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

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☆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.”

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[Jamie lets Sora guide him, eager to learn more - about music, about this aspect of Sora that brings him satisfaction. He fumbles a bit at first with the B chord, biting the corner of his lip in concentration, but once he's got a better handle on it he strums it a few times, carefully, getting a feel for it.]

At least having small hands makes the finger positioning a little easier on this, huh?

[As he strums, there's a little tingle of ambient emotion in the air, a sense of contentment and warmth. It's faint right now, but Sora might feel it growing in intensity the more he and Jamie play.]

[Sora happily guides Jamie along the rest of the major chords on the instrument. He's not used to teaching people things, but Jamie seems to be doing alright. Besides that, it's fun. He laughs at what he says.]

Yeah. The ukulele is, like, made for smaller hands.

[Each time a chord is strummed, there's another wave of that contentment and warmth. Sora's not sure if it's coming from Jamie's music or if it's just himself. He was already feeling happy and warm, it makes it hard to pinpoint. But there is something different about that ambient emotion, which does make Sora curious.]

Hey... Are you doing that?

[He asks the question softly, his tone bordering on awe.]

[Once Jamie's got all the basic chords down he starts stringing them together into simple phrases, trying for more complex arrangements as he goes along. With each chord struck, the sensations grow a little stronger, and more sharply defined - beyond the initial flush of warmth, there's the impression of a sort of intimacy, and a delight in that intimacy. The only outward expression of this is the little grin on Jamie's face and the glances he aims at Sora, watching his reactions.]

Hm? Doing what?

[He doesn't even notice what he's doing - imbuing his strumming with his own emotions - until Sora mentions it, but once Jamie realizes what's going on he abruptly stops playing and clamps his hand around the neck of the ukulele, silencing it with a discordant twang. The emotions dissipate just as suddenly, leaving the room as it was before.]

Oh geez, I forgot all about that - that mind-manipulation stuff. I didn't put any weird ideas in your head, did I? If I did I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -

[Never mind that he has to actively concentrate on making people want to do things, he's embarrassed and a little upset that he might have done to Sora what he did to that poor jackass at their performance that one time.]

[There is visible disappointment on Sora's face when Jamie stops, but then he notices that he's upset, and quickly tries to reassure him. He gently places his hand over Jamie's on the ukulele, the one that's still tense and cramped from the sudden realization and his sudden worry. He runs his thumb over Jamie's knuckles.]

No, you didn't-- I mean, I could feel it, but like... It felt different, so I could sort of tell it was coming from you. Like I could feel what you were feeling, but not on the same level I was feeling my own stuff?

[He laughs a bit.]

Kinda hard to explain. But it was nice. It... felt like you. And it was pretty cool, too. I liked it.

[Jamie relaxes a little, easing his grip on the ukulele and giving Sora a tentative smile.]

That...makes as much sense as anything else. [He sort of huffs a little laugh of his own. Magic is weird.] I'm glad it didn't do anything...gross this time. I still dunno what that was all about, that guy at the performance last month.

[He starts slowly strumming again, a little more hesitantly, but it's like he can't help but play the thing as long as it's in his hands.] I don't even know how I'm doing that stuff. Have you ever, y'know. Noticed that you can do things like that?

[Once Jamie relaxes a little again, Sora pretty much relaxes fully. He hums quietly as Jamie continues strumming, giving what he's said some thought.]

I can't think of anything happening like that. There's been plenty of weird stuff but not like... Someone obeying my thoughts.

[Idly, he slips an arm around Jamie's waist and rests his chin on his shoulder.]

Maybe you could like... Practice it so you can control it better? Just so nothing like that happens again.

That'd probably be a good idea. I don't wanna screw around with people like that if I can help it. I mean, that one guy was a jerk, but still.

[Jamie puts a little more heart into his strumming and tries to focus on how his fingers are moving and what he's feeling. The emotions return, slowly, and while they're a little tense at first they mellow out into something more mild - the energetic equivalent of someone taking deep, meditative breaths. It's relaxed, but a little more calculatedly so.]

[He lets out a quiet, soothed noise when Sora leans against him, something that Sora can probably feel thrumming through him than hear.]

Wonder how come I can do that but you can't. Maybe it'll happen later for you, or something. [Yes, Jamie, music mind-control powers are just like puberty. Totally.]

[Sora can't help but smile. Because of what he's said, and the strumming being picked back up. There were so many people who'd try out that kind of power once they had it and not give it a second thought, but it's a testament to Jamie's good heart that instead of going wild with it, he's worried about it. It was the kind of thing he wished he had some way to put on a sign and show people, and show Jamie too: look, my boyfriend's an amazing person.

It was kind of too bad he didn't have the power to at least radiate his emotions like that, to make Jamie feel how much he was loved. Instead he has to settle for an affectionate squeeze, a brush of lips against his cheek.]

Or it could just be you. Maybe it's just your power, Jamie. I think you're pretty special, maybe the universe does too.

[There's a kind of goofy grin that goes along with that cheesy statement, but he still means it.]

And, you know, I trust you. You can always practice that stuff on me if it'll help. You know, like... 'Sora, pick up your socks.' Housekeeping would probably appreciate it a lot.

[ I think you're pretty special, maybe the universe does too. Those words, and the gesture of affection, elicit a very definite reaction, both physical and emotional: Jamie falters for just a second and then sort of hunkers over the ukulele like he's trying to hide in it, while the aura surrounding them both turns intensely warm and fluttery, like there's too much of something to hold still. It means a lot to him, and even though he's all but avoiding Sora's gaze he's wearing a little grin, as though this comment has revealed to him something amazing and delicate and fragile that has to be handled carefully. ~~The something is probably his sense of self-worth, honestly.~~]

[...and then Sora suggests mind-controlling him into picking up after himself and Jamie has to laugh. Which is just as well, because he was starting to feel pretty mushy for a second or two there.] That's one way to use my amazing power for good and not evil. Maybe once I perfect it I can start making self-help podcasts. Musical self-help podcasts.

[There is definite pleasant surprise at Jamie's reaction, and Sora finds himself incredibly happy that Jamie has this power to make his emotions more easily felt. He could probably have read Jamie enough to know it was a good reaction even without it, but the surrounding aura just makes things a hundred times better.

While Sora feels his heart swell, Jamie laughs and it's a very welcome sound. He sort of half-hides his face in the back of Jamie's neck as he listens to him talk, his grin going from silly and happy to absolutely goofy with love. If he could hold him closer, he would, but he settles for dropping a kiss there on the back of his neck.]

Hey, it's not a bad idea! They could work through their troubles and get to listen to you sing while doing it. Sounds like a pretty great deal to me.

[Jamie hits a brief, sour note as Sora's lips graze his neck, but it's accompanied by another surge of fluttery emotion rather than anything negative, and he's definitely grinning when he speaks up.]

Ghh. Ticklish, dude.

I'll bet it would get some good publicity for the band, too. "Prettyboy dancer enters self-help business out of the goodness of his heart." Maybe we could work it into our concerts sometime.

Yeah? Like, good or bad ticklish?

[Considering the burst of emotion, he probably doesn't really need to ask that. But he wants Jamie's answer anyway. He also probably doesn't need to start lightly blowing on the back of Jamie's neck, but he does that anyway too. Briefly. And he still can't stop grinning.]

It is a pretty good heart. Man, though, you doin' self-help, me doing the charity concert thing. We're not exactly helping Pride's whole partying hard rockstars with bad reputations thing, are we? Though I guess getting drunk and makin' out kinda counted.

Like you don't know! [This comes out as a half-squawk while Jamie squirms and kind of flails gently in Sora's general direction. Sora, you fiend.]

[He huffs a laugh and leans his head back against the couch, partly so he can put an end to Sora's tickling and partly so he can look him in the eye.] Well, there are worse things we could've done than make out while we were drunk. Like on a scale of one to ten, with one being like...passing out, and ten being setting something on fire, I think making out is maybe a two.

[Yeah no, that response definitely gets a laugh, Sora can't really help it. But he still looks apologetic for exploiting Jamie's ticklish spot in the first place. Even if the reaction had been totally worth it.] Sorry.

[He shifts, leaving one arm curled around Jamie's waist so that he can face Jamie too. He's smiling wide, and shakes his head a little.] Nah, it's just something that can like be seen as bad, I think. But it's not necessarily always bad. 'Cause we didn't hurt anyone and something good came out of it anyway, right?

[He laughs.] And if passing out is always bad, then I was pretty terrible before I even came to Pride! [A pause.] Come to think of it, maybe that's why Santiago wanted me. Like, she thought I fell asleep random places 'cause I was drunk all the time? [The thought amuses him, for some reason.]

[Jamie pretends to consider this, resuming his strumming.] Mm, yeah, I'd say that particular drunken make-out session ended pretty well for us. I got a pretty good deal out of it, anyway.

[He laughs a little at Sora's suggestion. Lesedi isn't one of those subjects that generally inspires amusement for Jamie, but it's different when Sora's putting his typical weird spin on things.] Imagine how disappointed she must've been, finding out you're all wholesome and shit. She wouldn't have realized her mistake until too late.

Me too. It was definitely the best bad thing I've ever done!

[This is said with another silly grin, and he finds himself running his fingers lightly up and down Jamie's arm, just to still be touching him. Holding hands would be difficult with Jamie playing and all, so this is a nice alternative.

He laughs at what he says, but then has to pause as it occurs to him that there's really nothing stopping Lesedi Santiago from firing him if she wanted. And then he'd be separated from the band, and from Jamie. It's actually a bit of a chilling thought, but he doesn't want to voice it. Instead he smiles. It's sincere, but wistful.]

Hey. Weren't we going to try and write a song or something?

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☆TRACK VII: IN REACHING OUT PT. 1

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