Afryse set each skate onto the ice and pushed off. The metal hissed against the slick surface, gliding him center stage where a large spotlight snapped on. His outfit was a little flashy, but it would be alright. It had to be.
The arena had been transformed into an ice rink. On scaffolding sry in a semi circle were the large banners. Each of these were emblazoned with the logos of their sponsors.
A deep water purple: “Alternia Needs Heroes - Lorata" A shade off, still a rich purple, but neither NEAR the water: “It's fast, it's furious, it's luxurious - Eridia" A rich green color, not as cool as the purple, but still vibrant in its own right, hung beside the other two: “No meal is too big, no troll is too small! - Calida”
A soft announcement spoke then, carrying over the rafters, “From Chittentown - Sparkling Snow!”
Turning, Afryse held his arm out as the first musical bar of their impending duet began.
Here it was. The end of the competition. A last hurrah, so to speak. And after recent...interesting events, it seemed their? Relationship? TV relationship? Was coming to a forefront for the ending. It certainly was adding a new dimension. Mera stepped out and onto the rink set up for the two of them. An ice rink, of course. She slid out, quietly and gracefully, hearing the blades under her feet cutting into the fresh sparkling surface. Of course she was dressed perfectly appropriately for such a thing. What little time they had was basically spent practicing to be able to ice skate at all, and the recording session for their song. Mera had hoped that the one time she went to the Skate Queen with Elidae would help in any way, shape, or form, but that hadn’t been the case. At least by now she didn’t wobble anymore.
The music started, the lights were on them both, and she was ready to fall in love.
“Wintertime winds blow cold the season”
She arced around.
“Fallen in love, I'm hopin' to be Wind is so cold, is that the reason?”
She reached out to him.
“Keeping you warm, your hands touching me”
“Come and dance with me, my dear.” Afryse took her hand, slowly leading them to the center of the skating rink. They didn’t need to show off any fancy moves, nothing beyond gliding around on the element. In their element.
She curled into him. “Winter’s so cold this year”
“You are so warm.” A hand up on his cheek. “My wintertime love to be.”
Afryse pulled back, moving until only their fingertips touched. Taking a steadying breath, he held both arms out, summoning the ice from the air. It was difficult to control both the flow of small particles, their twinkling crystals catching the spotlight, as well as remain balanced enough to skate. “Winter time winds blue and freezin' Comin' from northern storms in the sea.”
His eyes glanced over to the Mera, making sure he was all right. Was going to be all right. One last hurrah.
“Love has been lost, is that the reason? Trying desperately to be free.”
She could add her own ice. She could always add her own ice. But Mera did not want to show that off when there were other things to shine for. And her powers weren’t as stage-worthy as Afryse’s anyway. The snow he created as they stood there, frozen in time, was beautiful. He was doing so well. At the tail end of the flurry, Mera passed around him again, to then take hold of his other hand. “Come with me, dance, my dear.”
“Winter’s so cold this year.” He rested a hand upon her hip, drawing in close. Adrenaline buzzed through his body, thrumming against every inch. It was going well. Surprisingly well.
”And you are so warm,” she breathed, looking up at him.
It was a performance. Just a performance. It didn’t mean the heat he felt was real. Just… Just a show. “My wintertime love to be.”
And then, in unison.
La, la, la, la
Come with me dance, my dear Winter's so cold this year You are so warm My wintertime love to be
Afryse kept a firm hand on Mera’s hip as he escorted them towards the platform. With a satisfying hiss, they sank down. Like falling into the depths of the earth. If his father was here… What would he think? What would he say? Afryse kept the ideas at bay as he changed and prepared for part two.
The moment on the elevator down with the hand on her hip felt like it lasted for hours. But not in a bad way. No time to talk about it, though. She rushed to get on her outfit then return to the elevator again, prepared for the next song to start. And she had to be careful to not trigger it too quickly. As they went back up, again, she held onto his hand. As the lights appeared again, she squeezed Afryse’s hand. She even chilled it a little bit.
The lights were more open, gilding everything in soft yellows. Afryse tried to move smoothly, despite the thickness of the suit he wore. He had refreshed in the pit, and now was ready for the talent show. Ice cracked at his fingers, the chill nipping at them playfully, happily. Music began to play, and it was time to start. The squeeze of his hand drew his attention. He returned it, giving his partner a brief and reassuring smile.
It started up, up tempo compared to the last song. It didn’t take long to start stepping and shaking in sync, and then into her first twirl. Her outfit wouldn’t change yet, if it was done up properly. At this point, triggering early would be acceptable, but not preferred. But the dress held out, and it looking like she was just doing a fancy yet dizzying move with her person stretched out from Afryse just to spin back in. It wouldn’t be until the next big bombastic part that she would make sure it triggered. The real nice thing for this dance, though, was that for the first time she was really allowed to drop the persona a little bit and actually smile at Afryse as they got to do this.
She was smiling and it was nice. Nicer than that. Like a drink of water in a dessert. For the first time Afryse let himself believe that the flirting might be partially true. Just partially.
As she turned, he focused. Flower and creeping vines danced up her dress, spider web thin and crackling into a fine mist. Better and finer than glitter ever hoped to be, and more telling of his skills.
He joined her, moving to match her steps and rhythm. As in all things, she was leading the way.
More snow. From someone self-assured with his powers, owning it. She was proud, yet felt an unexpected twinge of envy. Mera pushed the feeling away. It was the moment that mattered. More dancing was to be had next, with legs that weren’t used to that. But she’d have to carry through. Follow the pattern, the beat, the tempo. Then the moment they rehearsed for. During the most important part of the song, she did a tug and her outfit completely transformed. She twirled it out, fighting the wish to look to make sure it was going right. Instead, she kept eye contact with her partner.
And then her dress was different. A new side, just as dazzling as the last. Afryse took his moment to do the same, twisting and tugging the inseam of his loosely sewn suit. Hemera had walked him through it. Tug here. Step there. Pull off. Step. Easy.
He was in a different one, her teal strong in color on his clothes. It fit nicely, giving him a feeling of being owned and that was… that was..
Something. Afryse didn't have the energy to examine. The song was closing, his heart twisting and turning. Over soon. Over and back to normal. She would be his friend, but the heat would go away like a winter storm had leached it all. His greed surged.
That was his.
Without thinking, Afryse slid his arms around her, supporting his partner's back as he pushed her into a dip. And for a second, a blip, he thought about righting her. Of letting it all go quietly into the story of their performance. Something they would laugh over and joke about. Remember the time we almost… it was fun to pretend we were… it could all go away.
But this was his.
And without more thought than “let this remain" - he kissed her. Firm and without quiver.
Oh. Oh. Her thinkpan could barely process it as she came back up. Instead of just measured eye contact, she was staring in honest shock. So that’s how it was. Mera felt tingly, and she was sure it had nothing to do with ice. Then, as the music faded away, she remembered she had a cue. Almost missed it, even. “A cold touch hides great passion,” she announced as her final statement to the audience. But barely.
“Impermanent art is the most beautiful.” It sounded like a response and not his catchphrase, whispered out of a bright, blinding grin.
After all that, as they left the stage and her microphone was off, she mumbled to him, “About time.”
“About.”
Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2017 11:56 pm
Ⅱ Seraph
Following Sparkling Snow's performance, the stage was pitch black. A silence had settled over the crowd, and in it you could have heard pin drop. Down below, Autumn felt her pump biscuit beating a mile a minute. She had every second of the last week in preparation for this moment and yet despite that she could not convince herself that she was ready. Sweat bled down through her make-up, as she considered all things that could possibly go wrong. She could trip, she could fumble the lyrics, fumble the choreography, the lights could fail, her dress could catch on something...
The list went on and on. Autumn's hands felt warm and clammy. She squeezed them into fists and a chill settled in her stomach. Her body seemed to flush between hot and cold. Chiding herself for worrying, Autumn tried to turn her focus to her breathing. In and out, she told herself. In and out. Her pump biscuit slowed. She closed her eyes. The air felt hot in her lungs. Yup. She was going to throw up.
“... And next up from Chittentown, the dazzling, the beguiling, enchantress on wings... I present to you Seraph!”
Autumn sucked in her breath. Her expression turned steely. Her moment had arrived, and there was no turning back. She would either crash and burn, or she would shine like the star she was meant to be. One way or another though, she would light up the night; of that she was sure. The elevator jerked beneath her and began to ascend. It was time.
In the blackness of the stage, a guitar began to play. Its performer though in silhouette was illuminated by neon purple light. Two seconds later a spotlight opened up centre stage. Autumn rose into the limelight, singing.
“There's an 'S' under my clothes, on my chest where nobody else can see...”
Eyes closed, head down, and hands clasped over her chest, the yellowblood looked quiet and demure, She wore an unassuming costume, a plain leotard with a ragged sheer skirt. Once more, she had done her hair up in pigtails. Both her attitude and outfit were a far cry from the flashy and glamorous persona she had established earlier in the competition. By comparison, she appeared homely and drab. One might have even written off her earlier performance as a fluke. To any watching carefully however, the yellowblood maintained a kind of subdued energy that belied her modest entrance. She continued.
“I light up when the doors are closed. I am free.”
Autumn's eyes opened, and when they did, her gaze was electric. She lifted her head to face the audience. She wore the ghost of a smile on her lips. As she continued singing, she allowed her hands to fall from her chest, and reached out to the audience. Though she could not see the crowd from within her slender circle of limelight, she offered them a playful wink. The lights began to slowly build, filling the stage with colour. Her body swayed in time with the escalating beat.
“I'm a bad a**, jumping off the moving train. I'm a Jane Bond, putting all the guys to shame. I'm a wild card, and I'm gonna steal your game; You better watch out.”
At the last line, Autumn turned to where she knew Aandes and the rest of the judge's panel watched her. She flashed a coquettish grin that said: Get on my level. It was all but an outright challenge. The look only lasted for maybe a second before the chorus began. Returning her gaze to the audience, Autumn raised her arms and flared her wings. At that exact moment, jets of fire burst from either side of the arena. The backdrop came to life suddenly, gold lights flickering on and off behind alternating tiles. The stage erupted into light.
“I'm a fire starter! Make your blood run faster. I melt hearts like water. Yeah, yeah! Oh, yeah, yeah!”
Autumn held the pose through the first half of the chorus, slowly lowering her arms, but as the music built in the second half she began to dance, swinging her body to the beat. Her dress fluttered around her. Overhead LEDs flashed in time, pulsing in a variety of colours. Several spots shone down on Autumn, and another on a certain rock 'n roll purpleblood in the background, shredding on a guitar. The air seemed to vibrate with sound. Then as the chorus finished, everything returned to as it had been before. Only the background remained, though stagnant.
At the start of the second verse, Autumn lifted her dress and swished it from side to side. “I might look all innocent,” she sang. She clasped her hands over her pump biscuit. “But the embers are burning inside of me, and I'm ready to take that step. Can't you see, can't you see?” Starting near her feet, her dress began to glow and fill with colour.
The music picked up again, and as it did the lights flashed in time, creating a checker pattern over the stage. Autumn hopped from light to light on the downbeat, and each time her dress lit up a little brighter, turning to orange, white and gold. Soon, it resembled living flames, flickering around her person. Autumn landed centre stage and planted her herself.
“I'm a wild card; I'm about to take my aim.” Middle and index finger extended, Autumn raised her hand in front of her, pointing above the heads of her audience. “You better watch out, watch out.” She flicked her hand upwards, as though firing a shot, then blew across her fingertips. She winked. A second later there was a boom overhead as a firework burst over the audience.
With the return of the chorus, the stage once more erupted into light. A strobe kicked in, and Autumn's dress pulsed in a rainbow of colours. A half a dozen dancers joined her from the wings, black sequined leotards glittering under the lights. Keeping in time with the music, Autumn flourished one hand to the left. Sparks seemed to appear from her hand and then burst into flame. She repeated the motion on her right side with the same effect. Then, with her arms outstretched on either side, she turned her face towards the sky. Glitter came down around her like falling embers. Flapping her wings, Autumn rose to meet them. About twenty feet in the air she twirled herself in the sparkling light. Suddenly the music dropped out and the strobe stopped flashing. Only the guitar still played.
“There's an "S" under my clothes, On my chest where nobody else can see...”
Autumn lingered on the note, her eyes staring past the crowd and beyond the walls of the coliseum. She took a deep breath. The music came back in full swing as did the lights. Repeating the chorus, Autumn swooped over the audience. Like before, she made grand flourishes with her arms and illusory flames appeared. The fires dispersed over the crowd, morphing into golden moths that burnt up and faded away. She made a full round about the arena before returning centre stage, just in time the for the chorus to finish. The stage abruptly went black.
She stood alone in a single, white spotlight. An echo of the beginning of her performance.
“... I'm a fire starter.”
- - - - -
After a short break to get the props, costumes, and set in order (not to mention letting Autumn catch her breath!), the show was back in full swing. A pop beat began to play over the speakers as the elevator returned to the stage, this time bearing a curtained off ring. An announcement blared on top of the music.
“And now featuring a series of designs inspired by this evening's sponsors...!”
Mist began to spill out from beneath the curtain. Lights appeared on the floor, forming a runway. The spots overhead swivelled in synch to illuminate a golden carpet that sprawled all the way to the end of the stage. The announcement continued.
“First up, a piece called Something Wicked from the Underworld, and I tell you, it's something else! But don't take my word for it—have a look for yourself!”
Right on cue, Autumn strode out from between the curtains. The audience could not have asked for a more dramatic transformation. She had done away with the ruffled dress from her performance only five minutes before and gone with a short, flashy, skin tight dress bedazzled with white sequins, accompanied with a pair of tall high heels. Her hair was done up in four spunky pigtails interlaced with pulsing lights and glitter. As she made her way down the runway she grooved to the beat and regarded the audience with a kind of coy mischief.
“Of course, where there is wickedness, there is also goodness, and this next piece is nothing short of heroic. Glory in Glamour from Lorata Gorgos!”
At the end of the runway, Autumn pulled at the collar of dress and before the crowd's eyes, it unfolded into a new, entirely different garment. The gown reached all the way to the floor, with a sizeable train. It was as black as the night sky, but shimmered in the stage light. Autumn bevelled and struck an elegant pose before returning down the runway. She vanished behind the curtains.
No more than ten seconds passed before she reappeared. While elaborate, the outfits and their had been designed to come on and off quickly. Any longer than ten seconds and she risked losing the interest of her audience. Special effects could only keep their attention for so long.
When she emerged once more she wore what looked like a swanky but comfortable leather jumper studded with rhinestones. The announcer continued to provide commentary on each of the designs, tying them in with their respective sponsors. From the Eridia inspired jumper, Autumn went into a Phoenix Down inspired gown, complete with feathers modelled after the greenblood's very own lusus, unveiled all at once simply by unpinning the jumper at the shoulder. Next she donned a mystic looking robe, bejewelled with crystals and glass from Stemma, that revealed a much softer (and creamier) interior, inspired by the cupcakes from Cerise's bakery. On and on it went, with Autumn playing an appropriate role for each outfit.
Green Minuet
Greedy Trickster
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tenaciousgadabout
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2017 11:57 pm
The lights onstage dimmed as the previous act finished. Li’l Mak’s was slated to jump right in, no announcement. The center platform rose with Mak perched on it, waiting for the musical cue. As she moved up, the purplebloood could see the crowd, more lit than she was on stage for the moment.
Well there’s no chickening out now I guess!
The music began, and two lights brightened behind her, her silhouette now facing the crowd.
”This one goes out to Stemma, Chiara, everyone that took the time to meet with me, and most importantly my voice coach, I hope she understands why I was always so late to class now!”
”I Missed The Bus”
For your listening pleasure!
Ooooh hahaha I missed the bus,I missed I missed the bus, I missed the I missed ,I missed the bus I missed the bus,I missed I missed the bus I went to bed late but I didn't think late would effect me Early came around then late wouldn't let me Wake up, wake up, so I can get dressed I guess my body was mad cause I gave it no rest And when I finally did awake it was a quarter to 8:00 Jumped in the shower and I know I was late Stepped out put on my jeans and my uni' And said to myself if I miss school I'm ruined But I ran down hill and I rushed, rushed I ran down the hill tryin to catch the bus Now I'm hopin to myself everything is cool Standin on my block like a fool (ohh) But (one) I'm all alone and (two) the bus is gone (three) if I miss school this weekend I'll be at home Can somebody come real fast to my rescue I'm stuck at the crib and I don't know what to do I missed the bus (ohh) I missed the bus I missed the bus (ohh) And that is somethin I will never ever ever do again [x2] I was up, he was up but I laid back down Thinkin I could chill 'til the time came around And I did, he did but a little too long Cause when I woke up yo the bus was gone I almost broke my neck, tryin to get out the door And I chased the bus 'til my feet was sore On the trail, the tail but I couldn't catch up I guess it must have been my day for me to have bad luck Cause I lost my lunch money, book bag busted Scuffed up my sneakers and I'm really disgusted And when I got to school it was the same old thing Stepped in the class and the school bell rang It was nothin I could do, I tried to explain But the teacher treated me like I was playin a game You lose, you lose the day was a no win I learned to never miss my bus again I missed the bus (ohh) I missed the bus I missed the bus (ohh) And that is somethin I will never ever ever do again [x2] Ohh [x4] I missed the bus (ohh) I missed the bus I missed the bus (ohh) And that is somethin I will never ever ever do again [x2] I missed the bus (ohh), I missed I missed the bus, I missed the I missed, I missed the bus (ohh) And that is somethin I will never ever ever do again I missed the bus (ohh), I missed I missed the bus ohh
The two lights grew as the house lights came up, revealing them to be the tell-tale headlights of a Scuttleshuttle, or at least a fake cutout of one. The speakers pumped out a layered over prerecording of small rapper’s voice, forming a choir of school children.
”Ooooh hahaha I missed the scuttle, (I missed the shuttle) I missed the scuttle, (I missed the shuttle)”
The purpleblood was clearly adorned in her purple hat and her trademark golden jacket, but over her purple overalls was what appeared to be golden sleepwear. A cityscape backdrop was placed behind the bus, portraying what seemed like a street in New Hemisect City. Li’l Mak stood proud at the front, now completely visible.
”I went to bed late but I didn't think late would effect me Early came around then late wouldn't let me Wake up, wake up, so I can get dressed I guess my body was mad cause I gave it no rest”
Li’l Mak pantomimed with each verse, pretending to be asleep at first, before she switched to jumping wildly around the stage, pretending to be getting herself up and out of her recuperacoon.
”And when I finally did awake I knew RatDad was irate Jumped in the shower and I knew I was late Stepped out put on my jeans and my uni' And said to myself if I miss class I'm ruined.”
She mocked fear of her verminbeast lusus, before hopping over to the other side of the stage, pantomiming showering with a knowing smirk behind her words. Stepping on a platform with hooks, she revealed that her sleepwear were simply some golden breakaway pants, as the hooks broke them away at “stepped out.”
”But I ran down hill and I made sure to hustle I ran down the hill to catch the scuttleshuttle Now I'm hopin to myself everything is cool Standin on my block like a fool (ohh)”
As she sang the last of the verse, the lights putting the bus in view dropped away, putting its silhouette on display in front of the pseudo-cityscape as it slowly descended back into the stage.
”But (one) I'm all alone and (two) the shuttle’s gone (three) if I miss class this weekend I'll be at home Can somebody come real fast to my rescue I'm stuck at the stem and I don't know what to do”
The cityscape lights slowly began to dim, the purpleblood was now lit only by a light that followed her back to center stage. With each numbered listing in the song, a side light switched on, pointing towards her. Throughout the listing, Makkah dramatically sulked and quaked with nerves, acting out the story as she went. At the last word, all lights save for the dim cityscape behind her went out.
”I missed the scuttle (ohh) I missed the shuttle I missed the scuttle (ohh) And that is somethin’ I will never ever ever do again.” The last line hung in the air, a sharp reverb to it as the song faded out. Whirring from under the stage could be heard by the audience members who either sat close or had a keen ear. The tiny rap god stood still on center stage, beginning her segue into the second portion of her act. ”Hope y’all enjoyed that, I learned all my moves from the Death Dancers, and from my own practice in the Underground!! Check ‘em out if ya want moves as wicked as this, yo! And of course Cerise’s Bakery and the Nightly grind, I wouldn’t have the energy for all these classes without ‘em!” She chuckled into her golden microphone. She was lit only by the spotlight above her. A quiet muttering was heard from the dark of the stage, like a motor. Slowly, a slight fog rolled around the girl’s ankles.
”Y’know, it’s funny! I’m normally pretty sunny and cheerful, but I’ve been hearing some smack talk lately!”
She dropped her chin down, shrouding her face in shadow and tugging the mic close to her face. ”Talkin’ like how I’m one note. How anyone can talk fast, it’s just rhyming to a beat, no style. No pizzazz. Well I said I was going to a voice coach! Y’all really think that was just for RAPPING?”
The spotlight dropped out, throwing the whole stage into complete darkness.
”As if.”
Now five spotlights emerged, the one previously on Makkah and two to each side of here. Slowly, four rectangles emerged from the fog. They looked like mirrors, but it couldn’t be as the mirrored Li’l Maks are all in varied combinations of her iconic outfit pieces.
”Besides, the only critic I gotta be bugg’n about...is me.”
Some people settle for the typical thing Livin' all their lives waitin' in the wings It ain't a question of "if", just a matter of time Before I move to the front of the line And once you're watchin' every move that I make Ya gotta believe that I got what it takes To stand out, above the crowd Even if I gotta shout out loud! 'Til mine is the only face you see Gonna stand out 'til you notice me Yeah, Yeah, Hey Yeah!
Got myself a notion, one I know that you'll understand To set the world in motion, by reaching out for each others' hand Maybe we'll discover, what we should have known all along (Yeah) One way or another, together's where we both belong
If we listen to each others' heart We'll find we're never too far apart And maybe love is the reason why For first time ever we're seeing it eye to eye
Love is why we’re seeing it eye to eye (Yes we are) I knew I was seeing it {Seeing it eye to eye} Love is why we’re seeing it eye to eye (Seeing it eye to eye, Yeah) I knew I was seeing it {Seeing it eye to eye} Love is why we’re seeing it eye to eye (I think we're seeing it eye to eye) I knew I was seeing it {Eye to eye}
If you're ever lonely, stop You don't have to be After all has fallen I'll bead a way from you to me
[Rosie Gains:] (Take a look inside and see!)
[Tevin Campbell:] Yeah, Yeah!
If we listen to each others' heart We'll find we're never too far apart And maybe love is the reason why For the first time ever we're seeing it eye to eye
{Seeing it eye to eye} Seeing it eye to eye, baby!
As Li’l Mak stands still, here mirror clones begin to harmonize. The center Mak begins to tap her foot along slowly before bringing her head back up to face the crowd.
”Some people settle for the typical thing Livin' all their lives waitin' in the wings It ain't a question of "if", just a matter of time Before I move to the front of the line”
She begins her verse, her singing voice heretofore unheard by the audience until now. She immediately runs and jumps forward at the last word in the verse, sliding on her knees up to the edge of the stage.
”To stand out, above the crowd Even if I gotta shout out loud! 'Til mine is the only face you see Gonna stand out 'til you notice me” Once she slows, she pops up to her feet. She can just barely see the very front audience members going wild just at the edge of the shadows. As the Mak-klones continue to harmonize, she runs back over to center stage to line back up with them. The spotlights briefly turn off, one at a time all down the line, popping back on almost immediately. Once they do, all the mirrors now look exactly like the real Li’l Mak. As she begins a simple shimmy to start her next verse, they all move perfectly in time with her, matching her movements exactly.
”Got myself a notion, one I know that you'll understand To set the world in motion, by reaching out for each others' hand Maybe we'll discover, what we should have known all along (Yeah) One way or another, together's where we both belong”
Her movements are hypnotic, as she sashays to the left and right, all four mirrors following suit. As the harmonics diverge, the outer mirrors maintain the beat with the real Mak as the inner mirrors follow a beat behind, creating an after-image effect.
”If we listen to each others' heart We'll find we're never too far apart And maybe love is the reason why For first time ever we're seeing it eye to eye”
As she looks to her left and right, the after-image mirrors stand right beside her, looking her in the eyes to match the lyrics. She keeps her movements centered, as the mirrors are pretty limited into where they can go.
”Love is why we’re seeing it eye to eye (Yes we are) I knew I was seeing it {Seeing it eye to eye} Love is why we’re seeing it eye to eye (Seeing it eye to eye, Yeah)”
The dance now has some repetition to it. The inner and outer mirror switch between matching the beat and pausing in place, jumping to life once the beat matches up with where they stopped again. The spotlights begin to flash on and off in a dazzling spectacle as the song begins to close.
”I guess we’re seein’ it seein’ it (Iiiiiiii) (twoo) I thought we were seeing it i2i I thought we were! But I guess I was wrong”
The spotlights go out, the mirrors suddenly, but the center one slowly dimming first. After a while, all the main light come back on, most of the stage plainly visible again. The outer lights cycle through the spectacle finale from before.
”How was that huh? Have your socks been knocked off, your jaws no longer attached to your heads? If so just do as I always say and PICK. UP. YOUR. FAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!!!”
The lights drop out again as the elevator rumbles to life.
Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2017 11:59 pm
Missing the interviews caused quite a disconnect between herself and the event, Elidae realized. Though the real reason had been concealed. Hiding it had been difficult, if not impossible, but Elidae Bonbon seemed to be in denial of the gravity of the situation. Unfortunately, the performance planned for her last appearance on Superstar Authority consisted of a very strenuous dance routine. If it was her arm, she could have worked with it. But the very obvious difference from her right leg to her left was apparent and would drastically affect how well she could do the practiced act.
A cartoon-ishly crafted silhouette of New Hemisect City, including warm, twinkling lights inside as windows, served as a backdrop for the performance. Hanging from the top of the set were gold, scissor-shaped balloons and some that were purple and goggle shaped. Skull-themed shot glasses were there as well, glittering under the colorful and cheerful stage lighting. Of course, lit in the background were also Alternia's twin moons. On the stage were a couple backup singers to help with the performance, but more importantly, back up dancers dressed in fluffy, adorable gerbil mascot suits.
The music started. Elidae stood there motionless, hands shaking and putting all her weight in her left side. Wearing something different than she usually did, she wore a cropped long-sleeve top and a pair of shorts, through the black leggings were new. She wallowed. After suddenly being hoisted into the air by the gerbil mascot dancers by her arms and pulled forward, Elidae braced herself for the impact on her new limb. 'One, two, three, go!'
As she dropped center-stage, Elidae wobbled slightly and felt the severe twinge of pain she anticipated, yet her face impersonated energy and brightness. Immediately, the dancing tempo sped up and her and the dancers came into sync. She brought the mic to her smiling lips.
"A dance to only tempt you~♪ I'm blasting my charm into your pusher~!♪ Just by our fingers touching, my pusher pounds♪ Oh!" Elidae put her hand over her chest and patted to the beat with a pout. "My pusher is shaking~♫"
After another verse, Elidae then jumped into place with her dancers and did a quick running dance with her feet.
"Na nana na nana na na na! Hey!" Elidae sprung into the air with a pep in her step, though her face flashed a grimace. The dance move repeated, though the sparkling yellowblood successfully concealed the facial expression. She continued.
"Make it louderrr!! Ooooouuuuu~~" As she skipped with a partial limp at the edge of the stage, going from one end to the other as she lifted her arm up and down to signal to the audience. With a faux-expecting look, Elidae cupped a hand around her spongeclot "More, make it louderrr!"
While Elidae normally thrived with this kind of energy and attention, she couldn't help but to feel miserable. As the song neared its end, he could sense the foreign limb threatening to give out any moment. 'Just... a little longer...!' She encouraged herself, though just as the song neared the quieter end of the song, she lost her footing. Falling forward onto her hands and knees, Elidae dropped the mic and sent it skidding across the stage. Her body remaining paralyzed, though every inch screamed in agony.
13 seconds felt like an eternity. Somehow, she was lifted back up to her feet and the mic pressed into her hand. With a glazed over stare, Elidae brought it back up and continued the song and dance where the song left off robotically. At the end, there was a loud bang, causing her ears to ring. Glitter and confetti?
As soon as the elevator descended to the level below the stage, Elidae rushed to the nearest trashcan and leaned over in desperation, emptying everything from her bilesack. The world spun dangerously and tears sprung in the corners of her eyes. 'I messed up... I messed up...!' Quickly, a sinking feeling engulfed her. Elidae muffled out an anguished cry into her sleeve, and then felt a warm hand over her shoulder.
"Ah! R-Right, okay!" Giving the very concerned Nucleone a thumbs up, Elidae proceeded to collect her things for the next part and throw her apron on. She could cry later.
The stage remained the way it was, though brighter so the audience could see her next performance. In three chairs sat what looked to be the same troll, a greenblood.
"Hellooooooo, Alterniaaaaa~~!!" Elidae greeted cheerfully as she sprung back up from the elevator, completely disregarding the odd murmurs from the crowd. "I thought, for tonight, I could show you a few tips and tricks on styling troll hair!" Adjusting the headset so her hands were free, Elidae feigned a smile and continued on.
"As you can see, I've got three very identical models! Heehee! Can you recognize him? The Nightly Grind sure has been getting a lot of attention lately! Its a good thing- because he totally deserves it. Alternia wouldn't be as brew-tiful as it is without him!" She gave the clone a grin and a wink.
"Now, for the first look, I thought we could go with something feminine and cute! Its quite a popular look in New Hemisect, my home city!" As her fingers worked through the Nuclone's hair, Elidae proceeded to explain her processes between each look. She chose one less complicated, and then a more advanced style, whereas the last one took her quite a bit of time to work through with her trembling fingers. On one occasion, Elidae brought out her scissors to tweak a "My favorite thing in the world are my shears, honestly! Its like an extension of my hand, because I'm always a cut above the rest~" The words felt strange on her tongue. As she finished the last look with a bit of hairspray, Elidae beamed and appreciated the amazed applause, though her feet immediately dragged her to the x.
"Thank you for all of your support, my audience! As a farewell, I'm going to... take a selfie again! So I can treasure every bit of this experience!" The picture took only a fleeting moment, and before she knew it, she descended again.
blackbird cake
Adorable Gekko
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Hivestuck Captain
Alien Datemate
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 5:28 am
The audience cheers, the lights flash, and the cameras swing and twirl around dynamically. As the last contestants disappear off the stage, the music swells - then goes silent. The stage goes dark, then lights up again, with a bright spotlight illuminating Razzle Dazzle standing beside a large podium - on the top, a gold tropy sparkles. The speakers begin to blast the Superstar Authority theme song, and the lights begin to flash and sparkle with renewed vigour. Razzle waves and cheers with the audience until the volume gradually dies down - then lifts up her microphone and focuses on the camera. "Now that's what I call a performance! Wooowieeee!!"
The camera pans around the trophy as it glimmers and glitters in the light, almost out-sparkling Razzle herself. "A super big shout out to each contestant, they all really put themselves out there and kicked some a**! But you know what they say, there can only be one! And now it's time for you, my darling audience, to show us who you want it to be! Yes, it's time for you to vote for your favourite contestant! You can phone in, stop by our booths around your local city to fill in a ballot, or check in the back of your tv guide for an extra copy!" The camera swings back out around the crowd again, zooming in on trolls waving in the audience, some with tears streaking their faces, other wearing t-shirts proclaiming their desire to fight to the death for their favourite contestant. As each troll pans by the camera, Razzle's perky voice carries on over top. "Now is the time to make your voice heard! Our Superstar will be a troll for the people, by the people. Don't delay, you'll only have two nights to send in your ballots! Vote for tomorrow's Superstar .... today!"
Civilians Now is your time to shine! Voting is once per-character, not per-user. That means no matter if you also have a troll in the running or a sponsor, you can vote with each of your civilian trolls if they qualify. Obviously, none of your civilians can vote for your own trolls/contestants your own trolls are sponsoring. To participate in voting each civilian MUST have participated in the meet and greet or interview in previous rounds, however your vote does not have to go to the contestants they visited/questioned. You must vote to be able to get end-game rewards. Each vote will carry a large amount of weight - you could tip the scales at the last moment!
Superstar contestants and sponsors are not allowed to vote.
Was very kindly granted a small extension due to emergency illness. Thank you!!
Home-field advantage. Ganyma would take it. He was primped and fluffed. Ready to go. Slicked down, and ready to kick some asses. He stood on the elevator and raised his arm, pointing at the sky with his head cast down to the ground.
Ganyma was raised up to the crack of an explosion. Jets of flame met his entrance as he made his appearance in the ring. He was dressed in copious amounts of black leather fringe, with neon highlights of teal emblazoned on his mask and briefs. The back of his fringed jacket read “SHIELD” in huge red scrawling letters. Underneath it was the quote “Alternia needs heroes – Lorata Gorgos”, in elegant font.
Jumping up and pumping his fist, Ganyma roared. “ARE YOU READY, FOUR FRONDS? MY HOMETOWN, MY HOME TURF! FOUR FRONDS! THE A-L-G! LET’S DO THIS! I’M! HERE! FOR! YOU!”
The music kicked up. It was thankfully much easier for Ganyma to lipsync with a full-face mask on, so as he took the mic in hand and stomped around the ring, he went all out in the athletics department.
“Adventure seeker on an empty street -- just an alley creeper, light on his feet!”
He whipped around the mic stand, popped the mic off and rushed to the edges of the stage to work the crowd.
“A young fighter screaming, with no time for doubt! With the pain and anger -- can't see a way out. It ain't much I'm asking, I heard him say… Gotta find me a future! Move out of my way!”
Behind him, a large jumbotron revealed Ganyma’s track record in the ring – a familiar sight, taking place in the same Coliseum of course. It was a mix of high-flying and hard-hitting power moves that aimed to impress. His name in huge 3D spinning letters made a constant appearance as the transition animation for his clips, but now they were interspersed with his sponsors. First up, some footage of the Death Dancers – “DANCE UNTIL YOUR OPPONENT DROPS!” flashed across the screen as Ganyma took the queue to do a shimmy of his own. What he lacked in coordination his outfit and physique made up for.
“I want it all! And I want it now!” Ganyma yelled into the mic. His tech people knew very well he couldn’t resist actually trying to sing the song he was supposed to be lip synching, so they had turned his mic off. A smart move.
“Listen all you people. Come gather round! I gotta get me a game plan, gotta shake you to the ground! Just give me what I know is mine -- people do you hear me? Just give me the sign!”
He pumped his arm up for the audience to grow louder, at the same time as Nucleo’s Nightly Grind advertisement popped up on the screen. “It’s a brew-tiful world!” Gently splashed with a cute animation, before it faded away into a quote by Chiuan Heshui. “No matter how big the sea may be, sometimes two ships meet. Four Fronds forever!!”
In the meantime, Ganyma stalked across the stage. The jumbotron lit up with the Silvio twins, working hard in their glass shop and the phrase “for the design you don’t yet know.” In an instant, it faded to more footage of Ganyma’s other works with the youth of Alternia. The footage was perfectly synced with the lyrics of his song.
“It ain't much I'm asking, if you want the truth… Here's to the future for the dreams of youth!”
Ganyma’s choreography was becoming slightly repetitive around the vast stage, but fortunately he was wrapping up. Slowly backing up to his mark, Ganyma began the final climax of his song.
“I'm a man with a one track mind. So much to do in one life time! Not a man for compromise and where's and why's and living lies, so I’m living it all, yes I'm living it all, ad I'm giving it all, and I'm giving it all!”
The sound of an engine revving and the words “GEAR-ANTEED THE BEST AT TINCAN MECHANICS!” highlighted the high energy exit from Shield.
It ain't much I'm asking, if you want the truth, here's to the future, hear the cry of youth!!! I WANT IT ALL! AND I WANT IT NOW!”
More jets of fire, accompanied by sparklers and massive confetti cannons masked his descent down the elevator. Ganyma stripped off his outfit, placed a new mask on, and strapped athletic gloves to his hands. It was finally over. In his home turf, doing what he was best at. He’d go out with a bang.
Ganyma was lifted back up onto the stage, immediately met with a handful of other ALG competitors dressed in simple greys and blacks to his own bright teals, reds, and high-gloss materials. As he faced off with them – a silent stand off with lots of aggressive pointing and flexing – the four sides of a wrestling ring rose out of the ground as planned. It was a huge arena, and Shield was about to kick a**.
The fighting portion was filled with incredible feats of strength and ample amounts of dramatic punching, face slams, hair tugging and stalking. Ganyma didn’t let his guard down once – and at one critical point when one of his foes went to attack him from behind he pulled out all the stops. Chitinous plates shot out from his back, and the audience went wild. This was the turning point, as Shield’s namesake shocked and dazzled the arena. Like dominos, the rest of the competitors fell. Ganyma roared in victory. He held up a finger to the sky, then waved at the audience as he backed up to be relieved of his performance duties. On the X, he pumped his fists into the air in time with more fire jets signaling his exit.
“THANK YOU, ALTERNIA! THANK YOU HOMETOWN! FOUR FRONDS! I’M HERE FOR YOU!”
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