𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚅𝙴𝙽 ➭ 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗇 𝗁𝗎𝖽𝗌𝗈𝗇

ninety-five; puppet master

The members of Pamela Lansbury sat on the couch in the Lopez-Berry-Hummels, awaiting their leader's supposed 'good news'.

"Oh, good; We're all here!" He beamed, clasping his hands together, "Thank you, Team Pamela Lansbury, for assembling on such short notice."

"Okay, well, I rescheduled my dialect session, so what's up with this emergency text?" Nagged Rachel, Winoma nodding.

"Yeah, I had to reschedule a meeting with hair and makeup," She scoffed, a small grin playing on her lips, "So whats up?"

"What's up is I just booked our band's debut gig!"

The musicians gasped excitedly.

"Amazing!"

"Where? When?" Dani questioned, clapping.

Kurt beamed, "This Thursday, 7:30 p.m., at the Greenwich Village hot-spot Callbacks."

Though, suddenly Rachel was the only excited one, "Ooh, NYADA's premier piano bar."

"Hold on, isn't that a Broadway hangout?" Elliott questioned reluctantly.

"Well, traditionally, but I talked to the manager, and he says that Thursdays are kind of their dead nights. So we can go in and do whatever we want."

"No way, we cannot debut there," Winona disagreed.

"That is instant career suicide," Added Santana.

"Yeah, Kurt, look, not to overstep," Elliott began, "but I-I follow a lot of bands just starting out, and it's kind of all about the launch."

"Yeah, getting music critics out to see you, and that's a lot easier with the right venue."

"Oh, come on, Callbacks is a real funky place," The head of Pamela Lansbury argued, "You know, they've got tons of history—"

Winona jumped in, "Yeah, but I can't think of a single band that started out there."

"I mean, it's not like The Bitter End or the Mercury Lounge, or—"

Dani scratched the back of her neck anxiously, "Yeah, and if people associate that place with show tunes, nobody's gonna come out for..."

"Our covers of Madonna's greatest hits?" Kurt retorted, "I disagree, Dani."

"Oh, so we're back to the whole Madonna thing?"

Santana narrowed her eyes frustratedly at his control freak nature as he shrugged.

"Yes, it was my first impulse." He frowned, seeing everyone look doubtful, "Okay, look, guys, I know it's untraditional, but you have to trust me. I was there at Callbacks. I saw it all, a vision of perfect clarity."

He looked like he was re-experiencing that vision, as everyone deadpanned at him from the couch.

"—Every seat was occupied. A quiet hush fell over the expectant crowd, as Pamela Lansbury made their way to the stage, and the opening notes of Madonna's 1985 single hit "Into the Groove" begin."

The only thing to snap him out of it was a call from Blaine. He immediately reached into his pocket with a grin, excusing himself.

"Oh, it's my fiancé. Talk amongst yourselves."

As he left, the girls (and Elliott) shared their doubts freely.

"Okay we are so not doing that," Santana huffed, Rachel pouting once everyone agreed.

"No, come on guys, we have to trust in Kurt," She argued, "We're doing this, and we're gonna give it our all, and the whole crowd is gonna love it."