Midday Prerogative [Athena's Investigation]

"Let's just demand some real alcohol, I bet the barman will not deny a top tier celebrity like yourself. The managers might complain but that's all they do after all, right?" Athena said as she tilted her head to point at the barman who was serving another glass of pseudo-campaign.

Athena herself didn't care much about drinks nor she had any intention of getting drunk while on duty. AJ on the other hand seemed like a person careless enough to drop some truth bombs while drunk, she wondered how many drinks it would take for him to start "singing" Invidia's secrets.

"A little poison to loosen the tongue, eh? Sure, why not? Anything's better than this swill." At first the celebrity raised an eyebrow at Athena's direction, but finally began to smirk as he simply flung what was left in the glass and itself at a nearby trash can. A.J. readily agreed with her while gesturing towards the bar. It was just a few steps away, but they would find a bartender making quick work of wiping clean glasses down. "Hey, bartender. Cuba Libre for me. And whatever this cute princess wants. I'm paying."

Whatever Athena requested, the bartender would comply. With maybe a few shakes, a smaller than handful of ice, and a couple pours later, both party-goers would get what they wanted. He slipped a few dollar notes and gestured him to keep change before the tender would go back to wiping down glasses. A.J. took a seat near the bar counter and sipped from his beverage. "So. What is this little rules-bending you wanted to touch upon, sweetheart? Can't imagine you just want some stronger booze, there'd be better places than here."

"A cosmopolitan for me." Athena said to the bartender before turning her attention to A.J. "Stereotypical I know, but I love sweet things" she said to him before she winked.

She didn't mention Invidia right away, instead she decided to banter a bit with the young idol, get him to drink at least some of his drink. Once she figured the ice was broken Athena finally brought the object of her investigation.

"I've heard a disturbing rumor about someone in the industry,the very head of the industry in fact, Invidia. You wouldn't happen to know anything about him, would you?" She asked as she took a delicate sip from her glass without breaking eye contract with the man.

"Hell, I ain't judging anyone for their choice of poison. S'long as it works for you. 'Sides, mine's got coke in it. I ain't got anything to judge you for. So, bottoms up!" The idol chuckled and leaned against the counter as he took a long sip from his drink of choice before lightly and pensively shaking it while staring at the moving ice within the glass. It was relatively strong for him and it wouldn't take very long for the buzz beginning to appear. He cracked a little grimace of a smile at Athena for her next words. "Hell, finally heard about it, eh? Yeah, fuggin' creeper's been collecting girls at his beck and call for a while. Anyone that catches his eye or when he gets bored, he gets himself some unremarkable starlet who'll do anything for his approval. And suddenly they become the newest sensation... Ha, he pits every girl he picks against each other. So they end up killing each other... out of envy and spite. Gets real dog eat dog there, like some fucked up zenith of the horrible shit that happens in this industry. Ain't a wonder why no one wants to talk about it. Last girl who died got eaten. Some real fucked up shit here, sweetheart. When some people to tell you to get the hell out, this is what they mean. But just cause the big cheese croaked, doesn't mean this industry's problems haven't ended..."

AJ was a real songbird, Athena wondered if it was due to the drink or if the idol was actually that open with the secrets of the industry, then again since she was technically part of the fold those weren't close guarded secrets.

"Eaten? Now that's twisted, I would have called bullshit if I haven't heard similar rumors." Athena said making a mental note to ask for a raise when she relied all those information to Maria, she could deal with demon and sex traffickers but she didn't sign up for Invidia's vora fetish club. "I suppose he must be really adept at covering his tracks, otherwise the Cadets would be on his ass. How does he manage to hide all that evidence?" She asked in a way that it would appear she was talking to herself instead of AJ. "You wouldn't happen to know any of the girls who didn't end up as dinner, would you?"

"Ha, it was more of an open secret from the higher ups and the rest of the more important bootlickers. Everyone knew, but Invidia had enough influence under the Queen's thumb for everyone else to turn a blind eye to it. The guy gave you what you wanted as long as you kissed his feet. That and he's a District Head, y'know? They tend to have a bit more sway over local law enforcement on this shit and even more trust by the Government. So it's hard to get that kind of tangible info to get out back then. Probably not as much now." A.J. grumbled as he swirled the melting ice nestling within his glass before taking another gulp at it. There was a faint flush on his cheeks after downing it and looking listlessly to the side of the bar table. He made a pointed glance towards one of the other partygoers, a shy-looking girl in particular who Athena might have seen before. His eyes seemed to soften at her direction before addressing back at the idol Cadet. "Used to hear about a Gothic Siren once. She was Invidia's new darling before he poofed. But now that he's gone, even she flew the coop. No one knows where she's at... Did hear that Marianne was gonna be the next pick. For better or for worse--nah, better, she doesn't have to deal with that prick. Though the remainder of those bootlickers up top are up to some shady shit while their King's gone."

Athena made a mental note to look assemple a team to look for that Gothic Siren, maybe she's able to hide from paparazzi and celebrities but surely she couldn't avoid the cadets. She also decided it would be best to tell Maria about the other girl, Marianne, they could just watch her for now maybe there is something special if Invidia was after her.

"It is unfair isn't it? Invidia jumps ship and the people who supported him get to stay afloat with no punishment. How gross..." Athens said as she took a sip from her glass "I guess that's what might expect from show business, bright lights to hide the filth, right? Still it would mean the world to me if you told me the names of those people... I wouldn't want to work with them, who knows what they are capable of doing to a young aspiring idol like myself, I'd much rather avoid working with those people all together or at the very least be cautious around them."

"Names, eh? I suppose you are still new after all... That's like a whole host of people enabling these dickwads, might as well read off an entire phonebook at that point. But if you need a little bit more trimming down on who to look out for, see if they're any chummy with that ass Arnold McKay. He's been the new lead on the block now that Invidia's gone, trying to move things on past the House of Cards to his biz in SQG Entertainment. Dude's cagey as anyone would be in this career, I'd reckon he's got enough dirt or incentives to get the rest of 'em to suck up to him." The idol muttered as he took another sip of his drink. The flush on his face was beginning to show and he knew it. But he didn't seem to care much as he gave leaned against the bar table for a moment. As if pondering what else to say. There was obvious hesitation in his face before he emptied the entire glass for good measure to keep chugging along. "I'ma put my money he's involved with the more recent disappearances of several other starlets out there even when 'Vidia ain't around. Got mouths talking that he's involved with some Psyche-Terrorist. But got no evidence about this... Fucking sucks, y'know? Watching and seeing nice people and some friends disappearing... And all I got one left and even she might be next. Since she ain't pullin' in the numbers like she used to."

Athena placed her hand over AJ's and smiled at him. "This industry really sucks, but you shouldn't worry people like Invidia and his cronies always get too careless and that's not something the queen would ever forgive. I might be young, perhaps a bit naive, but I know that people like that always get what they deserve." She removed her hand as soon as she finished her speech downing the rest of her cosmopolitan. "I wish I could stay more but alas business is calling me, it was nice talking with someone real for once...take care AJ."

She waved the young idol goodbye and left the bar. The cadet's mind was racing, she was both enraged with how the producers treated their celebrities and intrigued on what she could achieve if she used that information properly. She decided she had to contract Maria, though even as she sent the text to the nun Athena still couldn't decide exactly how much information she was going to reveal. With that done she found an excuse to leave the party in order to avoid getting recognized as a cadet.

SQ Gained:

"Not in this world, lady. We don't always get the picture-perfect fairy tale endings, not even after the Divide. We're all just fish flopping on a deck that we call life and we all hope that we're the last one to be stowed away in the ship. Get out when you can, there's nothing to save here." The idol muttered to the side as he stared at the mingling bodies around him. Every single one of them reeked of the lack of authenticity. No one could ever show their true selves, it was an unspoken rule in these woods. And those who failed were first to be eaten alive. He didn't push away Athena's hand, but he didn't hold it either. The young man nodded and drawled as he smirked as if putting back the mask he wore for so long on again. "Likewise. Take care of yourself, Athena."


The party would go on long after Athena left the stage. But even then, it wouldn't last for much longer as the rest of the district clamored for new marvels and for new attention on hopeful "talent" to be devoured in this dog eat dog world...