After-Life

Chapter 12. The Failings of the Heavens

"Next stop: Hannover, Germany;" Eric flopped down on the settee next to Mabel after they had all clambered onto the bus from a phenomenal nighttime show in York. Stretching out his full frame languorously; he sighed happily, "Best country in the world!"

He hummed languidly as he rested his head on Mabel's shoulder. "Say, that sketch is coming along nicely! Shame we couldn't bring Bo and his mates with us, I reckon the Germans would have loved seeing that re-enactment."
Mabel closed her eyes and shook her head. It had been hard enough turning her back on the deceased warriors on the grounds of the Moors, but to know that Asmodeus had charmed the band to perceive each of the 'historical actors' as jovially waving them off afterward had not sat right with her at all. If anything, her little te-et-te with the demon had convinced her to have as little to do with the being as she feasibly could.

Some good had come from the previous day's events however, she could now sketch away to her heart's content with the sketch pad Asmodeus had given her. Also, she and Kristoph were now closer than they had ever been before, and (most surprisingly), the band had taken on a whole new appreciation for her. Adrian had insisted she keep them company on their tour bus. Room was made in one of the bunks at the rear of the bus, which had previously played host to Jésús's collection of magazines he'd deemed "unfit for a delicate lady's eyes".

They now had a couple of days ahead of them to take a steady and leisurely journey by coach and ferry across the channel to Germany. It was granted that flying was only acceptable for tours in the States, as Pete the Australian drummer, suffered from crippling aerophobia, citing "being in a tin box, several thousand feet in the air, is much closer to my maker than I'd like to be." As the American aspect of the tour wasn't due to take place for another month, the band had agreed to travel by bus for the UK and European leg. It had proven to be an insightful experience for all involved. Mabel especially, enjoyed learning about the array of quirks that hindered them at various points of the journey.

She'd been surprised to learn that the outgoing Jésús, the bass guitar player, suffered from a surreal form of claustrophobia. When she had hesitantly agreed to join the band on their bus, he had nearly cracked several of her ribs in a bone-breaking hug.
"Thank you so much, for agreeing to this!" He'd beamed. Stemming from Barcelona, Jésús's strong Spanish accent was thick, as he excitedly explained; "I have been desperately littering my bed with adult revistas – no, magazines, sorry. I hoped these guys would prefer such a unique library instead of my snoring, and I thought they maybe wouldn't mind my sleeping on the settee in the wider area of the bus if they had some light reading to enjoy. It's worth the price of a few Sharpie face tattoos," He grinned sheepishly, as he hurriedly shared his vulnerabilities under his breath to her.

"Are you absolutely sure you don't mind?" Mabel had asked him, somewhat unconvinced.
Waving away her concerns, Jésús had simply laughed; "sí, please, by all means! Mabby, I can cope with ascensors – no eh, no um el-e-va-tors? Um, how do you say? Er, also cable cars, aeroplanes – but ah, put me in a little litera, erm, bunk-a-bed? Nope!" He shuddered, shaking his head; his dark oaky thick hair swaying luxuriously from left to right.
His hair was his pride and joy. It rested softly on his shoulders and always smelt like roses. Jésús was easily the most stylish member of the band, with his preferred style of clothing being torn jeans and plain white designer t-shirts that molded complimentary around his physique. Many of the younger female fanbase of Dark Omens saw Jésús as their future partner. Eric, ever the joker, would laugh off such comments; by insisting, "If they heard him in the bathroom after a bowl of paella, they'd say different!"

As the bus rolled on into the darkness down toward the southern coast of England, Mabel rested her head against Eric's. There was no need to worry about mixed feelings or emotions, Eric was generally perceived as being the most affectionate member of the band, hugging just about anyone and everyone. In Mabel's mind, he was the papa bear who held everyone together; even though he was the second youngest member of the band, next to Kristoph.