"Yeah, I can't tell you how many times I heard that line before, pal. Backstage is for performers only, so unless you plan on getting your hot ass up there to sing and dance, no means fuck off." Banging his fists on the counter, he then tried to think of a plan.
"Wait, that's open mic right?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Then I'll sing. Sign me up."
"Man, you must really have it hard up for that human who screeches like a Krogan baby." She moved to duck under the counter and pulled out a datapad. "If you're willing to embarrass yourself for a bit of action, who am I to judge?"
"Alright, Kyo! You're gonna rock the house DOWN!" Vega shouted while clapping his hands. Cortez had to laugh about that, though in a calmer manner, he took Kyo's shoulder and pulled him off to the side.
"So, you really gonna do this? You've got the hots for that girl already?" he whispered.
"No it's not…"
"You're up next kid, move it or lose it," the bartender called out. Kyo's eyes scanned for the mysterious woman, but he couldn't find her before he was put on the staircase that led up to the stage. Outside, a large red and gold Krogan wearing a black tux with a red bowtie spoke up in an old-fashion standing microphone with a datapad in hand. "Up next," he began to read carefully. "We have a great treat for you…Oh? Well, this is a surprise. Ehem, from the once popular band from Earth, we have Kyo Takashi, former lead singer of Otherside. Huh, someone with talent for once. Well, here he is folks." Beckoned to walk out, Kyo did so calmly. It surprised a few people how he was in N7 armor, but the muttering died down with the lights. Vega and Cortez had grabbed Shiro to find a table in the pit as their resident singer stood there at the microphone stand. With a small smile, he laughed a bit, taking it in hand.
"Yeah, so I have no idea what I'm singing?" he said with a smile as he turned to look around.
"Geesh, didn't you read the contest? It's Inspirational Earth themed! Humans don't know your own damn songs!"
"Inspirational…Earth? Is today a holiday?" he joked again, getting few chuckles from the audience.
"It's Shepard's day!" yelled an Asari.
"IS it?" he jested again, trying to sound as if he didn't know despite not actually knowing. "In that case, I'll be singing an old Earth song by another man who died before his time. This is, Don't Stop Me Now." Clearing his throat at first, he finally gave the cue for the music to start. His voice instantly harmonized with the slow piano that began to play.
"Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time
I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out - yeah
And floating around in ecstasy
So don't stop me now, don't stop me
'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time"
Once the music picked up, he took the microphone off its stand to walk around the stage with. The backup vocals were provided by a recording, but they allowed for his voice to sing over the main lyrics. Lights twinkled to the beat as the natural performer revved up the audience through arm gestures and waving.
"I'm burnin' through the sky yeah
Two hundred degrees
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you!"
He pointed at his friends' general area, but every male down the same pathway cheered with raised fists. The next lines sung however where aimed directly at Shiro, who did indeed take notice even if he was fairly sure Freddie Mercury never meant them to be.
"Yeah, I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars
On a collision course
I am a satellite; I'm out of control
I am a sex machine ready to reload
Like an atom bomb about to
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh explode!"
His face turned red and he put it down on the table to hide, though his eyes remained fixated on the stage as the final lyrics were sung and closing simple vocal rifts performed until the music faded away. As if coming down from a high, Kyo returned to the center stage and reattached the microphone to the stand. He gave a wave before moving to quietly walk away, but was blocked by the Krogan. The audience was still cheering for an encore, but he was hesitant to stay any longer.
"Wasn't that great, folks?" spoke the announcer as he put a heavy arm around armored shoulders. "How about another song, kid?"
"Well, I don't really…"
"YEAH MAN, SING ANOTHER!" shouted Vega from his seat. Shiro had been quiet the entire time, completely enamored by the performance. Sure, Kyo had sung around him lots of times before, but that was something he had never seen before.
"Look kid, sing another and I'll give you whatever you want. I've got a dancing Hanar after you! I need something to keep people here," was whispered in his ear as a clawed hand covered the microphone's tip.
"Give me access to Maya Atorti's room and you've got a deal.".
"Got a thing for her too, eh? Fair enough. SO, WE HAVE OURSELVES AN ENCORE!" Clearing his throat, Kyo thought for a minute before speaking.
"We all lost someone in this war. We had friends die. Family. Children. Lovers. My best friend and bandmate David, he…" There was a genuinely sad pause. "He didn't make it. We were on Earth when the Reapers hit and I made it to the shuttle, but then he went back for someone he cared about. Thing is, who he went after didn't care about him too much, but that didn't stop him. That was the type of guy he was. He gave his life for someone who didn't give a damn about him. He was a true hero and this was his favorite song. I never liked it honestly, but I will today." Kyo stopped to laugh a bit about it. "Well, this is dedicated to all those heroes who aren't here with us anymore. It's called, The Show Must Go On."
The lights went dark as the slow and melancholic music began to fill the room. It was a drastic change from the previous song which celebrated a carefree life.
"Empty spaces - what are we living for?
Abandoned places - I guess we know the score
On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for...?
Another hero, another mindless crime
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Hold the line, does anybody want to take it anymore?
The show must go on."
The lyrics stung everyone in their own way. Many worlds were destroyed by the Reapers. Where there were once sprawling cities were now abandoned and empty unmarked graves as painful reminders of those who stood bravely and died defending.
"Inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on."
The survivors were those in this bar, listening to their pain being sung and told to keep on living regardless.
"Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance
Another heartache, another failed romance
On and on, does anybody know what we are living for?
I guess I'm learning, I must be warmer now
I'll soon be turning, round the corner now
Outside the dawn is breaking
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free
The show must go on."
Those who had someone to curl up with were sad at the thought of losing them. Those who had lost someone, like Cortez, sat quietly as a few slow tears slid down their cheeks.
"I'll top the bill, I'll overkill
I have to find the will to carry on
On with the show.
The show must go on..."
Kyo closed his eyes as he channeled the memories of how many times he heard this song against his will. How he had only memorized the lyrics because he'd been coaxed into singing it while David would play the music in the background. At the end, he stood there quietly as the music faded out and the overhead lights came back on. The applause was slow, at first, as the audience began to recover enough to notice that it was over. Even Vega had wet cheeks when he clapped as hard as he could with Cortez doing the same, but Shiro did not. In fact, he wasn't even at the table anymore.