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

[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?

[ 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. ]

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?

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?

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!

[ 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! ]

[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.]

[ 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 ]

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!

[ Oh.

So it's like that.

For a moment, looking at Tap, Ai thinks that she resembles Ruby. Not in any physical sense, but something about the shine in her eye and the whole-hearted passion that can only come from a girl who's loved idols from afar, the sweet and pure sort of love that can only last so long as it doesn't get dirtied from straying too close.

Idols who come from that would surely shine brilliantly bright. They'd be the kind of pretty and pure idol that Ai could never hope to be.

She can't help this girl.

Rather than let any of that show, of course... Ai just smiles. ]

Does a hard worker like you really need somebody else to tell you that you're an idol? [ She's practically radiating starlight at Tap. ] It sounds to me like you've been working at being your own kind of idol this whole time.

[Tap shakes her head.

There's something weird about the vibe of this conversation, but Tap can't put her finger on it. So she instead chalks it up to her imagination.]

It's not that I need someone else to tell me... But I know that I'm not that good at singing, and my dancing is only in video games. I wanna learn how to be good at those! Not just singing like karaoke, or dancing like DDR, but to do them for real!

Hmm, I don't know if I'd be all that good as a teacher... I've had a couple of lessons here and there but classrooms don't really agree with me at all.

[ Lie. Even after Aqua and Ruby were born, she'd given her all at dancing and vocal lessons - even more so than before the twins had been in her life. ]

Are there no teachers here you can go to?

Woah, a natural genius...!

[Her ears droop a bit, though.]

Well, there are, but... They're a little... Um, you know, kind of... Scary?

They are?

[ Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. For all that she's been putting on a face, her confusion here is sincere enough. ]

Scary... how, exactly?

Edited 2023-04-27 06:48 (UTC)

Well, it's sort of, you know....

[help. how does she explain this.]

I mean, I don't know them... or anything about them... and this isn't even our world, so....

That just makes it even easier!

[ Smile, smile. ]

Think of this as a totally fresh start – a clean slate! That's the best place to start learning from, because you don't have any bad habits to unlearn first. And if you're worried about not knowing them, why not do some searching around online? Won't they have reviews you can check?

Would they be able to teach how to be an idol like you?

[ At that, Ai laughs. ]

Of course not! [ Ah. That might have come out sounding nasty if it weren't for the smile she's still – always – wearing. ] Nobody can ever teach you to be an idol like me.

[ And before Tap can speak, Ai reaches out to give her a playful, big sisterly boop to the nose. This is what she's looking for, right? This sort of older, wiser guiding star, someone she can try and emulate but never really be. ]

Because you can only ever be an idol like you. Right?

[She wrinkles her nose at the boop, her ears making her resemble... well, a bunny who has just been booped.

But she brightens up.]

Miss Ai-chan... No wonder you're the best idol!

Aiming to be the best is what you have to do as an idol, right? [ SHE'S STILL... NOT DENYING IT... ] That's what the audience wants to see - a perfect show of everyone performing at their best!

[ Anything less would be just human, after all. ]

If you're still worried about it, though... hm... why not audition to be in a group? You're not totally fixed on going solo, are you?

A group...?

[That idea had... never occurred to her.

She could try that... and it'd be helpful, but... Could she do it?]

You're a genius!!

[ Preen, preen. Yes, compliment her genius. ]

It's more fun dancing with a group, anyway. When you're working hard with your friends, it hardly even feels like work!

[ Not that Ai – or any of the other girls in B-Komachi – would know anything about that anymore. ]

Do you have any friends who'd like to sing and dance with you? Maybe you could start a group with them.

[... Well. At that, she kind of... droops. Her ears curl downwards, even.]

... Um, well... Not really. No one I know from my home is here. And I don't know who else here would be interested in a group... It's hard to talk about music and stuff with people, since everyone here is from so far in the past...

[ immediately, Ai has a premonition brought about by what can only be called finely honed idol instinct. just a feeling of: oh if she doesn't play her cards right she's going to get volunteered into a group with this girl, huh. quick, damage control time. ]

Well, you've got an amazing opportunity! This is a chance to blaze a trail and establish something all your own. Isn't that exciting?

[Tap's ears perk back up! ... In alarm, rather than excitement.]

Huh?! Wait, weren't you just suggesting a group instead of doing it on my own?!

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