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82mitsu · 6 months ago

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{18Trip} <CHAPTER 001 SIDE-A: Sun will R1ze!> 001-A03 A sole rose

A translation of 18TRIP's CHAPTER 001 SIDE-A by 82mitsu. ENG proofreading by sasaranurude.

TL note:

In Japan, moth orchids are often chosen as a gift when celebrating the establishment of a new business, or for housewarming.

Kaede: Uhm… the address on that business card I got should be around here…

Kaede: …! There it is! “Flower Laundry”...

Kaede: (That nice guy who let me ride his bike a few days ago… Uh, Hachinoya Nagi-san? Wonder if he’s around?)

???: Hi there. Nice morning, isn’t it?

Kaede: …huh, eh! His bike’s on the floor… Wait, Nagi-san!?

Nagi: My darling motorcycle is hugging me so intensely…

Kaede: You’re being flattened like a pancake! Let me help…!

Nagi: Thanks, you bailed me out.

Kaede: Are you okay? Not hurting anywhere?

Nagi: I’m good. Saw a black cat too.

Kaede: A black cat…?

Nagi: It popped up out of nowhere and it caught my attention, so I lost my balance. The cat was cute so it's all oke.

Kaede: (W-what a strange guy… but somehow positive? Despite him being in a situation where he could have broken a bone if he got unlucky.)

Kaede: I dropped by to buy some flowers as a thank you for what you did the other day, but… This place really is a florist and a laundromat.

Kaede: (This place has seen better days… Is it because of the decline of the special tourism ward? Could increasing the amount of tourists bring more customers to Nagi-san’s store, too?)

Nagi: So it's flowers today. Laundry all good? Do you wanna wash it while you’re at it? And we can chat, if you don’t mind talking to a guy like me.

Nagi: Normally there’s someone better suited for talking round here, though.

Kaede: Ahaha… I’d like some flowers please.

Nagi: Oke.

Kaede: (He's really an indifferent guy…)

Nagi: What flowers d'you want? For yourself? Or a present?

Kaede: Flowers for celebration. The company I’m employed at has been established, so for my workplace essentially…

Nagi: … An employee buying flowers for his own company? Want these under a pseudonym?

Kaede: Eh… ah, no no! You see, the president is my childhood friend…!

Kaede: It is for the company, but I mostly want to celebrate my childhood friend’s new journey…

Nagi: Makes sense. Then an arrangement would probably be more fitting than your usual moth orchids.

Nagi: We can go with the colors of the company, or your childhood friend’s favorite color. And you can also pick flowers based on meaning if that’s to your liking.

Nagi: Blue roses mean “dreams come true”, and muscari means “a bright future”. And since it’s for congratulating the establishment, it’d be better to make it luxurious. Though, if we’re thinking in terms of making it long-lasting…

Kaede: (...That’s surprising, seeing him thinking so earnestly about stuff relating to flowers. Looks like he really knows his stuff too.)

Kaede: (I thought it was weird how it's a florist and a laundromat, but… Nagi-san deeply values the work he does here.)

Kaede: Um! Can you show me all kinds of different ones? I wanna pick the ones that are just perfect…!

Nagi: Of course. I’ll make it to your liking.

Nagi: So, thoughts? On the completed arrangement.

Kaede: It’s so pretty! Thank you so much!

Nagi: I’m glad. Alright, I’ll send these to your company first thing in the morning on Monday.

Kaede: Thank you very much! I’ll be waiting at the office.

Nagi: Ah… here, have this. A freebie.

Nagi: Ngggh…..!

Kaede: (Eh, he’s kinda, like… projecting his thoughts onto it?)

Nagi: Take it. Since my flowers have a power that makes you happy.

Kaede: (Freebie, huh. Though, I appreciate it. Honestly, getting flowers does kinda make you feel good.)

Nagi: And… on your way home, watch out for rain.

Kaede: ? Rain wasn’t forecasted today, was it?

Nagi: There was a bit of a change in the clouds and pressure in the air.

Kaede: Fufu. I hope Kafka will be happy with the flowers on Monday~

Kaede: Oh, even though I was headed towards the station, I ended up at our company instead…

Kaede: (Anyway, this building reminds me of how I looked at HAMA’s scenery together with Kafka. To think he’d buy it and make it the company office.)

Kaede: Kafka seriously goes above and beyond with what he does. Or maybe he's just bold…

Kaede: (Even back when he hired me, not a thought crossed my mind of this becoming our office. But… in a way, this building does mark the beginning of our work journey, so guess you could say I’m happy with it.)

Kaede: (He contacted me mentioning how he already got founding employees on board, too. Wondering what kind of people they are has my heart beating with excitement even now…)

(Notification sound)

Kaede: PeChat… Ah, from Yuki-nii.

Text message from Yukikaze

<[Arrived at the airport now. Finally I get to see you. I can’t wait anymore.]

Kaede: (......That’s right, I’ll be able to see Yuki-nii soon.)

Kaede: Alright! Saw the office and got motivated, time to head home while…

Kaede: Hweh, what the, an evening shower!?

Kaede: Where can I take shelter from the rain… Under the roof, under the roof…!

Kaede: Even though it was sunny until earlier… My rose got soaked too.

Kaede: (Though, a wet rose is also pretty. Maybe it really does have the power of happiness. Roses are flowers of HAMA too, so just looking at it brightens up my mood.)

Kaede: (That person over there is completely drenched. They might end up catching a cold…)

Kaede: E-excuse me! This roof is wide enough here, won’t you come take shelter from the rain?

???: …

Kaede: Over here. Sorry, I'm going to touch your arm…

???: …Gh—

???: Leave me alone! I’m drenched because I want to be!

Kaede: …Huh. Y-you’re…

Kaede: (Nishizono Renga…? I met him at the airport…!)

Renga: …You’re— that annoying bastard who took the wrong bag…

Kaede: (Y-you were annoying to me, too, though!?)

Kaede: (Maybe it would’ve been better to leave him be~... Though, I already reached out to him…)

Renga: ….

Renga: …A rose.

Kaede: Eh…? Ah, this. It was given to me. It’s pretty… right….

Renga: …

Kaede: (...Why's he looking at the rose like he’s on the verge of tears?)

Kaede: (And why is he walking drenched through the rain like this…? And his clothes, are they for a funeral…?)

Kaede: Um… if you don’t mind, please take this rose.

Renga: ...Ngh, I d-don’t need it!

Kaede: But it seems that it has the power to make you happy. That’s why, uh, please!

Renga: …

Renga: …Is this some kind of tribute, or what? I don’t need it, but I’ll accept it.

Kaede: He ran away… He did take the rose, though.

Kaede: (Nishizono Renga-kun. One of the current active Ward Mayors of HAMA. If I’m working at HAMA Tours, does that mean I’ll also have to work with him?)

Kaede: (When I met him at the airport, and now too, our communication didn’t go well at all. Wonder if we’ll be able to make it go smoothly…)

<<previous chapter / next chapter>>

chapter 001 side A directory: TBA upon completion

#18trip #823_tl #chapter001_sidea #hachinoya nagi #nishizono renga

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sheepispink · 3 days ago

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Chapter 4: Regrets and Bandages

You stroll into the DSO headquarters, the sight looking more simple than the one in Washington DC and you guess it’s to blend in better since this is a rural area. Today, you needed to escort Leon around a formal dinner and, to be honest, it was a little exciting. You’d never been anywhere that sounded that fancy, and despite considering dressing up you decided it’d be better if you blended in since you weren’t exactly as Leon says ‘experienced agent material’. Miami had unfortunately been pushed back due to a lead some agents were tracking about a bioweapon lab that had brought them to this city. So naturally, the DSO would hold their five million briefings or whatever. You didn't really care, you just thought the dinner was going to be very cool to experience, not to mention there could be a hot potential for you waiting there. The automatic doors of the building whir as they open, your feet about to step into the elevator to enter the office when your hand is quickly snatched back, and you look up at the culprit in shock.

“Ahaha.. Escort.. I–there's been a change of plan, actually.” Leon stands before you, looking unusually awkward for how this cocky agent usually acts. You raise an eyebrow before nodding. “Oh? What changed? I thought I always got the first updates..”

“Well–they decided to get rid of plus ones, and um, no one’s assistants are coming either so it’s kind of social. Why don't you take a break too?”

“What? But I thought the point was to discuss the threat of bioweapons-”

He cuts you off quickly with a wave of his hand, before placing it on your shoulder.

“What??? Who said that?? No, just a formal dinner, nothing for your little head to worry about.” You pull yourself away from his prying fingers as he starts patting your head and treating you like a kid again— why the hell does he always do that??

“Fine, fine, I got the memo. But I still need to go into the headquarters to finish work, you know?”

“No! I mean, no, you don't. I told you—no assistants are needed, so none are needed. Which means you should go relax in the hotel.”

“Mr. Kennedy, the hotel is horrifying here, well at least mine is. I barely slept last night because of crickets!” You complain to him– you’re practically doing all his work, why don't you get a big fancy room?!

“Really??? That's insane.”

“Can't you at least be empathetic and not sound so sarcastic?”

“Whatever, just go find a café or something alright? I saw a nice one when I was driving up, very pink and girly like you.”

“That was a maid café, sir.”

He almost chokes on his spit at that, those exist?! Out in the open? But you’re still not budging so maybe if he pisses you off you will.

“Go become a maid then. What do I care? I’m letting you rest, and you’re not even taking the opportunity??”

You’ve had enough of him by now, and you can barely hold back the urge to roll your eyes. So reluctantly, you walk out of the building, unaware of the sigh of relief he let out.

It’s been almost 2 hours since then, the time on your watch reading 2pm. You decided to settle in a café for a while, but you’re getting pretty bored already, resting your cheek on the heel of your palm as you scroll through the pages of proofreading to do. He had sent you another text half an hour ago, saying that the meal had also been moved to later, a bit weird since it was supposed to be lunch, but whatever. With a sigh, you sit up straight and stretch your arms before your eye catches to the sale sign upon the counter. ‘Buy one, get one free, help taste test our new coffee flavours!’

Well, you suppose, since the lunch was moved, you should bring Leon one. Plus, you needed a stretch of your legs desperately.

You reach the DSO building soon after, scanning your key card in and you take the lift upstairs. The area’s awfully quiet, but you pay no mind as you step out and head towards what you assume is the office blocks. Except the fact that most of them are empty, in fact the agents here are sparse despite everyone being invited for the formal event. Maybe they just decided to come later since it changed? You find the receptionist, tapping away at something.

“Excuse me, do you know where I can find Agent Kennedy? I’m his escort and-”

The lady scoffs as she looks up at you, bringing her glasses closer to her eyes before looking you up and down. “You’re late for the event and you dressed like that for it?”

“What? The event?” You’re completely confused now, having thought it got moved till later.

“Yes? Unless you aren’t an escort. He’s down there either way.” She says, pointing to a hall down the corridor.

“Oh um- I am, i just-”

You don't know what to say, clearly something muddled up here so you just thank her and head towards the room nearby you assume where the event is. But didn’t Leon tell you that no assistants or escorts were allowed anymore?? You peek into the hall, seeing all the agents and plenty of assistants, supervisors, even the damn interns are there. Everyone except you. Then you spot Leon in the corner, chatting away to Chris and his escort you recognise from your short time in the headquarters back in Washington D.C.

He had lied to you. For some reason he hadn’t wanted you there, and you feel a stab of pain trying to understand what could even justify that. You dash around the corner when you hear a group of women approaching, somewhat shy to get caught like this especially after what the receptionist had to say about your outfit.

“It’s going to be such a good event; every one of the agents will be there!” You hear an intern squeal, dressed in a classy dress as they approach the doors.

“I know! Hey–we can even try to convince one of them to let us be their escort.”

“I call dibs on Agent Kennedy!”

“Oh come on, everyone said he fell off after his latest mission. Besides, I thought he got an escort?”

“Her? Nah, think she’s just temporary. He would’ve brought her into the office this morning when everyone was there otherwise. That's what the other interns said anyway.”

Once they disappear into the hall you walk solemnly back to the reception desk, force a smile and apologise. “I think I got the wrong building, but these coffees will get cold while I find the right one. You can just take it if you like.” The receptionist looks up at you in surprise as you offer the somewhat expensive coffee, her stern face softening for a moment. “Oh, um thanks.”

You give her a sheepish smile before walking back to the lift, your hands tugging your lanyard off your neck as you contemplate what just happened. You don't even want to. For all the work, all the time and effort just to find out you’re only a temporary fix. What was even the point? You clearly were just some annoying graduate to him, to all of them.

Eventually, your feet take you to the gas station he had told you to go to earlier. You fiddle with the 20 dollars he had pushed into your hands, not wanting to use his money, but you did want a slushie. Shoving the note into a random homeless person’s cup before entering the gas station, you flash the bored cashier a small smile as you head for the wall of dispensers. Before you even think twice about the sugar rush, you’re already grabbing a medium-sized cup, the only thing your bank can afford at the moment, before scanning all the flavours with a childish grin. Most would swallow down the sinking feeling in your gut with a drink, but you chose the kid version it seems. Cherry, Blue raspberry and Apple, you’re determined to wash away everything with a brain freeze at this rate. You’re just about to add a layer of cola when you hear a loud crash behind you, and when you turn your head you start wishing you went for the drink instead.

One whiskey in and he’s already forgotten about you, lost in the feeling of the interns flocking to praise him for his work. If this was a month ago, he’d be wasted already and rolling his eyes up at these girls. But he’s not, because you pulled him out of that– though, the string that tied you to that seems to have been cut quickly. Even though Chris was actually being friends with him, he was returning back to his old self, slowly but surely. He can't help but feel a little bit of pride as Chris comes over, asking to have a word with him and some other agents. Before he can even say bye to the interns, one of Hunnigan’s intern runs upon the stage screaming about a B.O.W attack nearby. Someone quickly connects their laptop to the screen, showing the live footage at the moment. Leon’s eyes narrow as he deciphers the area, until he recognises the gas station he told you to go to. But maybe you didn’t? You sent him a picture of the café you were at 2 hours ago, but anything could’ve changed in that time. He exits the event quickly, following behind Chris until he’s momentarily stopped by the receptionist.

“Oh, Agent Kennedy, a young girl came to drop these coffees for you? I told her you were at an event, and then she said she got the wrong person and left it here. Thought you’d want to know.”

He glances at the coffee cup, the name of the shop you were sitting in before.

“Did she mention where she was going?”

“No, but I saw her head down the street on the cameras.”

Shit, that’s the way to the gas station. He’s praying to everything right now that you’ll be okay.

There's a shattering crash as your body is thrown back against the front of the cashiers desk, the wind knocking right out of your lungs. The bioweapon may not be targeting you specifically but that didn't mean it was going to play nice to get its way, especially when it can easily treat you like a mere toy. You watch the monstrous thing walk over to the cashier at the back of the store, towering over him in a cruel and unforgiving way. Even if you wanted to, you physically couldn't look away from the scene of the helpless man pleading for mercy, until you watch the creature slice open his chest and the blood seeps out. You wish you could cry out but you’re silenced from the fear of following in that man's footsteps and thankfully the bioweapon seems to be occupied with looking for something or someone else. That’s definitely not a promise of safety, though after what you just witnessed, you can't stand around like this. Quietly, you slip behind the counter, still keeping one eye on the horrifying creature as you check the security systems on the computer. Thankfully the protection of their own security systems is awful, and props to your own knowledge, you’re in quickly. You tap away at all the functions, not expecting much since this is a gas station. After all, it’s not like they have machine guns. The only two options for security is to close the shutters or just set an alarm off. The alarm will likely do nothing but irritate the creature more and the shutters will trap you inside here with it. But when there's hundreds of people in this city and only one of you is inside here, you’re starting to consider biting this bullet.

He’s called you at least 4 times, and you still haven't picked up yet, damn you, of all times?? He doesn’t bother with the car, seeing the traffic up ahead and just runs, even if it's miles he has to do at least something for you. The phone almost slips out his grasp when he hears the ding of your text and an incoming call from you.

“Hey–where are you right now?” He almost shouts as he picks up the call, holding it to his ear as he runs.

“Why should I tell you?” He’s stopped at a crossroad, panting a little as he waits for the light to turn.

“Don't bullshit me, escort. This is serious, are you anywhere near that gas station.”

“… I am.” You finally answer, voice quieter and the sound of shuffling through the phone. He’s filled with alarm at the response, his worst fears coming true. “You have to get out of there now, okay?! It’s not safe-”

“I can't.”

“What? Of course you can, just run as far as you can.” He’s confused now and quickly crosses the road as he sees the gas station up ahead. It’s not too far now from the giant sign that makes it obvious to any nearby eye. That's when he sees the shutters closed. “Are you stuck inside? Listen, go to the security desk-”

“I was the one who activated them, Leon.”

Silence rings out over the phone as civilians continue to rush as news spreads. He doesn't know what to say, he knows why you did it and lord he wishes you didn't have to be the one inside stuck with it. He just hopes they’ll get you out before anything.. very bad happens. He’s about to offer some words of reassurance before seeing the phone turn black as your call cuts out, radio silence on your part. The agents are trying to get inside and whilst getting through the shutters won't be necessarily hard, it definitely will take a while. Time that you don't have.

Shit, he calls you again and again until finally he gets through.

“Listen, there are a bunch of agents here to kick that creature's ass, but it’ll take forever to get in with the shutters closed. You have to open them!”

“I can't Leon- I can hear it.” You whisper, voice low, and he can almost hear the shake in your words. “You have to, it’s the only way we can get you out safely.”

“Okay.” You breathe, but suddenly you don't sound all confident like the girl who literally threw his beer bottles away. No, you’re nothing like the confident woman who raised an eyebrow at a dangerous man like himself, telling him that even you could probably aim better. Right now, you’re scared for your life, and he never wants to hear you like that again. The call fades to black, and he’s waiting in anticipation, praying you’ll be okay whilst he grabs a rifle from Chris who’s shouting orders to the group of agents here.

You take the deepest yet quietest breath you can before peeking over the counter, the creature still at the far end of the station. You’re terrified, unbelievably so, but you cannot give in now—not when hope is so close even in the form of your current least favourite person alive. Adrenaline takes over your body, and you slowly sit up from your spot under the counter and creep to the security systems again. The bioweapon had long finished with its victim, a man in his 30s who was now brutally massacred on the floor. You didn’t need to see the sight, hearing it was enough to make your stomach churn uncomfortably. You try to be as quiet as you can but all you can focus on is the pounding of your beating heart as the smell of rotting flesh draws closer. Its slimy arms create a horrifying rattle as it drags itself past the shelves and the plastic promotion signs. The shutters begin to whir, the noise making its head snap to the side but you can't even celebrate the victory as it quickly focuses on you again. How do these creatures even exist?! You were aware of rumours you heard around but still, you chose this job exactly because you’re not hands-on!

Closer, it drags its feet against the floor with its tongue slowly slipping out, ready to devour you. Your back pressed against the wall, nowhere to run or escape without being instantly caught in its rotting flesh, and you swallow sharply, fearing what's to come.

Leon watches the shutters start to rise and a surge of pride rises for you; no one could persevere in such an awful situation. The group of agents, along with Leon, mount their guns, ready to attack as soon as the shutters lift high enough for them to slip under. Due to the intel from the agents that raided the lab nearby, they already had a good idea of what they were dealing with. It was a test subject, so it wouldn’t really have a ‘mission’ or any knowledge of trying to fight. In fact, it was likely just confused, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t do any real damage. The shutters are almost half way open now, he can see the slushy machines at the far end and make out the feet of the creature. Just a little bit more, and then-

The pain in his heart is unbearable as he hears a scream rip out within the gas station, not once, not twice but three times. Along with the pleads and desperate cries for help and he can't stand it anymore; he has to do something.

You can't process anything, just choked against the wall knowing you’re in unimaginable pain. Your ears try to focus on the banging of the shutters, someone's rifle peeking under as the person rams it's against the shutters to make enough space. Then you hear a scream of your name, not escort, not kid; Leon is yelling your name as he slides underneath, rifle in hand and a few other agents following too. The gunshots are deafening and everything seems to be a blur into one as the bioweapon takes its slimy hands off your body and drops you to the floor, sending a rush of pain through your back. The sensation wakes you up instantly making you practically jerk from the feeling of every single sense in your body burning alive from pain and fear. It hurts, hurts too much and you don't want to be awake anymore; you just want everything to stop desperately. You don't even notice the mumbles that slip past your delirious lips, begging for relief or something as you lay broken on the ground.

They were swift with the creature, trapping and capturing it with little effort thanks to you. It could’ve been far worse if it had got into the city; he can't even fathom the casualties. His eyes dart around for you as he slings the rifle over his back, shouting your name once more. He runs behind the counter, where he assumed you were before and is quickly led to the security room by your small mutters. He almost freezes in place when his eyes catch onto the sight of you, guilt weighing him down as he quickly crouches beside you. Only yesterday were you grinning as you walked with him into the plane, the joy obvious on your face at flying business class. Now he had to witness the blood across your body, staining the tiled floor from the countless gashes the creature caused when it dug its claws deep into you. He’d promised himself as an agent that he would make things different; he would save everyone he could. But here you were, because of his selfishness and your selflessness; he’d do anything to turn back time. But he can’t, so he pulls off his suit jacket, not giving a damn about the money it was worth, and wraps it tight around the wound in your leg. You instantly squirm in pain, about to scream again before he places a hand behind your back, rubbing your shoulders with soft whispers.

“I know, I know. I’m getting you out of here, you’re okay. You’re going to be okay.”

Before he knows it he can hear the ambulance outside, sirens screaming at the workers rush out and into the gas station. He stays close to you while you plead for relief, crying out in pain from the damage you were put through, and it only makes him feel worse and worse. He almost fights back when the emergency workers place you on the stretcher; he wants to go with you, accompany you the whole way and tell you that you didn't deserve any of this at all; he needs to tell you he’s sorry before he can't.

You wake in a white hospital room, one for just yourself and the colour is more unnerving than comforting. You hear muffled beeps scream at you as you sit up, numb waves of pain hitting you yet not quite. Everything looks so fake with its shiny walls and the flat mattress beneath you. It’s only when you try to look around that you’re extremely confused, immediately noticing a bunch of cards and flowers on the small desk. Then doctors are rushing into your room and the beeps are louder, and you’re confused—so confused. Who are they? Why are you even in a hospital room? The nurses are gently pushing you back down into the bed whilst another prepares a syringe. Your eyes widen–what is that? Then you see another figure rush in, familiar with that dirty blonde mop of hair though lacking his typical suit today. You try to call out his name, hand weakly rising to reach out to him; you can’t understand why your words are jumbled, why your lips can only mumble and slur and why you can't touch him. The beeping is louder, burning in your ears, and suddenly you feel pain creeping through you like the sea meeting the shore. Your eyes dart back and forth, looking and searching for answers, for an explanation to this. Then you’re wrapped in something warm, and you look down to see a hand— Leon’s hand. He’s rubbing your hand and telling you to stay calm, well at least you think he is because every sound is muffled and blurs in your ears. There's a soft prick in your arm and suddenly your eyes are droopier, heavier, but you don't want to let go just yet. With the last of your strength, you tighten the grip on his hand, squeezing him tight before you slip out of consciousness again.

The next time you wake, you’re a little more cautious and sneaky, not wanting to be sedated yet again. It takes you a while to fully settle your head and realise you had been in a hospital for some reason, and you’re very likely injured of some sort. You peek one eye open, relieved to see no one is in the room this time and there's no annoying beeping either to alert them of your presence. Carefully, you pick yourself up, trying your best not to make a single sound as you lean against the headboard. Only now do you properly take in the surroundings. They’ve changed; you’re in a hotel now which is very fancy and definitely 4* or 5*. Your arms are littered in bandages, and you can feel the stiffness of one restricting your chest which is covered in a thin t-shirt. Then the door creaks open and your eyes go wide, and you try your best to sneak back under the covers, pulling them over your shoulder and ignoring the sting of pain in your abdomen. Slowly, you hear the person enter the room; a small rustle echoes as they tug off their jacket and the chair scrapes beside the bed as they sit down. It’s a few moments before you hear a familiar voice ring out.

“I know you’re awake, y'know? You always slept on your back before, not on your side.”

Mentally, you curse yourself for being so stupid until you crack open one eye again, met by the sight of Leon. You were absolutely sure he was going to give you a deadpan look, tease you, maybe even a jest for pretending to be asleep, but you’re shocked when you’re met with tired, sunken eyes. He looks like he’s been stressed to death about something, worry swirling in his eyes and a nervous tap in his foot until he finally meets your small gaze. His mouth opens to speak, but the words fail him, and he just looks back at you, almost fearful.

“I thought you were a doctor. I didn't want to be sedated again..” His eyes are trained on every little movement as you slowly sit up again, hands twitching to help you if you even so wince. Then his eyes widen at your words, and he pauses, “So you do actually want to talk to me? You weren't pretending because you were trying to avoid me?”

Now you’re confused yet again, rubbing the heavy feeling out of your eyes as you blink in confusion.

“Why would I do that? You saved my life, didn't you?”

“Yes but–” He huffs in relief yet still looks frustrated—with himself more than anything—and steps closer to stand by your bed. His hand grabs one of the pillows, fluffing it absentmindedly, and the way he holds his head in shame is enough to make you believe his anxiety formed from something deeper.

“I lied to you. I told you the lunch had been changed, I told you not to be there, and I told you didn't need to come and dismissed you even when you really wanted to go.” He begins, his hand clenching the soft fabric as the words spill from his lips in waves of remorse.

“I didn't want you there because I feared that my colleagues would mock me. I thought you’d tell them about the work you do and I was ashamed that you end up doing more than me, every damn day. I’m insecure and an idiot; I shouldn't have ever let you leave my side,” This time his eyes glance up at you, a sincerity you’ve never seen before but even more so, a determination you’ve never seen before. “You could’ve been safe beside me, but you weren't. I could’ve protected you from all that pain, hell even if I came with you to that stupid gas station, you’d have been a hundred times safer.” He takes a deep breath, looking at you head on as if preparing for the worst.

“I’m trying to say- I'm sorry, I really am. I messed up, big time, and I'll never forgive myself for not being there to protect you. I’m really sorry, kid.”

You take in his words, each and every one of them, and suddenly the crushing realisation of earlier doesn’t seem too bad now. You had questioned if you were even enough of a person for him, but, right now, he’s questioning if he’s enough for you. “If you don't want the job anymore—I’ll understand. I’ll write you up the best reference you’ve ever seen, it’ll guarantee you whatever job you want. Even that one in cybersecurity you’ve always wanted.”

You pause, realising the sincerity in his words and that he really could get you the dream job you’ve been waiting for since the start. It’s all you’ve ever dreamed; you’ve worked so hard to get there.

“Well.. I mean if you’re offering..” You watch his breath hitch, fearing that you had actually accepted his offer and he’d be left alone forever, but hiding it behind a small nod. From your words already, it seems like his hope was dwindling.

“But you’ll be writing up that reference 4 years in advance. We still have a contract, remember?”

“Don’t be stupid, that contract will be ripped up; you don't need to be tied down to—“

“I’m saying I want to stay, you idiot.”

You roll your eyes up at him and pull the pillow out of his hands, laying it behind your head instead “Do you really think I’m gonna let you escape that easily, hm? You still haven't proved to me that you can do as many push-ups as Chris.”

He pauses for a moment and his lips quirk up just slightly before he finally sits on the edge of your bed with a huff of relief. “How are you still a pain in the ass even when injured?.”

“It’s not like you dont deserve it.”

“I’ve got enough guilt, thank you.”

You let out a loud laugh even if it makes your chest ache as he grumbles. “I never knew you could be so dramatic sometimes, y'know? I mean— that whole speech?”

“Yeah shut up, you were out cold for two days, how was I supposed to know if you were going to knock out again?!”

“Really? Two whole days?”

“Yeah, I've never seen someone get more beauty sleep in their life. Too bad you still have dark circles.”

You cant even get mad, snickering at his comeback as you shake your head. He watches you with an exasperated look as well before he starts fussing over you, asking if anything hurts too much or you’re uncomfortable. Being sweet is not his strong spot, at least that’s what you assume, but it seems pretty obvious to you that he’s never going to let go of you for as long as this contract lasts.

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#leon kennedy #resident evil #leon kennedy x reader #leon x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon s kennedy x reader #leon kennedy fanfic #leon scott kennedy #leon s kennedy #resident evil fanfiction #resident evil fandom #re4make #re4 #re4 leon #resident evil x reader #archive of our own

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bluejackals · 2 months ago

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ken beats parrot up part 3/3

summary: last part of the ken beating parrot up thing I wrote for fun (part 1 | part 2) after @saiintofdiirt wrote a possible parrot-finding-out-about-clonefies thing ahaha

notes: headcanons my beloved

word count: 1000 new words

---

“What the fuck just happened?” Ken bites out, as he also bites into a golden apple. “What did you do?”

Parrot doesn’t respond, just stares with eyes that Ken realizes are unnaturally bright. Like he’s searching for something. Whatever it is, though, he doesn’t find it. It seems to relieve him.

“Halfway through, when you put your hand on my neck the first time, I thought you were gonna pop the totem. But then something changed.” Parrot stares again—not at Ken’s eyes, but somewhere a bit lower on their face.

At the place on their nose where the Omz mask would’ve touched. Exactly there. And when Parrot does look them in the eyes again, his eyes trace out the line of the mask.

Ken’s skin prickles and her ears flatten. “What the hell are you on about?”

Metal collides as Parrot re-equips his armor. Ken hisses, sword materializing in her hand. Parrot shakes his head, holding up empty hands.

“Your behavior started…changing at that point, but since I don’t know you that well, I thought it might be normal. So I let you poison me.”

Ken does remember poisoning Parrot and prolonging the pain with regeneration. But the memory of it isn’t how he thought it was. His blood doesn’t pound the same way he remembered it pounding.

Pieces speed around in Ken’s head, and none of them promise to form a good picture.

“Then you went for my wings.” Parrot doesn’t sound mad, which just makes everything even weirder. “From how disgusted you were that I thought you might cut them off, I thought you wouldn’t go for them like that. And especially not while…smiling.”

A chill in Ken’s bones. She doesn’t remember smiling.

“I tried shaking you out of whatever trance you were in with just pain,” Parrot says. “And you responded, but I could just…tell. Whatever was wrong was still there.”

It couldn’t be. (It could be.) The mask had passed onto Wato.(And who’s to say it doesn’t leave…traces?)

“So what the hell did you do to me then?” What was that feeling of burning from the inside?

“This is—please keep this a secret,” Parrot says. At Ken’s thunderous look, he adds— “but not from Wifies! Wifies knows.”

Ken will be testing that later. For now, she dips her head. “Okay. Now tell me.”

“I—you felt like you were burning up from the inside, right?” Parrot asks.

Ken nods. He’s starting to suspect things.

“That…kinda did happen,” Parrot says. “I mean, not literally! But it was literal.” He groans. “This is so annoying. I mean, I did use fire, but it wasn’t the same fire you cook food over. It was purifying fire.”

“Like a phoenix.” Holy shit, like a phoenix. “Are you a—“

“I don’t know,” Parrot says, and isn’t that the weirdest fucking answer? How are you not sure? “But I can use purifying fire. It just went through you to look for anything that was hurting you, to destroy it. Anything out of place that…wasn’t you.”

“And you found something.” Ken’s voice is flat. Could Parrot know about—

“It felt like a parasite. Like it attached to your head and mind and took over you, but subtly. Whatever it was wasn’t working at full power.”

He knows. Ken’s sword swings out, pointing directly at Parrot’s heart. “You’ll keep this a secret.”

“Of course,” Parrot says. “Does Wifies—”

“Yes.”

Parrot nods. “Of course. Do you…do you feel better now?”

“About what? I’m still mad at you.” Maybe a little less.

“Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, your senses are sharper now, right? No more…sadistic urges?”

Ken goes through his memories of hurting Parrot again. The more they look, the worse it gets. There’s a clear dissonance between what they know they felt in the moment and how they feel now, and it’s not because they suddenly want to be best friends with Parrot. And there are things they can’t remember—like what Parrot was doing while Ken broke his wings. There’s nothing that Ken’s senses perceived except for the heady rush of power that came with the sound of the bones breaking.

But no, the rush is gone now, with not even an ember left. Ken can smell, hear, see, touch, taste. He’s Ken.

“All of my current sadistic urges are my own, thank you,” Ken says.

Parrot cracks a smile. “Good to hear.”

“Are you sure you’re not a maso—”

Parrot’s comm pings, interrupting her question as Parrot goes to open it.

“Oh, it’s Wifies,” Parrot says. The amount of warmth in his voice makes Ken want to projectile vomit.

“What did he say?”

Parrot raises an eyebrow at Ken for the nosiness, but reads Wifies’s message out loud. “Thanks for pointing me towards that arg! It was really cool and I’m going to keep looking into it.”

Ken snorts. “Oh, so you were the one who gave him that. That explains the convenience of him being gone right now. Didn’t want him to know about this?”

“Would you want him to know?”

Ken is silent at that. It makes Parrot huff in clear amusement. “Yeah, I thought so.”

Then Ken’s comm pings—with a message from Wifies. Ken opens the chat with extremely practiced motions.

[Wifies]: you said you wanted to eat lunch together today? it’s fine if something came up but if not do you still want to meet on your server in fifteen minutes

Parrot, wisely, does not ask what Wifies said.

Ken hastily sends out a response. She would never miss lunch plans with Wifies. If she ever does, she’ll feed herself to a hopper.

[_Kenadian_]: we’re still on! see you there

[_Kenadian_]: if I miss a planned lunch with you it’s because I’m dead

They tuck their comm away and get up to stretch. Parrot’s eyes track the motions. Ken yawns just to flash their teeth.

“Alright, I have places to be and pleasant people to talk to.”

His hand stops on the button to open the door. It makes him want to break out in hives, but he has to say something. Despite it all, he is grateful. “Thanks for breaking me out of the trance. Okay, bye.”

He can sense a migraine just waiting to spring into existence if he thinks too much about the labyrinth of mysteries that seems to be developing around Parrot, or about the implications of what Parrot did, so he shoves it all aside to be giddy about seeing Wifies.

Ken can think about it later. For now, she just wants to be satisfied that someone paid some of his dues and she can go poke Wifies into talking about the arg while they eat.

#bluejackals bites #also saiint the throat ripping out thing was intentionally because parrot did that to wifies in atitk heh

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shrimpsalot · 4 months ago

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Oh gawd I dreamt of quite a weird AU(?) last night so yapping ahead!!

So for whatever reason instead of getting a full ss3, we just get random episodes here and there about their 11th-12th year? Randy and Howard's relationship r still ride or die but they managed to form a bigger friend circle with Theresa, Debbie, Julian, Bucky and Rachel and often have lunch together in a more darker gloomier version of the cafeteria (think it's just my irl school cafeteria that got projected into my dreams 😭 but for shits and giggles let's say Slimovitz ran out of budget to fix it completely after another monster attack). Unfortunately there was an assignment in class that put Howard and Debbie in the same group, idk about everyone else, and they have to research about stuff like Ninja's Japan origins, tactics, fighting techniques, types of weapons he used etc. Ofc no one knows it better than randy (and kinda howard) so when they were fighting about it during lunch, Randy just casually went "no actually because if you maneuver your body like that you wouldn't ensure a safe landing and might twist your ankle, also the chain sickle is used more as a defensive weapon such as blocking a sword, locking the opponent's weapon in place and potentially yanking it towards you, and did you know smoke bombs are crafted wit-" accidentally yapping about things Nomicon taught him until Howard cuts in to save his butt "see Debbie, even Cunningham's more knowledgeable about the ninja you sure you've been studying him properly for your reports?" which re-enabled their argument and divert the attention away from randy(which he's gonna thank Howard for later). A bit of time later an attack happen in town while they were working on the assignment in the cafeteria after school, Randy ofc had to leave but it'd be suspicious so he made an excuse maybe smth along the lines of they can learn more by watching the ninja fight and everyon agreed. Again he separated from them mid-walk to do some ninja-ing, which worried theresa that he's nowhere to be seen while Howard and Debbie is still fighting about their research. Howard couldn't take it anymore as well as lowkey bothered by Theresa so he called randy to prove that he's safe, AND to call for backup on his ninja knowledge. The phone call was the same vibe as ones in the show and while Howard was too engrossed on the convo, Ninja!Randy holding the phone answering while fighting got launched backwards to the front of the alleyway where the group was but randy didn't see them so he was unaware that they heard the phone convo. When he was finished and transformed back, he immediately ran into them after turning a corner and the first thing he said is "heeyyyy uh so I got a lil lost where were you guys? Ahaha" all for Debbie to respond with a shocked expression "YOU'RE the ninja?!?"

"what?? Nooooo I I am definitely not the Ninja psshh what makes you say that? I'm just a lil ol me Randy that's right there's no ninja here-", Theresa then explained they overheard his phone call and Randy gave in, only to be slightly offended to see Bucky looking defeated and handing Rachel $5. Cartoon scene cut and we see randy on his hands and knees in front of debbie(nothing too serious its like those comedy anime gags type of pose)

"What a sight. An 800 year old ninja vs the power of journalism." Bucky tries to lighten up the mood. Randy is begging Debbie not to write about this (for the second time) and she's having a hard time accepting (again) so she asked "what if I do write it? What would you do?" making randy look up at her with a serious face without saying anything, causing slight misunderstanding

"y-you're gonna erase me?!"

"what?? No ofc not I was just gonna mind wipe you!!!"

"mind wipe?"

"uh I mean-"

"what, by using that book that you sometimes drool on while being unconscious?"

"W-what book?-"

"is that like an 800 year old ancient ninja book of wisdom?"

"HOW ARE YOU STILL GOOD AT THIS???"

"wait 'still'?"

"CUNNINGHAM WILL YOU STOP TALKING SHE FEEDS ON YOUR ANSWERS" Howard shouted from the side

"do you mean you've mind wiped me before??"

"huh is it that time in 9th grade where you broadcasted to the whole town that he's the ninja which turned out to be false?" Rachel questioned

"I did what in 9th grade?????"

"... Debbie please" Randy pleaded

"Randy this is ridiculous" Debbie pinched her nose bridge "then why don't you just mind wipe us this time?"

"um..."

"because you can't or because the book will get mad at you?"

"enough with the mind wipe how did YOU know he was the ninja Rachel?" Howard saving randy once again

"well that time I got turned into a monster and the Ninja made me an apology song, it sounded awfully familiar to randy during music class so I just guessed, plus whenever we hang out and there's an emergency he's always the first one to disappear on us"

"and you gotta admit Randy's jokes are as bad as the ninja's " Bucky chimed in

The mood between them improved so debbie eventually agreed because they're friends for the past year or so, and that's when I started to wake up :') one more weird thing is the ninja in my dream didn't have a red scarf around his neck, it's more like black-blue color and idk maybe he looks cooler that way? At least it is in my dream

Thank u for reading I'll think about whether to make this into a real AU or not 😭😭 Edit: i just realized i dreamt of Julian but the entire time he was standing behind theresa, also worrying about randy but idk why he didnt do anything else :')

#shrimp-fried-yap #rc9gn #rc9gn au #randy cunningham 9th grade ninja

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hoshibatake · 17 hours ago

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FREEDOM – Reality and Freedom/Chapter 3

Previous chapter

Subaru: Ukki～, the dark circles under your eyes look really bad. You haven’t been sleeping enough, have you?

Makoto: Oh… You noticed. I thought I’d hidden them well enough under my makeup.

Subaru: Nope, it’s super obvious to me, ‘cause we wear makeup for our jobs～

Subaru: Plus, normally you would’ve used your smartphone to check the reviews on that cleaning brush long before my mom pointed it out.

Subaru: But you’re not thinking straight because of the lack of sleep. Am I wrong?

Makoto: Ahaha… You’re right, I’m probably a little out of it.

Subaru: Is your lack of sleep because of FREEDOM? I get that if you love games, it’s easy to get obsessed with one…

Subaru: ...but you shouldn’t take it so far that it’s bad for your health. Games are supposed to be fun, right?

Makoto: …

Makoto: ...Akehoshi-kun. If FREEDOM wasn’t just a game, what would you do?

Subaru: …? What do you mean?

Makoto: Actually, when I was looking for a strategy guide, I found some information that hadn’t been shared with us.

Makoto: A real city will be built, based off of the virtual one Trickstar is building. That’s what “City Building Plans ‘FREEDOM’” truly entails…

Makoto: The city that we built on a whim, will become real!

Subaru: Become real…

Subaru: Ahaha! The heck? That sounds so fun♪

Makoto: Huh? Do you not believe me?

Makoto: I’m not joking. I saw the documents with my own two eyes!

Subaru: I’m not doubting you. I just think it sounds like a fun idea for it to become real.

Subaru: There are talking dinosaurs and there’s a sparkly theme park, after all.

Subaru: I have no idea how they’d make that a reality, but if anyone can do it, Eichi-senpai can. What with him being super rich and all☆

Subaru: At first I didn’t get why they would make us play a game like this, but I think I’m starting to get the idea behind it now.

Subaru: I think they asked us, because they wanted to build a super wild city that’s anything but normal.

Makoto: Super wild…

Subaru: Yeah. If someone just wanted to build a normal, efficient city, you’d ask some experts, right? But Eichi-senpai wouldn’t settle for that…

Subaru: ...so he probably asked us instead, because he knew that a bunch of rascals like us would dream up a crazy city unlike anything anyone else could think of.

Makoto: (He wants us to make a crazy city…?)

Makoto: (…)

Makoto: (...Ever since I found those documents, I’ve been trying to create a city that would be up to reality’s standards. I even thought that I was working the hardest out of all of us…)

Makoto: (...but I was wrong.)

Makoto: (Out of the four of us, I was the only one who…)

Subaru: …?

Subaru: …

Subaru: By the way. How’s your avatar doing, Ukki～? Is he alright?

Makoto: Yeah, somehow. Izumi-san’s avatar nearly got him and he would’ve been forced to form a unit with him, but when I logged on this morning, Izumi-san had disappeared.

Makoto: Maybe an update fixed the bugged Izumi-san?

Subaru: I see, I see. Ukki～ and Wakame-san in one unit, huh? That actually sounds a little interesting♪

Subaru: Hey, Ukki～. What kind of idol do you wanna be?

Makoto: Me? Not my avatar?

Subaru: Yeah. You’re always putting yourself last and giving your all for the sake of Trickstar. But let’s put that aside for a sec.

Subaru: When I was watching the virtual Trickstar, I couldn’t help but wonder: What does Ukki～ want for himself?

Makoto: …

Makoto: ...I think… I want to be like you guys.

Subaru: Like us?

Makoto: Yeah. I wish I had something unique for which I could say ��no one is better at this than me!” I used to think that was video games for me, but…

Makoto: You, Isara-kun, and even Hidaka-kun have all been building your peculiar neighborhoods, and you’ve been doing idol work simultaneously, right?

Makoto: I love and respect all of you, but it’s a bit frustrating that I can’t even keep up with you when it comes to something I’m actually good at.

Makoto: I felt like I wanted—no, I needed to be number one, so I got all worked up over it, and started playing solo.

Makoto: Even though I’m nothing without you guys.

Subaru: ...Actually, we’re nothing without you, either.

Subaru: It seems like you haven’t noticed, but the virtual Trickstar is actually in a huge bind right now, you know?

Subaru: The venues keep burning down, and our audience keeps shrinking. Nothing we do goes right. It’s a huge mess.

Makoto: Huh? How did it end up like that? What would cause that?

Subaru: It’s because you’re not there. The fires are caused by faulty installation of the electrical systems, and ‘we’re’ not attracting enough people because ‘we’ suck at promotion…

Subaru: It’s all going wrong because none of them know how to do the things you’re always doing without even being asked. You’re irreplaceable.

Subaru: Though, by saying it like this, I’m making it sound like you’re just there to do chores. That’s not what I meant at all. How should I put it…

Subaru: In any case, you should come back to the virtual Trickstar! We need our Ukki～!

Subaru: Plus, without you, Trickstar is just dull!

Makoto: Akehoshi-kun…

Makoto: (It makes me happy to be acknowledged as a part of Trickstar.)

Makoto: (Before we formed a unit… Around the time of the Venus Cup, I could never stick to one thing very long, and I was uncomfortable with group activities.)

Makoto: (But no matter how many years pass, things never get boring with Trickstar. It’s a lot of fun.)

Makoto: (Having friends… Not being alone. It makes me happy.)

Makoto: ...I was always planning on coming back. And leaving the unit was caused by a bug in the first place.

Subaru: If that was the case, couldn’t you have given us a heads up?

Subaru: You haven’t shown your face around Trickstudio in ages, either. Me, Sari～ and Hokke～ were all worried about you, you know!

Makoto: You’re right… I’ll have to go meet them and apologize.

Makoto: And while we’re at it, I want to put our heads together and reconsider what kind of city is befitting for me and for Trickstar.

Makoto: This time, we’ll definitely get it right.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

#ensemble stars #story translation #makoto yuuki #subaru akehoshi

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mrssimply · 4 months ago

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HIIII 3 and 14 for the fic writer ask pretty pls :]

3. how you feel about your current WIP?

OMG, Blue, you couldn't have chosen a worst question from this list ahaha. I feel awful, I hate it, I'm fighting it every step of the way, I wanna lay down and cry about it. I hate it so much, so, so much. I'm talking about The Burning of Rome, of course, not the answer to your prompt (yep, it's still in progress) though I'm also blocked on that one, unfortunately T-T.

Now, I'm just not gonna whine about my WIP, but maybe explain a little bit more. Even though it's... not fun, I know it's part of the process. First of all, I generally hate my WIPs at some point, most often I hate what I just finished writing. I think it's because, as I come down from the high of writing, I realise words and english failed me yet again and it's not as I imagined. It's never exactly as I imagined, but sometimes, this conclusion angers me. I often react with anger when my ego takes a hit, then I sulk, then I accept it and generally, by this point I read over the part I wrote and I rediscover it and hey, it's actually not that bad. So I know it's part of the process.

But... I'll admit it's the first time I struggled this hard with a fic. It never happened before. So, like a disgruntled old cat, I was reflecting on why is that, and here are my modest conclusions:

it's the... biggest work so far. Not in word count (though, if you add up the first two parts of the series, it is one of the biggest), but in ambition. I basically had to come up with so much for that series, and that last part in particular. I researched the mafias of the world, studied the Philipines geography and geopolitics, I went back to some history lesson to better integrate some part of lore into past events, and then there was the usual research about John Wick in genral, firearms, battle strategy, and of course, writing fighting scenes which is just exhausting.

The freaking cast... Like. Most of my works have around three main characters, and a few regular side characters, but most of the action happens in the intimacy of a couple, or a trouple. TBoR's middle part, which I finished with my blood and tears, only thanks to Koda infaillible support, has so many characters. There is only one main character (John) for most of that part, but he has significant interactions with like ten others characters. Thre of them are OC, and I try not to give too much screentime to OCs since, understandably, they don't interest the audience but Leonora for exemple, has been in this story for so long sometimes I forget she ain't actually in the movies xD. So yeah, a big cast to balance, to give screentime to, and to move around coherently, give each of them a role and a purpose. Exhausting.

Character developpement: I can only blame myself for that one. I mean, I can only blame myself for the previous points, too, but this one... Let me rewind a little bit: I know a lot of people in the fandom envision John as caring, understanding, patient. And he is. Our favorite Loving Husband. But he also is pretty aggressive, stubborn, and ffs he doesn't know how to grieve. At all. This "indomitable will" Viggo speaks about in the first movie, that thing that makes him get up after falling from the roof garden of the Continental... Well, when you put that into caring for his partner, it makes him a great husband. But when you put that into conflict with said partner, he's just unsufferable. And I wanted to explore that. And now, he kinda did something unforgivable, so how is he gonna get over it, I ask the audience? And the audience turns toward me: "but you're the author!" and yep. I am [nervous laughter]. So... Now I have the path, after... months of struggling to find a way out of the mess I put him and Santino into. But I have to write it, and it's hard, because I'm shit at emotional conflict, and how do you deal with emotional conflict when one character doesn't know how to express his feelings outside of violent outburst (killing seventy people because he couldn't deal with his grief~~~) and the other one is just as stubborn, and won't talk about his feelings anymore because when he tried, he got shut down. That's where I am people, and I. hate. it.

Now, I know that when I publish the final part, I'll be happy. Not just happy to be done, I'll be proud of myself because, this was huge. I knew it would be when I started, and I told myself several times that I wouldn't do it because it was too big and I wasn't sure I could pull it off, or even wanted to... I mean, I don't wanna sound like I'm whining but I know the energy this will require out of readers, it's not a fanfiction anymore, it's a book, and people have shown to have more difficulties engaging with that kind of works than with oneshots, or short fiction. Won't get into why, that's another subject entierly, but I just know this work, which is my soul and guts, will get less reactions that the one I wrote in a frenzy for a prompt. It's always been like that, I've... accepted it, I'm not complaining about it I'm just saying sometimes it's hard to swallow.

Moving on.

I've been thinking a lot about another fic of mine (from Cyberpunk) lately in relation to The Burning of Rome. The fic is called To the day I die and it was, is, my personal masterpiece when it comes to Silverdyne (Johnny x Kerry). It's also the final part of a series that started innocently as a prompt (W.A.R, the series TBoR is part of, started as a character study), and it embarked me into this huge odyssey about love, growing up, getting better, relapse and what it means to be wise. Also, some of the themes are the same : both characters hurting each other with the best intentions, one of them being a self-sacrifycing fool, and the other being stubborn because he was once hurt by his partner. They also end up kinda nearly killing each other lol I need to stop doing this (it's a lie, I'll do it again, it's my favorite trope, don't send help). I think I unconsciously used some of the same sentences, or at least the same situation. I I foolishly always thought I had no "themes" in my work but that was obviously my ego speaking! Incredible, what we learn about ourselves while writing.

So yeah.

I hate it.

But when it's done, I'll be proud, I know.

I might even print it, for posterity.

It's my best work so far, so why not?

(Fun fact, I wrote that yesterday and I think venting helped me because I kinda made a huge leap in the fic!!! Kudos to me and thank you for the ask!!!)

14. where do you get your inspiration?

Ah, that's a good question. I don't know, and it's bugging me a little ahah. I was talking to my sister about what I consider a "good movies" lately and my conclusion was "I need to develop an obsession, however brief, about it". That's what I'm seeking when I watch a movie, when I start a series or a game: I want to get that obsessive reaction, because it fuels my creativity like mad. Now, what will make me obsess about a content? No idea lol. Example of materials that should've inspired me but didn't: Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption, the Sandman, Our Flag Means Death, Interview with the Vampire... they had ALL the ingredients that should've made me fall into a new obsession, and well, nothing happened.

On the contrary, examples of material that made me go into a frenzy: X-men:first class, Startrek, Stargate (SG1 and Atlantis), Cyberpunk, Matrix, John Wick, Naruto and lately, KinnxPorsche (thawainese drama, yeah, I was NOT expecting that one). I've tried to come up with the fomula but I've not yet found out what makes any of the above kickstart an obsession, and with it, inspiration to write or draw.

One thing maybe is the epicness: I need to feel the story is vast and world threatening. I also love element of fantasy, or science fiction. I need the story to get me out of our daily world (but then again, Mass effect checks all the boxes, and yet...).

Music can also inspire me but I'm very fickle about it. I did write with music but I stopped that a while ago because it made me too dependent on the music's mood to write the right scene. Now I write without, and it's actually easier to focus, I think I also got more control over my writing in general, meaning I can write the scene I want, when I want, not when the mood strikes.

Last but not least: other fanfictions. This is always, a huge reservoir of inspiration. Headcanons, fanons, and all the content of a fandom is generally a bottomless well of ideas, feeling and themes to explore. As such, it can be hard to be in a small fandom, with a ship with few supporters because I "lack" this source of inspiration, but that also mean I'll produce more for it, like I'm trying to fill the void xD. For example, I never wrote anything for any big fandom because I spent too much time reading fanfiction, and feeling like everything was already written and I just needed to find it to get my high. In a smaller fandom, I need to participate more, and it's really stimulating! So overall, it works out either way!

And of course, one thing that stays true no matter what: I'm an overwriter, look at that long post!!!

Thank you for the ask (and for listening to my lecture!) <3

#my writing #ask game #fanfiction #fandom things #writer life #being an author sucks #and yet it's the most beautiful thing

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bluecatwriter · 5 months ago

Note

For that Director's Cut thing?? uhh uhh O'erthrow Me, please???

Ahaha, you want to see me suffer (ramble about embracing the eroticism of the divine), don't you??? *trying to look offended but actually just grinning like a goofball*

The fic in question: "Renfield asks Jonathan to read him some poetry."

(For anyone unaware, this is a smutfic, so keep that in mind before clicking the "Keep reading…" Also contains mention of sexual assault, Christianity, and spoilers.)

-The idea for this one came when I was rereading some published fics (as I often do), and was thinking about how I'd like to do another Jonathan/Renfield fic. I am obsessed with this ship for many reasons, especially what Jonathan and Renfield bring out in each other, and so I always have some ideas brewing in my head. The thought of Renfield asking Jonathan to read him some erotic poetry seemed like a fun idea to run with, and so the brainstorm began in earnest.

-Despite my premise, I have read very very little erotic poetry, so either I could go on a poetry-reading binge, or I could grab the first one that came to mind: "Batter My Heart, Three-Person'd God" by John Donne, which I've always been a little feral about (despite not really reading anything else Donne wrote. Fake fan, I know). It's a poem addressed to God, but it's incredibly erotic, and fit well with the themes of possession and loyalty that had showed up in my earlier Jonathan/Renfield fics. (I think I'm really into the erotic as a path to the divine as a result of 1) being raised in a branch of Christianity that just. does NOT allow eroticism in any form and, paradoxically, 2) coming of age right when the "Jesus is my boyfriend" rhetoric was really strong in evangelical circles. Learning to find God in all aspects of being human, including the erotic, has been a big deal for me the past couple decades.) I looked up some of Donne's other poems, too, to include, and it worked out really well.

-Usually my smutfics have some sort of build-up beforehand to explain how the characters end up in bed together, but in this fic (and in the previous one in the series, "Enough"), I just dive straight into the sex because this is an established relationship and I don't need to justify why they're having sex right now. (Unfortunately in this fic it's not abundantly clear that this whole thing is taking place with Mina's consent and blessing— but that's just a rule of thumb whenever I write the Harkers.)

-This was the first Jonathan/Renfield smutfic I wrote from Jonathan's perspective, but I knew I wanted to because the other ones had been in Renfield's head, and I wanted to show what Jonathan was thinking and feeling here. It also addresses the elephant in the room: in this version of events, Jonathan has been sexually assaulted by Dracula repeatedly in the past, and so having sex with a different intense old man is going to dredge up some memories. I got the chance to delve into that in this fic, showing how this is a healing experience for him.

-Then we get the Sexy Poetry Reading! Again, I bring up an intentional parallel to abuse that Jonathan suffered in the past, showing how even something simple like someone asking him to read can dredge up feelings.

-Figuring out the logistical details of the physical description vs. the spoken lines took quite a bit of shuffling; I was arranging and rearranging stuff a bunch up until the very last draft. But I'm happy with how the sequence turned out in the end.

-Plus the lines in the poem fit really well with a narrative that has emerged from shipping these two. ""Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain/But am betroth'd unto your enemy/Divorce me, untie or break that knot again/Take me to you, imprison me…" Again, brings up a lot of the themes that I'd been exploring earlier in the Jonathan/Renfield series, and fit together even better than I expected.

Thanks so much for the ask! :D

(Ask game here)

#ask games #answered #my writing #jonathan harker #r.m. renfield #harkfield #dracula daily #dracula daily spoilers #director's cut game

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mephinomaly · 1 year ago

Text

[TL] BIOHAZARD/Chapter 5

[ This post uses Ois~su ♪ ]

Time: That night

Location: In living quarters of the AIIE experiment grounds

Rei: Uwaa, we’re having a sleepover with all of UNDEAD~♪

Fufu. The SS preliminaries was the perfect opportunity for one, but Kaoru-kun was thrown into a desert and separated from us.

I’m happy that the four of us can have a sleepover together peacefully– gah!?

Koga: ...

Rei: Koga? Don’t throw an omanjuu at me? Is this your way of telling me you want to play?

Koga: Stop bein’ so happy-go-lucky, vampire bastard. The hell you mean, pajama party.

Rei: Oya, how nostalgic. Could this be that you want me to call you ‘wanko’ for the first time in a while?

Koga: I ain’t callin’ you that for nostalgia purposes, I’m insultin' you.

Rei: How troubling. Please don’t take your frustrations out on me.

We’ve all given our consent to take part in this experiment.

We can’t complain now, can we?

Koga: We was basically forced to? If it hadn’t been us, it woulda been like, Ra*bits who haven’t done nothin’ wrong.

Then we’d hafta live with the knowledge that them lot are now the victims whilst we watch from the sidelines.

It’s better for our own mental health to just do it for real, right?

‘Cos I don’t like this at all. Don’t forget that.

Kaoru: Ahaha. It’s definitely a little off putting and shady sounding, but it makes for an interesting story, right?

AI idols and stuff– no, technology and science in general has come a long way. Really, it’s like an old sci-fi movie.

If this was just a movie, or even just someone else’s problem, I think it could have been a lot of fun.

Adonis: I also don’t feel great about this but I am interested in terms of the development of science and technology.

This is the future we thought of when we learnt about Voc*loid and drawing AIs, and it’s becoming a reality right in front of our eyes.

We’re now living in a near sci-fi world that people from the past could only imagine.

It’s like a dream, whether that’s a good or a bad thing.

I’m excited.

Kaoru: Ahaha. That totally has the vibe of a boyish heroic novel.

I don’t particularly like that sort of thing either. At the end of the day, I’m still the son of an academic who reached for the sea in search of romance and mystery.

Adonis: I also dislike jumping into areas I don’t know about.

Rei: If we think realistically, if we had refused to take part, there was the likelihood of RhythmLink turning their backs on us.

I suspect they would be rather unpleasant in the matter.

This is a necessary step so we are not thrown to the side. The compensation is rather impressive, and, in simple terms, profitable for us.

Well, we made quite the sum of money during the SS, so we have some to spare.

If an experiment such as ‘AI idols’ is successful, implemented, and announced to the world, won’t they look to us as we were the test subjects? Doesn’t that make this all worth it?

Koga: But this doesn’t solve the problem we’re havin’. They’re just killin’ time, it literally has nothin’ t’do with our situation.

This better not turn into a goose chase, wastin’ time runnin’ ‘round lookin’ stupid.

Rei: Umu. We should all brainstorm some ideas in order to solve the root of the problem, as Koga said. Fortunately, we have been blessed with plenty of time to do so.

Kaoru: Mmm… I was kinda on guard when they said experiment, but if they’re just asking us to stay the night here?

Rei: Umu. We will be given medicine, which will cause us to sleep for about half a day. In that time, via the devices connected to our heads, data will be collected and compiled.

During the time we are not asleep, we will exercise to prevent our bodies from weakening, and eat to keep up our energy levels. Let’s all get on, the four of us.

The testing period will last approximately one week. During this time, any other forms of work are banned, as the extra stimulus may skew the results.

Our phones will be confiscated, and we will be separated from the outside world.

Kaoru: Kinda feels like being a prisoner or a hospital patient… Welp, this’ll be easy money if all we’ve got to do is laze around.

Rei: Umu. I suppose we can take it easy. We will be paid regardless as to whether the experiment produces useful results or not, so it’s not a complete waste of time.

Fortunately, this location is better than a hospital or a prison.

Look, there are some cards and board games we can use to kill time. Let’s play until it’s time for us to sleep.

Koga: Ain’t you bein’ too relaxed ‘bout this whole thing?

Rei: That’s a good thing, is it not? I’ve been acting unusually mature since my youth, so I do not have many experiences like this. Such as having a sleepover with friends of the same age—

That’s why. I can’t be sure of the future, but I know I am very happy right now ♪

[ ☆ ]

Chapter 4

Chapter 6

#ensemble stars #enstars #translation #rei sakuma #koga oogami #adonis otogari #kaoru hakaze #mephi's translations #undead climax #biohazard

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sunlightandsuffering · 1 year ago

Note

talking about bareback

from time to time I still think about that series of drabbles you wrote of Armin asking Eren tips for buying condoms and Eren’s like idk man I don’t use condoms and Armin is shook - “baby roulette!!” I often wonder how this Eren and Mikasa are doing

AHAHA I think they're doing well with their baby roulette lol!!! I just love how overconfident they are ahah as I said a few asks ago I'M INSPIRED NOW! So idk if it makes sense with the timeline i wrote in that drabble but here lets add to it, first time EM with a condom. "Condom?" Mikasa hisses out, her last working brain cell screaming in her head, telling her to be responsible despite the overwhelming pleasure she's feeling, that delicious pressure teasing at her cunt, the aching fullness she knows will follow if only she just lets him. Just the tip, it'd feel so good, just a little taste, the blunt head of his cock bumping at her seam, the slightest press open-no! Bad Mikasa!

"Condom," she breathes out again, her tone pleading and Eren groans against her neck, cursing. "Fuck I don't think I- Do you have one?" He's nibbling at her neck, his hips pressing insistently against her, gluing them together in all ways but one and distracting her immensely, he's just out of reach fuck!

"Check the nightstand I might," she tilts her head back so he can get a better angle at kissing her, sucking a mark into that little spot on her neck he knows so well. But to her great dismay he heads her words, leaning over to reach into her nightstand, his cock dragging deliciously across her tummy, weeping pre all over her abs and she almost whines at the sensation she needs him inside.

"Magnums?" Eren questions as he pulls back, his lip caught between his teeth and in all his messy glory, sweat lacing his brow, green eyes wild with lust and yet he's still pouting. "Thought you were a virgin," he mumbles petulantly as he tears open the package and Mikasa growls, her sexual frustration taking over as she snags it from his grasp. Her tone is fraught with need and irritation, "I am you fuckwad, Sasha gave it to me last year now let me fucking put it on, you're too slow." He shuts up after that and this time it's Mikasa forcing him to the bed, spread out on his back, his cock bobbing hard and thick against his stomach, and fuck is he ever big. She swallows nervously, her confidence leaving her as she reaches out tentatively. Eren hisses as her fingers trace over the veins of his cock, unable to wrap around his thick girth. She's gentle with him, unsure and Eren groans at her light tough, eyes shutting in pleasure, "Baby you can grab it, please you're fucking killing me here." "I've never done this before!" "Then why didn't you let me do it!" Her mouth snaps shut and she refuses to admit it's just because she wanted to, wanted to hold him hard in her hands while she slips the latex over his cock, jerk him off a little bit before he slips inside her.

"Shut up," she settles for, grasping him more harshly this time and Eren grunts in pleasure, dropping his head back against the bed and completely giving up on micromanaging her, content to let her do her thing. Tentatively, she brings the latex circle up to the tip, her lip bitten between her teeth in concentration, what was that she learned in health class? Just to roll it down ?

So she tries just that, but to her immense horror, it does not work at all. At first, it seems like it'll work, that it'll fit, but it's tight, that much is evident, much, much tighter than it had been when she'd practiced on the banana, stretched thinner than she'd like, almost like it could snap at any moment.

It doesn't quite roll down to the base of him and Mikasa curses inwardly, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

"It doesn't fit." Eren is the one to say it allowed, peaking up at her through one eye, "It's wayyy too tight Miki, if I blow my load in this it's gonna break." "Fuck!" Mikasa curses, slipping it from his cock and throwing it from the bed in aggravation.

"Well, I guess we should turn in then, we'll just get some tomorrow or whatever." "No! I'm losing my virginity tonight, I want you inside me." "That's hot," Eren says, his eyes twinkling with mirth now, "We could go bareback, or I could pull out-" She cuts him off by bringing her hands back to his cock, she just needs to think, run through her options, and it doesn't hur tot familiarize herself with the cock thats going to split her like a fucking tree, god he's massive. He probably needs like an XL or something if those even fit at all.

"What size are you normally?" "Dunno," Eren murmurs, "I'm a virgin remember?"

"Just let me go bare Mika It'll feel better anyway, no barriers I'll just pull out." Why is that so hot, she's supposed to be a good responsible girl here, why is it so hot that her boyfriend wants to fuck her raw, why does the idea of having him shoot inside her turn her on? It's irresponsible!

She lazily jerks him off as she tries to think, and Eren's eyes flutter shut all over again, "Fuck Mikasa." "Quiet," she snaps, trying to figure out options. She's on birth control, but no condom isn't great still and she's only just started, she's worried the pill won't be effective just yet. "I can't contribute meaningfully to the conversation when you're doing that- fuckkkk," Eren groans, his curses turning to whispers of his love for her as she pays special attention to the head, thumbing at the tip, and then gripping him all the way back down to the base, leavig not an inch out. "Can you promise to try and pull out?" "I'll promise you whatever you want Mikasa, my balls are quite literally in your hand baby, it's whatever you want." "Okay," she mumbles, she wants him too much to stop just for one lousy condom. "Just pull out," she reiterates as she lines herself up, ready to split herself off on the monster below her, she's been waiting forever now, wants to feel that full of him, that connected. Spoiler alert: He doesn't pull out, and not because he doesn't try, but because Mikasa won't let him. And after that, they deem themselves a no condom couple because Mikasa will be damned if there's ever a barrier between them now, she can't go back. It's simply not happening.

#me copping out bc I don't feel like writing a full sex scene lol #i have to go write one in switch anyway lmfao #lys's drabbles

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mainstoryarchive · 3 months ago

Text

Revolution - 50: Equals

Translator: Creampuffs

Makoto: Alright, I’ll play the music, then~ Is the volume okay?

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Location: Dance Room

Makoto: Alright, I’ll play the music, then~ Is the volume okay?

Hokuto: This practice room is soundproof, so you can increase the volume. It won’t bother anyone. This space belongs to us.

Don’t worry about the dance formations. Just dance – with a smile, if you can.

I’ve finally realised the other day, but if you smile while performing, it makes the performance look so much better.

Makoto: Ahaha. Hidaka-kun, your expressions and way of thinking have gotten softer~♪

Hokuto: I’d like to think it was the fruit of my training with the twins. I can’t quite tell myself.

I’d like to say the same to you, as well, Yuuki – you’re more powerful than before. Although, I do think it would be best if you either took off your glasses or used a pair of sports glasses instead.

Makoto: Oh, now that you mention it, I probably should, huh. Your field of vision’s expanded so much, Hidaka-kun~ You’ve started nagging more and it can be a bit annoying, though ♪

Hokuto: Hmph. If you don’t want me to nag, then grow into an excellent idol that I can’t find fault with.

I can’t lose to you guys, either. Especially to Akehoshi and Isara, who basically ditched training last week.

Subaru: Hey~ I didn’t ditch. Anyway…

I think I’ve learnt what it means to "put myself in other people’s shoes" after I spent the last week with the Transfer Student.

You’re making a big mistake if you think I’m still the same old me, okay?

Come over here, Sally~ Let’s dance together! Hurry up or we’ll leave you behind~☆

Mao: Alright, alright. Geez, must be nice – you guys always look like you’re having fun~

I’ve had a bit of a late start, but I’m gonna work hard so that I can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you guys.

No, I’m not gonna think about the difficult stuff – I’m just gonna enjoy myself ♪

Watch. This is my specialty… break dancing ♪

Subaru: Wow, that’s so cool~! I’m gonna do that too. Spin, spin ☆

Makoto: How’d you do that!? That’s amazing!

Ugh, it’s so frustrating! I’m the only one who’s dancing awkwardly like a robot. I need to practise more!

Hokuto: (…Hmm. I’d expect no less from Isara. You’d think he spent a lot of time with us – he joined the dance circle so naturally.)

(He must pay a lot of attention to his surroundings. His sense of balance is also out of this world.)

(He’s especially amazing when he pairs up with Akehoshi. As expected of fellow members of the Basketball Club – they’re so in sync.)

(They can also be a bit too wild, so I need to make sure I keep them grounded.)

(Thanks to my training with the twins, I think I now know about the breathing and timing needed for these sorts of things.)

(Yuuki is also doing his best to keep up. Everyone is striving to improve by working hard and encouraging each other.)

(Things are heading in the right direction. You wouldn’t believe it’s just been a week.)

(The training Sakuma-senpai assigned to us was fitting for each person.)

(We can grow stronger. I still don’t know whether or not we can beat the Student Council.)

(But the probablity of our victory isn’t zero. That’s what I believe. So, I’ll do my best.)

(Grandma, maybe there’s a chance I can come to love “idols”, as well.)

Subaru: Hey, Transfer Student, you look like you’re itching to do something. Do you wanna dance with us~?

Come over here! Think about the songs and the difficult stuff later – let’s just have some fun ☆

Together, we can rise higher and higher! We’ll reach the top of the dark starry night, and then we’ll become stars!

We’ll become “Trickstar” – the first star of the night that will revolutionise this school!

Ahaha~☆

[ ☆ ]

← prev ❖ all ❖ next →

#enstars #ensemble stars #enstars translations #hokuto hidaka #subaru akehoshi #makoto yuuki #mao isara

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serendertothesquad · 5 months ago

Text

Seren's Studies: Wordsville's Official Release -- Is It Really an Odd Squad Clone? (Part 2)

Because Tumblr! Photo limits! Why, uh...whose dumb idea was it to put a photo limit in here? Man, that'll take a while to get used to.

Let's go on with Part 2 of my Wordsville analysis.

(Make sure you read through Part 1 first!)

If this were any other show with a reasonable episode length, I'd be fine with this. Covering all this? Essential to a mystery.

In 8 minutes, though? No. They fill out half of the columns in a rush in the first half, and then leave three open for the second half of the runtime. Read my digital lips: N. O. Not if you want your series to be good.

This is a good time to remind people they are putting out 33 episodes of this shit. That is an entire-ass season of messy pacing, rushed plotlines, and characters that I wouldn't know a single thing about if I hadn't unearthed the series' synopsis and character descriptions.

They have.

Their own.

FUCKING.

CURRENCY?!?!?!

Y'know, even Jackalope Dollars make some sense. Canadian money makes some sense. This? This is repainted Monopoly money and you can get the fuck out of my house with that because it's card-only entry.

I do so remember when WordGirl had a bit of a popularity renaissance on Twitter last year or so.

This show...is like the complete and utter opposite of that.

Ahaha...geddit? 'Cause...'cause she's an athlete, and...she's eating a brownie...which is unhealthy...

ARE YOU LAUGHING, SON? ARE YA LAUGHIN'? DO YOU FIND THIS FUNNY OH MY GOD PLEEEEEEEEASE LAUGH.

makes edible food that is meant to net customers said edible food is not for sale

By all accounts, people, these donuts are meant to be edible. So in what fuck-all world of logic would you use edible food as an advertising gimmick for a bakery? That shit will go bad within a week, and then what? You waste supplies remaking them.

Bro, get some cardboard copies. Fuck, in this high-tech universe you could probably 3D-print inedible donuts that spell "scrumptious" and put them on display!

AND THAT.

IS WHY.

YOU MAKE.

THEM.

INEDIB-

"Official Word Mystery business", "official Odd Squad business", it's all the same and you're not being slick.

You could tell me this was Otto's little brother and I honestly wouldn't even argue with you on that. I'd give you $10 and concede.

Man, and I thought Odd Squad's "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Dimension" featured abuse way too heavily for my liking, and here's this kid feeding donuts to a cat which are made out of ingredients cats really shouldn't eat, let alone digest.

Graham didn't make these treats cat-friendly. They were made for humans. And he's giving them to a cat.

As someone who worked at an animal shelter, of course you realize this means war, Gene Vet Wilder.

I'm not gonna lie to all of you.

I was legitimately going to fawn over the cat...until my eyes drifted down, and I thought the cat was wearing a feline airbag.

It's dude's arm.

...No more BIG BONG tonight.

Naming your cat "Yummy" means you have already committed at least ten cat crimes.

It's also ironic, because cats can and will eat your dead corpse.

Give dude 30 years, it'll catch up with him.

No. No. You know what sounds cute? Nyammy.

You know what doesn't sound cute? Yummy.

You know what name isn't crazy ironic? Nyammy.

Problem solved.

I think I can safely say "Crime at Shapely Manor" handled the traditional mystery a lot better than...uh...whatever this was going for.

Not animated + L + ratio'd + tour an animation school and call me back.

See, the reason why this hurts is because this just proves the entire series could be animated, in full and properly, and there would be no issue.

What we got is Sinking Ship's brand of creation applied in one of the worst ways possible, and I'm still as disappointed as when I walked in here.

At the very least, I'll give them points for not having Glory and Wilder and Graham voice themselves. Given how they weren't there when Gabby and Sly were solving the case, it would be too weird.

And this is why you don't make edible food as an advertising gimmick to get people to buy your shit aaaaaaaaand I have a headache again.

But- I- br- HOW DID BRO GET A BOX FOR THE DONUTS. H O W . NOT GONNA EXPLAIN THAT SHIT ARE YOU YA SORRY FU-

It's pretty much standard business knowledge that the advertisement-making comes first, before you serve the customer.

But this guy made his advertising while on the job. You...uh...well, you can do that, but in this particular case, that's what we call "a dumbass move".

FWIW, returning bought food to the bakery you bought it from is also a dumbass move.

I don't care if these haven't been touched. Eat them, and then help Graham make new ones. Inedible ones.

Cool!

TOSS THEM THE FUCK OUT.

Seren puts on a tight smile. "No," she utters. "No. When Odd Squad does it, it's funny. Not here."

Seren then spends 34 years eyeballing the Hollywood music industry aggressively.

In 7 minutes, with rushed pacing, and I have no idea what the hell your personality is even supposed to be.

Sly's, yeah, a little. Yours? I- no. Mm-mm.

...Okay, I don't know what the hell her personality is supposed to be besides loving gingerbread.

Seriously, this is one of the few times the sample script is actually better than what we got.

Oh fucking hell. No wonder I didn't like this episode -- it was written by the same person who created it.

And it's been a while since I've had to whip this out, but I'm going to take the criticism I had about Season 3 writers not watching Odd Squad before getting hired and apply it to here. If Christin had actually watched Odd Squad prior to writing and creating this show, I guaran-goddamn-tee we would have gotten something leagues better. And I know they've written for other SSE shows, but this is focusing on Odd Squad and Wordsville specifically.

Credits rundown to avoid hitting the photo limit:

Mia SwamiNathan plays Gabby. She also voices Zadie in Work It Out Wombats (haha Canadian actor pool, dive in suckers!), and while Zadie is my favorite character, that will not give this show any sort of a saving grace. The actress, yes. The show, hell no.

Matthew Bishop is the animation Executive Producer. He also worked on Odd Squad. Which makes the stuff in this show seem a lot more insulting.

Ah, yes. What I want all my songs for my show to be made by. A company called Daysun. (Hey, FWIW, I've seen worse.)

Wait, wait! It can get worse! Smiley Guy Studios did the animation! And y'know, I could make a "they hired people from Walmart to animate this shit?" joke, but instead I'll say how Sinking Ship has a whole-ass animation division and they couldn't animate the show themselves. If they did, it would have been a lot better than what we got.

----------------------

So I might as well address the elephant in the room to kick off the conclusion: is Wordsville an Odd Squad ripoff, really and truly?

The answer...no. Not exactly. If anything, it's more like an inferior copy, if the word "copy" were hanging fast and loose like a shoe on an electric wire.

I'm going to use "Crime at Shapely Manor" as a direct comparison. In that episode, we get a sort of traditional mystery similar to what Wordsville gives us. We have suspects lined out, we have what they did, we have clues, we have a summation, all that jazz. The difference, though, is that "Crime at Shapely Manor" not only had 14 more minutes to flex their skills in the mystery genre beyond what spin Odd Squad in and of itself as a show puts on it (typical of police procedurals, it does have mystery elements), but they did it incredibly well. Even with the suspect being a downright fucking cliche, they still managed to do it while leaving the audience entertained and opening our minds to the personalities of "I can emote like a Discord chat server" Olive and "I do not understand financial concepts when it comes to very valuable furniture pieces" Otto. It can breathe. It does mystery well. Wordsville...doesn't. Eight minutes is not sufficient for the mystery genre. And if you want to prove me wrong by showing me a piece of media from a mystery show made for kids that is 8 minutes long, go right ahead. Enlighten me. Prove me wrong. But there my opinion stands.

I really could bore you all with the differences I managed to unearth between Wordsville and Odd Squad. I really could. Even more than that, I could bore you all with all the negative shit I found in what has to be the craziest combined 40 minutes I ever wasted of my life. But I'll boil it down to key elements only.

So first of all...the characters. The side ones are confined to a single career just based on their names, and as far as I can tell, the only trait they were all given was "serious about their jobs". (Gene Vet Wilder also does...magic, I guess? I mean whatever floats the boat...) Gabby and Sly, on the other hand...I genuinely can't pinpoint them. Best I can gather is that Gabby is the serious one and Sly is the silly one. So basically, an Olive/Otto dynamic where their little siblings take the spotlight. That's about it. Their friendship, let alone their personalities, are barely touched on in favor of shoving the mystery in your face. For an example: one episode revolves around their "Friendaversary", and them disagreeing on what they're going to do to celebrate it. Now, we already got this as an Odd Squad conflict in a similar way, and it was amazing. I loved "Happy Halfiversary"! Otis busted his ass for Olympia, and she did the same for him. We got some worldbuilding, some good old character interactions, and some funny jokes to boot. For "Uncompromising Community", what we get is a shitty plot that only serves as gift wrap for the mystery of the episode, which revolves around Firefighter Ember giving a fire safety course that Reporter Read plans to make a new story out of, while Baker Graham has a prior engagement with her. And if you're thinking "that sounds fun", then watch the episode and get back to me. That's good for an 11-minute plot. Not for 8 minutes with a full minute dedicated to both opening and closing credits.

Second on the list is the lack of worldbuilding. Lore. Basically anything of substance. Wordsville is, at its core, episodic. So's Odd Squad, to an extent. For Wordsville, if I hadn't read the synopsis of the series prior to watching it, I wouldn't know what the fuck was going on or what it was even about. I wouldn't know that the main cast are supposed to be only children, or that Wordsville is apparently a town...somewhere...on a map...somewhere. Does the Wordsville Online Detective Agency only have Gabby and Sly? Why is it online-only? Is there air? You don't know! I don't know either, and that's the thing that gets to me. I wasn't expecting anything heavy and lore-filled a la Odd Squad, but I wasn't expecting anything simplistic and bland, either. I've seen slice-of-life kids cartoons, and a lot of them are more enjoyable and have a lot more stuff to work with while also expanding on the world and telling me more about it. Wordsville...ain't it. It gives a big "fuck you" and trucks along.

Third of all, the educational aspect of it. Old-timers who have been watching the show for a long time know that one of the things that makes Odd Squad appealing is how it hides math into the plot in a way where it isn't super obvious and all up in your George Foreman grill. It's there, sure, and it does hinder the plot at times, but for me, I don't mind it. I'm still engaged. I want to know what happens. For Wordsville, the education is, indeed, all up in my George Foreman grill. It is fucking everywhere. Not hidden, just completely out in the open. WordGirl is probably the best show I can draw a comparison to, even though it's in a different demo -- while WordGirl does have word lessons, they are slipped into the plot much like Odd Squad and aren't shoved in there with an attitude I dare to even call obligatory. Wordsville is the entire opposite, and they absolutely do not, cannot, and will not miss a chance to educate you on words any chance it gets. Do not let the 4-7 age bracket fool you; this is a preschool show on something far more fucked up than "I'm having an 18-hour seizure with the cockroaches on a public bathroom floor" meth. And don't let Odd Squad's 4-8 age bracket fool you; that's a kids show people have watched while high on weed and had hella crazy trips. (And acid, in one case, which got far crazier.)

And finally, the animation, which I mentioned before but I'm bringing up more to summarize. Like I said, Odd Squad has good animation. Not 2D, though; it's CGI. It's not stellar, but it's solid. The creature designs in particular get real crazy. In Wordsville, the "animation" is drag-and-drop stuff that's half-done and has characters' heads and expressions on them for the lawl unique 'n quirky. I'm not shitting you when I said I was thinking of South Park when I was watching the animated bits. Hell, you could tell me the animated bits were a South Park parody and I'd believe you! But it's not. It's not a parody at all. And before you go at my throat saying "that is a literal child", I'd like to remind you that I know people under 18 who draw and animate a lot better. (I'm looking at a good chunk of you reading this and giving you a thumbs-up. Keep up the great work!) It's just like I said before: they had the potential to do something better, and they completely threw it away. Animation is hard. It's expensive. Sinking Ship is not a rich company. But they've done better in terms of 2D animation. They could have done better here.

What my opinion of the show overall boils down to is that I would have been happy with just the show synopsis and the sample script. I would have been happy with the one Seren's Study. Now, not only have I been proven fantastically wrong, but I've been proven fantastically wrong in the worst way I could have ever possibly imagined, because it somehow got worse than what I was expecting.

Now, I'm going to put a disclaimer out that this is my opinion. If you wanna go and watch Wordsville and decide for yourself how it is, go for it! Be my guest! No one's stopping you, and if you happen to like it then I will respect your opinion. But as it stands across these first 5 episodes, it's not my cup of tea. I think I'm better off giving WordGirl a rewatch.

Thanks for reading. See you all in the next Seren's Study!

#seren's studies #wordsville

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twilightmalachite · 1 year ago

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2×2 - Grown-Up Situation 4

Author: Akira

Characters: Yuuta, Hinata, Anzu

Translator: Mika Enstars

"He actually made 2wink shine, unlike other people who are nothing but talk."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Meeting Room

Yuuta: …And so, those in the faction who want to disparage Anzu-san are trying to get YamadaP appointed in her place.

Hinata: There’s talks about bringing in a well-known independent agency from the field to ES and make them the head of P-Association, huh?

And transfer the power and authority Anzu-san currently has over to YamadaP.

Yuuta: Well, it might become a hot topic. It’s an undeniable fact that YamadaP is competent, I have a feeling it’ll change the way we see the P-Association, which is currently being laughed at.

He actually made 2wink shine, unlike other people who are nothing but talk.

Hinata: Watch your words… Why have you turned into such a bad kid, Yuuta-kun?

Yuuta: I’ve been like this for a while, though? Wasn’t it just everyone else who misunderstood me?

I just realized that it’s impossible for others to understand me even if I kept quiet, so I decided to not hold back anymore from revealing my true feelings.

I don’t care if I’m hated for it. It’s better than being slowly chopped to death.

Hinata: … …

Yuuta: Well, whatever. Maybe I just don’t get it, but what do we have to do with this unsightly P-Association infighting?

I don’t want us to get involved in this~, can’t you idiots just squash each other instead?

Hinata: I told you, watch your words, your words…

Anzu-san said that since there’s no point in fighting forever, they decided to settle with a match.

A production showdown between AnzuP and YamadaP.

Yuuta: Sounds fun, adults.

Hinata: Better than a never-ending internal conflict that could lead to violence—I mean, it sounds pretty healthy.

Yuuta: Anyways, we 2wink have been chosen for the production showdown’s material.

Hinata: We’re the balls being used in a ball game.

We seem to be the only idols that Anzu-san and YamadaP have both produced—

Yuuta: As an external producer, YamadaP doesn’t seem to have much involvement with ES idols.

I guess that means we’re convenient~. Well, I do feel that in terms of how long we’ve known each other, Anzu-san has a bit of an advantage.

But, YamadaP has spent more time working as a producer, right? Meaning his experience and track record are on a whole different level.

Hinata: I guess those reasons are why they felt we would make suitable “balls”.

I sound like you saying this, Yuuta-kun, but adults seriously are always making selfish decisions without knowing it.

Yuuta: As usual, our autonomy is not taken into consideration, isn’t it?

Hinata: Right, right, do we get anything out of going along with this mess?

Yuuta: Hm, hm… Eh, for real?

Yuuta: Really… From now on, we’ll be able to have our very own brand-new weekly name-sake program during prime time?

Hinata: I wonder if that’s what the Vice Prez was referring to when he called it a “large job offer”.

That program—2×2, will be produced alternatingly by Anzu-san and YamadaP.

Yuuta: And then, you’ll compete for viewer ratings, or something?

Hinata: As of right now at least… It seems the program’s scheduled to air a total of 12 times for a season, meaning Anzu-san and YamadaP will be in charge of 6 each.

The total ratings earned for those 6 sessions will be compared, the winner being who has the highest.

Yuuta: Ahaha, isn’t this just some game?

Just what do these oh-so-hard-working people think of the work they do as?

Hinata: I think it’s good and easy to understand. Also, Anzu-san and YamadaP will be in charge of the first and last episodes respectively, which are the most likely to get large viewership ratings.

Yuuta: It kiiiinda feels like they’ve made a solid plan already, somehow… If we refuse the request, the whole thing will just fall apart, is that really alright?

But if we say no, then I bet some other idols will just be put in our place… Honestly, there’s probably millions of them out there ready to toss us aside and replace us.

Hinata: Hmm. And it's true this is a disproportionately huge job, where turning it down isn’t really an option.

I’m willing to take it on, if anything. It sounds like it’d be a little interesting, and I think it’d be beneficial to 2wink too.

So Anzu-san, there’s no need for you to do anything like kowtow.

Yuuta: We’ve been used to being swung around to other people’s conveniences for a while now.

You can apologize now and say that you’re sorry for causing us trouble, but all I can say is if you’re going to apologize, then don’t do it in the first place.

Hinata: I’m still concerned about how you phrased that, but… Well, that's how it is.

We’ll cooperate with you the best we can, so don’t look at us like that—okay, Anzu-san?

We owe both a lot to you and YamadaP, so it doesn’t bother us, although we can’t just pick a side.

Yuuta: I suppose that’s why we were chosen. Any other ES idol—Especially those from Yumenosaki, are likely to have a bias towards Anzu-san.

Where if it were us, who don’t really have favor towards one side or another, it’ll make for a fair game, right?

Hinata: Right. So, well, it’s hard to not want Anzu-san to win, but we’ll do our best as professionals!

It seems to be somewhat of a troublesome position for Anzu-san, too…Well, do your best.

As a producer.

And we, too, will do our very best as idols, with pride.

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory | next →

#2×2 #2x2 #yuuta aoi #hinata aoi #anzu #translation #event

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sunshine-overload · 1 year ago

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[BSTS] 4th Anniversary ‘Outsider’ Event Story - Part 2

Part 1

Chapter 8

-starless break room-

saki: Good work today, everyone.

ran: Oo it's Nee-chan! Ya came to watch us again today did ya?

nekome: It's been tough for Saki-chan too hasn't it~? Picking the cast members and coming to watch all our shows, you've got your hands full.

saki: Oh no, I haven't been doing much... Compared to you guys this is nothing.

taiga: I can't deny the fact that it's been difficult, this show especially. Like seriously, what was up with that improv part? The air still feels tense even now.

ran: Hm-? I love that about it though, ya get used to it eventually!

taiga: Uegh, as if... There's no way I could get used to such a nerve-wracking show. Though, I guess I am a bit more used to it than the first performance.

kasumi: You really have to keep your guard up more than usual.

ran: This survival theme's great! It makes ya wonder if this is what it'd be like if we really did all try to kill each other. Ain't it exciting~?

nekome: That's quite a disturbing train of thought.

ran: No seriously, aren't ya curious what it'd be like?

taiga: Geh... Just imagining that happening is horrific enough.

kasumi: Since I'm a mob character I guess dying first would be my destiny~ When I consider that, it's reassuring.

taiga: No, what. Normal people wouldn't find that reassuring.

ran: Oh! So ya saying ya would still fight then, huh Taiga?

taiga: I wouldn't say I'd fight exactly... I'd make use of traps or something and survive as long as I can, basically. I ain't the sorta character that would fight head on in a bold fashion. If I were to run into Kokuyou he'd beat me to a pulp in three seconds flat.

nekome: Kokuyou does seem to be the type that would kill you quickly.

ran: Ahahaha, you're probably right! He'd take ya down the moment ya cross paths. However when it comes to those that are strong at hand to hand combat, all ya gotta do is take 'em out first by throwing a bomb or somethin'.

taiga: Hmm, a more guaranteed method would be better. Like setting up a poison trap from the same distance and then delivering the final blow whilst they can't move. Rather than planting your own bombs, defusing them and rubbing it in your opponent's faces is more fun.

nekome: You're really raring to go there Taiga, impressive impressive. However, aren't those sorts of crafty characters the ones that end up self sabotaging themselves in the end?

taiga: Geh... Don't say that.

ran: That's when Ran-chan would make his grand appearance. I'd show up an’ wipe out any of the remainin’ tough guys in one go~ ☆ Wouldn't it be the best if we were legally able to kill each other?

saki: (This conversation keeps heading in even more disturbing directions...)

taiga: Dude don't go full psychopath on us. Look, you're freaking Saki-san out.

ran: It goes without sayin' that no matter what happens, till the very last moment, I would plan to protect ya, Saki-chan. So don't worry!

saki: Ahaha...

—end

Chapter 9

-starless restaurant area-

aogiri: ...That's everything you ordered. Please enjoy yourselves.

female guest 1: Thanks. I've gotta say, your smile is so healing, Aogiri-san~

female guest 2: I know right. And you're so gentle and polite too, almost like a butler. I love it, I might become a stan~!

aogiri: Thank you, I'm honoured. I'm still only a trainee for now, but if I do get to be on the stage one day, I'll look forward to having your support.

-sceen pans to kei-

kei: Hm... He does not appear to be lacking in ability.

sin: Are you saying he's already grasped the upper strings then? Eloquence and secrecy go hand in hand. The tune that the crested ibis plays on the koto could easily become a melody that opens the gates.

kei: We cannot yet determine that. We of course still need to continue with caution but... If that's the case it may be safer for us to keep him under surveillance. How is the matter of the costumes progressing?

takami: Things are going well. I'm slowly learning more about how the external duties work. I was considering having him try and make a prototype costume for himself as well, what do you think? Well, first of all I think we should get him to show us what he’s capable of.

kei: ........

-behind starless, night time-

ran: Aaaand, there we go. Whew, today's been a lot.

-takami steps outside-

takami: Good work, Ran.

ran: Ooh, hi Takami, you too~

takami: How have things been going recently in Team B?

ran: Why ya askin' all of a sudden?

takami: I was wondering how Hinata's been handling things. Do you think he'll make for a good understudy?

ran: Ahh that's what ya meant. It's been tough for y'all on the temp management team huh. Hinata gives it his all during training, even though he's still got a lot to learn. But, the understaffing issue should be better now!

takami: That's good to hear. I'd heard he has been a big fan of Team B for a while now, so I was worried he might've just been slacking off.

ran: Yea he's a fan. The day Iwami-san brought him was the first time he'd ever been here though, right? This store is pretty underground, and minors rarely ever visit. So I was wonderin’— How on earth did he discover Heath then?

takami: Who knows. Perhaps he must've seen him in videos online?

ran: Ahh, he did say that, he did. That he saw a video of us! Well at any rate, don't worry, we'll make sure to take reaaal good care of him!

takami: I see, thank you.

ran: Imma head on in then~

-ran leaves-

takami: ........

—end

(tl note: I recommend listening to this ran takami convo voiced, I tried my best but it’s hard to convey that they clearly both know there’s something else going on, and that Hinata probably didn’t learn of B just from some video, its SUS)

Chapter 10

-rehearsal room-

kongou: Let's take a short break.

gui: Ok.

kongou: Make sure you keep your fluids up, Heath.

heath: I know.

-maica walks in-

maica: Hey, is Mizuki in here?

gui: He went out.

kongou: Did something happen?

maica: I came to tell him that his prop has been repaired.

kongou: Thanks. By prop you mean his weapon right?

maica: Yeah. He said the light wasn't working so it needed to be fixed.

kongou: I see, sorry for the trouble.

maica: It's fine, I'm going to go and tell Nekome the same thing.

kongou: The close range weapons are more prone to breaking considering the circumstances huh.

maica: Sure, but he was still being way too rough with it. Mizuki almost hit me in the face the other day.

heath: That's because Mizuki's been going all out.

maica: And where did that Mizuki who’s skipping rehearsal go exactly?

kongou: He's not skipping. He's with Hinata who needed to go and buy a support brace.

maica: Oh? Just until recently he'd been going on about never letting you guys have an understudy ever, what changed his mind?

kongou: Now that you mention it, I don't actually know the details either.

gui: Mizuki told me to join B once before too. Is this different from that time?

heath: It wasn't because Mizuki changed. It's probably the opposite.

maica: That so?

kongou: In the end you didn't join B huh, Gui.

gui: My team is Team K.

kongou: Hahah, that's true.

maica: Well I'll get going then.

heath: Thanks for the help.

maica: Make sure you tell Mizuki to not break it next time.

—end

Chapter 11

-starless hallway-

-unei trips-

saki: Are you ok...!?

unei: Ow... I-I'm sorry~!

menou: Yawn... What are you doing?

qu: You really do lose your footing quite often hm? Let's pick up all these flyers first Unei-kun.

unei: Uwah, they really went all over the place... Would you two mind helping me out!?

menou: Don't wanna.

qu: I don't mind...

saki: I'll help too.

qu: Thanks, sorry for the trouble.

menou: Saki-chan shouldn't need to help out.

-menou picks up a flyer-

menou: Huh? This is from when he went on our onsen trip.

qu: And this one over here is for 'vow of love'. Time sure does pass you by quickly, it's already almost been a year since then.

unei: Every time our anniversary comes around I'm reminded just how much time flies. Wait, this isn't the time to be getting all sentimental, I need to tidy this mess up...!

-hari walks up-

hari: Qu, so this is where you were.

qu: What is it?

hari: Today's rehearsal location was changed to the second room, I came to tell—

mokuren: What the hell are you two doing? Rehearsal is starting right now. Oh Princess, what a nice coincidence, you should come and watch us practice too.

saki: O-ok.

-mokuren grabs hari and drags him away-

menou: Team C seems like it's been quite lively lately.

zakuro: Yes, it is as you can see. It is due to the number of sacrifices having increased from one to two. I shall tread carefully as to not be chosen as the third. So long.

-zakuro leaves-

qu: Everything’s tidied up here so you can go on ahead too.

unei: Yes, the flyers are all together again, thank you Saki-san.

saki: Is that so? Then, excuse me.

-saki leaves-

menou: You're not going, Qu?

qu: I will be. I just need to finish up here first.

menou: Hmm, to me it looks like you don't want to go. Your improv parts are pretty boring aren't they? You only put in the bare minimum. Were you always this bad at improv?

qu: Well... I wouldn't say it's the improv that I'm bad at. If it's to protect a country, a position or a person then I can act it out no problem. But when it comes to having to protect myself, to kill someone to do so... For some reason I just can't get a grasp on it.

menou: In that case you mean to say you'd be fine with it if Aogiri kicked you out of your spot and you became an understudy? If the options are fighting or being killed, then being killed is the easier option no?

menou: Hari's performance is so interesting, since he's desperately fighting up there. Meanwhile, you just seem frightened Qu. Well whatever. When we're on stage together make sure you come at me like you're really trying to kill me, kay? Yawn, I'm going back to sleep.

-menou leaves-

unei: Ah, thank you!

qu: .......

qu: He really doesn't change does he...

—end

Chapter 12

-starless restaurant area-

maica: Looks like the fourth anniversary show is finally coming to a close.

akira: Ah... I'm so tired...

hinata: It's gonna be ending soon isn't it? It's kinda sad.

aogiri: I've learnt a lot, when I think about that I feel the same in wishing we could see more. Most importantly though, I'm glad the performances can come to a close without there having been any trouble.

hinata: Ahaha, yeah true.

-iwami walks up-

iwami: Yo, how are things?

hinata: Ah, Iwa-san-! Could it be you’ve brought gifts? Afternoon snacks?

iwami: Yeah, I picked out some sweets. They're for everyone.

hinata: Heck yeah! I was just getting hungry too~♪

maica: You've been visiting an awful lot lately huh.

iwami: That's just because I'm worried about you guys. Speaking of, there's a face I'm not familiar with here. Is he a newbie?

hinata (while eating): Das Aogiwi. He jus’ joined wike me.

aogiri: Nice to meet you. Um, and who might you be...?

iwami: I'm Starless' previous owner. But well, nowadays I'm just a regular fan of the place.

akira: Uwah, could you sound any shadier.

iwami: Leave me be. Well, we might run into each other every now and then, so let's get along.

aogiri: Understood. Speaking of the owner though... Where is the current one? I've yet to introduce myself to them yet.

iwami: Ah, Haseyama you mean. You don't have to worry about meeting him any time soon. It appears the store can run just fine without him here too.

aogiri: Is that so...?

hinata: I was wondering the same, why's that guy never come here anyways?

iwami: It's not that he isn't coming here, he can't. He got shot and is currently still in hospital because of it.

hinata: Huh? Wait what, you're being serious?

iwami: That's not all either. After that Saki-chan was kidnapped... It was a very troublesome string of events.

hinata: Whaaat, that's so scary.

maica: Oi, what unnecessary things are you filling the newbies' heads with. You're being inappropriate.

iwami: It's not unnecessary. If you don't tell them now it'll only affect you later, won’t it?

maica: That's...

iwami: Did they really not tell you anything about it when they employed you?

aogiri: No, this is the first I'm hearing of it.

maica: Um... Just make sure you're careful. There's recently been some bombing incidents nearby here too...

akira: Well, public safety ain't doing the best job in that case.

aogiri: ...Is that so. I had read this place was a cozy and well managed workplace though.

maica: Cozy? As an adjective for Starless?

aogiri: That's what was written on the job application page on your website.

akira: Sorry to say but you got duped, I feel bad for you~

aogiri: I do find it to be a workplace that's teeming with inspiration though.

—end

Chapter 13

-starless restaurant area-

saki: (Today's show was amazing as always. The other guests seem to all be fired up as well.)

female guest 1: Today's performance might have just been my favourite one out of all the fourth anniversary shows. Rindou was just so wonderful.

female guest 2: The way he endured villain Sotetsu's torture only to overthrow and defeat him in the end was so hot wasn't it~♪

saki: (Rindou-san's performance really did feel even more impressive than usual...)

-break room-

rindou: Is that so? If the guests enjoyed it then that's what’s most important.

saki: Yes. Everyone was really impressed by both you and Sotetsu's acting.

rindou: And what about you? Did you enjoy the show?

saki: Of course. It really was wonderful.

rindou: I'm happy to hear you think that. I'll do my best to keep that momentum going until the closing show.

saki: Yes, I'll be cheering you on. I'll go and tell everyone else my impressions too then.

-saki leaves-

sotetsu: You two seemed to be having fun. Was it about our improv? It was a pretty great show huh.

rindou: You're talking like you weren't involved. Half of the credit goes to your acting as well.

sotetsu: Really? I was just sticking to playing an easy to grasp villain though.

rindou: And that's exactly why it worked. It made it easy for me to choose the best direction to go from there. Thanks to that, I think it ended up being a great show.

sotetsu: Well that makes two of us. You seem to be looking well recently.

rindou: ...Yeah. For better or worse the situation hasn't changed but... I have no intentions to allow my personal feelings to affect the stage in any way, so don't worry.

sotetsu: I see. At this rate you could even take Kei on. I'll be expecting an exciting show.

rindou: You say it like that’ll be easy.

-starless backrooms-

ran: Rindou seems like he's back to his usual self.

maica: Yeah, thank god... By the way.

ran: Mm?

maica: I don't plan to get involved again but, I just want to confirm something. Have you made any progress regarding the Black Card?

ran: Nope, not at all. Of course I've still been gatherin’ info an’ stuff though.

maica: I see... I hope things can continue peacefully like this...

-break room-

rindou: Well, I'll get going.

sotetsu: Sure, see ya.

-rindou leaves-

sotetsu: So the card hasn't moved then huh... In that case...

-he looks to aogiri down the hall-

sotetsu: I guess it’s about time I start looking into this matter instead.

—end

To final chapters

#bsts main story #bsts translation

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ampheenix · 1 year ago

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I'd rather burn out (than fade away)

SUMMARY:

Programmed memories had then flooded her in a rush, a cascade of red, yellow, and blue emotions all being button-mashed as her hands twitched erratically.

Her name was Maple. She was a doll.

She loved making new friends, and warm tea, and soft shades of pink.

And she loved Midori most of all.

“Ahaha, she’s awake at last!” The green-haired boy leaning over her smiled brightly, tilting his head to the side. “Do you know who I am, Maple?”

---

Or, Maple meets the love of her life for the first time... and Midori meets his new creation.

Maple remembered the day she had been born.

There was darkness for a long, long while, time feeling stretched out like plasticine as her mind raced. She wasn’t conscious yet, as her AI was still getting used to being in a new, synthetic body.

Programmed memories had then flooded her in a rush, a cascade of red, yellow, and blue emotions all being button-mashed as her hands twitched erratically.

She…

Her name was Maple. She was a doll.

She loved making new friends, and warm tea, and soft shades of pink.

And she loved Midori most of all.

Oh…

Gosh, how she loved him, his brilliant green hair, viridian eyes, and how he was always so forgiving to her, even when she made mistakes… And he was so intelligent, too…

Wait, had…

Had she met him before?

Maple didn’t remember, but it was okay. That didn’t matter.

Even if she hadn’t met Midori yet, she was sure she knew him better than he knew himself.

Maple became HAPPY.

Feeling pure joy fill her like liquid honey, almost to the point where she couldn’t stand it, her eyes finally fluttered open. Her heart began to race as she noticed distinctive green hair leaning over her.

“Ahaha, she’s awake at last!” The green-haired boy who she knew to be Midori smiled brightly, tilting his head to the side. “Do you know who I am, Maple?”

His voice… it was just how she had imagined it to sound! Crisp, efficient and polite, as his eyes bore into her…

Gosh, his eyes were so intense, it felt like they were looking straight through her to her soul. That is, if she had one, haha!

Maple felt a matching smile light up her face, sitting up and glancing around for a moment before feeling her gaze being drawn back to Midori, almost like a magnet.

Hmm, it looked as if she was in some kind of underground lab, and she was sitting on an operating table… but that didn’t matter right now! She was finally meeting the love of her life!

“Yes, you’re Midori! And I… I love you!” She watched breathlessly as Midori’s smile widened further, looking satisfied as he leaned forward in his chair.

His eyes narrowed down to slits, and she couldn’t help but blush slightly as she noticed how his gaze grew in intensity, almost pinning her down with his stare.

“My, what a shame!” Midori said pleasantly!

…

…What?

Maple felt her smile falter, happiness stilling in her uncertainty.

“You see, because…” Midori’s next words pierced through her like a blade.

…

“I don’t love you. Not even a bit.”

He said politely with a smile as he shattered her world, and as he gazed at her… this time it felt less like he understood her and more like he…

Was scrutinising her to see what made her tick, scouring her with sandpaper until she was red and raw. And the way his smile kept widening as he watched her expression change was almost… sadistic.

Maple became SAD.

“Y-you… what?” Maple said, feeling tears fill her eyes, her pure joy draining away like someone had pulled the plug out of her honey-filled bathtub and instead starting filling it with icy water.

“Why… why would you say th-that?” She said, stumbling over her words through the lump in her throat, and even though she tried in vain to stop them hot tears just kept coming, rolling down her cheeks and splashing onto the bed.

“Good, good, so that’s all working…” He muttered, quickly writing something down on a clipboard, before he turned back to Maple.

“Well then.” Midori’s eyes widened again, looking the picture of innocence as his lip trembled. He hunched over and wiped away non-existent tears, choking out a few words in a flat voice…

“Oh my, Maple. I’m so, so sorry. I never meant to make you cry. Please forgive me.” He said in a deadpan voice, sniffing back fake tears even as his eyes continued to pierce through her.

Maple… she felt her tears slowly come to a stop, drying on her cheeks. Her grief was drained away, and started filling back up with warm, comforting honey. She felt a smile slowly pull at her lips, sweet and forgiving, and she didn’t feel so broken anymore.

Maple became HAPPY.

“It’s okay Midori… you didn’t mean to upset me! I forgive you!” Her eyes shined, and her joy brightened as she watched the sadness fade from his face.

“Gee, thanks Maple.” Midori’s relieved smile was just a touch too satisfied to be genuine as he ticked something off on the clipboard, pulling something out of his pocket before turning back to her.

“Alright, one more thing.” He said, brisk and business-like as he handed something to her. She gave him a curious glance, and Midori only smiled brightly in response.

Maple’s gaze moved to what he had placed in her palm, and…

Oh, gosh!

Her eyes widened, rose dusting her cheeks as she gazed at the gift sitting on her hand. A beautiful necklace with a pink heart pendant… she loved it!

“You really didn’t have to… thank you so much Midori, I’ll treasure it always!” Her eyes lit up, beaming joyfully as she turned back to Midori. Her happiness was like a tangible thing in her chest, making her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

But as she gazed at him happily, Midori’s bright smile… slowly faded.

He raised an eyebrow at her with a disappointed expression, and Maple stiffened. Insecurity gnawed at her thoughts. Why… why was he looking at her like that? Had she done something wrong?

“Aha, you didn’t seriously think that was for you, did you?” Midori said sharply, cutting her down to the bone with his dissatisfied gaze.

She shrunk back slightly, feeling confused and her emotions in turmoil, all her joy evaporating under his scalding gaze…

She looked down at the necklace sitting in her palm as her emotions crashed into eachother like foamy waves in a storm. Midori loved her, but…

This gift… it wasn’t for her?

But then… Maple stilled, eyes widened as an uncomfortable thought emerged from under the waves.

Who was this gift for?

Midori reached out and plucked the heart necklace off of her hand, dangling it out of reach with a bright smile. “Whoops, looks my hand slipped, and I took the necklace you cherish…”

His eyes glinted. “Tell me Maple, how do you feel? I’ve taken something so precious from you, right? Don’t you want it back?”

Before Maple could even process his words, emotions still at war within her… Midori was talking again, leaning forward in his chair.

“And hey, Maple,” Midori mocked with a sharp smile, tilting his head slightly as Maple’s eyes started to fill with tears. “How do you feel knowing I’m going to give this necklace to a different girl? Don’t you feel betrayed, upset, maybe even…”

“A n g r y ? “

Maple stiffened again at his words, feeling the hot tears rolling down her cheeks slow to a stop. She noticed how her fists were clenched so hard they were shaking, and her nails were biting into her skin. Angry? Was she? Angry?

She bit her lip hard enough to bleed, eyes narrowing. Midori was going to give the necklace to a different girl. A different girl, even though Maple loved Midori with all her heart? Even though Maple loved him more than anyone else ever could?

Did her feelings mean nothing to him?

“Midori… y-you… how dare you…” Maple felt the emotions crashing around in her drain away except for unbridled anger, so fiery she could feel it scorching away all rational thought, all her previous emotions, until all that remained was rage.

Maple became FURIOUS.

“Yeah… I must really suck, huh?” Midori smiled brightly, leaning back in his chair with a pleasant expression as he fanned the flames even more. “Don’t you want to just tear me apart? Ruin my life? Make me sorry I ever crossed you?”

…

Midori raised his eyebrows as Maple just sat there, silently simmering with rage instead of lashing out.

“…Yes.” Her voice cracked when she finally spoke, her expression contorted in agony as she clenched her fists even tighter. “I’m so… so very angry that I can hardly control it, how dare you buy a gift for a different girl when I’m RIGHT HERE?!”

Midori waited with a satisfied expression, clipboard in hand.

“But… but…” Maple’s fury faltered for a moment, her eyes full of pain as she gazed at him. The flames of her anger were slowly quenched the longer she looked at him…

Midori’s beautiful green eyes, looking back at her neutrally as she trembled with emotion.

“No matter how angry I am, how could…” She took a deep breath in, and out, to calm herself down.

“How on earth could I ever hurt you?” Maple whispered, feeling a painful pang in her heart. She clutched at it through her clothes, hating herself as she felt tears rolling down her cheeks once more.

Maple became sad.

“Perfect, that’s working fine as well... hmm…” Midori muttered under his breath as he made a few notes on the clipboard. “…Alright then!” He clapped his hands together with a beaming smile, and Maple flinched at the loud noise.

“Don’t worry about all that Maple, I love you dearly.” Midori lied through his teeth. “Just routine testing, you know?” He got up off his chair and walked over to a desk, fiddling with something Maple couldn’t see.

Sniffling, Maple wiped away her tears, feeling a shaky smile on her face. Midori loved her after all… well, of course he loved her, the necklace was just routine testing for his lab experiment or something… How had she ever thought otherwise?

Maple became HAPPY.

“Anyway… you know what to do now, I’m sure.” Midori spoke without looking at her, reading through some papers he’d picked up off his desk with a frown. “Make sure you don’t disappoint me or I’ll give your necklace to that other girl, alright?”

…

Midori paused. “Whoops.”

Maple became ANGRY.

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