Professionalism

The suited stallion simply laid there for a moment, taking in the scenery; the ballroom was predictably huge, enough to fill a hundred, if not more. The large windows led out to the famous Canterlot Gardens, a few birds chirping away as he laid there for a moment, the cellist's eyes narrowed as she gently cradled her instrument, setting it back in it's case before walking up to the maestro. "Are you ill?" He hadn't caught it before, but she certainly had a distinct Canterlot accent to her rather modulated voice. "You seem to be lost." The mare's violet irises betrayed her rather pleasant voice, seeming to near-violently glare at the stallion on the floor as she adjusted her mane with her hooves.

Feeling flustered, the maestro rose to his hooves before bowing courteously, a blush on his face. "N-No, I'm not lost. In fact, I'm right where I need to be." He smiled, glad that not only was his voice back, but the other stipulations had been lifted, just as the Princess said. "I'm unsure if you were expecting me, but please, let me introduce myself. My name is Step Lock; making it to the ballroom was my 'audition', if you will, to get into the Royal Orchestra. I was told to listen for a cello, and...well, lo and behold." Step chuckled nervously, the mare's robotic stare seeming to pierce right through him, stoic glare causing Step to shrink a little. ...She certainly carries an air of professionalism around her. To be expected of such an orchestra. Her lavender eyes seemed to be 'scanning' him, as though seeing if they were even worthy of being in the same room. Not the time to be thinking that.

"...We've had no need for a maestro ever since our conception. I fail to see why we would need one now." The musician turned away, an exhale releasing some of the tension in her body as she moved to sit down on a chair nearby.

A silence filled the air where his hope had once blossomed, a dissonance hanging in Step's mind as the cellist opened her mouth to speak, with the first instance of emotion he'd heard from her since he arrived. "Who sent you?" She raised an eyebrow, Step moving to approach her cautiously, as though the floor was made of glass.

"P-Princess Luna." He felt blood rush to his face as he moved closer to her, pulling up a chair to set next to her. "I realize that this may be a...difficult thing to accept. You've been playing without a maestro ever since the group was formed, and..." A somewhat surprised look from the mare cut him off as she turned to face him.

"The Princess herself sent you?" The mare was incredulous as she attempted to process the information she'd just been told. This young stallion? A maestro?

Feeling a small bit of confidence return to him, a small smile formed on his face as he nodded. "Yes. Lyra Heartstrings picked me up at Manehattan, and I met Princess Luna here. She gave me my assignment, and I did as she requested." He paused for a moment, mentally slapping himself for his rude...if unintentional interruption. "Pardon me, but...I never caught your name, my lady."

She stood up, still a little shocked as she looked at the maestro, her stoic look faltering a little as she introduced herself. "Octavia Philharmonica, Concertmaster of the Royal Orchestra. You've no need to refer to me with a title." Octavia bowed, but it seemed to be only out of courtesy as she immediately returned to her cello, inspecting it closely.

A silence hung in the room as she set her cello down, looking at the main entrance to the ballroom. "The others will be here in-"

"Five minutes or so, you were about to say?" A blue stallion entered the room, jovially humming a small tune as he opened an eye, striking green irises seeming to pierce the maestro as they turned to him. However, it wasn't just his eyes that intimidated him, oh no; there was a certain weight to him. As though the air around him was heavier, the gravity in the room suddenly intensifying as he'd entered so nonchalantly...was this truly what it meant to hold such power?

Of course, all that could just as easily be explained by the fact that he'd been balancing what appeared to be a custom made, solid gold harp on his back; and without effort! How strong was this pony...? "I expected Frederic to already be here by now. He's usually earlier than you are, Octavia." His tone was about as lighthearted as his attitude, a smile on his face as he set the harp down gently onto the stage.

"I presume he has business to attend to...no matter." The cellist looked at the harpist, whose eyes were now affixed on the young maestro who was trying (keyword is trying) to introduce himself.

It was certainly not made easier by the stallion's appropriately large muscles growing more defined as he merrily trotted to the maestro. "H-Hello. I am-" The larger stallion's smile grew wider as he tightly gripped the poor maestro in a bear hug, the maestro's lungs near-immediately vacating themselves of air.

"Man, it's been a while since we've had another join our ranks!" The azure menace chuckled, noting Step's audible (and very much futile) attempts for air before letting him go, the smaller stallion's body immediately dropping to the ground. "Name's Harpo. Harpo Parish Nadermane; String and Brass player for the Royal Orchestra."

Step took a while to breathe, coughing violently as he attempted to compose himself, sides hurting from just how tightly he'd squeezed his smaller body. "Celestia, you...you have quite a set of hooves." He straightened his posture a bit, taking a few deep breaths before (once again) attempting to introduce himself. "My name is S-"

At least, until a sky blue blur cut him off, Step feeling a mare's tail slap him across the face as she swiftly pivoted to give the harpist a lightning fast slap to the face...with a trumpet in her hoof to boot! The stallion seemed relatively unaffected, however; managing to shrug off the blow, he smiled as he gave the smaller mare a more gentle hug. "Good to see you too, Brass. Take a look at the colt behind you; apparently, he's joining us as a maestro!"

The mare exhaled, turning around and looking at the stallion with a small smile, purple eyes closing as she politely bowed. Reaching inside of her trumpet, she pulled out some parchment and a quill, beginning to write... You'll have to pardon my coltfriend's...rather boisterous behavior. My name is Beauty Brass; Brass and String player for the Royal Orchestra. Step reached out a hoof to grab the quill before pausing.

Wait a second, she could hear him...Harpo, right? Why am I trying to write back? Mentally slapping his forehead, he instead took a bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Brass...now, before I get cut off again, I'd like to formally introduce myself. My name is-" He found himself cut off by a sudden gust of wind rolling into the room, a stallion with a light brown coat entering from a door off to the side, his green irises quickly traveling to the maestro.

"...Apologies for the lateness; I had some business to settle. Shall we get to work?" The white maned stallion walked past the maestro, who opened his mouth to speak...

Only to have another gust of wind cut him off, Princess Luna swooping in behind her whilst carrying Lyra on her back with a small smile. "I'm glad to see you made it in such short time, maestro." The rest of the group, save Octavia and Lyra, turned to Step.

"I beg your pardon, maestro?" Frederic was the first to interject, Step shrinking a little as the fellow musician stepped up to him. "...Why a maestro? We've not had one since our conception; why would we possibly need one now?" Luna gently pulled Frederic back magically, Step falling onto his flank and looking away, flushed with embarrassment.

"I've seen your bonds grow weaker. Your dreams grow more troubled, your thoughts grow more uncertain. As a whole, I had thought what you needed was time; what I think you need now is guidance. While I may not be here, I place my trust in someone else...someone whose job it is to guide you, will do so, whether it be interpersonal relations or in music." The Princess summarized, looking at Step with a smile that seemed to fade, a stoic look on her face. "But there lies an important question for you, Step Lock. One that can't simply be answered beforehand, no matter what your inclination to music is."

Her horn lit up, and very quickly, all became dark.