002 ┼ THEY LEFT US ALONE / KIDS IN THE DARK / TO BURN OUT FOREVER / OR LIGHT UP A SPARK

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Who: Cosmic Indulgence, Flashstep, Junkyard Carnival, & System Shock + Any Virgo Onlookers
What: The Revenge EP is debuting in a flashmob-style performance. Four bands, four never before heard songs, one massive social media frenzy.
When: November 7th
Where: Sinammon
Warnings: ......sigh. Carnies.

The second the lockdown is lifted, Luci springs into action. She's mass texting everyone involved:

It's time. Tomorrow night, we ride at 7PM for an 8PM start. Get your best shit dry cleaned.

There's already an exodus happening out of Pride HQ given they weren't the only ones on lockdown either, so slipping out is easy enough. They converge on the location, Luci makes good on her suggestion and hands the techbooth a wad of money to stop playing recorded dance mixes and let them take over the stage. She can already see one guy frantically texting into his lap as she explains what's about to happen. Perfect.

"You should tell your manager to call in more bouncers and remove some of the tables, this place is about to be packed."


((OOC: Welcome to the culmination of the EP plot! Not much else to say but here's a description of the stage setup courtesy of Garnet for anyone curious, and LET'S ROCK!))

Comments

[sponsorigami]

[ Such is the life of Ivan in a crowd. ]

They really stirred up publicity and gained new fans along with exposing their previous fans to the other bands. Too bad it's not something we could do without appearing like Pride copycats.

[ Not to mention that their cross-bands collaboration ended up with possession and a bunch of crazy. It's a shame because Ivan enjoyed the creative chance and thinks their fans would have enjoyed it too. ]

[giglio_madonna]

Well, I'm sure we can come up with something interesting in our own time. There's no need to fuss over it too much for now. Let's just enjoy the music.

[She settles besides him, sending one of her usual smiles.]

So, any band in particular that you really liked?

[sponsorigami]

I paid the most attention to System Crash.

[ He offers a small smile back. When he speaks, it's clear that he's talking about the band with respect rather than labeling them FoB's antagonists. ]

They're a bit like our rivals being from Pride and in the pop genre.

[giglio_madonna]

I actually know a few people out of them, in fact.

[Luce seems happy about this.]

One of them wasn't here, but... I know some of the others.

[And one of them is going to get into a fight with Xanxus later but let's not talk about that.]

[sponsorigami]

I think I've only really talked to two. Miss Trucy, mostly.

[ He talked with Kido too, but their conversation was... strained. Ivan also thinks he talked to someone else briefly, but he can't seem to remember. His memory has been shaky since his "hospital visit." He remembers she was another girl. ]

[giglio_madonna]

Oh, she's sweet. Maybe you can talk with her while we're here, if you think that's something you'd be interested in...?

[Really, she'd like it if he had some sort of support network out of the band, just in case. Pride might be awkward for that, but... really, it's better than nothing.]

[And Luce likes Trucy. She's darling.]

[sponsorigami]

[ Having support from the outside? Even in his real life, he doesn't have that... not that there is any way he'd know it.

Ivan shrugs. ]

If she wants to. Miss Trucy is probably busy with her band and all the rest of the guests.

[giglio_madonna]

And I'm sure she'd love to have a break to talk to some friends she doesn't get to see often.

[sponsorigami]

[ Suddenly, Ivan looks sheepish, embarrassed. ]

I'm not sure I really count as a friend. We've only talked a few times.

[ Is this Ivan the musician or parts of the remembered Ivan the hero speaking? Ultimately, it doesn't matter because both of them have lacking social skills when it comes to making friends. He's polite and doesn't mind talking to Trucy. But friends? Isn't there something that has to happen first? Something that's missing? ]

[giglio_madonna]

A few times is pretty good! It's better than one.

Come on, there's no harm in it. I mean, unless the talks went horribly.

[Which isn't something to cross out, but still. Luce isn't getting the feeling that's what's happened.]

[sponsorigami]

They didn't, but don't you have to... say you're friends... or... something...?

[ Band Mom, your son doesn't know how to life outside of music and FoB. ]

[giglio_madonna]

[...Oh lord, pray for this child.]

Ah... No, not really, dear. Two people just have to like each other. If she's talked to you at least a few times, generally that's a good sign.

[sponsorigami]

It can't really be that simple. If it was...

[ He pauses, feeling at the edge of something but not wanting to take that final leap. Ivan shakes his head. Don't get distracted by the sense of deja vu. That makes it too easy for the spirit to interfere. ]

[giglio_madonna]

You would be amazed at how simple some things can be that we tend to overcomplicate in our heads.

Just give it a try. There's no harm in that, right?

[But maybe it's easy for her to say... Luce sometimes approaches people like they're already friends, after all.]

[sponsorigami]

It really can be that simple...

[ Ivan's eyes get a blank, distant look to them, and he's somewhere else. A school, it looks a lot like his music academy, but he's sitting under a large bronze statue of a caped man instead of a modern art statue with a musical reference. Two male students dressed in white tracksuits with blue stripes walk past. Ivan's wearing the same tracksuit. The one with long auburn hair pulled back into a low ponytail starts talking, "You're always there alone."

The other student with short, light hair isn't interested in what the first is saying. "Just leave him alone, Edward."

Edward? His name is Edward?

But Edward doesn't leave him--Ivan alone. The other student keeps walking. Ivan looks up in surprise at the boy about his age coming closer. Edward extends a hand to him with a gentle smile. "I'm Edward. What's your name?"

Ivan finds himself reaching out to shake his hand and replying, "I'm..." ]

... Ivan.

[giglio_madonna]

[...Oh. That's not good.]

[The casual ease of Luce's smile slips away, replaced by a worried frown, and she starts to guide him along to somewhere more private that's not so crowded.]

Ivan?

[sponsorigami]

[ Ivan follows without question, without realizing that he's moving at all really. Edward. Edward. That student's name was Edward. That's the person that the ninja spirit wanted to protect so badly. This is how they met. He knows what he looks like now.

When Luce calls his name, Ivan snaps back to the present. ]

Luce?

[ He's pretty sure he wasn't in this area moments earlier. ]

[giglio_madonna]

You were out of it, dear.

[She brushes some of his hair away from his face, brow furrowed in concern.]

Did... something happen?

[Translation: Anymore weird shit?]

[sponsorigami]

I saw... I know what Edward looks like. I mean, the ninja spirit's Edward.

[ Ivan looks at his hand, the hand that "he" outstretched to shake with Edward. ]

They were friends, and Edward was the person to start the friendship.

[giglio_madonna]

So it's not Blanche after all.

[She was right, she supposes. That only solves a slight portion of the mystery.]

Can you describe Edward to me?

[sponsorigami]

No, he's not Mr. Blanche.

[ Ivan is a little relieved that the ninja spirit isn't connected to Blanche, but that doesn't exactly help with everything else he's been haunted by. ]

He looks to be about my age, maybe older, with long reddish-brown hair pulled into a ponytail, and he looked like he was wearing a uniform of some kind. But... my music academy didn't have uniforms, so I don't know why we were all wearing the same thing.

[giglio_madonna]

Long reddish-brown hair, your age... Hmm.

[The uniform is definitely something new. With Greg, she'd thought "premonition", but with this... Luce shakes her head.]

Keep in mind what he looks like. If I see anyone similar, I'll be sure to let you know. I wonder what this all means...

[sponsorigami]

It was a white tracksuit with blue stripes, but that probably doesn't help much if he's wearing something else.

[ Ivan doesn't know any place that uses mostly white uniforms. They'd get dirty so quickly, and the tracksuits aren't the most fashionable thing either. He leans against the wall and looks at his hand again before shoving it into his pocket. ]

... I wonder if he's safe. I--That ninja felt so strongly about protecting Edward because... he failed him before.

[ Ivan feels there's something dark and horrible there. There was so much desperation and pain, something unfathomable to him. It's why "Sakura no Lament" had some dark undertones to it. What a song to be the first he's composed and written himself... Will his next one be the same? ]

[giglio_madonna]

I'm sure he is.

[Even with all the uncertainty happening, she gives her best smile.]

Do you know what the spirit felt like he failed Edward over? Or... is it still unclear, that kind of thing?

[sponsorigami]

[ He slowly shakes his head, not wanting to lose the warm feeling of Edward extending a hand of friendship toward him--the ninja spirit. Even if it's not toward him--Ivan exactly, it's a pleasant feeling. Better than what he's felt lately. ]

It's unclear. I don't know what it was, but it felt like... like the spirit was at fault for not doing something.

[ That would explain the urge toward action, for doing something instead of watching Edward get shot. ]