☆TRACK VII: IN REACHING OUT PT. 1

[interdimanagers]

Who: Everyone in Pride and Virgo HQ.
What: Ghosts need your help.
When: The evening of January 30th, 2055
Where: Pride and Virgo HQ.
Warnings: Phantasmal violence, possibly some real violence.

“Hold your colours against the wall, When they take everything away, Hold your colours against the wall, With me (soaking through)” ☆IN REACHING OUT Starting around the 20th of January, the heavy lockdown and supervision of the musicians of both labels will begin to fade. While they still require escorts to be out and about, the guards that have been routinely stalking them around their own homes and HQs will be gradually phased out, until it is just the regular managers and security remaining. Sweet deal, right? Over a month after the hysteria of the ill-fated solstice party, things seem to be finally letting up a little. Whether because you've played nice for long enough, or whether their attentions are being directed elsewhere, it isn't clear. Either way, this is the also the start of some increasingly familiar paranormal activity. All the way back to the first tour of this generation of musicians, members of both Pride and Virgo have found themselves haunted by strange and inexplicable happenings. Starting on the 23rd, these happenings begin to flare up again - lights switching on and off, TVs starting on their own, and even things falling off of shelves unprovoked. (These minor happenings can be made up by you and don't need to be mod designated - however, they should not be anything that would be threatening or dangerous to the characters.) For some people this will be completely new, and for others it may even be faintly nostalgic. This will continue until the night of the 30th, when things finally seem to come into swing. The hauntings will become more pointed and explicit. The details are specific to each HQ, and there and you can make yourself open to an NPC haunting down below. ☆PRIDE RECORDS About halfway through the evening on the 30th, Predator will begin prowling the halls of Pride HQ. At first it won't be clear for what, but after catching a few snippets of conversation (this can be handwaved) characters will have a change to realize that they are looking for the ghosts that have been causing a fuss recently. How crazy this will sound to you will probably depend on how new you are. They will actively shake down random musicians they meet for information about what they've seen the last couple days. As usual, Jenny is leading the pack, with Cass and Donny (nsfw) providing back up muscle. Provided you lie well or tell them the truth, they will move along fairly quickly. If you start shit with them, they will probably rough you up a little. Any major confrontations with them will be handled on the companion OOC post, and a few top levels may appear over here that can be tagged into in limited amounts. Beyond those activities, Pride members will feel various effects based on their EMOTIONAL ALIGNMENTS: ► ALL: Their connection and desire to create music will be especially heightened. They will find themselves subconsciously beginning to tap out rhythms, hum, peck at instruments, or straight up sing things even when it would otherwise be totally inappropriate. Strong emotions will cause them to want to sing and play to each other. They may also feel very strongly that they want to dance, to a particularly addictive beat that seems to emanate from the air. It may shift and change as the night goes on, but at any given moment everyone will hear the same rhythm. It sounds like particularly great percussion. ► LOVE & DUTY: They will have no extra special effects, but they will feel this urge to create music even more strongly than the rest, as it seems to be focused on them as they are not being directly targeted by any other sensations. When Hope and Passion musicians hear music made by these characters, they will feel stronger, like energy is being gifted to them. ► HOPE: Characters of this alignment will feel increasingly like they are being drawn somewhere, or like someone is calling for them, but they can't quite make out the direction it's coming from. The aspect of hope will be empowered within them, and they will find themselves unusually trusting towards the other characters, as if they only have the most optimistic outcomes in mind. Beyond this, they may feel dazed or confused by the sensations they are feeling. They may also experience strange visions, or the sensation of being another person they are not (and not just their true self this time, someone else completely). ► PASSION: Characters of passion will be targeted by the 'hauntings' much more directly than the others. More than random acts, the hauntings around them seem like someone is actively trying to communicate with them. Sometimes it will even feel like someone is trying to speak in their heads, though they won't quite be able to make it out. Passion characters who request haunting instances will get the most major effects. ☆VIRGO ENTERTAINMENT Soon after things start to get extra weird on the 30th, Juno and a couple Virgo veterans (Anansi and a man you recognize as a popular folk artist named Brett Hogan) will start wandering the halls. They will pull individuals aside for questioning in private rooms, asking about the strange occurrences. They will not attempt to rough anyone up, but excessively resistance or attempts at violence towards them may result in characters being locked in their rooms for the rest of the night. All three of them seem particularly hard to lie to for some reason, tonight. It's possible, but while you make the effort to do so, the words seem to be on the verge of falling out of your mouth. Juno seems to have something very particular in mind as she searches the HQ, like she can see something you can't. There will also be top levels for these guys appearing. Beyond those activities, Pride members will feel various effects based on their EMOTIONAL ALIGNMENTS: ► ALL: Their connection and desire to create music will be especially heightened. They will find themselves subconsciously beginning to tap out rhythms, hum, peck at instruments, or straight up sing things even when it would otherwise be totally inappropriate. Strong emotions will cause them to want to sing and play to each other. They may also feel very strongly that they want to dance, to a particularly addictive tune that seems to emanate from the air. It may shift and change as the night goes on, but at any given moment everyone will hear the same song. It sounds like someone riffing expertly on a guitar. ► HOPE & PASSION: They will have no extra special effects, but they will feel this urge to create music even more strongly than the rest, as it seems to be focused on them as they are not being directly targeted by any other sensations. When Love and Duty musicians hear music made by these characters, they will feel stronger, like energy is being gifted to them. ► LOVE: Characters of this alignment will feel increasingly like they are being drawn somewhere, or like someone is calling for them, but they can't quite make out the direction it's coming from. The aspect of love will be empowered within them, and they will find themselves unusually loving, connected, and emotionally open to others, even if this would usually be out of character. (This can also mean they are more inclined to get physically intimate, if you want to.) Beyond this, they may feel dazed or confused by the sensations they are feeling. They may also experience strange visions, or the sensation of being another person they are not (and not just their true self this time, someone else completely). ► DUTY: Characters of duty will be targeted by the 'hauntings' much more directly than the others. More than random acts, the hauntings around them seem like someone is actively trying to communicate with them. Sometimes it will even feel like someone is trying to speak in their heads, though they won't quite be able to make it out. Duty characters who request haunting instances will get the most major effects. ☆PLOT NOTE This will be a two part event, and the second part will be posted in a few days and will only include those that choose to help the spirits. This can be discussed OOC. Any alignment can assist, though the Passions from Pride and the Duties from Virgo will be the most directly pursued because they will be the easiest for the spirits to communicate with. Realize that participating is serious business, though: there are good odds the characters will be caught eventually, and there will be consequences. Do not volunteer your characters for this plot if you don't want them to suffer potential physical or mental trauma. “Fading gently, soaking through, And starting not to show at all. In reaching out and into you, nothing else could touch me.”

Comments

PRIDE HAUNTINGS

[interdimanagers]

If you need a haunting, post a top level here! The top level must have actual content, and explain what your character is doing at the time of the haunting. It can be anything, but you need to set the scene.

Genos | Duty Alignment

[wounds]

[Genos is curled up on the couch of their penthouse, with a guitar in his hands and a notebook to his side. He strums out a few chords and starts humming out a tune. The music's coming along nicely enough, even if the lyrics in the book are mostly scribbled out. The things he writes don't sound quite strong enough.

The television's on but he's not paying much attention to it.]

One punch, that's it
He always wins-

VIRGO HAUNTINGS

[interdimanagers]

If you need a haunting, post a top level here! The top level must have actual content, and explain what your character is doing at the time of the haunting. It can be anything, but you need to set the scene.

[giglio_madonna]

[In the privacy of her bathroom, the steam of her shower helping to fog up the mirror- and any cameras her paranoia whispers might actually be there- Luce takes out a certain ring.]

[Dangerous, she knows, to keep it around her neck on a thin chain of silver hidden beneath her clothes, but it's even moreso to hide it in her room where the searching hands and sharp eyes of housekeeping could find it. It's so hard to know who to trust here outside her band, yet somehow.... That feels familiar.]

[She thinks of the vision where there was blood at her feet. And, looking at the ring that seems to fit perfectly on her finger, metal extended gracefully in the shape of wings from a stone of brilliant gleaming orange when it had been dull gray before- ]

[They all lay bright and powerful in their box, just like they had the day her mother had first shown them to her, and Luce reaches out with a hand that is not quite that of a child's to trace a finger over each of them. She knows the order of them by heart, even if the gems are all as colorless as the metal they're set in.]

[Rain. Cloud. Mist. Lightning. Sun. Storm. Then, at the top, what she's reaching for-]

The sky.

[She murmurs it to herself in a quiet daze, bathrobe still wrapped around her and the shower forgotten even for how humid the room gets.]

Virgo Jam Session!

[sailorgenerous]

It's been a very odd few days, to say the least. Rarity can't say what's been the worst bit - the lights in her room that flickered continually; her makeup refusing to stay on its shelf; or the news that there was some unrest among Virgo's more popular musicians, and that a few had taken to wandering the halls.

Well. It certainly didn't have anything to do with her.

The one thing Rarity couldn't ignore was the itch in her fingers and her inability to keep them still. There was a song in there trying to get out, and there was simply nothing she could do except give in to it. To that end, she'd taken her violin down to a lounge and tuned it carefully. She took a deep breath, and then another, giving herself a moment to think. The itch was still there; there was nothing for it.

She raised her bow and began to play.

[sayonaramemories]

It's been strange, his clothes had ruffled whenever he was nowhere close to them. His laptop flickered whenever he used it. Well, whatever it's not going to stop him from playing.

So he follows her in, setting up his drums and giving her a good beat to work with. He wasn't lying when he said he was good.

Greg | Love

[panspermia]

1 - I Love You Man

Greg is... distracted. Anyone's likely to find him wandering the halls of Virgo HQ, brow faintly furrowed, clearly looking for something. It's around here somewhere, he's sure of it--except he doesn't know what it is, or why he wants to find it, or what he'll do if he does.

All that's quick to wash away as soon as he sees you. Confusion washes away with a warm, genuine smile.

"Oh man. When's the last time we saw each other? You'd think we'd cross paths more, we live together!" He may go so far as to throw a chummy hand around a shoulder, regardless of how close you are. "My fault, I ought to be making time for my team. How've you been? Are you holding up all right?"

2 - And Then Things Get Weird

No one should be surprised to see Greg playing music. It's only ever taken the sparsest of reasons for Greg to pull out an instrument and begin strumming, or start making up lyrics out of thin air. When he's thinking too hard, when he's not thinking at all, and most especially when he's emotional. Greg is a very emotional person. He's been feeling extra emotional, today.

But when he starts to play, things are going to get surprising. Small, winking stars of light spark into the air around him, lights in the common area dimming or changing color to fit the music, warm gusts of wind picking up to dramatically blow through hair.

Greg is too caught up in the music to even notice.

1

[sailorgenerous]

Rarity has had about enough of the lights in her room turning on and off of their own volition, and she's headed out into the penthouse kitchen for a drink. She's not surprised to see Greg wandering around - perhaps his lights are misbehaving too - but she is a bit worried to see him so...well, unfocused isn't quite the word, but it's clear he's not entirely present. "Greg? Are you alright?"

The lights have nothing on Greg's sudden shift in behavior. "Ah- I saw you this morning, at breakfast- it's- are you sure you're alright?" Because this is odd, even for Greg.

Haru Miura - Love Alignment

[costumechange]

Haru's become used to the imaginings of funerals and the crawling feeling that she's always being watched or followed, looking over her shoulder for suits or people that aren't Virgos fine security minions. She knows there's something wrong with her, she shouldn't feel like she's on the run all the time, but nothing's stopping it. She still dreams of falling off bridges and not dying.

The past couple of nights, though, instead of waking up crying or terrified, she wakes up with her feet already on the floor and in motion like she's going somewhere. She gravitates to her bandmates' doors and stands there wishing and hoping for something, but she's not sure if they're the company she's seeking. She just wants to reach out and hold someone, take care of them, do anything they need and show her love for them.

This isn't a foreign feeling. She always wants to show people she cares, but she's never felt like it this much. She's never had this compulsion to-She doesn't even know what the compulsion is, but it's certainly making her useful around the penthouse. She's been picking up after people and cooking even more than usual. She's making warm filling dishes, and sweets from scratch. She's reaching out and touching, even when she knows certain people don't enjoy contact as much as she does.

It's likely she's made too much to feed even her ravenous or munchie-laden band, so she'll be taking deliveries to the other band's apartments as an excuse to search the building from top to bottom for the thing niggling at her she can't find. She's looking for someone this time, rather than being hunted for. If she sees you in the halls her smile with be even brighter than usual. She'll reach out a hand on your arm, ask if you're busy.

"Do you need help with anything?"

No, she doesn't really know you, but she would like to get to know you better.

{ooc: ViP can be in their apartment. Other Virgo, could be delivering food, in the hallways, anywhere, really. I'm down for her to get overly intimate platonic-ly or amorously, anything in between, or turned away and upset by it.}

[losingherhead]

Celty feels like she should be more concerned than she is. Haru's friendliness multiplied by a million could mean any number of things. It didn't necessarily mean that the events at the party of death made her nervous and desperate for something to distract herself with. Haru was naturally outgoing, so Celty didn't need to worry at all. Everything could be just fine.

Especially with these treats because damn these are good.

Still, she can't help but jolt in surprise when Haru touches her arm or something. That is unusually close and she's not sure how to respond to it.

Genos | Duty Alignment

[wounds]

[The weird flickering lights and the fact that some of their electronic devices go static-y isn't enough to stop him from playing or writing.

In fact, he's got a whole lot more lyrics than he usually writes, with the desired accompaniment.

He's humming as he makes his way down to a practice room, and the image of that man comes back to his mind. That man's amazing strength and the way he was so relaxed when Genos was sitting at his table.

He can't figure out his emotions regarding the man, if he wants to be like him or just be with him. But he was there to save Genos before he was entirely destroyed.

So as he starts walking down to a studio he starts singing under his breath, cheeks a bit red. He can't help being the slightest bit embarrassed as he goes through the lyrics.]

Where have all the heroes gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's my street-wise guardian
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a caped man that could take the lead?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I know exactly who I need

I need my hero
I'm holding out for my hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be tough
And he's gotta be quick
And he's gotta be wearing red and white
I need a hero
I'm holding out for my hero 'til the end of the fight
He's gotta be set
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be stronger than life

[blindfoldcode]

[Genos you fucking loser. Kido almost doesn't hear him as he passes by where she's sitting. But then her eyebrows shoot up. She's going to follow him. Wait until he's finished.]

... New song?

Crown of Thorns' Penthouse | Passion / Love

[maipokerface]

[Crown of Thorn's, the band full of passion but very little love... or so it seems that is. Things start to heat up on the 23rd with lights flickering, static on the televisions and such. If anything can go wrong in the place, it most definitely is right around now.

Of course that's not counting on the really strong hauntings. And by the 24th those are revving up into high gear. It's still the very early hours of the morning and Mai seems to be roaming the penthouse with a tight look on her face, both holding back and trying to ignore everything going on.]

RAP CHAIN (Artolo - Love - ota)

[iitrebel]

[Shit is weird.]

[Shit is obnoxiously weird, in fact, weirder than it usually is in Pride Records, home of the money fish and getting into arguments about cats with your manager. Yet this is downright some haunted house bullshit, and not even Artolo can miss how much it seems to be affecting his bandmates.]

[At the start, he sticks to his room, but soon enough he starts feeling lured out. There's a beat in his head, like when he's at his set in front of an audience yawning out before the stage big as an ocean. It makes him tap his feet, try to pin it down, and soon enough he's at a table in the main room scrawling out notebooks full of rhymes.]

[It makes An's eyes twitch, but since he's the percussionist and not really near the mic at any given time, she leaves well enough alone. Which is good, because he's feeling fucking twitchy.]

[He's focused on one notebook in particular out of all those sprawled around him like a bomb went off, muttering rapid fire under his breath and tapping his pen.]

This is the story of them against us- Win or lose, forcin' your feet into somebody else's shoes...

Sora | Hope | (No violence in this thread please!)

[consocius]

Ｉ． Ｇｈｏｓｔｌｙ Ｇｌｉｔｃｈｅｓ． (Anywhere.)

[Sora's had this phone for a while. He really thought he was perfectly used to it. Except today it won't quit doing things on its own. For instance, taking pictures. He'll have it in his hand and be perfectly innocently checking twitter or texting one of his friends and then a flash goes off and there's a new picture in front of him. Then it'll scroll through his entire gallery of pictures. There are also some instances where it begins randomly going through his selection of music: Pride songs, Virgo songs, smaller label songs, he's got a lot of different kinds of music on there. Though it doesn't seem to stay on any one song for too long.

While it is busy doing one of these things that he did not ask it to, he groans and slumps into a chair with phone in hand.]

I think I finally broke it.

ＩＩ．Ａ Ｓｏｎｇ ｆｒｏｍ ｔｈｅ Ｈｅａｒｔ． (Flashstep penthouse.)

[Later, he can be found playing the ukulele while sitting with legs crossed underneath him on the couch. The TV is actually still on, and he's not really even paying attention to the music he's making. He thinks he's only casually strumming it.]

ＩＩＩ． Ａ Ｖｏｉｃｅ ｆｒｏｍ Ｗｈｅｒｅ？ (Pride HQ.)

[Weird things in general have started becoming more par for the course lately, and Sora takes note of them even if there's still something in him that says not to think about it too much. Weird dreams, weird feelings, weird happenings, just... weird. He remembers that morning he'd woken up feeling like someone needed him followed by the worst despair he'd ever been in, a despair that had left him in physical pain.

This time there's no despair, but there's a feeling of something calling again, like he's being drawn somewhere and he can't sit still. But he also doesn't know where he's supposed to go. So he ends up wandering, pacing, just moving, have to keep moving. Quick or slow, it doesn't matter, just as long as he keeps going... Even if it's just pacing around a room.]

ＩＶ． Ｗｉｌｄｃａｒｄ． (Anywhere.)

[Got any other ideas? Throw 'em at me!]

III

[vivelarevolution]

[he was drawn, too, by a similar feeling. It's starting to freak him out a little, all these little things--spooky events. He's not sure why but he really doesn't want to see a ghost--if that is what's happening. He hopes it isn't. He really does. He hopes it's some kind of strange prank.

As it happens, he's lurking in a darkened hallway, since that seems comfortable somehow, idly tapping his fingertips in a muffled beat against the wall. He is about to leave to go practice when a strange kid comes into view making him jump a mile]

Holy shit!

[give him a moment to get his heart back down from his throat]

You scared the crap out of me!

Xanxus | Passion Alignment

[variaboss]

A - Turn up the radio
He had been messing with the radio, trying to tune in his favorite shock jock. Dude is always good for a laugh. But instead no matter what he did, there was nothing but static on the dial. He keeps trying to tune it, but nothing seems to come up. No music. No talk. Not even stupid car dealership commercials.

Then in the static, he hears it. It's something garbled and a little strange. Like a disembodied voice. With all the strange shit happening, Xanxus does what any reasonable man would do.

He throws the radio towards the nearest wall, cursing loudly. "Son of a bitch!"

b - Classics by request
Music and song. Everywhere he goes, it threatens to bubble over at any moment. The songs just don't stop coming. He's filled a notebook with lyrics but it's not enough. He wants to play. He wants to sing. It's like he can't stop himself.

He tries to keep himself busy, but it happens without even him noticing. He had been making pancakes in the group kitchen downstairs when it hits. It starts with humming, but seconds later, the kitchen and the hallways are being filled, not with the sound of organ or disembodied voices, but by Xanxus' rich operatic baritone.

A

[iitrebel]

He swears to god, he can't even walk past room in this god forsaken building without someone flipping their shit and breaking something.

Artolo jumps back with a loud garbled swear that sounds half Spanish and half like an angry cricket. "Yo, what the fuck!?" A brief pause as he comes down from his surprise, and then he asks reasonably, "So I guess you don't want that anymore? Can I have it?"

Ivan Karelin | Virgo | Duty

[sponsorigami]

Salt All the Things!

[ Ivan raids the penthouse for the salt and starts leaving piles of salt at all the doors to purify. Both in the penthouse and in Virgo HQ in general. The elevators get a generous heap. He peers around corners and listens carefully before turning around them.

He's heard people talk of Juno walking around. Ivan doesn't want to come across her. His head feels like a mess. Things are falling off the shelves, and he hasn't bumped into them. He's hearing things. All of this reminds him of a while back when he fully believed that ghosts and spirits were the source of all his problems.

He believes Juno didn't tell him the truth. However, maybe the ghost thing is still part of the problem. The salt seemed to give everyone a break from the haunting last time. Perhaps it'll do the trick again. He has no other ideas for the moment. ]

Play All the Music!

[ If he's not trying to purify everything with table salt, he's playing music to try to drown out all the feelings and uncertainty with his identity and role in life.

His shamisen and bachi are in his hands, and he's plucking notes to whatever songs he hears. ]

SALT ALL THE THINGS

[faithfulflame]

[This is not the first time Rei'd worried about some of Ivan's patterns of behavior. This was definitely one of those times. When he came by her door, she stood up and grabbed his arm, tugging him inside and shutting the door.]

You're not exactly stealthy, Ivan. What's going on?

Jamie|Hope|Pride HQ

[mildwildchild]

A - JAMIE IS PROBABLY GOING TO END UP IN THE WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM AGAIN: (open to all)
Somebody out there wants him to do something, that much he can figure out; he just doesn't know who or what or where to go. It's maddening, like an itch he can't scratch or a face he can't quite match to a name, and the only thing he can think of to alleviate it is to keep moving, keep looking for whatever it is that's calling him.

And so he prowls HQ, from the stairwells to the front lobby and everywhere in between. His progress is impeded by the fact that he's occasionally overwhelmed by a sense of disorientation that leaves him lingering in random areas with a bewildered expression, as though he can't quite remember what he was doing or how he got there.

B - JAMIE CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC: (open to all)
As he wanders, he can't stop thinking about music. Not that it doesn't already constitute a significant portion of his daily thought processes, given his line of work, but the need to express himself musically is even more pressing than usual. In the elevator between floors, waiting in line at a coffeeshop, poking his nose into some isolated corner or another - he's humming, singing under his breath, tapping out a rhythm, even breaking stride to work in some dance moves. At some point during the day, he commandeers a piano in one of the rehearsal rooms and starts banging out a melody - something as meandering and improvised as the rest of his movements have been today.

No matter what he does, it never seems to be enough - the more he indulges in the urge to create, the more he wants to keep doing it. Criticism and collaboration alike are equally welcome, and interruptions won't keep him down for long - more than likely he'll derive inspiration from all but the most abrasive of intrusions.

B

[vivelarevolution]

Sabo is in the coffee shop, getting his fourth in however many hours. He reasons to himself if he buys it he won't drink as much but his eyeballs are starting to feel electrified so maybe it's a bit too much. Still he sips his fresh coffee, tapping out a random beat on his thigh with his other hand when he hears the humming.

"Hey, that's a nice tune. What's it called?"

Kido | Pride | Duty

[blindfoldcode]

[Kido's floating around most of Pride, from the penthouse to any open area she could feasibly sit in and plug her headphones in at her leisure. Except for once, there's nothing coming out of her headphones. There's always something coming out of her headphones. Even when she's around people, they're plugged in and there's a hum of noise.

But not today as she sits with her feet propped up on anything with a yellow legal pad. There's a line of music being hummed as she scribbles. Repeatedly. She hums the same line about 45 different times before she decides she likes how it went. God save anyone around her.

But little by little she fills it in with lines she'll sing under her breath--]

But my feelings stay, the same as always
It seems like I’m the only thing that’s really changed

[or]

Hey are you still there, caught in the haze?

[or]

Surely we'll escape from this nightmare sometime soon?

[Whatever she's working on she seems really dedicated and SHE NEEDS A BREAK someone please distract her.

Because honestly the only thing that really distracts her is flickering lights or ghostly activity and that's when she SCREAMS AND JUMPS A MILE IN THE AIR. Guess who's terrified of ghosts? Yeah. The fucking ghost is afraid of ghosts.]

[variaboss]

[ He's not even there to mess with her. He's actually only in one of the open areas because it gets him away from the fucking disembodied voices in the static. It's starting to really creep him out. And his solution, the only solution that he knows will work, is do the impossible. Get drunk enough to not give a crap anymore.

But then he walks into that little sitting area near the bar and the lights flicker and he sees one of the pillows on the couch lift and float to another section of the room. He nearly freaks out himself but there's a scream and he latches onto that. Make himself seem less scared then he is by heading right towards someone who seems to be able to admit it. ]

Haha. What are you, five? It's just a short in the electricity. Nothing to scream like a little bitch about, demon girl.

[ Just pretending he didn't just see that fucking pillow move but he's gone a little pale, which is pretty obvious with how tan he is. ]

Trucy Wright | Pride Records | Love

[magic_to_do]

[Trucy is feeling unusually prolific today. She could write a song about anything. In fact, maybe she will. After composing a cheerful song about waking up in the morning, a song about what she had for breakfast, and a song about the first person she sees when she leaves the penthouse, Trucy feels like it's time to take this show on the road.


By which she means, down to one of the common areas. Where she's flagging down the first person she sees.]

Hey! You busy?

[wounds]

[He's been humming to the tune of "Holding Out For A Hero" the entire time he's been walking around HQ-- significantly less embarrassing than the actual lyrics he's come up with.]

Not at the moment. What's up?

Terry | Pride | Passion

[traumatizing]

COSMIC INDULGENCE PENTHOUSE;

[Spending hours holed up in his room working on music is nothing new for Terry, but he's usually more focused than this. His desk, and indeed the immediate area around him, is a mess of instruments, cables, pedals, etc. etc. And he flits between them and scrawling notes like he's just full to the brim with ideas he needs to get out ASAP.]

[What would be great though, is if the static and the lights would cut that shit out. It was annoying on tour and it's annoying now.]

PINK;

[There's only so much interference one can take when trying to work, and Terry takes himself down to the bar to try and get something done. He's got himself set up at a table with a drink, a notebook, and his foot propped up on the edge of the chair across from him. Absently he taps out a beat on the table or his knee and hums a tune quietly. Every now and then the humming gives way to singing too.]

You'll see him in your nightmares, you'll see him in your dreams. [He's obviously not aware of this, given the way he sings under his breath while jotting down lyrics.] He'll appear out of nowhere but he ain't what he seems...

WILDCARD; Whatever you like, buddy.

[vivelarevolution]

[the static and the lights have been freaking him out, too. But that's no problem. He has lots of coffee and a will to work his fingers off in an effort to ignore them. Still maybe it is a problem with the power grid. And if even if it isn't, who knows what may eventually happen with the power.

So that in mind, Sabo has prepared. He knocks on Terry's door, a cup of coffee in one hand and a shopping bag swinging from his arm]

Pinkie Pie | Love

[sailorlaughter]

[A]

Pinkie has been in one of the kitchens all day, singing various songs to herself - loudly. She's not averse to company though! In fact, when she notices somebody passing by, she'll dart out with a loud "HEY!"

Have you met Pinkie? You're about to, because she is now coming in for a hug regardless. After a squeeze, she draws back, still bouncing lightly on her heels. "Hi! Do you want a cupcake? I've been making cupcakes all day, and I think I finally got it right!" So then, naturally, she made a thousand of them.

Whirling away, she darts back into the kitchen. "C'mon! You can take some to the rest of your band if you want, too! You can never have too many cupcakes!"

[B]

Eventually, the baking frenzy dies down. She's tried and tried, and the cupcakes do taste good, but she just can't shake the feeling that something's missing from the recipe. Or maybe just the experience of baking. It sorta makes her hands feel funny again. But oven mitts seem to help that, and she likes the way they look on her.

So Pinkie's wearing a pair of inexplicable pink oven mitts as she dances around the halls, singing. She's playing the keytar too, to the extent that one can without using the majority of one's fingers. As it turns out, she is not bad at it.

A

[iitrebel]

One of these days they're going to have a regular meeting. Maybe. One that doesn't involve stealing from fountains for money fish, or trying to buy bats at the mall, or drunken spinning.

Today is just not that day.

"Whoa-!" Sudden hugs are still a foreign concept in Artolo world, but he seems to ease up when he realizes the amount of pink fluff in his face. "Hello to you too, shit. I'm not going to turn down free food." Of course, then he steps into the kitchen and laughs. "What the fuck, what's with the sudden obsession?"

Mai | Pride | Passion

[maipokerface]

[Everything in the penthouse is going crazy. If it's not static it's messages just popping up on her laptop. It's like there's something chasing her around and she's really not that fond of it in the least. It makes her restless and she ends up wandering Pride's Headquarters just out of a need to keep moving. Not that her wandering stops the hauntings, of course.

She hums. She's constantly humming or tapping out a rhythm against her hip when she's not paying attention. Now and then one may catch a few words of a song slip out of her.]

Same old memories when we fall asleep
Among the burning dreams
Make you believe in the silent screams
When they whisper in your sleep

[traumatizing]

[She's not the only one wandering around, trying to get away from this feeling that something's following them. Terry's paused in a hallway for a moment, checking something on his phone, but hearing Mai hum and sing is infectious and Terry catches himself joining in. He doesn't know the words in her mind, but he picks up the melody and hums along without thinking about it. Still checking his phone while he sings.]

Aramat Drawdes/Tamara Seward | Pride | Passion Alignment

[scalpedsociety]

01: The Frail

The haunting has Tamara... off right now. She's starting to hear things, see things in her mind that she's intentionally pushed back. Everytime she turns on something, pieces of conversation come out in the static. They don't sound familiar to her. Or so she thinks.

No love bide to hells bane... there's no heaven for a killer.

She'll unhook the power cord to the TV breathing heavily and shaking. None of this is true, none of it.

02: No Surprises
Perhaps because of the hauntings, Tamara has thrown herself into making music. Playing melodies like a woman possessed, perhaps to drown out the voices. Hopefully someone can come over and calm her down.

02

[maipokerface]

Either fortunately or unfortunately depending on how it's viewed, one of the ones to hear her rapid playing is Mai.

"You're going to wear your fingers out playing like that."

Bill Cipher | Virgo | Passion Alignment

[liarmonstersnappydresser]

A.)
Hey, sister, how's it going? Got my body grooving, Let's swing, little lady, Don't leave the party dying..

[Bill can feel it so clearly today. The music. He woke up with it caught in his throat, filling his veins and ensnaring his limbs. This is more than just his usual strokes of inspiration, it's like he's filled with so much energy, his body doesn't know how to deplete it all. It's infectious. It leaves him tapping his foot, drumming his fingers, an subtle swagger in his every step. Even in conversation the jazz player seems to be subconsciously bopping his head to an unseen tune.

Virgo hardly has any jazz musicians on their label, let alone saxophone players. It is hard to miss Cipher's performance, particularly when he's walking throughout the building, occasionally standing on tables, and generally rocking it out anywhere he can.

Bill doffs his hat at whoever he passes by, still lost in the fever of his own rhythm. With such Passion forced into every note, those of Love and Duty may find themselves feeling revitalized just to hear it.]

B.)
[Apparently some big time execs have come down to Virgo and with Vandalism in Progress still without a lead, that did not bode well. As deeply as Cipher relished attention, laying low and taking a day to hone his skills may be in order. Perhaps, if he can harness this new found force that has possessed him and write something big, Blanche will be less likely to fire or possibly murder the entire band. Bill thinks nothing twice of being out in public. Generally he was the one invading personal bubbles and shoving himself into every passing conversation, he'll be able to avoid the limelight.

But… Is it just him, or do people seem a little more attentive than usual today?]

OOC: Bill is part of the small Passion population in the sea of Virgo Love. Come bother the musician with your weird affection, join him in rocking out, siphon the energy of his playing, get in a fight; it's all good. Encounter him wherever you please.

[heymcfly]

[ Marty can't say he's ever been a jazz kind of guy; it was a little too melancholy for his tastes. When Marty plays something, he likes to rock and jam, and be as loud as he can be. With jazz, it seemed to be a little more reserved. That doesn't exactly fit his mood, on a normal day.

But today's not normal, is it?

When he sees Bill standing on one of the tables, a shit-eating smile breaks out on his face. Whatever tune he's playing is sweet; Marty's never heard a sax play that well before. He wants to join in, holy shit, does he, but where exactly to butt in? Marty would rather not interrupt the flow of music, rather than jam in somewhere and ultimately ruin it.

So he'll just wait until Bill's done! ] Damn, that was pretty hot! What were you playing?

Nia | Virgo | Love

[loveconservative]

A
[Nia Teppelin has always been very cuddly. Absol-freaking-loutely cuddly. And lately? Lately it's even worse than it normally is. She's grabbing onto the hands of people she knows or flat out throwing herself at them for hugs, sitting down with people who aren't, and all the time, she's acting 100% the bubbly princess she is.

All the time her mind is racing because she's trying to figure out what it is that's calling her and who, even, she could talk to about this...]

B
[Which is how she finds herself wandering hallways with a somewhat vacant expression on her. And she's singing under her breath--]


All those days watching from the sidelines
All those years patience running thin
All that time never even knowing
How alone I've been
Now I'm here blinking in the spotlight
Now I'm here suddenly I know
Getting here it's all so clear
That’s where I’ve got to go

And at last I see the light
And it's like the vision’s binding
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky’d be free
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything feels different
And I want you to love me

[Someone want to remind her she's a being who is walking on this particular plane of existence?]

[sayonaramemories]

[A.

He's sure he's seen Nia around before- she's a bit hard to miss. But he also knows that they haven't spoken. Is there nobody else around she knows?]

Feeling lonely?

Marty McFly | Virgo | Duty

[heymcfly]

a

[ Marty's guitar has been following him everywhere. Or rather, he's taken it everywhere. He feels such a strong attachment to it, it's almost ridiculous. The wanting to do anything: play, write, sing until his voice is literally gone, is so incredibly strong today that it's driving him crazy. It's like no matter how much he does, this weird craving just can't be sated. Marty absolutely loves it though. The inspiration, the passion he feels.

You might catch him jamming out somewhere, anywhere, to some oldies tunes, which...for some reason, are his favorite. That probably explains the really cheesy 80's mullet he's rocking, and the one ear that's pierced. ]

It's not too hard to figure out, you see it every day
And those that were the farthest out have gone the other way
You see them on the freeway, it don't look like a lot of fun
But don't you try to fight it, an idea whose time has come!

[ Marty's is absolutely in it; he chomps down hard on his lip, he shuffles from one foot to another. He's always moving along with the music, not even caring how silly or weird he looks. ]

Don't tell me that I'm crazy
Don't tell me I'm nowhere
Take it from me
It's hip to be square!

b

[ Eventually, Marty's fingers will get so sore he's gotta put the guitar down for a while. But his mind is still buzzing, and he's desperate to unleash some of this creative energy somewhere. Whether you're with Defying Atmosphere, or another band entirely, he'll probably come up to you with his hands stuffed in his pockets. ]

Hey, you wanna try and write a song, or somethin'?

[ Marty's got the career of a lifetime, so he's going to stick to it thick or thin. As far as he's concerned, his life is dedicated to anything that has to do with music...and honestly? He's okay with that! Hopefully you are too, or he might get kind of pushy. ]

B.

[faithfulflame]

[Marty's not the only person who's up and out and can't seem to quite get all this creative energy out. Down in one of the coffee places, Rei's seemingly taking her ease, but the Flowers over Bone's violinist is anything but. She has a notepad in front of her, dozens of notes, scratched out lyrics and lines...and when Marty comes up to her she practically whirls to look at him.]

Oh! [Realizes he's not someone she knows...] Actually? Yes. That's what I've been trying to do for the last hour. Maybe working with someone would make it click better.

Tsuna | Virgo | Hope

[dame_tsuna]

A-

[Tsuna doesn't usually try to write music on his own, the charity thing had been the first time in a while. But for some reason he's felt more creative lately. Like there are these rhythms and melodies in the back of his mind and he just needs to reach for them.

He's sitting in the corner of one of the common rooms, tapping a pencil on the table in front of him and occasionally writing something down. If you get close enough before he notices you, you might hear him singing softly to himself.]


I wish I had covered all my tracks completely cause I'm so afraid
Is that the light at the far end of the tunnel or just the train?
Lift your arms only heaven knows, where the danger grows
And it's safe to say there's a bright light up ahead and help is on the way...

[giglio_madonna]

[Luce certainly hopes she can get away with being unnoticed for a while longer. Something about what Tsuna is singing has her blood flowing, and she adores it.]

[If she can get away with it, in fact, she might try to slip behind his chair so he doesn't see her for just another moment.]

Maxxie | Love | Pride

[notahobby]

[Maxxie's developed the awful habit of humming wherever he goes. It started out as one tune that he couldn't get out of his head until he wrote something down for it, and now it's a litany of different melodies. Sometimes he whistles instead, and sometimes he just sings softly under his breath, and often if he's sitting still it's accompanied by some drumming. His notebook is always close at hand, and occasionally he can even be found just sitting down in the hall because something has struck him and he needs to put pen to paper immediately.]

[It's not difficult to snap him out of his daze, but it might result in you having your ear talked off about this new song he's working on. Do you want to hear it? He can sing it for you.]

[vivelarevolution]

[he notes the drumming. As a drummer he can't help it. He isn't sitting far away but he listens to it, smirking a little, catching the beat...

And then drums on the table himself, almost as a response. He's read somewhere that ancient cultures used to communicate over long distances by the sound of drums and wonders what kind of conversation they will have]

Finnick | Love | Virgo

[thelittlemerman]

ONE - VIRGO HQ

[With all the strange goings-on, maybe it's a little less weird to find a grown man wandering aimlessly down the halls looking heartsick. Finnick hardly looks himself right now - instead of the confident swagger his shoulders are hunched forward, and whenever a door opens or the elevators ding, he looks around like he's surprised he's ended up wherever he is.]

[Still, he keeps searching, thinking all along that he has someone to find, someone to be looking for right now and he doesn't even know where to begin.]


TWO - HUE & CRY PENTHOUSE

[When he's not wandering the halls, Finnick's in the living room at the penthouse, stretched out on a lounge looking out the windows at the ocean, notebook in his lap where he's trying to piece together a couple lyrics. He seems unsually docile and relaxed for a man that manages so many judgmental glances an hour, and in fact whenever anyone enters the room he looks up and gives them a serene smile.]

Oh, you're here.

1

[trustme]

[ It's hard to miss how out of sorts Finnick looks. Doctor hasn't gotten much sleep the past few nights but aside from the bags under his eyes he feels fine. Just how much sleep had this poor fellow gotten? ]

Hello. Sorry, I couldn't help noticing you looked worn out. Are you feeling ill? Can I help?

[ It doesn't hurt to ask in case someone needs help getting down the hall or fetching some food or medicine. ]

parker | virgo | duty | open

[trn451]

[Parker hasn't felt this productive since being kidnapped.

It had started as a vocal line at first, then a beat and a synth part, and then it had all come together so fast she'd nearly torn her guitar strap and dropped her laptop trying to connect everything together and set up a demo. She is not loud — this is not by any means a loud song — but she is clear, with obvious feeling.]

If you’re a dancer you should know,
The choreographer is lonely,
Even if she falls in love,
She’s still scared to be alone.

Memories turn into daydreams,
Become a taboo.

I shouldn’t have to be afraid
The deeper that I go,
It takes my breath away,
Soft hearts, electric soul,

Linked-up minds and eight black eyes,
Is this taboo?

I think they built this house
On memories,
Ripped through to here and now
Scan my brain and read it,
And when their fantasies
Become our legacy
We won’t find a place
In the house of memories.

I am rhythm art and rhyme,
And my spirit shows right through
Metronome keeps time,
Radio counting true.

There’s a quiet hero somewhere,
She sings to me...

I think they built this house
On memories,
Ripped through to here and now
Scan my brain and read it,
And when their fantasies
Become our legacy
We won’t find a place
In the house of memories.

Those thoughts of
A soldier,
Her face always haunts me.
I can’t stop
Searching for
Some sign that she’s not me.
But all I
Remember
Is looking through her eyes,
As she watched over the sky…

I think they built this house
On memories,
Ripped through to here and now
Scan my brain and read it,
And when their fantasies
Become our legacy
We won’t find a place,

I think they built this house
On memories,
Ripped through to here and now
Scan my brain and read it,
And when their fantasies
Become our legacy
We won’t find a place
In the house of memories.

In the house of memories,

We won’t find a place.

[giglio_madonna]

[And as Parker's voice fades, there will be a one person applause.]

That was beautiful.

BAI SHEN / VIP / VIRGO / LOVE - OTA

[hanginginthere]

[when Shen gets frustrated searching for the voices, he doesn't quit. or...rather, he doesn't just quit. he tends towards the common areas, and if there's anyone on a seat that can fit a small little being like him on the arm, the back, etc...

...well, that seated person will have a new companion, who may or many not immediately lean on them for physical contact without so much as a 'hello'.]

[losingherhead]

[Okay wow, everyone is just in her personal space these last few days. She raises an unseen eyebrow in confusion, but just kind of lets this happen. Shen had been through enough.]

How are things