2022-06-19: And Now, Taking The Stage!

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<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

         The Little Lip Theater, while not the largest theater along the Great White Way of Neo-America, certainly did know how to attract a crowd. This is in no large part to their regular group of performers, the Little Lip Revue, enjoying fame and fans across both the Neo-American colony and the greater Sphere. Perhaps that's why there was so much buzz around tonight's performance in particular, as the theater was promising the debut of the newest member of the Revue.

         OPENING TONIGHT! INTRODUCING GEMINI SUNRISE IN: RISING TSUBAKI

         The bright marquee shone down on the line of ticket holders waiting to get in, and the lights of the lobby shone on those that had already arrived. The doors had opened for the first hour before the show, and people had already started mingling. One one end of the lobby was the concession area, where the peppy Plum Spaniel offered an array of snacks and overpriced mixed drinks (try the Rising Tsubaki exclusive Bushido Brandy, an old fashioned with a splash of sake and a plastic katana through the cherry), and the other end had the gift shop, where the noticeably less peppy Anri Yoshino was available to provide souvenirs, including photos of the Little Lip Revue, which tended to be their most popular product, the signed ones even moreso. Meanwhile, the magnanimous Mr. Michael Sunnyside, the owner of the theater, is also making his way through the lobby, doing some shmoozing of his own.

         Meanwhile, behind the stage, in the theaters green room, the redheaded girl whose name graced the marquee sign sits in front of the mirrored wall, gently whining to herself as crew members did her hair and makeup. Fighting demons was one thing, but there were usually only a few of them at a time. This was gonna be her up in front of over a thousand people! She didn't even know a thousand people! Her mental turbulence is broken up by a pair of hands on her shoulder belonging to one Miss Ratchet Altair, the most senior member of the Little Lip Revue.

         "Gemini, stage fright is perfectly normal. Trust me, youre going to be okay. You did really well in the dress rehearsal last night." Ratchet's hands gently rub at Geminis shoulders, though not enough to mess up her costume.

         "Havin' you say that is a heap of help, Miss Ratchet. You always seem to know whatcher talkin' 'bout." 

<Pose Tracker> Saraven Vai has posed.

One of the ticket holders seems to be holding her emotions in reserve. She checked her ID on the way in while flashing her ticket. The ID identified her as Astonie Buckthorn, a resident of Side Six. She'd been early, enough that she was able to find herself a pretty solid seat in the theatre.

Astonie Buckthorn is a girl of about five foot four, perhaps eighteen or twenty, with short dark hair in a perpetual tousle. She didn't get the memo about the power of sunglasses. Her frames are a simple prescription-looking pair, fairly light and giving her grey-lilac eyes a slightly larger look.

Everyone is excited. Saraven Vai presses her lips together, expression neutral as she glances around her, adjusting the hem of her oversized burgundy sweater. It fits surprisingly well with a set of slightly glossy black leggings and a pair of half-calf boots with modest heels.

        I wonder if this is the sort of place Banagher would go...
        ...Or Trevor for that matter....
        I feel... I feel surrounded by them all....

This is not the sort of place Saraven-as-Astonie would normally find herself, but time spent aboard the Garencieres has made her curious about what the world is like outside of her barracks. She'd taken the effort to sneak in after spotting an ad on broadcast and deciding this Gemini Sunrise girl looked cute, energetic and perhaps likely to draw a more manageable audience than Sheryl Nome. And Neo America, being closer to space, was far easier to sneak into than Tokyo-3.

She looks down at what's held in her right hand. An adjustable glowstick. She preset it to strobe between red and yellow, not being sure which would be most appropriate for someone with Gemini's hair colour but also nicknamed the Yellow Rose.

        ...Texas Colony... that was one of the early ones, right?
        I wonder if she was born before the big battle, or in exile.... 

<Pose Tracker> Gary Biaggi has posed.


        Just the other night, on Side 3 , what wil likely go down as one o the best pop media sensations of Sheryl Nome's career occured and gary Biaggi had to miss it. Why did he have to miss it, that is still a question he is trying to figure out. On the surfae the answer was that someone , who shall remain nameless, made him miss his connecting shuttle from Neo America to Side 3. Suffice to say Gary hadn't planned to be here today, however here he is, tickets swapped out and is looking for at least a little entertainment before he has to return earth side.

         Traversing through the lobby, more then likely overdressed in his blackish-grey suit and tie over a red shirt with one of those Bushido Brandies in hand. Finding a empty seat he settles in the lobby for the moment as he sips his drink while he simply people watches. Every now and then he casts a glance to his watch, not wanting to go find his seat to early. 

<Pose Tracker> Laila Elsayed has posed.


SO WHY IS LAILA ELSAYED HERE...?

Before the show, at the bar, Laila sips a Rising Tsubaki while leaning against the fine wood, wondering silently if it's authentic or simulant. A man with a shaved head and a slightly rumpled suit comes up next to her. He puts his hands on the bar.

"What have you got there?"
"It's the star attraction," Laila replied.
"Looks good."
"It's a little strong," Laila continued.
"How strong?"
Laila took a sip: "Strong enough to send you to Jupiter."

The man with the shaved head laughed. "Maybe I'll keep my head together," he said, and he took his hands off the bar and left. Laila shifted over and if you looked closely you might see a small data chip in a plastic case, but it's probably just her being tidy.

THE REAL ANSWER:

is of course that Laila Elsayed enjoys the legitimate theater.

She is wearing a little black dress that has a flattering cut with a bolero-cut rouge top worn in a manner suggesting a blazer without actually doing any of the form concealment a blazer traditionally does. As Neo-America does not have the habits of her usual home territories, her hair is loose and accented only by a hairpin with a single large glass bead in it, tiny sparkling flecks inside reproducing the Pleiades. After her initial strong drink, she has gone with a golden ale, which she is not rushing through. She has been people watching.

Laila sees someone, though, and with a smile, raises her glass. An initial salute, to go with the murmured "Miss Mass, you look lovely. It's kind of you to invite me. Very kind indeed. Things seem energetic in Neo-America as always," and so forth, interrupted mostly by another sip from the glass.

Her eyes are briefly drawn to a passing man in a red shirt, because red dress shirts are rarely good news.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Sheryl Nome's Earth Sphere tour was astonishingly busy, but it's over now. It's why she can afford to come to a show like this--she no longer has to worry, in the immediate future anyway, about any shows of her own. Having just been in Neo-America for a live earlier that week, she'd noticed ads for the debut of a girl named Gemini Sunrise and noted it with delight to Grace; Grace had suggested her attending in a roundabout enough way to make her think it was her own idea, and Sheryl had invited Alto to come with her.
        
        "It'll be nice to relax and watch someone else for a change!" she'd said brightly. "You'll come with me, won't you?" A pause then, perhaps at the look at Alto's face. "...Unless it's not your style," she added loftily, as if she didn't care one way or another.
        
        Either way, she arrives at the revue fashionably late--late enough to keep anyone from recognizing her, as she arrives somewhat incognito in a trenchcoat, hat and shades over a slinky red dress and heels--and aims to find her seat just before curtains time. If there's a VIP booth in this particular theater, she's there; otherwise, it'll be quite the experience indeed for her.
        
        "I wonder what the show is about," she whispers brightly to her companion. Yes, Sheryl absolutely decided to attend this show solely on the power of the leading actress's name. What can she say? Geminis and Sagittariuses vibe well. 

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        It's been a long, busy few months. Traveling around the Earth Sphere, accompanying a certain diva on her tour, getting into trouble a number of times. While he has certainly enjoyed some moments during this trip, it's a minor miracle he hasn't broken down sobbing yet. At this point, Alto is very much looking forward to going home to hopefully find just a bit of quiet. And that was his plan after the last concert, with his contract ending he expected to be on his way back to the Frontier fleet to rejoin his squad and return to school.

        So it's with a resigned sigh that Alto is all but dragged through Little Lip Theater by Sheryl. It was certainly not his idea to come here. Nothing against the show or its stars. Alto just has a bit of a History with theatre... And while this particular performance is not exactly the same, it's close enough to make him a little anxious.

        Of course, it's all the fault of his companion that he's here, somewhat dressed up in an actually neat shirt, jacket and pants. Dressed up for him, anyway. Alto turns his head to give said companion a bit of a stare. When she'd asked, he should have just said no. It wouldn't be the first time. But he had to admit she's been working hard and deserved this. Plus, for some reason, lately it's been getting harder for him to say no and disappoint her. It must be the power of a galactic idol, wearing down his strength of will. Yeah, that makes sense.

        When asked about the show, Alto is really not surprised that Sheryl doesn't already know, despite having been the one to pick it. Coming to see it was probably another one of her carefree ideas. Though he has to admit he doesn't know either, "Not sure. I'm a bit out of the loop as far as hot ticket shows go. If this one can even be called that. Especially if it's the debut of someone new." Alto just hopes it's not too boring.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.


        Dr Mass, seemingly, has less and less time for fun diversions. Indeed, even her trip to the theater is, technically, work. She is, through a few proxies to throw off the wrong sorts, one of the Little Lip's investors. Which means, for the second, Sayla is engaged in a presently jovial conversation with Michael Sunnyside, which will remain so as long as he keeps a certain play out of his mouth.

        She's wearing a sleeveless full length shimmery blue dress that clings nicely to her curves, with matching heels and gloves. There's going to be papparazzi, and it helps to play the socialite somedays. (Her pistol is in her small handbag, but she's reasonably certain it won't be needed. As long as Mr Sunnyside keeps a certain play out of his mouth.)

        "...ah, but if you'll excuse me, my plus one is here. Break a leg!" She makes her way to the bar to meet Laila, a casual wave to Plum given. "The special, please, then my usual for the show." She smiles at Laila, taking a seat. "Thank you! You've chosen a strong look yourself, I like it. The hairpin is an amazing touch." She knows the other woman's love for astronomy.

        She takes a swig of the Rising Tsubaki, taking a pause. Yes. Overpriced, but not terrible. "We don't get enough opportunities for a night out, and the Little Lip put on solid shows. I'm interested to see this new actress on stage." Sayla is taking her drink... a little quick, arguably. Well, not arguably. Her mental ewalls are up- this is a crowded room, and she could really do without a newtype moment tonight. Maybe that's why she wants to get a little drunk before the curtain.

        "So," she says, crooking her arm to Laila. "Care to escort a lady to her seat?" They too, are in any such VIP section. Hardly a coincidence, though.

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

         "SHOWTIME IS IN FIFTEEN MINUTES. PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO YOUR SEATS." The intercom rings out through the entire building, signaling the audience and actors to both take their places. Sheryl, Sayla, and their companions would indeed be escorted personally by Mr. Sunnyside to their VIP boxes.

         As the audience takes their seats, the overture being played by the orchestra hit its finish, signaling the impending start of the show. The intercom makes the usual announcements, no flash photography yada yada, and the curtain rises on....Gemini. The world stops. The lights are like staring into the surface of the sun. Gemini's mind races through the memorized script for a second that feels like an eternity. The music starts, there's nothing else for her to do.

         She sings.

         The first act of Rising Tsubaki introduces the audience to Iris, a humble simple cowgirl who's just "Rambling Along" in her life, until she meets the wise Sensei, played with stoic aplomb by one Subaru Kujo. As Sensei helps Iris to "Hone Her Blade," the cowgirl's dusty town is left to be overrun by a dastardly ninja clan led by "Master Foot," portrayed by Sagitta Weinberg. When Iris returns, Sensei attempts to fight off the Foot Clan in a "Deadly Duel," perishing in the battle. With a heart full of vengeance, Iris vows to take down Master Foot and takes up the mantle "Rising Tsubaki" in a rousing act finale, sweat visibly beading on her face from the combination of the hot lights and running on pure stress as the curtain falls and the lights go up for intermission. 

<Pose Tracker> Saraven Vai has posed.

The red dress shirt is enough to grab Saraven's attention. Red is just one of those colours that's hard for her to miss. Out of the corner of her eye she keeps quiet focus on Gary, the swath of scarlet enough that he stands out in both the crowd and her mind.

The latter is harder. Even with the scratchy distance that her extra senses tend to experience, the sheer volume of people and the excitement in the room is hard to digest fully. She wraps her arms loosely around her midsection as a slight shift in the crowd buzz pulls her attention away from Gary...

...to Sheryl, who despite being incognito jumps out to Saraven because of that colour and because of the difference in the way she feels.

        ...Red nightjar... you're so brightly coloured, yet you're hiding here, among the underbrush...? Why...?

While there's another nodule of pressure gnawing at the back of Saraven's mind - Oh, there's a cardinal...! - she doesn't have enough bandwidth to focus too heavily on it through the mess of senses and feelings rolling through her consciousness. Sayla is blessedly free of pressure as the alleged Astonie Buckthorn finds herself a seat, not in the VIP section but among the rabble. She is, after all, nobody special, just a humble citizen of Riah.

If nothing else, she picked up a coffee from out front. She settles in between a couple of Neo Americans who are none the wiser, shifting her position a bit awkwardly to touch her knees together. Her fingers poise around her coffee cup. She pays entirely too much attention to how they're positioned, dwelling on the way her nails touch from either side of the cup and the way the heat radiates through her palms.

Simple, centering thoughts. Basic tricks for focusing herself amidst chaos. Isolate a tiny detail and close out the rest for a minute.

By the time the first act cues up, Saraven lifts her eyes to the stage. Outwardly there's no expression on her face, just a mute interest in what's happening.

Inwardly, she's almost probing the actors. She can feel the way Gemini's mind races through the entire script before opening up into song.

        ...Nightingale... you're putting your heart into your song, aren't you...?

She can feel it, like a floodlight trying to shine through the foggy window pane between itself and Saraven's own blunted sense of emotion. She takes it in, her outer ennui broken for just a moment by a dumbstruck look as she tries to digest the experience of emotion conveyed through performance live. She's only ever experienced this as broadcasts - recordings with no mind on the other end.

This is new, and she's not sure how to react. 

<Pose Tracker> Laila Elsayed has posed.


The sight of -- is that Sheryl Nome? Sounds like her and has similar hair, and so Laila must provisionally concur that it is in fact the interplanetary star -- makes Laila smile a little to herself. She has moved amongst the high, but it's always interesting, even flattering, to be amongst those who you recognize.

She laughs at what Sayla says, and finishes off the small glass of beer. She reaches forwards to slide her arm through hers and says, "I would be delighted, Dr. Mass, to do just that." Her hand bumps the other woman's purse for a moment, and Laila murmurs, "Oh, do excuse me," as a small data chip passes its way there.

Thence, to the VIP boxes!

"I don't think I've ever been in one of these for musical theater," Laila observes to Sayla, before settling back to enjoy The Show..........

The story isn't difficult to follow, at least. Laila crosses one leg over the other and rests her left hand against her cheek, a single finger resting against her temple. Every minute or so she gives the audience-at-large a quick scan, but it's habitual.

"It's bloodier than I expected," Laila tells Sayla as the first act reaches its conclusion. "But the mood's not quite as dire as I would expect. They're quite masterful at their craft."

<Pose Tracker> Gary Biaggi has posed.


        Gary hears the curtain call and stands up as he prepares to finish of his drink when he spots Sheryl Nome cross the room, and poor Lt. Biaggi gets caught off guard. Coughing he does his best to not spit take the brandy as he does his best to catch his breath. Taking a moment to gather himself he grabs a napkin and wipes his lips and shakes his head, "Smooth Al, very smooth." There is no way he is going to chase down the pop idol now for an autograph,sides they are pestering for seats to be taken.

         Settling in Gary watches the play with an amused smile, the main character is a bit simple for his taste but at the same time the way 'Sensei' and 'Master Foot' work off each other is done quite well. Joining the crowd of applause at intermission before moving out to the lobby to stretch his legs.

         As intermission occurs he is standing at the bar talking to a couple, " No no, trust me. Her sensei is totally using her to fight his war, I bet at the final act he is going to show up alive. As for 'Master Foot' I suspect he isn't as bad as all this seems. Sounds to me like if they would just listen to 'Master Foot' for a moment she would see that he's not as evil as Sensei said." 

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        To the VIP box Sheryl goes. With a bright smile and a confident step and her hair free under her hat, it's not a surprise that she's recognized despite her ensemble; fortunately, no one tries to ask for her autograph. Considering she came here to relax and enjoy a debut talent, it would be awfully embarrassing for everyone around. Gary and Saraven definitely called that one right, even if Saraven might be confused she's here at all.
        
        "I guess we'll find out, then. It'll be a cultural adventure," Sheryl murmurs back to Alto. She's honestly quite pleased he'd agreed to go; she thought he might not. Perhaps catching on to his own weariness and showing a special bit of mercy, she adds, "We'll grab dinner afterwards and head back to the hotel, all right?"
        
        But the overture reaches its end, the usual announcements are made, and the curtain rises. Sheryl settles in her seat, removing her hat and shades and crossing her legs. There's a couple of other folks in the next VIP box over; she cheekily waggles her fingers at them in a wave before returning her attention forward to watch with a little thrill of excitement. How good will this girl be? Will she become a rival for her later? With a name like that, Sheryl hopes she'll at least put up a good fight.
        
        She's cute, at least--and she *does* sing well. It's an interesting show too, as it turns out--full of action and vengeance. A straightforward sort of story, but given that Sheryl's here to simply enjoy herself, it's just right. 

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        "You're paying." Alto's reply to the suggestion of dinner gets a somewhat amused jab back in response. Besides, Sheryl's the galactic star. He's just the lowly ranked mercenary. She can likely afford it much more than him.

        The show starts up and Alto's eyebrows raise a little, "A musical, huh..." A somewhat ironic style for Alto and Sheryl to be watching, given ithat musical theatre kind of represents a combination of the two's own forms.

        As the act progresses, Alto finds himself uncomfortably falling back into old habits as he gets more critical of the performance. Watching closely, he starts to notice small flaws in the movements of the actors. Gemini in particular gets a lot of his focus, given this is supposedly her first live performance. He quietly remarks to Sheryl, "She's probably nervous... Though doing well for her debut."

        The story itself is not exactly unique, Alto often finding parallels to story beats in some of the performances he's done as well. Though the more the performance proceeds, the more familiar it starts to feel and the more unsettled he becomes.

        Finally, the act ends and goes to intermission. Alto slumps down in his seat a little, remarking with some fatigue, "This is bringing back memories..." Memories of long days practicing his movements. Memories of the rush of emotions from standing on the stage, those lights shining down. Memories of the elation of finishing a flawless performance. Memories of the admonition from his father when they weren't quite so perfect...

<Pose Tracker> Saraven Vai has posed.

Astonie stayed seated through the first part of intermission. She's trying to figure out what she's feeling.

Sheryl at least gets the saving grace that Saraven has no clue who she is, only that she's someone. It's more than she can say for others. She lost track of another red bird - she has no idea who else is up in the VIP box anymore, the dim edges of insight having been lost in the sea of other human minds - but the Sheryl sense is one she's taken note of.

Not that Saraven's anywhere close to the VIP box. She's just a normal spectator of no particular standing.

Eventually she does climb out of her chair - she was the last one in her row still seated. She meanders through the lobby, outwardly looking a bit lost. Inwardly she's not too different, consumed by her own internal reflection.

Saraven has no experience dealing with performance arts or music. There's an emotionality to it that's totally alien to her. Migrating to a spot not far from Gary, she wraps her arms around her midsection and looks down at her feet, not really seeing anything beyond what's churning in her thoughts.

The edges of memories. Some of them hers. Some not.

        The feelings her song evokes in everyone....
        ...What am I feeling...?

She can't put a name to it. It bothers her. 

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.


        Sayla seems to be rather in her element, tonight. She's relaxed, enjoying the show, and paying no mind to the data chip that Laila gave her. She's even not scanning every exit, but she might be trusting Laila to do that. "They tend to go rather in on practical effects. Honestly, I'm impressed with our Tsubaki's little bits of swordplay." Clearly playing to Gemini's strengths- but the story also matches what their background check on her. "And Miss Weinberg is definitely playing the villain part well." Honestly, Sayla's pretty impressed.

        Now she looks out at who is in the VIP boxes. She'd expected to see Chibodee and the girls, but work takes one where it takes one. And the incognito Miss Nome, whose manager Sayla so grievously offended. (Yes she insisted Sunnyside give her who bought tickets tonight.) Still, now her tour is over, they could likely talk charity concert at some point... But she *might* leave that to Val.

        "I think I'll stretch my legs a little." She says. This is of course code for 'pick up that martini she ordered before the show. "And part of being an investor is being seen, for better or worse. What about you?" 

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.



         As the scene is set for act 2, the Little Lip Revue scrambles, knowing they have a scant 15 minutes to prepare, but still sparing some time for encouragements for their star. "You're doing awesome, Gemini!" "They loved you out there, Gemini!" "You were born for this!" This does little to ease the restlessness in the young cowgirl's heart, though that is a pace that will only rest with time and experience.

         As the audience returns to their seats, the curtain raises for act 2. Rising Tsubaki, on her quest to Master Foot's stronghold, is accosted by a bandit named Gonzales, sent to kill her and played by the young Rikitta Aries. After "Dealing With The Desperado," Gonzales is swayed to Tsubaki's side and agrees to help her. The two spend the night at another nearby town where Tsubaki catches the eye of the town secretary, Constance Constant, played by Diana Caprice. Noticing that "The Moon Is Quite Lovely," they share a tender moment under the stars, but Tsubaki pulls away. She has a job to do. Promising to come back, Tsubaki and Gonzales finally make their way to the Foot Stronghold. After "Mowing Them Down," Tsubaki finally comes face to face with the dastardly villain in another "Deadly Duel (reprise)," nearly on the ropes before the words of Sensei come back to her and she strikes Foot down. With the West now free, Tsubaki returns to Constance and the two embrace on horseback, once again "Rambling Along (reprise)."

         The curtain falls and comes back up to allow the actors to take their bows, Gemini coming in at the very end to a standing ovation. Once the show is over, the lights come up and the lobby opens back up for the post-premiere VIP party. The poor ticket taker is running around with a plate of hors d'oeuvres as Mr. Sunnyside talks to the press, biding time until the Revue gets out of their costumes and can join.

          Said Revue are back in the green room, getting their costumes and stage makeup removed and changing into formal outfits for the party. Gemini lets out a loud breath of relief, as if she had been holding it in the entire show despite her impressive diaphragm control. She gets a bevy of congratulations from the cast and crew as she gets her red dress on. "Shucks, and I gotta do this EVERY night? How do y'all manage?" "You get used to it." 

<Pose Tracker> Saraven Vai has posed.

Astonie ends up back in her seat just before Act 2 starts. She still has most of her coffee left. The fact that sipping caffeine at this hour might be a bad idea hasn't occurred to her.

She sits with her knees together once again, her position making her seem like she's shrinking into herself in the face of the colourful performance. The story plays out, and Saraven punctuates her watching with a few sips of her drink, eyes following the performers just as her thoughts do.

The sense of wonder hasn't worn off, but she's trying to find ways to analyze it. She runs the show through mental exercises, slicing and dicing it to try and interpret things logically. It's not easy. Even if actors are performing emotion, underlying it is another layer of emotion.

Untangling it puts a corner of Saraven's mind to work that has not worked properly in a very long time. About midway through the act, she lowers her head and touches her left hand fingertips to her forehead, squeezing her eyes closed tightly as something pulses against the inside of her skull.

The curtain falls, then comes up. Gemini gets the standing ovation. Saraven stays sitting for the first few seconds before blinking as she realizes what's happening.

She stands and claps slowly, her typical air of ennui coloured by a look of slight bafflement.

The lights come up. A slightly stunned Saraven collects her empty cup and makes sure to meticulously put it in the trash before beginning to migrate back out into the lobby... where things have opened up for a celebration she wasn't expecting to be involved in. Again she wraps her arms around herself and keeps to the edges of things for the moment. The others here seem to be able to collect hors d'oeuvres and approach others without a hint of trepidation. Socializing comes intuitive to them.

        ...What do I do...?

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Returning to his seat after the short break, Alto once more finds himself drawn back into the familiarity of the performance. As the hero finds herself facing down a previously unforeseen, seemingly random bandit force, Alto quietly pipes up in a whisper, "Let me guess, he ends up joining her..." And sure enough, it doesn't take long for Alto's prediction to ring true. A clear sign of someone who has received a lot of exposure to this kind of story format. Though Sheryl may not appreciate the spoiler.

        Finally the performance comes to an end, with the actors appearing at the end. Alto joins in with the applauding, though not quite with the same enthusiasm as some of the rest of the audience. Not the fault of the show or the performers, it was just hitting a little too close to home for him. Though he can at least appreciate the effort the actors put into it.

        Rising and making his way out of the VIP booth, he admits, "I imagine they'll do pretty well in the future. Same with the Gemini girl." Alto briefly wonders if that's a stage name.

        But as it seems that many of the audience members are gathering for an after-show party, Alto glances at Sheryl questioningly, "Do you want to attend the party or skip it? I don't mind either way." He figures Sheryl might want to avoid large groups and the potential attention she might draw... Though an second though, that's probably not very likely.

<Pose Tracker> Laila Elsayed has posed.


In the VIP box, when Laila spots that waggle of fingers, she presses two fingers to her lips and then bends her wrist outwards: a silent reply, before the show resumes. (Sheryl and Alto did not seem like armed assassins. Hurray!)

Though-- was she looking at Alto when she did it?

Laila emerges, though she does not get another glass of beer, even if 'fancy theater bar beer' is coming in ten-ounce glasses instead of long pints. She murmurs to Sayla, "It's certainly getting me interested in later episodes. Perhaps I should subscribe; isn't there a season ticket?"

"Oh, well," Laila tells Sayla, "I do like to be seen, but you know how it is; I don't think I could handle real publicity."

And then for Act 2, whereupon Laila really gets into it. She leans forwards, hands folding together -- she keeps up her once a minute glancing scan but the exact rhythm of it erodes slightly, and Sayla may be able to intuit passing annoyance at Laila re: herself when things do not simply settle down. Because the play is really grasping her yet it's not *pulling her in* because --

Ah! The perils.

And the *passion.*

Laila rises to applaud, and --

-- in the VIP space, plucks a skewered piece of Neo-American sausage from a hors d'ourves tray. "Good God," she says. "I don't know the first thing about sword fights but for a moment there I thought that I was going to see someone's head come off. It really brought you in."

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        "Oh, *fine*, I'll treat," Sheryl huffs--but her smile and the sparkle in her blue eyes belies her cheer at Alto's own rising spirits. It's no fun going on a date if your partner isn't having a good time too. Still, she can't just leave it at that either, so she smirks and leans in to purr in his ear, "It'll be your reward for being such a good little manservant. <3"
        
        It *is* a little ironic that it's turned out to be a musical, though, isn't it? Sheryl certainly doesn't mind. She's a bit less critical than Alto--Sheryl's acted as a judge for performances before, but she likes to draw a clear line between public and private--but when he leans in to murmur his take, she nods back.
        
        "Probably. You can see why they picked her for the lead, though. She just lacks polish," she murmurs back. "And experience will fix that."
        
        She continues watching until the intermission, when Alto slumps and makes a different sort of comment...
        
        Sheryl glances over at him. With the better light now, and some of her whimsical excitement tempered, she can see how tired he really looks. Her smile fades a bit, and she leans in. "Good memories, or bad ones?" she wonders quietly. She does smile at his prediction of how the story will go. "I'll bet you dinner *and* desert you're wrong."
        
        She huffs about it when it turns out Alto called it--but she's not really mad at the inadvertant spoiler, considering it a good prediction instead. The vengeance story gains some romance, something she appreciates plenty. The sword duel is well-choreographed, too. The climactic victory comes with the union of protagonist with her love interest. Sheryl applaudes with a smile.
        
        "It *was* a fun show," she says to him as they leave their VIP booth. "I look forward to seeing their names in the news again."
        
        As they leave, though, it becomes apparent that the other audience members are gathering for a post-show party--and apparently the cast will be joining. Sheryl's expression turns thoughtful as she accepts an hors d'eouvre, considering Alto's question. She doesn't want to steal someone else's spotlight, but she *does* enjoy a party... On the other hand, she's not polished up to her normal standard; on the other other hand, it'd be nice to get a closer look at that Gemini girl...
        
        "Oh, what's the harm?" she ultimately decides. "We can stick around for a little while." She smiles over at Alto knowingly. "Just until you get tuckered out~."

<Pose Tracker> Gary Biaggi has posed.


        The couple Gary was chatting with excuse themselves and leaves Gary with nothing more then to replace his drink at the bar and notices Astonie standing alone. Stepping forward he begins to approach but the PA announces that its time to return to their seats and shrugs and heads that way.

         Watching the story unfold Gary has to roll his eye a little at the romantic element, it really didn't need that but then again she is smart enough to leave him behind to go take care of what needs to be taken care of. At the end of it all Gary rises to applaude and exits the theater humming "Rambling Along" , it's a catchy enough tune.

         A small plate of hor d'oeuvres in hand has Gary looking about before coming up beside Astonie, "So what did you think of the end there? " Gary figures while from the ladies perspective he is a total stranger, at the same time it's a party and a party is always a great time to make friends.

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.


        "Oh yes. They sell them at the box office. A hard thing to go wrong with, honestly." Sayla is more relaxed, talking about theater nonsense and watching Laila get absorbed into the play. She joins the standing ovation, because of course she does. It was a good show and Gemini did good work!

        "Ah yes, our leading lady there is something of a swordswoman. The combat choreography to the music is a wonderful touch." She'll need to loop Laila in later, but there'll be time. After the party.

        It is time for Sayla's socialite face, fluffing her hair slightly. "Shall we? It's a good opportunity to mingle and make contacts in Neo-America. The Little Lip can call a prestigious crowd." She smirks. "Besides, you might like to meet the lead." 

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

         "Ladies and gentlemen, the Little Lip Revue!" Mr. Sunnyside announces the arrival of the five women of the Revue, greeted by applause and the flashbulbs of press cameras. Gemini walks through the lobby, waving and shaking hands and giving statements, along with the occasional autograph. "Thanks fer enjoyin' the show, y'all!" Boy, she feels weird in this dress, she normally doesn't dress this fancy. But this was part of being an actress, she supposes.

         "Why yes, we do believe Miss Sunrise will go quite far. She's been a part of our family for some time now, and we're glad to finally officially induct her into the Revue!" Mr. Sunnyside was loudly schmoozing with some local press, and Gemini couldn't help but blush.

<Pose Tracker> Saraven Vai has posed.

Astonie Buckthorn is an unassuming girl in a chic turtleneck and nice boots, hanging out off to one side and seemingly hesitating to engage. She could not be less of an obvious choice to pair up to the Lilac Gale of Mars.

Gary Biaggi takes the choice out of her hands. Saraven's so caught up in her own internal dialogue that she actually jumps a couple of inches when the man in the red shirt approaches. Looking over with her lower lip bitten, she blinks twice, thick eyebrows coming up a little with an outward expression of surprise. "Um...?"

She hesitates a second before glancing to one side. On the spot she tries to take in how others are talking to each other. There are well-dressed people, they're animated, they're smiling and laughing, they're varying their tone.

"...I liked the, um. Hug. On the horses," Saraven-as-Astonie responds, her effort to vary her pitch achieving at most a 5% success rate. There's some modulation but it doesn't go far outside her usual monotone. The smile she offers up is similarly unconvincing. It is small and looks like she's having to strain muscles that haven't functioned in a long time.

It's gone almost as soon as it appears. "...It's really amazing, isn't it," she says, voice a little softer and more pensive. "The way they put their emotions into the way they perform. It must be challenging... you're on a stage performing an emotion that belongs to a character, but inside you must feel something else. Thinking about so many people watching you, about remembering the words or where to stand...." She folds her arms a little tighter before looking up at Gary.

"...Miss Sunrise is very, um. Spirited. And passionate. I like her...."

Just as she's saying that, the women of the Revue arrive. Saraven's attention is drawn immediately to Gemini.

"...I want to meet her," Saraven says, taking a step forward.

<Pose Tracker> Gary Biaggi has posed.


        Gary Biaggi watches the lady answer his question, he hadn't figured it would be that difficult of a question, however with how Astonie seems to stumble perhaps he underestimated it. Then the real answer starts to come and Gary smiles as he listens. "Sometimes the easiest way to perform is to just be yourself. I hear putting yourself into the part is what helps to make it authentic."

         Reading the body language he considers excusing himself, but then she looks up at him and he makes eye contact, "Those with burning charisma are the reason us moths come to such performances. They all did quite good on stage."

         Turning back he looks at the star of the performance entering the room before looking back at his conversation partner, "There she is. Go for it, and remember she is just a person just like you." The encouragement given Gary steps back and lets Astonie go off to meet her new idol. 

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        'Good memories, or bad ones?' That's the real question, isn't it. Some are obvious. Others though... Would they be good memories because he felt good at the time? Or are they bad memories because in retrospect, he realizes that they were just one step along a path that he would ultimately come to hate. Alto isn't quite sure to respond, so just goes with a non-comittal, "Who knows?"

        Despite his own problems brought on by the show, Alto nods in agreement with Sheryl about it being fun. And that the group may just end up with further headlines in the future, though he does add, "It'll probably be difficult though. Live theatre doesn't catch as much of the public eye as SOME other performance types." He notably stares at Sheryl for several moments.

        The two do end up joining in on the post-show party. Though not before Alto jabs back to Sheryl, "Well trying to keep up with you isn't exactly a cake-walk. Of course it's exhausting!"

        The troupe make the rounds of greeting people, Alto running into a few of them and making with the usual pleasantries and congratulations he recalls often being on the receiving end of. When he finally gets to Gemini though, he comments, "Not bad. Keep it up and I think you'll make it as a pretty big name in the industry."

<Pose Tracker> Laila Elsayed has posed.


"Most certainly," Laila tells Sayla: "Please, do lead the way. I'd hate to butt in on a girl who's just done so much, at least without something to justify my effontry." Such as Sayla Mass doing the effontry instead! What a nice person Laila is, perhaps, maybe, not really.

She does not take Sayla's arm exiting the way that she did coming in - and after enjoying her hot dog, she seems to fade a bit into the background, her demeanor rather subdued. She checks her phone at one point, but when the cast comes out, she turns her head - craning it a bit to better see - standing on the balls of her feet.

There.

Laila seems to appear on Alto's left, stepping forwards with a beaming expression (and a brief brushing of her fingers over Alto's wrist - which is, just, too purposeful to be anything other than deliberate). "Gemini! Well, then; I would say you take after your namesake quite well. Your passion communicated itself to me, at least, with crystalline clarity, and this is my first time at your lovely theater. Though I'm sure I'll come again."

To Alto, "Not bad? Do you mean to tell me this was one of the *less* impressive performances...?"

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Who knows?
        
        Sheryl gives Alto a long, lingering look. But for now, she doesn't press. This isn't the place for that conversation, anyway.
        
        Onwards they go instead, Sheryl grinning mischievously at Alto's stare and how he grumbles that it takes a lot of energy to keep up with her. "At least you're never bored~" she lilts.
        
        She turns a curious gaze at Laila when she remarks near Alto about Gemini's namesake. "Oh? She's not named for the constellation?" she wonders. Does she have a predecessor? (Though maybe Sheryl's simply misunderstood her meaning.)
        
        She turns a smile to Gemini and the rest of the revue, though. "It *was* a fun show. I genuinely enjoyed it," she says, winking at her over her shades. "I look forward to seeing where the rest of your career takes you." The Little Lip Revue clearly made a good choice in making her the star. But how far will she be able to take this chance? Only time will tell.

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

         Gemini blushes a bit more once she's complimented by Alto and Laila. "Well, thanks a heap. I know I'm pretty new ta all this, but I couldn't have done it without the help of everyone else in the Revue." Her smooth drawl lent her a natural sense of presence, exuding an approachable charisma even as she stumbled to find words.

         And then there's the Galactic Fairy herself. Gemini's eyes widen and she finds herself at even more of a loss for words. Sheryl wasn't much older than her, but Gemini felt like she was standing at the foot of a god. "W-W-Well, shucks, Miss Nome! Y'all really came out here ta see little ol' me? I ain't worthy!"

<Pose Tracker> Saraven Vai has posed.

'Go for it, and remember she is just a person just like you.'

"...She is?" Astonie asks with a slow blink. Behind her own little performance, Saraven's just as confused.

But 'go for it' is close enough to an order that she's already stepping forward and making her way through the crowd with a single-minded purpose. She somehow manages to find gaps in the throng of people much more important and prominent than she is, maneuvering through the crowd without so much as jostling anyone. It's not easy - everyone wants to get face time with the stars of the show.

She's quiet enough that it's very easy to miss her until --

"That's not true, though."

The voice is coming from just to Sheryl Nome's right. Saraven's there with her hands clasped at waist level. For a relatively unassuming person standing next to the Galactic Fairy and approaching the star songstress of the regional Revue, her voice is remarkably quiet and empty of real feeling. Her posture's more muted, chin tucked and shoulders up slightly.

"I don't think it's fair to say you're not worthy," she says matter-of-factly. "I think you're actually very good. You have a lot of very strong feelings and I feel like they translate to your performance."

She leaves that hanging. Then she blinks as she realizes she's supposed to say something else.

"...Also, um, hello."

<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.


        Well, Sayla is happy to walk through to the party with a lovely lady on her arm, and after a little conversation Sayla does exactly what she said she would. Mingle. Afterall, even the theater is work for her. Other people can occupy the leading lady, Sayla's happy to wander around the brackground, keep others busy. There'll be openings for her to talk to Gemini later. 

<Pose Tracker> Alto Saotome has posed.

        Alto gives Laila a bit of a hard stare. Mainly because of the touch she gave him. But also partially because of her response to his critique, "No performer is going to have a headline worthy performance every time. Especially one just starting out. Expecting otherwise is just going to lead to disappointment. Critics are very harsh. I was just providing an honest opinion. To do otherwise is more detriment than mercy, as you don't improve as an actor, or person, with false platitudes." Definitely sounds like someone talking from experience.

<Pose Tracker> Laila Elsayed has posed.


"Gemini has symbolic aspects," Laila explains to Sheryl, "which in this case are quite fortunate, and which have remarkably little to do with the literal motif. Though I suppose constellations are themselves arbitrary things."

She glances at Alto.

She nods once to him, gravely. "A fair point indeed," she says, before turning her attention back to Gemini with a clasp of her hands. "As they say, you are as worthy as anyone else. I hope to watch you again soon!"

Then: to retrieve another bit of canape.

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Gemini has a good attitude towards the crowds, at least, from the press to the fans. Maybe a little too humble--in Sheryl's opinion, you have to stand tall no matter who you're facing--but she smiles at the implicit compliment anyway.
        
        Saraven approaches and interrupts then, though. Sheryl glances at her, eyebrows raising a hair. Then she folds her arms and nods as she looks back at Gemini.
        
        "She's right, actually. That's not star mentality. It might be an honor--but never say you're not worthy!" She waggles a finger over her smile. "Just a little advice from me to you, Gemini~."
        
        She turns a wry look over her shoulder then as Alto makes his flat statement towards Laila. "...Though he's not wrong either," she adds wryly, waving one hand in a half-shrug. "Artists always need to strive to improve."
        
        Laila herself explains about Gemini's symbolic aspects. "Hmmm... Well, I suppose so," she concedes, shrugging again. Geminis *do* tend to be outgoing, and that's a vital aspect for anyone who'd set foot on the stage.

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

         Gemini blinks at Astonie's statement and smiles. "Well, I do s'pose that's what we set out to do on stage. Er, howdy to you too." She gives the girl an only slightly awkward handshake and turns over to Alto. "I don't got any delusions that I'm an expert right out the bat, don'tchu worry 'bout that. I'm gonna try my hardest to be the best actress I can be!"

         And to get advice from a certified celebrity! "Heh, sorry, that's jus' my country nature gettin' the better of me. I may have lived here for a couple years, but I'm a Texas girl through an' through! An' who knows, maybe I'll be on one 'a yer albums with ya someday! How's THAT fer standin' tall?"

<Pose Tracker> Saraven Vai has posed.

Saraven-as-Astonie glances at Sheryl, catching the flicker of apparent surprise from the woman in red. She still hasn't caught on to the fact that she is standing next to the Galactic Fairy herself. Saraven Vai does not have refined musical tastes, refined pop culture tastes, or refined any kind of taste at all. The name means something to her but she has no clue what Sheryl looks like or how she sounds.

Things do not often penetrate her hermetically-sealed world. Only operating under the more fatherly command of Suberoa Zinnerman has given her the chance to live like a human instead of a lab rat.

"...I don't know anything about star mentality," she says tentatively, "but I think the nice lady in the red dress has a good point. People enjoyed your performance. You shared your feelings with them. So long as that's true and you did your best, I think you should see that as achieving an important thing...."

Gemini offers her a handshake. Astonie blinks once, then takes it. She has a very light, tentative grip.

"...I liked it a lot," she says. The matter-of-factness seems to waver a little. Saraven is trying to express a feeling, but it's hard.

Then she pauses and looks up at Sheryl, blinking rapidly.

"...You make albums too?"

Some mulch doesn't get out of the bag often. 

<Pose Tracker> Gary Biaggi has posed.


        Gary hovers in the back of the crowd listening in on the conversation, sipping a glass of wine. As he watches the group of people there is just something so innocent about it all that he can't help but smile. Then again it was no Sheryl Nome concert, live with their own dogfight included as an after party but still not everyone can afford such things.

        Gary does stumble a bit hearing Astonie's comment about Sheryl making albums but then again it was all happenstance that he became a fan, so on some level he can't blame her. Eventually though he just lets himself drift back over to the bar to wait out the crowd. 

<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.

        Sheryl's smile grows into a grin as Gemini comes back at her with a possible future of a collab. "That's the spirit! Now you just have to make sure you live up to it," she tells her, winking.
        
        She pauses at Saraven-Astonie's question. Then she smiles ruefully, holding back a laugh. "Well, maybe one or two."
        
        Once the chit-chat is had, though, she'll soon make her departure with Alto--before the press mobs her instead of the Little Lip Revue. 

<Pose Tracker> Gemini Sunrise has posed.

         As the crowd disperses, Gemini lets walks over to the bar, taking a glass of water from Plum and taking a sigh. Fighting demons was a lot easier than this...

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