☆INTERLUDE: YOU WILL BELIEVE IN ME

[interdimanagers]

Who: All the opt outs, and DAFT PUNK.
What: Gold and Silver waste everybody's time.
When: December 7th, 2054
Where: A warehouse in outer Vista City.
Warnings: NPCs being cryptic.

“I will cry for you, I will cry for you. I will wash away your pain with all my tears, And drown your fear.” ☆YOU WILL BELIEVE IN ME You were late, for some reason. It doesn't matter whether it was because of an important photo shoot, a performance that ran late, or just being generally slothful and slow: you're all getting shuffled onto the last shuttle out. Maybe you didn't want to go to he party and were trying to avoid it. There's a weird tension that been leading up to it, especially on Virgo's side, and as you stare out at the cityscape beneath you may find those same misgivings rising up again. No matter your feelings, attendance has been made mandatory. The punishment for not showing is likely not worth the relief of avoiding it, at least if its your fault. So maybe it's a blessing when your shuttle driver suddenly seems to cease, and then takes your shuttle abruptly off course. It's less obvious at first, but it becomes more and more so as you fly - you're supposed to be heading to the coast, but your flight path is heading down to the south, out to a comparatively barren industrial sector of Vista that you've never actually seen. They are unresponsive to speaking and shouting, and the layer of glass that separates you make it impossible to actually disrupt them. You're more or less the prisoner of this little detour until it finally begins to land, sailing gracefully through the doors of an otherwise unremarkable warehouse. There are two shuttles arriving within the same few minutes - one marked with Pride colours, and the other with Virgo. The entry gate closes, and seals itself. A few minutes after that, your pilot moves for the first time in a while and opens the doors for you, leaving themselves sealed within the cab and apparently not being very fussed about it at all. You're released out into the warehouse, and you can see there are...bean bag chairs littered about? And some coolers filled with beer and vodka? What the hell? One of the walls even has a projector connected to a computer, apparently set up to watch movies. Ultimately, it's not really what you expect out of a sudden hijacking. A few moments later, a pair of masked people who may or may not be familiar come riding out of one of the upper levels on a shared, flying motorcycle, landing and dismounting at a bit of a hectic pace. Gold helmet is at the wheel. "You made it!" they declare, somewhat awkwardly. They sound a bit rushed. Silver pushes themselves off of the back, tucking some kind of device into their leather jacket. "Look, guys, let's make this simple. So far as you're concerned, this is a stick up. You're ours for...the next five hours, let's say. Behave yourself and everyone goes home, no problem." Gold looks over at Silver for a moment, and then addresses you in a bit more friendly manner: "So...point is, you may as well have some fun and just deal with it! Nobody here wants to fight, right? Let's be chill." There's a pause. "We brought booze?" ☆YOU WILL BELIEVE IN ME So, you're stuck here for the foreseeable future, it seems. Your captors don't seem to mean any harm - if you stay non-violent, they will too. There could even be an opportunity to gather some information, if you can keep your cool. The pair of them will be cycling in and out over the night, and despite an apparent tension in the air, they also seem...bored? Maybe just restless. There is something going on that they're not telling you, and it's up to you whether you want answers or not. As it is, they seem happy enough to sit back and watch the movies they have set up on that computer and knock a few back. No ones phones will be able to get signals, in the meantime. You can only wonder what this means for your friends stuck on the other side. “See your face every place that I walk in; Hear your voice every time I am talking. You will believe in me, And I will never be ignored.”

Comments

THE START

[interstellarebels]

For bothering the NPCs when things are just starting off and everybody is agitated. You wanna start a fight? Probably a bad idea, but follow your dreams, kid.

[twoscompany]

[What...the...

Deep breaths, Garnet, deep breaths. These guys do look familiar. And they aren't Predator, at least. So, she counts to ten, takes one more deep breath, and speaks.]

You mind telling us why you're taking us hostage?

[gunslingerqueen]

[Nariko doesn't want to start trouble or fights, she's taking the whole thing in stride, really, because let's face it - their lives have been a mess of weird lately. And while that should absolutely bother her it also ... Just doesn't. What really gets under skin, though, is Gold.

Dude's just fucking with her head, man.]

Are you okay in there? [She's genuinely concerned, but for some reason that total blackness around what should be a human head is just so alarming. At least Silver Dude had a little mouth and everything.] Like, how does this work, is this part of your gimmick? I mean, it's definitely cool, though.

[It's just amazing, okay.]

[sponsorigami]

[ He wishes that he had his shamisen. He would have liked to play with them again like he has in the past. However, that doesn't explain what's going on here and now. (Though their entrance was very cool.) ]

I'm not worried about you hurting us, but may I ask what's going on? The rest of my band is going to worry about us not meeting up with them at the party.

[ They aren't going to think he's being his usual unnoticeable self for that long. ]

[agains]

A stick-up? Are we being held for ransom?

[ That can't be right. Virgo and Pride being held together -- what third party could possibly have a grudge, except for everyone who isn't making it big in the industry?

Keith's had his phone out to check for a signal, and now his fingers wander towards the camera app. He isn't exactly a master of stealth, though. ]

If you mean us no harm, then there is no harm in introducing yourselves.

[ He'll try to take a picture or video if they don't notice, but won't react violently if the phone is taken away. ]

LATER ON

[interstellarebels]

For bothering the NPCs as the night progresses and they become more bored and restless. Could be a good time to get them talking, if you are good at making conversation.

[connivingbird]

[They were the same people. Ankh had been nursing a headache since the last time he ran into them - a nasty, small headache that seemed to also give him weird feelings that felt too much at odds with his normal way of thinking. But while he sat huddled on a bean bag and ignored the beer, he watched them instead of the movie. Then once the first one was done and someone suggested something else, he got up and approached Silver.]

What is this all about? [He couldn't see anything in the weird masks but he does flick his hand out to include the scattering of people and the two waiting shuttles.] Is there something you're after?

[trn451]

Bored yet? You're not working with Oscar material here. [Parker makes a point of approaching Gold, who seems by and large the friendlier of the pair. Her guitar is around her back and her laptop is in the crook of her arm, held against her body, and her movements are decidedly calm and unexcited.] We could jam or something if you want.

[makeitright]

[Normally, Fetch would be one of the first people to blow up at being kidnapped, or just held hostage. But she was coming down from a great high as of this night and didn't feel like putting up much of a fight. Until of course, she sobered up for the evening.

Which meant a crankier version of herself. One that wanted to leave more than anything, now.

If she had something to throw, she would. Unfortunately, Fetch has to settle for just shouting at the masked men (?)]

Hey, lady problems over here!

[Fetch has no definition of shame when it comes to trying to get what she wants. And what she wants is to leave.]

[worthlesspride]

This movie's boring.

[Oikawa might be using his whining as a front. Or he could just be complaining.]

Pick a different one.

Sora | Flashstep / Pride | ota

[consocius]

[This kid had forgotten the time. And his phone. And had just dawdled for way too long. He did end up finding his phone and getting ready eventually though, and had been ushered onto the shuttle with some fellow Pride people. He spends most of the time on the shuttle ride texting Jamie, and there's one point where he can be heard laughing for almost a minute. He doesn't really notice that they're going off course, mostly because he didn't know where this party was being held anyway.

When they arrive, there is confusion. Just like everybody else is confused. And he looks at his phone with such concern, walks around trying to get a signal for at least ten minutes. Before finally settling down in a bean bag chair with a rather large sigh.

The last two times he'd been out of contact with his friends, things hadn't gone well. There's a sense of foreboding that sits in his stomach, and it even ends up dulling the excitement he has at seeing Gold and Silver, because they are cool-looking, and they've got a motorcycle. But... Jamie, and Maxxie, and B, Yosuke, and Luce... and so many others, they're at that party.

So if you come up to him, he's probably looking kind of bummed, to say the least.]

[yellowcopycat]

[One of the first things Ryouta does is make a bee line for Sora. He's not hard to miss, despite being a head shorter than Ryouta. But most people here are shorter than him. Only that Orion guy and Yan comes close.]

Soracchi. What's wrong?

[It's easy to tell that Sora's really upset about something. He settles himself in the bean bag next to him and watches him]

Optimus Prime (Orion Pax) | MANTICORE | Pride

[matrixed]

Orion was something at a loss. It was true that he had little desire to attend the larger party, but his obligations were what they were. Winter holidays were important, were they not? (Not that he seemed to particularly understand them, in and of itself a rather strange realization. Why did it all seem so foreign?)

But here he was, seated stiffly in a bean bag, alcoholic beverage barely touched. (Another thing that seemed oddly incongruous to his reasoning.) Their hosts seemed pleasant enough, despite his detention against his will. A film he was unfamiliar with was playing on the projector, attracting very little of his attention. What would his band-mates be doing at a time such as this? Most likely, what he was about to do; lifting his drink and taking a rather large gulp. He quickly regretted this- imitation may not be the best form of flattery in some cases.

[connivingbird]

Don't drink it if you don't like alcohol.

[This small blond gave his offered beer a dark look and asked for water. It wasn't that he didn't like beer, it was just that he never saw the point. There was far better things to drink, but unfortunately none of these was the best option. Headachy and annoyed that he was missing out on his dramas, he pulled his coat tighter around himself and tried to get comfortable in his beanbag.]

This is just great. I just hope we aren't going to watch something sappy.

Trucy Wright | Pride Records | System Crash | OTA

[magic_to_do]

[Welp, Trucy has learned her lesson. She's never being late for anything again. Normally she's just full of perky optimism and can easily make the best out of any situation. But this.....

The last time she was taken somewhere against her will was when the Pride bands were kidnapped by Predator. So she's noticeably nervous for most of the ride. And this time her band mates aren't here. Not that she'd want them to go through anything like that again, but the thought of going through it alone is.... she doesn't know if she can handle that.

And it doesn't help that the second their hosts 'explain' their situation, they are replaced in Trucy's mind by the figure of haughty woman with cold eyes looking down at her. Instead of a warehouse, she's in some kind of museum. No, the space center. And there's angry looking robots everywhere. The woman is talking to someone on the phone, demanding that they turn over Athena. Or else. Whoever she's talking to must have asked for proof the hostages were alive, because the woman then turns to Trucy, and barks an order at the robots. They bring her over and the woman holds the phone up to Trucy's ear...


And even when she suddenly snaps back to reality, the nervousness doesn't fade. She's waiting for the other shoe to drop. That's why the normally exuberant and cheerful magician is lurking quietly in a corner. Maybe she could use someone to talk to?]

[consocius]

[Sora can relate to the feeling of nervousness - nothing good ever seems to come from being forcibly separated from his band mates. But he's trying to make the best of the situation, as he usually does, and the first step is trying to help anyone else feeling like that feel a little better, if he can manage it.

He recognizes Trucy from Pride, and knows that she's the lead guitarist for System Crash, though he's never spoken to her before. With all of them stuck in this warehouse together for who knows how long, it seems like as good of an opportunity as any to introduce himself. He's putting his cell phone back in his pocket as he walks up to her.]

Hey... Trucy, right? Or, er. [He laughs, realizing.] Trucy Wright. I'm Sora. Are you doin' okay?

[sponsorigami]

[ Fwoomph! Fwoomph! goes two beanbags as Ivan drops them to the ground next to Trucy. Then, Ivan drops himself down into one, leaving the other one for her. ]

Miss Trucy, they aren't dangerous. I've met them before.

[ He starts with that trying to bring her out of her quiet state. ]

Nariko Lunae | Pride Records | Cosmic Indulgence

[gunslingerqueen]

[When they begin to veer of course she's already done. Just one thousand percent, stone cold done and somehow the fact that she's with Garnet and Sora and a few others she recognizes doesn't make it any better. It seems like every other fucking day something weird is happening and there's an element of stress in the fact that they were supposed to get to this party, if even rather late. How thoroughly was Santiago going to tan their hides, even though it was their pilot that got a stick up their ass and changed plans?

She spends the first part of the trip just cursing quietly under her breathe, and wishing that Koumei, Richard, and Terry were with her now.

By the time they meet their hosts for the time she's reached a form of resignation that may not be at all healthy but it's just where she's at for the evening, it can't really be helped.]

Thanks for the booze!

[Because she goes right for it, and by her third drink she's finally relaxing, and occasionally flopping in her bean bag chair like she can't get comfortable in it. These things are confusing okay???]

[twoscompany]

[Hey there, Nariko, guess who's flopping into the bag next to you.]

Hey, dear.

[She looks troubled, with her own glass of beer which she eyes with some distaste. Its going to taste like liquid poop, she doesn't need her magical vision to know that much]

[goateeocracy]

You actually think it's a good idea to drink that much?

[Yan hasn't touched the booze or the chairs. He's been pacing around the room, looking disgruntled as usual. He doesn't want to be here (and he wanted to be at the party even less), so he isn't exactly in the best of moods. It doesn't help that there aren't that many people here that he knows well enough to unwind around, so the best he can do is be a wet blanket to people he's never met. This is one of Koumei's bandmates, though, so at least there's a tenuous connection. Not that it's a good idea to let anyone know just how much time he spends talking to Koumei...]

parker komori | nuclear parliament | virgo

[trn451]

[Frankly, Parker is operating on near autopilot by this point.

Six weeks ago, she'd probably have tried to fight her kidnappers hand to hand. Now? She flops down on a bean bag chair and opens her laptop, unslinging her guitar from around her back and plugging in the launchpad.

The first few minutes are silent, as she fiddles with the settings and seems to test out various chords, but after about ten minutes she begins to play, singing clearly and without much regard for volume. She's not exceptionally loud, but you'll probably need to be at least halfway across the room to tune her out.]

Why the hell do I not know?
You're written all over everyone's clothes.
Nobody taught me how it would go,
from here on out.

Ohhhh, they called you down and out and underground.
Now I'm the one that they're calling now (the one that they're calling now).
Now that I know that there's a chance, I set up a ransom, my list of demands
You just better follow through or it'll all break where I stand

They ask me if I want to be like you, I say "of course hell yeah I do,"
So long as they show me all your spider-web stories, I'll get through.

So I know you're on a distant shore, but I hope this letter strikes a chord,
that sews together my torn-up brain, over and over and over again,
I see them eating space and time, hoping that it fractures,
Cause everything that ever happens shows me what we never got.

They ask me if I want to be like you, I say "of course hell yeah I do,"
So long as they show me all your spider-web stories, I'll get through.

You better tie yourself to this, cause when I reach the breakdown and the bridge,
I'm throwing it down into the ravening pit, and you better crawl your way out with it!


So go head and blame it on your grin,
those awestruck looks you'll never take in,
All those hearts you were proud to save can't rescue you.

So let me remind you one more time:

They ask me if I want to be like you, I say "of course hell yeah I do,"
So long as they show me all your spider-web stories, I'll get through.

(So go head and blame it on your grin,
those awestruck looks you'll never take in,
All those hearts you were proud to save can't rescue you.)
So long as they show me all your spider-web stories, I'll get through.
As long as they show me all your spider-web stories, I'll get through...

[goateeocracy]

Working even though you've been kidnapped?

[Yan has been pacing around the room, but he stops to listen once Parker starts playing. He doesn't exactly socialize that much, so beyond knowing she works for the same label, he's only been vaguely aware of her existence. He can appreciate the work ethic, though, if that's indeed what it is. If his phone was of any use at the moment, he'd probably be hard at work doing research for lyrics. Of course, it's just as possible that she's playing to let off steam, but even that is something he can respect, even if he can't really cope that way himself. Hence the pacing.]

Ivan Karelin | Virgo Entertainment | Flowers Over Bones

[sponsorigami]

Beanbag chair pile

[ Ivan should be more worried than he is. If they wanted to harm him or anyone else, they could have done so already. This is weird but not dangerous. He also wants to know more about these two helmeted strangers. He's played music with them a few times, and Ivan wishes he had his shamisen with him. They could jam once more. Again, weird but not dangerous. He's worried about the rest of Flowers Over Bones and the mandatory party, but without a cell signal, he can't call for help. Ivan's not a fighter. He couldn't take them on even if he wanted to... which he doesn't.

Whether it is someone else's idea or his own, Ivan begins to gather a bunch of beanbags to make one giant pile by the computer that's playing the movies. He's not interested in the beer, but feel free to join him in the pile to relax and wait the night away. ]

Hipster Ninja's first shapeshifting

[ There's been a sensation, a feeling bubbling up in Ivan the past few days. His sense of touch is stronger, more active, something. He feels more connected, near everything. His klutzy nature has lessened by a considerable degree, but his aversion to physical contact has greatly increased.

And right now, he feels something really off about his entire body. Every cell in his body feels like it's... active. He can't lie to himself and say he's sick. Possession is what he fears. ]

G-Get away! Don't touch me!

[ A bright blue glow starts in his eyes and quickly envelops his whole body. Ivan grits his teeth, clutches his sides, and squeezes his eyes shut as if he could shove the glow back inside him. He grunts in pain and starts hyperventilating. He has to stop whatever this is!

But he can't. A bright blue flash with the kanji for ninja (忍) will block all view of him for an instant. When the light disappears and one's eyes readjust to the darkness, Ivan is not to be found. Where Ivan once sat is now a tiny fox scrambling in the beanbag and failing to find any sort of footing. Ivan has absolutely no clue what just happened to him and why he can't talk in his panic.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!? ]

Suddenly unexpected memory trigger pfff

[twoscompany]

[HI, RANDOM FOX THAT WAS ONCE A HUMAN. FANCY MEETING YOU HERE. Can she pick you up?

...

Wait a second.

"I-i just turned all my fingers into cats!"

That boy figure again. So familiar--

"Amethyst, I blame you for this."

Oh.

"Eh, that's fair."

...

Her hands might be hovering several inches above the fox as she stares off at the suddenly intriguing wall.

Still nothing on that boy figure. But the woman. Amethyst. A shapeshifter. Rude and uncouth.

A Crystal Gem.]

Tooru Oikawa | Crown of Thorns | Pride

[worthlesspride]

To say that Tooru was pissed was a vast understatement. He had gotten into a fight with Xie An over the weekend. Actually it would be far more accurate to say that this weekend had been nothing but a fight with his manager. It had started being somewhat civil, had quickly evolved into a screaming match. The screaming match had lasted most of Saturday. There were tears, both faked and real on his part, and he hoped Xie An had shed more than a few as well. He had landed some rather awful barbs about her, her fashion sense, her lack of a love life, and her intelligence.

It was the reason why he and Wolfram were on the late bus with the other stragglers. And he was steaming. All he wanted was to fly back home for the weekend. It was the third anniversary of his parents death, and he had made it a habit to visit their graves. And he wasn't allowed because of a fucking party. It had taken Xie An to pull out the 'you go or your fired' card and promise to make up for the expense of the tickets before he finally agreed to go. He figured Wolfram had been voted to stay with him as he cleaned himself up. His eyes were still red, but over all he figured he cleaned up okay. He didn't care about Virgo, so he wasn't going to go all out for them.

Except now? Now they were... whatever the hell this was. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. Over all? He was still pissed. He had better things to do than watch movies.

[magic_to_do]

[Now that Sora and Ivan have calmed Trucy's concerns, she feels like she can finally relax a little and enjoy the evening. But it looks like she wasn't the only one who needed cheering up. She recognizes Tooru as one of the Pride newbies, and figures she should at least try to help him out.

Which is why he's being approached by an annoying perky magician. Sorry.]

Kind of a rough night, huh? Are you holding up okay?

Keith Goodman | Hue & Cry | Virgo

[agains]

[ Something doesn't sit right with him. A feeling of deja vu. This happened once before. He can remember a choking sensation -- outward and inward, at the mercy of someone, trapped without knowing the rest of his friends were safe. The inability to save anyone or stop anything.

But his band has never been kidnapped. The kids he played with growing up never ventured far from home.

Out of character for the outgoing rockstar, but true to his own nature, he avoids alcohol in favor of quiet conversations. He's unsteady, swinging back and forth between the hero who remembers and the bigshot who wouldn't mind getting this bullshit prank over with. ]

We're all going to be on the news tomorrow.

[ For better or worse. ]

[goateeocracy]

So don't do anything stupid.

[Yan has been pacing and generally avoiding coming to a stop anywhere near Keith, but sometimes you get lost in your own thoughts and lose track of where you're walking and end up next to idiots. Or at least that's how he sees it.]

This is why I hate being late.

[Not "because you get kidnapped," but "because it never seems to end with just being late."]