#M. Shadows | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hardly-safe · 28 days ago

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Looking Inside

Hello, thank you for joining me on this adventure. With time, I'll explain how I found myself lost, alone, and 20 years in the past; but for now, let me explain the current situation unfolding.

Let's lock in.

Our scene begins in an overly cramped venue, wedged between brick buildings in the left corner of SoCal. It didn't appear the safest place to be when the moon was barely shining and a few streetlamps were broken and flickering. Punks and metalheads alike congregated close by, a loud ruckus resonating from their rowdy behavior as they waited for the concert inside to begin. Soon enough, the crowd began shuffling itself inside the gray brick building, filling the open space as people found their seats at the bar, or upstairs close to the railing; As for me, I made my way to the nearest wall. I easily slip into the venue’s shadows, my fingers grazed peeling band stickers on the wall as security barks about fire exits. The air reeks of stale smoke and budget cola, and when I glanced up I noticed the red exit signs glow faintly above shaky LED lights rigged by someone who definitely didn’t take an electrician course. Upstairs railings sag under weight from drunk diehards yelling lyrics wrong. This mess was certainly a place.

With my hood drawn up and over my head, I intended to make myself look as unapproachable as possible. Even going as far as wearing some light shades to keep anyone from being able to read my eyes. To be just a ghost was not an easy task, constantly living off cash alone, but to use it for once in a lifetime concerts? I would spend the money on it every time. It wasn't like I had anything else I could live for right now.

Before my thoughts could spiral down into that depressing bit of my life, the opening act had started. With the new found distraction, the people I had been eyeing left their table, a fresh beer left behind. My shoulder left the cool stone wall beside me as I shuffled past the table, swiping the bottle on my way and finding a new spot to be a wallflower. I decided to be a little closer to the stage this time, just moved to the opposite side of the room. I hadn't noticed though, that I was not as sneaky as I wished. Someone had been watching me almost the entire time I had been here.

Bringing the cool glass to my lips and taking a slow drink, I took a moment to tear my eyes away from the stage full of musicians, looking along the metal rails at the floor above us. Punk, metal, goth, enjoyers of black clothing and chains. Everyone kind of melded together into one fashion pot for me. The only noticeable thing was a pair of eyes beaming back at me, a man was staring me down like a jaguar in a tree. It was unnerving for me, to the point I was about to move to a new spot away from their prying eyes.

Just as I began walking away, another man had strolled over to me, stopping me in my place as he leaned against the stone wall with me, a sly look on his face. From his clothing, the dark long-sleeved shirt, pants to match with some holes in the knees, he appeared to be a regular to these shows. Not a poser in the slightest. His face? Under the dim lighting, it appeared familiar, though I couldn't quite place where I had seen it before. I chose to relax against the wall again as well, removing my hood and pushing my sunglasses up to rest on top of my head. I tilted my head as I stared up at him, questioning what this tall-as-fuck guy wanted from me with a single eyebrow raised. He seemed to clear his throat before leaning closer to my left so I could hear him better.

"You know, if you wanted a beer, all you had to do was just ask me." He spoke sweetly, with a light lisp to his speech. I could smell from here he had already been drinking for a minute as well, alcohol wafting from his scent. His overconfident attitude that I would want anything from him was both annoying and amusing at the same time. I decided to play into the amused side a little bit, just because it felt good to talk to someone at the moment.

"I guess I should be more careful next time then. Sorry." I simply shrug my shoulders, acting as nonchalant as possible.

He smirked in return, taking a somewhat nervous swig before replying to me in a low voice, batting his eyelashes as he started speaking. "Stealing from someone's friends is not always recommended. 'Specially mine." he leaned over a little so he could stare me straight in the eyes before standing up straight, throwing his arms out as if welcoming me. "I suppose your punishment will have be dealt by me."

I could feel my eyebrow twitch in annoyance, beginning to regret my decision to give this man child the time of day, so much so that I couldn't choke back my own scoff at his words. "How arrogant." I thought to myself. I turned my attention away from him, sliding the shades back over my eyes as I looked towards the on going performance. The beer slowly emptied into my stomach as I nursed on it with cautious sips. The tall man beside me had not left, continuing to try and make small talk with me every few minutes.

"What's your name?" His question drew me back in, catching my attention on to him. As I looked him over, I chewed on my bottom lip to ease some discomfort regarding my identity. What harm could be in a name? I figured giving him my middle name would be the least threatening option, but then again, it's not like my name existed currently anyway.

"Wren." I replied, staring into his eyes and just now noticing how blue they were as lights flickered through them briefly.

“Wren…” His lips curved around it as the name was spoken so softly from him. “S'like somethin’ from a fairy tale. Y’ever get teased for that?” His lips were curled into a smirk by this point, but his eyes showed a softness I hadn't seen yet, or maybe I was just paying attention to him more. "Why use a fake name?" He asked curiously, cocking his head to the side.

It threw me off guard, my brows furrowing as I coughed on the remnants of beer from my last sip. "How do you know it isn't my real name?" I raised an eyebrow, questioning how he could have possibly known.

He chuckled while putting his hands up in mock surrender.

"Well, I didn't. But you, my dear, just told me." He pointed his finger so close to my nose that I swore he was about to boop it. The man leaned in so close she could count his eyelashes—navy blue, flecked with gold under the stage lights. He tapped his temple with two fingers, grinning like he’d cracked an impossible code. “Guitarists memorize chords. Drummers? We read… vibes.” He had to be feeling a serious buzz by this point. "Aight, next question."

"Shoot." I sighed, shrugging my shoulders at his game.

"Why are you hanging out like a wallflower and not up front enjoying the show?" He casually leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in a successful attempt to look cool and collected.

"I like the view from here." I smirked at him, copying his stance and leaning against the wall as well. The alcohol was well on its way to gifting me a warm, fuzzy buzz as well. Being a lightweight had it's perks at times. Well, it made itself useful every time I wanted to be drunk at least.

He chuckled, slightly surprised by the response. "Oh yeah? Why exactly?" he teased, icy blues scanning me up and down slowly.

"Scanning the crowd for my next victim, obviously..." I let the words weigh heavy between us for only a moment before letting out a mock laugh, much like a poorly rehearsed Dracula.

He snatched the empty beer bottle from her hand and twirled it on his finger like a DJ spinning vinyl. “Since ya picked the back of house for your evil lair… how ‘bout I upgrade ya to VIP? Free view from upstairs,” he stage-whispered, “n’first dibs on any drink you want."

"Why are you so persistent?" I slurred a little, leaning closer to him so we could hear each other better as the show crescendos to it finish, the opening act trying to sound big and proud for the title act and to carve out their own name. The crowd grew loud in response, making it harder for me and this stranger to hear each other.

Meanwhile, grin widened as she leaned in, the dim light catching the mischief in his eyes. He closed the gap between them, tilting his head so his lips nearly brushed her ear when he spoke—his voice a low, whiskey-smooth tease. "Persistent? Nah. Just tryna make sure you ain’t sober enough to escape me." He pulled back just enough to wink, one hand casually gesturing towards himself. "Besides, what's wrong with wanting to bring a beautiful girl upstairs with me?"

"Oh my, beautiful huh?" My cheeks would be burning bright red if they weren't already from the effective beer, though my flustered feelings were shown by me running my fingers through my long and wavy strawberry blonde hair. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with that..." My voice trailed off as I glanced up to the banister where the man from earlier had been staring me down, only to notice he was still doing so. but was joined by a few other guys now, the ones I had stolen the beer from. My face felt pale and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

The man noticed her shifting attention toward the crowd and followed her gaze. His smirk faltered for a split second as he saw the guy from earlier still staring at them. His playful grin stretched into a wild smirk, as if he was about to start laughing at any moment.

"Hey," he said, nudging her gently with his elbow. "Eyes on me, gorgeous." He held up two fingers in a peace sign toward the group of guys across the way, as if letting them know that things between the pair were cool, before turning back to her with a sly wink.

"Don't worry about them," he murmured lowly into your ear so only you could hear him over thumping bass coming from the venue speakers. "He's just jealous I got dibs on my new favorite bar buddy."

"Oh god, am I too noticeable?" I whispered to myself, flipping the hood back over my head as I pressed my back against the wall.

"You?" He chuckled, leaning closer so that his nose nearly brushed against her temple. "Too noticeable? Nah, babe. You're just... memorable." His words dripped with honey and charm as he reached up to tuck a strand of stray hair behind her ear. His hand lingered for a moment longer than necessary on her jawline.

The man's gaze flicked back over to the group of guys across the way again before he pulled away, a sly smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Besides," he drawled, nodding towards them with an exaggerated look of feigned concern on his face, "...maybe you want their attention? They seem pretty interested in you."

"I'm trying to lay low, honestly..." I mumbled to myself, looking away from him, scanning over the crowd. I can see the current band leaving the stage, and techs hurriedly switching out gear for the main act to go on next, the band I had came to see. A brief intermission where people can move among the venue freely. Many of them talking amongst themselves, loudly laughing or refilling their beers. A few couples pressed themselves against the walls to make out or flirt. A crowd of people refilling on beer, gearing up and becoming more drunk for the next musical act to play.

Jimmy chuckled softly, noticing her nervousness as she looked around the room. "Don't worry about 'em, babe. They ain't gonna do nothin'." He nudged her with his elbow playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, you're with me now. I'll protect you from all those big bad wolves out there."

"Jeez." I couldn't stop the snort that came from me. This man was seriously trying to white knight me right now? "As much fun as it could have been talking to you, I think I'm gonna go fine something else to do. Which means, you're gonna be a good dog and stay here, okay?" I smirk at him, reaching out my hand to ruffle his asymmetrical dark hair. "Tootles." Was the last thing I said before walking past him and running my hand through my own hair to detach it's stickiness from the back of my neck. The man had gotten me more flustered than I cared to admit. He was trouble, for sure.

The respite from my companion had given me a chance to actually go to the bathroom, relieve myself, and get a grip on what I was doing. Standing in front of the bathroom sink, I took in my complexion in the mirror, fixing my smudged make up and reapplying my dark lipstick. My pink-hued blonde hair hung loosely over my shoulders, shiny in the neon lights provided in this bathroom. My tattered black hoodie was oversized on my body, but concealed my messenger back that I wore slung across my shoulder. It contained all of my important belongings in it. Moving around on a moments notice was not easy, but it was better than nothing else. The woman staring back at me through the mirror was tired, but currently thrived off the electric vibe in the air from the venues patrons. Adding finishing touches, I found myself satisfactory again to go back out and entertain my "friend."

Making my way through the crowded room, I found myself at the bar, and began ordering drinks for myself.

His familiar voice reached me just as he sat down at the bar stool next to me, dragging it closer. "Hey, thought you ran away for good." He beamed at me, looking exactly like an eager puppy that I had returned.

"I didn't catch your name before. I couldn't leave without it." I smiled sweetly at him, game to tease him just as much as he felt hellbent on doing the same to me as 'punishment.' He began chuckling, then leaned closer to press his lips against my ear, whispering the name 'Jimmy.'

"Jimmy.. Jimmy... Why do you seem so familiar, Jimmy?" His breath hitched in his throat as I whispered back into his ear, my warm breath ghosting across the sensitive skin. “You really don’t recognize me?” he asked quietly, leaning closer so their shoulders nearly brushed against each other. My shoulders shrugged, a light shake of my head confirming his question. He paused for a moment before responding again, his gaze flickering down to my lips and then back up to meet hers. “Maybe it’s ‘cause you’ve been staring at me all night long.”

I frowned a little, my eyebrows pinched. Before I could open my mouth, another man, short with black and blonde patches of hair, walked up to us and jutted his chin at the man sitting beside me, calling him Rev and letting him know he and his girl were leaving for the night. However, much to my surprise, this man was also so familiar that something began to click in my head.

As the short man walked away, my attention turned back to Jimmy, who was looking at my with a sly smile yet again. The question burning through my mind caused me to slowly stand up from the seat and turn my whole body towards him.

"Are you Jimmy Sullivan?"

Jimmy chuckled softly as he watched the other man walk away. His gaze flicked back to me, his eyes locked on hers as she stood up and turned towards him.

His smile widened at her question, and he leaned back slightly in his seat before responding with a teasing tone in his voice, "What if I am?"

My world felt as if it ground to a halt. Here was my time traveling staring me in the face, so blatantly. Knowing the history of Avenged Sevenfold, i knew how their story goes. Drummer found dead at 28 headlined the news when I was like 13. So this means... If I'm here, does that mean I could potentially mess with history in the band? THE band. My favorite band ever.

As I spiraled out, Jimmy's head tilted and his hand began to wave in front of my face slowly cocking an eyebrow at me, "You alright there? You look like you've seen a ghost or somethin'."

Blinking a few times brought me back to reality, a small awkward throat clearing from me and I was back to normal. Ish.

"Sorry, I'm just a little star struck I think. Love the band." I chattered nervously, running my fingers through my hair. Jimmy only smiled gently in response and uttered a thanks in kind. Over the course of the next few minutes, I slowly opened up a little more to him, letting him know my hometown of Redding, CA, how I had never traveled so far south or on my own. None of it was false, but I was careful to omit any time traveled details.

"Redding's a cool place," he said. "Been there a few times with the band. You must've been pretty young then."

I scoffed in response, "Not that young... I'm 24." I took the last sip from my beer before the main act of the night, Tomahawk, had begun playing on the stage, drawing in the crowd of people away from us. However Jimmy and I didn't move, we stayed at the bar, where he let me know he was only 23 himself. A pit in my chest formed as my heart began to sink. Seeing him alive and so full of life and so terribly young. It almost made me feel... guilty. I began feeling guilty wishing I could save him from his fate. I was on my best behavior so far, doing very little to make a mark on this world and timeline, I didn't want to change history or anything, but just merely experience it, like a bystander. However, the more I spoke with him and absorbed his attention, the want to save him only grew.

I knew I needed to leave sooner than later, before I tried to implement myself into this man's life.

I pushed myself from the wooden tabletop I had been leaning against, letting out a sigh as I looked at Jimmy for what felt like the first time again. "I should get going. I had an amazing time with you tonight." As I mentioned leaving, I saw his expression drop in disappointment his playful demeanor faltering for a beat. He quickly masked it with an exaggerated pout, leaning back in his stool and crossing his arms.

“Leaving already? C’mon—stay a little longer” he drawled, tapping two fingers against the empty beer bottle on the bar. His grin returned, sharper now. He slid off the stool smoothly, towering over me with that wild spark in his eyes—but there was something quieter there too, almost pleading. His voice dropped to a murmur as he stepped closer, “Redding ain’t exactly next door… You wanna ditch me after we just got comfortable?"

I sighed, reinforcing that I should leave. Jimmy frowned as I said that I had to leave, a small part of him hoping that maybe I'd want to stick around and talk for a bit longer.

He sighed softly before nodding his head, "Yeah, I get it. But.." he paused for a moment before continuing, "Can I at least get your number or something? You know, in case I see you again some time."

"I... don't have a phone." I stuttered a bit, my cheeks burning red as I blurted that out. It was far from the truth. I had a perfectly good touch screen Samsung that was more akin to a brick these days, one that couldn't do anything other than use the apps and downloads that it currently had on it. "But I'll take your number and call you sometime?" I smiled sweetly at him. Jimmy nodded and wrote the number down on a piece of napkin for me, to which I eagerly swiped and put safely in my back pocket. Our goodbyes were bittersweet, lingering on the promise to talk to each other soon.

Weeks passed by.

#avenged sevenfold #a7x #the rev #jimmy sullivan #zacky vengeance #johnny christ #m. shadows #synyster gates #ao3 fanfic #archive of our own #mystery #thriller #time travel

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