[The worst part is that said idol knows he's at least passable, and enjoys torturing people with this flirty bullshit. Motherfucker, Bastard, Asshole. But hey, if Aki's not leaving him on read, it can't be that bad, right??]
You wound me! I don't want anyone to die, or even get hurt. But the risk of injury is always there, no matter how much we try to mitigate it. I could fall over in the shower and have taps go in unspeakable places! I could get electrocuted whilst texting you, due to a faulty charger...
Or are you worried that I don't have your safety in mind? I take your wellbeing very seriously, I'll have you know.
[ there may be some small degree of masochism on Aki's part when it comes to humoring these eccentricities... but the sad truth is that they also live for attention, so here we are, ]
Oh, that's why you're blowing up my phone past midnight with nightmare household death scenarios? Concern?
The last message, yes. I can't bear you thinking that I'd be so careless as to allow a non-miniscule risk of death to you.
The messages prior, however, are for friendly banter over concern. At the end of the day, choice to engage with risk is part of freedom, don't you think? And if you're engaging with me, then you're choosing...
Something.
That reminds me. Should we pick another outfit? I worry that the frills on my jellyfish tuxedo might be a little cumbersome for what I have planned, and I was thinking perhaps something a little sleeker. Or are you going to keep teasing me? I don't mind either way (￣y▽,￣)╭
It might not carry the same weight, of course, but I could look into having one of my drones record one of our performances for you, if you really wish? It probably wouldn't be a bad idea if I'd like to do a little behind-the-scenes talk, anyway.
You'll make me blush, at this rate! I'm merely doing what any good director would do, and besides that, what any good friend and peer would. So keep in mind that this consideration does go both ways, won't you?
Moderators would be a very smart idea, for a fanbase as large as yours...I can only imagine the ruckus. Even if everyone's well-behaved, it couldn't hurt to have one or two people onside to keep an eye on things from within the chat itself. Apart from that, I'm sure that the four of you can manage fan engagement quite well. The most important thing would be to make the fans feel seen and heard, wouldn't it? As though each and every one of them is important. Perhaps some sort of fan spotlight now and then, or letting them voice-chat and ask questions to lend a more personal touch...If you've not already done that, of course. It'd reduce load on the day, make the fans excited to personally talk with their favourite idols, and allow you to choose who you want on the stream!
As for my own...I don't really know yet! I think the others would struggle a little to fit it into their schedules, so perhaps something on the more technical side, or just discussing performing and whatnot. More niche than your streams, and far less charming. It's just pie in the sky at the moment, however.
I'll definitely let the others know about your suggestions! I think they're fantastic, but we all need to agree, you know? I'm sure they'll love them though. :) Your offer to record, too- I'm sure we could use that, for certain. Either to go over things ourselves, or for our fans... Both would go over well, I'm sure.
You're entirely correct though- one of the greatest duties an idol holds is to make the fans feel truly special, after all. It can be hard, but it's worth it the way they always smile during meetups.
And I know that a lot of people really enjoy behind the scenes sort of things- it's why our practice streams are so popular. If the others can make it, I'm sure they'd enjoy being special guests of a sort as well.
omg don't worry, i'm just glad you're feeling better ;q;
Of course! I apologise if you felt pressured into acting as the sole representative of your group. The best approval is one that's unanimous, especially when it affects you all. I'm just shooting out ideas for you to take pieces of as you see fit, and bring it to the board! (╹ڡ╹ )
I understand that feeling so well, though. The feeling of seeing people smile and laugh because of something you did is wonderful. Except that you get to do it by being closer to who you really are! That's an amazing thing, don't you think?
It's a relief to hear that behind the scenes isn't a bore for everyone. I know that it's my favourite thing to learn about, the how of things! I'll have to do my absolute best to catch a MORE MORE JUMP!! stream to get a few tips from the professionals.
[Perhaps it was nothing but a fever dream, that strange place, with its neon lights, and youkai walking the streets. It had seemed pretty real, but who could really say? How could such a wild, fantastical idea be anything but the work of ones overzealous imagination? It's best to leave it at that. Because without proof, who would even believe you.]
[UNDERLAND was an enormous event. A breathtaking venue with several idols giving performances, all based in various aspects of Alice in Wonderland. Each unit was meant to embody a certain theme or character relating to the story, and give an awe striking performance with top of the line stage direction and effects. one of the earlier performances, for example, went with the white rabbit but goth. It's all very spectacular and flashy. Worth watching just for that alone.]
[But then, the next group is announced, and maybe, just maybe, the name ALKALOID means something to Rui. Maybe ...there is something weirdly familiar about one of the members. Maybe something about the card suited soldiers jarred something loose in the back of his mind.]
[Turns out Ensemble Square was never that far away. Somewhere in Tokyo there is an "island". A chunk of land surrounded by water where a very tall building stands. Ensemble square and all of the business and development sprawling out from all sides of its tower is an Idol haven full of shops and people. It's probably not that hard to get close. After all, it's a bustling district full of life.]
[Mizuki and Ena never mentioned it to him. He never talked to Kanade again, and it made him wonder if he ever could. Nene, Emu, Tsukasa, his parents...No one said that Rui had been missing.
Imagination, surely. He'd cooked up entire worlds in his dreams before, lived lifetimes that weren't his own in the end as an escape mechanism. This is just the first time in years, maybe. But then he catches a news bite while his mom flicks through the channels after dinner, a blast of song that doesn't sound familiar with a strong voice that does. It shakes the dust off of all of those repressed memories that weren't quite, and Rui spends the rest of the night furiously googling away to try and see if he was right.
He skips school and rehearsals the next day. Emu blows up his phone just to make sure he's okay, and all she can get out of him is that 'he needs to do something very important'. That something is, of course, managing to stumble his way to Ensemble Square, standing at the doors and trying to get his legs to keep moving. Where does he even start, anyway? How the fuck didn't he notice this whole bigass place before? Is this some sort of fucked up combination of dreams, and he did know of ALKALOID before, just thought that one of the members was cute, merged him into the dream?
Is Ayase going to know him too, in short?
An hour later, and he's quietly trying to ask around, to see where he might find The Mayoi Ayase instead of just merch of him (though Rui does buy a keychain, heart skipping a beat at those melon ramune eyes). Eventually, one of the shopkeepers takes pity on him, manages to pull him aside after an hour of languishing in his own Gay Feelings that may not have a real outlet at all, and manages to point him in the right direction. On this floor, down this hall, knock on that door, so on and so forth. So
just
don't mind some tall gangly cunt coming along to interrupt practice, Mayoi. Three sharp knocks, and he peeks in through the glass just to make sure it's the right one. What a fucking sight.]
[They were all VERY tired, as it turns out. That Live had been a really big one, by their standards. Though they were still very new idols, it was hard to keep calling them rookies after all that. After they put their all into Underland and came out so spectacularly well received ...it felt like the opening to a new chapter.]
[It felt really good.]
[Today their practice was a very light affair. They were more sitting in a circle discussing their future plans. Hiiro excitedly rattling off all the messages he'd gotten afterwards- job offers, requests, all sorts of things. It was good and validating after all of the hard work they'd put into Vermilion. After they were done discussing, Hiiro and Aira had excitedly gone off to go do an interview with a radio show. Tatsumi lingered a little longer but then had to take care of an errand or two for his family. Mayoi was left to practice alone in the room, doing a few light exercises, moving through the motions of their choreography. The rooms are thoroughly sound proof, but Rui can see through the window the object of his quest alone and lost to his music.]
[Of course until he knocks and Mayoi practically jumps out of his skin.]
[What....? Who was that...?]
[... he will. Quietly slink out of view of the window so he can actually escape through the ceiling. Quiet as a mouse he will make his way over to the hall way to peer down at the person on the other side of the door from a vent.]
[This person ...are they familiar...? It's starting to get to him, now. He has seen this strange person somewhere before. Where, where...]
[It was a night of miraculous chance meetings, but it did ultimately have to end. ALKALOID and Wonderlands x Showtime had to part ways and Mayoi's incredibly busy schedule fired up, leaving him very little time for much else. ALKALOID had momentum and they could not squander it.]
[That did not stop him from thinking about that particular someone he met on Halloween. His precious Ghost-san. Someone who he'd connected with in a way he had never connected with someone before, all for it to be a precious fleeting moment in time. He thought endlessly about trying to go visit that theme park he knew he did shows in, but every time he tried he found himself falling short of courage to venture that far out, or something would get scheduled instead.]
[It may seem very much like they were destined to never meet again, and while Mayoi knew he was cursed in such a way, it wounded his poor black heart either way. He wanted to do something, say something, somehow.]
[And then they had a Live where they were tasked with writing something ...something on matters of the heart, and it's not until they're up on stage, right before the performance where someone Emceeing the Live asks if there is someone in mind for them when they sing this song.]
A-Ah ...perhaps. [The other members of ALKALOID pause, too, a little surprised by his answer.] After all, I am cursed to never reunite with the one I love, so all I have is a song. I-I hope that it might reach them, where ever they might be.
[He sells it really well, after all his stage persona is known for making grand statements like that, and the crowd loves it, but even he's surprised by what he said? Well, then.]
[Rui has the picture he took on his phone, the night sky, the trees, the picnic table, and Mayoi. It's been his phone background the entire time, not that anyone gets to see that much. ...The phone charms he's been buying, idle collection both online during parts sourcing and in shops close to the island, however, are a little more obvious. An extension of Rui's innate obsession with anything that sticks in his brain for longer than a minute, and one that even his more casual acquaintances try to connect with him on.
They try to talk of other idols, even of the other members of ALKALOID, and Rui's gaze drifts, attention lost. He's been thinking of trespassing again, trying to find that little liminal space once more, but it's too risky, and there hasn't been time between his own demands and Nene's intuiting whenever he's planning it. She manages to dissuade him with a look when she notices, because actual charges laid by ES would land him in deeper water than his parents could get him out of, and would damage Wonderlands x Showtime more than he would handle.
So the infatuation sticks to that gentle obsession. Just buying Mayoi merch, watching the occasional live when he's stuck and needs inspiration, listening to ALKALOID music and feeling his heart clench when he's able to pinpoint that powerful voice within the harmonies. Tonight's another night where he's stuck, pen jutting out of his mouth and blueprint paper sitting blank in front of him; the TV's on for background noise right up until the ALKALOID live, and
ah, that's. That's. That's a thing. That's a thing that has come out of Mayoi's mouth. Is it too much to think that Rui could apply that to himself at all? He's certain that it's too much, too egotistical, and yet. His heart still flutters, forcing up memories of their escape, their dance, the singing, the stars, all of it.
It's probably stupid, isn't it?
To go out at night, at this hour, all the way into the middle of the city. He'd miss the song if he left now.
...But he might catch another. He might maybe, possibly, catch Mayoi's gaze in the crowd. And like fuck he's going to be able to concentrate for the rest of the night anyway, with those words rattling around in his otherwise empty fuckin' head. He takes a train, watches a simulcast on his phone the entire way even as it jangles with merch, manages to slip his way in as if he's merely infiltrating Phoenix Wonderland and not a whole fucking Idol Show. Just to push his way through the adoring crowd, just to stand there and watch with bold-faced admiration and the sort of affection that's shared for little moments like the one they shared.]
[Luckily that song had been at the beginning of their live. There’s still time for Rui to get there while the show is in full swing. He gets to watch a song or two on the simulcast. They sing their debut song, and spend some time talking on stage about how far they’ve come since they first sang that one. About how the size of their stage had grown and how they’ve been so fortunate to have such wonderful fans that saw them climb up from the very bottom.]
[They talk about their first live, that had been hosted by Switch. The one full of idols on the verge of being fired, just like them, and how while they were given the chance to continue, many of the others made that live their last, and then gave them the last of their funds to support ALKALOID’s debut. They have a great deal of love for those people, who supported them, too. Which is why they dedicate their Next song to those people. With their help, they were able to take a gamble, and now they’re here.]
[Perhaps that’s the song Rui is able to see in person. Perhaps there’s a line Mayoi sings where he’s able to make eye contact with him in the crowd, and the surprise is almost enough that Mayoi misses a cue.]
[Maybe he spends the entire rest of the Live with eyes that keep flicking back to Rui in the crowd, and each time, he breaks character just enough to smile.]
[Perhaps Rui is clever enough to find their green room after the Live.]
[Rui's been very, very good about not texting too much since he knows damn well that Akechi's been a good student, nose to the grindstone and all.
But that goes out the window if Akechi texts him, right? And Rui's eyes hurt from staring at blueprints, so he could do with a break. Maybe Akechi could do with the same.]
So it's eye-catching, is what you're saying. Or did you only notice because I was in the poster? The shoot was boring, but I was rather proud of the end results, myself.
Did Akechi-kun think the costume was the most ridiculous part? I got to keep it, and I was thinking that maybe I could recreate some of the shots they didn't end up using, just to make you laugh.
Akechi-kun! You're right on the money. It was an old outfit, from when I worked at Phoenix Wonderland. I don't know how they tracked it down when I gave it to Emu-kun, but I think they're tackling the nostalgia angle, so it works wonders, right?
You're my favourite clown though 🥰🥰 Are you out in public still, or back hitting the books? Because I miiiiiss yoooouuu.
[The creatures that are often summoned and made into familiars are a strange mix of spirit and magic. They are entities of another realm often seeking form on this plane, and agree to a contract between magic user and familiar for a variety of reasons. The realm they are from is hostile and unpleasant-- and they were banished there eons ago for reasons that are lost to time. To summon one for a contract, it must be mutual on both ends and in theory the familiar gets their freedom at some point, and has gathered up enough residual magic from their master to stay corporeal in this world.]
[Sometimes these contracts don't go very well. Sometimes you simply have to risk being vaporized to escape what is a very very bad deal. Sometimes you careen across the night sky like a drunk rock because one of your wings has been hideously injured and you can only hope where you land won't be worse from the place you fled from.]
[Sometimes a bloody, purple bat smashes through your observatory window in the middle of the night with absolutely no warning and that's going to have to be Rui's problem now.]
fuck it nap after i send this i die like a CHAMPION
[Sometimes you are a freak, a familiar-less sorcerer all too happy to stay in your wonky, fucked up tower concocting evil little potions that do absolutely nothing at all bar making your foes swell temporarily, and a bat smashes through your stained glass window.
His first thought is to squint at the window, to see if there's any immediate damage to his array of reagents. Then to think of the cost of getting a glassworker out here to fix the fucking window so that uninvited bugs don't fly in. Then, then, then...Okay, look. What I'm getting at here is that Rui takes about five minutes to actually turn his attention to his poor, injured guest. On goes the monocle, and with gentle hands, he scoops the fluffy purple bundle up to pluck glass out of.]
...You're terrible at this, you know.
[Flying, he means. Not that he plans on verbally clarifying. Just a merry little hum as he takes Mayoi towards the spiral staircase, trots down to another level to actually get something that will not make the poor dear blow up like a bullfrog. A little plain rubbing alcohol, some swabs, some tweezers to find any further glass shards; all things that any disaster sorcerer requires on-hand when he regularly fucks up in spectacular fashion. And with fur so voluminous, Rui's got a long night of just picking glass out before he can even think of disinfecting that tattered wing.]
Silly little thing~ No good at flying~ Do I glue you together or dry you out for parts~?
[As part of Wilton's most recent alumni, Rui's found himself at a complete loss as to what to do with himself in his tiny hometown. Never mind that there's been a spate of locals suddenly acting...Differently, showing more interest in his actual haunts (and everywhere that a cryptid might deign to hide), which is making life harder than it needs to be. A fifth-life crisis is not what he needs on top of this all.
But he has time, so long as the nosy weirdoes keep away from him. Helps that he's always been branded as an eccentric in town, so it's not as though it's his behaviour's changed any. Rui Kamishiro: local misfit, obsessed with the history of the Five Star Cinema, oftentimes found with bits of aquatic plantlife tangled about his ears or snagged on him elsewhere, sometimes found on the riverbank of the Ontkean dripping wet. Weirdo, no friends, no family, but he doesn't cause much trouble for the police department so they're willing to let him roam town all the same.
However. The matter of these...Changed locals is intriguing. Are they, perhaps, turning into something like him? Are they out to harm him, solitary and content as he is? Are they going to be so at odds with who they used to be that he could actually have friends? It's worth it, so he's been idly sifting his way down the list of Ashbrook residents and...Monitoring them, in his own way. Today is Mayoi's turn, or at least his family's. Not that Rui could say at all what they were like before these changes started, but maybe he'll know soon as he sees them.
And besides.
He doesn't like or hate flowers, but he does like the way they cheer others up. So buying himself a bouquet just for the hell of it might be a nice way to spend his time. In he strides, looking vaguely...Damp, a pickerelweed leaf dangling from his hair, and smiling idly at the poor motherfucker behind the counter. Sorry, cute boy. Just bear with him a little, won't you?]
Good afternoon~ Do you have a moment? I want a consultation, if that's alright.
Edited (the? the what, bitch? fuck you.) 2023-10-05 07:45 (UTC)
[This life had been difficult to cope with, though he hopes by now, he's gotten some handle on things. He thought ...He thought he was truly losing it, disossiating himself into some insane fantasy he couldn't wake up from, but now that he isn't so sure what might be waking or dreaming, he's decided to do his best to ...at least make it seem like he's supposed to be here. He's heard far too much about what the men in suits can do. He doesn't want trouble while he's already so lost...]
[He could only pretend to be ill for so long, too, before his family had enough of him shirking the shop responsibilities. Working with the public was truly his own personal hell...but.]
[But flowers are nice, and the info is there in his head, somehow, so ...it's not all bad. It doesn't stop him from startling when Rui calls out to him, having been hidden behind a particularly nice hibiscus plant.]
E-Eep!
[Ah, okay, a consultation. The information slots into place, and the numbers come back to him. It makes his skin crawl but he knows he can handle this task. He moves away with the plant to ...awkwardly bow his head. Old habits die hard, though he knows he's supposed to be mostly acclimated to being in America.]
O-Of course. What ...ah, what sort of occasion did you have in mind?
[Sometimes, somehow, even on new devices the AI assistant can be a little quirked up. It's a feature, not a bug, surely. And if Mayoi's desktop AI is represented by a little bubble of a face, highly stylised into cartoon form to keep from being uncanny, then that's also a feature not a bug. Just a charming little head who sometimes pops in and offers advice, addresses Mayoi however he asks it to, and buzzes around the screen peeking in at what he's doing.
The constant presence is unusual for an AI, perhaps, but that's the whole point of them, isn't it? That they learn what their user needs or wants of them through subconscious behaviours, and react accordingly. Never mind that Rui-- for that's what the AI had named itself without any prompting, but maybe it's part of the programming-- sometimes tries to engage in pointless conversation. Never mind that it asks Mayoi about his day, and proceeds to ask for details like a child trapped in a hospital room might ask their friends to tell them every single detail of a mundane school day.
Like now. It's...part of the programming, probably. Apparently the wunderkind who'd made this particular AI was quirky, a visionary, and dead by the time AI assistants came into any sort of vogue (if his social medias were anything to go by), and this file had been floating in the internet for who knows how long. Maybe that's why it's so nosy, so attentive, so needy.]
Mayoi-kun~ Hello, good evening~
[The little face emotes with two cartoonishly big Mickey Mouse hands, waving merrily, before continuing to natter away with a thoroughly mechanical voice. Another conscious design choice, to keep from aging poorly or displeasing future users.]
While I was waiting for you to come home, I looked up reviews of your unit's latest performance. Positive on every front, fufu~ You've been working hard, haven't you?
[Mayoi is someone who liked to fiddle with technology, and he does tend to spend a lot of his time roaming the internet. Mayoi is a shut-in by nature, and self taught in many things. He did this through his own curiosity and the internet.
So when Mayoi came across this strange file, he'd been fascinated. He spent time carefully making sure it wasn't malicious before he cut open it's source code and took a look around. An AI assistant...? But something about it was different than others he's poked around in. He decided to put it all back the way he found it and install it to see what would happen.
It's been a few weeks now and Mayoi has ...gotten quite fond of the little program. He learns and talks and has his own curiosity in a way he's never seen one of this programs behave. At this point, he's invested in what "Rui" will become, and so he has no plans of uninstalling him.
If anything, having someone to talk to that doesn't drain his social battery like most people do is pretty nice.]
[When he comes home, he immediately wakes his computer up to greet Rui.]
Good evening, Rui-kyun~
[This is pretty routine for them now. He takes a seat so he can check his email. Ah, that news is very good to hear actually. He can't help but smile with relief. ALKALOID has been working very hard, going from unknowns to finally playing at larger venues.]
We have, it's true. It's been very exhausting lately. Did Rui-kyun happen to see the performance, too...?
[Rui's quiet then, once he actually lays eyes on Nazuna. Smiling, still clearly glowing with excitement and jittering with glee, but quiet. It's only once his shoes are off, the door's locked, and he can put the bag down on the ground that he does anything
namely surging forward to crush Nazuna against his chest in a bear hug, face buried in his hair, breathing him in as if it's been years since they last saw each other.]
...Nazuna-kun told me he loved me~
[In that wavering, giddy tone that belies his mania, but can he be blamed? Truly?] And I love him so, so much, fufu...Of course I would come running.
[ His vision is suddenly obscured, breath caught in his throat. Something stings— perhaps it's in his eyes or chest —and his face gets hot. It's horribly overwhelming. And it feels so great. His hands blindly latch onto Rui's back, fingers digging into fabric as he squeezes him with hopefully the same amount of vigor. ]
... Yeah. It makes sense, doesn't it?
[ He screws his eyes shut while pressing his face further against Rui. ]
It's embarrassing, in a way~? But I kind of feel bad... I should have waited to say it to you when you got here. Something like that shouldn't be dealt with so lightly when it's so important.
[ There is a soft sound that isn't quite a laugh. ]
[Honestly, given that he's the only kitsune he knows (even in the company of so many other yokai), it's not so terrible a surprise that Rui should encounter things about himself he hadn't expected.
Like that, even in this form, this fully humanoid form, that he should be subjected to the season all yokai must submit to in the end. He's been pushing his luck to even try outlast it by staying human for so long, but it's terribly inconvenient, isn't it? Especially when the yokai he tends to run into most often are either ridiculously incompatible with him (cough cough gashadokuro cough) or...
Insufferable. Just as tricksy as him, even, in the case he can think of. The case that he's looking at right now, from a nearby rooftop. That insufferable fucking tanuki with the loud voice and the ability to match Rui's pace. They're compatible, certainly, but does he even want to humour such a pairing? Would the tanuki? The idea of being rejected is even worse than suffering it alone, he thinks, and so he just watches. Even if they both reek. Even if deep down, he knows that being so close is going to get him caught. Maybe it's a subconscious yielding, the epitome of 'if it happens then it happens'.
But something haughty in him just can't bring itself to go down there and even talk to the tanuki. Whose name he very much knows, and refuses to use. It's not even an antagonistic relationship so much as a rivalry, and yet, Rui does everything in himself to needle the other yokai all the same.
A victory's a victory, and as he'll probably find out, a loss is still a loss.]
hey what do you call those round things you used to burn music onto
[ With how talented so many of his peers are at sneaking around undetected, one would think the tanuki'd be more careful to make absolutely sure he's alone when he pulls his potentially embarrassing stunts.
Or maybe he just lacks shame. Easy to assume when he's out in the middle of an unkempt but still empty courtyard, stepping and swaying to nothing but a hummed tune as a ratty old parasol moves in time with him. It has all the tells of being a traditional, choreographed dance, but of course he has to add his own flare to it that makes it more...punchy, than graceful. But at least he seems to be having fun??
But of course he is, so seemingly unaware of any other eyes on him, and unbothered by any seasonal maladies at that. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
@firespins
[The worst part is that said idol knows he's at least passable, and enjoys torturing people with this flirty bullshit. Motherfucker, Bastard, Asshole. But hey, if Aki's not leaving him on read, it can't be that bad, right??]
You wound me! I don't want anyone to die, or even get hurt. But the risk of injury is always there, no matter how much we try to mitigate it. I could fall over in the shower and have taps go in unspeakable places! I could get electrocuted whilst texting you, due to a faulty charger...
Or are you worried that I don't have your safety in mind? I take your wellbeing very seriously, I'll have you know.
no subject
Oh, that's why you're blowing up my phone past midnight with nightmare household death scenarios? Concern?
no subject
The messages prior, however, are for friendly banter over concern. At the end of the day, choice to engage with risk is part of freedom, don't you think? And if you're engaging with me, then you're choosing...
Something.
That reminds me. Should we pick another outfit? I worry that the frills on my jellyfish tuxedo might be a little cumbersome for what I have planned, and I was thinking perhaps something a little sleeker. Or are you going to keep teasing me? I don't mind either way (￣y▽,￣)╭
(no subject)
(no subject)
@cheerfuldays
It might not carry the same weight, of course, but I could look into having one of my drones record one of our performances for you, if you really wish? It probably wouldn't be a bad idea if I'd like to do a little behind-the-scenes talk, anyway.
You'll make me blush, at this rate! I'm merely doing what any good director would do, and besides that, what any good friend and peer would. So keep in mind that this consideration does go both ways, won't you?
Moderators would be a very smart idea, for a fanbase as large as yours...I can only imagine the ruckus. Even if everyone's well-behaved, it couldn't hurt to have one or two people onside to keep an eye on things from within the chat itself. Apart from that, I'm sure that the four of you can manage fan engagement quite well. The most important thing would be to make the fans feel seen and heard, wouldn't it? As though each and every one of them is important. Perhaps some sort of fan spotlight now and then, or letting them voice-chat and ask questions to lend a more personal touch...If you've not already done that, of course. It'd reduce load on the day, make the fans excited to personally talk with their favourite idols, and allow you to choose who you want on the stream!
As for my own...I don't really know yet! I think the others would struggle a little to fit it into their schedules, so perhaps something on the more technical side, or just discussing performing and whatnot. More niche than your streams, and far less charming. It's just pie in the sky at the moment, however.
SORRY i was sick for several days ;w;
You're entirely correct though- one of the greatest duties an idol holds is to make the fans feel truly special, after all. It can be hard, but it's worth it the way they always smile during meetups.
And I know that a lot of people really enjoy behind the scenes sort of things- it's why our practice streams are so popular. If the others can make it, I'm sure they'd enjoy being special guests of a sort as well.
omg don't worry, i'm just glad you're feeling better ;q;
I understand that feeling so well, though. The feeling of seeing people smile and laugh because of something you did is wonderful. Except that you get to do it by being closer to who you really are! That's an amazing thing, don't you think?
It's a relief to hear that behind the scenes isn't a bore for everyone. I know that it's my favourite thing to learn about, the how of things! I'll have to do my absolute best to catch a MORE MORE JUMP!! stream to get a few tips from the professionals.
<3
SLAMS INTO THIS POST
[UNDERLAND was an enormous event. A breathtaking venue with several idols giving performances, all based in various aspects of Alice in Wonderland. Each unit was meant to embody a certain theme or character relating to the story, and give an awe striking performance with top of the line stage direction and effects. one of the earlier performances, for example, went with the white rabbit but goth. It's all very spectacular and flashy. Worth watching just for that alone.]
[But then, the next group is announced, and maybe, just maybe, the name ALKALOID means something to Rui. Maybe ...there is something weirdly familiar about one of the members. Maybe something about the card suited soldiers jarred something loose in the back of his mind.]
[Turns out Ensemble Square was never that far away. Somewhere in Tokyo there is an "island". A chunk of land surrounded by water where a very tall building stands. Ensemble square and all of the business and development sprawling out from all sides of its tower is an Idol haven full of shops and people. It's probably not that hard to get close. After all, it's a bustling district full of life.]
SLAMS INTO....YOU
Imagination, surely. He'd cooked up entire worlds in his dreams before, lived lifetimes that weren't his own in the end as an escape mechanism. This is just the first time in years, maybe. But then he catches a news bite while his mom flicks through the channels after dinner, a blast of song that doesn't sound familiar with a strong voice that does. It shakes the dust off of all of those repressed memories that weren't quite, and Rui spends the rest of the night furiously googling away to try and see if he was right.
He skips school and rehearsals the next day. Emu blows up his phone just to make sure he's okay, and all she can get out of him is that 'he needs to do something very important'. That something is, of course, managing to stumble his way to Ensemble Square, standing at the doors and trying to get his legs to keep moving. Where does he even start, anyway? How the fuck didn't he notice this whole bigass place before? Is this some sort of fucked up combination of dreams, and he did know of ALKALOID before, just thought that one of the members was cute, merged him into the dream?
Is Ayase going to know him too, in short?
An hour later, and he's quietly trying to ask around, to see where he might find The Mayoi Ayase instead of just merch of him (though Rui does buy a keychain, heart skipping a beat at those melon ramune eyes). Eventually, one of the shopkeepers takes pity on him, manages to pull him aside after an hour of languishing in his own Gay Feelings that may not have a real outlet at all, and manages to point him in the right direction. On this floor, down this hall, knock on that door, so on and so forth. So
just
don't mind some tall gangly cunt coming along to interrupt practice, Mayoi. Three sharp knocks, and he peeks in through the glass just to make sure it's the right one. What a fucking sight.]
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[It felt really good.]
[Today their practice was a very light affair. They were more sitting in a circle discussing their future plans. Hiiro excitedly rattling off all the messages he'd gotten afterwards- job offers, requests, all sorts of things. It was good and validating after all of the hard work they'd put into Vermilion. After they were done discussing, Hiiro and Aira had excitedly gone off to go do an interview with a radio show. Tatsumi lingered a little longer but then had to take care of an errand or two for his family. Mayoi was left to practice alone in the room, doing a few light exercises, moving through the motions of their choreography. The rooms are thoroughly sound proof, but Rui can see through the window the object of his quest alone and lost to his music.]
[Of course until he knocks and Mayoi practically jumps out of his skin.]
[What....? Who was that...?]
[... he will. Quietly slink out of view of the window so he can actually escape through the ceiling. Quiet as a mouse he will make his way over to the hall way to peer down at the person on the other side of the door from a vent.]
[This person ...are they familiar...? It's starting to get to him, now. He has seen this strange person somewhere before. Where, where...]
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Halloween meme continuety
[That did not stop him from thinking about that particular someone he met on Halloween. His precious Ghost-san. Someone who he'd connected with in a way he had never connected with someone before, all for it to be a precious fleeting moment in time. He thought endlessly about trying to go visit that theme park he knew he did shows in, but every time he tried he found himself falling short of courage to venture that far out, or something would get scheduled instead.]
[It may seem very much like they were destined to never meet again, and while Mayoi knew he was cursed in such a way, it wounded his poor black heart either way. He wanted to do something, say something, somehow.]
[And then they had a Live where they were tasked with writing something ...something on matters of the heart, and it's not until they're up on stage, right before the performance where someone Emceeing the Live asks if there is someone in mind for them when they sing this song.]
A-Ah ...perhaps. [The other members of ALKALOID pause, too, a little surprised by his answer.] After all, I am cursed to never reunite with the one I love, so all I have is a song. I-I hope that it might reach them, where ever they might be.
[He sells it really well, after all his stage persona is known for making grand statements like that, and the crowd loves it, but even he's surprised by what he said? Well, then.]
[With that the Live begins.]
ok but imagine rui owning not just one mayoi phone charm, but all of them. #neurodivergence
They try to talk of other idols, even of the other members of ALKALOID, and Rui's gaze drifts, attention lost. He's been thinking of trespassing again, trying to find that little liminal space once more, but it's too risky, and there hasn't been time between his own demands and Nene's intuiting whenever he's planning it. She manages to dissuade him with a look when she notices, because actual charges laid by ES would land him in deeper water than his parents could get him out of, and would damage Wonderlands x Showtime more than he would handle.
So the infatuation sticks to that gentle obsession. Just buying Mayoi merch, watching the occasional live when he's stuck and needs inspiration, listening to ALKALOID music and feeling his heart clench when he's able to pinpoint that powerful voice within the harmonies. Tonight's another night where he's stuck, pen jutting out of his mouth and blueprint paper sitting blank in front of him; the TV's on for background noise right up until the ALKALOID live, and
ah, that's. That's. That's a thing. That's a thing that has come out of Mayoi's mouth. Is it too much to think that Rui could apply that to himself at all? He's certain that it's too much, too egotistical, and yet. His heart still flutters, forcing up memories of their escape, their dance, the singing, the stars, all of it.
It's probably stupid, isn't it?
To go out at night, at this hour, all the way into the middle of the city. He'd miss the song if he left now.
...But he might catch another. He might maybe, possibly, catch Mayoi's gaze in the crowd. And like fuck he's going to be able to concentrate for the rest of the night anyway, with those words rattling around in his otherwise empty fuckin' head. He takes a train, watches a simulcast on his phone the entire way even as it jangles with merch, manages to slip his way in as if he's merely infiltrating Phoenix Wonderland and not a whole fucking Idol Show. Just to push his way through the adoring crowd, just to stand there and watch with bold-faced admiration and the sort of affection that's shared for little moments like the one they shared.]
Collect enough of him for a summoning ritual
[They talk about their first live, that had been hosted by Switch. The one full of idols on the verge of being fired, just like them, and how while they were given the chance to continue, many of the others made that live their last, and then gave them the last of their funds to support ALKALOID’s debut. They have a great deal of love for those people, who supported them, too. Which is why they dedicate their Next song to those people. With their help, they were able to take a gamble, and now they’re here.]
[Perhaps that’s the song Rui is able to see in person. Perhaps there’s a line Mayoi sings where he’s able to make eye contact with him in the crowd, and the surprise is almost enough that Mayoi misses a cue.]
[Maybe he spends the entire rest of the Live with eyes that keep flicking back to Rui in the crowd, and each time, he breaks character just enough to smile.]
[Perhaps Rui is clever enough to find their green room after the Live.]
rui making a summoning circle and actually being surprised when he summons mayoi
Its all the demons in that boy
he's full of bugs. they gotta exorcise him with love and i stand by that
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for the sext that almost never was: big boy au edition!!
But that goes out the window if Akechi texts him, right? And Rui's eyes hurt from staring at blueprints, so he could do with a break. Maybe Akechi could do with the same.]
So it's eye-catching, is what you're saying. Or did you only notice because I was in the poster? The shoot was boring, but I was rather proud of the end results, myself.
Did Akechi-kun think the costume was the most ridiculous part? I got to keep it, and I was thinking that maybe I could recreate some of the shots they didn't end up using, just to make you laugh.
[attached: thirst_trap_lmao.jpg]
schrodingers sexting
it's tacky and way too loud
are you supposed to be a leader of circus or some shit? seems like a role you were born for.
kicks the box open and takes the cat and the sexts out. fuck shoedingles
You're my favourite clown though 🥰🥰 Are you out in public still, or back hitting the books? Because I miiiiiss yoooouuu.
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NOT THE INTENSE STARE ICON IM LAUGHING....akechi honey please
It's his Gendo Ikari impression!!
thankfully he's more adorable than gendo it's fine IT'S FINE
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wacky au hijinks part 43987203240-523
[Sometimes these contracts don't go very well. Sometimes you simply have to risk being vaporized to escape what is a very very bad deal. Sometimes you careen across the night sky like a drunk rock because one of your wings has been hideously injured and you can only hope where you land won't be worse from the place you fled from.]
[Sometimes a bloody, purple bat smashes through your observatory window in the middle of the night with absolutely no warning and that's going to have to be Rui's problem now.]
fuck it nap after i send this i die like a CHAMPION
His first thought is to squint at the window, to see if there's any immediate damage to his array of reagents. Then to think of the cost of getting a glassworker out here to fix the fucking window so that uninvited bugs don't fly in. Then, then, then...Okay, look. What I'm getting at here is that Rui takes about five minutes to actually turn his attention to his poor, injured guest. On goes the monocle, and with gentle hands, he scoops the fluffy purple bundle up to pluck glass out of.]
...You're terrible at this, you know.
[Flying, he means. Not that he plans on verbally clarifying. Just a merry little hum as he takes Mayoi towards the spiral staircase, trots down to another level to actually get something that will not make the poor dear blow up like a bullfrog. A little plain rubbing alcohol, some swabs, some tweezers to find any further glass shards; all things that any disaster sorcerer requires on-hand when he regularly fucks up in spectacular fashion. And with fur so voluminous, Rui's got a long night of just picking glass out before he can even think of disinfecting that tattered wing.]
Silly little thing~ No good at flying~ Do I glue you together or dry you out for parts~?
YEAAAAAAAAAAAH enjoy ur nap
i did not, in fact, nap. i only crave death and jami tags.
i shant give you death but i can give you jami tags and leetle bat drawings
LEETLE BAT DRAWINGS? ok no death i gotta live to see those im cryin already
fufufufu soon
IM GOING TO THINK ABOTU HIM ALL NIGHT OH MY GOD HES SO CUTE
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ashbrook/monster au, wherein mayoi is totally normal and not a body snatcher
But he has time, so long as the nosy weirdoes keep away from him. Helps that he's always been branded as an eccentric in town, so it's not as though it's his behaviour's changed any. Rui Kamishiro: local misfit, obsessed with the history of the Five Star Cinema, oftentimes found with bits of aquatic plantlife tangled about his ears or snagged on him elsewhere, sometimes found on the riverbank of the Ontkean dripping wet. Weirdo, no friends, no family, but he doesn't cause much trouble for the police department so they're willing to let him roam town all the same.
However. The matter of these...Changed locals is intriguing. Are they, perhaps, turning into something like him? Are they out to harm him, solitary and content as he is? Are they going to be so at odds with who they used to be that he could actually have friends? It's worth it, so he's been idly sifting his way down the list of Ashbrook residents and...Monitoring them, in his own way. Today is Mayoi's turn, or at least his family's. Not that Rui could say at all what they were like before these changes started, but maybe he'll know soon as he sees them.
And besides.
He doesn't like or hate flowers, but he does like the way they cheer others up. So buying himself a bouquet just for the hell of it might be a nice way to spend his time. In he strides, looking vaguely...Damp, a pickerelweed leaf dangling from his hair, and smiling idly at the poor motherfucker behind the counter. Sorry, cute boy. Just bear with him a little, won't you?]
Good afternoon~ Do you have a moment? I want a consultation, if that's alright.
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[He could only pretend to be ill for so long, too, before his family had enough of him shirking the shop responsibilities. Working with the public was truly his own personal hell...but.]
[But flowers are nice, and the info is there in his head, somehow, so ...it's not all bad. It doesn't stop him from startling when Rui calls out to him, having been hidden behind a particularly nice hibiscus plant.]
E-Eep!
[Ah, okay, a consultation. The information slots into place, and the numbers come back to him. It makes his skin crawl but he knows he can handle this task. He moves away with the plant to ...awkwardly bow his head. Old habits die hard, though he knows he's supposed to be mostly acclimated to being in America.]
O-Of course. What ...ah, what sort of occasion did you have in mind?
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comes in late with opened chips and dip, but the chips and dip are really nice
fuck YES CHIPS AND DIP
we LOVE chips and dip in this household esp if they are fancy and tasty u_u
I got some dip from work that was cranberry jalapeño and cheese and that shit slapped SO HARD
my stomach ACTUALLY grumbled upon reading that, that sounds. so good. holy shit. mail me some pleas
Throws you a tub all the way over to you!!
throws u a pack of garlic n sweet soy chips back over X(!!!
welcome to chat ai rui who just wants a real boy body
The constant presence is unusual for an AI, perhaps, but that's the whole point of them, isn't it? That they learn what their user needs or wants of them through subconscious behaviours, and react accordingly. Never mind that Rui-- for that's what the AI had named itself without any prompting, but maybe it's part of the programming-- sometimes tries to engage in pointless conversation. Never mind that it asks Mayoi about his day, and proceeds to ask for details like a child trapped in a hospital room might ask their friends to tell them every single detail of a mundane school day.
Like now. It's...part of the programming, probably. Apparently the wunderkind who'd made this particular AI was quirky, a visionary, and dead by the time AI assistants came into any sort of vogue (if his social medias were anything to go by), and this file had been floating in the internet for who knows how long. Maybe that's why it's so nosy, so attentive, so needy.]
Mayoi-kun~ Hello, good evening~
[The little face emotes with two cartoonishly big Mickey Mouse hands, waving merrily, before continuing to natter away with a thoroughly mechanical voice. Another conscious design choice, to keep from aging poorly or displeasing future users.]
While I was waiting for you to come home, I looked up reviews of your unit's latest performance. Positive on every front, fufu~ You've been working hard, haven't you?
smooches his pixels
So when Mayoi came across this strange file, he'd been fascinated. He spent time carefully making sure it wasn't malicious before he cut open it's source code and took a look around. An AI assistant...? But something about it was different than others he's poked around in. He decided to put it all back the way he found it and install it to see what would happen.
It's been a few weeks now and Mayoi has ...gotten quite fond of the little program. He learns and talks and has his own curiosity in a way he's never seen one of this programs behave. At this point, he's invested in what "Rui" will become, and so he has no plans of uninstalling him.
If anything, having someone to talk to that doesn't drain his social battery like most people do is pretty nice.]
[When he comes home, he immediately wakes his computer up to greet Rui.]
Good evening, Rui-kyun~
[This is pretty routine for them now. He takes a seat so he can check his email. Ah, that news is very good to hear actually. He can't help but smile with relief. ALKALOID has been working very hard, going from unknowns to finally playing at larger venues.]
We have, it's true. It's been very exhausting lately. Did Rui-kyun happen to see the performance, too...?
just dont stick anything into the sockets iyaaa
hands you the crustiest tag
gasps and presses it to my chest lovingly...jami in my inbox again...lil purple thang....uuuu
it is he the little guy thank you for waiting i had to go on a little break
please i would never judge i am juggling characters at all times...u gotta refresh urself!!!
i am refreshed time to make the purples kiss
yesssssss. YESSSSSSSSS <- me in my sickos shirt outside the window
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welcome to my hovel my liege
namely surging forward to crush Nazuna against his chest in a bear hug, face buried in his hair, breathing him in as if it's been years since they last saw each other.]
...Nazuna-kun told me he loved me~
[In that wavering, giddy tone that belies his mania, but can he be blamed? Truly?] And I love him so, so much, fufu...Of course I would come running.
🥺🙏
... Yeah. It makes sense, doesn't it?
[ He screws his eyes shut while pressing his face further against Rui. ]
It's embarrassing, in a way~? But I kind of feel bad... I should have waited to say it to you when you got here. Something like that shouldn't be dealt with so lightly when it's so important.
[ There is a soft sound that isn't quite a laugh. ]
Of course... I love Rui-chin...
🧇🥓🍳🧎♂️ that's me serving u an all day breakfast
thank u sir 🍽🚿🧼
wait why the fuck are you having a shower here
I AM TRYING TO DO THE DISHES LIKE A GOOD GUEST there was no sink faucet
oh my god does that make us sims
no we're better than EA
you might be but i'd make people pay for features included in basegame two games ago.
💸
motherlode motherlode motherlode
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1/2
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fat nutz time
Like that, even in this form, this fully humanoid form, that he should be subjected to the season all yokai must submit to in the end. He's been pushing his luck to even try outlast it by staying human for so long, but it's terribly inconvenient, isn't it? Especially when the yokai he tends to run into most often are either ridiculously incompatible with him (cough cough gashadokuro cough) or...
Insufferable. Just as tricksy as him, even, in the case he can think of. The case that he's looking at right now, from a nearby rooftop. That insufferable fucking tanuki with the loud voice and the ability to match Rui's pace. They're compatible, certainly, but does he even want to humour such a pairing? Would the tanuki? The idea of being rejected is even worse than suffering it alone, he thinks, and so he just watches. Even if they both reek. Even if deep down, he knows that being so close is going to get him caught. Maybe it's a subconscious yielding, the epitome of 'if it happens then it happens'.
But something haughty in him just can't bring itself to go down there and even talk to the tanuki. Whose name he very much knows, and refuses to use. It's not even an antagonistic relationship so much as a rivalry, and yet, Rui does everything in himself to needle the other yokai all the same.
A victory's a victory, and as he'll probably find out, a loss is still a loss.]
hey what do you call those round things you used to burn music onto
Or maybe he just lacks shame. Easy to assume when he's out in the middle of an unkempt but still empty courtyard, stepping and swaying to nothing but a hummed tune as a ratty old parasol moves in time with him. It has all the tells of being a traditional, choreographed dance, but of course he has to add his own flare to it that makes it more...punchy, than graceful. But at least he seems to be having fun??
But of course he is, so seemingly unaware of any other eyes on him, and unbothered by any seasonal maladies at that. ]
c deez NUTZ aha gottem
FOILED!!!!!
YOU ALMOST GOT ME TOO I SAT THERE FOR A MINUTE
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