Zaxter996

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Swan Songs

Interactions:@Majoras End@PrinceAlexus@King Tai@Almalthia + Anyone else at Swan Songs

---

Marucs stood at the bar, leaning against it as he sipped on his beer, mentally going over the songs he planned to play, before being pulled from his thoughts by a slightly familiar voice. He turned around to see two women, one of which he recognised as one of the sisters that were in the bar fight at Club Aether. Something that she and her sister both had in common is that they liked to call out at people from across the bar. Marcus blushed ever so slightly, but gave a smile and polite wave. “Heh, yeah, small world…” There was a part of him that was disappointed that the shorter sister was there, though it wasn’t like he would have the guts to make a move this time either.

“Yeah, I’m getting up to play a few songs soon. Just acoustic this time, so no screaming this time.” He answered the question with a slightly nervous chuckle. As he spoke, he recognised someone else, the man standing with the two women. It was Ethan, the rockstar who offered his sage advice the night of the bar fight. Marcus gave him a smile and a small wave. “Hey, Ethan, right?” He asked, fairly sure he remembered his name, though double checking, just in case. “Umm, thanks for the advice you gave me that night at Club Aether. It’s helped me a lot.”

Before he continued to speak, there was a tap on his shoulder, and he turned around to see Reya, which brought a bright smile to his face. He wasn’t actually expecting her to show up, but she did, which somehow calmed and heightened his nerves at the same time. She'd seen him play before, so it wasn't a big deal, but it was always nerve-wracking to have friends in the crowd, because he wanted to impress them. “Oh, hey! I... uh, thanks for coming! It’s… Uh… It’s good to see you.” He stuttered slightly with a dorky smile on his face. He stood there awkwardly, unsure whether to hug her, or shake her hand, or give her a high five. How do you great someone you've only hung out with a couple times? “Umm… Do you want a beer or something? My shout.” He offered, trying to save himself some awkwardness.

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Tuesday Afternoon
Club Aether-Swan Songs

Interactions: @MissCapnCrunch @Majoras End
Crowd at Swan Songs: @PrinceAlexus@King Tai@LunarMist

---

Marcus smirked back at Dustynn as she headed out the door of Club Aether, returning her wave and friendly wink. “Always. Have fun, but not too much!” He teased with a slight chuckled. After she left, he smiled down at the glasses that he had been washing. It was the first time he had ever been happy to be doing the dishes. Honestly, he could have been scrubbing the toilets and still be happy. He loved his job at the Club, and enjoyed every minute of it, even the more mundane parts of it. He moved the tray of now clean glasses to their spot behind the bar, and moved along to find the next thing to do.

It wasn’t long before the shift manager called over to him, letting him know his shift was over and he could head off when he finished what he was doing. He’d just done the afternoon shift that day, which was good, because he had other plans. Marcus smiled back at his co-worker as he finished wiping the bar down. “Ah, cool.” He often had to be reminded to leave, because he never bothered looking at a clock. He went out the back, clocked off and grabbed his backpack, pulling his phone out of it, checking the time. “Cool… Still have time…” He mumbled to himself. He grabbed the acoustic guitar case that was sitting in the corner of the room, and started out the door. He’d brought his guitar to work that day, due the plans he had later in the day. As he left, he gave his co-workers a cheerful farewell, and ordered and Uber.

As he sat in the Uber, on his way to the Record store Swan Songs for their Open Mic event, Marcus stared at his phone. He had the Facebook Messenger app open, sighing heavily as he thought, and overthought. He had it open on an empty conversation, with a new friend, Reya. They had met a couple of times, and had spent the lockout in Club Aether during the storm together. They added each other on Facebook, to keep in touch. She seemed nice, and Marcus wanted to get to know her better, but his overactive brain made sending a message harder than it should be. He wanted to simply say he’s going to the event at Swan Songs, and say it would be cool to see her, if she was going. But social anxiety playing with his imagination like a kid with a lego set made things more difficult, imagining all the ways his words could be taken the wrong way, or that he could just come off as annoying. He spent most of the Uber ride writing and re-writing a simple message. Eventually, he just bit the bullet and pressed send, and stashed his phone in his pocket with a heavy sigh, trying hard not to continue overthinking it.

Hey Reya. Hope you got home safe after the storm.
I’m going to the Open Mic thing Swan Songs is doing today, gonna play a few songs. Would be cool to catch up if you’re there.

As his Uber pulled up outside Swan Songs, he noticed that the place was pretty packed. It was cool to see his favourite record store getting some good business, but it was also pretty daunting, seeing how many people he’d be playing to. When he found out about the event, Marcus put his name in for the open mic, securing himself a slot for the early evening, so he could make it after work. He made his way to where they put the sound desk, letting the staff know he was there, before stashing his guitar beside the stage, where all the other musicians stored their gear. He had played there a few times before, so he knew the drill. He still had a while before his set, so he walked over to the bar, casually scanning the venue to see if he knew anyone around before ordering a beer.

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Club Aether

---

Okay, set up candles… I can do that… Marcus thought to himself, scrubbing his thoughts to remember where the box of candles was kept. It took him a moment, but he tried to make sure that didn’t show. He smiled and gave his boss a fake confident smile. “Sure thing!” His mind was racing now, but he had gotten good at hiding it and pretending he knew what he was doing. Luckily he wasn’t completely pretending, he was fairly sure he knew where the candles were, but that little sliver of doubt always hid at the back of his mind, causing him to second guess himself at every turn.

Marcus turned around as Leo walked off, towards the direction of the storage room, although as he turned around he was caught by surprise, by the girl he recognised as Reya. Unfortunately for her, he was holding his phone’s flashlight at about her eye level, shining the light into the girl’s eyes. Marcus lurched back a little, slightly startled, and then instantly feeling bad for the flash of light. “Oh, oh shit… Sorry, I, uh, I didn’t see you there… You, uh… You’re Reya, right?” He asked softly, stuttering slightly. He offered an apologetic smile, taking a moment to realise that she asked a question. “Oh, right, yeah sure, if you want. I’ll go get the box, and uh, you can help me set them up.” He smiled again before walking over to the storage room.

It didn’t take him long to find the box of candles, sighing with relief. Taking the box out to the closest table and setting it down, he hands a handful to Reya, along with a lighter. “Here you go, just put two on all the tables over this side, I’ll take the other side.”

@CaptainSully@Majoras End

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Club Aether
Thursday - Early Evening

---

Despite the dreary, almost scary weather that was making life miserable for the citizens of Sol city, Marcus wore a genuinely happy smile. For the first time ever, he had a job that he loved. Although he had only been working at Club Aether for two days before the blizzard hit, he was already loving it, and starting to fit in. On his first day, a girl he had served him drinks many times when he was just a patron, had claimed him as her friend. He learnt her name was Dustynn, and she was incredibly helpful in teaching him the ropes and getting him acquainted with the place and the staff. It felt good to already have a friend there, and it definitely helped in pulling him out of his shell a bit. For the first time in a long time, life was good.

Even when the storm warnings started, Marcus made sure he was at work as soon as possible. His boss, Leo, had kept the club open, to act as a safe haven for people who would otherwise be stuck out in the snow. Marcus was of course happy to help out around the Club however he could. So far, the main job he had been given, was to provide entertainment, playing some chilled out acoustic tunes for the people taking refuge in the bar. He was nervous at first of course, though with a few beers, and once he was a few songs in, he found his stride, treating it more like playing some songs for a few friends than actually performing, which definitely helped his nerves.

As Marcus played, Leo came and put a cup of coffee beside him, before sitting down in front of the stage. He gave his boss a smile and nod as he sang, in the middle of Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. As he finished the song, he leaned down to pick up his coffee, taking a sip, before placing it on the stool he had sitting beside him. “Thanks for the coffee Leo.” He said with a smile, before starting his next song. The Only Exception by Paramore. As he started singing those opening lines, he took a look around at the people sat at the tables, and saw a familiar face. Reya, the girl he was talking to the previous Friday before the fight broke out. He couldn’t help but smile while he sang, making eye contact for a moment, before shyly averting his gaze. He was hoping he would run into her again, and there she was. I guess blizzards have a way of bringing people together… He thought to himself as he sang.

Marcus started transitioning into the bridge of the song, as all of a sudden, it went dark. All the lights went out, and the PA he was playing through cut out too. Marcus cursed under his breath when he realised what had happened. The power went out… It wasn’t too unexpected, considering how wild the blizzard was getting, but it certainly wasn’t ideal either. He pulled his phone from his pocket, turning on the flashlight before looking around for his guitar stand, setting his guitar down once he found it. He used that light to then carefully make his way off the stage, and find his way over to Leo as quickly as he could without tripping over anything or anyone. “What do you need me to do, Leo?”

@CaptainSully@Majoras End@MissCapnCrunch

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Club Aether

---

Marcus sipped at his beer, about half-way done when Leo had finished his. He certainly drank fast. He listened closely as Leo talked, nodding a few times. He’d heard most of what he said about the music scene, but it had more wait coming from Leo. He seemed to know what he was talking about, and he had Marcus’ respect for making something of himself, just like he was trying to do, so the words stuck with him more. He couldn’t help but grin as Leo suggested they start a band together, chuckling softly. “I would love that. I’ve seen you play a couple of times, and you’re really good. I’d be worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with you, though.”

The conversation then took an unexpected, darker turn. Leo asked about what happened with his girlfriend. He definitely didn’t expect that kind of question at a job interview, but he respected the reasoning behind it. It was definitely obvious on Marcus’ face that it was still very much an open wound. “Um… Well, to make a long story short… She left, because she couldn’t handle anymore. I’m not easy to live with, and I wasn’t pulling my weight.” He shrugged his shoulders, looking down at his now empty pint, obviously trying hard to stop himself from crying. “But, I’m trying to change that. Trying to change my life around, I guess.”

Marcus looked back up at Leo and started to smile in disbelief, bringing him back from the hold of sadness that was gripping him as Leo started his next sentence. He got the job! He could barely believe it. His first Job interview in god knows how long, and he got it! “Oh… Uh, oh my god, really?” He chuckled softly, smiling more than he had in a very long time. “That, uh, that means so much to me! Thank you, I won’t let you down, I promise!” Marcus was ecstatic now, and it was obvious.

@CaptainSully

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Club Aether

---

Marcus followed Leo to the bar, standing by it and listening intently as Leo gave some background on himself and started pouring the drinks. Marcus made sure to watch how he was pouring the beer, to try to catch on quickly so he didn’t seem so clueless if he got the opportunity of a trial shift. As Leo was talking, a rather large man, apparently named Steve, approached the two. Marcus offered a smile, before the man got uncomfortably close to him. He let out an uneasy chuckle and shook his head, as the man called him small, and asked if he knew Karate, before then apologising and wishing him luck. “It’s all good, thank you.”

He shook his head at Leo and smiled as he apologise on behalf of Steve, smiling. He was a little uncomfortable, but his smile was genuine. The laid back nature of the interview was definitely calming his nerves, and the beer would help even more than that. Marcus followed Leo to the booth and took a seat, listening closely as Leo continued his story. He remembered when he first came to Club Aether, shortly after they first opened. He loved it from his first visit.

“You weren’t boring me at all.” He replied to Leo softly, before taking a sip of his beer. “Oh, uh, well I grew up in a small town a few hours north of here. Tiny, tight-nit community. But, I also moved here when I was eighteen, trying to make a life of my own, I guess. I moved here with my girlfriend… Uh, ex...girlfriend now…” A pang of sadness hit him as he mentioned his ex, though he moved past it quickly, trying hard not to show it on his face at all. “And, uh, yeah, I’ve just been trying, and failing for the most part, to make it as a musician here. It’s harder than I thought it would be.” He took another long sip of his beer, trying to think of what else to say. “Music is my life. So any job where I get to be involved with the local music scene in some way, is a dream for me.”

@CaptainSully

Marvel: Shadows and Secrets (18+)

Yo, this looks interesting. Got room for another??

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Club Aether

---

Marcus walked into the club prepared for the worst. He didn’t know what to expect, really. Was it going to be a regular, formal interview? Would it be more laid back due to it being a bar? Marcus’ mind worked like Doctor Strange, looking through 14 million possible outcomes for the interview, all of which ending in him walking away still jobless. Despite his pessimism however, he was determined to still give it a shot.

As a man he recognised as the bar’s owner, who gave a great performance opening up the open mic night the previous Friday, introduced himself as Leo, Marcus stretched out his hand for a shake, offering him a nervous but genuine smile. It was obvious the young man was nervous, but his handshake was still firm, attempting to give off the illusion of confidence. It’s something his dad always taught him. Expecting to get straight to business, Marcus was caught off guard, and pleasantly surprised by Leo’s next words.

"Look, we could go do a full on formal interview but I much prefer to get to know my guys and understand who they are. So if you're ok with that, how about we go to the bar and get a drink? Don't worry this isn't going to devolve into a free for all drinking sesh, just the one to help take the edge off cause I know interviews can be pretty uncomfortable. Don't feel like you have to hand a drink mind, it isn't some sort of test."

Best. Interviewer. Ever. “Oh, uh sure. I’ll have a beer, then.” He replied, unable to help letting out a soft sigh of relief as he followed Leo to the bar. That definitely relieved a lot of the pressure. Marcus found it much easier to open up in a more relaxed environment, so with the interview being a lot more casual, his confidence definitely went up slightly.

@CaptainSully

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Saturday Afternoon
Sol Police Station

---

Marcus groaned as he started to wake up. He was incredibly uncomfortable, it felt like he was sleeping on a stone slab, instead of his soft comfy bed. When he opened his eyes, he realised that wasn’t far from the truth. The first thing he saw was a stone wall, that definitely wasn’t the wall of his bedroom. He groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes before looking around. “Well shit…” He mumbled as he remembered the events of night, realising where he’d spent the night. A jail cell. His head throbbed, and his mouth was incredibly dry, due to the amount of bears he had drunk before taking a blow to the head during the bar brawl. Though he was not an aggressor, and was only trying to break things up, when fists started to fly, the police didn’t seem interested in asking questions.

“There you are…” Spoke a familiar voice from the other side of the bars. Chris stood there with a slightly amused smirk. “I leave you alone for 10 minutes and you get yourself locked up.”
“Fuck off…” Marcus mumbled with an annoyed groan, as he stood up and stretched. “Where even did you go last night?”
Chris snickered softly. “Heh… Was kinda hooking up with some blonde in the bathrooms while shit went down. Didn’t even notice. When we came out, it was already over.”
Marcus sighed, rolling his eyes, though he was not at all surprised. Classic Chris. “Of course… What time is it?”
“1pm, you’re about to be let go. We’ll go get lunch, and then I’ll drop you home.”

A police officer walked over and unlocked the cell, nodding to Marcus. “You’re good to go. No charges are pressed yet, but don’t leave town. We’ll be in touch.” Marcus sighed again but offered a force smile to the officer, nodding at him as he left the cell, being received by Chris with a tight hug. They got Marcus’ phone and wallet back and left.

---

Sunday Morning
Marcus' Apartment

Marcus sat on his couch with his laptop, scrolling absently through facebook, with his playlist blaring from a bluetooth speaker. There’s no better way to spend a Sunday morning. He was about to close facebook to get up and start making some food, before a post caught his eye. The Club Aether facebook page posted that they were hiring. Oh jeez, I hope no one got fired because of the bar fight… He thought to himself with a worried look, that turned into a thoughtful one. He had been jobless for almost a year, since getting fired from McDonalds. That does a number on one’s confidence. But, assuming they look over the fact that he was involved in a bar fight at the club a few night prior, a job at Club Aether would suit him perfectly. He definitely had a quite a bit of motivation to at least start looking for a job anyway, considering he had rent to pay, and he had almost drained his savings dry. Though applying for jobs sent Marcus’ anxiety into overdrive, he’d have to get over that eventually. Marcus opened up his email and started writing.

To Club Aether Management

I saw on your facebook page that you’re currently hiring, and would like to show my interest. I have been going to your venue nearly every weekend for years, and have played at several open mic nights, and it is definitely my favourite bar in the city. I do not have a huge amount of experience in bar work, but I am fast learner and pick things up quickly. My schedule is wide open, and am available to work 24/7. You’ll find my resume attached to this email, which includes my experience and qualifications. I would love to work at your Club, and look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your consideration,
Marcus Ainsworth

Marcus spent the rest of the day trying to put it out of his mind, so he didn’t dwell on it and start to panic. The productivity had definitely boosted his motivation to get more things done, and he actually cleaned the apartment for the first time in weeks, and got several loads of washing done. By the time the sun had set, he was exhausted, but felt good about himself. He’d actually gotten things done, which was a welcome change. He sat back down for the first time since the morning, and opened his laptop. He didn’t expect a reply to his resume yet, but he checked his email just in case. Much to his surprise, there was a reply from the Club Aether management sitting in his inbox. His heart started beating a thousand miles a minute, as his mind raced through all the possible things that could be in the email. He spent nearly 5 minutes staring at his screen, too petrified to open the email.

Marcus’ heart skipped a beat as he finally decided to open the email, and saw the exact opposite of what he was expecting. He had an interview. Monday lunchtime. “Oh my god… I got an interview… That’s… Tomorrow! Oh my god, I’ve got an interview tomorrow!!!” He exclaimed out loud to the emptiness of his apartment. He jumped out of his seat and punched the air excitedly. “Actually doing things surprisingly gets shit done!” He pulled out his phone and texted Chris immediately, which gave him time to think, and realise that he was at the hard part now. Marcus hated interviews. He was awful at them, always nervous and awkward. He’d only ever gotten 2 jobs in his life, and one was because his dad was the manager. All the rest he failed at the interview. He sat back down as those sobering thoughts completely curbed the enthusiasm. He was going to have to give this interview his best shot if he wanted this job.

---

Monday Afternoon
Club Aether

Marcus sat in Chris’ car, staring nervously at his hands, trying hard to keep his breathing steady. They were parked outside of Club Aether, 20 minutes before he was due for the job interview. “Oh god… What if I completely embarrass myself?”
Chris chuckled and gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry man, you’ll be fine. Just think of it like a show. The interviewer is just a private audience. You’re performing for him.”
Marcus took a deep breath before nodding. “Alright… Wish me luck…” He mumbled before getting out of the car, and heading into the club for his interview.

@CaptainSully

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Marcus Ainsworth

Club Aether

@Silver Fox@Almalthia@PrinceAlexus@Majoras End

---

Marcus smiled widely as Rei rattled off a short list of band, most of which Marcus knew and liked to some degree. “Lindsey Stirling is so talented. And Paramore has always been one of my favourites. Their first three albums are still in heavy rotation for me.” He replied with a smile, taking another sip of his beer. “I haven’t heard of The Hush Sound, though… What are they like?” He asked, seeming genuinely interested, because he was. It felt good to have a conversation with someone that wasn’t Chris or his mom for the first time in several weeks. It was not as scary as he thought it would be at all, not at all feeling awkward with Rei, which was good.

Suddenly, his calmer, happier mood was tainted as his attention was caught by some rather harsh words. His head snapped around and he saw this mass of girls surrounding a table of two others. He recognised the two women as the short one who he had been caught staring at, and her friend who had gotten up to sang. Marcus felt sick to his stomach as he heard the words coming from who seemed like the ringleader of this mass of women. They were venomous and completely uncalled for. As far as Marcus noticed, it was completely unprovoked too. He didn’t understand how people could be so cruel, especially to strangers that they don’t know from a bar of soap. There was too much hate in this world, and there was no place for it. Especially at a bar where people are just trying to have some fun.

An hour ago, Marcus would have frozen up and tried his best to ignore the situation or get away from it. But, this night was different. He’d taken a leap of faith by getting up on stage, and again when approaching Reya. And it felt good to be out of his shell. So he wasn’t going to lose his nerve and retreat back into his shell now. He looked to Rei with an apologetic, yet driven expression on his face, and stood from his seat. “I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.” His heart was beating like a bass drum at one hundred miles per hour as he stared at the ringleader girl with anger burning in his eyes.

“Hey!” He called out as he walked over to the group. His hands were shaking so hard he had to keep them clenched to try to stop it, and he was screaming at himself in his mind to turn around and not get involved, but there was no turning back now. “There’s no place for hate like that here! It’s fucked that you think it’s okay to treat someone else like that. I don’t know what kind of fucked up things you’ve gone through to make you this insecure, but don’t take it out on others. If you feel the need to shit on other people’s nights, then get the fuck out and go somewhere else. The world is fucked up enough, without people like you making it worse, when we’re all just trying to enjoy ourselves!” He kept his voice as calm as he could, trying hard not to let the trembling show, but it was obvious he was furious. He was terrified, but he felt a rush of adrenaline that helped boost his courage. He’d never stood up to a bully before, and it felt great. For the first time ever, he felt powerful. He felt like he was doing something worthwhile.

After Marcus had interjected with his rant, a rather tall woman stepped in, and wasn't saying much, if anything, just trying to calme things down before it escalated, seemingly. Well, that definitely didn't work, as she got a bottle to the side of the head. "Oh shit!" Marcus exclaimed, shocked at the sudden burst of violence. He rushed to the tall girl's side, to attempt to catch her is she were to fall over. But, she seemed unaffected, as if it were just a tap to the head. Marcus turned back to the perpetrator with a furious gaze. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! Back the fuck up!!" He was shaking with anger. The only reason why he didn't lash out violently himself, was that he would never hit a girl, no matter how angry he was. That's something his dad always taught him.