The Alternia Dance Band
It's the first day of your sophomore year of college. Your roommate and best friend still isn't awake, so this gives you some time to calmly begin your day. You always feel gross right away in the morning and can't bear to do much else but get in the shower and wash away the night of tossing and turning in your bed. Not that you have frequent night terrors or anything, you just suck at getting comfortable as you doze off into unconsciousness. You slip on your light blue housecoat, one of the many parting gifts your father got you for when you moved away to start your education here. It's already starting to get a bit worn in, but that just builds character, right? After the robe is tied securely around you, you slip your hands into the exposable crook of the coat to peel off your boxers. Although you've known him for years and he's your bro, you would still feel weird being totally and completely exposed in the vicinity of Dave.
Looking into the bathroom mirror, a familiar complexion meets you. It's one that been with you for a little over nineteen years, but it's been constantly changing as you've aged. That dumb baby face still hasn't matured yet though for you, has it John? Even just looking at your messy hair and unclean face in the mirror makes you cringe. After closing and locking the door, you disrobe, place a towel near the outside of the tub, and turn on the shower. You wait outside the bath in the nude for a brief moment before the testing the water. This college may be top-of-the-line, but the friggin' heating isn't luxurious. With another moment being used for complaining, you shove your hand in again and are pleased enough with the lukewarm water sprinkling into your palm.
Efficiency is what you're all about in the morning, the shower only lasting a desirable ten minutes. No more, and no less. You probably took this bureaucratic method to living from your father. He's still lighthearted all the while though, just as you love to be. Styling your hair is a pain and it just never quite works. Perhaps that's because you only devote no more than thirty seconds to it before giving up and not bothering with it again until the next morning. Whatever, it's already quarter past seven and Dave still isn't up. Shoot, you forgot to bring in your clothes into the bathroom. That's a couple seconds wasted. You could just get changed out there, but… Yeah, you just aren't cool with that.
About a minute or two later you're dressed in the bathroom and heading back out, the last of the steam from your shower following with you. Your roommate is still out cold in his bed and you saunter over to wake him the Hell up.
"Dave, get up you lazy ass," you say while giving him a solid shake. Dave shoots a glance up from the pillow his head was buried in, his stark white albino hair still looking prim and proper. He glares at you from crimson red eyes.
"Fooled you Egbert, I've been awake since six," he retorts. Weirdo.
You sigh and break off to grab your glasses from your nightstand, "Okay cool, now go shower. We all planned to have breakfast together in the meal hall at seven-thirty. You don't want to upset Jade, do you?" You know that one will get him.
Just as you expected, Dave shoots you another glare, this one a bit more searing than the last. "Just another stupid high school fling, John," he finally gets up on this, clad only in his underwear. Your gaze is quickly averted. Dave was always comfortable in his own body and who he showed it off to. You don't mind it, but it's not something you want to partake in to any degree. Dave jumps in the shower as you check your phone. A few social media notifications from late in the night, a "good morning and good luck on your second year of university" text from your father, and a confirmation message from your twin that breakfast is indeed still on. You tap out a quick thanks to your dad and just leave the one from Jane. She knows you got it.
Dave is out in record time and soon ready to go, with five minutes to spare. Plenty of time to make your way over to the student centre. Odds are that Jane and Jade are already over there, probably Rose, Kanaya, and Roxy too. Jake and Dirk are usually late to events. Why is it always the men that lag behind? You swear you'd be on time to things if it wasn't for Dave dragging you down. Still warm summer air wafts outside with the addition of autumn leaves, a beautiful combination of feeling and sights. Dave talks at you about how his DJ career is totally finally starting to take off and he's going to leave your dumb band behind for good this time. You hate to admit that Dave is good at anything, but one thing's for sure, his drumming skills are better than his DJ capabilities, if you can even call them that. You laugh and quip back at him until you've entered the dining area.
Just as you guessed, you're met with the appearance of your friends and family already settled in for first-day breakfast. Even Dirk and Jake beat you. You're greeted with hellos and good mornings from the others as you sit approach the table. Dave grabs a seat next to his brother Dirk and asks you kindly to pick up his breakfast for him. You reluctantly agree and take his meal card from him. Rufioh, a fellow student who is a year ahead of you, tends the counter. His hair is intricately styled as per usual, the only thing missing is the tattered garbs he commonly wears, instead replaced with a blank student uniform signifying he works for the campus and attends classes. He gives a cool wave to you as you approach.
"Hey man… Good to see you again," Rufioh chimes as you arrive at the counter. He takes both your card and Dave's, knowing all too well how many times you've graciously picked up your best bro's meals. Rufioh delivers two plates of a basic morning breakfast to you, nothing special, but certainly better than the cold cereal you would have had back at the dorm if you were running late.
Rufioh pipes up just before you leave with the trays of food, "John, my little brother is starting his first day here…, I'm stuck cleaning up in here for first period. Are you off?"
"Actually yeah, I am. Want me to meet up with him or something?" you ask. It's not like you have much better to do, may as well show a new kid around a bit. You like being helpful, especially for your friends. Rufioh is more of an acquaintance than a friend, but he's definitely chill in your books.
"That'd be real cool, if you don't mind… Tavros is a bit shy and needs some guidance. I told him to swing by here in the morning…, I'll introduce you two when he shows up," Rufioh states. It feels kind of neat now being the "experienced" guy showing the newbies the ropes.
You give Rufioh a nod and head back over to your table. It seems they're already deep in conversation. You sit down and slide Dave his food, then dig into your own. The topics of the morning are rather idle, so you zero in on finishing up your breakfast so you can be ready at a moment's notice to meet with Tavros. As you finish up the food on your plate, your phone buzzes twice to signify an incoming text. You quickly whip out the device to see a message from Jane, who is quite clearly sitting across the table from you. She gives you a little smirk as you look up, clearly knowing you've received her message. You look back down into your lap and unlock your phone to take a look at what she sent you.
"Hey! There's something I want to talk to you about, could be something big for all of us," the message reads. Coincidentally, everyone starts clearing from the table to head to their morning classes or to get prepared for the day. Jake and Dirk head to microbiology, Rose to linguistics, Kanaya likely to some garments class, and you think you heard Jade and Roxy were off to the mechanics and electronics department, both saying they couldn't wait to see their "favorite nerd Sollux" again. This left you, Jane, and Dave sitting at the table. Jane eyed you knowingly from across the way and you glanced over at your best friend, whose eyes were hidden behind those aviators you got him so many years ago.
"Dave, I think Jane has something she wants to discuss with me… in private," you speak up after a moment of silence. Jane shushes you.
"Oh it's all right! He's practically one of the family anyway." This seems pretty serious if it's specially a "family" matter. You listen in, and notice that even Dave is paying closer attention to what Jane has to say now.
"Anyway, enough hootin' and hollerin' for now. Time for serious business!" Jane giggles a little to herself.
"What's the deal, Crocker?" Dave asks, with a slight nod.
"Well, Dad Egbert gave me a call this morning and laid some nifty information out to me. It's quite relevant to you John, and probably even you too Dave."
"Why didn't dad call me to tell me himself? I always knew I was the lesser twin…," you half-heartedly pout. Really though, why did your dad only tell Jane about this?
"Because he knew you'd probably blab about it all over school! We really do kind of need to keep this information under wraps for now, at least until a few things get confirmed. As you know, everyone got quite a bit of inheritance from Grandpa Harley and Grandma English, God rest their souls."
Although you never knew them until Jade and Jake had arrived here in America, they were technically family. Family that apparently knew of their long line of relatives and had a lot of money to go around. You continue to listen to your sister.
"Surprisingly, dad got quite a number. Besides Jake and Jade, and a few other close relatives, our father got some of the most from them. Now, he's interested in, along with other people, pooling together some of their inheritance, and investing it into renting a space."
You eye her curiously. "What kind of space?"
"A music hall. There's one that the owner wants to lease out about fifteen minutes from campus. He wants to see us, along with the others, to put together a big band of sorts."
You and your sister have been going to school for music education. You couldn't exactly get into the exclusive schools that are completely centred around the arts, plus you didn't want to be far away from family and friends. This university does have a solid performing arts department though, and offers an undergraduate diploma for fine arts, which you and Jane could use to further your education at other institutions. The both of you want to get into conducting and teaching, you more so on the instrumental side and Jane devout to chorus and vocals.
"And that's all I'm gonna say for now! I need to get to class, we'll discuss more on this later. Both of you keep your pie holes shut, got it?"
Both you and Dave nod quickly and your twin leaves with a smile to her… cooking class, maybe? Dave gets up a moment later.
"That's exciting I guess. Time to nap."
Dave heads back to your dorm. Rufioh comes up to you, with who you can assume is Tavros. Rufioh is light-skinned, but his brother is… a Spaniard?
"Hey John, this is Tavros… Tav, this is John. He's gonna show you around the campus and take you to your second period class… You need any help and I'm not around, this is the guy to go to. He's real nice."
You give Tavros a welcoming smile, "Hi Tavros, it's nice to meet you." You extend your arm and open palm for a handshake. The younger Nitram brother takes a moment before he returns the pleasantry. Tavros then takes a seat beside you. Rufioh leans down beside you.
"Take care of him for me, yeah? Thanks a bunch…"
Rufioh heads back to the kitchen and you're left alone with Tavros.
"Well, shall we explore?"
You've got a feeling it's going to be a good day.
Now for the editor to write a story. Plushies and Chisel will be switching roles, with Chisel creating this little fan fic. It may be a little slow to start just to get things set up and established.
