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Post by Doctor Nanjo M.D. on Sept 6, 2023 0:53:59 GMT
[Chapter 1 - Requested by Decker]
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 6, 2023 1:29:09 GMT
In the sitting room, some time after everyone had spilt off to do their own stuff...
Decker is sitting on one of the couches, apparently doing maintenance work on his skateboard. A small bag sits next to him, a piece of duct tape stuck to one side. Written with a black permanent marker on the duct tape were the words, 'Skateboard Maintenance Kit'.
The young man was wiping away at the grip tape with a grip gum. He paused to inspects the board for a brief moment before continuing to wipe away on the grip tape.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 6, 2023 2:15:25 GMT
Lyric exited from her bedroom, dressed in a more comfortable casual outfit, of course carrying their guitar as if her life depended on it remaining close to her at all times. They clapped their hands and addressed the man as she moved to sit down in a chair near him.
"Ah! Well if it isn't Decker! Hello. Working on your board there? Can't say I know too much about them."
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 6, 2023 3:38:12 GMT
Decker looks up once he heard his name being called.
"Oh, hi there, Lyric!" Decker greets the guitarist with a nod of his head. "Yeah, I'm doing maintenance work on my board. I figured that since we'll be here for a while, I thought that I should take care of my board to make sure it's in tip top shape."
He glances around the sitting room to make sure they're the only ones in here. Once it was confirmed that they're still alone. The young man leans in to whisper.
"Can you imagine what kinda tricks people might be planning if they get their fingers on my board? ...I don't want to think about it, to be frank." He then pulls away from Lyric and started wiping the grip gum over the grip tape. He then puts the grip gum away in the bag before pulling out a skate wrench.
Decker started tightening the bolt on one of the four wheels and testing to make sure the wheel spins just fine.. He paused to take a break before looking to Lyric.
"Lyric... What an unusual name. I'll admit that I don't know anyone with that name before we met," Decker mused. "Must've been one of those rare names... What's the deal with the name, though?"
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 6, 2023 14:11:57 GMT
Lyric matches Decker's lowered volume, "Hm, the only trick I can imagine someone doing with that board is a kick . . . flip?" They grin sheepishly, noting the sketchy landing of that joke before continuing, "Though I think if it's your most prized possession, that's reason enough to be protective of it. Seems like it runs deeper for you, but I'm not gonna pry . . . not yet, anyway."
Whilst Decker resumes work on his board, Lyric idly scans the room. The scoreboard on the TV catches her eye, reminding her of the map. "Speaking of tricks, it seems they were nice enough to let us get outside. We won't be short on fresh air and sunshine, and you won't be short on space to skate. You must be happy about that."
And then he asks about her name, causing Lyric to smile and clasp her hands together. "Mhm! I could say the same about Decker! Yours isn't exactly a name I hear a lot either, and seems rather fitting to uh, what your apparent passion ended up being. But I don't mean to deflect. To tell the truth, I never really asked my parents why they picked that name for me. It being a name that fits me brings me comfort, sure, but as far as I'm concerned, having a 'rare name' just means I'm unlikely to be confused with someone else."
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 6, 2023 16:41:01 GMT
Decker nods in agreement with Lyric about their names. "That makes sense. I suppose it's like you said; that my name helps makes me stands out from my siblings. That and my name being a 'rare name'. I... think I could say the same about some of the other folks' names." He glances around the room before checking the wheel that he was tightening.
Once the young man was satisfied with how he wanted the wheel spin, he moved onto the next wheel.
"And it was nice of uh... Borgota, was it?" He still couldn't get the host's name right, since he thinks it's a alien-sounding name. "He was kind enough to provides us with access to the outside."
He then lets out a exasperated sigh "But what actually piss me off is that he didn't even take in consideration of our needs! Sure, we got plenty of space where I can practice my skate tricks, but... there isn't a single skate ramp or a half pipe skate ramp!"
He looks to Lyric. "Sorry that you have to hear me rant. I suppose that's just part of me being a rebel."
The young man folds his arms to think. "So... Lyric, since I know that you're a guitarist... You uh... play for any band?"
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 6, 2023 20:18:52 GMT
"Yeah . . . I wonder if anyone here isn't using their given name," Lyric ponders, considering some of the stranger ones like 'Jackson Diamond~', 'Anastasio Serpent', and even 'Sara Bella', which while sounding like a real name, seems pretty close to either a pun on a part of the brain, or a play on a popular brand of trading cards.
She simply nodded along as Decker ranted about the lack of trickable objects. "Maybe, given time, we can find the materials to build something . . . ?" they suggest.
To decker's last question, Lyric chuckles and replies, "Nah, it's just a long-standing hobby of mine. I haven't tried to be in a band . . . yet. Maybe someday I'll give it a shot."
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 6, 2023 22:35:38 GMT
Decker was taken aback by the revelation that Lyric wasn't part of any band.
"Oh... I assumed that you'd be part of a band." The young man scratch the back of his head with a free hand. "To be fair, I was hoping to start a rock band... Though, it might be a while before I can even put together a rock band."
"And hopefully, over time, we might be able to gather all the supplies needed to build a skate ramp..." He seems lost in thought for a moment. "I hope we can get a chance to build a skate ramp before the 100 days is over."
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 6, 2023 23:01:16 GMT
"Hey, y'know, we have three quarters of a band already when you think about it: you, the bassist; me, the guitarist and one singer; Dae, another singer . . . all we need is someone who's competent on drums and we have a full typical rock band lineup! Would be a nice bonus if someone here secretly knew how to tickle the ivories--that is, play piano or keyboard, in case you didn't know," Lyric explains, the gears clearly turning in her head.
"Let's do what we can to make your dream a reality!" Lyric recites one of her catchphrases regarding the skate ramp, "I'm excited to see your skills."
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 7, 2023 1:00:55 GMT
"Heck yeah!" Decker declared after hearing Lyric's comment about the skate ramp. He gives her a thumb-up as a mean of approval.
He thought about her idea for the band. "So, if we're to put together a band, we'll need to find someone who is... good at playing the piano, I guess?" He muses on it for a bit. "Even then, we'll need to come up with some song ideas to play when we put on a show for everyone here." He finished tightening the wheel and gave it a good spin.
"Perfect." He remarked as he move onto the next wheel.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 7, 2023 1:27:10 GMT
"The drummer's more important," Lyric clarifies. "Hm . . . I don't wanna stereotype, but Rosemary looks the type to be in a band, or at least want to be. I could be wrong though. Hisoka has those puppets, and while I think he'd get a kick out of slamming them against some drums, something tells me they'd make it difficult for him to hold sticks, let alone actually play competently. Rebecca and Felix are both good with computers, so if nothing else they might be able to program drum loops . . . but I'm really reaching now. Perhaps we could draw up a flyer saying we're looking for one or two more bandmates?"
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 7, 2023 4:58:54 GMT
"Not a bad idea. We could... like... make a couple of flyers and post them in common areas where people are more likely to use. I think I saw some blank papers that we could use." Decker said before he put a hand to his chin. "Now where did I see 'em? Was it the reading nook? Wait, maybe it was the Game Room?"
Upon tightening the third wheel, the young man moves onto to tightening the final wheel.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 7, 2023 13:38:13 GMT
"Well, I recall the weird room at the end of that dark hallway having a stack of printer paper in it, but I'm not sure it's safe to even set foot in that room without some sort of hazmat suit. It's a last resort if nobody lets us have some of their paper, I guess," Lyric states, lamenting that since she writes things down in her phone or on index cards now, she neglected to bring any paper of her own.
"Oh hey, similarly to how you asked if I was in a band, what's your story? Is skateboarding just a hobby for you, or do you do it professionally? Like, go to competitions and stuff? Are you part of a team?"
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 7, 2023 16:35:39 GMT
"Of course, it was that weird room now that you mentioned it. It's really strange that that room was there. No idea what its purpose could be." Decker shrugs his shoulders.
"Huh, you can do skateboarding professionally? I have no idea something like that is possible. Maybe I might ends up like that skateboarder guy... What was his name again...? Tony Hank?" He muses for a bit. "Maybe when I grow out of my 'be a free man' phase, I might take my skateboarding hobby to a professional level."
"Uh, so about that... My skateboarding was actually a hobby to begin with; been skating since I was a kid. See, it was actually my older brothers, Percy and Cole, that got me into skateboarding in the first place." Decker glances around the room before looking to Lyric. "What are the chances that I'd encounter someone who have the same name as one of my old brothers? Well, part of their name, that is." He was of course talking about Cole-Brandon.
He shakes his head.
"Anyway, as I was saying... When my Pop was too busy with his job as a lawyer, my brothers would often takes me to the park. And within that park is a skatepark. The skatepark is where my brothers would hang out with their friends and performs all kind of rad skate tricks! I was fascinated by my brothers' coolest skateboard tricks. I suppose that's when they noticed that I was interested in performing those rad skate tricks. They taught me how to ride the skateboard. At first, it was hard, as I wiped out the first time I steps onto the board. Over time, I was able to get the hang of riding the skateboard. After that, they taught me a couple of skate tricks."
He seems to be feeling nostalgia, wishing he could go back to that time.
"When I turned ten, I got my very first skateboard. Can you imagine my excitement? As this means I won't have to borrow one of my brothers' skateboards to performs tricks."
"Gosh, talking about my past surely made it feels like it was only... tomorrow?" Yesterday, actually.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 8, 2023 0:36:00 GMT
Lyric nods silently along as Decker spills out a lot of information about his history with skateboarding. As he finishes, Lyric is wide-eyed, then closes her eyes in thought. This is the exact kind of stuff Lyric loves to hear. They're just not used to getting it so . . . easily?
"Wow, it sounds like you have had a really good relationship with your two brothers and, presumably, your Pop as well," Lyric finally begins, "But yeah, you even mentioned Tony Hawk--honestly, one of the very few skateboarders I've heard of--and, as I assume for many extreme sports, there's money to be made if you stand out somehow. Would you say you have something that makes you stand out?"
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 8, 2023 2:32:17 GMT
Decker was taken aback by Lyric's question. He haven't really thought about it, honestly.
"Oh geez, that's a tough one to answer." The young man scratch at his chin, as he think about his answer. "Comparing myself to the other skateboarders at my hometown's local skatepark... I suppose I could say that I'm the only one out of all skateboarders when it come to... doing tricks and shit, I guess? It's either that or it's my policy that I should remains a free man. I dunno..."
"And... uh... I don't think I told you this, but... In addition to my older brothers, I have a sister. Her name's Melody." He said as he finished tightening the final wheel and gave it a good spin. "Last I checked, she's in 10th grade... Which is middle school, right?"
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 8, 2023 4:43:27 GMT
"Hm, I see. Can you elaborate on the 'free man' part? What does that mean to you?" Lyric asks, "Oh, and I just realized I'm asking a lot of questions of you. That'd be normal for me if this was one of my inspiration sessions, but we're just hanging out. Is there something you'd like to know about me?"
"Ha, 'Melody.' My parents almost called me that, actually. Guess they were dead set on a musical name," Lyric comments with a bit of a chuckle, "And no, I think 10th grade is definitely high school. The second out of four years of American high school, at least."
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 8, 2023 7:19:21 GMT
"Huh, 10th grade is high school?" Decker seems surprised by this. "Been a while since I graduated from high school. Dunno why I confused 10th grade with middle school."
He smiles when Lyric explains how she was almost named Melody. "Ha, it would've been a different story if you were named Melody."
"Uh, so to explain what it means to be a free man... You know the rules that society imposed onto you, yeah? The same can be said for our parents as they expects the best out of ya." He cross his arms and looks like he's deep in thought. "They expects you to follow those rules to fits into today's society. Like... they're trying to shape you into the ideal person; a normal person with a job, a family, and a house." As he talked about the social norms, a visible image of a normal-looking man appears (figuratively) just before he waves it away dismissively, causing the image to disappears quickly.
"A slave to the rules of society... Boring!" Decker snaps his fingers. "My hot take is that they're trying to take away your individuality; make you the most boring person ever. Which is why when I finished high school, I decided that I was tired of following those damn rules and rebel against them. Of course, I didn't break any laws that would've landed me behind bars. Would pretty much make 'being a free man' a moot point. I just want to be myself, not who they wanted me to be."
The young man looks to Lyric. "Gist of it, just be yourself. There can only be one Decker Wolfe, like how there can only be one Lyric Eventide. You get what I'm sayin'?"
And then Lyric brought up how he didn't ask her a question about herself.
"Haha, I suppose I got carried away with talking about myself." He said with a sheepish grin. "Now, what should I ask..."
He muses over it for a bit then realized that he haven't even know Lyric's story yet.
"Hey, what's your story? There got to be a reason why a chick like ya would decide to become a guitarist in the first place." The skateboarder leans back in his seat, skateboard still on his laps.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 8, 2023 15:38:32 GMT
Lyric once again listens closely to Decker's story about what it means to be a free man, smiling more and more as the story goes on. She definitely feels some kinship. Her eyes widened as the image of a 'normal man' was conjured in her mind as well. Did he just . . . ? But of course, the image was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.
"Oh, I absolutely get what you're saying! I feel pretty similar. My parents never cared for change; they were happy to stay in one place; in their comfortable, lower-middle-class lives. They wanted to keep me there, too. But no! I wanted more! Or at least I wanted different," Lyric proclaims with enthusiasm. The defiant glint in Lyric's eye should tell Decker he struck a chord with her just then . . . pun intended.
She realizes after Decker's next question that she kinda just half-answered it already, "I've tried lots of hobbies, moved on from many of them. Music has always kinda stuck with me. We still don't know why, but something about music has the power to change or amplify emotions. It works out surprisingly well with what I've decided to do with my life: inspire change, just like how it came naturally to me."
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 11, 2023 15:59:56 GMT
"Huh... You see music as a way of inspiring change. That makes sense." Decker remarked. He doesn't get it at all. "Was hoping the reason would've been 'music teacher inspired you' or 'a guitarist from a band inspired you. (would've been awesome)' But I suppose the reason you gave seems pretty valid."
"Yeah, if I have known what it's like to be a free man back then... then maybe... I could've talked both Percy and Cole outta working at my Pop's law firm." He mused somberly. "After they started working there, they just... lost interest in skateboarding. Which pretty much left me as the only male in the Wolfe family to truly enjoys skateboarding."
"Say, you've talked about your parents, but said nothing about any siblings whatsoever. I take it that you're an only child in your family?" The skateboarder asked as he scratch his cheek with a finger as a way of thinking.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 11, 2023 19:08:56 GMT
"Well, everyone has their own reasons for being inspired," Lyric agrees, "Indeed, most reasons for doing things are valid."
"Do you think Percy and Cole are unhappy working at your father's law firm?" Lyric asks, putting her hand to her chin in thought, "If you think they were obligated into it, that's something to talk with them about once we get out of here. Everyone has their own roads to follow."
"You would be correct in the assumption that I'm an only child. Good catch," Lyric compliments, curtsying to Decker.
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Sept 17, 2023 20:02:55 GMT
"Aww, an only child? Must've suck to be the only child in your family..." Decker cross his arms in thought. "Having siblings is oh so fun! Just think of all the shenanigans you could get into with your siblings if you have 'em."
He paused for a moment before realizing something.
"Oh, yo! Think we spent enough time chatting and it's about time for us to part ways, yeah?" He puts the wrench in the bag and then zipped the bag up. He finally stands up from the seat.
The skateboarder tucks the bag under one arm and then, using the same arm, he picked up the skateboard.
"Was nice talking to ya! Hope we can hang out some other time, yo!" Decker flash a peace sign with a free hand. He then made his way out of the house, likely to go practice his skate tricks.
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Sept 18, 2023 2:53:22 GMT
"Nice talking to you too. Until next time!" Lyric replies before she begins laying out some index cards on a nearby table and practicing on their guitar.
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