Howard Bassem (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
iselldrugstothecommunity) wrote2012-06-26 09:51 pm
iselldrugstothecommunity) wrote2012-06-26 09:51 pm
Kill the Lights [Musebox]
Howard has never been to a rave, but he can dance, so he figured it's worth at least checking out. And given that it's both a new experience and one that will be crowded with potentially unsavory types, he's tried to talk Zouichi into coming with him.
It's a little cold outside this evening, and Howard's breath is making little puffs of vapor in front of his face. He keeps a quick pace as he tries to remember where this place is supposed to be. Down two streets, left on 4th...are you supposed to dress up for a rave? He has no idea; his only frame of reference is the second Matrix movie, which advised some materials Howard would be hard-pressed to call clothing.
They end up outside what looks like an abandoned warehouse, except the sound of bass thumping can be felt as physical vibrations through the asphalt. Apparently this party's taking place in the basement.
"Remember, don't eat any candy people offer you," he says to Zouichi. Because clearly, out of the two of them, Zouichi's the one that needs to worry about ingesting illegal substances.
It's a little cold outside this evening, and Howard's breath is making little puffs of vapor in front of his face. He keeps a quick pace as he tries to remember where this place is supposed to be. Down two streets, left on 4th...are you supposed to dress up for a rave? He has no idea; his only frame of reference is the second Matrix movie, which advised some materials Howard would be hard-pressed to call clothing.
They end up outside what looks like an abandoned warehouse, except the sound of bass thumping can be felt as physical vibrations through the asphalt. Apparently this party's taking place in the basement.
"Remember, don't eat any candy people offer you," he says to Zouichi. Because clearly, out of the two of them, Zouichi's the one that needs to worry about ingesting illegal substances.
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He frowned as the sound of the pounding bass shook the street; the music was well above recommended guidelines for avoiding hearing loss in humans. Even aside from that, it had to be breaking a city ordinance or two.
P.S. Guess what Zouichi was wearing.
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"Probably? It's not like there's a ton else to do on a Tuesday night besides wave some glowsticks around and blow out our hearing."
At least not everyone here is dressed like that scene from the Matrix, although it still looks like Zouichi may stand out less in his body armor than Howard does in his jeans and orange hoodie. There's a lot of people who seem allergic to color here.
"I hope we don't have to pay to get in." Code: I didn't bring any money.
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Poor Alan, all at home with no one but cats for company. There was a young woman with a ponytail and too much eyeliner in front of them; it made her look as though her face was gaunt and hollowed-out.
"So these dances aren't free?" Zouichi had some money on him in the form of credits. They moved up a few places in line.
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Howard side-eyes the girl with the makeup, moreso than the guy with no less than twenty-six piercings on his face. 'Gaunt' is not a look he'll ever see the appeal of. Someone with foot-long green rayon dreads pushes past them.
"No idea. But the glowsticks should cost money and I totally want glowsticks." He's sure they'll amuse the cats too. It turns out they don't have to pay anything, so they head down a set of stairs to where the party's happening.
"Just try and have fun!" Howard yells at Zou, even though it's likely lost under ALL DAT BASS DRUM. Howard can't even hear himself.
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This rave was terrible and trying to locate enemies directing gunfire at the two of them would be near-impossible with the crowd and the noise and the milling. Also this song was playing and it was terrible.
A gangly teenager with about a hundred glowsticks around his neck offered some to Zouichi, which he accepted. They were overpriced.
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It's not like it's anything you can even dance to. Apparently the idea is more to jump up and down and be crowded.
Unfortunately, he's lost track of Zouichi somewhere in the crowd. He starts struggling through all the people. "Zou! A little help!"
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Someone came up to him and demanded that he do the robot.
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Somehow Howard's gotten a face full of glitter and he doesn't even know how.
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...and didn't he buy three glow sticks?
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It's all kind of a sensory-overloading blur. They get out the door and the cold night air is a welcome shift from the sweaty, noisy room.
"Next time, you pick the Friday night adventure."
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"That was legitimately terrible. We should have gone to the parrot agility show." No, Howard! Don't let Zouichi pick the adventure!
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"And you clearly don't know what you're missing." He pointed to a storefront with a neon OPEN sign in front. "That pizza place is still open. Do you want any?"
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Because, after all, Zou would have to be the one sitting there with nothing while Howard guzzles down a family-size pizza on his own.
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Maybe he could even eat a slice. "What kind do you like? Hawaiian, right?"
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"No, you order, and I'll pay. I don't know if you want extra pineapple or whatever." There was a sleepy-looking worker behind the pizza counter, who looked up as they entered.
He had four arms.
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"I always want extra pineapple." He sounds nervous for a moment - something as basic as ordering food shouldn't stress him out like it does. It's something normal people do every day, without feeling as if they're going to be marked out for ordering too much.
But any butterflies in his stomach are forgotten when he sees the worker. He barely manages to cover his mouth before bursting into a fit of giggles.
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Okay, maybe Zouichi should be the one ordering. "Er, one Hawaiian pizza, please. With extra pineapple."
Forearm eyed them suspiciously -- not these jerks again -- then nodded and started on the pizza. He was a professional, dammit.
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Howard stops snickering into his fingertips long enough to ask, "can we see your nametag?"
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Forearm shot Howard a glare. "230. Credits."
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"You having any, Zou?"
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"What's so great about Hawaiian pizza, anyway?"
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He squirms a bit. "I don't know. It's comfort food. We used to get Hawaiian at Round Table when I was a kid, so I guess it's familiar, more than anything. Don't you have anything from your simulator childhood that you like just because you know it?"
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"I'm not really sure. I have things that I liked even when I was younger. But I can't say I like them only because they were there when I was little. Wouldn't that imply that I don't really like them that much after all?"
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Because that defeats the purpose of getting a pizza with childhood nostalgia value.
"But don't you like them extra because they have childhood memories attached?" He shrugs. "I just don't know how else I'm supposed to judge what food I like anymore."