Location: End's Beach
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Clear Skies
And the music continued, with the force of five youngsters.
Inacio grinned as the amateur-yet-fitting rough voice of Pyry filled the night air and did a little switch-up with his guitar, bridging his melody to fit the actual words and mimic their cadence. He took walking to the stage, setting himself up near Vier and nodded to the girl, his message clear: they were handling the actual tune of the song with perfect accuracy, even if there was a hiccup here and there. It was alright to improvise and have some fun.
"But I've said nothing so far! And I can keep it up for as lo~ong as it takes. And it don't matter who you are. If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks!"
With those lyrics Elaine shifted up her drum-beat and brought the song to the chorus, her surprisingly powerful strikes echoing from the drum-skin like ticking of the metronome.
"Because the hook brings you back! I ain't tellin' you no lie! The hook brings you back! On that you can rely!
It wasn't just the voice of Pyry Leijonamieli this time. Voices of both Vier and Inacio joined in the on the backing vocals, a notch below Pyry's pitch and elongating the words to stay just a bit longer, almost like an echo. It was a neat effect, and as the accompanying piano jolted alive during the chorus, it made the melody that much richer.
With an exhilarated grin, Pyry began the next verse, almost like telling a joke of some sort that only he could get. Perhaps it was what he had been talking about relating to the song, or something else, but whatever it was it remained for only him to know.
"There is something amiss! I am being insincere! In fact I don't mean any of this! Still my confession draws you near!"
In the audience, heads were bopping and bodies were swaying slowly to the tune. Ubon Sĕeklêun and Subaru Iburi, both looking dead-tired, were sitting on the sands next to Elise Pelltier, bobbing their heads to the sound. Souma Nubatama, standing to the side of the main group, kept his arms folded but that enigmatic smile on his face stayed. Ramia Ramalsaqr was sitting next to Gabi Bahkauv who watched the stage transfixed, mouth little agape. The dusky-skinned girl let out a loud whistle, cheering the people ont he stage on. Caleb Montjoy had perhaps started sketching the whole event... but had been told to stop the scribbling by Mercedes West, who said he should save it for when Lucille was playing. Near the back, Hwan Bin and Travis Gagnon were watching the band perform, both boys keeping a close eye on the blonde drummer especially.
"To confuse the issue I re~fer! To familiar heroes from lo~ong ago!"
Around Alexstrasza Lockhart, a trio of ghosts could be seen swaying back and forth - the terrifyig trio of Vivianne Bianchi, Alex Terrot and Cesarina Feroce. Aleen King, on the other hand, brought her fingers to her mouth and whistled in cheer of Vier, causing Sakura Tsukioka to erupt in hollering next to Colt - the wild yelling possibly caused by the beer the girl was holding in her hands. Meanwhile, Tonkori, who had taken her place hiding in Subaru's giant hairdo, let out a howl to match Pyry's singing voice, as if trying to join in on the song. Kean Loinnir, who was absent-mindedly twirling a drum stick in his hand, chuckled dryly at the dog and shook his head.
"No matter how much Peter loved he~er! What made the Pan refuse to grow~!"
And outside the light of the torches and the bonfire, Xylia Pheme sat on the sand, hugging her knees and staring at everyone else with that burning gaze of hers.
"Was that the ho~ok brings you ba~ack! I ain't tellin' you no lie~! The hook brings you ba~ack! On that you can rely!"
Suddenly, the melody took a dip as the guitar, the bass, the piano and the drum returned the very basic beat of the song. At the same time, Pyry Leijonamieli jumped a little backwards and brought forth his blues harmonica once more. From there started a harmonica solo that soared across the stage, over the crowd and into the beach behind them. It crashed against the waves, overpowering them for a moment, and then shot towards the moon where it danced across the night sky with stars as its partners. There was primal fury in that solo, played with all the strength in the lungs of an amateur who did it for just the joy of music.
Still, within that furious solo, Pyry was able to lock his eyes momentary with the scarred girl behind the keyboard, encouraging Hisa with his eyes to add her own flourish to this moment - the high-point of the song. Hearing this momentary increase in speed, Inacio grinned wildly and intertwined the melody with few strums of flamenco-like passion, setting himself between Vier and Elaine and adjusting his playing to hit that of the girls, making them appear as reflections for a moment.
And then it was over. The harmonica solo stopped. Pyry Leijonamieli had only one half of a second to inhale, to prepare, and as the song once again took its basic form...
... His lips began to move rapidly.
"Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in, if you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn!
Make a desperate move or else you'll win!
And then begin to see, what you're doing to me!
This MTV is not for free!
It's so PC it's killing me!
So desperately I sing to thee of love!
Sure! But also rage and hate and pain and fear of self!
And I can't keep these feeling on the shelf!
I've tried! Well, no, in fact I lied!
Could be financial suicide but I've got too much pride inside to hide, or slide!
I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride till until I've died!
And only then shall I abide by this tide of catchy little tunes!
Of hip three minute ditties!
I wanna bust all your balloons, I wanna burn of all your cities to the ground!
I've found, I will not mess around unless I play! Then hey!
I will go on all day!
Hear what I say, I have a prayer to pray, that's really all this was!
And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck, I don't rely on luck, because---!"
And just when you thought it was safe to breathe again and that the song had reached its absolute apex, all the instruments came alive for one final crescendo that seemed to have no end.
Meanwhile, Pyry's voice broke momentarily, but it just made it all sound even more powerful.
"The ho~ok brings you back! I ain't tellin' you no lie!"
Thus, for the final stretch of the song, it was not only Pyry's voice, but that of all the teens on the stage, that could be heard singing out loud and clear, having been swept up by the hypnotizing music.
"The ho~ok! On that you can rely~!"
As unassuming as it had come, this song that had been played for all of the people of the First Class faded away, leaving behind just the echoes of the bass, the piano, the drums, the guitar and the harmonica...
... Then, just a five seconds later, the audience broke into furious applause, led by the friends that you had made during these scant few days.
And on the stage, sweat on their faces and grins on their faces, Pyry and Inacio turned to look at Hisa, Vier, Elaine and each other, grateful and excited and just for a moment, all their hearts beating to the same tune.
Location: End's Beach
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Clear Skies
"Well, dudes... that's tough act to follow..."
Jake said this about 15 minutes later after the first song. The previous band had cleared up from the wooden stange, and in their stead was the second act of today... an act that had not been there for the first one. The silver-haired janitor, especially, stood out like a sore thumb among the teenagers - though Mr. Hatou kept giving Jake furious thumbs-ups. The young man responded to them with an awkward laugh and gestures to stop it right now this instant.
"Eh, I don't see what's so tough about that," Kean said, now armed with two drum sticks that he twirled around. "Why, we're a last-minute addition with a song that's not even English! No way that could go wrong, hah!"
The silver-haired boy laughed dryly at that... before flashing a grin towards the three girls, but Prushka in particular.
"Well, don't mind it, Tiny. I'll pull my weight around," the boy added. "Can't have Blondie show me up too much..."
They were encouraging words perhaps... but it was a bit hard to take them seriously since Kean, even now, looked rather red. And not in the blushing way, but in the "I faceplanted straight into a freshly painted barn" way. Whatever had happened to him had left him rather odd-looking, but the silver-haired boy had assured that he would be up for the job.
Jake, on the other hand, was cool as a cucumber on the stage, having just finished last-minute-tuning to his bass.
A bit too cool, maybe.
Judging by the stench around him... he had "calmed" himself quite strongly before coming on the stage.
"Well, Torpedo?" the janitor asked, looking at Prushka with a raised eyebrow. "Want to lead us off?"
He nodded towards the mic that was sitting at the edge of the stage... and the group of audience waiting down on the beach.