The Magic of Music [Raesha + Malice]

[Raesha]

Saya led Juniper up another set of stairs, and through yet another doorway, into the living room of their crew's apartment. Inside, there were hints of music everywhere. An array of instruments - violins, guitars, saxophones and a few others - were lined up along the far wall, next to the television, and a piano sat against the adjacent one. The bookcase next to the piano was lined with books about music; there were a number of biographies about musicians, as well as instruction manuals, and compilations of sheet music. Posters and paintings of musicians and bands lined the bare spaces on the walls. Most of their spare money had gone into purchasing all of their contraband; their furniture and fixtures could use some upgrades, but Saya couldn't resist a good deal on music-related merchandise. She paused in the entryway to set her hoodie and violin case down, before continuing down the hall.

Saya gave Juniper a small chuckle. "Don't worry, that's what most people say about Reeves. Even Jess was a little overwhelmed by him at first," she said, smiling at the memory as she made her way down the hallway. The paint was peeling a little, and the floor tiles were chipped, but it was home to her. She walked past a few doors, stopping at the third one on the right. It wasn't a huge apartment, but there were enough rooms for most of them to stay in the same building as the bar, and they always kept one open in case of emergencies.

She opened the door for Juniper, stepping out of the way to let her in. "Well, I hope you have good dreams, then, whatever the case," she said, offering Juniper an encouraging smile. "It's a pleasure. It always makes me happy when someone appreciates music. We're opening in about an hour, so if you need anything, I'll be downstairs behind the bar. Jess is off tonight, so she'll probably be around here."

 

[malice]

Juniper followed her into the apartment, taking in the sight with wide eyes. Her gaze moved carefully to each instrument, and despite herself, she wondered what it would feel like to play one. She ran her fingers over the piano and quickly glanced at the books in the shelves, a smiling staying on her face. When Saya opened another door, she peered inside and stepped in, then turned to face the girl.

"Will do, thanks again," she said, overwhelmed with the desire to rummage through the books and absorb all that she could.

Once she was alone, she stripped off her clothes and laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep came off and on, but for the most part, she found she couldn't keep her eyes closed long enough to dream. Finally, she stood up, her mind in a fog, and dressed. Unable to resist anymore, she walked barefoot into the living room to open and close books, without being able to understand any of the content. Frustrated, she grabbed the simplest one she could find and sat on the couch to read it.

Eventually, with the book in her hand, sleep came, heavy and welcome. Her dreams were strange, but not altogether bad, and when she woke, she felt well rested. Sitting up on the couch, she stretched her arms forward and rolled her neck, struggling to collect her thoughts and remember where she was.

 

[Raesha]

After leaving Juniper, Saya went down to the bar to do stock take with Reeves. Saya counted her share of the alcohol in relative silence, while Reeves chattered on about everything and nothing in particular. From Juniper to the price of their Tequila to how much Reeves had managed to piss off the cops that day without getting arrested. Saya had just laughed and nodded along as her friend had rambled on. Jess had turned up just before opening, but had just given the two of them a tired smile before heading upstairs.

The bar had been quite busy that night, full of smoke and moving bodies and drinking. Saya wasn't one to drink in excess and party every night, but the bar was like a second home to her. Her regulars joked and laughed with her like close friends, and she knew the layout as well as the back of her hand. Hours later, at around four thirty in the morning, they closed up and Saya and Reeves headed upstairs.

As she entered their apartment, she noticed Juniper lying on the couch, book on her chest. Smiling softly, she grabbed a blanket from one of their cupboards and draped it over her sleeping form. After bidding Reeves goodnight, she changed into a pajama shirt and shorts and headed to bed herself.

When she woke up the next morning, she pulled her hoodie on over her pajamas and headed out to the living room, meeting Jess out in the hallway. "So this is the Juniper Reeves told me about, huh?" Jess remarked as they reached the lounge area.

Saya smiled. "Yes, this is her," she said. "She helped to warn me about some girls that were reporting me."

 

[malice]

Juniper wrapped the blanket – that she knew hadn't been there when she had fallen sleep – around her shoulders and pulled her shoulders to her chest. Piecing together memories from the day before left her with a lopsided smile on her face. It wasn't a dream, she thought. She truly had walked through a portal into an entirely different universe.

When Saya and Jess came in, she grinned at them, "Saya – Strings? – here did the rest though, and I'm sure she would have been just fine without me. I'm the lucky one in this whole situation; I got to come here."

Using a considerable amount of self control, she refrained from blurting out that she wanted to be a part. A sense of embarrassment had woken up with her. Feeling like a child in a new place kept her from eagerly raising her hand and volunteering to run amok with them. Instead, she contained her excitement and cleared her throat awkwardly, looking at Saya, "Is there anything I can help with today?"

Though a little over eager, she was also still nervous – her tendency to muck things up surely had not gone away overnight.

 

[Raesha]

Jess' eyebrows shot up as she looked back at Saya. "On a first name basis already, are you?" She asked, voice slightly teasing, and then giggled. "Humble, though. I like it. Nothing like Reeves."

Saya snorted, turning and moving into their kitchen, which was only separated from the rest of the room by a small island counter. "And you can blame him for blurting my name out in front of her," she said as she gathered things to make breakfast. Glancing over her shoulder at Juniper, she hummed. "We usually lay low for a day or so after a job, even a small one. The cops will be on alert for us, so if one of them recognized us somehow, it'd be a problem." She paused for a moment, thinking, and then added, "But you can help me with breakfast, if you want."

She then turned back to the fridge, thinking about what would be best to make. Fried eggs would be the easiest, but omelettes might make a nice change, especially since Juniper was there. Saya always tried to treat guests well.

Grinning, Jess took a seat at the kitchen island. "Saya always makes us all breakfast the day after a job," she told Juniper. "And she's the best cook here, so her breakfasts are one of my favourite parts of getting a job done right. You're in for a real treat."