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agallimaufryofoddments · 5 years ago

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DMDP Chapter 40 Thoughts

Had a nice outing this morning, came home intending to work in the evening only to doze off for a couple hours since I pulled an all-nighter last night. Thinking it might be a better plan to just turn in early (or attempt to) and wake up early in a bid for a Productive Tomorrow.

Which means I may as well write up my (slightly belated) thoughts for Chapter 40 now. Better now than later...

Starting off with Clarissa...well, seems like the police are visiting her place. The police visit to the Fortuneteller Shop is clearly going to be the more dramatic of the two, so I’m assuming we’ll spend way more time on that police visit than this one.

Is the pacing of the Nishida incident so far ‘good’ or ‘bad’? Might be too early to tell, but at the very least I’m reminded this is only, what, Narita’s second time writing a manga? Narita loves his large, densely interconnected casts where the chess pieces are always moving, but it takes more time to move them in a manga medium....

Xiaoyu’s probably right that Sayo would take his ‘assassin family’ legacy in stride, though I now wonder how she’d feel about all the unpleasant stuff Takeru has his underlings carry out for the sake of the business.

“If Takumi’s inside...quickly...” Yeesh, poor Takumi.

Hey, it’s a pretty small image, but Iwanome’s hair is still black in his police ID.

Hey, police guy actually gets a name. Ikeuchi.

Gee, sure hope identifying “Polka” as an acquaintance won’t bite Iwanome in the ass.

Okay, so Momoya and Higuro have been surveying the torture building, not Youtoukorou. Annnd Higuro has spotted Arase. Also getting confirmation Takumi belonged to SotS when Higuro was leader.

I mean, yeah, what else did I expect? I think I did speculate that Higuro could’ve been leader before Takumi’s time, but that was mostly just to cover my bases; this is Narita we’re talking about. The stronger connection was the more likely of the two.

Higuro also considers Clarissa a ‘business rival’, it seems. I’ve never been quite clear if Takumi is officially a member of Clarissa’s agency or ‘as good as’ affiliated with Clarissa, but either way--he’s affiliated.

Something about Takumi’s warning coming too late doesn’t sit squarely with me. There’s clearly a drone hovering high about Iwanome and Arase on one page, so surely Takumi would’ve seen fit to warn CG about them even before Ikeuchi’s people got involved? It’s not like Ikeuchi immediately barreled inside the shop; I’m not sure why Takumi wasn’t able to warn CG in time/before Ikeuchi got in.

Maybe he was so distracted by Urai’s presence and Eightport’s intentions he didn’t notice what was on his video feed until Ikeuchi’s group was already heading inside...? Again, though, it’s not like Ikeuchi was full speed ahead at that point.

Gee, sure hope Eightport claiming affiliation with the building won’t bite her in the ass...

“Can you use your magic to scope out the basement” / Yep, yep, Momoya and Higuro definitely dumped the corpse there after all. That’s what I figured when they were on the move in....was it Ch37?, but I wasn’t 100% confident. Now that it’s confirmed... I think I wondered this at the time, but I guess CG really isn’t monitoring every inch of the building at all times after all.

Actively spying might require some of his active concentration (maybe magic reserves as well), but is there no low-magic movement detection spell he can use? It’s just, after having FBB burn a message into your wall and intruders on your rooftop, you’d think you might want to up the surveillance a little.

Izliz’s words... Is her ‘clearer boundaries’ suggestion an explanation for the apathetic attitude Hosorogi sees in CG?

So if we take the ‘hands’ thing literally... my first/main prediction is that CG will--via his special necromancy technique--have those ghostly hands manipulate Nishida somehow? My initial guess was that he’d use them to carry Nishida out of the basement/hide him in the secret passage I assume Higuro and Momoya used, but that would require him knowing about the passage or at least discovering the passage in time. I assume he could use magic to detect any hollow spaces around the room, but the question there is whether he would think to do so.

Since it was implied in an earlier chapter that the same passageway was used for Hosorogi’s murder, there might be a chance that Hosorogi is aware of such a passage? At least the possibility of a secret passage existing, and by alerting CG to the possibility CG could try detecting it. Of course, opening the entrance to the passage might pose another problem...

He could also try sneaking the corpse back up the stairs when the cops’ backs are turned, though that’s highly risky given everyone else is upstairs. Could try moving the body around the room to keep it out of sight--like holding it against the ceiling--but again, high chance of detection. I suppose he could try using the hands to physically maneuver the cops as well, though that could backfire for sure.

Speculating about how the CG will successfully ‘handle’ this situation is one thing, but what if the body is discovered in the end? Oh boy. Also, can’t forget that someone corrupt and high up the police force (Takasu?) must be sending out these police squads on Agakura’s behalf. Meaning this someone expects the body to be in the building as carried out by Momoya and Higuro--so it’s not necessarily going to be hunky-dory if CG does pull off a disappearing body maneuver. Corrupt police might issue orders down the line to plant evidence, or arrest anyway regardless of whether the body was found or not.

And Urai! If Ikeuchi learns that Urai is Nishida’s colleague (if he doesn’t already know), then Urai’s presence should definitely raise all the eyebrows. (And this is where Eightport claiming affiliation can get her in trouble; connections to both Urai and CG means she might be viewed as an accomplice if worst comes to worst).

Xiaoyu’s our main wildcard, and with the Higuro-Arase-Takumi thread being plucked at I have a feeling the Xiaoyu-Momoya thread may be plucked as well. Momoya’s got great eyesight, so it stands to reason he might notice Xiaoyu peeking around the corner. Question is whether anything would come of it...oh. Oh!

Oh oh! What about Xiaoyu’s hearing range tech, or whatever it is that allows him to listen in on far-away conversations? Haven’t seen him do that in a while, but damn--this situation definitely calls for it, don’t you think? He doesn’t know why the police are there, so why not eavesdrop from a distance? Safest action to take, and better than just dithering around doing nothing. And when he does listen in...what are the chances he picks up on Momoya and Higuro’s conversation too?

Hearing Momoya’s voice in his head might very well trigger all the fear and alarm, that’s for sure. Here, again, the question is ‘what next’? If he overhears them talk about the planted corpse and realizes CG is about to be implicated in a murder, he might find himself stuck for a decision--to help the impostor or not to help?

On the one hand fake Polka becoming a murder suspect might be just the opportunity he’s been looking for: A potential downfall for Polka that wouldn’t even be his fault. On the other, there’s Rozan’s recent advice and also Sayo to think about; Sayo might become a suspected accomplice as well given her residency in the building, and Sayo is his responsibility. (Sure, the Shinoyamas have enough money that she’d probably be all right, but not a situation you want her to be in anyway). Also, he might consider Momoya’s presence a general threat to everyone, Sayo included.

Maybe it would take overhearing CG speak something specific for Xiaoyu to ultimately act in CG’s favor; some sign CG really is the person Rozan trusts him to be. At any rate, the Momoya-Xiaoyu threads and Takumi-Arase-Higuro threads continue to stretch all the tauter, and I am looking forward to the arrows flying. The evoking of Hosorogi’s five-year-old murder continues to be frequently brought up as well, and I wonder how long we must endure these comparisons before Hosorogi finally decides to spill the beans.

(Hosorogi’s been so cagey about his secrets that I half-expect his ‘spilling of secrets’ to not be the whole story, and for him to direct the CG to Clarissa for certain aspects of it?)

Side note: it only just now occurred to me that CG’s fortunetelling garb does not try to hide his neck scar whatsoever. Has he been passing it off as ‘makeup’ and ‘part of the costume’ this entire time? Was its visibility brought up at all? He deliberately wore a high-collared shirt when eating at the Shinoyamas’ before to hide it... yeah, I guess I’ll assume he’s passed off the scar as a costume accent.

Anyway, spent more time writing this than intended and while going to sleep right this instant would be earlier than normal for me, my ‘turning in early’ plans are diminishing in projected impact with every passing second. Here’s to a speedy Chapter 41 (both in delivery and in content...).

#Dead Mount Death Play #DMDP #DMDP Update #DMDP Spoilers #I usually take ages to fall asleep but I'm hoping tonight is not such a night #may tomorrow be a super productive day

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jae-bummer · 8 years ago

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For the Sake of Spinach

Request: Prompt 4 with D.O❤️

4) “Why can’t you look at me the way you look at food?”

Member: EXO’s D.O x Y/N

Type: Fluff

There was a thin line between sleeping too long and having enough rest when it came to a nap. You weren’t one of those individuals who believed that a ten minute snooze was an effective sleep window, but you also knew the dangers of waking up groggy after about forty five minutes. As soon as you had rolled over on your couch and peeled your eyes open, you knew you had made a mistake. A mild amount of frustration and annoyance fueled you as you tapped at your phone, seeing you had indeed slept for around an hour.

You grumbled to yourself as you pushed off of the deceivingly comfy cushions and wrapped your blankets around your shoulders, cocooning yourself in a fleece-filled warmth. You slumped against the arm of the couch and directed a glare to the kitchen where you heard repeated slams of cutlery and pans.

Almost as if having a lightbulb moment, you recalled the presence of your boyfriend, Kyungsoo, hovering around your apartment. He had been radiating excitement for the better part of the day, anticipating his night to cook. He lived to prepare meals for you both, being able to break away from the criticism of his group members and friends. You would almost always leave the table with a positive opinion and a full stomach.

You drug your seemingly dead limbs from the sofa and shuffled into the dining area, which was separated from the kitchen by a chest-height bar. You leaned against the granite and watched with furrowed brows as Kyungsoo moved back and forth, a speed you had only seen from him in emergency situations.

“Good afternoon,” he hummed without bothering to look up. He was busy chopping a carrot with extreme care.

“Why can’t you look at me the way you look at food?” you grumbled, wiping your face with the palm of your hand. You knew the motion had to have been unattractive, but it wasn’t like Kyungsoo was focused on you anyway.

“Do you want me to look at you as if I feel the intense need to peel you and fry you up with some sesame oil?” he muttered, switching to chopping a cucumber.

“If it means you love me as much as you love your famous kimchi stir fry...” you pouted, eying the spread he had created over the countertops. “What are you making anyway?”

“Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap,” he nodded, chopping away happily. After only a few moments of silence he began to sing quietly to himself a tune that sounded oddly like if Wolf had been written to be a funeral march.

“Do you need any help?” you asked quickly, perking up at the idea that Kyungsoo was making your favorite dish.

“Depends,” he whispered, finally looking up at you. He bit his lips as he searched your eyes. “Are you going to respect my kitchen?”

“You-Your kitchen?” you stuttered, your eyes growing wide. “This is my apartment.”

“Which houses MY kitchen,” he affirmed, looking down to the cucumbers again. “But I guess you answered my question.”

“Aigoo,” you groaned, stomping your foot. “I’ll humor you. I’ll respect your kitchen.”

“I need humoring like I need a cooking partner,” he mumbled. “Meaning, I don’t.”

“So mean,” you chirped, dropping your blanket onto the floor anyway. You moved into the kitchen, still a bit lethargic from sleeping for so long.

“I don’t think you understand. I was saying I don’t-” he began, casting a casual look over his shoulder toward you.

“Ooo! Balloon bread!” you gasped, flinging yourself toward the pastries Kyungsoo must have prepared while you were asleep.

“Yah!” he gasped, spinning and smacking the top of your extended hand with a wooden spoon. “Look with your eyes, not with your hands!”

“I actually had planned on investigating with my mouth to be honest.” you chuckled, instinctively securing your hands behind your back.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes as he spun, moving to the stove top to begin adding spinach leaves into a pan of boiling water. You made a noise similar to being choked as he turned, finally noticing he had secured your lace and polka dot apron around his waist. Kyungsoo immediately looked to you, death in his eyes. “What?”

“Nothing,” you whispered, tight lipped as you shook your head. This was easily the most adorable thing you had seen in the entirety of your relationship.

And that was even usurping the moments when he had been surrounded by puppies.

Kyungsoo nodded as he turned back to the stove, paying careful attention to the spinach leaves he had just dropped. You crossed your arms and tilted your head as you watched him, enjoying being a spectator to his focus.

After he had waited enough time for the leaves to be effectively wilted, he drained the pan and patted the spinach dry. He nodded proudly to himself as he began singing again, this time a jazz rendition of Overdose.

Kyungsoo continued his methodical work, only looking up after he had pulled out a wok and set it on the stove. He finally smiled at you, the first time since you had appeared from your nap. He jerked his head toward the oven, a silent sign that he wanted you by his side. You attempted to play cool as you crossed the room, letting out a quiet sigh. It took quite some time for your boyfriend to become comfortable with the idea of skin ship, so whenever he beckoned for close contact, you were quick to jump at the opportunity. Much like a cat, his attention would often come on his own terms.

“You want to help?” he growled, wiggling his brows a bit before a dorky grin filled his face. You couldn’t help but nod at his flirting as he shifted to stand behind you. He placed one hand lightly on your hip while the other found your wrist and gently began to lift it. He placed a wooden spoon in your hand before reaching around and dropping the freshly cut cucumbers and carrots into the wok.

“Stir it frequently,” he whispered, his voice only centimeters from your ear. You shivered, used to the sound, but not in this setting. You nodded, following his instructions as he began to nibble lightly on your neck, his mouth sliding down from your ear to your shoulder.

“I’m...I’m stirring,” you stuttered, shivering beneath his touch. You had to remind yourself of your actions or else you would easily forget with the sudden developments Kyungsoo had thrown in.

After a few moments, he halted his kisses and found his lips beside your ear again. He spoke slowly in a tone that was much more quiet and sultry than usual. “Take those out, good good. Now add some more sesame oil. Yah, just like that. Now ease in the spinach.”

You nodded along slowly as Kyungsoo’s fingers made soft circles on your hip. “Ah, you’re doing so well jagi.”

You immediately snapped your head up, surprised by the sweet term of endearment that had never left his lips before.

“Too much?” he winced. You tried to hide a smile, but were quick to shake your head.

“No, I like it,” you grinned.

‘Aigoo, watch the spinach,” he chuckled.

“I’m having more fun watching you to be honest,” you cooed, turning to plant a gentle kiss on his plush lips.

He hummed into the kiss, closing his eyes before immediately pulling away. His eyes reopened, growing wide with surprise as he looked past you and to the stove. “Helpers don’t cause distractions.”

“Me? Causing a distraction?” you giggled, launching toward him and pinning him against the opposing counter. “Never.”

You immediately placed your lips near his jugular, causing him to release a frustrated groan. Your stomach quickly began to tie itself in knots, traveling lower with every noise that escaped from Kyungsoo’s mouth.

“Y/N,” he moaned, pulling your waist closer to his. “Y/N”

“Mmm Kyungsoo,” you giggled, moving from the front of his neck to the underside of his jaw.

“No, really, Y/N,” he muttered, opening an eye. “We’re going to char the spinach.”

“Aish, really Kyungsoo!” you gasped, stepping back and pushing him in the shoulder. He chuckled as he fell back toward the counter, only to push himself from it again and move toward the stove. He moved the spinach from the wok and set it aside.

“I literally only have the meat left,” he groaned, pouting as he poured more sesame oil into the wok.

“Remember this when I don’t want to snuggle tonight,” you grumbled, drawing your brows together in frustration. You quickly reached around him to grab at a piece of balloon bread you had originally sought after. You shoved a piece of the baked good into your mouth just as he shot you his patented death glare.

“You’re going to ruin your dinner,” he muttered, dropping the beef into the wok.

“Yeah well,” you muttered. “I can think of someone who ruined something else for the sake of spinach...”

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