Playing with the Band

The band! From left to right, Ian, Jon, yours truly Ben, and Aaron

Ben clutched his stomach as he howled in laughter. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed until he was on the brink of tears. It brought back memories of being human. Ben had just recently met up with his posse and already they caught a gig. It was a lucky break. Ben hadn't seen much of the guys after he was turned.
"What a weird name for a place. Blood Square." Ian mulled.
"Weird name? More like freaky people. They're looking at us like food. Check it out man." Jon said nudging Aaron.
Ben gulped and hoped the vampires had control.
"Hey you guys ready to get on?" The bartender/owner(Ben wasn't quite sure) yelled.
"Ready as we're ever gonna be, right dude?" Aaron grinned.
"Hell yeah." Ben smirked.
Ian did some final adjustments to his guitar strap and broke out into the first riff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcSSv51ee1U

Perry'd always had a taste for walking on the wild side, and tonight was no different. She parked her crotch rocket outside and removed the bandanna from her thick hair, letting it curl around her shoulders. She tied the bandanna around her left knee, scarcely covering up the enormous hole in it.
She entered the room and found an empty table just to the left of the stage. She loved coming here to listen to the bands play, and it was far easier to use deflective glamour (and not get caught!) with so much ambient magic in the air. Sure, it was slightly dangerous for her here, considering the fact that she could still breathe and eat and all, but she love the thrill she got from being around so much danger!
Perry turned attentively to the stage and awaited the next band to take the stage.

Ben held the microphone dangerously close to his face as he surveyed the crowd. It was a nice sized crowd.
"We are Billy Talent, and this is how it goes." Ben said through the guitar intro. As soon as the drums hit, Ben head banged right along.

Everybody is tired and poor and sick of trying
If you see me on the corner, will you stop or will you splash me
Take a look at what we've become
Nothing more than silhouettes of
A pretty family, on a postcard, picture perfect
I don't want it!

So I hold my breath 'till my heart explodes
'Cause this is how it is and this
is how it goes
You can steal my body but you can't steal my soul
'Cause
this is how it is and this is how it goes

Shitty weather, bad timing, lucky penny glued to the ground
Dirty look from total stranger,
Hoping you're lost and you're not found
Take a look at what we've become
Nothing more than silhouettes of
A pretty family, on a postcard, picture perfect
I don't want it!

So I hold my breath 'till my heart explodes
'Cause this is how it is and this is how it goes
You can steal my body but you can't steal my soul
'Cause this is how it is and this is how it...

This is, how it, it goes!
This is, how it, it goes!
This is, how it, it goes!
This is, how it, it goes!

So unscrew my head
And rinse it out
Polish my thoughts
Turn into doubts
Unscrew my head
And rinse it out
Polish my thoughts
Turn into
Turn into doubts!

So I hold my
breath 'till my heart explodes
'Cause this is how it is and this is how it goes
You can steal my body but you can't steal my soul
'Cause this is how it is and this is how it goes

Zylee was sitting at the back of the room listoning to the music.
She smiled as Ben sang.
The sent of human blood flew through the air and her eyes flashed red.

"Were is the human", She murmered to herself looking around the room.

Merry entered the room and saw that a few people were around. The crowd was already mixed, a few other vamps, shapeshifters and even humans. "Good evening Master, your table is ready." The waiter said. "Thanks Jared." Merry walked over to her table in the far cornor. She kept her eyes on the crowd as always.

"How are you guys tonight? I'm doing great, thanks for asking. We're going to slow it down with this next song, Surrender." Ben grinned.
He looked down solemnly at the ground and swayed gently along with the beat. Ben gripped the microphone, singing softly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPabKxzcy6o
She reads a book from across the street
Waiting for someone that she'll never meet
Talk over coffee for an hour or two
She wonders why I'm always in a good mood

Killing time before she struts her stuff
She needs support and I've become the crutch
She'll never know how much she means to me
I'd play the game but I'm the referee

(Surrender)Every word, every thought, every sound
(Surrender)Every touch, every smile, every frown
(Surrender)All the pain we've endured until now
(Surrender)All the hope that I lost you have found
(Surrender)Yourself to me

Even though I know what I'm looking for
She's got a brick wall behind her door
I'd travel time and confess to her
But I'm afraid she'd shoot the messenger

I think I found a flower in a field of weeds
I think I found a flower in a field of weeds
Searching until my hands bleed
This flower don't belong to me
Why can't she belong to me?

Every word, every thought, every sound
Every touch, every smile, every frown
All the pain we've endured until now
All the hope that I lost, you have found

(Surrender) Every word, every thought, every sound
(Surrender) Every touch, every smile, every frown
(Surrender) All the pain we've endured until now
(Surrender) All the hope that I lost you have found

(Surrender)I never had the nerve to ask
(Surrender)Has my moment come and passed?
(Surrender)I never had the nerve to ask

Perry was vaguely familiar with the band's music, and she hummed along, occasionally singing when she knew the verses or the chorus. A small smile curled on her red-stained lips. The songs were pretty poignant for a band so young...well, they looked young at least.
In this place, there was no telling who was who they appeared to be. Hell, there was no telling when she was who (or what) she appeared to be! Her eyes scanned the room for familiar faces. It landed on Headmistress NicEssus and she smiled congenially, but didn't leave her table.

The band played a few more songs and then the owner motioned to them. It was time to let the next band play. The guys packed their stuff up and prepared to leave.
"Hey we're going to head over to Dan's bar. You in?" Aaron asked.
Ben jammed his hands in his pockets. "Nah, I'll meet with you guys later."
"Whatever, your choice man." Ian said and clapped Ben on the back.
The three guys got in the car, Jon stuck his head out and waved goodbye. Ben chuckled to himself and headed back inside the bar. He took a seat at a table and watched the next band.

Perry gave the requisite amount of applause at the end of the set and waited for the band to clear and the next band to take the stage. She watched them for a few moments, though she knew that Ben's band was probably long gone--maybe barhopping tonight...who knew.
Triple-ringed eyes scanned the dim, hazy lighting for Ben's familiar face. She smiled slightly when she saw him and sidled up to the table. "Good set. Kudos..." She murred, slipping into an adjacent chair. "Are you up for some mischief tonight, or shall we let the dead have a quiet night without turning in their graves?" She smirked and raised a brow at him conspiratorily.

The corner of Ben's mouth turned in a half smirk. He leaned back in his chair, and folded his arms across his chest. "I think you know the answer to that. What fun would it be if we left the dead alone? But I'm not riding on that crotch rocket of yours. Trying to kill me twice...." Ben scoffed.

She matched his smirk with an accompanying snort of her own. "Well then I'd say it's high time the dead had a little more excitment in their...lives..." She flashed him a charming toothy (almost predatory) grin accompanied by a very unladylike snort of amusement at her own lame joke. A petulant pout crossed her lips at his words and she ribbed him with her elbow, "Aw, but Ben...I thought you liiiked Pansy..." Her pet name for her motorcycle. "She liiiikes youuu..." Perry sing-songed playfully. "Well, since the rocket's out, how do you propose we get around tonight?"

"The dead having excitement in their lives. Something ironic about that." Ben rolled his eyes " And not after last time, I don't like that thing. Come on I'm going to introduce to you this wonderful technique of transportation. It's called walking. W-a-l-k-i-n-g, waaaalking." Ben stood up and took a step forward, purposely exaggerating his step. He waved his hand in a 'follow-me' motion and set off towards the door.

Perry smiled, "I thought it was pretty brilliant wordplay myself..." Her smile soon lapsed into a false petulant pout and she made a loud, snarking noise and crossed her eyes at him. "I'm quite privy to the sage ways of walkers, Ben-Ben..." In spite of her faux-aggravation, she giggled and pushed away from the table, trailing him out the door. "So where to? This place give me the heebies...it's not safe for folk like me..." She grimaced slightly. She would have to tone down her glamour now that they were getting further away from the club.

Ben turned and walked backwards for a couple of steps before turning around. "Aw we don't bite....bad choice of words there. I take that back," He grinned and his canines could be seen clearly. "Well what kind of mischievous acts can we pull on such a night as this?"

She rolled her eyes, laughing,"And you said my jokes were lame? Whatever, Lamey McJokester." She stuck her tongue out at him. She skipped ahead, managing to catch up to him before falling in step with his stride. "Weeeeelll, we could always hit up the local beer garden and turn ourselves into a couple of gin blossoms...I've got my falsie on me..." She made a face, "Oooorrr...i'unno..." She shrugged, "I'm trying to think of things that don't involve me getting eaten or in trouble with the magic law..." She scoffed slightly. "I swear, a girl tries to use glamour on a guy one time to get a few drinks and everybody's all in an uproar..." She muttered, mostly to herself.

Ben doubled over in laughter. "No drinking for you tonight. I think your roommate is getting tired of my lame excuses for bringing you home drunk." He looked up in the sky thoughtfully. "Has there ever been a time where we don't get in trouble with the law?" He suddenly snapped his head back towards Perry. "We can always go screw around with the humans. I never get to play with my electricity anymore. And you know how much I love to show off." Ben pouted and held out a hand with a small, blue orb of electricity floating in his palm.

Perry's lips pursed in a little pout. "Aww...but it's always so much fun watching Gutter try and process information..." She flashed him another one of those predatory grins. "I always forget that you're older than me...and therefore immune to all those d*mn rules!" She giggled playfully, holding her hand over the orb and pulling it from her hand to his. Thankfully, she didn't get in trouble for taking other peoples' magical creations. "So where to? The lake? The park?"

"It's one great thing about being immortal. Don't have to worry about those ridiculous laws." Ben laughed and reached out for the orb. He took it back and closed his fist. The ball of electricity was immediately quenched. "So many possibilities. Let's solve this the old fashioned way." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a quarter. "Heads, lakes. Tails, park. Call it in the air," Ben grinned and flicked the coin.

Perry laughed as well, rolling her eyes at him, "Whatever you say, boss..." Her voice was the familiar nasally whine of Harley Quinn, the Joker's ditzy sometimes-girlfriend. She relinquished control of the orb easily, giving him a fond smile. "You and this coin business...silly man." Her voice had returned to normal at that point. She shook her head. "I call heads!" She stepped back for fear the coin might hit her on its plummet back down.

"It's gonna hit you!" Ben exclaimed and pretended to dive for the coin. In actuality the quarter wasn't even remotely near Perry. He snatched the coin from the air and flipped it on the back of his hand. "Haha just kidding." He pulled his hand back to reveal the coin. "It isssss. heads! Lake it is." Ben let out a whoop and pumped his fist in the air.

Perry playfully slugged his shoulder shortly after he caught the coin. "You, sir, are a grade-a doofus, you know that?" She smirked teasingly at him. "So to the lake it is...let's start waaaalllkkkiiiinnngg..." She overenunciated the word, teasing him a bit. "Maybe we'll get there before dawn at the rate we're moving. I can't believe you didn't wanna take Pansy...she's offended now." Perry teased partially under her breath as they headed in the general direction of the lake.

"Aww my little Perry's taking her first steps." Ben said in a baby-voice. "The inanimate object is offended? Fine, then go get her and I'll tell her I'm terribly sorry." Ben rolled his eyes.

Perry stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry. "Whatever, Ben-ben!" She teased him, sing-songing her pet name for him. "I'd just prefer to ride my motocycle. Takes less time to get wherever it is I'm gonna go...y'know?" She flashed him a toothy grin before falling in step with him again. She remained silent for awhile as they trekked towards the lake, obviously pensive. "So...what's it like," She began tentaitively,"Being...y'know..." She gestured vaguely, indicating his general state of existance.

Ben snorted at the pet name "What? Being good-looking? It's tough, I mean avoiding all those girls, it's hard." He chuckled and then fell silent. Ben jammed his hands in his pockets. It wasn't a subject he had thought much about. "It's not something I can explain. Being like this, it's like trying to explain the colors to a blind man." Ben ran a hand through his hair. The sudden urge to smoke hit him. He pulled out a cancer stick and lit it. He could at least act human.

Perry rolled her eyes with a soft laugh, "You're such a narcissist..." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, listening to him absently, her brows furrowed slightly as she looked at the ground while in transit. She rubbed one forearm self-conciously. "Oh..." Was all she murmured, remaining silent for a few moments before continuing. "Do you really have to drink blood or are there other things you can do...?" She continued softly, pulling a slightly bent pack of smokes from her back pocket. "Gimme light..." She stopped him, putting the tip of her cigarette against his and inhaling deeply, igniting the tip before continuing to walk.