![[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 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
Date: 2014-10-14 02:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 02:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 02:32 am (UTC)A thought strikes her. "If you're right, though- about when you're singing, I mean- were they looking for you, then? If they just heard the effects and grabbed for the singer..."
no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 02:51 am (UTC)The diner appears up ahead, and Art goes quiet. He waves to the waitress on his way in and asks for "Two lost-puppy specials." He takes the back booth, though the place is almost deserted. Soon there will be coffee and pie.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 03:25 am (UTC)This does not bode as well for him, but- being comforting. Right. She will leave that part out.
She occasionally glances over to see where the waitress is. She's curious about this "lost puppy" meal, contents thus far unspecified.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 03:31 am (UTC)There's a pause. Coffee and pie arrives, and he thanks the waitress. (Her name is Darla, apparently.) The pie makes him perk up a bit; for once he's the one who felt like a lost puppy.
"What do you know about the singing thing? Have you heard about these guys before?"
no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 03:44 am (UTC)She collects her coffee and pie. The coffee she sips slowly; the pie she scarfs down. You never know when the next free pie will be, after all.
"And I don't know anything about them. Scary dudes vanishing people who can 'sing'? I'd've been out the door the instant I saw them, if I knew."
She weighs pros and cons of being straightforward about the singing. She settles on "probably worth it". He already knows about it, he already knows about her, and he can do it too if he's to be believed. It's too complicated a setup to catch her, if that's the goal, the suits could've just snatched her outright. So- she'll be up front, for now. She could use someone to compare notes with. Imagine if she could do it on purpose.
"I can't do much. I just- destroyed a towel, once. Hard to miss. I just," she growls in frustration, "it's not reliable. All I know is I have to be singing, and it helps if I'm upset."
no subject
Date: 2014-10-14 03:57 am (UTC)"When I've noticed things has usually been songs that were really important to me, you know? The kind of thing that brings back memories. Some of it was good feelings; when everything went hushed, I was singing a love song to a girlfriend in the audience."
no subject
Date: 2014-10-18 07:28 pm (UTC)She's... not going to mention blanking people, yet, she decides. If worst comes to worst, if this is some kind of trap- she needs to be able to do it to him, or at least not have him know she knows it.
She finishes her bite of pie and continues. "But, yeah. Creeps. Hell yes. But what do you do about creeps?"
no subject
Date: 2014-10-20 02:23 am (UTC)Then his expression hardens. "But. I need to find Suzy. We've had each other's backs for too long, I can't - won't - abandon her now. She might be okay, but I have to know."
He pauses a moment, then continues with an small, ironic smirk, "This might be easier if we dated. Just try 'hope my girlfriend comes back' songs for hours until something works, there's enough of them."
no subject
Date: 2014-10-20 02:33 am (UTC)Erica is very, very used to hiding her secrets from her parents. She sees no reason not to be cautious about this too. Best case they're harder to find, worst case it's a trap and he already knows where she is, there's nothing to lose.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-20 02:44 am (UTC)This worries him, though just a bit. Where'd she get good at spy things? She isn't, like, drawing him out to talk about other singers or anything. But still.
"That's all something to do in the morning. I think I want to wait a few more minutes before going to my house, so... I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours?"
(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: