[Social] We Like Dancing and We Look Divine

[Samantha McManus]

"If I'm wrong, you have it on record," she chuckles as they make their way inside and look for a good place to sit.

[Will Stanton]

The crowd inside had that amped, pre-show feeling -- or maybe it was just the cheap lager on a Friday night. Who knew? I suppose they could scientifically test this, as Will grabbed a couple bottles of the stuff before returning to Sam at a table close-ish to the stage, if a bit off to one side. The center of the room was standing room only, for people who wanted to press up right close to the stage.

Will laughed a little as he saw the Wycked Ones setting up their kit; the lead singer(?) orchestrating things being moved around as they began their sound check, yelling at the bass guitar player over something not being right. "Control freak from the very beginning," he stage-whispered to Sam. "Fuse to the eventual dynamite."

[Samantha McManus]

"Looks familiar. Wasn't she in Poison Apple?"

[Will Stanton]

"Similar style, different person," Will shook his head. "You're looking at Paige Hansen. In my world, she becomes huge in about two years. I mean, proper, stadium-selling huge; right up there with P!nk or Ali Blaire or somebody. But for now, she's slumming it in freaking Braintree, which I'm pretty sure is one of the nine circles of something or other."

[Samantha McManus]

"So you think she could use a little help? Turn some eyes her way?"

[Will Stanton]

Will raised his eyebrow, thinking about that.

"I mean, I suppose I can't say that's not what happened. They're probably used to playing for talent scouts, just of a different sort," he mused.

[Samantha McManus]

"We'll see if I like her," she smirks.

[Will Stanton]

"Oh, Great Phantom Queen, we present this tribute to thy glory and thy power, and hope it meets with thine favor," Will said, keeping a very intense, serious look on his face.

[Samantha McManus]

"You don't need a Morrigan to nudge a few minds to pay attention."

[Will Stanton]

"You don't necessarily need a telepath to do it, either, if they're going to open with..." Will began.

But whatever he was going to say next was drowned out by a heavy guitar riff, piercing through the air to a general cheer of 'thank god the music is starting'. It was quickly joined by the rhythm section -- a little sloppy on bass and drums, lower quality than the guitar player, but not totally out of whack for a bar band on a Friday night.

And then Hansen took to the mike, her low baritone filling the room.

I feel the power coursing through me as we begin this journey
Feel the power of my spirt as I travel in the night.

I am the goddess of battlefields!
I have laid nations to waste with the point of my spear.
Dance with me on the unholy ground!
Follow me, and you've nothing to fear.

And I wanna love somebody...
Love somebody like you!

*Wycked guitar riff*

The power in me is unstoppable
I have a thirst that never ends
You won't catch me when I dance in the moonlight
I know all the ways that the dark path wends

And I wanna love somebody...
Love somebody like you!"

[Samantha McManus]

Sam arches a ginger brow at Will at the band's choice of opening number, but she's grinning by the end.

[Will Stanton]

Will grinned and clinked Sam's bottle of beer with his own as the band moved into it's next song.


I don't want you to come back around
Don't you know that I'm not in the mood.
You're just like all the rest; putting me to the test
You don't get any when it's all that you do.

You're always telling me what's wrong with me
And it's making me go insane
You're trying to hold on to something you can't have
I don't have time for this pain, baby!

I don't need your love!
I don't need your con-des-cen-sion!
I don't need your love!
No no no!

Will was mouthing along with the words, grooving in his chair along to the beat, air-drumming a fill that was more complex and more in time than what the actual drummer was doing. No one else in the club was singing along or anything, but the hard-rock/power-metally vibes were definitely flowing. They weren't THERE yet, but you could see how with a little more polish, a little more practice, this could be something.

[Samantha McManus]

Deciding to give them just a little encouragement, Sam lets her good mood seep out among the pub crowd.

[Narrator]

It doesn't take too much to lock on to the groove of the music and her own positive vibes. Most of the crowd had come here for cheap beer and something to do on a Friday night, but with a little nudge, they were getting more and more into the music, their movements subconsciously matching the beat (or, rather, what the beat *should* be; the skill of the drummer not withstanding). And soon, Sam's good vibes were being echoed throughout the club.

[Samantha McManus]

It might be cheating a bit, but it's not like it's undeserved in Sam's mind. Besides, Will seems to be having a good time for once. Sam settles in to enjoy the show.

[Will Stanton]

The Wycked Ones finished their set with a flourish, and Will stands up on his chair to lead the applause, whistling and laughing.

"Oh man, Simon is going to kill me. Paige fucking Hansen, with less than 100 people in the room? Original drummer? Sober?" he said, pausing. "...ish? Bucket list. It's a list. For my bucket."

He was a little tipsy from a combination of the cheap beer and the vibes Sam had been spilling out.

[Samantha McManus]

"Simon's a friend from... ah... back home?"

[Will Stanton]

Will nodded. "Yeah, he's a good egg. Got all the albums, saw 'em at Wembley, would love an opportunity like this."

He paused for a moment, and then took another long swig of his beer. "Good egg..."

[Samantha McManus]

"I know it's... going to be awhile, and all that."

[Will Stanton]

Will shrugged a little noncommittedly at that. "Yeah, that's..."

He took another swig.

"We saw just one of me going back. That's the usual expected number, and no one said anything. Then. But now..."

[Samantha McManus]

"Now you want to send Willnauts into the unknown."

[Will Stanton]

"Something's out there, Sam. I don't know what it is, but..." he said, trailing off again as he tried to find words.

"It feels strangely familiar."

[Samantha McManus]

"Of course it feels familiar. It's some mad version of me gone sideways."

[Will Stanton]

Will shook his head. "I don't think that's it. Or at least, not all of it."

[Samantha McManus]

"Guess we'll find out, aye?"