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

The man of the hour, truly.

[Sure, Luce may be small time, but if someone were somehow incredibly oblivious to the celebrity culture, they'd never realize it with the way she holds herself. She's brushed off the cold shoulders of her "seniors" as if it were just dust and she's approaching the real big wig with all the regal manner of a queen. Her dress, flowy in all the perfect ways, seems to help that along with the height her heels give her. Her mask is tasteful, elegant, and simple. ~~I haven't picked it out yet, but it's there.~~]

[When she tilts her head to the side with a smile, her black lily earrings sway with the motion, and she offers one hand.]

Luce, of Flowers Over Bones. I thought I should at the very least show my gratitude to the man responsible for my little Cinderella story.

[Traditionally you're supposed to kiss her hand, but hey, Edward, she'll kiss yours if you want, she's not picky how this goes down.]

Edited 2015-10-02 23:48 (UTC)

[Mr Blanche's mask is a simple domino mask: white. It matches his shirt. He looks at her when she speaks, with all the warmth of a man being asked for his bus ticket. He is silent for a moment, and then tilts his head ever so slightly forward, taking her hand. He doesn't kiss it, and it seems like it would be a bad idea to try to kiss his.]

Gratitude is unnecessary.

[Well, at least he's talking to her, which is more than she can say for some people. Luce accepts the small gesture. Small steps.]

Is that so? I knew I'd been found by a generous employer, but this is more than even I expected.

So, pleased with the arrangements for this year?

[Well, flattery seems to go nowhere. Based on the fact that his expression hasn't changed since they started talking. He carefully takes back his hand.]

For the industry season or for the party?

[His opinion on those two things are very different.]

[Clearly she'll have to move onto Operation Get This Stiff Drunk.]

[Or not really, since Luce has her code of honor and she'd feel bad if she got her boss hammered. So she politely settles her own hands in front of her dress.]

Well, I was certainly thinking the party. A man such as yourself must talk plenty of business already.

[She gives a nod to some of the people that had been talking to him earlier to acknowledge what she means.]

Ah.

[He sips his wine, and clears his throat.]

I couldn't care less, to be frank.

[Oh, that makes her laugh, although she keeps it discrete with her hand rising up.]

The party, business, the conversation, or all three?

[Is he pleased that she laughed? Was it a joke? Does this man's expression ever change? It isn't at all clear. He doesn't seem upset, at the least.]

The party.

[He gestures over at the stage with the hand holding his glass.]

Awards aren't what claim hearts.

Hmm, I can't disagree with that.

[And not only because he's her boss.]

It's the performances- the songs themselves. I wouldn't say these sort of things are worthless... I'm sure there's all sorts of scientist types who could go on about that. However, they wouldn't exist at all without the works of the artists being sent out into the world, yet those wouldn't exist without the consumers.

It's a constant loop, the way musicians and audiences feed into each other. Even if that's obvious, it's sort of interesting.

[He's quiet for a long few moments. Is he going to indulge this conversation? Is he even listening? Then, he seems to make a visible and conscious decision to take her up on the conversation thread.]

I think you misunderstand. The audience is all there truly is. Sound is meaningless to a deafened world. There is no sense in declaring what everyone already knows.

[One CEO: snared.]

When you say 'everyone' like that, it makes it sound so final...

I think that explains a little bit of something, however. Awards parties like this are meaningless because, if sound is truly meaningless, then you could replace this party or its awards with any others at any point in time. The bands and musicians themselves get forgotten or exchanged freely, their sound interchangeable.

Is that it?

Hmm.

[He considers that for a few moments, before shaking his head.]

Perhaps to one more cynical, that would be an accurate reflection of the sentiment. However, it's more that I feel that the audience speaks for itself - no curator of the arts can choose what music leaves its mark.

So you're not the cynical type. Good to know.

[It would have made him a little pretentious, she won't lie. She also won't say that aloud.]

It's strange what sound reaches into their hearts, and what propels musicians to the top. One decade, it's raw and powerful screaming and facepaint. Then, in the next, you'll find the cleanest group with dimples and crooned out love songs.

Do you think at the core, there's something that draws the audience no matter the genre?

[Edward sips his wine.]

Certainly.

[gdi, edward, use your words]

The force of emotion put into the music, then?

☆TRACK I: NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

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