THE ONE WITH A MEET CUTE IN THE BAR

[onhold]

Karina doesn't usually linger after her set's complete. It's not that she doesn't want to support her fellow artists, it's that she just doesn't have the time. Turns out that have a triple-life doesn't get any less exhausting, even once you've graduated high school. Tonight, though, she has a rare reprieve; no new planned promotions with Blue Rose are on the cards, everything's either already been done or isn't going to start until after the New Year. Thus, Karina breaks her routine.

She lingers.

It hasn't been too long since she's been legally allowed to drink, and she's still working out her favourites. By the time she's nursing a gin and tonic over at the bar, the next singer is ascending to the stage. A small part of her thinks it will be good to see what the competition is doing. A larger, now more honest part of herself just wants to kick back and enjoy the show.

Comments

[thirdbeauty]

The next singer is a newcomer - a tall and rather casually dressed young woman, with a shock of vivid blue hair in an otherwise neatly tied back fusion of a loose bun and ponytail. Her short skirt shows off her long legs, but she otherwise doesn't intentionally draw attention to her curvy, somewhat top-heavy figure.

She's modest and unassuming as she takes the microphone, clearly not entirely used to the spotlight. There's maybe even a bit too long of a pause before the music starts, and she begins to sing.

It starts off quiet, but over the course of the song she grows a little bolder and puts more energy into the appropriate parts. It gets her energized for the rest of her set, some of which is a little more upbeat. Yet, to a professional's eye and ear, she's clearly still a little nervous and uncertain.

It doesn't necessarily help when her eyes meet Karina's briefly, and her mouth goes a little dry. Natsuru knew Karina sang here too, but she never stayed to watch anyone else before! Here she is, barely getting started, and Karina Lyle is actually watching her perform. It takes all of her willpower to stay upright, to sing the songs without her voice trembling and try to ignore the pressure.

She's sweating a little by the end, and not just because of the stage lights. Politely thanking the audience, she steps down and, after a moment, over to the bar.

She'd thought Karina would leave by now. Her heart pounds and she nervously touches her hair, averting her gaze as if she might get burned by looking directly at her. What could someone like her have possibly thought of Natsuru's performance? She wants to know, but she's terrified to find out. She plays through about a billion ways to say hello in her head in the few footsteps it takes to make her way over, never sure if she really intends to actually do so.

By the time she arrives, all she can manage is a soft clearing of her throat that doesn't sound particularly aimed at anyone, before she quietly asks the bartender for some water. She nervously twists her hands while she waits, still not quite sure if she should greet Karina or not.