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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 7, 2017 6:40:17 GMT
The low tones of a guitar were the only soundtrack to the Bourbon. Shadow slouched at a booth, away from the bar. He didn't want any social interaction, not with the mood he was in. On the one hand, the fact that he and Riku Lafayette were actually becoming friends and not letting a girl come between them was nice. On the other hand, his best friend was getting engaged. It seemed everyone he knew was making strides in relationships; Ralph was wooing Elsa. Pitch had somehow become more serious with Adeline. Yang and Adrien's relationship was no longer being thrown in his face by reports. He held up his black Russian to the empty seat across from him.
"To the Lafayettes," he said, swigging a drink and setting it down.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Nov 8, 2017 3:04:30 GMT
Up on the stage of the bar, the guitarist finished off his piece and paused for a moment as the patrons applauded. He grinned out at the people before him, running a hand through his black hair and shooting a wink at a pair of girls sitting close to the small stage. Both giggled and blushed behind their hands, their drinks resting on the table in front of them.
Manolo hadn't had any plans on playing in a bar that evening but when he had seen the flyer outside of the Bourbon Graisse asking for a musician on short notice he had figured it might keep him entertained. So he'd gone in and signed up for the spot. Apparently the regular performer for the bar had needed to call off suddenly but he wasn't going to complain. One of the concessions to playing was free drinks from the bar and a small but fair amount of cash.
He paused for a moment before starting his next song, calling out comments to certain people he recognized and joking with others with he took a sip from the beer the bar had sent him. It was while he was doing this that another figure called out something about LaFayettes over the noise of the other patrons. Manolo looked over to the source of the voice and was surprised to see the figure who had shouted looked almost like a hedgehog. However, he merely shrugged as he put his beer down and adjusted the strings of his guitar. The guy must have been Other of some kind.
Strumming his guitar and finding it tuned properly, he turned back to the microphone with a smile and spoke.
"This next one is for all you party animals and wild spirits and adventure seekers out there."
With that, he immediately began to play the instrument in his hands and started to sing in a heavily accented but handsome voice.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2017 3:12:09 GMT
Omar walked into the bar, more curious about who'd they'd gotten to replace him on short notice for his 'sick leave' time. Was he going to explain to Axel he'd gotten literally tortured for love? Hell no. But he would check on the bar and see how things were. It was like family to him after all. So in he walked and there he leaned against a wall in the back, listening with an old and practiced ear as the guitarist played. He wasn't the best, but by far wasn't the worst and his voice was handsome enough. If this were school and Omar were grading, he'd give it a B-. There needed to be a little more soul in Omar's opinion. He tilted his head when someone made a toast to the LaFayettes. He recognized the voice. Omar pushed off the wall and walked to where Shadow was. "Hey Shad" he said easily. "Not bad for a newbie, eh?" he nodded in the singer's direction and then looked at Shadow. "You seem melancholy. Sad you are going to be losing your partner to the rich boy?"
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 8, 2017 5:40:13 GMT
The musician that was playing was someone Shadow hadn't recognized. He was a Hispanic figure who could have pulled off a bullfighter's look. Just replace the nastiness of the bull with the idea of music - the "music soothes the savage beast" cliche as it were - and people would have been killed. The next song had been that one Spanish song that was on the radio and it had driven Shadow crazy. He couldn't deny the musician's talent, no doubt, it was the taste of songs that he said nothing about. A familiar voice came over as Shadow was lowering his glass. No one really called him 'Shad' except for Sunshine. Apparently her attitude was rubbing off on more than one person. Omar was coming over and making small talk. "Yeah, he's pretty good." But of course the elephant in the room was addressed. It was no secret that Riku and Sunshines engagement was making him feel torn. "To be honest, I'm having mixed thoughts. Riku's a nice guy, so at least she isn't getting hitched to some loser, and I'm happy for both of them, honestly I am."
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Nov 8, 2017 7:54:02 GMT
Manolo continued his song as new people came into the bar and others left. He had chosen a popular song that he had heard on the radio recently and while he himself wasn't very fond of it, he had learned over the years that oftentimes people liked something just for the fact that it was popular. The patrons of the bar only seemed to prove this as many of them clapped to the song or sang along in their own drunken voices.
Well, at least they're having a good time.
Manolo shook his head slightly in amusement as he finished the radio song and received another round of applause. He glanced at the clock over the bar as he finished off his beer and saw that his time slot was almost over. He had enough time for perhaps one more song. As he put the empty glass down on the floor he thought about playing another song that everyone was talking about but would soon forget as the popularity wore off. However, as he went through a list in his mind another song, one he hadn't thought of in a long time, seemed to come forward. It was a song he himself had written back when he had still had some hope that things would turn out alright in the world. His friends had loved the song, and Maria had said it was one of her favorites.....
He paused for a moment, looking at the crowd but not seeing them. Finally, he came to a decision and spoke once more into the microphone, his voice softer and far more sincere then before.
"This last song is one I wrote a long time ago and was a favorite of a friend of mine.... Her name was Maria Posada. This is for you, Maria."
With that said, he closed his eyes, took a breath and began to play.
"I love you too much to leave without you loving me back..."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2017 21:18:03 GMT
Omar sighed and nodded. "Yea, I have my reservations about the whole thing. How much does she know about him that isn't in the papers? How much does he know about her? Aren't they moving a bit fast? Though then again I'm a troll and immortal and why am I even talking, I fell in love with a faery after three meetings and then had to prove my love for her" he laughed a little bitterly and raised a bandaged hand to catch the eye of the bartender. "One black magic with lime, if you do please" he asked when the guy, not Axel tonight thankfully, came over. He paused when he heard the new song. It was filled with such sadness. "Well, well, I do believe he was in love with this deceased Maria" he said thoughtfully. That was certainly how he sang the song. His respect for the newbie went up and when he got his drink he maneuvered to the front of the stage and stood there thoughtfully as he listened. When the song finished he nodded. "Think you can play a tune I give you if I sing the song? Only fair the old and new singers sing together to show no hard feelings, yea?" he smiled easily at the young man and raised his drink a little in a small toast. "A song for your Maria and my Cindy"
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 8, 2017 22:01:25 GMT
“As far as I’m concerned,” Shadow said gruffly, “humans have different views of love. Why question something I don’t understand?” He sunk back into the chair. That was about the gist of it. Maybe he didn’t understand love like people thought. He would get the thing about friendship and that was it. The song by the musician changes into something sentimental. He wanted to hear the words, but just the name...
Maria.
Everything in the bar disappeared. He was back in the lab, rushing to the exit with the government on his tail. Maria had been behind him. She asked him to promise her something he couldn’t hear over the explosions of the destructing lab.
Well his mind was there. His body had him frozen, a hand shaking on a half drunk beverage
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Nov 10, 2017 7:58:14 GMT
For a time the bar fell away for Manolo as his voice and the notes of his guitar blended into a song from the past. He no longer saw the low-lit room before him, the wall lined with different types of alcohol, the faces of the patrons as they drank and listened. In that moment is was as if his memories were films playing before his eyes and all he could see where his friends, Maria and Joaquin. The memories were so painful and yet so good to recall, golden times when he had finally felt like he had found true friends....
However, as the song he had created himself drew to its end, the present crept back into place and the past became the past once more. Maria was still dead and he hadn't heard from Joaquin in so long. And what hopes and dreams he had still harbored had slowly turned to ash.
Slowly, the last cord from the song came to an end as he turned his gaze to the stage floor where he sat. His audience was giving its loudest applause for that night and some were even calling for another song but he was finished. The memories had robbed him of any desire he had to perform and all he wanted was to get off the stage and bury his memories in another beer.
However, just as he rose from his seat and started to pull the strap of his guitar over his head, someone spoke to him. Looking down, he saw it was a red-headed troll whom he had spotted earlier talking to the person in the crowd that looked like a hedgehog. The Troll was smiling, praising him for his song and asking him if he might consider playing one last piece as a duo with him in memory of Maria and someone named Cindy. That was the exact opposite of what Manolo wanted to he managed with an effort to smile at the Troll and give a shrug.
"I dunno. While the audience would probably love it I'm not sure how the bar would feel about me playing over my time and...."
The guitarist had been looking at the Troll and only glanced up briefly, but his eyes immediately landed on the hedgehog-looking guy and he was surprised to see that it looked as if he were about to have a seizure of some kind or just pass out. The guy was as stiff as a board, his face had a frozen look of pain on it and his hand was shaking wildly on the glass he was holding. No one else had noticed him either, they were all still looking towards the stage or ordering more drinks.
"And I think that guy you were talking to might be having a fit."
Without missing a single beat, he immediately stepped down from the stage and made his way through the crowd. He managed to maneuver quickly around the throngs that grouped together, his body moving almost by instinct as he approached the black-furred Other. He didn't quite understand why he was so concerned for a perfect stranger, but it was as if his mother's voice was speaking once more inside his head and urging him on.
Remember Manolo. A true curandera uses their gifts to heal everyone, no matter who they be. Friend, foe or stranger, all are worthy of being healed in our eyes.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2017 18:53:42 GMT
Omar shrugged at the denial and then looked over his shoulder at Shadow when the young man expressed concern. "Aw, shit" he muttered and made his own way through the crowd, getting there just after the player. Omar gently touched the young man's arm and shook his head. "It's a memory, I've seen this before. It'll pass, alright? You must have triggered it, seeing as you both have the name Maria in common..." Omar walked past the player and knelt down in front of Shadow. "Shad, Shadow! it's Omar. It's okay, you're okay" He put one bandaged hand on Shadow's knee and looked up at him, worried but calm. He addressed the young man. "If demons start coming in is when you should worry. And I don't mean the owner of the bar, either. Shadow is....special" that was putting it lightly.
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 10, 2017 19:43:29 GMT
The homunculus let out a shocked gasp. The glaze in his eyes vanished alongside his memory relapse. He gasped like he was coming up for a breath, slumping against the table. Omar had a hand over him. Even more interesting was the musician had stopped playing. Shadow hated whoever his relapses put him in a state of being helped. He was back in the Bourbon, a hand settling comfortably on the Black Russian. “I’ll be fine,” he reassured both of them. “
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Nov 11, 2017 10:02:17 GMT
When Manolo finally managed to reach the hedgehog-like Other, he immediately put his guitar to the side in preparation to try and help him. He was honestly amazed that the guy hadn't shattered the glass in his hand and seriously hurt himself. However, before he could do anything the Troll had stepped up beside him and put a bandaged hand on his arm, stating that his friend wasn't having a seizure but was in fact experiencing a flashback.
However, when he said it was because the guy also had lost someone named Maria, Manolo felt completely taken aback. He turned to look at the Other again and wondered what exactly had happened to the person that shared the same name as the friend he had lost. Whatever it was must have been truly awful just based on his reaction. By that point, other people were looking on with mild concern but a small sigh seemed to come from those watching when the black and red figure finally began to relax. Slowly, the red eyes seemed to return to the present and the Troll guy seemed to help further, kneeling in front of his friend and speaking to him. Yet when the red-head started to mention demons appearing, Manolo merely raised an eyebrow and wondered if the guy was joking or actually serious.
Needless to say, the hedgehog guy finally came back to his senses. True, he was breathing faster then normal but it was clear when he started to speak that at least he wasn't going to seize or something.
"I don't think that was quite the encore people wanted but you certainly got some people's attention."
Manolo spoke in a half joking voice but was glad to see that most of the onlookers had lost interest and turned away now that the guy was alright. He himself, however, still felt somewhat thrown off by what appeared to be a coincidence. How likely would it be that on the night he played a song he hadn't sung in years, someone in the audience had also lost someone named Maria in a tragic way?
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 11, 2017 19:23:13 GMT
"Sorry if I stole your spotlight," Shadow muttered half jokingly.
The audience was turning away. Good. He was done with having audiences. At least, not the performing kind. He himself had never done anything of real talents such as going up with a guitar like Omar or this musician. If he did, well, the guitar would probably snap or break or anything else. He had done the undercover skating, but that was entirely different. Besides, an audience witnessing his one weakness, his lack of memory and the gruesome image that was consistent every time, that was what had peeved him the most.
Maybe he would need to talk to Craig about this. If the trauma had him frozen during a shoot out or an arrest, it would be bad. No, instead, he had been shaken out of it by Omar. Thankfully.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2017 20:21:25 GMT
Omar got up and dusted himself off, realizing only now he was still holding his drink, still mercifully mostly full. Some had apparently slopped out given the wet sides, but it was okay. Shadow was okay. And this hadn't seemed to attract any nasty beings so Omar was okay with it. He looked over at the young man and nodded. "Thanks for coming to help my friend" he said and offered his free bandaged hand to shake. "I'm Omar, Omar LaRue. I'm the main entertainment here with my band, but as you can see" he waggled his damaged fingers "I needed to take some time off" he grinned. "You aren't bad. Some more practice and You might get a recording label. I've refused several, but I might take up the offer at some point" there was a new enquiry into the troll's band and he was seriously considering the offer, as long as it didn't take him too far from Bellerouge too often. Jane was here now. He looked to Shadow, allowing the Other to introduce himself.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Nov 14, 2017 4:57:28 GMT
Manolo watched the hedgehog look alike for a few more moments but turned towards the Troll when he seemed alright. When the Troll introduced himself as Omar and held out a heavily bandaged hand, he paused for the briefest of moments before grasping the offered hand lightly.
"Manolo. Sanchez."
He shook Omar's hand but have a somewhat strained smile when the redhead said he needed practice before he could get a record deal. Manolo played his guitar because it was his passion and the idea of selling it to a big corprate company for profit didn't sit well with him.
However, he didn't say anything in response and instead shot a qizzical look at the black and red figure, wondering if he would introduce himself.
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Post by Zuyuri on Nov 15, 2017 0:50:38 GMT
Leave it to Omar to start chatting with a fellow musician. Was this guitarist at the charity concert he had held over the summer? He remembered the concert going well, and then he had been summoned by Disparion so they could have a little 'talk' about the future. Also, it was the first time Shadow had ever heard Omar offer a record deal to anyone. Well, he probably did but he had been on patrol or not around when those said invitations were given out. He'd ask Jane about that later. The guitarist, Manolo, seemed to have no interest in a record deal from the dull light in his brown eyes. Those eyes turned to look at Shadow, who cleared his throat of any leftover nerves from the trauma attack.
"Shadow Griffiths." Wiping the perspiration from his drink, the homunculus extended his hand.
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