Chapter Text
“Ugh, this isn’t going well.”
Aether grimaced slightly as he had to jump back again to dodge another strike. The lightning in the arena was furious and persistent, constantly smashing where he previously stood.
His opponent, the electro archon, stood tall as she prepared herself for another strike.
“Hmph. Exceptions are meaningless and should be erased.” She says, her Musou lighting up and moving for another strike.
Aether prepared to counter the hit, holding his sword up.
The hit never came.
A dull thud resonated in the arena.
Aether blinked in confusion. He placed his sword down to take a look at what made the noise.
When he saw her, he just face-palmed.
There, on the floor a few meters away from him, was Ei with her face and body firmly flat on the floor, the sword she used out of her hand and clattering on the floor nearby.
“CUT!” The director screamed from his chair, sinking down in annoyance.
“My, my. Ei, who knew you could make such a hilarious stand up comedy show.” Miko teased from the side.
Aether walked over as Ei tried to get up. He held a hand out and pulled her back up to a standing position.
“You okay?” He asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I slipped again.” She replied.
“Ei this is the 14th retake of our fight. Surely it shouldn’t be that bad?”
“Excuse me? It isn’t my fault the producers wanted me to wear heels. Who the heck goes into a sword fight wearing heels?! I was never taught how to do that.”
“Well, everyone else seems to be doing fine.”
“I’m not! What kind of vanishing-disappearing-superquick God fights with heels anyway? Stupid script.”
Aether could only snicker.
—---------------------------------------
The cracks on the ground made way as the ballista were destroyed from the sudden attack. The large figure of Osial loomed in the distance as the various people flocked from th scene.
“Ready….and…..now!”
Lumine nodded as she braced herself. The usage of bungee jumps made it difficult, but it was the only way to get the part where she was falling.
She jumped off as the camera followed her down.
Xiao, jumping from a nearby platform, carefully timed his jump and leapt after her. He went into a dive position as opposed to Lumine’s flailing position to go after her faster.
As he neared her, he held both his hands out to catch her.
However, a loud smack was heard instead.
“Ow!”
“Ouch! Hey, Xiao! It says to catch me, not smash into me!”
“Easy for you to say, all you need to do is pretend to fall while I have to catch you mid-air.”
“Well then catch me for all its worth!”
“Hmph, does it have any worth to begin with?”
“Why you-”
Aether and Ningguang, watching from the sides, only sighed. “And to think it took me just 6 takes.” Aether mutters.
“How many is this already?” The taller Tianquan asked.
“Uh……..the 30th.”
“...”
“We’re gonna be here for a while.”
—------------------------------------------
“I must apologize….to be perfectly honest, I though the cakes would be a tasty addition.” Ayaka says, looking down in slight embarrassment.
“Uh oh. I’m definitely not okay…..Ugh, I need to lie down….” Thoma adds from beside her.
“And cut!”
The cameras finish the recording with a snap.
“That was fine work. I think we can wrap it up here, the acting after that hot pot game was truly amazing. It’s like you guys are actually sick.” The director says.
“Ugh….my stomach feels weird…” Ayaka says, getting up with a wobble.
“Same. I think I can feel a bomb going off.” Aether adds.
“Oh crud. I really need to go.” Thoma adds.
Much to the staff’s confusion, the main players on the scene bolt out of the set, straight for the toilets.
“Eeh? What happened? Didn’t we only ask them to act like they’re sick?” A staff member asked.
“Maybe the hot pot tastes bad?” Yoimiya asked, entering the now empty set with a curious gaze. She took a look at the hot pot and mindlessly took a spoon and drank some of it. She really shouldn't have done that.
She barfed on the spot, prompting a worried Kazuha to yeet on the set with some tissue and water, patting her back.
He looked at the hot pot in horror. “What is that thing?”
“I heard that Ei helped make it.” A staff member said.
Everyone turned to him with a face of shock and horror.
“I should’ve asked the other Raiden to make it instead.” The director said, facepalming.
—------------------------------------------
Ei and Kamaji stood at opposite ends of the arena, blades drawn.
“Ready to learn, Almighty Shogun!”
Kamaji charred at the Shogun, who stood in a ready stance. She dodged several strikes perfectly before landing a backhand onto the man’s face.
“CUT! Ei, you were supposed to deflect him with the blunt end of your polearm!”
“A-ah. Forgive me.”
“TAKE 2!”
Kamaji missed his initial strikes, and was sent on the floor when Ei landed a solid punch to his face.
“CUT! Ei, your polearm! Not your fists!”
“TAKE 5!”
Kamaji again missed his initial strikes, but Ei hit him a tad too hard, he was sent flying into the wall and crashing into a pile of crates behind Aether.
“E-eh? Whoops.”
“CUT! That was too hard!”
“TAKE 20!”
Kamaji tried to get up from his initial position, only to end up on the floor after he slipped, face planting on the floor.
“CUT! Kamaji, fix your slippers!
“TAKE 42!”
Kamaji tried to get up again, but eventually tired out and fell straight down on his face. Ei huffed a bit, looking down at him as she flicked her polearm back.
“Perfect! I think that’s it for the first shoot. We can try for the secondary angles now!”
Kamaji didn’t move.
“Kamaji? Hello? We need to do a take again?”
Ei was walking away when she paused, turning to look at the actor still on the floor. Aether walked up to him, poking his back?
“Kamaji? Are you okay?” He asked, not getting a response.
“Ah shoot. He’s out cold.” Aether says to the rest of the crew.
“A-ah. I might’ve hit him too many times during our shoots.” Ei admits, embarrassed.
The director just stares at them with an irritated face before facepalming. Now they have to wait before they can reshoot?
“Uh, Aether. Is that blood on the carpets under Kamaji?” Sara asked, watching the shoot from the sidelines.
Aether and Ei’s eyes went wide.
“GET AN AMBULANCE!”