maskormenacelogs | (no subject)

WHO: The Wicked + The Divine + Anyone who likes to party
WHERE: March’s Hotel, grand ballroom
WHEN: BLACK FRIDAY (a day not quite as metal as its name would suggest)
WHAT: The concert unpretentiously named: KATABASIS/APOTHEOSIS except all the A’s are stars and the O’s are pomegranates
WARNINGS: smoking/drinking/possible drug use, trauma/depression and associated Badness, people smooching…. and maybe more than smooching, there are probably some murder ghosts bopping around.

A - DOORS OPEN

[ The ballroom has been decked out with rich purple and gold decorations; drapery to line the walls, elegant floral arrangements on the tables lining the walls, even the lighting has been colored to match. Tickets for the Ksis/Asis were both more expensive and harder to get ahold of than Persephone’s normal shows. And why not? This was another goddess’s grand Coming Out. But there had been a steep discount offered to imPorts and their guests, and Inanna had been passing out his comps like they grew on trees.

An open bar has been set up near the door—non-alcoholic, of course. No need for anyone to get smashed on liquor in addition to some Holy Word. The stage has been set up at the far end room, and early arrivers might catch Inanna or Persephone pacing uselessly around the stage before the shows begin. They can't be checking on equipment since, aside from a set of turntables, there isn't any. ]

B. FOOD TRUCKS/SMOKING OUTSIDE

[ The goddesses (sic: Inanna) have arranged for several food trucks to park just outside the hotel's entrance. The most notable is a truck peddling frozen, chocolate dipped bananas. Inanna's face is plastered on the side of this one, eyes locked on the camera while he eats one of the bananas. It's a little uncomfortable to look at for too long (unless you like that kind of thing). Thankfully, the burger and burrito trucks do not have any uncomfortable imagery of divine beings on them.

There's also a section of the sidewalk across the street that's been sectioned off and marked with a "Smoking Zone" sign. It even has a tarp stretched out above it in case the weather turns sour. ]

C. PERSEPHONE SINGS

[ Persephone comes on stage without much ceremony. Just your average young woman in a golden chain mail hoodie. Still, the room goes quiet enough to hear her footsteps as she heads front and center.

Then with no preamble at all, she starts to sing.

It’s violent and defiant and terrible and perfect from the first note. Her unaccompanied voice has a raw power to it that can not possibly be coming from the lips of a human girl. The words don’t mean anything, but to those who can really hear her, they mean everything.

They promise that the world is unfair, and that you will suffer more than you deserve, maybe more than you can bare. They promise that there is no escape from that pain, nor safety from loss. But her song also promises strength: the strength to endure this suffering. They promise defiance: the will to devour that which would break you. And they promise compassion: when you are in Hell, you will not be there alone. Persephone will always be company for your misery.

She goes on like this, every moment of her song at a perfect painful climax. There’s some local muscle in STAFF shirts, making their way through the crowd to escort out the fainters, the pukers, and the occasional fighter. The weepers and fall-to-your-knees-in-anguish crowd can stay. ]

D. INTERMISSION a live local band called unimPortant

[ While everyone surely would love for Persephone's concert to continue forever, her crowd eventually thins itself out as more and more people have to be removed. She concedes the stage to a local alternative band who look more than a little shellshocked to be following that. They're a perfectly fine band who've come with good songs for the riled up crowd to vent their feelings with, but there's just no comparison to make between them and the experience that they had to follow.

There music is mostly acoustic, and the speakers they brought are modest. For everyone still present and conscious, it wouldn’t be a bad time to actually get to speak to someone. ]

E. INANNA SINGS

[ Inanna's show begins with the night sky spilling in through the doors and windows of the hotel. It's as if the stars themselves have come to roost above his head as he takes the stage, forming constellations both familiar and unfamiliar overhead. He sets a low and steady beat on his turntables, building the rhythm in layers until he's satisfied with it. Finally, he begins to sing, and with the first word that leaves his lips it's clear he doesn't need accompaniment any more than Persephone had.

His Message is a stark contrast to hers, heavy with acceptance and understanding. It would almost be calming if it weren't so full of raw joy about the idea of embracing yourself. What reason is there to hold back on anything you want to do? What good are the fears keeping everyone restrained? Be what you want. Do what you want. LIVE how you want. CONFESS SOME FEELINGS! All to the smooth and sultry beat of an R&B song sung entirely in divine tongues.

The security that had watched over Persephone's show seems almost unnecessary here. There are a scattered few fainters that have to be pulled aside, and more than a few couples need to be told to get a room, but Inanna's crowd is by and large filled with people who look overjoyed to be there—if they aren't finding joy with each other. ]

F. DANCE PARTY

[ Now, here’s the thing. It’s not that Inanna can’t keep his own devotional rolling until the evening star becomes the morning star again. Hell, he can go for days on end, if he puts his mind to it. But there’s no need for that tonight, and all too soon he’s ready to turn over his turntables to a more mundane (but certainly not untalented) MC.

There are no miracles here, no Divine Wisdom to be shared. Just a good fucking beat, a much better set of speakers than the intermission band brought, and a dance floor full of emotionally volatile gyrations. ]

G. AFTER PARTIES

[ And finally, for those that were still not partied out, a number of hotel rooms had been set aside at a discount rate by the extremely generous and trustworthy proprietor. Did you secure yourself a lush pad to crash in? Are you lucky enough to have been invited to a good room party?

Too bad, if not. At least the taxi line is a little shorter by now. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

For one who has traveled the cosmos themselves, I should welcome the opportunity.

[He regards the trail not so much with a look of wonder as much as it is an appreciation for all things divine and otherworldly as them.]

[He gestures again, and this time his hand becomes stardust itself—and his arm, his shoulder, all of him and Thor dissolving in a rush of vibrant energy

and a moment later they'll find themselves solid again, now in the parking lot of an innocuous looking bar called "Pony".]

There we are.

[He's not at all affected by the method of travel, and in fact seems to be quite enamored with it. That's all before he sees the name of the bar, and he wonders a little what the meaning behind it is. Is this another human thing that he doesn't understand? Maybe. He supposes he'll pick up on it as he goes.]

Amazing, my friend. You have my thanks. Shall we go?

[And with that, he pushes his way through the door and into the bar.]

[Inside is lit with red, pink, and purple lighting. There's a gold-plated horse statue in the entryway, and past that the bar itself with a dance floor taking up about half of the space. An energetic electronica beat plays out through some speakers hung about the room, and the crowd that's dancing to it is almost entirely men. Which probably makes sense given that all the artwork and photographs on the bar walls is of men in various suggestive or outright explicit poses.

Inanna is following right on Thor's tail and grins brightly when more than a few heads turn his way, plainly delighted to see him there. This clearly isn't his first visit.]

They make the best cocktails here.

[He walks in with a confident swagger like he was born to be there-- after all, half the halls of Asgard are plated with gold, with large, sweaty men dancing and drinking at all hours for weeks on end. And are you seriously going to tell me that Norse Gods don't bone each other like all the time, especially if the stories of Greek camaraderie had anything to say about it.]

I am normally a fan of something a bit stronger... [A pause.] But I will say that Mojitos are rather good.

[Inanna can't help but laugh, a wicked little grin tugging at the corner of his lips on his way to the bar.]

You think cocktails aren't strong enough? You should try a Zombie.

I have had many spirits in my day, but none with such a foreboding namesake. [He grins.] I like it.

I'll get you one. It's made with rum, rum, more rum, and a little brandy and juice.

Aye!

[He throws his arm around Inanna's shoulder.]

But only if you join me.

[Oh. Oh, Inanna looks positively delighted and leans comfortably against Thor.]

Joining you was always the plan. Drinking is so much more fun with the right company.