Forum > Tuber's secrets > thread

Jason rolled over and half-opened his eyes to glance at the digital clock next to him. It dutifully showed him that it was almost 8:30. He inhaled deeply and sat up, tossing the blanket aside. He hadn't meant to sleep so long, but there was no point in worrying about it now. It wasn't as if he could regain that time, and he had needed it.
He transformed the foldout bed back into a couch, then went to the kitchenette to get something to eat. There were three bowls on the counter, now. Tiana must've already gotten up. Jason was wondering if she'd had to go back to work early when the bedroom door opened. She was wearing the strangest clothes Jason had ever seen. “What are you wearing?”
She tossed him an annoyed look and hoisted a designer bag over her shoulder. “Work clothes. I hate them, but my boss won't let me wear anything else. I seriously need to grab something else on the way back.” she said. “It's only 8:30, huh? I've got a few minutes. Have you heard from the others yet?”
Jason nodded. “Yeah. Why did you--”
“Shut up. What happened to you and Zack?”
Jason briefly explained, then asked if he could tag along with her to look for something to do.
“No.”
“Why not? You got a job pretty easily at that place.”
“So? I already knew some people. It's all about connections when it comes to job hunting. Otherwise, rely on your talents-- if you have any, that is.”
“Can't I count you as a connection?”
Tiana stared at him icily. Jason didn't flinch. The worst she could do is say no again, he reasoned.
She rolled her eyes. “Hurry up. I'll get you in, but you can do the rest yourself.”

Tiana had insisted on switching taxi cabs several times, taking a roundabout route that took fifteen minutes longer than it should've. Outside the building, she snapped her fingers in his face to get his attention. “Listen up. I'll get you in, but it's up to you to do the rest because, as soon as we're in, I don't know you. Understand?”
Jason exhaled. Better humor her, I guess. “Sure. Whatever you say.”
“Good. Try not to get thrown out by the security guards.”
“Beg pardon?”
She swiped a key card in the electronic lock. “Is the opportunity worth the risk? I don't think so, personally, but it's your call. Take it or leave it.”

Over the course of the day, Jason had several close calls with the security teams until he finally found someone to do odd jobs for. As luck would have it, the kid had free rein over the place. Shawn had him running little errands all over the building while he worked with huge panels of control boards in a recording studio.

On the door of the studio was a plaque with 7 rules etched on it in bold letters.

SOUND BOOTH GUEST RULES:
1. Shut your mouth
2. Do not touch ANYTHING
3. Check if genius requires fresh beverage upon entry
4. Do not intercept any hot girls that approach the booth-- they're not here to talk to you
5. If you have any questions, refer to rule #1
6. If you have any questions about rule #1, refer to rule #7
7. GET OUT.


Jason wondered if Tiana was working in a room like this one, which Shawn called his 'playground'. When he wasn't working on the sound, he gushed about the 'pure, untouched voice' he'd gotten ahold of the day before, and how much potential it had, and how he no matter what he did to it, it still sounded amazing, and how he could make any genera of music he wanted and this "Indigo"'s voice would be perfect for any of them-- all of them!
Jason didn't really understand why he was so excited about it, but nodded and kept his mouth shut, as the plaque commanded. “And you know something else, Jason?”
“What?”
“She's back today! She's busy getting a music vid shot somewhere else, but then she's gonna be all mine! She'll sing all for me!”
Jason had a sneaking suspicion about this 'person', one which turned out to be correct.

“Shawn, relax. I'm not going to vanish into thin air. Can we please get this over with?”
She stood in the door with a disapproving expression as Shawn practically danced around the studio in his excitement. “Your voice is amazing! You look fabulous! You're gonna be--”
“I will not be your star. Forget it, Shawn.” she said firmly, closing the door behind her. “Can we just get to work now?”
Shawn started spinning in his swivel chair. “You don't seem to get it. Your voice can sound adorably cute, impressively operatic, or rocking awesome heavy metal! Heck, you can do country, bluegrass, a capella-- I can do ANYTHING and you'll sound awesome!”
“Shawn, stick to techno. That's my genera.”
“Okay okay okay. I have two things for you to sing today, just to get used to your voice qualities. I had the music written and played and everything, so the vocals are all that's left to do!”
Tiana sighed. “Fine, whatever. But I'm not singing in front of him.”
She pointed at the not-quite-stunned Jason. Shawn spun to a stop. “Oh, yeah. Okay, Jason. Hand me the soda and just hang around for about 45 minutes, give or take. 'Kay?”


About an hour later, Tiana came out and brushed past Jason as though he were a stranger. Jason glanced into the studio. Shawn was grinning from ear to ear. “Hey, Jason, grab me some skittles from the vending machine and another soda, will ya? I've got a lot to work on!”

At the end of the day, Shawn grinned at Jason, who was sitting on the floor with his back to the wall. “These two songs were kind of experimental. Want to hear 'em?”
Jason couldn't resist, nor did he try to. He wished he could hear her sing in person of her own free will, but who am I kidding? That'll happen right about the same time as the sun turns into a lump of coal the size of my fist.




Britt Nicole - Headphones

[lien=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EThulCr1cv8]Headphones[/lien]

Whoa-o, whoa-o... Whoa-o, o-whoa-o
She gave it her best
She tried to fit in
She tried to be cool
But she never could win
Her mom says she's great
The kids think she's weird
Honestly she wish she could disappear

Why you try, try to be like the rest of them
When you know there's so much more within
There's only one you
Here's what ya' gotta do

Whoa, whoa-a-oh
Anytime you feel alone, put on your headphones
Love, love's coming through your headphones
Anytime you feel alone, put on your headphones
Love, love's coming through your headphones
L-o-o-ove is coming through your headphones
L-o-o-ove is coming through your headphones

He gets in his car
He falls apart
It came to an end
And now it's breaking his heart
He wants to give up
Wants to try again
Honestly he doesn't know what he's feeling

Hey, you might not see it with your eyes
But keep your head up to the sky
The sun is coming through
Here's what you gotta do

Whoa, whoa-a-oh
Anytime you feel alone, put on your headphones
Love, love's coming through your headphones
Anytime you feel alone, put on your headphones
Love, love's coming through your headphones
L-o-o-ove is coming through your headphones
L-o-o-ove is coming through your headphones

So keep your head up high and dust off your shoulders
It's alright, no, it's not over
Love is here, it came to dry up all your tears
Oh, can you feel it
Gotta believe it, gotta see it
By your side in the middle of the night
So keep your head up high and the dust off your shoulders
It's alright, no it's not over


Anytime you feel alone, put on your headphones
Love, love's coming through your headphones
Anytime you feel alone, put on your headphones
Love, love's coming through your headphones
L-o-o-ove is coming through your headphones
L-o-o-ove is coming through your headphones

So keep your head up high and dust off your shoulders
(Coming through your headphones)
So keep your head up high and dust off your shoulders
(Coming through your headphones)

Twinkle, twinkle in your eye
Listen to this lullaby
The sun is shining in the sky
I see love it's in your eyes

This ain't the first time you felt like this
This ain't the first time, this ain't the first time
This ain't the last time you'll feel like this
But it'll be fine
If you can just, smile


Superchick - Hey, Hey

[lien=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2V4dP7sl8o]Hey, Hey[/lien]

Some people you can never please
You might as well just let them be
They mock everything not their own
From their imaginary throne
But I won't bow down,
even if the whole world thinks I'm crazy

So hey hey, this song is for us
So put your hands in the air
if you're crazy like us
Hey hey
Hey hey, that's freedom you hear
Comin' right to your ear,
that's the sound from our bus
Hey hey

Why try to be like someone else
When you can only be yourself?
No one can sing the song you do
Be true, be legendary you
So I won't sell out,
even if the whole world thinks I'm crazy

So hey hey, this song is for us
So put your hands in the air
if you're crazy like us
Hey hey
Hey hey, that's freedom you hear
Comin' right to your ear,
that's the sound from our bus
Hey hey

Why kiss the feet of the people who kick you
When you can be anything that you want to? x3

So hey hey, this song is for us
So put your hands in the air
if you're crazy like us
Hey hey
Hey hey, that's freedom you hear
Comin' right to your ear,
that's the sound from our bus
Hey hey

Yaaa-hoooo! I've been writing a whole lot lately, and it's been great!
Unfortunately, it's probably going to slow down-- like, a lot. It'll be back to once-a-week posts, give or take, after this weekend.
Anyway, you didn't think I could keep up this pace of writing forever, did you?

That said, on with the story!




Quinn finally edged to the door and peeked around it to see what was going on.
Lisa lowered her head in defeat and heaved a sigh of regret. “I give up. You've made up your mind to shoulder whatever-it-is by yourself. You're not going to let me try to help because you just don't want me near it, and that tells me enough. But... promise me you'll be careful, Skylar. No big calculated risks.”
Skylar placed the bags he had been holding on the floor and put a hand on her shoulder.
“The fact that I am involved at all is something of a calculated risk, but I'd rather deal with it myself than leave it in the wrong hands, be they either incapable or corrupt. I'm trying to do what's best for everyone in the long run. I promise I'll take extra care with this one, and that I'll back off if it gets to be too much. Okay?”
Lisa nodded. She knew that was the best she'd get. Skylar smiled. “Thank you, Lisa.” he said sincerely. He then picked up the paper bags and began to move toward the kitchen.
“Skylar?”
He paused. “Yes, Lisa?”
“I'm expecting a bonus when this is over. For taking care of Molly.”
“Of course.”

Quinn shook his head as Lisa left. Humans made everything so complicated for themselves. Then he felt something poke his leg. He didn't move, but looked down as Molly poked his leg again, then looked up at him. “Are you alive?” she whispered. Quinn decided it was best not to answer-- or move, for that matter. Perhaps Skylar could insist that he was an object, though it would be hard to explain how the 'object' had moved by itself.
Molly continued to examine the alien's leg until Skylar finally found them. “Molly, what are you doing?” he very calmly asked.
For the second time, she immediately wrapped herself around Quinn's leg. Skylar shut his eyes, forcing himself to remain calm. “Back to square one,” he muttered, then relaxed his face and became happy and nice. “Molly, aren't you supposed to be in bed?” he asked with a smile.
She only said, “It's alive.”
“What?”
“It's alive.”
“Oh, don't be silly. Have you ever seen a work of art come to life before?”
To answer that, Molly pinched Quinn unexpectedly, causing him to flinch. She gave Skylar a look that said, 'I can tell.'

There's something about children that most people should know: when they know you're lying, no matter what you say, you'll only dig your grave deeper with every word. It's best to confess as little as possible and distract them with something bigger or better, but lying only causes them to dislike you and causes more problems later. Skylar remembered this from his own childhood, but honestly, what was he supposed to do about it? How does one distract a child from an alien? It doesn't get much more interesting than that, and why would Molly want to abandon it to go back to bed?

Molly hugged Quinn's leg tightly. “What's his name?”
“Ah... I call it 'Quinn'. You know what, I think I have some ice-cream, why don't we grab some and talk for a while?”
Molly shook her head.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“Well... what do you want to do?”
“Does he talk?”
“The plant in the corner doesn't seem to think so.”
Molly just looked at him, not quite understanding. Plants couldn't talk, so what was he talking about?
At that moment, Skylar's cellphone rang. “Wait right there,” he said, moving off a few feet to take the call. “What do you mean, she appeared? You're sure it's her? All right, why does this matter to me? ...I do not see how this should affect me. This will do nothing but increase sales, will it not? ...she prefers to be anonymous. I see no problem with that. If she is not interested in signing a contract, leave her alone. If she wishes to be left out of the public eye; honor her wishes. If she is anonymous, why are you worried? Ah, I see. You don't want her to be able to discontinue assisting Shawn. What do you mean, her voice is worth millions? Haven't you been using it all this time? ...I see. Only her processed voice. I see why you want to keep her from going elsewhere or threatening to do so in order to force you to bow at her every whim, but if she's truly not interested, then... you convinced her to what? ...I don't understand. If she values her privacy, why would she agree to do the video? It seems a bit inconsistent. All right, I'll go down there tomorrow and try to assess her intentions. I can't do much more than that if her words and actions contradict each other, so I have to see her in person. Right. I'll be there at about 9:00. You too. Goodbye.”

He sighed. “Must I do everything myself?” he asked wearily.

Quinn was usually excellent at remaining in one position, unmoving, for long periods of time; however, that feat became far more difficult when the circulation was cut off from the leg supporting most of his weight. He mentally begged Skylar to hurry up and unclasp Molly, but Skylar appeared to have been struck by a migraine and was taking his time in returning. “Why me, Sebastian? Why do these things happen to me?”

“Because you are a powerful figure, you are intelligent, and you are generally altruistic, as opposed to petty, incompetent or malicious; therefore, you are the most suited for handling each of these situations.” the A.I. replied.
“Any other day I would take that as a compliment.” Skylar muttered.
“The timing of these events have been rather inconvenient.” Sebastian admitted.

Quinn's leg was already numb, but he could still feel enough to know when it began to collapse, forcing him to catch himself before he landed on top of the little girl.
Molly's eyes widened as she lay flat on her back, staring up at the alien. “I knew it,” she whispered. Her breath touched Quinn's eyes and caused him to blink involuntarily, brushing away any lingering hopes of convincing her that he was just an inanimate object. Then Skylar suddenly appeared at their sides. “Are you okay, Molly?”
She looked back at him with a grin. “I knew it,” she whispered triumphantly. Skylar bowed his head. “I guess the cat's out of the bag.” he said quietly. He slid Molly out from underneath Quinn and lifted her onto his hip, holding her with one arm and helping Quinn up with the other.



Molly smiled and waved at all the staring people from her seat on the giant teddy bear's shoulders. Inside, Quinn wanted to die. Molly was small and light, and the bear suit hid him well, but... he could only imagine the inner agony Skylar had to be suffering, though he laughed an accepted the attention with a smile as he led the two around.

Skylar had obtained the patent for a coolant system within large costumes, to prevent the person inside from overheating. The inventor had presented the idea in Skylar's office, complete with a functional system hidden in the body of a brown teddy bear suit. Skylar had had an unlucky passerby test it out for the rest of the day, then they struck up a deal. The suit had been left in a storage closet at the building until further notice, so last night Skylar had decided to make use of it.

“Awww! That is so CUUUUUTE!” a group of female singers gushed, squealing over the adorable little Asian girl in pigtails riding a teddy bear with a pink bow tie. Skylar laughed and explained for the hundredth time since entering the building. “No, I'm not her father, I'm just taking care of her for a while. She saw the suit and fell in love with it. I'm paying her babysitter extra to wear it so that I don't have to.”
Somehow, Skylar managed to lead both alien and child past all the others and made it to Shawn's 'playground'.
Skylar reached for the door handle only to see it turn and open from the inside, as a young man came out rolling his eyes and muttering under his breath. Shawn sounded as though he had just finished giving him a list of petty commands. “And Jason?”
“Yeah?”
“Who's that?”
Jason looked up and saw the trio for the first time. He didn't look very surprised, compared to the reactions of all the other people they'd passed. Skylar took the initiative. “Nice to meet you, Jason. My name is Skylar Blackwell, and my companions are miss Molly and Quinn. May we enter?”
Jason didn't even think about it. “You'd better, or risk getting caught by her.”
Skylar and Quinn turned to see a girl come marching towards them with an expression of absolute disgust and hate. She was being pursued by a tall man and his bodyguard, and he was asking her not to storm away until he'd had his say. He shut up as soon as he saw Skylar.
The girl came right to the door, then stopped and glared at Skylar. “You're in the way.” she stated.
“Hey, what's going on out there?” Shawn called from his chair. When nobody answered he lowered his feet from the top of the control panel and came to investigate. “M-mister Blackwell! What are you doing here, sir? Did I do something wrong?”
Skylar blinked once, then chuckled. “No, Shawn, you're fine. I came to speak with your associate. Miss Indigo, is it?”
The girl raised an eyebrow. “You managed to scare the pants of the idiot following me and got a sir out of Shawn, so I'm guessing you run this show. Yeah, I'm Indigo, but I'd rather you not announce that for all the world to hear.” With that, she slipped around him and grabbed Shawn's shoulder. spinning him around and pushing him forward. “Pull yourself together, Shawn, and let's get to work. Out of the way, Jason; you know the drill.”
Skylar looked amused. “Feisty one, that. Quinn, Molly, you stay here; Shawn, entertain them-- by the way, Quinn doesn't talk, so don't expect him to answer you. Neil, go find something else to do. Miss Indigo, would you please come with me?”
“Why?”
Skylar bowed slightly. “For a chat. Humor me, and I'll see about getting Neil off your back. Deal?”
Indigo tilted her head to the left for a moment. “I reserve the right to leave whenever I want.”
“Only if I reserve the right to allow Neil to continue to badger you.”
“If I'm going to be spending time talking to you instead of making mushrooms, I should get something out of it.”
“But if you walk away before I get the whole picture, you'll render the point of my visit moot; a far greater waste of time, if you ask me. So, here is my proposal: you talk to me for as long as I need you to, and I'll give you a paper with my signature, which will order whomever you wish to leave you alone until further notice. Deal?”
Neil tried to protest, but Skylar raised a hand, cutting him off. “Deal?” he repeated calmly.
Indigo gave the hand he offered a look of poison, but shook it anyway.
“Deal.”

I wasn't sure whether to show you the actual meeting or not because it's kind of boring to read and a real pain to write, but since I'm only using Indigo, Jason and Quinn's points of view, I thought that you should see how Skylar handled her. Sadly, I had to do it from her point of view, and that made it a little difficult.
Also, sorry if all the subtext annoys you.



Skylar Blackwell had led her to an especially posh office, offered her a comfortable seat, and had begun to try to talk to her. She made it difficult for him to do so, though he did very well despite her cold and hostile answers. He was a good actor; he treated her like a little sister, familiar and caring. Well, two could play at that. She hardened herself even more and made cutting and sarcastic jibes at every opportunity. After about ten minutes, she couldn't understand. She'd said enough things to make anyone want to throw her out of the building. Blackwell never even cracked, not to give her a dirty look or to insult her at all, much less yell at or threaten her. How? It was as though he couldn't hear her disrespectful comments. She couldn't stand it anymore.

“I have insulted you and your mother, I have demeaned and scoffed at everything you've said to me thus far, and you're still not responding! Have you been listening to me at all?”

Blackwell actually laughed. “I was beginning to wonder if if was possible for a person like you to even exist. Do you tempt fate just for the thrill?”

“Do you often use questions that double as cryptic answers that just beg the recipient to ask you for an elaboration?”

He was smart and did not rise to the bait, whereas a less intelligent person would've asked her to 'speak English'.
“You are smarter than one would surmise based on your actions. When I met you, you said that you supposed I 'ran the show'. You are correct; I own this building and everyone in it. Yet, you just admitted that you were actively trying to provoke me-- poking the bear with a stick, so to speak. Some might think that provoking the most powerful man in the building would be a foolish thing to do. I'm curious: why would you do such a thing?”

Indigo shrugged. “Angry people show their true colors without realizing it. Why aren't you getting angry?”
Blackwell exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “In the business world, self-control when dealing with powerful opponents is an essential tool to survive. Anger has never been a real weakness of mine, anyway.”

“Okay, I get it. You're so high up in the business world, you don't have to deal with people who aren't intelligent, so if they bait you they must have an ulterior motive, so you keep your cool until you find out what it is.”

“In addition, there is nothing more frustrating for them than to be ignored. They want to see a reaction, and when they don't get one it drives them up the walls. I suppose you could say I'm retaliating in my own way.”

“Sneaky.” she commented.

“Subtle.” he corrected.

Indigo finally smiled. “You're good at this.”

Blackwell nodded in acknowledgment. “You hold your own very well for your age.”

Indigo began flipping a pen in the air, catching it and twirling it between her fingers before flipping it again. “You're a fine one to talk; you don't look much older than twenty. What do you want with me, anyway?”

Blackwell leaned back in his chair, watching the spinning pen rise and fall. “I think we both want to know the same thing. You said you were provoking me to 'see my true colors'. I wish to know why you will not allow Neil to rope you into a contract.”

Indigo snatched the pen out of the air and set it down on the table, becoming serious. “Why should I tell you? I don't know who you are or what you want. For all I know, you just want to make sure I don't sing for anyone else, ever. I haven't been, but I can and I will if you try to force me into anything.”

“And you wish to keep that option available.”

“And I know that if I sign a contract, my freedom will be the first thing to go.”

Blackwell cocked an eyebrow. “You do realize that every other place worth it's salt will do the same. Nobody would want you to leave, so everyone would want you to sign a contract. It's that simple.”

“I'm only here for some quick cash, period. I have better things to do than spend my time singing and dancing like a trained monkey, adding to your mountain of mushrooms. You can keep your fame and fortune, because I don't want any of either.”

“You have no wish to share your talent with the world?”

“Nicely phrased, you oh-so-articulate person. Let me put it this way: if you or anyone else tries to pin me down in any way, shape or form, I will walk out and never come back. I can earn mushrooms by washing dishes and waiting tables, if necessary. I don't need that many to be happy. As for 'sharing' my voice, I have been-- with Shawn. Keep pushing with the contract, and it'll be your fault if the world never hears Indigo's voice again.”

“Touché. But if you wanted to remain a mystery, why agree to the video?”

“Insurance against blackmail threats.”

“You have been threatening me this entire time. As we've already established, I have sources of income far greater than that which Shawn rakes in, so even if you left I wouldn't care too much. Shawn would be heartbroken for a while, but he'd find someone else to sing his music. That's all he cares about: his music. The one you really need to worry about is his agent. Naturally, Neil wants to keep you from acting on your threat to leave, so of course Neil will try to find, or even create, some means of blackmailing you. How would a video help you?”

“You're acting like I should trust you.”

“I have tripled my family's wealth through trust. My reputation as an honest man made me who I am, and people know this. That's why they come to me. I do my best to be fair and aboveboard with everyone, only bankrupting those who would have backstabbed me if they'd been given the chance. All this time, I have been trying to figure what your motives are, and I believe I have the answer. You want to remain invisible to the public eye, yet you have been generously giving Shawn your voice for a fraction of it's worth. You do not want to be idolized or showered with more money than you'd know what to do with, so what would you stand to gain from us? Nothing, so Neil need not worry that you would begin making extravagant demands. Therefore, you are no threat and Neil has no need to force you into a contract. You wish to keep your freedom to come and go as you will, and I respect that; I believe Shawn has also been doing so for quite some time. Neil has no need or right to force you to do anything against your will, so I will put a stop to this 'contract' business immediately. I asked about the video out of curiosity, nothing more.”

Indigo locked eyes with him coolly. “Prove it.”

“I beg your pardon?”

She rolled the pen across the desk to him, then stood to leave. “Make Neil sign an agreement, which you will write while I'm working with Shawn, forcing him to leave me alone. Then maybe I'll tell you why I'm doing the video.”

“That's quite an demand.”

“A small price to pay if I'm going to keep working here-- what was my voice worth again? Besides, you promised. I talk to you for as long as you need me to, and you'll give me a paper with your signature, which will order whomever I wish to leave me alone until further notice; that was the deal, right? Thought so. You've gotten what you wanted; you now know what my ambitions are, or the lack thereof.
However, if Neil is the only one I need to worry about, it's his signature I need, not yours. I'd rather he lock himself into a contract of his own, just to see how he likes it.”

Blackwell decided to humor her. “And what shall the consequence be if he breaks it?”

“Get Shawn a new agent. That's all Neil cares about-- his job security. That's why he wants to make me stay by signing something. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“I didn't know Shawn could throw a party together this quickly.” Indigo remarked.
Blackwell had escorted Indigo back to Shawn's studio as the two hammered out a few of the finer details to be included in the contract. Outside of the recording studio was a sitting room, in which anyone not directly involved in the recording process had to wait. Shawn had re-furnished the office-like waiting room to house a plasma screen which covered most of the far wall. Huge speakers stood on either side, and several game consoles graced the shelves of the wide entertainment center beneath it. Blackwell opened the door for her, but she didn't enter. Music bounced out, carrying the laughter of the three into the hall. She covered her smile with her left hand and placed her right on her hip. Blackwell leaned towards her to glace around the door.

[lien=Stamp on the Ground]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQnDRBrU7Mk[/lien]

Shawn had a two-player Dance Dance Revolution platform set up in front of the alter of gaming consoles; he was clapping, laughing and cheering Molly and Jason on. Jason was doing surprising well for someone who had never played before, and Molly did her best, which wasn't too bad for a six-year-old.

What surprised Indigo and Blackwell the most, however, was the fact that there were at least a dozen young adults all talking and laughing or dancing to the beat. Most of them had been raiding the vending machines, as evidenced by wrappers and empty cans that lay scattered upon almost every flat surface in sight.

Jason and Molly finished the song with 69% accuracy. They bowed to the applause of the audience before hopping down to give someone else a turn. Jason caught the attention of Shawn and the guy in the bear suit, then pointed to the other two. The four made their way over.

“I don't remember putting a DDR platform in, nor do I recall approving it.” Blackwell stated, giving Shawn a reproachful look. Shawn grinned sheepishly. “Neil didn't know about it either. Still doesn't. I bought it brand-new off of one of my friends for dirt cheap. I forgot about it until they tracked me down and delivered it here, which was right after you guys left.”
“And who are all these people?” Indigo inquired next.
“Oh, them?” Shawn looked over his shoulder at the small crowd. “Everybody needs a break once in a while, right? These are all the other recording artists and stuff, as well as a couple of pencil-pushers who were working themselves sick for Neil. I invited them to test out the DDR machine. It's only a half-hour break, might as well have some fun,” he turned and raised a soda can to the crowd. “Right, guys?”
They responded with a cheer. “Thanks, Shawn!” somebody yelled.
“Yeah, no problem!” Shawn called back, and bent down to lift Molly onto his shoulders. “So... I guess you two were working out one of those be one of those “I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you” deals, huh?”
Indigo rapped her knuckles on his forehead sharply, causing him to wince. “You are such a drama queen.” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
He pointed at himself innocently. “Who, me?”
“No. Your mother. She must've taught you how to get away with it.”



And so they kissed and made up and were thankful that they had each other and defeated alla bad guys and it was kinda awesome.

The End.




I dropped my Kindle on the table, leaned back and let out an exasperated sigh. “Writing is so boring!” I moaned.
As a matter of fact, writing wasn't really boring. It was trying to figure out what I should do next that was frustrating me. At the start, I had been throwing random crazy events left and right, having random characters pop up in random places as well. The idea was to leave room for anyone to join without tying them down in a specific world; fantasy, science fiction, modern times, ect. So I threw them all together and came up with a plausible explanation at a later date. That way anyone could be any character they wanted; a fairy, a cyborg, an alien, a regular human, a magical warrior, whatever!
Nobody spoke up, though. Maybe I intimidated them? I suck at roleplay, but I love to write, so... yeah.
At any rate, I was all by myself. That wasn't a problem, though; I had anticipated it because I suck at any social interaction whatsoever, and it seems that I naturally repel people.
All the same, I knew that somebody would read it sometime, and I vowed that I would not just give up and leave them hanging just because I lost interest-- by George, I would finish this story!

However, I had run into a slight setback: all of the random events had to be tied together into some kind of a story. Who is the villain? Will there be a betrayal? If so, who is the traitor? Do I need to create one? Why is what's-her-face the main character? Will she change at all? If so, for better or for worse? What is her real name? Is SHE the villain?! If so, will she be saved from herself or will she kill everybody in sight? Will she be subtle and systematic or will she snap mentally/emotionally and go physically berserk?
What about Quinn? Where are his superiors and what are they doing now that he's AWOL?
Who are these new people, these Mist users? What is this Mist, anyway? How are their powers similar, yet different? Are they just different skills that they can all learn with the same power?
What was Zack about to tell them?
What happened to that alien probe?
Who the hell is Ninja, anyway?!

“What's up?” my sister asked, picking up the Kindle.
“Writing. It's so boring,” I replied, massaging my eyes. “I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do next. I don't even wanna do it anymore. I almost gave up twice before, but I have to keep going until this stupid writer's block lets up. I promised.”
My sister sat down and began typing.
I lifted my head so that I could see better. “What're you doing..?”
And
so
they
kissed|...

I busted a gut laughing right there, so I'm going to be lazy and submit as is. XD

“Most moms have kids, but not mine. My mom gave birth to a legend.”
“Shawn, that is possibly the most arrogant statement I have heard in my life.” Indigo declared.

Shawn grinned. “Hey, Jason, grab me one of those frozen lemonades, will ya?”
He didn't answer. Indigo waved a hand in front of his face. “Helloooo...?”
Jason shook his head. “Sorry, what time is it?”
“Say what?”
Blackwell glanced at his gold wristwatch. “It's a quarter to twelve.” he answered. “Why?”
Jason headed for the door. “I gotta meet someone at the Fountain of Youth at noon, that's why. Thanks, hello and goodbye people!”
“You'd better not be planning to come back if you quit like this,” Indigo called after him.
“You're gonna want to come too, Indy!” he said as he pushed the door open.
“WHAT did you just call me?!” Indigo exploded, her voice practically squeaking in indignation. Jason took one look at her face and broke into a dead run. “Nobody calls me that and lives to tell about it!” she shouted, chasing after him. “Get back here and face me like a man! JAAAAAAAAAAAASOOOOOONN!!”


Skylar pulled Quinn out of the way as she tore past, leaving quite a bit of wind in her wake.
Shawn busted out laughing. “She looked like she was gonna beat him to death with her bag!” he laughed. “She scared Jason so bad-- did you see his face? Priceless!”
“Aren't you worried?" somebody asked.
Nah,” he replied, squatting to let Molly climb down from his shoulders. “Jason is, like, twice her size. He'll be fine.”
Skylar sighed. “She has quite a temper. Molly, Quinn, we should also take our leave.”
“Already?” Shawn asked.
“Indeed. Time is the one precious thing that cannot be bought, so it's best not to waste it. I've concluded my business at the present moment, and I have other things that require my attention.”
He paused to hold the door for the other two, then added, “Have fun, Shawn, but keep a limit on your playtime. It's like eating an entire bag of candy in one sitting-- after that, it'll never taste quite as good as it did before. All play and no work is worse than all work and no play.”





Jason knew he shouldn't be the least bit intimidated by a girl her size, but her ferocity wasn't something to be trifled with. He made it out of the building and ran two or three blocks before she tackled him, knocking him to the ground. “Ow!”
She whacked him with her purse a couple of times, then stood up and dusted herself off. “There. Was that so hard?”
“Was what so hard?” Jason groaned, rolling over and sitting up. “You smashing my face into the pavement or trying to beat me up with a designer bag?”
“Whichever hurt more.” she said dismissively. “Now, what was so important near the Fountain of Youth?”
Jason was not ready to let the subject drop so quickly. “That freaking hurt!”
“Don't be such a baby.”
“What did I do to deserve it?”
She placed her hands on her hips, glaring down at him. “Indy? Indy? I swear, if that nickname catches on, you're going to find out what agony feels like. Now, who's at the Fountain of Youth?”
Jason rubbed his bruised jaw and sulked. “Justin and his crew, plus those other people. Morgan, Rita, Martin, and those other two whose names I don't remember.”
“What makes you think I want to see them?”
“Didn't you say you wanted answers? That guy who healed Justin probably has them.”
Indigo rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever. But I'm not wearing this ridiculous get-up anywhere outside that building. I'm going to wash this stupid makeup off and then I'm going to hit a thrift shop. Give me some red mushrooms and I'll pay you double later.”
Jason pulled himself to his feet and reached for his wallet, handing her five or six of the desired currency. “I don't understand why you hate looking nice.”
She took the mushrooms, dropped them into her bag for extra weight, and whacked him in the side.
“Ow.”
“Are you implying I look less than fabulous on a regular basis?” she asked.
Obvious trick question is... obvious, Jason thought. "True beauty is that which comes from within, no matter what adorns the exterior. To spend a great amount of time on the trimmings would dim the beauty that shines from within.”
She whacked him again, but not quite as hard as she had the first couple of times. “Good save,” she said with a wink. “and there's your answer. I knew you could do it if your tried reeeeally hard.”
Wow. She got me to answer my own question without really answering it, and managed to patronize me on top of that. Sneaky. Jason knew he would regret it, but said it anyway. “If I didn't know you better, I'd say you actually look pretty.”
As he expected, she reached back for maximum momentum and smacked him in the face with her purse. She tossed her hair and slung it over her shoulder again. “Jerk.”
“Tsundere.” he muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“I'm gonna look that up later.”
“If you can spell it. I'm not repeating it.”
She glared at him. “You little rat.”
He grinned back. “Takes one to know one.”
“I guess that would make you an immature, snide, irritating little brat as well.” she paused for a moment, and smirked. “As long as it takes one to know one, that is.”
“Touche.”
She gave him a brisk nod and turned to leave before Jason remembered to ask something. “So which name of yours do I use now?”
“'I' while I'm dressed like this in the studio, 'T' when I'm the regular me.”
Jason opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “And neither when I'm dressed like this in public. Clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Nope.”
“Excellent.”
The girl headed down the street, then stopped, hailed a passing cab and stepped in.
Jason watched the car turn the corner and wondered... was she mentally unstable (which would explain her erratic behavior), or did she enjoy sending conflicting signals to the people around her? It would be just like her to deliberately confuse as every person in sight, playing mind games, while being the only one who could see what was really going on. If she did that to everyone, then nobody ever understood her at all. If she wants to keep herself isolated, she's doing a great job. But if that's true, then she must be the loneliest person in the world. But why? Why run from Justin and not from a dragon? Jason was pretty sure he'd figured it out, but it just seemed so ridiculous to imagine a girl with nerves of steel to be... afraid.
Afraid of making friends.

Has it been a month already? *sighs, shakes head*
Life trumps fiction; I'm sorry.



Skylar led Quinn and Molly back to their car, taking the long way around so as to avoid as many people as possible. He was very quiet and pensive whenever they were alone, but perked up and acted happy when someone else approached them. Quinn wondered what was wrong, and there were several possible explanations, but he decided to ask as soon as they were in the car. Skylar didn't answer at first, and Quinn was afraid he didn't hear the questions.
But then he spoke. “I can't leave Molly with anyone else anymore. I'm a trillionare-- I've funded or accomplished things myself that had been thought to be impossible. If Molly starts talking about an alien, most people will laugh, but there are some who will suspect and investigate. I asked Lisa for help before Molly confirmed that you are alive; I have no idea what I'm going to tell her now. As for that 'Indigo' girl... I can't quite understand her logic. I have never met someone so oxymoronic before in my life. She's cooperative, yet demanding. Talented, but will throw it away at the drop of a hat. Completely straightforward and rational, but would not reveal the logic of the one action I really wanted to understand. She's strong and is not afraid to get in my face, but she wants to be able to escape if things go sour. She's not stupid, but does not act or choose her words wisely...”
Skylar pressed his fingertips to his temples. “She... whether or not she likes it, she is the center of attention wherever she goes. That's all there is to it. She is not my problem any longer. Molly, on the other hand, is... and so are you.”
Quinn pointed at himself.
“Yes, you. We need to have a decent conversation as soon as possible, now that I am capable of reading what you type.”
Quinn supposed that he was right, but still didn't know what to tell him. After all, it's a little tough to explain the workings of your world to an alien. After all, humans were as alien to Quinn as Quinn was to them. The only difference was that Quinn understood almost everything on the surface, and was merely curious about the deeper meanings, the inner workings of their thought patterns, the stories behind the scenes... Skylar knew nothing about Quinn, or the society from which he had come. Quinn imagined the inverted situation. What would a human do if it appeared in the middle of an alien colony ship? What could they do? What could they say? How would they explain to an alien who befriended them, hiding them from the others?

How does one begin to explain their previous life to an alien who has never left their own world?




Indigo exhaled in relief, sinking into the seat of the taxi. Safe from curious eyes. Honestly, why did Shawn insist on dressing her up like a doll?
She had never been so happy to see a thrift shop in her life. She paid the driver happily and told him to keep the change, jumping out of the car while grinning like a fool.
She sashayed inside, completely beside herself. She turned around a few time, scoping the place out, deciding where to go first. She saw a rack of casual pants and tops and practically sprinted for them. She reached for a pair of jeans, paused, chose a blouse to compare to it, then was about to reach for something else before she stopped to shake her head. No, I don't have time to browse and put together the perfect outfit. I need to just grab something decent and go meet the others.
With a small sigh, she collected a normal pair of dark jeans, a plain blue shirt, and a small gray jacket with a hood. Now to ditch these high heels...



Jason was practically asleep on the public bench, several feet away from the Fountain of Youth. It had nothing to do with youth, but a spell had been cast over the water by a powerful mage long ago. By looking deep into the water, your tension eased, your muscles relaxed, and your mind began to recall soothing images, such as calm water or a serene meadow, or pleasant memories. No matter how distressed or emotionally strained the individual, looking into the water washed all the negativity of the mind away and replaced it with a calm peace.

The effects were temporary. The longer you sat there, the longer its tranquil effect would last. An optimistic person could be relaxed for days, while someone with a high temper in a stressful environment would only feel placid for several hours, if they were lucky.

Also, this water was never-ending. Several gallons were removed to be supplied to the most important hospitals, and to run in little fountains of their own. The water's magical qualities would fade over time, and in about a month or so it would cease to calm adults; it helped children gently sleep until the medications kicked in.
When the magical water was removed, the water level in the fountain dipped lower, but mysteriously rose of its own accord until the fountain was full again. The blue, crystal clear water was never contaminated with impurities; once objects (such as a person and/or or their belongings) were removed, any foreign substances (such as dirt, leaves, germs, ect) completely dissolved, rose to the surface, and evaporated.

Drinking this water was forbidden, because it would make the consumer violently sick as their body rejected the water, and inflicted upon the mind the worst memories that anyone had ever carried to the water to be forgotten, even temporarily. Horrible madness would seize the unfortunate soul as they writhed on the ground, attacked by terrifying images and sounds within their mind and convulsions of the body, screaming from the pain and in panic. These attacks only lasted for a few minutes and the victim would forget all the images and sounds, but the memory of the pain kept them from trying it again. The water also ceased to affect them, forcing them to search for other ways to escape their problems.



Jason had taken a quick look at the huge fountain, but looked away after a few seconds. That would last for about half an hour, if he remembered right.
He glanced at the small crowd of sightseers clustered around the Fountain. Specific times for tourists, and people who actually needed to look at the water, had long been established, so that the fountain would not be constantly crowded. The Fountain's magical water danced and splashed sweetly in the carved marble. It was truly a work of art, shining and sparkling in the sunlight at all times of day, thanks to the mirrors which were mounted on the buildings around it; each mirror's angle was carefully calculated to redirect the sunlight whilst prominently displaying the talent of the creators of each structure, each artist's eye which designed the skyscrapers so that the mirrors seemed to belong exactly where they were. The entire outside of each would look odd, no matter what you replaced the mirror with, if you tried to remove it at all.

Jason shifted to a more comfortable position, wondering where everyone was. Didn't they say to meet here around noon? Well, no matter. It was only 12:20. It wasn't like getting here on time was a matter of life and death. They were probably delayed. As for Tiana, girls generally take forever to chose their clothing.
Jason sighed and rested his head on the arm of the bench. This might take a while.

“Jason.”
Jason mumbled something incoherent from the darkness of sleep, telling the intruder to go away.
“Jason.”
He mumbled again, louder, chasing after the darkness as it retreated from the light beyond his eyelids.
Justin didn't say anything more, just tipped the bench over. Jason landed on his face.
“Ow.”
“Perhaps you could now see fit to acknowledge me.” Despite the phrasing, it wasn't a question.
“Hello, Justin.”
“Good afternoon.”
“Where's Tiana?”
“Who?”
“Vivian.”
“I believe you were told that she abandoned ship.”
“Well, I found her. She looked like a mess, but she's fine now. Had a freelancing job to go to and everything, she just needed to find her feet.”
“How did you find her?” Evan asked.
“Bumped into her. Literally. I think she caught a ride with some Flyers.” he explained, glancing at the Fountain. Tim, Matt, Dylan and some others were staring curiously at it while Ninja examined the historical plaque silently over Brice's shoulder. “You guys can take a quick look at that if you want, but loitering isn't allowed.” Jason called. Matt made the OK sign-- which is to say, 'Message received'.
Brice stepped back and bumped into Ninja, who was as solid as a rock. Brice leaped away in surprise at his appearance. Indignant at the fact that Ninja 'sneaked up' on him, he opened his mouth; his personal embarrassment at the fact that he hadn't noticed it rendered him speechless. Ninja merely stepped closer to the plaque, ignoring his shocked expression.
“So... what's Brice doing here?”
Justin watched him stalk away from the plaque. “He said he needed to see someone, and asked if he could travel in with us.”
“You let him?”
“I saw no reason not to.”
Jason shrugged, then massaged his nose. “Man. That's the second time today that my face has taken a hit.”
“Second?”
“Yup. Tiana can really swing a bag. She'll be here soon.”
Justin seemed taken aback. “Really? Why?”
Jason sat Indian-style on the ground and gestured to the bench. “You might as well sit down. She still wants to get some answers from that guy” he indicated Ninja with his eyes, “and secretly, I think she's worried about Zack and Logan.”
Justin's expression was unreadable. Avery came over and leaned against him. “You should really take a look at that water,” he murmured. “It'll be good for you...” Avery sort of floated away, walking on air with a ridiculous smile all over his face. Jason shrugged again and explained the magical qualities of the water. “It wouldn't hurt to take a quick look. It wears off pretty quickly if you only see it for a second or two.”
Justin nodded once, and moved off with the words: “Perhaps a mutual acquaintance of ours would benefit more from a 'quick look' than either of us.”
“Ain't that the truth,” Jason said with a wistful smile.

“'Ain't' isn't a legitimate word, and that's the truth,” Tiana corrected as she approached him from behind. “What truth are you referring to?”

Love how you still do this for us. Keep up the great work

You're welcome. And thanks for the boost. Here is your reward-- due to renewed effort thanks to the encouragement.


“Well?” Tiana demanded. Jason's head dropped back to look up at her. “Well, what? You caught the last bit of a conversation. Big deal.”
“My asking about the last one was supposed to satisfy my curiosity as well as generate a new topic. You just had to mess it up, didn't you?”
“S'cuse me. The world doesn't revolve around you, or your plans. Deal with it.”
“Sure. And you can deal with me, exploiting the fact that your neck is exposed, right now.”
With those words, her fingers reached around his neck and squeezed. Jason pulled a turtle reflex, bringing his shoulders up and minimizing neck exposure, pinning her fingers. She responded by wriggling them. “I had no idea you were so susceptible to tickle-torture, Jason.” she said mischievously, digging a little deeper. Jason was silently dying of laughter, a huge grin plastered all over his face like a mask.

A passing child pulled on his mother's sleeve. “Mommy, look! That girl is killing her boyfriend!” His mother was mortified. “Ryan Lamont Terrence!” she whispered fiercely; the fact that she used his full name was enough to let him know he was in big trouble.

As for Tiana, she froze for a moment, then yanked her hands away. Jason landed on his back, laughing helplessly.
She planted her hands on her hips and gave Ryan a death glare. “Kid, do you wanna be next? The thought of being his girlfriend is repulsive and insulting. Tell me, have you ever been tickled so hard you want to throw up? No? Then I suggest you listen to your mother before I come after you. Capisci?”
The child's eyes widened as his mother dragged him away and into a building.

Jason stood and massaged the red fingerprints on his neck with a crooked smirk. “D'you have to make a scene everywhere you go?”
“D'you have to keep asking stupid questions?” she retorted.
A little surprised at her testy reply, and a little more because he had subconsciously expected it, he decided to treat her to her own medicine. After all, he had more right to lash out at her than she at him. “D'you have to keep evading them?” he shot back.

“D'you actually have to ask that one to know the answer?”

“D'you have to be so difficult?”

“D'you have to treat me like a child?”

“D'you have to act like one?”

“D'you have to have everything explained to you?”

“D'you have to send conflicting signals to everyone?”

“D'you not understand that there is always a method to my madness?”

“No, I got that. I've been asking you what your methods are!”

“Methods? It's more like a way of life, and it's a freaking hateful life at that. Why the hell would you want to know about it?”

“Then why the hell are you so comfortable with this, quote, 'Hateful life'??”

Tiana began enunciating very loudly, and very slowly. “Do you not understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? There is always a method to my madness. If you truly understood why I act the way I do, you probably would too. WHY. THE HELL. Do you still want to know things best left unlearned?”

Jason just stared at her. “How are you like this? You were having fun-- or something pretty darn close –less than two minutes ago!”

“Oh. My. Gosh. You didn't hear a word I said!”

“Yes, I did. Congratulations for overreacting, again. You yelled at the kid, then at me, and you're somehow surprised that I didn't take it sitting down.”

“No wonder you don't have a girlfriend.”

“What does that have to do with anything?!”

“When a girl is angry, you DON'T ASK HER WHY until she's finished having a good sulk before you ask. And for the love of all sanity, you DON'T tell her she's being irrational! Will she take responsibility for her own problems rationally, or blame you irrationally? Hello? BLAME YOU wins hands down!”

“That's a response from a normal girl. I seem you recall you telling me, explicitly, that you aren't normal.”


The others had been watching this argument since the moment it broke out, and now looked and Tiana, who looked like she'd just swallowed a frog. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply three or four times, the began to speak quietly. “Let's say I strung a man up by his feet to a tree. You just arrived, so you don't have any idea why I have him hanging upside-down. So, you ask me.
I ignore you.
You ask again, louder.
I turn to you and ask you why you want to know.
You say 'because you are curious'.
I say that if you don't go away, you're going to find out the hard way.
You stay. I ask why.
You say, 'Because.'
I threaten you because the veiled threat didn't seem to be getting through to you.
You ask why--”

“Are you going somewhere with this?” Jason interrupted.

Tiana glared at him again. “Do I usually mince words? Shut face, I'm not done yet. You ask why I'm threatening you.
I shout, 'Because I felt like being merciful to you!'
You ask me why I wasn't being merciful to the man hanging in the tree. You see I am angry and you ask why I'm getting red in the face for no reason.
I say 'Because you keep asking stupid questions'.
You reply that I haven't really answered your first one.
I say that telling you why is pointless, because you would come to the same conclusions I did and I didn't feel like wasting time explaining.
You say that I've spent more time talking than if I had just explained everything in the first place.
I say it isn't any of your business.
You say that if I'm lying and the man is guiltless, then it is your business.
At this point I'm ready to throttle you.

What you don't seem to get is that I, once again, always have a method to my madness-- which is to say, it doesn't make sense unless you know the background. I have no intention of enlightening you, but you won't accept that for an answer. You keep saying you want to understand me, but I'm not going to tell you. By observing me thus far, you should already know my behavioral patterns; the two biggest ones being,
I always have a method to my madness.
I'm not going to explain myself to you every time you ask.
Ask a stupid question anyway and I'll ignore you, avoid the question, or if I'm in a bad mood for any reason, I'll go to war with you. So don't ask stupid questions in the first place!
If I make an exception, that is, if I do something nice for you, accept it, appreciate it, and don't question it.”

“And you say I treat you like a kid.”

“What?”

“You expect complete and total cooperation from fully-grown adults for no reason, without question. In your little scenario, I sound like an annoying kid.”

“So you're saying I should just rope you up right away and let you figure it out later.”

“That's not what I'm saying at all!”

“Okay, so if I string you up in a tree for a very good reason and somebody comes along to ask what I'm doing and why, I should tell them everything, no matter how shameful your story is and no matter who is asking. Gotcha. 'Course, depending on the reason, they might drag you into public court to receive your due, rendering whatever less public solution I had useless.”

“You could try saying that.”

“And raise your curiosity and/or suspicion further. Genius.”

“This is the part I don't get. In the end, you were trying to help someone--”

“By stringing him upside-down in a tree...”

“And you've made it clear you don't care about anyone but yourself!”

“I fix stuff that annoys me. If this guy makes a habit out of screwing around with other people's lives for fun, it ticks me off, so I'll fix it my own way. Helping others isn't really high on my list of priorities, I do what I do because I want to. Also, resolving it in private makes him think he's still safe from everyone but me, and the fear that I might come back and out him terrifies him into good behavior.”

“So you get a power kick out of holding somebody’s fate in your hands, power that could break them. The fact that this power makes other people's lives easier is an irrelevant coincidence. I guess that makes you power-hungry as well as selfish.”

“And you're slow, annoying and boring. I tried to make it as realistic as possible.”

“Why, you--”

“Is there a problem here?”

Everyone turned to look at the uniformed man who had just spoken. “And you are here because?” Tiana asked, staring at him icily.

“I'm here because a citizen reported a disturbance of the peace. Find a less public place to argue with your--”

“Refer to him as my boyfriend and I'll kick your ass.” Tiana snapped. “He's an insensitive jerk.”

“I'm insensitive?” Jason said incredulously.

“And irritating.”

“Enough of that,” the officer said. “Or I'll report you for-- ”


And then the disaster struck.