Cast Q&A - PART 1 [band tier]

To Anyband: what is your daily routine when your not on the job?

Soft Violence is shown first and Kieran immediately looks smug. “Well, I gotta kick out the person in my bed first—”

“Alright.” Pope snatches the slip. “Not on the job…?” There’s a long pause. “I sleep.”

“We’re always on the job,” Seven clarifies blandly.

“I wake up, answer some emails,” Avina answers pleasantly. “I like to do at-home yoga.”

“Is that different than regular yoga?” Kieran asks.

“Yeah.” Avina gives him a look. “It’s at home.” They look back at the camera with a smile. “Plus, I’ve been trying my hand at baking. Now that we’re on tour that’s going to have to take a pause…”

“Music is our lives,” Kieran answers. “I don’t even know what my daily routine looks like when it doesn’t have to do with music.”

The rest of the band agrees.

“That’s boring,” Cory says, her hands on her hips. “God, do you people not have identities outside of music?”

They all share a look. Then in unison: “No.”

—

“I like to go to the movies,” August is saying. “I skateboard.”

Iris makes a face. “You do?”

They nod. “Yeah. I haven’t had a reason to lately considering…”

“You’re full of so many surprises.” Rowan claps them on the shoulder, making them groan before they smooth their sleeve down. “As for me, I hate doing anything when I don’t work. I need to let my hands rest. I like to stay in and do nothing. Also, I like to draw a little.”

“And how, pray tell, does that relax your hands?” MC asks.

“It doesn’t,” Rowan says with a grin, “but whatever.”

“What does a daily routine look like?” Devyn asks herself. “I feel like it looks different for me everyday.”

“This is hard,” Iris sputters through a laugh. “We play everyday, don’t we?”

Cory is floored. She looks at the band with parted lips. “Do you not do anything non-music related?”

“Listen lady,” Rowan says, raising a palm, “if music wasn’t our lives we wouldn’t dedicate ourselves 24/7 to it.”

She scoffs. “What a sad answer.”

“Oh, are you our therapist now?” Iris snipes.

Cory huffs deeply. “I hate this cast,” she says under her breath.

—

“I get up,” G says as the rest of the band sit around them, looking drained, “go to the store and get myself a sandwich. Cold.”

“You don’t get it yourself,” Dionne throws back, “you ask your assistant to get it.”

“Can’t you just make that yourself?” Q inquires, genuinely stumped.

“—then I read whatever G Reign news is online that day,” G continues, ignoring them. “Being self-aware is the first step to success. I need to know what people are saying about me. Then, I stay home. Cook something. Watch TV and sleep all day to recharge for a performance or something.”

“Amazing,” Cory deadpans.

“We mostly sleep as much as we can,” Mateo adds. “Our lives aren’t very…relaxing, so we need to find time to.”

—

And to Amy, Do you code as you write or make a note to go back? And what's the most intuitive program you use? What do you think of Twine? Why choicescript?

I code as I write! I think it’d be better for me to code after I write but my brain can’t physically separate those two. I’m also a super linear writer so I’m not good at leaving things blank and going back. I need to know A and B to get to C haha.

I would say CSIDE. Being able to test and play your game while in the program is so convenient and seeing you work in it’s finished form the way it’s going to look when it’s done is really motivating. With that said, discovering VS Studio Code has really changed the game for me. I work much faster. CSIDE is pretty outdated and can do with an update but it’s still the best! I do recommend all beginners to start with CSIDE.

I like twine and have been playing around with it for a while now. I know people say there’s little learning curve but my experience is the opposite lol. I absolutely hate the coding language because my brain can’t seem to piece it together no matter how self explanatory it is. Still, I grieve the customization options and all of the freedom but I do like choice script for how straight forward it is. It’s just sooo easy!

—

general, What else would you be if not a Rockstar? Where would you be without the fame and money?

G thinks about it. “Has to be something creative. I’m right-brained for sure. I hate numbers.”

“Music teacher,” Seven answers easily. “Or just a teacher. I think being able to help someone find their love of music would be fulfilling.”

“The fame and money are nice though,” G says with a grin.

Seven says nothing for a beat. And then: “…Yeah, but that’s not the major reason why I’m here. Sharing my music trumps it all.”

G makes a face. “Are you trying to one-up me?”

Seven actually appears like they’re trying not to smile. “I’m being honest.”

—

“Artist, I guess.” Rowan thinks about it. “I used to sell my art to make a little money back then.”

“It’s hard thinking about where we would be,” Devyn says, frowning a little. “Thinking about what-ifs make me nervous.”

“My dad wanted me to go into politics,” August says, looking uncomfortable. “He thought it was perfect for me.”

The band share equally baffled looks. “Really?” Iris says delicately. “You don’t seem like the…type.”

August snorts. “You know, I always thought my sister would be more of the type. My dad used to think she was too ‘delicate’ for politics.” They use air-quotes. “Which is funny since my mom’s a politician. He thought politics was a man’s sport.”

“Gross.” Iris scowls. “No offense, August.”

“None taken.” August smiles. “That was a long time ago. My mom doesn’t let him hear the end of it now.” They frown as they think. “I just think it was his weird way of protecting Clare and my mom. Trying to shield them from all of the ugly stuff.” August seems lost in thought before shrugging. “The same day I came out to them was the same day I told them I don’t think I'll ever be a politician.” August shrugs. “He understood. Eventually.”

MC is looking at August, their expression soft. “I’m glad.”

August and MC share a soft look across the table. Then, as if realizing something, they shift. “I didn’t mean to share all of that.” They frown.

Cory gives them a surprisingly reassuring look. "We can cut it if you like."

August clears their throat and nods.

"Oh, look." MC smiles. "You're capable of being nice."

"Don't get used to," Cory snaps.

Iris slaps her hands on her legs. “Well, I’d be a dentist.”

“A dentist?” Rowan snorts out a laugh. “What? To collect your patients’ teeth for your Lovecraftian shenanigans?”

Iris grins. “You know it.”

@Dakota who do you think of everyone involved in BOTB is most likely to commit the following crimes: Arson, Tax Evasion, and Cow Theft?

Dakota doesn’t react at first, simply rereading the question until their brows furrow. When they look up, they don’t look at the camera and instead peer past it to focus their attention on Cory.

“Is this serious?” Dakota asks. Behind the camera, Cory is watching with a mildly amused smile. Dakota can’t tell whether she’s laughing at the question or at them.

“Just do it,” she replies in lieu of an answer. “These are the burning questions the audience craves!”

“Is it,” Dakota deadpans. Then says, “I don’t know. I feel like [G] would be the answer to all three.”

“Is that a cop out answer?” Cory throws out, voice low.

“No,” Dakota responds and surprisingly enough, they appear to mean it. “I’m being serious. G Reign should be under 24/7 surveillance and it’s a little bit concerning that they’re not.” Every word is said with the blandest intonation, a face empty of any emotion. It’s eerily hilarious, so much so that a few of the staff let out hesitant chuckles behind the camera.

Dakota looks around, dropping their palms on the table. There's a weird smirk on their face. “Are we done?”

——

Seven, [MC] and Blake sit at one side of the table, though their chairs were moved as far apart as they could be while still remaining in the shot. It results in half of Blake’s shoulder being cut off, as well as Seven’s arm disappearing from the shot. [MC] sits in the middle—a decision they didn’t make but a choice that is quite serendipitous to Cory.

MC leans forward to read the question.

@seven @mc @blake if you had to do a duet with either of you, who would you choose?

Blake frowns. Seven scowls, and MC looks like they’d rather be anywhere else.

MC leans back and thinks about it. Blake and Seven sit there, staring blankly. Neither of them seem keen on answering, leaving MC to fill the silence.

[MC choosing Blake]: “Blake,” they blurt, making Blake’s brows furrow in surprise and confusion as Seven sucks in a sharp breath through their nose.

“Interesting,” Cory says. “Why?”

“That’s another question,” MC responds, a smug smile on their face.

Blake barks out a laugh. “Oh, you hate Seven that much?”

“Don’t mention me,” Seven hisses, clearly miserable. “I would choose neither of you.”

[MC choosing Seven]: “Seven,” they blurt. Seven doesn’t react, but they do straighten. Blake rolls their eyes.

“How surprising,” Blake deadpans.

“Seven, how does that make you feel?” Cory asks, smiling.

“Like I want to leave.”

Cory’s smile drops as Blake snorts despite themself. “Your lack of participation is quite frustrating,” she says.

“Great,” Seven says, shifting to lean back, “your insistence on my participation is just as irritating. If not much more so.”

Cory sucks in a sharp breath. “Smartass,” she mutters.

Seven leans forward and plucks another question, sighing.

@SEVEN RUMOUR HAS IT THAT [[SPOILERS!!]] JAZZY IS PREGNANT AND TRIED TO CALL YOU TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT BUT YOU DIDN'T PICK UP. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY REGARDING THESE ALLEGATIONS!!!! -by 7_they_still_love_you_I_promise

“…” Seven frowns. “I’m confused.”

“Everyone knows Jazzy is pregnant,” MC explains.

"I found out from the forums," Seven mutters. MC blinks at them.

“I think Seven's confused by the second part.” Cory’s smile is dry.

"I have no answer for that." MC turns away from Seven while covering the side of their face with their hand, looking a bit panicked.

“Five minutes until break,” Blake is muttering, irritated. “Just five more minutes.”

—

“You’re alone now,” Cory tells Avina, who sits with a pleasant smile on their face. “No pressure or anything.” Cory winks behind the camera.

Avina laughs but doesn’t respond, grabbing the slip and reading it aloud.

@Avina Given that people are prone to patterns, and with how close Seven was to MC and how quickly and thoroughly Seven cut them out. Do you ever worry that MC is a mirror of you in the future?

Avina reads the question again, this time to themself. Their brows knit together, an expression of confusion on their face. They look briefly uncomfortable, shifting in place as they visibly weigh the question in their mind.

“I don’t think so,” Avina answers. “Seven and I have a respectful relationship and we both know where we stand.” Their smile is weak, even a bit hesitant. “As long as you know your limits, right?”

Cory appears bored. She’s craving more, everyone can see it. “Do you know your limits, Avina Khanna?”

Avina is silent for a while. “Yeah,” they say.

Cory gives them a look. “Hm.”

@Avina Have you ever thought about giving Seven some space when they're upset instead of constantly chasing them down to force your attention on them? Sometimes, people need space to think for themselves.

Avina purses their lips. Cory gives them a look, looking even more interested than usual.

“Seven can tell me if it bothers them,” is their only answer.

"And what if it does and they just don't want to tell you?" Cory's question has Avina shifting uncomfortably in their seat. Upon realizing, Cory sputters out a laugh. "Wait. That never occurred to you?"

"No," Avina says quietly. "Not until now."

—

Rowan and August sit together. So far, Rowan’s been the one answering the questions considering August doesn’t care enough to fight for some limelight. This time Cory personally hands August the slip.

“Since you’re greedy,” Cory says to Rowan, who frowns.

@August you're SUCH a great addition to the band, and I'm excited to see more of you during the show! I'm also really curious about your headphones and how much you wear them! Are you willing to talk about them at all? 🥰

“Thank you,” they say.

Rowan lets out a laugh as August sets it down. “They’re like a cat with their favorite toy. The last time I tried to use them August told me to “get the fuck out” of their hotel room. Never seen them so mad.” Rowan puts a hand on their chest. “Never seen them so mad.”

“I wasn’t being serious,” August says with a frown.

“So I can use them?” Rowan inquires.

“Well..no.” August makes a face. “You know when you get overwhelmed and you have to hold onto something? Or the railings in the stairs you hold onto for balance?”

Rowan blinks. “I guess?”

“That’s what they feel like,” they explain. “I don’t know.”

“Like a teddy bear,” Rowan says through a grin.

August’s face dulls but they nod. “Yeah. Like a teddy bear.”

“What’s their name?” Cory asks, surprisingly earnest.

“What?” August blurts, surprised.

She gives them a look and points to their headphones. “Your headphones.”

“They don’t have one,” August deadpans. “...They’re headphones.”

Rowan stifles a laugh with his hand while Cory glares at them both.

—

“I can’t believe I’ve been asked a question,” Peter claps his hands together, “I feel famous!”

“Slow down, staff member,” Cory says, making Peter’s smile drop. “This is a one-off. Don’t get used to it.”

Peter visibly swallows. “Right.” He leans forward and grabs the slip from Cory who already looks tired of this.

@peter: you’ve said before that [band] is your favorite, did you know of them before they were chosen for botb? would you consider youself a [fandom name]? thank you for being such a ray of sunshine bby, love you pookie 🫶🏼

“Oh, thank you.” Peter looks at the slip and grins. “I have to think about this—”

Cory glances at the watch on her wrist. “You have thirty seconds.”

“Okay!” Peter says quickly. “I did know them and I was very happy to see them join the show! Their music is on my gym playlist—”

“Riveting,” Cory cuts in.

Peter looks at her awkwardly. “I can’t say whether I do consider myself part of the fandom as that would show bias and as an essential part of the staff, I must show no favoritism.”

“I feel it’s too late for that,” Cory explains. “Good job, Peter. I felt like I truly learned who you are today.”

“I feel like that’s sarcasm,” Peter says through a shining grin. “But I’ll accept it anyway.”

—

@7: You said you would never do country, so how do you feel about the fact that your old band started playing country music after you left?

Seven shifts uncomfortably in their seat, saying nothing at first. Then, “I feel like these questions are picked solely to annoy me.”

“Oh, please.” Cory barks out a laugh. “The world doesn’t revolve around you.” She puts a hand on her chest with dramatic flair. “My, what arrogance! Surprising coming from you too.”

Seven wrinkles their nose in irritation. Cory is obviously trying to get a rise out of them and they know it. They also know themself well enough to know that they’ll definitely take the bait.

Seven decides to go against instinct and just answer the question like a dutiful contestant. “It feels like I was holding them back from their true potential. If that’s what they wanted to do, good for them. I don’t care.” Their eye twitches as they say this. They definitely care.

Silence. And then: “Oh, look at you.” Cory laughs. “So mature. So wise.”

“Please stop,” they mutter.

Seven reaches over and grabs another slip.

@7 Quick help! Share your  tips to get over an ex !

Seven stares at the slip.

To Cory’s surprise, Seven smiles at her. The smile is dry, icy, and filled with a bitter kind of humor. “And you claim these questions aren’t specifically curated to—”

“Seven, please.” Cory rubs her eyes, muttering a slew of profanities. “Just answer with your heart. For once.”

With a sigh, Seven straightens. They think about it, forcing a shrug. “Get a hobby. Meet new people. Um.” They clear their throat. “Write music until your hands bleed and you feel like you’ve said everything you want to say.”

“Is that what you did?” Cory inquires.

Seven gives her a look but their expressions softens. There’s a surprising amount of sincerity on their face as they think about it. “…Yeah. I wrote everything down. Everything I couldn’t say. Music is the best band-aid, I suppose.”

There’s a pause. Cory smiles her first real smile. “That’s surprisingly sweet—”

“I also slept with quite a few people.”

“Oh.”

“But, um.” Seven makes a face, appearing sheepish. “I regret it. It didn’t do much but make the bad feelings worse. I didn’t even really enjoy those…hookups. I think knowing there was no connection made me all too aware of what I lost.”

“Oh, to be young,” Cory mumbles, her thoughts elsewhere.

“Can you“—Seven shifts uncomfortably in their seat—”can you cut this part?”

—

@G we know how you feel about MCs voice but thoughts on @Seven voice?

[G] frowns and looks up. “My first question and it’s not even actually about me?”

Cory sighs. “Can you just get on with it?” She looks around, slapping her arms on her legs. “What is it about this cast and making my life so hard? Can you guys just do something without questioning me for once in your lives?”

[G] gives her an odd look as the rest of the staff share wary glances. “Alright,” G says, briefly widening their eyes. “Calm down. I’ll answer your fucking question. Jesus.” They say it through a mumble, rereading it again. “Seven as in Seven Lawless, yeah?”

“There’s only one Seven on this cast,” Cory says, exasperated.

“Their voice is cool. Kind of reminds me of crunching glass.” G clenches their fist. “Gritty. I like it.”

Cory and G look at each other for a long moment.

“That’s it?” Cory says.

G shrugs.

Victoria is brought in and takes a seat next to G, who continues staring at the camera. She greets everyone with a nod, goes through her introductions, before she grabs a slip.

What’s the thing you love most about each other?

Immediately, G appears uncomfortable. Victoria bites her lower lip, waiting for them to speak.

“Um.” G drops their hands, thinking about it. Victoria stares at her shoes, pale cheeks flushed a deep pink. “She knows me well. She knows what I like and dislike.”

Cory snorts, putting a hand on her hip. “So does Siri. That’s hardly commendable.”

Muted laughter comes from the staff and G looks irritated. Cory smiles. It’s nice to see some fire.

Victoria decides to save the day by answering. “G has introduced me to many things and given me experiences I wouldn’t have without them. Which makes me grateful.”

Cory holds her gaze. “That’s more like it. You should teach your [wife/husband] here about being a doting partner.”

G looks ready to bolt. They quickly reach over and grab another slip.

@Victoria  and @g favorite place you've visited?

Victoria says, “Rome” at the same time G says, “The Swiss Alps.”

Victoria whips her head at them, looking surprised. G notices because their brows furrow and they say, “What? I think the scenery is beautiful and that’s where I found out we were nominated for a Grammy for the first album that had me as the majority contributor.”

“Oh,” Cory says with a laugh. “What a mature answer.”

G isn’t looking at her. Instead, they keep looking at Victoria. “Why are you surprised?”

She blinks and faces ahead. “Nothing, just…that’s a surprisingly genuine answer.”

G rears back, looking confused. “What?” G looks back at Cory. “What?”

“I thought you were going to say Vegas or something,” she continues, forcing a shrug. “Because of the parties.”

G says nothing. They lean back in their seat, looking both hurt and irritated. “Yeah, because attending parties and making bad decisions are the only things I’m capable of doing, huh?”

Cory and Victoria share a look. G averts their gaze, burning holes in the wall at their side. The conversation is definitely over.

—