Carpathia IV: Episode 184 - Nut
Dive Bar, Andrast
After passing through the door, the first thing Amenaru noticed was not a sight or a smell, but noise, and a lot of it. This was soon accompanied by smells, awful, awful smells of booze, pee, puke, and weed. Probably other things of varying degrees of legality. The white haze in his vision now morphed into something more recognizable. Three people directly in front of him, backs facing him, and a floor-to-ceiling chain link fence separating them from the raucous crowd. A very necessary fence, for the crowd was a lively bunch. Indeed, it wasn't easy to tell if they were listening at all or merely existed to throw things at the fence. Fortunately, their inebriated aim was poor, though splashes of some of the more viscous substances did make it through.
Amenaru, sitting behind his drums at the back of the stage, didn't catch nearly as much of the sticky business that came their way, but he did get some of it. Drums! Looking down at his hands, yes, he was holding a pair of drumsticks. The song was playing. He was failing. He had to think quickly. Which song was this? Where were they in the song? He didn't expect this. It was at least an hour, maybe more, before the moment he had in mind, but he had to play the part. It took him a few seconds to figure out the song and where they were and from there, he took over.
Amenaru didn't care much for playing well. He didn't care much for playing well even when he was in the moment 10 years ago. By this time in the tour, all he could think about was just getting through it. He didn't remember the set, but he remembered the songs and knew what to do whenever the singer announced what they would play next. Thirty more minutes, give or take, of this before it would all be over and he could go back to the tour bus and await his big moment. His moment to change his destiny.
For the rest of the set, Nut, the bass player, kept shooting him a side eye and a smirk and Amenaru did remember, vaguely, that there was one performance where he did that. When the set ended, nobody cheered or applauded. The crowd didn't notice, continuing to harass the fence the same way they did before, a lovely welcome to the next band that would take over. Amenaru wasted no time leaving, popping right off his stool and out the stage door with nothing but his drumsticks in his hands.
Tour Bus, Outside the Dive Bar
Amenaru trudged up the steps to the tour bus and was greeted with smells not unlike those in the dive bar. Fortunately, the tour bus lacked the puke smell, but that would have been only a small contributor. Open food containers. Stale tobacco. And god-knows-what coming from the trash. Didn't matter. He didn't know how this changing history business would work, but from what he understood, he would only have to stay here to make the changes he need to make. As he stepped gingerly around the trash-strewn floor, he caught sight of a pack of cigarettes. Well, he thought, he had to play the part up until the right moment, right? He took the pack and the lighter and plopped onto the couch, putting his feet up on the other end without bothering to remove his boots first. Not that it mattered. Just a bit more dirt on an already dirty couch, not unlike spitting into an ocean.
Opening the pack was a sight Amenaru hadn't seen in a couple of years. Seven left in that one, flopping around inside with little bits of tobacco scattered around the sides and the lid. He took one out and flicked his lighter. The first drag was not what he expected. In real time, he hasn't smoked in years, but in this time, it had only been an hour and a half, at most. The head rush he expected never materialized. No matter. It was enough to steady his nerves, which were already as lively as a tesla coil.
And then it happened. Amenaru heard the door open and, if memory served, it would be Nut. Sure enough, Nut staggered up the stairs, nearly tripping his way up and out the driver window on the other side, but, somehow, he held his balance, even keeping hold of his cigarette all the way up. Safely aboard, but swaying side to side, he stood up straight and took a triumphant drag of his cigarette, as though he'd just slayed a beast twice his size with his bare paws.
Nut: Woo! You're skipping the after party again?
Amenaru: The fuck you doing here, Nut?
Even though Amenaru knew what was coming, he still felt that pang of irritation, the same as he always felt whenever Nut came around spewing inebriated nonsense.
Nut: You never come to the after parties! It's like you don't like us.
Amenaru: That's because I don't.
Nut: Fine, be an asshole. I just thought you needed a pick-up. You were kinda out of it in the last half of the set.
Amenaru: Better than you. You're out of it in every set.
Nut: I am a genius! You just wish you were half the cat that I am... oh wait. You are!
Amenaru: Just fuck off back to the after party, why don'tcha.
Nut: Sure you don't wanna come? Lots of pretty boys there!
Amenaru: I can get tail on my own, thanks.
Nut shook his head and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a vial and a thin straw while looking around the debris strewn around the bus. Amenaru knew what was coming next. This was the moment he was waiting for and he steeled himself, preparing his response in his head.
Nut found a glass coaster, one of the few that wasn't broken, and popped open the vial. He carefully spread out two lines of powder and then held the coaster and the straw out to Amenaru.
Nut: You need something to loosen up. Try this!
As much as Amenaru tried to formulate a rational response that would change his destiny without stirring up too much drama, anger welled up in him all at once. A white-hot rage directed solely at Nut. If it hadn't been for him, he wouldn't have wasted two years of his life on his rapid, downward spiral. He wouldn't have almost died when he was 18. He wouldn't be dead now. With gritted teeth, Amenaru swatted the coaster out of Nut's hand, sending a cloud of powder up into his face. Nut sniffled and sneezed as he brushed it out of his fur.
Nut: Hey, that shit's expensive!
Amenaru: You think I wanna be like you? You have no future! You don't even have a present besides of cheap thrills! Think you can just keep going like this forever? I don't even wanna be here! What's your excuse? You think you're going to play bass and snort drugs forever? You'll have to do something normal eventually, assuming anyone would want to be around your sorry ass!
Nut sniffed, still brushing powder from his snout.
Nut: Tch. You sound like my mother. You're the one nobody wants to be around. Now I know why you stay here.
Amenaru: Whatever. Just get the fuck out of here.
Nut: Gladly! Nut out!
Nut flashed the devil horns sign as he turned to leave, stopping only for a moment as he reached the bus steps.
Nut: You're gonna pay for my booger sugar dude.
And then he was gone, staggered down the stairs back to his debauchery. Amenaru leaned his head back and took a deep breath, hoping that everything went to plan as a white light enveloped him.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
Falke2009
