#case started with her (and Jane) and she was the one to talk to Daniela first and the plot ended up with Cho while she agonized over DC

[koalas-koalas-everywhere]

Ok, Pike's speed to pick up on how awkward it would be to watch Casablanca, suggesting he is aware of the conflict between him and Jane, actually kinda turns my whole conception of him on its head.

[ncisladaily]

NCIS: Hawai’i just started Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) on quite the journey we can’t wait to see play out: one involving her mother.

While tracking down an elite team of Marines, Jane is injured and seemingly takes refuge in a cabin with a woman living out in the jungle. But then that woman starts asking questions about the case—using details she couldn’t know—and Jane asks her why she lives in the woods. So she’d find her, the woman says, then seemingly shoots her. That’s when Jane opens her eyes to find herself alone in the cabin. That’s something that stays with her after, then when she gets home, Jane realizes the woman she saw in her head in the cabin was her mother, looking the same way she did the day she abandoned her. It’s a sign “our story’s not over yet,” she realizes.

NCIS: LA star Daniela Ruah directed the episode and shares that behind the scenes, there was a very careful approach to those scenes—including when it came to how Jane looks in them.

“We even made the choice, for example, that world when she goes into the cabin, that’s her perception of the world, and she hasn’t seen herself in the mirror. So if you’ll notice, she doesn’t even have a cut on her head. But then when we come out and see that she’s alone in the cabin, she does have a cut on her head because that’s the reality and she can’t see herself, so therefore she doesn’t see the blood. Therefore it’s not there in her world that she’s creating in that moment,” Ruah tells TV Insider.

Karen Neal / CBS

“It was a fine line between tipping your hand too soon and making it so weird that the audience would be like, ‘This doesn’t seem right. This is probably a flashback, or this is probably something in our head,'” Ruah continues. “So we had to be careful to shoot it as normally as possible without tipping our hand. But then the way that the scenes were written, there’s this amazing crescendo of weirdness. It just gets weirder and weirder every time we go back to the cabin, and it just allowed for me to do something different, especially when Mom is starting to really question her about the guy in the woods, and she’s like, ‘How do you know about the guy in the woods? How is that even something you know about?’ And I had them speak into camera so that it’s just that she’s really speaking into her soul.”

The director says those were scenes—which she calls “incredible”—that were “heavily discussed” when it came to certain decisions, including how to present this version of Jane’s mother. “It’s really, really important, the sense of, maybe her mother saw her as a bother, and so that’s how she perceived this woman who opens the door and she’s like, ‘I don’t want you here. I want you to leave,'” explains Ruah. “Because maybe that’s the sensation she feels of why maybe her mother left, ‘Was I a bother to my mother?’ Whether those things are true or not for that character, those are the things that we had to discuss. The showrunners are still are exploring this journey for Jane Tennant, so there aren’t a whole lot of concrete answers. So I just had to figure out what made sense for this episode and leave enough open that they can keep building on it.”

That’s not the only part of the episode that isn’t what it first appears to be: The identity of the bad guy is, as well. And that’s part of what excited Ruah as a director. The murder of a Marine from an elite team during a training exercise brings the team into the jungle; as more Marines are murdered, the agents soon realize that the real bad guys are those being killed off, after assaulting and killing a woman. And it wasn’t their first time doing so.

“The case itself really takes you in one direction, and then the episode about three quarters in kind of flips on its head and you’re like, ‘Oh gosh, no. The guy that we think is a bad guy turns out he’s actually a good guy solving things in the wrong way, but he’s a good guy.’ I always love giving the audience who’s watching the episode this feeling of, ‘I see where the motivation is for this character, but is it right or wrong to be killing these bad guys?'” Ruah shares. “It’s a hard moral episode to watch because of that, but at the same time, once you find out what the bad guys did, you’re just like, ‘Oh, crush them.’ So you take the audience on a journey in this episode, for sure.”

[jmalchanceux]

Masquerade (Imagine) - Daniela Dimitrescu

Y/N never imagined that she would ever be invited to a party, much less to something as fancy and different as a masquerade ball, it was surprising that she, the daughter of a small merchant, would attract the attention of the noble Dimitrescu family, the richest and most powerful clan in the village, also owners of a fruitful vineyard and a large luxurious castle for all to admire. For the girl, it was like an early Christmas present. She heard rumors about the supposed sinful activities of the family members, but ignored all warnings about the place and its inhabitants. After the invitation arrived she spent weeks sewing her own dress, weaving a simple wreath and making a mask reminiscent of a butterfly, the end result really surprised her. It looked almost magical in her favorite color, (your favorite color). And not only she who admired the piece, but all the guests too, and even the Dimitrescu women themselves, especially the youngest heiress who could hardly take her eyes off it during the entire ball reception. Daniela was quick to ask, almost demand, her twelve dances and wrote her own name so large on the wrist card that it covered every line of the short list, making it clear that she would be the only person Y/N would dance with and woe betide anyone who dared to approach. The fact that she didn't know her intrigued her, and finding out the identity of the beautiful human became one of the goals of the night, not only out of curiosity, but also to find out who hooked her heart that barely beats, but for her, she even misses the beats so fast. Once Bela explained that this means to be in love, passion at first sight in this case. And they danced to the music one by one, talking, complimenting and flirting until their feet started to hurt, and although the redhead didn't feel the same tiredness or pain as the girl, she was understanding, offering to skip the second to last song to rest. Being tall and strong, she lifted the villager with ease, arrogant that everyone was looking at them, envious of both. Daniela, despite being the clumsiest and most carefree of the sisters, was dressed impeccably, in a tight fitting dark green dress and a detailed lacy mask.

- Where are we going? - asked the girl after crossing a corridor and frowned when she realized they were climbing a staircase, Dani didn't answer, just let her see with her own eyes the privileged view of the cabin - It's like in the theaters... - Y/N whispered amazed and excited, she hadn't even realized that the hall had cabins like those at the opera houses, still in arms she pinched her own wrist to make sure it wasn't a dream.

- It's beautiful, isn't it? - the younger Dimitrescu whispered in the girl's ear and smiled as she noticed the small body shuddering against hers - I thought we could spend a moment alone here.

- It looks perfect.

The girl didn't even notice that the door had been locked behind her, too distracted by the sight of the majestic hall and its exquisite guests, reveling in long dances and expensive wine. The matriarch doesn't seem to notice her daughter's absence, while the two sisters are lazily looking for her, more concerned with enjoying the ball. For Y/N it was as if she was experiencing an event worthy of Jane Austen's books, responsible for the few titles she has on her bookshelf. For a moment she felt completely out of place and wondered why and how she ended up being invited to something like this being a simple commoner, someone without much money and social status.

- Mom loves these events, there's at least one a month. - The redhead comments nonchalantly and rests her left hand on the shoulder of the younger girl, wasting no time in caressing her admiring face with her other hand - I'm trying to remember who you are, but nothing comes to mind.

- Well, even I don't know who you are other than that you belong to the host family, so we are on the same step.

- I don't leave the house much, at least not during the day. - the two laughed and sat down in the cabin's comfortable, large, padded armchairs - Why don't you take off your mask?

- I want to keep it a mystery.

- But...

- No, I won't, Miss Dimitrescu. - and smiled, expecting another smile in response, but received only a funny little frown.

Daniela felt irritated for a few seconds because she is someone who is very impatient and even spoiled, no one has ever denied her anything, not even her mother, being the youngest she has always had small privileges and doesn't know how to handle the first no. She sulked and crossed her arms, part angry and part frustrated for not being able to see the mysterious girl's face as she had wanted to since the beginning of the night, she thought that by taking her to a private place she might be able to convince her. She tried to keep her concentration in the lounge and enjoy the view as the girl next door did, but it became impossible, especially with the animated gestures and small squeals the villager couldn't control, giving the tall woman the view of the dress descending gently at the height of the neckline exposing even more the collarbone and the beginning of the breasts, the apparent veins of the attractive neck and an irresistible smile. All irritation vanished quickly and something strange took over her, as if she were warm inside and felt her pale face blush, something rare. Not knowing what to do, she tried to hide her face between her hands to hide what she considers an embarrassment.

- Do you really want to see my face that badly? - Dani almost jumped out of her chair when she heard the girl's voice close to her ear, too close even, and quickly raised her face, startled - Too cute for someone almost 6'3".

- It's not my fault I'm pretty and cute, and you're short.

-Okay, we can have a deal. - Y/N whispered after a few seconds of thinking about what to say after such a good argument.

- A deal?

- Yes, I'll take off my mask but you have to give me something in return. - The redhead immediately thought of something and then dismissed it without having the courage to propose something like that.

- What do you want?

- Whatever you give me.

- Anything?

- Yes, but it can't be material. - the girl blinked and smiled, trying to make clear what she intended or expected to happen.

- A hug? - impossibly the younger Dimitrescu's hands started to sweat, something that never happened before even because since the transformation she hadn't had any of these so human and unknown manifestations, when Y/N denied with her head still smiling she suddenly felt nervous and sighed - A... Kiss?

- Perfect!

The girl closed her eyes and adjusted herself on the armchair so that she was leaning over, expecting to feel the soft lips against hers, but the touch didn't come, only a close rustle and a cold sensation against the cheek. When she opened her eyes she found Daniela's golden irises staring at her, almost glowing for being so close, without realizing the two leaned in and closed the small gap between them, meeting in a slow and shy kiss, Y/N doesn't quite know what to do since it's her first real kiss but at the same time every movement feels so natural and intimate. The air was needed after a few seconds, the redhead couldn't help but smile as she finished the kiss with a small bite on lower lip, being able to taste a metallic taste.

- Oh my God! - Y/N whispered and also smiled, happy to have had her first kiss with someone so beautiful and kind, in the most magical place she had ever seen in her life - Thank you, I think...

- Do you say that every time you kiss someone? - Daniela asked amused and propped her elbow on the arm of the armchair, putting her face between her hands.

- No, I mean, it was my first kiss.

- Mine too.

And they exchanged a confiding smile, the girl sighed and plucked up the courage to finally reveal her face to the younger Dimitrescu, hoping it would meet her expectations. A trembling hand was brought up to her face and carefully she untied the ribbon tie that held the piece, letting it fall into her lap while keeping her face lowered, still not giving the full view of her identity. Daniela did the same, not as carefully as she did, the mask was practically ripped off after the ribbon formed a knot that was difficult to undo. Then after a few embarrassing seconds, Y/N raised her face and once again met the golden eyes of the redhead, this time with the full view of the soft and youthful face, she admired every little detail of the perfectly sculpted face, even the small scar near her upper lip. Daniela, on the other hand, was completely amazed by the girl's beauty and didn't even notice when she started to hold her breath suddenly shy.

- Well, we haven't formally introduced ourselves, I am Y/N L/N.

- And I'm ...

- DANIELA! MOMMY'S LOOKING FOR YOU! - Bela shouts and knocks on the locked door, not expecting an answer before leaves.

- Daniela Dimitrescu. I'm sorry about my sister. - she sighed and stood up, holding out her hand to the smaller girl - Miss L/N, I believe you still owe me the last dance.

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