un:happyaround

[roundandaround]

So, uh. It kinda came up at Music Club, but I thought I should ask everyone because. It's kinda important to lots of people.

The Music Club usually does a New Year's show and party. I mean, that's months away, obviously! But since the last one went wrong, I just kind of... don't know if we should do it again? I know most people probably just kinda had fun having to sing, but Max-san almost died and I know when I woke up from my coma my family and friends were all really hurt and upset. I know what happened last time won't happen again, but what if people don't want a New Year's live this year because they're scared and hurt? So I'm kinda scared about hurting people if we do do it, but also scared about making people sad if we don't do it because then something bad ruined something fun again...

I dunno. I wanna ask all of you what we should do.

Comments

text; un: MacaqueMorningstar

[castaside]

Yeah, that sucked. [ Macaque can't even look at his red scarf since that day. ]

If people want to have it, have it. But out of respect for people who really don't want the reminder, maybe have it be kind of private. Don't do network stuff with it. Hold it at an indoor venue where people won't be able to accidentally come across it. That sort of thing. That way, people who want to participate can and people who don't want the reminder can avoid it.

[roundandaround]

Oh... yeah, that's a good point. I don't want to remind people of something that hurt that bad. But I also don't want to ruin something that used to be so much fun.

[But also also, if it's not a huge party at a big venue for the general public with advertisements papering the city and the network alike and fireworks capping off the night, then what the party used to be is basically ruined anyway and that jerk Melodymania is winning from beyond the grave, so is there a point either way?

She doesn't say that.]

I'm scared too. Even though I know nothing would go wrong if we did it again.

[castaside]

You can do both. Have it, just have it be a little more tucked away. Hell, find a pocket dimension to have it in if there's one that'll work. Get creative.

If there's one thing I learned about triggers it's that they're not optional. It's not as simple as "just don't come if you don't want to be reminded." Sometimes we can't avoid poking at those triggers but this one you could avoid it. There are solutions to still have it where it's not so public and unavoidable. Maybe it won't be quite the same but change doesn't have to be a bad thing. Different doesn't have to be a bad thing.

[roundandaround]

Triggers... I think I get it.

[She hasn't heard it in that term until recently. But she freezes when she has to fight a Faemoose or a Swisher, and has to force herself through and then breaks down when she can't anymore. Some other things, it's the same.]

Portal dimensions are really big... You think lots of people would still come if we didn't have as many ads? Wait, I guess that's already kinda why I'm asking, because maybe they wouldn't want to come anyway.

It's scary, but giving up is scary too because it feels like that guy's still haunting us and ruining everything he touches, even though he's gone for good now. And maybe keeping on would fix that, but also maybe it'd make it worse. I don't know. I just don't wanna hurt anyone.

[Herself included -- it's getting at her too, even if she's trying to focus on how much it hurt everyone else. They all went through so much worse, after all, the way she sees it.]

[castaside]

Yeah. A trigger is something you can't really get until you do.

I think people would go if it was a little less out of the way, sure. I can't speak for Max but if I had to put money on it I'd bet on him wanting to have a good time. But for myself...

I know that we don't know each other that well, but before last year's concert, I always wore a red scarf. I had it with me for many centuries. I was wearing it when I died. But after what Count Dipshit did to me with it, and used it to make me hurt people I care about, I put it away and haven't looked at it since. So put me down for "I want you all to have fun but please do it where I don't have to see it." [ He'll hear it no matter what but he's not about to make that anyone's problem, he'll spend the day in the super soundproofed room. ]

You don't strike me as the giving up type. So don't. You can keep being you and also be considerate. It's not like you have to pick one.

un: spinjockey;

[fauxbot]

hun
if there's one thing i've learned over the years
it's that if something bad happens
you can't let it keep you from enjoying life.
take it from a grim reaper!
just because something bad happened
doesn't mean you suddenly can't do it.

a new new year's live sounds like fun to me :)
and this time i can join in!

[roundandaround]

You really think so? I mean... yeah, that's true. Some things happen and they just linger, and sometimes they wreck your whole life, even when everyone and everything is trying to get you to move on and you wish you could but you don't think you can or you should because it ruined everything and why isn't everyone else acting like it?

[She's mostly healed, even if it took a lot of work and then cheating with magic. But there'll always be a part of her that knows the Hell Dimension happened, the horrors that went on in there, and that there are people she should have been able to save who died. But they don't live in the universe where everyone was saved without a drop of blood on their hands, or even the universe where just Evangeline was. Sometimes the worst option happens even when you did everything you could.]

I think what happened to us... was that, for some people.

-> voice;

[fauxbot]

[Yeah, okay, this is worth switching to voice for - not because typing about it is hard, but because he, of all people, knows how difficult tone is to get across through text.

And Chipp, being Chipp, speaks in as soft and comforting of a tone he can manage.]

Hun... y'know if you don't want to hold it, you don't gotta? No one gonna make ya, no matter how much they might want it.
If you scared of hurtin' folks, just don't do it. 'S fine. And you clearly got some stuff you need to work through, too.

In fact -
Would it help if someone else replaced it all with somethin' new? Somethin' different.

'Cause I gotta admit, I been lookin' for more places to start doin' some more stuff with Miss L... and if it'd help you out, changing out that old tradition with a new one, coverin' up old wounds like that so they can heal -
I'd be real happy to do it for ya.

[roundandaround]

Chipp-sa -- uh. Chipp...?

[Rinku sniffs. She thinks about this for a moment.]

I dunno. I don't actually know what we should do, that's why I asked for help. I was afraid the New Year's live might be ruined for everyone and it'd be bad to hold it... and I guess I was afraid it'd hurt me, too. But I don't want the guy who hurt us to win, and I don't want something that used to be happy for everyone to be ruined for good.

...What kinda changes would you want to make? If you were gonna redo the whole New Year's live.

Text; un: D6

[shamtagonist]

If people don't like it they can just not go or tune in.
ʅ ( ․ ⤙ ․) ʃ
That's the nice thing about free will!
People can willingly choose to avoid things that upset them.
Just don't send out goons to force people to attend at gunpoint or rig all of the electronics in Ellipsa to play it 24/7 with no way to turn it off and you'll be fine.
(*ᵕᴗᵕ)⁾⁾

[roundandaround]

Eh? Did someone actually try to do that where you're from?!

[She would not put it past the things he's mentioned!]

[shamtagonist]

No, it was just hyperbole to help show you that your guys' concert is fine because you're normal people about it.
(❛ัॢᵕ❛ั ॢ)✩ *ೃ.⋆

[roundandaround]

I guess. I don't even know how I feel about it. Scared, mostly. But also I don't wanna let that guy ruin anything more than he already did.

[ Text - UN: KingofCorruption ]

[kingofcorruption]

It's a good question. I'll sit this year out, to be honest. Only because I don't want to cause anyone any discomfort. I'll gladly help set up and tear down. I can do that in the tried and true disguise of a baseball cap and sunglasses.

[roundandaround]

Maybe you're right... I dunno. I probably make people think about it too. Sometimes people don't even like looking at my face because of the scars, and that's just kind of a general "quests and missions are dangerous" thing and not "this one really, really bad thing happened that half the city saw in the theatre or on TV." But Rumi-chan made me think about it, and she said the New Year's live shouldn't be ruined by something bad. It's like... letting that guy win, right?

threadjack;

[fauxbot]

i'll be real with you, davis
hurt like hell what happened last year.
i got told to my face that i wasn't allowed to go
i wasn't allowed to have fun and do shit
so what happened could happen.
because melodymania knew i was strong
and had a chance of stopping him.
so i just had to watch
as someone i love and care about got REAL hurt
all on the other side of a screen.

for all accounts and purposes
i'd be someone who would hate seeing you around on new years.

[It's something Chipp's thought about a lot ever since it happened. He had no idea why Max had told him he wasn't allowed to go -
Just that he had that life debt, so he had no choice but to comply.
And then it turned out to be Melodymania all along... and Chipp just had to sit back and watch in horror, unable to lift a finger.

And yet...]

but the honest truth?
i think i'd be sad if you kept yourself hidden
and didn't enjoy yourself to the fullest.

you were someone who was hurt too, man
you should be allowed to join everyone and have fun :(

private

[castaside]

You okay? More or less.

un: redrage

[saisdoesmatter]

I get where you're comin' from, Rinku, but other people's feelings about something is not your responsibility. The only one who you need ta be concerned about is yourself.

Not gonna sugar coat it but like: bad shit happened. That really fucking sucks, I get it. Especially since a friend nearly died and you were hurt. Your friends and family were upset over what happened. That's valid.

But I can't see you not doing music. That'd be like asking Zoey not ta write lyrics.

Push through the bad shit, bad memories or what have you, and do what you guys do best: bring people together through your music and celebration.

[roundandaround]

You really think we can do it? I don't wanna hurt everyone. I just want to make them all happy.

[saisdoesmatter]

I know you do. And that's why I think you should do it.

If people don't want to come because they're uncomfortable, that's their decision. They ultimately have to protect themselves if it is harmful to them.

Don't think about the bad stuff; focus on what you can do. Things went sideways once before - you can't help that. What you can do is try to make this one the best one ever to build new memories.

[roundandaround]

That does sound really nice... Chipp said maybe we could make a whole new show that's completely different. But a couple other people said making the same kind of show would be like taking it back from what happened. And Macaque-san said things are gonna have to change at least a little so the people who don't want to come won't have to see it, like no more fireworks or ads on the network and stuff, but that things would always change anyway because that's how it goes. What do you think?

un: abnormalitylover, text

[abnormalizes]

I think what's been said about how if it would hurt people, they can choose not to come, is good. As long as it can be avoided, there's nothing wrong with having it. And having it be changed doesn't mean that that jerk won.

I'd go if you sang. But I'd want a front row seat so that if anything did happen, I'd be right there to protect you.

[roundandaround]

I promise. I really, really promise. I trust you.

[It's not even a question, not even after Melodymania specifically used her trust in Max or the plan wouldn't have worked. Rinku is just like that, and Evangeline is so, so important to her.]

Chipp said maybe it could be a really, really different thing, like not even having a concert at all. And some people are like, "make it just the same as the other years except no evil stuff," and other people are like, "keep some things but you can change some other stuff to make it not in everyone's face so the people who feel bad won't feel worse." And I don't even know what I feel.

[abnormalizes]

Do you want to Candle of True Feelings about it?

[roundandaround]

Do you have one? I can come over. And I have snacks.