interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK I: NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

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☆TRACK I: NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

Who: Every single one of you.
What: Interstellar's first log, and an awards ceremony for jerks you don't know!
When: October 2nd.
Where: A fancy ballroom in neutral territory.
Warnings: Could be anything.

“Oh, it's been getting so hard,
Living with the things you do to me;
My dreams are getting so strange,
I'd like to tell you everything I see.

I see a man at the back as a matter of fact,
His eyes are as red as the sun.
And the girl in the corner lets no one ignore her,
‘Cause she thinks she's the passionate one.”

☆NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

It’s the seasonal Vista Music Industry Award Gala, and attendance is mandatory. You and your band have been touring non-stop for the last two months, hitting locations all over Americana, performing and doing press appearances. This event is set less than three days after your return home, but it’s been made clear that further rest will have to wait.

Though Halloween technically isn’t until the end of the month, the gathering has a formal masquerade theme - masquerade that is, not costume. Dressing up as a mummy or a clown isn’t going to cut it. Themed formal wear is expected, and your image consultants have been pestering you about your choices for the last 48 hours. Whether or not you listen to them, how you dress feels incredibly important. At least if you let the consultants fuss over you, you can be sure it’ll be something press friendly.

Various awards are being given out, but none of them are for you. The media in attendance are starting to bubble with enthusiasm for the ‘rising stars’ of the industry, however, so this could be a moment to shine. Labels besides Pride and Virgo are also in attendance, but who cares about those guys? They seem to be a mere footnote in comparison to the buzz around the heavy hitters.

There’s food, alcohol, dancing, stage performances by notable musicians of both Pride and Virgo, and then the formal awards ceremony in the evening. Yes, you are expected to sit through them. Do try to look like you’re interested, the media is watching.

☆PRIDE RECORDS

Lesedi Santiago doesn’t always make a big deal about introductions - or at least, that’s the impression you get when she just kind of shows up in your group limousine unannounced on your way over to the party. Deep into pre-drinking a bottle of gin, she doesn’t talk with you so much as talk at you, regaling your band with weird stories about the industry while completely ignoring the fact that her presence is more intimidating than comforting. You’re not sure if it’s intentional, but at least she’s a good story teller - her speech doesn’t seem to be at all affected by the quantity of booze she’s already consumed, which is kind of bizarre if you think about it too deeply. You’re not inclined to.

You’ve all met her before, here and there, in a series of bombastic encounters. Her interest in pontificating at you and the other new label inductees seems to fade immediately upon entering the ballroom, as she quickly becomes distracted with more high profile guests. Her attention fixates on Edward Blanch from time to time, but she declines to address him specifically. If you want to get some of her one on one attention, now could be your chance - just make sure you go in ready. Handling Miss Santiago can be a bit of an...experience.

Veteran Pride members are in attendance as well, but most of them are not very good company. Their reactions vary from ‘frat members greeting a new pledge’ to ‘disinterested shoulder pats’, and ultimately it will seem your attention is better received by the other newbies. Maybe even the Virgo Entertainment stiffs, at that.

Because, of course, that crew is here as well. Lesedi suggested you “show them who’s boss,” but you’re not necessarily sure what that’s supposed to mean.

☆VIRGO ENTERTAINMENT

Tonight's event is one of considerable speculation: it marks Edward Blanche's first public appearance after a considerable period of isolation. He's a private man, a mystery and an enigma to the public, and that just seems to make him all the more intoxicating. The Managers and security staff are out in full force, and if you know what's good for you, you'll be dressed to the nines. Your image consultant will be almost desperate to do the work for you, like they're afraid of what might happen to their careers if you embarass the label on their watch.

Personal style is important, but everything in your gut tells you that your nose has got to be clean this time, or trouble is sure to follow. For many of you, this will be the first time you'll ever have seen your CEO in person, and as such, the first time he'll encounter you one on one. If you're going to brown nose, now's the time - but make sure you choose your words carefully, and don't waste his time. Blanche has little patience for it.

There are veteran musicians of the Virgo label in attendance, ones with dozens of awards to their names, but they seem to have little interest in speaking with you. Some are politely avoidant while others and just rudely dismissive, but none of them really give an answer for why they just aren't interested. It's not totally surprising - Virgo's interior politics are harsh.

Other notable guests include Lesedi Santiago and the rest of the Pride Records entourage. Though you may have acquaintances, or even friends, who have been snatched up by the other side, it's even more likely that you have enemies. Everything about your Virgo upbringing makes you feel like you should hold a certain contempt for their ilk - people in this label think of them as classless at best and crass maniacs at worst.

Did you hear about that disgusting stunt one of their front runners pulled on stage last week? Revolting.

☆THE TWIST

Some of you may remember strange events from the past few weeks. Misplaced objects, malfunctioning technology, nostalgic phantom music - it feels a lot like the last portion of your tour was haunted. Now that you're back home, all of that seems to be flaring up again. You can practically feel the otherworldly presences passing through the room, even if nobody besides your tour group seems to notice. Even though they aren't knocking glasses off tables and flickering lights like last time, their presence is somehow even more apparent.

Your programming makes one thing clear: don't make a public fuss about this. Ignore it, everything's fine. The second part only goes so far. Especially when, at some point or another, you'll be shaken by the feeling that one of these ghosts has walked straight through you. For that moment, you feel like a totally different person. At this point, one of four memory regain effects will occur:

► REMEMBER LOVE: You remember a scene, image, or concept related to one of the greatest loves of your past life. Can be either romantic, platonic, or familial. It must be about a person and not a place or activity, though.

► REMEMBER DUTY: You remember a scene, image, or concept related to something you held a great sense of duty or loyalty to in your past life. It could be a person, a cause, a country, or anything in between.

► REMEMBER PASSION: You remember a scene, image, or concept related to something you were passionate about to the point of anger or determination in your past life. Not enjoyment of, but something that drove you, or one of the things most likely to make you throw a punch.

► REMEMBER HOPE: You remember a scene, image, or concept related to something you dreamed about making come true, or an important hope you had for the future in your past life. This covers any kind of positive goal or ambition for you or the world around you.

The feeling will quickly fade, leaving you as the person you've been made into once again. Only now you have something new: the first fragment of a life you can't remember having lived. The CEOs and managers will react to this eventually, and you're probably going to get sent home early. This, however, will be covered with a top level further into the log.

“I'm reaching out for something,
Touching nothing's all I ever do.
Oh, I softly call you over;
When you appear there's nothing left of you.”

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[She doesn't seem surprised by the question. Not everybody felt the need to know exactly who was who in their game-- but Luci felt that knowing meant that she was always on top. No surprises.]

They're all assholes, myself included. [She grins and blows smoke out from between her teeth.] Alec and I will argue over who carries the band until our souls fade-- he loves himself to the point where I feel I need to detox from just being around him, but he loves the music enough that I don't lose my patience. Yuffie and I cause more damage on the internet than we do in real life, and we do it together. We bond over the havoc, she holds my shoes when I crowd walk, I spot her when she flips off an amp. Pray you never meet Xanxus when he's sober, we have a jar that we put money into just so we have funds when he needs bail money. But we wouldn't bother if he couldn't lay the foundation we build our church on-- his bass lines are intense. Wakana insists we call her Princess, and while the others just give her the finger I indulge it. Nothing funnier than a Princess with zero clout who insists on decorum no one gives a shit about. But she can throw a tantrum on those drums and make it sound like a storm building overhead.

And me-- [Luci shrugs.] --I'm just the ringleader in the middle of the Devil's carnival.

I'd say probably more at the forefront, but that's just me.

[Because she thinks Luci is enough of them all to bring them together, a magnetic force and a subliminal demand that is consistent. But to Nariko that's what a lead, the voice is supposed to be, and in that moment she's a little jealous because the other woman's probably far more composed, in control than Nariko herself can ever be. ... There's a reason Mom is probably more the leader, the one everyone gathers under than they do Nariko.

But anyway.] Xanxus kind of sounds a little intimidating but otherwise, we should basically all go drinking together sometimes. Someone would break something but it could be worth it.

Just you and me, I'd say. Don't let Alec hear you say that-- he'll say you're garbage. Oh wait... [Thoughtful drag.] He said that on the way over. And last Tuesday. Or maybe he was talking about literally anybody else. [Luci grins, the rest of the smoke escaping. Nariko was probably right, though. Luci had Alec and Wakana's arrogance, Xanxus' mouth and violent tendencies if provoked, and Yuffie's mischievous nature. She felt like the lynch pin sometimes, too. Maybe that was why she worked so hard on stage, to connect all of their energies.]

You leave Xanxus to me, and we'll all go out. It'll be the paparazzi event of the season, and we'll definitely have to break something to get out.

He sounds like someone that I kind of want to beat the shit out of.

[It's hardly an emotionless statement but it isn't as aggressive as it could be, she doesn't sound prepared to go find the guy and smash his face in or anything. But yeahh, he's not going to be her favorite by any means. She switches back to the idea of them going out, though.]

It will! But it'll also be the perfect excuse to go out and cause some real trouble, feel some real experiences!

[She's already planning her outfit.]

Don't he just? [Luci rolls her eyes.] But the little bitch plays a guitar like he was born with it surgically attached. He can only be that arrogant because he's good and he knows it.

[She and Alec may be like oil and water, but she recognizes that he's talented and doesn't leave anybody in doubt of her opinion on that front. That might have also been a subtle reminder to Nariko that while Alec is far from her favorite person, he's not one to be fucked iwht.]

Get some song fodder? [Luci nods.] I'm all for that.

Why does it always turn out that way ... [Whether she's caught Luci's warning or not is very much up for debate, and so is whether she'll bother with heeding it. But the Rules of Talent still apply - when you're good enough at what you can do you're allowed a little bit of slack, the room to be a crappy excuse of a human being. She can't fault anyone for the same rule she herself lives off of.

But she nods along with Luci, and then grins.] Makes for a good excuse to see you again, too.

Oh you don't need an excuse to see me, darling. You just have to call. [Luci puts her cigarette between her teeth and gestures for Nariko to hand over her phone.]

[Luci gets A Look here, and Nariko moves her quickly-dying cigarette from her mouth to gesture at her own body, and the skintight dress that hugged it in so many different ways.] Do I look like I can hide anything here?

[It's a teasing gesture that she makes up for quickly enough.] You have yours, right? I can at least give you the digits.

[And then all it would take is one little text.]

Oh come off it, I know for a fact that women have many places to put things.

[And with that little suggestive statement, Luci produces her phone out of her suit pants pocket and hands it to Nariko.] You trust an assistant with yours?

I reserve those skills for the bedroom, only.

[Being the good person she is Nariko doesn't go through Luci's pictures, though she's horribly tempted. She taps her number in.] Nah, I'd never get to keep any of my pictures if I did! During events like this I make sure to leave it near the others so it doesn't 'run off'. [The air quotes are intense.]

Any other time it's glued to my hip. [Number entered!! She holds it back out to Luci.]

[If Nariko had tried to go through her photos, there wouldn't be terribly much in the way of dark secrets. Lots of selfies, some with Yuffie, a picture or two of Alec sleeping with his mouth open...]

Shame. Pretty limited range. I once had a fan tell me she kept her phone in he bra-- then she gave me her number. Said it'd be on vibrate. [Luci grins wickedly and takes the phone back from Nariko.]

Alright, here's one for you-- [She says, tapping her camera function. Apparently, a text isn't going to be enough. Luci's going for a selfie with Nariko.] --this way you won't forget who's number this is.

Judging my skill set before you even experience it, how unjust! [Also could that fan have been any more try hard? ... Not that she should be jealous of a total fucking stranger to begin with, but. That's a whole other issue. A more relevant matter is that, at first, she doesn't get the hint but when it clicks Nariko busts out into a huge grin. There's always room for selfies, no matter the discussion, time, or place.] Physical proof is always the best, right?

[And since they'll be taking a picture that's the perfect excuse to lean in real close, foregoing personal boundaries that should probably be acknowledged.]

Oh I'm not judging your skill set-- only the exclusivity of where you choose to exercise them. But I'll follow you into a bedroom any day. [That fan really was try hard-- and the end to that story was Luci calling the number and the fan answering on the first ring. She'd just hung up and not called again, and imagined that the fan knew she'd missed out on something amazing.]

[But that was neither here nor there at the moment-- now they were selfie-ing. Luci takes a good long time finding an angle and a frame that makes them both look great, made easier by the fact that Nariko is incredibly close.] Alright love, three, two, one--

[Luci turns and nips Nariko's ear for the picture.]

[That countdown never gets old, and while it does cross her mind to maybe try something - a quick kiss, a poke here or there - it's a good thing she doesn't. It means that Luci gets away with her antics and the camera gets a hold of Nariko's surprised but happy grin.]

Sneak. [But it's a compliment if anything.] Let me see it real quick. Not that she really has to look at it too long to know:]

We look absolutely fabulous, even better together.

Edited 2015-10-08 00:34 (UTC)

[Luci grins toothily and shows the shot to Nariko.]

No kidding-- think I'll keep this one to myself, too good to get jealous commentary all over. [She texts the picture at Nariko.]

Aw, it's almost like you want to keep me a secret. [The 'too precious to share' kind, not the 'ashamed' variety. The latter version is the shitty one.]

As much as I hate to say it we should probably think about heading back. [She casts a look back to her table. How long did she have before Mr. Kim, or worse, Garnet, really noticed her absence?] I'm assuming that bad spell is over and done with?

[She hadn't forgotten about that, somewhat unfortunately.]

Let's not start a war between our fans, hm? [Luci smiles and brushes a stray lock of Nariko's hair back into place. Nariko is a fit one, and Luci wouldn't hesitate to brag usually, but she has to think of her fanbase. And how idiotically they were obsessed with the idea that she and Alec had something going on.]

[She looks curiously at Nariko.] Bad...? Oh. Oh, that wasn't anything. Probably just exhaustion from the tour finally coming to a head.

Ah, that's what it is. [She's suddenly very grateful that, to her immediate knowledge, no one could ever even try to hint that something was going on in her own group. They're all a bunch of weirdoes that don't fit together in the romantic sense, and the half-exception is so intentionally buried that you'd need a PhD to spot it. But her wandering thoughts are carraled by that oh so sweet move, it's the kind of thing that never fails to dig under her skin, and make her feel some kind of fierce way.

But she still doesn't completely believe that it was exhaustion, still, there's no reason to think otherwise.] Alright, as long as you're good.

[Company factor aside she really doesn't want to go back and for a second that shows in her expression. The all but wholly dwindled cigarette is shoved into the tree pot. She feels no sympathy for it, fake or not.] Time to go back to mandatory fun, then.

[But if Luci has to worry about too many assumptions at once they probably shouldn't go back at the same time.]

That's all it is. Well, that, and if I give away all my secrets, I become too much of an open book. Don't you think? [She pulls a last drag out of her cigarette, opens the case and puts out the butt.]

Back to mandatory fun, don't you dare frown over a little sleep deprivation on my part. Next time, Nariko.

[Luci takes off in the opposite direction, tapping away at her phone. She'd been looking for it earlier, to write something down...]

Fuck, what was it...?

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☆TRACK I: NOTHING LEFT OF YOU

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