Last extra one for a while. Vignette – Creating Chords · 10:28pm Jun 5th, 2022
Vignette – Creating Chords
July 10: Sunday — 9am
The morning after the fashion show, the girls rallied at Pinkie Pie's house. It was looking like it would be a slow Sunday, which wasn't entirely bad, considering how hard they had worked on the fashion show. A day of rest, calmly planning the next fundraising move, was a welcomed relief. The fashion show was a success, however, it was a minor one. No one was celebrating. The show only brought in twenty percent of what their event goal was. It had gone smoothly and been a good show, with seven lines from four designers, but they learned a hard truth; while it was for a good cause, most people were not interested in attending a fundraising fashion show.
Tomorrow was the deadline for their first installment for the foreign exchange program. Between the bake sale and the fashion show, they had just enough to cover it. The first installment was for twenty-five percent of the cost for the program. They still had to raise twenty-five more to meet the fundraising minimum. They were running out of ideas to bring in the money they needed to raise, let alone their personal goal to fully fundraise their time in Japan.
As they sat around the dining room table to plan, Rarity opened her laptop. She had launched their joint social media account, “Wondercolts in Japan,” the week prior. Because they each had pushed it out on their own social media accounts, almost, if not all, of the CHS student body was already following the account. They had picked up over a thousand followers in a week, which was a lot more people than they had in the school. Rarity really wanted to use the platform to also push out information about upcoming fundraiser events. Using the account to publish those updates would help their followers to remember to keep an eye on the account so they didn't miss anything the girls posted while in Japan.
It took only seconds, once they started discussing it, for the seven of them to reach a consensus. They would put their energy into a music show, like Sunset had pitched two weeks prior. Since it was her idea and she hadn't organized an event, it was up to her to be its organizer. She had “lead” on this fundraiser. As much as she would need a consensus at times, especially for big decisions, Sunset knew there would be times when she would have to make executive decisions.
Time was now against the girls for raising enough money. The earliest they thought they could be ready for a show, knowing that they would need to learn more songs, was three weeks. They settled on a Saturday for the event. Rarity worked out the post. It was going to be just the basics.
NEXT FUNDRAISER:
EVENT: The Rainbooms will put on the biggest and longest show they ever have performed.
COST: “Free,” using a "donate what you can" policy for the tickets. The suggested donation per ticket TBD.
DATE: Saturday July 30 – Evening – specific time TBD
Everyone approved of it and Rarity posted it.
They started to go back over what they had been throwing around after the bake sale. They quickly all agreed with Applejack's suggestion to make it an event that was family friendly and wouldn't go too late. That way, families could attend the concert for a fun evening together, getting in important quality family time, and parents with younger children wouldn't have to worry about leaving early to meet bedtimes. The end time was set at 8pm. Making it family friendly also meant that parents wouldn't have to worry about any of the songs having inappropriate content for children. It still meant they could have plenty of fun, they just had to be wise about their song choices. The other goal they settled on was to make the concert available to everyone as a community event. The wider the net they cast, the more people who would hopefully attend, which would drive up their donations.
The next step was to sort the moving pieces required to run the concert. Once they knew the roles they needed, they could approach people with the correct skills. The open laptop chimed. The joint account had a direct message sent to it. Rarity went to read it as Sunset's phone buzzed. It was a text from Flash Sentry.
Hey, the rumor is that the Rainbooms are putting on a fundraiser concert. The band agreed and Flash Drive is available for the posted date to be a supporting act, if you need us!
Sunset sat there, rereading it a few times. She couldn't believe the offer. They hadn't really given out any information and they hadn't posted the update that long ago. Their conversation had been slow because they were tired, but not even a half hour had passed since Rarity had posted that little bit on the joint account. Flash most likely didn’t have any of the other’s number, but it was interesting that he chose to text her, rather than DM the account. Texting was more direct.
The laptop started chiming nonstop. Everyone looked at Rarity. Her eyes were wide in panic. She looked at them as her laptop kept chiming.
"We are getting a flood of inquiries about helping out for the concert," Rarity explained, trying to not panic. "They just keep coming in. I don't know who to answer first!"
"We don’t have to answer their messages right away,” Twilight said. "Even if that is the instinct. First we should finalize the roles we need to make this work. Once we have that list, we can start to reply with our specific needs, and put names by those roles.”
Applejack got a text. "Uh, yeah, about that. The Crusaders want to try being 'roadies.' I don't think they know exactly what a ‘roadie’ is."
"Stagehands might be useful," Sunset said. "Also, Flash Sentry texted me, saying Flash Drive is available to be a supporting act, if we wanted them."
"Say yes," Dash exclaimed, almost begging. "Having another band playing with us will help give us that length you want, plus it will feel more like a full concert, not a music show. If you go to see anyone play, the headline act usually has two supporting acts that each play for a half hour or so first."
"Speaking of supporting acts," Rarity said. "I have a message from Trixie. Trixie and the Illusions are also offering to be a supporting act."
"Then this just went from a show, to a concert," Sunset said, not needing to think any further on it. "Like Dash just said, a real concert has two supporting acts. If we want to give the audience the best we've got, we can't turn down their offers."
"Replying and accepting," Rarity said.
Sunset typed a response to Flash, officially accepting their offer and thanking them. She added that more details the band would need to know would be sent as soon as they had worked them out. Flash's response was a thumbs up emoji.
Sunset made the next executive decision. "AJ, tell the Crusaders they are officially our roadies slash stagehands, since we are not going on the road." The Crusaders were little sisters of two of the Rainbooms' members and a de facto sister of a third. She couldn't say 'no' to their reasonable request.
"I've got another good one," Rarity said. "Vinyl Scratch wants to run the sound for the concert, but she has to do it as DJ-PON3."
"Absolutely!" Sunset exclaimed. "We need a sound technician. She is who I had in mind to ask."
"Replied!" Rarity said as she continued to screen who was sending messages to them.
“This is faster than expected, but good,” Sunset said. “Our volunteers are ahead of us, we are tired, but we can push through and do this. What other special roles do we need to pull this off?”
"Lights," Dash said. "And someone watching our timing. That is even more important now that we have supporting acts. They could also manage the stagehands, like ensuring they are ready to move stuff on and off stage as bands switch. Really, we need a show director, someone we can set the plan with and then give them the authority to run it for us. They would coordinate all of the moving parts; lights, sound, stagehands, the acts, and everything else.”
"Got the lights," Rarity said. "Micro Chips is volunteering his expertise with anything technology related that we might need help with."
"Tell him we are glad to have him on board," Sunset said. "To at least run the lights. Also that Vinyl has the sound covered. Now, what else?"
"Posters," Twilight said. "Posters and fliers. If we have any digital artists offering to help, we need to take them up on it. The more professional the promotion material looks, the more it will catch people's eye and convince them to come."
"Good call," Sunset said. "Speaking of posters, it sounds like we have a lot of people who are volunteering who may not be the most well suited for what we need during the concert. Two weeks ago, Pinkie floated the idea of having promoters. If we have people promoting for us in the weeks, really days it’s so close, leading up to the concert, we can focus more on learning the new songs we have to. It’s an invaluable role, albeit probably not what they have in mind."
“It doesn’t have to be on a set schedule,” Pinkie added. “It can be whenever they are free.”
“Flexibility is good,” Dash said.
"That brings up the theme question," Rarity said. "Having one is a wise idea. For the supporting acts, 'family friendly community event' should be all they need. I really don't care about what they wear and honestly, I don't think I will have time to make them anything."
"We need to focus our efforts on learning the new music," Sunset said. "We don't have long, so anyone volunteering we need to snatch up to help relieve anything we can from our shoulders. We have some time today before we need to respond to most of their inquiries, so let's use it to make sure we have the details ironed out as much as possible before we let them know what we need."
"Anyone got a theme?" Applejack asked.
Fluttershy slowly raised her hand. She had been quiet all morning. She hadn’t even spoken a word, only nodding in agreement a few times. Sunset had figured it was because she was tired. They all were.
"Yes, Fluttershy," Sunset said, calling on her shy friend. It felt weird to call on her, like Sunset was the teacher and Fluttershy was an elementary student, but she had politely raised her hand, leaving Sunset no other option.
"I've been thinking about themes since you first pitched the concert," Fluttershy explained. "I couldn't help it. The best one I came up with directly ties in with why we are even doing this fundraiser in the first place. It's simple too, only one word. The theme is 'Japan'."
Rarity perked up, ignoring the laptop, which was still occasionally chiming. "That is an interesting proposal. It's loose, yet refined. Very appropriate too. When you said it, I instantly saw Japan's national flag flash in my mind, which gave me ideas for white outfits, accented with red. It's a good patronage to the country's flag. One of us needs to be the accent to the rest of us. I'm afraid that with seven of us, too much white on stage will wash us out as a band because of how bright the stage lights are. I can reduce that possibility with the accents on the clothes, but we need someone to offset the other six in white by running the colors in reverse."
"I'll do it!" Pinkie said.
"You are already separated from us because you are on the drums," Rarity replied while thinking it over. "Making you the accent member isn't a bad idea. Depending on how long we actually make this setlist, we might be able to get a wardrobe change in. I know, I know, a wardrobe change means more work for me when I already have so much on my plate."
"That's not a bad idea," Sunset said. "If we can work it in, yes. The crowd would love it. We will need to ensure we have good pacing to play as long as we are planning. We are used to putting out a lot of energy over a short setlist, but we will need to calm down at points to rest while still performing. Sliding a break into our setlist would be beneficial, but I don't want downtime where no one is on stage."
"Maybe a supporting act could come back out for a few songs?" Dash proposed.
"Or," Applejack said, preparing her counter proposal. "Since we are the headline act, most people, if not all of 'em, will have purchased their tickets by the time we get on stage. We'll be able to know how much we raised. Someone could update everyone on how we did."
"That's better," Twilight said. "By doing an update, it gives the audience members a second chance to donate if we don't hit our goal. We have never had the opportunity for people to go back and donate more in any of the other events. Well, the fashion show, but not many people showed up.
“Fundraising ventures often give an update to the people present. Since it is our break, we need to be sure that we trust whoever comes out to talk. They need to build everyone up, thanking them for us. That is really important if we are short on reaching our goal. We don't want to make people feel bad, especially if they couldn’t match the suggested donation we set. That would discourage everyone from donating a second time.
“Something I observed from working ticket sales last night, we need to have some form of visual aid at the table to gauge the goal we have set for the fundraiser. The other fundraisers didn’t have a place to make use of it until last night. It would help people visualize what their donation is doing, compared to our goal, as they are deciding how much they can donate for the ticket. If it could be brought on stage to show the crowd the tallied progress that would be even better.”
“Thermometer,” Applejack said. “It’s used all the time for fundraisers and it's easy to see cause it's red.”
"Then we go with that," Sunset said with a nod. "Keep it simple. About the donation update, who do we trust to do that and also makes sense to be able to speak for us?"
"I know who I trust," Fluttershy said, speaking up this time instead of raising her hand. Sunset nodded to her to continue. "We have a lot of great faculty at CHS, but out of them all, I really trust Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. They have been watching us closely as we fundraised and were involved in the discussion with the committee about each of us for the exchange program. They have been very supportive too. They also have been taking care of what we earn. I know it is required by the program, but they have been very involved in the entire process. I would even say more involved and attentive than they have to be and more than they typically are in school organization fundraisers. They know the seven of us well and could easily speak for us. The crowd would trust them too.”
"Celestia did come in on a Saturday to open the school and chaperone the bake sale," Pinkie said. "Any faculty member with keys could have done that. She was very helpful at times and also very encouraging to me when I needed it. She mostly watched from the sidelines, but I felt like she wanted to do more than just watch."
"They would be appropriate people to speak for us," Twilight said. "When I state that, I'm not factoring in the requirement for the school to take charge of the funds we raise. That is a separate matter; a smart logistical failsafe, so we don't accidentally do something stupid with the money. The cost is high for one person, it's a lot of money to hold onto, but even more so for seven friends working together. The school’s account is much more logical and safer. The point is, as our school principals, that makes them the optimal people to give that type of announcement."
Twilight started to write something in the notebook she had but then stopped. "Another thing to consider. We have always had extra hands during an event, allowing one of us to receive the donations. This time, all seven of us will need to be backstage. If we ask them to also work the ticket booth, they could directly accept the donations, making control of money per the rules easier to maintain. Plus, anyone who is considering donating more than the suggested amount will be more likely to do so because an adult is accepting the donations for us. They will be seen as mature and trustworthy, while one of us, or another student volunteering, would not be seen to the same degree of maturity and trustworthiness. It's a good, subtle message to send and possibly will coax some higher donations out of people. We already saw at the bake sale that alumni are willing to drop some good money to support us, and interestingly enough, Celestia was there and visible. She wasn’t at the other events.
"I'm working out the math right now for the optimal prices we would need to set to make our goal, the other half we technically have to raise, not the full cost of the program."
“Oh!” Rarity exclaimed with sudden inspiration, clapping. “We could give them an actual ticket when they donate. It could have the information needed to follow the joint account. Big and bold so they can’t miss it. It could be the sole purpose of the ticket. Also, at some point in the night, we could announce it to ensure they absolutely know about it, probably during the update.”
“That’s a great idea,” Twilight said. “Everyone has smartphones, so they could do it right away if they wanted to. The account connects us with donors. We need to make sure we are constantly updating it while in Japan. At least daily because there are seven of us. It doesn’t even have to be a particularly special update, just the stuff we are doing, experiencing, and especially anything ‘Japanese’ we don’t have here in Canterlot. Even the most mundane things in Japanese culture are foreign and therefore almost assuredly exciting to those following us.”
“We can absolutely update it at least daily,” Dash said. “We also should snap and post pictures of us getting ready for the concert, so people don’t see a dead page. Having a history is a good thing to show our commitment to posting.”
"Twilight mentioned alumni," Sunset said, shifting the topic so she didn’t forget to bring up her thoughts. "I'll check with Principal Celestia tomorrow to see if we can send a mass email to them, inviting them to come out if they are available. Or if she will send it for us. As long as a well written email goes out with the invitation, that is what matters."
"I like the email plan," Applejack said. "Anything we can do to promote the concert is good. We saw what they were willin' to do at what appeared to be a spur of the moment notice. If they had more of a heads up, more alumni would probably be able to attend."
Fluttershy spoke up. “All of the big donors for the animal shelter are older. I’ve met many of them. Their kids are grown up and their longer careers have moved them into higher pay positions. With more income and no kids at home, they can finally give to the shelter like they always wanted to. They are the demographic typically capable of donating more to fundraisers and where we could make up for our failures.”
Fluttershy let out a tired sigh. “At the bake sale, selling to the alumni, I learned that they liked having a way to easily connect their money to who and what it was going to. They saw it sort of like an investment into our lives. The social media account will easily allow them to stay connected with that investment. As Twilight pointed out, there are seven of us, so we should be able to update everyone daily, which will really make them feel connected to their donation. Dash made a good point about ensuring we don’t have an account that looks dead by the time of the concert.”
"Well said, Fluttershy," Applejack said. “A family of four has to buy four tickets, compared to the older alumni who have to buy one or two. People are more willing to donate more when they have to buy less.”
“Those are good points,” Sunset said. "I think people will struggle to put a value on the concert that they can translate into a donation, especially if they don’t know us or our skill. To fix that, we need to make sure the crowd knows three things. First, that we really just want to have everyone come out and give what they can. Second, that we value the donations equally. And third, that we are going to give them our absolute best.”
“Larger donors will balance out those who can't donate the suggested amount for whatever reason,” Twilight said. “Besides, I am certain CHS, from time to time, sends requests to the alumni asking for donations. That is pretty common for schools to do. It's really no different than what we are hoping to do, except they get to see and know the exact student their donation is going to. Oh, and they get the show out of it. Most donation requests to alumni don’t come with anything. It’s about school pride and keeping the traditions going."
Rarity interrupted with an important update. "We just got a message from the digital arts club at CHS asking if there is anything they can do! I’m already starting the conversation with them about what we are thinking and our theme. I know you are doing the math still, but I think it would be beneficial to list the suggested price on our fliers and maybe the posters. Those might be better off with something like 'donate what you can, but free to attend'."
"Keep on that," Sunset said to Rarity. "We don't have a lot of time for them to put stuff together. I know art takes time and we all want to see them help us with their unique talents, but we are very short on time."
"It's the whole club," Rarity added. "Which, if I recall correctly, is eight members, maybe nine, to split the work between. They said turnaround time for the poster is two days max, so tomorrow since it is still early, at least for the first design. I'm talking through some design aspects with them and making sure we highlight what we need to, like the family friendly attitude, the end time, and our supporting acts. They seem to have a similar vision as I do." Her laptop dinged with another message. "Oh, they just suggested starting with the fliers, which are quicker to design and that will make it easier for them to step up to the poster and have it match our vision on the first go. The fliers can have the details, while the posters will need to run the highlights."
"I don't actually have a vision for the posters," Applejack stated. “Or the fliers.”
Sunset shrugged to her cowgirl friend, to let her know she wasn't the only one unable to see the vision Rarity was crafting.
"So, who do we have onboard so far?" Dash asked. "And what are they doing? It's getting strung out. I'm tired and losing track."
"Me too," Pinkie added, yawning.
"No worries," Sunset said as Twilight handed her the list she had been keeping. "We could all use the recap. We have DJ-PON3 on sound, Micro Chips on lights, the Crusaders as stagehands, Flash Drive and Trixie and the Illusions as supporting acts. The graphics club is going to be designing the fliers and posters we will use to promote the concert. We are hoping to get Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna to do two things that night: work the ticket table and also give the crowd an update on how well we reached our goal as we switch sets and take a short break. Also, we are going to ask if we can contact the alumni to invite them to come out. And by we, I mean me, since I’m lead."
"We have a lot of the moving parts covered," Applejack said. " Any other critical ones missing?"
"Yeah, one," Sunset said. "A director for the show. They need to balance the timing for the acts, lights, sound, presenters, and direct the stagehands. Between the three bands, I'm certain the CMC will be critical."
"Another question," Applejack said. "Where are we hosting the concert?"
"Dang it!" Sunset groaned, putting her head in her hands. She knew she was skipping something important. She was tired, everyone was tired, and today was supposed to be planning the simple stuff, like the venue and theme, while they recharged. The explosion of support from the announcement post had changed everything from light planning into work.
"I know!" Pinkie exclaimed. She whipped out her laptop and began typing away. "Just as I suspected," she finally said. "It is available. Very suspicious. The Canterlot Amphitheater, where the battle of the bands finale took place, is available to be booked for the thirtieth. It’s in a good location for people from all over the city to attend. It’s a Sunday, so no one is in the office today, but we can reserve it right now, online. All we need is a deposit of fifty bucks."
Despite how casual she had been about the deposit, it was clear Pinkie Pie didn’t have that much in her account. No one spoke for a minute. No one dared to make the first admission about their finances.
Dash finally broke the silence. "We have been spending a lot of money on stuff for the fundraising events. I don't have that much in my account. I'm guessing they don't allow us to split the cost between a few cards?"
"Nope!" Pinkie replied, still not worried about the deposit.
"I'm almost out," Fluttershy said.
"Tapped out," Rarity said. She let out a heavy sigh. "I'm going to have to borrow from my parents, again, to make our show outfits. It won't be a problem; I borrow from them all the time to cover the cost of materials. I usually make four times more than the loan in sales and pay them back with interest. They are nice about it and supportive, but I do hate borrowing from them. Apparently, a lot of small businesses are forced to borrow money each quarter, just so they can afford the stock for the next quarter, and then sell it to pay off the loan, only to have to turn around and borrow again because they are out of stock and money. That’s fine for when I am on my own, it’s business, but with my parents, I feel like I am taking advantage of them."
No one knew how to support Rarity. She was most likely being accidentally extra dramatic about the situation because she was so tired. With her added talk about business, they were left without any idea what their fashionista friend needed for support.
Applejack finally moved them on with a shrug, "I’m dryer than a desert well."
Sunset sighed. Her account was well below the deposit cost too. "Not enough either."
Twilight stopped writing and grabbed her backpack. She pulled out her wallet and wordlessly gave Pinkie Pie a silver card. Twilight went back to writing like nothing had happened.
"Wait, this is a credit card!" Pinkie exclaimed after examining it closely.
"So?" Twilight asked, not stopping her work.
"Well…how do you have one?" Pinkie asked. "Also, why do you have one? You’re not an adult. Right?"
Twilight sighed as she paused her calculations. "I’m not an adult, but my parents are. They got it for me a while ago. It's for emergencies. Like everyone, I don't have much left in my checking account. I think this situation counts as an emergency. We need the amphitheater if we are to pull this concert off properly. I can justify it to them if I need to. 'Emergency' is a term that can allow for some looser interpretations. I'll have to tell them when I get home, because I don't want them to be surprised when they get the bill, however, in all the time I have had the card, I have never once used it."
Sunset almost laughed. She could tell that Twilight was extra annoyed. She wanted to do the important calculations they needed and she didn’t like being interrupted in the middle of her work. What annoyed her even more was having to explain the credit card.
"Okay," Pinkie said, shrugging as she let it all go. She began to type in the information into her computer. "And it's ours!" Pinkie exclaimed. "From six in the morning to midnight. That will be plenty of time to set up and tear down."
"That's great," Sunset said, relieved that they had made it over that hurdle. "Alright, any other key logistics we are missing?"
“Speakers,” Dash said. “Like, big ones. Our amps won’t cut it at that venue. And we may need longer cables than what we have.”
“Included with the amphitheater,” Pinkie explained. “Also, included are mics, stands, soundboard, lights, and switchboard. What do you think the school used for the battle of the bands?”
“That solves that,” Dash said. “Anything else?”
"Is there anyone else of immediate importance for unique skill sets who has contacted us?" Sunset asked, clearly asking Rarity.
Rarity sighed. "The graphics team is running a sketch up right now for the fliers. I've got at least twenty more new DMs I haven’t looked at, plus people commented on our post. Plenty were just excited over the update, others were asking how they could help. I think we have everyone, but the graphics club will need an open line as they work."
"Okay," Sunset nodded.
“What exactly are they doing?” Dash asked. “We don’t have your vision.”
“We discussed the theme, so they know what they are working with,” Rarity explained. “And they know what we are going to try to do for promoting the concert. I know they have split up the work and that colors, font, sizing, layout, and such all are different layers and pieces they will design separately and then simply snap together for the finished product. Color Wheel, their president, is working on a ‘Rainbooms’ name graphic. That’s all I really know.”
“Are we doing anything more than just the colors for our theme?” Fluttershy asked.
“No,” Rarity said. “They thought it was best, and I agree, if we don’t unveil the theme of our concert until that night. We need to push the concert and fundraising, not splash images of Japan. Most people won’t understand why it's there if we and the music are the focus. We don’t want to confuse them or drive them away because of a miscommunication through the design of our flier.”
“We cannot confuse people with the posters,” Sunset said with a nod. “I trust them and their expertise and you, Rarity. Keep on it as they update you. In the meantime, we have a few volunteer positions to fill. I think we just need someone to direct the concert’s timing and the promoters. The promotion team doesn't have a size limit or any special qualifications."
"We probably could use a few more stagehands," Dash added. "They can easily wind up split up from each other and find themselves on the wrong side of the stage, especially when they are inexperienced. Not that I would necessarily do any better. Three can run out really fast since there are seven of us on stage."
"Now that you mention it," Rarity said, turning back to her laptop. "Snips and Snails both contacted me about helping. Let me read their messages." They waited patiently for Rarity’s update. "Yes, both want to help somehow during the concert. I don't think they would make good members of the promotion team, but they probably could handle being stagehands. At least as well as the Crusaders. They all are young, energetic, and willing to try just about anything, but they often rush when they shouldn't, and they get a bit clumsy because of it. If they just slowed down, they would not be so clumsy."
"The director also has to be someone that they would respect," Sunset said. "Someone who can slow them all down and help them be professionals."
Rarity looked back at her computer. "You know," she mumbled as she checked the messages. "Yes!" Rarity exclaimed. "Octavia Melody asked in the comments if her concert expertise was needed. It is all classical music, but she has more stage experience than the seven of us combined. I am certain she knows how things need to be coordinated between the stage crew and the acts, and she should be able to lead inexperienced stagehands.”
"Send her a direct message, asking if that is something she is confident doing," Sunset said. "Make sure to add who the stagehands are, so she knows who she would be in charge of. I can understand it if she doesn’t think she could juggle their needs with the rest of her job. We might need a separate manager just for the stagehands, but hopefully not."
Rarity typed away with impressive speed and then they heard the sound of the DM being sent.
"I also just thought about my fellow Wondertones singers, Torch Song and Toe-Tapper," Rarity said. "Neither of them has reached out yet, it still is early, but if Octavia isn't available, one of them might be."
"Alright, then we have two backups we can ask," Sunset said.
Pinkie Pie's mother, Cloudy Quartz, came into the dining room. She was wearing a green plaid skirt and matching top. She had a tray with mugs on it and a few other things. "I know you girls have all been working hard and running on little sleep.” She set the tray down as close to the center of them as she could. "I brought you all coffee, with sugar cubes and cream available to suit your individual tastes.."
Cloudy Quartz departed to let them continue. They all grabbed mugs and mixed in their desired amount of cream and sugar, or none in some cases. Pinkie Pie also decided to suck on sugar cubes.
"I don't have a plan for music just yet," Sunset prefaced. "I really want to hear your thoughts for the setlist, but I do have a vision for the concert as a whole. I want us to smoothly transition from one song to another, without there being a full stop of all the instruments. I want something to be logically playing at all times the Rainbooms are on stage. I think it looks and feels better when the music flows like that. It might add a fair bit of extra work and burn some more energy, but I think it will be worth it."
"I don't like full stops either," Twilight said as she slipped on her coffee. It was almost as white as the cream. "I understand why bands have to do it, but if we can run transitions, even just a few strums of a guitar to keep it going while everyone sets up for the next song, that would be great. You set the goal of us doing a performance bigger and better than anything we had done before, and smooth transitions with no downtime fits the bill. The little details like that matter when you go big. It would really give the crowd a different energy vibe from us. A positive, energetic vibe that there is no stopping us."
Applejack was in agreement. Fluttershy was neutral since she didn’t play a major instrument. Rainbow Dash didn't think it mattered and didn't want the extra work. For someone who loved a challenge, Dash could be really lazy at the most random times. Pinkie Pie had no opinion. She could keep playing or stop. A drummer could do a lot to create great transitions. She just needed to know what to do: play or not. Rarity was engrossed in something on her computer, typing a response to someone.
Applejack's phone buzzed. She checked her texts. "The Crusaders are asking if Babs can also be a roadie."
"Yes," Sunset nodded. "Tell them yes, but also point out we are using the term stagehand since we are not going on the road."
"I already said it a few times, but I'll do it again," Applejack said while she typed. "That gives us six stagehands."
"Six is good," Sunset said. “Trixie’s band has three total and the Flash Drive's are four. For us, six stagehands would almost give us one for each Rainboom, which would probably work out if someone split their responsibility between Fluttershy and Twilight, although I’m not sure what the two of them would need. Also, I know Pinkie will have a stock of sticks with her kit in case she breaks one, so I don’t know if a designated stagehand would be beneficial for her."
“Mics could go out,” Dash said. “Either needing a new one or a simple battery swap. Depending on what Rarity has us in, a possible wardrobe malfunction. Fluttershy’s tambourine could break. Those are not as cheap as people think. The point is, stuff can go wrong, but six should be more than enough. Unless Pinkie breaks a drum head or worse, I break a string.”
"That’s why you bring your old guitar," Applejack said. "As a backup to easily switch. If Pinkie breaks a drum head there ain’t nothin any of us can do about it. Except her, being careful.”
“Hey,” Pinkie Pie shrugged. “I’ve only busted one and it was during a practice. I was in the process of replacing it anyway. All my current drum heads are solid.”
“Except we’ll be doin’ a lot of practicin’ in between now an then,” Applejack pointed out. “Also, there really is a lot for people to do for us during the show, isn't there? We ain't just filling slots."
"We are not just filling slots," Sunset confirmed. "I've been thinking through this plan since before we all were accepted. It started out really small, like us in the gym with just our amps, but I slowly continued to build the frame into the massive project it has become. I got the frame finished on my own. Now, together we are putting the walls and roof on this house of music and decorating it. Which I guess we already have the decorations planned with Fluttershy's theme."
"Ah yes," Rarity said with a content sigh. "I can see our outfits now. Color coordinated, while also reflecting the person wearing it. The white and red on Japan’s flag is bold. The white makes for a great base that really pops the red, even small bits of trim. And Pinkie Pie being in all red with white accents to contrast us will be the cherry on top."
"Can I wear a hat?" Pinkie asked. "The stage lights can be blinding. I need to be able to see what I am hitting."
"I can add a red hat to your ensemble," Rarity said with a nod.
"I've got some ideas to trick out my drum kit to match the theme," Pinkie added. "It's still its original blue. I’ll have something better for the show.”
"Speaking of that," Sunset said as she grabbed her phone. "I should update Flash Sentry, and we also need to notify Trixie, about their theme, to confirm the location, and let them know about the other supporting act."
“On it,” Rarity said, turning back to her laptop.
Sunset typed the message to Flash and sent it. She sipped on her coffee as she looked around at her friends. This was getting exciting. It was still early in the day and they hadn’t even started planning their setlist.
Rarity was once again typing on her computer, responding to someone. Sunset felt like she should say something, to keep the planning session rolling, but she was tired. It was okay to take a moment to breathe and adjust after the explosion of support.
Sunset got a response back from Flash.
Sounds great! I love our theme and the family idea. That is a great goal for the concert. I know a lot of the families in my neighborhood will appreciate it and I’ll spread the word. Flash Drive is looking forward to playing with both bands and to seeing the Rainbooms’ special theme. You will get Flash Drive’s best.
"Alright," Twilight said, sitting upright. "I've done the calculations and I think I've found the optimal donation suggestions, with two other possibilities. Thankfully, the website gave the number of people the amphitheater could accommodate. I've stuck to whole numbers and easy ones for donations. That way, cash, check, or card, people will easily be able to remember the cost and calculate their final tally if they need more than one ticket. Honestly, thank goodness for portable card readers that can turn a regular smartphone into a cash register and for the school having some the student organizations can borrow.”
"Hit us with it," Sunset said, suddenly getting nervous. The volunteers were important, very important, but setting the "price" would likely dictate the turnout and the turnout would certainly impact their donations. They had to have a good turnout to meet their fundraising goals. They had learned that the hard way last night at the fashion show.
Twilight explained her methods as she flipped her notebook around for them to read. "For simplicity's sake, I used 'price' in my calculations. You all know what I mean when I say 'price'. Also, these calculations are assuming everyone pays the same amount.
"I'll start with what I think is the least favorable of viable solutions. If we set the price at twenty, to reach our goal for the evening, we only need to fill the amphitheater to thirty-five percent of its capacity. That is the lowest number of people attending out of the three options. In the middle with a price of fifteen a ticket, we need to fill up the amphitheater to fifty percent capacity. The most optimal, in my opinion, is also probably the riskiest. With a price of ten a ticket, we need to get the amphitheater to seventy percent capacity."
"It's a tradeoff," Rarity said. "A gamble with real stakes. We could win big or we may go home broke. The higher price means we have an easier quota to hit, however the higher price will also be harder to entice people to come. On the other side, the headcount quota is harder to achieve, but the price is more enticing and obtainable for people, which hopefully will increase the number of people who come to attend."
"This is all based on everyone paying the same price," Twilight reminded them. "You are right, Rarity, it is a gamble. All of this is a gamble. The question really is, ‘to the average person we want to attract, how much do you think we are worth?' Yes, it is a fundraiser, but we are not a famous band. Canterlot is large city. Many people who don’t have a connection to CHS haven’t heard of us, so they don’t know our skill, or the supporting acts. Fundraiser shows are great and they can attract people to attend just to help out, but it all comes back to the same question, ‘do they think we are worth the price we are setting for ourselves?’”
"How we set up the posters and fliers will impact that too," Sunset said. "We will probably want to put the names of our supporting acts on them, somehow, making it easy for people to catch at a glance while not overpowering our name or the suggested donation price. We also need to, somehow, promote the community and family friendly atmosphere. We can leave that for the artists to spatially solve as they lay it all out. By promoting our supporting acts, we will make more people feel like they are getting their money's worth, since they get to see three bands perform, not one. I'm really excited and grateful to have them joining us. They are fleshing this whole event out for us in a way we never could do ourselves."
"So am I," Dash said. "It’s a real concert thanks to them. To cut to the chase, I think we gamble hard and go cheap. People can donate more, they know that, and I think we will get more people donating above the ticket price if we keep it lower. Yeah, we have to put more butts in the seats and the amphitheater is big, but I think we can do it."
"I gotta agree with Dash," Applejack said. "Lower price, more for their buck, and no matter how we slice the price pie, it's up to us to ensure that we get enough butts in the seats. Us and our volunteers. This also doesn't calculate what we know and the audience won’t; exactly what we are going to do to rock their world. They ain’t necessarily gonna know we are doin big and long, just our best. Not knowin’ our plans adds hidden value to each ticket. That's a good thing. If we hit our goal, or heavens to Betsy if we surpass it by a good margin, we are going to want that hidden value as extra thanks.”
"That is a good point, AJ," Sunset said. "That hidden value is important. We need to ensure that people know we are going to rock as hard as we can for their enjoyment, that puts butts in seats, but we also want to have a good amount of hidden value in the tickets to give them that extra thanks, no matter where we land on donations. I also think ten is our best strategy."
"I think we can market it as being a great value, but not cheap," Rarity said. "People don’t want cheap live music, they want live music at a great value that doesn’t hurt their wallets. As long as we convey that in our promotion strategy, I too think we are better off with the price at ten."
"Okay," Fluttershy nodded. "I was thinking ten before you all made those arguments. They are all good points, very good points, but it's not how I see the question. I don't want people to turn away because they feel obligated to pay more than they can afford or want to pay. With a goal of it being a community event that is family oriented, we need to look to our lowest financially capable demographics to set the price. That is families and students. To get them in seats, our strongest move is ten."
"Well said, Fluttershy," Twilight said as everyone looked at Pinkie Pie.
Their drummer was sucking on yet another sugar cube. She shrugged to them. "I'm the drummer. My sole opinion is whatever lets me hit things as loud as I can while keeping you all timed correctly for the songs. I get to do that at whatever price we set."
"Well,” Sunset shrugged. “We already were at six votes for ten. That will be the price.”
Rarity's computer chimed. As she went to look at the sender of the new message, she asked her question. "Should I update the info or make a new post with the suggested donation price? Or leave it where it’s at, no update yet?"
"Do a new post and also edit the other one," Sunset decided. "Let's start pushing the price and location out now, so that while we are waiting for fliers and posters, people can spread the word verbally."
Rarity made a new post, updated the previous post, and finally looked at the new message. It was from Octavia. She was very happy to join the stage crew as the director and felt confident in handling the stagehands. Rarity announced the good news to everyone.
"I guess we should sort out the promoter team," Applejack said. "I know we are waitin' on the digital graphics club for materials, but I'm afraid that if we don't do it now, before we tackle the setlist, we’ll forget. We should get the team psyched up to help us as soon as possible, so they can mentally start to plan out how to execute everythin’ as they’re waitin’ for the posters and fliers. Then we can relax and plan the setlist."
"I agree about the order, but it won't be relaxing," Dash said. "If you really think that the setlist will be easy and fun to organize, you are in for a shock. We have seven people in this band. Seven very different people with different approaches to music and who each do something different in the band. Together we are the Rainbooms, but we are going to argue over what songs to cover. Accept that now, before we start. We will all love and hate different songs and for different reasons. It's only going to be harder because we are not picking five songs to learn, or even ten, but twentyish."
"We could rotate," Fluttershy suggested. "We each pick one and cycle through."
"And what if the song you pick, the guitarists can't play?" Dash asked. "Or the drummer can’t keep us on beat? It's a fine idea and great sentiment, but choosing cover songs gets complicated and messy fast. We each need to be confident that we can learn it and put out the right energy, otherwise we need to toss that option into the trash. We don't have time for a long debate either. Not with the amount we have to learn, costumes to make, and some of us really should help the promotion teams get kickstarted."
"Dash has some good points," Sunset said. "If Dash could pick, we would be playing stuff like punk and metal, which won't go over well for Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight. They are loud, fast, and sometimes screaming songs that are also not built for the keytar to play."
Rarity sighed. "Okay, point made about the music. We can think about how we want to approach the setlist after we settle the promotion team."
Rarity focused on her computer. They started to go through all of their volunteers, sorting them. Some people would not be good fits for the promotion team, so they were skipped. They didn't want to say they didn't need them yet, in case they were needed later. It was too early to write them off without being concerned they would have to recant the sentiments sent.
Bulk Biceps was an automatic pick because of the energy he brought to whatever he was doing. Not everyone had to be energetic. They needed people who could also talk smoothly and explain to others the basics of the concert and exchange program.
Twilight started writing points down to help them "train" the promotion team members with the information they needed to be able to answer. They would be approaching businesses, asking if they could put up posters or leave fliers for customers. That required some charm by a steady person who was confident, not someone who was a bouncing ball of energy.
A total of twenty-six promoters were chosen. They knew most only in passing. The ones they knew well, besides Bulk Biceps, were Lyra Heartstrings, Sweetie Drops, Amethyst Star, Blueberry Cake, Raspberry Fluff, Pixel Pizzaz, Roseluck, and Violet Blur. By the time they had screened everyone, a few others had messaged them. Torch Song and Toe-Tapper were among the new requests and were added to the list. There was the potential, since it was still early, that other good candidates would offer their time. It would be easy to add them to the list, especially if it was before the orientation they were planning.
They sent out a form acceptance message to the chosen volunteers. Rarity wrote it as elegantly as she could, but everyone was adding suggestions to ensure it was a well-rounded message that didn’t miss something. There was too much to say and explain in order to keep their volunteers’ interest. Most people were expecting to help on the day of the concert, not the weeks before, so the importance of the role could not be undersold. The Rainbooms really had to rely on promoters in order to get the headcount they needed to meet their goal.
With the messages sent, Rarity sent the third update for the morning, officially letting everyone know they had added the two supporting acts. She added a public “thank you” to the bands for volunteering. She also updated the first post.
That was a very fun read!
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It would be funny if it wasn't agonizing how long it took me (research takes time), which detracts from time spent writing the real story. lol. But it is fun exploring how the girls get to Japan!
Thanks. The next installment, no wait, the vignette after the next one is really, really fun. This one and the next few, the musical showcase arc, got long. Detailed, fun, but long. 4000 to 9000 words long, which is like regular chapters.
It has made the Pilot Episode(s) better. I've been able to incorporate things from these vignettes into the Pilot Episodes and also drop sprinkles of foreshadowing of Ruby Palace in the vignettes.
Cool! I'm so happy to see this new update!
Do you plan to repost these vignettes into proper story chapters for us to read and recap again in the future?
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As I was reading it a thought occured to me. What if the girls post-aincrad were required to spend their recovery IN japan seeing as they were already being treated there anyways? And what if they got to attend the SAO survivors school? Also if like in cannon A BUNCHA players, and Asuna, got hikacked into ALO? Would the Aincrad Wonder Colts go and save em?
Thoughts?
Before the end of the first set, the trio had knocked over a stage light, which fell right on top of a generator, setting it alight, and burning the whole venue to the ground. Fortunately, no one was hurt, no charges were filed, and amphitheater owners made a generous donation for the trip out of their insurance payout.
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I've thought of this while following the last story as well. First, they're not Japanese citizens, so no one can force them to stay in Japan unless they committed a crime.
Second, if it's presented as an option to them, I imagine who would stay and who would return to Canterlot. They all have families to go back to, although none of them will have any way to relate to their trauma. Sunset doesn't have much of a family connection in Canterlot. Fluttershy may be afraid of her family seeing how the game changed her. Applejack would insist on going back to her family (and possibly have Big Mac telling her she needs to stay).
Third, I'm not sure about if they would get involved with future arcs. The main thing about Aincrad is that they had no agency. Once they logged in, they had no choice but to participate. Assuming they decided to keep playing VRMMOs together, I could see them getting involved in future arcs, or doing their own thing. That's a ways off though.
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Cool! I'm so happy to see this new update! I'm curious though, does this mean all these vignettes will leave marks for the main Ruby Palace storyline?
P.S. Do you plan to repost these vignettes into proper story chapters for us to read and recap again in the future?
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on the other hand assuming for a moment they befriend Kirito and Asuna. At the very least i dont see them (sunset and friends) leaving the two hanging when they are in trouble
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If I remember right, Kirito didn't ask for anyone's help in canon. Agil gave him the tip about tip about spotting Asuna in ALO, and he went in solo. I suppose any of the Wondercolts could be in the cafe during that conversation and insist on helping, or something in Ruby Palace could cause him to seek out Sunset for help. Or, due to the extended time in the game Ruby Palace adds, Akihiko finds the exploit that allowed players to be caught and fixes it, avoiding the Fairy Dance arc altogether.
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Good points indeed friend!
Meanwhile, in another universe, Dave Ramsey wakes up in a cold sweat after someone far away has perpetuated bad financial and business habits.
Reading about all their plans, like with the group account, makes me really sad knowing what's waiting for them over there. I wonder how long it will take for people to figure out what happened after their account suddenly goes quiet.
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They will be compiled for the main story and there before the Pilot Episodes. Probably compiled into 1-3 "chapters".
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They will be recovering in Japan. That will take 1-3 months. Something like that. It can be considered compulsory because they wouldn't be medically cleared to fly for at least 6 weeks. They won't be spending 2 years in SAO, it will be quite a bit more to conquer the final 25 floors. That means longer in the hospital and longer to recover.
The Anime actually compresses the timing after Kirito frees everyone and when he dives into ALO. He had gone through like 6 weeks of rehab. In the Anime, they had it a 1 week before the wedding for Asuna would happen, in the light novels, which were written first and canon above the anime, they set the date for a month out. Kirito frees everyone on November 7th, the ALO arc starts on January 19th. He frees the rest of the players in ALO on January 22nd. In April, the first year of the Survivor's School begins.
Now you, bring up an interesting thing, because by Japan's educational standards, the girls have everything they need to graduate when they do the exchange program. Japan's post WW2 education system is based in the Western system, but it has some stark differences. 7th, 8th, and 9th grades are Lower Secondary School, which is compulsorily. Upper Secondary School, 10th, 11th, and 12th, Grades are not compulsory, although 95% of all students complete Upper Secondary School. 12th grade, if students choose to do it, typically is a prep year focused entirely on getting into University.
As pointed out, Kirito does not seek anyone's help. For ALO, he is the only one with a personal stake in it and they have only been out three months. Lots of trauma, etc. I'm sure Klein, Agil, and others would have joined him if he asked, but he didn't and there was no guarantee that their stats would have been imported. They could have come in as level 1 noobs and been completely useless. Agil likely didn't even know if Kirito had confirmed the rumor or not, so the others were likely unaware of the circumstances outside of 300 people not having woken up. Kirito basically confirmed that it was Asuna right at the end, before assaulting the World Tree and freeing everyone.
All I will say is that there will be some stuff written about after they conquer SAO. Most of it is planned, but not all. Still sorting out some ending details in my head.
This is absolutely hilarious. Don't forget Snips, Snails, and Babs are with them. Snips and Snails somehow managed to glue themselves together as colts with gum.
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Hahaha. I love Dave Ramsey. Although, unfortunately, for many small business, that is a repeating pattern because they are trying to compete with the big stores. It isn't bad finances, its just business.
The joint account is fun. It will get used in the Pilot Episodes. Before they dive, they all post about SAO. Kayaba puts the news out globally, with plenty of internal cover. It won't take people long to realize they are stuck in SAO.
I still say Kayab is lucky his body will be long dead. Becasue if he DID survive SAO too. Well I dont see Princess Celestia being gentle with him
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I'm not sure what race Kayaba would be. I could see Unicorn, but maybe something entirely foreign.
Absolutely not. Can you imagine the extradition request? "You are from where and want to take him where? To do what exactly?"
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oh dear gods that gave me the giggles something fierce! I can only imagine what Celly would do to him. Maybe send him to Tartarus, and feed him only meals consisting of Sweetie Belles cooking to start with
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She does lock up all sorts of weird creatures in there. I love the idea of his food. lol.
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hehehe.
Tirek eyed the latest inmate "You know, you musta REALLY pissed off Celestia if shes feeding you THAT. What didja do kill a few ponies?"
Kayaba simply nodded "If you count about 4000 people a few, then yes"
Tirek nodded back "yeeeeah you brought this on yourself buddy"
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That's a relief. I really liked how the Vignettes provide the build-up and background linking the EqG setting and characters with the eventual SAO story setting. Your plan to eventually group them all together to form proper chapters as part of the main Ruby Palace story is much welcomed.
P.S. About the GIF pic you used for this blog, where did the scene come from? As in which episode and song was the GIF pic from?
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"Dang, all I tried to do was enslave everyone. You're hardcore."
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Yeah, it has positively impacted the story.
As to the gif, I don't know. It might be "Spring Breakdown", a special that is 45 minutes long. I haven't seen that short, but need to. I found it searching "MLP sunset rainbooms gif" and it came from "Shipping Wiki" from the entry "FlashShimmer". But it gives me no details about where it comes from.
Say guys, is this just me or does the China version of the Metaverse that's in R&D kinda looks like a shoutout to SAO's sequel or movie tech advancements? Especially the part about the Chinese Metaverse AR Glasses?