Act 1, Scene 1: Okami

[opening_act]

[ A notification on your phone goes off, letting you know the purchase of your meeting with Exael has gone through.

There is an attachment. Where are you, when you open it? ]

Comments

[furrytailprince]

And what is required to achieve that status?

[opening_act]

Time, mostly.

[furrytailprince]

There is no way to speed up the process?

[opening_act]

Not really! An assessment takes as long as it takes.

[furrytailprince]

Assessment of what? I thought this was about entertainment. If the goal is just to exit the program, what is the purpose of an assessment?

[opening_act]

It's not just for entertainment. Though it's for that too.

[furrytailprince]

So what are you assessing?

[opening_act]

Me? Nothing.

[furrytailprince]

Someone else is then?

[opening_act]

The producers are.

[furrytailprince]

Is there a way we can see what they are assessing us on? Is there a rubric? A checklist?

[opening_act]

Nope! Especially since they're all looking at different things.

[furrytailprince]

[ Grrrrr. ]

... Ah, so more of a panel. How many are there? Producers.

[opening_act]

Classified.

[furrytailprince]

I expected that might come up sooner or later... What can you tell me about what happens to our home while we are here? Does time move forward?

[opening_act]

Why wouldn't time move forward?

[furrytailprince]

I am trying to wrap my brain around what this... Tokyo actually is. But provides some clarity so I thank you.

Would any of the graduated idols be able to discuss how they met the graduation criteria?

[opening_act]

We're not told that.

[furrytailprince]

But you can make hypotheses based around your known strengths and what seemed to net you the most points, can you not?

[opening_act]

That sounds like work. It was forever ago, anyway.

[furrytailprince]

[ ARGH IDOLS ]

How long ago was forever ago?

[opening_act]

A while? My round was totally different than yours anyway. Units are new for this one.

[furrytailprince]

You are saying you had to compete individually?

[opening_act]

Right, previous rounds you were just judged by yourself.

[furrytailprince]

That sounds more dangerous. Why the change?