BoyBandsEpisode1
Episode One: The Night the Lights Went On In Gethamane
As we begin the game, Smoldering Embers is getting drunk in a seedy bar in Lookshy. Joshi is doing the same in Nexus, but with the intent of fleecing some tourists in a drinking contest (he has to make money somehow, and no-one will hire him as a musician due to his...questionable reputation). Windsong is enjoying a rave in Great Forks (and A2K had a glowstick prop that got waved with much verisimilitude), and Asaimizu is putting the finishing touches on some masks for an important funeral (there was this unfortunate boating accident...).
One by one, they each get visited by a mysterious elderly gentleman in fine garb, who invites them to take part in a sort of musical tournament. Each of them accepts and follows him outside, stepping into a small pagoda-like structure that is then hoisted into the air with a chain (Asaimizu: "Wow, I've never been this high before." Embers lost his lunch over the side during his gondola ride.) and pulled into a gigantic airship.
The boys are treated to a fabulous dinner (and well-stocked bar!) and get the details. In order to qualify for the tournament, they must defeat five other groups, and the mysterious Tour Manager (who drops occasional hints about "our Patron", who is funding this trip) indicates that he's scheduled five matches already, chosen for their lack of difficulty and quick timetable.
The quick timetable will work against them, though: the first gig is tomorrow, and they must have an original song for each new engagement. So they have less than a day to write a song, write lyrics, choreograph dance steps, rehearse, pick out costumes, and come up with special effects.
An intense jam session follows, and an ungodly amount of dice are rolled. The final product is a song of love and loss, "You Are the Scarlet Empress of My Heart," and the basic staging is decided upon. Then more important matters are discussed.
Embers: "We need a name for this group. Smoldering Embers and the...what do you think you should be?"
Asaimizu: "Oh no you don't, bitch."
Joshi: "I will not be a Pip."
After some more back and forth, they decide to become WA HA HA (one of the many J-pop songs I played for the group as prep for the series was a comedy song by TOKIO called "Minna de WA HA HA," and it's become a favorite). They retire for the night, planning to get some last-minute rehearsing done in the morning, before the Airship of Love arrives at the first venue - the tunnel-city of Gethamane.
The next day they hit the arena (a huge cave) early, to check out the acoustics, which, unfortunately, suck. As they are preparing to go back to the Airship of Love for more practicing, they run into a group of five surly - but very pretty - silver-haired youths. There's a bit of a posedown as the newcomers introduce themselves as The Oncoming Storm. They are busily qualifying for the tournament too, although they won't be playing against WA HA HA today. After a snarky comment, Asaimizu (who is dumb but perceptive) notices one of the other boys momentarily goes all pointy-eared with anger. Hmmm....
On the way back Joshi notices yet another pretty young man in blue robes watching them appraisingly from a side-tunnel, but when he points him out to Asaimizu the guy disappears, as if he was never there.
LATER, after rehearsals, the fab four head to the concert hall and watch their opponents perform. It's a trio called the Court of Breezes, and they're okay, but nothing fantastic - only one of them sings very well, although the other two are excellent dancers. The audience is enthused but not driven wild or anything (the song I played for atmosphere at this point was "Super Lover (I Need You Tonight)" by w-inds, for those of you playing along at home).
Now it's WA HA HA's turn.
First off, the Indifferent Musicians march lockstep onto the stage and begin to play. The Indifferent Musicians are WA HA HA's backup players, provided by the unknown Patron, and they are a little weird. Picture traditional Kabuki "stage ninjas" but with instruments. They move and play with uncanny, eerie synchronicity.
The crowd immediately goes quiet to listen to the music, which benefited from a ridiculous amount of successes when the band wrote it (the lyrics received far fewer successes, so the song is one of those instantly catchy tunes with dumb, cheesy lyrics - which now that I think about it is a pretty good descriptor for any given boyband's first hit single).
The boys dance onto the stage solemnly, playing their instruments, dressed in all-concealing black cloaks and Sijanese funeral masks. Embers starts up Passion Inciting Presence (a variation on Fury Inciting Presence that invokes excitement and fun in an audience instead of anger), while Joshi uses Masterful Performance Exercise and Asaimizu uses Graceful Reed Dancing. Meanwhile pools of rising and falling light (like a visualizer on your media player of choice) pulse around their feet, courtesy of Windsong's Phantom Conjuring Performance.
As they reach their positions, they thow off their cloaks and masks and hit the first note of the song, all in unison. Underneath, they're all wearing shiny mirrored suits that look as if someone hunted down and skinned several disco balls to make them - just one of the hundred of fabulous sets of costumes in the Airship of Love's wardrobe (Windsong: "After this we should do a benefit concert for the poor endangered disco balls who died so we could have these clothes.") - and it's at this point that the animas really start flaring. Sunlight + mirrored suits = stagehands dousing the stage lights and the audience going nuts as people start packing into the stadium to see what's going on. More charms get invoked - I remember Husband-Seducing Demon's Dance from Asaimizu and I think more Masterful Performance Exercises. Windsong sends illusionary dancing girls around the stage.
More and more Essence is thrown around as we make it through the bridge and some solo bits. Embers goes iconic with an invocation of Respect Commanding Attitude, a giant fiery phoenix surrounded by a ring of burning ice floating over him. Not to be outdone, Joshi buys a ridiculous amount of successes on another Masterful Performance and goes iconic too - and remember that Torawashi had no idea what his anima was going to be, so she was as surprised as anyone when suddenly he's surmounted by a giant flaming Magma Kraken, waving its tentacles to the beat and randomly snatching up the illusionary dancing girls, who continue to dance along the fiery tentacles.
We head toward the grand finale. Windsong gives the dancing girls fairy wings and they head out over the audience as he goes iconic, surrounding the group with a storm of leaves blowing in a phantom wind, and Asaimizu uses Graceful Crane Stance to make his way to the highest point of the stage, where his banner erupts - hundreds of mirrors, revolving around him and reflecting scenes from the stage like jumbotron screens.
There's a big finish. The Indifferent Musicians' black robes and the grey stone of the stage are bleached white, and many in the audience will be seeing Caste Marks for a week. Stunned for a moment, the audience starts to chant - "WA HA HA, WA HA HA!" The announcer, eyes bleeding, proclaims them the winner, as the contest judge continues to try to climb onto the stage.
The band starts to leave. The audience freaks and begins to chase them and riot. Embers turns and invokes Unruly Mob Dispersing Rebuke as he shouts into the Boomstick "Good night Gethamane!" - and the crowd disperses in an orderly fashion, filing out politely.
As they head back up on the gondola into the Airship of Love, the band sees the snowy mountain below them covered with new fans holding up candles. As they depart, Joshi uses his Thrown charms and tosses Infinite guitar picks to land at the feet of pretty girls...each pick has his name inscribed on them.
So. One qualifying match down. This is going to be easy! Or is it...? The Tour Manager, shielding his eyes as the boy's animas begin to slowly fade, explains that the next match is in Chiaroscuro - "And pick something warm to wear, you'll be performing in a Shadowland."
Roll credits! End, Episode One.
