Originally posted April 29, 2010
((These passages come from a longer open forum RP, one of a few open mics I had kicked off for The Forgotten. I had intended this thread as open-hearted, fun Chance for people to show off the musical talents on their characters and give Chance an opportunity to reflect on his relationship with Kori. It turned into scene that would confirm Gale/Akemi's rebellious nature.
The original introduction is included. This does not include every post from the open mic, but enough to make sense of the story, I hope.))
((Feel free to meet Chance for a drink and a song at Euterpe 's Café. This happens before the trip to Chicago.))
It was time to make music again. With Gale spending time at the Haven and Kori off to Cairo, the penthouse seemed empty and quiet. It wasn't want Chance had expected, but they would be together again soon. Until then, well? It was time to make music again.
Chance got himself a pint of Magic Hat #9 and went to sit with soundman, Dan D'Angelo. The drank and listened together, Chance remembering how good it felt to breathe. Dan would send Chance up whenever the pace slacked. Rusty from weeks of self-imposed purification, the young detective gave it his best shot.
He brought his beer and Aaf's guitar up with him for his first song. "I prefer a bit of Sugar, but in this case I'll just take the Mould. Bob Mould that is."
Listen, there's music in the air
I heard your voice, coming from somewhere
But look how much we've grown
I guess I should have known
As the years go by, they take their toll on you
Think of all the things we wanted to do
And all the words we said yesterday
That's a long time ago
You didn't think I'd really go, now
Are you waiting? (I know why)
You're already saying goodbye
Are you ready? (I know why)
I see a little light, I know you will
I can see it in your eyes, I know you still care
But if you want me to go
You should just say so
Chance made the combination high-five, beer order, greet sister as he resumed his perch next to the sound board. "Not bad for a few weeks off," Dan remarked. The waitress returned with a small batch rootbeer for Yukiko, a Magic Hat for Chance, and some American swill for the sound man.
Chance leaned back and lifted a leg onto a nearby stool. The warmer weather brought out shorter skirts and lighter tops. In the crowd he saw a fleur-de-lis tattoo on an exposed shoulder. "God. I love spring," Chance noted. Dan grinned lecherously, understanding the meaning.
"Here's to go'n swimm'n with bow-legged women," Dan chanted as the two tapped their glasses.
Yukiko punched her brother lightly in the arm. "You have a girlfriend." Chance chuckled. "I'm engaged, Yukiko-chan. Not dead."
"Going to sing it tonight?" asked Dan. Chance shook his head. "Dude. They love it here."
"Sing what?" Yukiko asked. Chance turned to explain as he heard Dan on the microphone. "Join me in welcoming back to the stage, Chance Thomas. Singing the song girlfriends all over the country love to hate."
Chance turned to Yukiko to ask a question over the applause. "Do you have your acoustic bass guitar with you?" She nodded. "But, what's the song?"
"Don't worry about that. We're playing something we know."
The two stepped up to the small stage to renewed clapping and some laughter. "Good evening, everyone," Chance said into the microphone. "I'm sure you all remember my sister, Yukiko." He gestured to Yukiko as she pulled her instrument from its case and garnered a new round of applause. Chance ignored the wolf whistle and totally blocked from his mind the short skirt his younger sister wore.
Yukiko blinked at some very familiar gear that had been set up on stage. She looked out into the audience, unable to pick out a face past the bright lights.
"Contrary to announcements otherwise," Chance said with a chuckle, "We will not be singing the song hated by girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, and wives everywhere." He waved down the mock boos and other sounds of disappointment. "I am a changed man," he told the crowd. "I can't be singing that song while my fiancee is away on a business trip." He waited for the congratulations to die down. "Not without more beer," he smiled and pointed out to a waitress in the crowd, "Or without Nicole coming up to sing it with me." He nodded. "Those are my demands."
"Until then, you'll just have to put up with this song from Lindsey Buckingham." Yukiko nodded, knowing what song Chance wanted to play, but wondering at what he just negotiated for."
She broke down and let me in
Made me see where I've been
Been down one time
Been down two times
I'm never going back again
You don't know what it means to win
Come down and see me again
Been down one time
Been down two times
I'm never going back again
Over and under high five combo with a beer order. "Dude," Dan said. "Total heartbreaker. Sounding good, Yuki."
"Thank you." The Japanese teen took her seat and slipped at her root beer.
"Dan, let me see the list, man," Chance asked.
"You're good dude. Anytime you want to get Nicole up there." Dan chuckled as he handed over the clipboard. Chance scanned the names. A smile broke out on his face. He handed the list back and turned nearly into the server.
"This is round one of five, Chance," Nicole told him with a wide grin.
"How many did you get, Nikki?" he asked, pulling his beer from the tray. "Fifteen," she answered playfully. "I guess we've been pimped."
"I dunno Nikki," he answered with a grin and a sip. "Let's see what the evening holds."
-- by Theresa Bathory
 Punk Gale by Theresa Bathory
"Sweetie," the server said cheerfully. "You'll have to take the cigarette outside. There's no smoking in the café. And sweetie? It's nowhere near as cool as you think it is." She then smiled as she walked away.
Gale stomped the cigarette out and thought about fire the bird at the waitress’s back; no ain’t her fault she thought and she rubbed at her own new piercings. Three in each eyebrow, one in her nostril and two on her bottom lip; oh yeah and the belly button as well. She was going to get her nipples as well but then thought it might not be smart as she was going to be performing and the last thing she needed was to tear one; ouch!
Then they introduced her and thought to her self that the show must go on, then slapped her self again for thinking another stupid pun. She walked up on the darken stage, as she asked them to keep it till she started playing and hoped to god that Chance-papa did not yank her off the stage. The turning on all the back up equipment she turned to the mic, still in darkness.
“Konichi wa! Just to let you know I wrote this and did all the back up and vocals as well. I wrote these with someone special in mind. I hope he’s here, but if not, well then fuck it! Now if you, if you think you can handle it. Let’s kick this shit!” She placed her glasses in her top and turned her amp to 11 and then hit it as the lights came up and she played like this was her last time and showed them what a small punk rock girl could do.
--
The song done and she did not wait to hear if there was an applause or not. She just unplugged the guitar and ran off stage into the woman's bathroom; the one place Chance-papa could not enter. Here she would wait for them to call her for her second set. She nervously lit a smoke and then it registered; they were applauding and loud too!
She at on the toilet and grinned, they liked it, they really did like it. Oh god I wonder if Alex was there? she thought. Would he understand, will he understand her second song? Something in her said that if he didn't then screw it, it was such a rush.. such a high... and they really liked her!
-- by Rex Celestis
Chance kicked the door to the women's restroom wide open. "Excuse me ladies. Did you happen to see a short, highly pierced teen run in here?" A few of the girls pointed to a stall. "Thank you, carry on."
He knocked on the stall. "Akemi-chan. Just a few things to say. That was fucking awesome! I wish I knew you were coming. I would have practiced something. You playing anything else? And how many new piercings did you get? I counted ten but Yukiko tells me it might be eleven."
"Really. That was pretty fucking cool. Are you going to come out of there anytime soon? Hey wait. Are you smoking in there?"
-- by Theresa Bathory
Chance kicked the door to the women's restroom wide open. "Excuse me ladies. Did you happen to she a short, highly pierced teen run in here?"
Gale, damn neared peed herself and the heard herself being sold out. "Thank you, carry on."
She quickly dropped the cigarette in the toilet and pulled her feet up and squatted; waving her hand as she stood on the toilet. She saw his feet walk quickly to her stall and pound the door. Ohmygosh, I am so dead! the thought.
"Akemi-chan. Just a few things to say."
Her mind screamed, Oh god kill me now, please. A bolt of lightening, a heart attack, anything just kill em quick, please!
"That was fucking awesome! I wish I knew you were coming. I would have practiced something. You playing anything else? And how many new piercings did you get? I counted ten but Yukiko tells me it might be eleven."
What, she thought, did the world just go upside down, was there something in cigarettes that fucked one's brain up to this degree? Was he actually sounding... proud and not about to kill her?
"Really. That was pretty fucking cool. Are you going to come out of there anytime soon? Are you smoking in there?"
FUCK, gum, gum where the fuck was that stick of gum? Her fingers fumbled and she damn near dropped it in the toilet. Unwrapping it quickly she started chewing fast. "Me? Smoking? Are you asking me if I was smoking?" buying time till she was sure her breath was minty fresh, "There were all the other girls in her smoking." and then she unlocked the stall door and let it swing open as she still squatted on the toilet.
Subject change quick, she thought, "You really liked it? You're not mad at me?"
Then she heard "Gale, this is for you" and she looked up at Chance with a questioning surprise on her face, then runs past him to watch the guy in the hoodie performing.
--
“Excuse me Chance-papa.” And she stormed off in the direction of the booth she saw Nix sit in. Then they announced the next act and Gale stopped; was that the new teacher at the Haven? What was her name again? She stood and watched as she sang, thinking damn she is good.
She stood and watched the whole performance and clapped and started to walk to the back stag when she remembered why she was standing where she was. Her eyes narrowed as she turned and headed to the booth.
He was sitting there his head down and the hoodie pulled up over his head. She reached out and pulled the hoodie back. “You asshole! You think that is funny? You see that guy there?” She points to Chance, “That is my dad and when I tell him what that song was about…” she leans in real close to his face, “… he is so gonna kick you ass!”
She then stood up and crossed her arms, “Now you sit there and don’t even think of leaving or I am gonna tell him now. Oh and you are buying my drinks tonight too, you dick!”
--
They called for Gale to do her second song and she went upstage to the hoops and hollers as she did; taking off her glasses again and placing them in her top. She held up her hands and asked if they could lower the spot light, then thanked them when they did.
“I also wrote this next song for the same person, not sure if he is here tonight but if he is… well.” She turns and turns on the back up music equipment and takes hold of the mic and closes her eyes as the music begins...
She finishes and looks up as if realizing there were people out there for the first time. It is quiet for a moment and she wipes her eyes as they begin to applaud, but she does not seem to register hearing it as she looks and tries to see through the darkness and faces. Then she turns from the mic with a look of disappointment and hurt thinking he must not have come and walks off stage heading out through the back stage and then the door into the alley way.
She halfheartedly kicks a can and then leans against the wall and pulls a cigarette out from her top and lights it up. Fuck it… that bird has flown, she thought to herself as she took a puff and tried not to cough. I guess I got my answer and its time to move on. She drops the cigarette and covers her face in her hands and cries hard as her heart aches; whispering, “good bye, Alex.”
-- by Rex Celestis
Chance followed Gale out of the bathroom before getting distracted by another beer. "That's three out of ten," Nicole told him.
"Wa? Someone is still buying me beer from a comment I made three acts ago?" he asked. The dreadlocked server pointed into the thick crowd. "You have a new fan, the Queen of France."
Chance scanned the crowd quickly for the tattoo before shaking his head. "Pass on my thanks, Nikki. I got to look for my kid."
Nicole's mouth dropped open as the young man faded into the throng. "Since when did you have a kid?"
The acts passed on stage as Chance looked through the faces of people for Gale. He spied her talking to the feather boy. He chuckled as he sipped. Small tits. Akemi may have met her match there.
Woah. Nightwish. Even if she she didn't play an instrument, it took some lungs to sing that stuff. Ali sounded good up with Donnie. Chance never really could drive a beat and sing at the same time.
Damn. Akemi sounded good. He stood there listening then musing as she slipped back out of sight chasing after bird boy. He found her in the alley behind the cafe, a lit cigarette in her hand, and streaks of mascara down her cheeks. He slid down the wall to crouch next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders.
He paused for a moment, looking for words in his half finished pint. "Some night." She grunted. "Misume, I know there are probably all sorts of things I should say right now. I saw you talking with the boy, and something, well.... And this smoking thing. But all I really want to tell you is how good you sounded up there on stage." He shook his head. "Just wow, Akemi. Sugoi dambe." He pulled her closer to him and kissed her head. "I know bars are not really good places for deep conversations." She nodded.
"What I want to ask is if you'd like to like to play with me tonight, that song we were working on? I'm pretty sure we can talk Dan into playing drums and Yukiko loves the song." He finished the beer and winked. "Provided you can still sing after that fag."
She looked up and smiled. "Provided you can still play after that beer," she quipped. "Are you kidding?" he countered. "Nicole tells me I'm falling behind."
Together, they met Yukiko and Dan on the small stage, and then strapped on their guitars. Chance smiled as he stepped back up to the mic. "It seems that you've all met my daughter." He chuckled. "But I'm pretty sure you haven't seen her channel for Shirley, well, as much as a thirteen year old with a guitar can. Not that I ever object to her taking out the Garbage."
I'm no barbie doll
I'm not your baby girl
I've done ugly things and I have made mistakes
And I am not as pretty as those girls in magazines
I am rotten to my core if they're to be believed
So what if I'm no baby bird hanging upon your every word?
Nothing ever smells of roses that rises out of mud
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me, it's driving me crazy
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me, it's driving me crazy
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me, it's driving me crazy
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
You're not some baby boy
Why you acting so surprised
You're sick of all the rules
Well I'm sick of all your lies
Now I've held back a wealth of shit, I think I'm gonna choke
I'm standing in the shadows with the words stuck in my throat
Does it really come as a surprise when I tell you I don't feel good?
Nothing ever came from nothing man
Oh man, ain't that the truth
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me, it's driving me crazy
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me, it's driving me crazy
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me, it's driving me crazy
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
I get back up and I do it again
I get back up and I do it again
I get back up and I do it again
I get back up and I do it, I do it again
I think you're sleeping with a friend of mine
I have no proof but I think that I'm right
And you've still got the most beautiful face
It just makes me sad most of the time
I get back up and I do it again
I get back up and I do it again
I get back up and I do it again
I get back up and I do it, I do it again
Do it again
Do it again
Do it again
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me, it's driving me crazy
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me, it's driving me crazy
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
Why do you love me
-- by Theresa Bathory
Gale hit the chords hard and stepped up to the mic and let all her pain out in anger. Beating the string instead of strumming grabbing the mic stand as if strangling it. on the chorus she changed the words from "Why do you love me?" to "Why don't you love me?"
At the next verse she jumped up on the amp. For right now the hurt was anger and she spat out the words.
You're not some baby boy
Why you acting so surprised
You're sick of all the rules
Well I'm sick of all your lies
The words came out with venom as she stomped out the rhythm, on top of the amp.
Now I've held back a wealth of shit, I think I'm gonna choke
I'm standing in the shadows with the words stuck in my throat
Does it really come as a surprise when I tell you I don't feel good?
Nothing ever came from nothing man
Oh man, ain't that the truth
She then added quickly "So fuck you!!" as Yukikio picked up the chorus and Gale dropped her mic and jumped down and sung with Yukiko. On the last verse Gale stepped away and let Yukiko have the whole thing and to sing as well as the rest of the song as she just hammered the song.
When they finished and the crowd applauded she rushed to Chance and hugged him tight, burying her face into him and not letting go for the longest time. Till finally they all walked off stage together....
-- by Rex Celestis
Chance looked back behind him at the small crowd gathered on stage. This was getting more popular every time they played it. They had cleared the floor of all but a single mic. Feathers and straps hung form the neck of Nicole's guitar as she faced him across it. She stuck out a lip to blow a lock of woven hair from her face and smiled.
"Thank you everyone," Chance said into the mic. "We've seen a lot of friends and family come up on stage tonight. And put on a pretty amazing show. Let's have a big round of applause for all the performers."
"And for sound and stick man extraordinaire, Dan D'Angelo," He gestured towards the back of the house as people clapped.
"And the fabulous wait staff at Euterpe 's Café. Forgive them if you've got an order in." He looked around. "I think they're all up here. In any case, tip well, no matter how they might sing." Chance chuckled.
"Well, here we are. The lovely and talented Nicole has joined me on stage and the beer has flowed." He lifted up a glass from the floor an took a sip. "I guess we must play it, the song hated by significant others everywhere."
"Remember," Nicole chimed in, "Sometimes the only difference between cheating and a wonderful experience is asking for permission first."
Chance nodded and tilted his head. "Wise words." He laughed. "Alright everyone. You know the song. Feel free to sing at the chorus. I'm sure it will make your date feel very special.
He let Nicole count them in.
Love the One You're With
''If you're down and confused
And you don't remember who you're talkin' to
Concentration slip away
Cause your baby is so far away.
Well, there's a rose in a fisted glove
And the eagle flies with the dove
And if you can't be with the one you love
Love the one you're with
Love the one you're with
Don't be angry, don't be sad,
Don't sit cryin' over good things you've had,
There's a girl right next to you
And she's just waiting for something you do.
Well, there's a rose in a fisted glove
And the eagle flies with the dove
And if you can't be with the one you love
Love the one you're with
Love the one you're with
Turn your heartache right into joy
She's a girl, you're a boy,
Get it together make it nice
Ain't gonna need anymore advice.
Well, there's a rose in a fisted glove
And the eagle flies with the dove
And if you can't be with the one you love
Love the one you're with
Love the one you're with
"Thank you everyone. Good night!"
|