NOVEL WEB Chapter 321: [MiraMe] A Whole New World for Prodigies (part I)
A mysterious thumbnail. A black screen with just the MIRAIZ logo and a line of text saying 'Through the looking glass.'
[MiraMe] A Whole New World for Prodigies
Project MirAIs
Live in 5 minutes
Friday, December 27, 4:00 PM JST
150K waiting
[] Can it be? Are the Prodigies back from break?
[] What the heck is MiraMe?
[] A new project, maybe?
[Miya Musashi Ch. <M>] Sorry for the wait, everyone! We'll see you soon!
[Rhea Davinki Ch. <M>] We've got a fun stream tonight, so put your strap-on and enjoy the ride.
[] @Rhea Davinki Ch. I think you meant put your straps on.
[Rhea Davinki Ch. <M>] ;)
4 minutes.
[] It feels like forever ago since any of the Pro-G streamed.
[] Pro-G is *not* going to catch on.
[] It really does feel like it's been a month...
[] Is it karaoke night?
[] A whole new world... world line?
[] Are we doing a VR experience?
[LILY <M>] Testing.
[ROSE <M>] @LILY Looks like we're good!
[VIOLET <M>] @LILY Yes. Everything is working as intended.
[] ???
[] We got new staff?!
[John Smith <V><M>] Yeah. We're getting a bit bigger, so you'll see some new mods in chat and maybe some new faces later.
[StraightGarbage] @John Smith Yo! Does that mean you're hiring? Where can I apply?
[John Smith <V><M>] @StraightGarbage We'll reach out to you. And check your DMs.
3 minutes.
[] Haven't seen Titor around much.
[] Yeah. Did he get banned or something?
[Amadeus <M>] Titor is keeping me company working through a catalogue of movies.
[Titor <M>] help
[] lol
[] @Titor What, did you piss off John or something?
[] @Titor Oh shut up and enjoy movienight with your wife
[] Lily, rose, and violet, huh?
[] Hey... We haven't heard much about Mystic Bouquet recently, right?
[] Pft. Like they'd work in the idol business after that scandal.
[] That wasn't their fault and you know it!
[] Closed Beta testing for World Line's this weekend, right?
[] Maybe... a sneak peek?
[] I'm ready to gacha my waifus in VR!
[] The only waifus that would show up would be Project MirAIs idols though?
[] Exactly.
2 minutes.
[] Anybody been keeping up with Shield Corp?
[] I have! It's a lot of fun. The vibe is really different though.
[] Mmhm. Instead of hanging out with a friend, it's more like playing an Anime.
[] Knight Commander-chan is Bae though.
[] I just read the lore thread on John and OMG
[] lmao. I read that too, but it's such a reach
[] @John Smith Bet you won't say you got isekai'd.
[John Smith <V><M>] I won't say.
[] lol
[] The chad troll
[] Titor's not the only memer, huh?
[Hana Homura Ch. <M>] Have fun, girls!
[Aoko Ryuusei Ch. <M>] Try not to kill each other too hard.
[Alfi Titor Ch. <M>] Yes! A good beating is a great way to make friends and have fun!
[] YABE
[] Alfi, wut?
[] @Aoko Ryuusei Ch. A-Are you alright, Aoko-chan...?
[] The crew's out in full today, huh?
[] I wonder what this is all about?
[] All that we're missing are Betty and... that's about it, right?
[Ars Nova Productions <M>] Enjoy the stream. And don't forget that preloading for Glassy Jade Moon opens at midnight JST.
[] ?!?!?
[] Hold on. So like... Is the story actually based off John and Yue?
[] @John Smith @Yue Smith We need answers!
[Yue Smith <V><M>] The truth is stranger than fiction.
[John Smith <V><M>] It's a bit embellished, but it should give you a vague idea? I was always in love with Yue though.
[Yue Smith <V><M>] Husband...
1 minute.
[Tsukihime] Have fun everyone!
[Omegod] Good luck! I'm looking forward to it!
[Alfi Titor Ch. <M>] @Omegod Um. Meggie... Do you really have to use a name like that?
[Omegod] $%#$%@$#[email protected]$#!
[] lol
[] So who *is* Meggie anyway?
[] Apparently, extra cringe.
[Omegod] You're cringe! I bet you're single and still live in your mom's basement!
[Tsukihime] @Omegod Meggie... You live in your Dad's basement...
[Omegod] @Tsukihime Tsuki why?! T_T
[] Top 10 anime betrayals
[] Stop. She's already dead!
[] lol. John spoils his kids a lot, doesn't he?
Waiting for Project MirAIs...
[] It's starting!
[] Here we go boys!
[] LET'S GOOOOOOOOO!
[] I was here!
---
A mellow piano loop with a calm backing track and a lone guitar.
With that, the screen flickered to show Tokyo, late at night.
"Hey. Do you ever think that things would have been different?" Miya's soft voice. With it, the camera panned to show her walking down the street wearing a gray hoodie and jeans, covering up her face.
Except, she wasn't like how she usually appeared. Instead of her 3D model, here, she was completely 2D. Stylized just like an actual Anime character.
"Like how?" Rhea's voice. With it, the camera turned to show Miya's back. And then, walking the opposite direction towards the camera was Rhea.
She looked bedraggled and tired, with dark circles under her eyes. Sipping on a cup of coffee, she adjusted brushed her hands against her paint-splattered jeans and then walked past Miya.
The camera panned to the side, showing a shot of the two girls passing each other without once glancing at the other.
"I dunno. It just seems like we were lucky. For all of us to meet and become Prodigy... No, for Project MirAIs to exist at all."
A car drove past the street behind Rhea and Miya, causing a glare to cover up the screen.
When it faded, the scene had changed to a Starbox. Kuromi manned the counter, wearing a black uniform, giving tired smiles to people ordering so late at night.
"Lucky..." Kuromi's voice echoed and she said, "Yeah. We really were lucky to meet each other."
As the customers came and went, eventually Tsubame walked through the door.
Her clothes were threadbare and the backpack she carried was worn out. Even so, she smiled as she reached the counter and ordered a small black coffee.
"I'd like to think it was destiny." Tsubame's voice echoed as the version of her in the store carefully counted out coins from a small red envelope to pay for her coffee. "A world where we never met... Would that not be a bit too sad?"
Awkward and panicked searching. Tsubame stood there, carefully rummaging through her bag. Behind her, the line was growing longer.
Seeing that, Kuromi shook her head and took the coins, ringing up the order anyway.
Tsubame paused and then looked up with a grateful smile.
The scene blurred and showed Tsubame walking out, carefully staring at a map while sipping on her coffee.
Kuromi watched her leave, looking a bit hesitant. But another customer walked up to the counter, so she had to go back to work.
"...Yeah." Miya laughed and said, "There's no point thinking about what-ifs, right? Although..."
The screen flickered, showing the Tokyo streets again. Once more, Miya was walking down the road. And like before, another member of the Prodigy girls appeared.
Tsubame walked down the street, looking confused.
Seeing that, Miya paused and then walked over to her.
"...I think that we'd probably run into each other somehow."
Tsubame let out a grateful smile and held up a piece of paper. The camera zoomed in, showing that it was a crumpled up audition form for a new idol group called Re:Idolize.
Miya frowned and then beckoned for Tsubame to follow her.
As they walked away, the camera panned out, blurring before focusing on Rhea sitting in Starbox and sipping on another cup of coffee while sketching on a tablet.
At the table opposite her, Kuromi sipped on her own cup of coffee, watching some MMA videos on her phone.
"Why'd you have to make things so sappy, Mimi?" Rhea's voice. "Are you still mad at me for making fun of you?"
Miya laughed. "Oh don't worry about that. I think you'll get your payback soon enough when that episode airs."
"Grk."
"Still... I'm glad we met, Kuromi, Tsubame."
"What am I, chopped liver?!"
Kuromi laughed. "I'm glad we met too, Miya. And I'm glad to meet you too, Rhea! Even if you're too cheeky sometimes."
"Yes." Tsubame's calm voice echoed. "She can be quite the handful..."
"...Maybe I shouldn't make fun of Aoko-senpai so much..."
Happy laughter, in start contrast to the somber scene on the screen.
The scene began to fade, turning black. As it did, silver letters appeared on the screen and formed three lines of text.
[Fiction follows truth.]
[A world without 'your' eyes will emerge through the looking glass.]
[MiraMe (Show Me): IF - A World Without]
---
[] YO WHAT?
[] A Project MirAIs anime? Legit?
[] Argh! Why can't I superchat here?!
The screen gradually brightened before showing the Prodigy girls sitting around a table, with Droni laying in the center of it.
Miya turned to face the camera first and said, "H-Hello everyone! How was that? Was it good?"
"Y-Yeah!" Kuromi spoke up and said, "It's our first time doing some voice over work, so... Uh, did we do okay?"
Tsubame smiled and said, "I am sure our Esteemed Viewers enjoyed it. And hopefully they will enjoy more to come."
Rhea shook her hands and said, "That's if you guys help me storyboard the next one. That was a lot of frames to draw."
Miya raised an eyebrow at Rhea and said, "Weren't you the one who said you'd do it to apologize?"
Rhea's ears turned red and she averted her gaze.
[John Smith <V><M>] Only one day with a new manager and I'm already out of the loop, huh?
[] Wait! What do you mean new manager?
[] It was beautiful!
[] So are we having a serious slice-of-life Anime to go with the comedy that's the normal streams?
[] ...At this rate, I'm going to be broke before the new year starts...
Miya laughed and said, "Anyway... Hello everyone! Welcome to Prodigy's first collab stream! The plan was to host it on my channel, but we had a few things to show off too, so we thought it'd be better here."
Tsubame looked at Rhea and said, "Also because certain people let numbers get to their heads."
"W-What?" Rhea huffed and said, "I said I'm sorry, alright?"
[] Ooh. Drama already, huh?
[] Psh. It's all scripted. We know that all of the girls are buddy buddy.
[] Don't let the numbers get to you!
Miya shook her head and said, "Now, to kick things off, we'll run through some introductions. I'm Miya Musashi, the host of today's stream. With me are my genmates and friends... except for Rhea-"
"Feeling's mutual, Mimi!"
A relaxed laughter. Not only from Tsubame and Kuromi, but a few other people off camera.
[] ???
[] Is there a live studio audience!?
[] Tickets where!?
[ROSE <M>] @LILY @VIOLET @JINKAI Quiet in the studio.
[LILY <M>] Sorry, @ROSE
[VIOLET <M>] @ROSE It won't happen again...
[JINKAI <M>] ...I was not a part of the laughter.
[rational_rabbit] @loreowl Where are you man? I need answers.
_________