71st ♫ | is it love? is it like? never felt it in my life

[liedol]

AI HOSHINO ★ VOICE TEST/CMO

A voice test/general CMO for Ai Hoshino from Oshi no Ko! I'm planning on using the English dub for voice reference so this is mostly to get me into her head for playing her down the line.

I haven't settled on a 'default' canon point for her yet, so I'll be jumping around from her teen years to 20 depending on what better suits any given thread – you can also indicate a preference for if you want teen idol Ai or grown up idol Ai!

POTENTIALLY HANDY PROMPTS:

RP Scenario Generator #1 | RP Scenario Generator #2 | High School AU Meme | Friendship Meme | Shippy & Platonic Fluffy Scenarios Meme (has a lot more than just general fluff!) | Random Scenario Meme | Jamjar CR Meme Promps | Exploration Meme | Magical Girl AU Meme

Comments

lmk if this works! also i want grown-up ai thank youuuu

[fineprinted]

[ it's already a surprise when tsumugi was chosen to star in a commercial in the first place, but with the rising star hoshino ai herself? his fellow unitmates from switch can't help but be concerned or even outright suspicious, of course, but there's no helping it now. tsumugi had even argued that future collaborations with miss ai might even boost their publicity, so what could go wrong?

well, for one thing, the filming didn't go well as planned. tsumugi can follow instructions well enough, but portraying them in front of the camera isn't as easy as it looks. he heaves out a sigh after taking a long swig of his water before looking over at his co-star. ]

Ahaha... I'm sorry I keep holding us back. But you're not so bad yourself at all, Hoshino-san!

[liedol]

[ Out of everything she does for work, commercials are probably the easiest. Claiming the camera's eye comes second nature to her as it is and doing it in the tiny bursts called for in an ad spot means she can put all her energy into it without having to worry too much about holding back for her stamina.

Of course, what's easy for Ai isn't always quite so easy for everyone else. She's been telling herself she'll treat this like her round of rehearsals for the final edit but truth be told, she's a little irritated. If she's late home thanks to this guy, she's gonna... ]

Don't worry about it, Aoba-kun! [ Ai flashes him the only smile she knows how to make – a dazzling one. ] Everyone gets a little nervous when they're working on a new project. I'm just a little better at covering for it. Eheheh!

[ She eyes him for a moment, trying to read his expression. His face isn't bad and she knows he's part of a group like her, so it obviously isn't stage fright that's tripping him up... ]

Mmm... which part are you having the most trouble with? Maybe if we go over it together, we can figure something out!

[fineprinted]

[ it is getting late, come to think of it. luckily they only have to do one more shot before they can retire for the night, and while they can just try again tomorrow, it's much better to finish it all now before they can proceed to the next set. ]

Ah, that's reassuring. We from Switch don't usually do commercials in the first place, let alone hire someone like me to be in them. I wonder why they wanted me in particular...

[ a thoughtful hum. ]

Anyway, I got some crit from the director earlier. He said it's the way I smile. [ he lets out a sheepish laugh. ] Especially the part where you're going to hand me the coffee milk we're advertising. I was supposed to be elated there, but it's kind of hard to summon up the right kind of smile, if that makes sense?

[liedol]

Eeeh, so that's it...

[ Again, Ai fixes him with that slightly too intense gaze. "Hard to summon up the right kind of smile"? That sounds like nonsense to her. Aren't pros supposed to be able to put on any kind of smile as soon as the situation calls for it? Especially idols?

Just on cue, Ai's expression breaks into a smile. ]

Hey, Aoba-kun... when's the last time you felt something like that in real life? Can you remember?

[fineprinted]

[ her eyes, though. no, maybe it's just her. tsumugi's gotten better at interacting with girls thanks to their sprightly producer over at ES, but ai's star power is overwhelming. it's as if she's born to be in front of the camera.

at her question, he taps his chin in thought. ]

In all honesty, I can't. [ a noncommittal shrug. ] I'm pretty defective in that department, you see. I can fake smiles in front of the camera for this one instance, but I bet the director was looking for something more genuine.

[liedol]

Hooohhh... I get it.

[ 'Genuine' just means a fake that doesn't look fake – cracks in the varnish, a chip in the paint. The director doesn't care how they get there so long as they get an end result he likes the look of. She can manage that. ]

Then are you any good at copying what you see?

grown-up obvs, also prolly umineko spoilers for people who care

[forwantofahorse]

[ In a lonesome, foggy corner of the universe, a cafe sits nestled inside the lamplight of a weathered train station. It's a comfortable place, well-lit and inviting, with tasty coffee, a cozy atmosphere, delicious treats, no employees, and very few patrons.

It'd be too much of an indignity if the dead were served awful drinks before their last ride, after all.

Shannon sits by one of the windows, thoughtfully sipping on a cup of black tea. She smiles. ] Ah, it's so warm... and way better than I ever made it, hehe.

[liedol]

[ With a cheery tinkle of the bell over the entryway, the cafe door swings open and another passing-through guest makes her way inside. She moves on autopilot, not quite seeming to know where she is or what she's doing and it's not until the door clicks shut behind her that her eyelids suddenly flutter and her eyes suddenly spark to–

Well. Not life.

Ai stands there in the low amber light, blinking and peering around like she doesn't fully believe her eyes. She doesn't see the corridor of their new apartment. Or Aqua, or Ruby. That's good, a part of her intuits because that means they're still at home where they belong she's–

Here. Elsewhere? Her thoughts are unmoored and drifting. She feels an odd sense of calm that she suspects will only last as long as it takes for the reality of her situation to sink in. Her hand drifts to her belly and she touches the spot that just a moment ago had been wet and hot and glassy with pain. Her clothes are dry and clean. She doesn't feel a wound.

Like a bubble rising up through water, a memory resurfaces. She was sat in the hospital waiting for her first examination and the President had panicked at the thought of a C-section – had worried what a tell-tale scar on her stomach would to her career after she recovered.

Guess it's a little late for that now, huh?

The bubble pops. And all at once, Ai breaks into a laugh. She laughs and laughs like a fool, like she's the punchline of the world's funniest joke, she laughs until her knees unhinge and she has to stoop down in the doorway and she can't really breath but she can keep laughing, has to keep laughing because the alternative is a little too much to think about right now. ]

[tapformana]

[In some jamjar setting or another of a reasonably modern kind, Tap has been exploring. She's settled in, she's been having fun, and she's learned so much.

But of course, she always wants to learn more, she always wants to meet new people, and make new friends. And she'd heard about another person here, the greatest idol ever... so of course, Tap has to go find her.

So, as Ai is going about her day, there's suddenly a bunnygirl hovering a couple inches off the ground, staring at her.]

Excuse me! Are you miss Ai-chan?

[liedol]

[ Ai really shouldn't be here.

It's not that she's unhappy about it, of course. The situation isn't ideal – but considering what her alternative had been, if she had to go anywhere then she's glad it's here. By some twist of fate or convenient miracle she has Aqua and Ruby with her too and while it's been a little difficult to manage without the president or Miyako, she's making it work. She has to, if she wants to support her little ones.

Tap manages to catch her on one of the rare occasions she's alone. She has work today – a photoshoot downtown – and Aqua and Ruby are home with a friend who'd promised to keep an eye on them. Her name's spread like wildfire even here, starting from scratch, so while Tap's appearance is... a little surprising, hearing her name out of a stranger's mouth isn't. ]

Yes, that's me! [ She puts on her brightest, most brilliant smile. First in-person impressions are everything. ] Is my name really spreading that fast?

[ Of course it is. She's been making a point of it. But the humble act is a nice, disarming one. ]

[tapformana]

It is, it is! I've heard that you're the most amazing idol ever!

[Tap bounces in place as she sort of... floats around, excited.]

Do you take pupils?

[liedol]

Pupils...?

[ Oh. That actually catches her off guard – she'd been expecting something like a selfie request or an autograph, but this is so out of the blue that it takes her a moment or two to realize what Tap means. ]

You mean... as a protoge?

[tapformana]

Yeah!

[She floats upwards for a minute, before returning back down. And then she realizes- She hasn't introduced herself... Oh, no wonder Ai seems so confused!]

My name's Tap! I'm kind of... Well, I dance when I play AO, and I like to sing while I do, so people sort of call me a virtual idol! But my dancing is all in-game and I'm not very good at singing, so... I was hoping to learn to get better at both, and I know you're the best idol ever! So I thought, why not ask? The worst she can say is no, and then I'd get to meet the world's best idol anyway!

[liedol]

[ Oh this is... so much to process! Usually Ai's the one doing the bulldozing in a situation like this, but right now she's feeling distinctly steamrollered.

Okay, first of all: work out whatever 90% of that sentence meant. ]

When you say AO... that's some kind of online game right? I don't really know a whole lot about them so I don't know if I can help with that...

[ she's making absolutely no attempt to refute the 'best idol ever' part, though, huh. stay modest, queen! ]

[tapformana]

[Tap is kind of a motormouth, it's true. She's so full of energy, she doesn't even seem to notice how, well, steamrollered Ai is.]

Oh, no, it's okay! It's an online game, but some stuff happened and now it's real, too!

[A+ great explanation, Tap.]

[liedol]

[ EVERY ANSWER JUST RAISES MORE QUESTIONS... ]

And... you're trying to be an idol for real after being an idol in this game?

[ this is the ONLY thing that makes sense ]

[tapformana]

Yeah! Or... I want to try, anyway! I don't know if I can, but...

[She nods.]

I've always thought idols were incredible. Always shining, always so cute and making people happy... If someone like me could do it, then I want to try!

What if...

[considering]

[There was a world where Ai opened the door and it really was her manager coming by to pick her up. Aqua got to grow up like a normal(ish) child. He's still not that affectionate, but he does, clearly care for his mother. Not that he ever really calls her that. Ai is Ai, and the person he once was has a hard time seeing her as his mom.

He's a quiet, overly serious child, and watches in pure delight as she finally gets to perform at the dome. All her hard work has lead up to this.]

[liedol]

[ somewhere, B-Komachi's dome performance ends before it can begin – in tragedy.

somewhere else, it ends with Ai on stage with B-Komachi, half-blinded by stagelights and an endless constellation of glowsticks waving back and forth. she doesn't remember much of the concert, just vivid tactile impressions – the unrelenting heat of the stage, the pounding of music up from her feet, ice cold sweat down her back and the burn of muscles pushed past whatever limits she'd ever dreamed up for herself before.

The standing ovations last for what feel like hours.

It is hours later when Ai is finally able to stagger back to her dressing room. There'd been an impromptu afterparty with all the staff and she'd done her best to stick it out despite every bone in her body crying for rest. But she knows her two most important fans will be waiting to congratulate her when she steps inside, so she allows herself a moment to rally her best smile before peeking in.

The commotion she'd expected doesn't come – Ruby's conked out on the sofa, worn out from all the excitement (and after insisting to Aqua, at length, that she'd be the first to congratulate Ai) and waiting for her quietly is... ]

Aqua. [ Her smile softens and turns a little sweeter and warmer, along with her voice. ] You didn't feel like taking a nap with Ruby?

[considering]

[Aqua’s got more stamina than Ruby does. He’s not sure exactly why, but it did let him stay up longer than she managed. Not that he’s surprised, she really put her all into cheering on their mother, the shining star on stage.

It really fits here, though he does have to wonder if she’s going to continue doing this forever. As Goro, he’s very aware that idol careers are extremely short, in comparison to almost anything else within the entertainment business. She’s been getting some acting roles, and she definitely has the charm to keep on modeling. There are avenues open to her, especially with the amount of fame she has.

Aqua would be surprised if the director didn’t keep making use of Ai on screen somehow.]

Congratulations, Ai.

[For a wonderful performance.

He still doesn't move to hug her, finding it a little bit too strange.]

I wasn’t sleepy yet.

[liedol]

You're doing a better job than me, then. I'm exhausted!

[ She gives him a little grin and reaches out to gently pat the top of his head. Ruby's a much more physically affectionate girl, hugging and clambering all over Ai every chance she gets – Aqua's more reticent. It's in her instincts to scoop him up and hug him as much as she does with Ruby, but she gets the feeling that he's the type who needs a little bit of breathing room.

It's always exciting when she realizes something like that – something that reminds her the two of them are little people all of their own, growing into people who one day might be totally different to Ai. She's excited to see what sort of adults they might be. ]

So what did you think? What was your favourite part? My top fans numbers one and two have the most important feedback of all!

[considering]

[ This much affection is what he can take as a thirty-ish man in a child body. Everything else would be so strange for him, but he's aware that's his own problem... It would've been nice for Ai to have two normal children, but this is the world they're in.

His eyes shine bright when he remembers the performance. It may have ended hours ago, but it feels like he's been replaying it over and over again. The way the stage lights illuminated her and the others in the group. ]

B-sign!

[ It's such a perfectly catchy idol song. So perfect that it's hard to even pin down his favorite moment. ]

[liedol]

[ So, Aqua can shine like that as well. She sees it less often from him than she does Ruby, so it's always a nice surprise to spot a little of that glimmer. ]

Heehee, good choice. Want to know a secret? That's my favourite, too.

[ If only because it reminds her of the twins – she still sees their little coordinate glowstick dance every time she hears the opening chords of the song. She wonders if Aqua remembers that show and then decides that surely he won't. Not even prodigies have memories from that young. ]

Now... were you both good for Miyako-san? No trouble at all?

[ She'll definitely hear from Miyako later if there was, but it's good to hear it from the horse's mouth. ]

[considering]

[ He doesn't think he shines at all. It's one of those things he can't gauge from the outside. He watches in Ruby and Ai enough that he'll never measure up to their star power. And that's fine.

A smile back, happy that they can share this little secret. It's nothing important, but it's something sweet to hold onto. ]

We didn't cause any trouble.

[ They were transfixed. And it's not too weird to do the light pen dance at this age. ]

[liedol]

Hmm, is that so? [ There's a teasing lilt to her voice like she's about to question it – but then she reaches out and gives him another pat on the head, ruffling his hair a little as she does so. ] That's good. Everyone's got their work cut out for them keeping a show like this running, so you must've gotten a little lonely... you two weren't bored waiting, were you? Did anyone keep you company?

[ ... She says, knowing that a few of the girls from B-Komachi had floated over to the twins to gasp and coo over them during one of their breaks. She's playing dumb just to test the waters a little. ]