ICE SCULPTURE, GLEAM AND GLOW {YUKI,OPEN}

[Ayano Takagaki]

something is wrong with the sum of us that i can't seem to erase how i can i be the only one without a smile on my face The Afternoon Delights member stepped out of the limousine that had taken her to the festival. Smiling faintly and waving to the driver, she turned around to face the scene left before her. There she saw the entrance to the Sapporo Snow Festival. And what better way to greet people then a massive arch made of pure ice, with the festival's name carved into it, and implanted with lights. Taking a deep breath, the young idol started walking under it, mystified but at the same time..she was freezing.  As one might expect from being out and about at 7:00 at night, it was getting to be quite dark outside. Normally Tayano didn't have an issue with the dark. And especially not now, when the ice sculptures surrounding her were covered up bright lights of every color of the rainbow. However, the main thing about the winter at night- as it cold. She had always, ever since she was a young girl, been sensitive to the cold, never being able to take the chill of the outside for very long before she became still, and her mind began to feel frozen as well. Shaking off all of those thoughts and feelings, the young girl reminded herself that she still wanted to enjoy herself, regardless of what she was here for in the first place.  You see, Tayano had been given the task out of the other Afternoon Delight members to scope out the competition. This basically meant that she'd have to watch their performance, and pretty well spy on them the entire time that she was at the festival. So really, it was quite a let down that it was the only reason she had even come. All the same, she might as well enjoy the lights and the beauty of the festival for now, right? She might as well before she bumps into someone from GEM247- the performers for this evening. Because she had to admit, she wasn't exactly the most excited to be the spy tonight- especially when it involved GEM.... {ooc: bleh :X sorry for short post..just woke up xD} 377 words, made by akemi of btn

[Yuki Minase]

Ready to Rock Maybe it was because of her name, but winter didn't seem to bother Yuki too much. After all, she could be quite stubborn, so she wasn't going to let people think that someone named after snow was cold. Truth was that she loved the atmosphere the snow added, and usually worked herself up and forgot about the chill. If there hadn't been snow and ice sculptures, she'd probably feel colder, ironically enough. Even though the outfit she was wearing for the performance still had a skirt, there were stocking as well which kept her legs warm, and the top had long sleeves. She had just finished up an interview with some journalists at the front of the festival when she noticed a limo pulling away. Clearly someone important had arrived, and she started looking around to see if she recognised anyone. It wasn't long before she spotted Ayano, the young soloist of Afternoon Delight walking underneath the icy entrance. They'd gotten to know each other a bit in Taipei, and it had been interesting to spend time with the kid soloist of the rival girl group.  She excused herself and tried to catch up with her. It took a little bit, since the place was crowded and she couldn't just push past people, but Yuki didn't lose sight of her target, and eventually reached her. She slapped a hand onto her shoulder and grinned. "Hey, Taka-chan, fancy seeing you here! I thought your group wasn't coming until tomorrow? Catching up on the sights on your own, or are you here to see our performance?" She'd have to get to the stage soon for final preparations, but there was still a little bit of time before then.

► Length is fine~!

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BTN AND GS

[Ayano Takagaki]

something is wrong with the sum of us that i can't seem to erase how i can i be the only one without a smile on my face Tayano for whatever reason, wasn't expecting anyone other then maybe a fan of her's to come up to talk to her. Already she had signed a few autographs, and taken a picture. It was all a part of the job, so she honestly didn't think much of it. Tayano remembered to always stay polite to her fans, as much as she knew that there were many other, more important things that she needed to attend to. Just when she thought that she was finally freed, of course someone much worse then any fan had to show up. "Yeah..fancy meeting you here.." Tayano said, sounding a bit disheartened for a moment, before she reminded herself to perk up a little. "After all..I am here to spy on GEM247, so might as well get it started" With that thought, she forced a smile onto her face- and one realistic looking too. She was used to having to pretend to be happy, and to pretend to smile by now, so it was painless.  "Yeah, I just wanted to come here today so I could take a look at the statues. I know I wasn't gonna be able to tomorrow, what with my performance and everything~" Tayano explained, thinking that it sounded realistic enough. Sure, it may not have been one hundred percent true, but was wasn't exactly a lie, either. Smiling with her cheeks turning a bit red, she wondered wether it was because they were getting cold, or if she was just embarrassed. She needed to keep the conversation going, because perhaps if she did, she'd get some good opourtunities to scope out the competition. Going backstage would always be nice, however slim the chances would be. "But yeah~! I almost forgot that GEM247 was preforming today! Maybe I will be there to cheer you on~" The young girl was really glowing, however fake it may have been. Her smile was sweet and innocent, and she did her best to mask the fact that inside, there wasn't much of anything that was innocent about her. She'd done perfectly fine when she was with Yuki at Taipei, and not once did she let slip any negative comment or anything. By now, she was a pro.  The conversation seemed to be a little bit dead at this point, so Tayano turned to look at the statues while Yuki thought up something to say back. Though she knew there wouldn't be much time for her to relax and enjoy the beauty of this place, it really was lovely. All of the statues, from the large ones all the way to the massive ones were simply lovely. Tayano knew that if she wasn't the soloist for Afternoon Delights, she'd want to be carving these beauties. But then again, it was so cold outside...  500 words, made by akemi of btn

[Yuki Minase]

Ready to Rock Yuki grinned at the response of Ayano. That was awfully responsible of her, using today to see the sights instead of the day she had to perform. Well, depending on whether they were meant to practice today or not, but it wasn't like she knew when Afternoon Delight did their practice. Maybe they already had their piece down perfectly and had the day off. They certainly gave off the image of being more perfectionist than GEM247 did, anyway. Minor imperfections were a selling point, and her group certainly had that down. It was a big part of moe culture, so how could they not capitalise on that niche? She didn't notice her disappointed tone of voice as disappointment - just surprise. "Haha, yeah, there are some really good ones this year! They've got a Gundam sculpture down that way, which is definitely something you should check out." Yuki pointed to the side, away from the stage. "There's a dragon that way, too, and it's even breathing fire! Well, sculpted ice-fire sorta. "Although... if you'd like, I could probably get you front row seats to my performance, if you're interested. Dad couldn't make it, so I've got a spare spot available." Normally he would, but unfortunately he had a presentation to give for a big investor. It was a shame, but it was something that happened. However, her grandma did decide to come this time, since she'd never been to this festival before, and wanted to see the ice sculptures in person. "Besides, who better to see us perform than our main rivals! You'll definitely like what we've got in store." If anyone could appreciate it, it'd be Ayano. After all, she did similar work with her own group, so she'd know just how much work they put in. Fans might have an idea, certainly, especially if they kept up on every interview and did their research, but it was different from actually putting in the hours to practice, performing every week, and in general presenting yourself in a certain way.

► Please  yell at me or something if I take too  long to  post, OK?

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BTN AND GS

[Ayano Takagaki]

something is wrong with the sum of us that i can't seem to erase how i can i be the only one without a smile on my face The young dirty blonde listened to the happy go lucky GEM247 member as she talked about this and that. One moment, she was talking about the ice sculptures, speaking about their beauty and whatnot. "Haha, yeah, there are some really good ones this year! They've got a Gundam sculpture down that way, which is definitely something you should check out." Yuki Minase pointed in the direction away from the stage, a cheeky grin planted on her face. Next her eyes widened and sparkled, only adding to what she'd previously said. "There's a dragon that way, too, and it's even breathing fire! Well, sculpted ice-fire sorta. Tayano took a good moment to imagine the behemoth of a creation- it's talons the size of her and winks as large as the stage. Though perhaps she was blowing it a bit out of proportion- she couldn't ever be too sure. After all, this festival was all about the sculptures, and they were all made to impress. "Wow! I saw this statue a little ways back of a Teddy Bear~! It was sooo cute!! ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ" Tayano beamed, squishing her two cheeks together. Though she did in fact see a stuffed beat sculpture aways back, and she did find it to be quite cute, perhaps not as much as she let on. Ah well, same old, same old.  "Although... if you'd like, I could probably get you front row seats to my performance, if you're interested. Dad couldn't make it, so I've got a spare spot available." At this offer, Tayano's eyes widened, and her whole being perked up {if it could even be any perkier then it currently was}. Giving Yuki a sweet look, she nodded once or twice. "Aw, you'd really do that for me Yuki-senpai?!" She looked like she was just about to leap onto her for a bear hug, but was holding herself back for the time being. "That'd be super-duper sweet of you" By now Tayano couldn't restrain herself any further. Though the real her wouldn't do a think as daring and..cute as this, she had to admit the gesture was shocking. After all, she was juts another one of her rivals, right? So why would she want to offer a seat for her, front row even? A few moments later, Yuki seemed to answer her questions- though not completely. "Besides, who better to see us perform than our main rivals! You'll definitely like what we've got in store." Yuki seemed as pumped as ever, with Tayano being much the same way. "Yeah~ I'm sure it'd be a good idea for me to see what I'm up against!" As soon as that was said, Tayano quickly had an after thought, blanking out a bit. "Aaand...now that I think of it... I never purchased a ticket (๑•́ ω •̀๑)" She blushed, rubbing the back of her head. "This whole thing was kinda an impulse..ya know?"  {ooc: I decided on adding the emoticons, just to kinda get more of a feel for just how..out there Tayano is with her emotions ;3} 520 words, made by akemi of btn

[Yuki Minase]

Ready to Rock Of course Ayano would be excited about the teddy bear sculpture. She was a few years younger than her, after all. Still, if she was talking about the one Yuki was thinking of, well, she couldn't deny just how cute it was. It was large, but not so large as to become intimidating, and the detail on its face and body was very impressive. It made ice look warm and cuddly. The stubby arms and legs were adorable, too. She grinned as the girl from Afternoon Delight tried to thank for what she was doing. "It's nothing at all~! And it's embarrassing being called 'senpai'. I may be older, but I'm hardly an experienced idol or anythin' like that." She might have a bit of a cult following, but she was still a new member, and would have to prove herself over the coming months and years. A small, dedicated cult following could remain as just that, or it could grow, or she could end up alienating them. Thankfully, it seemed that being herself was a perfectly fine strategy - perhaps that was another reason that she'd done well at her original audition. Hearing that Ayano hadn't bought a ticket just made Yuki laugh and shake her head slightly. "It's fine! You're young, so it's OK to be a little impulsive! Tell you what, if you feel bad about this, just try and pay me back in some way. Like... umm..." Yuki wracked her brain for a little. "Ooo! You could buy me a souvenir or something! Just somethin' small's fine." An announcement from a nearby megaphone resounded throughout the park. "The GEM247 concert will take place on the main stage in one hour. Remember, no photography is allowed during performances. Thank you, and enjoy the Sapporo Snow Festival, brought to you by the following sponsors..." It continued to list a few companies, but that wasn't important. "Ahh, damn..." Yuki cursed slightly under her breath. "Hey, I'm going to have to start making my way over to the backstage area. If you want that ticket, you can come with, though you'll have to stay out of the way, obviously." She didn't have it with her, so Ayano would have to go a bit out of her way if she wanted to see the performance, or else she could try her luck with buying a normal one or standing up the back in the free area.

► Haha, OK! Haven't seen that done  before. It's  cute ^.^

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BTN AND GS

[Ayano Takagaki]

something is wrong with the sum of us that i can't seem to erase how i can i be the only one without a smile on my face Tayano smiled once again at Yuki, truly thankful for what she was offering her. It was almost too nice of an offer. Though it wasn't like she was about to give up this special opoourtunity. She was going to savor it. "It's nothing at all~! And it's embarrassing being called 'senpai'. I may be older, but I'm hardly an experienced idol or anythin' like that." Though the other idol had a good point- Tayano didn't exactly see it that way. She was older then her, so wasn't it the politically correct way to refer to her? However, if it was what she wanted, that was what she was going to do. They may be rivals, but all she same she wanted to respect her wishes. With a nod of her head, Tayano smiled from cheek to cheek. "Okay, Yuki-chan!" After that had been said, her eyes widened and she peered in closer to her. "You don't mind if I call you Yuki-chan, right?" Just wanting to make sure, the blonde thought that it was a good idea to ask. After all, she wanted to avoid any awkward situations.  Next, Yuki Minase acknowledged another (slightly embarrassing) comment that she'd made before about a lack of a ticket. "It's fine! You're young, so it's OK to be a little impulsive! Tell you what, if you feel bad about this, just try and pay me back in some way. Like... umm..." Yuki gave an expression, looking like she was trying to think something up quickly. "Ooo! You could buy me a souvenir or something! Just somethin' small's fine." At that notion, the Afternoon Delight idol brightened up. It did seem like a good enough way to make up for it. One that even she could manage. "Okee-Dokee then! I'll give you something to remember me by! (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡" That idea seemed solid enough in her opinion. Besides, perhaps it could be motivation for  the just beginning idol. After all, she wanted worthy rivals...  Just then, during a moment of silence, a message come up on the intercom, calling out that the performance would be taking place in around an hour. Wow, that soon already? As the 13 year old stood there, doe-eyed still, Yuki cursed under her breath, calling out to Tayano. "Hey, I'm going to have to start making my way over to the backstage area. If you want that ticket, you can come with, though you'll have to stay out of the way, obviously." Though Tayano hated nothing more then being a pest in the way of things, she knew that it was inevitable. Nodding once, she told Yuki that it was more then fine. "Sounds good to me. Though as soon I get my ticket, I'll go take a seat!  At that note, she started heading towards, the direction of the stage, gesturing for Yuki to follow after her. "Come on Yuki-chan! Don't wanna be late for your own concert, do you!?" This was said with a pout-like grin, though it soon faded as the young girl's body turned away from the other idol. Stepping down through the lightlly snow powdered cobblestone path, her happy go lucky expression vanished for a few moments. For that split second, if you looked closely enough, you would notice her true self. You would understand how she was, and how she felt, truly. Though it wasn't like she was about to let her cover be blown so easily. She'd been doing this for a few years- and she didn't plan on going down this easily.  {ooc: Glad you find it cute~ It's a slight bit cheesy..but I have this thing for cute things. (●´□`)♡} 520 words, made by akemi of btn

[Yuki Minase]

Ready to Rock "Not at all. It's no fun being super-formal, anyway." Well, that was sort of a lie. Technically kimono were very formal, but she loved them. Language was different, though. She preferred being able to be casual with people, and that was unfortunately a little tricky. Fans could vary from one extreme to another, you had to be respectful to the managers and in public, and her grandmother certainly wasn't one to accept deviation from the norm. Familiarity with friends was her best shot at being as close to herself as she could. The young girl seemed absolutely fine with getting her something, which pleased Yuki. Lucky! It wasn't like she could sell her tickets, and it would have gone to waste otherwise, but now she got to give it to a rival so she could have some fun, and she was going to get some sort of present out of it! The new idol was clearly pleased, her musings on what Ayano might get her clear on her face.  And with that, they were on their way to the stage, the younger idol running ahead and calling for Yuki to hurry up. She chuckled to herself as she took a few quick steps forward in the snow to catch up. She didn't notice the darker look on her face, only her golden hair swishing in the air. "I'm not gonna be late. Concert's not for an hour, remember?" She said with a smile as she looked around at the other ice sculptures on the way. She thought of stopping and taking a photo of a field of ice flowers, but it was better to be safe than sorry. "How are your preparation going?No problems in practice?" She asked instead, mildly curious about the other idol group. Hopefully things were going well for her - it was hard work, and it'd probably be pretty tough for Ayano, given her age and position.

► Haha, OK! Haven't seen that done  before. It's  cute ^.^

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BTN AND GS

[Ayano Takagaki]

something is wrong with the sum of us that i can't seem to erase how i can i be the only one without a smile on my face Tayano continued the act perfectly, turning around for a moment to listen to her rival. Yuki laughed back, amused by the younger idol's antics. Just as she had expected. "I'm not gonna be late. Concert's not for an hour, remember?" Upon hearing that, Tayano stopped in her tracks, expression blank. The blonde haired girl stood in place until the other girl managed to catch up with her. Then, she said with a blank face: "Oh yeah..almost forgot..hehe (*´∀`*)" The young girl, truly embarrassed, took a moment or two to recover, before she seemed to perk up again. Turning back around, she remained at the pink haired idol's side, taking a look at all that was to be seen with her. There were so many different, magnificent sculptures to be seen, and it completely boggled her mind that people were able to make these. Sure, some of the sculptures took large teams of people to create, but in her opinion, that made it all the more fascinating. It was a key example at how teamwork could come up with wonderous results. A bit ironic for her, a soloist thought of this though... The two continued to walk at a steady pace for a bit, with Tayano continuously 'oohing', and 'ahhing' at everything her eyes caught sight of. It seemed that for a bit, she had completely forgotten that she wasn't alone right now. Soon enough though, Yuki spoke again, catching the young girl's attention. "How are your preparation going?No problems in practice?" Though they did continue to walk down the pathway, the two's pace slowed quite a bit as Tayano thought of a way to answer. "Damn it...is this Yuki-chan's way of prying information out of me..?!" She thought to herself, biting her lower lip. She looked over at the older idol's expression, which was completely happy, as well as a little bit oblivious. "No...she isn't like that. At least I don't think she is.." She tried to reassure herself, taking a quick breath. With a little hesitation, Tayano replied. "Well, everything is going as well as can be expected. Most of us work pretty well together, so practice runs nicely." She began to explain, pausing for just a moment. "Though, being a soloist, I do most of my practice alone, or with my trainer, so I can't say for sure.." Her smile faded, as she held her hand up to her chin, looking a bit worried. "But knowing everyone in Afternoon Delights, I'm sure it all goes wonderfully~! (“⌒∇⌒”)" Tayano laughed for little more reason but to lighten up the conversation. It was a festival, after all, no place for tense chatter. The only time when she wanted stuff like that to happen was when she brought it up. "So, how about GEM? Doing as good as ever?" 490 words, made by akemi of btn

[Yuki Minase]

Ready to Rock Ayano seemed to be quite taken by the various ice sculptures. It wasn't hard to see why - their detail was often akin to that of a figurine, only on a larger scale. Yuki wondered about the kind of people who made them - what drove them to use ice as their medium rather than something more permanent? Maybe they view art as something like the sakura trees - beautiful and... what was it... ephemeral? She thought, remembering something her Classical Japanese teacher had said at the start of the school semester. She didn't really understand, but it was sad to know that they would melt sooner rather than later. She nodded in acknowledgement as the young soloist spoke about her work. "Mmhmm, yeah, that sounds about right." Yuki said, thinking that it sounded pretty much like what she experienced at GEM. She joined the rival idol in laughing when she spoke so positively about her group. Yep, she doubted Afternoon Delight would screw up their performance, or anything else in the near future. They were all very talented and experienced individuals. "GEM?" Yuki echoed the question she'd been asked before responding. "Yeah, we're doing great! Everything's pretty routine once you work things out. Heh, I still need to work a bit on my dancing, but I'm much better than when I was an understudy. The producers, managers, instructors and all that are... well, kind of like strict teachers. Haha, although that's probably the same with you, right?"  Perhaps she had an advantage over others in that her grandmother had been strict, and the less said about her mother the better, but perhaps her ability to cope with the pressure was another reason why she'd managed to get to where she was. A lot of other girls who were better than her in one way or another dropped out because they couldn't handle the stress put on them. Yuki put her hands behind her head. "Sometimes I wonder how I manage. Soooooo much work. I hope that when you start high school it won't be too much work, combined with you being a soloist." She said, wondering how Ayano would handle it. She'll probably be fine. She seems a little childish, but she can't be if she's gotten to where she is at her age.

► Hope the  wait wasn't  too long!

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF BTN AND GS