interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK X: PLAY ALONG

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☆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

This will not be the place and time he indulges in what Shin gave him, but rest assured, it will happen.. eventually. Until then he'll pocket that carefully crafted little piece for later.

"That's a good idea. How about you lead?"

Honestly, Roxas had been dipping into his resources prior the interview. Also, if it wasn't obvious they have kicked in before, they're definitely kicking in now.

Please, Shinichi, lead on.

It seems Shin's gotten good at giving the guards the slip. Practice from avoiding the paparazzi in his world helped him in this case. He slips around and goes up to the top floor and checks for roof access. It's locked.

"I have another idea," he says, which may well be a bad thing.

Fortunately he just finds the window with the fire escape, crawls out onto it and climbs the ladder from that to the roof. He laughs as he gets up here, "I think our escorts probably hate me by now."

Following, not questioning a single decision on where to go and how to get there (fire escape? That can't be safe), he responds once they're at their destination. "They gotta be getting paid for something, right?"

A roof again? He won't complain, the view is nice from any roof.. from most roofs. "They probably hate everything." These are grown people being paid to escort around teenagers high on fame and drugs, at that. How great can that be?

Well, it's a hell of a lot safer than the mausoleum they scaled.

Shin takes out a cigarette of his own and lights it, offering his lighter to Roxas next. "Might as well make them work for their pay, right?"

Speaking of dangerous, Shin's going to go right to the edge and look over with a whistle. "That'd be a nasty fall."

Like an idiot, Roxas will take that opportunity and use it to light that special little present Shin gifted him earlier. Why not.

While huffing on it, getting the end started so it will burn and he can inhale, as Shin goes to the edge, despite the slight inebriation held he's immediately on the defense here. Springing to action, like nothing was holding him back, he's right there by Shin's side at the edge. Just in case.

If he had to, he'd jump right down too. Why? ...that's just the kind of person he is.

"Hey.. how about we make sure that doesn't happen? Let's.. come back, away from the edge. Hm?" As gently as he can, he tries to bring Shin back closer towards home base. Whatever that is.

Shin, at least, hasn't been drinking. Yet, at least, so his balance seems fine. Still, he'll step back with a laugh, "It's fine. I have a sense of balance, and that's not how I'd want to go."

He's pretty sure Roxas would actually dive after him if he had any sense that Shin might actually fall, and with the drinking Roxas has been doing, Shin's pretty sure that they would both end up tumbling down.

"Gotta be careful with the drinks, Roxas, before they end up showing on TV."

What a horrible sight that would make. And one-hit-wonder tabloid entry. Thankfully, the press won't be given that opportunity today.

"Do you see any cameras around here? I know I don't." ...are there cameras on them? For a moment he pauses like there might be, but figures they've already caught the best of the worst, so he'll continue onward with the dipped cig.

"No, I mean when we are on camera," he laughs, taking a drag from his cigarette. "We came up here for privacy, right?"

Thank God. There's a little more ease about him as he roasts the puff, starting back up the process of inhaling deeply and breathing out the noxious fumes. This won't take long to hit.

"Oh, please, they're going to know. They probably already know." Drag. Oh, man. Shame on you for getting Roxas to kind of like this, Shin. "This festival they're talking about is going to be nuts."

"I wonder if they really do." He laughs darkly, "at least the alcohol isn't illegal." No, he's the one hitting the illegal stuff hard. At least he hasn't moved up to crack or heroin.

Yeah, yet. Hopefully not ever though, because Roxas doesn't want to see another friend leave for one reason or another.

"Still.. they're going to want us to play those new songs, right?"

Damnit. It's getting not easy to focus. Keep your shit together, Roxas!

"We should probably do one a few before the end, then finish up with the last one.. then if we have enough time before the set list cuts off, go back to that one we hit before."

"Yeah, but these songs are at least good, right?" He's pretty proud with what they managed to come up with.

"I almost want to secretly work on another if we get an encore."

"I think so," he murmurs, feeling the same.

Hm... another single would be a good idea, it would give them something to do and also raise the event that they'll do another full album. That would look very good to the managers, which isn't a goal that should be put into the wayside. "We should, especially this lands great at the concert. Doing it in secret isn't going to be easy though. It's like they'll be expecting it."

"Eh, I think we could pull it off. At least the fans won't know even if Stella finds out." He is hoping to kiss up to Stella too, since he's worried she might crush his skull in if he pisses her off again.

That is something she is capable of doing and probably wouldn't dwell too much on whether or not she should. Be careful there, Shin. "Let's do it anyway. We got a good momentum going, so why not? Who knows when we'll get lucky like this again."

Their luck has been a little bit on the side of shit lately in terms of retaining band members, after all.

"I've got a few riffs in mind. Maybe an upbeat ballad or something?" He pulls out his phone and flips open an app that lets him write out some music he has in mind.

That's a neat application.. why hasn't Roxas gotten into anything like that yet? Oh yeah, because his phone is last generation. And cracked. "I guess we could, but we have a lot of those, don't we?"

Damn, his cigarette is almost out. "Maybe we should go in a different direction and experiment. It's been a struggle to get here.. still kind of is, actually. Something that plays off that?"

Shin looks surprised, "We do? Must be from before I joined."

He decides to take a seat on the roof. "That's kinda what Virgo and Pride was about."

He pulls out a pair of headphones and puts one bud in an ear, starting to tap his foot to the beat in his head. "Everyone loves a love song anyway."

..they do? Maybe it's not the go-to when Roxas wants to listen to something, but it makes sense for most people. "Yeah, I guess." The upbeat stuff should set a mood equivalent to the music, but for Roxas it's been doing less of that lately. But if it isn't broke, why fix it? "I guess.. the fans love what they love."

From the looks of his posture and affect, it seems like Shin is onto something there. "Got something specific in mind?"

"Because an open wound
always heals faster...."

He hums a bit more, fingering some strings on an air guitar.

"A broken heart shouldn't work
but with works enough that I..."

He hums a few more lines as he smokes some more and looks up to Roxas.

There isn't any background music here, except for the sounds produced by the environment below, but when Shin starts on a few verses it's as if the air guitar Shin is 'playing' was alive in his hands, the sound of the chords plucked accompanying the words pleasantly.

By now his own cigarette is long gone, remainder flicked off onto the roof where it will lay until the wind or rain washes it away. Instead of bringing up another one to his mouth he'll simply cover it, chin resting on his palm as he listens. "..you got more?"

Shin starts writing down some music, "Not lyrics yet."

He does seem to be getting out a quick draft of the music out though. He finishes his own cigarette that was ignored for a little bit and tosses it aside.

"Still, sounds like it's going somewhere." That'll be fun to work on later. Give them something productive to do. They sure need more of that during the day.

"After this is over, even if we write a new song and it hits, or it doesn't, what does the future hold with this kind of life? You ever wonder that?" Why he's suddenly feeling the need to be philosophical about their role in this business, who knows. Blame it on the mind altering junk he's been putting in his system.

"Isn't this enough?" Shin looks a bit confused. He's happy to be living in the moment. Even if his life ends early, he could make something out of what he has right now.

"I don't know, maybe?" As fun as this is, most of what they do feels like a big distraction from something greater, more important. "Maybe I'm getting too comfortable and want something else."

The lifestyle of the rich and famous, or at least semi-famous, isn't for everyone after all. "But realistically, where does it end? And what then?"

..maybe he needs more of a 'distraction.'

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