Hello all! This is my published fic. I adore Big-O and have watched it five
times now. I won't bore you with long author's notes. Please enjoy... And if
you hate it, then I probably deserve it. . And I'd also like to thank
Kaeru-chan who's been a great help to me in writing this fanfic. You're the
best dude! n.n
Disclaimers: I do not own Big-O in away. Big is the property of Sunrise, Bandai, and The Cartoon Network.
Piano Plan
Roger Smith was dimly aware of the morning light shinning through the window as he snuggled deeper into his bed. The night before had kept him out late, trying to haggle over the price of a ransom with some kidnappers. The parents of the kidnapped child had insisted he stay until the child was returned. The kidnappers themselves were the sloppy kind, the type to be afraid of. It was uncertain if they would damage the 'goods' or not, so he had been almost as anxious to get the kid back as the parents were. He never let on, of course, that was bad business. Afterward Daustan had come over and they'd spent the wee hours of the night polishing off a few beers. So now he was quiet content to sleep in late on his day off. Surely, it was far too early to be awake. He pulled the covers over his head to block out the sunlight. And just as he had begun to rise from consciousness, he began to drift back to sleep.
The heady fog of sleep had almost completely settled over his brain, once more, leaving him to return to dream land when he heard the sound of a piano playing as loudly and quickly as possible. Roger grumbled, pulling his pillow over his head and clutching it, trying to drive the nerve racking sound out of his head. It was no good, of course. The terrible piano music invaded his mind and refused to him allow to return to sleep. That stupid piano was starting to grate his last nerve.
With another grumble, he rubbed his eyes and pulled back the sheets before getting out of his bed so that he could yell at the android causing such horrible music, the sole intention of doing so to disturb his sleep. "R.DOROTHY!" He slammed open his door. "How many times have I told you not wake me up with your horrible piano playing?"
She continued playing, turning her head to look at him. "Good afternoon Roger. It's 11:30 and your breakfast is getting cold." She ignored his earlier comment as usual and continued playing.
Roger frowned staring at the almost smug android. "Dorothy. I really wish you'd stop making such a racket so early and just ONCE let me sleep in." He sighed, too tired to have enough steam to continue this argument. He turned, heading to the dinning table to eat his breakfast.
But even as he walked away, he'd realized that he'd finally had enough! This was last straw. He thought about tying up the piano again, but no. A promise is a promise. He swore to her he wouldn't do that again and she HAD saved his life. But then a light bulb figuratively went on over his head. Maybe... if he just kept her away from the piano all day... An evil grin, worthy of Beck, spread across his face, a plan starting to form. He would begin his piano plan tomorrow.
***
Dorothy had been living with Roger Smith for some time now. While it wasn't always the simplest life, she'd grown accustomed to it. Of course, Roger didn't make things easier with his constant lying around. But she'd settled into a nice routine. She had her own room where she stayed until morning. She'd get up, dust off whatever was dirty, and help Norman prepare the breakfast. She'd start playing the piano the moment it seemed Roger was not going to get up before his food was completely ruined and all the hard work Norman had put into preparing the meal was for nothing. She got to play the piano every day. Not that she cared. It was just... something to do.
Dorothy sat before her piano, staring over the keys. Yes, playing was just a way to rouse Roger up from sleep, part of her routine. He would them come out of his room with a tired face and shout at her about his sleeping habits and days off. The fact that it gave her a feeling of satisfaction that an android such as herself should not be capable of feeling had absolutely nothing to do with it. She pulled out the sheet music, her favorite rendition. Norman had set out breakfast ten minutes ago. It would be getting cold soon. She raised her hands, ready to begin pounding on the keys.
She'd hardly touched the first note when Roger Smith came out of his door in his usual black pajamas but his hair wasn't disheveled "Why, good morning, Dorothy. That won't be necessary." She started at his smirk, hands falling from the piano keys. As usual, her stone face was unreadable but she almost seemed... disappointed? She looked back at the piano, debating whether or not to play anyway. Inwardly, Roger shook his head. He didn't get up early for anything. So he started to walk to the dinning room and casually called over his shoulder, "Coming to breakfast, Dorothy?"
She glanced at the piano one more time. "In a minute." She shut the piano, gracefully getting up from it and heading towards the dining room. Before exiting completely, she glanced at it one more time with a look almost resembling longing.
***
Breakfast was quiet, overall. Dorothy, sipping her tea, Roger eating his breakfast, though he was incredibly smug all morning. Roger had gotten dressed and then retreated back to his office to finish up some paperwork. Dorothy began her usual household choirs. Every time she passed through the piano room, Roger would come to the door and open it a bit more so he could see outside and watch to make sure she didn't sit down.
After Dorothy had finished sweeping the hall, she went to polish the silver, only to go back through the hall and discover that someone had walked through it with dirty boots. She sighed, getting back out her broom to clean the hall again.
After cleaning the hall for the second time, she headed back into the piano room and sat down on bench. She was reaching for her sheet music when Roger came out of his office. "Ah! Dorothy, there you are. I'm going to run some chores in town. Think you could come along?"
Dorothy turned away from the piano. For some reason she wanted to run her hand along the covered keys. It was an urge she squashed as she got up and stood next to Roger. "Where are we going?"
Roger grinned as he watched her walk away from the piano, staring at it as she moved with the same kind of look she gave the piano after he had tied it up. 'No playing for you today, Dorothy.'
"To third dome. I have some business to conduct." He shrugged, heading to the Griffin, grinning wolfishly. He was just glad some business did come up; meeting with a new client. Dorothy could probably go shopping if she didn't want to stay with him. He didn't care what she did so long as she didn't touch that damn piano.
"All right. Just a minute." She glanced at the piano one last time before falling in line behind Roger on the path to his car. She looked at the piano again. Then it dawned on her to look at a clock, whereupon she realized it was late afternoon. She still hadn't played it yet. She couldn't recall a time when she hadn't played every day since she arrived here.
***
Roger's business had begun almost as soon as he had arrived at the factory. Some workers had gone on strike and while doing so, had been replaced. So Roger went in to negotiate for the workers, trying to convince the foreman that the previous workers were still valued members and deserved some consideration. Dorothy had gone on her own a ways down the street, Roger having informed her that he would be a while. Though, she suspected he didn't want her to have to hear all the shouting that had ensued after the first few minutes with both the worker reps and the foreman being in the same room. She didn't really care who was shouting or why. It wasn't as if she was some delicate thing that would wilt under the screaming. But she left anyway, out to the street where there were a couple shops here and there. She had mostly been looking in the windows, not really paying much attention to anything as she walked.
That's when she noticed the grand piano store at the corner. It was open. She looked in the window display where a beautiful piano sat and she imagined it was most likely as finely as Instro's. Well it couldn't hurt to go inside one store. She found her feet backing up, since she had passed the door to look into the window display. She reached for the door and pulled it open... And the Griffin pulled out on the street just behind her. "Dorothy! Come on. We're leaving."
"How were negotiations?" She opened the car door, looked back at the shop. It didn't matter. It wasn't the same anyway. Besides, she'd never been one to concern herself so much with any one thing. Why was she even dwelling on the small matter of playing a piano anyway?
"Don't ask." Both sides were being stubborn and he wasn't in the mood to talk about it. He put on his sunglasses. He definitely wasn't going to let her into a shop where she could play the piano all day. Not while he was miserable and not while he had spent all this time and planning trying to keep her away from the evil instruments. He decided it was fair trade for all the times that she wouldn't let him sleep in. With that in mind and a stern look on his face, he drove home.
***
When they returned, Dorothy started heading to the piano room. But Roger quickly reminded her that she still had to do laundry. Her only response was a slight narrowing of her eyes. She certainly didn't need help remembering her own chores. When she got the laundry underway, she had to help Norman set up for dinner. She finished quickly... Faster then usual, and went to her piano.
If it were possible, she was pretty sure her hand would have been shaking. Thankfully to her, her father had removed such flaws from her design. She pulled open the piano cover, this time giving in to the urge to touch the keys lightly, not making any sound, yet. She was about to get out the sheet music when Norman came in.
"Ah Miss Dorothy. It would seem we are out of bread. Would you go to the store and get some more, please?" She looked at the piano, then back at Norman, then back at the piano. She shut the cover once more, feeling a certain déjà vu. After all that's about as close as she had gotten to playing the piano all day.
She turned to Norman again and nodded "I'll go." He smiled, handing her some money and a basket for the bread. Dorothy took both, having done this several times. Didn't she just buy bread yesterday? She supposed that somehow it must have all gotten eaten. She wasn't a suspicious person by nature after all. And accusing anyone without proof wasn't like her at all. So suspecting a conspiracy was completely ridiculous. Besides, she didn't care anyway. The piano was just something to do. She headed out the door and down the street to the bakery she usually bought bread from.
From the balcony, Roger watched her leave feeling quite proud of himself as he finished off the last of the bread he'd nabbed from the kitchen. Granted, he probably wouldn't be able to swallow much of the delicious smelling dinner Norman was making, but it was worth it. At this point what had started out as a harmless plan yesterday by a sleep deprived mind had become his mission for the day. He wasn't going to let her escape, now. Not with just a few more hours left in the day. He grinned, resting his hands above his head, and went back inside.
***
After dinner, Dorothy helped Norman with the dishes, only to be asked by Roger if she would dust off some of the shelves in his office, which was starting to look a little dirty. The room was in fact filthy and how it could possibly have gotten in that state left Dorothy wondering what he had been doing in his office all day. It was passed sunset and all Dorothy had left to do was sweep up the piano room. Then she would be done for the day.
Dorothy looked at the piano again. All day. A whole day without playing the piano. This had never happened to her before. She glanced out the window at the setting sun. Soon everyone would be asleep. There was no point in playing now. Something like this never mattered to her before; it shouldn't matter now. So why did she even give it any thought at all? She just kept staring at the piano, trying to contemplate how this happened. Every day she had the whole day to play as much as she wanted. All she had to do was get her usual chores done.
Unknown to her, Roger had been watching, waiting to see if she would actually start playing this late at night. He studied her critically as she shook her head, sweeping the floor around the piano. He couldn't help but notice she seemed almost... sad. He frowned. That was something he wasn't expecting. "Hey, Dorothy."
"Roger. I thought you were asleep." She didn't look up from her sweeping. Her tone of voice was almost cross. She'd figured out at some point, whether intentional or not, he wasn't letting her play.
He shook his head. "Nah. Not tired yet." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. She just kept sweeping, didn't even reply to what he said. After a minute of somewhat uncomfortable silence he spoke up again. "Is something the matter, Dorothy?" He looked at her critically, though still with the smugness he'd had all day from keeping her from her precious piano.
"Not really." She said it oh so casually, as if it were nothing. But she stared at the piano as she said it. Another pause ensued. Roger was about to say something when she spoke up again. "It's just... Roger. Why do you not let me play the piano?"
Roger smirked. So she'd figured it out. Still... "Why Dorothy, what on earth to you mean?"
She looked at him, eyes partly closed and narrowed with the barest corners of her lips, turned down; her best imitation of a glare. "You're a louse, Roger Smith." She picked up her broom, preparing to put it away and go to her room.
Roger wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but she almost seemed hurt. He shook his head. Perhaps he'd finally had had too much fun. Before she got too far out of the room, he grabbed her arm. "Why don't you play now, Dorothy?" He smiled at her, guiding her over to the bench.
"But... Norman-"
"Won't mind. Go ahead." He left her standing next to the bench and sat down in a chair nearby, preparing himself for the grating music.
Dorothy's eyes held a light that seemed to be missing all day. She slid into the seat, uncovering the keys. She glanced over shoulder, to where Roger sat, seeing the wince already on his face. She closed the piano again. "It's all right. It doesn't matter."
Roger shook his head, getting up to pat her shoulder. "Yes it does." He sighed, under his breath. He knew, even if she didn't, that she was disappointed. "Please?" A small sacrifice, but hopefully worth it.
She nodded to him, turning back to the piano, which was uncovered once more. He, again, braced himself for her usual annoying repertoire. He could at least try and smile through it and not make any comments for what he'd put her through today. He owed her that much.
What he got instead was the song that she'd learned from Instro, played softly and with its own variation. He idly noted that she had apparently been getting better from her lessons. He smiled, sitting down to listen fully and relax to the music. This was nice.
And for once, there was peace in the Smith household while the piano played.
Disclaimers: I do not own Big-O in away. Big is the property of Sunrise, Bandai, and The Cartoon Network.
Piano Plan
Roger Smith was dimly aware of the morning light shinning through the window as he snuggled deeper into his bed. The night before had kept him out late, trying to haggle over the price of a ransom with some kidnappers. The parents of the kidnapped child had insisted he stay until the child was returned. The kidnappers themselves were the sloppy kind, the type to be afraid of. It was uncertain if they would damage the 'goods' or not, so he had been almost as anxious to get the kid back as the parents were. He never let on, of course, that was bad business. Afterward Daustan had come over and they'd spent the wee hours of the night polishing off a few beers. So now he was quiet content to sleep in late on his day off. Surely, it was far too early to be awake. He pulled the covers over his head to block out the sunlight. And just as he had begun to rise from consciousness, he began to drift back to sleep.
The heady fog of sleep had almost completely settled over his brain, once more, leaving him to return to dream land when he heard the sound of a piano playing as loudly and quickly as possible. Roger grumbled, pulling his pillow over his head and clutching it, trying to drive the nerve racking sound out of his head. It was no good, of course. The terrible piano music invaded his mind and refused to him allow to return to sleep. That stupid piano was starting to grate his last nerve.
With another grumble, he rubbed his eyes and pulled back the sheets before getting out of his bed so that he could yell at the android causing such horrible music, the sole intention of doing so to disturb his sleep. "R.DOROTHY!" He slammed open his door. "How many times have I told you not wake me up with your horrible piano playing?"
She continued playing, turning her head to look at him. "Good afternoon Roger. It's 11:30 and your breakfast is getting cold." She ignored his earlier comment as usual and continued playing.
Roger frowned staring at the almost smug android. "Dorothy. I really wish you'd stop making such a racket so early and just ONCE let me sleep in." He sighed, too tired to have enough steam to continue this argument. He turned, heading to the dinning table to eat his breakfast.
But even as he walked away, he'd realized that he'd finally had enough! This was last straw. He thought about tying up the piano again, but no. A promise is a promise. He swore to her he wouldn't do that again and she HAD saved his life. But then a light bulb figuratively went on over his head. Maybe... if he just kept her away from the piano all day... An evil grin, worthy of Beck, spread across his face, a plan starting to form. He would begin his piano plan tomorrow.
***
Dorothy had been living with Roger Smith for some time now. While it wasn't always the simplest life, she'd grown accustomed to it. Of course, Roger didn't make things easier with his constant lying around. But she'd settled into a nice routine. She had her own room where she stayed until morning. She'd get up, dust off whatever was dirty, and help Norman prepare the breakfast. She'd start playing the piano the moment it seemed Roger was not going to get up before his food was completely ruined and all the hard work Norman had put into preparing the meal was for nothing. She got to play the piano every day. Not that she cared. It was just... something to do.
Dorothy sat before her piano, staring over the keys. Yes, playing was just a way to rouse Roger up from sleep, part of her routine. He would them come out of his room with a tired face and shout at her about his sleeping habits and days off. The fact that it gave her a feeling of satisfaction that an android such as herself should not be capable of feeling had absolutely nothing to do with it. She pulled out the sheet music, her favorite rendition. Norman had set out breakfast ten minutes ago. It would be getting cold soon. She raised her hands, ready to begin pounding on the keys.
She'd hardly touched the first note when Roger Smith came out of his door in his usual black pajamas but his hair wasn't disheveled "Why, good morning, Dorothy. That won't be necessary." She started at his smirk, hands falling from the piano keys. As usual, her stone face was unreadable but she almost seemed... disappointed? She looked back at the piano, debating whether or not to play anyway. Inwardly, Roger shook his head. He didn't get up early for anything. So he started to walk to the dinning room and casually called over his shoulder, "Coming to breakfast, Dorothy?"
She glanced at the piano one more time. "In a minute." She shut the piano, gracefully getting up from it and heading towards the dining room. Before exiting completely, she glanced at it one more time with a look almost resembling longing.
***
Breakfast was quiet, overall. Dorothy, sipping her tea, Roger eating his breakfast, though he was incredibly smug all morning. Roger had gotten dressed and then retreated back to his office to finish up some paperwork. Dorothy began her usual household choirs. Every time she passed through the piano room, Roger would come to the door and open it a bit more so he could see outside and watch to make sure she didn't sit down.
After Dorothy had finished sweeping the hall, she went to polish the silver, only to go back through the hall and discover that someone had walked through it with dirty boots. She sighed, getting back out her broom to clean the hall again.
After cleaning the hall for the second time, she headed back into the piano room and sat down on bench. She was reaching for her sheet music when Roger came out of his office. "Ah! Dorothy, there you are. I'm going to run some chores in town. Think you could come along?"
Dorothy turned away from the piano. For some reason she wanted to run her hand along the covered keys. It was an urge she squashed as she got up and stood next to Roger. "Where are we going?"
Roger grinned as he watched her walk away from the piano, staring at it as she moved with the same kind of look she gave the piano after he had tied it up. 'No playing for you today, Dorothy.'
"To third dome. I have some business to conduct." He shrugged, heading to the Griffin, grinning wolfishly. He was just glad some business did come up; meeting with a new client. Dorothy could probably go shopping if she didn't want to stay with him. He didn't care what she did so long as she didn't touch that damn piano.
"All right. Just a minute." She glanced at the piano one last time before falling in line behind Roger on the path to his car. She looked at the piano again. Then it dawned on her to look at a clock, whereupon she realized it was late afternoon. She still hadn't played it yet. She couldn't recall a time when she hadn't played every day since she arrived here.
***
Roger's business had begun almost as soon as he had arrived at the factory. Some workers had gone on strike and while doing so, had been replaced. So Roger went in to negotiate for the workers, trying to convince the foreman that the previous workers were still valued members and deserved some consideration. Dorothy had gone on her own a ways down the street, Roger having informed her that he would be a while. Though, she suspected he didn't want her to have to hear all the shouting that had ensued after the first few minutes with both the worker reps and the foreman being in the same room. She didn't really care who was shouting or why. It wasn't as if she was some delicate thing that would wilt under the screaming. But she left anyway, out to the street where there were a couple shops here and there. She had mostly been looking in the windows, not really paying much attention to anything as she walked.
That's when she noticed the grand piano store at the corner. It was open. She looked in the window display where a beautiful piano sat and she imagined it was most likely as finely as Instro's. Well it couldn't hurt to go inside one store. She found her feet backing up, since she had passed the door to look into the window display. She reached for the door and pulled it open... And the Griffin pulled out on the street just behind her. "Dorothy! Come on. We're leaving."
"How were negotiations?" She opened the car door, looked back at the shop. It didn't matter. It wasn't the same anyway. Besides, she'd never been one to concern herself so much with any one thing. Why was she even dwelling on the small matter of playing a piano anyway?
"Don't ask." Both sides were being stubborn and he wasn't in the mood to talk about it. He put on his sunglasses. He definitely wasn't going to let her into a shop where she could play the piano all day. Not while he was miserable and not while he had spent all this time and planning trying to keep her away from the evil instruments. He decided it was fair trade for all the times that she wouldn't let him sleep in. With that in mind and a stern look on his face, he drove home.
***
When they returned, Dorothy started heading to the piano room. But Roger quickly reminded her that she still had to do laundry. Her only response was a slight narrowing of her eyes. She certainly didn't need help remembering her own chores. When she got the laundry underway, she had to help Norman set up for dinner. She finished quickly... Faster then usual, and went to her piano.
If it were possible, she was pretty sure her hand would have been shaking. Thankfully to her, her father had removed such flaws from her design. She pulled open the piano cover, this time giving in to the urge to touch the keys lightly, not making any sound, yet. She was about to get out the sheet music when Norman came in.
"Ah Miss Dorothy. It would seem we are out of bread. Would you go to the store and get some more, please?" She looked at the piano, then back at Norman, then back at the piano. She shut the cover once more, feeling a certain déjà vu. After all that's about as close as she had gotten to playing the piano all day.
She turned to Norman again and nodded "I'll go." He smiled, handing her some money and a basket for the bread. Dorothy took both, having done this several times. Didn't she just buy bread yesterday? She supposed that somehow it must have all gotten eaten. She wasn't a suspicious person by nature after all. And accusing anyone without proof wasn't like her at all. So suspecting a conspiracy was completely ridiculous. Besides, she didn't care anyway. The piano was just something to do. She headed out the door and down the street to the bakery she usually bought bread from.
From the balcony, Roger watched her leave feeling quite proud of himself as he finished off the last of the bread he'd nabbed from the kitchen. Granted, he probably wouldn't be able to swallow much of the delicious smelling dinner Norman was making, but it was worth it. At this point what had started out as a harmless plan yesterday by a sleep deprived mind had become his mission for the day. He wasn't going to let her escape, now. Not with just a few more hours left in the day. He grinned, resting his hands above his head, and went back inside.
***
After dinner, Dorothy helped Norman with the dishes, only to be asked by Roger if she would dust off some of the shelves in his office, which was starting to look a little dirty. The room was in fact filthy and how it could possibly have gotten in that state left Dorothy wondering what he had been doing in his office all day. It was passed sunset and all Dorothy had left to do was sweep up the piano room. Then she would be done for the day.
Dorothy looked at the piano again. All day. A whole day without playing the piano. This had never happened to her before. She glanced out the window at the setting sun. Soon everyone would be asleep. There was no point in playing now. Something like this never mattered to her before; it shouldn't matter now. So why did she even give it any thought at all? She just kept staring at the piano, trying to contemplate how this happened. Every day she had the whole day to play as much as she wanted. All she had to do was get her usual chores done.
Unknown to her, Roger had been watching, waiting to see if she would actually start playing this late at night. He studied her critically as she shook her head, sweeping the floor around the piano. He couldn't help but notice she seemed almost... sad. He frowned. That was something he wasn't expecting. "Hey, Dorothy."
"Roger. I thought you were asleep." She didn't look up from her sweeping. Her tone of voice was almost cross. She'd figured out at some point, whether intentional or not, he wasn't letting her play.
He shook his head. "Nah. Not tired yet." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. She just kept sweeping, didn't even reply to what he said. After a minute of somewhat uncomfortable silence he spoke up again. "Is something the matter, Dorothy?" He looked at her critically, though still with the smugness he'd had all day from keeping her from her precious piano.
"Not really." She said it oh so casually, as if it were nothing. But she stared at the piano as she said it. Another pause ensued. Roger was about to say something when she spoke up again. "It's just... Roger. Why do you not let me play the piano?"
Roger smirked. So she'd figured it out. Still... "Why Dorothy, what on earth to you mean?"
She looked at him, eyes partly closed and narrowed with the barest corners of her lips, turned down; her best imitation of a glare. "You're a louse, Roger Smith." She picked up her broom, preparing to put it away and go to her room.
Roger wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but she almost seemed hurt. He shook his head. Perhaps he'd finally had had too much fun. Before she got too far out of the room, he grabbed her arm. "Why don't you play now, Dorothy?" He smiled at her, guiding her over to the bench.
"But... Norman-"
"Won't mind. Go ahead." He left her standing next to the bench and sat down in a chair nearby, preparing himself for the grating music.
Dorothy's eyes held a light that seemed to be missing all day. She slid into the seat, uncovering the keys. She glanced over shoulder, to where Roger sat, seeing the wince already on his face. She closed the piano again. "It's all right. It doesn't matter."
Roger shook his head, getting up to pat her shoulder. "Yes it does." He sighed, under his breath. He knew, even if she didn't, that she was disappointed. "Please?" A small sacrifice, but hopefully worth it.
She nodded to him, turning back to the piano, which was uncovered once more. He, again, braced himself for her usual annoying repertoire. He could at least try and smile through it and not make any comments for what he'd put her through today. He owed her that much.
What he got instead was the song that she'd learned from Instro, played softly and with its own variation. He idly noted that she had apparently been getting better from her lessons. He smiled, sitting down to listen fully and relax to the music. This was nice.
And for once, there was peace in the Smith household while the piano played.