Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ VIVA ❯ Concepts in G# Lydian ( Chapter 14 )

15: Concepts in G# Lydian

Wufei snorted for the third time in thirty seconds as Duo shuffled from one foot to the other, continuously switching as his eyes roved over the dance troupe before them, toes itching to join in the madness. Wufei felt no such compulsion, but he understood, his own hands itching to work with the congas set up in the far corner. They were doing the rumba…Wufei liked Rumba. Liked the way the body mimicked the percussion and the way rhythm seemed to permeate the air, becoming a near-tangible thing that one could breathe in and succumb to. It was music made manifest; manifestation made human, human made as immortal as rhythm.

"So, who's worth our time?"

"Well if you could give me some idea what you want us to perform I could tell you who is good!" Duo hissed scathingly, making it perfectly clear he was getting tired of the secrecy and just wanted to get to work. If Duo was that bad, Wufei didn't want to think about what Hilde and Heero must be like. He was suddenly glad he was not at the rehearsal, though Trowa had assured him the final score was done and that he would begin the sharing.

They had slaved for a week, locking themselves together in a small classroom Une had leant Trowa after he somehow managed to solve the impossible choral assignment that no one had dismantled since Une began working at the school (which no one really knew a date for). Locked together in the quiet, Wufei had come to know Trowa more than he cared to admit, and he had no doubt Trowa knew some things about himself he would rather not know. But they had succeeded in their mission. A score, an act, a routine…all of it would come together to be the greatest performance the Wing College of the Arts had ever known, surpassing even the EO's record-breaking finale of the previous year. There had never been and might never be again a performance like what was about to be.

"They need to be flexible. Troupe dancers more than ballet. I want performers, characters; people with a unique style who can take orders. And I want you to know them backwards so you can make them do what you want them to do…" Wufei watched Duo's face as he explained what was needed, making sure Duo understood, and it was soon clear he did. There was a light in Duo's eyes now as he watched them, watching the way muscle moved beneath skin, the way feet graced over floorboard, and the way the faces stilled or distorted as they were challenged over and over. And then it began. Wufei raised pen to paper and began scribbling the names as they flowed from Duo.

Of course, there were other things written in that particular workbook, from endless sessions with Sally Po and members of the theatre troop she had slaved to put together over the few weeks since they had birthed their rather insane plan. There were notes on stage presence, on numbers, on values and complications. Every small detail was planned and all that remained was to lay it all out; to train their rabbits to do exactly what they wanted, which they would because once a Wing College of the Arts student learnt something they performed it perfectly every time. It was what they were famous for. And when they did…that was when the fun would begin. Of course, at some point he would have to explain to Duo exactly what he and Trowa had really agreed to, and Sally would have to be there…Not that Wufei really minded the prospect of an all-out verbal duel between Duo Maxwell and Sally Po. In fact, he thought it sounded somewhat poetically just. It just couldn't happen for a while yet…

"Hmm…Alex isn't too graceful, but his sense of balance is ridiculously awesome. If you're planning on having anything collapse…which I think you are…you'll need him."

Wufei blinked at Duo and realized he had been grinning ferally at his list of names. He supposed it wasn't so hard to assume he was planning something a little…evil…And Duo was not unfamiliar with those sorts of thoughts, so he would, of course, notice. Still, he couldn't help himself from letting the grin widen a little more as he added Alex's name to the bottom of the list.

"We done?"

"We're done," Duo nodded in agreement, already turning on his heel and headed for Noin's office. Wufei followed quietly, strangely subdued, mind racing over the names once more, trying to fit them to the routine he had in his head. They fit, in an odd way, and he knew Duo could make them not only fit but look as thought they belonged there.

They dropped the list of names off at Noin's office along with a timetable of rehearsal times. All that was left was to wait and see how many of those chosen turned up, not that Wufei thought anyone would pass up the opportunity to be in the EO's final act; the grande finale of the biggest concert for the year.

"Hey, Wufei?"

"Hmmm?" Wufei was still dreaming of his grande plan as they made their way to the cafeteria for lunch.

"Do you know anything about the Viking traditions."

"A little," Wufei replied cautiously, wondering what on earth Duo wanted. This was not a normal topic of conversation for the singer, which was obvious by the way his nose turned up a little more and his eyes scrunched in the corners, as if in dislike.

"I have to do an imitation of a saga…for an exam tomorrow…but I don't know what that means, really. I mean…I know what a saga is, and an imitation…but I don't know anything about…"

Wufei put his arm on Duo's shoulder and smiled in what he hoped was a comforting way. He didn't really have much practice at it. Duo settled a little, the worry subsiding as Wufei nodded and changed direction, heading not for the cafeteria but for Treize's classrooms.

"I know enough for us to get you a good mark."

"Us?" Duo raised a brow and shrugged off the hand on his shoulder. Wufei let it fall, sensing something behind the action other than discomfort.

"Yes, us. The EO usually do their assignments in teams you know."

Duo just smiled faintly and nodded and Wufei knew he was remembering his first 4am wake up call from one Dorothy Catalonia. He wondered idly why Duo hadn't brought it up before and a rather unpleasant thought came to him.

That perhaps Duo didn't trust them. Not that he didn't trust their abilities, but that he didn't trust them in the situation and with the people he had to deal with. Or perhaps he didn't trust those other people with his friends. Whatever the reason, it all amounted to one thing in Wufei's head; the one fear he had seen within Duo.

"This assignment…it's for Dermail, right?"

Duo's back stiffened marginally under the thick winter coat but the braid shifted slightly and Wufei knew Duo had nodded. His own ire rose, rushing through him as he increased their pace, striding now into the theatre building and down the long corridor to the practical room, Duo scuttling at his heels, trying to keep up.

The doors slammed open and Wufei tossed his bag into the desk at the front, completely ignoring the two students at the back of the room who had been practicing a mock sword fight as he grabbed a book off the long bookshelf and tossed it on Treize's desk, dropping himself into to teacher's chair.

Duo entered at a much more sedate pace, gently putting his bag, which Wufei suspected contained several expensive microphones, down in the corner before coming to stand beside Wufei, looking over the other boy's shoulder at the open page.

"What is that?"

Wufei grinned, holding his page and flipping back the cover to show Duo.

"We've been working on play-acting it in theatre with Mr. Kushrenada."

"The Kalevala?"

"The oral traditions of the Finns, compiled and written down at the turn of the twenty-first century. The greatest saga in the world is the tale of Vainamoinen and his magical Kantele."

Duo blinked, having no clue what half the words meant. All that mattered was that Wufei had mentioned saga and greatest in the one sentence. He supposed that meant Wufei knew what he was doing and that his gut had not led him astray; Wufei could indeed help him with the impossible tasks the school's Dean kept handing him.

Wufei just grinned as he went to the wall and pulled down the weirdest looking little instrument Duo had seen in many years. And then the saga began.

*

Dorothy Catalonia was bored. This in itself was something generally avoided, but it was not the only thing to be nervous about. No, Dorothy Catalonia wasn't just bored, she was also fidgeting. She sat at the table by herself, feet tapping absently at the chair across the table, fingers rapping faintly on the hard wood as she glared at the door, food forgotten in front of her, waiting for the door to open and reveal someone she actually wanted to see.

She was completely unaware of the way every table within her direct vicinity was abandoned, people crowding into the far corners, watching her with wary eyes as she stared blankly, dangerously. She was so completely distracted by her boredom she didn't even see Standish as he slunk in through the side door and rushed into the crowd hoping to disappear. Nor did she really see the man who followed.

"Bored, Dorothy?"

Dorothy didn't really hear the voice, continuing to stare at the door, tap her foot and rap her fingers.

"AHEM! DOT!"

Dorothy turned slightly and glared at the person who dared intrude on her inspection of the door that refused to open. Standing before her was none other than Mr. Merquise, the drum lecturer she was sure had been keeping Relena in late for lunch. That he was here meant she had been mistaken and that there was in fact some other reason for Relena's, and everyone else's, absence. It did not help to cool her ardor.

"What?"

Zechs raised a brow, curious as to the girl's obvious anger, and sat down, his own plate of steaming lunch before him. Dorothy watched him with eyes that moved slightly too slow, dimmed from their usual energetic state, but still…aware. Zechs thought it unnerving, as if the girl were sleep walking…

"Something on your mind?"

"Everyone skipped lunch…" Dorothy mumbled, eyes once again sliding to the door. She was surprised to see someone standing in the doorway, hands on hips, eyes devouring the room before settling on Dorothy, the body shrugging and moving to the food stalls. To a particular stall, in fact.

Zech's watched, unsure whether to be amused or nervous, as life began to return to Dorothy, or rather…it seemed to increase within her. The boredom was still there, simmering, the feet were still tapping, the hands still rapping, but they were speeding up, and the way the gaze sharpened on its opponent was somewhat spectacular.

Sally Po dumped a plate of unidentifiable slop on the table and glared at it, very much aware of the cooks watching her from behind their desks, whispering amusedly among themselves.

"You planning on become Duo's rival?" Dorothy asked scathingly, poking her fork at the black mess in the bowl. It shifted about on the plate, refusing to stick to the fork. Zechs blanched, but Dorothy's face split into a grin.

"Me? Never…you maybe," Sally noted dryly, face scrunching as she traded fork for spoon. "Theatre majors need some money. Duo already ate whatever they cooked up in the dance cafeteria…Wufei did the theatre."

"And you're here for the music?" Dorothy raised a brow at the bowl and smirked. "I think Wufei already caught a glance of that this morning…you got the raw deal Sal."

Sally nodded; she had already guessed as much. Dorothy surmised that whatever they needed all that money for was something important. She wondered why they didn't just ask for student donations. It wasn't like nobody had any money…Chang himself could have paid for the entire EO performance with his pocket money! But she understood the need to earn it as a group too.

"So…where is everyone anyhow?"

Dorothy shrugged and Zechs mimicked the movement.

"Huh. I think I know where Relena is…"

Zechs watched as Dorothy's hands finally stilled, eyes finally perfectly, one hundred percent awake as they landed on Sally. He would not have traded places with the theatre major for anything in the world.

"Of course…I can't really leave till this plate is empty…" Sally grinned as Dorothy's eyes narrowed, eyeing the food suspiciously.

Unaware to the three, the entire room held its breath as Dorothy reached out, grabbed the spoon and pulled the plate to her side of the table. Not a soul dared to breathe as the spoon rose over and over and Dorothy's face grew paler and paler. It was not until Sally raced out the door, Dorothy on her heels, the money jar clutched in her hands, leaving Zechs to stare at the empty plate, that the room exhaled and exploded in chatter.

Zechs reached out and ran a finger over the rim of the plate, lifting the scrap of black to his nose and taking a good whiff. It smelt…strange…so he promptly wiped it off on the napkin. He was curious. Not only about what they needed that money for, but the missing members of the EO, and last but certainly not least…why Dorothy had been so bored, and then not so bored when Relena Peacecraft was mentioned. As a relative, this was certainly something he needed to keep a closer eye on.

Bribery was, after all, an important fact of family life.