AATC: Territory
I'm enjoying working on this fic. Uh huh. I am.
Really. It's a fairly pleasant change from writing about mercenary ninja killing each other with fire and blades.
Anyway, time for 'lucky' chapter 7. I hope you enjoy it.
7.
"Ravin' Raven?" Dave asked nervously. "What brings you here? Not that we don't want you here, of course…"
"It's all cool, C and C. No need to fret, everything's fine, so far as I can see." The man answered with a smile, although Dave noted that it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Rhymes, huh?" Alvin piped up. "Even in your normal sentences?"
"If I feel like it, no matter what kind of deal it is."
"It's like he's always one step ahead of us to rhyme." Eleanor whispered to her counterpart. "Weird."
Alvin must have heard the comment as they gathered in front of the man. "It's not weird, its awesome."
"It is alright. After this one, I'm done."
"Told you." Eleanor said louder. "It's a bit…creepy."
"It's amazing!" The red Seville exclaimed. "Did you come to the concert?"
"Sorry to say, I missed most of it coming over here." Vincent said apologetically. "All I could catch was your recreation of 'Iridescent', which I think is even better than the original."
"Wow! Really?"
"Yeah! And Simon's poem. It sounded really ambitious, easy to follow, although the line 'Don't listen to this just for the rhymes', threw me for a loop for a second."
"…Oh…" The blue chipmunk stumbled as he searched for words to respond with. "I d-don't know what to say. T-t-thank you."
"Mm hmm. And the lovely young lady's song. 'So Far Away', I believe you called it."
Brittany smiled at the compliment. "Thanks, Ravin' Raven."
"Please, the name's Vincent. That name's only for the stage." The metal-rap singer corrected. "Anyway, the reason I came over was to express invitations-"
"I'm sure it can wait. We're all very tired." Dave interrupted, heavily exaggerating a yawn. "They've been at it all night, and I'm sure that they're exhausted."
Jeanette agreed. "Oh yeah. Bed sounds good." Theodore agreed with her and as he yawned, the contagious effect of it spread among the sextet.
"But whatever he came all the way out here to say to us must be really important!" Alvin voiced his complaints with a scowl on his face. "Shouldn't we at least hear him out first?"
"We can talk in my limo as we drive over to your hotel." Vincent suggested. "Just tell me which one it is, I'll take you, and that's that."
"We can take the van guys." Dave said urgently. "C'mon."
Simon noted his guardian's behavior as suspicious. Something was definitely strange with what the way the man was carrying on. But the moment fled as everyone recalled the van, and what curse came with it.
"Nope! Don't think so, Dave." Alvin said matter-of-factly. "Mr. Ravin' Raven, lead the way, please."
The man grinned widely, before he beckoned for them to follow him. They all begun to do so, despite Dave's insistence not to, but the man soon gave up and decided to come along as well should anything awry develop. After he left some instructions to stage technicians, they made their way through the backstage area and exited it to find themselves in the early morning sunlight. Blinking as their eyes achieved proper dilation, they felt the urge to whistle as they glimpsed the black stretch Limousine. It was parked out front at the sidewalk on their side of the street, (which the C &C 'thinkers' and Dave believed to be illegal) Alvin was sure that it took up around three or even more parking spaces.
"Wow, that's a whole lot of car, Mr. Vincent." Theodore remarked. "Don't you worry about turning corners?"
'I wouldn't need to worry about corners in Podunk places. At least the capital here is fine.' "Sometimes, but I don't always use the Limo. It's only for vanity sometimes, or to throw off the fans as a decoy when I want to be left alone." He opened the door and gestured them inside.
"That's clever," Simon congratulated as stepped inside. Their chipmunk physiology didn't really require to them to bow their upper torsos to get into lower vehicles like cars. They were short enough to merely duck heads if needs be to get in. "A lure to get them elsewhere, is it not?"
'He's supposed to be the smart one, huh? Wasn't that obvious?' "Yeah, Simon." Ravin' Raven got in last, and closed the door behind him as he sat at the window. He pressed a button near him, and a small bell dinged somewhere closer to the front. It was a signal of some sort, and apparently it was for the driver to begin driving.
"The seats are comfy enough to sleep in," Jeanette sighed. She was about to get ready to do that if Dave hadn't touched her on the arm.
"Don't do that, Jeanette. It'd be impolite to Mr. Vincent because it clear he wants to talk to us," He chastised. Quickly checking himself for his emotions, he collected himself to hold a reasonable conversation.
Alvin noticed it, but didn't pay any real mind to it. He would have loved to say that Ravin' Raven was his favorite music artiste, if he himself didn't occupy that position already. "So, what'd you want to talk to us about?"
"Oh. Before that, would anyone like any refreshments? The limo has dispensers."
A few minutes later after Theodore had most certainly taken up the man's offer, the man begun to speak again. "Well, the thing is, I've been thinking about a concert. A huge concert, and it's also a birthday bash."
'Given how large his damn ego is, I'd say it's his birthday bash.' Dave thought. "Whose birthday?"
"It's for me, but it's also a fundraising event. Children's Hospital. And I want 'C & C' to perform there as special guests, in tandem with me. In New Jersey, that is."
"Wow! What an offer! Of course we'll come!" Alvin exclaimed, leaping up out of his seat and shaking the man's hand eagerly. "You can count on us to be there!"
"Alvin…" Dave warned in a low tone. The red Seville got back into his seat in a hurry, and even buckled up as a token show of obedience; minding how he had promised his father 'angelic behavior' a few nights ago. "My son, bless his enthusiasm, doesn't speak for all of us."
"That's actually a good thing." Brittany piped up. "If he did, God help us." She ignored her counterpart's growl and smiled to herself. 'It's so easy to get a rise out of him.'
"Anyway," David continued. "I'm sorry to say that we can't come."
"Aw, Dave!" Alvin got really emotional, really quick. "It's Ravin' Raven, for crying out loud! Won't we be disappointing him if we don't come?"
"I was thinking of merging our concerts in Jersey. All it needs is a little re-titling." Vincent explained.
"Whoa, whoa," Simon pushed up his glasses farther up his nose and peered at the rapper. "I'm hearing a lot of future tenses. You mean to say that you have yet to do so?"
"That's true, Simon."
'Dave's been touchy about New Jersey. Vincent here doesn't know that Dave wants to cancel it, if he hasn't done it already.' "Um, Dave? Didn't you say that you cancelled the concert for the Garden State?"
"Why, yes I did, Simon." The man agreed. "Some posters might still be up but all the sold tickets will be refunded at the place of their purchase."
"Won't that make your fans angry?" Vincent fumed on the inside, but didn't let it affect his exterior. "I mean, what's wrong with Jersey, huh?"
"Nothing's wrong with Jersey," Dave ventured very carefully, dodging the query of angry fans as well as upsetting Vincent. "I'm citing a school reason. They're going back to school in couple weeks, and I want them all settled in by that time."
"It's one night, Dave!" Alvin yelled. He was about to continue when he saw Simon shake his head to him, mouthing for him to calm down. Eyeing Dave's frown, he decided to take the silent advice. "It's just that…well, it's a fundraiser. That's noble, right?"
"Of course it is, Alvin." Dave answered. 'But if I know Vincent here, he's just trying to make excuses, and using guilt to get us to agree with him. But why?'
"Then why can't we go then?" Eleanor asked. "We do fundraisers all the time. One more can't hurt."
"Yeah, we're helping people." Theodore agreed between mouthfuls of chocolate bars. 'This is really good. Where is it made? Ecuador? I heard Eleanor tell me once that they have the best chocolate…'
"Before Dave goes into a hour-long explanation," Jeanette stated. "Let me remind you that all of our concerts, particularly this tour as well, has opted for half the proceeds to be given to charities, and the rest to be divvied up to pay us, all of the technicians, venue rent and the like."
"…" Simon grinned. "I couldn't have said it better, myself." The chipette smiled in recognition, and leaned back again, closing her eyes.
"So, I take it as a no, then?"
"What I'm saying is, perhaps another time, Mr. Vincent." Dave said firmly. "We're on an airtight schedule, and we have to leave soon. But, seeing as I never knew your birthday to be on that concert date, 'Happy birthday' when it comes."
The man nodded. "Thanks. It's no problem. Next time, when we have no other obligations, we all can take the stage."
"Yeah!" Alvin cheered. "Although I would have still liked to go to Jersey. That would have been one epic bash, huh?"
"Alvinnn…"
The vehicle slowed to a stop. "We're here." Ravin' Raven announced. "See yah later, 'C & C', David."
Dave opened the doors, and let himself out as well as his charges. "That's fine. Thanks for the offer, the transportation, and the hospitality."
"The chocolate too!" Theodore cried. "Thanks, RR!"
The man nodded as the tinted windows rolled up again, hiding each other from view. It was a one-way view and subsequently, Dave didn't see that Vincent had spat over the place his face was from his point-of-view, and mutter expletives to himself.
The vehicle drove off, and Alvin waved after it. "I wish we could've gone to it."
"Just drop it, Alvin." Dave warned again. "I really don't need this drama. Besides, don't you all want to sleep? You've all had another long night."
Jeanette, especially, needed no further prompting to head inside to find her room.
=X=X=
"Eleanor?"
"Yeah, Theo?"
"A lot of times, Simon calls himself 'Alvin's smarter brother.'"
"Hurts your feelings?"
"N-no."
"What's this all about?"
They were at fairly unoccupied fast-food restaurant. Their table was right next to the window, but only the chipette had something to eat. It was only a small meal, but in her defense, she only wanted it for the fries. She felt a bit self-conscious eating in front of him, but he only took a bit of her offering politely, more than anything else.
He took out a chocolate bar out of his pocket, and gave it to her. "Here Ellie."
"Oh? Chocolate?"
"Well…" He stumbled. "I am giving it to you. I got it from the Limo's dispenser. You didn't take any, so I felt like you missed out. You told me once that Ecuador has the best chocolate, so…"
"Aww, isn't that sweet…" She pinched his cheeks and cooed, never-minding his blush. "It's nice to know that you're so considerate. We'll have it later, if you want."
"It's yours. But that's not really the issue, Ellie. Its just that…" He hesitated for a full minute. "Am I dumb?"
"What? Of course not!" She couldn't believe what she just heard. "If anything, you're a bit gullible, sometimes overly trusting, but that makes you…you! You're not dumb! You're Theodore! The 'cutest' chipmunk!" She said with a smile.
He knew what gullible meant, and understood that he could be a poor judge of people's character sometimes, but he also knew that had nothing to do with smarts. 'But why did she say that I'm the 'cutest' chipmunk' like that? People still think of me that way? Does she think of me that way?' "Thanks, Eleanor. It's just that…well, Alvin's headstrong and plays the guitar while doing solos, Simon's smart and plays a lot of instruments, and I'm just the chipmunk at the back. I'm…"
"Theodore." She finished, while at the same time, chastising him. "You think the drums are easy to play? The drums are supposed to be the most complicated to play while singing. You do that, don't you?"
"Yeah. But sometimes I feel like I'm not really contributing something. Most times, I t-turn down long solos and I'm comfortable at the back because I'm…I dunno…"
"Shy."
"Shy?"
"Yes, shy. But a lot of people are shy. There's nothing wrong with that. But Theo, you know that the drums pull the songs together. We all rely on the beat to keep the song's tune together. And you do that twirling things with the drumsticks! That looks cool." She gushed. "I'm beside you when you play, and I don't have to worry about it when you do it. I bet that if your brothers were doing it, I'd have to wear goggles to protect my eyes, if you know what I mean."
"Twirling?" He did take pride in that. He always practiced it to himself when he was younger, even so much he believed that he could keep at it for hours in his sleep. "Well…thanks Ellie."
"No problem. Now let's divide that thing. It's making my mouth water."
He put his hand over hers and squeezed it gently. "You're the bestest, Ellie."
She blushed heavily at this. "'Bestest'?" She asked with a chuckle.
"I'm Theodore," he answered with a smile. But underneath the happy exterior, he hoped for the best. He could tell that trouble was brewing. Perhaps it was because he was so 'innocent' was why he could be sensitive to it, like a licked finger to the breeze. Something was going to happen soon, and they were going to be at the center of it.
In fact, he really, really hoped that they would be okay. But right now, what mattered was that he and his best friend were together, and sharing what they loved.
Life was good. For now, at least.
=X=X=
"Care package ready for delivery. Show us where you want it."
"I gotta say, Alvin, it's a lot of fun killing you and getting all these score-streaks."
"Quiet, you!" Alvin re-spawned his character and controlled him to throw a tactical grenade, and charged into the building where Brittany's character was. But unfortunately, he ran straight into a strategically-placed claymore explosive.
"Boom!" Brittany cheered, as the battle announcer told her that she had a 'sentry gun ready for placement.'
Alvin groaned. "Are you sure that you're not doing something special, like cheating with infinite ammo or something?"
"I just got quick fingers, is all." She said smugly. "I've got quicker reflexes than you, which also goes to show how I saved your life earlier this week."
"Gah! Will you ever let me live that down?"
"Nope!" She grinned widely. "Better luck next time. Although for next time, it means that if I'm not playing against you. Sooo sorry."
"Dead again?!" Alvin exclaimed. "Dang! Call of Duty's my thing! I can't believe I'm losing to a girl!"
"Excuse me?" The pink chipette glared.
"Alvin!" Jeanette chastised. "Are you a chauvinist?"
"Wha...?"
"She's asking you if you think boys are better than girls," Simon explained. "Better answer wisely. We're getting our butts handed to us 19-8."
They were playing on system linked consoles next to each other. They were in fact previous generation Xbox 360's, but that didn't matter to them. The chipmunks had one television, the chipettes the next. They were having fun with each other, but it was plain to Dave who stood behind them to 'chaperone their language' that they didn't want to admit it; they were hiding it under a sense of competition. But that was mostly his red son and Brittany; Simon and Jeanette apparently only stayed behind to play because no one wanted to repeat what happened when they were out jogging in the previous state.
"Well, wrap it up guys, the first team to make it to thirty wins. Although I wish that you wouldn't play these violent games." The man observed. As he watched, he saw that Brittany apparently found out about a new button inside the gearstick, and slashed the throat of Alvin's character. "Can't you play something else?"
"We could play Scrabble, but I'm not in the mood to play it with Alvin." Simon said dryly. "He constantly claims that his made-up words exist, just because he says so."
"Well, they do!" The red Seville defended. "They're made with real letters, don't they?"
Jeanette sighed. "Or having to deal with him constantly leafing through the dictionary when he claims that our words were made up as well. He threw a fit when I told him that 'antidisestablishmentarianism' is a real word."
"That word's a whole sentence, Jean!" Brittany exclaimed. "Who would use a word like that?" Her sister was about to answer, but Brittany shut it down, claiming that it was a rhetorical question, since she 'didn't care'.
The match soon ended with Alvin claiming that he wanted a rematch in the near future, but his counterpart merely told him that was if she 'felt like it.' He nearly blew up, had it not been for his father's gaze that told him to 'turn it off, and get ready for bed'.
One hour later, Alvin sat on the window seat and gazed up at the stars. The morning's events had plagued him in his sleep today, and during his game time with the others. It was now 10:00 p.m., and he yawned as he gazed up at the stars. They were like twinkling pepper-lights, and found it strange that he had never noticed them like that before.
He felt his mind wander through many 'processing tasks' at the same time. Thinking of Dave's excessively polite behavior with Ravin' Raven as if he 'didn't like' the man. Thinking of how his adoptive father really wanted to avoid New Jersey. Thinking of how the stars reminded him of-
He shook his head to clear it. However, as he did so, he found himself humming a tune to a song he heard not too long ago. He didn't quite remember the lyrics; they teased him mentally, and refused to come to him. But at the very least he remembered the general melody of it.
"Mmhm mm hm hmhmm hm hmm…"
"Hmm mm hmm hmm, hmm mm hmm hmm…"
As he caught himself humming, he followed through with the tune quite melodically, even so that he didn't even remember the lyrics. He actually got lost in his efforts to do it so well that he didn't even hear footsteps behind him.
And then a hand touched him on his shoulder.
"…Hmm-whaa!" He gasped for breath as he flinched to turn to where the physicality took place. "Brittany?!"
"Sorry for scaring you half to death."
"Me? Scared?" He asked disbelievingly. He saw her raise an eyebrow, but didn't relinquish too much leeway. "You startled me, but I don't get scared."
"Oh really?" She asked in an obviously unimpressed manner. "I never would have thought that judging from your shriek."
"Guys don't shriek."
She decided to drop the matter. "Fine, fine. Just wanted to say goodnight, Mr. Hummer. By the way, which song was that?"
"Song?" The Red Seville stared upwards towards his forehead in thought. "Hmm. I can't remember the name of it. I only know the tune," he answered truthfully. And he was indeed sincere.
"I guess it doesn't matter. Listen, we're probably leaving Richmond in a couple of days and I was thinking that we could…" She trailed off, trying to muster up the nerve to tell him what she wanted.
"Uh huh? What is it?"
"…Sightsee a little…?"
"…"
"You know, explore what this capital has to offer…" She rambled. "Err, just the two…of…us…?"
"I spent a lot of time this week exploring what this place has to offer with my whole body." He stated plainly, hinting to his Parkour hobby. "But if it means that much to you, I'll be your tour guide to make sure you don't get lost."
Brittany stared at him stupidly. "Lost?! I've got more sense of direction in one finger than you have in your whole body!"
"Oh sure. You'd be lost without me in no time! "He retorted. "Maybe even less!"
She rolled her eyes. "How can something be less than no time, huh genius?"
"So you admit it!"
"What?! I didn't admit to anything!"
"Oh yes you did-"
A rather confident-sounding set of knocks came at the door, interrupting the chipmunk's turn of speech. They both watched as Dave heaved himself up from around his table to approach the door, calling out a fairly standard 'Who is it?'.
"It's Valerie." A woman's voice called.
Dave racked his brain, trying to think of who had that name. It sounded like something he should be able to remember, but couldn't for the life of him. "I can't say that I know or remember you. Sorry."
"I'm one of your traveling stage technicians. I drove over your minivan to come give you the keys. You left it on a table backstage. Right next to your half-drunk energy drink."
The man's eyes widened, before he slapped his forehead. 'How could I have forgotten about that? I've got too much on my mind…' He unlocked the door using the button on the doorknob and opened it. "Well, thank you Val-" He stopped and stared at the gorgeous woman who stood just outside in the hallway. "-erie…"
He developed an eye for detail and observation over the years, thanks to his demanding work, or to the fact of observing his most troublesome adopted son. The lights in the hallway were just bright enough to cast a perfect semi-dark silhouette of her form that generously exaggerated the contours of her form. He guessed her to be 5 feet and seven inches tall, his age, and noted her to be a red-head.
Wow.
"I…I'm sure that I should be able to remember someone like you…" He mumbled as he stepped aside a bit to let her in.
She stepped inside and gazed at him with an uplifted eyebrow to give her a puzzled look. "What d'ya mean, 'like me'?"
"Oh, err…" 'Quick, David, think of something!' "Red hair, I mean. That's something that's rare and easy to spot, isn't it?"
"I, uh, got out the brown dye only yesterday," she admitted. She fished out the key on its chain to the van from her pocket and held it up to him. "Here's your key."
The man, in turn observed her hand and noted her lack of jewelry; specifically, any rings that showed that she were in a commitment with someone else. The moment passed before he took the keys from her. "Thanks. I hope this didn't inconvenience you?"
"If you're talking about me going out of my way to get it to you, not really." She answered. "I'm staying here in this hotel as well. My superiors just told me to get it to you since we're occupying the same hotel. If you're talking about the transportation…" She trailed off, seeing the man's frown. "Well, at least it had seatbelts."
The paternal Seville chuckled at the joke. "That's one thing we can agree on. You should have heard the lot of them going on about how terrible the shocks were."
"Oh! You mean the 'chips?'"
"'Chips'?"
"Oh yeah. The techs call them that to be short. Anyway, tomorrow, and all that. I'm gonna turn in." She yawned into the palm of her hand as she shrugged. He stared at her in multiple glances, completely awed that such a simple thing that she did appeared elegantly done. Mentally slapping himself, he steeled himself to ask her an indirect question if she wanted to stay awhile.
"Do you want a nightcap, or something?" He asked unsurely, hoping she'd say yes. But to his utmost disappointment, she declined.
"Hmm. No thanks. Maybe another time. 'Night."
"'Goodnight. And thanks for bringing over the van."
She started to walk out of the room as she spoke again. "I'll do it again if the van's easier on my bum. Otherwise, don't count on it."
He laughed again as he closed the door behind her. "Well, that's that." He turned to see Alvin and Brittany standing right behind him. "What?"
Alvin grinned. "Ol' Dave's trying to bust a move on a lady! My respect for you just increased, old man!"
The man scowled heavily. "I'm not old! Go to bed, Alvin. You too, Brittany. Your room across the hall."
Brittany shrugged before letting herself out. "Okay. Tomorrow, Alvin."
Dave did not miss her saying that to his son. "So…you and Brittany, huh?"
"What?! No way!" Alvin protested. "I mean, never, never, never, not in a million years, not even if we're the last two people alive on earth, never, never, never-"
"Me thinks you protest too much. Now go to bed. Now."
The chipmunk decided to beat a hasty retreat while he still had his blush down and dignity intact and made a beeline for his bed. Dave whistled to himself, gloating in his victory; keeping his son's eye off of himself by distracting him by making him flustered worked like a charm. It was the oldest trick in the book of parenting, and Alvin had fallen for it hook, line and sinker.
'Me? Bust a move on a lady? I most certainly did not. I hope I didn't come off as desperate, though…"
Oh yeah. That's all for this chapter. Nothing more could be added without doing a whole new scene and whatnot.
Today, we had some character development for the youngest counterparts, a little bit more of the usual Alvittany, and Dave who just…met someone. Oh boy, consult chapter one. The guy's feeling…older. I typed it clearly, in black and white.
That's that. It's now 01:15 a.m., and I got daily life to live tomorrow. Err, later, I mean. Review, if you feel like commenting. This chapter will, or rather has been posted at 7:00 p.m. The next one is at 9:00 p.m.
Valete omnes,
MRAY 4TW.
