interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK I: NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

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☆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.”

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Hn... I need those toes.

[Though for all the urgency in Weasel's tone (none) it's hard to tell if he means that. He steps carefully away from the other man, holding his own plate back to where Ankh is unlikely to bump into it and spill its contents.]

You can always just shake your head and dismiss them, you know.

[They're waiters. They're not here to shove food or drink down anyone's throat.]

[Ankh just huffed, glancing up at the other man before going back to watch the server like he was watching someone assembling a bomb. It might be the same thing; for all the joking around he did concerning about living clean, alcohol was one of those things he needed to avoid. Once a taste, always a taste or so they say.]

I asked for juice. Instead they brought me wine.

They bring everyone wine. Just decline and get juice on your own.

[Or bring your own beverages, as Weasel does. He doesn't trust any drinks at big social gatherings like these.]

It's not going to leap off the tray at you, I promise.

Then why do they ask what you want if they won't bring you what you've asked?

[Someone certainly acts like a spoiled brat even if he accent screams gutter trash. At least he doesn't stomp his feet like a brat, though the scowl hasn't really disappeared off of his face. Then again, it might be permanent unless he was one stage.]

There's a lot of people here. Orders will get confused.

[He plucks a bottle of root beer from a nearby barrel of ice and holds it out. It's not juice, but at least it's caffeine free and non-alcoholic.]

Try the grapes. They're good.

[Ankh just grumbles a bit more and finally accepts that as being a good possibility. He also takes the bottle of pop and gives it a look before taking a sip. Okay, not a taste of alcohol and enough of a zing that meant it wasn't bland.]

All their fruit is good, but I like the ice cream more.

I'm sure a lot of people do, but you can't live on just ice cream.

[And that's as much of a lecture as Ankh is getting on that.]

They probably have desserts around here somewhere.

I know my limit, but there's none for today.

[And he was just basically stating that he was going to pig out on as much ice cream as he can handle since he would going right back on his healthy weight maintenance diet after this night.]

There's a bunch of kids around that table so I was going to wait them out.

You might not want to wait too long, or all the best options will be gone.

[Honestly he doesn't know how often everything is refilled or how long it will take them to run out, but he thinks this is good advice nonetheless.]

Unless you just don't like kids.

They've been keeping up on the food unlike the drinks.

[He scowls at the servers handing out drinks before remembering that he had some root beer to take another sip from. And then he gets an idea and starts heading for the ice cream table, but detouring enough to grab a glass of something along the way.]

Ice cream float time.

That does sound promising.

[He might not mind one of those at some point. Weasel has a sweet tooth himself, but he tries not to be terribly obvious about it. Girls jumped on that sort of thing, and he'd rather not receive packages full of candies from his fans.]

But I think I'll stick with water for now.

[Fans jump on all the ridiculous things all the time. Ankh just ignores them like he ignores anything else he doesn't care for; there was a reason why he gained a reputation for being an ice prince after all. He takes a cautious sniff of the glass he was carrying and then nods before dumping it out in the drinks waste drain and hits the soft serve machine.]

Suit yourself. I plan on getting as much ice cream as I can get before the managers remember about stopping me.

[Now if that isn't the most childish thing he's heard all night, he isn't sure what is. Weasel allows the other musician a slight wry smile..]

Try not to get sick.

[Despite being the eldest member of his band, Ankh is the most childish when it comes to certain things. He wasn't sure why ice cream was one of those things, nor was he going to question it. After all, it was far better to pig out on ice cream then it was on alcohol.]

No guarantees. But I'll try to get sick in the bathroom and not on the table.

I suppose that's the best anyone can ask for.

[Technically the best would be Ankh not pigging out on ice cream in the first place, but that isn't Weasel's responsibility. He has his own band members to look out for.]

At least it shows manners.

[Unlike some of the kids that were jostling around for stuff. Ankh dodged them well enough to get away from getting anything on his white outfit and comes back with his serving of ice cream and a spoon.]

Doesn't anyone know how to at least ask?

They'll learn.

[Or they wouldn't. Not everyone picked up manners as they got older, especially those who were never reprimanded for a lack of them. But they're also not his responsibility.]

Is there a reason you like ice cream so much?

Hmm?

[Ankh paused in slowly adding the root beer to the ice cream watching the foam with a hint of a smile.]

Why..?

Well... [And he hits the top of the glass and sets down the bottle and grabs a napkin to wrap around the glass to make sure any spillage will not get on his ridiculously white outfit.]

When I was cleaning up, I decided that every day I got through without killing someone, or finding a way to get more dope, or throwing myself off a building, I was going to get a huge sundae and eat the shit out of it. And every time I declined a hit, or snort, or jolt, I would take an ice candy and have that.

... [Well. That's something. If Ankh is being honest, that makes Weasel's past look clean by comparison.]

You must have a good amount of willpower if you managed to keep your weight down during all that.

Funny thing... I don't really gain weight. I have to eat a lot of fatty foods to keep the weight I've got.

[He wasn't sure why, but his diet had a lot of high calorie foods that usually weren't recommended even though they were still healthy enough. It really was a little odd, but he didn't think about it too much. People's bodies were always a little odd.]

Lucky you.

[Weasel will never admit it, but he'd love to be able to do nothing but eat sweets all day.]

Be careful, though. Metabolisms have a tendency to change when one gets older.

[Maybe it had something to do with how he was always a little warmer then normal too? Ankh never paid it any attention save when he had to count just how much nutritious fats he needed to add to his meals.]

I'm pretty sure when that starts happening, the cooks will catch on quick.

[Weasel snorts.]

I'd hope you would catch on before they did.

I probably will. I mean considering how much tailoring that goes into my clothing as it is, gaining weight would mean I won't need that tailoring.

Or it could mean you'd need more of it.

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connivingbird - 2015-10-12 05:50 (UTC) - Expand

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