confrontation.

[cancrymods]

It's time.

Esme has been doing her level best to make sure everyone in Invidia knows about their little competition, so it shouldn't be a surprise to see that the mall is absolutely overflowing with devoted fans today, all eager to see the outcome of this "friendly" competition between performers. Thankfully, Esme has been unusually sportsmanlike and deigned to release a schedule of the event beforehand, so you're not just going in blind. Esme and Idol-ON will perform two songs each and then hold a question and answer session with the audience, after which a vote will be held – and whoever has the most votes by the end of the show will be declared Invidia's newest top idols.

Sounds simple, right? Right.

You've all been given a private room out of the way of the crowds, with some time to spare before the event itself starts. Time for some last minute rehearsal, some last minute panicking, some last minute... sabotage? Well, Esme's probably not going to play fair, so why should you?

Comments

[twibeast]

[ Beast is on his feet and rushing to the stage with harp materialized even as he saw Esme going for Alice’s throat, his wings even spreading out to knock away anyone that might get in his way (sorry specters and maybe even Dimitri). The rumble and stampede hinders him for a moment, but when the chaos has died down he has finally made it to the stage.

He wants to go to Rei out of protective instinct, but Alice was the one Esme went for, so the logical part of his brain makes him put aside his emotional part and go to her side first. ]

Is everyone all right?!

[discutio]

Good work, Chiron. Is everything alright on your side?

[It sounded like Beast had the Alice situation in hand, leaving Phoenix to come to the stage closer to the rest of the girls. He wasn't quite sure what in the hell just happened, but it sounded like a net positive.]

...What happened to Esme?

[phantasmagorial]

She– she just disappeared, I think?

[ Rei absolutely has the energy right now of someone who is just barely holding their shit together, which is a pretty good improvement on her track record. Character development! ]

She's not here, though. I'm... not sure how I can tell but she's definitely not in Invidia anymore. I think she might be in the Underside, if the feeling I'm getting is right.

[discutio]

Somehow, I can't say that surprises me.

[Phoenix put a light hand on her shoulder, not saying much more to the tune of 'figures it wouldn't be that easy'.]

It's alright--you all did perfectly.

[phantasmagorial]

[ Rei just– doubles over with her hands on her knees and sort of. Deflates with relief. ]

I'm never ever doing anything like this again! It was even worse than fighting a Revenant!

[discutio]

I'm sorry we asked so much of you. At least it's worked, to...some degree of success.

[phantasmagorial]

I'll forgive you, just so long as you never, ever make me get up on a stage like that ever again.

[discutio]

If we ever need someone to do that again, I promise it will be myself, Chiron, and Beast carefully choreographed onstage.

[twibeast]

......Maybe just you and Chiron?

[ boy ]

[discutio]

Oh, nonsense. People would adore a bit of feathered flair.

[phoenix...]

1/2

[twibeast]

[ ...... ]

[schardynfreude]

The very ground beneath me didn't crack wide open, so presumably I'm better on my side than on yours.

[the fuck even happened should he be worried]

[discutio]

I think we might all be in one piece here. Esme's apparently vanished to almost certainly be a problem later.

[schardynfreude]

I can't wait to say hello to her again! I've a head that needs collecting after all.

Are we storming the castle, as it were, or regrouping elsewhere?

[discutio]

I think it the wiser choice to rest and strategize first, the castle's not likely to go anywhere immediately.

[schardynfreude]

Too right. I'm simply glad no authorities of any kind came to kick in my door, but certainly the girls need some time to rest and recoup.

[discutio]

You did an excellent job. Thank you, though maybe next time we should take precautions against being singled out. Just in case.

[schardynfreude]

Divide and conquer sometimes wins out! But your concern is touching

[discutio]

And doing foolishly reckless things is moderately less risky with a companion.

[cancrymods]

[ Alice looks pretty shaken up, understandably, but she nods. ]

I'm alright – she didn't manage to get her hands on me before she...

[ She trails off and wrinkles her brow. ]

Um. What exactly happened to her?

[twibeast]

I’m... not entirely sure, I’m afraid. But she’s gone either way.

[ A pause as he thinks. ]

...You did fantastic, Lady Alice - we really could not have done this without you. From here on out the rest of this is on us now.

[cancrymods]

[ Alice gives him a weary smile. ]

I don't really know how, but I get the feeling it's in good hands. I'll leave it up to you.

[ But then her expression grows a little more somber. ]

And... if you manage to find her again... will you ask her something for me?

[twibeast]

Of course. What is it?

[cancrymods]

... ask her why she did what she did to us. Maybe it's naive of me but I really did think we were all friends back then. I just want to try and understand why she turned out the way she did.

[twibeast]

...All right. I shall try and do so, my lady.