idolpro | YOU-kai start!

Who: YOU-kai
Where: The YOU-kai dorms
When: Day 355, morning

[ You all wake up in bed with your smartphone at your bedside, all of you in your sleepwear, with a message on your phone.

Good morning, newly departed guest stars! You've got new co-stars to meet, a new dorm to explore, and the television in the main room with the "names" of everyone in your unit with flashing empty boxes next to them, waiting for you to each assign yourself a personal color as well as a mythological creature (if that is available to you—some of you will have that option grayed out). Or assign them to each other, really, no one's stopping you.

Once you've chosen your color and creature (or, once it's chosen for you), your closets will unlock with 3 sets of traditional Japanese clothing fitted exactly to your size. Additionally, upon choosing your creature, you might find yourself suddenly with some new appendages (check Player Notes).

Also, the front door is currently locked. It looks like you actually have no choice but to get to know each other for an hour or two before those open up. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It, ah, may be best to ask him.

Do you have to be here now?

If it is a problem for my spouse to be here, we can leave.

['We'. Not 'he'.]

Your spouse is on another team, and we're talking strategy.

He has been present in similar situations before.

[That's only a good argument verbally. They don't know their history.]

Furthermore, we are not in direct opposition with his unit, nor are they ones being discussed here at all, whether for or against. His presence is of no consequence, but if it is so discomforting, I'm happy to retreat to my room until you all decide, so long as you keep my needs in mind.

It's too late now. He's heard everything already.

[A beat]

But since he's here, why aren't we offering their team an alliance?

Because I do not think my relationship is enough to secure one, and do not want to use it in such a manner.

[He knows he's a bad person. He's aware. He just isn't changing.]

He's your husband, isn't he?

He's my concubine.

[Hiroto loves him, as much as he can love anyone, but he has a different relationship with him than others.]

[Without missing a beat]

But you're not close enough to leverage it for political gain.

I am close to him, and he to me. I do not think our relationship is seen the same by others.

Not even you, my unit, thinks differently. Isn't that right?

That depends on how you see it.

[How does he see it? When he turns his eyes to Persephone, there is a softness in his expression, despite himself. Hiroto loves him after all, as much as he can love anyone, but he knows it isn't the same. He isn't ready to confront what that means for him.]

I...

[Now is not the time to get into this, anyway.]

... I am his husband, and he my concubine. It feels more right when we are together. But he is a lesser spouse, according to the law. My primary spouse, my wife... [He shakes his head.] ...Later.

[Listening to some of this conversation with Aldbert,]

And is he free to come and go, as he pleases?

Not at the moment.

[He will at least not lie about that. He is not a good person.]

This is why I said I will take him and leave, should it be necessary for him to go.

Does his team know about this?

I am sure that they do, what with these 'phones'. This is up to him.

[Hiroto hasn't taken Persephone's phone. And he's slept between kidnapping and this time!]

So he's not free to come and go, and you gave him a means to tell his team that you've taken him.

I did not give him anything. He came with it.

He's been distracted, but I cannot be everywhere all of the time.

...I'm going to be very blunt.

We're in a situation in which our ability to ally with or at least stay off the radar of other teams will determine whether we get maimed or killed, likely within a few days time.

YOU-kai apparently has a reputation for ruthlessness, from the last time this team was in play, so we have an uphill climb ahead of us already.

Within 24 hours, you've kidnapped someone and then let their team know, not only jeopardizing the contents of our team meeting, which was supposed to be confidential, but painting a target on our backs and reinforcing our reputation. We cannot afford to lose games. We cannot afford to alienate teams that might otherwise be useful or neutral to us later.

Edited 2021-04-27 16:21 (UTC)

[When you put it that way, he can see how this is not the best strategic move on his part. Unfortunately, he is like a child with a toy he wants- stubborn to the point of being unreasonable- when it comes to Persephone.]

....... We were never going to have a good relationship with that unit.

[At this point, Hiroto and Persephone have had time to talk. Enough time for Hiroto to be aware of that much. That said, Hiroto still clings to Persephone as if he were his security blanket, having the good sense to cast his eyes downward in some amount of shame.]

Not a good relationship, maybe. But you've made it immeasurably worse.

Return him immediately and offer an apology. We're not here for you to make love-struck eyes at your captive. We're here to win.

Edited 2021-04-27 16:43 (UTC)

[Honestly just kind of watching this go down because Mitsuru lecturing adults is just a Thing That Happens, go get 'em.]

(no subject)

byallmeans - 2021-04-27 17:30 (UTC) - Expand

hasavision - 2021-04-27 19:31 (UTC) - Expand

daios - 2021-04-27 16:51 (UTC) - Expand

byallmeans - 2021-04-27 17:31 (UTC) - Expand

[was about to say something but Hiroto pretty much tells him to be quiet..

guess he's going to be quiet now.]

These matters and people absolutely do concern you, if you're sitting in on them.