HANDSHAKE EVENT: FANSERVICE START

[idolpro]

Who: Unfamiliar faces?
Where: Tokyo-F
When: Day 424, morning

[ The cryptic countdown pauses: 999999.

Then, the video feed turns on. Who's this—why, it's Man☆Eater! ]

A big ol' congrats to our final winner, who requested: "PLEASE MAKE C KING OF HEAVEN"! Now, we could make that happen for you, but where'd be the fun in that? And hey, we've got a special occasion to celebrate: the start of our fourth season! If the third time's a charm, the fourth's gotta be even better, right? Gyahaha!

They say you should meet your heroes... eh, or wait, was it the opposite? Oh well, too late! 'Cause guess what, you lucky rascal? Instead of sitting back and watching all the action through a screen, you're getting the once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the man himself! No accounting for taste if you ask your host here, but hey, go bask in his divine presence or whatever! Gyahahahaha!

[ the video shuts off before further explanation can be given, though fortunately you're receiving a text message: ]

IMEEJI'S FIRST HANDSHAKE EVENT BEGINS
FULFILL FAN REQUESTS TO BECOME MORE POPULAR ♥

[ And the ground begins to shift . . . there's a rumbling sound—an earthquake?

—no. Those are the sounds of footsteps . . . thousands of them, all at once.

Wherever idols are, they'll be able to see the streets and buildings are being invaded. Not by imps, not by demons, but rather, monochromatic people—sometimes just silhouettes, shadowy facsimiles of people rather than people themselves. Though they look lifeless, the energy they bring with them is overwhelming. Suddenly, the empty once-plastic city feels like it has the population to justify its size, and every building, communally upgraded or not, now accommodates the visitors, with non-upgraded buildings revamped inside to be bare-bones sleeping quarters for the . . . just how many people are here, anyway?

Perhaps more intimidating than the abrupt number of the Damned in Tokyo-F is the fact that they're all wearing. . . idol merchandise. Jackets with idol faces on them. Headbands. Lightsticks.

And. . . wherever you are, they're there. To get your signature. To shake your hand. Maybe to ask you to do something.

Idols will have to deal with this for . . . some time. The cryptic countdown has started again, but this time it's ticking reliably, though slowly, down.

Incidentally: far from the hotel, tall white walls have been erected around Honmachi Sakura Park. They're not magical walls, though—it seems determined idols can use any number of methods to climb over the walls to get to Heaven. It looks like it's largely there to keep fans away. . . ]

SIGN-UPS | REQUESTS | TURN-IN @ SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12

Comments

[quickpersuader]

What does electroshock therapy need anyway...?

[ends]

Hm...

[ why would he know, anyway? but, he seemed to know something about it to talk about it freely before, so he'll try doing more of that. ]

I think you'd usually need to sedate someone first and then apply electrodes to the exterior of the skull, since the goal is a targeted current to a part of the brain. That would be a way of directing it that doesn't involve head trauma, and there's no electroshock therapy I'm aware of that requires anything as severe as, say, drilling through the skull or into the brain tissue directly.

If this were a real session, it'd be best to have a baseline workup of the person and a second set of hands just in case something goes wrong, but I don't know if you want to bother with us finding a volunteer to help oversee.

... And, for our purposes, probably Cloud 9 could fill in for sedatives.

[quickpersuader]

...I highly doubt any of our fans know that much about it, so I'll apply cloud nine and give you a quick zap if that's alright.

[ends]

That's fine with me. I don't know if there are levels for the zap power or anything, but keep the voltage low if you can.

[ he kneels down at Kino's side. ]

[quickpersuader]

I'm not trying to actually hurt you badly here, so...

[Reaching over to apply the Cloud 9 first, enjoy a break from anxiety, Okitsu!

Drawing back their hand. And then, making sure he can see their movements, reaching forward again to give him a light zap.]

[ends]

[ that break is always a plus!

after noting the position of Kino's hand, he closes his eyes and settles his hands neatly in his lap, the portrait of peace.

there is a quick flinch when the zap strikes him, though, but otherwise... silence. ]

[quickpersuader]

...I think that should count. Do you want me to stop Cloud 9?

[ends]

...

[ please hold, busy staring blankly for a sec. or two. or a few. ]

[quickpersuader]

...Then again, you're much calmer this way. Maybe you'd like it better to keep it in place for now?

[ends]

... Ah? Calmer?

[ what'd he miss, he was y'know, out of it. still is a little bit. ]

[quickpersuader]

You're calmer because of the Cloud 9. ...I think.

[ends]

Er.

[ he looks around a little, like he's trying to figure out what the hell is going on and where he is, actually. ]

I do feel like I'm floating... [ and like he both simultaneously could run a mile and use a nap. it's weird! ]

[quickpersuader]

Do you want me to make it stop?

[ends]

... Maybe in another minute.

[ at least while they're talking he can have a nice chill time. ]

Anyone shout anything else at you?

[quickpersuader]

I need to race someone?