Finally walking out of the Pizza Hut, full up on delicious pepperoni pizza, Daisuke and Ken made their way to the edge of the sidewalk. Looking across the road, Daisuke stands beside Ken and simply stares ahead. Wondering if they should go back to the studio, or take a walk down the road to see what other trouble they could get into. Turning his head, Daisuke looked up at Ken.
"To go or not to go, dude? Which one? Pick a choice, any choice." Daisuke grinned, flipping Ken's video camera between his fingers in play. Boredly he glanced down at it, rolling it both ways and turning it. It was a good camera, really durable too. He wondered how the tab could get broken so easily on it. Shrugging, he looked back to Ken, raising an eyebrow. "Man, it takes you that long to make a choice?"
Ken blinked and turned his head to look back at Daisuke, staring into his light brown eyes. He shrugged himself, his black shoulders rising up to the corner of his jaw. "I don't know. I think the studio is a stuffy place to be hanging around in all day. I would like to get my camera fixed.." He trailed off, looking away down at the rows of mini stores and shops.
Thinking for a moment, Ken turned his head and looked up into the Los Angeles afternoon sky. Pulling his right hand up to his face, he looks at his plain barren wrist, remembering he left his watch back in his room. "Hmm.." He hummed to himself inquisitively, looking back at Daisuke again. "Have the time?"
Daisuke blinked, raising an eyebrow at Ken he nodded and soon dropped it, checking his watch. "It's 3:30, why?" He wondered, hanging his arm back down his side again. Cocking his head, he looked at Ken's eyes through the long overhanging blue bangs.
"I asked Hikari to watch Kiyoshi for me, for some odd and strange reason. For once I didn't want him around; he would only irritate me more while Miyako hung around. Oi, Miyako, sheesh." Ken shook his head, continuing to look at Daisuke. "But, I suppose it's been long enough and I'll go check on him now." Turning away from Daisuke, Ken started to make his way across the street to the side door of the Digimon studios.
"Alright then, dude I'll join ya. You may need back up with your little brother around." Daisuke snickered, remembering when Ken tripped over his own kid bro at the studios when they first arrived. They all had a laugh at that; even Ken who didn't mind Kiyoshi too much, the little 7yr old kid was cool for being little.
Ken and Daisuke walked around the long way, which they always had to do if they ever went out the side door onto the sidewalk. The back of the studio was a long fence around the place and it would take twice as long to go that way anyways. The afternoon sun shone overhead of them, slowly making it's way to the west, shadows already began to stretch with it's journey.
Keeping his sunglasses on, Daisuke yawned and kept walking alongside Ken in silence, making a mental note to him that Ken wasn't such a big talker. Finally arriving at the head doors, they walked in behind one another, Daisuke going first this time. He looked around the open area until he found the main desk and the entrance of the hallway that led down to their place.
Rubbing the side of his neck absentmindedly, Ken looked unsurely at the floor while he trailed behind Daisuke. It didn't hurt anymore, but he could still remember the pain and panic that aroused when the waitress came and squeezed the air and almost his life out of him. Strolling in after Daisuke, they were both immediately grabbed by the collars of their shirts and pulled into the studio, as they were about to pass it.
Both letting out a cry of surprise, they were harshly turned around to stare at the mad face of the director. He huffed and placed his hand on his hips looking down at them from his tall point of view. "And where were YOU two? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" He growled angrily at them.
The two young actors gulping, they each take a step away, edging back from the pissed off director. "Well s-sorry! I suppose traffic got us..?" Daisuke gulped, looking up at the director nervously. He glanced over at Ken who nodded to his reply with a nervous grin. "..Eh heh.."
"Well head to make-up and get into costume." The director commanded them as if they were being sent for a bath. He pointed his index finger towards the costume and make-up area of the studio, a line of mirrors, desks, and stools for them to sit and get ready. Ken just groaned as they trudged over to it.
Looking on his personal rack, he eyed the soccer uniform he was meant to wear criticizingly. Pulling out the hanger, which held the suit, he looked at the shorts and t-shirt, noticing their double shades of green and white colors with a satisfied nod. "At least someone had fashion sense." He murmured with a sigh.
Daisuke came up behind him and grinned, grabbing his own soccer uniform. "Guess we play that good ol' game of kickin' the ball around." He snickered, draping the shorts and shirt over his right arm, winking at Ken and walking away to his change room.
"..Personally I don't see the main idea of a bunch of people following around this little ball thing.." Ken blinked, watching Daisuke walk away from him and step into a changing room. He yawned and clutched his own clothing, strolling straight into the changing stall beside Daisuke.
"Well, neither do I, but it humors those with reasonably small minds, such as myself." Daisuke chuckled from the other side of the wall, sounds of clothing falling and sliding against each other. A hollow thunk rattles against the wall as the tanned boy curses beneath his breath, obviously hitting it.
Ken burst out laughing, reaching behind his neck to undo the silver chain hanging loosely around it. With a grin he shook his head and started to undress, sliding his shorts and t-shirt on. The uniform was more comfortable than the Kaiser costume and the school clothes. He turned the handle on the door and stepped out beside Daisuke.
Both eyeing each other, Ken slowly grinned as he saw Daisuke rubbing his elbow. He chuckled again, "aww, da poor baby didn't have enough room?" He cooed, laughing now. Receiving a playful punch in the shoulder, he shook his head, pointing at Daisuke. "Man, klutzy boy, hmm?"
"I prefer.. Uhmm.. Coordinationally challenged." He blinked, staring up at the roof of the building while trying to think up the word as he walked. Carrying his clothes, he dumped them on the top rack of his costume area, waiting for Ken who was still snickering.
"That could work... If "coordinationally" was a proper word." He grinned, also throwing his clothing onto the top rack of his area, walking out to the director behind Daisuke. Stopping, he looked around the empty studio, wondering where everyone was. "..Uhm, hey, Daisuke, you see where they went?"
"No genius, I was changing, but.. I think he mentioned something about a soccer field. It has to do with the episode we're beginning to film. He wanted it to be dusk when we started to get the lighting right anyways.. Hey! I wonder why he was so mad when we arrived late then." Daisuke thought out loud to himself, also answering Ken.
Blinking, his violet eyes widening, he turned and took off running towards the back door towards the parking lot. Hearing Daisuke call after him, he turned his head over his shoulder, "the bus! The bus!" He cried, breaking through the door to find a charter bus waiting in the parking lot for them.
The director stepped out of the door to the front and waved at them. "What took you so long!?" He screamed at them as they both trotted up to the door. They blinked, looked at each other, and shrugged.
"Nevermind that now. Get on. We have to go. The camera, lights, and extras are already down there." The director sighed, pulling his head back in and sitting in a seat up front, away from the group of six kids that were at the back and chattering noisily, all in costume.
Takeru looked up at Ken and Daisuke as they plopped themselves down in isle seats, leaning over the sides to look at the others. "Man, you two are late. What were you doing in there? Or do I even want to know?" He grinned slyly as the others snickered. Miyako pointed at Ken and jeered, "I bet he started it in the change rooms."
Ken crinkled his nose up in a glare as he eyed Miyako from his seat. "You know what?" He growled. "You are -really- starting to get on my nerves. Heh, you would be jealous of Daisuke if he actually did get some action from me, wouldn't you?" He grinned slightly, warning his cruelty. "You like me and you know it, that's why you blushed when I started dancing, and you blushed wildly when I first stated I knew your secret..Just like you are now." He smirked, sliding his back against the seat and folding his arms across his chest, "..Like I would be attracted to you though. Heh, but, I'd never like you back. You have cooties and you smell funny, stupid whore." He hissed in his cruel and sarcastic tone of voice he uses in front of the cameras.
Forgetting for a moment whom the sixth kid was, he opened an eye and peered down at a midget beside him after being poked gingerly in the shoulder. Blinking he sat forwards to look at Kiyoshi, his little bro who was looking up at him in puzzlement. "Hey Ken.. what's a `whore'?" He asked innocently, blinking his own set of violet eyes up at Ken.
Nearly swallowing his tongue, Ken choked on something within his throat and burst into a coughing fit in response to Kiyoshi's question. The bus lurched ahead, nearly knocking the small boy off his feet, instead he landed against Ken's knee and hung on, steadying himself. Ken raised his head and looked at Kiyoshi. "Well.. Uh.. It's.." He was lost for words at the moment, feeling guilty for subjecting his little brother unknowingly to the wonderful world of cruel curses.
Lowering his gaze, Ken cursed quietly beneath his breath. Looking back at Kiyoshi, he reached out with both of his hands and set the little boy down onto the seat beside him. "I don't know what to say, Kiyo.." He said quietly, staring past his brother out at the window into the passing lights of the darkening city streets. He blinked in confusion, looking pained that he could poison the little guy's mind, at least so early.
Daisuke piped up, looking over Ken's shoulder at Kiyoshi. "Well dude, it's like this. Ken made a mistake; he forgot to say the "se" at the end of that unfinished word. Like he only colored half a picture, but anyways, he called Miyako a horse."
Kiyoshi blinked, looking at Ken in bewilderment for a few seconds until a grin widened across his small lips. Giggling, he sat back in his seat, grinning like a little maniac at his brother's mistake. "That's funny." He laughed, looking back up at Ken in amusement.
Sighing in relief, Ken reached out a hand and ruffled Kiyoshi's hair with a grin himself. Pulling his hand back, he turned his head around his shoulder and looked at Daisuke, his indigo hair falling along the right side of his face as he looked over at Daisuke, "thanks dude."
"Nothin' to it man, just gotta learn how to think quick." Daisuke snickered a reply, plopping back down in his seat across the aisle as the bus came to a slow stop. Sitting back for a moment of relaxation, Daisuke waited until the bus came to a full stop before standing up again.
The first one to walk out, Daisuke strolled down the steps of the bus with ease as he jumped from the bottom step onto the ground. Scanning the area, he blinked as Ken walked up beside him, Kiyoshi danced around and hopped down the cement steps leading towards the field. "So.. This is the place, huh?" Ken blinked, staring out at the field below himself.
The director stood idly by as the kids all filed out and looked down at the soccer field. He nodded in response to Ken's question, though it wasn't directed to anyone at the moment. "Yes, Ken. Here, you see these steps? In your soccer uniform, you arrive by and taxi and slowly walk down. Stopping right here.." The director took a few steps down along the concrete blocks, stopping at the third step, he pointed down to it.
"Now, looking to your right, the rest of you- Takeru, Hikari, Iori, Miyako, Daisuke- will be standing down there, next to the other set of steps. Ken's going to stop, turn and glare at you. Miyako, for the camera's, you -have- to act like you like him, all right? Remember your lines? Good. If you don't, I'll be upset and you wouldn't like that, now would you?" The director asks, staring at the group of dressed up kids before him.
"This area is off limits to the public tonight, so we can start rehearsing. Now all of you, except for Ken, and Daisuke, get down there. Quickly, we don't want to be more late then -some people- already made us." The director pointed out the last sentence to Ken and Daisuke with his eyes. "Now stop at the benches, we're taking it from the top, Ken, hold Kiyoshi back.." The director groaned, watching Kiyoshi giggle and hop down along the steps. He wondered why the little brat had to come along, since they only needed him for one episode later on.
Nodding, Ken quickly walked down to Kiyoshi and took the small kid's hand in his. With a sigh he pulled him back up the steps, pausing every few moments to allow the kid to catch up. Picking him up by the arms, Ken set him on top of the benches and sat beside him as he saw the others take their seats. "Ugh.. Rehearsing is boring. Especially when you have to watch the others.. Though, their mistakes are funny." Ken grinned, talking to Kiyoshi out of the side of his mouth.
Daisuke sat down on the other side of the long concrete platform serving as the top step. They both looked down at the other four, going silent as the lights were set up. The studio didn't bother bringing out the camera for just this night of rehearsing, they thought it would cost to much and just be a waste of time.
"So... how about them Yankees?" Daisuke grinned, turning his head to look across Kiyoshi's head of soft silky black hair at Ken. "I wonder, why make us dress up in full costume if we're not going to do anything?" Daisuke wondered with a blink and a curl of his lower lip. "Hmm."
"Possibly because it's called a dress rehearsal." Ken suggested, tugging at the shirtsleeve of his costume inattentively. He kept his violet eyes down turned on the small group below them. Nobody had their scripts in hand, which was good; it meant they knew most of their lines solid. He kept his eye on Miyako most of the time, watching for any slip-ups he could rub in later.
"Good luck Davis!" Hikari shouted down the stands to the invisible Daisuke who was supposed to be standing at the bottom in the darkness. She sounded more sarcastic than sincere, the wrong tone of voice.
"Hikari! You're supposed to sound like you mean it. Dais-err Davis is one of your friends. You want to cheer him on." The director said calmly.
"But I can't shout to a stupid shadow! I mean look! No one's down there! How am I supposed to `pretend'?" Hikari huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Hahaha you're a stupid horse!" Kiyoshi pointed down at Hikari, enjoying using his older brother's use of phrase for the first time.
The girl only blinked and then glared and pointed back. "Hey, watch your mouth, kid!"
"Hey, watch your mouth, kid!" Kiyoshi mimiced back, attempting to play a round of the shadow game.
"Don't copy me!"
"Don't cobby me!" The child repeated again, in his innocent stuffed-up voice of youth.
"Why you little--" Hikari gruffed and started to climb up the steps, struggling with a fixed glare on the child as Miyako and Takeru held her back by the arms, and Iori clung to her leg.
"What?! You want some?!" Kiyoshi stood up challengingly, small child hands made into fists.
"All right guys break it up! Come on now! Pointing's rude!" The cameramen came and latched onto Hikari's raging arms, and settled her down, while Ken and Daisuke held Kiyoshi back and sat him back down between them on the bench.
"..Ugh, can we please continue now? Amateurs..." The director sighed, shaking his head.
"Come on Hikari, it shouldn't be that hard. I hear you talk to your teddy bears all the time." Daisuke chimed from his seat beside Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi giggled and smiled as he looked down at Hikari who turned her head up again to glare at Daisuke.
"Try it again. Take it from the top. Hikari, you start." The director commanded, taking a step back he looked at the grinning group.
"Fine, fine. Good luck, Davis." Hikari mumbled, barely heard. The director sighed in reply.
"AGAIN!" He stated, losing his cool already.
"FINE!" Hikari snorted, sticking her tongue out at the director.
"STUPID HORSE!" Kiyoshi shouted in.
"SHUT UP!" Hikari shot back, spinning around in her seat.
Kiyoshi's eyes welled up with tears, as he jut out his lower lip in a quivering pout. Slowly his head tilted back as his mouth burst open into a wail, closed eyes flooding out streams of liquid down his cheeks, the little boy starting to cry.
"Ugh! Hikari!" Ken glared down at her as his comforting arms wrapped around his little brother, Kiyoshi sinking into Ken's chest, sobbing, clinging around him with his little arms. "Now look what you've done!"
"Yeah, dude! Makin' little dudes cry!" Daisuke agreed with a goofy glare, grinning, and pat Kiyoshi's back, as the boy continued sobbing loudly.
Ralph was about to lose it. He gripped his script tightly in one fist, releasing a puff of anger between his lips, trying to control his temper. "Can someone just PLEASE, give the little brat a cracker or something?!"
"Cracker!" Mikashira, the assistant director, called. A man ran up with a long plastic coating of crackers. Opening it up, he took one out, and placed it in Mikashira's open palm, and quickly ran off. She held it up to the sky between index and thumb like the saltine substance was holy.
Ralph sighed, and slumped into his fold-up director's chair. "..Why are evil geniuses always surrounded by fools?"
* * *
[S.K.: Whew, man, how was that? Oo;
This is actually going faster than I thought. Eh, I think I'll actually manage to finish this one. *Grins.* You should see what's on the way. Dude, don't forget to review? Eh heh, can't have never have too many of those now.. ;;]
"To go or not to go, dude? Which one? Pick a choice, any choice." Daisuke grinned, flipping Ken's video camera between his fingers in play. Boredly he glanced down at it, rolling it both ways and turning it. It was a good camera, really durable too. He wondered how the tab could get broken so easily on it. Shrugging, he looked back to Ken, raising an eyebrow. "Man, it takes you that long to make a choice?"
Ken blinked and turned his head to look back at Daisuke, staring into his light brown eyes. He shrugged himself, his black shoulders rising up to the corner of his jaw. "I don't know. I think the studio is a stuffy place to be hanging around in all day. I would like to get my camera fixed.." He trailed off, looking away down at the rows of mini stores and shops.
Thinking for a moment, Ken turned his head and looked up into the Los Angeles afternoon sky. Pulling his right hand up to his face, he looks at his plain barren wrist, remembering he left his watch back in his room. "Hmm.." He hummed to himself inquisitively, looking back at Daisuke again. "Have the time?"
Daisuke blinked, raising an eyebrow at Ken he nodded and soon dropped it, checking his watch. "It's 3:30, why?" He wondered, hanging his arm back down his side again. Cocking his head, he looked at Ken's eyes through the long overhanging blue bangs.
"I asked Hikari to watch Kiyoshi for me, for some odd and strange reason. For once I didn't want him around; he would only irritate me more while Miyako hung around. Oi, Miyako, sheesh." Ken shook his head, continuing to look at Daisuke. "But, I suppose it's been long enough and I'll go check on him now." Turning away from Daisuke, Ken started to make his way across the street to the side door of the Digimon studios.
"Alright then, dude I'll join ya. You may need back up with your little brother around." Daisuke snickered, remembering when Ken tripped over his own kid bro at the studios when they first arrived. They all had a laugh at that; even Ken who didn't mind Kiyoshi too much, the little 7yr old kid was cool for being little.
Ken and Daisuke walked around the long way, which they always had to do if they ever went out the side door onto the sidewalk. The back of the studio was a long fence around the place and it would take twice as long to go that way anyways. The afternoon sun shone overhead of them, slowly making it's way to the west, shadows already began to stretch with it's journey.
Keeping his sunglasses on, Daisuke yawned and kept walking alongside Ken in silence, making a mental note to him that Ken wasn't such a big talker. Finally arriving at the head doors, they walked in behind one another, Daisuke going first this time. He looked around the open area until he found the main desk and the entrance of the hallway that led down to their place.
Rubbing the side of his neck absentmindedly, Ken looked unsurely at the floor while he trailed behind Daisuke. It didn't hurt anymore, but he could still remember the pain and panic that aroused when the waitress came and squeezed the air and almost his life out of him. Strolling in after Daisuke, they were both immediately grabbed by the collars of their shirts and pulled into the studio, as they were about to pass it.
Both letting out a cry of surprise, they were harshly turned around to stare at the mad face of the director. He huffed and placed his hand on his hips looking down at them from his tall point of view. "And where were YOU two? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" He growled angrily at them.
The two young actors gulping, they each take a step away, edging back from the pissed off director. "Well s-sorry! I suppose traffic got us..?" Daisuke gulped, looking up at the director nervously. He glanced over at Ken who nodded to his reply with a nervous grin. "..Eh heh.."
"Well head to make-up and get into costume." The director commanded them as if they were being sent for a bath. He pointed his index finger towards the costume and make-up area of the studio, a line of mirrors, desks, and stools for them to sit and get ready. Ken just groaned as they trudged over to it.
Looking on his personal rack, he eyed the soccer uniform he was meant to wear criticizingly. Pulling out the hanger, which held the suit, he looked at the shorts and t-shirt, noticing their double shades of green and white colors with a satisfied nod. "At least someone had fashion sense." He murmured with a sigh.
Daisuke came up behind him and grinned, grabbing his own soccer uniform. "Guess we play that good ol' game of kickin' the ball around." He snickered, draping the shorts and shirt over his right arm, winking at Ken and walking away to his change room.
"..Personally I don't see the main idea of a bunch of people following around this little ball thing.." Ken blinked, watching Daisuke walk away from him and step into a changing room. He yawned and clutched his own clothing, strolling straight into the changing stall beside Daisuke.
"Well, neither do I, but it humors those with reasonably small minds, such as myself." Daisuke chuckled from the other side of the wall, sounds of clothing falling and sliding against each other. A hollow thunk rattles against the wall as the tanned boy curses beneath his breath, obviously hitting it.
Ken burst out laughing, reaching behind his neck to undo the silver chain hanging loosely around it. With a grin he shook his head and started to undress, sliding his shorts and t-shirt on. The uniform was more comfortable than the Kaiser costume and the school clothes. He turned the handle on the door and stepped out beside Daisuke.
Both eyeing each other, Ken slowly grinned as he saw Daisuke rubbing his elbow. He chuckled again, "aww, da poor baby didn't have enough room?" He cooed, laughing now. Receiving a playful punch in the shoulder, he shook his head, pointing at Daisuke. "Man, klutzy boy, hmm?"
"I prefer.. Uhmm.. Coordinationally challenged." He blinked, staring up at the roof of the building while trying to think up the word as he walked. Carrying his clothes, he dumped them on the top rack of his costume area, waiting for Ken who was still snickering.
"That could work... If "coordinationally" was a proper word." He grinned, also throwing his clothing onto the top rack of his area, walking out to the director behind Daisuke. Stopping, he looked around the empty studio, wondering where everyone was. "..Uhm, hey, Daisuke, you see where they went?"
"No genius, I was changing, but.. I think he mentioned something about a soccer field. It has to do with the episode we're beginning to film. He wanted it to be dusk when we started to get the lighting right anyways.. Hey! I wonder why he was so mad when we arrived late then." Daisuke thought out loud to himself, also answering Ken.
Blinking, his violet eyes widening, he turned and took off running towards the back door towards the parking lot. Hearing Daisuke call after him, he turned his head over his shoulder, "the bus! The bus!" He cried, breaking through the door to find a charter bus waiting in the parking lot for them.
The director stepped out of the door to the front and waved at them. "What took you so long!?" He screamed at them as they both trotted up to the door. They blinked, looked at each other, and shrugged.
"Nevermind that now. Get on. We have to go. The camera, lights, and extras are already down there." The director sighed, pulling his head back in and sitting in a seat up front, away from the group of six kids that were at the back and chattering noisily, all in costume.
Takeru looked up at Ken and Daisuke as they plopped themselves down in isle seats, leaning over the sides to look at the others. "Man, you two are late. What were you doing in there? Or do I even want to know?" He grinned slyly as the others snickered. Miyako pointed at Ken and jeered, "I bet he started it in the change rooms."
Ken crinkled his nose up in a glare as he eyed Miyako from his seat. "You know what?" He growled. "You are -really- starting to get on my nerves. Heh, you would be jealous of Daisuke if he actually did get some action from me, wouldn't you?" He grinned slightly, warning his cruelty. "You like me and you know it, that's why you blushed when I started dancing, and you blushed wildly when I first stated I knew your secret..Just like you are now." He smirked, sliding his back against the seat and folding his arms across his chest, "..Like I would be attracted to you though. Heh, but, I'd never like you back. You have cooties and you smell funny, stupid whore." He hissed in his cruel and sarcastic tone of voice he uses in front of the cameras.
Forgetting for a moment whom the sixth kid was, he opened an eye and peered down at a midget beside him after being poked gingerly in the shoulder. Blinking he sat forwards to look at Kiyoshi, his little bro who was looking up at him in puzzlement. "Hey Ken.. what's a `whore'?" He asked innocently, blinking his own set of violet eyes up at Ken.
Nearly swallowing his tongue, Ken choked on something within his throat and burst into a coughing fit in response to Kiyoshi's question. The bus lurched ahead, nearly knocking the small boy off his feet, instead he landed against Ken's knee and hung on, steadying himself. Ken raised his head and looked at Kiyoshi. "Well.. Uh.. It's.." He was lost for words at the moment, feeling guilty for subjecting his little brother unknowingly to the wonderful world of cruel curses.
Lowering his gaze, Ken cursed quietly beneath his breath. Looking back at Kiyoshi, he reached out with both of his hands and set the little boy down onto the seat beside him. "I don't know what to say, Kiyo.." He said quietly, staring past his brother out at the window into the passing lights of the darkening city streets. He blinked in confusion, looking pained that he could poison the little guy's mind, at least so early.
Daisuke piped up, looking over Ken's shoulder at Kiyoshi. "Well dude, it's like this. Ken made a mistake; he forgot to say the "se" at the end of that unfinished word. Like he only colored half a picture, but anyways, he called Miyako a horse."
Kiyoshi blinked, looking at Ken in bewilderment for a few seconds until a grin widened across his small lips. Giggling, he sat back in his seat, grinning like a little maniac at his brother's mistake. "That's funny." He laughed, looking back up at Ken in amusement.
Sighing in relief, Ken reached out a hand and ruffled Kiyoshi's hair with a grin himself. Pulling his hand back, he turned his head around his shoulder and looked at Daisuke, his indigo hair falling along the right side of his face as he looked over at Daisuke, "thanks dude."
"Nothin' to it man, just gotta learn how to think quick." Daisuke snickered a reply, plopping back down in his seat across the aisle as the bus came to a slow stop. Sitting back for a moment of relaxation, Daisuke waited until the bus came to a full stop before standing up again.
The first one to walk out, Daisuke strolled down the steps of the bus with ease as he jumped from the bottom step onto the ground. Scanning the area, he blinked as Ken walked up beside him, Kiyoshi danced around and hopped down the cement steps leading towards the field. "So.. This is the place, huh?" Ken blinked, staring out at the field below himself.
The director stood idly by as the kids all filed out and looked down at the soccer field. He nodded in response to Ken's question, though it wasn't directed to anyone at the moment. "Yes, Ken. Here, you see these steps? In your soccer uniform, you arrive by and taxi and slowly walk down. Stopping right here.." The director took a few steps down along the concrete blocks, stopping at the third step, he pointed down to it.
"Now, looking to your right, the rest of you- Takeru, Hikari, Iori, Miyako, Daisuke- will be standing down there, next to the other set of steps. Ken's going to stop, turn and glare at you. Miyako, for the camera's, you -have- to act like you like him, all right? Remember your lines? Good. If you don't, I'll be upset and you wouldn't like that, now would you?" The director asks, staring at the group of dressed up kids before him.
"This area is off limits to the public tonight, so we can start rehearsing. Now all of you, except for Ken, and Daisuke, get down there. Quickly, we don't want to be more late then -some people- already made us." The director pointed out the last sentence to Ken and Daisuke with his eyes. "Now stop at the benches, we're taking it from the top, Ken, hold Kiyoshi back.." The director groaned, watching Kiyoshi giggle and hop down along the steps. He wondered why the little brat had to come along, since they only needed him for one episode later on.
Nodding, Ken quickly walked down to Kiyoshi and took the small kid's hand in his. With a sigh he pulled him back up the steps, pausing every few moments to allow the kid to catch up. Picking him up by the arms, Ken set him on top of the benches and sat beside him as he saw the others take their seats. "Ugh.. Rehearsing is boring. Especially when you have to watch the others.. Though, their mistakes are funny." Ken grinned, talking to Kiyoshi out of the side of his mouth.
Daisuke sat down on the other side of the long concrete platform serving as the top step. They both looked down at the other four, going silent as the lights were set up. The studio didn't bother bringing out the camera for just this night of rehearsing, they thought it would cost to much and just be a waste of time.
"So... how about them Yankees?" Daisuke grinned, turning his head to look across Kiyoshi's head of soft silky black hair at Ken. "I wonder, why make us dress up in full costume if we're not going to do anything?" Daisuke wondered with a blink and a curl of his lower lip. "Hmm."
"Possibly because it's called a dress rehearsal." Ken suggested, tugging at the shirtsleeve of his costume inattentively. He kept his violet eyes down turned on the small group below them. Nobody had their scripts in hand, which was good; it meant they knew most of their lines solid. He kept his eye on Miyako most of the time, watching for any slip-ups he could rub in later.
"Good luck Davis!" Hikari shouted down the stands to the invisible Daisuke who was supposed to be standing at the bottom in the darkness. She sounded more sarcastic than sincere, the wrong tone of voice.
"Hikari! You're supposed to sound like you mean it. Dais-err Davis is one of your friends. You want to cheer him on." The director said calmly.
"But I can't shout to a stupid shadow! I mean look! No one's down there! How am I supposed to `pretend'?" Hikari huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Hahaha you're a stupid horse!" Kiyoshi pointed down at Hikari, enjoying using his older brother's use of phrase for the first time.
The girl only blinked and then glared and pointed back. "Hey, watch your mouth, kid!"
"Hey, watch your mouth, kid!" Kiyoshi mimiced back, attempting to play a round of the shadow game.
"Don't copy me!"
"Don't cobby me!" The child repeated again, in his innocent stuffed-up voice of youth.
"Why you little--" Hikari gruffed and started to climb up the steps, struggling with a fixed glare on the child as Miyako and Takeru held her back by the arms, and Iori clung to her leg.
"What?! You want some?!" Kiyoshi stood up challengingly, small child hands made into fists.
"All right guys break it up! Come on now! Pointing's rude!" The cameramen came and latched onto Hikari's raging arms, and settled her down, while Ken and Daisuke held Kiyoshi back and sat him back down between them on the bench.
"..Ugh, can we please continue now? Amateurs..." The director sighed, shaking his head.
"Come on Hikari, it shouldn't be that hard. I hear you talk to your teddy bears all the time." Daisuke chimed from his seat beside Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi giggled and smiled as he looked down at Hikari who turned her head up again to glare at Daisuke.
"Try it again. Take it from the top. Hikari, you start." The director commanded, taking a step back he looked at the grinning group.
"Fine, fine. Good luck, Davis." Hikari mumbled, barely heard. The director sighed in reply.
"AGAIN!" He stated, losing his cool already.
"FINE!" Hikari snorted, sticking her tongue out at the director.
"STUPID HORSE!" Kiyoshi shouted in.
"SHUT UP!" Hikari shot back, spinning around in her seat.
Kiyoshi's eyes welled up with tears, as he jut out his lower lip in a quivering pout. Slowly his head tilted back as his mouth burst open into a wail, closed eyes flooding out streams of liquid down his cheeks, the little boy starting to cry.
"Ugh! Hikari!" Ken glared down at her as his comforting arms wrapped around his little brother, Kiyoshi sinking into Ken's chest, sobbing, clinging around him with his little arms. "Now look what you've done!"
"Yeah, dude! Makin' little dudes cry!" Daisuke agreed with a goofy glare, grinning, and pat Kiyoshi's back, as the boy continued sobbing loudly.
Ralph was about to lose it. He gripped his script tightly in one fist, releasing a puff of anger between his lips, trying to control his temper. "Can someone just PLEASE, give the little brat a cracker or something?!"
"Cracker!" Mikashira, the assistant director, called. A man ran up with a long plastic coating of crackers. Opening it up, he took one out, and placed it in Mikashira's open palm, and quickly ran off. She held it up to the sky between index and thumb like the saltine substance was holy.
Ralph sighed, and slumped into his fold-up director's chair. "..Why are evil geniuses always surrounded by fools?"
* * *
[S.K.: Whew, man, how was that? Oo;
This is actually going faster than I thought. Eh, I think I'll actually manage to finish this one. *Grins.* You should see what's on the way. Dude, don't forget to review? Eh heh, can't have never have too many of those now.. ;;]