Dischord [SL](Red)[Afternoon]

Dreamscape:

You are certain?

Yeah, I'm sure, quit asking me that.

I do not wish to pry or harass, however this is a risk. You are fully aware of that which you gamble?

You can't succeed without something at stake, both of us know that. I've taken all my measures, this is one of them.

Much unlike you, my child, however quite refreshing. What is naught but a little adventure, the spark to light the wildfire to blaze brightly in the twilight?

This is business, I need answers and leads. Information. The wildfire has to burn, I can't find my way in the dark.

Agreed, yet thou dost feel most tense.

I'm always tense, this doesn't change anything.

Intensity of a different sort. Excitement, mayhap? Hmm hmm...

I just don't wanna fight my way out of the Backlight. Dying in a shootout with the cops isn't on my "to-do" list.

You are looking forward to this! Oh how grand this is!

Shut it. I don't remember asking you.

Yet you tell me sooooo much. Your words belie yourself, young one. Thou musn't need to speak for me to understand.

I'm aware, that was an warning.

Thou shoulds't spend more time preparing and less time acting insolent, young one...

Pfft, whatever.

"Cuz of you, I'm lying awake at night,
All I'm seeing are pictures of you."


People. The shopping center was filled with them, much to her own dismay. But thankfully they were mostly leaving her alone. Mostly. Even though Ritz had taken proper care to place her guitar case behind her people were tossing money into the streets as she played. It was slowly and steadily getting on her nerves. She was just here killing time, the hell did they think this was?! She wasn't begging for money, it was music! That's all it was! Yet there they go like programmed robots digging into their pockets for change and bills like the good little puppets they were. Fucking idiots. She'd get the rising urge to scream at people but it wouldn't do any good, it'd only make a scene. The topic of discussion was not something that Ritsuko wanted to be right about now. She wasn't exactly inconspicuous, but she was forgettable enough not to be bothered. And it'd suck to sit there for a few hours with nothing to do, might even look a little shady. Time is what she was looking to kill. She'd already perused through the shops a bit, the music one was interesting but it's not like she had the funds for anything. Window shopping lost its luster when you couldn't buy shit you found cool, leaving her with nothing to fill the waiting. She could smoke her pack of cigarettes as she tried to kill the boredom and go for more or play guitar. Rock it was.

"As I close my eyes...
I fade my way to the loss of my dreamworld!"

She was here for the redhead, the scary lady she'd spoken to just the other night. Ritz figured that at night the Emporium Stretch would be vacant and close enough to the police station for some degree of safety, yet far enough out of everyone's way to not be eavesdropped on. Besides, if shit went south she could always just fight her way out. Ritz had been wrong before, but she doubted the woman posed any threat to her well-being, not with her "skills". At least at night. During the day was still dangerous somehow, the reason escaped her but she guessed she'd never fully realized what time it was at the facility. It could have been that it was always like that but... something felt off.

"There's no place for trust, leads me to despair.
There's no time to spare when I know you don't caaaa-a-aaare..."

Why only at night? What was the purpose behind it? Was it something to do with "The Witching Hour"? That sorta made sense. Ritz made a note to keep it in mind over the next couple of days, it'd be so much fucking easier if she could get her hands on a book or something but only the government had access to the classics. Nazis. It'd be something she'd want to ask about but there was no one to ask. At least not in the peaceful way. There was always the fun way, that might be something. But that wouldn't be today, it was important for her to keep a low profile. Even if she was put on display in the crowd she'd be easily forgotten by the time everyone cleared out and it'd give her an excuse to hang around and "pack up".

"Nothing I dream of will ever be real.
Oh, all of my dreams are aaaaall I seeee!"

"Would you be quiet... I need to think straight to know what stop we have to get off at."

"Tsk, why must you be so dull. We haven't done anything interesting since last night."

"I'm still unsure what happened last night so would you be quiet?"

"Why do you reject me so Red? We can have fun together I promise..."

"I'm not even sure if you exist or I'm just talking to myself right now..."

"We are each other Red. I'm just a fragmented part of your shattered mind here to make your life better."

"Well I wasn't expecting my mind to be shattered by joining the cadets."

"Some things in life you just can't control."

"Doesn't mean I have to listen to you. Now seriously be quiet, this is our stop."

With a sigh, Red would step off of the bus and take a quick look round to make sure she was definitely in the right place. She didn't know what was wrong with her, she felt like she was going insane just talking to herself in her head. It wasn't even like it was anyone else she was talking to, it was just two split parts of her brain that didn't want to agree with one another. It gave the girl a headache, she didn't want to let herself be controlled yet she couldn't shut the bloody thing up.

"I can hear your thoughts you know."

"Shut up... That's just creepy."

Readjusting her guitar case that she had slung over her shoulder, and put her headphones on her head to try and drown out the other voice in her head. Red would begin to wander the streets of the BackLight in search of anything interesting going on or a good place to set up and practice. The one benefit this fractured personality had given her was more confidence in herself and she felt like trying it out by actually playing in front of a reasonable crowd instead of the lonely streets of Sunlake Palms. Yet for the moment she was more interested in seeing if there was anything she could find that'd take her interest for a while.

As the red hooded girl searched, she'd eventually notice that the music playing through her headphones wasn't the only music playing in the area. Once she removed her headphones and placed them around her neck, it became much easier to pick up where the music was coming from. It was another street performer, yet they looked more like how Red performed where by they were only there for practice not actually to earn money. This was mostly notable by the fact she tried to hide her guitar case behind herself. Yet for the moment the musician would keep her attention and she'd watch and listen to the song they played.

"Try not to waaaAAAaaake me!
trapped inside my own dreams,
I'm going craaaAAAaaazy!"

People would ebb and flow around the guitarist, none staying much too long nor swarming her with unwanted eyes. Some still tossed coins at her feet, though. That made her grit her teeth a bit. It made her want to scream at them about how fucking programmed they were that they couldn't just take a song for what it was and enjoy it, couldn't allow it to change or affect them. These sorts weren't listening to her music, they were hearing it. It fell on the ears and no farther, and to ease their guilty consciences and suppress that which they could not understand the opted to pay with money. They bought it instead of letting it change them. Pfff, as if experience could be bought like the morning paper. It wasn't the behavior from the disillusioned themselves that set her on edge, it was the principle of it all. About how the majority was so willing to pay their dues and keep existing instead of giving things at least a bit of thought. Whatever. The world had gone to shit anyway, not like there was anymore point in caring about the lost.

Ritsuko wasn't there to care anyway. She was working in a sense, at least she had a job to do. The guitarist may have looked enraptured in her music but her reason for being there was to remain attentive and pick up on details. Had to be sure this wasn't a setup before speaking to the redhead, she made certain she was here long before their arranged meeting just in case the cops wanted to stop by. The Emporium Stretch would be closed at night and the patrols would be of some concern because let's face it, why wouldn't the police have random patrols just a stone's throw away from their station right where all the stores where? But there was safety in that. Ritz wasn't planning on doing anything wrong, she just wanted to talk, but she wanted to ensure her own safety without the risk of eavesdropping. So far nothing looked too far out of place, nobody was loitering or anything of the sort 'cept her... until her someone new wandered up to her. Someone with another guitar case.

Quite the popular artist, are you not?

Seems that way.

Perhaps she is here seeking out my gift, as the moth hovers wistfully to the flame of a burning candle...

Burn is the right word for it. I bet she's a talent leech.

'Talent' is not a resource, my child, it is a state of being! Inspiration, the overwhelming emotions that drive one to create! Your passion could yet not be 'stolen' from someone the likes of her...

Not exactly what I meant, but you're right. She can't steal my talent and I'll prove how if I need to.

The lonely musician would shoot intimidating glares to the fellow guitarist in between singing and playing her sets, her countenance a little less friendly and involved yet one that could be mistaken for deep focus. In all honesty Ritsuko was "focusing" on her inner conversation. It took absolutely no effort for her to play her music. The notes dropped from her fingertips like running water, flowed like a river through the countryside. It was less something she did more than something she caused, and it was in this state of calm that she could feel grey eyes scanning over her.

I bet she's with The Twisted Sisters or some shit, I've never seen'er before.

How may you be certain? Could it not be that this budding artist hath not taken her first foray into the world of emotion through song?

...I doubt it. I'm the only one here playing music, most people go to Suzie Q to play. Except for everyone at the casino tonight. Which means she's with a band.

Do tell! Mayhap she walks the same winding path?

Don't care. I just don't want her passing off my sound as her own.

My gift is of no price or pension, child. All yet may benefit.

She won't do you justice, y'know, not if isn't creative inspiration and straight-up plagiarism instead.

Hmm... A valid point thou dost make.

Ritz wouldn't be surprised, some people in the music industry could be vultures. Out for fame and glory and record deals and money as their soul gets sucked through their pockets. And she in her band garb, what a pity. The guitarist had donned something a little more coordinated for her outing with Lion's Heart that evening so she wouldn't need to change, sporting a black military-style jacket and cap with some dark jeans and a white V-neck. Of course, her cap sported the band's logo in the corner that Mikey insisted they wear... placing the burden on Ritz to sew patches for them. Whatever. At least they looked cool and she got paid for it. But it attracted scavengers to her sound, painting a target on her that shouted Please steal my music! And like crooks to jingling pockets she'd found one.

"All of my dreams are all I see!
Try not to wake me let me be! -if you're here scouting the competition you're wasting your time!" she shouted over the music, halting her lyrics as she continued her set and staring down the red-tinged wretch.

"You don't have a chance anyway! Get your own sound! - try not to wake me!
Try not to waaaaake meeeeeeee!"

Ritsuko picked up the end of her set with a trailing finish as if she'd never stopped singing in the first place. Aoide faded off into a grinding hum as he young woman allowed her strum hand to fall limp with her fingers still gripping the frets. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, kicking at the ground to consolidate the coins and few small bills into a single heap with her boots. She planned on moving, no point in staying here much longer if someone was trying to jack her groove. But first the money. It was small change and she didn't really want it, but it wasn't anyone else's either. She'd put it in some lucky bastard's tip jar or something. In any case she wouldn't say any more to the potential music thief. She felt she made her point, saying anymore was a needless waste of sanity.