Chapter Text
“OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!” come the frantic screams from Yennefer’s bedroom.
“What the hell Yen? What is going on?” asks her roommate Sabrina, poking her head through the doorframe to see what all the commotion is about.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes! This is the greatest day of my entire life,” exclaims an extremely excited Yennefer, still staring at her laptop as she bounces up and down on her bed with glee.
“Geez Sabrina, don’t you knock?” Yen chides, finally acknowledging her roommate’s presence, looking up from the screen.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Next time it sounds like my roommate is being murdered, I’ll try and remember to knock first.”
Sabrina does not wait to be invited in, she walks straight over and plonks herself down next to Yennefer on the bed, peering over her shoulder at her open laptop. “Really? Are you internet stalking that chick from that 80s rock band again?”
“What? No! I was just looking at her Instagram page…” Sabrina quirks an eyebrow, but Yen ignores her. “Look, they’re getting back together. After almost twenty years Rectoress and the Eels are getting back together to do a one-off tour as a thank you to the fans and to promote their new greatest hits album. Sabrina, I have to get tickets. I need to go see them. I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life. I’ve dreamed of seeing them play live since I was a little girl.”
“Of course hon,” Sabrina sighs as she pats Yen on the head. She’s well acquainted with her roommate’s not so subtle obsession and knows better than to indulge her. “Well then, as no one is being murdered, I’m off to work. Please, could you try and fangirl a little more quietly next time so that the neighbours don’t call the cops while I’m out?”
Yen throws a pillow at Sabrina’s head, but she’s already retreated out of the bedroom and into the corridor. “Bitch!”
“Love you too!” Sabrina shouts back before Yen hears the front door being opened and shut, indicating her roommate’s departure.
She lets out one more ecstatic squeal before grabbing her guitar and plugging her headphones into her amp. She starts to play the opening riff of Lightning In A Bottle. It’s a complex intro, but her fingers glide over the strings confidently. She has played this song hundreds of times before. The music flows through her like electricity through a circuit. It’s automatic and familiar. She closes her eyes and imagines herself in the crowd, hearing the roar of the audience around her, the bright lights of the stage, and the powerful voice of Tissaia de Vries, lead singer of Rectoress and the Eels belting out the chorus at the top of her lungs. Soon she wouldn’t have to use her imagination. Soon it would all be real. Yes, today was the greatest day of her life.
Yennefer has been a fan of Rectoress and the Eels since before she could even form words. She is one hundred percent certain her dad played the band’s music to her while she was still in the womb. It is as if their music has been imprinted onto her DNA. She has listened to every single one of the band’s albums hundreds of times. Yen knows all the lyrics by heart to every Rectoress song ever written. Her best useless party trick is being able to name any Rectoress song by hearing just the first few notes.
When she was younger, she and her dad would do carpool karaoke, driving down the highway with the windows down, Rectoress blaring on the tinny car speakers, both of them singing at the top of their lungs and banging their heads to the energetically composed guitar riffs and the hypnotically canorous voice of larger than life front woman Tissaia de Vries. It is one of the fondest memories of her childhood and of her father. To say she inherited her musical tastes from her dad is a massive understatement. He would often recount - to her and others - the story of the day she was born. According to him, the first time he held her in his arms and looked into her violet eyes, she smiled up at him and gave him the rock salute. He’d always had an off-beat sense of humour which Yennefer found endearing. She enjoys retelling the outlandish tale to others as kind of an inside joke.
Yennefer and her father had always been incredibly close. From the moment she was born, she was the apple of her father’s eye. He doted endlessly on her and she in turn adored him. They were inseparable. Her mother would call Yennefer his other shadow because she would forever be running after him. Sadly, he died when she was ten years old. The big C (cancer). So, she keeps his memories alive by listening to the songs of Rectoress, over and over again. Four Marks, Not Just A Flower, Balance and Control, Lightning In A Bottle, Chaos, they have all become a part of the soundtrack of her life.
Yen still has all their band posters plastered on the walls of her room. There is even a massive one of Tissaia looking lovely and disheveled in a thin white tank top and skin-tight black leather trousers. Her hair is wild, her piercing blue eyes sparkling and alive, skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat. Her back is elegantly arched, head thrown back, exposing the long, slim column of her throat. Her lips are ever so slightly parted as she presses the mic to them. That one has pride of place right above Yennefer’s bed. She is a little embarrassed to admit how many times she’s gotten herself off, her fingers gliding over wet folds, while gazing up at Tissaia. The singer’s low, seductive timbre echoing in Yennefer’s ears as she rasps “Let your chaos explode,” propelling every nerve ending in her body to a deafening crescendo.
Yen and her father would listen to his old records together, over and over again. They would spend hours watching the few bootleg video recordings of old Rectoress concerts he had managed to acquire over the years. When she was younger, Yennefer would sit perfectly balanced on her father’s knee and together they would stare transfixed at the television screen, watching grainy images of Tissaia de Vries gliding along the edge of the stage, fingers outstretched, channeling the chaotic energy of the crowd, working them into a frenzy with her rich, velvety voice.
Continuing her father’s legacy, Yennefer has also amassed an impressive collection of her own. Anything Rectoress related she earnestly hunts down and saves. She’s spent many weekends going to car boot sales, searching for old Rolling Stone magazines with interviews with Tissaia and the rest of the band, vintage posters, t-shirts, copies of photos taken by fans at concerts. Every time she finds another piece she gets this rush of excitement. It’s like she’s curating the history of the band, preserving it for future generations.
The most prized possession in her entire collection is an old band t-shirt that used to belong to her dad from the Rectoress and the Eels 1984 Ascension tour. It’s well worn, and the image on the front of Tissaia laughing and giving a one-finger salute with the rest of the band posed behind her in the background has started to fade with so many washes, but she still loves it passionately. Her father’s scent has long since faded from the soft cotton fabric, but every time she wears it, she can’t help but think of him.
One of her biggest regrets is that she never had the opportunity to see the band play live. Sadly, Rectoress and the Eels had broken up long before Yennefer was old enough to go to concerts. The band had already been relegated to the annals of classic rock by the time her dad had begun her education in their music. Relics of a bygone era.
Yennefer could not understand how a talent like Tissaia de Vries had never tried to recreate that magic with another band or attempt to strike out on her own and build a solo career. As the front woman of Rectoress, her onstage presence was magnetic. It was as if she wove some magic spell over her audience, holding them captive, leaving them hanging on her every note, stealing their breath with every little thrust of her hips. Even just the seductive quirk of an eyebrow would have the audience eating out of her hands. Yennefer would have sold her soul for the chance to see the band live just once. To be a face in the crowd. To feel the beat of the music thrum through her entire body. To lose herself in the delightful timbre of Tissaia’s voice. It feels like she’s dreaming now. She keeps checking Instagram every five minutes to make sure it wasn’t a mistake, but sure enough the post announcing the band’s reunion tour is still there. It’s real. She’s actually going to fulfil her dream of seeing the band play live. She only wishes that her dad was still with her. He would have been so happy to take her to her first Rectoress concert.
Yennefer is still buzzing when she hears Sabrina come home late from her shift at the hospital. “There’s food in the fridge,” she calls out, in case Sabrina is hungry and hadn’t had a chance to eat at work. Even though they can be a bit prickly with each other from time to time, she does care a great deal about the blonde. She is the closest thing to family she has left. Like a sister. A super annoying sister, but a sister nonetheless.
Yennefer has spent the rest of her evening figuring out an action plan. What concert dates she would try and get tickets for. How she was going to pay for these expensive tickets, plus gas money, and hotels is a slightly more daunting matter. It was going to be a bit tricky to get the money sorted out in time, but she’s nothing if not determined, and she knows this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s fate. Or destiny perhaps. She smiles, sensing that her dad is watching over her. Her guardian rock-and-roll angel.
She gets another job and runs herself ragged, working double shifts and saving every penny she makes. Sabrina even gives her some money towards the tickets. She tries to refuse, but the blonde insists that if she doesn’t accept the money, she’ll just take it out of Yen’s share of next month’s rent, so Yennefer begrudgingly accepts. She buys tickets to the first and last concert dates of the tour. It’s the most money she’s ever spent on concert tickets. Possibly the most money she’s spent on anything in her entire life, but she doesn’t care. All she can think about is being in that audience, almost close enough to reach out and touch Tissaia.
The first stop on the tour is Aretuza Acadamy in Thanedd. It’s a smaller, more intimate venue, with just over a hundred seats. It was originally part of the campus of an all-girls college but was converted into a concert hall years ago. Yennefer understands why it was chosen as the opening venue of the tour. This is where the band first played together, where Tissaia first took to the stage. A shiver of excitement runs through her. There is something special about this place. An energy, a vibe. It feels almost familiar, as if she’s been here before, perhaps in another life. Yennefer feels like she might burst from the excitement swirling through her body.
The arena is packed. Yennefer takes her seat front row, centre. Gazing around at the crowd, she notices that many of the audience members are older than her, forty plus, close to the age her dad would have been if he were still alive. She smiles sadly, thinking about how much he would have loved to be here with her. She’s wearing his old band t-shirt, tied around the back so that it sits cinched just below her bust, baring her midriff. The wide scoop neck dipping low to reveal just a hint of the black lace bra she is wearing underneath. She also sports a pair of black, distressed, high waisted, skinny jeans which Sabrina has affectionately nicknamed her ‘fuck me’ jeans because apparently, they hug her curves in all the right places and make her ass look ‘juicy’. Black patent Chelsea boots and a classic black leather biker jacket complete her ensemble. She’s kept the jewellery to a minimum, just a black leather choker with a silver star pendant adorned with tiny rhinestones encircles her neck. A simple metallic smoky eye and a classic red lip highlight her striking features while her long, curly, raven locks hang loosely around her shoulders. Tonight she feels beautiful. Powerful. Ready for anything. Tonight is going to be epic. She can just feel it.
Just as Yennefer is pulling out her phone to take a few pics of the stage, she accidentally elbows the person in the seat next to her, causing the person to nearly spill their drink over the guy in the next seat. As she turns to apologize for her clumsiness, she notices that it is another young woman, possibly even younger than herself, and she smiles at her. The woman has medium brown, curly hair, brown eyes, tanned skin, and freckles. She’s not what Yennefer was expecting. She’s not really dressed like typical Rectoress fan. She’s wearing a simple red skater dress with a ditsy floral pattern and tan strappy sandals. She stands out in this crowd of tattoos, black leather, and retro band t-shirts. Not to mention she is pretty much the only other person Yen’s seen so far who looks younger than forty so that too draws her attention. “I’m so sorry. I’m such a klutz. Can I buy you another drink?”
“It’s ok. I managed to rescue it. No harm no foul.” The girl smiles back at her. “I’m Triss by the way.”
“Yennefer. It’s nice to meet you Triss. I’m so happy to meet another Rectoress and the Eels fan who is around my age. I swear people of my generation have no idea what they are missing out on. Like my roommate Sabrina. All she listens to is Ariana Grande and Beyonce. I’ve tried so many times to educate her, but she just doesn’t appreciate real music.”
Triss suddenly looks sheepish. “Oh. Umm…I love Beyonce.”
Just when Yennefer thinks this moment couldn’t get any more awkward, some large, middle-aged man with a scraggy beard and a grossly protruding beer belly rudely pushes past Yennefer and Triss, without even an excuse me, on the way to his seat down the aisle. Triss’s drink gets spilled and Yennefer’s foot gets trampled on his way through. Yennefer gets to her feet and yells at the man’s back “Excuse you, pal. Watch where you’re stepping next time asshole.”
The man abruptly stops in his tracks, turns to face the two women, and then starts walking back towards them. “What did you just say to me, you fucking cunt?”
Triss’s mouth falls open in shock as she starts to back away from the man. Yennefer side steps Triss and places herself between the younger woman and the angry blob of a man, shielding her with her body. He’s a head taller than Yen and also a lot wider, but Yen feels invincible tonight and she is definitely not going to back down from this arrogant, rude prick.
She stares up defiantly into the man’s angry red face and crosses her arms over her chest disapprovingly. “Wow. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Wait, what am I saying? No woman with twenty-twenty vision would go anywhere near that ugly mug. Not even your own mother. Is that why you’re so angry? Cause mommy never hugged you?” She can feel Triss’s trembling hand on her shoulder, trying to pull her away from the large man as he suddenly makes to grab Yennefer. And then he is on the floor, face down, one arm pinned behind his back as a tall, well-muscled security guard with white hair and hazel eyes presses his knee between the man’s shoulder blades.
He looks up at Yennefer and then over to Triss and nods at her. The man on the ground is struggling and swearing furiously but to no avail. The security guard removes his knee from the man’s back and hauls him to his feet.
“I am afraid you are going to have to leave the venue now, sir,” comes the gravelly low voice of the security guard who still has the man’s arm pinned behind his back. Other security personnel surround the scene and help to escort the man out of the building.
The pale, white-haired security guard walks over to where Triss and Yennefer are huddled together and shoots the younger woman a concerned look. “Are you alright Triss?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you, Geralt.” Yennefer is a little surprised that Triss seems to know this hulking man with curious coloured eyes and a strong chiseled jaw, but she says nothing. Geralt then turns his gaze on Yennefer and sweeps his eyes up and down her form. “Who’s your friend?”
Yennefer straightens her spine and stands a little bit taller, jutting her chin out confidently as she meets Geralt’s bold gaze. “Yennefer Vengerberg.”
He smiles and then turns back to Triss. “Careful. She looks like trouble.” And then he turns and walks away without glancing back, disappearing into the crowd. This evening was turning out to be even more entertaining than Yennefer could have possibly imagined, and the night was still young.
She and Triss continue their conversation. Yennefer talks a little bit about her father and how he was the one to introduce her to the band. How close they had been, and how lost she had felt after he died, but also how the music of Rectoress had helped her through that very painful period in her life. How their music makes her feel like she is connected to her father, even now.
She learns that Triss is studying medicine at the same university as her roommate Sabrina, although she is in the year below and she doesn’t know Sabrina. She says she got a ticket to the concert off a friend last minute and that she wasn’t expecting to come but that she’s glad she did and is happy to have met Yennefer. Yen takes an instant liking to the younger woman. She seems genuinely sweet and convivial, although Yennefer senses there is something that Triss is trying to conceal. Like she’s not exactly who she says she is. She seems to know a lot about the band and Tissaia but she doesn’t really seem like she’s that into rock music. It’s just a bit odd and Yennefer can’t exactly put her finger on why, but she lets it go and tries not to pry. She’s only just met the girl and she doesn’t have the right to demand secrets from her. Everyone has a past after all. Who was she to judge?
When the house lights finally go down and the spotlight comes up on the stage, everyone gets up out of their seats and all eyes are on Tissaia de Vries. She is smaller than Yennefer had expected, but there is a powerful energy emanating from her that causes Yennefer's breath to catch in the back of her throat and all the little hairs on the backs of her arms to stand on end. She wonders if anyone else can hear the furious pounding of her heart, as it tries to hammer its way out of her chest.
Tissaia is an absolute vision. She is dressed in an incredible iridescent black sequined jumpsuit that glitters like stars under the bright stage lights. It has a structured high collar that opens to a deep v, which plunges dangerously low between her breasts, revealing more than a hint of cleavage. The shoulders are padded out to give it more of an 80s power suit vibe, the sleeves draping elegantly at her wrists. A thin leather belt cinches in her slim waist, emphasizing her stunning womanly curves, the glistening inky fabric hugging her shapely hips and slim legs tightly before flaring out at the bottom, creating an eclectic mashup between 80s style and modern glam rock aesthetic. Her natural dark hair has been bleached platinum blonde and is slicked back into an elegant bun, emphasizing her piercing cerulean blue eyes and her sharp cheekbones. Yen has obviously seen hundreds of images of Tissaia from promo shoots for albums, from magazine covers, from concerts, Instagram, but none of that has prepared her for this. To see Tissaia up close, in all her glory, it’s almost too much.
Her view of the stage, of Tissaia, is incredible. Yen is so happy that she splurged and went all out on these tickets. All that hustle, sweat, and stress had been well worth it. There are excited cheers and the low rumble of applause from the crowd as Tissaia takes her place behind the mic, the rest of the band falling in silently behind her on stage, settling into their positions and checking their instruments. Yennefer’s eyes track every little movement Tissaia makes, gazing up at the singer with wonder. Instinctually she reaches out and takes hold of Triss’s hand, trying to ground herself in the moment, making sure that this is all real, that it isn’t some incredibly vivid dream. When she feels her hand being squeezed gently, she finally tears her gaze away from Tissaia to see Triss observing her with amusement. Yup, this is definitely real.
Suddenly the band surges to life, and the auditorium sparks with electricity. Yennefer’s focus shifts back to the stage, to where Tissaia is caressing the mic stand with her elegant hands as she gently sways her body to the rising beat. When Tissaia begins singing the first verse of Balance and Control the crowd erupts in rapturous cheers. Tissaia’s voice is magical. It’s breathy, and seductive, but then powerful and commanding as she builds up to the chorus. It pulses and flows with so much raw, unrestrained emotion that Yennefer finds herself on the brink of tears. It’s euphoric, hearing this person whose voice she has known her entire life, singing live and in person. Songs that have been with her whole life, suddenly reigniting so many memories. Moments of joy, of sorrow, of struggle, of loss, but especially loving moments between her and her father.
It’s during the final song of the set that Yennefer finally breaks. She is full on sobbing. Tears are rolling down her cheeks and her shoulders are shaking as she tries to regain control of her breathing. Luckily, the music is so loud, and the rest of the audience are still so focused on the stage and on the band that no one witnesses Yen’s embarrassing emotional display. Or so she thinks, until sweet, gentle Triss suddenly pulls her into a tight embrace, running her palms in tiny circle over her back, trying to soothe and calm Yennefer in a moment of kindness.
“It’s okay,” she shouts over the music, still rubbing her hands gently between Yennefer’s shoulder blades, “I know your dad is here with you in spirit.”
Yennefer rests her cheek on Triss’s shoulder, pulling her a little closer into her body as her sobs finally start to subside. The music is starting to fade out and when she looks up at the stage, she sees Tissaia looking straight at her. Their eyes lock and hold each other’s gaze for what seems like an eternity. Suddenly, all the tension leaves Yennefer’s body and she feels weightless. If Triss’s arms were not holding on to her she might just float away. Tissaia’s lips turn up slightly at the corners of her mouth. She presses a hand to her lips and blows a kiss in Yennefer’s direction. Yen can’t help but blush as heat spreads across her cheeks and then to other places. The crowd gives Rectoress and the Eeels an impressive ten-minute standing ovation as all the members of the band rush to the edge of the stage to take their bows. Tissaia thanks all the fans as she waves and shouts, “Thank you Aretuza, and goodnight!”
Then just like that, the concert is over, and everyone begins to file out of the auditorium to start their journeys home. Yennefer lingers in front of the stage as she waits for the crowd to dissipate. Triss loiters behind as well, waiting for the chaotic mass exodus to subside. She smiles and pats Yennefer gently on the shoulder to make sure she has recovered from her mini emotional meltdown. Yen starts babbling about Tissaia and how great her performance was. How tonight has been the perfect night and that she would remember it forever. She apologizes profusely for getting super emotional and embarrassing herself, but Triss just waves off her apology, telling Yennefer she completely understands why she felt so affected by the performance.
When the auditorium is nearly empty and it’s time to say goodbye, Yen gathers Triss in a hug and tells her that they should meet up for lunch when she gets back home, promising to message her and arrange it. She has really taken a shine to the younger woman. Triss seems quite keen on the idea as well and promises to stay in touch with Yen.
“Hey Triss! Are you coming or what?”
Yennefer turns to see the tall, handsome, white-haired security guard from earlier standing on the stage looking down at them. Triss looks up at Geralt, and then slowly back at Yennefer. Yennefer observes a battle playing out behind the girl’s brown eyes before she seemingly comes to a decision. She smiles and takes hold of Yennefer’s hand. “Yes Geralt, Yennefer and I will be backstage in a moment.”
Yen notices the look of surprise that washes over Geralt’s face, but he quickly schools his features back to a neutral expression and grunts his acknowledgement before disappearing somewhere off stage. Triss beams at her mischievously as Yennefer dazedly tries to process what is going on. “So…do you want to meet the band?”