interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK I: NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

Who: Every single one of you.
What: Interstellar's first log, and an awards ceremony for jerks you don't know!
When: October 2nd.
Where: A fancy ballroom in neutral territory.
Warnings: Could be anything.

“Oh, it's been getting so hard,
Living with the things you do to me;
My dreams are getting so strange,
I'd like to tell you everything I see.

I see a man at the back as a matter of fact,
His eyes are as red as the sun.
And the girl in the corner lets no one ignore her,
‘Cause she thinks she's the passionate one.”

☆NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

It’s the seasonal Vista Music Industry Award Gala, and attendance is mandatory. You and your band have been touring non-stop for the last two months, hitting locations all over Americana, performing and doing press appearances. This event is set less than three days after your return home, but it’s been made clear that further rest will have to wait.

Though Halloween technically isn’t until the end of the month, the gathering has a formal masquerade theme - masquerade that is, not costume. Dressing up as a mummy or a clown isn’t going to cut it. Themed formal wear is expected, and your image consultants have been pestering you about your choices for the last 48 hours. Whether or not you listen to them, how you dress feels incredibly important. At least if you let the consultants fuss over you, you can be sure it’ll be something press friendly.

Various awards are being given out, but none of them are for you. The media in attendance are starting to bubble with enthusiasm for the ‘rising stars’ of the industry, however, so this could be a moment to shine. Labels besides Pride and Virgo are also in attendance, but who cares about those guys? They seem to be a mere footnote in comparison to the buzz around the heavy hitters.

There’s food, alcohol, dancing, stage performances by notable musicians of both Pride and Virgo, and then the formal awards ceremony in the evening. Yes, you are expected to sit through them. Do try to look like you’re interested, the media is watching.

☆PRIDE RECORDS

Lesedi Santiago doesn’t always make a big deal about introductions - or at least, that’s the impression you get when she just kind of shows up in your group limousine unannounced on your way over to the party. Deep into pre-drinking a bottle of gin, she doesn’t talk with you so much as talk at you, regaling your band with weird stories about the industry while completely ignoring the fact that her presence is more intimidating than comforting. You’re not sure if it’s intentional, but at least she’s a good story teller - her speech doesn’t seem to be at all affected by the quantity of booze she’s already consumed, which is kind of bizarre if you think about it too deeply. You’re not inclined to.

You’ve all met her before, here and there, in a series of bombastic encounters. Her interest in pontificating at you and the other new label inductees seems to fade immediately upon entering the ballroom, as she quickly becomes distracted with more high profile guests. Her attention fixates on Edward Blanch from time to time, but she declines to address him specifically. If you want to get some of her one on one attention, now could be your chance - just make sure you go in ready. Handling Miss Santiago can be a bit of an...experience.

Veteran Pride members are in attendance as well, but most of them are not very good company. Their reactions vary from ‘frat members greeting a new pledge’ to ‘disinterested shoulder pats’, and ultimately it will seem your attention is better received by the other newbies. Maybe even the Virgo Entertainment stiffs, at that.

Because, of course, that crew is here as well. Lesedi suggested you “show them who’s boss,” but you’re not necessarily sure what that’s supposed to mean.

☆VIRGO ENTERTAINMENT

Tonight's event is one of considerable speculation: it marks Edward Blanche's first public appearance after a considerable period of isolation. He's a private man, a mystery and an enigma to the public, and that just seems to make him all the more intoxicating. The Managers and security staff are out in full force, and if you know what's good for you, you'll be dressed to the nines. Your image consultant will be almost desperate to do the work for you, like they're afraid of what might happen to their careers if you embarass the label on their watch.

Personal style is important, but everything in your gut tells you that your nose has got to be clean this time, or trouble is sure to follow. For many of you, this will be the first time you'll ever have seen your CEO in person, and as such, the first time he'll encounter you one on one. If you're going to brown nose, now's the time - but make sure you choose your words carefully, and don't waste his time. Blanche has little patience for it.

There are veteran musicians of the Virgo label in attendance, ones with dozens of awards to their names, but they seem to have little interest in speaking with you. Some are politely avoidant while others and just rudely dismissive, but none of them really give an answer for why they just aren't interested. It's not totally surprising - Virgo's interior politics are harsh.

Other notable guests include Lesedi Santiago and the rest of the Pride Records entourage. Though you may have acquaintances, or even friends, who have been snatched up by the other side, it's even more likely that you have enemies. Everything about your Virgo upbringing makes you feel like you should hold a certain contempt for their ilk - people in this label think of them as classless at best and crass maniacs at worst.

Did you hear about that disgusting stunt one of their front runners pulled on stage last week? Revolting.

☆THE TWIST

Some of you may remember strange events from the past few weeks. Misplaced objects, malfunctioning technology, nostalgic phantom music - it feels a lot like the last portion of your tour was haunted. Now that you're back home, all of that seems to be flaring up again. You can practically feel the otherworldly presences passing through the room, even if nobody besides your tour group seems to notice. Even though they aren't knocking glasses off tables and flickering lights like last time, their presence is somehow even more apparent.

Your programming makes one thing clear: don't make a public fuss about this. Ignore it, everything's fine. The second part only goes so far. Especially when, at some point or another, you'll be shaken by the feeling that one of these ghosts has walked straight through you. For that moment, you feel like a totally different person. At this point, one of four memory regain effects will occur:

► REMEMBER LOVE: You remember a scene, image, or concept related to one of the greatest loves of your past life. Can be either romantic, platonic, or familial. It must be about a person and not a place or activity, though.

► REMEMBER DUTY: You remember a scene, image, or concept related to something you held a great sense of duty or loyalty to in your past life. It could be a person, a cause, a country, or anything in between.

► REMEMBER PASSION: You remember a scene, image, or concept related to something you were passionate about to the point of anger or determination in your past life. Not enjoyment of, but something that drove you, or one of the things most likely to make you throw a punch.

► REMEMBER HOPE: You remember a scene, image, or concept related to something you dreamed about making come true, or an important hope you had for the future in your past life. This covers any kind of positive goal or ambition for you or the world around you.

The feeling will quickly fade, leaving you as the person you've been made into once again. Only now you have something new: the first fragment of a life you can't remember having lived. The CEOs and managers will react to this eventually, and you're probably going to get sent home early. This, however, will be covered with a top level further into the log.

“I'm reaching out for something,
Touching nothing's all I ever do.
Oh, I softly call you over;
When you appear there's nothing left of you.”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Whoah -- Pao-Lin hadn't expected to be dragged out so...suddenly. There's a mild sense of panic, but then she sees who's kidnapped her and she smiles.]

Yeah, sure!

[...except that in her enthusiasm and in trying to adjust to Pinkie's pace, she trips on her chunky platform lolita heels.

PLEASE SAVE HER FROM GETTING A FACEFUL OF FLOOR. Or go down with the ship. Whichever works.]

[Pinkie will try to save her!

And then go down with the ship, because why choose just one?

Once there, there's a moment of shocked silence.]

Oh my gosh, are you okay?

I'm fine, I'm fine! [Picking herself up and dusting herself off. She hopes she didn't tear this dress.] Are you? Sorry I'm such a klutz! [She offers a hand to Pinkie.]

Pfffftahahaha! Nah, I'm fine!

[She accepts the hand up.] That was AWESOME! Oh, you're okay too, right?

[Nodnod.]

Yup! Not even a scratch!

[And so Pao-Lin promptly commences TEH DANCING! ...but perhaps a little too shyly and daintily for the pulse-pounding techno beats. She's not really sure how to dance to this kind of music. Actually, she's not really sure how to dance at all. But she wants to have fun with a new friend.]

[Pinkie totally knows how to dance to this music, and she does so enthusiastically until the song ends.]

Awesome! I didn't think they'd even PLAY this kind of stuff at such a fancy party!

Well, it kinda sounds like the stuff Flashstep does, right? [Except, like...faster and more oontz oontz.]

I thought they'd just like...waltz. Or stand around and talk about money. Whatever fancy people do!

[A slightly slower-paced song comes on then. Not "slow dance" slow, but definitely not the frenetic beat of the previous tune.]

Do you know how to waltz?

Nah. But I mean, it doesn't look THAT hard.

Yeah, I've never done it either, but you wanna try it? The beat is, like, the easiest thing to play ever. [So surely it should be equally as easy to figure out.]

Sure! We'll be all fancy and stuff!

Okay! So...I think we start out like this...

[She takes one of Pinkie's hands and places it on her shoulder, and then places the other one on her waist. Yeah, that looks about right.]

And then...

[Pao-Lin begins to count off one-two-three in time to the fast beat of the current tune. It is a mite weird, however, due to the fact that the current music is decidedly four on the floor rather than triple meter. But what the hey, they'll make it work!]

[They can totally do it! Pinkie will even help count, loudly. She doesn't care if anybody else minds it, though she eventually dissolves into giggles anyway.]

Hey, this isn't so bad! It's actually pretty fun!

[Pao-Lin, too, is giggling.]

Yeah! I don't think this is how they did it back in the old days, though.

[Not that she cares too much right now.]

We'd have to be wearing big poofy dresses. And corsets! And probably be British.

[All the period movies are British.]

Your dress is pretty poofy already, though!

[Though she knows what Pinkie is talking about. She'd love to wear one of those amazing ballgown dresses one of these days.]

It's not long enough though! [She leans in and hisses:] You can see my ankles!

[She giggles again.]

Oh, no! Not your ankles! Get the fainting salts!

[...they're called smelling salts, Pao-Lin, and they are used for when people have fainted.]

[GAAAAASP]

You need a couch! A fancy red velvet couch to drape on while we fan you!

With one of those frilly lacy fans! And, uh...pearls are involved, right? Aren't ladies usually wearing pearls too?

[What are they doing with them in a situation like this, though? Aside from just wearing them.]

☆TRACK I: NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

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