Show Me Your Performance

[deal_me_in]

WHO: Cayde-6, Tony, their judges??, OTA
WHERE: The Deep End
WHAT: A karaoke duel turns into an accidental party because Tony invited the wrong people
WHEN: Shortly after the misfired comms
WARNINGS: N/A


i have taken ur son hostage

if u want him back u must accept my challenge to a karoke battle

u know the place

be there or

dont
i guess

It had started out with a text, the ensuing planning for an otherwise half-baked plan quickly snowballing to include spectator-judges, but at that point Cayde hadn't cared too much because it was them gunning it full-speed in a direction well away from the heavy events they'd started the month off with, however months in Agrii-land went, anyway.

And then the network went sideways and Tony's attempts to garner judges in his favor made it anyone's guess as to who all actually ended up coming to the thing. The signs that Cayde had put up around the more frequented areas of the city probably didn't help too much either, especially since he reused a lot of them, which mainly proclaimed free pizza and spicy ramen specials.

Comments

The Performances // The Judging

[deal_me_in]

In the end, no one likely really knew what this was all about. Anything involving Cayde and Tony seemed questionable activity at best, especially by those who knew them.

Clearly Tony had the upper hand for the fact that he'd be more familiar with any songs than the Exo would, but the songs were randomly selected and there was no clear guarantee of anything by ABBA. What Cayde lacked in knowledge of Pre-Golden Age songs, he made up for in enthusiasm and too much spirit, and any embarrassment one might think he should be suffering was easily passed onto an unfortunate judge by way of unwanted audience participation.

Who won? Who's next?

((OOC: Open for anyone who might have been a judge/just wants to judge/has no idea what they're doing here narf))

So you know what you're getting...

[in_extremis]

Unfortunately for Cayde, he had chosen a duel on Tony's turf. He knew how to handle himself on a stage, and was much less willing to share that spotlight like Cayde splashing out to involve the audience. In general, there was much less splashing out, as Tony took to the microphone with the full confidence that he was the sexiest person in the room, and perhaps on the planet, and he was about to seduce the judges. There hadn't been many chances for him to assume this role since arriving on a planet where all the stages were in ruins and his potential audience was a meagre dozen, so he had a lot of lost time to make up for and attention to bask in. He did it in a shockingly immaculate suit, naturally, shirt already unbuttoned at the collar and tie only on long enough to slip the knot slowly to distract from any unpracticed vocal talents. The more demanding the range, the more clothes might have to come off. All for the honour of the D.A.T.A. unit, of course.

Granted, this whole performance hinged on not getting the wrong song.

Why did this thing even have anything on it that wasn't ABBA?

So Much Judging | OTA

[only_an_echo]

Echo remained silent throughout the whole competition, leaning back in his seat with one arm rigidly folded over the scomp link. Despite the questions he had before this all began, his pallid features had fallen over the course of time, brow now creased over a practiced half-lidded stare and a low-key scowl.

He didn't know he was going to be a judge until the notice was dropped on him at the very last minute. He hated the fact that he actually knew the songs Tony and Cayde were pulling from. He maybe experienced some secondhand embarrassment from Cayde's antics. And he saw what Tony was trying to do with the open shirt collar and loosened tie, but that obviously didn't sway his opinion on the matter.

(YOU DECIDE!)

And he did, sharing his judgement with the participants:

"You both were lousy."

[deal_me_in]

Cayde clasped a hand over his chest, looking at Echo as though he'd been stabbed in the...well, whatever was acting as a heart in there. He looked at Tony then.

"I know you said we needed a neutral third but uh..." HAND FLAIL GESTURE.

[in_extremis]

This was about how Tony had predicted Echo would respond to them, though knowing the future and being prepared for it were very different things. Echo could have at least cushioned the blow. Very rapidly, Tony had to decide if joining forces with his erstwhile karaoke rival or appealing to Echo would get him closer to what he wanted. And what he wanted was to win.

Nodding with serene understanding, despite being mortally wounded, Tony draped an arm around Cayde as though to comfort him in this desperate hour, only to ask Echo, "But he was more lousy, right? Please. You're too smart to be distracted by his flashy lights."

[only_an_echo]

"Point, but your performance was just as distracting in other ways," Echo countered, arching a brow at Tony as he leaned forward to reach for his glass. "That being said, you're both good at redirecting attention. Cayde's got spirit where you have..." He gestured with the glass. "Well. Whatever that was."

[deal_me_in]

The Hunter's gaping turned into a scowl as he found himself looped by Tony, which made it a bit harder to scowl at him when he was so close. He shoved a hand at the man's face. Good-naturedly.

"-better flashy lights than...pff, whatever that was," he said as he bit down a snicker.

[in_extremis]

Tony was happy to take the shove with a smirk, listing away with his hands up in surrender for trying to push Cayde down for a leg up as though there was any way he could be trusted not to do it again. He was even happy to take Echo admitting that his performance was a distraction as a win, grin sharpening with the tip of his tongue between his teeth and a flash of a wink for Echo, who very rapidly then dismantled that confidence and left Tony glaring at Cayde with a pout for doubling down with the laugh.

"It was a winning performance," he clarified for both of them, hands open an chin raised like he was giving an important lecture. "Natural charisma. If either of you had girlfriends, you'd be thanking me tomorrow."

[only_an_echo]

The clone snorted into his drink, setting it down abruptly to dismiss Tony's self-proclaimed natural charisma. "Yeah, I don't want any of that spread around," he replied gruffly, not bothering to hide the smirk that pulled at the corner of his lips as he cast a sidelong glance Exo's way.

He then gestured again, both hand and scomp moving in tandem. "Look, I'm not even sure if there was a set criteria to score this properly and you have the advantage of knowing the songs. Which is unfair to Cayde, but that factors into everything we're doing here."

[deal_me_in]

"Wow, did he get meaner? I think he got meaner." Cayde looked back at Echo, brow arching as he bumped Tony with his shoulder. He gave a snort himself then, folding his arms.

"Hey now, that's the whole point of judges, right? Why else would we call you guys here? You're supposed to figure that all out- me and Tony, we did our jobs. -and even with that disadvantage on my part I think I performed remarkably well."

You may feel watched and judged.

[beholding_archivist]

Jon isn't afraid of being roped into audience participation, though dragging him into it may rather result in Jon being the one receiving all the votes. Not only is he familiar with being on a stage, but he also has a background of actually singing in front of an audience. And yelling at the same.

But for now he's good with observing the show, sipping on his coffee and playing judge. He also will allow Tony to try and flirt his way to victory even though doing so may be losing him the sure vote he may receive from Jon.

"I shall call this... An attempt." Jon says with a glance into his cup.

[in_extremis]

Echo was always going to be a tough crowd, but Jon was supposed to be Tony's ringer and Tony clearly had wrongly assumed he wasn't going to have to put any further work into securing his favourable judgment. It was Tony's turn to look to Cayde with some desperation, trying not to look too heartbroken, per se, just unprepared and aghast for this lack of appreciation they were both receiving for being so spectacularly engaging. "I would have given you at least a seven out of ten. Maybe eight," Tony assured the Exo first, with a long look to promise that the next time they agreed to put on a show, it would be for each other.

[deal_me_in]

"I didn't realize karaoke bouts could be so brutal. Maybe I should have Sundance on standby," Cayde muttered, rubbing the back of his hooded head. He rested his elbow over Tony's shoulder, squinting as he digested Jon's comment.

"I woulda given you a six, but you gotta look at it from my angle to really appreciate the true value of that number."

[beholding_archivist]

"The music carried you." Jon says, taking a sip from his coffee before using the cup to lightly point at each of them. "Both of you. The rest you tried to hide underneath a flashy performance. And unfortunately common practice."

He exhales, lowering his cup. "However, I won't be cruel and leave the part that you actually tried ignored. I haven't heard either of you sing before, so this certainly was a new, rather educative experience at least." And saying so maybe placates both Tony and Cayde enough for this day.

[in_extremis]

Of course that didn't placate anything, or meet the burden of Jon's whole judging purpose in the least. Tony quickly went from wrinkling his nose in a snicker at Cayde, to looking shocked that Jon hadn't fully expected a flashy performance from both of them--that was where they excelled; if anything, that was really what the competition was about. Tony's mistake was picking a far too technical judge.

What was cruel was Jon forgetting that he had very much heard Tony sing, or perhaps this was his way of telling Tony he had never sung properly enough for Jon's tastes, and Tony's shoulders dropped with a hurt pout. It was time to salvage this score, and as far as Tony knew yet, flirting was his most effective negotiation tactic. He slid away from Cayde to perch on the edge of Jon's table and offer, "And if I submitted to further education, from the expert, of course," a respectful nod of his head Jon's way, "how would that reflect in my score for commitment to the artform?"

[deal_me_in]

"Uh," Cayde started, thinking along the same lines as Tony. "Isn't flashy performance what a karaoke contest is all about?" He watched Tony's mood shift like phases of a moon until it inevitably landed back into a default mode. The Exo rolled his optics.

"Does that count as bribery or a threat?"

[beholding_archivist]

"I'm not an expert, Tony." Jon says with a small frown cast in Tony's direction. "But I have ears. And I have heard you hit more notes when humming while you work." He sets his cup down and glances between Tony and Cayde. "It's not that I expected either of you to deliver a flawless performance, But... Christ. Cayde, you were mostly just flailing about and Tony almost looked disappointed to be the only one peeling away layers of his attire."

He sighs. "...what are you trying to achieve with this contest anyway? And why is it only you two that have signed up?"

Open Karaoke Night! || OTA

[deal_me_in]

The main spectacle long done, it leaves the karaoke machine open and beckoning to anyone who might find it in their hearts to sing....or had one too many drinks that it seems a good idea at the time.

Let it all out!

...and if not, then there's reheated pizza and Cayde will happily heat up some water for spicy ramen if that's anyone's fancy.

ota

[hashtagparkerluck]

He has exactly zero intention of actually singing anything but he's curious about the songs offered. Is there anything he actually knows? Karaoke classics? Peter's just off by the side combing through title after title.

He lets out a yawn and moves to the next page. "I think it's a crime not to have that one Celine Dion song..." He mutters to himself.

[in_extremis]

A yawn was a blatantly rude gesture to make at a party, one that Tony had deployed often enough to be actively antagonizing after the first few slaps that were meant to teach him to behave otherwise. Peter was very good at antagonizing people without being so passive aggressive, but Tony still demanded, "I'm sorry, are we boring you?" as he slipped alongside the kid looking very unconvincingly interested in the karaoke offerings. He gripped an empty glass in one tense hand, one finger tapping an erratic rhythm, the other hand shoved in his pocket and arm just as rigid.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter startles and straightens his posture to try and appear more awake the moment he registers Tony's voice.

"No! Not at all-I just didn't sleep last night." He pauses. That's information he probably shouldn't just blurt out. "Well, I mean I got some-want something to drink Mr- Tony? I'm gonna get something to drink." He gestures in a different direction.

[in_extremis]

That was information Tony could have taken a confident guess at without the confirmation, so it was possible he had come in a little strong, and the tense line of his shoulders dropped incrementally as Peter tried to make his quick retreat. "No, I'm--," Tony tried to assure, lifting the empty glass like that would make any kind of good argument for him, then blew it off with a shrug of his shoulder and roll of his eyes. The kid actively running away from him was the logical next step, he wasn't going to try to hold him back and make it worse. Tony contemplated the list of tracks like it was a new language that he was learning. "Be careful, some of this stuff is strong," he warned, sounding already weary and sure that a teenager would take that more as a suggestion.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter pauses at that and frowns in concern at him. It sounded like Tony just gave him the greenlight to drink alcohol if it wasn't too strong. Which what was too strong for his metabolism? He pushes the thought out of his.

"Um.. I was gonna get like.. lemonade. I'm fifteen, not twenty one." He points out just in case Tony forgot at some point.

[in_extremis]

The warning wasn't meant to spark a conversation, let alone one that left Tony staring back at Peter for a baffled beat, then glancing around as though he might spot the cop or the narc Peter thought he was talking to somewhere over his shoulder. The next best explanation was that Peter genuinely held himself to this standard of the law and needed Tony to know that, despite not even being on Earth, and all of those other laws he did very enthusiastically break. So maybe there was some merit in putting it out there.

"Do the fifteen-year-olds on your Earth have a better way of blacking out?" Tony asked, one finger peeling away from his glass to circle vaguely toward his face and the whole not-sleeping problem. That was how he would have been solving it, with a whole free bar at his disposal. That wasn't even supposed to be the issue, and Tony abruptly raised the finger again to stop Peter from trying to respond to that before he could explain, "The 'lemonade' on this planet probably makes you speak in tongues. Don't take something unless you already know what it is."

[hashtagparkerluck]

As predicted, Peter did start to open his mouth to respond- about to say something sarcastic and vaguely self-depreciating but stops when he gets the signal that it wasn't a real question.

he frowns again and tries to decide if he thinks Tony's actually giving him a real warning or messing with him again. And if he is should he drink lemonade anyway just to be spiteful or take him at face value just to mess back?

"Yeah but I have a super metabolism, so it's probably fine. I guess we're gonna find out."