Hey everyone! Here are some of the highlights and lowlights of the 2013 SERA00 Summer Concert "Super Extravaganza".
Day 1
"The costume trucks have arrived! The costume trucks have arrived!" The call was taken up by many of the backstage staff, until everyone was informed. The current song finished just then, and the cast member came backstage. There had been a marathon of Team Angel and Team Aurora songs, and some of the more popular members in both teams were exhausted.
Harley and Angel came back first, and Angel sagged into a chair. "Water!" Harley called. "Someone bring water!" Not having been onstage as much, Harley was in slightly better shape and was called to join the cast of the next song.
Sassan staggered backstage, supported by Maya, and sagged into a chair.
A manager ran past with some water, ice pack and fans and headed for Angel. He waited until she had finished drinking, but discussed a couple of urgent subjects with her while she was recuperating.
The medic team arrived with portable oxygen, but three-quarters of SERA00 either in costume or makeup, and the stage had been vacant for almost two minutes. Most of the recovering girls pulled themselves to their feet for one more performance before the other girls were ready to take over.
"Keep Sassan and Angel off the stage for at least fifteen minutes after this song," a medic was telling Ms. Tallan, "or they will be in danger of collapse. Watch Harley and Rosie. Luraland and Maya are going strong today, they'll be okay for another couple of songs."
There weren't any other major health problems...other than they had to get more oxygen for the members, managers had to fan the girls, Sassan collapsed right before a 1st gen song so it had to be swapped out, and Fracken had to sit out half the encore...what else? Next time we'll bring portable air conditioners....
Day 2
I think the senior members were trying to kill time with their MC. We're almost forty-five minutes ahead of schedule, and by now even the 00 ranks know to wonder who had done the scheduling for Day 2.
"Yesterday, I went into a game shop to get something for my brother," Luna says, "Except I couldn't get in."
"Why not?" Fracken asks, moving the MC along.
"It wasn't even because it was closed or anything. The store manager himself intercepted me and told me I had to come back another time."
"Really, did you attract too much attention?" Angel says. "Did you bring along paparazzi or something?"
Sassan was the only one not saying anything, looking off into the distance in innocence.
"Rather," Luna looks pointedly in Sassan's direction. "Someone forgot to close the blinds."
"Ahh," Angel nods in understanding.
"There's a music store right next to the game shop," Luna explains to the audience, "And one of the practice room's window faces a window in the game shop. Guess who was playing the piano in that room?"
"My piano was having maintenance," Sassan defends herself.
"OOOOOHHH," the fans go. Because we had just performed the song "Mountain" with a full cast, every member was still onstage as the seniors engaged in MC. So many of us were kind of confused at the fan reaction.
I follow the actions of some of the members around me and turn around. Ms. Tallan had come onstage holding a mic and some papers. I'm pretty sure most of us were thinking "uh oh, something is happening". The seniors shut up, expecting that the theatre manager was going to say something.
"Good evening everyone!" Ms. Tallan speaks. "Thank you for coming to SERA00's 2013 Summer Concert!"
They cheer.
"I have something say. Today I will announce SERA00's first major team shuffle."
First; the audience reactions.
Next; the members' reactions.
The fans may be disappointed to see their favourite members split up - for example, if the Romevie duo is split up, then they'd have to attend two different SERA00 Stages to see us both, cuz now we're in different teams. Well, they wouldn't be the only one disappointed.
Now think about us members. For the past few years, we've been bonding with the members in our team, and we know each other best. To be split up with our long-time work partners and best friends is gonna be harsh.
And on top of that we just learned new stages for our teams -_- only to be shuffled to a new one?
Ms. Tallan wastes no time. "This team shuffle will be put into effect on August 26th. A while back, Angel and Sassan requested to step down from their captain positions to focus on their other positions. With this team shuffle, their requests have been granted."
Some staff members are coming out with some signs. There are four of them and they place these along the edge of the stage.
"Fallon Mackenzie. SERA00's Aurora."
Fracken glanced at Ms. Tallan, and then headed to the "Team Aurora" sign. I guess they'd need someone to replace Sassan. I can't tell from her expression what she thinks of being switched to the captain of a new team.
"Luna Remington."
Luna, who hadn't asked for a position change, clasped her hands together in apprehension.
"SERA00's Night."
Luna pumped her fist and headed to the sign.
"Harley Breeze. SERA00's Angel."
Harley looked up quickly, and was enveloped in Angel's congratulatory hug.
"Mihashi Sakiko. Team Aurora, Centre of SERA00."
Sassan's fans cheered as Ms. Tallan's words reinforced her position.
"Annelise Gillian. Team Angel."
Angel nodded her head and took her place with Harley. She looked kind of worried that Ms. Tallan hadn't said "leader" like she had said that Sassan was centre. Some of the fans were even murmuring at the vague indication.
"Rosanna Keros. Team Aurora. Sara Rivera. Team Night. Alura Land. Team Angel."
So far, the last three members of the media members hadn't changed teams. The fans were anticipating the next bad move.
"Maya Shale. Team Angel."
Mixed reactions. Maya was originally in Team Aurora with me and Rome, but now she's transferred to Angel.
The calling goes on. There is cheering and booing, and fans groan as the Fern-Thebes tag team is broken up. But one dreading thought is in everyone's mind, fans and members alike. All the members of Team Hope are being transferred out; yet no-one is transferring in. Hope didn't get a new stage, and there are three signs onstage that read "Aurora", "Angel", and "Night", yet the last sign is void of members and covered with a red cloth. What is the meaning of this?
"Kansas Sommerset. Team Aurora."
"Hollis Stern. Team Angel."
With Holly, we know Ms. Tallan is onto the C ranks now.
Before I know it, she says, "Evange...."
I snap into focus and jerk my gaze towards Ms. Tallan. I've thought of this before. If I wasn't in Team Aurora, which team would I prefer? Ever since my promotion to official member, six months after my debut, I've been assigned to Team Aurora. Our stages are bubbly and fun, our costumes pretty and cute.
Perhaps Team Hope. They're more cool and risqué; their stages are...hmm what's the word...innovative. Also, Team Hope is suprisingly scary when it comes to training. The image is that Team Night is the train-till-you're-dead team, but the few girls who've experienced both teams say that Hope is hard on those who don't match up to their image. I think that's why they have a constant stream of 00s. Most are stuffed into Hope when they're promoted, before being switched out. Although I wouldn't know, Rome was in Hope for two months before being switched to Aurora.
Team Night? I assume I wouldn't be put in this team, so I didn't think about it as much. They're more intense. Their stages are energetic and strong. Their costumes are more thematic than ours. I never thought my personality would fit with Night's intense image, but who knows?
Team Angel. I guess I always wanted to be on the same team with my oshi - the member I really look up to, Angel. But Angel wouldn't be Angel if she weren't in Team Angel so I'm glad she wasn't switched out.
"....line Vera." I come back from my thoughts. I'm really nervous. I guess this is how all the members before me felt. Was the pause between their name and team this long? Or am I just imagining it? "Team Angel."
YES. Wait what? Did she actually say Angel? It still doesn't register until Angel pulls me over and welcomes me to the team. By the time I'm listening again, all I hear is "...Taylor. Team Angel."
I see Rome running across the stage to me and I know I won't be alone in this new team at all.
"I would like to take this opportunity to make some more announcements," Ms. Tallan says to all of us; the stunned audience and shocked members from the previous piece of news. "A new sub-unit has been created. It consists of two official members and two 00 ranks. The members are Mihashi Sakiko, Aida Kotoka, Hamasaki Tomiko, and Tsukino Yumi. These four will form the sub-unit SKYTown."
Ms. Tallan pauses to let us register the news. "Two other sub-units have been created. One is temporary, created for the promotion of a company line starring SERA00. This sub-unit will add three members to the existing sub-unit Destination. With Elena Fernandez, Briar Ross, and Macey Fent (and Luna, Rosie, Reece, Cherry, Alyss, Fawn, Holly, and Rome), they will temporarily become Destination Yoplica TM.
"SERA00's fourth sub-unit will be a trio not unlike flynow; the three members, Fallon Mackenzie, Maya Shale, and-"
The fans are already wooowing because the members named are popular, and may beat the fanbase of the flynow members combined.
"-Evangeline Vera."
Hah? <=my reactions=> O__O •••
I swear, it's not even, Omgomgthankyousomuchmeeeee?Yay... I'm thinking, is it okay that it's me? The Fracken and Maya fans must be disappointed that I'm the third person dragging down- wait what's the name of it?
"These three will create the sub-unit Illusionary."
But Fracken and Maya are smiling as they envelop me in a hug. "Don't worry Evie," Maya whispers. "Your best work is enough for everyone to accept you."
One of the members -the A rank Lyla- steps forwards with an inquiry about some names that weren't called.
At that point, the A rank Lyla Marotta and the B rank Martine Alvear announced their graduation. This stirred quite a bit of ruckus among everyone, as they were fairly well known members. Lyla stated her reason as wanting to pursue acting, and Martine as making time for studies.
"And since we're all asking questions," Fracken says slowly and deliberately, stepping forwards to look at the theatre manager, "Ms. Tallan. What happened to Team Hope?" There is a loud audience reaction to this question.
But it is even louder when Ms. Tallan answers, "Team Hope is currently on hiatus. All the members have been assigned new teams."
Many of the previous Team Hope members are clutching each other and crying; why was it their team that was put on hiatus?
Miss Avery appears onstage next to Ms. Tallan. Everyone went "OOOOOHHH" because for the producer to come out onstage meant something bigger was going to happen. The members are already milling restlessly in the new teams.
Miss Avery addresses all the members, fans in the stadium, and supporters at home. "SERA00 was conceptualized seven years ago, and in 2007, the first generation of members brought this group to life. SERA00 was created to help young, aspiring girls on their way to stardom, a stepping stone into the world of showbusiness. The name SERA00 was never meant to mean anything, but somehow we found that it could represent its members perfectly. Stars... Emerging... Rising... Arriving... It embodies the meaning of SERA00. This group gives girls a place to start out, and if they work hard they will gain supporters like all of you out there. And when they finally arrive, they may graduate with loyal fans who will follow their journey and career after SERA00. The two zeros serve to remind us that everyone has started out somewhere, even our immensely popular front girls. But they can also combine to form an infinity sign, representing that our dreams, hopes, goals, and love for performance will never wane; SERA00 will be forever."
None of the members know what the producer was talking about, but they knew they had to react to elicit some response from the audience. "Yeah SERA00!" Angel shouts into her mic. Luna, Fracken, and then Sassan take up the call, until the entire stadium is chanting our name.
"Because SERA00 has been so successful at spreading inspiration and achieving dreams, the Infinity Project has been born," Miss Avery continues.
The VTR flashes on as fans and members mutter between themselves. The screen shows the words "INFINITY PROJECT" on a background featuring a silver infinity ring. The ring slowly turns blue. SERA00 has never had an "official colour", but overall, we're associated with a light blue. Then, a pink creeps outwards from the middle of the ring. Slowly, it entwines with the existing blue until both are evenly distributed.
INFINITY PROJECT fades, and a new word takes it's place. CASUT00.
"This is the second project after SERA00; our first sister group," Miss Avery narrates. "It's name will be CASUT00. Please feel free to use the shortened form that feels closer to SERA00; CASU."
Miss Avery pronounces the group's full name kah-zoo-tow, but the nickname kah-zoo. "CASUT00 will represent a new generation of girls who are challenging, achieving, succeeding, united and together...forever."
The screen starts flashing with more information. "Starting today, applications can be found on SERA00's website. All the girls out there aspiring to achieve what SERA00 has now have a brand new chance with CASUT00. The first generation of SERA00's first sister group will debut at or before our 2013 SERA00 Winter Concert."
Miss Avery holds up her hand. "There is more. The three members of Illusionary, Fallon Mackenzie, Maya Shale, and Evangeline Vera, will hold a concurrent position in their respective teams in SERA00, as well as in CASUT00. This concurrent position will last for six months."
"WOOOAAAAAHHHH!" I'm not sure how to describe the noise in the stadium by now. The odds of getting into SERA00's first generation was about 1:250, with around 5000 applicants. Now it's closer to 1:1500 (sorry, I think my statistics from some months ago were wrong). Averaging 30 000 applicants a generation, the odds may be even greater to beat thousands of girls to the coveted first generation spots. And now the three of us will hold concurrent spots; that means for six months, we'll have to participate in both SERA00 and CASUT00's activities and performances.
"Before the SERA00 girls perform for you all, there is only one more matter I would like to address," Miss Avery says. "CASUT00 and any future Infinity Project creations will need a reliable and respectable leader. There was only one choice from the start. Annelise Gillian."
Angel steps forwards. "Angel, you will hold a concurrent position in SERA00 and the SERA00 management as leader of the 00 groups."
"Thank you," Angel is saying, really happy. A bunch of her friends are hugging her. "Thank you, I will try my best to lead everyone."
And so, that wraps up the high&lowlights of SERA00's 2013 Summer Concert!
Please support SERA00!
