> META
>
> Budget: $70.000
> Date: March 15, 2015
>
> Time 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-in
>
> 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.
>
> 1 decision (2 weeks) until your performance review.
>
> The handshaking event takes place this week!
There’s only just over a week left until the handshake event and it’s time to remind the people in the livestream that Kaiba is an actual idol.
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.”
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/514ff36e-851a-47f9-b870-5a41f11a6831.png]
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.
> META
>
> >1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the future
> >2 - Decline the offer
>
> Result
> >1 - Promise to join Kitabayashi Yui for drinks sometime in the future
You sigh, “Fine, fine,” you say, “But after the handshaking event.”
Kitabayashi smiles and claps her hands together, “Yey,” she says, “I’ll pop in at some point.”
----------------------------------------
Upon 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: 50
Payment: $3.500
Skill: Looks
About:
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: 50
Payment: $7.000
Skill: Looks
About:
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: 50
Payment: $8.000
Skill: Personality
About:
Crazy Ogura Talkshow is known to be a sleazy company.
----------------------------------------
Voice-acting role in an upcoming anime (DC 120, Rank C Rank)
Kyoto 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: 50
Payment: $11.000
Skill: Acting
About:
Kyoto Animation is known to be a well-respected company.
----------------------------------------
> META
>
> Winner
> >1 - Model required for a magazine advertisement (Sakura Perfumes)
> >Skill:Looks
>
> Need a 1d100+31(Looks) roll.
> DC to beat is 60.
>
> Rolled 29 (1d100) + 31 = 60 – Success
You 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.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/074090f6-07c2-42ea-b9d8-67982f96bd86.jpg]
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 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.
Results
Payment: +$3.500 ($73.500)
Next up – the Handshaking Event
----------------------------------------
The Handshaking Event
The 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 (or so you’ve been told) 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.
> META
>
> Marketing roll: Rolled 58 (1d100)
> Attendance: Roll * 5 (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).
Even though this is a nice bit of additional income, you’re still quite a bit in the red.
However, making profit was never the true goal of this event.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/bf96f755-705c-4753-8a44-7967c97e9938.jpg]
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.
And, as expected, Kaiba was instantly overwhelmed.
You’ve spoken to her about this event for weeks now, but you had a feeling it wasn’t entirely registering within her.
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.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/decfcec3-2df3-4f3a-a2f9-5c8ef60e16a6.png]
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.
Her associating with the agency is probably what made the fans check in, but Kaiba’s personality and the stream’s content is what had them coming back.
Thousands of people, 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.
----------------------------------------
There’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.
It has you feeling like a parent who didn’t notice their own child growing up.
Perhaps you should get more involved in the live vlog considering it’s such a large part of Kaiba’s career, but, according to the owner of the Matsuno Idol Agency, a good performance review means you’ll be managing many more idols soon.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
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
>4 - Write-in
Winner
>1 - The clothing her fans know her for. Sweater or sweater-dress with a skirt and black stockings.
Attire choice will influence fan reactions
----------------------------------------
You 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 and don’t have the necessary level of restraint to keep themselves in check.
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 help 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 security
Rolled 50 (1d100)
----------------------------------------
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 like 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 stands
Rolled 65 (1d100)
----------------------------------------
Finally, you double back to Kaiba Aoi. She should be just about ready with clothing and make-up.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/d0e3ac3a-8bf9-4544-9754-d9d91873d740.png]
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.”
She nods slow and robotically, her fear-filled expression frozen in place.
Trait: Gloomy
Interactions with fans will be rolled with disadvantage.
Need a 2d100 roll for Kaiba’s interaction with fans (taking lowest)
Rolled 72, 13 = 85 (2d100) → 13
----------------------------------------
During 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 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.
He’s lucky, most venues would’ve kicked him out.
Many fans have come to meet Kaiba, a total of 290, but most are waiting outside.
Here are some of the interactions.
Fan #1 - Brown-haired girl
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/3dbf3baf-ac50-4b57-b4f0-dac8695e33ab.jpg]
A plain, brown-haired girl makes her way over to the desk and excitedly shakes Kaiba’s 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, “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.
“…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.
----------------------------------------
Fan #2 - Man with leather-jacket and skull cap.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/f47d0fdb-4bd6-414a-afc5-d433368e1e8d.jpg]
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, who 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 and 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.
----------------------------------------
Fan #3 - High-school girl with bright-orange hair
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/9dcb1595-fa50-4680-9f14-38bb16c4627b.jpg]
”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 ME 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.
----------------------------------------
Fan #4 - Grey-haired college girl
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/4ebc40c3-43a1-4637-b567-0c5b21f5398b.jpg]
A 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, uses a hand to move her hair behind an ear, and tilts her ear 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 said, “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, “Come on, I’m a paying customer.”
Kaiba’s hesitant hand wobbles its way over the desk.
The girl clasps the hand in both her hers, winks, and let's 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 wrapped 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.
----------------------------------------
Fan #5 - Long-haired man in his late thirties
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/b4b5f1be-3074-44f3-993b-a9163e0d014d.jpg]
A 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 they’ve met for the first time, the man is acting like they’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 50
> -- Success
Be it body posture, tone of voice, or something else – something tipped off the security nearby.
Before the fan can pull Kaiba across the table, the large hand of the security member 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, letting go of Kaiba’s hand, pulling his arm back and then cursing, “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.
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.
----------------------------------------
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.
[@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]
[@SkullsSkullsSkulls95: …man, I couldn’t even look at her. #KaibaCon]
[@Keyszz1: @SkullsSkullsSkulls95 turbo virgin
[@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? Get the fuck out of my fandom. #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.
There’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.
RESULTS
Kaiba: +1 Fame
INCOME
290 Attendees
Average merch buyer amount $30
Kaiba interaction roll: 13 (13% of people bought merch)
Merch stall check: 65 / 20 = 3.25 = 1.325 mod
Rev = 290 * 30 * 0.13 * 1.325
Revenue: $1500 (1.498,575 rounded up)
Tickets: $2.900
Merch: $1500
Total income: $4400
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/46403209-70d5-44e3-8b63-9ce6a03cfe86.png]
Merch