bunnii | Jun. 24th, 2022

PLAYER INFORMATION

PLAYER: Michi
ARE YOU AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD?: Yes
CONTACT: cloudatlas
CHARACTERS PLAYED: N/A

CHARACTER INFORMATION

NAME: Nito Nazuna
CANON: Ensemble Stars!!
CANON REFERENCE: link
CANON POINT: Ensemble Stars!! Music; Post-Chapter Three, prior to his return to idol activities
CRAU HISTORY: N/A
AGE: 19
APPEARANCE: image
CONTRACT PAYMENT: To regain his precious singing voice that was so well loved in the past and the ability and right to perform and with and be able to work with both Valkyrie and Ra*bits.

QUESTIONNAIRE:

♪ How do you define "success"? What is something you're ambitious about?

Well... I guess I would say... "success" isn't the sort of thing you just achieve and call it done. It's something you chase after relentlessly. Those sorts of ambitions and ideals-- I admire them. It's good to always be thinking about what's next. If you become complacent then you're already stagnant and it's only a matter of time before someone or something better comes along. At least that's the kind of "success" I've become accustomed to watching among idols.

My ambition-- That's not an easy one. I've temporarily suspended idol activities to go to school, so the things I've put the most work into are kind of on hold right now. But I'm using this time to try and better myself too, because I can't say that I'll always be able to do this sort of thing.

But if it's something specific, well-- the first and foremost thing on my mind... it's gotta be "Ra*bits". Those kids have been working really hard for a long time now. Although it doesn't look like it at times, they've really come a long way. Looking after them and guiding them makes me real happy. I want to see them become the kinds of idols that can do anything they put their minds to if they wanna. I believe in them that much~ And I think as long as I stick with them I'll be able to keep pushing myself too. I might not perform much these days but I never skip my training. So I'll definitely be ready when the time comes to return to the stage and perform as an idol again.

I'm keeping an eye on Oshi-san and Kagehira too, though. Now that we're on different units, I have some pretty formidable opponents~ I know they're working hard too so I'm not going to let myself fall behind either.

♪ How do you define "failure"? How do you deal with the consequences of failure, from light to severe?

If I can look back at something I did badly at and see a whole lot of better solutions then it probably counts as a failure. I don't like knowing there was something I could have done and didn't. I've done plenty of that in the past-- so I want to really give it my all now so that it doesn't have to end up like that. The past me... didn't do so well with failure. When things got really bad I... wasn't able to support the people I cared about and they had to suffer a lot because of me. Since then things have gotten better between us for the most part-- but I can't blame them if they hate me or resent me for that.

But I decided that because I went and did that, I can't take things easy. I gotta keep pushing forward so that all our pain wasn't for nothing. I think I've grown at least a little bit since then. I know I can't avoid the tough stuff anymore. Even if it's painful, I gotta take responsibility for my choices. That's part of being "human". So it doesn't matter if it's having to listen to stuff that's difficult to hear or if I get hurt or even die... I'm gonna keep trying for the sake of all the people I love.

♪ An enemy of your faction has asked for a meeting, proposing a truce of sorts to deal with a greater threat. On one hand, there is indeed a threat at hand, but on the other, this person double-crossing you is just as likely an outcome. Do you agree to the meeting? Do you trust them?

You can't ever be completely comfortable when it comes to those sorts of negotiations. Even if the terms seem reasonable, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. But just because it's risky doesn't mean you shouldn't consider it, either. You have your own goals and motives to think about, after all. Ideally if we could work together-- yeah, I'd want that. But I know that's a happy ideal. If you're greedy and try to take too much, you might just lose everything. So you gotta be careful.

Ideally I'd want to negotiate with someone I'm familiar with. If something's up-- it'll be easier to tell if something's not quite right about it. With strangers, you never know what you're dealing with. So even if it's only someone I've talked to a few times... that's better than nothing, right? But it's important to have a plan if things go south. That means having someone you can communicate with on short notice... someone you can count on to pass the information on to all the people who have to know.

There's probably no way to handle those kinds of situations perfectly but-- I think it's important to consider everyone involved and do everything you can to make sure things don't become worse than they have to.

♪ You've worked with your Faction awhile now and you feel like the reward of your contract is within reach. But at the last moment, you are told you have even more service to pay beforehand, an obscure clause in the contract being exploited to keep you under your boss's thumb even longer. Your Faction Leader hasn't spoken on this, and might be able to dispute it. Do you go to your leader? Do you argue the dispute yourself? Do you begrudgingly accept the additional work? Something else?

As nice as it would be to secure that reward as soon as possible... if it's something I can do then-- I don't see why I can't. Working with someone for that long, you're bound to want to help them out if you can whether you gotta or not. I don't want to be the only person who benefits and I'm not gonna forget that there are other people out there with their own needs.

I don't wanna get held up forever though. There has to be a point where you let go and let those who come after you prove they can handle things on their own, too. It's no good to become to reliant on someone or to take advantage of their kindness-- even if that person is me.

...well, I'd be a little more willing to allow it if it's just me. But even I have things I still want to accomplish. I can't just give up either. So I would have to draw the line somewhere.

POWERS & ABILITIES: Nazuna's strongest abilities all center around his musical studies and history. He has a steady, well-controlled singing voice that carries with it a decent amount of power. Most useful however is his physical agility, stamina and accuracy which was honed through years of intensive training. That said-- while he's not keen to resort to violence but he's surprisingly feisty for someone who looks the way he does. If it's a matter of protecting someone he cares about, he'll throw himself at a threat with the limited physical skill he does have. He's not particularly strong, but he is resilient and will keep going until he can't anymore; even to his own detriment.

SUITABILITY: While Ensemble Stars!! is an idol series at it's core, it is not in any way the traditional sort. It has heavy elements both mental and physical as well as exposure to several different supernatural elements that play a part in the unusual atmosphere both within Yumenosaki Academy and later Ensemble Square. Themes of war, death, depression, abandonment, suicide, cannibalism, and cult culture are only a few of the heavy topics the series touches upon. And while Nazuna is not directly affected by them all, he is affected by quite a few and bears witness to a great many others through those he knows.

The idol industry is also cut-throat in its own right, even if you disregard the fact that this particular world increases and adds to those elements. Image and sex appeal aren't unusual topics for older idols to be aware of, nor are drugs. Nazuna's position in artistic and cute idol units means he hasn't had a great deal of exposure to them himself but he's still well-versed since the school he went to trains all kinds of idols.

Early Nazuna was near silent and barely socialized. He was discontent with his appearance and lacked ambition and direction. Through founding Valkyrie he got a taste of something powerful-- an idol career he was proud of and people he loved. But he became bound heavily by the weight of his fears and his leader's expectations and it consumed everything. But when Valkyrie was sabotaged at one of their lives, he was given a push to help another unit just starting out since Valkyrie was unable to perform with Shu in no state to continue. Through working with Ra*bits, Nito began taking the first steps to live as himself and work through his painful and messy past. Rather than casting it aside, he continues to struggle with it, unable to let go entirely. Because as bad as it was, those events saved him in their own right before they took a turn-- and both Shu and Mika will always be irreplaceable, important people to him.

Even now he's still learning to be "human" after allowing himself to be Shu's marionette for so long. He's still not good at communicating his feelings all the time and has a ways to go-- but he has a foundation that's strong and everything he needs to keep pushing himself forward. I am confident that whatever the game has to throw at him, however it effects him, he will be able to endure and fight through it as he has in the past. More than that he has admitted that he still carries that part of him that is capable of molding himself to other's wishes even if he is trying to leave it in the past. So he is not without his own additional defense mechanisms either.

FACTION SUITABILITY:

Shuten: If there is any image that Nazuna would like to be able to present it is that of the cool, strong older brother. While this does not match with his reality, as he is quite aware, some part of him would certainly want to fit in amongst those in the Shuten Clan. As the former leader of the idol unit Ra*bits, Nazuna tries his best to be the strong, supportive older brother to several younger members. Knowing how vicious the idol world is, he does his best to put his strength into protecting the younger kids under him.

That said, he is in no way as strong as he tries to act and his only real physical strength lies in endurance and resilience. Being able to assist the Shuten Clan with might would require leaning more into stealth and using the fact that he doesn't look like the type you would expect to belong to that Clan. To look at him most would be surprised that he can be surprisingly abrasive and aggressive when conflict arises, despite not being very strong.

He has strong principles about protecting others so he would be very protective of his Clan, even if it came to blows. But he's not cruel... he'd prefer if things didn't have to be resolved that way, but he wouldn't hesitate to step up to prevent risking others, even if it meant having to take a terrible beating himself. However, he would have a difficult time accepting that just anyone could take whatever power needed for themselves simply through force as it's something he's seen done before and suffered. He wouldn't want to turn around and do that to others either, pushing his own wishes and wants through sheer force.

Tamamo: The most fitting Clan based on Nazuna's reality would be the Tamamo faction. As an idol, putting forth an image and giving fans and experience is their core of their job and that's what he's always wanted and has striven to do. And Nazuna in particular has a deep history of putting forth an image of himself in order to please others to a very extreme level. Much of his "pride" has always been rooted in doing and saying and acting as he's told. Even now, there is a detachment of that value-- he isn't necessarily proud of his own skill levels as much as he is proud of what work and expectations others have placed upon them and works exceedingly hard not to let it go to waste since that would be a disservice to others.

Whether it's performing in some way or serving others, he wouldn't complain. In fact, he's quite skilled. He's not too proud to accept sex work as an option if it's asked of him and he knows fairly well how to cater to what people want. But he's equally fine being put in less desirable jobs, even if it's just washing dishes or waiting tables-- although he's less skilled at these kinds of tasks. Regardless he remains the type who will do what he needs to without complaint and to the best of his ability.

Nazuna believes that people should be free to find their happiness, whatever form that takes and he believes in supporting people to that end. Nazuna is also chasing the ideal of his true and most beautiful self, though he has yet to grasp how or exactly what that is yet. In choosing to cut his ties to Valkyrie he chose freedom and took steps towards finding and nurturing his own happiness.

Sutoku: Nazuna has a history of relaying information as part of the Broadcasting Committee, and he is capable of gathering and relaying information reliably when it is presented in a clear-cut way. However, in a capacity where you expect him to be able to interpret and communicate specific information, those communication skills of his are lacking. Moreover, as a result of the long period of time he spent not talking, there are times when he tries to communicate quickly and he stumbles and stutters over his words, making him incredibly difficult to understand. Staying hydrated and calm helps temper this, but it's a risk he runs in high-pressure situations or if he isn't careful and focused.

With theater being a part of their domain, however, that is one area where he has at least a bit of skill and could comfortably fit in. But like the other Clans, whether he has the skills or not, he'll do what is asked or expected of him without complaint and he would try his very best to learn and hone the skills necessary to do so well even with his speech problems.

He supports their personal views on power and can get behind the idea of putting power in the people's hands as a whole as opposed to allowing hierarchy to lay claim to it in different quantities. People should have the means to move forward on their own without being held back by greater powers... that kind of equality he can support.

Enma: Order without justice is certainly a concept that Nazuna has mixed feelings on. He watched the "order" of the student council at Yumenosaki Academy utterly crush people for no good reason during the war. He wouldn't want to openly support a system that could do just that to the people here as well. He is aware that order is necessary to a certain extent-- but he has seen just how easily such ideals can be twisted into systems that hurt rather than help others and has been the victim of such systems more than once.

Given a job he would try to do it to the best of his ability, however he would make for a poor enforcer of cruel or harsh rules and would be keen to offer lenience instead.

SAMPLES

Test Drive One
Test Drive Two