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

[heavenlyvisitor]

He'll be jealous. But, I'll like it, and he'll like that I like that he's jealous.

[ That ... feels strange and honestly extremely embarrassing to say out loud, but if he's embarrassed he's definitely not letting it show. ]

[at_heart]

[ Oh, for the ability to call you senpai. He'd definitely be doing it in the undub. Lupine makes do in the moment by just backing up a deliberate step. There's a building behind him, so~. If you wanted to kabedon him, ]

If... if you're sure...

[ He's never tried to turn red on purpose before. Is it working?? ]

1/2

[heavenlyvisitor]

[ It's unlike him. But ... Tenn isn't disappointed in his act. He's trying, and he's sure that the fans that wanted this are getting their fill of ... whatever it is they wanted out of this.

Reading the deliberate step backwards, Tenn mirrors with one forward - Pushing Lupine against the wall and leaning in close to- ]

[heavenlyvisitor]

[ wink!

And stop before he does anything. ]

Your turn, now.

1/2

[at_heart]

[ Trying was definitely the operative word, but there's still just a heartbeat of tension there — the fans could absolutely have asked Tenn to kiss someone not-Eichi, and he doesn't really think Eichi would be worried if they had, but not everything he's said during this one-act play was a total lie, okay — and then Lupine relaxes. Huffs out a quiet laugh and lets his head tip back to bump the brick wall behind him. ]

[at_heart]

[ And then turning his face aside again, so that it mostly falls into Tenn's shadow. ]

What are you saying? That didn't mean anything to you? I don't know if my heart can take that kind of rejection.

[ Biting his bottom lip for effect.

Is that enough for a love confession, or does he actually have to say the word, because maaaaan— ]

[heavenlyvisitor]

Nope. Nothing at all.

Like I said, I only have a heart for Eichi.

[at_heart]

[ Critical damage done to his ability to keep a straight face. Lupine brings a hand up to cover it. ]

Wow, that's cold.