Chapter 328: Producer.
Sleep was the last thing people did after the Aurora's video went viral. Their world was on track to being visited by an ancient alien entity, a mysterious disease that drives people mad would accompany it, then there was the most powerful military entity in the world setting its eyes on their children.
Of course, most people were excited by the idea of humans receiving the same powers as Valkyries, but that only added to the list of worries keeping them awake.
"Whoa... this is blowing up real fast..." Twenty Two watched with eyes wide open as the numbers on their recent video kept increasing.
"Of course it is." AK said, unable to suppress a smile as she gazed at the screen of her phone. "This might be our biggest work so far."
"... I thought you two hated this?" Having just exited the shower, Eleven gave the two an exasperated look following it with a long sigh.
For all their complaints, her fellow idols seemed quite interested in how their newest video was doing. It being official government propaganda did little to diminish the appeal of the generated numbers, but that wasn't the only thing drawing their enthusiasm.
"Uwah... maybe I really should put this down..." said T-Two, the excitement quickly fading from her face.
"Hm? What is it?" Asked Eleven.
"Oh, I get it now..." AK added.
"Hey, I said what is it?"
Being ignored wasn't something the blue haired idol appreciated so she quickly walked over and slammed T-Two's laptop shut.
"H-hey! You're gonna break it!"
"Answer my question."
A shiver ran down their spines for a moment causing the duo to huddle up together.
"W-we're talking about the comments!"
"It's better if you don't see this." AK said as she glanced at her phone. "Doctor was right; humans can be really nasty..."
Without hesitation Eleven snatched the small device and began looking through it. Soon enough she understood what the other two meant.
"Well, guess this is what they call haters..." she muttered to herself before tossing the phone back to her purple haired friend. "I'm going to sleep."
"Seriously? You aren't interested at all?"
"If it were a new song or something then maybe..."
As they watched her walk over to one of the opposite beds, the other two gave each other confused looks.
While the release of the video was a cause of excitement, what interested them more was receiving permission to check on it and see people's reactions. Same as other Valkyries, the Auroras weren't allowed access to many sources of information until very recently.
In fact it has been only a day since they were allowed to use the same network as the humans, which was quite a massive change as far as they were concerned.
For the three idols the first thing they did was check their group's website and YouTube channel, and with the video they recently made being their latest release, they found themselves fixated on it, forgetting about everything else.
As she lay down on her bed, a small device on the nightstand caught Eleven's eye. It was a small smartphone, one of the same kind handed to all Valkyries a few days ago. So far the only communicator they had was the earpiece they used during their missions.
Expanding their communication options and information sources was one of the first steps the Doctor decided on to help them move away from their previous role as brainwashed humanoid weapons with no free will.
After a very long moment, Eleven reached out with her right hand and grabbed the small device. She stared at her reflection on the screen before switching it on with the small fingerprint scanner on the back.
Since she didn't exit the last app she used, the 'Contacts' was the first thing to appear when the phone was unlocked. Several names were listed on it; AK, T-Two, and other Valkyries from the forty sixth base; all of them were contacts she gathered after receiving her new phone, except for one.
She scrolled down the list then stopped at a particular name, and after staring at it for a while her finger moved and she tapped on it, entering the contact's profile. At the very top, below the orange circle of an empty profile picture, was a single word that reflected on the idol's blue eyes.
"Producer..."
"It's 'that'." Came a familiar voice.
"Yup. It's definitely 'that'." Another followed.
Coming back to her senses, Eleven quickly raised herself. She didn't know when but at some point her friends had approached her bed, and seeing the looks they were giving her she began to feel the temperature in the room rising.
"W-w-what are you talking about!!?" She asked, her flawless marble skin taking on a bit of red.
"Spacing out often." Said T-Two, glancing at the purple haired one.
"The constant sighing." AK followed, returning the glance.
"The attachment to idol work." They add at the same time, their eyes growing serious before turning to their blue haired friend. "It's definitely 'that'!"
"As. I. Said..." Closing her eyes, Eleven felt her frustration increase on par with the heat on her face. "What are you talking about!!?"
The two looked at her with half lid eyes, silently asking if she really didn't understand what they were eluding to. Once they were sure she wasn't feigning ignorance, they glanced at each other once more before turning to her with a question.
"Say, Elly..." T-Two was the first to speak. "Remember when Doctor was so busy dealing with the aftermath of the war?"
"Yes?"
"He didn't have time for his Personal Valkyries, and because of that even the ones on guard duty didn't seem too happy." AK said.
"So? What does that have to do with us?"
Eleven's question drew out a sigh from her fellow idols. Shaking her head, AK turned her sharp eyes to the frowning Valkyrie and said bluntly.
"You've been acting just like Five and the others when Doctor didn't give them any attention. Though in your case it's..."
"Now that you mention it, I remember thinking they were acting exactly like Elly back then." Looking up at the ceiling, T-Two tried to recall.
Eleven's eyes wandered down as she did the same, and after a moment she finally understood leading to her face reddening even more.
"Producer, huh." AK nodded with an understanding smile. "You always seemed to get along with him the most."
"I remember her mood improving instantly whenever he arrived." T-Two followed, a bit of red on her cheeks. "It was so cute"
With each comment the embarrassment Eleven felt continued to grow. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find something to say, but ultimately she could only lower her head, steam gradually rising from it.
Noticing the lack of response AK wore a smug smirk.
"I bet you were really disappointed when that Ranford woman was put in charge of us."
"Oh…" T-Two's eyes widened once more. "She was expecting the Producer…"
Seeing that they were having fun teasing her, it didn't take long before she snapped once more.
"Yes, I was expecting the Producer!" Said Eleven. "We finally got permission to resume our idol activities, why wouldn't I expect him to come back to his job?"
"hoho~ so that was your goal all along?" AK's question, coupled with her teasing smile, was enough to push the blue haired idol back. "Resuming our idol activities so you could drag him back?
"N-no! That's not it!" Eleven shot back. "It… it's true that I want him to come back, but… I also want to continue being an idol…"
The lights, the cheers, the smiles; Eleven enjoyed every aspect of her idol job. What's more, ever since she opened her eyes to this world, she felt that singing was her call. It was for that reason that she jumped at the chance of becoming an idol.
Having to spew the Resistance's propaganda was a small price to pay for being allowed on stage; as long as she got to sing in front of a large crowd, she felt that her goal in life was fulfilled.
'Being an idol really suits you, Eleven…' she remembered the words that man spoke to her, and before she knew it, a smile had formed on her face. 'Seeing how bad things were for us, many people feel like giving in to despair. Your voice gives them the courage to keep fighting, that's why you must never stop singing!'
Most humans barely acknowledged their existence, treating them like a modern day jukebox. The Producer, however, never acted toward them that way. He still treated them like the celebrities they were, but he was much friendlier, acting as if the four of them were a team rather than them being tools and him being their handler.
"I thought… it would be nice if we… you know…"
The consorts they held every so often were the highlights of their careers, and whenever she remembers them, the image of that man cheering for them from the backstage came to mind.
"If you want to be his Personal Valkyrie then don't drag us into it."
AK's comment was like a bucket of cold water spilled directly over Eleven's head.
"Producer was a nice person, but…" T-Two scratched her left cheek, speaking with an awkward smile. "I don't think I want to do those things with him."
Once again the blue haired idol found herself confused by what the other two said. Actually, she did understand them perfectly, it's just that her mind was a bit slow on the reaction.
A Personal Valkyrie meant being someone's exclusive subordinate, and so far that someone has been the Doctor. The position was special as it made a clear distinction between the six who had it and everyone else, but it also showed the special relationship they shared with that man, with all of them being his lovers.
"Producer's… Personal Valkyrie…" Eleven mumbled to herself, and after a moment of silence, steam exploded from her head and she fell on the bed.