The In Media Res Meme, already in progress.

[followedbylemmings]

• ...-g other people.


• Assume that a scene's been going on for a while and you're starting in the middle of the action. (If you don't know what in media res means, Webster defines it as, "In or into the middle of a narrative or plot.") If you need an idea of what might've happened/is happening/will be happening then...
  
  You know. RNG. Numbers.
  
  1. And that was when the small animal tried to jump on your character.
  2. And that was when your character realized that what they just ingested tasted horrible.
  3. And that was when your character was informed that recovery would take longer.
  4. And that was when your character got shot at.
  5. And that was when your character turned the corner and saw something or another.
  6. And that was when your character ruined the story/joke/information they were trying to tell and just messed up on the delivery.
  7. And that was when the plan backfired.


• And have fun.

Comments

[redbeans]

[it's not that seri isn't used to munakata's-- odd requests from time to time. rather, sometimes it was best to pretend to be a little surprised.

and then she sighs.]

Of course.

[the red is a little too bright for her tastes but it doesn't clash too terribly. she has one of the women to help her adjust it just so (carefully, she admonishes) as she eyes the so-called runway. there are things seri awashima is good at; model walk isn't one of them.

but her mask remains intact when she finds herself at the start of the runway. add a smile on her face and off she goes.]

[permit]

[ as far as models go, perhaps awashima seri is not the best of the naturally elite.

but what she lacks in experience, she's always made up for with sheer confidence; although her gait may be a little stiff, a bit too orderly, somewhat closed-in, there's something to be said about her squared shoulders, her long strides in even steps. what he's seen in her exemplary sword work, he also sees now -- in her walk and half-lunges, in the careful way she swings her arms at her sides. he smiles when the background music flows into rhythm with her every footfall.

and when she reaches the end, he extends his hand in front of her, and waits patiently for her to take it. ]

[redbeans]

[confidence masks all anxiety and by the time she reaches out and accepts his hand, she's consciously regulating her breathing. giving military orders and modelling are two very different things, after all.

still, his presence is reassuring and she murmurs a quiet thank you as she steadies herself with the wryest of smiles. no chance to let her facade break yet, though, as one of the women from the line come over, presumably to fuss and help the hat off her (time, time is important, she knows this). this she'll let her do, but the ball's in his park now-- give your orders, captain.]

i am so embarrassed at how late this terrible tag is

[permit]

[ but why?

there's really no need for formalities when the gathering's such a casual one, see. ]

Three, right. [ his face is close when he offhandedly remarks once the younger lady leaves with the hat in tow, his fingers still gracing the elegant curve of his lieutenant's grip. ] And four on the left.

[ and it's painfully simple to recognize what he's referring to -- as the next woman in line makes it to the back of the makeshift runway, the other women still stationed along the sides of it have to crane their necks to see the model's starting point.

which more or less gives them a clear view of that delicate line of a woman's throat that otherwise held the blemishing birthmark of their present target. ]

i still owe you more stuff, okay.

[redbeans]

[her eyes trail quietly across the line of women; the only indication that she understands is a slower exhale as she picks them out. a more elaborate gesture might have still gone unnoticed, granted, as the women were certainly more busy watching, learning, eager. quite like vultures, in a way for there is competition and then there's Competition, even in the realm of faux hat-modelling.

but as far as her reasoning goes, upsetting things at this point would not help with their end goal and goodness knows that it would be good to get this right. so she'll call out a second set of instructions:]

A minute per person should be enough.

[that should, at the very least, give them time to make their move.]

[permit]

[ it isn't the most elaborate game plan, perhaps. after all, what they're playing at is unorthodox at best, but the timing, this deliberate way of dragging it out won't change the inevitable outcome.

in fact, they should all start feeling the heat -- especially their little strain, the longer she's kept in one place. ]

I particularly like her posture. [ he comments idly, in a voice just (deliberately) loud enough to be heard between the beats of the playing music. ] Her height lends well to her overall form, don't you think?

[ he eyes his lieutenant out of his peripheral, a pointed look that seems to ask for more than just an answer. ]

It's a shame that some of the others don't possess the same natural benefit.

[ those women with birthmarks are particularly short, after all.

such a shame, they can't change that. ]

[redbeans]

Yes.

[--she says, being 5'5" and in a pair of heels herself. Which are pretty uncomfortable, by and by, and she makes a mental note to disregard these when shoe-shopping in the future.

the woman on parade has reached their end, and she offers a wavery smile at her-- audience. seri replies a brief, not quite discouraging one of her own, keeping her voice low but sufficiently audible when the woman turns and starts for the other end.]

It's a hat with character. Without suitable attributes, you'd end up looking overwhelmed.

[permit]

Indeed.

[ common courtesy might suggest that he be a little less obvious about his gossip in front of the very people he's gossiping about, but... well, it's not as though they're among a crowd of people who would think to argue.

but for the sake of the display, he leans his head a little lower to regard awashima at his side -- at the very least, he thinks, he should put on a good show of being subtle. but his voice is still loud, louder still than the playing music. ]

A longer neck, perhaps? Or an updo, the nape of the neck exposed.

[redbeans]

[the smile on the parading woman's face may be just a little strained-- perhaps a trick of the light? either way, seri plays her part, straightening her posture, as if trying to catch all that he has to say (despite it being very much audible to the women in the room).]

That would certainly help. It's times like these when it's better to show a little more skin.

[and quite noticeably, those with longer hair reach to the back in what they would hope to be a nonchalant fashion (hardly so, from both their vantage points here) as the first (brief) hat modelling comes to an end and there's a flurry of movement to swap headgear. one at the side discreetly attempts to reposition hairpins, another casts into their wallet for a hair tie-- in vain.

but ah, the question is: does their desired target have such minor accessories on hand?]

[permit]

Skin tone as well.

[ he continues, smile polite (and yet vaguely condescending) to match his tone. ]

A fairer complexion would be a kind complement to such a rich red.

[ it isn't too difficult to notice the effect their words have on the crowd, the way the anxious fidgeting turns into a ripple into a wave that makes the women start bumping shoulders and hustle with nervous energy that presses the line too tightly together. there are seven women that they are keeping a close eye on -- all but one of them seem appropriately affected by all of their goading. for a moment, some of the others to the sides of this unusually calm woman obscure her form from view; when she returns, however, the lighting seems to reflect off of her skin in a lighter glow -- her hair seems appropriately shorter, not the medium-length bob it had been just seconds before.

trick of the light, indeed. ]

[redbeans]

[third in line the miraculous shifting woman stands, frozen smile pasted on face. if there were awards for relaxed smiles in the room at the moment (Munakata aside, for the captain always smiles), she'd certainly be swimming in them.]

You always did like the fairer ones.

[she appends a laugh at the end, letting her gaze drift across the line. seri's observation skills may not be as sharp to be able to watch all seven at one go, but it isn't too difficult to notice the subtle change in features-- especially when she was looking out for very particular details. however, apprehending at the moment seemed duly risky-- with the women fidgeting together in such a manner, going in may cause a ruckus.

they couldn't afford a ruckus.]

Why, next you'll be saying that they should be blue-eyed to complement the hat.

[permit]

It can't be helped.

[ there's a chuckle -- pleasant, polite, easy... and likely meaning nothing at all. now that they have their target, it's a simple matter of extricating her from the rest of the crowd without causing due panic, true - ]

My bias is well-deserved after how well you suited it.

[ and yet, the more horrible option is that he simply doesn't care, of course.

but it's a bit of a game now; though it takes some extra strain to see, there's a lighter color to her gaze, a trick of the lighting that makes her formerly green eyes shine blue beneath the light of the makeshift runway when she glances in their direction. ]