imeeji_frontstage | STRINGS GAME SCRAMBLE

Who: All the kittens tangled in strings
Where: Imeeji
When: Day 512, late afternoon

[As everyone is finally starting to get their bearings with the strings and what they mean, and maybe learning a little about what they do, the kiosk and their phones will sound with a new alert.]

Thank you to all of our fans for participating in Imeeji's
🎉 4th Season Shipping Contest 🎉
All nominated ships and ship dynamics are now being processed. With the help of your idols we will be determining the winning ships.

[The game rules app on each person's phone reads:]

- Idols have been assigned relationship dynamics determined by their fans.
- Idols are encouraged to explore and display the dynamics of these relationships.
- Idols may also attempt to subvert the relationship to drive engagement.
- Winners will be determined by viewing numbers and fan engagement.
- Winners will have the option to switch relationships back to their original settings.
- The rest will be left on the setting they are on at the conclusion of the game, please develop your relationship as you like organically from there.

SEE SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

[With a twang, those who are participating in the game will find that their strings have been scrambled. It may not be all of them, but most of the familiar ones suddenly have new colors, and there may even be entirely new strings to complete strangers--not every ship makes sense! Time to work out these new relationships and show people what that's all about to have a shot at fixing it.]

OOC INSTRUCTIONS | SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES | TURN-IN

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[On one hand, thinking of I, yes good. On the other...]

Problems?

Ya seemed like ya didn't wanna be there.

Technically I don't "wanna" be anywhere. Except by you, right now.

Well. Ya have my undivided attention.

[ cupping his face ]

[Pipes the fuck down for once and leans into that]

[ leans in like he's gonna kiss him on the mouth.

...and pecks him on the nose at the last second. ]

…Ah, there goes my first kiss.

For real?

Of course not. I expected a more entertaining reaction than that though.

Define "entertaining."

A reaction.

[Finger combs out his hair now that the braids have been undone]

[ Despite the length, his hair is very well-cared for, shiny and soft. ]

Would it help ta know I was relieved? Going for hundreds of years without at least a little bit of affection sounds like a time.

[Who said anything about affection, sir… That said, leaning back to look over his face before making a disapproving noise]

Was I wrong?

You're probably rather popular, aren't you?

[...snorts, leaning forward on his lap again to gather all that hair into a ponytail instead]

You were wrong on many accounts. For starters, my existence spans over a thousand years. Not hundreds.

Popular in what regard? Ya know I don't remember much.

And what else am I wrong about?

[ slotting I closer. ]

Show me a memory and I'll explain.

[ He purchases a memory that opens with him at a child sized table with a little girl. The child looks exhausted and depressed, but is coaxed into painting together with Z.

Z confesses that he really isn't much of an artist, and that he admires people like her, who can paint no matter how unhappy they are. They complete a painting together and Z tells the girl she can keep it, since this is the last time she will be coming to this after school program.

The girl's father arrives to take her home. While he seems to feel uncomfortable with Z, he remains polite. In failing to understand the situation regarding his daughter and why the painting she made with Z is important to her, her father begins to tear the painting in half to give a portion to Z. Beyond angry, he reaches out on reflex. Z's reaction and expression terrify the girl's father.

The tension is broken by his colleague, the guy with bleached blonde, permed hair and gold eyes from the art school memory. He takes the painting and applies tape to the back, reassuring everyone that it's as good as new. The girl leaves content, her father relieved. Z declares to his friend that he isn't suited to teaching. ]

Edited 2022-11-27 22:36 (UTC)

[Loops his arms around Z's neck, playing with the ends of some errant little fwips and curls in his hair]

Do you only like artists then or is it artists and children?

[ he's still reeling from reliving that level of anger.

It feels so awful, the question doesn't even register. ]

[...noses along his jaw, hands winding Z's hair around his palms and tugging]

Ow!

[ he almost jumps, but the hair pulling was very effective. He smiles and pulls I into a hug. ]

Sorry about that. What was the question?

Were you more mad at him or for her?

For her. The creativity of a child is special, cuz it's not hindered by the rules and standards adults apply ta things. It's purely theirs, usually.

Until parents ruin it by saying things should be drawn a certain way, or compare them ta other kids, tell them they don't got talent or some other nonsense. So they abandon that dream and become so-called "proper adults." That girl's father may not have physically beaten her, but he still hurt her by ruining the activities that brought her joy. I can't forgive that.

Edited 2022-11-28 06:17 (UTC)

A proper adult... I can't say I've ever actually met one. I do know how much adults like to impress their will on others though. I don't like humans....but children are at least more tolerable. They like stories.

(no subject)

artlover - 2022-11-28 07:54 (UTC) - Expand

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