Kazuhiko Ippitsusai
Location: Beach Side --> Club Pinnacle
Interacting With: Didi -
@lopsided , and everybody else at the party... kind of
The night lights lighting the dim streets, the sky from where tiny speckles of light hang, the splashing of waves approaching as they went nearer the beach side and the cold air brushing his cheeks, Kip couldn't help but rest his face on Didi's back. Burrowing his left cheek on her, he uttered "You have a really nice back, Didi.", "Yeah, you've been molding it with your cheek so it's all thanks to you Kipster," a tiny giggle followed.
Being there in that bike and in that moment, Kip couldn't help but feel reminiscent of happy memories from years passed, a thing he's always found comfort in. They halt to a screech as the familiar musk of the ocean found it's way to their nose, it's an acquired smell but something about it just gets Kip, maybe its the years of evening and morning strolls he have spent contemplating thoughts on that very shore.
They sat down on a bench listening to Neutral Milk Hotel, one of their common ground. Kip started drinking up his cold Nescafe, they stayed quiet for a second until he couldn't help the next few words he let out.
"I'm messed up." he said softly, breaking the silence as it left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Hmm?" Didi questioned.
"I'm so sick of this feeling. Uneasy, Afraid. I feel like a burden to you, Didi..." It was the reality for him and he just can't keep it in right now... with Didi, Didi's one of the few people he can actually share these kind of things to.
"Dont even." she interrupted him, her hand warming his.
"One thing for sure Kazuhiko, is not once, did I ever think of you that way. And you shouldn't either. You've been through a lot and even though i will never understand how you're still sitting here talking to me after all that insane crap. I'm just glad you're here and I'll help you get through it all the way." the sincerity in her voice left him speechless, tears swelling up his eyes, the gratitude he was feeling was too much to hold in. He scratched his tears away, afraid of ruining the moment from the impending bawling he might do.
He wanted to say a big thank you but his tongue was twisted in knots.
Oh, Kip don't be such a crybaby, he thought.
"Remember that one night I came knocking on your front door with a busted lip and a box of old dvd's? Just turned 16 and what i got was a night of drunken bitching and a good right hook from dearest mom." Kip remembered it well, the image of Didi with a forced smile, a messed up lip and teary eyes standing in his front door, shaking slightly. It was a frequent occasion, accompanied by countless marathons of cartoons.
"Was that the night we binge watched a whole season of Daria?" That one time was when he chanced upon a box set of Daria and immediately bought it for his dear friend, who was absolutely obsessed with 90s cartoons.
"Yeah. Half a season, you mean. Then you suggested we watch Chucky, For chrissakes. Still. I never got to thank you properly for the present." "You didnt have to. I was glad you came when you did, the nightmares stopped for some reason." Yeah, the nightmares... chills ran through him as the images flashed by.
"That's because I secretly wrestled the dream sasquatch under your bed while you were sleeping." her smile brought him back in the moment as he let out a little laugh.
Didi would definitely be the type to bring nightmares down, he came to thinking.
"Well then, makes perfect sense." A genuine smile came on his face.
"Remember the first week that we met?" he blurted out, reminiscing.
"I was taking photos of the beach side and then from afar I could see you approaching... or at least I thought you were going to.""Weren't you just taking snaps of me?""I was... I mean, how could I help it? The golden hour was upon us and a pretty girl was in front of me, you were the accidental muse." he commented, a smirk in his face.
"What were you thinking? I was this close to calling 911. You could've just approached me and said hi you know." Her hands ruffled his hair jokingly.
"I was so out of it then, I didn't know how to even look at people without my camera." he replied, a bit flustered.
"Oh and remember how I just approached you then? I was actually about to confront you and be all like 'Hey, little creep, what do you think you're doing?' but then you put your camera down and I saw that lost,sad little kid in you.""You actually said 'hey, little creep' and then ruffled my hair like you just did a few moments ago." "I did?" They laughed heartily.
"Selective memory." He took a final sip from the can.
"right... well." She stood up,
"Let's head back. They probably think we bailed out for good." "And you would really like to get your karaoke on, wouldn't you?" he mused.
"You know it." she winked.
The club was filled with some sort of inhuman noise, Kip having been used to such sounds due to his enamors with horror flicks wasn't fazed however. The cops were gone, much to his relief. As his stomach growled he rushed hurriedly to the buffet, downing at least half a plate of everything.
The fun started and this shutter bug was about to go trigger happy.
"Go ahead." Kip signaled Didi off with a nod as he slid off in the background, camera in hand.
Claire and what he assumed were her brothers were on the mic, imagine three tall leprechauns... she was starting to take over. Remembering that little moment Didi and Claire had, Kip eyed Didi from the group and as he suspected she was beginning to go all puppy eyes again. *click* he went.
The sound system started blaring out N'Sync and Claire was full on performance mode. Everyone else was filling up on their booze and what was a tense atmosphere from moments back was now all cheers and laughter. Claire majored in music and it was apparent in her singing, she was in all points, pitch perfect if you ignore the Leprechaun costume still in-tact. She jumped over to Didi as she sang putting her hands over the blushing girl's shoulder *click* she then proceeded to skip, hop, spin and swing around the room. Her amazing voice seemingly taking over the fact that she still had her beard on, she was fabulous and ridiculous both at the same time, striking some pose as Kip took snaps of her. *click* *click* People were cackling and shouting over her energy, their wide-mouths immortalized in photos *click* *click* These are perfect references for some fun slit-mouthed monster person hybrid, he thought. Claire closed it off with a mic drop and a kick-ass-crossed-arms-over-chest pose *click* Kip was afraid of Claire but he definitely admired her tenacity.
Kip is feeling a lot better, maybe even ecstatic, could be the coffee he drank... possibly Claire's infectious energy, quite the Leprechaun she is, he thought.
What followed next was a thing of hook-ups getting on and countless of swoons, first it was Connor and Eva. Something Kip was a bit surprised to witness, It was like one of those toothpaste commercials where two very modelesque people collide with their shiny teeth slowly and intimately getting closer. *click* *click* It was pretty funny though because of how huge Connor was, Eva was having a hard time reaching his face. Noticing Eva's awkward feet stance of a tiptoe he just couldn't help but take another shot *click*
Then came another couple taking the mic away, at first it was just Jay, all confident as the guitar strumming started. The lyrics started coming in and two stanzas into the song, a certain quiet girl jumped in their voices syncing up with each other and it was beautiful. If Connor and Eva was a bit of a surprise, Jay and Echo had something about them that just felt like it was absolutely meant to be. The sweet air around them was magnetic and Kip just couldn't look away... and neither could his camera with the *click* *click* As the song neared it's end, a kiss finally swept both of them... *click* *click* their lovely moment immortalized in frames. God, just get married already, you two; He thought. Tas came back a few moments after, she checked on Nat and then got settled in with the group.
After both of those romantic-couples, a little familial jam between the three Leprechauns commenced. They went around as they sang, lighting up the atmosphere even more. They were indeed a thing of magic, all of them, having turned the entire thing from an aftermath of a bar fight into something of a karaoke party. These are the kind of people Kip needs in his life, the ones who can bring happiness even in the oddest situations. These guys are amazing, he thought backing away to take a picture of everyone in one single shot *click*. Friends, he thought, it's nice to finally belong to something... please don't make me screw anything up. But he knew deep inside that even if he did screw something up, these people will still be there for him... he just feels it, that's the kind of people they are. He finally went to the gathered crowd, standing near Didi, feeling comfortable and giddy.
Getting over his little epiphany, he noticed Tas taking the mic. MCR blasted out, ]right... that's definitely something she would sing, he thought with a giggle. Tas rocked it out, banging her head and jumping all around, she looked so intense and into it *click* *click* *click*
"I want to be her when I grow up." Kip accidentally muttered... his eyes brimmed with determination and awe, Didi heard it and cackled. Tas left him stunned, and as she tossed the mic, he clapped furiously from the delight of witnessing her performance.
Didi and Felix decided to do a duo, the two best prankster goofers, they were partners in crime and now with microphones in their hands...Who would sing Baby Got Back? count on the two of them to and well, singing might not be the word but it's at least some sort of it. At least they were in character, Didi getting her almost effortless mean girl on and Felix his best rap-master-dude-bro impersonation. Kip resorted to reeling his cam into a video, putting it down on a table because he just could not stop laughing at their antics. Didi gestured for Kip to go in at one point but this was not his song, at all and Felix might not be comfy with it because of their whole awkward sitch. His mind was in fun mode and the thought of that could not even bother him at this point so he just cheered along with everybody else, all laugh and smiles till the song ended.
And as the song did end, Didi approached Kip handing him the other mic.
It took awhile for it to register in his head.
"o-oh... uh, sing? uhmmm..." he eyed everyone, looking for approval.
"Yes, Kipster, come on... just take any song you want." Didi said, forcing the mic to his hands.
He wasn't about to let them down and be a joy-killer so he took the opportunity to pay them some sort of gratitude with the effort.
"Don't worry, I'll back you up." Didi ruffled his hair as she led him. Well at least Didi's attempt at singing will cover his.
"Sooo, what's a-we singing?" She asked.
Kip's things are usually sad songs, and at that very moment he was coming up short with ideas so he went with his go to karaoke song... which was a melancholic one, it was the most he could do with not screwing up.
"The usual, please." he replied, the jitters coming to him.
She then complied, standing by Kip afterwards as the intro came on.
"I took my love, I took it down" they started softly, Kip's rusty voice being a bit overpowered by Didi's little off-pitching.
"Climbed a mountain and I turned around" he gripped the mic tightly as he went a little louder to get over Didi.
Let's not half-ass this, he thought to himself.
"And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills""'Til the landslide brought it down" Didi let Kip take it away as she lowered her voice.
"Oh, mirror in the sky""What is love?" He sang, taking a peek at everyone through his peripheral.
"Can the child within my heart rise above?"
"Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?" Kip was a natural tenor and had voice lessons as a child,
the perks of having had rich parents... he can sing decently if he wanted to and so he did.
"Can I handle the seasons of my life?" he held a slight and short vibrato.
"Well, I've been afraid of changin'"
"'Cause I've built my life around you" He looked at Didi with a smile and a tiny nod, as if asking for her to catch up with him.
"But time makes you bolder" Didi went in, the song was easy enough for her to actually sing this time.
"Even children get older" Their hands held together, swinging their torsos left and right with the melody.
"And I'm getting older too" They sang, it was just sincere and honest singing at this point, unlike everybody else Kip couldn't do much for goofs and antics on the karaoke.
The guitar solo came in as they continued swinging with smiles on their faces.
"Well, I've been afraid of changin'"
"'Cause I've built my life around you" they continued, somehow some of the others started humming and singing along.
"But time makes you bolder, even children get older"
"And I'm getting older too"
"And I'm getting older too" they all kept going, Kip felt so warm and comfortable as if their voices were a warm little blanket wrapped around him, he started feeling
something in his core again.
"Oh, take my love, take it down"
"Climb a mountain and turn around" that
something in his core continued building up but he just continued, ignoring it as much as he can.
"And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down" the sincerity of their voices, filled the room. For a sad song, they sure were taking it well.
"And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down" That something came out as a hearty loud burp, as if to ruin the entire moment as he let out an in-containable laughter, well at least it gave a contrast to the sad song.
"The landslide will bring it down" he struggled, still giggling from the inside.
And so the song ended, he quickly jumped out of the stage, still smiling. That turned out better than he expected. He then retrieved his camera from the table, hugging it to his chest.
