003 ✽ I'll be with you again

[giglio_madonna]

Who: Various Virgos and Priders
What: What's that? Mall trip? MALL TRIP. A mingle log for party clothes and holiday gifts of all sorts.
When: Before the inter-label party
Where: The Wave Boulevard Mega Mall
Warnings:

Luce hits her fellow Virgo musicians like a hurricane. A loving, maternal hurricane.

For the lucky ones whose numbers she has, it's simply a ring up that morning inquiring if they'd like to go to the WBMM that day for some holiday shopping, or to pick out any clothes for the inter-label party if nothing in their closet is satisfying them. "Or if you just want some fresh air while we still have it," she jokes, even if the more empathetic can taste a hint of sharpness in that line. My, whatever could she be referring to?

For the unlucky ones... She makes a personal visit, practically sweeping some people off their feet. It's a rush of friendly chatter that's almost overwhelming, and some people might find themselves agreeing without realizing what they've done until Luce simply beams as she says she'll pick them up in an hour. "Oh, and you might want to wear a hoodie or something like that. Don't want the paparazzi bothering you too much!"

Congratulations, all of you: You've just agreed to the great mall trip whether you meant to or not.

The Wave Boulevard Mega Mall, or the Double M as it's known to locals, is the largest mall both in Vista City and this side of Americana. Considering things, that's an impressive feat. It's an enormous multi-level building filled to the brim with practically anything your little capitalist heart could desire. Various department stores, a movie theater dominating an entire two floors, an arcade somewhere, proper restaurants and food courts both.... It's called a "mega mall" for a damn good reason.

Once everyone gets there, they're let loose to their own devices.

As for Pride Records? Well. Maybe some of you are just at the mall for your own reasons. Maybe you got a call from Luce or another Virgo friend talking about the place. You don't need much of a reason to be there. Double M is that kind of place.

Comments

[goateeocracy]

Shop for me. Then it will make sense that both of us look pissed about it.

[If nothing else, he's very self-aware. His face naturally looks like this, but it's going to stand out if Luce looks unhappy. On top of that, if for some reason they actually are recognized, it will be easier to shrug off if it looks like she's forcing him into a new wardrobe. That's a lot more believable than him accompanying her while she shops for herself.]

[giglio_madonna]

You need new clothes anyway.

[Still, since his permission has clearly been given, Luce doesn't hesitate in taking him by the arm. Tugging him by the arm, she switches gears to the men's section.]

Have you heard what angle they are pushing over there?

[goateeocracy]

Koumei's the only contact I have there and they didn't call him in on it, so I have no idea. It doesn't make any sort of logical sense. We're all suffering the same symptoms, but only two people have been treated and in different ways, as far as I know.

[That's what bothers him more than anything else. There's no explanation that makes any sort of sense. Ivan is determined that the cause is supernatural and management is feeding into that and letting him believe it. Meanwhile, Yan had a perfectly understandable, realistic theory as to what might have been going on and he got called delusional and rushed to a hospital for brain surgery. There's no consistency at all.]

[giglio_madonna]

Fortunately for you, I do.

[She keeps moving until she's suddenly not, whipping off a shirt from a rack and holding it up to his shoulders. It doesn't break her train of thought at all, apparently, because she's still talking as if she didn't do anything at all.]

Sora, Flashstep. Tail end of the lockdown. Keep this quiet, because he trusted this with me even though he didn't have to, but Santiago herself called him up to her office. He can't remember what they talked about, or how he seemed to have 'gotten sick'. One of his bandmates says he was gone for two days.

[goateeocracy]

He can't remember? Is that all he can't remember?

[He can at least fake being interested in the shirt to hide how keenly he latches on to that. (Though he couldn't be less interested in the shirt, honestly. It looks like pretty much any other shirt, which means it's not his style, as far as he's concerned.]

[giglio_madonna]

He went up, they talked about "something", and that's it.

[As if dissatisfied with the shirt itself, she puts it back and continues to tug him along. Really, she's dissatisfied with this whole mystery.]

I don't doubt that there were probably others, but Sora is the only one I know of since I spoke to him.

[goateeocracy]

[He digs his heels in by a rack of holiday sweaters that are probably made solely for the purpose of ugly sweater parties and eyes them with genuine interest as he talks.]

So no gaps in his memory afterwards, then? No difficulty remembering names or recent events?

[So far, he's only aware of one case with those symptoms and it might put his mind at ease if there were others, as selfish as that is.]

[giglio_madonna]

He didn't mention it, but that doesn't mean he didn't experience it.

[All the confusion on her face is only half from the line of questioning. The ugly sweater rack is earning a fair bit of it as well.]

It was only a quick phone conversation... I didn't get any indepth details. I'm sure at the party, he'll show up, so perhaps you could try speaking with him yourself there?

[goateeocracy]

I will. Someone has to gather all this information in one place or we're never going to make any sense of it.

[And it's going to be him whether anyone else likes that or not. He just isn't the type to sit idly by while someone else does the work.]

If I can't catch him, I'll make Koumei do it.

[It's said almost distractedly as he looks through the sweaters on the rack, as if he doesn't realize just how that must sound. Or as if he's used to ordering Koumei around.]

[giglio_madonna]

Be sure to share your findings, dear. In case anything happens again.

[There's a danger to spreading information around too loosely, but just as much so with keeping it all with one person.]

[And in the meantime...]

See something you like, dear?

[goateeocracy]

[He pulls out a red sweater with a pattern of white and black bears across the chest and, inexplicably, flames up the sleeves and holds it up. The smart thing to do, of course, would be to try it on, but he seems content to just eyeball it.]

If there's anything conclusive, I'll make sure everyone knows. It's just going to make people paranoid to share all the speculation.

[giglio_madonna]

And sometimes you need someone to bounce ideas off of... Although I suppose you have that covered.

[Something to talk to Koumei about later, she supposes. For now, she starts to nudge Koumei not so subtly towards the changing rooms.]

[goateeocracy]

[He makes a disgruntled noise as she starts steering him.]

I don't need to try it on. It's the right size.

[Spoken like someone who hardly ever buys something off the rack. And someone who wears pajamas whenever he's not dressed to the nines. And someone whose sleeves never seem to be quite long enough.]

[giglio_madonna]

Just humor me, won't you?

[pls, yan, you're an adult, she shouldn't have to get on your case about this]