Ahem. This is a fanfiction partly inspired by the former Commish. It revolves around Isa, Lea, and... a certain character from the Commission Saga. There are 7 smallish chapters in all.
The empty streets gradually brightened with the first, hazy beams of sunlight that peeped over the rooftops. Most of the towns residents were still asleep in their beds. Indeed, their dreams were delightful, for what had the people of Radiant Garden to worry about? They had a beautiful city, and a wise, benevolent leader. Blush-colored clouds glowed with the rising sun, and all throughout the city, everything was being increasingly bathed in new, golden sunlight. Along with the sunlight came the first flourishes of activity. Bakers and merchants arose, eager to start the days work and earn munny for their families. The marketplace came alive with the sounds of labor; crates being opened, cats being chased away from fresh fish, and friendly competition calling out to greet each other.
There, in an apartment above the bakery near the marketplace, lived a boy. Every morning he awoke to the familiar sounds and smells of the pastries being prepared that he and the people of Radiant Garden would eat for breakfast.
“Isa! Aren't you awake yet?” The gruff sound of the bakers voice drifted up the stairs and through the door of the room Isa called his own. Yes, he was awake, he answered, shouting back through the closed door. The reply he received was rather too loud to be termed a grumble, but that was the way the man was. Isa’s father owned the bakery above which they lived, and he was a loud man whose gruff exterior belied his gentle nature. They were alone in the world, Isa and his father, and had been since Isa’s mother had died ten years ago, when the boy was just eight. The two of them got along quite well, however, and any of Isa’s mother-needs were met by his overbearing friend’s overbearing mother.
Speaking of overbearing friends… A small light gleamed in Isas green-blue eyes as he poked his head over the edge of his bed and glanced down at the floor.
The previous night, he and his father had been startled by someone knocking on their door. Considering they ran a bakery, this would normally have been no small surprise, since hardly a week passed where one person or other wasn’t needing something at some ungodly hour of the night. What surprised them this time, was that the knocking was coming from the door to the side balcony that opened up to the alleyway. Isa, being the closest to the door, opened it. Outside, clutching a pillow and a pair of pajama pants, and looking rather like a stray cat that has recently been given a good soaking, was Lea, his best friend. Isa sighed haggardly, dragging the palm of his hand down his scowling face before asking his friend what he wanted.
“Good to see you too, Isa! I just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought that I may as well keep you company tonight.” The redhead grinned, and Isa rolled his eyes.
“Right. You live three houses down, of course you were in the neighborhood…dimwit. Go home.” A few strands of blue hair escaped into his eyes and as he turned to shut the door, his father turned a questioning gaze. “It was no one. Some loser had the wrong address.”
“Wha—h-hey! Wait! Aren’t you even going to invite me inside for a cup of tea or something!?” Lea yelled as he pounded on the closed door. The truth was this: his younger sister had invited all of her friends over to their house for a sleepover. Lea had been willing to put up with a household of fourteen year old girls as long as they stayed relatively quiet and left him to himself. But then they had begun trickling into his room one by one, asking for this or that. Even that had been tolerable until he had heard someone mention his name during one of those asinine games young teenage girls were so fond of. Whatever the confession had been, it had been followed by such a volley of shrieks and squeals that he had felt genuine apprehension and had been forced to seek shelter with his best friend before the girls captured him and forced him to play dress-up or spin-the-bottle or something…so he grabbed his pillow and his pajamas, and snuck out his window. If only the sprinkler system hadn’t happened to turn on, his escape would have gone smoothly… The door opening and slamming into his head where he had sunk to the ground brought Lea back to reality.
“Hurry up and come in,” Isa spoke testily, “It’s late and I’m tired. Not everyone stays up until three in the morning and sleeps until after second period. And no tea.”
Of course, Lea had ended up keeping him awake all night with horror stories of having a younger teenage sister anyways. Luckily, Isa was what might be termed a ‘morning person’. His friend, however, was a different story. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, he walked to his closet and quickly dressed. Being raised in a bakery had made him extremely efficient in the mornings. “Lea, wake up.” Not that he actually expected to wake his friend with that—Lea was dead to the world. Isa kicked the other boy lightly, and turned on the T.V. As Fate would have it, the television switched on to one of the popular morning variety shows—which was currently introducing one of the popular male idols. A studio full of screaming girls filled the screen, and Lea sat straight up in bed, startled and awake.
“Hurry up and get dressed,” Isa said, smirking and switching off the tube. “We have half an hour and if you make us late to school I won’t give you any breakfast.” With that, he waved his hand and walked out of the room.
“Oh come on!” The distressed voice of Lea followed Isa down the stairs. “Aren’t you supposed to wake me up with a gentle ‘good morning, dear’ or ‘rise and shine!’ or something!?”
———————————————————
Nearly an hour later the two young men walked through the gates of their academy right as the five minute warning bell rang. Despite his complaints at being woken up in such a rude manner that morning, Lea had gotten ready in time. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for a seventeen year old boy—and Lea knew that his friend would have no qualms about not giving him any breakfast if he made them late to school. Isa could be rather sadistic…and as much as Lea complained, they both knew it was all in good fun.
“I guess it’s a good thing I gave you breakfast after all.” Isa said, hiding a smile as they walked through the classroom doors, three minutes ahead of the teacher.
“Yeah, some friend…” the spicy redhead quipped back with feigned dejection. The mirth sparkling in his aquamarine eyes gave him away, however. Or would have, had Isa been paying any attention at all.
In the first row of seats, sitting by herself, was a girl neither of them had seen before. Isa had noticed her immediately, for Lea had always been the only one in their class with red hair. Her hair was straight, and only just longer than her shoulders but there was such a mass of it, that when the sun shining through the second-story window shone on her, it looked like a flame.
Chapter 1
The empty streets gradually brightened with the first, hazy beams of sunlight that peeped over the rooftops. Most of the towns residents were still asleep in their beds. Indeed, their dreams were delightful, for what had the people of Radiant Garden to worry about? They had a beautiful city, and a wise, benevolent leader. Blush-colored clouds glowed with the rising sun, and all throughout the city, everything was being increasingly bathed in new, golden sunlight. Along with the sunlight came the first flourishes of activity. Bakers and merchants arose, eager to start the days work and earn munny for their families. The marketplace came alive with the sounds of labor; crates being opened, cats being chased away from fresh fish, and friendly competition calling out to greet each other.
There, in an apartment above the bakery near the marketplace, lived a boy. Every morning he awoke to the familiar sounds and smells of the pastries being prepared that he and the people of Radiant Garden would eat for breakfast.
“Isa! Aren't you awake yet?” The gruff sound of the bakers voice drifted up the stairs and through the door of the room Isa called his own. Yes, he was awake, he answered, shouting back through the closed door. The reply he received was rather too loud to be termed a grumble, but that was the way the man was. Isa’s father owned the bakery above which they lived, and he was a loud man whose gruff exterior belied his gentle nature. They were alone in the world, Isa and his father, and had been since Isa’s mother had died ten years ago, when the boy was just eight. The two of them got along quite well, however, and any of Isa’s mother-needs were met by his overbearing friend’s overbearing mother.
Speaking of overbearing friends… A small light gleamed in Isas green-blue eyes as he poked his head over the edge of his bed and glanced down at the floor.
The previous night, he and his father had been startled by someone knocking on their door. Considering they ran a bakery, this would normally have been no small surprise, since hardly a week passed where one person or other wasn’t needing something at some ungodly hour of the night. What surprised them this time, was that the knocking was coming from the door to the side balcony that opened up to the alleyway. Isa, being the closest to the door, opened it. Outside, clutching a pillow and a pair of pajama pants, and looking rather like a stray cat that has recently been given a good soaking, was Lea, his best friend. Isa sighed haggardly, dragging the palm of his hand down his scowling face before asking his friend what he wanted.
“Good to see you too, Isa! I just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought that I may as well keep you company tonight.” The redhead grinned, and Isa rolled his eyes.
“Right. You live three houses down, of course you were in the neighborhood…dimwit. Go home.” A few strands of blue hair escaped into his eyes and as he turned to shut the door, his father turned a questioning gaze. “It was no one. Some loser had the wrong address.”
“Wha—h-hey! Wait! Aren’t you even going to invite me inside for a cup of tea or something!?” Lea yelled as he pounded on the closed door. The truth was this: his younger sister had invited all of her friends over to their house for a sleepover. Lea had been willing to put up with a household of fourteen year old girls as long as they stayed relatively quiet and left him to himself. But then they had begun trickling into his room one by one, asking for this or that. Even that had been tolerable until he had heard someone mention his name during one of those asinine games young teenage girls were so fond of. Whatever the confession had been, it had been followed by such a volley of shrieks and squeals that he had felt genuine apprehension and had been forced to seek shelter with his best friend before the girls captured him and forced him to play dress-up or spin-the-bottle or something…so he grabbed his pillow and his pajamas, and snuck out his window. If only the sprinkler system hadn’t happened to turn on, his escape would have gone smoothly… The door opening and slamming into his head where he had sunk to the ground brought Lea back to reality.
“Hurry up and come in,” Isa spoke testily, “It’s late and I’m tired. Not everyone stays up until three in the morning and sleeps until after second period. And no tea.”
Of course, Lea had ended up keeping him awake all night with horror stories of having a younger teenage sister anyways. Luckily, Isa was what might be termed a ‘morning person’. His friend, however, was a different story. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, he walked to his closet and quickly dressed. Being raised in a bakery had made him extremely efficient in the mornings. “Lea, wake up.” Not that he actually expected to wake his friend with that—Lea was dead to the world. Isa kicked the other boy lightly, and turned on the T.V. As Fate would have it, the television switched on to one of the popular morning variety shows—which was currently introducing one of the popular male idols. A studio full of screaming girls filled the screen, and Lea sat straight up in bed, startled and awake.
“Hurry up and get dressed,” Isa said, smirking and switching off the tube. “We have half an hour and if you make us late to school I won’t give you any breakfast.” With that, he waved his hand and walked out of the room.
“Oh come on!” The distressed voice of Lea followed Isa down the stairs. “Aren’t you supposed to wake me up with a gentle ‘good morning, dear’ or ‘rise and shine!’ or something!?”
———————————————————
Nearly an hour later the two young men walked through the gates of their academy right as the five minute warning bell rang. Despite his complaints at being woken up in such a rude manner that morning, Lea had gotten ready in time. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for a seventeen year old boy—and Lea knew that his friend would have no qualms about not giving him any breakfast if he made them late to school. Isa could be rather sadistic…and as much as Lea complained, they both knew it was all in good fun.
“I guess it’s a good thing I gave you breakfast after all.” Isa said, hiding a smile as they walked through the classroom doors, three minutes ahead of the teacher.
“Yeah, some friend…” the spicy redhead quipped back with feigned dejection. The mirth sparkling in his aquamarine eyes gave him away, however. Or would have, had Isa been paying any attention at all.
In the first row of seats, sitting by herself, was a girl neither of them had seen before. Isa had noticed her immediately, for Lea had always been the only one in their class with red hair. Her hair was straight, and only just longer than her shoulders but there was such a mass of it, that when the sun shining through the second-story window shone on her, it looked like a flame.
Last edited: