interstellar5555 | the flashbabes of february

There is a second after Roxas responds to his wave that he sort of worries, that feeling like he should be hiding the fact that he recognizes him, for the sake of both of them. But since it's too late to go back, he plunges forward and pushes the worry into a corner of his mind.

"Really? 'Cause I was thinking the same... Or, not like someone I know, but someone I talked to in a dream. Maybe I'd seen you somewhere before that." Well, it was a possibility. But wouldn't explain Riku or the other person showing up in reality after he'd dreamed about them. "Anyway, I'm Sora."

He drops his gaze back down to his drawing after Roxas asks about it. There's a lot of colorful coral, and vague colorful outlines of fish, swimming in groups. A large open clam shell is in the center. "Oh, this? I don't really know the name of it or anything... Just somewhere in the ocean, I guess."

The only people Roxas dreams about don't even seem like people, they appear to be monsters clad in black. But that's when he actually remembers any dreams, if he even does that. It isn't a dream, but a feeling coming from a different place that makes him think this person - Sora, he has a name now! - is someone he should know. Weird.

'Somewhere in the ocean' is pretty vague, and that could very well be true, but almost like he feels that he should know Sora, there's a similar, though not nearly as strong, attachment to this environment he's bringing to life on paper.

Maybe he picked up contact high while wandering in the mall and now he's delusional. That would explain it at least. "It looks nice.. oh, I'm Roxas."

Wait for it....

There it is! "Hey, wait.. you're in that band, the one with Pride? The singer, right?" His voice sounds familiar enough. Maybe that's how he recognizes him.. though he hasn't actually seen him in person yet, this has gotta be it. "I think that's why you're so familiar. You're pretty good."

Roxas. Roxas. He has the same name as the guy in his dream. That can't be coincidence.

Sora repeats it, quietly, "Roxas..." He's looking down at the picture again for a moment, recalling more of the dream he'd had, but then Roxas apparently remembers him from his band. He looks back up, and smiles genuinely at the compliments. "Yeah, I'm with Flashstep. We all do the singing really, though I did kinda take the majority of the vocals at our last performance, at the charity concert. Uh, it's nice to meet you, by the way... Roxas..."

And again, when he says his name, he's back to sounding and looking contemplative. There's clearly more going on than he's saying right now.

It isn't coincidentally convenient, Sora. And though it looks like Sora is stuck in some train of thought regarding this encounter, like Roxas should be, instead Roxas is satisfied with his memory of him being that of how he knows of him through another band.

More than likely, though, it'll come to him later.

"Oh yeah, the charity concert.. shoot, I wish I didn't miss that." What was he doing that was so important that day? ...can't recall. "How'd that go anyway? I heard there was a pretty good turn out."

Honestly, Sora has to pull himself from thinking too much about it anyway, otherwise he's likely to give himself a headache again. That's certainly been happening a lot more recently. He focuses back in on what Roxas is actually saying.

"Yeah! There were a lot of people, it went really well. And two of my friends won prizes for the songs they wrote and performed! Trucy Wright from System Crash and Ivan Karelin from Flowers Over Bones," he adds in their names just in case Roxas happens to recognize them or be a fan. Though if he was a fan he was probably already aware they'd won.

He hasn't deduced yet that Roxas is also a musician. But to be fair, the two other people he's seen and recognized from his dreams hadn't been, they were spectators.

Ivan.. Ivan. Didn't Luce bring up that name to him at some point a few days back? Yeah, she did. She said he should get to know this Ivan, that having more friends his age would be nice. And he won something? Good, that'll give him a talking point. But hey, Sora knows who he is.. maybe that'll make it even easier.

"I recognize Ivan.. well, I've heard of him, I guess you can say. He's your friend?" If he's Sora's friend, maybe they can get to know each other. Hell, Sora seems nice enough, maybe they can all get to know each other! Maybe in a perfect world..

"Yeah! And I was lucky 'cause I got assigned to write a song for him for the charity concert, too. I'm also pretty good friends with Luce and Pao-Lin from his band."

Sora would be happy to be Roxas' friend. Not even just because he recognized him or anything. Sora just enjoys making friends, and has never considered it to be very difficult. One or two good interactions and he pretty much considers a person his friend.

Whoa, those are even more names that he's familiar with. Clearly this was something that was meant to happen. Maybe that's why he's filled with all this inconceivable nostalgia.

"That's cool.. hey, so I don't know about you but I have a few things planned later," sort of a lie, "but we should probably hang out some time and collaborate. You know, being in the same line of work and all. Or whatever." There you go, Roxas. Play it cool. Also reveal to him what you do for a living, maybe, even though it wasn't brought up before. "It's always good to bounce ideas off someone in a similar line of work, you know?"

Well, Sora was here to shop... Though he enjoyed talking to people more, but oh well. At least he's managed to make a new friend. And apparently another one in the music business, too!

"Oh, you're a musician too, aren't you? Maybe that's why you were in a dream, maybe I just saw you somewhere first. I'd love to hang out again, but can I ask what band and label you're with? I like to check out new music all the time, or maybe I've already heard you!" He's tearing out a small scrap of paper to scratch down his phone number on for Roxas, either way.

Wait.. did Sora just say he saw Roxas in a dream or something of the sort? This is something that should signal red flags, but considering other freaky things that have been happening lately, maybe it shouldn't. It isn't like Roxas has been having dreams of Sora, per say, but what has been going on in his mind in an unconscious state have been questionable and concerning.

Maybe it's the water. Maybe.. that's what he'll tell himself for now and believe it. "Really? Well.. yeah, it's possible. After all, I felt like I knew you, it was probably because you're in a popular band and all. That's probably it." Though he's speaking these things to Sora, it's more of a reassurance to himself.

"Nuclear Parliament is the band. Virgo Entertainment. I'm sure you've heard." Who hasn't? At least, that's what they tell him. "I know we're in different labels, but.. I don't think that should keep us from keeping in touch." After all, it doesn't keep Sora from keeping in contact with those names he just mentioned, and didn't Roxas meet with them initially at a Virgo HQ inspired event?

"I'm just a drummer with my band.. but I can sing too. I think we could collaborate." Why he feels so strongly about this, don't ask. Could be that contact high he got earlier that he tried to blame the familiarity on.

It doesn't quite blow past Sora so easily that Roxas had the feeling he knew him as well, it strikes another chord in him and is something definitely shoved into a file in his mind to consider later. A file labeled "something weird has been going on" and which keeps getting bigger and bigger.

"Hey, yeah! I saw them at a music festival a few months ago. I really like their music. You're the first I've met from the band, though." To be honest, Nuclear Parliament had probably been his favorite of all the new bands he'd seen at that festival back in November. "We should! I have a YouTube account where I toss unofficial things I do, like I posted a mash-up with Trucy Wright not too long ago. So even if our managers or CEOs or whatever don't let us do official stuff together, I'm always up for that! It's just as fun, and fans like it a lot."

Bringing up the CEOs and managers gives Roxas a chill. If anything they have told him behind closed curtains when things aren't exactly playing out as they would have wanted, that's probably exactly how they would have it. It's the reason he's been as 'good' as he has since his arrival. For a teenage boy with not many ambitions beyond being alive and comfortable, it hasn't been difficult, but with the introduction of these faces from different places it's gotten complicated.

And he likes it like that. Looks like Sora is going to add to this tangled web that is his place here. "I've never done anything like that before.. you have recording stuff of your own? I bet if my boss caught me using our equipment for personal use, she'd have me well done on a plate with a fork in it."

Maybe that was a joke, maybe not. He's not even sure. "But if you can pull it off.. that'd be great. Outside of practice and producing time, there isn't much to do around here except get in trouble. You know?"

"It was a mash-up of a bunch of Pride songs, and we recorded it in Pride HQ. So even if it was unofficial, it was still good for them. I haven't gotten in trouble for doing it or anything, anyway. I think it all just depends on like, what you're doing and why you're doing it, you know? If you're doing a tribute to your label, then they can't really be mad about that! But you don't always need equipment to do stuff anyway, like just having a jam session or singing together or something can be fun too. Either live or like for an internet video."

Sora can understand perfectly the desire to not want to go against your label's wishes, though over the months that desire has decreased, but the fear of what they might do has increased. Still, he's found that they're not very strict about things that are gonna help build your fanbase and eventually make them more money.

The world of Pride and what a person can get away with probably isn't far off from Virgo, aren't they almost identical anyhow?, so Sora's reasoning sinks in with little resistance. As soon as Sora is done scribbling his number on that paper he tore off Roxas will be taking it and pocketing it somewhere safe. One of the pockets he looks in. Not one of the pockets that are for show.

~~Their outfits do have a lot of pockets.~~

"Alright. I'm in. Let's set up a time and a place sometime. Things are a little.. crazy at mine," that's an understatement, "It might be better to go with you and yours." He's not dead set on picking a day or time now, but knowing this is on the horizon is nice.

Sora puts his notebook and pencils back in his bag as Roxas is locating a safe pocket to put his number in.

"Sure! Just text me anytime, okay? Things are always kinda crazy, the life of a musician, you know?" He laughs. It's no lie, there was almost always something that needed doing, be it practice or performing or promotional stuff. Usually there was only ever a few hours of personal time to spare each day, though there was occasionally downtime too. "But we'll figure something out. I always find time for friends."

And it feels necessary, almost, to get to know Roxas better, anyway. Even beyond just doing musical stuff with him, but actually talking and getting to know him. "If we only get an hour to spare for a burger at a fast food joint or something for a while, I still think that'd be fun. But we'll try for cooler stuff too."

Hm.. friends. It would be nice to have more of those to keep him occupied with something healthy on this downtime they get once in a while, instead of spending it on buying useless items or indulging in various vices. "Yeah, can do."

A fast food joint would be nice.. "If you know any places around here that have great ice cream, I'd go for that." More than likely, with everything happening - good and bad - they might only get that hour.

the flashbabes of february

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