#I will post about it once we compare the scripts

[cr0wqui11]

WDYM MY FRIEND SAW AN ILLEGAL LEGOLAND PRODUCTION??? ILLEGOLAND???

[platypus-brained]

Is Linda a bad Mom?

Is this a “yes” or “no” question? Is it more complicated? Ultimately, that’s up to you!

Is she the best cartoon Mom? No, she has obvious flaws but in my opinion she’s not all bad! Especially compared to Doofenshmirtz’s Mom!!!

But I understand why some people don’t like her and viewer perspective plays a key role. A younger audience is more likely to see Linda as a bad Mom, while an older audience is more likely to see the bigger picture (and it can depend on the amount of times you’ve watched the show)

Angry that Linda doesn’t see what the boys do? Yes, it can be very annoying but it’s not really her fault because the show intentionally keeps Linda unaware if we apply real world logic, so the real blame is the “mysterious force” and the script

Also Linda’s in her 40s to 50s so it makes sense she’s struggling to believe or keep up with her hyper 15 year old daughter (16 in the revival) but she still continuously answers her phone to come home and lets Candace drag her to the backyard

Think that Linda calls Candace “crazy” or is a “dismissive” or “neglectful” Mom? Yes, there are instances that support this but think about real world logic again because we the viewers see everything but Linda doesn’t. Also think how when Candace screams at Linda that the boys have build some crazy thing EVERY single day and Linda repeatedly doesn’t see anything then those words lose all meaning

How you’d feel if you had someone who kept interrupting you every time you were shopping, cooking, watching a movie, hanging with friends, at the dentist, sleeping, etc to try to show you something you never actually see? Linda has dealt with that for months if not YEARS

You can roll your eyes at me, but admit there’s truth in the points I’ve made! If you can’t see it then you’re in denial just like how Linda’s in denial that her kids have more than “overactive imaginations”

Anyway, I’m going to go over some episodes in non-chronological order that indicate Linda is a good parent (not perfect but not bad)

Don’t like long posts? Then this isn’t for you😅

(By the way, I’m not counting what Linda does in “Phineas and Ferb get Busted” because that was a dream within a dream within a dream)

• In the episode “Mom’s Birthday” Linda is shown to love and appreciate everything that her kids do for her! And even though she's unaware that Candace’s efforts were unintentionally overshadowed by what Phineas and Ferb did, Linda does mention more than once that she doesn’t want the boys to overdo it:

“Oh, wow. You boys really outdid yourselves.”

“Oh, those boys are too much!”

“Oh, I hope the boys don’t go overboard with my present.”

And she asks where Candace is because she wants to spend time with her too: “Candace? Candace? Where’d she go?” Then later she asks Candace to sit next to her: “Candace, honey, come join us. The boys have put together a little video.”

Then Phineas and Ferb’s video reveals the song Candace wrote:

Phineas: “But a true testament to what a great Mom you are, is that your daughter would take the time to write this song.”

*The video reveals Candace practicing her “I Love You Mom” song in the music room*

Linda shreds a tear and goes over to hug Candace then says, “What a beautiful song, honey!”

And tells Lawrence on a video call: “The boys threw me the greatest party. And Candace wrote me this really amazing song.” Which brings a smile to Candace’s face!

(-> Here’s Candace’s full song on YouTube <-)

• Speaking of birthdays, in “Candace Loses Her Head” Linda makes Candace a birthday breakfast: “Happy birthday, Candace! I made you a special breakfast!” *holds a plate with a stack of pancakes with whipped cream, syrup, and a birthday candle on top*

Then the boys make them go to Mt. Rushmore and Linda offers to buy Candace anything she wants in the gift shop (at least she’s trying)

Linda: “Okay, Candace. It’s your birthday, you can pick out anything you want. Ooh, what about the Mt. Rushmore bobble head?”

Candace: “Mom, that's lame.”

But during the end credits Jeremy gifts Candace the same Mt. Rushmore bobble heads because he saw her looking at them and she immediately loves it and calls today the best birthday ever

Also before Linda can see the statue of Candace’s face it explodes with lava but Linda mistakenly believes Candace was talking about the president monument and says: “You're right! It's beautiful! *hugs her* Happy birthday, honey. *kisses Candace on the cheek* Now let's go find your father.”

• Another birthday episode is “Phineas’ Birthday Clip-O-Rama!” where Linda is shown frosting the cake for her son’s birthday party: “Where are you, Candace? You promised you’d help frost the cake after you got Phineas’s present.” And later serving it to the party guests: “All right, everybody. *standing next to a cake with a Phineas ornament on top* Who wants cake?”

• In “Out of Toon” Candace tries to call Linda and her voicemail says: “Hi, this is Mom. Leave your psychotic rant about the boys when you hear the beep.”

And before you go Ah ha! Proof Linda’s a bad Mom! listen to the voicemail Candace leaves: “Uhh! Mom, come home quick! There’s a giant mob, I’m a super fiend, I’m roasting them with laser vision! Hey, what do you mean, psychotic rant?”

Candace is talking about how Phineas and Ferb made her the super villain in their cartoon show (ironic) but her wording definitely doesn’t help her case of it not being a “psychotic rant” and at the end of the episode this exchange happens:

Linda: “Well, I’m here. Now, where’s this giant animation studio?”

Candace: “It got up and it danced away.”

Linda: “It what?”

Candace: “It got up and it danced away.”

Linda: “It got up and danced away…?”

Candace: “See? It even sounds crazy when you say it. I'll be in my room.”

• Another time Candace says something unbelievable to her Mom (that I want to bring up because it’s funny) is in “Split Personality” when Candace tells her the boys “made” her:

Busting Candace: “Mom, Phineas and Ferb made me!”

Linda: “Um, I’ve got some stretch marks that would say otherwise.”

Busting Candace: “No, I mean, they split me in half! Well, not like I’m cut in half, but they’ve made another me.”

• In “Tour de Ferb” Linda just got out of the shower and Candace picks up her up against her will and puts her Mom in her bicycle basket while Linda’s only wearing towels and a robe but instead of getting super mad about this (wouldn’t you?) Linda is glad that she picked that day to wear her bike helmet into the shower

Candace: *picks Linda up* “I know where the last obstacle is. Hee-hee-hee-hee.”

Linda: “Whoa! Whoa! *gets placed in the bicycle basket* Candace, I'm not even dressed!

Candace: “Sorry Mom, it’s an emergency!”

Linda: “Luckily, I picked today to wear my bike helmet into the shower.”

• In “Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror” Linda gets worried when Candace hasn’t called her like usual and leaves the spa to go see what’s wrong: “Something is very wrong. Not a single call from Candace. *checks her phone* Not even a text message. Oga hose me down. I'm going home.”

Then she calls Candace while driving home:

Linda: “Uh, Candace? Is everything okay?”

Candace: “Ohh, everything is just wonderful...”

Linda: “And...Phineas and Ferb? What are they doing?”

Candace: “Ohh, such wonderful things...”

Linda: “Candace, honey, I’m coming home.”

Candace: *breaks out of trance* “Wait, WHAT?”

Linda: “I’m right around the corner; I’ll be there in two minutes.”

Candace: “Wait! No Mom, you can’t!”

This is the first time we see Candace have fun with her brothers instead of trying to bust them, but her unusual behavior worries Linda enough that she leaves in the middle of her spa day to go home to see what’s going on to cause this change in routine. Sure, she “ruins” Candace’s time with Jeremy but it's mostly out of concern

• Something similar happens in “Tree to get ready” where Phineas and Ferb and Candace and Stacy are having a treehouse robot fight but Linda wonders why Candace hasn’t called:

Linda: “Hmm. That’s funny. I haven’t gotten the usual call from Candace.*gets phone out and calls her* Candace, honey, I’m at the car-wash, and I’m be heading home very soon. Bye bye.”

Candace: “Oh, no!”

Again Linda unintentionally “ruins” the fun but it works out in this episode since they all race back home and the treehouse robots break into normal treehouses before Linda gets there:

Linda: “Looks like you’re having fun.”

Phineas: “Well, Mom, you know what they say-” *Candace and Stacy throw a water balloon at him*

Ferb: “Fun never falls too far from the tree house.” *Also gets hit by a water balloon*

• In “It’s a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World” Linda goes to her cooking class and her cooking instructor breaks her phone after Lawrence called her about the boys having a monster truck in the backyard:

Chef Guilbaud: “Ahem. Madam Flynn, I have told you a hundred times, *uses meat tenderizer to break phone* No phone calls in class!”

Funny enough, his phone rings but it’s actually Candace asking to speak with Linda, implying this happened often enough that she has her Mom’s cooking instructor's contact information but Linda still picks up the phone despite being glared at and threatened

Candace: “Mom, I think the boys are building a monster truck.”

Linda: “Um, honey, I gotta go. No- B-Big chef. Big meat tenderizer in front of Mommy! Bye bye.”

• In “Ask a Foolish Question” she makes Phineas and Ferb homemade granola bars:

Linda: “Hey boys, want some fat-free whole-grain granola bars? They're still warm from the oven.”

Phineas: “Whole-grain and fat-free? *They each take a granola bar* You know us so well.”

Linda: “Yes, yes I do.”

Then the boys end up building a super computer just to ask it what’s the nicest thing they can do for Mom that day:

Phineas: “You know, Mom's always doing nice things for us. I think it's time that we did something nice for Mom!”

Then Linda goes out to use a coupon for a free hair styling from a new salon but she comes home with bags under her eyes and ugly yellow hair 

Candace: “Mom! Mom! Mom! Mo…*Stops when she sees Linda’s hair* Uhhhh....”

Linda: “I’m having a bad day.”

Candace: “Uh, never mind. Come on, come on, come on! *Pushes Linda into the backyard with eyes closed* It’s over here! It’s over here! See?”

And when Linda doesn’t see the giant super computer she complains that it’s too much that day: “You know, Candace, most days, this is just a little disturbing. But today, with the free coupon and this whole awful thing with my hair…”

But if you remember Phineas and Ferb had followed the super computer’s instructions and unknowingly fixed her hair:

Phineas: “We did something nice for Mom! We fixed her bad hairdo. Apparently.”

• In “Journey to the Center of Candace” (and in most other episodes) Linda takes an interest in what her kids plan to do that day

Linda: “What a beautiful summer day. Do you boys have anything exciting planned?”

Phineas: “We’re either gonna make this nuclear-powered submarine or this incredible shrinking ray. But for some reason, Ferb and I can't seem to make up our minds.”

Linda: “Well, I’ve made up my mind. *hugs Phineas and then hugs Ferb* You two have the most wonderful imaginations.”

But she’s in denial that her sons aren’t playing pretend so there’s a clear disconnect (too bad she’s unaware she’s a cartoon character)

Candace: “It’s real, you know.”

Linda: “What’s real, dear?”

Candace: “The submarine? The shrinking ray? They’re really gonna build that stuff.”

Phineas: “Well, actually we haven’t decided yet- *Candace uses her spoon to push Phineas away by his nose*

Candace: “Anyway, when I try to bust them, everything will just magically disappear. Always happens. you’ll see. Well, you won’t see. I'll see, trust me.”

Linda: “As usual, the imagination in this room is astounding!”

Hey, at least we know where Phineas gets his “oblivious genes” from

Also it’s hinted that her kids enjoy Linda’s cooking:

Phineas: “Ah tacos. You know who makes the best tacos? Mom!”

• In “Bee Day” Linda mentions how she and Candace played in an inflatable wading pool when she was little after seeing one: “Oh, look at that, an inflatable wading pool. Oh, it’s just like the one I used to play in with Candace when she was little. Remember, hon?”

This gives Phineas and Ferb the idea for what they’ll do that day. Then when Candace takes a teen identity magazine test and it tells her that she’s emo Linda is supportive: 

Linda: “Hi, honey. Love the new look.”

Candace: “You obviously don’t know me. Nobody does. And if somebody did, I’d just deny it.”

Linda: “Sweetie, I went through a similar phase when I was your age. Try writing some poems.”

Candace: “Whatever. I don’t care, No one gets me... Except my hair.”

Linda: “That's my girl.”

Candace is later seen writing poems under the tree, which means she followed Linda's suggestion. Bees deflate the giant inflatable wading pool before Linda comes outside to offer everyone iced tea, but she joins some kids in Candace’s old Ducky Momo one:

Linda: “Hey, kids! *Comes out with a tray with a pitcher and glasses of iced tea* Anyone up for some iced tea?”

Phineas: “Sure! Thanks, Mom!”

Linda: “Oh, look! You kids found Candace’s old wading pool! How sweet!”

Phineas: “We’re gonna have a pool party! Go ahead, wade away!”

Linda: *Dipping feet into the pool with Isabella, Holly, and Gretchen* “Aw, it’s just like old times.”

• In “Rollercoaster: The Musical!” Linda does call her “crazy” but Candace is getting in the way of her going grocery shopping for the who knows what time and she does suggest that Candace yell at the cheese in the grocery store until she feels better (which is funny since Candace is allergic to dairy and shows that Linda does care)

Candace: *Pulls Linda to where the poster used to be* “Here, look, look, look, look, look, see? I told you I'm not crazy! I told you!”

Linda: “And you’re not crazy because...?”

*Candace screams when she opens her eyes to see the poster’s gone*

Linda: “I see your point, Candace. No crazy person would scream at a post like that. I’ll be in the dairy section if you want to come yell at some cheese. *goes off-screen then comes back* Would you like that, honey? Would you like to yell at some cheese?”

Candace: “A little.” *takes Linda’s offered hand*

Linda: “Well, c’mon, then.”

• In “What A Croc!” Linda is shown trusting Candace to be in charge while she’s not home more than she trusts her husband after seeing him watching “Horse in a Bookcase” with the boys

Linda: “Alright, Candace, I’m headed out to the zoo to do my volunteer work.”

Candace: “Which means I’m in charge.”

Linda: “Well, not really, ‘cause Dad’s here. Right, honey?”

*Cuts to Lawrence, Phineas, and Ferb in the living room watching Horse in a Bookcase*

Lawrence: “That’s right, dear.”

Linda: *Looks at Candace* “You’re in charge.”

Candace: *Smiles and opens the door for Linda* “Bye, Mom! Have fun at the zoo!”

• In “Backyard Aquarium” it’s shown that Linda’s favorite author wrote the book series “You & Your High-Strung Teen” which implies that Linda reads a lot of books to try to understand her daughter (with varying degrees of success)

Linda: “I’ve gotta tell you, I read your first book and I love it.”

Bridgette Oshinomi: “Do you have a high-strung teen at home?”

Linda: “Uh, you could say that. *her phone beeps* Oh, this must be her.”

Bridgette Oshinomi: “She sent you a picture? Lemme see.”

Linda: “Well...okay.”

Bridgette Oshinomi: “How bad can it be? After all, I've been through with my own- *sees picture of Candace’s up close face while screaming* Oh. I think that maybe you need the rest of the set. *gives her two books* Uh, and why don't you take a whack at that first book again?”

Funny enough, this Bridgette Oshinomi character is also a news reporter who reported about Phineas and Ferb’s Perry the Inaction Figure in “Toy to the World”

• In “Phineas and Ferb Interrupted” Linda wants to spend the whole day with Candace:

Linda: “Hey hon, I was just reading this article about mothers and daughters, and really listening to your teen. And I realized I’ve hardly seen you all summer, so for the whole day today, it’s you and me. Whatever you want to do, I’m all yours. Anything at all.”

Although they end up sitting there watching the boys do nothing exciting after they got hit by Doof’s Dull-and-Boring Inator:

Candace: “Phineas, come on! What is wrong with you guys?”

Linda: “Candace?”

Candace: “Mom...”

Linda: “How about if I go get some lunch and bring it back for us?”

Candace: “No, no, no, stay, stay! I'm really enjoying this quality time with you.” *kisses her on the cheek*

Linda: “Me too, sweetie!”

• In “Hip Hip Parade” Linda and Candace have a girl’s day out but Linda understandably wants Candace not to try to bust or obsess over her brothers:

Linda: “Candace, you have to promise me that you won’t obsess about Phineas and Ferb.”

Candace: “Yeah, sure Mom, I promise.”

Linda: “Don’t just promise this time. Raise your right hand. Do you, Candace Gertrude Flynn, solemnly swear not to obsess about your brothers, or you’ll suffer the Pharaoh’s Curse?”

Candace: “The Pharaoh’s Curse?”

Linda: “Yes or no?”

Candace: “Okay, yes.”

Linda: “Okay, now we can have fun.”

And Linda says how she enjoys spending time with Candace!

Linda: “See Candace? Isn’t this nice to just get away and enjoy a day together?”

Candace: “You’re right Mom, this is the best. I’m not even going to think about– Mm, you know. I’m not even going to say their names.”

Linda: “That’s the spirit.”

But Candace is Candace and she can’t resist her busting instincts:

Linda: “Candace, I’m having a great time with you today. See how relaxing it is when you’re not obsessing about your brothers?”

Candace: “I can’t take it anymore! Mom, I really tried my best to give you a day, but it’s… the boys. The boys! They’re in the parade! With giant floats! So come on, you gotta bust them.”

• The whole “Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem!” episode where Candace learns her Mom was Lindana:

Candace: “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom! You never told me you were a pop star!”

Linda: “Oh yeah! Well, that was long before you were born. It was fun, but I was happy to give it up to raise a family.”

Then Candace comes with Linda to a revival concert (-> Here’s a video of that on YouTube <-) and she wants her daughter to sing with her onstage:

Linda: “I wouldn’t be here without you, honey. You backed me up all the way. So it’s only right that you should back me up onstage.”

Candace: “Me? Sing?”

Linda: “Just relax. You'll do fine.” *Candace grins and gives her a thumbs up*

Candace then had the time of her life! She and Linda even dance together during “Alien Heart”

(There are more but I’ll end this post here)

[luna-rainbow]

I wasn’t going to watch the Thunderbolts but I had a chance to get out of the house and took it.

It was good, as long as you’re not going in with the expectation that Bucky would be of any importance in the story. This is very much Yelena’s story, and to a smaller extent, Bob/Sentry’s. Bucky’s most kickass scenes were already in the trailers. It was fun seeing him play Congressman, if only because Sebastian played the “I’m dying inside while playing nice for the press” expression with perfection. I need to see the script again but it was implied that Bucky was quite a pull for voters so…that’s interesting. Him turning up the charm to try and get Val’s secretary on his side was a very nice detail, because I can see Bucky knowing he’s got the ability to do it but dying inside when he has to. It felt like they were going somewhere with Bucky’s involvement in the story but once he joined forces with the rest of the guys (which was like…end of Act One), he very much felt like a glorified cameo. And it would be nice if we could get one movie without Bucky’s prosthesis being removed for shock value 🙄

One tiny detail that made me smile was that Walker was a dick to Bob early on and in the final scene, he was the only one that got pinned by a knife while everyone else just got tied down. I liked how consistent Walker is with his previous appearance, the same blustering confidence, although just a little bit quicker to accept he’s wrong. Still very much white jock energy though.

The movie was a fine portrayal of mental health, personified mainly by Bob and his alter ego. This made the third act a bit heavy handed with the metaphors coming in thick, the “your greatest enemy is yourself”, and “it’s okay to not be okay”, and “you don’t have to get through a mental health crisis on your own”. And maybe also a side of “depression will make you feel deeply alone but people who care about you will be hurt if you hurt yourself” and “hurt people hurt people”. This also meant the action was far more interesting (and very well choreographed) in the first act compared to the latter half of the movie where a lot of it was wired superhero flying. The team dynamic was very enjoyable despite their frequent squabbling and I think we can thank the ensemble of excellent actors for making this group of highly flawed people likeable and funny.

It was a shame that the movie never delved deeper into any of the other characters outside of Yelena — whether that’s Walker grappling with his colossal failure (and I mean this seriously, I think Walker’s flaws were amplified by his fear of failing and not being the perfect high achiever he’s been all his life); how Alexei deals with his complex role for Yelena and Nat that’s both (deadbeat) father and abuser/child trafficker; whatever struggles Ava had to face trying to overcome her physical limitations and being forced to work for SHIELD; and Bucky…

I mean, Bucky’s whole history with trauma, abuse, loss of agency and guilt falls right in with this story but he doesn’t even get a flashback.

At least he got the line “(unlike me) you can choose who you work for” and that’s more acknowledgement than the entire 6 episodes of TFATWS, so that says something.

It’s nice seeing mental health so front and centre in the MCU but the story left a lot of the side characters under-utilised and the resolution is just a little too magical. But still one of the better post Endgame outings.

[thanergetic-hyperlinks]

I know we had a convo over whether or not Harrow saw the body/was « insane » and having just finished the htn reread, I’d like to reopen this discussion. I truly believe she saw the body (she was being haunted ffs) but I don’t believe she had (« other ») hallucinations. This is based off of her conversation with Ortus in the bubble when she’s lucid. Anyways, would love your opinion on that, and also, what do you think happened to Harrow?? I think she completely switched places with Alecto, creating the opposite of harrow in control with Alecto latched on.

Yeah, I agree with you on almost everything. Some of it is only fully confirmed after Nona (I will annotate those clues at the bottom of the post under a cut, to avoid Nona spoilers), but this is the way I understand it, and I'm going to detail it all in case anyone finds it interesting to compare notes:

I think the conversations about spirit magic in Harrow are key. HtN tells us in detail about thanergetic links and revenants and the River, which is vital to the River bubble plotline and the revenant Wake plotline. But we also learn among other things that Harrow kissed Alecto as a kid and her lip froze at the touch and they mixed blood. Alecto then shows up in Harrow's childhood hallucinations.

Harrow is in a really bad mental health state after her parents' death. This triggers her psychosis. By which I mean, Harrow does have schizophrenia, and it works the way the illness works in real life—trauma can lead to really bad episodes. Ortus later suggests “the mind forms indentations” due to trauma (he mentions his own PSTD flashbacks about his father being an abuser, hearing him when he was already dead) but he's not saying that her illness is solely PTSD after her parents' suicide or the Canaan events. And ultimately, Ortus is just suggesting one read of the situation. He isn't an authority on whether Harrow had a preexisting condition. Abigail will kindly to tell Harrow that she is being haunted, but that doesn't mean she's not also insane. Harrow's experience is only her own to define. None of these conversations confirm or deny that Harrow's only being haunted. However, the fragility of her state is implied to make her more likely to see what isn't there… and what is. Madness bringing you closer to What's Beyond The Veil is a common trope in horror stories, too. Abigail is a medium, she'd be unsurprised by this.

The Body in many ways acts like a total hallucination—she seemed to have different personalities depending on Harrow's age—but then we learn that in the Canaan bubble the ghosts had to improv over a certain script/situation, so spirits definitely can show different sides of themselves according to the limitations or needs placed by the summoner. Harrow also only hears the Body speaking with other people's voice and sees her eyes as Drearburh black but that's logical given she never heard her or saw her eyes.

The Body, like most of Harrow's experiences in this book, is carefully written to have multiple readings, for instance as a red herring for Gideon: is she dreaming bits of Gideon through the vessel of the Body, which now has suspiciously golden eyes? Even some of the stuff that only the Body could know, like “I died once… no, twice” could be attributed to Gideon by a determined reader on first read. In the end, however, it doesn't hold up, because later we

learn Gideon has already been poking out through the narrative voice,

see Gideon doesn't think of herself as having died more than once (she hasn't figured out that being God's daughter makes her immortal and brought her back during Avulsion, etc.)

discover that Alecto's eyes were really gold in life, which means this time her hallucination might be even more real than in Harrow's childhood, if there's a difference,

(1. Nona spoiler, check at the bottom).

So my take is that the Body really is Alecto's spirit/consciousness, venturing a little outside the Tomb through the thanergetic link established by Harrow's kiss (2. Nona spoiler, check at the bottom), that she nevertheless is summoned with certain limitations (her own dead/dreaming state, Harrow's knowledge of her appearance and voice, Harrow's needs) and that she finds Harrow available as a conduit because/while she's having psychotic breaks.

Now, did Harrow have other hallucinations? I think she might. The main one is Cytherea's body! Mind you, most of the time we see Wake-in-Cytherea, she's legitimately there, I think. Like the scene in which she walks in a terrifying way towards Harrow's door, like someone who doesn't know how to pilot a corpse yet (but will eventually). No, I'm thinking of the scene with Cytherea's corpse under Harrow's bed. Yes, the one Gideon is mad about, because she saw it through Harrow's eyes and brain. But you see, it's the one appearance of Cytherea that makes no sense whatsoever: she's under Harrow's bed, non-animated, not having triggered any of Harrow's wards, and then after Harrow locks her with bone, when Ianthe looks, the bone is still there and Cytherea isn't. This makes no sense. Wake is not an adept, cannot move Cytherea's body through the River, cannot cross Harrow's bone or blood wards, or leave behind perfectly intact bone cuffs. Ianthe was right: there was nothing there. (There's a post somewhere I tagged as #Ianthe where someone explained Ianthe's psychology in this moment.)

Now, the end scene. It's narrated in a very confusing way cause our three POV protagonists are kinda rubbing souls as they change bodies (that's why, later… (3. Nona spoiler, see at the bottom), but what happens is:

Harrow decides she won't go back to her body cause Gideon might be piloting it.

Harrow takes a Third Option and travels to what looks like the Tomb—but Harrow travels there *in spirit*.

Traveling along the same thanergetic link Alecto rode to her body, Harrow goes to the Tomb—or rather, to the River Bubble of the Tomb where Alecto has been, sleeping—remember, Harrow has no body so she can't be physically travelling through or out of the River. The Tomb is Alecto's own bubble. That's why the chains are broken and the Body is gone, even if in real life Alecto is still there bodily.

In this mind-version of the Tomb, she sees a trace of Gideon represented by a magazine—this Tomb might have been where Gideon's soul was *literally* resting while lyctorized, or it might simply be a representation in Harrow's mind of the fact that Gideon was inside Harrow and she left a bit of herself behind.

Harrow swims to the center moat and lays on the stone bed. By placing herself in the same equivalent space of the bubble where Alecto's body is in the actual Tomb, we're being told she fully inhabits Alecto's body (4. Nona spoiler, see at the bottom). She is, as you said, haunting her back. Because Alecto isn't there but inside Harrow, however, and because River pressure briefly killed Harrow's body until Alecto got in, Gideon is unfortunately yeeted out to the spirit realm, or possibly even back to her own uncorrupted body.

… I am a little concerned I've written all this from memory.

(1) We learn in Nona from Crux that Harrow used to “go away” as a child and claim not to be Harrowhark, so we get confirmation that her psychotic breaks from childhood were real and not just a post-lobotomy new memory—and also possibly she was being possessed then too?

(2) Alecto pledged some kind of vow to Anastasia, and part of it is that Harrowhark is a direct descendant of hers. Alecto realizes this in the Nona epilogue simply from “kissing” Harrow and tasting her blood a second time. Could Alecto have partly awakened, and therefore found a way to haunt Harrow in childhood, precisely because she already exchanged blood with Anastasia in preparation for her needing to haunt her way out of the Tomb in the future through one of her descendants?

(3) Nona regularly dreams of seeing herself come to Harrow's body through Gideon's eyes, but also possibly is mixing it with the Pool Scene?

(4) Alecto describes the stone bed as comfortable when remembering her first lying down on it, because she finds it very hard to have a spine (as I lay in bed with a TENS machine on, I fear this is very relatable). Harrow experiences the stone as infinitely confortable, like a welcoming bed. This is because she's connecting to Alecto's psychical body's perception, I think). Of course, in the John chapters of Nona, we see that Harrow is accessing Alecto's dreams. In these dreams, John seems to be not a fiction but the real bit of soul he put in Alecto. The dialogue is devoid of quote marks when the memories play as they originally went, but quote marks appear when John and Harrow break the script to have impromptu digressions, with John seemingly confused about who he's talking to in a sort of dreamlike way, leading to the “J+H” moment, and the final chapter happens on the River bank exiting the dream, in present time, no longer inside Alecto's mind.

[blastzachilles]

— One of Your Girls .ᐟ

CHARACTERS: MRTA + 2019!ARTRICK WORD COUNT: 1.8k CW: mentions of blood, guns, knives

a/n: baby's first fanfic!! i love these two so much, they've infected my brain an unhealthy amount. this is loosely related to troye sivan's 'one of your girls' which i compared in this post to being art's perspective talking about patrick, and wanted to write more about it. i also actively consulted the script so the sauna dialogue is directly ripped from that LMFAO. i hope you enjoy, and any comments or feedback is greatly appreciated!! <3 big thank you to my lovely beta readers!

— Patrick saw the way Art looked at him when he walked in. 

His gaze a little lower than it should have been for the respectable tennis player, for the man married to the woman who was once the Duncanator. 

“When we were teenagers.” Art says. No. Not says, stings, like frostbite, his voice cold and unwavering. No wonder he was Ice.

The sharpness of his words are a bullet through Patrick, dangerously inching closer to his heart every time.

“Right. When we were teenagers.” Patrick gets up this time, but he’s still bleeding out. A few more shots and he’ll be a goner. 

He just wants Art to see him. Patrick thinks he never has. 

How wrong he was. 

Before they were teenagers both obsessed with the goddess who fell from grace, they were boys. 

Boys who did everything together. Who laughed, cried (no matter how many times they denied it), and most importantly, loved together. 

And boy, did Art love Patrick. 

Patrick, who comforted Art when they were twelve, when Art was just learning how to live by himself. Patrick, who went out at absurd hours of the night with Art, just because he wanted a walk. Patrick, who stayed up with Art hours before an exam, not caring about the material, but knowing Art needed it. 

Patrick, who made Art feel like he was the most important person in the world. 

Patrick taught him everything, how to jerk off, how to talk to girls, how to be Art. It was all Patrick.

But nothing can stay in bloom forever, and they transitioned from boys to teenagers. 

Art watched Patrick grow, as his face matured, as it grew sharper, as he started twisting his face into that one smirk Patrick knew would get into any girl’s pants. The one that made you feel like you were everything.

He knew because Patrick tested it on him first. Art still remembers it clear as day.

In their dorm, sixteen years old, Fire and Ice had decided they were going to their first party. 

“Hey, Art.” 

“Yeah?” Art was tired. It was past midnight, and he knew he was going to be up late the next day. He just wanted to sleep. 

But Patrick’s next words had him more awake than drinking any amount of pure caffeine. 

“I think I’m gonna try to get some tonight.” Patrick says, and Art doesn’t even have to roll over to see the smug grin on Patrick’s face as he stares at the ceiling. 

“Okay?”

“Wanna help me try some things out?” 

Art didn’t know how he could help, all he knew was that he wanted to. So against his better judgement, he rolled over in his twin bed, sitting up and throwing his legs over the edge.

“Sure.” 

Art remembers the research that ensued, the work done to help Patrick finally get lucky, their faces when they found out sometimes all you needed was a simple expression. The way Patrick’s face contorted, twisted, in a form of gymnastics, before making a perfect landing.

Art’s face had never felt so hot, and he swore he was going to end up in cardiac arrest the way his heart skipped. 

“That one.” Too loud. Too fast. 

He says it again.

“That one.” This time it’s too small. Too confused. Too emotional.

Patrick doesn’t press. He knows better than that. He just grins like he’s won the lottery, eyes crinkling. “Thanks, man. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

And Art swears he’s in a dream, knowing his best friend thinks of him like that. Even if Patrick doesn’t mean it, which Art knows he does, all that matters is that his god, his guide, his everything has just told him that he matters, that Art’s an integral part of his life. He’ll do anything to stay that way. 

But Patrick keeps moving, growing, getting more experienced, and no matter how much he begs Art to finally get his dick wet, he never goes further than handjobs.

And always in the dark.

So he can imagine it’s Patrick’s hand wrapped around him instead, so long as he shuts his eyes tight enough. 

He wishes Patrick would see him. That Patrick would see he’d do anything for him. That Patrick would see he’d be anyone, absolutely anyone. Hell, he’d even be just like one of those girls, just to get a glimpse of Patrick, just to be his first place. 

The way he still would, even now, 31 and playing at Phil’s Tire Town Challenger, in a sauna with his ex-best friend, married to Tashi Donaldson.  

But Patrick doesn’t know. He never has, and he never will. Art will take this with him to his grave. 

There’s static in Patrick’s brain as he looks at his ex-best friend, ex-teammate, ex-everything. Begging him silently to say something, because if he opens his mouth, he doesn’t know what will come out.

“You’re right. I do find it disturbing.” Another bullet, but it’s easy to deflect this one.

“Well, there’s no need, man. Lots of girls were into me. None of them wanted to marry me. That’s not what I was for.” Patrick thinks this is the safe route. That Art can’t hurt him with this response.

He was dead wrong.

“Then what were you for?” 

Patrick begs that the gasp of air that left him is only in his head as he tries to cover it up with a smile. Art’s lack of acknowledgement says it was, but Patrick can’t tell if he’d say something either way. He doesn’t know Art anymore. Somehow, that thought sends another bullet through him, grazing his heart. 

A small scoff to hide his blood on the floor that he’s just begging Art to notice, and Patrick continues.

“Honestly, I thought you’d be happy that I was in the draw. You’ve always wanted to beat me at a tournament, haven’t you? Especially a few weeks before the Open. It’s the perfect confidence booster.” Patrick begs to be noticed, to be acknowledged, but Art gives him nothing. Like he can’t see that Patrick is bleeding out, spilling all over the floor, just for him. 

“I know what you’re trying to do right now–”

“I’m not trying to do anything. This is a challenger. I don’t have to play mind games with you.” 

“Right. You don’t give a shit.” 

It seems Art doesn’t know Patrick either anymore, seeing as he believes Patrick doesn’t give a shit about him.

Patrick’s mind shifts in and out of static, losing oxygen as the bullet grazes his heart now. He’s set on the path of certain death, but it’s just what he’d do for Art.

Even if Art isn’t willing to see it, his mind clouded by something Patrick can’t quite tell anymore. 

“...the more I realize it’s about what didn’t happen. You didn’t grow up. You still think you can talk to me like I’m your peer because we came from the same place.” 

Patrick is internally begging Art not to continue. He won’t make it if he does. 

“But it doesn’t matter where you come from in tennis, Patrick. It only matters if you win. And I do. A lot.” 

The bullet’s a little deeper now. Threatening to finish him off. 

“You’ve never beaten me.” Patrick smiles his lopsided smile, the one he puts on when he can’t let Art tell how he feels. Patrick thinks he’s used it more in the past five minutes than in the whole seven years he had with Art. 

“So what? I’ve never beaten most of the guys who play these things. This is a game about winning the points that matter.” 

Patrick’s gasping for air, begging himself not to ask the question that follows.

“I don’t matter?” He asks. 

His voice is too small. Like Art’s that one night, all those years ago. The one he ignored because he knew Art wouldn’t talk about it.

“Not even to the most obsessive tennis fan in the world.” 

Art gets bored of toying with him, not quite hitting the mark. So the bullet gets replaced with a dagger. Just the tip, slowly digging into his heart. 

“We’re not talking about tennis, Art.” 

“Then what the fuck else do you and I have to talk about?” 

Patrick’s sure that gasp was audible now. But still nothing from Art. He wonders if he’s really the same boy he met at twelve. The one who flipped his world on its axis.

“I just wanted to come in here to wish you luck.” Patrick’s voice still feels small, but a little throaty, like he’s trying his best to put on that mask of grandiosity and loudness he hid behind at school.

“That makes no sense.” 

A few centimetres deeper, agonizing, slow, every word being felt. This is personal, leaving Patrick feeling as though if he looked up to see who’s wielding the dagger, it would be Art himself. 

He can’t say he’s surprised.

When Patrick speaks next, his voice is shaky, and he doesn’t think he can say anything else without crying. He hates crying. 

“I wanted to tell you that I’m looking forward to it. I miss playing with you, Art.” Patrick tacks Art’s name on at the end, something to ground them, to make it more personal again. 

To give it truth. Because Patrick means every word.

“Oh, yeah?” Art asks, his voice a boa constrictor that wraps itself around Patrick’s throat. 

Art doesn’t believe him. Doesn’t think he can. 

He doesn’t want to. It would give him hope.

So when Patrick nods, Art prepares. He readies himself, gripping the dagger hard, staring deep into Patrick’s eyes.

Patrick’s afraid Art will see everything that’s hidden beneath them, that he’ll figure everything out without even saying anything. 

But instead, it’s a stare that comes as the dagger is completely shoved through his heart.

“I don’t miss playing with you. I’m too old for it.” 

It stings. It more than stings. It’s final. 

And with that, Art walks out of the sauna, slamming the door behind him.

Leaving Patrick bleeding out alone, a gaping hole through his heart, inflicted by the one person who gave him heart. 

And Patrick just sits there. And he thinks. He thinks about what he would give to go back to being teenagers again. To being boys.

He thinks about what he’d do to feel like he was Art’s again. 

Before all of Art’s fame, before he became the face of men’s tennis. Before all of Art’s brand deals and galas and partnerships. Before his face was an icon synonymous with the pro tennis circuit. 

He’d do just about anything. He’d keep it secret, make sure nothing ever got out. Anything, to get back to when they were teenagers. 

To when he wasn’t Art Donaldson, but just Art. 

To when Art was Patrick’s, even if he never did anything about it. 

Oh, what he’d give to be one of his girls. 

[hannieween]

opening night | backstage series | l.sm

“Just play along,” he said softly, his lips curving into a playful smile as he leaned his head to kiss you deeply in front of everyone who, until that night, thought you were heartbroken for someone else.

♡︎ pairing: lee seokmin x afab!reader ♡︎ genre: smut. 18+ mdni you'll get blocked ♡︎ word count: 9.3k ♡︎ aus: theatre performer!seokmin, fake dating with benefits

₊🎧: love me a little – shownu x hyungwon

₊ nsfw tags under the cut

♡︎ a/n: i am only posting this for fun, but do let me know if you like it pls pls pls. thought of this idea while doing the dishes, quite literally.

♡︎ warnings: swearing, alcohol use, minor mentions of drugs, pet names: baby, noodle (hers), smut with plot, soft dom seokmin, big dick seokmin, seokmin is kind of a simp, teasing, making out, sexual tension, unprotected sex, couch sex, creampie, hand kink, fingering (f), oral sex (f), reader is quite dramatic, might contain some minor spelling or grammar mistakes and for that i'm sorry.

part 1

Nothing could compare to opening night jitters. There were some shows in which you didn't feel this nervous, small shows, small audiences or those times you had to act in front of other colleagues. It always made you jittery in some way. Tonight, the feeling of not being able to breathe was worse.

It was as if a bubble of air got trapped in your chest, and no matter how much you breathed in and out, nothing could get rid of it.

And not to mention the inescapable tunnel vision. It was something you suspected that it only happened to you, though. You could not focus on anything at all. Food? Not hungry. Thirsty? Maybe. But those were things that you could tend to once the first show is over.

"Shit. I think I forgot my lines," you blurt out with a shaky sigh.

The script was lying on the single chair propped in front of the vanity mirror. But the dressing room was so crowded with people getting ready that you just didn't see the chance of reading out some of it again.

"You know," someone started behind you, "for someone who has been doing this for years, you certainly can't control your pre-show emotions."

You didn't have to turn to know whose voice it was. "Sorry," you reply shortly. "I haven't done this in a short while."

"Well, put yourself together. We begin in five." Minghao told you. He was just finishing dressing the supporting cast, so he gave you a look.

"What?" you say, and look down at what you were wearing, thinking that somehow you had managed to ruin your dress that he carefully confected for your role.

Minghao grabbed you by the shoulders, a soft smile began to show on his lips and he said. "You're going to do alright. Just breathe, and show them what you're worth. It'll be over in two hours."

And with that, you released a long sigh. "Thank you."

"Anytime," he nodded, patting you on the head. "Is that Soonyoung's vest?" He said suddenly, snatching the vest from a chair and exiting your dressing room. "Soonyoung, come here you little rascal!"

It has been about five months since you stepped on a stage. So, there were a few things you need to get a hold on before the show begun. You used to have a pre-show ritual, which consisted in getting into character as much as possible.

However, things changed when you had to take a break after you and your ex called it quits. Now, you don't feel as connected to that ritual anymore. Besides, you haven't had a lead role in a play since your final year at uni.

It usually got really quiet backstage when the show was about to start. Everyone was aware that voices carry all the way to the audience, so movements were quiet, and noises kept at minimal. You closed your eyes for a moment before going to the stage and play your part.

Opening nights were always a challenge. Despite rigorous rehearsals, you were faced with doubt, often believing you could spot the smallest flaws and exaggerating them to fix them.

But this opening night was sort of different. You felt at ease. Exhilarated, even. Once the play was over and you finished bowing to the audience, you went back to the dressing rooms to get rid of your dress and make up.

You changed into something more comfortable. And as you were cleaning your face, you listened to the other girls in the dressing room gush about the people they saw at the seats. Apparently some more renowned actors had come to see the play, as well as some journalists.

That made you think that you didn't invite someone to come see you. You did your part to promote the play in social media, but nothing more.

However, you did see some familiar faces as you made your way out of the dressing room. Seokmin and Seungkwan were bantering loudly about something unbeknownst to you, their voices and laughter were so sounding that you were quick to locate them.

Seungkwan had Seokmin on a playful chokehold when they both saw you. Before you could ask, Seungkwan snapped his head at you. "We're settling a matter like men. Be there with you in a sec," at the same time that Seokmin blurted through his teeth: "Help."

"Ah, they're at it again," you turned to see Soonyoung who was throwing a backpack over his shoulder. "Seokmin has been teasing Kwannie a lot these days."

"What else is new?" you hummed.

You two watched for a brief moment, only to Soonyoung turn to you and chirp. "Anyway, want to leave these two behind and go buy some booze? 'S on me."

You watched his cheeks grow fuller as he pursed his lips. He had one thumb raised, pointing towards the exit.

"That sounds great," you say, grabbing him by the arm.

You turned to the exit, leaving your two other friends fight over yet another stupid thing.

The cold air of autumn hit your face as soon as Soonyoung pushed the door open.

"So," Soonyoung begun and suddenly you knew what was coming, "how you've been?"

The question was simple. But you knew what he meant.

"I've been doing okay, Hoshi," you replied shortly. "You don't need to worry about me."

He hummed. "You can talk to me anytime. You know that, right?"

You two arrived at the liquor store. It was friday night, so there was a couple of people buying alcohol for the night.

"You have done enough for me," you gave him a reassuring smile. "Letting me crash in your apartment for months until I found something for my own is something I will always be grateful for."

He sighed. "You don't have to do that. And you don't owe me anything, you dumbass."

"Do what?" you objected.

"You're avoiding it," he shrugged. "But hey, you don't wanna talk about it, fine. I'll wait."

You smiled and slapped the front of his cap down. "Come on, Soonyoung. Don't get all sappy on me. This is supposed to be a fun night."

He finally smirked, fixing his cap. "Right. Soju."

When Seungkwan and Seokmin finally got to the liquor store, they were sweaty and panting, they probably had to run to catch up with you and Soonyoung. But they were laughing about something as you reunited with them on the sidewalk outside the store.

"Hi there, noodle," Seokmin raised his hand and patted your head at the same time that his other hand reached for the six pack of beer you were holding to carry it himself.

You cringed at the name he used to call you. Which was born after a professor called you only by noodle arms in a dance class you four had to take at uni.

"Dk, it's been ages since you called me that," you whined, but as soon as he propped his arm around your shoulders you couldn't help but smile in his familiar warmth.

"Well, I've suddenly forgotten your name. You're Noodle now," he spoke in an old man's tone. But broke in a laugh as you poked his rib with your finger. "Sorry."

You walked in pairs towards the fancy apartment building down the street.

"Were you in the audience?" you asked.

"Yeah, obviously. Soonyoung wouldn't shut up about the play for weeks," he pressed his lips into a smile. "Besides, it's your first lead role in a while, I wouldn't have missed it."

"Did you like it?"

Seungkwan turned, and you understood he could listen on everything you and Seokmin were saying. "He fell asleep. Obviously," he sassed.

"I dozed off for two minutes!" Seokmin bellowed, but a wide smile formed on his face. "I did get to see your parts, though. And Soonyoung's."

"Thanks for coming, guys."

"No problem," Seokmin smiled briefly. "Hey, I heard that you moved out of Soonyoung's. Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped."

Just five months ago, your world turned upside down when you found out your ex had been cheating on you for weeks. To make matters worse, it was with that one girl he told you not to worry about.

You had to move out of the apartment you shared with your ex, leaving behind many things you couldn't take with you. That is when Soonyoung came to your rescue and offered his place for you to crash for a while.

"Well, I didn't need much help anyways. It was just a few boxes, really."

"I was still sad you didn't call though. You haven't even shared your new address," he pouted as he spoke, and you could tell he was joking. "It made me contemplate the whole meaning of our friendship, you know."

You snorted. "Not you too," you exclaimed. "First, Hoshi gets all corny with me and now you."

He showed a downturned smile. "You know I'm only playing with you. Soonyoung, however, thinks you're still a ticking time bomb."

You glanced at your friends, who were walking some steps ahead of you. Soonyoung was showing Seungkwan some TikToks he recorded for the company's official account, so you were out of their earshot.

"And you don't?" you asked.

He shrugged, looking at the floor as you made your way towards the tall building's lobby. "I think you're doing alright. Better than any of us would in your position. Honestly."

You let out a long sigh. "I just wish that people would stop asking me about it. I'm tired of it, the pity treatment, the tiptoeing around the subject."

"Well, you can't just expect us to not worry," he said softly.

"I know," you coincided.

You were still walking together, since Seokmin had his arm in your shoulders. Lately he did it often, and you didn't mind. You liked the the warmth with which he always treated you.

"I sometimes think that I was emotionally checked out from the relationship some time before I found out," you say, and felt that you could've dropped a bomb with that confession.

"So that's why you don't want to talk about it," he reasoned, his brow furrowed, deep in thought.

"I think so," you shrugged. "But I'm being honest when I say that I'm okay."

"And I believe you," he assented, pulling you closer for a brief moment and then dropped his arm from your shoulders. "I won't bring it up again."

The four of you entered the elevator that took you to the large apartment of the show's director, who was a young man you knew from your early days at uni. He had suddenly found his way through and had started to direct full plays in local theatres. His name was Yoon Jeonghan. And he hosted a party for every opening night.

It was your first time in that apartment. You knew the director in person, however, the three guys riding with you in the elevator knew him better, as they have had more roles than you these past few months.

You feel a slight tug to your side. "You know he's most likely going to be there, right?" Seungkwan said quietly, eyeing you with caution.

"I know," you mumbled. "'M going to be alright."

Now, why would you go to a place where you probably would encounter you cheating ex? Some part within you was deeply uninterested to see him again. And the other part was just enraged that he somehow mattered in your life still.

The opening night after party was almost like a tradition now, at least for most of the people who were close to Jeonghan.

The apartment was crowded, and you could tell it was set up to avoid bothering the neighbours. It had cushioned, soundproof walls, shaded windows, speakers kept at a reasonable volume, and many guests were congregating on the spacious terrace.

Jeonghan was a great host. He was kind of shy, but eager to meet everyone personally. He welcomed you with a warm smile, however he did hug the boys as they stepped into his large apartment.

You were quickly left to your own devices as your three friends were absorbed into the group of partygoers. Then you remembered how popular they have been since you met them.

The trio kind of took you in from that point forward because you were the one who organized university projects and stayed on top of schoolwork. But short after that, you found a close group of friends who were always there for you.

You decided that the only way you were going to get through the night was with some alcohol in your system. You weren't either an introvert or extrovert, you always thought you were in some middle point.

But your ex was there, sitting outside in the terrace with a girl beside him. You never knew the girl he cheated on you personally, but you knew it was her.

You snorted.

Suddenly, you felt a hand at your back. Seokmin looked at you, wariness in his eyes that dissipated quickly. "Want something to drink?"

"Yeah," you nodded.

"I feel like a bad influence," he simulated a shudder. "It's exciting."

You two downed your first glass of soju.

A few moments, the one glass of soju turned into the whole bottle. You drank while singing karaoke with strangers or with your friends. You drank while meeting new people and getting to know those who were part of your cast.

As you said, you were alright.

You just finished singing a song in the karaoke with Seokmin, who could hold his liquor a lot better than you. Both of you laughed at the way you couldn't keep up with the lyrics anymore and became a slurry mess.

"Never again," you say as the karaoke score marked a 10% on the screen.

"Remind me to never let you do this again," he agreed, teary eyed and red on the face from laughing with you.

The microphones were passed to other people, and soon after that, the party settled for just music.

Your chest still hurt from laughing.

"I'll go get some air," you announced a bit breathlessly as you made your way to the terrace.

Suddenly, Seokmin's hand made its way to your waist again and you glanced at him, his face had hardened.

And then you understood why.

As you were heading outside, your ex was leaving the terrace with his new girlfriend causing an awkward encounter. Your ex gave you a casual nod as if you were friends still, and his new girlfriend shot you a sly smirk as your arms brushed past each other.

"Hey, y/n," your ex goaded as they made their way inside the apartment.

You didn't reply.

Within this awkward exchange, you don't know how Seokmin's hand ended up intertwined with yours.

The air on the terrace smelled like a mixture of weed, vape and cigarettes. But it was cruelly cold enough to cool your body.

Seokmin mumbled something under his breath. And you noticed he was glancing at the back of your ex's neck with a scowl on his face.

You squeezed his hand, still not knowing how he grabbed you.

"How drunk are you?" he asked, his face was still serious.

"A bit. I think I'm beginning to sober up."

"Good," he breathed, pushing his bangs from his forehead and with them his furrowed brow. "Can you do something for me, noodle?"

You hit him in the shoulder. "Don't call me that," you smiled. "What do you want?"

"How about," he begun, not letting go of your hand, "I pretend to be your date for the night? Make the bastard realize he has no room in your life anymore."

"What," you blurt out and blinked feeling a bit perplexed at his offer. "You've finally lost it, Seokmin."

"I'm sorry. I know I said I wouldn't bring it up again. But I hate the way he thinks you still give a shit about him."

"I don't," you blinked.

"Then why would he go out of his way to even speak to you?" he countered.

"Seokmin, are you angry?" you gasped.

You could count on the fingers of your hand the number of times you'd seen Seokmin angry. And the other times it didn't matter because he was more the sulky type when something was bothering him. But at that moment, he was pissed off.

"A bit, yeah," he admitted with a sigh, but immediately flashed a sincere smile, almost as if his anger was a little embarrassing to him. He raised his brow. "But my offer still stands, though."

"D'you think it will work?" you mused.

"It might tell your ex a thing or two about leaving you alone. And as a plus, everyone else will also stop asking you about what happened between you and him." Seokmin added, almost casually.

You glanced towards the other end of the terrace briefly, and realized that Seungkwan was eyeing you too, a worried look on his eye as you caught him.

Licking his lips, he grabbed you by the shoulders. "What do you say?" He seemed relaxed, even focused; he tilted his head slightly as he looked into your eyes.

You held his gaze, listening to his words. Realizing that they were very much real and that Seokmin was dead serious about it.

Then, you realize how close you were to his body. His hands slid from your shoulders to your arms, where he traced soft lines with his fingers.

"Just for tonight," you murmured, but it came out sounding like a question.

"As long as you want," he offered. One hand found your chin, his fingers pressing softly on your hot skin.

You looked at his dark brown eyes. The relaxed look on his face was almost unsettling. As if he knew your answer already.

"Deal," you breathed.

His fingers angled your face towards him. "Just play along." He said softly, his lips curving into a playful smile as he leaned his head to kiss you deeply in front of everyone who, until that night, thought you were heartbroken for someone else.

Your hands found the back of his head, burying your fingers in his soft copper hair. You couldn't ignore that it had been a long while since your body felt so ablaze. Maybe it was the remaining alcohol on your system doing its part.

But even before you and your ex split, you felt kind of longing for the touch of someone. Something real. And although Seokmin was playing a role as he did on stage, kissing him felt different. It felt good.

As the kiss deepened, his tongue brushed your lower lip almost hungrily and you thought your knees might buckle under the shudder. A moan was quickly supressed in his mouth when his hand moved from your face to the back of your hair, his fingers tangling in a soft fist.

"I never imagined you'd be this good of a kisser," you confess.

Your chests were now pressed together, so you felt him chuckle. "Well, you know now," his demeanour had changed completely.

You wanted to look if anyone had seen you. But Seokmin was quick to read your intentions. He grabbed your chin again softly, forcing you to keep looking at him.

"Act normal," he ordered quietly with a look of endearment on his face, as if he were saying something sweet to you.

"I've never done this before," you sighed.

"I can tell," he smiled sweetly.

"Don't tell me you've done this before!"

He removed his hands from you, and made a gesture with his head, pointing towards the couch on the terrace. "Come with me."

You sat next to him, and as you did so, you saw Seungkwan's face, he was looking over at you both with an expression on his face that clearly read, 'what the fuck?' to you.

Seokmin scooted close to you on the couch, and placed one hand on you thigh and his other hand rested on his own thigh.

"I haven't done this before either," he confessed. "But you're an actress, and I'm an actor. We can act this out."

You snorted. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Lee Seokmin," you said drily.

Seokmin was smiling sweetly at you. Your shoulders were pressed together and your thighs were also so close that you might as well just sit on his lap. You fought against the thought.

"Then, act like you're my girl," he said idly, leaning down to place a kiss on your cheek.

An exhilarating feeling roused deep within you. You fixated on how comfortable his hand on your thigh looked, and the ease to which Seokmin took your face with his other hand and captured your lips with his.

Your hand met the one that was holding the side of your face.

"Afraid to put on a little show?" he coaxed.

A smirk crept on your lips, almost involuntarily you find yourself saying. "What do you want me to do?"

He blinked slowly, almost as if he was a little startled by your new demeanour. "Just relax." he put in softly. "And if you don't like something, tell me. Okay?"

You nod. "Okay."

His thumb caressed your jawline softly, before pressing his lips with yours. What started as a sweet kiss, slowly evolved to a enticing one. His mouth explored yours, biting softly at your lower lip, and his tongue lapping yours, testing what made you whimper or what made your hand clasp his.

You rested your forehead against his for a bit, catching your breath. "I hate that you are so good at this."

He laughed, taking one strand of hair and tucking it behind your ear. "Why is that?" he asked quietly.

"Dunno. I never thought of you as anything other than my friend."

His eyebrows shot up. "You never thought of me doing this?" he asked almost amazed.

"You did?" you quipped with half a smile.

Then you thought of doing something with your hands, since they were laying flat on your thighs. You pushed some strands of hair from Seokmin's forehead, and brushed the hair that you had messed up when you kissed.

His eyelids fluttered briefly. "I mean, I did wondered."

You pointed a finger to his face. "Don't lie, Seokmin."

He smiled sheepishly. "I just wondered what you'd be like. Honest."

"And?" you ask.

Seokmin shrugged. "You're not terrible."

The tingling sensation in the lower pit your stomach only intensified. Almost as if Seokmin had just challenged you. You laughed at his words, seeing his chapped lips smile at your reaction.

You locked your lips with his again, but this time more confidently, and your slipped your tongue to meet his. Your hands grabbed his face, and travelled to the sides of his neck, earning a small moan from him.

Feeling embarrassed, you broke away to breathe. If Seokmin noticed that you were getting all worked up, he said nothing about it. Yeah, you were both actors and have known each other for years, but you were human. And somehow Seokmin knew where to put his hands and how to kiss you perfectly.

You pulled out your phone from your pocket and opened your camera. Seokmin understood immediately and took your phone from your hands and angled it to capture you both for a few photos.

He took photos of you leaning your head on his shoulder, one in which you kiss him on his cheek and he smiles, and another one of him kissing the top of your head.

The photos would be kept in your album, as you didn't intend on actually posting them. Not yet anyway.

You tried not to think too hard about how crazy this all was. A part of you didn't feel awkward, as if the familiarity of his body near yours was meant to be this way anyway.

Testing your own boundaries, you turned to him, grabbing his chin to kiss him again, and you realized just how much you liked his lips on yours. But you didn't think it was anything else.

You nuzzled to his side softly. "D'you think that was enough of a show?" you mumbled to his ear, feeling embarrassed that you were so breathless from kissing.

You felt Seokmin smile again as if you had just spoken sweet nothings to his ear. "I think. Wanna get out of here?"

"Sounds good to me."

You stood up from the couch at the same time as Seokmin. He promptly grabbed your hand and interlocked your fingers in his. As you made your way out of there, you and Seokmin waved at your friends goodbye. Making a show that you were leaving hand in hand with Seokmin.

As soon as you stepped on the elevator, your phone buzzed in your pocket. Before you saw the screen, you knew what you were about to read.

[10:39 PM] boo: hello ??? [10:39 PM] boo: wtf are you doing? [10:40 PM] you: wdym? [10:40 PM] boo: with dk ?? [10:40 PM] boo: since when ?

"We have to come up with a story," you tell Seokmin, who was leaning his back against the wall of the elevator.

He was looking at his own phone. And you couldn't help but eye at his lithe fingers. You sighed, pushing your thoughts away.

"I agree," he said and showed you his screen. Messages from Seungkwan and Soonyoung were popping on the screen so urgently that you couldn't read any.

You buried your hands in your pockets along with your phone. "I think we did stir up some waters," you muttered.

Seokmin pressed his lips into a content smile. "Hopefully they stop nagging you with questions of your ex."

"They're going to ask questions about you now," you countered with a smile. "Though I rather talk about you than that jerk."

"That is the plan," Seokmin smirked.

"Why, though?" you find yourself asking.

Seokmin eyed you for a second. "At first it was because I really despise your ex," he confessed. "But I think I'm obligated to tell you that I really liked it. The attention."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Promise?" you insist.

He came to a full stop on the sidewalk and you were force to stop too. Seokmin held out one pinky finger towards you wordlessly.

You breathed out with a smile. "This is not necessary." You say, linking your finger with his.

It wasn't just a pinky promise. It was something your group of friends took too seriously. You didn't lie to each other, and promising it with your pinkies could very well serve as an oath.

It was childish. But your friend group liked it that way.

Seokmin walked you to your apartment building, which also served as a way to show him where you lived now.

"Talk to you tomorrow," Seokmin said as he pull you into a bear hug and patted your head affectionately.

"Sure," you said.

He watched as you entered the building, and waved at you goodbye before disappearing behind the elevator doors.

Someone peeked over your shoulder to look at your phone screen to the point where you can feel their breath on your neck.

That someone was Boo Seungkwan.

You've been typing nonstop for five minutes, your fingernails snapping at the screen in a frenzy.

"Stop snooping," you tried to tell him while typing.

The coffee shop where you both work part-time has been quiet, as it's almost 9 p.m. and you're both about to clock out. There have only been a couple of passing customers during the last hour of your shift, so your attention has been diverted elsewhere.

You hear a sigh and then, "So you're not going to tell me what happened yesterday?"

"'Bout what?" you said absentmindedly.

"About what happened with Seokmin," he answered pointedly.

"What about it? We just kissed."

You heard him scoff. "You two did not just kissed, you made out on a dirty couch. And then you both disappeared for the rest of the night. Yeah, you're not fucking fooling me."

You didn't find it strange to hear him curse. He's been your friend for years, ever since you met at university. But he's lately been expressing his annoyance with you for your decisions, so you hear him cursing a lot more lately.

That is what pulled your gaze from the phone screen. "Don't put it like that. The couch was decent."

He rolled his eyes, and cursed some more. "Now, you're trying to be coy. The couch doesn't matter. What matters is that you kissed with your friend, our friend!"

"And? We're two consenting adults," you shrugged while trying to keep a straight face. But you couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.

"Are you guys a thing then?"

You stared at him, racking your brain to come up with an answer.

A customer entered the shop at the same time you opened your mouth to tell Seungkwan everything that happened last night. Somehow, you didn't see far up ahead your actions and didn't think Seungkwan would react like this. So you feel secretly grateful that the customer drove you away from that conversation.

"Listen," Seungkwan said as soon as you two finished closing up. "I really don't care what you two are, I just hate it when you keep me in the dark on important stuff like this. Before last night, I though you were still broken over Youngho."

You two usually walked home together whenever you had to close the shop. Seungkwan lived a couple of blocks away from you so you kept each other company.

You contemplated sharing with him that what happened with Seokmin was improvised on the spot. That you were just as surprised with the turn of events as he was. But, telling him would just trump the deal you had struck with Seokmin.

And you were a bit too greedy to let that happen.

"I'm sorry, Seungkwan. I know it was shitty of me to not mention anything," you found yourself saying with a small shrug.

"That and playing dumb," he said, shooting a resentful glance at you.

"Yeah, and playing dumb or whatever," you said, rolling your eyes but couldn't help but smile. "How can I make it up to you?"

"Can you cover me on monday morning?" he answered a bit too quickly.

You snorted. "Sure. But only if you promise to stop berating me."

"I am not berating you."

You continued walking to the apartment complex in silence. For a short bit, though. You knew what was coming.

"So you two are a thing or not?"

"Sorta," you shrugged again.

"Sorta," he parroted.

You stopped at the door of the building where you live.

The weather was cold, to the point that Seungkwan's breath could be seen as he sighed with a weak smile.

"Well, just don't fuck this up, okay?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "I know that you are a big girl and can take care of yourself but, just don't do something stupid just because you can't move on."

"I got it, Kwannie," you tried to brush off with a hand gesture. "I promise not to fuck it up, okay?"

"See you tomorrow." He turned around and walked towards two buildings down the street, where he lived with his roommate Vernon.

"See ya!"

In the elevator, you scrambled for your keys, which were in the pocket of your jacket. You tried to play it cool with Seungkwan, however couldn't help but feel anxiety pulsating on your stomach as the elevator doors opened with a ding noise.

Seokmin lifted his head to the sound, he was leaning back next to your apartment door, phone in his hand. "Hi there," he said with a soft smile that reached his eyes.

"Hi. Have you been waiting long?"

He stood up straight and pocketed his phone as you walked to the door and opened it. You glanced sideways at him, he was wearing the oversized hoodie from last night, but instead of jeans he was now wearing grey sweat shorts.

"Nope. Just ten minutes."

"I couldn't shake off Seungkwan's prying," you informed, as you both entered your apartment.

You closed the door behind you two, removing your boots at the entrance. Seokmin followed suit and removed his Nike's, carefully placing them next to your boots.

"I imagined as much," he hummed. He still had a content smile on his face.

You two held each others gaze for a moment. Only to realize that you hadn't even turned on the lights, or fully invited him to your apartment.

"Make yourself at home," you chimed, turning on the lights of the living space. It was empty except for the lone large sofa, a TV screen perilously propped up on a plastic table, and a pile of boxes from when you moved out of your ex's apartment.

Seokmin smirked.

"I haven't had the chance to unpack yet... or buy more furniture," you murmured briefly.

He noticed the pillow and the pile of blankets that were tossed in the couch. "I assume that you don't have a bed yet, either."

"I just have the bed frame," you reply as you remove the pillow out of the way and fold the blankets in half. "It's still packaged, though."

"Hey, don't think I'm judging you," he raised the palms of his hands innocently. "I use to sleep on the floor at a friend's place when I got to this city, remember?"

Seokmin was a great friend. If you could describe him succinctly, it would be that. A great friend. You knew he wasn't judging you, since the curiosity in his smiling eyes didn't fade as he sat on the couch and eyed the piles of boxes that were labelled with your name in your ex's handwriting.

You also knew that Seokmin sleeping on the floor when he moved to the city to study was not the same as being kicked out of you and your ex's apartment after he cheated on you. But you were glad that his mind didn't go there, evidently.

"Can I offer you anything?" you sighed heavily. "I may not have furniture yet, but my fridge is full and the rent is paid."

"Well, that is what matters as far as I'm aware. I'm fine, thank you," he pressed his lips. He then scooped to the side and patted next to him on the couch.

Right.

"So..." you breathed, sitting down next to him. "You wanted to talk."

You were now sitting next to each other. Being so close to him sparked something deep within you, something that last night made you feel alive.

Then, you knew that you were in trouble. It was alarming the fact that you couldn't take your eyes off of him. You were aware of every gesture, every movement Seokmin made. You gulped.

Seokmin sat with his knees spread slightly apart, his hands resting comfortably between his thighs. "About last night," he begun.

"I, uh-"

"If we're going to do this, we need some ground rules," he declared.

"Wait. Seriously?" you blurted out.

"Wha- what did you think I was going to say?" He looked up to catch your gaze.

"I thought you were going to back out."

"Oh, you want to call it off?" Seokmin retorted, his eyes searching your face.

"No. Not really. Last night was..."

His eyes lit up along with a playful smile. "Fun?"

"Yeah, exactly," you matched his smile. "Well, I don't enjoy lying to Seungkwan, but at least I didn't get the pity treatment, for once."

"Wait. What did you say to him?"

"That we are sort of a thing," you mumbled.

His eyebrows pushed up. "And he believed that?" Seokmin laughed, brushing his hair hastily with his lithe fingers.

"He seemed to," you shrugged. "He stopped questioning me after that."

"Well, that is what you wanted, isn't it?" he shifted beside you, so that he was facing your body. Then he took that same hand to fix his watch on his other wrist.

You mirrored his movements, and now the two of you sat facing each other on the couch. You leaned your head on your hand, with your elbow resting on the couch's headrest.

"So what happens next?" you asked.

Seokmin shrugged slightly, a relaxed look on his face. "Whatever you want, I told you."

You bit your lip for a second, aware of the fact that Seokmin was gazing at your mouth and your eyes, silently waiting for your response.

"I'm still thinking of last night," you confessed, the act of being that blunt made your cheeks heat up.

"Me too. I couldn't think of anything else," he smirked. Your eyes lingered a bit on his lips too.

He toyed a bit with the sleeves of his black hoodie, and pulled them up to his elbows, then crossed his arms across his chest. You swallowed at the sight of how veiny his forearms looked.

"D'you think that we could talk about the ground rules later?" you asked sheepishly.

Seokmin couldn't help but notice the way you inclined towards him slightly. And you couldn't help but notice him swallow hard. "What do you want to do?"

"I really want you to kiss me again," you mumbled, feeling something rouse within you.

His eyes twinkled with excitement. "Oh, yeah?" he hummed.

He seemed as if he were waiting for you to say something inviting, you noticed the moment he smiled when you nodded a bit too eagerly with your head.

He lifted his hands to grab you by the sides of your head. "C'mere," he whispered, his lips quickly finding yours in a soft kiss.

You felt his breath on your neck as he pulled away slightly. "Again?" you sighed.

His mouth was smiling as his lips found yours again, and as the soft kisses turned more demanding, you couldn't ignore how your body responded.

This felt different from the make out session of the night prior. It was entirely carnal, at least, Seokmin kissed you with more eagerness, unafraid of being seen and judged. You heard his breath catch in a gasp and his lips smack. You both were not acting.

You broke away from him, all thoughts in your head quieted down when in a sudden movement, you moved in the couch to sit on his lap, straddling him. Seokmin said nothing either, and you silently thanked him, as his hands returned to the sides of your face to kiss you deeply.

The sizzling feeling at the lower pit of your stomach, the warmth all over your skin when one of his hands slipped from your face to the back of your head and fisted your hair softly, sending chills down your spine and making you moan in response.

"Yeah, I thought you liked that last night," Seokmin mumbled gruffly.

"Shut up," you smiled.

"Make me," he whispered back.

You leaned in to kiss him again, a rush of adrenaline filled you as his hands that were on the sides of your head moved to your back to press your body against his. Fingertips trailed softly on the sides of his neck, you felt him shudder as you made your way to his collarbones where you shyly touched his skin like never before.

Seokmin left a trail of kisses from your lips, to your jaw and ended on your neck. You gasped when he found a sweet spot effortlessly, and made something flutter in your stomach. Hearing your reaction, Seokmin sucked on the spot gently, eliciting a moan from you.

It had been a while since you felt like this. Even with your ex, you felt that the last few times you were together like this were more of a obligatory act from both of you.

So, being close to Seokmin like this was like unearthing feelings that your body had long forgotten. And it was really hard to control.

You let your hips sit fully on his lap and started grinding on him suggestively. Seokmin groaned in your mouth and broke away.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice sounded raspy.

"Oh, fuck—sorry. You don't like that?" you whimpered and made a gesture to move out of his lap.

But Seokmin grabbed you tightly to his body effortlessly, since his hands were still on your back. "No, it's not that," he put in briefly.

You stared at him, puzzled. "What is it then?"

"What do you want?" he countered.

He watched you swallow hard. "I want you," you muttered, hoping that the emphasis you put in the word was enough for him.

A few strands of hair had stuck to your wet lips, and Seokmin pulled them away with gentle fingers as he asked: "How do you want me?"

You couldn't help but smile. "Don't tease me like that."

Seokmin just shrugged calmly, but his eyes were burning with lust. "I won't do anything unless you tell me."

You planted a soft kiss on his jaw, then one on his lower lip. "I want you to fuck me, Seokmin," you whispered into his lips.

He reciprocated the slow, wet kiss. And groaned again when you grinded your hips one more time. "I didn't bring any condoms," he mumbled.

"Really?" your voice sounded obnoxiously high.

"I just came here to talk," Seokmin laughed. "It never crossed my mind that we'd fuck."

"Really?"

"Really. I didn't think you'd be this needy," he started laughing when you landed a playful smack to one of his shoulders.

You rolled your eyes at him. "I'm on the pill."

His hand grabbed your chin and he pulled away to look at you in the eyes. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

You both understood what this meant for your friendship. Seokmin didn't seem concerned at all about you being on his lap, or that you were practically begging him to fuck you right there and then. He seemed willing, but like the good gentleman he was, he needed you to say what you wanted.

You nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure."

Seokmin's lips parted briefly as he scanned your face with his eyes one last time. "Fuck," he groaned, and pulled you to his mouth again.

Your lips latched onto his, hungrily, teeth grazing, tongues clashing. You could feel the wetness from his saliva beneath your mouth as the kiss turned sloppy and more fervent.

His hands casually made their way from your back to your hips, where they rested comfortably before giving you a gentle squeeze.

"Take these off," he murmured in your lips, his fingers pinched at the fabric of your jeans.

You stood from his lap to take your jeans off, aware that Seokmin had his eyes on you. He rest his head on the back of the sofa, his hungry eyes watched your body up and down. His hand grabbed yours and tugged you his way to gesture you to straddle him again.

Your lips explore his neck, licking the spot below his ear, and he breathed out a moan. His fingertips dug slightly on your hips, and then he cupped your ass when you left wet kisses and sucked in the spot again.

Seokmin pressed your body back and forth, rubbing your clothed pussy against his hard cock. You moaned and hid your face in the crook of his neck and grinded some more on him.

"Let me see you," he muttered in your ear.

Your lips searched his tentatively, kissing him with haste as his hands moved from your backside to underneath your top. You broke the kiss again, and let him remove your shirt entirely.

Seokmin revelled at the sight of your half naked body, his fingers trailing softly from your collarbone, to your sternum, all the way to your bellybutton.

"Pretty," he mumbled when his fingers tugged at the band of your pink panties.

He looked at you, as if asking for permission. But he quietly trailed his fingers to your clothed core, and there he found that your panties were already soaked. You could feel yourself grow more aroused at the mere act of him feeling you without breaking eye contact.

You shuddered a sigh when he pushed the soaked fabric aside and had to bite your lip from moaning loudly when his fingers found your wet core.

Seokmin sighed. "You're so fucking wet," he smiled softly.

"God, Seokmin–," you breathed and your eyes fluttered close when he slowly moved one of his fingers inside you. And then, he pushed another finger in.

He bent his head and planted a kiss on your shoulder. "Ride my hand, baby," he said hoarsely.

A shiver went down your spine at hearing what Seokmin called you. You started moving on his hand almost immediately grinding on his fingers the same way you had done on his lap.

Your forehead found his, a tingling sensation travelled your body when you his breath caressed your face. "Seokmin."

His lips were formed into a smile when he pressed his lips on yours in a chaste kiss. "Mmyeah, that's my name, baby."

His other hand unclasped your bra expertly, and you helped him with the straps and threw it somewhere on the floor. You felt his breath on your skin and your nipples grow hard.

It was almost embarrassing to you to hear the squelching sounds you were making against the hand between your legs. But you could barely pay some thoughts to it, all you could think of was the way he moved his hands on your body. And that you wanted more.

He rubbed his thumb around your nipples, and you watch him do it, watched the hand buried in your pussy as you grinded on him, close to your release. Then, his hand rested on your neck for a bit and you shuddered when his thumb caressed your skin and curved around your throat.

"You like them?" he asked peering at your face. "My hands? I've seen the way you look at them."

"Yeah," you breathed. "I wondered what they would look like on me."

"Oh, yeah?" he smiled. Then pulled out his fingers from your core, just about when you were about to cum. You blinked at him, confused.

"Lie down," he muttered, pointing to the sofa. You did as he said, and moved your back to the sofa, your knees pulled up.

"I knew you'd be bossy," you confessed, feeling hot on your face.

Seokmin's eyebrows raised a bit. "Been thinking about me a lot, huh?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. And then his hands reached up to the collar of his hoodie, he threw it over his body in one swift motion and tossed it aside.

His bare chest was the first thing you saw, it was wide and lean. You also got a good look at his strong thighs when he undid his shorts, and step out of them.

A shiver shot up inside you when you saw the outline of his hard cock pressing against the tight fabric of his black underwear.

His toned arms as they came to the sides of your head to lean and kiss you fervently. "Stop looking at me like that," he groaned softly in your mouth.

He placed his knees on the sofa and patted you on one of your knees gently. "Spread your legs for me," he placed himself in between your legs as soon as you did what he ordered.

Seokmin left a trail of open mouthed kisses from your neck, to your collarbones as he palmed and squeezed your breasts with his hands. Your fingers tangled in his soft hair and moaned his name again when he sucked one of your nipples gently as his fingers pinched the other one.

He stood on his knees, hooking his fingers on your panties and dragged them along your legs, and dropped them to the side of the sofa.

Seokmin held your legs with his hands, as he placed kisses on the inner side of your thighs, sucking and licking softly on your skin. He gave you a glance one time before lowering his mouth to your core.

A whine reverberated on your chest quite loudly as your back arched almost involuntarily. Feeling his tongue lapping on your core, licking almost hungrily but patiently too, as if he wanted to take his time pleasuring you.

Seokmin revelled in your taste, in the sounds you made. He groaned when your fingers tugged at his soft hair again, he groaned when you whimpered his name as you neared your orgasm.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," you muttered with eyes shut. Just as when you thought you couldn't feel any closer, Seokmin slid his two fingers inside you, pumping in and out. Your hips rutted desperately against his face and he was quick to hold them down with his free hand.

"Be still," he said softly, before dipping his head down on you again.

"Sorry," you replied breathlessly.

He hummed in response, and you could tell that he was amused at the desperate mess he made of you. But all you could think of was his mouth on your clit, as he had quickly found out how you liked to be stimulated, eliciting moans and half pleas.

You heard him moan with you when you reached your climax, as if he enjoyed the noises that you made, along with his name. Seokmin pulled his fingers out and placed sweet kisses on your clit.

You watched him lick his lips and fingers clean, and you could see that the tip of his nose was slightly wet with your arousal, making you grin at the sight of it. You cleaned it with your fingers as you brought his mouth to yours to kiss him fiercely.

"You taste so good," he muttered lazily on your lips and you could taste yourself in them.

You started tugging at the band of his underwear, pulling it down as best as the position of your bodies let you. Seokmin sighed, and you noticed that he was smiling.

"Be patient," he groaned, his demeanour seemed elated still. But he stood up from the sofa, and quickly got rid of his underwear, revealing his large cock.

You gulped almost involuntarily. "You have a pretty cock," you mumbled once he was between your legs again.

That took him off guard. He gave you a breathy chuckle. "Well, that's a first," he confessed.

Yeah, you were quite sure he didn't get the word 'pretty' as often as 'big'.

He gave you a small peck on your lips, pulling you out of your trance. "You're ready?" he asked.

You winced in anticipation the moment you felt his cockhead align with your entrance. Your fingers cradled his face as he watched you nod.

"I need to hear you, baby," he crooned, placing another sweet kiss on your lip.

"I'm ready."

He held one of your legs angled for him as he eased himself inside you painfully slow. You grabbed at his shoulders, letting your fingertips dig at his skin.

"F-fuck," you whispered, releasing the air that caught between your teeth and Seokmin sighed deeply too as he stretched your pussy slowly.

It had been a while since you last had sex, so the feeling of having someone, let alone someone as big as Seokmin took a bit more from you than expected.

"Good girl," he muttered through gritted teeth when your hips met fully. You felt your walls flutter a bit around his cock, easing from the sting at having him stretch you open.

His eyes searched your face briefly, but wasted no time and started moving slowly and with shallow thrusts until you both adjusted to each other's bodies. Then he effortlessly picked up his pace and his thrusts started coming and going deeply inside you.

He kissed your moans with wet lips and released your leg from his grip. "Wrap your legs around me," you did as he said, also wrapping your arms around his neck as he kissed your lips again.

His hands buried in your hair, closing in a tight first and his forehead leaned on yours. "You feel so fucking good, baby," he gritted his teeth. His hips buckled once before taking a faster and harder pace on you.

"Fuck! Right there," you moaned on his mouth. And gripped him tighter with you hands.

The grip on your hair tightened and he turned your head to the side slightly to make way for his lips on your neck where he had found a sweet spot.

When you opened your eyes, you found yourself on the reflection of the tv screen. You hadn't noticed it before when you were so busy staring at Seokmin, but now, you could see your face wild with lust, and your body entangled with Seokmin's; as his hips rammed against yours.

You almost fell in love at the image of him fucking you, passionately, hard and fast. Just seeing your bodies melted like this made your body quiver almost sending you to the edge.

He lifted his head and found you staring at both your reflections, he smiled at you and cooed. "Look at you, so flustered and pretty."

His thrusts quickened, but they didn't relent on their depth. And it was exactly what you needed. Your hands travelled down his back and dug your nails in his ass, earning a throaty moan from the man above you.

You were panting, feeling all sanity lip out your mind and you could hear yourself call his name in whispers, but couldn't make out another word.

Soft, wet kisses trailed down your neck to your mouth as the lewd noises you made filled the room.

"Are you going to cum again, baby?"

"'m so close," you whimpered. You closed your eyes, savouring the feeling as you reached your second orgasm.

"Look at me, baby," you heard him whisper and opened your eyes to find his.

"God. Seokmin. Don't stop, please," you cried as your body trembled with hot waves of pleasure.

A long moan escaped your mouth but was quickly supressed by a wet kiss. "I know baby," he whispered as you came on his cock, whimpering and twitching uncontrollably under his body.

Then he sat back down on his knees, grabbing you by your hips with a tight grip, and the change in position made you moan lazily. You didn't think you could keep going, but the sight of Seokmin's face riddled with pleasure made want to chase after a third orgasm.

Seokmin threw his head back before letting out a deep moan with his eyelids shut, his lips parted and twitching slightly once. You could feel your body tremble again at the thought of his cum inside you, and moaned at the same time he did, his thrusts on you not relenting until your cream started dripping at the base of his cock, mixing with his cum.

As his hips came to a stop on top of you, he glanced down to where your bodies remained connected and sighed in pleasure at the sight.

You also could feel yourself get lost at the sight of him for a bit. His heavy breathing made his chest and shoulders move up and down in a languid manner, a light layer of sweat covered his neck and collarbones.

He moved to rest his head on your chest for a moment, without saying a word. You knew he could hear your heartbeat, as you could feel his own heart stuttering against your body.

His forehead also glistened with seat, his hot breath caressed your breasts and even though you could see his relaxed features, you noticed that he was lost in thought.

You pushed his wet bangs from his face, drawing his attention to you. "We're still friends, right?" you asked jokingly.

His lips rose in a lazy smile and nodded. "Still friends."

♡︎ Final notes: I haven't posted fanfic for years sooo... well, if you liked it please show it some love, a reblog or leave a comment, i'm all eyes. click here for part 2 ( · ❛ ֊ ❛)

[peakyrain]

she visualized—and then she shifted *ੈ✩‧˚

this post is about how visualization is scientifically proven to be an effective method of manifestation

i've always been a big fan of visualizing–whether it's for shifting or just daydreaming before bed. recently, i've been coming across lots of videos mentioning how visualization can affect us vastly, both physically and mentally.

i did my research only to find out that this is completely fact-based.

the practice of visualization is an immensely powerful tool for the human mind. it engages brain regions that involve perception, attention and memory. it also has the ability to effectively reprogram our subconscious minds.

visualization activates the same neural circuits as actual experiences and has shown to improve performances, learning and well being. some big examples are: muhammad ali, oprah winfrey and arnold schwarzenegger - they've all recommended visualization as a tool for success.

a study has documented the positive effects of visualization and its correlation to better performance outcomes for athletes. this is because when we visualize ourselves doing something, our brains believes we've already done it, which helps build confidence that there is nothing to fear.

another study observed the effects of visualization practices on muscle power. the results showed that by simply thinking about training their muscles, participants successfully increased their muscle strength by 35% compared to those who didn't.

muhammad ali once stated: “if my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it” this is literally backed by science.

scientists have looked into the validity and effectiveness of visualization techniques to see whether visualization actually helps improve well-being:

dr. tor wagner has stated "imagination is a neurological reality that can impact our brains and bodies in ways that matter for our well-being"

when we vividly use all five senses in visualizations, we're able to trick our minds into believing that we already have what we want. in other words: our brains can't tell the difference between imagination and reality. this is exactly why visualization is such a powerful tool when it comes to shifting.

whether you're trying to step into the best version of yourself in this reality or shift to another one, visualization empowers you w/ the confidence and clarity to align your thoughts w/ your desires.

⭒ okay but how can i effectively use visualization to shift?

it's important to note that visualization isn't wishful thinking. it's about embodying a new state of being. practicing it regularly can help rewire your mind and help you embody your DR self.

anyway, here are some tips!

-

daily routine:

-make visualization a routine. do it in the morning or before bed and try do practice it for at least 10 minutes a day to establish a consistent habit

senses:

-use all your five senses while visualizing to have the most psychological impact. focus on what you can see, hear, taste, smell and feel in each moment. subliminals or guided shifting meditations can also be helpful here (alunir!!)

also, during this part: let the scenario flow naturally. don’t force anything even if you can’t "smell" the coffee or "taste" it. it’s fine, dw. forcing the scenario can be very draining, speaking from experience—especially during the day.

writing:

-make a script of how the scenarios in your DR will play out, scene by scene. the more details, the better. also, focus on how you're feeling at each point in the scenario—you're not just imagining it, you're experiencing it.

vision board:

-make a vision board. add a collection of photos, quotes and images that reflect you DR. keep this vision board somewhere you spend a lot of time. it’s basically just a physical pinterest collection. keeping it in your line of sight can reinforce the power of your vivid visualizations

-

the more real it feels to your mind, the closer it becomes to being your reality.

shifting isn't just a possibility, it's natural when your mind actually believes that you're already there :)

[buckleyreid]

This twitter thing is so stupid I'm not even gonna talk about it, all I'll say is that it probably isn't even getting the traction they wish it did. I'm sorry to say, but actors get hacked all the fucking time, no one cares. He's not gonna get fired over shit like this.

What I do want to say is that I've seen some people scared that Lou might choose to leave the show to avoid the crazies but guys I wouldn't worry too much, while I'm not inside his head and I don't know the guy obviously, there's so much more to his job on 911 than what goes on online.

It's hard for us to understand it because we live the show through an online perspective, but the actors have a much different way of living it. Their routine doesn't revolve around us. They read the scripts, they discuss them with each other, they're on set together, they form friendships, they film the scenes and then they get paid. None of that involves us, so I personally don't think Lou would throw all of that away because of a couple thousand weirdos online. Especially when the scope of the show is so much bigger than that, I mean let's be generous and say there's 10k people consistently posting and interacting with hate, compare that to the 5 mil people watching the show and they are nothing but drop in the ocean.

I may be proven wrong who knows but once again, I'm not gonna worry until I have a reason to.

[darkroom-fanzine]

[Yet another tutorial time, Stardust~! Let's discuss themes, shall we?]

Darkroom: an ISAT Fanzine will be an anthology of works categorized into three acts presenting a whole.

Here is an excerpt from our initial introductory post for the Fanzine, explaining the overall theme of the project:

The theming for this fanzine centers around the idea of distortions, how they obscure what we see and perceive, and how they can bring to light an entirely new perspective hidden behind the more easily comprehensible. In Stars And Time shows us throughout Siffrin's loops how the order of a carefully curated script can bring about a chaotic mental state, and how the chaotic breaking down of these self-imposed walls can bring about the order of accepting vulnerability.

Change is often destruction, and in the midst of that destruction can be found something beautiful, something to live for. This is the idea we hope to present through this fanzine.

Now, what about those three acts? What are they, and how will we present their ideas within this fanzine?

Negative Space:

In photography, negative space acts as anything within the photograph other than the subject. It provides the room to breathe, to collect and focus one's attention, so that the subject material might shine clearly to the viewer. This act will focus primarily on the events of Start Again: A Prologue, as the catalyst that frames every event which proceeds with In Stars And Time. The negative space which gives its everything so that the subject might persevere.

Long Exposure:

That perseverance given form. To take frame after frame after painstaking frame and stitch them into a whole. The time and dedication needed to see something beautiful captured in the end. Though we know the events of In Stars And Time do not compare to the length of what we are told that Prologue held, it is the main game that we the players are fully immersed and captured within, that we experience every same step that Siffrin also experiences. And so this act will focus within the events of the main game.

Afterimage:

What we see when we close our eyes after exposed to a searing light. The visual information which lingers past the moment it holds life. It is only a singed shadow of what the real thing once had been, but it remains with us nonetheless, for better and for worse. This act will focus on what takes place after, what future awaits the party in the light of a new day, while the memories of their journey still burns dimly across their retinas.

We're less than two weeks away from the sign-ups closing! I hope you're all as excited as we are, and I can't wait to see everything we'll create together over these next several months!

Sign-up form will remain open and available until March 22nd.

[See you very soon, Stardust~ ✨]

[liveontelevision]

The Truth | Slow-burn Lucifer x Reader

Ok, i'm high, and it's late, so im posting this here without an ending just to let some people see this. Im wondering if anyone would be interested in a multi part series with this premise? It'll have its romance and fluff and smut, but i feel like theres alot to disect from this.

Unedited.

Heaven has been, and will continue to be, difficult with this redemption project. It took years for them to set up any sort of communication system with Charlie to even tell her when Sinners were redeemed. And even then, the best they could offer was a large counter hanging across the marquee outside the hotel. It simply said Redeemed Souls scribbled across the top and essientally would *ding!* every time a soul would ascend. There was no warning. Residents would simply disappear; all their belongings were left behind, and it happened while asleep or when demons died. Instead of resurrecting like all wayward sinners do, they would simply.. not. It would get gruesome at times, seeing a demon die and simply not get back up.

Still, the numbers grew. After the hotel was proven to work, sinners were essientally packing the rooms. And when more demons were redeemed, Charlie would take notes on their progess and apply it to future excersises. It was finally a thriving business! Charlie did it.

You had heard of the hotel's success a few months after the counter was installed and would occasionally walk by to see the number go up. It felt like you were trying to convince yourself to just go in, but something, maybe doubt, would always stop you. Your life was similar to an average sinner (drugs, sex, alcohol), but even those who have done worse were going to Heaven.

What was stopping you?

For once, the streets actually looked barren. Of course, it still had enough flow for regular business. Not everyone was buying into the redemption thing, but it definitely couldn't compare to the bustling streets you were used to. This made you uneasy. Friends and local business owners, you became aquintances with disappeared suddenly. It was deathly quiet. Discomfort aside, how could you possibly be upset about sinners becoming sparce?

You gave in. Almost all your hellbound friends were gone. If they could do it, so could you. Maybe that was another reason sinners attended the hotel; sheer loneliness.

You packed up the little belongings you had and approached the hotel after avoiding it for the past few months. The number was in the thousands at this point. Why did that make you so uneasy? Pushing those feelings aside, you entered the hotel and were met with dozens of friendly faces. The lobby had become a giant bustling hub with a bar, and there were some classroom type areas down a hall, you assumed for activities. Lively jazz music was playing softly throughout the area, echoeing against the ivory walls adorning red banners. It seemed like some kind of conference was being held here, but this was just how the hotel looked at its peak.

You were quickly ushered to a front desk, an imp checking you in and handing you a folder filled with paperwork and pamphlets.

After being shown to your room on one of the higher floors, assuming the rooms below were all filled, you were met with the sweet aroma of freshly baked apples. It seemed to come directly from your room, but peeking inside, you noticed there was no sign of even a personal kitchen. Before you could even ask, the imp who led you to your room ran through their scripted introduction.

"Your room number is 5 and is located on the 67th floor if you missed it. If you get lost, just make sure you head as far as you can go down the corridor to the left. It's closer to Lucifer's office than Alastor's studio, so keep that in mind as well. The room was personalized to your liking the moment you checked in, so all you need to do is unpack your belongings."

The imp droaned on, clearly exhuasted from saying these directions to every sinner that comes through.

"Any questions -"

"Well, I-"

"Can be answered in the lobby."

Your quizzative appearance drooped to an irrated one. You barely processed anything they said as you stepped into the room, feeling such a nostalgic warmth. The apple scent from before had dulled to a more comfortable level, and the room was filled to the brim with an aesethic that you would dream of having when you were alive. Suns and moons decorated the walls through hanging pieces, tapestries, and beaded artwork. The lights were always dimmed, and your bed was plush with an absurd amount of decorative pillows. Your desk doubled as a vanity with adjustable lights just in case, and your bathroom was large. Already stocked with your favorite soaps, oils, and washes, you suddenly had the urge to take a bath. You decided against it, just taking in the heavenly room. Maybe that was a part of the whole process, pure comfort.

You had so many questions about the redemption process. After plopping down at your smooth wood desk, you began to look through the thick pile of paperwork that you'd been holding this whole time. Inside, it held your room key, 67th Floor, Room #5. You pocketed that in the meantime, flipping through a pamphlet provided. "Wayward sinners, welcome! Explore the history of Hell and the redemption process! Keep in touch with demonic friends as you ascend! Be Better!" The bright text made your eyes squint, quickly scanning it before setting that aside. It's something you've seen on the streets before, nothing new. You finally look at some of the paperwork. There were rules, like no weapons or drugs, avoiding flings, etc. Then there were policies.. your room was searched on occasion with consent. If you were found to be a frequent drug user, you had a daily limit for drinks at the bar. Those made you cringe. It's a bit controlling, but for a greater cause, I guess.

Then, you reached the bolded text Redemption.

It had almost no details about what Heaven was actually like, but there were rules. Lots of rules. These papers were almost glowing, and it looked like they were written in golden ink. These must have been provided by Heaven. They warned that "the divine light will choose you when it finds you worthy" and "you won't need any belongings in Heaven" and a specific section that made you shiver.

"Heaven is a place for winners. Once you've joined the angels, all memories from Hell will become void. Memories from Hell could bring distraught and discomfort to previously residing angels."

Who would want this? What have you gotten yourself into?

•••••

There were mandatory meetings you would begrudgingly go to. There were other demons in a similar state and others who were running to attend every activity possible. They must not have read the paperwork, too frantic to be saved. Or were they okay with it? You shake your head, honestly trying to forget those readings any chance you get. A lot of the New Resident meetings were basically warnings that this is a place of rehabilitation. You'll be put through scenarios similar to A.A. or interventions. You'll have control over your privacy, but "we at the hotel are determined to get you to heaven!" So, they'll occasionally do random check ins and such.

After one of your beginner trust exercises, you roamed the halls, peaking in occasionally to see what others were doing. There were activities like yoga, crafts, therapy sessions, it was.. great..

You'd see the founders around. They were speakers at larger conferences, Charlie, Vaggie, and Alastor were far too busy to attend every exercise with this number of residents. There were optional lecture areas, one of them being The History of Hazbin Hotel. After attending from pure curiousity and boredom, you got a good understanding of who all the founders were and their role in the system. There was a nice section on the first 2 souls accepted to heaven. Sir Pentious, previously a murderous death machine inventor and operator, and Angel Dust, previously a drug addicted, porn star.

They wrote it to make them seem worse than they were when they first arrived, probably to make redemption seem more achievable. It made you cringe. You listened on, hearing about Charlie's uprising and her childhood. And her father.

You read the same storybook that Charlie would use to ease her nerves in the past. Lucifer, who was banished to hell, forced to see the wicked and evil outcome of free will. Lucifer, who lost the will the dream. Why would this man want to send his people to such a horrid place? Thinking back on it, you did notice that he wasn't really involved in any activities or was even seen around the hotel. Even Charlie, you'd cross on rare occasions in the halls. She had truly become a beautiful and powerful demon, you'd think, reminiscing on the choatic news broadcast she was on that you watched years ago.

You developed a sort of dissonance for Lucifer. Sure, he was the most powerful being in Hell and physically rebuilt this hotel and its success, but he didn't make sense. It seemed like he hated heaven. How could he not? He was banished from his home by his own brothers, just for loving and dreaming. And he wants to send people right to their door? It just baffled you. Very slowly, it became an obsession. What was his deal? You learned about his life through meetings and lectures, pamphlets, and even material from the infinite library they provided. Your desk was quick to become a mess of books and notepads you'd use. You rarely left your room, making sure to avoid any activities that involved "making friends." That sounded so stupid to you. You'll make friends with demons, then assend just to forget them? You couldn't have been the only demon questioning this whole situation, so why were sinners even here? You spiraled. This whole operation was beginning to make your head spin.

•••

Time went on, and while your mental state was improving, it still didn't break your hyperfixation on where this hotel could've gone wrong. It used to be small and friendly, some sinners would stay, some would give up, and some ascended without them even knowing. But now, it was a bonified operation. Something had to happen in the meantime to change its course so drastically. And you wanted to find out.

On average, sinners were in the hotel anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. A year has passed since you arrived, and while you kicked any addictioms you had, you weren't one to participate in many activities. This obsession drove you mad, clouding any thoughts of redemption you might've had. You had even been appointed a therapist for one on one sessions, which you would go to begrudgingly. You'd spin tails about your life and make it seem like a nostalgic bliss that you wanted to return to, buttering it up for this stranger in front of you. That gave them enough of a distraction to keep them from questioning your research. After this painfully long year, seeing hundreds come and go, you realized you had to go to the top. It seemed like the King of Hell may be the only one who might understand you. In a desperate attempt to get any comfort in your overthinking, you'd talk to other sinners about your thoughts, but they rarely gave you the time of day, like you were a babbling maniac. Because you were a babbling maniac.

But Lucifer? He has to understand. There has to be a reason he's not openly participating in the hotel. But he's here, right down your hall even. It was never as easy as walking up to his office and just questioning him, no matter how often you tried. It was either locked, or you could hear voices from inside. When the door was open, the office was spotless, and no one was inside. This was around meal times, breakfast most often and late into the night. Sometimes, you go inside to snoop and hope that maybe he'd walk in on you and you'd be forced into a conversation before he'd eventually kicked you out. That never happened.

It was a late night for you. There was a gala going on in the lobby, celebrating the 10th reunion of the hotel's renovation or something like that. Of course you didn't go, you were too busy hunched over the paperwork sprawled across your bed. It was a compilation of policies from the papers you got on your first day, random notebook pages and scribbles, and some photos collected from a variety of magazines. You'd essentially given up trying to look presentable. Your hair always tied sloppily out of your face and mainly wearing oversized sweatshirts and shorts that would disappear under the flow of your sweaters. You paced across your room. Every time you stopped to look at your work, you'd become riled up and continued to walk in circles.

"None of it makes sense! What the actual Fuck is wrong with Hell??" You spoke out loud, stopping in your tracks to look at your weakened state in the mirror on your vanity. Suddenly, tears began to run down your cheeks before you could even feel yourself choke up.

"What's wrong with me..?"

You looked back down to your bed and let out a growl, swiping all the papers off your bed in a frenzy. Random papers floated around you, frustration collecting in your body as a headache. You rubbed your temples with a sigh before taking a walk outside the room. You went to a vending machine that was provided on each floor, that had essientally anything you could want as a midnight snack. Along with some other necessities, you used some cash to get painkillers and a bag of gummy candy. Sauntering back to your room, you noticed a trail of your research peaking out your open door. You must've left it open in a hurry. You followed those papers that definitely weren't there before, to see a figure standing in front of your bed, some of the papers in hand. Your stomach dropped, just the sight of someone seeing your vulnerability made you flush.

"H-Hey! I left my door open, but that doesn't mean you can.. just -" your voice trailed off, catching red glowing eyes in your dimly lit room. It was fucking Lucifer. He blinked, his demon red eyes returning to a soft yellow. You had no idea how to react to this sudden encounter, scanning anything in the room to change the subject.

"Your Highness! Right, uh.. Good evening.. sir..? Erm.. How can I help you..?" You attempted to talk to him like you hadnt been secretly wanting this for months. After you managed to finally make eye contact with him, you noticed it; he was crying. Both of you squint at the sudden brightness hitting you, as you turn on your overhead light.

Thick, wet tears fell from his incredibly tired eyes. He looked like a mess. He wore what would've been an incredibly formal and modern tuxedo get up, but was soiled by his stature. His blazer had fallen off his shoulders, revealing a half tucked, wrinkled, black dress shirt that clashed with his porcelain skin. His shirt was unbottoned a good deal, and the tie loosely dangled undone. His face was worse. His eyes were incredibly heavy, those tears still trailing from his eyes to the bottom of his chin. The golden locks that looked so quaffed on magazine covers were a mess as well, strands falling loosely across his eye line. You noticed a soft pink across his entire face and a slight sway to his stance. Once you approached him a little closer, the smell of alcohol immediately hit you. This angel was plastered.

You look at the papers in his hand. One held a very aggressively scribbled picture of his face from a magazine, and the other held an antonized page from the handbook you received on day one. Just from those papers alone, you could understand your motivations. The redemption policy was scrutinized and scribbled over with phrases, "What does this have to do with redemption?" "What happens to your memories?" "Who's really running things?"

On the picture of Lucifer, a large red phrase across the front;

"How could he let this happen?"

You wince, immediately recognizing what information he's taken in.

"You're right.. Fuck, you're right. How did i let things get this far? What would Charlie think if she- Damn it!" He was muttering under his breath, not understanding his intentions.

"I'm sorry, it's such a mess in here, i wasnt expecting guests." You stop yourself, using defensive sarcasm probably wasnt the best move here. "Uh.. you can- um.. here.. " you fumble around your things and finally clear off your desk chair, beckoning the king to sit. He stumbles, his bottom hitting the seat with a thud as it begins to roll back from the force. You let out a nervous chuckle, beginning to neatly pile up the papers on your bed until you had a place to sit, facing him from the edge of your bed." I'm.. sorry, that you saw all this.. it's just crazy.. shit.. I'll get rid of it." You apologized like a kid who got caught stealing. Lucifer slowly blinked his eyes before wiping his tears with the cuff of his shirt, sniffling quietly.

You quickly reached past him to take a nearby tissue box and plop it in his lap. You sat silently, his ragging breath and sniffles filling the quietness of the room. He collected himself enough to process what you had said. "Oh! No, nono need to. Not any of my business what you do in.. your own.. room.." he looked around and cleared his throat before realizing the irony in his words. "I apologize, i shouldnt be in a random sinners room at this hour. I'll be on my way." He spoke as clearly as he could, being drunk and sobbing only moments ago. He stumbled to stand as he attempts to dust off his already askewed suit. He turns his back to you, beginning to leave.

"No! Shit- I - excuse me.. Mr.. Lucifer.. Sir..." You quickly stand and reach your arm out in his direction. He turns on his heels, acting as regal as he could, considering the situation. "This.. mess... this is.. all I've been thinking about since i came here... this hotel..? Is a fucking prison! How can heaven be so stubborn that they have to bring their rules and policies down to Hell? I dont understand how you could -" Your voice became increasingly aggressive as you realize you were about to scold him for your theories. You begin to shrink into yourself, believing this powerful being would kill you on the spot for such disobedience.

Lucifer was looking at you, dumbfound, at the intense passion you were imitting from your words. He realized how much you were cowering in his presence, and the feeling was extra reminiscent of his time in heaven. People above him, glaring upon his dreams with disgust and him not having anything to say. He shook his head and placed a hand on your shoulder. He did his best to send a smile your way, but he wasn't sure how that worked out in his state. "You're right. This hotel has become a god damn nightmare. I wish i could say more, but it's been a looong night." He drawls out his words before using the hand on your shoulder to keep his balance. You took his arm and hesitantly wrapped it around your shoulder, attempting to brace him up as you walk towards his office. It wasnt that far, just right down the hall, it shouldnt be an issue as long as no one sees you." Mmy name is Lucifer- oh, oh! This here, this is my room." He eargly pokes his finger at his obviously labeled door. "Okay Lucifer, think you'll be okay from here?" You try to talk with confidence, while you process that the king of hell is using you to stay on his feet. He nods and opens the door, stepping in with a sigh of relief. He spins around on his feet to face you from the doorframe.

"Be here tomorrow. At lunch. I'll tell you everything." His voice was stern and clear, and you couldn't tell if that was from the alcohol or not. He sways away and grins his toothy grin, saying, "Good night!" He shuts the door before you have a chance to respond. Could that have been drunken babbling? If it wasn't.. what does he know?

[saltydkdan]

Salty i wanna get into Baki which one do you recommend,the manga or the anime?

Oh you just woke up the fucking beast (I'm so sorry).

I LOVE this question, and as a recent Baki fan myself, I can tell you that getting into the series as a Western consumer can be rough if you don’t have a basic guide to know what you’re getting into…. so that’s what I’m gonna make this post (TEEHEE).

This series has gotta be one of the most insane shonen- actually no- one of the most INSANE PIECES OF FICTION I've ever experienced, and I NEED more people to check it out. Like, LOOK AT THIS SHIT DUDE.

Baki out of context somehow even puts Jojo's Bizarre Adventure to shame. The way I usually pitch it to people is that Baki is as insane as people THINK Jojo is before they read it. Shit is just... MAN LMAO. OBAMA IS FUCKING IN THIS.

Unlike more popular stuff like Dragon Ball and Hunter x Hunter, a lot of this series has just never been officially localized, so knowing where to start, and even how to support the series, is a hard task if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Thankfully THAT’S WHAT YOU HAVE ME FOR. This Tumblr post is gonna be your one stop shop for how to get into Baki as an English speaker (and it’ll give me some space to ramble about one of my latest favorite series).

But uh before we get into the nitty gritty, wanna put some trigger warnings for the series for those who may want to know. Listen, I know how some of these are gonna look to the average person, but this series just be like that sometimes, if you can’t take stuff like this trust me it’s insanely valid. You’ll understand if you choose to take the plunge.

SERIES TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Animated Blood/Violence, some animated gory imagery, Incest (???), Nudity, Urine stuff, Bigfoot/Animal Violence, Death, Uncomfortable looking muscles, and one instance of sexual violence (offscreen)

If you are comfortable with all that (and again, valid as fuck if you aren’t) then let’s talk BAKI!

First off, Manga or Anime?

You would think that either would be fine, but my personal recommendation for Baki as a beginner, is to watch the anime over reading the manga. Simply put: The anime is a lot more widely available and accessible in English speaking territories, and is fairly easy to support officially with its current iteration.

For whatever reason, the manga just never really took off in the West when compared to other series, so it was only ever officially released in English a handful of times, and they only ended up publishing the first few volumes. Theoretically, you can read the first few books to start, but the entire series all together is legit longer than One Piece at a whopping 1,203 chapters, so you are gonna run out of material real quick. The fraction of officially available manga barely scratches the surface of the series.

Even if you’re stubborn about reading the manga and want to try reading fan translations, they come with their own separate batch of issues. Plenty of fan scans you can find online range from wildly outdated, to generally being poor quality at best. There’s even some fan translations that just straight up make shit up and don’t even properly translate the original script. Adding in extra dialogue and slurs randomly to make the text seem way edgier than it actually is.

Full disclosure, I wanna cut through my bias here and say that there are indeed some great scans available on the internet if you look hard enough, especially for the more recent content! But they aren’t super easy to track down with how the series is formatted, and you may accidentally find yourself reading the story out of its proper order.

The watch/read order of Baki is a bit of a toughie for new people, but is actually pretty simple once it’s explained. The story of Baki is split up into multiple different series, kind of similar in format to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Though instead of “Parts”, Baki is split up into completely different manga and TV series. This is why many fans get confused initially, especially with the watch order, because it isn’t laid out in an easy to understand way at first glance.

The most well known series are currently streaming on Netflix, but those aren’t the ones you wanna start with. Nope, the story of the Baki anime actually starts way back in 2001, in a TV show that isn’t streaming officially online. Now if you want to watch out of order, I’m not gonna stop you. You can do whatever you want, by all means, but you’re gonna be missing some VERY important story context, and some characters just won’t hold the same weight.

So if you DO want to watch in order, come with me my friend. Let me show you-

BAKI’S SUPER COOL AND NOT AT ALL CONFUSING WATCH ORDER:

Baki the Grappler (2001) (24 episodes)

This is the original 2001 anime adaptation, the very start of serialized Baki anime. You’re gonna wanna start here trust me.

This series isn’t streaming anywhere officially online, but you can find it… places. Seek it out, trust me, because otherwise you’re gonna pay way too much for out of print DVDs on Ebay. Thankfully though you have options! The series is both subbed and dubbed (as well as every series I discuss from this point forward.

This show is the very start of serialized Baki anime, the very beginning of Baki Hanma’s story. Although it’s not in the way you may think. Despite this being the earliest point in the Baki timeline, it’s actually an adaptation of a later story arc from the manga.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Didn’t you just say this is where I should start? Why is it adapting something from later in the story?”, and yeah it’s valid to be confused. While yes this is the first ever Baki anime, for some reason the staff behind it made the decision to move this later arc up a bit from the original manga. In my honest opinion, I feel like this is actually a great decision.

As you will see as you watch, this honestly FEELS like this should be where the story begins. The escalation of power and storytelling from this point onward feels very natural, and you won’t miss out on anything or spoil yourself whatsoever on later events.

This is the de facto best starting point.

Grappler Baki Maximum Tournament (2001) (24 episodes)

This is effectively the second season of Baki the Grappler. For whatever reason they decided to title it something else, and while this is the norm for the series later on, this name change is weird because it adapts an arc from the original manga just like the first season of anime I just talked about.

Whatever lol.

Anyway this series, much like the previous, isn’t officially available as of now. So your best option is to SEARCH for it. SEARCH on the INTERNET. Or y’know. The good ol’ expensive out of print DVD on Ebay route.

In my opinion, compared to the first season, this one feels a bit slower paced and a bit of a slog at points but HOLD STRONG TRUE BELIEVER. This season is the introduction to a lot of mainstay characters in the series. Many of which you will come to love, even if you don’t know it yet.

BAKI (2018) (39 episodes) (NETFLIX)

This is the modern adaptation of Baki. After the last series ended in 2001, the anime went on hiatus for 17 years before it was announced that it would be coming back with a modern coat of paint.

Contrary to what you may think, this isn’t a ground up reboot. It’s a continuation of the exact point they left off years ago, right after the Maximum tournament. The only thing that kind of sucks about this is that, at least for the English dub, they replaced most of the voice cast. Most of the new VAs do a great job, however you may need to get used to Yujiro Hanma having Shadow the Hedgehog’s modern VA from the games haha.

Thankfully, you can officially support this series easily via Netflix. Normally I’m pretty eh on Netflix as of late, but this being the only way you can support the show officially in the west, I personally recommend it.

Baki Hanma (2023) (39 episodes) (NETFLIX)

This is the most recent anime! It’s also on Netflix.

Me and my friends just got to this on our watchthrough together.

Anyway, this is my list! If after you catch up you wanna hop into the manga and read the fan scans, I’ve heard that you can start on Baki Hanma/Baki Son of Ogre (chapter 183).

Hope you enjoy the funny man punching show! Feel free to report back and tell me how you feel about it (positive OR negative)!

Like I said, I've been watching the series with friends on Discord every night or so when we're free and MAN. Baki is fucking AMAZING WITH FRIENDS. It just never slows down after a certain point, and it just gets stranger and crazier.

[lunarriviera]

the huo daofu round-up post i have been threatening for a really long time now

Thinking about this man, I was just admitting to chat "honestly cannot believe how much life energy i have invested in such a minor character" but the truth of the matter is, I was mildly obsessed with Huo Daofu from Reboot alone; his odd unresolved backstory in Sha Hai just cemented my mental formation. Because let's be real, in a world of overly earnest tomb raiders, this man is a goddamn catty delight. The dainty bitterness! The barely concealed eye-rolling! So many impeccable That Bitch vibes. And his unimpressed snark is honestly such a refreshing antidote to Wu Xie's whole everyone-loves-him Marty Sue thing that even when you discover Huo Daofu secretly ALSO loves him, you don't mind, because by that point Dr. Youtiao is a savage queen who can do no wrong.

And He Longlong clearly made this guy up. In the novels he's just sort of a vaguely beardy guy who drives a truck, that's literally all I remember him ever doing. But someone cast this man, and they gave him some rubber bands and pizza coupons and chewed gum of a script to work with, and he promptly decided: I will make him extremely gay. And staggeringly bitchy. AND IT WORKS. He devours every frame he's in, he steals every scene. It's a performance worthy of Alan Rickman and yes I will die upon this hill.

We all know the bitchy-ex-boyfriend scenes in Reboot—"oh my god I literally can't wait for you to perish from lungs" and then Huo Daofu spends like every moment trying to keep Wu Xie alive, sheltering him uselessly from the rain with his hand, rubbing his back when he coughs, looking (when no one's watching but the camera) like he's maybe going to stop breathing himself, when Wu Xie does.

Apparently Huo Daofu's name sounds very silly in Chinese which I think is appropriate for someone who apparently (?) grew up in Germany (?) and went to the University of Heidelberg (?) (honestly don't waste time trying to figure out DMBJ canon, NPSS has thoughtfully ensured that will only be exhausting and futile). Spurious medical qualifications aside, he's super handy in fanfic, too, when you need a sketchy doctor, as all tomb-raiding mob families invariably do.

[someone once pointed out to me that this combination of degree topics basically translates into "how to dispose of bodies"]

I could also hold forth on him and Yang Hao—like, Su Wan alone makes it REAL clear that Huo Daofu's interest in the kid isn't just avuncular or entrepreneurial:

"Are you working for him, or are you working for him?" And Su Wan should be protective, because Yang Hao is honestly kind of an idiot, and probably doesn't realize he's being assiduously groomed not just as a mob boss but as a potential boy toy. (NB by the way that there are 44 fics in the Huo Daofu/Yang Hao tag, and disappointingly, not a single one of them is in English. Western fandom needs Jesus.)

But the thing is, Huo Daofu SAVES his ass in Gutongjing. Everyone forgets that. There's easily half a dozen times where he grabs Yang Hao's shoulder and hauls him back from danger. And Huo Daofu is the one Jiumen member smart enough to get out ahead of disaster, and to take Yang Hao with him. Here he is looking fabulous in a completely unnecessary but dramatic scarf.

And, at the end, he lets Yang Hao go. Because he's secretly decent.

Sure, he has some vaguely sketchy take-over-the-Huos plans, plans that clearly go awry at some point no matter how dramatically and villainously he makes tea. Sure, he exudes a scurrilous sort of evil. But he's COMPELLING and that's all I care about. Look at his pretty little face here, sourly plotting things, in a windowpane-checked suit which should be ridiculous but just winds up looking snazzy as fuck compared to the rest of the Jiumen. This is a man who understands the value of a pocket square. Thank you so much, He Longlong, we didn't deserve you putting your entire snatch into this very minor performance but some of us are extremely grateful.

So here are seven ficrecs, with a podfic and a meta from AO3. Please let me know if I should add anything (Tumblr meta?)—this post WILL be updated, because I have too much time on my hands and care unreasonably about the mean-spirited little bastard.

‡

Remember how this used to be (3569 words) by achray Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Wu Xie (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Angst, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Background Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling, Wu Xie being a gremlin, Canon-typical references to illness Summary:

“That wasn’t a no,” Wu Xie said, his smile widening. “I thought you still wanted me.”

Notes: How is this both hot and sad? I don't know, that's the magic of fanfiction. This was the first Wu Xie/Huo Daofu fic I ever read and frankly the genre needs more entries, but this is a good one.

‡

the rime dictionary of Wu Xie (7433 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 6/6 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi/Ye Piaopiao, Wang Pangzi & Wu Xie & Zhang Qiling Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling, Ye Piaopiao, Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Xiao Mei, Wu Erbai, Li Jiale (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Piaopiao lives, Post-Canon, Canon Flashbacks, canonical illness, fun with the common cold, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Handwaved SI Recovery, Canon-typical Ershu Infodump, Quasi-History-Compliant, Yuletide Treat Summary:

This is why (even now) Wu Xie shouldn’t be let out alone—one trip out to the provinces, and he comes home with a bad cold and an unsolved mystery.

Notes: this is one of my very favorite Huo Daofu writers and here's why—read this little excerpt. The angst. The PAIN. Wu Xie absolutely broke this man's heart at some point and honestly Huo Daofu is really only himself if he's suffering, love that for him:

“Easy,” he said, when Wu Xie couldn’t seem to stop coughing. “Here—” and reached for the rest of the tea, except that it wasn’t on the table any longer.

Zhang Qiling was holding the mug; he had somehow gone around to the other side of the bed, moving in that flowing now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t way that never seemed quite human, to sit down cross-legged on the bed by Wu Xie so that their shoulders touched. Huo Daofu snatched his hand away from Wu Xie’s back as if an electrical current might flow through the double contact.

“Wu Xie,” Zhang Qiling said, and then something else so quiet it was inaudible, holding the tea so Wu Xie could drink.

Looking at the open tenderness on that remote, beautiful face, utterly focused on Wu Xie, made Huo Daofu feel as if his flesh was trying to part ways with his bones. It was a pain his medical texts didn’t have a word for, deeper and more primitive than jealousy or resentment.

Wu Xie, getting his breath back, looked sideways at him with one of those sudden grins. “Sorry, Xiao Huo. You’re still out of luck when it comes to watching me die. Maybe next time.”

Huo Daofu’s voice would not quite leave his throat. Instead, Xiao Mei said crossly “Tianzhen-shu, that’s dumb.” Most of her attention was still on her phone screen. “Why would Dr. Huo want to watch you die.”

Wu Xie looked at him, still smiling.

“It’s a long story,” said Huo Daofu, “and it doesn’t matter now.”

‡

even through hesitation (10407 words) by naiwong_bao Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Huo Xiuxiu, Hei Xia Zi/Huo Xiuxiu/Xie Yuchen Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Huo Xiuxiu, Yang Hao (DMBJ Series), Hei Xia Zi (DMBJ Series), Xie Yuchen, Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi Additional Tags: Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Character Study, Alternate Universe - Fantasy Series: Part 3 of this is where we live Summary:

He’s a boy so Huo Daofu knows from the beginning that there are no expectations for him, he can do as he likes. So he plays, he cries, he does what children do.

Then his parents die.

No one wants him, no one has time for him, so his family sends him to Germany for school. It’ll be a good opportunity, his family says. He can do whatever he wants, be free of the family business, they’ll take care of him over there. He doesn’t want to go, he doesn't know who they are, but he doesn’t get a say.

So he goes to Germany where the language is strange, the food is strange, the people are strange, and he wants to go home so badly that his teeth ache.

Huo Daofu builds a life for himself, but at the first sign of trouble, years and years and years later, he rents out his apartment to an acquaintance, and flies home.

But.

The language is strange, he doesn’t know the slang, the food is strange, the people are strange.

His family is cold and he still doesn’t get a say. --- Huo Daofu between the end of Tomb of the Sea and when he reappears in Reboot. AKA Huo Daofu learns to care a little.

‡

The Mark of a Man (2279 words) by JhanaMay Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Yang Hao (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Yang Hao (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Loneliness, Found Family even when it makes you want to scream, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Huo Daofu is a mediocre role model Series: Part 8 of The Art of Conversation, Part 7 of The Art of Conversation Side Stories Summary:

When Huo Daofu inducted Yang Hao into the Huo family business, he wasn't expecting to become the boy's de facto babysitter.

Notes: a poignant little vignette in which Huo Daofu has a heart.

‡

[META] Huo Daofu's Youtiao Stand (739 words) by Thimblerig Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei, 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Huo Xiuxiu, Huo Daofu & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Meta, Worldbuilding, Huo Daofu's Delicious Fried Snacks Series: Part 2 of DMBJ Meta Summary:

Huo Daofu is a supporting character in Sand Sea. Ambitious, wily, hungry, he’s far from one of the main villains of the story but he’s not nice, either. By the end of Sand Sea Huo Daofu has exploited the chaos caused by the ill-founded expedition to Gutongjing to take over various of the Huo Family operations.

When he appears in Reboot: Sound of Providence, he is a purveyor of delicious fried bread snacks. He’s clearly not hurting for money, so why…?

Notes: this is one of my favorite little HDF explorations, theorizing that Huo Xiuxiu busted him down a rank, and I think that's beautiful.

‡

starting in darkness, like a pure line of light (10167 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Bai Haotian, Bai Haotian & Wu Xie, Liu Sang & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian & Liu Sang Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling Additional Tags: background pingxie, background Iron Triangle, past Wu Xie/Huo Daofu, Post-Canon, hurt/sarcasm, Fade to Black, Dialogue Heavy, meta-adjacent, Self-Indulgent Use of Chinese, Emotional Hurt/Comfort Summary:

Some emotional loose ends are never going to be tied up, but at least they can be recognized and shared. Or, a selection of the worst best only ways to comfort one another in the aftermath.

Notes: absolutely nothing makes me, a Huo Daofu stan, happier than scherzanda's fics featuring him. You would think this is an odd pairing, but it's really not—the two people who love Wu Xie most and are left behind by him? They have so much in common. Also, this fic has a podfic!

[PODFIC] starting in darkness, like a pure line of light, by scherzanda (701 words) by Thimblerig Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Bai Haotian, Bai Haotian & Wu Xie, Liu Sang & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian & Liu Sang Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Huò Dàofū, Bai Haotian, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling Additional Tags: background pingxie, background Iron Triangle, past Wu Xie/Huo Daofu, Post-Canon, hurt/sarcasm, Fade to Black, Dialogue Heavy, Meta Adjacent, Self-Indulgent Use of Chinese, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Podfic, podficcer not a native chinese-speaker but is doing her best, Podfic Length: 1-1.5 Hours

‡

do the work, love the work (1616 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian, Wu Erbai Additional Tags: Mid-Canon, Missing Scene, Character Study, Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat Summary:

It doesn't always look that way, but Huo Daofu is doing his best.

Notes: once again I just have to excerpt, so you'll GET IT:

The train had nearly reached Hangzhou by the time Wu Xie spoke to him beyond the commonplace. He was still sitting in the corridor, staring dreamily at the growing suburbs, while Zhang Qiling gave Wang Pangzi a hand in the cabin. He looked up as Huo Daofu came back from the hot water dispenser. “Xiao Huo, xinkule. Sorry you never got that chance to watch me die, eh?”

Huo Daofu closed his eyes and looked away from Wu Xie’s smile, unshadowed now with death, brilliant and painful. “I’m sorry too,” he said, eyes still closed, and did not say any of the things he was sorry for.

‡

not only the sugar, but the days (3000 words) by A Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bai Haotian/Huo Daofu Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian Additional Tags: Mentions of Death, Healing, Getting Together, Youtiao as a Metaphor, Also Actual Youtiao Summary:

His gaze meets Bai Haotian's, who's trying so hard to keep it together, and he knows that Wu Xie will break her heart when he dies, and it won't even be his fault. He never fucking means to.

Notes: another recent entry in the HDF/Bai Haotian post-canon and I love it unreasonably. They both love Wu Xie SO MUCH and it's just taking them OUT. Their subsequent connection is natural and it's funny as hell, the author loves them both and it shows:

"Are you really sure?" Bai Haotian says softly, and Huo Daofu looks up.

"What?"

"About the week."

"At best," he says, then winces. Fuck it. "It'll be three days," he says, loud enough to carry through the bedroom door, "if he keeps pulling these stunts!" There's a muffled noise and some very clear profanity from Pangzi, which Huo Daofu ignores. "See if I care!" he adds, but it's just not the same without Wu Xie there to grin at him, unrepentant.

He can feel Bai Haotian's hand covering his own, just loosely, where it's half curled into a fist against his thigh. He turns his head. The look she gives him is so full of unquestioning kindness, of understanding, he almost has to close his eyes against it.

"I'm sure," he says quietly, not really looking at her. "But he's proven me wrong before."

He can see her nod as she takes that in, and then they just sit there in silence, her hand over his, not moving.

‡

In conclusion, just because I can, from some of my favorite posts:

[ohyka]

[jeong-guwon]

[januaryisnotanartist]

Please also do not fail to check out the magnificent Dr Mal Practice post, as well as "it's not his fucking birthday" and "I'll fucking do it but christ alive." These users truly understand the essence of Huo Daofu.

PS also don't sleep on Huo Daofu and Liu Sang having a fabulous bitch-off in Hua Mei, a Sha Hai side story ft. haunted Wushanju. Another side story, Ran Gu, also has a swooning Kan Jian. Quality entertainment!

[catras-breakup-song]

how do you feel about the whole "you always wanted more" line that got cut? at first i was wondering why they did that because adora didn't want more until it made me think "huh, what if prime was just running on catra's memories and didn't actually know adora?" but i'm curious as to what you think

OH MY GOD I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED THIS. i am such a sucker for the cut STC script. back in late 2020 & early 2021 i had a twitter layout based on “that little spot on the roof that only they knew about” because S3 is my favorite:

even better, i have another old twitter fancam saved from around that time too that used that screenshot of the script in the beginning. it was by the username yoosene but is now long gone, so i reuploaded it to imgur here (the hands part, i’m going insane…)!

anyway, as for interpretations, it was absolutely to manipulate & guilt-trip adora. i recently saw someone say (i don’t remember where though, sorry) that he was torturing both of them by setting up that nasty fight against both of their wills and had planned to kill catra all along — despite saying he wouldn’t right after she rescued glimmer and was imprisoned for it, in my opinion there was an unspoken “yet” even though he did technically say that word but you know what i mean; “you will be of use to me, and then everyone from your blighted planet, including yourself, will be destroyed.”

that’s the thing about what the show was trying to convey through her stay on prime’s ship via glimmer’s desperate pleas, isn’t it? her illusion of power was only ever temporary. once she no longer had anything of value to serve, what would she be worth? how could she have genuinely believed that he wanted to save her, of all living beings, from the curse of humanity & will of consciousness? what makes one individual different to an omnipotent god compared to countless others across the universe throughout space and time? i truly believe that he was subtly mocking her when he talked of her being “exalted, raised up above the other wretched creatures of [her] home world.”

i was actually trying to find another five by five takes quote about this, because mentioning them is always an obligation for me, but surprisingly i didn't really find anything about how catra had worked her way up to prime's recognized single subordinate (only that moment of reflection afterward, which is just this entire short video), and was under the false impression with a cocky & confident attitude that her position meant something for her safety & survival; i'm mostly referring to this moment:

the horde's the horde...even in space. as long as i'm of value to horde prime, i've got a place in this world. i can work my way up here, just like i did before.

actually y’know what… i’m going to tag @horde-princess because this is starting to dive into religious meta which is like… her whole gimmick thingy. we would be blessed (pun intended) to see your take on this writing that never made it to the show, if you haven’t given it already!

now this is veering too far off from the original point after getting sidetracked. the tone of those quotes in the alternate script is (fake) pity, and horde prime was entertained by the struggles of mere mortals. to make adora a failure of what she represented would surely force her to give up she-ra to him, because what would even be the point anymore of living up to expectations if she couldn’t save catra first & foremost (that’s something that she struggled with since initially leaving the horde over three years ago due to how catra made her feel about supposedly breaking their childhood promise… but it’s a story for another post)?

i don’t doubt that your thought process is at least partially right too though, anon. prime didn’t read adora’s mind thoroughly at any point, so it’s entirely possible that he just read off catra’s intense feelings of abandonment & betrayal. that being said, if he really did see all as he claimed, maybe he was able to recreate an objectively accurate collection of events and knows what really happened and what the intentions behind certain actions were. i also wonder if catra secretly knew deep down that adora’s defection wasn’t directly about her but just couldn’t admit it until she had time to deeply reflect on it during “corridors.”

i’ll leave this messy, unorganized post with an amazingly relevant gif set made by an editor whose work on here i really enjoy:

as i said a long time ago, you just had to be there on november 19th 2020 when that excerpt was released because the hype was crazy!

[defira85]

My brain: here's an idea for a Rogue Trader fic

Me: No, we need to keep working on Rhyme's fic. We're making good progress on the next chapter

What I actually do: write 1k of Gromph disguising himself to sneak into Blackstaff post-canon to be a horny little freak

◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦•◦

It was perhaps a frustrating thing to admit, but Ryme'dra Ulutar looked astoundingly good.

No, not just good — she looked incredibly attractive, which was in itself a remarkable thing to admit to, given that the two of them had fucked with almost painful regularity for almost eighty years. But here she was, healthy and happy and recently married, marching into a classroom in Blackstaff Academy in the most inappropriate attire he had ever seen on a scholar, and that was truly saying something for a man who had rubbed shoulders with the matriarchs of Menzoberranzan for eight hundred years.

Gromph Baenre, currently disguised as a moon elf of no particular acclaim or unique appearance, reclined in his chair and watched his former paramour as she approached the desk at the front of the room and set down the bundle of books in her arms.

She had gained a lot of weight since he had last seen her ten years ago, and it truly drove home how malnourished and frail she had been whilst pinned beneath Lolth's thumb. Her cheeks were round and her face was soft, her head crowned with a braid while wisps of loose hair caressed her neck; the gown she wore was sensible from neck to waist, a full sleeved yellow affair with just a tantalising window in the front that hinted at the far more generous bosom she now possessed compared to a decade ago. However, once it reached the waist, all sense of demureness went out the window, as the dress devolved into a ruffled monstrosity the rode up so incredibly high over her soft, wide thighs that he wondered how she maintained any sense of propriety when she sat down. It trailed down her back and onto the floor in a puddle of yet more ruffles, swishing softly over the floor as she strutted about in her knee high white leather boots, heels clacking on the wooden floorboards as she went.

He wondered if her bottom was now as curved and generous as the rest of her, and the way her ruffles bounced so provocatively provided ample ammunition for his imagination.

But there was the matter of the wedding ring on her left hand, of course. No self-respecting drow ever truly had any respect for something as crass as wedding vows, but his was not the Underdark, and her spouse was no rival drow male, but a Chosen of Mystra. Archmage Gale of Waterdeep, dabbler in forbidden magics, and former lover of the goddess herself. A human, too.

He had discreetly enrolled himself in the other Professor Dekarios' class, scheduled for later that afternoon, to see what precisely he was up again.

Meanwhile, the newer Professor Dekarios turned back to her waiting classroom, and his gaze slipped immediately down to her exposed thighs before he dragged his attention back to her face. "Good morning, everyone," she said, and he almost lifted an eyebrow in surprise at how distinctly different her voice was now that she was well-fed and happy. She truly was a completely different person, in almost every sense of the word. "I'm going to pass around the sign in sheet, if you could kindly just sign your names to indicate your attendance, and we'll begin in the meantime."

She trotted across to the blackboard, her ruffles trailing distractingly after her, as she wrote her name in a careful script; another surprise, because he very distinctly recalled her handwriting to be little more than scratches on the page when he had first met her. "My name is Ryme'dra Ulutar-Dekarios, which I realise is a mouthful, so I'm more than happy for you to call me Rhyme," she said as she turned back to the room. "And yes, the Dekarios does come courtesy of Professor Gale Dekarios, who I believe will be teaching some of you this semester for your illusory magic classes. And to get certain rumours over and done with immediately — yes, we were both involved in the defeat of the Absolute in Baldur's Gate last year, and yes, we were both infected by illithid tadpoles like a good half of the south Sword Coast seemed to have been. Yes, I did turn into an illithid, and yes, I got better. No, I will not be talking to you about how I did it, because this is Structural Language of Arcane Algebra, not How to Cure a Mindflayer one-oh-one." She put a hand on her hip. "Any stupid questions we want to get out of the way now?"

Oh, she hadn't changed a bit. How delightful.

[silverview]

amazing bracelets @spcvarney made for me, i love them so much 😭💕💕💕 had a great time again at s/f, got to see a bunch of people from here who were all so cool & lovely, i feel so lucky!!

reece & steve DID come out to sign things this time! we were told not to ask for selfies, so i just got my s9 script book signed by both of them. i asked reece if he'd had a good time & he looked up at me, smiled, and said yes he did, and thanks for coming. 🥹💗

there was also merch for sale in the theatre, and that poster i mentioned is s/f specific, but in a way that's not obvious until you've seen the play.

some further unorganised thoughts about the show + audio links below the cut, spoilers obviously ⚠️

new recordings added here (18-01) [edit 20-01-2025: removed the link] in case you want to compare & contrast (@lapis-lazuliie!) there were a few small changes & the scene change with the video screen was much smoother. i accidentally cut off the coda to the song at the very end in my haste to get to the stage door

in the opening sketch, there’s a reference to an 80s-style production of taming of the shrew. certainly a reference to the play where reece first laid eyes on steve. theatre at the heart of their relationship from the very beginning. it really is all about them and their love story

(when you know the twist in this bit, you notice that toby leaves when steve comes onstage, and then once s & r are onstage together, s just stares at r for a moment too long)

in general, i just love the shakespeare in it. love hamlet obviously and love the range of their theatrical references. i get emo about reece on gbbo “jokingly” griping that he’ll never get to play hamlet, because you know he thinks he'd smash it, and you know he knows he never will. and that he still slightly blames his comedy career for the fact he didn’t get to. and that it's specifically a dream that dies when you get too old. (“the most devastating moment in a young man’s life…”)

goudron & hugo are doing it blake & drew style. as in, here’s a creepy guy. here’s the methods he uses to sexually abuse his female patients. now here he is doing those same things to a man. now let’s not address the subtext of that ❤️ yay ❤️ i honestly am thinking about writing self-indulgent fic about them but not till after the run at least. OH AND the set for that whole bit is turquoise, like the trolley problem. alright.

they've changed that bit slightly so that when hugo comes back in, he's already in the chair, and doesn't need to be restrained. which makes much more sense, and it's clear they should have done it that way from the beginning, except force of habit and reece's need to be strapped to a chair made them try it the other way first.

sidenote, i need goudron carnally, i’m sorry. if i’m acting more than typically horny for steve, you know that’s why. i think the drastic & abrupt shift in fuckability levels from act 1 to act 2 doesn’t help. white coat, sleeve garters, moustache, brown hair.

speaking of clothes, reece as himself at the beginning was wearing smart brown shoes + smart trousers + pale blue shirt + soft grey sweater vest. as marcus at the end he's wearing a jacket over a turtleneck, very cute. also very cute as marcus in hugo's stripy pyjamas with a big cosy cardigan over the top. hugo has curly dark hair with a grey streak, and a big curly moustache that gets a laugh when he takes off his surgical mask.

the guest this time was kevin eldon! he did the line from zanzibar and reece went fully into the hokey cokey!!! i would post the clip but it is mostly just me laughing

i mentioned this briefly in my original post, but it really is crazy that they make it so obvious how len has written his real feelings/anxieties about the relationship into the kidnappers sketch. purely because like… lads YOU are sketch writers. you are making it very clear that YOU put your real feelings/anxieties about your relationship into your work. we knew this already but it's too much too much

it's easy to not tell bf what happens in the show (we're seeing it together late feb) but it is very VERY hard to not walk around the flat constantly singing tears of laughter

on the final night at the end steve really does need to just grab reece and kiss him

[mirai-e-jump]

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Character Book: We're KING!!!!!! Main Cast Member Interviews (translations below, LONG POST)

Taisei Sakai (Gira Husty) Interview

-Have a backbone when facing as Gira-

"When you were first accepted for the role, what did the Director and Producer tell you about Gira's character?"

Sakai: When all the cast members got together for the first time, we were given all our materials, and I spoke with Director (Kazuya) Kamihoriuchi, who told me, "Be yourself when playing Gira." At first, I didn't really understand it, but as filming progressed, I slowly began to understand what he meant. Gira is very genuine with his emotions. When he's mad, he's mad, when he's sad, he's sad, and his facial expressions are distinct, so I interpreted it in my own way, by acting honestly, and even now, I'm still mindful of that when performing.

"Gira's brother and former king of Shugoddam, Racules Husty, thought of his citizens as tools, and while it was meant to oppose him, Gira sometimes called himself, "The evil king." What are your thoughts on this?"

Sakai: I think it's something that comes out unexpectedly, like when my emotions start to overflow, or when I have something I want to hide, but my personality makes me unable to lie. It's also the same for when I want to motivate myself.

"Is it difficult switching between that and regular Gira?"

Sakai: It was difficult. Director Kamihoriuchi gave me detailed instructions on the emotional flow of going from regular to evil, and then from evil to regular, and I'd practice alot even after going home.

"You seem to do alot of preparation before you start filming."

Sakai: Yeah. I think it's important to spend time going over the script in order to get into the role. I imagine everything from, "Why is Gira in this place?," "What types of food did Gira eat growing up?," "What kinds of kids does he spend time with, and how does he play with them?" By doing so, I feel that I can easily get into the role.

"You have a unique way of delivering lines, it's abit literary, isn't it?"

Sakai: I looked up things in the dictionary, like the meaning of, "One tree, one plant"* (laughs). But, while it's important to understand the meaning, I also think it's important to know who Gira's speaking to and with what kind of emotion, so I try to be aware of that. (*Japanese idiom)

"It's been about six months since filming began. Are there any areas where you feel Gira has grown?"

Sakai: Recently, I became more aware that I'm king. As king, Gira struggles with what he should be doing going forward, but I feel that he's grown compared to the first episode. I've learned alot from my conflicts with the other kings, such as with Yanma (Gast) and Hymeno (Ran), and while I haven't changed at my core, I'm gradually becoming more mature.

"Once more, when playing the role, what do you consider to be the most important features of Gira's character?"

Sakai: He's the type of person who's straightforward and expresses his emotions more than the other kings, so that's probably the most important thing I'm conscious of. When I'm happy, I look happy, when I'm mad, I look mad…and so on. I myself am not the type of person to express my emotions very much, so I try to be conscious of raising my "gears" 2-3 times to get as close to Gira as I can.

"As filming progressed, did you feel more comfortable being Gira?"

Sakai: I think so, recently I felt that I'm finally getting used to it. But, I still have a long way to go. I can do "angry" and "sad," with ease, but "happy" is still difficult for me. The way I feel is something I'm still struggling with.

"Conversely, what do you enjoy about performing?"

Sakai: The times when I can act as myself. When I can communicate well with those around me and think, "This scene will definitely turn out good," I feel very fulfilled. When I can absorb myself into a role, I don't feel strange when I watch my performance in the broadcast. However, there are times where I'll already have something to reflect on during filming, and when I see the broadcast I'll think, "I could have expressed myself better there."

"You get so into your role, that we were surprised to hear that you're the type of person who doesn't show much emotion, so were you surprised when you were chosen to play Gira?"

Sakai: Gira's slightly outgoing, innocent, and straightforward personality may have been something I could've identified with, but even so, it still felt like something I wasn't expecting. Everyone around me is so amazing at their performance, that I wondered, "Was I really the right person for this role?" At the time, I really felt this way.

"At the time of this book's publication, episode 26 will have aired, but please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines."

Sakai: The scene with Racules in episode 20. Gira's objective since the first episode has been to defeat Racules, but it was very difficult to maintain that objective throughout those 20 episodes. In this episode, Gira says to Racules, "I'll surrender if you apologize to everybody and become a king who'll work to protect them." When I said that line, I perfected it after thinking back on the events from the first episode, so it's a scene that I'm very attached to. Furthermore, It was also a turning point for us because (Masato) Yano-san, who plays Racules, would be stepping away from filming.

"Do you think that the talent of Yano-san was a big part of the reason for that scene turning out good?"

Sakai: I've really learned alot from him. We've worked together on other productions in the past, he's been a great help to me in my private life, and of course, he's consulted with me alot on set. To me, he's like a big brother I can rely on.

"How's the action in the scenes where you fight without transforming?"

Sakai: About a day before filming, Action Director (Watanabe) Jun-san gives us a chance to practice in the studio. I'm not that good at action, so if I don't practice, I might have a hard time later. The sword is also heavy, so the action scenes were already difficult. I'm going to do my best at improving my sword fighting skills.

"In the movie "Adventure Heaven," which released this past July, there was a scene where you and Shido Nakamura, who played the role of Reiniol, the first king of Shugoddam, had a fight, and so the practicing continued."

Sakai: Once again, by being apart of the Super Sentai series, it's given me the opportunity to experience not only acting, but also action, dubbing, variety and a wide range of other things, I'm very grateful for this. Also, another moment that left an impression on me, was the dialogue with Kuwagon (mechanical lifeform "Shugod" Gira fights alongside) in episode 25. Chatani Kazuyuki-san gave me detailed directions, and through trial and error, shot the scene about 5 or 6 times. At first, I was saying my lines unconventionally, but the Director told me to just perform it from the heart. The Director then encouraged me to add inflection to my lines. By changing my attitude, I was able to really get into the scene, and I felt a good response with this change, so it's a scene I'd like everyone to watch again.

"In episode 26, Gira's line of, "If you make the first move, you're evil, if you win, it's called justice, none of it even matters. All that really matters is….who can apologize first," was also memorable.

Sakai: As of this interview, we haven't shot that scene yet, but it's a scene that I really treasure. I'm currently thinking of a plan for how to act out the scene where I make the sincere apology.

"It shows that Gira is a person truly worthy of being king."

Sakai: It shows the size of Gira's capability, doesn't it? I think Gira's grown in this respect compared to the beginning of the series.

"Also, for a time, Gira often wore disguises to hide the fact he survived, were any of them memorable?"

Sakai: It would have to be the pillbug looking "Pilltaxi" suit I wore in episode 15. As I said in my dialog, it really was super hot to wear (laughs). The filming took place during the time of season where either short sleeves or long sleeves were appropriate, but first, I had to wear yellow tights, 2 down jackets on top, carry a heavy shell on my back, and put on goggles and headphones…..It was very hot and I also had to do action scenes, so while it was alot of fun, it was also pretty difficult (laughs).

-Moving straight ahead to create a "Good Country!-

"Next, please tell us about your impressions of the other kings. Let's start with Yanma."

Sakai: I have the most scenes of conflict with Yanma, but, he's also my partner. Aoto Watanabe (who plays Yanma), also puts his emotions into his performance, which then turns on my "switch," and allows me to give it my all. Gira is usually pretty direct, but I think he's most direct with Yanma. It feels like we're alittle special. When Gira rushes to Yanma's side in episode 17, it made me think that we share a very passionate friendship.

"By the way, how do you think Gira feels when Yanma calls him "Octomush"?"

Sakai: I don't think he has any complaints (laughs). If anything, it makes me think, "Ah! He called for me!" I guess it feels the same as being called "Gira" normally. Currently, being called "Octomush" has become normal. That's why I was alittle surprised when Yanma said "Gira" in episode 17, even though Gira wasn't around.

"Please also tell us about Hymeno."

Sakai: I often clash with Hymeno as well. In episode 14, when Hymeno was about to go down a slightly different path as king, Gira strongly says, "Is this the face you want your people to see?" However, from an objective view, I feel that Gira is treated like a toy by Hymeno (laughs). I'm sure Gira doesn't think anything of it, but from my point of view, it's an interesting relationship.

"What about Rita Kaniska?"

Sakai: I think Rita is the one Gira respects the most. Of course, everyone else also respects them. The scene in episode 5 where they pass judgment saying, "If I say he's not guilty, he's not guilty!," it was so cool that I got goosebumps. They're the opposite of Gira in terms of personality, but from Gira's point of view, they're an elder like figure who looks out for him. We haven't had many one on one scenes together, so I hope there'll be more in the future.

"Continuing on, please tell us about Kaguragi Dybowski."

Sakai: Regarding him, the way Kaguragi was towards the end of episode 15 left a strong impression on me. The concern Kaguragi has for his sister and Toufu makes him choose to side with Racules and, by extension, the Bugnarak, despite his true beliefs. The scene where Gira asks, "Isn't your heart crying?" was really memorable. Kaguragi is often misunderstood because he won't show his true feelings easily, but Gira tries to see the good in him and appears to trust him. The scene in episode 18, where Gira secretly communicated with Kaguragi behind the other king's backs, was also a wonderful one. Not just Kaguragi, but the scenes where each king showed their emotions left a lasting impression on me.

"The powerup item for KuwagataOhger, the Ohger Crown, was stolen from Racules and given to Gira, suggesting that Kaguragi also trusts Gira."

Sakai: That's right. At first glance, the relationship between the kings may seem surface level, but I feel that they've gradually started trusting each other. I thought that although the characters were different, they all faced the same direction. When I think back on it, my impression of everyone might be similar due to how Gira treats everyone the same (laughs). But, the good thing about Gira is that he doesn't change depending on the person. However, I think the way I treat Jeramie (Brasieri) is alittle different from the others. He's got a boyish spirit and is a character loved by everyone around him, so I think we share a similar character, almost like we're, "A couple of bad boys." He's alittle different from the other kings, and I expect that their relationship will become even more heated in the future.

"We'd also like to ask about your feelings towards Racules, who you've been fighting. You must have mixed feelings…."

Sakai: For me, I wasn't told about the kind of relationship they had as children. Gira is said to have little memories of those days, so it would be better if he didn't know. I'm trying to imagine if Gira was told anything by Racules, so I'm looking forward to finding out the answers to these questions in the future.

"Also, you're often able to perform with children, such as Kogane and Boone, who grew up in the same orphanage as Gira, please tell us what you keep in mind with them."

Sakai: I think it's important to have the same point of view as children. I'd make me happy if Gira's attitude was that he wanted to have fun with the children from the same perspective. The stance of wanting to have fun together from the same perspective is something that Director Kamihoriuchi told me from the beginning of the series, so I'd like to push that point further.

"Do you think there's anything about the other 5 cast members that you would actually consider to be kingly?"

Sakai: Watanabe (Yanma) has a manly spirit, which is really similar with Yanma in that respect. When we stop by a convenience store, he'll buy something for me without me knowing, and he'll do it without hesitation. He's the type who takes his acting very seriously, which I also think is really cool. When we watched "All Rush" (pre broadcast screenings) together, he'd sometimes reflect saying, "I wish I did more of this." I think he's a really passionate person. Erika-chan (Hymeno) is someone who pays close attention to her surroundings. I admire her for her thoughtfulness. Her demeanor is beautiful, and I think she's the perfect fit for the role of Hymeno. I think Yuzuki-chan (Rita) is way different from Rita (laughs). She's very approachable and mindful of her surroundings. Both Erika-chan and Yuzuki-chan are very mature, and good at being able to see the whole picture. Yuzuki-chan is also the youngest member of the main cast! Kaku-san (Kaguragi) is accommodating, offers advice, and livens up the scene. He's like a father to us, gently embracing us all with kindness. Finally, Masashi (Jeramie) didn't come off very Jeramie like at first, but lately, he's been smiling all the time and is very charming, similar to the kingly side of Jeramie. I feel that everyone has elements in their personal lives that fit the characters they play.

"Starting in September, we'll finally be entering the new chapter, Sakai-san, please give a yell of support to the current Gira!"

Sakai: Now that he's the king of Shugoddum, I think he'll have a stronger sense of responsibility for the country. I'm looking forward to seeing how Gira will deal with the other king's conflicts and the various situations that the children will face. Gira's idea of a "Good Country" is one where, "The king protects his citizens, and everyone protects those who are important to them." I believe that this goal is an expression of Gira's humanity, and I hope that he'll keep it in mind as he moves straight ahead.

_

Watanabe Aoto (Yanma Gast) Interview

-The name "Hymeno" is a privilege for Yanma only-

"What kind of character did you feel Yanma was when you read the script?"

Watanabe: My first thought was, "This guy, I think he's a really cool man!" I've always admired men who take the initiative and lead others. Yanma shows off his cool side, but is also the type of person who can expose his weaknesses. That's why those around him want to help out. I remember thinking that the role was very appealing.

"Speaking of, Yanma's main characteristic is his pompadour hair style."

Watanabe: Actually, it wasn't going to be a pompadour in the beginning, but the Director, makeup artist and I came up with the decision. At first, I suggested a perm, with a "wet" look, but they wanted something edgier, so, they started trimming my sides more and more, until we ended up with the style you see now (laughs).

"Compared to the start of filming, have you discovered any new aspects of Yanma that you find appealing, or do you feel that you've grown?"

Watanabe: At this point, I really feel that he's trying to keep his cool image. Starting with Gira, he also seems to have a good relationship with Jeramie and Kaguragi, and I think it's because Yanma's willing to open up and talk with them. Don't dismiss your friends, but make sure to express your own opinions. With that kind of attitude, I feel the respect for each and every one of them. I also really like the distance that Yanma gives when interacting with someone.

"At the time of this book's publication, episode 26 will have aired, but, please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines."

Watanabe: There are alot of scenes I like….First, there's episode 2, where I say to the people of N'kosopa, "You guys, just shut up already and follow me. I'm not going to lose to anyone!!," there's also the scene in episode 7, where Hymeno reveals her past to Yanma. The scene in episode 10, where Legend King-Ohger arrives after the passionate exchange with Shiokara (Yanma's retainer), I really liked as well. Also, there's the wacky scene in episode 11, where they discussed how to reveal to the people that Gira, who was supposed to be dead, was actually alive. Ah, also! I liked the scene in episode 14, when Hymeno suspects that Jeramie's the one who caused the "Wrath of God" (disaster from 15 years ago), and Yanma says, "Things'll become clear when you finally meet Jeramie." Instead of being like, "I'll help you," he's more, "I'll throw you a rope, but it's up to you with what you do with it," leaving it up to her to decide, which I thought was very cool and totally like Yanma. I also like the scene in episode 17, where Gira saves Yanma, who's falling apart, and then the whoopie cushion scene in episode 19, where Yanma and Jeramie talk to each other, and they’re both smiling and laughing together, I really liked that one! It was the first time where I felt that he and Jeramie were facing the same direction.

"What do you keep in mind when playing Yanma?"

Watanabe: Before filming, the Director told me about my eyes. He said that if I remained as I was, they wouldn't have any "sharpness" to them. I watched yankii movies by myself, and since Yanma is a character who leads people, I wondered, "What kind of person would people want to follow?" I also read books and biographies written by people who've held leader positions. Through this process, I've slowly developed a sense of, "The coolness of someone who leads others." Now, I'm in the process of putting out what I've been studying.

"Like what for instance?"

Watanabe: Usually when Yanma talks to people, he'll consciously turn his head at an angle to them. He'll look away and stay calm, and only makes eye contact when the moment is right. I'm especially careful of the timing for when I face the person and when I make eye contact. I think this is an important factor in expressing what I consider to be Yanma's, "distance between people".

"What are some of the challenges you face when performing?"

Watanabe: The explanatory lines…there's so many Katakana characters. But, that's pretty much it. At other times, my jacket would fall off my shoulders while I was doing action scenes (laughs). Ah, speaking of the action! Yanma's pretty weak in fights, but I myself want to play the role of a more cool Yanma, so I'm alittle torn. In the movie "Adventure Heaven," which was released in July, there was an action scene between Rita and Yanma. During filming, Yanma was being overtaken by a swarm of Sanagim (Bugnarak soldiers), but, when I looked at Rita, they looked so freaking cool beating them up. Honestly, I was abit jealous.

"So you had a hard time with the explanatory lines, huh? There are many proper nouns unique to the show, so did you struggle with the intonation, especially in the beginning?"

Watanabe: It was difficult! I struggled the most with the accent for "Shugod."

"For Hymeno's name, should it be pronounced with an accent on the "Hy" or should it be pronounced normally?"

Watanabe: Actually, only Yanma's allowed to say it normally. Everyone else is told to put the accent on the "Hy". It's a privilege only I have!

"When do you most enjoy playing Yanma?"

Watanabe: For me, with the more serious scenes, I think I enjoy them more when they're over. As a citizen of N'kosopa, I also become nervous with all the extra cast members, but at the same time, it makes me feel excited. I approached these things with the mindset of, "Yanma's someone who brought these people together," but, when I walked down the red carpet with about 300 people all staring at me, I once again felt excited and the tension started to rise.

-Whatever choice you make, choose the one you won't regret-

"Now, I'd like to know what kind of impressions Watanabe-san has about the characters that surround Yanma. First off is Gira."

Watanabe: This can be said for all the kings, but I feel that he has his own sense of justice. I think that Gira's desire to protect people, even at the cost of his life, is stronger than others. He played the role of an "evil king" to make it happen. Yanma might laugh at Gira's way of doing things, but from my point of view, I think it's very cute. I mean, he's got a cute face, doesn't he? (laughs). There's something sparkly about his moments of "nothingness," and I think it grabs the hearts of both men and women. Even when he's doing something ridiculous, he has an atmosphere that makes the people around him want to support him, which is very much in tune with being a main character.

"What do you think about Hymeno?"

Watanabe: In my opinion, among all the characters in the show, aside from Yanma, I'm fond of Hymeno. For me, I love cool female characters. Furthermore, the selfish ones are the strongest of them all, right?! I also really like the relationship between Yanma and Hymeno. When Hymeno says something like, "you lack elegance," I tend to rebel against her, but I feel like we recognize each other's beliefs. Even when they're fighting, I don't think they feel awkward, I think that they're just enjoying themselves.

"In the beginning, Yanma called her, "Hymeno-chan," but before we knew it, he just calls her "Hymeno."

Watanabe: Actually, he hasn't called her by her name since episode 3, when he called her "Hymeno-chan." He did sometimes call her "Princess," though. So, I kept waiting to see when he would call her by her name next. And then, in episode 17, he said her name for the first time in such a long time, and it was also the first time he called out to her! It was the scene where Yanma relies on Hymeno, and I said to Erika-chan, "It's finally here." I thought it was really passionate that he called out to her for the first time in such a situation. I feel that Hymeno and Yanma are subconsciously acting in a way that'll make them like each other. For instance, in episode 7, I wonder if Yanma's answer to Hymeno's question about her past could've been more heartfelt because it was Hymeno. For Yanma on the other hand, when he asked Hymeno for a favor, I really like how she always smiles and helps me. In the beginning of the story, there were scenes depicted in which it seemed that Yanma had a crush on Hymeno, but I hope that in the end, Hymeno will fall in love with Yanma. That's my wish, but when I told Erika-chan about it, she said, "No, it won't happen that way. Because Hymeno is becoming more mature, in the end, Yanma will fall for Hymeno once again." (laughs).

"(laughs). So, what about Rita?"

Watanabe: For Yanma, Rita is the most distant of the 5. That's why Rita's the only one he hasn't called by name yet. I think for Yanma, it may have to do with Rita's position as chief judge. He has respect for them, so he doesn't want to interfere too much in the decisions they make. However, when dealing with them as a person, I think Yanma's the type of person who says whatever he wants. That's why he said, "So annoying!," when Rita screams in episode 19. I personally think that since Yanma can make friends with anyone, that I'm sure he can make friends with Rita as well. Still, he doesn't know much about Rita's personality, so if he can just break down some of their barriers, then surely…..Well, I do wish Rita would atleast be alittle more honest (laughs). But, Rita just goes at their own pace.

"Next, tell us about Kaguragi."

Watanabe: For me, I think that Kaguragi-san and Racules-san are characters that are most likely popular among adults. When I auditioned for the show, there was the script for the scene in the first episode, where Gira and Racules confront each other. At that time, I very much empathized with Racules. I'm only in my mid twenties, but even I know that you can't live by empty words only. I'm the type of person who has a hard time trusting people 100% right away, so I feel that the way Racules-san and Kaguragi-san go about politics makes the most sense. Among other things, Kaguragi-san's appeal is in that he's willing to dirty his hands to protect his family and his citizens.

"What are your impressions of Kaguragi from Yanma's perspective?"

Watanabe: Even as Yanma, I don't think he'd deny the way that Kaguragi-san does things. In episode 19, When he said to Kaguragi-san, "I guess I can trust you after all," is because he doesn't do things out of self interest, and that he's more concerned with protecting Toufu than the way it appears. I think Yanma can trust him. He was considered a traitor by many of those around him, but his actions are based on his beliefs. I think Yanma recognizes these aspects of Kaguragi.

"What about Jeramie?"

Watanabe: Jeramie's real cute, huh? Although, he's abit too pretentious for my tastes (laughs). In episode 12, Jeramie's origins were revealed. I think Yanma also feels that he's cute in that, even though he's been alive for 2,000 years, he still gets pulled around by everyone around him. Furthermore, there's the scene in episode 19, where Yanma and Jeramie fistbump, and I think that Yanma wanted to have an equal relationship with Jeramie at that time. So, I was mindful of that when I played the part of Yanma getting angry for a moment in response to Jeramie's words. Also, Jeramie's really strong. So, I hope Yanma can be in a position to guide him in using that strength.

"Do you think there's anything about the other 5 cast members that you would actually consider to be kingly?"

Watanabe: They all have their own wonderful qualities. Taisei may seem like an innocent airhead, but he's also got a manly spirit. Erika-chan is someone who always thinks from the perspective of those around her. She's dignified, in a good way, and that's something I want to learn from her. Yuzuki-chan is the same, she has a keen sense of observation. For example, when she sees someone who appears to be in trouble, she tries to move towards that person to help them. It's wonderful that she's not only able to anticipate, but is also able to act properly. Kaku-san is very experienced! He's the ideal adult man. I want to be like Kaku-san someday. Finally, Masashi is very friendly. Before I realized it, we became very close. I seem to have ended up talking about what I like about the 5 of them, rather than what I think is kingly about them (laughs).

"We'd also like to ask about Shiokara, Yanma's retainer."

Watanabe: My relationship with Shiokara is also a heated one. Yanma used to be a loner, but Shiokara accepts him and has stuck around ever since. They've spent alot of time together, so he's someone Yanma trusts the most. For me, I'm very happy and grateful to have someone like Shiokara by my side. He works for me, coordinating our foreign diplomacy. And, Shiokara's someone who can speak up for Yanma, so in a way, he also acts as my "brakes."

"If you think about it, Shiokara seems to have great communication skills…"

Watanabe: That's right. That's why I think his role is to act as a connection between Yanma and other people. For example, if it were just Yanma and his citizens, there would be alot of conflict, but with Shiokara intervening, they can move things in the right direction.

"In the future, are there any situations or scenes that you'd like to play as Yanma?"

Watanabe: I have so many that I've been writing them down in my phone's memo pad (laughs). The first, would be an awakening scene. I think it's okay for someone to lose sight of themselves. If Yanma were to switch places in the scene where he says to Hymeno, "The grief of losing someone, it's a luxury I've never had," he'd probably find himself in a situation where his rationality is thrown out and his eyes are opened. Another scene would be where Shiokara is fighting, and while everyone else is worried about him, only Yanma is watching and laughing. I thought it'd be nice if the person closest to Shiokara believed in him and watches over him, and so something in Shiokara would also awaken…I think that'd be a good scene. Wouldn't it be real passionate if we could draw out Shiokara's strength even more because Yanma believes in him?! I want to try doing it!

"As we enter the new chapter, please give a yell of support for the current Yanma."

Watanabe: I want you to stick to your own style until the end, even if there are many challenges ahead. It's okay if it's different from what Yanma thinks now. For example, right now he’s saying, "I don't flatter or bow down to anyone," but when the time comes that Yanma thinks it would be better to do so, he may lower his head. I think that's just how you grow. Whatever choice you make, I hope it's one you won't regret. From now on, let's show off another new side to Yanma!

_

Murakami Erika (Hymeno Ran) Interview

-I can say, "Thank you," with all my heart-

"At the time of being cast, what kind of character was described to you?"

Murakami: The first thing I was told, was that Hymeno's beloved parents had lost their lives. I was asked to create a role based on this fact. So, I didn't ask about the specifics of her personality, rather, I developed the character of Hymeno while acting. Hymeno's character introduction on the official site states, "Extremely selfish" and, "Has no hesitation in saving someone's life." I think being selfish means to have a strong will and a strong heart that won't be discouraged by anything. With that, I think it comes from the frustration of, "I wasn't able to save my parents." The reason why Hymeno was able to move forward with determination, and not give up no matter what happens, is most likely because she's overcome the sadness of losing her parents by herself. So, when I play Hymeno, I value having that kind of backbone the most, and it became a very important point of reference in my interpretation of Hymeno.

"Compared to the beginning of filming, do you feel that Hymeno has grown in any way?"

Murakami: It would be the fact that she's started to say thank you from the heart. Hymeno has a desire for revenge due to her parents being killed when she was younger, but I think she's lived most of her life while hiding those negative emotions. But, the more I came into contact with kings from other countries, the more I had to face it. For example, in episode 14, after learning that the animation, "Together with Moffun," was created by the people of Ishabana to cheer up Hymeno, who ascended the throne at such a young age, there's a scene where Hymeno says, "Thank you," to a girl, one of her citizens. Of course, as the queen of Ishabana, I'm sure that she had much to thank her people for, but I felt that her "thank you" at that time was a sincere one that brought her back to her original mindset, which she had forgotten. I think that's where Hymeno grew the most. Also, in episode 7, Yanma tells Hymeno that, "The grief of losing someone, it's a luxury I never had," and I think that was a scene where Hymeno realized alot of things. It's discoveries like this, through the other kings, that allow her to move forward again. These kinds of changes wouldn't be possible if Hymeno was all alone. Also, no one believed her when she said that her parents hadn't died from the disaster, but were instead murdered, except for Rita, who was the only one who believed her. Episode 16 proved that the "Wrath of God" was a deliberate act. As the story progresses, Hymeno, who would've never relied on others, came to rely on everyone at important points. At the beginning of filming, I was thinking mainly about how to make Hymeno's character stand out, and how to show the relationship between the kings, but, as Hymeno has grown, I feel that I've come to grasp the role in a deeper way.

"In episode 16, Hymeno gives Rita a "Premium Chibi Moffun" as a thank you present.

Murakami: I think she was just really happy that Rita relied on her to analyze the poison, and that she opened up to them and told them about her past. Hymeno grew up with alot of love from her parents, and I believe that she really wants to interact with alot of different people. That's why her interaction with Rita reminded me of my own childhood and made me feel nostalgic. While she's a strong woman, I feel that Hymeno must have often felt lonely.

"In the film "Adventure Heaven," which was released in July, the kings visited the Kingdom of Death, and Hymeno was reunited with her parents. During filming, did you ever remember your own parents and call them?"

Murakami: I did! I talked alot with my parents before shooting that exact scene. We didn't talk about anything special, we just had a casual conversation. But, I think what Hymeno wants the most, is the daily life she had when her parents were still alive. So, while I can talk to my parents whenever I want, I imagined what it would be like if I couldn't do that anymore, and developed Hymeno's feelings from there. So basically, I tried not to decide too much for each scene in my head, but rather, I tried to decide how I would act by my movements and feeling the atmosphere of the scene.

"Was that the way you approached the role from the beginning?"

Murakami: No, in the beginning, I did things my own way. I would often come up with a plan and then go to the shoot. However, I thought that I could make the performance better if we all worked together on it, as things can change when you're working on it with someone else. I realized this in episode 17, in the scene where Yanma said to me, "I need your help to evacuate the people of N'kosopa. You're not so heartless to leave the wounded behind, are you?" When I read the script alone, I thought that Yanma would say it like he was exhausted from battle. But, in reality, he said it with a very relaxed smile on his face. I thought, "I see. I'm surprised that Yanma would do such a thing here!" I responded to him with a smile of nuance, as if saying, "You know I'm not that kind of a girl, right?" I'm sure that I wouldn't have been able to do that if I had perfected the performance by myself.

"With that, she said that she's now able to perform with more composure than when she first started."

Murakami: That's right. At first, as I read the script, I thought about each line with, "Why am I saying this here?" I would think about each line and write various things into the script. However, I thought that if I kept doing that, I'd have a hard time in the future, and that if I didn't think too much about it, I'd be more flexible if something different from what I had anticipated happened on set. In fact, my stance has changed, and I felt much more at ease when I went to one of the film sites without any script.

"When do you enjoy playing Hymeno the most?"

Murakami: There are many times. For example, in episode 16, where I tell Rita, "Thank you," and I happily hum as I leave was really fun to perform. Also, the scene where Hymeno becomes startled from when Rita screams, "Aaaaah!!," is also funny due to my amusing reaction. I like performances that are dialogue heavy, so I'll read the script, and imagine things that haven't taken form yet as I go to the set, and when I get there I think, "Ah, this person is going to do this here! Well then, I'll try to get in on it." It's really nice seeing new developments happening all the time.

"On the other hand, are there any struggles when playing Hymeno?"

Murakami: Hymeno has dealt with many difficulties in the past, so she's not easily fazed. That's why I've had a very hard time with more emotional scenes. In the film, there's a part in which I had to hold back tears during the scene where I say goodbye to my parents. If it were actually me, I would definitely start to cry, but Hymeno has the strength to endure it. During those times, it's difficult for me to distinguish between the emotions of myself and those of Hymeno.

-I sometimes offer my ideas about Hymeno's makeup-

"Hymeno's elegant behavior is appealing, but is she influenced by Murakami-san as well?"

Murakami: My grandmother was very strict about etiquette, so I was often told that I, "had elegance." In episode 14, I said to Jeramie, "You, just reveal the truth, and nothing more!" But, I've never said "You"* to anyone, so, how was I supposed to say it?! I was really worried. But, I thought that Hymeno could say it, since she's a strong woman. The more I understand Hymeno, the more I realize that she's a stronger person than I thought. My goal was, "Have a strong heart, and be someone who isn't discouraged by the smallest things," and I feel like I'm getting closer to that by playing Hymeno. In the past, when it came to acting, I often felt sad and thought, "I should've done that more like this." But now, even when I'm feeling down, I can think, "Alright, how can I reflect and put it to use next time?" (*she uses an informal way of saying "You")

"I admire women like Hymeno. She's strong, but cute."

Murakami: She really is! Hymeno is selfish, but I think being selfish is wonderful. In this generation, I think there are many people who can't say what they want, because they feel that they have to conform to their surroundings. If those people can gain even alittle bit of strength and courage from watching Hymeno, it would be a true honor for me as an actor.

"Hymeno's costumes, hair and makeup are just like those of a princess. Do the costumes and makeup turn on your "switch" as Hymeno?"

Murakami: Rather than the costumes, I feel that I look the most like a queen when I sit on my throne. There are alot of accessories around me, so I get tips on how to hold a teacup and do other gestures. Also, when it comes to the makeup, I sometimes suggest colors for my lipstick, eye shadow, and blush. I'll sometimes even bring my own cosmetics to the set.

"What are some key points of Hymeno's makeup?"

Murakami: I try to keep a good balance in the use of colors. If the eyes are darker, the lips should be lighter, and so, if the lips are darker, then the eyes should be lighter. What I'm most particular about is always having, "Curled eyelashes." When you draw Hymeno in fan art, I think it looks more like Hymeno if the eyelashes are quickly raised up!

"At the time of this book's publication, episode 26 will have aired, but please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines."

Murakami: The line in episode 21, where I say to Gira, "What's wrong with being selfish?," is catchy, and it's my favorite because it suits Hymeno so well. Also, when I sensed that Scorpi (God Scorpion) had feelings for Kabutan (God Kabuto), she says, "Are you really just friends?," and I liked how Hymeno was sensitive towards a young maiden's heart. Also, in episode 25, where she says, "I always hate it when the flowers fall. But, if I think of it as a way to scatter the seeds so more flowers can bloom, then I can accept it." That line made me happy to see Hymeno grow so much.

"Next, please tell us about your impressions of the other 5 kings. First is Gira."

Murakami: At first, I thought Gira was the type of person who would be very noisy, but when I saw how he behaved himself during the meal scene, I felt that he gave off an aura of someone who was more than just an ordinary person. In the scene where she first meets Gira, Hymeno says, "I'm interested in you," and touches Gira's chin. I remember being surprised because we had only just started filming (laughs).

"Next, tell us about Yanma."

Murakami: Hymeno is a young lady with a rich upbringing, while Yanma is a yankii who's risen up from the streets of poverty. They're complete opposites, but they have a strange relationship in that they can share some things with each other. In episode 7, when Hymeno talks about her past, Yanma doesn't stand by her, instead, he speaks from a completely different angle. But, I believe that Yanma's statement of, "That kind of consolation doesn't help people grow," was said out of kindness.

"What's your impression of Rita?"

Murakami: Rita is a neutral person, someone who attacks everything with logic, so at first, there were scenes where I was made to feel as if, "Someone I don't like very much is here." But, as I got to know them better, I found that they looked directly at Hymeno and took her more seriously than anyone else. Rita is someone who can stand by others. The back to back fight with Hymeno is my favorite scene with Rita.

"How about Kaguragi Dybowski?"

Murakami: For Kaguragi, I got the impression that he was a very hospitable, lively and pleasant guy, but, he's also deceitful and had ulterior motives, so I couldn't trust him. Even in episode 13, there's a line where Hymeno looks annoyed when she sees Kaguragi and says, "Why are you (here)…?" That foreshadowing was beautifully revealed in episode 19! You can't tell people just from looking at the surface….

"Please also tell us about Jeramie Brasieri."

Murakami: I got the impression that he was a, "Strange spider man," who didn't really know what he wanted to do. However, when he finally opened up, I realized that he just wanted to get along with everyone. From Hymeno's point of view, it's like, "Why are you doing things in such a roundabout way?!" (laughs). In episode 14, Hymeno doubted Jeramie, saying, "Are you the one who caused the Wrath of God?!," but he kept saying, "I want you to read between the lines." If you just speak properly, I'll get the message. But, it's probably because he's never been able to engage with other people before. I find his clumsiness abit endearing, so I can't just leave him be.

"Do you think there's anything about the other 5 cast members that you would consider to be kingly?"

Murakami: One day, I was on standby for my scene, but due to time constraints, we didn't film it. I was feeling alittle sad about it, but Taisei-kun encouraged me by saying, "Don't worry!" I thought his casual concern for others was like a king. For Aoto-kun…when we had just started filming, there was a time when I was feeling depressed because I felt that I couldn't act well. When I went to the filming site the next day, Aoto-kun said, "I'll give you some candy." That sort of indirect kindness is both heartwarming and comforting.

"Looking through Murakami-san's SNS, we can see that she and Yuzuki Hirakawa-san, who plays Rita, go out together on their days off and seem to get along well."

Murakami: That's right. There are separate dressing rooms for the men and women, so Yuzuyan (Hirakawa) and I spend all our time together, even when we're not filming. I sometimes call her "YuzuYuzu." She's someone who can honestly and clearly say what she thinks, and I think that's a strength similar to a king.

How about Kaguragi's Kaku So-san, and Jeramie's Masashi Ikeda-san?

Murakami: Kaku-san is the oldest of the cast members, and I can tell that he's looking out for all of us with a sense of responsibility. He plays the kind of king who surrounds everyone. Ikeda-kun is always smiling and laughing at my boring jokes. The same goes for Kaku-san, and their kindness makes me feel like they're kings with a big heart.

"Are there any situations as Hymeno that you'd like to play in the future?"

Murakami: After filming the movie, I felt there were situations where I was like, "Hymeno is strong, so I can't let these things discourage her." I would like to try something like, "(through tears) I don't want to ruin my mascara." (laughs).

"Since we're about to enter the new chapter, please give a yell of support to the current Hymeno!"

Murakami: Hymeno~! You're not only selfish, but you've also got a cute side to you. I don't know what the new chapter will look like yet, but, as long as you stay the way you are and walk the path you believe in, I'm sure you'll be fine!

_

Hirakawa Yuzuki (Rita Kaniska) Interview

-Rita is calm and quiet, but is the opposite of "cold"-

"At the time of being chosen for the role and filming began, how did the staff explain the character to you?"

Hirakawa: Since the time of the audition, I was told that Rita would be, "A character who's calm, quiet, and fazed by nothing." The word, "Immovable," came up while I was reading the script and having discussions with Pilot Director, Kazuya Kamihoriuchi-san. Also, they mentioned that the character doesn't show many emotional highs or lows. As the international chief judge, they always take a step back and look at things objectively, but, this wasn't dictated by the production team, I thought it'd be better to do that if I were Rita, so they adopted it. Even at times when I'm with everyone during filming, I try to keep one step back.

"For your role Hirakawa-san, what kind of character do you think Rita is?"

Hirakawa: Rita has many faces, including the face they show to everyone and the face they show when they're alone. At a glance, they may look like an inhumane and cold person, but, they scream alot and talk with their Moffun plushies to clear their mind, and among the 6 kings, I feel that they're surprisingly humane. But, on the other hand, they also have a role as chief judge, and there are times when they have to stand in front of a crowd as king. Even in our normal lives, there's a sharp contrast between when we're working and when we're having fun. I'm sure that Rita feels that way too. Because Rita has so many sides to them, it's easy for viewers to relate to each side and way of life, and I think that's why we've received so much positive feedback. Furthermore, Rita often confronts people with the harsh truth of their situations, but it's proof that they've seen and dealt with them properly. If there's even abit of doubt, they investigate with their own eyes and legs.

"Compared to when you first started filming, what are some new things you've discovered about Rita recently, and how do you feel they've grown?"

Hirakawa: When we first started filming, we only received the scripts for 2 episodes, so I though, "What's going to happen to Rita?" In episode 5, which is Rita's first main episode, the scene where they talk with Moffun I had already performed during the audition, so I an idea that such a scene would be included. As I read the scripts and acted in episode 5 and so on, my image of Rita finally solidified in my mind. Thinking about it again, I've recently started to show my own personality in front of everyone.

"The scene with Morfonia in episode 10 was particularly memorable."

Hirakawa: That's the scene where, through Moffun, Morfonia said to me, "If the world's going to end, why not ask for someone's help just once? Moffun wants to stay together with Rittan." At that time, I think the feeling of, "I have to tell you what I'm thinking," developed within Rita. As a result of having the courage to show their true feelings to Morfonia, I felt that they had become less of a barrier to those around them. It was a moment where I felt that Rita had grown by taking a step forward on their own.

"You mentioned earlier about your position. What else do you keep in mind when playing Rita?"

Hirakawa: Rita's face is usually covered by the collar, so there's alot that can be conveyed by the way they look at you, the way they blink, and how they open their eyes. For those reasons, I pay extra attention to eye contact. Since the only source of information about facial expressions is through the eyes, even a quick glance at someone conveys information about how you feel towards them. The same goes for the movements of the body as a whole, but I'm still very conscious of the eyes. This is a character whose imagination grows in the minds of viewers, so I want to make sure they don't get the wrong impressions. And, when I'm speaking as chief judge, I also try to make my words sound compelling. I have a naturally low voice, so in order to make my voice more low pitched and stable, especially when making a verdict, I would lower my voice and make it stronger. The trial scenes are the most difficult, because there's alot of difficult lines (laughs). When I read the script and came across a word that I wouldn't normally use, I'll use a handwriting app on my phone to find out how to read it. I think that if you don't understand the meaning of your lines before saying them, it'll be unconvincing, so that's one of the points I'm working on. In addition, Rita, from their position of neutrality, has many loud, impactful lines in which they declare important things for the countries, such as the "Five Kingdom Alliance," and the trials by combat. I'm mindful of closing scenes like that in a cool way.

"Speaking of voice, the tone of their voice when they're alone in their room was also striking."

Hirakawa: The tension in the room when I was speaking to Moffun was like, "No moooore!," as I had been influenced by the script and felt it was much different at first. But, when I was reading the script the day before filming, Director Kamihoriuchi told me that there was a change in direction (laughs). However, I think the fact that the tension was the same as in the actual broadcast made the scene more surreal and cute. Still, just talking to some plushies is quite a contrast, isn't it? I also enjoy the close up shots. The lines that Rita says to Moffun aren't meant to be sweet, but are instead abit of a lesson. By speaking with Moffun, Rita must be trying to clear their mind. Performing those interactions has become a "switch" for me, and I feel as if I have a small Moffun in my head as well.

"It seems to be very difficult to keep the tension the same, in addition to being required to perform in a slow, almost whispering manner."

Hirakawa: That's right. Also, while men's low voices resonate great, it's abit difficult to make women's low voices resonate. Voices change depending on the condition, so I have to pay attention when making adjustments.

"Another scene that's received alot of attention, are those where your character screams in panic."

Hirakawa: The script said, "Aaaaaah!," so I wasn't sure what to do at first… (laughs). I hadn't really screamed much in any of my previous roles, so when we set up for the shoot, the Director gave me the direction of, "More screaming! more!" This happened before we ate lunch, but during the actual performance after eating, the volume of my voice became much louder. I then realized the importance of food. From then on, whenever my voice became low during filming, the Director would ask me, "Want to eat some food for now?" (laughs). Rita does that outburst when they feel like their head is about to explode, so I guess this too is sort of a "switch." It's normal of Rita to make strange noises in order to calm down. In episode 9, when Rita screamed, Yanma responds with, "Stop that! It's so annoying!" That was actually an adlib by Watanabe-kun, who plays Yanma. It made me very happy!

"What are some of the challenges you face when performing?"

Hirakawa: My visibility is poor. When I check my standing position on set, I can't see the right half of my body. As for the difficulty of my movement, I've been doing this for more than half a year now, so I've gotten used to it. Speaking of getting used to it, I wear boots with a heel of about 10 cm.* They're one of my favorites because of how cool they are. (*alittle under 4 inches)

"When are the times where you feel most comfortable playing the role?"

Hirakawa: The setting and worldview are completely different from the environment in which we actually live, so there are many things that we wouldn't normally be able to do. So, everything's alot of fun. It's also the first time for me to play the role of a judge (laughs). As I mentioned earlier, Rita has many sides, so I play them as if I were playing 4 roles at once. The most enjoyable scenes are those in which they can perform comedic movements. For example, in episode 9, they rush forward with the hilt of their Ohger Calibur to stop Gira's outburst, and in the film, they run towards Yanma with their hands raised. I hope you'll pay attention to the way they're slowly making such movements, even in front of their friends.

-They're calm, but, when they're excited, they're excited!-

"At the time of this book's publication, the episode that will have aired is episode 26, which is the end of the battle with the Bugnarak. Please tell us about any memorable scenes or lines from Rita."

Hirakawa: I was really impressed by episode 16, which dove into Rita's past and their childhood when they became a judge. I also liked that Rita's first exchange with Shiron, who they judged, was connected to the main plot of the story. This was the episode where Rita reaffirmed their resolve and responsibility as king, and strongly vowed, "As king, I will absolutely uphold neutrality and order," so it made me feel even more nervous playing the role. Gokkan is a special country whose citizens are current or ex criminals, so it seems alittle different from the other countries.

"You've had a lot of battles, which one has been the most memorable in terms of action?"

Hirakawa: Hachisuka Yuichi-san, the suit actor who plays PapillonOhger, Rita's transformed form, has been carefully teaching me how to swing a sword and move my feet one by one. Even the smallest movements, like how to hold the sword or the angle of the sword towards the camera, are the parts that he's very particular about, as he watches and guides me from the monitor, he says, "If you do it this way, you'll look cool!"

"We'd like to hear Hirakawa-san's impressions of the characters surrounding Rita. First, please start with Gira."

Hirakawa: He's so straightforward, that it makes me worry. It's really cool that he acts for everyone's sake, even at the cost of his life, but, he also has a boyish cute like feel to him that I think makes him a really lovable character. It's also nice to see him switch from his cute face to a cool kingly face. It's wonderful that he always thinks with everyone in mind.

"How about Yanma?"

Hirakawa: Out of the 6, he's the most wild, and has a manly spirit. When he says, "I'll follow the path I believe in!," I like the way it sounds, it's got a strong feel of passion within its roughness. It might be because he grew up in the slums, and has worked his way up the ranks, but he also has abit of a playful and approachable feel to him. Most of all, his cool attitude of "Follow me," makes me think that he'd definitely make any N'kosopa citizen a fan.

"Continuing on, Hymeno Ran."

Hirakawa: I think everything about her is beautiful and cute. I feel the strength of a woman from Hymeno, and she's the kind of hero that girls admire. She acts selfishly, but it's not for personal gain. It's wonderful that she does it for the sake of protecting others. I also feel the power to keep believing in what I once believed in, and to keep moving forward with it. I also think the fact that she enjoys fashion with her hair, makeup, and constantly changing dresses, is also appealing.

"Next is Kaguragi Dybowski."

Hirakawa: I don't know what he's thinking anymore! (laughs). Kaguragi is always up to something, and I think he's the most unpredictable out of the 6 of us. But, as king, he says he'll, "Get his hands dirty to protect his people," so he really does come off like a nice older brother. He's a man who'll take any side for the sake of his own benefit, so I feel that he's the most important person for Rita to watch out for and to always keep an eye on.

"We'd also like to ask about the sixth warrior, Jeramie Brasieri."

Hirakawa: Jeramie is someone who also has alot, if not more, mysterious parts to him as Kaguragi. He's brought to Gokkan every time something happens, so he has alot of scenes with Rita. I personally don't get what, "Between the lines," Jeramie is saying for us to read (laughs). However, I think he's got some similarities with Rita. I think they can relate to his inability to honestly express his thoughts, and his emotional highs and lows. I think he's the talking type, and the fact that he's so mysterious is interesting.

"Finally, one more person. What do you think about Morfonia, Rita's retainer who really understands them?"

Hirakawa: Although she's someone who always says, "Work is too much trouble…," she's a hard worker, who does what Rita asks her to do quickly and efficiently. I don't think their relationship with her was that close until episode 10, but after that conversation, the way they treated Morfonia changed. For her, she's also changed the way she treats and looks at Rita, and I think she's become more interested in Rita as a person. She's a cute, reliable and a beloved character.

"Do you think there's anything about the other 5 cast members that you would consider to be kingly?"

Hirakawa: I was told that it's uncommon, but this time, all 6 main cast members are over 20 years old. So even though everyone is usually pretty calm, when they're excited, they're excited, just like the kings in the show. When one person messes around, another one joins them, and then another will pick up on it…it's a really peaceful and fun scene to witness (laughs). No matter what I do, there are those who will definitely join me, so I'm grateful for that.

"You're all good friends, aren't you? We've heard that you'll sometimes go out to eat together."

Hirakawa: That's right. We often go out to eat together after filming, and we have alot of fun talking not just about filming, but about casual things too. It's currently pretty rare, but since I'm from Kumamoto, sometimes it's hard for me to understand the intonation of some words in standard Japanese. Furthermore, I was nervous about the intonation of some words we don't usually use, like court terms and the explanatory lines, so I had to ask Watanabe-kun and Kaku-san about them. Then, they'd say something random and unintelligible to confuse me, so I'd always laugh and say, "That's definitely not true, right?!" Also, it's very popular to imitate and speak as the characters on set. If you imitating Racules's name calling, or if you speak in a way that takes alot of time, like Kaguragi, you're sometimes called, "Toufu Ruler" (laughs).

"From now on, do you have any hopes for Rita to develop in the future?"

Hirakawa: Someday, I'd like to take off the collar and talk with my face in front of everyone. Right now, they only take it off in scenes where the other kings aren't around or during battle scenes. Scenes for joking around are also good. I think it'd be really interesting if a character who doesn't usually do silly scenes, actually does some, and I think Rita is the right person for that role. On the other hand, I'll have a sense of responsibility to make it funny, but, I'll be sure to give it my all if my wish comes true!

"We're finally entering the new chapter. Hirakawa-san, please give a yell of support to the current Rita!"

Hirakawa: Just as peace has been restored with the creation of the sixth kingdom, I have a feeling that new enemies will also appear. However, if you have faith in what you believe in, and do what you need to do, I'm sure you'll be able to face the challenges. You have wonderful friends now. Please take a quick breather and do your best!

_

Kaku So (Kaguragi Dybowski) Interview

-Being recognized as a liar makes me happy (laughs)-

"We understand that Kaguragi was meant to be more dark hearted, and to be more of a villain in the initial setting."

Kaku: During the time of the audition, I got the feeling that he not only played tricks, but also cheated others with his words. However, I thought that the type of character that's skillful with words but pushes through with power in the end would suit my style, so I tried to play it in that manner. Later, when I got the role of Kaguragi and filming started, the character wasn't as cruel as initially described, he was always smiling, and was able to overcome any situation with force. I think there was a direction to make him more scary, as if you don't know what he's thinking, but, I got emotionally attached to Kaguragi and decided to make him more interesting, somewhere between "amusing" and "cool", I played the role while thinking that it would make his character come to life more, and that's how I ended up with the image of Kaguragi that you see now. Kamejim, the Bugnarak's Prime Minister, is a dark hearted character who's also a trickster, but, unlike Kamejim, Kaguragi is a more refreshing character. Instead of those around him saying, "(with a frown) He's a bad guy…" it's more like, "(with a look that says: I've been robbed) He's a bad guuuy!"

"As the story progresses, what new aspects of Kaguragi have you discovered?"

Kaku: In episode 8, when Gira and Racules were doing trial by combat, Kaguragi was supposed to give Racules an anesthetic disguised as poison, but, when Hymeno asked him if he had switched them, there was a scene where he turned his head and went, "Ho?" Director (Kyohei) Yamaguchi, who directed episode 8, told me to, "Make it easier to understand," and I did just that, and it was unexpectedly popular on set (laughs). I was worried that I might lose the character of Kaguragi, but the response to the broadcast was positive, and I realized that going in this direction was also acceptable. Episodes 1-5 were a period in which the framework of Kaguragi's character was established, and while the framework we created was important, we didn't want to stray too far from it. However, I thought that if I was too concerned about not wanting to change my original image, I wouldn't be able to expand the scope of my role.

"As the story progresses, we find out that he has a little sister named Suzume."

Kaku: I knew early on that I had a younger sister, and that she was being held in Shugoddam as a hostage, but I wasn't told how she ended up there. In episode 15, the scene where he talks to Suzume for the first time was depicted, but, if I had been acting in the image I had up until episode 5, I might have thought, "Is it okay for me to act so silly with my little sister?" I was able to act easily after playing the unusual role of Kaguragi for so long, and (Mami) Kamura-chan, who plays Suzume, is an excellent actor and is good at adlibs, so we can act and joke around with each other in a positive manner. I was led to believe that Suzume was gentle and had a sincere personality, but that's not the case at all, the character is more, "Like brother, like sister." They have the same core beliefs that everything they do is for the sake of their country. They're the perfect siblings for the country of Toufu, don't you think?

"What do you pay special attention to when acting?"

Kaku: In regards to facial expressions, I thought it'd be funny if I smiled during critical scenes, or, if I had a more serious look in a scene, people might think, "Is Kaguragi being cornered?" I try not to bore the audience with my performance. I want to be as funny as possible, but in serious scenes, I just have to go with the flow. I make sure to pay attention to that.

"Kaguragi is always a step ahead and planning strategies, but how far ahead does Kaku-san know?"

Kaku: I don't know anything (laughs). I only knew that Racules would be leaving, and that the new chapter would begin after episode 26. I act after understanding the developments of the story up to 2-3 episodes ahead of the one we're currently filming, then, I would get the script for the next few episodes and continue to work on the story. It's a process I'll repeat. Even in the scene where he and Racules are trying to figure out each other's true intentions, as part of his trickery, Kaguragi pretends not to know, even though he does know alot of things, while I myself don't know anything. Honestly, it's difficult to play the role this way. I wish they'd atleast tell me alittle more…(bitter smile).

"Masato Yano-san, who played the role of Racules, was said to be aware of what was going to happen in the future."

Kaku: He knows what'll happen to Racules, but he doesn't know anything about the other characters. Maybe he does know and is just keeping quiet (laughs).

"The battles between Kaguragi and Racules to find the other person's true intentions were always worth watching. Some fans said, "Just those scenes alone were like a night time drama."

Kaku: (laughs). I had alot of fun interacting with Racules. I knew alittle bit of what was going to happen, so I used my imagination to fill in the blanks, and I discussed the performance with Yano-chan. It was more like a negotiation than a discussion. We didn't talk much about the details, but I would watch Yano-chan's performance on set and think to myself that, "If that's how he's going to do it, then I'll do it too," and, "I see, so that's how it's going to be," and I played my role, thinking it was a good learning experience. It's nice to be called a, "Night time drama." I think it means that we were able to create a world for the 2 of us. Kaguragi has a very serious face for serious scenes, but in the scenes with Racules, he bluffs or makes exaggerated and dramatic facial expressions and movements, and I like these scenes because it gives off a sense of trickery, and expresses Kaguragi's true side.

"The scene in the film, "Adventure Heaven," which was released in July, in which Kaguragi and Iroki, the previous ruler of Toufu, confront each other, is also memorable."

Kaku: Hinagata Akiko-san played the role of Iroki, and I think it turned out to be a very good scene. Also in the film, the confrontation between the kings and their past hardships was the highlight of Kaguragi's performance.

"What do you feel is the most difficult when playing Kaguragi?"

Kaku: In the beginning, I had a hard time with the dubbing. Now, I'm quite used to it, and the other cast members are also getting alot better with their voices, and I'm always impressed at the speed in which they're growing. My comments are somewhat from a father's point of view, but since I'm older than the other main cast members, I can't help but feel this way (laughs).

"Can you name some of the most memorable scenes and lines of Kaguragi up to episode 26, which has aired by the time of this book's publication?"

Kaku: Episode 18 left a lasting impression on me overall. Particularly in the second half, when he and Gira cooperate to defeat the giant robot King-Ohger ZERO, which is piloted by Racules. When asked by Racules, "Was everything you did to take away my power?!," it became clear that Kaguragi himself was acting in a calculated way. The first half's, "He's unfair," is also memorable. When Gira tells me how Suzume is doing, and I ask, "What do you want in exchange for this information?" Gira replies, "Nothing." I was once again drawn in by Gira, who never asked for anything in return….It was a nice scene. Taking place in Toufu, Episode 4 is also very impressive. He's unmoved by Desnarak VIII, and dosen't show his true feelings, but, his expression changes the moment the crop fields are burned. I remember that scene well because it clearly showed Kaguragi's character, someone who values the country of Toufu and its citizens above all else.

"In episode 5, when the 5 kings fight together for the first time, Kaguragi says, "I've always believed that this day would come!," and it's funny to see Gira and the others yell at him with, "Liar!"

Kaku: I was happy that the other kings recognized me as a liar (laughs). Being a liar is one of the characteristics that define Kaguragi.

"If the kings are going to unite to fight against new enemies in the future, we feel like Kaguragi won't be able to showcase his individuality…"

Kaku: My own prediction is that the kings will break up atleast once. I have the impression that the royal Sentai aren't always on good terms. Therefore, I believe that Kaguragi's character will continue to be shown off. Also, if the enemy were to say, "We're going to destroy all the countries, but we'll save only one," Kaguragi will betray the other kings in an instant (laughs).

-Out of the 6 of us, I'm the, "Selfish king," that hogs the air conditioner-

"Now, we'd like to hear your impressions of the other kings surrounding Kaguragi. First, let's start with Gira."

Kaku: In episode 18, it's clear that Kaguragi is drawn towards and approves of him, as evidenced by the "He's unfair" line. However, some may think that he's easier to handle and hold in my grasp as opposed to Racules, so I like him because he's easier to deal with. Personally, I think he's cute (laughs). I think he gives off the strong feeling of a little brother.

"Please tell us about Yanma Gast and Hymeno Ran."

Kaku: There haven't been many opportunities for Kaguragi to interact with Yanma, but, Kaguragi understands that Yanma is smart, so if he wasn't able to manage himself well, he'd probably be thinking carefully when talking to Yanma. On the other hand, I think part of him feels that because Yanma's so smart, it's easier for him to plan ahead, or that his actions are easier to read than Gira's, which are based more on instinct. My impression of him is that he's passionate and cool! I liked the scene in episode 17, when he's falling apart, and says, "Don't you dare lose!," and Gira takes over. I think it's great that he's always so cool. The way he lives, the way he thinks, and even his actions have a certain charm to them that makes him a lovable character. Aoto, who plays the role, is also very cool. He's always on the scene as Yanma, or rather, he's always thinking about how Yanma would act in certain situations.

At one point, I thought that Hymeno and Kaguragi got along, but I think they probably don't like each other since the falling out in episode 8, where he went, "Ho?" (bitter smile). I hope they can talk things out and make up in the future… My impression is that she's simple and cute. She acts like a princess in every way, and even though she's selfish, that by itself is cute. Even still, the way she stands and acts in the battle scenes are powerful and cool. That kind of contrast is also wonderful.

"Next, Rita and Jeramie."

Kaku: Rita is also cool. When they're interacting with Moffun, I think the contrast is rather sly (laughs). I think Hirakawa Yuzuki-san, who plays the role, is very good with action. It must be difficult to move in those boots. From Kaguragi's perspective, they seem like a strict judge, and I think he perceives them as someone he'd like to have on his side somehow. In their relationship, Kaguragi visits Rita and tries to give them a gift. Rita doesn't want to accept it, but Kaguragi says, "Now, now, that just won't do," and forcibly hands it to them, pulling them into his own pace…that's the image I got from it. This is all just my imagination.

In episode 20, Kaguragi and Jeramie worked together to deceive Racules, and as a result, they revealed that Boshimar (Racules's close aide) was really Kamejim, and they've been fighting together ever since then. He also looks over the relationship between Kaguragi and Suzume, so I think they also have a good relationship. I think it's because of his parents unacceptable relationship, being between a human and Bugnarak, that Jeramie has a weakness for separated families, and he wants to support them. From my point of view, isn't he too good looking? I think he is. And that voice…it's really not fair. I'm talking about his actor, Masashi Ikeda-kun, who plays Jeramie, he's also good at soccer and plays the drums. (said earnestly) It's so unfair, isn't it?~…

"(laughs). We'd also like to hear your impressions of Kuroda-san, who's close to Kaguragi."

Kaku: From the beginning, I was told that Kaguragi was served by people dressed in black, but I wasn't told that there was one prominent member among them. From the viewer's point of view, I guess they wouldn't have expected such a person to exist, but gradually, Kuroda-san became more noticeable, and his relationship with Kaguragi began to be depicted. Kuroda-san is more like a family member than an aide. I think he's been by Kaguragi's side for a looong~ time. He's alittle older than me, and I think we've grown up together since we were children. He's capable of saying one word that'll resonate with Kaguragi's heart, and I think he's able to do so because he's always been watching over Kaguragi.

"Among the main cast members playing a king, who does Kaku-san feel is most kingly?"

Kaku: Hmmm, since the show was first announced, I've often been asked questions related to being a king, but I still can't come up with any good answers…If you think of a kingly image, "arrogant" or "selfish," may come to mind, but there's no in this cast that fits those terms. Everyone, they're all such good kids. But, I may have to say that I become selfish when the temperature rises. I'm sensitive to the heat, and since I'm wearing such a costume, I tend to hog all the places where an air conditioner is running, or, I turn the temperature down really low and tell the others not to turn it up, even if they're cold (laughs). If I were to consider the most kingly character as a leader who pulls everyone along, I would say it's Taisei. Calling him charismatic would be abit of an exaggeration, but, even if he's lacking in certain areas, he's good in others, and he has a certain atmosphere to him that brings everyone together. People around him want to support him just like Gira, and maybe even carry him up in a holy palanquin. In that sense, he's like a king.

"What scenes would you like to play in the future?"

Kaku: It would be a scene where I take off my costume and show off my body. Actually, I've already told the staff what I want to do, but if it's going to happen, I'd like to know as soon as possible. I'd like to finish my body first. And then, a twin episode (laughs). Within the Super Sentai series, often times there are episodes where someone who looks exactly like a character appears and swaps places. Since the first part of King-Ohger ended with episode 26, we didn't have room for that kind of story, but, it may be possible now. I have a twin brother who looks exactly like me, so I'd like to make the most of that. He's not an actor, but he says he'd be happy to act in the show if it were to happen (laughs). Also, Taisei himself is a very interesting character, so I hope there'll be a time when we can make use of him. That boy, after all, he shines the brightest when he's just messing around. That's something he's admitted to himself and others. Also, I'd like to see Rita being more expressive. In the film, it was ghosts, and in episode 26, they're depicted as being afraid of the dark, but I think there's another side to them that we don't know about, so I hope we're given a close up. Hirakawa-san herself is frightened easily, and when I tell her a slightly scary story, she screams, "Please stop it!" (laughs).

"Finally, Kaku-san, as episode 26 finishes, please give a yell of support to Kaguragi."

Kaku: I think Toufu will probably be in danger again (laughs), so you may have to deceive your friends in order to protect the country. I also think that Suzume will be entering a difficult time in her life. But, please don't be discouraged and do your best!

_

Ikeda Masashi (Jeramie Brasieri) Interview

-I like talking, but I'm not used to talking to other people-

"In the beginning, what kind of character was Jeramie and how was he explained to you?"

Ikeda: He’s 2,000 years old, so he has foresight and plenty of time to waste, and was born between a human and a Bugnarak. When I asked…I was told that he can manipulate spider webs at will. It was also explained to me at the beginning that he's the storyteller of the world's story and will also narrate the show.

"In episode 11, we got goosebumps hearing, "A man who becomes king, this is my story," in the ending narration.

Ikeda: I was also surprised when I read the script. It was an original concept, so I was looking forward to seeing the end result on screen.

"Based on the description you received, how did you approach the character?"

Ikeda: When I read the script, there were many unique lines and inflections, so the first thing I thought about was how to express them. I'd record different ways of speaking, listen back, and then decided that the stuck up way of saying things were the most interesting. The premise is that Jeramie likes to talk about himself and the stories he's created. So, when I talk to someone, I try to look like I'm having fun and enjoying myself more than anyone else. I think it'll lead to expressions with more composure. I was also conscious of the way I walked, my gestures, and appearance in general so that I could develop a habit of being Jeramie. The most difficult part of the role was that his mother is a Bugnarak, and that his emotions are different from those of a normal human. I wondered, “What would it feel like if my own parents were Bugnarak?” In the beginning, I couldn't comprehend it no matter how much I thought about it, so I just kept imagining memories of my mother that weren't depicted in the show. Even still, it was difficult for me to find feelings for the Bugnarak, or rather, affection for non human beings. I also wondered how he'd seen the world over the past 2,000 years and what he'd been thinking about when he wrote his story. There are many aspects of Jeramie that are not depicted in the show's script, so I had to really think about it. Even now, I still do.

"Did you make any new discoveries while exploring further, or did you have to revise your performance over the course of the episodes?"

Ikeda: When he first made his appearance, he always said the words, "Between the lines" (laughs), and I just felt that he was someone who wasn't used to having conversations with others. But as times went on, I came to realize that Jeramie was truly a genuine and honest person. I felt that this is why he reacts to many things in a more genuine way than anyone else, and shows it most in his facial expressions. As Jeramie gets more involved with the 5 kings, he changes and grows, becoming alot more careful about communicating clearly between the lines. Every time I'm given a new script, a new side of Jeramie's character is depicted, and I feel like he's constantly being updated. Despite being 2,000 years old, he's never socialized before. The first big change was that he took off the mask he'd been wearing in episode 11, and I think we can all agree that he started a new life from that moment on. At that time, if you were to interpret it as Jeramie being reborn, he's still like a baby, so it's only natural that he'll continue to grow everyday. There are new changes every time, and thinking of ways to express them is both fun and a challenge. In that sense, I'm grateful for the role of Jeramie, as it gives me a sense of fulfillment as an actor.

"The symbolic color of Jeramie is white, and Ikeda-san personally loves white, so he wore a white outfit to the audition."

Ikeda: I matched everything in white, which might be hard to imagine (laughs). My shoes, pants, shirt, cardigan, and jacket were all white. I wore a white coat over it all. I like white, but I had never dressed myself up this much. But, I wanted to give it a shot, so I auditioned completely white. And with the role I got, his getup was even whiter than mine. Jeramie's costume is really cool. When I stood in front of the mirror for the first time wearing Jeramie's costume, with my hair and makeup all done, I thought, "Who's this?" (laugh). I'd never had the opportunity to wear such a prince like costume before, and I don't think I ever will again. Every time I go to filming, I'll wear it while thinking about how happy it makes me.

"Do you have any difficulties narrating the show? We've heard that you don't like hearing your own voice…"

Ikeda: Every time I do the narration, it's given the OK for airing, but I've never been satisfied with any of the ones I've recorded. There's alot of trial and error each time I record, but I don't feel like I'm getting a good reaction. I think I still have a long way to go, so I'm going to keep working hard.

"Every time we listen, we think you have a nice voice."

Ikeda: Thank you so much. It's very encouraging to hear you say that. But, being a storyteller means I can see every detail, and that I also know how the story will end, so I can feel the difficulty of it all. Some episodes have a closing narration at the end, and I do like those lines because they're cool. Is it the narration as a storyteller? or is it the voice of Jeramie's heart in that scene…? I think you'll enjoy the show more if you watch it while interpreting things in many different ways.

"As of the publication of this book, episode 26 will have aired, but please tell us about any scenes or lines featuring Jeramie that are memorable."

Ikeda: It would be episodes 24-26. Those 3 episodes were a turning point in Jeramie's life, where he felt the same realization of growth, maybe even more so, than when he took off his mask. All of the scenes and lines are memorable. In episode 24, when Boone discovers that his fear of Bugnarak is based on a legendary story he wrote, Jeramie is stunned, saying, "Common sense, rules, prejudice, discrimination, bigotry…I was the one who created them…" I was just as shocked when I read it in the script. The legend of the royal Sentai doesn't state that the Bugnarak did anything wrong. But, reading the text, "5 heroes and their guardian god King-Ohger defeated the Bugnarak and saved mankind," would make anyone believe that the Bugnarak are bad guys. I was impressed by how well done it was, and Jeramie seemed to enjoy talking about it, that I almost felt like saying, "It's no good!," in a forced way. In episode 25, the conversation with Gerojim was memorable. He says, "What you lack is determination!" Jeramie responds, "Follow me…to the In between Land Bugnarak. You'll be the first citizen." I'll never forget it because it was the moment when Jeramie decided that he was ready to become the king of Bugnarak. From then on, I'd be playing Jeramie as a king, so the scene was a turning point as well. In episode 26, there's the scene where Jeramie is entrusted by Desnarak VIII, saying, "You will be king, and they will accept it. That the Bugnarak, are here…!" In the 3 episodes beginning with episode 24, it's revealed that Desnarak had alot of things on his mind when he was king, and Jeramie inherits that. Now, I have all these feelings regarding Desnarak, that when I first read the script, I cried. And also, there's the narration before the opening of episode 24. It was different from the usual wording, so it's stayed with me.

-I like Kaguragi, as he's someone with alot of space between the lines-

"Now, please tell us about the characters that surround Jeramie. First, let's start with Gira."

Ikeda: From Jeramie's point of view, I think he trusted Gira from the beginning, and for the time after the broadcast of episode 26, I think he genuinely thinks he's a good person, more suitable as the king of Shugoddum than anyone ever was. The impression I have is….he's cute. He's pure, and when I look at him, I often wonder, "What's he up to?" In episode 15, he camouflages himself as a taxi that looks like a pillbug (laughs). But, I think him being straightforward to protect his people is really cool.

"How about Yanma?"

Ikeda: Jeramie understands that, just like Gira, Yanma is a good king. On the other hand, we know that he's abit of a bad boy, and in episode 19, just like a bunch of bad boys, we joined forces to get some payback on Racules, who treated Jeramie and the other kings cruelly in the past. At that time, I think Jeramie went along with Yanma's plan because he trusted him and realized he was his friend. Yanma always reacts when Jeramie says something. It must be nice for Jeramie, a storyteller who wants someone to listen to him. As for me, I have the impression that he's a passionate guy. I think he fits well with the title "President" of the N'kosopa citizens.

"Now then, how about Hymeno Ran. She and Jeramie had abit of a dispute over the issue of the "Wrath of God."

Ikeda: At first, Jeramie called Hymeno, "Young lady," but, in episode 14, when he saw Hymeno promise to the girl in Ishabana that she would keep their country beautiful, he acknowledged her as queen. Jeramie doesn't look down on the other kings just because he's older. He did used to treat Desnarak like a kid and provoked him (laughs), but he sees all of the human kings as equals and trusts them. Of course he trusts Hymeno, and I think that's why he asked for Gerojim's test. And my own impression is that she's just so beautiful. Not only in terms of appearance, such as the costumes and hairstyles, but also in terms of strength, so I think she's beautiful on the inside as well.

"Next, tell us about Rita Kaniska."

Ikeda: I have a feeling that Jeramie trusts Rita like any other king, but also thinks that they're cute. Sometimes Rita screams real loudly. Towards the climax of episode 19, they screamed, and while everyone was surprised, only Jeramie was laughing. He saw a human side of Rita and smiled, knowing that there must be a side of them that they've yet to show everyone. Because they trust him, even if they suspect something from him, Jeramie feels safe when they take him to court. But, then again, Jeramie's put on trial alot, isn't he? (laughs). Also, there are so many things that Rita makes him realize. For example, in episode 14, they explained to him why Hymeno was angry, because he wasn't able to read between the lines. And when he was down, Rita gave him a chance to get back on his feet. For me, I think Rita is just too cool. When they transform, their right eye, which is usually hidden by their hair, is revealed…and it's gray colored. I love situations in manga and anime where a person reveals something that's usually hidden and goes into a stronger mode. So, Rita's eye isn't fair! (laughs), and yet, they also have the cuteness to talk to their plushies…I think they’re a wonderful characters.

"Please also tell us about Kaguragi."

Ikeda: From Jeramie's point of view, I think he has slightly deeper feelings towards him than the other kings. That's because, he knows about his sister. Because of Jeramie's own upbringing, he can't leave people who care about their family alone. In episode 15, when he finds out that his sister is being held hostage in Shugoddam, he takes the lead in helping Kaguragi, and in episode 20, when he hears that he's doing it for his sister, he helps out by disguising himself as Kaguragi. Kaguragi has also relied on Jeramie, and I think they communicate with each other more than with other kings. I think there's something about Kaguragi that I really like about him, and I feel that he has a story that's, "between the lines," more than mine is. That's why I interact with him alittle differently than the other 4. As a viewer, he must be an interesting character to watch. Just when I think I've got him figured out, he outwits me. It's hard to read what he's really thinking. I think he adds a good "spice" that makes the show more interesting.

"At this point in time, Gerojim is probably the closest to Jeramie, so we'd like to ask about him too."

Ikeda: He's the first citizen of the new Bugnarak Empire. While they meet in a different way compared to the other kings and their retainers, Jeramie trusts him, and a sort of friendship formed between them, while also having a strong desire to protect him. In episode 25, Gerojim risks his body to make Jeramie realize that he lacks the determination to be king. In episode 13, Jeramie saves him by pretending to have defeated him and brought him along, but back then, I never thought that he would end up playing such an important role. With such a voice, he says, "What you lack is determination!," and, "If you're going to be king, you must be prepared to risk your life," so I can't believe his way of speaking…

"He's voiced by Seki Tomokazu-san."

Ikeda: During filming, I would act with Seki-san's voice in mind, and when I heard his actual voice in the finished video, it's always better than what I had imagined. We haven't had a dubbing scheduled together, but I'd like for us to perform together someday. Everyone always imitates Gerojim's voice on set. I'm so emotionally attached to Gerojim, that I can no longer look at him objectively, but I'm curious about how everyone else sees him.

"Other than Gerojim, are there any other Bugnarak characters that you really like?"

Ikeda: It would probably be Desnarak. But, I really like Prime Minister Kamejim as well. I changed my mind when I found out that he was disguised as Boshimar, one of Racules's close aides (laughs), but he was a beloved character on the set until half way through filming.

"Among the main cast, Ikeda-san, who do you think is most kingly?"

Ikeda: It would be (Masato) Yano-san, who plays Racules. When he's playing the role of Racules, he's a very cruel king, but when I talk to him inbetween takes, he's calm and has a relaxed way of speaking. Yano-san himself is very kind and will say interesting things to keep everyone upbeat. Furthermore, he has alot of special skills and can do almost anything. For me, Yano-san is a king in the sense that he's perfect and someone who is respected. Racules is a king, but the person playing him is also a king. Not for me, but when the 5 King-Ohger members put on their costumes and prepare for their role on set, the "switch" is flipped and they all become kings. The scenes where they're all lined up is so cool that you can't help but admire them.

"Are there any scenes you'd like to play, or developments you'd like to see happen in the future?"

Ikeda: In episode 19, the hammock that Jeramie was laying in was made from spider webs. I'd like to do more scenes using spider webs even before transforming. Especially for action. While his friends are in danger, he could fly in from off screen while smiling, or he could be standing on a wall. It would be difficult to achieve, but there aren't many roles that can make use of spider webs.

"Finally, for the current Jeramie, Ikeda-san, please give a yell of support to him."

Ikeda: Please build a good country, and work hard to make the world a peaceful one. For Jeramie, the "color" of the country he rules over is different from other kings, and I believe that Jeramie will be the one who determines the future of Chikyu. Please ensure the prosperity of the country of Bugnarak, realize the day we join hands with humanity, and pass it on to future generations. We're all supporting you!