Beau - Chapter Five
#7 of Beau
© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.
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A bright, neon sign was suspended over the door as we walked across the road from the car Lian had driven. The sign was one word: Dominion. I looked up at the bright neon light overhead and then looked down upon a muscled Bull that was standing as a bouncer outside the door. Dressed in black and standing at almost seven feet tall. Sheer muscle pressed against the fitted black tee as he looked blank-faced at us. I had donned a simple dark blue shirt, a pair of black denim jeans with the knees ripped off, and a pair of black boots. A silver-buckled belt and a black wristband around one wrist. The silver loop through one ear glinted in the light of the neon Dominion. Lian grinned at the look of confusion across my face. He'd worn a black tank top with "Whiplash" scrawled across in a spray-paint design. He wore black jeans, and a pair of black leather boots. He'd donned a dark green hooded shirt and had the hood pulled over the back of his head fur. Lian was a bit disappointed because his friends had bailed on him, and now it was just me, him and Dakota. Dakota was standing beside him, a white over-sized vest, black leggings as well as knee-high black leather heeled boots. The heel stood at around four inches in height. Her hair was done in a braid down her back while she'd donned subtle make up. She looked beautiful, considering where we were.
"Dominion?" I read the sign out loud.
"Yeah. What about it?" Lian asked.
"Nothing. I just never anticipated you'd be into this genre of music, what with all the basketball?"
"Never judge a book, big brother. You'll be less surprised that way," he smirked as he padded forward.
Dakota shrugged at me and followed her male without a word.
I followed and smiled as we passed the bouncer. He just looked at us as we headed down below into the darkened depths of the Dominion rock club.
We padded down the immediate staircase that wound downward, and soon heard the distant thrum of drums and the whines of a guitar. Lian stepped in front of a closed door, he pushed and stepped inside, holding the door for us as we stepped inside. The club was dark, a bar at one end, a series of booths, tables, chairs and stools around the room, and then a small dance floor with a raised stage in the centre. There was a three piece band playing when we entered. A hyena lead vocalist and guitarist, another hyena played bass and a cheetah played drums. The crowds that gathered on the dance floor surrounded the stage, their heads bobbing up and down hard and fast, hands in midair, their fingers forming the clichéd devil horn slute that punk rockers tended to do. The room was smoky and full of the stank of sweat and alcohol.
"Is that Whiplash?" I whisper-shouted over Lian's shoulder.
He shook his head and grinned, "They are up next! You'll like 'em, I promise!"
I'd take his word for it.
We ordered drinks, we chilled, we watched the hyena finish his song and then the band slipped off stage to the waiting crowd. Considering it was a rock club, the crowd, bands, and even the drunks looked pleased to be there. In a matter of minutes the next band took to the stage. Lian nudged me and nodded at the circular stage. Whiplash had the same set up as the previous band, a drummer, a lead vocalist/guitarist and a bassist. The band stepped into the lime light, smothered in a rush of applause from the mosh pit that surrounded them. The drummer was a wild dog, grinning from ear to ear. He was topless, a pierced nipple, pierced nose, ears and eyebrow. He wore a pair of denim three-quarter-lengths and hiking boots, a silver buckled belt and fingerless leather gloves. His head fur spiked and gelled. Lian had told me his name was Eden. The bassist was a tall slender equine type, he stood tall, guitar strung around his neck as the stallion gazed around the crowd. He wore a pale grey dress shirt and black, denim jeans, hiking boots and leather belt. One forearm was bandaged. Lian had told me he was called Rush.
The last member of Whiplash was a tall dark grey wolf. He stood at five foot ten, he was broad-shouldered, muscular and still nimble. He stood with pale green eyes that gazed down at the guitar in his hands as he fussed over the amp and the guitar's strings. He straightened up and cast an eye across the crowd. He wore a white tank top, denim jeans and black boots. He had a leather wristband around one wrist and I saw a glimmer of silver across his thick tongue as he took a deep breath and looked around. A tongue piercing? He looked over at the bar where we were stood. Lian turned his back to the wolven glance and grinned down at me as he snuggled against Dakota. I was as bespelled by the wolf's eyes as he was of mine.
Lian leaned close and whisper-shouted, "His name's Damian."
"Damian?" I repeated as I looked away from the wolf in question. Lian smirked as my attention soon turned back to Damian and Whiplash.
There were no words, no introductions. When Damian had set up he took a deep breath and with an explosion of sound, his fingertips and pic moved up and down the strings of his guitar in a whine of noise. He thrashed away on the guitar for a moment and then stopped dead. The bass picked up after a second, and Damian's voice glided across the underground club. His voice was deep, but gentle at the same time. It glided across the club, faded around us and surrounded us, enveloped us like sheer warmth. I was amazed as I watched Damian's quiet, distant words surround the club and fill those who was staring up at him. Eden bashed away suddenly at the drums, his grin fixed in place, while Damian and Rush picked up the speed on their guitars. The song's tempo quickened. The songs continued, some gentle and some hardcore and almost dangerous to hear.
We drank, we listened and we enjoyed everything that Whiplash did. Twenty minutes later their set ended and Whiplash hopped down from the stage. Generic rock music filtered through the speakers and for the first time I felt a gentle headache pulse behind my eyes. I gestured that I was going outside to Lian and Dakota who both nodded. I headed through the crowd and found a small corridor that lead to the bathrooms and a small back yard where the odd smoker ventured. I stepped out into the cold chill of snow. Darkened skies overhead let me know it was getting late. I crossed the small yard and took a seat upon a small wooden bench played there. I touched my elbows to my knees and gazed down. I was having a good time, but I was still having trouble forgetting the nightmare I'd had. I shuddered remembering what I'd seen and jolted when someone else stepped out into the hush of the yard. It was Damian. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. He took a deep breath and looked skywards. He then looked down and our eyes met for the second time. A gentle smile graced his muzzle as he walked to me. His thick, full, dark grey tail swung, almost wagged behind him as he stood before me.
"You were watchin' our set earlier?" he asked in a deep, almost rough sounding voice. He coughed, and cleared his throat before adding, "I always get dry mouth after singing for so long."
"You were good, brilliant even. I really liked your songs too." I almost blsuhed as I spoke.
"Really? Thanks. I can never really tell who likes our music because of the music, or because we have a record deal."
"You sound like your new to being famous?" I asked.
He casually shrugged and sat down on the bench beside me. He smirked and said, "We've had a record deal for six months. In that time we've done a music video, and released two singles."
"How are you finding fame so far?" I asked with a casual smile.
"Not what I expected. There's money, but its nothing as extravagent as you'd think," he admitted. He raised a paw to me and said, "Damian."
I shook his hand and said, "Beau."
"Bo?"
"Yeah. Kinda," I replied.
"Spell it for me," he said.
"B-E-A-U."
"Oh! Beau as in Beautiful?" he asked as he smirked at me. His hand was still in mine.
"Y-Yeah," I stammered, a blush crept up my face and I slowly pulled my hand from his.
Damian grinned and looked up at the blackened skies. "Its rare to see a blue tiger anywhere in these parts, let alone two in one club."
I realised he must have meant Lian. "That's my younger brother."
"Younger brother? But he's taller than you," he replied.
"Genetics can be a bitch sometimes," I said with a smirk.
"I'm guessing if he's your brother then there's a whole household of blue tigers then?"
"You got that right. I have another brother and a mom and a dad."
"All blue tigers?" he asked with a wide-eyed smile.
I nodded.
He grinned and said, "That must be one good looking household."
"Lian seems to think so. There's nothing special about us though, just our fur colour."
"I think that in itself is rather unique, wouldn't you agree?" he asked as he looked down at me with those beautiful pale green eyes.
The blush returned in a swell of heat as I gazed down at the concrete floor covered in snow.
"So how long are you in town for? I've never seen you around before," he asked.
"Indefinitely I hope. I just finished college," I explained, "I'm shacking up at the family home for a month and then I start work and get my own place."
"Ah, I see. An education-type?" he grinned and added, "What did you study?"
"Forensic photography." Yep. That was a hot, pick up line, if ever there was one.
"Cool. So your gonna be photographing dead furs left, right and centre?"
"Not just dead furs, but yeah, pretty much," I replied with a smile all my own.
He grinned and looked skyward again.
"Something wrong with the sky?" I asked.
He laughed and replied, "Nah. It just intrigues me sometimes. Full moons, stars, its all beautiful."
"Your a dreamer, huh?" I bumped my shoulder against his. He grinned back. "So how come your out here?" I asked.
"I needed a break. I love music, always have and always will. But sometimes being hauled up around heavy metal rock music all the time can give you a headache."
"I can understand that, I suppose."
"Plus, I'm not famous enough for bodyguards yet, so I'm taking advantage of my freedom while I still have it," Damian added.
"Makes sense," I replied.
Damian opened his muzzle to say something else when the door burst open and Lian stepped out into the snow, he looked like he'd been running, as sweat beaded his head. Dakota came running up behind him and looked over Lian's shoulder at me, eyes wide and a little fearful. I stood up and Damian followed.
"What's happened?" I demanded.
"Its dad!" Lian growled.
"What's he done now?"
"He's turned up at home, pissed and started shouting the odds outside the house. Mom's called me back to deal with him. Me and Dakota will go deal with him."
"Hang on, I'm coming with," I said as I took a step forward.
Lian shook his head.
Dakota said, "No offense, but he's just drunk, and you being there will just make the problem worse. Leave him to us and go somewhere for a few hours."
Lian considered Dakota's suggestion and then nodded. "Yeah, go get a drink at a quiet bar and wait for me to call you."
"Oh great! So he fucks up again, and I'm forbidden from coming home just like that?"
"Beau, its not like that and you know it!" Dakota sniped back.
I considered them both and took a deep breath. I eventually nodded and watched them disappear back through Dominion without another word. I slipped fingers through my head fur and turned back to Damian. He looked calm. A slight tension thrilled through his shoulders, but that pleasant carefree smile and those pale-green eyes looked unaffected by the drama that had been announced by my family. I smiled and said goodbye. I turned and reached a hand for the door knob, but was stopped when Damian's hand wrapped around mine at the door.
I looked up and found Damian smiling down at me. He said, "Looks like you have a few hours free? Wanna get a drink?"
I was stunned. "Are you serious?" I asked.
He nodded and smirked, "I know you probably wanna get home, but you've been forbidden for a while. Wouldn't you rather have some company, instead of drinking alone and angry?"
I considered it and then slowly nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I appreciate the sentiment."
He grinned again and held my hand in his as he opened the door and lead us back inside. He never let go of me until we were back on the street and walking in the chilled streets to the nearest bar we could drink at.