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 Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 3:41 pm
In the few months since Haymitch had recruited him, Ilmari had heard some things around Negaspace about General Jadarite. She had a keen mind and a double-headed battle-axe. She had recently earned a bonus medal at the Biolumina Club for having collected so many of the energy-draining glow-sticks. She had gorgeous hair and immaculate makeup.
Ilmari had yet to actually meet her for himself, though, much less work with her, so when Albite had asked him to head for her office, Ilmari was quick about getting there. Only one stop along the way, and at that, only so he could get her some coffee. Admittedly, that took a few moments, as someone needed to put new coffee on for everybody, and apparently, that someone would be Ilmari. But once he had the to-go cup filled and capped with a lid, Ilmari darted off into the castle’s office-space.
Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to find General Jadarite’s office. Standing outside her door, Ilmari took a moment to breathe deeply and adjust his posture, getting himself together so he could stand before her looking bright-eyed and ready to help. A crisp, polite knock, and then he called to her, “General Jadarite? My name is Ilmari, Albite sent me for you?”
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 5:55 pm
"Come in," came the voice from the office, crisp and direct. The door had been cracked open in anticipation of her visitor. Jadarite had heard of Ilmari. He was Albite's little helper, the one who had gotten his ideas about those trinkets into a legible state for presentation. Although Jadarite herself was nowhere near the presentation stage of her own ideas, and she was a far better writer than Albite, she would never turn down a second set of eyes over her ideas. She wasn't going to fail again. The new medals in her display frame were a reminder that she could be strong, and fierce, and capable. They had brought a smile to her face in a way that Negaverse work had failed to do since the night her last plans had gone up in smoke. She wanted to chase that feeling. Ilmari would find himself in a crisp and clean office, mostly decorated in cream and white minimalism with all the essentials, like the clock, the calendar, several fake plants, and a single Pikachu figurine up on a high shelf. She was tapping at a civilian iPad when Ilmari arrived. "It's nice to meet you," she said, in a tone that did not make it clear whether it was or was not nice to meet him. "Albite's said good things." Although, she thought that Albite could find good things to say about just about anyone.
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Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2024 3:28 pm
Entering when invited, Ilmari recognized that, A., General Jadarite’s tone wasn’t committing to one judgment of him or another, and B., Albite was a very positive person and could speak highly of people somewhat indiscriminately. For all he took note of this, though, Ilmari couldn’t help the bright, bubbly feeling he got in his chest from knowing that one of his superiors spoke well of him, nor the little smile he got as he set the coffee on General Jadarite’s desk.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said, taking a seat and crossing his legs at the ankles, “and to meet you, finally. Albite speaks very highly of you, as well. About your ingenuity and your determination.” And her style, but that didn’t quite seem relevant at the moment. Generally good to know—and a mark, in Ilmari’s mind, of someone he could probably (hopefully, please please please) get along with very well—but not the most relevant thing when General Jadarite needed help with something important. “And if I may? Congratulations on the medal from the mission at the club.”
Things like that made General Jadarite more than a little bit aspirational. Special recognition from the Queen for her efforts? Oh, Ilmari knew he needed to put in more time and more work to get there, but he wanted to have that too. Someday, anyway. Someday, he’d get there.
For the time being, he took out his Negaverse pen, switched it to tablet mode, and opened it to the Notes app. “So, how may I be of assistance today, General? Albite……wasn’t exactly vague? But, well.” Oh, how to phrase this without being rude and untoward about a superior officer? Ilmari pursed his lips, considering his options. “Albite’s particular eye for detail loses the forest for the trees very easily.”
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Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2024 3:21 pm
Jadarite allowed herself a "Thank you," allowed herself a moment to settle into the feeling of pride that had followed earning the medal. Her superiors had recognized what she'd done, that when she was in her element, she could be at the top of the game. Others were seeing it, too. The reality was that she'd vlogged while picking up glowsticks, though. She wasn't going to rest on those laurels. This new technology opened up a world of possibility and she was going to take full advantage. She turned her attention to the senshi. "I know that you've been indispensable in some of Albite's recent work," she told him. She'd seen the way that his sales pitches for his items were put together, and knew that had a little more value than the praise that Albite would pour out on just about anyone. "As for me, let me start with an introduction. I'm General Jadarite. Infiltration. My civilian name is Emilia Asher, and I've worked in media for my entire Negaverse career." She folded her hands in front of her on the table, and watched her guest in that unflinching way that she'd learned from Labyrinthite. "I started as a journalist for Argent Industries, and I've since found success building my own brands. Twitch at first, but branching out into YouTube increased my audience significantly." She pushed the iPad across the table so that he could see what she was looking at, which was a compilation of YouTuber makeup collabs. "Now I'm trying to find a way to combine these new draining enchantments with merchandising."
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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2024 4:16 pm
Recognition glimmered in Ilmari’s eyes when General Jadarite mentioned her civilian name. He wouldn’t say that he’d followed her work closely, but he had noticed Emilia Asher when she’d recently shown up on Youtube. Any (relatively) new voices in the world of beauty influencers attracted his attention very easily, not least because any new perspective could have meant genuine new tricks or ideas. (It didn’t always mean that, plenty of tricks had already been trotted out and turned into content more times than one could count. But it was always better to give someone a chance.)
“Hmmm, a very interesting avenue to explore,” Ilmari agreed, looking at the tablet General Jadarite had pushed in his direction. So many Youtubers had collaborated with different makeup brands over the years, to all manner of ends. A Negaverse-aligned influencer doing so wouldn’t strike anyone as strange, Ilmari thought. “The field is also quite open, at the moment. Influencer brands have been struggling since beauty Youtube has tried moving to TikTok. Too many of the regular releases come from influencers whose personal dramas make them fiscally toxic. The ones who aren’t toxic just push private-label products that don’t excite anyone.
“That said: one of the biggest potential issues I can see is that installing anything in the makeup containers creates a huge risk of discovery.” Ilmari paused a moment to let that sink in, and to hopefully emphasize how serious he thought this point was. “It’s also difficult to collect harvested energy from anything sold to consumers, since they’ll expect to keep it. But that will also be an issue for any brushes or applicators that you create using the tech. Putting anything in the makeup containers specifically, though? You’ll be done for, General. People on the Internet are ravenous for drama, and they know that causing a scandal about makeup health and safety is a good way to get that. Jaclyn Hill had her contaminated makeup scandals years ago but they’re still some of the first things that Google suggests when you type in her name.
“Granted, Negaverse energy-draining tech may not be quite as obvious an issue as moldy lipsticks, but if people don’t know what the tech is? That will invite conspiratorial thinking. If you put the tech into the makeup containers, half of the Internet will be accusing you of bad business practices and caring more about profits than your subscribers.” Which was honestly sort of silly—like, of course the Youtubers shamelessly monetizing their makeup skills were more interested in getting their subscribers’ money than in their subscribers as people—but parasocial relationships were a Hell of a drug. “The other half will be saying that you’re part of some Deep State plan to harm children or whatever. Either way, you’ll end up asking General-King Axinite for an entirely new civilian identity, which sounds like an awful lot of unnecessary mess.”
With a pensive hum, Ilmari considered how to wrap up this suggestion. He settled on saying, “Options exist for getting energy. A launch party, for example. Or partnering with one of the department store makeup counters in town? But whatever you decide to do, General, I would strongly caution against using any makeup containers as the primary vehicles. Brushes, blenders, and so on are safer.”
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Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2025 7:06 pm
"Our reputation is the most important thing here, especially when we don't have our secret identities to hide behind," said Jadarite matter of factly. Even with the way that the bank operation had failed disastrously, the fallout hadn't come down to besmirch anyone out of uniform.
Moldy lipsticks would be far worse for her overall career than something like that. "When the technology gets to the point where we can drain energy with these devices at a distance, it will be worth it to consider the pros and cons of such controversy," she said, "Or most likely, somewhere to redirect the controversy on that isn't coming back to us." He was clever, to already be aware of such things. She could see how this one managed to keep Albite in check to some extent. She kept her gaze on him even, though, her hands folded in front of her. It took more than that to get praise from her. "The main point of this project would be to get my product out," she said. "Name recognition. Brand building." Reputation, as always. "But I believe there would be ways to incorporate this technology as well. It's common to have launch events for products like this. We could enchant the samplers. Make them lavender scented, too, so that people are supposed to be tired afterwards." She paused. "And of course have wine and such around, and all of the usual excuses." She waited, confident that he would point out any holes in her plan.
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