A feeling of the situation at hand was dire at best, amplified with a following soundtrack of boredom and emptiness suitable for a space odyssey.
The scene was situated on inside of a beautiful space cruiser liner with a name: 'Bay of symphony'. More specifically we look into spacious lobby or a saloon that you can found on most big luxury travel ship. On second glance, with its multiple stories of balconies and passageway on all sides, it give off the feeling of a shop mall hashtag square to evade the submarine feeling on a space ship. Claiming a part of the wall, there even was a fine stage visible from every direction and balcony, so the lobby can be utilized like a theater or a concert hall.
To explain why the situation felt dire, we must said that ship had a serious malfunction. The Improbability drive that propel the ship has during a jump on long distances had a breakdown. The drive itself was a downgraded version, of original that was tested on a legendary ship named 'A heart of gold' described even in 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. The prototype had a disadvantage: when is that the passenger (who) never knows in advance where he will fly to and how he will look. So the version on Bay of symphony exchanged the unlimited jump range, to get well secured against possible displeasure effect on passengers. Or at last that's how it shall be.
The problem at hand is, that the ship got stuck between (spaces?) or accidentally (fall out of Universe?). The normal ship drive is useless here, the hyper-drive work only inside of the specificuniverse for which was designed and the Improbability drive has a failure. So the ship is stranded and no help will come for them. To pour a more salt into anopen wound, just like a prototype drive all normal persons and crew were turned into a fine sentient furniture. Except in the original, all changes on passenger, except the change of ships position in a universe got reversed to normal in several seconds. But right now, everyone got stuck on that form, because the jump was not finished and in technical terms they were stuck inside the jump.
Fortunately for the Bay of symphony, its crew and normal passengers, the ship had on a board a whole group of not normal passengers. They were atypical to regular humans in terms of they connection to myth, magic and mysterious. The ship was heading toward the planet Earth and got unlucky during the jump toward the Sol system. Several girls answered the call for a carrier in entertainment industry and decided to participate in auditions to join a newly established Idol company. So new that jet it dint have a name. But all of those talent already jump/ leap toward it to grasp this opportunity. Most of the girls had before jump a mystical, magical or animal traits. On several of them if not for all, we can speculate that they are deities on undercover mode. Plus nevertheless that they come from all parts of universe, some of them already knew each others. Someone can even say that they decided to do this idol auditions as a collective gig against boredom or as a challenge. But even they were effected by the jump-failure and for now, they look like an animated cartoon characters with overly exaggerated character traits.
Fortunately the 'big brains team' already found a way to unstuck the jump, was cooking the solution to the issue and how to apply it. The entrance to the labs modules was from the lobby and if we peak inside, we can see: Ina'nis Ninomae [priestess of Ancient one] who looks like a crazy, eccentrically super-genius, wearing a white lab coat, thick eye glasses and a crazy hairstyle. Her and other science characters, like Choco Yuzuki [Sexy Dynamite Body (SDB) devil doctor/nurse] and Koyori Hakui [tricky coyote, the Researcher], doing the (questionable research?), give out a feelings that if they show up on a photo next to the legendary Albert Einstein, or other scientist, they will fit into that scene just fine.
But as they were busy, some characters was left out with nothing useful to do. So one of them, decide to do a video journal.
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We join the journal in a moment when the camera view wandering through the lobby and approach a first person for an interview.Noble skeleton Calliope Mori [raping soul reaper] siting on a sofa. She was enchanted by glass of vine in her skeleton hand. She (smelled it?), she put the glass to the jaw and (sip from it?). But the image of supposed liquid dint leave or move in the glass, as if it was frozen solid.
Seeing the relaxing peaceful scene, the journalist girl, decide to spoke up. "Good morning Calli, how you been? Have you a moment to give the audience a few words?"
The skeleton turned its head toward the camera, and surprisingly when the jaw moved, words come out. "Sure I have. The vine is just perfect for a little relaxation during the long trip on a star-cruiser liner. They really know how to please taste-buds of a lady. What I must note is, that the service here is superb. My glass is always full."
Then the sofa under her decide to speak up, as it seemed that the furniture was before a waiter. "My lady, they painted you glass from inside with a paint, so it only look like you had a wine in it."
The skeleton (look?) onto the glass as if to check if it is true.Then she shrugged her (shoulders?) as if she cant notice it or doesn't cared enough to accept that fact. "Its a ghost wine. So, obviously you don't perceive it as I do." Then she put her hand onto specific point on the sofa and start to scratch/ petting the furniture. In that moment the furniture acted like a pet in heaven when the right spot was stimulated, so Mori tease it. "That's the spot you like it, isn't it? No need to be bothered by unimportant details. Just… Enjoy the woyage."
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Interviewer left the duo and went to stroll through the lobby. Some of the stalls on side or something like a rooms were turned into a prison cells. There were predators in a separate cages, so they will not hunt the herbivores if they lose to they animal instinct. Maybe some incident already happen and this is how they temporally fix it, with Mori as a watchman. Just imagine to wake up in a prison cell, and you will see that the jail guard is already reduced to a pile of bones/ skeleton...
In one of the cell was a Botan Shishiro [La~Lion Apex Predator], looking like macho Lioness with big muscles of heavy drums lifter. The torn off sleeve on her prison T-shirt expose a big scary tattoo on her arm. As she laid against the wall she play boredom tunes on a small harmonica, like if it was a real scene from a prison.
On another cell, Okayu Nekomata [tricky playboy neko/ cat], was a fluffy big lap cat. Even if she lied down next to the bars her body was like five meter long. In her sleepy state she was lazily playing with a knitted mouse toy with a paw that want to/ can sneak through the bars. Slothful, nearly in a dreamy trans, she moved her toy from side to side in hypnotic way. Even her expression with nearly closed eyes give up the idea that she was dreaming. Bud don't get tricked by this cat! Because none cat is actually asleep, and they are always by a certain amount aware of they surrounding. Even now, this cat was hunting, fishing for a passerby who will dare to come so close to the bars, for her to catch her new toy and play with it. Knowing this; the nearly closed eyes give off a feeling that she see only that toy. And if you will pay attention, you will see that trickery intention on her face.
On next cage was Chloe Sakamata. [(0%?) genius orca, Intern and Cleaner] But what was in a cage was not a girl but a scientifically realistic Orca. [A macho dolphin, that when she decide that she will eat/hunt somersetting, then she will eat it/ hunt it, even if she need to jump out of the water onto a boat, on cliff or after a helicopter.] This massive fish was barely fitting the cage which in that comparison look more like dog-kennel. With her head facing the bars, ready to chomp onto something on reflex; one can clearly imagine that if the cage will ever open, she will crawl out from it like a seal. On second thought, that bars don't look durable enough to hold the beast inside if she decide to go on a stroll. But for now she was sleeping so deeply that a sleep bubble was attached to one of her nostril. She whistle from a sleep and that bubble got bigger with every exhale and smaller with every inhale. She was probably the only one who dint give a damn about this situation.
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The journalist decide not to look onto another cages and move from that area, and she wander to toward the stage. There was a wall so tall that it stretch for several floors, in normal situation, a quite good opportunity for a movie projection screen. But there was a certain entity that covered the wall from bottom to the top, even if it sits. It was: 'Laplus Dia Highest Death Thirteen Daina Art of Impact Sign Emperor Road of the Darknesss.' [Laplace demon, a timid loli, that is old as universe] However, right now this giant character look like a monster, a big horned purple demon, a some kind of humanoid with blank eyes that look more like a pair of white circles with a corner dawn by a black pencil. Even if she sits there on the stage with her back to the wall, her head must be tilled forward so her massive purple strips horns will not pierce the ceiling of the loby. She was so motionlessly that one can mistake it for a plush toy, that barely fits into a house. Except she was staring at the small hand play console in her (hands?), and the sound noises of that game console, reveal the fact that she is preoccupied by playing. Whats more in front of her was put down a sing. "L+. World record in progress. Do not disrupt." Under the message, there was a writing in an ancient language that probably represented a number speaking about LaPlus actual game high-score. And by judging the shear wide of that number, one can imagine, that it must be a quite big high-score.
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A howl of an owl siting on a chandeliers signalize a change a pace on the plaza; a pair of master chefs arrived with a food trolleys. It was a chicken and a sheep. Kiara Takanashi [crazy Phoenix] and Watame Tsunomaki [A sheep bard] arrived to feed they companions. Especially the one in the cages give them they attention. Do not ask, where they get the ingredients for the meals decided to-serve the meat-eater in cages. But before they manage to start to serving the others, everyone attention in loby was usurped by something else.
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A small gold bell was ringing in the middle of the plaza. It was connected to a tripod standing atop a man hole [Rat hole] in the floor. The tripod look like a well whit a wire on coil, leading onto shaft disappearing inside the ship outer layer structure. For some reason this hole was currently the only available aces to section with the malfunctioned ship drive. But the hole was to small for anybody around. Heck the diameter was wide only for a hand. Except putting hand in will be useless move, because the shaft was going for long like an access to dwarf mine hidden deep underground.
Next to the rat hole was siting a crystal stature IRyS [nephilim half angel half demon] in a praying position. It give her a moment to awake and glance at that ringing bell. Then without a delay, but with a difficulty she stand up, making noises as if it was a bunch of alive crystals. She step closer to the tripod, reach for the handle of the well and start to roll the wire onto a coil. Slowly, but with stable peace she roll-up the released wire onto the shaft, back on coil. The bell stop ringing and anybody can see she was pulling something up. So, characters who was not turn onto a furniture, start to gathering onto the lobby, lured by ringing of the bell. Even the big brains science team shows up.
In a moment of tension a basket was pulled out. No!, It was more like opened can of beans attached to a fishing rood. (Actually, if IRyS was a stature; why she dint just sits next to the hole with a fishing rood in her hands?)
Anyway, in this basket was a rat sized rodent-girl Baelz Hakos. [herald of chaos] This (girl?) was like an adventurer who has been pulled out from ancient dungeon/ labyrinth/ domain. That idea was boosted by a treasure knapsack on her side. As IRyS finished to rolling the crank on the well, she helped the rat to get onto her palms. Then she risen her up, so the rat can spoke up, address everyone. Plus the journalist with her camera take a good spot to observe the character.
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The little rat make a pose of a speaker when she address the audience for a public speech. "Generations ago, my grand, grand, grand-ma Bealz Hakos, descend to the dungeon to fight the chaos with a chaos. She told us a great tales about the promised land, that this boat is sailing towards. And now, its finally a time to see the results of expeditions provided by our kind. As a champion of our tribe, I exchange my attire armor set from mechanic jump suit, to the chosen one idol costume left for us to guard by ancient ancestors. So, using the bucket of promise 'baked red beans', I risen up through the hole, from the domain, to the surface. As ancient scroll 'the repair plan' says, I shall stand between the Idols as equal, to join them on they way to enlightenment. Grand ma Bea used to teach us about a legendary speech, that shall be used to start the holly ceremony of stream." Suddenly she make a note as if for self. "Not that I know anything about any river or the thing called Fourth wall breaking. Why you make a room and you sealed it by to be walled from all sides? Just make any type of door." She shake her head reaching for her knapsack on side pulling out some small matchbox like box with a single red button on it. Then she rise that item above her head like secret artifact. "The ancient scripts says, that our work will culminate when a powerful mythical one will putt its finger on this contraption, to power it up. So~o?, who here, is having a courage, to press the button of transcending?"
Somehow the stares of characters and furniture around faced at the skeleton lady Mori, who was still captivated by her (drink?). She shoved that she keep attention and shroud her shoulders in a (What ever) gesture. She stand up (making bone noises) and walk toward the rat in stature IRyS palms.
The small rat-girl creature give that tall character an eye and then make (I agree) noise as she accepted this choice. For that she clear her throat. "My grand, grand, grand ma Bealzebub, elder of Hako tribe, used to teach us, that when we finally finish the job and the chosen one got onto the surface, we shall make this call..." She take up an air onto her lugs, to make a gathering call. "Sup b*tche~es!! Wake up!!... Chaos. Mayhem. Entropy... All in the form of a cute little rat. The destiny has arrived!" She take more air onto her lungs to deliver the punchline. "Witness me~e!!" Then she show the matchbox toward the skeleton. "Push the button!"
Everybody who gathered around, with a holding breath watched as finger of skeleton Mori pushed the button down. Her eye holes light up with a green light as if a undeath magic was unleashed. Somehow all that excess power was transferred down to the deeps of the dungeon beneath they feet, reaching some mysterious mechanism.
Then… (Do you know the sound, when you turn the key in car ignition to start the engine, but the fuel in engine dint want to light up, so the engine make this empty turns sounds?) ...That was the sound that echoed through the lobby.
But at last, the sound of defiance of the engine ceased, and everyone heard that some kind of a big machine, hidden somewhere, got turned on and starts to work. Quite fast the humming of the machine got lost into the background.
In a few second later a simple melody tune of local intercom echoed through the entire ship followed by a public announcement. It was a ship computer: "Attention! The Improbability drive is restarting. Recalculating coordinates. Prepare for an imminent jump and state of non reality. Black alert!"
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As the short specific alarm sounded out, the beautiful space cruiser liner 'Bay of symphony', make a 360 degree turn around its axis like a tumbling fish and then; vanished in a bright flash.
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For now the scene was moved onto a sol system, where planet Earth circling around the yellow sun. Suddenly there is a bright flash that originate in an empty point in a blank space in a universe. It leave behind itself a piece of hard paper that is a rare battle card from an unspecified popular card game.
In a blink of eye an another bright flash transformed that card into a five level tall weeding cake. It had a cream topping and an iconic figurines on top layer.
In another blink of eye, through a bright flash, the cake was converted into a live dinosaurs, several meter long. It had a confused expression on its face.
Only on the fourth flash; the beautiful space cruiser liner 'Bay of symphony' was back on the scene.
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As we glanced back at the lobby, we can see that everyone was turned onto a merchandise plushness. The silent applause from a successful jump was pure imaginary.
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Then… and without a warning… The reality was a restored. Everybody was back to themselves, before they got stuck in previous jump, personal and passengers, all of them.
The Intercom sounded once again as the computer had another announcement. "Attention! We arrived at Sol system. Planet Earth on a visual range. We recommending to passengers to visit many of ours observing deck as we will be approaching it by using a sub-light In-pulse drive. Additionally, shortly after approach, we will be docking onto a local orbital base. Curiously, because they call spacecraft a ship and the installation itself from surface often seen to be seen like it was between the clouds, natives of this planet decided to calls it 'the Cloud Harbor'. Even if we had arrive delay, we hope that you enjoyed the voyage with us and that you will chose Bay of Symphony or one of her sister ships for yours future travels. Have a nice day."
The persons on the lobby silently exchanged a glance between each-other.
In mere instant a chaos of cheer exploded as everybody start to celebrate that they finally arriving to they destination.
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As the ship finally docked to the space station, the departing passengers were radiating a quite cheerful festive mod. Especially from the cloud of girls, fired up for the auditions. They even start to humming and sing a tunes. It was captive to the point that Calliope Mori, hang the handle of her travel baggage trunk/suitcase on wells, onto a motor cart (extra full of baggage) of the person in front of her. As she step/climb on it, she use it as a small tilled podium. With one legs raised up in front of her she risen above the crowd. She picked up a hand microphone to her hand and after she spun it around like a colt-gun she take the lead by singing "Can't stop me now! Because I have a good time!…" The girls liked the idea a lot and the entire group get really hipped up to the point that random passerby can imagine that a concert is happening somewhere.
As this group was passing to the customs, pass border, they were already watched from a distance by a duo of the mans in an office clothing.
One of them, wear a loosen up business suit. He had an expression of someone who realize that certain plan bowed up through the roof. He was sweating a loot, don't daring to even imagine what will happen next.
The other, in a business shirt and with a cup of steaming coffee in hand, was radiating a boss aura of someone who leading a certain secretive but powerful organization, that protecting the world from some dark side threats, unknown to the public. His expression was of a genius, with to serious agenda, as if his job was his life, his mission, his destiny. His gaze was unfazed with hint of countless life experiences grained through eons of time. [like centuries or millennia] It was like if he got through to many shit to be panicking in this moment. On other angle of view, he was already thinking about possible contra-measures on how to solve a particular problem at hand. Then he glanced at side, at something outside the scene view. With just "Hold it for me!" he hang out his cup to his college and walk out from the frame.
To the surprise of the firs guy, we can heard that the second one approached a ATM [Bank money dispensing machine. or Automated teller machine: a machine, usually in a wall outside a bank, shop, etc. from which you can take money out of your bank account.] We can clearly heard the loud beeps how the other pressing commands on input keyboard. Followed by an iconic sound of a ATM, releasing a loot of money. A really lot of money, that were falling onto some storage accessory. Then there was this iconic sound of business suitcase being closed down and the duo of metal pins on side being locked.
The guy in a loose business suit watch as the other guy returned with a briefcase that radiated this imaginary aura of being so full of money at random places a banknotes were sticking out from the cracks as if they were ready do be used. The first one of the duo had a worries, and begging an awkward conversation. "Ehm Sir?... What now?"
The shirt man pushed the suitcase to the other. "Well?… the live hole contingency plain failed spectacularly. No need to cry about it." Then from a nearby stationary for an office supply, he grab a bunch of colorful triangles stickers and arrange them in a way that they look like a catchy logo. "So for now, lets give them what they asking for. This amount of money shall be enough for a start-up expenses." He was glancing around for a quick inspiration, scanning with his eyes items and words. "Hows Hololive, as a program name sound to you?" Without waiting for an answer, he just write that down with a marker on another rectangle sticker. Of course he dint forget to quickly make a business level name card sticker and all three of them slammed at the business suit guy chest. "What ever you will face: Figure it out! I shall make an entire new division to cover what ever will be caused by this." Suddenly he stop for a moment as he got impressed by something that he thought out. "A cover corp…" As genius, he dint stay surprised for more that a second and take back from the other guy his mug and take a deep sip. That mug, no mater how much was drink out from it, still look nearly full and steamy. "Anyway… got luck. The humanity counting on you. And try Japan as a base of yours operations, if they can handle a Godzilla, they shall survive this too." He dint give a damn to the sorrow expression of the business suit man as he give him an encouraging pat on a shoulder.
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And so~o, the girls in the lobby was starting to get nervous as they lack any clue what to do now. Soon they attention was pinpoint on a singe man approaching them. Nervous, sweating and with a suitcase full off money. But the logo and name on his business suit was a clear hint that he asking for an attention. At this point; someone can deduce that certain special case Idols auditions program was canceled due to the entire list candidates went (mysteriously) missing. But the moment they actually arrived, ready for the auditions, the higher ups went frenzy with a fired in they eyes. ("That business opportunity is back!!!") On spot they quickly emptied they pockets, dropping every money they had on them onto the table. In next moment they swing in one go the content of the table onto a suitcase. Then they throw it onto the nearest subordinate screaming: ("Make it happen!")
Anyway, a certain man in business suit addressed a certain group. "Hi! Ladies... I am… Yagoo. So… who is ready to show to the world, what it means to be an Idol?…" …
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At latter time, the shirt guy was hasty walking through corridor in some kind of office building. He reach a door with a simple label "boss" and without knocking or slowing his pace, he went in.
Inside of the boss office that look like a picture from silver cinema screen displaying an iconic scene from a detective novel; someone was waiting for him.
A blonde (busty?) girl Amelia Watson [suspicious (traveling?) detective] was sitting on sturdy boss desk, with crossed legs like a lady from those novels. Dressed like a character from the detective movies, she give him a wicked, naughty, maybe a sinful smile. "So, it finally begun. Sir, from my perspective; You need a person inside. This detective is at you service." With a suggestive elegance she put her fingers on a documents folder sitting at the desk and slid it toward him.
The boss dint questioned her presence. He only measure her from top to down with a gaze only once. But giving her bulky watch clock accessory on hanging on her waist a whole second of stare. "Not just one. I need more." Already planing next step, he went to sit behind his desk. Fully ignoring the wide grin of the blonde resting her but on his desk, he grab the documents folder and began to read the file:
*CSP case: Virtual Idols. Containing Method: Fat (but not to much fat) Paycheck...*