#the rino script

[dingle-dee]

Ignore the tags shshshshshghh

[dingle-dee]

AUGH AUGH

Augh

AUGH

BAYBEY

OP I LOVE THIS

/POS

Oml

@dingle-dee That post about Pep and Rino going to a Mom Group has inspired me a bit~

I think she'd have so many friends lol, I mean, lookat her!

[rinovarka]

Alrighty, enough time has passed, sharing Cosmos comic from Thunderclash: Tales of the Multiverse Anthology! Script by Joseph England, art by yours truely! A story about a lone scout named Cosmos, a old man named Jim, and being alone, loss, and waiting! With some tweaks in g1 lore here and there to explore

This was my first try at sequential art and. I gotta say I lowk feel that this was ROUGH. Its not where Id want it to be and compared to most... oughh OOF lsdkjgdslkg. I like stories that explore the mundane, or the everyday type beat in Transformers, or about the differences in humans/other aliens and TFs, not just in appearance but in life spans and time. I’d like to take a whack at this story, or at least some other sequential work, in the future.

But for now, as the group goes on to advertises for the 2025 charity comic in Bluesky beyond me, I post this RAGH the next rino comic will be sooo epic slay 💯🗣️‼️😤🙏🫰 And also Cosmos fans, be sure to look out for more Cosmos based art from me in the coming year ahahha

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

KP could NOT have scripted THIS one! Well played Big G. Well played 👏

The good news I didn't know I needed: sometimes even our Great loving God is savage! #providence

Showing the RINOs how it's done! Today, after showing up & doing the most good, a little c was CELEBRATED while walking out of her big c.

When we can SEE that He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, our cups run over with JOY!!

For the Montecito Royals In Name Only:

[jp-hunsecker]

Batman vs. Dracula Movie Review

Batman vs. Dracula is a trifecta of lazy writing; a public domain-cribbing direct-to-video crossover. If that weren’t bad enough, the script is rife with puns that would make Adam West himself blush — you know, along the lines of "Miss Vale lacks the bite I require in a mate," or "you're my second Batman tonight, and you're both pains in the neck" (why "second Batman"? Because the movie seems to be under the impression that 'bat' and 'vampire' are interchangeable). The above, however, are the apex of wit compared to Count Dracula’s alias; Dracula (the awesomely named Peter Stormare) introduces himself as "cultural anthropologist Dr. Alucard." Wait a second… Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards! Why didn’t anyone think of that before? Unbelievably, Bruce Wayne (Rino Romano) actually has to write the name down and hold it in front of a mirror before it fully sinks in ('The World's Greatest Detective' my ass). Dracula is not the only one prone to awkward introductions, though. While pursuing Vicki Vale (Tara Strong), the Penguin (Tom Kenny) uses the phrase "Here's Ozzy!" in what I presume is a reference to Ozzy Osbourne by way of The Shining (or viceversa). This might make sense if the Penguin were saying it to Batman, meaning "I’m going to bite your head off" or something like that; as it is, though, it’s a contrived non sequitur. And I haven’t even gotten to the expository dialogue, or should I say monologue? Batman and Alfred (Alastair Duncan) are especially guilty of egocentric speech (i.e., talking to themselves out loud); for example, "So this is how Dracula bypassed the crosses. I once tapped into these long forgotten catacombs. Apparently so did he," or "Master Bruce is triangulating his location, from within the catacombs? … I do hope this is a positive turn" (Master Bruce, as he is wont to do, also spends an inordinate amount of time thinking back to his dead parents; I guess I should be grateful that "Alucard" doesn’t turn out to be their killer this time around).

[whileiamdying]

MANOEL DE OLIVEIRA: A CAREER by Richard Peña

Chances are that within a few years Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira will be the first filmmaker in history to celebrate his own centenary with the release of a brand-new film. Having just turned 96 (at the time of this writing), and showing no signs of slowing down, the remarkably vigorous Oliveira, who could easily pass for a man 20 years younger, is brimming with plans and ideas for the future. Yet Oliveira's longevity is really just a footnote on what already is one of the extraordinary bodies of work in film history.

Born in 1908 in Oporto, the son of a successful and innovative industrialist, Oliveira developed a passion for cinema early, influenced at first especially by the work of Griffith, Stroheim and the French avant-garde. He recalls the tremendous impact Dreyer's JEANNE D'ARC had on him, as well as the first Soviet montage films screened in Portugal. Joining in with a group of like-minded enthusiasts, Oliveira attempted to make a film about Portugal's involvement in World War One-the first of many projects throughout his career that he would be forced to abandon. After gaining some practical experience working with Italian director Rino Lupo on a film about the Virgin of Fatima, Oliveira in 1931-at the age of 23-completed his first film, the half-hour HARD LABOR ON THE RIVER DOURO. A portrait of a river that geographically defines Oporto, as well as of the workers who make their livings along its bank, the film demonstrates Oliveira's familiarity with the "city symphony" genre that by then was a staple of avant-garde work. Here as in so much of his later work Oliveira's approach to editing is essentially musical, more focused on creating rhythms and movements than establishing temporal or spatial relationships.

Throughout the 1930's, Oliveira mainly worked in the family's business, helping supervise his father's factories when he wasn't driving race cars (another early passion) or, occasionally, making short films on subjects ranging from baroque sculpture to the Portuguese automotive industry. In 1941, he began work on what would become his first feature, ANIKI-BOBO. A quietly powerful look at children's games, and their relationship to adult behavior, ANIKI-BOBO was shot almost entirely in real locations using natural light sources. Two professional actors headed the cast, but the rest of his players were kids recruited off the streets. Widely criticized when released-the Salazar dictatorship was in full swing-the film was also a failure at the box office, but today is commonly cited as a kind of precursor to the neo-realist style that would sweep across Italy and then the rest of Europe in just a few years.

Discouraged, and by then a husband and father, Oliveira again devoted himself primarily to his family business endeavors, partially satisfying his artistic urges by working on scripts that he would only share with a small circle of friends. In the mid-1950's, intrigued by the possibilities of color, he embarked on his next film, THE PAINTER AND THE CITY, a stunning visual essay on his friend, the Oporto painter Antonio Cruz. The film was well received and was even shown in o number of international film festivals. A commission from the government enabled him to make

BREAD (1959), a brilliantly edited, Vertov-like study of the Portuguese baking industry.

THE PASSION OF CHRIST (1963) brought Oliveira to the small town of Curalha, in the remote Tras-os-Montes region of northeast Portugal. Each year, its inhabitants re-enact the passion and death of Christ—a common enough spectacle throughout Europe, yet here Oliveira masterfully shows how the experience of putting on and then performing the actual play affects its players throughout the rest of the year. In a decade known for various experiments in mixing documentary with fic-tion, Oliveira's THE PASSION OF CHRIST is surely one of the most remarkable, patiently revealing the complex interpersonal relationships and tensions that lay just below the surface of the spectacle.

In 1971, Oliveira turned 63, and he finally released his second feature, THE PAST AND THE PRESENT. All of Oliveira's work up to this point had had its basis in the documentary, in the encounter or confrontation of the camera with the physical world; beginning with this film, his work would shift 180 degrees and focus almost obsessively on notions of theatricality, on artifice and convention. Based on Vicente Sanchez's play, THE PAST AND THE PRESENT is a deceptively light (but actually quite brutal) dissection of upper-class morality; it was followed relatively quickly (for Oliveira) with his third feature, and one of his best, BENILDE OR THE VIRGIN MOTHER (1973). Adapted from a play by his friend Jose Regio, BENILDE deals with a case of "hysterical pregnancy" that increasingly takes on religious overtones; Oliveira refuses to "open up" the play, as is so often done in screen adaptations of theatrical works, but rather uses his camera to explore the limits of the theatrical.

If Oliveira had stopped filming after ANIKI-BOBO, he most probably would have deserved a generous footnote in film history; if he had stopped after BENILDE, that note might have been expanded to a paragraph or two, lamenting the director's great but unfulfilled potential. With his next film, however, Oliveira leapt into the first ranks of contemporary directors. Commissioned by Portuguese television, and originally broadcast in six episodes, DOOMED LOVE (1978) tells the story of two young lovers, Teresa and Simao, whose families oppose their union. Here, Oliveira perfects the style he had been developing since returning to fiction: shots are very long and generally static; his actors, facing frontally, deliver their lines often with a minimum of inflection; the sets make little or no attempt at verisimilitude. And yet, by emphasizing the artifice, by highlighting conventions of speech and movement, Oliveira manages to create a purer expression of the red-hot emotions that lay at the heart of Castelo Branco's classic novel.

This strange artifact from what had been an almost unknown only just thrown off the shackles of dictatorship a few years before landed like a UFO on the international festival circuit in the late 1970's, and after producing equal amounts of bafflement and amazement, became one of the most talked about films of the time. DOOMED LOVE would have been a tough act for anyone to follow, but Oliveira came through with the film that for many critics remains his masterpiece. FRANCISCA (1981) is based on a novel by Agustina Bessa Luis, another of Oliveira's favorites, that deals with an incident in the life of Castelo Branco, the author of DOOMED LOVE. In love with Fanny, a young English girl, he is despondent when she chooses his friend Jose Augusto instead. Yet after marriage, Jose Augusto refuses to have anything to do with her, and she dies a virgin. Critics had already written about Oliveira's "trilogy of frustrated loves," noting the thematic similarities between THE PAST AND THE PRESENT, BENILDE and DOOMED LOVE; with FRANCISCA one could now speak of a "tetralogy," as the film deepened Oliveira's treatment of that theme as well as moved even further into his "theatricalized" cinematic style.

With the relative box office success and critical acclaim of DOOMED LOVE and FRANCISCA, Oliveira could finally look forward to a "normal" career as a director-only of course he was now in his mid-70s. Happily, his age proved no limitation on his output, and over the next two decades he would direct sixteen additional features, a number of shorts, and a masterful seven-hour screen adaptation of Claudel's THE SATIN SLIPPER (1985). He would also begin work on a feature for which he is shooting several minutes a year that will be released only after his death.

Oliveira's filmmaking style has continued to evolve; the rigidly formal theatricality of his 70's and early 80's features has given way to more conventional styles of staging action. He has also had the chance to work with some of cinema's finest actors-Marcello Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Irene Papas, Michel Piccoli, John Malkovich, etc.—so his work with actors has become more naturalistic. Yet there is rarely any mistaking a film by Manoel de Oliveira for one by anyone else. There has continued to be in his work a fascination with the process of A Talking Picture (2003) adaptation: what happens to a text, something Oliveira regards as inherently unstable, when it is "fixed" on the screen? There is an extraordinary economy of gesture in his work, as he seems almost painfully aware how each cut, camera movement or framing will affect the text. Another recurring feature of Oliveira's work is his sense of narrative rhythm; as noted earlier, his approach to montage has much less to do with the demands of storytelling then they do with his attention to rhythm, tone and movement. Shots and even sequences are often repeated, held what might seem to be too long or glimpsed only briefly.

A TALKING PICTURE (2003) exemplifies much of what is best and most distinctive in Oliveira's work. The film examines the interaction of history and myth, and the interaction of both with the monuments, buildings and places in the world around us. A kind of guided tour of the Mediterranean basin given by a history professor to her young daughter, their journey becomes a kind of modern odyssey, reversed in direction and now an attempt to re-join the husband instead of the wife. On their journey, they are joined by three famous actresses-Catherine Deneuve, Irene Papas, Stefania Sandrelli — each in their way linked to the sites of civilization visited along the way. As each is also depicted as a kind of legend in her own right, the actresses take on a kind of mythic quality, the contemporary version of goddesses or muses or some other supernatural deities. Their halting dialog, caused at least partially by their often being asked to speak languages with which they don't feel entirely comfortable, makes them seem as if at times they're actually quoting, another aspect of their otherworldliness.

Oliveira weaves a dense, provocative allegory here, with the education of the child seen as a complex mix of both the world and the ideas that have shaped it over time. Yet, lurking in the background is humanity's capacity for negation, for a violence and destructiveness that all the works of civilization visited on the journey here have tried to tame or at least control. The final image of the film, in a sense, says it all: Malkovich's, and our, confrontation with the darkest corner of the human psyche.

It's a stunning and harrowing moment, and one that only Oliveira could have pulled off.

— Richard Peña, Program Director, Film Society of Lincoln Center Associate Professor, Film Studies, Columbia University

A Talking Picture (2003) Kino Video 333 West 39th Street NY, NY 10018 www.kino.com

[ulkaralakbarova]

After his young lover, Gitone, leaves him for another man, Encolpio decides to kill himself, but a sudden earthquake destroys his home before he has a chance to do so. Now wandering around Rome in the time of Nero, Encolpio encounters one bizarre and surreal scene after another. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Encolpio: Martin Potter Ascilto: Hiram Keller Gitone: Max Born Eumolpo: Salvo Randone Trimalcione: Mario Romagnoli Fortunata: Magali Noël Trifena: Capucine Vernacchio: Fanfulla Il predone: Gordon Mitchell Minotauro: George Eastman Il capitano: Carlo Giordana Enotea: Donyale Luna Arianna: Elisa Mainardi Proconsole: Marcella Di Falco L’imperatore: Tanya Lopert La schiavetta: Hylette Adolphe Il suicida: Joseph Wheeler La matrona: Lucía Bosè Abinna: Giuseppe Sanvitale Scintilla: Danika La Loggia Lica: Alain Cuny Orgy Musician: Richard Simmons Liberto arricchito: Eugenio Mastropietro Theather Group Woman (uncredited): Maria Mascarielli (uncredited): Dalia Zagni (uncredited): Ottaviano Dell’Acqua …: Genius …: Catharina Dahlin (uncredited): René Fiorentini Party Guest (uncredited): Nadia Balabine Imperatore nella rappresentazione: Alvaro Vitali Film Crew: Original Music Composer: Nino Rota Story: Federico Fellini Co-Writer: Brunello Rondi Producer: Alberto Grimaldi Set Decoration: Danilo Donati Director of Photography: Giuseppe Rotunno Editor: Ruggero Mastroianni Story: Bernardino Zapponi Novel: Petronius Original Music Composer: Tod Dockstader Original Music Composer: Ilhan Mimaroglu Original Music Composer: Andrew Rudin Production Design: Luigi Scaccianoce First Assistant Director: Maurizio Mein Second Assistant Director: Liliana Betti Line Producer: Enzo Provenzale Camera Operator: Giuseppe Maccari Makeup Artist: Rino Carboni Hair Department Head: Luciano Vito Production Manager: Roberto Cocco Unit Manager: Lamberto Pippia Script Supervisor: Norma Giacchero Visual Effects: Joseph Nathanson Assistant Editor: Adriana Olasio Second Assistant Director: Lia Consalvo Movie Reviews:

[koizumicchi]

Fantasia LOVE&KISS English Summary/Translation Part II

Confession Executive Committee Fantasia LOVE&KISS Light Novel English Summary/Translation Part II

Draft: HoneyWorks Author: Kousaka Mari

~

Introduction Part I

—–

T/N: Keep in mind that Japanese and English aren’t my first language. I never claim my translation (attempts) to be error-free. As always, if you’re going to use or reference my translations, please do not claim it as your own and credit me.

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ACT V

aizou decided to add an adlib on the dungeon scene with aoi (the sister of the princess). he asked aoi to do it along with him. aoi was reluctant at first because the director might get angry. after all, the adib was added without permission. but she agreed still since aizou’s adlib was interesting. the director was amused by it. he’s holding his laughter (aizou saw) but when he sees aizou looking at him, he shifted his expression lol. after that, the tense atmosphere in their rehearsals became lighter. at the corridor, aizou’s looking at the script when yuujirou walked out of the practice room. yuujirou: otsukaresama desu aizou: o-otsukare he was taken aback because greetings like that from yuujirou were rare.

~ aizou asked yuujirou to practice with him (for their lines) and says that even though they have the most scenes and lines together, they havent practiced with each other at all. yuujirou agrees but says, he wont add strange adlibs like aizou hahahaslfjslfjsl and he mentions about the rumors that aizou was wooing his co-stars (said by aoi when aizou asked help from her and rino; that was why aoi was so wary of him at first). yuujirou, jokingly: you shouldnt woo them. it’s impolite aizou: you’ve eavesdropped on me!! yuujirou: not my fault you were talking in the hallway ~ after the practice for the scene in the cathedral.. yuujirou asks the director what’s the difference between his acting before and today. the director gave his OK and is satisfied. before, yuujirou had to re-do that scene several times in the span of 2 hrs. so he was puzzled. director: dont you understand? (he’s not angry but calm) yuujirou: i dont know. i did not act different. i acted the same way i did.

director: you’d been standing on the stage on your own. today, your partner is there with you. director: you two. your performance today wasn't bad. *leaves* yuujirou: ....i don't understand aizou: that’s right. what you lacked was the feeling of respecting your partner more. yuujirou: *glares at him with eyes that were full of dissatisfaction* what kind of mood are you in, you’re just a daikon (an unskilled actor who overacts) aizou: don't call me a daikon!!! yuujirou: you said it yourself. that your acting is a daikon. aizou: at that time! i’m evolving and growing everyday! you’re mistaken if you think i’d stay as a daikon forever! yuujirou: and just where? didn't you fumbled on your lines three times today? you made a mistake and covered it with an adlib! aizou: i arranged it so! well....the lines i fumbled on today was because today’s lunch wasn't tuna mayo..? it was an umeboshi onigiri yuujirou: what, are you passing your own wrongs to the umeboshi onigiri? aizou: it’s your fault; you monopolized the tuna mayo onigiri! and that’s two...give one to me! yuujirou: don't wanna! we played rock paper scissors twice and you lost both times! aizou: even so! you should at least give one to your partner!! it’s not enough for you....ouch! dont step on me! yuujirou, face impudent: i will never hand over tuna mayo to aizou ever again! *turns away from aizou* aizou: what are you saying, you haven’t given me at least one!!!

aizou’s thoughts: you’re really not cute at all!!!!!!

~ after rehearsals, aizou has singing lessons for the musical. it’s because he still cant sing the song well (the song in the cathedral, where yuujirou will play the piano in accompaniment). he still hasnt improved. it’s not the same as singing when recording their songs. when he sings for the musical, his voice comes out shaky. yuujirou was picked up by uchida earlier, for a photoshoot. aizou walking home alone. it’s raining, but he has an umbrella. although the drops of rain damp his shoulders. he thought back on the time he couldnt sing. he could speak, but when he tries to sing, he loses his voice. he saw a doctor for an examination, thankfully, it wasnt anything abnormal; but the doctor said it was due to stress. after a while, he started to play his father’s guitar again. he was able to sing a little, but he didnt want anyone to listen to it. but he regrets that time now. if only he used that time more carefully, then he’s a different person now. maybe he could sing well and this musical would be a piece of cake. he wanted more time. but the people around him wont wait until he grows up. aizou: it cant be helped.... and then he meets IV. aizou: why are you here, IV-san? IV: i’m on my way from the agency. oh right, YUI’s worried about you. He was all ‘Aizou is terribly unwell that he refuses my invitations to eat ramen...’

aizou smiles awkwardly. it’s not like he isn't in the mood for ramen but he thinks he whined to YUI with something like, ‘I’m not good at singing’ but aizou thought he couldnt ask IV to mentor him, because he knows IV is busy. IV: do you have time now, aizou? aizou: eh? IV: because it seems that you need me right now *laughing as if he knows aizou’s at a loss on what to do* aizou, realizing he needed IV more than ever: yoroshiku onegaishimasu! IV bring him to a LIVE house. and when they came inside, aizou was in awe. it’s used by IV. well, only until someone buys it. aizou realized this is like a hideout for IV. aizou shows IV the music sheet for the song and tells him the details. IV lets him sing on stage here, to which aizou questions if he should sing without a mic. IV didnt give him one. IV tells him to go on. aizou’s reluctant. it’s a song he has trouble with singing....and it’s not easy to let his voice reach where IV is (in the audience seats) without a mic. but he tries anyway.

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ACT VI

LOVE&KISS AU scene in the throne room: after coming back from the mountain, aizou and yuujirou headed to the place where they would meet the sister of the princess. however, guards were waiting for them there and they were captured and brought before the princess. the sister of the princess stands beside the throne. this is where the princess calls the monsters attacking the town at night her ‘little children’, who are just taking an evening stroll and yet the humans hurt them. this angers aizou. the people of the town are suffering. his hand’s on his rapier but he couldn't draw it yet. the princess promises to spare aizou and yuujirou’s lives if they give her the sword they found in the mountain, but in exchange, they have to pledge allegiance to the princess for the rest of their lives. aizou refuses and tells her that just how far is she gonna look down on them. princess: huh, what are you unhappy about? aren't you traveling entertainers? then dance and sing for me. entertain me. it’ll keep me out of boredom. aizou flat out refuses again. the princess laughs and says she doesnt care anymore if they’re traveling entertainers or thieves; or what their identities are, really. they’re going to be her little birds anyway. she promises if they fight for her, she’s going to treat them well. she gives them choices: swear their loyalty to her, be prisoners, or become food for the monsters. princess: see, i’m generous! aizou chooses none. aizou: we ae the ones to decide what we will do. who will obey you!? the princess gets annoyed and calls them selfish for not choosing the options she generously gave. she signals the guards to seize them. “i dont want anyone who doesnt listen to me.” her little sister blocks it though. she begs the princess to stop, kneeling. she begs her to return back to her old self and cries. princess: i see. how disappointing. you, who i cherished- i have no use for you anymore. she signals the guards to get her sister too. but the guards hesitated. princess: what are you doing? hurry up and do it! aizou: that person is your sister!!! guards surrounded them. princess: so? will you beg for the sake of my sister? then, kneel to me, kiss my foot and swear your loyalty. and then i’ll forgive. aizou was about to strike her but it was yuujirou who stopped him with his arm. yuujirou: if you ask me to beg forgiveness, then i’ll do it as much as i can. aizou: OI !!! aizou’s yelling in anger but yuujirou silenced him up with a look. yuujioru says to the princess that they dont want to waste their lives. the princess comments they’re different from the other idiots she came across and pretty much know where they stand. yuujirou hands her the sword with the rose crest - owned by the late king. the princess orders the guards to put down their swords and they stepped aside. yuujirou: please forgive our rude and unreasonable behaviors. he takes her leg and slowly brings her foot closer to his mouth. the princess looks at him with eyes squinted, clearly amused. however, he stops just before his lips touched it and looks up at the princess. yuujirou tells her that they will not pledge their loyalty. and that when they are done with their business in this country, the princess should let them leave the castle. but before that, they will receive the reward for fulfilling the promise. he’s talking about the wish-granting jewel. the princess tells him that jewel doesnt exist anywhere in the world, or in this country. she doesnt know where it is either. the castle has been searched for it but there was none found. she wants to know too where it is. the legends say that once a dragon is defeated, its body shattered, it will leave behind a wish-granting jewel. the jewel from the time the late king defeated the dragon may have been lost but a dragon re-appeared in this country. yuujirou pulls out his dagger. “if we defeat the dragon, then we can obtain another jewel!” yuujirou swings the blade. however, it didnt reach the princess. the princess’ eyes turned crimson and a cold smile spread on her lips. a freezing wind blew. the same cry aizou and yuujirou heard in the mountain echoed through the castle halls. the dragon was there in the throne. her entire body is crystal clear but the area around the chest was glowing bright red. aizou: is this real???!!!! the dragon flaps his wings and the winds brought by it shatter the stained glass in the hall. sharp ice was pouring down. dodging, yuujirou rushed over to aizou and grabbed him by the arm. yuujirou: the bow??? aizou comes to his senses and hands yuujirou the bow he had entrusted to him. yuujirou sets aside the cloth wrapped around it. the ice that fell to the ground were now monsters. aizou: arent those- arent those the monsters that appeared at the town??? but wait-  why did the princess transform into a dragon? can a dragon be transformed into a human????

yuujirou gets ready to shoot arrows. his arrow pierces the eye of a monster who was about to attak the sister of the princess. aizou immediately stabs another monster using his rapier. they pulled the royal sister to safety behind a pillar. sister: get out of this place asap!!! dont think about me!!! there is no end to the monsters. once you defeat one, another will appear. the guards were already gone; they ran away. they were the only ones here. aizou and yuujirou: *back to back*

aizou: what are we going to do? you were so rude that the princess became very angry.

yuujirou: no. i didnt expect that she’d be so angry, she’d turn into a dragon.

yuujirou kills the monster that aizou kicked away, with an arrow.

aizou: liar! you knew! or rather, dragons dont do that normally! how would it turn back to being human???

yuujirou, after shooting another arrow: who knows. at times like this, dont they return back to their former selves with a passionate kiss. i don’t know though.

aizou, with an astonished face: you have a point.

aizou: this is your fault so you should try to do it.

yuujirou: no. impossible. she hates me. you should try it instead.

aizou: not me. i’m a little- i’m scared to.

there’s a blizzard now and when the dragon flaps his wings, there’s a crack in the castle walls. aizou and yuujirou turn pale and fell silent.

yuujirou: ….why don’t we try and ask her which kiss would she choose.

aizou: you try and muster up your courage then.

a part of the ceiling is blown away.

yuujirou, shaking his head: absolutely impossible.

before you can even kiss that dragon, you’ll be swallowed whole.

the sister explains again that it’s not the true princess. and then, a loud laughter echoes and the princess emerged from the dragon’s back. she commanded the dragon to crush the nasty thieves. aizou, staring blankly and then pointing at it in surprise: wait- didnt the princess turn into that dragon???!!!!

royal sister, glaring: i told you several times that that dragon is not my sister!!!!

aizou smiles wryly. anyway, if we don't do something about the dragon then the princess wont return back to normal. yuujirou,frowning: either way, the only way to get the jewel is to defeat the dragon. he looks at the dragon, and grins, trying to curb his resentment. yuujirou: then it’s decided. yuujirou checks his arrows. he shouldnt waste it. no matter how many monsters they defeat, it will only re-appear. he says to aizou that he’ll support him and then aizou can jump while the dragon is distracted. yuujirou’s arrows are not powerful enough to inflict fatal wounds. in order to kill the dragon in a single blow, he has to rely on aizou’s rapier. after staring at yuuirou’s face, aizou places a hand on his waist and sighs a little.

aizou: do you understand? i cant take that princess (the royal sister) with me. you’ll have to fight while covering for her. but it’s the only way.

he knows it’s reckless but if they fail, they won’t make it out alive. sister: i have no intention of being a hindrance to the two of you. you can think of me as not being here. i have no choice but to rely on you. the ceiling crumbles and the three of them runs. aizou, behind the pillar on the right. and yuujirou and the royal sister on the left, behind a pillar as well. yuujirou tells her to not move here and he leaves. he grabs his arrows and puts it on his bow. he closes his eyes, exhales deeply and concentrates. just as the dragon spreads its wings to fly up, yuujirou shoots arrows towards its wings. the dragon roars and flaps its wings. a gust of wind blew towards them and his hat flew away. but there’s no time to worry about that. the arrow hits the dragon’s eye. aizou jumps up but at that moment, the dragon swept its wings. aizou jumps backwards to avoid it and stumbles. the tip of his broken rapier goes flying while spinning, and then piercing the floor. there’s blood dripping from the cut in aizou’s forehead. he gasps for breath. with a broken sword, he fights the monsters that attack him. yuujirou was surrounded by monsters too and couldn't even rush to his aide.

yuujirou’s arms that drew the bow were weak. only five more arrows left. there’s his dagger but using only that as a weapon would be impossible. he grits his teeth and counteracts the thoughts in his head. the princess reads his mind and sneers. “it’d be better if you give up. no matter how many of you are, you cant match me. all is for naught.” aizou: whether it is useless or not, we wont know unless we try! yuujirou’s eyes widen at aizou’s strong tone. aizou points the broken sword to the dragon. a strong will is reflected in his eyes, conveying he has no intention of giving up. if they gave up here, then everything will definitely be for naught. they haven't gotten anything yet, or accomplished anything. it’s always been much easier to drop everything and run away. perhaps a wise and the right decision. however, why were they born in this world, for what purpose are they continuing to live for, the ‘answer’ to that will remain to be undiscovered. yuujirou grips his bow tightly and looks around the hall. he sees the sword of the late king between the rubble and ice, surrounded by monsters. the guard probably threw it away in haste as he ran. yuujirou tried to jump and get it, but a sharp pain coursed through his leg and he involuntarily fell to his knees. a monster was attacking him from behind but he thrusts his dagger into its eyes. yuujirou grabs his knee to suppress the trembling. as yuujirou clenches his teeth, the royal sister runs from behind the pillar. she’s aiming for the sword. she managed to get it, but the monsters were surrounding her. so she threw the sword to yuujirou, and falls to the floor with a scream.

as soon as he got the sword, yuujirou immediately lifted himself up and turned to aizou. he screams for aizou to take the it. aizou turns to him, yuujirou’s voice reaching him. yuujirou forces himself to stand on his wounded leg and threw the sword with everything he got. aizou pushes the monster away from him; he jumps out and reached for the sword and pulls it out of its scabbard. meanwhile, yuujirou grabs his remaining arrows and aims them to the dragon. the arrows pierce the wings but as he shoots more, the dragon roars and glared at him. aizou runs then, and without delay, he jumps. yuujirou picks up his last remaining arrow and draws his bow with all the strength he has. the arrow forces the dragon to lean back, and almost at the same time, aizou’s sword pierces deep into the center of its chest. the dragon’s body shatters and the princess on its back loses consciousness and falls. the royal sister jumps out to catch her in time. together, they laid on the floor. aizou, who landed, staggers and lets out a voice. “there we go.” the monsters in the hall disappeared. the frozen walls and floors thawed. blood dripped down yuujirou’s feet. yuujirou: .....! he can no longer stand and he immediately drops the bow and puts his hands and knees on the floor. he has no strength left. he takes a breath...and suddenly...he’s floating in the air. he opens his eyes in surprise and sees aizou. aizou, who’s holding yuujirou’s knees and shoulders with both arms. yuujirou grabs aizou by the shoulder. aizou: you seem much more benevolent/tender-hearted to me. he says while supporting yuujirou’s arm around his shoulder, and laughs. yuujirou in surprise, unintentionally looked at his face. his brows furrowed and he turns away from aizou. yuujirou: this is unnecessary help... it turned out to be a strong way of expression. however, without aizou’s help, nothing would have been possible. yuujirou’s eyes narrows slightly but a smile spreads across his lips. that’s the time. raise your gaze and notice what is in front of you. “....it’s not snow....” the shattered body of the dragon, it’s like a grain that emits a small brilliance. yuujirou and aizou watches in surprise as it all gathers and turns into crystals: a transparent yellow stone that seems to be collected sunlight, and a dark blue stone, like the deep sea. the two look at each and shouts, “the jewel!” yuujirou nearly falls as he steps forward. aizou grabs his arm and pulls him up. yuujirou reaches out a hand to the shining blue stone. aizou stares at the yellow stone that had fallen in his hand, his eyes shining in joy. the both of them had traveled far, placing their hope in this stone. when yuujirou opens his hand, a blue light emanates from it. making sure it is the jewel in his hand, yuujirou grips the stone firmly once again. yuujirou’s thoughts: i finally obtained it!! ~ the princess is back to normal. and she tells them what her father once told her: if a dragon were to bring disaster to this country again, a brave man will appear, defeat the dragon, and bring salvation to this country. princess: the two of you deserve to be called heroes who saved our country. words of gratitude alone are not enough to repay you. aizou: we’re not heroes or men of valor though... aizou puts his hands behind his head and looks at yuujirou, as if at a loss on what to do. yuujirou, hands on his hips and smiling: isnt it just fine to be traveling entertainers passing by? aizou: yes, that’s about right for us. ah, but- these stones, can we get this? it’s a promise in the first place. aizou shows the stone he’s holding. the intense glow has already softened. it’s a pale, warm sheen now. yuujirou’s stone is also enveloped in a blue transparent light. princess: of course. it’s something you both obtained. it’s meant for you two. i have heard that the stone, which contains the power of a dragon, grants the wish of those who possesses it and protects them. i am certain it will bring good fortune on your journey ahead. royal sister: when you visit this town again, please stop by the castle. me and my sister will welcome you! aizou: by saying that, you’re not going to throw us into the dungeons again, are you? royal sister: i really really really want to welcome you this time! the two sisters both swear to aizou and yuujirou that they’ll defintely show in their next visit what this town looked like during the reign of the late king, where everyone lived in peace and prosperity.

-----

ACT VII

every after rehearsals, aizou and IV meet in the LIVE house. aizou sings on the stage without a mic while IV listens at the very far end of the audience seats. this time, after their practice, IV gives him a C=cup of black coffee. IV has his own cup of the same coffee as well.

IV says to aizou to have more confidence; aizou should realize he has more potential than he thinks.

aizou: i dont know. YUI-san told me the same. i can do it, but there are also things that i can’t do. i dont have the intention for that...but do people see it that way

IV: doesnt that mean to the point of view of others, they think you are capable to do more?

aizou: i think you think too highly of me.

IV: is that so? *looks at aizou with a gentle smile*

aizou: i’m not capable of a lot of things...

‘unlike yuujirou’ - aizou swallows these words along with the bitter coffee he’s drinking.

IV, murmuring: this is certainly grave.

he lets out a troubled sigh.

IV: does it mean then, that we chose you in the audition because we think too highly of you?

aizou: .....!

IV then says that during that time, only one should have passed the audition. but FTIV remained firm. not just yuujirou, but aizou as well, should not be dropped, no matter what.

IV: are you saying that this too means we give you too much credit?

aizou: IV-san....

IV smiles at aizou and pats him in the shoulder.

IV: prove it to me. that we made the right judgment at that time.

------

rehearsal for the throne room scene where the princess ordered yuujirou to kneel and ask for forgiveness.

yuujirou’s acting draws aizou in and almost made him forget he’s on stage rather than in the ‘other world’. aizou sees that what’s transpiring here now is not the partner he knows, not yuujirou of “LIPxLIP”. aizou’s sure yuujirou’s hasnt been on-stage for a long time but he still dreams of being on one. the one who’s here right now is “someya yuujirou” who continued to practice and worked hard behind the scenes.

aizou realizes he has to stand on the same stage as this yuujirou and perform on the same level as him. realizing this, he felt how unreasonable he had been. more than anyone, he knows how much yuujirou treasures “LIPxLIP” and how big his dream is for their unit. yuujirou’s trying to protect them with all the power he has in him. yuujirou’s thoughts are the same as aizou.

aizou had chosen yuujirou to be his partner, for his own dream to come true and to continue standing on the stage they both aimed for. a place, a world, that a single person can’t reach - but together they are able to see it.

aizou thought that he and yuujirou meant to fight back-to-back...but...

aizou’s thoughts: ...when did we end up leaning on each other? even though we told each other to not drag us down....

there’s a fifteen minute break. yuujirou returns to his chair and wipes his sweat with a towel. aizou watches him from a distance.

aizou’s thoughts: then he will have to carry my part of the baggage as well... in order to be equal, to stand next to him, there are things i have to overcome.

yuujirou suddenly looks at him. when their eyes met, he had a slightly puzzled look on his face. aizou doesnt look away and clenches his fists.

aizou’s thoughts: i have to overcome yuujirou. why did i forget that- even though there had always been a wall in front of me.

aizou turns his face away and presses his lips together. he quickly leaves the rehearsal room.

because if he can’t overcome it, he will not be able to lighten yuujirou’s burden.

from now on, he can’t leave his baggage and let his partner walk with it. no matter what.

----

aizou sings again in the LIVE house while IV listens at the far end of the room. afterwards, IV gives him a rare applause.

IV: good. for now, this is the end of the lesson. the rest is up to you.

aizou bows and and thanks him. after he began taking lessons from IV, the sensei who’s been also giving him rehearsal lessons said that his voice had stabilized and his voice had grown extensive and he passes. with his, he should be able to make it into the actual performance. as IV said, the rest is up to aizou.

aizou: it’s all thanks to IV-san. i’ll send you tickets so please come see it with everyone (from FT4).

aizou mentions that he’s indebted to everyone in FT4 after all. and he also said to IV to tell YUI that next time, aizou’s going with him to eat ramen.

the butai’s coming close so IV asks him how are the rehearsals.

aizou: i wonder...but i think that all i can do after that is to do everything i can.

aizou knows there are many things he lacks. he’s worried about how the people who’s see the musical would feel about the performance. but he has to believe in the efforts he have given. even if he makes a mistake on stage, even if he’s laughed at, this is everything he has.

IV: that’s right...i’m happy you’ll let us see our butai. i’ll take them with me as well.

aizou: yes

IV: you mentioned before you’re not capable of many things, right? but you should appreciate what you have. you are capable more than you think and are loved by many people.

aizou makes an expression that doesn't understand what IV is saying.

IV: someday, you’ll realize that what you take for granted is a special gift given to you. so until then, don't forget what i said.

aizou’s thoughts: a gift given to me, huh.

~

on the last rehearsal, a day before the actual performance, rino mentions that everyone started to have fun in the rehearsals, even the director has a good time too, after the ‘adlib incident’. the director is still strict, but he laughs a lot in the scenes where aizou’s in. most of the ideas aizou presented to the director are adapted to the production.

rino: im sure yuujirou thinks so too. up until then, he appears to strain himself but after, it seems he relaxes.

aizou thinks that what she said must be true, as she’s the one practicing dialogues with yuujirou.

aizou: although i didn't understand at all....

but certainly, since then, yuujirou had not wrinkled his brows or had a stern expression. perhaps it’s also because he’s no longer clashing with the director.

rino: aizou is really amazing. he moves a lot of people.

aizou: what i did was a small thing though....

rino: but it’s something no one else could do.

she hands aizou a small bag. inside are lemon-colored candy in a transparent bag. it’s similar both in color and shape with the stone aizou of the musical obtains after the dragon was defeated.

rino: let me bestow our country’s specialty, the ‘mysterious stone candy’, to the gallant traveler.

rino jests before leaving aizou.

aizou’s thoughts: mysterious stone candy....

(it’s in his and aoi’s adlib before ww) he also broke down in laughter. ~ when manager uchida called aizou and yuuijrou over at the side of the stage, yuujirou sees the bag aizou was carrying. yuujirou: what have you got there?

aizou shows the candy wrapper he’s holding. aizou: mysterious stone candy. it was given to me by the princess. amazing, right? seems like it will be sold at the goods section tomorrow. it’s packed in a cardboard box. yuujirou: what’s this? isn’t it worthless? or rather, when did it become a part of the goods? when aizou was crestfallen, the mysterious stone candy disappeared from his hand. aizou: ah! when he raised his voice and looked at yuujirou next to him, yuujirou’s grinning. yuujirou: aizou doesn't like sweets so i’ll take it! aizou: geez. i cant let my guard down around you. he sighs. it’s his mistake for showing something sweet in front of yuujirou. uchida gave them the bow and rapier. both of them put on their hats. in 15 minutes, the final rehearsals will start. uchida, smiing: then i wish you the best, you two! aizou and yuujirou answers with a ‘yes!!’ after exchanging glances with each other, they did what they always do before LIVE performances (like in the kono sekai film i think!!) ----- scene: cathedral aizou’s voice became hoarse (but it’s written in the script). aizou told himself to calm down. he cant mess up or else the scene will be ruined. yuujirou plays the organ and the first sound echoes in the venue. hearing that sound, aizou feels like he was patted on the back with a ‘hang in there’. so he sings, and his voice spreads as if wrapping the venue itself. aizou, who was singing slowly, opens his eyes in confusion. the moonlight was shining from above (it’s artificial light). he didnt use the mic during the lessons with IV. even though the mic now is picking up his singing voice properly, he’s still surprised at how much his voice resonates. it’s completely different from the usual LIVE performances. the sound of the organ yuujirou’s playing and aizou’s voice envelopes the entire venue. aizou feels good. he didnt know if it’s the effect of the lessons with IV, or the sound effects here in the venue, or the tuna mayo onigiri he bought at a konbini (convenience store) earlier this morning...but it’s different than usual. his singing voice is stable, and he can sing just as he thinks how to. the high notes that were difficult to reach during the lessons come out beautifully now. then, at this time, aizou finally remembers the way he sang in the first singing competition he joined. it’s the same then and now. aizou thinks here that when he couldn't sing when he was little, he probably put everything (including the way he sang and the memories he didn't want to remember) inside the box in his heart. he was afraid to open it as there were a lot of things he didnt want to see. but he knew it wasnt all bad memories. he was very happy to win the competition. but still, he put threw it all in a box and kept it into the deepest recesses of his mind. he didnt intend after all to see it again, or remember it. because he felt back then, that even if he sang or won the championship, he had no use and no one needed him. but as IV said, it is a gift given to him - a special one. what he’s looking for, what he needs, it’s always been inside him all along. he didn't lost the key to the box he hid in his heart. all he needed was to have the courage to open it. yuujirou stops the accompaniment at the middle. that isn't in the script. aizou’s singing voice echoes. as soon as he’s finished singing, the tears that accumulated in his eyes spilled out. afterwards, he lifted his head. the guards are looking at him, their lines forgotten. aizou looks at yuujirou involuntarily, yuuirou’s looking at him, his eyes wide in surprise. and then, the audience gave aizou a big round of applause. the director, who’s watching in the middle of the first floor, is clapping his hands. the screenwriter, and the dance and singing sensei who gave him lessons, are also clapping, along with the other staff behind the second floor seats. yuujirou’s laughing and clapping his hands as well. the guards are also laughing and clapping their hands for him. although today isn’t the actual performance at all. aizou tightly closes his eyes and bows, as if holding back the welling up tears in his eyes. yuujirou: see, you could sing! the day when he was standing on the stage of the concour, he felt like he was laughing proudly. after the rehearsals, the co-actors and staffs came over to aizou and expressed their glee. the director even gave him a pat on the shoulder. so it mean aizou got a passing grade. aizou thinks he made it just in time; he should be able to take the challenge tomorrow. and strangely enough, he doesn't feel anxious. he asks if this is what one calls ‘confidence’? because now, he feels like he can sing any song, and any number of songs. he felt like he wasn't singing enough today. and realizes he’s being too carried away lol. anyways, he’s in a state where he can keep continuing until the final day of the performance.

~ the staff finished changing the props to the snow mountain. yuujirou climbs the stairs of the mountain. staffs hurriedly left the stage. aizou tried to tie his rapier to his waist but he hears a click sound. he turns around- and sees the bow yuujirou was holding falling down the stairs. aizou’s eyes widen when he sees yuujirou’s body falling backwards. aizou throws his rapier and jumps to catch yuujirou. aizou misses the steep stairs and catches yuujirou with both arms, but aizou himself stumbles and falls on his butt. a frightened staff rushes over. manager uchida shouts, “yuujirou, aizou, are you alright?” yuujirou: i’m fine.... he got up, but his complexion was pale. it seems he couldn't stand on his own, so aizou lent his shoulder to him and they stood up together. yuujirou was taken to the hospital and returned to the agency at around 6 PM. aizou asks manager uchida where yuujirou is. yuujirou’s resting in the room and when aizou went to see how he was doing, yuujirou’s stuffing his cheeks with tuna mayo onigiri. he seems to be in good health. aizou lets out a big sigh. according to uchida, yuujirou was only dizzy due to hunger and lack of sleep. aizou was glad his body moved immediately to catch yuujirou. aizou: did you not eat? aizou sat down on the chair opposite of yuujirou. yuujirou nods as he eats the onigiri. yuujioru: i was so busy, i forgot.... the reason why yuujirou sounds like he was depressed was because he was reflecting on the fact that it became a big fuss. aizou: hey, you....dont forget it. it’s important to take care of yourself. you know that. yuujirou’s sleeping during lunch break and hadn't touched his bento. aizou’s thoughts: he probably wasn't able to sleep much at home... aizou, muttering: well, it’s my fault as your partner that i didn't look out for you. yuujirou glared at him. yuujirou: ha? aizou leaned his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hand. he turns his face to the side. aizou: i’m relieved that you’re the same as usual. but...will you be okay tomorrow? yuujirou: of course. i was just hungry. and also sleepy.... aizou: geez..are you even eating properly at home? yuujirou: i haven't eaten. aizou: why? don't you eat sukiyaki everyday? yuujirou: whose family eats sukiyaki everyday??? when yuujirou’s about to reach for the second serving of the onigiri, the door slams open. both of them were startled. it’s the president lol. she calls them with a loud voice. she comes over to them and grasps yuujirou’s and aizou’s hands tightly and says she cannot overlook this matter. she tells them that she’ll take them to a yakinuku restaurant. uchida rushes to search for a good place. president: get ready as we’re leaving immediately. the meat is waiting. and then she leaves. screams of joy from the staff outside the room can be heard in the hallway. everyone’s going to eat yakiniku tonight lol. “the yakiniku is special.... “i heard...” aizou and yuujirou look at each other and stand up from their chairs. “yattaaaaaaa!!!!” they high-fived with big smiles on their faces. ~ the first day of the performance is a success. it’s even trending on sns. aizou goes to see the stage one more time before he heads home for the day. there’s still a few staff working but the lights on the audience’s seats were turned off; only the lights on stage were on. aizou sees the folding fan usually held by the director and smiles. he remembers their struggles he and yuujirou had to endure. but even so, the made it to this day. aizou sits by the stage and looks at the unoccupied audience seats. to him, it feels like he’s in a dream, like he’s really there in the another world. “the musical’s fun, isn’t it?” aizou says to yuujirou standing next to him. aizou’s facing the audience seats. aizou cant wait for tomorrow’s performance and heknows he wont be able to sleep tonight because of the excitement. he didnt feel the pressure and the anxiety he had before. aizou: everyone’s laughing quite a bit. there were people who cried too after it was over. yuujirou: aizou’s adlibs were also a hit. aizou, confidently: right? i’m an idol and entertainer, after all. yuujirou looks at him with eyes wide open. and then, yuujirou: what do you mean, who told you that? *laughs* aizou replies that it’s morita-san, the old man from the shop they frequent. morita, who came to see the butai, gave him a message saying ‘i was moved!’. FTIV will come in senshuuraku (performance on the last day). they sent congratulatory flowers though. and a large flower stand is displayed outside - from “flower shop hanayama” aizou: did your father and mother come? yuujirou: no. there’s a performance in kyoto so they went there. my little brother is there too. aizou: ah, i see. aizou’s thoughts: so you didn't even eat. i’m sure there’s a maid but if he comes home late from practice, he might be tired and not have an appetite. aizou: you said they’d be back by senshuuraku. so aren't they coming to see it then? yuujirou: it would be nice if my father comes too. aizou’s thoughts: yuujirou still wants to be recognized by his father. aizou: do you want your father to come and see you? aizou looks at yuujirou. aizou: am i wrong? yuujirou: who knows. i don't think it’s a good idea. yuujirou’s looking at the audience seats but lowers his gaze. aizou: it’s not good. you can pull your mother and bring her here. this is the premiere of your first stage play. it’s not kabuki but if they see the you right now, i’m sure they’ll reconsider.. because even the director, who was like a demon, was convinced. yuujirou, murmuring: it’s not that i want to go back there now...even if i go back, there wont be anything i can do.... aizou: i know. yuujirou: father is father and i cant do anything about it. i think he had no choice but to tell me to make me give up. aizou: did he not let you stand on the stage of kabuki at least once? yuujirou: there’s no way i can stand. my brother has been performing on stage since then. aizou’s thoughts: that too...is pretty terrible. if you don't want yuujirou to stand on stage why did you make him practice? it’s cruel to put expectations on children and just take them away. although these are thoughts of aizou, he also thought that since it’s the someya house, there must be complicated circumstances. so aizou listened silently. yuujirou: but...i was taken to a shrine and dedicated a dance there. i think it was for some kind of festival. my younger brother was supposed to perform, actually. but he let me do it. yuujirou: at that time, it was a cool shirabyoshi dance. my father taught me how to dance. i went up to the shrine’s hall, danced to the flute, and everyone who was watching me gave me a round of applause...but i was terribly sad. because i thought that was the end of it. he spoke indifferently, but a slightly bitter smile was on his face. yuujirou: but i also know that i was the best that my father could have done for me at that time. aizou only listens silently and slightly opens the folding fan that the director had forgotten. these were the circumstances but even so, it can be said that yuujirou’s victory now is because he never gave up and kept going. aizou, thinking: really, he’s stubborn.... aizou closes the folding fan and looks up at his partner. aizou: hey, that dance...you still remember it, right? yuujirou, turning his gaze to aizou: eh. yuujirou: maybe i already forgot. it’s been a long time...and i haven't done it since then. aizou: liar aizou smiles and throws the folding fan to yuujirou. catching it, yuujirou blinks in surprise. aizou: it’s a waste if you memorize it just once. that dance, try to dance it here. yuujirou, eyebrows raising in confusion: here? aizou: it’s fine, isnt it? i’m the only one here. aizou leaves the stage with a big smile. this is not the end. it will continue from here and onwards. our butai, and our stage. aizou: and you said you dont remember. yuujirou lets out a sigh as if to say he’s tired. he opens the folding fan once and then closes it with a snap. perhaps, it’s because he’s motivated, that when he raises his head, his expression has changed. aizou sits in the front row and watches yuujirou as he dances slowly with the fan in his hand. yuujirou said he doesn't remember, but there’s no hesitation in the movement of his feet or hands. see, yuujirou remembers it. there’s no way that he’ll forget the dance he learned once.

yuujirou squats with an open fan in his hand. when he stood up, he was turning around in a fluid motion. aizou’s sure that when yuujirou danced at the shrine, yuujirou danced with everything he got to the sound of the flute. aizou’s thoughts: y’know....you’re amazing.

with those words in his heart, aizou smiles slightly. “don't push!!” there’s a voice and then there’s a sound of something collapsing. when aizou and yuujirou looked in surprise, there’s the director, crushed by several staff members. apparently, they secretly watched yuujirou’s dance. uchida is probably there as well. yuujirou: what are you doing....? he asks in a cold voice and everyone stood up in panic. uchida, glasses slanted: i’m just here to pick up those two! director, arms crossed: i forgot my fan. i just came to retrieve it. he spoke pompously but he was averting his gaze. aizou, thinking: really, what are these people doing.... aizou stands up and walks up to the stage. when he and yuujirou went to where the sense’s were, female staff, her eyes twinkling: the dance just now is really beautiful! the other staff are also smiling and said, “i was able to see something good!!” yuujirou: thank you.... he replies curtly. aizou thinks yuujirou’s hiding his embarrassment. yuujirou closes the fan and gives it to the director. he apologizes for borrowing and using it for a bit. the director then declares powerfully: i think i’ll go with “Yoshitsune to Shizuka Gozen” for the next stage play. the staffs agree with a roar. and he declares that the main characters will be aizou and yuujirou LMAO. aizou and yuujirou: eh? *looks at each other* yuujirou: i’m okay with it. who’s going to play shizuka gozen (the female MC)? aizou: eh, you of course

director: the dance just now is like shizuka gozen’s.... aizou: see, sensei’s saying it too. aizou points his index finger at the director. yuujirou’s brows wrinkled. yuujirou: ha? i wont hand over the role of yoshitsune. aizou you do the role of shizuka gozen. i think you’d suit it very well. aizou: no matter who sees it, the role wont look good on me. for this play, i really trained my abs! yuujirou: your abs don't matter. no one will see them anyway! aizou: it should be the right person on the right role! yuujirou: well...aizou might look better as benkei (the warrior) rather than shizuka gozen. yuujirou puts his hand to his mouth and chuckles. aizou: benkei, huh....well, if it’s that role, i can still make do with it. aizou feels like if it’s the benkei role, then it’s better than shizuka gozen. for his abs wont go to waste. (aizouuuu stop with the abs ww) director, all serious: yoshitsune and benkei...that’s fine as well! it’s decided! the next play will be ‘Yoshitsune and Benkei’ 

he raises his fist and proclaims. and announces the roles will be for yuujirou and aizou. and again, he pats yuujirou and aizou on the shoulders. the staffs around them applauded in agreement. uchida: if it’s a job offer, you should go through me, the manager, first! director, fidgeting: we’ll talk about that properly later. aizou’s thoughts: uchida-san, so strong....or should i say, reliable...? aizou smiles wryly. their next stage- even though the first day of their first play has ended, aizou already wants to run towards their next one. he wants to open more possibilities for himself and yuujirou. aizou’s thoughts: i want to try and challenge different things. do not let the dream you once had end as a dream. turn it into reality. the power to do so is already within you. that is why, do not be afraid and continue on. be it in a storm or a steep mountain. for if you do not stop walking, you will eventually reach the world of "hope" you dream of. until then. aizou, who’s looking at the audience seats, turns to his partner standing next to him. yuujirou looked at him almost at the same time. their eyes met. aizou’s thoughts: we are thinking the same thing, aren’t we. and feeling like that, together, aizou and yuujirou burst out laughing.

-----

EPILOGUE

morning of senshuuraku. aizou sees his brother in the kitchen. ken is wearing aizou’s favorite jacket, jacket aizou bought on a whim. ken places a mug in front of aizou. ken picks up kuro and puts him on his shoulder. aizou asks him if ken is coming to his butai. he left 2 tickets on the table the other day. he noticed they were gone when he woke up in the morning. ken confirms to aizou whether today’s the last day of his butai. he also mentions arisa wanted to go and teasingly says to aizou that they may go see it. aizou stares at the cup..and after a few moments, he says to ken that he’s thinking of leaving the house and live alone someday. even though they’re in the same house, it feels like they’re living separately anyway. he’d consulted uchida already and asked her to look for affordable properties. aizou doesn't see his brother that often, and he rarely speak to him too. so he concludes this is the best time to tell ken. ken replies with his usual light tone, “isn't that alright.” aizou admits that he hasn't decided when it will be yet, but he asks ken if he could take kuro with him. ken: ah. i’m ok with it.... *pets kuro* ah, on second thought, i won’t allow it. aizou’s surprised. he thought ken wouldn't refuse lol. aizou: eh, why? i’m the one taking care of him the most anyway.... ken: if you bring kuro with you, then he wont come back here in the house.

(i think he’s also saying aizou won’t come back as well?)

aizou narrows his eyes. ken takes kuro off his shoulder and handed the cat to aizou. ken: but if kuro’s here...

i think ken is referring to aizou but he phrases it like it’s also kuro who’ll worry and come back here in the house. aizou hugs kuro but the cat tries to wriggle away from his arms as if kuro prefers ken. aizou didnt know how to answer ken. he looks at his brother, confused. ken tells aizou he’s gonna meet arisa now for a date and leaves. but before leaving he says to aizou that he’s gonna borrow his clothes. aizou, hugging kuro tightly: but you’re already wearing it.... aizou admits that even if he takes kuro with him, he’s sure the cat will come back to this house. the place to return, the reason to come back, are left in this house.

for the sake of this “me”. “you” have always tried to stay with the family. aizou puts on his sneakers, and the sports bag on his shoulder. he turns off the light inside the house. aizou, louder than usual: i’m off! he opens the front door, closes and locks it. he puts the key into his pocket and stepped out. outside, the skies are blue and the sun’s shining brightly. aizou: come on then, let’s go- ~ when yuujirou leaves the front door of their house, his mother came out to see him off. tae-san: i’ll definitely come and see your stage, together with your father. yuujirou: okay. tae: say hello to aizou-kun for me yuujirou: yeah....ok.... tae, noticing his vague reply and scolding him: you have to get along. yuujirou: i know. then, i’ll go now. when he’s about to leave, his mother stops him. tae: ah, wait. she takes out a hiuchi stone and strikes it. yuujirou’s slightly surprised and looks at his mother. tae: because i’ve also done this when your father and koichirou perform too. it is a gift bearing the wish that the butai performance will end safely. tae, seemingly about to cry, smiles happily at his son. to yuujirou, who until now, couldn’t stand on the stage. yuujirou: thank you, mother. tae: take care. i wish you the best. yuujirou: yes...i’ll be going now. yuujirou slings the bag over his shoulder and walks, looking straight ahead. yuujirou’s thoughts: now then, let’s go- aizou and yuujirou’s thoughts: towards the world that awaits us. ~ LOVE&KISS AU It is still a bit dark but the skies are beginning to turn white. Statues of the two heroes stood at the plaza. aizou, with a dissatisfied look: the princess said she would give us the horses but why did you refuse it? it’s easier with horses. he had his arms crossed. yuujirou: wouldn't it be better if you just took your horse? i don't need mine. aizou: if we travel together, it can’t be helped but to ride a horse. yuujirou: i did not say i’d travel together with anyone. why are you deciding on your own? they were allowed to stay in the castle for about 2 weeks, but since the wound on yuujirou’s leg was about to heal now, yuujirou decided it’s time to leave. he told this to the princess and the royal sister. but not to aizou. nevertheless, when he packed up and left this morning, aizou’s waiting for him, already wearing his travel clothes. apparently, after hearing from the princess and the royal sister that yuujirou will be leaving, aizou decided to leave too. aizou could’ve traveled anytime because he wasn't injured. but even so, it seems he spend his time leisurely in the castle because he was waiting for yuujirou to recover. perhaps, it’s because he’s worried about yuujirou’s wounds. how meddlesome, this guy. no one asked him to. yuujirou wants to quicken his pace but he couldn't do so, because the pain from the wound is still there. he glares sideways at aizou as if saying, ‘dont follow me’. aizou, with his arms folded behind his head, turns his head to the side as if he didn't want to listen to what other have to say. yuujirou’s brows furrowed even further. he’s even more irritated now. aizou: come to think of it.....did you remember? he’s referring to the forgotten memories of the past. they were looking for the wish-granting jewel to regain their memories. yuujirou: ....no....how about you? they walk toward the town’s gates. aizou: as i thought, there’s no way it’d be that easy for our wish to come true. he takes his own stone from his pocket and rolls it lightly in his hands, smiling. during their stay in the castle, yuujirou tried to make a wish several times, but the stone did not show any reaction except giving off a faint glow. he asked the princess for access to the castle library, but no matter what method yuujirou tried, the results were the same. he did not regain his lost memories. yuujirou takes out the stone from his pocket. is there a special method to make his wish come true or is it really just a stone. he isnt that disappointed though, strangely enough. aizou: wont it make some money if we sell it? it’s an unusual and rare stone anyway. are you going to sell it? we’ve encountered hardships to obtain it. yuujirou: there’s no point in having it if it’s just a stone. well, it might turn out to be an amulet or a charm. their wish might come true someday if they have the stone. in the tales, it wasn't written that a wish would come true instantly. aizou: well for now, let’s look for other ways. i might be able to remember it anytime soon. like when i accidentally fall down. yuujirou looks astonished at aizou who’s smiling. yuujirou: if that’s how to remember it, i think we’ve already remembered a long time ago. aizou: you won’t know, right. a fortune teller once told me that a shock can restore one’s memory. yuujirou: if you think so, then try hitting your head against that tree. on your own. aizou: i’ve already tried that, but it didn’t work. (LJALFSJSLFJA AIZOUUUUU) yuujirou’s thoughts: what foolishness this guy has.... yuujirou: *sighs* he then looks at aizou. yuujirou: then why are you following me. go your own way. aizou: we have the same goal. wouldn’t it make more sense to go together? aizou throws the stone lightly and catches it on his hand repeatedly. aizou: even i am reluctant (to be alone) yuujirou: where’s the logic in that? aizou: because i was with you, i was able to survive the snowy mountains, i was able to defeat the dragon, and i obtained the stone. i don’t know what the stone’s useful for but it’s a mysterious one. yuujirou: omae to issho ni iru to, roku na koto ga nai (nothing good happens when i am with you; his signature line lmao) aizou: that again. he frowns as if tired to hear it. aizou: i will not accept complaints and displeasure anymore! yuujirou: i won’t listen to your nagging! yuujirou covers his ears with his hands. the entrance gates of the town can already be seen. the daughter of the innkeeper where the two had stayed before, waves her hand and calls them, “heroes of journey!”. aizou and yuujirou look back. girl: thank you for saving the princess!! i wish you well in your journey to come!! she threw red apples at them. they caught those and looked at each other. they forgot their argument a while ago and smile at each other. yuujirou POV:

i still have not found the “answer” i was looking for. but perhaps, if it’s with someone who travels the same path as me, someday i will be able to. yes, someday. perhaps we’ll find it. the two wave their arms and head forward, walking straight to the other side of the gates enveloped in the rays of the morning sun. ~ when one story ends, a new one begins. the regrets of the past, the fate that ties oneself. leave behind all the doubts, anxieties, and fears about the future. what someone once dreamed of is waiting beyond the door, towards a world that shines so brilliantly. along with daybreak, let us go and move onward. as long as we continue believing, proceed ahead.

for “hope” will continue to exist.

~

END

[yourreddancer]

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

September 1, 2022 (Thursday)This morning, former president Trump told a Newsmax host that he was “financially supporting” some of the rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Calling it “disgraceful” that they are being prosecuted, he said that If reelected, he would look “very favorably at full pardons” for them and would apologize to them.

At a time when his supporters are increasingly calling for violence after the FBI executed a search warrant on the Trump Organization’s Mar-a-Lago property in order to recover classified documents, Trump is normalizing violence and suggesting that if he regains the presidency, he will protect those who fight on his behalf. 

Today the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol wrote to former House speaker Newt Gingrich, asking him to appear before the committee voluntarily. Historians identify Gingrich’s rhetorical attacks on Democrats and on those Republicans he considered too moderate—Republicans in Name Only, or RINOs—as key to bleeding traditional Republicans out of party leadership in the 1990s.

The letter explained that the committee has learned that Gingrich was part of the effort to overturn the 2020 election. He apparently exchanged emails with Trump’s advisors, including Jason Miller and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, in which Gingrich provided “detailed input” on the scripting of television ads that deliberately pushed lies that the 2020 election was stolen. The ads encouraged people to pressure state officials to overturn the election.

Gingrich wrote: “The goal is to arouse the country’s anger through new verifiable information the American people have never seen before[.]... If we inform the American people in a way they find convincing and it arouses their anger[,] they will then bring pressure on legislators and governors.”

Gingrich was also apparently involved in the scheme to produce fake electors and did not let up even after the attack on the Capitol. That night, he emailed Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, to pursue the plan. 

Today, Emma Brown of the Washington Post reported that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife, Ginni Thomas, wrote not only to 29 lawmakers in Arizona to press them to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory by appointing their own electors rather than the ones the voters had chosen, but also to lawmakers in Wisconsin.

In Arizona, Jerod MacDonald-Evoy of the Arizona Mirror reported that Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters has hired two fake electors as part of his staff. Before the primary, Masters’s website read: “We need to get serious about election integrity. The 2020 election was a rotten mess—if we had had a free and fair election, President Trump would be sitting in the Oval Office today and America would be so much better off,” although he has since scrubbed it to read simply: “We need to get serious about election integrity.” Trump endorsed Masters.

Today the White House Twitter account reminded people that 147 congressional Republicans voted to challenge the results of the 2020 election even after the January 6 riot, retweeting the 2021 New York Times article listing them by name.

And yet there has been concern on Twitter tonight that President Joe Biden’s 24-minute prime-time speech on “The Continued Battle for the Soul of the Nation” was unfairly partisan. Biden spoke from Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park, which includes Independence Hall, where lawmakers created the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. There, the nation’s early leaders created a country based on equality and democracy, Biden said, and those principles made the United States “the greatest nation on Earth.” Now those principles are under assault, and “we do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise.” 

Biden offered a passionate defense of democracy, recalling Americans to their heritage: a fight for liberty that has preserved the nation through wars, depressions, and struggles to expand civil rights. That mission still drives us, he said, toward “an America that is more prosperous, free, and just.” But “we must be honest with each other and with ourselves.”

Things are not normal, he said. And then he called out the elephant in the room: “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”

As he has done in similar comments lately, Biden isolated the extremist MAGA Republicans from the rest of the country, while including mainstream Republicans in the larger body of Americans who still believe in democracy. But he acknowledged the truth that “the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country.”

They “do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people. They refuse to accept the results of a free election. And they’re working right now, as I speak, in state after state to give power to decide elections in America to partisans and cronies, empowering election deniers to undermine democracy itself.” 

They “are determined to take this country backwards—backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love. They promote authoritarian leaders, and they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country.”

We are not powerless to combat these threats, Biden said. Far more Americans reject the extremism of MAGA Republicans than embrace it. He called for all Americans—”Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans”—to reject government by violence, and instead work together to defend democracy and build a better future, one based in the Constitution, the rule of law, free and fair elections, the will of the people, honesty, decency, respect, patriotism, liberty, justice, hope, and possibility. 

Biden listed the accomplishments of the past year and a half and echoed the line he has used since he ran for president: “There is not a single thing America cannot do—not a single thing beyond our capacity if we do it together.”

“The soul of America is defined by the sacred proposition that all are created equal in the image of God. That all are entitled to be treated with decency, dignity, and respect. That all deserve justice and a shot at lives of prosperity and consequence. And that democracy…must be defended, for democracy makes all these things possible. Folks, and it’s up to us.”

Our democracy is imperfect, Biden said, but “history and common sense tell us that opportunity, liberty, and justice for all are most likely to come to pass in a democracy.” “Our task,” he said, “is to make our nation free and fair, just and strong, noble and whole.”“We just need to remember who we are. We are the United States of America.”

[dingle-dee]

Oh look, official papapino outfit thing

[yumark-ism]

the link concert rehearsal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MsSLxu2p3s

3:52 - mark is playing darts and jungwoo joins (as they are paired together for this performance). i was a little surprised to see even that part is scripted, as rino is watching and directing them even in this supposedly "free" part. clearly it isn't, it never is. everything is scripted.

[recentanimenews]

Idol Group ≠ME Stars in Magical Doremi Musical Concert This May

  Last year, Magical Doremi celebrated a big anniversary with events, goods, and a new movie. This year, the magical girls will be taking the stage in a brand new musical, performed by idol group ≠ME.

    Titled ≠ME ACT LIVE: Magical Doremi Dokka~n!, the show features the group (whose name is pronounced "Not Equal Me" and shortened to "Noimii") in a fully scripted musical based on the final season of the series. Following the musical will be a mini-concert performed by the group.

  Keita Kawajiri, head of theatrical unit SUGARBOY, will write the screenplay and oversee production as the general director, with Nishioka to Neil directing. The news comes via the show's official website and Twitter account, which have just launched.

  ≠ME is the sister group of =LOVE, an idol group comprised of voice actresses from the Yoyogi Animation Academy. The group was formed in 2019, and at present has 12 members. Former HKT48 member Rino Sashihara serves as producer for both groups.

  ≠ME ACT LIVE: Magical Doremi Dokka~n! will run May 15-22, 2022 at Shinagawa Prince Hotel's Stellar Ball in Tokyo. More information, including casting, will be coming soon.

  Source: Comic Natalie

  © Toei Animation

© YOANI

    By: Kara Dennison

[hollowlegend]

IzuOcha Week 2020 day 1

Our flight over from Japan to Hawaii wasn't as long as I was expecting, only 8 hours in total. After we got off the plane, Ochako’s parents were ecstatic to finally be here. It's hard getting any time off when you are The Symbol of Heroism itself. Ochako and I have been dating since our third year at UA high and got together when the Meta Liberation Army attacked UA and I saved her life knowing that if she died I couldn't go on. That was five years ago and I haven't told her the true meaning to our little vacation. As far as she's aware we are bringing her parents here to spend 3 months in a five star resort on the main island. Not to flex on anyone or seem ungrateful but when you're a top ten hero let alone the number one pro hero, money isn't an object anymore. I don't do my job for it's ridiculous 12 digit salary, I do it because it is the right thing to do. The real reason I brought Ochako’s family here, including her of course, is to propose to Ochako. 

    Once collecting our bags from the baggage claim we make our way to the rental car center and then freak out slightly because they don't drive on the same side of the road as we do in Japan. Once collecting our car from the rental office we leave the airport destined for the main resort on the Island. King Kamehameha’s Palace resort, sounds like something out of dragon ball but apparently he was an actual person. Unlike the resort because the Author couldn't be bothered to look up a resort in Hawaii and is now having me break the fourth wall to let you all know that it's fake as far as he is aware, and seriously stop with the comments about fixing the wall I'm just going to break it again because the Author wants me to. Anyways, the resort is absolutely massive and when we arrive both Ochako's Mother, Tousa, and my brunette lover herself, pass out from seeing the lavish building that looks like it's made of gold. We get separate rooms and make our way to the east penthouse suite and Ochako’s parents are in the west one. 

“I can't believe it Izuku! This is amazing! Everything is so nice! The soap looks like it costs 10,000,000 yen to hold! And the bed feels so soft! We need a bed like this in the house!” Ochako exclaims as she sets down her toiletry bag and flops on the massive bed. I smile at her reaction before unpacking my bag and putting it in the drawers by my side of the bed. 

“You say that but most nights you end up sleeping curled around me like our little Mochi and Udon. Speaking of, do you think they will be fine staying with Eri and my mom? She already has 5 cats so the two rowdy kittens might be a little bit of trouble.” I respond thinking of our twin tuxedo kittens whose coats are the inverse of the other. One being black on most of her belly aside from her stomach and her brother being the opposite.    

“Eri will probably be snuggling with them all day. For cats those two are surprisingly lazy. Izuku… I never got to thank you for everything. Saving my life, going out of your way to raise my self esteem, training with me when you unlocked float, everything you've done with me or for me.” She says hugging me and laying her head on my chest. I rub my arm along her shoulder and kiss the top of her head.       

“You don't need to thank me Ochako, everything I did, I did for you because it is the right thing to do. Out of everyone that I have saved during my hero career, you were the first one in real danger when no one else was going to help. Kacchan doesn't count since All Might was the one who dealt with the villain after I ran in there attempting to free him. Always remember you were the first I saved, and the first and last I will love. There will be no one else except for you my sweet mochi.” I respond pinching her chubby cheeks slightly which causes her to pout adorably in response.  

“What time is it Izuku?” She asks as I pull my other arm around her and look at the time. 

“Well we need to get ready because we are going to a Luau soon. Which one did you want to do?” I ask as she breaks our little embrace and walks over to the desk where she put the brochure. 

“Hmm… I don't want to go to the whole scripted one that the hotel is holding all that much. Sure it is fun but we don't get to meet anyone local who enjoys themself instead of working. Let's go to Germain’s luau instead of the King Kamehameha one that one kinda sounds lame.” She says causing me to laugh to myself a little bit. 

“I'll text Maruki and let him know which one we are doing. Now How about we go see what that 360 degree shower is all about shall we?” I say causing her to blush as I pick her up bridal style and we head into our bathroom to get ready.

After getting ready and making our way down stairs we meet Ochako’s parents on the way to the bottom floor. Once down there we head to the parking lot and await the arrival of the bus taking us to the luau. As we were waiting, I told Maruki of what I had planned for this evening to which he gives me a look I have never seen before in anyone, even my father All Might had never literally glowed with excitement at what I had said. Once the initial shock wore off he slapped me on the back and said that he better have grandkids very soon. Not long after the bus arrived and we along with several other people including a rather fluffy hisapnic man wearing a hawaiian shirt got on the bus. We sat towards the middle and talked amongst the other passengers including that fellow who is very very funny. Soon the man hosting the party gets on the intercom and addresses us.    

“Hel- turn that down bro. Ehem Hello everybody. Welcome to Germain’s luau my name is Rino and you can call me cousin Rino just don't ask for any money y’know what i'm sayin’.” He says in english and I translate to Ochako and her parents, I learned it from Dad-Might and David Shield. “Now do you all have any questions?” 

Several other passengers started asking questions about the weather and if and or when we would get anything to eat. He responded in a way I wasn't quite expecting which caused me to laugh a little bit. Soon he takes a seat next to the driver and we exit from the resort and head towards the Luau. As we were driving through the tropical island we admired the view from the windows as Ochako and her mother gabbed on about our homelife and why we haven't bought a massive estate like most heroes own. She goes on to tell her mother that most of my money I give to charity and keep more than enough in savings incase we get sick of our apartment or if we are going to have a baby and need another room. Eri would be ecstatic if we were having a son or daughter. Though she's only 11 right now I can definitely tell that she not only will be an amazing hero but end up getting married to Kota by the way the act around each other. We arrived at a private beach with a gazebo of palm tree leaves strung with lights with tables and an open bar nearby. It took us quote ‘Hawaiian time’ to arrive at this private beach and all being said it was very nice for a small venue. 

We got off the bus and made our way around the tables and chairs before getting served our dinner by a massive barbeque pit behind the bar. Along the beach there is flaming limbo, a flaming coal walk and fire spinners. For some reason they really really like fire. Ochako’s mother and father order a tropical hard drink in a coconut and I notice that Ochako turned down the chance to drink the alcoholic beverage they were serving. She's always been a lightweight when it comes to drinking and doesn't do it too often so it didn't surprise me all that much. As we make small talk the event starts and one by one people start doing the various activities they have planned here. Some people trying the limbo, others watching the fire twirlers and fire breathers while others took turns walking across the coals. Ochako’s parents did every single activity there was at this event. When Ochako leaves to use the bathroom I walk over to the DJ and hand him 20$ saying that I need to make an announcement and to let me use the mic. He agrees and says that he doesn't need the twenty so I put it back in my pocket and simply thank him as well as hand him an autograph for his son. After Ochako comes back from the bathroom Germain in the booth gather’s everyone’s attention. 

“I hope you guys have been having a good time but this Malou here has an announcement to make. Take it away Deku.” He says handing me the mic and causing several people to gasp and take out their phones to record and take pictures of me. 

“Thanks Germain, Now the first person I saved before becoming a hero is here tonight enjoying this Luau. Will the number 5 hero Uravity come up here please? I have a very important question to ask you.” I say and I can visibly see Ochako’s eyes widen to the size of grapefruits after registering what I had said. “Everyone here knows we have always been a couple from Day 1 of our hero career. They know that we've dated for a long time and I think it's finally time to tie the knot.” I say before getting down on one knee and pulling out a gold ring with a paragon pink diamond as the centerpiece. “My hero, My best friend and My love Ochako Uravity Uraraka, Will you make me the happiest hero alive and marry me?” I ask trying to keep my composure and not stutter. 

“Y-YES IZUKU!!!! I WILL MARRY YOU!!!” She shouts before tackling me into the sand and peppering my face in kisses repeatedly. Everyone in the audience claps seeing this and cheers as we kiss each other for the first time as an engaged couple. I slip the ring on her finger before She herself goes over and grabs the mic from the sand.

“Izuku there's also an important thing I need to tell you. My number one hero and soon to be husband… I'm pregnant.” She says then I immediately pass out.   

[filippoinzaghi]

7, 12, 25

7. longest completed fic you wrote this year 

If we’re talking completed then it’s gotta be : And I’ll Only Need To Hold You (Go Back to Sleep and Dream) (what do you mean this is a long title aqzsedrftygh). 8th chapter doesn’t count tho, as it is the playlist ;) ! So it’s more around 8k than 9k like the stats suggest. Otherwise I have a posted fic for the 30 Days of Domestic Fluff challenge that I need to finish that is about 15k words so far (if interested, it’s here : They’re Laughing Like Children, Just Like Old Times)

12. favorite character to write about this year

Hmmm… There’s been the OC of my good mate @swanlaurences , Seyssil of Birsay (and it’s not only because our names are similar :p). It’s an OC from the french TV show Kaamelott (tragicomic show about Arthurian Legends). He’s cousin of King Lot and always plot for a coup and take his place. He’s the most snaky plotter out there but the most sassy and classy as well. He loves his wife dearly, more than anything in the world but also Lot’s son, Gawain. In the show Gawain is kind of the archetype of the brainless young adult who still acts like a teenager but he’s very sensible as well and has the biggest of heart and his parents (Lot and Anna) always belittle him and emphasise how stupid he is. So Seyssil takes it upon himself to love that kid and show him affection. I only wrote one thing about him but it was really fun ! The fic is in french, though, I’m afraid. It was fun tho as the fic was written script-like since the early seasons of the show had short episodes of ¾ mns. 

Otherwise, I think it has to be Gigi. I think he’s the one I’ve written the most about in the last months I’ve actually entered the fanfic football fandom. There are a lot of possibilities for fluff and angst alike. There’s also TONS, literally TONS of ships to choose from (that man is such a hoe qzsedrftgyhj). So I’d say him ? But to be fair, I had fun with most of the ones I’ve written about (Pippo, Bobo, Rino and Andrea Pirlo mostly. And special mention to Chiello and Monto

25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read

I’d honestly say everything I read from @montocalypse (LeapAngstily on AO3) but since I have to choose, let me at least do a top 3 ? 5 ? UGH. Okay let’s settle on 3 so that, if someone else ask me, I’ll post more aqzsedrftgyhu

The Winner Takes It All (GO SHOW LOVE TO THIS WONDERFUL FIC !! So little hits and feedback it’s outrageous)

Running Away Towards You (where’s my movie adaptation, I’m telling you)

So is unmatched socks where you draw the line ? (I might have re-read it two days ago at 1am and cried a little)

I honestly want to seize the occasion here to say how glad I am I commented on You Think Me Unsinkable (think again) (what do you mean I said top 3 ???? No, no, that one doesn’t count) which then prompted us to talk more and find each other on here. Milla really has had a very significant and positive influence on my writing. I got involved in the challenges thanks to her motivation and kind words towards me. I’ve really tried to inspire myself from her work to try and better myself as a writer and it has helped me a lot, I think I’ve made progress in a short time. I’ve written more, tried to think more on my stories and also try to have more balanced themes (and not just fluff zwesxdrcfvgbhn). I’ve also written my first proper smut scene and even though she will say she wasn’t of much help, her words still helped me and I must say I took the decision to do it to challenge myself and that’s something I’ve been trying to do way more often thanks to her. So yeah. The biggest of love to you Milla

[tumblblabber]

Funimation Schedules English Dub Premiere For "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform"

Get dressed.

Funimation has announced a January 28th start date for the English dub premiere of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform. Based on the manga by Hiro, Akebi’s Sailor Uniform is directed by Miyuki Kuroki (Her Blue Sky) at studio CloverWorks, with scripts by Rino Yamazaki (SHADOWS HOUSE) and character designs by Megumi Kouno (Shelter). The English dub cast and crew is as follows: English Dub cast and crew: Megan…

[pscottm]

Noted local criminal Mark McCloskey played host to a barbecue/political rally on Sunday afternoon, drawing tens of admirers to the sweltering parking lot of a closed outlet mall in St. Louis County to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the time he pulled a gun on a crowd of people who otherwise would never have noticed or cared he existed.

Despite the fact that none of the big names who had been billed to speak at the June 27 event showed up, and despite the fact that ticket sales were so dismal attendance was opened to the public for free at the last minute, St. Louis' most gun-surrendering lawyer plowed right ahead with the First Annual Pink Shirt Guy BBQ and RINO Roast in the St. Louis Mills parking lot.

Grievance and untethered delusion topped the menu at the event, with McCloskey and a roster of speakers largely unknown outside the fever swamps of the far right taking turns condemning everything from critical race theory (their newest and most nonsensical bogeyman) to "cultural Marxism" (George Soros' fault of course, but how dare you level accusations of antisemitism) to the "radical left" agenda of (hahahahaha) Joe Biden. The whole gun-and-pony show was in service of McCloskey's deeply stupid run for U.S. Senate, because if there's one thing that qualifies a man for public office in the Republican party in 2021 it's a willingness to point a firearm at those with whom you disagree politically.

Initially, fellow criminal and proponent of armed coups Michael Flynn was scheduled to speak, but he was subbed out for North Carolina Congressman and notably dumb guy Madison Cawthorn, who also did not show up. But the show must go on, as they say, and so we were instead primarily treated to the emcee abilities of former radio host Jamie Allman, who lost his longtime job back in 2018 after taking to Twitter to pontificate about ramming a hot poker up a teenager's ass. The event kicked off around 2 p.m. with a pig roast and photo op with the McCloskeys, Mark clad in his pink-shirt finery and Patricia sporting the Hamburglar costume for which she is best-known. At least one man brought his rifle for the pair to sign, which of course they did, after which the man could be heard excitedly discussing how much money it was now worth.

After a sound check with local Deep Purple cover band Perfect Strangers, whose singer Terry Luttrell was the original vocalist for REO Speedwagon before parting ways with the band over its earlier, more politically motivated lyrics, the show kicked off with the singing of the national anthem, followed by a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of prayer. With all the hits out of the way, Allman brought up a parade of speakers of varying infamy, one of whom (who can remember who) walked us all through the Declaration of Independence as an encore for good measure. There was federally charged St. Louis chiropractor Eric Nepute, best-known for recommending Schweppes tonic water as a COVID-19 cure early on in the pandemic; JeffCo gun store owner Ian McFarland, who recently sold McCloskey a new gun when the latter handed his over to the state after pleading guilty to the crimes he'd committed; and State Rep. Nick Schroer (R-O'Fallon), one of the legislators leading an effort that failed in the Senate to defund Planned Parenthood in the state. Pillow magnate and unhinged lunatic Mike Lindell piped in a prerecorded message of support, as did war criminal Oliver North, probably as a consolation prize since Flynn was presumably too busy plotting out his own future crimes to make an appearance. There were others as well, but this event suffered from the rookie mistake of having too many openers, which led to some noticeable fatigue in the small crowd who had gathered to gawk at the spectacle. All of the above took turns rattling off the exhausting culture war talking points that dominate right-wing media nowadays, with fevered rants against critical race theory, cancel culture, cultural Marxism and good old-fashioned communism as practiced by noted leftist Joe Biden (hahahahahahaha) being the order of the day. Allman also tossed out bracelets in support of rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was killed in the U.S. Capital on January 6 after refusing to comply with the commands of officers, and who Allman claimed was "assassinated by her government." That would seem to fly in the face of the usual "if he/she just complied he/she would still be alive" script of the allegedly pro-police crowd, but Babbitt was on their team, so naturally the very concept of ideological consistency is thrown right out the window. At long last, after a gushing introduction in which Allman described Mark and Patricia as "everyone's favorite neighbors" (a characterization with which their actual neighbors whole-heartedly disagree), McCloskey took to the stage to bask in the adulation of the not even half-full seating area of his adoring fans. He insisted gravely that the crowd of people who were walking past his house that fateful day a year ago would have murdered him and his wife and their dog and then burned their house down had he not waddled his ass outside barefoot to threaten them with a rifle, which is pretty confusing seeing as how literally none of McCloskey's neighbors did the same and yet they all somehow came out unscathed. It also doesn't fit with the findings of special prosecutor Richard Callahan, who noted in a statement upon the McCloskeys' guilty plea that: "The protesters on the other hand were a racially mixed and peaceful group, including women and children, who simply made a wrong turn on their way to protest in front of the mayor’s house,” noting further that absolutely no evidence was ever found to show that any of the protesters were armed or intent on harming the couple.

But that didn't matter to McCloskey, nor did it matter to the sparse crowd who had come to watch him hump a gun on a Sunday afternoon. Naturally, McCloskey used his speech to heap praise on the likes of Donald Trump, Josh Hawley, Mark Meadows and others, while directing scorn at the likes of Kim Gardner, Cori Bush and Rasheen Aldridge. That the former group is a bunch of white guys and the latter are Black probably didn't have anything to do with McCloskey's opinions of them, and how dare you even think such a thing. McCloskey ended his speech by bringing his wife up on stage, and the two of them posed with a gun to the cheers of the crowd. One gets the distinct impression that those cheers were more for the gun itself than its owner though, and that more likely than not the crowd would probably prefer to vote for an actual firearm to be senator instead, if only there was some way to get one on the ballot. Honestly Mark is just a mascot, not unlike Ronald McDonald. As the main event wrapped up, Allman directed everyone to the merch tent, where McCloskey was selling bottles of barbecue sauce for $20 a pop. With the crowd thoroughly cleared out and a storm rolling in, Perfect Strangers took to the stage and started serving up Deep Purple cuts for the enjoyment of about ten people. Lightning cracked in the sky during the classic track "Stormbringer," adding a fun bit of synchronicity, if also a sense of foreboding. Equally synchronized and foreboding was one of the lines from the 1974 track, delivered as it was at the McCloskey-led event: "He's got nothing you need." Here's hoping Missouri's voters are smart enough to see it that way too.