☆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

[sailorgenerous]

Oh. She forgets, sometimes, that Sans can teleport. She's almost certain she knows someone else who can - Twilight, she thinks distantly - but this is different somehow.

She crosses the kitchen, encircles Sans in a hug - firm but not too tight - and rests her chin on top of his head. "You have me," she reminds him with as much calm as she can manage. "You have Papyrus. You have Frisk. You have Luce, and the Doctor, and Rei, and Ivan, and we all care about you. We'll keep you together, and we'll keep you here - you simply need to talk to us."

She pauses for a moment before continuing. "Plus, I don't think the knives are very good conversationalists."

[exhumerus]

Well, damn if these pony folk aren't just unapologetic with their hugs. Maybe it's a cultural thing. This is one of the hugs where he just kind of lets it happen, lacking the wherewithal to reciprocate in a timely manner. Not that he doesn't appreciate the sentiment. Heh.

It's painfully optimistic thinking, though. He's not sure he buys it.

"Whatever it is, it's gotten worse. Maybe just because it's been longer," he says quietly, leaning against her a little. They are just a bunch of sad, tired people, aren't they? "I thought maybe...it was just me. Something they put in there. In case I got away."

[sailorgenerous]

It's a friendship thing, Sans. Get used to it.

She holds him a little tighter when he leans against her, ever mindful of his injuries. "I'm not sure that's the case," she replies thoughtfully. "After all, they didn't know I was going anywhere until I left, and I'm feeling it too. Do you think anyone else is feeling it?" It might be easier to find a pattern if they knew of more than two people with the same problem.

[exhumerus]

He exhales. Since he doesn't really breathe for his health, it's mostly for show. He helped when he was human, though, so he guesses it has a bit of a placebo effect now. He still seems to do it when he's tired, too.

"Figure we should ask FoB about it, huh?" he agrees. There isn't a lot of energy behind the suggestion, but at least he's making it. "There are so many things a mage of that level could be doing... Can't even narrow it down. The magic here isn't like the stuff I remember."

Not to mention, he'd totally failed to experience using it in his time here. Not even a little bit. Well, besides participating in rituals with other people.

[sailorgenerous]

"Probably. Between the lot of us, we might be able to figure out the cause of all of this." She's thoughtful more than hopeful at the moment, but it's a start.

"I do remember a few things like this, but all of it being based in music is new." She mulls that over for a few moments. "I wonder if that might have something to do with it?"

[exhumerus]

If bones could go pale, Sans would be doing that right now. He pauses, and then looks up at Rarity uncertainly.

"...Music, you mean?"

Ohhh god, he hopes that is not the case. If it is, he's been being a huge idiot.

[sailorgenerous]

"Well, yes. That does seem to be the crux of everything here - it would only make sense."