<🎧 Song Recommendation: Change by NF>
...
Despite making their way to the conference room immediately, Von and Julian found themselves at the back of the queue. The production team moved slowly, setting up shots and tweaking lighting for every single candidate.
They waited for nearly an hour. Julian went in first, spending some minutes inside before emerging with a tired but satisfied smile. He gave Von a quick fist bump and headed back to the room to rest.
Finally, a production assistant poked her head out. "Von Varley? You're up."
Von stood, smoothed out his jacket, and entered.
The room was smaller than he expected. It was dominated by a vinyl backdrop plastered with the Project Star logo and two soft-box lights that made the room uncomfortably warm. A single stool sat in the center.
Behind the camera sat a woman with tired eyes and a clipboard. It was Sarah, the same Senior Producer he had briefly encountered in Miami.
"Comfortable?" Sarah asked as Von took a seat on the stool.
"Comfortable enough," Von replied with a nod, squinting slightly against the glare.
"Alright, Von," Sarah said, checking her notes without looking up. "Welcome to Hollywood. How does it feel to be here?"
"It's surreal," Von began answering immediately. "Everything is happening so quickly that it's hard to believe. But I'm loving it."
Sarah smiled slightly, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Michael just announced the 30-Second Challenge. That's a curveball. What went through your mind when you heard that?"
"Nothing, really," Von replied with a shrug. "I mean, it might seem unfair to some, but it kinda makes sense. We didn't come here to feel comfortable, so I guess this is a wake-up call."
Sarah nodded. "Do you have a song in mind? The clock is ticking, and your performance is just tomorrow."
"Not yet," Von replied curtly. "I have a few ideas, but nothing that feels right for thirty seconds. So I'll have to consider my options tonight."
"Are you worried?" Sarah pressed. "You only have tonight."
"No, I'm not worried," Von replied calmly.
Sarah nodded, though she didn't seem satisfied with the answer. "One last thing. It's chaotic out there. Have you had a chance to size up the competition? Or make any friends?"
Von thought about Julian. "Yeah, I met Julian West. He's a good guy. And about the competition... I'm just trying to focus on myself. If I start looking at everyone else, I'll lose focus. I'm just here to do my job."
"And what's your job?" Sarah asked.
"To make sure I'm still here next week," Von said simply.
"That's all," Sarah said. "Good stuff from you, Von. You're articulate. That helps."
"Thanks," Von said as he stood up.
He was the last person among the twenty selected "VIPS," but when he stepped out into the hallway, he saw a line of nearly a hundred other contestants still waiting, hoping for a walk-in slot.
As Von walked toward the exit, a staff member with a headset stepped into the hallway and clapped his hands.
"Alright, listen up! We will only be taking the next twenty people in line. The rest of you, go get some sleep or practice for tomorrow. Interviews are closed for the night."
A collective groan rippled through the back of the line. People who had been waiting for over an hour threw their hands up in frustration, muttering curses as they dispersed.
Von sighed as he watched them go. It was harsh, but it was reality. Even worse, he knew that of the interviews filmed tonight, 80% of them would end up not making the cut. They were fighting for screen time that didn't even exist yet.
He turned toward the elevators, tuning out the noise. He couldn't afford to care about them right now. His mind was focused on the blue translucent window that had just materialized in front of him
_________________________________________
[Quest: The Hollywood Gauntlet]
[Description: The weak are culled early. Survive the three rounds of Hollywood Week and secure your place in the next stage.]
[Objective:
○ Finish Top 1 (0/1)
○ Finish Top 3 (0/1)
○ Finish Top 10 (0/1)]
[Rewards:
● Objective 1: [Zone State (A)] + 1000 EXP
● Objective 2: [Zone State (A)] + 500 EXP
● Objective 3: [Zone State (A)]
[Failure Penalty:
● Finishing outside the Top 24 will result in Loss of Voice for 60 Days]
[Accept] [Decline]
_________________________________________
Von gulped when he saw the penalty. Losing his voice for a two months? In this industry, that would effectively end his career before it began.
But he couldn't complain. He knew himself that making it past this stage was a requirement, not an option.
He tapped [Accept] without hesitation.
The rewards were generous, too. The consumable was an item he desired so much to store in his wishlist, and now the System was basically offering it.
Even though Von wasn't delusional enough to think the mission would be easy given the monsters competing, he believed he had a chance to earn something.
"This says it all," Von muttered to himself as the elevator doors slid open. "Now I don't have a choice but to qualify."
***
Von returned to the third floor. He walked past the large banquet hall that had been designated as the "Practice Room," but he didn't even slow down.
Even through the double doors, the noise was unbearable. It was a mix of screeching violins, aggressive belt-singing, and people arguing over piano usage. It was a chaotic mess where focus went to die.
He made the right call coming back to the room.
He swiped his key card and entered Room 452.
Julian was already hard at work. The kid was sitting at the small desk, an iPad propped up in front of him and a pair of high-end studio headphones over his ears. He was furiously tapping on the screen, scrolling through what looked like a massive digital catalog of sheet music.
He was taking this seriously.
Von chose not to disturb him. He quietly grabbed his acoustic guitar, a notebook, and a pen, and climbed onto his bed to work.
As Von stared at the blank page, he considered his options for the performance.
His first thought had been to simply rearrange "You're Gonna Come Home". It was safe, he knew it well, and it had emotional weight.
But Von quickly shook his head.
Reusing material this early would look lazy. The judges wanted to see range. They wanted to see growth. If he played the same song again, he would be labeled as a "One-Trick Pony."
He needed something new and he planned to sing another "original".
He still had future hits in his head. Playing an original song that was good always saw one earning bonus points, so it was the best bet.
But even with his advantage, Von didn't have every single song in his head, and even less where the ones that fit the criteria.
He strained his memory, filtering through the charts of the future six years.
Any song he was choosing had to fit a 30-second cut naturally and had to sound good on just an acoustic guitar. It will be even better if it was conveying a message.
Von scribbled a few titles down, then crossed them out. Too pop. Too slow. Too rap-heavy.
After five minutes of deep thinking, staring at the stucco ceiling, it finally struck him.
"Eureka!"
Von sat up and began scribbling. He finally had one in mind, and it was perfect. It was catchy, it was aggressive, and narratively, it was the perfect sequel to his audition song.
It was exactly what he needed to bet it all!