unholyterror | Unsolicited Introductions

Continued from here

Of course, Jake had not warned Davy, or Jerry, or any of City Charms or anyone else that he was bringing people backstage. He could apologize later if there were problems with it. He did get caught up with Niko though and then had to rush to get ready and down to the venue. He pulls up on his chopped out motorcycle right behind the black car. He can see that security is talking to them and pulls the bike around the car.

"They're with me." Jake calls over the sound of both the car and the rumble of the motorcycle. He's obvious, even in the dimly lit parking lot. Not many people look like Jake. Tall, white streaks in his hair, fangs, and all the leather. The motorcycle was iconic too for the red and silver bats painted on the tank.

Security does give pause and then waves the black car to park in the lot. They could park relatively close to the door in the back, clear by the light and exit sign above it. Jake was throwing around his family ties right now which was fine. That was a big part of any entertainment career. It was all about who you knew and were associated with at the end of the day.

He pulled up on the other side of the car and got off the bike. Walking over to greet Dee, and he assumed his partner, while trying to push his unruly hair into some sort of controlled mess.

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: Jerry's Bar and Club
Current Music: "Mean Man" - W.A.S.P.

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Jay didn't know Dee back then. He didn't meet his now-fiance until the summer after Dee's sophomore year at CalArts. Though, over time, he did learn the whole story.

"I drove out here with pretty much just the clothes on my back and whatever I could get out of my bank account." he offered in return. "CalArts wouldn't accept me without a GED. So... yeah... it took a little while."

They were impressed enough by his skill to consider a second application after denying him the first time. Honestly, the fact that he was living out of his car while studying for said high school equivalency test may have impressed them too. Those were a very rough seven months, but Dee was determined. And the symptoms of his condition weren't that noticeable or bothersome yet.

Ansgar sympathized with what Dee mentioned about his past. The Dane nodded along because it was a familiar one.

"My cousin, he did that when he left for Sweden." Ansgar knew that they would find out eventually if they asked after the Soerens at all. "He's still working on school in Denmark as a distance student. He has to go back in the spring for another recital."

“I’ve never been back.” Dee’s tone soured at the thought of the life he left behind. Not because he missed it, but because he loathed it. Hell, even when he’d tapered off everything, it had taken months for his own body to truly sort itself out and start to look, function and actually feel like a normal person’s again.

Normal, as in letting a degenerative disease take its course because it’s better than the alternative. But he didn’t say that out loud. Some things were still too painful to want to talk about.

Jay out a comforting hand on Dee’s thigh. “And you’ll never have to, ever again.”

Ansgar sighed heavily. "Ours came for us."

Rekker was listening to this conversation and could clearly see that it was emotionally tanking. He ruffled up the Dane's hair.

"You don't need a kit." Rekker pointed. "You can come practice at my studio." Rekker wasn't comfortable with people in his house but his anxiety demanded that he interject and try to make things better.

“Mine haven’t. They don’t want to see their son die…” Dee got about that far before Jay shook him gently.

“Come on, let’s not tarnish a perfectly good show.”

When Dee turned toward him, Jay shut him up with a kiss.

“Besides…” Smooch. “We could be…” Smooch. “meeting our future drummer.” Smooch. “You never know.”

Rekker knew more in this situation and managed to stay upbeat. Offering Ansgar some money he grinned.

"Can you get us a pitcher of something and find out if that brat brother of yours is coming by tomorrow with his baby blonde?" Rekker saw the Dane light up because the younger man loved to drink. Rekker rarely drank but he would with Ansgar to have a couple of moments to talk to Dee and Jay, especially when they mentioned future drummer. Once Ansgar was gone he turned to the other two with a fade smile and a serious but sympathetic tone.

"I understand having family that is fucked. Mine is too." Rekker's own was a piece of work but the Soerens felt on another level. "Hey, with the Soerens, the three blonde Danes, it's better to steer away from hellish family things until you know them better. Theirs is monstrous and a couple months back tried to come here and abduct the two younger ones." He watched Ansgar making his way through the crowd. "You might get a lot of reactions you don't want bringing it up from them or their partners." He'd hate to see these two run headlong, accidently, into Sigurd's temper. Rekker still remembered having to fight to calm him down.

He was trying to keep peace and then turned the subject back to something more positive. "If you don't have a place to practice while you look for new people, we have studio space. You're welcome to it as long as you ask first. We're in and out of it recording right now."

Jay nodded at the warning. Some things that happened in the past truly were best left there. The topic was triggering for Dee too, something Jay had to learn the hard way. (His family was the exact opposite of fucked up. And it still caught him off guard sometimes that not everyone had such a luxury.)

“They don’t want to bring it up any more than you do…” he whispered, still holding Dee. The singer was slowly relaxing in his arms. “So let’s not.”

“Yeah… okay…” he replied between very focused breaths.

Jay kissed him gently again. “You’re okay.”

The change of subject was welcomed. Jay nodded to Rekker about the studio space. “I’m sure my neighbors would love it if we took you up on that.”

Jay owned a fairly nice townhome just outside the city. The walls weren’t paper thin like they were in most apartments, but not everyone appreciated hearing the same chords over and over again at three in the morning.

Rekker knew these feelings and nodded as the two whispered. "That's what bands are for." The ginger believed firmly in found family and his band being the roots of that, his closest found family.

Ansgar came back with Jake carrying glasses of beer, though thanks to Jake, one of the glasses had a straw in it and was not beer, but tea. He didn't know what Dee had but he had instincts from his aunt's disease. He didn't think Dee would drink much, and he hadn't in the back either.

"Ansgar mentioned you were asking about his drumming." Jake mentioned as he helped pass out the drinks. Ansgar heading back to his seat and Jake still on the ramp while leaning on the rail to talk.

Things had calmed down considerably by the time that Jake and Ansgar returned with drinks. Jay took one of the beers, as well as the tea, as soon as it became obvious who Jake had brought it for.

“Thank you…” Dee added, taking a long sip of tea through the straw.

If asked why he didn’t drink much, if any, alcohol, Dee would usually just joke about being a lightweight. One look at him and no one in their right mind would question that. But really, alcohol was just another drug, and the negative effects outweighed the positive ones, just like they always did.

“That’s right.” Jay answered. “We’re looking for a drummer. Not just for a few recording sessions, but for a permanent spot in our band.”

Jake tuned on Ansgar and shoved his shoulder. "You should get up there and play."

The equipment would be on the stage for awhile.

"I'm not going up there alone." Ansgar almost spit out his sip of beer.

"Why don't you get up there with him?" Rekker pointed at Jake before taking a big drink of beer.

"Only if you get your surly ginger ass up there too." Jake snapped back.

Rekker glanced over at Jay and Dee to see what they might be thinking.

Dee watched Rekker and Jake both pass the buck.

“I’ll go up there with you.” He inserted, carefully setting down his tea. He tried to push himself up, but was pretty worn out from the long day. His muscles didn’t exactly want to cooperate, but the stage was right there. He glanced over at Jay. “…Can you help me up, please?”

“Would anyone mind if we did?” Jay asked, pointing to the instruments. He knew how picky people could be about strangers touching their gear, and for good reason.

Still, he held an arm out for Dee, providing him with a little extra support.

Rekker was telling Jake to go find them a guitarist and a bassist, as well as a guitar from him.

He could see these two were ready to join in and he glanced at the stage briefly. "We're not used to playing with you."

For sure there would be some pickiness about instruments. Rekker knew that Davy might claw out eyes if he found someone playing his treasured black guitar. The only reason Rekker had a moment with it earlier was because he was going to repair it and give it a tune up. His eyes finally came back when Ansgar headed toward the stage.

"Having your potential, future boss watching is stress enough without having him on the stage with you." Rekker was being honest with Dee but he wouldn't give him a hard no either. That would be up to City Charms since that was their equipment and their stage tonight as far as the older Brit was concerned.

Dee glanced over at Rekker, once Ansgar had in fact headed over to the stage. “It… it got him moving…”

Which was definitely true.

Dee, meanwhile, was barely on his feet. His legs shook and his grip on Jay’s arm tightened. Jay slid in, holding him up. Even if the band did agree to let complete strangers touch their instruments, which Jay highly doubted would happen in the first place, Dee wasn’t going to make a very good first impression as a potential boss by collapsing on said stage either.

Jay leaned in, whispering. Rekker was close enough, he might have bern able to hear.

“…not tonight… I know you’re not used to it… but remember… there’ll be time later. You have that now…”

Dee stiffened.

“If I let go… you’re going to fall…”

Jake had more than enough time to find somebody to join Ansgar by the time Dee eventually nodded, relenting, “It… got him moving… but it might not be enough… to get me moving…”

Jay helped him sit back down. “Let’s just listen tonight. See what he’s got to offer.”

"Yeah." Rekker downed his beer. Rekker wasn't going to listen in on their whispering.

"Shouldn't you be listening to a first audition?" He mentioned it with a playful amusement as he stood. He was going to have to go up there too.

Rekker went up to join what was going to be a rag-tag band. Davy on guitar, Rekker on lead, Mikkel on bass, Ansgar on drums, Jake singing and Syn up there for a little fun for the first song since he wouldn't pass up the chance to play harmonica. Joey was already off with others so Mikkel took up the bass and it's easy to see that it helps Ansgar feel more confident up there to have his little brother around. They took their time up there in a circle and heavy discussion. Playing together and all knowing the same songs were totally different things.

Jake showing off at the mic introducing everyone. It's easy to see that he spent some time as a theater kid and around a cousin who has been lead for more than one band. The truth was, aside from Jake singing, the others had played together and Ansgar had at least watched. The the first song was a little easier on the drums to warm Ansgar up and let Syn get in his harmonica playing that had been the cost of letting Rekker play his guitar. Syn stepped down to join Dee and Jay for the second song. Sure they were doing all covers but they were songs they were all familiar with and had some good drum lines. Eventually, Jake stepped off too and gave the mic over to Rekker. Hexed often played this song as part of their sets and had more intense drums. They almost had to find a fourth song to play because it had the crowd crazy to have part of Hexed and City Charms on the same small club stage.

Eventually, they did come off stage though Ansgar stayed up and helped Sam break down the drum kit. Part of it was Ansgar being nervous about what they might say about his playing.

Anyone still hanging out at the venue after the show definitely got an unexpected treat. Those who left would probably be kicking themselves later.

As eager as Dee was to join them, he was just as eager to listen to them all play. He and Jay focused on the drumming, each of the songs showcasing a slightly different take. If Ansgar looked up at the band booth while he was breaking down the kit, he invariably saw Dee and Jay talking to each other.

Dee had a notebook out, and they were flipping through it. Their demos didn't have substantial drum parts, but some of the newer music they were working on did. Dee had torn out a page, and Jay was helping him frantically transcribe some sections for the newest song he was composing.

Ansgar was way too nervous to look up and focused on what he was doing. When you grew up in a family that constantly pushed a narrative of you as a failure, disappointment, and scapegoat facing criticism or even potential criticism was difficult. Ansgar knew that eventually he would have to talk to Dee and Jay but not yet. Once his nerves calmed from playing in front of people.

Syn however, was sitting at the table. He had joined them earlier after his fun harmonica part. He's watching and curious. "What are you writing?"

“A second part to the audition.” Dee replied as Jay wrote.

It wasn’t always easy to read Dee’s chicken scratch handwriting, especially late at night, when his entire body was tired.

“He is very good. I’d like to hear him play along with Jay… but to one of our songs. Or, rather, a part of one…” It was one of their newest pieces, definitely unfinished and still in work. “Or even improve upon it…”

In other words, they were both impressed enough to immediately ask him back for another round.

Syn smiled. He wasn't the best at reading music but he was glad to hear that they liked Ansgar's playing.

"I think he's helping the others pack up our gear." Syn mentioned but he also imagined that it was stressful. Even Davy had been nervous when he first played with City Charms.

"I've been... or we've been working on writing our own music." Syn mentioned. For a long time City Charms had been more of a cover band but since Davy came a long three years ago, that was slowly changing.

Dee smiled back at Syn. “I’m glad to hear it. You all have real talent. The crowd was definitely into it tonight. With the drive to take it to the next level, you’ve probably got a good shot.”

He meant that, but keep in mind Dee was still struggling to put a band together. He’d recorded a demo with Jay, but had yet to generate any real interest from any label. He had talent himself and an impressive amount of technical skill when it came to writing and composing, but nothing had translated into any kind of real success yet.

“The one you played, right before your encore… that one was new, wasn’t it? I don’t think I’ve heard that one before.”

"I hope so." Syn had lost some of this drive while they still had the previous singer. However, Davy coming in and stepping aside to let Syn sing had given him space to flourish.

"Yes. We've been working on a lot recently." Syn admitted. "We have all these musicians who are always practicing and working on their own material. It's hard not to write music." Syn liked it but sometimes it was too much. Not so much for him, but for the others who also had part or full time jobs.

“I really like it.” He added. Clearly, the song had stuck out, and kind of also got stuck in his head. They had a good one on their hands.

“Is that… at these apartments that everyone’s talking about?”

Having so many people to bounce musical ideas off of sounded like a dream come true to Dee. Jay had a lot of flexibility in his schedule, but he did still work a job that wasn’t music. They only got a chance to collaborate when he was home.

"It's Davy." Syn commented. "Since Sam moved in with him he's written more music than I can think of lyrics for."

Syn loved constantly having music to play around with but sometimes Davy had too many things. Sam and Davy fed well on each other's seriousness about music and quiet desire for private.

"Yes." Syn nodded while still staring at what Dee had written. "Even sitting and listening to everyone is good for ideas."

The more people like Syn spoke about these apartments, the more Dee wanted to pay them a visit. It would do his creativity good to have more than just his fiancé to bounce musical ideas off of.

Jay nudged Dee out of the conversation. “Does this work?”

Dee turned his attention back, looking over the notes. “Yes… yes, I think that should be enough. Are you good with the guitar riffs that go over that part?”

“I can play either of them.” Jay nodded.

“Then let’s see what he can do with this… maybe we’ll get some new ideas too.”

That was something Syn could take back to Ansgar to help him prepare for round 2. Dee had a strong vision for his band and its overall style, but he was open to more than just what he’d written.

Syn is very interested in the music and leans in when Jay starts talking about riffs. Before Davy joined the band, Syn had played lead guitar.

"You know, if you give this to him we're all going to mess around with it too." Syn mentioned it incase that was something they didn't want happening. Sam, Mikkel, Rik, Fredrik, Ansgar and himself.. and sometimes Hjalmar all sat around together. It would be something natural but maybe not what they wanted auditioning someone.

It wasn’t a lot, not a full song by any means. It was very much a work in progress as it was. But as interested as Dee was in being part of that collective, he also needed to see what Ansgar was capable of on his own.

“I was hoping he’d be able to take time to learn this… before we play it together, but if that’s the case…” Dee looked to Jay. “I don’t know if we can separate his ideas… from those of his collaborators.”

He had skill, but lacked confidence. Still, he needed to be able to carry the rhythm section of a band. They wanted to give him time, but maybe it would be better to see if he could improvise instead.

(They weren’t prepared for a spur of the moment audition, honestly. But they weren’t about to waste the opportunity.)