only knew the basics of recognizing musical scores. But at least he recognized a few songs from their titles alone.

Bellamy meanwhile calmed down when Patamon apologized. While he had been miffed by the trick, the Impmon had learned to play it cool when someone apologized. "Ah that's okay" he said, right away. The holosuited digimon shook Patamon's paw. However, he would be on guard for any further tricks.

Colin flipped through the book and eventually found a theme he kind of liked. "How about this?" he asked Mitsuko and Luke, pointing to the page that showed the theme from Skyfall. He looked forward to see how Mitsuko performed on the piano. Presumably Luke would be content to continue playing the guitar.

"Ooh, that looks like a challenge" Luke remarked, hoping he'd be able to perform that. He strummed a few notes on the electric guitar in preparation.