(Dress Rehearsal) Live Show

[miraclelivemod]

Today's the day. The club meets up and takes a quick train ride down to Hikarizaka, where the Southwest Mall is ready for the festival. Banners with fall trees and leaves are hung, store clerks welcome you and gesture to the deep discounts in their stores, and people in special mall uniforms are giving out everything from maps to tissue packs to promotional eyeshadow swatches. A few stalls around the hallways are set up selling promo goods, if for some reason you need a fall festival shirt, and seasonal snacks like grilled yams and taiyaki.

And then there's the stage. Audio equipment is standing ready and the stage is cordoned off from the crowd, and the light fixtures you've brought in are there to be set up. You've got a little time before your set while the audience is being entertained by the act before you, a group of poorly-dancing kindergarteners who are too cute to boo off the stage. How are you going to spend it?

Comments

PREPARATION

[miraclelivemod]

[For everything before you perform. Wandering the mall, setting up the lights in between shows, preparing backstage, looking out into the crowd, you name it.]

[anchornyan]

[Backstage, Ayaka is trying to do vocal drills, but she's got a pen and paper in her hand and keeps being distracted to scribble.]

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah -- oh, how many people do you think are out there? Should I just say "a good-sized crowd?" Or maybe bypass it entirely and go with "a lively crowd?"

[daughterofthemark]

Dame Ayaka. Is there not something else that should have your focus?

[Actually, Arianna should be warming up too instead of bothering people, but eh.]

[anchornyan]

Busted. But I can't help it! A live like this is a great scoop, isn't it? People are gonna be picking up my paper in no time!

[daughterofthemark]

I'm sure it'll be an even better scoop once there has actually been a performance.

[anchornyan]

I feel a little called out.

[daughterofthemark]

[Innocent smile.]

Now, let us warm up our voices.

[anchornyan]

[She slumps a little, stands up straight, and goes back into the vocal warmups. After a bit more of that:]

You're really into this today, aren't you?

Re: PREPARATION

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

[Rita Mordio obviously can't set up the actual lights while there are children performing, for quite a number of reasons. Like not wanting to think too much about her childhood years - the part she can remember, anyhow. Instead, she's backstage, and she's hooking up a couple of backstage control boards. As soon as the kids are loose, she'll be out there doing the lights.

Notably, she hasn't changed into her idol outfit yet, instead favoring jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. There's a pair of rather thick gloves at her side, next to some highly sweetened drink that technically qualifies as tea if you tilt your head a bit.]

[anchornyan]

Do you need any help with that? [Ayaka's already got most of her outfit on, though the bunny jacket is in her arms for now.] I don't really know a lot about this stuff yet, but you always seem to be having fun with it!

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

... Kinda, I guess.

But mostly right now I'm just getting the backstage rig set, then as soon as the kids leave, it's out to set the lighting rig up, run the test cycle, and change.

And, you know. The live itself. I'm less worried about that, though, honestly, if only because I'm not the center this time around.

[anchornyan]

I'm sure you'll do great when you are! I mean, you work as hard as anyone.

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

... I just hope it's enough.

[Rita sighs.]

Can't fail people.

[anchornyan]

We're all working at this. Don't worry so much, okay?

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

... R-right.

We've gotta work every bit of crowd we've got.

[anchornyan]

Yeah! Exciting, isn't it? Don't worry, we're right here too!

[daughterofthemark]

Is everything going well? I can t wait to see the results.

[Arianna you're going to be onstage.]

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

... Crap. Are we setting a camera up for recording this?

[Rita clearly assumed Arianna meant 'after the show', as opposed to 'while she's on stage'...]

[eternalfuture]

[Usagi looks out into the crowd, from where she's been using some hair chalk to put pink streaks into her pigtails.]

Aww, the little ones are so cute...

[She smiles.]

I just hope the crowd isn't all their parents.

[anchornyan]

Let me see! [Ayaka puts on her glasses and tries to mash her face up to the crack between the temporary backstage partitions.] I can't really tell. What if people might be watching now so they have good seats when we come on? That'd be ameowzing, wouldn't it?

[eternalfuture]

Do you think so? I'd love that if it were true!

[anchornyan]

I don't know if we're actually popular enough for that. But sometimes people do it! Maybe we should make that our goal.

[She plays with the rabbit ears on her jacket. These costumes are adorable, okay.]

[eternalfuture]

I think that's a really good goal. We can make it happen.

[holding up her hands in the shape of a heart]

[anchornyan]

It's still hard to control, though, isn't it? But then, that might be what makes it exciting!

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

Doesn't look too much like that, to me. But even then they might stick around.

I'm more concerned that their set finishes close to on-schedule. Knew I should gotten here early to do the light rigs.

[Not like the mall would've let her, but she would've tried!]

[eternalfuture]

It'll be okay, Rita-chan. We'll have time to get everything set up. Can I help?

[...this is a bad idea, do not let her help]

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

Nah. Take the time to get Ryoko looking epic! I've got this.

[daughterofthemark]

If they are, perhaps the families will stay to watch us as well.

[optimism drive engage]

[eternalfuture]

[double optimism drive, MAKE UP]

Maybe! I'm feeling good about it.