#ghoverture2024

✰ OVERTURE 2024 ! – reblog & send to earn theater tickets.

[PROP DESIGN] - It's hard to make a set on a budget, and that’s where you come in. Show off your own artistic skills by lending a hand to make some props!

[COSTUME RACK] - Need the perfect outfit for your next scene? Look no further! Costumes of every shape and size are yours for the taking, and don't worry if they don't fit! Surely someone around here knows their way around a needle and thread...

[SHARE A COFFEE] - When in Fontaine, it’s impossible to not see every other person walking around with a cup of coffee from the Café Lutece. With all this commotion, business is booming, and what better way to keep the energy up than with a nice, warm cup o’ joe.

[MIC CHECK] - It's hard work to make sure all the equipment is good working order! Help the sound team out by singing in a few notes with a partner.

[STUNT DOUBLE] - Why risk an actor's safety when we can risk yours! Take a fall for a friend, or maybe make one take it for you...

[FIGHT SCENE] - Fighting can be tough, but faking a fight and making it look real is even more difficult. How about a demonstration for these blossoming actors?

[PHOTO OP]- Ready to best capture the occasion, there are countless photographers and photo booths stationed around the city. All it takes is a little mora and those fond memories can be preserved for eternity!

[CLEANUP CREW] - Working on a movie can be quite messy, so it’s all hands on deck to get the set ready for the next scene. While not quite thrilling, help is appreciated all the same.

[CUT LOOSE] - There's music all throughout the streets, and where there is music, there's a moment to dance! Grab someone special and show them your best moves!

[RING TOSS] - A classic game known all across the galaxy! Toss the ring onto the bottle, and earn a prize: your very own miniature armored crab!

[VINGT-ET-UN] - Let’s go gambling! The best bar in Fleuve Cendre is holding a Black Jack tournament. It’s time to test your luck and see if you can make it big, or lose it all.

[CUP PONG] - If gambling isn’t your kind of thing, maybe something lower stakes, though your stomach may hate you tomorrow. And don't worry about what's in the cup, it's totally just Fonta.

[DRESSING ROOM] - Getting prettied up for the camera is quite the arduous task. It takes a proper team to make these actors look flawless, and with everyone so busy, how about lending a hand?

Caelus notices the crack of her voice. Nice touch! Really selling it, March! Like hell the lad is gonna let his bestie down. A cough, underplayed as he covers his mouth with a free hand, staring down at it in mock horror as it, too, becomes painted with the same red liquid currently ingrained against his torso. What it a bit much? Probably. Did the silver regret it? Nope! It's all part of the drama. A fake guilty smile traces his lips, eyes half mast as he glazes over his friend ( again, a bit much? Yeah- and it's not like anyone BUT him is gonna know he blurred his vision- but it helps him play into a bit. ) before moving the hand not currently "holding his innards together" to weakly lay over the lass's hand covering his own. Caelus hopes March doesn't mind him sharing the stage blood- he can apologize after.

A pitiful chuckle shakes his frame, turning to stare skyward as he quickly comes up with the source of his injuries. Seems like he's really trying to play up his own "good guy ego"- but hey, audiences like a good hero, yeah? For extra effect, Caelus softens his voice, leaving a string of humbleness to weave through his words- even tossing in ragged breaths here and there for the fun of it.

❛ Oh you know me- trying.. to keep other's from.. getting hurt. But hey-- I managed to.. at least get that kid.. out of the way- before the debris.. hit them. I'd say that's.. a job.. well done.. Don't.. you? ❜

At the end of his little monologue, the Nameless finally, actually, looks at his stage partner- and is immediately hit with guilt. March... she looks genuinely terrified. Wow- she's so good at this that she's even fooling him! He'll have to ask her for pointers later- ( a tiny whisper, in a voice that's not his own- nor one that he recognizes- say's that it's not an act ). Right! He has a task he's supposed to accomplish.

Time to play ball!

Hand that was resting against the rose haired lass' drags said hand up to his face, affectionately pressing it against his cheek- a tiny nuzzle adding a cherry on top of the action. An unspoken desire burning in his eyes, a regret of not being able to overcome cowardice- until there is nothing left of you.. but ashes. He feels himself choking up a bit even at the thought of what he's about to do- damn it's gonna be so good if he's getting himself worked up!

❛ M..March-- I.. I know this.. probably.. isn't the best time- for this.. But I-- I have something.. I need.. to say.. to you.

Will you listen.. to an old friend's secret..? ❜

The silver originally wanted to say "an old friend's dying words" or "last words"- but something about how freezing March's hands are ( colder than he's used to- but he's also a walking flaming star so that's not a fair comparison if he's being honest- ) stops him from going that far.

[ PROGRAM / Overdrive : week 1 ] : starter for @immovablewill .

having split off from the rest of their team , the two made their way towards the back alley , mei had her own reasons for wishing to head there , aside from thinking it would be a place where she could buy information off of people -- had she had intentions of hoping to find someone she could rob some chrome off of ? well , they can brush past that for now .

the heap , a place always seeming on the move , only managing to find it by pure luck was as good as striking gold , if they needed information , this would be the place to get it , she's gonna need to get lucky , with only eighty-one credits to her name , worth while information may be hard to come by .

she first took a look around , her eyes looking for anyone who stood out -- right away , two people caught her eye , a rather expensive looking man , who looked . . . rather out of her price range , she'd probably go broke trying to get information out of him , so she'd go for the second option .

the only man in this place without anything covering his face had caught her attention , he stood out from the rest for better or for worse , fingers tapping upon a holographic screen at speeds she couldn't keep up with .

mei slowly approached , which had caused him to dart up , as if daring her to step closer -- she looked over him for a moment , she couldn't sense any violence . . . more like he was the sassy type , so she took another step closer , him speaking up right away .

" what's your issue? need something? go find it somewhere else. "

she wasted little time with small talk , cutting straight to the chase .

" apologies -- i don't mean to bother you , i was just hoping you might have some information to spare , i could buy it off of you , of course ."

" if you can afford it, " he grunts, " what're you after? "

" we're looking for someone -- a woman with gray hair and violet eyes , we had heard she's been around here lately , would you have happened to spot anyone fitting such a description ? "

code 024 , to be specific . . . someone who apparently went off the radar and became a sympathizer , little is known , so it's quite hard to ask around with such limited information .

“ five bucks and i’ll answer. ”

. . . only five credits for the information ? it took little hesitation to hand it over .

“ nope, haven’t seen shit. she got a name? ”

a sigh , that made sense . . . she'd move onto a more bold and direct ask . " would a code work ?"

he raises a brow. " huntin' syndicate? brave. sure. "

" you seemed like the the type to not mind so long as the payment was met , am i wrong ? 024 . " it was a gamble , but judging by a reaction , he didn't know nothing . was said nothing what she was looking for ?

he taps away at his hologram a moment, then grimaces. " this isn't just any ask, y'know. that's high security info you're after. fifty-five, and consider a tip for the trouble. "

a hefty price . . . being as she's already down 76 credits , that would leave them with very little for other information or things they might need . " quite a hefty price for information i don't know if you have or not , you charged me low for information you didn't have , but charging me high for information i'm unsure of . . . "

so why not make an attempt at bartering ?

he didn't seem too pleased , letting out quiet grumbles as the two discuss momentarily , seems he'd settle for fifty , at least that's five credits saved . . . she handed it over , as agreed .

with a grunt and a lot more tapping, your man does his job. “ i won’t jack your tech, swear, but for the bargain i won’t promise not to leave a stray virus. ” another few taps and your peripheral lights up with a date entry that reads: 024, special attack code: rebuild status, complete system overwrite: deceased “ your girl’s a syndicate legend. double digit codes mean business, and it looks like she’s the only surviving member of whatever shitfest she was assigned to. ” a shrug, your peripheral darkens again. “ won’t leave anything that’ll get you or me in any trouble on your drives, don’t worry. ” he adjusts, moves to stand up. “ they rebuilt her, she ran. looks like she’s be spotted a few places by now, doesn’t go by her code anymore either. can’t track a name, though. seems she’s got a runner of her own keeping it off anything i can find. ”

she took mental note of all this -- some quite valuable information she's been given , rebuilt and fleed , huh . . . that's strange , it's a situation where one has to wonder if you're even the same person after being rebuilt , but those thoughts are for later on . " i think that's quite a great bit of help . . . i'd ask about the last place she'd been spotted , but . . i'm not sure if i'm able to afford that , so i think we'll keep moving , if that's alright . "

->Teyvat, or more specifically FONTAINE has soothed an ache in his heart he tried so hard to deny. There's a familiarity in its streets, the endless flowing canals that he doesn't dare to name. Part of him wonders if IX has interfered in his travels as a reward for a service that lacks complaint, deposited him as close to home as THEY possibly can by leaving him in a place so reminiscent of St. Freya. The aeon of Nihility has always had a side to it that THEY rarely show, and yet it seems to have once more guided his not student to a place of familiarity.

Welt had resolved that day in Penacony to treat her the same as he would the alumni of St. Freya. He's thankful that she's accepted his invitation to weekly coffee meetings, if not just for the sense of normalcy it's brought back to them. He cannot help but see the shadows of the past that linger in her features, gaze trailing with the hint of concern that's almost grandfatherly in nature. Once, a long, long time ago, someone had told him he was too attached to the trio, a fact he'd denied vehemently until Mei had stood before him with unfamiliar eyes.

"Too long for an old man like me, Mei." And he can never be more thankful to Caelus for bringing the news of her claiming of her name to him as they departed, a glimmer of hope that even across the branches of the imaginary tree, his pupil will forever rise above the tribulations of life that seemed to snake across her path.

The cup of tea is gingerly placed back onto the table, a beverage of choice now that Himeko has ruined his perception of coffee with the sludge she brews daily. The cup is a distraction from the pit of guilt he feels in his stomach, the unreasonable anger he feels at a failure he had no part in resolving. Guilt is also a flame, a burning desire that grows and grows to ensure the SELF-ANNHILATOR no longer has to remain alone on the shores of the river of souls that runs beneath IX's cool gaze.

"Ah... I believe they're travelling to a land sheathed in remembrance. I on the other hand found myself stopping to trailblaze across these vibrant lands." A white lie, he'd appeared in Teyvat following a rumour helpfully passed to him by a memokeeper. He'd left far too much unsaid on Penacony to be content with the thought of her wandering from one system to the next alone. "Did you know... that to the south there's a vibrant land full of dragons? They're exceptional creatures, and quite friendly to boot!" He's babbling, but he can't help but hope that it lifts the grief in her brow just a hint, lest it continue to twist at his heart and all but beckon him to wrap an arm around her like he often had for another of his students.

Within the Court of Fontaine, the activities of the film festival are in full swing. Filming crew members run there and back again getting everything they need set up and prepared for their next hit, children in costumes joyfully gather sweets, visitors from all across Teyvat and even beyond are participating in events, visiting food stalls, playing games and having a time of their lives.

Outside the Court, however...

---

With a powerful blast of Hydro, Neuvillette sends another group of strange, otherworldly monsters crashing into each other and dissipating into dust. Even before they vanish for good however, a new mob of adversaries already emerges from behind them, baring their long fangs and strange weapons as they approach.

The Iudex frowns, eyeing them as he gathers his energy in the palm of his hand again. These are not foes rising from the Abyss - they have come from somewhere else entirely, completely separate from Teyvat.

... Not that it is difficult to figure out how they made their way here, he thinks, holding back a frustrated sigh as he glances upwards. Behind a wall of clouds, he has managed to carefully conceal the sight that would send the people into a panic in an instant -

the firmament full of flickering holes, torn through in multiple places like a cheap piece of fabric in an encounter with a sharp knife.

Neuvillette winces. He can hold his own in a fight like this for a considerable length of time, but re-forging the sky is another matter entirely. Right now, there is little he can do beside steel himself for a long battle to protect the city at all costs, and hope that something changes.

He clenches his fists, Hydro sparkling between his fingers anew.

A... puppy?

This-- wait. There's no way that's just a puppy. Right...? A beat of silence passes before Acheron glances down at her script, completely confused as to what's happening. But... She's supposed to follow her lines. Anything less, and she'd be doing both her partner and the audience a disservice. And so, she chooses to go with the flow, and try hard to make any sense of the situation they're in now. "A pet? Surely you're not serious," Acheron speaks in a tone higher than usual, throwing a hand up as a gesture of incredulity. "This one... It's not normal. It..." Violet eyes narrow as she studies the creature's face, and something about it seems ... off. Its dark, beady little eyes hold a bloodlust unlike anything she's seen before, and part of it reminds her of some story she's read in the past. Perhaps it's a shapeshifter, or perhaps it's simply a being full of malice. "The fear that burns inside me will leave me hollow. When I am but a shell of myself, I will have to find something else to fill the void of nothing under my skin. This creation..." Her mouth twists into a grimace, eyes full of a rage that cannot be put into words. Perhaps, with enough prodding, Acheron can be convinced to divulge her persona's trauma with... animals. She thinks. "We're not keeping it. Get rid of that thing. It bears a striking resemblance to a creature that took my Father from me. We had the same eyes, and yet he saw his daughter in the wide black eyes of an animal behind our house. The animal that hurt me, while he did nothing... and when I hurt it, I became nothing."

[STUNT DOUBLE] "Now I do actually think, if people squint, I can pass for her. However..." he starts, "and I don't mean this in the wrong way. There is nothing wrong with it." Standing beside Kiana, there is one... very glaring issue. Of course, they had different builds, and his hair was far more messy, but these things could be remedied with makeup, or with the perspective. But the one main issue, one that they could deny no longer: Kiana is small. Jing Yuan practically cast a shadow over the young girl when the stage light shined down on them. The height difference, regardless of distance, would no doubt he hard to cover up. "I am very tall. Are you sure you want me to be your double? Look at her, she's rugged and can do her own stunts."

In utter disbelief at the suggestion, Kiana finds she's not sure what to do other than blink incredulously at the assistant that has herded them onto the set together. She would blink incredulously at him, the guy speaking her exact thoughts aloud, but she values her neck.

"Uh, yeah... No offense, really, sir. Your build is," oh, there's really no way to finish that sentence without being weird, Kiana coughs, "impressive, but-"

Really, she isn't that small. It's not her fault that the largest man alive got picked for the part of, well, her. Anyone would look small next to him, seriously.

from here w/ @threadsforewoven ... who what where, scene 2

Elysia fears she may well need a third chance.

Eyes are set intentionally wide as the sole of Black Swan's shoe sends her perfectly drawn circle into utter disarray. Hers is the face of a woman absolutely horrified at the failure of her half-baked protective measures, and it remains so as she stumbles back from the approaching woman.

Two passed tests would, to any normal person, generally be conclusive enough to drop such a silly allegation as this. As though to remind her that she is to be anything but, the spotlight drags across the mere space between them to shower her in gold.

"You would like me to come closer, wouldn't you?" Elysia turns up her nose, drawing arms closer around herself. "That's how it always is with the vampires in the novels-- preying on beautiful, helpless girls..."

( Were she only able to find a camera, she'd certainly flash it a wink. )