Back to Guys & Dolls...
...another day at school...
((Happy 4/20... If you haven't read both chapters of "A Fan For Shiko", you definitely should.))
...Art Class...
"What exactly IS that supposed to be?" Katja leaned in over Trieze's shoulder to try and see if the object he was trying to sculpt out of colored clay would make more sense from that angle.
It was the third day of Trieze's trial already and the novelty of his pierced ears and industrially decorated clothing had faded, even if to Katja's annoyance, the effect of the irresistible allure of his good looks on the 'preppy girls' had not. As if oblivious to his style choices, and the heartless humiliation Casey suffered at his hands, they would still timidly approach Trieze in the hallways to awkwardly try to strike up a conversation with him.
"It's a..." he trailed off honestly as puzzled as her at his own inability to render a three dimensional shape from the reference pictures he'd selected. Neither the private school nor his home tutors had ever covered this sort of thing, they just didn't have time with everything else!
"An Orange? That's been...smashed into the sidewalk?" she poked at a bit that was SUPPOSED to be the back foot of a curled up orange tabby cat.
"Huh..." he used his hand to frame out the portion that was supposed to be the face and squinted, "Yeah... that... I think that's what it is." he was nodding, it might work.
"So you weren't trying to make a modern expressionist sculpture, that's just the happy accident your going to sell to Ms. Watson as brilliant inspiration resulting from your long hours of contemplating the nature of a curled up cat?" Katja's dry tone bespoke her feelings on the matter.
Trieze flashed a congenial smile anyways,
"That sounds about right. I certainly will make sure to credit your participation in the process of course." he was already dimpling the surface and carving into the clay with a loop tool to accentuate the smashed fruit impression.
"I can't believe it! If I pulled some crap like that she'd fail my project!"
"There is a very good reason for that." Trieze had removed the cat's 'face' and was adding to the collapsed fringe where the peal splayed out under the impacted oval, "Your clearly far more capable then me." He paused to indicate the difference between his simple pursuit and her nearly 10inch long, green, scale textured, serpentine water dragon complete with red accents on it's fin like frills, nails and eyes.
"Pfft! Still isn't fair..." she grumbled going back to adding the aqua whisker-like details to it's body.
...Tech Shop...
Trieze sat at the drafting table in the corner of the large ventilated room full of heavy machinery, two partially built cars and an assortment of appliances either being repaired or slowly scraped for parts. Without the slightest interest in learning the ins & outs of mechanical repair labor he was engrossed in the latest technical schematics and testing results from the Aries development lab. It was simply ingenious the way that they were able to devise such a compact system capable of keeping the massive machine aloft for near continuous flight...
...so ingenious it gave him an idea for how to improve his own mechanical pride and joy... the HVG; He asked the teacher for permission to go to the parking lot so he could properly analyze the improvement possibilities.
...out in the lot...
"Hey, suicide boy! How's that cutting habit coming?" it was Jason, with Kevin, smoking crouched down between their cars... the novelty of Katja's attempt to humiliate Trieze had not worn off for them.
"Not as well as your class cutting, naturally." Trieze had found it puzzling when Samantha had explained what it meant to be a 'cutter', he didn't understand how bleeding one's self could be considered 'therapeutic', it just seemed like senseless mutilation of otherwise perfectly good skin.
"Ohhh, that's a good one." Jason got up and crossed the aisle, "You saying your not out here cutting class? Or is it just like ass-sex and doesn't count 'cause your a rich boy?"
"I thought you'd be glad to have your girl back, you seem a more fitting couple anyways." Trieze held his ground as he approached.
"Is that it? You were doing me a favor, Ass-boy?" Jason gave him a sharp two handed shove, to which Trieze gave way smoothly taking up a wide legged stance and crossing his arms.
"Do you think your doing yourself a favor right now?" his deep blue eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Jason lay off it, this isn't the place man." Kevin was looking nervously back towards the building they were in plain sight of.
"Your right. We should settle this properly sometime, Ass-boy." he spit on the ground before following Kevin back towards the school.
'We should.' Trieze mused looking thoughtfully over at Jason and Kevin's modified vehicles...
...On Swan Lake...
Samantha had asked the music teacher's permission to use the auditorium stage after school to practice for her dance recital in a few weeks, it was a 20's flapper-style re-writing of the ballet classic 'Swan Lake'. The attempted 'hip flare' was a tacky, raunchy and down right tasteless massacre of an otherwise solid piece of traditional choreography; and it also meant she had to do the whole thing in 4 inch heels instead of point shoes.
For practice's sake she'd decided to stick with a pair of flats, but still was having trouble remembering a lot of the transitions with out a partner to take her cues from. It took several tries before she made it the whole way through the first routine... Samantha wasn't pleased hearing the sound of a lone pair of hands clapping behind her. Sure enough, it was Trieze.
"Aren't you supposed to be re-inventing the sport of fencing for the disenfranchised masses or something?" she moved to quickly shut off the music that was still playing.
"I've given them all the instruction they need to team up and perfect what technique they have. You however, seem to be the one needing a partner."
"Thanks for that helpful observation, really. My partner goes to a different school, we just attend the same dance studio, it's not like I can get him to meet up on short notice or anything." It was obvious from her tone she just wanted to get rid of him and back to work.
"That seems fortunate, as there is something I need a partner of sorts for... perhaps we might negotiate a trade? I think you'll find I'm not that bad of a dancer myself." Trieze offered a hand her way.
"Whoa, wait, wait. What?" Samantha was set back on her heels, crossing her arms over her chest as if to lock her hands away, "Exactly what kind of something?" he had better not mean what she thought he meant.
"Its just a family dinner!" Trieze waved his hands defensively trying to dispel her sudden mood shift. "You aren't dating your 'Partner', are you?"
Samantha frowned, something was still up with him,
"That doesn't mean I want to date you."
"I wasn't suggesting that you do. You see... my mother and father would really like to meet the friends Milliardo has been telling them so much about, I just supposed that perhaps you would feel more comfortable if I were to invite you." He smiled lightly, unsuspiciously. Her frown deepened.
"You aren't about to throw in some twist where you try and make me agree to let you introduce me to your parents as Casey Cassidy, are you?"
Trieze blinked in surprise,
"Wha... Why would you think something... like that?" he tried to laugh it off, but in all truth he'd just been caught red-handed.
"Because Milliardo told us that he told your parents about you hooking up with her."
"Does he hold anything back?" Trieze was shifting uncomfortably now.
"What's wrong Trieze, aren't you proud you screwed the hottest girl in school over and up the ass? I thought that was the sort of thing you liked showing off."
Trieze let out a long sigh,
"Whats been done, has been done. Alright? I was just going to say, when ever you're next available Katja and you are welcome to come to dinner. If you'd like, I'd also be happy to be your stand-in and help your practicing go smoother. It's up to you to decide."
Samantha laughed,
"You? Be my 'stand-in'? You don't even know the steps."
"You might be surprised. I was watching you attempt it enough times I think I get the gist of what the other half is supposed to be." Trieze took a step closer re-offering his hand. Samantha looked at it, taking a few moments to think first.
"Alright fine, but I'm only going to think about going to your place for dinner. Let me go get the heels on..." she relented out of frustration and went to cue up the music and fetch the specialized dancing shoes.
"Heels? Your not serious are you?" Trieze asked disbelieving.
"Yeah, heels. They made everything 20's flapper-style and modeled the set and costumes off of that musical 'Guys & Dolls' about the mission girl and the guy with the gambling problem? You know, that one?" she'd flipped off the flats and was affixing the raised footwear.
"Can't say I do..." He shook his head, "I have seen several ballets and numerous operas however."
"You've never taken Ballet before though, have you?" she paused before starting the music back up.
"I'm very well versed in ballroom and several other socially traditional dances." he offered matter-of-factually.
"Well then, here goes nothing..." she hit play and scurried to take up her starting position by his side... and was quickly impressed with how few pointers he needed to keep up with her.
...Walking up the steps again...
Walking up the steps at home with Milliardo a while later, Trieze felt like he'd made good progress that week. His trial was over, he'd started to reign in Katja's commentary, soon would be putting his less then worthy rival in his place and hopefully a more then worthy dance partner in Casey's place.
"Honestly Milliard, do you have to go getting involved in everything I do? Can't you let anything just happen according to nature?" Trieze huffed halfheartedly as they were passing by the pair of Lynx statues currently adorning the sides of the front entrance.
Milliardo kept a tight-lipped silence, acquiescing to the request to not interfere even though he was sure Trieze hadn't noticed what was wrong.
"...Can you talk to Katja though, since this is all your doing? It would be nice to have them over to see where you live, wouldn't it? I'm sure they would get a kick out of the architecture in the older sections..." Trieze continued on oblivious.
Milliardo spotted Sir Godrick a bit further down the hall going over some paperwork with his manservant, Alonzo. They would be passing them soon... he continued to say nothing to Trieze.
"...it would probably be a good idea to find out what they like to eat, I'm sure I can make sure they get accommodated –"
"TRIEZE GODRICK THE THIRTEENTH!" Sir Godrick cut him off, staring in mortified shock at his (now confused) son.
Trieze frozen in place looked to Milliardo for an answer as to what he'd done this time...
"You forgot something..." Milliard flicked the back of one of his own ears to accentuate his point.
Trieze's eyes expanded with the horrified realization...
…that he'd forgotten to remove the 13 piercings when changing back into his 'normal' cloths.