interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK X: PLAY ALONG

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.”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Marty didn't recognize Doc at first. What with the black hair and the ponytail. He's not sure how he knows, but he's only seen his friend with snow white hair; anything else makes him want to raise his eyebrows. His friend's disguise is so good, he can even fool his best friend. Not bad!

When the man approaches, Marty gets a photo and his marker ready, thinking that this guy is just another fan wanting a free album and a download link to one of his new singles. But it's not until Marty hears his voice that he realizes who's here to visit! His head snaps up, marker flying straight out of his hands.

He's expecting to see his friend there, which he doesn't. But the expression plastered on his face tells Marty more than enough. ] Doc?!

....Jesus, the hell are you wearing?

What I need to.

[Doc knows he doesn't have long. He desperately reaches for Marty's hand as if to shake it.]

You're doing wonderfully. Everyone's proud of you. And it'll only get better from here, I promise.

[There's more to his words than he can say. Pride, regret, fear, love...they're all clear in his eyes. He's afraid for Marty, but he can't let that paralyze him.

But...uh, yeah, there's a really important small package hidden in Doc's hand.]

[ Doc's acting kind of weird; to someone who's known Doc for...what he assumes is a very long time, it's pretty obvious. It's something in his eyes that kind of gives it away, or how he speaks. He doesn't ask anything though. Marty just smiles and nods, taking the hand, as if he's going to shake...

...until he feels something settle in his hand. Marty feels his smile fade a bit, but he doesn't dare let it show.

Honestly, Marty doesn't like feeling sneaky. But Doc insists on it, for what reasons he's not sure of. It would make him uncomfortable, but Marty's trust in his friend weighs over everything else. He keeps his grip on Doc's hand enough to make sure that he's got whatever it is solidly in his grip, before letting it settle back down to the table, his palm closed over the surprise. ]

What's goin' on? [ What did you give me? ]

A small token. It should shield you if the lights get too bright.

[It's the same gift of those same silly shades he'd tried to give earlier. Nothing too impressive, but there's a sentimental meaning attached.]

I'll see you soon.

[His smile's sad. It's a promise, one he absolutely must keep, yet one he doesn't know how to keep just yet.]

[ Eventually Marty'll turn his hand around, because curiosity got the better of him. This time when he looks at the glasses, his head doesn't hurt. And he doesn't pass out. He can't exactly remember what it was about these glasses that had to do with his friend, but they make him smile all the same. They seem to scream 'adventure!' and 'action!' and something about cars. He's not sure about that last one. ]

Thanks, Doc. They're great, I mean-

[ He lets his voice grow a little quiet when Doc speaks up again, and his smile promptly dies. ]

Wait, what do you mean see me soon? You're not goin' already, are you?

I want to stay, more than anything. Or better yet, take you with me. But there's a show to move along, isn't there?

I'm still searching.

[It pains him, forcing himself not to snatch Marty up right then and there. He wants his friend away from all of this NOW---what he's seen from Mr. Universe today has been alarming.]

[ That last part was muttered. Marty tries to lean forward, as much as the table would allow, a hand raising to cup his ear. ] Wait, what?

What are you even lookin' for? [ That part he heard right; he knows it for a fact. In a way, Doc was always kind of mysterious. He didn't share some experiments with Marty, he didn't really dive much into his past. He couldn't put his name on what Doc wouldn't tell, bur he knew there were some things that were hidden between them. What could he be hiding here? ]

What d'ya mean?

We can't talk here, too many ears.

[He looks worriedly over his shoulder.]

Even this long is a massive risk...

[ Doc's look of concern is contagious. He looks left, then right, and then nods. As much as he wants to stick around with his friend, perhaps it would be better if he left.

If only he knew what his friend was so worried about. The lines? People could wait. Security? ]

If you gotta go, go. I don't want you gettin' in trouble.

I will. Thank you. When you get another message from me...just use it and lose it, all right?

[He clasps Marty's hand one last time and departs, looking longingly over his shoulder. A little while later, there will be a little girl insistingly pressing a handkerchief into his hand. It's labeled with a flux capacitor symbol, and inside, in messy handwriting:]

I don't have the luxury of space to explain as much as I want to. But your missing friend is safe with us. You'll join her when the time is right---it's dangerous, you see. Everything has to go according to plan.

With the tour coming I'll have to find another channel of communication, but you'll hear from me again soon. Stay safe, my friend. -ELB

[ Marty wouldn't lie, the girl handing over the hankey is a little confusing. What's more confusing is the message that's sent with it, though.

Rarity. Doc was with Rarity?

He didn't know what to think about this. He was relieved, because his friend was safe. Scared, because why did Doc want him to come along too? He had a career, friends who were still in the band. There were fans, and friends outside of Virgo...did Doc want him to give that all up?

Did Doc know what they did to people if they got caught doing stuff they shouldn't? It made his wrist hurt just thinking about it.

He's too busy worrying about those little things to even notice the picture of the flux capacitor symbol, which should stir up a memory or two...but it doesn't. Instead, he's sure to tuck the handkerchief away in his pocket, and returning to his autographs. ]

☆TRACK X: PLAY ALONG

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