“So, what’s your role in here?” the question caused Tavros to blink in surprise.
“Uh, I play the tuba, solo,” he replied, shrugging. “My turn, is right after, your brother,” he added, suddenly uneasy again. “I, uhhh, am not sure, I want to go out, tonight”.
He guessed Dirk’s brother was looking at him inquisitively due to the small tilt of his head, so he decided to explain himself further.
“There is, supposed to be some, uh, big shot, and I don’t want, to make a fool of myself out there, not tonight, at least”.
One eyebrow peeked from above the shades’ line. “Why’s that? If Dirk lets you play here, it means you’re good,” he pointed inside. “And now I really want to listen to what you can dish out. Sure it’s going to be great”.
Fumbling with himself, Tavros felt his cheeks grow bright brown in surprise. He always was surprised when someone liked his songs, and he guessed Dirk had to like his style, otherwise he wouldn’t allow him to keep on playing, but to hear this guy say he wanted to listen to him…
It made his insides flutter, and not in a bad way.
“It’s nice, of you to say that, really,” he replied, smiling despite himself. “I just wonder, if I have any, uh, chance at all…”
“Do you enjoy playing?” the other interrupted him.
Tavros blinked. “Oh, uuh, of course!”
“Then it’s fine, just go and have fun, man, no need to think about big name with heads too full of money to care. Lay your sick beats down for this whole place to listen, and wipe the floor with that big shot until she’s screaming for mercy, got my drift?”
Unable to stop himself, Tavros chuckled, shoulders relaxing slightly. “I guess, uuh, you’re right, but what if my sick beats, are too much for you to bear?”
“Oh, shit man, have a bit of faith,” the guy brought one hand to his chest, mimicking a hit. “I could show you the right way to weave a beat so strong it would burn the whole ‘Midnight’ down to a crisp, but tonight’s not my night, right?”
Tavros shifted a bit and checked his watch, surprised to see only a few minutes had passed since he had stepped out in the patio. He glanced up at Dirk’s brother, who was smirking at him.
This time, Tavros understood, and smiled back at him.
“Uhm, yes, maybe you should go, and watch your brother, perform?”
“Sure thing. And then I can spare some moments to watch you too, Tavbro, is that ok with you?”
“I’ll make sure, to dedicate you, a song, then,” straightening his back, Tavros held the door open for the other. Then, a thought occurred to him, and he froze. “You didn’t, uuuh, tell me your name, though”.
The blond guy chuckled again, shaking his head in disbelief. “We’ve been talking for a while and ya still don’t know my name, you’re breaking my heart here, man”.
Tavros spluttered, but before he could say anything, the human snorted.
“I’m joking, Tavbro, really. Name’s Dave, by the way,” he added, passing right next to Tavros and heading back inside the nightclub.
Tavros followed him, feeling a bit silly but still pleased.
Talking with Dave had been relaxing, and he wondered why he had been so upset about the big shot –even if the guy didn’t notice him, it was fine. He had found someone to talk with and had enjoyed himself. There could be other chances for him later.
“But,” Dave’s voice stopped Tavros mid-step, “if you really want to make it up to me for not having asked my name before, you could do me a favour, big boy”.
Tavros waited for the human to continue, but Dave simply offered him a slip of paper with a number.
“Uhhh… what–”
“Call me,” Dave smirked. “I count on that, ok?”
With that he spun around and walked away, disappearing behind the heavy curtains separating the backstage from the main hall and leaving Tavros gaping in shock at the number in his hands.
***
When Dirk finally left the stage, leaving behind a shocked silence, Tavros quickly made his way to take his place, meeting him halfway and exchanging a fistbump with him.
“Uhhh, good, show, Dirk,” he told the other performer, even though he had been cowering during half of it. “Did you, see, your brother there?”
Dirk stopped and peered at him. “You met my bro?” he asked, voice void of emotion.
“Uuh, yes, outside,” he chuckled a bit. “He is, nice. I didn’t know, you had a brother”.
“Bro is like me, he likes his space, but we still keep in contact, otherwise Roxy and Ro would throw a fit. Now go and make yourself look good, Tavros”.
Tavros nodded and smiled; the microphone had been already placed in the middle of the stage, so he simply walked towards it, his instrument clutched tightly in his fingers, and took a deep breath.
As usual, the lights centred on the stage didn’t allow him to look at the people surrounding him, but for the first time, he found himself somewhat sad about it. Dave was somewhere down there, looking at him and expecting him to do his best, and he was going to show the guy he knew how to make a good impression.
And if the big shot, whoever it was, didn’t like it, well. It was their loss.
He had prepared a few new songs without even knowing there would be someone new to listen to them, and he guessed it was the right time to see if his personal compositions were worth something.
“Uhh, good evening,” he cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks turn slightly brown as he forced his uneasiness down. “I’m going to dedicate, this first song to a certain person, who is watching, and I hope they will enjoy it”.
He didn’t need to add anything else –Dave would know.
With practiced ease, he brought the tuba to his lips, and started playing.
The music surrounded him like a comforting blanket, chasing away all foreign thoughts, until all he could think about was the tune and the notes and nothing else, lost to the world, only he and his instrument left.
When he finished playing, taking deep breaths to calm his bloodpusher, Tavros opened his eyes, still unable to see the public, but instead of the usual mild response, the silence was quickly drowned away by applauses.
Cheeks flushed red, he continued to smile, proud of himself for his performance and wondering if Dave was one of the people clapping for him.
He still had a lot of songs to play, but he hoped Dave would stay long enough for him to finish, so maybe he could ask him in person.
If nothing else, he still had his number.
***
“You were quite right, Dirk, he does possess an unusual talent,” Rose tilted her head to the side, pleased, and regarded her sibling with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, dear sister, I never lie on these matters,” Dirk replied, tone smug. “Does this mean you will find some use for his talent?”
“Indeed, he seems exactly what I was searching for… I guess it would be only right to give him a chance to spread his metaphorical wings out”.
Dave groaned and rolled his eyes, though the motion was lost due to his shades. “Could you two just cut it out? I’m trying to listen to the guy up there”.
He realised he’d said something wrong when both Dirk and Rose turned towards him, sporting the same intrigued expression.
“Do I sense a particular interest, dear brother?” Rose smiled, and Dave caught in her tone the promise of many interrogations to come. “You never quite seem to enjoy this kind of music, is he really so good that he managed to entrance you, or is something else that is keeping your attention from wandering?”
He cringed.
“Tavros did say you talked to him before his performance,” Dirk added, lips twitching into an amused smile. “I guess he is something else, catching both yours and Rose’s attention at the same time…”
“It’s not what you think,” Dave denied, but cringed again when he realised his words sounded like an admission. “Oh, fuck you two”.
“I’d daresay you would much prefer to f–” Dave hastily covered Rose’s mouth before she could conclude that phrase, and felt her lips twist upwards.
He sighed.
“Tell me again why am I here?” he moaned.
“Because I didn’t want to come on my own,” Rose smirked, pushing his hand away. “And you wouldn’t allow your defenceless sister to go out so late without a proper escort…”
“Bullshit, Rose, we both know that you are as defenceless as a wolf among sheep,” he paused, then added “with no exit in sight. And the sheep wear big red targets on their coats. And the wolf is actually some alien-wolf hybrid with tentacles”.
Rose’s response was a knowing smirk, and Dave sighed, returning his attention to the troll on the stage, who had started another song and was playing through it effortlessly.
He was actually pleased with himself –he had accompanied his sister without really caring about stuff –she was the one seeking new artistic talents, not he– but he was the one who had been rewarded in the end.
He smiled, head tilted away so neither Rose nor Dirk could catch it –it would only offer more speculation material, and they didn’t need it– and allowed time to tick away slowly, enjoying the music Tavros was weaving.
There would be time to talk later on, definitely. When it came to Dave Strider, there was always time.
FILL: Team Dave<3Karkat
“Uh, I play the tuba, solo,” he replied, shrugging. “My turn, is right after, your brother,” he added, suddenly uneasy again. “I, uhhh, am not sure, I want to go out, tonight”.
He guessed Dirk’s brother was looking at him inquisitively due to the small tilt of his head, so he decided to explain himself further.
“There is, supposed to be some, uh, big shot, and I don’t want, to make a fool of myself out there, not tonight, at least”.
One eyebrow peeked from above the shades’ line. “Why’s that? If Dirk lets you play here, it means you’re good,” he pointed inside. “And now I really want to listen to what you can dish out. Sure it’s going to be great”.
Fumbling with himself, Tavros felt his cheeks grow bright brown in surprise. He always was surprised when someone liked his songs, and he guessed Dirk had to like his style, otherwise he wouldn’t allow him to keep on playing, but to hear this guy say he wanted to listen to him…
It made his insides flutter, and not in a bad way.
“It’s nice, of you to say that, really,” he replied, smiling despite himself. “I just wonder, if I have any, uh, chance at all…”
“Do you enjoy playing?” the other interrupted him.
Tavros blinked. “Oh, uuh, of course!”
“Then it’s fine, just go and have fun, man, no need to think about big name with heads too full of money to care. Lay your sick beats down for this whole place to listen, and wipe the floor with that big shot until she’s screaming for mercy, got my drift?”
Unable to stop himself, Tavros chuckled, shoulders relaxing slightly. “I guess, uuh, you’re right, but what if my sick beats, are too much for you to bear?”
“Oh, shit man, have a bit of faith,” the guy brought one hand to his chest, mimicking a hit. “I could show you the right way to weave a beat so strong it would burn the whole ‘Midnight’ down to a crisp, but tonight’s not my night, right?”
Tavros shifted a bit and checked his watch, surprised to see only a few minutes had passed since he had stepped out in the patio. He glanced up at Dirk’s brother, who was smirking at him.
This time, Tavros understood, and smiled back at him.
“Uhm, yes, maybe you should go, and watch your brother, perform?”
“Sure thing. And then I can spare some moments to watch you too, Tavbro, is that ok with you?”
“I’ll make sure, to dedicate you, a song, then,” straightening his back, Tavros held the door open for the other. Then, a thought occurred to him, and he froze. “You didn’t, uuuh, tell me your name, though”.
The blond guy chuckled again, shaking his head in disbelief. “We’ve been talking for a while and ya still don’t know my name, you’re breaking my heart here, man”.
Tavros spluttered, but before he could say anything, the human snorted.
“I’m joking, Tavbro, really. Name’s Dave, by the way,” he added, passing right next to Tavros and heading back inside the nightclub.
Tavros followed him, feeling a bit silly but still pleased.
Talking with Dave had been relaxing, and he wondered why he had been so upset about the big shot –even if the guy didn’t notice him, it was fine. He had found someone to talk with and had enjoyed himself. There could be other chances for him later.
“But,” Dave’s voice stopped Tavros mid-step, “if you really want to make it up to me for not having asked my name before, you could do me a favour, big boy”.
Tavros waited for the human to continue, but Dave simply offered him a slip of paper with a number.
“Uhhh… what–”
“Call me,” Dave smirked. “I count on that, ok?”
With that he spun around and walked away, disappearing behind the heavy curtains separating the backstage from the main hall and leaving Tavros gaping in shock at the number in his hands.
***
When Dirk finally left the stage, leaving behind a shocked silence, Tavros quickly made his way to take his place, meeting him halfway and exchanging a fistbump with him.
“Uhhh, good, show, Dirk,” he told the other performer, even though he had been cowering during half of it. “Did you, see, your brother there?”
Dirk stopped and peered at him. “You met my bro?” he asked, voice void of emotion.
“Uuh, yes, outside,” he chuckled a bit. “He is, nice. I didn’t know, you had a brother”.
“Bro is like me, he likes his space, but we still keep in contact, otherwise Roxy and Ro would throw a fit. Now go and make yourself look good, Tavros”.
Tavros nodded and smiled; the microphone had been already placed in the middle of the stage, so he simply walked towards it, his instrument clutched tightly in his fingers, and took a deep breath.
As usual, the lights centred on the stage didn’t allow him to look at the people surrounding him, but for the first time, he found himself somewhat sad about it. Dave was somewhere down there, looking at him and expecting him to do his best, and he was going to show the guy he knew how to make a good impression.
And if the big shot, whoever it was, didn’t like it, well. It was their loss.
He had prepared a few new songs without even knowing there would be someone new to listen to them, and he guessed it was the right time to see if his personal compositions were worth something.
“Uhh, good evening,” he cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks turn slightly brown as he forced his uneasiness down. “I’m going to dedicate, this first song to a certain person, who is watching, and I hope they will enjoy it”.
He didn’t need to add anything else –Dave would know.
With practiced ease, he brought the tuba to his lips, and started playing.
The music surrounded him like a comforting blanket, chasing away all foreign thoughts, until all he could think about was the tune and the notes and nothing else, lost to the world, only he and his instrument left.
When he finished playing, taking deep breaths to calm his bloodpusher, Tavros opened his eyes, still unable to see the public, but instead of the usual mild response, the silence was quickly drowned away by applauses.
Cheeks flushed red, he continued to smile, proud of himself for his performance and wondering if Dave was one of the people clapping for him.
He still had a lot of songs to play, but he hoped Dave would stay long enough for him to finish, so maybe he could ask him in person.
If nothing else, he still had his number.
***
“You were quite right, Dirk, he does possess an unusual talent,” Rose tilted her head to the side, pleased, and regarded her sibling with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, dear sister, I never lie on these matters,” Dirk replied, tone smug. “Does this mean you will find some use for his talent?”
“Indeed, he seems exactly what I was searching for… I guess it would be only right to give him a chance to spread his metaphorical wings out”.
Dave groaned and rolled his eyes, though the motion was lost due to his shades. “Could you two just cut it out? I’m trying to listen to the guy up there”.
He realised he’d said something wrong when both Dirk and Rose turned towards him, sporting the same intrigued expression.
“Do I sense a particular interest, dear brother?” Rose smiled, and Dave caught in her tone the promise of many interrogations to come. “You never quite seem to enjoy this kind of music, is he really so good that he managed to entrance you, or is something else that is keeping your attention from wandering?”
He cringed.
“Tavros did say you talked to him before his performance,” Dirk added, lips twitching into an amused smile. “I guess he is something else, catching both yours and Rose’s attention at the same time…”
“It’s not what you think,” Dave denied, but cringed again when he realised his words sounded like an admission. “Oh, fuck you two”.
“I’d daresay you would much prefer to f–” Dave hastily covered Rose’s mouth before she could conclude that phrase, and felt her lips twist upwards.
He sighed.
“Tell me again why am I here?” he moaned.
“Because I didn’t want to come on my own,” Rose smirked, pushing his hand away. “And you wouldn’t allow your defenceless sister to go out so late without a proper escort…”
“Bullshit, Rose, we both know that you are as defenceless as a wolf among sheep,” he paused, then added “with no exit in sight. And the sheep wear big red targets on their coats. And the wolf is actually some alien-wolf hybrid with tentacles”.
Rose’s response was a knowing smirk, and Dave sighed, returning his attention to the troll on the stage, who had started another song and was playing through it effortlessly.
He was actually pleased with himself –he had accompanied his sister without really caring about stuff –she was the one seeking new artistic talents, not he– but he was the one who had been rewarded in the end.
He smiled, head tilted away so neither Rose nor Dirk could catch it –it would only offer more speculation material, and they didn’t need it– and allowed time to tick away slowly, enjoying the music Tavros was weaving.
There would be time to talk later on, definitely. When it came to Dave Strider, there was always time.
-Fin-