interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK VII: IN REACHING OUT PT. 1

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.”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh. He thinks about Garnet for a moment and nods slowly. He likes her, but their sound might not gel with everybody.]

Hope you eventually end up somewhere better for you.

I don't plan on abandoning ship. Maybe just put out some solo albums with the money.

[he scratches his cheek and gives a sheepish smile]

Once I can figure out what to put on them.

[another sip of his coffee]

What do you do with Manticore?

I'm the lead vocalist and our rhythm guitar.

You have the voice for it! [he jumps off the table and settles himself at the drum set, though not really doing anything right away]

Come down here to practice?

Thank you.

Sometimes. I come down when I want to work on songs too.

I can help you out if you need a beat. [he's got nothing better to do. The lights flicker again and he makes a face]

That can stop happening at any time.

Wonder if something's wrong with the power grid.

I wouldn't mind some help. I've only got guitar and vocals for most of these lyrics.

I hope that's all that is.

[considering what's going on around here lately, something wrong with the power grid would be just the normalcy he needs]

I'm your man. Just give me the tempo. [he drains his coffee, fingers trembling a bit from the burst of caffeine, and picks up his sticks, flourishing them in a little twirl]

He's to hoping.

[He'll tap out a rhythm to this song.]

[Sabo listens for a moment, tapping his sticks together in time with beat, then nods and begins to play.

The energy in the room seems to pick up a little, the hairs on the back of his neck rising, but he tries to ignore it and keep focusing on the rhythm]

[He strums along to the beginning of the song before the vocals pick up.]

You ain't too certain
Your heart can spark a flame again
Prepare yourself
Repair yourself

[Every time he's written lyrics lately that man in his visions crosses through his mind. And he feels like all of them are in some part dedicated to him.]

[nice lyrics. Your heart can spark a flame again. Reminds him 'fire in my blood' Fire... racing through him. The knowledge of heat rather than the presence of it. The knowledge that. The knowledge that. What?

What?

What?

Sabo will keep playing automatically but for the moment at least his eyes are locked straight ahead, unseeing]

[His focus isn't on Sabo for the moment, a little lost in the lyrics and who they're directed to.

Why is he so certain this man is so empty? That he keeps people at arms distance on reflex.]

You waste all your memories
Your love, your luck
Your beauty sleep

Building all those barriers
Don't you know they never work?
Building all those barriers
To try to keep away the hurt

[he manages to mostly come back to himself at any rate, pushing the thoughts away and trying to forget them because they didn't make much sense. Though this guy's song doesn't help these odd chilled feelings. Sabo is definitely not arrogant enough to even think those lyrics would be about him-- but then why does something about that seem so familiar?]

[The person these lyrics go to is somebody Genos isn't even really sure exists. But there's a certain amount of adoration and devotion in his words and lyrics.]

And I never believed that your heart was ever missing
Even though the alibi that you had was so goddamn convincing

[And then he sighs, runs his fingers through his hair and shakes it off.]

That's as much as I've got right now.

That's a hell of a song. [he runs a shaky hand through his hair but tries to play it off with a grin.]

Have you been working on it long?

Glad you liked it.

That one? I've been working on it for two weeks. It's hard to pin down.

Why is that do you think? [he tilts his head, turning to face the guy as he picks up his coffee cup before realizing it's empty with a wince]

Is it about someone you know or... some kind of conceptual person?

Hmm... Probably... conceptual?

I haven't met him.

But you know it's a him? [Sabo grins lightly, absently tapping his foot in a beat as if he can't keep still] Maybe it's your hero?

I wouldn't be surprised. Most of what I've been writing is about that hero.

Yeah? It's pretty intense already.

[what an interesting concept for an album. Writing for, not just a person, but an ideal. Though it sounds like a complex ideal. As if his hero is more than just a hero but is an actual person as well]

I'd like to hear what you put out, if you want to share.

[A concept album for the hero in his visions- yeah... that sounds pretty good to him.]

Definitely. Once I'm finished with it.

I'm looking forward to it.

[he goes to sip his coffee, forgetting for a third time there's nothing there. Damnit]

I'm going to get more. [shakes the cup]

Want some?

I'm good for now.

(no subject)

vivelarevolution - 2016-02-01 05:40 (UTC) - Expand