if the world were ending would you
while i'm downloading writing type things from my brain, i have to get this out. i can't imagine i'm going to have time to write it at all, certainly not any time soon.
this cannot even generously be called chatfic. it's just an idea for a story, soundtracked by Pretty. Odd. it's a story about Brendon singing in a big Vegas musical show. you must know where this is going.
AU. set in Vegas, present time. Possibly the action takes place over more than like 5 days, or maybe it doesn't. Things happen fast when you fall in love.
Day one. Ryan goes on a lame date to a big Vegas musical show, where he mostly is thinking about how he can ditch this girl, when the second lead's big number -- "Do You Know What I'm Seeing" -- makes him sit up and forget everything else except this boy, this Brendon Urie (says the program, a hometown boy who started as the conductor's assistant at 17, played in the orchestra and was one day discovered to be able to sing!) who belts out a ridiculous song about birds and clouds. Ryan goes back the next night, and another, and then manages to make his way backstage by simply looking either like he belongs there or is simply lost. He stands by the dressing room door, no idea what he's doing, when Brendon falls out in a mess of people and flowers and a cast full of friends. He barely can say hi, but Brendon chats with him anyway, assuming that Ryan is there to see one of the girls in the show. Eventually Brendon is dragged off by some pretty chorus boy and Ryan despairs at having missed his big chance.
Next day. Ryan stops at his least-hated-thus-favorite coffeshop, where he finds Brendon attempting to sign up for the open mic night. He remembers Ryan and they start talking, about how the show is on a two-week hiatus while the theater is renovated, how Brendon can't go two days without performing, it's like a sickness, really. Finally Ryan tells him that this place's open mic is actually pretty lame, and ends up telling Brendon about his band, the Summer League, who've been playing around Vegas since he was in high school. It's him, singing and playing guitar, and his best friend Spencer on drums, and then an endless parade of bassists who never seem to care as much about the band as they should. Actually, they have a gig tomorrow, and their first opener -- a crappy, 7pm slot with no pay other than a few drinks -- just dropped out, no notice, and though he knows Spencer is going to kill him for doing this without asking, Ryan offers it to Brendon. At least he knows Brendon can sing. They swap numbers, and Brendon restates his intentions to rock the socks off the lousy open mic night. Ryan ends up coming back after work (vet's assistant, the pay is crappy even after 4 years but his scholarship isn't enough to cover rent without doing something), and Brendon is in fact playing some ridiculous folk song ("Folkin' Around") but singing the shit out of it. He convinces Ryan to come up and play one song, too ("Behind the Sea").
Next day. Ryan shows up in time for Brendon's soundcheck, to no small amount of mocking by Spencer. Brendon plays a solo acoustic set, the 12 people there -- at least of half of whom seem to be guys from Brendon's show he's probably slept with at some point -- enjoy it a lot. When Summer League goes on 3 hours later, Ryan cajoles Brendon into coming on stage and singing harmony on "Behind the Sea." Even Spencer is impressed. The bass player du jour leaves the minute the show is over. Spencer tells Brendon he should come jam with them sometimes, then leaves Ryan and Brendon alone. They go back to Brendon's place together, have some randomly hot sex, and though Ryan has every intention of ducking out early, Brendon convinces him to stay the night.
Next day. (A Saturday, let's say.) Morning sex. Brunch. Actual getting to know each other time. Ryan's graduating from UNLV with a degree in English this spring, which is making him face the uncomfortable reality that he has no real job skills beyond the vet work and a band that does okay as a local bar act but, no matter how he's tried or what leads he's followed, doesn't seem likely to break into any bigger time than this. He hasn't talked to Spencer about it yet, but he thinks maybe they should quit for a while, or try something completely different, or pick up and move to LA, anything, because clearly this hasn't worked. He can't remember ever having felt less ambitious about his music. Brendon tells Ryan about getting kicked out at 17 when his parents caught him with a boy, that he got a job assisting a conductor who had been giving him piano lessons, and has been doing eight shows a week ever since. He'd thought maybe he'd go to college, but it's not like he's done badly for himself -- he makes good money (yay musician's unions!) and bought a condo last year and has this amazing queer family of theater geeks. He sees his family sometimes, and his nieces and nephews are close by, and it's sort of ridiculous to be a professional musician at 21, able to support himself well and be complaining about it.
Next day. Ryan drags Brendon to rehearsal at Spencer's, where of course their bass player has bailed and Brendon says he can probably figure out the parts on his guitar, if they want. Practice is amazing, and Ryan is more energized than Spencer has seen him in a long time, though he's a little skeptical of the fact that Ryan has obviously already nailed Brendon. (Usually Ryan resists fucking the bass player until it's clear the dude -- or chick, once or twice -- was definitely on his way out, because at that point even Ryan doesn't think it can fuck things up more.) But it feels like a real band for the first time in forever, and so Spencer invites Brendon to come perform a whole set with them the next night. Ryan and Brendon spend some more time splitting up the vocals and when Spencer finally kicks them out, they go back to Ryan's. Ryan lives in a tiny apartment with too much furniture -- all the things he couldn't quite figure out how to sell when his dad died the year before, hospital debts so big it ate up the value of the house and then some. Brendon tells Ryan about a party with his castmates he wants to bring Ryan to, and Ryan starts to quietly freak out about a) how much he likes this boy, and b) how much he wants Brendon to be in their band. He can't imagine why someone who already makes a living at music would give that up to be in a band with no sure bet and a shitty track record, and he doesn't know what's wrong with him that he still might ask.
Next day. Some ridiculous afternoon gathering with the theater fags. Ryan is intimidated by how many of them seem to have slept with Brendon, though Brendon is dragging him around by the hand and acting like they're boyfriends. Ryan's never really had a serious boyfriend, or handled jealousy well, and he can tell he's getting kind of bitchy and mean. Then one of the cast mentions off-hand the recruiter from the show's Broadway parent company that came to town last week and had eyes for no one but Brendon. Jokes about getting called up to the majors ensue, Ryan is a little heartbroken and then annoyed at himself for having had any real hope about this. He leaves, Brendon is confused and hurt, but shows up when he'd promised for the gig that night anyway. He and Ryan have a dumb fight that goes nowhere in which neither of them mention any of those things, but then they both chill out during the performance, which hits this perfect stride as they sing together. Afterwards, Brendon says this is what he's been missing, getting to create music, not just perform like a puppet night after night for tourists, but to make something, collaborate with people on their own sound. He tells Ryan he's turning down an offer to move to New York, he has enough saved to take a break or pick up other studio or substitute work with other shows around town. He wants to be in a band, or make his own if he has to. Spencer offers him a spot in their band for real ("What?" he says, when Ryan sputters. "You know that's what you were going to ask me about later.") Ryan gets his groove back and starts making big plans. After he and Spencer graduate they'll book their own tour, get a van and go. They'll write new songs. And they'll get a new band name. THE END.
this cannot even generously be called chatfic. it's just an idea for a story, soundtracked by Pretty. Odd. it's a story about Brendon singing in a big Vegas musical show. you must know where this is going.
AU. set in Vegas, present time. Possibly the action takes place over more than like 5 days, or maybe it doesn't. Things happen fast when you fall in love.
Day one. Ryan goes on a lame date to a big Vegas musical show, where he mostly is thinking about how he can ditch this girl, when the second lead's big number -- "Do You Know What I'm Seeing" -- makes him sit up and forget everything else except this boy, this Brendon Urie (says the program, a hometown boy who started as the conductor's assistant at 17, played in the orchestra and was one day discovered to be able to sing!) who belts out a ridiculous song about birds and clouds. Ryan goes back the next night, and another, and then manages to make his way backstage by simply looking either like he belongs there or is simply lost. He stands by the dressing room door, no idea what he's doing, when Brendon falls out in a mess of people and flowers and a cast full of friends. He barely can say hi, but Brendon chats with him anyway, assuming that Ryan is there to see one of the girls in the show. Eventually Brendon is dragged off by some pretty chorus boy and Ryan despairs at having missed his big chance.
Next day. Ryan stops at his least-hated-thus-favorite coffeshop, where he finds Brendon attempting to sign up for the open mic night. He remembers Ryan and they start talking, about how the show is on a two-week hiatus while the theater is renovated, how Brendon can't go two days without performing, it's like a sickness, really. Finally Ryan tells him that this place's open mic is actually pretty lame, and ends up telling Brendon about his band, the Summer League, who've been playing around Vegas since he was in high school. It's him, singing and playing guitar, and his best friend Spencer on drums, and then an endless parade of bassists who never seem to care as much about the band as they should. Actually, they have a gig tomorrow, and their first opener -- a crappy, 7pm slot with no pay other than a few drinks -- just dropped out, no notice, and though he knows Spencer is going to kill him for doing this without asking, Ryan offers it to Brendon. At least he knows Brendon can sing. They swap numbers, and Brendon restates his intentions to rock the socks off the lousy open mic night. Ryan ends up coming back after work (vet's assistant, the pay is crappy even after 4 years but his scholarship isn't enough to cover rent without doing something), and Brendon is in fact playing some ridiculous folk song ("Folkin' Around") but singing the shit out of it. He convinces Ryan to come up and play one song, too ("Behind the Sea").
Next day. Ryan shows up in time for Brendon's soundcheck, to no small amount of mocking by Spencer. Brendon plays a solo acoustic set, the 12 people there -- at least of half of whom seem to be guys from Brendon's show he's probably slept with at some point -- enjoy it a lot. When Summer League goes on 3 hours later, Ryan cajoles Brendon into coming on stage and singing harmony on "Behind the Sea." Even Spencer is impressed. The bass player du jour leaves the minute the show is over. Spencer tells Brendon he should come jam with them sometimes, then leaves Ryan and Brendon alone. They go back to Brendon's place together, have some randomly hot sex, and though Ryan has every intention of ducking out early, Brendon convinces him to stay the night.
Next day. (A Saturday, let's say.) Morning sex. Brunch. Actual getting to know each other time. Ryan's graduating from UNLV with a degree in English this spring, which is making him face the uncomfortable reality that he has no real job skills beyond the vet work and a band that does okay as a local bar act but, no matter how he's tried or what leads he's followed, doesn't seem likely to break into any bigger time than this. He hasn't talked to Spencer about it yet, but he thinks maybe they should quit for a while, or try something completely different, or pick up and move to LA, anything, because clearly this hasn't worked. He can't remember ever having felt less ambitious about his music. Brendon tells Ryan about getting kicked out at 17 when his parents caught him with a boy, that he got a job assisting a conductor who had been giving him piano lessons, and has been doing eight shows a week ever since. He'd thought maybe he'd go to college, but it's not like he's done badly for himself -- he makes good money (yay musician's unions!) and bought a condo last year and has this amazing queer family of theater geeks. He sees his family sometimes, and his nieces and nephews are close by, and it's sort of ridiculous to be a professional musician at 21, able to support himself well and be complaining about it.
Next day. Ryan drags Brendon to rehearsal at Spencer's, where of course their bass player has bailed and Brendon says he can probably figure out the parts on his guitar, if they want. Practice is amazing, and Ryan is more energized than Spencer has seen him in a long time, though he's a little skeptical of the fact that Ryan has obviously already nailed Brendon. (Usually Ryan resists fucking the bass player until it's clear the dude -- or chick, once or twice -- was definitely on his way out, because at that point even Ryan doesn't think it can fuck things up more.) But it feels like a real band for the first time in forever, and so Spencer invites Brendon to come perform a whole set with them the next night. Ryan and Brendon spend some more time splitting up the vocals and when Spencer finally kicks them out, they go back to Ryan's. Ryan lives in a tiny apartment with too much furniture -- all the things he couldn't quite figure out how to sell when his dad died the year before, hospital debts so big it ate up the value of the house and then some. Brendon tells Ryan about a party with his castmates he wants to bring Ryan to, and Ryan starts to quietly freak out about a) how much he likes this boy, and b) how much he wants Brendon to be in their band. He can't imagine why someone who already makes a living at music would give that up to be in a band with no sure bet and a shitty track record, and he doesn't know what's wrong with him that he still might ask.
Next day. Some ridiculous afternoon gathering with the theater fags. Ryan is intimidated by how many of them seem to have slept with Brendon, though Brendon is dragging him around by the hand and acting like they're boyfriends. Ryan's never really had a serious boyfriend, or handled jealousy well, and he can tell he's getting kind of bitchy and mean. Then one of the cast mentions off-hand the recruiter from the show's Broadway parent company that came to town last week and had eyes for no one but Brendon. Jokes about getting called up to the majors ensue, Ryan is a little heartbroken and then annoyed at himself for having had any real hope about this. He leaves, Brendon is confused and hurt, but shows up when he'd promised for the gig that night anyway. He and Ryan have a dumb fight that goes nowhere in which neither of them mention any of those things, but then they both chill out during the performance, which hits this perfect stride as they sing together. Afterwards, Brendon says this is what he's been missing, getting to create music, not just perform like a puppet night after night for tourists, but to make something, collaborate with people on their own sound. He tells Ryan he's turning down an offer to move to New York, he has enough saved to take a break or pick up other studio or substitute work with other shows around town. He wants to be in a band, or make his own if he has to. Spencer offers him a spot in their band for real ("What?" he says, when Ryan sputters. "You know that's what you were going to ask me about later.") Ryan gets his groove back and starts making big plans. After he and Spencer graduate they'll book their own tour, get a van and go. They'll write new songs. And they'll get a new band name. THE END.