After rehearsal, the band breaks apart into separate cars and errands. Brent waits by the exit with his bass case, while Keiji, Eric, Mu-shi, and Yuki disperse into the evening.
Brent Mercer
Chelsea, could you stop by my apartment before you go? My sister’s been asking what the band is really like.
Brent leads you upstairs to a modest apartment above a convenience store. His sister is already sprawled on the sofa, petite and relaxed, with dark hair, bright green eyes, and a phone balanced in one hand.
Kalista
So you’re the manager. Is the band always that tense, or did I just catch the exciting part?
Brent Mercer
It isn’t always like that. Today got bad, then it got better. We actually finished the run.
His sister studies him rather than the bass case. The apartment’s quiet makes the rehearsal’s progress easier to name, but also leaves room for every argument to sound larger than it was.
Kalista
Then what am I supposed to tell people? That you’re building something, or that your friends keep nearly breaking it?
“I explain how the band can build something together”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Sazabi's Cheetah
The band can build something together if each person brings a strength, listens when another needs a break, and treats mistakes as information instead of proof someone should leave.
You keep your explanation practical and calm. Brent’s sister lowers her phone, while Brent sets his bass case against the wall and listens without trying to defend the band.
Kalista
So the point isn’t pretending the tension isn’t there. It’s making sure the tension doesn’t decide who gets heard or who gets pushed out.
Brent Mercer
That sounds like what happened today. We stopped, said what we needed, and still finished the song.
Brent’s sister studies him, then gives a small nod. The band’s progress no longer sounds like a fragile excuse; it sounds like a process they can choose deliberately.
Kalista
Then tell people that. You’re building something together, and the rules are part of the building, not evidence that it’s already falling apart.
Brent Mercer
I will. And I think I can explain it without making it sound like I’m asking everyone to ignore the hard parts.
The apartment settles into an easier quiet. Brent reaches for his phone, already preparing to tell the others what the band is trying to become.
“I ask Brent’s sister to support him”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Sazabi's Cheetah
I’m asking you to support Brent. He’s trying to build something real, and your confidence in him could help him keep going when the hard parts get loud.
Brent’s sister sets her phone facedown and turns fully toward him. Brent stops beside his bass case, caught between embarrassment and the relief of hearing someone argue for him.
Kalista
My name’s Kalista, by the way. And yes, I support him. I’m not going to pretend the band is easy, but I’m not going to treat difficulty like proof he should quit.
Kalista
If he comes home discouraged, I’ll remind him why he started. If he needs honest advice, I’ll give it. But I’ll let him decide what his future is.
Brent’s shoulders loosen. He looks down at the bass case, then back to his sister, as though her support has become something solid enough to carry without hiding behind it.
Brent Mercer
Thanks, Kalista. I know I don’t always make it easy to tell whether I’m committed or just stubborn.
Kalista
You can be both. Just keep showing up, and I’ll keep believing you’re capable of choosing this for yourself.
“I help Brent leave before tensions flare”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
You catch Brent’s eye and gesture toward the bass case, giving the conversation a clean stopping point before reassurance turns into another family debate.
Brent Mercer
Right. I should get going. I’ve got a few things to sort out before tomorrow.
Brent lifts the bass case and checks his phone. The movement gives Kalista a graceful exit from the serious talk, and she reaches for her phone without resisting the shift.
Kalista
Go. I mean it, Brent. We can talk later, when neither of us is trying to prove anything.
Brent Mercer
Later, then. Thanks for saying all that. And thanks for helping me leave before I made it awkward.
Kalista gives him a two-finger salute from the sofa. Brent opens the apartment door, steps into the stairwell with his bass, and the room keeps its hard-won calm.
“I thank Kalista for supporting Brent”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Sazabi's Cheetah
Thank you for supporting Brent. It means a lot that you believe in him without pretending this is easy.
Kalista pauses with her phone halfway to the table. The sarcasm leaves her face, replaced by a direct, thoughtful look as Brent waits in the stairwell.
Kalista
You’re welcome. He deserves support that doesn’t come with a demand to become somebody else first.
Brent’s expression tightens briefly, then softens. He shifts the bass case higher on his shoulder, absorbing the exchange without trying to turn it into a joke.
Kalista
And for what it’s worth, I’m glad he has a manager who can say the hard part plainly and still leave room for him to choose.
Brent gives you a grateful nod from the doorway. Kalista lifts her phone again, but the apartment feels warmer now, the support settled rather than performed.
“I invite Kalista to share honest advice with Brent”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -1)
You invite Kalista to give Brent honest advice, making space for her voice without asking her to soften it. Brent remains in the stairwell, bass case balanced against his shoulder.
Kalista
All right. Brent, if this is what you want, stop waiting for everyone else to certify that it matters.
Brent looks back from the stairwell. Kalista sets her phone aside completely, her posture shifting from casual sisterly banter to the honest conversation you invited.
Kalista
You can listen to criticism without handing over the steering wheel. If Keiji is harsh, address it. If the work is hard, do the work. Just don’t confuse enduring everything with proving you belong.
Brent Mercer
That’s honest enough. I keep thinking I have to be useful every second or somebody will decide I’m the weak link.
Kalista
Then remember this: being part of the band means showing up, learning, and speaking when something is wrong. It doesn’t mean disappearing into the background so nobody can blame you.
Brent lowers his eyes, then nods with a steadier expression. Kalista reaches for her phone again, leaving the advice between them as something practical rather than sentimental.