I had first learned that PotA was lookin for a new bassist a couple months earlier when they started postin about it on Chirper. Athena, the former bassist and backup vocalist had passed away and the band went on hiatus ever since, so it came as a surprise when they announced they'd be comin back only a year later. I honestly had no intention of tryin out, not that I wasn't confident in my own capabilities, just that I never expected they'd want someone like me for their band. And I absolutely wouldn't have, had it not been for a chance encounter with Nymph.

It was a typical Friday night, which meant it was karaoke night at Marsha's Pub, a little gay bar that happened to be attached to the buildin I lived in. Once upon a time, the noise bothered me, the constant off key singin and improv music acts. My roommate Candice had been beggin me to join him for karaoke night, help me break out of my shell, as he put it. I usually declined, I wasn't much for social events, preferrin to stay home and watch my favorite v-streamer, Coffeepup, instead. After much arm twistin, beggin and puppy dog eyes, I caved. My anxiety was high, I didn't exactly pass as a girl when I first started goin, and even now my voice still clocks me when I talk for long enough, but bein up in front of that mic, singin the songs I loved, it was thrillin. Turned out I had a real knack for performance. Suddenly none of my worries mattered to me, for those moments when I sung and people cheered along with me, my looks and voice weren't important, just my passion. So, for the next year I began lookin forward to Friday night karaoke every week.

And here it came again, I had my setlist picked out, some the same couple songs I typically sung, and a couple new ones I wanted to give a try. I was excited to share my passion with the regulars who loved comin to hear me sing. I was cool and confident so long as I was in Marsha's, but for some reason I felt nervous when I stepped up to add my chosen songs to the queue that night. It seemed like there were more people than usual, nearly triple what we'd usually see show up. “Is it more crowded in here than usual?”

“Huh?” Candice cocked his head and cracked a smile, “don't tell me you didn't know about the special venue tonight?”

“What special venue? What's goin on?”

He shook his head and gave me a big hardy slap on my back, “I'll let you figure it out.”

Okay, super unhelpful dude… whatever. It was when I wrote down my name and my list of songs I'd perform, that I noticed the name right above mine. Nymph, three songs... All by Pantheon of the Apostates, also all songs I planned to sing. Well shit, guess some superfan beat me to it... Or at least that's what I thought. After all, there's no way the real lead singer of my favorite band would be at my local bar singin karaoke, right? Nah, couldn't be her. The band was on hiatus since the death of Athena, but even still, she'd never take the time to come down to this little hole-in-the-wall just to give a free performance. 

So I chose a couple new songs, and tried not to think too much of it. Tried being the key word.

The other singers performed, one after another, and the night went on. I was far down the list, so far down I feared that I'd only get one song that night due to the higher volume of people. Also it felt so weird just how many people seemed to be stickin largely to alt music, especially punk. Sure a few here or there picked somethin different, but those were outliers. Mostly each person had some kind of punk, emo, or metal song they wanted to sing that night. I don't think I'd ever seen a night so heavily fixated on any of those genres, certainly not at our little bar. None of the usual peppy pop, none of the feel good classics; just a bunch of yellin, shoutin, ragin, and the like. Weird....

"Pretty exciting right?" Candice, asked with an overly eager grin plastered to his round stubby face.

"What? I sing every karaoke night." I shrugged it off.

"No, not you silly, you still haven't figured it out? Nymph's going to be singing!" Ah he saw it too, guess he really believes it's her, poor naive lil femboy, I thought.

"Yeah sure," I rolled my eyes. 

And then it happened, her name appeared on the digital queue board as the next singer. We'd soon get to see this faux Nymph take the stage and expose hereslf as the fraud she... Damn I was such a fool.

A woman pointed to me. She was tall with a gorgeous dark skin and black curly hair highlighted with purple streaks; she had an unmistakable appearance... She approached from across the room, and stood towerin over me in her platform boots. It is fuckin Nymph Velour! Like holy hell, it's really freakin her! Why is she standin there lookin at me? What is she sayin? Am I still breathin? What the fuck is goin on? Those thoughts flooded my consciousness as I blanked out right in front of her.

"Hey, girly, you hear me?" She snapped her fingers in front of my face, pullin me out of my stupor.

"Huh, oh... I'm sorry what?"

"I said you plan on singing right?"

"Uh...yeah, yeah I do," my pale face was bein painted over with a brand new coat of red while talkin to her. Shit, maybe she'll just think I'm drunk.... I'm makin a fool of myself.

"Then go on ahead of me," she gave a smirk and pulled me up by the sleeve.

"Wai...what?"

"I'm not about to make you sing after me, that just isn't fair." Well damn, that's awfully considerate... Not that I could express my gratitude. I just kind of went along as she pulled me towards the mic, worried I was droolin like a zombie lookin to take a bite out of her.

"Hey, she's gonna go before me, got it?" She told the emcee. He flashed her a thumbs up, and she turned to me, "alright you're good to go, cutie!" She gave me a wide cheesy smile, it was uncharacteristically cute for the semi-famous bad ass that she was.

"Um, thanks..." Really that's all you can say to her? I wanted to scream at myself, like goddessdamnit I'm an idiot.

The last singer finished up their song, and the name changed from Nymphs to mine. A few people seemed displeased by the line up change, which I guess I couldn't blame them... I stepped up, takin my place at the mic, and the instrumental to my chosen song began to play. Of course I had to have chosen that song, and of course it was the song I'd have to sing right before the actual singer of it goes on. 

The openin chords set the melody, and the drums set the rhythm... A six second intro was all the time I had to get rid of the lump in my throat, and prepare my dry mouth to sing.

"I drank your lies, they taste so sweet, honeyed words that rot your teeth. Judas laid his kiss on my cheek, your poison elixir got me fallin at your feet," the words went, and I sang as on key as I could. It was their debut song, the chart topper that put Pantheon of the Apostates on everyone's radar. I could never do the melody justice, it was Nymph's song. Her hatred for the church, her struggles with suicide and drugs, the painful impact of conversion therapy. All these turmoils and childhood traumas wrapped up into a pretty little package that is the classic 'Sacrificial Lamb'. A song that mirrored many of my own experiences, a song that meant so much to me. But damn it, why do I have to sing it infront of her?

"You could never love me for who I am~, I'm not your daughter I'm your sacrificial lamb." There, it is finished, despite my nerves, despite my self doubt, I sang with passion. If Nymph was goin to hear me sing her song, then you better freakin believe I was puttin my everything into it!

My passion aside, I was ready to run out of there, unwillin to look my hero in the face. That however was not an option, because as soon as I finished she wrapped her arm around my neck and said, "hey, how about we make this next one a duet?"

You're fuckin kiddin me? No, this isn't real, this doesn't happen. Right? You don't get to sing karaoke with your idol, that's just not realistic. Well despite my disbelief it was exactly what was happenin. 

"Su...sure," I stammered, sweat pourin down my face like I'd just ran through an automatic car wash. 

"Awesome, we'll sing this one," she pointed to the screen, and of course it was one of the more sexually charged songs. Well, it was Nymph, and as I said before, she was a relentless flirt.

"Sounds good...." I squeaked.

Before I knew it, the music started. She leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I sing my parts, you sing Athena's." I could feel her almost press her lips to my earlobe as she spoke, at the time I thought it was an accident, but knowin her now I'm certain she did it on purpose. Siren always says that if Nymph's not careful she'll end up in some scandal one day, and she may be right.

"My body quakes, my legs won't stand, my whole world shakes when I hold your hand. Your habit's tight, your lips so sweet. I feel your hand slip between my knees." The song was 'Bad Habit', a ballad about two lesbian nuns, a song I had no business singin with her. And yet there I was.

"My heart feels faint when you leave me here. I think of you with each nightly prayer. I open up, to my shame and my sin. I spread my legs to let you in." Oh goddess I can't believe I just sang that! My body was growin hot... Which of course was exactly what I sang. "My body's hot like the flames of hell, I'm forever caught in your demon's spell." I was afraid my tuckin tape wasn't going to hold... Like shit you better be extra strength you damn $30 roll of adhesives.The song went on and she brought her face close to mine, starin me in the eyes with a lustful gaze. As she sung the words she'd bring her lips closer and closer to my own, before pullin away just as they nearly touched. She was one hell of a performer, and I was not ready to be her partner on that 'stage'.

"Your worship's sweet, your hymns so right, but never as lovely as your moans at night." She caressed my cheek as she sang, and my heart was beatin my ribcage with a baseball bat.

"I pray for mercy from the god above, cause the way that you touch me is the miracle I love." Okay, the last line, I sang it now and now it's over... I was a mess, wetter than laundry left hangin out in a hurricane. With sweat! Don't take that outta context... well, I guess even in context that sounds wrong. 

Our little audience cheered, for Nymph of course, and without givin her the opportunity to embarrass me further I ran off to the bathroom.

The stall in the ladies room at Marsha's was in a way a refuge for me. It was the first place I was able to walk in and use the correct bathroom without gettin shit from people, figuratively speaking, so retreatin there kind of felt right.

The world spun round and round, everything in my view growin and shrinkin. Just sittin on the toilet felt like I was on those damn spinning teacup rides that I always hated. Why would she do that to me? Damn it, that was so embarrassin. Don't get me wrong, I love that song, its a lesbian classic, and I butchered it! I can't believe I had just mangled one of my favorite songs, singin with the actual freakin artist!

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" I screamed, not carin who heard me.

"Damn girl, you need a laxative?" Someone asked from the other stall.

"Oh, no, no I'm... Just ignore me..." Maybe I cared more than I realized...

After a good ten or so minutes, and a few tears of frustration later, I was ready to go back out there! And leave immediately.

I made a beeline for the door, only to get blocked by a big ol' bear. 

"Hey! That was pretty great Izzy," he slapped me on the shoulder. His name was Max, he was the unofficial bouncer at Marsha's. Whenever the cishets came and bothered women, be it lesbians, trans-girls or just ladies wantin to be left alone, he'd come get between them and start dancin on the pervs. They'd get uncomfortable, and usually were not dumb enough to pick a fight with the 6 foot 300 pound black former soldier, so they'd leave. 

"Thanks Max, but I don't really think I was all that great."

"Come on sweetie, you're amazing. So much so, a certain somebody is looking for you," he fluttered his lashes and put on a sly grin.

"Huh, is Candice lookin for me?" I was thoroughly confused.

"I don't know a Candice, is that your girlfriend?" the voice of Nymph spoke from behind me.

"Oh shit!" I spun around to see the singer standin there, a devilish gleam in her gorgeous green eyes. 

"Hey, you any good with a bass?" She asked pretty abruptly.

"Uh... yeah, I've been playin since I was twelve," I nodded, my brain not piecin things together quite yet.

"Sweet, here give me your hand," she grabbed my wrist and turned my hand over, palm side up. What, she going to do a palm readin? "Hmm pen, pen, damn it..." She pursed her lips as she fished through her nearly nonexistent pockets. "Fuckin figures... Hey, anybody got a pen?" She shouted.

"Oh here you go, hun," Max handed her a liquid eyeliner pen, judging from his lack of makeup, it was probably just something for the lost and found.

"Alright, and there you go." She scribbled down an address on my palm, "be there Sunday morning at nine, got it?"

"Yeah sure..." I had no idea what I was agreein to. 

She smiled sweetly, "awesome, and don't forget to bring your bass, obviously. Gotta see you play before we make our decision."

"Okay, makes sense..." Wait, no it didn't!

"Alright then, see you sunday, cutie," she winked and disappeared back into the crowded bar. 

"What just happened?"

"Sounds to me like you got an audition for Pantheon of the Apostates."