"if you dont drink,that's fine too. hell,its a terrible habit. dont start." erich tells micah with a wink and a smirk. he assumes the look micah gives has to do with that. for all he knows,micah could be straight edge. lord knows erich likes to live his life as one big cautionary tale. erich's own father told him to never start smoking...*while having a cigarette in his hand. erich never really took up the habit. why smoke something that doesnt get you high? erich unlocks the doors on the suv with a rather aggressive punch of the button. the machines went against everything he stood for. suvs were for people kidding themselves they werent in a station wagon. erich loved wagons. they were the coolest version of most any vehicle. so suvs were a personal affront. still,he wanted to get the thing off road. see what it could do. his ex,selene had land rovers...but she'd have killed erich if he took one into the mud. so this rental was going to be put through the ringer later. erich is on the wrong side of the car and laughs to micah. "god damnit, you guys and your wonky driving " before going to the other side and getting in. "sure. we can go by your place. you'll have to tell me where it is though. " he pauses before giving micah a little bump with his shoulder. "ladies love a man in uniform though." he grins at his son. "honestly,quiet and nice sounds perfect. they have food there? maybe we'll get something." erich offers. while micah works around food all day,he probably was hungry or tired of the same thing every day.

"cold? fuck no." erich replies with a scoff. though given his southern usa genes,it was cold as fuck up here in north england. "cool? always." erich says with a little nod. people expected erich hess,not some guy bundled up in a parka. erich was many things,but someone inconsiderate of his his fans was not one of those things. "besides. we got the car with heat. the pub probably will be warm. whats a little suffering between moments of comfort? the Buddha did say life is suffering."







* this is true in my life. my 3 pack a day father told me to not smoke while lighting up. like erich,i guess it stuck. i never took up cigarette smoking.

"i guess i'll some too. cider sounds charming as hell. " erich says with a nod. erich was more of a whiskey and absinthe person. being with his son though, the idea was to spread out the drinking over hours rather than get shitfaced as quickly as possible. though he would have liked to have been. it was still rather awkward being around micah. like,he could sorta feel the bond but all in all,micah was just some guy. a guy whom was related to erich,but not someone erich felt he knew. erich had all but forgotten the drink took micah's mother. he only knew the woman as a young woman who was full of life and the sort who really brought light to a room.


not having a car was bizarre to erich. he had grown up in the usa and it was more rare to not have a car than to have one. at least in the circles he was in. public transport was purposely shit,so it was the option of last resort. "hopefully we just end up on the other side of the road occasionally. this country killed eddie cochran." erich laughs before shrugging. in his mind,erich always wanted to be killed by kangaroo boxing mishap. but the spectre of elvis had told him he would perish in an auto accident. comfortably far away in 2077 but,erich knew he fate so it was still unsettling. erich idolized eddie cochran even more than elvis. erichs music was more like eddie's,erich took up playing a gretsch guitar because of eddie as well. " ladies love the smell of peppers." erich tells his son brightly. "the spicier the pepper,the spicier the love." erich tells micah sagely. " fucking bell peppers on my shirt." he adds with a self depreciating chuckle. erich starts the vehicle and pulls out the parking lot. he had been drinking,of course,but not enough to really concern. since meeting up with ada again,erich had really cut down on the intoxicated driving.

erich drove surprisingly sensible. the vehicle had a v8,yeah. but cmon,it was a porky little square of a thing. a far cry from a sports machine. he follows micahs directions and carefully maneuvers around. he had no clue where he was and it also took a lot of concentration to drive on the opposite side of the road. erich had a few right side drive cars but when everything was reversed,things got weird. " the idea of a chain pub is weird,micah. i think we americans have the idea they are all old and ran by a surly old man. thank fuck you arent a tory. i'd have to drop you off right here." erich jokes while taking his eyes off the road to glance at micah. the man certainly took more after his mother but erich could sense some of himself there. it was weird seeing an adult that was an offspring. micah seemed kind,so erich was pleased the family curse hadnt passed on to micah. the curse of the hebmullers,not the made up family of the hesses. the hebmuller genes were ones of rat bastardry. covid had affected the entertainment industry,but erich could absorb the impact. waiters and servers could not. due to his own beliefs and who his friends were,erich would disown micah if he was a right wing asshole.

erich was rather oblivious to things,but he did pick up on micah's use of the word my flat. erich remembered his last visit that micah either lived with a girlfriend or was VERY close to a girlfriend and used the word our. shit,join the club,kid. "righto. i'll take up two spots,if i want .boot my shit. i'll pay it." erich sneers as he pulls into a guest parking spot. erich had a very ill covered bit of contempt for any sort of rule where one could pay their way out of. he hated the fact that a fine merely meant it was legal for those of means. so he would usually cause as much hassle as he could. but this was micahs home. so he parked right between the lines. micah may not want a fight with the property manager and parking authority.

"i honestly just picture a huge burger slathered in cheese." erich says with a shrug. hes aware of the american stereotype. one that isnt exactly untrue. america is totally punk rock in the way we like value for money. honestly,erich did feel ripped of in other places,but perhaps with tipping being a strange habit elsewhere,maybe it worked out. erich had worked tip based jobs,so he wasnt a cheap ass and gave as much as he could. "as long as we can get a bite of anything,i will be pleased as punch. something local themed, i dont want the british take on southern usa cooking. " erica tells his son with a shake of his head. even the large chain places felt a bit off in places other than the usa. uk kfc wasnt anything like the one back home. it migh be due to the standards of what was allowed in food outside of the usa. truth be told,erich would rather have all the trans fats and deep fried asbestos.

erich puts the vehicle in park beside a peugot and a bmw. glacing down,the bmw has a cloth interior. something unheard of in the states. erich winces at micah's words. if anything,micah's tone just makes erich embarrassed of his success. erich's own home of the duke was shitty,possibly the floating version of this area of town,but it was still erich and erica's personal cruise ship. "i lived in miami gardens for quite some time,man. itll take a bit more than this to shake me." erich says with a laugh. he doesnt particularly like the fact micah seems to feel bad about where he lives. what sort of person does micah think he is? erich would never judge a person by where they live. work sucks and most people are underpaid. "shit,these fucks better worry about me." erich winks to micah. not having to go through customs (thanks to the duke) leaves erich well armed if need be. plus erich was a firm believer in not starting shit and there wouldnt be any. he certainly projected the idea that we hasnt from around there,but he didnt look out of place. as a rule,nobody really fucked with him."evening,ma'am. nice night for it,right?" he askes the woman and places a blunt to his lips.

erich slips his hand into his pocket as they enter the building proper. stairwells were a great place for a mugging and if these fucks didnt pack heat,they werent going to threaten erich a bit. he a had a stiletto and wasnt afraid to use it to defend himself or micah. the backing of studio60's legal team aslo made him untouchable. "elevators are for weaklings. real ones use their legs,man. going up these four flights,you gotta have calves that make mae melt in her god damned shoes." erich grins. he really wanted micah to be comfortable around him. he thinks that micah thinks the reality of erich life isnt near what myth is. erich doesnt live like ryan ross hernandez or any of the weekend boys. erich was at the point where money is not an object,but he wast that out of touch with normal people.

inside,erich gives a little nod. its perfectly fine for someone who works a subway job. hell,its a god damned palace compared to what that job would get you in the usa. but,it is blatantly clear that micah feels inadequate. erich hates this feeling. it feels like he is lording over micah and that isnt what he is doing at all. erich cant help but notice there is only male stuff here. erich has been single for a while,so he knows what to look for. there isnt a woman's item of clothing anywhere. micah is clean,yes,but there arent womens shoes by the door. erich will leave that conversation for when micah brings it up. if micah was up on things,he would know erich hasnt seen ada in months. erich sits on micah's bed while his his son gets ready for a night out. erich picks up the pillow and spins it between his hands. he doesnt like how micah has been towards him,so erich sighs as he clamps the pillow between his hands. " you know,micah...i owe your mother about 18 years of child support. atomic war bride really took off later after we lost touch. i owe her and you. a bank transfer and you could be a millionaire." erich says while passing the pillow from hand to hand. he didnt like the fact that his son felt this way. erich was a rising tide raises all ships man.

erich spins the pillow in his hands as he listens to micah speak. erich feels he knows how micah feels. pride is very powerful thing. erich's own pride has kept him from letting slip that he and hes ex wife are no longer an item. "god dammit,micah." erich spats towards his son and tosses the pillow on the bed. "i dont give a flying fuck if you're after money,micah. if you arent,that is fine. if you are,that is fine too." erich pauses and looks around at micahs condition. he understood the pride micah has as erich was a prideful person too. "ive got...100 thousand usd on me right now,micah. it is your's. i dont give a shit if it you spend it on coke,ferraris,or give it to the fucking church. shit,burn it for all i care." erich tells micah and puts a stack of cash on the night stand. " i want you to be happy." erich says with a shrug. in erich's mind all he has ever spread has been despair and heartbreak. money was just a number.after a certain point,it was near impossible to be broke again. he could give micah half or everything and not even feel it.

erich frowns slightly as he hears micah's actual situation. but he wasnt going to ask what happened between micah and millie. he could fill in the blanks. "god dammit,micah." erich replies. "why didnt you come to me?" erich asks without really expecting an answer from micah. "whatever,charity sucks. i have enough contacts i could find you something that has little effort and is overpaid. whatever you want to do,i could find something for you." erich trails off. he figured they could talk about it later at the pub. erich could certainly sympathize with micah. his own relationship fell apart awhile ago. " fine,micah. we'll chat and sob together later.

erich was like your one weird uncle. the one who didnt trust banks. but unlike your weird uncle,it wasnt because of some end times tv preacher wanting him to invest in dodgy gold schemes. erich wasnt about to let corporate fat cats play with his money. he kept it on the duke like a sane person. though he did put some in a bank. he wasnt about to pay in cash actually inside a gas station like a caveman. he'd use the card reader on the pump. he did bring this much especially for his son though. the thought of his son struggling seemed absurd. this should make the man comfortable for a while. "im as serious as bed bugs in a whore house. besides the more money i give you,the less i can spend on boozing and whoring. its really a win win. why giving this to you probably added about 5 years to my life. which we can promptly try to lose this night in the pub!" erich grins. he was a firm believer in sharing the wealth and joking of his own mortality. "dont fall in,while you're in there!" erich calls out as micah enters the bathroom. while waiting,erich occupies himself trying to look out a window that doesnt seem to exist. it feels much like one of the inner cabins on the duke actually. probably built around the same time too.

"look at you all decked out in your glad rags." erich says in a way that suggests he might be a time traveler from the 1900s. "we'll have to fight the people off with a stick. you got one around here? i'll fend the frenzied masses off while you have a drink." erich tells micah while acting like hes swinging a stick around to thin a zombie horde. "walk? walk?!" erich scoffs. "Sir,i am an american. if i am not shooting something,i'm actively avoiding walking. " he says this in a way that is like he cant understand why someone would walk anywhere when there is a perfectly fine combustible engine. "but,you bring a good point." erich adds rather quietly. maybe it was now having a plethora of children,but erich drastically cut down on his drinking and driving. there was other ways he could be socially irresponsible. "lead the way, we'll see this through until the end. if i fall behind,leave me. its the way of the jungle."

"assuming i want them." erich replies to micah with a tilt of his head. "perfectly fine vehicle right there,but..yeah,its probably a bitch to find parking around this place." erich tells micah as much as himself. if there was one thing erich disliked,it was finding parking. he didnt care if the spot was far away,but he valued his time more than circling a parking lot looking for that spot. erich also catches a glance at the dark and looks at his phone to confirm the time. "god damn. fucking queen turning off the sun to save energy since brexit? sure this isnt 4 am? " erich laughs while scrunching his face up in concern. unless work related,he never really left the tropics,so the tilt of the earth was lost on him for the most part. once out of the building,erich stuffs his hands in the jacket pockets. it could be the antarctic out here and he wasnt going to zip that jacket up. besides,looking the part of a 50's juvenile delinquent,that is where he kept his blade.

erich glances up at the street signs as they pass." local heroes? i guess scott would be glad to have anything named after him." erich quips as they make their way down. "we'll have to remember those cracks for the way back. we arent drinking for play. we're professionals and must act as such." he says brightly to his son. he had no clue how much they would intake,but it was best to lay that out there anyway. let any bastards around know what was up. erich,never one for real serious conversation,didnt really know how to reply to micah. he just sort of shrugged with his hands still in his pockets. "fucking shame i couldnt get it to you earlier." is basically his only reply. he doesnt deal well with being thanked for anything,especially when most of his personal life seems to be a study in failure. erich needed that upcoming drink more than ever now.

emerging out into the lively part of town was a relief. the sights and sounds took the imagined spotlight off of erich and his action. there were more distractions here to use. a garage with cats? sounds like a good way to avoid personal things.erich looks at the bus as it goes by and watches it while he answers micah's question. and it was surprisingly insightful. "well...thats up to you. but i can tell you this. it aint quit your job and move to the bahamas level of money. you could be comfortable for a while,but even being frugal.." erich answers with a shake of his head. he looks at micah for a moment before looking back at the bus that is now far down the road. "what do you want to do? good time to do some schooling without the spectre of work hanging over..." erich pauses and grimaces. "sound like a god damned father. " he hisses.

as they walk erich is reminded that not everyone lives the jet set life and is on a first name basis with famous popstars, it is rather hard to remember that sometimes. the industry is pretty insulated and it sort of feels like one big school everyone is stuck in. "scott wellington. one of the weekend guys. pretty nice guy." erich says warmly. erich points to a crack they pass as micah speaks. "see? one more reason to drive. you'll never trip while driving. if you manage though,theres a strong possibility of only doing it once. if you fall,i will carry you. like that footprints in the sand poem." erich tells micah rather seriously while holding his hands out as if carrying a very large baby. the poem seemed to find its way into bathrooms across america. so the silly thing had a special area of erichs heart. in both amusement and spite.

erich listens to micah as they pass the man and looks over his shoulder slightly once some distance has passed. in a moment that is probably has erich sharing a trait with his sworn enemy,billy, his first instinct is to draw attention and see how far they could push this. but with micah there? nah. micah had to live near the guy and erich would be up in ireland soon. so it wasnt his place. he couldnt be there for the fallout. "well,either paul isnt wrapped to tight or the social worker was doing a crap job." erich quips. "granted,i'd just leave a bad review. but i guess things are different here in ips... yeah, i am not going to try to say the name of this town." erich smiles at michah. when it comes to place names over here,erich usually doesnt even try. he nearly got a chair thrown at him when jokingly pronouncing glasgow so that it rhymed with glass cow. if anything though,micah could find some new digs with what erich had given him. possibly with about 20% less stabby people.

"buck up. over in the usa we released the guy that shot reagan,so there is hope yet. though maybe not. i doubt his aim got any better in prison." erich chuckles. erich would put up with many things from his flesh and blood,but conservatism was not one of those things. the mentality just went against too many people he loved and he wasnt about to put up with it. " i guess its a good thing i didnt wear my boris johnson shirt." erich adds. he actually did have one. he found it backstage somewhere and thought it was hilarious. most people just assumed it was a knockoff trump shirt that had been purchased at a flea market. "you gotta have some fun with it,micah. not just paying off debt. buy the name brand cola or something." erich scoffs at the idea of it all going towards boring stuff. he also wasnt up on the method of student debt used in the uk. so maybe micah would have some left. "student debt? what did...or are you going for?" erich asks. he realized he didnt know much about micah's actual life. figured there was no time like the present when drinks were in almost in reach. "micah.i went out for a pack of smokes and got lost. it happens to the best of us." erich jokes back to micah. he says this with all the passion of an actor from a telenovela. he wouldnt joke about this if he and micahs mom had some sort of actual real relationship as opposed to micah being more of a surprise.

erich's well greased hair stops the raindrops from sticking to it,but it does cause the water to trickle onto his forehead. "hmm" he says looking a bit cross eyed to see the water that has rolled onto his nose. "surprised it took this long to rain. maybe that is why its so dark.just rain clouds." he looks over to their destination. it looked much like how any american pictures an english pub. maybe there was some truth to the stereotypical depiction. out in ipswich,erich doubted he could get a good absinthe here. he'd have to see what was around.the place did look nice and cozy and just the sort of place to spend several hours catching up. the walk wasnt bad and it was nice being outside. "oh this place looks great. probably best i dont live around here. i'd be here every night." erich says excitedly and opens the door for his son. "after you,fruit of my loins."

" just be glad you're over here and not the the ayn rand wet dream i was born.." erich says in response to the amount of micah's debt. while its nothing to sneeze at,the amount could be gargantuan in the usa. while micah's field could certainly be helped by being associated with established acts,micah has a good point. " what, was wagon wheel repairman or typewriter repair classes full?" erich asks with a laugh and a shake of his head at micah. "seriously though,it could be worth pursing. though musicians are notoriously cheap and you better get used to chasing people down and threatening harm. less professional folks also need some outside ears. the guitarist and singer usually think they need little practice and refuse doing several takes,so good luck." erich grins and gives a double thumbs up. as both the vocalist and guitarist of atomic war bride,he knows what he is talking about. though he usually takes advice from someone who made it their business to know this stuff. there was a lot of talk of megahertz and what not,erich didnt know this sort of shit. "you could get some practice with some of our stuff if you really want." erich offers with a shrug. it could get some practice under his belt that was much needed.

erich looks around in a half circle as the pair enter the pub. it indeed looks like something out of a film. its a nice change from the garishly lit venues that erich usually is in. it is pretty much perfect in comparison to the chilly outside. the crackling fire and dull mumble of many conversations make it feel very cozy in there. "food wise,get us something good and filling. but no damned organ meat or any sort of pie,or god forbid black pudding." erich says,rattling off what he was not into. being rather close to dustyn,he was well aware of what passed for nourishment over here. some sounded amazing,some sounded like punishment. " drinkwise...bourbon. if they dont have it? meh,some sort of dark beer." erich says with a little shrug while looking around. at this point in his career,it was strange being on the younger side of a drinking establishment's population.

"real son, adopted son...seems diminutive people are part of my contribution to the world. marlena will probably be short too. dean...probably tall." erich states running down micah's fellow siblings. erich himself wasnt tall tall,but he wasnt short. ada...was about erica sized. so marlena was probably going to be short too. selene? tall. "im surprised they card here. looks like a place where the warmly smiling barman would just take your word for it. though 20...jesus. you're barely older than i was when you were..um..installed." erich says awkwardly. speaking about conception just seems weird. he didnt want to be pictured on the job,so to say.

"you know...i really dont know." erich says in reply to if riot was still together. while he definitely had played festivals with riot,he probably had said less than 5 words to any member of the band in all his years. erich is quiet for a moment while thinking. "you know...ive been doing this a long time but i dont think my circle really ever expanded. in fact,its shrank. name dropping acts of hate doesnt get me the free drugs off metalheads like it used to." ericah laments. while he never consciously bought into the hierarchy of acts in the business,there probably was some subconscious separation there. some bands were destined to be be legends,others were destined to be in the trenches forever. whatever got erich out of holding a real job was fine with him. "twice lost a house,huh?" erich asks. micah's home definitely was that of a bachelor,so something definitely happened there. something to discuss after drinks as it certainly would possibly raise questions of his own life. and that wasnt how this worked. "all right." erich tells micah with a non committal shrug. "i'll keep you in mind if anyone is in the market for an untested but bright eyed and bushytailed sound guy. you never know. we sent our demo in to studio60 for a laugh,and..."erich trails off. most people didnt realize that atomic war bride and the harlots were both on,and have long been on,studio60.

"sounds great. medium rare if you please." erich suggests. its been a long time since he had a steak of any sort,so it sounded like a good idea. "my language? i cant help you guys have it wrong. those are fries. chips are what you folks call crisps. and walkers..." erich says with an exaggerated sigh. "they're lays. oh we have got to get you the usa. it'll be like bizarro land." erich says while facing micah,but his eyes are looking momentarily at the barmaid fussing with the chi- crisps. he expected far older and surlier of a barmaid. though the woman might be surly,but erich wasnt going to bother her. "its better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it." erich quips. even as it was right now,erich had two screwdrivers and a wrench in his jacket. one never knew when tools could be needed....or street signs stolen. "yeah! who'd a thunk children can come from such things! i was shocked i tell you,shocked!" erich grins and gives a little nod. he prowls around the room looking for the perfect spot. the damned old people were still by the fireplace. bastards probably planned to die there then just fall in and self cremate. erich sees a group leave from a table right near the window. this would give a good bit of people watching,and erich loved that. he pounced on the spot and was ready to growl at any who came near.

Erich would never remove his jacket. He probably has pajamas that look like his normal outfit of jeans, White shirt and his leather jacket. Also,say what you want about Erich,his shirt is always gleaming white. The man does a great load of laundry. Erich catches sight of the peanuts and makes a mental note. Peanuts could kill one of his children. Good to see Micah wouldn't be taken down by a mere nut. Erich reaches up and takes hold of his glass from Micah. It looked like they weren't stingy with their pouring here at chapman's. "Thanks. I guess they could read I through your shirt." Erich jokes. No harm in showing off the goods. though other than the barmaid,Micah was out of luck. Unless he had a granny fetish. "Cheers." Erich clinks his smaller glass against the pint. "It's cold out,I swear." Be chuckles. Erich listens to Micah and his troubles before waving his hand to brush the apologies away. "No matter how good you are with money,if the bastards want too much from you then you are fucked. Still wish your mom woulda let me know. I probably owe you more than what I brought.." Erich says with a shrug. He'd have Cassie get things together to find out what it should be. Some things he didn't want studio60's legal dept involved. They were great for getting him out of things,so they'd most likely suggest the smallest possible amount.
"If we had this worked out,you coulda told that lady and Tom to kick rocks. You could do it on your own." Erich wasn't about to ask about what happened there. It's not like he knew Micah well enough to pry. It wasn't his business and Micah could take care of himself now. " I'm terrible with the stuff. who knows what would have been repossessed by now without my manager." Erich says with the lackadaisical manner of someone who has no concern about the money fount ever drying up. He wouldn't worry until the war bride could only get booked at state fairs.


Erich wipes his hand on his jacket before taking some peanuts with a nod of thanks. "You're welcome, Micah. You ever need anything,you know I'm around. I can give you just about anything other than about 20 years of a relationship....oh,and the Duke. When we're all gone,you'll have to share it with Marlena and takara." Erich laughs at the idea of that scenario happening soon. The girls are only about 7 currently. so them in tiny Captain's hats would be adorable. Then Erich realized Micah probably doesn't know who he's talking about. " Marlena is your half sister. Takara is unrelated but may as well be a sister."

Erich looks around at the nodding off old people in the pub. The fog of the windows. The crackling fire. He lowers his voice before speaking. " It's about half as whimsical as I thought it'd be. Seems like you guys should have Pete's dragon or something. Definitely people breaking out into song. " Erich laughs,not realizing Pete's dragon was a b list Disney movie at best. Erich considers Micah's question for a moment. His first response would be to dismiss it entirely. He was less fond than ever of his Homeland (even if Erich's passport says he's from Malta) "yea. It kinda is." Erich admits before elaborating. "It's...kinda like this bourbon." Erich says while holiday the glass so the light shines through it. "It's civilized and refined..yet can also be savage and violent. Taken responsibly? You're going to have a good time. Over indulge and you're puking your guts out. But yeah,most of what you hear is true. Everything is too salty. We're vicious on groups but overly kind one on one. Everyone is also kinda a grifter. It's fucking huge. You can drive ten hours and Still be in the same state. There's a lot less guns than you will think. Some people go all their lives without seeing one. And yeah. We don't abide women's nipples..or women if you are in the south." Erich explains. He's been in a lot of places and can certainly see how the USA could be seen as strange. So, hopefully he gave Micah an idea of what it's like.


Erich looks up and and past the distraction of the low cut shirt of the barmaid to the tv. It was hard,but he managed. Sure enough,it was baby weekend on tv .jeez. were they ever that young? "Oh yeah, that's Dustyn. He's the little blonde one. That's Scott, Oscar,and Riley." Erich purposely leaves Billy out because fuck that guy. "I'll be heading up to Ireland after this visit. Dustyn and his husband just bought a house up there. Little housewarming party. Thus the land Rover. I assume it's like father Ted up there,so lots of mud." Erich explains. There had to be a reason to be seen in an SUV. He didn't like the ugly bastards. Speaking of ugly bastards,he was reminded billy will probably be there. Erich takes a drink to prepare.