1 - Get Yourself a Job

Lights blaze in a red wash and the buzzing opening chords to the song shake the room. The crowd roars and stick up devil horns "We!" "Are!" The frontman opens his arms out wide strutting to downstage center lit with a glowing white spot as the other band members become backlit. "The-" Suddenly the sound cuts and whatever band name was to be proclaimed is devoured by screeching static and squealing feedback. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck." This hadn't happened at sound check, levels are pushed down in an attempt to suppress the ear wrenching noise. Static buzzes through a headset

"Sound what's going on?"

"Lights hold"

"Fuck she's starting the opening riff we gotta go."

"Lights 5 go."

"Sound wake up." "Sound! Wake up!"

"Obsidian! Wake up!"

"Huh what?" Obsidian jerks upright.

Kyle, hext roommate is standing right next to hext bedside table. "Duuude, you gotta like job interview today- that's hella important!" She opens the window, which provided a scenic view of brick wall, but did let light in. Obsidian begrudgingly shakes hexxelf awake and gathers hext things.

"Y'know me and the research crew are trekking out today for the field study expedition - its a big one, maybe I'll get to name a dragonfly species!" Kyle pauses and steps out to lean on the doorway, "I'll be gone for an entire month so don't like - set a fire or anything yeah?"

"Yeah," Obsidian nods. When Kyle and her moutains of backpacks and strapped on sleeping bags leave Obsidian waves. "Don't die!"

There is no response.

━ ━ ━

"I'm sorry but you're not really what we're looking for in this position. There is a certain um- professionality we seek here and if you won't "undye" your blue hair I'm afraid that will be a deal breaker." The woman in a blouse and blazer smiles with her teeth and stands up, straightening her papers. She looks the spitting image of professionalism and Obsidian wonders if she went to classes, no, "workshops" for that.

"Ok thank you, er have a good day." They hide the dejected exhaustion from their voice

The interviewer nods curtly, "Our secretary will show you to the door Mx. Rainn." The man in a blazer layered over a graphic t shirt leads them out into a florecent lit hallway.

Looking for a job was tedious and Obsidian was tired. Hex already had plenty stacked against hexa and that was even with some neat flattening: whatever hopefully ambiguous button up counted as business causal, hext neopronouns set traded out for hext second choice: they/them, 'Obsidian' changed to 'Adrien', and all of hext best expertise gets tucked into one line of hext resume, because well, what kind of desk job or diner would hire a techie like hexa?

See, Obsidian is best at one of the rarest jobs- not being a glitzy actor performing on stage, not being a rockstar, not even a shouts and clipboards director, more like the proverbial third wheel to these people. Hex is and will always be behind the scenes, in the shadows, unassuming, clad in all black. If you don't see hex or notice hex, then Obisian is doing hext job right.

"I um, couldn't help but overhear-" Great the secretary is talking to hexa, he looks sidelong at the door hex came from then continues, "you've done work as a like roadie or whatever yeah?"

"Something like that, yes," Obsidian's words slow and curve into slight suspicion.

"Well I gotta friend, know a gal, she's looking for a new soundguy as the last one has abruptly found a spiritual calling in pyrotechnics instead or something to that tune." He waves his hands around.

"Seriously? I mean, I'll shoot a shot if you have a lead." The guy grins at this. He punches a contact number into Obsidian's phone, and hands it back.

"Sorry if that was like, presumptious or whatever-" the secretary was saying but Obdisian cut him off,

"Hey man," hex puts a hand on his shoulder, "you just made my day. Have a good one alright." He nods. Obsidian steps back onto the street and somehow the sunlight is a little nicer outside, the otherwise bleak office park with pesticide drenched bushes cut to perfection and an expanse of parking lot stretches out in front of hexa.

━ ━ ━

The drive back stretches and stretches. It's less like hex is driving down the road and more like road keeps spawning in front of hex. Every intersection looks the same. These streets are not a smokey grantine grey like cities are, adorned with black bubblegum freckles on every block. Rather, they are a pasty grey like stucco that dropped down a few shades, tripping over pantone hues until everything becomes matte and hazy.

Obsidian's hand-me-down car sputters along until hex gets to the apartment building hex is currently holed up in. Hex is half expecting hext roommate Kyle to be home but then remembers she is off on a field research trip for the next what, month? Which means it's just the pleasant company of the radio, rumbling traffic, and thumps from upstairs, for Obsidian.

Hex flops down to some reheated leftovers and a video game when hex saw that hext phone was open to the contact number for the last sliver of hope hex had before giving up on being a starving artist altogether. Hex glances at the time- it's six, but also the work hex wants is never a nine to five. They dial anyways, expecting at worst to leave a voicemail.

After ringing twice a box pops up on hext phone reading, "The number you have reached is using Real Time Text everything you type will be sent live." Obsidian taps ok and it changed to a screen very similar to hext texting app.

{Hello you're calling Cat's Cradle - local live music and shows. How can I help you?}

{Hi yes I wanted to I got this number from a guy who}

Obsidian shakes hext head, this person doesn't need to know Obsidian's whole ordeal from this morning. Hex gathers hext thoughts

{I'm looking for a job I'm trained as a theater sound technician and I heard that you maybe had an open position?}

{Whoa hey that's awesome actually! So like yes we are looking for a sound engineer, but well I know the tagline is music and shows we're really only doing music these days. Have you set up a band before?}

{Yes}

{Sweet ok oh sorry, what was your name again?}

{Adrien Rainn, I go by Obsidian- it's not like legal though so on paperw}

{Hey my name is Death Grip per slash person pronouns so don't worry about it. The Lady takes care of paperwork and she gets it. Your legal, real, or whatever name is kept in The Lady's records and we call you what you want.}

{Thats} Obsidian let out a breath {really great to hear}

{Pronouns?}

{hex/hexa/hext}

{Radical. So scheduling- ugh my least favorite part of calls. When can you come in? We do have to audition you or well "interview" you}

{I'm free whenever} Obsidian omits the "because I'm helplessly unemployed and need to keep proving I'm looking for work" part.

{Sick, tomorrow night 6:00?}

{Yes I can do that}

{Radical and hey just between you and me word from The Lady is- we're in a little bit of a fix until we get a new sound person. Not saying you can just not know your stuff. But if you do you'll definitely be on the team. But also playing double duty if you get what I mean}

{Double duty triple duty yeah I've been there.}

{Alright perf so show up tomorrow I don't have to explain call time to you. Also this number takes you to the office phone so if a show is happening it wont be answered.}

{Ok, thank you again Death Grip}

{No problem, see you tomorrow night and let's hope The Lady is merciful to you :P}

The phone call shuts off- Obsidian isn't sure what that last part meant but hex can get to this place, do an interview, and, if what Death Grip said about per venue having a skeleton crew is true, then hex's pretty likely to get the gig- or job. Hopefully it is a fully full-time job but even a gig would help at this point.