by P. S. Power
That got Barb and Krista to look at him like he was being silly, and Scotty to wince. Rebekah regarded him with interest.
"She's pretty good. The Bey's apprentice, I hear. You can survive working with her?"
Eve smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, he can. He isn't very fast, but in actual skill he's one of the best I've ever seen. I saw him take out a four hundred year old master Vampire once, unarmed... What, you thought I wanted him for his musical ability?" She grinned, but the bone white lady nodded at her.
"Um, yeah. Actually. Speaking of which, we're planning to play later. Make sure you get a good seat."
Not that there were bad ones there.
Zack waved at him, from the back of the crowd.
"We're still on for Wednesday?"
Tyler nodded, since it was important. Order night always was.
"Meet me here at five? Thursday, too. Oh! That reminds me. Steve is looking for something part time, and I was thinking that he'd fit in great at the Candles and More? He'd need a trip there and back on his scheduled days. I doubt he has anything to trade that would work for that."
He was about to offer the kid's behind, as in Zack using him for sex, when Keels showed up, passed out hugs and oddly enough gave him one, even if they weren't that close. Krista the actress as well, since that made sense, no doubt. Then she addressed the conversation like she'd been part of it the whole time.
"I can see to that. I'm not Zack, but as long as it's all right for him to work in your area?" That was addressed to the other Greater Demon, who gave a quick glance at the room before agreeing.
"Sure. That should be fine. Lisa needs the help. Call it three days a week to start with? I know that you'll need to practice with the band. Living Proof? Good name. I like it."
That it seemed, meant it was time for them to start playing. Unlike a real concert, where someone might have cared, everyone kept talking when they started to play. Halfway through the first song that ended though, even if it was him singing, and not Rebekah. She and Steve were doing backup vocals for it. Scotty could do that too, so they all had a part backing up Rebekah later, in the last song.
They didn't have microphones set up, but didn't need them for the room they were in, once people stopped talking. On the third song several people started dancing, since they were good for that. They had slower ones as well, like the first and the last, and one that was so well designed for the Vampire woman that it was all he could do to indicate how it was supposed to be sung when they were practicing. She nailed it though, and got applause when that one ended.
When the set was finished, forty minutes later, the whole room clapped for them, and a couple of the people came over. Some of them were Hollywood types, who wisely hit up the Vampires first. That made sense, being she was easy to spot, and famous in her own right. Rebekah had been out before almost anyone else. Scotty too. That sort of made them special twice.
One of the men, who looked to be in his mid-forties and was both thin and bald, was clearly Krista's director. For a second Tyler wondered if he was going to try and mount Rebekah's leg like a puppy dog. Not that he would have blamed the guy totally, because it was a great leg, but still, it seemed a bit unprofessional of him. The order was supposed to be, sit, shake hands, pee in a shoe, then hump the leg.
The actual event was more boring than that, being the man taking her hand firmly and then refusing to let go while he spoke.
"I need you for my show. Krista said that she'd try to sweet talk you, but we need you. You're charming friend here, too." That was Scotty, by the look given. Not that the man dared let go of the woman. Like she might get away if he did something like that.
Rebekah smiled politely. No more than that. There were no sudden stars in her eyes, or sense that she was going to run off to Hollywood right then. Seriously there was a feeling that the woman was a bit bored with the idea already, which was kind of strange. It was, in potential, work. Exposure too.
Then, it occurred to Tyler for the first time since they'd started the whole band thing, she'd never talked about making it big in particular. Not in a way that was anything more than trying to get the rest of them ready, in case it happened. Honestly, her focus had been on the music the whole time.
Scotty, for his part, seemed to want to make her happy more than anything else, too. Then it was clear that he was in the whole thing for the blood, and the providers of that for the United States, when you got down to it, were two people.
Rebekah, the Bat-Vamps boss at the moment, and Eve. So while he looked at the Humans with interest, Ty was willing to bet that it was mainly a combination of simple lust and hunger pushing at him. Not a strong desire for fame, fortune or even to help these particular sexy food objects to get anywhere, other than in to his bed.
For his part, Steve hadn't been mentioned or looked at in the slightest, just being a regular person, with no particular fame yet. He was talented, playing the guitar, but so were a lot of people.
The grabby man kept a hold on Rebekah's arm. It looked to not be very tight, and she didn't shake him off, but there was a creeping sense of annoyance toward the fellow as they all stood there, waiting for the next thing to happen. Nothing did, so Ty took over. It was part of his job in life after all. Literally. This was Human-Other interaction right there in front of him, happening in real time.
"Um, you might want to remove your hand. Carefully. Remember, even for someone really cool like Bekah, you're kind of food, on some level. That she doesn't want to think of you like that doesn't mean she can always help it." Not that the Vampire was that bad in regards to things like that, but the man let go and took a slow, slightly scared, step back.
"Crap. Sorry there Hun. Not trying to be a prick."
For her part there was a subtle relaxation.
"No problem. Anyway, I think we can work something out. I'm trying to focus on my new project right now..."
It had never occurred to him really, but being famous just didn't seem to matter to her. Probably because it was a fleeting thing. The work of the moment. Important only in that it let her get her efforts out to more people. Just waving that under her nose, a thing that might have worked really well for a lot of Humans, wasn't going to call to her.
If he was guessing right on the matter.
The party was noisy, and the room filled with bodies. There were Humans in the mix, as well as a lot of others, including, he realized, Gregor, The Cleric. The man had subtly joined their group, and was standing, dressed as a priest, with a drink in his hand. It looked to be a soda however, not anything stronger. Something dark, with bubbles that showed clearly through the side of the tumbler. There was a bit of condensation on the outside of the thing, indicating it was cold.
Tyler ignored him, after a gentle nod.
Then he turned to the director of the Vampire show that was set to play on a cable channel in the Fall. One of the good ones that he'd never had as a kid, since it didn't come with the basic package. The man started to get that things weren't really working for him, and seemed to be panicking a bit. Floundering, rather than thinking he needed to run. It hadn't gone to plan, and it was like the man couldn't adapt. Which told Ty a bit about how the guy expected his world to go, day to day. He waved a part in a show, and panties, or underwear for the guys, was expected to just hit the floor. Rebekah had trumped all of that by simply not caring about what he had to offer.
It wasn't blood after all, or anything that would impress her. Like being able to back her up on a good song.
That meant bailing him out a bit was probably in order.
"I think that we can get Rebekah and Scotty for your show, as long as we have the schedule ahead of time? They'll need to work at night. Also, we can come up with some music for the show, if you want? I'd like a background piece, too. A character?" He didn't know what to call it, but the man turned to him, his face suddenly shifting. After all, this was his language.
"Well, we can tuck you in the back of a few sh
ots. Make you food for a Vampire or have some guy doing you from behind in the background? We're trying for progressive here, so we want to match the naked men with the women. It's part of our thing."
That got him to nod, since it was one way to make the project both different and a little more realistic.
"Sounds good. I want lines though, and it's for Steve York, not me. He can pull it off. Let's get together later and talk about that? Over the phone will work, if you want?"
The man moved and took his arm, like he was in charge now.
"Can we use that first song? And the last one you did? They pretty much screamed Vampire, didn't they? "Among the Living." Haunting."
It was the right path to take it seemed, since Rebekah engaged again then, her voice warming a lot when she spoke.
"That... Would be fun. There might be a few other things we can do? Steve, Scotty and Tyler here can do some amazing instrumentals..."
That got the group talking about that kind of thing, except for Eve, who was watching him, and The Cleric, who gestured toward him, his face fatherly and the gold rimmed glasses glinting a bit. It was a subtle thing, but enough for him to get the idea. This was Tarsus, The Librarian, not The Cleric that he'd met earlier.
The man waved to him slightly, hinting that they should withdraw together. As he floated back, Eve grimaced and moved along with the guy, letting Ty follow. His mouth would have gone dry if that was possible. He didn't think it really was. Part of the charm of being dead the way he was, no doubt. On the good side, even facing a dangerous being, he didn't really feel afraid. He could stop being, but he didn't feel pain. There were things that could happen he might not like, but none of those could break him.
It was, after a fashion, a position of power.
So he smiled and waved at the man, "let's head outside, where we can talk, Librarian? You too... Snowflake." That last one was just funny sounding, and he made a face as they moved, not saying anything until they were in the front yard of the giant place, walking to the left a bit, away from the few bodies that had collected there.
Then he looked at the Vampire. Her skin was pale, but only about as much as his own. As a group they were very white. The moon was out, and the sky was clear, showing more stars than he was used to seeing by far. It would be fun, some time, to go and stand there, watching the points of light above. He did it for a moment anyway, and then took Eve's hand.
"Romantic, isn't it?" It was a joke, of course, and she pretended to cuddle into him, then giggled.
"So, at least you're up on things enough to know who The Librarian is? Good to know."
That got him to nod.
"Yes. Some things have come up, in my position at the Coalition of Nations. I'm going to need you to back off of The Cleric for a bit, Tarsus." The words came from his mouth, but he wasn't controlling them he noticed. For a second he wondered if his mom was doing it somehow. That pretty much had to be it.
Except that he also kind of knew it wasn't.
"Excuse me there?" The man, who still had his soda, seemed truly confused for a moment. Then he made a movement that was kind of like a bob. His whole body shifting a bit. Not to fight. It was different than that, at least in any way that Ty understood.
His voice came again, smoothly.
"I know, it's a bit odd. The Void isn't a threat to you, or yours. In fact, you're on the same side. He is, however, not a thing you can understand. It's in the nature of his personal powers. You know, like The Mistress of Souls ability to enslave people, or yours to understand the true cataloging of information? This scares you, given that. You, perhaps alone in the Universe, can see the gaps left by his passing. He isn't a threat however. Not to you. At least not if you allow me to handle this for you."
The Greater Demon gave him a look that seemed genuinely annoyed.
"I see. So you think to make yourself important at my expense?"
Tyler laughed, even as the Vampire girl next to him moved back a step. It was pretty clear that she expected them, the dead man and the Greater Demon, to fight. That simply wasn't in the cards however. Not only couldn't he win if they did, but it felt wrong.
Plus, his mouth was still moving on its own.
"Nope. I'm just doing my job. All you have to do is trust me, beyond anyone you've ever known. That's all, Tarsus. Let me handle this. After all, if I fail, you'll have lost nothing. Plus, seriously, blaming The Cleric for this is just incorrect. Misguided. He's a pawn, being used by others at the moment. All you're doing is keeping him from useful work he needs to be doing for me right now. So, what do you say? Trust me for no reason at all, and win? Or would you rather destroy your only hope, here and now. Those are the options on the table at the moment that will aid you. Pick one, and we can move on." The man, Greater Demon, could do a million things really. Walking away for instance, was a very real position to take as well.
The thing there was, as evil as his kind were, and Tyler knew that suddenly, on a level that he'd never dreamed of before, they were also smart. Cold, logical and brutal on levels that were rarely seen in Human kind. Also easily bent to the will of a being that was willing to play things the right way. If he was willing to lose everything, he could win.
Because that made any kind of sense.
Still, the middle aged looking man nodded at him after a bit.
"Perhaps we can work something out, Tyler Gartner, of the Coalition of Nations. What do you offer me?" It was a trap, without a doubt. One being set for him by a being that had claimed once to have invented haggling. That was the kind of thing that probably predated fire, as a tool.
Tyler smiled, happily, his mouth working against his will.
"Offer you? No, you don't understand. I offer you nothing. I'm telling you that you, through no fault of your own, have walked into a web that another has made. This being isn't interested in harming you however. On the contrary, you have his full support in most things you do. You don't have to change anything you are doing, nor does The Void. This isn't a negotiation. This isn't even a warning. This is me showing you how to win, without any work. Stand back, and take the victory, Librarian. It will be confusing to you, and hard to understand, but I can deliver this to you. It will take no work or effort on my part either." He reached out and touched the man on the back of the hand. It tingled a bit.
Not in the normal way either. If there was a flow of information, it was different.
Powerful, but not coming from Tyler, somehow. A thing that was much bigger than that.
The Greater Demon staggered back, his eyes going wide. He rallied though, after a moment, sucking air in a few times. Eve looked wild for a moment, even as Tyler held out his hand.
"Don't worry, Eve Benson. Daughter. Our friend here has merely been allowed to see the true nature of reality. It's a bit of a shock, but he'll adjust. He is my child after all. You all are."
This was news to Tyler, but he kind of got it. God, the Universe itself, was speaking through him. Most likely because he'd asked for him to help out The Cleric, if it was possible. It looked like it was. He just hadn't thought that he'd be involved in it that closely, that was all. Then, if you open your mouth like he had, you couldn't bitch about getting what you asked for.
The Librarian, one of the eldest of his kind, seemed slightly shaken. Taking a step backward, he bowed toward Tyler, which was returned in the dim light afforded by the floodlights in the yard. They were mainly designed to be pretty, he thought, showing off the fountains off to the side, and making the place glow a faint purple.
The man straightened then, his voice grave.
"I see. Very well. If you are as you claim to be, then I shall remove my current plans from play. If this is a trick, then your existence is forfeit, Clerk. Know that."
He grinned then, his lips back under his own control.
"Yeah. That's always the way, isn't it? So, back to the party now? I want to hit the buffet, myself."
Tarsus shook his head, slowly.
"I think not. T
his is... I can't credit it. My domain is that of information, if this is real... If not, then... I must think. Thank you for your hospitality. The music was very nice, earlier." Then he stepped to the right, and slightly back, moving away instantly.
Not that Tyler could track that kind of thing in particular. He'd just been around that kind of thing often enough that he could sort of tell the difference between line walking and what Eve or Ginger did when they ran. Even if the net effect was outwardly similar.
The Vampire gave him a look that was pure confusion, and spun to face him after a moment.
"Okay, so, what the fuck? I was standing right here and barely understood what just happened. Are you... Actually a Greater Demon? I mean, the thought had crossed my mind, but both Zack and Keeley have assured me that isn't the case. Darla too. Were they lying to me? The last I heard Tarsus wanted to hunt Gregor down, thinking he was The Void. Is that over then? Are you The Void?"
Tyler shook his head then, kind of putting things together.
"Um, no. God, Angels, that kind of bullshit? It's different than we've been told, but real too. That's what Tarsus thinks of as The Void. You know that though?"
After pause that seemed a little fake to him, the girl crossed her eyes. It was just visible in the night.
"Yeah. I even know that Gregor is one of them. I didn't know that you did. Not really."
"Right. So, um, I think that God just took over my mouth and used me to get Tarsus to back off his people. He, I, did something. When I touched him? I'm not certain, but I think that all the other kind of info in the world was dumped on him, all at once. The things he couldn't understand before? A gift. Or a curse. I doubt that we'll know for a long time which it ends up being. I'm really just me. Tyler G. Dead boy at large."
"Ah." Then she moved in and patted him on the back.
"Well, there are worse things to be, Tyler G. I like that, by the way. Tyler G. It sounds musical. So, we should get back inside and make sure that you get a part in Krista's show. I bet Scotty would be willing to do you from behind on camera. It sounds hot, actually. I do love me some gay pron."
