MPC 51A: Budget: 0
Jun 24, 2018 3:00:14 GMT
Post by Leith, Veemon, and Shoutmon on Jun 24, 2018 3:00:14 GMT
MPC Name: Budget: 0
MPC Number: 51A
Reward Requested: Posts
MPC Number: 51A
Reward Requested: Posts
Leith took the odd item he found in Miyashita Park home with him since he couldn't find anyone to claim it. The lights were dim. Rain poured softly outside. It was something like a cross between a smartphone and a walkie talkie, black but with light blue edges and buttons. As Leith sat down in the spinning chair of his room, he curiously pushed every button it had and even tried touching the screen to make it work. "Goddamnit!" he cursed as he threw the machine across the room, striking the wall and falling on his bed.
That's when it finally came to life... or was supposed to. But the screen blank, so Leith began making gesture of pretending to cut off his own head, signalling the director to yell, "Cut!" and for all production to stop, including turning off the rain machine. "Damnit, Leith, that was going perfect! What's going on?"
"The stupid machine isn't working!" Leith growled across the set, "The propmaster fucked up!"
"We don't have the budget for a working digivice! It's called 'special effects,' you moron!"
Leith perked up and raised an eyebrow. "So... you're gonna make it light up and stuff in post?"
The portly director, quickly growing impatient with Leith's constant interruptions, sighed and slapped his palm against his forehead. "Yes, Keith, now get back in position! Uuuugh!" He then waved his hands for the umpteenth time and called out, "Places, people! Sound? Camera? Roll... aaaaand, action!"
"It's Leith!"
"Cut!" The director stared daggers at his actor, nearly ready to use actual daggers at this point, "Your name is whatever I say it is! Sound! Camera! R-"
"Yeah, yeah, action and shit!" Leith dismissively groaned before getting himself back into character. I'm a new arrival to Shibuya, no friends, no activity, boring life... then... OK. I got this. Leith tried his best to imagine the digivice lighting up and beeping. He slowly rose from the chair and tiptoed forward toward the strange machine, eyeing it with reverence and awe and- Ugggh, this is so freakin' stupid. Then Leith gently picked the machine back up only to drop it when (he imagined) a beam of light shot out of the screen. "Ah-ah! What's going on? What the-!"
"Aaaand cut!" The director, for once, clapped in praise. "That's more like it. I really felt the tension and anxiety, you know?"
"Oh... thanks!" Leith's cheeks turned red because of the compliment. It was unusual for him to get any kind of encouragement, so he took it to heart and truly appreciated it. "See, I was imagining one time when I was eight, and this huge dog-"
"Yeah, yeah, don't care." The rude director then barked to the whole set, "Where's Demiveemon?"
"I got him," one crewmember called back just before handing Demiveemon to Leith.
"Oh, hey, thanks, Shinzo," Leith politely thanked.
"Yeah, yeah, Shinto," the director dismissively waved that crewmember away again.
Leith, to his credit, tried to be polite to his costar. "Hey, I don't think we met yet. I'm Leith, and I guess you're Demiveemon. Don't mind the fat guy. Just, uh... you know. Do what feels natural, OK?" But Demiveemon wasn't so polite. He didn't even show any sign that he was listening. "Demiveemon?" Still nothing. His eyes just seemed to be staring off into space, body not really moving- wait a minute! "Are you freakin' kidding me?" This time it was Leith's turn to bark at the director, "My costar is a goddamn plush toy?"
"Whaddya think this is? Hollywood? Deal with it!"
"No one is going to buy this!"
"We'll use a little, you know, movie magic. Now get back in position right now, or you can kiss your $200 goodbye!"
Leith sighed but knew he had no choice; he really needed the cash for those concert tickets. One week of filming one hasbeen's midlife crisis B-movie. So he swallowed his pride, put the plush Demiveemon on the bed, knelt in front of the bed, and tried to imagine himself in character. I'm alone in my room. A digimon just came from the weird machine. And then... Leith once again looked up at the creature. He imagined that despite its cuteness and apparent harmlessness, he was still spooked.
The young man jumped, startled, and cried out, "What the- who- what are you? Where did you just come from?" Then he waited, supposing he'd have to wait for the voice actor's lines to be dubbed in later. "A d-digimon? How did- OK, look, nope, I'm sorry, this isn't gonna work."
"Cut!" Bells rang. Crewmen relaxed. The director fumed. "Crowzer, I swear to God-"
"My name is Leith Crowther!" Leith shouted in pure rage, "And I'm sick of your bullshit! I'm sick of you intentionally mispronouncing people's names! I'm sick of this new crap you keep adding to the scenes, the corners you're cutting, the last-minute script changes! I'm sick of it! This isn't worth $200!"
Finally, the director stopped fuming and seemed to be on the defensive. "But, Leith! It's just the last day of filming! One last-"
"No! It's not worth it!" Leith stormed off set, then. It was his turn to fume and simmer now, and he was so angry over this sleazy project that he left set entirely, driving home without telling anyone.
Leith supposed it was understood that he quit - or was fired, or, just, whatever - but the next morning he got a phone call from the same director. "Where are you? Why aren't you at the shoot?"
"'Cause you can't afford even one digimon actor."
"Ah, but we have! We pulled a bit of funds from the photography department to hire a real Demiveemon - just for you!"
"Huh?" Leith almost had hung up when he heard that. "Seriously?"
"Yes! Now will you come back and shoot the scene and take my money or not?"
Well... he really wanted to see that concert. So the young man returned, but the first change he noticed wasn't his costar, but the camera. It was much smaller... small enough to fit in the palm of the hand of the director, who was now the one in charge of handling it, apparently. But Leith didn't call this out. He grit his teeth and got in position in front of the bed. This Demiveemon was clearly real, at least, mumbling to himself. Leith supposed he was just committing his lines to memory and so left the little digimon alone. "Alright, I'm good!" Leith called, "Ready when you guys are!" One last scene, Leith... you can do it.
"Sound? Camera! Rolling! And... action!"
"Who- what are you? What just happened? Where did you come from?"
Demiveemon slowly turned, really building the tension. Leith could really and truly feel the wonder of this discovery, the uncertainty of this position, his complete lack of control over the situation. His forehead began to sweat, his throat began to tighten, and his bottom lip began to grind against the tips of his top teeth. Then, the creature opened its mouth and revealed, to Leith's wonder, that it could speak! "Watashi wa dejimon to yoba rete imasu!
"OK, no, we're done here," Leith grumbled once again, pounding the bed with his fist in frustration. "Cut! Fuck this, fuck you all, fuck everything. I'm gonna go mow lawns or something. It's over." Leith looked to the boom man and thanked, "Sorry, Gary, I know this is super inconvenient, but I just, no, I can't do this. I'm out. Find some other schmuck."
On Leith's way off the set, though, he found a strange little machine on the ground. It was different from the fake D-3 in that it was more compact, smaller. Looked more like the original model. Leith was at least a good enough sport to shout, "Hey! 'Eya, prop team! This is yours, right?" But that's when the device began to beep incessantly as its screen began to glow...
Word count: 1,321