Rocky Horror does not belong to me; it belongs to the eternally awesome Richard O' Brien.
Trying a variation on my usual format regarding POVs. Let me know what you all think! Enjoy!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
15. Waiting
It was going to be one of those days again. She woke to the sound of rain spattering against the windows, and immediately pulled the covers over her head. There was no reason for her to get out of bed. A quick peek at her bedside clock said 8:30. Not too early, not too late, and not the time she was getting up today. She closed her eyes again, hoping the rain would lull her back to sleep.
The soft padding of feet on the carpet woke her up again. She hesitantly cracked an eye open to see a dark shape hovering at the side of her bed, breathing heavily. A couple of blinks showed in the early morning light that the shape was none other than one of Magenta's beloved German Shepherds, holding a newspaper in its mouth.
Oh, yeah. She forgot about the dogs. It's not that she minded the three large German Shepherds, but Frank hated having them wander loose and get in his way, so Magenta had to keep them in a bunch of rooms at the back of the house. Sometimes, she could hear them scratching and thumping around, but Magenta was good at keeping them under control.
Except today, apparently.
"Is that for me?" She asked after a big yawn. As if on cue, the dog set the rolled-up paper down beside her, before plopping down into a sitting position, panting happily. The dog breath in her face was enough to make her sit up, letting her eyes focus on the rest of the room. She unrolled the paper and started pretending to read, hoping the dog would get the hint and leave.
That was the plan, at least until she saw Rolling Stones. Scanning the top of the page, she saw she had the movie announcements, and underneath was the title Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones. Holy shit, there was a new Rolling Stones movie? Why didn't she know about this sooner? Oh, wait, she knew why. She never read the paper because what could a newspaper tell her that she couldn't get from a magazine? Besides, magazines were more fun.
She pulled the page closer to her face, checking for the movie times. 2:30, 4:00, 5:30, 7:00, 8:30, 10:00. 2:30, huh? She shouldn't have too much trouble killing time this morning. Maybe she could leave early and grab lunch in town before the movie.
"There you are!" snapped an annoyed voice from her doorway. She looked up to see Magenta, hands on her hips and looking more than a little miffed. The maid's attention, however, was focused solely on the dog, who seemed to sense it was in trouble as its ears drooped. Her expression immediately softened, and she moved in to kneel by the dog and scratch it behind the ears. "I'm not mad at you," the blond cooed, "but you know you shouldn't just run away like that. What if Frank were around?"
The surprisingly adorable scene beside her bed was nice to see first thing in the morning (Magenta showing her softer side was always a surprise), but she was awake enough to notice Magenta's word choice. "Frank's not here?"
"He went into town for some meeting."
"He didn't take the pickup truck, did he?" It sounded stupid as soon as she said it, and Magenta's raised eyebrow didn't help. "Never mind," she said quickly. "Do you know when he'll be back?"
Magenta just shrugged. "He didn't say." Oh great, that helped.
As Magenta started leading the dog out into the hall, a completely different question came to mind. "I get confused. Which one is that, again?" "Max." Magenta answered without even looking at the dog. "Zeke would have brought you a shoe and Bullwinkle would have jumped on your bed." The mention of Bullwinkle made her smile. (Not because of the cartoon, but because the dog's name was originally Rocky. When Frank started making his plans, he refused to have his beautiful creature share a name with a dog and made Magenta change it.)
She looked at her clock. 8:35. Well, she wasn't tired anymore, anyway; she was seeing the Rolling Stones today!
No sign of Frank at breakfast, as she followed Magenta into the kitchen, but there was Rocky. It was weird seeing him without Frank glued to his hip. Yes, she'd seen him alone plenty of times, but there were times of day where Frank was always beside him (or was he always beside Frank?) and breakfast was one of those times. Actually, she was kind of relieved; if Frank was out, then she and Rocky could talk some more.
A cold nose through her pajama pants made her look down to see another German Shepherd wagging its tail and staring at her with big dark eyes. This one didn't have a shoe, and Magenta still had Max beside her, so there was only one dog left. "Good morning, Bullwinkle," she laughed, petting the top of the dog's head. Satisfied with this, the dog trotted back to Riff Raff while she began getting her breakfast together. It wasn't until she sat down that she noticed a third pair of ears on Rocky's side of the table. In fact, they were practically touching him. A quick look under the table told her this was Zeke (if the old shoe on the ground was anything to go by), with his head in Rocky's lap.
Breakfast was surprisingly relaxing. She and Rocky talked a little about what they might do today, but no one seemed to mind not saying much; the lack of Frank keeping everyone on edge probably helped. Speaking of Frank, she turned to Riff Raff after putting her plate in the sink. "Where's Frank gone today?"
The butler looked up from the dog he was feeding a slice of meat to. "He is meeting with the owner of the television station to discuss their reporters investigating our property. We expect him to be gone all day."
Perfect, now what was she supposed to do? She had a movie to see (and if "all day" meant what she thought, the 2:30 showing was out). Maybe she could go back to bed - she was already on her way back to her room - but now she was too wound up, and she didn't really feel like dancing today. What's something she could do that she's taken forever with before?
Of course, why didn't she think of it sooner? She'd been meaning to do her nails again, and this time, she would make sure not to slip into depressing memories again. The painting and the drying would definitely kill the morning, and then she could figure out the rest of the day from there. She popped Sticky Fingers onto her record player and settled in with a nice shade of red.
As she started in on her toes, she turned the question of where Frank was over in her mind. She never noticed anyone spying or creeping outside the house (granted, she'd never really looked, but still) and she didn't know how long a meeting about that would take. Or maybe, he made that up and went into town for another reason, some new secret project he had in mind. Another thought that made her heart sink a little was the idea he had gone looking for his newest…victim? Lover? She didn't know the exact word, but he couldn't be getting bored of Rocky already, could he? That's what he was made for. (Knowing Frank, she wouldn't put it past him.)
The thought of Rocky made her think of Eddie, which then made her think of his motorcycle. She honestly couldn't remember seeing it since before…well, before. Eddie had shown her how to ride it, and if she only knew where it was, she could have taken that instead (assuming they hadn't just thrown it away). She couldn't look for it now, though. This castle was a maze already, and she was not going to get lost and miss seeing the movie.
Before she realized, her nails were done, and Sticky Fingers finished its last song. What else was there for her to do while they dried? Moving, even if she went very slowly, was too risky, so that only left one option. She grabbed the remote and flipped on her monitor. Whatever channel she'd had it on before was showing some cooking show, which was definitely not something she was in the mood to see (and not just because she was starting to get just a little hungry again).
After about her third flip through the cycle of channels, and her stomach growling louder each time, a quick check of her nails said they were dry enough to move, and she set off in search of lunch. Thankfully, the kitchen was stocked with enough "normal" food for her to throw a sandwich together. As she stepped into the hall after eating, a high-pitched laugh drew her towards one of the many sitting rooms downstairs. Assembled inside around the larger monitor were the Phantoms and, off to one side, Rocky. He turned to her as she stopped in the doorway.
"Hey," she said in surprise. "Hi," he said back.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At first, he thought he was dreaming, but the gentle shaking - which felt like it was starting to get slightly-less-gentle - wouldn't stop. His eyelids felt stuck together, but he eventually got them open enough to look into Frank's face. "I'll be out again today, I'm afraid," His creator sighed. "This spying nonsense is getting ridiculous." He was vaguely aware of yet another sense of disappointment as he mumbled "Mm-hmm" and laid his head back down on the pillow, followed by the sensation of lips on his forehead.
The next time he woke up, he was alone in the room. At first, he was afraid to move, that Frank's announcement had just been a dream, but nothing was happening to prove it. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
He's gone again? Thank God. Really? He still didn't know whether to feel on edge or relaxed when his creator was around. Now he didn't know whether to feel on edge or relaxed when he was alone? Come on, kid. Isn't it better that he's not here watching your every move? Maybe, but…well, he could think about it later. If he was going to have time to himself today, he'd better get a start on it.
He was out of bed, dressed, and down the stairs in no time. As he turned toward the kitchen, the sight of a large dog in his path made him freeze. Not daring to move while his heart raced, the dog stared back before trotting past him, its paws thumping with every step.
Huh, I've seen that dog. That maid - Pinkie, or whatever - likes keeping them.
If one dog was the last thing he expected this morning, he couldn't even describe his reaction to two more in the kitchen, at the feet of the creepy servants. All eyes turned to him as he came through the door, and he immediately turned his own eyes to the food, doing his best to avoid looking back as he made his plate and took a seat at the table. He watched from the corner of his eye as one dog slipped out the kitchen door, followed by a sigh from the maid. "As much as I would enjoy it, I'd better get him back before he finds his way into Frank's things." No sooner had she left than he became aware of the other dog next to him. He looked down, his heart racing a little again, but the dog seemed more content to sniff him, its tail starting to wag.
Looks like you're making a new friend, kid. He hoped so; right now, he didn't want to move and scare it away. A low, but sharp, whistle from the butler called the dog away, to his disappointment, but that was when another dog came in. Good grief, how many dogs did these two have?
It took him a few moments to realize it was the dog from the hallway, and he was only a little surprised to see the shoe it held in its mouth, but his surprise turned to joy when the dog came right up to him, apparently offering the shoe as a gift.
A laugh slipped out despite the freaky butler watching him. "Thank you," he grinned, taking one end of the shoe as the dog let go of the other half. How do you like that from man's best friend? Satisfied, the other dog moved forward and laid its head down in his lap.
He didn't have a chance to think about this as a parade came into the kitchen now. First was the scary maid, leading another dog beside her, and after them was none other than Columbia. She greeted everyone, including another dog that came right up to her, but her gaze lingered on him (whether it was due to the dog under the table or because Frank wasn't around, he didn't know).
Everyone settled into a comfortable silence, broken by occasional comments and Columbia asking about Frank (as well as looking under the table at the dog next to him). He listened to the butler's explanation - it was nothing that Frank hadn't told him already, about people snooping around outside - but the whole idea still bothered him. "Why are they doing that?"
The frightening butler gave him an unimpressed look. "A random castle appeared in the woods outside a small town of repressed, easily panicked Earthlings, some of which make it their business to study strange occurrences. Why wouldn't they investigate?" His face heated up and he turned back to look at his plate.
"What are you going to do today?" That came from Columbia, sitting across from him and not appearing to notice that he asked a stupid question. Relief started to replace his embarrassment, not that he really had an answer to her question. "I don't know, probably work out some more. How about you?" "My nails could use some work today," she said, tilting her head to examine said nails, "plus I take the pickup into town to see a movie."
Breakfast ended soon after that. Columbia took off to do her nails and he'd seen the kind of concentration that took form Frank, so he decided to instead head for the gym. Pushups, sit-ups, chin-ups, rowing, lifting, pressing; if it was something he could work out with, he did it. It could get boring, but the upside was he'd done so many workouts by now, he could let his mind wander. First off, had those dogs been here all this time? Why didn't he know about them? Did Frank think they were dangerous, since they belonged to the servants, who he knew didn't like him?
That's just how he is, kid. He'll tell you stuff, but he doesn't like you to know too much. Really? He tried to recall a question Frank flat-out wouldn't answer, but all he could come up with was a few instances of being told "It would take too long to explain," and Frank quickly changing the subject.
You want a place to talk, kid? You know where we can go. He did know, but he wasn't ready for another talk, not today. I gotcha. If you want to talk, you know where I'll be.
He tried, but eventually, the exercises got too boring even while he thought of other things. One shower later, ignoring the rumbling of his stomach once that started, he headed to the now-empty kitchen and opened the fridge. He knew nothing of preparing his own food - according to Frank, he only had to worry about whether the servants had something ready when he told them to - but he wasn't about to go looking for a servant to make him a lunch he'd probably be afraid to eat. That thought, and the emptiness of the kitchen, started setting his nerves on edge, so he grabbed what was right in front of him - an apple and a hard-boiled egg. He stepped back into the hall, taking a large bite of the apple when the sound of laughter reached him. He followed it to find the Phantoms in a sitting room, assembled around the monitor on the wall, some laughing at whatever was happening on screen, while others just looked bored (he knew the feeling). However, the second one caught sight of him, his arrival apparently sent a signal to the rest as they turned their heads toward him. Six pale faces instantly lit up and they began eagerly motioning for him to join them. Oh yeah, I forgot about your little fan club.
Maybe he wouldn't go that far, but they did always fawn over him and gaze at him like they expected him to do something amazing (which, considering how he was created, was kind of true). Well, he could stay for a little bit and see what happens. He edged into the room and to the side, taking a couple minutes to finish the apple, then the egg was gone in two bites. His hands free, he was looking for the right spot to sit down when Columbia appeared again. She scanned the room, looking as surprised to see him as he was to see her.
"Hey," she said. "Hi," he said back. The noises from the monitor filled the space between them. He looked away, more just to avoid staring than out of fear (though there was still that little bit of anxiety on seeing her). She seemed to have the same idea, trying to see the monitor from her angle at the door (which didn't look easy). Finally, he decided it wasn't worth drawing the silence out and looked back, right as she did at that moment. Someone had to say something.
Columbia started. "You got bored too, huh?" He could only nod, a little embarrassed. "I heard the noise and wanted to see what was happening." "Me too," she said. "Who knew it could get boring here?" That was certainly true. What are you still standing here for? You want to talk and be friends, don't you? That was also true. Now, it was his turn. "Do you want to see what's on TV?" She just shrugged, "Sure, why not?", and made for the red velvet sofa, currently occupied by three Phantoms, while he followed close behind. Upon seeing them approach, one Phantom waved to the others, and they all moved over, claiming other chairs and spots on the floor; this left enough room for the two of them.
She turned to face him. "Why do I feel like we're the next guests on The Tonight Show? " Regardless, they both soon settled into spots on the sofa and turned their attention to the monitor. Cowboys punching each other in a saloon; not quite enough to keep him interested. He turned to look at her, and she looked back at him. Ok, what to say to her?
He looked down and saw her new red polish. "I like what you've done with your nails." Now she looked down, trying to hide a smile. "Thanks. It's nothing new, just a couple coats of red." What could he say to that?
As it turns out, he didn't have to. "I saw you two holding hands at dinner last night," she said. "You looked…cute." His cheeks warmed. "Thanks for talking about it with me." She just smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. Do you have any other ideas of things you'd like to do for him?" He shook his head. "I don't know yet. Maybe something will just jump out at me."
They turned their attention back to the monitor at the sound of snapping fingers. The Addams Family was just starting, and he smiled to himself. Frank had made it clear to him that Earth people didn't know what good entertainment was when it came to TV, but they both enjoyed this show. (He just thought it was funny, but Frank had somehow gone into a whole lecture of how Earthlings didn't care about this one show being so different from everything else.) They both watched as Gomez and Morticia saw their children off to a birthday party and turned to go back inside their house. "Tish," Gomez said suddenly, "don't move." In one fluid motion, he scooped Morticia up in his arms and carried her across the threshold.
If it were possible, he thought he could actually feel the lightbulb going off as an idea for another romantic gesture towards Frank began to form.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In between stopping to see what DTV was playing now, they tried finding other topics of conversation. The rain started sounding heavier than before, pounding the roof and the windows. Columbia turned to look out at the miserable day, hoping something would just come to mind if she stopped overthinking things.
And something did. "You know, the weather was a lot like this the night Brad and Janet showed up."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Riff Raff let them in, and they were just soaked." A pause. "What do you think happened to them?"
"I don't know. Did they manage to get away?"
"Riff Raff said they did. Apparently, they got knocked over by the rocket effects, but that was it."
"I just hope they're doing ok."
"Yeah. Maybe they left town, or something." Another silence. "Do you miss her?"
"Who?"
"Janet."
That just kind of came out. She had kind of hung onto Brad after a few drinks of Jack and a touching song, but she didn't get as close (if that was the right word) as Janet did to Rocky. She was just curious, not jealous or anything.
He didn't know. Sometimes, when he was lying in that weird zone between awake and asleep, he'd see her face and feel the warmth of her body (which he was somehow able to tell apart from Frank's body; dream logic, apparently), but the rest of the time…"I don't know. I haven't really forgotten her, but I'm not sure what else I feel about her. Besides, it's not like I can just go see her and talk to her."
They were quiet for a moment, but not for long; more ideas of what to talk about were starting to flow. "So, how long have the dogs been here?" She laughed and turned to face him. "Oh, you'll love this story!"
One topic led into another, the TV forgotten. Phantoms came and went; dogs came and went. Neither of them could believe it when a red beam of sunshine came through the window. They both turned and looked over the back of the sofa as the sky, so gray and bleak all day, was now a stunning blend of pink, blue, and orange, dotted with purple clouds. Her awe at the sight was only matched by his breathless "Wow."
"When did that happen?" He asked. She turned to the antique clock in the corner and had to blink and double take. According to the hands, it was 6:45. Wasn't it around 1-ish when they sat down? "Maybe we talked so much, we made the rain stop," She laughed.
A telltale rumbling outside accompanied the flash of headlights. They looked at each other before standing and moving to the window. The sight that greeted them outside was a pair of taillights and a pale figure emerging from the drivers' side. "Perfect! I'll be able to make the 7:00 show." She darted out of the room and even from where he was, he could hear her racing on the steps. Damn, she must be excited. She ran out of here like her toe's just fine.
As she threw her outfit on and grabbed money out of her stash, she was so excited, she was practically vibrating. Meanwhile, as he made his way to the door, the butler stepped out of the shadows, the hall lights reflecting ominously off his glasses. "The master does not care for the presence of dogs," he said in that creepy voice. The hell did he just call us? He frowned, and then it dawned on him. He'd never seen the dogs before, until today, when Frank was gone all day…"It's okay. I won't tell him." And if you wanted us to keep it secret, you should have said.
"Play nice, you guys. You know what Frank'll say," she laughed from behind them as she came down the stairs, bundled up and ready for a night out.
With that, the butler brushed past him, unlocking the door and pulling it open. All three stepped outside to see the master of the house, standing in a long, dark mink coat and illuminated by the lights from the hall. "Oh, what a day," Frank sighed, draping himself against the hood of the truck (not too closely, to avoid staining his coat). "Welcome back, Master," Riff Raff bowed. Frank didn't even notice the butler, heading straight for his beloved Creation. "Hello, darling."
He opened his arms to hold his Creator close. "How did it go?" Frank gave another dramatic sigh. "We've made progress, but it turns out we're not done just yet. The station owner wants another meeting to finalize an agreement, and I invited him here for dinner on Friday. I know that sounds foolish, but don't worry. I have a plan." In the dim light, he saw his creator properly. Something was off - no color, no glitter - but he struggled to name it. "You look different." Frank just laughed quietly and pulled him in for a kiss. "You mean because I left home without my face today?" That was it. Woah, I don't think I've ever seen him without makeup. "It hurt to have to blend in with these people, but I think it will pay off."
Speaking of blending in, she saw her chance and stepped forward. "Frank, can I have the keys?" "Sure, here you go." He said, tossing the keys without even looking at her. She snatched them out of the air and climbed into the driver's seat without hesitation. The wheel in her hand and the pedal under her foot felt good as she pulled away into the night, leaving her housemates behind. She couldn't wait to get to the movie, but briefly looking back in the rearview mirror at the golden figure that somehow stood out on the winter night, she still couldn't help missing having more time to talk with Rocky.
They stood, watching until the taillights disappeared, then Frank turned back to him. "It's no good freezing out here. Let's go in and warm up." His creator began sauntering ahead, slow enough for him to catch up. This was his chance. "Frank, don't move." With the image of Gomez sweeping Morticia off her feet in his mind, he swept Frank off his feet and cradled him close. A gasp became a laugh as he crossed the threshold, his creator snuggling close. "I think that's the first time you've used my name."
"Just wanted to surprise you when you came home." That was true, wasn't it? He'd been looking forward to this all day, so why was he just a little disappointed Columbia wasn't here?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!