Performance Celebrations

Ember couldn't keep the glowing smile off her face as she soaked up the crowd's applause, and the Wagner crew behind her also looked satisfied with the reception.

Still, their time on the stage wasn't over. That was just the first song, there was still a lot more to come. For now, though, Ember took a bit of time to regain her breath and just listened to the cheering.

"So, Dad, what did you think?"

Elric took a step back from the light controls, grinning as he saw his father's expression. For the past few years, the aging man seemed hollow and empty. Lost after his wife's death.

Now, he looked impressed and hopeful.

"Incredible. You've found someone amazing."

Pelsiton placed a hand on Elric's shoulder.

"I know you said before you wanted to take revenge on WStar using Ember, but kid, she's way more than that."

Elric nodded his head. He still wanted to crush the nefarious agency, but he knew much better than his father just how amazing Ember was.

Forget giving a bit of humiliation to WStar, she had the talent to crush them entirely.

To Elric, it wasn't just that. His heart couldn't help but flutter a bit as he looked back up at the stage, at the young woman who he was steadily falling for.

'She liked what happened back at the party before, right? Once she's done, I'll give her another kiss!'

"Mm, she really is amazing."

Ivan's voice came from Elric's side, and he glanced over at the hulking family friend.

The big Russian dude watched as Elric's attention was drawn back to the stage as Paul started tapping on his drum set again, starting up the second song of the night.

"Peliston, you reckon we should hang out after this?"

Ivan leaned over and spoke quietly, immediately receiving a nod from Elric's father.

"Yep. It's been a while since I saw your mother, I guess there's no better time than tonight to head over to visit."

Elric was a bit confused as he only picked up bits and pieces of their conversation, but he quickly refocused on controlling the lights.

They hadn't had the time to set anything up, forcing him to hurriedly control them manually during the performance. He was lucky that the venue had a pretty high-tech setup that allowed the lights to be moved and angled with just the flip of a switch.

-

Over the course of the next few songs, Elric continuously controlled the lights to follow Ember around the stage, and his fingers were starting to cramp by the end of it. Up on stage, Ember had it much worse, putting all of her heart into giving the performance of a lifetime.

Despite not having hardly any time to prepare, the Wagner Rock band kept up with her energy, matching her at every stage of the performance.

The next few songs they played were covers of popular ones, and they left Ember's second original song for last. It was the same one she'd played back in the bar, and when it came time for her to play it, Elric paused his light controlling.

Grabbing a case, he jumped up onto the stage, carrying it over to where Ember was taking a seat on a stool.

Elric spoke quietly as he reached where she was sitting down.

"You are amazing, Ember."

The girl's face flushed a bit, but it was unnoticeable for the crowd on her already reddened and sweaty face.

Elric swiftly pulled an ornate electrical guitar out from the case, eliciting more cheering from the crowd.

The guitar was one of Hans's backups, but the electrical version of the instrument wasn't entirely unfamiliar to Ember.

She didn't own one herself, but back in her hometown, it wasn't just the acoustic guitar that she'd played.

After plugging in the instrument and confirming that everything was set up correctly, Elric gave a deep bow to the crowd, then ran back off stage.

The small interlude was just what Ember had needed to prepare for the final song, and when she started singing again, her voice was just as pure and crisp as when she started.

Her expertise with the electric guitar couldn't reach anywhere near Hans's, so she just played a supporting part, but seeing her strumming as she sang was much more impressive than her just standing there.

When she finished singing, the crowd erupted once more, and she was ushered off stage by a wave of loving cheers.

Elric was waiting backstage for the crew to return, and he gave all of them high-fives as they returned. A few of the venue's staff helped quickly load their equipment back onto their carts, and a post-show singer headed out to the stage to begin their performance.

Instead of just accepting a hug, Ember ran into Elric's arms, giving him a big hug.

"That was awesome! Did you hear the crowds?!"

Elric pulled her closer and patted her back.

"Yea, you did amazing. Even with how good you've been in practice sessions, I don't think I've ever heard you sing that well."

Elric felt someone tap on his shoulder, and he looked up to see his father holding the car keys.

"I'm going to head over to Ivan's place for the night. I've been wanting to visit with his family for a while. Make sure the two of you get home safely."

The Wagner crew also moved to head out, their destination being their own home. Soon, it was just Ember and Elric left, and with nothing else to do at the venue, they headed back to the car and drove home.

Ember headed for the shower right away, wanting to wash off the sweat from the show. Elric headed for his room, hurriedly opening up a search tab. Minutes passed as he researched.

Search: How to kiss well.

Search: How to make your partner happy with a kiss.

Search: Best way to congratulate your partner.

Search: 10 techniques to satisfy your girlfriend.

Elric's face redded a bit as he read over the final document, but it was necessary.

As he focused on the text and rubbed his chin, the slightly-ajar door of his room was quietly pushed open a bit more.

Ember stepped inside the room, but her face couldn't really redden any more, even as she read the instructions on his computer screen.