interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK XII: LOVE AND TRUST

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☆TRACK XII: LOVE AND TRUST

Who: Everyone!
What: The tour hits Europa, and Edward Blanche plans a trap.
When: May 25th - June 17th, 2055
Where: Any of the potential tour stops, but mostly MOSCOW.
Warnings: Probably violence.

“Oh, will you break my fall
When I climb too high?
I always lose my nerve,
It happens every time.”

☆LOVE AND TRUST

After the disaster that was the beginning of the World Tour, things from there have proceeded innocently enough in comparison. Virgo ended up being able to pull its act into some semblance of order before the festival finished, and so the magic on their side was not entirely lost. Things are tense, however, for anybody who has an idea of the stuff going on upstairs. Whatever is going on, Pride is in the lead by a landslide, and the desperation is present in the managers and the execs alike.

Lesedi, however, couldn’t be happier. In fact, she is getting cockier by the day. Her plans with Lapis went wonderfully, and wherever the gem is now is irrelevant. Barring any major disasters, she is increasingly certain of her defeat of Virgo, and is encouraging her elite members of take potshots at them any chance they get. (This includes her beginner music mages.)

The beginning of the month is spent with both labels visiting a lot of very familiar locations across Americana - most of which are places they will have visited in the past. The routes are very similar to the ones the first bands took during their opening tours last summer.

As for the rescuers, now is the time to regroup. It’s not practical to follow the musicians to ever stop they make, but Shep has apparently enabled his spaceship with a cloaking device, and will be taking all the rescuers and free musicians to the major tour centers of each continental tour - the headline festivals, each lasting for days, and each carrying an important role in the ongoing ritual.

That’s what Silver thinks, at least. As some of the rescuers may now know, Gold has apparently gone solo.

☆EUROPA TOUR

As the Americana portion of the tour comes to a close around the 25th of May, both labels will be finishing up in Britain and heading on into the conglomerate of Europa. All of these cities are basically what they are like IRL except about 50 years more future-like, and you have full creative liberty to make up some developments to the local culture and worldbuild because this is the last time these places will ever be mentioned meaningfully!

THE OFFICIAL STOPS: Paris (May 30th - 31st), Berlin (June 1st - 2nd), Madrid (June 3rd - 6th), Istanbul (June 7th - 8th), Rome (June 9th - 10th), Vienna (June 11th - 12th)
THE HEADLINER: Moscow (June 12th - 17th)

The festival in Moscow is much like the festival in Vista City - a musical blowout to end all blow outs. The two labels festival grounds are practically blending together at this point, almost as if fighting for physical territory along with fighting for the attention of the crowds. The thick energy of magic follows the tour like a comet’s tail.

► RESCUER PROMPT: Instead of cutting through all of the earlier stops, Shep loads all the rescuers up into the now-cloaked spaceship and will bring them to Moscow, the last step in the Europa tour path and the place they’ll be stopping the longest. Silver has been saying that the lot of them should start working on freeing captives at all costs, especially now that the labels are on the road and increasingly disorganized. Shep has gotten together a bunch of new material for disguises as well as more holo projectors - a lot of them have been spotted at this point, but if they can get close to the musicians and catch the labels off guard it could be their best hope of bunging up the rituals for both of them.

Meanwhile, Gold is obviously absent from the team, and some may have seen their former leader essentially announce their intent to leave during their fight with Lapis. Silver and Shep seem to have been avoiding talking about it, but occasionally it will be referenced in public places and the conversation will turn rapidly tense.

► MUSICIAN PROMPT: Everything is more or less business as normal, except for the pressure of the tour seems to be causing all the authority figures to lose their minds, especially in Virgo. Beyond that, though, it’s all deceptively the same. Both labels stop in the various cities and put on their best show, only stopping briefly to enjoy the local culture. Everyone is under very careful watch, however, no matter where they are. No one leaves the performance areas without an escort - it’s clear that both labels are desperate to hang on to musicians at this point. The gravity of the situation is increasingly obvious.

Both labels have been booked into the same hotel this time, which is essentially a castle in Moscow. It’s every bit as lavish as you would expect, and it’s easy to get distracted from the stress with the luxuries that are offered at every turn. The consistent sense of desperation that Virgo has running through it at the moment is totally absent in Pride - Lesedi seems like she’s in an absolutely fantastic mood.

► FESTIVAL PROMPT: The festivals crowds are bigger than anything you’ve ever seen. Rescuers will easily be lost in a crowd, and musicians will be followed by a detour of body guards that honestly feel needed for reasons besides imprisonment. The stages are colourful and elaborate in set up. The musical event goes on for three full days, and most of everyone’s time will be spent backstage or in their hotels. Rescuers will have to do their best to keep up.

☆BLANCHE MAKES A MOVE

In the wake of Virgo falling behind, Edward Blanche has come up with a magical scheme of his own. Using the soul crystal of pure love from Greg Universe and pure duty from Meril, he has been devising a ritual - and with any luck, it take out two birds with one stone.

Greg and Meril, having mostly lost their real personalities after having parts of their souls torn out and crystalized, will be set up in a central location in the hotel, after the performances on the last night in Moscow. They’ll be set up to play music, and while that music is playing it will be reaching out to all of the rescuers, whether they can hear it or not. This music is going to trigger the love and duty within their own souls, and direct it to a particular cause - a sudden and desperate need to save their friends, family, or other sympathetic souls from the labels. And the need to do it tonight. This will hit them particularly hard if they are naturally of a love or duty alignment, but it will have an effect regardless. How much it gets them exactly is up to you.

Virgo’s musicians will be protected very heavily during the ritual, as Blanche is expecting the attack. His hope is to lure rescuers in and kill or capture them, having the advantage of foresight. He’s also hoping that the rescuers will go after the less protected musicians of Pride and steal them away from Lesedi, who isn’t aware that this is happening. If things go well for Blanche, both the rescuers and Pride will take a major hit, all in one go. Why not let your enemies destroy each other?

Player participation in this can go two ways: one is that your character can simply go after any of the musicians you choose, and you can work out between the players and the mod how well it goes. Alternatively, you can have your character go to the heart of the matter and try to take on Greg and Meril. The tricky part? Blanche is going to be overseeing the ritual as well. However, without the focuses of Greg and Meril’s soul crystals, the ritual will fail. Also, there will absolutely be a few opportunistic ghosts looking for the opportunity to give everyone a hand.

Communication with the mod is key for this event! Please run by plans to have any musicians successfully escape by me before going through with it, and also do let me know if you’d like the ghosts to help out! This can absolutely be combined with other player plots, such as the Pride break out initiative that’s been floating around.

The night of the ritual is June 17th, so take some time to plan things out, and then get threading. Let me know if you need help setting any scenes!

“Oh will you bring me home
When I'm barely alive?
It's the state of love and trust,
And this is for you,
And this is for us.”

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ON THE SHIP -Rescuers

Blanche has Greg and Santiago has who knows how many music wizards at her disposal. With all the murmurs among the rescuers about Gold missing it sounds like Silver might appreciate another music wizard on their side.

Practice makes perfect. Doctor spends the majority of his time on the ship playing his cello and attempting to cast spells. If someone passes by at the right moment they might see an illusion or a plastic cup getting abused by target practice.

WHILE IN LONDON -Rescuers

If he still believed the backstory Virgo gave him then he would be back in his homeland. Knowing it was all a rouse has him curious and at the music festival he keeps his face buried in a Brittania tourist book. He disappears from the rescuer group and the site of the music festival without warning and several hours pass without a word. Other rescuers might want to send him a message if they're worried.

ALSO IN LONDON -OTA

Guess who is going to stop and appreciate every single police box he sees in the city? The way he circles them and laughs raises some eyebrows and earns the attention of any police present at the time. Take his picture with the box, pleeeeease!

THE FESTIVALS ALONG THE EUROPEAN TOUR -Musicians

Doctor tries to make up for his distraction in Brittania during the rest of the tour. (In disguise of course) He waits in multiple autograph lines, passing the time chatting with others waiting with him until he gets that short moment with one of the stars. Being nearby will make it easier to either sense their music magic and state, or even make a telepathic connection. So who is at the end of this line?

OR WILDCARD

On one hand, Frisk thinks it would be good to get some practice dealing with music magic. It's likely different from monster magic, and they've only got so many tries before it just kills them. On the other, they sort of don't think the Doctor would want to shoot at them, and anyway he's probably not as good at it as any of the executives might be. Are they going to fight the executives themself? Frisk doubts they'll be entirely alone, but it seems likely they'll be there at some point.

There's a small child leaning in the doorway watching the practice with a somewhat inscrutable expression. They're quiet enough that they could have been here a while.

The plastic cup getting subjected to spells grows arms and starts banging on itself like a drum. Doctor looks pleased for a split second then shakes his head and abruptly halts his playing. The cup's arms disappear in a spark and the room is silent again.

"No no that's not what we need for this. Come on Doctor, be more aggressive." He scolds himself and leans back in his chair, temporarily defeated. Glancing around the room, he finally notices Frisk at the doorway.

"Oh!" He waves a hand at them.

That's fun! Frisk smiles, watching the cup bang on itself until its arms vanish.

It was cool, they sign. It's still so nice to have someone else here they can talk to like that. What were you trying to do?

I'm thinking up useful techniques for the next time we run into trouble. He frowns, giving his statement a second thought. Thinking actively is a bit generous. I'm trying. Not very successfully thus far. I'm not used to fighting or if I am I haven't remembered it yet.

I don't like to fight either, Frisk comments. Back home when monsters tried, I would just make friends with them or run away.

Unless, of course, that proved impossible. That's probably what will happen here too. I'm not sure if we can do that here. It's different, though. This will be because the executives just, honestly and for real, want to kill everybody.

Blanche and Santiago only want power. I can't say they really have a good side to be appealed to. He chuckles, a tired weary laugh.

The musicians are another case. Some of them might only be loyal out of fear.

Frisk shrugs. It's okay even if that's not it. They're in their heads. Well, okay may not be the right word. But Frisk certainly wouldn't blame a musician for truly, honestly feeling loyal towards their managers. It can't be helped.

Maybe the ones who got fired can help. They sign the word "fired" with heavy air quotes. I want to go get more of them back soon.

Doctor's smile turns a little hesitant. I hope we do. I don't know if someone can come back after they've been put through "conversion."

Wait now that's a conversation he had with Greg. What did the rescuers know of it? Did you hear about that and the color spectrum involved?

Frisk frowns and shakes their head. No. The crystals we got back are all different colors, but so are human souls. It seemed natural enough. They're not entirely sure why that happens - something to do with determination, maybe? It hadn't seemed like the most important thing.

So you know that people were being converted to those different color crystals. Doctor nods. Good to know it had become common knowledge.

Santiago and Blanche seem to be collecting soul crystals the fill in the entire rainbow of colors. The files kept in Blanche's office had commentary that stressed the need to obtain certain colors and who the top candidates were to convert for said color. If we removed the crystals of even a single hue from their collections, it might yield results.

And really, would it hurt to try? Stealing was something those who couldn't fight just might stand a chance of doing.

How did the rescuers obtain some of the crystals? Did they discover what their purpose are?

We found them in the lab where they were experimenting on Sans. Which seems to be a general destination for souls, honestly. Frisk hadn't seen them for what they were at the time, but stealing important-looking things had seemed like a good idea. I don't know exactly what they're for, but souls can give you a lot of power. Normally if you absorb them. So they could be keeping them in the crystals until they're ready to do that, or they could be like batteries.

That's all total guesswork. Alphys would know better if she were here, or maybe even Asgore. What colors do they need?

It's been long enough since those files were read that the needed colors could have completely changed. So many more musicians have disappeared and I hear some rescuers as well. They might have been sent to a lab and sacrificed for that very purpose.

Is sitting about in a spaceship and following the world tour truly the best way to use their resources? I take it the lab where you found Sans was back in Vista? If there are other labs back there one would think now would be the best time to raid them in case there are captives.

I just know about that one. Greg showed us where it is. There's probably other ones - at least Pride has to have one too. Both labels are doing the same kind of thing. If they had to guess, it's under the building, same as Virgo's. Frisk's mouth tugs down in a frown. Sans was the only person they were keeping there though. Because he's a monster, so his soul's not the same.

He could probably show us what color people's souls are, if that matters, they muse, hands moving a little slower. But he'd have to get in a fight with them. Maybe don't ask him to do that. Papyrus can do it too.

It's right as he's beating around another poor and innocent plastic cup that a paper plate is plopped on top of his head.

"All work and no regular meals makes Jack a dull boy, Doctor," Luce says simply, seeming relaxed despite everything that's going on. There's not a lot to do while traveling in a ship, but she's been managing well enough. There's a lot of people to busy herself with. "Now take a break. I think you've done well enough for the time being."

"Yes. What?" He can't sit still with Luce talking to him and placing mysterious objects on his head, never. He starts to turn his head but halts with the weight of the plate on his head; instead he throws his hands up to start feeling the edges of the paper plate.

"Paper plate. Matches the noise. Smells like noodles. Feels warm. Must be pasta. White sauce. Your handiwork?"

"Oh, it always is, dear." Chuckling, she lets him take the plate once he has a firm grip on it. He's right on the nose, not that it's hard to guess. Glancing around, she gives a soft hum.

"So, how is it going? Have a better handle on it yet?"

"I've improved, definitely. There's a steep slope ahead though. I'd like to be able to make a difference at least where Greg is concerned but I'm not at that level yet." He looks displeased as he spoons the first forkful of pasta into his mouth. His face lights up again, "Mmm!" And he points at the plate now on his lap. "Delicious as always."

“I’m glad you approve.” She chuckles before lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on them. “Anyway, you don’t have to worry about getting completely on Greg’s level. So long as you have a variety of abilities and talents on your side, you can always outsmart him. Power isn’t everything.”

"I outsmarted him once. I'll need another trick up my sleeve for the next time. I nearly didn't escape." Whenever he pauses for thought he eats more. "He's ruthless and barely has a grain of kindness left him him. It's terrible to see him that way. I think Steven- Tiger- is the only one he'll hesitate to hurt. If this is brainwashing it's the scariest result of it I've seen so far!"

“Maybe they did more to him than just simple brainwashing…” Luce rubs at her throat, frowning. It’s far too easy to remember the torture they forced onto her and the others. How they had used even innocents not involved to force compliance through terror. “I mean, do you remember those photos of us from October? We looked like zombies. I wonder if that’s part of it…”

"Could be. Greg looked worn out when I first saw him. But then he got angry- more than angry and a lot more excited than any zombie. He tried to pin me down with a gravity spell. I thought I was finished for a moment there, that he'd hand me over to Blanche or just crush me there. I didn't want to believe he'd do it but there's something different about him... He really acted like he was going to finish me off and Greg isn't the sort of fellow who can fake that."

Doctor stops eating for a moment and squeezes his eyes shut. Greg acting with murderous intent. He was a completely different person. How?

For a moment, Luce simply thinks long and hard on this knowledge. Any manner of things could have happened. In their situation, nothing can be liable to happen. Maybe it’s brainwashing. Maybe it’s a clone. Who can say? Only one thing is for certain. “We’ll just have to be creative in seeing how we approach and kidnap him, then.”

"Knocking him out will help. Not sure what we'd do once he wakes up again." Not long ago The Doctor would have expected Greg to be the least of their worries. Then again if Blanche were to make an appearance it could still be that way.

"Assuming Greg can be handled, do you have any clever ideas what to do if Blanche shows up?"

“Oh, I’ll see if I can’t figure something out if that’s what it comes down to! I’m sure these flames of mine can be good for something…” It had worked with Steven, hadn’t it? Making that aura of Flame seemed to help pull him together somehow… She taps her chin. When it comes down to it, she’ll simply have to hope.

Doctor’s next question draws her out of her thought, and she clasps her hands together with a beaming smile. “Oh, run like hell I imagine! But… if that doesn’t work out…” Carefully, she pulls out what seems like a strange guitar pick out from her pocket.

“I have a favor from some friends that I think we could pull in. I think it’s only a one time guarantee, however, so we’ll have to be careful when we use it.”

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☆TRACK XII: LOVE AND TRUST

The Doctor | Rescuer | all over the place :P

On The Ship

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Ship

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