Musicians of the Night

Zacky Vengeance and Jimmy Reed were eating dinner in the private dining room that the latter had rented - as they were joined by the other member of Avenged Sevenfold (M Shadows, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, and Matt Wendt).

“Something I just realized,” Zacky commented, chuckling. “We have two Jimmys and two Matts here. I guess I’m the odd one out here, eh?”

“Well, you guys can just call me The Rev,” The Rev commented, laughing. “Although, I’m not sure how anyone could get me confused with the great blues singer.”

“And you guys already call me Shadz,” M Shadz added, “in order to avoid confusion with Wendt.”

“I’m thinking of leaving the band, anyway,” Matt Wendt interjected, quietly. “I mean, I wish the rest of you the best of luck in your endeavours - but I just realized that life on the road is not really for me. I don’t think I’ll ever stop being interested in music, but that’ll just have to be a part-time thing for me.”

“I can certainly respect your decision,” Jimmy Reed commented, softly. “As I’ve told Zacky earlier, I would like to get back into blues music - but I also don’t like spending too much time away from the wife and kids. We have six perpetual children at home, and one child that’s near high school graduation. And, of course, we have eight children who left home long ago - and some of who went on to give is grandchildren. I’m glad they all decided to stay in Moonlight Valley, as it makes it easy for us to stay in touch.”

“The one that’s near high school graduation,” Zacky commented, slowly, “is named ‘Callie’, right? I’d love to meet her.”

“Well, actually, she’s two-in-one,” Jimmy explained. “My ol’ lady insisted on the name ‘Callista’ - and then, when she was about five, her other self started using the name ‘Calliope’. We found out that her birth was prophesied, and that Calliope was sent here on a great mission - although we aren’t sure yet. Also, Callista was my mother in her prior life. Either way, I love her and her.”

“That sounds quite fascinating,” M Shadz commented, smiling. “Well, now that our Zacky is a vampire - I wonder what all will need to change.”

“Well, other than a bit of a change in diet,” Zacky commented, “probably not that much else. I always was a bit of a night owl, and I never was that big on the sun. I’ve always felt that after sunset was the ideal time to head to the beach. I’ve always prefer my steak rare - or even blue, when available.” Chuckling a bit, he added, “And, if we ever get lucky enough to gain adoring fans, maybe some of them will be happy to become blood donors.”

“I know some mortals do have a bit of a bloodsucking fetish,” Jimmy explained, softly, “but it’s something I never felt too overly comfortable with indulging. Namely because even just thinking about enjoying warm human blood makes me feel a bit dirty. I mean, warm human blood is something that the soulless lust after - and I definitely am not a soulless. I’ve always been a very soft-hearted person, and I really can’t stand the thought of hurting anyone. Even if it’s consensual, I just can’t… bring myself to do it.”

“So I guess you aren’t into BDSM sex, either,” M Shadz asked, chuckling.

“No, I really am not,” Jimmy replied, softly. “Never saw the appeal of it.”

“What about tickling?” The Rev asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine with tickling - as long as it’s fun,” Jimmy replied. “But relentless ruthless tickling? No, that I don’t go for. I do love tickling my kids, a lot - but I also know when to stop. If it’s no longer fun for them, then it’s no longer fun for me.”

“You seem like a very decent guy, Jimmy,” Zacky commented, smiling.

“Well, I try to be,” Jimmy replied, smiling. “Anyway, we should definitely exchange addresses - and, thankfully, we live close enough to each other. I’ll definitely be able to help you adjust to the life of a vampire, Zacky.”

“Y’know what ironic?” The Rev asked, chuckling. “Even though Zacky is a vampire, now - he looks significantly less pale than he has in awhile.”

“That is something, isn’t it?” Jimmy replied, smiling. “But, yeah, he was severely anemic when I checked him out - and I was afraid that we’d lose him. But that sure won’t be a problem for him, anymore - as long as he gets enough blood in his diet. My ol’ lady and I wrote up an entire recipe book of recipes using blood. Some of them do require certain types of animal blood to be used, but none require human blood. Also, even though there is no true substitute for blood - there are a few ways to supplement blood… including tomato juice, eggs, and onions.”

“I thought onions were harmful to vampires,” M Shadz commented, confused.

“No, garlic is what’s harmful to vampires,” Jimmy explained. “Onions are sort of like the anti-garlic.”

“Oh, shit!” Zacky grumbled. “I’m half-Italian, and I can no longer have garlic bread. I’ve always loved garlic bread.”

“I understand how you feel, Zacky,” Jimmy replied, gently. “When I was still mortal, I too loved garlic bread - but there are so many other perks of being a vampire… ultimately, it’s a relatively small price to pay.”

“I guess you’re right, Jimmy,” Zacky commented, smiling slightly. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, and I apologize.”

“I didn’t think you were being ungrateful, Zacky,” Jimmy clarified, as he reached out to give Zacky’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It’s understandable to feel the way. I was just saying that, once you weight out the pros and cons of vampirehood, the pros definitely weigh out the cons.”

“Thank you, once again, for saving my life,” Zacky commented, smiling.

“You are absolutely welcome,” Jimmy replied, smiling back. “Anyway, you boys all look a tad tired. You should definitely sleep here, tonight - instead of in that crowded van. Zacky and M Shadz could sleep with me, and Wendt and The Rev could sleep in the other bed.”

The four Avenged Sevenfold members glanced at each other, and then nodded. Zacky glanced between M Shadz and Jimmy, and then smiled. Things were already starting to look up for him and his band, and it was all thanks to the blues singer that he always had a soft spot for.

Notes