interstellar404 | ☆MUSICIAN TEST DRIVE: OHHH YEAH

☆WELCOME MUSICIANS

And welcome to our fourth TDM! We've got two types of prompts to use this time around: the first takes place while your character is in the process of being captured, and the second is during their first brainwashed rockstar networking gig. The former is designed to be considered 100% game canon if you make it in officially, while the later is more speculative and will only work if you get lucky during label and band selection.

☆THE TALENT SEARCH
These prompts are design to be kept as game canon after acceptance, and can be used as the official story of how your character was captured. Importantly, the kidnappers entering your timeline causes massive time distortions, which means that the outcome of this scenario will stagger and replay itself multiple times before settling on an outcome. This means that after the fact, you character may remember being captured multiple ways, or going in more than one direction, before the timeline settled on a final path. Or at least, they'll remember this until their memories are wiped shortly afterwards, but that's okay! That's what memory regains are for. Read this page for more specifics on this situation. Any powers the characters have will be weakened and prone to malfunction to the point of uselessness.

►A1) THE SEARCH: It always starts out this way, doesn't it? At some point in your life, you were just doing your thing, wherever you call home. Then, all at once, it's like you've been torn from your dimension by the roots. Time and space displace, and it's like you've been shifted one layer of reality to the left - like some kind of subspace where you can see your reality through it, like a rainbow surrealist image of your home. Even if you can see this ghost image of where you were, you can't interact with it meaningfully. Any friends or family are somewhere else. As you begin to wander, without any other options, you'll find that the scenery gradually shifts to ghost images of other places, other worlds. If you wander long enough, you'll even find other people, lost just like you are. But you probably won't have much time - you've been brought here for a reason, after all.

►A2) THE HUNT: It could happen almost immediately, or it could happen hours later - but, at some point, your dimensional kidnappers start to do their sweep. Space Men in black body suits and gas masks pursue you on foot and in small spaceships, trying to sweep you and the other displaced up like fish in a net. Their guns contain a weird pink gas that will knock out most with only a single breath - and for those more enduring, they have the heavy artillery, like electrical nets and guns. The fallen will be sealed up into stasis pods for transport and loaded onto the ships, which seem like the only way to get out of this place by choice. This is where it ends, but are you going to put up a fight?

NOTE: Characters already in game can't really tag into these sections, so try to tag around to other first time character tests if you can!

☆WELCOME HOME
By default, these prompts aren't considered canon, but if after you are accepted and sorted they can be tweaked into working for you, it'll be totally okay to keep them as a part of your rockstar's personal history. This occurrence is something that will be happening in early March game time, but of course, what remains canon and what doesn't will be subject to who is accepted and where they are placed. This takes place after being kidnapped and brainwashed, as your character is first joining their new label. As usual, this is celebrated with a party.

►B1) PLAY IT STRAIGHT: The season of Spring Break has begun, and like most things in Vista City, it's carried out to total excess. This is only one of the first, preliminary shindigs of what is assured to be many - much like the Solstice, celebrations for Spring Break also go on forever. This time, it takes place around a pool, and it's not just with industry people - it's also with a smattering of particularly rich or attractive fans. It's a chance to mingle with all your exciting new business connections - something typical to the high music society of Vista City - but maybe it's not yet typical to you.

For a number of the freshly signed on newbies, this is their first real taste of what their new label has to offer - either Virgo or Pride - and the sheer glamour of it may be intoxicating. Industry big wigs scatter the area, as do performers of all the tops labels and bands, and their VIP fans and investors. Maybe you feel intimidated. Maybe you want to make your mark. Or maybe you're not quite as new as some, and are just trying to get through the evening. Either way, they is plenty of booze available if you need some liquid courage. Yet...is it just you, or do most of the other fledging musicians look awfully grim lately?

►B2) TOTALLY NORMAL: The signs of it are small, at first. Glasses you set down seeming out of place, stuff that almost looks like words written in the condensation on your glass. These little hauntings only get more and more persistent as the night continues, almost like some otherworldly presence is following you. You can feel them lurking nearby at times, like an unusual spot of cold or warmth in the air. None of the higher ups seem to notice but...to some of your new peers, this feels like old news. Eventually the signs become bolder, and at some point in the evening you'll hear it whispered in your ear or written on the bathroom mirror: "Remember."

►B3) REMEMBER: And you do. It strikes you suddenly, a feeling like a foreign presence straying through your mind. You remember something of your past, pertaining to the emotional affinity Love, Duty, Passion, or Hope - whichever feeling describes the person you used to be best. Except you know nothing of that life now, nothing except this single, strange thought in a room full strangers.

NOTE: Current characters definitely go to this party in earlier March, but it isn't required play. Besides the usual hauntings and meeting new characters, it is considered business as usual. Pride Records and Virgo Entertainment's employees are uneasily coexisting, pretty much because they have to in order to keep up appearances. Body guards are out in full force. It's sort of tense.

☆HELPFUL INFO
► Follow the mod plurk for updates: interstellar5555
► Check out the game NAVIGATION
► Check out the RESCUER TDM
► Ask the mods some QUESTIONS
► Reserves open on February 27th at 12:01AM EDT
► Applications open on March 4th at 12:01AM EDT

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Rei tips back her head in a quiet laugh, offering her hand to the strange girl. She remembers moments like this, those first few parties.]

You start by finding a place to sit and collect your thoughts. That's the first thing. C'mere, I'll show you a place to do that. Mother...Luce...she scopes out places like that for me when we get to a party.

[The name, Luce, might ring a bell. She's a famous singer, and Flowers over Bones was fairly popular nowadays.]

It's alright, I don't bite.

Luce? From Flower over Bones? You know her?

[Makoto looks at the other girl and at the offered hand. Of course she knows her. She looks like she fits right in this place. Like she was made to flitter around with all the other pretty people.

Hesitantly, she takes her hand because the thought of a quiet corner where she's not so daunted sounds like the best thing ever.]

I'm not so sure yet, but I'll take your word on the whole not biting thing.

Of course I do. [Rei laughs, a musical tinkling sound devoid of anything but genuine delight.]

She's my bandmate. I'm Rei, from Flowers over Bones. The violinist.

[Hand accepted! Good. The smaller girl tugs gently, directing them towards an alcove.]

It's for serving staff but...they never mind me recovering.

But! You're my age! I thought you would be older!

[Makoto's in such a shock that she lets the other girl lead her away from the crowds.]

Oh, I never thought of that. [God, could she sound like any more of an idiot in front of Rei? Probably.] So, you hide at these parties until you're ready to go out. I never would have imagined that. I've seen you in concert before. You seem so confident with everyone's eyes on you.

Hah, no, I'm eighteen, but Pao-Lin is even younger.

[Smiling sadly, she slips into the side room and let's go, taking a seat on a high back plastic chair and studying Makoto. ]

I am better on stage, but that's an act. I don't do people much, though performing helps. It's weird, like I can be feeling drained, but play a song and I'm all me again.

What about you? I heard that there'd be some new talent coming.

Edited 2016-02-25 20:43 (UTC)

Oh, I didn't know. It's so hard to tell sometimes because of the clothes and make up everyone wears. [She looks down at her clothes with a bit of a bashful smile.] I guess I look like my age though.

Oh, yes, I'm new. [In case the sax tightly clenched in her fists doesn't give her away.] I play jazz sax.

[She gives a nervous giggle.]

[Rei shakes her head, offering the girl a little smile, gesturing to another chair.]

What's your name? Who...do you play with? Virgo? Pride?

[With a shaky smile, Makoto takes the open seat and tries to calm her breathing again.]

My name is Makoto Kino. And I was just signed to Virgo last week. I think I'm supposed to getting bandmates, but I haven't met any of them.

[She looks out at everyone at the party.]

I hope they're nice.

I'm sure they will be.

[Smiling kindly, Rei folds hands in her lap.]

I'm in Virgo as well, you know. So you'll be seeing a lot more of me. It's nice, really. There's not a single bad person in the new batch of musicians. I know you'll find yourself welcomed with open arms.

Well, that's good to know. I guess if I know at least one person, it'll make it easier, right?

[Babbling? Her? Never.]

I haven't really seen many of the other new people. I guess they're acclimating better than me.

That or your a forerunner. They do that sometimes, tossing people into the mix to see how they respond before giving them a band.

[Sax though, maybe she'll end up in Bill Cipher's band?]

How long've you been playing?

Forerunner? I don't think I can do that. I've never really been a leader type.

[The question throws her off for a minute. How long had she been playing the sax? She feels like she should know the answer to that without having to think it through so hard. Or it giving her a sharp, stabbing pain behind her eyes.]

A while? I can't remember when I started. It feels like forever ago though.

No no, first boots on the ground. Reconnaissance.

[You seem good at that at least. Makoto's confusion strikes a chord in Rei though, and she reaches a hand out to settle it on her shoulder.]

Hey. You okay? You look a little green. Want some aspirin?

[Was she like her? Abducted?]

Oh, yes, that sounds a bit better for me.

[She's definitely comfortable backing someone else's play, so long as it makes sense to her.

She turns her head to look at the musician and lets out shaky breath.]

No, no thank you. I'm fine, I think I'll be okay. Sudden pain, gone now.

[But where did it come from?]

You sure?

[She's already passing over a water bottle anyway.]

Could be dehydration. Drink some water, Makoto.

I think so.

[She takes the bottle anyway, sure that it can't hurt.]

Thank you. I don't know what's wrong. I was fine before.

Sometimes weirdo stuff happens, bodies are bodies after all.

[She clasps her hands around her knees]

So, stop me if this is prying, but has anything else gone funny since you signed with us?

[She stops in the middle of taking a drink, confused.]

I... like what?

Oh, just...strange noises mostly. Like, maybe someone's trying to play a prank or something?

☆MUSICIAN TEST DRIVE: OHHH YEAH

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject