Scene #7776: Melody That Connects Hearts (1/2)

Owner	Pose
Dark Generals	Today was an important day for the Lydian Private Academy; a specialized institute that as far as the public knew, was for providing everything upcoming musicians, singers and performers needed for entering the industry upon graduation, covering both general education and the arts. Today, after all, is the day that Tsubasa Kazanari would be performing live, starting not long after normal school hours would end. As for the cause of such an exciting show, well ... C'mon! Stop holding out on us, aren't we friends?! I wanna see an idol show! You promised! If you don't make it happen I'll really cry..! That's right, I'll cry so loudly you'll not be able to stand it! Do you really want to make this face sad?! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH - No matter how you slice it, it comes down to No. 82's incessant whining towards Hibiki. Speaking of whom, it went without saying that the academy's newest transfer student didn't really fit the bill. Lydian Private Academy was, very notably, an all-girls school, which automatically disqualified the very clearly masculine figure who dressed himself in a gakuren. Secondly, even if he had worn the correct uniform, the paper bag worn over his head with admitedly well-done if not unsettling illustrations of a human face certainly would have singled him out from the rest. To 'Hachi' though, this was clearly no problem. "Ha ha, I'm a genius." he says to no one but himself, placing both hands on his hips, two stuents who actually attended pursing their lips to the side. "Uhm. Sure, Hachi-san -- " "You can call me Hachi! Because we're classmates, now!" "" ... so, Hachi-san, did you come to see the concert?" "That's right, I'm a huge fan, which is why I transferred here in the first place." One of the students leans over to the other, conspiratorially, "He knows that it's a walk-in, right ..? He didn't need to do all..that, just to come and attend the venue .." "Well, he seems to be having fun, so let's not say anything?" MEANWHILE: The open gates welcome one and all, a hand-made and well designed banner draped over the front promising a truly heart-throbbing, heart-stopping show. A student stops underhead, "Uhm .. did we put that up? I don't remember the sign we made being so ominous." Her friends stop next to her, and one of the trio frowns. "Well,even if it's ominous, you have to admit that whoever drew those cute designs has a lot of talent." " ... cute?" the final one wonders, scratching her cheek.
Featherman Neo	Paper bags are so passe. Real cool cats wear fancy tokusatsu suits complete with high-tech helmet. Featherman Neo is here for two reasons, as he enters the open gates, looking for Hibiki Tachibana (and friends). He's got a winter jacket over his red suit to look EVEN COOLER, as he tries to spot her down. He does this by shouting her name as soon as he thinks he sees her. "Hibiki! Is that you? Hibikiiiii!"
Ishirou	I4 and a SPECIAL GUEST would be walking up to the gates. I4 is dressed up in a very awfully colored comfy sweater. It's the most nauseating color of orange that anyone has ever seen. He's got a nice pair of comfy sweats on after that and some normal-looking shoes. "They're open eight minutes early. Geeze, it's like they don't care about things..." I4 complains, for...some reason? "Anyway, I have never seen an 'idol' show before, so I guess it's time to see what that's all about and why people are all into it. I mean, I haven't actually seen any music concert," he muses walking into the gate and looking around. Thankfully, I4 has a good rep with the school, for that time were helped this Japan against the noise. He's also not even here to cause trouble, just to watch a show with a new friend.
Cantio	Headband? Check. Oversized coat and floppy pants? Check. Bag full of glowsticks? Double check. This isn't Cantio's first idol show, but it is one of her first as a member of the audience rather than working on staff. She's seen this outfit around the shows at home plenty of times, though, so it seemed reasonable enough to assume that she'd blend in easier wearing this sort of thing rather than literally anything else. Well, except for the fact that her perception of what's normal is wildly skewed by what she's seen worn by people at the front of those shows rather than those in the back. The oversized shades help hide her expression a little, at least, but she's feeling rather out of place. It would probably also help if she remembered the name of the person who's actually performing today. She does spot and hear some familiar faces, at least, and it doesn't take long before she takes a roundabout path towards where Featherman Neo's calling out to try and find Hibiki. As she draws closer to I4 and SPECIAL GUEST, though... Cantio hands over a handful of glowsticks without a word.
Go Shijima	It's a walk-in venue. So it is that Go Shijima has walked in--no flips today. "You've never seen a concert? Like, any concert?" Go tsk tsks. "Well, I guess today's as good a day as any to fix that." He's never been to a concert, he's a total neat freak, I had to talk him out of sleeping in the closet... I4 makes big bro look like a metalhead. He's wearing a white windbreaker with a red stripe down the lapel, a black tee, and a simple pair of jeans with his favorite sneakers. He accepts his glowsticks, nudging I4. "Take them," he says. "You'll need 'em!"
Hibiki Tachibana	No matter how terrible Noise attacks might be, or what events happen out in the Multiverse, life goes on. That goes not only for Lydian itself but for the not-so-normal girls who attend it. After all, Noise show up at random and whenever they please - and not only have the more intense appearances had their severity mitigated by the efforts and information of all the Elites who had showed up to assist before, but that shouldn't stop them from having fun like normal girls their age in the first place. Such were the words of wisdom given by SONG's head honchos when Hibiki came to ask for advice about what to do about the Roidmude nagging her endlessly. 'Hm...! Actually, I think you all could use something like this after recent events! Especially you, Hibiki-kun.' 'Break a leg out there, Tsubasa-chan~! Leave all the setup to us adults!' "Commander...Ryoko-san...couldn't you two have done me a solid just this once...?" Hibiki complains out loud to nobody but herself and her best friend Miku, giving her a few 'there there' pats on the shoulder with a smile. She's used to it. It goes without saying that they're both here in uniform among the crowd socializing before it's time for the main event, watching Hachi from a short distance away. Conversely, it doesn't make them all that hard to find, despite the fact that the short notice has done absolutely nothing to stop things from being set up in the most professional manner possible. This, too, is likely the work of SONG. And it'd be impossible to miss a certain someone's voice anywhere. "Eh? ...Featherman? Hey!" As soon as she realizes what's up, Hibiki turns and gives a wave with the same hand that was gone not all that long ago. "Showing up in uniform as usual. ...It's been a bit longer than I thought, huh?" Even though she's speaking casually, it's obvious that there's a bit of weight being carried beneath the surface. Not that she plans to let that screw up today. "And you guys, too?" She leans off to the side just a bit to catch Cantio, I4, and Go also showing up, with a look of muted surprise. "...Tsubasa is still getting ready, I think, but she's gonna be surprised. In a good way...though probably not as much as that guy." She jerks a thumb back in Hachi's direction with a sigh. "...I guess you could say none of this would have happened without him."
Dark Generals	At Hibiki's thumb-jerking in his direction, Hachi and his two new friends appropriated against their will, begin sauntering on over. "Wahahahahaha! Of course, this is all because I'm the smartest around! Oh, don't tell Lord Bra - " Stopping, Hachi seems to pause and take in the newly formed crowd. One of the two girls next time waves shyly, "Oh..hi, Tachibana-san. I'm Miki Hashirano, we share fourth period." The other girl next to her, with a black bobcut sighs, as if put upon heavily. "Yamada. We don't share classes, I think, I don't really pay attention to that kind of thing." As they introduce themselves, Hachi quietly reaches to his paper bag and removes it, revealing a second paper bag underneath, with a different expression drawn over the front in sharpie. "OH NO!" Immediately disengaging himself, Hachi pirouettes impressively on his heels to whirl behind Hibiki, placing both hands over himself as he ducks behind her, using her as a human shield. "Isn't that Go Shijima?! What do I DO. I didn't plan to encounter a Kamen Rider, here! Is his vision movement based? Maybe if I crouch here for a while he'll go away ... uwah ... am I really going to die after coming all the way out here?! This sucks! This is no fair! Hibiki, you set me up! I'll haunt you after I die!" The self identified Yamada and Hashirano seem to roll with his quiet but fierce breakdown as they turn back to the rest, "Er...a-anyway, you all don't look quite from around here. Welcome! If you need anything, we'd be happy to help," Miki cheerily supplies. "Oh, though, we wouldn't want to capitalize on your time, since you're Tachibana-san's friends and all."
Ishirou	I4 pauses, because he's being passed very important things necessary to any idol concert. He takes them after a moment and looks over the sticks. "Ooooh, ok, these are 'glow sticks' and there is a chemical reaction that happens when you force the reaction to happen...neat!" he says, actually sounding like he was having fun, as opposed to just saying neat to be sarcastic. He pockets them into his storage system for later, before looking over Cantio. "Huh...don't I know you from somewhere..?" To which he's distracted from very quickly. Hibiki has come to say high, and she gets a wave from I4. "Hey! Yeah, well...you know now that I'm no longer a robot from INDUS I'm sort of just...getting out and doing new things? Like concerts! It's my first concert ever!" Of course, he follows the line towards the Paper bag guy. More so to his face. He cocks his head to one side as if confused by his behavior. Then he mentions Kamen Rider. So now he's getting visibly SCANNED by I4 because he's now even more curious why this man is A) dressed up like this B) has so many paper bags for faces, and C) Afraid of Go.
Featherman Neo	As Featherman finally finds Hibiki, he gives her a thumbs up. "How are you doing?" He doesn't mention the fact that he notices she has two full hands now, nor does he have a visible face for an expression, but his modulated tone is vaguely surprised. "I heard there was a show in your neck of the woods, so I came to see it. It's your friend's, right? It has to be great! Is this a friend of yours as well?" Featherman Neo gestures to Hachi, who is currently changing paper bags and hiding behind Hibiki. "I like your face!" He tells Hachi, cheerfully ignoring the situation. Masks are civilization.
Cantio	Cantio gives I4 and Go a thumbs up when they take the sticks, then turns to I4 when he seems to recognize her sort of kinda. "Oh! Yeah, we..." Wait. How much do people here actually know of what Hibiki does and the Noise? "... Took care of some noise complaints a while back." Subtle. Once the passing of the sticks is completed, Cantio flicks those glowsticks around in her hands to collect the extras onto one side, then deftly slips them back into her bag before turning to Hibiki. "Of course I'd be here. I'm from the City of Songs, after all, so I need to make sure I don't fall out of touch with music from other places." She laughs lightly, actually seeming relaxed for the first time in ages while following Hibiki's gesture back to Hachi. "I had a feeling. Don't worry, you get used to it once you're in... Or around the business long enough." She states matter-of-factly, following it up a slow inhale and exhale that's a pretty sure sign of someone that's still feeling the sting of dying on the inside despite her words. "Have you ever thought about getting into it yourself, though? I don't like to brag, but I do handle a lot of my sister's promotional work, too..." Cantio is totally bragging and loving it. When the trio approach, Cantio bows lightly from the waist. "My name's Cantio. I've..." Don't say fought. "Talked with Hibiki a bunch of times before, but this is my first time really meeting any of her school friends. It's good meet you three!" Naturally, Hachi's strange behavior with the bag gets her attention. She looks from him to Go at that fear reaction, then looks between him and Hibiki a few times. "Er. I don't think that's as common with the business, though. Is..." And then back to Hachi! "Are you okay? You're safe here." She affirms what Featherman says, approaching Hachi after a moment and squinting right at the new bag. She doesn't address the bag yet. She's just staring from invasion-of-personal-space range.
Go Shijima	"Eh?" That's clearly a Roidmude... in the worst disguise I've ever seen. His vision is indeed not movement based. In fact, he approaches closer, as 'Hachi' cowers behind Yamada and Hashirano. "Hi, I'm Go," he says, to the two who aren't cowering. Then, to the frightened Roidmude, "Hey! There's no need for that around me. I've turned over a new leaf." It should get the message across, without blowing Hachi's cover. "Put on a happy face and let's enjoy the concert." He then gently nudges I4, as he's making the Scanning Face. "It's rude to stare," he says gently. "Let's just say he and I are family."
Staren	Idol show? On Hibiki's world? Sure, music is nice, Staren's helped out there before, and also, if she ever needs to come up with a more magical girl-type outfit, maybe the idol costumes will give her ideas. As for today's outfit, well, Staren's just here casually, not making an impression or preparing for battle. So it's back to the red T-shirt, paired with a black skirt with a thin horizontal Concord Orange stripe just above the hem, her usual brown boots and black fingerless gloves, a plain black choker instead of the dramatic scarf, and the round-framed glasses she's been wearing since Phony suggested them, with a discreet little hairclip keeping her hair out of her face on the right side opposite the part. She can carry the usual blue bag, though, it doesn't LOOK odd on the outside, it's just bigger on the inside. Staren has no idea what's normal or weird here, though. There might be eccentric characters here who help fight the Noise and stuff, after all! So toku masks or way too many glowsticks doesn't scream 'suspicious'. Although, she does feel a bit old being surrounded by teenage girls. So, it's a bit comforting that there's an increasing gathering of weird people around Cantio, Hibiki, and Featherman. Staren smiles and waves, "Hi! Good to see you all again! And who are your other friends here...?" Okay, even Staren can't be oblivious to someone talking about a Kamen Rider killing them. The body language of trying to hide behind a smaller girl is familiar, though... "What... what is all this about?" Her ears twitch this way and that as different people speak. Go himself asserts there will be no trouble. "You know what... he's right. Didn't we come here to enjoy some music? It doesn't matter who we are, as long as we're not here to start trouble."
Hibiki Tachibana	"Hashirano...yeah, I remember you. I don't think we've ever really talked, though. Nice to meet you two for real. And, uh...thanks for keeping an eye on him." She and Yamada both get a nod and the beginnings of a small smile when she stops and blinks, head turning to follow Hachi with a slightly annoyed look when she realizes what he's doing. "Oi, don't use me like a meat shield...! And you're not gonna die! You don't see him all henshin'd up, do you? See?" She gestures towards Go politely introducing himself to the other two. As exasperated as she looks, she's also not actually pushing him away or anything, and she did go through the trouble of granting his request. Miku, off to the sidelines, is apparently finding a lot of amusement in watching this. "...Yeah, you could say that," she mentions in response to Featherman before glancing to I4. The mention about his status with INDUS gets a brief look of concern before she lightens back up some. "...Well, I can think of a lot worse first concerts to visit than 'Japan's top idol, Kazanari Tsubasa'. If nothing else, it's gonna be fun. She takes this just as seriously as her other work, y'know." Cantio gets a thumbs up at the save, and a grin right back. Honestly, everything else aside, she's just happy to see Cantio get a chance to have fun...even if she can tell what's going on inside. She's not going to do anything to prod at the beast right now. "...The idol business isn't really my kinda thing. I'll leave that to the people who are good at it." Staren also gets a wave on her approach, with Hibiki silently thankful she's dressed entirely normally compared to some of their standouts, and gets a small wave of greeting. "Yeah, that's exactly right. Today, we're all just a bunch of people who came to have fun."
Dark Generals	I4's scan is able to easily discern the truth -- that Hachi is, in fact, a Roidmude. Since he hasn't disguised himself by copying a human and is still in his base form, there's virtually no resistance to I4's discerning, extra-sensory gaze. Reaching up to his paper bag, he slides it off to reveal -- to no one's surprise -- a third paper bag, detailing a smiling expression. "Oh, thanks, I worked hard on it. Your mask is pretty cool, but it's not all that expressive, but somehow it fits your vibe." Looking between Cantio and Featherman, before to Go himself as he manages to break the blockade and approach. Hachi switches bags yet again, producing a thinking face. " ... hm ... you'll pinky promise about that, right? I seriously am not ready to die, okay?" Yamada rubs her temple in mild exasperation, "Come on, can you stop being a drag? Please?" Naturally, to these two who weren't in the know, the situation was totally ridiculous. With plenty of encouragement from Hibiki, Go, Cantio, Featherman, and Staren, Hachi sucks in a deep breath that he didn't require and springs his body upright. "Toh!" "Alright, even though the other guy is still giving me the heebie jeebies, I'll introduce myself!" The Roidmude cuts into a righteous dab. "I'm Hachi, genius highschooler! I like idols and cute things, so let's get along!" Gently, Miki starts prying his arms out of position, "Please stop." "Eh? Didn't it look cool, though?" he says, before Yamada shakes her head, "It didn't. Now, let's hurry and get moving before we get crowded out of good spots. We might as well stick together, I guess."
Ishirou	I4 gives his stare to Go when he says THAT particular line. I4 is less suspicious as he is curious about the whole thing. The Roid isn't aggressive, and in fact about as passive as he is. No that's a lie, the Roid is far more outgoing and honest about his stuff. I4 is uh...still a fair bit reserved. He shrugs, "Alright. Well, ...sure," he says, "You're the best judge on this kinda thing." He nods, with a smile. He Also notices the concern with Hibiki and forces a smile. "Don't worry about it...I got a new roommate and everything!" Cantio reveals who she is because I4 is smart. "Riiight." A beat. Oh right, Lilian thinks she's up to no good. Though the clues say she is here to enjoy herself? Maybe I4 should keep an eye on Cantio. Who knows! Oh and there is Staren, and I4 looks a bit more tired. Though Staren is...oddly reasonable. Ok sure, great! "Yeah, so let's listen to music and relax? No drama? Please? I've had too much drama in the last two months and just want a nice evening and relax, ok?" These words have spelled doom for this concert.
Go Shijima	"Of course. I know who you are, Hachi, and I'll promise more than that..." Pinky extended for Hachi, "You're not going to die, here or anywhere else, and neither will any..." He pauses. Go's uncertain of how many other people here actually know what's going on. "...anyone else in our family. Even if it means me and Drive end up on opposite sides here and there." With that said, he will then hook pinkies to seal the deal. "I bet that's pretty confusing. If you want, we can talk about it more later." Promise made, he is just in time to wrap an arm around I4 for a quick v-sign thrown Hibiki's way. "The place is cleaner than it's been in months! Sometimes I forget where things are, though." He had a system--even if it only made sense to him.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...I don't even want to know where you learned that one from," Hibiki flatly mentions at Hachi cutting what might (not) be the sickest dab that this world's Japan has likely seen, keeping up her straight man routine to the last. Still, when Yamada and Miki get things moving, she can't help a small smile watching the three of them. Funny. A good couple of months ago, she doesn't think she'd have ever imagined a Roidmude in...this situation. Hell, that much time ago, she's not sure she'd have expected to see Go acting like this with one either. Seeing it right in front of her is enough to take some of the weight she's been feeling right off. "You guys are /roommates/ now?" As they get walking, Hibiki raises an eyebrow at both Go and I4. Go in particular gets a look of the most serious understanding, right down to Hibiki crossing her arms and nodding. "I know exactly what you mean. Back when Miku moved in with me, it was the exact same way with me. Said black-haired girl cheerily leans in from behind Hibiki, planting both hands on her shoulders in the process, to pipe in. "You two and Tsubasa-san would just be peas in a pod if you didn't have people taking care of you, wouldn't you?" "Eugh..." Hibiki clearly cannot contest that, and remains silent moving forward. Thankfully, being close friends with The(TM) Tsubasa Kazanari ensures that they have a pretty good chance of getting prime seats close to the front of the stage.
Staren	Staren gives a slight nod when Go whispers to her, and whispers something back. She shrugs at the failed cool pose, too unfamiliar to recognize the dab, and far too unfamiliar to be sick of seeing it. "I think it's cool if you make it cool." She extends a hand. "I'm Staren Wiremu, b... ... ...well, I was once a teen genius, myself, but..." she looks down at and gestures at herself. "It is, obviously, an ephemeral label." She looks back to Hachi. "I like... learning how things work. Solving problems. Granting wishes. Making people happy. Powered weapons and battle robots. And stories! And seeing new worlds. And making friends!" She pauses for a moment before deciding that list is sufficient, then slightly tilting her head to one side and smiling. And then walking along with the others.
Cantio	A Roidmude? That explains a fair bit, although Cantio's guard still isn't quite up just yet. He doesn't seem nearly hostile enough to justify such a reaction, and Go's existence seems to be terrifying enough that... "See? It'll be okay." She tells Hachi in a reassuring tone with a quick nod towards Staren (and greeting her via shoving handful of glowsticks at her for good measure), then raising an eyebrow curiously at Go's earnest declaration. She's definitely missing some information there, so she makes a mental note to keep an eye on his and I4's relation to Roidmudes before turning to Hibiki. "He probably can't help it. It's hard to find real strength these days." Cantio guesses, giggling again at Hibiki's brief bout of annoyance with him before turning to tapping her chin lightly. "Not a bit? I understand. Always being 'on' like that can be pretty draining. That's why it's important to have disguises like this." Cantio nudges her glasses, looking every bit the part of an overeager idol fan as her headband flaps dramatically behind her! She's whipping her head back and forth a few times to get the right effect there. "Now, if we're looking for the good spots... Right up against the stage, but on the side is usually good. Too close to the front, and you'll get crowded in from behind by everyone else trying to get to the front." Cantio starts moving, weaving through people and not-so-subtly taking up a whole lot of walking space with her flappy coat. She's moving in particular towards anyone that might be dressed as weirdly as herself, taking full advantage of the SAME CLASS infiltration bonus.
Dark Generals	A pinky promise is absolute, so in Hachi's mind, this is something Go can't back down from. "I think 'cat ears' rolls off the tongue easier! But, alright, Staren it is. Wow, you've got a lot of things you like, that's too many! How are you supposed to put your whole heart into all of that?" After another longwinded bout of his oddities, the group is eventually drawn towards the front of a gathering crowd, and off to the stage's side. Their comfy, relatively unchallenged position is thanks largely to Cantio's eye for these sorts of things. "I don't know," Hachi says to I4, "Personally I think my paper face is way better, but if the numbers are true, then ... does that mean I'm ugly? S-say it's not so! Right?!" Worriedly, he swaps his paper bag out for a panicked expression that is noticeably different from the one he wore earlier when encountering Go and I4 for the first time. "Uhm, so you all -- some of you said this was your first time going to an idol concert, right? I think you'll have fun." Miki says, shyly, before Yamada gives off her first smile. "Yeah. Kazanari's real popular across the entire country, I hear that even other worlds are really digging her stuff. There's no better intro to idols than her, I think." Hachi switches instantly out of cry mode and back into his usual demeanor .. no, that's not right. He's a little more fired up than usual, swapping out his paper bag for an excited face. "Yeah! This'll be my first live show, too. I'm so excited to see her ... " MEANWHILE: One of the stagehands behind closed doors cocks his head to the side, "Is this kind of thing ... normal, for a show like this .. ?" " ... well, I mean, idols aren't really normal, I guess. I'm sure it's nowhere near as dangerous as it looks." And so, the final preperations before the concert commences, giving everyone plenty of time to find their spots and eagerly await the opening act.
Ishirou	"Mmmm," I4 thinks about what Hachi is saying. "Eh, this might be one of those 'relative things. Like you can't really calculate happiness right?" Well, no, I4 lied, he totally can. He has a metric and everything for it, but also finds out that a lot of people disagree with it sometimes. He's just assuming people are weird. "I wouldn't worry about it," he finally decides, "As long as you're comfortable with you," he muses. This is ironic, given what he really thinks of himself right now. Those who really know him might pick up on some of his body languages is less than certain. He nods to Hibiki, "Well...I sort of didn't have a place to live. I can't go back home...and they think I'm dead to boot. They wanted me dead, so...I guess it works out," I4 says, which increases his own personal anxiety. However, Go mentions the cleaner. "Well...it was a disaster. SOMEONE had to clean up! I made sure that everything is in a proper place, and systems are in place to make sure it stays that way... /as long as someone follows them/!" More relaxed again, because keeping the apartment clean is hardly a dire situation as his current situation. He looks to a certain black-haired girl, "Oh is Hibiki like Go? Though...ugh, I can not cook well to save my life. I don't have to eat, but I like to? But like...it'd be nice to try something new." He tried cooking once because of Strawberry princess, but those very expensive ingredients made incredibly expensive nuclear waste.
Go Shijima	"Mou, I can't remember all of that stuff. Not everything has to have a system!" This is probably like telling I4 the moon is orange. "C'mon, let's find a spot. I'm usually the main attraction," he confidently asserts, "But when I'm watching shows, I just go with the atmosphere. Not today, though! It's your first concert, so we should be front row, if there's room." Gently ushering I4, he shoots Hibiki a 'get a load of this guy' glance. They've got glow sticks. But it occurs to him that I4 may not get the idea! "When you're really feeling the song, wave them along with the beat. Or just go crazy with it! If you're ever in doubt, watch Cantio. She's a pro." He nods sagely. She showed up ready to see a show. Teasingly, "If your POD didn't nag you for playing video games, I'd worry you didn't know how to have fun. But you'll get the idea."
Staren	Staren's other hand brushes one of the cat ears as they're mentioned. She tilts her head more, considering the comment about too many things seriously. But now doesn't seem the time to have a long philosophical discussion. Although, she can't help herself, hearing his distress. "You should look however makes you happy." But she doesn't launch into a longer discussion of transhumanism now. "Yeah, this is my second or third time at a concert like this, I think. Is it... that big of a deal, to see her in person?" She's given glowsticks, and, not sure what to do with them, puts them in the bag for now.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...Yeah, I suppose that's true." Hibiki says in a delayed response to Cantio as they find their seats, something said as much to her as to herself. "And you really do know your stuff," she adds on at the mention of how easy it was to get this spot before glancing to I4. "That's..." She wants to say something about his situation, but words seem to elude her. Thankfully, Miku is on the rebound to answer him when she's addressed, sitting down with her hands folded neatly in her lap. "Honestly, I don't know how she lived before I came along! She's content to just let things sit where they are unless you nag her. I even had to remind her to start changing her--" "Miku...!" She's cut off by Hibiki giving an utterly mortified look and raising her hands to shake in a panic. "I don't care if you know, but don't go talking about that to other people!" She, predictably, just gets a giggle in response. Sighing, she meets Go's glance with a grimace and a shrug of her shoulders. They both have their own things to deal with but also wouldn't have it any other way, huh?
Featherman Neo	Somewhere during all his silence and being off-screen, Featherman Neo has collected a pair of glow sticks and a headband over his helmet. He's hyped up.
Cantio	Hachi, too, is offered some glowsticks. Just how many of these things does Cantio have in her bag? For a group of this size, way more than enough. She really did come prepared for this whole thing. "Miss Miku's right. The mood at these things can be a lot scarier than it really is at first, but you'll get into it soon enough. Just don't be afraid to hold your position and get loud. That high energy is motivation for the performers, too! Well, as long as you don't go overboard and get violent or something." I4 starts explaining what that whole situation with him and Go is, and Cantio needs to take a minute to process all of that. Just... All of that. "Wh... Why does your home want you...?" She inhales slowly, then forces a mildly awkward smile. "W-well, at least you're in good hands now. Erm... I mean, Mister Shijima's reliable enough, right?" Cantio really isn't used to trying to talk around such things, so instead she'll just barrel right into it and pass it off to someone else. Go proves to be way better at changing the subject, and she even gets some of that confidence back on her face with those shades glinting slightly for good measure. "That's right! You don't need to go too hard with the movements if you don't want to, and there's an art to being encouraging without being overbearing. It's..." She then proceeds to start rambling about all sorts of subtleties involved in the monster that is idol fan culture. Thankfully, she doesn't go into the creepy idol worship part aside from warning against jumping on stage and the like, and she focuses more on proper physical conduct and when to actually quiet down. Miku provides some dirt on Hibiki, and that has Cantio breaking her lesson with more laughter. "You, too, huh? It's a hard job, but someone has to do it." She speaks with a strangely serious tone, still carrying some of that hardened IDOL FAN energy in her gut.
Dark Generals	Caught up in the energy of everything else, Hachi seems to let the matter of 'liking too many things' drop pretty easily. "Be who I want to be, huh ..." "You're right," he nods to I4, and then to Staren again, visibly resisting the urge to dab and instead transitioning the motions into an awkward thumbs up. "You're absolutely right. I shouldn't stop for anything, until I'm te me I wanna' be! I'm glad that you guys understand." His glow two thumbs are up pretty quickly replaced with a series of bright blue and pink glowsticks from Cantio, three in each hand. If she had a large stock, he was more than happy to take advantage of that. "Hey, this is cool! Thanks a bunch. You're almost as weird as me!" Miki scrunches her brow, having silently been amusing herself with Miku and Hibiki's conversation, before tapping him gently on the shoulder, "Uhm. Weird isn't actually another word for 'cool', so you probably shouldn't say that." "Eh? It's not? Then what's everyone been calling me this whole time?!" "Don't worry about it." Yamada intones, before Hachi shrugs, "Well, if you say so." With a surprising amount of dexterity, he begins doing tricks with his lightsticks while waiting for the show to start, rolling them along his knuckles, flipping them under his thumb, and juggling them in a variety of simple ways. "By the way," Yamada starts, squinting, "You said that you and Tachibana live together?" she directs at Miku. Hashirano puts one hand on her cheek, looking between the two, "Eh. I heard a rumor that she was living with some cute boy, but she's really living with a cute girl ... " she mumbles. "I see, I think I understand everything now."
Ishirou	I4 just stares at Miku, and I4 is more than capable of connecting the various subtext of this conversation. "Ah I see, you care for her a lot!" He says, pointing a finger off. I4 is also oblivious to Go's various signals to the others. This is odd because the POD is right there. Anyone that knows, knows that they share senses. I4 probably just ignores it, in the way that a smug guy who knows he's right ignores complaints. To people curious about his home situation, he sags a bit, "I can...inform you about that later. Let's just have fun now!" He laughs a little at Hachi's misunderstanding. "Don't worry about it..but if you're REALLY curious about human stuff, I've been running a database about it for like...two years? It's not perfect, but it DOES help," I4 nods, proud of that. Yamada says a thing, which...does remind I4 about a thing. That 'boy' mentioned hasn't said much lately, and he was sure that Lilian had mentioned 'handling it' but... This causes I4 to try and casually scan Hibiki's hand. The one that he knew about the crest. He'd had a solution, but there is no way Lilian would have done /that/ right?
Staren	Staren feels like she's missing something. While she was distracted, she missed part of what I4 said. She gives him a concerned look. And just looks confused at Miku almost spilling something awkward. She smiles at Hachi's enthusiasm, and listens to Cantio's explanation of how to behave. And then looks confused at the discussion of roommate rumors. Watching Hachi do glowstick tricks is... it's neat to watch, but in such a mundane way! Not neat in a world-changing ramifications way, it's just neat. Kind of ordinary and relaxing, really.
Hibiki Tachibana	All the lights abruptly in the venue dim in concert, leaving it shrouded in just enough blackness to see. Glowsticks shine far more brightly, with many members of the audience finally taking them out themselves to hold tightly in anticipation. For a moment, everything is silent - and then a single spotlight from seemingly nowhere descends on the stage. Tsubasa Kazanari, who was not there a moment ago, is now standing with microphone clasped tightly in both hands. Her indigo hair is contrasted by the lighter blues and pure whites of her costume; an asymmetrical skirt shorter on one side than the other, with thighhighs and boots matching it and a sleeveless top that stops high above her midriff. More than just her signature sidetail, an impossibly long white bow tied behind it matching a plumed sash flowing behind her evokes a very clear theme - that of feathers. Music rings out from all corners of the stage and around the audience. A light electronic tune that begins slow, then amps up in tone and volume steadily, carrying a feeling that's both upbeat and solemn at the same time. 'A sensation like deja-vu, a platonic love holding me in place... I'm wishing that our overlapping memories will reach you... We're attracted to one another like gravity, Not a single millimeter keeping us apart By this song shooting right through my heart!' Slow and measured movements across the center of the stage soon become longer strides, half-pirouettes that carry her from one side of it to another, and one hand thrown outwards towards the crowd. More than any normal song, even those without any particular affinity towards music can tell that the words coming from the idol on stage come from somewhere within. Something very personal being shared with the audience, that almost seems to resonate with the heart. 'Hold me tightly...my faults and all... Even if that promise slips through our fingers, Please, my star...ah, now... Play the melody that will cary my wings on the wind!' The crescendo leads into Tsubasa kicking off the surface of the stage, into the air - where gravity doesn't stop her from ascending higher and higher, a trail of radiance and feathers of light trailing behind her feet as she 'skates' on nothing. It's not magic, even if it looks extremely like it; even a cursory analysis that someone like I4 could do can tell that it's simply some /very/ technologically advanced special effects, almost definitely SONG's work. But it makes it no less a spectacle as she sails high over the audience, feathers slowly falling down among the crowd only to disperse into tiny particles on contact. She makes twirling laps, cutting shining arcs into the darkness and leaving no corner of the venue unattended. 'Now, the symphony starting here marks where we begin writing our legend! The light of this show will put us in perfect synchronicity! Now, let's create an amazing miracle! Even if your fingers are trembling, reach out to touch it! I'm sure it's as simple as that... ...So I'll keep believing in my road...!' Until her path finally takes her back to a gentle descent onto the center of the stage, holding the final note for several seconds before fading off into quiet.
Cantio	More context clues from Hachi! Stroking her chin briefly, Cantio smiles after a moment and raises her free hand in another thumbs-uppening gesture towards the badly disguised Roidmude. "That's the spirit. If you believe you can do it, then work hard towards doing that, and things'll work out! Maybe not right away, but... Um... Eventually!" Yes, that's supposed to be reassuring. I4, too, gets a reassuring nod and a thumbs up, and Cantio claps her hands together to try and draw at least a little attention away from that. "Right, we're here to enjoy the show! And..." When Yamada and Miki shift topics to Hibiki's and Miku's living arrangements, however, Cantio just looks confused again. "You do?" Although she doesn't say anything further, her curiosity is getting the better of her. When it looks like Hibiki's not looking her way, she leans towards the pair and whispers "tell me later". She can't help but be at least a little curious about one of her friends. And then the show begins! It's an astonishing one, too, with high-flying antics that Cantio's not quite used to seeing in this context. Although she's caught awestruck at first, she soon starts to join her energy with the crowd's, cheering with the louder parts of the song and its accompanying track while staying in tune. She goes quiet during the more somber parts, both to just appreciate the sound and to try and understand the meaning of the lyrics from someone she's only really seen twice before. Cantio waves her glowsticks in a steady rhythm to keep it in sync with the crowd's movements, indirectly aiming the flow of the sticks towards Tsubasa. By the time the song ends, there's a tight feeling in Cantio's gut. "So that's the power of the top idol in this world... Amazing." She keeps her gaze focused on Tsubasa the whole time, inhaling slowly before going into more cheering once the crowd gets their own voices raised. There's plenty of stuff for her to process, so she doesn't actually say more than that just yet.
Hibiki Tachibana	"Mhm!" Even as the concert begins in earnest, and Miku's eyes are locked up on the stage, she replies to Yamada. Clearly, this isn't her first rodeo when it comes to Tsubasa's showings, and also not the first time she's casually replied to someone asking about them living together. There is, however, a small fall in her expression at what Hashirano adds on, as difficult as it is to make out while she's not looking directly at them. When she does, though, it's with a warm smile, as well as a finger brought up to her lips. Wink. She's not verbally confirming anything, but she's also not denying it. As is her way. Luckily, Hibiki seems ignorant to the exchange, which also gives Miku the opportunity to give the same gesture towards Cantio. Hibiki's laser focus on the show, clearly mesmerized on each and every movement. Even for someone who works alongside Tsubasa all the time, that's fighting; seeing her perform is always something else entirely. That, too, gives I4 a very clear chance to scan without her being any the wiser. From what he picks up, there's no sign of the Command Seal that had formerly been there, or of it having /ever/ been there. If he had any prior scans of her to compare it to, he'd be able to tell that there are very subtle differences to it as well. It's 'her' hand, there's no doubt about that, but it's not the 'same' hand. That doesn't stop her from using it to clap loudly once the song has concluded however, with both her and Miku joining in on the chorus of the crowd cheering loudly. It's a bit too late, but she still takes one of the spare glowsticks that had been passed around to hold up highly and swing around.
Featherman Neo	As the song goes on, with the show of a performer, Featherman Neo is waving his glowsticks. He's bobbing his head. When it's all said and done...he turns to Cantio and the other girls... "Amazing! Bravo, bravo! You really go to school with this superstar? Lucky!" He's excited, as he turns to Cantio. "It's a song everyone can enjoy, right?"
Go Shijima	Go grins as darkness falls. It's starting! He holds his glowsticks aloft, one in each hand. He waits until the come=up to start waving them, bouncing them from side to side, putting his shoulders into it and doing a little shuffle when Tsubasa starts making more elabortate movements. "O-oh, wow, look!" He's taken out of it momentarily when she starts hovering, flicking one of those feathers with brows high. It 'poofs,' the same as those that touch other audience members. His voice joins the chorus of cheers not long after--he really wasn't expecting such a spectacular performance, nor such detailed special effects. Poor I4! It's gonna be hard to top this as a 'first concert' experience. There's a glance towards Hachi, when it's all over, and a fervent thumbs-up, cast in the gentle blue light of the glowstick in his hand.
Ishirou	I4 gets his scan, but thankfully it's not too hard. There is something off about that hand, but not enough for him to think it super odd? Well, no...that's not true. The hand is different, the hand never had the crest which would have had some residual magic. The hand is different? The hand isn't the same hand? However the concert goes into full swing, and the Android is very much enjoying himself. At some point, the POD also has a blue light stick with I4, and they of course enjoy waving it to the beat. Well, does the POD have fun? It's hard to tell. It does at least keep to the beat. It's a pretty amazing show, sure there are feathers and stuff, and I4 KNOWS how they are probably made, but the fact that it's so well used and the song is sung so beautifully that it causes him to forget his overanalytical side. For now.
Staren	The change in lights means that for once, Staren just turns and looks, rather than her ears reacting first. When Tsubasa appears, her ears turn forward, focused, intently listening. The singer has someone she cares deeply for and who must care for her in turn. How nice it would be to have someone like that, Staren thinks. She smiles as the SFX start, appreciating the spectacle and the effort that must have gone into it! Only after the last note fades, does she clap enthusiastically-- and let out a quiet ow, shaking her hands before clapping less hard. She makes up for the reduced volume with a cheer of "Yeah!"
Dark Generals	Hachi practically has stars in his eyes. No, wait, he certainly does, given he swapped out his paper bag for an elated expression. Energetically, he pumps his arms and sways his myriad of glowsticks to the rhythm, entranced and filled with the sublime power of an idol surging through her crowd of fans. Even the much more reserved Yamada and Miki are the same, grinning with a single glowstick each they'd bummed off of the kindly Cantio, as they'd agreed with a conspiratorial whisper to gossip with her plenty about Hibiki and Miku. Just teenage girl things. However, by the time that Go turns over to Hachi with friendliness in mind, a worrisome fact comes to light: At some point between the performance kicking into high gear and its conclusion, the Roidmude seems to have disappeared without a trace. Ordinarily, one would assume that someone who stuck out as much as he did wouldn't be difficult to find, but the proof was in the pudding. MEANWHILE: The curtains fall over Tsubasa's closing notes, giving her a brief, but much needed reprieve to compose herself before the next act. Being an idol sure was hard work, wasn't it? But not just for the performer herself, the entire stage crew was hard at work getting everything into place in less than a couple of minutes, putting in just as much guts and effort into making sure everything was perfect for her performance as she did. Really, Hachi found the whole thing really beautiful. It was hard to get into other entertainment hobbies because more often than not, it felt really one-sided, like the consumer was the only one putting in the passion ... but with something like this, the product wasn't just something being consumed, it was something created and brought to life by everyone, from the lowliest stage hand, to the loneliest otaku, all the way up to the pretty, glittering idol that sings and fills them up with life and love. "You've seriously got guts, you know?" "~So, I'll keep on believing in my road.~" Her own voice briefly mimes back at her before the curtain rises again, and reveals a shocking twist -- Two completely identical Tsubasa Kazanari's, standing across from eachother. Hehe. That big welcoming flyer I made was spot on, this performance is a real heart-stopper, alright!~ the Roidmude thinks to herself, as the excited crowd goes stiff with surprise.