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The Portal of Zeta: iDOLM@STER Neo Vision

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ZetaFlare:

--- Quote from: liza94 on October 30, 2014, 01:19:44 pm ---Shiori's story may become even better than Reika's! :o

--- End quote ---

Wow, really? Well, here's the big reveal!

Himi Shiori's Route, cont.

Shiori’s unit bounces back after a couple of successful outings. One day after they reach Rank C and compete against 961Pro/Ryuuguu Komachi, Kenji passes by Shiori’s house on his way home. Shiori walks outside carrying two bags full of garbage. The bags are so heavy she is having a rough time trying to move them, so she has to take out one at a time. Kenji figured she could use some help so he takes the other bag out himself. As Shiori thanks Kenji for his assistance, Kenji notices something that almost makes his heart jump out if his body—Shiori has got a black eye! As Shiori dumps her trash bag into the bin, Kenji notices some torn pieces of paper on top of the pile. They appear to be pieces of perfectly made drawings. Even after all that’s happening, Shiori still keeps a straight face. Kenji is speechless. What could be wrong with Shiori? How did she get a black eye? And why did she tear up and throw away what looked like a masterful drawing? Shiori claims nothing of all this was her doing…it was her uncle and caretaker. He caught her in the basement (her bedroom) working on her drawings earlier. Because she was neglecting her duties, her uncle tore up all her recent artwork and tossed them into the garbage before giving Shiori a serious beating. She was then asked to take care of all the chores she “skipped out” on when she was out working as an idol, which explains why she was taking out the trash earlier. Kenji can hardly believe her family treats her so cruelly. Shiori knows her uncle and his two sons can lift both of those heavy bags with ease, but she is often left with the job as it seems “appropriate” for someone like her. There is a reason that her uncle, aunt, and two cousins treat her like garbage, however. Shiori is actually an illegitimate daughter whose true mother is a prostitute. In order to avoid the responsibility of raising such a child, her true father left Shiori under the care of his brother. Needless to say her uncle was not too happy about it. Even as an infant, she looked inhuman to him and his family. She was treated as a monster not just for her yuki-onna-like appearance and icy eyes, but for her origins as well. While she was still permitted to go to school, she was put in charge of nearly all the housework and was forced to consent to the family’s demands no matter how harsh without even a hint of backlash. For even the slightest mistake, she was punished severely. While her aunt did the cooking, Shiori was often left with nothing but the scraps of whatever the rest of her family did not finish. She would normally sleep in a dusty basement downstairs, but if her tasks were not completed by nightfall, she was forced to sleep outside in order to get back to work the following morning. Her cousins often took full advantage of her, even going as far as to turn the blame over to her for the accidents or trouble they cause. Shiori essentially became a servant the family did not have to pay. When Shiori finally had some free time, her house’s traditional atmosphere and books she has read in the school’s library amazed and inspired her to start creating her own drawings, poetry, and calligraphy. However, her uncle eventually caught on to her sudden absence in the backyard and found her downstairs with her new masterpieces. Angrily believing Shiori was being lazy and wasting time with utter nonsense, he proceeded to wreck her little art studio and rip up everything she had written up to that point. Having grown used to all of her cruel treatment, she managed to suppress her emotions. Before, everyone, especially her cousins, seemed to enjoy watching Shiori cry and look helpless before them. While she still submitted to her family’s demands, her new emotionless responses and cold stare seemed to disturb them a bit, often causing her cousins to suddenly stop bullying her. However, Shiori is still fascinated by the world of art and aspires to become an artist herself. For every piece her uncle takes down, she replaces it with one or two more, often even better than before. Over the years she has learned to manage her time very well in order to complete every task given to her by her family while still completing her school work and setting aside time for poetry, art, or just reading. Unfortunately, her cousins respond to this with more reckless behavior, forcing Shiori to sacrifice her free time for more chores/slave labor. Recently, after the family discovered she was working as an idol, she was beaten, forced to cough up every paycheck she earns—every last yen—to her uncle, was slapped with even more chores, and was forced to sleep outside more often than before. Still, even with new restrictions, Shiori is too immersed in the world of art, from poetry to music, to let any of her family’s abuse stop her now. Underneath her “monster-like” and slave exterior, she will always be an artist deep down. Kenji wonders why Shiori has not talked to her uncle and aunt about her ambitions yet. Shiori claims they will not listen no matter how much she even tries. She suddenly hears a knock on the door. It’s her uncle wondering why she has been outside for so long when there is so much work to be done. Shiori immediately heads back inside to take care of her chores, but not before saying goodbye to Kenji. Kenji is worried. Considering Shiori’s past, it’s almost as if she has grown afraid to voice her thoughts. She wants to be an artist, but her caretakers will not let her. Is there any way to give her the strength she needs to chase her dreams?

Kenji’s conversations with Shiori did not go unobserved. Eavesdropping RyuuseiPro agents are quick to send their hot scoops to gossip panels. “The ice queen idol really is a monster!” “Those who look into her ice-cold eyes are cursed to death!” “Could she secretly be a prostitute like her mother?” Shiori does not mind the slander about her at all. To her, this kind of stuff is false art…like a Venus flytrap designed to draw in its victims. People who are gullible enough to fall for a trap like that aren’t really worthy of being her fans. Still, she always tries her best to truly be the best artist/idol she can be.

Later on at the IU preliminaries, Shiori’s beauty makes her rivals’ heads turn. They do not seem to be startled at all by her gaze. Even Takane seems interested in her. She seems to sense a kind of mysterious air around Shiori that is almost similar to her own. Still, she decides not to bother Shiori about it. Everyone has secrets to them…some they just have to keep to themselves. After ZetaPro discovers it has been placed in the same competition block as NAZO, Himeko anxiously shows up hiding behind Kagura. “That’s her! That’s the monster I was talking about! Don’t look in her eyes! It’s scary!” Kagura does not seem to be fazed at all even after Shiori gives her a blank stare. She tells Himeko she is probably just imagining things or letting her enemy and the enemy’s lies intimidate her. Himeko steps forward and tells Shiori she will “put an end to her evil” now that she is backed up by her partners. Much to Himeko’s surprise, ZetaPro manages to pass their audition, though they still place a distant second to NAZO. Himeko claims that while Shiori may have gotten better, she is still a monster and she knows it. Besides, being an idol is not about expressing a passion for the arts…it’s about winning over the hearts of the general populous by any means necessary. Himeko claims what she has that Shiori lacks is cute looks, a cute image, and a will to win. She is far superior in every way. Shiori should stop being an idol (and an artist for that matter) and go back home to her “concerned” family. Shiori does not even respond. Himeko gets a little annoyed, thinking Shiori is simply ignoring her. Shiori then quietly tells Himeko that although the human body can be seen as a work of art, it is a sloppy mess and solely a means of grabbing attention if used improperly. Himeko takes offense to Shiori’s logic and blows her off as leaves the venue with the rest of NAZO. She assures Shiori she will prove her theory wrong next time they meet.

(to be continued)

ZetaFlare:
Himi Shiori's Route, conclusion

As Shiori spends some time bonding with her partners, she begins to adjust more to a modern lifestyle and dabbles in even more intriguing forms of art, all while continuing to improve her skills as an idol. She feels ready to take on NAZO again after being challenged to face off at the Harvest Moon Festival. Unfortunately, the performance is cancelled midway due to a pyrotechnic malfunction. As Yamato shows up, he tells Shiori that someone like her does not belong in the idol world at all. She’s a monster not only because of her looks, but because she was born from a prostitute, one of society’s filthiest creatures. With that kind of lineage, there is no way she can be pure enough to be an idol. What’s disgusting about it is that people love her anyway despite the sad truth. Besides, she has zero emotions. Who in their right mind would come to love an idol with a constant blank expression and an almost inability to talk? It’s like she does not even care. It’s sad to see a middle-class company like ZetaPro go soft for “trash” like Shiori…falling for her little sob story about her family, being treated as a monster, and wanting to be an artist. Shiori once again does not respond to Yamato’s petty intimidation. Yamato laughs. It’s like she has no voice. It’s like she cannot stand up for herself at all. He mocks her lack of a response by telling her to “speak up.” Kenji and the others had enough of Yamato’s banter and boldly take a stand for Shiori. They claim she is not a monster…she is a true artist. Her yuki-onna-like beauty makes her very unique in the idol world, much like Takane. What she lacks in emotion she makes up for with her devotion to the arts. Who cares about her real mother…she has shown no scandalous tendencies at all. She may look cold and heartless, but she really does care about her friends and fans. As for her talents, she just keeps getting better and better every day. Her skills as an artist and poet seem to have carried over into her idol career. Her knowledge in the feelings displayed in poetry and novels led to being able to express herself properly according to her songs’ lyrics. Yamato just does not want to admit that Shiori has become so amazing she could be worthy of the status of “top idol.” Shiori puts her hand over her mouth…while she still looks emotionless, she is almost exasperated. Never before have people stood up to her like that. Before, people have admired her art, but tended to steer clear from her due to her apparent anti-social aura. Her partners, her producer, and her president…Shiori starts to feel as though she has true friends. Yamato scoffs at ZetaPro’s defense of Shiori and claims he will prove his beliefs correct after NAZO utterly destroys Shiori’s unit in the IU.

On the day of the IU finals opening ceremony, Shiori manages to overhear a conversation between Himeko and Yamato while she’s writing another poem. While her rival still claims to be perfect, she feels a little insecure being fully British. She fears that if word gets out (especially about her real name), all the fame and fortune she has will be destroyed and she will have absolutely no chance of winning the IU. Yamato angrily makes her snap out of it. He made her a regal princess idol because she is the definition of pure perfection and proof that the upper class is superior in every way. Her competition will bow to her like the goddess she is. Shiori figured Himeko could have been hiding some kind of insecurity since their chat during the IU preliminaries, but she never figured Himeko would think of herself as kind of an outcast in her own right. Both of them look a little different from other idols. Both of them seem to have traits and origins that would make them seem out of place amongst their peers (Himeko being fully British and Shiori being illegitimate). Shiori decides not to bother Himeko…not only does she not really seem in the mood to talk now, but she’s got some art to finish and needs to concentrate.

One week remains until the IU final matches at Tokyo Dome. Inspired by the support and advice she received from her partners and producer as well as the time they stood up for her against Yamato’s insults, Shiori decides to boldly take a stand for her beliefs. With her family unaware that she picked up her recent paycheck, she sets the money aside for new supplies for her makeshift art studio. She no longer cares about the punishment her family could potentially inflict upon her…she will follow her heart and become the artist she always wanted to be.

As ZetaPro advances to the semifinals and gets to take on the revived Project Fairy, Takane begins to show a particular interest in Shiori. She can pretty much tell Shiori has changed significantly since she first saw her in the registration line at the preliminaries. Nothing seems to be holding her back anymore. She feels determined to express herself even though she may not show it through her emotions. Even after all this change, she still maintains a mysterious air around her similar to Takane’s. Takane is intrigued to see which “supernatural” idol will come out on top—the ice queen or the silver queen. After ZetaPro wins and later has a talk with Iori that night, Takane encourages 765Pro to keep a close eye on Shiori during the finals. She’s got that special something about her that only people like the two of them can understand. If anyone can stand up to NAZO now, it’s her.

With the situation getting more and more out of hand, Yamato decides to hatch his greatest plan yet to put an end to Shiori’s streak of good fortune. Receiving some contact information from his agents, he sends ann email to the Himi household. “Have you noticed the illegitimate girl acting particularly strange lately? Have you noticed she has not been completing her household tasks the way she used to? Well, it turns out she has had it with your harsh treatment of her and has started a rebellion. She said she wanted to be an artist and is willing to do anything to follow her dreams even if it means resorting to violence. She also stored away her last paycheck under your noses as a sign of resentment towards you and your family. Now she’s at Tokyo Dome to display her artistic talents and prove to Japan that she is not the monster everyone claims she is. It sounds like she does not know her place. Are you going to do something about it?” Shiori’s cousins have noticed something different about Shiori lately. They immediately head into the basement and find the stash of money Shiori hid in her dresser drawer (digging through her panties to do so). They proceed to angrily wreck all of Shiori’s art materials, go upstairs, and awaken their parents, telling them the news. Enraged by this defiant act, Shiori’s uncle decides to take the family on a trip to Tokyo Dome to bring Shiori back home and teach her some manners.

The next evening, Shiori and the rest of ZetaPro take the stage and face Yamato and NAZO. Before they could get a chance to talk, heavy hands fall on Shiori’s shoulders. It’s her uncle! He cannot believe the girl he raised nearly all his life would overstep her bounds and turn into some kind of rebel. Shiori forsook her duties for the sake of some stupid, immature dream. All her life he has told her that trash is always trash. Nothing she will ever say or do will change that. Kenji tries to stop him, but Shiori’s cousins block his path, preventing him from interfering. After Shiori’s cousins give Shiori a couple of good slugs, her uncle proceeds to drag her out of the dome. Shiori suddenly yet quietly tells her uncle to stop his foolishness. She tells him she is not a monster…she is not trash…she is an artist through and through, whether it be sketching, poetry, or music. Over the months, Shiori has learned that she should be the one who shapes her own future, not her abusive family. Shiori’s uncle is maddened by her words. He thought he, his wife, and his sons stripped her of her voice and her expressions. He believes her new friends have been a horrible influence to her all this time. Shiori disproves her uncle’s statement, claiming the time she spent with her new friends actually gave her the strength to express herself, voice her own thoughts, and stand up for what she believes in. No matter how much her cousins break her supplies, they will never break her dreams. Kenji could not be any prouder of what Shiori has accomplished as she progressed through her idol career. While her image is still blank and monotonous, the artistic spirit inside her is burning more vigorously than ever before. Security guards suddenly arrive and break up the commotion, escorting the family out of the dome for being nuisances and interrupting Shiori. Kaito soon arrives on the scene. He witnessed the situation and immediately informed security. As Shiori’s family head outside, Kenji hopes they have learned their lesson, will treat Shiori with respect in the future, and will allow her to follow her own heart. Yamato jokingly acts impressed with Shiori’s little speech to her uncle, but he has had enough of her little show of bravery. Why can’t she just accept the fact that she’s illegitimate trash and that she has no place in the common world, let alone the idol world? Kaito weeds out Yamato’s plan. Overhearing an earlier phone conversation, he was informed that Yamato sent an email to Shiori’s angry uncle and told falsehoods about her in order to make him travel to Tokyo Dome, find his rebellious niece, and drag her home “where she belongs.” Not only would she be severely punished, but NAZO would be guaranteed a victory in the finals. Kenji cannot believe Yamato would stoop so low. It looks like he will not accept Shiori’s artistic spirit either. The rest of the conversation goes on as usual from there.

ENDING

The following week, Shiori takes Kenji to her favorite room in the library to chat. It turns out that her little art studio in the basement, hiding her paycheck, and speaking out for herself at the dome caused a revelation among her family. They now realize just how special Shiori has become. She is still human, even if her real mother does happen to be a prostitute and her good-for-nothing father left her in her uncle’s care to avoid the responsibility. To make up for all they have done for her, Shiori’s basement bedroom was given a much-needed fixing up, her cousins bought her a new art studio to replace the one they wrecked, the household chores are divided much more fairly, she is allowed to keep her paychecks (they were all from her hard work after all), and her family does everything in their power to support Shiori’s career, work, and dreams. Plus, thanks to Kenji’s inspiration, Shiori feels a lot stronger than before. She has gained the confidence to speak out her beliefs and express herself in conversations as much as she does in her artwork and her songs. She even got a taste of true friendship with her two partners and Kenji. Suddenly, Kenji sees something in Shiori that makes him cover his mouth in amazement. For the first time…Shior’s face shines bright with an honest-to-goodness smile. “…an artist can show happiness too, you know…”

liza94:
Shiori's story is my most favourite so far! You don't expect anything like that of an idol-rising game!

ZetaFlare:
I'm going to do Tamaki's story next. Before I get started though, I made a few changes with Hotaru. Now the father is the concertmaster while the mother is the singer (their occupations have switched). The change was necessary to add a bit of a story element in Hotaru's route. Because of this (and her apparent popularity), I'm saving her for last after Tamaki and Ryoko.

Jinguuji Tamaki's Route

Jinguuji Tamaki’s Route

Kenji first meets Tamaki at a convenience store. She is reading a popular magazine, fawning over the latest, hottest male idols, particularly Touma of Jupiter. Kenji finds it pretty typical for a girl her age to be into that kind of thing. However, he can almost sense something in her as if she is interested in the idol world for more reasons than just the suave guys. As Kenji tries to get Tamaki’s attention, she reacts in shock, immediately suspects he is a creeper, and slaps an ofuda in his face. “Akuryou taisan!” Kenji lies dazed on the floor from Tamaki’s sudden self-defense. Once Tamaki notices Kenji’s ZetaPro ID tag, she apologizes to him for her rudeness, takes the ofuda off his head, and helps him back up. She thought he was some kind of pervert and reacted instinctively…an issue she is aware of that occurred multiple times in the past. Once Kenji tells her the news, Tamaki is bursting with excitement. She cannot wait to show all the pretty boy idols what she can really do.

At first, Kenji and the other two idols see Tamaki as nothing more than a generic fangirl and think she will not take her job seriously. She soon surprises everyone with a rather decent singing voice and a confident, comfortable attitude during recordings. Kenji wonders if Tamaki had some experience singing in the past. Tamaki reveals that she is actually a self-taught singer who learned some basic and intermediate techniques online. Once she felt comfortable enough with her voice and old enough to open a NicoNico account, she decided to make a name for herself as an utaite—someone who provides voice covers of songs. Known on the net as Rei-tan (霊たん), she gained some modest popularity. Her song covers usually involved romance, crushes, and cute boys. Even back then, she was still pretty boy-crazy and would flip whenever a hot guy would subscribe to her page. She even knew Eri during her days as a net idol. As she began to make more song covers, she subscribed to ELLIE, paid close attention to some of her techniques, and put what she learned to good use as Tamaki’s improved covers garnered more views and followers than before. She hoped to one day get noticed by big-time idols, especially the members of Jupiter, her biggest fangirl crushes. Unfortunately, certain circumstances forced her to abandon her NicoNico account. She was not banned due to copyright issues, but it seemed like Rei-tan suddenly disappeared from her fans without a trace. Now Tamaki is using what she learned to become a real professional idol. Kenji notices her earlier work as a net singer is really paying off in her professional career so far. Her training in ceremonial dancing as part of her miko duties have carried over well into her idol career as well as she can learn her songs’ choreography pretty quickly. It seems she definitely prefers how idols dance over the “slow and boring” style of kagura dancing. Kenji is proud of the progress Tamaki has made so far, but it seems like she does not care about being a miko. Could her miko duties be holding her back from what she really wants to do?

(to be continued)

ZetaFlare:
Jinguuji Tamaki's Route, cont.

Knowing the Sunny Beach Festival attracts lots of big-name idols, Tamaki hopes to perform well there and leave a good, lasting impression. Unfortunately, her unit gets crushed singlehandedly by Himeko. Himeko laughs at Tamaki and tells her no one will take someone like her seriously at all. If she thinks being pretty and popular will help her find love, she is looking in all the wrong places and is doomed to fail. Besides, Himeko is a princess. Everyone loves her whether they want to or not. Himeko claims she will steal all of Tamaki’s crushes before she even gets a chance with them. Tamaki snaps at Himeko, telling her someone like her will never win over Jupiter’s hearts. Himeko simply laughs and tells Tamaki she is not fit to be a real idol.

Back at the office, Tamaki blames her partners for her loss, believing their horrible performance made her look like a disgrace. What if Jupiter or some other snazzy male idols saw such an embarrassment out of her? She’d be the laughing stock of the idol world! The more time Tamaki spent with her partners, the more she grew to trust them. How is she supposed to trust them now after they let her down like this? Kenji butts in. Standing up to the other two idols, he claims the entire unit lost. At their current level, even one member of NAZO is more than a match for them. The entire unit does not revolve around just its leader. The best thing they can do now is just shake it off and move on. Even the country’s best and most popular idols will lose sometimes. However, as long as they keep their dreams alive, they can come back even stronger than before. Kenji informs Tamaki the first thing she has to do is trust in her partners. Tamaki gets snippy at Kenji, thinking he is blaming her for the loss. She angrily tells him he does not understand her feelings at all as she runs out of the office in a huff and slams the door. Kenji tries to go after her, but the President stops him, believing this is just another typical case of teenage angst. That loss must have hurt Tamaki’s pride, especially considering how Himeko mocked her after the performance. She probably just needs some time to herself to calm down. As a former producer in his own right, the President is all too familiar with working through situations like this among his idols. Kenji hopes he can stay on Tamaki’s good side, especially considering her impulses.

As Himeko informs her producer of her easy victory, she believes her opponent’s singing voice sounded a little familiar. Still, considering Tamaki’s dreams, impulses, and most recent performance, Himeko’s producer believes Tamaki is just a small fry and not even the slightest bit of a threat to NAZO’s plans.

Next week, Tamaki apologizes to everyone for her rude behavior and promises to be a better team player in the future. Even after a few hiccups here and there, she keeps her promise as the unit is able to get their momentum back. One week after ZetaPro’s encounter with 961Pro/Ryuuguu Komachi, Tamaki arrives at work as usual. However, just before the unit is about to leave for a promotional event, they are suddenly halted by an angry man. It turns out this man is really Tamaki’s father! All this time he was led to believe Tamaki was going to the library to study and do homework or spending time around town with friends when he found out that his daughter had actually been neglecting her miko duties to become an idol. He believed he specifically told Tamaki he forbade her from following that path. To him, it’s a major waste of her young life. For the sake of Tamaki and her family, he drags Tamaki towards his car, hoping to take her home. She tries to resist, but her father quickly slaps her across the face, hoping it would clear her mind of such absurd thoughts. Kenji tries to stop him, claiming he cannot just take her away from the office just like that and asking him if what he is doing really is for the greater good of his daughter. Tamaki’s father angrily silences Kenji, claiming that all the members of ZetaPro have spoiled his daughter and corrupted her mind as he closes the car door and drives off with Tamaki. Worried, Kenji immediately heads towards Kaito’s van, urgently informing Kaito they need to chase down the car, find Tamaki, and see what is really going on.

(to be continued)

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