#memoriauteur

When CAELUS arrives at the beach, it's not very long until a familiar voice rings out amongst the crowd of vacationers. The wild grin comes out in his tone.

"Superstar!! Over here!"

THE DIRECTOR is jumping up and down, waving with a free hand, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR held in the other. He wears a loose, patterned button-up and sunglasses, but is still wearing gloves, despite the heat and the terrain. Once CAELUS catches sight of him, he slinks right over, navigating the gaggle of bystanders expertly. He snaps a few photos without consent, perhaps his way of a greeting.

"There you are~! Heh heh, I knew you'd be making an appearance in this film, Superstar Caelus! The Nameless aren't the types to leave a set like this alone."

THE DIRECTOR returns his mechanical companion to his shoulder and looks CAELUS up and down, amused, hands on his hips.

"You're certainly nailing the 'tourist' look for this scene, hm~? Ah--but I have something to show you!"

Once again without asking, he slides right up next to CAELUS, face touching face. Red eyes bore holes into him. His voice is an urgent whisper.

"Look."

Putting a hand to CAELUS' face, THE DIRECTOR turns their heads toward the Slip 'N Slide. A background extra has just wiped out, eliciting laughter from the audience.

"They're~ having~ a competition~!"

He breaks away, arms spread wide, practically leaping with joy.

"A test of speed, water versus the scorching sand! I know you have what it takes~ So what do you say? The assistant director and I will just, ah, be over here, cheering you on~ Knock 'em dead, Superstar!"

find your place in paradise 3(5)/5 |

Hanging out- or simply being around- Mr. Reca is always a fun experience. The guy is so.. animated, unfiltered and unrestrained. Perhaps Caelus could learn how to express himself better if he tried to mimic the Director- Truly the man won't mince his thoughts, for better or worse. It's one of the several things the Nameless admires about him. Speaking of- here is the Director of the hour, hand waving with an enthusiastic "superstar" ( oh how nice that sounds- no, don't let it get to your head, he's just staying in-character ) to catch the silver's attention.

❛ "Tourist look"..? ❜

The lad mumbles aloud, more to himself than anything. What.. even was a tourist look? Based on context the Nameless assumes it's what he is wearing.. But what does that even mean-

Before he can ponder too much about whatever that is, vibrant red eyes move a mere breath away from amber, warm skin pressed against his own overheated flesh. Red dusts his cheeks- Caelus should be used to this.. touchy behavior by now, alas it still makes his heart skip a beat every time ( the silver seems to not be able to handle the taste of his own medicine, hm? freely touching others [ with only minimal fear of harming them ] but having that type of affection turned back at him? is too much )- as firm hands turn his gaze towards a large area with numerous obstacles and slides, water splashing every where as NPCs crowd each attraction with vigor.

This isn't the first time someone has not-so-subtly tried to get him to compete in something. Be it the boxing arena in the Underground, Aetherium Wars on Jarilo VI, the War Dance on the Xianzhou, and the Superstar Showdown on Penacony ( which he kinda needed to do so that one might not count- ), there was always something that Caelus got occupied with.

While not nearly as extreme, or dangerous ( mostly ), being egged on by the brunette to join this little Slip N' Slide "competition" is just another note added on to his list of Achievements. Eh, why not. The whole point of coming here was to have fun and goof off, right?

❛ I expect a prize worthy of my capabilities, Professor Director Reca! ❜

The lad calls out as he and the Assistant Director move to be his fans in the stands ( hehe nice rhyme ). A simple fond shake of his head is all Caelus does to "prepare" for his "performance", somewhat small but steady strides over to where the line for this supposed competition starts.

As he waits in line, the more Caelus comes to realize how glad he is that he came to this planet to relax- and actually is getting to enjoy his vacation ( looking at YOU Penacony ).

"The sky is absolutely dazzling tonight; each lantern representing a wish…each light a memorial. It's a lovely sentiment that warms the heart, ensuring none shall be forgotten…and a beautiful scene, wouldn't you agree?"

THE DIRECTOR appears, standing beside LUMINE in the small group of people releasing lanterns at the docks. The orange lights dot the night sky like stars, reflections glittering on the calm surface of the harbor. He greets his prospective talent with a casual smile, a piercing glint in his eye betraying an ulterior motive.

This particular actor had stuck out in the crowd… She's going places. He holds out a business card as part of an introduction, though it doesn't contain any further identifying information other than what he elaborates on next.

"Ah, do pardon the interruption…Mr. Reca, director. This is my first time on this set, but I can tell you've had quite the adventures here."

Her weary gaze out to sea, the way she carries herself as if there's a weight on her shoulders--one doesn't need to be a mind reader to see this actor has a story.

"Perhaps you could give me some local rrrecommendations, my dear?"

She's a little solemn, admittedly, after the earlier events. She doesn't voice it, because there are some feelings that go beyond words -- and, really, who is there to tell?

Instead, her gaze lingers out on the rippling tides that reflect the golden light above, and she dwells, despite herself.

( Which lantern is theirs? It's lost amongst the masses. She'd have to let it go anyway, so it's alright, but.. )

The sudden appearance at her side wouldn't normally catch her off guard in a place like this, but, given her reverie, it does. Her startled gaze finds the stranger beside her, and then his card, and, given it would be rude to leave him hanging, she takes it with both hands. The same earnest grasp that had accepted countless red envelopes. A blink, once, a slight furrow of her brow given how limited the information presented was (notably, it doesn't say where he's from), before she looks to meet a unique crimson gaze again.

"Is that so?" She offers, lips quirking with amusement. She's heard this line before. Fingers crossed it's for nothing too serious.

And it's not. All he wants are a few recommendations, and that is surely within her wheelhouse -- no matter her mood.

"I have quite a few. You must have a good eye, Mr. Reca." She returns, tucking the card into her pocket.

"Any moment now, Assistant Director… I can feel it."

Out in the woods with his camera, THE DIRECTOR is not referring to LARGEANKLE. No, he's almost certain that "LARGEANKLE" does not, in fact, exist. When it comes to cryptozoology, it's the colorful believers that passionately amplify rumors into local legends that permeate cultural consciousness--this story is theirs.

Peering through the viewfinder, he adjusts the camera's focus, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR perched on top.

"Almost…"

A snap of a fallen tree branch, a rustle of grass. He zooms in--

"Ah-ha!"

THE DIRECTOR has captured the image of KUJOU SARA trekking through the woods. This actor appears well-prepared for the role, judging by that hefty backpack. He flits over to her in a rush of theatrical excitement.

"And we have the leading character for this film! Here to thwart that notorious 'Large Ankle,' are you~? No better timing, too--did you hear what he did to those campers last night? Ah…it's too gruesome to repeat…"

He shudders for emphasis, letting her absorb the exposition before he scuttles back to his equipment. His apparent fear seems to have already dissipated.

"As the director, I'll be here behind the camera… You will be in pursuit in the role of a hunter. Action!"

⁀➴ A PLACE IN PARADISE.

Camping necessities—check. Compass—check. A map of the Eco Park, marked with crude circles where this “Largeankle” has supposedly been sighted—check.

She hadn’t come for fame or photographs, but when the park staff had pressed a camera into her hands, she hadn’t refused. Their hushed whispers of “You’re really going after it?” and “Be careful, it got the last ones who tried…” had only solidified her resolve. If this creature was bold enough to prey on humans, then it was her duty to put an end to it—regardless of whether this land fell under the Shogun’s jurisdiction or not.

The staff’s excitement at her declaration had been… odd. Their wide-eyed “Ooohs” and murmurs of “She’s so cool!” suggested they expected some kind of spectacle rather than a swift execution. But their misunderstanding mattered little. They had granted her unrestricted access to the woods, shared their sightings, and pointed her toward the most likely paths. That was all she needed.

A monster allowed to roam freely, abducting visitors without consequence… How unacceptable.

Map in one hand, compass in the other, Sara barely spares the chattering man a glance as she scans the treeline. His theatrics are irrelevant—what matters is the hunt. When he finally pauses for breath, she cuts in, her voice low yet sharp all the same:

“It’s Largeankle. No pause.” She doesn’t stop walking. Doesn’t turn to face the camera. “And lower your voice. Unless you’d like to be the one drawing its attention.”

It may be best to shoo this man away. Tell him he’d be better off following another brave traveller. But he already seemed rather intent on following, his gadget at the ready, a tiny mechanical frog with a fancy hat croaking. A quiet, resigned sigh came through her nose. Finally, golden eyes shifted to meet odd reds.

In observance of the traditions of birthday festivities, I have enclosed a selection of movies I believe to be to your taste, and learning material I recommend to students interested in the "invisible art" of film editing. Your skills under pressure had very much impressed me back at Paperfold University; why not take the time to cultivate your budding talent? If you need any advice, you need only ask!

Please let me know your thoughts. The assistant director and I are eager to hear back from you ⭐

Caelus has to stare blankly at first upon reading the message. Had he.. talked about the start of his Trailblazing adventure to (Mr) Reca before..? It's not impossible, Caelus can be a bit of a yapper at times and the lad is known to be occasionally forgetful.

He ignores the mystery for now, accepting some folks just have their ways of getting information. Plus, it's not as if he doesn't like or trust the Director (or the assistant director!). Before him is a package of the movies mentioned in the note attached, curiously digging through each new title he comes across.

And he won't lie, the praise of his "budding talent" is definitely making him blush with pride and contentment. What? It's always nice to be given a compliment when you always feel like you make a mess of things ( even if you later fix them ).

With a large grin, Caelus tugs out his phone from his pocket, scrolling through endless chats to find his recipient.

42 character development questions.

despite everything, kallen is an optimist. she implicitly believes that, against all odds, good will prevail and evil will fail.

to her, history is a narrative of overarching progress: humanity will inevitably improve itself until utopia is possible, and so on. it has to be. she is also something of an idealist. she believes in the existence of the soul, and the existence of free will. all souls are capable of good; no soul is irredeemably evil. cynics and critics might think of her as naive, and while that was true for a good part of her life, i think even after she loses everything, she persists with this optimism against her own (sometimes) rational feelings. because in a way, it’s her only option.

everyone quotes this line from everything everywhere all at once (it's a good line, tbf), but—kallen’s optimism eventually becomes something that is "strategic and necessary." through clinging to this (relative) optimism, she's able to contend with the corruption so rife in the world.

after yae sakura's death, though, there was a period of time in which kallen did let go of this optimism. although her principles of morals and justice remained, she did also give up on pretty much everything else. hope for her own future being the biggest one.