002 ✽ Come back! Even as a shadow, even as a dream

[giglio_madonna]

Who: Everyone stuck in Virgo HQ
What: This happened, and now we're all stuck here.
When: Nov. 1 - 5
Where: Virgo HQ
Warnings: Honor system, I'm trusting everyone to put warning in the subject lines if it comes up in their threads!

So.

Press events? Not happening. Concerts? Cancelled. Going out at all? N o p e.

Everyone- well every newbie- is ball and chained to Virgo Entertainment's headquarters for the time being. What's the emergency? No one knows, but you're all stuck here regardless.

> What will you do?

Comments

Kouen | Open

[goateeocracy]

[A - Early in the lockdown]

[Yan is taking up the entirety of one of the couches in his band's penthouse. This isn't necessarily uncommon, but instead of books about cowboys and Americana folklore and his endless stacks of notebooks full of song lyrics that no one will let him record, there are stacks of books about Chinese history, some actually in Chinese, and the only notebook is the one he's madly jotting down notes in while grumbling to himself.

It's pretty rare that he isn't doing work related to the band, even rarer that he's sitting around in his pajama pants and a T-shirt with his dumb little goatee untrimmed. It looks like something serious has come up, not that it isn't usually serious business with Yan.

Someone should probably make him eat something. Or leave the apartment.]

[B - After his "Psych Evaluation"]

[When Yan returns from being called in to account for his behavior last month, there doesn't seem to be any immediate change. He's a little quieter, maybe a little more subdued, but, if anything, those angry lines in his forehead are even angrier. If you happen to run into him in the hallways of HQ while he's staring intensely at something on his phone, he'll look at you, frown, squint and ask:]

Who the hell are you?

[This goes for everyone, no matter how well you know him.]

B

[panspermia]

[Too intent on his notebook to pay attention before, Greg looks up with a start at the demand. At the sight of Yan, he shrinks a little.]

Oh. Oh, hey. Uh. We never--never got properly... introduced.

[That's what this is about, right? Greg made himself look like a real ass before, he really ought to have come and spoken with Yan earlier than this.]

Uh, it's Greg. You--I uh, I wanted to apologize, about all that. From last week.

[goateeocracy]

[Yan squints at him for a few seconds while he tries to figure out what the hell he's on about. Last week? What about last week? Did something happen last week?]

Greg who? And what the hell are you talking about?

[He's trying to replay last week's events in his head as he scowls at Greg. Everything's been foggy since he came back from leave, but they said they'd fixed the problem, so it can't be related to the surgery.]

[panspermia]

[The ever-hopeful optimist in Greg is eager to interpret that as Yan casting aside their embarrassing encounter, giving him the sign that they can start fresh from this moment. The part of him that's actually paying attention is a little more hesitant at that genuinely confused scowl.]

Um. What happened back... in the basement. With my guitar. I was sort of acting like an idiot, and you called me out, we both got a little heated. I wanted to... y'know.

[goateeocracy]

[He doesn't really remember, but it sounds like something he'd do. In the basement, huh? He thought that was part of the hallucinations he'd been having, but apparently at least part of it actually happened. This is going to take some time to sort out, which is a pain in the ass.]

Apology accepted.

[He wants to ask for more details on what actually happened, but he doesn't want any more people than are strictly necessary to know about his condition.

Wait. Greg...that was the name on the...]

They called you in for a psych evaluation, too, didn't they?

[panspermia]

[The earlier reaction still strikes him as peculiar, but Greg's not one to push after things have evidently been settled. Anything's an improvement after that first encounter, anyway.

He perks up a little at the mention of the evaluation.]

You too, huh? I was starting to think I was the only one. Any idea what was up with that?

[goateeocracy]

I didn't get much of an explanation about what started the whole thing, but they were concerned with some of the things I was asking people about during the party and after. At first they thought it was stress or drugs or something, but they ended sending me off to a doctor for it.

[His face goes dark. He doesn't want to think about how long he must have been sick before anyone found out. He still doesn't want to admit to anyone just how bad it must have been to require surgery so quickly. It still scares him.]

I got a clean bill of health, though, so that shit's taken care of.

[Despite this constant brain fog he's been suffering through, that is.]

[panspermia]

Seriously? They sent you off for asking questions?

[He doesn't doubt Yan's word, it's just... bewildering. A full medical examination over conversation strikes him as a little bit out of place.]

I mean, they called me in over some drawings, so... weird criteria, I guess. Glad you're feeling better at least.

[goateeocracy]

Drawings? What were you drawing?

[That seems strange. That's not at all something you'd need a pscyh evaluation OR a medical consult on, unless the drawing were really out there. And even then it seems a little excessive. Maybe they were indicating some sort of dissatisfaction with the label? The woman he'd spoken to did seem concerned that he was acting like he wasn't content with his current situation at Virgo. Which was and is the absolute truth, but he still thinks his concerns in that regard are completely reasonable.]

[panspermia]

Just some album cover ideas. Mystical ladies, magic lasers... y'know. Metal albums, right? Not like I mind telling people about it, but... weird for a shrink to step in.

[It's not the only thing she asked him about, but it's what she quizzed him on the longest, and it by far stood out as the most peculiar.]

[goateeocracy]

That is strange. What was your inspiration for the pictures?

[If it's the same experiences that prompted him to start asking questions, that would explain why it was brought to someone higher up's attention. Otherwise it just sounds like they were wasting their time.]

[panspermia]

Y'know. Daydreams and stuff, some people I maybe used to know.

[ He shrugs one shoulder, glancing off. If he didn't come right out with the psychiatrist, he's fairly sure he shouldn't go blabbing about it to everyone else, either. ]

[goateeocracy]

Not weird shit you saw at the party or in the basement with those glowing lights?

[He may not remember the details of those particular events very well, but he does remember the hallucinations. Honestly, he remembers the hallucinations more vividly than anything else. He's pretty sure that's not what's supposed to have happened after the surgery.]

B

[yellowcopycat]

Who the hell are you?

[He grins] Sorry, bad meme. I'm Ryouta from Surviving Friday.

[goateeocracy]

[Kids. Sometimes he doesn't mind them, sometimes he sort of likes them, sometimes he just wants to punt them out a window.]

Ryouta, huh?

[He squints at him, then looks down at his phone, doing a quick search for the name and double-checking that. It seems a little excessive to fact check a self-intro, but he's not taking any chances. The pictures that come up do seem to look like this kid, so there's that.]

Have we met?

[Having to ask just about everyone in this goddamn building that question is starting to get a little old.]

[yellowcopycat]

Nope. I've seen you around though. I'm the guy always playing basketball in the gym.

[He cocks his head, not quite sure what to make of this dude]

Are you okay?

never got this notif /cries

[goateeocracy]

Fine.

[He saves one of the pictures that already has the kid's name on it just in case this doesn't get any better any time soon. Which had better not happen because he doesn't know how he can live with the constant brain fog. He'll go insane.]

It's not like I mess around in the gym, anyway.

[That's not at all why he doesn't know, but that's his story and he's sticking to it.]

[yellowcopycat]

[Ryouta tilted his head, sizing up the other man.]

I dunno, you look like you'd be good at it. Hey! We should go one-on-one!

[Because Ryouta is always looking for someone to play with, and this dude is only a few centimeters shorter than he is.]

[goateeocracy]

Didn't I just tell you I don't mess around at the gym? I don't even know how to play basketball.

[He plays three instruments, speaks three languages (and that's only if you don't separate out different dialects of Chinese), has two degrees, and would probably have at least one or two more if he hadn't managed to get a recording contract. That's not really the life trajectory of someone who did things like have fun or socialize with kids his own age when he was young. He hasn't even mastered either of those things as an adult.]

[yellowcopycat]

I can teach you! You'd make a decent point guard. Maybe even a shooting guard. How's your aim? You're too short be a center though.

[Ryouta just really wants to play basketball okay? He's one of the few people who actively go to gym, and no one else there wants to play.]

We could make a team! Kreig would be an excellent Center! We'd only need a Power Forward and Shooting Guard. It'll be great! We could have charity matches against Pride!

[goateeocracy]

Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself, kid? I'm not making an ass out of myself in some charity basketball game.

[Also he's a little cranky at getting called short. He's not some giant, but he's over six feet tall. Not much over, but over enough to count. He's not sure he wants any part of a sport where he'd be at a significant disadvantage.]

[yellowcopycat]

You'll be fine! I'm sure I'd make a good teacher. And besides, it's not like anyone on Pride's side would be much better. Almost everyone's short compared to m- us.

[Nice save Kise.]

We don't even have to be good!

[goateeocracy]

I don't want to play a game I'm not good at.

[It's kind of childish in a way, but there you go. He's not interested unless he can crush his opponents under his heel. It's probably a good thing he never decided to go into professional sports. At least in music, there aren't really clear winners and losers and he has to measure his success in different ways.]

[yellowcopycat]

[Kise pouts at this.] Well, with me on your team I'm 100% you'd win.

Anyways, I can play, and I can play every position. I'm best at small forward, but anyways. The only really serious threat at Pride would be Xanxus. But I doubt he's as good as me.

[Why was he getting so passionate about basketball? sure he loved the sport, but still, it was just a hobby.]

[goateeocracy]

Does he know how to play basketball?

[This is the first time Yan has felt anything close to a slight inclination to maybe participate. If it means kicking that douchebag's leather-clad ass, he's all for it. Provided, of course, someone can drag Xanxus out of whatever drug-induced stupor he's gotten himself into and force a coherent thought into his no doubt STD-addled brain.]