Beautiful Music Together (Saint Celestine & Musashi)

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

The grand city shined with a myriad of lights that warm summer evening. Towering buildings that served a multitude of purposes made the perfect backdrop for the sea of eager citizens, all in one way or another searching for a great time. For some that meant a satisfying dinner, for others it was an adventure with friends, for a few the goal was a wild encounter with a stranger, but for Leon, the one thing that would satisfy him that night was musical entertainment. He walked alone that night through a series of street crossings and business fronts, under many bright street lights and alongside a vast variety of neon signs advertising everything from food to appliances to secret shows only for adults.



The man of many talents checked a small leather wallet-sized carrier affixed to the highest of several belts he was wearing and reconfirmed that it contained his ticket. He remembered having to act very quickly to obtain the ticket due to the tremendous popularity of the show combined with the relativity small size of the venue. Every newspaper, web page, and local publication gave the show a shining review and their highest recommendations. While he had a tendency to hide his excitement, Leon was beyond hyped for the night's entertainment as he walked in and showed his pass to the strong, stocky bouncer in the grey suit.

The Vrooming roar of a perky engine invaded the ears of many drivers and pedestrians alike as a daring rider atop a big black Ducati motorcycle curved around the street corner. Its bright chrome finish drew many a curious onlooker's attention to the fierce fast bike and the intrepid traveler controlling it. As the new street came into his view, a look of shock formed on his face, well concealed by his white helmet's dark visor. A few short yards from where he sped, an 18-wheeled red Mack truck crept around another intersection making a slow, wide arced right turn. The trucker jumped in his seat upon seeing the heavy bike rocketing towards his front grill. He pulled his horn cord in an effort to warn the biker. The man on the Ducati screamed and squeezed his brakes. The cycle started to slow but suddenly hit a large metal 'Mack' logo tire first, flipping the bike forward and hurling the rider into the hard front surface of the big rig.

Red and blue lights strobed from the parked police cruisers. A comatose man sporting multiple injuries rested on a stretcher while EMTs prepared him for transfer to their ambulance. While his partner spoke with the truck driver, one uniformed officer searched the injured rider's pockets, soon discovering a wallet and a cell phone. He unfolded the leather wallet, immediately finding a driver's license bearing the name 'Frank Loder'. Moments later, Frank's phone lit up and started playing an odd Drum n Bass style song while the name 'Lester Martins' appeared on the screen. Knowing that part of his job was to be the bearer of bad news, the officer pressed the Answer Call icon on the phone screen and greeted, "Hello?"

Lester, sounding surprised, "Hello Frank? Wait, who is this?"

"Mr. Martins? This is Sergeant John Wallace with the city police department," the answering officer identified. "Frank was in an accident when he hit a truck on his motorcycle. He's being taken to the hospital now," Wallace explained.

"An accident?! Ah, fuck me!" Lester cursed. He quickly backpedaled, "Ah, sorry Sergeant. I didn't mean to curse you out…I'm his stage manager and he's needed in a show tonight."

Having heard plenty of heavy words in his time, John calmed, "It's okay, sir. I'm usually shocked when people don't swear at bad news. We'll be in contact about Frank later tonight."

Within the foyer, a board bearing a variety of pinned bulletins was on display. Highlighting the display was a list of upcoming events taking place at the lounge, with a strong focus on singers, quartets, and music-specialized entertainers, with the occasional comedian mixed in. Underneath, several advertisements for music lessons and recruitment flyers seeking bandmates were pinned to the cork surface. Leon took a moment to look them over, then discovered a small business card from his side-wallet. Looking around he located a well-dressed gentleman he deduced was the manager and asked, "I'd like to have my card on your board."

"That could probably be arranged.." the trendy club's owner determined, looking over the card. The image portrayed Leon himself playing a 4 string bass guitar while flanked by several beautiful elegant women with other musical instruments, including guitars, a keyboard, a saxophone, and a drum kit, projected on a black matte-finished background. Atop the information read the name 'Lionheart Studios'. Recognizing the name, the gentleman identified, "hey wait..you're Leon?"

Mildly oblivious to his own fame, Leon asked, "Wait..do you know me?"

The star-struck owner snarked, "Pfft! Do I know you!?" then revealed, "I've been to 4 of your concerts! They're an absolute blast every time!"

Leon's eyes widened in slight surprise. "Oh no kidding? Well, we do try."

Delighted to have one of his favorite performers in the house, the hard-working manager asked, "But what are you doing at our humble lounge?"

Leon explained, "Well, according to my research, your lead singer is one world-class talent. Being a musician, I had to see for myself."

Feeling proud at the mention of his headliner, the gentleman drummed up, "You're in for a great night, Leon. Did any of your bandmates come too?"

"Just me tonight," the band leader shared. While he was a leader figure in both his musical pursuits and the protective militia in his hometown, Leon could still be a lone-wolf sometimes. Ready to relax, he shook hands with the club's proprietor then sat at the table identified on his ticket. Grateful he had some elbow room, he started to peruse the menus. Being that he rarely drank alcohol, he thought the next best way to be a good customer was to order dinner.

A small fellow standing about 5'4" wearing all black speedily and nervously tapped on the dressing room door belonging to the club's star attraction. Panic in his voice, he advised, "Jessica? 15 minutes to show time!" before stepping away quietly worrying to himself, "Ohh, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do?" His heart raced, his breathing accelerated, and his internal temperature spiked. He peeked at his phone to check the time every several seconds. The flustered stage manager tried to fan himself with a bundle of papers in his hand as he struggled, "We can't cancel the show, competing clubs will snap up our audience. But who's gonna fill in for Frank?"

 

[Saint Celestine]

"I hear you, I hear you. I will be ready; let a woman get dressed in peace!" Jessica shouted back through the heavy dressing room door; the elegant beauty sighed as she stared in the mirror. After Rogers's death, she had been consumed by grief and depression; it was only when she thought about what Roger would want for her. Now he was gone, she felt about going back to performing. The two had met at a bar she had been performing at, and her late husband adored her singing voice; music and work were a place where Jessica could forget about her worries and depressing thoughts about life; she could sing and be happy if it was but for a few moments of the day. "Jessica, we have some problems... One of the" the stage manager started, "Nope, do not want to hear it; I asked you three times before arriving for this show if everything was set up, and you assured me it was", Jessica shouted back through the door. She looked forward to this show and would be irate if it were cancelled.

After frantic scrambling around asking people, the barman mentioned that one of the LionHeart Studios musicians was here, pointing out the table Leon had just sat at. Having the barman make a few drinks, the short man hurried to Leon's table, "Compliments of the house, say I don't want to cause a fuss, but I'm a big fan of your work," the man said smoothly, given Leon a moment before he pounced with his question. "Our lead singer is a big fan too, she was wondering if you would be open to playing in the band tonight, she is rather shy so sent me over to ask" the man lied, hoping he would say yes and agree to play with Jessica

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

Once he finished his read of the menu, Leon, who was blissfully unaware of any backstage crisis, made tentative plans centered around an au poivre strip steak but complete with appetizers and sides, including a crab pocket, hot vegetables, and roasted potatoes. On cue, a hard-working waitress arrived at his table, and began taking various orders. When she turned her attention to Leon, he conveyed his dinner order, then looked around the club, noticing the variety of visitors, though it seemed most were dressed nicely for the occasion. He then noticed the elevated stage and the curvature near it which seemed to act as a natural amplifier, though there were still speakers projecting outward.

Hearing the sounds of drinking glasses gently being placed on the table very close to him, Leon looked up and listened to the flustered stage manager make his offer and convey his fandom. The seasoned warrior started to dismiss, "Oh..well, I'm glad you are! But I assure you there's no need for freebies just because of what my job is." As he spoke, he noticed one of his favorite concoctions on the tray and accepted, "Although..I have been comparing Electric Limes from various bars so I could give this a try," as he took hold of the glass with the pair of lime slices floating within. As he sampled the cocktail, he heard Lester speak his invite to play on stage. Surprised, he checked, "Tonight? I..might be able to. This is rather sudden though; did something happen?"

Lester sighed and explained, "Our bassist Frank hit a truck on his motorcycle on the way here."

Leon's eyes widened in shock at the news. He sympathized, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. So you want me to fill in for him?" He cautiously consented, "Maybe I can. But I'll need a minute to study the playlist. Probably a music stand and someone helping with the pages on stage too. And of course: a bass guitar."

His panic started to subside, Lester readied his communicator and requested, "Pamela, could you bring the extra bass guitar to the Green Room, and have Table 3 Seat 5 orders transferred there too?" then invited, "Come with me to the Green Room and I'll get you all of those things!"

Inside the Green Room, Leon walked over to a finely crafted 4-string black bass guitar with a chrome finish. He picked it up and planned, "Let me get this bass back in tune, then I'll see what I can do." He played a few test notes while perusing the sheet music resting on the nearby stand.

 

[Saint Celestine]

"No, I insist; it is an honour to have you dining and spending your evening with us," Lester replied as politely as possible, though his brow grew slick with the sweat from his nerves about the impending doom of tonight's performance. As Leon practised a little and got his instrument into tune, Lester breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing a little as, for him, the major panic was all but over; they couldn't have asked for a better replacement in his mind.

30 Minutes Later
"Leon, ready come, you will be at the front centre of the band area, here," Lester told Leon, leading him to the stage. The band seated on the far right with a spotlight on them, not too bright as the scene started to darken. The curtain closed behind the bar, leaving only them on the stage exposed to the audience. "1,1,1,2,3," the drum player whispered as he started to play a quiet, steady metronome for the rest of the band. A spotlight appeared on the curtain, the crowd silent, watching the white circle as a long leg peeked out of the curtain, the red heel slamming down onto the wooden floor. A few wolf whistles were already baying from the crowd, whilst others were entranced as Jessica entered.

You had plenty money in 1922
You let other women make a fool of you
Why don't you do right?
Like some other men do
Get out of here and get me some money, too

The buxom redhead belted out the notes from plump red lips, as she dominated the stage with her very presence, no one in the audience were paying any attention to the band members now, other than hearing the music they were playing as a background to Jessicas performance.

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

Preparing for songs he had only heard a few times on such short notice was never easy, even for Leon, who had several years of musical experience. Still, he had heard so many remarkable reviews of the show and felt determined to help them keep the reputation they worked so hard to earn. He studied and played practice notes so intently that he was slightly startled to hear Lester's summon. Recovering quickly, he took hold of the bass and music stand, and with a nod, followed Lester to where he would be situated for the show.

Catching the drummer's tempo, Leon followed along until the section of the song where his part began, and from there, the low notes of his 4-stringed tool of the trade filled in a foundation that added depth to the song and subtly made it stronger and more captivating. Soon, a challenge to his focus arrived from behind the curtain, introducing herself with a view of her long sexy leg. As she stepped out, Leon noticed the beautiful lead singer: a sensual-looking redhead in a glittering gown. Her slinky dress sported a long slit to grant a nearly full view of her finely shaped thighs, which were further enhanced by the high heels of her dressy shoes. Her long red hair bounced in time with her steps, and called attention to her full-bodied lips that looked like they could put a person into a prolonged euphoric state with a single kiss. Some nervous sweat emanated from atop Leon's dark hair spikes. He had seen, befriended, and performed alongside beautiful women in the past, but this lady had him awestruck in a way he could only remember feeling the day he met his late wife Rinoa.

Leon squeezed his eyes shut briefly to refocus, then recovered his musician's groove as his fingers pulled the bass strings upwards to the beats of the drums. He listened carefully to the beauty sing her groovy song, and quickly developed a tremendous respect for her talent. Being called to the stage was a surprise, but now that he was there, backing the amazing singer, he smiled slightly, thinking this was certainly an interesting night.

 

[Saint Celestine]

Jessica stole the show as the feeling of all those eyes on her brought her back from her usual depression and despair of late; right now, in this very moment, she was not a widow, someone to garner sympathy for; she was Jessica Rabbit, the illustrious and beautiful stage singer. With a musician's ear, Jessica noted something was a little out of place; the band was playing differently. It was subtle, but something was off. Not bad, not wrong, but something different, as she made her way over to the band strutting whilst she sang.

You're sittin' down wonderin' what it's all about
You don't have any money that will put you out
Why don't you do right?
Like some other men do
Get out of here and get me some money, too.

Microphone in hand, Jessica turned her head to look at the band area. She noticed Jack was missing, replaced by a mysterious man, who was playing differently, better than Jack ever, as she gave Leon a wink before returning to her routine. The night's siren continued as the audience lay enthralled by her performance, and before they knew it, the song was over—the audience was was on their feet with applause, more than a few lewd comments, and wolf whistles.

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

Ted the owner, noticing that his usual bassist had been replaced, looked on with a nod and smile of realization and slow-clapped, mostly to credit Lester for quickly wrangling a replacement. Then, his eyes, same as everyone else's in the comfortable lounge that night, returned to Jessica's alluring song and dance.

Keeping up his part of the show, Leon's eyes suddenly moved from his pages of sheet music to the sexually appealing starlet making her way to her backing players. His eyes met hers: those teal beauties decorated in a lavender shadow had a way of pulling his into a stare that was locked in but soft and friendly. Seeing her little wink, his heart fluttered a little and he became momentarily distracted, but his fingers seemed to move with the music correctly, as though he had played enough of the song to reasonably predict the next few notes. Still seeing her eyes, he nodded to acknowledge her little eye gesture and convey his respect.

At the close of the song, Leon raised his hands and joined the excited audiences in offering his enthusiastic applause to Jessica, letting the bass rest from his shoulders by way of the strap. He visibly hung his head for a moment hearing some of the ruder catcalls, but then re-raised it and continued to convey the utmost respect for her tremendous talents.

As the loving applause started to dwindle, the lady at the keyboard began a series of notes to begin a new song [1].

[1]:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_ksSEONVyc

 

[Saint Celestine]

Jessica started to sing once again. This little number had a bit more fire than the previous song as Jessica began to walk about the stage and slowly into the audience as she sang the chorus.

Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
The buxom beauty stood in the middle of the club now, having climbed down off the stage and approaching various tables as she sang, the men and some women leering, others going bright red as she came. A few lechers almost tried to grab Jessica, but she seemed to move out the way just before they could rhythmically; she was a siren, and this audience was sailing straight onto the rocks as her performance came to an end, another round of applause echoing through the club, as Jessica bowed before everyone, making her way back onto the stage.

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

At the onset of the chorus, Leon, familiar with the sultry song's harmonies, sang into his on-stand microphone, "Because the night!" in perfect synchonization with Jessica each time the phrase came up. His hands kept up with their job, generating the foundation of the song. As he played on, he couldn't help but observe the sensual siren's sweet little dance through the club's aisles. He smiled in approval each time she nimbly dodged someone trying to inappropriately touch her during the show. At the same time, he imagined in his mind that were she to grant consent to contact, hugging and touching her healthy figure would certainly be a thrill. He cleared his thoughts as the song faded out, and like everyone else present, raised his hands in respect to the beautiful singer, blushing a little at sight of her from behind.



Leon looked up and around, ready to lend his hands to another song if one was planned, but also prepared to retreat if the curtains closed.

 

[Saint Celestine]

At the song's end, Jessica bowed deeply to the audience, then once again gestured with her manicured hands towards the band and Leon as the audience clapped for the accompanying band. "I hope you all have a good evening," Jessica said, bowing again, placing the mic back on the stand as she retreated behind the closing red curtain. Waiting for the band members to come through, "Where have you been on all my tour dates so far?" Jessica questioned the young guitarist, impressed with what Leon had played for her during the set, the crowd chanting encore through the curtain. "Jessica, Jessica Rabbit," she said, introducing herself to Leon formally.

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

At the close of the curtains, Leon stepped back from the stage and passed the bass off to Lester, who returned it to its usual resting place. Hearing about her tours, he awkwardly explained, "Oh, I..only heard about your show a couple weeks ago, but I snapped up a ticket as soon as I could!" Hearing her provide her name, he offered his hand and introduced in return, "Leon." He did have a full name but hadn't used it since the incident that shattered his original home world. He then shared, "Sorry about your little backstage crisis; I did what I could to fill in for your injured bass player. I'm glad I came here tonight though: you're one amazing singer, Jessica!" Finally, he requested, "Mind if I stick around for a little longer? I'd like to talk about Lionheart Studios' next show."

 

[Saint Celestine]

"I'm flattered truly, Leon", Jessica replied, taking his hand and giving it a light shake as she looked the young bass player over; he certainly was handsome. The euphoria of performing still lingered in Jessica as she was more upbeat than her usual self. "Of course not. Yes, I heard something about that. I am glad you saved my show; having to issue refunds for those who paid to see me would not do. I have a reputation to maintain", Jessica replied as Leon asked to stay. "I, however, must insist we perhaps chat about your band over something to eat; I am famished as I tend to perform better on an empty stomach", Jessica replied, offering Leon a chance to have a late evening meal with her.

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

Leon tried hard to hide his blush. He knew he helped, but never imagined he'd be credited with saving the great singer's reputation. What really had his heart hopping was her invitation to dinner, right then and there. He could hear an echo from some of his friends in his head, telling him to, "be open to talking to women you find attractive, especially if they appear interested in talking." It had been a few years since Rinoa made her sacrifice. Her death still stung, and in the ensuing years Leon warmed up to his friends, but had been unwilling to dwell on any romantic feelings. Still, for the first time since Rinoa's death, he found himself curious about a woman's romantic disposition and wanted to learn if she was interested. Mentions of dinner reminded him that he did come to the club that night with intent to eat but got sidetracked. Recovering his manner, he graciously accepted, "Yes, dinner and band discussion would be great. Show me where to sit and I'm in."