tournament Drag Race All Stars | Our first (and last) ALL STAR!

[Kylie Jenner]

1 hour ago, EJQL8 said:

anusly, i havent seen anyone's look yet but im 100% sure i'll get top toot of the week

go off hen

 

[Hug]

I'll be happy with a normal TOOT because I didn't Tippi my look this week!  

[Kylie Jenner]

1 minute ago, Hug said:

I'll be happy with a normal TOOT because I didn't Tippi my look this week!  

talent 

 

I'm so excited to see everyone's looks for this runway

[Vulnicura]

I will post an extended explanation of my entries when they're posted, since I rushed my descriptions when I sent because I had to RUN to catch a train. 

[Citrus]

4 hours ago, True Skarlet said:

Not a student, but someone whose exams I graded in the past. I've graded a good 1/3 of all students in the department tho bc I help with the finals 

[Citrus]

Entries ASAP once I eat the chicken I drunk ordered last night 

[Hug]

Mess so much for me sleeping then. I might just peep the looks then check out the actual entries after I've had some sleep.

[Kylie Jenner]

am perched

[Citrus]

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________

 

Episode 1 - Sissy that Snatch Game

The Entries - STLS

 

 

10 hours ago, keshaspearsxo said:

PEA ENCULO

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

SISSY THAT LIP SYNC

 

Honestly the sissy that lip sync challenge has always been really boring to me. I've always felt like it didn't actually serve a real purpose, it's just like you're basically playing fantasy and not actually creating anything or showing off any real skills (most of the time, I'm talking about the entries where it's just essays of some ****). I thought for a while about how I can do something different and try showing off my skill set. Half the panel are from PH and the other half are close friends so you all know, but some of the other contestants and viewers might not know I'm a writer, so for this challenge I've decided to use my own songs that I wrote as opposed to picking somebody else's work. After all, you did ask for us to show you our artistry, and I think this is a good opportunity to do so - and I want to show that yes, while you can say Pea Enculo is a "comedy queen"; I am not solely a comedy queen. I hope you appreciate the decision!

 

PERFORMANCE LOOK

 

 

SWEET SIMULATION

 

PART 1 - The Owl

 

The Owl

 

Verse

If only I had the wisdom that an owl should possess

Such knowledge behind it’s glaring eyes and it’s turning head

For my perception of reality is incorrect

It appears the mind is something quite easily misled

 

And it is rather just the same for all of us you’ll see

How logic often fails us if we simply look back

The past is twenty twenty but this moment is a blur

It seems as though there is something that we were cursed to lack

 

Hook

For the owl of Minerva only takes its flight

Unnoticed in the gathering shades of the night

 

Verse

Our consciousness inevitably finds a point at which

 The subject of the truth’s within our grasp waiting ahead

But the tragedy of it all shall always stay the same

We only start to realise too late after it’s said

 

And so at last you notice how the owl flies in the sky

So gracefully and silently with the secrets it knows

If you should want to give up relying on late hindsight

I suggest perhaps you should follow where that great wise owl goes

 

Hook

For the owl of Minerva only takes its flight

Unnoticed in the gathering shades of the night

 

Bridge

Tear your wires off if you must, find a way to disconnect
The thing you fear the most, for a little freedom chance
And whatever you may find, I hope that it serves you well
So long as after all, you're able to find your way back

 

If none of this is real, will there ever be an end

Something as sweet as death would appear as a godsend

To sever yourself from the hazy illusion at hand

And escape your fate that was meticulously pre-planned

 

So if you see the owl you’d better act with haste and run

Chase after it’s knowledge for the simulations begun

Remove the veil from the world cloaking the suspicious

And good luck on your journey, I’ll keep you in my wishes

 

 

I start my performance off slowly, as I lurk the dark stage and face the crowd before me. As the song progresses, I begin behaving more erratically, like a robot that is malfunctioning, yet still address the crowd in a tense and personal manner.

 

PART 2 - Red Green Blue

 

Red Green Blue

 

Verse

Ever put your head up right against the TV

And seen the endless lines of red, then green, then blue?

Well that is such a common occurrence for me

Always trying to see things that couldn’t be seen

 

Pre-chorus

With my face against the screen

I start to notice glitchy things

Mesmerising glowing lights

That draw me in simply with sight

 

Chorus

Do you see it,

Do you see it too?

In all those lines,

Of red green and blue?

 

Verse

I move backwards and forwards and see different things

It would appear nothing is quite as it seems

Such a sweet simulation laid before my eyes

I was told you only saw things like this in dreams

 

Pre-chorus

As my attention fades from the screen I see you

You watch me with no idea of what I’ll do

A smile on my face and one eyebrow raised on yours

And I choose to shatter the silence as I ask

 

Chorus

Do you see it,

Do you see it too?

In all those lines,

Of red green and blue?

 

Bridge

If I ever were to move closer to you

Would I start to notice different things too?

Would reality fall apart at the seams?

Tell me what would there be here left of your being?

 

The questions I ask are quite open and wide

But I know what you are thinking in your mind

I assure you wherever you go to hide

Just like pixel lines you’ll be easy to find

 

The erratic and crazy behaviour progresses as the songs switch, and I move closer to the crowd, facing chosen people eye to eye with intensity. As the song progresses, I begin clawing as my outfit, trying to tear it off and remove the wires, as though needing to escape. When I fail to, I become weak, and slump to the floor.

 

PART 3 - Flicker

 

Flicker

 

Verse

I start to flicker, as the collapsing starts 

How do I stand on weak legs if I’m missing parts 

A robotic frame coming apart at the seams 

Some things never work out the way you want it seems 

 

Pre-chorus

I move in slow motion just so I can feel more

In finding the truth I search the system to its core

The air around me is cold but no icicles form

I’ve made it clear many times I need you to keep me warm

 

Chorus

Please let this all be a glitch in the system

A crack appearing in our sweet simulation

Please tell me this is a glitch in the system

And not the end as I begin to flicker

 

Verse

You start to flicker, I watch as I lose you

Away you go to another with nothing I can do

But if somehow the simulation gave me one more shot

Then I would take it, because sometimes you are all I’ve got

 

Pre-chorus

I move in slow motion just so I can feel more

In finding the truth I search the system to its core

The air around me is cold but no icicles form

I’ve made it clear many times I need you to keep me warm

 

Chorus

Please let this all be a glitch in the system

A crack appearing in our sweet simulation

Please tell me this is a glitch in the system

And not the end as I begin to flicker

 

Bridge

I chase the shortage

Replace the circuits

Reboot the system

And pray one more time

 

Chorus

Please let this all be a glitch in the system

A crack appearing in our sweet simulation

Please tell me this is a glitch in the system

And not the end as I begin to flicker

 

As the song begins, I attempt to raise myself from the ground, but struggle. As the song progresses, the lights around me are flickering at varying rates - fast then slow, increasing then decreasing. as I plead for it to stop. As the song nears its end I make my stand, and smash the light behind me, blowing them all out as the song cuts. 

 

Quote

Melanoma

 

LIP SYNC

 

 

14 hours ago, Rhisiart said:

Part 1: Sissy That Lipsync

 

Love Galore (Sza) / Don’t Take It Personal (Monica)

 

 

Set the scene. It’s the NY stop of ATRL Drag Race Season 4’s US Tour. The cast is performing in one of the biggest and nicest theaters in town. Midway through the show, Gladys is set to perform an entirely brand new set. The lights slowly dim to pitch black, and the audience begins to wildly cheer in anticipation. As the applause fades away, the backlights on the stage glow a reddish-orange, revealing a pitch black silhouette of a girl. As Jade Novah begins to vocalize at the beginning of the song, Gladys breaks out of her still pose to leap over to stage right. A silhouette is still visible from center stage, revealing Gladys has a dance partner. As the snippet of Don’t Take It Personal plays, Gladys dances a lilting ballet. Holding in releve before treading across the stage with delicate turns, Gladys lipsyncs tenderly along to the song.

 

So won't you understand that I'm only in love?
You're the only one I need
I'll be there for you when you need me, boy
So baby, don't you leave

 

As the song transitions back to Love Galore and the beat drops, Gladys stops center stage and bursts into modern contemporary dance, riding the beat and showing off her swagger with her killer milly rock. Gladys’s dance moves and lipsync are tight and controlled. As she reaches the prechorus, Gladys turns the theatrics to an 11 as she passionately and emotionally lipsyncs along in a way that could be done if she personally experienced the song.

Why you bother me when you know you don't want me?
Why you bother me when you know you got a woman?
Why you hit me when you know you know better?

 

She keeps the audience rapt with attention with her stirring performance, and falls to her knees as she reaches the chorus and wails “Love” over and over again. As the song is ending, the silhouette begins to walk upstage. The mysterious person stops behind Gladys and embraces her tenderly. A spotlight shines on the mystery person to reveal a surprise guest: Noah Fence.

 

[I really enjoy Love Galore as a song. Sza really manages to weave a complex story with every song she sings, so I wanted to emulate that with my whole performance. Everybody can relate to the theme of love, and I wanted to try to tell my own love story and share a personal perspective. This opening mashup with Monica’s Don’t Take It Personal gives us a window into Gladys’ love life. Her relationship with this person is a complete hurricane, where Gladys is constantly in a push and pull, a love and hate tug-o’-war. And here, she takes a moment to reflect on her relationship and the intimacy she desires]

 

The Rain (Ladies’ Code) / Love Game (Lady Gaga)

 

 

The lights transition from the deep red of before to a smoky blue. Gladys rises from the ground as the song begins to play. Noah holds her from behind tenderly as she lipsyncs to Gaga. As the song fully begins and Ladies Code begins to play, Noah releases and spins back to face the back of the stage. Gladys begins lipsyncing in Korean along with the song. Gladys’ expression is forlorn and detached, but her dance and lipsync is soft and elegant. Noah mirrors with the exact dance, beat after beat. When the vocals switch back to Gaga, Gladys and Noah spin and switch positions, almost like a machine. Noah lipsyncs along to Love Game with a coy and flirty energy, and Gladys is perfectly in sync as the two of them serve up the sex appeal.

 

When the first chorus hits, both Gladys and Noah dance and lipsync along. Their dance is a mix between ballet and interpretive, every dance move if choreographed in such a way as to always make it look good in a still picture. The two girls are almost like Siamese twins with how together their dance is, and both spend the whole dance not acknowledging each other.

 

teojineun bitbangure nolla

(Shocked by the bursting rain drops)
geudaeneun bireul pihajyo

(You are avoiding the rain)
oemyeonhaji ma You cause the rain

(Don’t turn away, you cause the rain)
nae mameul moreun cheok

(You ignore my heart)
geudaen nae nunmureul chagapge pihajyo

(And you coldly avoid my tears)
Don’t Break my heart, oh
deureojwo My rain drops

(Listen to my rain drops)

 

As we reach the second verse, Gladys begins to lipsync to Gaga. She finally turns to notice and look at Noah, and you see a fire and heat light up inside of her as she dances sensually. As Noah begins to lipsync to Ladies’ Code, she takes on the melancholy Gladys wore before. Noah is half-mockingly imitating Gladys but also starting to let her confident and aloof facade crack and let some of her own fears show. The two draw closer to each other and as the second chorus begins, the two begin to dance a tango. When the two dance together, it is stiff and stilted, like they are both unsure of how to manage each other.

Let's play a lovegame, play a lovegame
Do you want love, or you want fame?
Are you in the game?
Doing the lovegame

As the bridge begins, the two tear apart from each other and slowly circle each other. When the bridge reaches its climax, Gladys and Noah run into each other's arms as Noah lifts Gladys. The two dance a beautiful salsa, which Gladys pulling off many dips, spins, and splits, with Noah being her literal support as a strong partner. As the bombastic chorus ends, the two circle each other once more, looking directly into each other's eyes. They end centerstage, and return to position in the silhouette they first began with.

 

[A major part of my aesthetic as a drag queen is Asian culture, particularly Japanese anime and Korean pop music. I knew I wanted to try to fit a foreign language song somewhere in my set, and I think a mashup with an English song is a perfect choice to simply give people a taste of this side of me without being completely blocked by a language barrier.

 

The Rain is a very melancholic song, not just sonically but lyrically. The lyrics discusses a woman lamenting on how her lover ignores her and deprives her of intimacy and connection. Lyrically, it is not a song that goes well with Love Game, but the dichotomy was interesting and I wanted to focus on that. Noah plays the aloof lover, oblivious to Gladys plights and simply wants sex and fun. Both are closed off from each other and not communicating properly, but begin to open up to each other as the song progress before they’re finally on the same wavelength and have a true moment of connection between themselves as a couple. Gladys manages to find her sexual voice and forces Noah to truly see her physically and emotionally, and Noah lets go of her own insecurities and lowers her walls to finally open up to Gladys and give her real intimacy.]

 

Paramore - Pool

 

 

The lights change once again to a hue of purple. Gladys slowly begins to dance in time with the song The first two numbers were heavily rehearsed and choreographed, but this closing number is more loose almost to the point of improv. Gladys takes the finale as her opportunity to finally get off stage to interact with her audience. She flexes her acting muscles once again to share the story of her love to each person she passes and collect their change at the same time. Gladys’ careful and controlled choreo dissipates as she lets loose to dance her heart out willy-nilly and breathes life into the theatre. She ruffles her hair, jumps around, dances and plays with her fans. Her lipsync is tight and poignant, Gladys milks every word and wrings out the depth and darkness of each lyric.

I'm underwater
No air in my lungs
My eyes are open
And I'm giving up
You are the wave
I could never tame
If I survive
I'll dive back in

 

When the final bridge begins, Gladys rushes back to the stage where a single chair sits center. In the leadup to the last chorus of her set, she leans back in the chair and, a la Flashdance, water is poured on her. Twirling and tumbling around in the makeshift rain and splashing her audience, Gladys emphatically lipsyncs along to sum up a final, triumphant number. She gives off a sense of unease and fright, but also manages to glow with a sense of hope and optimism.

 

[I knew I wanted to incorporate a song from After Laughter in my set. It’s such a wonderful and relatable pop album with catchy melodies, gorgeous production, and some extremely raw and revealing lyrics dealing with depression. As a queen, I am very open about me and my struggles, and I want to empower both myself and my fans by tackling topics like these head-on. I choose Pool to close my set because it’s arguably the most “hopeful” song on the album, and puts a nice button on the dark love story I managed to create. Gladys knows this relationship is special and worth holding on to. Even if the storm is turbulent and she feels like she may drown, she doesn’t want to let go. For a love that is dark, ugly, hard, and imperfect, is the kind of love that’s truly worth having. A deeply beautiful love.]

 

On 1/13/2018 at 3:16 AM, EJQL8 said:

W H O R Y E N T L / / L I P S Y N C

 

POR MAY LIPSINK, AY DESAYDED INSTED OP TEL AY SHO!

 

A C T O N E

Lover - Sophie Ellis-Bextor

 

A C T T W O

Time To Make You Mine (Sugar Lips Mix) - Lisa Stansfield

A C T T H R E E

I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis

 

ITS AK EMPAYSAYSES DA TRI MEYN WHORYENTL BALYUS: STOWN KOLD BITS, SLAT, EN A GADES OP ORJI.

 

 

On 1/13/2018 at 9:51 AM, Vulnicura said:

 

https://vocaroo.com/i/s0joYqodHlXx (To be listened as one continuous piece; you can listen separately though if you like.)

 

Good evening, ATRL! You’re watching Faux News; I’m your host Dame Rose, and tonight we’ve managed to secure an exclusive interview and performance with ATRL’s biggest loser - Carbön! Carbön, my dear, how have you been? It’s been 16 long months since the finale of season 2 of ATRL’s Drag Race, and you’ve all but dropped off the radar. What have you been doing? Tell Mother Rose everything.

 

Carbön: Ah, Dame! It’s been so long, it’s so good to see you’re still alive, somehow. I’ve been doing well, thank you, I’ve actually been working on a lot of new pro--

Dame: Alright let’s cut to the chase. Carbön, you unequivocally flopped post-S2, and have only made brief appearances in anything ADR-related, and failed to capitalise on your success after the race… unlike some. What happened?

Carbön: Well. Alright then. Where do I start? S2 was very troubling for me, and I won’t deny that I had trouble coming to terms with the results, and what I could have done dif--

Dame: Enough, Carbön. Mother Rose does not want to hear any more excuses or self-pity. You showcased an immense amount of talent on S2, and it is troubling to hear that you are still not satisfied with the heights you have reached. How can you spend so long looking behind you?

Carbön: Thank you - I think. I am not a stranger to these criticisms, as I recite them to myself in my everyday life, and I like to think I have improved since my season, and I’ve come to accept that self-flagellation is in my nature, for better or worse. Without it, I would not have the success I enjoyed on my season, and similarly, maybe I would have enjoyed even more if I’d just relaxed a little. It’s very hard to say. I know I must come across as a narcissist with how much I talk about myself and, well… I am. Gag!

Dame: It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it - I finished 9th on S2, and now I’m probably the most loved queen of all time. I ended homophobia across the world, and made pants fashionable again. You want to know what I did? I didn’t beat myself up, I didn’t get upset, I didn’t attack other members - I dusted myself off, and supported the rest of the queens, and made a name for myself, and while I’d love to tug on your follicles a bit longer, it’s time for your first performance. Now get off my set.

 

 

Carbön takes centre stage in a small, black room, dimly lit with a myriad array of blues and reds. She is layered in gold-accented garments, creating an almost cocoon-like effect as she retreats to the floor. The track begins. The lights flicker wildly, creating an uncomfortable palette of colours, with Carbön surrounded by her own shadows.

 

BOYS.

 

GIRLS.

With an immediate reaction, Carbön faces the camera with ferocious intensity as she barely paces the room, as though her own garments were weighing her down - and as the chorus begins to build, she freezes entirely. She continues to face the camera, a backdrop appears behind her with her darkened silhouette in the centre - as the track continues to pick up pace, images appear behind her.

I AM A LOT LIKE YOU (BOYS).

I AM ALONE LIKE YOU (GIRLS).

In perfect unison, images of Boybön and Carbön appear behind her as their respective gendered attire. As the camera zooms in on Carbön, it becomes apparent that her layered garments are not just an elaborate stage piece; they are black and gold recreations of her runway looks from S2 all layered on top of each other. The song continues to progress, and little by little, Carbön begins to shed small parts of her attire; a ring, an earring, amongst others, before ultimately culminating at the bridge.

 

Images of Boybön and Carbön continue to flash across the backdrop at an alarming rate, and with one final shout:

 

I AM ALONE LIKE YOU.

Carbön frantically sheds her S2 attire, tearing manically at anything she can grip, literring the floor with remnants of challenge past. As the song descends into its final moments, her barely-there make-up is destroyed, and images of Boybön and Carbön flash at such a pace that they become indistinguishable, and as the songs fades, she resumes her starting position. The lights dim. Silence.

 

Welcome back to Faux News; tonight I’m joined for an exclusive and interview with Carbön, runner up of S2, and rumored contestant of the first ever season of ATRL’s Drag Race: All Stars - care to comment?

 

Carbön: …

Dame: I suppose when you’ve got as much free time as yourself, it’s hard to say no. And you can’t even fake the whole disappearance aspect, since, well… where would you disappear to? Your basement? Aciid’s shadow? Tangerine’s hole?

 

Carbön: Enough! I may, or may not, have received an invitation. I may, or may not, have accepted the invitation.

Dame: Hypothetically speaking, why accept this invitation knowing how stressful the season would be?

Carbön: Because despite my rants and ravings and meltdowns, I know I’m THAT bitch; an alarming mix of self-assurance and grand delusion. If I can come in second place to arguably the most talented, amazing, and fierce queen that the show has produced, then I know I can stomp these girls who can barely put an outfit together without using the first page of results from google images. Hypothetically, of course.

Dame: And finally, before your next performance, what do you hope to get out of competing for another season?

Carbön: I want to say closure, but that sounds like I’m dying doesn’t it? Unlike some. I think just a general sense of knowing I did my best, at my best. For my season, I feel like I spent so much time figuring out what I wanted to portray, what I wanted to achieve with Carbön - which is true of everyone when they compete - that I feel I had so many ideas that could be executed so much better with how I currently feel. Whereas I was only “100%” in say, the final 3 challenges for S2, I now have the chance to compete in an entire season at 100%, which is exciting. I have a lot of ideas that I’ve cultivated over the past year, so I think my biggest goal with All Stars is not to win, even though that would be nice, but just be committed to what I do best, regardless of how it may be viewed. 

Dame: Wonderful, thank you Carbön. Your next piece will air after this commercial break, sponsored by Colleen Cosmetics.

Carbön, stripped of her previous garments, slowly paces towards a pool of jet-black liquid, with waves gently crashing into each other to create a mesmerising visual. As she continues to the edge of the liquid, Carbön hesitates for but a moment, before she quickly jumps in without a sound; the backdrop begins to play a prerecorded visual.

 

She drifts in an empty black void at a glacial pace, her face turned away from the camera. As the Japanese chants pierce the silence, Carbön is slowly adorned with carbon-black garments from unseen forces, as though her skin itself had been completely transformed. As her body slowly blends into the abyss, her face being the only marker of her presence, she stops. As Carbön slowly turns to face towards the camera, the visual abruptly stops.
The lights in the room blind the cameras - and Carbön is stood defiantly in its centre, seemingly emerged from the mysterious pool and mirroring her visual counterpart in her darkened clothing; this time, she is facing the camera, adorned with a large blue mask with only the smallest gaps allowing her vision. She is reborn.

Dame: Ladies and gentlewomen, please welcome back for one last time, Carbön! That was very… interesting. Are you worried your audience, in this case the judges, won’t understand what you’re going for? What was your inspiration?

Carbön: Making of a Cyborg is part of the opening introduction to Ghost In The Shell, which is a huge inspiration for Carbön. The track is a wedding song which I thought was very interesting, so I used it as a sort of “marriage” between myself and whatever Carbön is, ya know? The sequence itself is just so inspiring, and I really wanted to capture it in my performance; the idea of rebirth and starting again, questioning where Carbön starts and where Carbön ends. In terms of its accessibility, I’m not really bothered. I hope people appreciate the sentiment of what I’m going for, and if not then… whatever. I pride myself on trying to do things no-one else can, or will do. 

Dame: Why is that? Do you not worry that you spend so much time trying to stand out at your own risk? Sometimes complexity does not equal quality. 

Carbön: Sure, I can recognise that. I’m just not interested in doing something that anyone can do. If you put something together that is indistinguishable from anyone else, then what’s the point? Maybe I won’t win, maybe I won’t be the best, but no-one will do what I do.

Dame: Before we finish, tell me more about thi--

 

An alarm sounds throughout the studio, with studio technicians frantically panicking. Dame darts around searching for her assistant, Koko Khaylan, who is nowhere to be found. The alarms transition to....

 

A masked Carbön dashes through the studio, slipping through security and studio officials, as though she was searching for something in particular. As she scours the building, she finds her target - Dame Rose’s dressing room. She flitters through her belongings, her heavy make-up, her size 34 panties, her *****grophy, before she eyes her prize - and is quickly greeted by a shocked Dame Rose.

Dame: Carbön! What are you doing!?

Before she can hardly process what is happening, Carbön smirks.

Carbön: I’ll be taking this.

She dramatically smashes through the building window and jumps into the streets below with prize in hand: Dame Rose’s coveted Miss Congeniality sash. Dame dashes to the window to be greeted with the dark of the night, with Carbön nowhere to be found - her only remnant being a small calling card left in her wake: signed with an enigmatic Ö.

 

To be continued...?
 

 

 

On 1/11/2018 at 0:47 PM, Kylie Jenner said:

 

The arena is packed for another show from Colleen’s latest tour. As the buzz of the crowd slowly dies, the lights dim, before shutting off completely leaving the room an ominous pitch black.

 

All eyes are forward, all ears are listening for the first beat of music, when a single spotlight is suddenly shone on the stage to reveal a large and wide mirror. Slowly, Colleen begins to rise from below the stage to eclipse the light, casting a dark silhouette on the mirror. The multiple big screens show this in great detail: she’s wearing a large dress, has slick, straight hair and poses like a pensive china doll. Her body shifts 45 degrees and the light hits the mirror, her face and body becoming visible in the reflection.

 

She is dark. She stands in the same dress she wore to the season four reunion of ATRL’s Drag Race, the same eyes and same hair stare back at the audience who eagerly await movement of some kind, who eagerly wait for the show to begin.

 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jhTiLuGezI)

 

A storm of strobe lights breaks the scene into shatters. A swelling can be heard and felt in the room, growing slowly and becoming invasive until it cuts and falls into the beat of Video Girl by FKA twigs. The experimental sound of her music rings through the arena and the ominous feeling remains unbreakable, but the strong image of Colleen starts to fall apart with each chime of the beat.

 

The platform she stands on begins to turn slowly – one second, you see her reflection in the mirror and the next, you are face to face with the burning light on her face. She turns into the light and the audience gasps. The fame.

 

Colleen begins.

 

–

 

NINETEEN, TOO KEEN

LOOKING AT THE GAME THOUGH

TRYING TO MAKE A STAND FOR THE MAIN SQUEEZE

 

Lip-syncing the words, the lyrics begin to tell the story of the aftermath of being on Drag Race. Through these lyrics, there is a sense of hope and desperation that wipes across her eyes – it represents the fire that drove her to make something of herself, to move out of the country and into the city. Her arms move whimsically around her, free and flowing, soft and delicate. The platform continues to spin, and Colleen becomes a reflection in the mirror.

 

PLEASE, YOU DON’T STAND CHANCE

STOP ACTING LIKE YOU CAN

THE CAMERA’S ON YOU, AIN’T THAT ENOUGH?

YOU’RE LOOKING THE ALL AROUND GOOD LOVE

 

Anger. The frailty of her opposite side quickly dies as she becomes a reflection. She’s shouting, screaming the words like time is running out. Her hands are shaking as she moves them to cradle her head. Her arm movements become dark and a sign of the self-doubt – would she make it now? Would there be an audience, would the world be waiting or would there just be nothing? What if she gave up a quiet life for a silent one? She turns.

 

SO NOTHING’S GONNA GET IN YOUR WAY

YOU’RE GONNA GET YOURSELF BROKE ONE DAY

 

Facing the audience, she cries a single tear. Mascara running down her cheek, there is a realisation portrayed on her face. She tilts her head back, she looks up a little, to the light and sees the same glimmer of hope that spurred her on before. Because Colleen won’t give in and take the safe path – what’s life without a little risk? She turns to the mirror.

 

WAS SHE THE GIRL THAT’S FROM THE VIDEO?

WAS SHE THE GIRL THAT’S FROM THE VIDEO?

YOU LIE AND YOU LIE AND YOU LIE

 

Her arms, hands and fingers feel the music and tick in time with the music. One hand bend and resembles a claw which runs over her neck, whilst the other merely points into the mirror at her reflection. With each time she mimes the words ‘you lie’, her mouth scrunches and she frowns, she casts an aggressive point at herself, retracting it and pointing again, retracting and pointing. She continues to turn.

 

The lighting begins to flash into strobe effects. Her movements look like a stop motion.

 

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?

I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT

SO YOU FEELING THE FAME

I HATE THE THINGS YOU’RE GOING THROUGH NOW

WHAT YOU GONNA DO?

 

Her arms extend wide as if gesturing to the people. They come back close, moving to cover her ears. Her mouth exaggerates the words as she lip-syncs. Lost in the moment and in the music, she hates how fame has made her scared to fail, to succeed. Her emotions put her to the test and as the speed of the strobe lights increase in pace, she quickly pulls different facial expressions as the light flashes – happy, sad, angry, shocked, scared, excited. The fame.

 

The light goes off, and the room is dark once more.

 

The lights fill the arena slowly and Colleen stands in front of the mirror. She’s looking out to the audience, saying the final words of the song. This is what fame does.

 

I CAN’T RECOGNISE ME

 

The mirror behind her fractures and breaks, the pieces falling to the ground.

 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMIDfcEpnL8)

 

A younger girl walks slowly on stage. It’s a miniature Colleen – the spotlight follows her as she looks around in awe, turning with wide eyes and exploring the scene which has not been lit yet. Her head tilts up and down, before she comes to a stand still facing away from the audience.

The strong intro of Don’t Talk About It by Tove Lo plays, the new scene being lit with yellow lights as the first note drops.

 

Time has passed.

 

Colleen sits opposite her younger self at a large wooden table amidst a scene of grandeur. There are plenty of others sitting around it too, some resembling other queens from ATRL’s Drag Race. But they look older, slightly wrinkled and more tired looking. Grey, but clinging to their glory days – still, it’s enough to make someone starstruck. They are playing a game of poker; there are countless colourful chips littering the table, a packet of cocaine or two and empty bottles. The fame. Colleen holds her hand close to her chest as she begins to lip-sync the lyrics to the younger version of herself.

 

GOLDEN TABLES, BROKEN MIRRORS, NAKED GIRLS AROUND

YOUNG AND SCARED OF LOVE AFFAIRS SO KEEP YOUR CONSCIENCE DOWN

THE WORLD IS BEAUTIFUL, BELIEVE IT WITH ANOTHER LINE

KEEP IT UP, IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH

YOU KNOW YOU’RE WINNIN’ AT LIFE

 

Fame. Fame causes things to change, people to change. Her eyes shift to the other queens at the table who continue to play the card game. They eye the chips, but Colleen eyes only her younger self, placing her cards face down on the table. She stands, towering over the girl on the other side.

 

SAFE WITH ME

MOVE SO FREE

SILENTLY

 

Everything stops. The other queens halt in the game, they freeze as the pre-chorus hits and Colleen sings the words, offering her hand to the girl opposite her.

 

DON’T TALK ABOUT IT

SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG LIKE WE DO, DO

DON’T TALK ABOUT IT

IF YOU’RE SITTING WITH US THEN YOU’RE IN TOO

DON’T TALK ABOUT IT

YOUR MEDALLION’S BLINDIN’ YOUR MIND TOO

KNOW YOU’RE LOVING THE HIGHS

YOU GET IN-BETWEEN THE LINES OF A LIFE YOU DON’T NEED

 

Her hand falls back and the distance between them becomes obvious. The chorus hits and everything continues again, falling back into the fast pace and hustle and bustle of the game. The things she wished she knew: drugs, alcohol, sex and parties. Colleen brings a finger to her mouth to signal silence, to not question the lives of the rich and famous – even if you desperately want to. This is just the life that fame forces you to fall into. Colleen looks tired, though satisfied – she lowers her head, looking up at the girl with narrowed eyes as she delivers the end of the chorus.

 

(PUSHING, PULLING)

(PUSHING, PULLING ‘TIL WE DIE)

 

Miming the words of the ominous-sounding bridge, Colleen remains still whilst the other queens tilt slowly backwards on their chairs. Stone and Melanoma fall back completely, whilst the others fall forwards to their original position.

 

WE CAN TAKE PERFECT PICTURES

(PUSHING, PULLING)

 

The lights mimic a camera flash of the poker game scene, Stone and Melanoma on the floor. At the beat comes to a clap sound, the queens tilt backwards again. Kunty and ***** fall victim this time, their chairs staying on the ground as the other queens return to the upright stance.

 

WE CAN TAKE PERFECT PICTURES ALL NIGHT

(PUSHING, PULLING ‘TIL WE DIE)

 

Another camera flash from the lights – Colleen continues lip-syncing the words of the bridge, picking up her cards to check her hand. Seemingly satisfied, she relaxes a little, eyeing the other queens as they go back for a third time – it claims Pixel and Pea. The remaining girls come back.

 

WE CAN TAKE PERFECT PICTURES

(PUSHING, PULLING)

 

Flash; Carbon and Chanel fall.

 

WE CAN

(PUSHING, PULLING ‘TIL WE DIE)

 

Gladys is the final girl to fall as the lights pulse. The fame. The stage has two standing figures only: Colleen and her younger self.

 

YOU BETTER KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE FOR THE CAMERA FLASHES BUT YOU’RE ****ED

 

A thunder of strobe lights as the final line is lip-synced, during which all the girls rise back up to their original positions at the table before the final chorus hits. In the final chorus, the girls play out their game; wild expressions and disappointment and anger as the chips begin to build in front of Colleen. She had a royal flush – but she doesn’t smile. She shows no content in winning. She’s indifferent. The fame.

 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IliDDhhNGuI)

 

Money and fame – it’s great, but it can’t buy you happiness. Colleen wished she knew that back then, and upon reflection, she wish she knew a thousand and one more things before she threw herself into the spotlight. Constantly living under scrutiny and in the public eye affects mentality and well-being.

 

As the lights go dark to signal the change between songs, everyone but Colleen leaves the stage. A quick wig change into a completely grey number and she’s set. Bright yellow lights fade in, showing Colleen looks older again and is leaning on the same wooden table, albeit dusty, and decorated with small, framed pictures of her in her youth. She’s sad, it’s obvious, she’s alone and desperate and when the ethereal sounds of Princess Die sound from the speakers, the crowd goes wild, but Colleen does not let herself react.

 

LEAVE THE COFFIN OPEN WHEN I GO

LEAVE MY PEARLS AND LIPSTICK ON SO EVERYBODY KNOWS

PRETTY WILL BE THE PHOTOGRAPH I LEAVE

LAYING DOWN ON FAMOUS KNIVES SO EVERYBODY SEES

 

Sombre, Colleen just simply stares out to a single spot in the audience whilst she lip-syncs the words. Applying a fresh coat of blood red lipstick when the second line comes around, she smiles for a second remembering the old times, the good times. For the final line, she climbs onto the table and lies down on her back, running her hands over her body, holding and clinging on. There are numerous camera flashes from the side-lines. The fame.

 

BLEACH OUT ALL THE DARK

I’LL SWALLOW EACH PEROXIDE SHOT

SOMEONE I KNOW COULD LOVE AND SAVE ME FROM MYSELF

MAYBE I’LL JUST CLEAN THE **** OFF OF THESE FANCY SHOES

I’LL BE A PRINCESS DIE AND DIE WITH YOU

 

Sitting upright, her fingers crawl over her face and through her hair. Her shoulders rise and fall to the beat of the music, as if she is a puppet on a string. Her hands move to her eyes, she covers them and feels the pain and emotion of the lyrics in their entirety. Her neck straining, her head twisting and turning, she kicks her feet out, her shoes bashing against the table until she stops and turns her head to the audience for the final line. Cameras flash.

 

I WISH THAT I WAS STRONG

I WISH THAT I WAS WRONG

I WISH THAT I COULD COPE

BUT I TOOK PILLS AND LEFT A NOTE

 

Turning to the audience fully now and rising to her knees, it is like she is begging. Her arms and legs are kicking out like a child throwing a tantrum; the bottles get knocked over and piles off money take off in flight at each end of the table. Material possessions do not mean anything, they are just objects of desire. Being watched but not being loved, it leads to hardships and struggles. Choices, hard ones and not all of them are easy to make. Colleen made right choices, and wrong ones. But she sits here hungry, hungry to be something to someone, not someone to everyone.

 

PRINCESS DIE

I WANT TO SEE HER CRY

PRINCESS DIE

PRINCES DIE

WE WANT TO WATCH HER CRY

PRINCESS DIE

 

Her hands move to pick up a framed photograph of herself. Nineteen and too keen, forcing herself to believe her dream was beautiful with another line, and now, too sick, too dumb and too far gone to cope with the consequences of bad decisions. Miming the lyrics to the photograph, she turns it to the audience halfway through the verse so they can see what she was and what she is now.

 

SO BOB YOUR HEAD FOR ANOTHER DEAD BLONDE

WHO’S REAL PRINCE IS IN HEAVEN

SHE JUST WANTS TO SLEEP

 

From the side-lines appear a crowd of people holding large, black cameras. They lower their heads as instructed but continue to flash their cameras. Colleen grabs a filled champagne glass, rising to stand on the table. Looking down into the glass, she swirls it around whilst singing the song before holding her head up and looking out the audience before her.

 

THE FINAL ACT OF LIFE WILL BE IN MY OWN HANDS TO DO

I’LL BE A PRINCESS DIE AND DIE WITH YOU

APPLAUD. POUR VOUS.

 

Extending her arm out, it’s like she is making a toast. Bringing it a little higher before pulling it in and taking a large swig. Delivering the final line of the song, she drops the glass and mimics the pose of a corpse. Crossed arms, she merely falls backwards and gets swallowed by the darkness and the lights turn off. The fame.

 

The crowd goes wild. The fame.

 

Pixel Dark

 

On 1/10/2018 at 5:22 PM, Hug said:

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

In a club in West Hollywood, the name of a performer, infamous for her killer shows that garnered a cult following, is blazoned on a shining marquee: Pixel Dark. Many stay far away from her shows, knowing the reputation these performances have acquired through her international tour between seasons; others, in a case of morbid curiosity, walk into these shows because they expect to be treated with an experience they’ve never quite had before. Either way, whenever Pixel comes around, she is sure to ignite more than just conversation.

 

Ever since Pixel’s successful season on ADR, she’s been able to afford opening acts to come with her on her world-wide night club tour. The opening acts have all mysteriously disappeared after opening for her once, but it’s been deemed an astronomical coincidence and has not been looked into at all.

 

Tonight’s opening act is a hetero performer who excels in LOUD wigs and hetero heel clacking; she’s been ***** voguing to Rihanna songs while throwing Weezing plushies out to the audience, but nobody else has been bothering to pay attention to her as they’ve all been hurdled around the entrance waiting for the headlining act to arrive.

 

Suddenly, the lights in the club shut completely off, before a wave of red lights flood onto the crowd. Confusion starts falling over the attendees of the night club. Everyone turns around when they hear some stage lights come on. The LOUD-wigged show opener now stands bewildered in the spotlight. An ominous bass starts pouring from the speakers, fog starts rising from the floor, and everyone looks to the doors as they fling open. Pixel Dark, the star of the show, has arrived.

 

--

 

Beyoncé - 6 Inch (using cover bc copyright, sorry for those outside US!)

“6 inch heels...she walked in the club like nobody’s business...”

 

Pixel is in a black, all-leather ensemble, 6 inch heels included and a whip in her hands. Her wig nearly flows down to the floor, and her makeup is every bit as dark as her outfit. She walks through the club, headed to the stage, the crowd splitting like the red sea with every step.

 

“God damn...she murdered everybody, and I was her witness…”

 

Pixel ends up on the stage and does a spin for the audience to an applause before circling her opening act once, tying the whip around the performer as she walked. A chair slides onto the stage thanks to a hooded figure on the sidelines, and Pixel pushes her opening act onto the chair before starting a pole dancing routine while lip syncing the song. In between stunts, Pixel takes money from the crowd to stuff in her bra. The performance takes a turn, however, when the bridge starts.

 

“Stars in her eyes, she fights for the power keeping time…”

 

The stage lights now turn as red as the lights on the audience. Pixel walks towards the bound performer who had the best seat in the house to watch the performance up until now and performs a lap dance before pulling a concealed blade. Pixel takes off her gloves, opens her hand, and cuts a line down from the center of her palm to her wrist. Pixel then caresses the performer’s face, which leaves a streak of blood on the hetero gal’s right cheek. Pixel then circles the performer once more, sprinkling a strange powder around the chair. The bridge ends and Pixel is facing her evidently shook opening act. Pixel then takes a lighter and sets the circle of powder on fire.

 

“She works for the money, she works for the money from the start to the finish…”

 

Pixel then grabs a handful of the powder she sprinkled earlier and crushes it in her still bloody palm before opening her palm again.

 

“And she worth every dollar, she worth every dollar and she worth every minute…”

 

Pixel smirks, pops a cherry, in her mouth, then blows a powdery kiss to the performer. The bloody powder combusts and sets the LOUD-wigged hetero on fire. She can be heard screaming and swearing in Weezing fumes.

 

“Oh boy, I’ll make you feel you always come back to me…”

 

Pixel then falls to her knees and draws an incantation on the stage in a powdery, bloody mix, while lip-syncing to the end of the song. The amused attendees of the club start throwing money onto the stage. The song fades and an ominous bass once agains fills the club. Pixel then laughs as the club starts shaking and the second song begins.

 

---

 

Mia Martina - Beast (feat. Waka Flocka)

“Nowhere to run, run, run come here right now, here right now, here right now

There’s only one thing that I wanna feel right now, feel right now, feel right now...”

 

Pixel starts doing a crawling on the floor dance routine, lipping the song and picking up money as she goes around the stage. The first verse finishes by the time that she collects all the dollar bills thrown at her feet.

 

“One look and you’re mine, keep your eyes on me now

Cause when the stars align, you might bring the beast out…”

 

Pixel stands up and looks to the ceiling of the club as it starts to open up over where the performer earlier was tied and burned, revealing the night sky. The stars form an X-shape over the West Hollywood club.

 

“Nowhere to run, boy run, come here right now, right now, right now

Cause when the sun goes down the beast comes out…”

 

As Pixel dramatically performs the chorus, of course, making sure you can see every word coming out of her mouth. Flames re-emerge from where the Hetero-heeled heffer once stood and a figure rises from the fire. It’s none other than Satan himself, and he’s holding the charred corpse of the former opening act. Satan hands the body to Pixel and she starts twerking with the burned remains and grinding on Satan while he performs the rap part of the song. After the rap verse, Satan returns to Hell in a burst of flames, taking the charred corpse with him.

 

Pixel once again dramatically performs the chorus, this time all the smoke from the performance finally set off the fire detector, setting off the sprinklers on the roof and giving off a rain effect. Pixel is still able to make sure the money the club goers are near demanding she have remains dry for use later.

 

“I’ll take you down down, can you keep it up all night, up all night, up all night…”

 

Pixel finds herself back on the pole in center stage performing the bridge of the song, and she’s joined by two hooded figures also on poles either side of her. How they manage to pole dance when the poles are wet is the last thing on the minds of anyone in the club right now.

 

“Don’t talk to me, just show me your talent...your talent…”

 

At the end of the bridge, Pixel spins and splits off the pole and onto the floor, then whips her wig one more time before performing the final chorus. The ominous bass creeps its way back into the club and noise can be heard coming from outside of the club. The Westboro Baptist Church infiltrates the club, holding picket signs calling her Satanic and condemning her to eternity in a lake of hellfire. Pixel, unfazed, goes into her final song.

 

--

 

Taylor Swift - I Did Something Bad (sorry for those outside the US!)

“I never trust a narcissist, but they love me

So I play ‘em like a violin, and I make it look oh so easy…”

 

Pixel jumps down from the stage and starts dancing on one of the Westboro Baptist Church members, pinning them against the wall and grinding up against them. At one point, Pixel locks lips with them, and the horror on the face of the face of the WBC member was met with cheers from the club goers and Pixel being showered with money, where she manages to throw it back on the WBC member while picking up all the dollar bills being thrown at her.

 

“I can feel the flames on my skin

Crimson red paint on my lips...”

 

In the first pre-chorus, Pixel once again kisses the WBC member, except this time, she bites their tongue off and blood start dripping down from her lips when she spits the tongue back into the WBC member’s face. She grabs the sign that the church member carried in, then she gets back on stage to perform the chorus.

 

“They say I did something bad

Then why’s it feel so good?...”

 

The crowd all now has red glow sticks in the shape of upside down crosses and they wave them to the beat as she performs a routine with the sign, at one point making out with the picture of her that was on the sign. During the breakdown in the chorus, WBC members storm the stage and circle her, and the song enters the bridge.

 

“They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one…”

 

Pixel doesn’t flinch when the WBC members are obviously mad and ready to attack her, but continues to lip sync like a professional.

 

“So light me up, light me up…”

 

The WBC get lighters out and they light the powder on the ground on fire. Pixel combusts and starts pole dancing to try to put out the flames, to no avail. The fire spreads quickly and the WBC all light up in a circle and run through the crowd screaming, catching many other club goers on fire. Luckily, the smoke detectors go off again and the sprinklers put out the club goers. Unfortunately, it was too late for Pixel, as she burns to death and lies on the ground steaming thanks to the poorly-timed sprinklers. The song unceremoniously finishes and the attendees of the event are left perplexed as to what they should do…

 

...then they hear a song they heard earlier start up again, and a figure bursts through the door. They look familiar, but they can’t quite place their finger on who it is.

 

--

 

Beyoncé - 6 Inch reprise

“6 Inch heels...she walked in the club like nobody’s business…”

 

The music stops. The figure is dressed the same way as Pixel was, long wig and all. She walks to the corpse, picks it using her left arm and faces it towards the audience. The corpse is charred black and indistinguishable from the flames, yet the wig miraculously remained in tact. The figure then removes the wig from the corpse and the crowd gasps simultaneously. What the clubbers thought was Pixel was actually Acacia Wine! The figure then takes off her wig to reveal that she is actually Pixel! The crowd roars at this point and she is showered with money from the club goers, who just experienced the greatest trick in their lives…

 

...the song starts again.

 

“She murdered everybody, and I was her witness…”

 

The music stops again.

 

The club goers finally put the pieces together and realize what will happen next, but the only exit in the club is now locked. The music starts again.

 

“She works for the money, she works for the money from the start to the finish

And she worth every dollar, she worth every dollar and she worth every minute…”

 

Pixel takes the same powder Acacia used earlier, flings it out onto the clubbers, then lights a match and throws it out into the audience. The club goers ignite in a ball of flame and they all start panicking. Pixel grabs an automated hook and uses it to escape out of the opening in the  

club ceiling that opened earlier in the performance and the final songs fades out.

 

 

Chanel DiAngelo

 

On 1/12/2018 at 8:50 PM, CHANEL™ said:

 

Whispers had been flying all about 54th Street all evening. Sure, Studio 54 was showing a recent production of Children of a Lesser God, but the iconic club-gone-theater was not the focus of the evening. The play never stood a chance. Chanel was performing in its basement, among the rich reds and leathers of 54 Below. The marquee, nearly outshining that of Children despite the smaller venue, read two words: 

 

CHANEL: Melodrama

 

"Consider it a Lesson," one viewer had said. "Think of it as a quick crash course in the drama, theatrics included."

 

Through a side door and down a flight of stairs, patrons of the bar already sat greedily, every seat filled, from the tables not inches from the small yet focal stage, to the deep-set booths leering from a knowing distance. A packed house was nothing new; popularity was never a worry. Every character fit among the scene-- lengthy cigarette holders, slicked mustaches, boa and silk on nearly every floor-sweeping gown of each girl perched precariously in her chair, opulence and oddity at every table.

 

As the proverbial chatter that clamored through the gold-crowned walls, the lights dimmed, and the crowd found themselves shrouded in near-darkness, save for few candles at the peripherals of the room. Silence fell.

 

An instrumental began to play.

 

Among the shaking flames, a figure moved-- a bus boy? A waitress? The shape appeared again, further down-- apparently moving towards the stage. No face was to be seen. A gasp emerged, eyes scrambled for purchase.

 

The figure appeared at the stage-- still not lit, a silhouette appeared against the regal walls, candle flames still licking at air at the sides. As the stringed intro to the song playing ended, giving way to piano, a spotlight flew on, illuminating the woman of the night, Chanel, cigarette in hand on a holder longer than that of anyone's in the audience.

 

"I might as well let you all know that we're not in for the easiest ride."

 

She took a drag.

 

"Emotions are never easy rides. And I should begin this evening by informing you: that at her core, Chanel is an emotional queen. Every action, every maneuver, every calculation is not out of the cold steel of mechanics. Every play is rooted in emotion, in feeling. Lipstick and an icy mask, and the more-than-occasional flying talon, makes for appearances, but you must understand the fleeting intensity of every thought that passes through her mind. They are forces of nature that rock her, shift her, and find ways to make every event an occasion or a crisis."

 

Another drag. The piano went strong. The audience hung on her words.

 

"As with all feelings, like all living things, they can be hurt. Chanel can be slighted. Chanel can be wounded. She is not invulnerable. Do not let her mask or her mistakes deceive you. It's validation she craves, it's happiness she desires. Living in misery is not living."

 

The instrumental was coming to a close, strings on repeat humming in the background.

 

"But emotional queen she may be, she attempts to survive through them, to find ways to make the life with them bearable. When you live with every feeling heightened to Biblical extremes, you find yourself in the middle of a melodrama. No matter your plot, no matter who you are, your life will always be in the heart-wrenching peril of extremity. And here, I display that, not with wanton destruction as I may have attempted in the past, but with the expression of what lies inside me."

 

The spotlight vanished. Back to darkness. A moment of silence.

 

Slowly, glimmering lights faded in to reveal Chanel, still on stage, cowered over a central lit pillar as St. Vincent's "Smoking Section" began to play...

 

 

"Smoking Section" nearly missed my performance in favor of something more neurotic, something more menacing and sinister. The previous idea was to terrify the audience before ripping out their hearts in sheer sympathy, yet, such a beginning would never do. "Smoking Section" is not lighter than the previous choice; its themes of suicide and forlorn desperation are not lost upon me, but exemplify the magnitude of such existential anguish that someone like me faces. It begins delicately, perfect for an intro, not an assault to the senses, before building, as my emotions seem to creep up on me. "Let it happen" could not be more relevant when one is at the mercy of uncontrollable feelings. Yet, despite such dark themes and seemingly endless despair, the outro, repeats of "It's not the end" show that this is not a sad tale-- while sadness is present, it is not defining, and as we transcend through the end of the song, the repeated line represents that my emotional reactions are not a crisis, not a disaster, but a sign that I am alive, and capable of experiencing the world and what it can do to me.

 

Applause erupted as the song finally reached its almost disturbingly uplifting end. The lights dimmed once again.

 

Glowing back to life, the spotlight revealed Chanel sitting at the edge of the stage, her Cruella de Vil cigarette seemingly replaced with a Manhattan in the blink of the room's eye.

 

"Now, I recognize that not everyone behaves the way that I do. I realize everyone has emotions-- well, except the poor, lucky folks that don't-- but not everyone allows themselves to be consumed by them. By those standards, I am weak. I confess. I admit."

 

She downs her Manhattan in nearly two sips, and is quickly given another one.

 

"It's pitiful, it's dreary, it's awful to realize that I can't be as strong as I want to when I allow such intangible entities to drive my actions. Naturally, not everyone may enjoy me because of this. I've alienated more than a few people in my life. I do not have their validation. I find myself painted into corners by words that should've never left my mind. I'm left with nothing at my worst."

 

Back to darkness, as a whirlwind of strings brought us into Shirley Bassey's "I (Who Have Nothing)"...

 

 

Once again, this song begins at rock bottom, at a point of despair from which one may see as inescapable. Yet, despair is perhaps the greatest demonstration of melodrama, of such convoluted and inconceivably extreme emotion that it devours the world around it. After a bout of irrational behavior, of lashing out and caving in, this is a lament to my sanity, yet a love letter to the existential validation I wish I could have. Those goals are manifested as a man in the song rather than as my psychological and emotional mindset. The vibrations, the mania, the desperation, are all so terrifyingly real. This is to those I pity having wronged, to those I wish to right myself with, and to anyone who really wonders how my eye muscles work or how I managed not to ruin a sheet of saran wrap between takes.

 

Back to darkness for merely a moment of pregnant silence, before Chanel reappears once again, seated on a stool, now surrounded by three empty Manhattan glasses and a fourth in hand. The drunkenness is evident in a slight slur in her words, as well as the expression on her face.

 

"Now, somewhere between realizing how angry I am at my situation, and now, I realized, I have no choice but to ride the waves, lest I let them wash over me. I would drown. I very easily could drown in my head, I have no doubt of it. Fighting emotion was never productive. Then again, expressing it didn't ever do me many favors. Middle ground was out of the question; expression is the only way to prevent yourself from combusting. Creativity and expression are one, and I am tired of destroying when my feelings get the best of me."

 

Another Manhattan down. Could she even perform anymore?

 

"And express, I will-- no one will ever stop me from that, because life is all about the drama. The melodrama, I mean-- those heightened emotions, those moments of intensity that stop the world and confine all time to a single heartbeat or draw it out for the length of a tear. Damage is often done in the wrong types of expression, but I promise you, nothing wrong can happen when you simply scream out to the world what goes on in your heart."

 

The lights change, yet do not darken, as Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" begins to fade in...

 

 

 

This was the only song I was 100% certain I was going to do, yet, I'm not fully satisfied with my own performance here. I blame my lack of sobriety, but if I was performing at the greatest venue of my life like this, you bet I'd get hammered to let rich people stare at me being emotional. It's the biggest outlet for my histrionic tendencies, ever. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is my favorite song of all time, because it is the quintessence of both melodrama and Chanel herself. It's dynamic, it's disgusting, it's trite, it's cliché yet nuanced, it's explosive, heart-wrenching, hilarious, and yet a thoroughly good time. It's epic, and always will be. Fun fact: Though barely noticeable, the fake tears I put on fell right on time with the bass guitar twang after the titular line of the song.

 

Finished with her performance, Chanel collapses on the stage in tears, streaking her makeup and allowing it to cascade down her face in a dark waterfall. 

 

After a moment, the song whose instrumental served as the backing track for the evening began to play: Lorde's "Melodrama". The song's barely-there chorus plays on and on as Chanel gathers herself and leaves the stage, slinking across the room into oblivion.

 

"All the terror, and the horror,

God, I wonder why we bother

All the glamour, and the trauma

And the ****ing melodrama

All the gunfights and the lime lights

And the holy sick divine nights

They'll talk about us, all the lovers

How we kiss and kill each other

We told you this was melodrama

You wanted something that we offer

We told you this was melodrama..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Citrus]

because y'all did WHAT?

 

write a lot

 

@EJQL8 @Rhisiart @Buddy! @Kylie Jenner @Hug @CHANEL™ @keshaspearsxo @Witch Privilege @Vulnicura @talent @feelslikeadream @Aciid @Subomie @True Skarlet @Moonchild

[Hug]

I'm gonna abuse my power to put my lip sync look in the post

[Kylie Jenner]

2 minutes ago, Citrus said:

because y'all did WHAT?

 

write a lot

 

@EJQL8 @Rhisiart @Buddy! @Kylie Jenner @Hug @CHANEL™ @keshaspearsxo @Witch Privilege @Vulnicura @talent @feelslikeadream @Aciid @Subomie @True Skarlet @Moonchild

stephen king found DEAD

[Vulnicura]

Melanoma's is formatted so well, I didn't think about abandoning ATRL's ****ty formatting options.  

[Citrus]

2 minutes ago, Hug said:

I'm gonna abuse my power to put my lip sync look in the post

please abuse your power to fix whenever necessary. Your collapse tags made it kinda weird to copy it all over

[Kylie Jenner]

okay wow that is a LOT of words

[Hug]

2 minutes ago, Citrus said:

please abuse your power to fix whenever necessary. Your collapse tags made it kinda weird to copy it all over

Sorry I won't abuse my spoiler tag powers again

[talent]

2 minutes ago, Vulnicura said:

Melanoma's is formatted so well, I didn't think about abandoning ATRL's ****ty formatting options.  

no way in hell was i letting atrl stifle my need for layout   but thank u sis

[Vulnicura]

Just now, talent said:

no way in hell was i letting atrl stifle my need for layout   but thank u sis

Consider it stolen.  

[Kylie Jenner]

am most excited for the lewks

[Citrus]

You might notice two girls are missing. One has extenuating circumstances that we'll elaborate on, and one is that girl you knew she was.

[Hug]

Okay my entry seems fine to me now! I did think to send a Google Doc, but decided against it because I *was* going to just have a picture instead. The picture was too small when embedded and too big when opened in a new tab, so I deleted it and just went with the text I already formatted on ATRL. Lemme see what exciting formatting options I can come up with in the future, though!

[Vulnicura]

1 minute ago, Citrus said:

You might notice two girls are missing. One has extenuating circumstances that we'll elaborate on, and one is that girl you knew she was.

 

[Fruity]

15 hours ago, Rhisiart said:

About to submit.

 

@Fruity (and any other viewers reading), you still have time to make a 3-person draft team!

Um stress!! I’ll go with Gladys Colleen and Chanel (we love girls who can WRITE) but I’m rooting for nearly everyone good luck sweeties x

 

oh I’ve just seen the entries were posted lol well ignore my team if it’s not allowed then 

Edited January 14, 2018 by Fruity

[talent]

4 minutes ago, Vulnicura said:

Consider it stolen.  

if you cared about me at all you would’ve seen i did it a few times last season too  

[Kylie Jenner]

1 minute ago, talent said:

if you cared about me at all you would’ve seen i did it a few times last season too  

there she goes... playing the victim.... again !