#but after a while he found out how to produce it in more convenient locations plus that goop was totally haunted so he abandoned it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dragonflight203 · 4 days

Text

Mass Effect 2 replay, exploring and Mordin’s loyalty mission:

Xe Cha

-Aphras – A garden world that was home to a sapient avian species in their bronze age. Massive impacts to their habitation centers killed them, vaporized the water, and lifted dust into the atmosphere.

The obvious conclusion is Reapers, but they supposedly only go after space faring species. Planet descriptions like this make me think they might kill species in earlier stages, to prolong the time until the next harvest as much as possible.

-Tosal Nym – A second garden world in the system. It was destroyed by similar strikes that created a dust shroud that killed the planet. Based on their patterns, it was not a natural disaster.

So the question is: Why?

The planet description makes no mention of a sapient species, making Reapers unlikely. However, perhaps their fossils and/or remains just haven’t been found.

Or in one cycle there was a species that destroyed garden worlds for shits and giggles and destroyed both Aphras and Tosal Nym. It’s possible.

-Zadar Ban – The location of the N7: Blood Pack Base mission.

Going by the mission, this is the third garden world in the system. It has waterfalls! Grass!

However, since two garden worlds in system is considered extremely rare, I suspect this was an oversight and it’s not supposed to be habitable.

-Not much of interest to this mission. It’s just a long corridor of shooting because Shepard apparently vents their frustration by killing Blood Pack.

Normandy

-Cerberus sent an email assuring Shepard that TIM had ordered the Subject Zero project shutdown before the riot, and that the surviving children were given amnesia and handed over to the Alliance. Surviving doctors were “forcibly retired”.

How convenient. And absolutely bullshit. Except killing the survivors doctors, that I believe.

There’s no evidence that TIM has any limit when it comes to experiments, except that they produce results. If he ordered the Subject Zero project shutdown, it’s because it wasn’t successful. Not because he had any moral qualms.

Aresh says he believed he was the only survivor. He woke up after everything was over; while I can believe he missed other survivors – he was a child and in no frame of mind to thoroughly check – it’s quite possible he’s the only one that made it out. And if other children did survive, it’s more likely that Cerberus repurposed them for another project than hand them over to the Alliance.

-Jack says she’s “not a girl’s club person”. She likes Shepard and that’s a good place to leave it.

-If you talk to her again, she says Shepard is just messing around and she doesn’t want to play.

Understandable behavior if frustrating. Jack doesn’t know what to do with sincerity or how to be someone’s friend. It’s easier to drive Shepard off than to grapple with it. She has enough to deal with working through her past.

Urla Rast

Talis Fia – The Citadel Council gave the volus colonization rights in return for favorable trade terms.

Once again: This is in the Terminus System. The Citadel Council supposedly has no power in them. How are they giving way colonization rights?

The Terminus Systems are one of the biggest headaches to work out in the series.

In ME1 the Citadel Council wants nothing to do with them; in ME2, the game goes back and forth over whether or not the Citadel Council has authority. The main plot generally says they do not, but the planet descriptions imply that they do.

Mordin’s Loyalty Mission

-Compared to most other loyalty missions in the game, Mordin’s is deep. There’s a lot to sift through in it.

-The Chief Scout doesn’t think the krogan can unite if offworlders interfere.

Fair. Ideally, unification will be driven from within. If it’s created artificially be external forces, then it will likely fall apart once the external forces that drove it vanish.

-He also says that the Weyrlock Clan started the Blood Pack.

However, the Codex says that the vorcha started the Blood Pack, then the krogan Ganar Wang took it over and made it the force it is in ME2.

Krogans normally have their clan name as their first name, so I doubt Ganar is part of the Weyrlock Clan.

So, which history is true?

-The mako would have been handy on Tuchanka, I’m just saying.

-The lead up to the Weyrlock base provides one of the best excuses for the conveniently placed cover: Given the krogan clans are perpetually at war, they probably placed the cover there themselves at some point or another.

-Miranda says the only krogan buildings more durable than hospitals are bomb shelters, and most of those were destroyed in civil wars.

If the krogans ever stop fighting, they’d probably do great in engineering and construction.

-And another patented ME2: Humans are Special moment.

Humans are useful as test subjects because they’re more genetically diverse. Ergo, they have larger reactions to stimuli.

This diversity also makes it more difficult to predict the nature of a given human. Humans have a wider expression of intelligence, biotic ability, etc. than other species.

Was any of this necessary?

It’s not actually plot relevant to ME2 or ME3, so it just feels like propaganda for humans. Which is strange, because all players are (presumably) human.

-Mordin assumes that it must have been the krogans that experimented on the human research subject you find. He never even considers that it could have been Maleon.

-The renegade dialogue when you speak to the Weyrloc Clanspeaker is very good.

-If you go paragon, it shows the complexity of the genophage.

The Clanspeaker is clearly upset when describes “the piles of children that never lived”. It’s quite a poetic line, and is designed to garner sympathy for the speaker..

Then he immediately goes on to describe the revenge they’ll take on the turians, asari, saleons, etc. That pretty much kills all the sympathy.

This is the dilemma of the genophage – it’s cruel and unethical, but the dangers of curing it are also undeniable. It’s hard to sustain a desire to cure the krogan when they’re plotting out how they’ll destroy your people afterward.

This is what makes Wrex and Bakara so critical – they desire to move past the genophage and build a new future for the krogan that doesn’t include conquering the galaxy.

-In the lab, Mordin is emphatic that he’s never used medicine to kill.

If he needs to kill, he has plenty of other means to do so.

This is Moridn��s dilemma – he struggles to reconcile the parts of him that are a killer and a healer. He justifies the killing as necessary to protect, but it still troubles him.

-Mordin considers the rachni extinction a tragedy. Diversity is important.

Not surprising – Mordin places a high value of life. When possible he’ll preserve it.

-It’s clear that what he enjoyed about his work on the genophage was the challenge of modifying it.

Seeing the fall out of his work hurts him to his soul.

Mordin’s head tells him that the genophage is essential, but his heart hates what it does to the krogan.

-The krogans were offered a truce during the korgan rebellions. They refused it.

-If you go paragon, Shepard says that the upgraded virus kept the krogans in barbarism.

I disagree with that: The krogan stayed in barbarism because they chose to. They could have gotten their act together and worked on way to revitalize their people – Wrex even tried to!

The genophage didn’t help matters, but the krogans are responsible for their own choices.

-Mordin has distinct overtones of white man’s burden: He says that the genophage is not a punishment – it’s just a correction for the krogans’ removal from a hostile environment.

The salarians uplifted them, so it’s their responsibility to “correct” the harm caused by that.

-Paragon Shepard is frustrating through this mission. They’re very self-righteous and insistently naive; they think that curing the genophage would fix everything with the krogan.

And it would not! There are many krogan like the Weyrloc Clan and Wreave that want to fight for the sake of fighting. They’ll swarm over the galaxy if the genophage is cured. They are why it was invented.

But the genophage is cruel. And it creates more cruelty as krogans lose hope for their future or desperately try to cure it.

Just, I wish there were a way to acknowledge that the genophage is complex when speaking to Mordin rather than treating it as a binary good/evil.

-Mordin says that the simulations showed that if the genophage was cured, the krogans would go to war and the turians and humans would eliminate them completely.

The modified genophage was meant to save the krogans as much as anyone else.

At least to Mordin. I suspect many other salarians have different opinions.

-Miranda, about the scout leaving: Hopefully his story of curing the genophage will be passed off as a hallucination.

Of course she’d be thinking of that.

-Mordin’s as pissed at how Maleon is developing a cure for the genophage as the fact that he is. Maleon is violating all ethics Mordin taught him about science.

-Maleon, for his part, figures that he’s so drenched in blood that a bit more doesn’t matter.

Clearly salarians don’t have the saying “The first rule to digging a hole is to stop digging”.

Even if Maleon’s hands will never be clean, he doesn’t have to spill more blood on the floor.

-Maleon does raise the valid point that the decision to modify the genophage was justified based on simulations, but simulations can’t account for everything.

For example, the Reapers.

However, I’d argue that you have to work with what you have. You’ll never know everything, so if you wait until you do you’ll never do anything. You just do the best you can and accept the consequences.

That is what makes ethics so critical – you draw lines and say This, I will not do. No matter how bad it gets, this is unacceptable.

So when you do have to act with imperfect information, at least what you do is less likely to be unforgivable.

That’s the step the STG skipped.

-That Mordin even considers saving the data shows how much the modified genophage upsets him. No matter what he says, he feels guilty.

Normandy

-Mordin’s proud of Maleon’s backbone, even as he’s furious about his behavior.

-Mordin claims salarians resolve their emotions quickly. Maybe not healthily, but they decide how to handle them for better or for worse.

Is that true, or just Mordin diverting Shepard? What other salarian is he going to check with?

-For someone so talkative, Mordin is very evasive about discussing Tuchanka. He does not want to go there.

#mass effect #mass effect 2 #mass effect 2 replay

4 notes · View notes

amirmalin · 6 months

Text

The Power of Gut Instinct: How Amir Malin’s Intuition Shaped the Entertainment Industry

Did you ever get a feeling that every shred of logic told you was wrong, but you knew in your gut was right? It’s not always financial wizardry or technical perfections that push an industry forward. Often, discovering a new path to success means relying on instinct — even when it flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

One of the most legendary examples of gut feelings prevailing over industry thinking came in the mid-1990s, just as the digital revolution had begun. Bain Capital was finalizing its planned buyout of Live Entertainment. Before the asset management group finished the purchase, its staff called in industry executive Amir Malin for an insider’s perspective.

Amir Malin’s Hunch

Amir Malin was no stranger to small studios. He had built a respected name for himself after co-founding Cinecom Films, one of the most important independent film producers of the time, and serving as President and leading strategist at October Films, an independent film distribution company.

Bain trusted that his thorough knowledge of the industry would help the firm accurately plot a profitable way forward. After all, Malin trained as a lawyer. He seemed like the kind of pragmatic thinker who could ensure that Bain had a thorough understanding of the business and hadn’t negligently overlooked any potential pitfalls.

So, when he gave Bain feedback that relied on a personal hunch rather than a completely practical analysis, it was all the more intriguing.

Looking over Bain’s proposed business plan for Live Entertainment, Malin immediately saw that something was amiss. The plan projected the company would net about $1 million by selling movies on a new but unproven platform for home viewing.

Malin took issue with that estimate. He believed the profits would be much, much higher.

But what sounds like common sense in 2023 — that the DVD would overtake the LaserDisc as the dominant form of at-home movie delivery — seemed almost crazy in 1997. At the time, LaserDiscs offered higher-quality pictures while VHS cassettes allowed consumers the option to record. DVDs seemed like they provided the worst of both worlds.

Malin, however, saw things differently.

Bucking industry thinking, Malin believed that the DVD could replace both. He knew that DVDs were portable and easy to store, offering consumers a more convenient way to keep their favorite movies on hand. And they resembled CDs, which had recently eclipsed audio cassettes and vinyl records, both of which already felt like relics of a bygone era.

Malin was direct with Bain. He told them he had a gut feeling that DVDs would become the next big thing. They believed him — and everyone knows how that story ended.

A Long Line of Out-of-the-Box Thinkers

Of course, Amir Malin wasn’t the first thought leader to buck the status quo. Back when horse-drawn carriages put blacksmiths out of business, Henry Ford experienced a lull in demand for the contraptions and started losing employees. Making a move that other industrialists likely considered insane, Ford doubled workers’ wages. Productivity soared, but more than that, staffers could finally afford to buy their own vehicles — and they did.

According to a survey of global CEOs by multinational professional services network KPMG, just 35% of executives have a high confidence in their organization’s data. More than half said they ignored data analysis or computer models in the past three years because it contradicted their intuition.

“You should collect as many data points as you can,” advised Brad Fisher, KPMG’s U.S. leader of data and analytics. “But don’t throw out your intuition.”

Chipotle founder Steve Ells was fed data that pointed to opening new shops in busy locations, adding drive-thrus or a breakfast menu, or amping up the advertising budget. But something told him the tide was turning in the healthier, fresher food sector and pivoted in that direction. The rest, as they say, is history.

If you fly the friendly skies with any frequency, give a tip of the cap to Bill Allen, Boeing’s CEO back in the ’50s. The company was doing just fine working for the defense industry. But Allen sensed a change in the air. He talked Boeing’s board into investing $16 million in a transcontinental aircraft, the Boeing 707, designed to transport civilian travelers — and revolutionizing the travel industry. So the next time the airline loses your luggage, you know who to blame.

Bold leaders make bold decisions, and when they have their fingers on the pulse, like Amir Malin, Henry Ford, and Steve Ells, that can pump up the bottom line beyond a data analyst’s wildest dreams. Perhaps the old cliche needs to be reworked: Instead of going for the gusto, go for the guts.

#amirmalin

0 notes

norasalina · 2 years

Text

Assassins Creed/Marvel Crossover

So I’m just thinking Desmond is standing there, hand on the Eye, burning from the inside out, and then the energy just kind of... snags on something in his brain. And then there’s just like, this collective,

Oh.

And then like very ancestor of his that had Isu blood and touched a Piece of Eden just like, gets data-dumped into his mind, kinda like Altair and Ezio and Connor, but... like, more of them.

And cause I liked this idea so much I went and like, hunted through each of the assassins family lines and managed to put a family tree together that gets... most of them on there, as being Desmonds ancestors, cause it just worked out nicely and I wanted it, so. Yeah.

Spent a whole evening after work on just that, working out dates and locations to see what works out. And since it’s cannon which side of the family some of the characters came from, I just put them in and filled the blanks with Assassins that fit the time frame/ethnicity. Turned out... really well timed and convenient, actually, so I’ll be posting that family tree too at some point cause I’m proud of it.

Anyway. Another weird thing, doing research for this idea led me to discover that a lot of Assassins that had contact with the Pieces of Eden were like, 25/26. Or a bit younger. Which I thought was kinda interesting but also worked out great for my idea cause it boils down to:

When someone with Isu DNA has contact with any Piece of Eden, it like, copies/downloads them from the moment they are first touched. Kinda like how Minerva and them are all super old, but look the same each time. So yeah, they like get an avatar made for them in the Isu database thing, but cause Desmonds been getting his head messed with so much the last few months, he get each Assassin that was ‘downloaded’ but with all their memories, not just the ones up til they touched the Piece or had a kid.

So basically there are a bunch of fully fledged-out people in their early-to-mid twenties ‘bodies’ crowding his brain, getting his memories too, and then the Eye- which had been there so long it became semi-sentient- just kinda goes Oops and tried to shove them back out of Desmonds head, cause it needs that space to do its job, but all the energy it’s producing and the glitching from the Flare and Desmonds Brain and 70,000 year old systems all just kinda... spaz out, so that instead of shoving the consciousnesses into, like, a server, they get shoved into the real world, the massive amounts of energy being sucked up causing Science Magic to happen and then there’s another glitch at the same time and the ‘get them out’ command just kinda goes into ‘Well, Okay Then’ mode, and Out becomes Out If This Dimension, cause you can’t tell me the Isu can calculate the future that exactly and not have found alternate universes after the Flare while trying to find a way to stop the next one.

So yeah, Desmond wakes up in the Temple, arm like, smoking and with glowing lines but not damaged, and looks around to find... uh, Many Assassins, oh no, why are they here, am I dead? Let me be dead, I don’t have to deal with this if I’m dead. But he’s not, and there’s a lot of Historic Figures stumbling to their feet, but they got his memories too so at least trying to explain all this isn’t necessary and them knowing how the Modern World works without needing a PowerPoint presentation is definitely a plus but still what is he supposed to do with them?

Nothing, Desmond thinks, nothing at all, I can just tell the others and let them handle it while I go and pass out until the next apocalypse. Only no one is there, and the Temple looks a lot more... busted up than before, and having several professional free climbers to poke around confirm that yeah, I don’t think this is the same place, or if it is a lot of time has passed since we got here. So Desmond gets them all to Stay Put, Please! and goes out to find the nearest town, discovers that the date is December 13th, 2012, and Iron Man helped save a hospital from being crushed by a giant tarantula. Which... okay. Yeah, that might be a Problem.

So they find out that they’re in a different dimension, with no records or supplies, and research shows that the Assassins and Templars never existed outside of the Crusades. But a bunch of other groups have sprung up to try their hand at World Domination in their place. So what’s a bunch of histories best Assassins to do? Well, rebuild and fight back, of course! And who better to lead them than the man who knows the most of their strange new world?

And that is how Desmond Miles eventually found himself having to stop his family members from killing Hawkeye.

#assassin's creed #desmond miles #fanfic #Brain puff #crossover #marvel #the avengers #ancestors

40 notes · View notes

xxwritemeastoryxx · 3 years

Text

A life With You Chapter 1

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Mason Lockwood x Reader, Eventual Elijah Mikaelson x Reader

Requested: Can I have an Elijah x Pregnant!Reader? Not his baby, but he loves her and is willing to be the legal father of the baby 🥺 I need fluff in my life lmao ✨👌 -Anon

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: Nothing in this one. Just setting up the story for us.

Author’s Note: Oh look! A new series! Welcome to the first chapter of A life with you. I had an idea for a hallmarkish story and this is what came of a request that I had gotten. I do hope you guys enjoy it. While this will be an Elijah x reader endgame it will be a while before we catch a glimpse of Elijah. So bare with me okay? 🙈

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. ♥

<< Series Masterlist || Chapter 2 >>

“This isn’t some walk in the park!” Damon yelled at Y/N as he took a step closer to her. “This isn’t just some chance to prove that you can handle things! We’re talking about your life.”

“You don’t get to make this decision for me.” Y/N said as she shook her head. Her hand on her bag filled with her gear. She was set out to leave in just minutes. “We both knew what would happen when we signed up for this.”

Y/N moved to walk past Damon. The moment she did, Damon grabbed a hold of her arm, causing her to turn back to him. “We may have signed up for this, but I didn’t sign up to watch you agree to a suicide mission.”

A sad smile pulled at her lips as she brought her hand up to Damon’s face and placed it on his cheek. As she looked up at him, she didn’t say anything at first. She couldn’t get her thoughts out as she wanted to. “I’ll always come home to you. That isn’t going to change with this mission.”

Damon’s hand came up to place his hand on top of hers as he watched her. He opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it quickly before shaking his head and laughing a moment later.

“Cut!” The director called out.

Y/N chuckled as she watched Damon take a step away from her. “It’s it really that hard to tell me you love me?” She joked.

“It’s kind of hard when you’re making faces where the camera can’t see you.” He chuckled causing Y/N to laugh.

“That’s definitely payback for yesterday’s go of things.” She said with a nod and it was Damon’s turn to laugh.

“You lasted longer than I thought you would.” He said with a shake of his head.

"I may be new to the field, but it definitely takes a lot to break me.” She said with a smirk.

“Alright, let's get our Scarlet and Jason back into their places and take it from the top.” The director called out before Y/N and Damon found themselves back on their marks at the beginning of the scene.

After four more takes, the scene had come out flawlessly. Damon and Y/N had managed to go through the scene without any jokes or pranks in the process. The heartbreaking goodbye between Scarlett and Jason perfected before getting a break.

"What do you plan on doing tomorrow?" Damon asked as he and Y/N began to walk off the set.

"I'm not sure. Knowing Mason he might have something planned.” Y/N didn’t miss the way that Damon’s face dropped.

“Well, if the two of you aren’t doing anything, Elena and I are having a barbeque at the rental since she’s coming out here for a visit.” Damon offered.

It definitely wasn’t a secret that Damon didn’t like Mason. There were a few times where the cast and their loved ones got together on their days off. But no matter how many times Damon interacted with Mason, there was always something that gave him a bad vibe.

Damon had grown to care for Y/N as a close friend. With the vibe that he constantly felt coming off of Mason, he was never sure if he should cross those boundaries with her. They were co-stars who were becoming friends. He’d hate to overstep his boundaries by telling Y/N the man she was with wasn’t liked by not just him but a few of the others on set as well.

“I’ll be sure to let him know.” Y/N said with a nod of her head. “How long is she staying for this time?”

“Just for a few days.” As they passed a table with an assortment of food, he reached over and grabbed a doughnut and continued to walk. “The kids are coming since it’s spring break, they can’t stay longer.”

A smile pulled at Y/N’s lips at the mention of Damon’s kids before she chuckled at the way he eyed the doughnut before shoving half of it into his mouth. “I’m sure they are going to love coming out. I can’t wait to see them again.”

“Oh they’ll definitely love that.” He said a moment later. “They just can’t get enough of their favorite new actress.”

Y/N chuckled. “It was the princess role, wasn’t it?”

“Wait, you were a princess?” His words had caused Y/N to smack his arm, causing him to chuckle.

Y/N only had a few titles under her belt. But with the growing success of the movies she’s starred in, the more roles she was being offered. Including one being a Princess that Damon’s kids had watched and loved. That was how he knew Y/N when she introduced herself to him.

“Y/N!” Hearing her name had caused them both to turn and look in the direction of where they heard it.

Seeing as someone was waving her from the hair and makeup trailer, Y/N knew it was time for her to become bloodied and bruised for the next several scenes that she needed to shoot. It made Y/N sigh before she looked over at Damon.

“Back to the chair I go.” She said before she turned to leave.

“Enjoy the prosthetics.” He said with a smirk pulling at his lips. “I just need a touch up.”

“Remember who the hero is in this one, Salvatore.” She called over her shoulder, causing Damon to shake his head quickly.

“I’ll see you for the next scene together, Y/L/N.” He said before walking away.

The sound of the door shutting had caught Mason’s attention. The moment Y/N walked through the doors, there was as if there was this relief that had washed over her. She kicked off her shoes before she walked further into the house, finding Mason lounging on the couch.

Unlike Damon, who had a house he was renting for the time being, Y/N lived close enough to the studio that she wasn't confined to a rental or even her trailer. The last several scenes that were being filmed were no longer on location, giving her the opportunity to unwind in her own home.

"I've got a spot with your name on it that gives a full foot massage." Mason called over his shoulder as his eyes trained on the screen before him.

It caused Y/N to laugh, but she practically ran to the couch and plopped herself on to it. She placed her feet onto Mason's lap as a smile grew on her lips. "Massage away."

"How was your day?" He asked as he brought his hands to her foot and began applying pressure to the bottom of it.

"A lot of retakes." She said as she rested her head on the back of the couch as she watched him. “A lot of stunt work that I tried to be a part of, but didn’t work out.” They both chuckled at the same time. “Thankfully tomorrow we get a day off and I can rest. Speaking of which, Damon invited us over for a barbeque. Elena and the kids will be in town.”

Mason’s eyebrow raised. “You would think the man would want to spend time with his family instead of having people over.”

“He loves showing his kids who he is working with.” Y/N said with a small smile pulling at her lips. “I happen to be their favorite person right now. Plus it would be nice to hang out with everyone without being on set and in make up.”

“I don’t know.” He said with a shake of his head. “I’d like to spend the one day you get off with you. Preferably doing something here or going hiking or something.”

Y/N sighed. “You of all people should know why I need to go to simple barbecues such as this one.”

It sometimes confused her why Mason had been so stubborn about it. She and Mason had been together since she was in college. For as many parties and get togethers she dragged him to, he should have been understanding. This was how she met the friends of friends. Friends who were producers and directors. Ones that were willing to take chances and she was all for being that chance.

“But when it’s the same people you see at work every day?” He asked. “That’s not gaining you anything.”

“Maybe all I need are friends.” She said as she sat up and pulled her feet off of his lap. “Friends are needed too. We both need them. We moved away from all of ours and I know that hasn’t been easy for both of us.”

Mason stood up from his spot and ran his hand through his hair. “Making friends out here is only a convenience once they find out who I’m dating. It’s quite fascinating how many people want to be friends with your boyfriend.”

Y/N looked down. “We talked about this once.” She said after a moment. “I asked you if you’d be able to handle this. I asked several times if you believed you could handle how things are going to change. And each time you said you could. So I’ll ask you once more. Can you handle that our lives are going to change because of the work I will be doing?”

Mason kept his eyes on her as he thought it over for a moment. “I don’t know.”

Y/N nodded her head. She didn’t think that there would ever be a time where Mason had wanted an out. For as long as they had been together, Mason had been there by her side. He helped her run lines for auditions and was there for her through filming, press tours and even premieres.

Through all of those times, she hadn’t felt like he had changed in any way. That he was still going to be by her side and now, there was that part of her that was now worried. Worried that maybe she had been blind to the changes while she was enjoying the time she had while working on different projects.

“Okay.” She said after a moment. “Think it over. Take the time you need to figure out if this is what you really want.” She tried to keep the tears that wanted to form at bay, but it had been hard to do so. “Tomorrow I’ll go to Damon’s for a little bit and then I’ll be home.”

Before Mason could say anything, she began to leave the room. She knew that he was going to need his space. This was something he needed to do on his own and she couldn’t influence his decision. She didn’t want to be the reason that he wasn’t happy there with her. She didn’t want them to begin to hate each other before they broke up.

_____

“What’s your poison?” Damon asked as Y/N as he opened the ice chest filled with a variety of drinks.

She chuckled and reached for the bottle of water that was in there. That had caused Damon to raise his brow while he watched her take it. Seeing his reaction she shrugged. “I have an earlier call time than you do tomorrow. I’d like not to be hungover while sitting in a makeup chair for three hours.”

“Don’t let him fool you.” Elena said as she walked over and grabbed a few of the juices for the kids. “He’s got an early call time too, he'll be bitching in the morning when he has to be hanging from wires and hungover.”

“Have I ever mentioned how much I love that you give me ammunition against your husband?” Y/N said with a grin on her face.

“A time or two.” Elena said with a grin. “Is Mason stopping by later?”

Y/N tried to keep her face from falling. After Y/N left the living room last night, Mason stayed there the whole night. And when Y/N got up this morning, he had been gone. She had no doubt that he was getting a run in or just trying to find somewhere to think about things like Y/N wanted him to.

“He had a few things he needed to take care of.” It wasn’t a lie, since Mason did have things he needed to be doing at that moment. “If he manages to get things done before we call it a night, I’m sure he’ll come.”

“Good.” Damon said with a nod. “Then I can get ammunition from him to use against you.” A smirk pulled at his lips before bringing a bottle of beer to his lips and taking a drink.

Y/N rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I highly doubt that. He’s on my side, remember?”

“Ouch.” Damon said looking between her and Elena. “You’ve turned my wife against me and I can’t even get the same opportunity with your boyfriend.” He placed his hand on his chest, feigning hurt.

Y/N could easily see through it, as did Elena. They both knew that Damon was definitely playing nice. He wasn’t going to overstep without actually needing to. While Elena could play it off as girl talk, Damon was hoping that Mason was a no show tonight.

Laughter had come from the adults as they sat around eating their dinner. Several cast and crew had shown up for the evening. Damon and Elena ensuring their guests were completely comfortable. There wasn't a single moment of awkwardness for Y/N and she loved that.

"You missed it, Elena." Lexi said starting up the next conversation. "The prank Y/N had pulled on set was the best I've seen done."

"Please tell me it was on Damon." Elena asked, looking from Lexi to Y/N.

Y/N chuckled and nodded. "Oh it was."

"Now I have to hear this." Elena said as she got herself ready to hear the story.

Lexi began to talk about how Y/N had managed to switch out Damon's designated clothes with another person. Most of them were already used and bloody. It was never something that made Y/N queasy in the slightest. But the way Lexi had been explaining things had made Y/N’s stomach turn. In a way that she could no longer sit there and hope that the feeling would go away.

With a quick ‘excuse me’, Y/N took off towards the house. Her pace was hopefully slow enough that it wouldn’t draw questions, but quick enough that she was sure that she’d make it in time. Her only thought was that was getting to the restroom that was on the first floor of the house.

Even as she entered through the back sliding glass doors, she didn’t notice the men that were in the kitchen chatting away. Their voices blurred out as she passed them. Her mind didn’t even register that Damon had called out to her, asking if she was okay.

She barely had time to shut the door behind her before she made it to the toilet. The contents of her stomach coming up instantly. It hadn’t been the first time today that she had to stop what she was doing and make a run from the restroom. Today wasn’t even the first day either.

As her stomach continued to heave to remove the contents of it, her thoughts had played out the last few days. From the moment that she had taken the test, things had changed rather quickly. While she was in her last week of filming it was how the rest of her life had changed.

She was going to tell Mason last night. She was going to show him the test before they had gone to bed. But then they had their argument and her plans changed. Her mind was racing with how things should be done now. Especially now since she was currently at a barbeque with everyone she works with and the father of her child wasn’t there.

Once her stomach had emptied and there was nothing left to give, she flushed the toilet before making her way over to the sink to not only rinse out her mouth, but to wet her face. She was hoping that she’d be able to calm herself before she left the bathroom. So that she could hopefully play it off as something else. At least for now.

After a few moments of taking some time to get herself in order, she opened the door to head back to everyone else. As she did, she found Damon leaning against the hall besides the entryway of the door. At first there was a look of worry on his face. That was before realization in him hit as he took in her appearance.

His eyes moved from her to down the hallway for a moment, before looking back at her. “I’d ask a stupid question, but I think I know the answer.”

Y/N swallowed the lump in her throat that seemed to form at his words. “And what is the answer?”

Damon gave a small chuckle. “Elena has been pregnant twice. The water all day while I know for a fact, you can hold yourself when it comes to taking alcohol and an early call time. First clue there. Then it made sense as to what happened during our first take yesterday.”

He wasn’t wrong. During the first take of the day, Y/N needed to make a run for the bathroom. She had pulled it off as something not sitting right with her. It seemed to work with everyone, but it was now enough for Damon to start putting the pieces together.

All Y/N could do was nod in that moment. Words couldn’t form as she tried to pull herself together that the thoughts she had moments before had gone out the window. But there was a part of her that felt relief that someone else knew.

“Mason doesn’t know yet.” She said a moment later. “I was going to tell him last night, but we got into an argument and it just didn’t feel like the right time to tell him.”

“Well, he definitely knows now.” Mason’s voice carried from down the hall.

All WorksTag (The tag to be notified for everything I write):

@xoxo-nikki-xoxo @mrs-jackson-kenner

Always and Forever Tags (All things TVDU):

@taylordrunkonwhiskey @thewolf-and-thesheep @wayward-dan @neeadinghugs @fafulous @kenmen02 @elizamonet @dora-the-grownup @mschellehitt @xanderling @fandom-princess-forevermore @buckysarm4 @hi-my-name-is-riley @helenasingers @hellotvshowtrash @dpaccione @dumble-daddy @theactressstaringinyourbaddream @maldita-world @nikmikaelsonswife @elijahs-wife @moon-child-writer @swearingsolemnly @hey-there-angels @akshi8278 @imgoingtofreakoutnow @r13mar

A Life With You:

@remembered-license

Stag Tag: (All Things Elijah Mikaelson)

@elejah-wonderland @xxsovereignsarayaxx @asiaaisa77 @astudyoftimeywimeystuff @marvel-at-stucky @silvermercy @cassiopeia-black-brenda

Bold Tags mean for one reason or another I cannot tag you in this. If you would like to be added to, or taken off, the tags, please do so here!

The Originals Tag: (All Things The Originals)

@zillahvathek @obsessedwithvampires @akshi8278 @malfoys-demigod

130 notes · View notes

mylittlegemlins · 3 years

Text

Hello tumblr, during my childhood I was really obsessed with smurfs and since I found out that they released a reboot, which unfortunately I haven´t yet been able to see, I think I had some inspiration and ended up writing this.

I don't usually post this kind of blog about series unless I'm too immersed in it because I feel like it's too childish but to hell, blogging about-analyzing series for kids is my entertainment method and if I can't post about my likes on Tumblr I don't know why have an account.

So I present:

How to catch the Smurfs

This is the definitive tutorial on everything Gargamel ever did to catch the little blue critters.

It is based mainly on the animated series from the 80s and the 3 films that were produced between 2011-2017, I watched several episodes again to write this, but I still hope I don't forget some important information.

Following these steps:

1. Why catch the Smurfs?

During the comics, the series and the recent movies there were many reasons why Gargamel and other humans wanted to capture the Smurfs that change over time, among its main uses we have:

- They are ingredients for exotic dishes.

-Turn them into gold

- Ingredient for the Philosopher's Stone

- Use its essence to obtain magic

- Their tears serve as an ingredient for spells

-Their skin serves as a treatment to cure diseases

2. Points to consider:

This is a set of rules that fall between the lines when using a Smurf for any of the recipes mentioned above.

2.1 How many are needed:

In some episodes Gargamel was about to cook a single Smurf, so 1 is enough to eat them.

To turn them into gold you need at least half a kilo, about 6 smurfs.

2.2. They don't need to be alive

I didn't remenber any place where it said that Smurfs must be alive to use them in recipes.

2.3. Smurfette doesn't always count

She has to be a real smurf or else it won't work, during her first appearance before the papa smurf spell and the episode "smurfette unmade" where she reverts to her original form she is not a real smurf, so it wouldn't work unless that is in its blonde form.

2.4. Fake Smurfs:

The reason Gargamel can't just create another Smurf and use it in his recipes is because his creations are blue clay with a conscience, to turn them into real Smurfs you need the “true blue”spell

2.5. Artificial Smurfs:

Smurfette, Sassete, Kactus, Vicky and any other Smurf they come up with in the future, count as real Smurfs only after their transformation.

To clarify the points, these are the steps:

3.Locate them

The Smurfs are in a village protected by a magical force that makes it invisible or unreachable, it is only possible to find the village if a Smurf guides you to it, even after finding the exact location it will have disappeared if you try to return, so the best It is marks the surroundings of the village and look for them in the places that the Smurfs frequent.

It is possible to capture them when they leave the village, force them to guide you, enter the village using teleportation spells or hoaxes.

4.Traps

Catching smurfs is relatively easy, you can chase them with butterfly nets, catch them with your bare hands, using a cat or any other hunting animal, now that I think about it a hound would be very useful to track their scent.

Using some classic traps to hunt animals also works with Smurfs, traps with cages or hidden holes in the ground, or camouflage in a bush until a Smurf is close enough to catch it, you can't use traps like an obvious cage with food in it, they are too smart to fall for that.

It is more effective if they are placed in strategic places such as a field of smurfberries which is outside the village.

Small female creatures are also used as decoys, such as female smurfs, little mermaids and lymph to make a smurf fall in love and thus leave the village to a point where they can be captured.

5.Which Smurfs to capture

Personally I think there are Smurfs that are easier to catch, although Gargamel could not have a list of all with so many times that they have passed by his house, he should already recognize one or another Smurf and I remember that there is a episode where he knows some of his names.

The main cast, Smurfette, Hefty, Brainy, Clumsy, Greedy, Grouchy, Jokey and Handy as far as i can remember, they´re the ones that have been captured the most times and also the ones that have escaped the most, since they're easy to capture, it would be convenient to take advantage of this, but since they know how to get out, they should change the cages with them, put the cages in another place, move the objects that previously used to get out, and above all not to fall the same tricks again.

Papa smurf has been captured many times, he is the one who most leaves the village and if in one of his trips they capture him, maybe the others would not notice his absence, it is something difficult because he already knows how to escape and he can use spells against you, but if you manage to kill him the others would be lost without their leader, and with the disaster they would be easier to capture.

Lazy smurf takes naps during his work outside the village so it's a good chance to catch him, hopefully he might still be asleep while preparing the recipe and he won't try to escape.

According to his debut episode sickly smurf was never able to escape from Gargamel and Azrael; it is so easy that he catches him with his bare hands in 20 seconds.

Baby Smurf is more vulnerable for obvious reasons, the negative side is that there is always a Smurf looking after him, but if they manage to separate the baby it would be easy to cook , considering the life expectancy of the Smurfs is more than 500 years, it may remain a baby for the next 10 years so there is time to execute your plan.

Nat, Snapy, Sassete and Slouchy, the 4 children Smurfs that appear in season 5 are in almost the same circumstances as Baby Smurf.

In Wild Smurf's first appearance he kicked Gargamel in the face and easily made Azrael afraid of him so it might not be a good idea to mess with him.

I guess Smurfs like scaredy would never leave the village unless they forced it so the only times he gets caught is when they capture all 100 together.

6.Don't let them escape

In many occasions the Smurfs escape when they have already been captured by Gargamel, either from his hands, cages and in their closest attempts they escape from the pot.

These are the points to keep in mind:

6.1 Capture only one

If you capture a single Smurf than two or more as it will take a while for them to realize that one is missing and they will not come to their rescue, the more they are, the more likely they will find a plan to escape, so keep them in mind. separate cages.

6.2 The others will come

Once Gargamel has one or more Smurfs, it is 100% certain that the others will come to rescue him at his house, so it would be convenient to go to another place away from the forest where he can cook the Smurfs without others being able to find them. Gargamel has a basement with a secret door, he was able to hide there and pretend he didn't have them until the rescuers leave.

6.3 catch rescuers

Knowing that more Smurfs could come, you could use it to your advantage by placing traps on the doors and windows, or on the contrary, closing everything so that it is impossible to enter without having a key.

6.4 They will leave him for dead

In the episode "the tear of a Smurf ", it seems that if they don't find a missing Smurf it only takes a week for them to surrender and prepare for his funeral. You can hide the smurfs with their mouths tied up in a drawer and pretend you don't know what they are talking about until they give up, then it will be time to execute the recipes. If Gargamel had enough brain cells to keep the secret, he could eat the Smurfs and the rest would think they were eaten by birds or something and would not take revenge.

6.5. Do not look any further

If you already have 99 it is enough, even if you have only one, it is not worth risking it to find one more, it is a trap.

6.6. Don't open jokey surprises.

The characters always forget that gift.

6.7. Don't listen to them

On several occasions they try to make conversation to buy time, they trick him into thinking that he will bring more Smurfs or that he cannot eat him, everything is a trap.

6.8. Just kill them

He never did that but it's a very obvious choice, I don't remember somewhere saying that smurfs have to be alive for recipes, Gargamel has repeatedly expressed his desire to destroy them. Wouldn't it be easier to kill them before throwing them into the pot? if you can't, they don't even have to be dead, just unconscious or asleep. Gargamel has drops of lava in his lab for some reason, how come he doesn't have substances to knock them unconscious? In case he have many captured you could use classic techniques such as placing the cage in a tub of water until they drown, even stepping on them would be enough since they are very small.

6.9. Papa Smurf's books

If Gargamel tries to kill them with an epidemic, papa will have the cure, if he casts a spell, papa has the antidote, since he has been in the village on several occasions, he should take the opportunity to steal or destroy their books, he could look for the true blue spell and perhaps find another useful spell.

7.Enjoy your smurf soup

If that's all i came up with, you can already eat or become a millionaire at the cost of a smurf's life, hopefully you'll have to face a horrible revenge from papa smurf, but i'm not responsible for that.

8.Other methods to get smurfs:

This is a set of theories for alternative ways to get smurfs without capturing one from the village.

8.1. create smurfs:

In the second live action movie gargamel gets the formula for the true blue spell, so from here technically he could create smurfs, then transform them into real smurfs and do whatever he wants with them, during the series he had to look for the formula instead to look for smurfs.

8.2. Clone Smurfs:

In the episode "the hundredth smurf" Vanity creates a clone of himself that eventually integrates into the village, it is a genetically exact clone so there is no doubt that it is a real smurf. He just needs to place a mirror in front of a smurf and get it struck by lightning, Gargamel could capture a smurf and make clones that will work, he wouldn't even have to keep the original and he would have an infinite smurf machine.

8.3. Kidnap Baby Smurfs:

During the blue moon it is possible that a zork came to the village bringing a baby smurf, it can take up to 200 years without bringing one but if you are alive when that happens, you can try to hunt the zork and capture the defenseless baby.

8.4. Repeat the fake smurf technique:

If it is possible to create fake Smurfs like Smurfette, it might work on a second try, Smurfs are not very cautious around strangers, once Smurfette arrives in the village no one wonders where she came from or why she was in the forest, but rather Immediately they offer him a house, Gargamel could create a smurf and this time instruct him to lead all the smurfs in the village into a trap and make sure he does not turn good, he can also turn himself into a life-size smurf costume, Nobody will notice that there is an extra Smurf and he can repeat the same trap,third time’s a charm

9.Conclusion:

Surely there are many other methods to catch Smurfs but I can't see the whole series again even if I wanted to, because it is a series for children Gargamel never learns from his mistakes I think that catching Smurfs is not that exaggeratedly difficult, especially for someone who has access to magic may be as difficult as capturing a talking rabbit, Gargamel is just stupid.

The end.

#the smurfs #hashtag so that the blog is not invisible #smurfette #gargamel #azrael #brainy smurf #sassete #sickly smurf #no smurf was harmed during the making of this blog #vanity smurf #papa smurf #clumsy smurf #smurf village #I should look for some images #ready #a picture

35 notes · View notes

argumentl · 3 years

Text

The Freedom of Expression, radio version - Ep.56, Oct 2016 - Jumping on the Halloween bandwagon, Futon maker-turned-fashion maker.

Kaoru starts by talking about the Instagram campaign, saying that practically every photo they uploaded has recieved more than 50 likes, so he's in a posistion where he has to send a sticker to each one. He encourages listeners to keep sending in photos if they want to recieve a sticker. Kaoru is looking at the Instagram page as he speaks, and he mentions that there are a lot of people wearing the yukata that he designed. He supposes they wore it on purpose for this campaign, but he stresses that there is no need to wear that yukata just because he designed it. Wear whatever you like! There are even people who sent in pics of very elaborate nail art. Although many of the fans attending the lives were wearing simple Dir band tshirst, Joe says that some of them did remake them by cutting them in different ways to make them more original.

Kaoru starts his first news topic next, stating that he chose this story because its currently Halloween season. This is the topic of completely unrelated products jumping on the Halloween bandwagon. Packs of eggs, nattō, even ramen are being included in Halloween campaigns run by supermarkets and convenience stores. The article Kaoru found shows a pack of eggs featuring a jack'o'lantern design on the packaging. He can understand sweets and snacks getting in on the Halloween theme, because they are part of the tradition, especially in America, but nattō etc seems a bit odd. Joe sad he also saw cartons of apple juice featuring Halloween pumpkin decorations, which he finds a bit puzzling. Is it pumpkin flavoured apple juice? He adds that its probably a result of producers wanting to sell as much as possible in light of the fact that Japanese tend to be easily swayed by limited seasonal products. He asks Kaoru whether he buys these kinds of limit seasonal items and Kaoru says he used to buy them, but these days he doesn't bother. Joe says he often does fall for these products. He always travels to this studio in Tennōzu by train, and when he passes through Shinagawa station he sees tonnes of 'limited time only' offers in the stores there. As he loves sweet food, he tends to end up buying a lot of stuff. He does realise, however, that the same store will be selling the same stuff as 'limited', even weeks later. It never ends. This is what makes him think that Japanese are helpless against 'limited' sales.

Kaoru says he thinks no one keeps this kind seasonal packaging anyway. He wonders whether people would be interested in limited releases of CDs with Halloween themed cover jackets. Joe thinks there may just be some positive people out there who want to buy this stuff and savour the packaging.

Kaoru comments on how Halloween celebrations seem to get more and more energetic with each passing year. Joe agrees, and says the streets in places like Shibuya are a sight to be seen at Halloween. He asks Kaoru if he celebrates. Kaoru laughs at this suggestion, and confirms that he does not.

Joe remembers Halloween from the time he used to live in America. He recalls kids trick or treating, and seeing spectacular Halloween parades in the streets. Kaoru says that when Dir were touring the states a few years ago, they were actually there at Halloween, but he hardley noticed anything about it. There were one or two people dressed in costume walking the streets, but that was about it. It was different from what he imagined, although he does admit, it could have just been a result of the location they were staying.

They then go back to point about areas like Shibuya and Roppongi going crazy at Halloween. Joe says he actually dressed up, and walked the streets in costume in Roppongi 2 years ago. He was invited to a Halloween party there by a foreign friend of his, and won a load of Halloween goods while he was there, so he put them on, and subsequently went home in them. He fit right in while he was still in Roppongi, but after getting off the train at Yoyogi and nearing his house, he didn't feel so great being dressed up.

Kaoru comes to the conclusion that jumping on the Halloween bandwagon doesn't do any harm, although he personally would still not buy a Halloween themed pack of eggs. Joe says things like this could be a catalyst for people to find out more about the cultures and traditions of other countries.

Tasai joins them next and introduces some news about how the long-estblished futon maker 'Nishikawa' has started making fashion. They have teamed up with Uniqlo designer Takizawa Naoki for the project. Tasai thinks the clothes produced look amazing and really wants listeners to have a look online for them. He explains that before the Age of Civil War in Japan (1467-1615), there were no futons. People just slept on folded up kimonos. The business 'Nishikawa' has been operating since just after that time period, for 450 years, but realised that in this age they need to challenge themselves if they are going to continue to stay in business, hence this move into fashion. Tasai repeats his plea for listeners to check out these items and explains that the selling price is much less than the materials are actually worth. He asks Kaoru and Joe what they think after seeing photos of some of the pieces. Joe says its an important thing for Japanese traditional customs be adapted like this to widen their scope. Tasai explains that animal print, like leopard print or wild cat print, has traditionally been revered in Japan as a form of respect towards an animal's power, and people have worn it wishing to become as strong. The same principle applies to warriors traditional helmets, which were designed to be symbolic of powerful animals. Tasai himself also learned this info about animal print in Japanese culture after reading this news. Kaoru says he is interested to see how fashion evolves from now on. Joe asks Kaoru whether he would consider collaborating with this futon business. Kaoru says he's not sure about that, but if he buys any items, Joe should copy him and buy the same thing (This is a joke about the time Joe arrived at the studio accidentally wearing the same outfit as Kaoru). Joe says if Kaoru wore a wild cat print outfit, he would be cheap and wear underwear with the same print (*I think*) - lots of laughing at this.

To finish, Kaoru plugs his upcoming tours, including the date at his home town again, which is at the venue Amashin Archaic Hall in Amagasaki city. He also announces plans for a two day date during the Mode of Kisou tour which will consist of male only on day one, and female only on day two. Joe and Tasai say they both want to attend, but care will have to be taken to ensure Hiranabe doesn't turn up at the female only live. They had best not tell him about it. Joe suggests telling him to go on a business trip or a trip to Atami etc on that day.

Songs - Dir en grey/24ko cylinder, Björk/Pluto, Dir en grey/Kūkoku ni kyōon.

To radio top page

#dir en grey #the freedom of expression #radio

14 notes · View notes

rebornthestage · 3 years

Text

Hayashida Kohei x Takasaki Shungo: New “Varia Quality” created from a literary adaptation; Vivid contrast between motion and stillness

[This is a translation of Xanxus & Squalo’s actors’ interview for Secret Bullet. They haven’t received the script at this point, so they mostly talk about their personal thoughts and views on the characters and the cast based on the VS Varia arc and the novel. Link to the original article can be found in the Content Source.]

A new “Varia quality” born from the novel

First off, how did you feel when your heard that “X-Fiamma” would be adapted into a stage play, and that Varia would be the main characters”? Takasaki Shungo (Squalo): I was in disbelief. Like, “Can we really have an RTS without Tsuna (Sawada Tsunayoshi)..” That’s why while I was happy (about the new play), I also wondered if it really was okay to do it. (laughs) Hayashida Kohei (Xanxus): I was like, “It’s headed in this direction, huh”. Storywise, I had assumed they would go with the Future arc next. Takasaki: For us though, it was very convenient timing since it’s right after we did the 2-part VS Varia arc. Hayashida: That’s true. We could do it again with the same cast. Takasaki: While we do feel some pressure at getting to do the prequel after we all had just finished fighting, we’re also happy about it.

This time, the play is adapted from the novel and not the manga. What did you think about the novel after reading it? Hayashida: It was interesting. Varia in the novel has a little different feel from the one in the Ring Battles. Perhaps it’s because the novel “X-Fiamma” was written after the manga’s Varia arc, but it had something that isn’t exactly “perfection”. Rather, it had a very clear idea of who the characters are. It was very fascinating. Takasaki: My impression is that it vividly showed parts that weren’t shown in the manga but readers were curious about. Reading the novel was very worthwhile to us because it clearly depicted the parts we were curious about and were unsure about when we played them in the previous plays. When I first read it, I felt that Xanxus was really cool-headed. Hayashida: Exactly! He felt really mature. I’m sure it’s thanks to it being written after the manga. Takasaki: We could feel his maturity thanks to it being in literary form. Hayashida: I realized that this was how Varia usually was. The Ring Battles was an irregular incident after all. It felt really refreshing when you realize that this is how the Varia is as an assassination squad.

What differences will we see between Varia in this play and Varia up until now? Takasaki: Personally, I’ll be trying to show Squalo as a commanding officer. In the Ring Battles, Varia was focused on Xanxus and operated with him as the head. In upcoming play however, the two of them are in different locations. Squalo is the one leading on the field while Xanxus is the one giving them directions. Squalo has not really been portrayed as a proper acting commanding officer in the stage plays up until now, so I hope people will see the upcoming play and think, “So this is how Squalo pulls a team together.” Hayashida: Meanwhile, you’ll see that Xanxus doesn’t immediately jump into the fray. (laughs) Takasaki: True. (laughs) He’s surprisingly nice. Hayashida: I don’t know if I would describe him as nice (laughs), but it was really refreshing to see him backing Ottavio into a corner using logic, and it made me feel once again that Xanxus really is smart. It was also refreshing to see Squalo and the others prattling away as they go about their tasks. Takasaki: The play is based on textual material so we have to imagine the scene ourselves, you know? So we read the novel while imagining the characters we play much more than we did in the plays based on the manga. Like, “That guy would probably move like this.” Hayashida: I agree. Since it’s adapted from the novel, this time we have a little bit more leeway on how we portray the characters.

Speaking of leeways, what differences arose in adapting a manga and adapting a novel from your experience? Takasaki: RTS has quite a lot of respect to the source material, and is determined to reenact everything faithfully to the source material. For example, some parts were produced with the manga’s depiction used as a reference for stunts or techniques. As we have no pictures as a basis this time, it does feel a little like we are coming up with them ourselves. Hayashida: Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted to say. Takasaki: Then let’s just say Kohei-san said it. (laughs)

What’s the link between Xanxus and Squalo?

Xanxus has scenes with Ottavio (played by Yamamoto Shouma), who appears for the first time on stage, doesn’t he. Hayashida: There’s mind games at play. Readers of the novel should know how it ends, but I hope to make it so that they would be on the edge of their seats even while knowing the ending. While our scenes have a more suspenseful mystery type of “stillness” with mind games unfolding, Squalo and the others have more “motion” with the action-packed missions. Hence once we manage to nail that contrast of motion and stillness, I think the end result would look artfully done. Since the majority of the Ring Battles stage plays were fight scenes, this time I too look forward to the scenes with mind games. However, there aren’t any scenes where I’ll be with the other members in the novel, so I’m a little sad… We’ve always been together up until now. (laughs) Still, we haven’t received the screenplay yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the stage play will deal with certain parts of the novel. Takasaki: Ottavio… How will he be portrayed? Hayashida: Right? I haven’t met Ottavio (played by Yamamoto Shouma) yet and it’s our first time working together, so I look forward to seeing how we will craft the play.

What about the role you’re playing catches your attention? Takasaki: “Voooi”, I guess.. No, I’m joking. (laughs) Although Squalo acts unrestrained, I believe there’s also a part of him that thinks it through calmly in his head. Still, his ability to straightforwardly express his feelings really makes him stand out in my opinion. Normally, our lives don’t always go as we want, does it. But he has lived his life as he liked to carry out the mission he wants to do, and that draws me in. Hayashida: Even though there are aspects of Xanxus that are unreadable and can’t be fully understood, I like that side of him which makes you suspect that he does have special feelings towards Squalo, the Vongola Nono and the Varia. He seems like he’d let out a laugh when he’s actually sad. Also, I usually waver a lot, so I like the unwavering side of him.

How have you portrayed Xanxus and Squalo’s relationship in the past 2 plays? Hayashida: It feels like Xanxus really, really dislikes him but still loves him. Xanxus came from the slums, didn’t he? But in the mafia, Squalo is an elite who is even said to be the next Varia Boss, so there’s a part of him that’s envious of that. Although Xanxus isn’t bullied at every turn for his origins, he is painfully aware of that fact. But in the end, Squalo is the one who acknowledges him and supports him the most, and I believe Xanxus himself sees that. That’s why even though Xanxus may view Squalo as a dumbass, I think part of him also feels saved by Squalo’s presence. I tried to portray their relationship with the idea that his cold attitude is probably his way of expressing his affection. Takasaki: The character Squalo has always believed that strength is everything, and I came up with my own theory to how he ended up with this belief. When you see people having something you yourself are lacking, don’t they seem brilliant in your eyes? I think what Squalo harbors for Xanxus is something close to that. They have been in Varia together for a very long time and Squalo even knows Xanxus’ past and the secret to his strength. He probably admires people who have qualities he lacks. Also, I think Squalo feels a little special to be the only who has been confided with his past.

A goldmine of contrasts? Introduction to the rest of the Varia cast

Now I’ll ask questions unrelated to your roles. What do you admire about each other as an actor? Hayashida: I’ve worked with Shungo once before RTS. Initially, I thought he seemed really serious, but he’s actually surprisingly easygoing. He always has a distinctive kind of adaptability that I really like. Takasaki: Thank you. (laughs) my impression of Kohei-san has always been the same since the start. He’s an acting nut in a good way. You can feel it in your bones that he really likes acting. It’s exciting, performing with him. I really respect him for thinking about acting around the clock. He’s a very good senior as an actor. Hayashida: Thank you~

By the way, are there things about the other person that changed your initial impression of him or you thought was surprising? Hayashida: As we worked together, he became more relaxed and it’s really nice. He’d soothe your nerves now and again. Takasaki: Kohei-san, are people usually intimidated by you when they first meet you? Hayashida: Meeting new people makes me tense. Takasaki: So you were nervous. (laughs)

Based on your interactions backstage and on SNS, the Varia cast seem to be a close-knit group. Can you introduce each of the cast in a few words? Start with Takagi Katsuya, who plays as Lussuria. Hayashida: (Lussuria’s actor Takagi) Katsuya-san has my full trust, truly. Takasaki: He’s a really good older brother to us and brings everyone together. He’s really nice. Hayashida: He’s so nice that it’s a little scary. After all, sometimes he’s being nice but his eyes look murderous at a glance. (laughs) Takasaki: He’s also well-versed in a lot of things, so he’s a stimulating person to converse with. Additionally, sometimes he’s become so into his role that it’s like he really is Lussuria in real life. It's scary. (laughs) Hayashida: That’s true. Every now and then he naturally does things that are quite like Lussuria. (laughs)

Next, can you tell us about Levi A. Than’s actor, Yamaki Takanori? Hayashida: He's also an interesting one. While he is knowledgeable and has a talkative side, he also has a sensitive, airheaded side to him. He’s the kind of guy that’s quick on the uptake. Takasaki: Yes, he also seems sensitive to me. We’re the same age so we talk often, he really felt like someone with an airheaded and mischievous side while also possessing a serious side. Hayashida: Sometimes he has a peculiar way of thinking, but then he also acts recklessly at times. (laughs) He has quite a mysterious vibe.

How about Belphegor’s actor, Oomi Shoichiro-san? Hayashida: Omi-chan… I want to say he’s funny, but he’ll be ecstatic when he hears about it, so I don’t want to actually say so. (laughs) Takasaki: They filmed the backstage footage for the previous play, and that kid is a genius. He puts on an amazing act for the camera. It’s really funny. Ah, I ended up saying he’s funny. (laughs) Hayashida: It was inevitable. He really is funny after all. Takasaki: He’s super stoic when it comes to acting though. Hayashida: He has a very high sense of professionalism. He’s hardcore like that. That’s why I believe Oomi is actually really manly. That side of him is very charming. But behind the scenes he’s always trying to make us laugh. Takasaki: I totally get what you mean when you said he was manly. He’s very stubborn on certain things when it comes to acting. But normally he’s really good at picking up on the mood, so I’m really glad he’s in Varia. Hayashida: When you’re troubled, all you have to do is talk about Oomi. He’ll react with “Not again!!” in a really shrill voice, and then you’ll end up fooling around with him before you know it. (laughs)

And how about Mammon’s actress Kai Chihiro-san, the sole woman in the Varia cast? Takasaki: We’re so close-knit with Kaichi that I feel like she could be in the same dressing room as us. She’ll definitely protest vehemently though. (laughs) She seems whimsical but she actually has a lot of thoughts in mind. Hayashida: And I think she may be the one who loves Varia the most. Takasaki: She’s the kind of person who gets attached to people. I think her ability to treat others with respect really stands out.

Lastly, how about Mosca’s actor Kudo Shoma-san? Hayashida: He’s very grounded, and feels as though he has a brazen side to him. He’s also got a strong sense of responsibility. Takasaki: He’s a suit actor, so he’s very well-versed and is meticulous when it comes to performing. Mosca has no lines, but he has great presence because he is being played by Shoma-san. While he is brazen as a pro, he actually has a delicate and adorable side to him once he’s not playing his role anymore. That contrast really gets me. Hayashida: Mosca was first played by Yokochin-san (Yokota Ryo), so Shoma inherited this role from his senior. He carried a great sense of professionalism in fulfilling his responsibilities. He could tell how meticulous he was from how he figured out what Mosca’s initial movements should be like.

In this play, Higuchi Yuta joined the cast as another actor for Belphegor. Takasaki: I’ve worked with him before, and he can handle anything that’s thrown to him so he’s very dependable. Hayashida: This is the first time we have a double casting, so we too are looking forward to it. Takasaki: Yuta will probably take a totally different approach from Omi-chan, so I think he’ll give us a fresh take on the role.

So both their performances are a must-see! Takasaki: (The 2 Belphegors) will without a doubt affect our acting too, in my opinion. I recommend watching both versions.

Since “Secret Bullet” is the title, what is your “trump card”? Hayashida: I adopted a kitten recently, and it’s so cute that it makes me care less about anything else. (laughs) That’s why I consider it a secret bullet. Takasaki: Wow, nice one! For me… I started cooking more recently and often use honey as a secret ingredient. I think honey really can be used anywhere. That’s why it’s a secret bullet… (laughs)

Lastly, is there anything else you would like to say about the play, and any messages for the fans? Hayashida: First off, as a Varia member, I truly appreciate all the support that’s been given to the 2 “VS Varia arc” plays. I will do my utmost best for this upcoming play to be a step in the right direction for the next one. The 2 stories may be unrelated, but we have a friendly rivalry going on. Given what’s currently happening in the world right now, we hope… no, we’ll definitely give an entertaining performance! By all means, please do look forward to it! Takasaki: There’s a big difference this time. Maru-san (Maruo Maruichirou) is not the director this time but Yoriko Jun-san since the play was based on the novel. Hence I think we’ll be able to depict the play in a totally different way from the previous plays. Of course there are still aspects of it that will remind you that this is still Reborn The Stage, but do look forward to a fresh take on some things. Given what’s currently happening in the world right now, it once again makes us very thankful that we were allowed to do a play. With all that into consideration, we hope you provide you all with some entertainment.

#katekyo hitman reborn #khr #reborn the stage #secret bullet #hayashida kohei #takasaki shungo #translation #finally posting this after ten thousand years #another one of those why did i translate this again translations #but it was interesting reading their meta about their characters #idk maybe its because the novels are less talked about #but we hear some insight that you dont usually hear in the fandom imo #they really went and said #when all else fails you can just poke fun at omi chan #lmao #here i am finally working on the to do list ive neglected for months lol

60 notes · View notes

bangchanshehe · 3 years

Text

Bodyguard Lee Pt. 2

You met a kind stranger wandering the streets of Athens who was willing to go out of his way to help you. But across the globe weeks later you cross paths with him again. Could having this many unexpected meetings be a happy coincidence or an ill-fated destiny?

word count:2k

Three days later you were back in Seoul and unpacking your luggage. It had been the most exhausting and chaotic week of your life and you were happy that you were finally able to at least get back to your normal routines. And while things weren’t going to slow down for you any time soon you at least had more of a sense of normalcy.

You smiled to yourself as you unpacked all of your trinkets and threw your used clothes into the laundry. But most of all you were excited to see your mom and share with her the necklace that you had found for her while you were out looking for souvenirs. You thought back on that night and smiled to yourself.

The man that had helped you in Greece gave you such a good impression of the city that was so miserable for you so far. As the two of you drove past historical buildings and prominent locations he explained their significance. And any place that you wanted to go to he took you there with a smile on his face. by the end of the night you felt like the two of you had been friends who had met each other for the first time in a while as opposed to the strangers that you were. The two of you talked amongst yourselves and you found out that he was a Korean national who was working in Greece. Most importantly there was no pressure to act a certain way in front of him because of who you were, everything was completely natural instead. If it wasn’t for his assistance you would have gone back to your hotel empty handed and upset that you weren’t able to find anything to bring back. And In the end you weren’t able to get his last name to give him a proper thank you or even find him on social media but you would always remember his first name. Taemin.

“shit” you screeched out as the sound of your ringtone startled you out of your fond memories.

You pulled out your phone and took a deep breath before you answered the call from your manager. You couldn’t go a single hour without someone from your company trying to contact you about something. you had just gotten dropped off outside of your apartment less than 30 minutes ago, and you were happy that you were able to be in your own space once more. But now you were back to being the busy entertainer once more.

“hello?” you asked bitterly, not even bothering to conceal the disappointment and frustration in your voice.

“y/n, tomorrow morning the company wants to recruit some new security team members to travel with us while you go on tour. I’ve sent you their resumes so take a look and let me know who your top three are. They want to hire the new members as soon as possible so they can start their training.” Your manager quickly barked out before she hung up on you.

You pulled the phone away from your face and double checked that she really hung up on you, and the moment you confirmed you scoffed. What the hell… you thought to yourself. I guess she needs the time off as much as I do too.

You quickly opened up your email and looked at the recently received message and scowled. You had never hired someone before and you didn’t know what to look for in a resume to make an educated decision on who to hire. And you honestly didn’t care who would end up being on your security team as long as they would protect you and were professional.

You clicked on the message and opened the attachments to see ten resumes in total. You let out a sigh and meticulously went through each persons accomplishments and previous employment. Each one of them had a lot of strong accomplishments and experience that would make them valuable members. And you were completely at a loss as to who to choose until you looked at the last resume. He was last employed by the Korean ambassador who was stationed in Greece, he had lost of merits and rewards and he seemed to be very professional.

You grinned to yourself and mentally congratulated the man for being in the running. You scrolled up to see his name and information and your eyes almost jumped out of your head when you saw his application headshot.

“Taemin?” you asked out loud in complete disbelief.

The chances of this happening was slim to none. No, it was less than that. It was almost impossible.

But if his resume didn’t already speak for itself his helpfulness and courtesy of helping you in Greece did. You didn’t really care who the other two members would be, but you knew for a fact that you wanted Taemin as one of your members. It was the last thing that you could do for him since you weren’t ever able to properly thank him.

You immediately emailed your manager back that you didn’t care who the other two were but you absolutely wanted Taemin on your team, and then shut down your laptop. You were excited to see Taemin once more and congratulate him on getting the job. You imagined how shocked he would be to see you once more but this time as a prominent entertainer.

The next morning you got up with a smile. It felt good to sleep a normal amount of time and in your own bed again. You took your time enjoying your morning coffee and you relaxed as you got ready. You had opted to wear something more casual and comfortable for the day since you had worn such heavy and extreme clothes during your shoot.

when your manager had finally arrived at your apartment she gave you a call and you quickly grabbed your belongings and met her in your van.

“good morning” she said chipperly

“morning” you replied back

“today your schedule is a little tight” your manager said with a sorry tone “this morning we have a photoshoot for promotions, then you have a vocal and choreography training session. After a short lunch break you have an interview and then in the evening you have a meeting with the producers and event coordinators.”

You leaned forward towards your managers seat “will we have time to see the candidates for the security team?” you asked her hopeful that you would be able to greet Taemin on the team personally

Your manager hummed and looked at the clock “im not too sure what time their final interview is but with your schedule today its pretty unlikely.” She said

You sat back in your seat and let out a small sigh. It was too bad that you wouldn’t be able to see Taemin, but this was your life. Constantly missing out on the things that you want to do.

The time was currently 7pm and you were staring at the sunset as your day finally came to an end. You were waiting for your manager to pull your car around in the garage when you had made eye contact with someone who you didn’t expect to see.

“y/n-ssi” one of the directors called out to you.

You had immediately turned to him with a professional smile and bowed in greeting but inside you were dying. You had hoped that he was going to simply pass by you but instead he had stopped right next to you.

“I wanted to introduce you to the newest members of your security team.” He said holding a hand out towards the three men that were behind him.

Your eyes immediately widened and your attention was heightened. You didn’t think that seeing taemin would be possible today but you were gladly proven wrong.

“this is Seonghwa, Minho, and Kai” the director stated their names

As soon as you saw the faces of each of the new members your smile immediately turned into a frown. You had looked at each of the men and then up to the company director. Sure you had seen each of the men’s resumes and they were highly qualified, but if you had met any of them on the side of the road and asked for help you were sure that none of them could give you the same treatment as Taemin gave you in Greece.

“director, may I speak to you for a minute?” you asked him and he gave you a gesture to walk a distance away to speak. Once the two of you were a few yards away from the gentlemen you whispered your questions. “what happened to Taemin-ssi?” you asked “I really liked his resume and thought that he would be really good for the job.”

The director gave you a smile before he answered “we did too. His resume and previous employment was quite impressive. However, he wasn’t interested in a job that required leaving the country. He is interested in more of a regular full-time job in Korea.” He answered

You lowered your head and let out a small sigh. Although you were hopeful to run into him again it was understandable that he would want to stay in Korea since he had been in Greece for a while. And you couldn’t blame him for that. He probably also had a family in Korea that he missed dearly.

“I understand” you said to the director

The two of you shared a mutual look of agreement before you approached the new men once more.

“congratulations on joining the team.” You said to the men giving them a smile “ill be off now. have a good night”

The men politely bowed and responded with goodnight and get home safely. You had bowed back politely and then retreated to the parking garage where your manager would pick you up.

You hadn’t received a message from your manager yet that she had arrived but you wanted to get out of the building as quickly as possible. Your hopes of having taemin joining your team was a bummer, but you were more upset that you wouldn’t see him again more than anything.

It had felt like for the first time in a long time you were able to make a friend who wasn’t under any sort of impression or had expectations based on what your career was. And maybe you were reading too much into that night in Greece, but you really did feel like Taemin had become a friend. Or maybe it was just your brain creating a scenario out of nothing since you needed companionship so badly.

You had felt a tap on your shoulder and you had turned around without looking at the person. You were looking down at your feet when you had asked “can we stop at the convenience store before you drop me off at home?”

“sure. What do you need?” you heard a man’s voice asking back

You had immediately snapped your head up when you heard the voice that was so unfamiliar to you. You looked up at the mans face and was unable to recognize him past his black hat and mask that hid his facial features.

“im sorry, you must have the wrong person.” You said quietly and hid your face hoping that you could simply back away from the situation and wait inside for your manager.

“no, ive got the right person” he man said and his eyes crinkled in a smile

You looked him up and down and red flags went off and alarm bells rang in your head. The man pulled out a box cutter just far enough out of his jacket pocket for you to see as he pushed the blade out all the way.

“quietly, I want you to get into the car.” The man said in a scattered and panicked voice

You put your hands up and you began to take small shaky steps towards his car door. As you got closer the man circled around so he was no approaching you instead of you stepping towards him. When you opened the car door and sat down inside he began barking commands at you.

“put the ankle cuffs and handcuffs on.”

You nodded your head and you began to place the cuffs around your feet. But as tears sprung to your eyes and your hands began to shake you weren’t able to put on the cuffs as quickly as the man wanted you to.

“faster!” the man yelled and you began to sob

You tried to calm yourself down as you blinked away your tears and tried to focus. But the fear that swept through your body only made things worse.

How had no one seen you on the security cameras and come to help. What was taking your manager so long that she wasn’t here already. And why was this happening to you?

You had finally snapped the handcuffs on when you had heard a loud crunch and a body had hit the pavement next to you outside of the car. You looked down at the man who was now lying still and let out a loud sob when you saw the mans mask. When you realized that the danger was finally gone you looked up to who had saved you, and you completely lost control of your emotions.

Of all people who you had hoped would help you never did you imagine that it would be Taemin to your rescue.

#kpop #kpop series #kpop scenarios #kpop fanfic #kpop imagines #kpop smut #kpop fanfiction #shinee #shinee taemin #taemin #lee taemin #taemin series #taemin smut #taemin scenarios #taemin imagine #taemin fanfiction

36 notes · View notes

wecantseeyou · 3 years

Text

a word on color - how line of duty series 6 uses wardrobe color to frame narrative (pt 2)

Author’s note: this is part 2 for this essay on wardrobe color. For part one, read it here. This post covers episodes 2 and 3, which is the close of Act 1 of this series’ arc and the opening of Act 2. Here I discuss… things? Idk. Again, fair warning, I’m American and this is in no way, shape, or form edited and I won’t apologize for it.

ALSO: I’m feeling a bit like I’m losing my mind, and maybe this is just a COVID filming situation, but I think some of the scenes in series 6 are shown to us out of order. Now that I’m tracking every outfit, it’s surprising how frequently Kate and Jo wear the same outfits in scenes together when time (usually days) is meant to have passed in the interim. This is most clear in episode 3. Maybe I’m onto something, maybe I’m over-reading. Who knows!

Anyways, any words on wardrobe below the cut!

EPISODE 2

We open this episode with the team at AC-12, with Hastings, Steve, and gem of series 6 Chloe briefing the team on the inquiry into Operation Lighthouse, the investigation into the murder of Gail Vella. Steve is wearing his standard uniform of a navy three-piece suit, white shirt, and reddish-purple tie (more on this later). (note: the American in me wants to note the nods to nationalism and representing the ‘system’ in this color combination, but I’m actually not sure if that symbolism holds true for the UK). This scene establishes Steve’s position as Jo’s narrative foil - he is the crusader working to root out her corruption. His blue suit is his armor in the battle against bent coppers (unfortunately, not the Battle of Hastings).

Next, we return to MIT with another briefing. This time, Lomax is briefing Jo and Kate on the CHIS’s whereabouts before his murder. Jo implores him to find a witness in order to get a positive ID on ‘Ross Turner’ - is he really Terry Boyle, or Carl Banks?

We see Jo in a black turtleneck under a grey suit, and Kate is in a light brown suit jacket with green undertones over a navy turtleneck. Again, Jo’s outfit is hinting at her corruption while Kate’s is both hinting at her philosophical allegiance with AC-12 and her relationship with Jo in the color of her jacket. During this scene, we see Farida watch Kate and Jo share a look before she stands abruptly and heads into Buckells’ office. Once Lomax leaves, Kate tries to discuss the possibility of a leak leading to Alistair Oldroyd’s murder, which Jo says is an obvious line of inquiry before sharing that she believes sometimes the fewer police that know, the better.

Right after this scene, Jo learns from Buckells that Farida has requested a transfer, citing personal reasons right to the face of her personal reasons. Thought Jo was wearing black without participating in some bent shenanigans? Think again! She convinces Buckells that Jatri was a difficult person to work with and would be best elsewhere, offering to write her a recommendation for the transfer. It’s important to note that yes, Jo is getting rid of Jatri in order to remove an obstacle to her work for the OCG (which she later does to the extreme), but she also makes this choice because she genuinely cares for Farida and is attempting to get distance in order to protect her. Sure, she flips on that in a matter of days, but she does make an attempt.

In part, it’s actually Farida’s subsequent actions stalking Jo outside of her home that show Jo that her ex remains a threat to her ability to manipulate the Vella case in secrecy. You can see in the scene that Jo isn’t on her guard - she’s in her casual clothes outside of work, donning a blue sweatshirt over a grey turtleneck, all under a grey coat. In her personal space, the tone of Jo’s wardrobe is entirely cool, because despite her actions, she is at her heart someone who wants to find justice. Seeing Farida though? That makes her deeply nervous.

We then see Steve and #1 DC Chloe Bishop meeting with Gail Vella’s producer, who shares that Gail had been working on a story about police corruption for a podcast. Steve is wearing his backup uniform, a grey suit with a light blue shirt and red tie. Again, he is seeking out the truth in pursuit of justice. Here we find out the motive for Gail’s murder - she was about to expose the Central Police for what they were. Again, this is Steve acting as Jo’s foil - while she worked on behalf of the OCG to obfuscate the motives for Gail’s murder, Steve wants to seek the truth. Reporting back to Hastings, the gaffer makes Steve a DI in response to Steve hoping to use Kate as an informant on the Hill.

Enter: a right shit hole. Steve organizes a surreptitious meeting with Kate in a graffitied underground walkway (note: y’all we don’t have many of these on the east coast, is this a regular thing in the UK??). Steve is wearing the same outfit as before, but with a navy coat. This navy coat is very similar to a navy trench coat we see Kate wear on multiple occasions, including later in this very episode. This shows both his pursuit of justice, motivating his reveal to Kate about the investigation into Davidson’s team, and also their shared allegiance and connection with one another. Kate, meanwhile, shows up in a green coat. As noted before, green can be used to demonstrate the space Kate occupies between AC-12 and Jo. It is a cool tone, showing her dedication to anti-corruption, but a cool tone that exists because of the influence of a warm tone.

Steve asks Kate to again act as an informant, which she says she’ll think about, and tells her that an official inquiry into Operation Lighthouse has begun. Interestingly, Kate is actually upset that Steve shares this information with her because it puts her in a difficult position between her allegiance to Jo and her belief in rooting out corruption. She expresses this displeasure, all the way through her parting words when she insults Steve’s choice in meeting location.

Kate’s rather dramatic stomp off transitions immediately to the murder scene of Carl Banks.

Quick car interlude here! Now, I cannot for the life of me tell you the make of car that Jo drives because it doesn’t exist in the US, but I would be remiss not to note the very dark, almost red tone of the paint color. Meanwhile, Kate drives a bright blue Audi, and Steve drives a slate grey Volvo (hello Mr. Cullen). The color choices between these characters literally persist through their vehicles, which is a level of attention to detail very few shows can hope to reach.

Back to Carl Banks’ slashed up body - Lomax, per usual, gives Kate and Jo the low down on the crime scene. We then meet Farida’s replacement - PC Ryan ‘the bent bastard’ Pilkington, who conveniently finds the murder weapon. Kate, dressed in the navy coat I previously noted as a parallel to Steve’s, has a moment of recognition, but can’t place him directly. Jo, in her classic grey coat, acts cool as a cucumber at his introduction. Kate is wearing that navy coat to show her critical eye - it’s awfully convenient that they found the murder weapon so close to the body, and her spidey-senses are set off by Pilkington’s presence.

Back at MIT, Lomax continues to be the only detective at MIT to do any work, and gives Kate and Jo the low down on the forensics at the scene. Ryan quickly interrupts, and Kate asks how she knows him, but he brushes her off. The outfits for the next few scenes are very, very interesting. Kate, for one of the only times in the whole season, is wearing a black suit with a white shirt buttoned all the way to the throat. Jo looks fantastic in a dark blue suit over an orangish brown turtleneck. I’ll break down the symbolism in a moment, because our boy Arnott has gotten approval for a raid on Operation Lighthouse.

And boy does he storm into this raid in full AC-12 style! Navy overcoat, blue suit, light blue shirt, purple tie, moral high horse. But wait, Jo is there to stop the raid in its tracks after getting permission from the Deputy Chief Constable to withhold Operation Lighthouse files for fear of leaks. Steve stands there momentarily aghast, egg on his face, while Kate looks on with resolve on her face. Now, Steve’s outfit here is clear - the cool tones of his suit represent his desire to find the corruption in the Vella murder case. On its face, Jo’s outfit is also pretty clear - the warm tones of her sweater align with the way she stonewalls the AC-12 investigation.

However, it’s Kate’s outfit that I think is the most revealing. Even when the colors are neutral, Kate is almost always dressed in color and is rarely depicted in strict black and white outfits. This is a certain visual irony, as in past seasons we have seen that Kate has the most obviously black and white sense of morality. The show does make it a point to have Kate in a clear black and white outfit here, and her shirt is notably buttoned all the way to the top. This actually highlights the space Kate finds herself in that is not black and white - she is stuck between her desire to help Steve and her loyalty to Jo. This position makes her uncomfortable, and also strips her of any visual allegiance to both Steve and Jo.

But Kate has made a decision - she chose to warn Jo about the investigation, which gives Jo time to prepare. Unbeknownst to Kate at the time (we assume), this actually allows Jo some time to put others in the frame for her interference in the Vella investigation. Steve calls Kate and is rightfully furious, but she tries to implore him to think of her position, where, as the former anti-corruption officer in the unit, she has to prove her loyalty to Jo and the MIT.

Steve, not at all understanding of Kate’s position, reports this to Hastings who goes straight to the Deputy Chief Constable and gets permission for AC-12 to raid MIT again. He’s obviously not the focus of this analysis but Ted really has some iconic lines in the scene with the DCC and then after with Steve, and I love our vaguely corrupt gaffer (if he’s the fourth man, I’ll fly to the UK to confront Jed myself).

Armed with new permission from the DCC fashion icon Chloe again raids AC-12, and serves Jo with a Reg-15, which in LoD-speak is a formal request to report to AC-12 for questioning. Cue some lovely eye contact between Kate and Jo.

Speaking of lovely eye contact, here we get the first interaction between Kate and Jo where they’re outside of work. Kate and Jo debrief the AC-12 raid and Jo's Reg-15 notice while at dinner with some wine. The men at the table next to them offer to buy them another round of drinks, but Jo flashes her badge and shuts them down. She then ruefully apologizes to Kate for ruining her chances, to which Kate replies that they weren't her type and they share a smile and lots of eye contact. (Note: two of my exes have said that to me about men in the past, so the accuracy in this flirtation is remarkable.) They’re dressed in the same clothes as they were at the office, with a notable exception - Kate’s shirt is unbuttoned. Sure, is this her just relaxing after a long, stressful work day? Yes, of course. But it is also notable that this relaxation happens with Jo specifically, and she’s the one comforting Jo about the Reg-15.

Later, as the two are walking to their cars, they’re again wearing their outer layers, a navy coat for Kate and grey coat for Jo. Again, they’re both wearing cool tones, with the expectation of the glimpse of Jo’s sweater, which is a hint of her hidden corruption. They thank each other for a nice time. They do the awkward goodbye-but-no-one-wants-to-leave thing, which did in fact send me straight back to a few awkward nights after the bat. Then Kate invites Jo out for the weekend, which she's initially tentative about. They hug, which inspires Jo to tell Kate she's free since she just got out of a long term relationship, and she'd love to see her at the weekend.

Unfortunately, sapphic trysts must give way to Jo’s interview with AC-12. For the first time, we see her dressed in an all blue outfit, a dark blue suit over a lighter blue shirt, buttoned all the way to the top, which hints at her discomfort. Steve (along with Chloe in a blue shirt), is dressed yet again in his away game kit, a grey suit with a white shirt and red tie. Now, I won’t go into the details of everything because there’s still a decent amount to cover, but the long and short of it is that Jo denies all corruption, she lies about Buckells, Farida, the armed robbery, basically everything. They're about to arrest her when she says they should search Farida, Lomax, and Buckells as well if they’re investigating her, since they had access to the same information. All the while she knows they’ll find the burner phones at Farida’s and paints her as a scorned lover looking for revenge. Farida wouldn’t walk away cleanly, which makes Jo feel like she needs to more permanently remove her from the situation while protecting herself. She also sets up Buckells, having already planted evidence on him and manipulating the wrong surveillance authority on Carl Banks’ flat.

Because of this, Farida is arrested and Steve serves Buckells with a search warrant.

At first, this seems like the first time Jo has been dressed with the ‘justice’ color scheme while acting in an evidently corrupt way. It could also be read as AC-12 having ‘trapped’ her, also shown through the framing of the shot above. But as is often with this show, not all is as it appears. More on her outfit later.

We close the episode back with Jo in the all blue outfit. She is released from custody, and Ryan Pilkington, who asks her if she heard about Farida’s arrest. Here, Jo offers a rather chilling response. “That’s what happens to a rat.” Upon first watch, there’s perhaps no better sign of a bent cop. But we later learn that Ryan was sent by the OCG to keep an eye on Jo after AC-12 began snooping around the Vella investigation. What appears at first to be Jo confirming that leaks from the MIT will not be tolerated. The revelation about Ryan’s role as intimidation changes this interaction entirely. It’s not confirmation from Jo, it’s a threat from Ryan - ‘did you hear what happened to Farida? That’s what will happen to you.’ and he doesn’t move the car until she confirms that she’s heard him and understood.

The final scene takes Jo to an abandoned lot, where she meets a man who gives her a new burner phone. She picks it up, gets back in her car, and has a complete breakdown.

Now, the outfit. It’s interesting that Jo is dressed in the same color scheme as the group that ostensibly opposes her, especially as we see her lie through her teeth and manipulate the law and truth to her advantage repeatedly throughout her interview. It isn’t until we see the scenes with Pilkington and Jo crying in her car that we see her actions and her true personhood do not align. While the audience is not yet aware Jo has been manipulated not just throughout her career, but starting in her teen years, the creative team is telling us the plain truth: the visuals associated Jo with AC-12 exist because she is ultimately good.

EPISODE 3

Note: Y’all, at this point I stopped tracking Steve super closely because I think they only gave Martin two suits this season?? And honestly I’m only vaguely tracking on the Steph Corbett stuff. The long and short of it is that he’s wearing cool tones all the time because he’s the symbol of AC-12, etc, etc.

Episode 3 opens with Lomax learning about a witness to the altercation between Alistair Oldroyd and ‘Ross Turner,’ where the man identifying as Ross Turner boasted of killing Gail Vella. He quickly gathers Jo and Kate to tell them the news. Kate is wearing a simple grey sweater, while Jo is wearing a grey suit with a blue sweater and blue shirt.

We then immediately see Jo and Kate watching Lomax’s interview with this witness. She identifies the man going by Ross Turner as a man matching the description of Terry Boyle. This piques Kate’s interest, and Jo tells her to get a positive ID on Terry while they get him in for another interview. These outfits don’t necessarily relate directly to the scenes they’re worn in, but set the stage for both women’s actions throughout the rest of the episode. That’s not to say the outfits don’t relate at all, of course, but they repeat similar themes that I’ve already discussed.

Cue another interview of Terry Boyle, this time with Kate and Jo. Kate is wearing a green mockneck sweater, and Jo is wearing a navy suit with an orangish brown sweater, an outfit we’ve seen her in before. As Jo and Kate interview Terry, he grows increasingly agitated, not dissimilar to his first interview, which Jo notes to his representation. Kate keeps pushing him, trying to get a clear answer, but Jo repeatedly tries to get her to back off before eventually stopping the interview right as Terry talks about the man who ‘did it.’ The two women then get into a disagreement as Jo tears into Kate for potentially intimidating a vulnerable witness, while Kate thinks they could’ve pushed him harder. This is the first time we see the two of them disagree, which puts them at odds.

The clothing here serves dual narrative purposes. The first, with the contrasting brown and green of Jo and Kate’s clothing, we see a visual representation of their disagreement. The second purpose is actually a red herring. Kate’s green sweater does its standard job of showing both her allegiance to Jo (yellow) and her pursuit of justice (blue). Jo’s outfit, on the other hand, again ties her actions to the OCG. She stops the interview right as Terry is about to divulge more information, knowing that this will give away the real killer. We think this is because of her work with the OCG, but that’s not true at all.

After the disagreement between the two women, we see Jo watching a recording of the Terry Boyle interview, wearing a grey turtleneck. In contrast to her behavior in the interview and afterward with Kate, Jo actually seems oddly pleased by Terry’s clear statement of the other man having killed Gail Vella. Because that’s the thing about Jo, she knows how to play the game. She played the part of the perfectly manipulative bent cop by ending the interview when it seemed like some vital information was about to leak. This small moment that the show decided to include tells us everything we need to know because Jo wants the truth to come out, she just doesn’t want anyone else to know. Terry said just enough in that interview to raise alarm bells, but her actions look like someone trying to prevent that information from being revealed. That’s why Jo is wearing a grey sweater here, not the orangish brown from the interview - the cool tone shows her true desire for the truth.

I also believe this is why Kate was in the interview instead of Lomax, who we’ve seen in most past interviews. Lomax is far more laid back and passive than Kate, who mostly listens until she sees a line of questioning that she can crack open further. Jo knows her team, and she knows Kate. Getting told off by her boss when she thinks she’s on to something is not enough to dissuade Kate. Jo trusts that about Kate, and uses it to her advantage. It ties back to something we don’t learn until episode 6 - Jo sought Kate out as her new DI specifically because of Kate’s anti-corruption background. This is that reasoning in action. A former AC-12 might just be the person needed to find justice despite Jo’s personal interference.

After this, we see DI Kate “loves a car chase” Fleming tailing the escort taking Terry home, which includes Ryan Pilkington and another PC, Lisa Patel. She immediately notes that they have gone off the planned route, and lo and behold, the bent bastard drives the patrol car directly into a reservoir, drowning Lisa and attempting to drown Terry. Kate is quick to the scene and immediately gets involved, preventing Ryan from carrying out the murder of Terry. She rushes out of her (blue) car wearing a blue coat and blue scarf - she is justice incarnate.

Lomax and Jo quickly arrive at the scene, and Jo shows concern for Kate. Jo is in the same suit and sweater combination she was wearing during the Boyle interview with the addition of a grey jacket, while Kate is wrapped in a blue blanket. Jo, stuck between the OCG and justice; Kate, wrapped in a symbol of truth. Jo specifically notes that it’s lucky Kate was passing by, to which Kate agrees, not correcting her. I’ll admit, at first I didn’t really understand what Jo is playing at here. Anyone can tell that Kate wasn’t just passing by - the reservoir was well off the main road. What is she talking about?

Well, your honor, she’s leading the witness. She’s telling Kate what she wants to hear before the DI has a chance to speak the truth. Plausible deniability. We also see Jo spend an awful lot of time watching Kate as she traverses the scene, and the framing is set up to make it seem like Jo is wary of Kate. Reality, however, is a little different. This is actually the moment that tells Jo she needs to create distance between herself and Kate, not because she’s worried that Kate will look too closely at her, but because her actions nearly got an innocent man killed and she doesn’t want Kate to be at risk.

Later, we see Kate visit AC-12 in a grey sweatshirt and jeans, willing to work with the navy-clad Steve to find the leak at MIT because of the attempted murder of Terry Boyle. We then immediately see the two former partners doing research on Pilkington’s background - he has clearly caught Kate’s attention. The two trained investigators are clearly paralleled in color, both dressed in cool tones as they work to seek out justice.

Back at MIT, Jo watches Kate arrive at work from a window, wearing a red shirt under a navy suit. It’s clearly meant to be a menacing cue, especially with the red shirt, but later scenes show that all may not be as it appears. Meanwhile, Kate continues her pursuit of Pilkington by interviewing him about the crash. He seems to have all the answers, and remains polite throughout, but it’s clear that Kate doesn’t trust him. She’s wearing the same orange and blue striped turtleneck from the first episode under a navy suit. Throughout their conversation, Jo is watching from her office, again, something that appears on its face to be menacing, but may not be.

Kate’s outfit is much the same as the first time she wore it - her combined associations with Jo and AC-12 as she works to catch Ryan. Jo is wearing the same outfit as she did while watching Kate through the window, a subtle red herring from the production team. More on Jo’s seemingly big bad evil behaviour later.

After Kate’s conversation with Ryan, our resident anti-corruption officer comes storming into AC-12 headed straight to Jo’s office, where she sits wearing a grey suit, orange sweater, and white shirt. Steve is wearing his blue suit, with a light blue shirt and green tie. He shows up at MIT to ask Jo about a possible burglary in the Vella case. She doesn't know anything but tells him to ask the team, and he asks her if she hid or removed any files, which she denies. He also asks if she knows if anyone who would benefit from Farida not testifying. Cue guilty look and further denial. She tells him "You should investigate," and he confirms he’s planning to. Throughout this scene, Kate is looking on wearing a green shirt.

Jo’s outfit is obvious - she’s lying through her teeth to Steve and feels guilty for what she did to Farida. Steve has his classic AC-12 action suit on, with the change of a green tie, visually tying him to Kate, wearing a green top. Kate’s outfit obviously ties her to Steve, but as with other instances of Kate wearing green, it also shows her connection to Jo.

But wait, dear viewer, it’s been so long since our last Lomax low-down! Have no fear, because Kate and Chris are discussing the witness at the pub, and seems dissatisfied with his lack of attention to detail when he admits that he hasn’t done his due diligence to vet her. Kate is wearing a more casual blue zip-up jumper with a white t-shirt, again on her pursuit of justice. Jo watches from her office wearing a green turtleneck and grey suit.

For those counting at home, this is the fourth very obvious shot of Jo watching Kate so far this episode. And that makes sense, because this color change in Jo actually shows how her thoughts and actions are in conflict. She continues to interfere with the investigation, but she doesn’t want to be. She’s nervous about the consequences for those around her, Kate in particular.

It seems only right that this leads to date night part 2, where we get more insight into Jo while Kate grows more confused. They’re at the same restaurant as before, but they’re sitting on opposite sides of the table. Kate is wearing a light grey sweater, and Jo is wearing a grey suit, grey sweater and light blue shirt. The way their wardrobe coloring is coordinated in this moment is done for two reasons: to show that these characters have a connection, and to show that Jo’s actions in this scene are something she believes to be right.

Jo notes that it's nice to get out of the station and that it's easier to talk there. About Terry. Talk about Terry Boyle they do, and AC-12's interest in interviewing him. Kate asks about the rumors between Jo and Farida, and Jo denies it all, including her sexuality in all. When she leaves to go to the restroom, Kate has a look of confusion on her face. At first glance, this seems to be Jo separating herself from Farida for fear of discovery, but her clothes give us a hint at her real motivation. Jo is trying to discourage Kate from their burgeoning relationship by implying that she wouldn’t be interested. This clearly makes Jo uncomfortable, but it’s the first clear step she takes to distance herself from Kate once she realizes how her association with the other woman puts Kate in danger. This is also a self-preservation tactic - if she and Kate aren’t as close, it might not hurt as much if the OCG get to her.

This is also the last time we see the two of them out of work together until the fateful lorry park.

Back at work, however, the bent bastard is getting a commendation from Buckells for his heroic actions, which disgusts Kate in her grey turtleneck. She goes to leave the room but stops when she meets Jo, wearing a navy suit and red shirt. Kate uses the opportunity to fish for information about Pilkington, and is met with a surprise: Jo didn’t put Ryan on the team, Buckells did. Kate in her grey is still seeking answers about Ryan, while Jo in her red is trying to shift attention away from her bent activities (though she was honest about not looking to put Ryan on the team - she was lucky enough to have that thrust upon her).

Jo then takes this chance to swing by Farida’s apartment, and finds out that AC-12 is doing another search of the property, which clearly makes her afraid of what they’ll discover, aka her DNA all over the house.

After visiting Farida’s, we see an utterly distraught and scared Jo return to her apartment, the blue haven.

Despite Jo’s fears after visiting Farida’s, her prayers are somewhat answered in the form of one DI Kate Fleming. Both are wearing the same outfits from Jo’s cross-office staredown of Kate’s meeting with Lomax, and Kate is bearing the fruits of that conversation. She didn’t trust the witness’ statement, and had Chris do some further digging, only to discover the witness and Buckells had a previous connection. Jo, being given a hail mary, uses this to her advantage and makes Buckells her scapegoat, but not before telling Kate the absolute truth: “I needed someone on my team I could trust completely. Someone with no chance of being bent. Who better than an anti-corruption officer?” We learn later that this is exactly why Jo hired Kate in the first place, but in reality she was trusting Kate to stop her, not Buckells.

The two arrest Buckells and take him to AC-12, and we get an interesting shot of Kate leaving in the elevator, a blue cityscape behind her with the noticeable view of yellow construction scaffolding standing out against the cool colors, visually telling the audience about her bent actions.

Jo then returns to her all blue apartment in the grey suit and green turtleneck, sending a message to an unknown user at the OCG saying it's "All under control now." The green turtleneck highlights both Jo’s feelings of being trapped with the high neckline, and her occupation of the space between justice and corruption. Like with Kate before, she’s wearing a cool color, where her heart lies, and its infection by a warm color, the iron fist of the OCG on her throat.

We close this episode with Jo staring off into the middle distance, a look somewhere between relief and desperation on her face.

#line of duty #jo davidson #kate fleming #steve arnott #lod spoilers #line of duty spoilers

24 notes · View notes

salty-dracon · 3 years

Text

hello my lovelies it is time for more caligula 2 with autotranslations~

By the way if you’re wondering why I keep referring to the subway as a “party train”, here’s why.

Though Doctor was physically in dire straits last time, having fainted out of fear for Maria Ideguchi aka Kranke, we did the right thing and took him back to the PARTY TRAIN, which apparently has a potted plant in it? i fucking love this subway, man. The others are freaking out, and trying to think of ways to help him, but Doctor eventually wakes up on his own. He realizes he’s in the base of the Go Home Club. He realizes that he wasn’t able to locate it on his own because it was a moving train this whole time. Ryuto notes that Doctor can’t leave or escape on his own, as Chi controls the entire space in there. While he’s there, though, the club wants to ask him some questions.

Doctor confirms that there are eight musicians, with the group having defeated five including him and having met two more. He says that the last person they’re missing is Kudan, who is the second most powerful after Bluffman. (On a side note I find it so cute that Sasara keeps referring to Machina as Machina-chan, it reminds me of Suzuna’s relationship with Shonen-Doll from the first game.) He also states that the Musicians were invited by Bluffman to join and lead Redo alongside Regret. Kiriko confirms this with Pandora’s earlier statement. Doctor apparently had no idea that we beat Pandora before. The commonality between all of the Musicians themselves is that they were Doll-P, which means they composed songs using vocal synthesizer programs like Mu in real life. Doctor notes that some were actually starting to make names for themselves as vocaloid producers before Bluffman invited them, while others weren’t, so he doesn’t know what the exact criteria are. (I think.)

When he’s asked about what kinds of people make up Redo, Doctor states that it’s pretty much all people who have some kind of regret in their life, big or small. Basically, anyone trapped by regret IRL is trapped by Regret’s power in Redo. However, Doctor notes that everyone here came of their own volition. Kobato counters that that can’t be the case, because he was just frustrated before he came here. Doctor said that by listening to and sympathizing with Regret’s song, he implicitly gave his consent to be trapped in Redo. He also says that anyone trapped in Redo is suffering from some kind of regret which they remember, and that he is no exception.

When he’s asked about who or what Regret is, he says that she is a virtuadoll, who gains power when real people worship her and her music. Other than that, he doesn’t know much. Who made her, and where and why, he doesn’t know. That being said, he only joined up with her because being in Redo was convenient for him, and not because of any fascination with Regret herself. At the very least, she was better for that purpose than Mu was. This comment sets Chi off, but Gin calms her down.

As for the virus, it was just made to lure the club to the hospital. And it, just like everything else in this world, is just a virtual construction, or data. Bluffman made it according to Doctor’s specifications. It’s otherwise not dangerous, and will heal on its own, but like the flu, it’s only dangerous because people are the source of its energy. That being said, he actually did intend to kill Sasara and Prez, so he has no idea how they’re alive now. This freaks out the group, and he finishes off by saying sooner or later, they’ll likely die too. I think this shows that the Musicians and Regret aren’t really in tune with each others’ desires, and that might be their downfall.

As for Marie, we were told by Bluffman that she is a “special case”, although according to Google the better translation is “singularity”. Doctor reaffirms her status as a singularity, but freaks out when he learns that Marie has been working with us the whole time. He states that the origin of Redo was something called “Micro Mobius”. Mu and Bluffman found it together and updated it over time into what is now known as Redo. Micro Mobius was a world originally created for one person by Mu- Marie Amabuki. Bluffman told Doctor that if an anomaly occurs at the core of Redo, it will collapse, with the core referring to Marie. (This is likely a throwback to the untranslated light novel which stars Marie Mizuguchi. If our Marie is just Mizuguchi without her regrets, everything makes sense to me!)

Or, in other words, if Marie dies... Redo will disappear on its own. This freaks out the team, with none of them really sure what to think. However, we choose to believe Doctor. That being said, Ryuto says we now have a big choice to make. We kill Marie and return to the real world immediately, or we save her and fight Regret instead, who is much too powerful for us. Ryuto says that if we kill Marie, it’ll be a risk-free way to return to the real world, as Regret is too strong, but the others say that it’s only right to save her. Sasara gets angry for the first time.

Doctor asks to be let out of the subway, but Gin stops him and asks him how he can even trust himself. Doctor reveals that his regret was botching a surgery on Kranke and causing her to lose her ability to walk. We note that in Redo, that shouldn’t be a problem, but he says even he doesn’t know why that’s the case, and Bluffman won’t tell him why. He’s only cooperating with Bluffman and Regret so that when Regret becomes stronger, she’d find a solution. Awww that’s a sad backstory. Ryuto chews him out for being a doctor that’s only focusing on healing one patient, to which Doctor replies that he doesn’t like treating human patients like data.

Doctor passes out again, so we let him rest. Ryuto restates that we have to kill Marie for the best chance of getting out of Redo alive. The others aren’t happy with the idea, but don’t see any other choice. Strangely, Chi agrees with Ryuto. The others are shocked until Chi reveals that we ran into Regret in the hospital and tried to fight her, but she was on a different level entirely. Kobato asks us what we thought, we answer. We think of some more proof that Doctor wasn’t lying to us. But it’s a lot to take in, so we’re splitting up for the night.

5 notes · View notes

ladylynse · 4 years

Text

The Trouble with Ghosts: Lancer hadn’t realized how closely young Mr. Fenton’s school troubles–and the secrets he surely wasn’t telling his parents–were tied to ghosts until after that encounter with Phantom.

<< < Part XII [FF | AO3]

-|-

Lancer wasn’t entirely surprised to see that he was missing one of the shrubs on his front lawn. The Shakespeare lawn ornament wouldn’t be salvageable, either; the poor fellow was bent up enough to have written Richard Armour’s Twisted Tales from Shakespeare himself.

Still, he stepped aside to allow Mr. and Mrs. Fenton into his house without a word.

“You said Danny’s safe,” Maddie was saying. “Where is he? What happened? Did he tell you?”

“Did you just find him after he got away from that no-good ghost?” Jack put in. “Did—”

“Danny’s doing remarkably well, considering the circumstances,” Lancer said. “Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, might I have a word before you go to visit your son?”

A trace of a frown crossed Maddie’s face. “You mean before we pick him up to take him home.”

“I sincerely hope that to be the case.” He gestured toward his living room, where he’d set out another chair and cleared up most of his books, banishing everything that didn’t fit on the bookshelves out here to his bedroom. He planned to find more permanent homes for them all once these more pressing issues had been addressed—which is to say, he planned to buy and assemble at least one new bookshelf, once he found one that would fit within his remaining wall space. It would be a rather cathartic exercise after all of this. “If you wouldn’t mind?”

“If this is about Danny skipping his detention again,” Maddie said slowly as they all settled into their seats, “I’m sure you’d agree that being caught in a ghost attack is a reasonable excuse for his absence, at least in this instance?”

“That ghost scum is determined to attack our family,” Jack added, not bothering to clarify which particular ghost he meant. Lancer dearly hoped he didn’t blame Phantom for all of this.

“On the contrary, Mrs. Fenton, it has come to my attention that your son has a very honourable excuse for all the detentions and classes he has missed.”

“Oh?”

“I’m afraid it’s his right to give you the details, and he’s agreed to do just that.” Under pressure, admittedly, but Lancer couldn’t see how they could do this without the cooperation of the Fentons. Besides that, it wasn’t right for Danny to keep this secret from them when it endangered his life. Were he a parent, he would rather make amends than continue to target his own child. The very idea of allowing this to continue as it had…. It was appalling.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Your son has, shall we say, done a considerable amount of community service. While I cannot merely forgive every failing grade, I do believe that I can ensure that he receives partial credit for his work. I will also speak to my colleagues and see that they are more understanding of his absences, tardiness, and—if you’ll allow me to be quite frank—his inability to remain awake during class. With special allowances, Danny will be able to write makeup tests for those he misses and submit additional assignments for extra credit when need be.”

Maddie’s eyebrows rose, but Jack beat her to the question, saying, “You’d do all that for Danny-boy?”

Lancer spread his hands. “Really, it is the least I can do. I cannot speak for my colleagues, and I’m not sure how much he’ll allow me to share with them, but I do have considerable influence. We all know your son isn’t stupid; we merely had no idea what the problem truly was.”

“And his problem, so to speak, was community service?” There was a touch of hesitation in Maddie’s voice. The barest hint of incredulity. She knew that wasn’t strictly correct, but she couldn’t imagine the truth.

Frankly, Lancer couldn’t blame her. He’d have never dreamed it, either.

“Let’s just call it some rather unconventional extracurricular activities for now, shall we?”

“He was doing that—whatever that is—when the ghost found him,” Jack guessed. “So it’s made him a target of ghosts? And he can’t even carry around an ectogun in school? Are you going to talk to the board? Try to get them to make an exception for those who can prove they know how to use them? They shouldn’t cause more than a mild burn to human skin—”

“The no weapons policy will still include ectoguns,” interrupted Lancer. “At best, I can draft a proposal for your Fenton Thermos—a purely defensive weapon which cannot be used, accidentally or intentionally, against other humans in any way other than a conventional thermos might—but you would have to be prepared to draw up a distribution plan for those thermoses, as well as designated days they can be emptied or traded for empty thermoses. And I’m rather afraid the testing period would be quite extensive; we have no idea how someone might try to modify your thermos to achieve more nefarious effects, and we cannot hand any of our students, however much training they’ve had, a weapon that could be turned on others. Of course, the propriety of your design—”

“Perhaps,” interjected Maddie, “you could keep your proposal to just Danny and Jazz, given their experience and likelihood of being targeted?”

“There would still be no guarantee. Lockers are hardly impenetrable.”

“But they would be more likely to allow it, considering what happened to Danny.” Jack crossed his arms. “Extra activities or not, he was still on school property. At least try.”

Lancer ducked his head, acknowledging their points. “It is certainly something to consider amending—”

“I’ll draft the proposal and submit it to the school board,” Maddie said, “if you’re so reluctant to be associated with it. This is for my children’s protection. Even if it’s first dismissed, I want it discussed.”

She might not be quite so adamant when she realized how those very thermoses could become a detriment to her son, were someone to capture Phantom. True, Lancer didn’t think there were many sympathizers with the various ghost hunting groups that came through town, but Phantom had a lot of fans, and that wasn’t always a good thing.

Still, that was something that could be addressed in the future, and given what he’d learned from Danny, there was something else he wanted to address now. “Speaking of your children’s protection,” he began slowly, not sure if this was his place but not willing to let it go unspoken, “have you made any, ah, more recent safety amendments to your home laboratory?”

Jack and Maddie exchanged guilty looks, and Lancer had his answer before Maddie said, “The kids have their own HAZMAT suits, and they know basic lab safety and first aid.”

“Teenagers often believe themselves to be invincible,” Lancer said dryly, “and cannot always be trusted not to touch what they shouldn’t, even if they know better. Besides which, the safety of your own weapons and prototypes—”

“Danny told you how many of our weapons mistakenly target him?” Jack interrupted. “I’m working it out. I keep trying things. I’m going through them one by one. I’ve eliminated so many—”

“Please,” Lancer cut in, and Jack mercifully fell silent. He’d worried the man would bowl over his words in an attempt to justify what Lancer was beginning to think was a negligence so ingrained it felt normal. “I’ve seen a variety of your weapons. I own a few of your defensive ones. I can only guess how much you have stored in your basement and how dangerous even a handful of those weapons might be. I know it cannot be easy nor lucrative to be inventors, to run your own company, but you need to look into locating your lab somewhere else. It’s not just your safety or that of your children, though I hope that would be reason enough; were something to go catastrophically wrong, you might endanger your neighbourhood. Surely your desire to protect them in the future won’t drive you to continue to compromise their safety now?”

Jack raised a hesitant hand. “Did Danny tell you about changing the ecto-filter on the Fenton Ghost Portal? Because I, ah, might have exaggerated the consequences to get him to do it. More than once.”

Judging by the look on Maddie’s face as Jack said this, Lancer doubted she thought Jack had been exaggerating terribly, and that just made it worse. They were aware of what could go wrong and hadn’t sought to even look at potential properties to continue their research? Money was a factor, it had to be, more so than convenience, and pride might have kept them from asking Vlad, but considering the quality and quantity of weapons they produced, they were making something.

Perhaps, if they reinvested in infrastructure instead of buying new supplies to craft different weapons….

But perhaps that wasn’t what was holding them back at all.

Perhaps it was the ghost portal in their basement.

And the accident that could very well involve it, if Vlad’s had involved its prototype.

It made a cruel bit of sense. If Danny’s accident was indeed tied to the ghost portal, his parents did not know the details. And that meant that they couldn’t know everything that Danny had done with the portal, how he had tweaked their settings or whatever had gone on, and that meant they weren’t sure if they could replicate their results.

And they were afraid that they couldn’t.

Even if they didn’t know the truth, even if they didn’t suspect the truth, they knew there was something they didn’t know, and that had kept them from trying to separate their work and home lives even once safety had become an issue.

“Danny has left me to draw far too many of my own conclusions,” Lancer said slowly, “but he’s told me enough to give me cause for concern.”

Maddie straightened in her seat, recognizing something in his words before her husband. Not the right thing, perhaps, but enough of it. “Surely you don’t think we don’t care for Danny and Jazz?”

“I think you care a great deal indeed,” Lancer said, “but I fear that when it comes to your chosen occupation, you can both be rather…overzealous. To the point of preoccupation.”

“You really believe we care more for our work than for them?” Maddie’s voice was quiet. Cold. Lancer had never heard her angry before. A glance at Jack revealed hurt in his eyes at the thinly veiled accusation, but he held his tongue.

“I think your beliefs about ghosts can be a rather complicating point in your relationship with your children,” Lancer said carefully.

“We care about our kids,” Jack growled, “and we care enough to stop ghosts from doing anything else like this. The Fenton Spectre Deflector—”

“Mr. Fenton, I suspect both your children are more than capable of handling themselves in a ghost fight.” If Jazz knew the truth about Danny, she would have been helping him whenever Sam and Tucker could not—most likely, whether or not he thought he needed that help. She would be involved in more than a few isolated incidents, and she clearly knew the full truth about Vlad. “I do, however, wonder if you’ve ever taken the time to listen to them speak about the subject, or if you’ve simply contented yourselves with lecturing to them.”

“Of course we listen to them.” Maddie got to her feet, and Jack jumped to his as well. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lancer, but if that’s all you have to say, I’m afraid it can wait until after we’ve taken Danny home. If you would like to have a candid discussion about how Danny’s doing in school or at home, we can set up a conference once we know Danny is safe.”

Lancer didn’t rise from his chair. “I can assure you that is my intention.”

She smiled at him, but though her anger no longer showed in her voice, it came through in the lack of warmth in her expression. “Excellent. We’ll speak with you early next week to arrange a time.”

They didn’t want to listen to him right now.

He hoped that was merely out of concern for Danny and the fact that this conversation was keeping them from their son.

He hoped he hadn’t been wrong.

“Danny is just down the hall. In the bedroom on your left.”

Jack and Maddie murmured polite thank-yous before heading down the hall. Lancer took a few deep breaths but couldn’t steady his nerves. After everything that had happened…. Oh, for the love of The Railway Children, he hoped he hadn’t made a mistake, but it was far too late for him to second guess his decisions now. He’d make more tea—he’d happily drink the entire pot himself if no one else wanted any—and then join them. If nothing else, he’d have to apologize to Danny. His conversation with Jack and Maddie had not gone nearly as well as he’d hoped.

-|-

His parents burst into the room, all questions and concern, and Danny was happy he’d only eaten a little; his stomach was twisting enough that he wasn’t sure even that was safe.

Valerie pushed herself up and sat at the foot of the bed, neatly avoiding his parents as they came in with hugs and kisses and more questions.

Too many questions, considering they wouldn’t want to hear the answers.

“Mom, Dad, it’s okay. I’m fine.” A lie. His usual one. Habit. “Mr. Lancer’s been taking good care of me.”

“How long have you been here?” Maddie asked.

“Which ghost took you from the hospital? I’ll tear it apart molecule by mol—”

“It wasn’t a ghost.” If he was going to tell them the truth—and he couldn’t very well chicken out with Valerie right there, which come to think of it was probably the real reason she’d stayed—he might as well start there. “I didn’t…. I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I…I asked Mr. Lancer to take me to his place.”

“Sweetie, you know if you’re concerned about ecto-contamination, we’re much better equipped at home than the hospital, and we’d understand—”

“It’s not ecto-contamination.” He bit his lip. “I mean, I don’t…. I don’t think it is. Maybe it is. I just…. It…. That part doesn’t matter anyway. These—” he gestured at his injuries “—didn’t come from a ghost.” They came because I was the ghost. Except he couldn’t make his mouth form those words. “It was an accident.” Everything was an accident, except for the part where Vlad had specifically targeted him. “Phantom—”

“I knew that putrid piece of protoplasm was going to be involved!” Jack exclaimed. “Don’t worry, Danny, when we find him—”

“You don’t have to look for him.” He had to bite his tongue and swallow the urge to follow that statement with lies. Anything to mislead them. “He’s…here.”

“And not responsible,” Valerie said loudly as Jack and Maddie produced various weapons. “For any of this. Trust me, I was there, too. I was just lucky enough to get out of it unscathed.” They turned to her, but she answered their question before they could voice it. “I didn’t see Danny or I would’ve said something. I didn’t realize he was there until later.”

Man, she was good at that. Maybe that’s why she’d gotten away with ghost hunting for so long. He’d always figured her dad was more aware of her activities than his parents were of his.

Of course, now she was looking at him, obviously waiting for him to take what she figured was a golden opportunity.

Why did this have to be so hard?

“I was…hiding.” That wasn’t the right word for it. “I mean, I was there, but Valerie didn’t know I was there. No one knew I was there.” He didn’t know how to start explaining this. All he knew, now that those words were out of his mouth, was that this was not the best start. “She didn’t recognize me.” Was that any better?

“What do you mean, honey?”

Okay, clearly not any better. Why couldn’t he just come out and say it? I’m Danny Phantom. That’s it. That’s all he had to say. Three little words.

They probably wouldn’t shoot him immediately, considering Valerie was in the room.

Her presence should be enough to make them pause long enough to question him, as opposed to the usual ‘shoot first, ask questions never’ policy. They shouldn’t automatically assume that this was a trick of Phantom’s, that he’d developed the ability to shapeshift or something and was trying to pretend to be their son. Even though they already assumed ghosts were out to get them and were willing to use any trick in the book and….

Still. Valerie had taken it well. And his parents had in the past. Granted, they’d been a bit more prepared for it in the past. Somewhat. This wasn’t….

He should just spit it out.

“Do you remember when you first built the portal?” Maybe that was a better place to start.

His parents exchanged glances. “What are you getting at, Danny-boy?”

“My accident. In the lab. When you guys weren’t home, and I convinced you I didn’t need to go to the hospital once you got back. That I’d be fine. That I was fine.” He hesitated, watching as their expressions pulled into confused frowns. “I wouldn’t even have told you if I’d thought you wouldn’t notice we’d been down there. Me and Sam and Tuck, I mean. Because I was…scared.”

“Sweetie, you know you don’t need to be afraid of us. We don’t want you touching our prototypes because we’re not sure they’re safe for everyone else to use yet, and we don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I know. I…. Even though the portal was done, even though it wasn’t working, I just…. It was stupid. We were being…. We weren’t thinking. I mean, I still put on my HAZMAT suit, since I was poking around, but it was…. It wasn’t that I tripped on a cord and caused something to short out and something else to start working, or whatever we told you. I can’t even remember. The thing is, I actually went inside the portal. And then it…turned on. I mean, I…. I hit something. And then it started to work. While I was still inside.”

Silence. Fear on their faces. Concern, more like. His mom had gone white, and his dad put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. “Danny,” she whispered, “that could have killed you.”

That was the crux of it, wasn’t it? It nearly had. Maybe it really had. He still wasn’t even sure what he was. Poindexter had called him a halfa, and Danny had joked about being half ghost, but half ghost wasn’t really a thing. Half dead wasn’t really a thing, either. True, he hadn’t exactly tested the boundaries as far as he could have while Phantom—he still took air with him into space, even though he’d gambled that the cold and the vacuum wouldn’t immediately kill him, but…. Shouldn’t it have? If he was really human at his core?

He hadn’t thought about it at the time.

He hadn’t thought that he might not be able to change back.

Did that mean he really was more a ghost that could pretend to be a human than a human with ghost powers? What he and Vlad did, what Dani could do—was that just an extremely unique ability? Like his ghostly wail? Was that ability what really defined a halfa, just like shapeshifters had a greater control over their form than the average ghost?

Or was it just what Jazz had theorized, some infusion of ectoplasm messing with his DNA? Maybe it was just extreme ecto-contamination that should have killed him but hadn’t. Because of how he’d gotten it.

Just like Vlad.

“I know.” Danny looked away, not wanting to see their faces. He caught sight of Valerie’s horrified expression and turned away from her, too, only to find Lancer at the door. He had no idea how long Lancer had been standing there. He’d never heard the kettle whistling, but Lancer had reset the tray with a tea pot, a box of hot chocolate mix, and an array of empty mugs and spoons. His expression was more of grim acceptance than horror or surprise.

Maybe he’d guessed as much from what Danny had told him earlier.

Maybe he’d just guessed as much because he knew the Fentons pretty well after all those parent-teacher conferences he kept calling, not to mention all the ghost attacks he’d witnessed.

Danny tore his eyes away and stared at his hands instead, knitting his fingers together and breaking them apart and twisting them together again. “The thing is, when I first woke up…. I thought it had. Killed me, I mean. I was…. I was terrified. I wasn’t…. I wasn’t myself.”

He should look at them. Try to read their reactions. Gauge the situation. See if they’d figured it out, so he didn’t have to say it.

But he was afraid he might see something else in their eyes or their expressions. Something he didn’t want to see.

“My reflection wasn’t mine.” He didn’t want to be doing this. Why had he agreed to do this? He could have convinced Lancer to give him a bit more time, surely. Or at least managed to get Jazz here. She’d be good at damage control. She’d anticipate their questions and have answers at the ready, while he…. He wasn’t sure how much he was thinking and how much he was just talking to keep from outright panicking. “The boy in the mirror that looked back at me…. It was Phantom. I’m Phantom.”

He waited for questions.

He waited for denials.

He waited for the telltale whine of any of their myriad of weapons to power up.

Instead, springs creaked and the mattress shifted as his mother sat down on the bed between him and Valerie. Looking up, Danny saw his father sink into the chair Lancer had abandoned earlier. Neither of them said anything.

No one else did, either.

“Sam and Tucker knew from the start, since they were there when it happened,” Danny said into the stretching silence. “Jazz figured it out a long time ago. They’ve been helping me. I…. I didn’t know how to tell you, so I asked them not to say anything. To anyone.”

Maddie reached out and pried one of his hands free, gripping it tightly in her own. Now that he couldn’t go intangible, he wasn’t sure it was a grip he could break and stay free, and for a few panicked milliseconds, he thought she was grabbing him to keep him in one place. He wanted to pull back—had to actively fight the urge to pull back—and wait.

He knew it couldn’t have been a long wait, but it felt like an eon passed before Maddie said, “It doesn’t matter how you told us. It…it matters that you’ve told us.”

He couldn’t read all the emotions in her expression, but she wasn’t angry. She wasn’t ready to blame Phantom, to call this a trick, to pull him closer and hold an ectogun to his head.

And when his eyes flicked to Jack’s, he saw pride there.

Maybe they believed him after all. Maybe this wasn’t going to go as horribly as he’d imagined. Maybe—

“Breathe, Danny,” came Valerie’s voice, and he remembered to suck in a much-needed breath and relax.

And then he let himself change.

He wasn’t sure if his mother’s flinch was in reaction to the sudden light or the fact that the hand she now held was the gloved one of a ghost she’d long considered an enemy, but it still hurt.

It really, really hurt.

Even if she hadn’t meant it to.

“Danny-boy,” Jack breathed, but he didn’t say anything else.

“I’m sorry,” Danny whispered.

Maddie squeezed his hand and glanced back at Jack before saying, “We’re sorry, too, sweetie. For not listening.”

“And for making you afraid to tell us,” Jack added. He got to his feet and wrapped Danny and Maddie in a hug. “We still love you, son. Don’t think we don’t.”

Danny was pretty sure he heard Valerie mumble I told you so under her breath, but he didn’t care. He just hugged them back and let his tears soak into their shoulders.

(see more fics | next)

#danny phantom #danny fenton #mr lancer #jack fenton #maddie fenton #dp fanfiction #phanfiction #fanfiction #my writing #ladylynse #the trouble with ghosts #dp snippet #snippets

145 notes · View notes

corinthbayrpg · 3 years

Photo

NAME. Jackson Visconti AGE & BIRTH DATE. 26 & October 27th, 1996 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male & He/Him SPECIES. Witch ( Spirit + Clairvoyance ) OCCUPATION. Journalist at Corinthian Column & Freelance Writer FACE CLAIM. Max Minghella

BIOGRAPHY

( tw: suicide ) Born 1996 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Jackson was the middle of five children in a familial coven of witches that had long practiced ancestral magic that was rooted to their home in the countryside. Their affinity for earth was well known in the supernatural community and made them successful in the agricultural field, generations of wealth accumulated more land and resources that built the family name into what it was in the twenty-first century: Visconti farms was synonymous with nearly every wholefoods or grocery supermarket across the nation with a wide range of produce and products that marked them as a staple.

The Visconti family was known for their ancestral power as mentalists, power over the mind was their trademark and while Jackson was not as powerful as his father or even some of his siblings, he was not exempt. A natural-born clairvoyant, the truth was also Jackson’s burden to bare. He did not understand it at first, the inkling feeling he would get when he was listening to others but the witch came to understand that his sixth sense allowed him to gather insight from people, places, and things that other could not. A hunch that was always right. Jackson could inherently tell when he was being lied to, except in the case of his mother whose own magical heritage allowed protection over her mind,

Wealth and influence was Jackson’s inheritance, but his father was never satisfied with what they had. His desire for expansion into spirits brought the family to Louisiana where they moved into the bourbon industry as well. Well established and connected already, they purchased a slew of smaller distilleries that were already native to the area and grew their power that much more. Only thirteen at the time, Jackson had to adjust to a new city, new friends, and an entirely new way of life. New Orleans was a hub of local culture, tourism, and opportunity. With a rich history that was deeply embedded within not just the people but the city itself. For a clairvoyant witch this was all both a blessing and a curse, it made the place loud, and at times disturbing. As he grew older he began to see through the cracks of his family’s well-articulated image and began to seek less comfort in those he was raised with and instead looked for solace in those he had come to know.

Found friends could be family too, and there was kinship to in the spirits of the old that were trapped within the walls of the lands where they could never leave. Jackson had a long-standing affinity for earth and spent more time in his family’s greenhouse than he ever did with classmates. That was of course until he met Casper, the man was a shifter whose family was not at all unlike his own in that they were well-versed with the supernatural world. The friendship was one of convenience as the boys were of the same age, grade, and social standing, but the validity of it transcended anything that their parents had conspired for them on their behalf. Jackson would tug Casper along whenever he visited graveyards or the rich swamps of Louisiana bayous.

Left alone for long periods of time as Jackson’s parents traveled for work, the earth witch was a familiar sight among the Hahn family. His own siblings were content with being left to their own devices, naturally adapt and occasionally cruel - Jackson wanted for more. He found it with the Hahns, school nights, weekends, and even holidays where he wasn’t pulled away for a Visconti function was spent with Casper’s family. The two were like brothers, the sort of brothers that Jackson had always wished that he had, instead of the pair of older and younger siblings who mocked Jackson’s preference for plant life over people.

When the time came to decide where Jackson was going after High School, it seemed natural to follow Casper to California. There he studied literature with a major in journalism and thought to put his affinity for finding both prose and the truth to good use. While Casper seemed naturally attuned to the west coast lifestyle, Jackson was not so quick to acclimate. His friend wanted stardom and a place among Hollywood’s elite... But Jackson just wanted to continue to hone his craft, and do what he could to uncover the truth. He wrote for the school paper and published a few articles before graduation, nothing groundbreaking; a scandal among the maintenance union, a secret cult within the fraternities, and a history of preference towards students whose parents made considerable donations to the campus. The fact that lies weren’t well placed among him didn’t make Jackson popular, nor did it really give him much interest in making friends outside of Casper. It wasn’t that he flaunted his power, it was that the clairvoyant had no choice in it - he wished to be told a lie that he could believe. Instead his burden was the truth.

Graduation meant a release into adulthood and the independence from his parents that he’d longed for, no matter tuition held over his head, or bills that they paid on his behalf. He opted to move to New York and figured if there was anywhere that an up and coming journalist and aspiring writer could make it, it was there. From here he gave Casper a place to crash whenever the would-be Hollywood hero was ever in town, and from here Jackson wrote, his own dreams somewhere on the horizon. Drawn naturally towards the occult and towards horror, the underbelly nightlife was a natural fit for Jackson. Before long he picked up a tip from an officer of a string of suspicious suicides, men and women who were perfectly happy until they suddenly went downhill. Friends and family never understood why, but they were always seeing someone. The witch snooped around clubs and bars, all the hangouts that were localized to one specific New York borough, he relied on his power to try and find the person responsible but came up with nothing. One night he told his story to a handsome stranger, the guy bought him a few rounds and had a way of making Jackson feel at ease while most people had the opposite effect. One thing led to another and they ended up back at Jackson’s flat, when he woke up the next morning the stranger was gone, and so was Jackson’s magic right along with his soul.

It was his mother who told him what happened and filled him in on the incredibly rare but destructive power of an incubus. And it was she that also told him how to locate a cure, only a phoenix could restore a soul that had been taken by the cubi, and so using his family’s connections he tracked one down to the place that Casper had been all but begging him to go to for months: Corinth Bay. Finding the phoenix was easy, convincing him to regenerate Jackson’s soul was even easier, but what came after was never supposed to happen. Jackson’s clairvoyance returned, but his connection to the earth did not - instead it was replaced by something else. Something dark. Left to figure out what this all meant, Jackson’s family had no answers for him, but at least he had a place with Casper and the two were officially in Corinth together.

PERSONALITY

+ diligent, patient, curious - aloof, secretive, withdrawn

PLAYED BY SHANE. EST. He/Him.

#taken #male #witch #jackson visconti #max minghella

3 notes · View notes

itsuki-minamy · 4 years

Text

“I NEED”

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

He woke up.

Suoh lifted his body off the bed, scratching his bangs and yawning. When he reached out for the nightstand, he grabbed the pack of cigarettes, opened the lid, and opened his mouth...

He could not. It was empty.

After looking at the empty box with one eye down, Suoh got up from the bed. He discards the crushed empty box and look for the stock on the shelf. However, there was no box left on the shelf where there were supposed to be several. He picked up the jacket he threw and searched in his pocket, but... he turned the pocket he uses only occasionally, but again, there was nothing.

Suoh frowned.

He had been standing in the middle of the room for a while, but after protesting the missing piece again, he changed his clothes and left the room.

He rudely washes his face, goes downstairs to the first floor. The “HOMRA” bar has not yet opened.

Anna should also be outside the bar. Suoh entered the counter unattended and opened the lower door of the rear shelf. This is the place where Kusanagi stores the cigarette stock. But there was no cigarette box. As a precaution, he checks the next and next shelf, but found none.

Suoh's scowling face grew steeper.

He left the counter and looked around the store. Then he looks around to see if anyone had put a cigarette on the table, near the window, in a pot, next to the aquarium, etc. Of course, it is not so convenient. He mumbles, "This is not good.", and Suoh reluctantly sat down on the couch. Cross-legged, fingertips spread out in his pocket as usual, but after his fingertips felt empty, he had to reconfirm the fact that he was running out of cigarettes.

The fingertips, with nowhere to go, crinkle his hair. It was then that the store entrance opened.

"Oh, what? What happened?"

Kusanagi, holding a paper bag, called out to him. Continuing, Kamamoto also grimaced and said, "Oh, Mikotoi-san." He looked like he was out shopping and holding a plastic bag with both hands.

Suoh focuses on the first opening,

"Kusanagi. Do you have a cigarette?"

How come you don't have it? My stock is behind the counter."

"There is nothing."

"Isn't there anything? I don't know. Um... well, I don't have it right now either."

After searching his pocket, Kusanagi lowers his shoulders.

When Suoh turned her eyes to Kamamoto,

"Sorry, I don't have one. Oh, but I'll buy it all by myself."

Although Kamamoto has just returned from shopping, Kamamoto tries to retrieve it without leaving the plastic bag.

As expected, Suoh shrugged his shoulders.

"This is not good."

Saying that, he got up from the couch. The cigarette store is not far. It is faster to go alone.

"Oh, Mikoto. Carry an umbrella. It's about to rain."

"I don't need it. I'll be back soon."

In response to Kusanagi's advice, Suoh left the store.

"Closed today."

Suoh stood for a moment, looking at the cigarette store with the sign closed. A thick cloud of rain spread over his head.

"Welcome."

Suoh, who entered a convenience store, is welcomed.

Suoh, looked at the back of the counter and the shelves full of cigarette packs,

"Number fifty."

He said the brand number shortly.

But,

"Yes. Number fifty. Age confirmation note, present your identification.”

"What?"

"Tobacco, minors, is not good. Present your identification."

"......"

Look at the employee again.

Young woman. Probably an international student from abroad. Looking at Suoh's appearance and attitude, he cannot be said to be a pleasant person, from the front with a completely involuntary look. On the chest, a sign with the words "Training." glowed brightly.

"Ah..."

It goes without saying that Suoh does not carry a personal identification card. First, he had never been asked to show his identification at a convenience store.

However, only the newcomers in front of them are at the register. There seems to be another store employee, but the product is displayed at the back of the store, and it seemed like he couldn't let it go.

"......"

When he looked back in front of his eyes, the new employee didn't seem to be attentive and continued to look at him.

Well, what to do when Suoh's lips curled.

"Oya oya, no. Don't disturb the employee."

A familiar voice was heard from behind, and a deep coat was etched between Suoh's eyebrows. Looking back over his shoulder, he looks like a wild cat that finds a gross dog.

"What's happen, Munakata?"

"Nothing, I'm just waiting for the cashier to be available. So not only the employee but I am also in trouble. Do you want to buy cigarettes? Show your identification quickly."

"Idiot, I have never shown it."

"I don't care about the past. They told you to show it, so you should show it. But if you don't have a decent identification, you can't do it.''

Munakata giggles. He hasn't smoked since he woke up today. It also irritates he a bit, but he has a completely frustrated smile regardless of that.

Suoh looked at Munakata with a sharp gaze, but honestly, it's ridiculous to answer him here. First, it was punitive to look at the face of a man who was even more frustrated. Suoh turned quietly and left the cashier. Munakata looked at his face as if he was missing a heartbeat, but immediately put the item in his hand into the cash register.

"Please... oh, number fifty!"

Suoh's shoulder sways and his legs stop.

Munakata has a cool face,

"I will give you.''

"What are you up too?"

“Well, this is also a type of security maintenance. It is annoying to leave a beast that has run out of nicotine roaming the city.''

As he says it, he looks over his shoulder, he's like a handsome watchdog looking at a stray cat. Then, with a filthy clever gesture, he pulls out the identification and presents it to the employee. Suoh laughed as if peeling his fangs.

"Munakata."

"I don't need a thank you."

"If there's a fire, don't say it. I'll light it."

After saying that, Suoh left the store this time. Munakata laughed and received a cigarette from the employee.

Usually, when he buys a cigarette from a vending machine, he need a special pre-registered card. However, there are exceptions to everything, for example, an old rusty vending machine that was installed behind a gaming center in a certain location. The old vending machine, where you can buy cigarettes if you put money in, was run until he became an adult. Suoh, standing in front of the vending machine behind the veranda that he visited for the first time in a few years, pulled coins from his jeans pocket.

He put the coins in the vending machine and pressed the button. The sound of the vending machine running and the pack of cigarettes falling out is...

It did not.

Suoh hits a hundred.

Press the button again. After all, there was no sign of smoking. Check the exit just in case, but it wasn't there. Unexpectedly, when he hits the surface of the vending machine, the red "Out of Stock" light on the button he presses comes on.

Suoh's eyes shine like a sword light.

He replaces the coin to press a button with a different pattern... but this time the quantity is insufficient. He searches all his pockets, but he no longer had any coins.

"......"

With the eyes that the members of "Homura" would move away at the speed of light, Suoh was treated this time, he observes an old vending machine that showed a terrible betrayal.

The raindrops falling from the sky made a stain on Suoh's shoulder.

"Oh, Mikoto. After all, didn't you bring an umbrella? And when you got wet... What? Mikoto? What happened?"

Kusanagi smiled at Suoh, who returned drenched and changed his expression on the way. He is holding his face to keep from laughing, like Kamamoto.

Ignoring the reaction of those two people, Suoh quietly climbs the stairs. He turned around the room to find his identification, tossed his wallet in his jeans pocket, and went downstairs. Kusanagi and Kamamoto, who had been talking in secret, stopped moving their tongues, but Suoh was not looking at them in the first place.

Yata ran in, kicking at the door.

"Mikoto-san! The boys below are the yakuza I just found, and I'm going to try again..."

Yata's voice, whose eyes were angry and excited, became shocked when he saw Suoh. Of course, not because Suoh was drenched, but because it was unusual. Unexpectedly, he looks at Kusanagi and Kamamoto for explanations, but at the same time they shook their heads violently.

"Yakuza... Yakuzas..."

The voice that spills gives fever. Suoh laughed ridiculously.

"If they are yakuzas, some should smoke. Right, Yata?”

"Yes, yes!"

"Guide me."

If he were the usual Yata, he would have been very stubborn and would have left the store. However, at that moment, Yata unknowingly swallowed and looked at Kusanagi and Kamamoto again. They both shook their heads violently.

It took him less than five minutes to knock them down.

The yakuza's screaming voices crawl across the floor of a large inorganic warehouse. It rained a lot and was tearing up the roof. Yata, who guided him, was smart enough to detect danger at an early stage, and left the scene with the "Homura" members who were in trouble with the yakuza.

The only things left in the warehouse were unconscious yakuzas and rough Suoh.

"That's right. Always, healthy and good."

Suoh reaches for the inside pocket of the suit while holding the passed out yakuza by the chest. This is the last of the 10 yakuzas. Irritability has reached its limit.

Suoh's expression cleared. He grabs "it" that he touched with the tips of his fingers to bite it, and discards the yakuza. It is a cigarette. Plus, it's a brand Suoh loves to smoke. No, not yet. It is early to feel relieved. Suoh ties his lips and opens the lid with a serious look.

There was one. Suoh smiled and pinched the last one with his finger.

But,

"Tsu!"

The attack that occurred immediately was a power that could not be avoided. However, Suoh, who was suddenly hit, produced flames on reflex and shook his right arm and took it flying.

The one that burned in flames and disappeared, draws a blue trajectory.

"Hey, wait! I haven't issued an attack permit yet!"

"Yes, but!"

"Now, all the members of the "Red King" are ready to fight!"

The members of "Scepter 4" ran to the warehouse. It is a face that he don't see often. If he look at the places that are not online, he may still be a newcomer. Apparently, he rushed to know the status of "Homura" and the yakuza.

However, that was irrelevant.

There is only one serious problem right now... there is a cigarette in his right hand, crushed and burned.

"......"

Suoh kept looking at the ashes in his hands for the moment without any blue trying to surround him.

He felt that something he was excited about was cut off.

At the same time,

"After picking up victims, all members must immediately get off."

Munakata appeared in the warehouse, echoing the sound of his shoes. With a serious expression. While the members hurriedly obeyed the instructions, they were still looking at Suoh.

Suoh twisted his neck and turned to Munakata.

Suoh was laughing.

"Hey, Munakata. I thought about it..."

"I do not care."

"I don't like to be taken, but it seems like a lot of fun capturing me, right?"

"It's kind of stupid, right? But the fact that they just cut a cigarette stuns you more."

Munakata tensed his shoulder and took out the cigarette he had bought.

Shake that before his eyes. Suoh's smile deepens. Munakata smiled when he was caught.

"Well. I'll take you to the appointment..."

"Unlike you, I am not free."

When the two kings cut off his line of sight, they cut off the fire from the battle and dropped it.

Add the cigarette and set it on fire.

Inhale slowly and exhale smoke.

"Not bad."

"Ah. "Not bad"? Actually, it's about cigarettes, but you can adjust it.''

Kusanagi got tired and said to Suoh at the counter. The bar will open soon. However, the date has since changed. Surprisingly, Suoh, who flew out of the bar, continued to fight Munakata throughout the night, and after sunrise, unsurprisingly, they both seemed upset, and finally stopped. After returning, he took a shower and went straight to bed. He just woke up a little while ago. By the way, what Suoh is smoking now is not Munakata's cigarette, but the cigarette that Kusanagi bought while Suoh was sleeping.

When Anna hears the situation, she looks back at the Suoh.

"Mikoto... Smoking tobacco is not good for you."

"What? Ah..."

Suoh looks at Anna for a moment and then goes back to the tip of the lit cigarette. Kusanagi, while drawing the attention of Yata and Kamamoto sitting at a table away from them, muttered with a strange face.

"If so, you should try quitting next time."

#K #k project #k stories #HOMRA #k fan clan #suoh mikoto #reisi munakata #Izumo Kusanagi #kushina anna #kamamoto rikyo #scepter 4

77 notes · View notes

friendship-ended-with-pokespe · 4 years

Text

Kirby and the Big Race in Dream Land! Chapter 1

An early afternoon tranquil enough for even clouds floating in the sky to be enraptured. Lying in the meadow, there were a pair who were engrossed in a conversation while looking up at the drifting clouds.

One of them is Cappy, wearing a hat like that of a mushroom. The other is Walky, having an appearance resembling that of a microphone. Both are inhabitants of Dream Land. Right when their long, long conversation has finally come to an end, Cappy said, having remembered something apparently. “Come to think of it, I’ve heard a strange rumor. Do you know about it, Walky?” “What’s with a strange rumor?” “They say a large footprint has been found near the forest in the south a few days ago.” Cappy lowered his voice in fear. “A footprint?” “Uh-huh. They say that the footprint is large enough to trample a house!” “Ha, how ridiculous. That’s got to be a lie.” Walky laughed mockingly, where Cappy became offended and talked back. “I’m not lying, I heard it from my friend!” “Rumors are bound to get exaggerated. A story where a somewhat large pit was found must’ve blown out of proportion unnoticed.” “It’s not just the footprint. There’s also testimonies where a creepy sound like a growl of a monster was heard closeby.” “It was probably a sound of wind or thunder. They got all frightened and heard of it as the voice of a monster.” “Would that be it......” “That’s gotta be it. After all, there’s no way that a monster that enormous is in Dream Land. If there was, it would’ve turned into an uproar long ago.” “You’ve got a point there.” It was when Cappy nodded. With a cloud missing, a black shadow appeared in the blue sky like a small smudge. “......Hm?” As the two watched with their eyes wide open, that small shadow became gradually bigger. “H-Hey, this is big!” “What is that......!” “It looks like a spaceship! It’s going toward the south meadow!” “Let’s get going!”

The pair got up and started running south.

In the great meadows of Dream Land in endless greenery, a small spaceship was descending. It is the latest model, with the exterior sparkling in gold color. Moreover, it was covered thickly with decorations, making it stand out very much. The spaceship mowed down the grass and landed. With the hatch opening, a rotund figure came out. He has a plump face and is wearing large sunglasses. Similar to the spaceship, the clothes that he was wearing were very shiny and over the top. “So this is Dream Land, eh. The rumors don’t do justice to this countryside.” Taking off his sunglasses, the man took a few steps and looked around. “There ain’t no nothing. Convenience store, cafe, cinema, nothing. What a boring place......” Knitting his brows in annoyance, the man put back his sunglasses. “Ahh, I wanna hurry up and return to the city. I’ve got to find that “that thing” on the double......” At that moment, a rustle was heard from the nearby grass. The man turned his face in surprise. Having rushed over in haste, Cappy and Walky were the ones to push their way through the grass and pop up. Noticing the spaceship and the man, the two became startled and paused. “Who are you?” Cappy was the one to speak. His mood turning sour, the man glares at the pair. “What’d you mean “who”? What a rude thing to say to me.” “I’m asking who you are! You shady nitwit.” The two said while being wary of the man. “Something fell from the sky, so we came to see what’s up......” “Who are you? Say your name.” Questioned harshly, the man became more and more huffy. But it would be problematic if they were to argue here. With that thought, the man changed his mind and answered gently. “My name is Kizario. The famed TV producer.” “......TV?” “......A producer?” Cappy and Walky exchanged looks. Combing his hair and showing off, Kizario approached the two and handed them a business card. Cappy read out the writing on the business card. “Comet TV......? I feel like I heard it before......” “Ah, I know what that is!” Walky raised his voice. “It’s a TV station that broadcasts a lot of popular programs. Like music, anime, or......” “Exactly. That TV station has its network all over the universe. And in that station, I happen to be in charge of all the programs that are especially popular.” “Huh!!? That’s amazing!” Walky changed his attitude suddenly.

As for Cappy, he still wasn’t letting his guard down. He asked, gazing hard at Kizario. “What’s a TV producer doing in Dream Land? You came here for travel?” “No, no. I have no time for stuff like traveling. I of course came for work.” “A work in Dream Land......?” “To take a look in advance, you see. This time, I’m planning to produce a TV program with Dream Land as the setting.” “Eh!?” The two were both surprised by this. Kizario continued with a chuckle. “I came to look around and find an appropriate location for filming. I thought this star was quite beautiful and took a liking to it.” “A TV production......in Dream Land......!” Walky’s voice became high-pitched in excitement. Cappy said to him in a panic. “Don’t get all excited, Walky. We’ll be in hot water if you get worked up and shout loudly.” “I know that......what a wonderful plan, Mr. Kizario. Of course we’ll work with you.” Walky eagerly turned to Kizario. “I’m pretty confident about my voice. I think it’s suitable for television. Say......if you’re fine with it, could you let me appear in......” “Of course. I’m planning to ask the citizens of this star to work with me. Since I can’t make a good program if the citizens don’t help.” “You have a point!” “I want as many citizens as possible to lend me their strength. This might be sudden, but could you be willing to let everyone in Dream Land know?” “Of course we will! Please leave it to us!” Walky is in great enthusiasm. He changed his direction and started sprinting. Cappy chases after him in a hurry. “Hey, hold up, Walky!” “Hurry, hurry! A news this huge is hard to come by. I gotta hurry up and let everyone know about it!” “Is it alright? That Kizario guy is kinda fishy. Would it be okay to trust him......?” “It’s gotta be alright! After all, he’s the producer of that Comet TV!”

......Then, after the pair had left. Kizario chuckled and said to himself. “Haha, so far so good. That saves me the trouble of getting the citizens involved. It’s going well.” His voice of course didn’t reach anyone’s ears.

The next day. Kizario was invited to Castle Dedede at once. Greeting him in the hall was King Dedede, the owner of this castle. His subordinate Waddle Dee was waiting beside him. “Welcome, Kizario.” King Dedede reclined in his chair and looked at Kizario. Not losing to him, Kizario too reclines on the sofa and is looking back at King Dedede. King Dedede was in good humor. “I heard it from Waddle Dee. The rumor seems to have spread all throughout Dream Land.” “That looks to be the case.” “To think that you’ll produce a TV program in Dream Land-you had your eye at the right place!” Smiling in satisfaction and clenching his fist, King Dedede pounded his chest. “Cause you know, Dream Dream has me! I’m the most appropriate super star there is for a lead role of a TV drama to broadcast all over the universe.” “......What? A TV drama......?” “Yup. Don’t worry, I’ll think of the storyboard.” The king closed his eyes with rapt attention. “How about ‘King Dedede Chronicle' that would depict my spectacular role? It’ll be a thrilling action drama where I beat down enemies with the strongest power in the universe!” “A......Action......?” “Nah, it won’t go over well with female fans if there’s way too many fighting scenes......romance is what’s popular with female fans! How about ‘King Dedede in Love and Sorrow?’ It’ll be a heart-rending love romance with me and the most beautiful actress in the universe! It’s sure to be a smash hit.” “R......Romance......?” “Nah, for a drama that anyone can enjoy, a detective drama would be the way to go. How about ‘Detective King Dedede’ where I solve mysteries with extraordinary deduction? With gorgeous actors as guests every time......” “Just hang on a sec, King Dedede.” Having been overwhelmed by the king’s words, Kizario cut him off at last. “What I’m planning isn’t a drama.” “What?” “I’m making a far more unique show......” It was at that moment. A loud shout and footsteps were approaching from the corridor. “Whoopee!!! Did you hear, King Dedede? This is big news!!!” Kirby was the one to barge into the hall. Kirby talked rapidly while hopping up and down. “They’re producing a TV program at Dream Land! It’ll be broadcasted all over the universe!” “Humph, we were talking about that just now.” “What program will it be!? I think a gourmet program will work! I’ll take the lead role, of course!” “Hmph. Like heck you’ll take the lead role......” Mocked Dedede, but Kirby isn’t listening at all. He continued blabbering, his eyes sparkling in ecstasy. “It’ll be me introducing tasty shops in Dream Land to the whole universe! I’ll hold a microphone like this, and......yes, we're live at Chef Kawasaki’s restaurant today! I can smell something yummy! Now then, what’s today's menu!?” “K-Kirby......erm......” Waddle Dee tried to stop him, but Kirby had forgotten himself. Squeezing his hand that (supposedly) had the microphone, he continued rattling off. “My goodness, today’s menu is Heap-of-Curry ✰ Fukujinzuke Special, which has beef, pork, and chicken all in it with a large helping of vegetables! It looks so yummy!” “Kirby......uhh......” “Well then, let’s hurry up and try a bite of it! Mmm~, this is the best! I want seconds~! Now then, after curry is the long-awaited dessert......” “You’re so darn noisy! Shut up, you’re making me hungry!” Hollered Dedede in a loud voice, and quieted Kirby at last. Having been on the verge of drooling, Kirby became sullen as he was interrupted at the best part. “Geez......you’re the one that’s noisy, King Dedede. I was just about to get to the dessert! Today’s dessert would’ve been mango pudding special with heaps of ice cream!” “I’ve had enough of your daydreaming. A TV program made in Dream Land won’t be something like a gourmet program. It’s a TV drama starring me as the lead role......but......mmm-......” King Dedede suddenly reconsidered. “Nah, gourmet is fine too. Alrighty, let’s make a gourmet drama starring me as the lead role. It’ll be a gourmet-action-romance-mystery-thriller where I munch on the best cuisines while solving cases every time! The title will be......‘King Dedede and the Mystery of the Eating Tours in Love Chronicles’......!” “Hold it, just hold it right there.” Having been completely baffled, Kizario cuts in at last. “Don’t just keep talking as you want! What I want to produce is neither a drama nor a gourmet program. Listen to what I have to say.” “......What?” King Dedede had a face that said: “You're still here?” Kirby too blinked in surprise and looked at Kizario. “Who are you......?” Brushing up his hair, Kizario showed off and introduced himself. “I’m the super-famous producer of Comet TV, Kizario!” “Pro......ducer......?” “Well, to put it simply, I’m the one responsible for the TV program. In order to produce a new program, I came to take a look at Dream Land in advance.” Kirby jumped up in excitement. “Whoa, nice to meet you! I’m Kirby! Leave it to me if it’s a gourmet program!”

“Well, that’s why what I’m planning isn’t a gourmet program, but......you see.” With a snap of a finger, Kizario shouts aloud. “Come in here, Walky!” Before he finished talking, Walky quickly showed himself from the entrance. King Dedede stared his eyes out and roared. “Walky!? You jerk left Castle Dedede without my permission......!” “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I became an assistant for Mr. Kizario!” Stepping over to the center of the hall, Walky coughed to clear his throat. “Ahem......yes, I shall announce. The title of the anticipated program, from Comet TV with all their efforts put in, is-!” “Hold on a sec, Walky!” King Dedede reminded him in a hurry. “Don’t yell so loudly. The precious walls of Castle Dedede will crack if you shout.” “Right, I’ll be careful. The title of the brand-new program is......‘Dream Land ✰ Extreme ✰ Heart-Pounding ✰ Big Race’!” “......” King Dedede, Kirby, and Waddle Dee. The three had a very doubtful look. “A......big......race?” “Right! A big race full of thrills will be held with Dream Land as the setting! The special program will cover it in-depth from beginning to the end! The one commenting will of course be me, Walky!” “......Eh......?” Kirby was let down in contrast to Walky’s high-spiritedness. “Race......? That’s not fun at all. Not only is it not delicious, but......” “That’s not true, Kirby.” Kizario raised his finger and shook it. “We say it’s a race, but it’s not just any race. It’ll be very exciting and heart-throbbing, where all sorts of challenges will be included on the way.” “......Hmmph......” “Of course, that includes a gourmet challenge as well!” Hearing gourmet, Kirby raised his head in a flash. Not to mention King Dedede, who’s eyes were downcast in disappointment. Kizario continued in full confidence. “Various trials will be presented to the participants. For example, an eating contest will be arranged. The one that clears all the stages and reaches the goal first will be the winner. It really is a big race of your dreams!” “There’s an eating contest too!?” Kirby jumped up and spun in the air out of excitement. “Then I won’t lose for sure! I’ll make sure to win!” “Naw, it’ll be me! You know that I’m the one when it comes to the biggest eater in Dream Land!” Kizario smirked, seeing Kirby and King Dedede exchanging glares. “A splendid prize will be prepared for the winner. Aim for the win and do your best.” “What’s the splendid prize!?” “Is it a year's supply of curry!? Or maybe a year’s supply of ramen?” King Dedede licked his chops. “Just so we're clear, I eat ten times as much as the other louts. My one year supply is then ten times the usual, so in other words, a ten year supply!” “I eat hundred times more than everyone else! So my one year supply is a hundred year supply!”

“What!? Then mine’s two hundred!” “Then mine’s three hundred......!” “Enough! I get it!” Kizario waved his hands and quieted the two. “I’ll prepare whatever you like as much as you want. So make sure to try your very best. The success of the show hangs on the fervor of the race participants.” “Yeah!” King Dedede’s eyes sparkled. Kirby too without a doubt. “Keep an eye out, I’ll liven up the program!” “I’ll give it my best as well! I will win!” “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.” Kizario narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

After Kizario left the castle along with Walky. “Will it be fine, Your Highness? What he said today......” Said Waddle Dee in a worried manner. “Mm? What, Waddle Dee. Don’t tell me that you......” King Dedede glared at Waddle Dee with a stern look. “Think that I’ll lose to Kirby!? And you call yourself my servant!?” “N-No, that’s not it. I don’t mean that, but......” “Huh? So you think that I’m going to lose!?” Kirby too glared at Waddle Dee. Sandwiched between the pair, Waddle Dee said while at a loss. “It’s not about winning or losing, but I don’t feel like I can trust Mr. Kizario......” “What do you mean by that?” “It's way too generous for the winner's prize to be whatever you like as much as you want. It’s a bit fishy......” Hearing it, Kirby and Waddle Dee both burst out laughing at the same time. “Wahahha! You’re such a sissy. You’re already getting cold feet.” “He’s right, Waddle Dee. I think Mr. Kizario’s a good person!” “Right, right. A guy that open-handed can’t possibly be a bad guy.” “I wonder......will it be okay......” To Waddle Dee muttering in concern, ordered King Dedede. “You participate in the race too, Waddle Dee.” “......Eh!? Me!?” Waddle Dee was in a flap from such an unforeseen command. “I-I can’t. I’m slow, not to mention how I don’t eat very much......” “Idiot, no one’s expecting anything from you. It’s just that the race would be better on a large scale, where even one more participant would do nicely. My performance will stand out all the more!” “But......I’m......not meant for race......” To Waddle Dee all flustered, said Kirby. “Let’s try our best together, Waddle Dee! We’ll aim for victory and start training from tomorrow!” “Training~!?” “Yup!” Lending no ears to Waddle Dee’s screams, Kirby energetically thrusted his hand up.

Here, kizari (気障り) on Kizario’s name means unpleasant, high-hat, or pompous.

Next chapter

Table of contents

#kirby novels #kirby of the stars #light novel #translation #kirby #waddle dee #king dedede #walky #King Dedede Chronicles #King Dedede in Love and Sorrow #Detective King Dedede #King Dedede and the Mystery of the Eating Tours in Love Chronicles

35 notes · View notes

jamaiskookie · 4 years

Text

mutuals (pjmxreader) [bonus:celibacy]

~mutuals~ [youtuber!reader x idol!jimin] social media AU

synopsis: park jimin is a (slightly problematic) idol singer, and he becomes completely smitten with a youtuber after stumbling upon her dance cover to his own song.

genre: fluff, a good dosing of cracK, literally two seconds of angst blink and u miss it

word count: 2.3k

[A/N]: thank you for all the love you’ve given mutuals! can’t believe it’s only been like one week since this blog has been up hehE enjoy this drabble of thirsty!jimin after he found your video. if you have no idea what i’m talking about gO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER

series masterlist

<< prev

When JinHit first hit record sales with the success of Jimin’s mini album, and RAPLINE’s first title single a couple years ago, Jin finally gave in to Jimin’s begging and gave all the artists their own personalised studio in the JinHit building. It’s where all the greatest hits on the charts are written. It’s practically the modern eighth wonder of the world, considering the names and talent that have graced the walls.

Jimin, Yoongi, and Namjoon all have their separate studios to write, produce, and record in, and all three of the small rooms are located next to each other. Partially because of design and common sense, but also so all three friends can conveniently annoy each other when needed. Jin’s office isn’t too far away either, just across the floor. Usually, if they’re all working in the studio, they’ll walk over to Jin’s office during lunch hour and leech off his amazing personal pantry in his office. The office is much, much bigger than their studios, and Jimin never fails to remind Jin that.

All three artists have grown a little attached to their studios. It’s where they do what they all love most, after all. Yoongi barely lets anyone into his ‘Genius Lab’, and ever since a staff member accidentally messed with his coffee machine, he hasn’t let anyone step foot in. Nobody’s even allowed to come inside Namjoon’s studio during what he calls his ‘namjoon talent time’ which is basically just a period of time before comeback season where he locks himself in the studio, writing music 24/7.

He occasionally asks Jimin to listen to his unreleased files for suggestions, but other than that, noone except Yoongi goes inside his studio during ‘namjoon talent time’, and Namjoon only reluctantly lets him in as his bandmate. Not that Jimin minds, he hasn’t been let inside since he accidentally mistook Joon’s studio for his own and brought one of his one-night-stands over. Joonie was horrified, and made Jimin sanitise, wash and clean every part of the room, all while he cried about how his ‘baby was molested’. It was traumatising for both parties.

Out of the three, Jimin’s the least protective over his studio, even though he’s the one who put the most effort into it. He’s spent years perfecting it, making it the best place for inspiration and writing music. Everything in the studio has been personally chosen and thought out by him. The snacks and custom mini fridge, the wall of his entire discography, trophies, music awards, and his personal favourite, the official JIMIN logo sign above the couch.

It lights up in purple.

Despite being a pretty stereotypical assholey partying douche idol, Jimin’s likes to think he’s actually quite talented. He’s been named ‘Most professional idol’ on every single online survey he can find (He’s also always voted for ‘Most handsome’, but that’s besides the point), and it’s true. Jimin never sells himself short. He is a professional musician, singer, and producer. He writes his own music, choreographs his own dancing, and uses his platform to spread positive, meaningful messages. There’s a reason he’s so internationally successful, and it’s because he’s talented.

Maybe right now isn’t a great example of his talent. Jimin was in his studio, holding his head in his hands. Sure, he’s a globally recognised and accomplished songwriter, but to be honest, he hadn’t written a single piece of original JIMIN music since he wrote ‘Filter’ with Namjoon months ago. He was in the biggest creative slump in his entire career. He had tried almost everything, co-writing, exercise, music samples, playing around on instruments. Hell he even tried music therapy. Whatever melody he tried to create, whatever lyrics he tried to write, it all came out sounding like garbage.

Yesterday was a little bit of a blow to Jimin’s ego. It was three in the morning, and he’d been in the studio for seven hours, with only one verse written.

I love to let loose,

Have you ever tried eating moose?

It’s all so bananas,

Tony fucking Montana.

Yeah, it’s pretty embarrassing. It’s not even a verse, it looks more like a kindergartener’s attempt to write poetry. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t really feel like writing music or putting his thoughts in a song. Jimin is just plain out of ideas. He has nothing to write about. And if he doesn’t have good content to put out, he’d rather not put anything out at all.

But he still hates it. All his life, he’s coped by writing, singing and dancing. This writer’s block has been too frustrating. Too many sleepless nights and crumpled papers have been wasted over it, with no progress or music in result. Plus, Jin might be one of his closest friends, but Jin was also a boss, and he still needed more tracks for Jimin’s big comeback, happening end of the year.

He can’t help it. Jimin has nothing left to write about. He opened one eye when he heard the distant ding of his phone coming from somewhere in the studio. Grumbling incoherently, he opened the notification, to find… you.

Jimin’s mouth was hanging open the entire video. His eyes twitched the tiniest bit and he almost dropped the phone when you said his face was “decent”, but he had to watch it again, because the first time around, he didn’t hear a word that came out your damn mouth. He was otherwise… preoccupied. No matter how much he tried, he just couldn’t tear his damn eyes off the screen. Curse Min Yoongi for sending him this.

He even cringed when he had to bring his sleeve up to wipe the tiniest bit of drool off his face. Practically salivating. What the fuck? How old was he? He was Park Jimin, why was he popping a boner from watching some stranger on the internet dance to his songs? He’s been in the industry for way too long now, he was practically immune to scantily clad women prancing around him. So why he completed concentrated on your stupid little crop top? Not to mention, you were practically insulting him at this point. What was so special?

For one moment, Jimin forced his eyes off the screen, wondering if the sleep deprivation had really affected him that much, or if this was another side effect of the writer’s block he’s been having. It’s the partying ‘clean act’ ban Jin’s been forcing me to go on, he thought, even though Jimin wasn’t totally convinced of that. (Despite swearing not to, he looked straight back to down at his phone afterwards to reply the video.)

He was so fixated on the screen, he didn’t even notice when Yoongi flung the door open and walked inside. Jimin only lifted his head when he heard Yoongi’s obnoxiously loud groan.

“What- When did you get here?” Yoongi recently went back to a fan-favourite hair colour of his, and Jimin was still not used to seeing him with bright mint coloured hair. In his opinion, he looked like a highlighter, but Yoongi seemed to not mind it.

“I’ve been standing here for the past two minutes, drinking my coffee. The fuck you watching on your phone that’s got you drooling?”

“NOTHING.” Yoongi narrowed his eyes, and before Jimin could even move away, he managed to snatch the phone away from Jimin’s hands.

“What the fuck- how? You know, this is why your fanbase thinks you’re a cat.” Yoongi ignored his words with ease. “Oh my god,” He said. “Are you watching the video I sent you? I didn’t expect you to actually watch it.”

“I always watch my fan’s videos after a comeback!” Jimin insisted, clawing upwards to steal his own phone back, but Yoongi kept slapping his hands away.

“Yeah, but this isn’t a fan. This is just like, one of your fanboys and a girl roasting you.” Yoongi stared back at Jimin suspiciously when he tried to defend himself. “Why were you watching this girl dance like a starving man, Chim?”

“Just, because- what- I was nOT watching her like a starving man. Don’t look at me like I’m some kind of a pervert!” Jimin finally managed to grab ahold of his phone again, and he threw it behind him on the couch, away from Yoongi.

“Hyung,” He sighed. “I think maybe it’s Jin’s new ‘clean, good boy’ rule. Along with this stupid fucking slump I’ve been having these days, I just don’t feel great, okay? So don’t be so fussy with me. I can’t write, I can’t party… If I want to ogle over some random girl on the internet, I will.” Jimin cringed once the words came out of his mouth, but Yoongi slowly nodded, sitting down on the couch.

Min Yoongi may be a little too gay to understand Jimin’s womaniser ways, but the frustration behind not being able to write music, that, he understood. “You’re trying to justify being a perv by using your mental problems, but I’ll talk to you about that later on.”

“Chim, we all have our slumps. It’s honestly a wonder that this is your first serious creative block. Me and Joon, and every single artist in the world, is bound to go through that at some point. It’s not the end. You’ll still be able to write good music soon, you’re a good writer.” Jimin refused to meet Yoongi’s eyes, even if what he was saying did make a little sense. He just chose to stay silent.

“You just have nothing left to write about. You can’t keep living like this though, Chimmy. It’s unhealthy.”

“What do you mean, unhealthy? I’m perfectly fine, thank you.”

Yoongi stared at him deadpan, gesturing to the entire state of his studio. “It’s a complete mess in here,” He said. “Plus, I don’t think you’ve left this studio for days. The others may not want to say it to your face, but we’re all a bit worried about you. Stop forcing yourself to ingest all these redbulls to try to keep writing.”

“When inspiration comes, it’ll come. You can’t force it, it doesn’t work that way. What you need, is a break. Go back home for once, maybe visit your mom. And for god’s sakes, take a shower please. Trust me, okay?”

Yoongi doesn’t like admitting it, but he’s the most caring one out of their friend group. Anyone can tell from the look in his eyes right now, that he’s genuinely concerned about his friend. He’s also the one with most sense, but Jimin will never tell him that, because his advice, no matter how sensible, is useless.

All he’s known is singing, writing, and throwing himself in work. To just stop? Even if it’s to take a short break, it doesn’t feel right to Jimin. Instead of telling Yoongi his problems, he just poked his tongue in his cheek. If lightbulbs actually popped up above people’s heads when they had a good idea, a massive one would’ve appeared on top of Jimin’s.

“I’ve got it!” He said, excitedly. Yoongi sat up straight. “You’re going to take my advice for once?”

“No, of course not, Hyung. Don’t be silly.” Yoongi slouched his back again, closing his eyes.

“I’ll just hit this girl up!” Yoongi’s eyes snapped open.

“What.”

“Yeah! Who knows, y’know? Maybe I’ve been keeping myself to Jin’s rules a little too well. It won’t hurt the company if I let myself go just once. Blow off some steam, come back fresh and recharged.” Jimin rubbed his hands together like a bad Disney villain.

“It’s too early for this.” Yoongi whispered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“It’s three in the afternoon.” Yoongi ignored him.

“You really aren’t going to take my advice, huh.”

“Nope!” Jimin said, popping the ‘p’ annoyingly.

“You promised Jin you’d go celibate.”

“I said I’d clean up the partying act. I don’t recall taking a vow of celibacy.” Yoongi just sighed, and fell back down on the sofa, mindlessly sipping at his coffee.

Jimin hesitated. “You’re not going to… tell me not to? Or give me another one of your eco-feminist speeches again?” Yoongi shrugged.

“You’ve heard it too many times. Plus, I have a feeling this is going to be funny.”

“Funny? Hyung, what part of this could possible be funny to you?” There was a brief pause filled with awkward silence, before Yoongi blinked slowly.

“When she rejects you, of course.” Jimin threw his jacket, aimed straight for Yoongi’s head. His stupidly fast cat-like reflexes managed to dodge it, but Jimin scowled at him nonetheless.

“She’s not going to reject me.” Jimin walked over, picking up the very same jacket he threw at Yoongi, before plopping his sunglasses back on his face. “No woman has ever managed to reject me before, and I intend on adding her to that list.” He pursed his lips.

“Plus, she’s super hot. Great ass. Attractive people attract attractive people.” Jimin turned his phone back on once more to sneak one last peek at you in the thumbnail of the video, before stuffing his phone into his back pocket. “I just need to get it out of my system. This might be what I need to get me out of this creative rut!”

He could’ve sworn Yoongi muttered something under his breath, something along the lines of ‘fucking asshole’, but he chose to ignore it.

“Alright, well, see you, Yoons!” Jimin practically skipped out of the studio, startling the producer’s assistant outside with his slightly disturbing enlarged grin.

“Don’t come crying to me when she refuses to get in your pants, you fucking diva!”

Jimin continued walking towards the elevator, but he threw up his middle finger behind him.

“DON’T RUIN MY EXIT, BITCH!”

[taglist:] @notmontae97 @lucedelsole97

36 notes · View notes