Prompt: 063 ~ Circus May 2011©
Fandom: The GazettE
Focus: Aoi x Meisa
Word Count: 1,327
A/N: Tour attire based of Stacked Rubbish
Fandom: The GazettE
Focus: Aoi x Meisa
Word Count: 1,327
A/N: Tour attire based of Stacked Rubbish
With
less than twenty minutes to go before the lights went on for their latest Live,
the members of the GazettE were gathered together just off stage. They’d been queued
up a bit earlier than usual and the break in routine was having effects that
few could have predicted. They were in their usual bubbles, the private zone
they inhabited before Lives to settles themselves in the calm before the storm.
It was most typical that by the time they reached the edge of the stage, they would have emerged and come back together as a singular unit. It was only the oddity of being called to the shadows stage-side that was preventing that now. That was throwing everything off. Aoi was nervous. He wasn’t normally one to get nervous before lives, not like this. His nerves, if the excited butterflies flitting about inside his stomach could really be called nerves, usually manifested in an obnoxious, almost oppressive calm. It was a fact that made his current state of fidgety anxiety so particularly worrisome. Not that any of his bandmates noticed. They were all in similarly distressed states. The staff was too preoccupied with running the final checks of everything to register more than a vague concern for the atypical behavior of the members. The only person to really key into Aoi’s unease was Meisa, and the girlfriend’s worry more than made up for the others’ lack thereof. As a singer herself, Meisa knew exactly how it felt to stand off stage before a big show, before facing a crowd of people who believed in you, heart and soul, and who would be horribly hurt if you somehow let down their expectations. She also knew that despite being able to empathize completely, nothing she could say would be able to soothe Aoi’s fears. Words could never be enough in this case, or any case like it. Meisa however, couldn’t simply sit back and watch her wonderful guitarist panic himself into performing the disastrous way he feared he would. One of her best friends provided Meisa’s best example of what to do in this situation. Kitty was bickering away with Reita, as if this was just any other day, concert or no. Meisa steeled herself to be as blunt and straightforward as usual, to be as callous as she could and keep her nonchalance even as there was nothing in the world she wanted to do more than give Aoi a heartwarming hug of kittens and rainbows and glitter. “You look like a pirate,” she announced when she was moderately sure that she would be able to prevent a sentimental breakdown in the middle of the conversation. “What?” “A pirate, you definitely look like a pirate,” Meisa supplied. Aoi was incredulous, and only partially involved in talking to her. His thoughts were still on the crowd beyond the curtain. “Like Jack Sparrow, pirate?” “Captain," Meisa scoffed, shaking her head. "But nah, you’re more like Henry Morgan pirate, a little more dead maybe. Who was it that decided on this outfit?” “Most of what we do is initially Ruki’s idea,” Aoi replied with a shrug that distinctly avoided admitting that he’d been the one to give final consent. “Then I guess it could have been worse,” Meisa commented flippantly. She wasn’t used to dealing with this self-conscious side of him. “I mean Ruki looks like he’s a zombie or something, back from the 80’s to play a bad American prom,” she explained as she worked diligently not to be swayed by the soft, almost sad look on Aoi’s face. It was hard, but a glance in the vocalist’s direction was enough to bolster Meisa’s nerves. Ruki looked ridiculous, and Aoi didn’t. It was as simple as that to her. Ruki’s thick make-up and outrageous silver suit conjured up few images aside from an old school rocker back from the dead. It was actually quite the hilarious get up, even for him. Aoi though didn’t seem to be soothed at all by the fact that the GazettE’s vocalist had a seriously skewed sense of fashion. Meisa went on with her little fashionista rampage, “And Uruha looks like a vampire wannabe or something, the creepy emo-nommer type.” With a sighed she finished, “Kai is the only one of you that looks relatively normal, and even he’s bordering on crack addict.” “What about Reita?” It was his first comment that was more involved in the conversation than not, and Meisa counted it as a success. “Or Kitty?” Meisa waved his addition aside quickly. “Kitty doesn’t count. First of all she’s not technically a member. And secondly she’d never let Ruki give her a bad idea. She looks fabulous.” Meisa then looked towards the bassist in question as he was bickering away with the cotton-candy bubble of skirts that was Kitty. The basis of Reita’s attire was perfectly rockstar: black leather, chains and belts, and tears in just about everything, but he could never pass as ‘normal’ for even a rockstar. “With that ridiculous nose sock of his, he always looks like a disaster,” Meisa explained, adding thoughtfully, “Well, maybe more of a dinosaur. Now that I’m thinking about it, he does seem pretty prehistoric in the face.” “Prehistoric? You’re insane,” Aoi replied, almost grinning. “Ah, but that’s why you love me,” Meisa cooed in return. “And he’s definitely a dinosaur.” “You’re still insane.” “True, I mean who else but an insane person would join up with this circus of the dead? At least Kitty’s being paid for being mixed up with all of you!” Puzzled Aoi asked, “Circus of the dead?” “Well, I suppose that Kai is only mostly dead,” Meisa mused. “But still, the point stands.” “Pirates are undead? I thought you said I wasn’t a Jack Sparrow type of pirate.” “Captain. Not undead, just dead. Even the ones in the movie are just dead now, mostly; except for that stupid little monkey thing,” Meisa clarified. “And all the cool pirates are dead. You might look like a weirdo, but you’re the coolest weirdo pirate I’ve ever met.” “Since when do dead pirates join the circus? Especially cool ones?” “Since zombie Ruki was made unofficial ringleader, I suppose,” Meisa replied with a shrug. Then she sighed, “Someone really should at least make him get rid of the hot pink tie.” “He was going to wear a fez too, but Kitty, ah . . . ‘talked’ him out of it.” Running on nothing but snapped imaginings, Meisa mentioned, “You know, Kai could pull off a fez. It would make him look more like a zombified genie, instead of a druggie.” “I suppose, he could pull it off, but Kitty set the thing on fire,” Aoi countered, his half grin spreading into a real smile. “The circus is known for its rare and dangerous wild cats,” Meisa said with a solemn nod. “It’s a good thing that our lion-tamer is a raptor, his skin is thick enough to keep him safe from her claws. If Reita wasn’t around we would all be in trouble.” “Indeed.” Aoi was now back to his normal self, the joking, relaxed, and absolutely spectacular guitarist that Meisa knew him to be at heart. She reveled in the personal triumph that was banishing away the Aoi crazed with nerves. She smiled at him encouragingly as the lights went on and the call for the GazettE to head out for their dramatic entrance was made, allowing herself to be soft for a moment, “Nee, Circus-pirate-sama, your public awaits.” Smiling back, Aoi took a deep breath. He turned to head out, but just before he stepped into the lights he called over his shoulder, “Meisa-chan, this circus also has a magician in residence. Arigatou, ne.” He gave her a nod and then went to join his members on stage. Meisa only smiled after him. She was just happy that he’d managed to calm him down in the chaos of his crazy circus lifestyle. ♡♥Finite♥♡ |