Open ♔ Now then, promise that you'll always heed me

[priforprince]

Who: The staff/cast of Shikyoin Hibiki's movie (This could be YOU!)
When: January 20
Where: The Far Shore, mostly around Apollo's temple
What: Filming has begun on Hibiki's masterwork. Vive la révolution!

[ I. Prihind the Scenes ]

[ If Hibiki has talked to your character about helping out with her movie, a purple envelope with a wax seal arrives at their current residence bright and early on the 20th. Within is a summons, ordering them to report to Apollo's temple for filming. Granted, the front yard has a new pond in it, and in the center there's a small burbling spring that betrays just how...recent...this development is, but the temple itself is fine.

Filming itself will happen all over the Far Shore, wherever there is sufficient room. Hibiki can use her illusions to create a set. This prompt, however, is for handling all the stuff that's real - whether you're helping out with props, trying on your costume, reading over your script, or gaping at the role Hibiki has assigned you, this is the place for everyone to prepare for greatness.

....Hibiki, incidentally, can be found wandering around to supervise. She'll be solicitous to all newcomers, but if she sees you messing up or engaging in Nonsense, you will be yelled at. Crossly. And don't even think about sitting in the giant armchair with DIRECTOR embroidered on the back! ]

[ II. Prights, Camera, Actprion! ]

[ Filming happens here! The general plot of the story is that a samurai has been wrongfully accused of wrongdoing and stripped of his title. Now he works as a vigilante to support his little sister and her sick friend, and every woman he meets falls in love with him. But when he tries to rob the crooked samurai who's taken his place, he discovers that - gasp! - the lover he'd thought was dead is working for the samurai....and doesn't remember him! Can he fight the one he loves, to save the children who are dearest to his heart?!

Things happening in scenes may include:
♔ ninja fights under cover of darkness that turn into lethal dance battles, because musical;
♔ dramatically exaggerated suffering of pure-hearted downtrodden people for Hibiki's character to angst over;
♔ bad people doing Very Bad Things, such as kicking said downtrodden people, or laughing as they take all their money;
♔ scenes in which there are too many animals to move around, because the Far Shore abounds with four-legged actors;
♔ confrontations between the protagonist and the people who care about him, regarding turning thief when Honor is a samurai's lifeblood;
♔ a whole hell of a lot of pining for Hibiki's character on the part of every woman who has ever met him (complete, perhaps, with song-and-dance fantasy numbers as the women daydream);
♔ at least one equivalent of a bar fight, because Hibiki is also into Westerns;
♔ the triumphant recovery of Hibiki's character's lover's memory, and the restoration of Hibiki's character to his former position after the family he'd served learns of his unbroken devotion to those he loves, which betrays his strength of character even as he was nobly willing to sacrifice his honor by thievery;
♔ and everyone breaking into song whenever the hell they feel like it, especially to monologue about the situation they find themselves in, or the feelings they're feeling. If you're a ninja, sing about being stealthy! If you're a noble, sing about your fair and just rule! If you're a woman, sing about Hibiki!

Look, this film has an agenda.

This, at least, is the script. There is nothing stopping everyone from completely ignoring it and doing whatever. Scenes here will frequently but not always feature Hibiki's character; she's available for any and all threads in which she's required, or else characters can mingle amongst themselves. Have a fight scene! Do a comedy routine! This is a movie with something for everyone.

Will you adhere to the script and support the revolution? Or will you see how far you can bend the storyline before the star (who is also the director, and the scriptwriter) breaks character to yell at you? If you annoy her enough, everyone may get to take a break while she stalks off for alone time...... ]

Comments

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Prihind the Scenes

[Zetta, of course, is obviously the star. So he plays the part magnificently, plopped down in a comfy armchair behind the set, with minions surrounding him -- fanning him, feeding him grapes, angrily yelling at an agent on the phone, or so forth.]

[Those that wander by and are within his spectrum of tolerance get a supercilious grin. Those who aren't get a supercilious yell of:] Hey! Grab me a donut!

Prights, Camera, Actprion!

[Behind the book! It's -- floating over the desk and mugging for the camera.]

[This is definitely not in the blocking instructions he'd been given.]

prihind the scenes 1/2

[priforprince]

Such a high-quality set only serves croissants.

[ Said automatically, while busily reviewing her own lines in her script. Even though she wrote the thing, it's Hibiki's idiom to only rehearse the day before an event! ] "Ah, meetings.....they are a preface to partings...."

2/3 i lied

[priforprince]

[ .... ]

3/3

[priforprince]

DON'T ENSCONCE YOURSELF SO COMFORTABLY!

[ YOU'RE A PROP. ]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

I'm NOT comfortable! There aren't any donuts!

[Croissants! What a ridiculous notion! They aren't frosted! They aren't glazed! What the hell does a croissant have to offer anyone?! He should have known this movie would be ultra-budget-stupid--stupid!]

[priforprince]

ANYONE WHO REQUIRES DONUTS FOR COMFORT DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET FOR STARDOM!!

[ Aim higher! Demand superior confections of her, and perhaps she'll be more sympathetic!! Donuts are the least top-class pastry one can think of - the rank and file adore them!!

Hibiki is going to remember that this is her set and she has the upper hand, which will calm her, sooner or later.

But not yet. ]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Wow, you have serious feelings about this donut thing. Did a donut hurt you at some point?

[Zetta squints at her, trying to imagine the source of her frustration.]

...did donuts make you fat at one point?

[priforprince]

Hmph!

[ Hibiki turns away from Zetta. That query's so ludicrous, it doesn't even deserve the attention it would require for her to debunk it. ] This is a top-class movie set. If you're dissatisfied, then leave.

[ Caster's study would be enhanced by his presence, but Zetta is not required. For this film, Zetta is disposable.

Dun dun dunnnn. ]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[Impossible! She needs Zetta! Otherwise she'll go bonkers at all the little things that are inevitably going to go wrong, instead of having his incessant harassment and irritation to deal with!]

I don't see how you can compare donuts to croissants! What's a croissant got that a donut doesn't except a foreigny name?

Prights, Camera, Actprion!

[yasei]

[ This is meant to be a serious scene filled with ominous mystique. Obi, instead, is finding it pretty hilarious. At least he's trying to not laugh. It's great that he's wearing a mask, but his shoulders are definitely shaking with barely suppressed laughter as he's supposed to fetch a mysterious box for his "Master" from the office. ]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[Not helping the scene at all is the fact that Zetta has propped himself against said mysterious box, well aware that the camera will inevitably focus thataway. Bathe in his glory, cinephiles!]

[yasei]

[ Come on, that's unfair. Obi spots the jerking movement from the camera when the person manning it notices what Zetta has done, and Obi bites the inside of his lip to stop himself from really laughing, and though he looks serious it's impossible not to notice that his cheeks are tense and there is laughter in his eyes.

Okay so, should he just improvise then? Okay, let's see what happens if he picks the book up with one hand. There's a "dramatic reveal" approach in plays so why not in movies....though if this is dramatic is another matter. ]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[Zetta continues to grin at the camera... for a moment, after which his expression slips slightly.]

Hey, turn me just a bit to the left.

[They can edit that whisper out in post, right?]

[yasei]

[ Obi fiddles with his costume's scarf, so it better covers his lips and hides his whisper, and he murmurs back as he picks the magical book demon up. ]

Actually I was thinking of moving you to the right.

[ And put him down with his face toward the ceiling, on top of that, a little haphazardly but without being rough because this book obviously is important to his Master. ]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Nnngh! [Zetta looks pained, despite his efforts to be the absolute radiant pinnacle of the scene.] This is no way to treat the star--!

[yasei]

Star? Wasn't Miss Hibiki supposed to be the star?

[ Obi probably shouldn't have asked. He probably at least should have waited to ask. He's put Zetta down at the end of his question, and is picking up the mysterious box. ]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

She thinks so, but get real, look at her and then me!

[Zetta at least has the advantage in this contest of not being Hibiki.]

Prihind the Scenes

[bass_instincts]

[And Shin is having a smoke nearby, not being particularly concerned about where his smoke goes. His job is done- if Hibiki takes issue with him smoking backstage in an outdoors scene, then he would just leave and adjust the music to fit better in post.

He wasn't going to re-record anything unless he absolutely had to, and Zetta's failure to follow his blocking was going to make his beats seem off. If he would actually stick to them then Shin might not be blowing his smoke in Zetta's general direction.

When Zetta shouts at him to get him a donut Shin glares in Zetta's direction. He's tired, cranky, and has practically been working two full-time jobs at this point, and he wasn't about to play gopher for a f***ing book.]

Yeah, no. Not my job.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[The book immediately bristles. The smoke is less of a pain than the insolence!]

Yes it is! It's everyone's job! Who the hell do you think is the star around here?!

[bass_instincts]

I'm in charge of the soundtrack. You do want me to make you look cool, and not awkward, right? [Shin gives Zetta a slight smile.] I can think of a few ways of making you look foolish that Hibiki would love.

[To be honest he has a few vague ideas, but they'd be a bit of a hard sell. Not that he really cares right now.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

If Hibiki would love you do something, that's the first and best reason you should NOT do it! [This, Zetta thinks, is unimpeachable logic.]

[bass_instincts]

Unless you want to see it make the final cut in her movie. [Shin doesn't know the word unimpeachable, which helps in ignoring it.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Hey, hey, are we going to compromise true vision and artistic quality for the sake of Hibiki? That would be -- I mean, sad, really. It's Hibiki.

[bass_instincts]

[Shin can't help but scoff at that.] You think I'd do that for her sake? No, it would just be to spite you. [He shrugs, smirking and turning away,] If that's all you have to argue I guess I should work on rewriting some parts.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Wait a minute! How can spiting ME possibly take precedence over spiting HIBIKI?

[He's -- he's met her, right?!]