love's around you

[scalpedsociety]

Who: Tamara and you
What: A (Valentine's) Day in the life of one of Pride's most notoriously attractive women.
When: February 14th
Where: Various Places (See comments/prompts for more details.)
Warnings: None, but things might happen. (It's Aramat/Tamara and Valentine's Day, what do you expect?)

It's February 14th, and Tamara knows she's in for a busy day. There's checking the bag of letters and other things sent to her for the holiday. (No doubt some fans might want some things signed.) There's lunch with Squalo at Jeanne's at around noon. Sound check and the small Valentine's Day concert she's got planned at her old Gothic haunt, Club Lunacy. She'll be singing a few covers, as well as songs from Kairos. (Whether or not a certain Scarred Fellow will take the stage with her is a question on everyone's lips, but Tamara said anything could happen.) Last but not least, she'll be spending the rest of evening with Jecht in a romantic dinner and who knows what else?

Comments

Morning | CoT Penthouse | Fanmail

[scalpedsociety]

Those looking for Tamara might find her busy sorting through all the fanmail she was given for Valentine Day. Some were gifts and some of them were just lovely. Adorable plushies of herself, beautiful fanart of all types, one even made her a beautiful jewelry box with various carved in flowers in the wood.

Flowers that Tamara knows very personally, as all of them are poisonous.

Of course there's the filthy, creepy letters detailing what some fans would do to her if they got her alone and got their hands on her... and the fanart that's, not so wholesome. (What is up with fanarts giving her boobjobs?)

Still, that's what she's going to be doing all morning, checking the mail in her pegnoir sorting through the mail. Piles are being made: Sign, Gifts, Candy, Keep, and Trash.

[iitrebel]

Artolo has plans for the day, something that has him twitchy and bouncing from heel to heel. For what's probably the first time, he's dressed in real casual clothing, not just goth casual. He keeps glancing at An, expecting her to say something, but she's been weirdly... chill with him lately.

Of course, then he gets distracted by the monster pile of bullshit Tamara- Aramat has gotten. Artolo whistles.

"Dang."

[scalpedsociety]

"Fans gave me quite a haul. Want to help me sort this out? Or you know, at least take some candy for your trouble. I couldn't possibly eat all this." It's a mini mountain of candy, that's not counting all the box chocolate.

Noon | Jeanne's | Lunch with Cello!Son

[scalpedsociety]

As promised, Tamara wears something nice and makes her way towards Jeanne's with her boy. It's a little packed due to Valentine's Day, but sure enough he's reserved it. To a lot of onlookers (and hidden journalists and paparazzi), the fact they went out to lunch together and their affectionate body language make them look like the couple they aren't.

Still, she remains close to her boy.

[sharktrash]

Sorry, mom, he's dressed about the same as always, gloves included for obvious reasons. Still, he acts as a proper gentleman. Leads her to her seat, pushes her up to the table, orders a small bouquet of pink roses in varying shades a couple red ones might've snuck in there... from a saleswoman that's carting beautiful flowers around thanks to the occasion, and has the waiter bring an extra water carafe to their table so it doesn't wilt while they're there.

"Pick anything you like," he grins at her as he sits down himself and pulls one of the menus closer. He makes plenty of money now, after all, the least he can do is indulge the person whose effort got him to this point.

[scalpedsociety]

Her teacher is pleased at the beautiful bouquet, it's the perfect mix of valentine colors. Sweet and shamelessly flowery and romantic. (Clearly there are only a few people in this world Squalo would do this for.)

"Since you insisted upon that, sure." Both of them received raises so before this dinner date they kind of argued on who would foot the bill. Squalo won by Tamara promising her student that she'll get something extra special for him on his birthday. (Which is nearly a month away.)

"Hmmmm... the swordfish looks nice. But perhaps I shouldn't pick anything with fish. Maybe I should just pick the most expensive thing they have just to use your money." She teases.

Afternoon | Club Lunacy | Soundcheck (Spectators Welcome)

[scalpedsociety]

Usually Club Lunacy only allows performances at night, to mostly keep up the club atmosphere and goth cred. But Tamara requested a gig during the afternoon mostly for her schedule and to make the performance for all ages. (Even though several songs on Kairos are too sensual for minors, but she thinks her audience is mature enough to handle it.) Through a bit of wheeling and dealing with Pride, it was done.

The stage, all ornate metal working, and dark will have soft lighting and dried rose petals. It's a goth club, but that doesn't mean they don't have romance.

Tamara's sitting on a stool practicing her various instruments and practicing singing on occasion

Later Afternoon | Club Lunacy | Concert - "Room of Angel" (Spectators Welcome)

[scalpedsociety]

The stage is strewn with dried rose petals, soft and romantic, and thanks to Tamara's raise, sees the debut of three custom instruments: a piano, a violin, and cello made from beautiful wood with an oleander carved in it. They are Datura's fully and completely and as the audience will find out, they have names. The piano is called Mary-Rose, the violin Isolde, and last but not least the cello, Biancabella. (Sorry Squalo.) Tamara isn't sure why these names just came to her for the instruments, but the names came just as easily.

Dressed in a crimson gown with a corset holding her middle, the concert started with few instrumental classical pieces and some Crown of Thorns songs worked in the pieces to keep them fresh. Then Tamara sits at Mary-Rose, causing a stir in the audience.

"You must really want to hear me sing!" The audience agrees with her by shouting and begging her. "Fine, fine, if y'all want it so bad... this song may be familiar to some of you that play video games. I'm not an expert on them, but I do appreciate the music that comes from them sometimes. From Quiet Knoll, this is Room of Angel."

There's a couple of screams that come with that announcement, which are hushed up by the ambient noises the backup band is making and the starting piano...

The sound is desolate, but ethereal, Tamara's vocals quiet yet powerful.

Here's a lullaby to close your eyes
Goodbye
It was always you that I despised
I don't feel enough for you to cry, oh well
Here's a lullaby to close your eyes
Goodbye

She can't explain why, but she feels the desolation of the song message far too well to be comfortable with, there's no sign of it showing in her performance however.

NPCs!

[psyvampexperiment]

Slightly further back from the stage are a pair of goth girls, one tall and buxom and confident, the other petite and more reserved. The tinier of the pair has been vidding this song with her smartphone, while the taller is hanging on every word, her hands with their long but carefully manicured burgundy nails clasped in front of her mouth, tears of sheer awe trickling out of the corners of her eyes (she'll later thank the Dark Goddess that she had the foresight to wear budge-proof makeup that night).

There might be the briefest of pauses at the end of the song, the crowd awed by it, but the pause quickly ends when the taller of the two goth girls calls out: "I LOVE YOU, DATURA!!!" to which the crowd quickly joins in, applauding and cheering, almost drowning out the petite girl next to her, trying to shush her. "Shhhh! Vixen, people are gonna stare at us."

"I don't care, that was too *BEAUTIFUL*!" Vixen calls out, earning an eyeroll from her companion. "You got all that, Persephone?" Vixen asks, glancing at the phone.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna hafta edit out *you* being a spaz," Persephone grumbles.

"Leave it in! Maybe she'll see it and retweet us."

"Or maybe we'll tick off her bandmates."

"Nonsense! I'm just letting Tamtam know how much I loves herrrr! Wooo!!!"

[scalpedsociety]

Tamara smiles pleased by Vixen's enthusiasm and everyone elses. "Someone out there loves my singing."

She blows a kiss to the pair, which might be sure to make Vixen crazy.

"It's the first time I've ever sung for anyone outside of musician's gathering."

Later Afternoon | Club Lunacy | Concert - "Raining Blood" (Spectators Welcome)

[scalpedsociety]

"So any of you folks familiar with Slaughterer?" The crowd practically roars in response. Tamara giggles. "Some of y'all seem to be. Guitar and drums are fine and all that, but here's my twist on it. Raining Blood."

Tamara spends another Cover Song at Mary-Rose, this one possibly even more disturbing than the last, keys foreboding and discordant as hell and the band being her backup in the long slow aural road to hell. She can't explain why, but those horrible visions appear in her head again as she plays the music. And this time... they aren't so bad to her. It seems perfectly natural to want to take someone apart, see how they work then leave them as bloodied husks. No, it almost seems correct...

Raining blood
From a lacerated sky
Bleeding its horror
Creating my structure
Now I shall reign in blood!

Yes, the world never wanted her or her ladies, but they will reign over their own world, with their own rules with the blood dripping as easily as water... they say the rain cleanses, but shouldn't blood showers?

After the songs done, Tamara looks about as offput as her audience.

"Sorry, I got a little too into my song..." The audience cheers and roars and whistles anyway, leaving Tamara terrified by her own thoughts.

Re: Later Afternoon | Club Lunacy | Concert - "Raining Blood" (Spectators Welcome)

[psyvampexperiment]

She might spot a familiar pale face in the audience, perhaps close to the stage, listening, wrapt, but with a perturbed look in his good eye, a white silk patch covering the other.

For a moment, something odd slipped into his mind: an odd image of a blood red moon. Maybe a vague memory of a lunar eclipse, maybe something from a stage production of Alban Berg's Wozzeck, nothing more, but the image seems to fit the song well.

Still, he snaps back to himself at the end of the song, a nervous if crooked smile crossing his face as he joins in the applause. "Bravo, milady!" he calls out.

[scalpedsociety]

Tamara may disappear for a while to the club's backstage. If one tries to follow her, she'll be in a corner of her dressing room smoking a cigarette nervously.

She can't explain why she got so wrapped up in the song. During practice it just felt normal, but it made no sense for that to happen...

[sharktrash]

Oh definitely. The rain cleanses, levels the battlefield and leaves no survivors in its wake. Blood rain sounds appropriate, doesn't it?

Squalo hadn't really planned to spend more time on her than the lunch today, but he finds himself curious... plus, his teacher did attend his own show yesterday, it only seems fair to do the same and maybe offer some feedback in return.

He's at the front, in the VIP section, so close that he can rest his elbow on the stage as he looks up at her with a grin. Hopefully that means she'll hear him over the roar of the crowd.

"Don't be sorry. It was excellent." He's grinning, something almost sharp glinting in his eyes for a moment. "You can't deliver a song like this if you don't believe every word."

[scalpedsociety]

It's comforting to see him and know that he doesn't object to the performance. But Tamara can't shake this feeling she has, it almost feels like dread.

"Do you mind if I come over there for a little while? I may need a break."

Later Afternoon | Club Lunacy | Concert - "Bleeding Kiss" (Spectators Welcome)

[scalpedsociety]

After a small break to clear her head after that intense performance, she goes straight to Biancabella, her cello.

"I recently released an EP called Kairos..." Half of the audience boos and jeers at that. "Hey, if you don't like the EP you can leave right now because that's ALL I'm going to be playing until the concerts over. The label already has your money, you might as well stay here. Maybe you might even enjoy the songs." One fan yells out, 'WHAT ABOUT XANXUS'?

Tamara smiles. "What about Xanxus? You want to see him? I'm not going to rush him or force him on stage. He's a Carnie, he appears when he feels like it. But until then, have a song from me, this is called Bleeding Kiss..." She's accompanied with a acoustic guitar giving her a tense, sexy riff to play her moody notes with. And... quite suggestive lyrics.

Honey, I don't wanna forsake you
My desire for you abounds
My wants are overt now, I want you down south

And there is a needing... very lustful affect in her voice. It's sure to get the audience talking.

spectating

[sharktrash]

[ Okay, he was just leaving, actually just leaving when he hears Xanxus' name and it makes him freeze in his tracks -- ]

[ Right. There was that EP that he shrieked a little over because those song names were definitely suggestive of That Asshole banging his mom, which was absolutely unforgivable. He hadn't said anything to Tamara (yet), though. She had a right to private life and all that, but seriously? That guy? If he -- if he even thought of hitting her, he'd be fucking DEAD. ]

[ ...granted, the fact that he's apparently, according to Luci, voicefucked That Asshole just yesterday, isn't making this any easier on him either. ]

[ There's just gonna be a positively horrified look toward the stage when he hears that lust radiating off of it. ]

[scalpedsociety]

[She doesn't even notice that her son is in the crowd, which might make the following actions even more horrifying.

Tamara keeps on singing, but there's a slight hypnotizing quality to it. Congrats Squalo, you're possibly one of the victims of Empathic Influence. (Consider it sort of payback for what you did to her yesterday.) What is she spreading in the crowd? Lust. Not for anyone in particular, just the feeling.

Her movements during the performance don't help either, she never does anything as obvious as Squalo's cello neck lick. But she ever so subtly strokes the neck with those long, elegant fingers... holding the cello ever so close to her curves.

It's suggestive as hell.]

Later Afternoon | Club Lunacy | Concert - "My Moment Belongs to You"

[scalpedsociety]

"So about this Scarred Fellow y'all keep talking about everytime I play a song from Kairos... he happens to be here and I would love for him to join me in a little song we call, My Moment Belongs to You. Y'all wouldn't mind right?" Tamara teases on the mic.

There's some booing, yes. But that is overtaken my the hype of the crowd.

"Well, Xanxus? Let's entertain the hell out the these people and give them what they've been waiting for."

[variaboss]

Booing. Yep. He's sort of used to that. Probably because her fans are worried about that he'll do to her reputation. It's hard to refrain from giving the crowd the middle finger. This is a classy affair. He just has to keep telling himself that.

Hell, he's even dressed nicer than usual. He's in a pressed red shirt and everything. It just happens to be unbuttoned to his navel but he's managed that much for her. More than he can say for anyone else.

He slings his bass over his hip and slides next to her by the mic. "I can't turn a beautiful woman down. I could never leave you up here all alone after such an offer. Where you lead bella donna, there I will follow." Yeah, he's sort of hamming it up a little, giving them an extra thrill of 'have they, haven't they'.

"We might even have an extra treat during the instrumental if you're good." Mostly because dancing with her on stage would be amazing and they had practiced it a little.

[scalpedsociety]

He can always give the crowd the middle finger as he leaves. Classy affair or not, Tamara does feel they are being rude. The man put on a shirt for y'all.

The following comments make the audience gossip amongst each other in whispers: "Tamara, with a guy like him? That's insane." "I don't know, scars aside, I'd hit that like a punching bag." "I don't care if they are fucking, shut up and let me hear the music."

The band starts up an old jazzy tune, which strangely enough fits around Xanxus' bass.

She starts to sing. It's funny, without that 'thug' she would never have had the courage to sing in front of non-musicians. They really should thank him.

Our romance won't end in just one night
even by tomorrow with the sun
Our song has just started and we write
a melody that lingers on
They may take away so many things, I'll miss them when the're gone
But if they try to take you, babe, I'll just confess...

Later Afternoon | Club Lunacy | After Concert

[scalpedsociety]

After the concert has ended, Tamara will stay for a little while. Signing things, posing for pictures with fans, or just hanging out in her old Vista City haunt. Are you a fan? A rescuer that works in the club or was in the crowd? What about a fellow musician?

Either way, Tamara will probably be warm and friendly to you at first. That's what she does.

[lightthedarkness]

Usagi was incredibly uncomfortable for a couple of reasons. For one thing, she was in a club and honestly clubs were just not something she was fond of. Second, it was Valentine's Day and it was her very first one without Mamoru and seeing so many lovey-dovey couples made her miss him all the more. Lastly, she was in a very precarious situation because she was incredibly close to Pride employees that weren't kidnapped from another world.

But Mrs. Ophelia had sent her especially for this delivery.

Now she had an idea as to why.

It was that very sweet woman... who... Usagi was blanking on her name. She was being glared at by the body-guards. She would deliver this and go. That's all she needed to do, and then she would go to Minako's diner and surround herself with a different type of love since she couldn't be with her fiancé. Usagi stood out like a sore thumb, her bright blonde hair and pastel dress as she comes up with the bouquets ordered for Tamara.

She gave a small bow in greeting as she gazed at the taller woman.

"Ah, a pleasure to see you, ma'am," she offered. "These were specially ordered with even more special orders to be delivered from Thistle after your concert to you personally."

Evening | Pride HQ | A Date With Jecht

[scalpedsociety]

After the concert, on her way home she might text Jecht.

Still have those plans for me?❤︎

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

You bet. Was starting to wonder if you'd forgotten about me... or just gotten too tired for me. ;)