![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Arthur Black was sitting on the couch trying to tune his guitar, but his perpetually-indecisive roommate has decided that this week she is a singer again.
"Come on, Art, I'm a good singer!" Suzy pleads with big eyes and a bigger wave.
"Suze. That is not the thing that worries me, Suze," Arthur says as he sets down his guitar to the side, "The thing that worries me is that this week you want to sing and the next you'll be back to sculpture. Or painting. Or found-object collages. Or interpretive-freaking-dance!"
"Interpretive dance is silly, Art, why would I do that? And anyway, you know you want to try some of the vocals you wrote ♫ for ♫ high ♫ voices! ♫"
That's two things Arthur is not good at refusing: chances to show off and requests from Susanna Blue. The look he gives back, though, is definitely a scowl. Not a smirk at all. "One of these days, you're going to wear out your welcome... with everyone but me. OK, show up to tonight's practice a little after we start, I'll bring the guys around."
"Yay! You're still the best, Art." She really is happy, that hug was only about a third tackle.
Practice comes and goes, and the rest of No Rainbows goes along with Suzy's request. Arthur isn't explicitly in charge, but he's a big personality and the group started out of bluegrass jam sessions he organized, so they're used to following his lead. And her voice is pretty good.
A couple nights later, they are all setting up in the back of an Atlanta restaurant. Suzy's helping Arthur set up the amps while there's still space to move things around near the stage while the other three tune up.
"Come on, Art, I'm a good singer!" Suzy pleads with big eyes and a bigger wave.
"Suze. That is not the thing that worries me, Suze," Arthur says as he sets down his guitar to the side, "The thing that worries me is that this week you want to sing and the next you'll be back to sculpture. Or painting. Or found-object collages. Or interpretive-freaking-dance!"
"Interpretive dance is silly, Art, why would I do that? And anyway, you know you want to try some of the vocals you wrote ♫ for ♫ high ♫ voices! ♫"
That's two things Arthur is not good at refusing: chances to show off and requests from Susanna Blue. The look he gives back, though, is definitely a scowl. Not a smirk at all. "One of these days, you're going to wear out your welcome... with everyone but me. OK, show up to tonight's practice a little after we start, I'll bring the guys around."
"Yay! You're still the best, Art." She really is happy, that hug was only about a third tackle.
Practice comes and goes, and the rest of No Rainbows goes along with Suzy's request. Arthur isn't explicitly in charge, but he's a big personality and the group started out of bluegrass jam sessions he organized, so they're used to following his lead. And her voice is pretty good.
A couple nights later, they are all setting up in the back of an Atlanta restaurant. Suzy's helping Arthur set up the amps while there's still space to move things around near the stage while the other three tune up.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 02:53 am (UTC)And here she's free.
That night, she heads for a restaurant near the shelter she's currently in. She's been there a couple times before; they do live music, some nights, and need the extra help. She'll get dinner and a few bucks for helping with the dishes. She walks in through the back door, trying to stay out of the way of tonight's band, and scans the room in search of the manager.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 03:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 03:23 am (UTC)After the fifth or sixth time they let a kid stay on their couch, they developed a routine for this. Offers from Arthur sometimes come off as creepy, so Suzy is safer.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 03:32 am (UTC)As the manager walks off she notices one of the band members- rotate. Towards her. Well, that's weird. She's not on one of those stupid milk cartons or anything, is she? That would be bad. But- she doesn't think she is, she checks the news at the library sometimes when she can. And missing person reports usually take a while, they can only get milk cartons changed so quickly... So, probably just someone staring. She slouches back against the wall, arms crossed, and stares back rather challengingly.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 03:52 am (UTC)"Don't see many people taking night jobs here. You alright?"
She slumps to match.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 04:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 04:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 04:30 am (UTC)(She stays in the shelters because they're free, she knows it makes the most sense on her non-existent budget, but- she's not used to them, not yet. She silently hopes she never is.)
Finally she nods. "If you have a spot, and it's not too much trouble," she says slowly, "I'd... appreciate it, yeah. Thanks." She cocks her head. "I can clean, or cook, in exchange; I'm good at those."
She's had lots of practice at those. And she doesn't like... owing.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 04:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 04:49 am (UTC)"So... I gotta go clean things. I'll stop by after the show," see if you meant it. "Break a leg, yeah? And... thanks."
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 05:06 am (UTC)As Erica leaves, she heads back to the band. "She's pretty scared, I think, but took me up on it," she reports to Arthur, "And her name's Erica. Anything left to deal with before we start the show?"
Everything's set, and soon they go into the first song. It's one of the new songs Arthur's written that she tempted him with singing, an emotional seesaw called "Brighter Days" about the big changes in the narrator's life, and how she found hope during the dark twists and sadness even during the good parts. She pours her heart into it.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 05:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 05:32 am (UTC)Except, they're not nervous. They clearly have A Purpose Here.
And right now, they'll be watching the show. Very, very closely.
Isn't it interesting?
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 09:44 pm (UTC)The new song finishes, and he calls the next one, House of the Rising Sun. He arranged it a bit; their version trades off between the perspective of the mother and son, and vocals trade with them.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-02 09:52 pm (UTC)There's a beat or two between songs where she's creeped out, but then she's back to Being the Singer.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 05:56 am (UTC)Watching, and thinking.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 06:02 am (UTC)She has a moment of panic, thinking is it me they're looking for, but attempts to calm herself. It's fine. They're watching the show. (Weirdly closely, but whatever.) They haven't looked at the kitchen. It's probably not related to her at all.
Not to her running away, or her- Things.
All the same, she's glad Suzy made that offer. She's stayed in this shelter before, but never at Suzy's. If Suzy doesn't bail on her- which, to be realistic, she very well might- it would make her that little bit harder to find
She keeps her head down. She gets her work done. And she stays as close to the door as she can. As soon as the show's over, she's talking to Suzy and going anywhere else.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 09:08 am (UTC)Arthur gets slightly more nervous with every song. These guys aren't moving with the music, just staring at the stage. Normally he's got his Large Ham mask on for shows, but it's slipping tonight. He doesn't sing much.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-03 09:31 am (UTC)After a few hours of The Best, the room is starting to empty out and the restaurant's getting toward closing time. As the last bars finish, Suzy moves to the front of the stage with a big smile.
"I'm Suzy Blue and this was No Rainbows, check out our website for updates on future performances, love you all, good night!" she rattles out, going straight into a big bow.
Now, where was Erica?
no subject
Date: 2014-10-07 03:37 am (UTC)Most of the people in the restaurant have left by now; it's closing time, no one's sticking around. There's one server left at the bar cleaning up for the night, but he's not paying any attention to the far side of the restaurant. The rest of the staff's in the kitchen in back, getting their free meals.
That leaves Suzy, Erica, the band (what's left of it, at least, a couple of the guys seem to be moving audio equipment into a van out back), and- the weird guys from earlier.
They beat Erica to the band. She slows to let them, in fact, and starts edging away from them as she approaches. As she's nearing the band, they reach Suzy, form a semi-circle around her, and with a couple wordless notes-
-fade into nothing.
Erica wants desperately to scream, but they were singing when they did that, she can't draw attention to herself-
She backs right into someone without even realizing she'd been backing up. "Oh god oh god oh god what the hell-"
no subject
Date: 2014-10-08 02:33 am (UTC)His mind races in circles, Suze! What the hell? They just...vanished? Am I nuts? Suze!. This might have gone on for a while, but he's then he's jostled by a girl walking backwards.
He blinks, then turns a bit toward her. "You see what I just saw?", he says, in a shocked, slightly hollow voice.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-12 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 01:49 am (UTC)"Hey, it's alright. I have a car, I'll give you a ride." Though... maybe not our place?. "You're Erica, right? I'm Suze's roommate, Arthur."
no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 01:55 am (UTC)First step- get out.
"Yeah, I'm Erica. A ride- that sounds great. Thanks." She looks towards- where Suze was- shudders, pushes it down and looks back at Arthur. "Are you all set? Need help with your stuff?"
Generally anything she can do to help get them out of here as fast as possible?
no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 02:07 am (UTC)With a bit of guiding, they get to the car and pull away. "So I'm not really sure we should to my place immediately. You sounded like you understood a little more than me, mind if we get some coffee and talk? There's a diner on my way home from here."
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: