Music ♩=♪=♫=♬

[azirik]

Robert took a breath, glanced at where Mister Walters was and seeing he had not as of yet reached the one quarter mark in front of the class and had yet to begin speaking, he felt safe with replying to Julie. He leaned towards her enough so he could whisper and she could hear easily.

"Well I was acquitted and given a warning. . . . Buuuut Casey was found guilty, and though her reasons were well meant . . . . teach is putting some restrictions on her during class. . . he's confiscating her instrument for the week.." he glances at Casey then looks back at Julie "I thought the world was going to explode when she heard him tell her to hand it over.. . . I think we got off lucky and all but now we're both on the radar now."
he then shrugs with a little silly smirk. "Could have been allot worse...teach wasn't a aaa.....Butt." catching himself before he said the wrong word in the class again. He then sits back in his seat and makes a mental note of the teachers radar ears again.

[kepora]

Kaien halted his playing when he heard the others re-enter and begin speaking - which snapped him out of his little world. "Oh, welcome back! Good to see things didn't escalate unnecessarily." He smiled and nodded, leaning over to look at Mr. Walters. "And, uh...I do hope I didn't overstep my bounds. I have an affinity for these things, so I may have gotten a little carried away when I found out that not only do we have a synthesizer, but it's one that's not half bad, either." A smile spread across his face, Kaien punctuating his inquiry and statement by running his fingers across the keys. "If it helps at all, it has already helped me start brainstorming a song. If instrumental pieces are fine, that is."

"Fuckin' show-off." Alex grumbled to himself, a wince on his face as he reached up to twist his little finger in his ear. That damned ringing noise again, that constant tone...he kind of wanted to just grab a damn drumstick and ram it in there. Maybe THAT would finally stop it. He shook his head, then turned to head back to his seat way in the back, not even close to caring enough to question or hear more about the situation with Casey and Robert.

[Shani]

Kenny observed the goings-on in the class quietly, and with not much concernment. He was more interested in looking over his instrument and in the preparation of note taking than the ongoing drama. He only briefly cast a worried glance towards Julie, and then to Eddy, when the former suggested cursing in solidarity, hoping that his friend wouldn't get himself into any unnecessary trouble. Luckily, Eddy was off in his own world, probably daydreaming about making his own video game or something of the like.

[Humus]

At this point, Mister Walters had steeled himself for another retort from the squirrel, but thankfully she remained cooperative for now and returned to her seat. It was surprising, really. He'd honestly expected the girl's impulsive nature to be uncontrollable. Luckily it seemed she cared just a little more for her education and her image, than she did for showing defiance and misbehaving. However, the extent to which she could contain herself remained to be seen, and he frankly expected the outbursts to resume to second she was free from his disciplinary action. So the next four days would be interesting to be sure. He was curious whether the energetic rodent had the capacity to gain his trust before the end of the week. If not, well... he had other precautionary measures to ensure his students grew to be the best they could be.

Until then, he had a class to wrap up. Only ten minutes to go, and thankfully, a revolt hadn't begun in his absence. The thylacine boy was missing from the group however. It didn't take a genius to determine where he gone though, especially considering he popped his head out of the back-room to apologize for his imprudence. Fortunately, Mister Walters was more impressed than he was mad. "That's quite alright, my good boy. From what I heard out in the hallway, you know what you're doing. Just be careful with that equipment, please. And next time ask permission before going into the back room. Not that I don't trust any you, but last year we had an incident, which resulted in damage to many instruments, and very costly repairs. That synthesizer is still on the mend as well. It's not easy to find parts for. So exercise caution, Kaien. Understood? And return to your seat, if you'd be so kind."

"Now, class...! After that unfortunate interruption, I suppose I should warn you all in advance," the teacher began in earnest, directing his attention to the whole room this time, "The next one of you to swear in this classroom will receive detention. So consider this your one and only opportunity to curb that behavior. You can swear until you're blue in the face when you're outside this room, if you really need to get out of your system, but when you come in here, I expect you all to be polite and courteous to myself and those around you. And that goes for all of you."

Mister Walters targeted Alex with a hard stare then, a very strong indication that he was not ignorant of the raccoon muttering curse words under his breath. He might not have been as loud about it as Casey, but Ben's enormous, fuzzy ears weren't just for looks. They were quite expressive though, as the fennec fox perked up again. A warm smile on his face, he continued as if there'd been no five minute distraction from the already woefully short first day of school. "So then... we have about seven minutes remaining. There's one more worksheet I'd like to hand out to you all before you head home, tonight. It's just a very simple music-sheet exercise, so that I can get an idea what each of your skill levels are. But first, has everyone secured an instrument? Show of hands, if you please."

[kepora]

"Ah, sorry then." Kaien said with a smile and a nod before he turned to the synthesizer, the Thylacine leaned in a bit as he powered it off and began to put it away. "And fair enough. A few of the keys and dials felt a bit loose, I did notice that. And I think my choice is obvious, unless you'd prefer I pick something more...classic?"

"Oh my god, shut the hell up already. Seriously how far up Walters' ass is he gonna shove his nose?" Alex thought to himself, leering at the blue-haired and fairly effeminate classmate that was Kaien. "Goody-goody kissass..." Alex's train of thought as broken when Mr. Walters stared at him - which prompted Alex to shoot back a 'the hell you looking at?' Kind of glare. Nothing that could actually get him in trouble, but it was obvious that he didn't care for being singled out like that. "...I guess I can work with this." He said as he looked at the guitar. "...though I'm more of a vocalist..." He trailed off in a mutter as he lazily raised his arm.

[Riana]

Miri hesitated to raise her arm. Had she secured an instrument? Sure, she had made a choice, but she couldn't secure a harp any more than she could stop a Boeing business jet bare-handed. Furthermore, the meek mouse wasn't sure if the teacher would even allow her to play it if he deemed it unsuitable for her. To raise her hand and blend in with the rest of the class, go unnoticed, or to not move a muscle and pretend she's invisible, like she always does? Miriam couldn't decide and she felt like she could just die.

---

'Getting in trouble on the first day? That's the worst. Except I don't even think swearing is that bad. Those are some big ass ears.'
Max had spent a large portion of their time in this class so far with their head on the desk, cushioned by their arms, appearing to be asleep. 'That piece of shit was too easy...' They tried to ignore the drama going on, they really did, but without any actual music to listen to or play in music class - and not drama class, mind you - it was getting increasingly harder. 'Oh my god, shutimpulsivehellnextfourdaysalreadyWalters'assinstrumentisgonnashovehistroublegirlslockertalkinglikethat?' The civet couldn't even hear the teacher's inquiry over the cacophony of voices, except for one tiny cry, like the mewling of a kitten:
'I could just die right now.'
Max shot up in their seat as if suddenly awaking from a dream, looking around the classroom groggily. "Wha...?"

[Nykel]

The squirrel mutters to herself as she flops into her chair, even her tail's droopy. Stupid school, stupid music, stupid instruments (not you, sacred tube, so terribly torn from her loving grasp). Of course, when the big-eared meanie asked if everyone had secured their instruments... HER MOMENT! IT HAS COME! Wait, is that causing a scene? Would she get in trouble for... screw it. It's true. She doesn't have it. Her beloved friend had been held for ransom. She must stand up for what's right! But wait, if she raises her hand, that means she HAS secured it. If she keeps her hand down, she stays unnoticed. This will not do. There must be some kind of way she can... Yes! That's it!

She leans forward in her chair, closes one eye, and fixes Mr. Walters with the strongest stink-eye she can manage, a look that just screams "You took my one true love from me!"

[Tally Cat]

Julie giggled at Robert's reply.

"Good to hear you got out scot-free. I'm sure you'll both be okay if you lie low," Julie remarked quietly and paused. "I kinda tried to get everyone else to swear so that we could try to get the spotlight off of just you two. Only Alex participated, though, and it was... not what I had imagined," she said and smiled slyly, thinking about the possibilities if she had been able to organize something. "That took up like half the class, though, huh?" Julie added finally and then quieted down so as not to get in trouble herself. Julie raised her hand with her pointer and middle fingers up but the rest lazing down. The day of school was wearing her out. It had been forever since she'd spent this much time in one place other than home.

[azirik]

Robert smirked and stiffled a chuckle hearing Julie explain how she was planning a student revolt in the class. Noticing her sly smile he was about to ask but seeing as the teacher had begun to speak he stayed silent.
Robert looked around the class and saw who had their hand raised, he noticed the Alex kid with a guitar and then looked at Kaien. He kept silent as he thought to himself about bringing in his old beat up bass guitar but was unsure there was a amp in this class or school for that matter that would work with it.
Robert glanced at Julie and noticed her sly smirk and thought to himself to ask her later about that. Glancing around he caught the exchange of eye contact between Alex and the teacher Mister Walters, and thought how that can't be good. It was then he noticed Alex holding the guitar, it was then he then thought about bringing his old beat up bass to school. He glanced around a little more to make note who was in his class and seeing Kenny holding a   instrument then noting the worried look he had when looking in this direction Robert nodded and smiled to him.

[Shani]

Kenny admired the music teacher - how Mister Walters wasn't going to put up with any of the students' shenanigans, and how he created an atmosphere of respect. He also admired Kaien for his musical talent (not only with the violin, but also the synthesizer, and who knows how many more instruments), as well as for his courteousness. Catching Robert's nod and smile, the meerkat simply smiled back. He wasn't quite sure what the wolf was nodding at him for, but it didn't hurt to be amiable towards the other students. Having picked his clarinet, Kenny raised his hand. Presumably, Eddy did also, if he was paying any attention to the teacher, since he did secure the drums that he so wanted, after all.

[Humus]

As Mister Walters casually eyed his students one by one, he was hoping for those without instruments to speak up and save him the trouble of determining for himself who still needed attention, but Kaien was the first to speak up. And he seemed to be most interested in the synthesizer, which was admirable, but not the most appropriate for an orchestra. So he addressed the boy with a suggestion; "Well, you appear to be quite talented with the violin as well, I think. I'd prefer each of you to have a least one orchestral instrument to use during class. However I'm not against students using multiple instruments. So long as they can handle it."

After acknowledging the thylacine, it was Alex's turn to pipe in. His earlier glare hadn't gone unnoticed, but the fennec fox had little desire to antagonize the boy. He seemed to be having a rough enough time on his own, and had clearly been grumpy since he'd entered the room. Mister Walters had considerable trouble reading the raccoon though. Was he just an angry rebellious teen, or did he have issues that ran deeper than a troublesome attitude towards the outside world? Whatever the case, Ben wasn't going to press him on his choice to use the electric guitar. Alex didn't look like the type who could handle more than one instrument, after all. Unlike Kaien. In fact, side-by-side, their personalities were like night and day. One was outgoing, all sunshine and rainbows, and the other had a perpetual, gloomy cloud hanging over them.

"You like to sing as well, do you?" Walters inquired, trying to mend the bridge he'd damaged initially during introductions. "Perhaps you'd be interested in signing up for the class band, then. I suspect it'd be right up your alley. But, uhm..." he paused as his gaze drifted to the guitar and the string that had snapped, "It appears one of the strings on your guitar has snapped. I apologize for that; it got a lot of use last year. I'll get you another wire to restring it at the end of class. Now, anyone else?"

As Mister Walters resuming scanning the faces and belongings of his students, he came across Miriam in the back, sitting stock still with a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. She hadn't raised her hand yet, and there was no visible indication of an instrument in her vicinity either. Was she too shy to speak up? He'd certainly gotten the distinct impression earlier that she was incredibly introverted and soft-spoken. Just as he was about to call upon her though, a body nearby stirred, and the teacher's attention shifted to Max, who'd jerked upright like they'd been sleeping. Ben shook his head at that. He didn't blame them for getting bored, thanks to the interruption, but they too were also lacking an intrument as well. So for the moment, the fennec fox kept his mouth shut.

Instead, he addressed the problem abstractly by picking up the stack of papers the class had handed in. He casually picked through them to find Miriam's and Max's contributions, while still keeping an eye on the class for raised hands. He found the timid mouse's sheet first, and the hesitation in her writing was instantly obvious. The girl had no confidence in herself, going so far as to let the teacher decide her instrument. Even though she'd initially written a suitable answer. But why hadn't she asked about it? Did she think he couldn't accomodate her specific desire? Well... surely harps were uncommon in classrooms, but Mister Walters wasn't a typical teacher, either. Much of his musical arsenal was inherited, and a part of his family's rich history had gifted him with a few very special instruments.

He waited a little longer until he was certain only Miriam and the civet were those still missing instruments, before calling his query to a close. "Alright then, I'll get you two settled. In the meantime the rest of you familiarize yourself with--" Mister Walters had to stop then, as Casey's stink-eye had become a visual distraction, which he'd been attempting to ignore. He sighed and continued, "You'll get yours back soon, Casey. Everyone else, please acquiant yourselves with your instruments. I'll be back momentarily."

With that, Ben departed from the classroom's front stage, and slipped into the backroom where the remaining instruments for the whole school were stacked ceiling high in a special rack designed for each type. The fennec fox made a beeline straight for the rear of the room, still flipping through papers until he found Max's questionnaire. He was most disappointed by the lack of insight into the teen's personality, and in fact was rather concerned by the confusing answer left at the end. That civet was an enigma. No interests, no unique quirks, not even a hint of personality. Except for those parting words; Create a garden between my ears! It sounded like a reference to music, if he'd ever heard one. But why put it under questions and concerns? Walters shook his head again, momentarily vexxed as he dug around in a cart tucked away out of sight. Inside there were several antique instruments that didn't fit the other shelves, and among them was a treasured possession. A silver, hand-sized harp. One he knew would be perfect for a petite lady like Miriam.

Picking an instrument for Max was considerably harder, but Ben had the unusual urge to place the two quiet students close together. Perhaps in the hopes they might help each other out of their shells, or at least befriend one another. Whatever his reasoning, it helped him decide on the flute. As a harpist, he could put Miriam next to the flute section up front, with the civet beside her. Seating arrangements would change tomorrow, but until then he had instruments to deliver. When he appeared again, he was at the back of the classroom, using the rear exit to reach the shy mouse swiftly and with a big, friendly smile on his face. And two instrument cases in tow. As he approached the girl, he knelt down to her level and set the flute case aside so he could hand her the harp.

"I noticed you hadn't put your hand up, Miriam," he said softly to her, keeping his voice down so as not to draw attention from the class. "I can understand if you're shy, but you still need an instrument. I wouldn't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with, though. Now... I hope you dont mind, but I had a peek at your questionnaire. So I think you'll have lots of fun with this, hm?" With a smile and a playful wink, he gently pat the rodent's shoulder. "Don't worry, okay? First days are rough, but it'll get easier."

[Riana]

Miri followed the teacher disappearing into the back room with her gaze. The mouse only noticed that the teacher had reappeared when he was just a few seats away from her and swiftly heading her way. She froze at first, a lump forming in her throat, fearing that she would be reprimanded for not raising her hand or for not speaking up, but then noticed the big, warm smile on his face. When Mister Walters knelt beside her and she found herself face to face with the fennec fox, she could feel her ears turning hot with nervousness. And when the teacher addressed her softly, handing her one of the cases, she felt like she was in the presence of Santa Claus himself, receiving a gift. She hastened to open the right-angled trapezoidal case and nearly suffered a heart attack from what she discovered inside: perhaps the most beautiful harp she'd ever seen. Miriam was awestruck, finding herself even more speechless than normal, if that was possible. Finally, she let out a tiny squee, pressing the palms of her hands against her cheeks and beaming brightly. She would have thrown herself at the teacher and hugged him tight if she weren't shackled by her reticence.

[Tally Cat]

Julie gazed at the clock, noticing that the bell was likely about to ring. She was looking forward to hanging out with Lexy later. Her cheeks warmed at the thought and her sly smirk changed into a smitten smile. She felt her heart beating faster and her whiskers quivered. Hoping no one would notice that anything was amiss with her, she straightened out her legs and arms, putting her folders and books together and gazing at the clock again, but her tail flew high in the air. She nearly grabbed it before thinking about how she ought to just will it to go down and stop giving everyone a big target to look at, especially Alex... and Robert, but in a different way. Shuffling her feet against the floor in frustration, her tail moved down to its normal position and Julie sighed.

Please don't let anyone think weird shit about me right now.

Pulling out her phone, Julie looked at her texts and, since it was the last to have messages sent or receive, the chat with Lexy popped up. Julie started to read through the messages of the day as her tail began to make its way higher up into the air again. Her ears twitched with joy and this time she sighed contentedly.

[azirik]

As the class drew closer to ending Robert watched the teacher present Miriam with a instrument, the act of kindness made him smirk a little and made him think ~maybe this teacher isn't so bed, let me off with a warning and only restricted Casey a little and now this~. Perhaps this would be a good move this time and a good school. He leaned back and stretched his arms up looked at the clock and wondered what his sister was doing about now.
It was during this thought that something off to one side caught his attention and he looked to see what it was.  His left ear raised as a brow perked as Robert sat for a moment with a perplexed look as he watched as Julie's tail flew up, then slowly went down again then slowly began to work its way back up. For some strange reason he found this entertaining and kept watching till his own tail began to wag as Julie's tail went higher.

[Humus]

Although the timid mouse hadn't said a word of thanks, Mister Walters could see the expression of joy that swiftly overtook her. The naturally quiet girl was ironically speechless, and unable to articulate her gratitude save for a small squeak. Of course, the teacher wasn't exactly expecting her to talk, but if she had it surely would've been so soft-spoken as to be a nigh inaudible whisper. Seeing how excited she was was all the reward Ben needed though, as he chuckled softly and gave her petite shoulder another pet. "I'm glad you like it, Miriam. It's a very special instrument for a very special girl, and I trust you'll take excellent care of it," he whispered for her ears only, simply because he didn't want the other students getting the wrong idea.

Mister Walters wasn't planning to play favorites with his students, but that didn't mean some of them wouldn't require extra attention. And Miriam wasn't the only one without an instrument. So once he was finished with the young mouse, he excused himself and left her side to pick up the remaining instrument case. He began moving towards the front of the class then, but stopped halfway down the corridor between desks. Standing beside Max now, he studied the androgenous civet. From what he'd observed earlier they'd been sleeping, or at least dozing, and had been otherwise inactive all period so far. Due to offering such minimalist answers on their questionaire, Max was still a mystery to the fennec fox, but there was only one word he could conjure to describe the student at this juncture: Slacker. There was one in every class, usually. Though to be fair, Mister Walters had initially pegged Alex as the one who wouldn't do the schoolwork given to them.

He, however, seemed interested in the idea of music. Enough to at least claim an instrument of his own. This civet though, Max, had not only shown little effort on the questionnaire, but hadn't even the drive to pick an instrument on their own. They even said in writing that they'd accept whatever the teacher assigned them. That level of apathy suggested that the student just wasn't interested. In the class, the work; whatever might be the case. But it didn't mean they were a lost cause. Mister Walters saw the potential in everyone, and he wouldn't let Max slip away if he could help it.

"You look a little lost there, Max. I hope you've been paying attention. Now... give your lack of an instrument, I assume you don't have a preference. But judging from what you've told me though, I have a feeling you won't mind being assigned one," he said aloud, unlike he had with Miriam. Though it wasn't his intention to single the civet out, they didn't seem to have the same issues as the mouse. Still, Walters took a knee to lower himself to the student's level as he placed the flute case on their desk. In doing so, he also placed a paw on their back, and asked softly, "Is there anything you'd like to talk about in private, Max..?"