expiationlogs | TRUE DAMAGE TIME~ [OPEN]

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TRUE DAMAGE TIME~ [OPEN]

Who: True Damage!Ekko + YOU
Where: Throughout Aldrip but primarily the Entertainment District~
What: True Damage!Ekko is looking for his crew and decides to put on an impromptu show!
Warnings: None thus far!

🤔 MISSING PERSONS

[Soon after the glitches started happening, Ekko was one of the Chosen who succumbed to an alternate version of himself, a boastful, charismatic teenager with a fashionable get up that almost seemed to match the futuristic style of Aldrip's technologically advanced metropolis. Unfortunately he was not aware of his surroundings but that didn't stop him from quickly exploring the sprawling city streets searching for a familiar face in the sea of people.

Not exactly subtle in his pursuit to find any of his fellow bandmates as the self proclaimed king of hip-hop raised hands to his mouth yelling out loudly into the bustling roadways.]

Akali, Senna where you baddies at?! QiQi you best not be shoppin' at a time like this we got a show in a couple days and you know Yasuo will be choked if we don't get to practice on time...Again!

[No answer; The star rapper of True Damage trying a different approach as he waltzed up casually to the nearest person and tapped them on the shoulder nonchalantly before clearing his throat flashing them an upbeat smirk.]

What's up! Does the name 'True Damage' sound familiar to you? Surely you heard of us by now we are the illest group of artists smashin' the music scene right now!

📃 FLYERS

[During the days leading up to the performance, Ekko’s alternate self can be found perched up in the entertainment district's main drag handing out flyers to his impromptu show. Clad in a flashy rainbow zip-up, vibrant gold accented sneakers and black hair topped off with purple metallic cufflinks, the rapper happily bounces from one place to the next flagging down citizens as they pass along.]

Yo, hold up a second!

[As the hip-hop sensation quickly closes the gap between you and him, Ekko beams a confident smile motioning a flyer outwards in your direction.]

Do you like bomb hip-hop with lyrics so fresh they could kill? If so, you should check out my show in a couple days! Take a look for yourself!

🎶 THE SHOW

[If you were one of the lucky individuals Ekko had reached out to before the upcoming show tonight you find yourself at the abandoned warehouse in question within the entertainment district where he'd been campaigning in the days prior. Either by word of mouth or from one of his various flyers posted throughout Aldrip as a whole, both locals and Chosen alike had made their way here tonight to see the superstar rapper make a special appearance for the masses.

All the necessary preparations had been made with an impromptu DJ booth set up in the shanty warehouse in question with an impressive speaker system and large projector screen he'd been able to procure thanks in due part to one of the local clubs in the district. He promised to return the favor by having an afterparty at their establishment to make this a lucrative business opportunity for the host. After a worthy introduction from his sponsor, the roar of the crowd erupts, Ekko making way onto the small platform stage erected with a mic in hand, raising a fist high in the sky as the bright white lights shined upon him.]

How's everyone doin' tonight!? It's time to give you a small taste of some True Damage!! Lets get it!!

[On cue the background music with supportive vocals from his missing crew members burst from the rather notable sound system, projector screen buzzing to life as the music video for True Damage's hit song GIANTS began to play. Being the star rapper next to Akali in this venture he was first on the docket hitting his stride, belting out with unparalleled precision without skipping a beat. Quickly followed up by his second verse the genius artist seemed to glitch across the stage in a unique fashion which almost seemed to mirror the music video's effects continuing to sing with natural expertise. As the song finally comes to a close and the video fades away upon the projector, the spotlight on the superstar remains for a brief instant as he raises the mic hand in the air once more before suddenly turning off to leave the warehouse in complete darkness. Glorious applause outpours from the crowd in excitement for a few minutes until the light returns with Ekko onstage, waving out at the people before joining them in open arms surrounded by his adoring fans.

With the show finally coming to a close and the majority having made their way towards the club in question which was hosting the afterparty in hopes of another chance to meet with him, a few stragglers sticked around as he looks towards you now with a wave of his hand in formal greeting before casually strolling over.]

Thanks for comin' to the show! Hope you enjoyed the performance that was such a rush!

🎉 AFTERPARTY

[Not long after the show had wrapped up and Ekko finished talking to a few diehard fans who'd stuck around afterwards to converse with him, the boy genius made his way to the club which put up the bill to make all of this possible. It was a dark, seedy nightclub filled with bright flashing lights as the DJ played upbeat house music which suited his tastes, mirroring the hype vibes of True Damage's own foray of music.

Posted up at one of the VIP booths he made it known that any and all would be able to approach him if they so pleased as he sipped away joyously on champagne celebrating the night's successful event. Ushering you over with a wave of his hand the famed rapper smiles warmly, holding up an empty glass suggesting you join him for a drink and enjoy yourself with the special guest of the hour!]

🃏 WILDCARD

Want to do something else not provided with the alternate version of Ekko? Feel free to reach out to me on the Expiation Discord or on Plurk @

Jareman

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[ ...

This is strange.

Ange was trying desperately to walk on and avoid the very loud weird guy on the streets, only to get stopped by a tap on her shoulder all the same.. But as she's trying to think about how to get out of this situation as soon as possible, she's actually getting a better look at the guy now he's closer to her. Sure, he looks different, but.. there's definitely something familiar. It's his voice that allows her to fully make the connection, even if the way of speaking is different too. ]

Ekko..?

[ Is.. that him? He's so different that it's kind of hard to believe it's him, and yet it seems like him all the same. Like it's his long-lost weird brother or something.

For once Ange's poker face isn't fully kicking into gear. Instead the confusion about this situation is very much visible on the girl's face. ]

[Ange wasn't about to get away that easily for this particular version of Ekko was very outgoing by comparison to his normal counterpart who usually kept to himself. When she moves to better face him directly and puts the name to his face the superstar grins wide in amusement followed in short by a nod of his head in affirmation.]

You know it- The one and only!

[Chuckling unabashedly as he extends out arms wide in a grandiose gesture before crossing them in front of his chest. With a flare for the dramatics the rapper of True Damage puts forth his quizzical inquiry in regards to his missing bandmates. Perhaps this girl had seen some of his companions if she recognized him?]

So you recognize me, huh? Guess I shouldn't be surprised really given how True Damage is poppin' off nowadays! Which reminds me. Have you seen any of my fellow bandmates? Three are badass women who all got their own unique style named Akali, Senna and Qiyana. Then there's Yasuo...He's a bit more quiet, I swear he prefers listening to his beats more than us half the time!

No. I haven't.

[ But even as Ange is giving that answer, her mind is thinking about way different stuff than Ekko's bandmates. There's so much here, after all. So many clues, and she has no idea how to put all of them together. Ekko looks different. He may be different - though Ange can't be sure about that one. She's kind of mentally kicking herself for not having asked Ekko a little bit more details about his life the last time they spoke, or she would have known that one for sure.

But most importantly - he clearly doesn't recognize her. Despite them having met.

Usually Ange wouldn't find that such a weird thing, since she doesn't think she's particularly memorable, but.. something about Ekko had seemed so weirdly personable last time around.

It feels like he would have remembered her.

So-- ]

Can I ask you a strange question in return?

[ Usually Ange would just have moved on to said strange question right away, but it's not like she wants him to just run off before she can get to the bottom of this. For the sake of knowing what's up in this place, but-- maybe a little bit for Ekko's own sake too.

Don't tell him that though. ]

[She was right to assume that Ekko would not forget a familiar face holding friendship in very high regard considering he did not easily come by them but this particular flavor was used to meeting people every day without even knowing their names being in the limelight as a superstar rapper. Ange's response garners a bit of a frown though followed along by a languished sigh, rolling his shoulders in a visible shrug with upturned palms to the air.]

Damn...Guess this is a solo performance but I'm used to that no biggie!

[Before he'd been picked up by Akali for their combined venture of True Damage the boy was known for being a bit of a lone wolf. He sort of preferred it in actuality but that wasn't to say his time spent with his fellow bandmates was unbearable, quite the opposite in fact enjoying their many adventures they'd been on together as they toured the globe. When his newfound acquaintance puts forth their query, Ekko nods in agreement crossing his arms with a tilt of his head curiously.]

You want an autograph or somethin'? What's up?

[ She lets out a slight huff at the idea that she'd want an autograph. Not like Ange has ever really cared much for celebrities, even back home. Usually she would have told him that fame means nothing in this place, but-- if this is Ekko, then it's not like explaining that is going to matter much.

After all, he'll be back to normal soon. .. or so she hopes, anyway. It's not like she's close enough to him to be fond of anything, but-- Ekko just seems like a good addition to this place. Someone they could use here. She's not so sure if the same counts for this weirder superstar version of him. ]

Have you never seen this place before?

[ It doesn't seem like it. But-- ]

Think about it for a moment. Really deeply. Does it not seem familiar in the slightest? [ After all, last time their memories got all scrambled, they were able to regain their actual memories by just thinking about it hard enough. By following the clues laid out before them.

Maybe this is something similar. ]

[Unfortunately for Ange the famed musician had no recollection of this place until a few days prior, fingertips tapping his chin as he thought long and hard for a moment before shaking his head with a shrug of his shoulders.]

Can't say I have...This place is all new to me which is pretty crazy considering I've toured across the globe!

[It would appear Ekko had seemingly forgotten all about this world in the blink of an eye and its troubles along with it considering all he wanted was to put on an impromptu musical performance when there were far more concerning things to be worried about here in Aldrip by comparison. He would be quite confused the next time they met and Ange regales him with tales of this encounter next they meet.]

[ .. of course it just has to be the most pain-in-the-ass kind of scenario possible, huh.

A part of her feels like she should just leave this alone. Hopefully he'll turn back to his former self soon enough, and then it'll be like this entire dumb thing never happened in the first place. But.. she did get a pretty alright impression of Ekko last time around, and that thought does make her feel a little bad about letting him walk around by himself. Even though things are safer here than they used to be, he could still run into monsters if he went out of town, or end up getting stuck somewhere as part of some glitch..

So the girl sighs as she resigns herself to helping him anyway. He better be grateful to her later, she thinks, even if he might not remember. ]

Alright, then let me say something that sounds just as crazy.

[ Yes, just as crazy as you being some world-famous touring musician, Ekko. Because that's plenty weird to a girl like Ange too! ]

You've been here this entire time. Someone just messed with your memory. [ The girl does seem weirdly serious as she says it, like she isn't joking..

But on the other hand, those words likely do sound entirely ridiculous to someone who has no clue that all of this is going on in the first place, let alone have some general knowledge about the kind of dumb stuff that happens in this city. ]

I mean it.

[Despite the girl's identity being foreign to him Ekko felt a familiarity between them in the catacombs of his mind but couldn't quite place it. Ange's face seemingly recognizable if he'd met her before but unfortunately all his memories of this place thus far had been erased from existence with this newfound inception of his person, quite different by comparison to the usually guarded individual.

When Ange's tone turns deathly serious the rapper cocks his head curiously with a tilt of his head, a hand tapping his chin thoughtfully as lays it all out on the line. Taking a step back in shock and awe the front man of True Damage thinks about what exactly to say to all this silently regarding the other for a few moments.]

Well that's just wild! You mean to tell me I've been here this whole time but cannot remember anything? So its some sort of amnesia?

[A different thought is provoked by that causing him to grin confidently with a shrug of his shoulders.]

Not much I can do about that. Amnesia though...That would make for a good song title.

[Tapping his foot with a bob of his head the superstar begins to sing aloud, freestyling some potential lyrics for the song at large.]

Memory corrupt ruined by a crowd of foreign memories. Locked away behind closed doors, tight sealed treasuries.

[Snapping his fingers as he whistles out happily.]

Damn that's fire! What do you think? Could be my next big hit!

[ .......

Ange is just giving him the blankest, most poker faced stare ever.

She really hopes this is just a temporary thing. Please. Is someone out there listening to her? ]

Do you think you'll turn back to normal if we hit your head really hard or something?

[ SORRY, EKKO.. Likely not the response you expected to your brainstorming for your next big hit, huh..

But this is what's on the girl's mind way more than music right now. They have to turn obnoxious Ekko back into actually kind of okay Ekko somehow. ]

[That was definitely not the answer Ekko had been hoping for when he looked to the other for reassurances, waving hands in front of him wildly as he phased out of existence in a split second moving back a few paces from his prior position which might be a little strange to her. Getting hit by a cute girl may have been some people's bag but wasn't high on the superstar's list of quirks. Sorry, Ange.]

Wooha- Lets not get too hasty I thought it was pretty good!

[Confident smile quickly returning over his lips as he rubs the back of his neck a bit awkwardly, chuckling modestly with a shake of his head. Guess he'd just have to work harder on his next song if that was the reaction he got from a potential fan.]

Besides a cute girl like you doesn't need to hit me to get my attention when you already have it.

[He was never going to hear the end of this when next they met under normal circumstances, not one to usually be so bold when it came to his advances. This particular version of Ekko however was not adverse to such tactics, tenacious courage which could only be rivalled by QiQi within the group.]

[ Something about that line just makes her want to hit him even more, honestly. Even though she can't, considering he just phased out of her range like that.

Which means that she instead just looks really surprised at him saying that for a moment - until the surprise changes into embarrassment instead. Her cheeks very rapidly start changing hue until they're practically just as red as her hair. ]

Wai--

[ She can't even get a full word out of her mouth for a moment, simply sputtering. ]

Are you flirting with me?!

[ Is that it, Ekko. Is that really what's happening here. ]

[One of the perks perhaps of this glitching even if he doesn't realize that he was not his usual self at the moment. When Angela puts forth the question at large he shifts back a bit closer ever boldly, grinning wide from ear to ear framing his face with a hand.]

Who else am I talking to right now, huh?

[Chuckling unabashedly as he revels in her stuttering finding it oddly adorable.]

You seem to know me pretty well but I haven't caught your name yet lovely.

[ This is a nightmare. Absolutely an utter nightmare. Can someone please pinch her awake, because this absolutely cannot be happening in real life.

Except it is. And somehow she'll have to deal with it. All of the dumb flirting instantly triggers the instinct within Ange to just punch him, but she did get a good enough first impression of Ekko the other time that she'd feel kind of guilty about doing that.. But how else is someone supposed to deal with stuff like this, really?

So she stammers, still flustered: ]

A-- A-Absolutely not! [ She's waving her hands in front of his face, like this is the compromise she's making on 'not hitting him' and 'still blocking his face's access to hers just in case.' ] Stop that!

[ Please, Ekko. It'll be so embarrassing and awkward for both of them later. ]

I am not available in any way, shape or form!

[This was certainly going to be one hell of an awkward conversation when next they met, one that Ekko was not looking forward to and would be thoroughly embarrassed by his actions at large. After all the leader of the Firelights was never so openly flirtatious nor very forthcoming about his emotions to begin with keeping his intentions closely guarded.

When Ange fumbles over her words, waving him off unceremoniously to try and dissuade the famed rapper from further pursuing the other, Ekko smirks wide followed in short by a heart burst of amused laughter. Shrugging his shoulders with an upturned palm to the sky the boy ceases in his bid to go after the cute girl.]

Suit yourself! It's too bad I thought we would have made a cute couple.

[One last teasing prompted as he coyly winks at her.]

Does that mean you've already got a boyfriend or...girlfriend? No judgements here I'm all about equality when it comes to love myself!

[Guess that was one thing this version of himself and the real him had in common, holding no favoritism over whom he shared his companionship.]

I'm a nun.

[ That's.. not even remotely close to the truth, but Ange doesn't know what else to say here, considering how complicated the idea of love in general is to her. It feels easier to hide behind this one.

Especially since Ekko won't have time to think back on it later when he's hopefully himself again and find it weird. Because Ange will be able to blessedly tell that he was being so much weird. So, so much weirder. ]

I'm married to the Lord. [ Thank god for catholic boarding school teaching her these things. Apparently it was useful for at least one thing in her life - the girl calming down a little bit, only letting out a huff and otherwise saying these things with a pretty straightforward tone. ] So I don't have time for dumb boys who think they can win over any girl with a line or two.

[Cue the absolutely bewildered look Ekko gives Ange when she expresses her faith as a nun of all things, blinking wide eyed before running a hand through his vibrant colored locks awkwardly. Well that was certainly a first, ushering out a breathy burst of laughter simply shrugging his shoulders in rebuttal. Guess there was no chance given her devoted status to this ‘Lord’ she speaks of.]

A nun? For real? Damn. Can't say I've heard that one before, guess there's no getting around that.

[It's too bad. This particular version of Ekko thought her to be pretty cute with the whole school girl look she had going on. Not to mention his taste in girls were those of which held their own and weren't afraid to speak their mind, one thing both verses of himself seemed rather fond of given his current situation with a blue haired individual with a penchant for blowing stuff up.]

If you say so, don't worry your devoted little soul then.

[A beat shifting his weight onto the majority of his left foot with a cross of his arms striking a pose.]

So what’s your name anyways? You know mine it's only fair that I know yours, right?

[ Well, at least that's one situation she just got out of. Ange had no idea whether or not that would work, but.. apparently it did. She never thought even once in her life that she'd ever be thanking St. Lucia's for anything, but this might just the one moment. ]

It's Ange.

[ It's a good thing that she's gotten used over time to having to introduce herself multiple times to the same people.

This case is rather unique though. ]

You know, like the French word for "angel"? The clues were right in front of you. [ Yeah, sure, Ange. The clues to your total lie. ] Maybe you'll happen to hit your head sometime during the upcoming days, it might help you remember everything.

Ange, that's a cute name. Like Angel you say?

[The response garners a fully fledged burst of laughter as she explains the origin of her namesake, Ekko smirking wide in utter amusement with a nod in understanding. A hand frames an "L" under his chin as he leans forward a bit, tilting his head curiously as the superstar gives her a once over.]

So are you an angel then? Because you've clearly fallen from Heaven and landed right in front of me.

[Was he further risking the chance to be slapped for his teasing flirtation tactics? Maybe, maybe not. Though one thing was for certain he did like to get a rise out of her and enjoyed watching the girl blush.]

[ Ange is huffing so hard.

Like she's personally offended - and indeed, a little flustered - by what he's saying here all over again. ]

Seriously? [ She doesn't sound impressed, but then again, it doesn't seem like that's what Ekko was looking for when it comes from her. The slight redness on her cheeks is much more his reward for his words, apparently. ] Is that what you say to all the girls? I thought big stars weren't allowed to flirt with just anyone they came across.

[Hey she walked right into this one how could he not tease her playfully like this after saying something like that? Ekko's usual cocky demeanor often got him into nefarious situations after all. Though he wasn't one to really hit on anyone let alone Ange whom he trusted as a friend above all else upon their initial meeting, not so much romantically inclined like this current version of himself standing before her.

Unfortunately for him this would have to be an awkward situation that he'd deal with in the coming days after this whole glitching affair is done away. The faint blush which rises over her cheeks only serves to egg him on further, an amused grin splayed over his features as he chuckles out unabashedly.]

Only the pretty ones.

[Winking coyly followed by a firm shake of his head.]

I may be a superstar but that doesn't mean I don't have a keen eye for 'talent'.

[Another way for calling her cute in his own fashion, his original self being able to admit that much even if his affections lied with a certain blue haired girl from back home.]

Edited 2024-09-21 02:04 (UTC)

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TRUE DAMAGE TIME~ [OPEN]

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