i forgot i was gonna be out of town on 5/19 when i set the date for this

[frostythehitman]

WHO: James and, if you so desire, YOU!
WHERE: Cabin Eleven
WHEN: around 8pm, 5/19 (we're backdating the shit out of this folks)
WHAT: It's the debut performance of A Lyrical Assassination, promoting their very first album: The 7/11 On Myrtle and Fifth, Me, And Other Things Your Mom Told You To Stay Away From!
WARNINGS: don't cut yourself on all this edge


This show has been advertised far and wide. Local coffee shops have had flyers. Random electrical poles and bus stops around town have a few flyers. Recolle High School has practically been papier mache'd with flyers for this. All of them depict the album cover along with the date, time, and location for the event.

Meanwhile, on the night of the actual event, James can be found inside sporting this getup.

Comments

BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE

[frostythehitman]

[ About half an hour before the set start time for the show, James starts setting up. He makes sure the lights are focused on the small stage area, that it's clear of any chairs or anything, and makes sure the mic is plugged in and works. He's also making sure all the wires hook up to the right places and that his guitar is still in playing condition, as it was before he left the house.

(Meanwhile, his father is sitting in a corner of the bar and staring critically at James from afar with his arms crossed. His glare looks like it could melt a hole in the wall.

Maybe you showed up for the show early and want to help. Maybe you're confused by the intimdating man in the corner. Maybe you're not even here for the show at all and you're getting annoyed with this kid making a commotion. ]

OTA

[standalonehuman]

Now, here's a strange sight. Cabin Eleven is normally the exact opposite of Togusa's preferred hangout spots. But it doesn't mean he can't blend in if he has a reason to be here. He's dressed down, t-shirt and jeans, and is keeping to the background. He'll bother James after the performance.

Or at least, that's the plan. The one man who doesn't seem pleased to be here keeps grabbing Togusa's attention. He tries to seem casual about grabbing his beer and taking a seat close to the man. It's not a difficult inferential leap to guess at who he is, but Togusa keeps his options open, in case he's wrong.

Togusa is free for anyone to come talk to, but he's also keeping one eye on Mr. Barnes throughout.

[livingdeadgirl]

[Ami arrives early as well, dressed to the eights and accompanied by a man who's old enough to be her father (because he is her father). While he's finding a seat, she scampers up to the stage and waves to James.]

Hey James! Need any help?

[frostythehitman]

[ James looks up from where he's currently crouched and checking the speaker only to see Ami behind him. ]

Hey. Depends what you can manage--you know anything about lights?

[livingdeadgirl]

[She pauses, a little sheepish.] Yeeeee- no. No, I do not.

But! I can move stuff around if you want! As long as it's not super heavy... [But considering how, with the fishnet shirt and all, she is now noticing he's kind of jacked? And she is a twig? She sighs.] I don't know. I may not have thought this offer through, to be honest.

[frostythehitman]

[ The sound he makes is somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. ]

Worst comes to worst, you can help direct the lights and I'll tell you where to move 'em.

Besides, the way my dad's watching me like a hawk right now, that's probably the safest option for both of us.

DURING THE PERFORMANCE

[frostythehitman]

[ Here it is, the BIG MOMENT ITSELF. James introduces himself as the band: A Lyrical Assassination. He then dives into a set consisting of the following songs from his new album:

Unending Anguish
At the End of All Things
Feel Something Real
Eternal Trash Cycle
Aqua Gate (lyrics by Rin Matsuoka)
Blinded by the Sun
...And Nobody Understands
(for the record, the linked songs are not what he actually plays, but rather rough guides for what they sound like)

While he's the only one up on stage and only playing guitar and singing, the tracks do also include pre-recorded percussion and bass. The songs are not great, but they're not terrible either. They're just. Mediocre, really.

Feel free to laugh, jeer, throw tomatoes, or actually applaud. It's up to you! ]

[strawberrypunch]

[...Teasing aside, he is pretty curious about seeing a performance live, since that's not something he's ever really done before. So, the day of, he shows up to give a listen, a faint smile on his face. He's far from an energetic audience member, but hey, at least he's here?]

Eternal... Trash Cycle?

[constellates]

[good god this is not at all her type of music. or her type of scene??? let's be honest, anya stands out in this crowd for a couple of reasons, one of the last ones being her silver hair.

but it still looks like she's enjoying herself. she claps when james approaches the mic and cheers him on from where she's perched and watching him]

Давай! Yay, James!

[she's normally not the one in the crowd anymore?? but she's so? happy for him??]

[strawberrypunch]

[Oh! There's a familiar face.]

You came, too. [Huh! But also...]

Your hair... [Everyone's going grey around him. What is this.]

[constellates]

[They sure are, and Anya reaches up to touch her hair a little self-consciously.]

Ah... Mm! It came from Retrospec... Cтранный? Is it odd?

[strawberrypunch]

[He shakes his head immediately - not in an attempt to backpedal, but simply because his response doesn't require any thought.]

Looks great.

[Somehow or another, she manages to make it look natural!]

Is it weird to get used to?

[frostythehitman]

[ Anya's cheerful vibrance is both off-putting and reassuring at the same time, especially at a gig like this. He feels compelled to give her a shoutout as he makes his way through his set--calls her out by name before he plays Blinded by the Sun. He doesn't mention it, but she inspired the song in the first place, and if she pays close attention to the lyrics, might even pick up on it herself.

As soon as he wraps up, though, he sets his guitar down and makes his way over to Anya. He'll set up near the door with his promo cards in a few minutes, but for now, well--she's the only person he can actually see that he knows. (At least in part due to her hair, probably.) ]

Hey, I didn't think you'd actually make it. What'd you think?

[constellates]

[It's a bit of a surprise to hear her name - and she ends up smiling all the brighter for it, even as she claps for him and listens intently to the song. Is this for her? About her? Ah, that's a little embarrassing....

Still, when she sees him afterward - she's forward. They haven't met in person, but they've talked enough that she doesn't think it's an odd thing to open her arms for him for a hug, especially since this is his big night?]

You did not? Silly!

[Of course she'd be here???]

Xорошо! I liked it very much...!

[frostythehitman]

[ He wasn't expecting a hug, but she's got her arms open and he's not about to be a douchebag or anything, so...he ends up going in for the hug. Although he returns it very awkwardly, arms just barely reciprocating. ]

Really? I didn't think this was your kind of music.

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE

[frostythehitman]

[ Sweaty and full of adrenaline, James has set down his guitar and pulled a stack of postcards from his guitar case. Now's the time to speak with him if you want to make your thoughts known about his music to his face.

Or, take a postcard from him, with album details on it. ]

[buncho]

[ Ryoji is busy crying in the forest right now or something, so Mafuyu is here to pick up his slack and get that autograph for him after a night of cheering along/for the audience, let's face it, she was probably 80% of the volume. ]

Hey, James! That was pretty great! It was loud!!

[ loud = good music, because that's apparently her tastes ]

What're you handing out? Give me ten of them!

[frostythehitman]

[ But Ryoji, this is a much better place to cry, with much more appropriate music!

When he hears Mafuyu come up to him, he can't help but look smug. Damn right, his show was great. ]

They're promo cards. They've got links and QR codes to where you can buy the full album online.

[buncho]

[ It's true... it would have been more productive crying here than in the forest. ]

"Buy"?

[ Whoa, buddy, no way. Mafuyu holds her hands up, palms out in rejecting anything that costs money. Not that his music isn't worth it but she's just broke as heck and had to nurse one drink the entire night to make it through to James' performance without getting kicked out for not being a customer. ]

Can't I just listen to you play in person?

[liberal_arts]

-At the end of the set, Kasen's opinions on his lyrics hadn't really changed. They were still pretty juvenile. But he and his former bandmates all agreed that there was absolutely a spark of potential there musically. The post-punk vibes were clear, and there was room to grow. Gracey, in particular, thought he'd have a lady-killer look that could really draw people in.

Kasen and the others gathered after most of the crowd had dispersed.-

I concede. -Well, only a half truth. But James was getting his promised rewards, regardless.-

[frostythehitman]

[ As soon as he sees Kasen, James crosses his arms and puffs out his chest to give him the haughtiest look he can imagine. ]

Damn right you do. What'd I tell you?

[liberal_arts]

Don't let it go to your head. You still need work.

-Kasen paused a moment, looking among his companions and getting some nods before he spoke again.-

But we all agree there's potential. James, this is Ray, Paul, Joseph, Ina, and Hideyoshi. My former bandmates. Ina -He motioned to the girl with the blonde streaks in her hair- owns a studio, and has agreed to supervise your next record. Hideyoshi has offered his talents as a producer.

That is, of course, if you're willing to take the advice of veterans like them.

[clear_eyes]

[If anything else, Rachel thinks James can't be faulted for his passion, so she enjoys his performance, even if she's not sold completely on the lyrics. There was potential there and she wanted to support that.

Once she spotted an opening, Rachel moved to try and get close, wondering if James might recognize her from her Retrospec icon.]

Hey there! Good job on stage, tonight!

[frostythehitman]

[ He thinks she looks familiar, but he isn't quite sure where from, not at first glance.

Not like it matters anyway. A fan's a fan, no matter where he knows them from. ]

You liked that, huh? Well trust me, there'll be plenty more where that came from.

[clear_eyes]

[She smiles, and nods, unsure of whether he recognizes her or not... but there'll be ample time for that.]

I'm glad. I think your work has a lot of room to grow! I actually found a lot I could identify with.