☆TRACK X: PLAY ALONG

[interdimanagers]

Who: Everyone!
What: Vista City amps up for Pride and Virgo's WORLD TOUR with HYPE WEEK.
When: May 1st - May 5th 2055
Where: Various places in Vista City
Warnings: Could be anything.

“Try to make it look like it's all somehow getting better, 'Cause I know how to play it pretty good against the measure. Everyone started out a little insane, But we learn pretty quick how to fake it for the game.” ☆PLAY ALONG Hype Week is less an official label event, and more something that the media has created in response to a particularly odd situation. Pride and Virgo appear to be functioning in unison - launching separate world tours on practically the same date, launching vast quantities of new material and media events, and making a point of never mentioning or acknowledging the actions of the other. Could this be some kind of collaborative event? A viral marketing campaign? No one is really sure, but the local economy is happy to capitalize on it in order to make it as big of a city-wide ordeal as possible. For musicians, this means all kinds of event that they have to attend and cooperate with - everything from photo shoots, to signing, to music video premiers. For rescuers, this means one last opportunity to track down those still trapped before they are whisked away on a world spanning journey. Events that will be happening: ► NEW SINGLES: Hot new singles are getting released by bands all over the place. While actual concerts and performances are not actually happening much during the hype period, each band is probably releasing at least one new single and hyping it all to hell with one song performances here and there on TV and the like. You can have fun defining that single for your band, or leave it ambiguous! Up to you. ► PANELS AND INTERVIEWS: Musicians will get carted all over to various talk shows and public question panel events - a lot of questions will be asked about the World Tour and its specifics, of which the musicians themselves seem to know very little. This goes for the veterans as much as it does the fledglings. ► MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERS: In which a bunch of fancy music people go to fancy theaters and watch all the new music videos for the new singles, and then write articles about this. This is also something you are welcome to create specifics for. ► SIGNINGS AND PUBLIC APPEARANCES: While many of the veterans and doing things like autobiographical books signings and what not, the newer musicians are more likely to just be signing millions of World Tour specific posters and CD releases. Its quite likely that they are going to be totally run down after all these appearances and preparations - try to stay awake at the table! ► WORLD TOUR PREMIER: This will be covered in a second log a few days from now. For now, the musicians are just being prepped for a music festival to end all music festivals, that will start May 5th and cover the entire weekend. They've been practicing rigorously all month - they'll have to hope they have the stamina to make it to the actual performance. All the while, Gold and Silver have been mysteriously absent. Silver has been here and there, handing out supplies and necessary tech, but guidance for rescuers has been minimal. Gold hasn't been seen at all. Part way into the week, at least, Shep will return with a new batch of rescuers, just in time for the premier! New musicians and band combinations will slowly be announced over this week as well, with some of them being saved for the premier festival itself. That is, any OOC changes made to bands and last minute new members are going to get announced like they are big exciting unveilings, because spin doctoring is what the labels do! ☆SINGULARITY Everyone hearing the new singles will be able to tell that they seem especially ear wormy - extra hip, extra catchy, like the best examples of each bands radio popularity. Rescuers in particular, though, will notice something sort of strange about them. It's more than just song being catchy. People who are not musicians themselves will find themselves being unnaturally charmed by them, as if each time they hear these singles they are being slowly brainwashed into becoming more and more fixated on the artists performing. Of course, this can be stopped by just not listening to them for a few days, but it's hard to avoid when pretty much every public location has been playing these singles non stop. Along with this effect, there are some particulars: ► PREDATOR DREAMS: The Pride band Predator is the same as the others, in that it has a particularly intrusive single that's just been introduced. There is one difference. It may take a while to notice, but it can be noted that one starts to feel somewhat tired and dazed after listening to it repeatedly, like they are somehow drained. The single is called The Spaces In Between and it is somewhat unusual that Cass, the member who usually primarily focuses on instrumentals and back up singing, is now performing lead. If your character hears this song several times, they may suffer some weird DREAMS - especially if they received a dose of Gold's magic powder in the Better To Pretend event. If you'd like to receive a dream, please write "DREAM PLEASE" in your subject line, along with a written section describing an instance of your character having regular dreams that I can manipulate. Anywhere else and I might miss it. ► ESCAPED MUSICIANS: Musicians that have escaped and are now in hiding will find themselves particularly mentally manipulated by the singles released by their home label. They will find their minds unusually filled with thoughts of returning to their labels, as well as increased paranoia about being caught. Any remaining programming will be particularly triggered and brought to the surface. They'll be able to push it down with self control and assistance from other characters, but the thoughts will become more invasive the more they listen to it. “'Cause everybody's so scared, We don't wanna go there. We don't wanna make a move, We got all our lives to lose. Screaming in the dark while we just play our part out. I play along, Like I don't know what's going on.”

Comments

[panspermia]

The idea had been to stay standing and have the rest fall to his feet. Unfortunately, this trick is a new one, and Mr. Universe ends up on the pavement with him. He grunts, straining to get back to his feet again and release himself from his own trap.

It's a small window of distraction, but if Sans wants a chance, this one's wide open.

[exhumerus]

Thankfully, you don't really have to be on your feet to teleport, either.

Sans teleports behind Greg and wraps his arms around him, pulling the two of them into a shortcut before Greg can finish getting his shit together. Or he'll try to, at least.

He really hopes Greg won't have the chance to summon up more of those sparks.

[panspermia]

Mr. Universe lets out a noise, equal parts snarl and yelp. Lucky for Sans, all the rage in the world won't make up for simple lack of fighting experience, and his captive is too wound up to immediately think up more fire; all this magic is starting to drain him.

But he isn't about to just take it, either. So he aims an elbow right where Sans' nose would be.

[exhumerus]

The elbow literally cracks Sans in the face just as he's pulling them through the shortcut - meaning they are pulled out considerably earlier than he was aiming for. He tumbles back as soon as they've entered back into normal space time, in what appears to be a poorly populated courtyard area of one of the lush buildings nearby.

There's a thin crackline up the bridge of Sans's nose, and there's a moment where all he can do is clutch his face in apparent shock, squirming back from Greg defensively.

[panspermia]

Mr. Universe leaps away from Sans the instant the hold breaks, and he takes in their surroundings with a curse. Now he has to find his way back before the next event.

His attention whirls back on the skeleton, eyes burning full of hate.

"All of this is your fault, you know." The sparks pick up again. He won't let this little bastard near him again. "You're a traitor, and a coward. You can't think you're going to get away with everything you've done."

Whatever Greg had done for him before, Mr. Universe won't let it get in his way anymore. This sadsack had his chance. But still his chest aches. "Don't come near me again."

[exhumerus]

Sans could teleport away again if he wanted to. It would be the smartest thing, with the way Greg is looking at him. But he doesn't, because there's something he needs to know.

"What's my fault, Greg?" he prompts, still on the ground with his hand clasped over his nose. His voice is flat and tired, as if already anticipating the response. He wants to know what was done to him, and if he can get any information out of Greg about it, even in the form of reasons for him to hate him, he'll take it.

Sans will take all the hate Greg can dish out. He can take it, he thinks. He doesn't have any pride to wound.

[panspermia]

Unfortunately, Mr. Universe isn't having it. Some of it is seeing through the attempt for more intel; some is being unable to find words for where this sense of betrayal has come from.

"Please. You don't need me to validate your self pity."

He knows plenty well about Sans' struggle for worth. He'll tear himself apart. He deserves it. Mr. Universe turns to leave.

"I've got a chart to conquer."

[exhumerus]

"Then why aren't you tryin' harder to take me in?"

There are no words for how suicidal saying something like this to Greg feels to Sans right now - he would sincerely rather die than risk going back to that place. He should definitely not be trying to provoke Greg into reconsidering. Yet... knowing the answer, or getting Greg to think about the answer, is the only thing Sans feels like he can do right now.

He stays down on the ground. He looks vulnerable. Come on, Greg, show him what's going on inside you head.

"That's... That's what Blanche wants. You know it is. He'd praise you for the opportunity to put me on a kebab again."

[panspermia]

He bristles, still not turning.

"Like I said. I'm not like you. I hate seeing all my effort go to waste." He glances back at the monster, pathetic on the ground. It fills him with disgust. What the hell was it tgat mafe him put so much effort into someone so worthless?

"Now here you are, throwing all that effort I spent on you away."

[exhumerus]

Sans slowly starts to get himself back up onto his feet. He takes his time about it. No sudden movements. He dusts off his pants.

"I'm really not. I like to take it easy, y'know? I'm not a big fan of wasting my time doing stuff that's hard."

He lifts his hands in a shrugging gesture.

"So... Finding out what the hell happened to my pal? I guess that's effort well spent."

[panspermia]

The urge to vomit rises again.

Instead, Mr. Universe grits his teeth in a challenging smile. The sparks again condense into furious starlight. "Hah... haha!" He turns away again. "Then I'll make it as hard for you as I can, pal."

The stars rocket around the courtyard at Sans. Mr. Universe isn't staying to watch.

[exhumerus]

Sans's only option is to teleport away completely - he ends up on the roof of a nearby building, looking down as the stars shower across the courtyard and probably set some bushes on fire. He sees Greg leaving, but this time he doesn't follow.

Instead, he sits down on the ledge of the roof and pinches the bridge of his nose, wincing at the pain the crack causes him in response. He needs to chill out for a while before he goes home to explain this to the others.

"God, Greg," he mumbles to himself. "When the hell is it going to end?"