#i think a labcoat does make sense as it helps tie her back to her roots but idk i feel like something coulda been added as well

[astralchainposting]

Jena Anderson concept art

[precure-stuff]

Aikatsu On Parade Rewrite Part 5

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

READ CHANGES TO CANON IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST ONE:

Raki acquires the Constellation PR by studying Amahane’s design method with Sena.

Magic Blood performs Ragtime of The Moonlit Night is performed

Reflect Moon perform in their Jeweling Dresses

Aoi, Shion and Ako act together·      

Raki and Sora are good friends(Designers)·      

The Christmas live is Hello Winter Love (Raki. Hinaki. Lily. Juri. Maika. Ichigo)

Mirai, Kaede and Hibiki are in a unit called Dynamo

Raki works on the Jeweling PR for a week before getting Alicia’s approval

Seira and Rola tie in a rock contest

Hime and Mizuki perform Start Line in episode 20

Episode 21- Lucky Arrival

After the duo stage the popularity of 4 Star and Starlight shoots up. Despite the fact that Mizuki and Hime aren’t in school anymore, people wanted to see the idol schools they went to. This leads to the two schools receiving an influx of applications. Madoka invites Raki to help her give the tour as Rin overslept and Raki rushes to Starlight. When she arrives, Madoka is nowhere to be found. Instead, Raki finds Nono and Risa. Raki goes up to them and says she can sense they’re great idols but she can’t recognize them. They smile and claim that they’ll introduce themselves the only way they know how.

Nono and Risa perform Promise Carat. Nono wears the Black Denim Dolly Coord and Risa wears the Romantic Bijoux Coord. The live gathers a small crowd who clap. Risa blushes and hides behind Nono who poses. Raki asks them why she’s never seen them and they mention that they live in Hokkaido and went back there for a while. “There’s actually another pair of idols we’re waiting for.” Cut to a gazebo with two figures sitting in it.

“The entire world revolves around…” Kokone rushes out of the gazebo to meet Nono and Risa. Miyabi stands gracefully and lets Raki know who they are. “When we heard about Starlight being famous we remembered we were students here too!” Raki says she’s never seen an idol like Miyabi before. Kokone spots group of girls on tour and rushes toward them.

“Kokone, wait!” Miyabi ran after her, “We were supposed to look for Sakura together. Kokone has the girls do her catchphrase and performs Love Like Caramelize. Nono, Risa and Raki find her at the end of her performance. Raki rushes up to Kokone and she takes her along to the next group of girls. Raki stops her and says that Miyabi needs her. Kokone apologizes and rushes back. Miyabi sighs and goes to the Starlight Queen Palace. They find Akari decorating it in preparation for that part of the tour. Akari greets them all and offers them cake which Kokone and Raki happily indulge in. Miyabi asks where they can find Sakura and is told to look at the track field.

Miyabi, Kokone and Raki walk toward the tracks and find Sakura meditating there. “I’ve been waiting for this.” She says as she stands up.  Miyabi walks to face her and the two pull out their cards as if they are about to duel. “Wait!” Raki cries. She asks if she can perform with them and Miyabi and Sakura ask if she’ll be able to keep up. Raki shows them her Red dress design (the one in her sketch not the promotional cards. See the image below for reference) The three perform Light Pink Day Tripper but only Sakura and Miyabi do the appeal. One the song is over, Sakura and Miyabi face each other with a smile but Raki seems sullen. Kokone asks her what’s wrong but Raki forces a smile. The episode ends with a shot of the clover in Raki’s sketchbook.

Episode 22- Going Our Way

4Star’s tour is underway and starts with all the aspiring applicants and fans watching an interview with the old S4 (Hime, Yozora, Yuzu, Tsubasa) This brings back the purple cloud mascot that interviewed them in Aistars season 1. Backstage, Yume, Rola, Koharu, Mahiru and Ako are sitting in a dressing room. They’re in a circle holding hands with their eyes closed as the music in the background fades out. The opening plays.

After the S4 interview we get a shot of the crowd where we spot Saya, Natsuna and Sumomo. Natsuna is in a bad mood and Saya and Sumomo brought her to see Rola but she hasn’t appeared yet. The crowd disperses and Natsuna runs up on stage toward Tsubasa. Tsubasa panics and pushes Natsuna away but Hime catches her. Yuzu reassures her with a smile and Yozora asks, “Are you lost?” She looks at Natsuna’s jacket and notices a Spice Chord accessory. Tsubasa walks up to her and squats.

“If you like Spice Chord then-” Tsubasa is cut short by Saya and Sumomo’s arrival.

They explain things to Tsubasa and she sighs, “I see, Rola is currently occupied but I promise you’ll meet her today. I’ll give you three a personal tour for now.” Tsubasa takes the girls around and stops once they get to the balcony. Natsuna hasn’t said a word and Tsubasa asks to be left alone with her. After a few seconds of silence, Natsuna says that she’s been chasing after Rola for the past year.

“I’ve never really seen idols like me but Rola was. She wore clothes like I did and sang songs I wanted to sing too,” Natsuna whispers. Tsubasa smiles and stares at the sky.

“When I was younger, I wanted to be the top of Song Class. When Akari was younger, she wanted to be just like Ichigo. Being inspired by others is a beautiful thing, but you should remember that you’re a star on your own. Even my Spice Chord and hers are different. So will yours.” Natsuna seems unconvinced. Tsubasa shows her the Girl’s Flag Coord. Natsuna’s eyes light up. She sashays off and beckons Natsuna to follow her. We get to see Dancing Days.

Natsuna finally understands and tells Tsubasa that she can take her back to Sumomo and Saya. Tsubasa takes her to the dressing room just as Yume and Rola walk out. Saya and Sumomo as Rola walks toward her. Natsuna stands shyly behind Tsubasa.

“Do you love Spice Chord?” Rola asks. Natsuna’s eyes meet hers. She nods shyly.

“Rola, we’re up on stage.” Yume reminds her.

“Just a minute Yume.” Rola rushes back into the dressing room and brings out her bag. She hugs Natsuna and gives her the Black Shadow Coord and rushes onto stage. Natsuna blushes as she holds the cards and Saya and Natsuna take her back to the crowd to watch the stage. The five Stars girls stand in the Dressing Room and make a star shape with their fingers before appearing on stage to perform We Are Stars in the event coords above

Episode 23- A Girl like Me

 This episode starts in Tamaki’s office. Tamaki is watching footage of one of Raki’s recent concerts. As Raki sings ‘Your Entrance’ when suddenly her aura disappears. Tamaki’s eyes widen as she watches Raki finish the performance. She turns to Sora and Koharu across the desk. “Is this the first time this has happened?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” Koharu says, “Recently, Raki hasn’t been herself.”

“Yes,” Sora adds, “She lost her way somehow and isn’t designing as she usually does.”

Tamaki places her head on her hands and sighs. “This is something much deeper than dresses. Whatever is going on is something Raki feels about herself.”

*Opening plays*

We cut to Raki’s room as she stares at a blank page of her sketchbook. Madoka and Rin sit outside with PP and Wakaba. Akari, Ichigo and Yume arrive in a car and join them at Star Harmony. Koharu lays out the situation for all of them. “We need to cheer Raki up. Whatever made her want to design clothes seems to have stopped and she can’t perform. She isn’t the same as she used to be.” Wakaba suggests that they show her their Aikatsu Cards as the rest remain silent. Yume and Akari turn to Ichigo who has a stern look on her face. Koharu follows Yume’s eyes to Ichigo as well.

“She needs to find her rice scoop.” Ichigo remarks, “Whatever made her an idol…she knows it herself.”

“In that case,” Koharu says, “We’re all going to help her remember that.” Rin and Madoka head off to Starlight looking for Juri. If anyone knew passion, it would be her. Koharu and Yume went to Venus Ark and Wakaba went to Raki’s room. Ichigo and Akari left last and no one knew where they went.

At Venus Ark, Yume and Koharu begged Elza to come see Raki. Yume stepped forward and clasped her hands “You inspired her very first PR. You let me surpass my own limits! Elza please!” Elza’s gaze remained cold and she stood up to face the sea.

“If she can’t get over a simple rut then she should reconsider being an idol.” Elza said.

Koharu huffed and straightened her shoulders, “If I hadn’t helped you as a designer would you be where you are now?” Elza turns in disgust. Koharu doesn’t flinch and pulls out her own sketchbooks. She lays it on Elza’s desk and flips through the designs she had for Perfect Queen. “Elza, even you needed help. Right now Raki needs you and you should be there.” The scene ends

Wakaba and Raki are sitting on her bed talking about their families. Wakaba mentions that she misses them as she’s been so busy as an idol but knows they understand. Raki smiles lightly as Juri bursts in with Rin and Madoka. Raki is shocked as Juri showers her with roses. “I’m told someone here is feeling down” (I’m not including the Spanish because I don’t speak it so I can’t do it well) Rin tells her to calm down. Madoka offers Raki a candy pop. She stares at it for a while and curls up. “You’re all such good idols and I’m glad I met you but-I’m not sure I can be that.”

We see a flashback of Raki and her sister. Raki first tried to dress like her sister and emulate her style. We see a small Raki in her sister’s labcoat. As Raki grows older she starts to dress more like herself and gets the idea for Maple Ribbon. Her sister supports this and we see Raki receiving her Aikatsu Pass. As this memory plays in Raki’s head we see her eyes light up a little.

In the Starlight Palace Akari nods as she chairs a Starlight Queen meeting. Otome, Sakura and Mizuki are in a circle as Ichigo watches. Mizuki stands. “I may not know her well but I can’t stand by and watch an idol lose her way.”

“Do you think we’re doing too much?” Ichigo asks, “I don’t want us to smother Raki.” Otome shakes her head furiously but Sakura stops her.

“Raki’s been this way for a while,” Sakura starts, “Ever since her stage with me and Miyabi…she wanted to see all sorts of idols but I’m not sure she knows what she wants to be herself. She’s shifted between all sorts of looks and has done a little of everything.”

“She can be whatever idol she needs to be. We just need to remind her.” Mizuki says and Akari decides to end the meeting.

Madoka receives a text message and asks Raki to go to the stage in Star Harmony. The message says that Raki should go alone and she does. Wakaba looks worried. As she enters the empty seats, she notices Ichigo standing in the spotlight. “Raki,” she says, “We know that something’s wrong but we don’t know what. We want you to know whatever idol you’ll be we’ll all support you.” Four more lights appear. “And so prepare to see four idols who came into their own just like you will.”

Sweet Sweet Girls Talk starts playing. The stage is a garden with a gazebo and tea cups. It’s very flowery and elegant. The Starlight Queens appear. Otome wears the Cotton Color Coord, Akari wears the Rose Party Coord, Mizuki wears the Moon French Coord and Sakura wears the Noble Coord.

As the stage ends, Ichigo invites Raki on stage. She takes the mic (It’s the same one from the Ichigo movie) “I’m grateful you all did this for me.” The other girls walk in, revealing they were listening to the performance, “I started designing to make clothes I wanted to wear. I want Maple Ribbon to be something girls like me can wear.” She takes a pause and looks around the room. “But I’m a girl who wants to wear whatever she likes. All sorts of clothes exist in my brand. Thank you for reminding me I don’t have to be anything to make it.”

The episode cuts to black but lights up as we get Idol Activity(All Stars Version) in the Shining Line Coords. During the performance we cut to scenes of Raki interacting with the other protagonists.

Episode 24- Lucky Time

The episode starts with Honey Cat decorating Star Harmony. We see Reflect Moon giving readings to the Star Harmony students. In a dressing room Raki and Wakaba are having their hair done by Sora and Mahiru. There’s an event going on named Lucky Time. Crowds begin to gather and Hariu checks the tickets. As the crowd comes on stage, we see that Pure Palette are the MCs. They thank the audience for coming and mention that Honey Cat will start the event.

You X I plays. They perform in their first Friends Dresses with their Miracle Aura. After that Maika and Ema mention that they’re here today to help two girls to form their own Friends. Wakaba and Raki walk on stage and the crowd begins to cheer. Raki and Wakaba reveal that their Friends unit is Clover Ring. Mirai blushes as she and Karen hold hands in the crowd. Raki gives a short speech about how far she’s come. She thanks Wakaba for being there for her and they run backstage to the Dressing Rooms. Raki wears the Pastel Purple Line Coord and Wakaba wears the Cherry Link Coord.  They sing Aikatsu Friends. The rest of the episode has Raki and Wakaba climb a mountain and sit together at the top as they watch the sunset together

Episode 25- Venus Dream

 The episode starts on Venus Ark. Aria and Carol Alice stand watching the sea as Rey walks out to meet them. “Elza wants to speak to you,” They walk into Elza’s office as Alice adjusts her bonnet.

“Alice! I placed my trust in you once and you failed me. Right now Venus Ark needs you more than ever. We must catch up to the other schools so all Venus Ark students simply must debut.” She pushes a letter forward. Alice picks it up and smiles. “Isn’t that the brand you admire?” Alice nods. “Very well. Aria, take her to the muse.” Rey sees them out of the room. The opening plays (This would be Twilight Etranger with scenes of everyone)

Aria rows the mini-boat Elza gave them but they’re making no progress. Carol admits she’s never rowed a boat and Aria said she did so with Hime as a child. Carol swirls her hand in the water. They drift vaguely along the sea as Aria places flowers in the water. “This way we won’t get lost.” Aria says. Carol sighs as the sun continues to burn intensely. Aria lets her hair down and starts humming her song. Carol joins her and they hum together to lighten the mood. As they sing and drift at sea, a third voice joins them. They turn in horror only to see Mirai in a floating tube. She waves at them and swims over. Karen stands over her own ship at the dock and has them brought in.

Alice and Aria sit by a white table in a small room with wide windows letting the sunlight in. After being refreshed Karen asks them why they were drifting at sea. Aria mentions that they were on their way to the ship. Mirai tells them it was a strange way to get there. Carol covers her face and stands before Karen.

“I- I’d like to wear… Classical Ange.” She stammers.

“Hmmm,” Karen holds her chin. “So this is what Raki’s Pass has brought about,” She steps forward and uncovers Carol Alice’s face. “You’re clearly a beautiful girl Alice. A graceful lady who should wear fitting clothes.” Karen takes her hand and rushes over to the desk. Aria smiles as well. Karen gives Alice the cards for the Mermaid Blue Coord. Carol takes the cards and places to them on her chest.

“Thank you, for believing in me.” Alice says. Karen takes them back to Star Harmony and announces that she will be sharing her brand with a Venus Ark student. News spreads back to Elza who is furious.

“Why couldn’t she bring her here? Rey, we can’t let ourselves be left behind.” Elza storms out and makes her way to Star Harmony.  Rey makes sure to alert the press that royalty was on the move. Elza steals the show and has her staff spread Venus Ark banners over the halls she walks through. Raki and Wakaba see this and mention that they’re not surprised. After walking around a bit, Elza demands that Alice be brought to her. In the meantime, she sits on a makeshift throne with Rey standing guard.

Alice walks towards Elza and meets her eyes. Elza is taken aback. Alice had never done that. She had a certain poise in her walk. Rey blushes and comments that it seems as though she’s gliding. Alice tells Elza that she wants to show her a performance worth seeing. Elza nods as she tries to hide how proud she is of her.

Aria and Alice rush to the Dressing Room. Aria wears the Nadeshiko New Year Coord and Alice wears the Mermaid Blue Coord(pictured on the left). Pirouette of the Forest Light starts playing as Aria sings the first line. Alice joins in and as the tune plays her aura appears. Six blue candles rotate around her with gold stands. Blue jewels and purple lilies float around her. The appeals are Angel Garden and Star Heartful World. As the show ends Elza congratulates Alice and gives her a hug. The episode ends

[funkymeihem-fiction]

My Lovely Assistant- Chapter 3 (Junkenstein Meihem)

“A handshake, mate! A bloody handshake!” Junkenstein dragged his fingers down his face, digging them into the sallow flesh of his cheeks. “What was I thinking? I’ll tell you what I was thinking! I wasn’t thinking! I wasn’t thinking and she’s probably halfway back to China by now to tell everyone about how I had a lady literally on top of my lap and I gave her a handshake!” The Monster responded with a low ‘ghhrrmm’ and that was all. “Do you think I don’t know that?! I’m blowing a bloody brain gasket over here. She looked real sad, said something in her gobbledygook, and then hopped off. Because who could blame her! A handshake?!” He howled and brought his forehead down into the table with a thunk. Scarecrow looked around unsurely, its lenses whirring with each little adjustment, before bringing a long and lanky arm up to pat its master’s hunched back in a poor pantomime of comfort. Junkenstein pushed it away brusquely, sending it tipping over to the floor with a straw-filled crash. “What do you know about fine ladies like her?! Nothing! And apparently I don’t either!” he snarled, gritting his teeth before trying to smooth back his wild head of shocked gray hair. Nearly falling to his death hadn’t phased him very much, but his panicked handshake and her reaction thereof had nearly shattered his world. In desperation, he turned to the larger figure across the table, oozing wisps of shadow as its jack-o-lantern head flickered eerily in the dim candlelight. “What about you? You’re a keen sort, I bet you got all sorts of advice for this sort of thing. You ever made it with a lady before you turned into a pumpkin? Or, were you always a pumpkin? I mean, not that a pumpkin couldn’t make it with a lady…Wait, could they? Could you? Did you?” “I don’t even want to be here,” The Reaper replied dryly. “Just give me the new schematics so I can leave.”

“Do you think…erm…Maybe the Witch has any advice about-” “NO,” The Reaper snarled. “You are to focus on the tasks at hand. Pray that you have a better handle on your army than you do on your pathetic love life.” Dr. Junkenstein shot him an offended glare behind his goggles, rummaging through his papers before rolling them up and slamming the bundle into the Reaper’s outstretched claw. “Well howdoyado to you too, then. Hope you were nicer as a person than you are as a pumpkin, dipstick.” The Reaper didn’t bother with an answer, having listened to Junkenstein’s lovelorn rantings for the past twenty minutes before finally receiving the papers. Tucking them into the darkness of his cloak, he finally turned to go, heavy spiked bloods clunking to the door. For a moment he paused, before the jack-o-lantern turned to set its flickering eyes back on the scrawny figure of the doctor, who was now sprawled out across the entire paper-strewn table, spread-eagled and staring listlessly at the ceiling as if waiting for the end to finally come and claim him. The Reaper had never been fond of the Doctor and had always made that very clear…but no matter the insults or troubles sent his way, he had never him like this. Usually the Doctor was in some manic state or other; found halfway in or out of the guts of whatever robot or monstrosity he was building, tinkering with dangerous sciences and magics never meant for human hands, laughing, screaming, or a combo of the two, and chattering to himself and his handmade ‘friends’ nonstop. He didn’t even know the Doctor was capable of being sad. Especially over something like a fumbled encounter with a girl. Sighing, the Reaper shook his head and waved a hand. “Look…” Junkenstein didn’t look at him, and sighed like his world was ending instead. The Reaper grumbled. Why did people always come to someone like him with their problems? “Laying around and moping over them won’t help. If you care about this woman, show them. Figure out a way to get her to understand that you are sorry. Just don’t bother me or Our Lady about it any further. Do something useful, for once. Go apologize to your jiangshi…” “How am I s’posed to apologize to someone who don’t understand a word I tell ‘er?” Junkenstein whined aloud. He received no answer, and when he turned to look, the Reaper was already long gone. The Doctor lay there for a few minutes longer, sighing loudly and frequently for attention. Scarecrow, at a loss as to what to do, went limp and fell onto the table beside him, sighing as well. Eventually the Monster became tired of it, lifted one enormous arm, and with one sweep he pushed them both off the table and onto the floor. They both landed with a crash and after a few moments of silence from under the furniture, Junkenstein suddenly leapt upward with an energetic hop, hands on his hips as he faced down his creations. “You’re right!” he said, pointing to the uninterested Monster. “Brilliant idea, mate! Rally! Imagine, the great Dr. Jamison Junkenstein being defeated so easily! Oh-ho, I don’t think so, my friend! So the handshake thing was a bit of a blunder, yes, and I’m pretty sure she looked ready to cry when she ran out of there…but if she hasn’t left back for China, I still got time. What I need is a gesture. I need a grand gesture, just for her, just for my lovely assistant. So what if…” He trailed off for a moment, waving both hands as it to try and physically tie his thoughts together, snagging whatever spilled out of his brain and cobbling them together for coherence. Or at least a semblance of it. “So…what if I made her an assistant? Everyone likes assistants, don’t they? All right, get the shovels, boys, we’re going to need a few fresh bodies, some new electric coils, new clothes, probably a wig and some dentures-” The Monster snorted. “Hm, maybe not,” Junkenstein agreed. “Not enough time to make one of those. What else does she like? Not like she’s been able to tell me what she likes. What do lady sorts like? Chocolate candies? Expensive wines and teas? Sparkly jewelry?…Wait, aren’t those just things I like? Hrrmmm… What does a Jiangshi like?” He thought for a moment, tapping his pointed chin with a ‘hrrrmmm’, before his grin lit up. With a fabulous skipping motion, he made for the shelves of his study, leaping onto the rolling ladder and starting to rifle through his collections of books like a mad thing, sending them flying in all directions as he dug through them. Finally finding the ones he wanted, he gathered them into his arms and headed back for his table, dumping them open and searching through them frantically. “Hrmmm…Ji’an, Jiao, Jianbing, Jiujitsu…Jiangshi!” His mind racing, Junkenstein flipped open his book of Chinese characters and began sifting through them as well, snatching up a quill and ink as he began scribbling frantically. “Well, this makes about as much sense as she does, s’mostly in foreign text. All right, Jiangshi, the hopping ‘stiff corpse’ monster. Uh…something about ancient powers of evil, something something, absorbing power, flying…turning into wolves? Never seen her do that before, need to ask her about that one later. Here’s something about…Oh!” He tapped at his book, scribbling so hard that the quill bent and ink splattered over his freshly laundered labcoat. “Here’s a list of something; sticky rice, duck eggs, blessed chicken, and the…blood of a black dog?” He thought for a moment. “Huh. Well, I’ve heard the Chinese have some strange tastes. Sounds like a recipe, don’t you think? You know, come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen her eat anything yet. And she always looks so happy when I mention food, gets all…snuggly, and whatnot. Bet our cuisine must be awfully bland compared to all this, and she’s been so worried about me eating well, she hasn’t had the time to cook for herself. Poor dear, she must be starvin’ for something good. This is it, boys! Here’s our gesture!” He turned and shoved the open book into the Monster’s face with an audible smack, smashing the creature’s snout up. “This recipe! This one here! Let’s get to the kitchens! We’re gonna make something nice for Miss Mei!” ***

“No. Yes. No. No. No. Yes.” Some time later, Dr. Junkenstein was rooting through his kitchen cupboards, flinging out pieces of equipment and generally making a mess. “Where’s the colander?! Wait, didn’t I use that for a generator bit? Er…Here, use this spoon thing with the holes in it instead. Where’s the pan I had?” Scarecrow, who was wearing the pan as a helmet, scrambled away with a guilty hunch, heading into the pantry. The Monster held an armload of cooking utensils and ingredients, spreading them all out on the crowded tabletops as his creator sent a bag of rice hurtling his way. The burners were already flaming hot, as the Monster dutifully emptied out the entire sack of rice into the cookpot, spilling out over the top and all over the floor. Junkenstein didn’t even notice, ripping up pages from every copy of every holy text he could find, scattering the pieces into a boiling pot with a still-raw pink chicken inside. “We’re gonna bless this chicken, we’re gonna bless the hell outta this chicken! Yeah! Get! Blessed!” He flung the covers of a book in with it before slamming the lid down, rubbing his hands together as the kitchen descended into further chaos. “Make sure the rice is good and sticky, it said it needs to be sticky! Now where did I put the…ah-ha!” He rummaged noisily through the cupboards before pulling out a small vial. “The blood of a black dog!” For once, this gave the Monster pause. He lifted his head, then turned and jabbed a thumb in a questioning way towards the tiny bottle. “Hrrmnn?” “Because it pays to be prepared, that’s why. You never know when you might need something,” Junkenstein replied, upending the vial into the pot with the chicken. “You know, I’m pretty sure it said something about adding a virgin’s piss. But…ya know, probably a mistranslation and all, let’s not put that in. Besides! Hehe, who’s…who’s gonna find a virgin at this hour, right?!” The Monster looked at him. “RIGHT, MATE?!” Junkenstein shrilled. The Monster looked away again. Scowling, Junkenstein stirred at the thoroughly blessed chicken with a wooden spoon, turning as the kitchen door slammed. Scarecrow, still wearing its cooking pot askew on its head, had returned, holding an extremely angry duck in both hands and holding it out in offering. Junkenstein bared his teeth, pointing his sticky spoon at them both as the duck flailed its webbed feet and quacked madly. “Qwok qwok qwok qwoooook.” “I said duck eggs! Duck EGGS, you literally brainless cretin!” Scarecrow paused, then turned and threw the duck out the window, reaching into its tattered overalls pocket and offering a handful of eggs it had pilfered from the village pond. Junkenstein snatched them up greedily, finagling them between the fingers of his mechanical hand and cracking them one by one in rapid-fire succession, dumping them all at once into the slurry in the big cookpot. The golden yolks covered the red-spattered chicken, already boiling in its paper-scattered broth. “All right, boys. Everything’s coming along nicely. Yeah, get everything nice and hot. Make it strong, and make a lot of it!” He tasted the spoon, promptly spat it out onto the floor, and went back to stirring. “Aaachbt! Pleh! Well, so long as this makes her happy, eh? I really am a genius. I promised I’d take her out for dinner. Still am, mind you, once I’ve taken over the village and executed my enemies, gotten my to-do list to a more manageable level… Still going to take her out, but for now, what’s more romantic than a proper homecooked meal from yours truly, made specifically to her exquisite tastes?” He dumped in the rest of the dog’s blood as the rice started burning beside him, still stirring madly. “She’s gonna love this!"

***

Some time later, he limped across the stone ramparts, holding the huge pot by both handles and a carrot-embroidered kitchen towel. His metal peg leg clacked noisily on each step, the blue glass of his goggles shining in the moonlight. Lifting his voice, he wheedled aloud. “Mei? Meeeiiiiii, darl, you around here? Come on, sugar pea, let’s not avoid each other? I know what happened was…er….less than ideal, but-” He heard the familiar sound of hopping, and the jiangshi woman appeared from the shadow of the doorway up ahead. She still looked a little hurt, he thought, with those big dark eyes of hers shining behind her glasses, and only the tips of her little fangs appearing as white dots on her lower lip. Well, if he had his way of things, and he would, those eyes would be bright and happy, and she’d smile at him with all her teeth, even the sharp ones. He offered his own sharp grin, hefting the pot in hopeful offering. “Now, um…I’m aware that there may have been a slight miscommunication earlier. Language barrier and all, it’s completely understandable. But, being the upstanding gent that I am, I want to make it up to you.” “下次再谈这个问题吧…” she said, rubbing her arm a little with one claw and looking away from his pot. “Now now, let’s not write it all off yet, huh? Put a lot of hard work into the apology, I did. It’s an apology in physical form. Not that it tastes like sorrow, mind you, not like that. I did my research, found out that…well…you were probably just hungry, right?” She blinked and looked at him at that, seemingly recognizing at least a few words. Especially ‘hungry’. She hesitated, gazing at the man and pursing her lips before looking down bashfully, mumbling in her native tongue again. “Yeah! Yeah, you were just hungry, weren’t you? This is all just a little error, that’s all. Don’t worry, love, everyone makes mistakes. So…we can go back to the way things were, can’t we? You can be my lovely assistant, and I promise you, I promise you I will be more attentive to your needs!” he smiled. She eyed him a bit more, but he could see she was smiling a little. Hope fluttered in his heart valves, then practically blew up in his chest when she looked up and offered him a little nod. She even hopped forward a little, starting to reach for him with that adoring look in her eyes that he liked so much. But, he was still holding the surprise in the cookpot, and he couldn’t stop himself from fidgeting, tapping a bit from leg to peg and biting his lips before giggling and shoving the pot forward at her. “Wait! Wait, before we do all the um…the making-up bits, I want you to have this. I made it especially for you! Did all my research and spent all night on it, it’s something special from your homeland!” She looked a little confused, pointing to herself and the cookpot, sniffing a little before going to inspect it. She leaned forward… Junkenstein seized his chance, whipping the top off the pot as the steam wafted directly into her face. “Surprise!” It hit her full force, and she staggered as if struck. Far from the elated reaction he’d hoped for, his smile faded as she uttered the most horrible noise. It sounded like she was choking and trying to scream through it, her throat closing off as her jaws stretched open. Her fangs lengthened from her gums, still squeaking that awful noise as she grasped onto her neck with both claws. Her eyes rolled up and backward, until the light pink of the veins could be seen against the white sclera…and down she went onto the cold stone of the ramparts, landing in a sad heap of cloth as her spell paper came loose and went fluttering down beside her. Junkenstein stood stunned for a moment, looking down at her. “Um…Mei?” There was no reply. Her eyes remained whited out, her face stuck in an expression of pure agony, and she lay where she had fallen. “Mei? MEI?! MEEEIII!” He threw the cookpot aside, clattering aside and sending the foul-looking slurry mixture all over the ground as he threw himself beside her. He shook her, poked her, pulled her stiff body awkwardly into his arms as he hunched over the seemingly re-dead woman in his lap, rocking her back and forth. “No no no no no…Mei, sweet potato, don’t do this. Don’t do this. Come on, up and at ‘em! I made…I made your favorite…” He looked over at the cooking pot, then down at the blanked face of his lovely assistant. “Your favorite?…” He was gathering her into his arms, preparing to run her back to his lab and to get  help, when he heard a different voice from the same direction Mei had come from. “Allo? Mei? Dr. Junkenstein? What’s all this commotion? I did not expect-” The Witch of the Wilds paused as she came into the moonlight, her expression going stern and extremely unhappy as she beheld the sight before her. Placing a hand on her hip, she stared the Doctor down, and he could feel the air around him turn icy and cold as she asked a little too gently. “Good Doctor Junkenstein…What has happened?” He looked down to the unconscious jiangshi with a grimace. “I…I dunno. I made her a stew. Tried to give some to her and she just…she just…” The Witch sniffed, holding a gloved hand elegantly to her nose as she made her way over to the abandoned cookpot and the spilled contents. “A stew? You think you can feed her stew? Goodness me, that stench! Doctor…what did you put in this stew?” “I found the recipe in an old book, written in foreign. Translated it myself, it’s a stew from her homeland made for jiangshis! Um…what was…” His mind raced, trying to recall all the ingredients he’d used. “Um. Sticky gluten rice, duck eggs, blessed chicken, the blood of a black dog…definitely not any virgin piss or anything but, I made her…the stew?…” The Witch clamped a hand over her face, and for a moment Junkenstein couldn’t tell if she was angry or laughing as her shoulders shook. When she turned back to him, he could tell she definitely was not laughing. “That was not a recipe for stew! Do you realize what you have done? You oafish man, don’t you know what those were?” He looked down at Mei. “Um…” The Witch glared at him, gesturing to the other woman’s unresponsive body. “Congratulations, Doctor. You combined everything you ever needed to defeat a jiangshi…”