Author Topic: A mean, mean, son of a gun. (Read 11016 times)

UnStellar · « **on:** June 07, 2011, 07:50:45 PM »

I'm a mean, mean, son of guuun!

A girl was jamming in the streets. There was a hat on the ground before here. She was plucking the strings of her big ol' double bass, the thumping sound carrying over the sounds of traffic and bustling people. The hat was empty. She seemed at wit's end, there was a wild look in her eyes as she hollered over the voice, her voice refusing to cooperate. She looked down sadly, he vocal chords failing from too much strain. A single tear dripped from one of her green eyes before she madly swatted it away. She tossed back her brown hair and stomped the ground with her worn canvas sneakers, before plucking the bass with all her might, into a mad improv.

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2011, 07:59:30 PM »

A man, old even by Zarethian standards was walking by the street on his way to meet with a friend of his. His black trousers were rumpled but clean and his shirt was a dark green unpopular among most other Zarethians. He was wearing black dress shoes and glasses over his emerald eyes. His hair was cut short and black with tinges of silver running through it.

He was mostly just trying to get through, walking through the bustling streets as hover cars hummed by above him and cars rode past beside him. Then he heard the sound of a rumbling bass from his right. He saw a young girl playing the bass, her eyes wild with desperation as she strummed the chords. An empty hat lay at her feet.

The man felt a deep tinge of sympathy for the girl. He walked over to her and put a hundred in the hat.

UnStellar · « **Reply #2 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:06:31 PM »

The girl backed off the bass a little and looked the man straight in the eyes. "Thank you..." She whispered. Her voice was too weak to do much more, but she gave a slight smile of true appreciation. She seemed a little young to be in the streets, and her clothes looked a little rumpled. She eased into a steadier beat with the bass, a little less chaotic, but it was clear she was very skilled with it.

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:15:22 PM »

He nodded. "Are you alright?" He asked her kindly, concern in his eyes. The crowds of people around them still went about their business, hardly noticing the benevolent change of the music. A passing teenage passed by and put a five into the hat followed by an elderly woman with a twenty.

Zero · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:16:03 PM »

Lustre approached, pulling out five credit chips each with 1000 creds on them and dropped them in a hat. He whispered to her. "There is more where that came from if you come work for me, and help with my campaign by providing the music if you want."

UnStellar · « **Reply #5 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:30:55 PM »

She nodded unenthusiastically. "Losing my voice..." She whispered, sighing and continuing to crank out the beats. She smiled and thanks each person that came by, and stopped when Lustre dropped in the chips, recoiling when he whispered in her ear. She dips her hand in the hat and grabs one of the chips.
"How am I supposed to know how much money is in these? What kind of campaign that sounds... Sketchy." She throws the chips on the street. "Beat it! I'm a musician... Not some kind of whore!" She takes the money and sticks it in her pocket, putting the hat on her head and lugging the bass in her arms.

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #6 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:36:39 PM »

The man looked at the other man who gave her money, surprised by the way he acted. He was even more surprised at her outburst when she threw the money at the ground and tried to go away. What the hell did that bastard say to her, he wondered as he rushed forward to help her with the bass. "Here, lemme help you with that." He offered.

UnStellar · « **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:40:51 PM »

The girl kept her steady trot up even burdened with the bass.
"Easy homes, don't think I'm not suspicious of you either."

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #8 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:46:02 PM »

He laughed, keeping up with her. "Of course you are. Were I in the same position I would've kicked a guy like me in the nuts and run."

UnStellar · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:49:06 PM »

The girl slipped into an easy laugh, but held up her defiant shield. Her bass hit a passerby, and she bumped into another.
"Watch where you're moving bro! You could've broken my bass!" She clearly wasn't one to screw around. "People see a pretty girl on the streets busking for cash they think they can take advantage of her. Tell me, am I pretty?" She glanced back at him briefly.

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:55:06 PM »

He apologized briefly to the passerby for her since she wasnt going to.

When she asked him if she was pretty he cocked his head to the side. "Now what kind of question is that for a beautiful young lady like you to be asking?" He asked, then he realized that she likely hasnt heard anything earnest about herself for a while and tells her. "Of course you're pretty." in a reassuring, earnest manner.

UnStellar · « **Reply #11 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:56:23 PM »

"Now tell me Mr. Observant, was I just busking?" She asks, waiting at a street corner for a walk sign.

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #12 on:** June 07, 2011, 08:58:38 PM »

"I honestly have no idea what that means." He shrugged, keeping up. "It looked like you were playing your bass for money."

UnStellar · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:00:05 PM »

The girl laughs. "Based on this evidence, what can we conclude from my earlier statement Mr. Lack of vocabulary?" The light says walk and she does so, crossing the street.

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #14 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:04:26 PM »

"That you are fairly poor and lacking for work?" He asked, following her across the street.

UnStellar · « **Reply #15 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:10:37 PM »

The girl stopped suddenly and turned, caught a little off guard.
"Well. Uh. That too." She spun on her heels and started walking again, slinging the bass over her shoulder. "It also means people want to take advantage of me. Do you want to take advantage of me homes?"

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #16 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:13:05 PM »

"If you mean somehow catching you off guard and then taking advantage of your apparent lack in strength from poor nourishment, then no I don't." He tells her firmly. He knew full well what it was like on the streets. No one gave without asking something in return.

UnStellar · « **Reply #17 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:15:15 PM »

She stopped again, turning to him.
"Wait a minute, do I look hungry?"

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #18 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:16:49 PM »

"Hungry, tired, lonely and mistrustful. Must I go on?" He asks mildly, stopping up short as she did.

UnStellar · « **Reply #19 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:24:03 PM »

"Damn, man." She ruffles in her pocket and grabs the hundred, staring at it. "Well, luckily I got some cash today. Guess I can get myself a hot meal." She turns dramatically, hundred dollar bill raised triumphantly as she walks away bass tucked under elbow.
"You can stop following me, you know. You've done your part. I can eat for a week off this. If I stretch it."

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #20 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:26:36 PM »

"I know. Doesnt make me want to stop helping." He said, shrugging. "Do have any shelter to eat those hot meals?" He asked.

UnStellar · « **Reply #21 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:31:09 PM »

"None of your business homes. You want to help, you can stop following me. Nothings free but an anonymous bill in my Porkpie." She replies, tugging at the brim of her beat up old hat.

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #22 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:41:47 PM »

He shrugged. He knew he couldnt force this. "I know its not... But... If you want to have a warm bed and a bath - God knows you could use one - I have a place that you can come. Its on here if you want to come." He said, taking out a card of his and putting it in the pocket she took the hundred out of. He turned around and walked back the way he was going originally.

"Oh, and so just so you know. Its supposed to rain hard all week." He said, turning his head slightly.

UnStellar · « **Reply #23 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:46:59 PM »

She sniffed at her arm pits suspiciously. Good God, it had only been a week and she was already starting to smell funky. She didn't bother replying, jaywalking across the street bass in hand she glances at his card, which reads...

Beware Ye Who Enter Here · « **Reply #24 on:** June 07, 2011, 09:51:50 PM »

'Alik's Home for the Unfortunate'
018 St Westboro rd, Knile, Tefillin
On the bottom it said in bold, black letters "Let me help you"