(no subject)

[just_married]

Who: hosts and idols
Where: game tower
When: day 125, evening

[ an hour or two after the start of the game, Yasuragi's hologram vanished. now, the next evening, the game alert sounds off on the phones again, and he reappears in the game tower lobby in a black whorl, dressed this time in finery and royal purples, with his hair elaborately braided up and a crown of chains falling across his gaze, as he peers at another scroll with one leg crossed over the other. ]

Time is up, and I've received news of the results.

A special acknowledgment to Heart Soldier Senshi especially, for winning in both categories. Alongside them, Baritones and peppep were the runners-up in total, while Lilis and ☆zrael were the runners up in averages.

As for the individual acknowledgments, my cohort would like to send their praise and support to His Majesty The Emperor, of Baritones, as well as-

[ covers his mouth with his free hand as he clears his throat, deliberately maintaining a straight face ]

-Fox, of Taisho Roman Revolution. They were quite moved, so it seems.

That concludes all this, then-

Ardashir--! [ a different, deeper voice cuts in to all this professional mumbo-jumbo. familiar to some maybe, but to most it just looks like some fancily dressed servant or whatever steps in from nowhere to harass the so-called “venerable host”. ]

When did you get back? Those demon children of yours have been on my case all night wondering where you were, and I swear that damn bodyguard of yours keeps following me every-- … what are you doing?

[ the intruder finally stops, looking up in the direction of the crowd, while in the meantime Yasuragi's attention seems to have been totally derailed to the man's whining. a dry retort: ]

Is it really appropriate for a demon to call others demons?

[ the “demon” scoffs, waving a dismissive hand ]

A demon knows a demon when he sees one. More importantly, you didn’t tell me-- [ he cuts himself off. … then shifts his gaze back to the crowd again ]

Oh well. It’s good to see everyone, anyways… well some of them. [ a half-taunting grin. and a smooth salute-wave that holds much more poise and non-chalance than he entered the room with. ] It looks like I got here late. I won’t hold you up.

Concluding all this, then.

[ the scroll dissipates with a flick of Yasuragi's wrist, and in its place materializes a familiar-looking smartphone. a few moments later, once he's tapped away at it a few times, Heart Soldier Senshi and BARiTONES receive a base 1000 points each for bonus wins, while LiliS, pep!pep!, Taisho Roman Revolution, and ☆ZRAEL are awarded 800. every other unit gets a base 100.

additionally- everyone receives a message on their phones from the screenname Yasuragi-no-Mikoto, listing everyone's full submission sheets. ]

Farewell, and good fortune in your endeavors.

[ as Yasuragi stands, in a leak of ink-like blackness starting from his feet, his image bleeds away once and for all, ending at the final wave of his white-gloved hand before it, too, is gone.

the second man lingers, however. his eyes scanning the crowd for a moment before he gives a nod and a wistful, almost playful smile ]

I'll see you all again real soon.

[ and with that, he backs away a step and disappears in the same blackness. ]

Comments

[forgottenmercy]

...is something, ah, amusing...? If I, ah, may ask.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Shows him Nemesis's listing:

Intensity - good upbringing
Erika - weak
Yugi - dangerous

And so on and so forth]

Maiden! I didn't see you playing. What a missed opportunity.

[forgottenmercy]

[almost giggles at the 'good upbringing' for Intensity. almost.] I, ah, suppose I was easy to miss.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[That is probably the closest he'll ever get to hearing Persephone giggle]

We could make up for it now.

[forgottenmercy]

....if I, ah, may ask, why? There is, ah, nothing to be gained from it, now.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Curiosity.

[forgottenmercy]

...you, ah, wish to know how I would react?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

How many points could I have gotten from you?

[forgottenmercy]

No more than, ah, 3. I, ah, played mostly chastely.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Looks delighted]

3 was higher than I was expecting.

[forgottenmercy]

Were you, ah, expecting just a pat on the head? You are, ah, rather tall for that.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

If you're initiating, I'd be delighted.

[forgottenmercy]

Perhaps, ah, next time.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You should text me next time you play in one of these social games.

Just so I make sure I don't miss it.

[forgottenmercy]

Is my behavior truly that worthy of observation?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I'm meeting a quota.

[What kind of quota? We just don't know]

[forgottenmercy]

[one slim eyebrow arches, almost imperceptibly.] What, ah, kind of quota?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I don't want you to get too distant from me.

[forgottenmercy]

Too, ah, interesting to let slip away?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Interesting makes you sound like a science project.

We're aligned in goals, aren't we?

[forgottenmercy]

We, ah, are, yes.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Unless you'd like to be considered interesting.

But I think that brings up some old lingering bad memories.

[forgottenmercy]

It is not, ah, as though you find me interesting for my beauty. So it, ah, avoids that area.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Did no one really find you interesting because of your other abilities?

[Long suffering sigh]

Fools. The lot of them.

[forgottenmercy]

My, ah, gifts as a shrine maiden were prized greatly in my own village, because they kept us alive, but once I hit adolescence...