"Aaand we're live!" Poppy Gloria smiled and waved at the camera.
Unlike its usual sandy-blonde color, Poppy Gloria's hair was a shocking bright pink. Also, instead of her plain newsreporter outfit, she wore a fluffy parka with a collage of colorful bubbles on it.
"Reporting live at Comiket to see what's poppin, it's your reliable news source, Poppy Gloria!" She waved her arm around, gesturing towards the crowded convention center and said, "As you can see, we've got a lively bunch here today! Despite the winter weather, enthusiasts from all over the world are here to celebrate their love for all things kawaii, moe, and isekai- I mean, Anime."
A groan echoed from behind the camera, followed by a low voice muttering, "Really?"
Poppy laughed and waved her hand. "It was just a joke. I'm sure we all know that Anime is more than just isekai. Although, the isekai craze has been going on for a while now. Season three of that shield hero anime and that jobless reincarnation have just started, haven't they?"
Silence.
Poppy cleared her throat and then took a closer look at the crowd. "Well in any case, it seems like a different craze has taken hold of the crowd today."
The camera panned away from Poppy to focus on the crowd. As it did, the camera also paused to focus on certain individuals.
Girls with long blue hair and blue eyes. Some wearing dragon horns and tails. Some with just horns. Others, just tails. And then there were the overachievers who had prosthetic wings attached.
Aoko Ryuusei cosplay.
The camera panned again and showed other cosplayers.
Mostly young girls, probably around high school age. It was a simple costume, mostly just a high school uniform but with an orange scarf and a yellow riboon tied in their hair. Hair that was either an orange wig, or dyed orange by the more dedicated people.
Hana Homura cosplay.
The camera panned yet again and focused on a few guys roaming around with white lab coats and slicked back hair.
John Titor cosplay.
Most of the members of Project MirAIs were represented in the crowd... But there was a surprising lack of Alfi cosplay.
The camera panned back to Poppy Gloria. She smiled and said, "Project MirAIs, the latest craze in both popular media and anime. VTubers, or Virtual UTubers, that are actually idols. A novel and unfamiliar idea... but as you can see, it's been a big hit." She slowly started backing up into the convention and said, "Why don't we ask some guests about their reactions to this situation?"
Poppy took a look around and then walked over to a misfit trio standing by the entrance. A trio that consisted of a young Japanese man cosplaying a garbage can, a young Asian woman cosplaying a dirty brown fox, and a man that looked like an Arab Prince cosplaying a golden orca.
"Excuse me! Could I ask you three for a few words?"
The young man in the garbage can... Straight Garbage turned around and laughed. Immediately after that, he struck a pose and said, "To protect the world from devast- OW!"
The young woman in the brown fox suit... Failure Fox pulled her fist back and said, "Dumbass! You're being streamed!"
"I know!"
"Do you want your sister to flay you later?"
"Grk..."
The Arab Prince in the golden orca suit... Golden Orca waved his hand and said, "Don't mind them. They're usually like this."
Poppy laughed and said, "Seems like you three get along pretty well. Have you been having fun at Comiket?"
"Eh." Straight Garbage adjusted his trash lid and said, "It could be better."
"Yeah." Failure Fox looked at Straight Garbage and said, "It could be better by you having more money to spend. You're not having fun because you're dirt poor you dumba- I mean, dummy."
Straight Garbage laughed and said, "Now who's the one who forgot they're being streamed?"
Failure Fox blushed and said, "S-Shut up! Anyway." She cleared her throat and turned towards Poppy. "It's been really fun!" She smiled and said, "I've been studying Japanese for a while and always dreamed of visiting, so I'm happy I got the chance to come here!"
Poppy blinked and said, "Studying Japanese? I'm surprised! Your Japanese is so good! But then, did that mean you came from overseas?"
Failure Fox laughed. "Thank you, but I'm not that good yet. And yep! I'm American! Most of the time I work by streaming and doing some cosplay, but I somehow met these goofs and ended up here."
Golden Orca placed his hand over his heart and said, "I take offense to being called a goof, Foxy."
Failure Fox gave him a blank look and said, "Orca. You're dressed in a stuffed whale costume. A gold leaf, gem-encrusted, over $10,000 golden orca costume."
"And your point is?"
"Why didn't you pick something more normal!?"
"Ah. Well, I was planning on wearing a shark suit instead. But since we were going to one of the biggest Anime conventions in the world, I didn't want to risk being attacked by people cosplaying as a stuffed green frog puppet or a green bug android."
Failure Fox blinked. "Why the heck would that happen?"
"Stranger things have happened to me before. Ah." Golden Orca turned back to Poppy and said, "Sorry. You were asking a question?"
"Oh no." Poppy waved her hands and smiled. "No need to apologize. I think the viewers at home are more than entertained. Right, Bob?"
A hand appeared on-screen and did a thumbsup.
"See? Though if you wanted to answer some more questions... What are you three looking forward to the most here? Doujins? Merch? Special limited time booth exhibitions?"
Golden Orca hummed. "Well, we're mostly here for Project MirAIs, so we've mostly been hovering around things related to that. But it's also our first times being in Comiket, so we're open to just looking around."
Failure Fox nodded. "Mmhm. I'm looking forward to Project MirAIs related stuff the most, but there are a lot of interesting things around here. I've been to a lot of Anime conventions back in the U.S., but Japan's is... really something else, huh?"
Poppy laughed and said, "It can be quite a bit of culture shock, yes."
Straight Garbage groaned and turned towards his friends. "Enough with the questions, guys! We're wasting time! Some places are only here today and the convention center is closing in a few hours! We have to go, go, go!"
Failure Fox huffed. "You're so impatient. Geez... Though it's true that there are a few doujin circles I wanted to check. I still haven't managed to look at Kiiro-chi's works yet."
"So let's go!" Straight Garbage grabbed Failure Fox's arm and started dragging her off.
"H-Hey! Dumbass! Stop dragging me!"
"You're being too slow! Lose some of that fat up there!"
"The fuck you say to me?!"
Golden Orca chuckled. "Well... I should go catch up to them. It'll be awkward if they run out of money." He smiled at Poppy and said, "This was fun. Take care." With that said, he started jogging along after the others, his golden orca suit bobbing up and down as he moved.
Poppy laughed and said, "And that's it from that misfit trio. A very lively group... Ah. But it seems like we've found some more people with energy over here! Hello, Sir! Would you say a few words?"
The camera panned to show a man running outside the convention center at full speed.
Perfectly chiseled muscles. A bare torso glistening with sweat even in the freezing winter weather.
When he saw Poppy waving, he immediately came to a stop and jogged over. With a warm smile on his face, he nodded and said, "Of course, Miss Gloria! Anything for a fellow supporter of Alfi-sama!"
The camera panned back to show the man standing in front of Poppy.
When it did, a low male voice muttered from behind the camera. "Damn. A buff otaku."
"Hey!" Poppy snapped a finger towards the camera and said, "Family friendly!"
"Sorry Boss."
"Anyway..." Poppy turned back to the man and said, "You said fellow supporter of Alfi-sama... I take it that you're here to check in on the Project MirAIs booth then?"
"Yes!" The man nodded and said, "As Alfi's Knight, I must do all I can to support Alfi-sama in her endeavors!"
"...Then do you mind me asking why you were running out there? And with your shirt off?" Poppy eyed Alfi's Knight and said, "Not that you have anything to be ashamed of. In fact..." She laughed and said, "I think you make most of the people here ashamed of themselves."
"No problem!" Alfi's Knight smiled and said, "Since arriving here and meeting fellow members who have pledged themselves to Alfi, we decided to bond together and work hard to fulfill Alfi-sama's wish!"
"Wish?"
"Yes!" Alfi's Knight raised his hand and clenched his fist. "Three tenants! Live strong! Live long! And live happy!" He turned around and shouted. "Right everyone?!"
"YOSH!"
A loud roar echoed in response to Alfi's Knight.
Poppy flinched. "What in the world?"
The camera panned back towards the entrance to show a crowd of fit people run back into the convention center. All of them in peak physical condition. But the moment they entered, they filtered in behind Alfi's Knight like a military troop.
The camera panned back to Poppy and Alfi's Knight.
She blinked and said, "These... are all fans of Alfi's?"
Alfi's Knight laughed. "Fans? No! We are no mere fans!" He placed his fist over his heart and said, "From now until the end of time, we will live for Alfi's sake! The best lives, the best health... We will live well so that Alfi-sama can be proud of us!"
"UWOOOOO!"
The crowd roared in agreement.
Poppy let out a nervous laugh. "W-Well. You all are... certainly dedicated."
Alfi's Knight nodded. "Of course." He looked up at the sky, his gaze growing distant. With a tender expression, he said, "Alfi-sama is someone so far beyond our reach that we can't hope to reach her. Even so, we will work hard so that she can be proud. And even if she has to disappear one day... we will be happy that we made her happy by living well."
Poppy blinked. "That's surprisingly sweet of you. But... isn't that a bit too one-sided?"
Alfi's Knight lowered his gaze and smiled. "True love is being satisfied with the other living well and being happy. And if all we need to do to make her smile is live well, then we'll do just that."
Poppy slowly nodded. "I... see. Then... finally, is there anything you want to say to the audience?"
"Oh! Yes!" Alfi's Knight turned to face the camera. At the same time, so did everyone behind him.
Poppy instinctively took a step back. And when she did, Alfi's Knight placed his hand over his heart in a salute.
"ALFI-SAMA! AISHITERU!"
"AISHITERU!!!"
"UWOOOO!" Alfi's Knight roared and then he spun around to run. "Everyone! Let's go! Ten more laps!"
"TEN MORE!"
Poppy watched Alfi's Knight and the other crowd of Alfi's dash off into the distance. "W-Well... another enthusiastic bunch." The camera panned back towards her.
Poppy laughed and said, "I can understand though. The girls in Project MirAIs work hard to bring a smile to everyone's face every day. But let's see what other people have to say. Sir! Do you mind sharing a few words?"