Scene #9190: Sing Like A Country Songbird

Owner	Pose
Natsuki Nuki	Natsuki Nuki, Concord Partner and 'Lady Nue', had the kind of executive social calendar where she could sit at a desk and make decisions or relax at a bathhouse and cut deals with equal efficiency. Not quite the type to sit around snacking on pastry fish or boring herself with golf, Natsuki had her likes and dislikes of activities - and still had to make some events happen for morale. Buying out a restaurant for her boys to eat like kings on her yen, or taking over a theater to have private shows all night wasn't quite as intimate as a favorite pleasure: Karaoke. Buying out a karaoke parlor wasn't cheap, and the good ones ran pricier than steakhouses after drinks, but a steady flow of sweet poison only lubricated the experience. Natsuki had sent Sougo and Woz in a group-text a wyd? followed by the location of the Karaoke parlor in Sotenbori, Osaka, and when the boys arrived had found the place dominated by quarter-unshirted Yakuza and several yokai in suits. The unifying aspect of the gang working youth was a black and red snake pin on all their lapels. Also, the unifying aspect of the gang was that they were generously drunk. Arrival causes some of the drunkest to start jeering at the 'foolish youngsters' that are coming close, followed by fellows holding their brothers back and gently minding that Sougo and Woz are 'the Lady's guests', and then all resistance fades away. Down a wonderfully clean reception worked by a lady with gothy eyeshadow and well-maintained nails who gestures the boys down to the last door in the hall, the almost-soundproof walls ring with various states of crooning and jeering and cheering, all dominated by the misty crackle of someone really going in on a song at the end. The door at the end opens, and... Natsuki is sweetly howling into a big snowcone microphone, going in on some foreign metal track with an uuuuuuuu growl. She is as the boys had first seen her, tall and dark-fuzzed, tiger-headed and tanuki-masked with a mane of white hair falling as bangs and tied into a loose ponytail. Clawed and orange fuzzed fingers curl about microphone, and legwarmers rumple over clawed and bare-arched feet. She wears a black skirt which her tail escapes over the top of and pools in the bench seat behind her, and a white puffer bolero jacket with yellow zippers over a narrow and tight black top. Beyond that, from mid-chest to hips, is bare in display of black stripes and soft dark belly, the spideresque ribbing around her lower back more fully seen than their initial meetings. Pulling microphone down to greet the boys while they enter, she gives a V-fingered gesture-out as a greeting with a black-lipped curl around long white teeth. "I got started without you -- not sorry. Put a drink order in!"
Timespace Riders	wyd? karaoke :) be there soon! Sougo and Woz exchange brief pleasantries with the guards on their way in--the usual little gestures for both of them. Their heads are held maybe a little higher for the effect that their association with Natsuki has on the gang outside. I got started without you -- not sorry. Put a drink order in! "What's there to be sorry about anyway?" asks Sougo. "You starting before us just means we got to come in and see you having a blast." For drinks, Woz has a simple but smooth gin and tonic; Sougo asks for a refreshing, similarly effervescent Moscow mule. Woz is dressed as he always is; Sougo in an endearingly oversized canary yellow button-up paired with an electric pink web belt and rolled khaki pants--the cuffs are striped. "What a pleasure it is to enjoy your company again," Woz purrs, taking a seat on one side of her as Sougo does the same on the opposite side. "Any special occasion?" Sougo asks.
Natsuki Nuki	Natsuki abandons the last bit of the song and puts down the microphone when Woz and Sougo fully come in, settling back wide-legged on the bench seating to make room for Sougo to step over her and Woz to settle besides. There's a lot of her tail on the U-bench with her at the center, which only partially moves aside, since besides her is where it's most concentrated. Still, with Woz and Sougo to either side of her, Natsuki is all big smiles. Ignoring the screen in front of her, her red eyes fall to Sougo's fuzzy cardigan while her arms span to both sides of her, capturing the boys in a broad grip that holds them while she inspects their drink orders. "The special occasion is that I decided I wanted to sing, and then, that I was feeling a little lonely while I was singing." She asserts, before quirking a white brow. "Is that not enough?" Leaning over to Woz, keeping Sougo captured while her tail shifted beneath him, Natsuki purrs into his ear. "It's because you've got an interest in the finer things," Like Karaoke and street beatings! "and pleasing me. So --" Natsuki drops the karaoke controller-microphone into Woz's lap while she takes the drink menu, ups both of the boys' orders to doubles, and gets a fresh double of some alcoholic suicide club drink that she had already finished one of before the boys had gotten there. "You're up next, Wo~zu. Show me if you can sing."
Timespace Riders	Is that not enough? "Of course," Sougo eagerly replies. "I'd come and have fun with you no matter the occasion! I was just curious." He makes a sunny little noise when she wraps an arm around him, wiggling a little closer to her. You're up next, Wo~zu. Show me if you can sing. "What is it ro sing, Lady Nue, if not to rejoice?" He was ready for that microphone from the moment she dropped it. Woz holds it up and stands--there couldn't have been any way he of all people would take to karaoke sitting down. Woz picks a cover of an old song by a relatively new artist. A string quartet opens in grandiose fashion--could it have been anything else but grandiose, when it's him? Woz's bari-tenor lends itself well to the bombastic first verse, his head held high as he proclaims from the figurative mountaintop, one hand palm out. "The visions dancing in my mind / The early dawn, the shades of time / Twilight! Crawling through my windowpane!" The same adventurous marching melody continues, Woz's full-chested singing earning an enthused head-bobbing from Sougo. "Am I awake or do I dream? The strangest pictures I have seen. Night is day and twilight's gone away." "With your head held high and your scarlet lies, you came down to me from the open skies," Woz belts in an impressive upper range, gesturing downwards in a suggestion of a bird in descent, "It's either real or it's a dream / there's nothing that is in between." A smile spreads across his face as he reaches the chorus, and thus the crux of the song, about the thrill of losing one's self in another: "Twilight! I only meant to stay a while. Twilight! I gave you time to steal my mind away from me." A string quartet is such a simple thing, but the interplay between the parts makes it greater than the sum of them; it's easy to imagine a flight through the sky or a royal procession even without such things as percussion or brass. Another few verses and a chorus later, the song ends on a fading repeat of its title, and Woz indulges in a pleased, yet gracious bow, to enthusiastic applause and a cheer from Sougo.
Natsuki Nuki	Natsuki's evil plot, the cursed web she wove, was almost elegantly simple: She'd draw the Kamen Riders into her wicked arena and force them to bare their souls in front of a dastardly soul-stealing device!! And offer them free drinks!!! Before Woz's set starts, a waitress arrives with a tray of highballs with a palpably boozy air with each of them being doubly alcoholic and Natsuki's being a college girl killer of a drink on its own. On the tray as its put down is a basket of candy and snack items, as well as a pack of Japanese and a pack of American cigarettes. Shooing the help with a ten thousand yen bill tucked between orange-fuzzed fingers, Natsuki doesn't even wait for the click of the door closing before shifting to pick up her drink and take a drawn-out and performative gulp of the killer concoction. Nor does she wait to lean into Sougo's ear right after, boozy purr breaking across his neck. "No matter what?" It's not quite what he said, but she's asking what she's asking. "What's got you curious, ma~oh~sa~ma~?" Natsuki rumbles outo the tightly-tucked Sougo into her side, almost forehead to temple and lips to inner neck, but just short, just brushing. Then Woz gets up, and the rejoicing starts. While purring into Sougo's ear might serve the dual role of being audible during a song, Natsuki is not so heartless as to not pop off for Woz's rejoice. Midway through, she's clapping along loudly, tweeting out 'osu! osu!' chirps like she's hearing an anthem and not operatic, and even 'hyoo-hoo!'-ing in cheer when Woz achieves a local high score for the track. "You can sing, huh? Now drink, drink!" She encourages both boys towards their extra strong drinks, grinning. "These are the nice side of keeping order - making sure everyone's smiling, knows each other well. Do you often get around to these?"
Timespace Riders	No matter what? What's got you curious, ma~oh~sa~ma~? Sougo burbles a mushy giggle, but manages an answer. "No matter what. I guess... I guess I'm just curious because I've never met somebody like you. You seem like you have everything figured out, you only settle for the best and you know a lot about being in charge." -- You can sing, huh? Now drink, drink! "As you wish," purrs Woz, as he sits back down. "Cheers." "Cheers!" Neither of them noticed Natsuki change their orders to doubles. Of the two, the only one who notices after the fact is Woz. "My," he says. "But the drinks here are made strong, are they not?" A sly little smile takes residence. "Hm... if you say so!" The ginger beer, lime juice and mint in his conceal the vodka well. "We've been to these a couple of times, but it's really nice to know that you like them. Hm... what's the not-so-nice side of keeping order?" he asks. "I have an idea, but... I wanna hear it from you."
Natsuki Nuki	Natsuki keeps pushing on Sougo to hear that slight fluster, the toe-curl reaction of positive appreciation of her monstrously interested looming. Usually people are some flavor of put-off or terrified, which are good too for what she can use the feelings for, but a good amount of the time the interesting ones are receptive to her particular curse-curl. "You'll have to be more specific, Sougo, on 'someone like me'. Did you expect to?" Joining glasses in 'cheers!' with an enthusiastic toast of her own, Natsuki watches the reactions of the pair and entertains herself by Walking fingers along Woz's leg. "I've got plenty of ideas and experience on being in charge - I was raised to be in charge. I thought you were too, ma~oh~sa~ma~? Aren't you, Wo~zu?" Lilts the interest of the tiger-headed yokai woman, a hint of curiosity in her teasing. "There's a difference, in 'being in charge' against 'getting your way'. I thought you were someone unique, Sougo, because you were someone who was supposed to be in charge but also get your way. I was interested in how you'd act, and..." Low, again, as she transfers karaoke mic into Sougo's lap from Woz's. "Of course, thrilled at how you've reacted to me. But I've tried to be thrilling." Sitting back, shifting handhold on glass so she can throw an arm over Woz's shoulders and lean in on the vizier instead, she pops her eyebrows up in an 'eh? eh?' amusement of the stiff drinks, before rumbling out. "I've asked you both questions, recently. Let's talk about them. I asked Woz... If he'd join me, in disciplining Sarracenia. For what she said to Angela, and, her attitude. I think it'd be better if it was all of us together -- but that means you might have to agree with me. Because Angela wants blood, and I'm well inclined to draw some in my taking. Is that something you'd be comfortable with, or being associated with, Demon King?" Well, really, 'my' demon king. 'Waga maoh'.
Timespace Riders	You'll have to be more specific, Sougo, on 'someone like me'. Did you expect to? "No," Sougo admits. "You don't know what you don't know," he continues. "Only... I look at that as a good thing. Like... there's a lot that's out there, waiting to be discovered and experienced. I'm glad we met! I just hope I've done a good job helping you get settled in with the Concord." I thought you were too, ma~oh~sa~ma~? Sougo shakes his head. "Nope! I wasn't raised to be," he says. Sitting up straight as a bit, "I was just raised to be me!" A little laugh. "Mm... everything I know about being king, I've had to learn myself, either from other people's examples or from history." Woz does share some of Natsuki's amusement at the drinks. It's not as if he or Sougo have to drive home, flashing her a sly little smile. Angela wants blood, and I'm well inclined to draw some in my taking. Is that something you'd be comfortable with, or being associated with, Demon King? Sougo puts his drink down, a frown spreading as he gives the question its due thought. A moment passes with the colorful background screen of the karaoke machine passing by little eyecatch animations in silence. Then, Sougo sighs. "Historically, some of the most famous nonviolent people have only been able to do what they were because of the violence someone else was doing. We like to paint it like they did all of the work after the fact because doing that pre-emptively shames people out of trying to change things by force. 'It worked for Gandhi, are you saying you're better than him?'" Sougo laughs mirthlessly. "But Gandhi had debt from a world war and a naval mutiny going on in his time." "I don't want to use force unless it's necessary, but I'm not... under any illusions about what that means for Kamen Riders. Or kings--especially kings. Everything that a king does affects every one of his subjects," says Sougo. "And lots of people outside of his kingdom, too. There are times when even the greatest, kindest king has to use force. And force can be applied without a soldier ever lifting a sword." "So," he says, "To answer your question, I don't mind being associated with it. I wouldn't even mind doing it, if you think having me there would help that much. Still... thank you for bringing it to me," he says, placing a hand gently over hers. "There's one thing I want to ask. What are you and Angela hoping will happen as a result of this?"
Natsuki Nuki	Natsuki has settled int a loosely crossed-legged seated position, appreciating Sougo as he works through his answers of her questions. "Some might call that lack of vision, especially for someone with your powers." She barbs, over the top of her drink glass, before leaning back against the bench and half-lidding eyes. "It's more forgivable to be open to new things, if you'll claim to not know what you don't know. And..." "And if you've been raised to be 'yourself', then we're round about to me being right again." The chimera woman reasons, trading a glance with the head of her tail and then reaching over to pick out a dipped biscuit from its packaging and snapping it between teeth. She gestures with her halved biscuit towards the Karaoke screen displaying some crooner ballad. "History can be a decent teacher, but I think you've gotten a special education. Enough hard that the easy isn't being taken as 'granted'. But you're still smiling like that, so," Even with the fierce tiger-head, the roll of neck and cheek and eyes and chirp-chuckle of breath-chuffed laughter can come through as pure and genuine extension of some vaguer appreciation. "I've been around the Concord for a while, but I feel like a part. Part of that's been that you've been that kind sort of..." Her hand returns to drag nails against the back of her neck. "... Super Defensor positive hero attitude, but, for me." Leaning forward, Natsuki hangs on that, tilted down and looking at neither boy. "I didn't need it," She assures, a little emptily. She tells this to herself, because she'd rather think of it this way. "But, it's pleasant to have." Natsuki's eyes saccade furtively across to Woz, expecting him to approve of her telling Sougo, but his silence is still being considered. Then, Natsuki grunts out an 'osu' and takes up her glass to finish her Osaka water. "It's because Sarracenia is calling a Partner a 'treacherous AI', like some sort of Metal Priest would call me out. I want to challenge her to demand she treat Angela with respect with her words. Angela puts up with the yapping because she thinks it makes things easier, but it's harm to her. I asked her if she wanted me to just tell Sarracenia off or take it to blood, and she wanted blood." Natsuki leans forward to put down her glass, and ends with the empty hand on Sougo's. "So I'm asking you, again, Sougo: Are you alright with correcting things through force? And if you're not, would you rather I not use your power to do it?" Burden shifted, Natsuki sits back. Once this business is done she can talk about the other conversation! A light at the end of the tunnel.
Timespace Riders	"Yes, Natsuki," says Sougo. "I'm okay with that. I have to be. Otherwise... otherwise I wouldn't even be a good Kamen Rider, much less a good king."
Natsuki Nuki	Waiting for a moment, having expected more, Natsuki chuffs and nods. "Okay. You were pretty sure before that you weren't okay with it. Which made me know it'd be better if you backed up what I was doing, of course." It will hit a lot better if Sougo was backing her up. Picking up the microphone from Sougo's lap, Natsuki smirks at the king and eyes over to the vizier. "And there was the question I asked Sougo. I'll get to it in just a second -- I think I'm next up." And so the boys are gifted with a rendition of a poppy love song, Natsuki hopping up and swaying through a song about never letting someone get the best of her heart. She doesn't get a high score... But she still owns the high score for the song. And most of the other high spots for it.