The cleared space becomes a makeshift stage. Stella rolls her shoulders, checks the room’s quiet, and lets the consultation door remain closed behind her. Yuki and Gideon’s muted voices continue beyond it.
Stella
No backing track. No dramatic introduction. Just listen for where the song wants to go.
Stella begins with a clipped vocal rhythm, tapping a pattern against her palm. The melody starts spare, then bends into sharp changes that make the waiting room feel suddenly attentive.
Eric Greyman
That is not polished. It is deliberate.
Keiji’s critical stare follows every turn. Eric leans farther forward, while Mu-shi’s knee rhythm quietly adjusts beneath his trucker hat. Brent watches Stella’s timing instead of her image.
Stella
The edge is not the volume. It is the moment nobody knows what comes next.
She cuts the rhythm without warning, holding the silence for one measured breath before landing the final phrase. From the consultation room, a chair shifts, but the door stays shut.
✓ Quest Accepted
Peacefully decline Stella’s request to join Sazabi
“I thank Stella for the trial and invite honest feedback without promising her a place.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +2)
Sazabi's Santana
Thank you for the trial, Stella. I want honest feedback from everyone, including you, but this is not a promise of a place in Sazabi.
The request settles over the makeshift stage without turning into a verdict. Stella lowers her hands, listening as the band considers the performance rather than rushing to claim it.
Stella
Fair. I do not want polite approval. Tell me where it lost you, where it pulled you in, and whether the risk sounded useful or merely strange.
Eric Greyman
The cuts pulled me in. I lost the shape during the middle, but I knew that was intentional. I would hear it again.
Brent nods at the timing, while Mu-shi taps the ending once against his knee. Keiji remains still, weighing the song with the same severity he brings to rehearsal.
Keiji Shinoda
It has a strong instinct and no dependable structure yet. That can be developed. It also might fail completely once other instruments enter.
Stella
That is honest enough. I can work with a warning better than a compliment. I will wait for the band to decide, and I will not treat this trial as an invitation.
Quest Complete
Peacefully decline Stella’s request to join Sazabi