megatrash

Lord of the Iron Brands [Leonarc x megatrash][Mature]

She flinched at his touch.

Amelia’s brain, if anything, was only running on pure adrenaline at the present moment. Her eyes continued to flicker from Tobias’ face to Antoine’s lifeless body on the ground. Her heart was thumping so loudly in her ears that she could barely make out the man’s words which sounded as if he was underwater.

Her eyes squeezed shut, causing the tears that had formed in her eyes to roll down her cheeks, and shook her head as if it would help her focus. “Yes, yes.” Her whispering voice quivered albeit the desperate attempt to not sound so weak. “The, uh, the King. He had a network of tunnels built under the Kingdom long ago. They haven’t been used in decades, however. No one knows of them.”

After wiping the tears on her face with a sleeve, she peered down to the body on the floor. Oh, poor Antoine. Amelia wasn’t sure if she quite understood what had happened; all she knew was that he wasn’t himself. He was too gentle, too sweet to act the way he was. Whatever had been attacking her must have possessed him.

“Let’s go,” she instructed sternly as she signaled him to exit the prison complex with her. If she remembered correctly, one of the entrances to the tunnels was on the north line of trees and hidden by brush, but finding it may prove difficult for the pair. She grabbed a torch that was staked into the ground and held the other hand on her scabbard. They could overhear the shouting and conversations of the guards scrambling around the camp, and Amelia had figured they were planning their mission to find the King’s assassin.

The prisoner, or now Tobias, seemed to have been all too knowledgeable of what these entities were capable of, and most importantly, how to destroy one. Could there not have been to a way to save the man in possessed? Did it have to come down to murder?

“You cannot be seen,” she whispered to the man she led around to the back of the building. She peered around each corner as she handed him the torch, and then she turned her body completely towards him with a serious expression on her face. “I do not know why I am bringing you with me. Antoine was the only one I had. I – “ She paused as she felt the emotions come flooding back to her. “I have no problem killing you if the situation calls. I do not know what ‘contract’ you have, but I am hoping it includes being noble.”

The odd sense of trust Amelia had felt in the man was strange enough to make her want to not trust him at all. A man so well informed on such dark matters could have any sort of power over her mind; it was probably best that she kept her distance. She would have to come up with a story as to why the demon was calling for “Clara” instead of “Amelia.” There were a few possibilities, like explaining that she went by Amelia because she hated her real name, or to further push along the fable that the King had taken her in, he renamed her when he brought her into the region. She didn’t feel as though she should tell him about her true connection to the King, not yet, although the demon had already seemed to know of it.

”No King or Queen will ever displace you ever again.”

She turned back around once again to scan the dark horizon. “We must run for the tree line to the north. There,” she pointed. “There should be a wooden door covered by a thick brush. We will have to dig for it quickly before a guard crosses out path or they find Antoine in your cell.” She took a deep breath before bolting from behind the wall and kept her body low until both nearly dove into the greenery surrounding the camp.

“Merde,” she mumbled as she picked herself off of the ground and brushed the dirt off of her. “Where are you, where are you, where are you?” Amelia began frantically digging through the barbed shrubbery, ignoring the blood beginning to seep from her hands, until she saw the door half way covered with dirt.

“Ah,” she exclaimed. “Help me.”

Together, they lifted the door quietly and descended a ladder until they reached the floor of the tunnel, and she swiftly grabbed the the torch from Tobias. “Okay,” she began quietly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. “We must continue north. The end of this tunnel lets out in the middle of the woods. From there, we shall figure out the rest.”

As they navigated through the dark, her thoughts flashed to both her father and her lover. Her father, she wasn’t sure as to why it tore her apart like this – she had lost him a long time ago. It was probably the fact that Lucía was the cause, or at least, she assumed. Every time thoughts of her mother arose, it was as if Amelia could still feel the sting in her back from the night the mysterious man watched her get whipped repeatedly by Lucía. And her lover. Antoine. The vision of his icy body sat like a rock in her head.

They approached a ladder that led to another wooden door above them, and after letting out a sigh, she climbed up the ladder to attempt to open it. It wouldn’t budge. “There must be something on top of it. A rock, perhaps.” She looked down to Tobias below her and sighed. “Please, come help me.”

Once they were both pushing against the door, Amelia tried to ignore the the uneasy feeling she got of having the strange man in such close proximity to her. One as mysterious as he. The one who killed Antoine.

With a final grunt, the wooden door above them flew open to the ground, and Amelia climbed out first and plopped down onto the dirt for a moment. Tall, dark trees towered over them as if to peer at the new guests to the forest. It was nearly silent besides a small breeze rustling the leaves and a few crickets chirping around them. Although logically, she figured they would have to keep moving, but without any directive, Amelia began to feel what she had been pushing off since she was in the cell.

Grief.

On her hands and knees, she crawled to the trunk of the nearest tree, put her palms up to the rough bark, and rested her forehead on it before letting herself cry. A slight attempt was made to be quiet and keep her dignity, but it proved to be too much to hide. The small life she had worked to build for herself was now gone, and now, with the kingdom in the hands of Lucía, only more trouble could be on its way.

After collecting herself, she turned her head to eye the man. "You said," she began, voice wavering, "you were sent out to find where the first attack would be. You found it. Now, what? What is your objective?"

*****

“My, my, my,” the Queen shook her head in mock disappointment as she entered the prison cell. “Niño ingenuo, I could have told you she would ruin you.” She tugged at a strand of hair that was laced around his stiff fingers and eyed it. “Ah. Clara.” It was long and a light brown, unlike her sisters’ raven black hair. Even with such simple things, her youngest daughter could never blend in with the rest.

The hatred she felt for her estranged child grew more each day, and the love that her father had possessed for Clara made it stronger, and now with him dead, she could finally have free reign to dispose of her however she saw fit. But, she would love to watch her suffer first.

She swiveled away from Antoine’s body and turned to the men who had escorted her in. “Send out a bounty for Amelia Bell and the Nazarite Knight, Tobias Hawkings. I want them both alive.”

Two guards dashed off after receiving their orders, and Lucía turned back to Antoine briefly.

“Ella se unirá pronto.”

The screams began outside, making a smirk slowly tug at her lips. Demons were beginning to make their way into the camp to find their hosts. It was something quite beautiful.

A guard walked in to the cell and came up behind her, slowly running his hands over her. “My Queen,” he whispered into her ear, and usually such banter would cause a similar action within her, but she pulled away and turned around to him. “Not now. There is work to be done.”

The guard let out a beastly growl before exiting, and she smiled in satisfaction. Soon, she hoped, she would have the Nazarite Knight feeling the same way.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane silently agreed to Rob's request and let him lead her into the small bedroom. He seemed just as tired as she was, both mentally and physically, so instead of trying anything, she let him wrap her arms around her. A deep breath and a bit of wiggling later, she found a comfortable position as the "the little spoon," and her fingers lightly grazed the arm that gripped her bare torso up and down. "Long day, yeah?" she whispered the rhetoric question, kissing his hand before placing it back where it was. "Tomorrow will be better."

Jane wasn't sure if her sentiment would be true or not. There was a weird tension she was sensing between the two of them, one she couldn't quite put her finger on. Her mind replayed her blowing up at Rob which made her squeeze her eyes shut and frowned faintly. She probably should have asked him what was wrong instead of assuming he was just being dramatic, but it was too late to really do anything about it now other than to hope it all blew over soon.

Another situation her mind was lingering on was In Bloom's relationship with Vicarious. Jane was really beginning to enjoy Andy's company in the same manner that Rob seemed to be enjoying the others, but why were they both so desperate for an escape? She made a mental note to reconnect with Austin tomorrow at some point; maybe they could grab breakfast together or something.

Jane decided to turn to face Rob instead, she she buried her face in his chest. "Good night, Rob."

--------------------

Morning came what felt like only minutes later, the warmth of the sun peaking through the bedroom window warming her back. Jane groaned when she realized she was awake enough not to return to sleep, and her messy hair popped up so that the time could be read. 7:02 AM.

"Shit."

She returned back to her position momentarily, and her eyes lingered on Rob's face. He was still in a deep sleep, completely unaware of the girl in bed staring at him. It was still all so strange to have these feelings for her best friend, someone who was right there in front of her the entire time and she had never bothered to notice. Without thinking, Jane's fingers touched his face lightly before sighing, then kissing the chest in front of her. "I'll be back soon," she whispered.

Jane got out of the bed as quietly as she could, and after grabbing an outfit to change into, she shut the door and unlocked her phone.

Jane: Breakfast?
Austin: Five minutes

Half an hour later, they were both sitting at a small diner in the heart of Detroit that was already packed at such an early hour in the morning. There was a silence to work through at the beginning of the meal, but soon enough, they began to talk about menial things about the tour and the road.

"Who was that girl you were hooking up with at the party?" Jane asked with an amused look on her face.
Austin laughed. "This girl Lacy. She kept talking about my fucking hair, man. 'I've never been with a guy with long hair. Oh my god, I love your hair.' She pulled it so hard at one point, I almost screamed."
They both erupted in laughter causing Jane to bury her face in her hands that rested on the table.
"Jesus, man. Seems like they're getting weirder and weirder," she said after the laughter subsided.
"Definitely. You miss the groupie life?" Austin asked as he took a sip of his coffee.
Jane rolled her eyes. "I don't know. No. I mean, the excitement was fun. But it's not like I'm unsatisfied now. I don't know," she shook her head.
Austin nodded. "I get it. You're a free bird. But are you actually feeling trapped, or do you just want to feel trapped?"
"Damn it, Austin," Jane sighed. "How do you do that?"
He chuckled. "What can I say? I'm observant. Like how I observed you talking to Andy a lot."
She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "He's cool. That's it."
"Please don't do something stupid, J. You're in love with Rob. Don't fuck that up."
Jane immediately felt blood rush to her cheeks. "What? I don't -"
"-Cut the bullshit. You've always been. You just didn't know it." He had a smirk on his face that displayed his satisfaction.
She sighed. "I'll buy breakfast."

Jane soon arrived back at the hotel room with an hour to spare before they had to leave. She slipped into the room to find Rob still in bed, a sight that made her smile, and she crawled in slowly before laying her body of top of his.

"Hey," she whispered. "We've got an hour before we gotta go." Jane ran her fingers through his hair until he began to stir. "I need you."

She hadn't any thought to the words before she said them, and she wasn't even quite sure what she meant by them. They were true, though. The conversation she had with Austin, although confusing, only made her miss him while she was gone. Jane did know one thing - she didn't like this feeling of dependency. But it was something she help helpless fighting against. He was becoming one of her weaknesses.

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

@freedomliveson 'sall good! Have a wonderful weekend.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane’s strained voice let out a “thank you” directed to Trent as she held the smoke in for a few seconds then finally exhaled. As she sat in Rob’s lap, an arm went over his shoulder, and her fingernails grazed his back up and down as she kept her eyes on the three in front of her.

Trent and David seemed nice – they engaged in a conversation with Jane about the tour so far and how different the crowds were based on the city they were in – but she couldn’t help but keep eyeing Zoe, who was not participating in the conversation, but on her phone with her head down. She was beautiful, Jane noticed, and seemed to be listening to what was happening, so why wasn’t she talking? Perhaps it was what Jane feared; Zoe could’ve already made up her mind.

Instead of dwelling on her new-found self-consciousness, she turned to Rob and smirked as she gently moved the strands of hair that had fallen over his eyes. Emotions flooded her as she looked at him in that brief moment.

Anger – obviously for what happened earlier. Jane had forced herself to swallow her pride and not mention it anymore, or treat him as if she was upset, but it was definitely sitting in the back of her mind.

Lust – There were no complaints on Jane’s end about this side of their relationship besides that she wished they started hooking up seven years ago. It was so amazing that Jane, at this point, only had to be near him to have the urge to jump on top of him, which she was feeling at that very moment.

Doubt – Maybe that wasn’t the right word for it, but it seemed as though she couldn’t switch her brain off, even after drinking and smoking all night. What would it be like when they got back home, when their lives weren’t scheduled for them? What if they grow tired of each other – would they be able to be friends again? What if she fucked up and hooked up with someone else? Would it be over?

And…

The last one, Jane couldn’t put a finger on. It was warm and light, like being turned on without actually being turned on. Love? No, it couldn’t be.

”You’re getting soft, Jane.”

It was just infatuation. All of this was new and exciting. Yes, it was probably just infatuation.
Jane noticed that the energy in the room had changed since she had walked in.

“I’m, uh, I’m gonna get back out there. Find me later, yeah?” she quietly told him as she stood up slowly. “It was nice to meet you guys.” Her eyes flashed to Rob once more before exiting the room and making her way back to the kitchen for another beer. She had probably smoked too much, because the party just seemed overwhelming rather than fun.

After walking out to the back, she noticed a tall, thin ladder that stretched up to the roof of the house. “Thank God,” she mumbled under her breath. It had been quite a while (for a person like Jane) since she had been on a roof, usually her sanctuary back home, and it felt as if the universe led her to that ladder.

”Okay, Jane. You REALLY are fucking stoned.”

Once the made it to the top of the house, she sighed in relief, but it was short-lived when she noticed another figure on the other side of the roof. “Oh, I’m sorry, I – “

“It’s cool,” Andy interrupted her.
“You again,” she chuckled as she made her way over to where he was sitting and plopped down next to him.
“You like roofs too, huh?” He asked without opening his eyes. He was laying down on his back with his hands folded behind his head.
“Yeah. The longer this tour goes on, the more I don’t wanna be around people.” Jane laid back next to Andy and squinted her eyes to look at the stars above them. The night was clear and crisp, allowing the small white specks to be fairly visible for a city like Detroit.
“I get that, man,” Andy nodded, still not showing his irises. “It’s hard for me to be around my own band at this point.”
“I just met them,” Jane sighed. “They seem nice. Well, besides Zoe. What’s up with her?”
He smiled. “Ah, Zoe. We used to be together a little over a year ago. She’s strange. Awesome, but strange.”
“Strange doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that she hated me before she even met me.”
“Could be true. Once she has an opinion, she holds onto it. She doesn’t like other girls much, either. And definitely not like you do,” he smirked.
Jane punched his arm jokingly as she laughed. “Yeah. No shit. She didn’t even lift her head up after I walked in the room.”
Andy scoffed. “Sounds about right. Don’t let her get to you.”
She nodded silently as she grazed her own arm with her fingers.
“So, what’s up with you and the drummer?” He asked nonchalantly.
“Oh, Rob. Um, I guess we’re seeing each other. He pissed me off earlier, though,” she admitted somberly.
“’Cause of that interview?” Andy had finally popped open an eye. “He got angry pretty quickly.”
“Exactly,” Jane groaned. “I’ve been ripped apart online for a month already without having a public freak out. I’m reading stuff online about myself that I didn’t even know,” she laughed.
“Like the two bartenders you had a threesome with your second night on tour?”
Jane shook her head. “Nope. That one happened,” she laughed. “It was a weird night.”
Andy nodded with curiosity. “You really are a rare breed.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Is that a compliment or an insult?” She took a moment to light a cigarette before turning her attention back to him.
“A compliment. I wish more women were as unapologetic as you are,” he said as he smiled politely.
“Well, it’s not their fault. Not every girl wants to get called a ‘slut’ all the time,” she rolled her eyes as she said it. “I’ve started to become more self-conscious about it.”
“Don’t,” he said frankly. “You’re beautiful, talented, and know who you are. Don’t feel bad for anything you do. It’s you.”
Jane felt her cheeks grow red. “I appreciate that.” She checked the time on her phone and sighed. “I think I’m gonna try to round up the crew. I’m exhausted. I’ll catch you later, yeah?”
“Yeah,” he nearly whispered. “Good night, Jane.”

Jane crawled back down to the ground and began her search for Sam and Austin, whom she found both after they had just finished up with whatever they did with two girls they met. “Can we go?” Jane whined. “We’ve been here for hours.”
Austin smirked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Aw, Sam, our party girl has finally had enough?
Sam joined in on the teasing. “News story: The wild frontwoman of In Bloom as finally had enough sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.”
They both erupted in laughter as Jane ducked out of Austin’s grasp. “Yeah, yeah,” she waved a hand at them. “Where’s Rob?”
Sam shook his head. “I haven’t seen him in a while. He’s probably still in that room with Vicarious.”
Austin nodded in agreement then looked to Jane. “Looks like he’s getting sick of you already, huh?”
“Shut up,” Jane mumbled.

That couldn’t be true, right?

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane remained quiet at Rob began an apology of sorts. It wasn’t like she had the chance to speak anyway, as Sam and Austin slipped in as soon as he had finished.

Her pride was desperately begging her to stay angry at him. To make him feel bad for what he did. To give him the cold shoulder for as long as she could stand. It was selfish for him to blow up like that under the first ounce of pressure he had received from the media; Jane had been dealing with it for much longer without lashing out.

Simultaneously, thought, in the newer part of Jane she had discovered, she wanted to comfort him. Hold him. He was human, and he got upset. It wasn’t abnormal or completely unwarranted. If anyone could relate to the way he felt during the interview, it was her.

But, then again, hearing someone in her own band say that they didn’t like the single to the public was also awful to hear. She knew of his distaste for it, but she never expected for him to talk about it in the open. It was embarrassing. A slap in the face.

However, was it really fair of Jane to have pushed it so far even though she knew he hated it? Should they have never released it? It was producing revenue for them, yes, but at what cost?

Jane hugged her knees as she sat in the backseat, attempting to put an end to the internal dialogue in her head. But she couldn’t think too long before the van stopped in front of the hotel.

As soon as she and Rob entered their room, she hopped up onto the kitchen counter and held her arms out. “Come here, asshole,” she mumbled quietly, and as soon as she could reach him, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed as she sat idly. Her voice was muffled from the position she was in. “I know that guy was being a jerk to you. I just,” she paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts before continuing, “I guess I just felt like it wasn’t fair. I’ve been biting my tongue this whole time, acting like what they say doesn’t bother me, but it does.”

She lifted her head and looked at him intently. “I never felt self-conscious about my reputation before. It sucks. I don’t know if it’s just the reporters, or now that I’m seeing you…” her hoarse voice trailed off. “It’d kill me if what they said about me made you think differently about me, or-or reconsider what’s happening between us.”

It all felt so stupid coming out of her mouth, as if she was in a scene for a cheesy sitcom, and the thought made her shake her head.

“Anyway,” she smirked as she moved her hands to either side of his face and it pulled it to hers before kissing him gently. “We’re cool, yeah?” Without waiting for an answer, she began to run her fingers through his hair, still holding sweat from the show, and she kissed him again. Then again. Her hands began to travel lower and lower down his body before her phone vibrated on the counter next to her.

Andy: One of our friends in the city is throwing a party. You guys should come through.

Jane showed the screen to Rob. “Do you wanna go?” she asked as she put the phone back down on the counter then wrapping her arms around him once again, this time beginning to kiss his neck slowly. “It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

A fraction of her was still upset for what he did, but it was microscopic in comparison to the other feeling she was experiencing.

“Hey,” she whispered as she pressed her lips softly on to his ear. “The shower’s bigger here.”

---------------------

An hour later, the four band members arrive at a tall yet narrow house perched on a hill spotted with patches of grass and dimly lit by a single street lamp. Cars filled up one side of the hill like a makeshift parking lot, and the other side of the hill help small groups of people drinking and smoking.

Jane stretched as she stepped out of the car and observed the area around them. “Huh,” she mumbled. Rob was standing next to her, and contradicting every notion she had about holding hands or being ‘cute,’ she wrapped her arm around his bicep, squeezing it once before entering the house.

It was packed – every stereotype, from guys covered head to toe in tattoos to girls who never looked like they listened to anything ‘heavier’ than Paramore, lined the walls throughout the house and congregated in groups on the backyard. Music was pumping at an annoyingly loud level that caused everyone to shout at each other as they talked amongst themselves.
Jane immediately lit a joint and exhaled vertically at the ceiling before scanning the room to try to find a familiar face. Two people, a girl and a guy, had approached Rob at the same time her eyes met Andy’s across the room.

“I’m gonna go get a drink,” Jane yelled to Rob as she squeezed his arm one more time, and then she weaved her way to the kitchen where Andy was standing.

“Hey,” he greeted her as he took a sip of his beer.
“A bit loud in here, no?” she replied as she searched the fridge for something to drink, settling on a Budweiser.
Andy chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. Come out back with me.”

Jane sat with him in the grass, her dirty bare feet crossed underneath her. Their conversation was light at first, but soon enough, it dove into music and issues they both faced as the face of their band.

“I haven’t been able to write decent lyrics in a few months,” Jane sighed. “The more pressure there is for me to produce something, the harder it is.”
“I’ve gone through that before,” Andy nodded as he passed her the joint he was smoking. “Writer’s block sucks. I think I went a year without writing a damn thing once.”
Jane rested her chin on her fist as she groaned. “I feel like that’s gonna happen to me.”
“No,” he smiled and shook his head. “You’re far too fascinating to be so uninspired. It’ll come.”
Jane scoffed but couldn’t help but smile. “You’re nice.”

After a few more minutes of conversation, Jane parted ways with Andy to go find Rob and grab another beer. The party seemed to only get more crowded as the night went on. She spotted Austin making out with a girl in the corner of the living room, and when they made eye contact, they both thumbs-up to each other. “Idiot,” Jane chuckled as she continued to search for Rob.

Jane found herself in a hallway that was similar to the layout of the one in Jared’s house; the thought of that night made her shiver a bit. Muffled voices seemed to be streaming out of the room on the right, and after a knock, Jane entered to see Rob with two members of Vicarious. “Oh, sorry. I was looking for you,” she said quietly.

Especially with all of the press coverage happening, Jane felt a little more hesitant to be social, as she assumed that all the bands on the circuit had already gotten a bad first impression of her. In an awkward attempt to be friendly, Jane waved a hand at the others in the room. “I’m Jane.”

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

The man, who she learned was named Jared, retrieved two guns for them to use until they could make it to a larger group of guards.

“I’m not very good with these things,” Cameron whispered as she kept her eyes on the horizon.
“Don’t sweat it,” Jared replied. “If you see someone with a bow and arrow, shoot ‘em.”
She nodded and wiped the beads of sweat forming on her head with her arm.

They were crouched down on a small wall that lined a short building near the perimeter of the camp; Jared’s rifle stuck out over it while Cameron sat on the ground watching their backs.

“I think it’s time we move,” he mumbled. “I’m hearing most of the action coming from the south. We aren’t doing much being this far north.”
“Okay,” she agreed, and without either of them breaking their sight from their designated landscape, she grabbed his hand and stood up.
“Follow me,” he signaled with a hand as they began to run in a crouched position, bobbing and weaving through the town. He finally put his back against a wall which Cameron mimicked.

“We need to get to the armory, then the entrance. We’ll get you some knives,” he smirked as his head swiveled to scan the horizon.
“How did you know?” she asked.
“There’s been a lot of chatter about you since you’ve arrived here. Let’s go.”

Again, they quickly dashed towards the armory to see two people going through their inventory.
“Hey, Gerel,” Jared greeted in a hushed tone. “I need some more ammo for this rifle here. And for the lady, knives. Whatever you got.”
The man went to work as he bustled around the small room collecting what was requested.
“Here, Jared.” He provided him with the ammo, then looked to Cameron. “We have three knives, good for throwing. Be careful, though, they – “

Cameron didn’t wait for his warning; one was immediately strapped on her thigh, one in her boot, and the other now in her hand. “Thank you.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” the meek man nodded.
“You ready, Cameron?” Jared asked.
She smiled. “Yes.”
They both took a deep breathe before exiting the building to see a group holding the entrance. That was there destination.

“Shit, look!” Cameron pointed as she saw a group of savages beginning to scale down a wall to the east, not far from her and Jared’s position.
“Detour!” Jared yelled light-heartedly as he began running towards it while he fired with precision at the assailants. A few dropped to the ground lifelessly while others readied their bows.
”Zzzzzing” One whipped pasted Cameron’s head, causing a small shriek from her. She began to run behind Jared before an arrow flew by her again, this time from behind them. She turned her body and ran towards the man as he readied his next arrow. After lunging at him, she sunk the knife into his neck and used a boot to hold his body down while she pulled it out.

The man grabbed his throat as blood began to bubble in his mouth. She couldn’t watch, so she turned away and began to run towards Jared when she saw him sink to his knees.

“No!” Cameron sprinted towards him to see an arrow sticking out of his chest. “Jesus, Jared. I’m so sorry.”
He was smiling yet struggling to keep his eyes open. “Don’t sweat it, kid.”
This made Cameron laugh, as he only looked to be a few years older than her.
“I’m not scared to die. Go tell the others at the gate about the east wall. Don’t try to fight ‘em here alone.”
She nodded as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. “Okay, okay.”

Cameron began to spring towards the group to see Justin with the others. “Justin!” she shouted as she slowed her pace as to not run into them. “Jared’s hit,” she was breathing heavily. “They’re coming over the wall on the east. Fast.”

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

Aw, shucks! I enjoying working with you too! And I am putting together something for you now.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane’s eyes were nearly bulging out of her head as Rob continued with his portion of the interview, and it took all of her strength to not jump in and try to redirect the conversation.

”Did he fucking lose his mind? Is he crazy? What the hell is he doing?”

To avoid any more negative comments from Simon, instead of running after Rob when he stormed out of the office, she sat through Sam and Austin’s portion, laughing and agreeing along as if she wasn’t fuming on the inside.

Their image had already been tainted enough, but now… The one guy in the band that Jane always counted on to be the most calm and leveled headed basically told the interviewer to fuck off. Although she was angry at how he handled it, she was mostly baffled. Yeah, she knew he wasn’t as open with talking about sex and intimacy. And yeah, maybe Simon was being a little pushy. But now, there were definitely two targets for the media now. Jane made peace with being the scapegoat, but now that Rob would be facing heat, she wasn’t sure how things would go.

After saying farewells and apologies to Simon, Jane blazed a trail out of the office into the court yard where Rob was standing. She spoke in a stern whisper which would have been yelling if she wasn’t trying to not attract attention. “Rob, what the fuck was that? Are you trying to make us look worse than we already do? I can fucking see the headline now. ‘Crazy skank front woman fucking angry asshole drummer.” She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

“Do you not think that I’ve wanted to punch at least half of the people talking shit about me? That I haven’t wanted to cry during an interview, or-or tell them to go fuck themselves?” She removed the fingers from her face and glanced up at Rob. “Of course I have, man. I know I try to act like that shit doesn’t bother me, that I’m fine with them talking about me like they do but,” Jane felt a lump grow in her throat and tears begin to well in her eyes.

Before she could continue, a “hey” was shouted at them from Austin across the courtyard. “Sets in an hour, we gotta go!”

She took a deep breath and dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her flannel. Was it wrong of her to blow up on Rob? She honestly wasn’t sure. In her mind, right there, she felt like he deserved it. But, if she took a step back, she realized she might have been too harsh. But Jane’s pride sweltered deep inside of her as she stood there with him, and after deciding not to say anything further, she walked back to the van by herself and took her normal spot in the back corner.
For the first time since Rob and her had opened up to each other, she didn’t want to talk it out. She had done more talking about her feelings in the past week than she had in the past year.

Her headphones blared Scarecrow by Stick To Your Guns as she closed her eyes and felt the vibrations of the van underneath her as it took them to the venue they were playing tonight.

”I can’t wait to have a fucking drink.”

The venue very much reflected the rest of the city – it was covered in graffiti and old fliers from shows in the past, but it housed a decent amount of patrons. Before stepping out of the van, Jane had put a snapback on so that it may hide her face a bit; the thought of having to talk to anyone who had heard the podcast made her nauseated with anxiety.

A new, fun perk that they were receiving was the rider. Jane had requested an eighteen pack of Yuengling and a bottle of Jameson, figuring she’d take along the leftovers with her, and she scooped up five beers and brought them to the area in the back of the building, both entrances to the alley way watched by guards in case anyone underage attempted to sneak in. She sat on the ground with her back on the wall and finished a beer in the first minute. Then another. Then two more. Swigs of Jameson were taken in between sips of the beer, and she was enjoying the heavy buzz she was feeling when a voice snapped her out of deep thought.

“Jane, right?”
Her eyes glanced up, meeting those of the vocalist of Vicarious. Andy. “Yes, sir,” she smirked. “And you’re Andy.”
“Mind if I sit?” He asked as he pointed to the spot on the ground next to her.
Jane shrugged and nodded, and after he sat, she stuck out a hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he smiled as she shook her hand. “Sorry, a little sweaty. We just finished up not too long ago.”
Jane lit a cigarette before answering. “Doesn’t bother me.”
“Well, Jane, I’d love to ask you questions, but I feel like I already know everything about you,” he chuckled as he lit his own cigarette, blowing the smoke out directly ahead of him.
“Ha, yeah. Those articles don’t leave much to the imagination, do they?” her nose crinkled up as she finished the statement. “Seems like you guys haven’t been picked on as much, yeah?”
He nodded with a smile. “Eh, we’re probably not as interesting.”
Jane scoffed. “My ‘wild’ life isn’t as fun when I have to talk about it all the time. I really dig your band, by the way. I actually listened to you guys before I knew you’d be on the circuit.”
His eyes lit up a bit. “Well, same here. Plus, your single wasn’t as bad as your drummer thinks it is.”
She smiled coyly before offering a quiet “thanks.”

A stagehand popped out of the backdoor and called to Jane. “Two minutes!”

Jane nodded to the man and stood up with a grunt. “Nice meeting you, Andy.”
He bowed a bit jokingly. “You, too, Jane.”

Jane took the stage lazily, and the bright lights and loud room made her instantly realize that she may have drank too much before her set. ”Fuck it.”

“How is everyone doing tonight?”
“Woooooo!” the crowd yelled back at her.
“Jesus, okay. Well, I’m Jane. We’re In Bloom from Long Beach. Thanks for listening.”

The entire performance was a blur – partly from the repetitiveness of playing a set every night, partly from the alcohol – but she definitely let loose on stage more than usual.

At the end of the single, which was their last song, Jane dropped down to her knees at the front of the stage in front of the crowd and sang the last few lines as they shouted it back at her.

It was invigorating.

She stood up to thank the crowd in a breathy, hoarse voice before exiting the stage to catch her breath. Her hands rested on her knees as she felt the sweat drip down her face.

“That was sick,” a voice sounded. Andy, again.
“Thanks,” Jane smiled between deep breaths. Maybe it'd be good for her to make a new friend on the road; a person not so involved with the band could possibly be a nice escape.

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

Cameron fought a smile as Justin spoke, but ended up succumbing to a chuckle. “A little bit of both,” she joked, but soon she began to ponder the question he asked her.

“Well, I guess if the men from Chesapeake taught me anything other than how to fight, it was what a scum bag is. And you, you’re not one. I can tell. You took me in when you didn’t have to, plus you didn’t hate me after what happened to Omega.” She cleared her throat before continuing. “And, I mean, no pressure or anything, but you’re kind of the only friend I got left in the world. I’d hate it if you went out without me and something, I don’t know, happened to you. Especially if I could’ve been there to stop it.” She made the hand motion of throwing a knife and chuckled.

“Well,” Cameron started as she stood up from the chair, “I’ll let you get some sleep. Something tells me we’re gonna have a long day tomorrow. Good night, Justin.”

She quietly exited the room and began to navigate her way back to her quarters when the distant sound of men shouting attracted her attention. She veered off the path she was taking and began following the voices until they were in her line of sight.

It looked as those two of the men were dragging in a body from the line of trees encompassing the area, and awaiting them were four other guards. Cameron still couldn’t understand what they were saying to each other, though, so she began to inch closer until their words were audible.

“You were supposed to be with him, Smith!” A man shouted at one of the guards pulling in the body.
“I was! He told me to go back to camp and that he’d be right back!” Smith pleaded to the man. “We went to go find him when he didn’t come back.”

Cameron had enough with hiding in the trees, and she stepped out of the shrubbery towards the men. “Hey, what – “ she gasped in shock.

The body that they were dragging in was an Omega guard, and he was in the same condition as the body they saw on the highway: arrows jutting out of his body and eyeballs removed.

“Who the hell would do this?” Another guard shouted out for someone to answer.
“From the North,” Cameron replied quietly with her eyes glued to the man on the ground.
“Who!?” Smith asked as he approached her.
“The more primitive villages to the north. Justin and I saw someone with the same injuries up there. It’s, uh, it’s a message,” Cameron explained, feeling a lump growing in her throat. “They must have followed us back.”

At the realization of her own words, her head snapped up to the man that seemed to be in charge. “If they followed us back her, they may attack. You need to alert everyone. We aren’t sure what they’re capable of.” She grabbed the boots of the lifeless body and signaled the other two holding his arms to pick him up. “We gotta hurry. Come on.”

They carried the man to a room nearby that had medical equipment sitting on wooden shelves, along with vials of different liquids and powders.

“Smith,” the same man called out again. “Go alert the other guards. Make sure all women and children are inside. Also – go get Justin.”
Smith nodded and dashed out of the room quickly. He turned to Cameron.
“What do you remember about these savages? Anything helps.”
She squeezed her eyes shut as she attempted to replay everything that occurred. “We were knocked out, then put in a makeshift prison deep in the ground. The, uh, the camp. It was large. But, they were definitely primitive. No guns or advanced weaponry. Justin may remember more.”
He nodded. “Thanks.”

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Jane only woke up for a moment to say bye to Rob before falling back to sleep. It was only when she had reached a hand over to squeeze him and was met with cold sheets that she processed that he had left. A sigh and a few stretches later, Jane got up from bed and wandered around the empty hotel room.

A part of her had truly missed staying in such shitty places; there wasn’t the sense of authenticity and adventure in the posh rooms they had been sleeping in.

The stove’s clock read 5:00 PM. Jane grabbed her speaker and a beer, and after putting on The Executioner by The Black Angels, she sunk into the small tub until her chin touched the warm water. In between sips of beer, she sang along to the lyrics quietly:

”Do whatcha should, honey
Be a good girl, darlin’
‘Cause you’ll meet the executioner one day”

She began to work the shampoo through her long strands of hair, groaning in pain as her fingers attempted to work through the knots. Next, conditioner. Some of them were beginning to come loose now with enough effort.

”If it feels good, do it again.”

A lyric Jane had lived by, and one that also always made her smirk when she sang it.

She eventually forced herself out of the tub and into the front of the mirror. She stared at herself, noticing a few marks Rob had unintentionally left on her shoulders and neck, and her fingers grazed them lightly and smiled. Jane easily got carried away in the heat of the moment.

Once she located a brush, she began working in through the tangled hair, cursing at herself for letting it get this bad. A half an hour and a clump of hair later, Jane was able to run her fingers through it, and the sensation made her scalp tingle as she puffed on a joint on the couch. She looked over to the clock once again, 5:57 PM. She frowned a bit, hoping Rob would come back soon, but before she could finish her thought, her phone vibrated on her lap.

As she read on, her eyes got wider and wider at what Anna was saying. “Jesus Christ,” she mumbled as she had scrolled to the bottom of the page. If she didn’t want to do the interview before, now she really didn’t want to do the interview. It would all be focused on what Anna had claimed, and as always, never on the music (unless it was regarding new music, of course.)

Before she could sulk on it for too long, the door creaked open, interrupting the silence that filled the room. Dressed in only one of his tee shirts, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Hey, Creepy,” she smiled as she tried to hold back a laugh. As she looked up to him, though, she could tell that he was upset about the article.

“Hey,” she whispered a hand reached up to brush a few strands out of his face. “It’s gonna be fine, yeah? She probably just wanted more attention than she was getting from Vultures. You’re not pathetic or creepy,” she consoled him as her fingers grazed his lips. “If it makes you feel better, I’m glad you were thinking of me when you were with her.” She meant what she said, although it made her question how fucked she was in the head.

Jane grabbed the hand that hung loosely at Rob’s side and laced his fingers with hers, and after bringing it up to her mouth, her lips softly kissed each fingertip. Her eyes looked up to his as they watched her. “We don’t need to leave for another few minutes. Come on.”

-------------------

Simon: Alright everyone. Thanks for tuning into the Musicians Unplugged podcast. We are here with Jane, Rob, Austin, and Sam from In Bloom, originating in Long Beach, California. Since starting out on tour almost three weeks ago, they have seen an insane increase in popularity, and also an increase in the amount of smack being talked about them. Jane, I’m gonna start with you. Wait – did you brush your hair?

Jane: [laughs] Just for you, Simon.

Simon: Why, I’m flattered. Thank you. Okay, Jane. The first question I’m gonna ask, since no one has gotten a direct answer from you, is: Are you bisexual? Do you like both women and men?

Jane: Yes.

Scott: No hesitation from you there, huh?

Jane: No one has ever really asked in a straight-forward way. They just always talk about the rumors and shit. Wait, can I curse?

Simon: Yes, you can. This podcast loves colorful language. Now, did you see the video posted earlier? With Anna, one of the roadies for Vulture?

Jane: Unfortunately, yes, I did.

Simon: [laughs] You mind diving in a little bit as to why you didn’t like it?

Jane: Oh, god. Rob didn’t deserve what she said about him. We were all kinda fucked up when we started this tour. There was a lot of shit going on not only in our professional lives, but our personal lives, too. Rob isn’t creepy or pathetic. If anything, I think it’s kind of pathetic to do an interview on a band you have no involvement with other than fucking one of its members. The only thing I agree with is that the other bands should be receiving some recognition, too. They all work really hard.

Simon: Wow, you didn’t hold back, did you?

Jane: Actually, I could probably continue. But I’ll spare everyone.

Simon: Well, then I’ll move on. What do you have to say about the accusations Anna made about you and Rob seeing each other?

Jane’s eyes darted to Rob as he finished the question. She didn’t want to cross some line that he wasn’t ready to, or that she wasn’t ready to. But, she gave him a reassuring nod and looked back to Simon.

Jane: Hmm. Rob’s been my best friend for seven years. He, uh, he knows everything about me. The good, the bad, the ugly. [laughs] He’s never condemned me for who I am or what I do with my life or my time. He always looks out for me, wants the best for me. And him. He’s so talented, smart, really good looking. Sorry if I’m rambling, Simon.

Simon: That’s okay. Continue!

Jane: I guess the point I’m trying to make is that, when you have someone like that in your life, you know, someone that cares about you that much, and you feel the same way about them, it’d be stupid not to try to see where things can go. So, I mean, yeah, there’s a few new elements that we added to our relationship, but nothing between us has really changed. He’s still my best friend.

Simon: That was all very beautifully put, Jane. Thank you. Now, moving along, what would you say is your biggest complaint about how things have been unfolding for you and the band?

Jane: The bad publicity, man. That no one is focusing on our music when they decide to do a piece on us. It’s all about our personal lives, which isn’t why we’re on tour, you know? I would love to wake up one day and see an article talking about my singing or writing, or the crazy shit that Austin and Sam come up with for our songs, or how talented Rob is.

Simon: Sorry for asking you those questions earlier, then.

Jane: No, no, no. It’s not your fault. I guess it’s just business now. What’s gonna make people click a link? An article about how I started singing, or one of people detailing stuff about who I’ve slept with and my “bad” behavior? Of course, the latter. But, I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get used to it.

Simon: Well, if this means anything, I think you have a phenomenal voice.

Jane: Thank you.

Simon: I think it’s only fair now that we get Rob’s side of the story now. We’re gonna take a quick break and will ask him some questions when we return.

Simon got up to get some water, and Jane immediately grabbed Rob’s hand and pulled him out of the building. “Hey,” she started as she lit a cigarette. “I hope you don’t mind what I said. I was kinda put on the spot, you know?” She exhaled the smoke above their heads before wrapping her arms around him like she always did. She couldn’t shake the desire to be touching him all the time, no matter how much she told herself to leave him alone. The thoughts made her pull away and take a drag of her cigarette. “If I ever start to drive you crazy, you'll tell me, yeah?"