interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK VII: IN REACHING OUT PT. 1

Entry tags:

☆TRACK VII: IN REACHING OUT PT. 1

Who: Everyone in Pride and Virgo HQ.
What: Ghosts need your help.
When: The evening of January 30th, 2055
Where: Pride and Virgo HQ.
Warnings: Phantasmal violence, possibly some real violence.

“Hold your colours against the wall,
When they take everything away,
Hold your colours against the wall,
With me (soaking through)”

☆IN REACHING OUT

Starting around the 20th of January, the heavy lockdown and supervision of the musicians of both labels will begin to fade. While they still require escorts to be out and about, the guards that have been routinely stalking them around their own homes and HQs will be gradually phased out, until it is just the regular managers and security remaining. Sweet deal, right? Over a month after the hysteria of the ill-fated solstice party, things seem to be finally letting up a little. Whether because you've played nice for long enough, or whether their attentions are being directed elsewhere, it isn't clear.

Either way, this is the also the start of some increasingly familiar paranormal activity. All the way back to the first tour of this generation of musicians, members of both Pride and Virgo have found themselves haunted by strange and inexplicable happenings. Starting on the 23rd, these happenings begin to flare up again - lights switching on and off, TVs starting on their own, and even things falling off of shelves unprovoked. (These minor happenings can be made up by you and don't need to be mod designated - however, they should not be anything that would be threatening or dangerous to the characters.) For some people this will be completely new, and for others it may even be faintly nostalgic.

This will continue until the night of the 30th, when things finally seem to come into swing. The hauntings will become more pointed and explicit. The details are specific to each HQ, and there and you can make yourself open to an NPC haunting down below.

☆PRIDE RECORDS

About halfway through the evening on the 30th, Predator will begin prowling the halls of Pride HQ. At first it won't be clear for what, but after catching a few snippets of conversation (this can be handwaved) characters will have a change to realize that they are looking for the ghosts that have been causing a fuss recently. How crazy this will sound to you will probably depend on how new you are. They will actively shake down random musicians they meet for information about what they've seen the last couple days. As usual, Jenny is leading the pack, with Cass and Donny (nsfw) providing back up muscle.

Provided you lie well or tell them the truth, they will move along fairly quickly. If you start shit with them, they will probably rough you up a little. Any major confrontations with them will be handled on the companion OOC post, and a few top levels may appear over here that can be tagged into in limited amounts.

Beyond those activities, Pride members will feel various effects based on their EMOTIONAL ALIGNMENTS:

► ALL: Their connection and desire to create music will be especially heightened. They will find themselves subconsciously beginning to tap out rhythms, hum, peck at instruments, or straight up sing things even when it would otherwise be totally inappropriate. Strong emotions will cause them to want to sing and play to each other. They may also feel very strongly that they want to dance, to a particularly addictive beat that seems to emanate from the air. It may shift and change as the night goes on, but at any given moment everyone will hear the same rhythm. It sounds like particularly great percussion.

► LOVE & DUTY: They will have no extra special effects, but they will feel this urge to create music even more strongly than the rest, as it seems to be focused on them as they are not being directly targeted by any other sensations. When Hope and Passion musicians hear music made by these characters, they will feel stronger, like energy is being gifted to them.

► HOPE: Characters of this alignment will feel increasingly like they are being drawn somewhere, or like someone is calling for them, but they can't quite make out the direction it's coming from. The aspect of hope will be empowered within them, and they will find themselves unusually trusting towards the other characters, as if they only have the most optimistic outcomes in mind. Beyond this, they may feel dazed or confused by the sensations they are feeling. They may also experience strange visions, or the sensation of being another person they are not (and not just their true self this time, someone else completely).

► PASSION: Characters of passion will be targeted by the 'hauntings' much more directly than the others. More than random acts, the hauntings around them seem like someone is actively trying to communicate with them. Sometimes it will even feel like someone is trying to speak in their heads, though they won't quite be able to make it out. Passion characters who request haunting instances will get the most major effects.

☆VIRGO ENTERTAINMENT

Soon after things start to get extra weird on the 30th, Juno and a couple Virgo veterans (Anansi and a man you recognize as a popular folk artist named Brett Hogan) will start wandering the halls. They will pull individuals aside for questioning in private rooms, asking about the strange occurrences. They will not attempt to rough anyone up, but excessively resistance or attempts at violence towards them may result in characters being locked in their rooms for the rest of the night.

All three of them seem particularly hard to lie to for some reason, tonight. It's possible, but while you make the effort to do so, the words seem to be on the verge of falling out of your mouth. Juno seems to have something very particular in mind as she searches the HQ, like she can see something you can't. There will also be top levels for these guys appearing.

Beyond those activities, Pride members will feel various effects based on their EMOTIONAL ALIGNMENTS:

► ALL: Their connection and desire to create music will be especially heightened. They will find themselves subconsciously beginning to tap out rhythms, hum, peck at instruments, or straight up sing things even when it would otherwise be totally inappropriate. Strong emotions will cause them to want to sing and play to each other. They may also feel very strongly that they want to dance, to a particularly addictive tune that seems to emanate from the air. It may shift and change as the night goes on, but at any given moment everyone will hear the same song. It sounds like someone riffing expertly on a guitar.

► HOPE & PASSION: They will have no extra special effects, but they will feel this urge to create music even more strongly than the rest, as it seems to be focused on them as they are not being directly targeted by any other sensations. When Love and Duty musicians hear music made by these characters, they will feel stronger, like energy is being gifted to them.

► LOVE: Characters of this alignment will feel increasingly like they are being drawn somewhere, or like someone is calling for them, but they can't quite make out the direction it's coming from. The aspect of love will be empowered within them, and they will find themselves unusually loving, connected, and emotionally open to others, even if this would usually be out of character. (This can also mean they are more inclined to get physically intimate, if you want to.) Beyond this, they may feel dazed or confused by the sensations they are feeling. They may also experience strange visions, or the sensation of being another person they are not (and not just their true self this time, someone else completely).

► DUTY: Characters of duty will be targeted by the 'hauntings' much more directly than the others. More than random acts, the hauntings around them seem like someone is actively trying to communicate with them. Sometimes it will even feel like someone is trying to speak in their heads, though they won't quite be able to make it out. Duty characters who request haunting instances will get the most major effects.

☆PLOT NOTE

This will be a two part event, and the second part will be posted in a few days and will only include those that choose to help the spirits. This can be discussed OOC. Any alignment can assist, though the Passions from Pride and the Duties from Virgo will be the most directly pursued because they will be the easiest for the spirits to communicate with. Realize that participating is serious business, though: there are good odds the characters will be caught eventually, and there will be consequences. Do not volunteer your characters for this plot if you don't want them to suffer potential physical or mental trauma.

“Fading gently, soaking through,
And starting not to show at all.
In reaching out and into you, 
nothing else could touch me.”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Shit is weird.]

[Shit is obnoxiously weird, in fact, weirder than it usually is in Pride Records, home of the money fish and getting into arguments about cats with your manager. Yet this is downright some haunted house bullshit, and not even Artolo can miss how much it seems to be affecting his bandmates.]

[At the start, he sticks to his room, but soon enough he starts feeling lured out. There's a beat in his head, like when he's at his set in front of an audience yawning out before the stage big as an ocean. It makes him tap his feet, try to pin it down, and soon enough he's at a table in the main room scrawling out notebooks full of rhymes.]

[It makes An's eyes twitch, but since he's the percussionist and not really near the mic at any given time, she leaves well enough alone. Which is good, because he's feeling fucking twitchy.]

[He's focused on one notebook in particular out of all those sprawled around him like a bomb went off, muttering rapid fire under his breath and tapping his pen.]

This is the story of them against us- Win or lose, forcin' your feet into somebody else's shoes...

[Of fucking course it's Tooru that joins in, because fuck you An. He sees you there, judging them.]

How the fuck it end up like this? When at the end of the night all I wanted was a kiss.

[He's horrible at, what do you expect from him?]

[... Are they rapping? Mai glances over at An and the woman pinches the bridge of her nose irritably.]

I guess that answers that question.

Mai-chan, join in!

[Mai crosses her arms under her chest, frowns a bit and then sighs out. Artolo is picking out a good beat there and she can already feel the same beat in a loud, insistent pulse in her mind.

She's started tapping her fingers on her elbow. An is looking displeased.]

Hit or miss, win or lose, how can you look for a kiss when you're just stealing someone else's moves.

[Yeah, he'd sort of expected Tooru to join in, on account of both of them were cut from the same douchebag cloth. When Mai joins in, however? And An gets that look on her face?]

[Lowkey rebellion. That's what this is. And for some reason, that makes Artolo's face light up in something that's almost honest. Sure, honestly shit-eating, but pretty happy too.]

Yeah, you got it backwards and misconstrued, see I roll like the rat pack groups included. You wanna rap? Get the lab track queued, let's do this.

[Tooru lets out a sigh, he sucks at rapping

But at least Xie An looked scandalized.]

This wack, but don't fuck a duck, you still have a lot a head of you. Aliens love you, yes they do, so don't let that go for a feathery tryst.

[Fucking Tooru and aliens. Artolo has known about that for ages, but it still makes him burst out laughing. His side hates him for it. That doesn't make him stop.]

[When he gets back into it, he's wheezing.]

That's what you get for inviting Tooru in for a rap, look away and he's brought in aliens in a snap. Keep him on a leash else he'll get beamed up, waving at you before you can say "dude, wassup"!

So here we are again with the same old plan, you'd think an alien was his biggest fan. Maybe it is, maybe it's not, all I know is Tooru may want to lay off the pot.

[Cool, calm and with an apathetic expression.]

Aliens are our biggest fans, and truer ones you couldn't fine through out the land. I've always known they'll take me home.

[Still on the verge of laughing, still managing to get out words.]

This is why And doesn't let us off our leash, not when Tooru's such a thirsty beast. Crop circles, alien squirrels, this guy's love for it all is eternal.

I'm just here for the tail -- [Jecht pokes his head through the door, looking around with a frown --] s'like I'm gonna fail. Hey you seen the hot chick while you're making rhymes sick?

[Jecht shouldn't rap.]

[Jecht's voice makes Artolo pause, and he glances up with an odd quirk of his mouth. Oh. This guy. Tamara's boy toy. Well well well.]

Sorry, bro, what's that, you're lookin' for a fuck? Ain't here, or over there, you're shit outta luck. But seriously, you gotta ask it like that, no class? Watch your mouth, might set the rest of us off, we'll kick your ass.

[Ignoring the fact that the last time he tried to kick someone's ass, he got a cheese knife in his side and he's still recovering from it... but listen. shut up.]

Give me time to think of a rhyme! [Jecht waves a hand in irritation.] I'm a drummer, not some slummer. Kind of a bummer.

[He isn't exactly intimidated.]

I like her ass 'cause she's got class.

[Has Jecht heard Artolo's trademark god-awful snigger? He has now. It's atrocious, someone should have put a sock in his mouth a long time ago.]

Take no prisoners when it comes to freestyle, s'just you and me, trial by fire.

[Another snigger, his pen tapping against the table.]

Class, coming from a guy with no shirt? And this is the chick you're trying to lay on the flirt?

[Jecht... makes a note to do that. Tamara had some weird bandmates.]

Covering this chest'd be a sin, let folks drink it in. Pecs like these aim to please, bring 'em to their knees.

Sorry, can you repeat? Know this guy, bet he has you beat. Double X with a name like pornography, fucker wouldn't stop boastin' about his hot body.

[Seriously, can he get a wet t-shirt contest with Xanxus and Jecht? He wants to see it now just for laughs.]

That guy? [Who else could match that 'two-X' description?] Quit shitting me, he won't leave 'em forgetting me. Cute little kid, that won't win the bid for the hotness lot and that's all he's got.

Look at this douchebag shootin' off hot shit! Think you can back talk up, or are you just full of it?

Already beat the guy down on stage, left him stomping off in a rage. [That's half-true, but Jecht can spin it without a moment's hesitation.] Experience'll steal the show, if you make it ten more years you'll know.

Ten more years to prolong a fiery wreck? I dunno, man, big enough flash and they won't ever forget. No lies or grandstanding, no pretense- if that's where you're at, is that really success?

Flash hard, burn out, leave a memory. Fine if you just want to be a legacy. A life like that runs brief and hot. Me, I want to ENJOY what I got.

So what's the old man got stacked up in his deck? Is it more than when Pride hands you that big fat check? Doesn't sound like you're here for the glitz and glamor, so spill already, what are you here for?

[Jecht's gotta take a moment to think about this, or rather, to think about how to rap this.]

Ain't the moneys. Ain't the honeys. Don't tell me twice, both are nice, a decent vice to roll the dice.

It's the fun, son.

[A pause, a focused stare... and then Artolo breaks out into a grin.]

Fair e-fucking-nough! You want a beer or something, man? I dunno when Tam- uh, Aramat? Whatever, she left a while ago, but you can wait if you want.

RAP CHAIN (Artolo - Love - ota)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject