☆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

[bass_instincts]

Roxas, perhaps unfortunately, is the best friend Shin has, so he's happy to meet a friend of Roxas'. He stands too and shakes Demyx's hand, "You sounded great, thanks."

The lady that had been clinging to Shin looks star-struck. She may or may not know who Demyx is, but he had to be some kind of star to be playing with NP.

Shin points to a plush chair across the low table, "You're gonna party, yeah?" In the last moment he remembers the girl, "And this is Kitty. She's one of the people heading NP's fan club."

She waves, smiling and dazed. She goes back to hanging on Shin's arm almost like she's using him like a security blanket. Shin doesn't seem to mind at all, busy getting a bouncer to come by so he could use him like a waiter for Demyx.

[melodiouspacifist]

Demyx grinned at Shin and shook his hand firmly. "Hey, thanks! I was worried I'd been out of practice for too long. Glad it sounded good."

He was well known, now that he was a member of Flashstep, so she may have recognized him. The power of boyband fame really.

"That's the plan." He smiled and dropped into the seat. "Sure, nice to meet you Kitty." That was quite the name really and he relaxed into the chair.

"What'd you think Rox? How'd I sound?" He nudged Roxas with another pleased smile. He will order a drink, something fruity and full of sugar.

[inversekeyblade]

With the kind of world they live in, and level of fame they've risen to thus far, Roxas should be used to people with names like Kitty or Diamond hanging off the arm of a known working band member with musical talent, but even now it feels strange. Maybe it's that this is happening to a band mate of his, a friend at that, but Shin is.. grown enough. He makes his own decisions. Good and bad. Bad, mostly.

"Demyx, it's like you never went without that thing." There's no padding here, this is all genuine: "That sounded great!! That was a perfect performance! I hope you don't get in too much trouble.." If that came to be, Roxas would feel pretty bad for it.

When time does come for the bouncer, waiter, whoever that takes their drink order to arrive Roxas is going to be a good little party starter and get rum with a splash of soda. Not soda with a splash of rum, which he insists upon when placing his order, but at least 80% rum and 20% whatever.

[bass_instincts]

Shin goes hard, again, "Jack, straight." Someone should check his liver, it's probably screaming in pain and terror. He asks Kitty what she wants, and she orders the same, a little painfully trying to play it cool. It seems like she might actually recognize him and be trying even harder to act smooth.

Shin leans back, smiling. "You wouldn't do half bad in a punk band. I hear Luci likes to kidnap her fresh mea- I mean- new members."

[melodiouspacifist]

He laughed lightly at Roxas and reached out, nudging his arm gently. "Come on, getting in trouble is what I do, hm?" A veiled reference to his past as it was, the entire relationship he had built with Saix was based on him screwing up.

Somehow, that felt a little jarring now that he could feel. He had a rush of emotions suddenly and looked a little more anxious for his drink. It was how he'd been coping, how he'd been managing to keep his head barely above water now that his feelings were an overwhelming mess.

"Considering what I've learned, I'd rather be in a punk band." He laughed. Demyx could hardly believe he'd wound up in a boy band of all things. His musical talents, being what they were, completely wasted.

"It was just nice to have Arpeggio in my hands once again. She and I should never be apart."

[bass_instincts]

Shin grins, "If you weren't in Pride I'd suggest a transfer. Too bad the CEOs hate each other so much."

He can't blame Demyx for not wanting to be in a boy band. Shin knows he would hate it with every fibre of his being.