#anyway hell yeah more monster adjacent content

[you-cant-spell-subtext-without]

I know that we are all clowning about the Altar of Dean Winchester today, and there’s a lot of Cas-centric discourse but LEST WE FORGET -  Rowena is specifically annoyed because of her son’s conduct.

And I will not have Drowley erasure in this space.

Going along with my season 12 rewatch, 12x15: Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell makes Many Points on this subject.  Come along for the ride below the cut.

The episode opens with the following:

SAM

Dean, you're covered in ghoul, man, and -- and -- and wraith. You… you have a piece of siren in your hair. 

[Dean pulls the bit of siren out of his hair and makes a disgusted noise and then laughing while examining it] 

DEAN

Gross. [he flicks the bit of siren across the room] 

SAM

***isn’t it weird that the opener focuses on how Dean is covered in bits of monsters and needs to shower...? aren’t they always hunting? why the hyperfixation on this particular gory detail in this particular episode?

Well, last time Sam told Dean to take a shower -

was after he had a Valentine’s Day fling in season 11.  Are we...aligning monsters and sexual trysts and Dean Winchester?

Of course we are!

DEAN

Computers. [ Chuckles ] Monsters, porn. Is there anything they can't do? All right. [ Hits tabletop ] Well, let's get to it, then. 

speaking of sexual, this is also the episode where Dean wears this particular tie:

*RAWR*

***Also, this is Dean’s reaction to specifically the idea of koalas and posies.

Anyway the MOTW is a rogue hellhound so...I guess we need Crowley idk

CROWLEY

What the hell do you want? 

DEAN

***PEACHES.  Dean Winchester, Nickname King.

[Dean rolls his eyes and mimes Crowley yammering on with his hand] 

CROWLEY

Painfully. [on the phone to Dean again] I’ll be right… 

[Crowley appears in Gwen’s living room] 

CROWLEY

here.

SAM

Mm. 

CROWLEY: 

You miss me? 

***Crowley literally appears immediately when Dean calls because of course he does.  

PARALLELS:

***I guess “I always come when you call” is a symptom of Winchester Derangement Syndrome.

It was completely Worth It to call Crowley, because he....knows the name of the rogue hell hound.  That’s all he knows though, because he can’t control her.  Only Lucifer can.  So it is VERY helpful they called Crowley, I guess, since now they can name the monster they’re hunting.  It’s more polite that way. 

Anyhow, he’s along for the ride now because

BONUS THEME ADJACENT CONTENT:

DEAN

Great. So we have a hellhound who's gunning for revenge, and it's personal. Ah. Just when I thought this gig couldn't get any weirder...

CROWLEY

Oh. It can always get weirder. 

***We’re really driving in monsters and their personal connections to humans this episode, eh??

NEXT UP: Supernatural THE Show gives us excellent Drowley in the woods banter.

specifically for NO REASON other than watching the King of Hell flirt with Dean Winchester while he is In These Glasses

Literally there is NO REASON for all of this footage.  Sam is the one who ends up killing the hellhound.  The only plot line Dean has in the MOTW episode is Sexy Walk in the Woods With Crowley (and his own personal monster connections).

It’s truly the most excellent of plot lines.  Really, anything else is just filler.

Crowley milks this Special Ex Boyfriend Time for all its worth:

DEAN

I mean it, Crowley. 

CROWLEY

I mean it, Crowley.

DEAN

Go to Hell.

CROWLEY

Go to Hell. Really, Dean, all these years, you're so predictable.

DEAN

Yeah, well, I guess we've all changed. I got predictable. You got soft. I mean, a few years ago, who'd have thought you'd be helping us save the girl of the week?

CROWLEY

I don't care about her. 

DEAN 

Yeah, well, maybe we rubbed off on you. 

***TRULY EXCELLENT CONTENT

Anyway, Crowley is now a moral support comfort character:

Winchester Derangement Syndrome diagnosed.

BONUS:

Please take a closer look at Lucifer who is being held as a prisoner by Crowley in this same episode.

Mark Pellegrino’s Lucifer tends to have flatter hair than this.  Look at it closely..

is that..

is that Demon!Dean hair

Remember, Crowley has a canonical history of changing his prisoners’ hair to suit his whims. It’s in Season 8.  Look it up.

Also, is that a Dean Winchester green overshirt

Oddly similar to the one Dean wears in the beginning of this episode, actually.

Like this from the back this 

could be Dean

I know we’re supposed to be distracted by the Walking Dead weapon cameo, but SERIOUSLY reach with me and observe Dean from the back in the opening scene:

DID CROWLEY DRESS SATAN UP IN A Dean Winchester COSTUME?

I know I might be crazy, buddies, due to my own case of WDS - but consider this -

I also might be right.

[shlabam]

TOP TEN COMICS BOOK VILLAINS WE PROBABLY WON’T SEE IN THE MOVIES

Superhero media is the hottest thing going right now. It was true ten years ago when the MCU was in its adolescence, and it’s even truer now. Even with film production on lockdown, Marvel and DC are still planning on literally dozens of their characters entering their respective cinematic universes. However, for the fans of the source material, things can be contentious. For every memorable Tony Stark quip, there’s Superman destroying an entire city because he’s, frankly, kind of dumb now. A major point of contention is how the various popular villains are utilized. Making an intimidating and potent villain in a comic book is very different than in a film. In comics, you have months to establish motive, powers, and backstory before the villain even makes their first move. In films, that all has to be compressed and spilled out in the scarce few minutes when Captain America and Bucky aren’t making bambi eyes at each other. To be concise, some villains adapt perfectly, and some, no matter how good they are in the comics, just don’t. And to be clear, this list is of popular villains who have the possibility of appearing in a big-budget film, so no, you won’t be seeing Ten Eyed Man or Big Wheel in there. Their powers are, respectively, having ten eyes, and being very good in business. (That’s a lie, he’s just a huge wheel who chases Spider-Man.)

10: Mr. Mxyzptlk:

Cool, let’s get this one out of the way. Despite being one of Superman’s oldest, longest-lasting, and most popular enemies from all the way back in the Golden Age, there’s no way in hell he will be in a movie. For the uninformed. Mr. Mxyzptlk is a 5th dimensional wizard-genie who appears every ninety days to torment Superman with his reality-altering antics, and can only be sent back to his home dimension if Superman tricks him into saying his own name backwards. Yes, it would be very dazzling, as Mr. Mxyzptlk’s powers in a movie would basically look like if Christopher Nolan directed Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but he’s a little too silly to fit in with the current “everything is gloomy and also a bummer” tone of the Superman films. This silly tone has lent itself perfectly to the Supergirl series, where he’s made a handful of appearances. Besides, if we get Mxyzptlk in a Superman movie before Brainiac, I’ll lose my entire freaking mind.

9: Hobgoblin:

There have been eight Spider-Man movies so far, and of those eight, four of them have, in some capacity, featured the Green Goblin. And that makes sense, right? The Green Goblin is easily Spider-Man’s most memorable and reoccurring nemesis, with Doctor Octopus and Venom close behind, and Peter Parker’s link with Norman and Harry Osbourn makes their tragic story perfect for film adaptation. On the other hand, we have the Hobgoblin, who is essentially Green Goblin with all the gimmicks, none of the Parker-adjacent backstory, and an orange and blue color scheme, likely tying him to the Denver Broncos [citation needed]. Still, in those four cinematic attempts at tackling the Goblin, none of them have quite gotten him right, and I can’t imagine this character, who is, even in canon, an intentional Green Goblin rip-off, would fare any better.

8: Starro:

Brave and the Bold #28 from 1960 featured the first story with the Justice League, and this story put them up against a very unique new villain: Starro the Conqueror, a giant telepathic starfish who can release tiny versions of himself. If these tiny starfish latch onto your head, you’re under his control and obey his commands. The Justice League have battled him fairly regularly over the last fifty years, and he’s a distinct and powerful enemy that the fans generally appreciate, leading to him being referenced occasionally in Smallville, Arrow, and Flash. Why won’t he ever be in a movie? Because if you’re a Hollywood producer, you stopped paying attention at “giant telepathic starfish”. Sorry. Maybe Shuma-Gorath will pop up in the next Doctor Strange movie, and he’ll set off a Twilight-esque wave of starfish monster movies! Then again, almost absolutely not.

7: Puppet Master:

Speaking of mind control, what’s scarier than that? For my money, nothing. Having your body and will taken away from you by an unseen force is a terror greater than death. How could you possibly make a villain based around such a chilling concept and have him not be scary? Well, maybe if it’s an old bald man in an apron playing with dolls. The Puppet Master is an ongoing threat for the Fantastic Four who is just that: he makes models of his foes out of radioactive clay, and makes them punch themselves and dance around and kiss each other, because he’s, y’know, a weird old man. Why is he such a consistent threat who hasn’t fallen into obscurity like other dumb gimmick-based villains? His stepdaughter, Alicia Masters, is the Thing’s longtime girlfriend. As long as she keeps appearing in movies (including being played by… Kerry Washington? That can’t be right), there’s always a chance he’ll pop up, but I don’t think any movie studio is that stupid, despite the quality of every Fantastic Four movie blatantly defying that prediction.

6: Bizarro:

Superman has always suffered in the villains department. When you’re essentially a god, what can they throw at you? As it turns out, Lex Luthor, almost always. But why not another Superman? Bizarro is essentially that, an imperfect clone of Superman who speaks in opposite speak - “Bizarro am good! Me not punch you until you live!” - and features the same abilities as the Man of Steel. Sounds great, right? Putting a hero against a villain with their same powers has worked for nearly every Marvel movie (shots fired). So why won’t we see him grace our silver screens any time soon? Because they’ve never really figured him out. Is he funny? Is he lethal? Does Kryptonite work on him? If he does everything the opposite of Superman, why does he wear clothes? Isn’t being naked the opposite of being clothed? Bizarro is a major Superman side-character and has made appearances in Smallville and Supergirl, but the idea of him being the Big Bad going toe-to-toe with Henry Cavill doesn’t sound like it would generate a lot of views.

5: Impossible Man:

You remember what I said about Mr. Mxyzptlk? Remember? So take that bit, but everywhere I say Superman, have it say Fantastic Four instead… yeah, that should do it.

4: The Wrecking Crew:

Thor has a unique quirk of having a very cinematic rogues gallery. Sure, most of the movies have pitted him against Loki, but if they were to run him up against the Enchantress, or the Absorbing Man, or Ulik the Troll, or Kurse, or even the Stone Men from Saturn, that’s not a bad movie! However, in one of the attempts to give Thor more of a mortal nemesis, they put him up against the Wrecker, who has an… enchanted… indestructible… crowbar. Yeah. Incredibly, the Wrecker and his Wrecking Crew have become very present characters throughout the Marvel Universe, essentially serving as “jobbers”, being rolled out to get beaten up by the new top hero or villain, but that may not work in a movie, where villains have to be seen as having some level of potency before being struck down. That means we’d need at least a short scene where it seems like Thor might lose to a guy whose power is “crowbar”, and that’s about as likely as an Edward Norton cameo in the next Avengers. Ho boy, they did NOT part on good terms!

3: Clayface:

When the movie-going public goes to see a Batman movie, they generally want something a bit more grounded than your typical superhero fare. After all, Batman has no powers, and therefore the most supernatural thing that should happen in these movies is a gas that makes you smile, or a different gas that makes you think your dead parents are back and disappointed in you. Might wanna put a mouth covering on that mask, Bruce! The one and only they’ve made a movie where Batman fights people with real, off-the-wall super powers (Batman and Robin), it did not go great. And those guys pale in comparison to Clayface, who is, yes, made of clay. In the comics and cartoons, Clayface looks awesome, turning his limbs into weapons and being very challenging to incapacitate, but in a live-action, realistic Batman adventure, we wouldn’t want to see the Dark Knight fight a poop-colored version of the T-1000, especially if it’s got the same chemical composition of a little dreidel that I made.

2: Red Hood:

A relative newcomer to the Batman universe, Red Hood is the revived body of Jason Todd, the second Robin, who was brutally killed by the Joker in one of the most controversial storylines DC Comics ever produced. Literally, fans called a 900 number to tell the writers to kill him off. A 900 number. That’s how much they hated the little turd. Anyway, Jason Todd, whom Batman and the rest of the world believed was dead, was revived by Ra’s al Ghul and became a ruthless villain. Since then, he’s gravitated more to the side of the hero, though one a bit more willing to spill blood than his mentors. Why won’t we see him in the darker, edgier Batman films? Because… that’s Bucky. It’s the same thing that happened in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Teen sidekick killed in controversial manner, revived by super villain to be a thorn in said hero’s side, later changes his mind and becomes a good guy again, though with enough PTSD to fill a PTSD super store. The two storylines even occurred in the comics in the same year, 2005, to much fanfare and across-the-board declarations of one company ripping off the other, reminding the world of the great Aquaman-Namor debates of the 1940s. Considering that DC’s films have criminally underperformed compared to Marvel’s, the last thing they want to do is be accused of lazy plagiarism, so Jason Todd will likely remain a permanent fixture in the afterlife, hanging out with Batman’s parents and, at the rate that people are coming back from the dead, literally no one else. (Plus, if they can’t even get Robin right, how are they gonna do this?)

1: Mister Sinister:

Yes, he was teased at the end of X-Men Apocalypse, but ignoring that the film underperformed both critically and commercially, Mister Sinister is never going to be in a movie. It would make sense for him to appear, though, right? He’s one of the most present and potent X-Men villains, he’s played crucial roles in many memorable storylines, he’s got a sick cape, but… something a lot of comic book fans tend to overlook is his murky backstory, powers, and motivations. He was a biologist in Victorian London who did genetic experiments on homeless people in the hopes of finding clues about the oncoming threat of mutants. In this time, he unearthed the long-dormant En Sabah Nur, whom you plebeians may know as Apocalypse, and Apocalypse gifted him with great abilities. What abilities you ask? HA HA, good question! At various times, Sinister has displayed: telepathy, telekinesis, energy projection, shape-shifting, regeneration, and teleportation, but these powers will mysteriously disappear whenever they want him to get sliced up real good by Wolverine. Additionally, it has never been made very clear what Sinister wants. Does he seek perfect mastery of the human genome? Does he live to torment Cyclops? Is he a blind follower of Apocalypse? Is he just running through all the different kinds of goatee? Of course, in adaptation, the writers would pick and choose the aspects they’d want to use, but I doubt they’d want to untangle the Christmas lights mess that is Mister Sinister, especially when they’ve got a perfectly good villain whose power is just “magnets”.

[itsuki-minamy]

“SIX IDOLS” – “SPRINT DREAM” (Part 4)

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

* Chapter 1 01 / 02 / 03 

That day, Yojiro Sato (51) was driving his own high-speed boat and racing in Tokyo Bay.

His main business was fisherman, but he also works as a fishing boat captain as a side job. In any case, the main job is to chase the school of fish, current high-speed boats are used for that purpose.

But today's work was different than usual.

The client was a fishing cooperative and the content of the request was mysterious: "Anyway, I want you to go to Chiba city using a high speed boat." He goes through it several times, but it seems the reason he couldn't get the point was because the fishing cooperative was asked to go further.

Sato accepted it simply because the reward was great. Otherwise, it would not accept suspicious requests.

However, when he passed by the Tokyo Bay Aqualine, he began to regret it.

He doesn't think it's a dangerous story.

It goes without saying that Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world and Tokyo Bay is a large adjacent port. Many are trying to carry out illegal transactions by sea. Unfortunately, he has heard stories of people involved in such problems at the level of rumors.

He's been through the fishing cooperative, so he doesn't think it's something to worry about.

Even so, a bit of anxiety washed over Sato's mind.

At that moment the radio sounded. When he reached out his hand and responded by reflex, he heard an unfamiliar voice on the back of the radio.

"Hello. Is this Mr. Yojiro Sato?"

It was a feminine and intelligent voice. Sato responds while confused.

"Oh, yeah. That's right."

"Nice to meet you, my name is Seri Awashima. I was the one who made the request."

"Oh, I see."

The confusion disappeared, but Sato pressed his face into place. Listen to Awashima's words, eager to decline the request in the event of an emergency.

"First of all, I apologize for reporting uncertain content to you in the application. I was in a hurry, so I thought about explaining after taking the first step."

"Okay, but what kind of job is this after all? It doesn't appear to be a fishing request."

"Yes. I want you to pick up a certain person."

When suspicion and vigilance increase, he raises his eyebrow. Sato asked in a low voice.

"Who is that? He is not a criminal, right?"

"What, criminal?"

From the other side of the meeting, he could feel the sign that Awashima was completely disappointed. The voice that echoed next seemed to lack a bit of calm, unlike before.

"Incorrect! The president is not involved in such things!"

"Oh, yeah."

At the angry response, Awashima coughed a little.

"No, sorry. It may be inevitable that it looks like this. I would like you to pick up Reisi Munakata, the representative idol of "Promotion Scepter 4"."

While driving, Sato is confused.

"Why do idols want to get on our ship?"

“As I said before, it is an urgent matter. He didn't seem to be in time for a regular water taxi, so I contacted you."

"Hmm... Well, it's okay."

Sato is not familiar with idols. He is simply not interested. From time to time he sees them on television, but to him they all have similar faces and clothes, so he cannot tell them apart.

That sect image is probably one of those idols. No wonder that is used instead of a taxi, but, work is work.

"So where should I pick him up?"

"Please wait a moment. I'll link the information on the president's location to that PDA."

"Eh?"

A second after the stupid voice leaked out, a spot of light lit up on the GPS map attached to the ship. Sato opens his mouth and looks at it moving at high speed on the map.

“Did you get the location? The point that lights up in blue is the current position of the president."

"Yes, I got it."

"Good. Get closer to the point of light. It also shows the next meeting points."

The GPS map reacts again and projects an orange spot of light. It shows a jetty near the beach park, that made Sato panic even more.

"Wait a minute! How did you do that? This is my PDA, right? Why can you operate it on that side?"

"There is no time to lose! I took emergency measures! Rest assured that we have formal permission to use the system!"

"What is that system?"

To Sato's confusion, Awashima doesn't reply. "More than that!" When he started yelling, the blue point of light on the map continued to flash.

“He is approaching the meeting point. Thanks for your cooperation. Awashima, over and out."

And the radio was unilaterally cut off, leaving only Sato who was confused.

The ship curves and begins to move parallel to the shore. Sato alternately compared the map and the coast. If this location is correct, Munakata will soon be in sight.

"Ah."

With that said, he opened his mouth. Someone was there. That's probably definitely Munakata.

From a distance, he can only tell that he is a man. It would have been indistinguishable on its own, but the appearance of a human who could ride a bicycle at a speed comparable to that of a high-speed boat fits this unusual situation perfectly.

"What should I do?"

Sato is a man of the sea. He is confident that he can handle most things that happen at sea. However, he had never imagined such a situation. Sato looked towards the beach while maintaining his speed.

At that moment, Munakata pointed forward.

Sato looks ahead so he can catch it. A jetty leading off the shore blocked the ship's path as it gently curved.

Reflecting a sailor, Sato curves the speedboat along the jetty.

Munakata's bike has picked up speed.

"Hey, it can't be!"

Unknowingly, Sato was screaming. Because he understood the man's thoughts. Because he understood the meaning of "meeting point" that Awashima said on the radio.

The bicycle races down the jetty at a speed that exceeds that of high-speed boats. Sato made the boat's engine run at full speed. It was not because he understood their speculations, but because he thought that, as a man of the sea, he would not be able to stand upright if he was driving a boat and losing to a bicycle.

The bicycle and the speed boat run next to each other for a very short distance.

For the first time, Sato saw Munakata's face.

Munakata was smiling with a clean face in front of him. It was not the expression of a human reaching such high speed on a bicycle. He was horrified. Perhaps this is a monster that seemed to drag him to the bottom of the sea. Even such an imagination took over his head.

Munakata's bicycle leaned over. At the end of the jetty, Sato's high-speed boat drew closer and Munakata jumped with the bicycle with only the spring from his body.

Sato opened his eyes and looked at the figure of Munakata leaping against the sun.

After a short break, Munakata's bicycle landed on the back of the high-speed boat, made a sharp turn, and came to a stop.

"Fu..."

With a sigh, Munakata wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"......"

Sato was just looking at Munakata, who was behaving like a human, with his mouth open.

When he got out and parked at the bicycle rack, Munakata looked at Sato and said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you. Sato Yojiro-san. My name is Reisi Munakata. Thank you for your transportation to the planned location."

Swallowing hard, Sato asks suspiciously.

"You are a human?"

After opening his eyes somewhat surprisingly, he replied with a bitter smile.

"I'm just an idol."

++++++++++

At the Suzugaya sorting yard, Domyoji Andy (19) turned his pale face down and swallowed nausea.

He, who is scheduled to appear on "Sprint Dream Live Tour", is at that location because the Suzugaya courtyard is a helicopter landing site owned by "Scepter 4."

The event titled "Extreme Solo Part, Idol from Above 6500~", is Domyoji's assigned role this time. The event of strumming a guitar solo while skydiving from 2000 meters above the sky is sure to be a great thrill if it succeeds, but it can only be said that it is insane.

For today, Domyoji was repeating a special training every day. In total, it would have fallen enough to reach the surface from the stratosphere. Domyoji said that if he ran for Guinness, he would not pass, and gave a tired smile.

At that moment the door to the waiting room was opened and the staff entered.

"Domyoji-san, please prepare for take-off!"

"Eh?"

His eyes are round. Domyoji looks at the watch as it is. There is still some time left before the live begins. The turn of "Shoumutai", including Domyoji, was supposed to be in the second half of the opening ceremony.

"Is it still early? Was there an accident?"

Anyway, when he got up and left the room with the staff, Domyoji was so quiet. He doesn’t know what kind of problems are waiting in the live presentation. Not only staff but also idols need to take this into account and respond flexibly.

"There is no change to Domyoji-san's appearance time! We are going to pick up the president from now on!"

Domyoji opened his mouth. The staff didn't look back and pushed the door in front of them while walking quickly.

At the landing site, the helicopter was already preparing for takeoff. The high-speed rotating main rotor disperses a roar like a gunshot. Defeating the sound, Domyoji yelled at the back of the staff.

"What happened to the president? That person is surely the interpreter for the opening ceremony!"

“Currently, the president is crossing Tokyo Bay! We'll pick him up at sea and head straight to the Tsubakimon Dome!"

Domyoji is confused. He is crossing Tokyo Bay? He has no idea what the hell is going on. What he knows is that he is about to fly high again.

After sitting on the seat and fixing his body with a harness, Domyoji finally noticed.

"Hey! Don't I need it if I pick up the president?!"

"It's the president's judgment that it's a waste of time to go back every time! After leaving the president in the dome, Domyoji-san will wait in the sky until the time of the "Extreme solo part, Idol from above 6500~”!"

That was brilliant. Wait a minute, he try to tell if he would be flying all the time, but then his body was fixed. Jumping out the rear hatch, the staff gave Domyoji a big thumb up.

"Thank you good luck!"

The hatch closes as he continues. The sound of the rotor increases the pitch. Domyoji's stunned face disappeared into the darkness of the plane.

++++++++++

"The President has arrived at meeting point E! The pickup helicopter that was already waiting has started to approach!"

"Let go of the rope, the helicopter must be very careful!"

"Got it! Let go of the rope! Try to drive safely!"

Brilliant laughter erupted in the monitor room as the pilot made a joke. Private language during the operation should be strictly prohibited, but Awashima felt a slight smile on her lips. This would indicate their high morale. She doesn’t have to worry.

"President, I secured a rope! Start climbing."

"Domyoji, can't you point the CCD camera at the president?"

"Oh, yeah, I'll try."

Domyoji hastily responded to Awashima's voice. After a while, a rough image appears on one of the monitors.

Munakata was about to board the helicopter. Standing in the open hatch, he turns and pays him homage. A high speed boat floating ahead, probably Yojiro Sato, a man who appeared to be the captain took off his hat and waved it.

The expression of the image has been softened.

"President. Thank you for being safe."

On the CCD camera, he sees Munakata smiling.

“Thank you for your hard work, Awashima-kun. Did you worry?"

Awashima shakes her head slowly.

"I wasn't worried."

It was a lie. During these 30 minutes, Awashima has looked at the clock no less than 50 times. It's not because she doesn’t trust Munakata. It is probably due to the weakness of Awashima's heart.

Munakata's deep eyes can even see Awashima's inner heart. Still, she looked directly at her boss and reported on the situation.

"We are on time. If you move at full speed from the current location of the president, it will be enough to reach the inauguration. The president's suit has been brought to the room of the occupant of the helicopter."

"Okay. Let's finish all the preparations on the fly. Has the final landing point I submitted changed?"

"No, there are no changes. The helipad is already in control."

At that moment, one of the monitors lit up red and emitted a warning sound.

"What?"

"I will confirm it!"

Staff operate the console quickly. Awashima holds her breath and stares at the movement.

Finally, the staff raised a strained voice.

“There was a fire at the Tsubakimon Dome Hotel! Looks like an evacuation notice has been issued at the hotel!"

"No!"

“No recommendations have been issued for this place! Deputy Chief, what do we do?"

Impatience melts in her hand. Various thoughts come to mind instantly. How big is the fire? How to accept evacuees? Should the concert be canceled, even if no recommendations have been made? The enthusiasm of the people involved and the fans for this live show is extraordinary. But if something happens to the fans, it is irreparable.

An intelligent voice broke those thoughts.

"Awashima-kun. Confirm the evacuation of the hotel guests."

Raise her face. Beyond the CCD camera, Munakata's rough expression was as calm as if he were sitting at his usual office desk.

Awashima looks at the staff. The personnel turned to the front and quickly returned to operating the console.

Finally, he told the staff in a shocked voice.

"We share the confirmation of the status of the place, but the evacuation of the three guests has not been completed! It seems that we are reconfirming the people who have been in the air and have been evacuated!"

"Three people. That means they are…"

The CCD camera points in the other direction. Seeing that, Awashima took a breath.

Near the window on the smokeless floor. A man and a woman are crouched in a narrow space. The woman appeared to be holding a child.

"The number of people matches. Apparently, the evacuation was delayed."

Awashima looks at the image from the CCD camera. Imagine a tragic future for a family left behind at the scene of the fire and blood gushes from their faces.

And Munakata said of course.

"I am heading to the rescue."

Awashima knew that Munakata would say so. Knowing that, she still screams...

"President! Don't do it!"

Domyoji's camera captures Munakata's face. Munakata wasn't looking there. He murmured, looking serious at the scene of the fire, perhaps putting together another thought.

"Awashima-kun. About us?"

"Ah..."

The answer to that was fixed. Awashima squeezed her hand so tightly that her nails dug into her palm.

"We are... idols...!"

"What kind of person is an idol in "Promotion Scepter 4"?"

"Our goal is to be the ideal human who should be a role model for people."

Munakata looked at Awashima with a teacher's gaze, watching over the poor students who gave the correct answer.

"So that's it."

"Huh!"

Munakata goes to the scene of the fire. Although he is an idol, he is only a human. There is no guarantee that he will be able to return safely, so the worst consequences may await him in the future.

And, while looking at the worst, taking steps to prevent it from happening is also a condition of being an ideal human.

Awashima said that decisively when she took a little breath, exhaled and was ready to do it.

“We will contact the various parties involved in the handling of this incident and request assistance in rescue activities. I pray for your safety, President."

Behind the camera, Munakata nodded slightly.

Fushimi Saruhiko clicked his tongue as he leaned his back against the wall.

If Munakata's decision was stupid, Awashima, who followed him, could only be seen as a fool. He are an ideal person and he are trying to ruin his job by getting caught up in an additional idea. Fushimi's frank opinion is that, it is the role of rescuers to help the victims, and that is why they have to get rid of that work.

But he will never reveal it. At least not yet.

It only deals with possible situations.

Makes a call from his PDA. The other party came out with a ringing sound. Before they say something to him there, speak up.

“Akiyama, I got a job. Call the members of the 'Shoumutai'."

While saying that, Fushimi turned away from the wall and quickly headed to the end of the hall.

++++++++++

To be continue…

[dreadhaus-literature]

{January Collection} #31

Note: I~ had to look up what the hell Youthberry is, and it turns out it’s a white tea made of orange blossoms! And that it’s good for taking care of yourself, so I decided to use that as inspiration for the following prompt.

This is the end of the 31 Days of January Collection, and I’m...really proud to have made it here. With this prompt, I will be 31 for 31, as I set out to do. I actually finished something! I hope it’s been enjoyable for you, too, Monica, and that it’s allowed you a break from reality to enjoy our Family in new and exciting ways. ♥ And don’t worry--this may be the end of the month, but it’s just the beginning of my writing for this year.

Thanks for coming along for the start of a journey with me. :)

Youthberry

Sometimes, it isn’t even about the medicine. Sometimes, it’s about the act of kindness from the person behind it.

“Do you know they’ve still got the alien locked in the sub-basement?”

Monica paused as she was plating a batch of fresh cookies in the barracks kitchen. As a nurse on loan to the Metropolis Military, she wasn’t required to bake cookies or serve tea to any of the injured soldiers but she became a nurse to help others and some TLC was just as effective as a shot of morphine. The other two nurses in the kitchen were whispering none too quietly amongst themselves, their backs to Monica so they hadn’t noticed she was paying attention; if they had, they would have gone quiet. Monica wasn’t a military nurse, she had no military experience but the experience she had was in saving lives and bringing others back from the brink of giving up, of dying, and that put her leagues ahead of any other nurse on the barracks. As far as anyone was concerned she was Head Nurse for as long as she was willing to remain at this post and she was given that respect without having to demand it.

“I thought Dr. Luthor was ordered to shut that program down?” The blond whispered back, and her brunette companion’s eyes were wide as she delighted in spreading gossip.

“He was, but I guess he refused. He’s determined to weaponize us with that thing. Don’t ask me how.”

“So do we need to prepare a snack for him, too? He probably needs it. I can’t imagine what they’ve been doing to him has been...pleasant.”

The brunette shook her head. “He’s on a strict no-food diet...if you could call it that. Dr. Luthor wants to see how that affects him--”

Monica set her spatula down sharply, causing both young women to jump at the adjacent counter. Monica had to inhale and exhale before she could speak, reigning in her agitated temper. “Ladies, why are we here?”

“T-To...To take care of the sick and injured, ma’am.” The blonde immediately offered. The brunette looked sufficiently chastised, eyes on the floor.

Monica turned, resting her hip against the counter with a look of censure. “Do I need to educate the two of you on what affects starvation is known to have on the body?”

“N-No ma’am.”

“Then the next time Dr. Luthor issues an idiotic order for anyone here on the barracks what are you going to do?”

“...O-Our jobs, ma’am.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you ladies this. Either you know what’s going on in this barrack’s basement is wrong, or you need to find a new profession.” Monica turned from her current task, setting aside a small platter and beginning to load it with a plate of cookies, a teapot, and a single cup. “I’m going to take our patient in the sub-basement his snack, since I can’t trust the two of you to have the spine to do it if you run into Dr. Luthor. Finish plating the cookies I started and then make your rounds as usual.”

Twin nods of contrition showed remorse enough to satisfy Monica. “Yes ma’am.”

The alien being kept in the sub-basement had a name for anyone who cared to know it--well, he had two, actually. Kal-El, the last son of Krpyton, but here on Earth he was simply Clark Kent. Simply would be the word he’d use to describe himself but it wasn’t what anyone else would likely use. At the moment, Clark had no one to ask. He was lying on the metal slab that was meant to serve as his bed, but he hadn’t been given a mattress so he wasn’t going to call it a bed. He had no blanket, either, and the sterile environment encasing him only served to rub salt over his numerous wounds. The experiments he’d been subjected to ranged from educational to simply satisfying that Dr. Luthor’s sadistic enjoyment of torturing someone who could handle it and Clark didn’t know why he was putting up with it. He had enough strength to get out, more than likely, but...getting out for what? He was now a hated figure in the eye of the media, thanks to the spin of the media and the police. He couldn’t be the hero he’d been raised to be, the hero he believed he could be, because no one was grateful for his help. The S on his chest used to stand for hope but Clark figured he’d be smarter to change it to stupid for thinking he could make a difference on a planet that hated differences rather than celebrating them. These weren’t his people and this wasn’t his planet--

No matter how badly he wanted them to be.

“Dr. Luthor said no food--”

“Lenny, you’ve got two seconds to open that door or you’ll be the one unable to eat.”

Clark’s sharp hearing picked up the exchange outside his reinforced door and his bright blue eyes snapped open. Lenny’s voice he recognized, he was the guard responsible for watching Clark during the evening hours, but this second voice Clark didn’t recognize--but he knew he would, had he heard it before. Despite the whip of anger in that harsh tone Clark slowly pushed his tired body to a sitting position, turning to look over his broad shoulder toward the sound of her voice. She sounded like an angel, a soothing balm on the open wounds that had long ago begin to bruise and ache. Outside, Lenny muttered a half-hearted follow-up argument but Clark had to chuckle quietly at how weak it sounded; truthfully speaking, he wouldn’t want to argue with the owner of that voice, either. She sounded like she meant business.

The reinforced door slammed open a moment later and Clark froze, his pain-filled world suddenly dropping away like a dying star from the sky, leaving only a void to be filled by the presence that just walked into his life. She was dressed in a nurse’s uniform, complete with white tights and Mary-Jane wedge heels, the cap on her head complimenting the beautiful bob that framed an even more beautiful face. Skin kissed by an eternal sun looked petal soft and Clark’s fingers actually twitched with the desire to touch, to feel for himself. If he wanted to fool himself he’d say it was the lack of contact he’d been allowed to have since being imprisoned but this was more than that. She was the most beautiful woman Clark had ever seen.

“Good evening,” Monica set the snack tray down on the offered shelf beside the alien’s bed, inwardly...stunned this was what they said the alien looked like. He looked like a normal man--except, you know, way hotter than the average man. She cleared her throat and smoothed her hands down the front of her stainless white dress. “I brought you some tea and cookies. I thought you might be hungry.”

Clark blinked a little helplessly as she spoke to him, her voice so alluring he would have sworn he could feel it over his skin, a caress against bruises and lacerations.

Monica took his silence a different way, frowning lightly. “I’m...so sorry, do you speak English? Can you understand me?”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” Clark shook his head, planting his bare feet on the floor to stand, and in that instant he was made very aware how petite this young nurse was. He smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Clark.”

Monica blinked up at him, slowly putting her hand in his, swallowing thickly at how easily he dwarfed her in every sense of the word. “M-Monica.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Monica.” Clark lowered himself back onto the side of his bed with a quiet sigh. “And...thank you for the treats. I know you’re not supposed to be feeding me.”

Monica couldn’t believe this. The containment door had slammed shut behind her almost before she’d gotten past the threshold but all she could think was...all these idiot men were afraid of this overly polite gentle giant? She had no doubt he possessed the strength to crush her hand but he’d shaken her hand like it was made of glass. And from what she’d heard since he arrived, he hadn’t hurt anyone--even though she was more than convinced he absolutely could if he wanted to.

“Yeah, well, I don’t often agree with Dr. Luthor.” Monica paused, not keeping the disdain from her voice or her face. “In fact, I don’t think I ever have.”

Clark laughed, resting his elbows on his knees. “Smart girl.”

“He’s a dick.”

Clark’s laughter was louder, sounding surprised as he looked up at her.

“What?! He is. You’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting him.” Monica turned to the tray, picking up the teapot. “Anyway, I’m going to make sure you get fed when we make our rounds for the rest of the patients here.”

Clark, even with how distracted he was by the feminine way she moved, with such careful purpose as she began to pour his tea into the awaiting mug, could appreciate that she regarded him as a patient rather than...well, the monster everyone else seemed to think he was. He didn’t want her to think he was a monster.

“This is youthberry tea. Have you ever had it?”

Clark shook his dark head. “I haven’t had the pleasure.”

“It’s a white tea, made with orange blossoms. It’s medicinal but tastes good, I promise.” Monica added two teaspoons of sugar before stirring the steaming cup. “Has anyone looked at any of your injuries, Clark?”

“Ah, no,” Clark took the cup in his large hands, immediately feeling the warmth seeping into his fingers. He took a delicate sniff of the steaming liquid and made a content noise. “This smells good.”

Monica’s face relaxed into a smile as she turned back to the tray.

“So do you.” Clark glanced up at her, as if he couldn’t stop the thought from leaving his mouth. Before Monica could react, he took a sip of the tea. “Oh wow!”

“It’s hot,” Monica immediately reached over, lowering the mug from his mouth. “I’m sorry, I should have warned you.”

Clark shook his head, his body reacting immediately to her touch; she was warmer even than the tea in his hands, and when he locked eyes with her, he couldn’t help but smile--it flustered her, clearly.

“It isn’t that. It’s just good.”

“I-I’m glad,” Monica took her hand off his, turning back to the tray so fast she missed the look of disappointment on his handsome face. “These cookies are Ginger Nut, should pair with the tea nicely and they’re not too sweet.”

Clark waited for her to turn toward him before he shot her a wink. “Because you’re a nurse? Don’t want to indulge my sweet tooth?”

“I didn’t know aliens had sweet teeth.”

Clark laughed again, openly, his heart filling with warmth that had nothing to do with the tea soothing his soul and everything to do with the company he was keeping. Monica may be a nurse, tasked with caring for others, but she pulled no punches and he could respect the way she’d come in here to do her job, to take care of him, without knowing if he would harm her. The more time he spent with her, the more respect he had for her.

“I’ve got lots you probably don’t know about yet,” Clark teased back, a little...unaware of the innuendo he’d just opened up. Monica glanced down to his lap for a split second before looking back to his face as he spoke. “The cookies sound delicious. I really appreciate you doing this for me, Monica. Are you going to get in trouble?”

Monica opened her mouth to retort, but the containment door snapping open interrupted. Clark paused with his mug near his mouth; he’d been so distracted by Monica’s presence and company he hadn’t even heard anyone else approaching his cell.

“This is unacceptable!” Dr. Lex Luthor strode into the cell in a fury. “I was expressly clear with everyone that It isn’t supposed to have any food.”

Immediately, without thought, Monica turned her entire body so that she was standing in front of Clark, stopping Dr. Luthor’s mad stampede in it’s tracks. Monica may be slight of stature but she was not one to be pushed around, and Clark watched her shoulders square and her spine straighten--and when she spoke, even he flinched.

“You are not my superior, Dr. Luthor, and my duty to this barracks is to provide care for all it’s patients. That does include ones subjected to your inhumane experiments and torture.” Monica folded her arms beneath her generous chest. “You are not going to be starving anyone under my watch.”

“It has nothing to do with you or anyone else here at the barracks. It belongs to my team and most importantly to me.”

Monica’s expression went from angry to incredulously pissed off in a fraction of a second. “...Are you calling him an it?”

“Because that’s what It is--”

“There’s absolutely no reason for me to talk to you about this further, if you can’t even dignify my patient by treating him like a person.” Monica turned back to Clark, even as she pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket.

“It isn’t a person, Monica, it’s dangerous.”

Monica made a single noise at the back of her throat as she began to fit the latex over her fingers.

“What are you doing?”

“My job, Dr. Luthor. I’m to care for all the sick and injured in the barracks and this patient has not been declared a terrorist or enemy of the state, correct?” Monica asked, then paused as Lex didn’t answer. She turned with an expectant stare. “Has he?”

“...No.”

“Then I’m going to treat his injuries while he eats. Unless you’d like to stay and assist?” Monica turned back to Clark, who was having a hard time trying to keep from smiling--but he didn’t dare take his eyes off Dr. Luthor. Monica had her back to him, trusting that he wouldn’t retaliate but Clark wasn’t going to take any chances with her safety, not when she was so protective over his.

Dr. Luthor just sneered, his anger clear on his face before he spun and stalked away--Clark had a feeling he wouldn’t go far, but Monica’s posture relaxed as the door slammed back shut and she began her examination of him, beginning with his face.

“You didn’t...have to do that.” Clark’s baby blues met Monica’s gaze and she gave a half-shrug, the tips of her fingers gentle as she turned his head to one side to examine a bruise beneath his eye.

“I snap at him all the time. He doesn’t scare me.”

Clark’s smile brought out the slight dimple in his chin. “Not a lot scares you, I bet.”

“You don’t.” Monica answered honestly, without missing a beat.

Clark’s eyes went wide and his heart stammered in his chest, his breath hitching in his lungs. Two little words that shouldn’t have meant much, probably wouldn’t to most anybody else, but to Clark it was the world. This little human woman had likely risked her career and she’d definitely risked her safety coming in to take care of him but she’d done it anyway. She didn’t know him, she didn’t know what he was capable of but she was smart and she could piece it together...and in spite of all that, she was protecting him, taking care of him. Clark blinked back tears as he cleared his throat, allowing Monica to tilt his head to the other side. If she noticed his emotion, she didn’t comment on it.

“Drink your tea.” Instead, she focused her attention on making him feel better, offering him hope that even if the entire planet thought him a monstrous alien...she didn’t. “And eat one of the cookies or I’m going to get offended.”

Clark found himself laughing, again, reaching over for one of the cookies arranged on the tea plate. With an earnest snap! he bit into the wafer, chasing it with a sip of tea.

“Thank you, Monica.” Clark poured every ounce of his gratitude in his sentence, hoping she could hear it. Feel it.

She smiled, reassuring him she had. “You’re welcome, Clark.”

When the time came for Clark to make his move out of this place, he’d be taking Monica with him. No one should expect a flower to grow from concrete, and though his little hole in the wall apartment wasn’t much...he had plenty of sunlight to give his little ray of hope.