wuh woh

[idolpro]

Who: You! (unless you're WILD CITY!)
Where: Here!
When: Day 243, Evening

[ Wherever you are, your phone starts pinging you incessantly:

• CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS!
  
  CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE YOUR PRIZE!

That . . . doesn't look safe! But you can't use your phone otherwise. Hm!

Eventually—whenever you click on it—you'll find yourself redirected to the Producer's channel on Dissonance, with the following new messages: ]

• Producers: CONGRATULATIONS, IDOLS!
  Producers: With all your hard hard hard work, we've received
  Producers: ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*~~~A budget increase~~~*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ !!!!
  Producers: Isn't that fantastic? We're bigger and better than before, and it's ☆♬○♩●♪✧♩all thanks to you♩✧♪●♩○♬☆!!!
  Producers: We're showing our gratitude!
  Producers: More Lives!
  Producers: More abilities!
  Producers: More ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ways to make money｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆!
  Producers: Just in time, too. Your season is about to renew ♪
  Producers: ⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿Thanks for all your hard work✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

[ Huh! That's INTERESTING. By the way, some of you might notice that your abilities are gone. That's ALSO interesting.

If you go into the points shop app on your phone though, you're met with the request to select which abilities you want to have, out of the number that you purchased before. No mass refunds here, it looks like! If you purchased all 6 abilities, you'll see that you don't need to switch them out, and your abilities themselves have just updated.

The last of everything INTERESTING happening is that, if you're currently outside of your dorm while reading all this on your phone, you'll see a herd of black cats scampering down the street with something white bouncing around on them. Headed right to you.

They stop right in front of you, drop the something white at your feet, and then scatter in every direction. It's a giftwrapped box! Open it to receive a gift!

If you're inside your dorm, you'll instead receive the box in the mail. Congratulations! ]

[ Players, please comment here with the number of previously owned abilities and which abilities you're switching out for! However, if you have all 6 abilities already, you do not need to comment here. Hiatused idols will receive the same experience when they return to the game. ]

Comments

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Ok, laughing outright. ]

Two.

Two steps ahead.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Petulantly:]

One and a half.

And getting closer and closer to rounding down to one with every comment.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ You realize this does not lead to LESS laughing, right? ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[And Intensity with nothing to smother him with to stop the laughter.

Le sigh.

Time to kiss his rival into submission. Same result, really.]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ And in front of everyone, no less. There really is a first for everything.

The laughter stops very abruptly as his hands grip Intensity's coat, though, so looks like this gambit is also a success. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[He publicly broadcasted that he followed King to the afterlife because he was too hopelessly gay to live without him. This is just the natural follow-up.

But good.

Not only did King stop laughing, but now Intensity is half a step ahead.

Ah, the taste of sweet sweet victory.

(There there. See? He's not upset about not having Mind Crush anymore. In fact, let's never talk about that cursed ability ever again.)]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ He's just letting you get a half step ahead. Don't get too cocky about it!

His fingers curl a little in Intensity's coat as he chuckles low into the kiss, apparently pleased by this display of No Fucks Given ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[One more data point to be stored away for nefarious purposes later.

But since King is enjoying himself (sure, that must be the reason), Intensity will continue occupying his mouth until he is too distracted (or breathless) to even remember what they were arguing about.]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ It mostly works, because whenever they do pull apart, King just raises an eyebrow up at him. ]

So I take it you must not have gotten anything good.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Raises an eyebrow in return]

Guess I didn't.

[#citation needed]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Squints ]

Hmm. So you did, then.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. I'm not going to play a trap card immediately once it's in my hand.

[Idly tracing the curve of a wing]

Unlike some people.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ That wing quivers just a little

Then snaps out of reach. ]

Worth it.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Hey! He was enjoying that.

Leans down so that he can lower his voice from dramatic effect]

I'll make sure my debut is worth it, too.

[And then rolls off him.]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Pushing himself up on his elbows ]

Oh, I see. You mean to torture me by building suspense.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Oh please. You make me sound like all talk with little to no follow through.

[And he slides his fingers down the length of one of King's arms, grin sharpening]

I'll also torture you when I do it.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Just smirks ]

And is the timing also going to be a surprise?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I need my dorm upgrade to go through to take maximum advantage of it. So if you're left wanting, bring it up to management.

[A huff of laughter]

Unless I get impatient anyway.

[puzzlekeeper]

Oh?

Interesting.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Pats King's cheek]

So be patient for me, Your Excellency.

I'm sure you'll be able to keep yourself amused in the meantime. ... Or are you looking for a distraction?

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Considers that for a moment, then shifts his weight so he can tangle his fingers with Intensity's flesh hand. ]

I guess that depends on your schedule, doesn't it?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Leans in, fingers tightening possessively around King's in stark contrast to:]

I'm all yours.

[puzzlekeeper]

Well then.

[ She pushes Intensity back so he can get to his feet, hauling Intensity along with him. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[He makes no effort to hide his enjoyment at watching King gracefully get to his feet, rival in tow as if he didn't have a foot of height on him.

After you, Your Excellency.]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ And King makes no effort not to enjoy being enjoyed.

He's taking this show on the road toward the elevator. ]

My place it is.