bangingthe_hellouttayou | Shout At The Devil! [Halloween Party] Band members and friends invited

Shout At The Devil! [Halloween Party] Band members and friends invited

Zack had decided that he wanted to do something for Halloween now that he'd gotten his new costume and being a Spider-Man fan he'd gone for a Spider-Punk costume straight from his comics. He'd gotten it at a local comic store down on the Strip and couldn't wait to show Damien because he knew the Dog didn't have comics or anything fun back in Hunger City. Zack now pleased that he'd arranged a Halloween Party for the band members, their friends and family to attend inside the communal area of the apartments. It was the biggest space and there was a bar all stocked up with spooky drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike.

It would be a blast!

There were even spooky snacks with crisps and chips shaped like bats, ghosts and pumpkins. There were even actual pumpkins on a table for those who wished to carve a pumpkin alone or with friends. Zack had tried to make it accessible for all, those who wished to party and get drunk and those who wanted to do non-boozy activities too.

As for costumes---they were optional but preferred.

"Ok, I think that's it. Everyone should be arriving soon."

Zack looking around the room and hoping everyone would like what he had set-up with help from some of the others of course.

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Tom stared at the figure on the floor and couldn't help but think this was an Anthean. Sure, they had red hair but hair dye existed. How many boxes did this apartment alone go through in a year? Tommy would know.

It was only a bit of thought and a few moments before Tommy was came up beside him with his usual, eerie silence. Then they were talking in hushed whispers about this new person. Tommy standing there saw this was no Anthean but a human. The Anthean did not mention that this human was ill because that was private for humans.

Once confirmed that this was a human, Tom went to gently pick up the dark haired young man and put him back up in the open space on the fold out. There was plenty of space and most of the blondes had snuggled up close to each other.

He had the look of an Anthean, and quite possibly also the size. So it was an easy assumption to make. Especially here.

As familiar as Tom was with picking up his son, this stranger wasn’t all that different. He only had about ten pounds or so on Ziggy, and was mostly limbs. He had the body temperature of a human, though. His skin wasn’t anywhere near that cold to the touch.

When Tom got his hands under him, though, he groaned in his sleep. “…nmm… Jay… five more min… pl…z…”

"You can sleep as long as you want." Tom mentioned as he lifted Dee back up on to the fold out couch. He's used to being called other people's names by sleeping people so this is nothing new.

"But you can't be on the floor. Someone will step on you." Tom had set the young man down and noticed the similarities between him and Ziggy, as well as the differences, before setting about tucking him back into blankets. There was a reason why so many of the musicians thought of Tom like a dad.

He was still mostly asleep when Tom picked him up. Being picked up or carried wasn’t a day to day occurrence, but it was common enough that Dee wasn’t startled by it.

No, what actually startled him was the sudden realization that wasn’t Jay’s voice.

His eyes shot open as Tom was in the middle of tucking him in. Cue the inevitable shock and surprise.

The shocked expression isn't unusual to Tom. Moving people who were still drunk and sometimes easy to startle in general was the norm as well.

"You're ok." Tom pulled away when he saw the surprise. "I think you fell asleep on the floor."

Tommy was still there in the door way, watching but silent.

Thoughts of what he was last doing started cutting through the grogginess or being woken up unexpectedly.

“…nmm.. party. Came to sit down… talking with Ansgar, Syn…” there were a lot of names, and he didn’t remember all of them.

Dee’s arms shook as he weakly pushed himself up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Those people, and others, were sleeping all over the room. He looked back up at the older gentleman that told him everything was okay, and to the thinner man in the doorway. His eyes lingered on Newton, but he couldn’t help himself. He looked like he might have the same rare condition…

“Where…” he yawned. “Jay’s not… back yet?”

Tom was ready to help Dee sit up because for all he knew the struggling was from too much drink. Something that seemed very possible given this person's frame and how some of the rockstars drank.

"He has not returned." Tommy answered because he knew everyone's movements in the building when he wanted. "Rekker has gone home with Bjorn but the other Sterlings are still awake if you still need that ride."

Tom still got caught off guard sometimes by how much Tommy, and Damien for that matter, knew about everything going on in the apartments. Now was no different.

He definitely overdid it last night, but not in the way Tom was thinking. He was up and walking around for longer than he had in a good while. What was left of his muscles were screaming at him this morning. (Falling asleep slumped over on the floor probably didn’t help either.)

Not that he would have traded the night for anything.

“…What time is it?”

Tom didn't question because there were so many reasons someone could be exhausted after a party. Everything from too much booze and drugs to just staying up way past the normal bedtime.

"3:24 am." Tommy mentioned without so much as looking to a watch and there was no clock in the room. "You've been asleep over an hour."

Tommy could sense most of the people in this building from surface thoughts when he needed to and often he did watch over surface thoughts when there were large parties. It was a familial instinct from his species.

Morning was apparently a very relative term. No wonder Jay wasn’t back yet. Dee just yawned. “He’s probably still on shift…”

And chances were, he’d be on shift until at 5 or 6, whenever normal shift change was for the hospital his agency assigned him to. So, he had a couple hours before his fiancé returned.

“I hope I’m not… overstaying my welcome…” he apologized with sincerity. It wasn’t like he lived here.

Tom smiled at the still drowsy young man. "You aren't the first foundling my child and the others have brought in."

He's being humorous but it wasn't uncommon for someone new to show up routinely.

Edited 2023-11-11 03:16 (UTC)

Dee nodded, and glanced around again. Even in this room, there were a lot of young people around his age, if not younger.

“…which one’s… yours?” He asked.

If he were more awake, he wouldn’t have asked such a personal question. Dee struggled with parental figures, and this man was certainly acting like a father. But he wasn’t, and he asked it. So help him…

"Mine isn't here." Tom mentioned. "Ziggy is still awake in the other room."

Or somewhere in the apartments, though he had seen Ziggy on his wander though to check on everyone a few minutes earlier.

"Oh... okay, got it... Ziggy's..." at about that moment, it didn't matter how tired Dee was, he woke the fuck up. "Ziggy? As in Ziggy Stardust?! You're Tom Jones!!"

The manager of the entire Ziggy Stardust tour festival experience, the name that was dropped at the City Charms show, the one who maybe, just maybe, would listen to his demo and be impressed enough to give their band a spot when the tour resumed.

He immediately started patting down his costume, looking for one more recording ball in a pocket somewhere.

"... no, I didn't give them all out... did I?"

"I am." Tom was used to so many reactions to his presence but he was almost everyone's dad at this point. Though he did shake his head at all the rummaging.

"Whatever it is, we can find it in the morning." Tom had figured something was lost but even the recording balls could wait until morning.

Which was, of course, the exact moment when Dee found one remaining little cube. He pulled it out.

Even though most of the international musicians didn’t use the recording ball technology, Dee held onto hope that Tom - being a manager - would know what it was. (He had no idea of the Anthean connections, of course.)

“Here!” He exclaimed excitedly. His arm shook a little as he held it out.

The costume Dee was in, albeit a little messed up from both the party and the unexpected nap, was the same one that was on the cube’s artwork. He was listed as The Prophet. Another man in similar attire was pictured as well, credited as The Mystic. It wasn’t hard to assume that was Jay, the person who wasn’t back yet.

“It’s a demo…” he gulped. “For you… Please…”

Tom took it and knew what it was because he'd heard from others. Now, he had some connections between who this was an the party the night before.

"I'll make sure Ziggy gets it." Tom figured that was who it was for and even if that wasn't the intention, Ziggy made the final choice on who joined the tour and who didn't.

Rather than blurting out that he thought Tom was the manager, Dee at least kept his composure to squeak a breathy, yet still very gracious, “thank you!”

He knew there was still a chance that Ziggy wouldn’t listen to it. Or maybe he would, but he wouldn’t like the sound or the visuals. Anything could happen really. But Dee had to keep pushing open doors.

Just thinking about it made him far too excited to even try to go back to sleep.

"Of course." Tom mentioned. He could see that Dee was tooo awake to return to sleep.

"We're about to get a late dinner. Would you like to join us?" Tom knew Tommy wouldn't mind, nor would Damien if he decided to make an appearance.

A dinner with one of the most important figures in the music industry?! How on earth could Dee say no to that!!

“I would love to, yes.” He nodded eagerly, before reality reared its head.

It took a lot of effort to move his legs over the side of the sofa bed. Which probably didn’t go unnoticed by anyone watching. He knew he’d hit the point where they wouldn’t support him for very long. If at all. But of course, he wasn’t going to turn down that invitation.

Dee felt torn. He wanted to make a good impression, and so many potential managers, label executives and even bandmates looked at a wheelchair and lost any desire to back him. But he couldn’t exactly make a good impression by collapsing on the ground within seconds of standing up.

“But… I may need a small favor first.” He interjected. “There’s a wheelchair… somewhere in the main room. Close to the entrance. Could someone please… get that for me?“

Tom does notice and it isn't until Dee mentions the wheelchair that Tom realizes it is something health or physical related and not booze, exhaustion or something similar that is causing the issues.

"I'll get it." Tom had no problem, nor did he think less of people for physical limitations. At least Dee was more hospitable than when Vars' leg started acting up and limited his mobility. After a moment Tom returned with the wheelchair and offers what support Dee needs or will accept to get into the chair.

"Are you ok with vegetarian?" Tom asked while they were getting situated.

While Dee may have his moments, limited mobility wasn’t usually his complaint. He’d had time to adjust to the gradual decline. Where he was physically was the natural end result of choices he made, choices that he still stood by.

“Thank you…” Dee was slow to push himself off the sofa bed. Those thin legs shook, and he gripped onto Tom for support in addition to stability. Sitting down wasn’t exactly graceful either, but he made it there.

“No… I don’t mind at all.”

Tom didn't mind assisting. How many drunk rockstars had he helped up over the past year? Tom had lost count.

"This is Ziggy's uncle, Thomas Newton." Tom knew uncle wasn't quite the right term since Tommy was his wife's uncle but it was close enough. Tom takes his time turning the chair and pushing it toward the door. They were heading down to visit Robert who was cooking for them this evening.

Dee settled into the chair and looked up. While he wasn’t as familiar with Ziggy as everyone else here, he interpreted the family resemblance when it was pointed out. After all, they both had red hair and a very similar build. Unfortunately, the name didn’t ring a bell on its own quite yet.

“Pleased to meet you.” He weakly held out his hand.

Tom watched Tommy stare at the extended hand with a raised brow. After all this time Tom could still see the alien in Newton even if the humans just saw strange quirks.

Tom stopped pushing to wait and eventually Newton did reach out and gingerly take Dee's hand. His hands were even slimmer and more delicate than Dee's, and cool to the touch. Tommy didn't say anything when he let go and walked away toward the hall.

Tom shook his head and sighed before speaking quietly to Dee. "He's like that, quiet." Tommy was probably lost in some kind of thought over something or another. They were going to the apartment Robert and Erik shared, though Erik was off passed out with some of the others right now. Robert however was up and cooking.

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