pslplz | Trouble only knocks when no one else is home

Omi lifted his brow. Oh, so that was where he was playing. The invitation sounded interesting; he was curious to hear how those tunes from earlier sounded as part of a fully performed song. And Akaya seemed like a cool, good-looking guy. They hadn't talked much, but from what Omi had seen so far, he was confident, playful, laid back, and passionate about his music. He'd be stupid not to take Akaya up on the chance to get to know him better.

"Sure, sounds fun. What time?"

"9 o'clock. Skip the line. I'll let them know, at the door."

This could be interesting. Omi didn't look like the usual crowd that came to Akaya's concerts. Maybe this wasn't his sort of scene at all. But if he was game for it, Akaya was more than willing to open the door.

Skip the line, huh? Would that really work? Omi had never known that kind of privilege before, but then again, he'd never done much waiting in line to get into a club like The Black Cat either. What did they even wear at those kinds of clubs? And did he have anything resembling it in his closet. (Probably not.)

"Thanks... I'll be there. See you tonight," he said, and excused himself.

At twenty minutes to 9, Omi stood and boggled at the size of the line outside the club, extremely glad that he wouldn't be going to the back of it if all went well. He was also glad he'd done a bit of homework on the place in advance. He'd changed into a dark pair of slim-fitting jeans and matched it with a midriff and lightweight vest... not the best fit but he could have done worse.

After an uncertain look at the line of people, he approached the bouncer.

"Hi... my name's Honjou Omi. I'm supposed to be on the guest list, I think?"

The bouncer gave him a scrutinizing and slightly bemused look, took his ID and then stamped his hand with a different stamp than what the others were getting. A point in the direction of the band and the bouncer let him through the doors. Omi thanked him, slipping his way through the crowd towards the band.

The club was sold out again that night. The line was around the block well before the opening act was scheduled to come on. One day soon, maybe they would play at an even bigger venue, but Akaya rather liked the intimacy of the club, where you could mingle with the fans before the show, and drink with them later at the afterparty.

There was a glass bar lit up with neon lights where much of the band and their associates gathered, chatting and drinking before the show. Akaya stood among them, a glass in one hand and the other hand hooked on his jeans at the hip. He was dressed in his stage outfit, which wasn't really much different from his usual clothes, except 'punchier' as Hokuto might say. There were leather bands and buckles and zippers wrapped around his arms, a Celtic pendant around his neck, a chain accessory around his hip. And glitter. Hokuto insisted on it. It was in his hair, his face, his arms. He was also wearing eyeliner, which made his eyes look sharper and greener, somehow.

[ooc: sorry, I wanted to add more, but I'm falling asleep!]

The twenty minute buffer Omi gave himself was mostly a safeguard against unexpected hold-ups. Now that he was inside, he took another few of them to acclimate to the club: learning the layout, adjusting to the lighting and volume of the interior, and observing the other clubbers, most of whom paid little attention to him, a fact for which he was glad.

Once he had a feel for the place, he found Akaya at the bar. He was easy to spot given his stagewear, an ensemble that made him both match the majority of clubbers and stand out from them at the same time. He looked relaxed and not particularly engaged with anyone, making it a good time to greet him. Omi flashed his hand in a brief wave as he drew closer.

"Looks like I made it... you look good."

[ooc: no worries!]

From the crowd, a familiar face appeared. Akaya wasn't surprised to see him. (He usually had pretty good instincts about this sort of thing). Omi was looking a bit sleeker than earlier, with dark slim-fitted jeans that Akaya let his gaze linger on for a moment before he fixed upon his face.

"I know," he said with a smirk. "Drink?"

Edited 2016-04-01 01:57 (UTC)

That was pretty cocky. Akaya wore the attitude well, though. Omi moved in to conversational distance, giving him another lookover as he did.

"Sure. Sex on the Beach?"

Hey man, Akaya knew he looked good! And sure, he was probably somewhat cocky about it too, but it was that attitude that paired well with his occupation. He arched his eyebrow at the drink order. Sex on the beach was a cloyingly sweet cocktail. He wondered whether Omi had a raging sweet tooth or just liked to mask his alcohol with fruit juice. He leaned in to the bar to put the order in, and plucked the glass off when it was ready.

He offered the drink to Omi and clinked his own glass against it.

"Thanks for coming."

He smiled.

Edited 2016-04-01 02:33 (UTC)

Omi wasn't much of a drinker by and large. He enjoyed an occasional one, but they tended to be lighter drinks for celebratory purposes, like mimosas at weddings and champagne at New Year's. He'd tasted enough to know that alcohol was something of an acquired taste and, well, he hadn't quite acquired it yet. He'd never even gotten drunk, a fact that he found slightly embarrassing in present company. Cocktails seemed like the safest bet while he was out.

He returned Akaya's smile and took a sip.

"Thanks for the invitation. Do you play here often?"

"It's our local homebase, more or less," Akaya said with a shrug. The Black Cat was known for its support of indie groups. Many up-and-coming bands made their start here before breaking into the big-time.

"You've never been here before." It wasn't a question, really. Somehow, Omi made it obvious.

Caught! Okay, granted he did have a different look from most of the crowd there, but it was still awkward and somewhat embarrassing to be called on it. Omi stiffened and colored.

"S-so what if I haven't? That's okay, isn't it?"

The aim wasn't to make Omi embarrassed, so it surprised Akaya that his reaction was so awkward. He laughed, amused.

"Hey, you don't have to get all defensive! Did you think I was making fun of you?"

He was clearly going to need more alcohol.

It was lucky that Akaya rolled with it. After the fact, of course, Omi knew it hadn't been a very cool way to respond. Maybe he was feeling a bit too self-conscious. That wasn't like him. But then, he wasn't usually this far out of his element either.

"Sorry. I didn't think that... It is my first time in a club like this. But I'm glad to be here, and I'm looking forward to seeing you perform."

"First time! Well, we have to make a good impression then don't we, Akaya~?" Hokuto chimed in, completely uninvited to the conversation. She had overheard just the last bit of it and couldn't resist pushing in. After all, it was rather cute, this interaction between the baby of the band and his date (maybe?) She threw her arm affectionately over Akaya's shoulders and grinned.

"Perfect timing, like usual," Akaya said with a snort. Uh oh...a little sore about her and Nami skipping out on the repairs this afternoon?

"Of course. We should be backstage already. Unless you boys want another minute?" Hokuto winked at the awkward looking cutie.

Based on what she said, the new entrant must be a bandmate. And from the sound of it, Omi probably should not have spent that extra time beforehand acclimating. He'd barely gotten to see Akaya. Still a bit pink in the cheeks, he smiled and held up his palm.

"Ah, if you need to be backstage, I don't want to hold you up." An extra minute would have been nice, but responsibilities came first. He looked back at Akaya.

"Will I be able to see you after the show?"

"Stick around, and you will," Akaya said, ducking a little but not completely unable to avoid Hokuto's hand as it ruffled through his already-unruly hair.

Hokuto chuckled and walked off, no doubt to go find Nami and tell her all about Akaya's 'friend.'

"You gonna be okay by yourself out here?" Akaya said with a grin. This time, he was teasing.

Edited 2016-04-03 23:07 (UTC)

Sticking around shouldn't be a problem. Omi already planned to do that. He had to wonder what Akaya could even be teasingly warning him about though.

"Is there something I should be worried about?" He asked with a grin and wrinkled brow.

Omi was the one who was acting so embarrassed that he'd never been here before. It seemed like he was already over that awkwardness, though. Akaya shrugged.

"Nah. Guess you don't need me to hold your hand through it after all," he said, chuckling. "I'll see later."

And with that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd, making his way backstage to prep for the show.

The idea that Akaya thought he might need his hand held through the process of seeing a concert at a club was possibly even more embarrassing, but it was a quieter and more subtle kind, and one Omi easily hid when Akaya was already disappearing for backstage. After all, all he had to do this time was keep his mouth shut.

Under the glow of the spotlight was where Akaya felt the most in his element, and he looked it too. When they took to the stage to loud applause, he strode to the front like he owned the place. His chains and glitter shimmered under the light as he moved, shifting the guitar to his hip so he could reach for the microphone to greet the audience.

"Heya, Black Kitty," he said with an intimate smirk, like he were casually greeting a pal for a drink. The audience cheered enthusiastically.

"So thanks for coming tonight. We've got a hot set that's a little new, and a little old. ...Enjoy the show. And uh, you better move your asses." Because if their music was anything, it was rhythmic and infectious. Akaya winked and the show was off to a rousing start.

True to what he told Omi before, Nami was back on the synth, adding a new depth to their music that was sure to please. Especially for the longtime fans who knew what they had been missing when the equipment was out of order. At some point in the night, Akaya even gave a brief shoutout to the synth-fixer himself, and the room roared its approval. In all, the show was great success.

The crowd was still buzzed and hyped by the time Akaya was making his way back into the club from backstage. A sheen of sweat was on his skin, which still had the sparkle of glitter here and there. He held a half-empty bottle of water in one hand as he pushed his fussy curls from his face, scanning the crowd. A few fans gathered around him, making it difficult to find that particular face.

On a cognitive level, Omi had understood all along he'd been working with someone who sang and played music on a stage. It wasn't until Akaya actually took that stage that it clicked in place he was a rock star.

It would be easy to get swept up in the notion he'd been brushing shoulders with fame, but Omi was more interested in the man himself. The charisma and energy he brought to the stage, the ability he had to whip the crowd with apparent ease. The soul he put into his music, which might not be a perfect fit to Omi's usual tastes, but by show's end had him dancing and cheering along with everyone else.

The shoutout caused him to duck his head with a grin. No one knew who he was, of course, and no one paid him any attention personally, but hearing the appreciation from those hours of fighting the synth's codeboard, knowing it had made such a difference to these people and the band members that performed for them, he was glad he'd done it. Never mind the date he'd scored. And maybe it made him feel a little less out-of-place among the tattoos and pierced tongues. It was a voice of welcome to this world he'd never before ventured into.

When the show ended, Omi thought it best to place himself where Akaya had left him. That seemed the most logical place Akaya would look for him. His drink was long gone and he was feeling the slight buzz of alcohol, which also helped alleviate his earlier self-consciousness. He flagged Akaya with a raised arm to signal his location when he saw him nearer. The slight flush to his cheeks, damp bangs, and beaming grin gave away he hadn't just been sitting quietly in the back waiting for the show to end.

"That was pretty amazing! You're really talented," he told him by way of greeting.

Omi had looked somewhat doe-eyed and out of place earlier in the evening. When Akaya found him after the show, he seemed like he'd slipped right in, caught up in the flurry of the show and energy. It was a welcome sight, and somehow knowing that Akaya's performance had contributed to that glow on Omi's face made it even better. He fixed his eyes on him, as though there was no one else in the crowd.

"Thanks," he said with a smile, this time with less cockiness (but equal amounts of sincerity). Being admired for his looks was one thing, but knowing that his music had affected him was a different kind of high.

"We're headed to Eclipse, down the street. After party. You wanna come?"

Omi noticed the difference in attitude between the compliment to his appearance before and the compliment to his musical performance now. Though Akaya could pull off the cockiness, the simple appreciation served him well this time. Having one of each, Omi found both reactions worked to the betterment of the other. After all, if he responded with modest appreciation every time, it might feel rather bland for someone with his level of charm and energy.

"I do," he answered, still smiling and returning that locked gaze. "Lead the way."

Edited 2016-04-05 19:58 (UTC)

"Good," he said, grinning. "The rest of them will meet us there."

Akaya led the way through the crowd, the backstage area, and into the alley outside. There were plenty of people outside too, mostly concert goers who were either headed home or, like them, onto the next location. Akaya navigated them through the bustle until they reached the club called Ecplise, a hip spot that was known for its vast beer selection and the best DJs in town. The bouncer waved them through.

Inside, the thundering beat flowed with an infectious melody, one that you couldn't help but swing your hips to. Akaya pushed his way to the bar and glanced over his shoulder to Omi.

"What do you want?"

Omi stuck close behind Akaya as he wove through the crowd, having to marvel a little at how easily he got into the next club-- by being in Akaya's company, he guessed. Clubs were a bit loud for Omi's tastes (The Black Cat had been no exception) but after a while, the ears acclimated. Omi reminded himself of this as they went inside.

Akaya's question once they reached the bar was beautifully unspecific. Omi would answer it as it had been intended, but he also wasn't about to pass up a chance to banter with an opening like that.

"Well if I had to say a drink... what's the Bloody Mary like here?"

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