It was nearly three in the morning. Skwisgaar's callused fingers raced across the neck of his Gibson Explorer, his deep blue eyes intently locked on his guitar. Though it wasn't amplified, you could hear the faintest trace of Hatredcopter being played at a noticeably faster tempo than usual; a solid prestissimo. Incoherent words were mumbled throughout the piece, undoubtably self-criticism. Despite his incredulous speed, the occasional missed note and slip of fingers made it clear that the Swede's mind wasn't on music. Skwisgaar gritted his teeth in frustration. His hearing was being utilized to its fullest extent, anxiously awaiting the slightest sound indicating that somebody was walking through the doors of Mordhaus. Nobody had entered or exited since eight o' clock that night, when Toki set out for the bar.

Across the room, their minds considerably clearer, Murderface and Nathan were engaged in a loud conversation about Planet Piss.

"Of courshe, I'll do whatshever I needshe to do! Planet Pissh is going to be HUGESH!"

"Yeah, but you know that Planet Piss isn't brutal. Piss is so not brutal."

Adding to the room's medocrity, Pickles drifted in with a brand new bottle full of vodka. It shattered as he stumbled into a wall and erupted in a fit of giggles. Soaked and reeking of alcohol, the vibrant ginger plopped down next to Skwisgaar on the sofa. The Wisconsin native slung his arm over the guitarist's shoudler and gave him a crooked grin.

"Hey, Skwizgir, are ye worried about yer boyfrenn'? Out too late? Huh?"

Pickles was obviously pleased when he noticed that Nathan and Murderface had fallen into silence. Their eyes were fixed on Skwisgaar.

"Wow, Skwisgaar, you know that gay is, uh, gay. Right?"

"Yeah, gay ish for thoshe shissies that wear pink shirhts and schit like-"

Skwisgaar furrowed his eyebrows as he interrupted Murderface, but his eyes didn't stray from his guitar.

"He ams NOT my boysfriend, yous all knows-"

"Eh-eh! Don't defend yerself!" Pickles yelped as he sat up, only to fall face first into the coffee table littered with beer bottles. Instead of sitting up once more, he simply stayed there. A moment passed, the only noise being the silent melody of Hatredcopter. Finally, Nathan cleared his throat.

"So, uh, is he, like, in a coma? Or something?"

"I don'ts knows!" Skwisgaar said, his voice dripping with irritation. "I ams no doctors!"

"Gawd, Shwisgaar, you don't need to be shutch a piss face..."

"I ams nots a piss face!"

He finally tore himself away from his guitar. As he stood up with clenched fists, the slam of the front door echoed throughout the Haus. Toki entered the main room, stumbling slightly, with a large grin plastered across his face. Charles was relying on his inferior for support, as he was equally intoxicated. Nathan drunkenly snickered as Skwisgaar tossed his guitar on the floor and snatched Ofdensen from under Toki's arm.

"Whats on earths! Whys did you lets Toki stays out so late? You knows he's gots to be in beds by midnights or he can'ts plays guitars ins the morning!"

Skwisgaar shook Charles violently, his face turning a deep shade of red. Dethklok's long-time manager merely glanced at him with glazed eyes for a quick second before he toppled to the floor. Skwisgaar nudged him aside with his foot as he marched towards Toki. He jabbed at the younger man's chest accusingly.

"And yous! Yous can'ts just runs out and dos whatevers! Thinks of the bands! You coulds have been-"

"I'ms my own individ-divi-didjual person!" He shouted with a slur as he pushed the lead guitarist away. "We all just gots to relax! This guys," His head tipped in the direction of Ofdensen's unmoving body, "This guys hasn't hads a drinks in years!"

"Oh, wow, really? That is, uh, not metal. Not metal at all."

"Ja! He's been sobers ever since his twenties first birthdays!"

"Now TSCHAT ish gay."

With that, Nathan and Murderface resumed their drunken conversation about Planet Piss. Toki, tripping over his own feet, heaved the unconscious lawyer to the couch. Skwisgaar stared at the band, sneering, before stalking off to his room. He really wasn't in the best mood after this whole event. His supporting guitarist definitely wouldn't be up to par in the studio the next morning, the manager may or may not be spending tomorrow heaving into the toilet, Nathan was humoring Murderface far too much over the Planet Piss idea, and a drunken drummer had accused him of being gay.

"Beings gay, pshht," He mumbled to himself as he trudged up the steps.

"I has plenty of ladyfriends," Skwisgaar tripped a Klokateer and kicked him a few times as he made his way up the second staircase.

"They ams the most beautiful ladies, also," His volume was increasing with every step, causing a few bats to take flight.

"And evens if I WAS gays, I coulds do betters thans Toki...DAMSITS, hows many stairs ares there?"

Now his voice had raised to a full on shout, and Klokateers began hurrying away, making sure that they didn't make eye-contact with him as they passed. After several more staircases, he realised that he had stationed himself in front of the Norwegian's open doorway. Peering into the darkness, he could see Deddybear lying on the floor.

"Stupids idiot, lefts his bests friends on the grounds."

Skwisgaar continued walking down the hall. After a few steps, he bit his lip and turned around. Toki would be a wreck if he woke up without his bear by his side. He scoped the halls intently. His angry rampage had cleared all Klokateers from the floor, and the band was nowhere in sight. Hesitantly, he wandered back into the Norwegian's room. He picked up Toki's beloved stuffed friend and tucked it into bed. A slight smile managed to break across the man's stony face.

"Keeps Toki under controls, littles friend."

He turned around and went back down a flight of stairs, finally reaching his room. The Swede flung his door open and laid down face-first into his pillow, not bothering to clear his bed of multiple pairs of panties and a stray woman. A deep, unsettling ache that he couldn't quite identify hung heavy in his chest. Maybes, he thought, maybes Toki is rights. Maybes I just gots to relax. With sunken eyes, he peered over at the naked female lying a few feet away, but quickly lost interest. He just wasn't in the mood.

"Ugh," Skwisgaar groaned as he closed his eyes once more. "This ams worse than a hangover."