Chapter 17

The girls amazed at the vast sea of clothing and EV-Idol. Look and survey the area before turning to Shishijima for reassurance. 

“Yep! I had that exact same reaction when I found this place!” said Shishijima picking up a 2 piece. 

He looks at the piece of clothing with a look of satisfaction as he imagines Rin wearing it. 

He hurries towards Rin’s directly; almost reaching her before she raises her hand in objection. 

Saying; “Ah, ah, ah. I won’t be wearing anything too risqué. Let’s not forget I’m still underage.” All while turning around and sticking out her tongue to taunt. 

“Well—I was thinking about this for the performance. I was thinking about maybe taking some pics of you in this for promo material.” said a distraught Shishijima. 

“Well think again; I don’t want people thinking I’m a stripper. It’s already bad enough I’m with you and you’re the way you are.” said Rin with a pout. 

Shishijima sighs and look away with tears in his eyes while he puts back the two piece bathing suit. He then waves goodbye and solemnly joins the group. 

“Why the long face?” asks Shanshiravto Shishijima. 

“Well. I just wanted to do some light promo before the show. You know it’s such a sudden shift. You know from a complete amateur to a debut performance as an EV-Idol. I just wanted to get the audience familiar with her before she gets on stage.” laments Shishijima with his hand on his head  as if he is in pain. 

“Well; most EV-Idols make very sudden debuts all the time. I mean it’s not that uncommon as you’re making it seem.” said Shanshira. 

“Well, there’s a huge difference between an EV-Idol with backing from a major label and a novice that’s makes it onto the club scene. One starts out with big promo to engage the public while the other has to build up to that through word of mouth or social media fame. She’s going to be going in completely blind as an unknown EV-Idol has to wow the crowd from their first performance.” said Shishijima.

“Well, that was the case for me.” replied Shanshira. 

“Well—“ Shishijima says while walking past Shanshira and picking up a pair of hair clips. 

“You were sort of a special exception.” Shishijima says while turning towards Shanshira with a serious look. 

He then turns away; walking towards Rin and jumping in front of her to surprise her with the hair clips. To which Rin reacts with a unenthused expression. 

Shanshira looks into the aisle as she sees Mari running around up and down looking at different pins. 

She looks at her arm and the lights blinking from under her skin. She then turns around and walks towards Rin and Shishijima. 

“So Shishijima with all this talk about promotional material have you even thought of a gimmick or motif for her EV-Idol persona yet. I mean you haven’t even given her a name.” said Shanshira standing beside Shishijima. 

“OH YEAHHHH! I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT! THANKS FOR REMINDING ME!” said  Shishijima with an air of relief. 

“What’s does she mean by gimmick or theme?” said Rin inquisitively. 

“Well because there have been so many EV-Idols within the industry; past and present. Many labels look for a gimmick or center their marketing around certain motif for them to stand out. That why the muses for these EV-Idols are usually outsourced. I mean we can’t have our EV-Idols looking or sounding just a like. It dulls the experience of the consumers similarly to what we had in the music industry with humans.” said Shishijima walking down an aisle. 

Rin follows behind him retorting with “Ok. so do you have any ideas?”

“Uhmm. No.—Wow, this a nice shirt! Look you  try it on.” respond Shishijima with him then handing over a shirt to Rin. 

Rin then exclaims; “WHAT?!?”

“Now Rin. I know you’re a bit annoyed that I didn’t think of anything.” respond Shishijima with a look of shame. 

“So why are we here again? We should have thought about this way back when. Now we have to come up with something because if we don’t. We could end up buying something that totally clashes the motif or gimmick.” groaned Rin putting her back to Shishijima. 

“I’m sorry! It’s just that I was preoccupied by trying to book you a gig. That I hadn’t been concerned with talk of any themes are anything.” said an apologetic Shishijima. 

“Well, no use of apologizing now. We have to put our brains together and think of something. I will not be going out there looking a rushed project.” said Rin. 

“Why don’t you guys make the theme a monster theme.” says Mari sneaking up behind Shishijima with a zombie mask on.

“Ahhhhhh” squealed Shishijima. 

“Hey Mari! Stop kidding around. We need your help with something.” said Rin in a stern tone. 

“Yeah. Sure no problem. What do you need?” said Mari. 

”Well, we need help thinking of an appropriate EV-Idol motif for my idol persona.” explains Rin. 

“Well—maybe a swims—“ said Mari before Rin interrupts. 

“No. It’s too on the nose. Take a look we’re surrounded by beach in Nova Raton. Just think of how many idols have a beach or swimsuit motif. Plus I’m underaged and just look at my baby face it wouldn’t suit me.” says Rin with a pouty face and big eyes. 

“See? I told you; I wasn’t alone in the swimsuit thing.” says Shishijima hiding behind Rin. 

“Why are you hiding behind me?” asked Rin. 

“Well; tell her take the mask off. It’s really creeping me out.” winged Shishijima. 

“Oh come on! It’s just a mask. Plus, even if she was a zombie you’re way taller than her.” explained Rin. 

“Yeah. You’re right!” exclaimed Shishijima as Rin moves aside to expose Shishijima. 

However, he takes a look at the Zombia mask and he decidedly jump behind Rin again scaredly. 

“HUHGH! While I deal with him can you get Shanshira to come here. Maybe she can give us some ideas.” said Rin. 

“Ay! Ay! Captain!” saluted Mari as she turned and walked back the other way.

Mari walks down two aisles and she spots Shanshira with a basket look at an alien costume. 

As she watches Shanshira from afar; she starts to think of her reminding her of something. Seeing her in this angle she looks awfully familiar. 

Mari looks off into the distance while trying to jog her memory of who she reminds her of.

She then crouches down to look at a lower shelf. Then the lightbulb in Mari’s head goes off; the image in her head switches to a lady with similar tan skin driving a car. 

“OMG! I think I may have got it!” thinks Mari to herself. 

She walks over to Shanshira with a big smile and giggly. 

Shanshira startled by the giggling looks up at Mari and asks so innocently “Are you ok; Mari?”

Rin and Shishijima are back there in the aisle where they are bickering about what motif they should use.

Mari comes and walk up with Shanshira holding her hand. They both stop bickering for a minute and look towards Mari. 

Hey guys I think I may have found the perfect motif for Rin’s EV-Idol persona. As she beams a wide smile of ingenuity.