Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash
Notice: BubbleGum Crisis and BubbleGum Crash are owned by their respective owners. Origanal characters are iether my own or I have permission to use them from their owners.
Author: LV426
Chapter 1: Anticipation
"Why does today have to go so slow?" Nene thought to herself as she sat behind her desk at the AD Police headquarters. A small sigh as she let her head rest on her hands and elbows escaped her, as she looked at the clock again for what had to be the 50th time in the last 20 minutes. "It's bad enough when your waiting with nothing to do...." Her eyes perked up at the last part of this thought, "but at least tonight we all go see Vision's concert!" She smirked to herself as she thinks about it. Linna was VERY willing to go, almost as willing as she was herself, but Priss... she wouldn't be caught dead at this show...
"Not even to hear your song played on stage?" Nene asked teasingly, knowing this would at least spike her friend's interest a little.
"Yeah right... and I'm supposed to believe she will do that?" Priss responded, not missing a beat as she, Nene, and Linna walked down the street. "I would sooner believe you recently inherited the throne of England."
"Then its time to bow to royalty..." Nene added with a rather taunting air, her eyes closed and head tilted to add drama to her act. "She has asked Linna if you would mind if she covered 'Tonight a Hurricane' as part of her show."
Only now did Priss even begin to get curious. It's no secret to any of them that Linna knows Vision personally, and the two could well have spoken. "oh? And what did you tell her, Linna?"
Linna fidgeted. "Well, you see... I wasn't sure what you think of the idea, I told her to come visit and talk to you... I hope you don't mind." The look on her face at this point was one of a person who had just been caught in a crossfire... and knew it full well.
"You told her to come see me, huh? Why? You KNOW I'm just gonna tell her no. That song is MY song and I will sing it. Not some masquerading little brat who is afraid to let her mask drop and say her real name in the public eye!" Priss wasn't yelling... at least not yet.
Linna glared at Priss... she has heard this speech about her friend before, and never really appreciated such an attitude to her. She leveled a glare at Priss, "Listen. Reika is not just some brat. Talk to her for yourself and see exactly what she is all about."
Priss didn't think too much on this, choosing for now to back out of this before it got into a real fight with her usual non-committed "yeah, whatever." And they walked on in silence.
Nene, on the other hand, only giggled a little to herself, knowing that Linna just won that argument. Vision will get a chance to talk to Priss...
...at least not before that meeting. Now Priss has been given the ultimate gift by Vision. She will FINALLY get a chance to be on stage in a MAJOR concert! The feature song will be "Tonight a Hurricane" as a duet of the two singers! "Man, I never thought Priss could EVER get as excited as she has been about this." Nene said to herself, looking at the clock again for the 51st time. "Even if she tries to hide it, she hasn't been to successful. Both of us know just how hyped she is." She sighs. "I just wish Sylia could see this, but she isn't back from Germany yet..."
* * *
In Dr. Raven's Garage, Priss was just wandering about as she let herself go from one piece of machinery to be worked on to the next. She didn't care to terrifically what she was looking at for once. The good Doctor, watching her as he munched on his lunch, smiled a bit and nodded understanding. He knew full well what REALLY was occupying her mind this night. She was going to the concert in about 30 minutes and was on edge. Yeah, Priss has been on the stage before, but the sheer numbers has left her a little edgy. She was going to sing a duet of her own song with VISION in her concert tonight! While she may not care terrifically either way about singing with Vision, the idea of singing in front of a sold out crowd of well over 150,000 is something else entirely.
A slight and ironic smile crossed Priss' lips. She spoke low and to herself. "Priss Asigiri, who has always dreamed of being heard by a much bigger audience than the Hot Legs could supply finally gets a part of her dream, and gets a case of stage fright. Bet this would be a great one for the gossip circles." She shook her head, trying to feel a bit more at ease, but also some part of her knowing once she is there, she will do as well as she does at the club. "And if that's not good enough for them, then they can kiss my ass like everyone else."
"Ahh... I wouldn't worry about that, Priss... you know you will do fine."
Priss turned stunned to hear someone else. She looked right at Dr. Raven, more than stunned that he would even say anything. Usually he doesn't comment about her singing, probably because the style is not his taste and he can be polite... "Uh... thanks..." she blinked a moment before coming back to her usual bad-ass looking expression. "but they really can, kiss my ass, pops."
Dr. Raven turned red. "DON'T CALL ME..."
Both finished it, Priss with a smile on her face. "Pops..." She laughed... this was the reliever she really needed. "Thanks... doctor..." Her face lightened a bit. "Say, is Mackie gonna get a chance to get here to see this? I know Sylia won't. The research they are doing is way too important to her, but I wasn't sure if he would come back for this or not."
Dr. Raven shook his head. "I'm sorry, Priss. He can't. I think his sister would find it an insult for him to leave like that. Or at least that is how it sounded when he called last time."
"oh... I see."
"but he did wish you luck."
A slight smile... a good friend to have doesn't just leave you in the cold. "Tell him I said thanks." She then went back to her own bike, which was parked just inside the door of the garage. "hey pops! I gotta split. If I'm to leave for the show in 30 minutes, I better make sure I have all my stuff together."
"Alright. Enjoy yourself... and DON'T CALL ME POPS!!!!!"
With a laugh, Priss revved her bike, waved her farewells, and sped home to her and Linna's apartment.
* * *
Linna was in a similar position as Nene, both at their desk, watching the clock, though that is about where the similarities end. Linna was rather busy as she took calls from clients and made various stock deals for them. She was as eager as her friends for tonight, but she had other things on mind: Namely, the daily activities of her job, and making sure to put a good front forward for her boss. She didn't dare slack off. Not that she would anyway, but she hasn't been at this firm very long, and she still wanted to make sure she made it look as worthwhile to keep her as she believed she was.
"Yes, I think that is a good buy. In fact, I'm taking care of it for you right now, miss." She hit a few buttons in front of her. "All done.... No, no need to thank me like that. I'm the one on the job for this, remember?" she laughed a little, glad to see some people could be nice from time to time.
"But then, of course they will be nice. I'm making them some serious money right now," she thought to herself, smiling quietly. Yep, staying with this career choice was definitely the right move. "Even so, I cant wait to get out of here today... It will be good to see Reika sing again."
"Who?"
Linna gasped in shock and damn near dropped the phone she was holding. "Oh... uhh.. sorry.. I didn't mean to say that out loud." She blushed deeply, embarrassed to the extreme for talking to herself while on the phone, AND for damn near giving out Vision's secret. "she would NEVER forgive me for that," Linna thought.
"Oh... uh... ok, then.... Uhh... is buying into Mecha-Corp a good buy, then?"
"Yeah... it should be moving up.. just... just use a little caution in how much you want, alright?" By now, Linna was back on her game and back in full swing.
"Alright, lets start with 100,000 yen."
"Alright, then, sir."...
* * *
It was no surprise to Priss to find the place empty when she got home. Linna, after all, was still at work and would not even think to go home for at least another hour. She, however, couldn't wait for her friend and roommate to return. The concert wouldn't wait for anyone, and she had to be there early for final setup and system checks. She quickly went to the closet, getting her costume... the classic slightly puffed blond wig and all, and laid it out on her bed. A slight smile came to her face as she looked at it.
"It's been too long, my friend. Too long since I did this." After the thought, she went into the closet once again and produced a suitcase and packed the costume from her days with "Priss and the Replicants" into it. "Wonder how the band is doing? Hopefully they could get another singer... or work out something."
She hadn't heard from them in a while, as she tended to keep a strictly business relationship with her previous partners in music. Her reasons for doing so, still not pleasant in her mind, and enough to remain distant to most, though not all anymore.
Priss shook her head to clear it of this line of thought. "No need to be down on things tonight. For once, I should probably just enjoy myself," she thought as she closed the briefcase, "and what might come of the night."
Having her costume ready, she went to the door of the apartment, looking one more time to make sure she didn't forget anything she would need for this night. Satisfied, she let out a sigh and turned to the outside. A few strides and door closing later, she was on her way to the concert, ready to meet with Vision for the concert that promised to be the biggest of both their lives.
The trip took far longer than expected. Priss has always sped along the roads at well over the speed limit, and tonight would be no exception. Not even the high traffic of Vision's fans driving the same place as she would really slow her down. Though admittedly, she learned for the second time since the "Griffon incidents" that she really learned just how bad other drivers on the road can be... and just how careful she should be around them. After the third person nearly hit her off the road, she finally slowed her bike to a slow (for her) 120 Kilometers per hour.
"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING, YOU ASSHOLE!" Priss belted at the 4th car to nearly destroy her bike as she was cut off. "You would think people would know how to do this better. I mean, I know I gun it, but DAMN! I don't TRY TO TAKE PEOPLE OFF THE ROAD!" She let herself simmer down rather than continue to yell. No point in killing her vocal cords before she showed them all what she could do. With that idea in mind, she groaned and just pulled on, finally reaching the hall where all this would take place... Vision was taking her to the Big Egg II Stadium.
Entering the building was no treat. Before she even tried, the crowd gathered around the doors said it wouldn't be. Priss groaned as she parked her bike in the back. "Damn... why must everything get complicated. Well..." she made her way into the crowd, eventually finding a line to the door deep within it. She only shrugged and walked on, getting about 5 people up before a man put his hand on her shoulder.
"WHERE do you think your going? You have to wait like everyone else."
Priss gave him a look that would stop a charging Rhino cold. "I have business within. I suggest you let go now." The man was too stunned to do anything but remain frozen... until Priss took his hand off her shoulder with her opposite hand... and twisted it behind his back. "and touch me again and I will take your arm off." She allowed herself to smile rather nastily, letting the fear sink into the man. "Understand me?"
The man gulped and as soon as she let him go, he backed off, letting Priss move on. This was not to last, however, as the crowd began to grumble that this "bitch" (to use the term of the crowd) was going to get away with it. This did not concern Priss too much, however... at least not till they seemed to move toward her like a mob.
"Oh shit... I cant take them all," she thought, as she proceeded, seeming as calm as ever.
Before anyone made a move, however, Priss' unsaid prayers were answered. The bouncer outside the doors was looking right at her, as somebody approached him. A few moments of communication between the two, and the man in the brown suit walked into the crowd... taking Priss' hand. He spoke calmly and with the air of someone in his element. "Come with me please, Ms. Asigiri." And with that, she was in...
* * *
Vision waited nervous in her dressing room, as her attendants put the finishing touches on her costume. "How can she be this late? I know she doesn't like me terrifically, but this is just not professional," she thought to herself. She sighed and looked at the clock. Sure the show doesn't start for another three hours, but they needed the time to finalize everything, and Vision was not the kind of woman to want to do everything last minute. She took a walk into the hallway to see if her guest had arrived yet. She wasn't far from going back in with a sigh as Priss came around the corner, escorted by one of Vision's people, some kind of debate going on between them, and by the look on the young lady's face, not a pleasant one.
Priss watched the man leave more than annoyed as Vision approached her. "Can you believe that guy? He told me I was the rude one! I swear! If I let every man push me around like that..." she growled a moment... before she saw who had come up and she was complaining to. "Oh... there you are... I'm sorry, Reika. I didn't mean to be so late..."
"Please... I'm not about to worry as to why you are late. But we have to get you ready for the show, come with me please." And with those words, Vision pulled Priss to her dressing room...
The expression on Priss' face went to shock, then to pure anger as a familiar man in a pink jacket, shades, and an earring stood up from in her chair before the mirror and approached the two of them.
"Priss, baby! Been far too long! Say, you ready to take your place as a STAR?" His hands moved in the air with the word star, looking up with a sparkle in his eyes like he could see Priss in the cosmos (despite being in a normal everyday changing room).
"What.... Is he... doing here..." was all Priss could stammer... she had been through the traffic from hell, a rowdy crowd, and for what. To find the man who tried to con her into being some stupid cutesy bimbo on stage with nothing to really say in music that wasn't even hers?!?!?
Vision watched the response of Priss with a bit of shock. "He's uh... the stage director for this show... do you know him?"
"Yeah... he was my agent at one time. Till he..." Priss froze in shock. "Did you just say he was the stage manager tonight?"
"That's right, Babe. By the way, I have your costume ready for you. Care to see it?"
"Do I have a choice?"
Before he speaks, he is already at the closet, his hand moving with the word 'love.' "Oh you will love it! Now where did I put it..." He digs around furiously. "Ah! HERE it is!" And as he produces the dress, Priss' jaw drops... it's an all too cute frilly green dress with a purple bow in the center...
"You want me to wear that?" She shakes with anger before turning to Vision way too calmly. "Can I punch him out now? Or do I have to wait till after the show."
Vision blinks a moment. She is about to say something to support the agent, but sees the gleam in Priss' eye, and knows she WILL kill him if she isn't calmed now. "Perhaps... its best to let Priss pick her own costume this time..."
The man looks at the two girls as if he will argue, but only gets as far as "but, but..." before Priss starts on him.
"You heard her! Leave me alone already!"
Finally, he gives up. "Alright, then I guess we are out of here. See you in the lounging area to talk about the show when your done getting dressed."
That getting dressed took no more than 15 minutes. By then, she was in front of Vision and the agent in her full glory, looking like she did when she used to play with "Priss and the Replicants." The other two had been planning a while and only now did they fill in Priss for what was the first thing in Priss' day that was really productive at all...
* * *
Linna looked around for Nene outside the Big Egg II stadium. "come on, Nene. No way work can keep you out this late..."
As if answering the words, Nene came running down the sidewalk about then. "LINNA!!!! LINNA!!!" She didn't wait for an answer before almost bulldozing her friend over.
"Well what took you, little miss cyberpunk?" Linna asked teasingly. Yeah, she was annoyed, but then, Nene DID come through after all.
Nene promptly ignored the name. "I couldn't find a parking space. Sometimes, I think I should borrow Leon's cruiser for these things. No one would DARE cut me off then!" This brought both girls to laughter.
"Say, Nene, what seats do we have?"
"I'm actually not sure... When I found that Vision had given these seats personally, I was too nervous to look."
"Well, come on then..."
Nene produced an envelope labeled simply 'Linna and friends' she had picked up for Linna the day before, and slowly opened the envelope...
...till Linna took it. "Oh come on! I want to see," and with those words, Linna tore open the envelop and took out the 5 tickets... looking at them, she blinked. "Nene? We... are in the first row..."
Dead silence... till Nene yelled out in excitement and nearly toppled Linna as she tackled her.
* * *
"15 minutes till showtime. Makeup everyone!" a crew member yelled.
Vision didn't say a word. She just got up and walked calmly to her dressing room.
"Makeup?" Priss looked confused. She never thought about makeup.
"Well of course, Babe! You need to," the agent places his hands to form a rectangle between his fingers and thumbs, "look your best when you get yourself on stage." And before Priss can begin to argue, she is shoved in her dressing room where about 5 people in black t-shirts wait for her.
"Just sit down, Ms. Asigiri, and we will take care of the rest," one of them said before she was pulled into the chair and the circus to try to make her up began. It lasted all of 5 minutes as Priss fought furiously to keep them from putting anything on her, and they only took her seriously as she punched one man into the door of her dressing room.
"I SAID ENOUGH! IM NOT OUT HERE TO TRY TO BE PRETTY! IM HERE TO SING, DAMMIT!" she screamed as she stormed out, making a point to step on the man she punched, not sure if he was the one who pinched her, but really not caring. Someone was paying for it. She fumed to the bathroom to clean up, and soon came out as she looks regularly again when she is about to go on stage.
Vision looked at her and finally shrugged... you can win them all, I guess. "You ready?"
A slight smirk on Priss' face. "As a friend of mine likes to say... It's show time!"
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash
Notice: BubbleGum Crisis and BubbleGum Crash are owned by their respective owners. Origanal characters are iether my own or I have permission to use them from their owners.
Author: LV426
Chapter 1: Anticipation
"Why does today have to go so slow?" Nene thought to herself as she sat behind her desk at the AD Police headquarters. A small sigh as she let her head rest on her hands and elbows escaped her, as she looked at the clock again for what had to be the 50th time in the last 20 minutes. "It's bad enough when your waiting with nothing to do...." Her eyes perked up at the last part of this thought, "but at least tonight we all go see Vision's concert!" She smirked to herself as she thinks about it. Linna was VERY willing to go, almost as willing as she was herself, but Priss... she wouldn't be caught dead at this show...
"Not even to hear your song played on stage?" Nene asked teasingly, knowing this would at least spike her friend's interest a little.
"Yeah right... and I'm supposed to believe she will do that?" Priss responded, not missing a beat as she, Nene, and Linna walked down the street. "I would sooner believe you recently inherited the throne of England."
"Then its time to bow to royalty..." Nene added with a rather taunting air, her eyes closed and head tilted to add drama to her act. "She has asked Linna if you would mind if she covered 'Tonight a Hurricane' as part of her show."
Only now did Priss even begin to get curious. It's no secret to any of them that Linna knows Vision personally, and the two could well have spoken. "oh? And what did you tell her, Linna?"
Linna fidgeted. "Well, you see... I wasn't sure what you think of the idea, I told her to come visit and talk to you... I hope you don't mind." The look on her face at this point was one of a person who had just been caught in a crossfire... and knew it full well.
"You told her to come see me, huh? Why? You KNOW I'm just gonna tell her no. That song is MY song and I will sing it. Not some masquerading little brat who is afraid to let her mask drop and say her real name in the public eye!" Priss wasn't yelling... at least not yet.
Linna glared at Priss... she has heard this speech about her friend before, and never really appreciated such an attitude to her. She leveled a glare at Priss, "Listen. Reika is not just some brat. Talk to her for yourself and see exactly what she is all about."
Priss didn't think too much on this, choosing for now to back out of this before it got into a real fight with her usual non-committed "yeah, whatever." And they walked on in silence.
Nene, on the other hand, only giggled a little to herself, knowing that Linna just won that argument. Vision will get a chance to talk to Priss...
...at least not before that meeting. Now Priss has been given the ultimate gift by Vision. She will FINALLY get a chance to be on stage in a MAJOR concert! The feature song will be "Tonight a Hurricane" as a duet of the two singers! "Man, I never thought Priss could EVER get as excited as she has been about this." Nene said to herself, looking at the clock again for the 51st time. "Even if she tries to hide it, she hasn't been to successful. Both of us know just how hyped she is." She sighs. "I just wish Sylia could see this, but she isn't back from Germany yet..."
* * *
In Dr. Raven's Garage, Priss was just wandering about as she let herself go from one piece of machinery to be worked on to the next. She didn't care to terrifically what she was looking at for once. The good Doctor, watching her as he munched on his lunch, smiled a bit and nodded understanding. He knew full well what REALLY was occupying her mind this night. She was going to the concert in about 30 minutes and was on edge. Yeah, Priss has been on the stage before, but the sheer numbers has left her a little edgy. She was going to sing a duet of her own song with VISION in her concert tonight! While she may not care terrifically either way about singing with Vision, the idea of singing in front of a sold out crowd of well over 150,000 is something else entirely.
A slight and ironic smile crossed Priss' lips. She spoke low and to herself. "Priss Asigiri, who has always dreamed of being heard by a much bigger audience than the Hot Legs could supply finally gets a part of her dream, and gets a case of stage fright. Bet this would be a great one for the gossip circles." She shook her head, trying to feel a bit more at ease, but also some part of her knowing once she is there, she will do as well as she does at the club. "And if that's not good enough for them, then they can kiss my ass like everyone else."
"Ahh... I wouldn't worry about that, Priss... you know you will do fine."
Priss turned stunned to hear someone else. She looked right at Dr. Raven, more than stunned that he would even say anything. Usually he doesn't comment about her singing, probably because the style is not his taste and he can be polite... "Uh... thanks..." she blinked a moment before coming back to her usual bad-ass looking expression. "but they really can, kiss my ass, pops."
Dr. Raven turned red. "DON'T CALL ME..."
Both finished it, Priss with a smile on her face. "Pops..." She laughed... this was the reliever she really needed. "Thanks... doctor..." Her face lightened a bit. "Say, is Mackie gonna get a chance to get here to see this? I know Sylia won't. The research they are doing is way too important to her, but I wasn't sure if he would come back for this or not."
Dr. Raven shook his head. "I'm sorry, Priss. He can't. I think his sister would find it an insult for him to leave like that. Or at least that is how it sounded when he called last time."
"oh... I see."
"but he did wish you luck."
A slight smile... a good friend to have doesn't just leave you in the cold. "Tell him I said thanks." She then went back to her own bike, which was parked just inside the door of the garage. "hey pops! I gotta split. If I'm to leave for the show in 30 minutes, I better make sure I have all my stuff together."
"Alright. Enjoy yourself... and DON'T CALL ME POPS!!!!!"
With a laugh, Priss revved her bike, waved her farewells, and sped home to her and Linna's apartment.
* * *
Linna was in a similar position as Nene, both at their desk, watching the clock, though that is about where the similarities end. Linna was rather busy as she took calls from clients and made various stock deals for them. She was as eager as her friends for tonight, but she had other things on mind: Namely, the daily activities of her job, and making sure to put a good front forward for her boss. She didn't dare slack off. Not that she would anyway, but she hasn't been at this firm very long, and she still wanted to make sure she made it look as worthwhile to keep her as she believed she was.
"Yes, I think that is a good buy. In fact, I'm taking care of it for you right now, miss." She hit a few buttons in front of her. "All done.... No, no need to thank me like that. I'm the one on the job for this, remember?" she laughed a little, glad to see some people could be nice from time to time.
"But then, of course they will be nice. I'm making them some serious money right now," she thought to herself, smiling quietly. Yep, staying with this career choice was definitely the right move. "Even so, I cant wait to get out of here today... It will be good to see Reika sing again."
"Who?"
Linna gasped in shock and damn near dropped the phone she was holding. "Oh... uhh.. sorry.. I didn't mean to say that out loud." She blushed deeply, embarrassed to the extreme for talking to herself while on the phone, AND for damn near giving out Vision's secret. "she would NEVER forgive me for that," Linna thought.
"Oh... uh... ok, then.... Uhh... is buying into Mecha-Corp a good buy, then?"
"Yeah... it should be moving up.. just... just use a little caution in how much you want, alright?" By now, Linna was back on her game and back in full swing.
"Alright, lets start with 100,000 yen."
"Alright, then, sir."...
* * *
It was no surprise to Priss to find the place empty when she got home. Linna, after all, was still at work and would not even think to go home for at least another hour. She, however, couldn't wait for her friend and roommate to return. The concert wouldn't wait for anyone, and she had to be there early for final setup and system checks. She quickly went to the closet, getting her costume... the classic slightly puffed blond wig and all, and laid it out on her bed. A slight smile came to her face as she looked at it.
"It's been too long, my friend. Too long since I did this." After the thought, she went into the closet once again and produced a suitcase and packed the costume from her days with "Priss and the Replicants" into it. "Wonder how the band is doing? Hopefully they could get another singer... or work out something."
She hadn't heard from them in a while, as she tended to keep a strictly business relationship with her previous partners in music. Her reasons for doing so, still not pleasant in her mind, and enough to remain distant to most, though not all anymore.
Priss shook her head to clear it of this line of thought. "No need to be down on things tonight. For once, I should probably just enjoy myself," she thought as she closed the briefcase, "and what might come of the night."
Having her costume ready, she went to the door of the apartment, looking one more time to make sure she didn't forget anything she would need for this night. Satisfied, she let out a sigh and turned to the outside. A few strides and door closing later, she was on her way to the concert, ready to meet with Vision for the concert that promised to be the biggest of both their lives.
The trip took far longer than expected. Priss has always sped along the roads at well over the speed limit, and tonight would be no exception. Not even the high traffic of Vision's fans driving the same place as she would really slow her down. Though admittedly, she learned for the second time since the "Griffon incidents" that she really learned just how bad other drivers on the road can be... and just how careful she should be around them. After the third person nearly hit her off the road, she finally slowed her bike to a slow (for her) 120 Kilometers per hour.
"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING, YOU ASSHOLE!" Priss belted at the 4th car to nearly destroy her bike as she was cut off. "You would think people would know how to do this better. I mean, I know I gun it, but DAMN! I don't TRY TO TAKE PEOPLE OFF THE ROAD!" She let herself simmer down rather than continue to yell. No point in killing her vocal cords before she showed them all what she could do. With that idea in mind, she groaned and just pulled on, finally reaching the hall where all this would take place... Vision was taking her to the Big Egg II Stadium.
Entering the building was no treat. Before she even tried, the crowd gathered around the doors said it wouldn't be. Priss groaned as she parked her bike in the back. "Damn... why must everything get complicated. Well..." she made her way into the crowd, eventually finding a line to the door deep within it. She only shrugged and walked on, getting about 5 people up before a man put his hand on her shoulder.
"WHERE do you think your going? You have to wait like everyone else."
Priss gave him a look that would stop a charging Rhino cold. "I have business within. I suggest you let go now." The man was too stunned to do anything but remain frozen... until Priss took his hand off her shoulder with her opposite hand... and twisted it behind his back. "and touch me again and I will take your arm off." She allowed herself to smile rather nastily, letting the fear sink into the man. "Understand me?"
The man gulped and as soon as she let him go, he backed off, letting Priss move on. This was not to last, however, as the crowd began to grumble that this "bitch" (to use the term of the crowd) was going to get away with it. This did not concern Priss too much, however... at least not till they seemed to move toward her like a mob.
"Oh shit... I cant take them all," she thought, as she proceeded, seeming as calm as ever.
Before anyone made a move, however, Priss' unsaid prayers were answered. The bouncer outside the doors was looking right at her, as somebody approached him. A few moments of communication between the two, and the man in the brown suit walked into the crowd... taking Priss' hand. He spoke calmly and with the air of someone in his element. "Come with me please, Ms. Asigiri." And with that, she was in...
* * *
Vision waited nervous in her dressing room, as her attendants put the finishing touches on her costume. "How can she be this late? I know she doesn't like me terrifically, but this is just not professional," she thought to herself. She sighed and looked at the clock. Sure the show doesn't start for another three hours, but they needed the time to finalize everything, and Vision was not the kind of woman to want to do everything last minute. She took a walk into the hallway to see if her guest had arrived yet. She wasn't far from going back in with a sigh as Priss came around the corner, escorted by one of Vision's people, some kind of debate going on between them, and by the look on the young lady's face, not a pleasant one.
Priss watched the man leave more than annoyed as Vision approached her. "Can you believe that guy? He told me I was the rude one! I swear! If I let every man push me around like that..." she growled a moment... before she saw who had come up and she was complaining to. "Oh... there you are... I'm sorry, Reika. I didn't mean to be so late..."
"Please... I'm not about to worry as to why you are late. But we have to get you ready for the show, come with me please." And with those words, Vision pulled Priss to her dressing room...
The expression on Priss' face went to shock, then to pure anger as a familiar man in a pink jacket, shades, and an earring stood up from in her chair before the mirror and approached the two of them.
"Priss, baby! Been far too long! Say, you ready to take your place as a STAR?" His hands moved in the air with the word star, looking up with a sparkle in his eyes like he could see Priss in the cosmos (despite being in a normal everyday changing room).
"What.... Is he... doing here..." was all Priss could stammer... she had been through the traffic from hell, a rowdy crowd, and for what. To find the man who tried to con her into being some stupid cutesy bimbo on stage with nothing to really say in music that wasn't even hers?!?!?
Vision watched the response of Priss with a bit of shock. "He's uh... the stage director for this show... do you know him?"
"Yeah... he was my agent at one time. Till he..." Priss froze in shock. "Did you just say he was the stage manager tonight?"
"That's right, Babe. By the way, I have your costume ready for you. Care to see it?"
"Do I have a choice?"
Before he speaks, he is already at the closet, his hand moving with the word 'love.' "Oh you will love it! Now where did I put it..." He digs around furiously. "Ah! HERE it is!" And as he produces the dress, Priss' jaw drops... it's an all too cute frilly green dress with a purple bow in the center...
"You want me to wear that?" She shakes with anger before turning to Vision way too calmly. "Can I punch him out now? Or do I have to wait till after the show."
Vision blinks a moment. She is about to say something to support the agent, but sees the gleam in Priss' eye, and knows she WILL kill him if she isn't calmed now. "Perhaps... its best to let Priss pick her own costume this time..."
The man looks at the two girls as if he will argue, but only gets as far as "but, but..." before Priss starts on him.
"You heard her! Leave me alone already!"
Finally, he gives up. "Alright, then I guess we are out of here. See you in the lounging area to talk about the show when your done getting dressed."
That getting dressed took no more than 15 minutes. By then, she was in front of Vision and the agent in her full glory, looking like she did when she used to play with "Priss and the Replicants." The other two had been planning a while and only now did they fill in Priss for what was the first thing in Priss' day that was really productive at all...
* * *
Linna looked around for Nene outside the Big Egg II stadium. "come on, Nene. No way work can keep you out this late..."
As if answering the words, Nene came running down the sidewalk about then. "LINNA!!!! LINNA!!!" She didn't wait for an answer before almost bulldozing her friend over.
"Well what took you, little miss cyberpunk?" Linna asked teasingly. Yeah, she was annoyed, but then, Nene DID come through after all.
Nene promptly ignored the name. "I couldn't find a parking space. Sometimes, I think I should borrow Leon's cruiser for these things. No one would DARE cut me off then!" This brought both girls to laughter.
"Say, Nene, what seats do we have?"
"I'm actually not sure... When I found that Vision had given these seats personally, I was too nervous to look."
"Well, come on then..."
Nene produced an envelope labeled simply 'Linna and friends' she had picked up for Linna the day before, and slowly opened the envelope...
...till Linna took it. "Oh come on! I want to see," and with those words, Linna tore open the envelop and took out the 5 tickets... looking at them, she blinked. "Nene? We... are in the first row..."
Dead silence... till Nene yelled out in excitement and nearly toppled Linna as she tackled her.
* * *
"15 minutes till showtime. Makeup everyone!" a crew member yelled.
Vision didn't say a word. She just got up and walked calmly to her dressing room.
"Makeup?" Priss looked confused. She never thought about makeup.
"Well of course, Babe! You need to," the agent places his hands to form a rectangle between his fingers and thumbs, "look your best when you get yourself on stage." And before Priss can begin to argue, she is shoved in her dressing room where about 5 people in black t-shirts wait for her.
"Just sit down, Ms. Asigiri, and we will take care of the rest," one of them said before she was pulled into the chair and the circus to try to make her up began. It lasted all of 5 minutes as Priss fought furiously to keep them from putting anything on her, and they only took her seriously as she punched one man into the door of her dressing room.
"I SAID ENOUGH! IM NOT OUT HERE TO TRY TO BE PRETTY! IM HERE TO SING, DAMMIT!" she screamed as she stormed out, making a point to step on the man she punched, not sure if he was the one who pinched her, but really not caring. Someone was paying for it. She fumed to the bathroom to clean up, and soon came out as she looks regularly again when she is about to go on stage.
Vision looked at her and finally shrugged... you can win them all, I guess. "You ready?"
A slight smirk on Priss' face. "As a friend of mine likes to say... It's show time!"