Unexpected

Yeah I'm still working on "Songs and Poetry", but this plot bunny, more like plot wolf, ambushed me and bullied me into writing this. He even insisted on an appearance in Eri's art.

~***~

Eri leaned back in her seat, tapping her pencil against the edge of the wooden frame, eyes closed tight.

Shiki was depending on her, gosh darn it. She just had to come up with a design. Why couldn't she? Was she having designer's block? But if the thick wad of papers that she had turned back on her notebook was anything to go by, she obviously wasn't going to get anything soon.

Her designs were her dreams.Her thoughts, her feelings. The pencil was her instrument, the object she controlled to send out ideas in a long, wild stream of ambitionsand hopes. As her ideas grew, it shrank, until she had no more use for it and a new device was soon sharpened and manipulated under her hands.

She…didn't like that last analogy. She sounded too much like Joshua, and she barely knew the kid but boy, had she heard of him. Sitting here near 104 was usually what gave her so much inspiration, but now she felt like a piece of her soul was missing, or just blocked off, and her inner eye couldn't see it to draw forth the flowing colors.

Thus, her sketchpad was empty, not a single erase mark across its white surface, not a single grey or black smudge to even hintat the possibility of an idea.

"Sorry, Shiki." She sighed, covering her face. "Looks like we won't be entering that contest."

They had wanted to enter that contest for clothes designing, whomever won would get autographs from the Prince and a mention on his blog, "F Everything", which meant they would not only be famous, but everyone designer in Shibuya would want their talents.

Designer's block had made her lose her vibe; she felt kind of tired and her head hurt.

"Er…" A rough voice grunted.

Eri blinked, turning her head to see Beat looking at her. She hung out with him occasionally, but usually she talked to his little sister, Rhyme, and she wasn't around.

"What's th' matter? You look all…" He flailed his hands, like he was hoping she'd just understand. She couldn't help but smile at his nervous expression. She showed him the sketchpad.

"I can't come up with a good design." She informed him, expecting him to make some awkward excuse and walk away. Instead, he headed over, rubbing his shoulder, moving forward on his skateboard, which rolled along smoothly. He sat down beside her on the bench, kicking his board up expertly to lean it against the frame.

"What kinda design? We talkin' Wild Boar or…" Beat twisted his face into a smirk. "Lapin Angelique?"

Eri couldn't hide her surprise. "You know the designs?" She giggled as he covered his face.

"S-Sorta. Just a little, okay? I'm not no stupid fashion girl or-"

"Stupid fashion girl?" Eri said hotly, standing up. Sometimes boys were so stupid.

Beat stood up, his expression panicked. "Bwaa! I-I didn't mean that, yo! I meant-err-Eri, I'm sorry, didn't mean it!"

She paused, and then sighed, sitting next to him again.

"Well, okay. I'll let it go. In case you're wondering, the theme is punk rock."

"Punk rock?" Beat sounded blank for a moment, which amused Eri to no end, and then he cracked his fists.

"Oh, that. Whatcha say 'bout…chains? Sorta like I got on, but darker, y'know? Try fire too, that'd be cool, something with a dragonish appearance might also 'tract some people or-"

Eri giggled. "Slow down, you have some good ideas! Where'd they come from?" He really did have some good thoughts…

"Jus' thinkin' 'bout what I'd wear, is all, aight?" He looked nervous again, rubbing his shoulder. "Actually, somethin' that looks like a Noise…can I see?"

She smiled, handing him the pencil and the pad, and he got to work sketching a rough but understandable outline of a wolf like creature with strange, banded claws and legs that resembled street graffiti.

Eri made a face as she accepted it back. She could just alter the style a little, but the main thing would still be there.

"This is really good, Beat! Would you mind coming home with me, I've got to get my colors."

"Er, aight, aight, if ya want." He mumbled.

Eri smiled as they headed off down the street. She felt like her inspiration had returned. The colors had resumed their silent dancing inside her mind, behind her closed lids, the shapes now resembling graffiti wolves and flickering flames…

Beat kept looking around nervously the whole time in her room, the pink beanbags and the soft pop music obviously making him uneasy. Eri laughed, encouraging him to relax.

"I ain't nervous, yo!" He countered, jabbing his fist in the air to emphasize his point. He ended up knocking a lamp off the table, and he fell flat on his stomach to catch it before it broke.

"Hee hee, silly." Eri bent down, removing the lamp from his fingers, laughing harder at the faint blush on his features. She paused, looking at him harder.

"Sit still, I'm going to model off of you."

"But-"

"Shh!"

She sketched furiously, almost laughing with glee as the designs began to appear. Chains here, a zipper there, the graffiti wolf as the emblem for the shirt, fire on the pants…

There! The dark clothes matched perfectly, anyone would want to wear this. It would have easily fit in at any expensive clothing store. Now to show Shiki, and Beat would have to try them on of course…

"Would you mind wearing these when Shiki is done?" Eri asked him, smiling softly.

Beat stammered, then eyed the clothes and rubbed his neck.

"Guess so, I mean, those look pretty tight man."

She giggled. "Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without you." He had been her inspiration for everything, after all.

"Nah, you'd get it done…" He mumbled, scuffing the ground.

Eri punched his shoulder affectionately, knowing he'd probably just blush more if she hugged him.

"Come by in a bit, okay?"

~***~

"We won!" Eri exclaimed, squealing with Shiki as they read the letter.

"Tomorrow we get to-"

"Hang out with the Prince and-"

"Fashion designers already asked-"

"EEE!" They screamed, jumping up and down.

Suddenly, Eri blinked, opening the door. "I've got to do something, Shiki!"

"Huh?" She said. But before she could do much else her friend was gone.

Beat was surprised when he opened the door and Eri was there, breathing hard, smiling up at him.

"We won! And all because of your designs!"

"I-It was your design…"

"No, for real, Beat. We couldn't have done it without you." She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, which caused him to panic.

"Bwaa! I-you-"

"Come by whenever, we'll hang out, okay? I might need some more help." She giggled, winking at him, and Beat mumbled something, blushing hard.

Eri turned around, skipping down the steps, still looking to Beat like some sort of Goddess or supermodel on the runway. Even when Shiki had looked like her, she just didn't have that same presence as Eri did, that shine in her eyes…

Beat waved to Eri, who had turned back to do so also, and then closed the door.

"How did this happen, yo?" He asked himself, rubbing his shoulder.

Truth was, he didn't m i n d.

~***~
I had NO IDEA where this came from. It was so bad.

Review and I removed the drifting letters, mostly.