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Post by Aiden "Rave" Hamilton on Apr 25, 2009 5:04:46 GMT -6
Rhys' voice suddenly pulled Rave back to reality again and he looked up at the guy then turned back to look at Sissy as she left. She probably made the deal with the guy again as she did last time, to make sure he got what he wanted of what she'd earned. It didn't seem like any harmful was going on there at least.
Rave shook his head at the question. No, he didn't know what happened to her, she never told even though he tried to ask her but she just wasn't ready for it at that time and he didn't want to pressure her either.
He turned back and listened to what Rhys said about her and what had happened to her and frowned when he heard what her story was. It sounded like it was something you saw in movies and one of these days he had to ask her about it but he would have to get to know her better first, otherwise she might run from him. That's at least what Rave would do if anyone confronted him with his history, and a person that he barely knew at that.
"A week an' a half.."
Rave corrected Rhys and took another drink from his beer and didn't acknowledge it more than that. He put the glass back on the counter then flicked his eyes up at the guy when he insulted him of being the one busting Sissy up.
He peered at Rhys for a moment and counted to ten in his mind to keep his calm while determining if the guy was serious in what he said or not but it seemed in the end that he somehow cared about Sissy, wanting to protect her.
"No, I was the one kickin' the otha guy's ass an' made 'im crawl in 'is own blood 'ome to momma an' cry along with 'is son or who evah it was 'e had with 'im..."
He said, looking Rhys dead in the eyes and a glimpse of that fighter spirit showed in them in the memory of being in a fight that good. Sure he'd gotten hurt in the process but it was a good fight where he released some of his anger and that felt awesome.
"...I 'elped Sissy back to the hotel, she was really busted up at tha' time so I carried 'er inside an' stayed ovah night. She 'ad a concussion an' I didn't wanna leave 'er alone. She refused to go to the 'ospital..."
Sissy had spoken about him? Rave hadn't expected that to say the least, he was quite surprised as a matter of fact. No one really did that unless it was in a bad way.
"Wha' did she say about me?.."
He asked and took another drink of the beer, forcing himself to relax his shoulders and not be in the defensive mode so obvious as he felt he was.
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Rhys Bowen
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Bartender at Vic's
Posts: 22
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Post by Rhys Bowen on Apr 25, 2009 10:45:45 GMT -6
Rhys shook his head.
"Girl draws trouble like a picnic draws ants. I've had to go up and patch her up more than once." The girl came back, pointedly ignoring Rave now, and Rhys filled her order efficiently. When she'd wiggled back to the businessman's table and started talking to another group of new arrivals Rhys continued.
"She gets fucked up about once every four to six months. Always bounces back and keeps on doing what she does. Stone stupid in that regard, in my book." He grabbed a handful of nuts and began tossing them into his mouth, one at a time. "But we all make stupid choices. It was good of you to help her out. Be careful you don't make too much of a habit though, girl has no loyalty."
He refilled Rave's beer and pushed it over. "On me."
"Wha' did she say about me?.."
"Didn't talk to her about you, talked to Jimmy, the bellhop. He's got a huge crush on her, I think. But too scared of her to say anything." Rhys chuckled. "He just said some cut up Billy Idol wanna be was in her room and said he was taking care of her."
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Post by Aiden "Rave" Hamilton on Apr 25, 2009 10:56:27 GMT -6
"Well.. seems like she an' I 'ave somethin' incommon then.."
He said. Rave'd been in several fights and it all started when he was young anyway and that was nothing new to him. On the other hand he had no problem with the fighting part, that was just a way for him to release some anger.
"Maybe she needs to be shown the way eh?"
He said and took some of the nuts from Rhys and stuck it in his own mouth before the guy could catch them all in the air. Rave glances to the door again where he'd last seen Sissy.
"I'm used to the 'no loyalty' bit.. can't trust anyone in this world anehway.."
He said just as he got the new beer for free after he'd finished the last of the first one he had. He nodded a thanks to Rhys. He seemed like a really nice guy. It wasn't often that bartenders even cared to talk to people at the bar more than giving or taking orders.
"I'm not s'posed to fight anehway... kinda 'ard to stop once yoah ge' goin'.."
Rave smirked and took a drink from the new beer but raised it towards Rhys in a slight cheering movement before he did so while listening to what the bellhop said about him.
"Realleh? tch... Billy Idol wanna be? Interestin' choice of words"
He grinned. He hadn't really thought about that but thinking about it now he really did look similar to Billy Idol, didn't he? He chuckled a bit at that.
"Guy looked pretteh embarrassed too when I opened 'er door in only my boxers..tch..."
Rave grinned at the memory of it all and then remembered the scars on Sissy's body and the scars she'd had on her back and other places.
"Yoah know wha' 'appened to 'er? 'ow she go' the.. injuries?"
He asked, trying to be a bit careful and not blurt int out about her lashes and burn marks just in case no one knew about them even though she said she was proud of them.
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Rhys Bowen
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Bartender at Vic's
Posts: 22
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Post by Rhys Bowen on Apr 25, 2009 11:16:29 GMT -6
"From before she came here?" Rhys asked, behind his grey eyes a curtain fell. "Nope." He lied easily.
"Books and two Bud Lights." The waitress said. Rhys moved away and pulled out more of the song books for her before pouring the Buds.
"So, what about you? What's your story. Seems like everyone who's here came from somewhere else, and from your accent you're definitely from somewhere else." Rhys asked as he pulled out a boxy looking set up and put it on the end of the bar. Apparently it was the karaoke machine. He set a clipboard on the counter as well and then started plugging wires from the machine into the sound system set up under the bar. "Or, if you don't want to share, that's fine. I don't share mine either."
He used the remote to turn on the prompters and then keyed in a song code. Music came from the speakers and the words to "Somewhere over the Rainbow" began to show up on the screens on the little stage.
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Post by Aiden "Rave" Hamilton on Apr 25, 2009 12:16:55 GMT -6
Rave just shrugged but nodded at his question. He eyed him for a moment and to be honest he just couldn't tell if the guy was lying or not but it was another matter. And, the guy seemed a bit protective over Sissy as well so he figured that even if the guy knew about it, he probably wouldn't tell.
He glanced over at the waitress slightly when she showed up to get orders again but once again he looked away and glanced into the book before him, yet again skimming pages to see what kind of songs they had. Unless he was forced to sing here, he wouldn't. Not in a karaoke night anyway.. well, perhaps if it was a dare but it all would matter on the stakes at hand as well.
Once the waitress left again he closed the book and pushed it towards Rhys before he took another drink from his new and free beer.
"My storeh? ..."
He hesitated for a moment then smirked a bit bitterly.
"Just a guy tha' got sick of 'is old life, searchin' fo' the gold pot 'ere I s'pose. I'm goin' to make it.. an' make it big. Just need a good place to start"
He said and took a few more nuts from Rhys since he could reach them anyway and unless the guy said they cost, he wouldn't pay for them.
Rave watched while his new friend set the little karaoke machine up. It was quite a small device considering the loud amount of bad sounding it would give in the form of people who were way too drunk to sing, or worse yet.. people who thought they could sing but couldn't hold a note along with being too drunk.
He shivered at the thought and tried to shake it off but prepared for the worst. When he saw what song it was on the screen he stared at it then looked over at Rhys with his beer in hand.
"Yoah've gotta be kiddin' me..!"
Not quite impressed by the song that showed up on the screen, and not by the person entering to sing it either. He groaned and shook his head.
"...it's no' even started yet an' I'm alreadeh 'orrified.. bu' I'm too lazy to move... wha' a pitch to find yoahself in..."
He muttered and leaned his head in his right palm with a groan. This would most probably kill him since he had perfect hearing when it came to tunes and keys since he could play by ear just by hearing most things only once.
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Rhys Bowen
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Bartender at Vic's
Posts: 22
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Post by Rhys Bowen on Apr 25, 2009 15:22:44 GMT -6
Rhys chuckled darkly and refilled the nuts from a large can, then got other bowls out from under the counter and began to fill them as well. "I knew I should have gotten a copy-write on my story...except for the ending. This is far as my story goes."
"...it's no' even started yet an' I'm alreadeh 'orrified.. bu' I'm too lazy to move... wha' a pitch to find yoahself in..."
"You have no idea..." He winced as one of the businessmen put don c-547 on the sign in sheet and went to bellow out "My Way" along with personal asides.
"Regrets, I've had a few...like Thersa at the office party...." To the loud laughter of the table in the back.
"My own little slice of hell." Rhys grinned grimly. "Gotta love it."
He moved down the bar, putting a bowl of nuts about every three feet before returning to his post, halfway between the cash register and Rave, to lean against the back counter, arms crossed. His grey eyes shifted restlessly over the room, watchful for trouble, even though his body was relaxed. No one passing the lobby entrance escaped his notice and he usually had the order ready for the regulars before the waitress made it back to the bar to pick them up.
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Post by Aiden "Rave" Hamilton on Apr 25, 2009 15:33:56 GMT -6
"So... wha's yoah storeh?"
Rave asked and winched visibly and covered his right ear when the guy wailed out the last of "Somewhere over the rainbow" and left the stage for the next bank man to make his attempt.
"Bloody 'ell!"
He groaned and shook his head before taking a few drinks on the beer as if attempting to drown the sorrows of band singing skills.
"Oh... who doesn't 'ave regrets like tha'... bu' I s'pose we all should learn from those fuck ups, yeah?"
He remarked with a chuckle that remarked that you should but you never really did and usually ended up fucking up more than three times after that and even then, you didn't quite learn your lesson.
"Rave took a fist of nuts and basically poured them into his mouth before chewing them while Rhys put the bowls out on the counter and finished it with a drink of his beer to rinse his mouth out.
Just as Rhys returned to lean against the back counter Rave groaned and shivered again and covered his right ear again since it was closer to the stage when the new bank man started wailing "My way" as if he was dying in pain and agony.
"Oh my fuckin' God that's torture!"
He muttered and closed his eyes for a moment. It was almost as bad as sticking a knife in his ears and waving it around or something like it and it showed with ease by the way he shuddered at every false tone the guy managed to get out of his mouth and pretend it was singing.
"Can' 'e get 5 fuckin' tones right on tha' damned song I'm surprised!"
He said as if he was cursing the guy standing there.
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Rhys Bowen
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Bartender at Vic's
Posts: 22
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Post by Rhys Bowen on Apr 25, 2009 15:49:21 GMT -6
"My story...I was home, I left home, I ended up here. Someday I'll die. Then, on my grave, they can write...'and that was that'." Rhys said with an ironic twist to his lips. "In the meanwhile I get to slop some beer and listen to the American Idol wannabe's fine tune their acts."
He poured himself another shot and tapped it against Raves' mug. "My joy is unending." He said with a tone of gallows humor as he tipped the shot back.
"You going to join the few, the brave, the proud?" Rhys asked nodding towards the stage. At Rave's negative response Rhys grinned. "Well, you gave me a fifty, so I'm thinking before you've drank your fill of it, you'll be up there. Otherwise, why look through the book? You're souls already decided, your body is just waiting to get drunk enough to convince your mind."
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Post by Aiden "Rave" Hamilton on Apr 25, 2009 15:57:48 GMT -6
"Hah.. sound like mine then!"
He chuckled then winched again when the guy hit a very bad note while trying to do a high pitch. Rave's hairs stood straight up on his back in torment for what his ears couldn't avoid hearing.
"Except fo' slopin' ale tho, I just enjoy it instead"
He smirked and rose his glass as if in a cheers to Rhys' shot of what ever he was drinking in that shot glass. What ever it was it might just help from the torment of that bad singing.
"Me? sing karaoke? yeah... right... I play, write an' I sing an' I do it all sobah an' drunk.. bu' I dunn do karaoke..."
Rave protested and shivered yet again at the man singing. Bank man or not but it was a seriously bad choice of song, not to mention bad choice of man singing it to begin with.
"I just looked through the book to see wha' yoah 'ad an' if the songs were interestin' enough to learn if there were any I didn't know alreadeh.."
He remarked and took another drink of his beer with a slight glare at the guy on stage while Rhys told him that his soul had already decided he wanted to go up there. A part of him was actually thinking about it just to show off to show everybody how songs should really be made but.. there weren't really any songs in the book that he fell for.
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Rhys Bowen
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Bartender at Vic's
Posts: 22
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Post by Rhys Bowen on Apr 30, 2009 14:00:57 GMT -6
"Tell you what," Rhys flipped the book around to face him. "I'll bet you the next round that you can't make them run for the door in embarrassment. Next four rounds. I'll pick the song."
Dark humor glowed in Rhys eyes and he put Rave's name on the list with the number G-472 and then tucked the book under the bar again so Rave couldn't prepare. "Stone cold turkey, since your so good and above all this." He nodded to the weekday crowd that had finally started trickling in. Pudgy pale and laughing men in suits, brittle girls who in their own way wore their outfits like suits as well. Not too femme for the work place, but still trying to dimly shine.
"You get one round of each of the first group of guys who leaves with his tail between his legs without singing another song."
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Post by Aiden "Rave" Hamilton on Apr 30, 2009 14:15:17 GMT -6
Rave looked up at Rhys and the dare he threw his way. He peered at him for a moment as if to see if he was joking or not but it seemed he really did make this dare and made it for real.
"Wha? Yoah dunn think I can sing eh?"
He asked with a smirk before he took another drink from the beer. Good for him he was used to drinking and drinking a lot. The amount he'd been getting into his system in the last hour had only given him a light buzz so far and he was only tipsy so far, good enough to still make a good appearance.
A smug grin appeared on his lips while he ran his left hand over his bottom lip, thinking the dare over and glanced at the book for a moment. The songs in there were quite many but there weren't many he didn't know in there since it was a general 'everybody knows this song'- songs.
"Yoah on, bettah prepare tha' tap buddeh boy!"
He said and got off the stool and took his black leather coat off and placed it over the counter to Rhys to take. It didn't really fit for him to sing on stage with that on, he always felt kind of trapped with it.
"I'll do bettah than tha' I'll make 'em choke on their ales.."
Rave said and looked at the stage while an inner light appeared in his eyes, the fire of performing and hell of a lot better than the third wailing, dying pig on stage at the moment.
Once his turn came up he walked up towards the microphone with a straight back and a good selfesteem and grabbed it with a grin. The spotlights blinded him lightly even if they weren't as strong as the spotlights on a real stage.
"Okay... so, I've just agreed on a lil dare with mah buddy, Rhys in tha' bar there.. 'e'll throw a song at me tha' I dunn kno' wha' it is... and we'll see if I can sing it foah yoah or no', yeah?"
A light cheering of the audience which kept growing in size since it was that time of night by now. He glanced around at the tables that slowly filled during the few seconds he stod there preparing. The usual storm blue eyes almost looked ice blue in the light.
"Hit me!"
He said to Rhys with a grin, standing just beside the stool that was set there as a prop on stage depending on what songs you sang and probably for the weak hearted that didn't dare to stand and needed to sit as not to faint.
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Rhys Bowen
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Bartender at Vic's
Posts: 22
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Post by Rhys Bowen on Apr 30, 2009 14:25:16 GMT -6
Because Rhys wanted to win, and because he wanted to really see if the punker could sing, he didn't put up a hard song. No, he put up a ballad. With a smirk he punched in the song and as the chords came out of the speakers the Beatles hit came over the screens in front of Rave with the words changing color in the order they should be sung...
Besides, it sort of fit, considering the interest the guy had shown in Sissy. Orders started coming in thick and fast as folks settled in for the night as the Brit began his set.
I once had a girl, Or should I say She once had me. She showed me her room, Isn’t it good? Norwegian wood. She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere, So I looked around and I noticed there wasn’t a chair. I sat on a rug Biding my time, Drinking her wine. We talked until two, And then she said, ‘It’s time for bed’. She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh, I told her I didn’t, and crawled off to sleep in the bath. And when I awoke I was alone, This bird has flown, So I lit a fire, Isn’t it good? Norwegian wood.
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Post by Aiden "Rave" Hamilton on Apr 30, 2009 15:13:43 GMT -6
Rave watched the screen but as soon he heard the first chords he turned to the bar and just stared at Rhys and lowered his mic in a "what the hell" look but with an amused laugh and put the mic back up again. "Beatles? ...No' realleh my style bu'... yoah pickin' on me cuz I'm a Brit... ain't yoah?" He asked and shook his head and laughed. While the intro played he closed his eyes and focused on the song. His mother had been a complete Beatles fan and as soon as his dad wasn't at home, he always heard his mom playing Beatles. Rave sunk down in the chair mostly to make a little appearance to fit with the song, his right foot on the cross bar and his left still on the floor while he sat just on the edge of the stool; his left hand on his thigh by his knee. Ballads wasn't really his type of music but it didn't mean he couldn't sing them. When it was time to start singing the lyrics to Norwegian Wood which was the song's name, he opened up and let his heart bleed into the tunes and words he sang. The words flowed out of his mouth like deep tones of satin, painting the words with tunes. He let the loneliness he'd felt his entire life flow free in the lyrics that Beatles had been so gracious to grant the world with. Rave kept singing with closed eyes until he sang 'Norwegian wood' the first time before he opened his eyes and sang to the crowd. He didn't miss a tone or a note even though he'd glanced at the text strip twice during the song just to make sure he remembered it right. The storm blue eyes, now appearing to be ice blue, glimmered in the spot light and he displayed the hurt that came with the song but also the good times he'd had with the girl and drinking her wine. The lyrics made him think of Sissy and a part of him made him wonder if Rhys had chosen this song just because of that or if it was just a coincidence that made it work quite well with what he and Sissy had gone through already. Both having a rough path, both hard to trust other people and both with scars on their bodies to mark their past. He placed his hand on his heart when he sang about lighting a fire at the end of the song then lowered his head when he sung the last two words and let the song tune out and waited for the crowd to react. First there was silence but then it came, the applauds and whistles and not until then did he lower his mic to his thigh, sitting with both his hands on his legs for a second or two before looking up, smiling to the audience and rose slowly. " 'ows tha' foah yoah, mistah bartendah?" He chuckled and lowered the mic again before he placed the mic on the stool, flicking it on off just before he left it there and jumped off stage while whistling and clapping slowly died out while he made his way back to the bar.
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Rhys Bowen
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Bartender at Vic's
Posts: 22
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Post by Rhys Bowen on Apr 30, 2009 15:23:19 GMT -6
"We'll just have to see, won't we..." Rhys said, the list on the counter filling up quickly and the second bar maid coming in from behind the counter.
"Sorry I'm late." The dyed blonde haired girl said, tying on her apron. "Bus was running late." She dove into the crowd without another word.
Rhys handed back the jacket and got busy with orders, but kept an eye on the bankers. One left with a girl, one sat at the table with the others, and two came back up to sign again. "Two for two, not bad." Rhys smirked.
At the moment a pretty brown haired girl was up there doing a good job of Joplin's "Heartbreaker".
Rave's cell phone beeped for an incoming text. "Not bad, bring your wood to the club later tonight. Sissy."
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Post by Aiden "Rave" Hamilton on Apr 30, 2009 15:53:24 GMT -6
Rave arched a brow at the late blonde waitress showing up while putting her apron on. He took the leather coat back when Rhys offered it to him and put it back on again.
"tch.. I'll make 'em leave if yoah put me up again bu' with a song I actualleh know an' dunn go by memory of.."
He said and took a drink of his beer that still stood at the counter, half full still. The cellphone chirped and he fished it up from the coat and checked it. It was from Sissy and it made him chuckle.
"Looks like I'm gettin' somethin' thanks to tha' song tho'.."
Rave stated with a smirk and put the phone back in his pocket. She said later and that meant when she was heading home after a good night's work. At least she looked like she could move that arm now and that was good.
His own black eye showed with ease but he didn't really care. The only swelling still there was by the eyebrow and a little by the cheek bone but other than that he was just black-purple with edges of green which slowly worked its way towards yellow.
The girl on stage right now wasn't that bad but she was hell of a lot better than the bank men were at least. Apparently the two that signed up afterwards were either tone def or stupid, or possibly both and Rave couldn't do anything else but shake his head at them and take another drink.
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