A few others trickled onto the second floor, but they ignored us and we ignored them. The crowd below was far more interesting, so many demons, mostly humans, but still.

“Wow,” Anne said, somehow leaning even more into me, “who could think we’d end up somewhere like this.”

“Yea, but I think I like it.”

The crowd hushed a little when the band walked onstage, not quiet, just quieter. The drums were familiar enough that it was a little surreal hearing them in this context, the signal drum cutting through the crowd before the rest joined in. I suppose it was to build anticipation for the horns, but after a while I had forgotten about them. I lost myself in it, I think because it was overwhelming, but not in a bad way. The tubas blended with the low drums, and I assumed the rest of the horns would do the same, so I wasn’t ready for the wall of sound from the cornets and baritones. There were only five of each, but it sounded like the instruments were pushed past their limits, the sound cracking, almost uncontrollable. I flinched at it and Anne’s ears flattened against her head, it felt bad that I found it cute.

A devil stepped forward with his cornet and the crowd cheered, louder when he started playing and the cornet screamed over everything. He was showing off and the crowd loved it. I kinda understood. There was something infectious, exciting, about his confidence. The song ended with him clearly just seeing how high he could go, and after he gave a little bow Lilly walked onstage. She was wearing a short black dress, and she turned to the band to say something before acknowledging the crowd.

“Zinnen on the cornet everyone.”

She didn’t say anything else, instead getting right into her first song. I knew logically that Lilly must be singing incredibly loud to fill the hall the way she did, but it sounded, looked, effortless, almost intimate in a way, though maybe that was because I knew her. She did have a way about her that made me feel vulnerable.

I recognize some of the tunes, though barely, I was used to hearing them on endongo or mandolin. Lilly was impressive. She interacted a lot with the band, often ignoring the audience to chat with them, sometimes during solos. She would call for a drink now and then, for herself, or she would pass it to someone in the band. It was like they were playing for themselves, hanging out, and we were lucky enough to be able to watch and listen.

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Anne and I didn’t move from our spot. Between Lilly, the band, and the dancing there was plenty to watch. I didn’t know what to make of any of it but it was fun in a way, wonderfully chaotic, don’t know if it would have been any better if I could make sense of it.

When the show ended, or at least the part of it where Lilly was singing, Anne took me to a table and got us some coffee. I thanked her, without the distraction of the music and the excitement of it all the crowd was overwhelming. Thankfully the people hanging around left us alone.

“So what did you think of the show?” Anne asked me, stirring her coffee.

I leaned over the table and kissed her. “I don’t know, all I can think about is how crazy it is that we get to see something like this. Never thought I would even see the coast and now…”

“I know. I didn’t know music like this even existed.”

Lilly found us a few minutes later. She looked a little tired but was all smiles as usual. She asked what we thought and thankfully Anne had plenty to say. I wouldn’t have been able to talk to Lilly about it the way Anne could. Lilly was born here, but she knew about music from all over the kingdom so her and Anne talked about the music Anne grew up with. It was nice to see her talking to someone. My time with Anne was always just us, except I guess on the train with Victoria, not that I minded when it was me and Anne, but this was special too.

Anne was enjoying herself dancing with Lilly, and I tried to focus on that as much as I could but the crowd felt like it was pressing in and the band was getting too loud for me. When it was my turn I couldn’t manage. Lilly tried so hard but besides barely being able to hear her, and the pain, it felt strange touching her. I didn’t know what I was doing or where it was okay to put my hand and it was, I could only focus on the music or how I was moving, couldn’t connect them to save my life. Lilly still hugged me for too long before we left. At least I was getting used to that.

I thought I did a good job of hiding how uncomfortable I was until during the carriage ride back Anne asked if I was okay.

“Yea, I am, it was a lot though, and touching people who aren’t you is, and Lilly is something, I don’t know, I don’t understand her.”

“She’s a good person, I like her.”

“I’m glad.” I leaned against Anne, “I can tell she’s trying, that cares about me.”

Anne nodded.