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 Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:03 pm
Well. This had seemed like a much better idea before the piano was off of its rollers. It wasn't entirely Liri's fault, in all fairness. The manager had thought the effect of having a real piano on stage would be worth whatever trouble it caused. But it was Liri's idea to try it by himself. He didn't even know what he'd been thinking, honestly. He was a vampire, yes. He was strong, yes. But hefting a grand piano up some stairs and onto the practice stage was beyond him. At least, if he didn't want to potentially damage it. Getting a single scratch on it would absolutely devastate ********." He felt like an idiot, not even getting the help of one of the roadies. Maybe, if he was lucky, 13 would be about somewhere. Somehow, 13 always seemed to know when they'd stepped in it. "13? Are you about?" he didn't yell, but his voice certainly carried. All that vocal training. He surveyed the piano, trying to decide what the best way to tackle it would be. Why had he thought towing it up here by himself would work? Oh yeah. Because he loved the damned thing and didn't like having it shuffled about at the manager's behest. They clearly needed to get one just for performances.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:40 pm
13 had been spending most of his day fixing s**t. It was his every day. At this particular time he was in the back fighting with an am that wouldn’t stop screeching every time music got play through it. He’d had a hammer in his hand and was about to give it a few good walks when he heard his name, or at least the name he was given when he started working here, calling out front. 13 death flared at the arm before he tossed the hammer back into a tool box that was full of tools for random situations. One could never be too prepared. He poked his head out from out back, a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth as he looked around. It had been Lori that called apparently. Passing through the curtain he walked across the stage and jumped down on one fluid motion. “What’s up, Liri?” His head turned to regard the grand piano that was sitting at an awkward angle. Glancing over the rim of his aviators. “The ******** are you soon’ moving that piano by yourself?”
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:46 pm
"Being stupid," Liri admitted, pushing his hair out of his face. And he did look rather foolish, standing there with a grand piano that definitely wasn't going to budge. He wasn't weak, but the kind of care it took to expertly shift an instrument of this size and quality... well, he should've asked for help. "The manager wanted my piano on the stage. I guess for publicity or something." He'd been kind of distracted with some very personal things and hadn't thought it all the way through. It wasn't a regular occurrence. Usually, when someone called for 13, it was X or even PB.
So that probably meant that it was his turn. "It wasn't a good idea, but I didn't want to be a bother. Not on a whim." Even if it wasn't his whim, in particular. Of course, now that the piano was all the way here, it was definitely a bother. The fact that it was a roadie's job to help with this kind of thing was beside the point. They asked a lot of their roadies, particularly 13. This was just one of the many ridiculous situations he'd found them in.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:29 pm
“Well cut it out before you get yourself hurt.” But 13 knew no matter what he said there would always be something to keep him on his toes. Today was no exception. Running flaws through his dark hair he wandered over to the piano. It had come off some of it’s rollers so first he had to fix that but that also meant lifting the damn thing. Which was fine, whatever. “Alright I’m going to need your help. I’m going to lift it and you are going to slide the rollers back where they need to be.” 13 walked over to one side of the piano, rolled his neck and shoulders before he tripped the piano. “Ready?” ******** he better be cause pianos were not light but to be honest it wasn’t that much of a pain to lift. He was a rather muscular guy, not overly but toned enough that you know he worked out. You had to be to deal with all the equipment and have the stamina to deal with groupies that got a little too handsy. When Liri was ready he bent his knees slight and lifted the piano up off the ground a few inchesZ giving the other male enough time to slip the roller underneath so that he could set it back down.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:46 pm
Liri didn't need to be asked twice. "Ready!" So saying, he quickly darted under the piano and worked to shift the rollers into place. He probably didn't have long. When he had all of the rollers in place, he ducked back out from under the piano. There was still the problem of the stairs. 13 probably had something for that. There was always the ramp they used to get the speakers onto the stage... but would it carry the piano's weight?
"Hey, do you think the ramp would work for this?" he asked, realizing as soon as the words left his mouth that he probably should've left that up to 13 in the first place. Just like he should've asked for help with the piano. He had good intentions, but lacked the practical experience to make them worthwhile. He could write killer songs, sing and play with the best of them, but when it came down to this type of thing he might as well have been helpless.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 11:09 pm
Thank God that was done. He was going to feel that one in the morning. 13 settled the piano back down and dusted off his hands. Turning slightly to look at the ramp. Moving closer to it he crouched, gave it a few knocks with his fist. “Oh t might. Couldn’t hurt to try.” Standing once more he lifted up one end of the ramp and dragged it, scraping across the floor to where it made a horrible squealing noise. Once he reached the stairs he laid it down so that it was flush with the ground and the stage. It was a pretty steep Incline for sure so this was not going to be easy. “Alright, we’ll give it a shot. I’m gonna push it up the ramp you just stay out of the way.” Moving back to the piano he rolled it over to the ramp, eyeballing that incline again. ******** this was going to be a b***h. Not only did he has to make sure it got up the ramp he has to make sure it didn’t fall off the ramp too. 13 just decided to bite the bullet and go for is. He pushed the piano about halfway up the ramp when what he knew might happen happen. The incline was too steep to just casually push it up it. This was going to take some quick power behind it. The vampire pressed his shoulder up against the piano and shoved it up the ramp again. “When I say move I mean move…!” His voice was a deep growl at the piano slowly but surely started inching up the ramp again until the first set of wheels reached the stage. At that point it was only a little bit more of a push to get it all the way ip the stage.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 11:38 pm
Well. Liri didn't have the best coordination, but he wasn't exactly weak. He felt like this part of it he could probably help with. But... he'd respect what 13 wanted. "You got it," he said, shifting out of the way quickly. "Let me know if you need help." He'd already made up his mind to buy 13 a drink when this was done. Shoving a grand piano up a ramp was probably worth more than one drink.
It was kind of impressively huge. Watching 13 push the piano made him feel a little guilty. "It's almost there," he said. "Promise I'll buy you drinks after... if you want." It was the least he could do. 13 was a strong guy, but even for a strong guy there were limits. It probably wasn't comfortable. Maybe he should buy him a massage instead, have someone come in the club and take care of the strain that he'd surely have after this.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 12:04 am
With one last heave he shoved the piano onto the stage. Thankful that it had rollers otherwise it would have been very tricky to pull this off. 13 preferred if people just stayed out of his way and let him do his thing. It was just easier that way and less likely for him to want to strangle someone because they can’t follow directions. “Movin’ heavy s**t is what I do. Be it pianos or people. Where do you want it exactly?” He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth, looked at it then stuck it back between his teeth and relit it. The fire reflecting in his sunglasses. Snapping his Zippo shut he place it back in his back pocket. “A drink is fine.” He’d be stupid to pass up free drinks.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 12:11 am
Well, it was done. One way or the other. He didn't really want to think about the fact that eventually they'd have to move it back. That was a problem for another time. Another night, more than likely. "I know it is." Liri bit his tongue, deciding not to pursue that line of conversation. 13 would probably just brush him off anyway. Better to just let him do it, then. "Up here, behind the curtain." He walked over to where the piano was supposed to be, and then shifted out of the way again.
"All right, a drink it is." 13 had done him a favor, and job or no job, he appreciated it. "What'll it be?" he asked, aware that the other vampire was more than a little busy, but also wanting to make this up to him. After all, it would've all been easier if the piano hadn't come off its rollers in the first place.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 6:11 am
Yea it was probably best if Liri just left it alone. Now that the piano was back on a flat surface it was easier to move. 13 pushed it almost effortlessly across the stage to behind the curtain like the other male said. Straightening it out so it wasn’t all cocked to the side. “Man, ******** trying to get this thing back down again.” 13 just knew eventually it was going to have to be moved again and he did not look forward to that. That would definitely call for more crew needed. They could take it back down the ramp but then they’d have to catch it before it rolled away. “Three Wiseman.” He replied to Liri. If he was going to get drink it might as well be worth his while. Anyone else might just go run or vodka but not 13, no. No, he needed something stronger. Three whiskeys in one that was the way to go.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:40 am
"You want that neat, on the rocks, or shaken?" There was a bar cabinet nearby, and Liri was pretty sure that it would have everything he needed for this, given his friends' tastes. But he'd wait until he knew how 13 wanted it made. "As three shots or in one glass?" It wasn't as straight forward as 'three wise men.' There were nuances to it... and he wanted to get them right. Three wise men meant three different kinds of whiskey. When he'd checked last, they had all of them. If they didn't, the club would. It would've been easy to just go order the drink, but he wanted to personally thank 13.
Which meant making it himself. "Thanks for this." It was 13's job, but he'd helped Liri out when he'd gotten in over his own head. Which, again, was his job. However, Liri tried very hard most nights not to get himself into the type of trouble the roadie would have to pry him out of. Moving the equipment was enough on most days.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:50 am
“Neat. One glass.” 13 twisted his body at the waist a couple times. A crackling noise came from his back and he let out a small sigh. Yea, that was better. Dark green hair hung in his face for a minute before he pushed it out of his face. The cigarette still hanging out of the corner of his mouth. “Yea, no orob.” It was hard to determine what the expression on his face was due to his sunglasses. 13 took his job pretty seriously. The band wasn’t too bad with their antics. It was the fans that were nutzo. He has to check closets and underneath things before and after every show and inevitably he’s find a girl hiding somewhere. At least a piano wouldn’t try to bite and scratch him.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:02 am
Rummaging around in the cabinet, Liri brought out a three different bottles of whiskey, setting them on the counter for a moment as he retrieved a glass for 13. Then, he twisted off the caps on each, measuring out an equal amount from the first, second, and third bottle. As requested, he neither shook nor stirred it, letting the unmixed glass of liquor rest a moment while he carefully capped each bottle and returned them to their proper place in the cabinet.
"Here. One Three Wise Men, neat." He walked back over to where 13 stood near the piano, offering him the glass. Someone was clearly keeping their cabinet well stocked. He knew that the band got into it on a fairly regular basis. It was just off the stage, tucked away in a corner where guests and fans did not have access. The kind of thing they might all enjoy after a performance.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:39 am
13 took the offered glass and downed it in one. It burned the whole way down but that was how he liked it. Nice and burny to where it could almost strip paint. He made an appreciative noise before handing the glass back to Liri. The male vampire had no clue what else to say oh wait. “Thanks for the drink.” Right. Manners. He severely lacked them sometimes but he really didn’t give two shits about it. With the piano moves her was about to return to his fight with the amp when there was a noise in the pit. 13 glanced at Liri. “You uh….aren’t hiding someone in here are you?” Both his eyebrows raised then fell. Who knew who they would sneak in from time to time. s**t why sneak it’s not like anyone was going to care. He moved over towards the edge of the stage to peer down into the pit. At first he didn’t see anything/
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:45 am
Clutching the empty glass, Liri initially threw 13 a confused look. Then, he heard it too. "No... I'm not." Then who the hell was that? Or what, even? Experience said it was probably either a groupie or one of X's flings gone wrong. Which... were more or less the same thing, if you got down to it. Being a rockstar meant having groupies, but even now Liri wasn't quite used to how rabid they could be. This one had clearly been there for awhile. Long enough to observe the entire piano debacle. Which meant... "So... I was alone with them?" Yeah, that sounded about right.
Which was creepy as hell. Not every fan was a problem, but the type that hid somewhere up here? Probably up to no good. "Great." This was just what he needed. He heard a sound in the pit again and sighed. Of course there was someone down there. Having a normal night wasn't normal for them, really.
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