> META
>
> Budget: $90.000
> Date: February 15, 2015
>
> Time ticks forever onwards.
> What’s your plan for the next two weeks?
>
> Idol Task: Kaiba Aoi
> >1 - Have Kaiba work on her SKILL_HERE using the office’s in-house accommodations
> >2 - Have Kaiba train on her SKILL_HERE using an outside trainer / consultant (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.
>
> ----------------------------------------
>
> >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.
>
> Winner
> >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.
>
> Rolled 98 (1d100)
> Rolled 8 (1d10)
>
> Kaiba's "Acting" score has increased by 8, making the new score a 45.
And 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 8 (37 → 45)
Her 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.
>
> Rolled 51 (1d100)
> Rolled 7 (1d10)
>
> Adding 7 to personality
>
> 33 → 40
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 know 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 on stream again tomorrow.
>
> Your most loyal fan,
>
> DarkFlightXx (Takemoto Hikaru)
----------------------------------------
Having 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 where 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.”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
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.”
> META
>
> >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.
>
> >3 - Organize the event at a small venue (max 100 pers.) and create merch for the event - $15.000 (+1 Fame)*
>
> Selected Merch
>
> [https://assets.legendkeeper.com/fe0349cb-e06f-4cd3-8cce-1a279a09ebf7.png]
“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.”
Kaiba 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, but 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.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/b0aecdc0-c4c7-4860-adfe-8c2ac5d2716d.png]
> META
>
> >1 - Take the offer and allow Tanabe to do all the marketing
> >2 - Try and do the marketing yourself (1d100, degrees of success)
>
> Winner
> >2 - Try and do the marketing yourself (1d100, degrees of success)
> Rolled 58 (1d100)
Apparently, 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.
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 “Okir99” 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?
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 underlying motivations of a teenage 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