Sunday evening, 'Ri's place

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

From here. Johnny went to the Tavern of Hell for a drink after a hard weekend. Luke showed up, then Verite. They chatted until it came out that the carnies are mixed up with the Tower via Management. Luke didn't take this well and left (politely). 'Ri and Johnny talked more, both feeling a little down from Luke's reaction. Eventually 'Ri sort of invited Johnny back to the salon, amazed that he didn't know about rock 'n roll. Johnny, wanting to know 'Ri better, sort of lied so they'd go back to 'Ri's place. She's just played him Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive."

*

'Ri grins and leans in the doorway. "Most customers don't want anything more fancy than a trim," she says soundin' a bit peeved, "but I also do hair dying, piercings an' Tattoos. Each has it's own equipment." She points out the different spots and some 'a the gear. Sheesh. I guess some people ain't satisfied with what they got. But 'Ri's into it, so I dunt say nothin'.

"But we didn't come here for that," she says, leanin' over and flippin' a switch on a machine near the door. The music starts up, 'n I hardly recognize any 'a the instruments 'till the guitar comes in. But it's got a good twang t'it, like the music we play out on the farms. The guy's voice is pretty good.

I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive

The song speeds up as it goes, the singer's voice buildin', 'n I find myself havin' a hard time not singin' 'long, 'r dancing even though it ain't quite a dancin' song. I grin at 'Ri as it ends. "So that's rock music? It sounds kind 'a like some 'a what gets played on the farms. Ain't bin no railroads 'round here fer a while, mind." I was expectin' somethin' stranger, lookin' at the posters, but it was good.

Comments

[verite-belrose.livejournal.com]

My grin widens as I see johnny having a hard time not singin' along. He grins at me as it ends, So that's rock music? It sounds kind 'a like some 'a what gets played on the farms. Ain't bin no railroads 'round here fer a while, mind.

Not sure what the last comment is s'posed to mean but I'm glad he liked the song. "One example only. Not all of it sounds like that. One a my favorites though. Bon Jovi." I stretch as the next song comes up, Livin' on a prayer.

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

'Ri looks confused fer a sec, but she's grinnin' at me. I guess she noticed me likin' it. "One example only," she says breezily. "Not all of it sounds like that." She stretches in the doorway as the next song comes on. "One a my favorites though. Bon Jovi."

Whooah, we're half way there
Livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear
Livin' on a prayer

It's lots like the last one, only less twang. The music's... I dunt know, heavier 'r somethin'. The guitar's louder 'n more agressive than I'm used to, but I still find myself wantin' t'shout 'long with the chorus. I'm glad I ain't had more t'drink - I might 'v, otherwise.

[verite-belrose.livejournal.com]

oh yeah... He likes it. I come back into the main room, go over to 'im. "S'okay to sing along with the music. I do that sometimes, when I'm workin'." I grin wickedly at him.

Next song up is You give Love a Bad Name.

Shot through the heart and you're to blame
Darlin' you give love a bad name

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

'Ri comes back in from where she's bin watchin' me. "S'okay to sing along with the music," she says, 'n I blush 'cause she must 'a seen me singin' under my breath. "I do that sometimes, when I'm workin'." She gives me a grin than makes me blush harder.

The next song's okay, and it reminds me again 'a some 'a the old songs 'bout lost loves 'r no-good lovers, but it dunt get me goin' so much as the last couple. "Can I look at what you got?" I'm curious - does it all sound like this, or is it just the singer?

[verite-belrose.livejournal.com]

Johnny blushes when I say that. I like how that blush gets deeper when I grin at him. It's clear he doesn't like the next song quite so much even before he asks, Can I look at what you got?

I nod. "Sure! C'mon back to the kitchen." Immediately I head back that way. I gotta stack of five or six cds in the there plus there's more upstairs.

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

She leads me back t'the kitchen, where her 'ghettoblaster' is. It dunt look nothin' like the old Vic player I saw once fer records. There's a bunch 'a plastic cases with discs in 'em, and she shows me how t'open 'em 'n play 'em. I grab one mostly at random and put the disc in. It sarts up a lot faster 'n darker, and the music's looser somehow, the singer beltin' out the lyrics like he's half drunk.

Bonfires burning bright
Pumpkin faces in the night
I remember Halloween

I'm grinnin' by the second voice, joinin' in at the ends with "I remember Halloween." Now that's not like anythin' I ever heard. I push my hair back with one hand as it finishes, quirkin' my eyes at it as it stands up like it does sometimes. "Now that's even better," I say t'Ri who looks amused at my carryin' on. I'm tryin' not t'blush but mostly I'm grinnin'.

[verite-belrose.livejournal.com]

This time he joins in with the chorus line. He's been grinning since the song started. I can't help grinning back. Now that's even better. He says with just the hint of a blush. He runs his hand through his hair leaving some of it standing up. I have the crazy thought of wanting to touch it.

"So you like rock music?" I know the answer is yes, but I wanna hear him say it.

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

'Ri grins at me. "So you like rock music?" I smile at her, my foot tappin' 'long with the next song.

Descending angel
Stand by my side
We'll face the night
Descending angel

Guard the gates of Hell
Just one more night
For in the morning
We'll bring the light

"Yeah, I like it." And I want t'listen t'more. "What's your favourite, 'Ri?"

[verite-belrose.livejournal.com]

Think I've made Johnny a convert, he smiles at me his foot tappin' to the music. That strange fizzing feeling that's a little like being drunk is back.

Yeah, I like it.What's your favourite, 'Ri?

My favorite? I've got so many to choose from... I toy with my hair as I think, "I kinda got more than one favorite, Poison by Alice Cooper...an' I really like Alannah Myles' Love Is."

I'm already searching through the pile of discs for them. Nope, not here.

"I think they're upstairs." I hesitate a moment, then say, "would, would you liketo help me look?"

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

'Ri starts playin' with a bit 'v her hair, thinkin'. "I kinda got more than one favorite, Poison by Alice Cooper...an' I really like Alannah Myles' Love Is." I nod, shruggin'. I'm goin' t'tell her the names dunt mean nothin' t'me, but she's lookin' through the discs soon as she says 'em. "I think they're upstairs," she says, and then she pauses. "Would, would you like to help me look?"

She looks a bit odd and her scent's all brown 'n pink with bits 'a yellow 'n bright, 'n I dunt know why she's nervous 'r what. "Yeah, sure," I say careful, 'cause I ain't sure 'a why it's important t'her.

[verite-belrose.livejournal.com]

He looks at me a bit confused and then says in a carefully casual way, Yeah, sure, and I just about collapse in relief. I don't know what I thought he's say, I think it's more how he said it, as if all he means to do is help me look for the cds. He's different from Trevor, that asshole would and did use that as an excuse to get his hands all over me. I smile at John and show the way to the stairs. It's different having someone who you don't know up to your room than friends 'r family. You never know 'zackly what they're gonna do or how they're gonna take your invite.

My room's a bit of a mess as usual. Bed's not properly made, andthere's pile of washing still on the floor. The large space still looks as if there oughta be more furniture some how. There's a few more posters up here plus that painting that Will got Genny to do. The one with the girl from the Japanese comic book.

I pull out the box where I keep the music and set it on the floor between us. There's only about twenty cds in there and maybe half a dozen tapes but it's still the largest collection of anyone in the Carnival.

"Here's the rest of my music. Have a seat an' we'll soon find 'em."

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

She looks pleased as she smiles at me 'n leads me up the stairs. Her room's kind 'a like mine, but there's more space and it makes the room echo some, like a new room 'r one that's bin cleared out fer cleanin'. 'Ri pulls a box over 'n sits down in front 'v it, 'n I follow her. There's a bunch 'a cases fer the discs, and some other things that must also play music. "Here's the rest of my music," she says. "Have a seat an' we'll soon find 'em."

I nod 'n start lookin'. It dunt take long - there ain't many, though I'm bettin' it's more 'n anyone in a hundred miles has, anyways. I find the one by Alice Cooper - it's weird, seein' some guy named Alice with big hair 'n paint all over his eyes on the cover. It must be a rock thing. "You got the other one?" I ask. We'll have t'go back downstairs t'play 'em, so I look 'round the room again. It ain't that often I get invited t'some girl's room. It makes me wonder how I feel 'bout 'Ri. She's pretty cool, 'n I'm mostly used t'the hair 'n all. But she's still from away, 'n I know how Ma 'n Pa'd react. And she tends t'smirk at me lots, and it makes me think sometimes she thinks I'm just some yokel 'cause I ain't travelled and come from the farms.

I shrug t'myself. It's too confusin' t'think on much.

[verite-belrose.livejournal.com]

The search doesn't take long.You got the other one? John's holding up the Alice Cooper. Of course I've found the Alannah Myles. "Got it!" I say, bouncing up to my feet. John's lookin' at my room an I' wonder what he's thinkin'. I lean over an give him a poke in the arm, with a smile cuz I ain't annoyed with him. Don't know why I did that but it's happened. "Downstairs?" I say, looking at him a little sideways.

[john-thiess.livejournal.com]

"Got it!" she answers, standin' up. She leans down 'n pokes me, smilin', 'n I shake my thoughts away. "Downstairs?" "Yeah," I say, standin' up and followin' her down. "Sorry, I just - um, never mind." We go back down t'the 'ghettoblaster', 'n I hand her the disc in its case.

[verite-belrose.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I just - um, never mind. he says. I don't know what he thinks he's apologizing for... We go downstairs and he gives me the disc. It's not too long before I have Poison playing. I know this cd forward and back...