behold: an unholy mashup of prompts!

[frostythehitman]

WHO: James and YOU!
WHERE: all over town but particularly Bosuma and The Atrium
WHEN: throughout April
WHAT: April catch-all! feat. his concert at The Atrium and a wide variety of stupid shit he's getting up to while suffering from Bosumamnesia.
WARNINGS: none right now!


A. THE CONCERT [4/7]

[ If you show up to The Atrium before the concert starts at 7, you may catch a glimpse of James, in full makeup and costume, helping to set up the stage. If you were expecting a standard band setup here, prepare to be confused, because although there is a mic stand and several stacks of large speakers on either side of the stage, there are no musical instruments anywhere to be found. No guitar stands, no drums, no keyboard, nothing. Instead, there is a small dumpster, a large thin sheet of metal hanging from a pole, and decaying chunks of concrete with rusty metal piping sticking out of them.

Once the concert actually starts up, it slowly becomes clear what the setup is for. James--or, as his new onstage persona prefers, The Unknown--brings the only real instrument onto stage, the electric guitar strung up around his neck. And as he plays, he uses the collection of junk on stage for the music. He bangs his metallic fist against the dumpster to replicate the drumbeat for one song. For another, he snaps off one of the thick metal pipes with the left arm and screams through it into the mic. He scrapes his foot along the sheet metal to create shattering noise while he plays Taps.

There's also variety in what he plays, as well. When playing a shortened version of 30.25/120/4500 (because even he realizes that no one's going to listen to a full half hour track in concert), the volume is turned up so high that the music shakes you to the very core, so all-encompassing it's hard to tell that it isn't emanating from your own chest. At one point, he even brings out a second mic stand and stands it right next to the first, silently letting the two microphones play screeching feedback at each other for a solid minute and a half--not a song that was online on the album, but one he is performing here nevertheless.

And as soon as the echoing, cacophonous shrieking of the music stops, he silently falls back into the shadows, practically fading off stage like a ghost.

It's not hard to find him afterwards, however. He's in the lobby area, still in full costume--easily accessible and identifiable. And despite the makeup and imposing look of the outfit, his expression is actually quite nervous and awkward. He's not really sure what to do with himself, now that it's over. ]

B. BOSUMA [idk like 4/15 to 4/18? whatever we can honestly handwave the dates lol]

B. i. the only prompt that's actually IN bosuma

[ James knows Bosuma. Hell, he even mapped a good chunk of the place out. He feels pretty confident about where he's going here--until he's not. None of this looks familiar. Why did he even come out here? If you're accompanying him on this trip, he certainly doesn't remember asking you to come along, or who you even are.

He doesn't realize quite how dire it is until he realizes he can't even remember his own name. Thankfully, when he meets the witch, she gives him the name "Hoover"--really?--and tells him that if he wants to get his memories back, he needs to learn the accordion and perform a song off his own album (apparently he's some kind of musician).

Once the agreement is made, he steps out of the house back into Bosuma. Alright. Three days to do this. ]

Alright, step 1. Get back to civilization and get an accordion. ...I still have no idea how to get out of here.

B. ii. A Lyrical Assassination: the accordion remix

[ He's trying to be quiet and discreet about this, but accordions are neither. So even though he's sequestered himself behind an abandoned convenience store and an empty lot (unbeknownst to him, the exact same one James took photos in front of for his first album), it's not hard to follow the wheezing discordant sounds to their source. Hoover is working in stages: sometimes he's focusing intently on slowly hitting each note, keeping a close eye on his finger placements. (If anyone listens closely, they may notice that he's actually playing a heavily butchered version of A Lyrical Assassination's new song, One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Weapon.)

And sometimes, he practically throws the accordion onto the ground, sounding for all the world like a cat falling onto a piano. ]

I can't believe this. This is so stupid. Of all the things for that witch to give me!

B. iii. judging poor life choices [getting angry at his hair]

[ It is maybe the fiftieth time in the past hour that Hoover has had to blow his hair out of his face. He's going crazy. Sure, he could tie it up, but then all the stray hairs still get in his face anyway, so what's even the point!! How can a guy even live on base with hair like this and maintain his dignity? It's baffling and the longer he thinks about it, the more irritated he gets. ]

How does anybody live with this much hair?! Who even let me grow it out this long? Because I need to have some words with them.

B. iv. did you know whiteboards were only invented in the 1960s [at school]

[ Okay yeah sure, he's a guy who's just forgotten his whole life, except for a long-past one that may or may not have existed at some point. He's got bigger things to worry about than school. But he still has to live at home with a father and a sister who he knows aren't the ones he remembers, but are so close they might as well be. And if they tell him he needs to go to school, how could he say no to that?

So anyone who sees Hoover at school will notice he looks very much out of his depth. What about, you might ask? Oh, literally everything. The whiteboards. The all-yellow schoolbuses. The moving from classroom to classroom. The dedicated PE facilities. The math lessons. The history lessons, good god.

He looks particularly hopeless when he thinks no one is looking--wandering the hallways between classes, at lunch, or in study hall. He didn't quit school voluntarily, but he sure as hell wants to now. ]

B. v. [squidward voice] FUTURE [trying to figure out phones]

[ He's seen other people using these things. He knows you're supposed to tap on the smooth glass screen and do things on it. He knows it's supposed to show you things. But he can't for the life of him figure out how to turn it on. Hoover is so frustrated he's about ready to throw it as far as he can, but then it vibrates.

He yelps and the device slips out of his hand entirely, falling onto the ground. He didn't know it was supposed to move! ]

C. wildcard!
[ hit me up, i'm down to plot something and make a new prompt here for anything! ]

Comments

[mercurio]

[don't mind prompto hanging off of james--again, as is his usual--soon as he spots the younger teen amidst the crowd.]

Dude. My dude. Sick set.

[prompto lives for these shows, it seems]

Y'doing any after party stuff, or what's the plan?

[frostythehitman]

[ Alright, well. He'll take the compliment. For an album so abstract and experimental and so deeply personal, he really didn't know what kind of response to expect. It's nice to see that people are responding positively to it, at least. He can't help but grin a little. ]

I don't have much of a plan, other than helping clean up all the props and instruments and going home.

[mercurio]

What, seriously?

[prompto sounds almost offended]

--hey! Lemme help out.

[he's earnest, at least, pulling back to stand in front of james]

Let's hang out in town for a bit also. I haven't actually seen your cool metal arm close and personal yet either!

[frostythehitman]

What, really? And do what?

[ He's fairly confused, but still grinning a little. He's not opposed to the idea, but he just has no idea what Prompto has in mind. And honestly is a little surprised that he wants to put up with helping him take down all the concert equipment. ]

[mercurio]

[he pauses a moment]

Remind me if you're still a minor.

[this is important]

B. v.

[maskreant]

Hey—[ What the hell? Why can't he say his name? Akira blinks once, twice, and tries again to make sure only to find that the same exact thing happens. A scowl creeps on his face for a second, but it drops as he approaches "Hoover" with the person named James in mind. He's sure that talking to him will answer his questions. ]

New phone? It looks like you're struggling.

[ The least he can do is help out especially the scare he gave him and his sister that one time. ]

[frostythehitman]

A phone?

[ He stares at the stranger incredulously, then down at his phone. Then back up at him. ]

You're telling me that thing is supposed to be a phone? How?

[maskreant]

... Technology advances day by day.

[ He comes closer to check on the phone, hovering over the screen to scour for a crack. Let’s hope it’s still intact. ]

What were you trying to do?

[frostythehitman]

I was trying to make it--I don't know, turn on, start glowing, show me all the stuff on it that everyone else keeps staring at!

[ Hoover leans down to pick up the phone. No cracks on the screen thankfully, but the screen is still totally dark. ]

a

[liberal_arts]

-Kasen wanted to be the first to greet James as soon as he'd gotten back to the lobby. And he recognized that look pretty well. He'd worn it hundreds of times himself, not sure how to bask in the afterglow of a fully realized project finally brought to an audience, regardless of how things turned out. So Kasen put on his best smile... it wasn't hard.-

I am so proud of you, James. -Because he genuinely was.-

[frostythehitman]

[ Oh my god Kasen, could you BE any more of a sap??? The completely open genuineness makes him look away, just off to the side, but he can't totally suppress a grin. ]

Of what, me setting a new Guiness World Record for the loudest concert?

[liberal_arts]

I don't doubt you could, if you put your mind to it. But more to the point, you had a vision and you stuck with it and did everything to make it happen. After everything you've been through, how could I not say I'm proud?

[frostythehitman]

You know what, I was wrong. The only Guinness record being set here is you sounding like the most human Hallmark card ever.

[ He's trying his hardest to sound sarcastic, like this is a joke, but he's really bad at it. His smirk comes out as more of a genuine grin, because as embarrassingly touchy-feely as this is, his feelings are definitely getting touched right now. ]

b-iii

[digthefuzz]

[Kurt's puzzled when he comes across James having a fight with his hair. He raises an eyebrow as he waves to him while wearing a confused smile.]

I dunno, dude, nothing wrong with having some hair! [His own hair's pretty shaggy itself.] I like to let you do you! [When it doesn't involve terrorizing waffle houses, at least.]

[frostythehitman]

[ ...is this someone who's supposed to know him? ]

How do you live with it, though? It keeps getting in my face every time I try to--do something--!

[ Yup, there it goes again. Another lock of hair has made its way into his mouth and now he's sputtering and spitting it out. ]

[digthefuzz]

[Something seems really weird...]

Huh? Well, like, sometimes you gotta move some hair around. Or try, like, gel and stuff. Or a ponytail?

[A beat.]

You know what they say. Hair today, gone tomorrow!

[frostythehitman]

Ha! Yeah, maybe, but right now, it just feels like hairassment!

[ Hoover blows a lock of hair out of his face, only for it to land right back where it was. James may hate puns, but they are Hoover's jam--as well as his bread and butter. The whole breakfast, really. ]

Okay, okay. Ponytail, I can do that. You got any hair ties? Because I'm guessing I don't have any on me. [ He certainly doesn't have any on his wrist, anyway, and this guy looks like his hair is long enough that he might have some. ]

b iv

[livens]

[ clearly what james needs right this second is hinata aoi running up to him and cheerfully slinging an arm over his shoulders. ]

Heeeeey! Do you want to eat lunch together? It's been kind of a while, huh? Mafumafu is busy today, soooo.

[frostythehitman]

[ He hears the running before he sees it, just enough to tense up but not enough to be able to avoid getting roped into this weird hug. ]

What? Is that right now?

[ Hoover has no idea what his schedule is. He's just been wandering from room to room in hopes of stumbling into the right one. He also has no idea who this kid is, but it's probably someone he's meant to know. He wonders how much of this magical witch stuff is a secret, and briefly considers playing along to play it safe in case it is--but then he realizes it's pointless, because he's so out of his depth right now he'd reveal himself in seconds anyway. He doesn't have enough intel to pull that off, so he may as well be up front about it. ]

Okay, look--all the cards on the table, if I'm supposed to know you, I don't. I have no idea who you are.

[livens]

Ehh?? [ that. sure does sound like a retrospec problem, though, so hinata's shoulders slump and he just accepts it at face value... ] Is that so...well, it is right now! We have the same period for lunch. And I'm Hinata Aoi! We're friends.

[ hinata thinks they're friends anyway and THAT'S ALL THAT REALLY MATTERS, CLEARLY ]

[frostythehitman]

[ Well, okay. That went over much easier than expected, and Hinata seems to be taking this all in stride. Maybe he's used to this kind of amnesia and random forest witches type crap too. ]

Friends, huh? Well, friend, lead the way. I've got no clue where I'm supposed to go or how anything in this place works. I don't know what they did to school in the future, but it's all gibberish to me!

b-ii

[commandertoolbelt]

[ When Leo hears an odd noise while he’s out, he immediately wonders if there’s another fire spirit possessing something it shouldn’t. They’ve been running loose for a while now - for every one they manage to send back to its hearth, it seems like there are three more to take its place and going where they don’t belong. The only thing that reassures Leo about it is that it doesn’t sound like one’s taken over another car. It’s better than nothing, he supposes? With a sigh of resignation, he goes to investigate.

The closer he gets to the source, the more… weirdly familiar the noise sounds. Whatever it is, though, Leo can’t seem to place it. But that tone - yeah, he almost recognizes it when it’s followed by the next note, but something’s throwing it off, and he doesn’t find out what until he turns the corner and sees James with...

An accordian?

Surprised, he can’t help but laugh.]

Dude. Are you seriously trying to teach yourself the accordion? I thought something was dying in here!

[frostythehitman]

[ Oh great, someone's come to laugh at him. He folds his arms stubbornly and throws himself against the wall he's sitting up against. ]

Well, you can blame the accordion for that! That's just how they naturally sound.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ That’s fair, but seeing James pouting about it doesn’t make this situation any less funny. ]

So why are you trying to learn it, then? Something wrong with your guitar? Trying out a new direction for the band?

[frostythehitman]

Oh great, you know it?

[ There's his tip-off that this guy actually knows whoever-he's-supposed-to-be. ]

I thought it was a joke! I don't know what I was thinking, putting that thing together.

Anyway, no, nothing's wrong with the guitar. Probably. I don't know where it is or if it's broken or what. All I know is, I have to learn to play this dumb song on the accordion. And sing it.