As the others disappeared from the booth Søren slowly followed. Looking at the workers and other customers he noticed some of them smiling bemusedly. Apparently there were some, besides the rest of The Harbingers, who found his storytelling skills to be quite entertaining. Being in the back of the group as they exited, he was easily able to wait for the others to exit the building first. Pausing at the exit Søren spun to face the rest of the people in the dining establishment, with exaggerated flair he bowed as if he were the lead performer in a Broadway musical, and he was the reason for the crowd's standing ovation. Rising from his bow he quickly threw kisses to the imaginary crowd, and slipped through the door without a single word.

Once outside Søren focused his attention back on his bandmates. Parker was headed towards Jill's driver seat. He observed his friend quickly, Parker looked in good condition to drive, no longer 'tired' it seemed. Hearing that he would not be able to drive Jill anytime soon, Søren shrugged. "I'm cool with not driving anytime soon, after all I just wanted to drive her at least once and well, achievement complete."

Skipping towards the van the bassist smiled at the suggestion of movies. He was most assuredly happy with watch movies until they crashed. "Movies until crashing? That's perfect by me. I vote we watch Tarzan, because for some reason its music is stuck in my head, or rather in my heart." It was with that exuberantly stated That Søren began to croon You'll Be In My Heart to his companions. No one can fight Disney movies, no one.

Standing against the restaurant wall Matt leaned there musing over the recent performance of Søren. Matt chuckled to himself as Lucy walked out the restaurant. Giving Søren a speaking outro in Autumn Illness was not only the right thing but with his performance skills it would leave the crowd begging for more. Turning to Lucy as she spoke Matt smiled "You know ever since I started playing in bands I've felt like I should smoke... It just kinda gives you an excuse to go outside escape and stand against walls and look cool. As it is I just look like I'm waiting for something." Stepping away from the wall and turning a little closer to Lucy "And yeah that shirt is freaking awesome... Reminds me of this band Close Your Eyes who did something similar with Smash Bros." As Parker, closely followed by Søren exited the restaurant with two of the proprietors eyeing them scrupulously. Matt couldn't help but notice as Parker let the door fall shut his eyes ran over Lucy with what could almost be described as a hunger. Unconsciously Matt took a half-step back distancing himself from Lucy. As he step-backed he wondered if Lucy noticed the way Parker looked at her. He knew that they had been together before and that something had caused them to split but he didn't know exactly what. Looking at Parker, Matt couldn't help but hope that the look he was giving Lucy was nothing more than a man admiring a woman. He had been in bands before where the members had dated before and they had all self destructed.... The most previous had involved him and been the biggest self destruct that he had been apart of yet. As his thoughts raced through the possible consequences of inter-band relations his thoughts were broken by Parker speaking.

As Parker announced that he would be driving Matt let out a sigh. It had been a terrifying experience as Søren drove to The Great Wall. Matt had a hard time telling whether it had been luck or some ridiculous amount of skill Søren had at driving. Not wanting to take the chance as to die at the risk that it was luck that they had made it to The Great Wall safely. "Chat, movies and crashing sound wonderful. But I kinda really need to stop by the studio and pick up my ride. I'm picking up a few hours for a friend at The Grind. Just 10 to 2 but still, I'll need her to get to work." Turning his attention to Søren Tarzan sounds good, but if we are going Disney we have to fit Aladdin in too. It's just one of the best Disney movies out there," As he finished this comment he opened the door to the van and slide into the back.

"Close Your Eyes?" Lucy let out a small laugh between her lips, which complimented the way she held the cigarette in her mouth as she spoke, "I should give them a check-out," she pulled the cigarette from her lips after speaking, letting out a nicotine cloud of smoke emit from her feminine touched lips. Holding the cigarette in her left hand, between her fingers, she ran her spare hand--her right hand--through her pink, straight hair. Moments later, Parker came outside and made a mark at her. Missing, of course, on all proper commentary. She turned to him, leaning on one leg, with her hip propped out of line with her body.

She put the cigarette back in her mouth and pulled it out, again--letting another nicotine cloud escape from her lips, "Did I really? I thought we came to a different agreement," she made another one of her small laughs, snarky and a little over confident. Parker was not in control of her. Sometimes, however, she wished he had that control over her--but she was not about to let her mind wander to some such fictional sin playing in her head, which seemed to be haunting her sleep patterns as of lately. As much as they haunted her dreams, she was not about to let them crawl through her mind during her waking life. Hormones. She hated them. "Besides, what real harm can one do every now and then?" She grinned at him. She knew they were harmful, but she had done so much worse with drugs -- and Parker was one to talk. Lucy hardly believed that he had given up on drugs. He was just too sinfully handsome for such a customary addiction to be taken off so easily.

She turned to the rest of the group, trying her best not to let Parker's comment grab a hold of her and make her mind wander towards the feeling of guilt. She was already angry at Parker--for no reason, but now. . now, she had a reason. He was pestering her on her lifestyle. Her lifestyle was just fine. She did not need Parker overbearingly telling her what she could or could not do. If she wanted to enjoy a cigarette every now and then (preferably, now), then she should have the right, right? It wasn't like she was shooting, popping, or snorting.

"I would love to watch movies, and I don't mind crashing. I don't have work tonight," television and menstruation seemed to come hand-in-hand. Especially the couch surfing, "And, God fuck me please, Aladdin, but only if its in its original format, because that's where my favorite part lies--when Aladdin nonchalantly and subliminally says, 'Teenagers take off your close,' as Rajah is jumping on him," she smirked wider, "Disney's so evil. I love it," she ran her hand through her hair, again, noticing it had managed to maneuver itself back to her face and bothering her. She took another smoke from her cigarette, feeling her stomach cramps subsiding. God, she loved nicotine. Parker could go suck if for all she cared, but then again, she did care and in that, felt a slight bit guilty for thinking so ill of him as her stomach cramps subsided.

Mounting Jill's driver seat, Parker only reacted to Lucy's retorts with an amused smirk -- though amusement was easy to fake. Of course he wasn't commanding her to stop as she seemed to react, so he wanted nothing to do with the conversation further. Every interaction with Lucy seemed to only make something worsen, right in front of his eyes. Something he couldn't prevent. "How do you stop damaging something so fragile as their relationship without voiding it wholly?"he often thought. C'est la vie -- there was always something in the way, so why make a bigger deal out of this particular something?

"Noted," Parker replied, switching his attention to the vocalist. "First to the 'Matt Mobile', and then HDMI-laptop-Disney-pirating," another comment through another smirk; he knew Matt hated the nickname he gave his tiny vehicle long ago, but it was an easy target and not one to be avoided.

Once all the Harbingers had taken seats inside the van, it took it's path back to the studio, and lost one Harbinger to his vehicle in which Matt followed the van to the familiar apartment complex. Stopping Jill in it's usual spot, Parker escaped the vehicle in his usual fashion, quickly and ignorantly of anyone else. With crossed arms, he stood away from the van and slowed his steps to a stop, hearing Matt's Vespa purr into a spot near him. Why did he suddenly have the urge to be alone? He had just made plans to do the opposite. No -- he had to force this feeling away. It was one symptom of his addiction he would not be a slave to. Forcing himself to face the band, he sighed his stress out into a fake stretch of his arms to the sky and ascended the stairs.

"Søren," he called back as he freed the door with his keys. "Set up the HDMI, 'kay? I'm gonna start one some food." A moment later, he disappeared into the apartment, voiding his feeling of momentary loneliness with ideas on possible hors d'oeuvres.

With everyone in consensus for the plans for the remainder of the night, Søren clambered into the van. He was quite content with how the day had panned out so far. Not only had he been able to do the usual teasing of Parker and Lucy, he got to create music with the rest of The Harbingers, ate delicious Chinese food, and now to finish the day a group viewing of the best Disney movies.

Once they took off it didn't seem to take very long to get to the studio. Well at least the time taken would appear to most to be very short, for Søren it was incredulously slow. Compared to how quickly he managed go from studio to restaurant, he figured the way back should be of equivalent time. Instead the trip to the Matt Mobile (Nananananananana) took longer than the bassist expected. Thus the rest of the ride consisted of a very impatient Søren fidgeting about and glaring impatiently at the dashboard clock.

The moment Jill came to a halt outside his Parker's residence he bailed out of the vehicle. Within seconds of his feet touching the ground Søren was already at the back of the van carefully removing his precious bass from the straps that bound her, and separated them. The moment Nete was freed from her bindings in the van Søren closed the doors and wad bounding towards the studio apartment, with her cuddled to his chest. Halfway towards the door he heard Parker tell him, from the doorway, to set up the movies. Giving an affirmative to his roommate Søren made it to the doorway before twirling 180 degrees and looking back at Matt and Lucy. "Lady, Gentleman, come this way to be part of the spectacular movie experience that is Parker and Søren Cinema Center."

With that Søren slid through the opening and into the apartment. Immediately he set up the viewing area (living room). Then he proceeded to escort Nete to his room for the night before returning to the living and leaning over the couch so as to end up upside down and staring at the television.

Pulling his Vespa in alongside Parker's van, Matt proceeded to dismount and latch his Vespa to the nearest lamp post. After assuring that his Vespa wasn't going anywhere (at least without either the lamp post or a pair of bolt cutters), Matt half-jogged up the stairs to catch up with the rest of the group. Letting the door close behind him he followed Søren into the living area. Shrugging off his jacket and laying it in the chair, thus claiming his seat. Leaving Søren to... be Søren and Lucy to her own devices Matt headed towards the kitchen to have a talk with Parker.

In the little time between the living room and the kitchen Matt tried to order his thoughts. Going through various permutations of what he wanted to bring up he decided on the simplest route. "Please tell me you aren't entertaining thoughts of hooking up with Lucy again?" Matt tried to say it as if it wasn't an outlandish idea but it sounded much more like an accusation than anything else.


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The question caught Parker off-guard, not expecting Matt's approach in addition to the obvious, off-putting quality of the inquisitive statement, causing him to stop opening the refrigerator mid-swing and turned to his friend. "Pardon me?" Parker's response came out more defensive than he would've preferred, but the confrontation was already quite annoying so it seemed his tone couldn't be helped. Knocking the refrigerator door closed with his heel, he moved toward his usual corner in the kitchen and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms with a sigh. "I suppose I'm not getting out of this conversation, so I guess you should start by explaining why it even matters to you, and why particularly now?"



Sighing Matt hopped up onto the counter. He knew this conversation was going to be an awkward one. Breathing in deeply Matt began in what was almost a rant. "The why isn't about me. Not really. I don't want to see this band implode like some of my previous ones. Romance in bands hardly ever ends well. I can think of like 2 successful examples and endless examples of it causing bands to fall apart." Dropping back to the floor and standing once more he continued in a much more subdued tone, "Look I don't want to come off as if I'm saying 'no you absolutely positively can't date within the band, rather Søren, Lucy or even myself'..." He interrupted himself here with a slight chuckle as a disturbing image of Søren, Nete and Parker in bed floated through his mind, "...but I've seen the way you look at her... Just remember there was a reason, whatever it was, that you guys ended things before."



The words stung at Parker's memories, bringing up things he never liked to think about. He knew Matt was right, but being confronted and hit with painful memories only made him want to lash out at his friend. "That's something you know nothing about," Parker spat in a spiteful tone, but not raising his voice as to alert the others. "That reason... those reasons should be gone. And if they're not, that's not your concern, either." What am I even arguing about?
His thoughts raced. It had crossed my mind but she always does; I was never actually considering it, was I? Despite his lack of clear reasoning, his rage didn't fully subside, maybe more confused than angry now. His hands were at his sides now, after previously using them to punctuate his anger. They were still tense, so he tried to let them fall limp as he dropped his gaze, and took a breath. "This isn't anyone's concern, actually. I will probably always look at her that way, but... I'm fairly certain that shipped has sailed. Or blew right the fuck up before then... Look, just stay out-- just... don't worry about it, okay?" Parker's tone slowly dropped as his words flowed on unsteadily, eventually able to meet Matt's gaze again but only long enough mutter an embarrassed apology about his outburst. The subject within itself was more than a sore spot for him, so the apology was barely sincere, but he knew Matt's intentions were good even if he couldn't show it at the moment. Turning toward the refrigerator again, he quickly jerked it open again only to kick it shut just as fast. "I'm not really in the mood to make any snacks for the marathon... not like we didn't just eat," he continued to mutter, briskly walking through the small kitchen's doorway and turned into the hall. "I'll be in the shower. Start without me, Sozo," he called out over his shoulder to his friend, shutting the door quickly as to not hear Søren's usual bitching about the nickname.



Watching Parker all but storm out of the kitchen Matt had to wonder if had maybe not broached the subject in the best of manners. Scrounging the kitchen for popcorn and a bowl Matt thought to himself, 'He's right especially about the reasons they broke up. But he's also wrong... this is my concern. Hell it's the whole band's concern.' Finding the popcorn he yelled into the living room "I'm gonna fix popcorn. That okay with you guys?”

With the popcorn ready and the movie rolling Matt dropped into the chair giving a glance down the hall towards the bathroom that Parker had retreated to. In his mind he was strongly divided between two sentiments, the first being a concern for Parker, the second being a strong sentiment of screw him.

Lucy made a B-line to the bathroom once they entered the apartment. She did not want to make it abrupt, but she had to check her flow. She felt a strong wave of stupidity strike her rosy cheeks as she had mistakenly not asked to stop at the store--or gas station. Her hands were tucked into her blue stone washed, faded jean pockets as she slinked her way into the bathing area of the apartment. Before entering the bathroom, she un-tucked her right hand and wiped several humidity stricken strange of cotton-pink hair from her face. Her lips pressed together, and her body pressed against the door, which was slightly ajar.

Again, with her right hand she flicked on the lights, feeling a tangible sigh wave over her. The bathroom looked as filthy as ever--something she strangely found masculine about Parker, as if her own nesting could actually go into--Lucy quickly shook the thought from her mind. It was gross. It was gross. Men. Boys. Boys/

She unzipped her jeans and pulled them down carefully, down her thighs and legs, and then repeated the same procedure with her brief cut panties, bandaged with bloody toilet paper. The smell resonated, and she could feel the unattractive squeal in her mind, which was quickly quieted by the usualness of the situation. She could remember her first period for a brief second--and it washed away her girlish pain and reminded her she was a woman. A fucking woman. Fucking.

She smiled, laughing inside her mind at herself. She quickly tore off the bloody toilet paper from her panties and chunked it into the toilet. With the toss, she was reminded of the feminine hygiene products she had left under the sink when her and Parker were a thing. Why wouldn't they still be there? She quickly put more toilet paper around her panty-line and pulled her up her panties. With her jeans still around her ankles, she carefully squatted over to the sink, jamming open the squeaky lower sink door. Spread the germs, girl, she told herself as she watched her fingers wrap around the doorknob.

A single pad wrapped in green was lying in the corner. What fucking luck, she could feel her breaths getting a little heavy at the excitement--as if she had discovered gold. She'd last the night. She would last the night. She grabbed the pad and pulled her panties back down and sat back down on the toilet, unwrapping the pad. Why was she sporting pads and not sporting tampons? Maybe that's the actual reason Parker had broken up with her. Who even wears pads anymore? She was deathly afraid of Toxic Shock Syndrome--something her mother, unfortunately, drilled into her head as a young girl.

Her mother. Fuck. She had not thought about her mother in ages. Days. Weeks. Months. It reminded of her of her father, her family... She cringed. A longing to hold someone flushed over her. Parker. Her last actual commitment...

She quickly slapped the pad onto her panties. And pulled her panties up carefully, as to not disturb the positioning of the feminine napkin. She slithered back into her pants and washed her hands to the best of her ability and exited the bathroom, opening the door in general hasty manner to find strong, muscular Parker standing right in front of her. Her first instinct was to hug him and give him her feelings--whether solicited or not. But reality was all too quick to set inside her hormones.

She let out of a breath of relief that she had no just embarrassed herself. Not that a hug would have "ruined" anything. She looked up at him, gazing over his facial features for anything peculiar that might set her off. Nothing.

"Sorry," she looked down, not realizing how odd she was acting, "Excuse me," her pre-high school manners shining through the awkward situation. She was tired. Yeah, that was it. And sometimes, the only thing keeping her ticking was the little girl with a pink guitar playing music for the people she loved most. Thank the fucking Lord they were going to watch Disney movies.

---

She entered the living room area, "Okay, guys," she laughed cynically, "If I start crying during any of these movies, it's because I'm fucking bleeding from my vagina." To be honest, she loved the guys. No matter what. Parker included, of course.