Athena (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
everlastingsoul) wrote2006-07-23 06:00 am
everlastingsoul) wrote2006-07-23 06:00 am
Entry tags:
*stretches and yawns*
Tentative title: Move Along
Series: Suikoden
Word count: 1773
Warnings: Mild language, some sexual joking, modern fic
Characters featured and/or mentioned this chapter: Sasarai, Zaj, Nash, Clive, Elza, Kelly, Luc, Ace, Queen, Jacques, Joker, Elaine, Duke, Caesar, Albert, Mathiu, Sarah, Leknaat, Mio, Meg
Summary: Just more modern antics. I'll get to the plot eventually. I think.
Started: June 9, 2006
Finished: July 23, 2006
“Move Along”
Part 2: In Between
Sasarai was practically bouncing in his seat. Zaj Quilos glanced at him briefly, adjusting his glasses before returning his attention to the road. “Anxious?”
“Excited,” replied the young man, smiling as he looked at the trees and buildings they passed. Places were steadily becoming more familiar as they traveled, and they would hopefully be back in Crystal Valley by tomorrow.
“You should rest up,” Clive Schwarzes commented, studying the road map from the passenger seat. “You guys are going to get bombarded once we get there, you realize.”
“But this is different!” Sasarai nibbled on the potato chips he had stolen from Luc, pausing to suckle on his fingers. “We haven’t had a homecoming concert before. We were out touring for months, and this is our first time home.”
“Hm.” Clive was by no means unfamiliar with this kind of reaction; he had acted as a bodyguard with Kelly and Elza, two close friends, for a few years now. Along with Zaj, they maintained low profiles and were not obvious bodyguards, and oftentimes lost out on higher-paying jobs for more visual and intimidating types.
But they did their jobs with great efficiency, and that was what really mattered.
They also doubled as drivers, which was a major plus. Kelly and Elza manned the bus with the road crew, while Clive and Zaj had the special honor of driving the actual band members. Nash was not especially fond of the setup; Zaj had dated his younger sister a few months prior to them going on tour, and he was still a bit sore from their breakup, which had ended with Julie Latkje crying and Nash soundly breaking Zaj’s glasses.
With his fist, of course.
The radio crackled to life from its place on the dash, and Clive picked up the receiver. “You have something to say, Elza?”
“Just that Ace is whining about the headset that Luc trashed back in Tinto,” Elza’s husky alto intoned over the radio. “I swear, that sound system is like his baby or something. He’s asking Dios if he’ll pay for replacements, but, you know, I don’t think he’s gonna give this time…”
Sasarai flailed and reached for the receiver, laughing into it as he said, “You can tell him that Luc didn’t trash it; the left ear was ringing and he threw it during the concert because it was annoying him. At worst, Dios’ll make Luc pay for it.”
There was brief clamor of static on the other before Elza’s voice returned. “I think he’s just looking for something to gripe about. Now he’s talking about the keyboards that Yuber fella busted up in Gregminster.”
Clive snorted as he took the receiver back from Sasarai. “That’s what we get for letting Elaine hire a keyboardist with a vandalism record. Tell him to shut his trap and sort out his personal problems so he stops griping about everything else.”
Elza laughed on the other end, and the three were able to hear Kelly’s chuckling as well. “Will do, will do.”
* * * * *
Caesar smiled to himself as he heard the sounds of the front door being unlocked and the unmistakable rattle of keys against a wooden charm he had made back in second grade. He had made the charm as a special congratulatory gift; it was not every day that someone got their driver’s license, after all. A few moments later, he turned his smile to his older brother, who trudged into the kitchen with his bookbag in hand and his coat slung over one shoulder. He looked burnt out, though that was hardly surprising near the end of spring semester.
“Hi, Albie. Want a cheese sandwich?” he greeted, tilting his head and pointing at the plate of grilled cheese sandwiches he had made with Mathiu. He sat at the island counter in the middle of the kitchen, happily munching on his snack.
“Thanks,” Albert said, plucking one from the plate and tucking it into his mouth. He wandered back to the hall to hang up his coat, pocketing his keys as he came back to the kitchen a few moments later. Taking a bite from his sandwich, he asked, “How was school?”
“It was cool,” Caesar replied, going over the details of his day with a grin. “We’re learning some new songs. I hope we get to perform during the end of school assembly.”
Albert nodded, leaning against the counter as he ate. While he and his little brother were originally from Gregminster, he had moved to Crystal Valley following his acceptance to one of the public universities. When their father was taking care of their mother during her chemotherapy treatments, Caesar had come up to live with him and Mathiu. Two years later, with their mother’s cancer in remission, it was likely Caesar would be going back to live with their parents after the end of the school year.
Though he knew about the remission, Caesar was still not aware about this arrangement yet. They intended to talk about it once their father and mother had a chance to fly into the city.
“How about homework? Have you started on it yet?”
The young boy made a face at the question. “I just got home an hour ago. Do I have to?”
Albert sighed. “We’ve had this talk a thousand times. The sooner you get your work done, the sooner you can go and goof off.” He glanced at the clock. “Did Mathiu already go to work?”
“Yeah; he tried to call you, but he said all he was getting was your voice mail.” Caesar finished off his sandwich and reached for another one, grinning goofily at his brother. “You have a girlfriend or something now?”
“You think I have time to have one?” countered the older Silverberg, reaching across the counter and tousling Caesar’s hair. “After that sandwich, get to your homework. I’m going to finish this and take a shower.”
Caesar only snickered to himself as Albert left.
* * * * *
“Mother, how are you today?”
“I’m fine, my dear. How is school?”
“It’s … okay.”
Sarah Bach looked at her clasped hands solemnly, wondering if she should expand on her answer. Truth be told, her first year of college was not going very well. She was fairly studious and got good grades back in high school, but her well-roundedness in her subjects led to having trouble pinpointing a major. A counsoler had tried to comfort her by explaining that it was perfectly normal, but she still felt isolated from old friends that had been quick to proclaim their majors upon entering schools.
For the most part, she was in self-imposed isolation. And the only way to get out of it, as far as she was concerned, was to decide on her major.
Of course, she did not want to worry her mother about it.
“Are you sure?”
It did not help that her mother was extremely intuitive. Psychic, almost.
“I’m sure, Mother. Did Mio--?”
Leknaat waved slightly, dismissively. “I sent her home early. I’m perfectly fine.”
She raised a brow skeptically. “How early is ‘early?’”
Her mother had the grace to look embarrassed. “Eleven AM.”
Sarah was very rarely angry. She just never felt rage. That did not stop her from chiding her mother, though. Mio was her mother’s personal aid to help her around the house and outdoors due to her mother being blind. “This is the third time this week, Mother. Mio is supposed to stay here until I get back from school. What if you had fallen down the stairs or something? Or-- or dropped a plate and cut yourself?”
Leknaat smiled and laughed at her daughter’s examples. “I’m quite careful, Sarah. That wouldn’t happen.”
For a moment, the young woman flushed and looked away; she knew her mother was careful. In fact, her mother was so graceful despite her blindness that it seemed as if she had never been in that car accident.
One would almost think she had a third eye.
But Sarah did not really believe in that kind of stuff.
* * * * *
“Ace, stop wandering around like a lost lemming and sit your ass down.”
“Go to hell, Duke!”
Queen shook her head as he leaned back, reading her book even as she glanced up at her coworker. It was hardly uncommon for Ace to fret around before a performance, and the banter was familiar, if not old. Ace grumbled and retreated to his adventure novels on his bunk, while Duke rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the game of checkers he was playing with his wife.
“… I swear, ‘laine, you’re switching the pieces every time I turn my back.”
Elaine Rivard scoffed and reached across the gameboard to poke Duke’s scarred nose. “You’re just making excuses because you know you’re going to lose. Again.”
“Why don’t you stop playing him then, Elaine?” Queen inquired without lowering her book to glance at the couple.
The other woman made a sound suspiciously like a pout. “Duke’s the only one I can beat. Even Joker is better than me.”
“Maybe you should try teaching Jacques to play. He’s been playing darts so long he’s beaten all of our combined triple-20 counts.”
Elaine glanced over at said young man, who had just walked out of the front compartment with a bag of carrot sticks. Queen, Ace, and Duke stopped to look, too.
Jacques blinked when he noticed all of them staring. “… Sorry, did you want carrots, too?”
* * * * *
TricksRUs: do u want me to hack her account?
RedSilver: No, no, I’m just sick of her using the lab comp like that You know how it is
TricksRUs: not really. . . we use the comps for stuff like that
RedSilver: True But you guys live on those computers.
TricksRUs: and how! ^_^ heheh, did u prepare ur final defense?
RedSilver: I’m not on a grad stdent yet
TricksRUs: . . . GAH I knew that. sorry, I got confused
RedSilver: Aren’t you going for a master’s, too?
TricksRUs: aw, shut it. I’m only a frosh. I can make a mistake sometimes
RedSilver: Your uncle’s a prof though, isn’t he?
TricksRUs: yah, of course. I was gonna try to find out his lab group so I could join it
RedSilver: But?
TricksRUs: . . . he left. >\ hmph.
RedSilver: “Left?” where to?
TricksRUs: he went to another university. u would think he was trying to avoid me
TricksRUs: uh oh gtg. looks like my partner got the LED lights mixed up
RedSilver: The what?
TricksRUs: heheh, I’ll tell u later
TricksRUs has logged off.
RedSilver: …
RedSilver: Engineers.
RedSilver has logged off.
Series: Suikoden
Word count: 1773
Warnings: Mild language, some sexual joking, modern fic
Characters featured and/or mentioned this chapter: Sasarai, Zaj, Nash, Clive, Elza, Kelly, Luc, Ace, Queen, Jacques, Joker, Elaine, Duke, Caesar, Albert, Mathiu, Sarah, Leknaat, Mio, Meg
Summary: Just more modern antics. I'll get to the plot eventually. I think.
Started: June 9, 2006
Finished: July 23, 2006
Part 2: In Between
Sasarai was practically bouncing in his seat. Zaj Quilos glanced at him briefly, adjusting his glasses before returning his attention to the road. “Anxious?”
“Excited,” replied the young man, smiling as he looked at the trees and buildings they passed. Places were steadily becoming more familiar as they traveled, and they would hopefully be back in Crystal Valley by tomorrow.
“You should rest up,” Clive Schwarzes commented, studying the road map from the passenger seat. “You guys are going to get bombarded once we get there, you realize.”
“But this is different!” Sasarai nibbled on the potato chips he had stolen from Luc, pausing to suckle on his fingers. “We haven’t had a homecoming concert before. We were out touring for months, and this is our first time home.”
“Hm.” Clive was by no means unfamiliar with this kind of reaction; he had acted as a bodyguard with Kelly and Elza, two close friends, for a few years now. Along with Zaj, they maintained low profiles and were not obvious bodyguards, and oftentimes lost out on higher-paying jobs for more visual and intimidating types.
But they did their jobs with great efficiency, and that was what really mattered.
They also doubled as drivers, which was a major plus. Kelly and Elza manned the bus with the road crew, while Clive and Zaj had the special honor of driving the actual band members. Nash was not especially fond of the setup; Zaj had dated his younger sister a few months prior to them going on tour, and he was still a bit sore from their breakup, which had ended with Julie Latkje crying and Nash soundly breaking Zaj’s glasses.
With his fist, of course.
The radio crackled to life from its place on the dash, and Clive picked up the receiver. “You have something to say, Elza?”
“Just that Ace is whining about the headset that Luc trashed back in Tinto,” Elza’s husky alto intoned over the radio. “I swear, that sound system is like his baby or something. He’s asking Dios if he’ll pay for replacements, but, you know, I don’t think he’s gonna give this time…”
Sasarai flailed and reached for the receiver, laughing into it as he said, “You can tell him that Luc didn’t trash it; the left ear was ringing and he threw it during the concert because it was annoying him. At worst, Dios’ll make Luc pay for it.”
There was brief clamor of static on the other before Elza’s voice returned. “I think he’s just looking for something to gripe about. Now he’s talking about the keyboards that Yuber fella busted up in Gregminster.”
Clive snorted as he took the receiver back from Sasarai. “That’s what we get for letting Elaine hire a keyboardist with a vandalism record. Tell him to shut his trap and sort out his personal problems so he stops griping about everything else.”
Elza laughed on the other end, and the three were able to hear Kelly’s chuckling as well. “Will do, will do.”
Caesar smiled to himself as he heard the sounds of the front door being unlocked and the unmistakable rattle of keys against a wooden charm he had made back in second grade. He had made the charm as a special congratulatory gift; it was not every day that someone got their driver’s license, after all. A few moments later, he turned his smile to his older brother, who trudged into the kitchen with his bookbag in hand and his coat slung over one shoulder. He looked burnt out, though that was hardly surprising near the end of spring semester.
“Hi, Albie. Want a cheese sandwich?” he greeted, tilting his head and pointing at the plate of grilled cheese sandwiches he had made with Mathiu. He sat at the island counter in the middle of the kitchen, happily munching on his snack.
“Thanks,” Albert said, plucking one from the plate and tucking it into his mouth. He wandered back to the hall to hang up his coat, pocketing his keys as he came back to the kitchen a few moments later. Taking a bite from his sandwich, he asked, “How was school?”
“It was cool,” Caesar replied, going over the details of his day with a grin. “We’re learning some new songs. I hope we get to perform during the end of school assembly.”
Albert nodded, leaning against the counter as he ate. While he and his little brother were originally from Gregminster, he had moved to Crystal Valley following his acceptance to one of the public universities. When their father was taking care of their mother during her chemotherapy treatments, Caesar had come up to live with him and Mathiu. Two years later, with their mother’s cancer in remission, it was likely Caesar would be going back to live with their parents after the end of the school year.
Though he knew about the remission, Caesar was still not aware about this arrangement yet. They intended to talk about it once their father and mother had a chance to fly into the city.
“How about homework? Have you started on it yet?”
The young boy made a face at the question. “I just got home an hour ago. Do I have to?”
Albert sighed. “We’ve had this talk a thousand times. The sooner you get your work done, the sooner you can go and goof off.” He glanced at the clock. “Did Mathiu already go to work?”
“Yeah; he tried to call you, but he said all he was getting was your voice mail.” Caesar finished off his sandwich and reached for another one, grinning goofily at his brother. “You have a girlfriend or something now?”
“You think I have time to have one?” countered the older Silverberg, reaching across the counter and tousling Caesar’s hair. “After that sandwich, get to your homework. I’m going to finish this and take a shower.”
Caesar only snickered to himself as Albert left.
“Mother, how are you today?”
“I’m fine, my dear. How is school?”
“It’s … okay.”
Sarah Bach looked at her clasped hands solemnly, wondering if she should expand on her answer. Truth be told, her first year of college was not going very well. She was fairly studious and got good grades back in high school, but her well-roundedness in her subjects led to having trouble pinpointing a major. A counsoler had tried to comfort her by explaining that it was perfectly normal, but she still felt isolated from old friends that had been quick to proclaim their majors upon entering schools.
For the most part, she was in self-imposed isolation. And the only way to get out of it, as far as she was concerned, was to decide on her major.
Of course, she did not want to worry her mother about it.
“Are you sure?”
It did not help that her mother was extremely intuitive. Psychic, almost.
“I’m sure, Mother. Did Mio--?”
Leknaat waved slightly, dismissively. “I sent her home early. I’m perfectly fine.”
She raised a brow skeptically. “How early is ‘early?’”
Her mother had the grace to look embarrassed. “Eleven AM.”
Sarah was very rarely angry. She just never felt rage. That did not stop her from chiding her mother, though. Mio was her mother’s personal aid to help her around the house and outdoors due to her mother being blind. “This is the third time this week, Mother. Mio is supposed to stay here until I get back from school. What if you had fallen down the stairs or something? Or-- or dropped a plate and cut yourself?”
Leknaat smiled and laughed at her daughter’s examples. “I’m quite careful, Sarah. That wouldn’t happen.”
For a moment, the young woman flushed and looked away; she knew her mother was careful. In fact, her mother was so graceful despite her blindness that it seemed as if she had never been in that car accident.
One would almost think she had a third eye.
But Sarah did not really believe in that kind of stuff.
“Ace, stop wandering around like a lost lemming and sit your ass down.”
“Go to hell, Duke!”
Queen shook her head as he leaned back, reading her book even as she glanced up at her coworker. It was hardly uncommon for Ace to fret around before a performance, and the banter was familiar, if not old. Ace grumbled and retreated to his adventure novels on his bunk, while Duke rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the game of checkers he was playing with his wife.
“… I swear, ‘laine, you’re switching the pieces every time I turn my back.”
Elaine Rivard scoffed and reached across the gameboard to poke Duke’s scarred nose. “You’re just making excuses because you know you’re going to lose. Again.”
“Why don’t you stop playing him then, Elaine?” Queen inquired without lowering her book to glance at the couple.
The other woman made a sound suspiciously like a pout. “Duke’s the only one I can beat. Even Joker is better than me.”
“Maybe you should try teaching Jacques to play. He’s been playing darts so long he’s beaten all of our combined triple-20 counts.”
Elaine glanced over at said young man, who had just walked out of the front compartment with a bag of carrot sticks. Queen, Ace, and Duke stopped to look, too.
Jacques blinked when he noticed all of them staring. “… Sorry, did you want carrots, too?”
TricksRUs: do u want me to hack her account?
RedSilver: No, no, I’m just sick of her using the lab comp like that You know how it is
TricksRUs: not really. . . we use the comps for stuff like that
RedSilver: True But you guys live on those computers.
TricksRUs: and how! ^_^ heheh, did u prepare ur final defense?
RedSilver: I’m not on a grad stdent yet
TricksRUs: . . . GAH I knew that. sorry, I got confused
RedSilver: Aren’t you going for a master’s, too?
TricksRUs: aw, shut it. I’m only a frosh. I can make a mistake sometimes
RedSilver: Your uncle’s a prof though, isn’t he?
TricksRUs: yah, of course. I was gonna try to find out his lab group so I could join it
RedSilver: But?
TricksRUs: . . . he left. >\ hmph.
RedSilver: “Left?” where to?
TricksRUs: he went to another university. u would think he was trying to avoid me
TricksRUs: uh oh gtg. looks like my partner got the LED lights mixed up
RedSilver: The what?
TricksRUs: heheh, I’ll tell u later
TricksRUs has logged off.
RedSilver: …
RedSilver: Engineers.
RedSilver has logged off.
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no subject
I'm especially enjoying Dios as a roadie figure.