Trials of a Mad Guitar Player

[guitarhero01234]

Yep, doing one of these again. This one will most likely be entirely written on my phone, so apologies if any errors related to that happen.

Chapter 1

“You think this is gonna work?”

“I'm hoping.”

A small cloud of slightly acrid smoke wafted up toward the ceiling of a dimly lit room. A hooded figure sat hunched over a desk with a soldering iron in his hand, holding the tool to a small piece of circuit board while two certainly-not-human onlookers watched over his shoulder.

After soldering the final wires, the hooded figure plugged the circuit into a testing device. He turned on another machine from across the room, made sure the battery was properly connected to his circuit, and began to play a guitar. No sound came from the amplifier that he had turned on, aside from the usual pop that usually happened when powering the device on.

“Damn.” He hunched over his desk, slightly defeated. “Didn't work. Again.”

“Uh, gh?” The quadrupedal onlooker chimed in.

Ignoring Xeno, gh began to turn the device over in his hands, while the third figure quickly left the room. “Maybe I accidentally cut the track somewhere?”

“gh,” Xeno said again, this time a little more forcefully.

gh, meanwhile, seemed completely oblivious to the gryphon trying to get his attention. “Is that a one-oh-four? It really shouldn't matter that much, even if it called for a two-twenty-four . . .”

“For the love of- gh, turn three inches to your left and you'll see what's wrong!”

“Wait, what-” gh stopped mid-sentence, finally having noticed what Xeno was pointing out. “Oh, ****!” he yelled at the sight of his guitar amplifier having burst into flames.

“I'm assuming that's not supposed to happen?” Xeno suggested as Hunter returned to the room with a small Tupperware container filled with water. He quickly doused the flames, leaving gh’s thread full of smoke.

“. . . How did that even happen?” gh inquired as he moved to open a window. After coughing for a few moments, he slowly turned to Xeno. “Wait, when did you get in here?”

In response, Xeno shrugged - or at least, made as close a gesture to shrugging as he could manage. “I was bored and the door was unlocked, so I figured I'd say hi.”

Hunter chuckled lightly. “Might not be a good idea in the future.” Hunter had more or less moved into gh’s apartment at that point, and the two began spending a considerable amount of time secluding themselves when Leatherhead wasn't around. “We tend to keep each other busy. When Logan isn't starting fires, that is.”

“Oh, shut up,” gh said with a blush. “But seriously, Xeno, at least knock next time. Or risk being scarred for life.”

“I think I get the point,” Xeno said, rolling his eyes. He then gestured toward the still smoldering amplifier. “That thing still gonna work?”

“Yeah, definitely.” gh’s voice was dripping with fake enthusiasm. “If by ‘work,’ you mean not make any noise and possibly burst into flames again, then yeah, it should work perfectly.”

“That's how those things are supposed to operate, right?” This question was met with a mock death glare from gh. “Alright, I get the message. You two have a good night,” Xeno said, promptly leaving gh’s thread.

“. . . I don't think the circuit worked,” Hunter offered helpfully with a wink, prompting gh to playfully shove the anthro wolf away.

“We really need to start locking the door.”

[Cloak]

Hooded figure?

[NickDaGriff]

Stealing someone's fashion? 

I mean I probably wouldn't be scarred, I do understand how couples enjoy macramé, but yeah.  I'll knock.  XD

[guitarhero01234]

We appreciate that

New chapter. I'm trying out a slightly different method of characterization, lemme know what you guys think. Also, I promise this will be the only time I nerd out over guitar stuff in any of these fics.

Chapter 2

For the first time in quite a while, gh was walking the streets of his old New York town. True, he had returned briefly a few months prior to speak with his father, but he hadn't much of a chance to take a proper trip down memory lane. That, and at the time, he was still averse to show his face in public again, following the initial incident that caused gh to exile himself from his hometown.

gh noticed while walking through the downtown area that things had slightly but noticeably changed in his absence. For example, the old family-owned barbershop had been replaced by a liquor store, the shoddy graffiti on the side of the gun store had been removed, the small-time video game store seemed to have gone out of business. . . .

This place has lost so much character, gh concluded. All the landmarks that populated his memory had either disappeared or were practically altered beyond the point of recognition. Maybe I'm just being cynical.

gh’s destination, however, seemed to be one of the few places that remained after the year or two of change that the area had underwent. A small instrument store whose name had long since been weathered off its sign outside. All the locals simply referred to it as “the music store,” or perhaps more commonly, “delinquent central.”

gh walked into the store and was instantly hit with a wave of nostalgia. All the familiar memories of hours spent looking at gear and chatting with staff came flooding back.

“How're you doin’ today?” said somebody behind the counter. gh turned and was greeted by the familiar bespectacled face of the store’s owner smiling back at him. Gary, his name was? The old man was always quick to help prospective customers and shoo away troublemakers, who had often secretly loaded their coat pockets with guitar strings and picks before being kicked out.

“Eh, I've had better days,” gh replied. “It would be nice if the old man would remember me, for one.”

Gary looked at gh for a solid moment, squinting from behind his glasses. “Hold on . . . Logan, right?” He extended his open hand over the counter. “It's been a while! What sort of trouble ya’ gettin’ yourself into?”

gh smiled and returned Gary’s handshake. “Trust me, if you knew, you'd kick me out in a heartbeat.”

“Fair enough. What brings ya’ back to this dump?”

“Looking for a new amp,” gh said. “My Orange finally crapped the bed.”

“That's what you get for using one a’ them newer British amps. There's two types a’ amplification, the way I see it.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Marshall or American,” Gary commented with a wink. “You still know where e’rrything is, I hope. Just holler if ya’ need me.”

gh moved to the back of the shop, past the walls full of electric guitars and miscellaneous accessories. Past that old Ibanez that never seemed to leave the shelf, past the characteristically bare section of used drums and keyboards. Always the traditionalist, Gary was a guitar expert who had little patience for any other instrument. When the store was closed, he was known to stick around after hours with his favorite Stratocaster plugged into a Twin Reverb.

gh browsed the relatively diverse selection of amplifiers, both new and used. He quickly skimmed over the Fenders and Mesa Boogies, instead opting to browse the more exotic selection of products.

Eventually, gh stopped on a rather ancient-looking Sunn head. “Beta Lead,” he mumbled to himself. “Solid state, but those things can be monstrous.” He paused to look at the back panel. “If those things are good enough for King Buzzo . . . Hey, Gary?” he called out suddenly. “You got a cable anywhere? I'm looking to try this old behemoth out.”

While Gary came out from behind his counter, a previously unnoticed customer came over from the section filled with bass gear. Before the graying store owner could reach gh, the other customer was already standing behind gh. “Oh my god,” a familiar, raspy voice said in disbelief. “Logan?”

gh turned around and was met with a shocked face staring back. gh’s expression quickly matched the one looking back at him. “Holy ****. TJ!?”

[Cloak]

Well, this was unexpected.

[guitarhero01234]

Not gonna be a new chapter tonight. Gotta work early tomorrow, so I'm hitting the hay :/

[guitarhero01234]

Whoo, it's been a couple days. Things just got a little busy on my end.

Chapter 3

“So what brings you back around here?” TJ asked. He and gh sat in an old-fashioned coffee shop about a block from the guitar store. “I haven't seen you around in forever.”

gh shrugged. “Y’know, just wanted to see the old stomping grounds again.” True, he could have found a new guitar amplifier anywhere. “Kinda been missing the mean streets of suburban New York.”

TJ snorted a laugh into his coffee. “Right. Like there's anything to do around here anyway.” gh smiled at this. TJ definitely seemed more lucid than he was before gh left.

“No ****. How you been doing, anyway?”

“Hell of a lot better than I used to be,” TJ said, shaking his head. “I've been clean ever since . . . well, you know. Haven't even touched weed since then.”

“Hell yeah, man!” gh high-fived his old friend from across the table. “I've been trying to quit smoking lately, and that's a struggle. I can only imagine the kind of **** you went through.

“Yeah . . .” TJ stared absentmindedly at his coffee for a few long seconds. “Hey, can we talk about something else? This is kinda bumming me out.”

“Yeah, sorry. You still playing bass?”

“Eh, I've been thinking of getting back into it,” TJ said before finishing off his drink. gh had finished his a solid few minutes before. “Had to sell my old stuff a while back to keep up with rent. You still playing?”

“You could say that,” gh replied with an amused grin. “I got probably five or so guitars sitting around, and that's just at my living space.”

“Nice. Where are you living at, anyway?”

For a moment, gh considered how to answer the question. “Eh, I've been bouncing around the east coast,” he said, ultimately deciding to weave his way around the question. He was always careful about revealing his RAFian status, especially after his less-than-favorable conversation with his father.

“Yeah, I guess everyone's trying to get out of this pisshole.” TJ tossed his cup into the nearby trash can. “You still keep in contact with any of the old band?”

“Nah, I guess I haven't had the time.”

“Shame. I heard from from Dimitri the other day, he mentioned you.”

gh stared at TJ for a good few moments as if the dreadlocked bassist had four heads. “Wait, Dimitri?” he finally managed to spit out. Is he sure he's off the gear?

“Yeah. Said he's been dying to talk to you again.”

“Uh, TJ,” gh started, more than just a little confused. “Did you ever hear what happened between us while you were in rehab?”

“No,” TJ said with a shrug. “Actually, I hadn't even heard from D until the other day. Kinda weird, running into you right after talking to him. What happened?”

“It's really not important,” gh said hurriedly.

“Either way, you might want to text him sometime. He's still got his old number.”

“Yeah, I'll do that,” gh said maybe a little too quickly, already standing up for the door. “It's been quite a while. Hey, I gotta catch a bus back home soon.”

“”Oh,” TJ vocalized with a confused look on his face. “Take care of yourself, man.”

gh nodded while already moving for the door. “Yeah, you too.” With that, gh was on his way back to RAF as fast as his legs could carry him.

[NickDaGriff]

Oh.

[Cloak]

Well -- this complicates things . . .

[guitarhero01234]

Very much so

New chapter

Chapter 4

“And that's pretty much it,” gh concluded.

“Let me get this straight,” Cloak said. “You ran into TJ, he mentioned that Dimitri is still alive, and then you come back to us and go on a fifteen-minute tirade about the coffee that you drank.”

“Yeah, that was some really bad coffee.” This prompted a smack from Cloak.

“There's no way this is legit,” Hunter said. gh chose him and Cloak to tell this to, since they were the only two to know about gh’s life before joining RAF.

“I swear to god, that's what happened,” gh replied, drawing a sigh. “It really was that bitter. They must have roasted those beans for-”

“Priorities, gh,” Cloak cut in. “What are your thoughts on the more important matter?”

gh raised an eyebrow. “Huh? ‘More important matter?’”

Hunter snorted a laugh. “I think he's talking about Dimitri, hun.”

“Oh! Why didn't you just say that?”

Cloak’s palm soon connected with his forehead.

“Anyway, gh said, ignoring Cloak’s obvious exasperation, “I honestly have no clue. I guess it's possible that he survived, but why would he just be seeking me out now? Why would he wait this long?”

“Maybe he wanted to lull you into a false sense of security,” Cloak offered.

gh shook his head. “I don't think so. Dimitri’s not the kind of person to wait this long to get back at me. He would have hit back as soon as he could.”

“Either way you slice it,” Hunter said, “it doesn't make sense. Maybe he just wants to talk?”

“I guess that's a possibility.”

“Even though I have a bad feeling about this, it seems like that's the only likely situation.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Hunter asked. Without saying a word, gh nodded, stood up, and left the room.

“gh, what are you doing?” Cloak asked, a bit of concern in his voice.

“Isn't it obvious?” gh called back. “Making coffee that isn't freaking rancid!”

“Do you really want a repeat of the bathtub incident!?”

“Oh, stuff it!” gh said, running back into the room. “Anyway, Dimitri. I dunno, I guess I can't just ignore this, right?” He waited for an objection from Hunter or Cloak, but neither said anything. “I guess I'll try to contact him. If he's planning to try anything, I'll deal with that when I come to it.”

“You sure things won't get out of hand?” Hunter said.

“No. But I'm not just gonna ignore the opportunity to talk to him.” gh took out his cell phone and pulled up a contact that he hadn't viewed in a long time. “This is probably gonna be the dumbest thing I've ever done. . . .”

“Aside from the bathtub of-”

“Shut up, Cloaky.”

[Cloak]

No, you shut up.

[guitarhero01234]

This is my fic, I'll do what I want!

New chapter. I haven't been meaning for these to be so infrequent, but I just haven't had much ambition to write lately. Other things in life are taking priority at the moment, but I'll still try to find time and motivation when I can.

Chapter 5

“So this is the place?” Hunter asked, apprehension clear in his voice.

“Yeah, two-twenty-four, county route seventy,” gh said, checking the GPS on his phone. “Unless we got the wrong address, we're here alright.”

gh and Hunter stood outside an old, dilapidated house out in the middle of the sticks. It looked like it hadn't been inhabited for years, with the exterior paint having been weathered away long ago, leaving the hardwood siding almost totally exposed. At least half the windows were cracked, with a few having no glass whatsoever.

It wasn't a place that the two would normally visit, needless to say. The only reason that the RAFian couple stood outside this lonely house was because of a text that gh received. He scrolled through his phone to check the message from a number that he hadn't contacted in years.

D, it's me, gh’s text read. Logan. Look, I know we left on a sour note, to say the least, but if you're still around, I just want to talk.

The reply had only one line of text, consisting of the address of the building that gh and Hunter made their day-long pilgrimage to. By the time they reached their destination, it was well past midnight, and the only sources of light were the half moon in the sky and a flashlight that the duo had brought with them.

“Is it just me,” gh said, breaking the thick silence, “or does this seem like the setup to some horror movie?”

“What, you mean the classic Dracula or Frankenstein stuff?” Hunter asked in reply.

gh shook his head. “Nah, I mean like all those found-footage Blair Witch ripoffs.”

“Wouldn't know,” Hunter said with a shrug. “Haven't seen ‘em.”

“Me either. I'm assuming it's a cliche, though. It's gotta be.” gh paused, drawing a breath of the cool, damp air. “Then again, abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, that ****’s not nearly as creepy as people might think.”

“Of course,” Hunter said with a nervous chuckle.

“Right? Like, I'm totally not about to run away screaming right now. This is practically a normal night for me, if not for the fact that I'm trying to talk to my ****ing dead ‘best friend.’”

Hunter put a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “We can still go back home, you know. Forget this ever happened.”

“I'm tempted, you know.” gh removed his jacket’s hood from his head. “But I came here for a reason. I'm probably just freaking out over nothing.”

Hunter nodded slowly, not entirely convinced that gh was ready. Nevertheless, he withdrew his hand. “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” With that, he placed his hand on the doorknob.

To their mutual surprise, the house was left unlocked. gh and Hunter cautiously entered into a pitch-black room, shutting the door behind them. gh’s flashlight danced around the room until it landed on a lamp on a small side table. “I doubt this place still has electricity,” he says, pulling the chain on the lamp anyway.

Immediately, the room filled with a dim light, illuminating the sparsely decorated space. The only furniture was an old dusty couch next to the lamp and another small table with a folded sheet of paper resting on it. On the far wall from the entrance were two wooden doors, each with a large number “1” carved into them.

“Inviting,” gh mumbled sarcastically before picking up the sheet of paper.

“Logan,” gh read, straining his eyes to read the messy handwriting in low light. “I'm glad to see you came to speak with me. Unfortunately, it's not going to be as easy as you thought.”

“Nothing ever is,” Hunter grumbled, taking a seat on the old couch.

“Ahead of you is a series of eight challenges to test your resolve. I need to know you're serious about this. If you can complete these trials, then you will find what you came here for. You will start by taking the door on the left. If you brought anybody with you, they will take the door on the right.”

“Oh ****,” Hunter said, laughing. “He's got our number.”

“If the challenges prove too difficult, you can go back the way you came. You are free to end your trial at any time, but there will be no second chance. Good luck. Signed, Dimitri.” gh set the paper back on the table. “He definitely wrote that. I'd recognize that handwriting from a mile away.”

Hunter got up from his seat. “So, what do we do?”

“I guess we do what he said.” gh crossed the room toward the door on the left. “After all, what's the worst that can happen?”

“Decapitation?” Hunter offered.

“Not helping,” gh said, pulling the anthro wolf into a hug. “We got this, I'm sure.”

“I hope,” Hunter said, breaking the embrace with a small but certainly present smile.

“I'll see you on the other side,” gh said, turning the doorknob in front of him.

[Cloak]

Dimitri's Fun House of Doom, I suppose?

[guitarhero01234]

I guess that's as good a name for it as any

New chapter

Chapter 6

What greeted gh on the other side of the door would have been a bit of a shock had he been expecting anything to begin with. He found himself standing in a small, maybe ten foot by ten foot room. On the far side was another door with a large number “2” scratched into it.

A lone CRT television sat in the middle of the room with an old office chair in front of the screen. On closer inspection, a familiar gray box was connected to the TV in the back, and the screen emitted a soft, inviting high-pitched whine.

After trying the door, which turned out to be locked, gh turned to the TV. On the screen was a menu with three options, labeled “Continue,” “Inventory,” and “Options” over a faded-out background.

“Spyro 1?” gh said to himself in slight disbelief, instantly recognizing the pause menu. It was then that he noticed a message written on the wall behind the TV in black Sharpie. “100%,” it read, with no other instructions.

gh stared at the wall for a moment. “Are you ****ting me,” he muttered. “He seriously expects me to sit here and beat the whole goddamn game . . .”

It was then that he noticed that the background that the pause screen overlaid over was composed of dark, earthy colors, as opposed to the bright greens and blues that were indicative of the earlier levels in the game. Obviously, Dimitri expected to only complete one stage.

It was then that a sense of dread began to wash over gh. “Oh, god.” He shuddered as he sat down and picked the Playstation controller up off the floor. “It's even worse . . .”

After gh hesitantly unpaused the game, a short cutscene played out before surrendering control of the game to gh. His fears were confirmed, as gh had many memories of this particular level.

“Tree Tops,” he snarled. Indeed, this was the level that Dimitri had selected for his old friend. This particular area was the bane of anybody familiar with the game, featuring incredibly tricky jumps and requiring violation of all common sense to find all the pickups required for 100% completion.

“That,bastard,” gh said as he started to move the titular dragon through the level. “You think this is funny!?” he yelled to nothing in particular. “I'm gonna kill you again for this!” His voice rose with every passing syllable that he yelled, almost cracking at the end of his short tirade.

Needless to say, gh was somewhat aggravated by these circumstances. He continued cursing and offering empty threats as he cleared out the easier portions of the level, leaving the areas that required more precision and finesse for last.

“Alright, serious time,” gh said. “I bet he's laughing his ass off right now, watching me try to do this bull****.” He glared at the screen as he progressed skillfully through the first difficult portion. “Right . . . now I just gotta go off this ramp, do a ridiculous hairpin turn at high speed in ****ING MIDAIR, and somehow go off another ramp with enough speed to glide to that tiny, hard-to-miss island . . .”

When gh paused to take a breath, he found that he already had reached his destination in-game. Although he wasn't paying much attention, he managed to do all of these actions while narrating them out. It didn't take him long after that to complete the level.

“. . . Oh. Guess it wasn't that hard.” He looked around the small room for a few seconds. “Well, what now?”

Without many other options, gh tried the previously locked door, finding it to now be unlocked. After taking a deep breath to steel himself, gh opened the door and entered the next room for his following challenge.

[Cloak]

Tree Tops? If that's the level I'm thinking of -- THAT SADISTIC BASTARD!