"Gli farò un'offerta che non potrà rifiutare."

[sharktrash]

Who: MANTICORE and Roy Mustang
What: the violence-worshipping band give the warm-up band's guitarist an offer he can't refuse.
When: 17ish?
Where: someplace a gig can take place. Vista City Mini Amphitheatre? idk
Warnings: language? probably?? SQUALO? idk will add as necessary

(( There are four main sections you can post your toplevels or tag in to:
- before Manticore's performance (watching Roy play, generic shenanigans, forcing him to stay onstage after his band's done),
- during (if you wanna play out making music and/or stage shenanigans!),
- after (the final verdict) and then, finally,
- dragging their catch back home and staging THE INITIATION CEREMONY. that's right MANTICORE is lowkey a frat house.
Have fun! Threadjacking encouraged and expected! Basically, go wild. ))

Comments

[snapcrackleburn]

[ Roy has to hold his breath to keep from laughing. Thankfully he wasn't drinking the water when Squalo started up the act. He really wishes Squalo had done this to bother him about staying on stage instead of the knife thing.

Pushing thoughts of their uncomfortable meeting aside, Roy puts the bottle of water aside and snaps his feet together, giving Squalo the Silver a salute. Might has well play along. It'll be more fun. ]

No questions Sir Wizard Sir! I am ready for the first task.

[sharktrash]

[ It's a good thing he doesn't laugh, or he just might get brained by a vase or something. This is serious fucking business. ]

[ Squalo grins and swipes a hand majestically in the direction of... a spare room? Or maybe it's Roy's new place? Whichever you prefer. ]

Vooooi, big guy! Do your thing!

[ While the sounds of chaos (and possibly some things breaking) start from there, he looks back at Roy, and holds up... a small stud earring. Possibly with an alchemical symbol or a pentagram, you know something cool. ]

See this right here, adventurer? Your task is to find a twin to this jewel. It's hidden... [ The door opens, revealing a... definitely rockstar-worthy room. Piles of clothes and instruments and bottles and whatever else. ] ...somewhere in this cave!

[snapcrackleburn]

I will not fail!

[ Roy looks closely at the earring just in case there are extra earrings scattered in the spare room to throw him off. He couldn't be sure how much they prepared ahead for this.

He pauses at the doorway to the messy spare room. Had this all just been thrown on the floor just now? That's a talent. Of sorts.

Roy turns to Squalo before heading inside. ]

This might take a little while. Get comfortable, Wizard Sir.

[ He starts in the far corner of the room, searching the floor, glancing up just to be safe, shaking out fabric, and lifting up some of the tossed objects and even the furniture. ]

[sharktrash]

[ There probably aren't, but hey, you never know. ]

Heh. Less talk, more work, chop chop.

[ Once again not exactly wizardly choice of words, but what have you. He'll swan in after Roy, leaning against the doorframe and watching him dig around in stuff. ]

[snapcrackleburn]

[Roy begins to pick through a pile of clothing, looking more concerned as he continues going through it. He touches the underwear as little as he can.]

Is this the contents of someone's dirty laundry hamper?

[It sure smells like it. Those socks oh man.]

[sharktrash]

Possibly.

[ now he decides to be cryptic. ]

Don't forget, three guys live here.

[ So you really shouldn't fear the underwear more than the socks. You know what they get used for. ]

[snapcrackleburn]

[That would explain why there are at least three piles of dirty laundry littering the place. If that earring is anywhere near all this it's going to need some sterilizing before being worn by its owner.

Roy is thankful to get through the first pile and starts digging through some dresser drawers. He changes the subject and tries not to give it too much thought.]

I have to ask, seeing as we're going to be bandmates. Do you threaten people with that knife of yours often? Is that a... thing you do?

[Do you have a record for assault with a deadly weapon or maybe dismissed attempted murder charges?]

[sharktrash]

[ Yeah, try not to think too much about the suspiciously sticky socks. And don't worry, they'll toss that earring into vodka and it'll be good as new. ]

[ There's another one of those menacing grins flashing on his face, but it's quickly replaced by amusement. ]

On and off. I'd say it's a recent development.

[ Maybe he's growing less stable from all that alcohol and drugs he ingests, is what the media might say. Truth is, he's just slowly remembering some of his... other life. ]

[snapcrackleburn]

You realize you could get in a lot of trouble for that, right? Even if it's your stage persona, the moment you pull that knife out you're setting yourself up for trouble. I know I'd rather not have it shoved in my face again.

[That's the nicer version of Roy's thoughts on the matter. Dipped in concern and an attempt at reasoning with someone who seems unstable. He's hoping Squalo is better than he seems for everyone's sake.

He finishes with the dresser drawers and starts checking the window sills and curtains. You never know. An earring could be forced through a curtain.]

[sharktrash]

[ His grin dims somewhat. ]

Yeah, I guess. Jail food is shit. [ GUESS HE'S BEEN THERE ALREADY? That must make you feel safe. ] Rest assured, then, I don't pull that on my band.

[ Good call, Roy. Still nothing, though. ]

[snapcrackleburn]

Good to know. [Well a little more assuring. So Squalo is less likely to murder his bandmates. Just peachy.] You probably don't want to go through all the trouble of finding another replacement member because one of them is in the hospital, morgue, or jail. I'd rather not go through that either.

[He's still going to lock his bedroom door at night.]

Where did you get the wizard costume?

[Roy proceeds to the next couple of dirty laundry piles, continuing his slow buy steady circle around the room.]

[sharktrash]

[ He's gonna laugh at that. It's somewhat loud and obnoxious and hyena-like, but not evil or anything. ] Me neither. But if anyone else causes that, God have mercy on that fucker's soul.

[ Look how protective he is of you guys! That's... cute... right? ]

Second-hand, I think. Ryuko likes clothes and makes me go with her as her bag carrier sometimes.

[snapcrackleburn]

[The bag carrying wins him some points. That's an actual kind and polite gesture. It's something.]

The wizard costume reminded her of you? Or did you decide to purchase it for yourself?

[Silver hair does fit the fashion.]

[sharktrash]

[ Look he likes their smol angry teenager a lot okay. ]

Nah, that was me. It looked cool and I thought I'd find a use for it. Halloween and shit. I've got the hair and everything.

[ He grins again, takes a thick strand from both sides of his face and holds it under his chin to fake a beard. ]

[snapcrackleburn]

[That gets a smile out of Roy. He nods.]

Not to mention that color looks great on you. You should wear it again if any other members are inducted. Make it tradition.

[Roy tosses a suspicious sock aside and wipes his hand on his pants before checking the nightstand near the bed. He's getting close.]

I forgot to mention that I have something else to contribute to future performances. My parents are in pyrotechnics and stage lighting and they passed their knowledge down to me. Before I went into music I thought I'd be backstage instead.

[sharktrash]

[ He looks at him seriously again. ]

I'd hope we won't be having any more replacements.

[ They're not just a band, they're a family. But he brightens up once he hears about the pyrotechnics. ]

Really? Do you, like, know how to make custom stuff? We've bought some pre-made equip before but it kinda sucks.

[snapcrackleburn]

I made that flame throwing guitar myself. What do you think?

[He checks behind and beneath the nightstand to be sure, then behind the bed itself.]

I can make MANTICORE the act with the best effects and lights as long as the manager backs me up. Engineers don't always like it when the artists begin poking their noses into their work, especially if they don't know what they're talking about.

[He continues on to the nearest canopy curtains and under the pillows.]

[sharktrash]

[ Closing in, Roy. Closing in. ]

He'd fucking better! I'm sure if -- [ right, they're not on the best terms right now... ] -- we all back it up, he'll have no choice but to join.

[ He actually looks impressed. Good job. ]

Guess we made the right choice.

[snapcrackleburn]

I can show you examples of my work on the internet later if you're interested. There are clips from the shows I've worked on. Before I joined Ignition Point that was my job. Music was a side aspiration for cafes, bars, and videos.

None of you are afraid of fire, are you?

[ Roy pulls back the sheets and circles the bed but finds nothing. He bends down, about to look under the bed, then takes the mattress into consideration. It doesn't hurt to check where people joke about hiding money. He pulls it up and low and behold, a porn magazine is revealed.

Roy bursts into laughter. ]

[sharktrash]

Sure. And wow, seriously? Are you self-taught, then? Damn.

[ He grins. Not just any porn magazine, a fucking filthy porn magazine. Leather harnesses and stuff. And is that... another one of those socks sticking out of the middle?.. ]

[snapcrackleburn]

Don't tell me it's in this.

[ He has a feeling about this one. Really were any of the guys who would own porn in this band the kind that would own one lone magazine?

He opens the magazine to the page where the sock is and raises a brow at the naughty contents. He says nothing about it and lifts the sock to examine it. When he holds it up, the light gives away that there's a shadow of something on the inside. Roy hurries to get the earring out, staring up towards the ceiling to ignore just how dirty the sock really is and where he found it.

His face lights up when he feels the earring fall out into his palm. ]

[sharktrash]

[ He'll wait for Roy to actually fish it out before answering. ]

Yup.

[ And yeah, good call. No worries, Squalo has a shelf dedicated for heavy BDSM and snuff and possibly MILF porn, if you ever come by his room you'll probably see it since he doesn't exactly try to hide it, shameless as he is. ]

Congratulations! You completed the first trial!

[snapcrackleburn]

[ Roy is quick to drop the sock aside on the floor. ]

Thanks! Permission to wash my hands of dirty sock smell? [ And... whatever else it passed to his hands? ]

[sharktrash]

[ Ha. Squalo's just casually gonna pick up the mag. ]

Permission granted. You have five minutes to prepare yourself for your next task. In case you wanna take a piss or get a drink or something.

[snapcrackleburn]

[ Roy hurries to the bathroom without looking back. If one didn't know what he had just touched they might think he REALLY HAS TO GO.

That's one round of humiliation down. What in the world comes next? ]