Her first big gig

[Inora Theos]

Inora stood on the stage, her heart pounding with anticipation and adrenaline. Her fingers had been flying over the keys all night and her bandmates hadn't missed a note once. This gig was shaping up to be the best they'd ever had, which was good since this was the first one that really mattered. As they prepared to start their next song, Inora(or Arisa as she was known on stage) looked around at her friends. There was Savannah, all decked out in her usual costume, complete with butterfly wings and bright pink hair. Aqua was wearing all blue, like always, with matching hair and eyes. Amber was decked out fully in black and red, with her fox ears sticking out of her bright fire engine red hair. Inora herself had her hair straightened and was wearing white contact in her eyes so she looked blind. She was wearing all white and with the lights falling on her you could see why Inora was air.

They finished their last song, which Inora had been the most anxious about, seeing as it was her solo. She played the keyboard and sang her heart out, trying to do her best not to let her voice waver. When the band had finished, Inora and her friends moved out from behind their instruments and joined hands at the front of the stage. The four friends bowed together at the front of the stage amid the roar of applause from the crowd. Inora felt amazing, they had actually liked their music. She bowed one last time and then ran off the stage with her friends. Regular club music began to pump from the speakers as the band began to squeal excitedly, they were teenage girls after all.

Suddenly, Inora remembered that Hayaki was supposed to have come to the show. She peeked out from behind the curtains, straining to catch a glimpse of her new friend. She hadn't told her friends, not wanting them to be posing on the stage. She wanted Hayaki's paintings to be as real to life as possible. She turned back to her friends. She hadn't seen Haya in the crowd, but she hoped that he would be able to find his way backstage...assuming he had actually come.

[hayaki]

Hayaki folded his notepad up; he'd gotten some really excellent sketches. He couldn't wait to start painting...in his head, visions of possible poses flashes, with backdrops, group shots...the girls were enchanting, and the venue..He rather thought he'd get a series of paintings out of this. Of course, he'd need to do some more sketching, up close, to get their facial features just right, but the main pictures were going to come directly from the show. Action sketches, great poses...he was really excited about this group of paintings.

Plus, to his surprise, he'd actually liked the music a lot. He hadn't expected to. It was a nice bonus, actually. Standing, he pushed past a crowd of drunken idiots, smiling politely and declining the offer of an intoxicated but pretty girl. Making his way to the back, he ducked past the hanging curtain and found himself in a much different world. The club music was even slightly muffled back here. He took a moment to adjust his eyes, then went in search of Inora, smiling. He hoped she had remembered that he was going to be there. She'd called him and reminded him, of course. So she was probably expecting him...

Hayaki finally found her, still with her band-mates, and smiled, feeling shy again. He glanced at her band-mates, blushing a little and wondering how they'd feel when they found out he'd been sketching them. I wonder if she told them... He didn't think she would have. He'd stressed he'd wanted natural shots.

"Hey...Inora." He said quietly. "I made it..." he shrugged, clutching the notebook to his chest. "Great show!" he said enthusiastically.

[Inora Theos]

When Hayaki came backstage, Savannah's jaw dropped and she poked Inora, asking 'Who's the hottie?' Inora turned and started laughing. "Sorry, Sav. He's....outta your reach." She waited until he had come up to the group and then smiled at his greeting. "Hiya Haya." She said, giving him a quick hug. "Thanks. I'm so glad you made it. I wasn't sure if you would come or not." She turned to her bandmates and smiled. "Guys, this is Hayaki. He's the artist of that painting I showed you. Haya, this is Savannah, Amber, and Aqua." She pointed to each girl in turn.

"So, did you get any good sketches?" She asked. Her friends gave her a confused look. But she would let them know the details later. She shooed them off and they glared at her angrily before walking off to meet their own friends and boyfriends. She turned to Haya again and smiled at him. "I didn't tell them that you were coming so they wouldn't try to pose. I know you wanted natural sketches." She pointed to a table sitting backstage, where it was quiet enough they could talk. "Did you enjoy the music? Really?"

[hayaki]

Hayaki blushed under their looks, which seemed to range between confused, amused and outright oggling. He smiled and gave each a little wave, but was rather relieved when they moved off. NOt that he didn't want to get to know them, just...not now.

He smiled and sat down, sliding the notebook across to her. "Yes, that's what I thought, and very much so." he said, laughing. "Look for yourself...I can't wait to start the paintings. Yours is done, by the way..." he chuckled. "You'll have to come pick it up. I'm quite happy with it...but I think your 'band' paintings are going to be so much better." He shrugged, a little self-consious, and wished he'd brought a drink back with him. "Your solo was wonderful...you have a very lovely voice." He said, leaning back in the chair.

[Inora Theos]

Inora smiled and happily recieved the notebook, she flipped through slowly taking the time to fully appreciate Haya's work. She nodded at his words. "These will be a lot better, I'm sure. They're amazing. I can't believe how talented you are Haya." She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his so he would know that her words were completely sincere. She smiled, and then looked back down at the sketches. She observed the last one and then closed the notebook, sliding it back across the table reverently. "I'll come by sometime to pick up mine, maybe after that I'll drag you somewhere for some fun!" She laughed slightly.

At his compliment, Inora felt her face turn pink. "Thank you. I was a little worried, sometimes my nerves get the better of me and my voice does that annoying little wavering thing. But luckily that didn't happen this time. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I'm really glad you came. My friends always make fun of me because I never have anyone to meet me after the gigs." She shrugged. "They were my only close friends, but now I have you!" She smiled and tapped the notebook. "Not to mention I now know one of the best artists in town."

[hayaki]

"Ahh..." Hayaki blushed brightly, pulling the notebook toward him possessively. "Not the best artist in town...really. There's way better people out there...but thank you." He ducked his head, laughing, and gave her a wickedly amused glance. "I bet they all think we're going out..." he teased, trying to conquer his blushes.

He absently tucked the notebook back into order and sighed. "Mm...fun sounds great. I'm working too hard...on top of everything else, I've got a presentation to do. In London-can you imagine it? They're sending me to London..." He laughed, self-consciously, and tapped the book. "I leave in two weeks-plenty of time to finish your paintings."

He shifted, smiling. "And to hang out with my new friend." He said, blushing a little again. It felt good to say that; he'd been really stupid, letting himself get all closed off from people. Andrew would be so mad at me...

[Inora Theos]

Inora enjoyed the blush on Hayaki's face briefly, she was starting to really enjoy being his friend. She was surprised by his teasing comment, but she laughed outright anyway. "You know, I bet they did. As soon as they get me alone they are going to pounce like hungry lions. Those girls live for gossip." She smiled devilishly. "I might just tiptoe around their questions, not let them know what's going on. That will kill them." She laughed again. "You're so much fun to have around Haya." She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. She was starting to feel a little tired, after all the adrenaline from the performance she was getting ready to crash.

She smiled at his news, happy for him. "Really, London? That's amazing. Congrats. How long are you going to be there for? Maybe I can come and visit you. I've never been to London, it looks like an amazing place. Although, two weeks...we're going to have to pack some major fun into that short time. Let's see, we can go clubbing, see some movies. Oh, shopping!" She was kidding...but only about that last one. Unless of course he really wanted to go shopping. Inora smiled at him, she was glad that they had become friends. Despite her personality, she hadn't had much time to make new friends lately. Having Haya around was making her life a lot more interesting and she would miss him once he went to London. The two of them had such an easy time of things. Or at least, from Inora's side it was easy. She didn't feel any pressure to be talkative or to be anyone other than herself around Haya and she hoped that he felt the same way. "I'll miss you while your gone. You'll have to tell me the details of when you leave. I'll come to see you off."

[hayaki]

"Hmm..." Hayaki grinned, rubbing his cheek thoughtfully. So she likes to tease her friends... The thought gave him wickedly evil ideas. He wasn't above some acting, if it would give Inora some enjoyment...

"It's only supposed to be a four day gig. We'll have to see...I'd like to maybe take a couple of extra days at the end to look around. I'd love if you could come, but I know it's kind of short-notice. They didn't give me much more..." he sighed. At least he'd not have to worry about loosing his studio; the rent was paid through the end of the year, thanks to a bonus check from the University. "I would love to check out the galleries, maybe see a show..."

He leaned forward, giving her a grin. "And yeah. We'll have to...I'd love to do all that stuff. Even the shopping..." he winked at her, laughing. "What kind of gay man would I be if I didn't like to shop?" He teased. "Hey...if you wanna have fun with your friends, I wouldn't mind. Don't say outright that we're going out, but don't deny it either...and we can be really touchy-feely..." He snickered, his eyes dancing. "That would be fun...."

He felt absolutely relaxed around her, and it kind of surprised him how quickly they'd hit it off. But then, he'd always been a social person. Just...stunted by his years at the Art School...but he was better now. The dark years were behind him, and the future looked bright. "So...you doing anything tomorrow? I have the next two weeks off from the University; I'm supposed to be preparing for my trip, but I'm pretty much done. I wanted to be able to enjoy my mini-vacation."

[Inora Theos]

"Hmm, I think I could work it out. If you're working the first four days, I'll aim for the fifth to come. Heh, we'll tear London apart! Yay!" She giggled and shook her head. "I can only imagine the kind of trouble I can get into in London. And I've no problem with going to galleries. But I do not promise to not point out how much better you are." She grinned. She laughed when he agreed to the shopping and shrugged. "Well okay then. We'll do some shopping too. I don't know what I was thinking."

Inora stared at him in shock at first when he suggested they really fool with her friends minds. Then, as his suggestion fully sunk in, she laughed so hard she had to lay her head down on the top of the table and take deep breaths to calm her breathing. "That is quite possibly...the best idea...I've ever heard." She said between breaths. "They would be soo jealous. Specially since I told Savannah you were out of her reach." She laughed again and then took a deep breath.

She thought then about her schedule for the next few days. "Well, I've got band practice, but right after that...nope...nothing. Have anything in particular you'd like to do? Cause I'm game for anything." She got a look on her face than that showed she'd had a brilliant idea. "You could pick me up from practice." She broke down in giggles.

[hayaki]

Hayaki grinned; that sounded like fun. But the part about the 'better than the artist' thing had him blushing and protesting, but he managed to keep it mostly sub-vocal. He wrinkled his nose at her, shaking his head, and shrugged. "Mmm."

When she suddenly burst into laughter, he grinned, then started laughing. He couldn't help it; it was horribly contagious. When she started banging her head, though, he got a bit concerned, reaching out to cushion her forhead. "Don't..." He sputtered, still laughing. "You'll get a concussion..."

For some reason, that was very funny, too...

When she said the last bit, about picking her up from practice, he clapped his hands over his mouth, laughing. "Oh...so mean. Ok. I'll do it. I'll even bring some flowers..." he snickered. This was really mean, but he couldn't help but find it amazingly funny. "The poor things..." he coughed, trying to calm his laughter, and wiped his eyes. "Mmm...we're evil, you know that? I pity the poor world..."

[Inora Theos]

"Flowers! Awww...how sweet. I like orchids." She laughed to show she was just kidding, orchids could be expensive and weren't worth the money for a joke like this. "You're such a good fake boyfriend. Oh, and if I can cry hard enough in front of them, they might even pay for my ticket to come visit you in London." She nodded, the evil plot forming fully in her mind. "Yes, I'll come to them crying, telling them that you have to go to London for work and that I don't know how I'll possibly live without you. They'll be so sad for me that they'll buy the tickets right then." She nodded and then smiled. "Yes, we are very evil. But you know what. I don't think that's really a bad thing. You know, the world needs evil people to offset all those darn good people. We keep the balance of power relatively equal. We're doing the world a service here." She smiled and then rested her chin on her hand and her elbow on the table.

"I don't know how the university is going to live without you while you're in London. You're students must love you, if you act this evil around them. I know if I had a teacher like you, I would love school. I would probably do really well too, cause I'd actually be paying attention."

[hayaki]

Hayaki threw his head back and laughed, deciding right then to get her the biggest boquet of orchids he could find. It wasn't like he was spending his money any place else. "Aww..." He laughed, wrinkling his nose again. "Thanks!"

He just shook his head at the 'evil' comments; like he could really ever be evil. This was as bad as he got, and even this was going to be hard to keep up. At least they weren't hurting anyone...her friends probably deserved it. Knowing her, they had probably driven her crazy with 'so when are you going to get a boyfriend, huh huh huh' comments. She was so sparkily and engaging that it was hard for Hayaki to understand why she wasn't involved with someone. If he was at all straight, he'd probably be smitten. He was half-way there anyway, but in a friendship way. He just didn't find women sexually attractive in the slightest way.

"Huh?" He blinked, then started laughing. "That's really evil. I mean it...you shouldn't make them pay for your ticket..." he protested, laughing. "Inora..." it was hard to scold when you couldn't stop laughing, and it kind of took the edge off. "Bad girl!" he said, covering his mouth with his hand. It didn't stop the snickers, just muffled them a bit.

The last comment killed his laughter; sighing, he leaned on his hand, giving her an impish grin. "I'm not, you know. Evil, I mean. I'm a very upright and moral person who behaves quite well. It must be you that's bringing this out..." He teased. "My students probably think I'm the most straight-laced jerk they've ever met. Boring too..." he grinned. "Have to watch the gay tendencies at school...it would probably shock most of the faculty to find out their art teacher likes men." The thought killed the last of his humor; he frowned a bit, his eyes moving to the table. "Gays are perverts, don't you know." He said sadly.

[Inora Theos]

Inora smiled. "I'm just kidding Hayaki. I could never actually let them pay for that. Especially when I could do it myself. Although, if I ever did do something like that, I would make sure that I could pay them back as soon as they gave me the tickets. I'm about as evil as a fluffy bunny. But were I ever to become evil, the world would surely be doomed. Especially since the world clearly couldn't count on you to stop me." She laughed. "You'd be laughing too hard."

"I know you're not evil, but I doubt your uptight. And I highly doubt your students think you're a jerk, or boring." She sensed a change in mood on the horizon and was not wrong. She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "Haya, if those jerk have a problem with gay people than you'd be better off without them. Don't you dare hide who your are just because some stupid people are homophobic. Never be afraid to be exactly who you are. You're such a great person and you should really let everyone else see that. But if you hide one part of you, other parts are bound to follow. Honestly, you should worry about your happiness first and your job second. You deserve better than that."

[hayaki]

Hayaki smiled and put his hand over hers, squeezing it gently. "Thanks." He said, his eyes growing happier. "You're a sweet person...and you're right, you're about as evil as a fluffy bunny." He laughed, shaking his head. "It's just...I enjoy teaching, you know? The kids...it's really great to see just one of them get excited about the subject, to really get into it...I had a horrible time in College, and I almost quit art altogether..."

The laughter, the put-downs. The being ignored for shows because he wouldn't suck up...or suck on, more accurately. The subtle and not-so-subtle insults...the night on the balcony, and the knife...

"I just don't want anyone else to go through that. " He sighed, then smiled. "Ah...but enough. This is a happy night...and a night of constructive plotting..." he winked. patting her hand again before carefully pulling his arm free. "So...when should I be there, all bright and shiny, to start making your friends swoon?" He asked, laughing again.

[Inora Theos]

Inora nodded. She could tell that he had had a hard time of things. He had clearly had bad experiences in college but she was happy that he had conquered them and continued with his art. His love for his work was obvious and she was sad that his lifestyle and other people's irrational fears might come between him and what he loved to do. She wasn't sure if he was really ready to put it aside when he did so, but she didn't want to push him. Someday, she hoped he would feel ready to tell her the story of his obviously sad past, but for tonight she would allow him to forget and she would to her best to distract him.

"Our practice ends at noon, and we've actually gotten the permission from the owner to have our practices here. As long as we pay him a small fee." She looked at him, smiled, and then listened to the music that was playing. "You wanna go get a drink, and maybe dance a little. I'm getting thirsty and if I sit here much longer I'll probably fall asleep." These were all true, but she also hoped that maybe dancing would help to distract him from whatever it is he needed distracting from. "Let's have some fun, huh?"