Nervous Tones [Gabe/Cecil]

So, ah...the Karaoke place wasn't actually in Vista Square. It was in Suzie Q.
No big deal, just a small little mistake, except it was a small little mistake that led him to wander about for quite a while actually trying to find the place so he could learn what he was dealing with, only to find out he was in the wrong place altogether when he finally gave up and looked it up.
...that one was on him. He really should have looked into it earlier than he'd actually done.
Didn't make it any less of an embarrassment.

Cecil had given in at that point, and called Gabriel before he lost his nerve altogether - and before Ankou decided to prod him about doing it.
So now, he waited, hands in pockets and headphones on, standing at their arranged meeting point in the district before they headed off to what was to be the actual main event of the day.
...this is going to go terribly, isn't it?

With Gabriel relaxing at his house for a breif moment, the older gentlemen was drifting in and out of slumber until his phone rung a few times. To his surprise, that young man by the name of Cecil had some free time today. "Oh, so he didn't lose his nerve? Good man, perhaps i should get ready and not keep the boy waiting for too long. " Taking a bit to get dressed, Gabe then went off to the meeting area in some casual attire.

---

After arriving, Gabe would pat Cecil on the back and give the lad an acknowledging nod. "Waited a bit long? Don't worry, I even bought the tickets with me too. Hopefully, you could have some fun today."

Thinking a bit as he started to lead the way, Gabe asked about the man's well being. "How have you been since last time? Everything alright? "

...Cecil may have failed to notice Gabriel's approach until the pat on the back.

He scrambles off his headphones as he cuts the music, giving Gabriel a slightly tense smile. "H-h-hey! N-no, I wa-waghd-wasja-aghhhh." He facepalms. "I swear to god I can speak English..."
He shakes his head, pushing down just about everything he was feeling until it sat outside his perception. "I've been fine. Just fine! Just- just got a little lost trying to figure out where we were going. Ah...ahah." He scratches at the back of his head, eyes diverted away.
Why did this have to be so hard?

"Oh don't be so dramatic my good man, it's time to have some fun! Besides, getting lost is all apart of the game of life. You get lost, and then you start your find your own way back. Not like you were abandoned or anything of the sort, but people need to be allowed to find themselves, don't you think?"

After arriving, Gabe would open the door and let Cecil go in first. As usual, the karaoke place was full, along with someone already singing on the stage. There were a few young adults around, somewhat between Gabe and Cecil's age and maybe a little older, so it would be easy to mingle.


"Hold on one second Cecil, i'm going to turn this in. In the meantime, you can find us a seat." Going over to turn in the coupon and talk pricing with the staff on duty, Gabe left it to Cecil to find out where they there going to sit.

"You call this dramatic?!" Alright, that was a little more than his sensibilities allowed for at the moment. "I didn't even know you were there til a moment ago! -I mean that was completely my fault, but...still..." He shakes his head. "Also, that is not what finding yourself means! Not at all!"
He needed to calm down. He really needed to calm down.
He lets out a deep, deep sigh as he once more pushes everything down.

Mingling was the last thing on Cecil's mind once they were inside. The place was goddamn crowded...and not only did he have to find a seat - no, wait, two - in the midst of all this, he was going to be shoved onto that stage shortly as well.
This was definitely going to go horribly.

"Sure, sure, I-I've got it..." The nerves are clear as day on Cecil's face as he goes looking.
In the end, he manages to find an unoccupied table...riiiight in the middle of the setup, with everybody around them. Everyone was talking, dear god was the person they just let up terrible, and at the moment, Cecil was dying inside trying to cope.
But he kept smiling anyway, the same relaxed facade as usual put on with an edge that could take a man's head off.

After talking to the staff and getting everything in check, Gabe returned to where Cecil was with a big grin. "It looks like the coupon pulled more weight than i thought. We can get a snack and a drink each, free admission, and we can sing a duet song on the stage. All you really have to do for the snacks is to just order what you want, when i saw you sit i already got our seats registered so no worries. "Sitting back, Gabe looked at the stages and realized the singer was having a bit of a tough time at the moment. "You know, it's funny. Some people go to private rooms in order to sing and whatnot, but it takes guts to get on the main stage, especially if you don't think of yourself as top idol material. However, there is an attraction to it, simply the act of doing what other people believe you aren't capable of. What do you think about it?"

The weithress then came around to get their order. "Some nachos and an ice cream float. "

Cecil perks up a little at the revelation there would be food, and he'd have company on stage. "Really? That's good." Alright...maybe this wouldn't be quite so bad. This was looking better.
He pauses to think about what Gabriel said. "...it definitely takes something just to go up there. You've got an entire crowd there, who'll judge your performance whether they're trying to or not." He pauses. "I see what you mean, though. Still - as much as proving everyone else wrong is all well and good, it's yourself you've really got to prove things to in the end."
Somewhat differently to everyone else, in his case.
He could feel Ankou scrutinising him.

"Ah, um...I'll have the same, please." He wasn't really too picky, and they sounded alright.
As the waitress walks away, Cecil seems to think for a moment. "So...when are we going up...?"

"Some people find the need to prove themselves, and others feel as if they have nothing to prove at all. It's really all about the stage in your life. If you are quite satisfied with how things are, you don't have to do anything of substance if you don't want your situation to change. However, if you want things to chance, it's best to venture out of your comfort zone. Or at least, get used to the fact that it's a long stretch of what you are accustomed to. Nevertheless, at the end of the road, it should be devoid of all regrets. "

Chuckling to himself, Gabe's eyes perked up when the lad mentioned on what time they had to go on.

"It's a voucher for today only. It costs something to get on that stage, believe me. Doing it for free is something special, but it's mostly by choice. If you feel as if you don't want to do it, you don't have to. Being a Wallflower is an ambient term, there are plenty of people like that. "

"Stage in your life, huh...?" He lets out a sharp breath. "Well, that's one way of naming things. But yeah, you're right on that one. Things don't change if you do nothing. You do what you can to make the change you seek, and you don't have to regret not doing it later."
Kind of like what he was doing now, actually...and actually...
This is silly. I go out now to fight demons and take down corrupt government leaders, and having a normal conversation is where my nightmares start? That's bullshit. Seriously.
If I can go out to take down goddamn Superbia, I can do a friggin' duet.

Cecil nods, seemingly have steeled himself somewhat. "Honestly? No! I don't feel entirely comfortable with this. But..." He grins. "I want to do it. And unlike many other times I've thought that, I intend to follow through this time. So, again...when?"

"Well, if you are so eager, might as well get it over with now then, right?"

Believe it or not, the table that they were sitting at also served double as a registry for them to cycle through songs and punch in a ticket for them to get started.  

"There was a reason why I asked you to pick the table, it was so that it could get registered and we can pick our songs from there. "

Scrolling down, Gabe saw a song that he liked and smiled.

"Oh, I think you'll like this one. The timeframe for it is......well..... six minutes. We go up on stage after the next two songs. "

"Oh! Right." He hadn't noticed the setup for song selection.
...he didn't know how, but nonetheless, he had.
He just lets Gabe handle it, giving him a somewhat nervous look as he reports back on the song selection. "Right...6 minutes. Juuust six minutes." He knew really that wasn't a long time, but for a single song? That was on the longer end of things. He looks over to the stage, where a girl with a so-so voice and an appearance that was probably what actually got her most of her praise was now singing. "That'll be all."

The nachoes and soft drinks were brought back and Gabe rubbed his hands together in excitement. "I wouldn't call this a five-star restaurant, but the snacks are something that some people find themselves coming back for as well. Try it, you can tell the difference between the cheese they use alone, as well as the chips, doesn't taste cheap. It's a bit of an authentic mexican cuisine like scenario, you would know what I mean if you been to one of those restaurants. " Taking a bite of the nacho after dipping it in the cheese, Gabe would wipe the corner of his lip from the remaining cheese. " Is this your favorite snack too?"

Sipping on the float, Gabe would look over to the stage and check his watch.

Cecil laughs nervously at that. "Yeah..."
Oh, food was good, and good food was, but he was no connoisseur. If he was, he'd have managed to put on less weight than he had so far by sheer virtue of not being able to afford what he was eating.
He probably wouldn't exactly be able to tell the difference too we-
"These are good."
Alright, he stood corrected. These were damn good nachos.
"You know, I wasn't going to so, but now I'm not so sure whether I can say that..." He dug gleefully into the nachos, savouring the taste. "Dammit, these are satisfying."
As Gabe paid attention to the passage of time, Cecil's focus was more on what had been brought to their table for him to consume, enjoyment clear as he works through it.

"It's about time..... Finish up that last nacho in your mouth because it's time to sing. " A bit excitedly Gabe got up and started to walk towards the back that lead off to where the stage was. Giving a hand signal for Cecil to follow him, if Cecil didn't lose his nerve, the two would head on over towards the back area of the where the performers that wanted to go up on stage would wait.

"I hope you are ready for this! One minute left!"

Cecil gives Gabe an alarmed look, a bit of cheese around his mouth. "Wait, what?! Already?!"
...but nachos...
Scarfing the last remnants of the nachos down faster than he really should do - or have any right to - and wiping his face, he hurries after Gabe.
At which point, as he stood at the back with him, the reality of what he's doing sets in.
"...well...I hope I recognise the track."
This was going to horribly. Thiiiis was not going well.