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"Oh, dear. I'm sorry; I pretty much bludgeoned you with my questions! I have the habit of doing that; I'm too cheerful for my own good." He chuckled apologetically and checked the time on the large grandfather clock next to the counter. "Well, it's almost three now. As soon as you're ready, we should start heading over to the Hyacinth. There's no telling how many people there'll be; sometimes it's jam-packed, other times it's a desolate wasteland."

Verdant drank the rest of his iced tea and sighed contentedly. This girl... she was a writer who preferred to keep her identity hidden from the public- or that's what he assumed, at least. "If you don't mind my asking, Ellandra, is there a song that you're quite fond of?"

Verdant smiled warmly at Ellandra. "If it's any consolation, you are doing a magnificent job. I mean it, too, 'cos you'd get nowhere if I liead, right? I must admit, it is a bit of a shame that you can't think of a song, though. I was hoping I could sing it for you, but perhaps this'll be a better taste of what you're in for at the performance."

Verdant rose out of his seat and headed towards a jukebox that was spray painted a metallic black. He popped in some change and searched for the song he wanted. He beamed as he found it and made his selection. He grabbed the café owner by her gloved hand and held her close, like they were going to dance or something. Suddenly, the symphonic sound of guitars and synthesizers flowed from the speakers that were hidden and riddled throughout the shop. Verdant backed away from the owner, her hands still in his as the music's tempo sped up and more guitars emerged.

"Here you go, Ellandra; this is one of my favorite songs!" The music pulsed once and entered the first verse. He and the lady began to waltz as Verdant's voice rang clear over music.



The two of them glided across the room as gracefully as swans across a lake. His voice was masculine during that first verse, but did a total 180 as the next verse came up.



Again, his voice changed to masculine as the third verse arrived.



As one would expect, the fourth verse required a woman's voice and that was exactly what Verdant delivered.

As a world without a glance
Of the ocean's fair expanse,
Such the world would be
If no love did flow in thee!
But as my heart is occupied,
Your love to me now has to die!
Forgive me, I need more than you can offer me!

The song ended and both Verdant and the café owner bowed to Ellandra as the music faded away.

"So, what did you think? Be honest, too! I won't get better if you don't tell where I need work."

"I am sincerely touched by your compliment, Ellandra. I'm glad you enjoyed this sneak peek." Verdant smiled, his blooms releasing more of their fragrance as his happiness skyrocketed. "I'm also glad I could make you smile; you really should do so more often."

The grandfather clock began to chime, making Verdant begin to worry. "Ah, it's already half past three! Come now, Ellandra, or I'll be late for my own performance!" He managed to place money in the café owners hand and apologized for the abrupt leave. She merely smiled and wished the two of them good luck before they high-taield it out of there.

Verdant was running as quickly as he could without leaving Ellandra behind. He looked back and slowed his pace when he saw how out of breath she was. In their hurry, Verdant pointed to a beautifully-decorated building; it looked a lot like a club, only far more somber and macabre.

"That's the Hyacinth! We're almost there!"

There was another reason he needed to get to Apollo's Hyacinth as fast as possible: Blessed Ambivalence, his arch-nemesis of a band, was playing first and he desperately wanted to see how poorly they did. Plus... his outfit was getting sweaty and he was in dire need of a change fo clothes.

"I'm... I'm pretty sure.... you've never been here," Verdant gasped as they entered the somber building, "but... but don't worry. People here are... nice to newcomers, espe-especially if they have... an love of music..."

Verdant led Ellandra through the crowd of strangely-garbed people towards a table right in front of the stage. Everyone stared at her clothes and smiled, surprised that someone dressed like her would be here. This was so not her scene, but they really were nice; she was a pleasant surprise for them, to be quite honest. Everyone here had their own reason for seeking their refuge here: outcasts of society, estrangement from friends and family, a longing to belong. Here, in this dark and gloomy venue, they could come together and feel like they mattered, like they fit in. The quiet gained the confidence to speak up, the recluse began to socialize, and the artists were overwhelmed by inspiration. This is what Verdant wanted people to witness for themselves, this was the reason he'd endured the wilting heat, and, he just now realized, this was the reason Ellandra needed to come tonight.

They finally sat down and rested to catch their breaths. "So, though you've only been in here a minute or two, what do you think?"

Verdant checkled to himself as he watched Ellandra get comfortable. "You needn't worry so much. Believe me, you're attracting far less attention than most people here." He pointed to an elf with a flamboyant blue mohawk and facepaint resembling a baboon. He had metal strung about him like crazy and he even had his toungue slit to look like a snake's. "See what I mean?" Verdant asked with a bit of a grimace; he wasn't a fan of so many piercings and the elf was wearing those weird belted, buckled, and zippered pants that seemed to be the latest rage amongst teens these days.

"Anyways, it is nice in here. You really become part of this atmosphere, you know? Just wait until the music starts, then you-"

A loud guitar screech that made skin crawl and paint peel off the walls interrupted him. Verdant's smiling face grew grim; there could only be one person in Vargash who could make something beautiful like a guitar become a weapon of mass annoyance.

"That would be the worst band this side of the city," Verdant hissed menacingly as the lead singer purposely kicked at Verdant's chair. "There is no greater travesty than when pop music mated with alternative rock and gave birth to them."

On stage were four human men dressed in the heigth of scene kid fashion: torn skinny jeans hanging off their non-existent butts, skater kicks that were far too small for someone of Verdant's stature, and hoodies with the names of pop bands that were either pretentious and tried too hard or were lousy and didn't try hard enough.

"We are Blessed Ambivalence!" exclaimed the lead singer as the other band members started taking their shirts off.

Verdant leaned in to Ellandra and whispered, "It's their gimmick: fan service, then lousy covers of great songs. Don't make eye contact with them; they'll think you're infatuated with one of them."

Verdant doubled over in laughter, nearly falling out of his seat with the force of his guffaws.

"That's hilarious!," he cried between laughs. The lead singer looked down at Verdant and scowled before kicking at his seat again. Verdant continued laughing, though there was a certain edge to it this time around. "You wouldn't believe the things I've gone through because of this moron. I used to be a part of a band before he showed up and stole my guitarist, bassist, and drummer. It was just me all on my lonesome, so I had to learn how to play their instruments. Now I can play drums, bass, and even guitar! It certainly wouldn't hurt to have another person, though nobody's come close to playing like we used to."

Verdant shook his head and sadly smiled at Ellandra. "I'm doing pretty well on my own, but I realized that I'd lost people I thought of as friends. They were very dear to me, but they hurt me quite badly. Despite all that, I feel like I'm the one who should apologize for not fighting harder to keep them with me. You know where I'm coming from, don't you?"

Verdant began blooming again as he noticed the sparkles in the corners of his eyes. He smiled warmly and looked her right in the eye. "My luck with friends has already changed thanks to you, Ellandra. You're shy and timid, but honest, modest, and sincere as well. Those three traits resonate louder than the shrillest and most agonized of my screams onstage. Oh, and do call me Verdant. Mr. Lindstrom is far too formal for me."

Finally, after what had to have been an eternity, Blessed Ambivalence left the stage, but not before tossing their T-shirts into the crowd. The drummer's shirt, which had already been thoroughly soaked with gin and sweat, landed right on top of Verdant's head. "Oh, son of a-!"

Verdant stared at Ellandra with a bright sparkle of admiration in his eyes as he heard the drummer stumble and fall onto the bassist.

"You are the single coolest girl I have EVER met! Hell, you should be trying out for some sports with an arm like that!" He turned to look at the drummer, who was trying to figure out who threw his shirt back. Everyone in the audience pointed to a different person, thoroughly confusing the already-dazed musician. He scowled and retreated to the dressing rooms with the rest of the band. Verdant smiled victoriously, but nearly started crying when he got a whiff of himself.

"Ugh, this smell hurts worse than a hangover! Peter, Paul and Mary, this is a bloody nightmare! Come on, let's go; I need a hot shower, stat!"

Verdant grabbed Ellandra's trembling fist with one hand as he pinched his nose with the other, leading her towards the dressign room they'd reserved just for him.