105 103. A Noble Cause, A Secret Plan & The Performance Of A Lifetime.
Disclaimer: The story takes place in an Alternate Earth with a slightly different timeline of events. So people may be born early, some may be born a few years later or maybe not at all.
This gives me more freedom to write characters as I want, also the characters in my story are obviously not an accurate portrayal of their characters.
Please remember that this story is a wish fulfillment story set in Urban Hollywood with some Fantasy elements because of the system's shenanigans so please don't take it too seriously.
..
_________________________
..
Opening Author's Note:
Hello guys, Ramenlord here. I am sorry about the few hours of delay in uploading this chapter I actually just fell asleep as I was uploading this chapter. So I had like half of the chapter copy and pasted from my patr. Eon but before I could finish it completely I fell asleep.. sorry about that.
Anyways I thought I would share with you my writing process - the update schedule is 1 chapter every 2 days (on my pat. reon), I use over half of the first day to visualize all the small stuff. The "things" that the characters will be doing, what characters make sense to show up in a particular scene, etc.
Then the night of the first day I start writing the first chapter. I usually write around 2k to 2.5k words and then sleep on it. When I wake up refreshed I go for the chapter, and think of improvements. The morning of the second day is spent making the improvements.
By the evening of the 2nd day, I am done with the chapter, then I edit it for grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, etc. It's around 8 pm when I get done with all this and then I upload it around 8:30 to 9:00 pm.
The previous chapter was a day late because I had to insert more characters and rewrite parts of the chapter again to make sense. Like I had forgotten to show Mark reading the note that Anne sent him through Monica.
I wrote the note part later, and even shifted the event that is the main arc of this chapter to happen earlier because Mark wanted to go back home early and spend time with Jess (Anne's 4 years old daughter).
..
_________________________
..
Recap of the Previous Chapter –
Mark tells Tom and Nicole the story of Scientology and how it was founded by hubbard, it shook Tom to find out about the religion he had trusted in. The waiter that attends them is actually Paul Rudd who swapped places with a friend. Mark spots him, gives him some money and some advice but fires his friend for breaking the rule.
Before leaving, upon being asked, he leaves Nicole with an audition invite. He then runs into Chifuyu, they talk a little about work, and Mark decides to have a conversation with Jim Shooter after he spots him, as he couldn't find Chris or Nicholas. Jim and him talk about the future of Marvel comics and Jim agrees to join Marvel once again.
Monica Bellucci comes to find him and hands him a note and tells him how the writer's room was set up. Mark asks her to find the whereabouts of Chris and Nic, she tells him where she last saw them. He then asks her if Steve Jobs had arrived, upon hearing yes he asks her to lead to the backroom where he will be waiting for a deal.
Mark catches up with Chris, closes the deal with the funding of Wizards of the Coast and becomes 51% owners of the company. After that he and Nic immediately head over to meet up with Steve, Mark just makes him an offer he can't refuse and Mark walks away with becoming the new owner of Pixar.
He and Nic run into Ted Turner, the owner of TBS and Mark offers him to start a cartoon channel together. Turner knows Mark has acquired HB and is pumping huge money into animation. Also he wants to piss off Eisner; so he accepts Mark's offer but only after Mark agrees to bear 2/3rds of the operational costs as well. This allows Mark to gain 60% ownership of this new channel.
..
_________________________
..
~ Quote of the Chapter ~
Helping one person might not change the world but it could change the world for one person.
--------------------
.
~ Nicole Kidman's POV ~
(Oscar Aspirant)
.
Date: Sunday, 28th October, 1990.
.
Time: 06:17 pm.
..
.
It had been a few minutes since Marc had left them, she had been touching up her makeup to ensure that she looked perfect. While Tom had already drunk his way through half the bottle of whiskey he had ordered.
But she wasn't worried, as despite his short stature, the man could really hold his alcohol well. She wasn't even worried about asking out Mark for the audition and even insinuating the offer of using the "couch," right in front of her boyfriend.
Because she knew Tom didn't care, their relationship was more for convenience. Though there was some love at the start, it had fizzled by the time they got through their first year as a couple.
Now they were just friends who pretended to be a couple for media attention, and oh how that attention had come to bite her in the ass now. When she heard about Marc's explanation at first, she had disregarded it.
She didn't think much of it at the beginning, but then she thought back to a few years ago, when she herself was just a teen. She remembered being upset that her favorite actor had gotten married, even though she never had a shot with him in her life.
But the crazy fantasies her brain cooked up didn't care, it was the same way around now. But only now it was in reverse, she was the one whose fans were upset that she had a boyfriend.
'How will the young men adore and fantasize me if they see me loving my real boyfriend on screen? It really kills the magic.'
'Hmm, maybe Marc really was on to something. Now, I'm even more looking forward to meeting him for the audition.'
"Nicki, do you think we trust him? Wh-what if he is lying?" Tom asked, as if making up his mind on something.
"What?" His question broke her out of her thoughts.
"Marc, I mean. He said all that, but what if it's all just an elaborate lie?" He asked, hoping that this is all just a big lie, and he could just go back to his state of being before Mark had broken his view of the world.
"Doesn't matter, you seem to believe it." She replied after observing how frayed his nerves were.
"What do you mean?" He questioned, finally looking up from his empty glass.
"You're so badly spooked, it's almost like you saw a ghost, almost as if you knew in your heart that what he said was the truth." She replied calmly, putting her lipstick and side mirror inside.
"Do you think he will keep his word?" He asked, wanting to know her opinion.
"About what?" She asked.
"He said that if I cleaned my act and got my "shit" together, then maybe he would consider me for his movie." He said, quoting with his fingers.
She hummed for a few seconds, arranging her thoughts, deciding what to do. In the end, she decided to help him out for the help he provided her and as the last sign of their friendship.
"You really don't do a little digging on the people who are going to meet, do you? I told you before, it will bite you later."
He nodded silently as he pushed the bottle aside, it had been less than 2 years since he joined the church. But he felt like he should have seen the signs, he had been introduced to it by Mimi, and she hadn't really been all there in the head.
'Was that them,' he asked himself, his mind went back to the case of the death of the mother-in-law of the current leader of the church. She had been shot three times in the back and once on the head, yet the police wrote it off as suicide.
He didn't even know if he could leave, his security detail definitely would need to be upped. Even though he loved the power and sense of purpose the church gave him. Killing someone was not something he could stomach or even want himself to be associated with.
"Here's what I found after talking around a little with one of his friends. Marc is a very private person, except his friends and family no one has ever seen his face."
"The man is always on time and strictly adheres to his schedule, he almost never lies, will only do it if it's for a prank or a white lie, and he always keeps his promises."
"You learnt all that? In just an hour?" He asked, shocked.
"Yup, it was from Kevin, a friend of his from NYFA. Oh yeah, another thing he hates being lied to or misled, and somehow he always seems to know when people are lying to him."
"What is he? A psychic?"
"I don't know, but did you notice you didn't do any of the things he hated in front of him?"
"Thanks to me, you even stayed silent, when he confronted you about buying the box office numbers by paying the theaters."
"So that's why you held my hand and stopped me from speaking up."
"Yup."
"And this thing about Scientology being a cult, you didn't know about it, so it's all gonna be just fine." She explained, as she wanted him to relax, but Tom stayed silent.
"You didn't, right?" She turned around and looked into his eyes, the desperation in her voice crept in.
"Tom, please, you're scaring me now. Answer me!" She shouted at the end, seeing him remain mum.
Finally, after a too long moment that tested her patience and sanity, he spoke. "I.. I had heard of a few rumors amongst the older members who were more deeply connected than me."
"F*ck!" It was all she could say.
.
..
.
"Marc, you don't need to do this." She said, as he watched him get dressed for the night's performance.
"Eva, I'll be just fine. I just changed up the plan a little bit." He replied casually as he put on the suit that had been made by Ms. Mode specially for the night.
He stopped fiddling with his mask and gestured for the costume dresser to leave, telling her to please give them 2 minutes alone. She nodded with an understanding smile and left, knowing the lengths her boss was going to.
"Today was a really productive day, I should feel happy about it." He said, putting aside the mask, as he looked her in the eye in the mirror's reflection.
"I got a new A.D. who I think has serious talent." He was talking about Quentin Tarantino, he had already told her about him, instructing to immediately sign him in with the CAA.
"I got Pixar." He gave a hollow smile, as even he though he felt happy yet also empty inside at the same time.
"Heck, I even got my own cartoon channel."
He turned around to look her face to face, he gently took her arm and drew her closer towards him and said, "I should be ecstatic, yet all I have left is this bitter aftertaste left in my mouth."
Eva knew that it was most likely of his meeting with Michael Eisner, she wanted to wipe the smug look on the bastard's face. Thankfully, she had been able to keep River away from Eisner all night, making sure they never crossed paths.
"Eva, I want them to donate millions of dollars. Pledge their "hard" earned money to our cause." He air quoted hard, as most of the people had made their money by squeezing it out of the hand of others.
"So, I will sing for them, dance even, but if it's not enough, then I guess the shows gonna get a little bloody at the end."
"Mark, I love you. I don't want to see you like that.. 25 million dollars is not that much, Nic could easily lend you a bit more."
"It's not just about the money, Eva. It's about sending a message. It's about letting everyone know that we care, that we are here to make a difference." After that, they both fell silent for a few seconds.
"So, were you able to send away my mum?" He asked, asking that he called her in for.
"She didn't want to, so I had to tell uncle what the ending was gonna be like, he agreed that your mother shouldn't be there for it and agreed to take her away."
"I called up Patricia and told her that your mum and dad are coming for dinner. When aunty heard that uncle had made dinner reservations at the Red Lotus, she immediately agreed."
"Thanks, babe. By the way, I'll be putting Jess to sleep as Anne is busy with the writers. She doesn't sleep easily, so it might take a little while for me to come join you."
"That's fine, just take care of yourself out there. You wouldn't Jess to see you like that."
He nodded, and turned away, asking her to tell the make-up artist and dresser to come back in.
.
..
.
The crowd was slowly pouring into the auditorium, there were still 9 minutes left till the start of the charity event Mark had planned for the night.
He had this planned this charity event for a long time now, it had started when mother had been diagnosed as infertile due a strange reaction with one of the medicines she had been taking for her injury.
After asking around to a few medical professionals, he had finally understood what the root of the problem was, and even though they had been too late to do something then. Thankfully he was fortunate in this life that he could do something about it for others.
The crowd gathered there consisted of Eidolon employees, celebrities and hopefuls, execs of the Big Six Studios and public figures from different fields. It included the various allies Mark had in Hollywood till date but also many who prayed and hoped for his demise.
Steven Spielberg himself was the opening EMC for the night. He spoke a little bit about the act of charity and how hope keeps the world running. Though, he kept the introduction short and immediately welcomed Mark on stage.
Mark slowly walked up the steps on the side, thanked him for the kind words, and walked up to the podium. It was a simple wooden platform with wheels underneath so that it could be moved with ease later on when the performances would begin.
The three huge screens were capturing his every move and making it easier for the audiences to see what's happening on stage.
"Thank you, Steven, for the kind words, I hope to someday live up to them. But this night isn't about me or even about celebrating the success that my film has garnered."
"It's about shedding light on a pervasive issue that has plagued our medical system for far too long. For too many years, women's health has been sidelined, overlooked, and dismissed. It's time we confront this reality head-on"
The crowd was appreciative of Mark's humble start to the speech, with him putting down himself and his "big success." He wanted them to focus on the "real" thing here.
"Have you ever considered this: Why is it that women are so often not at their best in terms of health? It's not just about minor inconveniences like headaches or cramps."
"It's about the silent battles they face every day – battles against chronic gynecological conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, and the debilitating premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)."
"PMDD isn't just a case of the 'blues' before a period; it's a severe and disabling condition that robs women of their quality of life, pushing them to the brink of despair and even suicide."
"And yet, despite the prevalence and severity of these conditions, they are frequently misdiagnosed, dismissed, or inadequately treated."
"Why? Because women have been systematically excluded from clinical research."
"Think about it – women are more likely to die from heart attacks, experience adverse reactions to medications, and have their pain ignored or downplayed by healthcare providers."
"Why?.. Well, it's because medical research has historically focused on men, leaving a dangerous gap in our understanding of women's health."
"The consequences of this gap are dire. Drugs and treatments that have been tested primarily on men may not work as effectively, or may even be harmful for women. It's a sobering reality that we cannot afford to ignore."
"So, my friends, the question we must ask ourselves is not just why women aren't at their best health, but why we as a society have failed so miserably in understanding and addressing their health needs."
"Tonight, let us commit ourselves to change. Let us demand inclusivity in medical research, advocate for better diagnosis and treatment of women's health conditions, and work tirelessly to ensure that every individual, regardless of gender, receives the care and attention they deserve."
"Tonight, I am proud to announce the establishment of The White Lotus Foundation, an NGO – dedicated to rectifying this injustice and paving the way for a more equitable future."
"Our mission at the White Lotus is threefold."
"The first: To advocate tirelessly for the inclusion of women in clinical trials, ensuring that their voices are heard, and their health needs are addressed with the same urgency and importance as their male counterparts."
"Second: We will allocate resources to fund the education of students from underprivileged communities, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to become the next generation of medical pioneers and leaders."
"After all, Education is not merely a privilege; it is a fundamental human right, and we are committed to breaking down barriers and opening doors of opportunity for all."
"And finally: We will invest in research and development initiatives aimed at combating devastating incurable diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, mental disorders, and countless others that afflict millions around the globe."
"We'll also be investing in R&D to develop cheaper, longer lasting, better functioning prosthetics for people with disabilities."
"But we cannot do this alone, so I implore you to donate whatever you may think is appropriate for this cause."
As they thought Mark was done with his speech, the crowd stood up and clapped to show their support and appreciation towards Mark's mission.
After a minute as the applause died down, Mark gestured for them to take their seats again.
"Thank you for that standing ovation, but please save it for when the actual money has been raised."
The crowd had a confused look on their faces as they saw musicians and crew members walk in with the instruments, working at a brisk pace, quickly placing them as required, micing up the musicians and leaving as swiftly as they came.
And as the stage was being cleared out, they heard Mark's explanation for the current situation.
"Though I think as a businessman it wouldn't be appropriate to ask something of you without offering anything in return."
"So, let's make it a show. I think you may have heard of a few songs of mine. They sometimes play them on the radio."
"I will be performing the song first, and then you esteemed gentlemen will have an opportunity to bid on the song."
"The top 3 bids will get the rights to that song, basically the top 3 and Eidolon will be sharing the right of fair use of that song. For the next decade." He said, as he walked away from the podium, towards a grand piano that had been rolled in.
A few seconds after he had left, two crew members came in and gently wheeled the podium out and made their exit. Like ants, they came and left in droves, quietly leaving behind an ensemble of musicians, instruments and sound equipment.
Everything that Mark would need for his performance. Mark slowly walked towards the grand piano, silently, the musicians waited with bated breaths to time the start of the performance perfectly.
Mark hadn't introduced the song's name, he just gently sat down, raised the key lid and flexed his fingers for a few moments, before he began playing.
"Isn't that Experience." Johnny said, watching from a booth on the upper balcony with his friends and girlfriend.
"Not exactly." River said, as he stared into Mark's back as he performed what he called the Joker's Experience.
"What?" Winona, Johnny's girlfriend, asked, though her gaze was stuck on Mark's riveting performance.
"He calls it the [Joker's Experience]." River then explained how he had been tirelessly practicing the piano to play that song, as he would have to do so on-camera.
"And how do you know that?" He asked back.
"Because, I'm the Joker who has to play it." River told them about Mark's stringent conditions, how he was purposefully gunning for the Oscars this time around.
The whispering crowd had gone silent as they heard this version of experience they hadn't heard before. It sounded much sadder, as if a person were grieving the death of a dear friend.
It was a gut-wrenching and soulful symphony that they found themselves lost in as Mark slowly started humming a melody.
It felt as if a mother's lullaby, but it also felt mournful, as if something or someone precious was lost.
As Mark stopped humming, the song too came to an end, with the audience hearing Mark's wistful sigh.
The lights that had been dimmed to create an atmosphere for the song slowly came back to normal as the song ended.
Monica Bellucci and Rose Headey walked onto the stage side by side. Behind them the podium was being wheeled back in as well, after all an auction was about to be held.
After the podium was put in proper place, the crew left and Rose took center stage as she introduced the rules and how to bid, the minimum bid which was just 50 dollars and that everyone is encouraged to bid as they will be accepting all offers big and small for the charity.
She said that the song up for bidding will be the original version of Experience, rather than this rendition performed by Mark, and that only the 3 biggest donations will award the bidders with the fair usage right to Mark's song.
They will be given minutes to make their bids as this wasn't the only song of the night as there were. Unsurprisingly, the top 3 bids were from among the big 5 studios, who each voted for a few hundred thousand.
Except for Ron Meyer from Universal who in hopes of earning a few brownie points with Mark made the highest bid with half a million dollars.
Surprisingly, Disney didn't make any real effort with the bids as Eisner deemed it beneath him and also because with his current grudge and hatred against Mark, he didn't want to make a contribution towards his cause.
As the bidding came to an end, Rose announced the top 3 bidders.
"Thank you, Mr. Meyer, Mr. Finch and Mr. Price for your contribution and congratulations on the win."
"Now, it's time for the next song – [Ashes on the fire]." She announced and then left with Monica the way she came, the podium once again wheeled off site.
The lighting of the huge auditorium again dimmed slightly as a few more musicians joined the stage, and now the ensemble looked like a proper orchestra.
.
..
.
"Thanks for bringing me along, Mr. Depp." Angie said, once again thanking her mentor for bringing her along.
As the employees were not letting anyone under the age of 18 pass through, which she found odd as it was only a charity event and an added musical performance, so why the barrier to entry.
"Gosh, kid, I told you, it's Johnny. You're making me feel like an old timer over here." Johnny lamented at the politeness of the girl, never failing to refer to him as Mr. Depp.
"Well, you're the one calling her kid." Winona chimed with a teasing smirk, happy with how steady her relationship with Johnny had been going.
His new-found determination to reduce his alcohol intake only further her hope in his commitment towards their relationship.
"Touché." He replied with a smirk as the second performance came to an end. He took the remote in his hand and inputted a hundred grand.
As Mark's secretary said, every bit helped.
.
..
.
The third song was [Sadness & Sorrow]. It was this song that almost made Nicole cry, she felt her eyes tear up. As the song's melancholic and introspective nature hit home, she thought about all the sacrifices she made to get ahead.
Yet, she still didn't have much to show for it, with the debacle that was Batman Forever. She had even been coined as the Box Office Poison, but she had steeled her heart to see this road till the end.
Marc Spector was her new path, hopefully she would be able to land a role in his film and turn her career around, from the dumpster fire it had become. Her agent had been in the talks with many producers, but it seemed like nobody wanted her.
Marc had known about her and about her new reputation of ruining the Box Office of any movie that she was a part of. Yet, he hadn't hesitated to offer her the chance for an audition. This would be her new break, she could feel it.
.
..
.
The fourth song was one they hadn't heard before, as unlike the previous ones where Mark had remained silent and just played the song. This time he took a minute to introduce the song and talk about it.
This one was one he hadn't shown to the public before, it was a hard rock song, it was inspired from one of his works that it shares a name with, the song was called [Invincible].
As his introduction came to an end, the crew had cleared the many different instruments and there were only few left behind. The arrangement of it resembled a band, with drums in the back, bass and an electric guitar that Mark had on him.
♪♪ Target on my back,
lone survivor lasts
They got me in their sights
No surrender no
Trigger fingers go
Living the dangerous life ♪♪
.
..
.
The song had people on their feet cheering them on and as the song came to an end, the applause, the screams for "AGAIN," just wouldn't stop. When the podium was wheeled back in, Mark was able to get the people to calm down as the show must go on.
It was Monica this time who announced the beginning of bids, she said that time for bidding was shortened to a minute as they had gotten more used to the devices.
The winners this time were - Ron Meyer from Universal, Ted Turner from TBS and Johnny Depp, who just loved the song so much that he had to go for it.
After all, he loved Rock songs and Invincible was a beautiful song that inspired its listeners to tap into their inner strength, face their challenges head-on, and emerge victorious.
It was a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we have the power to rise above and become invincible. He loved the message that Mark had told through the song.
.
..
.
The next song started with a dramatic and ominous buildup, featuring low, rumbling sounds from the guitar riff and the pounding drums. Mark had a guitar in his hands, but it wasn't just any guitar, it was ominously glowing red with tribal with demonic symbols.
The screen overhead went dark for a few seconds but when it came back online, it was playing the short film on the DOOM that they had created for comic com and while comic con was a big thing, it wasn't really that mainstream in 1990.
So these Hollywood denizens were still a bit unfamiliar with the big leaps that Mark had taken in animation with the clever use of resources he pooled in from HB and Pixar.
The bleak landscape, the hordes of demonic monstrosities, and the lone slayer made the blood of every young man in the crowd pump.
The narration of the woman as she spoke of the Slayer with reverence as he slaughtered the hordes of demons with impunity made them question.
'Where the fu** was he hiding this?' Most of the studio execs thought to themselves, as they hadn't ever seen it before. While Mr. Turner was grinning from ear to ear, excited to see what kind of cartoons Mark's animation studio's will create.
Mark had grown out his hair once again, he had it in a man bun but for this song, he let it fall free and went crazy. As he kept playing songs after songs, his bitterness, his frustrations flowed out as well, leaving him feeling relaxed and he felt better.
.
..
.
By the end of the song, the whole auditorium was reverberating with the chants of RIP and TEAR. The people had forgotten their "posh," "high class elegance" and were just enjoying the music and the atmosphere that Mark had created.
The money that came in from the donations of DOOM's soundtrack was one of the highest yet. As in their haze of excitement, even the men let loose of their wallets a bit more as they were hyped up by the Slayer's carnage.
The lights brightened as the instruments were swapped out once again. This time the piano was brought out again. Mark didn't break and looked out of breath, despite performing 5 songs back to back, especially songs like [Invincible] and [The Only Thing They Fear Is Him].
To see him just casually continue on, was impressive to a lot of people in the audience. They knew just how much mental fortitude it takes to just perform 1 song to perfection in front of such a large crowd, let alone five.
But Mark didn't even look like he was stopping anytime soon. As their instruments were being set up, the musicians took their proper positions and did sound checks.
Mark finished introducing the next song and the made up story behind the song's creation. It was called – [Somewhere Only We Know.]
♪♪ I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway
like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and
It made me complete. ♪♪
.
..
.
It was a song that resonated with a lot of people in the audience, it touched hearts and invoked their feeling of nostalgia. It evoked a sense of longing in the listeners, as they yearned for a sense of belonging and connection.
Despite its melancholic undertones, the song also offered a sense of comfort and reassurance to the listeners, providing them with a sense of solace and peaceful calmness. A tranquility that they had lost in their fast-paced, ever-changing modern day lifestyle.
Even though this song wasn't met with the resounding shouts of AGAIN, Mark knew that he had succeeded as he checked the system notifications. The favorability points he had been farming with these performances had been one of the major reasons for him doing this.
[Favorability Point: +3]
[Favorability Point: +2]
[Favorability Point: +4]
[Favorability Point: +6]
.
..
…
It had been in Japan, that he figured out the trick of artificially cultivating favorability from others. All he had to do was reinforce the positive feeling they naturally felt towards him, and his announcement for the formation of [The White Lotus Foundation] did just this.
It had caused a sizable rise in the favorability and he hadn't even announced how much he would personally be donating to the foundation yet. And still it had already netted him around 15 to 5 points depending on the person.
Each of the songs had also rewarded him with 0 to 4 points of favorability, depending on how well it resonated with a person.
The moment he had a breakout performance, the charismatic aura from HK seemed to make people like him even more. It had really come in clutch while dealing with the head of Hitotsubashi Group, who had seen his breakout performance.
He hoped for a breakout performance again but prepared just in case it didn't happen. It was why he was performing multiple songs back-to-back, if he couldn't win them over with quality, then quantity will have to do.
He couldn't see the people whom these points of favor he had gained from, as they were too far away. But he knew the next time he would meet them, they would behave much more amicably towards him and even be willing to consider his ideas or plans.
It had been his plan to bring all these people under one roof to bear witness as he put on the performance of a lifetime. There were people from all sections of Hollywood - actors both famed and hopeful, producers, directors, behind-the-scenes artists and even CEOs of big brand companies.
Monica and Rose took turns announcing the beginning of the bidding, then the top 3 winners of the bid and then left quietly leaving the stage to Mark who would tell the audiences who just looked at him with rapt attention.
They wanted to hear more of his songs, songs from a person who only wrote and sang them as a "hobby." Before he had bought the HK skill, Mark's singing skills were above average at best.
But after his continued performances all over the globe and the breakout performance he gave in Japan had already made the singing skills grow close to the level of a professional singer.
Those skills stacked upon by his charisma that was being used at strength tonight made the audiences feel like they were in the concert of a professional singer. Mark's skills and the various songs blew them away, and as they couldn't help but have a seed of respect grow inside their hearts.
.
..
.
After the song - Somewhere only we know. Mark sang three solos back to back. The first one was [Memories] whilst playing a piano, the second was [It's You] on a guitar and the last was [Come thru] which he sang while playing a guitar as well.
These three songs were simple and heartfelt, but also contained deep messages that touched the heart of the audiences. Memories was a song about getting over heartbreak and betrayal, to learn how to forgive and forget.
It was a song about moving on and letting go of grudges and hate, about finding happiness in life. Whereas, "it's you," despite looking like a simple love song about confessing one's love, was actually about trust and surrendering oneself to their partner.
After these three songs were done, Mark was joined by an entire dance troop. It was for the final song of the night, it was another french song. It was a rendition of a song he had heard long back but forgotten, as his memories of the lyrics were blurry.
But thanks to the help of a few artists and musicians, he had been able to create a version of himself that he felt satisfied with performing in front of a crowd. He named it [The Final Dance], in homage to the original French song he had adapted it from.
Mark had practiced this dance for over 3 weeks along with Keanu, he wanted Keanu to get used to dancing and doing choreographed moves because that was what fighting in movies was all about.
It's all just a carefully choreographed dance with multiple partners all doing their part to bring the stunt director's vision to life.
The last time, he danced in front of a crowd was in France, even with his impeccable control over his body and his genius intellect. He knew his movements had been too rigid, as he still wasn't used to dancing.
But now, after sparring every single day for over a month on top dance practice had caused his movements to become smooth and now they just seemed to flow together with the rhythm of the beats of the song.
As the background dancers took up their places behind him and stood still waiting for his call. Mark had also finished introducing the song.
With a snap of his fingers, that the others imitated in a synchronized motion, the music began. At first, Mark just hummed along, but then as he belted out the first verse, his voice reverberated throughout the auditorium.
Despite the song being in French, the emotions that Mark put into his singing reached the crowd. Even though they couldn't understand the word's, the raw emotions just gave them goosebumps.
Then they all felt it, the moment Mark's [Transcendent] title activated itself.
Steven Spielberg and his wife, Mr. Coppola and his family, fellow directors like – Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, etc.
There were actors like - Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Jim Carrey, Christian Bale, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks; and even producers, editors, cinematographers and more behind-the-scenes personnel.
They all felt it when Mark's Final Dance transcended, it led to the perfect harmony of his vocals and dance steps. It was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen, it was as if true art was being created right in front their eye's.
Each of one his dance steps were like the poignant strokes of a paint brush, drawing the most beautiful painting in the world on the biggest canvas they have ever seen.
The raw admiration and respect that bubbled forth in hearts of audiences couldn't be contained, the moment Mark's steps halted and his voice stopped reverberating, the entire crowd in the auditorium stood up and gave a standing ovation. They clapped and cheered for his stunning performance.
— To be continued…
In the next episode of L̶e̶g̶e̶n̶d̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶ N̶o̶r̶t̶
Cough* *Cough*
I meant in the next chapter of Hollywood: Head-Hunting System.
-------------------
Word Count: 6.1k words (without the authors note, recap and disclaimer.)
-------------------
{Closing Author's Note:
If want to support this work or read further ahead then just head over to my PAT. REON. By joining you'll get access to 3 advanced chapters. A few exclusive posts like star wars content, my naruto fanfic thats in development, to polls, the better organized character list, etc.
The link to my PAT. REON will be in the Author's Thoughts.
Also, this party, this charity and this performance was twofold plan. Mark wanted to make a few deals, help out the people with his charitable foundation and earn the good favor from most of the important people of Hollywood.
It was his ultimate plan, I hope I was able to convey it well. Thanks for reading my work and have a beautiful day.}
