When the Music's Over (Invite)

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Time was passing faster than Hannah anticipated. By the time she was home from work, it was half past seven. She still needed to shower and get ready for their date. But first...the cats. Magnolia and Amarillo were, as usual, waiting near the front door when Hannah made her way inside it. And as usual, she went to the pantry closet, slid open the door and reached down to the ground to grab their dry food. One scoop in each bowl for both cats and she was home free.

As soon as she made it into her bedroom, the door was closed most the way, but not completely, in case the cats wanted in or out. Primarily, her snow colored one who preferred to lounge on the corner of Hannah's bed while she was away at work, while Amarillo decided to claim the rest of the apartment with his playful antics. Her body welcomed the warm water and the ability to wash away the day's hard work, as Hannah stood under the shower head.

Once she was clean, a towel was wrapped around her petite frame, so that she could focus on finding something to wear. As of this morning, Hannah had no idea what she was planning on wearing, and even as she stood in front of the open closet doors, she still drew a blank. Hannah, had a mix of clothing to suit her lifestyle. Scrubs for her job (the real one), jeans and tank tops, sweaters and shorts, climbing gear and then a few dresses for going out.

Two dresses were picked out, laid on the bed, then one was put back after a few seconds of decision making. The toughest choice being long sleeved, or thin sleeved. The latter won, so Hannah grabbed a pair of red heels to offset the pattern on the dress. Her eyes looked to the alarm clock on the side of her bed, realizing how much time she didn't have. The process of dressing didn't take that long, the bulk of her time was spent on applying a thin layer of foundation and eye liner, before her favorite lip gloss was secured to her lips. Hannah silently debated between earrings and no earrings and after a quiet internal debate, she decided to forgo the idea of them.

Her natural wave would have to remain, because Hannah didn't have the time to straighten it and she preferred it down when she wasn't at work. Her feet found the red heels, which gave her an extra three or so inches, which would still put her no where near Freddie's height. The thought made her laugh a little, before she grabbed a beige clutch from off the dresser nearest the door (used last when Hannah went for wine with Adam and his wife a few months ago), and exchanged her credit cards, debit card and driver's license from her usual purse to the beige clutch. One quick glance at her reflection and Hannah was ready to go. At least, she hoped so. Hannah did a quick mental check on what she needed, and what she had, and nodded. Everything she needed, she had.

Hannah moved into the living room, and took a seat on the sofa at ten to nine, and waited both patiently and nervously for her date to make his way out from his own room. Freddie wanted to know more about her, and this had been her stipulation. Now that the night was here, there was some hesitation on Hannah's end. Rightfully so. It wasn't every day you bumped into, or in their case, lived with someone who was living two different lives.

Wearing: http://plasticimage.com/wp-content/uplo ... 24x682.jpg
http://www.shoeperwoman.com/wp-content/ ... shoes1.jpg

[Lancaster]

If Freddie was nervous, it was for many different reasons – and most were not directly because of Hannah. Having lived with her this long, having spoken to her about the things he deemed most personal (he didn’t remember much, but what he thought and felt she knew, where ordinary strangers would not be given the pleasure) he wasn’t nervous about spending time with her. But he had no idea whether he was even good at ‘dating’. This was a date. They had said so. They had set it up this way. Surely he’d dated before. But had he been any good at it?

Upon waking, Freddie used the shower when Hannah was not – as soon as she was done and had disappeared into her bedroom to get ready, he slipped in. It wasn’t as if he needed to shower. He didn’t sweat. He assumed it was a habit. Or maybe it just seemed like the proper thing to do before going out on a date.

The money he’d got from the bank had been used to go and buy himself some aftershave and a few more sets of clothes – clothes that he ended up staring at, dumbfounded that he could be so dull. But, these were the things he had picked out for himself. This, he supposed, must be his taste. At first he was going to go for the black slacks and the black button-up and the black jacket but, once the ensemble was all on he realised he looked like he was going to a funeral. So he changed into a pair of dark gray slacks, a light blue button-up and a navy jacket. This he teamed with a pair of brown leather shoes. It looked casual enough for a karaoke bar, but dressed-up enough for a date.

A brush was swept through his hair and, by the time he made it out to the living room Hannah was already waiting. Early, he realised, as he glanced overhead at the clock that hung on the wall. He grinned at Hannah as he swept his brand new wallet off the counter and tucked it into his pocket. The phone he’d left in the bedroom – Hannah was the only one who’d have a reason to call him, and she was going to be with him. And if all else failed and they lost each other? They had that nifty telepathic ability.

”Ready to go?” he asked. Nerves aside – and he realised they weren’t invasive – he was actually rather excited.

WEARING

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Hannah wasn't nervous about being around Freddie. That would be pretty silly, being that they were roommates and had been in the other's personal bubble more than once. Still, depending on what he wanted to know and what he would ask...she would be nervous. What would he think?

The nervousness passed when her eyes landed on Freddie and she saw an entirely different 'get-up' to what she had bought him before. It seemed he was starting to identify his style, or trying to, at least. He could have bought a lot of things-all different in a lot of colors and textures and this just happened to be what he grabbed. Time would tell, but it was a good sign. Freddie taking the initiative and moving forward on that pyramid Hannah referred back to occasionally. "Yeah. Definitely." She added in, as Hannah stood and moved away from the couch, feeling a burst of enthusiasm struck her, Hannah no longer focused on just one aspect of this night, but the many.

"You look...like a Freddie." Hannah commented, not sure what a 'Freddie' should look like, but if she said different, he might think something bad about the way he looked. Which was not the case. "Much better than those boring, plain t-shirts and jogging pants." She concluded as Hannah came up behind him. "So, surprisingly enough...there weren't a lot of bars advertising that they did Karaoke..." Hannah began, as they headed to the door of her apartment. "I did find two places..." She trailed off, thinking about Lancaster's, before moving past it. "Some place called Korus Karoke. It got half way decent reviews on YELP, so..." Hannah shrugged her shoulders, laughed a little and then locked her apartment door. "It's really all about the company, in my opinion." Both shoulders lifted as she grabbed the keys to her SuV and headed to the elevator that would take them to the parking garage for the complex.

[Lancaster]

Only when Hannah stood and approached him did Freddie get to appreciate her full attire; he didn’t see Hannah much in anything else besides her work scrubs, and on her nights off they hadn’t gone anywhere special. Nowhere that required dressing up. Now, he could fully appreciate the woman dressed in joyful colours. It suited her. There was a bloom in her cheeks and Freddie had to appreciate that, too.

”I wouldn’t say my selections are any less boring,” he said, glancing down at his attire and recalling the other choice – which he was now glad he did not stick with. He was not Johnny Cash. The all black thing could only be pulled off on certain occasions. He followed Hannah through to the elevator and, once inside, he could not help but swoop down to press a whiskery, scratchy-but-light kiss to the rise of her cheek. Chaste, and respectable despite the lingering touch of his long fingers upon her waist.

”I’m still dull in comparison to my date,” he said as he reminded them both of the venture they were on. Only then did he straighten, his hand dropping to his side. ”It is all about the company. And you look stunning,” he said, peering down at Hannah. He could only imagine what their date would turn into if the elevator chose to break down again. Except that it didn’t. The doors swished open and released them into the wide world.

”If this place isn’t any good, we can try the other another time,” he said with a shrug. He didn’t ask for the name of the other place – he didn’t deem it necessary. He knew that he wouldn’t know it. He grinned. ”We’ll have fun regardless,” he said, grinning. He was looking forward to what he assumed would be a hilarious night.

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Hannah felt the subtle that Freddie was growing as he pressed a kiss to the side of her cheek. She turned to face him, pupils dilating in excitement, while the fingers on her right hand reaching out to appreciate it. It was different, but Hannah didn't mind it. Not a bit. "I like this. And thank you." She said with a smile, her hand dropping down to her side as her head turned away from him. To focus on the elevator and its doors instead of him. She didn't want to ruin their date before it had even started.

Once the elevator was opened, Hannah vacated it with Freddie alongside her, her head nodding in agreement. "We will." Time with Freddie was always comfortable and easy, so she had no doubt that they would have fun in a different atmosphere. The keys jangled freely on the side opposite of Freddie as they walked into the garage, Hannah's eyes on the SUV.

"I've no idea what I'm singing yet..." She confessed, then looked at him from the side. "I don't suppose you do either..." Had Freddie any time to develop a sense or style of music? They would find out. "But, I have it narrowed down to three or four things. It's a start?" She lifted her right shoulder as Hannah unlocked the SUV with a press of a button and climbed into the driver's seat. A twenty minute or so drive and they would be at their predetermined location and enjoying their date.

[Lancaster]

There were random things that Freddie did remember. In his past life, he must have gone to a few karaoke bars. He knew enough to know how they worked, anyway – depending on how modern they were. How up to date with the latest technology. Some had older machines that had to be manually updated and others were connected through wifi to get whatever song the singer wanted. Right? Something like that. Freddie honestly hadn’t thought about it.

”I figured I’d wait until we got there, see what was available. Trust my instinct, see if anything stands out,” he said with a shrug. There was a very good chance he was going to make a worse fool out of himself than he had accounted for. He might freeze – the music could start, the little ball bouncing over the words that he needed to sing and he might have no idea how to start, or how the melody should go. But the music he’d picked up from the internet, the bits and pieces he’d heard on Hannah’s iPod – he knew the words. Somewhere in there, the lyrics had lodged themselves, never to be removed.

”Maybe some Queen. I seem to like Queen. Maybe something else will jump out at me,” he said, pushing his hands into his pockets. He’d seen the way Hannah’s pupils had dilated in the elevator, the way she got so excited when he got too close. Best, for now, to keep his hands to himself. If the night went well… well, later, maybe, his hands could do what they liked. He would not get ahead of himself.

”What did you narrow it down to? Or are you going to surprise me?” he asked, heading for the passenger door and waiting for Hannah to unlock the car before climbing in.

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

"I started with songs I knew." Hannah confessed, as the doors were unlocked and they climbed inside her SUV. "Then sort of thought what those songs meant or could mean and narrowed it down by that. I mean, no one wants to hear another song about some low-life cheating boyfriend, right?" She glanced to Freddie as Hannah backed out of her parking spot, and headed out of the car port.

"The one I'm leaning towards probably isn't very conventional, but...at least I don't think I sound like a drowning cat while singing it. I don't think." Hannah said as she turned onto the city streets and started heading towards the side of town that Korus Karaoke was at. "But, I don't really care." She added on as she shifted lanes to get into the faster moving one. It was true. Hannah didn't care about pleasing the masses, and was very comfortable in her skin. Physically, mentally and emotionally. "But, it's a surprise." She shot Freddie a devious look, before laughing a little bit.

After twenty-five more minutes of driving, they had arrived at their destination in Coastside, and she was finding a place to park outside the brick building with large see through windows. Those windows showed the side view of the karaoke area, allowing people to see the large, circular black tables with black wooden stools in the main area, while the sides of the walls not filled with windows were lined with faux leather black seats and coffee tables. The stage was nothing more than some open space away from the seating area, with a red painted wall, and a large television mounted to a wall for the crowd to see the lyrics while the person sang for them.

She parked the SUV finally, then looked over to Freddie. "Ready to be the best thing ever...or the worse?" Her lips parted into a light laugh, before she turned the engine off and grabbed her clutch to head inside.

[Lancaster]

Freddie was promised a surprise, and he didn’t push the matter. He was happy with surprises, it would seem. May even like them – though he had yet to be properly ‘surprised’ to find out. By another person and on purpose, anyway, only in consequence to his lost memory.

The place they finally arrived at triggered no untoward reaction in the tall vampire, and he happily unfolded himself from the car and followed Hannah inside with a laugh. ”We’re definitely going to be the best,” he said. We, because he wasn’t in competition with Hannah. They were together. They were a team. Maybe after they’d done their solos, they could do a duet. Maybe.

As soon as they stepped through the doors to the karaoke bar they were slammed with the scent of beer and the warmth of a room filled with living bodies. For a few good long seconds Freddie was dazed, eyes narrowed, lips parted and nostrils flared to take in the scent as best he could. It prodded at something in his mind, a blind spot that numbly bounced back. Empty. Shaking his head, he dismissed the feeling. How old was he? And all pubs kind of smelled the same, didn’t they? Of course there’d be some memories there, memories he – or something else – was denying himself access to. It wasn’t important.

There was a free high table at the edge of the room and near the middle, three stools around it. They only needed two, but it was a free space, and Freddie nodded in its direction.

”Go get us a seat,” he said. ”I’ll get you a drink. What do you want?” he asked, backing toward the bar slowly, waiting for Hannah to answer. Maybe he’d even get one for himself. There were things he now knew about vampires after their visit with Iris, and the small amount of research he himself had done. An Allurist he was, supposedly. Or he assumed. He had plenty of abilities and didn’t know which he had developed first. He might not be an Allurist. But he could have a sip, right? One single sip to see if it would work…

[Hannah Lynn (DELETED 8242)]

Freddie would be surprised, alright. Hannah had about zilch expectations that she would be any good, so it would be surprisingly bad. "Totally." Hannah agreed with his thoughts about being the best there, having more faith that he would carry them through all the good and not so good moments tonight. Chances are, he was probably a pretty decent singer, he had picked the location of their date.

Her eyes scanned for somewhere to sit, and it seemed Freddie was more or less doing the same, because he had found a place before she had. She started to move towards the spot, then stopped and looked at the bar. "Red wine if they have it...but, since I'm skeptical...surprise me. No beer though." She wrinkled her nose at recalling just how beer tasted. Not good. She watched him head to the bar for a few seconds, before Hannah turned back around and headed to the table Freddie had pointed out for them.

She had noticed the three stools, so she scooted it to the other side of the table, the side closest to the 'stage' area, and then scooted the two remaining ones closer together. If someone wanted the other stool, it was fair game and she was letting them know, more or less. About a minute later, a guy came over and gave her a pleading look, before asking if he could have it. "Absolutely. Help yourself." Hannah pointed at it, then watched him head back to the table of what seemed to be mid-something college students. As soon as Freddie was back, she looked at him from the side, and put her small purse up on the table. "I don't want to be the first to go...Maybe let a few people go before us." In case she was that bad. No one would remember the stuff in the middle-she hoped.

[Lancaster]

Freddie wanted to tell Hannah that every place has red wine. Every respectable place has red wine, even if it is shitty red wine. How did he know that, though? Unwilling to figure it out, Freddie remained quiet as he turned and meandered through the gathered crowd to the bar. It took only a minute for him to be served, and he ordered a bottle of their best red wine (why not celebrate the amount of money he actually had?) and two glasses. He wasn’t really sure whether he could drink, or what he would have preferred if he did – but at least if he couldn’t drink the wine, Hannah could get absolutely sozzled. He’d be her safety rail, and would get her home safe.

Back at the table he took the stool that still remained and, with a hand that looked like it’d been pouring wine for years, he poured Hannah a glass. In the second glass he poured only a couple of mouthfuls.

”I’m going to try,” he said by way of explanation. ”Just to see if I can,” he added with a wink, sliding the wine to the centre of the table before he focused on the crowd, and how the karaoke set-up actually worked. One of the waitresses wandered up to them with a bright smile and holding a few folders. After she’d ascertained that the two of them were indeed going to try the karaoke, she handed them a folder with the available songs listed inside (of which there were many) and told them to call her back over when they had decided. Freddie thanked her, and she wandered off to greet the newest patrons.

Up on stage, the DJ had got up to welcome the room, and to welcome the first contender to the stage. The guy looked like a hockey jock, a group of friends crowded around a table at the front cheering him on. The song he had picked, almost predictably, was Eye of the Tiger. Freddie chuckled and slid the folder toward Hannah.

”So. Are your choices in there?”