Cafe Sonata was always a wondrous place.
Never one to stop for something as silly and measly as ‘real life,’ the songs of musicians across the city would be played here almost daily.
Among the musicians stood a man with an accordion, said to have been taught by someone from a region far from Unova’s reach. Though the instrument was undoubtedly strange, the young man would arrive daily, and play for the crowd — sometimes even joining other musicians in song.
A young man that, although not a master, was clearly on his way up —
—Matthew Verdid. A young man born and raised in Castelia City, who always arrived every Wednesday to practice and play for the visitors of the cafe.
...Today, of course, marked another day well spent. Although he didn’t yet attract the crowds of the beloved guitarist, he reckoned that to be expected. After all, he was no master like the guitarist was — simply a sixteen year-old who tried to match the others.
Even so, he carried home a nice little thirty dollars in tips for the day. While not much, it was more than enough for him — perhaps enough to pick up a few more books of sheet music. While he certainly could get his father to do it — heavens knew, that guy could afford a thousand books — he didn’t wish to rely too much on the man. God forbid he prove a nuisance.
...Settling the accordion case handle in his hand, he’d take a sharp breath in and lift — and begin his route home. As he walked, he zipped up his dark green parka to try and keep himself a little warmer in the fall air, only coming to a halt upon the tea shop that his father owned.
Though, as he was due to settle, he settled eyes on something to his right — across the street, a fellow musician who had clear trouble moving a tuba case.
...Surely, he could wait a little longer.
Turning around and crossing the street, the boy waved to the poor tuba player — who, exasperated, only nodded back. The lady, at a glance, looked like she’d been moving it for quite some time — the wheels he spotted on the case did little to help, so it seemed, as the brunette finally caught her breath.
“Thank god... Could you lend a hand? —Ah, you’re carrying your instrument already...”
Though, he interrupted her before she could retract her statement by grasping hold of the handle of the case.
“It’s no worries. Are you heading to the cafe?”
“...Yeah. Lead the way.”
Not one to deny the help, the lady nodded and let Matthew take the lead.
...The walk back to the cafe proved decently exhausting, especially lugging around two decently heavy instruments — however, in due time, they’d had made it to the cafe.
Bowing her thanks, she waved off the boy as he began his walk back home — once out of sight, the boy took a minute to catch his breath.
“Man, that was rough,” he sighed out, “but I think I’m good to get home.”
...And so, venturing home, Matthew opened the door to the tea shop — entering in with a light click of the lock behind him, he was greeted by his stepsister.
The lady looked a bit frazzled, and it wasn’t just due to having recently taken off her motorcycle helmet. Her black, now frizzy hair proved a good frame for a rather disenthused expression — rubbing her temples until she heard the door lock, at which point she glanced to her brother.
“Matthew. Pops is due to start getting us both ready to take over the shop.”
“...What?”
...He knew full that his father was growing old, and didn’t want their business to die out. To that end, he knew that they’d have to take it over eventually, but so soon..?
“You heard me,” his sister sighed, leaning back heavily against the chair she sat in. “We’re going to have to take it over.”
“—I thought you hated this.”
Matthew took a seat just across from her, resting his accordion case beneath the seat. His sister nodded, but took a moment to glance away.
“Yeah. You couldn’t tell? This is straight screwed. But... Neither of us really have a choice here. I mean, pops is going to kill us if we shut down the whole business, even if it is little more than a mom n’ pop tea shop. He wants to expand it to Kalos, he says.”
Another groan from his sister, who glanced back to her brother.
“So let’s crack a deal. You know damn well that neither of us really want to do this.”
“Well —“
“Don’t ‘well actually’ me. You like being around grass-types, but you seriously can’t tell me that a damn tea shop is your dream job.”
...
...She had him beat. He loved the grass-types that they had there, but the job itself wasn’t his dream. Even if he liked working there, he wanted to do something more...
“So we take his advice, and we both take over, but we do an ‘off-on’ kinda thing, ya feel?”
His sister raised her hands, beginning to plot something out on the wooden table between them.
“Like, you’re on it one week, and I’m on it another, or something. We’ll figure it out. But we swap workloads and the like.”
...Matthew followed along, watching her plan it out on the table before them. While he wasn’t sure exactly how legitimate this plan would be, it seemed fine enough, right?
“That means that we each get a week off,” his sister continued, “to do our own thing. Like your music stuff, and my whole ‘martial arts trainer training’ stuff. Does that work?”
...
...In truth, maybe it would work, but he knew how much she hated the idea of owning a business.
She was the type that preferred to learn and teach martial arts, and whatever else she had interests in at the time.
...
“Yeah. That works for me.”
Matthew nodded, with a smile, to ease her concerns. His sister smiled, and stood up, stretching before turning to go upstairs to the ‘home’ part of the complex.
“Alright. You tell pops that tonight. I’m gonna go blow off some steam with that sandbag upstairs.”
...And with that, she was off.
—x—
...A ‘click’ at the door, late at night, let Matthew know his father had arrived.
He knew what he was to do — to tell his father of the plan he and his sister had in place.
In due fact, however...
...He knew how much she hated the idea of working in business. And more than that, he was at least indifferent with the job.
But... Even he had a dream, didn’t he? Laying down in his bed, his eyes drifted to the case of his accordion, catching his breath.
...
...
...He wanted to get better, and see the crowds of people all over the world who came to hear him and whoever joined him on his way.
He wanted to inspire people to take up an instrument, no matter how strange it was.
...But he remembered his sister’s face — and how disconcerted it was.
...He knew she’d hate every second of the weeks she’d have to spend.
...She wouldn’t be able to achieve her dream.
...
...
...
...His vision grew a bit blurry, as he stood up and steadied himself — opening his door, he stole a glance towards the leather case just to the right of his desk.
...Surely, he could wait a little longer.
Never one to stop for something as silly and measly as ‘real life,’ the songs of musicians across the city would be played here almost daily.
Among the musicians stood a man with an accordion, said to have been taught by someone from a region far from Unova’s reach. Though the instrument was undoubtedly strange, the young man would arrive daily, and play for the crowd — sometimes even joining other musicians in song.
A young man that, although not a master, was clearly on his way up —
—Matthew Verdid. A young man born and raised in Castelia City, who always arrived every Wednesday to practice and play for the visitors of the cafe.
...Today, of course, marked another day well spent. Although he didn’t yet attract the crowds of the beloved guitarist, he reckoned that to be expected. After all, he was no master like the guitarist was — simply a sixteen year-old who tried to match the others.
Even so, he carried home a nice little thirty dollars in tips for the day. While not much, it was more than enough for him — perhaps enough to pick up a few more books of sheet music. While he certainly could get his father to do it — heavens knew, that guy could afford a thousand books — he didn’t wish to rely too much on the man. God forbid he prove a nuisance.
...Settling the accordion case handle in his hand, he’d take a sharp breath in and lift — and begin his route home. As he walked, he zipped up his dark green parka to try and keep himself a little warmer in the fall air, only coming to a halt upon the tea shop that his father owned.
Though, as he was due to settle, he settled eyes on something to his right — across the street, a fellow musician who had clear trouble moving a tuba case.
...Surely, he could wait a little longer.
Turning around and crossing the street, the boy waved to the poor tuba player — who, exasperated, only nodded back. The lady, at a glance, looked like she’d been moving it for quite some time — the wheels he spotted on the case did little to help, so it seemed, as the brunette finally caught her breath.
“Thank god... Could you lend a hand? —Ah, you’re carrying your instrument already...”
Though, he interrupted her before she could retract her statement by grasping hold of the handle of the case.
“It’s no worries. Are you heading to the cafe?”
“...Yeah. Lead the way.”
Not one to deny the help, the lady nodded and let Matthew take the lead.
...The walk back to the cafe proved decently exhausting, especially lugging around two decently heavy instruments — however, in due time, they’d had made it to the cafe.
Bowing her thanks, she waved off the boy as he began his walk back home — once out of sight, the boy took a minute to catch his breath.
“Man, that was rough,” he sighed out, “but I think I’m good to get home.”
...And so, venturing home, Matthew opened the door to the tea shop — entering in with a light click of the lock behind him, he was greeted by his stepsister.
The lady looked a bit frazzled, and it wasn’t just due to having recently taken off her motorcycle helmet. Her black, now frizzy hair proved a good frame for a rather disenthused expression — rubbing her temples until she heard the door lock, at which point she glanced to her brother.
“Matthew. Pops is due to start getting us both ready to take over the shop.”
“...What?”
...He knew full that his father was growing old, and didn’t want their business to die out. To that end, he knew that they’d have to take it over eventually, but so soon..?
“You heard me,” his sister sighed, leaning back heavily against the chair she sat in. “We’re going to have to take it over.”
“—I thought you hated this.”
Matthew took a seat just across from her, resting his accordion case beneath the seat. His sister nodded, but took a moment to glance away.
“Yeah. You couldn’t tell? This is straight screwed. But... Neither of us really have a choice here. I mean, pops is going to kill us if we shut down the whole business, even if it is little more than a mom n’ pop tea shop. He wants to expand it to Kalos, he says.”
Another groan from his sister, who glanced back to her brother.
“So let’s crack a deal. You know damn well that neither of us really want to do this.”
“Well —“
“Don’t ‘well actually’ me. You like being around grass-types, but you seriously can’t tell me that a damn tea shop is your dream job.”
...
...She had him beat. He loved the grass-types that they had there, but the job itself wasn’t his dream. Even if he liked working there, he wanted to do something more...
“So we take his advice, and we both take over, but we do an ‘off-on’ kinda thing, ya feel?”
His sister raised her hands, beginning to plot something out on the wooden table between them.
“Like, you’re on it one week, and I’m on it another, or something. We’ll figure it out. But we swap workloads and the like.”
...Matthew followed along, watching her plan it out on the table before them. While he wasn’t sure exactly how legitimate this plan would be, it seemed fine enough, right?
“That means that we each get a week off,” his sister continued, “to do our own thing. Like your music stuff, and my whole ‘martial arts trainer training’ stuff. Does that work?”
...
...In truth, maybe it would work, but he knew how much she hated the idea of owning a business.
She was the type that preferred to learn and teach martial arts, and whatever else she had interests in at the time.
...
“Yeah. That works for me.”
Matthew nodded, with a smile, to ease her concerns. His sister smiled, and stood up, stretching before turning to go upstairs to the ‘home’ part of the complex.
“Alright. You tell pops that tonight. I’m gonna go blow off some steam with that sandbag upstairs.”
...And with that, she was off.
—x—
...A ‘click’ at the door, late at night, let Matthew know his father had arrived.
He knew what he was to do — to tell his father of the plan he and his sister had in place.
In due fact, however...
...He knew how much she hated the idea of working in business. And more than that, he was at least indifferent with the job.
But... Even he had a dream, didn’t he? Laying down in his bed, his eyes drifted to the case of his accordion, catching his breath.
...
...
...He wanted to get better, and see the crowds of people all over the world who came to hear him and whoever joined him on his way.
He wanted to inspire people to take up an instrument, no matter how strange it was.
...But he remembered his sister’s face — and how disconcerted it was.
...He knew she’d hate every second of the weeks she’d have to spend.
...She wouldn’t be able to achieve her dream.
...
...
...
...His vision grew a bit blurry, as he stood up and steadied himself — opening his door, he stole a glance towards the leather case just to the right of his desk.
...Surely, he could wait a little longer.