Not Used to This...

[Frogger]

The sweat trickled down the back of Karma’s neck as she adjusted the microphone higher, excited butterflies fluttering about in her stomach. It was a nervous excitement, and no matter how many times she gets out, in front of so many people...she will always get those butterflies. Karma lifted her chin, looking out into the dark mass that was waiting for the lights to turn on. As the moments slipped beyond her reach...the butterflies dance away… almost as though they never existed in the first place.

This is it...Karma thought, drawing in a deep breath. Her eyes drifted back open, not able to penetrate the inky darkness...yet, seconds later, the pair blinked rapidly as a spotlight shot down from above onto the young girl. The resulting cheers were deafening, and it wasn't long before people began chanting the band's name. "Cosmic! Cosmic! Cosmic!" Pleasure filled her chest, making a rather smile curve her lips, and an endearing dimple reveal itself in her cheek. It may be a nickname...yet, it was obvious who these people were here to see. Us! Cameras flashed here, there, everywhere,

Oh...It was really tempting to say, 'Are you ready to rock?' but seriously...what a cliche.

Now that the light was no longer blinding, it actually rather...made the scene dazzling. Her mouth opened to address the crowd, and-

Beep! Beep! Beep! What the-?! Karma looked around, hair moving about her shoulders as she did so. Where did that come from? It just...doesn’t make sense… Now brushing aside the thoughts, she turned her attention back to the cheering fans. This time, though...she didn’t even have to open her mouth. The noise came yet again...and it shattered the dream to little smithereens.

Karma jerked upright, all that golden hair a mess about her head, green and blue eyes wide, and her cheeks flushed pink. It was all...just a dream? she finally realized, only to feel crushing disappointment. Of course, it didn’t last very long...because really, it will only become a reality, sooner or later. It was just a matter of time. After running her hands over her face, she yanked the sheets aside to get ready for the day.

While the day had a...rocky start, it proved that it could, indeed, get worse. Karma glared down into her bowl of cereal, only to direct her glare onto the young lady sitting across from her. Leisha returned the glare with a sweet smile, before she began eating the bowl of cereal she had. I can’t believe my parents abandoned me to go on a cruise… Karma thought, more than a little ticked off. Not only that...but I’m stuck with a babysitter! A babysitter! Just how old do they think I am? Five?

Luckily, Karma had a band practice...or else, this day would be doomed. However...how will she dodge the nanny cam? It doesn’t look like Leisha will fall for any of the usual tricks, though… Well, at least she can provide a ride. Who’s house was the practice at again? Was it James’ house...or Ash’s…? Oh, curse her bad memory!

 

[OstrichFromJoust]

A shirt, some pants, more shirts, clothes flew down the stairs of the small house where the Winters family resided. It had gone unnoticed for a little while, until an older woman walked through the entry, giving a frown as she saw the rain of laundry flying past her nose. "Eric Charles Winters!" she called out, a sock flying with a pause in the throwing. "Oh, didn't know you were home," a younger male voice said from up the stairs, not making himself seen. Part of it was he was busy, but mostly fear.

"You'd better have a very good excuse why the laundry I just finished is now on the floor of the living room," she said up to the empty stairs. There was silence for a while. "I'm looking for a drumstick?" he responded, a daring move because that wasn't a very good reason to be chucking clothes down the stairs. "If you expect to go to your little practice today then I won't see a single thing on this floor when I come back into the living room," she said, sighing and walking away.

The young man up in his room gave a sigh as well, upset that she always said something like that. 'Your little practice,' 'that music thing,' it was never something important to her, as much as it was to him. He was going to school, had a job and was supporting himself, what more did they want? To them it was just a hobby, but it was so much more. It was his life, it was everything to him, his friends and the band. No time to deal with that now, he had to find Righty and Lefty.

Finally, after picking up the carnage of clothing he'd left downstairs and finding the two sticks under his bed, he headed outside to his car. While small, it was just big enough to hold his equipment, all of the drums, hardware, cymbals... Why was he a drummer again? Glancing down at his hands, a small grin took his face, noticing that they were tapping out a rhythm on his legs. Right, that's why. He moved to the car, pulling his phone out of his pocket, flipping through the contacts to find their guitarist. Karma, the youngest, but easily most spirited of the group. Getting into the driver's seat, he pressed 'Call' and waited as it rang. Where the hell were they practicing today?

 

[Gekigami]

A young man sat at a small table listening to the bickering of his parents. He ate the eggs he had made while his parents fought over god knows what. They always found a reason to yell. Jeffery was the polar opposite. The man rolled his eyes and checked his phone. No texts from the band mates. He flipped through and sent one of them a message. The recipient was Eric, the resident drummer. It basically asked who was hosting this time. The man smiled and put away the device. After finishing a small breakfast he changed into a black t-shirt and navy jeans. He slipped on his converse and grabbed the other essentials.

A black truck, seemingly well preserved, was a mess inside. Sheet music of different songs lay scattered in the car, as well as two amps in the back seat. The trunk held the microphones and a third amp for safe measure. He brought the equipment with him, so the others didn't have to worry about it. Following the truck turning on, the radio picked up in the middle of a classic rock song. Jeffrey's smile grew as he hummed along. Nothing to him matched singing.

The boy stood out in the band. As the vocalist, most expected him to speak out. He stood in the background until the band preformed, where it didn't mind some limelight. It was only out of performance that he shrunk down. For most, the only time you heard his voice was when singing. The tenor to baritone range highlighting the song nicely.

Jeffery's mind kept on the task at hand, finding the host for the next practice.

 

[Elodie]

Wind chimes swish around, signaling the end of Ashlynn’s shift as she walks outside. Her lips creep up into a rare smile. It felt like an eternity waiting for the clock to strike six. She’d been cooped up in the instrument repair shop since late last night. There wasn't anything to do, not a single customer came. She runs a hand through her medium length hair while sighing. The graveyard shift is never busy, but it pays a lot more than day time hours.

At least it’s still somewhat cool outside. The sun hasn't risen all the way, making it easy to view her surroundings without sunglasses. Olive colored eyes skitter down the road, spotting a bus stop. It doesn't take long to reach the bench. For once, it’s her turn to host band practice, so it’d be nice to take off soon. Her new flat is located on the poorer side of town, but the building is great for musicians. The complex used to be a DVD store. She lives in the basement, which was used to sell music related videos, so the insulation is decent. Reaching into her backpack-purse, she pulls out a smartphone to check the time. Her shoulders slump forward. Waiting is never fun.

Twenty minutes pass by before the bus arrives. Her lips straighten from a frown into a more neutral expression. Stepping inside, she sits by herself, leery of the only person sitting alone, and leans against the window, almost dozing off. She should be home before sunrise, giving her time to prepare. The ride isn't long, but a few stops are made before she reaches her destination. Her exit is two blocks from the apartment complex, which aided the landowners in finding tenants.

After a short walk, she turns onto her new street. The manager’s son isn't doing yard work, so she assumes everyone is asleep. Shrugging, she ventures to the left side of the building. There is a metal stairwell that leads to basement level apartments. Hopefully, the insulation is good enough to block out drums. Walking down stairs, she spots a tabby cat outside her door. It was pawing at the handle, but turned around after hearing footsteps and began to meow. She shakes her head before smirking.

“You're being such a needy cat this morning,” she mumbles, not surprised by him wandering town.

The animal runs inside after she unlocks the door, heading for a small bucket of water. Concrete walls box them in, adorned by acoustic panels that came with the place. Ashlynn rubs her neck before throwing her purse beside the futon and lying down. Less than three hours are left for her to nap before setting things up. Half her body is sprawled across the makeshift bed while the other half is hanging off. She reaches for her purse and digs out the phone before setting the alarm to nine.

“Telli, you know where to find food,” she yawns before crashing. At least it’s on her couch this time.

Two and a half hours later, the alarm goes off, yanking her out of dreamland. She sits up and slumps against a cushion. Several seconds pass before her vision focuses on tall homemade room dividers standing around her “formal living room." They’re made out of the cheapest acoustic foam she could find. With any lucky, that’s all they’ll need to keep neighbors happy. Ensuring her band mates arrive in a timely manner, she grabs her phone and texts her address to everyone.

(Wow, this took a lot longer to write than I anticipated, and I'm still not happy with it.)

 

[Frogger]

Haunting music broke the silence, and broke through Karma’s thoughts, the beginning notes just a prelude to what comes next. For a moment, she was sorely tempted to let the song continue, that way she’d hear the rest...but...that would mean ignoring whoever’s calling her phone. With a sigh, a hand dove into the depths of her pocket in search of its source. Leisha glanced up from her bowl of cereal, curiosity swirling within those blue eyes of hers...but Karma didn't bother answering any of the unspoken questions. Instead, she read the caller ID, and wasn't surprised at reading Eric's name.

Being the drummer of Cosmic Challenge, he was always tapping out a rhythm on his thighs, on a desk... anywhere that had a decent enough surface. Eric was great at it, too, but his parents didn't understand how important music was to him. Neither did her parents. Karma looked up this time around, debating whether or not she should answer the call in front of Leisha. Oh, to hell with it, she finally decided. I'm going to band practice, no matter what she says. It’s my life, and I can go play music, and see my friends, if I so wish. Babysitter she may be, but overlord of my life? I don’t think so. Besides...Maybe he knows where practice is gonna be held… Her mind made up, she hit a button and lifted the cell phone to her ear, head falling back until she was looking up at the ceiling.

"Karma speaking," Karma spoke up, only to laugh seconds later. The musical sound danced in the air, almost delightfully so, a few notes finding their way into the mouth piece. "What's up, Eric? Can't find your drumsticks again?" That was a common occurrence for Eric, seeing as how he couldn't seem to keep track of his own head at times. "Which one is missing this time? Lefty, or Righty? By the way... you really should give them better names than that." Her lips curving into a grin, she didn't notice Leisha looking her way, nor the smile crossing her face.

Leisha tilted her head, assessing the girl that was steadily becoming a woman before her eyes. It wasn't all that long ago when she watched after her last, but comparing then and now...she was vastly different. I'm wondering when I blinked, and she became a young woman... she wondered, now brushing light brown out of her eyes. The light hit upon the pair, picking out tones of green among the blue. Of course, I probably seem like a nuisance...and I have probably changed quite a bit, in her eyes, as well... she realized, only to give a nod to herself.

An alert rang in Karma’s ear, notifying her that a text message was just received. “Hey, wait a sec, Eric,” Karma told him, pulling the phone away to check and see who sent it. Ah! It’s Ashlynn, I wonder what she has to say… Her finger began pressing buttons, and it was just moments later that she read the message. “Eric! Ashlynn is hosting our practice tonight!” she pointed out, relieved to finally find out for herself. “She just sent me the address, and knowing her, she sent it to everybody… So, who is bringing the pizza? This time it’s me, isn’t it?” Every band practice, someone brings drinks -which mostly consist of soda-, another brings food, and the others have a bit of money to help pay the people back. It’s a fair system, overall. “Okay… I’ll bring one Pepperoni, one Mega Meat, and one Hawaiian, the usual… so I’ll talk to you later! Bye!” Karma hung up on Eric without another word, her thoughts going back to the transportation issue.

I guess I have no other choice… I only have my learner’s permit, and Mom won’t let me drive unless it’s under adult supervision… What a pain.

Karma let out a long, exasperated sigh, those mismatched eyes of hers locking onto the young woman sitting across the table. Leisha glanced up, not so much bothered by the stare, but rather wondering why she was being stared at. “Yes?” she finally spoke, raising her eyebrows in a questioning look of her own. “Is there something you need?” From the sound of things, Karma needs a ride somewhere... she thought, having connected the dots during the conversation. And she doesn’t want to ask me, but is forced to… The spoon dangling from her fingertips, indigo blue eyes lifted again, light passing over the pair much like a lover would pass their fingertips over skin.

“If you need a ride, all you have to do is ask. You don’t need to glare at me like that.” Leisha’s voice broke the silence again, this time jarring Karma out of whatever thoughts she was having.

“Fine! Then you’re buying the pizza, too!” Karma announced, jerking out of her seat and coming to a stand. Luckily, pizza was something the band never seems to finish, seeing as how they always get wrapped up in new songs, or lyrics, or anything along those lines. “I’m heading upstairs and getting dressed… Just be ready to go!” Karma huffed, before swiftly heading up to her room. Leisha winced when the door slammed, yet she decided not to say anything...then. Later on, however, is a different story. With a soft, amused chuckle leaving her lips, she picked up both bowls and rinsed them out in the sink, before placing them in the dishwasher.

 

[OstrichFromJoust]

As the phone rang, Eric turned the radio to one of the stations he liked, grinning as he heard one of their influences playing. The song was just starting now too, how lucky was he? He turned it down some so he could still talk on the phone, but his other hand and feet were moving on their own, playing to the beat of the song. Their songs had a good backing to them, he and their bassist James worked well together to provide that rhythm for Karma and Ashlynn to match with their melodies, and Jeff finished it off with his wide range and awesome voice. The talent was definitely there, now if they could just figure out where practice was before hand, just once, they might get somewhere.

Finally she answered, and he smiled as he heard the guitarist's voice. It went away as she accused him of losing his sticks again. It was true, but still. "No, I have them right here. I knew they were under my bed the whole time," he said with a chuckle. "Hey, those are great names! And they're staying until these ones break, so there. Anyway," he said, starting another sentence, but was interrupted by her having him hold on a second.

Waiting a little bit, he sighed in relief as she said that Ashlynn was the one hosting their practice this time. "Oh, good. That's what I was calling about," he said, pulling his phone away as it went off as well, seeing the text with their keyboardist's address. "Pizza sounds good, I guess I'll-" he started, interrupted again by her hanging up suddenly. "Get the drinks," he finished alone, putting his phone in the passenger seat with his gear, and taking off to head for a grocery store.

About twenty minutes later he pulled up to the address he'd got, not quite sure if it was right. It seemed like a store, or at least it used to be. Grabbing the bags of drinks, he got out of the car and headed into the building to make sure he was in the right place. Finding the listing, he saw a familiar name and pushed the buzzer for that apartment.

 

[Gekigami]

Jeffery smiled while he drove past several stores. A soft vibration in his pocket caught his attention. Pulling out his phone, he quickly put a name to the number. He sent a quick thanks to karma, before heading to the apartment buildings. He noticed Eric already at the buzzer. "Need help getting your drums in?" He asked from the vehicle. He stepped out of the truck slowly and opened the bed.

What was inside was somewhat a mess. The tangled chords made it look so much worse. He pulled out the mic stands and placed them next to the door. Next came the attached microphones and chords. The last object out was an amp, average in size. When he finished getting that up to the door he smiled over at Eric. "How have you been?" He asked quietly, trying to make some small conversation.

Jeffery was certainly not the best member of the band. Eric was great at keeping the beat, and driving the song forward. James only helped that more with a nice baseline. Karma could pump out a great harmony or melody, depending on the song. Ashlynn was a little ball of fire. Her riffs were some off the best in town, no matter her age. Jeffery did his best to compliment each skill.

 

[Elodie]

Steady, separated notes fill Ashlynn’s make-shift practice room. Her fingers creep across the keys in a light, springy-fashion, exuding an air of mystery. The movements are precise from years of practice and are performed without conscious effort. She’s playing one of her favorite pieces, Ständchen. It never fails to engross her. The syncopation was difficult to master, but creates a feeling of unrest... in her opinion. After many arduous practices, not a single note is played out of time. A crescendo follows the melody line as notes rise in pitch. The chords progress, building up to something large. As she’s about to place her fingers down, a shrill ring interrupts the phrase right before it reaches a climax.

Looking toward the door, she wonders which of her band-mates arrived first. Everything is set up, and ready to go. Her new preamp is sat on an end table, ready for recording. Olive colored eyes linger on the keyboard, downcast because the piece wasn’t played all the way through. Suddenly, her face lights up! Ashlynn came up with a few musical lines this past week. None of them are finished, but the group can discuss arrangements. Cosmic Challenge is still in its infancy, so they should establish an image and sound soon. The group should also arrange a demo C.D. when they’re ready. Maybe the phrases and rifts will help move things along. Everyone can decide on what they like, and what should be thrown out.

Standing up, she heads toward a panel beside her door and presses the intercom button. After confirming whose outside, she buzzes the guys in, and rushes toward them to help unload equipment.

“I can take the mics and cords. Set everything in the practice room. It’s hard to miss, my keyboard is in there.”