Video - Heaven's BBS

[very_goodman]

[On the morning of June 18th, Barry wakes up from a vivid dream. It's a dream unlike any other he's had since first coming to the Far Shore. So naturally, since he can still remember it as clear as crystal even after he wakes up, he can only assume it's one of his memories. Excited, he throws on his clothes, runs a comb through his hair, and immediately takes to the airwaves.]

Listen up, Sparkle Motion! Sheryl may be gone, but that doesn't mean we gotta spend all our time mopin' around! She'd want us to get out there, practice our asses off, and put on the best show we can! So tomorrow, bright and early, we're gonna have a meet and greet and our first group practice session!

If we're gonna shine as bright as the stars, we need to buckle down and work as hard as we can. Make sure you all get plenty of rest and a good meal, ' cause we're gonna practice 'till the sun goes down! And anybody else out there who's always dreamed of stardom, come on and join us too! Here's the directions to the studio.

[He attaches a link to a map of downtown Tokyo, with his studio marked with a star.]

That's it! See you all tomorrow!

((OOC: Log is over here!))

[Private - to Maria]

Hey. I'm gonna need to lean on you a little bit as our resident professional now that Sheryl's gone. You okay with that? We can go in fifty-fifty on the ownership of the place and split all the profits down the middle when we start getting bookings.

Comments

[very_goodman]

Good. I know the newbies'll be in good hands with you around.

[Barry leans in toward the phone as she turns the view around, taking a good look at her surroundings and letting out a low impressed whistle.]

Pretty nice. That part of your temple, I'm guessin'?

[declamando]

I try. Being around idols in the making isn't new to me either.

[The phone camera's view returns to her as she says that, with her sitting back in her seat properly.]

Yes, the treehouse is my temple. It's the biggest thing I've ever seen built into a tree, but I think the grotto makes up for extra space that the gods with actual temple buildings get as well.

[very_goodman]

I'll be countin' on ya, then!

[Barry's smile is a mile wide. He's feeling good about this.]

That's pretty cool. What're you the goddess of, anyway?

[declamando]

Ah...that's a hard one to explain, actually. [Maria smiles slightly, as if apologetic for her perceived lack of knowledge on the subject.] I'm actually a god over a goddess, as far as the reading I've done so far tells me - Nuada Airgetlám. I suppose you could call him the first king of the gods in the oldest Irish mythology, but as for what he rules over, I'm not quite sure. It seems he's gotten mixed up with some related gods over the years, because I often get fishermen praying for safe passage.

[very_goodman]

Geez, that's a mouthful.

[Celtic names, wat.]

Fishermen, huh... that's a little weird for a god that lives in a big treehouse.

[declamando]

I'm used to it. [There's a slight laugh at that, as if enjoying a private joke.]

It is a bit, but I think the treehouse comes from the mythology more than anything. The ring of gods he was associated with were very much about nature and life.

[very_goodman]

I'm glad I don't gotta worry about any of that. Bein' a shinki is a lot easier.

[No memories, but whatever. He doesn't seem bothered.]

[declamando]

[Maria lets out a sound somewhere between soft amusement and a harsh breath, because she knows that's a bit of a divisive issue.]

I know there's a lot of people here who'd disagree, but if it works for you then that's a good thing.

[very_goodman]

Been workin' out so far!

[Barry's not the type to overthink things.]

So, mind if I drop by sometime to see the treehouse? I bet it's even better in person.

[declamando]

Of course, you can come by anytime you like. Even if I'm not here, I'm sure Natsuru or Hibiki wouldn't mind showing you around.

[There's a gracious note to Maria's voice there, and not just at the invitation. Really, she's more grateful than anything to have shinki who are so kind.]

[very_goodman]

Hibiki?

[An eyebrow goes up.]

I thought she had her own place.

[He may be thinking of the wrong Hibiki here.]

[declamando]

[Definitely the wrong Hibiki, but thankfully Maria knows which one he's talking about straight off, and laughs.]

No, no, I don't think that Hibiki would show anyone around anywhere. One of my shinki is a man around my age called Hibiki Kohaku.

[very_goodman]

She did, once. When she first got here. It was weird.

[Understatement of the century? Why yes.]

Heh, that's good, though. It'd be weird if the other Hibiki lived with ya.

[declamando]

Oh, when she was showing people her temple? I didn't get the chance to see that, actually.

[She saw the post, but didn't actually attend the "showing".]

It would be a bit strange, yes. The Hibiki who lives with me is much more mild.

[very_goodman]

She definitely knows how to put on a show, I can tell ya that much. Gonna be real stiff competition, that one.

[declamando]

[Maria hasn't actually heard anything about their budding rivalry yet, and she raises an eyebrow a little.]

Competition? I knew she had some lofty ideas, but I wasn't aware that was one of them.

[very_goodman]

I dunno if she's thought of it yet, but she sure seems like she's gonna try it someday. That girl's got real ambition.

[declamando]

That's certainly something she has. She also has rather an ego, though. I'm not sure how well she'll take it if something like that doesn't turn out to go so well here as she expects.

[As much as she's fond of Sparkle Motion, she's really not sure there's enough people in the Heavens interested in that sort of thing to run two studios.]

[very_goodman]

Guess we'll find out. The way she reacts and picks herself up will show if she can really make it in this industry.

[Says Barry, who barely even remembers anything about his own involvement in it.]

[declamando]

That's true. I've picked her up from at least one disappointment before, but there isn't always someone there to help you rebound.

[Maria's tone is serious at that, and a little understanding. She'd been lucky enough to have people around to help her through her own troubles in the industry, but Hibiki may not have that luxury.]

[very_goodman]

Yeah?

[He raises an eyebrow.]

Oh, was it that day she was wanderin' around downtown Tokyo all hopped up on too much caffeine? The hell was with that?

[declamando]

You saw her as well? I was surprised she was still out in that state, I couldn't imagine what she'd been doing.

[For her part, Maria looks a bit more concerned over what happened as opposed to just confused by it.]

[very_goodman]

Beats me. She wouldn't even admit something was wrong in the first place, let alone tell me what.

[He lets out a frustrated huff.]

[declamando]

She was very vague about it, but I think she mentioned something about light being extinguished. Maybe she had some hope or plan that didn't turn out like she expected.

[That's honestly Maria's best guess given what little she'd had to work with.]

[very_goodman]

I guess it's tough for someone like that to fail at somethin' or have it turn out different than she thought it would.