[color=FF4500][center][b]J I E
(MIDDLE RING - PARADE ROUTE)[/b]
[img]http://nomadexperience.com/img/divider-1.png[/img][/center][/color]

There were about five people that continuously flowed in and out of Jie's line of sight, dusting her skin with various forms of makeup. She'd sat in the very same chair for a previous rehearsal only the day before. As always, they complained about how lifeless her skin had seemed to be, or that stress appeared to be getting the better of her.  By the end, the girl would be plucked, shaved, and trimmed to absolute stardom. Her cheeks were painted in heavy rouge, and eyes sprinkled with a layer of coal-colored shadow. In short, she looked horribly overdone, which was the goal. People needed to see her from afar, and now they definitely would. The strong colors would distract from her dim pallor and hallowing cheeks, for which she was thankful. 

Near the end of the night, Jie was to be one of the multiple performers celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Great War's conclusion. Before then, she was to parade around in a Satomobile's passenger seat. It was great publicity, and while the girl was mostly recognized in the Upper Ring, not many else knew of her. She was happy, and her agent was as well, considering the serious coin that had been spent for her attendance.  There were other much more famous acts, but she was determined to outshine them all. 

To counteract the anxiety of such a large performance, Jie had taken an exorbitant amount of Zen, and could hardly sit straight. There were rumors about her misuse, and the girl's agent had done all he could to silence the whispers. Most of the time, she could control herself, but preferred to impress those who could realistically help with her career. Therefore, the only times when she was actually alert were during public appearances. Except for today, and one could hardly blame her for it. 

"Jie, you're needed for a rehearsal one more time," someone told her gently, snapping the girl into some sort of awareness. He was mindful of her tendency to space out when on Zen, and she was grateful to have someone watching out. It was a difficult habit to have, and the drug had horrid associations with her old existence. Though the lifeblood of the Lower Ring, it was sporadic to see it in the wealthier neighborhoods, and Jie had wished to dissociate herself from such low class behavior. And yet, there she was, almost completely out of it while being dragged off to the main stage. Jie was ashamed of the person she'd become, and no matter how hard it was, felt a sadistic need to be connected to something from her past. 

After a certain amount of hesitation, her eyes focused on the man and his look of concern. It was a disgusting type of pity painted over his face, and one that she'd seen before. "I'm fine Kwan, I'll be as good as new in a couple of hours. Don't be such a downer," Jie whispered into her manager's ear. 

"Get up, you're slurring," the man informed, rolling his eyes as he grabbed an arm. The rest of her outfit still needed to be completed, and all Jie wore was the thin dress she'd woken up in. Eventually, she'd made her way to the outdoor stage as hundreds of hands appeared ready to begin their various tests. And just as quickly has Kwan appeared, he had left, tending to some other important facet for the night. She hated acting that way in front of him, or anyone for that matter. But he was some sort of figure in her life, a person who had consistently been a steady presence. 

As the cold hit her, Jie began to see the details of where she was while collecting her thoughts. The two had somehow gone from a dressing room to the venue, and she tried to hide the look of surprise about the time lapse. There were people already waiting along the sidewalk, and a few even waved at her in recognition. Her gaze scanned the various hints of what was to come, and she could recognize the bursts of color that trailed along the otherwise typical avenue. 

Grabbing her microphone, she smiled and began to recite a familiar tune. Jie owned a strange sort of voice, a deeper timbre that went well with a large band. Unfortunately, as late as she was, most had refused to wait around for another temperamental singer. This was where she shined in any case, and was capable of holding attention by herself. Here, she knew what it felt like to be alive, and could almost feel the Zen rid itself from her system. This, of course, meant that she would need another dose later on. It was a necessary evil to forget, and when she was done, couldn't wait to finally be home for a refill.