TAKING THE LEAD

Hmn... I'm beginning to think this place has a certain fondness for Western holidays and for interrupting production rehearsals.

[Sigh.] I've never before seen such blatant disrespect towards the arts.

( [Private; unhackable. Cut for major spoiler.] )

((OOC: 1% from Activity Check spent on his real name and that his father is a famous actor. 10% total.))

That setback was most unfortunate...

Well then, if anyone is still interested in auditioning for the upcoming play, we'll be meeting every evening in the park from around 4 PM until 7 PM, starting tonight and running though the 18th. If you're unable to make any of these times and still wish to audition, please come see me and we will work out a schedule.

[OOC: Right. I'm going to go for it, because pissed off Ren is much more fun than Ren trying to be a perfect gentleman. 1% memory regain going towards his first meeting with Kyoko and her motivation being revenge against that jerkface Shoutaro. I believe that makes 9% total. So if anyone even thinks of auditioning for stupid reasons, expect to meet with Ren's wrath, though he probably won't stop you from doing so, because he needs bodies. If you suck, he'll give you a hard time. XD

Oh and auditions? You can reply back here if you want to roleplay out auditions. I don't think there's much point in making a log at this stage. Also, if you'd like to volunteer some unsuspecting victim talent in disguise for a part, please do. I was just going to do like a poll to see who gets what part.]

It's been discussed, and the decision has been made that "Sleeping Beauty" will be our first major production. I trust that many of you are familiar with the story, but if you aren't, there are copies available in the library, or you can come see me and I will loan you a script.

We will be holding auditions during the week of September 27th - October 3rd. Casting decisions will be finalized the following week.

If you plan on auditioning, or if you would like to recommend someone, please let us know. In addition, if you have any questions about acting or the play itself, feel free to meet with me and I'll be happy to assist you.

Poll #1453749 [OOC] The as-of-yet undecided upon play.
This poll is closed.
Open to: Friends, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9

Pick your poison. Which play would you rather see?

[Ren is sitting calmly in the grass, his legs folded beneath him, staring down idly at his hand which is shaped to support a cup that is not there. Ren tilts his hand carefully in a circular motion, speaking to someone who is also not present.]

This morning... I went to the Suzunari cape.

The wind really sounds like the ringing of bells.

[He tilts the imaginary cup up to his mouth and 'drinks', his gaze, suddenly piercing, calculating, flicks briefly out into the empty space as if judging what his invisible companion might be thinking.]

You've... never been there? Not even once? That's interesting...

[He takes a moment to wipe his thumb across his mouth as if any tea from an invisible cup could possibly remain there when it had never existed in the first place.]

You live here.

[There is a pause as he sets down the 'cup' carefully, scoots it across the ground towards his 'server', and looks directly at the space in front of him. His voice is the merest whisper at first. But it grows louder as he forms a question.]

Is there...

...some reason why?

[OOC: And here we go. - 1% spent on modeling (yes, he's a model, don't you know that tall people are models?); 1% spent on his role as "the customer" (see volumes 2 & 3, plz). He will not remember his castmates however. Just his role and the dialogue. It was also incidentally one of the shorter arcs (considering Dark Moon lasted HOW MANY chapters??). 8% total.)

Hrm...

It's the island's doing once again, is it not? And yet, of all the abilities I have seen being put to use thus far... what with people attracting animals to them, controlling objects, and even flying around like superheroes from Saturday morning cartoons, I must say that I believe this one could be particularly useful in an everyday setting.

I wonder how frequently people feel compelled to lie?

[[OOC: Ren will be able to tell if you are lying to him or speaking the truth. Because of this, I suspect he will soon discover that he does quite a bit of lying himself, although not all of it on purpose.]]

A considerable amount of time has passed since Tanabata, and I would like to kindly extend my thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in helping me with this play. I must admit that I was not anticipating this task to be so involved; as a result you may not have seen me outside of the library in quite a while.

Right now my main focus is deciding what sort of story to use for the play, and then to rework this story into script format. However, as for finding an appropriate story...

I was thinking that most people would be familiar with fairy tales. I would think that most civilizations have fables and other tales that are passed down through books and by word-of-mouth.

Does anyone have a favorite?

After the script is developed, we can decide on how the stage should be set up and begin practice.

Ahh... When I was told that I would receive an "item from home" for attending the Tanabata ball, I was expecting something along the lines of a hand towel or a gift basket. Instead, I find a car parked outside. I suppose it must have been mine to begin with, seeing as how one of the keys I had with me upon my arrival fits into the ignition. However, I'm not sure there's much use for a car; there aren't that many places where I might drive it, and I am not about to take it for any off-road expeditions. Please, do take care not to scratch or dent it in between your comings and goings, or we will be having words.

That aside, there is another issue I would like to address. Since Axel the Dark Hero has been spirited away back to wherever he came from, he seems to have left behind something of a void. I would like to scout out talent so that those interested can put together future productions. I believe Memento Eden is severely lacking in terms of entertainment and expression of the arts. I am sure that future endeavors will not be nearly as... unique... as the memories Axel has left us with, but I think that with some effort we can put together a show that everyone can enjoy participating in and/or watching together.

A good play requires people of many different talents - actors, singers, musicians, writers, advertisers, artists, people to work the curtains and lights, and various others. If you believe you have a talent worth sharing, please seek me out.

((OOC: 1% spent on Ren's ability to learn by mimickry. I'm not sure if this is a completely natural talent or taught, but it was pretty impressive, so I'm assuming it took some effort for him to develop to the level it was in the manga, so with this I'm hoping he can come close to that level again. The best example is that he "learned" to play a (simple) song on the piano by copying an actress's hand movements and then running with it. Tsuruga-san's at 6% total.))

I am afraid there are no words with which I can accurately describe that production.

However, "horrendous" comes close.

At least this ball will be a nice change of pace, and "Tanabata" is actually something I've heard of. Japan might not have magic or anything like it, but we do celebrate this particular holiday.

Speaking of the ball, I was wondering if there were any groups attending that would not mind welcoming in a few extra people? An acquaintance of mine would prefer not to go alone, and I suspect the evening would be more pleasant surrounded by good company.

That said, if anyone is in need of a dancing partner at any point Tuesday evening, please don't hesitate to ask.

[Private; hackable to "friends".]
I have had a sinking feeling in regards to this play since Day One. In the beginning I could excuse it, but now that I've actually remembered a few things about the entertainment business, I can't let others take acting lightly without getting irritated. Perhaps I am being too harsh (considering this is only a small island, and ignoring the fact that Japan is merely a collection of small islands), but those are my feelings on the matter. I am not entirely sure why I feel so strongly about it, and therefore can only assume it is the mindset typical of a professional and the result of conditioning.

The director seems less than concerned with the final product and entirely too eager to modify the contents of the script to pay homage to our late playwrite, Miss Haruko. I'm afraid I can agree with the sentiment, but not with the actions being considered to express said sentiment.

[Siigh.] I suppose it's understandable... He did lose someone important to him after all, but it's still frustrating. Ah, well, this is only one play... I should continue looking for a niche; I'm not entirely sure I've found it yet.
[/Private]

The ocean is quite beautiful, isn't it? Sitting in the shade and relaxing with a cold beverage, watching the waves and breathing in the salt air... it's rejuvenating. I think I may be a bit more at ease than I was a few weeks ago because of it.

Now that this past episode is over, things seem to be quiet once more. There are patterns in all of this if you look for them. An episode occurs during which there is chaos, then it ends and things become calm until the island pulls another of its many pranks. It is a unique brand of humor that I can't say I fully appreciate. Who knows what will happen in a few weeks' time? Doubtless it will be something we're unable to prepare for or predict, but surely another episode will crop up eventually.

However, musing over the past few weeks and my misadventures during that timespan isn't why I'm writing this. I've remembered a few specifics about my occupation. (Not as a librarian's aid, of course. I am referring to my job as an actor back in Japan.)

To the point: I was wondering if there is anyone who might be interested in being my acting partner for a while. I'd like to see what I'm capable of based on the memories that have been returned to me so far.

((OOC: Yes, his invitation is open to any character(s) interested. I hadn't thought of anything in particular for him to act out, so if you're interested in this and/or have ideas (A)IM Platinum Ryou, leave an OOC comment here, or simply holler at me in chat and I'll notice eventually. This is basically just practice for both him and me, since it's weird for an actor not to be acting. =3))

Memento Eden... I had thought that I'd never have to endure this place again, but it seems that even now this island isn't through toying with me; it seems to take pleasure in interrupting both my life and my acting career even now. When will you finally have had enough?

Perhaps if nothing else, this place has grown more lenient. Rather than possessing no memories of my past at all, I can recall a few things... my occupation, the president, Yashiro... even that ridiculous "Love Me" section. I seem to have no trouble remembering more recent events, either. That's almost more unsettling than forgetting everything.

[Siiiiigh.] I guess there's nothing to do but look around for my old acquaintances and try to enjoy my second stay here.

Hey, "Love Me" girl, are you still hanging around this place, trying to grab on to the coattails of showbiz? Miss Yomiko? Miss Terra?

Hrm...

[[OOC: Ren is now in his early 30s, looking about the same as he has thus far. I will be cheating by using manga images for this event, since I normally use anime caps. His 5% memory usage is as follows, I think: 1% on being "Ren Tsuruga" at LME Productions, 1% on basic details for President Takarada, 1% on basic details for Yashiro (his manager), 1% on the formation of the "Love Me" Section and that Kyoko was its first member, 1% on his ability to lead other actors along with his own acting. No, he doesn't remember his first very bad meeting with/impression of Kyoko yet.]]

Is it just my imagination, or is Memento Eden experiencing a sudden influx of children?

Although, unless my eyes are deceiving me, these children look very familiar.

...

[Shakes head in disapproval.] It seems weird things are happening again.
At least I seem to be unaffected.

[Ren is sitting peacefully under a tree with a huge stack of books from the library - mostly dramas, but there are some other pieces of literature there as well. Who would have thought nature would be so soothing? Ren certainly hadn't until he decided to spend the afternoon reading outside, and now he was very glad about his decision.

What was he doing? Trying to understand acting. It sounded as if he'd been cast as the sidekick character in Axel's play. The only logical course of action now would be to learn more about sidekick characters from other... more trusted, more famous, and slightly less random... sources.]

Interesting... this sidekick lacks faith in the main character, while the one in the book I just read follows the lead around blindly. Still, another managed to trick the hero into believing he was innocent, and then turns on him in the final scene...

I wonder how I should approach this. There are too many options.

[All said in a very fakely nice way. Yes, Ren's quite a jerk sometimes.]

Wow.
The play is going to be so amazing.
Why, with myself and Ms. Mogami included there were at least two auditioners.
Truly, astounding, isn't it?

I expect you all to come see the final product, even if I don't get cast.
You won't believe it.

Well, this has certainly been an interesting weekend...

Not only have I had the existence of magic proven to me, but I've also come across some clues as to who I was before coming here, if my source is to be believed.

I'm inclined to believe her, since none of it seems to contradict what I've encountered so far. I already seem to have a basic interest in the characters from literature, and even Erk and Yomiko suggested that I should see if I enjoy acting. It is my intention to audition for Axel's play, even if I don't remember ever standing on stage before. Being in the proper environment might trigger something - if not memories, then perhaps a gut feeling.

I'm not surprised by any of it, to be perfectly honest. Right down to being rude to someone I apparently only met in passing...

Since it will put one minor inconvenience to rest, you all may call me Ren Tsuruga (or any variation thereof) unless I remember a different surname in the future.

[This last bit may be distinguishable if one studies it for a long time and squints a bit.]
One matter that I've uncovered over the course of several weeks: my hair color has been fading. It would seem that its natural color is fair and that it has only been dyed black. I wonder if I should bother re-dying it or just let it grow out...

Sakura don't normally bloom for this long, do they? I thought they were at their peak for only a week or so in March or early April. They should be shedding the flowers in exchange for green leaves...

Right.

I don't suppose it makes any difference to me as long as I don't suffer allergies because of it.

[Ren was busy reshelving. It was a daunting task, what with the neverending influx of new books. Not to mention the residents who actually made use of the building - those books that were returned needed reshelving, too, as well as any that got misplaced or left somewhere at random and forgotten.

Ren sighed as he reached up to insert a book between two others on the top shelf. Whether she meant ill or not, Kyoko had been exactly right about his height coming in handy. The library gods were definitely happy now. But then again, he had always been "god's chosen", even if he didn't remember it. Every once in a while a title would catch his interest and he would pause in his work to flip through the pages for a second or two. He found that he didn't mind reading at all, and as luck would have it, it was an excellent way to pass time on the island.]

Where do all of these books come from, I wonder? As soon as I believe myself to be finished, there are even more books waiting than when I started.

Siiigh.

Oh well, I suppose that it's job security. There are much worse things I could be stuck doing to earn money.

[Ren groans, dragging himself out of bed even though he doesn't want to. He checks the calendar, begins going about his morning rituals: a warm shower, brushing out his hair... stops. He checks it again. Ren blinks.]

Peculiar...

[Ren stares at the calendar for a few more moments, then resumes preparations.]

Then. Maybe a hangover.

There's nothing evil enough on this blasted island! How dare you call it "Accurséd Eden" if there's nothing here more frightening than the darkness which has consumed one who was once shining and polite!

If you think you stand a chance, come before me! Show me what you've got!

Mwahahaha... hahaha...

[[OOC: Event is over, so comments have been disabled.]]