A · New · York · Concerto

See, I knew I'd get sucked back in if I tried to just RP /occasionally/. I had a weak moment and visited for a night. And then, I started reading commentaries between poses, and they're all so delightful. I have been sucked in behind the bandwagon, and might as well climb on now.
SO. If there is anyone who still remembers me from so long ago, (ie this summer--which I swear was about three years ago :p ) and would like a commentary on old logs from Lark, Hank, or Anne I will try and commentate them.
(fyi, I do have logs of almost every scene somewhere so even if I haven't posted them I can dig them out from wherever I stashed them and edit them up all shiny. A general sense of what scene you mean will do.)

OOC: I am going on hiatus!
To this end, my OC alts are going away too. Lark's friends, from close to very peripheral will hear in the next few days through a variety of media that she is off to France! There is a very exciting place for her in L'Orchestre de Paris that she simply cannot refuse. In, you know, Paris. Messages on her cell number will probably occasionally be checked, but otherwise Skype will be her only communication with NYC. If someone were to visit her apartment, they would be greeted by Clarissa and her boyfriend, probably out of breath and very hastily clad. The two are subletting Lark's apartment for the duration of her absence.
As far as me, myself, I can be reached through Zenith, occasionally on aim as verafireelf, and I will be reading some logs when I have time-- so here on this LJ.
Hugs and kisses to everyone.
I count the days until I return.

Remembering the name of someone you met in a bar can be hard. Especially if you were tripping at the time. And figuring out how to spell it is even more challenging. Lazzaro is not something that just leaps out, first try.
Thus, it is only this afternoon that a small package has found its way to Vincent's doorstep. It is wrapped in brown paper and tied up with some of that plastic ribbon that curls when you run scissors along it. Fortunately for his neighbor's opinion of him it is dark blue and still straight rather than pale pink and curly. Inside is his suit jacket from the night at the Doghouse, clean and neatly folded, with a moderately expensive bottle of whisky on top of it. There is a folded note with a business card tucked in it. It reads as follows:

Vincent,
Thank you for lending me this the other night. And for trying to look after me. Sorry to be so -- well, high is probably the best word. Not the best night for me. If you ever want to meet my sober self, I play with the Philharmonic in Avery Fischer hall every weekend. Or, just call.
-Lark Acarin

( 'House, Lark -- Lark, house!'[Jackson, Elias] )
A dinner party. Lark meets Jackson's boyfriend who she just happens to already know, and also the house.

I feel sick. Bloated. Disgusting. I must have eaten way over 500 calories today. And I only had my morning run, spent the day practicing which burns practically nothing. At least Jackson and Eli were super nice and the evening wasn't as bad as I worried it might be. No one actually pressing food on me, but I had to eat so much because they kept watching me. It's so much easier at a restaurant where I can just not order. I hate when people try and get me to eat more. Like they have any idea what I should be eating to lose weight and look pretty.
Rehearsal at Stephens tomorrow afternoon, can't forget.

There is a message waiting for Natalie, whenever she next checks her phone, and a missed call from Lark's cell.

"Natalie? It's Lark."
"I--" there is a pause, in which the sounds of morning birds can be faintly heard. Then she begins again, in a soft voice, tight with emotion.
"I'm so sorry.
I really really want to talk to you. Will you call me?
Please?"

The meme is entirely OOC, questions and answers both. Use it as a fun time to find about about characters' choices, motivations, feelings, actions, or anything else you've been wondering.
Feel free to ask about Lark, or the furry blue monster we call Hank.

On a different, and semi-celebratory note, the finals monster is slain! Translation: I'm actually available for RP again, rather than just occasionally lurking suspiciously on game, like I have the last couple weeks. If you need/want a scene with me you are, as usual, welcome to page me.

I just feel confused.
Today was amazing. I felt better than I have in weeks. I was just happy to be--to /be/. I spent nearly the whole day practicing. I can feel it in my fingers, too. But, I couldn't just stop when everything was flowing. First that morning rehearsal with the quartet. That last passage that always pulls me in, I was seriously choked up, felt like I was about to cry for a moment there. The images it conjured up! Thinking about it makes me want to go start playing again. Technically too, quite a few things came together today. Or maybe I was just invested enough to pull myself through the rough spots or something. I hope too goodness I don't lose the feeling all at once.
Then, /then/. I was feeling good enough that I went to talk to Ben. Get it off my chest, right? But I feel like it didn't resolve anything, now I've just promised not to say anything to Natalie when I'm still not sure if I ought to or not. I think I believe him when he says he'll end it with Zenith. But then, I don't know. He was so angry. Whatever I expected it wasn't that. There was just a split second when I was afraid of him. Really, physically afraid. So strange. Now, it seems ridiculous. Ben would never actually hurt anyone.
Talk about adrenaline rush too. Merde, I was so angry when he called Zenith that. Just because of his temper, I realize. If he had really meant that--I definitely wanted to slap him. Not that I would. I like that I can say I have never raised a hand in anger to anyone. I think most of that argument was my fault. I should have gone about it differently. And, of course wanting to' talk about it' is a pretty feminine thing, but I really thought he would meet me halfway. Explain, or something. I'll admit he was right, I was trying to blame him, make it all his fault. When I found out, I don't know, I didn't want any of it to be on Zenith. Now, I'm not so sure. I don't know what exactly I'm going to say to her either. Probably I should wait until Ben's spoken to her, maybe even let her come to me. And Natalie? Well, I guess I'm saying nothing for now.
I know for sure that my opinion of Ben is still fragile. It seems definitely like he changed. But then, I haven't really spoken to him. Since he clearly didn't want me to stay. It's been a while since someone so patently asked me to leave.
So. Now, I feel amazing, today was a /good/ day. But then it also sucked and I feel torn about what I should do.
( 'Woah, okay. So some slutty stage toe says something and you're ready to take me to the chopping block?' [Gargoyle] )
Lark goes to talk to Ben. It is unfortunately no less strange than the last time.

An excerpt of Lark's journal entry for Dec. 2nd:
Detective Chris Rossi.
I wish I'd spent Thanksgiving with his family. I shouldn't impose on Christmas, but that would be amazing if I felt I could. He is such an fascinating person. I still feel like I could really talk to him about anything. If it weren't for the fact that he's, you know, /related/ to Natalie, I would probably have asked his advice about that whole crazyness. I trust people in general, yes, but I really feel like I could trust him with anything.
But then, the other way 'round, I can't tell if he trusts me, if he feels like he could talk to me. He seems like the kind of guy not to say anything to 'spare me' or whatever. It sounded like he was starting to be honest about his experience with cancer, but then he just cut that off. And of course I don't want push. When I asked about Ororo and he reacted, too. Only family asks him that kind of thing. Does that mean I ought not to?
Some people I just always want to wrap up in a hug. Like they're always just a little sad about something. Or, I don't know why, maybe something else. Stephens been a bit like that, because of his breakup I think. He took that so hard. Then Chris is another. Heh. don't know quite how he'd react if I just started hugging him every time I see him.
The night was fun in general though. The concert went smooth as butter and then that's a fun group drunk, even when I'm staying sober. Someday I should record Naomi and play it back to her when she's sober. She's so in love with everyone drunk, and then she can be such a drama queen otherwise. I'm not as exhausted as I have been for the last couple weeks. Maybe I'm getting used to this desperate pace. God forbid. I look forward to New Years as a ray of peace and quiet.

( 'You sure you're lesbian? Bi would be easier.' [Rossi] )
Lark introduces her not-boyfriend to her not-brother. Rossi is so right.

( OOC: The rest of Lark's journal entry, because waiting up for my roommate is just not the most exciting ever. )

I should tell Natalie.
No, I should go yell at Ben, to make up his putain de mind! I could just--ugh. Was my opinion of him so wrong? Or did he change that much while he was gone? I can't believe he'd do that to Natalie. He must know about her first girlfriend, and how that ended. I mean, for it to happen /again/. Poor Natalie. Even if I should tell her I don't know if I could face it, to be the bearer of such bad news.
I don't know that I blame Zenith at all in this. I've never been in that situation myself, at least not while knowing I was the other, but I could see myself ending up there. I might feel different if she started the whole thing, but he did. He should just have broken up with Natalie, if he set so little store by the relationship. I understand open relationships, monogamy isn't for everyone, or perhaps even for most. But, cheating, no. Be honest if the relationship is over.
If it happened to me, would I want to know? Or, if there was a chance the relationship could be saved, would I want to continue on in blissful ignorance?
Should I tell Natalie?
( 'It's not /that/ weird. I did date him before.' [Zenith] )
Lark learns some shocking news over dinner, and is presented with a moral dilemma.

How long has it been since I last went ice skating? That was so much fun. I'll probably wake up tomorrow morning with bruises all over, but it was worth it. We must have been hilarious to watch, falling, and pulling each other over.
I'm so glad I called Stephen on Thursday. I'm sad that breaking up with his girlfriend last month left him with no Thanksgiving plans of course, but it was just serendipitous for me. Sauted green beans in Thai peanut sauce isn't exactly traditional, but it was delicious. And then talking for forever. I can't believe I actually fell asleep while we were talking. Far too much food, probably. I don't remember falling asleep either, just waking up to Stephen laughing. It was nice of him to let me stay, nice to sleep next to someone again, no strings, but that bed of his is tiny. Really, from that I would never have guessed he was in a serious relationship for a year. They must have always spent the night at her place or something.
Tomorrow is bottle of cheap wine and deep dark secrets night, secrets at my insistence, wine at his. Should be hilarious. We'll probably just end up singing badly and complaining about exes. Thank goodness the couple who lives downstairs is out of town for the holiday. Only just moved in and already complaining about my practicing.
Maybe I really should move. I can afford it now, actually. I'm not rich or anything, but with the steady money from the Phil, I'm remarkably solvent. Roommates would be the next question. I lived with people for so long, and I do really love it. Then, living on my own is so completely different. Better? Probably not. But, I don't drive anyone crazy with my tone exercises, and there's no one watching how much I eat. Do I even know anyone who needs a place at the moment. Hm. It can't hurt to ask around I suppose.

OOC:I managed to forget to post this, who knows why. But, log! from Lark's Halloween party.
( 'Looks like you managed to invite half of Manhattan.' [Natalie, Zenith] )