T for language

Takes place on the fame-driven power-hungry streets of New York City, 1985.

The Green Room

In which Eridan of all people wants to be a rock star.

=== Start the story.

All right, where do you propose we start?

=== At the beginning?

As you wish.

Heat rose up through the air in the Green Room. The mob on the club's floor was wild for the band on stage. They howled as chords pumped from the guitarist's fingers, roared when the singer gripped the mic and channeled his soul through the mighty amps. They swayed and stomped to the music, hypnotized by the rhythm, stirred by the beat. The crowd became one through the thrumming, thundering music.

And it was glorious.

Up on the Green Room's second floor, Eridan felt a smile creep across his face. He was leaning over the railing, looking down into the mess of people. He didn't particularly like people (which begged the question of why he worked in a rock and roll club of all places), but the way the crowd melded together under the music…it was something else.

"AMPORA!"

Shit. He knew that voice.

Eridan swiveled around to face Karkat Vantas, the bar manager and, by extension, his boss. It could only be Karkat; he alone was capable of yelling through this noise.

"YOU'RE NEEDED BACK AT THE BAR, PRONTO," he roared before hurrying to yell at someone attempting to exit via fire escape.

Eridan rolled his eyes where his boss used to be and leaped onto one of the ladders that connected the second floor to the mezzanine. Weaving through bodies to reach the bar proved to be a challenge. He'd been elbowed twice by the time he scrambled onto one of the black leather bar stools.

"Who the fuck is playin' tonight?" he grumbled to Terezi, the Green Room's barmaid. "The crowd's bloody beastly."

"You tell me. You've been watching." She set two stout glasses on a circular platter next to a bottle of Chivas Regal. Eridan raised an eyebrow. "Table three, the two older gentlemen."

"That…" He glanced around, catching sight of two finely-dressed graying businessmen. "I have a problem with that." He picked up the platter and made his way to the table all the way across the Green Room. Even though he was avoiding the dance floor and its mosh pit, Eridan wasn't comfortable carting around the Chivas Regal on the flimsy green tray, opting instead to carry it in a free hand. Jade would have his head—not to mention his paycheck—if he broke a bottle of too-many-years-old Scotch.

He set the luggage of the vibrant platter on the cool, black granite surface of table three, replacing it with finished plates, glasses, and utensils. He made rounds collecting dirtied silverware and the ironic black porcelain dishes, taking them back to their home in the kitchen.

"Blinde Panthur is playing, by the way," Terezi called as he passed.

Eridan entered the kitchen and dispensed his charge on the counter next to the washing stations. He was so over being a dishwasher, let alone a busboy.

Well, mostly. Short staffed, the Green Room's barbacks were picking up some of the kitchen's slack. The club was all one big family, right? A family Eridan couldn't exactly stand being a part of. So…why did he work here if he hated crowds and disliked his co-workers?

Ah! That's right! Rent! He paid rent, hence he slaved like a dog in a wretched job, just like the rest of the world.

He was barely nineteen years old now, and it had been a cold four months since his father tossed him out of the house and instructed him to 'become a man', whatever the hell that meant. Hailing from an old, rich Westchester family that traced their lineage back to German nobility, Eridan hadn't been accustomed to working. Any type of working. He had upwards of sixteen unsuccessful employments before landing himself at the Green Room, a somewhat strived after achievement when wanting to make it big on the music scene. Which was a shame, because Eridan had no intention of pursuing a musical career.

Or rather, originally had no intention. Things changed after witnessing how music controlled the crowd, how it ate at people's brains, moved them, swayed them, put the power in the band's hands. Oh, yes. He longed to have that power, dreamed of it, demanded it.

In short, Eridan Ampora wanted to be a rock star.

"So what's the deal with Blinde Panthur?" Eridan took a seat at the bar again, not particularly caring if Karkat found him slacking off for a second time.

"Two words; Rick Savage." Terezi dramatized a swoon and turned back to her arsenal of liquor.

Eridan wrinkled his nose. Savage wasn't that…

Okay, yeah, he could see that. The bassist was shirtless and not painful to look at. "Can I have a beer?"

"Nope, you're working."

"Eugh. I'm goin' out for some fresh air."

"Jade will skin you if you get caught."

"No trouble there," Eridan said with a smirk. Jade, the club's owner, was in the mosh pit screaming her lungs out. He paid attention to the little things sometimes. Frequently enough to know Blinde Panthur was one of her favorite bands.

Terezi's mouth tightened into a line. "Fine. I'll cover your ass if Karkat asks. But only for five minutes. Got it?"

"Five minutes." Eridan danced the 'escape from the crowd' to the back door. Pulling it open, the cool air of a New York City autumn slammed into his body, a refreshing treat after the sweat and heat of the Green Room.

He wandered onto the street, entertained by Manhattan's night life. College kids littered the streets. Some were parading to the bars, others were walking around like they owned the place. After a certain time at night, they practically did. He had briefly entertained the idea of attending college, but lost it quickly due to coming from a wealthy family. Silly, perhaps, as he had the grades for it. Maybe he'd study abroad in a year or two—

No, no thinking about college now. He was done with school at the present moment. No. Fucking. More.

He wandered a few blocks up to one of the quieter spots at this time of night, off the glare and blare of Ninth Avenue. There was a little park at the intersection of Columbus and West Sixty-Third, right in front of Lincoln Center. A small patch of green that acted as a crossroad of city life and nature. A sanctuary, a place to forget where you were, who you were. It was here that Eridan would escape the insanity of the club on slower days, when they could afford to have one less barback. Tonight wasn't one of those nights, but he didn't care. The moment he stepped on that patch of green he couldn't give a rat's ass about anything.

"Freedom." He fell back onto the grass.

Someone yelped. Eridan jumped up like the earth was on fire and swiveled around to the source of the noise.

"Oh my God. I'm sorry, jeez I must've frightened you pretty good. Thought I was alone is all." A girl pretty as the moonlight was sitting in front of the statue of Dante Alighieri. She had a book in one hand and a flashlight in the other. How the heck hadn't he seen her when he walked in?

"I-It's my fault, sorry, I thought I was alone." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "W-what are you readin'?"

"The Sea-Wolf, for like the millionth time."

"You like Jack London?"

"Immensely. He's one of my favorite authors."

He crossed the park and sat in front of the girl. "Have a favorite book?"

She shook her head, long black hair swaying back and forth. God, it was captivating. "I can't pick. I can never pick a favorite anything. It's like this…I can't describe it very well. I just don't choose favorites cause I always go back and debate and…sorry, I'm rambling. Is this making any sense?" She chuckled and closed the book, sliding a ratty beaded string between the pages to mark her place.

He grinned, understanding completely. "It is, surprisingly. I'm the same way. No favorite food."

"No favorite ice cream flavor."

"No favorite movie."

"No favorite restaurant."

They both laughed.

"See? It's not so strange," Eridan said with a goofy smile, tugging nervously at his scarf.

"I guess it's not. One of those things that makes us human, right? Like forgetting things." She giggled. "Just now I forgot to introduce myself." She extended a hand. "I'm Feferi."

Under the influence of stupid, brash courage, he took her hand and kissed it. "I'm Eridan. Charmed."

"My gosh, you are a gentleman."

"Hey, I try," he said with a thankful prayer to the darkness, aware how red his face was. "So why are you readin' out here in the dark?"

She wrinkled her nose. "My folks are entertaining guests. It's so busy in that house, all their friends are asking me questions. And honestly? I was really sick of all the hustle and bustle going on. So I decided to hang with my good friend Dante. Grabbed a book, walked a few blocks, and here I am."

"Not worried about being alone?"

"Nah." She reached into her boot and drew a sharp, dangerous-looking knife. "I'm prepared. If there's one thing you learn growing up in the City, it's how to take care of yourself."

"So you've lived here a while, then?"

Feferi nodded. "Yup. Since I was itty-bitty. My dad decided to move down here to make commuting more convenient. Wasn't a fan of constantly driving back and forth on the parkways. You?"

"For the most part. We moved when I was six. Used to have this grand old house in Cortlandt Manor, but my mom insisted we move closer to her sister, and so we did. I don't live with my parents anymore, though."

"At college?"

Ooh, this was embarrassing. "…No. My dad kicked me out of the house after I graduated high school. Wanted me to learn to take care of myself."

"Ah. I'm taking a skip year myself. Wanted to learn on my own for a bit."

"And how's that workin' out for ya?"

"Pretty interesting. And by interesting, I mean boring."

"Never heard truer words."

"So if you're on your own now, are you working?"

"Yeah. Actually, supposed to be workin' right now. Stepped out for a breather."

She raised an eyebrow. "Now? It's like, one in the morning!" She had a laugh like little bells. "Where do you work?"

"The Green Room. It's the big rock club down on Ninth."

"Oh my gosh, you work there? How is it? I've been dying to go one of these days, but my dad is seriously opposed to the idea."

"Your old man sounds kinda lame."

"You're telling me. Ugh. He's probably panicking now. I've been gone for almost an hour now." She groaned and stood up. "Mind walking me home?"

"It'll be my pleasure." Eridan stood and held his arm out to her. "Shall we?"

Feferi surprised him by taking it. "You're a real goof, you know that?"

"We can't all be tight asses, can we?"

"'Course not! Not everyone's cut out to be part of a corporate suit."

"Now," he said as they stepped out of the park, "which way?"

"I'm four blocks up on the right."

They raced up the streets, caught in some strange ecstasy. An excitement that Eridan could feel surging through his blood. He felt like he could rule the world. Invincible. As long as she stayed by his side. This mysterious, bubbly girl that he met in a park in the early hours was the cause, he knew it. She was the reason he felt he was the conqueror of the night. Based on the identical grin she wore, she could feel the weird energy too.

They stopped in front of a large white townhouse. Gothic banisters curled up a set of double staircases that led to the front door. Two white lion statues stood at the gate, frozen mid-roar. Eridan, who came from a wealthy family, was very impressed.

"Yeah, my dad's got an eccentric style…"

"Tell me about it."

"My house is intimidating you. No, don't deny it! It's written all over your face!" she teased.

"Yeah. Yeah it is."

"Sorry, it tends to do that. So." Feferi turned to face Eridan, "maybe I'll drop by the Green Room soon? Any particular day I should come?"

That face. No, no he couldn't handle the seductive face. Too effective! "I'm, well, I work all week, so w-whenever you want is fine." Ooh, that was a painful fumble. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Then I'll see you around, Eridan." Feferi gave him a wink.

"Night, Feferi."

"Night, Eridan!" She ascended the stairs, adjusted her goggles and vanished into the bright house.

Wait…

"She wears goggles," Eridan muttered aloud.

…

She wears goggles.

Wears goggles.

Goggles.

OH SWEET GOD.

Eridan sprinted back to the main street, skidding to a halt in front of the street sign. West Sixty-Seventh. White townhouse with the big lion sculptures in the front. Oh lord, oh lord, oh lord.

That was…holy shit…that was Feferi Peixes.

Peixes. She was from a high-ranking European noble family or something. Eridan couldn't remember the country or anything about the rest of her family, so stuck on the fact that he'd just spent the last half hour with her. Alone. And she might come visit him at work! HOLY SHI-

FUCK. WORK.

IT HAD BEEN SO MUCH LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES.

SHIT SHIT SHIT.

"Where the fuck did you disappear to?" Dave, head of security, was most certainly judging Eridan behind those sunglasses. Night and day, rain and shine, they stayed glued to his head. He was tapping a foot impatiently at the main entrance with the two bouncers, Zahhak and Leijon, on either side. Weird thing, a female bouncer. Eridan would normally have questioned that, but he had more important things to deal with, namely people higher on the chain of command.

"Skipped home to bring my mom flowers?"

He jerked a thumb to the door. "Get. Karkat's nearly finished tearing the place up. I'd say you'd be lucky to keep your job, but then again, he's overreacting like a raving douche, so you're probably solid."

"Err, thanks?"

"Now quit stalling."

Eridan pushed the doors open. He'd never walked in the front doors after the Green Room opened. It was a bit ceremonious. But not really, because Karkat was waiting just inside, his face twisted in rage. "What the bloody fucking hell, Ampora?"

He shrugged. "Ran into a very important person, knocked a few minutes outta my shift."

"Few minutes? Try a fucking hour. You're going to be washing dishes all week."

He groaned. "I hate dish duty. Don't we have people for that?"

"Out of my sight before I make it two weeks."

He took this as his cue to book it from his boss, resurfacing at the bar.

Terezi wasn't a gossip queen on purpose. It came with being maid of the liquor. If there was one place in the Green Room that nearly all patrons ended up at some point during the night, it was the bar. The chatter she heard was from everywhere; tourists from England to regulars from the Village, posh kids to average Joes. If there was a rumor, expect it to reach Terezi's ears a few minutes after its birth.

"Ran into a celebrity, did you?" she said with a malicious grin.

"Might have. Might not have."

"Oh come, come, Eridan, dear. Tell Aunt Tezzie all about it."

"And if I say no, Tez?"

"Then I'll blackmail it out of you."

"You can't-"

"I am the Queen of the Mezzanine, Mister Ampora. I could blackmail your socks into space and have them orbit the moon."

"I am not-"

"Remember the Halloween party? You know, the one where you were drunk off your ass?"

"…You've got pictures, haven't you?"

Her smile widened, flashing sharp white teeth. "Talk fast, scarf boy."

"You ever heard a the Peixes family?"

"Peixes Incorporated-Peixes family?"

"That one."

"What about 'em?"

Eridan felt blood run to his cheeks and betray his stoic composure. "I met the girl."

Terezi made a noise comparable to an overly excited rabbit and patted the counter furiously. "Back here. Now. You're going to spill these beans all over the floor. It'll be a fantastic game of fifty-two bean pickup. C'mon, jump you lucky bastard!"

Eridan vaulted the black granite countertop and crouched low next to Terezi. He'd never been behind the bar before. The floor here was wooden and immaculately clean, the opposite of any other given spot in the club. Taps of the four most popular drinks were situated on the right, each with a different colored nozzle. The chrome of their piping shined. Terezi was a neat freak. Who knew?

"Where'd you see her? When? Who was with her? Give me details!"

"Um, in Dante Park, the one across from Lincoln Center. I was with her for around a half hour. Walked her to her house about ten minutes ago. It was just the two of us."

"Was she pretty?"

"Duh."

"How pretty?"

"She's like this orchid, exotic and mysterious—"

"You're crushing so hard right now."

He turned beet red. "Am not!"

"Then excuse me if I missed something, but are you always that poetic?" She was giggling now, completely at his expense.

"Fuck you, Tez."

"Sorry mate, you're just fun to toy with, like a ball of yarn to a kitten."

He crossed his arms with a huge frown. "And that's it."

The barmaid raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him, and pushed on. "Does she live in the big white townhouse a few blocks up?"

"With the lions outside."

"Huh. Never expected them to live so close."

"Neither did I."

"I bet you want me to stay quiet for you?"

He sighed. "How many limbs will it cost me?"

"None! I just want to hear about any new developments." The smile she wore had the capability to scare the pants off children.

"Deal."

They shook on it.

"Now go wash your dishes or Karkat's going to tear both of our faces off."

Eridan frowned. "Aren't we short on barbacks?"

"I'll get by on what I've got for tonight."

Eridan nodded and leapt across the counter, scaring a few people sitting at the bar. Terezi popped up after he hit the ground, only managing to disorient the customers further.

Man, this was a weird club.

An apron was chucked at his head the moment Eridan pushed the kitchen door open. "All yours, buddy."

He pulled the cloth from his eyes in time to see Aradia walk past him. "Wait!"

One hand on the door, she turned to him. "What?"

"What'd you do?"

She sighed and backed up to stand in front of Eridan. "Karkat keeps catching me up in the Nest."

The Nest was what the staff called the maze of catwalks and electrical hubs up in the fly system high above the stage. It was there all the lights and amps made their homes, along with the technology-skilled half of the stagehands, who seemed to never leave their stations for more than a few minutes at a time. They appeared so rarely, half the staff was convinced they had catwalks running in and out of the building, destroying the need to ever touch the floor.

His eyebrows scrunched together. "The Nest? What the hell were you doin' up there?"

She shrugged. "You know, exploring, making a mess of things, same old, same old."

"And Karkat?"

"Oh, he's up there to talk to Sollux, the hypocritical asshat."

"Is it just me, or does he slack off as much as the rest a us?"

"It's not just you, trust me."

"Wait…you've seen him up there?"

She nodded.

"And you know he—oh. Oh."

Aradia's face lit up like a red-hot bulb. "No. No, you've got it all backwards!"

"Your face says otherwise!"

"Eridan!"

"I'm so right, and you know it!"

"Just…just don't tell him, please?"

"Whoa, Sollux doesn't know?"

"Of course not! He's horribly oblivious. Always has been. So please, Eridan?"

He…oh lord, he couldn't resist that pout. "All right, fine, I won't tell. Your secret's safe with me Ara, unlike anything that's ever passed Tez."

"Terezi is like a wealth of people's personal lives."

"And I just sold my soul to her."

"Ooh, good luck, Eridan. You're going to need it."

"Thanks. You too, Ara."

"Us barbacks gotta stick together, right?" She fist-bumped him. "Peace out, man."

"See ya 'round."

Now it was just him and the dishes. Le sigh.

After what seemed like hours scrubbing glasses and plates clean with the kitchen crew, all singing terribly to some obscure radio station, the club quieted down, the patrons all chased off as it became afterhours. This was the signal to everyone working the bar to pack up and head home to catch some Zs before the sun rose and they started all over again. It was just part of the business, something they'd become accustomed to after only a few weeks of working the weird hours required at a Rock 'n Roll club.

The kitchen doors opened not long after three. Sollux strode in as Eridan finished up the last plate. "I'm heading back to the apartment now. If you want any company for the walk, you'd best come too."

"Anythin' to get out a this blasted dishwashin' hell." Eridan threw his apron in the pile of dirty laundry and headed out with his roommate. They were an odd combination, both harboring an intense rivalry with the other. It was a friendly rivalry of sorts; a bit dark, a bit teasing, and a bit serious at times. Nothing too terrible but nothing too nice.

"So I heard you snuck out during your shift. Where'd you end up?"

"Wait, how'd you know?"

"KK tore up the whole damn club looking for you. He was furious. And it was hysterical."

"His tantrums always seem to be an event, don't they? Too bad I always miss them."

"You only miss them because you cause them, ER."

"Can't help bein' a trouble maker," he said with a shrug.

"If anyone else said that, I don't think I'd believe them. It's like second nature to you."

They both laughed, continuing to poke fun of Karkat's temper and all of the times Eridan had been caught doing something incredibly stupid at work. It was almost a wonder he hadn't been fired yet.

"Hey, Sollux?" Eridan stood in his roommate's doorway.

Sollux was pouring over the C++ book that had come out last week. "Yes?"

"Have you ever liked a girl?"

"What kind of a retarded question is that?"

"A me-kind a retarded question?"

"You do seem to have your own brand of idiocy."

"Hey!"

"Yes, I have. I do, in fact. What, haven't you?"

Oh, Aradia was not going to like that. "Not until recently…what's it feel like?" Lies. He knew. He'd liked a lot of girls over the course of his nineteen years, but never like this. He just wanted some confirmation. Sheesh!

"Happiness. It feels like happiness, ER."

"Oh."

"Why? Has some fancy lady caught your eye?"

"None of your business!"

"I'll have to pray for her soul, poor thing. Remind me?"

"Fuck off!"

"You're in my room, idiot."

"You're impossible."

"Turn the light off in the kitchen before you hit the bricks?"

"Fine. Goodnight, Sol."

"More like good morning, ER. It's almost four."

"We work weird hours."

"We do indeed. I'll wake you up at noon. Get some sleep."

"You too."

Eridan pulled Sollux's door closed and wandered back to his own room, still recounting the events from the night. It was silly, he knew, this butterfly of hope. But anything that got you excited to go to work was good, right? No, no, that can't possibly be right. No one likes going to work. Eridan felt like he was going insane for just thinking that. Augh. Women. What they did to him.

For an entire week, he was disappoint each day at work. There was no sign of Feferi. Terezi stopped torturing him about his sullen, sulky pout after the first three days. He shouldn't have been so depressed; she didn't promise or anything. Besides, he only spoke to her for a half hour, he shouldn't care so much!

Curse these emotions! How they plagued him!

"Two Strawberry daiquiris to table five!" Terezi called one Saturday, a full week after the beginning of Eridan's pissy mood.

"I'll take it," Tavros, one of the other barbacks volunteered. It was a slow day after a huge concert. Half the staff was hanging around waiting for work.

"Not you," she said, pushing him away. "ERIDAN!"

"WHAT?" he called back from the other side of the bar, nursing a now-warm beer.

"Drinks to table five!"

"Tavros just offered to go!"

"Don't care, making you do it!" She brought the tray to him. "Take it."

"Who made you queen?"

"Jade. Now get!"

"Fine." Eridan took the tray a little more forcefully than necessary and stormed off.

"Why make him go?" Tavros asked after Eridan was out of earshot.

"There's someone waiting for him," Terezi said and grinned madly, pushing her red shades up the bridge of her nose.

Eridan nearly dropped the tray when he made it to table five. She was prettier than he remembered. "F-Feferi?"

"Hey! I said I'd stop by, right? Take a seat! I didn't know what to order, sorry, I hope you like strawberries."

A/N: Hi everyone! So this is inspired by but not based on Rock of Ages.
Seriously, all this 80s music has compelled me to write.

This has to be the longest chapter I've written of anything ever.

If anyone catches any mistakes, be they of the spelling, continuity, or grammar type, let me know?

Edit 7/31/12: You guys do a terrible job catching my slip-ups XD Went through and fixed a bunch of awkward sentences and forgotten quirks. Also, I'm only going to have Sollux lisp in the middle and ends of words, not the beginning. It's crazy to write. Seriously.