1318/A Totally Normal Concert

A Totally Normal Concert
Date of Scene:	20 March 2024
Location:	Four Clover Mall
Synopsis:	Utau Hoshina holds a fan appreciation concert. People chase sparkling drinks, hear a concert and ask questions. A certain masked detective steals important information- and it isn't Sunbreaker's fault this time. Utau asks Kukai to the prom. Utau also hates Coco, whoever she is.
Cast of Characters:	Utau Hoshina, Kukai Soma, Hinoiri Kirara, Hinote Kagari, Zoisite, Coco Kiumi, Ami Mizuno

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Utau Hoshina has posed:
Utau Hoshina is behind stage getting ready. Secretly, she's glad today's big concert is just that, a concert and not some dumb plan to steal a bunch of X-eggs and steal the hearts of children, no, just a normal, everyday idol concert.

She powdered her face a little the powder puff as her eyes drifted to Sunbreaker.

"I wouldn't anticipate trouble today. It's just a concert today~" she says to her friend with a smile.

MEANWHILE Up front is the stage setup in the outdoor plaza of the mall, with fans, a lot gathering and there's merchandise on sales by vendors who setup tables. There's all sorts of novelties, food on display and such.

You can tell the hardcore fans, they're wearing all the fan merch. The Tour T-shirts.

The show will begin shortly, they're just finished the testing a moment ago of the sound systems! A little short squeak from a speaker confirms this momentarily.

Kukai Soma has posed:
Kukai has been a little out of it for the last two days. It's not some crushing depression or anything like that, and he's far from broken or something that intense. He's just been a little listless since a certain conversation. He's been trying to find his footing and figure out exactly what he wants to do going forward.

He isn't at the mall for the concert, to be clear. He was out shopping and getting some tasty food to clear his mind. However, amid enjoying a nice snack, he saw the notice for the concert. Curious, at first, he eventually saw WHO was holding the concert. Daichi, the tiny, green-haired Chara that is currently hanging out in his pocket, told him to leave. Run for the hills. Get out of here NOW. But...he didn't really want to, for some reason.

So, as the entire event began to form and the fans and curious onlookers prepare, the handsome boy nudges his way slowly through the crowd. In the end he is standing directly in front, as close to the stage as he can possibly get. Jeans, a pair of Converse, a white shirt, and a pink and grey camo-patterned hoody, unzipped under a coat with a beanie make up his outfit. It makes him look a bit urban-chic and trendy, and honestly, the outfit looks really good on him.

He sips his soda and eyes the stage. Wait. Wait is his heart racing, he wonders? Mabye he SHOULD run.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker managed to pass a strained smile to Utau. She was... for lack of a better word, tense. It was apparent from a number of things. The most obvious sign being she hadn't gone into that Obsidian Tower since.

But she had pretty good relations with Easter and when they asked for more security for Utau... well... she'd come.

Just security today. No dark magic, no x-eggs. Just... security. Nothing more. Nothing less. It was kind of... fun wasn't the right word. Refreshing. No big projects depending on her. No music for her to make. Nothing major.

So of course, one of the stagehands came over to her. "Ahhh, Sunbreaker, I need to--"

"Hold that thought," Sunbreaker said before quickly moving by Utau. "If you run into any trouble, just let me know. I'll deal with it. No dark energy, though, so it's unlikely to draw any of the trouble makers." No magic in the equipment for her to tamper with... all in all? Very relaxing in many ways.

"Sunbreaker!" the worker said.

Sunbreaker sighed and gave Utau a comforting nod before walking back towards the man with the book... "Right, right..."

"So, on these dates we'll need..."

No rest for the wicked, or so they say.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari was dressed like his rich self wanted to today, which was a brown sports coat, and white undershirt, brown khaki pants. He had Tracy, the detective chara with him dressed in his tellow trenchcoat and fedora as always. "Yeah, kid, let's do it!" he said.

"Yeah. Let's be proactive and...Investigate...!" Hinote says.

"My Heart: Unlock!" he calls out. Tracy enters his black and white egg, and Hinote grabs it, merging with the chara and coming out the otherside of the alleyway he's in as Pulp Noir, Magical Masked Detective.

He then climbs up a fire escape to the rooftop of the nearby building and overlooks the concert stage. He'll wait for things to begin to start making his move... before removing his trenchoat, getting just into his fancy three piece suit. No coat today.

"This'll be a piece of cake." he says.

This will not be a piece of cake.

Zoisite has posed:
    The end of the school year quickly approaches, and truly there are places they ought to be. In the library to study is the highest on the list, with getting some sorely needed shut-eye coming in a strong second. And yet, neither Zoisite nor Ami are doing those things that they ought to do. Probably not surprising for the former, but maybe a bit shocking for the Sailor Senshi of Intelligence!

    Blame it all on Zoi, then. He's the one who'd mentioned the concert, then kept bringing it up, and eventually surprised Ami with a new outfit for it, and managed to whine and wheedle his way into convincing Ami to come.

    Their study books will be there after, anyway! Time for some fun!

    Dressed all in black, Zoisite wears an asymmetrical leather jacket in a feminine cut with a thin shirt underneath and skinny jeans that tuck into ankle boots, with a few chains and jewelry in silver to accentuate the look. His hair is braided rather than its usual ponytail, which he flips elegantly over his shoulder as they edge around the crowd, looking for somewhere with some verticality rather than wading into the crowd itself.

    Zoisite wouldn't do that to Ami, and he's not particularly fond of jostling about for front-row viewing either, himself.

    "This should be good," he says as they find a decent vantage point nearby that hasn't yet been claimed by anyone else. Affecting a lean, Zoi tucks his hands into the pockets of his jacket and looks out at the stage, a mercurial smile on his face. Inside, though, he's excited.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco is mixed in between the crowd of fans, just trying to stay there to accomplish two things: keep an eye on the concert to ensure it actually is a normal one, and not be noticed by Utau (even though she doesn't think she has ever been seen in her normal outfit, she still would like not to attract her attention so as not to potentially disrupt a completely normal concert).

It's not hard to tell she is not a fan a fan of any kind: she doesn't have any Utau merchandise, she is just wearing her favourite yellow dress with an orange band under her bust that leaves her shoulders bare, coupled with pale yellow flats and gold drop earrings with dangling peals with a band encrusted with topazes. On her neck Coco wears as always the yellow pendant shaped like a seashell with wings that houses her yellow pearl.

One other thing she is actually interested in is taking part in the meet & greet after the concert because she would like to see what the situation is with Ikuto as siblings. If possible, she wouldn't want him to suffer the separation from a loved one that is currently on the road of evil.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno was indeed out and about, unusually so! She had asked Zoisite to help her actually learn to relax once in awhile though. While Usagi was also of that mindset, her grades were not as good as Zoisites. Giving in to such impulses was not going to be doing Usagi any favors!

Plus, having a rather nice A-line dark navy blue dress with a fitted geometric lace slip over it? Where else was she going to wear something so cute? At least she had some knee high boots to match already in her wardrobe as well.

Standing beside Zoisite as they make their way through the crowd it looks as if they were both looking very stylish. Her short hair was extra curled with a bouncy poof, and a silvery hairclip that held one side away from her face so that she can better enjoy the concert.

"This spot isn't bad at all. Should we grab snacks?" Even as Ami suggests it she seems to reconsider with a shake of her head. "No, we'd lose our spot. Better to enjoy a snack after the concert." With that determined she smiles, and admits aside to her companion, "I've never been to an idol concert before. This should be fun!"

Utau Hoshina has posed:
Utau smiled at Sunbreaker. "Take it easy, Sunny." she says. It's a dear friend name. Not an insult. "It's just a concert, no one's going to cause me trouble." Someone's gonna cause someone trouble. She doesn't know it yet. She sighs and stands up, today's ensemble is a fancy red-orange dress, it has frills on the end of it, held on by straps around her shoulders. It's a little glittery. "I'm gonna sing a song just for you~" she teases.

Utau starts to leave the dressage room, or the room designated it, in the back area of the mall and walks up the back of the stage. Pulp Noir can see this happening now. She walks up to the side, nodding to the techs in back, a little cold wave, but no smiles for them.

She appears on stage and kisses the crowd, placing her hands to her lips, then blowing it out. the crowd roars. She does notice Kukai. Immediacy and she pauses a moment, before a wider smile creeps up on her face. Didn't work with your floozy, did it!? She tip toes along to the center of the stage and beams with pride and exuberance! "Hello everyone! Are you having fun?" she asks.

The crowd roars again. She giggles. "The sun may be going down, but the light from all of you will illuminate this stage!" she says. "Let's have some fun..."

Then the lights dim on the stage finally as she starts to sing into her idol headset microphone.

Her voice is beautiful, as she sings.
Though it seems as if you are being weighed down by grief, stop making such a pathetic face
And cast away such frivolous things as your Cheap Pride.
The sun shines down upon you; come on, let's live
That's right; in all honesty, I want you to smile and have fun.
I want you to experience a kind of dazzling Happiness.
You have a dream, so dont let anyone ever take it from you.
Take a deep breath; I want you to tell me all about it right now, I want you to reach out and grab that dream, but I know you need to be patient.
Show me a smile thats as amazing as the sun!
When a building seems to be swallowed in the shadow of another,
You mustn't be afraid to look around to the other side, and see the future in your sight. Let's take flight!
You are deeply damaged, you've cried and cried, and have gotten tired. But you can't sleep, not anymore.
It's frustrating seeing you all alone, I want you to love and I want you to be loved.
Make even those long nights fruitful.
Doing things, like talking about someone behind their back,
Eventually it becomes something trivial; as you lose your confidence, lose yourself, and just run away.
Dont let it get to you! Seize the day!

Glorious Sunshine!

The sun shines down upon you; come on, let's live!
Go and give a Kiss that could even make a goddess jealous.
That's a heart-pound and beautiful Happiness.
You, certainly, are a person who has traveled firmly through the light found deep within their heart.
So surely you can find the true meaning of that radiance.
Let's sing a song that can rival even the sun's rapture!

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phfjczdg8JY)

She comes down from the end of the song, and waits for the applause between sets after that usually comes. (And it does, the crowd is pleased.)

Kukai Soma has posed:
The boy stands a bit straighter when Utau comes out on stage, and he stuffs his free hand into the pocket on his coat, trying to look casual. His other hand clings to his drink. He sips it now and again, his eyes following her across the stage. Feeling the crowd, he ends up cheering along with them, not wanting to stand out. Plus, as problematic as she is...she IS very, very good. Plus she's an old friend. Just that. Just an old friend.

He blinks at the lyrics, glancing aside. It's normal for lyrics to fit anyone, right? Surely that's all. Either way, he tries to cast off his 'athpetic face' and not be depressed about...things.

He sets his drink aside and claps with the others when it is done. "Woo! Utau!," he catches himself cheering with the others...hoping she doesn't spot him doing such, because GOOD GRIEF would that be bad.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker nodded and gave a small smile to Utau. Still...

She was very much on edge. After what happened? Yeah, she did NOT want another screw up on her face. Not after... that.

And not with Easter. One of the few supports she felt she had. The fact Utau had come and tried to get her out, even if it had been ineffective, meant a lot to her.

And, as always, Utau was magnificent. Even without the magic. She could have done well in Kirakirafantastica. She was as good as any of the other singers she'd met, the actual singers. Even in a world where singing wasn't just a fact of life, talent found a way to rise to the top.

"Sunbreaker?" the suit asked, making her sigh.

"Yes, yes, come on, let's get this over with..."

"So, on these days we..." he mumbled, ppointing to different days on a schedule book... some of which had a little 'sun' mark written on them. Todays, notably, did not.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Pulp Noir makes his move, jumping off the side of the building as Utau disappears to the stage. He moves silently to the back Utau came from, keeping a low profile. In just his suit, he might be mistaken for another employee, or maybe one of those youma people he fought with Ikuto or Tadase. Though he's walking slow and keeping distant as he examines the way in. It's just some mall backrooms. Right?

He adjusts his fedora as he moves. He's cool and collected during this. He can hear the singing behind him with a smile, though as he creeps around in his grey suit.

He slips his hand into his jacket though, gripping one of his waterpistols. Just in case.

Quiet, while the concert noise might help cover him!

Zoisite has posed:
    Being up high is the best place to observe a concert, because not only do you get a clear view of the stage, but you can also see the crowd as a whole. Because of this, more than once Zoisite has leaned in close to Ami so that he can point out some particularly enthuasistic fans, or share a rave-slash-critique (it varies) about the outfits of other concert-goers.

    A nod of silent agreement is given to Ami's question which shortly becomes her decision about snacks; they could wait, a view this good is definitely worth protecting.

    He's not one of the true fans, so he can't sing along with the lyrics, but he can move to the beat and cheer when the crowd cheers, applaud when they applaud. And with their hands free of snacks and drinks, he does just that, clapping for Utau.

    "Concerts are some of the best places to people-watch," Zoisite says to Ami in the interim, before the music is due to start back up. "No one's ever paying attention to anything except who's on stage, so you can do it with impugnity." He quirks a little half-smile at that and turns to look back towards the concert.

Ami Mizuno has posed:
When the fans begin to cheer and chant just as Utau comes out on stage but hasn't begun to sing yet, Ami gently nudges Zoisite with her elbow to snag his attention. Her purse had been pulled in front of her so she could flip open the top to withdraw a pair of LED wands with wrist straps. The sort you could change the color of with the push of a button.

The little purse didn't even look as if it would fit a single set of them much less the fact that there's another pair for her after she hands them over to Zoisite. The Shittenou is granted a playful wink from the Senshi as she flips hers on to begin matching the motions of those in the audience that were doing their fan cheers.

Only these LED lights were WAY better quality than the cheap ones sold around here. These were *professional* level that the idols themselves usually used, or only sold as exclusive limited editions.

"People watching is fun, but I kind of like the cheering too. I'm not really good at dancing. I can follow the beat and the arm motions easily, though." Which she proves by twirling her LED light stick making a pretty splashing swirl of blue appear around her hand in the process.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco sighs of relief when Utau doesn't spot her, even as it may have been superfluous. She really doesn't want to risk what-ifs, and anyway Utau is probably focused on the performance she is about to give. Either a normal one or an usual X-Chara one.

And to her even greater relief, it very much is a normal one, and one Coco can just listen to without any danger. And without her own deeply ingrained instincts driving her to find any song infused with dark energy repulsive, she can actually hear the Utau that everyone else hears.

And she does have a splendid voice, one that could have very well come from one of the girls she calls sisters, her fellow mermaid princesses, down to the theme of the song. How can someone who talks so easily about standing up for your dreams be so eager to crush them?

She sings it a little too, following the tempo set by Utau, and matching her words as closely as she can when she tries to fix this song into memory. She is feeling puzzlement towards the other girl, a wish to understand exactly what is it that drives her to be cruel unsympathetic, when she could very well be one of them...!

Utau Hoshina has posed:
Utau Hoshina does in fact not spot Coco, nor know who she is. She'd have OPINIONS if she knew. She does spot her in so much as she does everyone else in the crowd. She seems to be having fun like everyone else. She gives Kukai a wink though between sets. But then frowns a little bit. Not because of Kukai but because of the next song.

She has a tone to set.

"But after the Glorious Sun~ Comes the deep, mysterious night and..." she says softly, Suddenly, wings unfold from her back!? Oh, they're prop butterfly wings that we're packed away against the back of the dress. Not a chara change. "-sometimes I feel like a lost butterfly in the dark~" she  says softly as she spins around in dance, the start of the next song coming into frame.

She starts to sing her seminal hit. The dancing is light with this one, smooth graceful motions across the stage.

Open your shiny eyes in the silent night
I swooped down in the mysterious night.
I sneak without any sound of footsteps
In a lusting black cat's pose.

A silhouette that carries the moonlight on it's back
"Come here" It smiles as it beckons me.

A shadow of desire squirms in the town
It wanders in the guise of an angel
It holds the shards of love without a place to go
In it's arms as if it treasures them

As you fall asleep, are you somewhere also
Having a happy dream?
Kiss the starry sky. It's time for good children to go to sleep.

Don't look at me, don't catch me.
I'm a butterfly who got lost.
I sing freely with these wings no one can see.
They're hiding in your heart.

The memories in the mirror
Of when I was a cry-baby.
But I'm not a child anymore.
I untied my long hair.

A sweet fragrance that tightens my chest
I'm noticing I'm being seduced
You placed a spell on my lips that lost their words.

Don't look at me, don't catch me.
I'm a butterfly who got lost.
It's too dear, it's too precious.
It's going to break, the key to my heart.

I continue to look for my own story
Even if I am blinded by fate
I pierce through these clouds, and flap my wings to the distant tomorrow.

Don't look at me, don't catch me.
I'm a butterfly who got lost.
I sing freely with these wings no one can see.
They're hiding in your heart.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phy_ra_DDaU)

The song ends gracefully with a slide of her feet across the floor as she gives a bow, She might be looking directly at Kukai.

Kukai Soma has posed:
The boy lets out a breath when the wings unfold, and he claps and cheers with everyone else. Not because he's trying to fit in, though, anymore. She's very, very good and has one hell of a stage presence. The wink is caught, and his clapping falters, ending up off-beat for a moment before he corrects himself.

He listens to the song, following her from one end to the stage as she feeds the crowd with her energy and talent. He can't take her eyes off of her. He has heard the song in passing, since it's such a hit, but he doesn't know the lyrics, really. This time, though, he soaks them in. His brow furrows a bit as he hears them, word after word, and his heart thunders in his chest harder then before. Daichi, meanwhile, climbs up to sit on his shoulder, trying to resemble a doll. "Whoa, it's like a sports crowd," he whispers to him. Kukai nods to that.

When the song ends he puts two fingers in his mouth and whistles, though that chokes off when he finds her staring directly at him. He offers a lopsided smile, his cheeks reddening.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker glanced up as the first song finished and the second began. Ugh, she was missing the concert for this busywork...

For Pulp Noir, it was an easy identification. There was literally only one person here who was LITERALLY ON FIRE. Sure, Sunbreaker was in a fancy suit, but being on fire was obvious. She had her phone out, marking down certain dates, trying to brush past the work. "Okay, is there anything else?"

"Actually, Miss Sunbreaker, I was curious if we could go over the tow..." Slowly the words died in his throat from the glare he received. "Errrr, no, this? This should be fine," the man said, giving a small, sheepish smile and closing the book, hugging it to his chest.

"Then I'm going to go enjoy the show and make sure nobody interferes, underst..." She trailed off. Wait, did she just see someone in a... "Hey, you," she called out, glaring at Pulp Noir. "Ditch that hat. I don't want anyone getting pictures of Easter's support staff looking like they're out of date." She hummed, glancing around before... grabbing a big, poofy hat with... gray diamonds on the front. Similiar to design as one of the ones Utau sometimes wore when hiding her identity.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
And that is when Utau switches the tone of the song, it becoming much sadder, and desperate, almost disillusioned, she would say.

And this switch from a cheerful song to a much more despondent song is something that's very familiar to the blonde mermaid, having heard it once before from a person very much dear to her.

Coco knows that she wants to help Ikuto deal with the family situation he has found himself in, but this redefines everything, in a way. What is really hiding in Utau's heart? Is this just a song, or an actual representation of her feelings? Does she wants to get free of Easter like Ikuto?

Can Coco even ask her these questions later on? How personal will she be allowed to go later? Not much, probably. Which, to be fair, was probably always going to be the case. Even so, she has to try.

Zoisite has posed:
    Zoisite is nosy so he peers into the mysterious depths of Ami's purse as she withdraws first one set, then another set, of LED wands. His mouth drops open a little and then he smiles in delight as he wraps his arms around her in a quick but warm hug. "Hidden depths," he tells her, with a wink.

    And then he switches the lights on, matching Ami's blue, and follows along with her and the rest of the crowd, joining the many points of light that surround the stage.

    This song appeals more to Zoisite; likely he's heard it before and just hasn't placed it yet, is why. But the lyrics make him think of other, older times, and he hums under his breath. Just a wordless few notes, but ones he's picked up from the song, before he trails off as the melody changes.

    Someone passes by them with a fizzy drink that has some sort of collectible straw in it, and possibly also light up LEDs, and Zoisite's eyes go wide. "You know how you said we shouldn't give up our spots for snacks or drinks?" he asks, then turns his still wide-eyed look on Ami. "I want that."

    He points at the drink.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Pulp Noir suddenly turns around to the wall and adjusts his hat as he hrrrrrrfs gruffly and listens to Sunbreaker call him out. Oh. She doesn't recognize him maybe without the coat. Like he planned. So he reaches up and removes his fedora as he then also... removes his mask!? What does that do? Well he's Hinote Kagari maybe, but not. Henshin magic is still in effect.

Look unmasking doesn't just WORK like that! At least for him.

He turns to Sunbreaker as he stuffs the mask into the hat and holds it to his side. He says, Gruffly. "Sorry ma'am, won't happen again." he says gravely, as he tries to fit in, giving an apologetic bow, as she grabs the poofy hat.

He notices the book the other is holding to his chest. He zeroes in on this with his sight a moment.

That might be something important!

>> CLUE DETECTED!?

Ami Mizuno has posed:
Ami Mizuno lifts her head a bit with a totally innocent expression as Zoisite realizes that he's utilizing her purse with the pocket space that has come with her own abilities. It was just a matter of changing where the 'pocket' was located and what was in it. Things like this worked well for storage even if there was a limit to how much she *could* store.

The flashy LED wands are used for awhile as she watches those closer to the stage spotting the boy that Utau seemed to be singing specifically to. "Looks like there's a story brewing there," she points out to Zoisite with a lift of her chin.

Right before his attention is snatched by the shiny specialty drink and straw. With a warm laugh she looks over in the direction the fan had come from, gesturing with a wand.

"The vendor is over there. Let's go get you something sparkly," she teases.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
Utau Hoshina gives a wave to all her fans. "We'll be having a meet and greet now, and one by one, I'll sign as many autographs as I can and speak to you as much as possible before the next set starts!" she says with a warm but practiced smile. She then motions and two stage hands wheel a table out, a set of stairs is wheeled into position and Utau has a seat into her chair behind it as a stack of autographable pictures are slapped in front of her.

Fans start reeling in now up the stairs. But are stopped by security. One by one it seems, only a few let in at a time. Surprisingly you. (yes, YOU, if you want.) are able to get pretty up there in the line quickly or fast enough. You will not be waiting long to see her or could see her now if you want. (Work order out amongst yourselves, please, those who want to talk!)

Utau graciously waits.

Il and El are not here today. They're off having an adventure in the mall. This may involve many hijinx and pushed over stacks of cans in the convivence store and lots of preaching at Il for her mischief by El.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker gave a nod to the weird individual. Huh. A part of her had a nagging thought about that fedora. Had she seen it before?

She didn't care, though. Cause you know what? She had other problems. Like trying to catch some relaxation. Why? Because she was exhausted. Especially after recent experiences. She turned and made her way back towards Utau. She was security, and she'd act it. Crossing her arms, and standing there nearby...

Odd how she was easily the smallest security guard there, but there was an... odd... danger about her. As if anybody who tried anything would *sorely* regret it. And become very, very sore.

Meanwhile, the person she'd been talking with adjusted his glasses before making his way to the refreshment table... putting the binder down and grabbing a small plate of donuts.

Sunbreaker gave Utau a little thumbs up. She'd been enjoying the show so far. She particularly liked that first song....

Kukai Soma has posed:
He watches the concert end, and he watches the fans heading towards the meet and greet.

"Okay, let's get out of here," Daichi whispers to him.

"Um, nah. You go ahead. I'll catch-up with you."

"WHAT?

He plucks the Chara from his shoulder and sends him off, to Daichi's dismay, before he turns to go to the meet-up line. He spots one of the people on-staff, and he makes his way over. "Uh, heeeey. I'm Kukai. Friend of Utau's. Should I...get in line or...?"

He waits to hear. If he's told to get in line with the others, he sighs and does so.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
"Sure, kid, everyone is 'Utau's friend," the guard said.

Of course, then Sunbreaker's eyes fell on him. Wait... was that the boy that Utau mentioned? Well, it wasn't her brother...

"Get in line, kid," the man said.

However, when Kukai started to go... suddenly a woman in a fancy suit was behind him, looking at him through the glasses. She looked up up and down and... "Kukai?" she asked. "You have special permission. Come with me."

"Special permission?" the other guard asked. "I didn't hear about--" He went silent when Sunbreaker turned her head to look at him. "Nevermind."

"Good." She then motioned him to follow her, moving out of the crowds. It would mean she wasn't by Utau for a bit and would give some of the other guests some time to ask their questions and would be arriving near after a few more people had their shot...

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Pulp Noir looks Sunbreaker in the eyes and gives another apologetic bow when she leaves. He can act the patsy greatly. He is an actor. Then the man puts that binder down and heads to the craft table. He sneaks over, quietly and opens the binder. He wants to see what's in there. It must be something important.

He makes off that he's checking something in it while he does his thing. He belongs here. He fits in. Lalalaa, all one big happy Easter family.

Just him and the guy! Just, Easter guys doing whatever Ester guys do. Stealing X-eggs, yeah, go get 'em!

He'll slowly take out his phone and start taking pictures of the pages.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Utau has finally given the ok to her meet and greet, so Coco joins the queue to get close to her. She is a bit nervous, as she eyes the guards that may or may not cast her aside due to the personal nature of her questions.

"Hi, Utau", Coco gives the other idol a calm smile. "Thank you for the opportunity to ask me questions. Would you say the two songs you sang today reflect any feelings you have, or used to have?" Then after that gets answered, the next question is "What do you think of your brother Ikuto's choice to get away from Easter?" Then: "Do you miss him?"

And so on, and so forth, with each question asked after the respective answer is given. "Do you wish you could take the same path as him? What do you say stops you from going through with it if you want to? Or is there anything that would motivate you to join him?"

Kukai Soma has posed:
He blinks when Sunbreaker approaches him as he's starting towards the line. He doesn't know who she is, but she seems to be in charge. "Oh, sure. Um, thanks. Yeah, I'm Kukai. Kukai Soma."

He stuffs his hands into the pockets of his coat, the boy turning to follow the girl along the side of the line. He blushes when fans see him pass by and people mutter or whisper to eachother, some curiosity spreading by those who notice. Quite a few notice. Who's THIS guy who just gets to bypass the whole line??

Utau Hoshina has posed:
Utau happily waits up on her chair. The Microphones are off, it's private up here. It's far back enough it's hard for people to hear anything up on the stage. It really is a private meet and greet. She's used to questions like the first one the blonde girl coming up says.

"Glorious Sunshine is a tribute to my fans! Who have been with me thick and thin. Did you like it? This is a fan appreciation concert and I really wanted to convey my feelings about it." she says warmly, placing a hand to her chest. She sees Kukai get accosted. Good. He'll be next.

"Sometimes. I feel very sad and lost. So I wanted to convey that feeling to my fans." she says seriously.

These questions are answered earnestly and quickly. She knows the answer to these questions.

Then there's the next question.

Her brother? HER BROTHER. Who is this!? Her expression changes to one of upset. If Il was here, she might Chara-Change. But luckily Il is not. "What!? Hey, who exactly are you!?" she questions back. "My brother is dumb, doing dumb*** things like trying to leave Easter." she says, a little loudly. "I tried to bring him back but he's being so dumb." she says.

>> "Do you Miss him? Would you go the same path?" <<

She scowls. "He's. Being. Dumb. Of course I miss him, but he's taking a dumb path because some pink haired girl told him too, what a dumb***!" she says, waving a hand off. "We're gonna find it. And maybe wish all you chumps away." she doesn't specify what 'it' is here.

Then she smiles sickening sweet because, there is a crowd and they have eyes and can see her expression. "Thank you for your questions!" she says, 'signing' an autograph for Coco and handing it to her.

----

UTAU HOSHINA *
GET LOST.                                      
                                                                                                
----

"Buh-bye now!"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker walked up behind Utau and... huh. Was... Utau annoyed by something? She glanced to Coco and her eyes narrowed. What was that girl doing here? However, Utau seemed to have it well in hand. Signing a picture and then shoving it out.

Granted, if Coco refused to leave, she took up a spot behind Utau and crossed her arms, warning the girl silently. 'Beat it, twerp.'

"Hoshina-san, a family friend is here to see you," she said, just loud enough so others could hear. 'Oh? Who was this person cutting the line?' Family, obviously. Hinoiri knew how important image was. But most people could accept 'Oh, family'. And likely would ignore the 'friend' part.

Kukai Soma has posed:
He can read the expression on Utau's face when she's talking to Coco, and he can tell that smile is as false as can be. They were close as kids, afterall. He clears his throat when he steps up towards where the girl is seated.

"Hey, Utau-chan. That was the first time I've ever really seen you perform. Well, other then the other night, I guess? Anyways, it was good. Really good. But...you know that..."

He trails off a bit. Now that he's here and in front of her, he really has no idea what to say.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Pulp Noir was finding he was having little trouble. As he was about a third of the way through the schedule, not getting much second glasses.

However, as the first third was done... "Ah, man, they're out of jelly cream..." The man who owned the book started to turn and... "Hey, you, are there any more in the b..." Then trailed off, his eyes narrowed. "Wait... do... I know you?" he asked, sounding a little suspicious.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"Both of of your songs were great, it's just that those two songs together and your situation have reminded me of a very dear friend I have, so I thought I should ask what inspired them", Coco replies when she gets asked if she likes Glorious Sunshine.

As for the rest of her questions... Well, so she did answer them, even if getting to know what exactly made Utau feel lost was perhaps too personal, Coco thinks as she is being dismissed rudely.

Honestly, not getting chased away by the guards and getting most questions is actually much better than what she thought she would get. And now she has to think about what this mysterious wish-granting 'it' they are looking for.

Before walking away from Utau with the autograph in hand, Coco tells her "Thank you for the answers, I appreciate them", smiling at the other girl and bowing slightly.

When Sunbreaker approaches her telling her to beat it, Coco gives a frown to the other girl. Why is she here with her transformation?Is Easter planning something after all? But she doesn't really have way to tell, and honestly all the people look fine, so she just goes.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Pulp Noir, without his hat or mask looks like a guy in a fancy suit. He suddenly and quickly makes off he's texting, opening his text app and making off he's typing. He is. But it's to his dad. 'Hi, how are you!? I'm fine, thank you.'

Pulp Noir tries to reach for his acting talent. "I'm new. Sorry. I don't even have my id card yet even, but they stuck me on this job anyways, can you believe this!?" he asks, dramatically making a little show of how exasperated he was. "Like Ted and I went through this when I was getting in earlier, too? It's annoying. I'm really sorry." he says putting his phone away.

"Here." he says, picking up the book. "Let me take this back to someplace safer, it's really open here. I can even find you some jelly donuts while I'm doing that, boss." he says. Thumbs up! Wink.

Easter guys doing Easter things, see. Lalalala, Please buy the lies, he secretly thinks.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
Utau Hoshina is ignoring Coco now. "Buh. Bye." she repeats as Coco leaves and goes without issue. Good. Hopefully her expressions weren't caught on video. No they we're. People are recording this, but Utau Hoshina will have words later for this girl.

Kukai might not know what to say. But Utau Hoshina does. Her fake smiles changes to a genuine one when Kukai shows up. "Well now you have heard me sing. I see you're alone! At my concert!." she says in a voice filled with mellow drama. She's making a big show of that point. That Kukai is alone.

"I'm sorry." she says with some sadness. "That things didn't work out with your girl, there." her voice is just such that she doesn't mean it. No. She's happy he's alone. "Sometimes things just don't go the way we want, do they?". She's making assumptions that Kukai is here alone because he got dumped. Or maybe. He dumped her? She doesn't know.

"Did you... enjoy my little concert the other night?" she asks, placing a hand to her chest, now this question? She means it. Kukai didn't say anything about her singing, just that she should apologize. Utau is not going to apologize. That girl can eat it for all she cares.

"Did you hear about the prom? I'm on the music committee. Are.. you taking anyone?" she asks, eyelashes fluttering. She doesn't mention the oblidate she has with the very boy stealing the schedule right now. That isn't important right now. She can two-time. She's allowed to. It's her right to!

Kukai Soma has posed:
He sighs softly as she starts into the poking and dramatic prodding. He plucks a hand from his pocket and brushes it back through his shaggy hair. "Uh, yeah. We weren't even -really- official. Just dating and stuff. But yeah. She broke up with me a few days ago."

Kukai doesn't look her in the eyes when he says that. The boy turns back to her after a moment. "Well, other then you starting a fight with my date? Yeah, it was great. You're good, and you know it." And hot. But he was NOT going to say that part out loud. "I was just pretty surprised with how you were...well, what you were admitting, since we grew up together, practically. I just had no idea." He's cute and athletic, but not bright, all the time. Especially not with girls.

He falters at the mention of the prom. "No. I'm not. Not yet, anyways."

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
The man searching for his lost donut, like the man looking for the ambrosia of the gods, had only one thing on his mind. Finding the end, the goal, of his desires.

"Yeah, go do that, make sure it's not those cheap ones, either! Easter only gets the best," he ordered, returning to the snack table, trying to decide... take a donut now, to tide him over until the rest got here? Or take a granola bar...

Sunbreaker, meanwhile, struggled to resist face palming when she glanced between the two. Dear heavens, the boy certainly didn't have any idea. What, did Utau have to plant a flag in him? No, he'd probably misconstrue that too... this is why she was with Double Trouble.

... That and Double Trouble kind of just... decided they were together. BUT HER POINT STOOD! Dear heavens...

Also, she had a sneaking suspicion that Utau was not, in fact, upset about the other girl not working out. Call it a unicorn's hunch.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
Utau Hoshina really wants to tell Kukai that he has terrible taste in girls and she almost does. But she refrains. It's a public place still. And Sunbreaker is in earshot. So she doesn't. Well.

Not in earnestly.

"I'm sorry she dumped you, obviously, she has terrible taste in men. She probably likes trash men." she says. Going the other direction instead. She does smile when Kukai says he enjoyed the concert. "Well. I'm sorry. To you. Not her. If she had any taste she wouldn't had dumped you just because someone else showed interest!" she gasps.

"Why don't...you take me?~" she asks. She doesn't say she's going with someone else too. The other boy she barely even knows. Some actor's son. Kukai is cute. Available. Here now. And most of all, really being dumb and not asking her first. Utau Hoshina might need to actually stick a big sports pennant with her face into his brain.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Pulp Noir says. "Right, boss!" before leaving with the book. He didn't want to steal it wholesale. But he's here with it now. He might aswell take it and run. Which he does. When he's back outside, he quickly slaps back on the mask and fedora. Because he feels naked without those, and feels weird, before he jumps upwards into an alleway wall and kicks off the fire escape and off onto the opposite wall to land smoothly on the roof.

He'll take off with his contraband and fix his fedora again as he escapes into the night! That was harrowing. But now he, and others, will know which concerts are the ones to look out for.

"This case is closed!" he says as he jumps down into a further away alley, finally, to dehenshin and Tracy unmerges from him. "We did it, Kid!" Tracy says.

>> This case is closed!

Kukai Soma has posed:
"Well, she...," he starts, but trails off. He doesn't want to talk to Utau about Chiyo. She'll just say mean things about her, and he doesn't feel that's fair to the other girl. But he also doesn't end the conversation, either.

"Well, thanks. I appreciate that." He adjusts his earring a bit when he pauses as she asks him to the Prom. He glances back over his shoulder, his cheeks a bit red, to see if any of her fans overheard that. He has no idea what the reaction would be if they did. He ends up facing the girl again, then, and he nods.

"You know what? Sure. I'd love to go to the Prom with you, Utau-chan." It's clear he's known her for awhile, judging by the chosen honorific. "That actually sounds like it could be a lot of fun." And possibly very chaotic. It could end terribly. But he won't know if he doesn't do it. "Should we hang out beforehand so we can, like, talk about it and coordinate?" He fishes his phone out, his contact details ready to be shared.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
Utau's fans aren't able to hear up n the stage very well. If they heard it, there's no reaction, which is a very good sign they didn't hear it. She smiles wide.

"Thank you." she says softly.

It's more earnest and honest than anything she's ever said before. Before she suddenly changes expression and then says. "I mean of course, you'll take me." she says. "Yes. We'll meet. Soon. Sunny---" a short pause. Maybe should not call her that in public. "Sunbreaker, can you please make sure he gets my contact details." she isn't whipping out her phone here to share things on the stage. Again. People have eyes.

"Kukai-kun..." she trails off. "I have more meetings to do with all my fans." she says as she grabs a picture from the stack and signs it for Kukai.

---

Utau Hoshina

  ,d88b.d88b,
  88888888888
  `Y8888888Y'
    `Y888Y'  
      `Y'

----

"See you later~" she winks at Kukai.

Kukai Soma has posed:
That hint of the real her under all that makes him stop his brief regret he felt in accepting the invite.; He smiles and nods softly, pocketing his phone. "Okay, great. I'll see you, then. Have a good time with your fans."

He takes the signed picture and then offers the idol a wave. His gaze lingers a moment before he pulls it away, making his way over to meet with Sunbreaker so he can get Utau's number. After that, he heads on home. He'll be berated nonstop by Daichi all night, but he thinks it MIGHT be worth it. Mabye.