Business as Usual

[Travis]

Paging Olesya. Get your ass up here and stop making out with our audience.

Haha..I've got to get going.

"It's all good."

Travis would take another small gulp of his beer, and watch as Olesya placed her empty beer upon the bar, and then reached for something in her back pocket. She pulled the pen out and then reached for his hand, and he'd allow her to take it and write whatever she planned to write. Those icy blues would watch as a phone number formed and he'd smile slightly when he read it over. He'd be sure to put it in his phone soon enough, that way it wouldn't smudge off or anything like that. That really would have sucked. And he was glad that she hadn't taken his comment the wrong way and freaked out or something. That would have been the last thing Travis wanted right now.

I'll see you around.

"I plan to stick around for awhile.. So maybe I'll talk to you later."

Travis would continue to watch as Olesya slipped away into the crowd of drunk and sober a like. He was sure soon enough she'd be up on stage, and Travis was thinking about pushing his way up toward the front in a few. But first, he had to finish his drink. Holding his beer in his left hand, Travis would drop the other into his pocket and pull out his cellphone. He'd put Olesya's number into the phone and then drop it back into his pocket, glancing through the phone he'd realize he still hadn't removed Sara's number. He'd snort slightly, and delete it. Reira's could stay. After all, he still planned on being friends with her.

I feel bad.. But I can't hang onto her anymore. She messed it up..

Tipping that beer back, this senior would knock back the last of his beer, and place down. Pushing away from the bar and lifting himself from the stool, his intoxication really hit him. He didn't realize just how much he had drunk in such a short time. Shaking his head slightly, Travis would catch his barrings and then move toward the crowd. He would slowly start making his way through it, heading toward the stage, just waiting for the next song to be played.

[Olesya]

Les made her way back to her crew, and Gabri and Spence were up on stage checking the cords and extra picks and everything so it would be ready for them to go back up. Garrett, Marten, and Lor was standing in a loose circle by the stage when she joined them.

"How's it looking? I think we've got a good turn out tonight."

"I broke onnuh my sticks on the last set...I need the roadies to make sure I have extras this time."

"It looks like they like the upbeat songs. Nothing too slow and sleepy."

"I'm sure we could throw in some originals too, to spice it up a bit."

"Good idea, Les. Let's try...hm. Opening with 'Clark Gable', then 'Red Indicates..', and then what originals do we wanna play?"

"Depends on who's singing. Garrett, are you up for back ups?"

"I'm fine with it."

"Okay then, we could do Urban Wonderland then. And then wrap it up with 'Pork and Beans' and 'Leaving Town.'"

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright."

The quartet made their way back on stage. Olesya took her tshirt off her shoulder and tossed it at the girl with long auburn hair who was stepping offstage with a dark haired boy. Her sister and Garretts brother were roadies for them, and didn't complain because they could stay out late and got paid a little bit per gig. Not a tone because the meager earnings per show were split between six people, but it was enough to make them happy.

She grabbed her guitar, swinging the strap around her shoulders and checking the strings before adjusting her mic. And then the second set began.

I was waiting for a cross-town train in the London underground
When it struck me (When it struck me)
That I've been waiting since birth to find
A love that would look and sound like a movie
So I changed my plans and rented a camera and a van
and then I called you (and then I called you)
"I need you to pretend that we are in love again" and you agreed to

I want so badly to believe that "there is truth, that love is real"
And I want life in every word to the extent that it's absurd

I greased the lens and framed the shot using a friend
as my stand-in (As my stand in)
The script it called for rain but it was clear that day so we faked it
The marker snapped and I yelled "quiet on the set"
And then called "action!" (And the called action)
And I kissed you in a style that clark gable would have admired
(I thought it classic)

I want so badly to believe that "there is truth, that love is real"
And I want life in every word to the extent that it's absurd
I know you're wise beyond your years, but do you ever get the fear
That your perfect verse is just a lie you tell yourself to help you get by? (Get by)
You tell yourself to help you get by? (Get by)
You tell yourself to help you get by? (Get by)

Lor sang the melody and Les sang back up, and for the most part that was how their dynamics worked. Sometimes Les sang the melody and Lor sang backup, or sometimes Garret would step in if they needed a male voice. It really just depended on the song.

"Clark Gable" by the Postal Service



[Edit: Fixed lyrics (who sings what) and inserted link to song]

[Travis]

OOC: Sorry. Brain dead!

Maneuvering through these crowds could get a bit hectic sometimes. Travis found himself changing directions multiple times, but eventually he ended up making it toward the front, and he'd find himself just off center of the stage that was now being taken by Olesya and her other band members. It wouldn't be long before the music started up, and the words boomed out and filled the air.

I bet it would be a blast to play up there..

Travis was doing his best to make sure he didn't fall over or anything like that. It was hard when there were so many people around him, moving any way they wished. But he'd ignore it the best he could while he stood and listened to the words being sang, and the rest of the instruments sounded out help move the song along. He wasn't familiar with the song, he didn't know whether or not it was original or if it was a cover. But he enjoyed it either way. Maybe if he knew the words he'd sing out with them, but he didn't. So instead, Travis simply stood there for the time being, watching the band up on stage play. Though most of the time he kept his attention on Olesya.

Too bad I can't play an instrument..

[Olesya]

The first song finished up and the crowd cheered. Once the cheering died down, they went into their second piece, 'Red Indicates Doors are Secured' by the Arctic Monkeys. This was Garrett's song because of the style of the song, neither Lor or Olesya could sing it without completely butchering it. They joined in at the end of the chorus with 'No surrender, no chance of retreat.'

Stirfry Friday liked to play songs that were crowd pleasers, but not so mainstream that every other band in San Fran played them. As long as they could bob to the music, and some sing along, it was golden. Every once in a while, if they found that they were losing the crowd, they would play a little famed AAR (rather than their old stuff, which frankly, was much better), or something played on the top 40s on the radio. Only if they had to.

Marten beat up the drums, giving a healthy, fast paced beat while Olesya's hands danced across her bass with the energetic bass part, Lor picking up the melody on guitar as Garrett started to sing.

Ask if we can have six in, if not we'll have to have 2
You're coming up our end aren't you? So I'll get one with you
Oh won't he let us have six in? especially not with the food
He coulda just told us no though, he dint have to be rude

See her in the green dress? She talked to me at the bar
How come its already two pound fifty? We've only gone about a yard
Dint ya see she were gorgeous, she was beyond belief
But this lad at the side drinking a Smirnoff ice came and paid for her tropical Reef

And I'm sitting going backwards, and I didn't want to leave
Its high green mate, via hillsborough please

How funny was that sketch earlier, up near that taxi rank
Oh no you will have missed it, think it was when you went to the bank
These
two lads squaring up proper shouting, bout who was next in the queue
The kind of thing that would seem so silly but not when they've both
had a few

Calm down temper temper, you shouldn't get so annoyed
You're acting like a silly little boy
They wanted to be men and do some fighting in the street
No surrender, no chance of retreat

Drunken plots hatched to jump it, ask around are ya sure?
Went for it but the red light was showing
And the red light indicates doors are secured.

Hardly a moment of silence followed the piece before the drunken cheering pierced the air. Olesya smiled, waving to the crowd, glad that things were going well. She cleared her throat, leaning into the mic.

"You guys are awesome." She laughed, "Alright, we're Stirfry Friday and right now we're going to bring you one of our own called 'Urban Wonderland.' We hope you like it."

Marten started out with a basic drum beat of average speed, Lor starting in on the guitar. Olesya came in on the bass and Garrett played the piano, there was no synthesizer in this piece.

Cold coffee for a change,
singing songs about the subway.
Walking through a faceless crowd,
Not caring what they say.

Out of sight, out of mind
Seems to be the motto here.
But you do what you can
When you live in Urban Wonderland.

The neon lights always call you
and in the darkness they own you
And the only place you think you're safe
Is in the fairytale with no last page..

The lyrics were a little on the downer side, talking about the dreary aspects of urban life, but the beat was upbeat and almost lithe. Garrett came in on the chorus, having a two part male female harmony. The song continued on, eventually coming back around to the beginning of 'cold coffee for a change, singing songs about the subway.'

Blahblahblah getting lazy...other two songs >>

"Thank you San Fran! Have a good night!"

The band exited the stage at the cheers raged and died off as people went back to their other interesting matters. Spencer and Gabri started gathering up the gear while the band put away their instruments and packed them into the van out back. They had all pitched into get this van to carry all their crap, and it stayed at Lor's house most of the time. It was black with green, blue, red, and purple paint on it, their logo plastered on the side. It was pretty old school, and broke down a lot, but it was theirs. And that was cool.

Les set Lilah down in the van, leaving Spence and Gabri to their job and made her way back into the club. She half wondered if that red haired boy, Travis, was still around, but right now she just wanted some water. She grabbed the bottle from the top of the amp, tilting her head back and drinking greedily. Yeah,she was classy.

[Travis]

As soon as the second song finished and the crowd roared out it's cheer, Travis had joined them himself. Live concerts were usually always fun, regardless of whether you knew the songs being played or not. It was just exciting energy. And Travis was enjoying himself. He was feeling pretty good right now. Though, he was drunk he was still able to control himself without too much issue. Soon enough He'd watch as Olesya prepared to speak into the mic.

You guys are awesome. Alright, we're Stirfry Friday and right now we're going to bring you one of our own called 'Urban Wonderland.' We hope you like it.

He'd hear others yell out and random 'woooo!'s. And he'd smile up toward and soon enough the song would start to play, and this time it was Olesya that was singing. Travis would listen carefully to what was said, and he'd cheer out along with others. He liked her voice, it was pretty awesome that she was talented like this. He wasn't really talented in anything like that. Though I guess you could consider fighting an art if you really wanted.

Eventually the set would come to an end, and Travis would cheer along with everyone else, and he'd watch as they prepared themselves to leave. Travis wondered whether or not she planned on leaving right away or not. He watched her exit back, and Travis noticed the crowd was beginning to thin a bit. It was still really stuffy in here though, and he really hoped it would change. He needed something to drink himself, and alcohol probably wasn't a good idea.

Just as he began to turn to leave, he'd catch movement near the back of the stage again, and then he'd see a familiar form. Olesya had returned, and he watched as she grabbed her bottle of water and began to chug it. He'd smirk, and instead of heading back toward the bar he'd move toward the same, he really didn't care if he wasn't suppose to do that.. He was going to do it anyways. Soon enough he'd be close enough to call out.

"Good job. I loved your song there."

[Olesya]

"Good job. I loved your song there."

Coughing, she pulled the water bottle away from her mouth, fist raising to pound herself in the chest. Ingest, not inhale...good job. Les looked up to see the red haired boy from earlier, Travis, walking up to speak with her again. Looks like he hadn't left after all. She grinned, twisting the top back onto her water.

"Oh hey...thanks. We like to throw our originals in every once in a while. If they like what we've got, its a better chance at becoming famous, right?"

She laughed. There were so many amateur bands across the country that the chance that they would become famous was rather slim. It didn't matter to her though, as long as they had a place to play, she was alright with that.

[Travis]

Oh hey...thanks. We like to throw our originals in every once in a while. If they like what we've got, its a better chance at becoming famous, right?

"Exactly. As long as you keep at it, I'm sure you'll do fine. You never know what kind of people could be watching you play."

Travis would nod after he spoke, lifting his left hand up he'd rub at his eyes for a moment. He was feeling pretty drunk right now, but it was all good. He still felt like he'd be able to drink a bit more, but it was probably best to stop for the time being. He'd rather not end up waking up with his head in the toilet, covered in vomit. That would totally suck.

"Need any help packing your stuff up?"

Take a few steps forward, he'd shrug his shoulders. He didn't mind helping, besides he kind of had that feeling of wanting to be physical right now. Maybe it was the alcohol, who knew. But he felt like lifting some heavy shit. Though heavy to Travis probably was a lot heavier to other peoples. Hell, he was sure he could move a car himself if he wanted to. Damn, minds wander when one was drunk. He'd fixate those icy blues back upon the girl, and smile with his offer.

[Olesya]

"You can only hope so, right?"

She grinned, casting a glance at the crowd. You never knew, sometimes scouts checked out bars for the newest sensations, but it wasn't top priority right now. She just liked having fun, and having something to do. It was better than sitting in front of the boob tube all day or with her face glued to the computer. It got her out doing something that she liked.

"Need any help packing your stuff up?"

She glanced back to where Spencer and Gabri were grabbing things from the stage.

"Nah, we have roadies that help us out. My sister and Garrett's brother. They gotta earn their keep. Thanks though."

She shrugged it off, though it was nice of him to offer. It was a lot of work setting up and taking down, and if they weren't paying their siblings, she totally would help out. But they volunteered to roadie, because it let them stay out late on school nights and weekends, so that alone made them eager to do it. The pay was nice too, though.

"I want to get a drink. Wanna come with?"

[Travis]

Nah, we have roadies that help us out. My sister and Garrett's brother. They gotta earn their keep. Thanks though.

Travis would nod after she spoke. He completely understood. They had to do their job, after all. He figured it was the right thing to offer. He wouldn't have minded doing it. He didn't have anything else to do right now, that was for sure. He'd glance back toward the crowds, scanning them for a moment before he returned his attention toward the female that had just finished with her show.

I want to get a drink. Wanna come with?

"Sure, sounds good."

Even though he had just thought about how he shouldn't drink more, she wanted to head to the bar her. He might as well go with her, and he probably wasn't going to be able to stop himself from having another beer or two. Liquor wasn't a good idea though. The heat of this place was getting to him a little bit, but he'd stick around for a bit longer. He'd turn and begin to walk toward the bar, passing through the crowd as calmly as he could. And once he reached the bar he's plant his ass down, and put those elbows on the table top once again.

"Two beers, please."

He'd throw the cash down on the bar and wait for the drinks. Maybe it would have been better for him to ask if she even planned to have beer or not.. The thought hadn't even entered his mind until he already ordered them. Oh well, if she wasn't going to drink it then he would. He had a feeling he'd regret it in the morning though..

[Olesya]

Olesya followed Travis to the bar, pushing her way through the crowd. It was always difficult to move through masses of people, and it always made her feel a little claustrophobic. Her head was buzzy from the beers before and the raw adrenaline from playing the show, but it was a good feeling. And here she'd met this cool kid too. It was a successful night.

"Two beers, please."

She sat down on the stool next to him, sliding off her combat boots and tucking her feet up indian style beneath her. Sure it may be a little odd, but it was comfortable, and she and shoes did not have a nice relationship. If she could, she would run around barefoot all the time.

When the bar tender came back, sliding two beers their way, Les paused a moment before taking the extra one. He had ordered it for her right? Unless he felt like two-fisting it.

"Thanks."

She took a healthy sip, it wasn't her favorite taste in the world, but it did its job, and she was still thirsty from being on stage. Job over, it was time to kick back and enjoy herself.

"So, do you have any siblings?"

[Travis]

Thanks.

"No problem."

He'd nod after she thanked him, grabbing at his own beer which had been set in front of him. He'd put it to his lips, and down it for a bit before he turned his head and happened to realize she had taken her boots off. It wasn't like it bothered him or anything, his own boots were kind of stuffy as well. But with his luck he'd take them off and forget that he had even done so. He'd lost shoes at parties before because of that same damn reason. Soon enough though, the girl had spoke to him again. It took a second to register, but he'd turn those icy blues to his beer, and take another gulp before he spoke him.

So, do you have any siblings?

"I.. uhh.. I did. I had a brother."

That was all he could really think to say. He didn't really want to go into details, she was still somewhat of a stranger to him. Besides, this wasn't a night to get all emo. It was a night to celebrate, amirite? Yeah. And so he would have spoken pretty quickly to try and change the subject. Not like he was trying to be rude, but thinking about a dead sibling while you were getting trashed really wasn't the best thing in the world to do.

"What about you? Just your sister?"

[Olesya]

"Oh. Sorry."

She looked down at the drink in her hand, finding sudden fascination with the small bubbles that fizzed to the surface. When he spoke up again, she looked up, a faint smile on her lips.

"It's only the two of us at home now. But I have an older brother and sister. Both at school."

Hell yeah big family. >> She still felt kind of bad about asking him and possibly bringing up bad memories. Or something. The same thing had happened with Mathew, and she was starting to think she shouldn't ask about other people's families. It was just a conversation killer.

"You might wanna stay away from my sister though. She gets a little boy crazy."

She joked, the playful glint returning to her eyes.

[Travis]

Oh. Sorry.

He'd take her words with a nod. Travis still wished things hadn't gone down the way they did back at his old school all those years ago, but he couldn't change the past. Everyone had their time to go, and it just seemed it was his brothers turn, even though he had been so young. But over the years he had come to terms with the loss, and while it still kind of upset him when he thought about it, he usually hid it pretty well. And he'd soon smile to hide the hurt, as he listed to Olesya speak some more.

It's only the two of us at home now. But I have an older brother and sister. Both at school. You might wanna stay away from my sister though. She gets a little boy crazy.

"Boy crazy huh? Are you telling me that you never go boy crazy?"

It was a joke, he was sure she'd pick it up after he chuckled slightly and then pulled his beer to his lips once again. He'd gulp and then set it upon the bar top for now. It still have a bit left, but he wanted to take it slow. Otherwise he'd just end up having another.. And another.

[Olesya]

Les was about halfway through her own drink, taking it a little faster than the others before back when she was still playing the gig. She knew her limit, and she wasn't stupid. She knew how to handle herself and how to handle other people if they got too close or got ideas.

"Boy crazy huh? Are you telling me that you never go boy crazy?"

Olesya laughed at this, snorting slightly. She put her hand over her mouth, shaking her head and regaining her cool. Gabri had always been the girly girl, the cute one. Olesya was the tom boy, and tom boys weren't boy crazy, right?

"Of course not. Boys have cooties."

She replied in all seriousness, though her eyes were glinting in quiet laughter. Cooties, really? Was she trying to be funny? Was she....flirting? What the hell, Olesya. Eh, it was harmless, and she was having a good night. She had had so much pressure as the Varsity Captain back at 259, it was kind of nice to just be another girl here in San Fran. She didn't have a following, or constant challenges.

[Travis]

Of course not. Boys have cooties.

"Aww, do you really think I have cooties?"

He'd glance over toward her with a smirk on his face, and then grab his beer once again. He'd take a sip, keeping his eyes on her as he did it. Flirting wasn't a bad thing. Harmless fun, right? Right. Besides, he wasn't attached to anyone. Reira was just a friend now, she had made it clear Matrim and her were getting back together. He couldn't bring himself to go back to Sara. He had been burned. So he was alone. And it damn well gave him the right to flirt when he wanted.

"You really scared of 'cooties'? Here I had you pegged as the fearless type.."

He'd laugh again, and take another sip before placing it down again and turning to face her completely again, dropping his elbows to he knees as Travis looked toward her. He was having fun. And he was feeling great tonight, drunk enough to enjoy himself and remember things. Though he still had a feeling a hang-over was going to come with this. He didn't care. It was worth it so far.