Charles Patricius

And so, the show did exactly that; it went on. Midway through the final verse was the perfect time for this part of a show, Dreameater thought. This was a segment common in his songs ─ one that saw a shift in tone, tempo and general energy when delivering the show. Once Shutara took his hand, he moved forward once more. He'd be passing by her with a brush, fleeting contact while integrating himself into the group.

"I knew what I wanted, I went out and got it!" he sang first, shifting toward Miko and brushing past her in a similar way. "I did all the things that you said that I wouldn't!" he continued, spinning around Miko and making eye contact with Ai, whom he reached for the cheek of with his recently-freed hand. Finally, Dreameater moved to Kaguya. She was met with eye contact as well, though that hand swept over the top of her head with a quick rub instead. "I told you that I would never be forgotten─" Dreameater's final transition was a quick one. When he moved away from Kaguya, he took a step away from all four girls. In doing so, he split that microphone, holding out a fully functional half for either of the four to take. "And ALL IN SPITE OF YOOO-OOOO-OOOUUUUUUUU~!♫"

Now was a time that had to appear at least once in every Dreameater performance. Many of his songs featured additional vocals, usually his own backdrops for album releases. Ah, but there was purpose in those: audience involvement. Soon, he hoped someone would have that microphone in hand to join the show for a few lines. First, however, it was time for a breath... briefly

"And I'm still breathing... I'm still breathing~♪
I'm still breathing... I''M STILL BREEEEA-THIIING~!♪

Shutara was used to these moments of spotlight. In fact she found herself rather easily falling into Dreameater's antics. He used her to ingratiate himself into the group. A fleeting brush of physical contact came for Shutara but she was quite used to it. Miko received something similar in turn as he continued to sing, dancing around her as she excitedly took in the show. Ai would be the one to gain a moment of eye contact which had her frozen and wide-eyed for a moment. At the same time, Kaguya received just enough eye contact to make a certain mental decision only to have the man brush over her and give her head a rub, interesting. 'Hm, that was odd... still hot though,' she thought. But that wasn't it, it seemed to her that he had a pretty good ability to read the room. Or in this case, the crowd. By virtue of the conversation it was obvious he was familiar with Shutara and it would seem to Kaguya he was a bit familiar with Miko as well. That was worth a bit of prying, later obviously. A microphone was soon split off the song was popular and any could know what to sing here. The obvious choice for Kaguya was to allow Miko the opportunity to step up but she'd never do that. There were several reasons, most of which had nothing to do with the magical enhancement of her voice and everything to do with what she normally did with her human voice. Ai held up her hands in immediate surrender she wasn't one to sing at Karaoke either, she considered herself to be tone-deaf to a certain extent. So when it came down to it, it was Kaguya and Shutara and the girl with the buns gave an encouraging smile leading Kaguya to take the microphone herself. 'Maybe before I'm thirty, I'll get to see a duet...' Shutara thought giving a casual side-eye to Miko who was still content to watch with wide eyes. Kaguya could definitely do the next part, it would be fine... and Dreameater was a great lead to follow, Miko could say that with the utmost confidence. "Gambareyo, Kaya-sen♪!~" she encouraged the girl who gave her a raised brow which caused Miko to shrug, knowing she'd be explaining later why she didn't take it. At the same time, Shutara realized her friends might be missing crucial information. Well the obvious meeting at the end of this concert was going to be interesting. Maybe she'd stick around and watch the chaos?

Which of the four would be taking that second microphone? It wasn't Shutara this time. Miko, to no surprise, didn't reach for it either. Dreameater's only shot was going to be with one of the two strangers. The blonde girl didn't seem to have enough confidence in her singing ability; that was something he'd address later if he got the chance. The black-haired one showed no immediate desire to participate, seeming to prefer the idea of passing the proverbial torch. Ah, but in the end... she was the one claiming that microphone. Once she took it, Dreameater's hand remained extended toward her. He wasn't always one to settle for just vocals.

"I'M ALIIIIIIIIVE~!♪
I'M ALIIIIIIIIIVE~!♪
I'M ALIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIVE~!♪
I'M ALIIIIII-IIIIIIIIIIII-IIIVE!!♫"

If Kaguya took that outstretched hand, she would have already received a tug as Dreameater paced backwards. He'd be leaning toward her, keeping close proximity as if this little duet was meant to be a conversation. All things considered, he did feel she was the best fit for this. He had a sixth sense for these things, and what he saw in this moment was... something he thought of as a mirror duet. With that small amount of physical contact, he wasn't simply Dreameater. No, he was the phantom representative for those who took from this girl ─ the ones she had reason to stand tall in spite of. Just the same, he was Kaguya herself as well, standing against the odds and professing life. Such was the way of Dreameater in these moments; he showed a sense of empathy that could almost be called... magical.

It would oddly enough be Kaguya who found herself singing along with the parts of this song which were normally done by Dreameater acting as his own backup singer. But the natural kind of genius that she was, she apparently held no nerves for any actions she was taking. No, the black haired girl seemed to be at home, by Shutara's approximation. By Miko's approximation she was very much enjoying a certain look happening in front of her. Kaguya took Dreameater's outstretched hand and received a tug that put her in rather close proximity as they sang to each other as if there was no crowd and no audience.

"You took it all, but I'm still breathing♫~
You took it all, but I'm still breathing♫~

You took it all, but I'm still breathing♫~
You took it all, but I'm still breathing♫~

You took it all, but I'm still breathing♫~
You took it all, but I'm still breathing♫~"

Melodic notes came from Kaguya as if she was made to sing this part, and maybe she was... but at the very least she was magically aware enough to know that this wasn't like magic. It was magic, she could feel this song in the depths of her soul, the vibrations of the words appealing to her sensibilities and the sensation ofthe words traveling across her skin. She felt the kind of relief she'd only ever felt before from vindictive actions but now she just felt... better. Just the same Miko was burning the image of these two among her favorite people together in her mind. She couldn't help but enjoy what she was seeing and even more what she was hearing. Shutara for her part in this was amused. "Oh, she's a natural. Some girls would have fainted being so close to him~" she thought aloud seeming to enjoy the show as well. It wasn't often that someone could seemingly understand their part so well.

One could possibly say Kaguya was, indeed, made for this song. Every song of Dreameater's resonated with someone in a greater way than all others, or rather... everyone resonated with his songs in varying levels. As Kaguya picked up the background vocals, Dreameater felt it. He couldn't leave her be with just that, so that tug continued as he pulled her closer and closer to the stage. In doing so, he also ushered the others forward as well. This song was almost over, but the show hadn't truly begun yet. Actually, Dreameater's grand idea for the show going forward had only just appeared in his mind; he'd only need some of the others to participate. Fully intending to pull Kaguya back with him onto the stage, and fully hoping Ai would take the gesture focused mainly on her to remain nearby, he prepared for the final moments of this opening song.

"I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!
I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIVE!
I'M A...LIIIIIIIIIII-HIIIIII-IIIIIIVE!
I'M A... LIIIIIIIII-AH-HA-HAIIIIII-IIIIVE~"

Finally back onstage, Dreameater brought his first song to an end as one would expect normal artists to end an entire show. Such was his way. If he wasn't pushing the limits in these pivotal moments, he wasn't truly delving into a show for the audience's enjoyment. There he was, singing hard as ever, head leaned back as his voice carried into the air above. Once it was over and the music began to fade, he disabled his own microphone and Kaguya's to speak. "Haah... that was great; thanks for joining me. If either of you is interested, can you dance? I'll make sure it's not an awkward exit from the stage if you don't want to."

As Kaguya sang she felt a magical resonance akin to soul activation. It was quite the strange experience, especially in the world where the magically adept were few and far between. Beyond this she wasn't being released. No. pulled up to the stage. She felt at home in public spaces she was far from the type to turn down a front row seat in such a situation, especially while hearing such an enchanting voice. Ai, Shutara and Miko also walked up, with Miko and Shutara hanging out below the stage really close to the front. Miko because she would never join on the stage and Shutara because she was willing to let others be part of the show and continue to keep Miko company while her friends joined in a new experiece.

It didn't get around anyone's notice the strength of those last few notes sang by Dreameater. Miko herself was transfixed her brows furrowing. "Why would he end an opener like that?!" she said incredulously. "He's been pushing the limits lately, his openers now, are just as intense as his closers used to be," Shutara said observationally. "Sure you don't want to join your friends?" she checked with the girl. "I came to watch the show... not to be part of it," Miko answered with a smile on her face. She didn't envy her friends, she was happy they were getting to meet someone they enjoyed. Happier still that no real questions had been asked of her yet. Perhaps they could make it through the whole of this concert without her having to reveal her one remaining secret.

Of course she was pleased by that sound though. It was an amazing sound it sent shivers up and down her spine but it also seemed to upset the girl quite a bit. It was so much vocal stress... While she considered this, Ai and Kaguya were being treated to the sound of Dreameater's normal speaking voice. As for his words, Kaguya could only scoff. "I don't know many who'd turn it down. I don't mind hanging out for a bit... it really was great, thanks for having me~" she said teasingly, turning over her microphone. "I go where she goes, for reasons, but I don't mind helping out a bit either," Ai managed, trying not to seem like the absolute super fan she was. Just the same, Kaguya caught the look on Miko's face which made the girl give her the thumbs up but that little scowl of hers didn't properly disappear as her eyes shifted again. There were quite a few questions she needed to ask Miko... Just the same the two girls found it easy to dance around together happily in the company of one of their favorite stars.

Once they were onstage and talking, Dreameater received some unnecessary return gratitude from the black-haired girl. He shook his head calmly, but had nothing much to say about it. It seemed both girls were interested in joining the show. Of course, he couldn't be surprised the other two didn't join them onstage, if only due to one's absence. No matter; that wasn't to be expected anyway. Whatever the case, he still had a plan to enact. Kaguya had experienced a sample size of his shows' duet experiences, but... Ai hadn't been so keen to join. That had to change.

With these things in mind, Dreameater focused most of his attention on the blonde young woman. "Don't mind helping... How about singing? You didn't seem comfortable with the idea when I handed over the mic earlier, but... I like to think I've got a song for everyone to shine with. What do you say? Dream a little~" he suggested. With a few small strums of his guitar, Dreameater even activated a bit of background music through the stadium speakers. Strangely, but perhaps recognizable to some, the first instrumental was... a violin. "Hmm, yeah. A few are coming to mind for you. This one stands out though," he said. Dreameater hadn't taken the microphone from Kaguya yet. Before doing so or even turning them on again, he wondered if Ai could be convinced to take it instead.

The two who remained were oddly placed. For her part in it, Miko let her eyes shift for just a moment, "You didn't have to stay with me, Shu-nee. You could have gone too... Just because I don't want to be part of the show, doesn't mean you can't," she said knowing that these shows were this young woman's life in some way. A smile appeared on Shutara's face as this girl who she thought of as a little sister kept encouraging others, even those older than her to pursue things that interested them. Still, it wasn't necessary... "Well, I've been in a bunch of these types of situations already, so I want to keep you company," she said lowering her voice to address the rest of the statement. "Besides, you're always a part of the show, even if you sit out~" she teased the other girl gently only to place her hand atop the other girl's head. She was still waiting for the day that Iino Miko took the stage and became a new star. She hoped for exciting hair to go along with her musical prowess but... that was apparently a pipe dream of sorts. But... Shutara was a fan of Dreameater and knew that concert would be the best. She always dared to dream. Still there was a startup of a certain son which made Miko smile happily violins were a bit rarer but she played them pretty often for some particular musical stylings. 'Oh? She loves this song... he hasn't gotten rusty since I last saw him♪~' Miko thought happily.

While Miko entertained happy musical thoughts, Kaguya and Ai were both part of a stage show. One of whom had her gratitude shifted which caused her to shrug. No one could accuse her of being stuck up when everyone always shirked her gratitude. Moving on, she got to witness the more active use of Dreameater's magic. He was convincing Ai to participate in a more active way. It was quite a difficult task, Ai never wanted to sing at Karaoke and tended to stop if she was caught doing it. She claimed she was far from a good singer, but that wasn't entirely true. She wasn't shy or anything like that, simply put she knew there to be better options for musical prowess. When asked about singing and being looked at directly she blushed a little placing a hand on her back of her head, "Eh? Well, I'm not tone deaf or anything but... I don't usually do 'singing' that often," she said. Still the start up of those violins made her recognize the song a bit. "Ah, but that is my favorite song... how'd you do that?" she asked immediately. Behind him Kaguya was looking at Ai and mouthing the words 'He's magic.' she said wordlessly but Miko seemed to have a knack for finding hidden gems in this ruined world of theirs. Of course she'd have something to say about Ai's naysaying as well. "You're always still invited to sing, you don't have a bad voice so dreaming is fine...we encourage that sort of thing~" she said teasingly. Who the we was... was left up in the air, but she shrugged looking back at Dreameater. "I guess, I can't really turn down singing my favorite song with one of my favorite artists..." she said while rubbing the back of her head.

Luckily for Dreameater, the blonde did have some confidence in her own voice. That was an excellent start. "You'll be great; I promise. All it takes is the right song~♪" he claimed. When the violin instrumental began, it appeared the right song had indeed been chosen. As for how he did it, Dreameater shrugged. "It's just a vibe~" he claimed. Ai agreed to participate while Dreameater smiled and waved at numerous fans who were crowding the stage's edge. She was going to be incredible. With that in mind, he enabled both microphones and gestured with a nod from Kaguya to Ai. She was going to need that second microphone very soon. First, Dreameater stepped back and leaned forward, granting an opening for almost any proximity while retaining the ability to strum his guitar.

"I lie here paralytic,
Inside this soul♪
Screaming for you till...
My throat is numb!♪
I wanna break out~♪
I need a way out!♪
I don't believe that it's gonna be this way!♪
The worst is~
The waiting!♪
In this world I'm SUFFOCATING!♪"

With the second song of the night beginning properly, Dreameater was leaning into his guitar and moving around the stage, a healthy bounce in every step as he intended to dance around Kaguya. The general appearance of this show would be a shifting one, as his movements, while being closest to Kaguya, still implied an approach toward Ai... as if he were entrapped by one and pining for the other.

Ai wasn't the sort of individual who normally thought to sing, but that didn't mean she thought herself horrible. It just wasn't something she thought herself great at. Regardless, Dreameater had a way of talking to people which was quite encouraging. There was a strange warmth in Ai's chest when he claimed she'd be great which reminded her of a certain other thing she'd have to do something about later. "Just a vibe, huh?" she muttered knowing better. As if to punctuate this, Kaguya was still behind him, making creepy finger gestures and quiet whispering, 'He's magic~' with wiggly eyebrows. Of course, with the song settled and the microphone handed over to its appropriate user another song began. Both girls found themselves standing apart from each other, gently dancing to the music as they would have always done. Kaguya for her part in this, found it very easy to fall into Dreameater's antics, playing the role of villain in their combined piece. Or rather, devil, not that she minded. And Ai for her part in this seemed to find it very easy to dance while extending a hand to the lad seemingly pining. The whole of the crowd took in this image including a certain bun wearing punk.

"Oh? They're naturals... with contrasting looks. This is starting to look like something that was planned in advance~" Shutara commented, of course, this was exactly the thing buzzing around the internet presently. A smirk came to Miko's face as she took in the music noting the screamed lyrics the same way she always did with a furrowed brow. What she did have to offer, when her mind properly rejoined the conversation was a simple understanding. "Ai-nee and Kaya-sen live opposite kinds of lives. They are probably the best for the dichotomy of the song. He couldn't have picked a better pair," she said beaming at her friends. "This is such a great show♪!~" the lass squealed. Still she was a bit worried. If he was doing all of this, just between the first two songs, how would his voice hold up for the concert itself. Miko worried about Dreameater, in a deep way, especially after so long of not laying eyes on him.