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 Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:49 pm
"Believe me, Matsumoto-san... I will find the absolute best look for him. I'm not about to lose... who knows what would happen if I did." Azriel laughed softly.
He took one last drink of the tea before carefully setting it on a tray beside the bed. Somehow the bat managed to not knock it over. Katsumi made himself comfortable, pulling the blankets up to his chin. He was comfortable, but hearing Izo get onto the creaking cot...
Part of him felt bad.
Another part wanted to laugh at the irony of it.
"Be glad there is a cot, Matsumoto-san..." Katsumi whispered softly, tilting his head to the side as sleep started to claim him. "Much warmer... than... the... floor...."
He didn't even process that Soto was sitting in the chair now or that the man was writing away. Nope. The bat was out like a light. Warm... relatively safe... comfortable... Even with the headache throbbing about his skull... sleep came easy to the now full kitten.
"You just better hope that you can't see through my robe in that photo." Akihiko teased, getting off the kitchen's island and walking over to the coffee pot, fixing himself a cup. "I wouldn't mind popping my back like that every morning... I was so used to moving wherever I wanted on the bed. SOMEONE keeps me stationary at night now."
The young tiger winked at his partner, taking his cup to the table. He walked behind Izzy, his fingers and nails running over the back of the other man's neck teasingly before he spun around and sat down at the table.
Narcissus sipped his coffee innocently before he began to make himself a bowl of cereal with bananas.
"Mmmm... well it's what? Eight something now? We're supposed to be there by Ten... We should probably leave in an hour or so."
Naoko hadn't expected Prospero's to be open so early in the afternoon... but he was pleasantly surprised when he walked in and noticed he wasn't the only person in the establishment.
Though... most were just sipping drinks.
After having suffered through a lunch time packed train, the pianist was glad to be able to stretch his arms again. He strode past the bar and to the back, taking the elevator down to the second level again and walking up to the receptionist.
"Would Oreo-san be free at the moment?" Naoko asked, still wearing his coat, scarf, and gloves.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:14 am
What I want, I get...
No matter the method------------------------------------------------}:- Matsumoto Izo
Chairman - SMASH
The itsy bitsy spider...
Izo chuckled as lay on the cot, "Yea...I'm sure you'll make him look like a princess. But it better be able to sell." He finally rolled over and grumbled about the uncomfortable cot.
-:{------------------------------------------------No matter the cost.
...Prepare to pay up! What wouldn't I do for King and Country...
Yes Sir!------------------------------------------------}:-  Asato Hiroki
Chairman's Secretary - Ohayou Productions
The world has....changed
Above in the real world, Hiroki and Kaito started the task of the move from his flat to the great Koyasu estate. Which...really wasn't Koyasu anymore because he had inherited it. But somehow, he didn't have the heart to change the name. Oneday when he was older and grayer, he'd probably return to Akihiko...but for now, it was his home.
Hiroki actually hired a moving crew to do most of it and left the butler at the Estate to take care of the details. He just didn't have time for that sort of work and he knew that the guards and butler would make sure nothing was stolen or otherwise misplaced.
Today, Hiroki had something very special that he wanted to do for Katsumi so he and Kaito went out to the charity center that Hiroki tended to work for over the holidays. Kaito glanced around as they walked through and helped a few of the young children in the center. He was surprised that Hiroki was a very charitable person.
But the real part of Hiroki's journey here was to find out about a small animal shelter. He wanted to find one connected to the charities he supported because he knew that they'd be well cared for animals even if their circumstances for arrival weren't so positive.
A few hours later, they were at a small animal shelter in outer Satima, They wandered around various cages of dogs and then finally reached a section of cats. Kaito got lost among the cages wanting to touch all the animals. "Oh...I want to take them all home with me!"
"If we did there wouldn't be anywhere for you to sleep! No...I'm only here to get one... But if Katsumi likes having a pets maybe he'll let you bring one home too. If he doesn't like the pet, I'll take it home to the estate. Either way, it will have a good home." said Hiroki as he turned to see a cage with several tiny kittens!!!
"Oh...good lord...Kawaiiiiiii!" Leaning down his fingers touched the cage and several kittens ran up to greet him!
Kaito ran over and knelt down. "Oh man!! They are all so cute!!"
Hiroki looked up and noticed a note, "Most of them are actually spoken for." He sighed after petting a few then wondered if there were other options. He started to look around as heard a small mew coming from another cage. Scooting over he spotted a lone black kitten peeking out of a box in the back of the cage. It was a little fluff ball and Hiroki immediately glanced up to see it's condition as he put his fingers through the cage to see if the small kitten would come out.
"This one is the last of another litter...they are having a hard time finding it a home because it's all black. Superstitious people." he grumbled but then felt wet on his finger tips as a small nose poked at him. "Awh....look at that tail!"
The small kitten's tail was curled up much like a question mark as it gently nudge at Hiroki's hand. Kaito peeked at the kitten and said softly after looking at the notice. "Awh...Katsu would love him."
"I think so too. He's the right one. And in his favorite color too." said Hiroki as he slowly stood up. "Kaito-kun, you keep an eye on him so no one else claims him. I'm going to get an attendant."
A several minutes later, the small kitten was pulled out of the cage and taken to the vet's room for a check up and several shots. Hiroki and Kaito learned that he was one of litter that was abandoned by a trash can in a nearby neighborhood. The other kittens were various colors but he was the only solid black thus he didn't get sold right away.
Kaito watched as Hiroki paid a hefty price for the kitten. Animals in Japan are far more expensive than in the US. And tend to be $1000s of US dollars in price. But his price also include some future vet fees if Katsu decided to get him fixed later.
Once they were done, Kaito carried out the kitten in a small carrier. "Wow...I hope I get to see his face. When are you giving it to him?"
"Hopefully when he gets home. I wanted to make sure we had enough time to get all the things the kitten needs before Katsumi came back. "
-:{------------------------------------------------No Sir!
...Where you Lead - that is the Path I Follow. What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:- Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
"If I can then I won't post it!" he laughed then pointed his spoon at Akihiko, "You are the perfect pillow! But if you don't want me to keep you stationary at night, I can sleep up stairs." Ruki teased because he doubted that Akihiko would let him get away with that!
A shiver went up his spine as Akihiko teased his neck, "Naughty....." Then he took another bite of banana, "Yea...it's 8 am. Ok...so that will give me enough time to do a few things before we go. I want to watch the news about our performance last night. Just to see if the media noticed anything we didn't. His head turned towards the TV on the frig as he changed the channels with the remote to the Entertainment News.
OOC: You can pick what the news media says about their performances...hehe... -:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail! "Oreo-san is...." The young man looked over a display and then punched in a name. "He's currently on break. If you'd like to wait, I can check his schedule." The young man looked over the schedule and saw that Oreo did have a few bookings but then noticed a small note. "May I have a name please? Do you have a membership card with us? " The young man used very polite keigo with Naoko. It seemed that this receptionist really did know the job better than others.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 2:08 pm
"I can wait, though not for too terribly long. Hopefully he has some time soon. The name is Oumori Naoko. I was here the other day, New Years eve actually." the blond spoke politely, taking out the card he'd been given before and handing it to the receptionist.
Of course the pianist also took out his credit card as well, presenting it and having no idea that he was on a no-pay list.
Inside his mind, songs played.
They were new songs, mostly, though some were like lyrics replaying themselves over and over again in his mind.
Azriel didn't mind because it allowed his unconscious self to be expressive. He would remember some of them when he woke, while he would forget others at the same time too. That was how it worked... and why the bat usually wasn't far from some sort of writing implement.
Of course asleep he couldn't write... but the songs would be filled away in his mind just waiting to be remembered at some point.
And so he slept soundly... quietly... peacefully... lulled to sleep by the songs in his own mind.
"Glad my out of shape self is so comfortable to sleep on then." Narcissus joked, taking a bite of cereal. It was mostly a granola mix with a little hint of cinnamon flavor and shaved almonds mixed in for extra protein. "If you sleep upstairs... I'm password locking the thermostat for the upstairs rooms on a permanent temperature of 10'C... you'll be crawling all bundled in a blanket back to the basement in no time at all."
Was it a joke?
Maybe.
Would he do it?
Most definitely!
The musician groaned though, "Ugh I don't want to know what they're saying. Sure, my songs were good, but Shou out-did me... even I noticed it. He had a whole damn stage performance and all I had was me!" annoyed, Akihiko ran his fingers through his hair, mindful of the extensions. "Club setting... not an arena... but no he had to go for overkill..." the man sighed, blue eyes glancing to the television on the fridge.
"Narcissus-san was supposed to be absent from his performance last night during his three show club-tour, leaving a gap for fans that was filled by a mystery guest."
"Who turned out to be SMASH's Shou-san. The fan reaction was mixed it seems, with most people enjoying the show overall. What did you think, Sanada-san?"
"Oh well I was there for last night's performance. The two new Ohayou hopefuls, Izzy Lucky-san and Tanaka Michi-san were very very good for first timers. Tanaka-san seems to have the pop idea down well, and he moved gracefully on stage, especially in tandem with the MeKA starlet. Lucky-san's voice was better of the two, but he seemed a tiny bit held back. Overall their performances were fantastic however... much better than I expected."
"And what about Shou-san and Narcissus-san?"
"Hahaha, well they've both been around a while and comparing them is something I hate to do but... Shou-san was certainly more the star tonight than Narcissus-san, even if the Ohayou star was originally the headliner. Now, I'm not sure if it had to do with his stay in the hospital the night before or not. The emotion was there in his new songs, but the tempo and the beat just fell flat. Narcissus-san had the passion but the drive wasn't there, ne? The songs are gorgeous in their own rights but... well... he needed something in there to spice it all up. But overall his songs were much better emotionally than those at his last performance at the Charity Benefit. Shou-san's stage presence was commanding, which is why the two are seen as such fierce on-stage rivals. Shou-san had perfect songs and a perfect show to back it up. He really drew me into his world... but that happens quite often. The dancers he used were quite entertaining in their own right... and revealing Lucky-san as Shou-san's murderer within one of his songs was a fan favorite it seems on twitter. Looks like a lot of people enjoy the combination of Lucky-san and Shou-san on stage together."
"I wonder if we will see Narcissus-san and Lucky-san on stage sometime in the near future? And what about the little boy playing piano?! That's a trending topic right now."
"Ah yes, Ko-kun is Shou-san's nephew. I thought it odd that Narcissus-san would introduce the boy, but it seemed like the decision was unscripted... and given what Narcissus-san had to say during his set break with the boy... well... I'm betting there are many executives of various companies who haven't headed his warning to not swamp Shou-san and Ko-kun with offers."
"And what about Narcissus-san's practical joke? Some fans are annoyed while others found it amusing."
"Well... I think his message from the hospital was pre-recorded before he knew if he would make it to the stage or not. I don't see why they should have changed everything after already revealing Narcissus-san's absence before the show. I suppose it shows his drive though, ne? Shows how much he wants to compete with his rival... or perhaps how much he wanted these songs released. They were all from his new album and... well... the fan speculation there is quite intriguing."
"Ah you mean about it having been written in regards to his manager, ne?"
"The songs certainly are speaking to someone... and they're all very heartfelt and passionate. One can only assume the tragedy in Hawaii changed all of the musicians who were affected by it."
By this time... Akihiko had flat out head desked the table and just lay there, staring at the wood beneath his forehead.
He didn't say anything... but it was obvious that he hadn't thought everything through as properly as he should have.
'Damn Shou being right... I don't think before I leap!' he groaned to himself, realizing that this was something that had to change.
And fast.
Especially if they were going to match wits with SMASH.
"I wish last night was a drunken dream and I could just do it all over again..."
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 3:59 pm
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:-  Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
"Oh no you don't! You're not dropping the temperature in my room!" Ruki wasn't going to let the young tiger do that to his own room in the house! "You're being mean!" he teased as he pondered whether or not Akihiko would do it. "And if you did that, I'd surely just get a heating blanket!" Oh he doubted he'd really do it because he was much happy snuggling the warm tiger.
After the reviewers had pointed all the failings of last night's performance, Izzy shoulders slumped just a hair. "I'm sorry...I mean...well I asked him to help, and we didn't know you'd be there. Maybe we shouldn't have had him perform or maybe just had you perform. Ugh....." What could he say. They were probably right on most of the analysis but other comments were a bit harsh.
"Held back...?" Izzy sighed, "I'm not sure what they meant there except I did have a lot on my mind." He put his head on the table too...."Great...It was easier to take the bad reviews as a manager."
Then he lifted his head and looked up to the ceiling. "So tonight we need to make it better than last night." He realized that he couldn't mope about it because there wasn't any going back to the previous night. He'd just have to remember that if this happened again it might be a safer bet to cancel than have Shou overwhelm Akihiko's performance. Although he doubted after last night Shou would be willing to help in another situation like that. Izzy sighed wishing that sometimes Akihiko would just think before acting.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail!
"Ah...Oumori-san. I see you've been added to the special service list." The young man said as he returned the credit card and membership to the star. "You don't need to pay anything. It's all been taken care of." A few buttons were pressed and the young man smiled at Naoko, when another young man entered the room dressed in a similar uniform. "This gentleman will guy you to a room and Oreo-san will be there within 10 minutes. Please make yourself comfortable and if you would like some refreshments or something from the menu, please be so kind to let this gentleman know and he will gladly retrieve it for you."
The other man waiting for Naoko opened a set of double doors and waited for Naoko to step through before guiding him down the hallway. They stopped at the end door of the hall. The same room that Oreo had acquired for their last meeting. This young man opened the door and allowed Naoko to enter then handed Naoko a bar and menu list for the first level of Prospero's. "Would you like to place an order?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:36 pm
"That's what the man meant. You weren't in the right head space." Akihiko replied seriously, sitting back up and pushing his half eaten cereal away.
Yeah... the man wasn't in the mood for food anymore.
He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe I'm not what my fans want..." the young tiger whispered before standing from the table and leaving the kitchen.
It was an abrupt exit, that much was certain, and he hadn't really even given Izzy any sort of head's up. But the man was on a mission now, damn it.
He walked quickly, going down the stairs toward the basement. But instead of heading towards the bedroom... Narcissus found himself in his own little studio.
They had an hour til they needed to leave. Which meant he had half an hour to get what he needed together.
The fans and the critics didn't want him... he'd just been deceiving himself all this time. They wanted Narcissus... not Koyasu Akihiko.
They'd never wanted him...
Was he angry?
Yes.
Could he fix this?
Probably.
Did he want to fix it?
Not really...
Fingers flew over the computer console which was embedded into the soundboard. In seconds he had everything programmed properly and the studio filled itself with older music...
Music he had promised to re-record this month...
He sent a copy of the song to his own cell phone, then forwarded that along with the notes and sheet music to Yammi's phone. One song. One dance. One moment to be Narcissus before his fans judged his soul once more.
"No need to pay? Really?" Naoko asked, staring at the receptionist as if they were crazy.
This really didn't make sense... after all, Oreo had said he'd need a pretty penny to visit often.
"May I ask why there's no need to pay?" he ventured before following the new gentleman down the hall.
Familiar surroundings were nice at least, and he took the menu, looking over it quickly. "Mmmmm... hot sake and..." the blond tilted his head, as his amber eyes scanned the menu. "Something sweet... do you have manjuu?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:02 pm
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:- Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
When Akihiko walked out, Izzy hollered down the hall. "Don't rush off without thinking things through again! That was only one critic!" But then the man was gone and Izzy sat there alone at the table. Izzy was frustrated because he knew that Akihiko wasn't confident in himself. And that was what was missing. Not Narcissus. Yesterday, the man was tired. But his music was great. Izzy really thought the album would be a success.
Slowly, he got up from the chair and walked off to get a shower. No use trying to talk to Akihiko when he was crazy like this because he doubted that the man would listen. And...they were wrong about the music. The band was really on last night. And Ko at the keyboard was astounding. Actually, Izzy was more afraid that tonight's keyboardist might have a hard time playing as well. They hadn't really thought of that problem either when they let Ko play.
So Izzy cleaned up and put on his sweats. He wasn't dressing up since he knew he'd be slipping into whatever Nikki had for him tonight. He'd wait and talk to Akihiko in the car. When he could drive and think....and make Akihiko think.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail!
"No sir. Yes, sir." answered the receptionist to each question as he was asked. Then as he punched in a note for Oreo, he looked up from the display, "The management has upgraded your status to special services. I have no further information than that, sir." Was the only response the receptionist could offer.
"Hot Sake...Ok...and mm...we have...mm... " The guide pulled out a small tablet and searched through a list, "Tonight, traditional red bean, chocolate cream and green tea. They are made by a bakery nearby and delivered daily so they should be quite fresh. Which would you prefer? And how many?"
Meanwhile below, Oreo hurriedly dressed in something more appropriate from his rack of clothes. Naoko was here now? He hadn't expected it but he had received a notice from Soto about telling the young man he looked gorgeous as a girl. Seriously? Well, ok...sure he did look good as a girlish man but he was still a man. However, Oreo would do as the boss asked.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:11 pm
"A dozen, half green tea, half anko." Naoko replied, handing the man the menu.
Once he was alone again, the pianist walked around the room, slowly taking off his gloves one finger at a time as he stepped. Everything looked the same... hell it even smelled the same.
Inspiration...
He needed it... craved it... and for Naoko there were only two ways to get it.
A sensual encounter or heartbreak.
Right now the former simply sounded much better.
Luckily, Akihiko had showered the night before. He dressed quickly. Nothing spectacular really... just comfortable white boot-cut jeans with a jet black long-sleeved shirt and matching white short boots.
In fact, by the time Izzy was upstairs and ready to go, Narcissus was ascending the steps and pocketing his cell phone both at the same time. A pair of shades were in his hand and he smiled to his partner.
"Ready?" the young tiger asked.
Yes he seemed perfectly normal... which he was... for the most part. That half hour down in the studio he'd been running over the PV choreography so that his performance tonight would be dead on.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:34 pm
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:- Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
"Yes, ready." Izzy answered as he grabbed the keys and headed out to the car in the garage. Once it was started and they were on their way, Izzy finally said, "They do want you." He let those words sink in for a second before continuing, "Don't go changing your whole show on one critic. I know you're sensitive lately about yourself and how the public sees you. And I know you want to be seen as you are. Just be you...and be happy with the you that you are. Don't alter that vision you had just because one critic on TV was making noise."
Izzy tried to be honest because he knew that Akihiko had gone through a lot when he made that album. It should be shared with the world as Akihiko intended not as Narcissus but as himself. "And, now that last night is over I realized it probably was a bad idea putting Shou as the act before yours. Why? Because Narcissus is his rival. Not you. That critic didn't even see you...Koyasu Akihiko. He only saw Narcissus because that is who they expected to play after...Shou. They didn't expect Koyasu Akihiko. But tonight Shou isn't on stage, so let them really see Koyasu Akihiko tonight."
He sighed because they had to piece together the whole event from scratch that day. Even if it made money, he had never meant to put Akihiko at such a disadvantage. But...in some ways, he knew that the young tiger wanted to compete with proud peacock. Akihiko and Narcissus wanted that lime light. Wanted to be a show stopper. Shou had an advantage right now because the tiger had several set backs.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail!
Oreo slipped into the room, nine minutes from the time he had been notified. The drinks hadn't arrived yet because the order has just been placed moments before. But he smiled when he saw Naoko, "I didn't expect you'd be back so soon." Truly, he had thought that Naoko was going to do a few gigs before returning to him. But this wasn't a bad thing at all.
"But....I'm glad you returned." His fingers gently closed the door with a click but he did notice the small sign on the door handle. "I see we are waiting for a few goodies?" Oreo strode nearer and slide a hand over Naoko's shoulder, "So how have you been? I didn't buzz you too much did I?" he teased with a wink. "Would you like me to turn on the fireplace tonight?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:46 pm
Getting into the car and fastening the seat belt, Akihiko didn't say anything... and it was hard to tell what he was thinking behind his sun glasses too.
Then... he clicked his tongue on his teeth. "I'm not changing my whole show, Ruki. I'm adding a dance number. Just to 'spice' things up. The other songs will be performed like they should be... only I'll be keeping the crowd worked up before then." the young tiger sighed softly. "Besides... I'm re-recording this song next week anyway. Best go ahead and promote it."
Lithe fingers reached up to moved his glasses out of the way and give Izzy a stern blue-eyed look. "You did what you thought was best. It was best. But it showed me that I've short comings. Shou is more a rival than I want to admit..."
'And when they said the fans liked you and him on stage together...' the musician thought to himself before getting comfortable in the passenger's seat again.
"I already sent the music and the sheet music to Yammi. If he can't do it then I'll have the music pre-recorded and have Jaz play it from his end."
A slight smile came to Naoko's face as he turned to see Oreo slip into the room. "Yes we are... I haven't eaten today and... the fireplace would be nice I think."
His lithe fingers ghosted over Oreo's hand on his shoulder before the man began to shrug out of his coat and scarf. "No, you didn't buzz too much. Besides, I was at home all day yesterday. As for how I am... better than I was when you first met me I think." the blond added with a wink as he walked over to where the fireplace was, sitting down in front of it but a little off to the side so he didn't get too warm. "How are you, Oreo-san? I have to say I'm surprised that I didn't have to pay to see you. Any idea what that's about?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:44 pm
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:- Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
Izzy nodded taking in the comments and really he wasn't sure how much of this was Akihiko bowing to pressure, or the rivalry. "Everyone has short comings. I just want to make sure you're doing this song for the right reasons and not jumping into this because of what the critic said."
Glancing in the mirror as he drove, Izzy wished he could just let his mind wander and drive but he was thinking about tonight's performance. "Are you still want me to do the cover of your song this evening? Will it work with what you've got planned? I'm sort of worried about the keyboardist tonight being that Ko's performance was...mm..exceptional."
-------
Meanwhile Yammi got music and sheet music. "What the heck!?" The guitarist dragged himself upright from his bed and groaned then looked at the time. "Man...frigging thinks I'm going to whip this out..." He stood up and scratched his butt then headed to the bathroom. "This is crap is going to take awhile." he muttered and grabbed a guitar along the way before plunking his butt on the toilet and slamming the door closed with a foot.
Yammi was a grouch in the morning and his ribs felt just as raw. He had two more nights to go. Fortunately the pain meds let him sleep. So he sat there on the john and grabbed a bud out of the ash tray before hefting the guitar into his lap. As he looked over at the phone on the bathroom counter, he grumbled and started to strum.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail!
"Well hopefully you order something good to eat then. Mm...did you know that they have a seafood chowder on the menu that is excellent? I think it's my favorite thing on the whole menu. At least, when I get a chance to taste some." If Oreo had his way, he'd probably eat that chowder until he couldn't stand it anymore. It wasn't always on the menu though, and Oreo guessed it was because the chef was only on certain nights.
Oreo smiled at that slight touch before walking toward the fireplace. "I'm glad you're in a better head space." He grabbed the remote nearby and hit a button. The fireplace began to glow cheerfully and Oreo set the remote aside as he sat down near Naoko. "Maybe the new year is a complete new beginning for you, ne?"
"As for me, I'm doing well. I got to sleep in yesterday so I'm feeling pretty good." Oreo would have rather have been in a better warmer bed in his own apartment somewhere else for that sleep but...it was what it was. Having Naoko return made his day brighter so that was a small bonus mixed with the clients that would be later tonight. "Really? Mm...No I've not heard anything about it yet." He'd ask Soto later to be sure but as for now he didn't have a clue.
"But I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth." he chuckled and stretched his feet out before the fire. "Even if they made a mistake they won't charge you for it because it's their error. So just enjoy..." That meant he'd get a bonus Naoko visit if there was one for free in the mix. Seriously good deal for Oreo.
"So...tell me...what sort of fantasy are you looking for today?" asked Oreo as one foot ran along the edge of Naoko's.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:30 pm
"Fantasy ka..." Naoko said the words slowly, a slight sigh escaping him as he did so. "I didn't come here with a fantasy, Oreo-san. I came here to enjoy lunch with you... and if you want seafood chowder then when my dessert, because yes I'm having dessert for lunch, gets here... we can order some of that too." the blond spoke with a smile.
He leaned slightly so that his shoulder brushed Oreo's own. "Is that a bad thing? Coming to see you without wanting anything in return? "
"Short comings?" Akihiko looked at Izzy quickly when the man said that. "I don't have any shortcomings when it comes to my music, Izzy. Shortcomings when it comes to putting together a set, yes... but not my music."
Ah... a telltale drop of his pet name for the man.
Lithe fingers tapped on the door arm rest in annoyance as he continued. "I'm not 'jumping' into anything I haven't done before and yes I'm doing it because that damned critic said it. But I'm also doing it because I noticed the tempo lack last night. I put that set together for YOU. You've heard it. Now I can change it up a bit... even if my guitarist kills me for it." Narcissus replied with a slight sigh, staring out the passenger window as his partner drove. "I'll help you with your cover. I already promised to. The people at the show tonight, more likely than not, won't have seen last night's so our keyboardist will be just fine."
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:35 am
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:- Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
"Look you said short comings. And Everyone does have them. I didn't specify where you had yours. But you already seemed to have guessed one." Izzy's fingers tapped lightly on the wheel as he hit the gas on to the highway. Oh he was a little annoyed by Akihiko's attitude with him.
However, he tried to keep his temper in check as he move into the fast land toward the city. "And I loved all of it.." His voice softened just a little. Yes, he had loved every heart wrenching moment of it. But even Izzy said last night that the fans might have needed a break from the emotional waves.
"Yammi is going to be pissed I'm sure. He's not written you back a text has he?" Izzy glanced in the review mirror then scooted around a slower car wishing he could just drive the day away.
"Yeah...so when do you want to do that? During your set? During mine? I mean you're suppose to come out as the big act so helping me on my act kind of might douse some of your grand entrance." mentioned Izzy wishing this car was a convertible and it was warmer. He'd love to feel the wind through his hair. Although...right now that could be painful with all the extensions and braids. Oof.. never mind.
"True, they'll have only seen clips and maybe come again to the club if they are hard core fans. Mm...look at your phone and check your twitter feed. See if you've got fans talking about the show? See how many new followers you have. Or check out Shou's feed. He's got so many followers...I'm sure that they are telling him a lot about last night's show. But either way, maybe you should hear what the fans are saying..." Izzy thought that having a glance over the real people listening to his music might give Akihiko better motivations and ideas than just one critic.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail!
"Oh...just lunch." Oreo smiled and then put his hand over Naoko's, "I'd enjoy that. Not often I get to spend a lunch and just relax with someone. Usually clients come here with other things in mind." He tilted his head wondering if Naoko was just lonely. Maybe the world outside had given the young man way to many heartbreaks.
"Oh....dessert eh? For lunch?" he laughed heartily and looked up at the ceiling. "You're going to be hyper...." His smile was broad and he chuckled a bit more, "But I'll take a bowl of that seafood chowder and show you how tasty it is."
Tilting his head toward Naoko face that was so close "No...it's not a bad thing. Probably a more normal thing to do than you might think. I enjoy your company....and I'm glad you enjoy mine." Then he leaned in just enough to give Naoko a kiss right at the edge of his eye. "Being human and just wanting to talk is fine with me...."
As he spoke there was a knock at the door, "Please come in," Oreo called out and the same young guide walked in with the order. He placed a tray with hot sake and two cups to the right of Naoko then small platter of twelve round and leaf shaped manjuu. They smelled fresh.
"Is there anything else you'd like before I leave?" asked the guide as he placed napkins beside the manjuu.
Oreo didn't say anything because he wasn't the customer.
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 12:01 pm
Naoko nodded to the guide. "Also a bowl of your seafood chowder." he added, taking the sake bottle in hand and carefully pouring into the two small cups. "Probably another of these as well." the pianist added, indicating the sake bottle.
When the man was gone once more, Naoko smiled to Oreo, offering him one of the cups before nudging the manjuu plate closer to him as well. "I won't be hyper... not like it's a big piece of chocolate fudge cake or anything." he laughed, taking one of the anko manjuu for himself and biting into it.
"Mmmm... oishii... and still warm too." suddenly the blond's stomach growled and Naoko laughed at himself. "Oops... guess I really am hungry."
He finished off that manjuu before taking a sip of sake to wash it down. His amber gaze fell on Oreo again and the man shrugged slightly. "Glad it's not a bad thing then. Mmm... guess I'm a bit odder than your normal clients... but then again if I came here every time just for that... well... I'd feel like I was using you and that's not fair to you, Oreo-san."
"No, he hasn't sent me a text back." Akihiko replied, pulling his phone from his pants pocket. The musician's fingers were quick on the touch pad... and then he gasped slightly.
"Sugoi... I didn't even announce I had a twitter and there are already thousands of people..." Narcissus whispered, scrolling through some of the messages.
"Okay so one says 'You weren't yourself last night.' another says 'You sounded so sad, Narcissus-san.' and another says 'Will you sing something we can dance crazy to?'." Akihiko sighed softly, scrolling through. "They're all saying it was too sad and that they want to dance and that... well that they hope I'm okay. Some asked why I didn't tweet from the hospital... others wonder about Ko... But none of them say they liked the music..."
This only served to piss him off more and the young tiger dropped the phone into his lap. "They're only fans. They don't understand. Critics don't understand. I'm not making music for any of them! I make it for myself, because I want to, because I like it or I feel something that I just need to express. But I haven't had reviews this poor since starting out..."
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 12:38 pm
What a shock, it was so surprising,
You looked so small and frail------------------------------------------------}:- Izzy Lucky
At times life can be so enlightening .uoy no nrut nac ti tuB
"Then your fans probably wonder if that is really you or someone pretending to be you. Since you've not tweeted to them. Or shown them an unseen photo of you as proof. You can take a picture of us driving to the club and throw it on twitter. That probably will give them enough to know." Izzy said then listened to Akihiko's comments from the fans.
"No...they do understand...that's why they are concerned. They heard your sadness but....at the club it's harder to express the story on that stage. We really need Shou's beach...he used for Undecided for your storytelling. I think that was what was missing last night. The difference between you and Shou. He took the two stages and quickly brought it to life for a story with even the limited set. He totally took the minimal kabuki theater idea to concept in the space. We need something for this group of songs beyond a dance number thrown in the center to bring the same wow factor."
Izzy shook his head as he changed lanes again, "If you're not making the music for any of them, then why bother to go on stage? You wouldn't need to share it with anyone if that were the case. Yes, you're making this music for yourself, but you also decided to share that music with the world. So in that way you are making it for them too. You want them to connect with it and hear your emotion. If you didn't give a rat's a** about how they felt, then you wouldn't be adding this dance number. So....you are making it in part for them, even if the songs were meant for me."
"And well, after tonight, I think your reviews will be better. But, not because you added a dance number. But because you'd had sleep, time to think about what you're doing, and more time to prepare." his words were thoughtful but they did contain a bit of an edge. He was slightly irritated with Akihiko's words.
It was then Izzy glanced over at Akihiko with firm brown eyes. "And...I'll tell you this...they are not only fans. They are mothers, daughters...men, boys....all of them feel pain and love and joy. They work just as hard as you in day to day life. They understand more than you think. For once, I think I agree with Hiroki-san words several months past. You need to get closer to everyday people. Maybe you should go to one of his charity functions and help out." The young buck was firm when he felt he was right. Akihiko was placing these people on a lower level than himself. and he really didn't like that. Akihiko needed to connect with the every day world.
-:{------------------------------------------------I didn't know what to do
I grabbed the tiger by the tail!
The guide left with the new order leaving Naoko and Oreo alone. "Well it's still 12 of these. Ok...maybe one less than 12..." Oreo snagged a manjuu and took a quick bite. "Mmm....they are fresh. This one is red bean. Yum."
Of course Oreo hadn't but swallowed when Naoko's tummy growled. He laughed and then said firmly, "You are having some of the chowder. No way is that tummy going to be satisfied on all these sweets." Of course, Oreo was happy to eat real food. Not the stuff from downstairs. After a couple days of good things, it was hard to just go back to the same old rice, beans and occasional meat. However, being on the second floor gave him close access to the sushi floor. Sometimes he could snag real sushi from the rooms. It wasn't often but the leftovers were there. Oreo was actually looking forward to the kitchen opening. He hoped that they'd get real meals soon....Soto said there would be better food. And Oreo missed good fish.
"It's ok to be odd. I kind of like a bit of different in my life." said Oreo as he took another bite of the manjuu. "Well, you're not really using me, most come here for a service...and I suppose that could be considered using me if I didn't like the person I was with to some degree. But you're a really cutey. And I enjoyed our last encounter. I'm enjoying this too. It's been awhile since I've just hung out and talked."
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 1:03 pm
Sighing, Akihiko put a half smile on his face, made a peace sign, and took a picture of himself with his smartphone camera. Not long later it was posted to twitter with a quick message.
クラブに行く途中で~! 今夜は私を見に来てください! ~ <3
"I wouldn't be a very good musician if I kept all my songs to myself. I also wouldn't make any money." the musician replied, closing his eyes and letting the phone fall into his lap.
But something Izzy said...
Again the phone was in hand and he was sending a text to Yuuji as quickly as possible.
What it said however...
'I want a beach. Make one.'
A few seconds later the phone rang...
"Yuuji, I..."
"HELL NO!"
Akihiko winced. "Oi... too loud. I want a beach. It isn't that hard. Sand and water and..."
"At a club? Are you insane? Where will the band stand? How the hell am I supposed to make this? I don't have the resources on hand this short notice!"
The musician sighed, "Lots of sand bags. We can dump them and clean up afterwards. As for the water... hmm.... a projection screen of waves. A screen as the backdrop will be a lot better than just projecting. Make it happen."
There was silence for a few minutes...
"This has to do with the reviews doesn't it?"
"Just make it happen, Yuuji." Akihiko added before hanging up and glancing at Izzy. "Everyday people? Just..." he waved a hand at his partner's comment, shaking his head in annoyance... but the young man didn't say anything else.
He didn't want to socialize with everyday people because it'd just be an annoyance. They would end up swarming him or chattering away idly and he'd end up back at home with a headache and in need of a stiff drink.
"Sorry if my walls are a little too tall for 'everyday people' to scale." Akihiko said sarcastically.
Naoko smiled slightly, "Good then." the blond spoke, placing a soft quick kiss to the tip of Oreo's nose. "But fine fine I'll eat some chowder. Guess I didn't realize how hungry I really was... then again..." he picked up another manjuu, this one green tea, before munching on it. "Mmmm well I have to say I'm a bit of different." Naoko laughed. "But... well yeah you provide a service for a fee but it's still using you. Hell even right now I'm using you just... not in an exploitation sort of way, I'd think." the pianist blushed slightly at being called a cutey. "I don't really have anyone to just hang out with and talk to. I mean there's my boss but he's busy right now... and there's my brother but he's hardly ever around. Guess I just figured you might make an interesting friend."
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