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Lore was still amazed at the fact that they had actually managed to snag some gigs in a pretty big city. Sure the clubs they were playing at were small, and it was only about three places for a few nights for one week... But well, it was something. Thanks to some of T's connections, but getting there sure was huge trouble. Cramming four guys and one baby into a van for several several hours isn't always the brightest idea.

For most of the trip though... Artemis had been well behaved, and the rotated drivers. Sure Ling had to miss about a week and a half of school... But. He was a senior, and also his grades were top-notch. He could've graduated already if he seriously wanted to, but he didn't want to go through the trouble of all that paperwork and his parents bothering him about finding a job so soon. It was his last year of 'freedom' so to speak since he had already chosen not to attend college. Thankfully, he kept everyone in order mostly and at the same time managed to entertain Artemis along the way.

Though for about half the trip, or more, she had fallen asleep harmlessly in Lore's arms. Sure it was tiring, but he had a feeling she was getting too used to the luxury of being held by him. He believe he spoiled her with attention a little too much maybe, but she didn't really have much else... He couldn't get her kid toys or anything of the sort and to be completely honest she had shown no interest.

After finally getting to the city, they managed to drop off their things for the night at the hotel they were going to be staying at. A very cheap place, something they could afford anyway, before heading off down to the club. They had almost gotten lost, but T had been there once before and managed to somehow steer them in the correct direction. Though Lore was afraid about what Artemis was going to do during their performance... He tried not to worry about it until they got there. He had managed to cover her nearly entirely by her pastel colored blanket without much fuss, she seemed to be enjoying herself having a trip and all with her favorite guys, and well... Least favorite guy.

They were still a little early and would only be playing for about any hour anyway... So the little gang hung out around the stage area as they waited for a manager to come by and brief them on how things would be going down, energy and anxiety pumping. Artemis kind of had a feeling something exciting was going to happen in this dark lit place, and she anticipated every second with a thrill in her sharp green eyes.

The guys watched as people entered and left the small place when finally a manager had come to talk to T about setting up and things. It allowed the other three boys to just sit back and relax around, get a good look at the place.

Lore decided he would attempt at tiring Artemis out a little before they had to go on by walking around and showing her things. But all it served to do was get her more excited about the place and the events that were going to go down here. He showed her the artwork on the walls while trying not to disturb the customers and things while he got odd looks for carrying about a baby. He ignored them though.

When he had made a full circle and was back at the stage T had finished talking with the manager.
"We're up last, so we've got about an hour or two to kill." T said.
"Darn, what're we going to do until then?" Quince injected.
"Sit around and listen to the other two bands playing? That's all we can do." Ling answered as he nudged Lore with a smirk. The two left the other two to figure out on their own what to do as he and Lore wandered on over to some stools at the bar. Not that they were going to drink or anything, they just preferred to sit in stools. And it was fairly close to the edge of the stage anyway, so it was a good location to prey on the other talents that were booked for the night.

Lore and Ling began to talk about random things while Arte who was left immobile in his arms was left to simply stare at everything that was in her capacity to view. She figured that most of the people in the club was into the kind of music that Pop's was into because they were all here to listen to them. She liked the band. She liked them a lot. And she knew how they worked. But regardless, one of those things standing in her view if she turned her head slightly, was the front entrance to the club. She had been watching several couples and older people, but the one thing that had caught her eye was that this person who had just come in was pushing a contraption that had someone her own size.

But that was not what had caught her eye. It was the fact that this little creature had what looked to be a pair of wings! Like herself. And they were bright and shiny, not like hers at all. But the creature had them nonetheless. She looked up at her Pop and realized he was too into his conversation to notice any difference, and so she chose to bide her time and see where this little wing creature was going to be and what it would be doing.

Very nice. Artemis thought. They had come over of their own accord without even having to annoy Pop about it. She scrunched and unscrunched her little hand at the decorated creature sitting in the stroller in greeting.

As Lore and Ling were interrupted, Lore realized that he had not completely covered Arte's wings with the blanket.
"Woah..!" Fixing his mistake quickly, he pulled up the blanket over the tops of her wings. "Uh, hi there?" He said awkwardly at the guy who had approached them. How long had the tops of her wings been exposed? He hoped not for long.

Ling however, tried to salvage the situation and waved hello.
"Hey, what's up man? I think Detrimental and some other band called Intense Chops...? Yeah, I don't know what's up with that name either. But yeah, that's who's playing." He attempted at distracting the man from Artemis before looking and noticing that he too had a kid... With one bizarre outfit on...? This guy was definitely a weirdo.
"Oh and a band called Konkrete." Lore jutted in, catching on to Ling's little plan. He too noticed the kid the guy was strolling around with. What an odd man. But it didn't phase him much at this point. Was that a girl...? Maybe Arte could make a new friend... Female this time. He patted Arte's head, she seemed excited about the kid sitting in the stroller by her enthusiasm in actually greeting them.

Ling and Lore each sighed in relief, the guy didn't seem to even realize that Arte's wings were in fact real. However distracted by the talk of 'making wings', the two were curious and looked closer at the kid.
Ling pointed. "You made those wings? They look great." Well at least until Ling noticed that one of them looked... Not quite the same. "Uh... One of them... Er... Looks different." He stated.

Lore wouldn't have even noticed if Ling hadn't mentioned it. "Oh yeah, you're right." Bending down a little with Arte in his arms to get a closer look, but then distracted by the question stood up straight again. "Oh yeah, we're from New Jersey." He wasn't quite sure if he should say that with pride or shame and it ended up coming out quite neutral. However, this guy seemed... Well. Kind of... Old... Or sounded like he didn't go out much. At all. Was he living under a rock? Lore wondered anyway.

Artemis however was a little frustrated at being brought closer and then further away again from the creature in the stroller. She just knew it was a boy, she could tell. She knew he was like her. And instincts told her that one of those wings were real, not to mention how obvious it was... Come on, she could tell it was real a mile away.

She batted her eyelashes in return at the little boy and she returned the smile with her own little smile that distinctly said 'Yes... I just found a treasure, a very special treasure.'

Lore laughed awkwardly. Why even have your kid dress up in the first place if you didn't want to do laundry?
"Uh. So why do you make 'em wear it?" Ling inquired. It was perfectly logical question to ask really.

Ling and Lore looked at each other as the man figured out they were in a band, finding it kind of amusing in the 'we're kids, we have to find this amusing' way. Lore nodded his head.
"Uh, we're in Konkrete. K's by the way, not C's." It was a fact he always seemed to have to mention. They both seemed kind of shy about the fact that they were in a band and this guy seemed totally psyched at the idea of meeting band members, but perhaps it was the situation that made them feel shy about it.
"So are you staying for the show?" Ling asked, trying to ease out the strangeness that might be coming on.

Arte now was ignoring her Pops and Uncle Ling as she kept her gaze fixed on the boy sitting before her. Well now. How could they become friends? They were on different levels of height. Maybe if she could bide her patience more, things would happen accordingly. It was still early in the night, or at least from her clock.

The boys were just about to respond to the overly excited man's burst of questions when suddenly something changed their sheepish reactions into complete shock instantly.

Was that? Oh man, it seriously was. Is. What! How? Now? Amazing.

They would have started making a ruckus had it not been for the fact that they had Art. Who was well... Also... Special in the wing department, only she had two. Managing to get a grasp on themselves again so as to not draw any attention to their small circle, Lore and Ling calmed down.

"Hey, it was nice meeting you. I've gotta help the rest of my band set up on stage. I'll let Lore here entertain you." And he left swiftly after returning Artemis to her father's arms, knowing that it would be best this way. Let the two parents converse.

Lore was still entranced by the child in the stroller. Only one wing? How odd that was. But regardless, it was remarkable. Artemis now was very disgruntled she wasn't getting her way. She really wanted to play with the other little girl sitting in the odd looking chair below her. She had a wing! Well, Artemis had two! And together they had three. Who could beat those odds? Three versus none, since most people she saw had none. They'd be an awesome duo.

Lore cleared his throat.
"So uh... Your kid. She's got a wing." He was nodding, as though this fact were entirely normal. Now how to bring up his girl? He wasn't sure if he wanted to, seeing how excited this man got over the fact that he was in a band... But it would be good for Artemis to know more of her... Kind..? It felt sort of wrong to think of it that way, but it was true.

Lore found the man's fussing to be extremely amusing. As did Artemis, though she was more intrigued by the little girl with the golden wing.

Seeing that he wasn't really calming down, if he continued on this way the two pairs would end up attracting a good amount of undesired attention. "Hey man, it's cool. I'm.. Not freaking out." He laughed a little, hoping this would ease out the other's nerves. Leaning in a little, he whispered "And it's kind of obvious that that wing real, it's kind of moving around and all."

Lore was still uncertain whether he wanted to bring up the fact that Artemis was similar. What if he reacted in the same loud manner he was now? The man was clearly semi-jumpy and easily brought to a bubble.

"Uh... Do you want to come back stage with me for a bit? Maybe we can talk in more privacy. There's a back room our band gets to ourselves while the other bands are playing." And just as he said this, the first band had gone on stage. Good timing too, since most people's attention would be directed toward the stage and not to two dudes with babies.

Artemis waved her arms at the other baby. Come on pops! Get the party started already, she wanted to make a friend with the pretty girl below her. Her wing was so shiny and pretty even in the darkness of the venue.

Artemis was thrilled, the girl was waving at her! Well. Sort of, it was with her wing. How lovely.

Lore took the two non-band members back stage without too much fuss from security (Artemis being considered part of the band). However they did get strange looks since they were both carrying babies.

The other boys were already chilling inside their small room as the bands before them were either playing or also in their own private room. When they looked up to see Lore bringing along a friend, the reaction was mostly confusion. But then they saw the baby, along with the man and seemed to be either less confused or more so.

Quince stood from his sitting place almost instantly at seeing the new arrival. Ling and T were generally unmoved and simply watched.
"Hey guys, I brought a new friend..." Lore said, waving a greeting to the newcomer while shutting the door to their room. There were a few couches on the side and chairs, a table and mirror in the back. And it was at this particular moment that Lore realized he had not introduced himself to this man and did not even know his name. "Right, so I'm Lore. That's Quince, Ling and T." He waved a hand at each of them upon saying their name. "And this is Artemis." He bounced the baby in the blanket in his arms a little and sat down on the nearest couch, Artemis in lap.

"So uh. I don't know how to start...." Lore said awkwardly. Still deciding whether or not to show the man his winged-baby.