#who trusted Rui with a firearm?

[a21af]

phantom chasers 🔎

[aarunomura]

Pythagoras Production 「SPECTACULAR TOUR」CD Series’ Synopsis + Character Translations

西遊記 (Saiyuki / Journey to the West)

➤ STORY

In ancient times, Sanzou Houshi travels to India for a sacred book. At his side are three figures.

The party stays in a village along their way to the West. However, when morning came, Sanzou Houshi suddenly disappeared. Son Goku, who was now free, went to the village to seek some entertainment, but Sa Gojou started to feel that something was not quite right there…?

➤ ACTORS

Son Goku / Kirihara Atom (CV: Masuda Toshiki)

Age: ??? Weapon: Ruyi Bang Hobby: playing pranks

one of the people on a journey to the West with Sanzou Houshi

likes getting up to mischief, and as a result, gets yelled at by Sa Gojou every time

however, he is passionate and has a strong sense of justice

barely has any memory of being imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain, and cherishes the present more than the past

Sa Gojou / Makishima Shy (CV: Toyonaga Toshiyuki)

Age: 481 Weapon: hidden weapon Hobby: weapon maintenance

one of the people on a journey to the West with Sanzou Houshi

a youkai that originally got in the way of the group’s journey

however, he ended up joining them because he liked Sanzou Houshi’s personality

Cho Hakkai / Nakama Teruma (CV: Someya Toshiyuki)

Age: 108 Weapon: rake Hobby: bathing

one of the people on a journey to the West with Sanzou Houshi

possesses great physical strength

easily carries a 3-tonne rake as a weapon with a smile on his face

STARGAZER Z

➤ STORY

“STARGAZER” is an organisation based in America, where evil is spreading. There, humans with all kinds of abilities gather and bloom their talents as heroes who protect humanity.

The stage is New York, a city where all incidents occur. In one part of the city, Leon, who had too much time on his hands, discovered a meteorite falling from the sky one day. However, what was falling was not a meteorite but a human…?

➤ ACTORS

Robin / Nomura Eru (CV: KENN)

Age: 19 Power: spatial mobility Hobby: travelling abroad

“STARGAZER” No.SG-003 Robin-type Frame

a hero specialising in spatial mobility - moving his target, whether it be a person or thing, from one place to another

carefree and street-smart, but the words that come out of his mouth are just jest, and he hides his true thoughts and feelings

delivers excellent results within STARGAZER, but he holds a secret

Leon / Himuro Kira (CV: Okawa Genki)

Age: 25 Power: physical strengthening Hobby: futsal

“STARGAZER” No.SG-060 Lion-type Frame

a hero specialising in the growth of physical abilities, enhancement of physical strength & animalisation

has a strong sense of justice and can’t turn his back on those in need

however, he feels bored of his daily life, which he considers to be too peaceful

a caring older brother, but has an extreme side in which he swings his strengthened arms around when engaging in battles

he lost his parents in a crash in the past

AL-10 Orbit / Takimaru Alto (CV: Sawashiro Chiharu)

Age: 5 Power: portable firearms Hobby: basking in the sun

“STARGAZER” No.SG-??? Frame Unknown

an automata affiliated with STARGAZER

absolutely no information is known; there are many unknown parts to his data

when he fell/collapsed, he was picked up by Leon and is staying at his place

DOGGY BLACK

➤ STORY

An order arrives from BOSS one day for “DOGGY BLACK”, a spy team active behind the scenes in all four corners of the world. The order was to “grab hold of evidence of human trafficking.” Three people secretly came up with a scheme and go undercover but…

“──There is a traitor.”

Who is the Dog hiding in the dark night? The only one they can trust is themselves.

➤ ACTORS

Virgo / Aiba Rui (CV: Takahashi Naozumi)

Age: 18 Special skill: data processing Hobby: reading (detective novels)

spy team’s leader

observation, thinking and analytical skills are top-class

perceives things in a calm and collected manner, and devises precise, accurate plans

respected and trusted by BOSS

his parents were top spies who lost their lives during a mission

the same pursuers also targeted him, but after BOSS saved him, he decided that he would become a spy as well

a flaw of his is that he is unable to see anything else once he concentrates on something

Libra / Nomura Aru (CV: Suzuki Yuuto)

Age: 17 Special skill: hacking Hobby: online games

spy team member

normally passive, but becomes proactive when in front of the PC

because he hates hurting people, he plays the role of an operator instead of being in the front lines

has a history of secretly hacking into American intelligence agencies’ networks whose defences were said to be unbreakable

BOSS was impressed with his skills, and he ended up joining the team

there are also times when he will dispose bombs in mechanical systems

Leo / Shindo Tsubasa (CV: Aoi Shouta)

Age: 16 Special skill: disguises, picking Hobby: solving puzzle rings

spy team member

despite being the last to join the team, his skills are on par with a professional’s

particularly excels in disguises; depending on the mission, there are times when he completely transforms his appearance into a female’s

because he’s good at picking, he can unlock confusing keys within a few seconds

joined the team only because he thought it would be interesting

was originally an orphan from the slums, where he mastered the skill of disguising by deceiving people as a means of survival

[purify-orre-blog]

Chapter 4: Post Execution

TL:DR; Michael’s plan is starting to turn out just how he wanted, and he hates it. Also, he wishes Caelum had done a hit during that last trial. He wishes Saturday had pulled out her scythe. He wishes someone had fallen for his latest routine.

Accompanying Music: Sadness (It’s Okay To Grieve And Feel For Yourself, Even If You Never Have Before Now)

His plans weren’t working. No one was acting any different, and he still had no idea who was in-charge.

Best contender was either Ryo or Hiro. (On account of the whole, coding-robotics angle.) And they were both dead.

He felt so powerless.

He didn’t know what to do.

He had hoped egging Saturday and Caelum on during the trial would get something out of them, anything, because they were smart and if he prodded hard enough they’d get his hints to stop focusing on the puzzle pieces and start on the BIG PICTURE, but it didn’t help.

It didn’t help.

Becoming the villain was doing nothing.

More people were going to die, and he was starting to care.

Not just general would-wire-over-all-his-money caring, but specific would-jump-off-a-bridge-if-it-so-pleased caring. For all of them.

Especially Yogi and Yori.

It hurt.

Rui always said his aching heart was genetic, and he thought he understood, but the feelings from everyone h u r t .

And on top of that, he could feel the grips of reality settling on into Yori, the way it had Yogi, and he couldn’t. Do. Anything.

He quite literally, just an hour ago, figured out that maybe, just maybe he was included in the “everyone” that he tended to speak about when he referred to the rest of humanity. That maybe everyone, including him, didn’t deserve to suffer this way? That he could be more than “a useful tool” to someone? That he deserved to feel something other than satisfied in a job well done?

And it was scary. Overwhelming. Made him feel sick. Sicker than when he tried to swim. Sicker than when he was around… firearms. Sicker than when he was around the city limits of Phenac.

And while all he wanted to do was pass out, and finally get some sleep, he decided he’d have to start the next phase of ‘Direct Intense Emotions Only oNto Michael Expressly’ and hope the distraction would be enough to buy some more time.

That it would be enough to distract everyone from what was surely to come. That they would see his antics and focus their hope on hating someone worthy of it, and not each other. That they would take the hidden meanings behind his actions and realize time was running out.

He couldn’t tell anyone outright. After all his progress, after his carefully planned narrative set in motion when Oswald arrived, it’d seem suspicious. He could only take the brunt of their frustrations. He could never show anyone the real Michael.

So he’d be their villain. He’d be their last obstacle. He’d be their stepping-stone to the future. He’d start leaving hints around and lead them on a mystery, stage his own death, set deadly traps, leave bomb-making manuals around, whatever it took.

Whatever it took to be entertaining.

And he would be entertaining.

Hopefully enough for Oswald.

Oswald would only entertain their frustration as long as it was entertaining. (At least, that’s what Michael assumed. He didn’t really know. He was afraid to talk to Oswald after… last time.)

Which is why he created the rat pyramid.

The rats would clue everyone in that someone among them was working to keep the mastermind hidden. Working to keep Oswald operational. It had to be the case. The only contenders Michael could justify were dead. (Or still missing their memories like Michael was, which was troubling.)

There had to be someone among them who knew who was in-charge, and this was a summons.

Unconventional in every matter, sure, but Michael assumed whoever would work with their captor would be into weird paraphernalia… Especially if it related to Disney.

Besides, someone mentioned a “Rickey Rat Fastpass Derriere Smusher” before right? Ann, maybe? That’s what the casts were from, except maybe… Maybe that was another joke by Oswald? Picking up the 15 available casts at the gift shop where Rocky died, Michael felt someone snickering at him. Except when he finally picked them up and started the melting process it was 3 days ago and he still couldn’t sleep. So maybe he was imagining it?

He had to be. (Just like when Oswald in his camera feeds said he was broadcasting Michael’s private feed too. That had to be a joke. Michael had said too much. About his regrets for going through with antagonizing everyone, for slowly driving wedges between them all, for opening their eyes to the truth, for putting up with Oswald… But most currently pressing was about how handsome Yogi and Yori were while assuming he was in the privacy of his own security systems. Michael would quite literally maybe actually die if that got out. No one needed to know that Michael had spent 23 minutes trying to rhyme something with purple. No one.)

He typed in a 19 digit code into his phone to start up his newest program. Automated chat text-dumper. He would use it only if absolutely necessary. (He just hoped he would stick around to push back his goodbye message. So it never posted, because it would make Jovi so very sad.) He couldn’t face anyone, anymore, except Yori and Yogi - for as long as they would tolerate him, for as long as the two of them would let Michael help and protect alongside them - and would be lying if he said the trial made him feel better about that fact. (Especially since he still hadn’t really said more than a few words to Yogi… This whole time.) He just didn’t feel safe anywhere else.

He had made himself a target for the better part of his 19 years of life, and couldn’t afford to skirt the boundaries now. If that meant continuing to get takeout at 4 am only if he was sure no one else was around, or accompanying Yori nearly everywhere for the past week because of his own fear, then that was on him.

It was on him.

And when Caelum finally, finally turned on him, which is what he was expecting, it was on Michael. (And really, Caelum had put up with him for much longer than expected. Michael would have to continue to plan accordingly. Take Caelum off the Possible Coconspirator’s list. Move him to the Possible Desperation Kill list.) But Caelum didn’t punch Michael, didn’t leave Michael the opening he was looking for.

Didn’t give Michael the opportunity to let Caelum finally let out some of his anger. Didn’t accept Michael’s apologies. Didn’t exit Reverse Mode.

Didn’t make things interesting for the viewers.

Didn’t play into what he knew of live entertainment.

Didn’t do anything.

And Saturday ignored him.

He was hoping she’d use her scythe, threaten him, something, anything, ANYTHING to get her out of her rut.

But she just kept spiraling down.

And Michael almost lost himself.

He let his aura flare, let himself take in their hatred and confusion, and acted the way everyone he had ever depised had to him.

He became a bully. And nearly, much worse.

He almost said that Caelum was a bad example to Rocky. He almost said that Saturday was just as vile as him for thinking she could help anyone at all. He almost said that Mugman deserved what happened because he wasn’t keeping an eye on his brother. He almost said that Cuphead should’ve come to him so they could work an arrangement out.

He almost became everything he feared in Ardos, that day on the volcano’s peak, not even a foot away from the core.

He could feel the power coursing through him the same way he saw it in that vile man, and felt his potential spike. He could see their situations reversed, except, instead of Eldes there to wrestle the other man away from kicking Michael in, it was just the two of them. And he kicked the other man in. He could taste the momentary high from ending the last threat to his happiness and the crushing weight of directly ending the life of another afterwards.

For the first part of the trial, all he could hear was the voice of Ardos in his brain, searing right into his very core, urging him to do something drastic. Anything to keep the show going. Because he was behind this too, just like he was behind Phenac, and if Michael wasn’t more interesting, he’d end them all just as suddenly as Botan. Just as suddenly as Russell, this time.

If Junpei hadn’t started crying, if Peter hadn’t been skeptical, if Cuphead hadn’t flicked a piece of popcorn at his head, if Saturday and Caelum hadn’t ignored him, if Yori hadn’t called for him, then Michael would have walked right over to Oswald and…

He didn’t want to think about what he would have done.

So later, watching Yori fashion Hiroki’s snurby around some of his rats - the best ones to turn out, actually - he let himself grieve.

Actually, he excused himself to the restroom first for a shower, and let the cold water pierce into his very being. And then he cried.

Cried for what he turned himself into, and for all he had done.

Cried for his family, who were probably all dead, despite everything he said out loud to the contrary.

Cried for letting down everyone at the lab, for Arrow and Bow and his other friends he would never see again.

Cried for turning out just like his father, who had given Jovi and Michael away so Michael wouldn’t join the family business.

Cried for turning out just like his mother, who had the biggest heart he ever saw and cared so deeply that it wore her down.

Cried for turning out twisted like his Uncle Gonzap, who he loved but feared at the same time.

Cried for turning out broken like Uncle Naps, who was the one to tell Michael it was okay to feel like being used was all he was good at because he felt that way too.

Cried for turning out eroded like Uncle Duking, who carried the burden of the world on his shoulders.

Cried for turning out a liability like Uncle Silva, who couldn’t be trusted more than 10 minutes alone because his traumas were too many and measured for such a nice man.

Cried for turning out just like everything his sister ever said he would be without her even if she was always joking because it came true, directionless and a disaster.

Cried for burdening his classmates, for making them feel worse, for acting so against everything he ever wanted to be.

Cried for poisoning Yori with his problems, like he had probably poisoned Yogi, like he knew he had poisoned Saturday before him and Caelum before her and Rocky before anyone else.

But, as he found himself running out of tears, he realized he hadn’t cried for himself.

For willingly and knowingly giving everyone a common threat, a common enemy, a common hurdle to overcome, for trying to get them to see hope the only way he knew to express it, and mostly for ever wishing that first week that he could stay in the theme park with his new peers forever, instead of going to Hope’s Peak to inherit his father’s shame.

And, it wasn’t okay.

But he was out of tears.

And as he got out of the shower and back into his nightgown, he knew it wouldn’t be okay.

As he finally fell asleep that night next to Yori, and let himself have someone to protect and be protected by, he knew it wouldn’t be okay.

No amount of love or hope or happiness or therapy could ever make this okay.

No amount of  hatred or disdain or fear like he had received after Phenac, no confusion or sympathy or pity like he was receiving now, no spec of anything could fix what was maybe going on in the outside world.

Nothing could fix everyone left alive either.

And nothing could ever take back anything he said, or did, because on some level he meant it. (And they would never know the difference, even if his personal logs were broadcasting, too.)

And even if he was used to it, even if he knew things could never go back to normal... That things - even though they would get better - would never go back to before… He knew it was killing his classmates.

It was killing Yori and Yogi.

Even if he made himself forgive everyone for falling to what Michael had overcome so long ago, even if forced his regrets away, even if he forced the Michael that was worried away, even if he locked the Michael that felt scared away, even if he had to torture the Michael that wanted to collaborate into submission, even if he had to kill the Michael that hated desperation and hopelessness again another thousand times, even if he reveled in the safeness he felt around Yori, even if he let himself succumb to the love - he now knew it was love - in his heart and his soul, he knew it would never be enough.

His hope would never be enough.

He was just one person.

And he promised Yori he wouldn’t take matters into his own hands anymore.

Michael had to stop.

Michael had to.

But if he stopped, he didn’t know if he could ever start again.

And more than anything, that terrified him.