Thread: LaLa Land ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Jesse moved his amp to the wall, testing it with a few thumps on his bass. It seemed to be working for the moment, but he thought he heard a bit of a back buzz in the speaker. He would have to look into that when he got the chance.

He set his bass on the stand. It was tuned and ready to go. Now he was in waiting mode.

He sat down at the studio piano and started to play the new melody he and Anna had worked on. He was by no means as skilled as Roy- no where close, but he could play well enough to write the music. It was in an awkward key- E Sharp Minor...well, F Minor, but he always called it E Sharp Minor just to confuse people. At least it wasn't E Mixolydian.

That never went over well in rock music- at least not with the general crowd. You had to hit up the hipster noise rock crowd for that. The people who pretended they liked it even if they didn't understand it.

He played through it and frowned. It was missing something. He played it again, this time adding a bit of a change up in the second chorus. He nodded to himself, thinking of the bass line a bit.

Ah!

He could do a bit of a shift on the bass to add some depth. A F Major chord change on bass while keeping the F Minor on the melody. Dissonance- but it would work with the right lyrics.

He glanced at his watch.

He was waaaay too early. He got up from the piano and wandered around the studio again.

She went to the kitchen to grab a drink and off to her room. She changed her clothes since it was drenched with sweat and put on a black tee and a short. She tied up her bubblegum hair into a bundle and grabbed her favourite guitar pick. She had tons of guitar pick collections but the one with a Rilakkuma has always been her favourite.

She headed to the band studio and knew that Jesse was waiting inside. She walked inside and to her surprise, Ty was already wake up. "I thought you're dead," she said, cynically while walking towards her red guitar. She sat down and strummed a bit, testing it for awhile. When she was satisfied with the tune, she grabbed her headphones and plugged it, trying to find the right rhythm to go along with the lyrics that she and Leon had made. After awhile, she still didn't get the hang of it. She ended up jamming her guitar to no particular song and lost in her own world.

Natsu's eyebrows were creased as he walked into a recording studio and sat down in the plush chair. He propped his flute case against the chair and it leaned on the side as if it couldn't bare standing any longer. He was so concerned by his lack of work all he could think was Crap. Thoughts like; What good is a masters in music composition if it cant even get me a job? and Was it even worth giving up playing the Flute? danced around his head making him so dizzy that the chair engulfed Natsu like quicksand. There he sat wondering if any work would magically appear, not like he believed in magic anyway. Moping around was alright but he soon succumbed to his desire to play his flute. After a year of separation and dedication to all things other than his playing, the sound produced by his instrument was horrible at best. Yet though Natsu's ears would've screamed a year ago, the fact that he was playing bought a smile to his face, despite his current employment situation.

She was back to the real world after she ended the song with a few strums. She felt calm and relax. After all the chaos that she had been through that morning, she finally felt relief. She took off her headphones and said, "Wonder where Leon and Roy are by now?"

She noticed someone was sitting just outside the studio. She didn't know him at all but she waved at him anyway and smiled broadly at him. She finally stop waving and turned to Jesse who was sitting with his bass. "Jesse, could you help me with this song? I can't seem to figure it out much." she said.

Jesse looked up. He had been lost in thought over the new song for a while now. He really wanted to do the chord change, but the more he thought about it, the more he doubted if it would work. He already had the syncopated triplets down- that was a pretty standard jazz rhythm. He fingered the notes he was thinking about using but didn't pluck them, instead just let them percolate in his mind as he slid his hand over the neck of his bass.

Pulled from his thoughts by Anna, he looked up. "Oh...the rhythm? Think of it as a funky waltz. The syncopated triplets can be tricky. It should sound sort of like the back beat of Synchronicity 2 by the Police." Jesse turned on his amp, "Lemme show you."

He started to play, mimicing the chords of the guitar with a single note on his bass. "And here, add in some arpeggio around the rhythm. Now, play with me right here. Just follow my lead. Hey Ty, lay down some drum beat- that should make it easier."

He saw Michaels entering the room while he smirks hearing her words “I’m already dead by the way, Ms. Wonder Woman” he laughs and starts playing his drums when he got the rhythm right. Seeing Jesse and Michaels practicing a lot he wonders where the hell Roy and Leon by now and hoping Leon got his headphones.

After a few seconds he stops as he nods at Jesse while he wear his headphone, as of now he beat his drums like he and his father playing with it, making his face more lively.

After awhile, she finally got the hang of it. She played along with Jesse and just went with the flow. Before they knew it, the song was almost done. "Thanks, Jesse. Finally! I've been stuck for like ages with that part." she said, satisfied with their song progression. "We should tell Leon about this."

"I feel like we're still not tight enough on the second verse with the switch ups. We'll need to work on that a bit. I think I got a little sloppy with my fingering." Jesse said as they finished up the run through. Setting his bass in his lap he sighed, stretching his arms.

"I figured we would tell Leon and Roy when they got here. We both know I am bullocks at making lyrics. I do want to keep the title though- Looking for Water." He shrugged, looking over to Ty. "You guys wanna play through something else before the others get here? Something easy. We could do a quick improv or something if you wanted. Something in D Major, simple 4/4 beat? 8 bar refrain?"

"Sounds nice, Jesse!" she said, putting her red guitar aside. She stood up and headed to the door, "Before that, I'm off looking for my water now. You guys want anything?" looking both at Ty and Jesse. Too lazy to wait, she added, "Text me when you need anything."

She was outside the studio where there was a man sitting on a chair she saw earlier. He was wearing a suit like he's off to a meeting or something. Curious got the best of her and she asked, "Can I help you, sir?"

The melody he played was sweet and melancholy yet his peace didn't last long..
Natsu stopped playing his flute realizing that he wasn't in his university's practice room or anywhere he knew for that matter. "Hey," He almost gasped, "where am I?"

"Umm... you're in our band studio, apparently." she looked around as if she wasn't sure where she was too. She heard her phone beeped in her pocket. She took her phone out and turned to the suit guy, "I'm gonna take this. Excuse me." With that, she walked out of the studio.

She read her text and realized it was from Fiona. Hmm... she wants to treat us to lunch tomorrow. I wonder if we are free tomorrow, she thought. She hit the button reply and wrote;

You're welcome.
That'd be lovely. But we're not sure if we got the time tomorrow.
Will ask the others later.

She hit the button send and put the phone in her pocket. She went to the vending machine and inserts some coins. She pressed for the mineral water and in a jiffy, the vending machine dispensed a bottle. She grabbed it and had a sip. Refreshing!, she thought.

Jesse watches Anna breeze out of the studio to the vending machines. He sets his bass back in the stand and turns to the drum kit. "So, you Anna and ah...Fiona. You guys have fun while you were out and about?" He smirks slightly lifting his eyebrows up and down. "That Fiona was a cutie eh? A little meek, but sweet. Going to corrupt her?"

He runs his hand through his unkempt hair, the bleach bond strands sticking up in random directions (and in no way artfully mussed). "I probably ought to apologize. I was teasing Anna a bit and she got all in a tizzy before I could explain. Did she catch you while still in a frothy rage?" He chuckles, "Anna- not one for patience. I swear, she gets an idea and the next second she bolts before anyone can get a word in to explain."

After they finish practicing he takes off his headphone as he glances at Jesse “dude is not fun at all” as he facepalm “I bought a headphone due to Michaels and also Fiona is really a Cut___”. He looks at Jesse with a smirk smile on his face “Fiona is really a Cutie and also playing with Michaels friends is not a good idea for me but if you got an eyes for her then I’ll help you out” as he taps Jesse on the shoulder.

He got a straight face “dude it’s your entire fault” he puts his hand up with a bite mark “she got disease dude… I’m about to cry just imagining it” and he starts looking his both hands with a serious look “...It’s a horror horror HORROR scene I'm telling you”. He sighs and looks at Jess shivering “My image, my beautiful image was ruined I was being look of disgust by some passengers they thought I rape Anna putting a medicine into her drinks… damn pity me”. He was having the image of the passengers looking at him in his mind as they vanish suddenly having a serious look at Jesse. “Oh now I know” as he smirks and mess his hair “you put some Bad Karma medicine on my coffee a while ago or you did chant a karma spell on me due to Fiona and Anna are with me”. He looks at his bite mark and realize something to be done “oh by the way” he then grabs the right arm of Jesse and bites it having a bite mark on it “just to be fair” as he laughs evilly “now I forgive you”.

He then gets up “we are finish practicing right?”

Anna went back to the studio with a bottle in her right hand while the other hand was holding her phone, reading Fiona's text. She put it back into her pocket and opened the studio's door.

She was surprised when she saw Ty was biting Jesse's hand. "What on earth are you doing?!" she cried. She smacked Ty's head again, like she did before. Anna took Jesse's hand and examined it. "Why'd you bite him?" she asked. His hand was red and had a bite mark on it. "What if he can't play anymore? That would be entirely your fault, Ty." she exaggerated. "Jesse, you should have punch him or something. I know I would." she rubbed his hand a bit, to sooth the pain and then, let go of his hand.

She went back to her seat and took her guitar. "Where are you going, Ty? The practice is not over, yet. We have to wait for Leon and Roy." she said, while strumming her guitar. She was almost lost in her world again when she remembered about Fiona's invitation. "Oh guys! Fiona texted me, saying that she wants to treat us to lunch tomorrow. Are you guys free?"

Jesse laughed. "Anna, I know you would punch him. But I deserved it." He rubs his arm a bit where the bite mark stood out red. "This is why you should be a scotch more patient. Then you can know the whole situation." He held up his hand, his thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart, "Just a bit."

"I was explaining to him that I was teasing you a bit this morning, so if he came to harm by your hand, it was my fault." Jesse grinned, "Remember when I said you were a wee bit drunk and professing your love?" He paused meaningfully, letting the silence sink in as if to emphasize the need not to rush off or lash out.

He leaned closer to Anna, "If you hadn't rushed out of the house like a mad woman this morning, I would have told you that you were professing your love for your guitar." He looks over to the instrument in question, "I can't blame you either, it is a fine thing your guitar."

Jesse looked over to Ty, "Anxious to get out of here already? We only did one run through of a song. Have somewhere you'd rather be?"

Anna looked deep into Jesse's eyes and waited for him to spill the beans about last night. This is it. The moment of truth!, she thought. But his pause was too long, she urged him, "Oh hurry up, Jesse. You're killing me."

When Jesse told her that she just professed her love to her guitar, she was so relief. It felt like a huge burden was lifted over her shoulder. She sighed, "You shouldn't have scared me like that, Jesse. You know me. I made a fuss out of nothing." She smiled broadly at Jesse and thanked him for complimenting her beloved guitar.

"So, are you free tomorrow, Jesse? Please say yes! Please say yes!" she begged him, shaking his arm. She made a puppy-eyed face, pleading for him to come.

He felt his temper got smashed when Michaels just smack him again, he was tired, didn’t buy the headphone he wanted, got bumped on the lemon street, bus passenger, got bitten… as he thought scribbling on his mind “crazy day” . He was really pissed off as he looks at Jesse with annoying face and the tone of his voice “yeah dude I’m SORRY for biting you maybe if I did something wrong again I will get smacked on my head”

“And by the way I wasn’t listening a while ago, so SORRY again I don’t know we will still continue the practice…. but” he looks at his drum while he suddenly kicks it and all the drum set fell over, he kicks the drums rolling over to him making a hole in it. He stops “no more practice for me here then” as he tilts his head looking down at the drums “the drum set was broken” as he walks off looking at Jesse “I’m going to practice outside” He went out of the studio leaving a punch mark on the door.

He goes for a walk as he mumbles “maybe I should go practice at my uncle's house” as he look at the key. “I wonder when he will visit me but for now I should go ‘there’” He visits the dark alley for thugs when he wants to release his urge to punch someone. After a few hours he then went to the cemetery to visit his dad with a bleeding lip and getting an eye side wound. “Damn” as he lays down exhausted beside his dad’s grave closing his eyes as he imagines practicing the drums while he got music on his iPod playing Linkin Park’s songs.

Anna was startled when Ty exploded, out of the blue. She looked up at Ty's face which was flushed with rage. She put away her guitar and stood up. "H—hey, come on, Ty. You know I was only joking, right?" she said, nervously. She didn't mean to take it too far. She never thought she had crossed the line.

Her hand was about to reach him when suddenly, a drum set went flying. She was agitated as Ty kicked his drum set. "Ty! Stop it!" she cried. Before she knew it, he punched the wall and slammed the door hard to her face.

She stood there, stunned. Neither she nor Jesse spoke a word. The silence was deafening. Her eyes prickled with tears. "I—it was my fault. I shouldn't have gone too far." she said, trying to hold it in. "I think we should cancel this practice, Jesse." she grabbed her guitar and went towards the door. "I'll be in my room." she added, before she left.

It had been hours since Ty's gone. Anna was getting more worried. She was lying on her bed with her phone in her hand. She had been leaving tons of text messages in Ty's inbox.

Ty, where are you?

Sun,18:09

I'm so sorry. Please reply.

Sun,18:10

Where the heck are you, Ty?

Sun,18:13

I'll make your favourite spicy chicken pot pie. :-D

Sun,18:15

And treat you some ice-cream. :-D

Sun,18:15

You can have whatever you like. Just please come back.

Sun,18:16

Ty still haven't replied. She pressed the message button again and composed a new one.

Ty, I am really sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry.
Please come back. I'm worried.

Sun,18:20

She pressed send and covered her face with a pillow as a tear rolling down her cheek.

Jesse wasn't quite sure what to do. Ty had just destroyed part of his drum kit with a bout of rage, Anna had run off and poor Jesse was there, in the studio alone.

With a sigh, he packed up his bass into the case, then started to look over the drum kit. A couple of the heads were damaged and some of the fasteners were bent, but, the heads could probably be repaired. On closer inspection, the fasteners he might be able to bend back into place.

At times, Jesse felt like the only responsible person in the band. A mother hen to his fellow band mates. He really needed a drink. He packed the drums into their cases and put them on the cart, keeping the broken drum heads on top so he could take them to the shop in an effort to get them repaired by tomorrow. He knew he should let Ty deal with it, but if he did that, they would never get fixed in time for their next rehearsal.

He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Leon and Roy.

Prac no go. Drum mishap. G2G 2 music shop. SRY. Call L8R W/ DTail.

He was one of the few who still used "Text Speak" in the band. He had gotten his first cell phone when you paid for messages by the character and it was a habit that stuck. They were trying to break him of the habit, but it was hard to do. He had been getting better- he actually put in some details this time.

He loaded everything into his hatchback whale of a car, putting the broken drums at easy access.

He started the car and started to drive down the road.