candour

 

"NANAMI!" The descendant of Genkaku was surprised to see the reaction of his older sister. As fast as he could, he put on a guarding position and escorted Nanami's action from behind. They were going to go to the flag tower, there at Rockaxe Castle, Mathilda, to gain trust from people there...

Nanami blocked the arrows flown to them with her triple stick, and act like I-don't-need-your-help. "Heh, Face me, Gorudo!!!" She eventually screamed. "You can't hurt my broth---!"

"CUT, CUT!!!!"

"Oh my god..." Nanami hissed, she hit her head desperately. "I did it!"

"NANAMI!" The director walked from the chair towards her, bringing his megaphone and screamed through, even though she could hear his *direction* without the megaphone... and he was doing it in front of her ears. "SINCE WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR OWN LINES!!!? YOU CAN READ, CAN'T YOU!?"

"Yes, grandpa---"

"DON'T CALL ME GRANDPA!!!" The bald director screamed again, echoed to the very corner of Studio 3. "I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME MR.DIRECTOR WHEN WE'RE IN LOCATION!!!"

"Yes, sir." Nanami answered, quietly, while the other staffs were watching her, behind the director, Genkaku's back, with pity. Indeed, the director was playing too harsh to his adopted grand-daughter.

"LET'S TAKE A BREAK, HALF AN HOUR, DONE!!!" The director screamed again, "THEN WE CONTINUE TO SCENE 12, THE CAVE OF THE WIND!!! VIKTOR, GET THAT TALKING SWORD!!"

The staff quickly dismissed after the director gave them his *words*, and he turned to Nanami again, and gave her some *guidances*. They had to close their ears, so they could rest in peace...

"What? Half an hour!? That old man must be crazy!" Jowy said out loud, but not to loud so the director couldn't hear it. "He's too optimist to make this *Suikoden II* the rpg of the year, blech!"

"Now, now, Jowy." Jillia patted his back. "Don't say things like that. He's hard-worker too, isn't he?"

"Easy for you to say that." Shu drank his cup of coffee, watched the director, who were still yelling at the poor little Nanami. "He doesn't have any line in the scenario. Think of a certain someone who had lines of almost half of the scenario." He released all his breaths, mentioning himself.

"...Sorry, ma'am, yes, ma'am." There's a voice not far from them, Rowd's voice, was talking on someone's cell-phone, he just came from outside the studio 3, he then shouted to the whole room. "HEY!!! SOMEONE WHO HAS A RED SKINNED NOKIA 3310!!! Your wife's calling!!!"

"That's Camus'!" Miklotov shouted, replying Rowd's yells. "He's in the toilet right now, let me answer it!" He strolled to Rowd, and took Camus' cell-phone from Rowd's hands. "Hello? Hey, Maki! .... Yes, Camus' in the bathroom right now! Yes... uh-huh---"

"Hey Rowd!" Flik called him. "Is there a call for me from Odessa?"

"No, sorry, dude. I don't have much time here, it's my turn to guard, you know." With a simple answer, Rowd hurriedly walked outside the studio.

And yes, the director was *very strict*. He didn't let all who enter his studio to bring their cell-phones. So, There had to be someone who held all the phones, outside the studio, and guard them... This time, Rowd was the one who had to do it, since he didn't have any scenes that day.

***

"Why can't I visit Black?" On the entrance of the building, the lobby, the 14 years old Futch was arguing with an older man. "I can't leave him in the veterinarian alone! Next's scene 12, I don't have any part in it! The director won't know if one of the crew wasn't there!"

"Listen, young man! You know what he'll do to the people who don't follow his order!? He could tear you from limb to limb!" Humphrey whisphered *loudly*. "And not to mention the *speech* he gonna give us! Your mom would be upset if she knew you came home at midnight this time! Yesterday is enough and---"

"Well, isn't it the mister big mouth, Humphrey---" Sid's voice cut Humphrey's words. "Trying to save someone's life again."

"Shut up you bat-man! I'm doing this for the sake of all of us!" Humphrey's hissed. "You better keep your make up that way so *he* couldn't give us his *3 damn long hours speech* again!" He turned his head to Futch, who had almost escaped from him, before Humphrey grabbed his collar. "And that goes to you too! Now play with either Luc, Sasuke or Sasarai!"

"I don't want to play with them!" Futch growled. "They only talk about studies and sex!"

"They WHAT!?" Humphrey shouted in surprise and Futch quickly hide his mouth behind his hands.

"Oh-oh, you're in a VERY BIG trouble here..." Sid smirked and he flew away.

***

"Hero, where are you going?" Back in the studio 3 room, Jowy was talking with Luca and Jillia when he noticed the hero of Suikoden tip toed.

"Psst!" He uttered softly, trying to hide himself from anyone's sight. "I'm trying to get away from that *geek*!"

"Who, you mean Genka---" Before Jowy could finish his question, Luca screamed.

"DON'T MENTION HIS NAME!!" He covered his ears with his hands. "He's a demon, he's a demon!" He continued with a pale face.

"What's wrong with Genka---" Jillia wanted to ask his brother, but she couldn't finish it because Luca was running away, like didn't accept the fate that he had to hear the director's name.

Jowy and Jillia both looked at each other with questioning faces, and then they both rose their shoulders, didn't know what was happening with the princess of highland's cast brother.

"HERO! THERE YOU ARE!"

"Sir!" Hero jumped with surprise, almost loosing his heart when the director of Suikoden almost reached him."Y---you're--- fini--nished wi--wi--with Na-na-na-na-mi?" He asked nervously.

"Oh, my grandson." He hugged him."Don't call me with that, I'm your grandfather, remember? It's caused by that bitch you have to do another take of that scene..."

"I....It... <gulp> doesn't matter wi---with me." Hero forced a smile, while Jowy and Jillia wished him goodluck and moved away from them. *You cheated!* Hero mouthed.

*No, we're having a date!* Jowy did the same thing with Hero before and left with Jillia outside the studio.

"Mathiu!" Apple screamed as a familiar figure entered the studio. She left her conversation with Shu and walked hurriedly to the adviso- cast of the previous Suikoden. "Nice to meet you here! What are you doing!?" The others, hearing Apple's voice moved their head towards the brown haired man.

<Shit, what is he doing here?> Shu cursed inside his heart, he followed Apple to meet the older version of advisor of Suikoden. "Hello, Mr. Mathiu."

"Hey, Shu." Mathiu recieved Shu's offering hand and shook it. "It's a long time..."

"Yeah, nice to meet you again." <It's nicer when you're not around.>

Mathiu smirked as if he could read Shu's mind. "Well, I want to see the others..." he meant the casts who played with him in the first Suikoden, especially the McDohl's cast. "Sorry to disturb your time with your boyfriend, Apple! Have fun!" He said as he went away to the other casts.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Apple's face redened, her screams wanted to reach Mathiu, convincing him. But the older man laughed, the sign that he didn't believe anything Apple just said. "Mathiu! He didn't change!"

"Hey, Mathiu!" Flik again showed, greeting his ex-comrade-cast. "How're you doing!?"

"Hello, brother-in-law-to-be." Mathiu smiled as Flik's face flushed.

"Don't say that outloud, will you?"

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE MARRIED!!!???" Viktor, who was standing close to Flik screamed, surprised. And after hearing Viktor's loud voice, all the conversations were stopped and all eyes were pointing to the Thunder-rune-bearer cast. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?"

Mathiu curved his eyebrow down, seemed confused. "You didn't tell him?"

"Well--- I--- didn't tell anybody... yet."

"BLUE BOY, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!!!" Viktor pulled Flik's collar, ready to punch him.

"NO VIOLENCE! NO VIOLENCE!!!" The director shouted with his megaphone. "VIKTOR! LEAVE FLIK IMMEDIATELY!! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MANY HOURS TO MAKE HIM UP TO LOOK GORGEOUS LIKE THAT!!!"

"Peh!" Viktor released his friend. "I'll tell Odessa about that!"

"VIKTOR, NO!"

"What?" Mathiu suddenly questioned, he was interested in everything happened with his family problems, and there was no reason to him to ignore this *new* discovery of his brother in law to be. "What are you going to tell my sister?"

"Viktor!" Flik grabbed Viktor's collar.

"NO VIOLENCE! NO VIOLENCE!!!" The director warned again with his yellow megaphone. "FLIK! LEAVE VIKTOR IMMEDIATELY!! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MANY HOURS TO MAKE HIM UP TO LOOK LIKE A BARBAROUS BARBARIAN!??"

"I bet he wanted to tell about his relationship with the blondie, you know Nina." Luc said to Sasuke and Sasarai, who were walking away from studio 3, to the men's bathroom, the dérnierre side of the studio building. He picked up a cigarrete from the box and offered the box to his friends.

"No! She's only flirting with him because of scenario demand." Sasarai detached the cigarette and lit it up. "I bet he knew about Flik and Jeane, he caught them making out few days ago in Flik's dressing room."

"Nah." Sasuke commented. "It must be Leona."

Luc and Sasarai coughed their smokes, and querried at the same time. "LEONA? THE PIG IQ-ed LEONA?"

"Yesterday he--- but I don't think what you've said is true." Sasuke suddenly changed the subject. "You can't move that, you must doubled the root so you could do number 3."

Luc and Sasarai hided their cigarretes under their feet, Luc put the box to his pocket, while objected Sasuke's words. "There's a simple way to do number three, if you---"

"Serious, eh, boys?"

"Oh, hi, Humphrey, didn't see you coming." Sasarai said.

"What are you doing?"

"We're discussing the extra homework our teacher gave. You know, advance algebra..." Luc answered professionaly.

"Hard, eh to study and act at the same time?" Humphrey added again, replied by following nods from the boys. "And it's not a problem since you're all brilliant students."

"Sure are!" Sasuke grinned.

Humphrey silenced as the boys continued their discussions about algebra, and then he left them. <It's not the right time... I must capture them red-handed.>

"He almost got us." Sasarai sighed. "Good act, Sasuke."

"We're actors, aren't we?" He tossed his hand with Luc, who offered him again, his cigarrete, which he picked. "Anyways, about Flik and Leona---"

***

"HEELLLPP!!!" Millie shouted from one of the room's door, apparently, it's the pet's room. "Somebody!!! Get this monster off from me!!!!"

"Millie! I've told you to stay out from him!" Vincent de Boule shrieked seeing Millie's right hand was in the little yellow-ish thing's mouth. "Bonaparte! Let go of her! Bonaparte! Ma chérie! Get off from her, her hands don't have enough vitamins for you!"

The monster quickly released its teeth from the poor girl's hands, and ran to Vincent's welcoming hands, and purred in his lap.

Millie rubbed her right hand carefully. "You know how dangerous it is! If it's not for the scenario demands---" She pointed at Bonaparte. "I would never touch you, you MONSTER!"

"Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit!!!???" A French accent shouted, Millie turned her head and see Vincent's comrade, Simone Verdricci, who just entered the room. "Out, my dear! Out, don't hurt our precious Bonaparte like that!"

"Hurt!?" Millie screamed at the top of her lungs. "I'm the one who's hurt!!! And, gladly, I'm going out!!! AND KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!!" She strolled out, and slammed the door shut.

When Millie shut the door, Sheena suddenly came in front of her, panting, as if he had done some marathon around the studio building. "Sheena, what are you doing?"

Sheena grabbed her shoulders. "Millie, if you meet the girls, say I'm going out."

"You've gotta be kidding!" Millie widened her eyes. "If the director finds out, we would be---"

"No, I'm hiding in some place in this building!!! Just say... I'm---in the bathroom!!!" Sheena screamed and after he finished, he pulled a deep breath and stormed away, leaving the confused Millie...

But after a few seconds, a stampede came towards Millie's direction, the stampede of the girls, stopped in front of her, panting, like Sheena was.

"WHERE'S HIM!?" Oulan questioned eagerly.

"Who's Him?" Millie confounded, the image of the red devilish hermaphrodite enemy of the Powerpuff Girls popped in her mind.

"His Handsome Sheena!!!" Lo Wen answered quickly.

Millie peeked the panting Anabelle, Rina and Hanna who were also accompanying them in the chase. "Umm---" Millie looked for a fake answer. "Oh yeah, he said he'll go to the bathroom when he passed me," and she quickly added. "I asked why he was in a hurry and he answered so---" And they were all running before listening to Millie's next words.

Millie sighed a long deep breath, promised inside her heart that she would never again let herself join a multi-characters drama or rpg, or any other things.

"Why don't you divorce her!!" Tomo shouted to his father when they were walking pass Millie. "I hate her! You're too good for her!"

"But, Tomo, I love her... I love your mother, my wife..." Tsai said, trying to calm his daughter, at least, tried to calm her voice out of her temper. "You know she and you are the most precious gifts I ever recieved."

"SHE'S A DRUNKER FOR GOD'S SAKES!" She threw her hands to the air. "She's wasting your money and she's still your wife because you have NICE SALARY! And she forced me to join your steps so I could what!? *FORTIFY* our income!?? HOW NICE!!! Teenagers like me should be in the mall with friends, shopping and talking about guys of their dreams and---"

Tsai massaged his temples with his fingers. "Tomo, you're still 14..."

"HAVING SLUMBER PARTIES, and---"

"She's the same with her mother..." Tsai muttered under his breath, he then caught a figure. "Presmerga!!! Will you search me some aspirins!?"

"Sure, sir, right away." The black armored man then ran leaving the poor man with his still screaming daughter. "As long as you keep me away from this dog..."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Kinnison thundered. Just after that, Presmerga was missing. "Hmph, sometimes he can do something with his damned legs."

"Hello, Shiro." Tsai straightened his right hand to greet the half dog-wolf breed, which he pulled away before it could eat his hand with its sharp teeth.

"I've told you from the beginning, he doesn't like stranger." Kinnison commented.

"FATHER!? ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!?"

"QUIET PLEASE!!!"

Tomo turned her head to see Ayda talking on her cell-phone. "What are you doing, don't you see I'm talking here!? Go away you stupid spoiled girl!! Sorry---" She changed her speaking tone, and talked again to her cell-phone.

"Fine!" Tomo spinned on her toe and marched away angrily.

"Thank god, you saved me from her." Tsai smiled to them, but both Kinnison and Ayda ignored Tsai. "Still closing yourselves from the others, eh? Oh well..." and he left them there, in the lobby.

"I don't care what the gamekeeper said! Just destroy the forest! You don't gain any profit with keeping the trees!!!" Ayda still yelled through the mobile phone. "---- I said destroy it! End of discussion! When I return to the office I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY FAILURES!" She switched off the phone and threw herself to the couch, beside her fiancée.

"The villagers are still stubborn?" Kinnison asked, combing his dog's fur with his hands.

"What reason they have to defend the forest!?" Ayda started again. "Such low-civillizationed people! They don't know the importance of buildings and offices these days!"

Kinnison chuckled at his lover's words. "Relax, love. Everthing is going to be alright, don't you think so too, hmm, Shiro?" The answer was another purr from his pet.

"Aspirins?" Premerga came back holding a glass of water and a tablet.

"Let me!" Ayda rose to her feet, almost scaring Presmerga.

***

"Miss Sierra don't move please!" Jude took another white powder from the heaps of talcs on the top of the dresser, and applied playfully yet carefully to each corner of her face.

"How can I not move for 2 hours, you asshole!?" Sierra gritted her teeth. "Why do I have to play as a vampire?"

"No! No! Not like that!" Barbara said out loud while painting her blonde hair with white paint. "The *Sierra Mikain* must be elegant... Innocent, yet mysterious. Not rough and moody like the original Sierra!!!"

"Miss Sierra!" Some knocks from the dressing room door and it opened, revealing Klaus with the scenario in his hand. "Miss Sierra! Ol' man says you have to be quick! He wants you after scene 12! Quick, girl! I've gotta tell the others too, bye!" And almost quickly as the door opened, it was closed again.

"Klaus sure is quick." Barbara opined.

"He's slow and stupid in his brain." Sierra knocked his temple. "Stupid."

"Oh my god! You're redening! I should add more powder!" Jude continued his job.

"Stupid." Sierra muttered again.

***

Klaus rushed to the other people, as fast as he could, almost hit everyone that he met.

"Where did you put your eyes, squirt!!!" Tenkou said when he almost stumble him to the floor.

"I'm sorry, sir." Klaus gave him his hand, but slapped by Tenkou.

"You think I'm weak, eh!? Well, I'm NOT!!" He fastly stood to his feet, and walked, grumbling "Young-men-these- days--no-respect" sentences, Klaus walked with his eyes watching the old man.

"Watch where you're going, Klaus."

Klaus almost jumped in surprise. "Mr. Ridley! Oh, Sorry!!!"

"It's good I'm not a high-tempered guy like that Tenkou." He sighed. "Hhh--- we're getting old these days, the young ones seem to do anything that's wrong in front of us. I just can't understand that... At my time long ago, we---"

And Klaus was pulled away, not noticed by the old dog who kept on talking about the old time.

"Boris, thanks man!" Klaus tossed his hand, and gave him a bone. "Your ol' man is worse than mine! Well, bear yourself, doggie, I'm in a rush, bye!"

"Woof." The younger dog thanked.

***

"Huff!" Nanami put her head above the table in the cafetaria. "I'm dead."

"Well. How long did he give his speech to you, this time?" Tuta, who was sitting in front of her querried, while drinking a glass of...

"BEER!?" Nanami leaped from her seat, taking Tuta's glass. "Where did you get it!? Tuta, you're UNDERAGE!!!"

"Well, Leona said I could---"

"LEONA!!!" Nanami yelled, walking to the counter, where Leona was hiding herself. "Gotcha!" She pulled Leona out, and pointing Tuta's glass in front of her very eyes. "I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, NOT TO GIVE ANY ALCOHOLIC DRINKS TO UNDERAGES!!!"

"I..." Leona didn't continue anymore, she had lost the words.

"Well," Mondo, who was also one of the cafetaria people harrumphed. "You should look at this."

Nanami shut her eyes, prepared for the worst, she turned herself. "LEONAAAAAAAA--!!!! I just left the cafetaria for half an hour and you gave *them* to people underage, grandpops and animals!!!???" Nanami pointed to collapsing people, Koyu, Marlowe, Chaco, Gustav, Makai, Grandmeyer, Genshu, Maxmillian, Gengen and Gabocha...

"Nanami, you're here?" Hai Yo's shaking voice called from the kitchen.

"What is it again!?" Nanami almost lost her tempers.

"Well, we need help here in the kitchen---"

Nanami gave a killing stare to the nervous Leona and sauntered to the kitchen behind the cafetaria in a haste. And almost a second after that, Mondo and Tuta could hear her shrieks.

"HAI YO!!! YOU PUT THE ICE CREAM IN THE MICROWAVE!!?!??"
"HAI YO!!! WHERE ARE THE PLATES!!!??? WHAT ARE THESE... PIECES!!???"
"HAI YO!!! WHAT DID YOU COOK!!!?? YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO ADD SUGAR TO BEEF-STEAK!!!"
"HAI YO!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY PRECIOUS KITCHEN!!!???"

***

Nina just entered the girls' bathroom when she heard giggles came from the other corner. She went to look-over when he saw Annallee, Viki, Karen, and Ellie...

"No, pink's definitely not your color. Let's try beige." Viki picked up a tissue and tried to clean the lipstick color on Karen's lips, apparently, Karen dodged her tissue.

"Don't you think beige will make my skin look darker?" Karen asked the others' opinion as she took a look at her face at the bathroom's mirror. "I think pink's better."

"I agree. Pink's better on her." Ellie commented, taking out a blue eyeshadow from her purse.

"I'll try that beige." Annallee took the lipstic from Viki's hand. "I like that color."

"What are you doing here?" Nina made them surprise, but after they turned to look at the intruder, they only giggled again and continued whatever they were doing. "Schoolgirls like you don't do that in your spare time, you have to study!" And Nina's wise words were responded by a storm of laughter from them.

"Look what the student of the month is saying!" Annallee chuckled while pasting the lipstick color on her cherry lips.

"At least I do something that have profit for me and my future!" Nina crossed her hands. "Not wasting money and time on make up and screwing boys around!"

"Yeah, yeah, we heard you." Karen laughed and took a box of talcum powder, opening it.

"You're not listening anything, are you?" Nina sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She was ready to leave the bathroom, leaving them, when she heard a loud *thump* from the neighbouring bathroom, that sound too made the four girls stupified.

"Sid said you'd told Mr. Big Mouth!" The girls, Nina, Karen, Annallee, Ellie and Viki switched glances, they knew that was Sasarai's voice.

"So, what's the point!?" And that was Futch's... they figured.

At the other side of the girls' bathroom, Luc, Sasarai and Sasuke were cornering Futch, like a rat in the corner of the cage, waiting for the time to die.

"No wonder he was acting strange... following us everywhere." Luc rubbed his chin. "And that's the reason why he always took *a little time* to chat about useless things..."

"Mind your own business, will you?" Sasuke grinned. "Visiting that *Blacky*..." He mocked, and the others laughed.

Futch felt his blood had reached the peak of his head, he clenched his fists. "Don't you dare say such things about Black!"

"Oh? Is that right?" Luc continued to play on. "I thought he was visiting that *bitch*, what was her name, Millia?"

"No chance, Futchy!" Sasarai chuckled. "She's older than you, you know?"

"Millia has nothing to do with this too..." Futch hissed, his face was all red, looked like he could blow up anytime.

"STOP THAT!"

The girls who now were all peeking from the little chink above the both bathroom's wall saw two other teenagers with the same age, positioned themselves behind the others.

"Well, well, what we have here..." Luc smiled. "Isn't it the nice Templeton and the wise Connell? Bringing a back-up army, aren't you, Futch?"

"No, Futch didn't ask us to." Connell said firmly. "Aren't you the ones who are chicken enough to sorround one with three?"

"Chicken?" Sasuke laughed. "We're even now, three on three..."

"Wanna play some basketball?" Sasarai *joked*, while Luc and Sasuke were laughing.

"Don't fight with them!" Nina suddenly shouted and all the eyes, shocked, pointing at her, like capturing her wet-handed. "Uh-oh."

***

"CAREFUL WITH THAT THING!" Culgan shouted and before the vase could fall, Seed already caught it, risking his body, hitting the floor loudly. "Whew---" He said, reliefed.

"What whew!?" Seed put the vase again to the wooden table. "It almost hit me on the head!"

"YUZU!! DON'T!" Culgan screamed again, but this time, it couldn't be helped, few antiques for Suikoden II play at the antiques room were broken to pieces.

Seed shook his head. "This is what I hate about babysitting..."

"PILIKA!!! MEG!!! GO AFTER PILIKA!!!" Culgan yelled again when the little brown haired girl was running blindly to the Chinese Dishes.

"Gadget go help, Gadget go help---"

"NO! GADGET!!! DON'T GO THAT WAY!!!" Meg roared when the barrel looking robot went and crashed a full armoire of vases.

Another loud crash, both Culgan and Seed realized that they only let Pilika a few seconds away from their guards, and the little girl just broke a whole set of Persian Lamps.

"Seed, help me." Culgan put his head on his friend's shoulder. "Those Persian Lamps, Octopus Urns, Chinese Dishes and we just let them broke 3 Peeing Boys... what now?"

"CULGAN!! SEED!! YUZU'S RUNNING AWAY!!" Meg yelled again, this time at the both babysitters.

"What!?" Culgan suddenly woke up, and gave an order to the little babysitter. "Meg! Take Pilika and Gadget away, I'm going to chase Yuzu!!!"

"Culgan! Wait!"

Culgan was running after the little sheep-lover-cast, and found her in front of a door, scratching it with her little nails. And he knew whose door was it, That's Clive and Elza's....

"YUZU!! Don't disturb them!" Culgan put his hands on her little shoulders. "Elza had just given birth to a baby, you can't do anything stupid with them..." And she and her husband are over-protective to him. "Please Yuzu, pick another toy. Please? For uncle Culgan here---"

Yuzu didn't obey her babysitter pleaded, she opened the door, and she, and also Culgan could see Elza who was breasting her baby, and Clive was beside her, touching his little son's white soft cheek. All, at least, Clive and his wife widened their eyes in surprise and stared with killing looks.

"Ahahahaha..." Culgan forced a laugh, he took Yuzu forcefully. "I mean, I'm taking her..." Culgan ran with Yuzu before Clive or Elza had a chance to shoot him to death...

***

"Tengaar!! You're so slow!" Hix shouted few stairs above her, who was still mounting.

"You're too fast, Hix. Wait for me!" She called, catching her breaths.

"C'mon! Don't be such a slowpoke! You're the one who wanted a nice lunch at the roof, not me! We would lose our half an hour break if you keep on walking with that kind of speed!"

"Well, at least I'm not as slow as Stallion!" She cursed.

"Sorry, coming through." Raura's excuse made Hix quickly jerked himself so he could make a road for her.

"Hey, Raura."

"Hiya Hix." Raura suddenly stopped and checked the papers that were sticked on a board, trailing her fingers on it. "Hix, Hix, Hix, yeah here you are! You and Tengaar must be ready for another 2 hours for scene 25, in studio 5, Lakewest setting. Don't forget about that!"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Do you still remember Studio 5? After the stairs, take right, left and---"

"I know where Studio 5 is, thank you very much." Hix grinned and Tengaar scowled, still taking the stairs.

"By the way, do you know where Stallion is?" Raura checked the board again. "I must call him for scene 30 in Radat."

"Maybe he's in the Studio 1, Castle's studio, taking a place for sleeping." He grinned. "You know how's he..."

"Right, thanks, you're precious!" Raura then took wide steps down.

***

Teresa were walking doubtly, seemed confuse to pick any direction. She was enthused to tell her husband about the baby she had in her womb. "Fitcher, do you know where Shin is?" She asked when she met the contractor who were deep in conversation in the Lobby.

"Huh? She said no? Well, you at this rate, you can use anything, money or force or anything, as long you can get her." Fitcher nodded. "Okay." He then switched off his cell-phone and smiled to the Greenhill-mayor-actress. "Yes, can I help you Teresa?"

"I couldn't find my husband anywhere. Do you know where he is, Fitcher?" Teresa asked again.

"Well, I saw him with Hauser at the Studio 9, Muse setting. Well, will you excuse me, Teresa? I have to make another phone call." Fitcher excused himself, and switched on his cell-phone again.

Teresa walked to the place Fitcher mentioned before, Studio 9... when she stood in front of the door, someone tapped her shoulder.

"What are you doing, ma'am?" Hoi asked politely.

"Well, I'm searching for my husband."

Hoi watched the door solemnly, "Yes, Mr. Shin sure is in there..." He sighed. "Good luck, Mrs. Teresa."

"Huh?" Teresa bewildered when Hoi left her right there. She started to feel suspicious. She would know if she opened the door, and that was she doing right now...

There's nothing there... Quiet, empty, and dark. They didn't use this studio this day... What is Shin doing here? Then she was paralized... "OH MY GOD..."

Shin quickly released himself from Hauser's embrace, "Teresa! What are you doing here!?"

***

"WHERE IS EVERYBODY!!!??" Genkaku shouted with his Megaphone. "IT ALREADY PASSED HALF AN HOUR!!!"

"I'll go get them." Tetsu said.

"STAY RIGHT THERE, TETSU!!!" The director ordered. "You have to standby right there `till Lakewest scenes are finished!!!"

Tetsu didn't move an inch after that, he whispered to Taki, who was next to him through his teeth. "The Lakewest scene will be taken for another 2 hours, won't it?"

"Yes, I know." The grandmother smiled, while uttered behind her smile. "That old man has a strange habit, you know. The previous director, Odessa Silververg, is better than him."

"Women's charms, isn't it?" Tetsu commented. "Odessa's such a woman---" Tetsu didn't continue, he felt something hard, cold and sharp touching his back.

"I heard that, old man." Flik hissed. "Yes, and I must watch a woman like Odessa so anybody can't take her away from me, that includes you too."

Taki shook her head. "Careful what you're saying, young man..."

"Flik." A soprano voice called him from behind.

"Hey, Jeanne." Flik smiled.

"Is it true that you want to marry Odessa?" She asked with a seducing tone.

"Well, that's..." Flik continued as he took Jeanne's hands and walked with her outside the studio.

"Youngsters." Taki sighed again. "Lick their own spits."

***

*THUMP!* Futch's body slammed against the bathroom's wall. Sasuke had just punched him, he clapped both his hands, turned his body and saw the both Luc and Sasarai had just finished their business with Templeton and Connell. "Done?"

"No problem." Luc smirked.

"Same here." Sasarai replied with a big grin plastered on his face.

"Why did you do this!!??" Nina stood in front of them, ducking her head. "I thought you were all bright students!!"

"Well, Nina." Luc answered her, half mocking. "Looks don't always answer your opinion about somebody."

"Someone has to open your eyes!!" She shouted again.

"We don't mind kicking girl's ass." Sasarai commented, while Luc added, "or putting our dick inside it." The three of them laughed again, especially after seeing Nina's redening face.

"You're all crazy---"

"So what will you do?" Sasuke challenged. "Report us to the others?"

"Wel, if that's what you all wanted." Nina marched to the entrance to the boy's bathroom, but before she could open it, a *he* came in, shocked to see Nina, a *she*, was inside.

"Nina?"

Another loud *thump* and Gordon, the trader-cast was lying unconscious on the floor, Sasarai made him. He then put a cold stare to her. "You won't dare to do it."

Meanwhile, outside of the boys' bathroom, there was a figure, who was standing nervously, and whispered. "What am I doing here? ----uh, should I tell someone...? No, no, if I told someone, they could get me for sure too... Oh my god... What should I do? god, please, any god, help me..."

***

The bored Rowd. Hey, that rhymes! he thought, was sitting in the Lobby waiting all the cell-phones, while tapping his fingers above the wooden table of the receptionist.

"Whoa! Kimberly!!!" Tai Ho received the phone from his wife, who had told Rowd before to say that it was from *Rebecca*, *Leanne* or any other woman's name he could think about, and he choose *Rebecca*, and now Tai Ho was in sweat, looking terrified.

Meanwhile his brother in law, Yam Koo was with Amada at the other side, talking about motorcycles, Rossi's winning chance, cars, machines and F-1 quite wildly and taking a fuss in which engine could reach number one sale if people didn't pay attention to the body.

"That's the new cologne from Calvin Klein." Another voice distracted him, and he saw Anita was promoting make up products to Valeria and Kasumi, they made a circle like form, and some *wows* and *sighs* followed another anytime Anita advertised another item.

"Could I see number 23? It looks quite *interesting*." Kasumi pointed one of the lines of lipstick.

"Yes, you could." Anita picked and handed it to the ninja-cast. "Madonna used this color in her video-clip---"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!!??" Yoshino shrieked at the top of her lungs. "You know you're the one who said that I cheated on you!!! Hah! Let me tell you, *Freed Yamamoto*!!! I'm not a simple housewife that you could cheat on!!"

"WHO!? ME!? CHEAT!? Listen Yoshino, I'm not cheating, I don't know what you are talking about! If you keep on saying that, FINE!!!" Freed declared and he rushed, leaving his wife, who glared at her husband's back.

"He admitted it?"

Yoshino didn't answer the other man's question for a while, then she nodded. "Thank you, Pohl. If you didn't tell me before, I won't know that... that... *bastard* cheats behind my back. I owe you." She then shook in distress. "Damn that Leknaat, I'll get you."

"Well, anything for a friend." The young man smiled, crossing his fingers behind his back.

"Poor Yoshino, she doesn't know..." Rowd sighed. "Well, just another day in this building."
Just then, one of the cell-phones rang, Rowd picked a T20 Erricson cell phone from one of the shelves. "Yes, Suikoden Studios, may I help you? Yes.... yes, ma'am... right away. No, Gilbert's..." Rowd looked at the casts time-table pasted on the table in front of him. "Yes, he's not taking any scene right now... Yes."
He then screamed while covering the phone's speaker, "YUBER!!!!"

"Yes, sir right here." Yuber suddenly came out of nowhere.

"Get Gilbert, Fast!!" Rowd ordered.

***

"OKAY!! WE HAD FINISHED SCENE 12!! IN 5 MINUTES GO TO STUDIO 7, CROME, TINTO AND OTHERS FOR SCENE 110!!! CAST FOR SCENE 110!!! I WANT YOU TO GO STRAIGHT RIGHT THERE!!!! DON'T EVEN GO TO THE BATHROOM IF IT'LL TAKE MORE THAN THOSE 5 LONG MINUTES!!!" The director shouted again. He walked towards the casts and patted his grandson's shoulder. "You're great, hero, really great! Almost perfect!" And then he turned to Nanami. "WHILE YOU!!! YOU'RE WORSE THAN EVER!!! I FORGIVE YOU THIS TIME BECAUSE I DON'T WANT HERO TO BE EXHAUSTED REPEATING THE SAME SCENE!!! WATCH YOUR ACTIONS IN SCENE 110!!!" Then he strolled away.

"... I think I didn't have any line in scene 12." Hero said.

"Yes, you didn't have any." Viktor commented. "Next we will meet Neclord again... Talking about Neclord, where's that guy anyway?"

Gantetsu then came to the studio and screamed. "HEY, NECLORD JUST PHONED! HE SAID HE WAS IN A TRAFFIC JAM, SO HE COULDN'T MAKE IT IN TIME!!!"

"WHHAAATTT!!!???" Genkaku yelled through his megaphone. "I DON'T BELIEVE THAT GUY!!!" Then he went silent and so were all the crews, they were waiting for Genkaku. And Genkaku didn't like when somebody was interrupting him. After a *while*, he peeked over Leon Silverberg, who quickly backed away, so his eyes couldn't meet with him... And his eyes stopped before the hero of Suikoden I who he hated with all his might and his guardian, Gremio... Then he had an idea... "Mathiu Silverberg's still here, isn't he?"

***

"What are we doing here?" Pico asked Alberto silently as he took another potato to skin, at the yard behind the kitchen.

"Skinning potatoes?" Alberto answered, not quite sure with his own answer.

"Oh." Pico nonchalantly responded, then he asked again. "Then what're they doing here?"

Alberto looked for the million times, at the big blue octopus which was also skinning potatoes with all his might for both his wife and child. L'Roaida and Chuchura who would be cooked if he couldn't pay their pond rent. The unicorn and the griffin, who didn't have any hands to skin potates were sitting and chatting with the language the both humans didn't understand.

"... I guess they're doing their best for skinning potatoes."

"Oh." Pico said again.

"There's another!" Hilda brought another bucket full of potatoes to skin, and put it in the lines of the buckets Pico, Alberto and Abizboah had to skin. "Well, I'll just bring the other buckets."

"There's another!?" Pico dazzled, the octopus started to shriek and gasped too.

"Well yes." Hilda smiled. "As long as my weak useless husband Alex is sick, I'm affraid I have to bother you all to help me in the cafetaria..."

"Yes, indeed... hahahahaha..." Alberto and the others laughed bitterly.

***

"Ohohohohohoho." Sierra chuckled.

"CUT!!!" The director again, stopped the take. "NOT LIKE THAT!! *MY SIERRA* DOESN'T LAUGH LIKE THAT!!! YOU HAVE TO---" Again, for god-knows-how-many-times in that day, the director roared.

"My Sierra? Hmph." A piece of lavender eyes peeked the scene secretly.

"Worrying Sierra, Klaus?" Kiba somehow, caught his son's stealing glance for the little girl.

"Huh?" Klaus managed himself not to act surprise, apparently, years in acting help him so. "I'm only comparing their acts with the scenario." He said, eyes back to the scenario book he had in his hands.

"C'mon! You can't hide anything from your own dad!" Kiba fingers went to tickle his son, who fought the laughs coming out from his mouth with his all might "Spit it out!"

"What are you talking about, stop it, stop it, WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Klaus didn't stand out anymore, and he laughed out loud.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE!!!?" Genkaku broke his attention to Sierra, and turned his head. "KIBA!! LEAVE KLAUS ALONE!!! HE MUST BE READY FOR THE NEXT SCENE, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE, GEORG PRIME!!!!???" He continued without taking any breath, shocking the man who was creeping silently to the studio entrance. "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THE STUDIO WHEN YOUR PART IS ALMOST--- MAZUS!!!! WHERE'S YOUR COSTUME!?? DON'T TAKE IT OFF!!!! LC CHAN!!!?? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? THIS IS TIGERMOUTH VILLAGE, NOT CROME!!! GET BACK TO CROME!!! GIJIMU!!??? WHERE ARE LO WEN AND KOYU!!! I TOLD YOU TO GO BACK WHEN YOU HAD FOUND THEM!!! THE REST OF YOU, STAY IN LINE!!! FOCUS!!! WE'RE TAKING A NEW TAKE FOR SCENE 110!!!"

"Here comes nothing." Kahn Marley sighed to Viktor next to him. "I hope he could die by the end of Suikoden II."

"He's dead in this timeline." Zamza, who were chosen to accompany the party, crossed his arms. "And I always dream it would come true."

"Wait for another 10 million years, flat head." Wakaba commented.

"Viktor! Your new mate!" A fake sword flew over Viktor, but it missed his hands, but thankfully, Lily who was passing by, secured it from Viktor's missed hands.

"What's that?" Viktor asked doubtfully at another copy of Star Dragon Sword in Lily's hands.

"A copy of the talking sword! The one you hold right now is rusted!"

"Thank's Lucia! How about a dinner!?"

"In your dreams!"

"Watch your hands next time." Lily said coldly, handing the sword to Viktor.

"Gee, thanks kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Lily hissed.

"HAN!!!" snubbed all the noise around him and bawled at his assistant. "RESTART SCENE 110!!!"

"Take 2 Scene 110!"

***

Agares Blight, the head of the Blight family, both in the acting world and in the real world, whistling happily, knowing that tomorrow he would receive his monthly salary. It was quite hard for him to support a family consisted of wife, and two children, one who just had finished his studies, and one who almost graduated from highschool.

He whistled again, pulling out some keys from his pocket for Blight's dressing room, didin't even bother himself to hear whispering moans and groans from inside. He opened the door, and shocked, if it could, he was sure that his eyeballs almost went out off its place on his face.

"Jillia."

"Father!" Jillia startled, her face redened when his father caught her messy hair, and wrinkled costume that was about to fall from her body. Jillia realized this and quickly tidied her dress-gown and her hair.

Jowy also straightened his costume and his body as soon as possible while trying to hide his flushing face. "He--- Hello, Mr. Blight. I'm surprise to meet you."

"I bet you are!" Agares growled. "We're talking about my daughter here!? What have you done to her!?"

"What have we done?" Jowy faked a grin. "Err, we're... having a date?"

"What did I see was you almost swallowed my daughter!!!" Agares thundered, pointing his index finger to the new king of Highland-cast.

"Father! I'm 18 next week!" Jillia protested. "And Jowy just proposed me."

"Jillia!"

"Of course he could marry you, my daughter, but you both are too young for... these things, and---"

"No, no, let me clear this all, father." Jillia cut before his father could continue his argue. She cleared her throat.

"Jillia, don't you think it's too fast to tell---"

"No, Jowy, dear." Jillia locked her lover's lips with her fingers. "I'll tell daddy." She turned firmly to her confused father. "Father, you're going to have a grandchild."

...... No response, but silence and the sound of the quiet wind blew outside.

"I think you're too harsh in telling him." Jowy whisphered.

Jillia firmed herself and continued, this time clearer and louder than her previous voice. "I'm pregnant."

... Agares didn't reacted for another 10 seconds. "YOU'RE WHAT!!!????"

***

"Damnit!" Huan scowled, slipping his fingers from the computer keyboard. "What was that!!!?"

"It seems to me that it was a scream." Richmond sentenced, without taking his eyes from his typing.

For explanation, they were inside the editting room, where they had the responsibility to edit, cut and arrange the negative cooperating with the special effect section, to make maximal results, or else, they would be killed by the un-satisfied killer director.

"I know that was a scream!!" Huan grimaced, didn't let his cigarrete slid from the rows of his white teeth. "Hell, I want to work in peace. We must finish this before 20.00, no excuses."

"I know that." Bolgan sighed. "We would finish this faster if you could ignore all the disturbances and carry on working."

"I'm sleepy---" Killey grunted from another side, forcing his red I-will-collapse-anytime eyes to open widely to the computer monitor in front of him, moving the mouse slightly. "Hungry--- Let's eat..."

"Work First! Eat later!" Rikimaru scorned while focusing himself to cut the right path on the negative. "Bear with it!"

"Guys." The intercom beeped and a female voice came from the speaker. "I think I made a mistake in *Rage Rune* section, could you send us back the negative?"

"WHAT!?" Huan jumped from his seat. "Emilia, you must be joking! It took me 3 hours to edit it, and YOU WANT ME TO DELIVER IT BACK TO YOU!!!??"

"Chill, Huan. Mistakes always happen." Emilia tried to calm him.

"Solon! Hey, Broom-head! What are you doing!? Don't watch your Digimon episodes you'd downloaded yesterday!! We've got work to do!" Lorelai's voice was heard at the background of Emilia's.

"You ladies have no respect!" Huan took one of the tapes from one of the piles.

***

"Yo! Bob!" Bob almost fainted when he heard someone called him.

"Y---yes?" He anxiously sifted his sight to the calling voice. "Wha---what can I do?"

"?" Shilo baffled. "Do you know where're the other youngsters, um, I mean... you know... Luc, Sasuke, Sasarai, Ellie, and... you know who else. I can't find them anywhere, Adlai and Tessai want to give them briefs, I mean, briefing." Shilo scratched his head. "You know, theories since they didn't learn acting from---" He stopped his words when he realized Bob wasn't in front of him anymore. "Well, that's strange... I thought I saw him here."

"Hey, Shilo!"

"Oh, hi, Jess." He stopped when the other man was running to him.

"Do you know where the squirts are?" He stopped before him.

"Oh? I'm searching for them too." He scrathed his head again, a habit. "Why are you standing like that?"

"Huh?" Jess' flushed, he knew Shilo was confused to see him standing folding his legs like ballerina. "Eh... I want to pee."

Shilo gave a long deep breath, doing his habit again. "Why don't you go to the bathroom first, then we can find them together."

"Hehe, nice idea." Jess grinned, walking beside Shilo to the toilet.

"Hi, Neclord!" Walking, Shilo shouted. "I thought you couldn't come!"

"Well." He harrumphed, strolling to the bathroom door, opened it slightly. "I'm Mathiu Silverberg."

"Yeah, and pigs can fl--- OH MY GOD----" Shilo cursed when the door revealed, Nina, pinned by Luc to the floor, Sasuke and Sasarai with cigarretes, un-conscious Gordon, Futch, Templeton and Connel, and the fully make up peeking Viki, Annallee, Ellie and Karen heads from the girls' bathroom.

"HOLY SHIT!" Jess shouted, wetting his ochre leggings.

***

First part of the End session of the day, all casts and staffs were gathering at the hall, sitting at the seats, while the director, Genkaku folding his arms, standing at the stage, escorted by his assistant, Han Cunningham. He stared his coldest stare to all the people sitting there, and they too, realized that this day, his speech would be more than 3 hours like yesterday.

He harrumphed. "To open the first session, I want to make an announcement. For remembering our time in making *Suikoden II* project---"

"He doesn't have to do anything, we would remember him enough." Someone whisphered.

"I heard that, Humphrey. Meet me after the session, we will deal about it later." He said and continued his previous speech. "We are going to sing the ending song together." And before the voices of the surprised actress and actors cut him, he added. "It would be called what is it? It's Italian, I can't read it. However, thanks to the *talented* musician, Luca Blight, the song has been finished."

Everyone glared to Luca, who quickly replied. "I---I---I couldn't... ss---say no to him!"

"And about this day---" Genkaku tapped his feet, distracting all the people there.

"Very nice." His voice shocked all. "Today we had 12 received phone calls, and 67 made calls to outside, that's true if Rowd doesn't fake the reports, well, we'll discus it in last session...
THE SECOND SESSION will be the editing, who appearently not finished their works in time!
THIRD SESSION will be about this day's AWFUL CASTING,
FOURTH SESSION will be about cases happened today... compensations about some things... and I'm surprised about this day's cases, and I will cut the salaries of some people, no exception for the youngsters. Why do you need money anyway?" The other casts and crews took a quick glance at the *accused* people there, who would double the time of his speech, and at the same time, cut their salaries.
"NOW ONTO SECTION TWO!!!"

 

Atogaki:
special thanks: all my friends, especially deeds, who pre-read this for me,
and i want to congratulate all my friends who all graduated from High School and the fungi family.

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