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 Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:41 am
Solo Entry - The beginning of the end.
The young woman was taking her time getting a key into the door. She fumbled around with the key chain, which only had four keys in the first place, before finally selecting the appropriate one and opening the door to her apartment. It was a charming complex to be sure, with lovely and well kept gardens and grounds. Too bad the inside of this particular apartment was nothing like the outside.
First things first, that overwhelming smell of old pizza and unwashed laundry scattered around the once white carpet. She made a slight gasp for air as the smell hit her, but it was familiar and she was regrettably getting used to it so the sting passed quickly.
"Well, look who's decided to come home!" said a slightly older guy who was sitting in the living room, lounging on the floor appropriately against some of his dirty clothes. He gripped some kind of controller in one hand and had a beer in the other, and spoke while not caring to look up from the screen and video game he was playing.
"Good evening, Eliot." The young woman said as she set her gaudy leather purse down on the floor. She sighed once at her surroundings, shook her head slightly and made an almost silent 'tsk tsk' under her breath before walking into the kitchen.
"So, Asper..." The man, Eliot, who was playing the video game, began, "You got some kind of delivery earlier."
"Did I?" The young woman, Asper, asked. She opened the fridge and grinned to herself while pulling out a head of cabbage. "Was it a plant?" She asked.
"Yeah. Whats up with that? You know we gotta keep the money going' till we find good jobs again. Buying huge plants is a big no-no." Eliot scolded. A moment later he gave a muffled curse which could only lead one to assume he had died, lost or failed in some other way at his video game.
"I'll tell you about that in a minute. And, Eliot, maybe you would win for once if you played with both hands. Where's my brother?" Asper asked, while strolling out of the kitchen with the cabbage in hand. She pulled off a leaf and munched on it.
"He went down to the pool with Solo a couple hours ago. Should be back soon, we were gonna go out tonight... wanna come? We were gonna hit a couple bars and maybe go-" Eliot paused when he heard the door open again.
Two other men, one a good deal taller and darker than the other, made their way into the increasingly small apartment. The darker man had an odd moehawk and maniacal grin on his face, while the shorter man looked displeased. These two were Soloman and Asunder, Soloman being the taller.
"Speak of the devil!" Eliot chimed on, grinning at Asunder. "What's wrong, hunny?"
"Leave me alone." Asunder replied.
"Some girls threw some drinks at him. Don't worry, the glass didn't break or anything." Soloman explained. "I'm gonna change then let's go." And without sparing another breath, he rushed into one of the rooms.
Meanwhile, Asper leaned against a wall and continued picking at the cabbage with an amused look on her face. Her brother, Asunder, was wiping some liquid off his face and hissed unhappily at Eliot who was giggling uncontrollably.
"I don't want to go anymore, Eliot." said Asunder, as he slammed himself onto the floor not far from Eliot.
Before any of them could continue on in their mindless soon to be argument, Soloman came back out of his room again. His face was far less colorful. "Uh, dudes, theres like. A cabbage thing on my bed!"
Eliot nodded. "Yeah it's Asper's. I would of put it in her room but the girl locks her bedroom," he said, while glaring pointedly over at Asper.
Asper smiled and nodded, "Obviously."
"Oh. ...okay. Is it some sorta drug? Like, do we roll the leafs up and smoke it?" Soloman asked quizically.
"No! Don't you touch it, Soloman! Look, while you are all here, I might aswell explain. That cabbage is a... well it's a baby," Asper said.
"There's no way that was a baby vegetable. Things huge." Eliot interrupted, matter of factly.
"Look Eliot, this'll be a lot easier to explain if you shut up," Asper rolled her eyes. "I had it delivered from some lab. Something about a liberty center and special babies... I don't know, didn't really read the flyer over that well. Anyway, that cabbage will open up and inside there is a baby. Like a real baby."
There was a rather dumbfounded silence for about five seconds, before Eliot and Soloman burst into laughter.
"I told you not to take stuff without me!" Eliot exclaimed.
Asunder, on the other hand, was giving his sister a dirty look. "You aren't serious, Ashley?"
"I am. It's a baby. My baby, technically, but I'm sure I'll need your help here and there. I did remember something about free babysitting and school and all that, so it's a pretty sweet deal." Asper said, smiling slightly, she ate another piece of her cabbage.
"And... this baby is in a plant? A cabbage?" Asunder asked carefully. He looked at what she was currently munching on and frowned. "This is a bad omen. Ashley, you are insane! There is no way we can take care of a child! We barely have enough money to buy food for the rest of the year none the less kid... stuff! What could possibly posses you to do something so selfish, so immature, so-"
"Shut up. If you don't want anything to do with it, fine, your deal. This can have nothing to do with you. I certainly don't need any of your help, or your permission. Now Eliot, help me move the cabbage into my bedroom!" Asper (or sometimes known as Ashley) snapped. She gave a haughty glare at her brother, and after unlocking her bedroom, she stormed in.
"Well. I'm glad she doesn't need our help," Asunder mumbled.
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:42 am
Solo Entry - Just a little more serious.
It was night now, only a few hours after Asper had transfered the cabbage into her room and locked the door behind her. She was laying on her bed staring at the large cabbage that was set mercifully next to the window. She had only a few bits left of the small (food) cabbage she had been munching on previously, and she looked somewhat stricken, if only slightly.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't hurt you... I just discovered, thanks to you, that I quite like the taste of these things. They aren't alive. Well, not the way you are... Anyway, that's why I know we will get along."
"Basing the future of a life on your fondness for a vegetable, is that the sum of it, Ashley?" A voice muttered from the other side of Asper's locked bedroom door. The voice belonged to Asper's brother, Asunder.
"Get away from my door, now!" Asper snapped, turning toward her door with a scowl.
"Oh, get over it already Ashley. Get over yourself for once and let me in, we need to talk." Asunder continued, with an exasperated sigh.
Asper considered for a moment. She stood up with a small 'hmmph' and marched to the door. She unlocked it, opened it, and stared blankly at her ever so slightly shorter kid brother.
"Good. This is progress, believe it or not. So... that's it?" Asunder asked, standing on his toes and looking over Asper's shoulders at the cabbage in her room.
"Uh huh. Are we done now?" Asper asked, hand on her hip.
"Not a chance." Asunder said, while he slipped past his sisters body and entered her room. He approached the cabbage and shook his head. "I don't believe any of this."
"That's fine. It doesn't require your belief."
"I suppose I should be a bit more open minded, this... realm has all sorts of strange things. Ashley, if that's really a baby, just what, exactly, are you planning on doing with it? Is this some sort of cry for attention? Did you ask Eliot to impregnate you again and get rejected?"
"I was drunk!"
"Whatever."
"Look, VINCENT. I don't need your lame a** psychoanalysis right now. Save it for your guitar solos and hapless idiot fan girls." Asper said, while sitting on her bed again and making herself comfortable.
"That's great, I can see you are already open to parental advice and help. Because if anyone is suited to raise a child on her own it's certainly you, what, with all we know about normal kids and parenting in general. I think you should... return it, Ashley. Return it while you can so the thing... baby... has a chance at a normal life." Asunder said, while he knelt down and felt the leaves of the cabbage.
"I'm not going to return a baby, you fool!" Asper barked. She sat up promptly and let out a loud, frustrated sigh. "I know you can't understand right now, that's fine. I'm gonna do this well, though. We have a lot we can teach a kid. I think we have a pretty good outline of what NOT to do, you know?" She attempted a slight smile at her brother to lighten the situation. It didn't work.
"This isn't an experiment, Ashley-"
"Actually, I get the feeling it is. I saw pictures of some of the babies when I went into... into the... the uhm, adoption center. They had cabbages that needed homes. Could even make cabbages that were related to you and stuff. The one I got isn't related to us, though."
"At least there's that."
"Stop it. I can tell you are excited. Don't try to hide it." Asper teased.
"Excitement isn't quite the word. As for Eliot and Soloman? Wanna know how they reacted? They went out to get drunk. Thankfully, I took their keys so they at least won't be driving around like intoxicated lethal killing machines, but still, isn't this telling you anything?"
"It's telling me not to let them babysit."
"Ashley! Stop and think a moment!"
"Why?! Why not just have fun? Alright, I'll play your game. Let's think about this. We are gifted warriors from an alternative plane, and had... or at least, have the potential to make infinite amounts of money. We are all pretty screwed up so it's not like we are gonna get married or have kids the normal way, and nobody is getting any younger. Seems like we are gonna be stuck in this 'Gaia' for awhile, so why not make it concrete? You know? We could always take the kid with us if we have to jump planes again."
"...I'm not sure how to respond to that. I think I've already made it clear that you are INSANE. You are twenty! And while I entirely agree you are screwed up, won't get married, and should never, EVER breed, this is hardly the way to handle it! Go to counseling, get a job, find your inner self!"
"You first!"
"I HAVE a job!"
"The counseling! So then, the baby should be here in a couple of days, weeks, something like that. There's some liberty center we can take him... or her... to when it's born to meet other people of it's kind. I thought about names this morning over a mocha late. How do you feel about Harper?" Asper asked. She smiled as Asunder moaned and left the room in a hurry, as if he couldn't stand to hear another word. "That's your Uncle Sunny. He's good for that emotional crap, at least."
After a few moments, Asper pursed her lips slightly and slid off her bed. She retrieved a filled spray bottle on her nightstand and moved back toward the life-carrying-cabbage. "I guess it's time to... 'feed' you, or whatever this is supposed to accomplish." She squirted the leaves here and there somewhat timidly, then let out a sigh and relaxed a great deal. She continued on with her squirting until she felt satisfied the job was sufficiently complete, and then moved back to her bed to take a nap after setting a instrumental rock cd to play.
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:36 am
Solo Entry - It's a plant, moron.
((P.S. Don't read this one if you value high sanity and maturity.))
Funny how a little bit of time, alcohol and persistent nagging can change your mind about most anything. Asper and Asunder had gone out shopping; baby shopping, no less. Being the mature man he was, Asunder decided if they were going to go through with this baby raising thing they at least ought to have some basic things ready for it. So, they cut into their 'food' fund for the rest of the year and went out for the day.
Which, of course, left the apartment alone... save for Soloman and Eliot, and a poor, helpless cabbage.
"Dude, when did you learn to pick locks?" Eliot asked, sounding impressed and overcome with giddy anticipation as Asper's bedroom lock gave a snap and her door opened up.
"Couple years ago, was on a date with this groupie and we got arrested for breaking into a fire station." Soloman explained, with a quick shrug of the shoulders, as if that should explain enough.
Without waisting anymore time, huddled together, the two men approached the window and large cabbage once peacefully resting all alone.
"So that's the 'baby,' huh?" Eliot asked, putting a hand over his mouth he muffled a giggle that suggested how many beers he had earlier that day.
"It doesn't look like a baby..." Soloman discovered, frowning. He broke away from Eliot and boldly approached the cabbage. "Baby?" He asked, and when it didn't reply, he sighed heavily and knocked on the plant.
"Don't hit it you idiot! It's a baby!" Eliot scolded, quickly hurrying over next to Soloman he marveled at the wonder that was cabbage himself.
"I didn't hit it! I was knocking! Maybe it's asleep, and it's polite to knock..." Soloman replied defensively. "Maybe we are supposed to open the cabbage up and take the baby out? I mean, when girls have babies you gotta..."
"Stop it. Right now." Eliot said, then touching a leaf, he too asked "Baby?"
"I already tried that." Soloman muttered.
"Oh, shut up. Maybe it just doesn't want to talk to you." Eliot snapped.
"You don't know anything, Eliot. It's just sad, obviously. In here all alone with nobody to talk to and no video games to play.." Soloman said, as he gave a sigh and patted the cabbage sympathetically.
"How in the hell do you know how a cabbage is feeling?" Eliot asked.
"Just because you cant communicate with plants, doesn't mean you need to take that tone with me, mister." Soloman snapped.
"That's it, I'm gonna take whatever tone I like w-... it does look kind of sad. Maybe we should take care of it or something. I knew Asper made a bad mom." Eliot shook his head, as if ashamed. "Hey, Solo, think it's a boy or girl?"
"I hope it's a boy." Soloman quickly answered, proving he had given the matter thought prior.
"Why?" Eliot asked.
"Because girls' are stupid." Soloman said, giving Eliot a confused look.
Eliot returned the look at Soloman for quite awhile before a visible light turned on on Soloman's face.
"I mean when you have to live with them!" Solo clarified.
"Oh, right. Hey, Solo, go get a bucket of water, I just remembered what plants need to be happy."
"Bucket of water comin' right up! I'll grab my handheld and my tetris game, maybe we can set it in the cabbage for the poor little guy..." Soloman yelled, dashing out of the room.
Left alone for a few moments with the cabbage, Eliot took the oppurtunity for all it was worth. Looking once over his shoulders and finding he was indeed alone, he cleared his throat and knelt down to the cabbage.
"Baaaby? You in there? Helloooooo? Coochie coochie coo?"
"Eliot?" Soloman asked, standing in the door way. By some profound miracle the man already had a bucket of water in one hand, and a video game in his other, "What are you doing?"
"Uh.. Tetris or Super Shooter 54x?" Eliot asked quickly, folding his arms behind his back.
"Tetris. He's so not ready for 54x." Soloman explained, skipping over to the cabbage he slammed the bucket of water into Eliot's chest (of course spilling water all over the poor man who barely managed to catch said bucket in time) and then he turned back to the cabbage with video game in hand.
"Okay lil' buddy, prepare for the magic of TETRIS!" Soloman squealed, lifted the video game up in the air for about two seconds then plopped it down onto the cabbage and jumped back expectantly. "No cosmic explosion, that's good!"
Of course, there was no explosion, nor was there any movement on the cabbage's part. There was... nothing, though Soloman forgot to turn the video game on, which would later be their reasoning and excuse.
"It is a girl." Soloman declared. He sighed as if defeated and put his hands over his ears. "This is bad Eliot, we barely survived Asper when she went through that adjustment phase.. We practically has to give her a sex change before we could live with her!"
"M-maybe it's just thirsty..." Eliot explained, though he sounded quite afraid of the female possibility himself. He cleared his throat again and then looked down into the bucket. "Okay baby, get ready..."
Thankfully, for everyone's sake, the front door to the apartment gave a creak and two ex-rockstar siblings walked in, in the middle of one of their usual arguments. They both had big bags full of stuff and seemed to be talking about who should have to get something bigger out of the car.
"Fine Vincent. I'll handle it myself, then." Asper snapped, dropping her bags on the ground.
"Good. I told you Ashley, I wasn't going to do everything for you.. it is 'your' baby, after all-" began an indignant Asunder.
"Eliot! Soloman! Help me get stuff out of the car!" Asper yelled. When there wasn't an immediate response, other than a muffled 'hide!' and slight commotion coming from the general direction of the bedrooms, Asper soon noticed her bedroom door was open. Her jaw dropped open, and in an instant of womanly doom impending rage, she bellowed into her room and scowled at the two men and their bucket waaaay too close to her beloved cabbage.
"GET. OUT. NOW." she demanded simply, while rushing to the cabbage. Thankfully, the cabbage was spared the bucket and was still quite dry. Of course it still had it's Tetris game, but the cabbage still wasn't showing any interest in it. "Those idiots!" Asper screamed, though by then she was definitely alone in the room. "I'm so sorry! I'll never leave you alone with those glorified primates again... Oh, my poor thing..." After calming down a few moments later, Asper opened her window shades wider to give the cabbage a little extra light. Sighing, she glanced at the video game nestled in one of the leaves outside the head of the cabbage, "You like Tetris?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:31 am
Solo Entry - That is that.
((I accidentally killed this entry so I have to rewrite it. Yeah.))
Ashley took a deep breath. She had just finished singing along to a song she remembered playing on stage in front of hundreds of people not more than a year ago, and now here she was in a decaying apartment and a laughable bank account.
The cabbage hadn't 'hatched' yet, and she was getting impatient, so in a fit of discontent she fell backwards into her mattress briefly enjoying the free fall until she hit and a wave of multicolored hair went flying around her. She used to think all she wanted was a few days to herself but, as it always is, grass is always greener...
Knock knock!
Her eyes snapped to her door. "Who is it?" her voice was grouchy and deep, a step away from a full out growl.
"Your lover." The one behind the door quickly replied.
"Is that so?" Ashley asked, her eyebrows raising slightly. She sucked in another breath and closed her eyes, "you better be blond and green eyed then."
"Yup. Let me in."
She growled this time as she willed herself back up. Mumbling something incomprehensible about how she had just gotten comfortable she brought herself to her door, and with a quick flick the little lock on the handle turned and the door flew open.
"What do you want Eliot?" Ashley asked with an ever so disappointed sigh.
"Well," Eliot began, sliding past her into her room, "I was just bored. Beat Super Shooter again." He told her, while surveying her room quickly. "No baby yet, huh?"
"If you are seriously asking me that, why are you looking in here? We moved the plant into the 'nursery' two days ago, or did the drugs finally get to your brain?" Ashley asked, her eyes squinting into little Kohl lined slits as she watched him ramble around her room. Eliot turned to her and grinned, quickly throwing himself onto her bed in a fall much like she had a few moments ago, which caused her to cringe. "Okay. Get out." Ashley commanded.
"You know Ash, your brother is at work and Solo's out on a date... so, we are all alone-" he had a cheeky grin on his face as he tucked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.
"Oh, spare me."
"Fine, but you know what your missing."
Before anymore innuendo could ensue Ashley was caught off guard, mid hormonal cuss rant. There was a cry coming from somewhere else in the apartment, a wail that shrieked into the otherwise quiet apartment suddenly only to be muffled a second later. Eliot's eyes opened slowly, and when they did Ashley was already gone.
Jumping over the debris scattered across the apartment floor, Ashley made it across the 'living room' to the room that used to belong to Soloman. In her excitement she fumbled with the door handle briefly before finally managing to get it open, but when she finally saw the now opened cabbage there was no baby to accompany it. Ashley searched somewhat frantically about, but saw nothing and instead of looking further she became panicked, "ELIOT!"
Already behind her, Eliot shook his head, "He's gotta be somewhere around here," he said knowingly. He took careful steps around the nearly empty room, when finally the pair both spotted a ruffle in the curtains. Both of them moved to the corner of the room where the ruffle seemed to come from; in between the corner, wall, and the crib. It was there they found a squirming child, with white and yellow hair, black eyes and small wings on his feet. Only caring to observe him bewildered for a few brief moments, Ashley grabbed a blanket resting in the crib and scooped the baby up quickly.
"Told you it was a boy." Eliot grinned.
"Get lost," Ashley began, while attempting to swaddle the toddler-sized child awkwardly in the blanket. Needless to say it failed. Eliot took the que and left, leaving Ashley alone. She sat on the floor holding the little boy in silence until she gave a slight sigh. "So you are a boy.. that's disappointing." She scolded, shaking her head a bit.
The child, soon to be named Harper, stared back at the woman looking somewhat bewildered himself. After a second, he began laughing and wiggled uncontrollably in her arms, "GWEEE!"
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:34 pm
Solo Entry - Socialize me.
"Well, we officially have no money left. At all," Sunny sighed, slouching deeper into a brand new couch the four had just towed into the apartment.
"It's worth it," Soloman assured, while putting an arm around Sunny affectionately, "You can lean on me if you need to."
"Ew, get off me!" Sunny cried.
The group had been out shopping, all together as some mock family now, going through baby clothes and toys and general supplies. They had bought a crib and such basics prior but now that Harper was here they all felt a collective need to 'deck him out,' and overtaken with his smiling face they spent most of their remaining 'reserve/food' money on him.
To top it all off, Asper insisted on buying a couch and coffee table for the dining room to further their living space as a 'home,' and not just a place to sleep and shoot drugs away from the prying eyes of cops.
Asper was pacing back and forth in the freshly 'cleaned' living room, Harper on her hip, "It doesn't look nearly as good as it should for all the time we spent cleaning..."
"That's because we are guys," Eliot boldly explained, shrugging some as he folded a piece of pizza into his mouth.
"I guess that explains why I did most of the cleaning," Asper hissed, glaring at Eliot.
"You did not!" Sunny interrupted, indignantly shoving Soloman away from him before he sat up and shook his head violently at his sister. "You! This is entirely your fault!!" He pointed at her accusingly and would have continued on had he not noticed Harper staring at him.
"Harper. That's such a stupid name." Sunny moaned, crashing back into the couch only for Soloman to latch on to him again with a gleeful expression on his face.
"I'm HARPER!" the little boy exclaimed, grinning he clapped at Sunny and nodded his head enthusiastically.
Asper was glaring darkly at her brother.
"Not that..you are stupid Harper. It's just your mother. She's stupid." Sunny explained further, waving his hand dismissively at his sister.
"Mommy's stupid!" Harper exclaimed, clapping his hands again.
Asper's glare somehow darkened.
"So, when are you going to socialize him?" Soloman asked abruptly, waving at Harper with the entire upper half of his body.
"What? You want her to make him a socialite?" Eliot asked, though the words were muffled by gobs of pizza still flustering around in his mouth.
"No, socialize," Soloman explained, "I read that's what you have to do with puppies. And kids. Puppies and kids."
"You all must have missed the evolution train..." Ashley muttered, turning Harper so that he was facing her, she smiled at him and leaned forward so that he would flip upside down. Harper giggled, she smiled, Sunny mocked an 'aww' and Soloman continued his explanation.
"I'm for serious! You have to let them meet other puppies like them or else they grow up mean and scared of people. Or other kids, you know?" Soloman nodded knowledgeably at Asper and then pointed at Harper, "No cat in our house can be scared of people! Sunny's just about sucked all the cool outta us to begin with!"
"Dude. You just said 'cat,'" Eliot shook his head.
"Yeah, I did, cat! Got that, cat? I can say cat as much as I like, okay, cat?" Soloman began.
"Your a moron." Eliot said, while licking his fingers to access any left over pizza sauce.
"A moronic cat maybe," Soloman clarified, "but we still need to socialize the puppy- er, I mean, the baby!"
"Stop talking," Sunny commanded, in an authoritative voice that only succeeded in making Eliot and Soloman laugh at him.
"They are right." Ashley suddenly interrupted, while setting Harper down on the floor. He was placed on his rear, and despite the very distressed look he passed his mother when he was no longer in her arms, he remained there on his lonesome. "I know where we can introduce him to other kids too. That place I got him from, a lot of other kids his age... there's a center for them, too. We can go hang around there, or, you know, you guys can take him there and..." Ashley trailed off, absentmindedly rubbing the top of one of her hands with the other.
The three men in the apartment were giving her amused, but negative stares until finally Sunny spoke up, "I'm not taking him anywhere! This is your kid!"
Ashley just smiled, knowing they would all cave rather quickly. She went into the kitchen and completely missed it as her son managed to stand himself up, using only a wall for support, and took his first few steps using the wall as a guide.
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 2:46 pm
Solo Entry - We could get along if we really tried.
(( Uhm. .. no throwing babes for reals okay!?! ))
It was 4 am, and all the windows and doors to the small apartment were wide open letting the cold wind blow around inside. It was a rather strong wind, and almost gave the sensation of being in a speeding car with the windows down... but that was likely more attributed to half of the occupant's intoxication rate.
All home, and wide awake, Soloman, Eliot, Sunny and Ashley with Harper in her cross-legged lap sat around each other in near silence. They were staring intently on one another, even Harper, which would likely have been something quite creepy to anyone walking in.
Then, Eliot blinked, and the rest of them (still including Harper!) burst out into laughter. It was at that point it became painfully clear Ashley was at least a little drunk, but thankfully they had been taking turns on who would be sober when for the sake of the baby. As it usually was (despite who's turn it ACTUALLY was) Sunny was the designated sober caregiver this night. Still, being around his family when they were in good moods, alcohol or not, put Sunny in a goodish mood too.
"Fail," Soloman jibed, while shaking his head at Eliot, "You aren't good at much' but lookin' good, hm?"
"That's one more thing than your good at." Eliot began, putting away an embarrassed grin for an indignant scowl. "At least my head doesn't look like a chia pet."
"Way to go Eliot, that was an intelligent come back." Ashley said as she fell onto her back and set Harper on her stomach, giggling with him while throwing him into the air and catching him again. Harper wasn't sure what it was, but when his mother drank that icky amber colored water she was a lot more fun to be with.
Soloman, however, looked quite offended. He quickly came to his feet and self consciously touched his hair, "What is that supposed to mean? You are jealous of my natural height, aren't you?"
"Height of your...?" Eliot furrowed his eyebrows, clearly confused.
"My hair!" Soloman snapped, now entirely glaring at his best friend with his arms crossed. "I know what this is about. You are mad you got beat by a black man. Isn't that just like you white f-"
Sunny abruptly sighed, "I knew we shouldn't have let him go on that weekend mission with that reverend."
Ashley, by then, was shaking her head sadly at Soloman, "You are a moron."
"Oh! More persecution!" Soloman, so riled up with what he was saying, jumped slightly when he talked.
Eliot came to his feet, and though Ashley and Sunny were smiling slightly Eliot looked quite offended himself. "You are insane! If there's any minority here it's me!"
Soloman promptly pointed at Harper and arched an eyebrow as if saying 'take that.' After his point was made, he let out a long, wistful sigh and looked at Eliot as if he had disappointed him, "You just want to keep me enslaved."
"I WILL ENSLAVE YOUR a** IF YOU DO-"
"HEY! THE KID!" Sunny immediately yelled, pointing at Harper.
Ashley rolled her eyes and put her hands over Harper's ears, causing him to giggle again and try to pry his mother's hands away as if it were a game. Sunny looked at the other two men and braced himself for a sudden need to pry them apart. However, instead of attacking each other as the two usually did, they burst into giggles at almost exactly the same time and hugged each other warmly.
"I hate you two." Sunny said with a loud sigh. He crawled over to Ashley and reached to take Harper, but after grabbing both his arms Ashley belatedly decided she didn't want her brother to take her son and grasped his feet.
"Let go!" Ashley snapped, scowling at her brother.
"It's his bed time, Ashley!" Sunny yelled, looking empathetically at Harper who was now looking quite awkward but enjoying it regardless.
"Not until I say so you overbearing blow up doll!" She yelled, finally taking Harper back completely when Sunny let go as not to strain the child.
"You guys seriously fail at insults when you've been drinking..." Sunny mused. He stood up, waited for Ashley to set Harper down again, then tried to quickly snatch the boy again. This time, however, Ashley was ready; she quickly picked Harper up and in a fantastic effort of keep away launched the boy at Eliot who readily caught him.
By then, Harper was laughing like nothing else and flailing his arms and legs wildly in an attempt to imitate flying.
"Why are you doing?!!" Sunny yelled in horror, looking at the other 'adults' in the room with a bewildered stare, "You can't throw a baby!"
"Actually, you can." Soloman said matter of factly, jogging to the other room he reached out and caught Harper as he was tossed to him like a football coming from a quarterback.
"STOP IT!" Sunny pleaded, desperately running after Soloman to try and catch Harper again. When he got close, Soloman simply threw the baby back to Ashley who quickly threw him to Eliot.
"Maybe we should stop, I think he's gonna faint.." Eliot said as he caught Harper and looked down at him.
"My baby?!" Ashley asked, suddenly quite concerned.
"No, your brother."
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 1:10 am
Cabbage and Baby RP/Journal Entry Archive [x] - August/07 - PRP (Melchy) - Neighbors Sing the Doom Song
- Melchy and Harper have some fun in pirate! apartment.
[x] - July/07 - Daycare PRP (Jacoba) - Jailhouse Rock
- Harper and Jace play wargames and discover the benefits of a truce.
[x] - July/07 - Solo Entry - We could get along if we really tried.
- Family bonding.
[x] - July/07 - PRP (Devakanya) - We All Just Wanna Be Big Rockstars
- Harper and Deva get ice cream and get a lil' sticky while guardians talk about rock.
[x] - July/07 - Daycare ORP - The Horriblest Song
- ...............
[x] - July/07 - PRP (Antony) - Party Like a Rockstar
- Harper meets Antony when he's forced to visit his grotesque apartment.
[x] - July/07 - ORP (Riley, Melchy)- Bambi in 207 Says Hello
- Exploration of what happens when you talk to girls named Bambi and meeting new kids.
[x] - July/07 - PRP (Ignacio) - Punk Pets
- Harper meets Ignacio due to guardian's masochistic habits. (First guy friend, yay!)
[?] - July/07 - ORP - A Trip to the Lake
- A little adventure, a lake, a few kids he didn't see before.
[?] - July/07 - PRP (Irelia) - It's like ROCK! water
- Irelia and Asher come over for a swim?
[x] - July/07 - PRP (Manuela) - A Clash of Tiny Giants
- Harper meets Manny, an older kid in a salon. They talk about beauty products and Harper finds someone he doesn't annoy under five minutes.
[?] - July/07 - ORP - Imaginative Plunder
- A brief encounter in a costume shop with quite a few of the other characters at CPK.
[x] - July/07 - Solo Entry - Socialize me.
- Some slight house renovations and the discovery of the importance of friends.
[x] - July/07 - Solo Entry - That is that.
- Harper is born.
[x] - July/07 - Solo Entry - It's a plant, moron.
- Soloman and Eliot are total idiots and get a chance to be idiotic with the cabbage briefly.
[x] - July/07 - Solo Entry - A little more serious.
- Asunder and Ashley have a slightly deeper conversation about the cabbage.
[x] - July/07 - Solo Entry - The beginning of the end.
- Asunder, Eliot and Soloman find out about the cabbage Ashley had delivered. The first part of the cast of characters is introduced~
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:34 pm
Solo Entry - Growing up is a painful process.
Nothing had been made clear to them, or rather, they weren't so inconvenienced as to listen. Would Harper grow suddenly all at once or merely rapidly over a shorter period of time? In their particular case it was something like a bit of both.
Harper had been acting strange the past couple days, learning faster than usual and speaking more. He had been eating more and sleeping more. He seemed to be growing quickly too, but slowly enough that his less than attentive guardians didn’t quite notice it until this Monday morning.
Harper woke up like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon – in his mind, somehow, he knew what had happened and was hardly the least bit bothered by it. Jumping out of bed, the now full fledged ‘boy’ strutted into the living room where Soloman was peacefully asleep and Sunny had just recently woken from. His Uncle Sunny was in the kitchen making coffee, and when he glanced through the partition into the living room to spy the ‘toddler’ who must have just crawled out of his crib; he dropped his pot on his toes for what he saw.
Said crib was in havoc, by the way.
“H- Harper?!” Sunny exclaimed, loud enough to wake Soloman up.
“Yo!” Harper piped, crossing his arms over his little chest proudly and grinning ear to ear at his uncle.
“What happened?!” Sunny demanded, looking horrified he rushed into the living room and grasped the boy’s shoulders. “Are you alright? That must of hurt!”
Harper frowned, trying to wiggle out of his Uncle’s grip to no avail. “I’m fine Uncle sunshine, no need to get all emo.” He frowned again when he was pulled into a hug.
By then Soloman had fixed a narrowed stare on Harper. “What is it? Is that my little baby punk all grown up? THEY AREN’T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT THAT FAST!” Soloman screamed, rushing over he joined in on the hug. He seemed quite emotional. He was saddened, pathetic, proud and joyful all at once.
Harper was fussing over his increasingly small amount of personal space.
The yelling roused Eliot from his bedroom. He opened the door and just barely saw the mix of Harper between the fully grown men.
“Is that-“
“Yes! Our baby!” Soloman cried.
“Yoooo! What happened?! That’s awesome, no more diapers!”
“I wasn’t in diapers!” Harper quickly protested, wiggling around. Like a venus fly trap, his Uncle Sunshine and ‘Uncle’ Solo’s grips only tightened.
“Family hug time?” Eliot asked, grinning.
“Uh huh!” Soloman beamed.
So, Eliot joined in on the hug, covering Harper from the would-be sunlight entirely. All he could see was the mixed bodies of his idiot Uncles that were more hugging each other at that point then him.
It was getting really annoying, not to mention Eliot really needed to bathe.
“GET OFF ME!!!” Harper screamed suddenly, louder then any of them expected.
“HE’S GONNA BE A SINGER!” Soloman and Eliot cried in unison.
By then, of course, Ashley had come out too. “What are you imbeciles doing now? Did you get a new videogame and decide to try a rain dance arou-“
“MOMMA HELP ME!”
“Harper!?’ Ashley cried, quickly shoving her brother, Eliot, and Soloman away from her son. “Harper! What happened! You got.. big..”
“I know!” Harper said, smiling at his mother briefly before glaring at the three men, “And they were trying to kill me!”
At that point, Ashley gripped her son and hugged him tight, “You weren’t supposed to grow that fast...”
Harper rolled his eyes and stood there pathetically, silently being thankful his mother at least smelled better.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:35 pm
Solo Entry - Socially updateable.
Harper’d been ‘grown’ awhile now, and had been socializing like a gnat who only had 24 hours to live. Outside of his fellow cabbage kids, he had made about five ‘friends’ in their apartment complex who seemed to be at his bidding.
Ashley, for one, wasn’t sure what hold Harper had over the kids – he had a strong personality for certain, but she didn’t think it was that strong.
Harper did, in fact, have an angle by which to manipulate at this point. His angle? His parents. The ‘cool’ parents all the other kids resented him for and were endlessly jealous over; the insane guy with the Mohawk that seemed like he came from another planet and yet was always willing to play with Harper, the guy that everyone’s mother’s knew ‘well’ and brought home presents for Harper constantly, the scary woman with the awesome clothes who talked to NOBODY BUT Harper, even the quiet red haired man seemed occasionally miles cooler than your average parent.
So Harper had inherited ‘coolness’ off the bat and in little games of popularity kids were already trying to befriend him for it. Harper didn’t mind in the least. He had kids to help him get on top of roofs and to step all over, kids who willingly let him ‘borrow’ their cool toys and even one particular little boy who let him try and catapult him across the grassy courtyard with bed sheets and about 500 large rubber bands.
Still, his favorite friends were the ones from school. They seemed, in some way he couldn’t put into words, more ‘permanent’ then the others. As if he knew inside him they would be tied together in some way for the rest of their lives, and that he would probably move apartments and houses and living spaces frequently during his life. He had seen Manuela again, first girl to see when he grew up. She was boundless amounts of fun, seemed uninhibited enough to keep games fun, and was kind to him to a fault.
She’d kissed him too, in one of those cute childish gestures, though it rather freaked Harper out. It was easily enough forgiven in her case; it seemed like a girly sort of thing to do, so it was something to ignore and act like it never happened.
The trend seemed to continue, however. He saw Jace later, and though he was content with teasing her for being much smaller than he was, she also tried to infect him in a far more malicious gesture. Just a baby made it far less embarrassing, though it’s proprietor made it far more scarring at the same time.
Then Harper ran across Riley at his parent’s new ‘work.’ She was insulted by his mother again, but she seemed resilient and thus capable of all sorts of fun adventures in the future.
Just a bunch of girls for now, but Harper didn’t quite make that connection. He was happy, and that’s all that mattered. There was but one thing he only found himself longing for in the past few days, and it was not in the form of ‘traditional’ friends but rather in the cute and furry – Harper wanted a dog.
His motivations were unclear; he’d likely just seen a boy with a dog on tv, or a neighbor playing with a golden retriever. Either way, it set him on a series of violent fits and begging that seemed non stop the past three days. His guardians, not about to easily admit it, were close to caving. Eliot in particular.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:36 pm
Solo Entry - Piper the Rockerly Dog.
It was Friday night, and Harper just had his first week of school. He was a miserable child.
Pouting in the corner of the living room, throwing a hunger-strike for not wanting to do his homework and glaring at Sunny (the jailor) hatefully, Harper was … upset. Ashley and Soloman, who had been home with him all evening, couldn’t take it anymore. He went through periodic fits where all he did was scream, to begging, to complaining, to silently glaring in that pathetic child way that pulled on their nearly non existent heartstrings like a church bell. Further, Eliot was exceedingly late coming home from "work" that night. (work had since been a code word for a certain kind of date.)
“Want Eliot to pick you up something to eat if you don’t want the macaroni, hunny?” Ashley asked sweetly from the kitchen, throwing a sticky pot of failed macaroni in the sink. She never cooked, and her attempt was ridiculous, but full of good intentions.
“NO!” Harper yelled, kicking at his schoolbag that Sunny had stubbornly set next to him.
Ashley passed a glare to Sunny.
Sunny shook his head. “He has to do his homework.” He said bravely, arms crossed over his chest. “And you need to eat – you need food to think, Harper, so it’s just going to take longer if you don’t ea-“
“I’M NEVER EATING AGAIN! I’LL DIE BEFORE I DO IT!” Harper promptly screamed.
“FINE. BUT YOU ARE STILL DOING YOUR HOMEWORK.” Sunny yelled, sinking deeper into the couch he tried to drown himself in the tv show that was on. Some lame music video playing. “Harper. If you get ONE page of your math done tonight, tomorrow I’ll take you to get a new toy.” Sunny said, resentfully.
”I DON’T WANT A NEW TOY YOU MORON!” Harper yelled, making himself cry. Again. Ashley hissed hatefully at her brother, “Look what you are doing to him!” She yelled.
“ASHLEY! HE HAS TO DO HIS HOMEWORK! DO YOU WANT HIM TO END UP LIKE ELIOT?!” Sunny yelled, standing up indignantly. He was fighting a loosing battle; a one man army against a crusade of drunken assassins.
It was then that Eliot could be heard fumbling with his keys in the front door. The door popped open slowly, and rather then the loud, “HEY!” entrance he usually gave and received, he poked his head in quietly with a huge grin on his face. “Hey guys, where’s Harper?” Eliot whispered.
Soloman promptly pointed to the corner.
Harper looked up, glaring at Eliot, “What do you want?” He asked grumpily.
“Oh, nothing~” Eliot sang, grinning again. “Just thought I’d introduce you to my friend here.”
“Another one of you’re ugly girlfriends?” Harper asked, sticking his tongue out at Eliot.
“No!” Eliot said childishly, briefly glaring at Harper before remembering himself. “She’s a real dog though.” Eliot said, as he stepped into the apartment fully and kicked the door closed behind him. Cradled in his left hand there was an adorable puppy, half awake but alert enough for the changing of her surroundings. “Girlfriend of mine’s dog got knocked up. Lucky it wasn’t her, eh?” He said, more to Soloman, who was the only one who dared to laugh at the ‘joke.’
Harper’s face, meanwhile, went from something attempting imp-expression-101 to cherub directly from Heaven. “Is that for-“
“She’s all yours little dude.” Eliot beamed happily, setting the dog on their carpet. “She needs a name, too.”
“FOR ME!?” Harper cried, jumping to his feet. He moved as quickly as he could while noting to be careful and not startle the puppy; kneeling down in front of it he reached out slowly and let the puppy smell him expertly. He’d clearly been rehearsing for this moment many times prior. “Best dog ever!”
Soloman, meanwhile, seemed quite thrilled. He gave a clap for Eliot’s success and glanced around to the other two adults in the room who didn’t seem to share the same opinion.
“Eliot. When were you planning on informing me of… this… thing?” Ashley growled, fixing a dangerous look on Eliot.
“Uhh, now?” Eliot asked, shrugging helplessly.
Sunny, meanwhile, seemed far more concerned with his now quite failed attempt at homework. “But.. but he has homework…” He pleaed pathetically, giving Eliot a quite angry and wounded look.
“Oh? Homework huh? Alright, little man. Go take the puppy in your room and get her situated – then do your homework.” Eliot said, giving an efficient nod at Harper.
Harper picked his puppy up carefully, cradling it lovingly for a moment. He looked at Eliot and beamed in his most angelic way, “Okay UNCLE Eliot!” Harper squealed, freeing one arm and using it to hug Eliot’s torso affectionately while giving a hateful, mocking glare at Sunny.
Sunny hated it when he called Eliot ‘Uncle.’
“No problem lil’ dude,” Eliot laughed, looking quite proud of himself, “Just do your homework.” He said the last part in a voice far mature to be taken seriously, not being able to resist a light chuckle at the end for how stupid he sounded to himself.
Harper was willing in any regard. He went into his room, and twenty minutes later came out obediently to get his school bag and get to work; out of his room just long enough to inform the others he had named his dog ‘Piper’ cause it rhymed with ‘Harper.’ Sort of.
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 4:23 pm
Mechanical Bird The next week had been placated by nervous twitching and shopping for unisex decor. Now, the ever so special delivery she had been waiting for finally arrived that morning, and the mansion was quite busy with life.
"Lee! No! Oh, be CAREFUL, Lee!"
"I am, I am, woman! I carried bigger plants than' this, I have!"
"It isn't just a plant Lee, it's... well, you know what it is! My darling!" She practically sang, hovering in front of the man proving more distracting than helpful as he carried the large cabbage out into the greenhouse.
"Ya sure this is the best place to put it? I mean, it's a greenhouse an' all Lee. Fer plants. An like ya just said-"
"Yes but if the baby is being protected by the cabbage, it would serve logic assuming protecting the cabbage protects the baby, no? Just hurry, Lee, you are giving me a heart attack!"
A few moments later, a successful landing of a cabbage in a cleared out section of the greenhouse where it could be easily spied upon from the kitchen, and the cabbage was happily in it's place. Proudly smacking his hands together to shake off cabbage-dust (mostly imaginary,) Lee looked up to Maverick with a grin as she clenched her hands together over her heart.
"Hope it's less heavy when the kids out, Rick, we have to return it and I ain't sure my back can-"
"Lee. You are twenty seven. Alright, Lee, hook up the misting units and-"
A loud sound rumbled through the mansion, a deep ding like a manufactured gong that trembled large but pleasantly through the house; a doorbell, and an overly done one at that.
"Who in the world?" Lee asked, eyebrows furrowing, quite sure he had cleared their docket of visitors for the next few weeks.
"I have a feeling I know who." Maverick said with a sigh, a slight twitch of her right eye. "Go let him in, won't you? I'll stay here with the baby."
With a nod, Lee turned and left, stopping in the passageway of the greenhouse to kitchen and giving the cabbage a little giddy wave that disappeared the moment Maverick turned to look at him.
"My darling," Maverick coo'ed, sitting on the garden bench next to the displayed overly large plant, "You are already the most precious thing in my life, how about that?" Stroking the leaves, she had no trouble creating a connection with the plant; spectacular things in unusual packages was something she was quite used to. "I don't know what you're going to be, but... well, I think it's safe to say we are prepared for everything. I must admit I rather hope you are a girl, but I'll love you just the same if you're not! Hmm. That's probably not an appropriate thing to say to a child... you must forgive me, this is going to take a little getting used to." She crossed her legs. "But I'm a fast learner, darling. How do you feel about... gold, yes? I can't pick a colour too extreme for you, sweetheart, I don't know what your favors will be..."
The cabbage quickly decided the woman with the voice that spoke like an overly acted, bad musical would prove interesting, endearing or at least amusing.
"...but, if you don't like gold - and, perhaps, red? - we can change it just as soon as you inform me otherwise!"
"Funny, ya'never changed so much as the colour of your nailpolish for me." A new character spoke, his voice a cocky intrusion orienting from a man standing in the entryway in front of Lee with his arms crossed. "Good to see you again, princess! I missed those... ah... eyes."
"Woah!! This house is HUGE!" said yet another, though smaller, and endlessly cuter - a boy, ten or so, who had a look of awe as he examined all the plants and mansion decor. "Is he like your slave or something?!" He asked, pointing back at Lee who promptly rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
Maverick gave a very, very slow sigh as her eyebrows arched. "I thought I smelled you in the neighborhood, Eliot, but did you really have to bring the boy - I expect you have contaminated his young, impressionable life enough as it is."
Eliot shrugged. "Ashley's dealin with some lawyers and Sunny-"
"Vincent."
"-is at work. So's Solo. I had to... I thought it'd be good, anyway. You can see the mess you just created in person."
"If you guys are talking about me, I don't appreciate it!" Harper said tootily, marching into the greenhouse to get closer to the cabbage. A wry grin spread across his face as recognition came around, while he quickly reached out to poke it. The action met a cross glare from Maverick.
"I know what this issss..." The boy grinned, shaking his head. "You're touchy, ain't ya? It don't hurt, you know, these things are tougher than Eliot's head."
"Oh, I like him." Maverick smiled, picking up one of the boys hands where she gave a seated curtsy. "I'm Maverick Quill, little one, what's your name?"
"m'Harper."
"I... see. Ashley named him, didn't she?"
Eliot nodded with a smirk.
"I always did like Ashley's taste in names... not so much attire, but other things. It's a good name, Harper! And to think, you'd of been Cheesemesiter if Eliot'd won the coin toss."
"Hey. That name is instant cool." Eliot said, shaking his head. "Cause you'd either have to be really cool or really nerdy and if it was my kid..."
"You'd be coming to me to help pay for the psychologist visits?"
"Are you two done?" Harper interrupted, a bored expression on his face.
"I certainly hope so, kiddo." Lee muttered, pushing past Eliot to go into the greenhouse next to Maverick and the cabbage. "We just got her settled, Mister Rose, can't you ... delay... your visit for a few days while Miss Quill and the babe get their barings?"
"Miss Quill? What a relief! I'd of thought you'd be a misses by now! Married away to some pompous doctor playing trophy wife of young and the restless. Except not so young."
"I really do despise you."
"It's a passion. I'll take it. Makes for great-"
"You DO know your child is in the room, don't you?!" Lee asked haughtily, interrupting and glaring earnestly at Eliot who rolled his eyes.
Harper, meanwhile, had tuned the bickering adults out entirely. He was already making friends with the cabbage; mostly because he had decided this was his chance to make himself a cool friend that wouldn't protest everytime he came up with mischievous ideas. "Yo, cabbage, it's Harper. Ok, so you don't me yet, but you will soon cause we are gonna go to the same school and stuff. You're a boy, right? Well, if you're not, make yourself one! All my friends are girls and it's really starting to tick me off!"
"...Harper, I don't believe the cabbage has any control over her - er, it's gender." Maverick informed, turning her head.
Harper shook his head, "They do so." He said stubbornly.
The cabbage was perplexed. What was this arguing going on? The voices kept going at each other, their tones hasted and less entertaining - it proved, in fact, even more entertaining.
"If you say so, love. Tell me Harper, would you like some cookies, some fudge maybe? I have a bit of a weak spot for fudge myself and-" Maverick began.
"YEAH!" Harper said, forgetting the cabbage in a heart beat.
"Alright. Lee, would you? I'd like to speak to Mr. Rose for a moment."
"Sure thin' Rick.. err.. Miss Quill." With another glare at Eliot, Lee put his hand on Harper's back and kindly lead him back into the kitchen, closing the door from the greenhouse and letting the curtain close.
An unspoken conversation occurred between the remaining adults in the green house. Eliot watched idlly while Lee and Harper left, fixed in his position against the frame sprawled out like the arrogant star of his own imagination he was, watching the woman unblinking while she did everything she could to avoid his gaze.
"Didn't I tell you never to come back, Eliot?" Maverick asked, breaking the silence, while standing up and quickly fanning herself off with her hand.
"Yeah. That must be why you called last week." Eliot said, turning head head slightly, showing off the grin he was wearing better.
"I think the reason I called is obvious."
"I guess. You always were rather desperate - at the best of times - and it just so happens I'm not attached at the moment..."
"Ha! You aren't attached to anything but your own grandeur, oh, and of course Ashley. When are you just going to admit she has your heart at the mercy of her nails and -"
"You really want to spend the evening talking about Ashley?"
"No. I don't want to spend the evening with you at all... but, I do think there is something good in this, since you are already here. Harper."
"Eh? Harper?"
She nodded, walking proudly toward the greenhouse entrance and thusly closer to Eliot. "Yes. I don't have much experience with children, and he's definately a child. I fear for my little one, that my life is so... controlled."
"You are anything but controlled."
"Don't you ever stop?" She asked, exasperated, right at the door.
"I'll stop whenever you want me to." He said, arm slowly sliding down the opposite frame he was leaning on, playfully blocking her in. He leaned toward her till they were face to face and let his grin slowly fade away while he attempted to read her 'willingness' through her eyes. As always, she confused him greatly.
She'd later explain away the brief make out session that occurred after that to the heat of the greenhouse, and needless to say, the cabbage's confusion grew VASTLY.
******
Harper, meanwhile, had been taken into the main dining hall for a treat. It was a rectangle room, only with angled corners, and far longer than it was wide. It seemed to be build around the large table that sprawled through the length of it; a beautiful thing, dark cherry wood with angels and cherubs carved into the legs and chairs that told stories of war and monumental history in the art of them each. Harper was far less impressed with the room itself as he was the feast that had been set out before him - butlered on as he was by the blond man.
Lee'd decided a boy usually only has one moment in his childhood, if any, to get to go to a mansion and be spoiled and doted on. So he went all out. His fondness for children helped in the matter as well. Cookies, fudge, hot chocolate and soda as well as a sundae with various toppings available to him (including nuts from places Harper couldn't pronounce and various overly expensive syrupy jams). He was, none the less, ecstatic, and stuffing his face entirely. Lee was quite pleased as well, imagining this is what his days would be filled up with soon; childhood glee.
When finally Harper slowed down a little he grinned at Lee, "Will you adopt me?"
"Ah, but member kiddo, I'm just a slave."
"That's alright dude, I don't mind, I ain't judging your choice of career if you get to live like this."
Lee chuckled. "I don't know if I live like this in so many words; you are a guest now, imagine being a slave's son! You'd be forced to clean the toilets!"
"Do I get ice cream after?"
Lee mocked a thoughtful purse of his lips. "Well. Maybe. If you were very very good."
"I'll be the best!"
"Let's talk to your father about it, then! Your new name will be Harper Ross!"
"Oh, that kinda sucks- Hey! My father?! You don't think ELIOT is my father, do you?! ... I take it back, man, I don't want you anymore."
"He isn't your father? Oh, what a relief!" Lee said, seeming genuinely relieved as he took a seat next to Harper.
"You're tellin' me. Ashley's my mom."
"Ah, yes, Miss Sinclair. She was... ah.. very lively when I had the... pleasure to meet her."
"Haha." Harper laughed, grinning at Lee. He'd learned enough what reactions like that had meant, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not quite as much as the treats he was still stuffing, however. "So. I'ma make you a deal, slave dude. I'll let you guys babysit me every now and then and I'll help make your kid cool if you keep givin' me ice cream."
"Oh will you?" Lee asked, mocking some surprise again.
"Yah." Harper nodded, dropping his spoon and leaning back into his chair to give his stomach (now threatening to explode) some room. "You can have me on the days Eliot watches me."
"Sounds like something you should take up with Miss Quill, Harper, and you know - the mansion isn't really a place for kids."
"... sucks for the cabbage."
"Ha!" Lee grinned. The moments were soon interrupted again by Maverick opening the large doors to the dining hall.
"Oh, there you two are!" She let out an anxious, quick laugh. Her hair disheveled and the blush on her face nearly as deep as the colour of her hair, she coughed quickly and nodded at Lee. "Mr. Rose is going home now, Lee... which, I'm afraid young Harper, means you are as well. But I think-"
"Can I come over again, Sis Quill lady? Uh, miss, whatever!? I'll make your kid cool! Eat ice cream for you! Clean your toilets!"
"Well, I... You'd have to ask your mother but... why don't you have her give me a call, Harper?"
"RIGHT! AWESOME! THANKS! Hey I'll just... make a to-go order here and.." He said, throwing as much fudge and cookies as he could on top of his newly built sundae, then carting over to Eliot with the bowl in hand.
"Gonna jack her, I'm sure, VERY expensive bowl Harper?" Asked Eliot, who looked so beyond proud of himself it very nearly made Lee vomit.
"It's fine. You can bring it back next time you visit-"
"Next time we visit." Eliot interrupted with a sigh. "Goodbye, now. Oh, don't worry sparky, I'll find my way out." He said, waving at Lee who'd started to rise from his chair. With that, Eliot took Harper (complete with bowl o goodness) out of the dininghall.
Lee stared at Maverick for a good two minutes before she finally said something.
"Just what are you staring at, Lee?"
"... Nothing."
"Then stop it!"
".... Fine."
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 4:27 pm
Solo Entry - Sunny Needs a New Car
Soloman was out of town for the weekend. Ashley and Sunny (with the exception of a sober Solo, arguably the smartest people in the ROCKED OUT family,) had a very important meeting with a lawyer. They were in the process of possibly purchasing a business; a nightclub, no less.
What was left for Eliot and his babysat charge? Sunny's car. Eliot's shiny red convertible had been taken by Ashley for the sake of appearances, and Sunny's 'modest' chipped-paint rusty old car didn't have a cd player. It was the cruelest twist of fate by far, Harper had decided.
Eliot had, however, made prior arrangements; he had ordered a new bass, so the arrangement was something Harper could see merit for. The shop in question was a good two hour drive away, however, and thus Harper and Eliot had been stuck in Sunny's awful car (yet surprisingly environmentally friendly!) for about an hour and a half when there was a loud CLANG in the engine, followed by a great deal of smoke (no longer environmentally friendly) coming from the hood. They were on a fairly small freeway; but there was still a steady passage of cars, and while the battery still worked, the car was dead. Dead. And Harper thought he'd be next.
"I'm bored."
"I don't care."
Harper sighed, sprawled across the back seat, watching through all four open windows as cars passed the smoking car without a thought to stop.
"Eliot, can't we just walk?"
"We'd be walking for hours, stupid."
"Don't call me stupid, idiot!"
"Look you - .. that's it. I'm not talking to you anymore. See how boring it is NOW."
Harper snorted, folding his arms casually behind his head. "Naaa- naaa, Weee will weeee will ROCK YOU!"
Eliot cringed. "Please DO pick a more steriotypical stuck in the middle of nowhere underdog song, no, really."
"I thought you weren't talking to me anymore."
"Shut up! I.. AAAAAAAHHH! That moron isn't gonna hold that bass for me for the weekend, I KNEW I should of bought a mule and rollerskates before taking YOU in THAT car!"
"Calm down dude. It isn't the end of the world. Just get a new one."
"Well, unfortunately, your mother has taken all of our money for her stupid 'project.'"
"... But you don't have a job in the first place-"
"NEITHER DOES SHE!"
"- but my momma has me. She says she's a stay at home mom."
Harper wasn't sure if the expression on Eliot's face meant he was going to cry or attack him, but a few seconds later when the man burst into laughter he found out. "Harper, I'ma tell it to you straight."
"Yeah?"
"Musicians aren't supposed to have real jobs. We're supposed to play in front of millions of people and get payed billions of dollars for it, and then get endless and condition less adoration from our fans."
"Well sure if you're a star."
"I am a - we are stars!"
"...Then why don't I have a dirt bike?"
"We just don't love you enough."
"Whatever. Mom loves me more than you."
"Keep thinking that."
"She does!!"
"Uh huh."
"REALLY!"
An hour later and two figures were walking along the side of the freeway. The boy would occasionally run off to kick at left remnants of exploded tires, only to be reprimanded by the adult. It seemed he really did care.
It was well into the night by the time the now (very) tired pair had made it to a diner/gas station combo, and with tired legs and hungry stomachs both they collapsed into a seat.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 10:46 pm
Solo Entry - What The Commotion Was About
Exactly 36 hours later Harper and Eliot stumbled in to their houses door, collapsing ungracefully on the local couches and moaning as though their life was almost over. Looking far less worried than she should have been, Ashley sat perched on a local ottoman, painting her toenails.
"Finally." She said a few minutes later, breaking the settled silence as the boy and man started drifting to sleep. "I thought, perhaps, you two stopped off at a casino and my son was learning what a 'professional dancer' means."
Harper's eyebrows arched; it was all one could see as the rest of his face was mashed into cranberry plush. "Huh?"
"Get off it Ashley, I got home as quick as I could, trust me." Eliot mumbled, sounding brittled with pain and anguish something awful.
"Professional dancer? I wanna be one!" Harper decided, pushing himself off the sofa as his interests were perked.
"Fine, if you are gonna be stupid and grumpy I'm going to my room.." The boy muttered, giving Eliot a hateful look as he started to get up and leave for the stairs to the upstairs bedrooms.
"Wait Harper - I've been waiting here for a reason, you know, theres something I'd like to tell you both." Ashley interrupted, grabbing her son's arm as he passed.
"Oh. So you weren't waiting here to make sure we haden't been hijacked and murdered. Whyyy did I ever think otherwise." Eliot hissed, turning on to his back, tucking a hand behind his head, and fixing an annoyed glare on the woman.
Ashley rolled her eyes and turned Harper toward her; he gave her much the same expression Eliot did.
"Sunny and I heard from the lawyer; much sooner than we thought, but that doesn't matter."
"Oh?" Eiot asked while yawning.
"Mhm." Ashley began, smiling suddenly, "And-"
"Why do I care?" Harper interrupted.
"Well, if you'd shut it long enough to find out, Harper." Ashley said snappily, then the smile returned. "They accepted our offer." She declared happily, crossing her legs and arching her back in a proud and triumphant manner.
"Serious?" Eliot asked, eyes opening fully for the first time. "Like, thats that? It's ours?"
Ashley nodded, and Harper's brow furrowed deeper.
"What the hell are you two talk-"
"Harper, don't say that." Ashley quickly instructed.
"What the f-"
"Harper!"
"What are you guys talkin about!?" The boy demanded, arms crossing.
"Oh, we never told you, did we?" Ashley frowned, glaring at Eliot while deciding to blame this dilemma on him. "You remember hearing about that club 'Majik' Eliot and I went to a few months ago?"
"Uh. No."
"Well, we went to a club called Majik and found out the owners were going out of business. It was an awful club, so it's no wonder, and the owners were ... well, not the most intelligent creatures on this plane for sure." Ashley coughed and let her son absorb thus far. He didn't absorb a thing. "Well anyway, we were going to leave but I had an idea - you know, Volley isn't paying us that well, not nearly enough anyway, so we decided it might be smart to start our own club."
Harper blinked a few times. Ashley took it as a sign to continue.
"I blackma- dated a lawyer a few months before you were born, you know. So it was really quite easy to get everything arranged. We sold the rest of my jewelry and pooled the last of our money and bought the place."
"You sold your jewelry?" Harper blinked, looking terrified. "Hey!! HEY! My tv, I still have my tv right?!" He asked, flailing mad to go run up to his room and check.
"Oh stop it Harper." Ashley said, rolling her eyes. "It was .. very hard.." She coughed, glaring at Eliot as he began to snicker. "But the shop I sold it to has agreed to hold it for a year. So we can make the money back from the club."
"Ain't gonna make enough money to buy a club from running a club for a year-" Eliot interrupted with a snort.
"Funny. I'd of thought Eliot would be the last to forget we used to be superstars. This way we can play as often as we need, market exactly how we want to, and - if it backfires - there is a small closet in the backstage where you can live, Harper."
"What!? We just bought this house!! You said when you died I'd get this house!"
"Oh calm d- What?! No I didn't!" Ashley objected.
"Uh. Yeah y'did Ash, you were just kinda not in a state to be remembering it." Eliot informed.
"Well you can just forget that idea buddy, cause I- ... Harper, do you understand what I said about Majik?"
"You guys bought a club. Right."
"And Solo and Sunny are quitting their jobs to help us run it. It's... a risk, like I said. But you are growing so fast, we figured if it bombs you will be old enough to take care of yourself soon." She said, a happy nod a moment later.
Harper's eye twitched. "Yo.. But I.. you can't... I haven't payed attention to a SINGLE thing my stupid math teacher said because I thought you guys would take care of me forever and NOW you spring this on me?!! THIS IS JUST WRONG! WRONG!" Harper yelled, finally wiggling free and bolting up to his bedroom.
"Yeah kid, I know what you're goin through. I thought Ashley'd take care of me forever too~."
"Shut up Harper!" Eliot and Ashley both snapped.
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Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:59 am
Solo Entry - Where's the Majik Gone?
It had taken a few weeks of grumpiness on the boy's part before he would be even remotely compliant on a trip to visit the group's new future. Finally, one Saturday morning, Harper conceded to getting out of bed with the promise of bribed ice cream and fast food on the way.
Sufficiently stuffed, the convertible pulled up to a busy part of a metro section downtown. Harper thought, with a bit of relief, that it looked somewhat promising at first - and it was only after Ashley, Eliot, Sunny Solo and himself (it was remarkable that the lot could all fit in the car, Harper hated being smushed between Ashley and Eliot, and it just so happened thats exactly where he had been) they trotted down a block or two until they came upon a large club.
That was utterly run down.
Three of the five letters spelling out 'MAJIK' were hanging off their hinge, threatening death to local passerbys, and the other two were almost certainly not in commission. The cracked and dirty gray brick the rest of the clubs ulterior wasn't showing must more promise, either, and when they were inside, it only got worse.
The first room that seemed to be made for 'guest screening' or 'id checks' led in to the main space; a large, nearly open area for dancing with a long bar covering the far western edge up in the north east corner. The music system piped along the walls looked outdated from the looks alone, and the lights strung around to light up the dancing area in flashy rave goodness seemed rusted and just as out to date.
"So, it's gonna take some work." Sunny declared, the first among the mto speak since entering the place, while he put a hand idly on Harper's shoulder. He had an uncommon air of optimism about him that was quickly shot down as Ashley hissed just as Harper pushed his hand off him.
"This place is a dump!" Harper valiantly observed.
"Shut up, Harper!" Eliot barked, crossing his arms. "Ain't like we dunno what a club is SUPPOSED to look like, it's just a matter of... makin it... look like that, now."
Ashley gave a drawn out sigh. "Indeed. No need for the pessimism. We all knew it wasn't going to work out instantly. It has potential, though, can't you tell?"
".... This place is a dump!"
"Harper, this place is your future." Ashley snapped.
"I don't want my future!" He recanted, running off on to the stage where he furiously kicked at a wall.
Ignoring Harper and all his rage, the 'adults' made some plans. After an hour of discussing renovations, Harper finally realized his temper-tantrum wasn't getting him anywhere this time, and trotted back over to mother and company.
"So green strobe lights here and- Hey, Harper. Back in with the world?" Ashley asked, smiling at her son.
He glared at her for a moment, and then with a dramatic sigh rolled his eyes, "Blue."
"Hm?"
"Blue lights. It's a better color in general, and most people only look sick in green. Blue makes everyone look-"
"Dead?" Eliot interjected.
"Dead is cool." Harper grinned. "In fact, it's a wonder Antony isn't cooler.."
"Who is Antony?" Ashley asked, confused.
"Oh, nobody important.. you are gonna put some lights on the bar, right?" The boy asked, dashing over to the run down bar.
A glance passing between Ashley and Eliot, the two eventually followed suit, giving a shrug in unison. "I don't think it needs it, Harper, it will be lit up enough as it is-"
"You guys SUCK! You would think you'd be cooler what with having been
famous' and all! You gotta put some lights on - no, IN! the bar! Inside the top, like flashing on the top and-"
"I know what the kid is talkin about!" Solo, poping up from behind the bar, declared. "I saw it at another place. I thought I was hallucinatin' but now that Im thinkin' about it, I know what he means. It was pretty awesome! Nice thinkin lil'dude!"
A puffed out chest from a white haired child, and Harper grinned triumphantly at his mother.
"I suspect that will only succeed in giving people seizures." She muttered with a sigh, but it was a somewhat pleased one, as she smiled again at her son.
"Seizures can be funny." Eliot said with a snort and loose shrug.
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:26 pm
The morning mail had been brought it, but beneath the coupons, credit card notices and magazine subscriptions lay a somewhat perky envelope. It was a pale blue color, with red and white stripes on the tongue of the envelope. A stamp depicting Andy Warhol clung tightly to the top right-hand corner, sticking out from the pastel-y object with it's bright, psychedelic colors. Who could it have been from?
Upon opening it, a somewhat weathered, crinkled paper was folded up. It was rough in texture, signaling it was watercolor paper. Taking it out and unfolding it, a bright, sloppily painted picture was presented. It was a bit... er, creative. Well, it was painted by a toddler, after all, so what'd you expect? But this certain toddler was quite cultured to have painted such a scene. She'd even signed it by drawing herself in the corner, which was useful (sort of).
If anyone in Harper's family had knowledge of The Beatles or Yellow Submarine, perhaps they could translate it. It looked as though Harper had a rainbow guitar and was chasing off some sort of diseased rabbit. One was supposed to have an open mind about art, but with this one, well....
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