RulesBelow you'll find the rules for the questGameplay mechanics- You are expected to pay the promised salary of your idols at the start of the month. - Each decision point spans two weeks. - You start with one idol, but may be allowed to manage more after 3 months Jobs- Jobs have a rank and a difficulty rating- To succeed at a job you roll the idol’s stat for that job + d100 against the DC- On a success you get paid and might get some fame if you succeed by a lot- On a failure you get paid, but will not get fame and your idol might get sad - Failing the DC by a lot might means you lose fame and your idol gets super sadIdols- You can choose to either have an idol work a gig or have her try to develop her skills- An idol may try to develop her skills during in her own time (d100)- Idols have energy that regenerates at a rate of 100 a month- Practicing, doing jobs, or storyline developments will drain that energy- Idols have a mental health state, but that isn’t explicitly tracked for now
To help you get started, you’ll be assigned an assistant with the name of Matsui Tomo.Matsui Tomo is well versed in all things idol, but has always declined any promotion that would put her in charge of her own group as she likes her job as it is and doesn’t want the additional responsibility. Now, the question remains: Who are you?The people you don’t pick will become your rival managers.
>pic related for images Manager #1: Yukimori KyodenIron: You don’t easily succumb to pressure.From one managing position to the next, the board of directors saw the miracles you worked over in the accounts and finance department and they are curious if your skillset can be applied to managing idols. At least this new position pays a lot more and, well, your previous department basically runs itself by now. In situations where other crumble – you stand tall. You’ve never known a problem you couldn’t fix. -----Manager #2: Matsuno KojiroPersuasive: You gain advantage on deal-making. It only took you a handful of months before you got this idol managing opportunity, but then again – your uncle is the owner. This blood relation might be able to help you out at times, but they didn’t stop your uncle from firing his own daughter a few weeks back. Having worked in sales prior to this, you’re known to have a silver tongue and are skilled in making any deal more favourable. -----Manager #3: Nagata MihoEmpathetic: You are more aware of other people’s emotions and might notice idol developments before they occur.The offer to start managing idols came somewhat as surprise. Up until recently you were just an average HR worker that would soothe, chat, and support the various idols running around the building. You haven’t done anything special as far as you know – you were just there for them when they needed a shoulder to cry on. Being an idol can be a terribly difficult job.But it seems like the words of praise has travelled up the chain and upper management has given you this golden opportunity. Who are you?>Manager #1: Yukimori Kyoden>Manager #2: Matsuno Kojiro>Manager #3: Nagata Miho
>>5587606>Manager #3: Nagata Miho
Some minor info that’ll be relevant in the futureYou can ask your assistant, Matsui Tomo, to schedule auditions in an effort to acquire new talent. Idols have ranks ranging from F to S rank and the chances of scouting a higher rank idol go up as you increase your scouting range – but doing so cost more. Keep in mind that even local auditions (Cost $50,000) can find S rank idols, but the odds are really low. There’s a lot of RNG involved when it comes to the stats of idols, but higher rank idols typically have higher base stats and a higher stat potential. All idols are generated using a small program I wrote to support this quest. It randomly generates a number between 1 and 10.000 (higher is better) and finds the matching Idol Rank for the selected auditon type. Lower rank number ranges decrease as you go up in "Audition Scope" and higher rank ranges increase. Prices>Local - $50,000>Regional - $500,000>National - $5,000,000>Global - $50,000,000This is not a prompt, just general info. Voting for the manager selection closes in 35 min or so. It'll be immediately followed up with the first idol selection. I plan to update this quest all evening, so check back often.
>>5587606>>Manager #1: Yukimori Kyoden
>>5587606>Manager #1: Yukimori KyodenCome Hell and high water, we will drag this venture into the green.
>>5587606>>Manager #3: Nagata Miho
>>5587606>Manager #1: Yukimori Kyoden
Even votes for both Nagata Miho and Yukimori KyodenAwaiting tie-breaker
>>5587645>Manager #3: Nagata Miho
>>5587651Winner>Manager #3: Nagata MihoPosting first set of idols soon
You are Nagata Miho former HR rep turned idol manager. Matsuno Takechi, the owner, is a firm believer in the idea that healthy competition brings out the best in people. Starting their managing career at the same time as you are Yukimori Kyoden and Ito Kojiro. You all work at the same agency so they are your co-workers, but at the same time they are also your rivals. The first three months will be your training period and the company is prepared to turn a loss as long as it means that you learn a thing or two about managing idols.In addition to that, you are free to invest any profits you make back into your idols. You’ll have a performance review with the owner, Matsuno Takechi.Once this probationary period is over and he’ll decide if you should stick with one idol for now or are ready to manage several. Matsui Tomo, your assistant, has taken the liberty to start a round of local auditions (-$50,000) and the following prospective idols have caught the eye of the scouts.
>>5587658>Matsuno Takechi is pic related Nagata Miho is the blonde girl from earlier
>>5587660Post full pic
>>5587661
>>5587658You make yourself comfortable in your new office over on the eleventh floor of Matsuno Inc. HQ. Matsui Tomo walks into the room with an easy smile and hands you a folder containing several prospective idols. ”Here are the results from the audition, Nagata-san,” she says, “I’ve assigned each of them a numerical ranking for their skills, their latent potential for that skill, and a possible marketable trait I noticed after reviewing their audition tapes.You take the folder and flip through the candidates, there’s only three of them, but, then again, you’re only allowed to pick one idol to represent for the time being. Your brow furrows, it’s difficult. Back during your HR days you had to pick candidates all the time, but it feels a bit different now knowing you could make or break somebody’s dream with a single decision. “What happens to the ones I don’t pick?” you ask,trying to keep the concern from your voice. Matsui Tomo raises her shoulders, shrugging, ”The folder will makes its way through the rest of the company and a different manager might pick them up,” she says, then winks, “I just made sure you had the first pick considering that I’m your assistant now.”Matsui-san seems very capable and you tell her as much.A different manager may have just nodded and perhaps indulged the assistant with a grunt of approval, but you know the importance of voicing your appreciation. “Thank you for putting this all together, Matsui-san,” you say with a bright smile. Matsui almost looks taken aback, but then waves the comment off, “What are you saying?” she says, fighting down a chuckle as a blush warms her cheeks, “That's my job.”It's time to make a decision.
>>5587686Idol #1 - Kaiba Aoi (Age 18, Rank E)Looks: 25 (55)Vocals: 32 (35)Dance: 21 (40)Acting: 37 (63)Personality: 33 (61)Trait: GloomyInteractions with fans will be rolled with disadvantage. Fame: 0This idol is completely unknown. Costs $5,000 per month--------Idol #2 - Ichihara Riko (Age 16, Rank E)Looks: 32 (41)Vocals: 31 (69)Dance: 27 (30)Acting: 44 (68)Personality: 19 (37)Trait: LiarAt times may make promises she doesn’t plan to keep. Fame: 1This idol has made some minor appearances. Costs $8,000 per month------Idol #3 - Maki Sumi (Age 15, Rank F)Looks: 30 (35)Vocals: 34 (40)Dance: 15 (54)Acting: 29 (39)Personality: 9 (22)Trait: SecretiveWill be hesitant to share her problems or developments. Fame: 0This idol is completely unknown. Costs $5,000 per month------>Idol #1 - Kaiba Aoi>Idol #2 - Ichihara Riko>Idol #3 - Maki Sumi>Don't pick any and request a new round of local auditions (-$50,000)ResourcesBudget: $100,000Date: January 1, 2015
>>5587695Kaiba has decent potential except in vocals and the best personality, she'll eventually bloom. Fans will forgive her gloominess if they truly fans at all, they'll get used to it and accept it as normal. As the oldest she'll also probably just be more mature and easier to deal with.Ichihara has a lot of potential in vocals and acting and her stats overall stick out to me as starting off strong, plus she's already known. Her being a liar is a drama magnet though, as is her shitty personality. Will probably lie to us, her fans about things she'll do, etc. Probably the best all around pick in my opinion, but not my fave.Maki has the best potential in dance, but I personally don't think dance is as important as vocals, personally I never got the emphasis on both dance and vocals in K-pop, I just want to listen to a song. Otherwise her personality is horrible and she is near a couple of her skill ceilings already. We are probably the best manager suited for her trait, which is why I don't want to take her. Let our rival managers suffer her shit personality and secretiveness.>Idol #1 - Kaiba AoiFavourite pick. Great potential in personality and acting, good in looks, decent dancer and vocals, I'm sure people will love her eventually. I'd also prefer the other managers pick the other two up, assuming they don't go for another audition, I want them to have to deal with their issues from a competitive standpoint. We also shouldn't waste money hoping for another better group.
>>5587695”All these numbers, what exactly do they mean?” you ask, scratching your cheek, "Some are fairly straight-forward, but I don't wanna make any assumptions." Matsui slightly tilts her head, but then her eyes widen and she holds a hand in front of her mouth, “I can’t believe I forgot to explain the system. I completely forget you’re new to the idol world. I’m so sorry.””It’s okay,” you reply, “Could you explain it to me?”She takes a moment to go over the skills with you. Looks - are the sum total of an idol’s physical appearance. This skill is used for things like modelling gigs and commercials. Some jobs might even have a minimum requirement for looks. Vocals - represent an idol’s vocal ability and their general ability to sing. Not all idols are great singers, but some jobs require it. It definitely comes in handy when recording songs and some voice-acting jobs require a voice-actor with vocal skills. Dance - This one is fairly self-explanatory. It’s your ability to move. Some commercials require it, back-up dancer gigs require it, and most idol groups require it. High-profile jobs can have a pretty high min. requirement. Acting - Your ability to act out a role. Used in jobs like voice acting as well as ordinary on-screen acting. Also used when a situation requires you to lie to a person or crowd.Personality - This is your idol’s marketable personality. A good personality score means they would be a great addition to a radio show or a reality show. It’s a combination of their humour, wits, and general likability. ---Idol voting closes in 30 min or so
>>5587695>>Idol #1 - Kaiba AoiDepressed idols sell too
>>5587695>>Idol #1 - Kaiba AoiThe gloominess is her charm point
>>5587695>>Idol #1 - Kaiba AoiThe image is cute.This is the most important factor.
Winner>>Idol #1 - Kaiba Aoi
>>5587750”I think we’ll go with Kaiba Aoi,” you say, handing back the folder. Matsui nods, “Very well,” she says, taking the folder and tucking it under an arm, “I’ll make sure to get the paperwork in order.”She makes her way to the door of your office, but then stops and turns, “We have Kaiba Aoi’s phone number,” she says, “I can give her a call if you like? Alternatively, we can invite her to the office for a short chat?”>1 - Let Matsui call her and congratulate her on the start of her new idol career>2 - Call Kaiba Aoi yourself. It’s the least you can do as her brand new manager.>3 - First impressions are important. You want to invite Kaiba Aoi to the office so you can get familiar with each other. You’ll be working together a lot after all.
>>5587757>3 - First impressions are important. You want to invite Kaiba Aoi to the office so you can get familiar with each other. You’ll be working together a lot after all.
>>5587757>3 - First impressions are important. You want to invite Kaiba Aoi to the office so you can get familiar with each other. You’ll be working together a lot after all.Gloominess incoming.
>>5587695>Kaiba AoiDespite being gloomy, she has the most marketable personality. I guess we can market her as a kuudere.
>>5587757>3
Winner>3 - First impressions are important. You want to invite Kaiba Aoi to the office so you can get familiar with each other. You’ll be working together a lot after all.
Update soon. Sorry that it took a while.
Barely three hours later, Kaiba Aoi is sitting in the chair opposite of your desk. She’s running her hands over the end of a long strand of black hair, twirling it in small circles, “Ah,” she begins, then looks towards her feet for a moment, “I’m very sorry. …The call.”You hold up your hands in reassuring manner, “It’s quite alright,” you say, trying a smile. Matsui had to call a total of seven times. Apparently Kaiba had heard the phone ring, but she didn’t recognize the number so she was hesitant to pick it up.It wasn’t until the seventh call that Kaiba picked up and, in a very mousy voice, asked if Matsui could stop calling – only for her to realize that this was the call she had been waiting for. “It’s just that,” says Kaiba, “I didn’t think you’d call. I figured I was too old. That you had already picked somebody else.””Normally idols start at a very young age, don’t they?” she ads, then seemingly decides to break herself down even further, “I already graduated high school last year and it’s not easy for me to be happy and cheerful like the idols on TV.””I picked you Kaiba-san,” you say, “Because I felt like you have what it takes.”That appeared to make her somewhat happy, but it seems like she has trouble expressing it. >pic related
>>5587852"Even though I’m like this,” says Kaiba, “And can’t dance very well?”These self-confidence issue are going to be a hurdle we’ll have to cross at some point. “I chose you because you’re the way you are,” you reply, “You don’t need to pretend to be something you’re not. It seems like you don’t believe it, but you already are idol material. That's why you're here.”It occurred to you that you might be overloading this poor girl with compliments. Kaiba’s face was beet red as she began to laugh, only it wasn’t really a proper laugh. Almost more like a nervous chuckle – stretched out for an uncomfortable amount of time. “Eh-hehehehe,” laughed Kaiba, her face buried in her hands. You extend a hand towards her, arm hovering above your desk, and it causes the girl to finally look up. “My name is Nagata Miho,“ you say with a smile, “And I’ll be your manager if you’ll have me.”The girl takes your offered hand in both of hers, “Yes,” she replies hastily, a sparkle in her eyes, “Absolutely.”After a long moment you decide to ask for your hand back as she was still hanging onto it. “Ah,” says Kaiba, letting go, “I’m sorry.”“It’s quite alright,” you reply, then take out the form that your assistant had prepared earlier.It was a sheet of questions that Kaiba has been asked to fill out back during the audition.“While we’re here I’d like to go over some of the answers you’ve given during the audition,” you say, “Just so I can have a better idea of the kind of idol you’d like to be and help you with that.”Kaibs nods, nerves creeping into her face.“For the question ‘Why do you want to be an idol?' you answered ‘I don’t know’,” you say, “Could you expand on that?”Suddenly it seemed like all the progress you’ve made during this conversation was turned null and void. Kaiba returned to her earlier ways, playing with a lock of hair and turning it in small circles.
>>5587856“It’s difficult to explain,” she says, “I didn’t know what to do when I graduated high school last year. I’ve been sorta staying at home and in my room during that time. My parents have been asking me to get a job or go to college and I didn’t know what to do. I figured nobody would want a person like me. Sometimes I wish I was different. I’m not happy the way I am. I wish I could be more like other people. Cheer, clap, shout and those sorta things when at a concert. But even when I went to a concert that one time, I couldn’t. I wish I could express myself like that. Be happy – y’know, like idols are. They always seem to have so much fun. I understand that part of that is faked – acting, but I can’t even do that.”A big part of your years at HR was spend listening, knowing when to just be quiet because you know there’s more to come. So, you simply waited for the girl to continue. “I guess I was hoping that if I were to become an idol that I might be able to express myself better and get a ton of friends. Or something,” she concludes, “To be honest I didn’t think I would get picked.” [Trait: Empathetic]The unspoken question here was: Why didn’t you write that. And the answer would be: That would be embarrassing. The girl on the other side seemed small, her shoulders tight. As if already regretting opening up and bracing herself for the barrage of questions to come. “I think that’s a great reason,” you say, clicking your pencil and moving on to the next question. The relief was clear on her face. “So on the question regarding what kind of activities you’d see yourself perform as an idol you answered: 'Modelling and voice acting',” you ask, “Can you expand on that?”“Ah,” she says, wringing her hands, “I figured you wouldn’t have to talk to people that much if you did those. I’m hoping I can be a proper actress at some point, but that feels out of reach.” She quiets for a moment, but then continues, “I thought that, maybe, if I did modelling and people like it that it would give me some self-confidence. Sort of.”You begin to notice that this extended conversation is taking a toll on the girl and speed your way through the remaining questions.
>>5587863A short while later you tap the bottom of your papers on the desk, the universal sign for we’re-done-here, “That’s all,” you say as Kaiba lets out a deep sigh. “Welcome to the Matsuno Inc. Idol Agency,” you say, “You are a proper idol now and will receive your first wage next month. Me and my assistant, Matsui Tomo, will call you tomorrow. Relax and get some rest.”Kaiba stands and perform a shallow bow, “Ah,” she says, “Thank you. I saved the company’s number in my phone so it’s no longer unknown.”A pained expression slips onto her face as that memory lingers, “Sorry again for that.”“It’s quite alright,” you reply, then you say your goodbyes. ----A short while after Kaiba has left, Matsui comes into the office with a clipboard tucked under her arm. ”Did everything go okay, Nagata-san?” asks Matsui. You shrug, “I think I have a decent idea of the kind of work that Kaiba Aoi wants to do,” you say, “She might also have to do some idol work that it outside her comfort zone in the future, but I think we’ll play it safe for now.”Matsui nods in acknowledgement, then raises the clipboard, pen at the ready, “What’s the plan?”---NoteEach “Idol Task” takes place over a period of two weeks. The events happening during that period will be summarized and stat changes will be mentioned.Rule: Raising SkillsTraining skills cost 50 energy. The amount of skill points gained are 1d6. The DC for this is your current skill amount. You roll a 1d100.Example: If Acting is 40 and you want to raise your acting you have to roll a 1d100 and get above 40. This means that it becomes harder to raise skills you are already good at. Keep an eye out for opportunities to gain a roll modifier. Budget: $100,000Date: January 1, 2015Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi (Energy 100)>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy) >2 - Have Kaiba train on her SKILL_HERE using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba (3d100) – Energy expended depends on job taken. >4 - Write-in
>>5587864>1 - Have Kaiba work on her LOOKS using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)A glow-up generally adds confidence to people.
>>5587864With each decision point being two weeks you have six decisions until your first performance review. Current date: January 1, 2015Performance review: April 1, 2015The performance review determines if you are allowed to manage another idol or will just have to micromanage Kaiba Aoi a bit more.
>>5587864>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy) Let's try to raise a skill she's already good at to a higher level so that we can use it for a job.
>>5587864This vote will remain open for a long while. I'll pick things back up tomorrow.
>>5587864>1 - Have Kaiba work on her LOOKS using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)Fulfill her potential, give her confidence, make her presentable for marketing.If 3 is chosen do we choose a job from prompts or is it just automatically chosen for us based on what skills Kaiba has and the rolls result?I say save our money for deals or opening up opportunities to boost our roll modifiers.
>>5587901>If 3 is chosen do we choose a job from prompts or is it just automatically chosen for us based on what skills Kaiba has and the rolls result?You get 3 options and pick one. Important note here is that you HAVE to pick one even if none are a perfect fit. The excuse is that the Idol Agency makes certain promises to these companies that the jobs will get picked up. The real reason is that because if I don't add that condition then every decision will be "Let's see the 3 jobs first and if they suck we'll just train a skill".
>>5587864>>5587867Supporting this. I think her three main stats should be LOOKS, ACTING, and PERSONALITY. It’ll fit with modeling/acting work, and she can take a side journey into something like general talk shows. Talk about expecting to be passed over due to her age, what she’s enjoying the most in her work etc. etc. It’ll allow her to interact with fans indirectly by speaking to them from through interviews and shows.Voting LOOKS since it’s directly related to something she wants and is the lowest of the three stats I’m interested in.
>>5587864>Work on her LOOKS using in house accomodations.I agree that having her pretty up will help with the image she has of herself. It is an interesting question. Are popular kids confident in high school because they are good at sports, or they are good at sports because they are confident?
>>5587864>1 - Have Kaiba work on her LOOKS using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)
>>5587864>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)
Winner>1 - Have Kaiba work on her LOOKS using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)
Kaiba Aoi Looks Improvement RollKaiba's "Looks" currently sit at 25.Need a 1d100 roll. The DC to beat is 25. On a success you can roll a 1d6 to see how much your score increases by. --Meanwhile I'll start writing the two-week summary.
Rolled 25 (1d100)>>5588395
Rolled 6 (1d6)>>5588395
>>5588396>>5588398Meets it, beats itKaiba's "Looks" score increases by 6. Her new "Looks" score is 31.
Rolled 23 (1d100)>>5588395
Will be updating the story shortly. I spend some time to set up a public overview of the story thus far and the characters so people can make informed decisions. This public overview is synced with my personal story manager and updates automatically. This link will be posted in all OPs going forwardlegendkeeper.com/app/clerg3w370sti08866hb09fcgThe amount of information you can see is restricted by permissions so it should be free of spoilers. Tags for CTRL+F: wiki, overview, information
>>5588508Thank you QM. Very cool!
“As a sort of welcome and to give her a bit of a confidence boost we’ll have her do a full spa tour in the next two weeks,” you say.“Oh, dear,” replies Matsui, “The full works? Hairdresser? Make-up? Massages? Outfitting?”“Everything,” you say, “I want the company to offer her whatever it can give. Dieting, personal trainer, physiotherapist. Everything.”“Oh, my,” says Matsui, noting it down with a playful smile on her face, “I’m a little jealous.”----The next two weeks went by quickly. The two idols from the earlier audition who you hadn’t chosen were picked up by the other managers. The young, energetic Maki Sumi is now managed by Matsuno Kojiro and the instant “Queen of Gossip” Ichihara Riko is managed by Yukimori Kyoden. At first Kaiba Aoi was all too happy being pampered. The first week was filled with manicures, trips to the salon, professional make-up and the like. The second week however was more taxing as she was assigned a personal trainer and had to make some big changes to her diet. Kaiba had actually called that day, asking if you could make an exception for giant pretzels, which were apparently half of her diet.You had to let her down and told her that pretzels were no longer a part of her life. The rest of the company hadn’t been idle either. The marketing department were hard at work trying to come up with an image for Kaiba. Ultimately they decided on…>1 - A slouchy “gamer girl” persona. Slightly dishevelled, but cute. >Target market: Young adults, teens, gamers, male>2 - A tender, motherly image. Soft-spoken and gentle. >Target market: Young adults, adults, both male and female>3 - An ice-cold, dark persona. Clad in black. >Target market: adults, both male and female>4 Write-in
>>5588539>2 - A tender, motherly image. Soft-spoken and gentle.>>Target market: Young adults, adults, both male and female
>>5588539>1 - A slouchy “gamer girl” persona. Slightly dishevelled, but cute. >Target market: Young adults, teens, gamers, maleThis is close to her actual personality, and her target audience will find it easy to relate to her socialization difficulties.How do you make the AI generate images of the same character? Or is it not a generated character?
>>5588539>2 - A tender, motherly image. Soft-spoken and gentle. >Target market: Young adults, adults, both male and femaleLotta lonely people out there. Kai is certainly soft spoken, at least.
>>5588539>2 - A tender, motherly image. Soft-spoken and gentle.>Target market: Young adults, adults, both male and female
Winner>2 - A tender, motherly image. Soft-spoken and gentle.>Target market: Young adults, adults, both male and female>Or is it not a generated character?All art in this quest (except for the OP image) is generated by AI. >How do you make the AI generate images of the same character? Be very specific with the tags and have a lot of patience.
>>5588583Holy crap, the consistency of her hair is amazing
>>5588539>1 - Creepy looks, but an actual softie. A teen trying to turn flaws into assets. Relatable, at least near her own demographic.>Target market: Young adults, teens, male and female.Kinda envisioning Hex Maniac memes to a lesser extent. Not quite perky goth either since it’d be a lot of stress to be that upbeat, just someone who turned to a darker style that fit her gloominess better and hopes it makes people like her.Gives her scope to talk about her image problems and earn empathy points from female fans.
>>5588590I like it. Idol image is not set in stone, so perhaps this can still be an option later on if the prior pick doesn't work out.
[Kaiba Aoi has gained +6 in Looks. Making her new Looks score a “31“]Ultimately they decided on a sort of soft, motherly image. Nothing too crazy that would be difficult for her to maintain, but a persona close to her own. Pictures of her new look had already been taken and uploaded to the company’s website and Instagram page where they were met with mixed results. >pic relatedInternally though, everyone agreed that Kaiba’s looks had improved greatly. While Kaiba had been working on her looks, Ichihara Riko and Maki Sumi had both been send on jobs. Ichihara Riko performed admirably on a short fruit juice commercial where she didn’t have any lines, but only really had to watch with shock on her face as the commercial’s lead actor, some man in his early twenties, rolled by while performing a handstand on a skateboard while sipping from a packet of fruit juice. Her entire role was perhaps three seconds. Maki Sumi has been having issues combing school and her new idol career and was only able to spend a single afternoon on a fashion shoot where she modelled children’s clothing. She had thrown quite a fit when she discovered she had to show off clothes meant for ten year olds. Turns out she has a bit of a complex about her childlike appearance. Still, both of them have already made several thousand dollars. Week 3-4 stands before you. What’s the plan? Budget: $100,000Date: January 15, 2015Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi (Energy 50)>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)>2 - Have Kaiba train on her SKILL_HERE using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba >4 - Write-in
>>5588630>Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for KaibaSince the agency has revealed her, we have to maintain audience interest.
>>5588630>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba
>>5588630>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba We have a theme established first, let’s see where it takes us.>The pictureI got a chuckle at the last comment. Feels mean, but I can’t say it’s inaccurate.
I have a million dollar idea guys.After Kaiba finishes this job, we get her training again. But we turn it into a mini-reality show, more like a vlog. A meek girl overcoming hardships on her way to her dream. Get those parasocial relationships going and attract low-confidence female audience.
>>5588642Would work well when doing LOOKS especially. There’s a chance to draw advertisers based on the beauty products used. I’d keep the advertising light at most, unmentioned beyond making sure the labels are clearly visible preferably. The focus is to build her brand with those sessions, not to draw in money.Maybe we do PERSONALITY next and have her talk through some self-help tips?
>>5588539Aw, missed this vote. I was gonna suggest starting with 1 and then transitioning into something else as her target market grows up, she's young herself after all and would change with her audience.>>5588630lmao, Riko in the chat shit talking another member of her gen. Plus the bonus memes of Souv getting inspiration for his JAV quest.When are we expected to report our earnings again, 3 months minus two weeks from now? We should have something to show at the next meeting so that we can be allowed to manage multiple idols, but if possible I'd like to keep training Kaiba first.>1 - Have Kaiba work on her LOOKS using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)Keep this up, improve on her appearance to keep her confidence high in response to the criticism she got, then go we'll hopefully have a LOOKS job available next turn. Though training her acting or personality would be fine by me too.
>>5588630>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)
>>5588630>>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba
>>5588648Shit, I didn’t notice Riko! She’s a known liar at least.It should mean more when she works and gets complimented by people actually around her.
>>5588641>Feels mean, but I can’t say it’s inaccurate.It's honestly impressive how he manages to broadcast a personality on an anon board in a way that you know five words in you're reading a Souvarine post. Though there have been times I didn't realize until the "Hehe". >>5588660>SKILL_HERE Gotta mention which skill.
>>5588660>>5588685Ah whoops my bad.>LOOKS.
>>5588630>>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for KaibaShit... we better catch up!! Plus I bet that Kaiba will feel bad if she knows she got a week full of spa while the others worked so hard. She will be motivated to work well!!
>>5588539>4 Write-in>An actress through and through. She will show up in TV commercials, radio shows and even work in CD dramas. Her "oh she's not a bitch" features is that she will be connected to all the indie Utaites and Shojo-Byou esque circles, where she won't sing but she will voice act for free because she "loves good stories so much". Peak SOUL
Heading out, next update will be tomorrow. Vote will remain open until then.
>>5588630>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for KaibaThis quest, this quest is promising.
I need an irl idol manager. Got the fame but no money and very sad
>>5588630>Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba
Winner>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for KaibaAs some of you know, I wrote a small program that generates the jobs and idols for me. Right now it just generates a random number and feeds that into the program and it makes an idol/job based on sliding scales. (higher is better)Would it be better if I let anons roll the number using dice+1d??? and then feed that number into the generator? The end result is the same: A random number gets made and feed into the machine. However I know that people like rolling, so I figured it was worth asking.
>>5589796Let anons roll for job/idol generation>1 - Just generate them yourself>2 - I like rolling
>>5589798>1 - Just generate them yourselfI like rolling for skill checks etc, but creating every idol is just tiring.
>>5589798>>1 - Just generate them yourself
Rolled 8953 (1d10000)>>5589800To clarify, you only roll a single number. A dice+1d10000. The number then gets used to calculate the "RANK" of the idol. (using the scale of the audition type)All other stats (looks, dance, etc) are derived from that "RANK". I'll leave this poll open for a bit while I work on some quest stuff.
>>5589798>1 - Just generate them yourself
>>5589798>1 - Just generate them yourselfKeeps the thread going faster.
Winner>1 - Just generate them yourselfPretty clear. I was mostly worried about you guys getting either really good or really bad rolls on jobs/idols and wondering if I was fudging things. It's the same reason why I roll everything in the open when playing TTRPGs.
Not saying you're one to do it QM, but personally as a tabletop player I prefer the GM to roll behind the screen not only so that they can hide rolls, but so they can fudge things if needed.RNG is not the best storyteller.
>>5589798do 'em yourself. We can roll for advancement and beating DCs
>>5588630Time flies and salaries are already due in two weeks. You only have one idol on your payroll at the moment, but if you want that to ever change then you need the money to start rolling in.You pick up the phone and call your assistant into your office. Moments later, Matsui arrives with a clipboard in hand. Diligent as always. “I think it’s time for Kaiba to work her first job,” you say, “Money isn’t an issue for now, but we do need her to start taking jobs so she can build a reputation, establish her brand, and get some experience under her belt.”Matsui nods, “It’s never easy for a brand new idol to take on her first job, but it has to happen at some point,” she says, then clicks her pen and puts it to the clipboard, “Do you know what kind of jobs she favours?”Kaiba has mentioned that she prefers modelling and voice-acting jobs and you tell Matsui as much. “Very well,” says Matsui, “Modelling jobs should be easy to get if we make good use of the agency’s reputation, but voice-acting gigs are rare and competition is fierce. Idols are often required to audition for those. Except for maybe very famous voice-actors who get accepted on their reputation and name alone.”“The good part about voice-acting (VA) work is that if you’re asked to voice a prominent, recurring character then you’ll probably get a great contract that provides you with a regular income,“ Matsui jots down some notes on her clipboard before she continues, “The worst part is that if you don’t make the cut, then you get nothing except for maybe a thank you and directions to the door.”That’s definitely something to keep in mind. “Try to look for modelling gigs for now,” you say, “But if there are open auditions then slip those in there, too.”“I’ll see what I can find,” says Matsui, then leaves to perform the task at hand. She returns a few hours later with a binder filled with options.
>>5590147Forgot to make the dialogue green. ----------Hand-model for a new collection of rings (DC 60, Rank F)Sapphire Jewels is looking for a model to show off a new line of designer rings. Model’s hands should be clean, young looking, and without scars. Energy: 30Payment: $2.800Skill: LooksAbout:Sapphire Jewels is known to be a company with good morals. ----------Kamota Vegetables Advertisement Campaign (DC 120, Rank C)We here at Kamota Vegetables are rebranding and we need a model that is able to star in our brochures, advertisements, folders, flyers, and banners. Energy: 50Payment: $14.000Skill: LooksAbout:Kamoto Vegetables is known to be a virtuous company.-----------Modelling a new line of designer swimwear (DC 60, Rank F)Ichida Swimwear is launching a new line of swimwear that is meant to go on sale this summer. Models are expected to be slim, young-looking, with a generous breast size. Energy: 50Payment: $6.300Skill: LooksAbout:Ichida Swimwear is known to be a company with no morals.-----------Audition: Single-occurrence character (DC 80, Rank E)Studio Bones Animation is looking for a voice-actor for a single-episode character. You will audition alongside others VAs and we make our selection after the recordings are done. Energy: 30Payment: $4.200 if selectedSkill: ActingAbout:Studio Bones Animation is known to be a company with decent morals. -----------Job format is subject to change. Relation between company morality, rank, energy, and the payment isn't entirely to my liking yet.>1 - Hand-model for a new collection of rings (Sapphire Jewellery)>2 - Kamota Vegetables Advertisement Campaign (Kamota Vegetables)>3 - Modelling a new line of designer swimwear (Ichida Swimwear)>4 - Audition: Single-occurrence character (Studio Bones Animation)
>>5590151I'll be here and updating the rest of the evening.
>>5590151>4 - Audition: Single-occurrence character (Studio Bones Animation)Single dice or best of?
>>5590151>2 - Kamota Vegetables Advertisement Campaign (Kamota Vegetables)
>>5590151>>5590157The DC for a job is noted next to the title. You roll for a job by rolling a d100 and adding your idol's skill as a modifier. So Kaiba with 31 in looks can roll a 131 at best. Failing the DC might have consequences like reduced payment, no pay, or story consequences. Same goes for successes. There's degrees of success and degrees of failure. The morality of the company that offered the job also factors into it.
>>5590151I'm a little torn, I do want the payday but honestly the swimwear isn't that much more, we can afford to just build up a reputation to work our way up to affording better jobs. I think the vegetables advertisement is right out. So for me it is either Sapphire Jewels or Studio Bones, but the DC is just high enough on the VA gig that it makes me hesitate but I'd love to get Kaiba's foot in the door on the VA industry.If we took the ice-cold sexy dommie mommy persona for Kaiba then I honestly might just have gone with the swimwear option and used our empathy to soothe her afterwards. We're gonna probably have to get our hands dirty sometime when competing with our rivals.>1 - Hand-model for a new collection of rings (Sapphire Jewellery)Do this for now, just focus on increasing her rep and getting her used to working without having a mental breakdown. We'll go for harder jobs when her stats are better.
>>5590157Going off our only precedent with the only prior roll, it is a single roll. d100+stat as QM says.
>>5590151>4 - Audition: Single-occurrence character (Studio Bones Animation)Torn between this and hand model. Vocal has a low cap, so VA work alone may not mean much. But acting is decent for her and we have a better than even shot as-is. I’ll bite the bullet.
Winner>4 - Audition: Single-occurrence character (Studio Bones Animation)>Skill:ActingNeed a 1d100+37 (Acting skill) roll. DC to beat is 80.
Rolled 63 + 37 (1d100 + 37)>>5590216pew
Rolled 30 + 37 (1d100 + 37)>>5590216Second roll ok?
>>5590224It is only first roll, I think.
>>5590151BONES!? STUDIO BONES!? Well considering their output I am certain they have a department focused 100% on auditions...>>5590219WOW great roll. At a 50 average + 37 a 80 isn't that improbable but I was aprehensive either way... man I can't wait for Kaiba to have her own myanimelist.net entry
Rolled 58 + 37 (1d100 + 37)>>5590216Rounding it out because not seeing 3 die weirds me out. Also to comment on >>5590230, I didn’t know Studio Bones but looking at the wikipedia article I should have. FMA? Eureka Seven? Mob Psycho 100? They’ve done a lot of stuff I liked.
After discussing it over with Matsui for a bit, you decided to send Kaiba to the audition for a minor role in a Studio Bones production. “We did have her work on her appearance the last two weeks, but, according to the audition results, acting is still her strongest skill,” you say, handing back the folder, “Let’s send her to the audition for voice acting.”“The audition is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 21st,” replies Matsui, “Will you be joining her there?” You think for a moment, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind your ear.Well, you weren’t going to join Kaiba at first, but you might as well. She could use the emotional support and you don’t have much else going on so you might as well micromanage Kaiba. Perhaps you can even network a bit. “Sure,” you say, “I think it’ll be a good idea to familiarize myself with the jobs my idols get themselves involved in.”“Sounds good,” replies Matsui, “I’ll make sure to give Studio Bones a call to make sure they’re okay with Kaiba bringing her manager.”“Thanks,” you say as Matsui walks out of the door. --------The day arrives. Snow coats the ground around you. An icy winds blows through the narrow street as you walk towards your destination. Kaiba Aoi walks beside you and you can’t tell if she’s shivering because of the nerves or because of the cold. You find yourself in front of a tall office building. Apparently the auditions are happening at a recording studio and you can see a crowd of people inside as some girl that’s likely a competitor opens the door and then shuts it behind her. You glance at Kaiba. “You ready?” you ask.She nods, but instead of walking beside you she follows closely behind. It seems like Kaiba isn’t all that comfortable with crowds. You report to the receptionist who steers you into the direction of a waiting room. Studio Bones has been working on a new anime that is due to release early this year called “Blood Blockade Battlefront“.The role everyone is auditioning for is one for a woman called “Vivian“ which happens to appear in the first episode. The significance of this was lost on you at first, but Matsui told you that people often stop watching an anime as the season drags on, but very few quit during the first episode. This’ll mean guaranteed exposure for Kaiba and her acting skills if she can land the role.
>>5590317There are one or two girls here who have brought their agent or manager, but most of them are here by themselves. The part up for grabs is a minor role, but these are the exact kind of roles that attract aspiring voice actors. It seems like you'll have to wait for a bit and before long the room is filled with the sounds of a dozen women practicing the same handful of lines over and over. Eventually, a stern looking women with glasses appears in doorway, checks some kind of schedule, and calls out a name. A woman replies with a tinge of panic in her voice, “That’s me,” she says, and is motioned to follow to the recording studio. This happens a few more times. Slowly, but surely the room empties.Surprisingly, Kaiba seems to have pulled herself together now the room isn't as busy. Eventually, her turn arrives. You give Kaiba a thumbs-up and she replies with a shaky smile. Maybe not that confident, then.
There are others here, however, that seem to be breaking apart. Across the room sits a girl who is clearly on the verge of tears, but is trying her darnest to hide it. There's a man sitting a few seats beside you in the waiting room who is idling away the time using his phone. Finally, there's a man who has just been sitting in the far corner of the room -- cross-armed and quietly observing. >1 - Walk over and reassure the girl (2d100, taking highest, adv on empathy rolls)>2 - Talk to one of the two others managers who seems to be busy with his phone>3 - Talk to a man who has been sitting over in the corner since the very beginning, quietly observing. >4 - Do nothing and wait for Kaiba to return.
>>5590329>>3 - Talk to a man who has been sitting over in the corner since the very beginning, quietly observing.
>>5590329>Walk over and reassure the girl (2d100, taking highest, adv on empathy rolls)Nice, Kekkai Sensen! I guess that means this is taking place around 2014-2015ish. This is the character she's auditioning for https://kekkai-sensen.fandom.com/wiki/Vivian
>>5590329>1 - Walk over and reassure the girl (2d100, taking highest, adv on empathy rolls)Can’t help but put our skills to use. Observing guy may take note of it if we’re successful too.
>>5590329>>>1 - Walk over and reassure the girl (2d100, taking highest, adv on empathy rolls)
>1 - Walk over and reassure the girl (2d100, taking highest, adv on empathy rolls)
>>5590329>1 - Walk over and reassure the girl (2d100, taking highest, adv on empathy rolls)We always have time to help people. Plus maybe we can poach her one day.>>5590340We were already given the date when we were choosing our idol. It's the middle of January 2015 now and it was Jan 1st at quest start.
>>5590329>3 - Talk to a man who has been sitting over in the corner since the very beginning, quietly observing.
>>5590329Will continue posting tomorrow.
>>5590329>3 - Talk to a man who has been sitting over in the corner since the very beginning, quietly observing.HMMMMMMMMMMM
>>5590329>1 - Walk over and reassure the girl (2d100, taking highest, adv on empathy rolls)
>>5590329>2 - Talk to one of the two others managers who seems to be busy with his phoneNot sure i want to help a rival even if it could raise our stats?
There are parts of you that understand the need to network and forge new business relations, but you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t at least try to help a lonely girl that’s clearly breaking down. You approach the short girl and sit in the seat beside her, leaning in slightly and asking her if everything is okay and if there’s anything you can do to help.She looks up as tears begin to well up in the corners of her eyes, “I ruined it,“ she says, in scratchy, broken voice, “I ruined it.”You can tell that the girl has strained her voice in some way. Perhaps she practiced too much or practiced in a pitch her voice is unaccustomed to. The part was for an adult waitress after all and the girl sitting beside you can’t possibly be much older than fourteen. She likely spend hours yesterday trying to make herself sound older. The result is a voice that may have once been vibrant and cheery, but is now rough, gravel-ish, broken and in dire need of rest and some medicine. --Need a 2d100 roll, taking highest.There's no hard DC for this, just degrees of success and failure, but higher is better.
Rolled 41 (1d100)>>5590882
Rolled 82 (1d100)>>5590882
>>5590882Given where we’re at, the studio is bound to have some medicine for sore throats.Wave/snap at the observing man to come over and ask if he can find a staffer and request some tea or light throat medicine. It lets us focus on the girl.What’s he going to do, pointedly ignore a pair of ladies after one of them called attention to him? Decline a simple request for help? That’d be rude and bad networking practice on his part too.
>>5590882>>5590893Rolled 82 (1d100) - Highest degree of success.Even though you are a complete stranger to her, it doesn’t take long before the girl is leaning into your shoulder and sobbing. You simply hold her for a long moment, allowing her to get the tears out. She probably wouldn’t even hear anything you say to her right now. It’s an ugly cry. Just full on tears with the occasional 'hick' as her lungs struggle for air, but have to settle for short gasps. “This was the first open audition I was accepted to in months,” she says in her raspy voice, drawing in a breath through clenched teeth, “My body let me down.”You pat her on the shoulder a few times thinking she better get used to that feeling as it’ll start happening more often as she gets older, but you don’t say as much. The other manager clicks his tongue, apparently annoyed by the noise or something he saw on his phone, and escapes to the hallway to make a call. The man’s act forces the girl back to reality and aware of what she has been doing, she pulls away and rubs her eyes, “I’m sorry,” she says. “It’s okay,” you reply, giving her a soft smile, “Bad things happen sometimes, but even if they do you just have to keep trying. You have to to take care of yourself, especially in cold weather like this. Don’t be too hard on yourself, just be more careful.”You can’t help but feel like you’re repeating things she probably already knows. Perhaps this was one of those cases where she knew things like this could happen, but she didn’t expect them to be happen to her.The girl makes a small sound of acknowledgement and nods. A short moment later the stern women with the glasses is back, standing in the doorway as she glances over her papers, “Fujiwara Miki?” she says. The girl gets up and uses the palms of her hands to wipe at her eyes one last time, “Yes,” she says. She likely knows this is a failed effort, but she seems determined to see it through till the end.
>>5590999Before she leaves, you reach into your coat pocket and pull out a business card, “If you ever need help,” you say, “Feel free to call.”Fujiwara glances over the business card with a hint of surprise and her face lights up when she notices the profession listed on your new business cards: Talent Manager at Matsuno Inc. Idol Agency.It honestly slipped your mind, having been in HR for years, and what should’ve just been a friendly offering of having somebody to talk to might’ve accidentally led her to getting her hopes up. In a sudden surge of energy, she thanks you loudly, her voice cracking as he does so, and falls into a deep bow before hastily following the woman waiting in doorway. All eyes of the handful of people still remaining in the waiting room are now on you and it’s honestly embarrassing. You flash them a nervous smile and quickly reach for a random magazine lying around in the waiting room. “There aren’t many people who would do such a thing...” says a faraway voice – the man in the corner. At first you think he might’ve been referring to helping the girl out, but then he finishes his sentence. “Handing out business cards for your agency during somebody else’s audition,” he continues.Dang. You did just do that didn’t you? Your cheeks flesh red as it dawns on you how rude and disrespectful that might’ve seemed to others despite you actual intentions. The man reaches for a folder filled with papers, stands, and gets closer until he’s standing only a few feet away from you – arms folded and with a foul look on his face.
>>5591004Which then falls away, a playful smiles replacing it, “Don’t worry,” he says, waving a dismissive hand, “I understand what you were trying to do.”He sits down in a seat close to yours, leaving an empty seat between you, “It can be hard at times,” he says, “All these people coming here and knowing you’ll disappoint all but one of them. The girls can’t do anything more than their best and then they’re at the studio’s mercy.”He seems almost a bit melancholic as he stares at the laminated floor. “That’s why it comes as a relief that some still have people around that have their best interests at heart,” he says, “Somebody that wants them to succeed, not because of money, but because they want to support somebody realizing their dream.”Honestly, the man is a bit strange and you can’t help but feel embarrassed, your eyes darting left and right to gauge the reaction of the other people here – only two or three at this point, but it seems like he has more to say. “I saw you enter with the black-haired girl earlier,” he begins, his brow furrows, then he opens the folder he had been carrying, leaving through several pages, “Kaiba Aoi.””She struck me as the kind of girl that wouldn’t be found anywhere near a recording studio if she didn’t have anyone supporting her,” he adds. You’re not sure what to say, but as Kaiba’s manager you feel a need to speak up, “Kaiba-san is a talented up-and-comer with a very bright future,” you say, “She just doesn’t seem to know or accept that yet.”The man chuckles, then holds out an open hand, “Can I be so bold to ask for one of your business cards?”The man seems involved in some way judging by the contents of the folder so there’s no harm in handing him a card – so you do just that. He takes it, flipping it over in his hands, “Matsuno Inc. Idol Agency, huh?” he says, “You must have a lot of talent on payroll.”Call it inexperience, but there’s something about the strangely open and casual conversation that makes you drop your guard and instead of loudly praising the vast collection of talent employed by the agency, you instead talk about your own situation.“The agency, maybe,” you say, “Me, well, I have just one – Kaiba-san.”There’s a moment of quiet before you speak again, your words laced with resolve, “But I support her with everything I have.”
>>5591014A warm smile finds itself on man’s face, like one a parent or grandfather might have.“Well,” he begins, then glances over the card again until he finds what he’s looking for, “Nagata-san. With all this support I’m sure your talent will do well, but let me extend some help in the event she doesn’t.”He lowers his voice to an audible whisper and leans in.“They’re working on something else over at Bones Studio, something with superheroes, but it’s still in early phases,” he says, “It’ll take some time before auditions come up, but if you can ensure that Kaiba-san or a different talent of your gets some practice in and builds up some reputation – then I’ll make sure an invitation to the closed auditions finds a way to your office.”--------A Strange EncounterThe strange man in the waiting room wants you to raise an idol to a proper voice-actress. If you manage to accomplish this, he’ll send an invitation to the closed auditions of a new anime happening sometime in the future.Requirements- Have an idol with at least 3 fame (Regional Icon) and 55 Acting. --------You narrow your eyes a bit at the strange offer, but before you can reply the woman with glasses is back, but she doesn’t call out any names.She seems to be patiently waiting. As you sweep your gaze over the room, you notice that the place has emptied out while you were helping the pink-haired girl and were engrossed in the later conversation.The man beside you slaps his knees and gets up, “All done?” he asks the woman idling in the doorframe. She nods and, after waving you goodbye, they both leave. With nobody else present in the waiting room, you decide to wait for Kaiba at the receptionist’s desk. Kaiba returns a short while later with a, honest to god, actual smile on her face. Although she manages to make it look slightly creepy. She got the part and they said they were gonna pay her a little extra for a job well done. It seems like she made a favourable impression. ResultsPayment: +$5.000 ($105.000)Fame: +1 (Kaiba: Fame 1)
Forgot to mention Kaiba had to come back the next week to actually record the lines, but that has no impact on the decision to come since it still happened in week 3-4.>>5591018A new month as arrived!Kaiba’s energy is back to 100. You have to pay Kaiba’s salary! (-$5.000)Budget: $100.000Date: February 1, 2015Time ticks forever onwards. What’s your plan for the next two weeks? Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi (Energy 100)>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy) >2 - Have Kaiba train on her SKILL_HERE using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba >4 - Write-in Other>5 - Browse social media to check on your agency's idol performance>6 - Walk around the agency building and check on the other managers2 more months (4 decisions) until your performance review.
>>5591026>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)I mean, it's all coming together.>4 Implement the vlog idea >>5588642
>>5591026>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)May as well strike while the iron is hot. Not thinking we should push her to 55 until we get some bonuses to rolls though.>6 - Walk around the agency building and check on the other managersI feel it’s very HR to try and help people who are competitors as long as they help us in return. We can provide some advice on coaching their idols in exchange for contacts or deals to help with training.
>>5591026Switching >>5591041 to >>5591037, forgot about the vlog.I assume that’ll eat up our “other” action to get that squared away.
A bit of math. Kaiba is 18 points short of 55 Acting. A roll of 1d6 has the mean value of 3.5, giving us an average of 6 successful improvement rolls to reach 55. Plus we need 2 successful jobs for fame. This means we're looking at about 8 turns, or 4 months, as long as every improvement roll succeeds.
>>5591037+1
>>5590968Supporting this.>>5590882
>>5591070Ah, nevermind, it didn't refresh. Woops.>>5591026>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)
>>5591026It'll be a couple of hours until I can post another update since I have some other stuff this evening. If not later today, then I'll post an update tomorrow.
>>5591026>2 - Have Kaiba train on her ACTING using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)
>>5591026>Walk around the agency building and check on the other managers
>>5591026>>1 - Have Kaiba work on her acting using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)>5 - Browse social media to check on your agency's idol performance
>>5591026>2 - Have Kaiba train on her ACTING using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)>6 - Walk around the agency building and check on the other managersWe should really talk with Riko or her manager Yukimori about her shit talking her gen mate. Competition or not, we're all in this together!
>>5591231>We should really talk with Riko or her manager Yukimori about her shit talking her gen mateI can get behind this. Adding this to >>5591075>>5591026
>>5591026>Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>Walk around the agency building and check on the other managers
>>5591026>2 - Have Kaiba train on her SKILL_HERE using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)We have money to burn folks
>>5591026>2 - Have Kaiba train on her ACTING using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)>6 - Walk around the agency building and check on the other managers
Rolled 2 (1d2)These are tied, so I'm doing a roll:>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)>2 - Have Kaiba train on her ACTING using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)Other>4 Implement the vlog idea>Walk around the agency building and check on the other managers.These both got some support, I'll see if I can work them in somehow.
>>5592173Winner>>2 - Have Kaiba train on her ACTING using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)
In an effort to build Kaiba’s brand, the marketing department has suggested that Kaiba starts her own vlog – a reoccurring livestream that people can either catch live or watch back later. The story of a girl’s first steps into a dazzling idol career. The journey of the kind of girl you normally wouldn’t associate with anything idol-ish, but trying her hardest nevertheless. You’re sceptical at first, wondering if you should be burdening your idol with this kind of pressure, but the marketing department ensures you that this’ll only take maybe half an hour of Kaiba’s day. In the end the decision is up to Kaiba, so you call her and ask if she can make the trip to your office where you and a person from the marketing department named Tanabe Kenji will explains the general idea and the expectations they have. Although Kaiba spends a good fifteen minutes hiding under a table and muttering about how she has never even had a social media account before, she ultimately relents – on the condition that you, her manager, are in the room when she first starts streaming. Tanabe Kenji from marketing, a young man with long-hair wrapped into a topknot, visits the IT department to setup the technical end of the livestream.Meanwhile you and Kaiba have a long conversation about the kind of things you can and should not say on the livestream – media training. Tanabe manages to pull some strings and barely a day later the main Matsuno Inc. Idol Agency main account announces the arrival of a live-vlog of a up-and-coming idol named Kaiba Aoi. Much to your and Kaiba’s surprise the very first livestream has a viewer count well into the double-digits. In the first vlog Kaiba talks about her motivations for becoming a idol, how she was a aimless shut-in that applied on a whim, and she wanted to become an idol-like person, but never once believing that she actually would get an opportunity to do so.
>>5592352You can tell that the first vlog is hard on her as Kaiba is incredibly camera shy and is constantly looking away. The viewer count slowly ramps up to low triple digits and there is an outpouring of support. [@BrightHime48123: AAAAAAAAAA KAIBA-CHAN FIGHTING T_T][@DarkFlightXx: Ah~ Kaiba-chan. My shadowy angel. Enable donations, I want to support you.][@Yadimmmm2: bruh, look at those tits BoobaEmote][@Waterbottle5221: At least she seems more like a person than most idols. Good luck.][@LittleFlowerr9: pwq you can do it kaiba-san!!!!!!!!!]A short while later, Kaiba’s fingers hover uncertainly over the keyboard and she ends the stream. She visibly deflates, sags into the chair a bit, and holds up her hands – they are trembling. “It’s done?” you ask from a short distance away.“Y-yeh,” she stammers, her voice cracking.“What’s wrong?” you say, somewhat confused, “It went super well.”“Y-yeah,” she says, her voice strained with emotion, “So many people supported me."She goes quiet for a moment, "In school nobody even wanted to talk to me.”Kaiba places her face in her hands and sobs quietly.You step forward and crouch down to embrace her in a hug, “You did great, Kaiba-san,” you say while she sobs into your shoulder, “I know it wasn’t easy for you. Thank you for your hard work.” You notice something on the edge of your vision, the chatroom surges with a burst of messages. A tinge of panic sweeps through you, “Ah, Kaiba-san, I think the stream is still going,” you say.Kaiba darts up, “Eh?” she shouts, then hastily lunges forward to smash a bunch of buttons to end the stream, “AAAAAAH”[Stream Ended][@DarkFlightXx: ENABLE DONATIONS AND SUPERCHATS. PLEASE IT HURTS][@Yadimmmm2: fake and gay? that end must’ve been a setup?][@BrightHime48123: T_T UWAAAA KAIBA-CHAN. WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT][@EmikoDesuu55: MANAGER-SAN TAKE CARE OF OUR KAIBA-CHAN x3][@YaBoiKyoji: i feel bad for her, fighting kaiba-chan]That was a tad embarrassing you think as you try not to blush.You thank Kaiba again for her work and send her home. ----
>>5592353How many times can a man forget to make the dialogue green.----As the days tick by you find yourself in the office on a morning like any other. You and your assistant have been completely engrossed by the social media buzz surrounding Kaiba and her new vlog and things seem to be going well. However, with the stream being this new you’ve been hesitant to appoint any community moderators and have been moderating the livestream chat, the facebook group, the instagram page and various other forms of social media yourself in shifts with Matsui. This alongside all your other duties is a lot of work, but at the same time seeing the flood of interest about your idol fills you with a sense of joy. You finally get a break and decide to reward yourself with a warm beverage. As you walk towards the break room for a cup of tea, you happen to encounter Matsuno Kojiro, one of the other new managers and nephew of the owner, sitting in the breakroom while he’s furiously typing away on his laptop. He’s surrounded by discarded paper coffee cups and you can imagine that he decided to just sit down here instead of walking back and forth between office and break room. There’s a deep scowl on the man’s face and it looks like he hasn’t slept. His hair is messy, his suit is wrinkled. It might be none of your business, but, whether past experiences or inner nature, you can’t help but take an interests in people. ”Something is clearly wrong,” you say, browsing the selection of tea packets. Matsuno Kojiro sighs deeply, “I’ve been doing damage control for hours now,” he says. ”It was going well,” he says, “It really was. I managed to use some connections from my time back in sales to get Maki jobs that would’ve been way out of reach for her. Some real high-profile stuff. She was racking up followers or her Instagram by the thousands.”“So, what happened?” you ask, deciding on a mango-flavour for your tea. “Well,” he begins, then pinches the bridge of his nose, “A fan recognized her and asked for a picture."He waved a hand, "Some teenager around Maki’s age. I was with Maki at the time and told her it was a good idea. More exposure and all that. This was the first time she was recognized in public and asked for a picture, so she was excited and got perhaps closer than is usual for a photo like this. The boy said he would post it to his Instagram.”He rubs his eyes, “The problems came after,” he says, “The boy posted the image on Instagram and tagged Maki in it. No harm done.”“But then,” he continues, anger slipping into his expression, “Ichihara Riko placed a comment that said: ‘Happy two years to the both of you! xP’ and things just exploded from there.”
>>5592357You recoil, hand covering your lips and genuinely shocked, “Did you put ou--”“A statement that the comment was false?” he says, “Of course, first thing I did, but people had already assumed the news was credible since it came from another idol at the same agency. News like that bursts out the doorway and all you can do is play catch-up.”He sighs again and drinks down the remnants of a cup of cold, stale coffee, “Now I have companies that were pushing her childlike, innocent image blowing up my phone. Fans are raging. There’s even a viral video of a hardcore, day-one fan ripping up his custom-made Maki poster with a mall-store katana.”You wince, wondering how one off-hand comment could do this much damage. “Surely, the company won’t let this go,” you say, trying to soothe your co-manager somewhat. “They won’t,” he says, but the defeat is clear on his face, “Ichihara Riko and Yukimori Kyoden are in my uncle’s office now.”His eyes soften somewhat and he begins collecting the paper cups around him in a single-stack, “Not that it matters,” he says, “The damage is done.”A part of your feels bad for your co-worker, but a larger part feels relief that Kaiba at least doesn’t get herself involved in such things. She has her own issues, sure, but nothing like this. “I think,” he says as he finishes collecting the last cup, “Ichihara may have ended Maki’s career.” That hits and in a sudden surge of sympathy you feel your eyes fill with tears, “That’s… that’s not fair,” you say. “Maki is a good kid,” he says, “But the truth is that her potential as an idol is limited. It doesn’t make sense for the business to invest tens of thousands of dollars and dozens of hours to fight this wave of misinformation. There won’t be a return on investment. Her reputation is shot. Companies are pulling back.”“It’s better to send Maki home with a good severance package and find a new idol,” he adds, “There’s a lot of cases where any news is good news, but a rumour like this will chase her forever.”He gets up from his seat, slowly and with great effort – further showcasing the depths of his fatigue, and disposes of the cups. An idol’s career. Destroyed just like that. “What about Ichihara Riko?” you murmur, partially stunned in disbelief. “That’s up to the owner,” he says, waving you goodbye, “I’m gonna crash on the meeting room couch for a while.”
>>5592360-------News of the event slowly bleeds through the company as does the news about the repercussions for Ichihara Riko. After a heated conversation with the owner she was tasked with broadcasting a public apology. Word goes that she meant it as a joke and never expected things to turn out like this. Her manager, Yukimori Kyoden, confirmed that she had been full-on bawling during their conversation with the owner – tormented by guilt and shame.She promised that she would never do anything like this ever again. Furthermore she has been hit with several social media restrictions and is not allowed to post anything on her official account without approval from her manager or the marketing department.She used to post a dozen of times per day, at minimum, but now barely posts once every two days.Those posts are always some incredibly formal endorsement of a product or service. Ichihara Riko’s actions were ultimately chalked up to youthful ignorance. >pic relatedMaki Sumi has been let go, but received a generous severance package of $15.000.This money was taken from Yukimori’s budget. You were there on the day of Maki’s “Graduation”, which is an idol term for retirement, and you’ve never seen a young girl so thoroughly crushed before. So hopelessly empty inside. In the absence of an idol to manage, Matsuno Kojiro has been granted the opportunity to attend a course on idol management until the next round of auditions. People say he’s grown thoroughly jaded and his responses are now short and blunt.
>>5592364Several days pass by. Kaiba has kept some distance from all the internal developments and has been spending a lot of time on her new vlog – which she seems to be enjoying a lot. Although talking to a camera by herself like that was initially strange to her and became harder once she noticed how many people were watching.The pressure lightened once she got some experience and figured out how to hide the viewer count. As time went on she doesn’t even require you to be in the room anymore. She’s even been getting some donations after that feature was enabled. Nothing major, but the very idea that people support her fills her with confidence. Honestly, you almost begin to wonder if she’s beginning to conquer her gloomy-ness. [@BlueOcean123: (Donated $5.00) Kaiba-chan, fighting!][@SkullsSkullsSkulls95: (Donated $10.00) Goth cosplay soon?][@Okir99: (Donated $0.50) For future ramen. :) ][@DarkFlightXx: (Donated $100.00) Ah~ Kaiba-chan! Kaiba-chan! I made you a fan club!][@Idolmaster33: (Donated $0.01) BoobaEmote BoobaEmote BoobaEmote][@Keyszz1: (Donated $5.00) 7777777777777777777777777777777777777777][@Keyszz1: (Donated $1.00) please enable TTS][@NikoPanda87: (Donated $20.00) Win, kaiba-chan! Victory for neets everywhere!] They mostly seemed to be minor amounts, so you told Kaiba that she should just pocket these donations herself or invest it back into her vlogs. You tease Kaiba and ask if she really wants to practice her acting or if she just needs something to vlog about. The joke is lost on her, panic clear in her face, and she becomes incredibly defensive and says she’ll continue to work hard on becoming a better idol. Ah, well. Not quite so confident yet, it seems. Rolling>2 - Have Kaiba train on her ACTING using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)Kaiba Energy: 50/100 (Spend 50)Budget: $90.000 (Spend $10.000)Need a 1d100+10 rollDC to beat is 37. If successful roll a 1d6.
Rolled 24 + 10 (1d100 + 10)>>5592368
Rolled 49 + 10 (1d100 + 10)>>5592368
Christ, what a horrible consequence of a moment of impulse.The good news is that we are doing better than the other managers!The bad news is that entire kerfuffle and the crushed dreams of a teenager.Thank goodness we chose an 18-year-old, and they happened to be a shy shut-in. Bit dissatisfied that they were no comments about Chaucer.
DarkFlightXx worries me.
How old is the MC and should we be worried that someone might stalk our personal life?
>>5592364Ouch. I wonder if HR normally includes info on support groups for former idols when they release them or if the manager would normally handle something like that. We should send along some info to her about that if we don’t think she received it.May even be worth a talk with Matsuno. He’s a competitor, but getting him to lighten back up is good for the girls and makes it less likely he’ll pick up the wrong lesson from this and sabotage us and Yukimori in the future. No real punishment if a “star” performer burns a lesser idol after all, and who cares if a lesser one gets burned in his crop if it hurts a competitor’s star?I’m glad we have the vlog going to help push back somewhat on character assassination.
>>5592391I'd get behind the reaching out to the idol and Matsuno.
>>5592368I didn't want a livestream specifically to guard Kaiba against the commenters, but thankfully so far it's been okay. Nevertheless, we should get her a lecture on net security.I don't believe for a moment Riko did what she did on an innocent impulse. See that Okir99? She hasn't learned her lesson either.We should also keep an eye on DarkFlightXx. He has stalker potential.
>>5592442>Okir99Riko99, 2015-16=1999Good eye! I didn't notice that at all. But also that gal got issues. Could we look into this?
>>5592369Rolled 24 + 10 (1d100 + 10) did not meet DC of 37 No skill increases. I did some looking around and it seems that most other quest use a “Best of 3” system. I’m thinking I’ll use something similar going forward, but the above roll is what it is. I need to adjust some revealed traits since stuff like “Disadvantage” in the D&D 5e sense don’t make sense anymore. But those’ll probably turn in something like a negative/positive modifier or rolling 1d100 or 5d100 instead of 3d100. I want there to be a chance of failure for rolls to matter, but right now it feels too punishing. --------Kaiba spend the week with an acting coach, but things didn’t seem to click. Perhaps it was because the instructor was a bit too forceful causing Kaiba to shut down. It feels bad to lose $10.000 like this, but you can’t keep having wins. The live-vlog following that training had been interesting though. What should’ve been a music stream ended up with Kaiba spending almost the entirety of it with her head on her desk and breaking herself down. The chat was nothing but emotes of dark, little thunderclouds with a sad face on it – they called it 'Gloomposting'. Some people tried to cheer her up, but most were caught in Kaiba’s depressive spiral. ------Budget: $90.000Date: February 15, 2015Time ticks forever onwards. What’s your plan for the next two weeks? Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi (Energy 50)>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy) >2 - Have Kaiba train on her SKILL_HERE using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba >4 - Write-in 3 decisions (6 weeks) until your performance review.
>>5592568I'll be here the rest of the evening, I'm hoping for some quick votes so I can keep writing.
>>5592568>2 - Have Kaiba train on her ACTING using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)
>>5592568>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)Are we Bo3 now?Other than that, for training, when we fail you could decrease DC for next training of said skill by amount we rolled.
>>5592568>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)
>>5592590I meant ACTING
>>5592568>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba Train one week, work the next is how I see things. We’re looking to offset their salary at least partially each month.>Mention @okir99 to our in-house IT to track. List the times of the vlog and rough estimates of when the posts were made to see if anyone inside the company was on the site at those times.Hopefully it’s paranoia. If Riko is using any company assets for it she’d be caught quickly, but she could be surfing using the company’s guest wifi on a personal phone or something like that that would evade easy detection. Not sure how popular VPNs were at the time.>(If applicable) Send Maki therapy resources for former idols if you don’t believe she received any. There are more sob stories than successes in the industry, so you know they exist.Doesn’t have to be much. Just a personal letter with some references would suffice. Kaiba is welcome to include a remark if she’d like.The most we get out of it is a fan, but it’s a good thing to do regardless.
>>5592568>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)
>Mention @okir99 to our in-house IT to track. List the times of the vlog and rough estimates of when the posts were made to see if anyone inside the company was on the site at those times.>(If applicable) Send Maki therapy resources for former idols if you don’t believe she received any. There are more sob stories than successes in the industry, so you know they exist.Noted. I'll include this later. >>5592587Yes, we are BO3 now. We're also moving up to 1d10 for a succesfull roll. >>5592568Winner>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)Need a 1d100 roll (3 times)DC to beat is 37. If successful roll a 1d10.
>>5592568>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for KaibaMore work morrr work!!!!
>>5592391I'd also support reaching out to Matsuno and Maki to offer emotional support and support group info.>>5592568Please for the love of god, no best of 3, leave some room in this quest for failure. We already have modifiers. It is the worst system.
Rolled 98 (1d100)>>5592618
Rolled 40 (1d100)>>5592618
>>5592638>Please for the love of god, no best of 3, leave some room in this quest for failure. I understand the concern, but unlike other quests our DCs aren't static or random but ramp upwards as the skill in question increases. The DC is equal to the current skill level. Meaning that you'll start having only a 20% chance of increase once you hit higher-rank idols who can have a 80 in a stat. If the new system doesn't work out then I might chance it again and I'll just have to hope people are understanding enough. --------------->>5592650>>5592640WinnerRoll a 1d10. I want to post the next story prompt.
Rolled 8 (1d10)>>5592665For me it's rolling? What program you using for the pictures?
Rolled 2 (1d10)>>5592665I'd be fine with it for stat increases, but i think b03 for the actual jobs is too much, what would be the point of increasing stat modifiers if we can really on easy mode bo3 to carry us forward by skewing our average roll to 70+ every time something important is rolled for?>>5592665Rollin'
>>5592668Eh, I didn't say what I wanted to say right. The modifiers would still be important in a bo3 system if the DCs go into the hundreds, and it would increase our roll floor. What I mean is that it kinda invalidates the tension of rolling and the importance of difficulty and increasing our stats, we can always be assured of victory with bo3, not always for each individual roll, but generally.
>>5592667+8 to acting, making the new score a 45. >What program you using for the pictures?Novel.ai. Costs money though. >>5592668>>5592672I don't have a great answer, I'll think it over for a bit.
>>5592674And so the remainder of February flew by. This time around Kaiba practiced her acting using in-house resources and not having an outsider barking at them (that is desperate for results to validate their invoice) helped a whole bunch. Kaiba’s Acting Increases by 8Her new daily vlogging habit has forced Kaiba to break out of her shell somewhat. She still can’t look an actual person in the eyes for more than ten seconds, but she has become a whole lot better at interacting with her viewers and bouncing a conversation around between herself and the live chat – improving her personality. -------------------------From “Rules” (I roll a dice to see if this procs)An idol may try to develop her skills during in her own time (3d100)Need a 1d100 roll (3 times) as Kaiba is trying to work on her Personality.DC to beat is 37. If successful roll a 1d10.-------------------------Shortly after one of her live-vods, Kaiba receives a message from a viewer which she shares with you and Matsui. After calling both Kaiba and Matsui into your office, you read the message aloud.Hello Kaiba-chan, Great stream as always today, I’m so happy to watch you everyday. ~Ah, I hope that didn’t seem strange. I didn’t mean anything weird by it. A few weeks back I began a Kaiba-chan Fanclub for fans in the Tokyo area. You might be surprised to hear that you already have more than a hundred fans in Tokyo alone!As loyal followers of Kaiba-chan we call ourselves the “Broodlings”. Some people prefer “Gloomlings”. We don’t have a full consensus yet, haha. Anyway, I am sending you a message on behalf of the fanclub to request a handshaking event. We’d love to meet you in person! You, your manager, and the agency can decide where it is kept and everything. Just now that if you build it we will come! As you don’t have any merch for now, I hope you’re okay with some of us bringing printouts of screenshots we took during the stream for you to sign. That is all. I hope you have a very, very happy day and I hope to see you again tomorrow. Your most loyal fan,DarkFlightXx (Takemoto Hikaru)
>>5592695Having fans seemed to have made Kaiba-san happy, the idea of meeting them, however, seemed to make her deeply uncomfortable. (Kaiba’s trait 'Gloomy')Nevertheless, an idol will have to get used to meeting her fans at some point. An opportunity like this were you can decide all the factors yourself might be ideal. An idol is usually just told to attend some event and you can’t decide where it is, maximum attendance, or how much security is present. Unlike now. You turn towards Matsui, “What do you think?”Matsui shrugs, “Hosting an event like this is almost certain to run a loss,” she says, “But there’s always tag-alongs and other people joining so we might be able to increase the amount of her fans.”She taps her trusty clipboard with the back of her pen as she thinks, “Merch might be an idea, we may recoup the cost of the event or even turn a profit, but I wouldn’t know what kind of merch we’d make. If you have any suggestions, feel free. We can also leave it to marketing.”>1 - Decline organizing a handshaking event.>2 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) - $10.000 (+1 Fame)>3 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) and create merch for the event - $15.000 (+1 Fame)*Merch sale is based on Kaiba's fan interaction roll.
Rolled 51 (1d100)>>5592665I’m okay with whatever roll logic you want, even if it changes later. Bo3 will lead to fewer failures of course. If you feel that’s generous, changing modifiers or reducing the rewards for a success (d4 instead of d6/d8 as a base) would slow down our growth. Bo2 default is also an option.I’m no dice mechanics purist though.>>5592695Rollin’
>>5592699>3 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) and create merch for the event - $15.000 (+1 Fame)*
Rolled 31 (1d100)>>5592695
>>5592699>3 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) and create merch for the event - $15.000 (+1 Fame)*We could keep the original d6 increases but have d8s and d10s as options if we pay for outside consultancy or something, give some variety to our options, maybe have special events or unique options happen during those events. Maybe include options for what we personally do during each 2 weeks to add another dimension to the quest, though there is already an element of that, but personal stuff we do can add context to events or maybe give similar bonuses to paying for dice bonuses depending on what we do, I dunno.
>>5592703>>5592716DC was actually a 33, but successful roll anyway. >>5592726Although I like the idea of the MC, Nagata Miho, being more a character in her own right, I'm gonna hold off on any changes until after the performance review. There's a good chance you might end up with more idols after all, so there's gonna be an increase in decision making anyway. But even if the performance review goes well, there's a chance people might still choose to micro-manage Kaiba and not recruit more idols. You might've noticed I'm somewhat rushing towards the performance review to resolve that uncertainty. One more month to go.
Rolled 7 (1d10)>>5592695Rolling improvement since Kaiba passed.>>5592699>3 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) and create merch for the event - $15.000 (+1 Fame)*We can trial it as seeing what merch seems the most popular. Better to do it for a small-scale event like this than a larger one where the stakes are higher.Given the names her fans are considering I’m imagining a pokemon knock-off to represent them. Either that or a Starcraft parody with Swarmlings. She’d be the gloomy Kerrigan, of course.
>>5592699>>3 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) and create merch for the event - $15.000 (+1 Fame)*Nice quest.The fans are ok. But we should think about doing a few things on the side, call it caution.- Having a list of the fanclub members, for see if there might be familiar faces for Kaiba. Or ones we should be worried about. - Maybe joining the fan club unofficially for keep an eye on them, and know what they think outside the chat - Perhaps a few ways for interact with them online before this event ? Like a vote for decide ideas for the merch, with ideas from fans being accepted - Or maybe a sort of quick test like "What kind of fan you are ?"
>>5592699>2 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) - $10.000 (+1 Fame)I don't believe Kaiba is likely to roll on interaction well enough for us to recoup the cost of merch production.Also we have to make sure not to let the fans feel too entitled. This way lie stalkers and crazies.
>>5592733Adding 7 to personality Next update will be tomorrow. Leaving vote open for now. Feel free to recommend some mrchSuggestions so far>A pokemon knock-off to represent them. >Starcraft parody with Swarmlings. She’d be the gloomy Kerrigan, of course.
>>5592811Small dark shadows with yellow eyes
>>5592811Small dark clouds like the emojis they posted, but smiling.
>>5592811A chibi stuffed Kaiba doll. Too soon for a dakimakura? If not then one of those.
>>5592811so merch won huh? We should roll out plastic keyrings and that's it. I don't want to spend money on plushies, the cost would be insane! Cheap plastic keyrings on the other hand are more reasonable, and it's going to be understood by the fans. If there are only 100+ fans, spending $5000 is a bad idea. Each guy should spend $50 on merch alone to break even. I wouldn't pay that for a nascent idol! On another note, I liked veery much that you bothered to add actual storytelling and go with drama this early. That's interesting and attracive
>>5592811I'll echo >>5592837 in regards to the storytelling and drama. Had this just been a typical idol management sim where the stats go up and that is all then this would've been a boring quest.
I mean, if it's going to cost $5000 for us either way something more than "wow a plastic key ring!" would be preferred.>>5592811It's too early for the fun stuff like 音声/voice works so what about a wall scroll illustration? Something modest like Kaiba at her PC, perhaps?
>>5592837It’s 100 in Tokyo, so more should exist outside the city. Internet celebrities know no borders after all, and she does have slight fame thanks to a successful audition. If we pull in people from elsewhere then we could see the price per fan to break even drop significantly.I’d treat this as a focus test for her fans and marketing. We’ll throw some different things out there and see what sticks. Breaking even would be nice, but I consider it secondary to seeing what we can bait them into and upcharge on.>>5592817>>5592820I’ll back these. They can be plastic instead of plush, they’re basically just little emoji icons. Make sure they get added as purchase options in chat, or that anything already in chat gets added to the merch pile.Other stuff>Something to accentuate the “motherly” aspect we settled on earlier. Icon of her nursing rocking a little baby gloom cloud to sleep?>Seed some nametags/mugs/whatever with some different names for Kaiba. Gloomother? Broodmother? The latter would pair well with a Starcraft knockoff.>Toss in some general merch from the company. We’re bound to have some inventory that needs clearing.
>>5592857>>Toss in some general merch from the company. We’re bound to have some inventory that needs clearing.based...Shit, how about phone cases??? Getting the model & size right might be iffy tho... I would love to have a pen for example. Or something that you would use a lot, like a... keyring...What is something you use a lot? pen and paper are great but I don't think WORK related merchandise would be nice. But this is Japan we speak of
>>5592731Oh, and echoing the others about the story. If I wanted a “numbers go up” experience I’d play an idle game. I appreciate turning all this into a narrative.
>>5592817>>5592820I'd get behind these as well. >>5592826A chibi doll sounds cute, but I think it's too early for a dakimakura, though that may just be my values reoiling at fans cuddling a pillowcase of our young idol. But wait, do idol dakimakuras exists in the real world? I am uninformed about idols and stuff.
>>5592955HAH ! en guarde you supporter of a noble hoplite from the north of greece !But yeah i think the small dark shadows or the small dark clouds are cool
>>5592959Shh, you saw nothing.
>>5592957>Do idol dakimakuras exist IRLI honestly have no idea. I don't actually follow any idols unless you count Vtubers. The most I've done is subscribe to a channel that talks about idol news, but that was half a decade ago and I haven't kept up with it. It just seemed like something that would exist because: Japan.I do want to protect our idols though, the suggestion was more because it felt like a 'mandatory' obvious suggestion to me.
>>5592983>would exist because: JapanThat's fair. Already in this story there was mention of fan madness: >ripping up his custom-made Maki poster with a mall-store katana
>>5592731Good idea. Gives the MC more character, her own personal motivations and a life outside idol management.>>5592811Some kind of gacha merch?
>>5592382Agreed.>>5592695Concern intensifies as I catch up.>>5592699Nevertheless, it's an opportunity to seize!>3 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) and create merch for the event - $15.000 (+1 Fame)*>>5592811>>5592817>>5592820Small dark clouds with reversible hapy/sad faces?>>5592857If we have Kaiba sort of discuss these as "her little gloomlings", it'll build the motherliness up and fold it into the goth neet gimmick.
>>5592811Posters or a calendar?We should get her a job next to expand her appeal.
>>5593225Reversible is a cool idea.
Winner>3 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) and create merch for the event - $15.000 (+1 Fame)*I've noted down the feedback given on merch and I'll try to work it in somehow. Small dark clouds/shadows with yellow eyes, small kaiba-keychain or phone charm, try to work in the "motherly" aspect somewhat.I'll post some options in a bit.
Here's some plushie options to vote on while I actually write an update. The keychain/phone charm I already have down, but I'll reveal that during the actual handshaking event. Sorry if Kaiba herself seems kinda off in the above examples, I skimped on photoshopping since this is mainly about the plushies. Plushie>1 - Option 1>2 - Option 2>3 - Option 3>4 - Option 4
>>55933971 is pretty cute, got a lot of expression on that one. Kind of a doing okay but not great face.2 seems to me a penguin, but the white part of the their outfit has been removed.3 reminds me of my cat, especially with those eyes.4 I don't really know what I can associate it with.My picks going be:>1
>>5593397One.>>55934034 looks like a Digimon.
>>5593397It has to be #1. 2 is not distinctive enough, and 3 and 4 too cat-like.
>>5593397>1Or>3
>>55933971 no doubt about it
>>5593397>3 - Option 3
>>5593397The style of 1 throws me off, but I like the fact that it’s on the verge of crying.
>>5593397Winner>1 - Option 1I'll see if I can clean it up a bit.
>>5588539>Gothic persona wasn't chosenNooooooooo
>>5593397>3 - Option 3I like it, it's very expressive
>>5593500It didn’t seem like the ice-cold persona is something Kaiba could maintain easily. I was okay with the overall goth look with a change in personality, but I voted too late with my write-in.
>>5593516Do remember that it was a persona vote, not a look vote. Kaiba can be a goth mommy if the situation allows.
>>5593397”Let’s get some merchandise created,” you say, ”All this is more of a marketing opportunity to us anyway and merch will hopefully help with that. Besides, anything we don’t sell we could put up for sale in a online shop and advertise to the viewers of her stream.”Kaiba shivers at the idea of meeting her fans in person, ”What if my fans are creepy,” she says, wringing her hands, ”Or scary? Or dangerous?””They seem okay in the chatroom, but I’m different in real life as well…” she continues, then falls quiet. Interacting with fans is essential for an idol, but you know that blurting out that information isn’t the right move for now. It’ll just be another helping of stress and pressure. "You’ll be ready for it,” you say instead, ”We’ll have the handshaking event at the end of the next month, that’ll give us plenty of time to prepare.”Matsui gives you a smug look and then raises her eyebrows conspiratorially.She seems to know as well as you do that that date places the event days before your performance review.The timing is a nice bonus, but you nevertheless need a good amount of time for marketing, getting the merch made, preparing Kaiba, and planning the whole affair. "What kind of scale are you thinking of?” asks Matsui. You lean back for a moment, your desk-chair groans as the springs catch your weight, ”Small venue,” you say, ”Maybe a capacity of a hundred people. If more people show then they can just wait outside.”Kaiba hesitantly crawls into the conversation, ”H-how many people do you think will show?” she says carefully, ”A hundred at most, right?””Well, the message mentioned that the fan club had more than a hundred members,” you reply, ”But not all of those might show. Me and Matsui have been moderating all your social media and because of the analytics we already knew there were a good amount of fans in the Tokyo area. I wouldn’t greenlight a full event and spend thousands based on the words of one fan.”Matsui leans in towards Kaiba, ”Could be a few hundred,” she says with a playful smile on her face, ”Maybe even a thousand.”
>>5593554Kaiba visibly pales and slides down her seat. You shoot Matsui a look, a light frown, before turning your attention back to Kaiba, ”Even if a million fans were to show,” you say as you try to lift Kaiba back into her seat, ”It wouldn’t matter. With a capacity of a hundred there’ll never be more than a hundred people in the building. Otherwise the fire department would come and shut us down.”You manage to wrestle Kaiba back into her seat, but she still seems out of it. Glancing upwards, you see that Matsui has returned back to her former, professional self and you can only wonder if that was her real personality peeking through or just a random impulse. You make a mental note of it, but let it go for now. ”We’ll ask the marketing department to put in some effort over the course of the next month,” you say, ”We’ll ask them to place some advertisements on websites that people interested in idols visit and whatever else they can think off.”Matsui nods, writing down a note on her clipboard. You clap your hands, ”Well,” you say, ”Let’s get to work.”----Over the next few days you announce your idea to upper management and they approve it.However, they remind you that the cost of this kind of marketing event centerend around an idol under your management will have to come out of your budget. The marketing department never rests in a place like an idol agency and they are so busy that you fear you might have to try and create some buzz yourself. Luckily, Tanabe Kenji from marketing, the man who helped you setup Kaiba’s live-vlog, is willing to put in some effort in his off hours.But only if you return the favour at some point in the future – though he doesn’t specify in what way. Marketing>1 - Take the offer and allow Tanabe to do all the marketing>2 - Try and do the marketing yourself (1d100, degrees of success)
>>5593556>1 - Take the offer and allow Tanabe to do all the marketing
>>5593556>>2 - Try and do the marketing yourself (1d100, degrees of success)
Rolled 2 (1d2)Tie-breaker>1 - Take the offer and allow Tanabe to do all the marketing>2 - Try and do the marketing yourself (1d100, degrees of success)
>>5593631Need a d100 roll
Rolled 58 (1d100)>>5593631
>>5593634Noted>>5593556Apparently, the marketing department is still so busy because a large part of them is still dealing with the fallout from the Maki / Ichimari situation from last week. Some information leaked and Maki fans found out that Maki was forcibly graduated and are raising hellfire and the company’s reputation has taken a hit. Meanwhile, people are also blaming Ichimara Riko for what happened. They aren’t wrong, but as a representative of the company you’re not allowed to admit such a thing. Your mind wanders and you can’t help but wonder how Maki is doing during all this. As a former member of the HR department you know that your agency has a policy in place to help former idols recover from the mental hit and to help them get settled back in normal life. You know full well that any contact with a former idol is frowned upon and one that was forcibly graduated even more so.The chances you say something which could be taken as an admission of guilt from the company and lead to a lawsuit is just too big. Nevertheless, your heart aches for the girl who didn’t deserve any of this. You send a small email message to the mail address she left on her initial audition form.In it you simply say that you hope that she’s doing well and to reach out if she needs anything. After checking it five times for anything that could possibly be taken out of context – you hit send. Exhaling loudly, you lean back in your seat. All that trouble and heartache because of one comment from Ichihara Riko. >>5592442> See that Okir99? She hasn't learned her lesson either.Matsui pointed out not too long ago that it seems that Ichihara Riko is now active in Kaiba’s chat at times. She’s doing this using a second, unofficial account named “Orik99” or Riko99.Matsui said that she feels that Riko wanted you to notice this account, that if she wanted to remain hidden that she would’ve chosen something completely random and unrelated to herself.In a way that makes Ichihara Riko’s actions even more suspicious. Does she want us to know that she’s watching? But why?If she wanted to just watch she could've used her official account and supported her fellow idol. After shaking your head in an effort to clear your mind, you remind yourself you have more important things to do than wonder about the impulsive actions of a sixteen year old girl. There’s still roughly four more weeks to go until the handshaking event and the performance review after that. You glance at the stack of papers on your desk, nearly all of them invoices for the handshaking event. (-$15,000)Budget: $75.000
>>5593639A new month as arrived!Kaiba’s energy is back to 100. You have to pay Kaiba’s salary! (-$5.000)Budget: $70.000Date: March 1, 2015Time ticks forever onwards. What’s your plan for the next two weeks? Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi (Energy 100)>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)>2 - Have Kaiba train on her SKILL_HERE using an outside trainer / consultant (50 energy, Cost: $10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba >4 - Write-in Manager Task: Nagata Miho>1 - Write-in2 decisions (4 weeks) until your performance review.
>>5593644>>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba
>>5593644>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)Then we work next time hopefully with a higher skill.I assume the handshaking event doesn't take up a decision.>1 - "Accidentally" meet Riko's manager and have an innocent discussion with him about the hardships of idol management. Try to get a handle on Riko's character and intentions.>Also drop a fake tidbit about Kaiba's emotional vulnerability. Something very specific and not something Kaiba would actually be hurt by. Like a phobia of clowns or something. The goal is to see if Riko makes use of this info later.
>>5593644>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)>1 - Help out people in need from the office for favors.
>>5593644>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)>1 - Help out people in need from the office for favors.>>5593665I wonder if Yukimori's "never known a problem he couldn't fix" attitude will turn Riko around or if it actually translates to a "do anything to win" sort of morality. I'm not sure if he secretly approves of Riko's actions or if he just sees it as a problem to be fixed.Still, while being empathetic doesn't preclude also having some minor capacity for deceit, I don't really see this as something Nagata would do.
>>5593712Then Matsui could do it.
>>5593644>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)One more try, then work.>Manager task: Arrange a meeting with Yukimori and bring up the “Okir99” account. Give him a standing offer to speak with Riko and give him a better feel for who she is, if she’ll engage in her behavior again, and what may help with reeling it back in exchange for something of value from him at the time he cashes the favor. It could be money from his budget, a contact we can verify first, or some other favor.It’s an excuse to use our skills to get a read on Yukimori and see how he feels about the Riko situation at the minimum, and at best we help scratch each other’s backs. I’d offer it without caveats to help defuse the potential bomb, but he is a competitor so we need something of value in return to make sure we’re not treated as a pushover.He might have “never known a problem he couldn't fix” but that should include recognizing when the answer is to call in someone with a different set of skills.>>5593712>>5593735I could support Matsui doing this separately as a test.
>>5593644>>5593735>>5593747Yeah, I could support that. I'd also be fine with >>5593747 as a manager task.
Winner>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (50 energy)>1 - Help out people in need from the office for favors.Combination of >>5593665 and >>5593747Need a 1d100 roll (3 times) to increase ACTINGDC to beat is 45. If successful roll a 1d10.
Rolled 64 (1d100)>>5593799
Rolled 98 (1d100)>>5593799
Rolled 12 (1d100)>>5593799
Rolled 8 (1d10)>>5593799
Rolled 5 (1d10)>>5593799
>>5593803>>5593822+8 to acting, making the new score a 53.
>>5593835That Bones job is in sight!
Next update will be tomorrow. I plan to finish everything up to and including the performance review. I had to pop out for a bit so couldn't write much this evening.
hmm... I would like for training type rolls to be 3d100 and challenge type rolls to be 2d100. Then we would be able to keep the girls training but the real difficulty is putting those skills to use
>>5593896>1 - "Accidentally" meet Riko's manager and have an innocent discussion with him about the hardships of idol management. Try to get a handle on Riko's character and intentions.>Also drop a fake tidbit about Kaiba's emotional vulnerability. Something very specific and not something Kaiba would actually be hurt by. Like a phobia of clowns or something. The goal is to see if Riko makes use of this info later.I support this manager task.
>>5593998I'm thinking of keeping challenge rolls like jobs or events a 1d100. Mostly because you get a wide selection of jobs with a variety of DCs. High or low risk of success is a choice, rather than complete RNG. You can pick a lower paying job with a DC so low you're almost sure to succeed. Or you can pick a higher paying job with a higher DC, but with a lower chance of success.
>>5594030Sounds good to me!
>>5594030so a hard job is always a 30% to pull off, but your idol being amazing can tip the scales...And a crappy job is almost a given, unless your idol...
>>5594056>>5588508>wikiAs listed in the wiki, these are the job ranks and DCs S+: 200+S: 180A: 160B: 140C: 120D: 100E: 80F: 60So you could auto-succeed with a high enough rank in a given stat. But it would be much like sending a highly over-qualified individual to a simple job. Don't worry about high rank quests like S+ too much for now, jobs with DCs like that are group quests or quests that require special modifiers to succeed at.
>>5594477Some of the styling looks really bad in the public facing wiki. They look a lot better in what I'm seeing on pic related.
>>5594480Looks fine to me. I just checked out the tool and it’s pretty slick as an organizing tool for stuff like auests it seems.Also just learned that the other managers basically were working their idols each week with 1 exception. We really are HR with our focus on training, huh?
>>5593799There’s only a few weeks left until your performance review and although Kaiba is steadily improving in all kinds of ways, your budget is slipping. They never mentioned what kind of key performance indicators (KPI) they’d be looking for during your performance review. Did they want you to prioritize profits or prioritize people?In the end it’s always about profits, this is a company after all, but the company did tell you they’d be comfortable turning a loss if it meant you learning some things about idol management. Matsuno Inc. Idol Agency’s end goals are a bit of a mystery. In the end all you can do is speculate and guess, so you decide to put it out of mind and focus on the here and now.You’re still spending quite a bit of time on marketing efforts for the upcoming handshaking event, but most of the grunt work is done. The advertisements have been placed, Kaiba promised to mention the event during her live-vlog as often as she could without being pushy about it, and all you can do own is keep an eye on the analytics and then hope for the best. Your mind drifts back to you earlier worries – the performance review. Even if you don’t have a clear idea what it is you’ll be judged on, you suppose you could still check in with your competition to see how they’ve been doing. Matsuno Kojiro is in the final month of his idol management course and probably not doing much of anything.I suppose he could be trying to get some contracts in place for when he acquires a new idol, “keeping his leads warm” as the salespeople are fond of saying. But what about Yukimori Kyroden and Ichihara Miko? Hailing from vastly different departments combined with that fact that Yukimore Kyoden’s team never seemed to suffer from any issues HR had to get involved in, you can’t remember any time you actually sat down with the man to talk. Like, at all. He has always struck you as a very stern, serious man and honestly a bit scary. Luckily there’s one more place you can pop into to get some information. It’s time to visit some old friends.
>>5594692The office is familiar and brightly lit, there’s plants everywhere and the desks are littered with small decorations and reminders of home. Wide windows grant a view of the streets below. A woman comes rushing towards you, her wild green hair swaying from side to side, as she extends her arms to embrace you. ”Aaaah, Miho-chan," says the woman as she wraps her arms around you, ”We barely see you anymore!”You hug her back, patting her on the shoulder a few times, ”Don’t be sad, Yui-chan," you reply, ”I’m here now aren’t I?”Kitabayashi Yui is a current employee over at the Matsuno Inc. HR department, a good friend, and the person you used to share an office with.”I bet you’re just here because you need something," replies Kitabayashi, pouting her lips, ”I bet you don’t even like me anymore…”You can’t help but roll your eyes, ”Yes, yes," you say, exasperation clear in your voice, ”I love you lots.”She turns away slightly, feigning embarrassment, ”M-miho-chan," she says, holding her head in her hands, ”Has our flower finally bloomed?”Kitabayashi says this while side-eyeing you for your reaction. Knowing this’ll carry on for at least another fifteen minutes, you sigh and don’t even bother to answer, ”I need your help, Yui," you say, ”I was wondering if I could get a look into the budget of the other new managers.”Kitabayashi looks shocked and even takes a step back, ”Miho-chan, that’s very illegal," she says disapprovingly, then fails to keep a straight face and laughs to herself, ”Which one do you want to look at first?””Let’s have a look at Matsuno Kojiro’s records," you say, ”Considering what happened there’s probably not a lot in there.”Kitabayashi looks down for for a moment, ”Ah, poor Maki-chan," she says, then raises her voice a fair bit, ”I felt so bad for her!”She then walks over to her computer and opens the program the company uses for internal records.You try to shake off the wave of sympathy suddenly flooding through you.It’s enticing to reminiscence about what happened, but you’re not here to chat right now.”Most people don’t get to realize their dreams," you say. Kitabayashi gives you a look, a grin appearing on her face, ”Uwaaa," she says, holding a hand in front of her mouth, ”Turning into a cold business woman, huh?”
>>5594699From any other person this comment might’ve hurt.However, since it came from Kitabayashi, you just shrug it off, ”I guess I am," you say. Kitabayashi types away on the keyboard, ”Can’t say I dislike it though," she says, ”Date me?””No," you reply flatly. ”Ouch, I’ve been rejected again," she says matter-of-factly, ”Ah, here it is. Matsuno Kojiro.”Kitabayashi looks over his employee profile for a bit, lingering on his picture, ”You think I have a shot with him?””Don’t date the enemy," you say, retrieving an office chair from a nearby vacant desk. ”Booo," replies Kitabayashi, inflating her cheeks, ”Not my enemy.” At twenty-five, she should be too old to be acting like this, but that has never stopped her.Before she retired, Kitabayashi Yui used to be an idol herself and a lot of the mannerisms of her persona have become ingrained. Matsuno Kojiro’s financial records are as followed:>pic related, top table (also in Wiki)--------“Geh,” cries Kitabayashi, “It’s just a long string of child-labour. Aren’t you supposed to be nurturing your poor little baby idol?"You recall meeting Matsuno Kojiro in the breakroom shortly after the scandal that would’ve ended up becoming Maki Sumi’s downfall. He had said that things had been going well, that he had managed to get some big contracts with companies he had ties with from back in his days back in sales. The only thing you really know about Genki Clothing is that they predominantly sell children and pre-teen clothing. He probably had some kind of plan in the works, but hadn’t been able to put it to use. “How about Yukimore Kyoden?” you say. “Aye, aye,” replies Kitabayashi, fingers working the keyboard. Yukimore’s profile came into view and you watch Kitabayashi for her usual reaction – which doesn’t happen. “What?” you ask, “Not your type?”Kitabayashi waves a finger dismissively, “Tch, tch, tch,” she says, clicking her tongue, “I happen to know that he’s happily married with two children. I’m not going near that.”“Gosh,” you say, “Morals.”Nodding approvingly at her own actions, Kitabayashi goes on to say, “His wife told me as she hit me with her purse after I made a move on him at last year’s company party.”“Of course…” “The purse thing is what got me into women.”“…”“Records?”“Records.”Yukimori Kyoden’s financial records are as followed:>pic related, bottom table (Also on wiki)
>>5594709Yukimori is ever so slightly behind in budget compared to you, but his idol has already made over $10.000 while Kaiba has only made $5.000. Once again the uncertainty about what you’ll be evaluated on is vexing. You have half a mind to just go and ask, but that’ll have to wait. “They paid $10.000 to have some consultant fix her personality,” observes Kitabayashi, “Shortly after the whole Maki incident.”“I don’t think it worked,” you say as you remember that Riko is skulking around in Kaiba’s chatroom. “Uwaaa,” says Kitabayashi, wide-eyed, “I forgot how much idols make. Or maybe I repressed it.”Considering she was an idol for a number of years, she should have had plenty of money saved up. “What happened to all your idol money?” you ask.Kitabayashi sticks out her tongue and gives you a wink and peace-sign, “Host clubs,” she says.“Ah… Yui-chan…” you say, disapproval radiating from you. “Don’t look at me like I’m a bug!” cries Kitabayashi as she wraps her arms around herself. You slap your knees and get up, “Thanks for your help, Yui-chan,” you say, “I need to gather some more information about all this.”Realizing that playtime is over and you all need to get back to work, Kitabayashi sighs. “Okay, commander,” says Kitabayashi, throwing in a quick mock salute, “Good luck out there.”Feeling generous, you salute her back, then wave, “Bye-bye.”-------You leave the HR department behind. The strange, but familiar interaction lifts your spirit somewhat. You’re simultaneously disappointed and relieved that the other co-worker, Mori Kotone, wasn’t there today. Still the effort proved useful. You’ve managed to verify that Yukimori Kyoden isn’t okay with the behaviour of Ichihara Riko and simply allowing it to happen.The fact that he brought in a outside consultant and paid heavy money to improve Riko’s behaviour somewhat attests to that.It might just be that he isn’t aware of Riko prowling around in Kaiba’s chatroom under a second account. It’s time to get to the bottom of this. You take a deep breath and get ready to confront Yukimori Kyoden, then you walk towards his office with a determined stride. Once there, you briefly exchange some pleasantries with his assistant before he makes a quick call to Yukimore, gets the go-ahead, and allows you to into Yukimore’s office.
>>5594717Yukimori’s office is as minimalistic as they come. Only the bare essentials have a place here. You’ve heard that he has always been the kind of person to optimize and perfect things, but you weren’t aware that mindset extended to his environment. Beside Yukimori’s own desk and chair, there’s some filing cabinets and a square meeting table surrounded by simple chairs. His black hair is slicked back, his beard trimmed. Yukimori’s attention seem to be focused on the papers on his desk. “Nagata-san,” says the man without looking up from his papers, pen in hand, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”“Well,” you begin, eyes drifting around the office, “I was wondering if you had a moment to chat.”For some reason the entire interaction thus far has had your nerves on edge. There’s a sharp click as Yukimori puts away his pen, “Of course,” he says, gesturing towards the table in the middle of the room, “Take a seat.”Wondering how you’re going to even breach the subject, you take a seat at the table as casually as you can. 'Hello, sir. Excuse me, but your idol is being a rat bastard.' is probably not the way to do it. The man sits opposite from you, hands clasped and resting on the table. If he feels inconvenienced at all by this sudden talk – his face doesn’t show it. You realize that this man has probably spend more years as a manager than you’ve spend employed in total.There’s a weird kind of pressure in the room, stifling. Is this because he considers you a competitor? Or is this how he is all the time? “It’s about Ichihara Riko,” you say, “We’re concerned about some of her recent behaviour.”The man nods, “What behaviour concerns you in particular?”“Well, she’s been active in the chatroom of Kaiba Aoi as of recent,” you reply. The man frowns, “This may seem blunt,” he says, correcting his posture a bit, “But could you share your entire story at once? It feels to me like you’re repeatedly making me ask for the obvious follow-up question. Which right now is: Why would her being active in a chatroom be concerning?”That was awfully blunt, yes, but he’s not wrong.In your mind you’re still trying to find a way carefully breach the subject.Perhaps there is a thing as being too sensitive or empathetic. “I’m simply trying to respect our time,” he says.
>>5594740That also felt blunt. Almost an insult. Like he tells you to hurry up.But that’s okay. You can simply play this conversation by his rules.After taking a moment to set your shoulders, you speak, “We believe that Ichihara Riko has been active in Kaiba’s chatroom under an account named Orik99. She’s been making snide comments and offering small donations with comments such as ‘For future ramen’,” you say, “I hope you can understand the concern of such a comment after she basically ruined a different idol’s career only last month.”The ever so slight shift in posture and twitch near the eyes tells you that the existence of the Orik99 account wasn't known to him.This account means that Riko is side-stepping all the social media restrictions that were forced on her.With an account name like Orik99 she isn’t even being subtle about it.If anyone else figures it out her words could lead to a repeat of the Maki incident.Noticing that he seems to be listening carefully, you to continue, “We’re concerned that she’s trying to gather information about Kaiba’s fears, phobias – like insects, or past to use against her,”You try to play it cool, you’ve never been much good at lying – nor have any desire to be.Kaiba doesn’t have a fear of insects, but you mentioned it to see if this morsel of information finds its way to Ichihara Riko.There is total quiet for a brief moment as Yukimori processes your words and their implication.During this time he props his hand up on the elbows and rests his chin on his clasped hands, barely hiding the bottom of his chin.The quiet is nerve-wracking and is honestly taking far too long.There can only be one reason for this, he consider you an enemy -– an enemy he should be wary of sharing information with.The man is weighing his options.Will he show weakness, admit his ignorance of the account, and try and ask for help wrangling Ichihara Riko back in line?Or is he still confident he can solve the problem that is Ichihara Riko by himself?
>>5594748After what feels like forever he unclasps his hands and sits upright, “I will talk with Ichihara and ensure she stays out of your chatroom,” he says. It seems like he’s determined to face this problem alone. He gets up and straightens his suit, “I understand that recent developments have made you more wary of Ichihara Riko and her intentions,” he says, “But I’ve had her consult with both internal and external psychiatrists in an effort to improve both her behaviour and personality.” It seems that negotiations have fallen flat. “Be at ease and know that we’re doing everything in our power to make Ichihara Riko an asset to the Matsuno Idol Agency,” he says, throwing in a light smile almost like it is an afterthought. “That’s reassuring,” you say, smiling back, “I’m glad we had this conversation. It helped a lot.”You say your goodbyes and return to your own office. That conversation didn’t help at all. -------Blissfully unaware of all the company politics going on inside the business, Kaiba Aoi can simply focus on becoming the best possible actress she can be. Shielding your idols from drama and interruptions and allowing them to focus on the task at hand is a job in itself – and you now know that job is called manager. This knowledge doesn’t extend to that one part-time job you had back in high school where the manager was just lazy and delegated all jobs to you. >Kaiba Aoi’s acting increase by 8, making her new score a 53.---------Budget: $70.000Date: March 15, 2015Time ticks forever onwards. What’s your plan for the next two weeks? Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi (Energy 50)>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house tools (50 energy)>2 - Train with a consultant (50 energy, -$10,000, +10 modifier to the roll)>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>4 - Write-in Manager Task: Nagata Miho>1 - Write-in1 decision (2 weeks) until your performance review.The handshaking event takes place near the end of these two weeks!
>>5594753Just to clarify: This is the last decision before the performance review.
>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba
>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>1 - Chat with Yui about her idol past. What troubles did she experience? What had she wished her manager would do? Things Kaiba might be too shy to tell us about, or might think she has to overcome herself.
>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>Turn our energies to trying to get the best deal we can on producing the merch for the handshaking event. Make sure the security is adequate at the event.I wonder how Miho is doing for companionship herself, she is 26.Yui was fun.
>>5594753>1 - Have Kaiba work on her LOOKS using the office’s in-house tools (50 energy)
>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for KaibaGotta get a little work in.
>>5594753>>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba
>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>1 - Use a dating app to research what people think of Kaiba and maybe find a date for ourself
>>5594753>>5594835And>1 - Chat with Yui about her idol past. What troubles did she experience? What had she wished her manager would do? Things Kaiba might be too shy to tell us about, or might think she has to overcome herself.
>>5594770Supporting.>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>1 - Chat with Yui about her idol past. What troubles did she experience? What had she wished her manager would do? Things Kaiba might be too shy to tell us about, or might think she has to overcome herself.
>>5594753Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for KaibaTurn our energies to trying to get the best deal we can on producing the merch for the handshaking event. Make sure the security is adequate at the event.
>>5594477What wiki!?!?!? Did i glossed over the first posts or something... oh
Bussiness woman... wait the MC is female!?!? I had it mixed up. We gotta show up at the Vlogs to engage in kayfabe
>>5594935>>5594940Gotta' stop speed-reading so much, anon.
Winner>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>1 - Chat with Yui about her idol past. What troubles did she experience? What had she wished her manager would do? Things Kaiba might be too shy to tell us about, or might think she has to overcome herself.
>>5594843Supporting
>>5594947in my defence QM is not good at portraying females, but don't we all...
>>5594996Disagree, but okay. Don't know how you missed it though when it was literally the first choice of the quest.
>>5594996What can I improve? At first I assumed that the nature of a quest combined with the "You" perspective demanded a blank slate persona ideal meant as a self-insert. The idea is, I figured, that you (as a group) are controlling a character. However, I've also noticed people asking for more exposition or story around the MC so I think I might've been wrong in my assumption. Nevertheless, this quest has only just begun so if you can tell me what I can change to portray females better -- please do. ---This also goes for any other constructive criticism or advice you (or anyone else) might have.
>>5594940Eh. I kinda like the serious tone we’ve generally taken.That said, if we take on several idols then it could be amusing to build a manager persona to play off all of them with. I assume our MC doesn’t have the acting chops to do bits alongside an idol, but merch can speak for us. Manager-san giving a crying chibi Kaiba headpats to disperse the clouds over her head? Manager-san keeping things from falling over as spitfire idol rants about something? Manager-san enraged over chronically lazy idol sleeping in again? It’d be cute.Make Manager-san pretty much featureless besides being a woman and having some article of clothing we can wear in public to acknowledge that yes, we are that specific manager. The overall company can use manager-san more broadly with others if they opt in, but we’d have the distinction of being the OG.
>>5595019You aren't bad at portraying females. Some anons just don't understand women due to limited contact.
>>5595019In general, a quest doesn't offer much space to characterize without making lenghtly posts which may be offputting, so it's better to be descriptive, and I think that's where I got confused.Since as you say, you focused on making it a self insert charcter, since we are playing a collective game. So having a personality and defined looks might be secondary. Other quests with strong characters being used as the MC such as humanity fuck yeah or the mechanicum primarch are collective decision making games but the characters have a mind of its own.In the end its a matter of preference and what you (the one that runs the show) wants to do. Me thinking the MC was male goes in hand with you making it a self-insert character. So in the end you are achieving what you want
>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>Turn our energies to trying to get the best deal we can on producing the merch for the handshaking event. Make sure the security is adequate at the event.And make some basic rules of behaviour for the event. Collect info on all fans showing. Maybe they can write it down on papers
>>5595019Your portrayals are reasonable enough for me sitting on the outside of most of it. HR is a female-dominated field, but I come from engineering/IT so the general thoughts and personality of someone who decided to make a career out of it (before shifting to idol management) is a mystery. I do enjoy trying to fit myself in someone else’s shoes, I just can’t offer much direct critique or praise about the accuracy of someone like Miho. Even if I could, would inaccurate portrayals be mostly on you or on us for voting certain choices?As for the blank-slate character, you moved a bit away from that when you offered only a few template choices. Personally I appreciate that! Choice paralysis is a real thing, and QMs can sometimes fall into the trap of offering a choice during chargen that they don’t realize they’re not able to write well as a starting point, let alone when anons start coming up with ideas. It can be an excuse to get better at writing off-the-cuff with personalities they aren’t used to, but some QMs want to put that work into some other facet they like more.No issues about that on my side, seems most early anons like myself are part of the crowd that like seeing what a QM has in mind for our own character too. With so few choices and the others being relegated to being our rivals, it seemed reasonable to think that you had vague ideas for each character to begin with since you’d have to pilot 2/3 of them anyway. I’m perfectly fine with taking some of those existing ideas and working with them alongside other anons. It’s an experience that appeals to me.tl;dr Not having truly blank slates is fine, even in quests where it’d be reasonable to offer one. Seed some initial things into the characters and you’ll get anons who are fine with using those as anchor points. Us anons can argue the finer points amongst ourselves after that. Always keep in mind that you shouldn’t offer choices if you aren’t prepared to write them and you’ll be fine.
>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for KaibaI insist on finding more jobs for her. We have to increase her fame!>Manager: Work harder to get the best deals out of the merchandise. Be insistent on basic decorum
Minor change to mechanics. We've only had one proper job so far, but it's already clear to me how utterly useless energy is. Jobs and training costs 50 energy and you get 100 a month. You can do up to 2 jobs/training per month. It adds nothing at the moment. It's just something I keep track off for no reason. New Mechanic: Stress (Replaces Energy)An idol will gain stress from doing jobs or training. Stress has no hard-cap, it can go as high as you want it to, but going too high isn't exactly beneficial for your idol's mental well-being. I think it might add interesting story elements. A job with a high stress cost will pay more. This is simply considered a "Big job". It might not be a difficult job, but it's just a lot of work. Stress level automatically diminish over time. In addition, you can send your idol on a break or maybe even pay for a few days at a holiday retreat to bring those stress levels down. Managing an idol's stress becomes part of the quest. Maybe you send them on a big job with a Stress Cost of 70 at first. Stress level automatically reduces by a certain amount (thinking it over) each week, so you might have some stress that bleeds over into next week. Do that often enough and you might start seeing your idol behaving erraticly as you creep towards higher stress levels. Please don't overwork your poor idols. --------This is an idea I'd like to explore for a bit as we approach the stage of managing multiple idols.If it doesn't work out we'll simply forgo both energy and stress. ---------I plan to start using this system after the performance review. We'll use it for a short while and then we'll have a vote on if it's interesting at all. ----------Next update will be tomorrow. I wrote a fair bit this evening, but I wanna publish it all at once.
>>5594753>3 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba>The purse thing is what got me into womenHuh
>>5595019I think you're doing fine! However, having more personal interactions focused on the manager doesn't necessarily mean she can't start as a fairly blank slate -- it just gives us some more opportunity to decide, with our votes, how she's characterized. Batquest and Dragon Ball: Legacy do a good job of this, and Forgotten Realms Quest as well!
>>5595137I was wondering when energy would get a change. It didn’t seem like it could come into play unless higher-ranked jobs cost more energy. That just limits how often you can work your star performers though.Stress will be more interesting. A soft floor where stress that is low for too long actually penalizes idols when they need to do high-stress jobs because it’s too much of a shock would make it worth paying attention to as well. I’d say keep it loose on when low or high stress would apply, but “Empathetic” can give us an idea if that’s becoming a problem.If numbers make you more comfortable, maybe add a max and min stress value that each idol does their best work between, and anything outside that can have negative effects depending on the job.
>>5595217Hey, empathetic will let us know a hidden stat for our idols which is resilense. Maybe Kaiba has a low ceiling and is always somewhat stressed and other idols might be D-tier but they can work for months without needing a break
>>5595152>HuhDon't think about it too hard, it's better this way.
>>5595152>The purse thing is what got me into womenThere is no need to question the why. Simply accept it.
There’s only little more than a week left until the handshake event and it’s time to remind the people in the livestream that Kaiba is an actual idol that. The kind to star in TV-shows or show up in fashion catalogues. You send a quick message to Matsui to pull together a list of open jobs. While she puts together this list, you decide to visit Kitabayashi Yui, the former idol and current HR employee. Perhaps you can learn a thing or two from her past mistakes and ensure Kaiba doesn’t make the same ones. You visit her office and ask her to tell you about her time as an idol. Although you were expecting a lengthy string of reminiscences, the conversation was a short one. Kitabayashi Yui looks up at you from her place at her desk, “Eh, the past?,” she says, waving your prompt aside with a grin, “No way. That’s too embarrassing.”She gets up with a mischievous grin, gets closer, and swings an arm over your shoulder, “However,” she says, leaning in to whisper something in your ear, “If you were to join me sometime in the future for drinks, then I might let slip a thing or two. If you get me drunk enough, that is. You’re buying.”“Yui…” you say, giving her somewhat of a uncertain look. She pulls away and holds up her hands defensively, “As friends! As friends!” she says, then folds her arms and pouts, “Jeesh.” It’s been a long time since you’ve last gone out for a night of fun as you mostly work late and go straight home only to repeat the cycle again the following the day. However, joining Kitabayashi Yui might mean you’re in for a wild night. She probably spends more time in bars and club than she does at home.Go drinking with Kitabayashi Yui?>1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the future>2 - Decline the offer
>>5595751>1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the futureLet’s hope we don’t get too intoxicated.
>>5595751>1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the futureWe could learn much from a graduated idol
>>5595751>>1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the future
>>5595751>1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the future
>>5595751>1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the futureMake sure it isn't right before the handshaking event.
>>5595751Winner>1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the future
>>5595772Upon your return to the office, Matsui has already compiled a list of open jobs. Model required for a magazine advertisement (DC 60, Rank F Rank)We’re starting a marketing a for a new kind of parfum called “Dusk” and looking for a variety of models to advertise these for print. Energy: 50Payment: $3.500Skill: LooksAbout:Sakura Perfumes is known to be a decent company.-----Model required for school textbooks imagery (DC 100, Rank D Rank)Aoki Education is printing a new line of textbooks for next year. We’re looking for models who can pose in a variety of outfits such as lab coats, police uniforms, military gear, and other occupational attire for images displayed in these school books. Energy: 50Payment: $7.000Skill: LooksAbout:Aoki Education is known to be a respected company.-----Guest star on the Crazy Ogura Show! (DC 80, Rank E Rank)The Crazy Ogura Show, hosted by Ogura Renzo, is looking for guest stars. Entering this one-of-a-kind show is basically a privilege for any aspiring idol!Energy: 50Payment: $8.000Skill: PersonalityAbout:Crazy Ogura Talkshow is known to be a sleazy company.-----Voice-acting role in an upcoming anime (DC 120, Rank C Rank)Kyota Animation is looking for a voice actress to play the role a recurring character is a music-themed anime. Auditions will be held in a studio near our studio in the Fushimi ward, Kyoto. Travel expenses will be reimbursed. Energy: 50Payment: $11.000Skill: ActingAbout:Kyoto Animation is known to be a well respected company.----->1 - Model required for a magazine advertisement (Sakura Perfumes)>2 - Model required for school textbooks imagery (Aoki Education)>3 - Guest star on the Crazy Ogura Show! (Crazy Ogura Talkshow)>4 - Voice-acting role in an upcoming anime (Kyoto Animation)
>4 - Voice-acting role in an upcoming anime (Kyoto Animation)Sakura Perfumes is pretty easy but pays very little, whereas the others are31% success60% success33% successif my stats aren't offAnd I'd rather go for another VA job over Crazy Ogura's reality TV show where those annoying reaction zoom-ins will surely be on screen the entire time, even if it's easier.
>>5595781>realitywell, that's the wrong wordVariety, I meant variety.
>>5595774>4 - Voice-acting role in an upcoming anime (Kyoto Animation)
>>5595774>1 - Model required for a magazine advertisement (Sakura Perfumes)Our chances of nailing the KyoAni job are 71% on Bo3, 56% on Bo2 and 34% on Bo1. We'll fail this job and Kaiba will get a hit to her confidence.
>>5595774>1 - Model required for a magazine advertisement (Sakura Perfumes)I would like her to go for the VA, but that dc is high and if we fail it can hit her confidence which is slowly growing.>>5595781that kind of reality shows doesn't fit what we want for her image. The fact that they are sleazy is also something to consider, i prefer not to work with them
>>5595774>1 - Model required for a magazine advertisement (Sakura Perfumes)Fortune favors the bold, but our gloomy idol ain't.
Winner>1 - Model required for a magazine advertisement (Sakura Perfumes)>Skill:LooksNeed a 1d100+31(Looks) roll.DC to beat is 60.As previously mentioned, job rolls are a simple one-time 1d100. You add +31 which is the current amount of your looks skill
Rolled 29 (1d100)>>5595801
Rolled 11 + 31 (1d100 + 31)>>5595801
>>5595803S-somehow we did it.
>>5595803yeeeeee
>>5595751>Financially irresponsible and airheaded but good natured and upbeat womanOh no, my one weakness
>>5595803Good thing we didn't go for the voice acting gig holy shit
Rolled 31 + 31 (1d100 + 31)>>5595801
>>5595803DAT ROOL MAAAAN
Hitting the DC dead on should give us a special bonus, just saying
>>5596266Don't get greedy now, anon, lest missing it by just 1 bring special consequences as well...
>>5596266If by 'special bonus' you mean 'Kaiba almost failing the job and only salvaging it by mere chance', I agree.
>>5596266that doesn't make much sensealso, its bo3 so the 62 anon would've been picked
>>5596309Jobs are out of 1d100 anon.
>>5596309and I get called speedreader
>>5596323Anon, we forgot one of the rules about number of dice (a thing that's shifted and changed a bit as the quest has dveeloped). You didn't know our MC's name or gender.
>>5592568>>5596310>I did some looking around and it seems that most other quest use a “Best of 3” system.>I’m thinking I’ll use something similar going forward, but the above roll is what it is.yes, y'all are speedreaders.
>>5596425Pride cometh before the fall speedreader.>>5595801>As previously mentioned, job rolls are a simple one-time 1d100.
>>5596425Here you go, anon. From later posts:>>5594030>>5595801At some point we need an in-universe joke about speedreaders.
Winner>Rolled 29 (1d100) + 31 = 60
>>5595774>>5595803>>5596831You decided to send Kaiba to Sakura Perfumes for her second job. They are advertising their new “Dusk” line of perfumes and this seemed like a good fit for your gloomy idol.The pay wasn’t that great compared to the other options ($3.500).However, considering that its been a while since Kaiba went on a job, you wanted to minimize the chances of her performing poorly at a job and pulling herself into a slump right before the handshaking event. The job was quick, easy, seemingly fit her image, and there was almost nothing that could go wrong. Kaiba barely survived. The fashionable brand of make-up Sakura Perfumes used caused Kaiba’s skin to flare up. At first they tried to cover his with various other cosmetics, but this caused Kaiba’s already white skin to pale even further and it made her eyes water. Since snivelling ghoul wasn’t the look they were going for – they had to remove all make-up and wait out the flare-ups. When some people think “Dusk”, they think: the colour grey, dark shadows, and melancholy. This was not what Sakura Perfumes were trying for. The photoshoot was dedicated to the “Golden Hour”, that one hour period before dusk (or dawn) where the landscape is dyed in the warm, comfortable colours of a day well spent. In summary, they wanted her to sport this inviting, seductive smile with her silhouette outlined by the setting sun. Something Kaiba didn’t have much experience with nor was any good at. It took so long before they had a decent picture that the actual “Golden Hour” had long since passed. They managed in the end, but they had to settle for a close-up with Kaiba lying on her back and reaching up towards the camera.Giving the idea that she was actually embracing whoever may be viewing the magazine. Perfume commercials, whether on TV or in print, are weird like that. ---ResultsPayment: +$3.500 ($73.500)Next up – the Handshaking Event
>>5596858The Handshaking EventThe day of the Handshaking Event has arrived! It’s March 28, 2015. A Saturday. What’s work/life balance? You have no clue. Never heard of it. All you know is that most people are off from their usual obligations during the weekend so possible attendance is at its highest during the weekend. The weather hovers around a cool 20 degrees Celsius here in Tokyo (68 F) A Handshaking Event is exactly what the name implies. Fans come from far and wide (mostly the direct Tokyo area) to meet the gloom maiden herself: Kaiba Aoi. You prepared as well as you could without owing anyone any debts or favours. ----->>5593634Marketing roll: Rolled 58 (1d100)Attendance: 58 * 5-----There’s banners with Kaiba on them, newly designed plushies of something called a Gloomling, phone charms, and even mini-Kaiba decorations for on your keychain. A total of two-hundred and ninety tickets have been sold for ten dollars each. Netting you a decent two-thousand and nine-hundred dollars worth of income ($2.900). Although still quite a bit in the red, making profit was never the true intent of this event. Nevertheless, you still have the income from merchandise sales to look forward to, so perhaps you can mitigate the damage even further. You’ve rented out a sizable event hall that is able to accommodate at least a hundred fans. Although not all fans will arrive at the same time, this does mean that a sizable chunk of the attendees has to wait outside.Luckily it’s not too cold and, although cloudy, it isn’t raining. You called around and had some food trucks set up shop in front of the convention center. Naturally, you made sure you got permission for this. The worst thing to happen would be for the main attraction to be late.You and Kaiba Aoi arrive roughly three hours ahead of time.
>>5596894And, as expected, Kaiba was instantly overwhelmed, fell to her knees, and just wordlessly stared at the display before her. You’ve spoken to her about this event for weeks now, but you had a feeling it wasn’t entirely sinking in. To be here now and see an entire hall dedicated to her. To see an entire hall decorated with her face and likeness. To know that hundreds of people are making the journey here to visit her and her alone. It was too much for her and you knew it. You even noticed her pinching herself to check if this all wasn’t a dream. That’s why you had her show up in casual attire without any other preparation. The dirty ground and tears would’ve surely ruined her outfit and make-up. These might seem like superficial things to worry about, but as her manager it’s your job to do that so she doesn’t have to.You let her have her moment. Meanwhile, your head is on a swivel. Checking left, right, and left to ensure there’s no early fans that might try to take a picture of this tender moment. It’s been strange, honestly. Kaiba’s idol journey has been quite different from the traditional idol. Most of her fans originate from the live-vlog. She has done some jobs here and there, but the vlog has been instrumental in allowing her to reach the heights she has. Some idols back at the agency say she hasn’t earned an event like this. But they don’t know that the live-vlog which should’ve lasted only half an hour has swelled into a several hour daily affair. That she has to meet with marketing almost daily to brainstorm new content – to keep things interesting. They don’t know that she often lies awake at night after a day of reduced viewers – fearing that the people have finally caught on, that’s she’s ‘boring’ and all this, everything idol, is going to fall apart. You’ve told her that it doesn’t matter. Even if the live-vlog comes crashing down, that her idol journey is just beginning. But Kaiba Aoi has never been one for a positive mindset – it’s not in her nature. Over the past few months viewership has increased by the day. These days an average of two thousand people check in on her live-vlog, thousands more check the video afterwards.But they’re just numbers on a screen. Her popularity hasn’t sunk in at all. The girl that had trouble talking to a single person back in her high school classroom now has enough fans to fill a hundred of those classrooms.A hundred classrooms filled with people eager to talk to her. Bending down, you help Kaiba back up, “Come,” you say, “Let’s get you ready.”She only manages a small sound of acknowledgement, “Mm,” she says, with lips as thin as a line.
>>5596858>>Kaiba barely survived.kek
Very sweet...
>>5596897There’s a feeling of pride that swells within you when you think about how far she’s come. However, there’s also a side of you that feels like you’ve missed so much. Yes, you’ve been there for every proper idol job she’s ever had, but you were barely involved in the live-vlog part of it. Perhaps you should get more involved in it considering it’s such a large part of her career, but, according to the owner of the Matsuno Idol Agency, a good performance review means you’ll be managing many more idols soon. If that’s the case then micro-management will quickly become a luxury you cannot afford. You guide her inside and towards the staff area where a make-up artist and stylist are waiting. On your way there you pass the banners picturing Kaiba in a variety of outfits, images you had prepared for this event. There were those back the office that said an event like this was perfect time to ‘spice things up’. Maybe a tight dress or something even more daring. There were yet others that said you should stick with what people know. That people coming to meet Kaiba like her the way she has portrayed herself so far. What kind of clothing should Kaiba wear for the event?>1 - The clothing her fans know her for. Sweater or sweater-dress with a skirt and black stockings.>2 - A tight, enticing dress. Exposing the body she has kept hidden so far. >3 - A summer-dress in a bright colour or something equally vibrant>4 - A dark, midi dress with lace to suit her gloomy self>5 - Write-in Attire choice will influence fan reactions
>>5596909>1 - The clothing her fans know her for. Sweater or sweater-dress with a skirt and black stockings.Comfort in familiarity.Also, the AI really likes making the characters stacked to hell and back. In-universe explanation: photoshop.
>>5596909>4 - A dark, midi dress with lace to suit her gloomy self
>>5596909>>2 - A tight, enticing dress. Exposing the body she has kept hidden so far.
>>5596909>1 - The clothing her fans know her for. Sweater or sweater-dress with a skirt and black stockings.
Winner>1 - The clothing her fans know her for. Sweater or sweater-dress with a skirt and black stockingsVoting windows might seem short, but we have quite a few for the event.
>>5596931Missed the vote but I’d have backed this anyway. Our focus should be on keeping Kaiba comfortable, she’s going to be high-strung even without us forcing a new style on her.
>>5596909>>5596931You leave Kaiba with the stylist and make-up artist while they do their thing. Meanwhile, you race across the convention hall to double-check everything. This may be Kaiba’s first idol event, but it’s your first event as idol manager as well. Furthermore, the performance review is next week – everything has to be perfect. Your first stop is security. The grim reality is that there may be fans that like Kaiba a little too much.A healthy amount of security is essential for the idol’s physical safety and mental well-being. Knowing that there are people in place to protect you at a moment’s notice is almost as important as the act itself. You try to ensure all the security personnel is spread out in a way to ensure maximum coverage and that they know the various escape routes Kaiba should be escorted to in a worst-case scenario. Need a 1d100 roll for checking securityOnly one person should roll this. -----After that you stop by the merchandise stands, which are filled with “Gloomlings”, the chronically depressed, round plushies, and various other bits and pieces of merch.Aming which is a card-sized photo of Kaiba that fans can buy and then ask to get signed by the idol.Sales isn’t exactly your area of expertise, but you try to make sure the various merch stands are spaced out well and have a good amount of stock. Need a 1d100 roll for checking the merch standsOnly one person should roll this. -----Finally, you double back to Kaiba Aoi. She should be just about ready with clothing and make-up. It seems like they’ve opted for something close to Kaiba’s usual attire: a modest sweater, skirt, and stockings all of them in various shades of grey. Although the professionally done make-up carries the idol’s beauty to a higher level, it is applied to a face that seems agonizingly nervous. “Kaiba,” you say carefully, “We’ve got plenty of time until the event starts. Try to relax.”Kaiba nods slow and robotically, her fear-filled expression frozen in place.Trait: GloomyInteractions with fans will be rolled with disadvantage. Need a 2d100 roll for Kaiba’s interaction with fans (taking lowest)Only one person should roll this.
Rolled 50 (1d100)>>5596936Security
Rolled 65 (1d100)>>5596936Merch
>>5596909>4 - A dark, midi dress with lace to suit her gloomy selfSo that this event is special and not totally like the vlog
No one wants to be responsible for Kaiba’s low rolls I guess.I hope Personality helps offset it.
Come on ya' pansies. Roll it. I have more things I want to post. You knew this roll was coming the moment you agreed to the handshaking event. Kaiba's trait has been known since the very beginning. Can't be great at everything. This just happens to be Kaiba's weakness.
Rolled 72, 13 = 85 (2d100)>>5596936Since no one is rolling
Rolled 70, 93 = 163 (2d100)>>5596975NO WAIT I AM ROLLING, please not a 13!!!
Rolled 67, 46 = 113 (2d100)>>5596936
>>5596975Womp womp. Well, with no positive performance review, I guess we can afgord to micromanage her after all, huh?
>>5596975Thank you for your sacrifice.
I was taking my dog a walk when rolls.fug
>Missed the clothes choice AGAIN>Missed the rolls>We got 13 on fan interactionthis is what I get for sleeping ever
>>5597057I feel you. Makes for good drama, though! I DO wish we'd maybe got he rin a dress to reward and wow the fans and thus build her rep.
>>5597057What clothing idea do you have?
>>5597070I want the goth dressOr anything striking, really. She's an idol god damn it, she doesn't need to wear sweater with a skirt all the time.I mean I guess it's ffffine for a small fan meetup event, but still
>>5597057I'd like to insist that it was one roll per person, so the 13 should not count. Because 40 minutes happened and no one rolled doesn't invalidate the rules
>>5597137>I'd like to insist that it was one roll per person>Need a 2d100 roll for Kaiba’s interaction with fans (taking lowest)>Only one person should roll this.Nah, it wasn't
>>5596937>>5596938>>5596975During the next few hours leading up to the event, Kaiba manages to relax somewhat. Then she relaxes a bit more. And yet more.She goes from the high-strung “Caring too much” level and zips straight-past the nice middle ground into the melancholic wastes. The fans came to see the gloom maiden and, well, you suppose they’re in luck. She sits on the ground in far corner of the staff room, her knees hugged to her chest, “There’s no point,” she murmurs to herself, “No point to any of this. I’m gonna disappoint my fans and they’ll stop watching and following. …I want to go to bed.”“H-hey, Kaiba-chan,” you say, “It’s time to get started."Kaiba flops onto her side and she releases a long-winded sigh, “Haaaaa….”After five minutes of effort, you manage to motivate Kaiba into motion and escort her to the desk. The main-stage for the handshaking event is a simple desk that reaches to about waist height. The front of it is boarded over with large banners with Matsuno Idol Agency’s logo and hides the lower portion of anyone standing behind. The far doors open and fans begin to crowd into the convention hall. Staff members shepherd them towards the rope-barriered queue. There’s people of all ages, but most of the fans present seem on the younger side – high school to college aged. Excitement bounces around the convention hall as eager fans rush to the front of the rope-barriered lines.One man tries to duck underneath some ropes, but is quickly directed to the end of the line by security. Many fans have come to meet Kaiba, a total of 290, but most are waiting outside. Here are some of the interactions.
>>5597249Fan #1 - Brown-haired girlA plain, brown-haired girl makes her way over to the desk and excitedly shakes your hand, “Hello,” she says brightly. She looks to be in her mid-twenties. “Ah, hello,” replies Kaiba, morosely, “Thanks for coming.”The fan turns her head slightly, smiling at the exchange, “Thanks for hosting the event,” she replies, laughing a little. “I started watching you only last month,” says the fan, “But I’m supporting you all the way. You can do it, Kaiba-chan. Your streams are a lot of fun.”Kaiba nods, “It’s good that you think so,” she says, her familiar gloom creeping into her words, “I can’t be sure sometimes.” The fan laughs nervously, “I’m sure of it, keep your chin up,” she says, “Hang in there for you and me both.”Kaiba looks up lazily, “Eh?” she says, “What do you mean?”The brown-haired girl scratches her cheek, “I hope you’re okay with me living through you,” she says, somewhat shyly, “I wanted to be an idol like you when I was younger, but I never took the leap. Too scared.””So, now I watch you do it in my stead,” she adds. “Oh, I see,” says Kaiba. There's an uncomfortable silence. “…Yeah,” replies the fan.Suddenly the fan raises a fist and fills her words with energy in an effort to disrupt the heavy atmosphere, “Kaiba-chan, fighting! Oooooooooo!”Kaiba slowly raises her own shaky fist, “…oooooo…”Without further words, the girl places some fan art she brought on the desk.The girl nods at Kaiba with a thin-lipped smile and then departs, looking a little unnerved by the whole exchange.
>>5597255Fan #2 - Man with leather-jacket and skull cap. A young man approaches wearing a leather jacket and entirely black attire, he looks to be in his early twenties. You can see what appear be small parts of tattoos poking out from beneath his sleeves and near his neck. “H-hey,” says the man, then swallows, lowering his gaze to the desk. “H-hello,” replies Kaiba, staring at the same desk. There is a moment of silence while both parties continue to stare at the desk.A nearby member of security clears his throat in an urging way, telling the man he should hurry up. The man swallows again, “I made some fan art,” he says, “I always f-figured you’d look really great in in a more gothic style. So, that’s what I drew.”The drawing depicts Kaiba sitting in a Victorian-era, red chair wearing tight, black clothing with a spider motif and hair ornament. Colour pours into his pale face, “Sorry if this is w-weird,” he says. It is kinda weird, adding to Kaiba’s general anxiety.“It’s v-very good,” replies Kaiba.She can’t help but notice how detailed some parts of the drawing are. “T-thanks,” says the young man, speaking slowly as if every word is agony, “I work as a tattoo artist in northern part of Tokyo. You can have the drawing if you like.”He places the drawing down on the desk. Kaiba slides it over to herself and nods, “T-thanks.”Somehow it almost seems like nervous energy is bouncing back and forth between the pair, amplifying it even further. Once again the nearby security man clears his throat, repeatedly tapping a spot on his wrist where a watch would be if he had one. Alarmed, the young man quickly extends his hand for the handshake. Kaiba shakes the man’s hand. His hands are very cold for some reason. The man nods, turns to leave, but then hesitates and he tries to gather a final burst of resolve.“It would make me very happy,” he says, averting his gaze as he pulls his cap down over his eyes, “If you would consider things like c-cosplay streams – and stuff.”Kaiba glances at the fan-art depicting her in a sort of goth lolita attire, “Mm”“T-thank you,” says the man and makes a hasty retreat.
>>5597262Fan #3 - High-school girl with bright-orange hair”AAAAAAAAAH, KAIBA-CHAN,“ shouts the girl between sobs, “YOU’VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD.”The girl uses the sleeve of her shirt to dry her tears, “I WATCH EVERYDAY AFTER SCHOOL.”“I’M LEARNING A LOT FROM YOUR VIDEOS,” she shouts, “PLEASE HANG IN THERE. YOU ARE DOING GREAT.”“I HOPE TO BE AN IDOL LIKE YOU SOMEDAY, hic,” she says, shouting without providing Kaiba a moment to cut in, “YOU’RE MY HERO. I DIDN’T THINK A GIRL LIKE US COULD EVER BE AN IDOL, BUT YOU’RE DOING IT.”The man from security makes a quick hand gesture telling the girl to lower her voice. “I’M SOO HA-, oh, I’m so happy I get to watch your vlog everyday,” she says. Kaiba looks up, staring at the girl in disbelief, “…I’m your hero?”“YES,” shouts the girl then side-eyes the man from security and lowers her voice again, “Yes.”Kaiba stares at the girl for a long moment, “You should get a better hero,” murmurs Kaiba, “I’m no good.”The fan’s face falls, “B-but I love watching you,” she says, “Doing streams everyday, telling us about all the idol things you do, all the practice, the jobs.”Kaiba’s head luls to one side and she sighs, “Plenty of better people out there.”There’s tears again, but they seem different this time, “K-kaiba, no,” replies the fan, “No, no, no. I love you, I only want to watch you. Why are you like this?”“I’ve always been like this,” says Kaiba, staring down at her feet, “This is me.” “…What happened to my hard-working Kaiba-chan, hic,” says the girl. The girl drops the custom-made banner she had been holding and runs off – disappearing into the crowd.
Goddamn it, you sillybilly antisocial goth mommy girl. You just scared off an avid fan!
>>5597273Fan #4 - Grey-haired college girlA college-aged girl approaches the desk, a lanyard with some of the new merch, a mini Kaiba, dangles from her neck. “I didn’t realize I paid $10 to get frowned at,“ says the girl with a wink, marking it as a joke. Kaiba stares at the girl, radiating disapproval of the fan’s cheery demeanour. The fan leans forward, putting her weight on the desk, “Hey, can I ask you something?” she says, “Like, privately? In a whisper?”Kaiba glances at her security guard – he shrugs. Gloomy mood momentarily replaced with curiosity, Kaiba leans forward slightly.She uses a hand to tuck her hair behind an ear, and tilts the side of her head in the direction of the fan. The fan leans in and, using a hand to block the sound, whispers something in Kaiba’s ear. Moments later, Kaiba reels backwards. Her face is bright red, a full-faced blush, “Eeeeeeh,” she cries, hands trembling. The girl laughs in a sly manner, “I figured as much,” she says, “My friends and I had a bet going.”Kaiba covers her blushing face with both hands and leans away, whatever she is trying to say comes out as a sort of brabble. “Am I going to get my handshake, miss idol?” asks the fan, somwhat smug, “Come on, I am a paying customer.”Kaiba’s hesitant hand shakes its way over the desk. The girl clasps the hand in both her hers, winks, and lets go – waving goodbye with a wiggle of the fingers as she disappears into the crowd.Unfortunately, the subtlety from the college girl is thoroughly ruined by Kaiba. She slowly opens her hand allowing her, and everybody else, to see the small folded note resting in the palm of her hand. Now aware everyone can see the note, Kaiba has a fit of panic.She’s running her hands over her clothing in search of a pocket which, on account of her wearing a sweater and a skirt, she doesn’t find. All the fans are watching this happen with mild amusement as it has been quite a bit more entertaining than the gloomy interactions that preceded it. Eventually and with a face tight with embarrassment, she ducks beneath the desk to hide the note somewhere on her person. The next half-dozen people coming for the handshake don’t manage to get a single world out of Kaiba. They don’t even mind.
>>5597281Fan #5 - Long-haired man in this late thirtiesA portly man somewhere in his late thirties approaches the desk, carrying a crumbled sheet of paper with the name “KAIBA” written on it in thick marker. ”~Ah, Kaiba-chan,” begins the man, “What a privilege to see you again, but in the flesh this time””It brings me great joy to see that your manager followed up on my suggestions of the event,” he adds, “This large homage to your beauty is the very least you deserve. We both know you’re destined for great things.”Even though you’ve met for the first time, the man is acting like you’ve long been acquainted. Kaiba laughs nervously, eying her surroundings somewhat uncertainly. The man wipes his hand on his pants a few times before extending it towards Kaiba. This being a handshaking event, Kaiba answers in kind. Once Kaiba’s hand is wrapped in his, he tightens his grip as he tries to pull her across the table and into a hug.-----Security check DC 40 -- Success>>5596937-----Be it body posture, tone of voice, or something else – something tipped off the security nearby. Before the fan can pull Kaiba across the desk, the large hand of the security man clamps down on the fan’s wrist, locking it in place. The man from security then squeezes down on the fan’s wrist until he lets go of Kaiba’s hand.The fan squeals in pain, grip loosening, and pulling his arm back, “You brute,” he shouts, “This event wouldn’t even have happened without me! Why do you have to ruin my moment with Kaiba-chan! Kaiba-chan, call off this guard dog!”The commotion has drawn the attention of the rest of security and they hastily close in.Two pairs of large hands grab hold of the fan, each holding on to one arm, and steering him towards the exit. “Kaiba-chan!” the fan shouts, struggling in security’s grasp as he is dragged away, “Say something! They’re hurting me!”This is a part of being idol that you had hoped Kaiba would discover at a way later time or, preferably, not at all.Kaiba stands there in place, eyes wide and breathing hard. You make your way to Kaiba’s side and call for a break so she can recover.The fans in line are disappointed, but understanding. If anything, they’re angry with the fan from earlier and what he tried to pull.
There's some more, but I have to step out for a bit. Bonus point: See if you can figure what fan belongs to what online handle from the comments/stream.
>>55972971 - BlueOcean1232 - SkullsSkullsSkulls953 - BrightHime481234 - EmikoDesuu555 - ???
That went poorly lmao
>>5597297Here's my guess for the fans!>Fan #1 - Brown-haired girl = LittleFlowerr9>Fan #2 - Man with leather-jacket and skull cap. = SkullsSkullsSkulls95>Fan #3 - High-school girl with bright-orange hair = BrightHime48123>Fan #4 - Grey-haired college girl = Keyszz1>Fan #5 - Long-haired man in this late thirties = DarkFlightXx (Takemoto Hikaru)Brown girl is a bit of hard nut though.
>>5597328Ah, wait. change of answer a bit.>Fan #1 - Brown-haired girl = BlueOcean123She uses similar a similar phrase to this commentor.
god damn it, that's just painfulwe need to either get Kaiba's personality score obscenely high, or hook her up on cocaine, or just never let her interact with people in unscripted manner again.Because shit like this is bad.
At least Kaiba seems to have attracted female audience, that's a less saturated market.
>>5597351D. Get a better idol
>>5597373I believe in Kaiba. We just need to work on her personality score. (Plus, we'll only get a second idol with better performances)
Damn you, DarkFlightXx. I knew he was dangerous.I have some ideas for damage control, but the event is not over yet.
>>5597328>>5597326damn, you guys are sharp
I have to go sleep, so even though the event hasn't ended I'll post my damage control plan right away for your consideration.>[1] Cheer up KaibaHave a little party. Tell her she did well. When she tries to object, tell her missteps are expected at this point and she did better than many idols at this stage (even if it's not true). Say that if we fail the performance review it'll be our fault as a manager for concentrating on training instead of work.>[2] Acknowledgements in the vlogBrainstorm an address to fans in Kaiba's next vlog. Involve Kaiba in the brainstorming to show her that she's not just a talking head. Address abstract:- "I'm honored and overwhelmed by the number of attendees"- "I value you all"- "I'm happy that I could inspire people even a little bit"- "Some of you said you'll live out your dreams through me. While I'm glad, please don't don't stop chasing your dreams to observe me chasing mine. You deserve happiness" - leaning into the motherly image to try to get back any fans similar to that girl who ran awayDisplay the fan works received on the stream, including those dropped by runaway fans.>[3] The final boss: attempt to fix the DarkFlightXx situationHe's the sort of guy who will start a hate group or cyberbully Kaiba. This is how I think we could try to dissuade him:Have Kaiba send a DM to him. Inside, have her acknowledge DarkFlightXx's role in the meet and greet and apologize (without directly stating what for). Explain that she was overwhelmed, confused and scared shitless in a way that outwardly implies it's her fault but in actuality guilt trips him. Say she recalled scary stories about idols being attacked and froze, in a similar way.The general goal is to feed his ego a bit by acknowledging him in an exclusive way, guilt trip him without directly calling him out and play on his potential white knight tendencies.All of the above might be absolute shit since I've never had to mollify online weirdos, but it's my best ideas right now.
>>5597643>Have Kaiba send a DM to himyou should never have the idol directly confront the weirdo. This would only fuel his autism.
>>5597643All good ideas except number 3, which will absolutely amp this dude up into a John Hinckley Junior, deluded that he ahs a soecial relationship with pior Kaiba.
Sorry, didn't plan to stay away this long. I'll close off the event, but I'll save the the performance review for tomorrow.>>5597326>>5597328>Fan #1 - Brown-haired girl = BlueOcean123>Fan #2 - Man with leather-jacket and skull cap. = SkullsSkullsSkulls95>Fan #3 - High-school girl with bright-orange hair = BrightHime48123>Fan #4 - Grey-haired college girl = EmikoDesuu55>Fan #5 - Long-haired man in this late thirties = DarkFlightXx-------Kaiba returns around thirty minutes later and it seems like her depressive mood has been lifted somewhat – it’s too bad it has mostly been replaced with pure dread. The remainder of the fan interactions happen rather robotically with Kaiba constantly second-guessing their intentions.She seems perpetually on edge and her wary demeanour seems to disappoint a fair few fans. You try to convince yourself that Kaiba, known to have been a shut-in, is meeting expectations. Strengthened by the power of pure delusion, you're fairly certain today went great. All-in-all the event lasted just over three hours. Most people’s interaction with Kaiba was very brief. A smile (from them), the handshake, some niceties, and up was the next one. Naturally, you were instantly checking social media to see how people were responding to the event once it was over. [@BlueOcean123: She was different than I expected. Maybe she was tired, I’m not sure… #KaibaCon][@BrightHime48123: …I dunno if I want to be a Kaiba-fan anymore… #KaibaCon][@DarkFlightXx: KAIBA IS A CAGED LITTLE BIRD. MASTUNO INC. IS A SLAVE LABORER. SHE IS A CAPTIVE. NO LIBERTY TO INTERACT WITH FANS. WE WILL SAVE YOU. #KaibaCon #Oppressed #MatsunoInc #KaibaBroodlings @Okir99][@SkullsSkullsSkulls95: …man, I couldn’t even look at her. #KaibaCon][@Keyszz1: @SkullsSkullsSkulls95 turbo virgin lololol][@Keyszz1: I was there @EmikoDesuu55, kekeke. Saw what you did to Kaiba. Worth. #KaibaCon][@EmikoDesuu55: @Keyszz1 ;) her reaction was pretty fun ngl. project is a go #KaibaCon][@NikoPanda87: I watched some vids on youtube people took with their phone… seemed fun… wished I could go, but outside is scary… #KaibaCon][@Broodling913: I am a convert, Praise Kaiba. I am Kaiba’s biggest fan now. #KaibaCon][@Broodling914: @Broodling913 Not so fast. #KaibaCon][@Idolmaster33: her tits are huge irl #KaibaCon][@YaBoiGhoulman3: Some of you are retarded. You go visit an idol known as the gloom maiden and broodmother and complain she was gloomy? wtf? #KaibaCon][@Cezar44: I went there with my friend, but didn’t even go inside lol. food trucks ftw #KaibaCon][@Keyszz1: Looking forward the the first live-vlog, keke. She’s gonna be a wreck. #KaibaCon]Results seemed mixed.
>>5597693There’s no doubt that Kaiba missed out on a fair amount of new fans today. The people that tagged along or bought a ticket on impulse probably didn’t get a very good first impression of her. Luckily though it seems that most of her more dedicated fans are sticking with her. RESULTSKaiba: +1 FameINCOME290 AttendeesAverage merch buyer amount $30Kaiba interaction roll: 13 (13% of people bought merch)Merch stall check: 65 / 20 = 3.25 = 1.325 modRev = 290 * 30 * 0.13 * 1.325Revenue: $1500 (1.498,575 rounded up)Tickets: $2.900Merch: $1500 Total income: $4400
>>5597699Also, here's the small Kaiba I turned into ErikoDesu's necklace thing
>>5597699What a flop... +1 fame tho!!! That's worth the deficit. I am also a staunch believer that budget is meant to be SPENT. IRL if a branch fails to spend their budget, corporate will reduce it for next semester. Buying things in a panic like a new printer is commonplace.The part where greasy darkflight showed up was the best "Even though you’ve met for the first time, the man is acting like you’ve long been acquainted." this reflects so well how fans will behave when meeting their idol, feeling closeness where there isn't.
>[@Keyszz1: I was there @EmikoDesuu55, kekeke. Saw what you did to Kaiba. Worth. #KaibaCon][@EmikoDesuu55: @Keyszz1 ;) her reaction was pretty fun ngl. project is a go #KaibaCon]Thats the woman with a note. Whats in the note? A phone number?
>>5597699>Kaiba interaction roll: 13 (13% of people bought merch)It doesn't get a buff from personality score?
>>5597699Kaiba is a funny gal, an increase in fame is great.>>5597940I'm guessing a phone number and given the blushing, maybe a wry question about Kaiba's dating experience.
>>5597940I have to say EmikoDesuu55's interaction triggered my alarms. Even though it seemed in good fun on the surface, in three phrases she:> Put Kaiba down (“I didn’t realize I paid $10 to get frowned at,“)> Invaded her personal space> Publically flustered her on a bet> Used social obligation to enforce her demands (“Come on, I am a paying customer.”)> Completely ignored Kaiba's obvious negative reaction to all of the aboveWe don't yet know what she or the note said, but she strikes me as having a manipulative personality and getting off on dominating and controlling those who can't push back, like Kaiba. And she seems experienced at it. Depending on her motivation, she may be more dangerous than DarkFlightXx, if only because she's smarter and more socially adept.
>>5598274We must protect our idol
>>5598274This is true. She may be a pushy lesbian looking for a date, or she may be trying to ruin our idol's rep with rumours. Who is this Keyszz1 that she is conspiring with?Could it be Riko?
>>5598274Yeah, she was using Kaiba to fulfill a bet, uncaring. One thing is being sadistic, but another is being a bitch. QM is good at making characters, they get a reaction out of me
Depending on how well our character goes on the performance review, it might be better to just manage another idol and send Kaiba home - imo she doesn't have the potential and we might end up on a sunk cost situation if we spend too much trying to improve her social awkwardness
>>5598742We could just continue to work on her acting and forego social functions.
>>5598742I agree that we should not invest more in Kaiba. Having the facilities and connections to get her good jobs and a healthy work enviroment is good enough. She can continue streaming with the support of the marketing department and get decent gigs here and there, plus focusing on peaking her skills. Even more, she only needs a little more acting and fame and she's set to get a voice acting role, if she gets the part.There isn't much more for us to do, besides giving her room to grow.
>>5598796Reasonable. She doesn't NEED to be a glowing idol in public appearances if she gets a reputation as a cute-but-awkward big titty goth streamer who voices a few anime waifus. She can have a successful career without us trying to make her into something she's not.
>>5598796>>5598803>>5598742I say we continue to micromanage her until she gets that voice acting role and then we start braching off with other idols.
I'm here, I'm writing. Some important votes coming up. They will remain open for about an hour or so.
I'm rewriting a bunch of stuff. I tried to change my writing style to include more prompts, but it just turned into a bunch of unnecessary questions. Stuff like "Do you wanna compliment the man's book collection?". Just unneeded.
>>5598999For what it's worth I would like to compliment the man's book collection.
>>5598809Support.
>>5599004Also support +2
>>5599004What authors tho. If it doesn't have Steven Baxter and Sir Terry Pratchett I am not into it
>>5598999I do like reading, so +1 to the compliment. Bonus points for fantasy or sci-fi authors like Nix, Clarke, Pratchett, Gaiman, Jacques, Shusterman etc.
>>5599049Are these authors well-known and well-regarded by Japanese businesspersons?
Proofreading then posting
>>5599079C'mon, man, I'm sitting here fighting off sleep just to vote on those important votes.
What a long, strange trip its been. Three months have passed since you began your new role as an idol manager. Now it’s time time for you to face the owner of Matsuno Inc. Idol Agency, Matsuno Takechi, and hear from him how you’ve performed. ---------The elevator dings, you’ve arrived at the top floor of Matsuno HQ. This upper-most floor is where the executives work, the members of the board meet, and where the office of the CEO and Owner, Matsuno Takechi, is. A slogan in large lettering decorates the wall leading towards Matsuno’s office: ‘Excellence through focus.’Right outside Matsuno’s office is the desk of his secretary, a woman in her late thirties by the name of Hada Midori. Hada has been Matsuno’s secretary for as long as anyone can remember.Even though Matsuno is a serial entrepreneur who founded and then sold many companies, Hada is always immediately offered a new position on any of his new ventures.There’s even a special disclaimer in the sale contracts that state Hada Midori is excluded from any “employee poaching prevention” clauses. She’s irreplaceable, knows it, and dresses like it. Her primary concern is comfort and her attire of choice is tracksuits. It’s honestly absurd what she can get away with. Some speculate she must have dirt on the company owner, but most people agree that she is just scarily good at her job and is deeply familiar with any business process used within past and current companies run by Matsuno Takechi.She can and has run the company by herself when Matsuno was absent. Her networking skills are frightening to behold.Hada reminds you of Matsui Tomo in a way, both are far more capable than they try to let on, but Hada is far more scary. Or maybe Matsui is just better at hiding it. Today is Wednesday, April 1st. 8:50 AM. The secretary looks up from her work as you arrive, “Nagata-san, hello,” she says, gesturing towards a row of seats a short distance away from her desk, “Takechi will see you shortly, please take a seat.”
>>5599097You swallow and take a seat, then look towards Hada, “Hada-san, Am I…”“The first?” she answers with a soft smile, “You are. The other managers from the G.G.G. will have their performance review afterwards.”She spoke the abbreviation in English for some reason. “Gee…Gee… Gee?” you repeat. “~Ara, did I say something I shouldn’t have?” says Hada, “How clumsy.”She returns her attention back to her work, but continues speaking, ”I heard your idol’s handshaking event didn’t quite go as planned.”You bite down on your lip and ball your fists. Darn.What should’ve raised you up ended up dragging you down. Part of you wants to laugh it off, say you’ll do better next time, but this is not the time or place to avoid responsibility – not in front of this kind of person. Hada-san doesn’t strike you as anyone malicious, but just very calculating.She even called Matsuno-san, the owner, by his given name: Takechi.You have to assume your performance review has already begun.That anything you say or do here will find its way to Matsuno. “Yes,” you say matter-of-factly, “It went poorly. I failed to take into account my idol’s nature. I will do better next time.”You try to pick your words carefully. Any words that may seem like you’re absolving yourself of responsibility have to be purged from the sentence. “Oh my, so determined,” replies Hada, “The company is not yet expecting return on investment, so don’t worry too much. For now.”You nod and sit down in silence. The only sound is the occasional typing on the keyboard and the pounding of your own beating heart. The clock strikes 9:00 AM. It’s time for your appointment. “Takechi will see you now,” says Hada, lounging backwards as she takes a sip of her coffee, “Good luck.”You rise robotically, nerves eating away at you, “Yes!” you say, somewhat louder than intended. As you march towards the door to Matsuno’s office, you hear Hada’s voice pipe up once more. “Oh, and Nagata-san…” says Hada.“Y-yes?” you reply, stopping abruptly. “Do whatever feels right to you,” says Hada. Strangely cryptic. “Yes,” you say for the final time. You open the door to Matsuno Takechi’s office.
>>5599101The door opens to reveal an office stacked with bookshelves – and not the cheap kind. Outfitted with solid, wooden furniture, among which floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a polished mahogany desk.This is clearly an office meant to impress and it does its job well. The outer walls of this corner office have been broken away and replaced with large windows enjoying a view of the city.There’s a lounge chair in front of those windows, you recognize it as a famous designer chair worth thousands of dollars. This is the kind of office where one CEO would invite another.It appears some negotiations begin far before even a word has been spoken. And now you are here – as is Matsuno Takechi himself. There’s a simple chair on the other side of the desk, probably meant for youMatsuno himself is seated in a large, leather-backed office chair and he been watching you since you’ve come in. Probably to see how you respond to this display of extravagance. The lounge chair looks so comfortable – you wanna relax in it. There’s hundreds of books on these shelves – you feel like glancing at the spines. There’s some kind of modern art on the far wall – you wonder what it represents. There’s a dozen things in here crying for your attention. But you know deep down that it is not that these things are interesting, but more so that the performance review is daunting. But there’s no running away from it. Steeling your resolve, you speak, “Good morning, Matsuno-san,” you say, “I’m here for my performance review.”“Good,” he says, waving a hand, “Sit.”Hyper-aware of your every movement, you make your way towards the desk and sit. Matsuno sits upright with his hands clasped in front of him, “I’ve reviewed your file,” he says, “Kaiba Aoi.”You nod, “Yes, sir,” you say, “I’ve been lucky to manage her.”“So it seems,” he replies, “Voice-acting jobs, modelling, and a fair amount of in-house training. It seems like you are committed to her?”How do you even respond to a question like that without sabotaging yourself. 'Yes' might result in him thinking you have no higher aspirations. That you’re satisfied managing just the one idol. 'No' might result in him thinking you insensitive and unappreciative of your idol’s efforts. “I try to put in my all for any idol that may find themselves under my supervision,” you say. “Safe answer,” replies Matsuno, leaning back.He stands, suddenly looking down on you, “Let me be frank with you.”“Kaiba Aoi is an excellent practice idol,” he says, his tone shifting.
>>5599107The sudden change in attitude takes you by surprise, “…Practice idol, sir?” you say. This is a human being you’re talking about. It feels somewhat cold to talk about her in that way. Matsuno begins to pace around the room as he speaks, “I’m sure you realize that, regardless of any attachment you may have to Kaiba-san, that her potential isn’t infinite. You’ll need to trade up at some point. She’s what we in the business call a ‘Practice Idol’. She’s perfect for that. Reserved, obedient, hard-working. All traits that are excellent for a practice idol.“This man’s view of idols, of people, is so at odds with yours that it leaves you stunned. “Your performance thus far, although not the best I’ve seen, has been adequate. Especially when compared to your peers,” he says, “But, let’s be honest, they basically sabotaged themselves. Matsuno Kojiro was ignorant of the significance of the butterfly effect in our industry, how a tiny rumour can blow up into a career-ending scandal, and Yukimore Kyoden was too trusting.”Adequate. That’s good, right? He didn’t make it sound very good. ”Too trusting, sir?” you ask. “Yes,” replies Matsuno with a wave of the hand, “He came from a department where each employee did exactly what they needed to do. He could be sure that if he ordered something done – it would be done. His current idol, Ichihara Riko, says she’ll do something, but then doesn’t. In summary, he wasn’t ready for the self-absorbed whims of a teenage girl.””Unfortunately for him, we deal with a lot of those here in the idol industry,” he adds, chuckling to himself. This is a bad question to ask, but your curiosity is too much to bear. “What will happen to them,” you ask, “I’d hate to see them demoted because of things outside their control.” “Dealing with things outside your control is your job,” he says, raising an eyebrow, then a smirk creeps on his face, “But I’m glad you asked.”“It’s too early to stop the experiment,” he says, “They’re both going to get another chance. Though they’ll both be, once again, managing a single idol.”He seems to pause for a moment, "Unlike you."“Eh?” you say. The tone and subject matter of the conversation is shifting soo wildly it’s hard to keep up. “Nagata Miho,” he says, with a professional smile on his lips, “Let me be the first to congratulate you on your successful completion of your trial period. You now have permission to recruit and manage up to three idols. You could start you very own idol group if you wanted to.”
>>5599108Your mind briefly wanders as you imagine Kaiba being in a happy, go-lucky idol groups – dancing and singing. The image doesn’t come easy, but perhaps a gloomy band?“You will also receive an extra $50.000 for your budget,” he says, “You can use this hold a round of auditions or spend it in any other way you see fit.”A promotion and more budget.“Thank you,” you say somewhat bewildered. The man returns to his leather-backed chair, “Don’t thank me yet,” he says, “There is more I have to say.”“I mentioned earlier how great of an idol Kaiba-san was, yes?” he begins. The term he used was ‘Practice Idol’, but you refuse to use that term yourself, “Yes,” you reply. “Well, as I mentioned the other managers weren’t so lucky,” he says. You begin to put together where this conversation is heading. “You are aware that Matsuno Kojiro is my nephew, yes?” he continues. Oh, no. “I am aware, yes,” you reply. “And it is perfectly understandable I’d like to provide my family with the same opportunities that you enjoyed, yes?” he says. You feel like your grip on the situation is slipping as you are continuously pigeonholed into one seemingly correct answer. “Yes,” you say as you feel sweat begin to bead on the sides of your face. Idols moving between managers is nothing new in the industry. In fact, it’s not even uncommon for idols to move between agencies. “And this is where this offer comes in,” says Matsuno. Offer implies choice. A wave of relief washes over you. ”I would appreciate it if you would be willing to release Kaiba from your management,” he says, “And transfer her to my nephew’s supervision. My brother ensures that my nephew has been working hard on his idol management studies and I’d like to provide him with an idol that is …easy to handle.”Your mouth opens to speak, but the man quickly continues. “Of course this wouldn’t be for free,” he adds, “Despite the fact that Kaiba’s contract is with my agency, I do feel the need to reward you for your efforts. In exchange for Kaiba Aoi I will grant an additional $50.000 to your budget and pay for the first round of local auditions. In essence, you would be receiving an additional $100.000 worth of value. A sum of $150.000 if you add $50.000 you’re already receiving.”
>>5599117You can’t help but feel a bit nauseated by how this man is speaking about Kaiba – like he’s buying fish at the fish market. “Finally,” he says, spinning the words like it’s a cherry on top, “I would consider it a personal favour.”You’re not sure what to say. ”This feels like such a cruel thing to do to Kaiba-san…” you say. “Well, I’m sorry you feel that way,” replies Matsuno, “Her potential is limited. My suggestion would be to take the offer. It’ll help you career, but I won’t hold it against you if you were to decline, that trait – your attachment and involvement with people – is precisely why we gave you a shot at becoming a manager to begin with.”Matsuno Takechi clasps his hands together and rests them in front of him, “You’ve sown the seeds and raised her well, but now it’s time to reap the rewards.”You’ve worked at Matsuno Inc. for years, but somehow never realized that this is what upper management is like – so uncaring and cold. You had hoped they'd be different somehow. They're making dreams come true. That didn't seem to be the case. Honestly, the fact that they converted an idol’s entire sense of being, down to her personality, into a sheet of numbers should’ve been telling. Taking the offer would definitely help your career, there’s no doubt about that. You’d do the CEO a big favour, get a free round of auditions, and an additional $50.000 for your budget. However, you've seen jobs come by that pay over $10.000, so $100.000 is not an impossible number to earn by yourself. On the other hand, it feels so cruel to Kaiba-san. She’s a shy, awkward, mess of a girl that’s only just now coming out of her shell.The live-vlog thing is entirely novel to the company and has the potential of becoming huge.She has potential beyond her numbers, you’re sure of it.Though you fear she may never grow out of her fear of interacting with fans. Kaiba trusts you and will likely be devastated and feel like you’re casting her aside. It’s not an easy decision to make, but you will gain the ability to manage several idols either way. >1 - Accept the offer. Lose Kaiba Aoi, but gain $100.000 + a free round of auditions.>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000>3 - Make a scene. The way they treat people is disgusting. Quit and start your own agency**You will be able to bring up to two characters (employees or idols) with you – though they have to agree.
>>5599127>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000Kaiba must be protected at all costs.
>>5599127That's it for today. I ended up removing all the conversation points from the update, because I kinda felt they didn't add much. These were>How do you respond to Hada's question about your handshaking event>What do you do upon first entering Matsuno's office? >Options were "Talk about books, talk about chair, talk about painting, and focus on task at hand"This one felt like a bit of a trap, because anything other than immediately talking to him would've been a loss. It was a reference to the "Excellence through focus" slogan and the correct option would've been >"Focus on that task at hand and say you're here for your interview">It seems like you are committed to her?Was also a question with 3 options>“You are aware that Matsuno Kojiro is my nephew, yes?” There would''ve been an option to interject or hear him out further.
>>5599127>3 - Make a quiet scene. The way they treat people is disgusting. Quit and start your own agency*These girls deserve betterAssistant and kaiba
>>5599127>>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000
>>5599139Yeah, I think you were right to cut these.
>>5599127>1 - Accept the offer. Lose Kaiba Aoi, but gain $100.000 + a free round of auditions.Thing is, we are not LOSING Kaiba. She will be working in the same office as we are and another capable manager will be there for her, one good at making deals, a skill that will be great with the voice acting gig if Kaiba is up to the effort.I dislike the paternalism that we will definitely feel have with the girls. She should be given room to grow and coddling her won't be. But we aren't throwing her into the dogs either, she's going to do her thing under a new manager and that's it! Matsuno Kojiro is good at his job. Remember how much effort he put into damage control? I am certain he wasn't cold towards poor Ichihara Riko eitherNow, what we have to think is an appropiate speech for Kaiba. To encourage her and to LIE!! We gotta say it the best way possible, that this wasn't our decision and it happened BECAUSE you were the best Idol out of the three. And that we won't lose contact and despite not being her manager no more, we can always have a chat. But not hanging out, Miho is like 28 years old so that would be weird... unlessA round of Local Auditons for free... should we get the three idols that show up right away? Take only the best? What about the second best... man the excitement
>>55991273 is extremely tempting from a story perspective because being part of a tiny down and out idol agency that cares just sounds fun but 2 is more reasonable. I am willing to sway either way though.>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000
>>5599127>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000
>>5599146Agreed. They added little, and the final decision does a lot more to characterize us.
>>5599127I would be willing to trade Kaiba… but our MC mentioned the vlog was a new idea for the company.A “practice idol” is the only one we can justify doing that with. A “real” idol as the company sees it would be channeled into something that they can be sure will turn a profit, and his nephew won’t continue with the experiment.>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000>Continue with the vlog experiment.>If asked why, point out it’s new for the company, a “practice idol” is perfect for it, and neither of the other managers will do it. Yukimori seems to sure of his own ideas on how people will work, and his nephew has been drilled with idol management courses. He won’t have the imagination needed.Perhaps she can be one of the first vtubers?
>>5599213>spoilerAnd nerf her humongous 3D bossom!? No way
>>5599213Good thinking.Supporting this as my rationale with >>5599180
>>5599216Why not? Most guys would appreciate the opposite of the usual expectation.
>>5599216She can at least be an early Twitch influencer.
>>5599246Hmm... now that's something to consider. Since this is japan we are talking, then it should be streams in Nico Nico Douga (the site is SHIT) unless we get Kaiba into intense english lessons for a full year. Who knows, maybe her withdrawn personality made her look into other worlds (figure of speech) and she already has a medium grasp of english, enough to get very good with an instructor
>>5599238And about such, I guess it would work is there is a play between both personas, the IRL one and the virtual one. But it would be a bother, I feel, because then there would be more work to do managing the two's appearances. Plus in 2015 there was mocap tech but for big movies, unless I am ignorant... To summarize, to huge of an investment for risky gains Big chances to flop, since we would be doing this with no former basis
>>5599256Wikipedia mentions gtubers were a thing in Japan in mid-10s. Kizuna AI got her start in 2016 and kicked off the trend in Japan, with international export happening in the 20s.We’re a bit early, but we could actually ride that wave even with Kaiba.Setting aside meta-knowledge, we’d justify it as trying to tap into the vlog buzz and expand it somehow. A digital avatar would open up possibilities to take her “gloominess” to a higher level by adding in gloom clouds or wisps of darkness that show when she’s especially gloomy.
There is no point in making an already very attractive girl into a vtuber guys, please put down the weed....Also, I'm torn between option 1 and 2. But, seeing how we would get out hands on new idols anyway, let's go with>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000And fuck nepotism.
>>5599127>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000I wonder how this conversation would have played out if we had chosen another protagonist.
>>5599419>There is no point in making an already very attractive girl into a vtuber guys, please put down the weed....3DPD holds as a universal rule but I don't particularly like vtubers myself so I have no real opinion for or against the hypothetical.
>>5599492Very different, I bet... Though choice of idol would also be a big factor, I suspect. Kaiba is the sort of lady who makes one feel protective. If we picked a cynical manager and Riko (who is a little shit) as idol, I bet we'd be having a VERY different convo right now. Instead we picked the nicest manager and most sensitive idol.
>>5599127>1 - Accept the offer. Lose Kaiba Aoi, but gain $100.000 + a free round of auditions.Sorry Kaiba, but you don't have "it"
>>5599127>>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000that big favour would be nice but Kaiba is not ready to open her dark wings (haha). It's not enough time, and i have big plans.Interesting that you also given that third option, something to keep in mind when our relations with the Corporation will become too tense. I can't imagine they will accept to reform with her ideals honestly. She's beyond just gaining wealth.I wouldn't mind going away, but having some rep in the industry and contacts for jobs would be crucial first. Like that man we have talked with briefly, he seemed to have some views like us..... you know maybe our manager could touch the ground there too for something else.....
>>5599127It is worth noting that the next tier of auditions cost $500,000. So even with this bonus we wouldn't necessarily be increasing the floor/ceiling on the idols we roll for. If we can't get regional auditions yet then in my opinion this just isn't worth it, we still have a chance to get higher rank idols even with local auditions. We haven't been having money troubles so far and Kaiba is beginning to mature as an idol and eventually we can have her just focus on doing work and improving her vlog to support our budget and the other idols under us. Plus, we are playing an empathetic character, I just don't think Nagata would be the sort of person to coldly calculate the benefits to her career and prioritize that over someone we've grown to know and support over the past 3 months. >2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000The favour is the only aspect that really interests me. Just because Kaiba would switch managers doesn't necessarily mean she'd be treated like dogshit, but I don't want to just abandon her. If we did give her up I'd probably vote for professionally inappropriate personal actions to basically butt in on Matsuno's management of Kaiba just to make sure she is doing alright emotionally, or insist we get close to Kojiro just to keep looking after Kaiba.Making our own agency is an interesting path to take the quest, but honestly upper management's callousness doesn't actually seem to have an on the ground effect of how the idols hold up emotionally, at least as far as we can see so far. So I don't really see the point in throwing a fit just yet. Not to mention we'd struggle financially and probably have to get Kaiba to work constantly instead of improving just to keep us afloat, it take a long time for us to be able to afford new idols.As the others have pointed out there is also experimental paths we can take Kaiba, nico nico, twitch, vtubing, etc. It is 2015, early days still for influencers, relatively speaking.
Winner>2 - Decline the offer. Keep Kaiba Aoi and gain $50.000
>>5599127>1 - Accept the offer. Lose Kaiba Aoi, but gain $100.000 + a free round of auditions.
>>5599642Too late to vote but going independent intrigues me. Would we have to search for starting capital first?
>>5599496Same about vtubers actually. I brought it up, but I don’t actually follow any.That said, the idea of a Kaiba with actual gloom clouds that follow her is too cute to pass up.>>5599492>>5599500Maybe we’d be in a similar boat with Maki, but I agree in general. I don’t think the vlog idea would have come so naturally to the other idols (since we wanted to avoid direct fan interaction) and that’s the main reason I voted to say no. With a different manager I may not have been able to justify even that because my heart is saying no due to manager choice and my mind is coming up with rationalization re:vtubers and such. I’d be rationalizing the other choice instead with them.
>>5599642I unfortunately don't have a whole load of time today, but I do want to put up some prompts------Ultimately the question came down to who do you put first: your career or your idol?There’s no doubt that Matsuno Kojiro would initially do his best for Kaiba, but there’s a good chance that he shares his uncle’s 'Practice Idol' mindset.He would replace her with somebody else before long. Until that second person eventually replaces her as well and so and so forth. The idea of Kaiba being relegated to a set of training wheels weighs heavy on your heart. “Thank you for the offer,” you say, watching Matsuno’s smile slip from his face, “But I will take my changes with Kaiba. She might not be perfect, but nobody is.”Matsuno Takechi takes a breath and exhales heavily, “Very well,” he says, “I had hoped you’d be more … ambitious, but I guess I was wrong.”“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” you say, “But faced with a decision like this I can’t help but put people first.”Matsuno folds his arms, “I suppose that’s where we differ,” he says, then extends a hand, “I look forward to your progress. Try to surprise me.”You take the offered hand and shake it, “I’ll try my best. Until next time.”“Until next time,” repeats Matsuno, dismissing you. You leave the CEO’s office behind, confident that you’ve done right by Kaiba. Passing down the hallway, you wave goodbye to Hada Midori and return back to your office.
>>5599736It’s time decide the planning for the next two weeks, but you also notice you’ve received three new messages. One is from Kaiba Aoi:------Hello manager-san / Nagata-san, I would humbly like to request a moment of your time – if you don’t mind.I have something I want to do and I’d like your permission first.It’s nor urgent or anything, so just whenever it feels right to you. I’ll try to make it quick, sorry. Kaiba Aoi------Another one is from Kitabayashi Yui, your friend from HR. ------Miho-chaaaaan, All the serious stuff is done, right???You promised we’d go out into town! How’d your review thing go? Are we celebrating or drinking in regret? Either is fine with me. XOXOXO, Yui------The final one is from an external account. ------Hello Nagata-san, My name is Fujiwara Miki.I’m not sure if you remember me, but we met several months ago during the auditions of Blood Blockade at Studio Bones Animation. Thanks again for your help back then, your support gave me the strength to keep pushing on as an aspiring idol. I’ve been more careful with my voice since then. I was there at Kaiba-san’s handshaking event, but didn’t see you there.While present I also got to shake Kaiba-san’s hand, but it didn’t seem like she remembered me – well, we didn’t speak back then so it’s to be expected.She seemed a bit down back then, is she okay?I had hoped to speak with you in-person at the event, but am instead reaching using the email on the business card you gave me back then.I hope that’s okay. I apologize if this seems rude, but I wanted to request the opportunity for an open audition as an idol at the Matsuno Idol Agency. Thank you for reading. Kind regards,Fujiwara Miki------
>>5599744A new month as arrived!You have to pay Kaiba’s salary! (-$5.000)You've gained +$50.000 budget for succesfully completing the trial period. Budget: $115.000Date: April 1, 2015Time ticks forever onwards. What’s your plan for the next two weeks? NOTE: We are no longer using energy, but instead use stressEvery two weeks idol stress is automatically reduced by 30. Extra ways to reduce stress will be added in the future. Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)>2 - Ask Matsui to find some work appropriate for Kaiba >3 - Write-in Manager Task: Nagata Miho>1 - Write-inEmail - Kaiba Aoi>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>2 - Schedule meeting later this month>3 - Write-in Email - Kitabayashi Yui>1 - Agree to go drinking today>2 - Tell her you don’t want to today, some other time maybe>3 - Write-in Email - Fujiwara Miki>1 - Agree to schedule an open audition for Fujiwara>2 - Tell her that you are happy with her interest, but she should apply for official auditions like everybody else. >3 - Write-in
>>5599745Budget: $122.900Forgot to update ledger.
>>5599745It would be nice if you reposted our idol's stats in the planning posts.Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)Get her ready for that Bones job.Manager Task: Nagata Miho>Find a dedicated moderator for KaibaWe'll have more idols on our hands and not enough time. Look in the company's social network division.Email - Kaiba Aoi>1 - Meet with Kaiba right awayEmail - Kitabayashi Yui>1 - Agree to go drinking todayEmail - Fujiwara MikiDo we even have the power to schedule an audition? Would that be seen as nepotism and overstepping our bounds?Anyway, I'm leaning towards scheduling it. Miki seems like a hardworking type.
>>5599745>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)Manager Task: Nagata Miho>Find a dedicated moderator for KaibaEmail - Kaiba Aoi>1 - Meet with Kaiba right awayEmail - Kitabayashi Yui>1 - Agree to go drinking todayEmail - Fujiwara Miki>1 - Agree to schedule an open audition for Fujiwara
>>5599750>Do we even have the power to schedule an audition?It would basically be a job interview with her showing off any skills she might have. The upside is that you don't need to pay $50.000 for local auditions, downside is that you don't get as much info as the highly experienced scouts from auditions get.
>>5599753Hmm, let's schedule it then.
>>5599751+1
>>5599745Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)Manager Task: Nagata Miho>Find a dedicated moderator for KaibaEmail - Kaiba Aoi>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>Sure, we can talk of it. Lunch ?Email - Kitabayashi Yui>1 - Agree to go drinking today>Celebrations !!! \.(^-^)./Email - Fujiwara Miki>1 - Agree to schedule an open audition for Fujiwara
>>5599745Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)Manager Task: Nagata Miho>Find a dedicated moderator for KaibaEmail - Kaiba Aoi>1 - Meet with Kaiba right awayEmail - Kitabayashi Yui>1 - Agree to go drinking todayEmail - Fujiwara Miki>2 - Tell her that you are happy with her interest, but she should apply for official auditions like everybody else.No nepotism. If she's good she must show it like everyone else
>>5599745(Sorry to ask this but how do I bold a sentence?)Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)Manager Task: Nagata Miho>Do a little research on the vlog analytics - avg ccv, superchat income, etc. See if there is more potential for growth and, if applicable, create a dashboard for a future pitching that we might have to do on another performance reviewI was one of the anons that thought of sacking Kaiba due to her lack of social skills but the CEO nepotism and some of you guys ideas on the vlog thingy made me vote for her to stay. So we might as well go all-in.Email - Kaiba Aoi>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>Write-in: ask her about the noteEmail - Kitabayashi Yui>1 - Agree to go drinking todayEmail - Fujiwara Miki>2 - Tell her that you are happy with her interest, but she should apply for official auditions like everybody else.Nepotism bad. Always. (And we really need to see her stats anyway)
>>5599785>(Sorry to ask this but how do I bold a sentence?)Only the OP can do that
>>5599745>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)We should probably switch to personality afterwards.>Find a dedicated moderator for KaibaGood idea from other anon.>1 - Meet with Kaiba right awayNo reason to push it off, and we can discuss with her about her new proposed moderator. Maybe she already knows someone via her time with marketing brainstorming new ideas.>1 - Agree to go drinking todayAgreeing to this because>3 - Fukiwara Miki write-in - Encourage her to apply through proper channels for her own security, but have her tell you when her application is in so you can ask HR to review it instead of letting automation handle it.I’m asking Yui for a return favor. I’m loathe to thumb the scales too much, but ensuring she gets a review is good practice if we’re handing out cards.We can caution Yui to tell us if she scores well since the owner will be looking for a good idol for his nephew. Don’t want her to get poached too quickly if she’s good.
>>5599745>1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)Personality pls>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>1a - Agree to go drinking today, and bring Kaiba>2a - Tell her that you are happy with her interest, but she should apply for official auditions like everybody else; also, wish her good luck, and tell her you'll be looking for her
>>5599745>>5599797I’m also okay with>Ask Yui to conduct the interview for Fukiwara Miki. She’d have better insight as a former idol herself.if we want to schedule the interview and bypass the rest of the company to ensure we get first dibs. Yui seems content enough in her own position that I figure the return favor isn’t going to be too bad and I’d like someone else to screen her since I know we’re soft. I’m one of those softies!
>>5599745This vote is still open, but I forgot one.Ask Matsui to send out orders for a local idol audition?>1 Yes. (-$50.000)>2 No. These will happen in the current two weeks and the results will come afterwards.
>>5599830>Yes
>>5599830>No
>>5599830>1 Yes. (-$50.000)add to >>5599800
>>5599830>2 No.
>>5599830>2 No. It seems likely we’ll be picking up Miki, so we’d be speding 50k for 1 idol at most. More importantly, I don’t want to take on 2 new idols at the same time AND possibly take on work from Kaiba depending on her request. Better we hear from her first.
>>5599745>>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>1 - Agree to go drinking today>1 - Agree to schedule an open audition for FujiwaraLet us have ALL the social interactions.I apologize for your writing load ahead of time QM.>2 No. Eh. If we take Miki then I don't see the need to take the monetary hit right now. If Miki ends up being, uh, underqualified then we can consider it.
>>5599745>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)>Find a dedicated moderator for Kaiba>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>1 - Agree to go drinking today>2 - Tell her that you are happy with her interest, but she should apply for official auditions like everybody else.>>5599830>No
>>5599830>Yes. (-$50000)
>>5599745>1 - Have Kaiba work on her PERSONALITY using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)>Find a dedicated moderator for Kaiba>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>1 - Agree to go drinking today>2 - Tell her that you are happy with her interest, but she should apply for official auditions like everybody else.>1 Yes. (-$50.000)
>>5599942Support
Winner>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)>Find a dedicated moderator for Kaiba>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>1 - Agree to go drinking today>2 - Tell her that you are happy with her interest, but she should apply for official auditions like everybody else.Host a round of local auditions?>Yes6 in favour, 5 against As mentioned earlier, didn't have much time today. Update will be posted tomorrow.
>>5600148We should probably tip Fujiwara off to the auditions being held soon, at least, so she knows to apply and shoot her shot.
>>5600148>>5600153Yeah, makes sense to at least offer that much.
>>5599745>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house tools (40 stress)>Find a dedicated moderator for Kaiba>1 - Meet with Kaiba right away>1 - Agree to go drinking today>1 - Agree to schedule an open audition for Fujiwara>>5599830>1 Yes. (-$50.000)
I'm messing with the generators again and the cost increase between audition scopes is not worth the increase in price. So, I've opted to reduce the cost of the auditions. See pic related for a visualization of %New Audition Costs>Local - $50,000>Regional - $250.000>National - $1.000.000
>>5600761Aww. It would have been funny to spam local talent acquisition so often that the justification for the efficiency is that our area became a known hotspot for idol auditions. Why expand the search area when you can bring idols to us instead?
>>5600761>1 - Have Kaiba work on her ACTING using the office’s in-house accommodations (40 stress)Need a 1d100 roll (3 times)DC to beat is 45. If successful roll a 1d10.
Rolled 9 (1d100)>>5600846
Rolled 10 (1d100)>>5600846
>>5600846Wait, 45? Wasn't Kaiba's Acting 53?
Rolled 96 (1d100)>>5600846
>>5600867Saved by the based third roller.
>>5600867You're our hero.
Go on roll the d10
>>5600853You are correct. She acquired 53 in week 9/10. I'm gonna alter my changelog entries to include former and new skill lvl. >>5600867With a 96 you succeed regardless.
Rolled 5 (1d10)>>5600846Rollin'
>>5600916Please also include the current stats in the bi-weekly vote.
>>5600920All known information about idols is in the wiki. I try to keep this up to date as best I can. >>5588508
>>5600930On the wiki the idols are mixed in with the other characters. It's inconvenient to look up stats even now when we only have a single idol. It'll be much worse going forward.
>>5600930Now that you’re allowed to manage multiple idols, the first order of business is to send a quick message to Matsui Tomo. You request another round of local auditons. Matsui reports that she’ll get right on it and to expect the results in two weeks time. Cost of local auditions -$50.000Budget: $72.900Browsing through the messages, it’s clear that you have a lot of work ahead of you. To Kaiba you send a short message to meet right away, she can drop into your office at her earliest convenience. As far as the drinking with Kitabayashi Yui is concerned, you send her a message to meet after work.It’s likely that’ll you’ll recruit additional idols in the weeks to come, so any information she can give you about her own idol career is appreciated and something you can immediately put to use. Finally, you decide that you’d rather not give any potential idol preferential treatment. If Fujiwara Miki wants to be an idol employed by the Matsuno Inc. Idol Agency then she has to apply for the local auditions just like everybody else.It’s been several months since the last round of auditions, so you can’t really hold it against that she tried to apply through email. You mention to her that another round of auditions will be taking place in the upcoming week and that she should keep her eyes peeled. ----There’s a careful knock at the door within the hour. ”It’s me,” says Kaiba Aoi, carefully, “Uh, Kaiba Aoi.”You’ve been working together for over three months now. ”I figured,” you reply, “I could tell by the voice. Come in.”Kaiba shuffles into the room, eyes set on the floor and avoiding your gaze. Nevertheless, she seems to be able to swiftly manoeuvre herself to the chair opposing your desk.She’s dressed in her usual shades of grey with a thick sweater to keep her warm. “How are the vlogs going?” you ask. “Ah, well,” says Kaiba, “Not bad, I think. We had almost three thousand viewers yesterday.”Three thousand is nothing to scoff at, but the company hasn’t yet found a good way to make a profit on all those viewers.Marketing is suggesting you do in-stream advertisements. Not banners or anything, but having Kaiba physically interact with a sponsored product. “That’s great,” you say and hold up a hand for a high-five.Despite working together for many months, you feel like haven’t gotten any closer to Kaiba.Perhaps getting used to small gestures like a high-five will help her be less anxious. Unfortunately, her eyes remain fixated on the ground and you slowly lower your hand.Eager to forget about that, you change the subject, “You had something you wanted to talk about?”
>>5601079“Oh, eh, yes,” she says, nodding, but then goes quiet again. Whatever it is, it must be difficult to her. You remember that idols usually get paid according to their fame and marketability, but Kaiba hasn’t gotten a single increase in pay despite steady progress in her fame.Perhaps that’s what this is about. Just as you attempt to voice the unspoken question for her, Kaiba begins to speak. “…C-can,” she begins, then swallows, “W-would y-you, well, ah…””If it’s okay with you, then, well,” she continues, “...I’d like to introduce you to my parents.”“Eh?” you reply. That was quite unexpected. However, it’s a small matter even though you don’t yet know why. You lead with approval and then ask the reason. “Sure,” you say, pulling up your calendar for the appointment, “When and what for?”Kaiba relaxes somewhat when she notices your casual response.But then begins to wring her hands, “You see, I told my parents about trying to be an idol…”“You aren an idol, Kaiba-san,” you interject, “Not trying to be, but already are.”She nods, but doesn’t seem entirely convinced, “They’ve known from the start, but I don’t think they ever took it seriously,” she says, “I think they were just glad I wasn’t stuck in my room all day anymore.”“Yesterday my dad told me it’s time for me to either go to college or find a job,” says Kaiba, a somewhat defeated look on her face, “I told him I have a job, but then he said I should stop playing around.”It’s honestly understandable that her parents might have doubts. Kaiba Aoi and a career as an idol, even though true, seem like an odd pairing. ”How about showing them your payslips?” you say, “Then they must admit it’s a proper job.”Kaiba shakes her head lightly, “I tried,” she says, “My mom said it’s too big of an amount for somebody like me. She even cried, she thinks I’ve gotten involved in something illegal or shady.”For the first time since you’ve known her, you watch as Kaiba becomes visibly angry. “I’ve shown them the modelling photos, the anime episode I had voice lines in, and even videos from the handshaking events. Hundreds of people – come to see ME,” she cries, then simmers down a bit, “…My dad says it’s not a real job. That I should go to college to study something I can depend on in the future. That I should stop wasting time doing something I’m not cut out for…”
>>5601089As much as it angers you that this father of her is trying grind Kaiba’s dream to dust – he does have a point. Kitabayashi Yui lucked out with a HR job at Matsuno after her idol career. Truth is that there are many idols that retire and spend years picking up the pieces of their shattered lives – if at all. Some are able to coast by using the fame they built up until that point, far more fade into obscurity. Although family affairs aren’t really your business, you can tell that this bothers Kaiba a fair bit and if a fifteen minute conversation with her parents can fix things then so be it. “Sure, let me know when they’re available and I’ll schedule an appointment,” you say. “I’ll ask them tonight,” replies Kaiba, then gives you a shallow bow, “Thank you.”It’s easy to forget sometimes that everybody at work also has entirely life that happens outside the office. How well do you know Kaiba, really? Does she have brothers or sisters? Any pets or hobbies? For somebody that prides themselves on being a people person you know remarkably little about the person you spend the most time with. Perhaps you should invite Kaiba to come drinking with you and Kitabayashi Yui in an effort to get to know each other a little better. It is supposed to be a celebration for becoming a proper manager after all and there’s nobody here who had a bigger part in your success than Kaiba. Then again, Kaiba is too young to drink and might feel obligated to join you even if she actually doesn’t like going to bars or clubbing. Actually, Matsui Tomo, your assistant, was a massive help as well. Without her you might've never gotten your bearings in the idle world. Decision>1 - Invite Kaiba to join >2 - Invite Matsui to join >3 - Invite Matsui and Kaiba to join >2 - Ask Kaiba something else…>3 - Say goodbye for now
>>5601096>2 - Invite Matsui to join
>>5601096If Kaiba manages to become a professional seiyu, she can look forward to a stable career, unlike a classical idol. We should tell her parents as much.>2 - Invite Matsui to joinI feel like Kaiba would just feel worse if we take her along. For someone who's not a party person, it's an alien experience, either overwhelming or boring.
>>5601096voting for>GURLS NIGHT
>>5601096>>2 - Invite Matsui to join
Thing is, I want Kaibe to join, becaus she has to gain experience in clubbing and stuff. Not to do it often in the future, but becase she WILL be insert in that world
>>5601096>3 - Invite Matsui and Kaiba to join
>>5601096>>5601198 (me)wait no no no no, can I undo my vote? >2 - Ask Kaiba something else…while we are here, we should ask her about the note that she received on the handshaking event
ah shit, we should do that, and mention the weird "plan" message to her>2 - Ask Kaiba something else…adding this on
>>5601202Ah shit, right. Supporting this.>>5601192Maybe we should start her on easy mode, i.e. without Yui.
>>5601202Yeah we should definitely ask about the note .
>>5601096>2 - Ask Kaiba something else…The message>2 - Invite Matsui to join
>>5601202holy shit you are so right, we gotta ask
>>5601096>2 - Ask Kaiba something else…The note>2 - Invite Matsui to join This ought to be amusing if she acceptsKaiba seems like the sort of person who would enjoy a small party with known people far more. If we want to get her out of her comfort zone with a larger/louder setting, we can do that while she’s on the clock instead of on her free time. She should get paid for her misery at a minimum.Future-wise, Kaiba has had the most interaction with marketing from the sounds of it. Working behind the scenes to capture trends and enable other idols to rise up sounds rewarding.
>>5601271Supporting
>>5601271+1
>>5601096>Schedule a separate date for both Kaiba and Matsui and invite them.Clearly Yui intended for our get together to be just the two of us, whether to just catch up or because she wants to ineffectually flirt with us some more, or at least that is what it seems like to me.
>>5601096Oh yes, and ask about the note.
>>5601096>2 - Ask Kaiba something else…The note>2 - Invite Matsui to join
Winner>2 - Invite Matsui to join>2 - Ask Kaiba something else…The note
>>5602177Thinking back to the handshaking event, you recall that Kaiba received some kind of note from one of the fans. Whatever was written on that note had come after a whisper that her blushing like nothing else. “Before you go,” you say, noticing Kaiba had turned towards the door, “I noticed that you receive some kind of note at the handshaking event. Is there anything I should know?”Once again, there’s the signs when she remembers the moment. The fidgeting, ears turning red, and she seems unable to meet your eyes as she speaks, “No,” she says, There’s nothing.”There’s obviously something going on, but pressing any harder might be an invasion of privacy. ”Are you familiar with the saying 'an idol is married to her fans'?” you say. “Eh?” she says, “Married? I’ve never heard of that saying…”It shouldn’t be this way, but you know that’s just how things are. An idol shouldn’t be in a relationship lest her fans find out and raise hell. All those must know that there’s no chance that the idol would date them, right? Perhaps it’s more the knowledge that even if they don’t have her – nobody else has either. You assume they take solace in the fact there’s no other guy being handsy with their beloved idol. Like a beautiful statue on a high pedestal – equally out of reach for everybody. “It means that you shouldn’t get too familiar with any fan in particular,” you explain, “That you belong to all fans equally. That you abstain from any external relationships.”Kaiba’s shoulders slump as one arm hangs limp while gripped by the other, “Not even friends?”You shake your head, “What is just a friend to you might seem like so much more to your fans,” you say, “Remember Maki-chan? All it took was one picture. Work friends might be okay.”Kaiba nods, but you can tell she isn’t too happy.”Is there anything else?” she asks. “We’ll have you work on your acting these two weeks,” you say, hoping to end the conversation on a brighter note. Kaiba nods again, “Okay,” she says. She seems eager to leave, so you decide not to hold her any longer. “That’ll be all,” you say, “I’ll make sure to talk to your parents.”Kaiba looks towards you with a bitter smile, “Thanks,” she says.Once the door closes, you exhale heavily and slump into your seat. ”I’m ready for those drinks now,” you announce to the empty room.
>>5602269You could really use a break, but you probably aren’t the only one. After a moment of effort you manage to drag yourself out of your chair, out of the office, and toward’s Matsui’s desk. Matsui is in her usual navy-blue suit, but far from usual is the look on her face – which is twisted in concern.“Nagata-san,” she says, “Is Kaiba-san alright? She seemed very down. More than usual, I mean.”You sigh, “I hope so,” you say, “I had to remind her that idols shouldn’t mingle with outsiders, least of all fans. To prevent rumours and all that. It seems like she made a friend that she now has to break contact with.”Face set with a pained grimace, Matsui speaks, “It’s the way of the industry,” she says, “All smoke, mirrors, and pandering.”That's one way to put it. “I was thinking I would be thankful for a break and I wondered if you could use one as well,” you say, “Me and Yui, ah, Kitabayashi Yui from HR, are going into town to have some drinks and talk about idol stuff for a bit. I was wondering if you’d like to come.”Matsui thinks for a moment, “I’d be willing,” she says, “But I’m not one for big, crowded places. I prefer private gatherings like a Nomikai or a small bar.”You honestly don’t know what Yui has planned. Knowing her, she probably made no plans at all and is ready to bar-hop and eventually bar-crawl into the late, dark hours of the day. Suppose that means it’s up to you. Decision>1 - Visit a host(ess) club >2 - Visit a nightclub (Matsui won’t join)>3 - Visit a bar made for Nomikai (Drinking in private rooms with small groups)>4 - Visit a public bar where everyone sits in one room>5 - Visit a karaoke place where they serve alcoholWatch as the QM desperatly tries to hang on to his daily-posting streak despite limited time
>>5602270>4 - Visit a public bar where everyone sits in one room
>>5602270>5 - Visit a karaoke place where they serve alcoholLet Yui exercise her ex-idol voice and distract her from drinking too much.
>>5602270>5 - Visit a karaoke place where they serve alcohol
>>5602270>3 - Visit a bar made for Nomikai (Drinking in private rooms with small groups)If needed for a tiebreaking vote I would be willing to switch to 1 or 5Hopefully we can find Kaiba some decent friends in the idol industry. Easier said than done given the nature of it, of course.>spoilerI consider the streak unbroken even if that daily post is “I don’t have time today, sorry”.Much like how I have an answer for everything, and sometimes that answer is “I have no idea”.
>>5602270>3 - Visit a bar made for Nomikai (Drinking in private rooms with small groups)Then nightclub - huge night ahead!
>>5602270>5 - Visit a karaoke place where they serve alcohollet's ogoogogoooooo
>>5602270>5 - Visit a karaoke place where they serve alcohol>SpoilerTake care, QMnon!>>5602269She...completely dodged the question...Mission failed...?
>>5602270>5 - Visit a karaoke place where they serve alcoholFun.
Winner>5 - Visit a karaoke place where they serve alcohol
>>5602552I think we picked up enough context. It was probably a number and a request to hang out sometime.
>>5602552>She...completely dodged the question...It's too late, anon. The 6 hours of violent yuri sex already happened while you weren't looking
>>5603324It could easily have been straight sex. She could have been passing on the note for a guy friend after all.She seems like an excellent wingwoman.
>>5602270”I’m thinking something along the lines of karaoke,” you say.“Like back in high school?” replies Masui, “How nostalgic. I’ll be there.”“Great,” you say, “We’ll meet in front of the building after work.”Matsui agrees and you both return to work. This is the saddest update, but I have tomorrow off so I'll make up for it
>>5603614No rush for it!
>>5603614It's okay to just let us know to wait if you don't feel up to an update. No worries, QM!
>>5603614it's OK
No update today because I'm weak
>>5604913Be as kind to yourself as Nagata would be. Just don't flake. I love this quest so far.
>>5604913Sleep and get strong my child
>>5604913
>>5604913QM????
>>5604913Sunday better have three or four updates. And cute new idols to choose from.
Several hours pass and the work day comes to a close. You’re waiting outside the office building alongside Matsui. It’s not exactly cold, but rather chilly. You pull your coat together tight and button it up. Kitabayashi is late. Matsui leans in, “We were meeting in front of the building, right?”You nod, “That’s what we agreed upon.”Then you hear a voice pipe up from behind, “Sorry I’m late!”You figured she had some work to finish up back in the office, but Kitabayashi actually approaches from the direction of parking area. It seems like she had gone home a bit earlier and replaced her office attire with something else. It occurs to you that you forgot to send Kitabayashi a quick message about the planned destination.Judging by her clothing, you assume she had something else in mind. It’s clear that whatever plans she had aren’t gonna work out and she doesn’t look too happy about it. “Ah, Yui-chan, you’re here,” you say, gesturing towards Matsui, “Have you met Matsui-san? My assistant?”Matsui provides Kitabayashi with a shallow bow, “Hello Kitabayashi-san,” she says, then turns to you, “I was actually the assistant to Kitabayashi-san’s manager a few years ago, back when she was still active as an idol, so we’re well acquittanced.”Well, both of them have been involved with the Matsuno Inc. Idol Agency for longer than you have, so them being acquainted isn’t all that surprising. “I invited Matsui along since we’re sorta celebrating like you said in the email,” you say, "And she's been a massive help."“Hello again, Matsui-san,” replies Kitabayashi with a shallow bow, then sighs. She drops formality and hugs you, “Mihoooo,” she says in mournful tones, “I thought I was gonna have you to myself! I had things planned, you know?”“I’m sorry, Yui-chan,” you say, “If I knew you were going through all this effort I wouldn’t have made plans of my own.”Kitabayashi folds her arms, feigning frustration as she looks away, “I wanted to surprise you,” she says.Matsui Tomo seems to take the entire exchange in stride, but then a thought seems to occur to her as a smirk creeps onto her face.“Ah, I’m sorry, Nagata-san. I didn’t know you were … like that," she says, hiding her smile behind a hand, “I can leave if you want, I don’t mind.”The sudden implication has your face turning crimson. ”I’m not!” you declare perhaps a tad too loudly, “We’re not like that!” You just have to hope nobody overhears and turns it into any weird rumours. “Ah, rejected again,” says Kitabayashi while leaning away as if recoiling from an invisible blow.
>>5607653-------------Kaiba Aoi sits alone in the small office used for her live-vlogs. She finished today’s vlog just a few minutes earlier and is watching the chat die down. A wandering eye finds the window overlooking the entrance of the office where she sees her manager, their assistant, and some other girl in a red dress walk off towards the street where they hail a cab. Kaiba sighs as she watches them leave.A sharp noise echoes from her computer. A message notification. Small smile on her face, Kaiba eagerly replies. -------------
>>5607655Before long the three of you finds yourself in a wide karaoke booth.The lightning is somewhat subdued, but the ceiling is filled with various lights that’ll likely start to swing and flicker in tune with the music once it starts. A small flatscreen TV hangs from the ceiling with the words “Pick a song!” softly swaying up and down in the center of the screen. Four microphones rest in their holders, clamped to a large table with rounded corners. Lining all walls save for the one with the entrance is a massive, cushioned, u-shape booth. Finally there’s a small speaker attached to the table with a button. It buzzes noisily when pressed, which it immediately does because Kitabayashi presses it. “Three beers!” she shouts into the receiver. The voice on the other side acknowledges the order and says they’re on their way. Kitabayashi seems determined to start out strong. You turn to Matsui, “Are you okay with beer, Matsui-san?” you ask, “I can ask them to change the order?”Matsui waves your concerns aside, “Beer is fine,” she says, “Feel free to relax. We’re not at the office right now. We’re celebrating, right?” You nod, but you can’t help but be somewhat on guard when it comes to Kitabayashi and drinking. “Don’t chicken out, Miho!” shouts Kitabayashi while she uses some kind of remote to flick through the karaoke numbers on the screen, “We’re drinking today!”You sit down on one of the large benches, tilting your head back as Kitabayashi rants in the distance about the song selection on the karaoke machine. The door opens to reveal a man in his late twenties with what will be generously called the man’s best attempt at a goatee.He’s carrying a large tray with three glass mugs filled with beer, “Three beers?” the man announces carefully. “Yes!” cries Kitabayashi in confirmation. The man nods, puts down the beers on the able, and departs. “Uwaaa,” cries Kitabayashi, “They’re massive.”There’s probably at least half a litre of beer in each of these. “Gather up, gather up,” shouts Kitabayashi.You, Matsui, and Kitabayashi stand around the table and Kitabayashi slides a beer to both you and Matsui.
>>5607683Kitabayashi hoists the glass mug of the table, spilling some in the process, but seeming unbothered by it. She clears her throat noisily, “Eh-he-he-hum,” she begins, “We have gathered here today because my darling little Miho-chan has taken her first steps in showbusiness and completed the probationary period to become an idol manager. We are here to celebrate and drink on her expense while wishing her good fortune in her trials to come!””But mostly to drink on her expense,” she adds quickly, then cheers loudly, “OOOOOoooooo!”“Ooooooooo,” echoes Matsui, but more reserved. Kitabayashi can be such a dork sometimes, but you recognize the gesture was made in good faith and find yourself smiling before you know it, “OOOOOOoooo!” you cry simultaneously with Matsui. The three of you bring your mugs of beer together and, as your glasses clink together, toast to the future.Immediately after Kitabayashi begins chugging down her beer. You turn to Matsui to share your horror only to find Matsui doing the exact same while she smiles at you with just her eyes. Decision>1 - Take it slow and drink at your own pace. >2 - Chug down this one, but slow down after that.>3 - It’s your celebration and YOU’RE PAYING. Bottoms up!
>>5607687>2 - Chug down this one, but slow down after that.
>>5607687>2 - Chug down this one, but slow down after that.Drink socially.
>>5607687>1 - Take it slow and drink at your own pace.
>>5607687>1 - Take it slow and drink at your own pace. Oh, Kaiba, please be careful.
>>5607687>Chug down this one, but slow down after that
>>5607687... wait, im kind of regretting that choice.switching to:>1 - Take it slow and drink at your own pace.
>>5607687>2 - Chug down this one, but slow down after that
>>5607687>>3 - It’s your celebration and YOU’RE PAYING. Bottoms up!It's time! WOOOOOOr >2 - Chug down this one, but slow down after that.Honestly anything but 1
>>5607687>2 - Chug down this one, but slow down after that.>>5607655>Small smile on her face, Kaiba eagerly replies.mfw as soon as we get back to work, half the office is waiting on our room to talk about another PR fiasco
>>5607742>Idol develops parasocial relationship with fan.Oh no.
>>5607751Especially since it's THAT fan.Damn, she raises my hair.
>>5607742If it's Key-chan, we'll have to recruit her and create a duet with Kaiba.
>>5607755>[@Keyszz1: Looking forward the the first live-vlog, keke. She’s gonna be a wreck. #KaibaCon]Fuck no, I don't want her anywhere near Kaiba
>>5607772Makes me wonder if drinking tonight will have an effect on handling what's to come.
>>5607687>2 - Chug down this one, but slow down after that.>>5607655>picrel
So uhhhhDo we just let the yuri demon take our idol? How do we stop her?
>>5607805Counter with Yui.
>>5607805Match her with another girl we can control
>>5607805We do the only thing we CAN do.Fight fire with fire.>Pic related.
>>5607805The proper way would be to teach Kaiba to recognize which people aren't good for her.
