>>24345052
>This might be a good opportunity to get to know Miki a little better, and some quiet conversation wouldn't be a bad way to pass the time. What would you like to talk about?
>[] Ask Miki about her home life
>[] Ask Miki what she thinks of the adventuring life as she's experienced it so far
>[] Ask Miki what using magic is like
>[] Other (specify)

-------------------------------
Today's magic number is 2. If you're new/forgot, that means the 2nd post rolling the appropriate dice (1d20 unless I say otherwise) is the result I'll use when I ask for a roll. Remember, dice results are only used to determine roughly how well a given course of action goes; the specific course of action taken is a matter of consensus/majority vote.

>>24345088
Home life option seems too personal at the moment, and I'm sure we'll get to that bridge in time. For now, let's ask her what she thinks of the adventuring life so far.

>>24345088
>[x Ask Miki about her home life

>>24345088
>[] Ask Miki what using magic is like

I'm really curious what she'd say.

>>24345088
>[x] Ask Miki about her home life

Let's bond with the Afuu~. I don't think Miki is the type to find it too personal.

>>24345088
>[] Ask Miki about her home life

I always wonder how the Hoshii family fares. QM, do you have knowledge of the Hoshii family structure?

>>24345088

>[] Ask Miki about her home life

>Magic is 2

This is gonna be fuuuun

>>24345141
>It's like afuu~ nano nano
This will be great.

>>24345238
I wonder how does QM decide on the magic number.

>>24345650

I believe he said he rolls a dice at the beginning or something.

>>24345680
but we don't get to see that roll, huh? still fine with me, it provides the challenge of the rolls.

Hopefully, we don't jinx it.

>>24345714
>Hopefully, we don't jinx it.
>In IM@S Fantasy

Ahahahahaha, that's a good one.

>>24345763
as if /tg/ dice hasn't fucked up other RPGs on /tg/ itself. so far, we only experienced one critical failure on the quest...

>>24345801
Our failure to protect Takane?

>>24345819
the full 20 was the one before the last quest, which resulted in Haruka getting hurt REAL bad.

>>24345921

As much hubbub as we made about that, Haruka really wasn't injured as much as Takane was.

>>24345088
"You know, I always found it interesting all the different sorts of backgrounds adventurers come from," you muse. "What are your circumstances like, Miki?"

"Hmm...circumstances?" She cocks her head to the side, lips pursed in a puzzled expression.

"Like, your family and home life and stuff," you clarify. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"Oh! Well, Mom and Daddy are, like, courtiers, nano!"

"Ah, so peers of the duke's court here in Kethyria?"

"Yep, Daddy's a baron, nano!"

"Woah! So your family's pretty well-off then? With a fief and everything?"

"Well, like, Daddy's only a baron, so it's not, like, a whole big county or anything, but we do have a manor."

"So why are you adventuring then? You said earlier you want to do something easy, but wouldn't the life of a courtier be even easier?"

"Eh? No way!" You jolt a bit at the sudden loud outcry, and you shush Miki with a finger to your lips.
"Oops...sorry," she whispers, giggling apologetically. "But, really, court is, like suuuuper boring, nano! There's all these weird rules and all they talk about is boring stuff and I gotta sit up real straight all the time and if I get bored and slouch or yawn Mom gets, like, all upset and she's all 'why can't you be more like your sister' and it sucks!"

"Uh huh...so you have a sister then?"

>>24345945
wait, I thought that her parents tell her that she can live quite relaxed, what with how well off they are. Now her sister, that, I'd like to ask, see if the Visual trait is inherent to the family.

>>24345943
>Haruka: bruises, broken rib, extended mana drain
Takane: large abdominal laceration

Okay, you got me there.

>>24346101
>wait, I thought that her parents tell her that she can live quite relaxed,

I think relaxed in the sense of that she doesn't have to work for her living like a peasant.

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>>24346101
She can be relaxed everywhere but at the table.

>>24345945
"Yeah, she's a few years older than me. She always goes with Mom and Daddy to court, and she's, like, arranged to be married to some count's son or something? Anyway, she's real good at all that courtly ettiquette and stuff, so everybody loves her at court. I hardly ever see her at home cuz she's always out at court or getting invited to balls and banquets and stuff."

Aside from a bit of eye-rolling when she mentions her sister's betrothal, Miki's tone and expression suggests a sincere admiration and respect for her sister...but also a twinge of sadness and a hint of jealousy.

>[] It sounds like you and your sister are fairly close. Or...used to be, anyway.
>[] Do you wish you could be more like your sister?
>[] It sounds like you're not too impressed with your sister's wedding plans.
>[] Hm, so your sister's already engaged? A pity, I would've liked to have been introduced to her...
>[] Other (specify)

>>24346270
>[x] It sounds like you and your sister are fairly close. Or...used to be, anyway.

Backstory. I love Backstories.

>[] It sounds like you and your sister are fairly close. Or...used to be, anyway.

>>24346270
>[] Hm, so your sister's already engaged? A pity, I would've liked to have been introduced to her...

Lighten up the moment with a jest.

>>24346335
Hanii much?

>>24346270
>[] Close sisters
QM, age gap between the two? Also, I wonder how two sisters get along.

>>24346270

>[] It sounds like you're not too impressed with your sister's wedding plans.

>>24346270
>[] It sounds like you and your sister are fairly close. Or...used to be, anyway.

>>24346335
Seconded. The reaction might be humorous.

>>24346270
>[x] It sounds like you and your sister are fairly close. Or...used to be, anyway.
I need to know more.

>>24346270
[x] It sounds like you and your sister are fairly close. Or...used to be, anyway.

>>24346270
"Hm...so, exactly how much older is your sister?"

"Three years, nano. She's 18."

Which...means Miki is only 15 years old? Huh. Looking at her, you would've sworn she was older.

"Well, it sounds like your relationship with her is pretty close. Or...used to be, anyway. I take it her court business has been keeping you apart?"

"Well...kinda, yeah. We always used to do everything together when we were little, but now she's, like, never around. And...even when she is around, she's always kinda...like, she used to be all fun and warm and, like, I dunno, fluffy, kinda, with me. But now she's all, like, distant and stuff. Like, she's still nice to me, but..."

Miki clutches her knees to her chest and rests her head on them, looking rather glum. "She's always way too formal and polite, and it's like she's acting in a play or something."

You faintly hear her mumble something that sounds like, "I already said I was sorry..."

>Your response?

>>24346817
sounds like a falling out, or maybe a sibling rivalry as time passed on due to family's work and reputation. what happened?

>>24346817

Ask her if she's alright, and if she's comfortable telling us about anything that went wrong.

>>24346943
This. Show her she has our attention.

>>24346817
Damn it I'm no good at these kinds of things. Encourage her to go on I suppose, pretty much >>24346943

>>24346943
this is a grea/tg/entleman.

>>24347223
Miki can wake her up.

>>24347223
Hmm, that could be a problem. Do we have another really long stick to poke her with or maybe throw a rock or two at her?

>>24347277
>long stick to poke her

anon pls

>>24346817
"Hey, are you ok?"

She looks up at you with a smile (albeit plainly forced). "Yeah, I'm fine, nano!"

"You know, if you feel comfortable with it, you can talk to me about anything that went wrong. I'm...well, maybe not the best person to ask for advice on stuff like this, but I do know a thing or two about strained family relations."

To put it mildly...

"Well...I think it started at this big midwinter ball a couple years ago, right? The duke was there, and a bunch of other real important people, and I...well, I did something kinda silly that really embarrassed my family, and especially my sister. After that my parents stopped making me come to court and stuff. I was happy about that at first, cuz, like then I could just stay at home or go shopping or whatever, right? But that's about when Sissy started acting weird around me, and Mom and Daddy started focusing a lot more on her and arranging her marriage and stuff. I didn't think they were really that mad at me for what I did at the ball, but I guess I was wrong..."

>[] Yeah, sounds like you must've really ruffled some feathers in a bad way.
>[] Have you considered that maybe it's not so much anything against you personally, but maybe just a matter of needing to keep up appearances at court?
>[] Other (specify)

>>24347496
The second choice is far too rational, so gonna go with the first.

>>24347496
going with >>24347517, what did she exactly do there?

>>24347496
>[] Yeah, sounds like you must've really ruffled some feathers in a bad way.
And see if she is willing to say what it was she did, don't force it though.

>>24347496
"This way you're free. Do you like that?"

>>24347496

The first one doesn't sound very reassuring but the second one sounds like it was written by Spock.

I guess I'll go >Other, and say that whatever she did couldn't have been that terrible and see if she bites and let's us know what it was.

>>24347602
I'm going with what this anon said.

"It couldn't have been that silly, could it?"

>>24347496
"Well, it certainly sounds like you must have really ruffled some feathers pretty badly, but...surely whatever you did can't have been bad enough to make your family suddenly hate you or anything, right?"

"Hm...Probably not..."
You think you hear her murmur, "I mean, the duchess's dress was only a little singed at the hem..."

"Sorry, what was that last part?"

"Nothing, nano!"

>[] Press the issue
>[] Let it drop

>>24347941

I don't necessarily want to 'press' the issue, but I would like to at least learn what she did exactly. So like laugh and say it sounds like a good story you'd like to hear or something.

>>24347941
just drop it

>>24347941
We can press the issue... later. Just drop it for now. We can always revisit it later.

>>24347941
Drop it for now, maybe add that it sounds like an interesting tale and you would like to hear about it some time.

>>24347941
"Heh, well, it sounds like quite the interesting incident, anyway. Maybe you can tell me about it some other time?"

"Hm...maybe, nano! But only if you're good, ok Producer?" She wags her finger at you in mock condescension.

"Haha, well, I'll be sure to be on my best behaviour then!"

You both laugh -- quietly, so as not to wake the girls on the other side of the curtain or alert any nearby goblins to your presence.

Shifting the conversation to lighter topics, you learn that Miki really loves onigiri -- in fact, she actually stashed one away in her pack for a snack, which she eats as you keep watch. For awhile, you entertain each other with hand shadow puppets cast on the makeshift curtain by the light of the candle.

As you expected, Miki starts to nod off well before her appointed shift is supposed to be over -- roughly a half hour or so remains until the candle burns down to the halfway point.

>[] Keep Miki awake until her full shift is up
>[] Have her go sleep in her bedroll on the other side of the curtain -- you'll be up for another two hours after her shift is actually up anyway, so it's no big deal if she goes to bed early.

>>24348411
Eh, she's been good so far, so what say we go easy on her for now.

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>>24348411
>[x] Have her go sleep in her bedroll on the other side of the curtain -- you'll be up for another two hours after her shift is actually up anyway, so it's no big deal if she goes to bed early.

We prepared for it so everything is going according to keikkaku.

>[] Have her go sleep in her bedroll on the other side of the curtain -- you'll be up for another two hours after her shift is actually up anyway, so it's no big deal if she goes to bed early.

>>24348411
>>[] Have her go sleep in her bedroll on the other side of the curtain -- you'll be up for another two hours after her shift is actually up anyway, so it's no big deal if she goes to bed early.

>>24348411
[x] Have her go sleep in her bedroll on the other side of the curtain -- you'll be up for another two hours after her shift is actually up anyway, so it's no big deal if she goes to bed early.
As was expected.

>>24348411
You reach over and shake Miki awake. "Hey, if you're going to sleep, at least do it in your bedroll. If you sleep leaning against the wall in your armor like that, you'll get all kinds of nasty cramps."

Blinking at you blearily, she nods and starts to scoot on her knees toward the curtain, not even bothering to get up. "Ok. G'night, Producer," she murmurs, punctuating it with a yawn.

Now alone on your side of the curtain, you pass the rest of your shift in silence, using a bit of your twine to make string figures to keep yourself awake. You find yourself wishing you were aboveground, where at least the stars in the sky and the sounds of various night wildlife could keep your mind occupied. Here, deep underground, the only sound you hear is the distant trickle of water, and the only things to see besides the rock are your own possessions. The dullness of it all is positively oppressive. You imagine you'd probably go mad rather quickly if confined to a small cave like this for any long amount of time.

But, when the alternative is a life-or-death fight against grotesque mockeries of human form, you'll gladly take the oppressive dullness. And fortunately, your shift on watch passes without incident. As the candle begins to gutter out, you light a fresh one to replace it and poke past the curtain to wake Ami for her shift. As she moves to your side of the curtain to sit watch, you remove your armor and lay down in your bedroll to sleep.

>>24348942
>Ami watching you sleep.
This makes me uncomfortable.

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I'm sorry guys, but I think I'm gonna have to end a little early tonight. I've been a little sluggish all evening, and right now I feel like I could nod off at any moment.

Apologies for the relative lack of content, but hopefully you guys at least enjoyed the chat with Miki. As always, feedback is very much appreciated, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

>>24349064

I'm just happy we managed to get 3 sessions in a month.

Did our write-ups last time help you any or do still need any advice?

>>24349064
Shoot. Would it be possible to pick up sometime tomorrow?

>>24349064
A SESSION WHERE WE DIDNT FUCK UP A ROLL!!!

>>24349064
Well damn, missed the whole thing. But doesn't look like I missed too much either.

>>24349106
The tips last time were very helpful, huge thanks to everyone who contributed to that. I think I have a pretty decent handle on where I want to go with Miki's character now, but if anyone has any additional things to note about her I'd be happy to hear them.

If there's one thing I'd say I'm particularly interested in, it'd be suggestions for good places to look for reference on Miki's personality. Subbed drama tracks or route videos, specific manga chapters (I haven't yet gotten around to reading anything but Puchimasu), that sort of thing -- stuff I can use to get into her head and give a little nuance to her character beyond the obvious kirakiradokidoki~ttekanjinanoafu stuff.

>>24349107
I really, really wish I could, but I have exams coming up this week and I really need tomorrow evening to study...

>>24349400
I believe the Relations manga is Miki focused. That could help. And maybe watching some subbed gameplay of her route. I believe there are some clips of those on youtube that can give you a sense of her character.

Archive is up, with the numbering back on track.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=iM%40S+Fantasy+Quest

>>24349711
The depiction of Miki in relations isn't really accurate though.

>>24349400

Chapters 3-4 of the The Idolm@ster (anime tie-in one) are Miki Chapters.

Chapter 3 of Colorful Days is also a Miki chapter.

Relations stars Miki but I think it's known to be a bit out of character at times.

I'd ask /@/ for specific route videos and comb through Yukipo.

>>24349400
Tired about to pass out. I'll look up more stuff and post it in general probably Sunday.
Profile, most important part is about her awakened route - http://www.project-imas.com/wiki/Miki_Hoshii
im@s2 true ending - http://forum.project-imas.com/index.php/topic,1225.msg25214.html#msg25214
Namassuka Special 01 sound tracks - particularly Miki and Takane's corner

>>24349870
Sugio's translated vids: http://d.hatena.ne.jp/Sugio/20070402

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>>24349400
Yeah, Miki's character can be difficult to pin down, especially since the writers (games and anime alike) had a hard time figuring out how to balance her personality.

I think her personality boils down to two major points. First, Miki is a nice, well-meaning, and honest person- it's just that she has absolutely no tact whatsoever, and will run her damn mouth without realizing that she's accidentally insulting the fuck out of the other person. Case in point- in one of the first scenes of IM@S 2, her way of complimenting a super-famous movie director is by telling him that she LOVES his movies, because they're so boring that she watches them to help her fall asleep.

Second is the fact that pre-idol, Miki never had the urge or the need to try hard for anything. She's (theoretically) smart enough to coast through school with decent grades, cute/pretty enough to turn heads and make friends, and reasonably athletic. This gives her enough leeway to also be a damn layabout who naps all the time. As an idol, Miki is a bloody genius, so she normally doesn't need to put forth more than a decent effort to keep up with everyone else. There's a scene in one of the spinoff games which pretty much defines her outlook; she really admires ducks and other waterfowl, since they just kind of coast along the surface of the water without seeming to do jack shit. (Of course, she misses the point, not seeming to realize that their feet thrash around like mad underwater, where you can't see them.)

It's when she gets fired up that she really starts tearing her way through shit.

In the first game, Miki falls head over heels for her producer if you trigger an event when he saves her from getting hit by a car, and she also realizes she needs to stop being such a damn layabout.

The side effect is that Awakened Miki's personality goes really weird, and she starts going HANIIIII and lets producer molest her. Only in the first game, thankfully, and theyrefined her character since.