comment log! (Ryuichi meets with Chronica about a job)

[singsingsilver]

All famous people have quirks. Some had to have certain flowers in their rooms, some need a certain type of candy and others had the urge to write on themselves. Ryuichi's quirks were a tad odd for those that didn't know him. For one, he acted like a ten year old on a constant sugar high. For another he was rarely seen without his bright pink

Comments

[throttle]

She'd met with Arcia Rinslet earlier in the day. A nice girl, and she would be adequate company to keep as a roommate. She assisted the plant in dressing in more average clothes, as the tastes of even casual-wear were quite different back home. Chronica wouldn't admit it, but it felt nice to be dressed in the basic blouse and jeans, as opposed to that uniform.

Pacing into the cafe where she had met with her "brother" only the day before, Chronica was busy running her hands through the lower part of her hair as she looked for anyone who looked off. It was almost laughable, to think anyone could look bizarre in such a place as the City

[singsingsilver]

He finished the last squiggled line with a final stab of his blue marker and looked up. Eyes a shade or two from being true purple lit up and he nodded, extending a hand - marker smudged, ring covered, and having rainbow colored nail paint - in greetings.

"Yup! I'm Ryuichi!" He paused, the big grin fading for a second like he was trying to remember something. "Chronica, right? For a second I thought you were someone else."

His smile came back, making him appear at least ten years younger than his actual age. Moving back from leaning over his sketchbook - in which a rather deformed lizard was jumping on a badly executed tank - he waved his other hand at the rest of the cafe. "You want anything to drink? They've got some rad teas."

[throttle]

His behavior startled her right out of her diagnostic, and she found herself squinting her eyes as she took his hand, fully prepared to get an array of colors on her skin. It was distasteful, but she was patient.

"Darjeeling tea, please," she said as she shook his hand. It was the one good thing she'd discovered in the City thus far, really. She swore she was going to get more people attached to it if she had anything to say about it.

Pulling her hand away, she went to sit down and sat straight in her back. Proper and stern, although one look at that bizarre drawing had Chronica a bit amused. "Do you prefer to be called by your given name or your family name?" She was familiar with Asian customs, but was also aware many didn't play by that. Best to not offend the person who would be paying her.

[singsingsilver]

The markers were water-based so it would be easy to remove the smudges without too much work. Ryuichi always got that kind after an unfortunate occurrence involving a giant rabbit picture damaging a valuable rug. He made sure that the caps were on the markers and waved a waiter over, giving the order while he tucked that gear away in his messenger bag.

"Sorry about that," he said, pointing with his chin at the marker mess. "I have to keep my mind busy or I get really off-centered." last bit of paper stuffed away, he took the rabbit off the folders and stuck it on his head.

"Ryuichi is fine; I'm not too formal like some can be." His voice slowed down a little, losing the childlike edge it had at the beginning of their meeting. "I don't do snobby stuff. But anyways, you ever done any kind of management? You know, paper work, filing, accessing data, that sort of stuff?"

[throttle]

'There we go,' she thought, as she watched his demeanor change. So, he was layered. That pleased her; he wouldn't be too annoyingly childlike, nor would he be too serious. Or so she hoped. Humans always did surprise her with how they could change so whole-heartedly.

Even if he did have that pink rabbit sitting on his head.

Folding her hands in her lap, Chronica was very frank with her reply. "I've done paper work, filing, accessing data and anything else you can imagine. However, when you say 'management', what sort do you speak of?" What in the hell could he be talking about? Was he some sort of eccentric genius, either in the sciences or the arts?

...glancing at the drawing again, though... if he were an artist, Chronica figured abstract.

[singsingsilver]

"Ah, I didn't say?" He blinked at her for a moment and then laughed, shaking his head. "Man, I keep forgetting. Sorry, sorry, I'm an internationally famous rock star."

Ryuichi shrugged, still smiling. "Not that it matters much here, but I sing in clubs and studio singing, stuff like that."

Making sure his rabbit was staying on top of his head, he picked up his cup and took a sip of tea. It was a tiny bit irritating that most people here didn't know him except as a plain club singer. He'd love some of the attention back home - the spotlight and the music and the people he met. Here, he was just another face in a very diverse crowd.

[throttle]

Well, that explained it. Chronica had her own run-in with his sort before, back home. It was funny how some human males reacted towards women. His reaction when he discovered she was a plant was rather priceless. It had to be interesting to fall so hard from public's grace, though Chronica was careful not to say that. Her bluntness was saved for her own kind, and her targets

[singsingsilver]

PR work was something he really left with people that knew how to do it. He would smile and talk on cue and can come across as either a complete innocent or a sultry sex god depending on what was needed for the time. As for singing talent - well, she didn't come from his world and probably couldn't even tell with the way he babbled on about everything. He blinked at her over the rim of his cup and then grinned.

"Ah, and you assume that I would be a poser like some no-talent hacks?" He set his cup down and flicked his finger against the rim. "If that was the case, I doubt I would be so insistent that I need any help here."

Ryuichi tilted his head to the side, sucked in a breath and sang. A traditional Japanese folk song, the words were only about the land and the rains, but it showed his true pitch, vocal range and clarity. In mid-tone he switched to a classic Beatles tune about 'Eleanor Rigby' and then switched again to words off the top of his head.

"Silencing echoes of many voices

[throttle]

Chronica's eyes were shut as she breathed the scent of her tea and listened to him sing. He was quite good. Of course, Chronica saw it all from a technical point of view. The control on the ends of his lines was stable; the vibrato in his voice was controlled and not excessive. His crescendos were perfected. He was certainly either trained or one of those proverbial 'natural talents'.

After he finished and explained his take on the inquiry of image preference, Chronica opened her eyes and gently set the tea down after another sip.

"We'll take advantage of Halloween, then. It comes quickly, and there will no doubt be a central party that will need music. Live music is better than that on the stereo, so we'll need to see what we can do. If locating someone heading it proves impossible, then we'll simply push you in." Her finger rounded around the rim of her tea cup. "This will also call for costumes."

[singsingsilver]

"I suppose that a bunny outfit wouldn't work," he said, chuckling at himself. He had such a costume hanging in his wardrobe, somehow managing to bring it with him. Not that he actually only wore that kind of outfit; it came from the same K-line as did his rabbit. He liked wearing it, but only during certain mood swings, otherwise he preferred much simpler clothing.

"I'm not a stranger to dolling up," he said, picking up his cup and looking at the contents. "I've done everything from wearing a dress to getting naked and making out with a band mate on stage. Mostly I just go with the way the crowd feels, ya know? Sometimes they like excess, and sometimes they want real music. Whatever the costume I'll have to be able to move and breathe easily in it. As for how to get into a live performance, that might be easy. There doesn't seem to be a set music industry here."

[throttle]

"Mm, I figured as much." Unsophisticated city. So many intelligent, powerful creatures, and they had yet to create the most basic of civilized institutions. "That's fine

[singsingsilver]

"Mobster type?" He tugged on a bright pink ear, chewing on the edge while he thought it over. Then nodding - Kumagoro falling flat onto the table - he beamed. "Yeah, that'll work. We done Nazi stuff years ago in Nittle Grasper so mobster would totally rock."

He was really liking her style. There wasn't any extra frills or any kind of overly dramatic whine about the usual manager whininess. Not that he had problems with that kind of manager himself, but he had seen what a bad manager could do to a good star. She sort of reminded him of how businesslike Toma would get, although there wasn't that touch of meanness about her. She was a bit overly controlling, a bit stiff, but he can deal with that. She many need Ryuichi's special brand of craziness to relax a little.

"You know, I think this is gonna work out," Ryuichi said, nodding slowly. "Even if we're taking this on the fly here."

[throttle]

If one were to ask Chronica, she didn't need to relax a little.

Although, his final statement did cause her face to break the smallest smile as she carefully picked her cup up with the fingertips of one hand. "I told you. I'm a quick study. But to start with, we need to make noise. We need people to notice you for your talent, and to notice me as the accessibility they have to your talent."

She took another sip of the painfully strong tea. "Costumes, as well. I'm afraid you'll have to put the money out for a little while until I can earn my wage with you. I may take a side job temporarily for the sake of keeping this funded."

[singsingsilver]

"I'm not too worried about money. When I was here last, I was stocking things up."

Ryuichi pushed over the folders for her to look at, and then waved a waiter over to refresh his tea. He was drinking white tea with a touch of fruit juice and the aroma filled the air around him when they brought him a fresh cup of it.

"See, I've been here long enough to start on saving - even before the whole money system started up. I was here when they gave it away free so that helped build a nest egg. So, I'm good with starting costs."

[throttle]

Chronica placed a hand on the stack and slid them closer to her, still tenderly holding her cup in her other hand. "What are these?" she asked as she tossed one open.

It was impressive. She could take his childish behavior if he was this wise with himself. Honestly, she could stand being a manager and a bodyguard. Being a babysitter was another thing entirely. "That's good," she replied. "That's wise, considering you don't now how long your success will run. However, it's pertinent that we keep it that way, only breaking into it for a little while until an appropriate pool of money can be made."

[singsingsilver]

"I'm actually not that good with money," he said a bit sheepishly, rubbing the side of his head. His random shaggy hair cut didn't even look too ruffled when he dropped his hand. "K was here shortly and made me promise to keep my finances clear or he will take his eagle to my head."

He laughed, shaking his head. Yes he was silly and childish for most of the time, but when he could focus, he was able to handle most of his day-to-day affairs. The folders had lists of money, purchases and other sundries, the new banking system appearing after a while with the lists of money being held there. He had a list of performances, people that have offered him singing gigs, times spent in studios, all of it written down. Some times the handwriting was shaky and done in crayon, sometimes in marker and in a bold hand, and all of it showing his moods and personality at the time of his writing the information down.

"K means well but he was a SCARY manager! I was pretty glad when he started managing Shuichi."