>2 - Enatsu Marie’s sportswear modelling job at Genki Clothing (Wednesday)
It’s hot! It’s so terribly hot today!
You’re standing in the rafters of an athletics stadium. The kind the Olympics could be held in.
The sun sits high in the sky and there’s not a cloud in sight.
As your hand wasn’t up to the task, you’re currently fanning yourself with a stack of papers.
You’d love, love, LOVE, to take off your suit jacket, but you’ve kept it on too long.
There’s no doubt that your white blouse is already sticking to your back and is probably see-through by this point.
As you’re not particularly eager to show your new business partners what colour bra you’re wearing, you’re forced to keep the jacket on.
Ah, being a woman is rough sometimes.
Enatsu Mari and the other models are lucky.
They’re wearing the new range of sports apparel specifically made to exercise and sweat in.
There must be over a dozen of models here. All of them trim and athletic.
Although there’s two other girls around Enatsu’s age, the rest of the models are of all ages and genders.
There’s an elderly man that can, no doubt, outrun you, a woman that could likely crush a watermelon with her thighs, and a guy in his thirties that probably spends half his life in the gym.
They weren’t joking when they said this was a huge undertaking.
The business is expanding all kinds of ways. They used to focus on children’s clothing.
Additionally, they even rented this entire stadium for the photoshoot!
Genki Clothing clearly has big bucks invested in this advertisement campaign.
Enatsu Mari looks up at the rafters and sees you there, she waves with much excitement.
You wave back. The interaction has you feeling like a mom watching her child perform at some sports event.
It isn’t though, it’s a professional modelling job that Genki Clothing is spending tens of thousands of dollars to make happen.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/5fc2c084-2f85-4baa-8ec7-c46f2796b85d.png]
The models are currently gathered on the running track.
Enatsu Mari seems perfectly at ease. Not a single trace of nerves.
Well, she did mention during your initial interview that she was part of her school’s track and field club, so this must all feel quite familiar to her.
The only difference being that there’s a boatload of professional cameras there to take pictures of them.
You glance at the papers you’ve been fanning yourself with – a schedule of today’s events.
Genki Clothing’s aim is to take “action shots”, images of the new line of sportwear as it is being used.
For the first shoot, the models will actually be racing against each other, but the goal isn’t to win, but rather to look as photogenetic as possible while they’re doing it.
After that there’ll be a series of other shoots featuring running, jumping, and throwing skills.
You’ve told Enatsu Mari as much, but you just have to hope she remembers that today’s purpose is that of a photoshoot.
> Need a LOOKS roll for Enatsu Mari. DC 80.
> Roll a 1d100+49.
>
> Rolled 86 (1d100) – SUCCESS
Enatsu Mari completely forgets that she’s supposed to model for the camera and goes all out during the competitions.
As a result her photos are the most authentic out of all, she’s genuinely enjoying herself and it shows.
Her photos capture the kind of sheer joy and love for sports that can’t be faked.
A job well done.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/53a58963-1a71-4233-9d74-a34603dccce7.png]
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>3 - Showing off catgirl clothing with Chigusa Iki at Isekai Cosplay (Thursday)
“This is degrading,” says Chigusa Iki, clearly upset, “The little teeth press into my lower lip.”
She wouldn’t appear upset to anyone else, but you’re starting to get the hang of reading Chigusa’s near imperceivable emotions.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“It’s not so bad,” you say, reaching up and adjusting the fluffy cat ears on her head.
This cosplay is darn impressive. You’d say it almost looks real.
That is if cat girls were actually real.
On this Thursday, you’re at Isekai Cosplay.
A place selling hundreds of cosplay costumes for all kinds of fantasies and franchises.
There’s a banner pinned to the wall that says: “Reincarnate into your favourite character here at ISEKAI COSPLAY.”
You pull your attention back to the task at hand.
“I think you look cute,” you say, finishing the adjustment of her cosplay, “The freckles are a nice touch, too.”
Chigusa wrinkles her nose, “The people that are into this disgust me.”
“Urgh!,” says a nearby man, clutching his chest as he bends forwards.
Chigusa doesn’t know since the deal for the job was made through an intermediary, but the man happens to be the owner of Isekai Cosplay.
You know, the people paying you almost eight thousand dollars to be here.
You hold up your hands defensively, “Ah,” you stammer, your gaze flipping between Chigusa and the man, “I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that…”
Still reeled over, the man raises a shaky hand as he carefully looks up at Chigusa, “It’s okay,” he says, “If I could just hear it…one more time?”
What?
Looking down at the man and with a fresh incentive to do so, Chigusa has no problem repeating herself, “Disgusting.”
The man’s knees almost seem to buckle, but he catches himself, “T-thank you,” he says, scampering off.
Chigusa watches him leave, brow furrowed, “It appears some kind of deviant has snuck in,” she says, “He appeared to be just wandering around. Who was that?”
“N-nobody important,” you say, laughing nervously as you lie.
A different man calls out that they’re ready for the photoshoot.
Chigusa takes the stage as the lead photographer shouts instructions at her.
“Can you go like …Nyaa?” says the man, holding his hands angled like the paws of a cat.
“Eh?” replies Chigusa.
Chigusa tries her best.
However, all of her pictures have a kind of pained look like she's dying inside.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/5895f595-6fc3-436a-8a1a-cf161bcdbe6c.jpg]
> Need a LOOKS roll for Chigusa Iki. DC 80.
> Roll a 1d100+48.
>
> Rolled 88 + 48 (1d100 + 48) – SUCCESS
Despite the photographer’s best efforts, they can’t get Chigusa to do the cute cat girl pose.
She simply doesn’t know what the hell they’re on about.
For the people of Isekai Cosplay It’s one of those painful moments where you find out you’ve actually in being in a bit of an echo chamber with like-minded friends.
All these references you considered universal? They’re not universal at all.
You're the weird ones.
“I’m trying, okay?” says Chigusa, “I just don’t know what you want me to do!”
You’ve never seen Chigusa act like this.
She’s normally so docile and well-behaved.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/d571ee6b-18e8-42af-9409-e3af09168df9.png]
You remember that Chigusa has “Defeatist” as her observed trait, but you didn’t think it would manifest itself like this…
She’s pointing fingers, shouting, and doing her best to get answers in her own way.
The cameraman scratches his bald head, “Guh, what do we do?” he says, “It’s like she hasn’t seen a single anime in her entire life!”
A hand claps the cameraman on the shoulder.
The camera man looks back, “Boss?” he says.
Isekai Cosplay’s boss raises a thumb, “We use it,” he says, raising a thumb, “Degrading cat girl is top tier!”
Geh.
The pictures come out looking great, but a little different than you had imagined.
----------------------------------------
>Kaiba’s voice acting audition at Ushio to Tora (2nd Season)
The day of Kaiba’s voice-acting job arrives and you are, naturally, there to support her.
Much to your relief, she has actually heeded your advice in the email and has come out with the entirely new set of clothing you bought together, she showered, and had her make-up professionally done.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/2c60ff2b-1f32-4ab1-be72-cfab13e4315b.jpg]
Kaiba’s understandably nervous, this is only her second job and the first one after the scandal.
Although you highly doubt anyone will actually comment on the scandal or even know who Kaiba is, you can’t blame her for seeing ghosts where there are none.
The both of you greet the MAPPA Studio employee that oversees the audition and are escorted towards the waiting room.
Once there you make some small conversation with Kaiba to put her at ease and ask how things have been for her since the scandal.
She’s weirdly evasive about some stuff but says she’s managing.
After waiting a while with the other voice actresses, Kaiba is called out and portrays the “Saya Takatori“ character of Ushio to Tora as well as she can.
> Need an ACTING roll for Kaiba Aoi. DC 60.
> Roll a 1d100+58.
>
> Rolled 1 (1d100) – Failure (1% chance of failure)
Kaiba returns from the audition and she seems confident.
She has practiced her acting more than any skill and this minor role should be easy for her to acquire.
As you sit in the waiting room, a man comes in and requests a different applicant to follow.
The man returns a few minutes later.
“Thank you all for your time,” he says, “We’ve made our decision and will be selecting Mano Sakiko for the role of Saya Takatori. Have a safe trip home.”
And with that, he leaves.
You slowly glance towards your left, at Kaiba.
Kaiba looks devastated.
What it nerves? Or stress? Or something else that caused her to come up short?
Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.
She could’ve really used a win, but it seems like that isn’t in the cards right now.
Slowly, the room empties out as the disappointed applicants return home.
As Kaiba hasn’t moved yet, you simply sit beside her.
After opening and closing her mouth a few times, Kaiba speaks.
“Manager-san,” she says, eyes fixed on the floor, “Do you think… it m-might be best for me to retire?”