Isamu nodded, pleased that his perception was indeed accurate. Bjorn was exactly the same age as he and his brother. Rumors may still persist, but they could be easily refuted with basic facts.
“Then perhaps the princess should remind his subjects that petty grievances do not matter to a queen.” He suggested metaphorically, for whatever good it might do taken literally. Isamu knew nothing about the music industry, and very little about music in general.
"More the princess reminding his subjects that his king won't put any more of them in the hospital if they stop being assholes."
There was bad blood and history, enough that it showed in Rekker's expression. A flicker if anger and sadness before he got it under control. "I put a whole band in the hospital right after I joined Hexed. The rift was there but why I turned on them made it huge."
Likely, his prominence early on as a guitarist to watch gave him more sway than any 19 year old with a bad temper should ever be given. "It was before I had any therapy or medication, fucking bad, but the band I attacked... I'll never treat them well."
Rekker might adore a glam singer, might hang out with musicians here and there but the culture of the scene put him off at a visceral level.
Isamu stared for a moment, unsure of what to say to that. They’d just been talking about Robert taking a bullet for Ziggy, and the Anthean having his hands crushed by his former band. And here was Rekker stating that he’d put an entire glam act in the hospital for reasons unknown - unless being assholes was, in fact, a legitimate reason.
He finally ventured, “That… was then. And things are, or at least should be, different now?”
Was the music industry really this cutthroat and violent? Had everyone gone through this kind of traumatic experience? Did he really want to know the answers to those mental questions?
Not everywhere was violent but the mix in L.A. got volatile from so many bands and, at the time, so many young band members. Packs of 18 to 22 year old drunks with little supervision wasn't going to be a stable environment.
"The culture backstage is still the same in most of the clubs." With Bjorn going into these clubs Rekker was back to his usual brawling when necessary. "There are people in my life I'll never forgive and most of them are in that scene."
Rekker would probably carry this grudge to the grave.
Isamu blinked, taking this in and trying to rectify the new information with what he knew thus far. “Minoru has never described such an environment backstage. Nor has Tom. I certainly did not observe such threats during my select days of observation earlier in the tour, but I realize this was a smaller sample size than the current lineup…”
Was this really as widespread as Rekker was making it sound. Was there actually real trouble mounting on the Ziggy Stardust tour? (Or festival, really, given how large it had grown!)
“Oh, that is most definitely a relief.” Isamu was wholly ignorant of the club scene, clearly. “May I ask what you saw that, in your mind and Tom’s, would justify multiple people requiring prompt medical assistance?”
The question had a wary, inquisitive tone. It was not meant as a challenge. While there was slight concern of what might happen to someone who crossed Rekker the wrong way, it was mostly just a need for more context. What did that other band even do?
Rekker gets visibly uncomfortable, immediately, when he hears that question but it wasn't an unexpected one either. His anger had to draw curiosity from someone he figured had a scientific interest in his mental health.
It takes a moment, more coffee being brought and Rekker briefly wondering if he should even go there. The sound of his grinding teeth comes before he speaks. "I was, 19.. or just turned twenty. The woman I'd been dating for over a year was in the scene too. One night it got to be after one in the morning and she didn't come home so I went out to find her."
Rekker probably shouldn't be drinking more coffee while talking about something that would drive his anxiety through the roof but he needed something to do with himself too. "Asking around, she has a very unique look, I found out she was hanging with a band after a show. I didn't think anything was wrong until I walked into the dressing room. They'd drugged her and made a joke of her being the encore."
The teeth grinding was back between sentences while Rekker struggles. "I remember throwing one of them through the door but nothing after it. I didn't even know what I did between grabbing the guitarist and carrying her out to my car in my coat until they talked about the injuries during the court case."
Rekker felt the anger inside boiling up and it came through in the double handed death grip on his coffee mug. "I was put away in a hospital for months and it was hellish."
"Yeah." Rekker isn't surprised by the look on Isamu's face. Though he feels sorry for the kid, he did ask. "I'm not sorry for anything that I did."
Which kept him in the hospital longer and almost sent him to jail, his lack of regret or apology. Rekker put the cup down finally and then smiled, forced as it was. "Bjorn says that the scene in the rest of the world is better."
Which Rekker didn't believe but was trying to because there were, or well all the bands on the tour were Glam in some way. It was time to change the subject to anything else. He grasped for something funny or at least more lighthearted.
"I'm as surprised as everyone else that I'm dating a guy." He went back to Bjorn, to something current to yank himself out of his memories. "My inner asshole loves correcting the people that keep asking about my new girlfriend."
Bjorn was incredibly feminine and he could see the way casual observers would be mistaken. Rekker took great pleasure in watching the shock after correcting someone.
Isamu did ask. But at least he could squeeze a tiny bit of comfort out of the fact that you had to do some pretty horrendous and unspeakable things before Rekker would turn this remorseless rage upon you.
“Anything beyond what we have conditioned ourself or others to expect is surprising, yes.” Isamu nodded, thankful for the change of topic as well. “Informing our parents that Minoru was in a relationship, period, produced a similar sort of satisfaction. Though, I may have intentionally chosen a few words solely for their shock value… Papa did a literal spit-take with his tea.”
Isamu bringing home a date, usually a girl but sometimes an effeminate guy, was no surprise to anyone.
"I went from fist fights with Bjorn and only interested in women to dating him in a week? It was fast." Rekker didn't regret it at all but he was still shocked by his own behavior.
"I'm not talking to my family." Rekker took a drink and shrugged. "It would piss them off that I'm living instead of offing myself."
Then he starts to laugh. "Robert and Devon's reaction to coming over to find Bjorn half dressed on my couch was priceless."
That was definitely a quick change. Though, not an impossible one for Isamu to imagine.
“I informed our parents over dinner that my brother was not only dating, but had also slept with Ziggy - both entirely true statements, given proper context that I intentionally withheld.” Which was primarily that sleep was literal, and not the first thing that everyone’s minds jumped toward. “Priceless reactions are, by definition, priceless. Yes.”
Isamu had every right to be proud of that joke - given that Minoru had pulled the same one on him and he fell for it with the same cartoonish spit-take.
Rekker knew enough about the people around, and certainly about Ziggy, to get the idea of the joke that was pulled on people with the twist of language.
"I caused some shit like that a few concerts ago." Rekker started to laugh. "Dee outted me for being in a relationship on stage and this guy down front started screaming up to ask if my girlfriend had huge breasts."
He could see the desire to pick on people's misconceptions for sure. "The silence when I responded that my boyfriend didn't have any was like death."
“Of course, when Minoru played the exact same joke on me the first time, it was not nearly as humorous.” He replied, solely because it was at his expense. “But it was impressive that he was able to keep such a straight face the entire time. Had the circumstances not been what they were, I would have sworn he and Ziggy rehearsed the joke before Minoru delivered it. He may be asexual, but he is no idiot. He knew exactly what he was saying.”
"I'm sure it was hilarious." Rekker could only imagine the shock of that sort of unexpectedness from a brother. "When you want to tease your brother you are capable of amazing feats."
Rekker had done some things like this to Robert. "Of course he knew. I'm a little brother too. I know the game."
"There have been so many." Rekker couldn't help laughing because he knew he had driven his brother and Tom to the edge of thier wits over the years.
"Most recently..." Rekker glanced around to make sure none of the band members were around. "Bought Bjorn an engagement ring. One of the more pleasant shocks, I imagine."
If Rekker and Robert were anything like him and Minoru, the (sometimes playful, sometimes not) rivalry stretched way back into childhood. There would be quite a few hilarious moments.
“While that example may be quite the shock to many, I certainly hope, for Bjorn’s sake, that one is not a prank.”
"No more of a prank than your brother's claim." Rekker had seen the snuggling between Ziggy and the other twin and knew the prank was a play on words. Rekker obsessively carried the ring around in its box because Bjorn was nosy and he worried about him finding it.
"I don't know if me buying it or the size caused his eyes to get so wide." Either way, he had totally caught his brother off guard and that was what mattered.
Rekker was paranoid about too many, or rather too loud, people seeing it. After a moment he does pull out a lilac velvet box with 4 carat blue diamond ring..
"It's meant to be an ocean." The blues and swirls of platinum and silver. He offer Isamu the box to let him look.
Isamu was discreet. He opened the box beneath the table so as not to draw unnecessary attention, or make anyone think the wrong thing. His eyes widened, but probably not as much as Robert’s.
“That is quite an impressive ring.” He exclaimed softly. He closed the box, and discreetly passed it back. “Have you made plans on when and how you plan to propose?”
Love was clearly in the air. Isamu knew Mick had proposed to Ziggy already. Namely, because Minoru was incredibly excited about it, and about having a part, whatever that part might actually be, in his girlfriend’s special day.
"He likes colored diamonds and I like the ocean." Rekker was thoughtful about gifts when he could manage to give them. Sometimes his social anxiety got to him, like it was now. He did wonder if Isamu had the bracelet shoved in his face by Bjorn yet.
Rekker took it back and tucked the box away, silent for a long time before he sighs. "I'm not."
Rekker had the ring and had convinced himself not to actually give it to Bjorn. "It won't mean anything here or the UK. We can't get married."
Few people saw the rage Rekker had inside, at least during a civil conversation but it's there in tone and his eyes. He's furious with the state of things and that others are stopping him from doing what he wants.
Isamu nodded. It was a very thoughtful interpretation of the two of them joined together. He could appreciate that.
“It… would mean nothing? I do not under…” His voice trailed off, various comments from multiple individuals on what was socially acceptable in this particular world. “Is it because such things are frowned upon here? Or are there differences between your countries of origin?”
Mick and Ziggy were definitely getting married. Right?
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carisma_sensei
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Date: 2022-02-14 12:36 pm (UTC)“Then perhaps the princess should remind his subjects that petty grievances do not matter to a queen.” He suggested metaphorically, for whatever good it might do taken literally. Isamu knew nothing about the music industry, and very little about music in general.
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Date: 2022-02-14 12:55 pm (UTC)There was bad blood and history, enough that it showed in Rekker's expression. A flicker if anger and sadness before he got it under control. "I put a whole band in the hospital right after I joined Hexed. The rift was there but why I turned on them made it huge."
Likely, his prominence early on as a guitarist to watch gave him more sway than any 19 year old with a bad temper should ever be given. "It was before I had any therapy or medication, fucking bad, but the band I attacked... I'll never treat them well."
Rekker might adore a glam singer, might hang out with musicians here and there but the culture of the scene put him off at a visceral level.
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Date: 2022-02-14 01:29 pm (UTC)He finally ventured, “That… was then. And things are, or at least should be, different now?”
Was the music industry really this cutthroat and violent? Had everyone gone through this kind of traumatic experience? Did he really want to know the answers to those mental questions?
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Date: 2022-02-14 02:01 pm (UTC)"The culture backstage is still the same in most of the clubs." With Bjorn going into these clubs Rekker was back to his usual brawling when necessary. "There are people in my life I'll never forgive and most of them are in that scene."
Rekker would probably carry this grudge to the grave.
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Date: 2022-02-14 05:27 pm (UTC)Was this really as widespread as Rekker was making it sound. Was there actually real trouble mounting on the Ziggy Stardust tour? (Or festival, really, given how large it had grown!)
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Date: 2022-02-14 06:53 pm (UTC)Rekker didn't see the problematic behavior in any of the glam bands in the tour. "Bjorn says that the glam scene outside the US is different."
Then he snorts a laugh. "If Tom saw what I did he would have done the same."
Rekker and Tom were very different but there were. Few topics they agreed on, how and when to respect others was one of them.
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Date: 2022-02-15 01:00 pm (UTC)The question had a wary, inquisitive tone. It was not meant as a challenge. While there was slight concern of what might happen to someone who crossed Rekker the wrong way, it was mostly just a need for more context. What did that other band even do?
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Date: 2022-02-15 01:17 pm (UTC)It takes a moment, more coffee being brought and Rekker briefly wondering if he should even go there. The sound of his grinding teeth comes before he speaks. "I was, 19.. or just turned twenty. The woman I'd been dating for over a year was in the scene too. One night it got to be after one in the morning and she didn't come home so I went out to find her."
Rekker probably shouldn't be drinking more coffee while talking about something that would drive his anxiety through the roof but he needed something to do with himself too. "Asking around, she has a very unique look, I found out she was hanging with a band after a show. I didn't think anything was wrong until I walked into the dressing room. They'd drugged her and made a joke of her being the encore."
The teeth grinding was back between sentences while Rekker struggles. "I remember throwing one of them through the door but nothing after it. I didn't even know what I did between grabbing the guitarist and carrying her out to my car in my coat until they talked about the injuries during the court case."
Rekker felt the anger inside boiling up and it came through in the double handed death grip on his coffee mug. "I was put away in a hospital for months and it was hellish."
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Date: 2022-02-15 01:26 pm (UTC)Isamu could fill in the vulgar details between the lines quite well. And that explanation needed no further elaboration.
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Date: 2022-02-15 01:38 pm (UTC)Which kept him in the hospital longer and almost sent him to jail, his lack of regret or apology. Rekker put the cup down finally and then smiled, forced as it was. "Bjorn says that the scene in the rest of the world is better."
Which Rekker didn't believe but was trying to because there were, or well all the bands on the tour were Glam in some way. It was time to change the subject to anything else. He grasped for something funny or at least more lighthearted.
"I'm as surprised as everyone else that I'm dating a guy." He went back to Bjorn, to something current to yank himself out of his memories. "My inner asshole loves correcting the people that keep asking about my new girlfriend."
Bjorn was incredibly feminine and he could see the way casual observers would be mistaken. Rekker took great pleasure in watching the shock after correcting someone.
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Date: 2022-02-15 06:20 pm (UTC)“Anything beyond what we have conditioned ourself or others to expect is surprising, yes.” Isamu nodded, thankful for the change of topic as well. “Informing our parents that Minoru was in a relationship, period, produced a similar sort of satisfaction. Though, I may have intentionally chosen a few words solely for their shock value… Papa did a literal spit-take with his tea.”
Isamu bringing home a date, usually a girl but sometimes an effeminate guy, was no surprise to anyone.
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Date: 2022-02-15 07:02 pm (UTC)"I'm not talking to my family." Rekker took a drink and shrugged. "It would piss them off that I'm living instead of offing myself."
Then he starts to laugh. "Robert and Devon's reaction to coming over to find Bjorn half dressed on my couch was priceless."
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Date: 2022-02-16 12:25 pm (UTC)“I informed our parents over dinner that my brother was not only dating, but had also slept with Ziggy - both entirely true statements, given proper context that I intentionally withheld.” Which was primarily that sleep was literal, and not the first thing that everyone’s minds jumped toward. “Priceless reactions are, by definition, priceless. Yes.”
Isamu had every right to be proud of that joke - given that Minoru had pulled the same one on him and he fell for it with the same cartoonish spit-take.
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Date: 2022-02-19 02:50 am (UTC)"I caused some shit like that a few concerts ago." Rekker started to laugh. "Dee outted me for being in a relationship on stage and this guy down front started screaming up to ask if my girlfriend had huge breasts."
He could see the desire to pick on people's misconceptions for sure. "The silence when I responded that my boyfriend didn't have any was like death."
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Date: 2022-02-19 03:24 pm (UTC)“Of course, when Minoru played the exact same joke on me the first time, it was not nearly as humorous.” He replied, solely because it was at his expense. “But it was impressive that he was able to keep such a straight face the entire time. Had the circumstances not been what they were, I would have sworn he and Ziggy rehearsed the joke before Minoru delivered it. He may be asexual, but he is no idiot. He knew exactly what he was saying.”
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Date: 2022-02-22 07:43 pm (UTC)Rekker had done some things like this to Robert. "Of course he knew. I'm a little brother too. I know the game."
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Date: 2022-02-23 12:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-23 12:58 pm (UTC)"Most recently..." Rekker glanced around to make sure none of the band members were around. "Bought Bjorn an engagement ring. One of the more pleasant shocks, I imagine."
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Date: 2022-02-23 01:10 pm (UTC)“While that example may be quite the shock to many, I certainly hope, for Bjorn’s sake, that one is not a prank.”
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Date: 2022-02-23 01:25 pm (UTC)"I don't know if me buying it or the size caused his eyes to get so wide." Either way, he had totally caught his brother off guard and that was what mattered.
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Date: 2022-02-23 05:57 pm (UTC)“Do you have it with you? I must admit I am rather curious now.”
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Date: 2022-02-23 06:14 pm (UTC)"It's meant to be an ocean." The blues and swirls of platinum and silver. He offer Isamu the box to let him look.
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Date: 2022-02-24 01:06 pm (UTC)“That is quite an impressive ring.” He exclaimed softly. He closed the box, and discreetly passed it back. “Have you made plans on when and how you plan to propose?”
Love was clearly in the air. Isamu knew Mick had proposed to Ziggy already. Namely, because Minoru was incredibly excited about it, and about having a part, whatever that part might actually be, in his girlfriend’s special day.
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Date: 2022-02-24 01:49 pm (UTC)Rekker took it back and tucked the box away, silent for a long time before he sighs. "I'm not."
Rekker had the ring and had convinced himself not to actually give it to Bjorn. "It won't mean anything here or the UK. We can't get married."
Few people saw the rage Rekker had inside, at least during a civil conversation but it's there in tone and his eyes. He's furious with the state of things and that others are stopping him from doing what he wants.
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Date: 2022-02-24 06:29 pm (UTC)“It… would mean nothing? I do not under…” His voice trailed off, various comments from multiple individuals on what was socially acceptable in this particular world. “Is it because such things are frowned upon here? Or are there differences between your countries of origin?”
Mick and Ziggy were definitely getting married. Right?
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