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

It's always been hard for Greg to tell the difference between Sans in a good mood, and Sans covering up distress. Then again, he's not sure if Sans can always tell, either--especially when this high.

All the weird things going on with Sans' hands, one weird phrasing over them doesn't jump out as any odder than average anymore. The layers upon layers of puns have formed an armor against easy detection.

Greg gives a pleased sigh. "Maybe that's what's been spreading the cheer around. It pays to know a guy with sticky fingers."

Not at the moment he can't, no. It's kind of a mess. He's been sort of tangled up that way all week. He's feeling pretty affectionate, but that doesn't mean he's feeling stable.

He shrugs a shoulder.

"We're you headed? Got plans?"

The careful hope there is that Greg isn't busy, because Sans inexplicably craves his attention right now. It's the damndest thing. Like they've just gotta braid each other's hair or something.

"Ah, I've got an hour or so before we have a photoshoot." He probably shouldn't be asking for pot brownies in that case, but you know what.

"Just headed up to the balcony now. Feels easier to breathe without people on our backs all the time, y'know?"

There have been a lot of changes lately--some for ill, some frightening, some just plain weird, but this is the first one in a long while that feels like a good thing.

"Think I might join if it's all the same to you."

Fresh air sounds kind of nice and also...he wants to hang out. It's not that Sans doesn't hang out - really it's all he actually does. But he very rarely pointedly seeks it out. He just kind of exists and occasionally does things and sometimes that results in socializing.

Right now he legitimately feels like he wants to follow Greg around, for reasons that aren't being a stalker, which is kind of strange.

"You got it."

It does strike him a tad peculiar, Sans being a little more forthcoming than usual. When the company is fully welcome, though, he can't bring himself to mind. He leads the way.

"How're you holding up, anyway? You ever get your head checked after all that went down?" Even if it's old news, it's still pretty nasty to look at and can't be any better to live with.

"Nah, don't really want to encourage any wandering hands," he says, wiggling his fingers in way of example. On only one hand, of course. "You give those doctors a taste and suddenly they want the whole thing."

Which he can play off as generally being one of those paranoid weirdos that hates doctors, which he actually isn't. As many weird feelings as he gets about lab settings, that's not one of them.

"I'm already pretty familiar with the things wrong with me."

"Ah, fair. Guess you don't need anyone to tell you you're a wreck."

Usually Greg would insist his friend be a little more careful with his health, but given his, uh, physical condition, this may be an unfortunate necessity. He's starting to pick up on the casual disuse of one arm, but he's not pressing the point for the moment.

"Feels like things are really picking up, after the holidays. It's nice to be back."

Sans just stares at him.

"You think so, huh?" He glances away, his expression unreadable. "Must have missed that part."

"Well." Let him rephrase. "Nicer than just... waiting for things to happen."

Well, he guesses he's just a big ol' negative nelly, then. He shrugs, doing a pretty good job of looking unaffected.

"Still no singer in ViP. Kind of makes you wonder."

Even knowing not everyone lives for the stage like he does, he feels like keeping occupied with something lets him feel less helpless. Even if he isn't.

Bringing up incomplete bands sobers him fairly quickly. "You're trying to rotate the position, right?" He shakes his head. "It's so weird."

"That's the idea they've been floating. I'm fully expecting it to be comedy gold. It just seems off that they'd be so eager to fire people when they apparently don't have ready replacements on hand. Always assumed it was a supply and demand thing, y'know?"

It sure does make you think...about how the odds of you dying imminently are pretty high. Sans has been feeling increasingly restless as the weeks go by.

"It's like they're doing it at random. Blanche is usually a better businessman than this, you know?" It sure adds a degree of futility, not knowing any sort of rhyme or reason behind it.

Greg gives Sans' good shoulder a small squeeze.

Sans shrugs - not to get Greg's hand off of him but just to wave off the gesture as unnecessary. He's accepted all of this already. He's accepted what he's going to try to do. And he's accepted that he'll probably die doing it.

Though maybe he shrugs too ambitiously because it's followed by an almost concealed wince.

Part of him wants to tell Greg all about what's going on in his head, about the way he's coping with this new reality. Yet, so much of him insists that it's a bad idea. His plans could get leaked. Worse, it would make Greg get all worried about it.

"Phew," he says, out of nowhere. "All this walking...s'got me pretty tired. C'mere, I know a short cut."

You know what's going to happen now.

Well Sans, maybe the squeeze is a little more necessary on Greg's end. He's lost a lot of people already, and he doesn't need his best friend vanishing. The risk of that, however, is all too real, nihilism and rebellion or not.

Really, Greg's already all worried and stuff, may as well go all out. He's about ready to comment on that wince before Sans distracts with the comment. Wait, him too? He can do that? Jeez.

"Does it--uh. Okay. Lead the way."

He hasn't actually gotten to test it on another person full force yet, considering Greg is the only one who knows. But he's pretty sure he can. Confident, even. Like he's done it many times before.

Sans guides him around a turn, into a stairwell. Except, when they cross the boundary into the stairwell, they don't end up in the stairwell. Instead, they are suddenly in a private little corner of one of the balconies, as if taking one step forward suddenly became multiplied by a factor of whatever Sans needed it to.

He didn't even have to touch him or anything.

"Welp...heheh. Here we are!"

Greg staggers on the proverbial dismount, disoriented. Staring around for a second, he gives a brief, "Huh."

For whatever reason, he thought it would be different.

He quirks an eyebrow at Sans. "You're really getting comfy with that stuff, huh?"

☆TRACK VII: IN REACHING OUT PT. 1

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