Camp Dave, Thursday Midmorning

[swerval_zero]

Zero had had a long night. She'd spent over an hour in a cage trying to convince some people she wasn't really a fairy, despite the purple hair and flowers, then gone to an African dance workshop before watching movies 'til dawn. Then, there had been pancakes. God, goddess, or whatever they preferred love the pancake people.

Now, she was unwinding with a cup of chai from the Cafe and watching the bustle at the center of the city as workers hastened to rebuild the Man. The open notebook and acoustic guitar next to her on the beach towel indicated songwriting in progress, except for the part where progress didn't seem to be getting made. Doodles of spiders, fairies, and men made of leaves filled the page instead.

Life was good.

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Hopefully someone else got it. Or you can always interview the guy at the clinic, afterward." Parker sat down on the edge of the fountain, and watched the flowers spray water in random directions from watering-can funnels. A maitre'd in full black tie and Hawaiian shorts offered her a towel, but she just pointed to Zero, then cocked her head at the musicians. "Hunh. You're right, they're really good."

[swerval_zero]

Zero finished rinsing her hands and took the towel from the maitre'd. "It wasn't until later, when I was washing the blood off my hands, that I even knew he was dead," she intoned, and the maitre'd's eyes popped. "Performance art," Zero said glibly, and he relaxed visibly.

As she made to hand the pink-tinged towel back, he said quickly, "Keep it."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker cackled, and then sang under her breath, "He had it coming, he only had himself to blame... Reminds me, I got the *weirdest* phone message from someone this week..." She paused, distracted by the stage. "Hunh. That sounds familiar."

[swerval_zero]

"It really does," Zero agreed, turning toward the stage. "Maybe it--" she stopped midsentence just as the lead guitarist struck a bad mischord. "RAT??"

"ZERO??"

Rat scrambled down from the stage as Zero rushed toward him. "You were in LA! I drove you there!"

"You were in London! I took you to the airport!"

And then, in chorus, "What are you doing here?"

There was a long moment of silence between the siblings, then Zero said, "Mum must never know."

"Agreed."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, Parker cackled like a fiend in the background, holding her stomach and trying to catch her breath.

[swerval_zero]

Rat shot a look at Parker, then went on, "She'd only be jealous."

That was about when Zero socked him in the arm. "You didn't tell me you had a new band! And you didn't tell me you were coming to Burning Man. What else haven't you told me, huh? Huh? Got a wife around here somewhere?" She smacked him with her open hand this time.

"Hey, no violence on the--"

Zero rounded on the hapless maitre'd. "He's my brother."

"Oh. Smack away."

Rat flung up his hands in his own defense. "We just sorta got together after we all got here."

Zero deflated a little. "Oh. You're really good."

Rat grinned. "Thanks. Hey, Parker."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Rat," Parker said cheerfully. "Great band. Great outfit. Spygirl around? I hear I should shop with her."

[swerval_zero]

Rat shrugged. "Jane--" he manfully ignored Zero's muttered, "If that is her real name--" and tried again. "Jane couldn't make it. Maybe next year." Then he turned back to Zero. "Right. I didn't see you, you didn't see me?"

"Agreed," Zero said. "If I can stay for the rest of the set."

"Deal." They shook on it.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker grinned and asked the maitre'd, "Could we have two lemonades, and some little flags to wave?"

"Of course, madam."

"I love this place."

[swerval_zero]

"Told you," Zero said smugly, just before she threw up the fist of rock and yelled, "Woooo, Rat!" as her brother climbed back onstage.

"Sorry about that, guys," he said into the microphone. "My little sister's in the audience. Uh. Don't tell our mom." On a three-count, the band launched into "Cuddlebug."