interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK IIX: BETTER TO PRETEND PT. 2

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☆TRACK IIX: BETTER TO PRETEND PT. 2

Who: Royals, Heroes, and Rebels.
What: Hit gameshow series “Fairy Trial” is celebrating one of its anniversaries, and it’s invited you onboard. Check out the OOC post for IC match ups!
When: March 21st.
Where: Sevetop Entertainment’s studio.
Warnings: Mingle log mystery bag.

“Every prince is a fantasy,
The witch is inside of me.
Her poison will wash away the memory.”

☆BETTER TO PRETEND

The day has finally come for Fairy Trial filming to begin!

No matter if they’ve arrived by limo or taken the bus, everyone involved gets star treatment as the makeup and costume departments go wild with the models they’ve been given. At least Sevetop has good accomodations. While it’s a chaotic and crowded scene, everyone still manages to fit in the two buildings Sevetop has dedicated for Fairy Trial’s purposes in this area. It’s one of the only points today that anyone will have a chance to everyone else. After all, once everyone involved in a particular challenge is done with, they’re hurried out the door and to their particular destination.

Every challenge has a different area it takes place in, after all. For some pair ups, they’ll find themselves merely being escorted to another set on Sevetop’s huge property. Others will find themselves being escorted to some very classy transportation and taken outside of Vista City to special obstacle courses that simply wouldn’t fit anywhere else. On the bright side, once the actual filming is done no matter the location, the crew involved seems to relax considerably. Whether they’ve done great or not, Heroes and Royals are treated to dinner and a change out of their costumes. Good job, everyone.

“We kill the lights and put on a show.
It's all a lie, but you'd never know.
The star will shine,
And then it will fall,
And you will forget it all.”

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That outfit of his earned a double-take from Meril. Though she would not call herself familiar with him, she had seen him around enough that failing to recognize him before the grumble startled her.

"Regardless of what issue you may have with it, it suits you."

His one memory of Meril has been from that shitty murder party. Her trying to kill him while he had been injured. But honestly, knowing what he knows now, that's pretty much water under the bridge.

"What? The man behind the mask?" He slips the mask off to toss it towards her. "At least someone here can pull this bullshit off." He means Meril.

As it was for her. Those events had been, if not precisely written off, then smoothed over.

She caught the mask with surprising reflexes, flipping it in her hand with a twist of her fingers. "Well, I meant the outfit in general. What is your problem with it?"

He's rather impressed by those. She hadn't had those earlier. It made him consider things, but he won't say them out loud. Instead, he'll laugh a little and tug at his clothing. "It's too confining for one. There's a reason I go shirtless a lot and it's not just because I like showing off all my muscles. Plus, it's a bit fancy for me. I gave up fancy things a long time ago for my music."

He steps closer to the woman. "Imagine if you were just shove into something you didn't like?"

"...You have accurately described my entire professional life," she said with a mild shrug. "When one's draw is looks, rather than particular skill, one finds oneself dressing in any number of absurd ways. To be honest, this dress is downright modest."

She ran her hands down the sides of the princess-style gown, which despite being off-the-shoulder nevertheless concealed most of her body. An unusual state of affairs.

He watches her hands and then just laughs. He hadn't thought of that. He supposes he's lucky to be in a punk band where no one gives a damn so long as he shows up and actually plays. "Oh? Now you have me curious. Don't tell me I can go and find centerfolds of you."

"Still, have you ever thought of telling them to fuck right off?"

"I would say you would be disappointed, as they all are clothed, but the truth is some are so close to not being as to make little difference." Nothing ever showed, of course, but it didn't really need to. "It is simply business. Were I to protest too much, likely they would replace me with someone more pliant."

Xanxus makes a sour face at that. "Well, that's no fun." Because it's not like he's not been in some skin mags himself. But he has no shame. "I guess. They do tend to like replacing people..." The Carnies have a revolving door of new members.

"I thought it was just Pride, but good to know it's Virgo as well. Means it's a shitshow no matter where we go. But hey. At least they feed us and keep us doing shows. When's Defying's next one? I miss the metal scene."

"I believe we are on hold for this venture just as everyone else is, so I imagine it will depend on the success of the show." She glanced around at the other musicians all clustered back here. How many of them had any real interest in being here?

She'd wager, very few.

"I suspect whoever sees the most interest will get first pick on the tour dates."

"Well that sucks." Because he would totally show up to one of her concerts. Probably make a mess out of their moshpits too. "Well, when you do have one, you have to let me know." She has a point though. Very few seem to be enjoying this.

"Really? First pick of dates? So if we fake it until we make it?"

"I am only guessing, but isn't that how things work for you? Success is rewarded, failure is shamed?" If 'shamed' was the worst that came of it, Pride had it lucky, in fact.

"Not really." He grins at her. "Pride doesn't give a shit. Good publicity. Bad publicity. It's all the same. So long as we sell well.." And listening to the CEO of course. He learned that lesson the hard way.

"Then we can pretty much do what we want. Can't tell you the number of times I've been bailed out of jail." Xanxus gives her a wild grin. "Shaming is the least of our worries when the point seems to be not having it in the first place. I doubt I'd survive Virgo. I give you credit where it's due."

He spoke of it as if it were really some challenge, and yet... "But is that not good publicity, by the lights of a band like yours? Whereas if you simply... failed to play well, or were caught singing mournful country love tunes about your woman who ran off with your dog, you would not be looked on so favorably."

He laughs out loud at that. "Tamara," look at him, using her new name like a boss. "and I did an arty as fuck album. I didn't lose any fans from it. There's this kick ass goth club and I've done Opera there. I think when I do crazy crap like that, I gain more fans. I bet you...I bet you like 100 dollars that if I put on a cowboy hat and sung about that shit, they'd all still love me. Probably think I'm high as fuck, but still would love me."

"You though... They really care about image over there, don't they? Step out of line and get the ax?"

"Perhaps it is merely your own ability. Some people are seemingly immune to the fickle favors of fame." Whereas Meril herself was fit in one very specific role, by nature. "Or if you are skilled, then that too helps."

"Those who can, do." He gives her another look. "But I think there are ways that fame would stay with you. Reach out to your fans perhaps. Do some single with just you and some backup music. If there is a box they want you in, find your way outside without them noticing. Fortune favors the bold, Meril."

"Management less so." Roles were a rigid thing. She envied him if his was a 'jack of all trades' and a virtuoso, but then again, perhaps he was not limited by the expectation that his performances needed to involve a great deal of skin.

Though she did smile, after a moment. "Well, perhaps you would not be quite so successful at playing video games on YouTube."

Xanxus sputters a little. "Did Koumei tell on me?!" Because yeah. He sucks at video games. "I'm going to kick his scruffy ass next time I see him!" Not really. They're pals. "But I guess I had to suck at something. If you ever want to say you kicked my ass, just play Mario Kart with me."

"Now that I could do," Meril mused with a rich smile. "Perhaps Greg and I should be extending our guest star program a little farther than we'd thought."

He raises his eyebrows at that. "You do that? A youtube show?" He then grins. "That's actually pretty cool. So if you feel like expanding, you can call me. Though I don't know about Greg." Mostly because they've only really interacted once, over the Solstice. "But if you're good with it, who cares."

"We do, yes." Meril's smile, unusually warm, said all it needed about how much she enjoyed it, too. "Greg's opinion is vital, of course, but I cannot see why he would mind."

"Well, then you talk to him and let me know. I'll clear my schedule for you guys. Just... so you know, Bowser is always mine." What can he say, he's just fond of the huge asshole.

"....I have no complaints with that," she said with a smile that almost bordered on wicked. "I'll be in touch."

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☆TRACK IIX: BETTER TO PRETEND PT. 2

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