I'm With the Band
Chapter one, obviously.
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A plot bunny bit me while I was listening to Radiohead. It's a volatile combination, peoples! Like Cheez-Whiz and 5-year-olds! Gangsta!
I'm on a sickness-induced sugar high. Yummy.
Moonboots!
All songs quoted are not mine. They're either some famous artists' or my best friend Gehna's. Hugs, Gehna! Major hugs!
Pairings…undecided as of right now…
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"Uhhhnnn…"groaned the purple-haired lump in the corner, turning over under his cocoon of blankets. Several other heaps around him groaned in agreement, one with blue-silver hair, one with golden. And one, in the corner, with red.
A couple minutes passed before the red-headed bundle decided to attempt to get up. He peeled off the blankets, and managed to stand up without being felled by a headache. And so Daisuke Niwa woke up.
Ignoring the other multicolored blobs around him, he picked his way to the kitchen and turned the toaster on. Then he turned around, measured some instant coffee into a mug, and poured in some boiling water from a jug nearby. Cream, sugar, stir. Sip.
The blue-haired blob stirred and stretched, waking up. He walked into the kitchen and sat next to Daisuke at the table. "G'morning."
"G'mornin', Satoshi. You got a headache?" asked Daisuke, moving to make another mug of coffee for his friend.
"Not really. At least not as bad as that St. Patrick's Day gig. I'll make my own coffee…"
Daisuke nodded and gave the mug he'd been holding to Satoshi.
Another bundle stirred in the bedroom. "Bleh! Morning breath!" it said to itself, then managed to wrestle his blond hair into a fuzzy-looking ponytail. He walked over to the kitchen. "Can I have some coffeeeeee!"
"Say please, Krad."
"Fine, be that way. Please." replied Krad, rolling his eyes at Satoshi, who shook his head in annoyance. "Oh yeah…did we pick up the bass amp from last night?"
"I took care of it," said the last blob, shaking off a blanket. "No worries, Krad. I may look irresponsible, but I act like I'm a new mother."
Sounds of badly muffled laughter drifted in from the next room.
"HEY!" yelled the last blob, as he stormed into the kitchen.
"Don't be mad, Dark," said Daisuke, trying to placate the purple-haired man.
"I'm mad. Deal with-"
Dark was cut off by a well-aimed piece of tomato. "Shut up, before your stupidity infects all of us," Satoshi said, aiming another slice at Dark's nose.
"Okay, okay. I see I'm not wanted-"
SMACK.
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Daisuke's POV
I'm in a band.
That's why I have to put up with living alongside the two most obnoxious people in the universe: Dark Mousy and Krad Hikari. Lead vocals and drums, respectively.
My best friend Satoshi Hiwatari (bass) and I (guitar and supporting vocals), are both trying to pursue a musical career, but are also trying to strangle Dark and Krad in our spare time.
Currently we live in a three-room apartment, which is WAY too small for 4 guys. Well, six rooms would be too small, what with Dark's random shoplifting and Krad's random pack-rattage.
I play guitar and eat. That's basically all I do, all day long. Except, of course, when Dark gets that gleam in his eye that means "Rebel and DIE! MUAHAHA!".
And, just my luck, he had it today. Nice. Wake up at 7 in the morning to that. I wonder how the girls like him.
"We," he said, spearing a sausage with a fork, "are going to go shopping today."
"For wh-?" started Satoshi, but was cut off by a sausagey "FOR CLOTHES!" from Dark.
There was a collective Dark-directed sigh.
"Why, why, WHY do you torture us so!" screamed Krad in a strange falsetto.
"Because I want the fans to love us."
Satoshi pointed at the door. "Gettoutahere."
Dark swung the Look over in Satoshi's direction, and after a few seconds the bluenette melted.
"Alright, fine." I said, mentally cursing myself. "Just…no stuff that you pick out."
"No goth-loli! But you look so good in loli!"
I swung my best approximation of the Look over at Dark, and he melted. "Da-Daisuke…you're so boring…"
There was a simultaneous CRACK as both Krad's and Satoshi's hands collided with Dark's head.
"OW!"
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Satoshi's POV
So of course Dark had to cry for about 15 minutes until he finally, sniffling, led us outside to the busy streets. "Which mall?" I asked, and he gave me an evil grin. Oh, no. I knew what that grin meant. It meant he didn't care what Daisuke would say, we were going to his favorite shop. Which meant his favorite mall. Which meant the bus that we were about to get on.
I mentally slapped myself, which I'd been doing more and more often ever since I joined this band, and willed my legs to climb onto the bus.
A short ride later, and Dark skipped out, Krad in tow. "Which shop first?" chirped the violet-haired annoyance.
"Here," said Krad, pointing to a women's clothing store.
Dark gave me the Grin again. "So, Toshi-kun…I think you're too small for men's clothes…"
Oh. No.
He wasn't.
One look in his eyes, and I knew he was.
Crap.
An hour and a half later, I'd been humiliated enough to last me the rest of my life. Dark had picked out dozens of clothes for me and Daisuke, made us try them on, and the saddest part was…
…some of the clothes actually fit. What's more, some of them looked good on me.
We stumbled out, mumbling incoherent apologies to the cashier, who'd asked far too many questions (in my opinion) and gotten some…strange answers.
"So are these clothes for your girlfriend?"
"No, they're for my bandmates."
"Your band…?"
"Wings of Light."
"But aren't you all guys?"
"Yep!"
"…"
Dark had given her a huge grin and a hundred-dollar bill, before sauntering out of the store like he owned the place.
"Ooh! Ooh!" screeched the aforementioned annoyance, doing a little dance in front of his favorite, favorite, favorite shop. And when I say favorite, I mean he would worship this place. And it was simply called: Shop.
Dark stormed in, taking Krad and Daisuke and I by our collars and plunking us down in three different dressing rooms. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Toshi-kuuun! Here's something!" yelled Dark as a black, filmy something was thrown over the dressing room door and onto my lap.
I held it up and groaned. Fishnet stockings? What next!
Next was a leather jacket, deep blue with so many buckles and buttons on it that it took me almost fifteen minutes to figure out which way to put it on.
Dark threw over a pair of tight jeans next, and thin as I am, I barely wriggled into them. I bet they're girls' jeans…I thought to myself, then swallowed in fear. What was Dark doing?
Before I could really comprehend what was going on, Dark had came in, nodded in approval, then thrown my clothes at me. I jumped, then realized that I didn't have to wear the horrible, horrible, terrible clothes of ickyness. THANK GOD.
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(Still Satoshi's POV.)
After a horrible shopping episode and an even worse clothes bill, we finally got on the bus back. Dark was still being an idiot.
"I call shower fiiirssttt!" he yelled, digging the key out from his pocket and hurriedly running inside. I shared a glance with Daisuke.
"Er…I call second?" called Krad from inside the apartment.
When I finally got out of the shower, I realized that Dark had put clothes on the sink counter. Oh, no. Not this again.
I held up the fishnet stockings, which were on the top of the heap, and read the note pinned to them.
Satoshi-
Cut a hole in the crotch and stick these over your head. Cut the feet off too.
-Dark.
I sighed hugely and looked around for a pair of scissors in the many drawers. Finally finding them, I followed Dark's instructions, got dressed in the other clothes, and looked at myself in the mirror.
And gaped.
Okay, you had to admit that Dark had a flair for designing rather…ahem…alluring outfits, but this was…amazing. To turn my skinny frame into something that ladies would swoon over is no easy task…but somehow Dark managed it.
The fishnets, when put over my head, became some sort of see-through fishnet undershirt. Put a deep blue jacket over that, with plenty of buckles and zippers and other things that you really don't need in a jacket, and you get something that doesn't look like me.
And then add that to the factor of girl pants. Yep, jeans that were meant for girls to wear. I knew exactly what would happen when I came out-Daisuke would stare at me slack-jawed, Krad would make some perverted comment, and Dark would pounce on me and put makeup on me for some reason.
So I sat tight for a while, hoping and praying that Dark didn't have his makeup kit with him. Don't ask me why he even has one. I don't know.
I cracked open the door- No Dark. This was a good sign.
Now to get past the kitchen to get my bass…hmm…
I tiptoed past the door, lifted my bass up softly, and began to tiptoe back to the bathroom…
"TOSHI-KUUUUNNN!"
"YAAAAAHHHHH!"
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Daisuke's POV
We finally got to the gig, and after being mercilessly tackleglomped by To-to, our manager, we were led backstage.
Dark was doing some vocal exercises, Satoshi was tuning his bass, I was tuning my guitar, and Krad was staring venomously at the wall. He always does that before shows, for reasons I have yet to fathom.
The clock chimed 9 o'clock, and we were on.
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(author's POV)
The crowd roared as Dark walked onstage, closely followed by Daisuke, then Satoshi, then Krad. Dark took a preemptive bow, as Krad started up a beat and Satoshi closely followed with a bass riff. "Thanks, ladies, gentlemen…peoples…for coming, supporting us. We're the Wings of Light- on drums, Krad Hikari-"-At the mention of his name, Krad did a little flourish- "-Satoshi Hiwatari on bass, Daisuke Niwa on lead guitar and supporting vocals…and me, Dark Mousy, on lead vocals. Hit it!"
At Dark's shouted command, Daisuke instantly began to play. He was really, really good, having picked up the guitar at 15, and now at 23 was almost one of the best in the Japanese guitar business. Why he wasn't in a more well-known band, no one knew.
Dark opened his mouth, and a totally different person hiding in his throat began to sing. Nobody knew how he did it, but his voice was smooth but rough, husky and vibrant, shouty and singy at the same time.
He sang:
"She says she's no good with words but I'm worse
A stutter and a joke of a romantic stuck to my tongue
Weighed down with words too overdramatic
Tonight is, it can't get much worse
But as noone should ever feel like
I'm two quarters and a whole down
And I don't wanna forget how your voice sounds
These words are all I have so I'll write them
So you need them just to get by…
Dance, dance,we're falling apart to halftime
Dance, dance, and these are the lives you love to lead…"
The crowd screamed, some dancing, others singing along with alcoholic drinks clutched in their fists.
The song ended with a spectacular chord courtesy of Daisuke, who blushed and bowed deeply.
---
The club was almost empty, so Dark motioned Daisuke to start the last song of the night. It was almost a ritual, playing this song, and every night it sounded different, depending on how sore Daisuke's fingers were, and how hoarse Dark's throat was. It was always their last song. Always, like a talisman that would keep them in demand.
The melancholy chords echoed through the almost-empty bar as Dark brought his sore lips to the mike.
"Love of mine, someday you will die, but I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light, or tunnels to gates of white,
But our hands clasp so tight, waiting for the hint of the spark
If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
I'll follow you into the dark.
In catholic school, vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised
By a lady in black
I held my tongue as she told me, 'Son, fear is the heart of love,'
So I never went back
If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
I'll follow you into the dark.
You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
On the soles of our shoes
We're all worn down, the time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry about, we'll hold eachother soon
On the blackest of moons…
If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
I'll follow you into the dark.
I'll follow you into the dark."
There was a halfhearted smattering of applause as Dark bowed deeply. "Thanks."
The owner of the bar came up to them backstage and handed them a wad of twenties. "These are all tips. That was probably the best show I've had all year. Thanks for the business, guys," he said as he produced a check from his back pocket and gave it to Dark with a flourish. "How long're you guys gonna be in town?"
Dark contemplated. "Until one of us writes a song and gets a record deal."
"Heh! Good one. I'll see you round," said the owner, walking off to shoo the stragglers home.
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Satoshi's POV
I'm always tired after I play a gig. My fingers are always a mess, my hair's fluffy and sweaty, I probably smell horrible, and I feel like I need to sleep immediately. Always. Unless, of course, I drink lots of coffee before the show. Which I hadn't done. So I was exhibiting the later stages of 'Satoshi burnout' as we got home.
"MONEYYYY!" screamed Dark, dancing around the kitchen brandishing the wad of twenties. Krad neatly recovered the cash and locked it in the safe under the sink, along with the check the owner had given us. "Alright! That makes up for the clothes shopping spree today…Riiiight?"
Daisuke shot back, "Your logic's like a teddy bear…fuzzy."
I was too tired to agree, so just walked into the bedroom and fell onto the first pallet I saw…which was Krad's.
"OW!" I yelled, rolling off. Krad had something really hard and sharp in there! Poking the innocent-looking mattress, I found a spot where there was a metal thing lying happily among the blankets.
I dug it out and threw it over in the direction of Dark's bed. How else was I supposed to sleep?
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Songs used:
Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy;
I'll Follow You Into the Dark, by Death Cab for Cutie.
Thanks for putting up with my sad, random attempts at humor.
If you want another chapter, I'll be rather happy to oblige.
Song ideas are VERY MUCH NEEDED, FYI.
Flames will be eaten by my cat. That's right. My cat's fireproof.
Reviewers will receive air-flavoured Pocky. Yum.
-blake-
-aishiterustaggerlee-
-universeofstew-
-こんにちははたしのらすべりおちちむちます-