[OPEN]

[purple_reign]

WHO: Inanna and YOU
WHERE: Around Maurtia Falls
WHEN: The latter half of May
WHAT: Open log!
WARNINGS: Potential for discussions of depression, violence, death, emotional abuse


A - Open Mic Night

[Open mic night! The best night a bar with a stage has to offer, and tonight is a truly special night. Inanna has decided to grace the stage with an impromptu public performance—with a quick warning about the lowered inhibitions that come with hearing their Voice. It's...not quite their normal song. The message may be the same—hope and the promise that it's okay to be just as you are—but there's a strange sad quality to it that's at odds with the message itself.

Odd as it might be, there are still plenty of natives thoroughly enjoying the show. A few security staff are scattered around to watch the crowd and remove the occasional couple that gets a little too intense (carefully bundled into cabs to take them home or, more likely, to a hotel), or to gather up the more frequent fainters to recover in a back room.

After the show, Inanna steps down from the stage to mingle among the members of the audience that are still standing, offering bright smiles and as many autographs as fans are ready to demand. Which is a lot. As much as they love their native fans, they're relieved to spot any fellow imPorts around who might offer some less intense attention.]

Did you enjoy the show?


B - Supporting the arts

[But if somewhat sketchy bars aren't your jam, Inanna can also be spotted at a pop-up art gallery in the art district one evening. They wander from one piece to the next, eventually stopping to linger in front of a painting that relies on heavy black and blue tones with an occasional streak of lighter colors peeking through.

They tilt their head curiously and turn to whoever happens to be standing nearby.]

What do you think of this one?


C - Late Night

[Or maybe you're the kind of weirdo that hangs out on rooftops, in which case you might run across Inanna alone and lounging quietly in the moonlight one evening. They've spread a transparent, shimmering array of starscapes out in the air just above them, swiping through different sets of constellations and galaxies with a thoughtful look.]

D - Wildcard

[Got something else in mind? Feel free to leave a starter of your own or hit me up at jiora]

Comments

A

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi was lucky enough to already be at the bar that night, still banned from doing anything on the ice after his accident. He wasn't sure if Inanna had seen him or not, but it didn't matter; it was clear they were out to sing their heart out whether he was there or not. So he stuck around, propping his elbow on the bar counter and just listening. ]

[ He didn't regret it one minute. ]

[ They had said something about their music, though Adachi couldn't remember exactly what it was. Still, he expected something was going to happen, and it pulled at his heart hard; if there was anyone that longed to be who he really was and have it be okay, it was him. It came to a point where he clutched at his chest, trying to keep his breathing even, affecting him to the point where he could even feel his Persona grumbling in the back of his mind. He didn't get the right to grumble about having his soul swayed by something; not when he wasn't even answering him right now. ]

[ Still, even with that much of an affect on him, Adachi couldn't help but feel the sadness behind it as well. So much so he wanted to get up on stage behind them, holding onto them tight. ]

[ He remained where he was at however, even as the performance was done, a faint smirk coming to his face once he was finally noticed. Adachi absently found himself reaching out for them, though he dropped his hand before he could touch them, not sure if it would be appropriate. ]

Of course I did. That was amazing.

[purple_reign]

[Inanna looks a little uncertain to see him at first, only relaxing when he greats them so warmly. They huff out a relieved sigh that they hope he won't notice, reaching out to catch his hand in both of theirs before he can drop it all the way.]

I'm glad you got to see it.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi let out a faint noise as his hand was grabbed, that smirk of his taming down to a faint smile after a moment. He let his fingers close around one of their hands, thumb stroking gently. ]

You seemed sad though.

[ He kept his voice soft, not wanting to come off as accusatory. ]

[purple_reign]

[Their smile doesn't fade, but it does grow a little strained. Inanna hadn't realized it would be obvious even through the Word of their song. How many others had noticed it...?]

Did I? That isn't supposed to be part of the message.

A

[glassfall]

[Cinders has never heard singing like this before. It's wonderful - magical, even - and Cinders finds herself with tears in her eyes as she listens. She understands the lyrics perfectly - or she would, if she had any idea what the person was saying. But even if she can't understand the language, she can tell what it means.

She wants to laugh. She wants to cry. She wants to faint. She wants to punch her miserable red bat of a stepmother in the face (and then possibly forgive the shit out of her. Maybe. It's hard to tell). And when it's all over, she's surprised to find the beautiful figure, who had been singing their heart out on stage, turning to her.]

Oh, yes. It was wonderful. Better than any song I've ever heard.

[She means it, too.]

[purple_reign]

[They reward her with a star-bright smile—as if she's the only one in the room, and frankly she might as well be. For as much of a social butterfly as Inanna is, they're just as skilled at focusing in on a single person at a time, especially when that someone is a freshly converted fan who's still absorbing the full breadth of their message.]

The Word of God tends to leave that kind of impression on people. I'm glad you were here to hear it tonight. Not many people get the chance.

[glassfall]

[Cinders smiles back - and while hardly divine, it's still the brightest smile she's given since she came here.]

God?

[She thinks of Persephone, then - and Woden.]

Are you one of them, then?

[No shit, Cinders.]

Your song was so beautiful, even if it was sad, too.

A

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor is probably more sensitive than most to the way music can affect him, catching subtleties within a countermelody or being moved by words with more than one meaning; the music he's commissioned several songs over the years so he knows what to listen for even when he wasn't actively listening. Having said that, his last reaction to a god-song was ill-received in both senses of the word: he hadn't even heard it initially, the sound and meaning of it creeping up on him slowly, not to mention is less-than-favorable reaction to it. So he listened to Inanna's song with some hesitancy, but hoping for the best.

And Viktor was not disappointed at all. He was swept up in it nearly from the first note, a warm and freeing confidence filling his heart and head, making him think back to his Junior days of skating when everything was still new and fresh and he only had to reach out to take the world in the palm of his hands. On the surface of that elation was something quieter too, the hint of sadness providing something more subdued but no less powerful: that particular revelation he felt when Yuuri Katsuki told him he didn't have to be anyone but himself. No roles, no masks to wear; just Viktor.

It's with those familiar emotions filling him that Viktor catches the subtle undercurrent of sadness beneath it all. It's not jarring or distracting, just another melody woven in, but it tugs at Viktor's heart just the same, pulling him back from the total lack of inhibitions the song might have otherwise caused, keeping him in his seat to watch the show rather than having him look for Yuuri and a quiet corner to ravish him in.

He applauds when they finish, and offer him a drink when they make their way over to where Viktor is seated at the bar. ]

Bravo, Inanna! Your Voice was amazing!

[purple_reign]

[Inanna is always happy to chat with fans and peers, but they're especially thrilled to see Viktor was lucky enough to catch the show tonight. It's not quite the private show that they promised him and Yuuri, but it's well past time for him to get to hear the message.]

I knew you'd love it. You and Yuuri already embody so much of what it's about.

[fourlevels]

I think I finally can understand what you mean by that now.

[ He hand was playing with his own drink on the bar, idly twirling it. ]

Although ...

B

[dun_moch]

[Standing next to Inanna with his hands behind his back, Count Dooku frowns slightly and makes a 'hmp' noise deep within his throat.]

It does little for me. The artist's implication is obvious, but the technique offers no true enlightenment.

[Pop-art isn't really Dooku's thing anyway.]

[purple_reign]

[Inanna can't help but laugh, though they do have the social grace to keep it quiet and look a little sheepish about it.]

You're more critical than I am. I was just thinking that I liked the hope in it.

[dun_moch]

[The Count turns, and gives them an enigmatic little half-smile.]

Indeed? Hope can be very powerful, but also dangerous and deceptive.

Perhaps you are more full of hope than I am, however. I confess that recent events have dampened my mood, somewhat.

A

[picksthenames]

[ Cisco is just visiting Maurtia Falls-- he hadn't been to the city yet, and decided to check it out for a night. And how better to get a feel for a city than to visit its local dive bars? This one seems to be having an open mic night, which is all the better because now there's entertainment to go with his beer!

He's blown away by the performance, as is probably evidenced by the way he's standing slightly slack jawed afterwards. It takes him a minute to even realize that the singer is asking him a question. He shakes his head in an attempt to clear it, then answers, ] Yeah... Did you...? How...?

[ He can't quite put into words the way he feels. Validated? Inspired? Content in a way he hasn't been since he got ported in months ago.

That was more than just music. Had to be. ]

What language was that?

[purple_reign]

[Always a delightful question to get. Inanna grins broadly and, for a moment, just watches the emotion in Cisco's face while he's still trying to sort out the song. They lean in after that pause, as if about to divulge some grand secret, and answer in a brightly amused tone.]

Divinity. It always has this sort of effect on people.

[picksthenames]

[ Cisco nods slowly, trying to process that answer like it's a puzzle and he can't quite figure out how to get the pieces to line up. ]

Right... Divinity. Because you're... divine.

A

[pummelgranite]

[ Inanna's song is the best. Inanna's song!! Is the best!!!! Even with the sad edge, the bright beauty of it cuts through all the bullshit in her head like nothing else. When Inanna returns to the booth they'd staked out together, Persephone is clearly unspooled: slouching into the worn cushions, not even bothering to enjoy the attention of any stray fans. She catches Inanna's gaze with her own lidded eyes,
and waves them over lazily. ]

[purple_reign]

[When Inanna finally makes it back to their booth after mingling with fans, they're all too eager to take the invitation. They sink into the booth beside her and drape an arm around her shoulders lazily, leaning over to plant a fond kiss to her cheek.]

I suppose I don't need to ask if you enjoyed it.

[pummelgranite]

[ By way of answer, she just catches their mouth and crawls into their lap. ]


S'pose you don't.

b

[knaval]

[being new to this whole "society not ravaged by war" thing, riptide has never actually seen an art gallery. he'd wandered in the same one as ianna purely by chance, was given a flute of bubbly... whatever.

he cocks his head at ianna, regarding them with clear confusion.]

Um... it's... colours, for sure. On a piece of paper.

[purple_reign]

[Inanna laughs with a low, amused tone, glancing back at the painting briefly.]

Well, you're not wrong about that. Do the colors not make you feel anything?

[knaval]

[riptide looks back at the canvas for a long time, squints. takes a sip of his flute of whatever, grimaces and just drops the flute. looks back to the canvas.]

...Hurts my stupid organic eyes.

B

[itistolaugh]

I think, uhhh.

[ She startles a little and takes a second to figure out which piece they're referring to. Harley isn't used to being asked her opinion. She tilts her head one way, then the other, sizing up the painting with what she hopes is a discerning eye but is really just an awkward squint. ]

... I think the wine is shit, but the little spinach puffs and the fig-whatevers with bacon are amazing.

[ She just comes for the snacks, dude. ]

[purple_reign]

[They blink, staring in surprise for a moment, and finally sputter out a soft laugh.]

Have you gotten to try the citrus tarts yet? I think they're my favorite.

[itistolaugh]

[ She gasps and grips their arm with great urgency. ]

I haven't even seen those! Where are they? That sounds so good.