『://don'т lιѕтen now』 [lovely and ѕly]

Sly always hated the winter months, doubly so ever since it dawned upon him that his status as a scavenger would never allow him a proper home or shelter to seek comfort from the elements. This was due in part to the trio of weather conditions that were common during this time; the snow, the cold but mostly because of the rain. The young man found himself, arms folded, seeking comfort in his jacket as he wandered through the now damp streets of one of the many back alley plazas that littered the slums. A paper bag pressing against his chest holding what little food he could afford today held close to feel the warmth of the freshly baked loaf of bread.

The drizzle of rain that remained fell against the young man’s hair as he proceeded to climb over the fence into the local scrapyard he had taken up residence. Hills upon hills of discarded metals, parts and other varying recyclable goods created a rather sprawling space for the population of Sly and his fellow scavengers. Lowering the junkyard dog to the patch of earth beneath him, Sly let out a small grunt as he felt his legs connect with the ground. Retrieving his effects, the scavenger pulled his scarf close once again as he was greeted by waves and hellos of varying, familiar people who made the trek in search of anything salvageable. Returning the gestures as best he could, Sly continued towards his make shift tower enclosed upon a rather large hill of junk. The scavenger let out a sigh of relief as he let his body fall to the floor, using the door to his back for support as he felt his breathing quicken.

“Your prosthetics were never meant to function while you are malnourished Sly. You need to correct your diet.”
“With what money Clank? If you haven’t noticed I’m up a rather long creek in that regard.”
“Your analogy is not lost upon me. I’m merely stating the obvious.”

Stating the obvious was one thing, stating it every day however was not helping the situation. At all. Still Sly felt his eyes roll as he let his body calm itself before finally getting back to his feet, removing his wet jacket and scarf before hanging them to dry. The glimmer of dark steel protruding from his exposed wrist caused Sly to instinctively pull down his sleeve in an attempt to distract his mind from the very notion they existed. Making his way to his room on the third story of his makeshift home, the scavenger lit a small fire as he sat beneath the exposed hole in his wall he affectionately referred to as a window. Hunger pangs and near faint spells eventually driving the young man to begin chipping at his reserves of food, a sizeable chunk of his newly acquired loaf of the bread being the first to go. When he had reached his fill, he slowly allowed his head to lean against the wall as the warmth from the fire exuded toward him, the comfort allowing him a brief respite from the tension mounting in his joints. A faint melody slowly began to fill the air as Sly felt his eyelids slowly become heavier and heavier. A Lyre? The thought came across his mind very briefly as it soon became more and more audible through the rain, it was really rather lovely. It reminded him of his time during school in what seemed as if an eternity ago, the music slowly bringing a smile to his face as he felt his consciousness slowly fade into sleep.
Sayid always hated the summer months, doubly so ever since it dawned upon him that he would be playing live with Ayilee during their upcoming graduation. This was due in part to the trio of conditions that were to occur during the performance; the fact he would be playing live in front his school, the song picked, but mostly his attire. Seeking shelter from the sweltering heat, the young man hid himself underneath a nearby tree as he vigorously fanned himself with the flyer and program that he was given too by one of the many students whom were helping run the school’s carnival festival. The varying clubs and their advocates running games, performances and other excuses for the mid-month break before exams started. Sayid felt shivers run down his spine as the thought of his upcoming examination and interview to enter the police force were fast approaching, his sister had scolded him recently for running off to flirt instead of focusing on his studies, but to be quite honest nothing was sticking.

Still though, the day off brought a smile to his face as he looked at his watch, Ayilee wouldn’t be finished helping her choir until roughly half past four leaving him with about three hours and fifteen minutes to burn. Opening his pamphlet the young man slowly began to mark down the varying sites and booths he wanted to visit, the musical performance by the choir being at the top of his list as he rose to his feet in triumphant assurance. Today would be a good day. Hustling through the crowds of happy parents, siblings, students and visitors, Sayid was greeted by classmates and friends as he strolled happily down the aisles of activities and food stands, stopping whenever something caught his curiosity. Eventually the young man forced himself back into the relief of shade as he sipped away at a bottle of water, his eyes reading through the pamphlet yet again, sure enough he found himself by an area occupied by instruments and their practitioners as he heard the cacophony of varying songs, melodies and other random assortment of musical pieces. One instrument however caught the young man’s eye as he stared across the lot, its owner a girl draped in long curly hair. A quizzical look assumed the young man’s demeanor as he felt his head tilt in an attempt to distinguish the instrument.

“A lyre?”