[Systems Updating....]
{Calibrating new settings...}
[Complete!]
{Finished!}
"Alright, are you just gonna copy what I'm doing?" Lust-E asked, crossing her arms as she looked at Suru.
Suru looked at Lust-E, tilting her head slightly. "Eh..? What do you mean, E?"
Lust-E frowned and closed her eyes, hovering beside me. "Don't ever call me, E. That nickname is only allowed from my Master."
"Geez, calm down, A.I. It's too early to be fighting like this," Passion said, yawning as she was sprawled out on the floor in her dragon form.
"Hmph! I just not used to someone...you know copying me!" Lust-E said, obviously talking about Suru.
"Listen, if you wanna fight, we can fight! Let's go!" Suru declared, waving her arms around.
I quickly separated the two, letting out a soft sigh. I glanced between them and held them both in the palms of my hand. "What is going on? Where's all this Envy coming from?"
Lust-E crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. "Hmph...I just don't want to be replaced.."
"Re— E, you know I'll never replace you. You've been with me since the beginning. Our bond is more special than you realize," I said, my tone steady and soft. I brought her closed and gave her a gentle eskimo kiss. "I love you, E. Just remember that.."
Lust-E's cheeks grew rosy, her gaze meeting mine. "I-I love you too, Master. My systems are hot now... because of you.."
I chuckled softly and looked at Suru. "Now for you, Suru. It's gonna take a while for us to reach the same level of trust as I have with E, but I will take good care of you. I want you to be nice to her okay?"
Suru nodded, smiling at me. "Okay, Kier— I mean, Shiro!"
I chuckled softly and let both of them hover again. I grabbed my keys and wallet then grabbed my jacket. "What were you updating anyway?"
"The Date System. I figured it would be more efficient to use Suru's Date Settings than just saying the Day and Time of Day. Plus, I was viewing the past and Suru's Date Settings looked more nice," Lust-E answered, tapping on the many red interfaces in front of her.
"And I was updating my systems to grow accustomed to Earth! Lust-E has a lot of Earthly Knowledge that I need to keep up," Suru said, sitting on my shoulder and looking at the white interfaces in front of her.
I nodded, watching the two of them. "Seems like you two compliment each well. So whatcha got?"
"I'll show you on the next scene," Lust-E said, closing her interfaces.
"Ahh I missed the Fourth Wall Breaks!~" Lustie giggled as she was sprawled out on my bed with Luckie.
Ambitia watched everyone being lazy and tilted her head. She walked over to me, giving me a smile. "Looks like it's just me and you today."
I nodded my head, slipping my hands into my pockets. "I'm off now. Gotta meet up with Aubrie and Ashley today. I'll see you all when I get back tonight."
"Mmkay!~ Be safe out there~" Lustie said, raising her arm.
I chuckled at her then left the room, making my way downstairs with Ambitia following behind in her tiny elf form. Suru and Lust-E followed as well, trailing behind red and white digital particles respectively.
"What are we doing with Aubrie and Ashley?" Ambitia asked, following me to my car.
"Ashley has a band now and Aubrie us assisting in that band as a lead singer. They are having a small concert later tonight and they want me to be there for their band practice," I said, getting inside my car.
"Ahh~ Sounds fun! Count me in!~" Ambitia said, teleporting into the passenger seat.
I started my car, revving up the engine then drove off to Aubrie's house. The car ride there was enjoyable with Ambitia asking me questions about each girl and I answered each one honestly. She was curious about them, wanting to see them up close, her excitement palpable.
[Date: 1/16]
[Time: 12:30 PM]
[Location: Acacia Residency]
I parked my car in front of Aubrie's house and leaned back in my seat for a moment. After a moment, I got out of my car and made my way to the front door of her home. I looked around, noticing a nice bed of acacia flowers growing in their front yard and a few garden gnomes placed around.
I made it to the front door and rang the door bell. I waited for a moment, taking a nice look around the neighborhood I was in. Soon, the front door swung open and I was met with Aubrie's mom, Rhea, standing in front of me. She smiled at the sight of me, fixing her robe.
"Ahh, Shiro. It's been a while since we last met. What can I do for you?" Rhea asked, leaning against her doorframe.
"Good afternoon, Mama Rhea. Is Aubrie and Ashley here at the moment?" I asked, giving her a respectful smile.
Rhea looked back and smiled. "Yeah, they are actually in the garage practicing with their band. Such a ruckus they're making, but I like the music they're making."
I smiled and nodded at her. "They actually invited me to watch them practice."
"I see. You are very special to them after all, and they don't just invite anyone to this location. Anyways, if you need me, I'll be inside," Rhea smiled, waving at me before closing the door.
I returned her smile then made my way to then garage and heard the sounds of cymbals crashing and guitar riffs coupled with the voice of Aubrie singing her heart out with Ashley singing with her. I took a moment to listen to them, closing my eyes to resonate with the melodies. The song was chilling and haunting, the lyrics sending chills down my spine.
Aubrie's screams were haunting, mixing well with the melancholic feel of the song. Ashley's voice perfectly harmonized with Aubrie's, sending more chills to me. After listening for a while, I noticed this song was about me yet they didn't have to say a name for me to realize it.
'They'll tear down the sky for me, they want to be the angels who watch over me, they blood turns cold for me...They also want to watch my final breath..? These lyrics are a little crazy, innit?' I said mentally, looking at Ambitia and the others.
"Yeah, the crazy meter is going off the chain right now...but this only means that they love you more than you realize. But it also sounds like...they worship you," Ambitia said, crossing her arms and looking up at me.
{Suru: Earthly Women are crazy for guys they like huh?}
[E: Only when their bond is really deep like it is for them. You had to be here to understand the loyalty and the reasoning for them being so in love with Shiro.]
I scratched the back of my head and chuckled softly. 'But I honestly didn't do anything too extravagant. However I do appreciate their love honestly..'
After their song ended, I knocked on the garage door to get their attention. After waiting for a moment, the door rose up and I was met with Ashley and Aubrie, their smiles brightening at the sight of me.
"Shiro!~ Come in, come in!" Ashley said, keeping the door raised for me to enter.
I entered the garage and looked around, noticing an array of equipment around and a few junk items laying around the floor. I turned my gaze back to Ashley and Aubrie, giving them a smile. "Your song sounded amazing."
"Really? It was just a freestyle honestly~ We only have one actual song written called Moonrise, and it's gotten us a couple fans here and there," Aubrie said, sitting in a chair and looking up at me with a warm smile.
"Yo, Aubrie, who's this dude?" The drummer asked, leaning back in her seat.
Aubrie looked back at the drummer and smiled at her. She turned back toward me, gently grabbing my hand. "This man is my and Ashley's boyfriend. His name is Shiro Moji."
"Both of y'all's boyfriend? The hell? Is he some type of player?" The drummer asked, her gaze landing on me as she eyed me up and down.
"You can call it... sharing him. A polyamory relationship as you would call it. Ashley and I aren't the only ones sharing him though," Aubrie answered.
"And you're proud of that? Weren't you upset like a few months ago for Mark cheating on you? How the hell is this any different?" The drummer asked, standing up. "Listen here, Shiro—"
As she neared me, my mere presence captivated her with a simple gaze from me. I gave her a smile and waited for her to finish her sentence, but all she could do was stare at me. I tilted my head a bit, waiting patiently.
The drummer stepped back from me, her heart pounding quickly and she placed her hand on her chest. "What— What the hell..?"
"Mhm~ Now do you see why? No other guy can have my heart racing just from standing near him. Shiro is truly a one of a kind," Aubrie chuckled.
The drummer sat back down in her seat and closed her legs, scoffing slightly and glancing at me. "Just so you know, I don't swing that way, so for you to attract me without saying a word..."
"That's fine by me, Cassidy," I said, giving her a warm smile.
Cassidy was caught off guard, her eyes widening in shock. "How— How did you just guess my name?"
"Aubrie and Ashley talk about you a lot. Based on their simple descriptions, a very protective friend, a strong personality, swings the other way, it wasn't hard piecing everything together. Plus a beautiful girl like you just seemed like a Cassidy," I said, a soft chuckle escaping my lips.
"Tell your psychic boyfriend to tone down his personality! It's really starting to tick me off!" Cassidy said, closing her legs even more and her cheeks flushing more.
Ashley whistled softly and giggled. "I see the way you're closing your legs..~ He's getting you all hot. Don't worry, even some guys feel attracted to his presence. He really has that effect on people regardless of gender and sexuality."
"Can we get back on track?! We have a show to perform later today!" Cassidy exclaimed, tapping her foot on the ground.
"Alright, alright," Aubrie giggled, walking over to pick her guitar up. "Oh yeah, but the way Shiro, our band is called Dark Destiny. Inspired by a previous now disbanded band called Destiny's Voices."
I nodded my head and watched them set up again. I sat down in a seat that was placed just for me."So what's my role in this? Sit here and look handsome for you?"
Aubrie chuckled softly at my slight tease, leaning down toward me to kiss my lips. "Yes and to also give feedback..~"
I kissed back and smiled, leaning back in my seat. "Alright, let's heard the songs then..~"
Aubrie stepped back and looked at Ashley and Cassidy. Ashley gave her a nod and Cassidy nodded at Aubrie as well.
"One...two...one, two, three, four..." Cassidy said, striking her drum sticks together.
Ashley began the song off with the melody, the melody being beautiful and the sounds bouncing off the walls of the garage. Cassidy soon joined in on the drums, setting the tempo and feel for the song. Finally, Ashley joined in when the first chorus began.
Aubrie began singing her lyrics, Ashley and Cassidy harmonizing behind her. I could feel the energy radiating from the girls as they sang and played. I looked at my arms and noticed goosebumps, the song causing me to feel like I was floating.
I feel gray when I'm without you...
You!
Gray! Hey!
I feel gray when I'm without you!
C'mon!
I hate the time when you're not here!
The song reached it's second verse and calmed down, the song giving a moment of rest. After a few measures, the song picked back up again, the girls headbanging to the song on beat. I could truly tell the emotions they put in the song, the screams, the melodies, the harmonies, everything about this song sent goosebumps down my body.
I feel gray when I'm without you!
It doesn't feel the same without...
You!
You!
You!
The final chord was played, followed by the buzzing of the amp as the chord dimmed down. I opened my eyes and looked up, now grounded back to reality. I looked at Ambitia who had a few tears streaming down her face. Suru also had tears down her cheeks, thinking about her moments with Kieran and how sad she felt now that he wasn't around anymore.
I looked at the girls and stood up, applauding them and walking toward the three. "That...was amazing! I felt it...I saw it. I can't even explain what I felt at that moment, but I definitely...knew it was there.."
Ashley sniffled and smiled at me, her eyes glistening from the tears that welled in her eyes and her body glistening with sweat. "This was our unreleased song called Gray. I wrote this song two months ago when Aubrie and I had our falling out phase."
"So that was the melody I was hearing at the park...for it to make a full circle like that.." I said, smiling at Ashley. "This one is probably my favorite one already and I haven't even heard the other songs yet."
"The song goes deeper than simply just missing someone which is why it hits so well. It goes beyond physical meanings, touches your memories, makes you see what you hid behind that you know you missed.." Aubrie said, wiping her eyes and forehead.
I nodded, a melancholic smile tugging at my lips. "I definitely saw my father when I began to resonate with the song...I still feel gray without him in this world, but I know he's in a much better place now.."
Aubrie and Ashley looked at me, noticing that they were seeing my vulnerabilities instead of the usual charming persona I always kept front and center. They each gave me a hug, sensing my sadness.
Amidst those visions, I also saw Feleti in my mind. Those memories I forced in the back of my mind crept back to me...those simpler times where we didn't have to worry about anything as kids. I truly missed my cousin.
"Can...I hear that song one more time..?" I asked softly, letting them go from my embrace.
"Gladly," Ashley said, smiling at me and stepped back.
I sat back in my seat and watched them set up. "Thank you.."
Aubrie smiled at me then looked back at Cassidy, giving her a thumbs up.
"One...two...one, two, three, four..." Cassidy said, striking her drum sticks together, sniffling a bit.
The girls played Gray once more, the song immediately hitting me hard again. As I listened, all of my memories of my past flashed in my head again. The broken and shattered memories began to piece themselves back together again. I felt my heart grow heavier, tears slowly welling up in my eyes. I never thought music could hit me as hard as it did, but it did...Their music struck me like a truck.
Aubrie glanced at me as she played and sang, her own tears rolling down her face. She closed her eyes and began to sing her heart out with Ashley and Cassidy. Rhea stood at the garage door, leaning against the doorframe and smiled at her the girls as they played, her own emotions being invoked by the music.
As the song ended again, I felt renewed. My body felt lighter as I was able to get all of my bottled emotions out. I smiled as I looked up at the girls, noticing them looking at me with red eyes and a soft smile. They felt happy that their songs were able to effect someone like me the way I did.
"You all should save this one song as the last song you play in the concert. I'm sure they are only allowing you to play two to three songs right?" I asked, wiping my eyes.
Aubrie nodded, clearing her throat and sniffling. "Yeah...we only get two to three songs depending on the length. I hope people like our song as much as you did.."
"I know they will. This song hits deep honestly. It hits hard," I said, closing my eyes and letting out a soft sigh.
I wiped my eyes, feeling the lingering impact of "Gray" and stood up, giving the girls another round of applause. "Seriously, that was incredible. You all have something special here."
Aubrie, Ashley, and Cassidy exchanged smiles, clearly pleased with my reaction. Rhea stepped forward from the garage doorway, clapping softly. "I'm so proud of you girls. That was beautiful."
Aubrie smiled at Rhea before walking over to me, her face still flushed with emotion. "Thanks. It means a lot to us that you feel this way. We wanted our music to resonate, to connect with people on a deeper level."
"It definitely does," I replied, my voice steady but warm. "And I think your audience tonight will feel the same."
Cassidy leaned back in her seat, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know, maybe I underestimated this whole thing. If Shiro feels this strongly about it, maybe our audience will too."
Ashley nodded in agreement, her eyes still glistening with tears. "Yeah, we've put our hearts into this. I just hope it translates to everyone else."
Rhea smiled at all of us, her eyes full of pride. "It will. I have no doubt about that."
I glanced around the garage, feeling a surge of excitement for their upcoming concert. "So, what's the plan for the rest of the day? More practice or are you taking a break before the show?"
Aubrie looked at the others, then back at me. "We should probably run through our other songs a couple more times, just to be sure. But we don't want to overdo it and tire ourselves out."
Cassidy nodded, stretching her arms. "Yeah, a few more practice runs and then we can chill. Maybe grab some food and relax before the big performance."
"Sounds like a good plan," I said, smiling. "I'll be here for moral support and feedback. Plus, I promised I'd look handsome for you all, right?" I added with a playful wink.
Ashley laughed, the tension easing out of the room. "Yes, that's your most important role!"
Aubrie picked up her guitar again, strumming a few chords. "Alright, let's run through 'Moonrise' next. It's our most polished song and we need to nail it tonight."
The girls set up again, their focus shifting back to their instruments. As they began playing "Moonrise," the atmosphere shifted from the heavy emotions of "Gray" to a more uplifting and hopeful vibe. The music filled the garage, and I could see their passion and dedication in every note they played.
Rhea watched from the doorway, her smile never fading. I leaned back in my seat, feeling a sense of pride for these amazing girls. Their journey wasn't just about music; it was about expressing their deepest emotions and connecting with others.
As the song ended, I stood up again, clapping enthusiastically. "That was perfect! You've really got something special with 'Moonrise.' It's the perfect follow-up to 'Gray.'"
Cassidy grinned, her earlier skepticism replaced with confidence. "Thanks, Shiro. Your feedback really means a lot."
Ashley wiped her forehead, her eyes shining with determination. "We're going to rock that stage tonight. I can feel it."
Aubrie looked at me, her eyes full of gratitude. "Thanks for being here, Shiro. It means everything to us."
I smiled, feeling a deep connection with them. "I'll always be here to support you. Now, let's make sure the world hears your amazing music."
As they continued practicing, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. Tonight's concert was going to be unforgettable, and I couldn't wait to see them shine on stage.
[Date: 1/16]
[Time: 5:30 PM]
[Location: Destiny Central - Falling Hearts Stadium]
I parked my car in the parking lot of the Falling Hearts Stadium where the concert was being held. The main band playing was a well known band around America named Found Souls. This band was Ashley's favorite band specifically and I could feel her excitement, her inability to wait to meet the band she's been longing to see.
Once they grabbed their equipment, I helped them to the backstage, our steps quick to make sure they made it on time. As we went backstage, the girls went off to practice and wait for their turn on the stage.
"Those girls are gonna do good, I can tell! They have a lot of promise. If you want, I can sprinkle a bit of Abitious Energy on them," Ambitia said, hovering behind me.
"No, it's fine. I'm sure they will be fine without the extra help," I muttered, walking through the crowd to find a comfortable enough spot to be at without getting too mixed with the crowd.
"Understood," Ambitia said, giving me a bright smile.
Once I found a good spot, I set my chair down and watched from the back, a calm spot away from the crowd but close enough to see the full stage. As I watched a few bands play their songs, I noticed an interface appear in front of me.
[Alert: Love Demon Nearby!]
I looked over and noticed a mysterious man standing beside me, exuding an interesting aura of grace and elegance. He had striking silver hair that fell smoothly around his face, and his eyes were a captivating shade of blue, giving him a piercing and enigmatic gaze.
He was dressed in a refined and somewhat traditional outfit, with a white cloak draped over his shoulders, accented with black gloves and details. The outfit was adorned with a small, intricate brooch and a blue tassel, adding a touch of sophistication.
Beside him was an otherworldly fairy figure, hovering at his side with grace. Her striking red eyes stood out vividly against her pale skin, giving her a captivating and almost hypnotic gaze. She has long, flowing black hair adorned with delicate, blue-hued feathers that match the intricate designs of her wings.
Her wings are large and butterfly-like, with a striking pattern of black and blue, adding to her ethereal and somewhat ominous presence. She is dressed in an elegant, gothic-style outfit made of what appears to be dark leaves and feathers, with a deep neckline and intricate details, suggesting both beauty and danger.
"Well well, when I was told a Love Demon was nearby...I don't think I've ever met this one before," The man said, looking down at me. "Especially here...at a concert."
Suru looked up at the man and tilted her head, her gaze returning back to me. "Who is this guy? Do you know him?"
The Love Demon beside the man gazed at Suru, her eyes widening. "What...? You have the Platinum System? Who gave her to you?"
The man stared at Suru as well, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm..? Two Systems..? Seems like Axel chose correctly sending me here to check on you...now I have zero reason to not strike you down.."
I stared at the man for a moment before turning my gaze back to the concert. "I had a feeling he would send someone after me on my break. No rest for the wicked as they say huh?"
"You don't seem too bothered by my presence. How strange," The man chuckled, closing his eyes and placing a hand on his hip.
"That's because after everything I've been through, it's just a matter of mentally preparing yourself for everything that's soon to come. Axel couldn't wait two more days for me to come back? He just wants to throw all of his puppets away huh?" I said, closing my eyes. "Well I'll be down to play after I watch my girlfriends play.."
The man smirked at my uncanny confidence, turning his gaze to the concert ahead. "Is that so? Well then...I can wait. But just know, I'm not very patient.."
"Very well. I'll give it until 6:30 PM...once the clock strikes that time, we start," I said, setting an alarm for 6:30 PM.
The man chuckled and watched the concert, his smirk condescending and dangerous. "An hour? Alright, I can wait that long.."
~{To Be Continued}~