"Attention please, all who are attending or watching the announcement, please stand by for it to start."
Ding... Ding.. Ding...
"Attention please, all who are attending or watching the announcement, please stand by for it to start."
Location: Gathering Theater, HoloCorp 4th Building/Time: ??
Mori Calliope's POV
Enma-Chan's voice continued repeating over and over, she honestly sounded like a robot with how stale her way of talking is.
I was sitting between Ina and an empty seat that was supposed to be for Ame, who was still a no-show. Seriously, that girl will be the death of me someday, it's not a game! Why is she trying to be first always?!
Wondering to myself what could be the outcome of this, I noticed that Enma-Chan's announcing voice had ceased, meaning that it was finally time.
I was both curious and excited, the anticipation building up inside me to no end, it was always nice getting new juniors in this world of ours called the VTuber space.
My thoughts strayed a little farther than they should have,
Yeah maybe I need to practice meditation so I can be more patient.
-"Ladies and gentlemen, talents and workers!"
Yagoo-San's theatrics began, he sounded like a colosseum announcer, either he's trying to drive hype or he's legitimately excited, either way it was a very comedically hilarious act.
"It's yours truly, Motoaki Tanigo, or as you all have come to know me as, Yagoo."
Clapping and cheers enveloped the entire arena, the massive stage in front of us still hidden behind curtains.
This was going to be good.
"Rumors spread faster than I wanted them to, and I truly envy those who have no idea what is going on yet.
We, HoloCorp, are stoked to announce the creation of a new division,"
I knew he would say this eventually, but it still felt different hearing it in person from Yagoo-San.
The sudden eerie quietness that had overtaken the people's minds could be pierced with a breath, it was so quiet!
Everyone wants to know the name.
"But before that, we want to make things very clear for the direction of this new division."
Disappointment replaced the anticipation as he diverted the speech to talk about the extra stuff, some people booed in good spirit.
"This is an experiment, a test of sorts, to what we can do moving forward.
Housing talents that don't want to join up and group with others, whilst also giving them their own pedestal to stand on to help them shine by themselves.
I am requesting all the talents to not speak a word about this until we push the news ourselves officially online, it'll take a couple of days or maybe more, but the debut will happen very soon.
Now, announcing the new division;"
His words were of future vision, Yagoo-San is a very opportunistic human, he probably saw such immense potential in a person that he had to get them on.
Now let's see if the praises sung about them are true.
"Everyone, please welcome the new branch of HoloCorp,
HoloSolo!"
The curtain dropped and my eyes widened, my mouth agape in a wowed expression.
Up on the stage, Yagoo-San standing beside.. a child?
My eyes squinted trying to get a better look but half their face was covered by a patch of some kind, their features were not distinctly masculine nor feminine though the tuxedo they wore told me they're a male.
-"What the heck man! Nothing like I was betting on!"
I Looked at her as she ripped up a sketch paper before I could see what she had in her imagination, and then I turned my head and looked towards Ina who was maintaining a slightly bemused expression at the scene on the stage before her.
I could tell most people were not expecting a relatively normal-looking human to be the person here.
But I also could make out the faces of some others behind us though seemed.. Relatively unsurprised?
Especially Shiori.... Why is she looking so smug?!
I shifted my focus back to Yagoo-San, he was standing with the biggest shit eating grin plastered on his face, that man was plotting something worse than this, something that'll probably make me have a heart attack.
As the attendees quieted down, Yagoo-San continued.
-"Everyone, welcome Jude, our first HoloStar.
Looks can be deceiving, he's not your run of the mill guy.
Get along with him and show him the ropes, I'm sure you all will enjoy his company."
Wait, that's it? Where is he going?
Is that all??! He's not going to tell us anything about how he met him?
-"Yagoo-San, wait.."
I reached out my hand to call for him as I was going to stand up from my seat, but once again I was stopped by Ina.
-"Mori, don't be rude. Jude's about to talk."
I looked down at her as she gripped my wrist, and noticed everyone else looking at me, which made me sit back down faster than I could realize.
-"Yeah you're right, Yagoo-San is a tricky bastard, I was just going to ask him some questions."
As Ina let go of my wrist and I settled back in, I saw Amelia using her magnifying glass to look closer at Jude, does she not know she can just.. Use her phone and zoom? I don't even want to bother.
The kid, Jude, stepped up the podium and took a glance at everyone twice, left to right, right to left.
He didn't look anxious, nor did he look like he was thinking of what to say, I guess he was just gauging everyone's reactions to him.
-"Hello. As Yagoo-San said. I am Jude.
I was born in England but moved shortly after my birth.
I am overcome with excitement to have joined HoloCorp and to soon debut as its new act in a new beginning."
Alright first thing to note, he is definitely not excited. He's speaking with a tone that could make Enma-Chan sound excited.
Second thing, I had been wrong of my assumptions. He's not a child, that's for sure.
He sounds mature enough to be in his twenties for a human.
Definitely more mature than half the cast of HoloLiveEN..
Jude's POV
Well, this is going swimmingly.
Everyone is just paying me undivided attention, the crowd did seem like it was giving reactions at wrong times from my observation, and sometimes not one at all, but who am I to talk.
Mr. Yagoo had asked me to maintain my cold blooded attitude at all times, something about personality traits that would help me paint a good picture online.
I have been raised by earth inhabitants, so maybe he said that because I actually act normally compared to everyone else present, since they are all already special.
My words ran out, I spoke what I thought was enough and gazed back into the abyss that was the attendees.
Do I have to make it flashy?
-"..As.. what seems to be tradition, I have to give some semblance of information about myself, don't I?"
That seemed to do the trick, some leaned forward a few degrees, others crossed one leg over the other.
I noticed as well that a few ones stood out much more from the rest.
They were easy to remember, was my line of thought.
Pirate hat. Panther woman from before this happened. Tentacles.>
I jotted down on a mental paper all their details as I spoke.
"Mine is the measuring eye. I was born to humanity and raised with it, and throughout it all I never once failed to bring down fairness.
Interactions, actions, all will be under my observation."
I totally didn't just borrow inspiration from what Mr. Yagoo had in mind for me.
"Henceforth, You all may call me Iudex.
It's an allograph for Judex, which sounds like my name.
Thank you for your time and I hope we will all get along well."
I say stepping off the podium and moving beside it, giving a little bow with my hands clasped in front of me, my reward for that was your usual clapping.
What I also earned was the fact I was about to get swarmed by everyone for questions right as I finished bowing..
Uh oh.
-"Jude-Kun! You look so pattable and cute!"
A woman with a particular heavy Japanese accent said as she reached out to pat my hair. I stayed silent.
-"What she said! Welcome to HoloCorp young one!"
Too many praises.. I'm really living up to the name "Jude" right now.
But there was one of them who caught my eye just like the ones from before. She was standing beside the green hair, her eyes putting her thoughts on show.
She came forward towards me, much to the confusion of those beside her.
I noticed.. feathers? On her head. I think they were atleast, not sure if it's that a cowlick or what.
-"Raised by humans all this time? Curious. I believe me and you will have much to discuss."
The ones who were already talking to me and coddling me like I'm a toddler looked towards the brown haired lady, the green haired lady stepped up beside her and gave me a warm, maternal smile, which made me have the biggest goosebump I've felt in a while. If I was blind I'd have confused her for my Mother, her smile was so moving I didn't even need to see it to feel it.
Her voice was just as warm and maternal as I had expected aswell.
-"Hello, Jude. This is Nanashi Mumei. You might not be familiar with us, but we're the "Promise" unit.
She had taken an interest in you the moment you spoke of being raised with humans, because she was aswell, to an extent."
Oh that explains alot, well, good to meet a kindred spirit.
Also, "Promise". I think I've already forgotten the names of the other units on the website, so it seems familiar but it isn't at once.
-"Yes. I hope you'll have a good stay here, Jude, Iudex, whichever you prefer."
She, Nanashi Mumei, was the most normal looking person in the entire audience that was standing before me, and that was a really low bar to pass.
-"Well met. We will see each other again, I'm sure of it."
I gave everyone another bow before heading out to the backstage where Mr. Yagoo had left.
I didn't get a good look at everyone, sadly, I feel like some of the faces I saw I should have recognized better than this.
Nanashi Mumei's POV
-"He's mysterious alright. Textbook thriller protagonist come to life."
And that human sure was. To finally have another person that could share their direct experience as a human with me, Civilization itself, will be a most beneficial move.
We regrouped with Kronii, Baelz and IRyS, the latter two had left after Iudex had finished his introduction.
Kronii opted to just wait for us to put in our word with him.
Though, I had a question for Fauna.
-"Fauna, why didn't you impart him with your name atleast? Unusual of you not to take the lead and do the pleasantries for us all."
That seemed to capture the attention of the other girls aswell, we continued walking through the halls as Fauna gave her answer.
-"It.. just didn't feel right. I could feel it in his soul.
Longing, he just wanted to think of me as someone else.
Giving him my name might have ruined that longing."
An answer not unaccepted from Fauna. Her empathy sometimes made me question if she ever actually didn't connect with someone on a deeper level.
-"Hmm.. seems our new entry has quite the backstory to tell on his debut, eh?"
Baelz spoke sarcastically, knowing that Iudex would probably not talk more than he already has, if even that much.
-"Speaking of, Kronii, did you regret leaving your room to touch some grass?"
The sudden shift in the direction of the conversation made everyone pause and then laugh, Kronii's face dusting with a blush, she stomped away.
What a time to be alive.
---------------------------------------------------------
Intermission: Nanashi Mumei
Civilization itself, the concept of intelligent life and progress into a humanoid being.
She is somewhat of a bookworm, enjoying all arrays of paper and leather.
She has owl feathers on the top of her head which Jude had confused for a cowlick.
Currently she is in her room writing about her day and Iudex.