i want another life (don't hold your breath)/i want another chance (but you can't swim)

[riveres]

Who: Oscar and YOU!
What: Some days in the life of absurdly pretty dancer.
When: April 8th-11th
Where: Various places, check prompts for more details.
Warnings: Not much, but will warn if it gets weird.

APRIL 8th | VIRGO HQ | spies on the inside

It was sometime around the end of daily practice when it was announced to the dancers. Virgo and Pride bands were going on a joint tour around this world. He had heard about it from Gold and Silver first and the more it was talked about, the more ominous it sounded. The rest of the dancers, actual Vista City natives are gleeful and naive to the truth, excited about the news and even hope for getting in the fest on May 5th, but Oscar almost looks grave at the news.

Silver told them that the rescuers have a time limit to get as many people out the labels clutches as they can or at least sow as many seeds of doubt as possible in the brainwashed. And here in the one of bellies of the great argumentative twin-headed musical beast, he feels the clock tick more oppressively here.

But sure enough Oscar... or Severin stays nearby HQ when practice is done. Even hanging about the cafeteria, watching for any Virgo artist that comes over.

He is going to try and do what Silver ordered them to do.

APRIL 9th | SPA | FOR LAPIS: i meet her in my dreams on the moon/i visit her

He likes his work with Lapis at the Blooming Lotus. She's a pleasant girl (or sentient blue alien rock with a elegant appearance) to have around and the spa is peaceful, worn in and camera's aren't allowed. (Thanks to that stint on tv, some people notice them. Much to Oscar's chagrin.)

But the peace has a tension in the air now. Lapis knows a person at Pride and two others that she hasn't told him. She must be feeling the clock ticking even more louder and stronger than he does, during a brief break he may stand near her, wordlessly asking for a conversation.

APRIL 10th | THE MALL | i know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine

The mall, despite it's crowds is actually a perfect place to keep to yourself and watch other people, particularly musicians. It's moments like this that he sometimes think Vista City wouldn't be a bad place to stay, no one knows him here and no can find him. He looks like any other teenager (also he's sort of retro in his tastes) that hangs in the mall right down to the outfit to iced green tea latte in his hands. But fellow rescuer might notice him... or a musician, or simply a person that recognizes him from TV.

APRIL11th | WILDCARD

[ooc: got an idea? hit me up on plurk at pashchan

Comments

[oceantier]

The sound of her name so close -- particularly her real name -- startles her, sending a jolt through her hands. Her face twists upward towards him.

[riveres]

He doesn't mean to scare her.

"... I'm sorry. It's just you looked out of sorts."

[oceantier]

She's Lapis . . . by nature she startles, unnerved by sudden noise, especially close. It's a natural state of being, but not something she blames him for.

A quick shake of the head, and she lowers her eyes back to the folding. "I'm thinking about the tour."

[riveres]

"Everyone is." But she's thinking even harder, he knows.

"Have you figured what to do for the person you care for?"

[oceantier]

"No." Her voice is measured, quiet. "But . . . they'll take the dancers, at least. That's more than a lot of the others can ask for. At least . . . I can be there with him."

"I just don't know what this is. Why would they move them now, when they've been here for months and months? And why . . . would they do it together? They never want to work together, these labels. They've kept separate all along. Why change the pattern?"

[riveres]

"That's good news at least." Oscar is almost guaranteed a spot on the tour but it sounds so... ominous. Like something huge is going to happe, starting with the festival in May.

"It doesn't bode well. Like the tour is code for something else."

[oceantier]

"Code?" she echoes back, eyes shifting back up to him. She knows he doesn't know any more than he does, but . . . what does he suspect?

[riveres]

"For something else... something that doesn't involve the traditional aspects of a tour. The musicians... have strange abilities. It's common to see them in this place, but not to this world." Oscar explains.

"It's not good. I just know it."

[oceantier]

"You've seen them too." Her voice dips even lower, worried. "The abilities."

"Steven's father . . . he has them. But that means that the labels have changed him. Really changed him. But . . . they don't do anything good. And they don't do anything for free."

"I need to talk to him. I need more answers. And the others have to know about it too."

". . . Maybe that will also let us guess more about the tour."

[riveres]

"I guess that's our plan for now. If you need anything done in Virgo... say the word." He whispers.

[oceantier]

She hesitates briefly -- not because she doesn't believe he can do it, but because it means risk. And she's not used to giving risk to anyone but herself.

At least this risk should be fairly mundane.

"Steven told me that since he came back from Virgo, he hasn't been able to talk to Greg, his father. They watch their phones . . . and probably would listen to their calls. I bought them phones . . ."

That had been interesting. She'd only barely known what she was doing, enlisting someone from Agent Apartment to help.

"I can get it to Steven. But if I meet Greg outside, anything that he takes back inside will be suspicious, and if he has another phone . . ."

A quick shake of the head. ". . . Can you take it to him?"

[riveres]

"I can and I will Lapis." It might be less risky to talk to him outside Virgo HQ. He thinks that's the best strategy.

[oceantier]

"Probably . . . you should bring it to him inside," she offers. "Once, he took me in. They look over everything the musicians bring back. If he comes back with two phones when he just left with one . . . I think they'll take it."

It's riskier, definitely. "Is it still okay?"

[riveres]

"They do?" Maybe he'll have to tell him to sneak it in.

"It's fine. I'll find an opening, I promise.

[oceantier]

A small nod. "I was shifted . . . as a flower. They still looked me over."

"Thank you . . ." It's one less load on the mind.

[riveres]

"You can shift to be flower?" Sorry Lapis, sometimes he forgets you're a gem sometimes.

"Anytime you wish, just ask."

[oceantier]

The surprise in his voice surprises her in turn. "I could be almost anything. Anyone."

Including him.

[riveres]

"...I guess I forgot you're something different from me." He could only pray for that kind of ability.

[oceantier]

There's kind of a separation in that statement . . . as though a minute ago, they were bonded, and now she's an "other."

"Is . . . that bad?" The hesitation is clear in her voice. They've never really talked about it -- the fact of her being "other" and him being human. It's remained unspoken between them.

[riveres]

"...No. I've just never met anyone like you." Although an alien is one of first friends he's made in a long, long time.

Companionship is companionship.