+ m usical l ovE +
m usical l ovE +
+ the blearing phoenix +
disclaimer - i do not own the bands or the characters featured in this story because if i did, then penelo and basch would've been a pairing in the game . . . and it would've been obvious.
a/n - this is set in N.Y., it follows the same theme as the other one-shot projects, and don't worry the official crossover fic will be starting soon--it'll be totally different from any other high-school crossover fic, i promise.
'till then, enjoy this lil' one-shot. x TBP
Certainly it shouldn't be so hard to merely select a CD, Penelo mused to herself as she sat there, picking out yellow stringy threads from her navy-blue jumpsuit. The day wasn't sweltering hot, instead there was a fine layer of coolness that draped over the quaint town, and it contributed to the placid ambiance that resided within the epicenter of the area. It was a cleansing place, Penelo noted, as she heard the faint buzzing of indistinguishable chatter coming from unrecognizable patrons. The girl of only six and ten drummed her fingers on the lacquered maple wood table. The swirled burnt sienna hue occupied her vision, as she studied the deep etchings that had been carved into the wooden surface. A shaft of light drifted over the surface as the heavy glass doors opened almost noiselessly and another customer entered. Behind her, Penelo could hear the puling of an adamant child and she wrinkled her nose, trying not to verbalize her frustrations at this action. The sunflower-haired girl concluded that it would be best if she hastened herself and purchased a CD as soon as possible.
'I can't keep Larsa waiting anymore, any way.' The teen-aged girl ruminated to herself before gracefully rising from her ecru-leather-cushioned seat and making her way towards the off-white shelves. All manner of CDs of varying genres lined each level of the music display cases. Black headphones and ear plugs were neatly folded and stored in small compartments so that patrons could easily sample their favorite songs. Penelo's slim finger plucked one of the earplugs up and she gingerly placed them into her ears, adjusting the volume as she saw fit, until the flowing sound filled her ears. Eyelids fluttered and her tongue tasted salt on her cracked lips as she oscillated to and fro on her heels. Not noticing her current position in the narrow aisle, Penelo accidentally knocked into a newly arrive male customer. Letting out a yelp as she yanked her earplugs out briskly, Penelo heard them clatter upon the washed pearl-roiled marble tiles, and her hands splayed out to take most of the weight as she fell. However, Penelo found that she did not make any kind of connection the smooth ground at all, but instead she found herself in a mysterious man's muscular sun-kissed arms.
"Forgive me for so carelessly knocking into you, I hadn't seen you there, milady." The voice was calming and smooth like plush velvet or satin. Penelo already felt calmness descending over her rigid form and she instantly relaxed herself in the warmth, only to be settled unto the ground again. Wobbling a little as she stood, Penelo's chocolate-brown eyes averted up into the chiseled face of her rescuer and the girl squealed. Basch fon Ronsenberg, the famed quarterback, and the elder twin to Noah fon Ronsenberg had just nobly saved her from face planting into the ground like a fool! Surely, the Gods must have been smiling down so pleasantly at her because she had never interacted with the handsome senior--she'd only heard of him through idle chatter and gossiping.
Basch was comfortably garbed in a cotton short-sleeveless T-shirt that had an intricate pattern that almost resembled navy-blue paint and he was also clad in dark-blue jeans-shorts. Penelo's face flushed as she looked down at her tattered threadbare jumpsuit and peered back into Basch's warm chocolate-brown eyes. His chin was covered in sparse ginger-hued stubble and he stood with his back straight and his shoulders leveled. He was the perfect picture of collected coolness and confidence. Penelo smiled warmly at him, gulping down her churning bile and her nervousness with it. She couldn't let this attractive young man know how incredibly intimidated she was by his - - hotness.
"My name's Penelo, you must be Basch--Noah's twin brother, I've heard so much about you! Oh um--congratulations by the way, you uh won that First Place Cup at the Tournament Finals." Penelo shyly looked away, pretending to be engrossed in a Beatles CD although she wasn't particularly fond of the style of music that the band had oft played.
"Thank you. It appears as if you're quite busy perusing for a CD. I should probably leave, since I'll be needed elsewhere soon," Basch turned to go and Penelo's eyes widened. Before the girl could stop herself, her cool hand had settled upon his shoulder and she felt the muscles rippling beneath his smooth skin. She marveled at how completely unmarred it was, she had thought that his body would've been riddled by mottled scars and bruises after all he did play a sport that required a good deal of physical contact--sometimes bordering on the violent side.
"Oh no that's okay - - um I was wondering if you could actually help me, see I'm looking for a CD for my friend, Larsa Solidor and I'm totally unsure of which CD to pick," Penelo pursed her lips, telling the absolute truth, as she had been stuck in the softly lit store for over an hour and a half, browsing through each shelf unsuccessfully. Her thorough search had been fruitless and so Basch seemed to be like a music-savvy man--or at least she hoped he was, perhaps he'd be chivalrous enough to help her. Basch smiled that genuine almost paternal smile at her again and he looked as if he was much older than eighteen at that moment. Perhaps it was the darkened shadows that had buried themselves into the folds of his eyelids that made him appear so adult-like, Penelo idly wondered.
"Ah, since you asked so kindly of me, Penelo, I shall help you obtain this CD then. Be wary of this, however: do not purchase a record that is entirely within his interests. Instead opt for something that your friend has never really heard before but still holds some familiarity to him--in other words if he likes Rock then it would be rather interesting if you purchase an Alternative Rock record for him." Basch said this while his eyes flitted over each glimmering CD case in the room. Penelo was amazed at how knowledgeable he was at such a broad topic such as Music. Peering at her watch every now and then, Penelo observed Basch as he sampled this song and correctly put away that CD, all the while suppressing her urge (miraculously) to just cuddle him. He'd inquire about what Larsa didn't like and Penelo told him that his musical tastes were surprisingly varied but that he wasn't particularly fond of Country music. Basch settled on three CDs: one was the newest album from Radiohead, the second one was from a Japanese group (Larsa loved J-Rock) called the GazettE, and the final record was from a group called, My Chemical Romance.
"I'm not sure if Larsa would really like that one," Penelo pointed out as she jabbed her finger into the cool plastic casing of the My Chemical Romance CD. Basch never questioned her; he only nodded his head solemnly, and replaced the CD on the highest shelf.
"What say you of this one?" Basch asked her as held out the Radiohead CD, Penelo had only heard the soft whispering vocals of Tom Yorke a few times over the past few minutes. Her heart had thumped wildly as she heard the tracks playing and easily transitioning from one song to the next. She smiled, imagining the calmness that would settle over her younger friend's face as he played one of these songs on his beloved IPod Nano. Placing her hand on Basch's (this action had truly surprised her a bit), Penelo smiled up at him and said:
"He'd love this one, thank you so much for your help Basch."
"It was my pleasure. I'll pay for it then," The golden-haired teen's eyes looked soothing and Penelo found herself smiling sheepishly at him.
"Really thank you but there's no . . .," Penelo trailed off as she watched Basch move over to the tall and slim cashier that was absentmindedly thumbing through her cheap romance novel. As Basch fished around in his pockets, Penelo glanced at her wristwatch and huffed in relief--it was only 3:20 p.m... 'I still have about seven or eight minutes to spare and besides. . . Larsa's only across the street.' Penelo decided to seat herself on one of the plush velvet lounge chaises and when she did do this, she merely observed the passersby. The sound of eagerly chattering people woke up the young flaxen-haired girl from her little nap and she looked up to meet the chocolate brown eyes of Basch.
"Here you go, forgive me but I must be taking my leave." Basch smiled ruefully as he licked his full lips and Penelo could feel the pink suffusion rising in her cheeks. She hoped that he was oblivious to it. He held out his large hand and Penelo shook it, noticing that his grip was loose and that his palm was warm. Peering into her bag, Penelo smiled as she spotted the colorful 'In Rainbows' CD case that was safely tucked inside.
"I hope that I'll see you again um outside of school, preferably!" She called before she winced at the shrillness of her voice.
"Likewise . . ." his voice was the only thing that she heard as the door closed behind him with a soft click. Penelo clutched her bag and wondered if Larsa was still at their meeting spot. Shrugging to herself, Penelo shouldered her newest bagged purchase and dashed out of the store, just in time to catch a glimpse of blond hair and ashen-hued hair.
a/n: Basch isn't going to be as suave as Balthier nor is he going to be as goofy as Vaan so I really had to be mindful of how mature Basch was--hence, my reasons for making him a senior. It was either he was going to be a Senior in the story or a Gym teacher. cough, cough since Penelo is only a Junior, I figured that a Gym Teacher who's around 30-something would be pedophile-worthy. Aaanyway there's no obvious romance for these two and unlike the last two installments; this one was more one-sided and subtle. I think that it kind of sucked though--like my story was lacking something. Eh . . . oh well . . . hopefully the actual project will be A LOT better.
Also a beta reader for the official story would be so appreciated like by a million fold. I'll accept e-mails and stuff, you just have to be ridiculously good with spell-checking and grammar and maybe you could help me work out a few kinks in my plot-lines. -Bats eyelashes- Otherwise than that, it should be alright. Thanks!
xTBP