This took forever, I missed the Trope Bingo cutoff date for actually trying to get Bingo, but there was no way I wasn't going to finish and post this.
"There it is!" Mist held up the tube of raspberry lip gloss triumphantly and slipped it into her skirt pocket. She debated mascara and face powder before decicing today was a low-key kind of day. She ran a brush through her hair, checked her bookbag to make sure everything was in place, then headed downstairs. Dad was pouring coffee, and Mom was filling five plates with bacon and hash browns. Ike and Soren must be stopping by for breakfast, she thought with a laugh. Sure enough, the door opened a moment later and there they were.
"I knew I smelled bacon," Ike said eagerly as he sat at his usual place. Even though he hadn't lived at home for the past couple years, they still considered it "his" spot, so he'd have somewhere to sit if he ever wanted to visit. And of course, Soren's place remained even though Soren hadn't lived with them since he was sixteen. If Ike was there, Soren wasn't too far away.
"Good morning, kids!" Mom said cheerfully. "The eggs will be ready in a minute, and the toast-" She was cut off by the toaster's ding, and Soren rushed to load another plate with toast slices. "Oh, perfect timing!" When the eggs were ready, Mist carefully placed them on yet another tray and brought them to the table. Once everyone was seated before a full plate and a full glass or mug of their preferred drink, they dug in.
Mist didn't consider herself much of a morning person, but it was worth it to have a nice, leisurely breakfast with her family. It was nice even if it was just her, Mom and Dad, but she loved when Ike came over for meals. Ever since he'd left for college the house felt a little empty, and she and Ike had always been pretty close.
"This is good, Mrs. Svenson," Soren said between bites. "Er, I mean, Elena." Mom smiled.
"I'm glad. And thank you for remembering my name," she teased. It wasn't that Soren was shy and overly polite-far from it, actually. He was grumpy and rude and overall pretty bad with people who weren't Ike; his calling Mom and Dad Mr. and Mrs. Svenson was his way of keeping his distance. At least it had been. After living there for so long he'd grudgingly come to think of them as his family, which made Mist happy. In spite of everything she liked Soren, enough to consider him a second brother.
"I'll be home early tonight," Dad announced. "First time in a long while, too. That house is finally finished and it's our last major project for the next few weeks."
"And we can see it, right?" Mist asked. Her father ran a highly successful contracting company and did most of the building himself; in fact, he'd helped build a good chunk of the houses in town. His company always did great work and Mist couldn't have been prouder.
"Soon," her father said. "The family who bought it isn't moving in until next week, so maybe over the weekend I'll show you aroud."
"Oh, dear, are you sure that's a good idea?" Mom asked. "You'll make the kids want to live there!"
"Mom, we're not kids anymore," Ike said around a mouthful of eggs before swallowing. "Soren and my apartment's perfectly good! Except when the heat doesn't work."
"And I love our house just fine, thank you," Mist said. "Although when Rolf and I decide to-"
"That's enough." Dad held up a hand. "I don't wanna hear another word about that until you two graduate high school."
"Daaaad!" Mist shook her head. She knew he was only exaggerating, Dad had always been easygoing about her relationship with Rolf. For the most part. He still made her keep the door open whenever they went to her room together for even a moment, and he was pretty stern about her ten-thirty curfew. Of course, she also knew he was being protective of Rolf; Dad considered Rolf and his older brothers sons of his own, having hired Oscar shortly after their mother walked out and their father died.
"Great meal, Mom," Ike said as he polished off the last of his food. "Soren, let me know when you're done so we can get going."
"I am." Soren's plate was still half-full, his appetite being as small as Ike's was big. Mom frowned as she studied what was still on that plate.
"Soren, maybe you should eat a little more before you leave. Or at least take it with you...you know I worry about you going hungry."
"Elena-"
"Please." Mom gave him her patented I'm not taking no for an answer look, and Soren sighed, wrapping his second piece of toast and a strip of bacon in a napkin and slipping it into the pocket of his oversized black coat.
"Thank you for breakfast, Elena," he said politely, then picked up his bag and followed Ike out the door. Mist drank the last of her orange juice and stood up.
"I should get going, too. I promised Jill I'd meet her at the corner." She kissed each of her parents goodbye, grabbed her books, applied her lip gloss and headed out the door. It was a beautiful, clear morning and if the weather people could be trusted it would stay just as clear all day.
-x-
"Yo, Ike!" He and Soren hadn't taken two steps onto campus when a blur of red and purple ran up to him. "Just went by the office, Professor Sephiran's out sick today so we've got the afternoon free!" Ike laughed as he offered his hand for a fist bump.
"Great! So what should we do?"
"I suggest doing the homework he assigned two days ago," Soren said, then nodded politely towards Mia. "Hello, Mia." Even though Ike and Mia had briefly dated their first year of high school, the normally insecure Soren didn't have a problem with her and Ike still being friends. This was a relief for Ike, who remembered how jealous and insecure Soren could get back then even after they got together.
"Hey, Soren! Now come on, what do you really wanna do with our free afternoon? Homework's for evenings!"
"I was being serious," Soren said. "I enjoy Professor Sephiran's lessons and his assignments, as well as his command of the subject matter." Mia rolled her eyes.
"You are so boring! Always lost in your books!"
"I find books make far better companions than most humans," Soren said prissily, and Ike rolled his eyes. Soren was mellowing out a bit lately, but he still played up his distate for most people to win arguments or get people off his back. Fortunately, Mia was all too used to it.
"Aww, you're so cute when you're mad at everything."
"That aint cute!" Another familiar voice signaled the arrival of Boyd, another childhood friend of theirs. "You women just can't get enough of the bad boys, can you? Then again, I can see why." He grinned as menacingly as he could manage, which really wasn't that menacing. Boyd was the sort of person who liked to act badass, but deep down he was no more harmful than a puppy.
"Right, I fell for you cause you're so dangerous," Mia teased, going over to Boyd and draping herself across one broad shoulder. "Remember the time you didn't do your science homework for a week? And that game you rented and took back three days late? Oh, and those food fights on meatloaf day in high school, ooh, you rebel you!"
"Aw, you-" Boyd turned an interesting shade of red. "I'm wicked bad and you know it!"
"A wicked dork." She kissed him before he could argue back.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" A familiar, skittish voice greeted them. Soren rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, Pelleas, you're eighteen years old. You're too old to be scared of people making out." Pelleas was Soren's half-brother on their father's side, and the two couldn't be any more different aside from both being intelligent young men who weren't too great with people. They got along better than they did when they first met, but the tension between them was still obvious.
"Must you pick on him? Some big brother you are." And of course, Pelleas's girlfriend had to be one of Soren's least favorite people. Micaiah Kirsch wasn't a bad person by any means, but she and Soren had personalities similar to mixing oil and water. Or lemon juice and baking soda, Ike thought. Fortunately, one pleading look from Pelleas stopped Micaiah from going any further.
"It's too bad Professor Sephiran is sick today," Micaiah said. "I was looking forward to his next lesson."
"Oh, come on! How often is it we get a free day off?" Boyd laughed. "Really, we should be talking about what we're gonna do this afternoon. I vote we go back to Ike's place for gaming. Someone owes me a rematch in King of Fighters!"
"Aww, someone still butthurt I kicked their ass last time?" Heather, a tall blonde with a fondness for money and a dislike of boys, sauntered over. Beside her stood the shy, blushing Nephenee, another old friend of the gang's. Heather had transferred over to Nados Academy in the fall and wasted no time flirting with every girl in school. Especially Nephenee, who was becoming more and more charmed by her every day.
Naturally, Boyd didn't particularly enjoy being teased by a flamboyantly lesbian girl gamer.
"You got lucky, blondie. This time, your ass is grass!" he threatened. Heather just shrugged.
"Whatever. So you avoid lookin' like a dork in front of your girlfriend once, you'll have plenty more chances!" she teased. Soren rolled his eyes.
"Why don't we find something less competitive to do with our time? Something that doesn't involve Boyd giving us a headache trying to prove his manliness?"
"Actually, we should probably take time to practice before our gig tonight," Mia said. Ike, Boyd, Mia, Mist, Oscar and Rolf had formed a cover band some time ago, and tonight was their first official show.
"Oh yeah." Ike laughed. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about tonight!"
"Why don't we all just grab a burger, maybe catch a movie, then you guys can go back to Ike and Soren's place?" Heather suggested. Naturally, the mention of a burger triggered the appearance of Mia's best friend.
"White Castle's having a special...we could go there..."
"Perfect!" Mia hugged Ilyana. "When it comes to food you have the best ideas!" Beside Pelleas, Micaiah gagged.
"If we have to have fast food, can't we at least go somewhere that has salads or veggie burgers?" Everyone except Pelleas rolled their eyes. Micaiah was a vegetarian, or at least someone who tried to avoid meat as much as possible. How anyone could hate meat that much was beyond Ike, who thought veggie burgers were a form of masochism. Or sadism. Or both.
"Fine, we'll go to the hippie farmer's market on the way," Boyd snorted.
"Or we could screw arguing and just hit Denny's," Zihark said, coming up and putting his arm around Ilyana. "They've got everything." Micaiah's eyes lit up at the mention of Denny's.
"It's Baconalia! Of course!" Everyone snickered, this time even Pelleas. Bacon was Micaiah's one major weakness.
"Okay, then. Denny's, possibly a movie, and then back home," Soren said. "We should write this down, so nobody forgets."
"Soren! You act like we're goldfish!" Mia snorted. Just then, the campus was crowded with students going from one class to the next, and Ike groaned. Algebra with Professor Mordecai was next, and as much as he liked Professor Mordecai, he hated math almost as much as history.
"You might wanna remind me, at least. Just in case my brain melts." Soren smiled and rolled his eyes.
"Try not to fall asleep today."
"I'm not making any promises." Ike grinned and pulled Soren close for a short kiss, then dashed off to the maths wing of the building. Behind him, he heard Mia say something and Soren shout at her, followed by Boyd cursing as he realized he was late for a class on the whole other side of the building.
-x-
Every day she takes a morning bath to wet her hair, wraps a towel around her and is headed for the bedroom chair...
The song on the radio was catchy, but today was anything but "just another day". No, for Calill there was no such thing. Not when the Key Largo was fast becoming the most popular joint in Melior! Oh, sure, they'd always had reasonable success as a bar, but when the pawn shop next to them closed and sold them their space, they'd done some major re-renovations and turned their humble little pub into a music club. Naturally, this proved to be a hit with the teenage and college crowds.
Calill hummed along with the radio as she draped a brightly-colored macrame duster over the back of each chair. Every few weeks she liked to redecorate the pub a little, add something new or improve on something existing, retire something old only to bring it back. Largo would shake his head and tease her, but she knew he didn't mind all that much. "Whatever keeps the place lively," he'd always say.
She could have made a career out of interior decorating. She almost had. Some women would scorn her for choosing marriage and adopting a child over a full career, but she was more than satisfied. Largo was wonderful, Amy was the sweetest little thing, and her degree was far from going to waste. The regulars admired her skill as much as they did Largo's hospitality.
It's just another day...
She placed a burnt-orange velvet coaster under a ketchup bottle, stood back, shook her head, then replaced the orange coaster with a tan one.
"Much better." Same color family, less eye-blinding. "Now, maybe a few garlands over the molding...and oh, the new plates and mugs arrived!" Mugs and plates she'd customized online and ordered less than a week ago, no less. She opened the carton and began to set the places at each table. Tonight the place had to look especially good, since it was the public debut of The Mercenaries and the place would no doubt be packed.
The radio station started to play a Rolling Stones tune, and Calill began to sing along as she worked.
Yesterday don't matter if it's gone...
-x-
"Leo! Hey, Leo, you did the homework last night, right?" Leonardo nodded without looking up from his book, and Edward sighed with relief. "Good, cause I kinda didn't finish mine." This time Leonardo did look up, rolling his eyes.
"Dummy. You always leave things until the last minute and I've always got to cover for you. When are you gonna start paying more atten-"
"Luna, Serena doesn't need a stupid lecture right now, she needs the stupid answers." And immediately Edward cursed himself for even knowing who those characters were. Thanks a lot, Laura. "Look, I promise this is the last time!"
"Don't say that." Leonardo sighed and opened his notebook. "You know I don't mind helping you out, but I wish you'd reconsider letting me tutor you instead of just letting you copy me all the time."
"But I've got the attention span of a moth!" Edward groaned. "I'd just be wasting your time."
"Come on, Eddie. You looked out for me after my dad died and my whole family fell apart, you helped me find my missing grandfather, you were my friend when everyone else just felt sorry for me. Helping you memorize lines from Robert Frost poetry's the least I can do."
"Aww, Leo..." Edward leaned against his friend's shoulder as he stared down at the notebook page. "Well...maybe I don't need to copy you. Just read the poem with me and help me figure out what I'm looking for." Leonardo laughed.
"Well, it's a step in the right direction. Now come on, let's get cracking before Ms. Beignon shows up. She may be nice, but she's not that lenient when it comes to homework."
"Thanks." Edward smiled. "You really are the best friend a guy could have!" And as Leonardo began to read, Edward found that for once, he actually cared what was happening in the poem.
-x-
"Marcia Flaguerre! Put that cell phone away this instant!"
"Eep! Sorry, Professor Tanith!" Marcia shut off the phone and shoved it back into her purse. "That was just my brother, he was-"
"Ms. Flaguerre. I understand you think it's your job to take care of that idiot, but there's a time and a place for everything and my class is not the place for lecturing wayward siblings." Tanith pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to be too angry. She knew it wasn't Marcia's fault her brother was the worst idler in all of Tellius, and she knew Marcia walked a line between giving up on him and trying to reform him. But it was his choice to call her during class, and Marcia had too much potential to let her learning be disrupted by his nonsense.
"Sorry," Marcia muttered, turning back to her notes. Tanith's face softened; Marcia didn't embarrass easily but Makalov was a sore spot for her.
"If you'd like to talk about it after class, I have fifteen minutes free," she said.
"And you can always talk to me anytime," Astrid Damiel added. She and Marcia had been best friends since high school and Astrid was the sort of person who didn't seem to know how to take sides. And that's why she still has those two men fighting over her, Tanith thought ruefully, then cursed the fact that she knew way too much about the personal lives of her students.
"Thanks. Um, you can get back to the lecture now, Professor, my phone's turned completely off," Marcia said. Tanith smiled and returned to the board. Thankfully, Makalov's phone call was the only interruption for the rest of the class.
-x-
"Owwww, my spleen!"
"Owwww, my wang!"
"Owww, my-"
"Gatrie. Shinon. I'd appreciate it if you two would get back to work instead of doing your Beavis and Butt-Head routine," Greil said, and the two immediately snapped to attention, Shinon especially.
"Sorry, boss. It was his idea, though! I was just trying to fix the bath faucets like a good guy and he-"
"Oh, come off it, Shinon." Titania, Ike and Mist's godmother and one of Greil's oldest friends, put down the plans she was examining and rolled her eyes. "You're just as much of a goof as he is and the boss knows it. No need to suck up." Shinon turned bright red at the emphasis placed on the word "suck", while Gatrie just snickered.
"Ahem." Greil shook his head. "Sometimes I swear you three never did age past freshman year of college."
"I was in your freshman year of college," Titania reminded him.
"I said what I said."
"Sorry, boss," Gatrie said. "We'll get back to work. But listen, I gotta knock off early, remember? I told Astrid I'd take her to the Key Largo for the band's show."
"Hmph. I still can't believe that snot-butted little twerp Ikey's playing the club scene!" Shinon grumbled. "I'm only going cause that Aimee chick from the store begged me and I wanna see the look on Ike's face when I show up with his ex." He snorted towards Gatrie. "And you, goin' out with some jailbait college chick."
"She's not jailbait! She's nineteen years old and she's very mature for her age," Gatrie insisted.
"And Shinon, Aimee technically isn't Ike's 'ex'. For that, he would have had to actually date her," Titania said. "So I don't think Ike will bat an eyelash at you going with her. In fact, me might be perfectly happy for you managing to get a date."
"Manage nothing, lady, I could have any chick I wanted!" Shinon boasted. "I just play hard to get!" Greil cleared his throat.
"As fascinating as all of this is, the sooner we finish with this house the sooner we can break for lunch. And I'm sure you three are starving, coffee and donuts aren't all that filling."
"Right, chief." Gatrie set to work with the bathtub while Shinon rushed to help Greil with the doorbell.
"And if there's anything else I can do, boss, you name it!"
"I appreciate your dedication, Shinon."
-x-
There was nothing like a good workout. Her next match wasn't for another week, but any wrestler worth their salt kept in shape no matter how often they fought. Besides, nothing could be more satisfying than kicking some ass on the mat! Nailah grinned as she shook hands with her partner.
"Good throwdown, Tibarn."
"Always a pleasure, Nailah." The hawk tossed his towel over his shoulder. "Same time tomorrow?"
"Sure thing!"
"Ah, there you are." Nailah turned around and smiled; Rafiel stood in the doorway with basket in his hands and a smile on his face. She smoothed back the loose strands of her ponytail and moved to greet him.
"Dear, how did you get all the way here? Your wings don't work, and you-"
"Reyson gave me a ride. I only had one class this morning, so I thought I'd surprise you. I brought you some sandwiches and Gatorade."
"Reyson's here?" Tibarn's ears perked up.
"Just to drop me off. He said to tell you he was staying late on campus this afternoon, and he might reconsider going to the club with you tonight," Rafiel said. Tibarn shrugged.
"Well, he said he'd think about it at least."
"Reyson's not into the club scene?" Nailah asked.
"He doesn't think garage bands people get into just for the fun of it should go professional," Tibarn said. "Not sure how 'professional' playing a little nightclub in Melior really is, though. I think they just got the gig cause Mia and Largo are buddies."
"I've never understood Reyson's aversion to garage bands," Rafiel sighed. "He can be so picky and...elitist, when it comes to music. Just because he, Leanne and I are so serious about it doesn't mean others have to be...can't we just get along?"
"Oh, honey..." Nailah gave him a gentle bear hug and kissed his forehead. "Reyson is who he is. He's always been stubborn."
"Well, ever since our home burned to the ground and he's had to protect Father, Leanne and I..." Rafiel looked down. The fire that had destroyed the Serenes Forest estate years ago was still a raw wound for the heron family, and Nailah's heart suddenly ached for Rafiel. She hugged him closer, mindful of his fragile wings, and brushed a hand through his hair.
"I...think I'm gonna call Reyson," Tibarn said. "Just to make sure he got back to campus safely." He dashed off to the locker room, and Rafiel suddenly looked guilty.
"I apologize for having brought up such a heavy topic," he said. "The past is the past. We're all right now...we survived. And I owe everything to you." Nailah nodded as she remembered meeting the elder heron for the first time. Broken wings, severe burns on his legs that kept him from walking, lingering cough. Back then she'd been serving as an intern at the local hospital...back then, she'd thought she wanted to be a physical therapist when she grew up. That hadn't quite panned out, but meeting Rafiel and helping him get back on his feet was more than good enough.
"How about I go take a shower? Then we'll go outside and eat...did you make the sandwiches yourself, by any chance?"
"Leanne helped," Rafiel said. Rafiel was better at most domestic chores than Nailah herself, but cooking was still a weak spot for him. She led him to the waiting area, then headed off to the locker room for a quick shower. A good workout could only be topped by good food and a quiet afternoon with the man she adored.
-x-
"Another reason this was a good idea is we can eat outside. I mean, outside people aren't gonna look at you funny if you got grease on your cheek," Boyd said, taking another huge bite of his sandwich. As it turned out, Denny's was especially crowded during lunchtime and no one wanted to stand around waiting for a table. Luckily, the local 7-11 had an actual deli counter now, so they'd ordered takeout and gone to eat on the front steps of the library.
"And they'll put together anything you want," Ike said, taking a huge bite of a sandwich that must have had every kind of meat known to man. Micaiah rolled her eyes and took a bite of her salad.
"You and your meat fetish."
"Says Miss I'll take extra bacon on my salad," Boyd teased. "And speaking of which, cold bacon is just wrong."
"It is not!" Micaiah popped a piece into her mouth and chewed, savoring the smoky flavor. Cold bacon, warm bacon, bacon bits...it was a weakness, a hypocrisy and she knew it. But the pull was just too strong to resist. As long as she didn't think too hard about where it came from.
"Better cold than warm on a salad," Zihark pointed out. "Not that I'd know!" Micaiah laughed.
"Zihark, everyone and their dog knows your family doesn't keep kosher anymore. You're eating a sandwich with cheese on it right now!" Zihark blushed.
"I know, I know."
"I love eating at your house, Zihark," Ilyana sighed, a dreamy look on her face. "Especially when your parents aren't home." Micaiah hid a grin behind her salad fork; she and Ilyana were close friends and Ilyana had told her quite a few stories behind the other reason she loved her food so much.
Beside her, Pelleas coughed nervously.
"So, um...did anyone read the page Professor Sephiran said to?" he asked nervously, staring into his cup of soup. "I thought it was pretty fascinating."
"It was, yes." Soren took a sip of his coffee. "I felt-"
"Boys, boys! This's our time off, let's not talk about school!" Heather laughed. "C'mon, who watched Family Guy the other night?" That got her a groan from half the table. Micaiah included.
"Family Guy was amazing and nearly perfect in the first few seasons," she said. "The characters were jokes, but they were still human underneath the sight gags and stupidity. Now it's nothing but topical humor and seeing how far they can cross the line with serious real world issues."
"I know what you mean," Mia said around a mouthful of sandwich. "I mean, yeah, I kinda liked seeing Stewie maturing over time and Meg fighting back and-"
"Sorry, you lost me when you said Stewie maturing," Soren interrupted. "When I did watch the show, solely as a guilty pleasure, Stewie was the most entertaining part because he was a selfish, cruel, evil little hellspawn. Heroic characters don't always have to be kind and gen-mmph!" He was cut off by a corn chip popped into his mouth.
"Eat, Soren," Ike scolded. Soren bit into the chip and gave Ike a look, Ike smiled and Soren softened. Sometimes I wonder how Ike puts up with him. Then again, Micaiah thought, Pelleas had put up with her when she was still a naive teenager standing on a soapbox, as if ranting and raving would change the world. Almost like-
"Brian aint as good as he used t' be," Nephenee mumbled, stirring the melting remains of her Slurpee with her straw. That was the main reason Micaiah felt the show was going downhill. "Usedta be smarter, an' the only voice'a reason 'round that house. Now he's...y'know..."
"A self-important douchebag," Ilyana said. Everyone gasped, Ilyana did not normally curse. "What?"
"Wow, you sure there's no booze in that lemonade you're drinking?" Heather teased. "Though if that's what it takes to make you come outta your shell, baby, Nephy and I-"
"Heather!" Nephenee shrank back against the stairwell. Zihark glared at Heather, who shrugged it off as if it were nothing.
"I was kidding!" Again, Pelleas coughed nervously and this time Micaiah was a little annoyed. He was no innocent, of course; she still felt tingly all over when she remembered that one time in the library. But talking about it in mixed company was a whole other story and she wished the rest of the gang would remember that. She tipped her container of ice cream in his direction and handed him a spoon.
"Ah...thanks, Micaiah." He helped himself to a generous mouthful and concentrated on chewing and swallowing, while Micaiah tried to stave off her own dirty ideas for later that night.
"So back to the subject. Who did actually watch Family Guy the other night?" Boyd asked. Again, they descended into a mad debate that lasted throughout the rest of the meal and the entire way back to Ike's apartment.
-x-
Across town, Elincia Ridell Crimea was enjoying a leisurely ourdoor picnic with her closest friends and her beloved boyfriend. Whom she was a tiny bit confused by at the moment...no, not confused. Bemused. And maybe a little amused.
"Geoffrey, dear, that's your fourth Dr. Pepper today," Elincia chided. "How did you leave the dentist with a clean bill of health last time?"
"I'm more curious as to how he doesn't have kidney stones yet," Lucia snorted. Geoffrey gave her a dirty look as he cracked the can open.
"There's no proven link!" he protested, and took a swig. "Aaah, that's the stuff!"
"I've never heard you use that phrase before," Bastian chuckled, taking a sip of wine. "Seems all that sugar is rotting your brain!" Lucia rolled her eyes.
"We're not in poetry class, must you speak in constant Iambic Pentameter?" Bastian shrugged.
"Tis how I speak nat'rally, dear lady." He leaned forward to kiss her hand, Lucia backed away and Elincia just laughed. Bastian's constantly attempted courtship of Lucia had been going on since they were teenagers, and Lucia always seemed to be somewhere between annoyance and intrigue. Part of Elincia hoped they would be together someday, but another part of her wasn't ready to let her milk-sister go.
"I wonder who we're going to learn about in art appreciation today," she mused. "Professor Tanas may be...strange, at best, but it's so nice to learn about someone new every session."
"Outsider art, I'd imagine," Geoffrey said, plucking an olive from a nearby jar. Bastian nodded.
"And thus will begin many debates concerning the definition of art amongst us students! Ah, for once it would simply be nice to agree to disagree, wouldst thou not say?" Geoffrey shook his head.
"This, from the man who turns every poetry class into a lecture on the finer points of style and why T.S. Eliot is a hack."
"But he is! Everyone hails him as this great poet, when in truth he was no more than a one-hit wonder!" Bastian argued. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was subpar at best, while his theatrical productions were far more memorable. Indeed, it would suit him more to have remained fluent in the theatrical arts than branching out as a poet." Elincia sighed. As much as she adored her friend, sometimes she found his opinionated views rather tiresome.
"I thought Ash Wednesday was beautiful," she said. "Eliot isn't one of my all-time favorites, but he's not so bad."
"Disagree at your will, my dear," Bastian said. "I shall not attempt to force my wills upon you. But I do get tired of others holding him up as the supreme example, when many superior poets have existed."
"Well, I do think it's silly to hold him up on the same level as Sappho," Lucia said, pushing a lock of thick blue hair away from her face as she took a sip of her iced tea. "Ah, Sappho..." Yes, Elincia thought, fixing her eyes on that lock of hair. When Lucia had first cut her hair for the fencing team it had been such a shock; for as long as she'd known Lucia her hair had been long enough to sit on. But Lucia was just as beautiful with it short, just as graceful. Just like her form during those fencing matches...Mm...
"Elincia?" Geoffrey's voice snapped her out of her reverie and she blushed.
"Oh! Um, yes, Sappho..." Geoffrey laughed, pretending he didn't know what was really on her mind. They were childhood sweethearts, they were practically meant to be, and yet neither of them minded Elincia's feelings towards Lucia. Suddenly, a football rolled up to the edge of the blanket.
"Sorry!" A sleek catlike figure rushed towards them to grab it. "Sorry about that, some of these guys are just all thumbs."
"That's fine, Ranulf," Elincia laughed. "At least it didn't hit anyone this time."
"So, you guys going to the Key tonight?" Ranulf asked. "Well, I know Elincia is, since she and Ike used to-"
"Used to," Elincia repeated. Admittedly she did have some fond memories of her brief relationship with Ike, but she liked to think their friendship meant more than oh, we dated once. Well, she knew it did to Ike, to this day he remained one of her closest friends. But some people...
"Yeah, yeah, best friends forever." Ranulf laughed. "Still can't believe what a big deal this is! I've seen them play and all, they're good, but Calill made so many posters and fliers and I hear she's even made a banner outta lights. I mean, it's just a one-night deal."
"Word spreads fast around here," Geoffrey said, polishing off the last of his sandwich.
"And everyone loves Ike," Lucia added. "High school football hero, son of the best contracter this side of Crimea, plays a mean guitar...if he's involved, of course everyone's going to be chattering about it sooner or later."
"Except Shinon." Ranulf laughed. "And maybe Micaiah. But only because Ike means Soren's around and those two...well, hate each other to death!" He shook his head. "Sometimes I know way too much about the personal lives of beorc."
"A side effect of being friends with us," Elincia laughed.
"Lethe's even planning to bring Jill home for dinner one of these days. As in, dinner with the entire beast clan. And Muarim's kid who might as well be one of us," Ranulf snorted. "I know Jill's not the same racist brat she used to be, but how's she gonna deal with a table full of us?"
"Ranulf! Are you going to keep making small talk with the upper crust kids, or are we gonna play?"
"Coming, Skirmir!" Ranulf rolled his eyes. "Better get back to the game before he starts tossing rocks around. And knowing Skirmir, he totally would. See ya later, Princess!" He dashed off, ball in hand, and Elincia giggled.
"Now, where were we?"
"Art appreciation," Bastian said. "I'll wager today's subject is DuChamp! An interesting one, now, was that man!"
"Okay, Bastian, seriously. Enough with the Iambics already," Geoffrey said, and drank the last of his soda.
-x-
"Surprise! I brought you some sandwiches." Elena set the cooler down on a table, and Greil smiled.
"You're a lifesaver, honey. We were just arguing about where to go for lunch, and this'll save us a lot of time."
"And a lot of money," Gatrie laughed. "Good to see you again, Elena! You're looking radiant!" Shinon rolled his eyes.
"You'll flirt with anything, won't you?"
"Hello, Shinon." Elena smiled wryly at him. "Good to see you sober for once." Everyone laughed, and Shinon gave her a nasty look. He still hadn't quite forgiven her for snatching Greil out from under him, even if he was forced to admit she was pretty cool.
"Thanks for stopping by, Elena," Titania said. "How would you like to be the first for a tour of the house? We're pretty much done."
"Oh, I'd love that!" Elena squealed. "Just don't tell Mist, she had her heart set on seeing it first."
"Eh, I think she was mostly kidding," Greil said. "Come, sit and eat with us! I swear it's just like old times. Well, except Gatrie's here now." Gatrie had joined late in the company's life, after finishing graduate school so he'd have something "to fall back on". Though in Shinon's opinion a degree in history was useless. Four years of college were more than enough for him.
"Hey, I still saw you folks. Sometimes. When I wasn't too busy," Gatrie said. Titania poured herself a glass of iced tea and laughed.
"Busy chasing skirts, right? I do hope Astrid is able to forgive your checkered past if she picks you over the other guy."
"Or riding horses with the other guy's sister," Shinon snorted. He took a bite of a sandwich; for such a cheeky woman Elena sure was a good cook. Then again, only someone as thick-headed as Boyd or Ike could screw up making sandwiches.
-x-
Two-fifteen. Jill scratched behind her ear as she listened to Tauroneo's speeches about the Cold War, half-paying attention and half distracted by the ticking clock. Just ten more minutes, she told herself. Just ten more.
It wasn't that she disliked Tauroneo's class, or Tauroneo himself. He was a good teacher, a friendly man and history was one of her better subjects. But today was too nice a day to be indoors so long...plus, it was Friday. Somehow the last class before the weekend always seemed the longest.
It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on- No, she thought, ear worms do not belong in class. Especially with a teacher like Tauroneo. Especially when she was prone to humming ear worms once they were stuck in her head; she remembered being six years old, in the car with Haar and Dad and getting the Lumberjack Song stuck in her head. She'd never even seen an episode of Monty Python at that point in her life.
"...and that's why MASH is not an accurate source of information," Tauroneo said with a short laugh. "Remember, we'll be having a test next Thursday, so study! And by study, I don't mean hit up Wikipedia. Use your notes, use your textbook, use the links I actually gave you. That's all, have a good weekend!"
"Finally." Lethe leapt out of her seat with the grace of her species, took Jill's hand, and they rushed out the door to meet Rolf, Mist and Lyre.
"So when are you guys meeting up to practice with Ike and the others?" Jill asked.
"Ike said he'd text me when they were ready," Mist said. "I think we've got a little time in between. Who wants to go get ice cream?" Lyre and Lethe's ears perked up at the suggestion and Rolf laughed.
"Okay, so that just leaves the question of where. Coldstone or Starbucks?"
"Eww, Starbucks puts coffee beans in their ice cream," Mist gagged. "Besides, you don't actually get it at Starbucks, you've gotta go to the store. Let's just go to the corner store and get it out of the big metal freezer. Then we don't have to wait on line."
"Great!" Rolf dug out his wallet. "And it's on me. I just got paid yesterday." Rolf worked as a checkout boy at a pizza place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Mist giggled and kissed him on the cheek.
"Such a gentleman!"
-x-
Finally, they were alone. Heather loved being around the gang, no question about it, but Ike and his bandmates had gone on home, Pelleas and Micaiah were at the library and Zihark had taken Ilyana out for her usual army-sized afternoon snack. Now it was just her and Nephenee. Alone. Together. In her apartment.
"You don't know how bad I've been wanting to just do stuff to you all day," she murmured, pressing Nephenee back against the couch. "Mm...you always smell so good. Like hay, and apples..." She slipped a hand under the other woman's shirt and unclipped her bra, pushing it out of the way to caress her breasts.
"Y'smell mighty nice yourself, Heather," Nephenee gasped, arching into the touch. Heather grinned, burying her face in the woman's neck, finding a spot to suck at. Her little shrinking violet was becoming less of one in private, at last...not that she'd minded coaxing the little sex kitten out of her, but it was nice to see her efforts paying off sooner than later. She unzipped Nephenee's shirt, kissing her breasts, her other hand slipping under the waistband of her shorts-
Rrrriiiiing!
"Ah! W-we should-"
"Ignore it." Two more rings, and finally Heather gave up. "Damn it. Why do people always have to come around when I'm trying to get some?" Nephenee straightened her clothes and fixed her hair.
"'m sure it aint no big deal," she said as Heather opened the door. It was Nephenee's family friend Brom and his daughter Meg, and Heather didn't know whether to be annoyed or not. Meg was a real sweetie, but her dad could be pretty overbearing and nosy.
"Hey, ladies. Hope we aint disturbin' nothing," Brom said. No, just me about to get laid. Nothing important, Heather thought bitterly.
"What brings you two here?" Nephenee asked, and Heather decided she'd just let her do all the talking.
"Just wanna remind you the big block party's next weekend," Meg said. "You'll be there, right? Please?"
"Oh...well, of course I'd love t' be there!" Nephenee said. "Um, you mean me an' Heather both, right?"
"Sure, if she wants to," Brom said. "Course, I 'unno how your mama's gonna feel 'bout that, Nephy."
"Oh, Mama knows I like girls," Nephenee said. "Well, sorta. She knows I aint too keen on marryin' and havin' younguns anytime soon, but she don't know who I'm goin' with...Heather, you oughta come along. I wanna introduce you t' everyone, make it official."
"Eh, I dunno." Heather was all too used to going out with a "good girl" and the relationship ending when the girl's parents threw a hissy fit at their little angel dating someone who sold bootleg DVDs on the internet. She didn't do it anymore, of course, not since the new laws cracked down and Mom had all but begged her to cut it out before she got sent to prison. Still, if Nephenee's mom knew what she'd been doing before then...
"Please? It'll be tons more fun if you're there," Nephenee begged, and Heather sighed. Damn it, she couldn't say no to Nephenee. Ever. Even if it meant dealing with the death glares of overprotective family members.
"Sure, why not? Free food's free food," she said with a shrug.
"Great! And doncha worry 'bout Nephy's mama and papa," Meg said. "Dad's just kiddin', they're pretty easygoin'. They gotta be with all them kids."
"See ya there!" Brom added. Father and daughter left, and Heather sighed.
"Welp, looks like we've got plans for next weekend. So much for staying home and doing it for forty-eight hours," she laughed. Nephenee shook her head and flung her arms around her.
"We'll have a great time, I promise."
"Well, I trust you." Heather smirked. "Now...where were we?"
-x-
Band practice came and went, along with many last-minute changes to the set, arguments over lyric sheets, Soren rolling his eyes and the people downstairs complaining about the noise. Somehow, they'd managed to finalize the set and get to the Key Largo an hour early, just like they'd planned.
"I still can't believe all these people are coming to see us," Oscar laughed.
"Ike's the best meal ticket ever," Boyd said, earning him dirty looks from Soren and the girls. "I'm kidding!"
"Ike is not a thing to be used," Soren said stiffly.
"I still can't believe you actually came with us," Rolf said. "Usually when everyone's here you're at home with your nose stuck in a book." Soren tossed his ponytail over his shoulder with an annoyed huff.
"I'm here to see Ike play, and only to see Ike play."
"I think it's sweet," Mist said. "Of course, I get to be in the band with my boyfriend."
"Me too!" Mia piped up. "Poor Kieran must be so jealous." Oscar turned an interesting shade of red.
"Kieran's not my boyfriend...we've just gone on a few dates. And they're not even dates! I mean...even if I were totally sure I liked guys, Kieran's-you know, not really my type." Rolf rolled his eyes.
"It's okay, Oscar. Kieran's great, if you ignore all the crazy."
"Rolf!"
"Oh, good, you're here! Lemme help you with that," Largo called, running over and taking the drums from Boyd and Ike. "Thanks again for picking here to play your first show. Calill's so happy she could burst and the crowd's really pouring in! Even that guy who hates Ike's here!"
"Shinon came?" Boyd snorted. "Probably cause some girl he wants to sleep with begged him."
"No, that'd be Gatrie," Mia said. Soren rolled his eyes. Anytime someone mentioned Shinon's sex life, that was his cue to leave.
"I'll be in the audience," he said. "...and...I'm not sure how you say good luck in the music business, but I know you'll do well. All of you." He covered his ears to block out the ensuing awwww and headed for a table away from the crowds but still close enough to get a good view of Ike. He was somewhat surprised to see Pelleas sit down with him rather than with his girlfriend.
"Hey...um, this is okay with you, right, Soren? Cause I can move...Micaiah wants to watch the show with her family, so..." He looked rather pathetic. Which he was. Pelleas was the sort of person who asked permission to ask permission, and while Soren found it pretty annoying it would be cruel to shoot him down after that.
"It's fine," he said. Pelleas smiled, and Soren moved his chair a little closer. After all, they were brothers.
-x-
The lights hit them, the audience cheered and Calill finished her grandoise introduction. It was time.
"Okay, for our first song, we'd like to play a little something that goes like this." Ike tapped the mic twice, and Mia began to play a beat on the drums.
"The color of infinity inside an empty glass..."