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There were a lot of things Lazarus Klein had learned about his long-lost self, Eli Bell. He'd learned several favorite wines -- his waist size, inseam, collar and sleeve length -- and one or two songs guaranteed to get stuck in his head if they weren't assiduously avoided. He'd gotten a good idea of what kind of music he liked, too; that had been easy.

Lazarus wasn't here to discover whether or not he liked Luna Bay's music, though. If that had been all it was, he could've saved himself the trouble and expense of a ticket. He was here because facebook told him that Eli Bell had known some of the members of Day15, one of the opening acts -- and he wanted to see those people for himself.

And they were doing two dollar shots and three dollar beers for the next half hour. That was also a compelling reason.

Lazarus had just tipped back another shot. The room was starting to pile up with people waiting for the concert -- he was getting sweaty from the stale air already. He grabbed the t-shirt that was looped around his neck -- a ridiculous blue tee with a sideways arrow and the words THAT'S MY LUNA BAE heart on it in red letters -- and wiped the sides of his face with it. They'd been shooting merchandise out of one of those big slingshot cannons earlier -- Lazarus was planning on using his new tee as a backup shirt in the event he got so smashed that he started spilling drinks on himself and had to change out of his black tank. He reminded himself to be sure and toss it in a dumpster before he got home: there were things it was better not to tempt Stroud with, and the Luna Bae shirt was probably one of them.

"Hey, toss another shot of Russian Standard my way when you get a chance, if you would?" Lazarus called over to the nearest bartender.

A half hour was not a long time. He had to be efficient.

Chris, in preparation for that night, had not bothered to shave in a couple days. He hated not shaving, but going out in public often meant he could potentially be recognized for his performance on the ball-field. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but although he would never admit it, Chris was much more of an introvert than his wife.

“That’s fine,” he agreed, already thinking everyone was too loud, but Paris was right in that they needed to get out of the house more. Going out to a public event was good for them, especially if it could distract them both. As for his outfit, he wore a simple teeshirt and jeans, hoping his casual dress was enough to keep himself from being so easily recognized.

Whatever Rene thought he was doing, Chris hoped he didn’t do it often. At the feel of Paris tense beside him, Chris pulled back enough to locate the threat. “Damn it, Rene,” he hissed in surprise, shaking his head in exasperation. “Don’t do that…” It probably wasn’t Paris he had to worry about hitting him, what with how easily put on edge Chris was these days.

“You cut your hair,” he lamely observed, before shaking his head once more and checking to make sure Paris hadn’t had a heart attack.

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Michael shrugged, not knowing what to think as he found himself at some concert with Marissa. Thankfully, after everything that had happened, things weren’t super awkward between them. It was all more or less the same, even if he wasn’t able to hide how miserable he was as easily as before. But there wasn’t anything he could really do about it, and was just glad he had something else to do other than wallow in self-pity and whatnot.

“Me neither,” he agreed, not sure what was so great about this band, but apparently everyone was getting ready to throw their panties on the stage. He hadn’t had many opportunities to go to concerts, what with being in the Navy right out of high school, but he supposed they were okay. “As long as there’s beer, I don’t care how they sound,” he admitted, taking a swig of the bottle he was currently working on.

Ilian wasn’t entirely sure why he’d agreed to come to this concert-- oh, except it had been his idea. He’d heard of this band that was playing and heard that the keyboardist was pretty good, and he wanted to of course see what a concert was all about. This was his first one, after all. His invitation for Haven and Lovely to come along, well. She seemed like a nice girl, and apparently it made Lovely angry that all the attention wasn’t on him. Which was excellent.

“Never heard of them, actually. But you look really nice,” he flashed her a winning smile, able to catch a glimpse of Lovely out of the corner of his eye and internally laughing to himself. “This is my first concert,” he admitted with a grin and a small shrug as they made their way through the crowd. “What about you? Do you like them?” Despite what everyone apparently thought about him, he wasn’t a horrible person. Or so he figured. At least he could have a civilized conversation. “Does that guy behind us know you?” he added, glancing over his shoulder at the mousey haired kid who looked like he was having an anxiety attack or something.

Peter had surprised himself when he asked a girl he’d just met out to a concert with him. He figured it was better than going alone, and he was getting older. It was probably time to start checking out the playing field, or something like that. His wardrobe for the night consisted of jeans and Star Trek themed tee-shirt that read ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’. Nerdy? Probably, but did he care? No. He was a little disappointed that he would soon be too big to fit into the shirt, as he’d had it for years. But he supposed he could always just get a new one. Not as awesome, though.



He paused in walking to text her back, but there probably wasn’t any point as he was close to where they’d agreed to meet anyway. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t know if you wanted water or soda,” he explained, hold up both the can and the bottle for her to pick. “Did you want to get anything to eat first? I don’t know how long it’ll be before they start,” he added, wondering what the proper protocol for dates was. He’d received some ‘tips’ from Michael, but he wasn’t exactly sure how to apply them correctly.

Anthony Darrow was pretty sure his wife hated him. Why else would she drag him to a very loud, closed in space with way too many kids and teenagers assembled, and where he was pretty sure he was the oldest person in the room?

Again.

He looked at Kyndall and frowned at her, looking like a small child with the way he was pouting. He had his arms shoved into the pockets of his pants, though he had managed to dress himself reasonably casually for the event. None of his usual, library-chic attire.

Or at least, he hadn't worn a tie or a vest of any kind, and that was a pretty big step for him. Generally, the only other thing he wore was armor. That did not seem any more appropriate, though, so he went with a pair of jeans he kept for occasions like this, a simple shirt and his old, well worn leather jacket. Brown, lighter around the elbows and lapels, well broken in but much more comfortable for it.

He needed all the synthetic comfort he could get, as he was so far out of his element here, he doubted he would be able to un-tense his shoulders for a week after he got home. Which was also probably how long it would take to get the ringing out of his ears.

If he were a bit more honest with himself, he would remember his much more wild youth, where things like this had been common place. Not for the last twenty or so years, of course, but... well. He had grown a lot since then.

"Honey, why did you want to come to this, again?"


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Nathan Darrow was here simply because he was getting a little too stifled by all the senshi stuff. He needed to remind himself that he was a young man, and he had the right to go out and have fun. Mostly at the expense of others. He could not really remember the last time he hung out with anyone, and that was pathetic.

Actually, he wasn't sure he was going to recognize anyone here, at all, and that was even more lame.

He was determined to make an effort, though, which in itself was odd for him. He used to stay away from parties like the plague, if only because he was way too cool for them, and never wanted to 'sink' to their levels. It was not until he grew up a bit more did he realize he only avoided them because he was too scared of being alone to risk it.

At least now he knew he was never alone. Though he could not bring her with him, as they did not know each other in their civilian lives, he had someone he cared for with all his heart, and that made him much more comfortable in his own skin.

So tonight, he was there to have fun. Beer already in hand, he was ready to relax. Spotting his father and step mother across the way, he made a quick bee line to the complete opposite end of the gathering.

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Chester Michael Riley had not actually meant to come, but ended up with a ticket at the behest of one of his employees at the Carnival. They had a habit of guilt tripping him, and though he stone-facedly said no to them and their begging at the time, it was all but decided that he would inevitably show up.

And here he was, dressed a bit too well for the occasion, and looking more like a bouncer or security guard than someone there to listen to any kind of music. He had not even gone over to the bar to get a drink, as there were far too many people.

He was used to crowds, but generally he had power over them. At his theme park, he was the ring master: he was in control, and he could hold himself aloof because he had to. Because he was protecting them, and ensuring they had a good time. He was doing his job. Tonight... not so much on any of those fronts.

Being in large groups made the beefy man feel small and uncomfortable. He was reminded that his acquaintance pool was very limited, and he could not even see any of the coworkers that had dragged him here. He was left to stand awkwardly on his own, tall and with his arms folded over his chest, but a decidedly worried look on his normally bland face.

Fish out of water.

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Samantha Whele was THE WORST with being social, but ever since becoming a senshi she had been infused with a ridiculous amount of confidence that she did not actually know what to do with. So she ended up at this concert, as she knew the band and liked the music well enough, and... well. Why not?

Why should she keep being the shy girl in the corner who did not talk to anyone because she was too busy studying?

Oh, because she forgot how to speak when she was surrounded by people. No, not just how to speak. The entire concept of language in general. Words became foreign and everything she heard became a thronging, thumbing mess of noise. She was already getting a head ache, feeling anxious and overwhelmed, and she had only just gotten there!

No, Samantha! You are going to make friends! You are going to enjoy yourself tonight! You are going to be a teenager.

She was more than just a student. She was more than just her books and her writing and her homework. As much as she adored all of that, she was ready to experience things her parents kept telling her to try: she wanted, for the first time, to hang out with others, and go to a party and have experiences.

Maybe she should have picked a smaller event for her first time out, though...

Shaking and looking like a chicken in a fox coop, she very quietly excused herself around every person she shuffled past, not lifting her eyes from the ground and not exactly sure where she was going. Maybe there was a bathroom she could hide in for the next few hours?

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There were a few things Painite still powered down for, but they were generally tied to hoping to power back up again. This concert, for example, seemed like the perfect place to steal a lot of energy, or at the very least make the kind of scene she loved so much.

How could she ever miss an opportunity like that?

Gently Ponsonby was on the scene, pretending to be there for some stupid reason relating to her past life as a reporter. She had a pencil in her ear, and a notebook in her purse. Her hair was lightly curled and bounced around her shoulders playfully, her bright, sea green eyes wide and eager. She smiled at everyone she passed, waving at anyone who seemed interested.

Actually, she rather forgot how much fun being a normal person could be, even if she was just playing a role now. She had no civilian life, not really, but only because she chose to live that way. She did what she had to do, to keep up a facade, and nothing else.

Tonight, she was definitely there for fun. She just was not sure, at the moment, what kind of fun that would be. She had a strong cocktail with her already, and realized, as she sipped at it, that she had not really had a lot of alcohol over the last few years.

Surely that would not become an issue tonight. Anyway, she was there to have fun.

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Grant Caudwell had absolutely no trouble slipping into the crowd and finding people to talk to. He was so outgoing and happy, even if he had never met the person before in his life, he always tried to feel like he was a long time friend. Or at least had the potential to be!

Who would want to shut themselves off from anyone? And at a big old party like this, with great music and a super jazzed atmosphere, at that! There was no reason for him to stay at home and hide any more.

He had found his new path, after all, and since he could now contribute to the world around him again, he was ready to rejoin the flow of society! Maybe things had not been that serious for him, but he was a very simple creature, who needed a purpose to his day to get through it. Being so relentlessly happy and helpful only took him far when he was able to do so for other people.

Since he had been left on his own so long... well. He lost a bit of his focus, his bright light. He had found a little of it again, though, and at least now he was ready to go out there and find more.

He did not drink, at least he was not aware if he did, but he was too busy being social to head that way, anyway. Instead, he fluttered around the crowd as everyone milled about, filing in to get a good spot, greeting and introducing himself to others as he went.

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Merlinite had not exactly been able to get a ticket to the show, and he doubted he would be able to get into the gathering with his wing and tail. And horns. And fangs. And claws. Even in the dark, it was kinda hard to miss all of those things, together.

The half youma instead decided to try and find a place where he could at least listen to the music, and sit in peace. There were plenty of dark corners, after all, and once everyone was gathered and the concert was underway he would be able to move and find a really good spot for himself.

He was getting better at sneaking around, and he was hoping that tonight would continue that trend. He was living a pretty comfortable life now, so he did not want to do anything to get himself in trouble now. Anyway, Camelot would probably be pretty mad at him if he scared any civilians or ruined the concert.

So he was being extra careful.

For now, he remained hidden down an alley along the way to the concert, watching the crowds moving by as they all hurried that way, the excitement in the air picking up with each passing, eager face. He was aching to get closer, but forced himself to wait.

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Bakery chef Barry Walker was also attending the concert, though he was not up to too much.

Maybe going alone to a concert wasn't the best idea, she hadn't even really heard of the band but her dad had managed to score her a ticket regardless. She needed to get out more aside from at night and looking for a job, he'd said. He worried about her need to push herself to be doing something now that she'd given up her previous dreams for reasons she'd never tell him.

Oh well. Might as well attempt to enjoy the night and maybe find a new band to fall in love with? Only time would tell.

If only she didn't feel so suddenly lonely not having someone to go with. At least she looked cute, decked out in her new favourite boots and the jacket her bestie in college had gotten her for her birthday. Here was to hoping she could find some one she knew in the crowd.

Raleigh was staring down at her cellphone, so she jumped slightly when she heard the 'Hey'- although his voice was familiar, apparently she was still subconsciously a little on edge. "Hi!" Her nerves seemed to float away with the strum of guitar strings as the roadies on stage tested out some equipment. She grinned at Peter and took the offered soda can, her eyes lighting up at the mention of food. "I'll never ever say no to gettin' something to eat!"

Unlike Peter, Raleigh absolutely refused to get dating tips from her older brother. In fact, she had made it a point not to tell him that she was meeting a boy at the concert because ugh her brother was totally the worst and she definitely didn't want him snooping around and embarrassing her.

Sliding up next to Peter, Raleigh casually looped her arm around his as if they'd known each other forever.

"Do you like Luna Bay? I've never been to a concert before but I listened to a bunch of their songs and think they're pretty sweet. There's so many people here! Oh hey, awesome shirt by the way!"

Nerdy was totally in right now! ...As far as the young girl knew. That's what all the older girls were saying, at least.

Emily didn't believe this. She was trying to work and cnvince Albert she listened, and here he was, on his date.

Wait, date? Emily blinked, tilting her head. First, it was clearly a date - the man was being awkward and in nice cothes. That was astounding alone. But he was on a date with Kaida.

Well.

A discreet cell phone photo and accompanying text of Dude guys I'm gonna do a thing later and Emily approached Albert cheerfully, after checking and smuggling things from her wallet before she walked over, grabbing his hand in both of hers.

"Dad! Nice to see you here with a lady finally! You didn't tell me you planned to score!" Emily beamed, letting go rapidly, taking a large step back.

"Far be it for me to get in the way. You two have agood time, text if you need something!"

And she disdappeared into the crowd, the revenge for her night on Valentines with Joseph delivered as she hoofed it, trying to avoid tripping on people.

"You look amazing, Erika." Trinity assured, patting her hair gently. "I promise."

At her question, the girl hummed, thinking.

"Enjoy the music. Some people sing along, dance, stand on the seatsd. I dance on my seat." Trinity grinned.

"Just let loose, Erika. Relaqx, enjoy. You deserve it."