Your Final Rites
Having just turned 21, Dakota had gifted Tori one of the best things she could have thought of. Tickets to a local show. Ticket, to be more accurate. Dakota hadn't bought a ticket for himself, knowing Tori liked to do things alone sometimes. Knowing that, months prior, she had set them on a mission for this exact band and failed. She had tried to scrounge up enough money to get them everything they needed for the show, and had ended up sitting on a curb somewhere, smoking a joint.
She headed to the show alone, enjoying the nighttime darkness on her way to the Werehouse, where the show was being played. The band was some new local band, rumored to have a bunch of supernaturals members. She knew supernaturals existed, she just wanted to see if it was true, and if they were as good as she heard people say.
Tori arrived on time and made her way inside with no issues, grabbing herself a drink from the bar before exploring the venue a bit. She had a few minutes before the first set, and knew it wasn't the band she'd come for so she wasn't too worried.
When the band she had come to see took the stage, Tori found herself a spot somewhere between the stage and the door. Close enough to hear, but not close enough to have tons of people pushing up against her.
The members came out together, causing the crowd to dissolve into cheers. She couldn't help but grin; she could only guess the band was decent based on their apparent following. After getting a good look at each member, Tori's breath hitched in her throat. One of the three members.. she could have sworn she knew. And well, had heard he had died? Tori shook her head, trying to clear the confusion. She had heard the band was made of supernatural members, so did that mean he was something else when they met... or did it happen after?? Tori only snapped out of her stupor when someone bumped into her, hitting her just hard enough to jostle the drink she was holding in her hand. The drink spilled all over her hand and wrist, thankfully not covering too much of her arm. She groaned, shaking her head. Tori switched her drink to her other hand, shaking the liquid off her hand as best she could. She had wanted to go to the bathroom, but didn't want to miss the set that was about to begin.
"
We are Final Rites," the unfamiliar male spoke, Tori's focus on the members as they briefly introduced themselves. They thanked the crowd for coming out and mentioned one or two others things they felt important. Tori watched the one she swore she knew, trying to check for tell tale signs of what had happened to him. Before she knew it, the set and the show were over, and it was time for her and the others to leave.
Not one to stick around, Tori had taken her cue and had headed for the door. Her mind was still racing and wondering about the male she'd seen on stage. Was it really him?
Tori hadn't made it too far past the door into the alley when she heard someone calling after her, "
Hey," Tori could just barely recognize the voice. "
Hey, wait up!" They hollered again, and everything in Tori screamed to keep walking but she somehow found herself standing still. She turned on her heel as she felt the other approaching her. When Tori's eyes found his, her breath caught in her throat. It was him.
Would he even remember her?
"
I saw you in the crowd during our set. Did you enjoy the show?" Landon Caswell asked her, the well talked about smirk finding its way across his lips.
She almost couldn't speak, the sight of Landon before her still a bit of a shock. But Tori let her eyes roll, "Yeah, I guess I did," she told him. She watched him watching her, trying to gauge her reaction, her interest. She wasn't entirely obsessed with them, as it seemed most others were after seeing one of their shows. They were good, but Landon Caswell alive and well was too much for her. It was throwing her off. Especially since it seemed like Landon did
not remember her, and in fact had no idea who she was. He just thought she was some girl in the crowd.
"
I'm Landon, from Final Rites," Landon officially introduced himself, reaching into his pocket to produce a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Tori watched him, just nodding at his introduction. She didn't much care for it, she already knew who he was. Everyone did.
Landon set the cigarette between his lips, finally offering her a hand and a charming smile. She looked down at his hand before back up at him, giving him a nod as if to say 'I'm alright'. Landon gave her a look, and she knew it was a result of no one having acted in such a way towards him. She was sure girls tripped over themselves to get their fingers on his skin, but she wasn't one of them. She didn't care.
Tori watched Landon give her a slow nod, as if coming to accept that she wasn't like other girls. She wasn't swooning, and wasn't going to. He brought the lighter up to his lips, and she watched him light his cigarette and inhale. "
Well, did you like the show enough to come to another?" Landon asked before exhaling, his blue hues watching her, even in the dark of the night. Tori considered this, and considered the show his band has just put on.
Tori was about to respond when from behind them, his two other bands mates burst out the side door and into the alley. The quiet calm of their conversation in the darkened alley was disrupted, his bandmates creating a cocoon around him as they hugged him in an almost drunken stupor. She could only assume it was the adrenaline rush from their performance. It had been one hell of a show, after all.
With Landon's attention on his bandmates as they hugged and high-fived, praising each other and how good they had done, Tori turned and began to walk away. It was perfect timing, really, saving Tori from having to lie to him.
"
Wait, I never got your name," she heard Landon call after her, only causing her to smirk to herself. "
And you won't," she answered back, without turning around. She kept walking towards the end of the alley, the darkness of shadows eventually swallowing her.
