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Wickedly Tongue-Twisted

Summary:

The Wicked Twisters start a podcast discussing life, liberty, and the pursuit of video games.

Notes:

ζ: Written with my beloved friend Darkblaw. To my readers, I spent August working on my fic for the SubaSeka Bang, and I have a busy month in September. Expect to see me back at my usual from October on!

Darkblaw: And I'm sure I'll release something sooner or later, myself. :D

ζ: I hope so! His bang fic is excellent. Given my busy-ness this month, I wanted to write something lowkey, and Darkblaw and I hatched this scheme together. I'll be writing Sakurane and Usui, and he's tackling the dynamic duo of Furesawa and Kanade.

Darkblaw: Oh boy, I got the bois. :D

ζ: And I got the girls. Funny how things work out. Also, if anyone has a better name for the title, hit us up! It's a work in progress.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: In which the Wicked Twisters ostensibly discuss video games

Summary:

Fret starts the 'insert name here' podcast with Rindo, Nagi, and Shoka! They attempt to talk about video games.

Notes:

ζ: This is all written off-the-cuff and on-the-fly.

Darkblaw: We also set an hour timer, not as a hard limit, but just to keep track of time.

ζ: Still, we tried to keep it within the hour. Also, while writing this, I realised that no other fic has the relationship Furesawa "Fret" Tosai & Kanade Rindo & Sakurane Shoka & Usui Nagi before this.

Darkblaw: How is that possible.

ζ: Time for us to rectify this situation.

Darkblaw: Yes! We shall! Onwards!

ζ: My reign of terror for being the first to create relationship and character tags continues. Tally ho!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Episode 00: Let's Get Together

FRET:   Heeeeeeey everybody, welcome to the first episode of the 'insert name here' podcast! I'm just one of your hosts, funky Fret, and with me I've got...!

SHOKA ...'Insert name here' podcast?

FRET:   Yeah! It's cool, I'll totally just, like, edit in a name later when I think of one.

NAGI:   If half as flavorful as 'Wicked Twisters,' I've no doubt as to its unforgettability.

RINDO True. I mean, I got pretty used to our team name, even if it was weird at the start...

SHOKA Well, if our Fearless Leader says so, I'll wait and see the damage.

FRET:   Ahem, and with me I've got...?

NAGI:   Hwhghgle, Nagi Usui, at your service!

SHOKA Shoka. Don't wear it out.

RINDO Oh, uh, Rindo. Hey, people who may or may not be listening.

FRET:   Thank you, my wonderful co-hosts! We're gonna have a good time just talking about video games and whatever else might come to mind at the time! And just a quick warning, most of our episodes are only gonna be, like, what, six or seven minutes long? That sound right, Rindude?

RINDO Yup, all good.

FRET:   He just gave me a thumbs-up! Don't give me that look, dude, the listener can't see us!

SHOKA And the thumbs-up was pretty cute, Rinrin.

RINDO Cough, cough!

SHOKA Pfft. Anyway, it's a bite-sized podcast, so even the attention-challenged have a pretty good chance of making it through.

NAGI:   For those preferring more luxurious voices 'pon their eardrums but who still wish to imbibe our words, we offer a transcript of each episode as well.

SHOKA Thanks for taking charge on that, sis.

RINDO Yeah, and I agreed for my stammers and crap to be included too. For comedic value.

NAGI:   'Tis in the just name of veracity!

FRET:   And comedic value!

SHOKA And comedic value, too.

NAGI:   Indeed. And comedic value, as well.

FRET:   Haha, nice glasses flash, Boss! I gotta let the listener know how cool you are~

SHOKA Psst, Rinrin, you know I love you, right? Wait, don't put that in—

NAGI:   'Tis in the just name of veracity!

RINDO Heh, I feel like I'm gonna regret this. But uh, yeah, hehe, love you too.

SHOKA A-aww, I, uh...

NAGI:   Ghwwh! Should you truly wish to wipe the record, Lord Tosai and I shall excise it from audio and text alike.

FRET:   Yeah, Rindude, Shokie, whatever you want taken out is totally all good with me and Boss.

SHOKA Y—yeah, well, you can keep what I said. The listeners can know I'm holding his hand too...if you're cool with that, Rinrin. And stop looking at me like your brain's going to fall out of your mouth.

RINDO Oh, sorry! I just—you know me, haha.

SHOKA Y-yeah, I... I do know you.

RINDO And yeah, a-all good with letting the listener-reader know all that stuff! I got nothing to hide, not with Shoka.

NAGI:   'Tis wondrous, the fruit of affections borne.

FRET:   Awwww, you guys are so freakin' cute! Makes me wanna get up and give you guys a big bear hug—not as good as Beat would, but like, a bear-y kinda hug?

NAGI:   I find your embraces bear-y charming in their own right, Lord Tosai.

FRET:   Hahaha! That's our Boss! And...thanks.

SHOKA You gonna make good on that or just threaten us with a good time?

RINDO Come on over, Fret.

FRET:   R-really? Alright! Hope you guys are ready for this!

SHOKA Come on before I change my mind notthatIwould.

RINDO Well, don't like, jump at us—

FRET:   Yah!

RINDO Oof, not so rough!

SHOKA C'mere, dummy. Gonna have to jump harder than that to knock me off-balance. Hey, sis, you just gonna sit there or what?

NAGI:   P-pardon!?

FRET:   Come on, Boss! The water's fine~ If you wanna, I mean, join in. Don't gotta. I can give you a separate hug?

NAGI:   I hadn't presumed an invitation...

SHOKA Sis. No kidding we want you here, if you wanna join.

RINDO We've always got room for you.

NAGI:   Th-then, pardon the intrusion...!

SHOKA Oof! Hey!

FRET:   W-whoa! We almost fell over, there!

SHOKA See, Fret, now that was a tackle. Take notes for next time you want to bowl us over.

NAGI:   I b-believe the appropriate classification per my fellow EleStraniacs would be a 'glomp.' Ahem.

FRET:   I have much to learn from the master...

NAGI:   Blessedly, you are a most motivated protégé.

RINDO I don't know if you should be teaching him how to tackle us.

FRET:   I'd use my power responsibly!

NAGI:   Not 'would,' but 'will.' You shall learn it yet.

FRET:   I will use my power responsibly!

NAGI:   Gnufufu... All according to plan...

RINDO So, like, are we gonna stay like this for the rest of the recording, or like. I-I'm cool with it! Just, uh, wondering.

SHOKA I guess I don't mind it too much. So, y'know, we can stay.

NAGI:   A configuration as divine as His Radiance's anniversary-art visage may remain as long as it pleases.

FRET:   Well, if we're staying like this, then we can just move onto the main topic for today! Just, let me move the mic over here... Okay!

SHOKA You know, for the two minutes we got left.

FRET:   Uh, yeah! I guess I got a little distracted!

NAGI:   Nary a regret!

RINDO I'm feeling pretty un-regretful right now.

SHOKA Ditto. Video games are cool and all, but I agreed to do this because, you know, you guys are...

NAGI:   As are you, Lady Shoka.

SHOKA ...Thanks, sis.

FRET:   Hell yeah. Talking with my besties is what I want this to be, anyways.

RINDO Hehe. 'Video games are cool and all, but have you heard of friendship?'

NAGI:   'Tis more wondrous yet: the fruit of friendship borne.

RINDO Games are more fun with friends. So like, it all sorta ties into each other. Kinda. I'm trying to find a way to say 'we totally didn't get off track.'

NAGI:   As Lord Tosai has taught me well with his shudder-inducing and yet brilliant off-meta team compositions—

FRET:   I'm smurt~

NAGI:   —the off-track road may be the most fruitful yet. And yes, Lord Tosai, that you are.

FRET:   Haha! And yeah, if you wanna ask anyone about getting off-track, I'm your guy, Rindude!

SHOKA I'm not so sure about smart, but I think you think your own way. And I think that's pretty cool. Seriously.

FRET:   Aww, Shokie!

SHOKA D-don't gimme that look. I'm just stating a fact.

NAGI:   More a subjective opining, methinks.

SHOKA H-hey!

NAGI:   ...One with which I agree.

RINDO Make that three. Fret's smarter than I think we give him credit for. I mean, he set this all up, right?

NAGI:   Indeed he did. Perchance EleStra's influence has expanded his tactician's mind...but more evidently, these are the skills he chooses to hone: to bring together his comrades-in-arms and swell our hearts in fair and foul weathers alike. 'Tis not mere levity that accomplishes this task. That we can wear our sincerity and our hearts on our sleeves here owes in part to the atmosphere he cultivates.

SHOKA Yeah, you say it, sis.

FRET:   Wuh-vuh-ahem, B-Boss! You-you're-you're gonna make me blush, what the heck!

RINDO You are blushing, Fret.

FRET:   K-k-kweh?

SHOKA Your cheeks could give a Phasaurus Rex a run for its redness.

RINDO You really make a comfy place to be ourselves, Fret. He's really the glue that sticks us together, huh, Nagi?

NAGI:   Mwihihi... Most verily.

SHOKA Yeah, no clue how you manage to make your elbow jabbing my stomach feel comfy, but you better not move.

FRET:   Stop, guys, like, my brain, no processing, just brain.

SHOKA Good thing it's a pretty cool brain.

FRET:   Guys...! C'mere!

RINDO O-okay, tighter, I guess!

FRET:   ...I really love you guys. Thanks for doing this podcast thing with me.

NAGI:   The feeling is mutual, Lord Tosai.

RINDO Got that right. Let's just...have fun hanging out on here.

SHOKA Yeah. We're talking about video games anyway. Might as well be losers together.

FRET:   Yeah! Losers, together! And—oop, there's the timer. Gotta end the episode!

RINDO Uh, let's sign off, but, like, we can keep hugging...

NAGI:   Pardon the inquisition, Lord Rindo—

SHOKA This oughta be good.

NAGI:   —but is that a 'we can' or a 'can we?'

RINDO Hey, I mean—don't give me that look, Fret—but like, yeah, I guess, like... Jeez, ha, way to call me out.

SHOKA Rinrin...

FRET:   Then let's sign off quick so we can get back to huggin'! Thanks for joining us on the first episode of the 'insert name here' podcast! Even though we might not've talked about video games here, we totally will in the future! Anything you guys wanna say before I stop recording?

NAGI:   If all the world's a stage, and all of us merely Players, then I daresay we have discussed a Game after all. 'Tis the very game of life.

RINDO Huh... That makes sense.

SHOKA Whatever we talk about's going to end up entertaining with all you bozos here. So don't sweat what we blab about. Uh, 'no sweat for Fret,' or whatever.

RINDO Yeah, pretty much. And thanks for watch—I mean, listening, everybody.

FRET:   See ya, everybody! Oh, hey, Boss, when we come up with a name for the podcast, you're gonna edit the transcript, right?

NAGI:   In the just name of veracity...I shall leave our sins on display. For they are part of what this program so endearing, and so human, as you are.

FRET:   O-oh, haha, thanks.

SHOKA And that's the 'insert name here' podcast signing off. Later, losers.

Notes:

ζ: Normally we write end notes during and immediately after writing the work, but we have a gap here. If I forget to mention something, just know that I loved writing this and thought that Darkblaw's writing was amazing to read and bounce against, and that he nails Furesawa and Kanade.

Darkblaw: Aw, thank you!! And I really, really like the way you've written Usui and Sakurane, really nailed them. And I think we nailed their group dynamics too!

ζ: I find it funny that you refer to them by their surnames too instead of calling them 'Nagi' and 'Shoka' as you typically do! But I agree that we nailed the group dynamics!

Darkblaw: I thought it was fitting. Fun fact to the reader, we use a single letter to refer to the characters while we write, with F, R, U, and S. But depending on how you read it, Usui could be the outlier or Rindo would, since F can be Fret/Furesawa, and S can be Shoka/Sakurane. :D

ζ: I suppose I should say 'Rindo' to fit, but I think that Kanade works better. Furesawa, Usui, Kanade, Sakurane...or 'FUKS' for short. 'Rindo', as Darkblaw writes in 'R' instead of 'K', would make it 'FURS', and while they're going for a convention soon, I can't say they're going to a furry convention. But I do give many 'FUKS' about the characters.

Darkblaw: Speaking of 'FUKS', we really 'FUKS-ed' around on this chapter. 10/10, would do it again.

ζ: Heheh! I agree. The Wicked Twisters will talk about video games, and they will also talk about other stuff. Thus goes the podcast! Fun fact: the pilot chapter we used to test the writing style and formatting ended up similar, albeit with them actually sharing their tastes in video games before piling Kanade into a verbal hug. Here Furesawa got the hug treatment. And physical, too! For my fellow Usui enjoyers, she wouldn't have joined in if she had been affected by touch aversion in that moment. It varies for her, as it does for many with sensory overload issues.

Darkblaw: Also why I had Fret ask her if she wanted a separate hug~ Or to abstain completely.

ζ: I noticed that! It made me grin to see! I appreciate Furesawa being the most attuned to her needs, though all the Wicked Twisters quickly attune as well. They all care about her.

Darkblaw: They do~! And each other, in general. This chapter, and fic, is gonna be very fun. I really enjoy seeing them be all positive together and supporting each other if they want it. :3

ζ: I agree with that! I really love that they can rib each other in a friendly way and also flip and support each other.

Darkblaw: Yeah! It's lots of fun. :D

ζ: It is. Writing with you is so much fun! I love working with you! Thank you for doing this with me, and thank you for setting up the word count counters, as well as for making the document that we use to count words and autoformat the script pretty. And for copying the format and all of that! I appreciate your attention to the details.

Darkblaw: It's so fun writing with you!!! Thank you for doing this project with me, this'll be so great. And thank you for setting the formatting in for the fic, it wouldn't look as pretty without you~ And I hope the readers look forward to the future of this fic.

ζ: Me too! We're a few chapters behind so we'll aim to catch up! And either way, we'll have a lot of fun! At least I know I always do with you. You're so good.

Darkblaw: Awww! You're so good too! I always have fun with you too, dude. I love you.

ζ: I love you so much, my dear and precious friend.

Darkblaw: <3!!!1 ← 🌲💚🤌

ζ: <3!!!1 ← 🌴💜🤏